Annual cleanup set in Springfield

April 18, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By MARY GRZEBIENIAK

NEW SPRINGFIELD

Springfield Township trustees announced that the annual township clean-up is set for 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday.

Volunteers willing to take part in the roadside litter cleanup should call the township offices at (330) 542-2377. Trucks also are needed. On that day, any residents who want to clean up their yard can take debris to Waste Management’s Mahoning Landfill on Garfield Road (state Route 617) for free.

Trustee Robert Orr said that last year, nearly 100 residents volunteered for the cleanup.

In other business at their meeting Wednesday, trustees agreed to try again to contact the Ohio Department of Transportation to ask them to lower the speed limit on Garfield Road due to residents’ complaints. Orr commented it is unreasonable that the four-lane Interstate 680 through Youngstown has a 50 mph speed limit while a rural country road such as Garfield is posted at 55 mph. Trustees said, however, that their past attempts to have the limit lowered have been unsuccessful.

Trustees authorized Road Superintendent Rich Kennedy to prepare specifications for the paving of Cherry and High streets in Petersburg, which is planned for this summer.

Trustees also listened to a presentation from Greg Courtney on installation of small wind-energy systems and to Justin Rogers and Stephanie Dyer from Mill Creek MetroParks talk about the Yellow Creek Watershed, which runs from Unity Township to Struthers and takes in Springfield Township.