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APD, AFD both receive funds from Austintown Walmart for supplies, programs
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
Township fire and police departments on Monday announced funding from a township business.
The departments received $2,000 each from Walmart’s store at 6001 Mahoning Ave.
Police Chief Robert Gavalier said this happens about every four or five years, and that his department uses the funding for its Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in the schools.
Fire Chief Andy Frost III said his department will use its funding for safety-equipment upgrades.
Two liquor licenses were approved Monday, with no objections by Gavalier.
One is a transfer from Fifth Season Inc., entire building and patio, 7098 Mahoning Ave., to John A. Marino. Gavalier described this as not a new building, but that Marino is obtaining the “licensing and the paperwork, he’s just going to put in safe-keeping for right now.”
The second permit was approved for El Jalapeno II, 4626 Mahoning Ave. Gavalier said this is replacing a previous business at that location and is a second establishment of El Jalapeno, which also has a location in Niles.
Township Administrator Mike Dockry addressed concerns about Westchester Drive’s potholes. That street was paved two years ago and had new potholes just a month after it was resurfaced.
“Before we resurfaced it, we tried to get a grant from Issue 1 to completely remove it,” Dockry explained. “We knew there were water problems, we knew we had to install under-drains. We didn’t really realize how bad it was.”
The cost to fix the road, about 300 to 400 feet from Mahoning Avenue onto Westchester Drive, is three times the cost of resurfacing, Dockry detailed.
Township officials also announced that Wedgewood Park is closed for the winter.