By Edward P. Noga
A friend in the legal profession once told me, “You know, people always say there are two sides to every story. Well, sometimes there are three or more!” Probably true. In our daily rounds, we hear of opportunities – some taken, some missed. Regrettably, I have left a few of those doors unopened myself. Hopefully, we all learn from this.
Below are several noteworthy Youngstown “missed opportunities.”
In my early years as pastor at St. Patrick’s Church on Youngstown’s south side, I heard stories from parishioners and neighbors about churches, at the turn of the 20th century, being social centers as well as sites for worship. It wasn’t unusual for churches to have sports teams competing locally and regionally. In fact, St. Patrick’s in Youngstown had a formidable football team that became the nucleus of the city’s entry into a league in the Midwest. That league eventually morphed into what is now the NFL. As the story goes, when those early teams started coming together in 1922, organizers wanted a $1,000 entry fee. Unfortunately, the Youngstown team’s supporters and backers could not raise the money. Who knows what might have happened if they had?
Next, our regional airport and the one in Akron/Canton had some similarities in their early years. Various decisions and circumstances have led to each airport being where it is today – one vibrant and growing, the other still trying to “take off.”
Similarly, the Lake-to-River Canal that was to be built in the heyday of the steel industry counts as a missed opportunity. It would have linked Lake Erie with the Ohio River, but various “forces” to our north and east made sure that plan was scuttled.
Two years ago, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, which sends paid interns to work in our nation’s cities, sent one here. The initiative has a great track record of sharing up-and-coming professionals with communities. After a few months, our intern was reassigned. She had been very excited to work in our Valley but is now working in Cleveland to develop vacant properties. Did we miss something? These are examples of “missed opportunities,” and I’m sure readers could enumerate many more.
Switching gears, the recent announcement of the major investment coming to the Warren area from Kimberly-Clark Corp. is a long and detailed story of cooperation and patience among many entities and individuals. Public comments have highlighted the benefits to our Valley derived from leaders being open to discussion and willing to GET THIS DONE WHATEVER IT TAKES! Hats off to Ohio’s Lake-to-River Development arm, to the Western Reserve Port Authority, to the Chamber of Commerce and to other Valley entities for their significant participation. Recently, a local reporter detailed, from the beginning, the story of how Kimberly-Clark became our newest neighbor. It was a refreshing account of political/geographical jurisdictions crossing their own boundaries and thinking way beyond their own interests!
Additionally, recent reports of accomplishments by the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments have given us more tangible examples of community leaders listening and working beyond their borders. About a year ago, many folks were probably dubious about initial talk of “reclaiming” the Mahoning River. Like many, I viewed the Eastgate video (actually, twice!) and mused, “Maybe.” Well, that “maybe” has become “WE CAN DO THIS!” Just ask the mayors of Lowellville and Struthers.
Talking to businesses in both communities, I have heard that city leadership is welcoming and grateful for those who see renewal prospects in the river’s reclamation. A simple “welcome” and “thank you” seem to have facilitated this investment. The five-minute video, “Mahoning River Corridor Revitalization,” reminds us of a tremendous opportunity. You might find yourself watching it twice also.
My final example comes from the land of penguins. Yes, Penguin pride and YSU’s ever-developing campus have shown us what can happen when folks are open to listening, learning and creating together. We can see how the thousands of local and international students add vitality and energy to the campus and well beyond. Toss in the podcast of Jim Tressel, former YSU president/coach, which regularly underscores the advantages of teamwork.
The doors of opportunity are always just down the hallway.
