Benefit concert planned

Benefit concert planned

YOUNGSTOWN — A concert to benefit the two surviving members of the Crawford family will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Chevrolet Centre. Six members of the family, two women and four children, perished in a fire deliberately set at their East Side home last month. A minimum donation of $10 will be accepted at the door. The Stopping the Violence Committee, sponsor of the event, said performers will include Greg Johnson Total Package Band; P. Ross Berry Middle School Choir; Jones 4 Revival; Asleep; Jeff Best; Captain Braskey; K-Awake; David Mines; 2Fly; Synphony; and Kenny Ali and Geo C and tha Storm. The performers are subject to change. Donations are also being accepted at National City Bank.

Trustee rejects raise

BOARDMAN — Trustee Robyn Gallitto believes in leading by example. She says one of the ways to save money during the township’s financial woes is to cut wages and have employees make increased contributions to their health-care insurance. On Friday, Gallitto announced she would reject her statutory pay raise as trustee and increase her contribution to her medical insurance to 20 percent. She said those actions were offered to all township workers as possible job-saving measures. Gallitto said if township employees make no concessions in the short term, the trustees’ only response is “to remove people from the payroll.” The trustees plan to unveil their strategic plan to deal with the township’s projected $3.5 million deficit at a 6 p.m. special meeting Wednesday at the township administration building on Market Street.

Harding High’s fate

WARREN — A meeting to discuss the fate of Warren G. Harding High School will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in city council chambers. Barbara Busko, a Harding graduate, said the board of education is invited to attend. Voters approved a bond issue to generate $1 million for a preservation program for the school once students are moved this fall into a new school adjacent to Harding. Some residents want to see the entire building razed, some want to save the façade, and others want to save the façade, auditorium and some of the offices. The board may make a decision at its Tuesday meeting.

Children’s museum fun

YOUNGSTOWN — The Children’s Museum of the Valley is celebrating Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year on Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Activities include a Valentine fortune game, lucky red envelope scavenger hunt, paper lanterns with Kanji writing craft, and stories. The museum will be open an extra day to celebrate Presidents Day on Monday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Activities for this event include a story titled “Just Like Abe Lincoln,” presidential star/tree craft, penny cleaning science, and a penny watcher game. Aside from the special activities, the museum always offers hands-on exhibits so children through age 11 can play to learn. The museum is at 139 E. Boardman St. in downtown Youngstown across from the post office. For more information, (330) 744-5914 or visit www.valleykids.org.

House fire investigation

YOUNGSTOWN — The cause of a fire at 337 W. Glenaven Ave., Brothers of the Hammer motorcycle clubhouse, is under investigation. Firefighters sent to the South Side house at 8:45 p.m. Thursday found flames visible in a front window. No one was inside at the time of the fire, which was confined to the living and dining rooms. Damage was set at $4,000.

Shots reported

YOUNGSTOWN — A report of shots fired called police to a bar in the 700 block of Oak Hill Ave., where they spoke with the bar owner who said there had been a fight but those involved had left. The incident occurred about 2:10 a.m. Friday. Police encountered a victim, dressed in only jeans and shoes, who told them two men had started a fight with him and shots were fired but he was not hit. Police observed scrapes on the victim. Police searched but could not find any empty shell casings. The victim, who told police he couldn’t feel his arms and hands, said he had called family members. They arrived and took the victim to the hospital.

Cemetery cleanup

YOUNGSTOWN — The annual cleanup of Tod Homestead Cemetery will take place March 15. All decorations will be removed at this time. Anyone wishing to recover their decorations may do so before March 15.