Community News

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PET FOOD DISTRIBUTION: The Every Dog Matters Rescue Group is offering free dog food to needy local pet owners. The last food giveaway will be 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at 6329 Market St., Boardman.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS: Construction of the Wick Recreation Area maintenance facility started this week. The project is located behind the Judge Morley Performing Arts Pavilion at the Wick Recreation Area. The project includes construction of a new maintenance building and site work to support the maintenance activities of Wick operations personnel.

Access to the project site, which includes a section of Wick Drive and the parking lot behind the Pavilion, will be closed to the public for the duration of the project. The project is anticipated to be completed within five to six months.

HELPING SENIORS: "Sheltering Seniors with Love" will be provided to senior communities, including long-term care facilities where many nursing home, and assisted living residents, families and staff are following the COVID-19 directive to "shelter" at home.

Armstrong Senior Community has been offering favorite local entertainers in concerts as part of a program series that began in early April. The program series will continue to air while sheltering directives remain in place for the seniors in nursing facilities. Take Note Productions, Austintown, The Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini Foundation, Armstrong Cable and local personalities joined to help support staff and seniors sheltering in community homes. Productions are shown 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The shows will continue on Armstrong Cable's Community Neighborhood Channel 20 and 100 and may be accessed through Armstrong Community Neighborhood YouTube channel.

Local News

Seeing Eye

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GROUPS HONOR VETERANS: American Legion Boardman Memorial Post 565 and Boy Scouts will set flags for veterans for Memorial Day at 6 p.m. today at Calvary Cemetery, sections 36 and 37, and 46 and 47.

GROCERY GIVEAWAY: The East Side Church of Christ will host a grocery giveaway 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 1750 Niles Road SE. The giveaway will be drive-thru only. People are asked to remain in their vehicles.

A registration form will be provided the day of the event and one bag will be provided per vehicle. This event is first-come, first-served until supplies are gone.

SOIL SAMPLING AVAILABLE: The Mahoning County Extension Office is accepting soil samples for testing to ensure healthy soils for summer gardens and plants.

Soil samples can be dropped off at the Mahoning County Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield. Place all samples in the marked crate at the back door of the office.

To collect a sample, take 10 to 15 cores at 8 inches deep from random locations throughout your testing site.

The cost of testing is $20 per sample, and payment should be provided in an envelope with either check or exact change. Envelopes can be slid between the back doors into the receiving bin inside. Include your name, address, phone number and email in the envelope, or fill out the submission form found at go.osu.edu/soiltestmaho.

For more information, contact Mahoning County OSU Extension at 330-533-5538.

Community News

Seeing Eye

Seeing Eye

DONATION FOR SECOND HARVEST: Impression Media of Hubbard and MDI Studios in Warren three weeks ago collaborated to host a fundraiser to help feed hungry people during the COVID-19 pandemic. They raised $10,000 in a few weeks and have created and delivered thousands of yard signs across the Mahoning Valley. The check was presented this week to the food bank, 2805 Salt Springs Road, Youngstown. The companies are announcing a new goal of raising $20,000 by May 30. Signs can be ordered at www.MVCovidSigns.com. Because of their efforts, Second Harvest officials said more than 60,000 meals will be provided. For more information, visit www.mahoningvalley second harvest.org.

Community News

Seeing Eye

Seeing Eye

VFW GROUP TO MEET: Commander Paul Kramer, VFW Post 5532, Washingtonville, encourages regular and life members to attend the post meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday. Only essential business will be discussed including the nomination and election of post officers. Social distancing will be observed, and masks are optional.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION: The Big Reach Center of Hope, a ministry of Greenford Christian Church, is scheduling appointments for drive-up food distribution. Registration is open online at brcoh.org, 8 a.m. Monday to 10 p.m. Wednesday. Drive-up appointments are scheduled for Friday distributions. For those without internet access, messages can be left to request registration. Volunteers are standing by from home to assist with scheduling. Contact Valerie Waselich at vwaselich@greenfordchristian .org or call her at 330-533-3278.

LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION: The Jewish Community Center of Youngstown is offering lifeguard certification courses. The online portion is available now. The in-water portion will be held at a later date. The online portion must be completed before the in-water classroom portion. The classes provide entry-level participants with the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies and to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries and sudden illnesses until EMS personnel can take over. Participants who successfully complete the lifeguarding course receive an American Red Cross certificate for Lifeguarding / First Aid / CPR / AED, valid for two years. The cost is $187 for JCC members and $250 for nonmembers. To register, visit jccyoungstown.org.

Community News

Seeing Eye

Seeing Eye

DRIVE THRU VEGGIES: The Austintown Farmers Market will be doing a trial run of the drive-thru market model 5 to 8 p.m. May 18 in Austintown Township Park. The regular season will kick off on June 8 and run 5 to 8 p.m. every Monday until the end of August. The drive-thru market model has been developed to minimize contact and ensure social distancing in the age of COVID-19. Customers will have the option to preorder and prepay with many market vendors or to order directly from their cars. To sign up for email updates or for any other information, those interested can contact austintownfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

CRAZY QUILTS ONLINE: The Mahoning Valley Historical Society will present "Crazy Quilts in the Mahoning Valley" in a special online Bites and Bits of History lunch program at noon May 21. The video presenters will be Virginia Draa and Jessica Trickett, MVHS Collections Manager. The program was rescheduled from its original date in March 2020 because of the closure of Tyler History Center and stay-at-home orders for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Draa and Trickett have recently co-curated an exhibit with crazy quilts as its focus."Embellishment and Excess: Victorian Era Crazy Quilts" is now on display in the Youngstown Foundation Community History Gallery at Tyler History Center and will be extended into the summer months.

Accessible through the MVHS Facebook page at https://facebook/mahoning history, friends to the page will be able to view the pre-recorded video presentation beginning at noon and lasting approximately one hour. Any questions viewers may have can be entered in the comments section. A Facebook event has been created so the public may receive reminders for the start time. The presentation video will also be available on the MVHS YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/channel/UCDHqcfsLJNsV5s-bnahmTNA/videos.

While the in-person, Bites and Bits of History Lunch Programs cannot be presented during the Tyler History Center's temporary closure, MVHS hopes to provide this public outreach service in an online format until further notice. The next program, slated for June 18, will be another rescheduled topic and speaker from a canceled February appearance, "What Brought Them Here: African American Migrations into the Mahoning Valley" by Stacey Adger, local historian and genealogist. Those interested should consult the MVHS web site at https://mahoninghistory.org/events.

MONDAY:

• To reach the 24-hour information referral and crisis intervention service in Trumbull County, call Help Network at 330-393-1565 or 211. Call Help Network or Help Hotline at 330-747-2696 or 800-427-3606 for more information on service agencies and support groups.

• Someplace Safe Inc., domestic violence agency, offers support groups for women, children and individual support services. 330-393-3005.

Community News

Seeing Eye

Seeing Eye

FOOD GIVEAWAY: Eastside Crimewatch in Youngstown will have a food giveaway 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at the old fire station, corner of Oak and Fruit streets. Those needing food items are asked to bring bags and identification. For information, call Annie at 330-742-4880.

RETIREES CANCEL MEETING: The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Chapter 14 has canceled its May 13 meeting. For more information, call 330-953-0077.

EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION: Cocca's Pizza is offering an Employee Appreciation Day on May 16 at all of its local locations. All proceeds that day will be given to the staff that has continued to serve during these unprecedented times.

RECOGNIZING TEACHERS: The teachers and staff of Knox Elementary School in West Branch will be outside the building from 10 a.m. to noon Monday. Families are encouraged to drive through the parking lot for students to wave and say hello to their teachers. The event will follow all outlined safe gathering and social-distancing guidelines.

CONCERTS CANCELED: Amid concerns surrounding COVID-19 and large group gatherings, Mill Creek MetroParks is canceling all performances for Live at the Morley, along with the new Movie in the Park event, both of which were to be held at Wick Recreation Area. The Yellow Creek Concert Series at Yellow Creek Park in Struthers also is canceled.

OFFICES OPEN ON WEDNESDAY: The Struthers Board of Education office will be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday for picking up and dropping off kindergarten registration and open enrollment packets. Families are encouraged to call the office at 330-750-1061, Ext. 41215 to schedule an appointment or with questions.