Will new airline rise to success at Valley airport?

Will new airline rise to success at Valley airport?

While we patiently wait in much anticipated jubilation for daily flights to Chicago from Youngstown-Warren, neither the executive director of aviation nor the Western Reserve Port Authority has told us specifically what we are getting for the $1.2 million revenue guarantee for the airline. Whether Aerodynamics Inc. can succeed in this extremely competitive market comes down to three basic questions:

Will I be able to go to a familiar search engine, such as Kayak, and book a flight from YNG to San Francisco, Houston, Miami, Honolulu, or is Chicago the end of the line?

Will ADI’s prices be competitive with our three neighboring airports? Nobody will pay more for the privilege of flying out of YNG.

When ADI’s airplane breaks, will ADI place me on another airline so I can make my destination on time? With one, sometimes two flights a day to one destination, what will be ADI’s contingency plan when the aircraft has mechanical issues?

Not to worry, however, there are plenty of daily nonstop flights to Chicago from our three neighboring airports. American Airlines and United Airlines have hubs in Chicago and many flights.

So while we patiently await the answers to the above questions, it looks as if we soon will be able to get to Chicago and beyond.

Chuck Johnson, Youngstown

Shale education program called dog and pony show

YSU calls itself an institution of higher learning. The only thing higher is the dollars YSU is willing to take from oil and gas to propagate the blatant lies that Oil and Gas Energy Education Program teaches to supposed educators who will teach lies about the benefits of unconventional shale drilling.

Did the trainers take these teachers to spill sites or to areas south where all one sees are rigs from Texas and Oklahoma?

Even the locals there will tell you that very few if any local employment has come out of these oil-production sites. Did they witness the massive disruption to the beautiful farm/agricultural landscape destroyed by acres upon acres of ripped-up trees?

But most of all, did they take you to see the rashes, breathing problems, heart problems, dirty drinking water and human suffering especially of the poor who have no recourse but to endure the insult to their well-being?

Dr. Ray Beiersdorfer, professor of geology at YSU, has twice presented educational programs conducted by the leading experts nationwide on the current state of shale development from both sides of the shale debate. These experts did not use Twinkies or other absurd tricks to make their point. They used sound science to teach principles even a lay person could understand.

YSU, Youngstown, the Mahoning Valley, The Vindicator, the state of Ohio all better wake up. We are being made fools of by wealthy Texans/Oklahomans who are taking our good money to the bank.

Let us teach our youth the truth, not from a dog and pony show.

Kathleen Berry, Youngstown

Campbell residents win with clean park, low costs

Since maintenance began on Roosevelt Park this spring, I have been receiving comments and complaints about the private maintenance company that has replaced the seasonal employees that performed the maintenance in the past. Some of these comments come from the same citizens and city employees who complained about the subpar park maintenance last year.

Anyone who used the park facilities last year, or paid attention when they drove by, could see that the mowing, trimming, and litter control were sporadic at best.

Few cities of our size and population have access to a park like ours. It should be a gem and not an eyesore. That is the reason Councilman Tedesco and I, with the support of all of city council and the administration decided to put the park maintenance out for bids.

The contract was awarded, and Campbell will save more than $20,000 over last year’s costs. While cost savings was not the only factor in privatization, it is certainly a welcome side effect. The park looks great, and while there are still improvements to be made, we can once again be proud.

It is not council’s intention to eliminate all city employees, but we must use whatever means is necessary to make sure the city’s work is done in an efficient and financially prudent manner. We owe that to all the citizens who elected us.

George Levendis, Campbell

George Levendis is president of Campbell City Council.

As care for the mentally ill falls, shootings go up

When are we going to wake up and recognize the real problem with violence is not the guns. They have been around forever.

It is the lack of mental health facilities that used to keep those with mental problems controlled and taking their daily medications.

Today, many of them are loose on the streets and are not taking their meds.

This is the real problem behind these senseless killings across our country in recent weeks and months

Wake-up America! We cannot ignore this any longer!

Phyllis Ricchiuti, Poland