Odds 'N Ends

-- To me the most interesting character at last week's protest of state Senate Bill 5 during a visit by Gov. John Kasich to a Regional Chamber event at the Youngstown Warren Regional Airport was the minister dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. He said he was there to pray for everyone involved and said while both sides had valid points, he was dismayed at the language, behavior and opinions of people on both sides of the fence, including some of our politicians. I had to agree. Call me Old Fashioned (and trust me, I've been called a lot worse), but I do believe in proper decorum and respect for those who opinions differ from your own. The buzz word among the small group of Kasich backers I spoke with was ``welfare' while there were all kinds of words and gestures not to fit print emanating from those who opposed the bill. I knew every politician worth his weight in salt would show up, because it was a tailor made no brainer, but some of them could have toned down their rhetoric as well.

-- For those who complain that police don't do their work or take too long, two recent cases this week show they plug away, often with no one knowing. The Lordstown investigation of theft of car parts at the GM plant started in late 2009 and resulted in three indictments, and yesterday a Mecca woman was arraigned for the death of a Leavittsburg man killed in a hit skip accident in June. Often, we (and I include the media) lose our patience when we don't get answers and don't know what is happening, when often investigators plug away but chose not to talk. That is not to say that sometimes they are TOO tight lipped, but that's the way it goes. We do not like investigations that are slow, methodical and take a long time because they are not sexy enough or fit into our news cycle. But often those are the cases that bear the most results.

-- On a non news note, why can't someone make a sugar free Pop Tart or a sugar free donut?

-- On another non news note, was interesting to see Ursuline coach Dan Reardon as a finalist for the Warren G. Harding job. As an Ursuline alum, it would pain me to see him leave after all the success he has had, but on a personal note, if that's what he wants if gets the job, I wish him the best. He has always been very gracious to me whenever I've dealt with him, and I know there are salary and pension benefits to coaching at a public schoool.

-- The numbers don't lie: The VGRIP program needs to come back. It works.