Orchids and onions
ORCHID: To the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods, or ACTION, for a creative and innovative solution to food desert problems in some areas of Youngstown. Next month, ACTION will kick off a twice-weekly program that brings healthy choices of foods via a traveling grocery store dubbed a “mobile market” to areas in the city that lack access or transportation to grocery stores and needed healthy foods. The program is being launched by ACTION, the faith-based community organizing group, and Flying High Inc., a nonprofit organization with a variety of programs aimed at improving the quality of life in the region.
ORCHID: To the John and Joanne Beeghly family for its generous donation of $175,000 to the Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation to be used for refurbishment of the primitive trail system surrounding Lake Newport, including trail restoration and enhancements at the trailheads. Donations are funding the $250,000 capital improvement project. Chris Litton, director of development for Mill Creek MetroParks, said the Beeghly Family has been friends of the MetroParks for years. “Their philanthropic reach has touched every corner of the MetroParks system, and we are profoundly grateful,” he said. Others interested in contributing to the trail restoration fund at the MetroParks should contact Litton at 330-702-3000 Ext. 118.
ONION: To the hauler of some 1,000 gallons of yellow and white paint for not ensuring the load was secure enough to transport. Instead, an abrupt stop caused drums of paint to topple from the truck earlier this week onto North Meridian Road in Austintown, dumping the mess all over the road. Austintown fire crews, along with the Mahoning County Emergency Management Association, HAZMAT Association and Environmental Services spent seven hours cleaning up and ensuring the paint did not enter into a sewer catch basin. The good news is that, other than the mess, the paint was considered relatively environmentally harmless.
ORCHID: To local firefighters, including those from Boardman Township, who rescued several people from their balconies last weekend at an apartment fire at 4111 Glenwood Ave. The cause of the fire that destroyed two apartments and damaged 10 others is under investigation. While it could be said the rescues are all in a day’s work, few of us have jobs that require running into burning buildings. Bravo to those who put their lives on the line daily in service to others.
ORCHID: To the Youngstown State University Relay For Life for raising $33,468 Sunday with 18 teams taking part to help generate funds for the American Cancer Society. An event committee chair said more than 129 people took part walking eight hours Sunday at the Farmers National Bank soccer field at YSU. It was the first time the Guins Against Cancer held the event outside with many participants. Relay For Life raises money for support services, health programs and cancer research. Upcoming Relays for Life are set in Warren on May 7 at St. Demetrios Community Center and for Mahoning and Columbiana counties on June 18 at DeBartolo Commons at the Southern Park Mall in Boardman.
ORCHID: To the Jewish leaders from our area delivering sorely needed aid to Ukrainian refugees in the country of Poland. Lisa Long, Youngstown Jewish Federation financial resource development director and Nancy Burnett, a local volunteer for the federation, recently returned from a weeklong trip in Warsaw and the Poland-Ukraine border to bring more than 600 pounds of supplies and to offer aid. They worked with Dror Israel. Educators from that organization set up therapeutic day camps / day cares for refugee children in Warsaw, to benefit the children and exhausted mothers. The Jewish Community Center in Warsaw also opened its doors to refugees.
editorial@vindy.com
Orchids and onions
ORCHID: To Youngstown firefighters for their rescue of a man and his dog from a West Side blaze this week. Fire Capt. Leslie Murphy and a crew of firefighters responded to a Life Alert call on Chaney Circle last Saturday night where a man was trapped inside his burning home. With zero-visibility, the man was carried to safety and given first aid before being transferred to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. The dog was administered oxygen and taken to a veterinarian. Crews extinguished the kitchen fire quickly. Fire Chief Barry Finley called the life-saving rescue “textbook.” We call it heroism at its finest.
ORCHID: To Hubbard High School senior Gabi Jones for the recognition she received recently in producing, shooting and editing a video she made depicting her teacher’s battle against breast cancer. Her “Love Me At My Worst” won the 2022 Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition — Regional Competition and went on to be named one of the top 300 videos in Ohio in the statewide competition of more than 6,000 entries. She joins a growing elite of youthful artists in our region who have gained state and national honors this year.
ONION: To the woman who pleaded guilty last week to a felony charge stemming from a traffic stop where she is accused of biting a Liberty police officer on the arm. The assault came before a police chase on Interstate 80 in November. Amy Bruss, 39, of Roxbury Avenue, Youngstown, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted assault and failure to comply with signal or order of a police officer. She faces prison time.
ORCHID: To Do-Cut stores in Warren and Canfield for recently winning the Toro company’s prestigious President’s Elite Award. The award is a fitting honor for the local company as it marks its 75th anniversary in business this year.
ORCHID: To members of the Poland Seminary Junior Senior High School Leadership Club for collecting more than 200 large bags of clothing to donate to the Salvation Army for distribution to the needy in our region. Poland junior Logan Flament said the school and local community were more than generous in their contributions. The campaign was so successful the club will make it an annual event.
ONION: To those involved in the continued quagmire involved in developing legislative district maps that meet the requirements enacted when Ohioans approved a constitutional amendment spelling out how fair districts need to be drawn. For the fourth time this year the Ohio Supreme Court has struck down the latest set of maps for state House and Senate districts submitted by the Ohio Redistricting Commission. The Ohio Association of Election Officials this week called it “Groundhog Day,” a reference to the 1993 movie in which Bill Murray plays a weatherman doomed to relive the same day over and over and over. The debacle will cost Ohioans some $25 million to hold a second — and completely unnecessary — primary later this summer.
ORCHID: To Mission of Love, its founder and director Kathy Price and the many Mahoning Valley fire departments that contributed to the Mission’s latest creative relief effort. The Austintown-based organization collected more than 500 pieces of used fire gear and equipment to send to fire departments in Ukraine. Because of the intense workload of Ukraine firefighters sparked by Russian missile hits, departments there have been running dangerously low on supplies. Kudos to Price and to the local departments, including Austintown, Lowellville, Howland and Struthers, responding generously and swiftly.
ORCHID: To Disabled American Veterans Chapter 2 from Austintown for collecting and donating dozens of scooters, wheelchairs, motorized chairs and walkers to veterans needing them throughout the Mahoning Valley. Since late last year, leaders of the group say there has been a notable increase in demand for the mobility aids. Fortunately, DAV Chapter 2 has risen to that challenge. Those wishing to donate such equipment or monetary donations or any veteran in need of a mobility device should contact the DAV Chapter at 330-774-8479.
ORCHID: To the Magic of Michael Foundation for sponsoring a Go Baby Go event recently at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center. At the event, 25 children with neurological disorders that hinder their mobility were given their own customized Power Wheel Jeeps to ride. The foundation, operated by former Major League Baseball umpire John Hirschbeck and his wife Denise, assists children with mobility impairments and aims to honor their late sons John and Michael, both of whom were diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder. Denise called the event “heartwarming in memory of our two boys.” We couldn’t agree more.
editorial@vindy.com
SCRIPTURE
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.
Philippians 2:9 NKJV
Orchids and onions
ORCHID: To the Youngstown East High School Destination Imagination team for winning at the recent state competition to qualify in the national DI global finals in Kansas City, Mo., later this spring. The six-member Golden Bears team participated in the For the Future service project category and won with its compelling presentation against bullying. The talented team is busy now raising funds in excess of $20,000 to finance the trip to Missouri. Those wishing to contribute to this noble cause should contact East teacher Jeanne Constantino, the team’s adviser.
ORCHID: To Youngstown-based Phantom Fireworks for its proactive work in contributing to the investigation of a suspect in a New York City subway mass shooting. William Weimer, a vice president of the company, recognized fireworks activated at the scene were Phantom brands. Through diligent cybersleuthing, Weimer and others at Phantom traced the fireworks’ sale to a Wisconsin showroom and to Frank James, 62, the suspect arrested by police one day after the tragedy. New York authorities say the evidence Phantom uncovered may well prove valuable once James goes to trial. The quick and speedy response by Phantom demonstrates corporate social responsibility at its finest.
ONION: To state legislators in Columbus for allowing this year’s primary election to be split into two at an outrageous cost of some $25 million and for adding to voter confusion. After the Ohio Supreme Court struck down multiple maps with redrawn legislative districts, we called on legislators to delay the entire primary election. Instead, they opted to go forward with a May 3 primary for the races not affected by new district lines. Those races — for Ohio state representatives and senators — will take place in a separate election, probably in August. Voters will be confused, turnout is sure to be minuscule, and the $25 million cost is unnecessary. Once again, our legislators seem to have forgotten they serve their constituents, not the other way around.
ORCHID: To the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor for marking its 30th anniversary with grand plans. The center, better known as the Steel Museum near downtown Youngstown, has enriched the Mahoning Valley by preserving manufacturing artifacts and educating the community on our region’s rich industrial — primarily steelmaking — past. Special exhibitions and an anniversary lecture series beginning 6 p.m. Thursday will highlight this milestone for the museum. We congratulate the Steel Museum and feel confident it will continue to forge rugged industrial history for our community for decades to come.
ONION: To motorists who risk becoming stranded on busy interstate highways or dark rural no-man’s lands by neglecting to regularly check their gasoline level in their vehicle. At a time when gas prices have only begun to inch downward after reaching historic highs above $4 per gallon, we can understand the temptation of squeezing out every last drop of gasoline before filling up. Don’t succumb to that temptation and the wealth of possible safety hazards stalling out invites.
ORCHID: To JAC Management for its perseverance and hard work to ensure the Y-Live concert returns after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect fans will be thrilled to see country music megastar Luke Bryan finally make good on plans over the past two years to perform in Youngstown. This year’s Y-Live event is moving to Wean Park between the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre and the Covelli Centre on July 16. That’s likely a smart move given the star power of Bryan. It also provides a venue capable of accommodating about 20,000 people, which would rank it among the city’s largest concert audiences in its history.
editorial@vindy.com
Orchids and onions
• ORCHID: To local pharmacist Matt Mrozek, who was recognized this week during the annual meeting of the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley for his involvement with the organization and for other volunteer work that is a regular part of his life. Mrozek, of course, is just one of hundreds of locals who give generously to the local United Way and who work hard to serve the area’s needy. Some 500 people attended the United Way’s annual dinner, where accolades were given for the record-setting fundraising year. The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley raised a campaign total of $3,476,600 — the most money ever raised in an annual campaign in the local agency’s 102-year history. Bravo!
• ORCHID: To local pharmacist Matt Mrozek, who was recognized this week during the annual meeting of the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley for his involvement with the organization and for other volunteer work that is a regular part of his life. Mrozek, of course, is just one of hundreds of locals who give generously to the local United Way and who work hard to serve the area’s needy. Some 500 people attended the United Way’s annual dinner, where accolades were given for the record-setting fundraising year. The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley raised a campaign total of $3,476,600 — the most money ever raised in an annual campaign in the local agency’s 102-year history. Bravo!
• ORCHID: To Ohio’s first lady Fran DeWine for taking time during her visit to the Mahoning Valley this week to visit Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to help promote the important work the organization and its volunteers do everyday, and to draw attention to the sad fact that so many in our region and state are suffering food insecurity. She also served as keynote speaker at the annual meeting Thursday of the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.
• ONION: To investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and to Struthers Police Department for their failure to release the name of the Struthers police officer(s) who shot and killed a Youngstown man on April 1 following a pursuit that began when an officer told dispatchers he was struck by a motorist in Struthers. We were pleased with the swift initial responses from Struthers police Chief Tim Roddy to the media’s questions. However, it’s been more than a week, and investigators still have not publicly shared the name of the involved officer who has been placed on leave. We believe when an officer is involved in a lethal use-of-force incident while on duty, the public has an urgent right to know the officer’s name and background.
• ORCHID: To four local art students who won national gold medals at an art competition late last month in New York City — the most gold medalists from the area in decades. Gold medalists representing Mahoning County high schools were Ursuline junior Thomas Hull and Canfield junior Sophia Cianciola. From Trumbull County high schools were Lakeview senior Emily Bennett and Niles McKinley senior Kellen Davis Hall. The four were chosen from more than 260,000 works of art and writing submitted by 100,000 students from across the nation in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Fewer than 2,000 works received a national medal, which places their work within the top 1 percent of all submissions nationwide.
That’s quite an impressive showing.
• ONION: To impatient motorists who refuse to slow down or yield in road-work zones as the orange barrel season arrives. We’ve all experienced frustration at delays brought on by road work, and we’ve all seen the dangers that impatient motorists can bring to roadside workers and to fellow motorists. Don’t be that person. Remain patient, observe work zone speed limits, and allow ample space between vehicles. The good news is that Ohio is investing nearly $2 billion in 829 statewide projects this year; 18 projects between Mahoning and Trumbull counties totaling about $40 million are slated to begin in the next few months or already have begun. When the work is complete, we all will be happy with the results.
• ORCHID: To the Mahoning Valley volunteer animal support group “Paws” or “Providing Affection, Well being and Support” for its recent trip to Boardman High School. Dogs and their handlers that recently visited the high school are popular with the students. Counselors say they can help decrease test anxiety and help students to relax. The visits come several times a year to offer emotional support for the students.
editorial@vindy.com
Orchids and onions
ORCHID: To students in the Austintown Fitch High School Building Trades pre-apprentice class for building two garden arbors and replacing two others that had fallen into disrepair at the Mahoning Valley 9/11 Memorial Park in Austintown. The first was to be installed this week. The project was a win-win for students and the park along Raccoon Road. Students benefit by gaining real-life experience in putting into practical application skills they’ve learned in class. The park benefits by making it a more attractive memorial site for the Valley to pay homage to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
ORCHID: To Mahoning County Children Services for its timely completion of child abuse and neglect investigations. Mahoning CSB ranked first among Ohio’s 88 counties last month for that admirable accomplishment. From October 2021 through March 15, 2022, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported this week that 96.7 percent of Mahoning County’s monthly child abuse and neglect investigations were completed on time. Given protection of our community’s greatest resource — its children — should be a paramount concern for all, the stellar record of Mahoning CSB should be a source of pride for its staff and for parents alike.
ONION: To members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission who dismissed the work of two independent mapmakers they had hired at $450 per hour and instead voted 4-3 to revive a set of slightly altered legislative maps already rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court earlier this month. Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Senate President Matt Huffman, House Speaker Bob Cupp and Gov. Mike DeWine voted in favor of the tweaked maps. The contracted workers had been working full time for the past four days drawing new maps, but some commission members feared they were running out of time and decided not to wait for the contractors’ final product. The decision is just one more costly debacle in the ongoing comedy of errors in the state’s legislative mapmaking process.
ORCHID: To Mission of Love, an Austintown-based humanitarian and service organization, for collecting and sending aid packages to Poland for millions of Ukrainian refugees who have fled their war-torn homeland. Last week, the mission said it already had dispatched 16,000 pounds of rice, a truckload of new clothes, new fabric for blankets, medical supplies and food as well as handmade quilts. Caring individuals who wish to contribute to this noble campaign should visit www.missionoflove.org for a listing of the most-needed types of donations.
ORCHID: To administrators at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center for opening a new Fire Training Center at the school this week. MCCTC Superintendent John Zehentbauer said the new training facility that combines classroom space and a hands-on training burn building cost more than $1.2 million. Ohio Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon attended the opening and rightly lauded it as an incentive for young people to join the shrinking ranks of firefighters in the state.
ONION: To those who have failed to pick up Christmas wreaths and holiday decorations from gravesites at cemeteries throughout the Mahoning Valley. Several of them have reported recently that those decorations remain in place and risk being removed and discarded if not picked up promptly. We believe such Christmas decorations still on graves as Easter fast approaches reflect poorly on the loved ones for whom the decorations were intended to memorialize.
ORCHID: To locally based Covelli Enterprises, the largest franchisee of Panera Bread, for partnering with Potential Development School for Students with Autism in Youngstown through the launch of its “Pieces of Hope for Autism” cookie campaign. The campaign, held in conjunction with Autism Awareness Month in April, begins Monday and runs through April 10. Proceeds from all “Pieces of Hope” cookie sales will be donated to the worthy cause. The new campaign continues Covelli Enterprises’ stellar record of community engagement, having donated more than $2 million in the areas it serves to support various autism organizations, schools and centers.
ORCHID: To Liberty firefighter Scott Thomas for his swift actions in saving a young township resident during a fire at her home. Thomas this week received the 2022 Valor Award and was inducted into the Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame. The event and awards ceremony were sponsored by the state fire marshal and the Ohio Department of Public Safety. For his bravery in August 2021 by saving the life of a child trapped in a fire on Green Acres Drive, Thomas richly deserves the honor.
ORCHID: To Greg Tarr on his retirement Friday as police chief of Hubbard Township for his 29 years of dedicated service protecting residents of the community. Tarr’s leadership also helped to bring stability to the police department’s finances. We’re pleased that even though he is leaving active duty, he will continue sharing his knowledge by teaching criminal justice and law enforcement courses at the university level.
editorial@vindy.com
SCRIPTURE
For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the
sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
Hebrews 10:10 NLT