Truck Night Fridays spur neighbor complaints
TRUMBULL COUNTY, Ohio - It's Friday night in The Village of Yankee Lake and for many that means truck night.
"When they say the mud is going to fly, it's not only flying at Yankee Lake where they are having their fun, but it flies on the road from here to Warren," said Yankee Lake resident Paul Jenkins.
"Then the noise that we have to put up with after this is over with and this goes until maybe two in the morning," said resident Richard Gaborko.
The complaints come from neighbors living just off State Route 7, where all the truck action takes place.
Complaints of heavy traffic, erratic driving and mud from the trucks tracked along the highway, which some describe as being as hazardous as wet snow.
Neighbors say they want it to stop completely because they feel the neighborhood is being ruined.
But not all neighbors feel that way and crews down at truck night say they do what they can to keep everyone happy.
Signs blocking neighborhood roads are an attempt to keep out unwanted traffic.
Speakers have been redirected and turned down to keep the noise level at bay. A professional street sweeper is hired to help clean the mud off State Route 7.
At the request of the EPA, all truck wheels will be washed before leaving the event.
"Along with that, we have a lot of neighboring communities and neighboring businesses that get a lot of business because of our truck night cliental," said Gary Bauer with Yankee Lake Truck Night.
"Truck night over here at Yankee Lake, we're like seventh largest in the nation, so that's something to be proud of and it's bringing more people to Yankee Lake. Before we had this, nobody knew what was Yankee Lake," said resident Gary Gravink.
Regardless of opinion, truck night is once again in full throttle now through September.