Salem official calls for volunteerism

By D.a. Wilkinson

A councilman asked if people would meet a national call for public service.

SALEM — A councilman has asked whether Salem could do more, in the spirit of what President Barack Obama suggested during his inauguration Tuesday.

Hours after Obama became the 44th president of the United States, Councilman-at large Earl A. Schory II recalled volunteer work done throughout the nation.

Schory said, “I wonder if we as Salem could do more?”

The councilman, a Democrat like Obama, noted that Salem has a number of charities and pograms that range from a beautification committee to Habitat for Humanity.

“This being a moment in time, there is a call for public service,” Schory said, asking if council “could come up with a new program?”

He said Mayor Jerry Wolford, citizens or anyone else could propose one.

Council went into executive session after the meeting to discuss the purchase of land.

Council did give the mayor authorization to hire surveyors as part of the purchase of undisclosed property. Under state laws, such work and negotiations can be discussed behind closed doors.

Schory reminded the mayor that council recently vetoed a 0.5-percent increase to the city’s 1-percent income tax and refused to eliminate the credit for a 1-percent income tax some residents who live in Salem pay for working in other communities.

Council approved $60,000 to prepare the second and third phases of the engineering work for the East Pershing Street Extension. The extension of the street would create a third east-west corridor in the city that would reduce traffic on State Street.

Steve Andres, city service director, said he has almost run out of road salt for this winter.

He and city Auditor Jim Armeni had pulled money from various city accounts to buy an additional 200 tons at a cost of $14,578, he said.

Because of the heavy snows so far this winter, the city street department has worked a total of 125 hours of overtime, Andres said, adding, “We’ll do the best we can.”

Chris Jacobs, executive director of the Carroll-Columbiana-Harrison Solid Waste Management District, said recycling in the district had increased by almost 37 percent throughout the district.

Columbiana County in 2008 had 1,809 tons of recyclable materials as compared to 1,321 in 2007.

A recycling area on city property south of the fire department is being changed to help those who recycle. Instead of having containers for paper in one area and containers for other materials in another area at the site, Jacobs said he will alternate the paper and other containers to help those who use the site.

wilkinson@vindy.com