Crime-free fun zone on South Side amuses, educates kids

By SEAN BARRON

news@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Six-year-old Daniel Taylor proudly pulled out several books from his plastic bag, one of which had the catchy title “The Cow that Went Oink.”

The 1990 children’s story by Bernard Most is about a cow that makes the sound of a pig and is made fun of and chastised by other cows, as well as a pig that sounds like a cow and suffers a similar fate.

Far from feeling like an outcast, however, Daniel had no trouble fitting in as he looked through children’s books on several tables, which were one of the offerings of Saturday afternoon’s Youngstown: A Crime-Free Zone Family Fun Day at Market Street and Midlothian Boulevard on the South Side.

Twenty-eight sponsors hosted the three-hour family-oriented gathering. They included Youngstown State University, the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence organization, Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past, NOW Youngstown and OH WOW! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology, along with Youngstown Early College and the Youngstown Fire and Police departments.

The funfest was to provide a safe environment for empowering and educating young people to help them see they have positive options available to them. Its purpose also was to provide education and anti-crime initiatives while showcasing the kinds of healthful values many people of past generations held dear, noted Jon Howell of the Youngstown: Crime-Free group.

Daniel, of Augusta, Ga., has been in the Mahoning Valley since Memorial Day visiting relatives, including his great-aunt, Jannie Tagger of Youngstown.

“I figured we would come out and check things out,” said Tagger, who accompanied him at the Fun Day and took pictures of the boy as he posed on a large firetruck.

Daniel also joined many other children who took tours of the truck’s insides, with the assistance of Scott Thomas, a three-year city firefighter.

Daniel’s vacation activities also have included trips to Lake Milton, several movies and last weekend’s Comic Con at the Covelli Centre, Tagger continued.

Several youngsters also weren’t averse to certain alterations, such as adding color to their faces or subtracting hair from their heads.

One of those who received a free haircut was Raheem Perkins, 16, of Youngstown, courtesy of Amani Gay, a student with Akron-based Beyond Expectations Barber College.

“I just wanted to learn to cut hair,” Gay said nonchalantly when asked what led him to that career choice. “One day I just woke up and I’m here now.”

Gay, who has about four months left of school, said he hopes to open his own barber shop.

Those who added color via a face-painting activity included Maurice Dotson, 9, of Youngstown, who opted to have the colors and patterns of Spiderman cover his face. Maurice came with his mother, Maeggen Deluze.

Free food also was a draw, as large numbers of attendees lined up to receive chicken wings, hot dogs and nearly 400 free ice cream cones at nearby Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt.

Others relished the perfect weather to shoot a few hoops with members of the YSU Penguins basketball team.

The event also featured a series of presentations on the importance of making positive life choices, as well as options for those who have been incarcerated to have their criminal records expunged.

Another key piece to the gathering’s mission was to have on hand judges, law-enforcement personnel and others who exemplify a strong work ethic and set good examples, Howell explained.

“Kids need to see positive role models to aspire to become positive role models,” he said.