What's Happening in Youngstown, OH…

Members of the Friends of the Mahoning River group recently paddled along a seven-mile stretch of the river, starting at the Girard-McDonald viaduct and ending at the Baltimore & Ohio Station (B&O) in Youngstown, demonstrating an improvement in the river’s condition.

Over the Memorial Day holiday, Friends members, Boy Scouts, and volunteers created a temporary launch site in Girard. Friends also recently participated in the Mahoning Riverfest, held at the B&O Station to celebrate the river's recovery. The Friends gave over 150 kayak or canoe rides to visitors, who came from as far away as New York for the event.

The river has long been polluted and full of debris, but has begun to make something of a comeback. In 2013, a company called First Energy took 12 concrete piers out of the river below Lowellville. The piers were acting as a dam, and more than 30 truckloads of debris, including logs, had got caught on them. As a result of removing the obstacle, the water flow has increased in volume and velocity, and the river has started to clean itself.

Organizations that appreciate the river could work with a flyer printing company to create handouts for visitors. These could explain the organizations' missions, the need for financial support, and how people can play their part in keeping the river clean.