Reservists due home

Reservists due home

VIENNA — Twenty-three Marine Corps Reservists assigned to Landing Support Equipment Company, 4th Landing Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station were to return home today after a seven-month deployment to the Middle East. While there, they were attached to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force and were providing engineer equipment and logistical support within the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.

Work on water main

AUSTINTOWN — A water main near Ayrshire Drive will be shut down from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday because of a conflict with a new storm sewer line being installed nearby. The shutdown will affect addresses in the 3700 and 3800 blocks of Ayrshire and a home at 3764 Edinburgh Drive. After water service has been restored, affected residents are advised to boil tap water for one minute before using it for cooking and drinking. The Youngstown Water Department will advise residents when the water has been tested and is considered safe. For more information, call (330) 742-8765.

Mathews gets $5,000

VIENNA—The Wal-Mart Foundation has donated $5,000 to cover the costs of an after-school intervention program for Baker Elementary in the Mathews School District. Superintendent Lee Seiple said the program is designed to assist third-, fourth- and fifth-graders who are experiencing difficulties passing state tests. He said that the program, which is run after completion of the day’s classes, is essential for this age group and that the donation is a welcome gift for the district’s budget. In addition, Seiple said the district’s only teacher for gifted students, Nancy Johnson, is evaluating the state’s “value-added scores” that are designed to determine which children at the fourth- through sixth-grade levels will need extra help with state testing.

Senior housing expo set

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Senior Center on Fifth Avenue will have a senior housing expo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday . There will be information on all aspects of home ownership and home buying and selling, as it relates to the senior market. Several guest speakers will be available to answer individual questions. Topics will include tax issues, information on taking and transferring title of properties, downsizing homes and condos, assisted living options and reverse mortgages. Door prizes and refreshments are planned. RSVP to (330) 744-5071.

Fire displaces family

YOUNGSTOWN — A family of four, a man and three children, displaced by a fire at their home at 1541‚Ñ2 Hollywood Ave. early Friday were provided with temporary shelter, food and some clothing by the Red Cross. The family was out of the house when firefighters arrived at 12:25 a.m. The adult said the fire started in a second floor bedroom, where two candles had been burning. Damage, estimated at $3,500, was confined to the bedroom. Cause of the fire is under investigation.

Fathers, kids, camping

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Adventure Guide Program is having a spring retreat camp for fathers and their children ages 5-12 next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sponsored by Youngstown YMCA and held at Camp Fitch, the spring getaway will include activities such as rock climbing, campfires, rifle shooting, archery and horseback rides. Winter activities, if weather permits, will include cross-country skiing and tubing.

A father and child pairing costs $135, and any additional children will cost $30 each. Guests are suggested to bring bedding, warm clothing and toiletry supplies. The deadline for registration is Wednesday; call (330) 744-8411 or visit campfitch.com/parentchild to download a registration form.

Hear about ‘The Big Ear’

NEW SPRINGFIELD — Shirley Griffin will speak about “The Big Ear,” using antique telephones, when the Springfield Township Historical Society meets at 7:30 p.m. April 4 at the society’s meeting house and museum on Youngstown-Pittsburgh in downtown Petersburg. Griffin was the 1997 National Christian Educator of the Year and travels extensively throughout Ohio doing public speaking. The meeting is open to the public