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Group aims to revitalize the region
YOUNGSTOWN
In the year 2025, Mahoning County will be a thriving region — at least that’s the hope of an organization called Power of 32.
Power of 32 began at the University of Pittsburgh and aims to revitalize a 32-county region in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia through a series of community discussions, which will boil down to policy options for the region.
Mahoning and Columbiana counties are in the Ohio area, and Lawrence and Mercer are part of the 15 counties in Pennsylvania.
In 2011, a virtual town meeting with representatives from all counties will meet to prioritize those policy options decided on by members of the region.
Monday night, about a dozen Youngstown area residents met at the First Unitarian Universalist Church at 1105 Elm St. for the community-conversation portion. A big issue in their conversation involved a transition in the area from the old reliance on the steel industry to a more diversified and stable economy.
Becy Itts of the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods, or ACTION, felt the meeting went well.
“I think it’s very important to get involved in this,” Itts said. “If you don’t get people involved, it won’t happen.”
The group came up with a list of ways to improve the city by reducing racism, raising an educated community of trained individuals, creating a strong downtown area and improving transportation between key cities including Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Youngstown with a train system.
Their ideas were recorded and will be sent for analysis in Pittsburgh.
Rev. Amariah McIntosh of Phillips Chapel ran the meeting and felt it had a good turnout. Facilitator Tom Welsh, also of ACTION, agreed.
“I think people were very engaged, and we actually had to call time during the conversations,” he said. “People really do want to talk about these issues.”
James Callen of Austintown attended the meeting and felt something could be accomplished through Power of 32.
“This group isn’t going to come up with results,” he said. “It’s going to be the contribution of a lot of groups like this, and I think they can.”
Another Power of 32 meeting is set at 5 p.m. today at Salem Community Center, 1098 N. Ellsworth Ave., Salem.