Orchids & onions
ORCHID: To Megan Malara, Ph.D., for her recent appointment as director of the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense in downtown Youngstown. The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining recently made the appointment, and it’s clearly spot-on. Malara brings a premium set of skills to the prestigious post as she has served as a director of the Ohio State University Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence and also has worked as a legislative fellow in science and technology in the U.S. Congress. That diverse background in public and private enterprise as well as policymaking will serve her exceptionally well as she launches the $62 million initiative to be headquartered in the former Vindicator production building. We’re confident she will lead the hub to its potential of 750 employees and will give the Mahoning Valley an even bolder spot on the global map of centers of innovative advanced manufacturing.
ONION: To the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for failing to adequately monitor the ongoing financial and operational problems surrounding SOBE Thermal Energy, problems that left at least 28 buildings in the downtown Youngstown area without heating and cooling services in late September and earlier this month. As state Rep. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, accurately pointed out in an angry letter to commissioners, several warning signs should have been flagged with PUCO intervention much, much earlier. They included SOBE recording a $500,000 operating loss in 2023 and its reported passing of a bad $400,000 check to a service supplier in 2024. We fully support McNally’s demand for the commission to stabilize the system and implement a long-term plan for oversight and accountability for the utility’s understandably frustrated customers.
ORCHID: To the 10 third graders at West Boulevard Elementary School in Boardman for their gusto and talent in producing a newspaper titled West Wisdom for their peers, parents and staff at the 450-student K-3 school in the township. The students’ commitment to the regularly published newspaper is clearly evidenced by their sacrifice of precious recess time, time that they use to create story lines, conduct interviews, create artwork for comic strips, seek out “fun facts” and conduct opinion polls. Also deserving a fresh and fragrant orchid is Sabrina Berardino, school librarian who serves as a mentor and adviser to West Wisdom. We wish these budding Clark Kents and Lois Lanes nothing but success as they build on their reading and writing skills while providing a highly appreciated informational product: Jack Lorenzi, Brooklyn Cook, Kevin Price, Selena Farragher, Evelyn Durse, Adeline Candella, Alena Nichols, Charley Westrem, Emelia Ingram and Peighton Baco.
ONION: To Angelo Elia, a Youngstown State University graduate and Struthers native, for displaying an American flag altered to include an optical-illusion image of a swastika at his desk in the office of U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Amelia. Photos of Elia, a legislative correspondent for the Ohio congressman, went viral online and created a national uproar. To his credit, Rep. Taylor ensured the image was removed from the workplace and in no uncertain terms denounced it as offensive: “The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.” We just wish Elia would have recognized as much before displaying it directly below a proud YSU logo in his cubicle.
ORCHID: To officials of Boardman Township and the ABC Water District for completing the mammoth $4 million multi-year Forest Lawn Stormwater Park on the former property of Market Street Elementary School in the township. Not only will the park reduce flooding issues in its vicinity, it will feature expansive green space that will improve water quality as well as provide recreation and a walking path. An official ribbon-cutting for the nearly 15-acre park, funded largely through local, state and federal grants, will take place at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Clearly, there is much to celebrate in putting what could have been an abandoned white elephant property to productive and enjoyable community use.
ONION: To all who disobey the rules of the road when riding electric scooters and e-bikes throughout the Valley. Recently, Girard City Council members discussed the potential public safety hazards of their unsafe and irresponsible use. With reports of e-scooter accidents on the rise throughout Ohio — some of which have caused fatalities — riders should be reminded they must generally follow bicycle-style traffic rules. The devices are limited to maximum speeds of 20 mph, and no one under 16 is allowed to operate them without parental supervision. With the rise in e-scooter use, we call for increased surveillance of them by local law enforcers throughout the Valley to ensure maximum safety for those riding them and for those who could be unlucky enough to cross paths with them accidentally.
Orchids & onions
ORCHID: To Poland Township Trustees Eric Ungaro, Joanne Wollet and Ed Kempers for voting to reverse their decision last spring to permit construction of a cell tower between Kerrybrooke Trail and the Poland Seminary High School property. After receiving overwhelming public opposition to the tower from residents on grounds ranging from lower property values of nearby properties to health dangers from microwaves emanating from the tower, the board voted unanimously last week to rescind that decision. That action is emblematic of the trustees’ desire to be responsive to community input, a model for all local governments in the Mahoning Valley.
ORCHID: To Kevin Flinn, buildings and grounds commissioner for the city of Youngstown, and other city leaders involved in the purchase of about $5 million worth of vehicles and equipment for the street department. Much of that investment went toward the purchase of 10 new snowplows and two smaller trucks for snow removal. Given the aging condition and the many breakdowns of the city’s prior aging fleet, the investment should pay off handsomely this winter as Youngstown streets should be cleared more quickly and more efficiently.
ORCHID: To the Canfield High School Teen Health and Medical Society for donating $9,430 to Salem Regional Medical Center for advancing breast cancer care in the community. This is the second year the club has organized a large communitywide benefit Pink Out pickleball tournament in the city’s Greasel Park. This fall’s tournament raised a significantly higher amount of donations toward that worthy and timely cause during this Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We join Amy Reed of SRMC in saluting the Canfield teens for their community-minded activism. As Reed put it, “It is really great what these young people are doing to help those in need.”
ONION: To Pornhub and other pornographic websites for their efforts to skirt Ohio law mandating valid age-verification proof to enter such sites. According to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office, of the 20 largest pornography sites in the nation, only one has completely complied with the letter of Ohio law that requires verification by a photo ID or records such as education, mortgage or employment records. Pornhub challenges the law and is trying to escape it through questionable loopholes. We support Yost’s efforts to protect impressionable young people from the potential harms of adults-only content and urge him to proceed full speed ahead with stern prosecution of offenders.
ORCHID: To the Youngstown-based Oak Hill Collaborative for sponsoring a bountiful series of 26 events to mark Digital Inclusion Week in the Mahoning Valley. The Oak Hill Collaborative, an affiliate of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, has as one of its goals the narrowing of the gap between digital haves and digital have-nots. Its full plate of workshops last week ran the gamut from lessons on operating a computer and accessing digital information to more elaborate sessions on web design, telehealth and awareness of potentially dangerous online scams. Given that Youngstown and Warren ranked among the Top 5 worst-connected cities in Ohio for at-home internet access, the work of the collaborative clearly is needed and appreciated.
ORCHID: To BJSJ Family LLC and architect Frank Yankel for their plans to inject new life into the former Dorian Book Store building on the outer edge of the Youngstown State University campus. The building, which has been vacant and decaying over the past six years, will be converted into commercial space, including a convenience store on the first floor and eight apartment units on the second and third floors. We’re pleased that the developers plan to restore the structure to its original 1925 condition and that the $1 million investment will energize ongoing redevelopment efforts along the increasingly vibrant Elm Street corridor on Youngstown’s near North Side.
ORCHID: To Westside Bowl owners Nate and Jami Offerdahl as well as Greg Barratt, former owner of Youngstown music club Nyabinghi, for collaborating to resurrect the Emissions from the Monolith music festival next fall at the bowl. Emissions ran as a highly successful music fest at Nyabinghi from 2000 to 2006 with audience members and bands flocking to the Mahoning Valley from around the world. The fest,which highlights metal, doom, sludge and heavy underground music, retains its fame two decades after its last show. Its reincarnation in 2026 should again shine a spotlight on Youngstown and The Valley’s deep roots in music of all genres.
ORCHID: To Power Mechanical Inc. of Newport News, Virginia, for shipping and installing a 650-horsepowered mobile steam plant at SOBE Thermal Energy Systems plant in Youngstown. Its speedy delivery and assembly last week ended several days of hardships for occupants of 27 buildings downtown who were left without hot water and adequate heating and cooling services. The mobile plant is smaller than the 800 horsepowered unit that had been in place, so we urge the court-appointed receiver effectively running the enterprise these days to find a permanent fix for the services as rapidly as possible.
Orchids & onions
ORCHID: To Springfield Township Fire Department Capt. Scott Rice for his professionalism and long history of leadership and mentoring that rightly won him this year’s Mahoning County Firefighter of the Year award from The Vindicator and SERVPRO. Rice, a firefighter for 32 years, distinguishes himself for his expertise, most notably demonstrated in leading a crew of about 70 firefighters from throughout the Valley at the tragic February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine. He’s also long been an instructor for up-and-coming firefighters, and many of his former students sing his praises. Springfield residents should consider themselves fortunate to have Rice as a committed public-safety servant.
ONION: To those perverse individuals in our community who continue to engage in human trafficking — exploiting others for profit by using force, fraud, or coercion to engage in labor or commercial sex operations. The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, in conjunction with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, recently busted 135 suspected traffickers in a statewide operation dubbed Operation Next Door. That name is apt as it illustrates that trafficking has risen as a major social problem virtually everywhere among us. As Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene put it, “The ugly fact is that human trafficking occurs in every county and every neighborhood across the state” We commend the task force and urge it to continue to aggressively hunt down and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the perpetrators of this vile crime.
ORCHID: To Michael Heinzer of Hubbard for making an incredibly generous donation of $100,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley in memory of his wife. Heinzer and his wife Kathleen “Cass” Heinzer have long volunteered for Second Harvest and helped organize and operate the St. Patrick Food Pantry in Hubbard. The impact of Heinzer’s recent colossal contribution perhaps is best expressed by Second Harvest’s Associated Director Renee Fuller: “The Heinzer family has set an example that goes beyond dollars and cents. It’s about the impact of caring deeply. Their legacy will live on each time a family is nourished because of their kindness.”
ORCHID: To Youngstown artist and photographer Tony Nicholas for producing and assembling a collection of 60 photographs depicting the Mahoning Valley’s proud Hispanic community. Forty of those photos are on display at a special exhibition titled “This is Youngstown” at the Tyler History Center in downtown Youngstown now through Feb. 1. The collection captures subjects at home and in their workplaces and illustrates the diversity and the ongoing strength of our community’s multicultural heritage. It also is a proud addition to Hispanic Heritage Month, which continues through Oct. 15.
ORCHID: To Habitat for Humanity of the Mahoning Valley and its many volunteers from various Valley companies for their achievements in constructing nine fully functional and well decorated playhouses for deserving children in our community. Representatives from Vallourec, Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Valley, Dearing Compressor, Mercy Health Foundation and Thrivent Financial plus volunteers from Youngstown State’s Sokolov Honors College gathered last week to construct several of them at a Project Playhouse work session at Penguin City downtown. The project, which delighted the many children on the receiving end, demonstrates that our local Habitat chapter goes the distance in building homes of all shapes, styles and sizes for deserving residents of all ages.
ORCHID: To Meridian HealthCare for successfully breaking ground recently on a major $2 million expansion of its campus on Meridian Road in Youngstown. The expansion project will include a new on-site pharmacy, additional counseling offices and exam rooms to meet the growing demands for integrated care. Collectively, it will offer greater convenience under one roof for its clients seeking primary health care, mental health service or addiction recovery assistance. As such, it serves as an excellent model for others of one-stop collaborative health care in action.
ONION: To Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Mary Kay Fenlon for recently sentencing a woman whose vicious dog mauled and completely disfigured the face of an 11-year-old girl to a paltry four days in jail. Even more outrageous is that the same judge gave the Reynoldsburg woman permission to keep one of her dogs. To be frank, however, this miscarriage of justice stems more from the extreme weakness in Ohio law that treats serious dog maulings as mere misdemeanors. Legislators in the state Senate can and should act promptly to toughen those penalties by approving the House-passed Avery’s Law, named after the young victim in this case.
Orchids & onions
ORCHID: To Sarah and Eric Senges, owners of Boardman Grocery Outlet on Boardman-Poland Road, for donating 5% of their total sales Sept. 13 to the West Boulevard Elementary School PTA. The donation extends the tradition of giving to the community’s schools by the Senges. They have sponsored several Community Day givebacks at various Boardman buildings, have supported various teacher appreciation days and volunteered to walk in the Memorial Day Parade with Robinwood Elementary students and staff. In so doing, they set a sterling example for other businesses in the district and in other districts throughout the Valley to establish strong and supportive business-school partnerships.
ORCHID: To Poland Township police, government leaders and residents for their mutually supportive roles in making their community the fifth safest in Ohio, according to a ranking recently released by Travel Safe Insurance. Township police Chief Greg Wilson credits the above-average amount of training his officers receive, state-of-the-art equipment generously provided by township trustees and a supportive community for the honor. As Trustee Eric Ungaro aptly put it, “It is just a great team effort.”
ONION: To Youngstown city officials for failing to promptly pay $40,000 to owners of Erie Terminal Place downtown for damage the city caused to the commercial and residential building while 20 Federal Place across the street from it was undergoing a massive asbestos removal operation and partial demolition last year. In a settlement reached with Erie Terminal Place in mid-May, the city agreed to fork over $40,000 for the damage but in the intervening four months, no council resolution has been drafted or approved by city council to authorize the payment. As of this writing early this week, no such resolution was on this week’s council agenda. The city sets a poor example for good government by, at worst, reneging on or, at best, unduly delaying its promise to a major downtown enterprise.
ORCHID: To Lordstown officials and Mahoning Valley economic development agencies for their success in attracting to the village what Open AI, Oracle and SoftBank call “one of five new U.S. AI data center sites under Stargate, OpenAI’s overarching AI infrastructure platform.” The Valley faced stiff competition among 300 competing proposals from more than 30 states for the massive venture that is sure to fuel additional economic and population growth to our metro area. Coupled with the continued expansion in advanced manufacturing initiatives locally, the new AI center will further reinforce the Valley’s growing reputation as a technology leader in the nation and world.
ONION: To perpetrators of a growing text-message rip-off scam in which recipients are tricked into sharing personal financial information to those falsely claiming to be from the Ohio Department of Taxation. The scam text claims, “Your tax refund request has been approved and is now pending release.” It includes a link that leads to a fake website to confirm account details — and to gather personal information to enable the scammer to easily swindle you. Anyone who falls prey to this scam should not click the link and should immediately report the incident to local law enforcement authorities and to the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Office of Consumer Affairs at 866-278-0003 or webdfi-oca@com.ohio.gov
ORCHID: To participants and partnering sponsors led by Vallourec for cleaning large swaths of major roadways in Youngstown and Girard recently to fittingly mark World Cleanup Day. About 50 volunteers spent the day clearing litter and debris in seven zones of the two cities — most notably along U.S. Route 422. Vallourec, the France-based producer of premium tubing for energy markets, is credited with inspiring the day of community service. The cleanup complemented other ongoing initiatives to revitalize the Route 422 corridor of Youngstown and Girard and also contributed to the noble global goal of reducing solid waste pollution.
ORCHID: To members of the McDonald High School National Honor Society for spending the bulk of the past spring repainting and refurbishing the community mural in the village park that celebrates the municipality’s incorporation in 1919. Since McDonald students from previous classes created the 40-foot-by40-foot mural seven years ago, it has seen more than its fair share of wear and tear as it is placed on the ground where runners and other passers-by can easily mar it and advance its aging. McDonald residents can now take renewed pride in the community landmark and in their school district’s responsible and public-minded student body.