Family thanks, salutes police in Boardman for their fine work

Family thanks, salutes police in Boardman for their fine work

I just wanted to give a big shout out to the Boardman Police Department. On today’s news, all we usually hear about are the “bad” police across the country. I wanted to be able to express my gratitude to the Boardman Police Department that handled a breaking and entering at our home.

They kept us informed every step of the way as the suspect in our situation went on to commit two more crimes before being apprehended.

All the patrol officers were helpful and understanding in a very stressful situation, which all unfolded in just a short amount of time.

Once again, thank you to the Boardman Police Department for their fine work.

Linda Romisher, Boardman

Austintown Fitch service staff keeps facility running superbly

I would like to take this oppor- tunity to commend the service staff — janitors, cooks, secretaries, transportation staff and others — at Austintown Fitch High School for their wonderful work.

These people simply do an excellent job. Anyone visiting the school can see how well cared for the school truly is. The school is clean and safe, the cafeteria is well maintained, the transportation staff do excellent work and the office people are simply very professional.

These staff members need to know that they are deeply appreciated and help make the school environment a great place. The community can be proud of their schools and the care given to keep them running smoothly. There are not enough positive words that can be said about the special services staff.

Thank you to everyone one of them for taking their jobs seriously and making sure the schools are ready each and every day.

Christopher Pruitt, Austintown

Skip Barone merits applause for his work at downtown dining hall

While most residents of the Mahoning Valley are sound asleep at 5:30 every weekday morning, Skip Barone is opening the door of St. Vincent de Paul to begin preparing the daily meal. Nestled behind The Vindicator on Front Street, the kitchen serves free and countless home-cooked lunches each day.

Skip, as everyone lovingly calls him, not only opens the door for those in need of nourishment, he opens his heart to people in need of encouragement, support, friendship and guidance.

All are welcome and treated with respect and kindness. Dedicated volunteers assist in cooking and serving the meals under the outstanding leadership and spirituality of this tireless man. Mr. Barone has managed the kitchen for over 12 years after his own retirement.

Youngstown is blessed to have this beacon of hope in the heart of downtown.

Skip wrote the following reflection that captures this man’s integrity and commitment to Youngstown and those in need of a safe haven and hot meal. He shares these special words with all guests before lunch is served: “We give thanks for another wonderful day. Each and every one of us has so much to be thankful for, but all of us take much for granted. Please help us to welcome all of our brothers and sisters who come through these doors today. Keep them safe and free from harm. When they are down, give them a life. When they are hungry, always let them find a place where they can eat.”

Thank you, Skip, for opening the door each weekday to serve a meal from 10:30 to noon. Thank you for publishing this letter of appreciation for Skip Barone and the message that Youngstown is a caring, vibrant and nice place to call home.

Kathleen Rothman, Boardman

Maybe it’s time to use tomato soup as creative means to fix potholes

I am responding to the recent letters about the potholes on roads in the Mahoning Valley.

I had the same problem with tires, as I destroyed three tires on our wonderful caverns, recently called roads.

Drivers know it is hopeless to complain. It is apparent that there has to be something radically wrong with the method used to resurface our roads. The city and county have been repairing roads for over 100 years, and you know the results of the annual repaving.

Here is my solution to the problem: Grade the underlying surface sort of rough, then put a 4-inch layer of fine gravel, then a one-eighth inch layer of tomato soup, then a 3-inch layer of asphalt, firmly compressed.

Then, seal the finished surface with more tomato soup. Let dry for one hour. You must keep animals off the final layer as they love soup, especially, tomato soup, as they are attracted to the color red.

Also, if regular tomato soup is not available, you can substitute ketchup.

Any person who has had tomato soup knows what I mean. You have to use a hatchet to clean a dried pan that had tomato soup in it.

Joseph Grenga, Youngstown

Severance tax could slam brakes on oil drilling industry in Ohio

The April 1 headline in USA Today spelled it out all too clearly: “Falling Oil Prices Cost 100K Jobs.” The timing of Gov. John Kasich’s proposed severance-tax increase on oil and gas, while maybe well-intentioned from a political and humanistic standpoint, couldn’t be worse. In all likelihood, a severance tax on oil and natural gas production will hurt energy investment in Ohio and cost Ohio jobs.

The governor’s two-year budget plan unveiled in March calls for a 6.5-percent tax on all crude oil and natural gas produced in the state. He says that now is the right time to impose the tax because Ohio’s shale industry has recovered its initial investment costs. While this may have been true when oil was more than $100 a barrel and natural gas was selling for nearly $4 an Mcf, it certainly isn’t true today.

Truth is, drilling companies are in trouble. The Ohio rig count is in free fall. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, there are only 27 rigs left exploring for oil and natural gas in the state. That number dropped by 10 in just the course of one week, while only three permits were issued for new wells. Exploration budgets have been slashed on average by nearly 40 percent for the year ahead. Drilling in Ohio is in danger of coming to a screeching halt.

Drilling activity in Pennsylvania and West Virginia is significantly outpacing that in Ohio. The last thing Ohio needs is to add a tax to the cost of producing oil and gas. Instead we need to encourage energy investment in the state, not push it away .

The shale industry has invested more than $22.5 billion in Ohio. In Ohio’s counties where shale development has been greatest, the unemployment rate fell to just 4.5 percent in January of this year from 16.1 percent in 2010. This decline in joblessness has come about thanks to private investment that has involved significant risk-taking from the energy industry.

It would be unwise to clamp additional taxes on oil companies now that may end up driving them away. Southeastern Ohio needs the investment and the well-paying jobs that come with shale development.

Gov. Kasich is a smart person and a shrewd politician. I believe that he will come to realize that his proposed severance tax on energy development could boomerang. Taxing companies that are energizing the state’s economy and providing thousands of well-paying jobs is just not wise at this time.

Robert W. Chase, Marietta

Chase is chairman and Benedum Professor in the Department of Petroleum Engineering & Geology at Marietta College.