Secret ballots don’t make sense; Racism in ward reduction efforts?; Deaf students deserve strong programming; Canfield Fair rooster’s origins

Open voting by committeemen to fill vacancies makes good sense

Bertram de Souza, in his Aug. 3 column, discussed the secret-vote controversy that arose from the Trumbull County Democratic Party selection of Mauro Cantalamessa for county commissioner.

The party chose to use a secret vote instead of an open vote. Mr. de Souza wrote about his own preference for a secret vote, as he had witnessed what he felt was pressure put on precinct committeemen when they voted openly.

The Trumbull Party chairman echoed that concern when he opposed the state Democratic Party rule of open voting. Also, at the selection meeting, the precinct committeemen overwhelmingly voted to have a secret ballot. Curiously, that vote was open.

I am one of the few precinct committeemen who voted for an open ballot. I did so because it is the right thing to do. An open vote to fill an elected office is correct in law and theory.

This controversy began in 1980 when Gary Thompson filed a lawsuit to block a secret vote that chose Anthony Latell to fill a vacant commissioner office. Mr. Thompson eventually dismissed this suit in exchange for an attorney general opinion on the issue. That opinion, known as 1980 Ohio Op. Atty. Gen. 2-326, concluded that committeemen were “public officials” when voting to fill vacant offices. As such, these votes fell under the Sunshine Law. A second opinion in 2011, Ohio Atty. Gen. 2011-038, concluded that secret votes are out for public officials. Although such opinions are not law, they are persuasive and given credibility by the courts.

Although discussion today revolves around state party rules, there are sound reasons for an open vote. The legal theory is simple. When committeemen vote to fill a vacant office, they are voting on behalf of their constituents. Those voters have a right to know how their representative voted.

The state and national Democratic parties recognize this theory, and has, therefore, adopted the open ballot rule.

I understand why the committeemen want a secret ballot. They do not want to offend anyone. However, they must remember that they are not voting for themselves but on behalf of their precinct.

I enjoy de Souza’s columns, but in this matter I disagree. Open voting is the only legal, proper way to fill vacant elected offices.

Atty. Michael A. Scala, Warren

Do racial motivations play a role in ward-reduction efforts in city?

The topic of racial insensi- tivity will always be a current American event, as long as my white neighbors take flight to the suburbs and participate in racially charged and segregated issues such as voter-suppressive identification, with absolutely no legal evidence to justify its pursuit. And there are issues such as the reduction of Youngstown City Council, without negotiated concessions, with African-Americans having the majority vote in the chamber.

The vote on redistricting and ward reduction is not an occasion of cosmic coincidence or divine intervention. The racial impact has never been given its day; no dialogue and/or discussion was brought to the chamber by taxpayers.

White West Side ward voters and their representatives are exercising verbal and voter-impact superiority because of their neighborhood demographic election-day numbers. This is one of the rudimentary elements germinating racial hatred toward an already alienated, disenfranchised and apathetic demographic — the black South Side and East Side voters. This is how Ferguson, Mo., communities incubate, develop and grow.

The white voters’ behavior and reactions are not congruous with sharing a consciousness of urban growth outside of their residential bubble. My white neighbors in Wards 4 and 7 have never elected a black person to Youngstown City Council. Ward 7 white voters have never elected a female to city council. All have participated in ballot-box conspiracy segregation to not elect a black person countywide.

My white neighbors who cannot sell their homes for what they believe is market value and all these mostly Eastern European descendants have left is their small pensions, government checks and a proud vote to empower them. At best my Irish-American and Italian-American neighbors play tag-team politics and feel ownership of all county elected positions and the executive administration of Youngstown City Hall as their eminent domain, here in Youngstown, Mississippi.

Clarence N. Boles, Youngstown

Deaf students are never lost cause

This letter is in regard to the Aug. 21 Vindicator story by Denise Dick on Black History course offering for interested students within the Youngstown City Schools.

This elective course gives black students an opportunity to learn about their roots and the evolution of black leaders who played a significant role in the mainstream community. I believe every ethnic minority student, including those with physical handicaps, should be given the ability to garner knowledge about their heritage and maximize potential for success in life.

During my tenure in the Deaf Program at the now-defunct Woodrow Wilson High School, deaf history was implemented in our program 22 years ago. I was selected to teach the course. Deaf students developed autonomous skills in making informed decisions on course selections to meet their academic goals. They also gained newfound knowledge on the beginnings of deaf education and American Sign Language.

Within a year, deaf history was removed from the Deaf Program when deaf students displayed the ability to voice opinions on any issue.

Deaf people still do not live in an entirely equal world. Some cannot move high on the social ladder where predominately hearing people rule, due to language and communication barriers. Families of deaf children must be actively involved in their deaf child’s school life by asking questions on teaching methods to help their child receive appropriate education to make useful future goals.

The deaf, like black people, share a common grievance of being a minority. This comes within the social attitude of oppression. Therefore, families of deaf children are kept in the dark on the less-equal treatment of deaf children in the classroom, which deprives them of the ability to develop cognitive skills. Therefore, deaf children should not be considered a lost cause.

Irene Tunanidas, Poland

Give Eddie some credit for rooster

I enjoyed the Aug. 31 Vindicator article regarding the history of the Canfield Fair rooster, but I fear an important name was omitted.

Grace Williams deserves credit for thinking of the rooster as a mascot, but a well-known local artist, Eddie Credico, who did the actual design, also deserves recognition. Eddie Credico was known as the Canfield Fair artist. He set up a tent at the fairgrounds, and vendors solicited him to have signs painted. Everyone wanted an “Eddie sign.”

Even though they have been painted over, some of his work is still recognizable. In addition to designing the Canfield Fair Rooster, Eddie designed Canfield’s Cardinal. At one time, he made large red cardinals, which read “Canfield Cardinals,” and these were posted on street corners.

Eddie graduated from the old Canfield Normal School and from the Western Reserve (Cleveland) School of Art. During the Depression years, he worked at the Mahoning Dispatch. Later he started Credico Shoe Repair and Shoe Store.

Eddie loved art and wanted to do portraits but lost partial sight of one eye and couldn’t do the close work. He loved doing cartoons for neighborhood children, and soon people asked him to do signs for church suppers, carnivals or festivals. He never accepted any money.

Jennifer L. Neff, Canfield