Join us July 26th for an evening of camaraderie, cocktails, socializing and a screening of the thought provoking documentary Cuba After Castro by renowned journalist and documentarians Abby Martin and Matthew Belen that delves into what happens after revolution and reform.

All net proceeds from this event will benefit the Venceremos Fund which is raising money to send medical supplies (sutures, re-hydration tablets, etc), for hospitals in Cuba that are unable to get supplies due to the blockade

If you can't attend but would like to help out you can donate directly to our Zeffy or Action Network pages, and if you can't attend or donate you can always help by re-posting this to your socials.

Thanks you for your support!

-Mahoning Valley DSA

Hello! I run a nonprofit called Civics Spark. We provide 100% free summer camps for the Youngstown community, where students learn public speaking, civics, and social studies. Each camp comes with a free lunch!

We believe the next generation should know how to disagree respectfully and debate intensely. No prior experience required; students are normally in grades 5-8.

This year, we have 2 different dates for camp (The curricula are the same, so I'd recommend signing up for 1):

🗓 August 3-7 / 🕤 9 A.M. – 4 P.M. /📍 East Branch - Youngstown Library

🗓 August 10-14 / 🕤 9 A.M. – 5 P.M. /📍 Brownlee Woods - Youngstown Library

You can learn more about us and register for camp at civicssparkcamp.com

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!

Any suggestions for local areas to fly fish? Are any of the mill creek locations worth visiting? I’ve only done Beaver Creek State Park this far but wanted to know of anything more local. Thanks!

Boeing E-6B Mercury?

With the fire that impacted Cafe India in boardman it's been a while since we've got our Indian fix. Tonight I tried out Delhi Cafe on Belmont and while their food was good, it simply wasn't as good as Cafe India. What other places should I give a shot the next time we're in the mood?

What in the Beverly Hillbilly type of lawn service do we have here?

Hey guys! I am getting married next year and looking for a reception venue in the Youngstown area. We are planning on having about 130-150 people. Really casual. Pizza buffet, canned drinks, etc. I’m looking for somewhere with plenty of space where I can bring my own catering/ alcohol but isn’t crazy expensive. Any ideas?

I’m open to non traditional venues as well! We are aiming for June/ July of next year!

Hi all, I have a bit of a weird question. My dad was given this canoe by his sister 50 years ago. A tree fell on top of it a few years back and fixing it has been on the back burner for awhile now. He now wants to get it fixed but has no idea who or where to call. It’s dented and there’s a hole/crease where the metal was bent. Any ideas? I don’t know much about the canoe, but my dad doesn’t really do social media so here I am. He said he thought maybe if MCCTC had some sort of metal working class he would see if they’d want to fix it up. Not sure how realistic that is. Any ideas are welcome lol! My dad believes that it’s probably an easy fix but he’s in his 70’s and is nervous that he’d make it worse.

Reposted to include two photos of the canoe.

Has anyone used this company and what was your experience like?

I've lived in apartment for 8 years, starting to consider wanting to buy a house, been looking at zillow to see what's going in the Youngstown/Warren/Boardman area as far as house prices, seems that the prices are still very inflated and the people are trying to get top dollar, but it's obvious that the house hasn't been updated in 30 years.

Not really looking forward to paying 3x to 4x what I pay now in rent for a house anyway, but I could be convinced if the house meets my long list of things I need of it.

Anyway, just curious what others' opinions are about what the prospects of the local housing market. Is it good, or bad, is it a sellers market or a buyers market.

Thanks

You guys thought I was finished? Let’s talk about ALPRs, more commonly known as “Flock cameras”. Scanning vehicles, collecting plate info, vehicle details, location, date, and time, and conveniently putting all of that info into one searchable database. 

Meaning, they are collecting information on everyone who drives past one, whether you’re suspected of a crime or not. 

“But, asbestostoast, they are here to help us!!!” 

Well, no. 

1. They create mass location tracking. 

The concern is not that someone can see your car in public. The concern is that government-connected cameras can repeatedly log where vehicles are seen over time, making that information searchable. 

1. Police have misused these systems.

There are several documented cases of officers using Flock/ALPR systems to track romantic partners, exes, coworkers, family members, and others without a legitimate law-enforcement purpose.

1. False alerts can put innocent people in danger. 

If a camera misreads a plate, or if outdated information stays in a database, an innocent driver could be treated as if they are driving a stolen or wanted vehicle. This can lead (and has led) to traffic stops, guns drawn, arrest, or worse. 

1. The data can spread beyond the local community!

Flock systems can be connected through agency-sharing networks. This means data collected in one city or township may be searchable by outside agencies unless local officials actively limit access and audit use. 

1. The company is not just selling a camera. 

Flock operates a larger surveillance platform. Its own terms describe customer data as including: images, video, audio, and metadata captured by Flock hardware. Even if a city technically “owns” its data, residents still deserve to know exactly what the company can access, how it is used, and who else can search it. 

1. These systems expand over time. 

They are usually sold as tools for stolen cars or violent crime, but once the cameras exist, they can be used for broader searches, vague descriptions, immigration-related searches, protest monitoring, abortion-related investigations, school residency checks, and other purposes far beyond the original sales pitch. 

1. THEY COST REAL TAX MONEY.

These are not FREE. Cities, townships, villages, and counties pay for cameras, subscriptions, renewals, installation, grants, audits, and staff time. Every dollar spent on surveillance is a dollar NOT spent on housing, youth programs, mental-health care, schools, roads, addiction services, violence prevention, or other public needs. 

“You already have a cellphone.” 
I do not know how to explain choice any further. This is no justification for mass surveillance. People needing a phone to function in modern life does not = police should be able to build a searchable database with public money. 

“Oh, so you’re just anti-police.” 
This is about oversight, privacy, public money, and abuse of power. Any government tool that tracks innocent people should face serious public scrutiny. 

“Well, if you’re not doing anything wrong, why should you care?” 
Because innocent people are the ones being scanned the most. I’m not going to consent to the government monitoring ordinary people without probable cause, and you shouldn’t either. 

“There’s nothing I can do about it, anyway.” 
THAT IS WHERE YOU ARE WRONG, FRIEND!!!

Call your council, show up to meetings, use your voice! 

Before any city, township, village, or county agency buys or renews Flock, residents should be asking: 

• How many cameras are installed or planned?
• Where are the general coverage areas?
• How much does the system cost per year?
• Who can access the data?
• Which outside agencies can search it?
• Are searches audited by anyone outside the police department?
• How many false alerts have happened?
• How many arrests or prosecutions actually came from the cameras?
• What public vote approved the purchase?
• When does the contract renew?

These decisions should not happen quietly! If officials want to track our every movement, they should have to explain it publicly first. 

I included a spreadsheet (updated since my last post) showing where Flock cameras are already installed or under discussion in Mahoning County, along with the meeting dates for each local government.

Find your city, township, or village. Show up. Ask what they approved, what it costs, who can access the data, which outside agencies can search it, and why ordinary people should be tracked just because some people commit crimes.

And PLEASE reach out to me with any questions or if you would like the spreadsheet shared with you!

NO MORE SURVEILLING OUR COMMUNITIES!

Resources: 

deflock.org

https://haveibeenflocked.com/

https://www.noalprs.com/

https://www.boardman1984.com/ 

State Officials PDF 

References*: 

https://www.flocksafety.com/legal/terms-and-conditions

https://www.flocksafety.com/legal/lpr-policy

https://www.404media.co/city-learns-flock-accessed-cameras-in-childrens-gymnastics-room-as-a-sales-pitch-demo-renews-contract-anyway/

https://ij.org/police-have-reportedly-used-license-plate-readers-to-stalk-romantic-interests-at-least-14-times-in-recent-years/

https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2026-07-11/ginther-orders-columbus-police-to-stop-statewide-sharing-of-flock-cameras-after-audit-release

https://www.wosu.org/2026-05-01/dayton-suspends-automated-license-plate-readers-after-egregious-data-sharing-violations

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-07-14/lapd-police-commission-license-plate-scanner-oversight

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/13/lapd-lets-contract-with-surveillance-giant-flock-expire-citing-serious-concerns-over-civil-liberties-and-privacy/

https://www.fox6now.com/news/milwaukee-police-flock-camera-misuse-ayala-sentence.amp

https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article291059560.html

https://www.eff.org/pages/automated-license-plate-reader-dataset

https://www.aclu.org/issues/privacy-technology/location-tracking/automatic-license-plate-readers

*I did not include every reference ever for length purposes, but if you need more, lmk.

Join us July 26th for an evening of camaraderie, cocktails, socializing and a screening of the thought provoking documentary Cuba After Castro by renowned journalist and documentarians Abby Martin and Matthew Belen that delves into what happens after revolution and reform.

All net proceeds from this event will benefit the Venceremos Fund which is raising money to send medical supplies (sutures, re-hydration tablets, etc), for hospitals in Cuba that are unable to get supplies due to the blockade

If you can't attend but would like to help out you can donate directly to our Zeffy or Action Network pages, and if you can't attend or donate you can always help by re-posting this to your socials.

Thanks you for your support!

-Mahoning Valley DSA

Join Community Liberation Foundation for a night of bowling to help us forgive our valleys medical debt. $25 admission includes pizza, soft drinks, and shared bowling lanes. Private lanes can be reserved for up 6 for $250. Visit: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/strike-out-medical-debt to pre-register or walk up day of!

I am moving out of the area and have a chair and full size box spring that are free to whomever wants/ needs them. They are both clean and in good condition. If you reach out about either item please note that you will need to haul them but I will help move them out of my house.

dM me for details

I’m due in December with my 3rd child and there is a huge age gap between my other two children, I did not save any baby items. I am in search of someone looking to get rid of a gently used crib and mattress. Pack n play and girl clothes and bottles. I am low income and plan on having a baby shower but would prefer not to rely on those as gifts. Thank you!

anyone have any recommendations for a great child custody/family attorney near the austintown area? I was recommended Lynn Sfara Bruno by a family friend but wasn't sure of any other good ones? I'm willing to drive surrounding towns like Canfield and boardman etc but nothing more than a 30 minute drive. obviously you pay for what you get but I'm hoping for low retainer fees please!

Meet Tay Tay, a German Shepherd mix, around 6 years old. She was rescued from a kill shelter in Texas and adopted into a home in Erie, PA.

Sadly, Tay Tay is dog-selective and can’t stay in her new home, as she doesn’t get along with the other dogs there. She’s extremely friendly and loves belly rubs — she just never had the chance to decompress after her long trip from Texas, and her current owner can’t keep her alongside their three other dogs.

We’re looking for a foster or a new home in the Erie, Cleveland, Youngstown, or Pittsburgh area. The current owner is willing to drive!

If you’re interested, please DM me and I’ll connect you with the rescue responsible for her — Mustard Seed Sanctuary.

I had to Google where Johnson Street is. It's the little brick road across from Star Supply.

North Lima, OH – Two Auctions! 7/20 & 7/21. Over 4700 Items! Register at https://pbauctions.hibid.com

Mine came on at around 5:30,

I got interested in seeing if I could find anything about the cover band Lefty from the other post so I looked in the Jambar digital archives and just ended up flipping through some 80s editions. One thing strange here is this article about Doors cover bands that calls WHOT The Wizard…

101.1 FM was an album rock station under the call letters WSRD The Wizard from 1978-1984, until it started to simulcast the WHOT-AM top 40 format, and it’s been that format ever since, apart from a brief bizarre return to AOR for a few months in 1991. I’m curious if anyone can account for why the author called the station WHOT The Wizard two years before the channel switched? Also kinda funny it praises the specific Doors cover band from “Bitchin Camaro” by The Dead Milkmen

Cedar’s seems to have always used this Patrick Nagel kinda graphic for their ads back then, they should bring it back