State funds for greenway

State funds for greenway

WARREN — The Trumbull County Planning Commission has learned the Ohio Legislature has approved $210,000 in state funding to be used to help fund Phase 3 of the Western Reserve Greenway.

Alan Knapp, director of the county planning commission, said he learned of the funding approval from state Rep. Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles, D-65th.

Phase 3 will extend south from Champion Avenue East to the Warren City limits near the Trumbull County Engineer’s Office on North River Road. It will be built in 2009 or 2010, Knapp said.

The additional money will be used to match the federal grant that will be secured for the $2.5 million project. Additional match money was needed for the project because the project cost has doubled in recent months, in part because of the increasing cost of asphalt, Knapp said. The cost of asphalt is increasing along with the cost of petroleum products because petroleum is used in asphalt, Knapp said.

Coalition to open office

WARREN — The Warren Community & Clergy Coalition, a group of city residents and church leaders that received a $40,000 grant last October, is opening an office in the YWCA building, 375 North Park Ave. The grant from the Raymond J. Wean Foundation last October was given so the group could establish a resource center to assist with the development of new and current neighborhood and block watches in the city and train and develop leadership in the community, the group said. The coalition also hopes to improve the community and strengthen education. The coalition will hold an open house at the new facility from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in Rooms 2 and 3. For more information on the coalition, call (330) 392-7979.