ORCHID: To leaders and participants in the Mahoning Valley’s Red Rose Club for opening the doors of opportunity to girls interested in the many challenges, joys and benefits of competitive wrestling. The club has attracted dozens of girls from first grade through high school, which illustrates the popularity of girls wrestling as one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. Lexi Beadle, 19, a member of the Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team who helps coach the club, said the sport gives girls confidence and teaches them to rebound from adversity. The club typically meets twice weekly at Dinger’s Athletic Facility in Columbiana. Email www.redrosewrestlingclub@gmail.com for information on joining.

ORCHID: To the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber for taking concrete action to combat the brain drain that has plagued the Mahoning Valley for decades. The agency has launched a student engagement and workforce retention initiative to create pathways for skilled young professionals serving internships to remain in the region after graduation by immersing them in the area’s professional, social and cultural assets. As Brenda Linert, director of Community Impact for the chamber, aptly put it, “By introducing interns to the dynamic opportunities and supportive professional community here, we’re encouraging them to envision a future rooted right here in our region.”

ORCHID: To Gateways to Better Living and Grizzly Bean Coffee Shop in Austintown for partnering on a creative project that highlights the skills and ingenuity of adults with developmental disabilities throughout the Mahoning Valley. Every coffee (while supplies last) purchased at Grizzly Bean will come wrapped in a one-of-a-kind sleeve designed by a local artist served by the agency. Kristie Murphy, community engagement director at Gateways, calls the partnership “a celebration of ability, creativity and community.” We agree and urge Gateways clients to continue their artistry and for members of the community to support them by purchasing a creative and meaningful cup of Joe.

ORCHID: To Roberta Hiller, CEO of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors, for her recent honors from the National Association of Realtors. Hiller has been awarded the Realtor Association Certified Executive designation, which recognizes exceptional efforts made by its association executives. This designation commends Hiller for professional growth and expertise in Northeast Ohio housing markets. We congratulate Hiller on her achievements, particularly coming as they do during this most difficult time of downturn in the U.S. housing market, punctuated by elevated mortgage rates and a general slowdown in sales.

ONION: To those dim-witted daredevil motorists who use public roads as NASCAR racetracks and thereby risk death and injuries to themselves and others. Recently, the Ohio State Highway Patrol cited two drivers for zooming 127 mph in a 65 mph zone in Butler County. Locally, since the start of 2025, about 180 drivers have been cited by the patrol in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties for exceeding posted speed limits by 30 mph or more. We have two words for those reckless drivers: Speed kills. The proof is in the numbers. Since 2020, the OSHP has recorded 1,976 deaths caused in high speed-related crashes statewide.

ORCHID: To Jackie Popovec and The Vindys, as well as acclaimed rocker Lita Ford, for lending their five-star talents to this year’s benefit concert for the Rich Center for Autism. The concert, which took place last weekend at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, was a resounding success thanks in large part to those two sensational female-led acts. As the Youngstown State University-based Rich Center this year marks its 30th anniversary, that lineup was no coincidence. It drives home the point that a group of five women who saw a need for services in the area for those affected by autism rallied together to create the much needed center. Today, thanks in large part to those women, the Rich Center’s innovative education and service programs have helped thousands from age 3 to 21 on the autism spectrum from throughout the Valley.

ORCHID: To Flor “Shorty” Navarro for making a $1 million gift to the Kilcawley: Centered on the Future Campaign at Youngstown State University in memory of his wife, Elba Lillian Navarro. In addition to their scholarship support and the Kilcawley gift, the Navarros have previously contributed toward the Nunziato Veterans Resource Center at YSU, the Navarro Commons in Meshel Hall and the newly endowed Elba Navarro Youngstown Community Music Project. “YSU is honored to have supporters like Shorty and Elba Navarro. Over the years, they have shown their love for our university by continually enriching the lives of countless students through their philanthropy,” said YSU President Bill Johnson.