Gazebo rededication ceremony planned for Sunday

By Sean Barron

McDONALD — Despite being told to evacuate because of a natural gas leak, 26 to 30 village residents were cooperative and made the process smooth and orderly.

That was the summation village fire Chief Ed Winterbauer gave to council members during their meeting Wednesday regarding the leak in a gas main on Illinois Avenue that was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Residents in 11 homes in the 500 and 600 blocks of Illinois, as well as the 100 and 200 blocks of Sixth Street, were allowed to return about three hours later, Winterbauer said. It took Dominion East Ohio Gas Co. officials roughly 45 minutes to repair the problem, during which time a four-block area was closed to traffic, he said.

The village police department is investigating.

Also at the session, village Administrator Thomas Domitrovich announced a ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday to rededicate the James J. Copham Memorial Gazebo in Woodland Park to include the name of Copham’s wife, Eileen, who died recently.

James Copham was the village’s postmaster for several years and also served as a firefighter. Various public officials and family members are expected to attend.

A tree destroyed the gazebo during a storm in 2005 and it was rebuilt two years later at a cost of about $25,000, Domitrovich said.

In other action, the administrator said a pre-application was given last month to the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments for the village’s 2009 Roadway Resurfacing program, which would entail repaving four main roads. Officials should hear from Eastgate in October or November; funds might be awarded in March 2009, and work could get under way next summer, he said.