The Mahoning Valley Historical Society has just opened a new exhibit entitled 'Mahoning Valley Weddings: Romance, Ritual and the Cookie Table.' My favorite aspect of the exhibit was this tidbit: The Mahoning Valley is a "haven" for the cookie table. Unknown to many areas throughout the country, this wedding tradition appears to be most popular in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
Check out http://www.mahoninghistory.org/Exhibits/mvwpics.stm for more information.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
YSU made right decision for the Wick Pollock Inn
(editorial)
By The Jambar Editorial Board
Published: Thursday, June 16, 2005
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1
It may take a while longer for the Wick Pollock Inn to reopen, but Youngstown State University officials made the right decision to pull out of contract talks with Paran Management, the inn's potential developer.
From the start, the new plan to reopen the inn, which is located on the corner of Spring Street and Wick Avenue, didn't seem much better than the old plan that resulted in failure.
YSU first attempted to break into the hotel business in 1986. That year, the university leased the property for a period of 25 years to a partnership called the Pollock Inn Restoration Association. The partnership then took out a loan with First National Bank and converted the 14-room mansion into a 76-room inn.
Business wasn't exactly booming. In 1998, FNB foreclosed on the partnership, the inn shut its doors and the property has gone unused ever since. In September 2004, after a lengthy legal battle, FNB turned the remainder of the 25-year lease over to YSU in exchange for $500,000.
YSU, eager to reopen and renovate the fast deteriorating inn, solicited 22 companies for bids, but only Paran responded. The proposal Paran initially submitted to YSU bordered on insulting.
Paran asked for a 50-year lease, with YSU paying $250,000 up front to the company. After the inn was operational, Paran would pay the $250,000 back to YSU as well as a symbolic $1 per year rent for the property. Essentially, Paran was asking the university to give the property away for nothing.
University officials apparently were not able to negotiate a better deal, so they walked away - a smart decision.
Still, with every passing day, the inn falls deeper into disrepair. The building is a historic treasure and should not be subjected to such neglect. If university officials can't find a developer to overhaul the crumbling edifice, they should take the initiative and begin to renovate the building themselves.
In fact, YSU may ultimately be the best entity to run the Wick Pollock Inn. A former partner in the failed 1986 venture, Robert J. O'Malley, told the Jambar in October 2004 that for it to be a viable project, YSU needs to operate the inn itself.
"You don't need a major firm to come in and run it," O'Malley said. "You need to run it yourselves."
If the inn is capable of becoming profitable, why not reap the financial benefits? If the inn isn't capable of making money, no developer is going to want to come in and operate the place anyway.
It is questionable whether Youngstown's economy can even support a full service hotel again. However, if YSU uses the building as a learning tool for students in the hospitality management program, as has been mentioned in the past, with students staffing the inn, the venture could prove both financially and educationally profitable.
But time is money and the university needs to act fast before the historic Wick Pollock Inn deteriorates further.
By The Jambar Editorial Board
Published: Thursday, June 16, 2005
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1
It may take a while longer for the Wick Pollock Inn to reopen, but Youngstown State University officials made the right decision to pull out of contract talks with Paran Management, the inn's potential developer.
From the start, the new plan to reopen the inn, which is located on the corner of Spring Street and Wick Avenue, didn't seem much better than the old plan that resulted in failure.
YSU first attempted to break into the hotel business in 1986. That year, the university leased the property for a period of 25 years to a partnership called the Pollock Inn Restoration Association. The partnership then took out a loan with First National Bank and converted the 14-room mansion into a 76-room inn.
Business wasn't exactly booming. In 1998, FNB foreclosed on the partnership, the inn shut its doors and the property has gone unused ever since. In September 2004, after a lengthy legal battle, FNB turned the remainder of the 25-year lease over to YSU in exchange for $500,000.
YSU, eager to reopen and renovate the fast deteriorating inn, solicited 22 companies for bids, but only Paran responded. The proposal Paran initially submitted to YSU bordered on insulting.
Paran asked for a 50-year lease, with YSU paying $250,000 up front to the company. After the inn was operational, Paran would pay the $250,000 back to YSU as well as a symbolic $1 per year rent for the property. Essentially, Paran was asking the university to give the property away for nothing.
University officials apparently were not able to negotiate a better deal, so they walked away - a smart decision.
Still, with every passing day, the inn falls deeper into disrepair. The building is a historic treasure and should not be subjected to such neglect. If university officials can't find a developer to overhaul the crumbling edifice, they should take the initiative and begin to renovate the building themselves.
In fact, YSU may ultimately be the best entity to run the Wick Pollock Inn. A former partner in the failed 1986 venture, Robert J. O'Malley, told the Jambar in October 2004 that for it to be a viable project, YSU needs to operate the inn itself.
"You don't need a major firm to come in and run it," O'Malley said. "You need to run it yourselves."
If the inn is capable of becoming profitable, why not reap the financial benefits? If the inn isn't capable of making money, no developer is going to want to come in and operate the place anyway.
It is questionable whether Youngstown's economy can even support a full service hotel again. However, if YSU uses the building as a learning tool for students in the hospitality management program, as has been mentioned in the past, with students staffing the inn, the venture could prove both financially and educationally profitable.
But time is money and the university needs to act fast before the historic Wick Pollock Inn deteriorates further.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Youngstown's artist underground...
After the recent loss of the Youngstown Mattress Company Art Center due to a fire, I started to look into art galleries in Youngstown and found this one. Check out the site. I think you'll like it!
Tip Top Gallery
Tip Top Gallery
Friday, May 13, 2005
Youngstown Air Base Dodges BRAC List
Youngstown Air Base Dodges BRAC List
May 13, 2005 10:00 a.m.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- After holding their breaths for months, officials in the Mahoning Valley can now breathe a collective sigh of relief: The Youngstown Air Reserve Station is not among the names of military installations across the country the Pentagon plans to close, it was announced this morning.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17, made the announcement at a news conference downtown a few minutes ago. Now, the campaign begins to make sure the facility stays off the list and to explore ways to maintain or even expand the base.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Mahoning Valley, we did it,” Ryan told an ethusiastic crowd, “we are not on the list.”
Ryan also said the air base is actually earmarked by the Pentagon to gain capacity. “We’re not eaxtly sure how many, whether that means planes or personnel, but the bottom line is we are not on the list,” he said.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld released the recommendation list this morning. The BRAC Commission will now review the list and submit its findings to President Bush by Sept. 8. During a Pentagon briefing yesterday, Rumsfeld had said the commission would close between 5% and 11% of excess infrastructure, for a cost savings $48.8 billion over the next 20 years.
Shortly after taking office in early 2003, Ryan formed Operation: Save Our Airbase Reservists, a public-private sector partnership dedicated to preserving the air base, which has a projected local economic impact in excess of $100 million. More than 1,400 Air Force reservists are based at the Vienna Township, which also employs more than 300 Air Force Reserve technicians and 190 civilian Defense Department employees. Nearly 300 Navy and Marine Corps reservists also are stationed there.
The Vienna Township base is home to the 910th Airlift Wing, which in wartime employs Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft in tactical airlift combat missions. Currently, 12 C-130s are stationed at the base. With the recommendations announced, SOAR’s efforts now turn to keeping the base off the final BRAC list.
The Business Journal Online will continue to follow this story throughout the day.
May 13, 2005 10:00 a.m.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- After holding their breaths for months, officials in the Mahoning Valley can now breathe a collective sigh of relief: The Youngstown Air Reserve Station is not among the names of military installations across the country the Pentagon plans to close, it was announced this morning.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17, made the announcement at a news conference downtown a few minutes ago. Now, the campaign begins to make sure the facility stays off the list and to explore ways to maintain or even expand the base.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Mahoning Valley, we did it,” Ryan told an ethusiastic crowd, “we are not on the list.”
Ryan also said the air base is actually earmarked by the Pentagon to gain capacity. “We’re not eaxtly sure how many, whether that means planes or personnel, but the bottom line is we are not on the list,” he said.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld released the recommendation list this morning. The BRAC Commission will now review the list and submit its findings to President Bush by Sept. 8. During a Pentagon briefing yesterday, Rumsfeld had said the commission would close between 5% and 11% of excess infrastructure, for a cost savings $48.8 billion over the next 20 years.
Shortly after taking office in early 2003, Ryan formed Operation: Save Our Airbase Reservists, a public-private sector partnership dedicated to preserving the air base, which has a projected local economic impact in excess of $100 million. More than 1,400 Air Force reservists are based at the Vienna Township, which also employs more than 300 Air Force Reserve technicians and 190 civilian Defense Department employees. Nearly 300 Navy and Marine Corps reservists also are stationed there.
The Vienna Township base is home to the 910th Airlift Wing, which in wartime employs Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft in tactical airlift combat missions. Currently, 12 C-130s are stationed at the base. With the recommendations announced, SOAR’s efforts now turn to keeping the base off the final BRAC list.
The Business Journal Online will continue to follow this story throughout the day.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Going Once, Going Twice... Idora on the Auction Block
On October 20, 1984, after the turnstile had turned for the last time, Idora was put on the auction block. These photos were taken when the park was open to the public to view before they bid - a wake for a dead park.
The World Famous Idora Park Carousel. This building was home to the P.T.C Carousel #61 installed at the park in 1922. The carousel building was one of the oldest structures at the park when it was demolished in September 1998. The Carousel itself was sold to a couple in New York City.
Who wants to buy Kiddie Land? It was up for auction when this photo was taken...
The Back Wabbit... aka The Jack Rabbit, depending on the direction of travel.
The World Famous Idora Park Carousel. This building was home to the P.T.C Carousel #61 installed at the park in 1922. The carousel building was one of the oldest structures at the park when it was demolished in September 1998. The Carousel itself was sold to a couple in New York City.
Who wants to buy Kiddie Land? It was up for auction when this photo was taken...
The Back Wabbit... aka The Jack Rabbit, depending on the direction of travel.
The Eagles Hall
According to the all-knowing Pat Lowry, the Eagles Hall was at the corner of Rayen Avenue and 5th Avenue and was torn down in the late 1980's.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
83-year-old patient charged for taking extra newspapers from box
By Harold Gwin, The Valley Voice
On his way to the hospital for cancer treatment March 16, Andy Fusco stopped at a Mahoning Avenue newspaper box to buy a copy of The Vindicator.
Fusco, who is 83-years old with failing hearing and sight, says he intended to take only a single copy of the 35-cent newspaper.
But The Vindicator claims Fusco actually took four newspapers and filed theft charges against the retired trucker. The charges carry a maximum fine of $1,000 and six months in jail.
Fusco, of Winchester Avenue, pleaded innocent of the charge before Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Elizabeth A. Kobly.
The retired trucker said the March 16 Vindicator edition was very thin and he didn’t realize he had taken more than a single copy from the box in front of the Brite & White Laundromat at 3212 Mahoning Ave.
He said it turned out that he had taken three papers after putting his money into the machine, not four as The Vindicator complaint against him claims.
“It was an honest mistake,” said Fusco’s younger brother, Frank, who accompanied him to court.
Whoever filed the charges against him “should be ashamed of themselves,” Frank Fusco said.
The police complaint against Fusco was signed by Amy Grant, transportation and single copy manager for The Vindicator. She was contacted about the alleged theft by Chris Thompson, a Brite & White employee, who collected a $200 reward.
Chris Thompson, who has worked at the laundry for eight years, said she first noticed Fusco appeared to be taking more than a single newspaper copy from the box right outside her office window about eight months ago.
She said she saw him stop and take papers from the box nearly every day she worked. Thompson said she finally decided to intervene because the laundry customers like to read the newspaper while doing their laundry and the box sold out too quickly.
She said she even took pictures of Fusco taking papers on more than one occasion.
Thompson said she alerted a Vindicator deliveryman and The Vindicator sent someone out to stake out the box and catch Fusco.
Fusco said a man from The Vindicator apparently followed him from the Mahoning Avenue Laundry to a store on Meridian Road where he stopped to buy two Cleveland Plain Dealers to take with him to the hospital.
The man demanded the newspapers and, not fully comprehending what the man wanted, Fusco said he tried to give him all of the papers he had, including the Plain Dealers.
The Vindicator filed a criminal complaint against Fusco the next day.
Frank Fusco said his older brother wasn’t trying to steal anything.
“He’s on borrowed time,” Frank Fusco said, explaining that his older brother is dying of cancer and lives on $700 a month in Social Security benefits.
Thompson said she didn’t know that she would be eligible for a reward from The Vindicator when she reported Fusco for theft.
“I do feel bad, because of his age and everything,” Thompson said.
Still, she wondered, what does it teach children if an older person gets away with theft?
Frank Fusco denied her allegation of repeated thefts by his brother.
“That isn’t true,” he said. “I know my brother. He’s not that type of guy.”
Calls to the city prosecutor’s office seeking comment on the case were not returned by press time.
On his way to the hospital for cancer treatment March 16, Andy Fusco stopped at a Mahoning Avenue newspaper box to buy a copy of The Vindicator.
Fusco, who is 83-years old with failing hearing and sight, says he intended to take only a single copy of the 35-cent newspaper.
But The Vindicator claims Fusco actually took four newspapers and filed theft charges against the retired trucker. The charges carry a maximum fine of $1,000 and six months in jail.
Fusco, of Winchester Avenue, pleaded innocent of the charge before Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Elizabeth A. Kobly.
The retired trucker said the March 16 Vindicator edition was very thin and he didn’t realize he had taken more than a single copy from the box in front of the Brite & White Laundromat at 3212 Mahoning Ave.
He said it turned out that he had taken three papers after putting his money into the machine, not four as The Vindicator complaint against him claims.
“It was an honest mistake,” said Fusco’s younger brother, Frank, who accompanied him to court.
Whoever filed the charges against him “should be ashamed of themselves,” Frank Fusco said.
The police complaint against Fusco was signed by Amy Grant, transportation and single copy manager for The Vindicator. She was contacted about the alleged theft by Chris Thompson, a Brite & White employee, who collected a $200 reward.
Chris Thompson, who has worked at the laundry for eight years, said she first noticed Fusco appeared to be taking more than a single newspaper copy from the box right outside her office window about eight months ago.
She said she saw him stop and take papers from the box nearly every day she worked. Thompson said she finally decided to intervene because the laundry customers like to read the newspaper while doing their laundry and the box sold out too quickly.
She said she even took pictures of Fusco taking papers on more than one occasion.
Thompson said she alerted a Vindicator deliveryman and The Vindicator sent someone out to stake out the box and catch Fusco.
Fusco said a man from The Vindicator apparently followed him from the Mahoning Avenue Laundry to a store on Meridian Road where he stopped to buy two Cleveland Plain Dealers to take with him to the hospital.
The man demanded the newspapers and, not fully comprehending what the man wanted, Fusco said he tried to give him all of the papers he had, including the Plain Dealers.
The Vindicator filed a criminal complaint against Fusco the next day.
Frank Fusco said his older brother wasn’t trying to steal anything.
“He’s on borrowed time,” Frank Fusco said, explaining that his older brother is dying of cancer and lives on $700 a month in Social Security benefits.
Thompson said she didn’t know that she would be eligible for a reward from The Vindicator when she reported Fusco for theft.
“I do feel bad, because of his age and everything,” Thompson said.
Still, she wondered, what does it teach children if an older person gets away with theft?
Frank Fusco denied her allegation of repeated thefts by his brother.
“That isn’t true,” he said. “I know my brother. He’s not that type of guy.”
Calls to the city prosecutor’s office seeking comment on the case were not returned by press time.
New Downtown Candy Store Aims for Sweet Memories
Apr 20, 2005 8:00 a.m.
By George Nelson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The sweet taste of nostalgia is for sale at a new downtown candy store operated by a nonprofit corporation that employs disabled adults.
The Touch The Moon Candy Saloon opened a week ago on Phelps Street next to City Hall. It is operated by Iron and String Life Enhancement Inc., which provides residential and respite services for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled children and adults.
“We decided we wanted to go with something fun and what's more fun than candy?” asks James F. Sutman Jr., ISLE owner and director.
Sutman said he wanted to start a business that primarily employs people with disabilities but would receive no government funding. The business would financially stand on its own, he continued, but at the same time “keep things lighthearted.”
ISLE also operates the Purple Cat downtown, a day program on Commerce Street where adults with disabilities produce unique crafts and art items.
The Candy Saloon stocks the kinds of confections typically found in any grocery store, but it specializes in offering selections familiar to baby boomers from their youth -- “what they call retro candies … that were really popular back in the '50s or '60s,” Sutman said.
The candy counter's nostalgic features include Beemans, Clove and Black Jack chewing gums, Swedish fish, candy necklaces, marshmallow candy cones, licorice pipes and Wack-O-Wax lips -- even BB Bats.
The Candy Saloon also sells Starbucks coffee as well as its own store blend, Velvet ice cream products, candy gift sets and sodas.
“We want to fill a niche,“ Sutman remarked. “It's going to take us several months to figure out what exactly the businessmen and women of Youngstown are looking for.”
The store fills special orders on request, he said, and places special emphasis on working with regional candy suppliers.
The Candy Saloon has 12 employees, including eight of whom who have some form of disability. Sutman said he always tries to have one non-disabled person working with a disabled person or, depending on the disability, sometimes two.
Sutman is encouraged by response from both employees and the community. “It has been a 100% success as far as my disabled clients are concerned, my disabled employees,” he said.
The store enjoys good foot traffic from workers at downtown employers such as InfoCision, the Mahoning County Department of Children Services and the Youngstown Police Department.
“The mayor's been in there five or six times,“ Sutman added.
By George Nelson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The sweet taste of nostalgia is for sale at a new downtown candy store operated by a nonprofit corporation that employs disabled adults.
The Touch The Moon Candy Saloon opened a week ago on Phelps Street next to City Hall. It is operated by Iron and String Life Enhancement Inc., which provides residential and respite services for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled children and adults.
“We decided we wanted to go with something fun and what's more fun than candy?” asks James F. Sutman Jr., ISLE owner and director.
Sutman said he wanted to start a business that primarily employs people with disabilities but would receive no government funding. The business would financially stand on its own, he continued, but at the same time “keep things lighthearted.”
ISLE also operates the Purple Cat downtown, a day program on Commerce Street where adults with disabilities produce unique crafts and art items.
The Candy Saloon stocks the kinds of confections typically found in any grocery store, but it specializes in offering selections familiar to baby boomers from their youth -- “what they call retro candies … that were really popular back in the '50s or '60s,” Sutman said.
The candy counter's nostalgic features include Beemans, Clove and Black Jack chewing gums, Swedish fish, candy necklaces, marshmallow candy cones, licorice pipes and Wack-O-Wax lips -- even BB Bats.
The Candy Saloon also sells Starbucks coffee as well as its own store blend, Velvet ice cream products, candy gift sets and sodas.
“We want to fill a niche,“ Sutman remarked. “It's going to take us several months to figure out what exactly the businessmen and women of Youngstown are looking for.”
The store fills special orders on request, he said, and places special emphasis on working with regional candy suppliers.
The Candy Saloon has 12 employees, including eight of whom who have some form of disability. Sutman said he always tries to have one non-disabled person working with a disabled person or, depending on the disability, sometimes two.
Sutman is encouraged by response from both employees and the community. “It has been a 100% success as far as my disabled clients are concerned, my disabled employees,” he said.
The store enjoys good foot traffic from workers at downtown employers such as InfoCision, the Mahoning County Department of Children Services and the Youngstown Police Department.
“The mayor's been in there five or six times,“ Sutman added.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
U-Haul Self-Storage
The Isaly Dairy Building today - currently a U-Haul self-storage and truck rental facility.
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