Youngstown's stately homes deserve more attention

Youngstown's stately homesdeserve more attention
EDITOR:
A front page article Dec. 28 once again pointed out the lack of funding for badly needed demolition. Mostly forgotten, however, is discussion of how to preserve houses before they fall into disrepair.
One of Youngstown's most underappreciated assets is the number of stately dwellings built between 50 and 100 years ago. Besides their historical value, they are much more attractive and of far greater quality than anything built since. They will be standing long after the last CHOICE home is taking up space in a landfill.
Unfortunately, countless structures that would sell for six or even seven figures in other areas of the country are boarded up or left unattended. This includes a few mansions on Fifth Avenue, once known as "Millionaires Row."
I wonder what city planners have done or what they could do to place these treasures into the hands of people who will care for them. Youngstown has a habit of disregarding the valuable parts of its past. It would be refreshing if we could learn how to play to our strengths.
BILL KOCH
Youngstown
Graphic nature of dog story,photos was not necessary
EDITOR:
This letter is in regard to an article about the Columbiana County Dog Pound that appeared in Sunday's paper. It described in very graphic detail, including pictures, what a dog goes through when it is put to death by gassing at the pound. Opposite this story is an article about the county commissioner who is making an attempt to improve conditions at the pound by using lethal injections instead of gas. It also included facts and figures regarding the number of dogs that are gassed, adopted and claimed by their owners. They have imposed a mandatory spay-neuter program in an effort to reduce the number of unwanted animals.
I feel it is a good thing to inform the public of this situation with facts and figures, and what steps are being taken to try to improve these deplorable conditions at the Columbiana County pound. I also feel that it is totally unnecessary to have two pages of pictures of these tragic animals as they are being shoved into cages to be put to death, and to describe their whimpering, plaintive cries and frantic clawing at the cage. And as if this wasn't enough, we read (again with pictures) about the dead animals with their eyes fixed and glassy, and limp bodies being dragged from the cage and dumped into trash bags to be taken to the landfill.
What exactly is the point of all this gruesome and gory detail? Is it for the shock value? If so, it was accomplished. I was unable to get the story out of my mind all day. I live in Mahoning County, so there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I hope you will think twice before you print such a story again.
JANE EHASALU
New Springfield
Story, photos about killingof dogs made a strong point
EDITOR:
I was appalled by the graphic photos and descriptions about the killing of dogs by the Columbiana dog warden in The Vindicator on Jan. 4. I literally had a queasy stomach after reading the article and originally planned to write and express my disgust. However, after thinking about it, I am writing because I am certain others will do so expressing their outrage, and the story, though awful, needed to be done.
It is ironic that Columbiana is pursuing the & quot;progressive & quot; option in requiring dogs adopted from the pound be spayed or neutered so they do not reproduce, while so many in Mahoning County look down at our southern neighbors as Appalachians or hillbillies (and let's be honest, that IS the perception of way too many Mahoning County residents). Meanwhile, Mahoning County continues killing dogs and cats, and the few that make it out of the Mahoning pound alive are not required to be "fixed." The cycle will never end with that policy. This is because the powers that be in Mahoning County -- three commissioners and dog warden --are either uncaring, incompetent, or plain dumb. I'd guess all of the above.
Good for Columbiana County and the county commissioners, Republicans Jim Hoppel and Gary Williams and Democrat Sean Logan, who worked together on an important issue despite being from different parties. Government can work when officials act as responsibly as these three have on this issue.
It wasn't that long ago that mental institutions in the United States were doing appalling things because no one knew what was happening until the light of day was brought upon their practices. And anyone who was not seriously bothered by the graphic nature and photos in The Vindicator story belongs in a mental institution. But hopefully the story will help end the "out of sight, out of mind" attitude people take regarding cats and dogs and how they are killed. The graphic description makes it painfully evident that animals are NOT simply & quot;put to sleep. & quot; And it does not have to be that way. If the irresponsible people who own animals would simply get them fixed, this horrible practice could end.
Atty. MATT DITCHEY
Youngstown
With growing outsourcing,what will my future be like?EDITOR:
I am very concerned with the effect that offshore labor is having on the U.S. economy. I have heard several predictions that over the next 15 years, 3.3 million U.S. jobs and $136 billion in wages will be moved offshore to countries like Russia, China and the Philippines. At this time, the information technology industry is leading the outsourcing movement.
As a 14-year-old high school student, I am concerned about the impact this huge loss of jobs and income will have on future employment options of my age group. It seems that there should be more that our government system could be doing to safeguard the economic survival of our country. Maybe the United States could institute a federal health care program to take some of the financial burden off the employers. This approach seems to work well in England.
I understand that we need to participate in the global economy, but with more than 9.3 million people in the United States unemployed, where will the jobs come from in the future? I look forward three or four years and wonder if we will be able to get financial help for college, funding for the Social Security program, a living wage, and health care for ourselves and our parents.
We need to write to our congressman and senators about these issues. Will America be a Third World country somewhere down the outsourcing road?
NICK KRUEGER
Lake Milton