Leetonia plans a line to access Salem water

The village runs its own
Internet community boards
to get public comments.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

LEETONIA — Things are looking up in Leetonia.

The village hopes to begin work in October on a plan to install a line that would supply the village with water from Salem’s water plant.

Gary Phillips, the village’s administrator, said the Ohio Water Development Authority has estimated the plan will cost the village about $561,00 and Salem about $710,000.

Work could be completed as early as next April.

“That’s if everything drops the way it should,” Phillips said.

Parts of the village’s water system date to the late 1800s, and waterline breaks and boil advisories are common.

Mayor Artie Altomare said that the village now has deep wells that produce water containing iron that stains clothing.

Officials in the past have hesitated to raise water rates because of the poor quality of the water, they said.

To get reaction public reaction, village officials run forums on the village’s own Web site, www.leetonia.org.

Phillips asked people what they thought about buying Salem’s water.

One person replied, “It would save me a fortune in water filters, not to mention all the white clothes this water has ruined, even after being filtered.”

Paving streets

Another person responded, “One of the biggest steps in the right direction in some time. Now if only we could get Main Street repaired ...”

Phillips said officials have been patching the street to make it smoother in the expectation that pending new paving will last longer.

The village also wants to pave West Main Street from state Route 344 to state Route 11. That should help draw more people into town.

There have been about 50 condominiums built in the village recently that have brought in new residents, officials said.

Some of the condominiums were built near the former site of Leetonia’s high school. The site will be the location of a new public library that has been approved by voters.

All the Leetonia schools have now been included in one large facility.

Altomare said that the village is also enthusiastic about the Columbiana County Port Authority’s World Trade Park in the village that includes connections to fiber-optic lines for fast communication of large amounts of data. The park is expected to generate local jobs.

Also, village Fire Chief Ken Garlough, his wife, Judy, the village fiscal officer, and their son, Scott, a firefighter, put together a grant application that will result in the village’s getting a new $258,000 firetruck. The village will pay $12,900 of the cost, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay the rest.

The officials said the village is mostly a bedroom community.

“It’s a nice place if people want to come and live here,” Altomare said.

wilkinson@vindy.com