Roses to the Salem, United Local, South Range and West Branch school districts. State report cards won't be officially released until this week but those schools report earning excellent distinctions. And earning is the right word because such successes are the results of collaborative efforts between administrators, teachers, non-teaching personnel, the community and, of course, the hard-working students. The excellent ratings are total team victories. Learning that districts are excellent shows property owners that their taxes are being put to good use and also helps take some of the sting out of the scary future prospects of having fewer dollars to work with pending state cuts.
Thorns to this whole "who is going to fix a hole in the road issue?" going on between the city and Salem Township. From what we can tell, the township is responsible for the portion of Butcher Road in question. So use some of the township taxpayers' money and fix it before any more front end suspensions get screwed up. This controversy should not linger with more important considerations out there. And while we are on bad roads, you have to feel for residents who regularly have to actually plod, crawl and creep along parts of Middletown Road. It is clearly the worst, by far, stretch of roadway around here. Not only is Middletown Road where shock absorbers go to die, it is potentially dangerous. The road could be used for rough terrain training of army tank drivers. It is another stark example of southern Mahoning County citizens getting the dirty end of the shovel when it comes to county services. That has been a widespread and justifiable complaint for years.
Roses to Lisbon's ADAPT Leadership Team that hosted the 2011 Family Fun Day on Aug. 14 at Lisbon's Sadie Van Fossan Pool. Approximately 100 families enjoyed a day of summertime activities including swimming and a yummy picnic of hot dogs, cookies, cupcakes and beverages-despite the inclement weather. Roses also to the Lisbon Police and Fire department personnel who were on hand along with North Star Critical Care Ambulance so the children could explore the safety vehicles if they didn't get a chance to play games before heavy thunderstorms hit. Dan Bing provided musical entertainment for the day. Culminating the day of fun and friendship the children were given backpacks and school supplies for the fast approaching school year. ADAPT tote bags were also given to the parents. It's events like this that a bring a community closer. Sometimes you just can't find that in a big city.
Roses to Grace Pentecostal Church and its Pastor Roland Schwendeman for recently hosting its Sunday School in the Park at Waterworth Memorial Park. Grace Pentecostal is among the smaller churches in the community. But to respective congregations such churches fulfill big needs. This is the second consecutive year for the event that attracted well over 15 first-time visitors, young and old alike. In addition to the praise service, those attending enjoyed live musical entertainment, puppet shows and games, as well as free food, popcorn and cotton candy. According to Pastor Schwendeman, this community outreach ministry of the church takes the message of God outside the sanctuary and shares its faith with the community.
Roses to the Friends Friends Church of Salem that conducted its annual benefit barbecue for the Friends Disaster Service on Saturday. The event was well attended and raised financial support for Friends Disaster Service as they seek to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those who are affected by natural disasters. Musical entertainment and a silent auction of gift baskets were featured, not to mention the chicken dinners that were expertly grilled outdoors complete with side dishes and beverages. Many residents place this fundraiser not only on their "to do" list, but they place it on their "must do" list. This is just another example of the giving attitude many of our residents share.
