Lordstown-area residents anxiously watching the plight of GM

LORDSTOWN — The escalating layoffs at the General Motors complex have plenty of people worried.

Children are fretting about their parents losing their homes. Community residents are concerned that unsold real estate is dragging down their property values, and business owners are hoping they can survive until auto workers are recalled.

“Everybody is talking about it. It doesn’t matter whether your from Lordstown or not,” said Carol Senne, special education coordinator at the Trumbull County Career and Technical Center.

The people of Lordstown, however, are getting an up-close look as GM is in the midst of trimming its Lordstown hourly staff from 4,200 to 1,400. With demand for cars nearly evaporated, the complex has been shut down for all of January and will operate with one shift, instead of three, as of Feb. 9.

Senne said she has three homes for sale on her street in Lordstown, which is the first time in 26 years that so many homes have been for sale at once.

For more information, see Wednesday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.