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Town of Porter Supervisor John `Duffy` Johnston discusses town assistance plans for the YBPA annual `Welcome` brochure.`
Town of Porter Supervisor John "Duffy" Johnston discusses town assistance plans for the YBPA annual "Welcome" brochure."

Youngstown: YBPA readies for a busy 2019

Sat, Jan 12th 2019 07:00 am

Lions Park improvements, brochure discussed at session

By Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

The Youngstown Business and Professional Association held its annual winter meeting Tuesday evening at Rays Tavern, with a full house in attendance.

Newsmakers that evening included Dick Allen of the Youngstown Lions Club, who provided updates on the club’s ongoing improvements at Lions Park in Youngstown’s Parkside neighborhood. Included was a $4,000 expenditure to install safety zones in the park, a project spearheaded by Eagle Scout candidate Terry Shaughnessy of Boy Scout Troop 829. Allen said the project involved spread a 1-foot thick layer of specially engineered wood chips around the playground equipment in the park.

“We put in 100 cubic yards of wood chips (here). It was a hell of a project,” Allen said.

Other improvements at the park include three new benches installed along the walking path. For 2019, the club plans more trees and benches, plus completion of the park’s walking paths. New playground equipment is also planned for the future.

“We really want to bring people back to Lions Park,” Allen said.

John “Duffy” Johnston, supervisor of the Town of Porter, discussed planned town assistance with YBPA on its annual “Welcome” brochure, with an eye towards expanding the coverage of the detailed brochure towards the hamlet of Ransomville and its business district.

“We’re all one community here, in one town,” Johnston said. “I think this can help everyone.”

YBPA members were asked to submit other suggestions for consideration as planning for the 2019 brochure gets underway.

Also in planning are a number of YBPA events in the village for 2019, leading off with the eighth annual O’Riordan St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Main Street and Youngstown Lions annual Cash Bash fundraiser at the Youngstown firehall. Both take place on Saturday, March 16.

Cheryl Irish Butera, YBPA president, said this year’s parade, which begins at noon that day, will follow its traditional route: from Main and Hinman streets on the village’s south end and proceed north on Main, past the Lockport Street intersection up to Falkner Park, where it will turn around and end this year at The Ontario House (Jug) at Lockport and Main streets.

“We won’t be using shopping carts this year,” Butera said, referring to the carts donated in past years by the former Melloni’s Marketplace, now closed. “But parade participants are always welcome to join in; let’s get creative.”

The parade will be chaired this year by Youngstown resident Jodee Riordan, president of the Lewiston-Porter Board of Education, with assistance by Catherine Stella of the Mug and Musket.

Butera said to stay tuned for updates as the St. Patty’s Day celebrations in the village approach.

Still more YBPA 2019 happenings in planning are the 10th annual Beginning of Summer Street Dance on Thursday, June 20; the Falkner Park Free Friday Night Concerts, chaired by YBPA board member Dotty Riordan that begin June 28; the Village Community Picnic over the summer; the Youngstown Arts and Music festival in October; and Christmas in the Village come December.

For more information, visit www.youngstownnewyork.com, www.youngstownny.com, or check out the YBPA on Facebook.

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