SEPTIC TANK REMINDERS
Septic tank reminders
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning County Board of Health will begin mailing pumping reminders to 1,122 Ellsworth and Smith township residents with septic systems this week. "There is no law that requires homeowners to get their septic tanks pumped," said Matthew Stefanak, Mahoning County health commissioner. "But reminding homeowners to get their septic systems services regularly can save them thousands of dollars in repair costs," he said. According to health board records, 907 households in Ellsworth Township and 1,472 in Smith Township rely on septic systems to treat their household sewage.
Food bank benefit event
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Greater Family Worship Center, 1731 Belmont Ave., plans a citywide outreach event at noon Saturday at 461 E. Federal St. (the old Weatherbee Factory parking lot) as a fundraiser for Gleaners Food Bank, 94 Pyatt St. The event will feature a food giveaway from Gleaner's, mime groups, gospel sunshine clown, drum lines, Harambee Dancers and resource tables. There also will be a Chinese auction, refreshments will be sold and furniture also will be sold at nominal prices. Tables are available. Bishop John L. Eldridge leads the center. For information on the event, call (330) 207-5322, (330) 559-1854 or (330) 261-1537.
Conservation tour
JAMESTOWN, Pa. -- Linda Armstrong, environmental education specialist for Pymatuning State Park, will provide a brief history of Pymatuning Lake and will lead a tour of the gatehouse as part of the Penn Ohio Watershed Association monthly meeting. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Shelter 3 in the park. The mission of POWA is to foster the protection and restoration of the Pymatuning/Shenango Watershed through conservation and cooperation within the watershed community. For more information, call Amy Reeher, watershed coordinator for the Trumbull County Soil and Water Conservation District, at (330) 637-2056, Ext. 3.
Remote planes meeting
WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. -- The Wingsnappers radio control flying club will have their annual Electric Fly-In from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. next Sunday at its flying field here. Ken Jennings, of McDonald, formerly of Brookfield, will perform an exhibition with the helicopter that took the world record for the fastest electric radio-controlled helicopter in 2005. He is now a factory-sponsored pilot with many national companies. Combat exhibition will also be held.
No nighttime controller
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. -- Due to a drop in the number of flights at Allegheny County Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration decided there won't be an air traffic controller from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting Sept. 1. FAA officials said it will not compromise safety. During that time, planes will be guided by controllers at Pittsburgh International Airport, about 10 miles away. Pilots will have radio communication with controllers there. No jobs will be cut as a result of the change, said FAA spokeswoman Arlene Murray. Controllers, though, expressed safety concerns when, for example, deer cross the runway, or it suddenly ices up, or fog rolls.