Explore infrared technology to fix Valley’s mangled roads

Explore infrared technology to fix Valley’s mangled roads

An appeal was made to the state for financial assistance to deal with our highway crisis, but was denied. Reinforcements in the form of money will not be forthcoming. It is of the utmost urgency that the Mahoning Valley find innovative ways to keep our streets and roadways maintained in the most economical manner possible while striving for quality. To do so will be no small feat.

An article in the April 7 Vindicator noted that Mahoning County already has used 1,650 tons of either cold patch, hot cold patch or hot asphalt so far in 2015. At $125 per ton for hot cold patch the total cost so far would be in the neighborhood of $165,000 to $200,000.

Needless to say, all costs associated with roads will continue to escalate. But there is a relatively new method for asphalt restoration through the use of infrared equipment.

Steve Ortega, street operations foreman in Commerce City, Colo., said, “You simply drop the [infrared] heater on it [road], heat it up for awhile, rejuvenate much of the old, damaged asphalt, and then resurface and seal it. The road surface is pretty much back to new when you’re done.”

Other cities using infrared asphalt include Columbus, Ohio; East Lansing, Mich.; and Fall River, Mass. One major manufacturer of asphalt infrared equipment is Kasi Infrared in New Hampshire.

Claims that have been made about using infrared equipment are that labor and material costs can be cut in half, no seams are left for either water or ice to seep in, repairs are faster than conventional means because the infrared process heats, fuses and compacts recycled asphalt, and others.

The one drawback is repairs can be done up to a depth of only 2 inches

I believe that any and all options need to be seriously considered regarding ways to keep our streets and highways drivable. It is not too much of a stretch of the imagination that gravel roads will be back in vogue if the current trend continues.

Gerald Heitkamp, Youngstown

Does Valley really need roundabout when our roads are falling apart?

The government is set to fund the Poland-Springfield township roundabout, making it its No. 1 priority for the Valley, but Youngstown’s streets remain in shambles.

It’s an inconvenience for motorists to be stopped at a stop sign in the suburbs, but forget about the people in the city dodging potholes on major roads headed to downtown Youngstown.

Maybe the city should take pointers on how to get such funding if our tax dollars aren’t enough to fill in the craters that litter our main roads. As a commuter from Poland to YSU and to work downtown, the difference in the roads is disgusting.

Wick Avenue is a tight, four-lane road, so motorists have to choose to either avoid a pothole or cause a major accident. The entire right lane headed north to I-680 is littered with potholes, way too many to dodge.

People who take the South Avenue exit to head downtown have to drive down nearly the center lane or risk leaving their cars in a pothole, and these are just to name a few of the major roads affected.

Youngstown should follow the lead of the little townships surrounding it and protect its motorists from the inconvenience of potholes and visits to the mechanic. Many in the Valley don’t have fantastic cars as it is — without the help of city roads taking their toll on them.

Tachieka Williams, Poland

It’s time to rise up and defend public-sector workers, unions

It’s time to defend the public sector. The attacks on the domain, particularly public education, social services, and the public-sector unions, are coming in rapid-fire succession; sometimes in an overwhelming barrage where the victims have little time to comprehend what is happening and respond effectively.

This should come as no surprise. The attacks are part of a well orchestrated, decades-long campaign, initiated by the corporate sector intent on ensuring that government policy be crafted in their own self interests which they disingenuously equate to the public good. They are promoting raw, free-market capitalism, which includes the government regulations on businesses whenever possible, the reduction of taxes on corporations and the rich, the elimination of workers’ rights and their wages and benefits.

To promote their agenda, corporations have donated generously to the election campaigns and have created their own research institutions in order to produce reports that can influence the media and turn public opinion in their favor.

As a result, government funding for public education has dropped tremendously across the country resulting in massive layoffs of teachers, and the cost of public higher education has shifted to students and their families by raising tuition astronomically. Public-sector unions have lost bargaining rights and the wages and benefits of working people have declined. Government services have been slashed, but corporate and wealthy individual taxes have plunged. All these trends have contributed to a historically high growth of income inequality.

George M. Phillips, Youngstown

Value work of public health nurses

I n his recent State of the State address, Gov. John Kasich recognized Jackie Fletcher, a public health nurse from Knox County, for her work with the Amish community to stem the measles outbreak last year. She accepted the courage award from Gov. Kasich on behalf of all public health nurses in Ohio. Jackie’s courage and leadership is reflective of the behind-the- scenes work that occurs daily in Ohio’s 124 local health departments.

The work of public health nurses across Ohio includes efforts every day providing home visits, clinical services, education, information and referral and is the essential link between families’ social, economic, and health needs and the services they require to become and stay healthy.

Public health nurses are often unseen, yet remain the cornerstone of a strong public health department and are essential team members of a viable public health system.

The success that public health nurses in Ohio have achieved is grounded not only in their formal education, knowledge of their community, and their technical skills but also in their attentiveness, human engagement and connection to those they serve. The seven public health nurses at the Mahoning County Board of Health are honored to work for and with all of you to make Mahoning County and all of Ohio a healthy place to live.

Chris Cunningham, Youngstown

Cunningham is director of nursing at the Mahoning County Health District.

Watch for lost sheep in Valley to blindly follow Hillary, Betras

I hold out no hope that my letter will sway more than a few voters in the Mahoning Valley where I reside. The majority will continue to follow the “shepherd” like good sheep and support the “Royal D” background and lack of qualifications.

When it comes to Hillary Clinton, I hope they at least look at her record of secret deals and lack of honesty about her emails and concealment of them.

I think the release would be much worse than the fallout from her cover-up, and she made the choice to hide them and blame any complaints on the legendary “Right-Wing Conspiracy.”

It has almost always worked before, and I expect the sheep to follow the shepherd (Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras) like the legendary lemmings over the cliff.

Hopefully, enough people can use their heads and see what electing shady people has done to us locally and nationally.

Robert J. Husted, New Middletown