Regionalized snow clearing would help Milton Twp.

Regionalized snow clearing would help Milton Twp.

Your Feb. 2 editorial about road maintenance truly resonated with me. I am a rural mail carrier in Lake Milton, which is divided into two entities – Milton Township and Craig Beach Village.

Milton Township uses a true snow plow/salt truck. Craig Beach has an older man in a small pickup truck with a plow on it, a pile of salt in the back and a shovel. I am not joking. He does the best he can, but that little plow always leaves a layer of unsalted, packed snow that turns to ice.

The salt is occasionally spread at intersections. In fact, a couple of weeks ago I witnessed him literally throwing handfuls of salt in one area. Again, not joking.

Then days after the big snowstorm, all the streets in Craig Beach, and most of them in Lake Milton, were as slick and smooth as an ice rink.

I had to idle while pumping my brakes the entire time, so I didn’t slide into the several hundred mailboxes on my route – or into cars or ditches.

My postmaster called both governments to report the problem, but nothing was done that day, or subsequent days. Was it too cold for salt by then? They could have spread sand from the beach for all I care, anything to get a little traction for my light, two-wheel drive postal vehicle.

This is not a new problem in Lake Milton. In fact, it’s getting very old. I’m thinking of quitting my job of 17 years to not have to face another winter out there. But maybe somebody can start a study on regionalization there, where Milton Township at least salts the roads in Craig Beach.

And if not, can someone please donate a salt spreader to put on the front of my mail truck?

Juli Hugel, Girard

Butler Art board should reconsider Rockwell works

The Butler Institute of American Art’s trustees first accepted, then rejected, $130 million of artwork done by Norman Rockwell. Many thought of him as the common man’s artist. As I understood it, the artwork is being donated by a closing museum, affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America.

This rejection of these iconic works of inestimable value to our community in tourism, prestige and community pride was, as Atty. Ned Gold, put it, “incredibly disappointing.”

Butler’s trustees reasoning reportedly concerned allegations of past inappropriate behavior toward minors by long-gone personnel of the Boys Scouts of America. How this logic stains Norman Rockwell’s life work and this valuable gift to our community is unfathomable.

Too many politically incorrect, as well as correct, decisions made in our Valley have contributed to us being left at the back of the line for too long. Let’s change the trend! Let the Butler Institute of Art’s board review their decision before another misguided politically correct decision damages our opportunity for this beautiful and valuable gift to the community.

Harold M. Tryon, Howland

Former YDC facilities are good fit for public agencies

I am the treasurer of the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board, as well as a trustee in Poland Township. Today, I am writing as a citizen of Mahoning County.

As I followed the transfer of the Youngstown Developmental Center property to the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board and Western Reserve Port Authority, I felt excited for the residents of Mahoning County. I see this as a great opportunity to move other taxpayer-funded agencies to a taxpayer-owned facility.

This vacant property provides ample space for taxpayer-owned agencies like the Mahoning County Board of Health and the Area Agency on Aging to join as anchors for the taxpayers of Mahoning County.

Since they are currently paying private parties for the properties in which they reside, it would be encouraging to see them follow suit as the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board did in July 2016.

This is the opportune time because the previous arguments about location, income taxes and safety no longer apply since this is a facility that still resides in Austintown Township.

If taxpayer-funded agencies like the Mahoning County Board of Health and the Area Agency on Aging would consider renting space off taxpayers, it would be a win-win for the area.

Eric Ungaro, Poland

Cruelty is on full display at the US-Mexico border

Thousands of chil- dren are still separated from their mothers at the U.S.-Mexico border. This unbelievable cruelty has not ended but is being perpetuated by this president and the GOP, the “party of family values.”

Now they say it might be too much trouble to try to reunite their families. Has America become this cold and cruel? In two years, we have lost our most cherished values: life, liberty, family and love of one another.

We must regain our conscience and end this inhumanity. Many of these children are less than two years old. Does it not affect your heart because of their color or language?

Fred Day Sr., Poland

Let’s hope we’re inching closer to impeachment

The new U.S. House of Representatives now has the power to shoot down funding for such things as President Donald Trump’s pet wall, and then they can investigate his tax returns.

Are we getting closer to impeachment? I hope so. If you consider how the Democrats took back the House with the Republicans using gerrymandering, voter suppression and Russian collaboration, it was truly amazing.

The state of Colorado just gave the Democrats a Democratic governor, Democratic-controlled House and Senate and a sweep of statewide offices. All of this happened because the Republican candidates backed Trump. “Thanks Donald.” Because of you these Republicans will be unemployed.

The big question now is how will things work out in 2020. Trump’s got two more years to try to screw up a lot of other things that middle-class American needs. A recent poll has shown that 31 percent of independents view him as unable to lead and voters under 30 gave him an approval rating of 26 percent, and 59 percent said that they will never vote for him. Are there any women out there who would vote for Trump in 2020? There probably are.

I saw a perfect bumper sticker the other day that read “A woman voting Republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.” Keep in mind what this egoist and narcissist so-called president has said and done with women and also remember that he’s in love with Kim Jong Un and wants to be just like him.

Bud McKelvey, Hermitage

Many deserve thanks for cold-snap response

There are many things to be thankful for in the aftermath of our recent arctic blast and winter weather.

Good planning from our government entities allowed our libraries, community and senior citizen centers across Ohio to be safe havens from the bitter cold.

Our charitable organizations and churches opened their doors and were able to provide warm shelter to those who needed it most.

We are appreciative of the snowplow drivers, bus drivers,and utility personnel who helped us get where we needed to go. We should be thankful to our emergency personnel, like firefighters, medics and police officers who showed up and risked their own safety to do their call of duty.

And with the extraordinary development of Ohio’s natural gas resources, we had abundant and reliable energy that heated our homes, cooked our food and generated much of our electricity.

We should all be thankful!

Rhonda Reda, Columbus

Rhonda Reda is executive director of the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program.