David Skolnick

Paul Dutton was one of the first people who helped me better understand the Mahoning Valley when I moved here in 1995.

Sadly, Dutton died May 7 at the age of 76.

It was hard to not be impressed by Dutton, though he was a humble and modest person who never bragged about his many accomplishments.

I got to know Dutton because my first newspaper assignment in this area included Lordstown.

Right up until his death, Dutton served as Lordstown village solicitor, a position he held for almost 30 years.

But he did so much more and contributed a lot to the Mahoning Valley, to the state and to me personally. It may sound cliche, but I have no doubt that my life was enriched by knowing Dutton.

Dutton could have easily just been professional and courteous to me. Instead, he and I got along very well.

He provided me with a great deal of valuable information and insight over the years about various issues related to government, politics and law.

During the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District scandal of the late 1990s, Dutton assisted me in connecting the dots and understanding how it tied into deeper political issues. He also smartened me up that unfortunately little would change.

I didn’t see or speak to him during the past few years. But before that, if there was public corruption in the area ä and it seems like that is often the case ä Dutton was willing to offer guidance whenever he could.

There were numerous times we talked when we ran into each other in downtown Youngstown. He would greet me with a smile and bring up an article I had written. He also would sometimes offer a solid news tip.

Dutton also understood the law like few I ever have known. As an attorney for 50 years with Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell, Dutton was able to explain complicated legal nuances in a manner that was easy for me to understand.

He helped guide Lordstown during a time of great change in the village.

Mayor Arno Hill, who knew Dutton during his time as village solicitor, said: “He knew Lordstown inside and out. He kept us on the right side of the road. No one will match his record. He had a mannerism that he could take you to school without you even knowing it.”

Hill added: “I relied on him a lot. I’ve talked to a lot of people who he’d dealt with, and I’ve never heard one bad word about Paul Dutton. You could count on him for his wealth of knowledge.”

It wasn’t just Lordstown.

Dutton was one of the area’s most civic-minded people.

He helped organize Valley Economic Development Partners and served as its general counsel, he was chairman of the YSU board of trustees ä almost becoming the university’s president ä and served on the Ohio Board of Regents.

When Central State University in southwest Ohio was having a financial crisis and was in serious danger of losing its state funding in the late 1990s, Dutton was appointed by then-Gov. George Voinovich to the school’s board of trustees and served for 12 years. Right before he left in 2008, Central State was financially stable with a balanced budget.

He was involved with the Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp., made up of local business and government leaders who helped with the revitalization of downtown Youngstown, including restoring a number of buildings and bringing county and state government agencies to stabilize the area.

He served as a member of Canfield City Council, the Mahoning County Children Services board and on too many boards of foundations, commissions and associations to mention.

Dutton was someone the area could count on to help move it in the right direction. There were few like him, and he will be greatly missed.

Calling hours for Dutton will be 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. May 26 at Cunningham Becker Funeral Home in Poland.

Skolnick covers politics for the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator.