• ORCHID: To several Warren G. Harding High School students who donated their time and talent recently by painting holiday murals on the glass walkway crossing East Market Street at Trumbull Regional Medical Center. The students in Susan Melia’s painting and drawing class painted the festive scenes in an attempt to lift spirits this holiday season for people in the hospital and also for motorists passing by. Said one student artist, “It shows everybody we’re still cheerful, still willing to go and do stuff for our community, and just give people courage.” Bravo!
• ORCHID: To Hubbard High School freshman Madelyn Fonagy for starting and maintaining a “Blessing Box,” or a small food-pantry box, located outside the Brookfield dental office of her grandfather, Dr. Joseph Fonagy. It is stocked with nonperishable items, allowing people to take what they need and leave what they can. The United Way of Trumbull County recently recognized Fonagy for her generosity and hard work with the Thankful Acts of Kindness award.
• ORCHID: To Amy Weaver, an associate professor in nursing at Youngstown State University, for becoming the inaugural recipient of a prestigious professorship in nursing. The first Patricia M. Sweeney Professorship was bestowed upon Weaver in a recent ceremony in Cushwa Hall. Sweeney’s husband, Douglas, launched the professorship with a $500,000 gift to YSU to honor his wife’s more than 40 years in the nursing profession. Weaver has great plans for award — to establish a pop-up clinic mainly for senior citizens.
• ORCHID: To the hundreds of volunteers throughout the Mahoning Valley who participated in Wreaths Across America last weekend. The event honors fallen marines, airmen, soldiers, sailors and other members of America’s armed forces by placing holiday wreaths at their gravesites. Events in Girard, Niles and Hartford attracted hundreds of participants and were among 3,000 such events across the nation. Their volunteerism served as a fitting and tangible way to honor veterans during this holiday season.
• ORCHID: To Niles Police Department for its proactive stance in reducing theft this holiday shopping season by amping up its presence at Eastwood Mall as part of an effort called “Operation Blue Christmas.” The plan involved saturating the area with marked cars and doing walk-through checks of businesses. In the first 22 days of December, officers made 73 traffic stops, 11 arrests and 37 business checks, opened seven investigations and issued 10 citations in the area of the U.S. Route 422 retail corridor, according to a release from the department. In that time, no felony crimes were reported in that area, and no violent crimes occurred at any retailers. Bravo for making us all feel more safe!
• ORCHID: To organizers of this year’s drive-thru Santa Claus visits held this week at the Vienna Township Fire Department. The event was created to give children a Christmas treat, while keeping them safe as COVID-19 cases climb upward again.