Ideas to be gathered for growth

Students' expenses are being covered through donations.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Planning for the township begins this weekend.
The findings from two days of public input sessions will be used to formulate a master plan for the township.
The township is working with Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative in a design charrette, or group discussion.
"A charrette gives us the opportunity to build consensus with the people who live here and determine how they want to see Boardman in the future," said Trustee Kathy Miller. "I believe in citizen involvement."
The first public input session runs from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Boardman branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Glenwood Avenue.
The team of graduate students from KSU and Cleveland State University will present their research conducted on the community including business trends, history and transportation.
A second session runs from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Saturday at the library, where the public and design team members work to define issues relevant to the township.
From 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday, the students will preview designs that are based on information gathered in the two sessions.
At 7 p.m. Nov. 6 the design team will make the final presentation of their ideas in the east ballroom of the Holiday Inn, South Avenue.
All ideas counted
Each session is designed to enable those attending to provide input, said Patti Choby, a township native and instructor of the community development process course in which the students are enrolled.
"The Monday meeting is to show all of the work we've done over the weekend," she said.
She said that people who live outside the township but who frequent it also are encouraged to participate.
"One thing that's emerging is that Boardman is a regional destination," Choby said. "This is open to not only residents of Boardman Township but also to everybody in the region who uses the amenities there."
The township has solicited donations to cover the 6,000 in travel, food and lodging expenses incurred by the students. The 4M Company of Boardman and Boardman Rotary are among the contributors.
The students and their instructors have previously met with trustees and other members of the community to get their views.
The process involves nine students who have collected information about economic factors, demographic data and housing, business and industry facts about the area.
Besides the involvement of trustees and other township officials, the students have encouraged participation from churches and schools in the area as well as officials from Youngstown State University and Eastgate Regional Council of Governments.
Some of the suggestions made during the Monday session may be recommendations for additional study, Choby said.
Students are expected to make a presentation of their recommendations to trustees by the end of this year.