ORCHID: To Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and other city leaders for purchasing the tract of land formerly occupied by the derelict developers of a proposed Chill Can plant and campus. The city submitted the winning offer of $1.3 million at a sheriff’s sale to purchase the foreclosed 21-acre site on the lower East Side with plans to use it for economic development. The purchase puts an end to years of false promises, lengthy litigation and dashed hopes for a major economic development project on the East Side by the M.J. Joseph Development Corp. Brown is buoyant about the future of the land. “We are glad to put this issue behind us and turn our focus towards building something that will benefit both our residents and economy for the long-term,” he said. We urge Brown and other city leaders to work diligently to fulfill that goal sooner rather than later.

ONION: To inconsiderate and irresponsible drivers who fail to properly yield to snow plows clearing roads during the hazardous winter driving season. The number of such crashes as of Feb. 20 was 50, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. That tally includes injury-causing crashes in January on state Route 87 in Trumbull County and Interstate 680 in Mahoning County. That tally also represents a gargantuan increase over 2024, when only 22 such crashes were reported the entire winter season. Clearly more motorists must learn to be patient, slow down near plows, keep at least three car lengths away from them and pass only when safe to do so.

ORCHID: To Mahoning Valley community activist extraordinaire Rosetta “Rose” Carter for her deserved honor in having a new philanthropic fund named after her. The Rose Carter Community Fund is an initiative paying appropriate tribute to Carter, a lifelong advocate for community empowerment, the Spano Foundation announced last week. Through strategic donations, meaningful partnerships and dedicated support, the fund will address critical needs, promote sustainable growth and improve the well-being of individuals and families. Rose has singled herself out as a longtime leader of ACTION, a faith-driven advocacy group, which serves Mahoning and Trumbull counties. Her efforts have led to fair housing initiatives, consumer protection against predatory lending, a mobile food market and many other valuable resources for the community. Those who value the dedication and drive of Carter to improve the Valley’s quality of life should waste no time in making a donation to the fund at spanofoundation.com.

ORCHID: To the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley for its success in raising $3,751,520 last year, which exceeds its fundraising result from 2023. UW President Bob Hannon announced the results of the 2024 campaign at a news conference last week in Boardman. The campaign included workplace giving, corporate gifts, grants and foundation monies. Those results illustrate the pride and confidence of Valley residents possess in the expanding mission of the longtime community service and philanthropic institution.

ORCHID: To JobsOhio for awarding the Western Reserve Port Authority a $1 million Site Inventory Program grant to jumpstart construction of the $5.5 million YNG Aviation Education Center at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna. The move will spur the creation of the YNG Flight School and expansion of the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics regional campus. The new center will strengthen the state’s standing as a leader in aviation innovation. From a practical standpoint, it will serve as a solid training ground for those seeking employment in one of the fastest growing industries in the nation.

ONION: To those individuals who abuse community-sponsored cleanup, recycling and scrap-tire collection drives. In one Mahoning Valley community, Champion township trustees recently canceled plans for a community cleanup day this year. That outcome is unfortunate but understandable considering the litany of problems that resulted at its cleanup day last year. One trustee reported those problems included people bringing household kitchen trash and waste to the dumpsters, pickup trucks bringing large amounts of tires and reports of junk coming from other communities. Once again, the majority of responsible individuals suffer for the irresponsible actions of the few.