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Judge Dellick details gang prevention funding for Austintown
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
Judge Theresa Dellick of Mahoning County Juvenile Court announced federal funding to help keep gangs from getting a foothold in Austintown schools.
That programming will begin this fall also in Boardman, Struthers and Mahoning County High School, which deals with high-risk students in Youngstown, she noted at Monday’s Austintown trustee meeting.
It is the School Justice Partnership, a three-year federal grant worth $600,000.
“We’re trying to make sure that if there is a gang problem — and there is — in Youngstown and different areas, that it doesn’t seep into Austintown. That it doesn’t seep into Boardman,” said Anthony D’Apolito, juvenile court administrator. “We keep it where it is and contain it.”
“This was a grant that met our community needs,” and her court can “really see it bringing a lot of good prevention, early intervention and providing the resources needed in the community,” Judge Dellick said.
It includes involvement from police, teacher, parents and students. “The last thing we want is for your kids to be in our court,” she told those attending the meeting. She also noted she is working with Austintown Police Chief Robert Gavalier on a countywide program. She also thanked Gavalier for assistance on obtaining this grant.
In other business, the trustees unanimously approved the hiring of two full-time firefighters, including the department’s first female firefighter.
Sara Anton, with the department about a year, and William Bussey, who served in the Marine Corps and has been with the department for about three years, took their oaths Monday.
Fire Chief Andy Frost III said Anton “progressed faster than we thought someone would” through training.
Trustees gave their unanimous support to maintaining the operations of the Youngstown Developmental Center in Mineral Ridge near the township.
During the public-comment section, AgotaDebrei, a worker at the YDC, noted that in the last two years they have placed 55 residents into the community and that of those 55, 15 have died and seven are in jail.
She also talked about the age of some of the residents’ parents and their fears that if they die, who will take care of their children.
“The future is very sad for them,” Debrei said of residents if the YDC closes in summer 2017.
Trustee Jim Davis began the meeting with a moment of silence for Larry Snell, the late, longtime Austintown Fitch band director, whose memorial service was Saturday.