BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Meeting on Monday night, Boardman Township’s Board of Trustees announced a joint effort with the Board of Mahoning County Commissioners to renovate the site of the former estate of Clarence R. Smith Jr. on Raupp Ave.
      Funding for the initial phase of the project will be funded by a $253,000 grant from Boardman Township and an allocation of $464,000 in opioid settlement funds provided by the county commissioners.
      Once the renovations are competed, the site will be used as a first responder (police, fire. EMS and dispatchers) wellness center and the facility will be one of the few such centers in the state of Ohio.
      In announcing the project, Boardman Police Chief Todd Werth noted the “first responders face an increasingly dangerous and traumatic work environment. Issues carry over from the workplace and affect first responders and their families...after prolonged exposure to trauma.”
      The chief said the wellness center, that will be named in honor of Mr. Smith, “will focus on serving as a place for first responders and their families to attend proactive wellness programming.”
      Werth developed plans for the wellness center about five months ago and praised county officials for their support.
      “It is easy to come up with an idea, it’s another thing to move forward,” Chief Werth said, citing collaboration and support the proposal has received from township trustees, county commissioners, the Mahoning County Mental Health Board and Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro.
      In a letter sent to Boardman Trustees Tom Costello, Larry Moliterno and Steve Yacovone last week, commissioners Anthony Traficanti, Carol Rimedio-Righetti and Geno L. DeFabio offered their support for the creation of a wellness center.
      “We wholeheartedly support Boardman Township’s initiative to highlight the necessity of a first responder wellness center in the Mahoning Valley. We are eager to partner with Boardman Township in making this a vital resource a reality for or first responders,” the commissioners said.
      Commissioners Traficanti, Rimedio-Righetti and DiFabio noted that first responders “face increasingly dangerous and traumatic work environments, particularly as they respond to the on-going opioid epidemic.
      “Recent studies indicate that approximately 85 per cent of first responders report experiencing symptoms related to mental health conditions and other health conditions due to prolonged exposure to trauma.
      “It is clear that a dedicated wellness center is imperative for addressing both the mental and physical stresses encountered by these brave individuals.”
      Moliterno noted the use of opioid settlement monies to fund the creation of the wellness center “is so appropriate. It’s not tax dollars...it’s a perfect way of doing this.”
      Newly appointed Trustee Yacovone said he has served a decade as a prosecutor, often working with police, fire personnel and other first responders.
      “It is amazing what they go through on a daily basis. This is a fantastic idea. There are not many professions that deserve a center like this,” Yacovone said.
      Costello said naming the wellness center after Clarence ‘Sonny’ Smith “is appropriate because he was a man who spent his life helping others and always trying to do the right thing.
      “For this center to be named in his honor recognizes his legacy of helping so many people and causes throughout his life.”
      It was Costello, Chief Werth and Township Administrator Jason Loree who played key roles in getting the concept of a wellness center from an idea to a reality.
      Also providing brief remarks about the project was Mahoning County Administrator Audrey Tillis.
      She thanked Boardman Trustees for approaching the county commissioners and obtaining their involvement in the wellness center project.
      “This is a great use of opioid dollars,” Tillis said, adding “This is a great opportunity to support not only Boardman, but all of our first responders in Mahoning County.”
      Clarence ‘Sonny’ Smith Jr.
      Sonny Smith passed away at the age of 92 on Apr. 13, 2021.
      At one time, he and his father, Clarence Sr., owned most of the land bounded by Southern Blvd., McClurg Rd., Market St. and Washington Blvd. in Boardman.
      Known for his gentle manner, kindness and philanthropy, in 1992 Mr. Smith donated some 11 acres of land that now serves as the Boardman Township Government Center.
      The site of the wellness center was the home of Mr. Smith’s father until his passing in 1969, when Sonny and his family moved into the home, called by Chief Werth, “A Gem in the Woods.”