Neighborhoods

Local nonprofits focused on health and human services, education, economic development and social services received more than $2 million from The Youngstown Foundation in the second quarter of this year, announced the foundation’s Distribution Committee.

Of the total grants awarded, $1,274,000 came from The Youngstown Foundation’s Unrestricted Fund. The monies went to nonprofits that provide “invaluable support designed to improve the quality of life for local residents,” according to a release. Those nonprofits include Associated Neighborhood Centers, Coleman Professional Services, Home For Good, Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley, Millcreek Children’s Center, Northeast Ohio Adoption Services, Oh Wow! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science and Technology, Salvation Army, United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and the City of Youngstown Amphitheater Park Fund.

To read the full story from the Business Journal, click here. 

While the industry is not without challenges, overall, times are good for small, local farmers.

About 10 years ago demand for fresh fruits and vegetables started to grow, and it’s shown no signs of stopping, reported several farmers at the July Youngstown Farmers Market at the B&O Station.

“It’s picked up in the last three years. Hoping it continues,” said David Huffman, of Huffman Fruit Farm in Salem.

“It’s wonderful and we’re selling like crazy,” said Patty Brungard, owner of Brungard Farm Market in New Middletown.

Brungard, who has been farming since the 1980s, sells most of her products at her farm. She used to rely on word-of-mouth advertising to reach new clients, but that’s changed thanks to social media, which has “been a big help,” she said. The growing number of Farmers Markets also makes it easier.

“Even if you run out of something, you give them a card and they know where you’re located and they come out to the market,” she said.

While there is demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, the cost remains a hurdle for many in the region.

Through community outreach initiatives, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation learned the No. 1 reason area residents don’t purchase healthful food is because it’s too expensive, said Tom Hetrick, who manages the Youngstown Farmers Market.

To read the full story from the Business Journal, click here. 

On Saturday, the Youngstown Housing Task Force will issue demands in person to four local landlords who have let their properties deteriorate.  

The task force is asking concerned residents to participate in the delivery of the demands to Jared Shade, Carmen Neapolitan, Mike Robidoux and Cornell Kennedy.

The community agreements each will be asked to sign include a list of strategies including repairing or demolishing blighted properties, paying delinquent taxes and attending landlord training.

To read the full story from the Business Journal, click here. 

Monday July 15, 2019

On Saturday, July 13, 30 members of the Youngstown Housing Task Force conducted a community action and visited the homes of Jared Shade of Shadetree Holdings LLC; Carmen Neapolitan of The San Francisco Group, The Manhattan Group, The Dayton Group, The Brooklyn Group , The Atlanta Group, The Dallas Group, The Floridian Group and The Harley Group; Michael Robidoux; and Cornell Kennedy of Cardinal Renovations Group to ask these property owners to sign community agreements to address outstanding issues including: delinquent property taxes, code violations, demolition and other negative conditions.

None of the landlords agreed to sign the community agreements. The Youngstown Housing Task Force will continue taking community and legal action to address these negative property conditions.

The Youngstown Housing Task Force is a group of residents from neighborhoods throughout the City of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley who are working together to ensure safe and quality housing for all. 

On Friday, July 12, Thomases Family Endowment of the Youngstown Ara Jewish Federation awarded a $2,500 grant to support Clean Up Glenwood Avenue, a program aimed at systematically cleaning up and transforming Glenwood Avenue and its adjacent neighborhoods into a safe, stable community with a vibrant corridor that provides a high quality of life and economic opportunity for residents.

All aspects of the program align with priorities set forth in resident-driven neighborhood plans and include the cleanup of  vacant properties, improvement of unmaintained vacant lots, installation of LED lighting at key locations and crossings to improve pedestrian safety, and replacement of broken sidewalks on the streets surrounding Glenwood Community Park, which serves thousands of youth each year. As part of a broader neighborhood revitalization strategy, these improvements have begun to reduce crime and tax delinquency while restoring homeownership, property values, and pedestrian safety. Many thanks to Thomases Family Endowment for their support!

A group of people who are fed up with the conditions of their Youngstown neighborhoods took their complaints to the homes where their landlords live on Saturday.

About 30 protesters from the Youngstown Housing Task Force went directly to the homes of landlords they say are not maintaining their properties. Their goal is to get them to sign community agreements and clean up the homes.

“Every community in Mahoning County deserves fair quality housing. The only thing we ask is you can’t exclude Youngstown from that. Youngstown has to have fair quality housing as well,” said protester Jonathan Thomas.

To read the full story from WKBN click here.

A concerted effort to embarrass landlords into maintaining their Youngstown properties has been going on for several years. Now the Youngstown Housing Task Force plans to protest at the homes of four Mahoning County landlords.

Since these landlords haven’t been charged with a crime, we’re not naming them.

Alden Chevlen is a lawyer representing one of the four landlords people will be protesting Saturday.

“They’re just church groups,” he said. “They’re volunteers who are out trying to use some scare tactics and intimidation to get landlords to clean up their acts.”

“It is on us, as citizens of this city, to speak up about the individual who owns this property here, who leaves this like this,” said Jack Daugherty, with the Youngstown Housing Task Force.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

In response to a five-year community health survey that showed nearly one-third of adults in Mahoning County are considered inactive and overweight or obese, improvements are coming to an east side park to promote physical activity.

Ground will be broken Thursday afternoon on the first phase of the Lincoln Knolls Community Park, which is on Maranatha Drive near the Campbell border. Residents from the Lincoln Knolls Community Watch have been working closely with the city of Youngstown, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC), and other community leaders to develop a plan and generate support to upgrade the amenities and condition of Lincoln Knolls Community Park.

To read the full story from the Tribune Chronicle, click here. 

 Over the weekend, about 30 members of the Youngstown Housing Task Force protested outside of homes owned by who they call negligent landlords.

Ultimately, task force members did not get what they wanted.

They spent about 45 minutes each outside the homes in Poland, Boardman, Campbell and Youngstown.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is celebrating the completion of renovations to a historic three-unit apartment building.

The building was constructed in 1910. Three units are now available for rent.

To see the full story from WYTV, click here.