ORCHID: To the Trumbull County Den of the national Wolves Club for its generosity in awarding scholarships to hundreds of deserving high school seniors in the county. The club has given away $45,000 this year to nine students. Over the past four decades, it has awarded over $700,000 to 335 students, according to Bill Massucci, an officer of the group. Clearly the local den is meeting and exceeding the motto of the national Wolves Club, “Pro Bono Publica,” a Latin phrase meaning “For the Good of the Public.”

ORCHID: To Madison Miner, a freshman at Warren JFK High School, for successfully and singlehandedly spearheading her own campaign to ease hunger in her community. Madison recently organized and promoted a drive to reduce food insecurity that resulted in a whopping 1,000 canned goods being collected. She dropped off the items last week at the school, which will distribute them to those in the community who need help. She credits her selflessness and caring demeanor to her mom who she says taught her the value of empathy, gratitude and service. Clearly, Madison has learned those lessons well as an exemplary ambassador of goodwill.

ONION: To Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe and other leaders in the sheriff’s office for proposing a ridiculously high $2.2 million from county commissioners to make department payroll through the end of this year. Furthermore, according to Christy Sostaric, Trumbull County Auditor Martha Yoder’s assistant, the sheriff’s office sought $1.7 million for salaries alone, but the auditor’s office calculated it only needed about $900,000. Yoder was 100% correct in calling the inflated budget request unreasonable and wrong.

ORCHID: To the partnership of Akron Children’s Hospital and Warren City Schools for finalizing plans to open a state-of-the art satellite children’s hospital in the district’s new $36.1 million, 120,000-square-foot wellness center on the campus of Warren G. Harding High School. The Warren Board of Education last week approved a 10-year lease agreement with the hospital that will begin June 1. This robust addition to Trumbull County health care is exciting because, according to Warren Schools Superintendent Steve Chiaro, the pediatric hospital occupying 6,600 square feet will offer all of the amenities of its main campus in Akron, including testing labs, X-rays and surgery suites. We hope all involved work diligently and expeditiously to ensure it meets its target opening by the start of the 2025-26 academic year.

ORCHID: To Huntington Bank for donating $45,000 to the Lake to River Economic Development agency for job creation efforts across the Mahoning Valley. Lake to River is the seventh network region of JobsOhio, the state’s private economic development corporation comprising Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties. Huntington’s generous gift will assist Lake to River in its aggressive mission to expand job creation and business development. The gift also epitomizes the importance of public-private partnerships in successful economic development. We urge other prosperous Valley businesses to follow Huntington’s lead.

ORCHID: To the administrators and staff of St. Joseph Warren Hospital for reaching a major milestone this month – the hospital’s 100th anniversary. In 1924, Dr. Chester Waller decided to entrust what was then known as Riverside Hospital to the care of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, leading to 100 years of health care and compassion. The comprehensive hospital, one of three under the umbrella of Bon Secours Mercy Health Youngstown, has undergone massive evolution and growth into a Valley leader in acute health care over those 10 decades. We urge the public to savor the hospital’s rich history by visiting a memorabilia room in the main lobby of the hospital on Eastland Avenue in Warren. We also wish the hospital nothing but continued growth as it enters its second century.

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