The below item comes from an Atown reader. It's a lil' fodder in the spirit of the season:

Vindy:

Thank you for your article. I live in Austintown and have had to drive over the third world quality Mahoning Avenue for several years. I would like to know who is responsible for the upkeep of Mahoning Avenue (also known as Route 18) --- the state or the county or is it Austintown and Jackson Townships as well as the city of Youngstown?
     As far as state roads go, both Route 7 (Market Street) and Route 224 (Boardman-Poland and Boardman-Canfield Rd.) are also in the small time, Banana Republic condition you would expect say in Guatemala but not the United States of America. I've always wished someone in the media would ask Ken Carano (Governor Strickland's local representative) what exactly our area has gained by having Mr. Strickland as our former Congressman and now the Governor for more than a year if he can't get our roads paved.
 Your efforts to find out would be appreciated,
Bill Adams