Residents object to boys home

Opponents have hired an attorney to help keep the group home out of their neighborhood.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
ELLSWORTH -- If residents want to stop a man from opening a group home for troubled boys in their community, they have plenty of arguments they can use.
That was the core theme of an informational meeting called Wednesday to voice opposition to converting a home George Syrianoudis owns at 11780 Western Reserve Road into a facility to be named Redemption House for up to 10 boys age 13 to 18.
A standing-room-only crowd of several hundred residents filled the gym at Western Reserve High School on U.S. Route 224 to hear what's been done to address the situation since Syrianoudis spoke at a meeting about two weeks ago on the subject.
Several speakers took issue with various points Syrianoudis brought up at the previous session, such as his lack of knowledge about septic systems. Patricia Johns, who owns 11 acres on Huxley Road, said the system failed inspection on the property where the facility would be.
John Bates, a member of the Ellsworth Concerned Citizens group set up to oppose the group home, said he and other members have started a petition drive, retained an attorney and talked to Mahoning County commissioners and others about the issue.
Some concerns
Arguments against the facility that Bates brought up included a lack of police protection for the area and not enough resources to accommodate the boys' needs.
Charles Swindler, superintendent of the Western Reserve School District, said that school capacity likely would be a problem. The board of education would be "severely impacted by the lack of resources to provide for the kids," Swindler told the crowd.
The superintendent said that just because Syrianoudis' wife, Beth, has a license to teach kids with severe behavior problems doesn't mean her husband is a licensed educational provider.
A separate license is needed for that, Swindler noted.
Swindler encouraged people to write letters to the Mahoning County Board of Health, county commissioners and their elected representatives to oppose the group home.
Angry responses
At one point, a man in the audience accused the board of racism, which quickly drew angry responses from several residents.
The man left the session after being warned that he would be escorted out.
Atty. Scott Cochran, whom the citizens group hired to look at legal matters pertaining to the facility, told the audience that an injunction could be sought to stop the group home if Syrianoudis is out of compliance with zoning regulations. Problems with the septic system on the property could pose health and safety risks, he said.
Syrianoudis has said he wants to help at-risk children and that he won't house those with felony records.
The home would be staffed 100 percent of the time and have a security system to alert staff members if someone tried to leave.
Syrianoudis, of Canfield, applied for a state license but needs approval before he can open the facility. He and his wife have been foster parents for 10 years and have seven kids of their own.
Syrianoudis did not attend the meeting but said Wednesday that he knew it had been called.
Although the family has received threatening telephone calls at their Canfield residence, including a threat to burn down the Ellsworth house, Syrianoudis said he has been encouraged by calls from members of the community supportive of what he is trying to do.
"I still think that over time we'll be fine," he added. "It's just right now there's still that fear, and people hearing false information."