Our own Christmas miracle

Our own Christmas miracle

EDITOR:

On Sunday, Dec. 16, I was doubly blessed. I spent a beautiful wintry afternoon during this holiday season with my mother, sister and niece and had the privilege of enjoying a wonderful performance by Easy Street Productions. We attended the Sunday matinee of Miracle on Easy Street and were captivated by the beautiful voices and dance numbers — it truly put us in the Christmas spirit.

So often we dwell on the negative aspects of Youngstown, but seldom seek to find the positive. Easy Street Productions is a true benefit to our community. They offer top-notch, live entertainment and showcase local talent. Their performances please both adults and children and the quality exceeds that of shows I’ve attended in Cleveland and Pittsburgh. If you live in the Mahoning Valley and have not seen Miracle on Easy Street, please consider making it a part of your holiday plans next year. Not only will you be supporting our local talent, but you’ll be sure to enjoy a fantastic show.

Thank you, Todd Hancock, Maureen Collins and all of the Easy Street performers for sharing your gift with us and making our holiday season special. You are one of Youngstown’s treasures. Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008!

CHRISTINE RHOADES

Canfield

Not a good time for a puppy

EDITOR:

Driving down Market Street, I noticed a billboard advertising puppies for sale. Everybody loves puppies. How could you not be drawn to those adorable balls of fur? Christmas time, however, is just about the worst time of year to introduce a new member to your family, especially one that will need housebreaking and lots of care and attention. Too much going on, and nobody needs that additional stress. I advise waiting until well after the commotion has all died down.

The pet industry discovered several years ago that putting a catchy new name on an old product increased the “perceived value” of the product. In this case, the product is a mutt, or any cross-bred puppy. Now they are “designer dogs.” How cute. Phineas T. Barnum would be impressed (“There’s a sucker born every minute.”).

Whether the puppy comes from a pet store, from a “pet fair,” or especially now from the Internet, let the buyer beware. The Hunte Corporation (Google it) is a huge puppy mill broker that supplies these puppies, all breeds and all combinations, to the pet store trade and also to any individual who wants to make a huge profit. These are basically $50 puppies, no matter what the pet store “puppy expert” or “professional breeder” tells you. If they say, “We don’t buy from puppy mills,” that is a legally true statement, because they buy from a broker. It’s the broker who gets them from puppy mills.

Buying one of those cute puppies simply keeps this horrible business rolling, and condemns the mother dog to a life in a cage. Don’t do it. Take your time looking for a purebred puppy and go to a private breeder. If you can’t see the mother and father, walk away. Dogs are breedable twice a year, but conscientious private breeders will only breed once a year, and usually only breed the female three or four times. Those that are out solely for the money breed at every heat cycle until the mother is no longer productive.

Do a good thing. Adopt a dog from the pound or Angels for Animals. Give a needy dog a good home.

DONALD K. ALLEN, DVM

Youngstown

An early Christmas story

EDITOR:

With the coming of Christmas and all the bad things that have been happening in our area, I thought I would share something special.

How many times do we take for granted the special gifts in our lives (our family and friends)? We think they will be there forever. Recently I had a wake up call. My son and family had recently moved and were trying to get things in order. He worked late the night of Dec. 14 and coming home was going to stop for gas, but decided to wait till next day. What a blessing that was. As he walked into the house, he smelled plastic burning. He quickly tried to find where it was coming from. He moved the stove to check behind it, as he did flames shot out from the back of the refrigerator. No damage was done.

His wife was asleep on the couch, waiting for him to come home and his four little ones were asleep in their beds. It would have only taken the time he would have spent pumping gas to have come home to a house in flames. God gave us a very special gift that day and I can’t even begin to thank Him enough.

For all the people out there shopping for gifts, worried that they won’t find just the right ones, think about the very special gifts you already have. Don’t ever miss a chance to tell your loved ones you love them. Enjoy all your special gifts this Christmas and give thanks. I know we certainly will. Have a blessed Christmas.

BETTY FORD

Youngstown

Christmas memories

EDITOR:

I’m sitting here watching the store windows on TV that are in New York and Toronto all decorated for Christmas. When I was young, the windows in all the downtown stores were all decorated with Santas and animated characters and the streets were bustling with people doing their Christmas shopping.

We had many stores: Strouss’, McKelvey’s, Grant’s, Woolworth’s, McCrory’s and so much more. We always had a beautiful Christmas time downtown, especially if you worked there, as I did.

We still have a beautiful city. Whenever we go to Boardman, coming across the freeway to the West Side. I love seeing my Youngstown skyline. With everything bad about our town, there is so much more good.

IDA M. VANDYKE-GREGORY

Youngstown

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