Blues festival should have gotten more public support

Opinion: September 6, 2007 at 2:00a.m.

EDITOR:

I went to the Mahoning River Blues Festival Sunday, Aug. 26. This was a great event and a great way to show those from out of town our beautiful B&O Station. Unfortunately, not many came. I was so disappointed in both our Valley for their lack of support to anything having to do with the arts to the apparent lack of advertisement for such a fantastic weekend event.

It was obvious to me that there was much planning to put on an event such as this but the planner fell short with regard to advertising or the people of the Mahoning Valley chose to stay home because the event was held in the downtown area. People, get your head out of the past. The downtown area is a very safe place for recreation. New businesses that have opened their doors over the last couple years are modern, up-to-date establishments one might expect to find in larger cities such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland and even New York City.

My guess is that had this Blues Festival been held in Downtown Pittsburgh or Cleveland, many of the Valley residents would have driven more than an hour to attend, and it would have been elbow to elbow standing room only. I've attended concerts at The Chevrolet Centre and felt exactly the same way. When Stevie Nicks can't sell out The Chev, something is wrong in our town.

I've supported the many openings at the McDonough Museum for the students or the faculty and if it weren't for the support of the YSU community, the museum would be nothing more than art without an audience to appreciate it. Festival of the Arts held every summer is the same ... very little attendance in direct comparison to the size of the event. If you want Youngstown to rebound, stop whining about what we don't have and start supporting those events that are being sponsored by local people trying to make a difference.

While most cities begin to rebound from business fallout within 10 or so years, it has taken Youngstown over 30 years to begin climbing out of the hole left by Black Friday. If you wonder why many graduates of YSU move away to find jobs, understand that if we don't continue to rebuild and grow our city, new business won't come. If new businesses don't come, new job opportunities won't be there and if new opportunities aren't there, the youth will continue to move away.

Large cities with employment opportunities offer the entire package: nightlife, arts, sports, concerts, shopping, etc., and businesses look for that package as part of their decision to relocate. You may believe that living in the burbs outside of Youngstown relieves you of any responsibility to support it but remember this, whatever happens in the city affects us all. It's time we all came together to remake our city the vibrant metropolis it once was.

MARY DELINO

Struthers

No justice: Scooter scoots while Granny dies in prison

EDITOR:

Alva Mae “Granny” Groves, the 86-year-old North Carolina grandmother sentenced to 24 years behind bars after refusing to testify against her children, died recently at a federal prison hospital in Texas. Federal prison officials denied her request to die at home, saying her charges were too serious to allow compassionate release.

They asked George W. Bush to commute her sentence, but he said it would send the wrong message. This was at the same time he commuted the sentence of Scooter Libby. Let's see, if you lie to a federal grand jury you get three years, if you will not testify against your kids you get 24 years. If you are George's buddy you have your sentence commuted, but if you are a dying grandmother you die in jail.

I think I got the message.

PAUL SHANABARGER

North Lima