METRO DIGEST || New gas rate for Youngstown

Car damaged in fire

CAMPBELL

A car was damaged during an overnight garage fire on Woodland Avenue.

Fire Chief Nicholas Hrelec said damage to the 1975 Monte Carlo, which was being stored in the two-car garage at 53 Woodland, was minimal, and consisted mainly of smoke and soot damage.

The garage, however, experienced at least $10,000 worth of damage, Hrelec added. A figure was not yet available for the car’s damage.

Firefighters were called to the blaze, which began in the carport, at about 11:50 p.m. Monday and returned to the fire station at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. While on the scene, crews were able to contain the fire inside the garage and prevent it from spreading to a nearby house.

New gas rate

YOUNGSTOWN

City officials announced a 24-month fixed rate of $4.315 per Mcf of natural gas for those in the city’s natural-gas program.

The new rate runs through the October 2016 billing cycle. Residents and small commercial customers should receive a letter from IGS Energy, the city’s natural-gas program provider, on or about Sept. 22 about the fixed rate, and terms and conditions.

“This summer’s mild weather led to a drop in natural-gas prices, but the recent predictions for another colder-than-normal winter are already reversing that trend,” said Mayor John A. McNally. “We chose to set the rate for a 24-month period to provide longer-term protection against rising prices.”

Calls about the program and any questions should not go to the city, but to IGS Energy at 800-280-4474.

North River Road work

HOWLAND

An eight-week road-improvement project along North River Road from state Route 46 west to North Road has begun.

It includes improvements to the roadway, drainage and trees. In a second phase, sidewalks will be added to both sides of the road. It will include ditch enclosure, tree and landscape plantings and park benches.

“Adding sidewalks and filling in the ditches will allow safer travels for pedestrians and bicyclists, allowing them better access to Elm Road and other areas that previously had been tough to get to by alternative means of transportation,” said Matthew Vansuch, Howland Township trustee.

Metal theft investigated

BOARDMAN

Township police are investigating the theft of $7,500 worth of metal from Spectrum Metal, 535 Bev Road.

According to a police report filed Monday, an employee of the company discovered that 67 pieces of finished metal product that were painted brown and beige were missing from the parking lot where they were stored.

The victim reported that he had last seen the metal product Sept. 6.

Boardman Park events

BOARDMAN

Boardman Park will host an Outdoor Family Day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and a Camp Out in the Park from 6 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday.

Admission to the family day is free with a nonperishable food donation for Second Harvest Food Bank.

Entertainment will include archery, taxidermy animals, live snakes, wagon rides, a live band and more. Food concessions also will be available.

Those participating in the camp-out are asked to bring tents and sleeping bags.

The registration fee for the camp-out is $7 per family. Registration forms can be picked up at the park office or printed from www.boardmanpark.com.

Farmer and chef event

YOUNGSTOWN

Mill Creek MetroParks will host the Farmer and the Chef event at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the MetroParks Farm, 7574 Columbiana-Canfield Road in Canfield.

Local chefs will make dishes from fresh ingredients from area farms and producers.

Chefs from Cater 2 U, Catullo Prime Meats, Gordy’s Specialty Market, Ghossain’s Gourmet Mediterranean Foods, The Georgetown and The Flaming Ice Cube will participate.

The event also will feature a selection of craft beers and the music of Gail George and Donkey Engine.

Proceeds from the event, which is sponsored by WFMJ/WBCB, will support the Mill Creek MetroParks agriculture education programs. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at www.millcreekmetroparks.org or by calling 330-702-3000.

Softball for charity

BOARDMAN

Members of the township fire and police departments will play in a charity softball game at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Boardman Community Baseball field, 410 McClurg Road.

Admission is free. Donations to the 9/11 Memorial Fund and the Michael T. Hartzell Memorial Scholarship will be accepted throughout the game.

The Boardman High School Spartan mascot, pep band, spirit crew and cheerleaders will attend the game, and concessions provided by the girls softball team will be available.

Team T-shirts will be available for purchase.

Attendees are asked to wear red, white or blue and to bring lawn chairs.

Chopin mazurkas

YOUNGSTOWN

A free program on composer Frederic Chopin’s mazurkas will be from 11 to 11:50 a.m. Friday in Bliss Hall Room 2222, on the campus of Youngstown State University.

Chopin composed the piano mazurkas as highly stylized versions of Polish folk dances. The songs remain popular in Poland as contemporary artists choreograph and arrange them for folk ensembles.

Music historian Ewelina Boczkowska of the Dana School of Music will explain the evolution of the dance. Christine Cobb of the YSU department of theater and dance will choreograph the steps and perform a mazurka with Stas Kmiec, artistic director of Ballet Western Reserve. Pianist Cicilia Yudha of Dana will perform the mazurka and accompany the dance.

Diaper drive scheduled

BOARDMAN

Ohio has designated this week as Diaper Need Awareness Week, and Making Kids Count will host a diaper drive from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday to restock and fund its diaper bank.

The public is encouraged to bring diapers to the Making Kids Count office, 7178 West Blvd., Suite E. They will have coffee and doughnuts available for visitors.

Making Kids Count collects, stores and distributes free diapers through service companies that then give to families suffering from financial difficulty. The group distributes more than 5,000 diapers a month to agencies like Help Me Grow, Catholic Charities and The Way Station.

The group accepts any size diapers and sanitary wipes. Monetary donations are accepted. For information, call 330-758-3434.

Lions Club meeting

STRUTHERS

The new Struthers Lions Club will have an informational meeting at 6:30 p.m. today at DonaVito’s Italian Grille, 139 S. Bridge St. All service-minded men and women, 18 and older, are invited to attend. For information, contact Bob Whited at 330-792-7907 or olebert1@aol.com.

New security chief

BOARDMAN

Boardman School District has hired a new security supervisor, officer Paul Poulos, to coordinate all the district’s security plans.

Poulos, a member of the township police department, will be assigned at Boardman High School daily to oversee security operations at the building.

He is replacing Jeff Lane, who resigned his position during the summer.

Hiring a new district security supervisor is part of the school district’s effort to increase security measures at all Boardman schools.

The Raptor security system, which scans the IDs of visitors to the school and checks them against a sexual-offender database, was installed at all seven schools before the start of the school year.

Dem Party picnic

NILES

The Trumbull County Democratic Party annual picnic will take place on the patio at McMenamy’s Restaurant and Banquet Center, 325 Youngstown Road, at 5 p.m. Thursday. Cost is $20 per person at the door.