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ORCHID: To the Ohio Department of Development's Residential Economic Development District program for awarding Niles government a
$1 million grant to spur infrastructure for new housing developments in that city. The grant funds are part of a $15 million pot for projects statewide designed to expand workforce housing opportunities close to major economic development projects. Considering Niles is just a stone's throw away from many of them in the Valley -- Kimberly-Clark, Ultium Cells, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense -- the grant is a perfect fit. Its target area in the Stillwagon neighborhood of the city also will complement other efforts in Niles and throughout the Valley to grow our housing stock to meet the increasing demands of population growth.
ORCHID: To the Trumbull County Family and Children First Council for spiffing up the appearance of high school boys in the county and doing so at no cost to them or their parents. The council recently sponsored "It Suits You" at the Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority in Warren at which young men's suits and dress clothing were available free of charge to any students regardless of their family's income. The giveaway clearly handed out more than new and gently used formal wear. It distributed a host of benefits for the young men, including building early confidence, projecting maturity and preparing for real-world professional and social milestones such as job interviews and formal proms. Orchids, too, to the St. Vincent de Paul Society and all other donors who made "It Suits You" a perfect fit for its recipients.
ONION: To perpetrators of a malicious scam in which consumers purchase shipping containers online but never receive them. The Better Business Bureau of the Mahoning Valley recently reported numerous complaints regarding the container scam in which consumers say they paid for containers using wire transfers but never received their purchases. The local BBB also discovered the company claiming to be selling the products does not exist at its stated location in Canfield. Words to the wise: Follow BBB recommendations by researching all online merchants before coughing up payments, be skeptical of unfamiliar companies and unrealistically low prices and always send payments through secure methods -- not wire transfers or gift cards.
ORCHID: To the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County for finding yet another creative, healthful and enjoyable way to help entice Valley residents to adopt one of its many four-legged furry friends in need of a home of their own. AWL offers a regularly scheduled yoga program, at which participants (the human variety) can relax as they learn calming yoga moves while some of the animals at the shelter walk among them and familiarize themselves with people interested in adoption. We hope added publicity of the novel yoga program will encourage many on the fence to consider experiencing the many joys of pet ownership. In so doing, they'll also assist the AWL in easing its dire capacity crisis stemming from unusually high numbers of intakes in recent months.
ORCHID: To Warren Police Capt. Bryan Holmes and Sgt. Pete Goranitis for their recent well-earned promotions to their current ranks. A crowd of appreciative supporters turned out for last week's swearing-in ceremony for the veteran officers' swearing-in ceremony. The two men in blue have contributed a total of 35 years in responsible service to city residents. Mayor Doug Franklin sang the praises of both men's commitment to public service and integrity. In that same honor roll is newly promoted Lt. Mike Sajnovsky. We congratulate and wish all three the best in their new roles.
ONION: To those disgruntled drivers who actively engage in road rage and thereby endanger the safety of themselves and others. In Boardman last week, police report a motorist who said he narrowly escaped a collision with another vehicle and was attacked with a hammer and struck five or six times by the driver of the other vehicle. Short of physical attacks, aggressive maneuvers like ramming, brake-checking and cutting off other vehicles often result in devastating, sometimes fatal, high-speed crashes. Sudden swerving or erratic braking can cause a driver to lose control entirely, leading to multi-car pileups or rollovers. Clearly, such rage -- generally caused by traffic stress and impatience -- is unacceptable. It also can land those irrational enough to indulge in it well deserved and lengthy prison sentences plus hefty fines.