ORCHID: To Marci Buchanan, president of the Mineral Ridge Historical Society, for leading the charge in the recent installation of 18 signs highlighting the history of Weathersfield Township in Community Park. She and other society members oversaw the creative and educational $20,000 project that highlights significant facts about the local schools, churches, businesses and other aspects of the township. One noteworthy posting reveals the community’s national prominence in the coal industry in the late 19th century. If you haven’t taken a stroll down this informative memory lane yet, do so soon. As township Administrator David Rouan aptly put it, “Marci’s vision for the park is amazing.”

ONION: To those motorists in Liberty who have been stepping on the gas far too heavily of late. The township police department last week reported a significant uptick in speeding complaints throughout the community. According to acting police chief Ray Buhala, 80 vehicles were stopped in a recent two-week period for driving above posted speed limits, with the majority of the drivers township residents. Those who are endangering public safety by driving like maniacs merit public condemnation, but Liberty police — who should continue to crack down hard on speeders — merit the community’s commendation.

ORCHID: To the Trumbull County Commissioners for rejecting a proposal to cut $125,000 out of the upcoming two-year budget for programs for senior citizens in the county. ​​The board recently approved $625,000 annually for 10 community senior centers and $257,000 for homemaker and chore programs for seniors. Given countywide sentiment supporting responsible funding for seniors, as evidenced by voter approval and renewal of senior levies, commissioners and other local leaders in the county should avoid cutting corners when it comes to serving the needs of our mature and very valuable residents.

ORCHID: To Trumbull Career and Technical Center interactive multimedia instructor Kris Doran for earning the prestigious honor as Ohio Career Tech Education Teacher of the Year. The Girard resident was selected for the award by the Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education and towered above instructors from all the other career and technical education schools in Ohio. It’s little wonder why. Doran goes above and beyond the call of duty by attracting real-world clients for his students to interact with, including the Girard mayor’s podcast, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, senior showcase show and Hospice annual state conference. TCTC Director Paula Baco, who nominated Doran for the award, said, “It has been an honor for me to witness the impact he makes on his students.”

ORCHID: To the Ohio Parole Board for rightly rejecting early release from prison of a Trumbull County man convicted in a 1995 Warren murder over a dispute over a $20 rock of crack cocaine. The board ruled Charles Perry, 49, must serve at least an additional seven years before his next parole hearing because of ongoing concerns about his behavior. And “concerns” clearly is an understatement for Perry’s demeanor. Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Charles Morrow, in a letter to Parole Board Chair Lisa Hoying, strongly opposed Perry’s release, arguing that his “long history of violence and chronic violations” does not merit his release. His prison infractions include punching an inmate and assaulting a corrections officer. Freeing him from his life sentence now would constitute a gross miscarriage of justice.

ONION: To parents and guardians who fail to keep guns out of the reach of children. Last week, a 13-year-old Youngstown boy was rushed to the hospital after handling a firearm that accidentally fired, according to police reports. This injury comes on the heels of the recent death of a Struthers toddler who was killed when accidentally handling a firearm that had been left on a table in his full view. Such senseless deaths and injuries are far too prevalent in our community and our nation. According to a May 2025 analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. Many parents and others charged with overseeing and keeping children safe must do better.

ORCHID: To the League of Women Voters of Ohio for its civic-minded campaign to register more young people to vote in the upcoming November election. The league recently brought its mobile “Your Voice, Your Vote, Your Power” trailer to Youngstown State University, where league members successfully registered many students to vote. Such campaigns are to be commended in the needed effort to narrow the gap between older and younger voters’ participation in elections. In the 2024 presidential election, for example, only 47% of Americans 18 to 24 voted compared with 77% of adults 65 and over, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.