Melfi never takes the blame

Melfi never takes the blame

EDITOR:

Girard is a city in chaos. These past seven-plus years we have seen this city crumble for lack of qualified leadership which includes both the mayor as well as city council as a whole. From the start of his term in office the mayor has claimed everything wrong with Girard was done before he took over. I guess we are to believe the wasteful spending, hiring practices, loss of public services and layoffs were not his doing.

All of the past situations that have pulled this city down will now take a back seat to Melfi’s latest escapades. The fight between the mayor and police chief Frank Bigowsky, the pay raise for police and fire chiefs, the latest police department hire, and the drilling of gas wells on city park property.

The police chief: This latest I’m-the-boss mentality by Mayor Melfi brings back memories of former Chief Buster Ross and his dealings with Melfi. This appears to be a repeat of that era.

The pay raises: City council shares lthe blame for dragging this issue out. Vote the pay raises in and be done with it.

The hirings: Mayor Melfi’s track record for hiring in the city leaves much to be desired. One can only hope there are enough family and friends to fill the summer jobs. The norm for hiring by most government employers is to pick from the top three high scores. In the past the city has gone way down on the civil service list.

The gas wells: This reminds me of another secret that was kept from the citizens of Girard, that being the new landfill by the river. The administration knew at least a month before it became public that a company wanted to put a landfill in Girard. As with the gas wells, the dollar signs far outweigh the safety factors. The mayor claims he will get $35,000 when the wells produce each year. Aside from the destruction of property values, what is the damage ratio if an accident should happen at these sites? How many feet away will any blast be felt? There are going to be homes, buildings and children playing in and around these parks. Do we want anyone hurt for $35,000 a year?

The news media’s blind support for the mayor of Girard is a mystery to many of your Girard readers.

TONY ROSACE

Girard

A Mill Creek Park tribute

EDITOR:

We are blessed to have one of the most beautiful municipal parks in the United States right in our backyard. Mill Creek Park was created by God and saved a century ago by Volney Rogers.

For the past 15 years or so, Mindy Henning has taught thousands of park visitors about the history, science, and wonder of Mill Creek Park. She has described flowers, trees, and animals that we saw along the way but never could have understood without her guidance. I am infinitely indebted to her patient responses to my questions over the years.

Each hike with Mindy was like a free course in Biology or Natural History at a university. And then there were the five and ten mile hikes including one that took place at five degrees above zero. One time only two of us showed up. Mindy went ahead with the hike. It was her calling to teach about nature and she did it extremely well.

We lost Mindy last week and there will be a huge hole in the heart of the Mill Creek Metropark family. I would like to suggest that the Park Commissioners consider funding an annual scholarship in Mindy’s name for a Mahoning County high school senior who shows promise in the natural sciences.

One last thing — go see the park. It’s there for all of us to enjoy.

BILL ADAMS

Austintown