SitemapUnited States Vice President Joe Biden spent six hours
Thursday in the Valley, stopping in Lordstown, Canfield and Youngstown.
He was campaigning for Hillary Clinton, but his final stops
on Youngstown’s south side were to see examples of blight and what money for
renovation can accomplish.
It also caused some parents to worry, when their kids’ buses
didn’t show up after school.
Around 3:15 p.m., Biden’s motorcade rolled through the
intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Canfield Road. A 10 block area of
Youngstown’s south side was sealed off by security, preventing school buses
from getting home on time.
A McGuffey Elementary School bus arrived to drop off
students a little after 5 p.m., even though they usually get home around 4 p.m.
On a side street off Canfield Road, a school bus of Valley
Christian students was stopped with no where to go. A secret service agent
eventually climbed on board and rode with students to their stops.
“They let one kid out over here on Glenwood. His mom found
him walking around the block,” said Jason Riley of the Idora neighborhood.
Some parents said they had no idea Biden was stopping in
their neighborhood, because that part of his trip was never publicized. Plus,
parents were not allowed to leave to go find their kids, no one was being allowed
in or out of the barricades.
“But instead of worrying about our kids’ safety, they’re
worrying about his safety,” Riley said.
Biden made two stops on the south side. First in front of a
row of vacant houses on West Glenhaven Avenue, where he was accompanied by
former Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams.
They talked with Abby Beniston, Youngstown’s Code
Enforcement and Blight Remediation superintendent, and Debora Flora of the
Mahoning County Land Bank.
“He has a clear understanding that we know what can solve
this problem and we know we have to dedicate resources to it,” Beniston said.
Biden then spent five minutes talking with five people who
live in the neighborhood.
“What he’s talking about is right. We need to build up,
build up and get some money in this area in Youngstown and build this place
back up,” said resident Jody Baldwin.
From West Glenhaven, Biden made the short trip to Lanterman
Avenue, where he toured the Idora neighborhood and a house renovated by the
Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation. YNDC pointed out vacant homes
and blocks that have been turned around with the help of federal funds.
Both Biden and Williams posed for a picture on the front
porch of Jeff and Bertha Clinkscale’s house.
“And he said, ‘It’s good to be here, is everything good?’
And I had met Jay [Williams] a good while back, a long time ago as well. Just
for them to walk up, I just got so excited … I just am at a loss for words. It
was just great. He shook our hands and said, ‘Have a great day.’ And I said I
was glad to have him here,” Bertha Clinkscale said.
To read the full story from WKBN, click here.