Give Youngstown a try

Give Youngstown a try

EDITOR:

I would like to respond to an Aug. 14 letter in which the writer listed his reason why Youngstown is a “dying city,” particularly his assertion that there is no quality entertainment in the city. When was the writer last in the downtown area? I can think of at least a half dozen restaurants and clubs in or near downtown Youngstown that are thriving and offer not only quality food and atmosphere, but also great local bands from across the Valley. There’s also the Youngstown Symphony, the DeYor Center, and the Oakland Center for the Arts. Party on The Plaza continues to grow, and the Jonesfest music festival in June attracted thousands of young people downtown to enjoy bands and performers from the area.

Another free music festival, Vexfest 5, took place yesterday with over 40 of the area’s best bands of various genres performing live. It’s time to shatter the myth that downtown Youngstown is unsafe, and that there’s “nothing to do in Youngstown.” If you can’t find something fun and affordable to do in Youngstown, it’s your own fault and no one else’s. I encourage everyone to set aside their misconceptions and preconceived notions of what Youngstown is all about. If they haven’t been there lately, think they’ll be pleasantly surprised.

“VIKING” JIM ALLGREN

Austintown

Kucinich and O’Hair; two peas in a pod?

EDITOR:

A couple of things have happened in the past week that have caused me to wonder if our political system is strong or if it is doomed to failure. The first was a recorded phone message from Dennis Kucinich asking me to depress “I” if I was in favor of impeaching the president. That happened to be the only option available from his phone message. I have no idea why I received this message unless it is because I am a registered Democrat in Mahoning County. My first question to Mr. Kucinich would have been to find out what grounds he proposed for impeachment. To the best of my knowledge the president has not committed any impeachable offense. I know Mr. Kucinich hates the president above all else, but with all the problems facing Americans why beat this dead horse?

The second thing that upset me was the endorsement of Barack Obama by Congressman Ryan in last Sunday’s Vindicator. How could he endorse a man who thinks so little of his country that he won’t even display the American flag on his campaign plane? What is that thing he has painted on the tail of his plane? He also does not wear an American flag pin on his lapel. He is out in the open about this but I wonder what else he has on his agenda. I do not want to see Air Force One with a Mexican flag or the flag of some Mideast country on it. This is America and there is a great majority in this country that is proud of it.

It is time that our government started governing according to the wishes of the majority rather than the disgruntled few. This all started with Madalyn Murray O’Hair and the ban of prayer in schools years ago and it is now time to stop it. Make America a country of the people, by the people, and for the people once again.

GEORGE GRIM

Boardman