Orchids and onions
ORCHID: To the players and coaches of the Canfield 12U Little League softball team for winning the state championship earlier this month. The standout squad did so by defeating Wheelersburg twice in the finals of play. Team manager Lou Zorella is rightfully proud of his championship team. “They know what they need to do, and they’re very confident in their abilities,” he said. We salute Zorella and each and every member of the team for the honor and prestige they have earned for themselves, their hometown and the entire Mahoning Valley.
ONION: To those callous and malicious hooligans who have been spray painting antisemitic graffiti in the Mahoning Valley in recent weeks. The Youngstown Police Department has confirmed that it is investigating the source of such imagery spray painted in a city parking deck. The Youngstown Area Jewish Federation reports similar antisemitic imagery was spray painted on a sign in Columbiana. We urge law enforcement to pursue all leads, apprehend the perps and punish them for such hate crimes to the fullest extent possible. We second the call of the YAJF for the rising tide of antisemitic bigotry in this country to cease now.
ORCHID: To Jeff Ryznar, owner and team leader of 898 Marketing in Canfield, for his recent induction into the Association of Ohio Commodores. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recognized Ryznar and 25 other state residents recently with the distinguished honor for hard work, leadership and business accomplishments. As a member of the association, Ryznar, who once served as director of strategic marketing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, will assist the state in advancing strategies for the growth and development of Ohio, with the priority goal of greater prosperity for its residents.
ONION: To U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, for his blistering and insensitive criticism of detection devices for alcohol impairment in passenger cars as “an insane federal regulation” that contributes to high car prices. Moreno, who has owned multiple auto dealerships in Northeast Ohio, made those remarks recently during a Senate confirmation hearing for a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nominee. “Today in Ohio” podcast host Laura Johnston brought the remarks to light during a panel discussion recently. One panelist, U.S. Sen. Ben Lujan, D-N.M., told Moreno that he was nearly killed by a drunken driver in a head-on crash in his youth. Others cited data from Mothers Against Drunk Driving that the devices have the potential to save 10,000 American lives annually. That testimonial alone suggests the public-safety regulation is far from insane.
ORCHID: To Warren-based 7 17 Credit Union and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers for their success in smashing the all-time game-night attendance record at Eastwood Field by hosting Financial Wellness Night earlier this month. The standing-room-only crowd on 7-17-25 totaled 9,034 for 7 17’s festive and educational evening at the ballpark. Thanks to the generosity and community-mindedness of the credit union, patrons received free game tickets, free food and beverages and a drone show that featured 100 synchronized drones. Fans also had opportunities to learn strategies for sound personal financial management. The night capped off appropriately with a Scrappers victory over the Frederick (Maryland) Keys.
ORCHID: To the Rev. John Welch, pastor of St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church in Youngstown, and the 250 families that make up his congregation, for rightfully celebrating the church’s proud 125th anniversary this month. The proud West Side religious landmark owes its roots to immigrants to Youngstown from Dubova, Slovakia, and later Austria-Hungary. We also congratulate the church on its ability to buck the trend of declining memberships and church closures locally and nationally. As Welch said, “It’s incredible for us to mark this milestone. There are not that many churches that have this longevity. Our church is still growing and flourishing.”
ORCHID: To Hubbard Township Trustees William Colletta and Monica Baker for rejecting a recommendation from Trustee Jason Tedrow to place a 1.75-mill renewal levy for the township police department on the November ballot. Too often, public officials instinctively agree to seek continuation of a current property or income tax levy and promote it with a rousing “no new taxes” pitch. In Hubbard’s case, Fiscal Officer Jennifer Evans indicated in a report that finances for the police department will be relatively sound without those levy funds for the near term. That forecast, using current police staffing levels, showed the department with a $1.3 million carryover into 2028. Rejection of the levy request not only demonstrates fiscal responsibility, but it also increases confidence among Hubbard Township voters if and when future tax levies are needed and sought.
Orchids and onions
ORCHID: To George Basista of Boardman for his nationally acclaimed talents as a prince of the increasingly popular pastime of pickleball. Basista, 73, first picked up the pickleball passion about a decade ago and then it exploded a few years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic forced him into an earlier retirement than he had foreseen. Since then, he has won victories at the Florida state championships and the National Senior Games and has qualified for the 2025 national championship later this year in Iowa. As Basista heads toward more potential pickleball prestige, we wish him nothing but smashing success.
ONION: To Youngstown officials for continuing their misguided unstaffed speed-camera program near all school buildings in the city. We’ve long been emphatic in our opposition to such cameras, viewing them far less as public safety tools and far more as quick cash-snatching opportunities for local governments. Officials in Youngstown recently reported they’re having trouble finding legal means to spend the $1.5 million it has collected in school-zone camera fines due to strict restrictions in state law. Considering that most of the fines go uncollected anyways and that the city acknowledges there is nothing it can do to enforce collections of these citations, we have some simple advice: End the speed camera program now and enhance targeted in-person speed enforcement at school zones this fall.
ORCHID: To Grand Master Moon Park for rightly celebrating 55 years of teaching the martial arts –with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Park, 70, founded and owns the Master Park Martial Arts International studios. Since moving to the area in 1984 from South Korea, Park has expanded his operation to about two dozen sites in the Valley. Park also is no stranger to international acclaim as he serves as director of the World Taekwondo Championship and Women’s Taekwondo Championship demonstrations and performances in Hong Kong.
ORCHID: To the Youngstown Board of Education for seriously taking into account the views of city students and residents in adopting the new mascot for its soon-to-be-consolidated high schools and middle schools. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the districtwide mascot will be the Defenders, represented by an owl. The Defenders aptly depicts the mission of defending and building upon recent academic improvements in the school system. The Owl, on whose head rests a skyline of Youngstown, symbolizes the goals of building wisdom and resilience among all who pass through the doors of city schools. We urge students, faculty, staff and community members to begin getting used to the new identities now to help ensure a smooth and unified transition to the merger next year.
ONION: To careless or forgetful parents and guardians who leave children unattended inside hot motor vehicles this summer. An updated study released last week from the organization No Heat Stroke reported that 1,025 children have died in hot cars, including 23 in Ohio, from Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke since 1998. NHS offers these potentially life-saving tips: Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, ensure all occupants leave the vehicle when unloading, always lock your car and make sure children do not have access to keys or remote entry devices. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, if you see a child unattended in a hot vehicle, call 9-1-1 immediately.
ORCHID: To Michael John Daley, son of Mike and Megan Daley of Poland, for his recent induction into the U.S. Naval Academy’s Class of 2029. He is now taking part in the grueling and rigorous Plebe Summer at the academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Given his sterling academic and extracurricular credentials, we’re confident Daley will excel at the renowned military academy. He served as 2025 senior class president and co-valedictorian at Poland Seminary High School, where he also achieved All-State honors on the soccer team as well as multi-year letters on the school’s baseball and basketball squads. Daley also proudly continues a noble tradition of Poland Seminary in becoming the fourth PSHS grad to attend the prestigious academy in the past five years.
ORCHID: To the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley and its supporting foundations for their recent awards to 55 nonprofit agencies worth a total of $722,414. Award recipients ranged from the respected Inspiring Minds youth development programs in Youngstown and Warren, the YWCA of the Mahoning Valley, Beatitude House, the YSU International Student Welcoming Committee and many others. The CFMV and its affiliates — the Trumbull Memorial Health Foundation, Western Reserve Health Foundation and William Swanston Charitable Fund — have long been in the forefront of assisting valuable community service projects in the Valley. This latest round of generous gifts cements that reputation even more.
Orchids and onions
ORCHID: To Hollie Musolino-Goodin for her recent appointment as executive director of Mahoning County government. The county’s Board of Commissioners last week unanimously approved promoting Musolino-Goodin to the post, effectively filling the role vacated by Audrey Tillis, who retired as county administrator recently. In her new role, she will oversee daily administrative operations, coordinate interdepartmental initiatives and support the strategic goals and priorities of the county. She is no newbie to government operations, having served most recently as chief deputy clerk. Though she arrives at her new post with glowing reviews from all three commissioners and others, she’ll still have her work cut out for her in matching or exceeding the superlative record of Tillis.
ORCHID: To Youngstown fire Chief Barry Finley for achieving his long-term goal of bringing his department up to full strength. Mayor Jamael Tito Brown last week swore in Nathan Hruska as the 125th member of the department, which restored it to full force for the first time in years. Hruska, a former member of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District in Poland, said he appreciates the opportunity to grow as a member of the much larger department. We commend Hruska and the other 124 members of the YFD for their self-sacrifice and commitment to responding to emergencies professionally and to keeping Youngstown safe. Now that the department has a full crew, public confidence in the critical safety force’s reliability and service should only grow.
ONION: To those lame-brained lawbreakers who continue to blast fireworks long past the July 4 holiday weekend deadline for doing so. State law permits private use of consumer-grade fireworks on July 4 and the Saturday and Sunday following it. Complaints abound over those miscreants who disrespect both those deadlines and their neighbors with things that go boom in the night. Local law enforcers should crack down hard on such annoying shenanigans. Those who discharge pyrotechnics even during legal periods also can be arrested if they’re found under the influence of any intoxicating liquor, beer or controlled substance. Our advice to all of you fireworks fanatics out there: Be safe and wait until the next legal period — Labor Day weekend — to get your sizzle on.
ORCHID: To the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. for breaking ground this week on 16 new single-family homes in multiple locations throughout the city. Kudos, too, to the Mahoning Valley Land Bank, which was awarded a $5 million state grant to help finance construction of the new homes that will feature three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open-concept living room, kitchen and dining area with first-floor laundry, a front porch and a two-car garage. This construction will bring to 46 the number of new homes YNDC will have built in the city by this time next year. Coupled with its successes in renovating hundreds of houses, the YNDC is making major inroads in fighting urban blight, rejuvenating neighborhoods and repopulating the city.
ORCHID: To Inspiring Minds Youngstown for its success in opening a new center on South Avenue in Youngstown to mark its 10th anniversary. Hundreds of community members, students, alumni, local leaders and supporters gathered for a recent celebration, which featured music, interactive stations, building tours and a presentation highlighting the program’s growth, vision and legacy. Inspiring Minds Youngstown has served more than 1,000 students with year-round programming rooted in academic support, college and career readiness, exposure to new experiences, health and wellness, and personal development. That outstanding record merits broad-based community support. Those wishing to do so can contribute to IM’s ongoing capital campaign by visiting IMyoungstown.org.
ORCHID: To Adelaide Jennings, 5; Mika Jennings, 2; and Quinlan “Quinn” Bulick, 17, for their remarkable success in establishing themselves as savvy young entrepreneurs to be reckoned with. The Jennings sisters of Boardman, with some assistance from dad Chris, operate “Two Sisters Popsicle Stand” on Cadillac Drive. But it’s not just any old cool summer treat stand. The girls specialize in gourmet flavors, such as Mango Coconut, Avocado Pineapple Lime and Summer Peach. As for Quinn, a recent Poland Seminary High School valedictorian, he has witnessed phenomenal success since launching his own beef jerky business in February. He now has six employees and has sealed a deal with a local wholesale company to distribute 3,000 units of his “Mighty Quinn Jerky.” These youthful business tycoons prove through their perseverance, skill sets and commitment that they are role models for would-be business leaders of all ages.
Orchids and onions
ORCHID: To Audrey Tillis for her 13 years of model service to Mahoning County as its administrator and budget director. She resigned last week at 66 after an amazingly successful career at the helm of county government. She faced a nightmare scenario when she accepted the challenging job. The county had a $4 million budget hole, revenue was not supporting expenses and annual carryover was dropping fast. Though in some cases it took time, Tillis and others she worked with turned around all of those negatives to the point that the county now has a budget surplus and has achieved the coveted AA bond ratings for its justice and sales taxes. Former longtime county Commissioner Dave Ditzler summed up succinctly the sterling talents of Tillis: “She brought to this county credibility, stability, transparency, and trust, honesty.”
ORCHID: To the Impact Initiative for its ongoing success in helping to reduce violent crime In Youngstown. The initiative is a partnership among the Youngstown Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, FBI and its task force, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Ohio Adult Parole Authority and Ohio Investigative Unit. Last week, officers from the YPD and OSHP, working together as part of the initiative, apprehended two men on gun and drug charges after a brief chase on the South Side. It is but one of many successful busts in the initiative’s primary aim to remove guns and drugs — primary ingredients to violent crime — from city streets. The decline in homicides in the city — eight homicides in May and June of 2024 compared with only two during those two months of 2025 — is but one concrete indication of the success and value of the impact of the crime-fighting initiative.
ONION: To those heartless and irresponsible pet owners who leave their pets outdoors during insufferable heat waves such as the one that baked the Mahoning Valley recently. Animal welfare agencies in the region have reported a disturbingly large increase in dogs that have died after being left outdoors in 90 degree-plus heat without needed water and shade. Animal Charity of Mahoning County, for example, last week reported the deaths of about 10 dogs from such neglect, including one that hanged himself from a porch railing in a desperate attempt to find water and relief from blistering heat. A Facebook post from Animal Charity minced no words about such tragedies: “We’re shattered. We’re angry. We’re exhausted.” Anyone who sees such cases of inhumane abuse this summer should contact their nearest animal welfare agency immediately.
ORCHID: To Charles R. Singler and Barbara C. Orton for receiving the prestigious Heritage Award, one of Youngstown State University’s highest honors, from the university’s Board of Trustees last week. Singler provided stellar service to YSU from 1969 to 2011 as a professor and chairman of the Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology and Environmental Science. Orton distinguished herself as director of the university’s Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office from 1984 to 2003. We also congratulate trustees for bravely going against the current political grain by recognizing the importance of diversity initiatives in its award to Orton.
ONION: To parents and guardians of young children who fail to ensure upper-floor windows are locked tightly and their opening mechanisms are not easy to operate and in the reach of little ones. Earlier this week, police and fire departments responded to an emergency in which 4-year-old and 5-year-old boys were injured after having fallen out of a second-floor window. Police inspected the window and found that the locking mechanisms were within the reach of children. According to the National Safety Council, an average of eight children ages 5 and younger die and more than 3,300 are injured each year from falling out of windows. It wisely recommends parents install window guards and that locks are kept out of reach of youngsters.
ORCHID: To Brenda Freeman for besting 10 other candidates to become chief of police for Hubbard Township. Freeman was sworn in recently as the new top law enforcement officer in the township in a ceremony that filled the township hall with ardent supporters. Such fanfare for Freeman is certainly no surprise as she’s hardly a rookie to the Greater Hubbard community, having served over the past 13 years on both the township and city police departments. In addition to that invaluable experience and knowledge of the community, by all accounts she has established a record of exemplary service. We’re also pleased to see Freeman become the second female to rise to the level of chief in a Mahoning Valley police department this year. In that role, she’ll no doubt serve as a solid role model for girls throughout the community.