Cool, clear water

Cool, clear water

EDITOR:

After Bertram de Souza’s Aug. 24 column, it seemed he was talking to me.

For quite some time I have harbored the idea of marketing one of the better assets we have in the Valley.

I refer, of course, to the plentiful water supply we have at Meander Reservoir.

With so many people seen sipping from those plastic bottles, we could be sitting on a cash cow.

The purification plant at Mineral Ridge is adjacent to the turnpike, Route 80, Route 11, etc. Why not a bottling plant in that part of the county. Think of the jobs that would create.

Thirty million gallons a day, the surplus de Souza cited, would fill an awful lot of bottles.

A catchy name like “Meander Mist” could add to the sales pitch.

The big bottlers have admitted using municipal water for their fancy sounding products. Our water is as good or better than most cities, so why not us? Wal-Marts sell water locally for 37 cents a gallon. Thirty million gallons at that price could have our local politicians salivating at the money it would bring in.

Perhaps there is federal money to study the feasibility of this idea.

Maybe it’s just a pipe dream, but I well remember the airplane plant, the blimp plant, and a few other grandiose schemes that never came about.

Our economically devastated area sure needs a fresh start. Could this be it?

ED ORLANDO

Youngstown

Providing homes for children one child at a time

EDITOR:

As a recently appointed board member to the Mahoning County Children Services Board, I have been pleased to learn about several innovative projects that this agency has undertaken. Through the efforts of the hard working staff, under the leadership of Executive Director Denise Stewart and a dynamic board of directors, efforts are being made to address the needs of the children in the custody of this agency — especially those in need of a loving home.

Among the many programs instituted to recruit and license foster and adoptive homes, the agency is introducing the “One Church, One Child’s Program. This program was developed by Father George Clements in the Chicago area in the 1980s. It was Father Clements’ belief that if one family would come forward from each church, with the support of their faith-based community, homes could be provided for many children in need. Twenty-eight years later, the “One Church, One Child” movement is credited with thousands of adoptions and foster-care placements.

As a community, we are being asked to provide families for children who need permanent homes. If those reading this letter would make a commitment to bring this subject up at their house of worship, your efforts would be the answer to prayers of Father George Clements, the entire CSB family and those children who are waiting.

Will you be one of those families?

For information on this program or children who are available for adoption, call John Jemison at Mahoning County Children Services, (330) 941-8888.

God bless our children and those of you with the love to care for them.

VICTORIA WIERY, board member

Mahoning County Children Services

Youngstown