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ORCHID: To the 12 residents of Austintown Township who demonstrated commendable civic engagement by submitting letters of interest/applications to become a governing trustee for the community. The recent resignation of Trustee Robert Santos has forced the two remaining township leaders -- Monica Deavers and Bruce Shepas -- to solicit, review and select his replacement. Given the high quantity and quality of the applicants, that will be no easy feat. Those 12 applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds serve as a model for residents of all communities throughout the Valley to consider doing their part to improve their towns by seeking positions of leadership. In fact, it's not too early for them to start thinking of the dozens and dozens of posts that will be on the ballot for township, village and city positions and school board seats in 2027.
ORCHID: To the Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation for its recent generous $1 million gift toward Youngstown State University's Centered on the Future campaign to massively overhaul and update Kilcawley Student Center on campus. In recognition of the endowment, the iconic Rock area near the center officially will be christened "Marjorie Hartman Plaza." As university President Bill Johnson put it, "The Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation has been an extraordinary partner to YSU, and this latest investment not only helps transform this iconic space, but also permanently connects Marjorie Hartman's legacy with one of YSU's most cherished facilities and traditions." Hartman, of course, is best remembered as an animal lover extraordinaire, and her foundation has contributed more than $2 million to pre-veterinary programs at YSU.
ONION: To Mahoning County Auditor Michael Ciccone for his ongoing insistence not to resign his position in light of overwhelming evidence that he is categorically unfit for public office and for the public trust. Since we last called on him to resign last week over a growing mountain of allegations of incompetent, reckless and racist behavior, new evidence has surfaced to further question his competence for serving as chief fiscal officer and assessor for the county. Specifically, county commissioners recently hired a private accounting firm for about $75,000 to produce monthly financial reports his office did not file. He passes the blame for that irregularity off to others for failing to notify him of any delinquencies. We hope this most recent fiasco at least fuels the fire for those circulating petitions for his removal to gather steam.
ORCHID: To John Scotford and other members of the nonprofit group Town One, Range One in Poland for their volunteerism and commitment toward beautifying the quaint Mahoning County village. Last week at Poland Village Council, Scotford received the go-ahead from council members to proceed with three such projects: cleanup of the Yellow Creek patio and stairway, repairing and painting of a village bridge and removal of a half-dead ash tree in the devil strip in front of the Poland Library. These latest projects continue a long and praiseworthy tradition of the group dedicated to the historic preservation, civic beautification and revitalization of Poland.
ORCHID: To the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for its recent well-reasoned decision to deny blanket wastewater permits for all data centers in the state. Instead, the agency said it would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to grant individual permits for the discharge of wastewater into Ohio waterways. Potential environmental risks of discharging heated cooling water into small local streams or lake basins are many, most notably their potential to lower oxygen levels and stimulate harmful algal blooms. What's more, public input overwhelmingly opposed blanket permitting. We're pleased EPA leaders listened to the rational pleas of its constituents and will study each permit application closely on its own individual merits or lack thereof.
ONION: To leaders of athletic booster organizations in our region who unconscionably use their position to boost themselves rather than the young people they and their organizations are designed to support. Though innocent until proven guilty, a former leader of a wrestling and soccer booster club in Liberty faces felony theft and first-degree misdemeanor credit card misuse in a case in which over $40,000 was discovered missing from the club. Earlier this year, a Mahoning County grand jury indicted a leader with the Struthers High Band Boosters organization with grand theft. Any individual who chooses to lead and oversee any organization that promotes youth development should have this one overriding purpose in mind: to selflessly serve the best interests of the young people, not to serve their own greedy get-rich-quick interests.
ORCHID: To Youngstown-based Phantom Fireworks for donating more than $250,000 to fire and police departments in communities in which the company operates fireworks showrooms, including several in the Mahoning Valley. This gift from Phantom, the largest consumer fireworks retailer in the United States, continues its proud and illuminating legacy of demonstrating social responsibility through charitable donations, safety advocacy, partnerships with first responders and community fundraising support.