Sarah Reese

January 2, 2015

Romans’ Rescue

What started as a one dog rescue in 2008 for Tawnya and Daniel Roman has now turned into a non-profit organization. Romans’ Rescue takes in dogs to train them or nurse them back to health in order to help them find a new permanent home. The Roman’s first dog was a four-year-old Saint Bernard named Riley. The couple found the dog in an Internet advertisement after she had been dropped off at the groomer and never picked back up. Riley quickly fit right in at the Roman household and became part of the family. Unfortunately, the lovable dog was diagnosed…

August 14, 2014

Ellwood City to Host Radio Station

Rewind back to October 2013, it was just a normal day at the office for Cindy Antinossi when a man named Robert Irvine approached her about starting a radio station in Ellwood City. Antinossi, the owner of Healthy, Wealthy, & Wise and pastor at Dayspring Harvest Ministries, didn’t know the first thing about radio at the time, but luckily for her she had an experienced mentor. Irvine, a former Pittsburgh and Youngstown radio and television broadcaster, helped Antinossi apply for her FCC license just weeks after the initial radio proposal. He also applied for a license of his own to…

July 1, 2014

Ellwood School Board Holds Special Meeting

There has been plenty of talk regarding change in the Ellwood City Area School District for the upcoming school year in recent months. The retirement of Superintendent Frank Aloi is what began the surprising series of events when he announced that he would be leaving the district at last month’s meeting, effective as of July 16, 2014. With no time to hold interviews before the end of the fiscal year, the board named Assistant Superintendent Joe Mancini as the active Superintendent for the 2014-2015 year and eliminated the position of Assistant Superintendent. In less than a month, the school district…

June 13, 2014

Ellwood City Budget Approved; Superintendent Retires

by Sarah Reese The Ellwood City Area School Board has been forced to make numerous difficult decisions in previous years regarding passing a budget for the following school year as have other boards across the state. Cuts have been made in nearly all aspects of the school district including removing the elementary instrumental music teacher position after the retirement of Ray Falotico, a decision disapproved by a wide majority of parents with children in the music program. Last night’s school board meeting raised concerns for the future of the district among board members. Leroy Cortez voiced his opinions on his…

June 11, 2014

Breaking Bread Grand Opening

by Sarah Reese A waffle iron is to Sam Kelly as glass slippers are to Cinderella. The purchase of her waffle iron, along with her passion for cooking, is what inspired Sam to open up a new restaurant in Ellwood City. With a little help from her “fairy god-husband” Justin, Sam received the keys to her brand new eatery, Mary Fray’s former Ellwood Breakfast and Burgers, as a Christmas present on Dec. 24. Sam, a former banquet server and waitress, and Justin, a former sous chef, had been searching for a restaurant when they were approached about Ellwood Breakfast and…

June 6, 2014

Farmer’s Market and Summer Concert Series Begin

It’s officially summer time in Ellwood City when the Farmer’s Market and Summer Concert Series makes its return to the downtown area. Both events are a part of the Ellwood City Revitalization’s efforts to “put feet on the street” as member Terri Stramba put it. The main goal is to bring people into Ellwood City to support the Farmer’s Market and the Summer Concert Series and then in return, stimulate the economy in downtown shops and restaurants. The Farmer’s Market, which runs from this Saturday, June 7 to Saturday, Oct. 18 (subject to weather conditions), will feature 17 vendors selling…

May 27, 2014

Game Zone Close-Out Sale

Seven years ago, Ryan Venezie introduced the gaming world to the Ellwood City community when he opened his Game Zone store. The business immediately took off at its Fifth Street location backed by a thriving economy. “Ellwood City had nothing like this at the time,” Venezie said. With the store being such a success, Venezie soon decided to move his business to a more prime location. His father, Keith, had recently purchased the emporium to revamp into the City Centre Shops. The opportunity for a move was nearly staring Venezie right in the face. The City Centre Shops, located on…

May 21, 2014

Council Gives No Answers on Police Chief

Former councilwoman Judy Dici submitted a series of questions at the last Ellwood City Council meeting regarding the investigation and research done before eliminating the position of Chief of Police. At the Monday, May 19 meeting, Dici got her list of answers, but not necessarily the ones that she wanted. Borough Manager Bob Villella responded to Dici’s questions with the following answer: “The information you have requested is part of the confidential deliberative process a Borough Council is authorized to engage and the Executive Session is such a forum where the general public is not authorized to attend. This information…

May 13, 2014

Citizens Question Council on Police Chief Elimination

The Ellwood City Council voted to eliminate the position of Chief of Police at a special meeting held on Monday, May 5. A short statement was released to the public the following day by council’s solicitor, Edward Leymarie, regarding the decision. The position’s eradication seemed to have come as a surprise to most community members. Controversy over whether this special meeting was properly advertised immediately erupted. In a meeting held to ratify the council’s decision prior to the scheduled meeting yesterday evening, Leymarie stated that last week’s meeting was announced twice in the Ellwood City Ledger. Despite council’s justifications, Ellwood…