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Four Weathersfield leadership awards given
By Mary Smith
MINERAL RIDGE
Weathersfield Township trustees have adopted a policy for the removal of junk vehicles.
State law permits trustees to provide for the removal “of any vehicle in the township which the board determines to be a junk vehicle,” the statute says.
The vehicles must be “apparently inoperable,” which includes any buildup of debris that obstructs use, such as a flat or missing tire or tires, a nonfunctional motor transmission, missing bumpers, missing license plates or expired vehicle license.
The law applies to vehicles on both public and private property. The township zoning administrator will enforce the law.
The cost of removing a vehicle will be collected by having the township fiscal officer certify expenses and a description of the land to the county auditor. The auditor will place the expenses on a tax duplicate as a lien to be collected as other taxes and returned to the township general fund.
In other business, trustees honored four township residents with the Weathersfield Township Community Leadership Award.
Joseph Seaborn Jr. (May 3, 1903, to Jan. 12,1981) was honored as a former teacher, principal and superintendent in the district for 26 years. During his tenure, he was instrumental in building the elementary school, which was named after him. He owned and operated a surveying firm for 20 years and surveyed much of Mineral Ridge.
He played a key role in the extension of utilities to the area, including gas, water and sanitary sewers. He helped establish streetlights and a consistent house-numbering system. He also helped establish the Mineral Ridge Volunteer Fire Department and was a firefighter.
Lydia F. Infante (Dec. 3, 1925, to March 29, 2010) was born in Italy and came to the U.S. in 1936. She was a naturalized citizen at birth through her father Gregorio Lorenzetti’s service as an ally in World War I.
She graduated as salutatorian of her junior-high class but was unable to finish high school because of the need for women factory workers during World War II. She married her husband, Carl Infante, in 1948, and they had two children.
Carl and “Lee” started a small business with a scrap yard that lead to an automotive-repair service and gas station. They began selling auto parts as Niles Brake and Auto Parts, at 1745 N. Main St., Niles. Carl died in 1960 at 39, leaving Lydia to raise two children and run the business. She retired in 1993, and among her retirement activities was serving as a member of the zoning-appeals board.
Joseph O. Lane (Dec. 3, 1924, to June 22, 2002) was president and fourth-generation owner of Lane Funeral Homes Inc.
He received many awards, including Ohio Funeral Directors Association 50-year Service Award in 2002 and the Pursuit of Excellence award from the National Funeral Directors Association in 1981.
Lane made a financial gift that was the cornerstone for a new stadium and football and sporting fields at the high school, named after him.
Raymond Knepper Sr., born March 19, 1954, was raised in Leavittsburg, and he and his wife, Sherry, have five children.
He joined the McKinley Heights Fire and Rescue department in 1988, and his dedication is best shown May 20, 2007, when Weathersfield Fire was mistakenly dispatched to a structure on Poplar Avenue in Niles, only two blocks from his home. Although Weathersfield units were canceled, he went to the scene to offer assistance. He found a working house fire and was told by neighbors that a man was trapped inside. Knepper, aided by Patrolman Les Nagy of Niles, rescued the occupant, with no protective gear. He was recognized with the Trumbull County National Night Out Person of the Year for 2007, State Fire Marshal’s Ohio Fire Service Valor Award and the Carnegie Medal for Heroism.
When McKinley Heights and Mineral Ridge Fire Departments merged into Weathersfield Township Fire Department in 1999, Deputy Chief Knepper stayed on and accepted the new title of captain for Station No. 40.
Trustees also approved purchase of two new 2015 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Vehicles at a cost of $26,340 through Klaben Ford of Warren. The two vehicles will serve as the chief and assistant fire chief’s primary vehicles.