43
Austintown Relay for Life breaks record
By Elise Franco
Austintown
The township’s Relay For Life broke its fund-raising record, bringing in more than $102,000 for this year’s event.
Jennifer Weaver, co-chair of the Austintown Relay For Life, addressed township trustees during Monday’s meeting. Weaver said in 2010 the township’s relay surpassed $100,000 for the first time in its history, and this year made even more.
She said the fund-raising total for the 2011 relay was $102,300.
“Last year, we had 25 teams, and this year we had 29 teams,” she said. “Three of those teams each raised more than $10,000.”
The trustees congratulated Weaver and the rest of the organizers.
Weaver said the 2012 Relay For Life will be from 6 p.m. June 1 to 6 p.m. June 2 at Austintown Fitch High School.
Also during the meeting, township Administrator Michael Dockry said that the state auditor’s office recently sent the township a $22,748 refund for expenses incurred while responding to nuisance complaints. The township receives some reimbursement from the state.
“In the past two years, Austintown has averaged $53,000 in nuisance [expenses,]” he said. “What we got back was about 40 percent, and I was surprised it was even that much.”
Dockry said the higher-than-usual refund could be a sign that more of the vacant and bank-owned houses have sold than in past years.
The trustees’ next meeting is at noon Oct. 24 at the Austintown Senior Center. Trustee Jim Davis said the board decided to move the time and location of the meeting to give residents the chance to visit the senior center.
“They’ll see what we’ve accomplished thus far at the senior center,” he said. “And they’ll see how worthwhile it is.”
Residents are being asked to vote in November on a 0.5-mill, five-year levy that will fund the senior center at the Westchester Building on Westchester Drive. The center currently is operating solely through donations.