By Edward P. Noga
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The fourth and fifth days of July 2026 will certainly be long remembered around here. First off, the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding saw commemorations of all kinds take on an extra special flavor.
Every national holiday gives me the opportunity to take a few moments for a simple personal observance of what it means to live in this country. Following my morning walk, breakfast and morning prayers, I get an extra cup of coffee, head into my living room and gaze for a few moments at my copy of the wonderful painting that hangs in our own Butler Museum of American Art, namely “Lincoln the Railsplitter.” As I take in that famous image of Lincoln, I also listen to Aaron Copland’s “A Lincoln Portrait.” I especially appreciate the final line in Copland’s piece, which comes from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:
“We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Fireworks exploding in the night sky is one way that we put a visual/aural exclamation point at the end of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and Lincoln’s iconic speech given at Gettysburg.
Our nation’s values help us understand, in a special way, the words citizen, involvement and neighbor.
That reality came to mind the day after the Fourth of July this year when a major storm blew through our Valley and left behind a swath of debris and destruction. We often hear stories of neighbor helping neighbor, or communities coming together to raise funds to help alleviate personal or family trauma. It might be as simple as youngsters selling lemonade on a street corner. It might be a benefit spaghetti dinner or golf outing. It might be a Go Fund Me page. Whatever the effort, it reminds us how neighbors, organizations and even strangers can come together.
One particular example struck me the day after the July 5 storms. I was taking a walk down along the river behind the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre when I noticed the Covelli Centre parking lot filling up with large bucket trucks. Immediately I realized that the local electric utility company was gathering the “troops” to get their marching orders.
As I got closer to the parking lot, the procession of trucks kept coming. An aerial shot might have looked like a construction truck dealership. The lot was full. Then I noticed that the company logos on the vehicles were not local names. It turns out that they were subcontractors hired to bolster the local utility’s efforts.
As I wrapped up my walk, I started thinking about the networking that businesses, governments and other entities do when they need extra help, the ingenuity and flexibility of scheduling that allows this support to happen, and the willingness of individuals and groups to “pitch in.”
Nature decided she was going to put on her own fireworks show July 5, but the gritty determination of the people of our community (and beyond) was going to have the last word.
Sadly, the tragedies of violence, accidents and natural calamities put us on edge, shake us in our shoes and make us wonder what is going on.
The follow-up stories inform us of how first responders help to address the chaos and help us get back on our feet. Maybe though, the fireworks of excitement and gratitude should also remind us of the “second” and “third” responders: the lemonade sellers on the corner, those cooking pasta for a benefit dinner, the motorcycle run participants, the car washers and the many others who freely give of their time and energy for the cause.
History tells us that the fuse of tragedy gets lit too often, but the explosive generosity of human beings shines bright in the sky and on planet Earth, especially in our own neighborhoods.
