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This might be a good time to evaluate weaponry

An event in Trumbull County last year and the recent bombings in Boston bring to mind a question that all democracies must answer. How much freedom are we willing to sacrifice for safety?Benjamin Franklin said: ''Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.'' Of course times are different; people wishing to harm us today have access to far more formidable weapons. Would Franklin feel different today?Because the threats could be so varied today, law enforcement has to be prepared in many ways that couldn't have been ...

Salons: Where the Trumbull County girls are

When I was a little girl my mother used to go to a beauty shop in our neighborhood in Girard. Only one block away, this haven from domesticity was in the basement of a neighbor's home.Mary Cataffa was a kindly Italian-American lady who lived on Davis Street, one street and one block below Dearborn Street, where we lived.It was at Mary Cataffa's that I first learned the power of female communication. My mother would take me with her and I would sit, swinging my feet, on one of the chairs attached to a huge hooded hairdryer. I marveled as my mother reeled back in the chair in front of the ...

Support for downtown walkway

Some have criticized the proposed walkway connecting the Franklin Street parking deck with Courthouse Square as a waste of money. While I'm not a big fan of public/private partnerships, I think this is an excellent step in the right direction to revitalize downtown.I can understand somewhat why people are leery of this project. The City of Warren and Trumbull County have a history of cronyism and corruption.If someone doesn't look too closely at this endeavor, he might think it is just the same old stuff happening again - another useless project just to line the pockets of somebody. ...

More scrutiny for Sunshine

''To provide affordable, decent, safe and sanitary housing to low- to moderate-income families giving them the opportunity to become homeowners.''This is the description of the mission of Sunshine of Warren-Trumbull, Inc., which was provided on its Form-990 return to the IRS. It is a laudable mission, but it is clearly not being fulfilled by the organization under its present administration.Sunshine was created by the City of Warren and Trumbull County in 1993 using federal HOME grants to provide low income residents with housing. It has used money from the city and HUD to buy, build and ...

A fairer way for the U.S. collect taxes

Imagine if you woke up one day to the news that the IRS was abolished, along with the income tax, and April 15 would now just be another nice spring day. Imagine that you would be getting your full paycheck without the Federal deductions.No federal income, no Social Security and no Medicare taxes taken. Then a few days later you receive a check from the federal government for $300 along with the explanation that you will now be receiving this amount every month.Then, what if on top of all this good fortune you found out that the price of everything you pay money for would be reduced by ...

Springtime in the Valley really rocks

Spring is in the air, at last. We here in northeastern Ohio have waited a long time for this.This is the time of year when the daffodils start pushing their faces toward the sun and the weeping willows come alive after a long winter sleep. I particularly notice the change of season because, here on the farm, I think I have seen a muskrat paddling around in the pond - a sure sign of spring.On my way home from church the other day I was able to put the windows down and open the sunroof in my car. There were bicyclists, people riding motorcycles and people just out walking on a pretty sunny ...