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Orchids & onions

ORCHID: To Art Dunn, 88, of Lordstown and formerly of Newton Falls, for setting an example for all senior citizens — and all Mahoning Valley residents for that matter — on the value of walking. Since Dunn turned 70 nearly two decades ago, he has logged more than 3,000 miles walking the entire perimeter of Ohio, a jaunt to Washington, D.C., and back plus many other lengthy foot treks. As he did, he also soaked in the many health benefits they provide such as strengthening the heart and circulation, managing weight effectively and enhancing mental well-being. We congratulate Art on his ...

A toast to Yost for success at ‘Doing Big Good’

“Do Big Good.” That short but snappy commandment served as a fitting motto that Dave Yost lived by to characterize his mission as chief legal officer of Ohio. Though prissy grammar purists might take issue with his phrasing, few would deny that former state Attorney General Yost succeeded in fulfilling that promise to state residents. As he left office this week for a new job in the private sector, he also leaves behind a legacy of large-scale achievements to benefit Ohioans for the better for years to come. Yost on Monday ended a 25-year stint in public service as Delaware ...

Will this be the unhappy birthday?

In one month, the United States will observe its 250th birthday. It is shaping up more like a memorial service for a lost loved one than a party to celebrate something special. Rather than anticipating a happy occasion, America at 250 is increasingly characterized by anger, name- calling and scandals. Performers are withdrawing from President Trump’s Freedom 250 Great American State Fair in Washington, claiming organizers lied to them about its partisanship. Trump, who has contributed mightily to the growing divisions among us, is threatening to make a “major speech,” mostly to ...

Loneliness: People do need people

Ashley, North Dakota, is a small farming town where the local diet leans hard on sausage, deep-fried chicken and strudel. It has something of a medical center, but the nearest trauma hospital able to handle the most serious injuries is almost four hours away in Fargo. Yet the elders in McIntosh County, with Ashley as its county seat, frequently live into their 90s, and sometimes beyond. It had the highest proportion of people 85 and older in the country. Doesn’t make sense until you see why it does. Stress levels are low. The farmers pursue a lifetime of physical exercise. When ...

The coming revival of America

I detest him and everything he does or says. Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups. But it’s possible that someday we’ll look back on this horrendous era and say we needed Trump. We needed to see how horrible it could get before America was able to revive its ideals. Please hear me out. Even before Trump, we were barreling down the wrong road. Inequalities of income, wealth and opportunity were worsening. Legalized bribery was soaring in the form of mounting campaign contributions from big corporations and the wealthy. ...

Gitmo and torture revisited

America’s longest current criminal prosecution is in its 15th year, on its fifth judge, and still has no trial date. The defendants are Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four alleged mass murder co-conspirators. Mohammed is the second person that the government has characterized as the ringleader of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Originally, the feds had labeled Osama bin Laden as the ringleader. Yet, rather than charging and arresting bin Laden, in order to keep him quiet it sent a team of Navy Seals to his home in Pakistan to murder him and his wife and their children. After that, the ...