Residents offer ideas to revitalize Warren

By CHRISTOPHER KROMER

Tribune Chronicle

WARREN

Area residents aired their hopes and concerns for the city at a community conversation Sunday at Warren G. Harding High School, part of the Your Voice Ohio series of discussions taking place around the state this year.

The organization is a collaborative journalism effort across Ohio, driven by the priorities and perspectives of all Ohioans. The group hosts local events, gathers community solutions, finds the latest research and shares personal stories of people confronting Ohio’s tough issues.

The project, in part, will explore jobs, population, home values, quality-of-life matters and tax abatements.

Doug Oplinger, coordinator for Your Voice Ohio, said the project grew out of an observation that media outlets were losing touch with the people in their communities.

“We wanted journalists to back away from the politicians and ask people, ‘What do you want?’”

Participants were asked to answer a series of questions about the obstacles facing the city, including what assets, resources and strengths Warren has and what actions could be taken to make the city more vibrant.

Shalisha May said she saw one overarching theme to Sunday’s discussion.

“We must provide young people with hope,” May said. “If they don °t have hope, they won’t want to stay here. £

Others identified a lack of public transportation, cycles of poverty, abandoned buildings and blight, a negative self-image of the city and a lack of recreational opportunities for young people in the city as problematic.

The need for better jobs, more partnerships, forward looking governance and improved education were recurring themes during the discussion, something one participant noticed.

“It was surprising how like-minded the people were,” said Kory Kuriatnyk, who pointed to increased cooperation at all levels of government and with community organizations as a way to make the city more vibrant.

“If we cooperate, anything’s possible.”

An analysis by the Tribune Chronicle found households in Trumbull County are hurting, as is local job growth.

Since a 1997 peak of 99,265 jobs, the number of jobs reported in Trumbull County has fallen almost every year until 2017 when that number reached 66,926, according to statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Kuriatnyk said residents can do simple things each day to make their communities better.

“Be friendly to your neighbors. Know their names,” said Kuriatnyk.

The turnout of a few dozen participants on a Sunday afternoon was something Michelle Maggio did not expect.

“I was surprised at the willingness of people to get together and discuss solutions to the issues,” said Maggio, who encouraged Ohioans to attend similar future programs in Akron, Stow, Cleveland, and Euclid.

Your Voice Ohio events are funded by the Jefferson Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit that works with citizens to confront challenges in their communities.