ORCHID: To leaders of the National Packard Museum in Warren for announcing plans for a 62-foot-by-81.5-foot addition to be built on the south end of the educational and expansive museum. The addition results from the growing national popularity of the museum as well as a need for more space to accommodate the growing number of Packard vehicles being donated to the facility. It stands as the latest physical signs of the museum’s growth and maturity and its mission of telling the world about the history of the Packard family, the Packard Motor Car and other Packard enterprises that have influenced the growth and industry of Warren and the Mahoning Valley.

ORCHID: To township trustees in Bazetta and Mecca and to Cortland City Council for recently approving shared-service agreements to guarantee residents of Mecca have high-quality emergency medical services 24/7. Cortland will provide EMS to residents on the east side of Mosquito Lake; Bazetta will serve those on the west side of the lake. Such regionalized sharing of services tends to save taxpayers dollars in the long run, while making service delivery more efficient.

ORCHID: To the Trumbull Retired Teachers Association for marking its 60th anniversary recently with a banquet in Niles. Not only does the close-knit 300-member group promote the interests and welfare of retired teachers, it also assists in continuing to improve the quality of schools today through such means as teacher grants and a scholarship fund. To its credit, TRTA members also deserve plump, juicy red apples on their desks for having been recognized as the chapter with the greatest number of volunteer hours of all 91 chapters in the state.

ONION: To Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine for signing, albeit “reluctantly,” a bill into law that effectively weakens maximum voter participation in primary and general elections in the state. That billI requires all mail-in ballots to arrive at county boards of elections no later than the same day as the election. Previously, mail-in voters had until four days after Election Day for their ballots to reach the board. As Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, aptly put it, “Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans across the political spectrum rely on voting by mail. … Voters should not be punished because of slow mail delivery days.” So here’s a word to the wise mail-in voters: Send in your ballots at least one week before Election Day beginning this year.

ORCHID: To Ray Buhala for being sworn in last week as police chief of Liberty Township. By all indications, Buhala is a perfect fit as the chief law enforcement officer of Trumbull County’s largest township. He’s served as acting chief for the past six months and has some two decades worth of experience on the force. Township trustees have sung his praises in his ability to handle tasks quickly, completely and efficiently. We wish him well as he prepares to tackle the many challenges ahead.

ONION: To perpetrators of a sleazy check-washing scam in the Mahoning Valley who have been ripping off residents of thousands of dollars. On New Year’s Eve,, police in Boardman reported a check a woman had put in the mail for $40 was taken, the payee’s name was changed, and the amount was altered to $4,350. The check was then cashed via mobile deposit. Another recent wash job in Boardman reportedly involved a $2,000 stolen check in which the payee was altered and the check was successfully cashed. To avoid becoming a victim, the U.S. Postal Service urges customers to bring mailed checks to secure blue deposit boxes or to the post office and to collect your own mail as quickly as possible after it is delivered.

ORCHID: To organizers and all participants in the third annual Senior Showcase production last weekend at the Robins Theatre in downtown Warren. More than 70 singers, dancers, comedians, ventriloquists and other mature and talented Mahoning Valley performers wowed their large and very supportive audience. The show was such a hit that a second 2026 Senior Showcase production is being organized for a tentative April show. Bravo!