On the SidE. . .

ON THE SIDE. . .
This and that from the world of Valley politics.
A CONSTANT REMINDER: The Youngstown mayoral election was three months ago, but a billboard urging people to vote for state Sen. Robert F. Hagan for that position remains on Oak Hill Avenue, near the Marshall Street Bridge. Hagan, who lost the mayoral race, is running in the May Democratic primary for the 60th Ohio House District seat.
In hindsight, Hagan should have used the generic "Vote for Hagan" rather than "Hagan for Mayor." With the Ohio House seat being the fourth elected position Hagan is seeking in the past four years, he would save money on all his campaign materials using the generic term.
Hagan was a congressional candidate in 2002, but quit about two weeks into the campaign. Instead Hagan ran that year for re-election to the 33rd Ohio Senate District.
Statewide awards: Two Mahoning County representatives in the Ohio House received statewide awards.
State Rep. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-61st, was named the conservation legislator of the year by the League of Ohio Sportsman. The Ohio Association of County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities selected Kenneth Carano of Austintown, D-59th, as its legislative leader of the year.
skolnick@vindy.com