Battle of the Bands at First Night was a winner

Battle of the Bands at First Night was a winner
EDITOR:
I was disappointed that The Vindicator coverage of First Night Youngstown didn't mention the Battle of the Bands, which was held all evening at Choffin Career Center. Except for an hour when I ran over to Trinity Methodist Church to see the Youngstown Connection, I spent my whole evening there as a judge. There were about 15 bands that competed. People who had been to various spots downtown on First Night Youngstown said our crowd was the largest.
I think the Battle of the Bands organizer and M.C. of the evening, Mike Damiano, who works for the city in the Housing and Demolition Department, deserves a little recognition. He scheduled the bands, organized the set up of all the equipment, and kept the whole show on time. He did this all on his own time without expecting any reward or compensation. He did it for the kids.
The musicians also deserve some recognition. Band members were between the ages of 16 and 20, and many bands had members who were from different high schools. The music varied from headbanger to classic rock to jazz. Straight Note Chaser won the first prize of $500. They have a jazzy sound with a saxophone and trumpet. All college students except for the drummer/lead singer who was still in high school, they did a Stevie Wonder song better than Stevie Wonder. Taking second place and $300 was Hollow Point, a rock band that played all original music ... very impressive. Another excellent rock band, Blue Euphoria, took third place and $200.
Looking at the "big picture" in terms of Youngstown's 2010 Vision, this is an example of a community activity that should be promoted in the media. The Battle of the Bands brought people from all sides of town together for some great music in a safe, positive, alcohol- and drug-free environment.
BETSY JOHNNQUEST
Youngstown
Correction
Rich Hassler of Girard, whose letter to the editor ran Jan. 3, was identified as a doctoral student at Youngstown State University. He is pursuing an Ed.D through the Fielding Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif., not YSU.
Random grumpy thoughts
EDITOR:
I must be getting old and grumpy because:
They want me to come into downtown Youngstown but I'm stopped by every ill timed traffic light on Market Street. The resultant waste of gasoline, brakes and tires is a great disincentive. Synchronizing the lights for smooth traffic flow would cost the city nothing.
The regional telephone book devotes 64 Yellow Pages to lawyers, far more than any other category. The most common specialty being "personal injury." Are there that many people in the Valley truly injured or unwilling to accept responsibility for their own ineptness to support so many trial lawyers? Little wonder that meaningful tort reform is difficult to achieve and insurance rates are so high.
The YSU administration seeks increased operating revenue from the source of least resistance, student tuition, at an alarming rate. That worn out phase, "We're still the lowest cost university," is becoming irrelevant. Reductions in state funding and continued physical expansion are mutually exclusive. Don't build beyond your means and assume that tuition can be raised indefinitely.
The winds of change have been howling through the Valley in the last few years scouring it clean of governmental graft and corruption. The vision "Youngstown 2010" will now have a better chance of success. Too bad the FBI can't arrest governmental infighting and inefficiency.
LOREN KINDLER
Hubbard