NEW YORK -- The Bank of New York has been appointed by Butler Wick & Co., a subsidiary of United Community Financial Corp., Youngstown, Ohio, to provide government securities clearing services."In today's competitive environment, it is important for market participants to maximize operational efficiency," says Jeffrey W. Dodson, senior vice president of operations at Butler Wick. "The Bank of New York will help us achieve that goal due to its extensive industry experience and innovative processes.""The Bank of New York's sophisticated clearance technology helps clients reduce failed trades and improve transaction turnaround and operating efficiencies," adds Brian A. Ruane, executive vice president and head of the securities industry banking division. We will offer Butler Wick our full suite of securities clearance services delivered through our state-of-the-art, proprietary processing platform."Founded in 1926, Butler Wick offers a wide range of products and services, including insurance, municipal finance, fee-based portfolio management, independent trust services and client on-line access.The Bank of New York is a provider of U.S. government clearance services and provides transaction servicing and financing to banks and broker dealers through its global securities clearance division. The Bank processes an average of 130,000 trades daily valued at $1.4 trillion, peaking at 325,000 trades daily valued at $2.3 trillion in securities worldwide.Visit the Bank of New York: www.bankofny.com will offer Butler Wick our full suite of securities clearance services delivered through our state-of-the-art, proprietary processing platform."Founded in 1926, Butler Wick offers a wide range of products and services, including insurance, municipal finance, fee-based portfolio management, independent trust services and client on-line access.The Bank of New York is a provider of U.S. government clearance services and provides transaction servicing and financing to banks and broker dealers through its global securities clearance division. The Bank processes an average of 130,000 trades daily valued at $1.4 trillion, peaking at 325,000 trades daily valued at $2.3 trillion in securities worldwide.Visit the Bank of New York: www.bankofny.comVisit Butler Wick & Co.: www.butlerwick.com"