Neighborhood compassion is alive, well in Boardman

Neighborhood compassionis alive, well in Boardman
EDITOR:
I'd like to tell you a story about a neighborhood -- our neighborhood -- and an accident.
Our son rode his bike out of a driveway onto the street recently. A truck was parked and blocking his view of oncoming traffic. The truck also was blocking our neighbor's vision from seeing him.
Unfortunately, there was a collision and our son's bike was ruined. He was thrown from it and hit the driver's door and cracked the mirror. Thank God he always wears his helmet.
He was attended by a great woman who is a nurse and our neighbor. She calmed him down and told him what to expect. She calmed me down because I heard what to expect. The fire department and the ambulance EMTs were great, as was the trauma center at St. Elizabeth's.
The best news was that he did not need one stitch and did not break a bone. He was kept overnight for observation because of the injuries to his head. He has scrapes and bruises and a black eye, but we can live with that, thankfully.
We came home the next afternoon to many well wishes from our neighbors. Then our neighbors came over that evening and presented our son with a new bike and a beautiful card from everyone. They had collected money, went shopping and a special young man put it together for him. Wow! Words cannot express our thoughts.
We hear so much about bad things happening, we thought this wonderful story needed to be shared. In these busy times, it is difficult to find the time to do what we need to do, let alone take the time to do a great deed like this.
We are so thankful for our community and our special neighbors on Annawan Lane and Euclid Blvd.
LAURIE and RICK SUNYOG
Boardman
Don't confuse Traficantiwith his former boss
EDITOR:
I was recently intrigued by David Skolnick's column on Anthony Traficanti. Will it hurt or help him that he was an aide to Congressman Traficant and has a similar sounding name? The choice will be to stick with the current commissioner based on her performance (Vicki Sherlock) or to find a replacement. The decision will be based on her performance in office -- as opposed to his performance working with constituent needs at all levels of local-state-national government. Ask anyone who ever needed help through the congressman's office -- Anthony Traficanti always performed his duties in an exemplary manner.
Can he be impugned? Skolnick answers his own question -- He (Traficanti) "ran the congressional office after Traficant was kicked out of Congress." It seems like a pretty good recommendation that law enforcement and the Congress of the United States chose and allowed Anthony Traficanti to run that office and those employees until a new congressman took the seat. What's in a name? Let us not be misled by people who will try to confuse us on this issue.
ANDREW HAMADY
Poland
New school needs new name
EDITOR:
The letter in the Aug. 24 edition of The Vindicator from a writer in Youngstown concerning the name of the new high school in Youngstown needs to be addressed.
The writer stated that a lot of discussion went on at the East High School reunion recently regarding changing the name of East High School once the new school is built, and asked that the name be retained.
The writer should know that East High School's name was already changed to East Middle School in 1998, when East High was converted to a middle school.
East High has no claim on the new high school building. The building will be for students from the South, North and East sides of town. Let's come up with a name for all of them.
MARK DAVIS
Youngstown