DEAR EDITOR:

I found your editorial, “Repopulation effort will take all of us,” in the Feb. 2 Vindicator interesting and challenging. During my travels over the many years in the United States and abroad, people often asked me where I lived. When I tell them, “Youngstown,” they follow with, “where, and how is Youngstown?” My answer was always, “Boring!”

The natural and expected follow-up question was, “What do you mean, boring?” I was only too happy to tell them that in Youngstown, we had no floods, no tsunamis, no hurricanes, no wildfires, no severe droughts, no mud slides or volcanoes, but we have beautiful lakes, rivers, great schools, no traffic jams, affordable cost of living, a fine university, art institutes and museums and one of the finest parks in the United States, not to mention good health care, stable population and caring and compassionate people. “This sounds like heaven!” was the answer. Yes, I retorted, but we don’t want the world to know about it. We just want to keep it for ourselves.

I will never forget June 28, 1960; my wife and I were coming from Washington, D.C. It was about 5 p.m. when we arrived at the Market Street bridge. The city was covered with smoke from the steel mills. My wife asked how long were we going to live in this “hell hole.” Soon, we discovered all the things I mentioned above. We built a home, raised four beautiful children and were happy to call Youngstown “home.” I still do and always will.

The title of the editorial reminded me of a story of men in a canoe in the middle of a river, screaming that they were dying from thirst. Then they heard the voice of God: “Just lower your buckets where you are.”

One of the greatest treasures we have in the Mahoning Valley, besides all those I mentioned above, is the Mahoning River. We have polluted it, neglected it and abandoned it to history. All we have to do is dredge it, clean it and start, thoughtfully and methodically, to build on its banks. I envision quaint shops, walkways, high rises and beautiful gardens. And, then tell the world about it and about all the beautiful amenities our Valley has to offer.

We need not die of thirst — just dip our buckets where we are: in our beautiful Mahoning River. It will be a great start!

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Build a better mouse trap, and the world will beat a path to your door.” I can’t think of a better mouse trap than our Mahoning River, to augment the many little mouse trapswe already have.

RASHID ABDU, M.D.

Canfield