With help of sheriff's work crew, group begins cleanup of cemetery

By ZACH STIPE
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Pine Hollow Cemetery, once a beautiful memorial to Youngstown pioneer Isaac Powers, has deteriorated over the years into a collection of weeds, roots and dirt atop a steep hill.
The 7th Ward Citizens Coalition and ward resident Roger Ackley want to change that by rejuvenating the cemetery and turning it into a national historical site.
The coalition along with the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office Day-Reporting Program are spearheading the effort.
The cemetery, on the corner of Pine Hollow and Lenox Avenue on the city's South Side, received a makeover from Sheriff Randall A. Wellington's work crew.
The crew, under the supervision of Sgt. Ron D'Apolito, mulched, pruned, weeded, landscaped and transformed areas in and around the cemetery.
The workers are people serving time for offenses such as driving under suspension or minor theft, D'Apolito said.
Under the day-reporting program, workers gain jail credit of one day "served" for each eight-hour day.
It costs $68 per inmate per day to place in the jail and only $1.10 a day to have them come out for the work program, D'Apolito added.
Between 10 and 15 workers accompanied John R. Swierz, coalition president, and Ackley, chairman of the Powers Memorial Park Committee, at the cemetery Tuesday.
Hopes for the park
Ackley, who lives next to the cemetery in a house built for Powers' daughter, envisions, among other things, a park with trails for kids, and a quiet place for people to "come and reflect."
Ackley foresees a time frame of 18 months to two years at the earliest for the cemetery to be repaired and prepared for submission to the National Register of Historic Places.
He said a major goal is to rejuvenate the site with as little funding as possible.
Swierz contacted the sheriff's day program about cleaning up the cemetery and got a quick response. He said workers did a good job.
Powers settled in Youngstown in 1802 and made the hill overlooking what is now Interstate 680 his home. Pine Hollow Cemetery was his family burial site.
Swierz thinks that Powers, his wife, a daughter, a granddaughter and a servant are buried at the cemetery.
In recent years, the coalition and Ackley have commissioned a new obelisk commemorating the Powers family, as well as a sign that reads "Powers Estate Cemetery" looking over I-680, three benches and a picnic table.
Soliciting help
"We are willing to accept any organization that wants to help in any way," Swierz said.
Powers was buried in 1861, giving the cemetery great historical significance, he added. "It's incumbent on each generation to take care of it," Swierz said. "It's our history."
Swierz encourages monetary and material donations for the cemetery project. Donations can be sent to the 7th Ward Citizens Coalition Inc., P.O. Box 1264, Youngstown 44501. Swierz can be contacted at (330) 788-5114.
D'Apolito said the day-reporting program is molding good workers, adding that anybody can call the sheriff's department at (330) 480-4939 if interested in getting workers for projects.