Banner at Boardman fire station comes down

BOARDMAN — The South Avenue fire station remains closed many days, but you can’t tell that by driving by.

The night that township trustees laid off 42 full and part-time employees, including nine firefighters, the firefighters’ union placed a 4-foot-by-8-foot banner in the front of the South Avenue station, announcing the closure.

“Station closed due to layoffs,” it said. The union paid for the sign.

Earlier this week, fire Chief James Dorman removed that sign at trustees’ direction and placed an 11-inch-by-17-inch sign on the station’s front door, saying that the station is closed.

“I had complaints,” said Trustee Kathy Miller.

Some constituents found the phrase “due to layoffs” objectionable, she said. Others complained about the station being closed one day and open the next, Miller said.

“They say they never know whether one is open or whether it’s closed,” she said.

Read more in Thursday’s Vindicator and vindy.com