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Orchids and Onions

ORCHID: To all those involved in the long-standing tradition to organize basketball games for developmentally disabled students at Fairhaven Schools. This week, the project was described by Fairhaven principal Rosanne Morell as a “true community effort.”

ONION: To the people operating an apparent cockfighting ring in Youngstown. Authorities this week found 20 live chickens and even more dead ones in a vacant Youngstown home. They are continuing their investigation. What type of person abuses animals for his or her own entertainment and financial gain?

ORCHID: To Trumbull County Auditor Adrian Biviano, whose office has been awarded a certificate of achievement for its work in financial reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada. Biviano called the award the highest honor his office can receive for financial reporting.

ORCHID: To Mathews Local School District, the latest local government to put its public finances online through the Ohio Treasurer’s program known as Ohiocheckbook.com. The program adds a new level of transparency to government finances.

ONION: To Ohio Sen. Tom Patton, R-Strongsville, for raising questions about his political opponent, Jennifer Herold, on her commitment as a mother, as well as for attempting to capitalize on the fact that Herold is a woman with two young children. Patton spoke in a condescending tone, and his comments were out of line.

editorial@tribtoday.com

Orchids and Onions

ORCHID: To all those involved in the long-standing tradition to organize basketball games for developmentally disabled students at Fairhaven Schools. This week, the project was described by Fairhaven principal Rosanne Morell as a “true community effort.”

ONION: To the people operating an apparent cockfighting ring in Youngstown. Authorities this week found 20 live chickens and even more dead ones in a vacant Youngstown home. They are continuing their investigation. What type of person abuses animals for his or her own entertainment and financial gain?

ORCHID: To Trumbull County Auditor Adrian Biviano, whose office has been awarded a certificate of achievement for its work in financial reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada. Biviano called the award the highest honor his office can receive for financial reporting.

ORCHID: To Mathews Local School District, the latest local government to put its public finances online through the Ohio Treasurer’s program known as Ohiocheckbook.com. The program adds a new level of transparency to government finances.

ONION: To Ohio Sen. Tom Patton, R-Strongsville, for raising questions about his political opponent, Jennifer Herold, on her commitment as a mother, as well as for attempting to capitalize on the fact that Herold is a woman with two young children. Patton spoke in a condescending tone, and his comments were out of line.

editorial@tribtoday.com

Orchids and Onions

ORCHID: To Lordstown Village Council members Robert Bond and Karen Jones, for standing their ground and voting no this week on passing as emergency an ordinance to purchase a $54,717 transit bus for transporting local senior citizens. Jones said policies on bus usage and charges for the service require more review, which will be done now that they have two more votes to discuss the matter.

ONION: To the other four members of Lordstown council who voted yes on passage of the issue as an emergency, which means only one vote rather than three. While the purchase may be a good one, elected officials must realize few issues really require an emergency vote. Constituents always should be allowed more time to comment as issues are discussed in three, rather than one, reading.

ORCHID: To the Trumbull County Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance for hosting Sunday’s tribute in Warren to Martin Luther King Jr.; to those who coordinated Monday’s MLK Day events at the Warren YWCA; and to the A. Philip Randolph Institute local chapter for its annual salute to King. These local events and many more are just a small part of recognizing the good that King brought to all Americans.

ORCHID: Also to volunteers and organizations that helped repair homes, install smoke detectors and complete other service projects this week as part of “United We Serve,” in honor of the annual national MLK Day of Service.

ORCHID: To members of United Auto Workers Local 1112 for stepping up to collect bottled water to deliver to Flint, Mich., residents, who have no potable drinking water due to lead contamination in that city’s water source. Public donations also are welcome this week at the North Jackson union hall, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

editorial@tribtoday.com

Orchids and Onions

ORCHID: To Weathersfield Township for enacting and promoting the police department’s “Are You OK” program that checks in on elderly residents on a daily basis. Information is available at the township offices.

ORCHID: To Niles McKinley Memorial Library Director Patrick Finan, for spending so much of his life serving the public at the library. The director is retiring this month after 39 years in the library field, including 18 years at the local library.

ONION: To the robber who stole the purse with cash and prescriptions and a grocery bag from a Warren woman as she walked back to her Idywild Street NW home Sunday. But …

ORCHID: To Victor Calderon, who tackled the robber and gave him a lecture as he tried to get away. Calderon said before the robber managed to escape and get away, he told him, “What the hell are you doing? Robbing ladies like that? You don’t rob from people, you don’t steal from people!”

ORCHID: To Lordstown School District for honoring its 1975-76 undefeated basketball game today during a varsity game at the high school and for collecting money and household items at that game to benefit a Newton Township family whose mobile home recently was destroyed by fire.

editorial@tribtoday.com

Orchids and Onions

ORCHID: To Warren’s NFL super stars and past Super Bowl participants Mario Manningham, Ross Browner and Paul Warfield, for remembering the impact our city – their hometown – has had on their careers and lives. The three were honored this week with presentations of golden footballs, part of the NFL’s 50th anniversary celebration.

ONION: To the Regional Income Tax Agency for losing a disc containing personal tax data for about 50,000 customers, some who may be from Girard and Youngstown. The agency discovered the disc missing in November, but didn’t bother to tell the public until last week. The agency’s investigation determined the disc was “most likely destroyed,” but how can we know for certain?

ORCHID: To Kirila Fire Training Facilities for its donation and setup of a nearly $400,000 training facility for use by local fire departments, including those in Brookfield and Howland townships.

ORCHID: Also to Brookfield and Howland township fire departments for realizing the value of teaming up to make sure the new training facility’s use was maximized. This regionalization effort ensures both the firefighters and the taxpayers are benefiting.

ORCHID: To Newton Falls community backpack program that packed and distributed 360 new and used books for area children in the Newton Falls School District. Local businesses, churches, Newton Falls Student Council, Kiwanis and other local groups all pitched in to make the project a success.

editorial@tribtoday.com

Orchids and Onions

l ORCHID: To Warren teen Elliott Heckman, 16, who operates a bike giveaway project, “For The Love of Bikes,” repairing and refurbishing bicycles for the needy this holiday season. Heckman, along with members of his family, received about 130 bikes and $1,500 in donations to fix up and donate.

l ORCHID: To the Harambee Coalition for its annual coordination of public events marking Kwanzaa, the African-American celebration of First Fruits. The wide variety of entertaining traditional events held Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 were free and open to the public.

l ONION: To the Grinch who stole Christmas gifts that had been donated for a Warren family’s six children just two days before Christmas. The gifts were stolen from a vehicle parked on Warren’s southwest side.

l ORCHID: To two Weathersfield children who recently were recognized by Weathersfield Township trustees with annual awards of courage. Gia Grace Lamm, who suffers from a serious heart condition, recently underwent a risky surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital. Sean Riley suffers from high risk B lymphoblastic leuekemia.

l ORCHID: To all those who rang Salvation Army bells, cooked hams, served meals, purchased toys or otherwise donated time, money or gifts this holiday season to help make the days a little brighter for the less fortunate.

editorial@tribtoday.com

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