Looking for a hero? Look no farther than Kelly Pavlik

Kelly Pavlik — Looking for a hero? Look
no farther than Kelly Pavlik

EDITOR:

We hear so much about how Youngstown is not the most ideal place to live, but someone special has changed my mind and made me proud to call Youngstown my home. That person, that role model, that hero is Kelly Pavlik.

Recently, my 14-year-old brother, Dante DelSignore, was diagnosed with bone cancer (osteosarcoma). When Pavlik found out about our family’s battle, he made his way to the front lines to help us fight. One punch at a time, he has been there for us in our ring of cancer.

He came to our house, gave Dante signed gloves, pictures and T-shirts. But he didn’t just sign his name and leave; he stayed and talked to Dante about all that goes into boxing. He answered all his questions about training, nutrition, and tactics. And when he left, he gave Dante his personal cell phone number and told Dante he could call him anytime.

We were shocked at the genuineness and humbleness of this Youngstown celebrity. He was so down-to-earth. We thought this would be a one-day encounter with him, but we were wrong. Pavlik became Dante’s mentor, and more than that, his friend.

He began to mention Dante’s name at every publicity event. He wears his “Stay Strong Dante” band around his wrist, along with his entire team. He invited Dante to watch him spar and train for the middleweight championship of the world against Jermain Taylor on Sept. 29 on HBO. And wheelchair and all, Dante went to see his hero. While at the gym, he was welcomed by not only Pavlik, but also his father, brother, trainer and promoter.

Youngstown should be proud to have such a classy and big-hearted talent representing us around the world.

What Pavlik doesn’t know is that he has made Dante smile more than anyone else. I am reminded of reading about Babe Ruth promising a boy he would hit a home run. I am reminded of Rocky running through the streets of Philadelphia, never forgetting his roots, even when he became famous. Well, to us, Pavlik is our “Ruth” and our “Rock.”

TINA DelSIGNORE and family

Boardman

The proper place for a Steelers fan is Pittsburgh

EDITOR:

The recent letter from the Steelers fan complaining about her visit to Browns Stadium deserves a rebuttal. The Boardman woman was astonished at how the Browns fans treated her.

I've been a Browns season ticket holder for over 25 years so I've attended plenty of Browns-Steelers games. There has always been the usual verbal sparring sometimes accompanied with fisticuffs. However since 1999, the Steelers fans coming to Cleveland have taken it to another level. Browns fans are sick of them acting like they're at Heinz Field instead of Cleveland Stadium. That's Lake Erie out there not the Allegheny.

Game day begins with car and busloads of Steelers aficionados making obscene gestures and throwing beer cans at you on the turnpike. Their trash talk begins in the parking lots and escalates inside. They are either too drunk or dumb to shut their mouths in the stadium of their arch rival.

Back in the day, they were sold tickets for only one area of the stadium which worked well. Now they are seated everywhere, taunting Browns fans and waving their yellow hankies in our faces. Enough is enough. The amount of money I pay each year for my tickets I shouldn't be subjected to such ignorance.

So for the Boardman fan and other Steelers fans, my advice is simple. Stay home. You are not welcomed and you wont be respected because the attitudes of the vast majority of your fellow fans guarantees you don't deserve it.

A sporting event, especially at the pro level is an emotional outlet, not a trip to the museum with the kiddies. Steelers fans that want to enjoy the rivalry with their children while sharing a bowl of nachos have a place to go. Heinz Field in good ol' Pittsburgh.

DELANEY DANIELS

Canfield

Women and Infants Pavilion is an asset worth saving

EDITOR:

The residents of Mahoning and Columbiana counties have benefited from Beeghly Medical Park for over 20 years. The loss of this facility will not be balanced by simply adding a Children’s Hospital.

Without women having babies, there will be no children for the “Children’s Hospital.” The loss of the Women and Infants Pavilion to our community is a travesty. Over 500 births have come safely through this state of the art facility in the past two years alone. This will not be duplicated anytime in the near future in our community.

To suggest that “mothers to be” should go to Northside Hospital with only a level one nursery (no ventilators or intensive care) and no dedicated obstetrical anesthesia is deplorable. Many have suggested delivering babies at St. Elizabeth Hospital, but the same level of nursery and anesthesia will be in place there in just a matter of time. I have lived and practiced in this community for over 17 years. Only two short years ago, when the Women and Infant’s Pavilion opened, has childbirth finally become more family oriented in a modern setting with all the amenities you would expect in a larger city.

The local community needs to open their eyes to the loss of the Emergency Room, Women’s Breast Care Center, and The Women and Infant’s Pavilion that will no longer be located in the heart of our township and not be blindsided by a political move to eliminate obstetrical care from Boardman and Forum Health.

I urge all concerned citizens to contact State Attorney General Marc Dann and voice your outrage.

Dr. JONI CANBY

Boardman

X The writer is a partner in Progressive Women’s Care Inc., which has offices in the Beeghly Medical Park.

Politicians get all the breaks

EDITOR:

It seems laws are supposed to be broken by politicians with very little repercussions. If you are in doubt, just read a newspaper or watch the news on television. This latest situation with the Trumbull County Board of Elections is an example of this.

Some Trumbull County candidates were denied the right to run for office as an independent because they had voted in the May primary and registered themselves as a Democrat or Republican. This decision was based on a little known law that was kept top secret.

But a bigger issue should be dealt with. If those candidates were misinformed about these rules and they acted in good faith and still are not allowed to run for office in the November election then someone, somewhere should be held accountable. The candidates and the voters who may have voted for them in the fall election are being denied their right to an open and free public election.

Rest assured that if a citizen broke a voting law, there would be no question at all that they would be prosecuted.

TONY ROSACE

Girard

Going to school in Boardman just isn’t cool these days

EDITOR:

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit two of our local Boardman schools, Center Middle School and West Boulevard Elementary, both of which had their open houses. As parents, we were invited to come to the schools in the evening and meet our children’s teachers. The evenings were both very nice, but I was amazed by the comments from the majority of parents.

You have to remember that the week in question was unusually hot for this time of year, and none of Boardman’s schools are equipped with air conditioning. We were invited to attend in the evening, after the sun had set and the rooms were still very hot. However, the comments and complaints were incredible. First of all, we were only there in the evening, we were in each room for about seven minutes and we send our children to these buildings all day. Our teachers go to work in dress clothes and put up with this all day.

Boardman asked — even pleaded — with our residents to pass a bond issue to correct this and many more issues with our schools. I can’t help but wonder just how many people would accept this environment in their own jobs? There are of course those professions where it is expected to be down right uncomfortable, but we are talking about teachers — these are professionals, many with masters and bachelors degrees. These are our children.

It seems ridiculous to me that we as a community could not or would not part with a “small” amount of money to support our children and the teachers that we entrust them to on a daily basis. I can’t help but believe that if all of our parents spent one afternoon in these classrooms, this bond issue would have passed.

As residents of this community, we should all be embarrassed by our own greed and the results that greed has had on our school system. Obviously, none of us would be willing to work like that on a daily basis — so why do we find it acceptable for our kids and our teachers?

JERRY JONES

Boardman