Editorials

Orchids and onions

ORCHID: To Canfield residents Kathy and John Phillips for donating an exceedingly generous $25,000 to the Canfield High School JETS robotics team at a recent board of education meeting. Kathy Phillips, co-owner of Turning Point Residential Inc., said she was impressed with the work of the robotics club and how important its mission of expanding knowledge about the power of robotics is to the nation's future. She said the donation may someday influence a student to develop a new surgical robot or robots involved in other technology areas. Such high levels of generosity and community engagement are nothing short of what Schools Superintendent Joe Knoll aptly called "fantastic."

ORCHID: To the rock band Jellybricks and its guitarist and vocalist Larry Kennedy, a native of Boardman, for having their song titled "Age of Stupid" from the group's upcoming album "Dreaming in Stereo" named the "Coolest Song in the World" for 2024 recently. The honor came from listeners of "Little Steven's Underground Garage," the Sirius XM channel and internationally syndicated radio show hosted by musician / actor / activist Steven Van Zandt. Of special note is the fact that this is the second time The Jellybricks won the annual "Coolest Song in the World" vote. "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" was picked in 2012. We hope Jellybricks will treat their Mahoning Valley fans with a live performance in the region to celebrate its success.

ORCHID: To leaders in several communities in the Mahoning Valley for acting early to begin planning for America's 250th birthday bash next year on Independence Day. Youngstown recently became the first city in Mahoning County to receive the 250-Ohio City designation, and Councilwoman Samantha Turner, D-3rd Ward, became the only Valley representative on the 29-member America 250-Ohio Commission planning the multi-year celebrations. Other Valley communities that have become members of the celebrations early include Austintown, Braceville, Salem and East Liverpool. We look for communities throughout the region to join in and become a robust part of this region's and this nation's proud semiquincentennial. Up to $5,000 in grant funds are available for celebration funding. Representatives from cities, villages and townships can do so easily enough by registering online at America250-ohio.org.

ONION: To those vile and irresponsible individuals who get their kicks by making false bomb threats to public facilities. A bomb threat issued for the Western Reserve Transit Authority station in downtown Youngstown earlier this week turned out to be a prank but not after the station was forced to close temporarily and the entire Youngstown State University community was put on alert for a potential dangerous threat. The anguish and disruptions caused by that hoax demand that the culprit or culprits be apprehended and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

ORCHID: To the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Family Self Sufficiency Program for awarding housing authorities in Youngstown and Trumbull County a combined total of $362,124 to help pay the salaries of employers who assist participating families with training and services to improve their economic self-sufficiency to not be dependent on public assistance. The program has a successful track record of reducing welfare rolls and enhancing the quality of life for participants. As Jim Cunningham, HUD's deputy regional administrator for the Great Lakes Region, put it, "The investment will not only strengthen individuals but also contribute to the vitality and resilience of our communities."

Editorials

Orchids and onions

ORCHID: To the Salvation Army of Mahoning and Trumbull counties for yet another successful Red Kettle campaign throughout the recently concluded holiday season. Bell ringers in the two counties raised just under $200,000 from thousands of generous and selfless contributors. The funds generated will be used to provide community meals, a community clothing closet, food pantry, summer youth programs and toys and gifts to children on Christmas. The Red Kettle campaign, which began in 1891 in San Francisco, remains one of best and most enduring examples of the spirit of Christmas spearheaded by the legions of charitable foot soldiers volunteering for the Salvation Army.

ONION: To Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine for signing legislation last week that permits local law enforcement agencies to charge for video footage from police body cameras and dashboard cameras. Payment could be required before the footage is released, and according to news reports, local governments will be allowed to charge as much as $75 per hour or for a maximum total of $750 per request. It was bad enough that the charge could lessen access and therefore transparency of police interactions with the public, but the policy was not publicly available for review and did not have a public hearing before it was crammed into a huge 450-page omnibus bill it in the rush to wind up the 2024 legislative session. Such charges, however, are optional, and we urge law enforcement agencies throughout the Mahoning Valley to forgo them.

ORCHID: To Vietnam War veteran Ken David of Girard for his heroism on the battlefield that resulted in his rightful award of the prestigious Medal of Honor from President Joe Biden at a recent White House ceremony. David's unit came under attack just before 5 a.m. from the North Vietnamese Army atop a mountain in the A Shau Valley of Vietnam near the Laotian border. Six American soldiers were killed in the attack. Fourteen U.S. soldiers -- all wounded -- made it out alive when the 90-minute barrage ended. Among them was David, who is credited with saving the lives of 13 of his comrades. David serves as adjutant / treasurer for Disabled American Veterans Chapter 11 in Warren. Clearly, David richly deserved this nation's highest military honor.

ORCHID: To former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, for playing a key role as a major sponsor of legislation that will at last allow many public employees such as teachers, police officers and firefighters to receive Social Security benefits. Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, aptly summarized the net positive effect of the legislation: "Over 2 million public service workers will finally be able to access the Social Security benefits they spent their careers paying into. Many will finally be able to enjoy retirement after a lifetime of service." For his part, Brown received a standing ovation at a ceremony with President Joe Biden late last week to mark the signing of the historic legislation. It was an appropriate end to Brown's Senate career, built in large part on a foundation of working in the best interests of America's working class.

ORCHID: To Healthy Hearts and Paws for opening a special $600,000 building exclusively for cats at its Warren shelter and to the private donors and foundations that financed the project. The building houses 11 ca ts and responds to the ongoing crisis of an overpopulation of strays and of the irresponsible and heartless practice of dumping litters of kittens on the sides of roads. In addition, the building also benefits the growing number of dogs in need of shelter as it frees up space to create a play area for them. These improvements illustrate that Healthy Hearts and Paws clearly lives up to its name.

ONION: To those Ohio drivers who recklessly take the wheel of a motor vehicle when intoxicated with alcohol or high on marijuana or other drugs. The recent New Year's holiday focused more attention on this irresponsible behavior, but operating a vehicle impaired remains a pervasive problem year round. According to a recent report from the Ohio State Highway patrol, over the past five years, the patrol responded to 60,535 OVI-related crashes, including about 2,000 in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties. In this day and age where safe ride services abound, there is absolutely no excuse - other than stupidity - for anyone who has imbibed freely on any given night to endanger the safety and the lives of others and themselves by navigating roadways while plastered.

Editorials

Orchids and onions

ORCHID: To the Youngstown Community Food Center and Mode Mobile for sponsoring a special holiday giveaway of hundreds of pounds of food and about 500 smartphones at the center days before Christmas. The community food center, which has served as a lifeline for many Valley residents, distributed an abundance of free poultry, produce, ice cream, fresh fruit, English muffins, frozen vegetables, cheesecake and other items. For its part, Mode Mobile donated $275,000 to the nonprofit group, part of which financed the smartphones that were distributed during the event. The bountiful food giveaway no doubt brightened Christmas for hundreds and the smartphone gifts certainly will prove invaluable to the recipients throughout the new year.

ORCHID: To Joe and Pam Kerola, longstanding supporters of Youngstown State University, for pledging $750,000 to the Kilcawley: Centered on the Future campaign. Their significant and generous community-minded contribution will support the renovation and modernization of Kilcawley Center, the heart of student life at the university. Kerola, a member of the YSU Board of Trustees, aptly underscored the importance of the $43 million campaign: "Kilcawley Center is more than just a building; it is a place where students come together, learn, and build connections that last a lifetime. We hope this contribution will help make Kilcawley an even more dynamic space for current and future generations of students."

ORCHID: To Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Andrew D. Logan for his three decades of service on the bench. Logan, who retired at the start of the new year, can look back at his tenure with great pride. He oversaw many needed physical improvements and renovations to the county's stately courthouse. Most notably, however, he was the driving force behind implementation of the county's drug court that has grown to be one of the most successful in the state in rehabilitating nonviolent drug offenders and providing them with a fresh and promising start in life. His many successful re-election victories illustrate just how much the residents of the county valued his leadership as well. To be sure, his successor Sarah Kovoor, a former assistant county prosecutor and longtime private-practice attorney, has some mighty big shoes to fill.

ONION: To the growing ranks of conniving scammers who pose as representatives of reputable companies to rip off unsuspecting consumers. A recent incident in Boardman is a perfect case in point. A woman was scammed out of more than $1,200 last month after a phony representative of AT&T contacted her about an iPhone and Bluetooth headset being ordered for her by someone who had hacked into her account. Once the phone arrived, a man posing as a FedEx worker, complete with a FedEx logo emblazoned on his shirt, said the delivery was in error and retrieved the phone. Though she lost the phone to the scammer, the bill for it remained on her account. Boardman Police Chief Todd Werth and representatives of FedEX said the sleazy scam has become more popular this year around the Valley and the country. Fortunately, in this case, police appre0hended two key suspects in the scam. If found guilty, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law to set an example for other would-be corporate swindlers.

ORCHID: To the American Heart Association and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for providing 500 schools in the state with cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and resources. The recently announced project is designed to ensure students know how to respond to a cardiac emergency. We urge all school systems in the Mahoning Valley to take advantage of this potentially life-saving opportunity.

ONION: To the Ohio General Assembly for once again failing to take decisive action on the status of the death penalty in Ohio in the 2023-24 session. State senators and representatives had several bills offering options from abolishing capital punishment altogether to permitting alternatives to lethal injections as the ultimate punishment for capital criminals. Once again, the bills for the most part languished without making it to the full body for final votes. In effect, that means those bills are killed and the entire excruciatingly slow process must start anew in 2025 with reintroduction of the legislation. That lack of will to take resolute action is yet another slap in the face to surviving family members and friends of the victims of murders and other capital crimes, many of whom have been waiting for decades for closure and justice.