Student's Honesty Captures the Complexity of the Youngstown School Situation

This letter to the editor in Sunday's Vindicator from Youngstown City School student Ammie-Marie Roxanne Littke speaks volumes about the state of the school system and the problems it currently faces. With refreshing honesty she tasks parents and guardians with ensuring students behave properly by providing appropriate role models. This letter deserves as much visibility as possible.

EDITOR:

In efforts to promote the Youngstown City School District, my speech class at East High School gathered information from the Mahoning Valley citizens to resolve violence and the lack of moral respect in our public schools. As an East High student, I must say that this district is by far the most complex, yet caring, system I have been a part of.

Teachers and staff find themselves taking on parental roles due to the lack of discipline at home. Students tend to attach themselves to the authoritative figures outside their home, due to a lack of parental support. We have nearly 1,000 students attending East High School and roughly 100 parents attended the parent-teacher conferences this year.

When I moved to Youngstown in 2005, I found students who lacked basic morals, self-respect, a need to strive for their very best and some who did not want to comply with our society. I was stunned at the value placed on education and the value of life. It seemed like many of the students did not care about the school or what others thought of them and their actions. After a while, I began to believe that the arrogance of some students was so severe that no action could change the behavior.

Vandalism seems to plague the streets and schools of Youngstown, but why? Is it because students find themselves bored and in the desperate mood for entertainment? Are some students angry and relieve their tensions on the property of others? From my knowledge, it’s a sad and humiliating environment for the citizens of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.

Thus, some may wonder, why do these students deserve a levy to be passed, why do they deserve to have a multi-million dollar learning facility, and why should the community step in to inform students that it’s not OK to deal or abuse legal/illegal drugs and teen pregnancy is not OK? If you want the district to change direction, if you want the students to change their actions, then you, as our parents and guardians, need to stand up and teach us the appropriate values many of us lack desperately. We need you, these children need you, your children need you. The district cannot do it alone. You cannot expect these students to change in the community when their lifestyles aren’t changing at home.

Bottom line, don’t give up on them, don’t you dare give up on these students. They are the immediate future of Youngstown. Children are considered to be miniature figures of their parents or guardians, and if you do not find our students to be appealing, we have learned our values from you. So, if you, as parents and guardians, have not taught us right from wrong, then how do you expect us to automatically know the difference?

AMMIE-MARIE ROXANNE LITTKE

Youngstown

Youngstown Ohio by Day

I found this video of Youngstown by Art Director Ron Flaviano on You Tube. It shows I-680 leading downtown and then the downtown area itself. I enjoyed the views from on high and the spotlight on the architecture of the buildings.

Tough Questions Remain After Clinton and Obama Have Come and Gone

It was nice to be in the limelight for a few days as the Democratic candidates visited and told us that they understood what globalization had done to us. It was comforting to hear Senator Clinton say that America can't give up manufacturing or its manufacturing jobs. Both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama say they would like to renegotiate NAFTA. That all sounds good here in the Valley where thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost to overseas production but there are areas of the country that have benefited from trade agreements and those folks vote too. I go shopping and I see Wal-Mart and K-Mart packed with people enjoying cheap goods imported from the very countries they disdain. It makes you start to ask some tough questions.

Here's one. Given how badly this area has been damaged by trade agreements and a local economy that is sluggish at best, why do so many kids drop out of school? Why don't we learn from our parent's mistakes and take advantage of the educational opportunities here? Why do parents who are struggling to survive allow their children to drop out or not go on to higher education? I thought growing up in hard circumstances was the incentive to do better, to escape the hard life.

Here's another. Why are we always looking for someone to save us? There is an almost undefinable attitude among us that is just waiting for the next big thing to come along and make everything better. With the success of the Youngstown Business Incubator and the construction of the Taft Technology Center it seems like we are starting to figure out that we are going to have to save ourselves but there are still those who think that success is something that just happens rather than the result of effort.

Both candidates talk about green collar jobs. Well, there's a surplus of manufacturing knowledge here in the Valley that could build everything from windmills to recycling plants. The fact is though, that our labor force shoots itself in the foot. Don't believe me? Ask the members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 880 that are picketing Nemenz IGA in Hubbard. They've been picketing the newly opened store since September of last year. Why? Because the store that was in that location before Nemenz went out of business. The union thinks it did not get a fair shake when the store opened under new ownership so they've spent the better part of six months picketing the store. What if the store closes down? I'm not sure how another empty store front and even more unemployed people benefits Hubbard but their tunnel vision keeps them marching on the sidewalk.

So Clinton and Obama came to ask for our votes and we told them how tough it has been. You have to ask yourself, though; are we doing everything we can to succeed or are we still waiting to be saved?

Folks at the Obama Rally at YSU

Folks seem pretty jazzed about the Senator's visit. I don't see that kind of energy from the Clinton or McCain supporters. From the Senator's site.

Barack Obama in Youngstown on February 18th

More video from the Senator's website.

Finding a Balance When Discussing Crime

I noticed some increased traffic to Tales From the Rust Belt originating from this thread at the Vindy.com message boards. In the thread, a poster takes the Youngstown blog community to task for not criticizing Mayor Jay Williams' handling of the city's crime problem. Later in the thread someone who has actually read the blogs in question helpfully provides links to this blog and others where crime has been discussed.

I can't speak for the others but I take great pains to address the crime issue the way I try to address any other issue; by taking the time to understand it and suggesting ideas to improve the situation. It would be ridiculous to see a rising murder rate and simply point the finger at Mayor Williams. Using this forum to write diatribe after diatribe criticizing the mayor for inaction when he has taken action isn't going to interest anyone. In his position he has secured funding to demolish abandoned houses, helped implement the Youngstown 2010 plan to manage a shrinking city and put as many police officers on the street as possible. We may not all agree with his approach but he is taking more action than previous administrations.

As has been addressed on this site and others, the problem lies with all of us. The worst mass murder in Youngstown just occurred and there isn't a thing the mayor or police could have done to prevent it unless a patrol car was driving by just as that vicious little coward was pouring gasoline on the front porch of the house. You can't legislate behavior. It is up to each one of us to treat each other with respect, to raise our children correctly, to make sure that we all realize we are responsible for the place where we live. It doesn't matter if you don't live in the city. The crime there is your problem. It affects you because the Mahoning Valley is centered there. Having a rotten core ruins even the most well polished apple.

So I come here and I write about solutions to crime and its causes like education and poverty. I try to promote solutions like using Crime Stoppers or stir up outrage among readers at the climbing number of murders. Others in the local blogosphere take that a step further through implementing as much action as possible, like Phil at Defend Youngstown. John at I Will Shout Youngstown is a tireless champion of the city, its history and those who strive to make it better. The message I think we bloggers are trying present is that the city is much more than just a place where crime happens. People live in the area. Good people who deserve better than constantly hearing about how bad their city is. There are good stories to be told . There are stories of success that shine among the gloomy headlines. To ignore all that would be to abandon hope that things will ever improve. It would mean that we, as good folks, are powerless to raise ourselves up to something greater. I refuse to believe that.

So I will continue to write about issues that I see as important and I will criticize politicians when I feel it is appropriate and constructive. I will continue to map the homicides in the city because I feel a visual representation of data is useful for people to see and make decisions. This is what I will try to do to effect change.

Where is the Outrage at 33 Murders?

Youngstown is blessed with a variety of media outlets which allow public discussion on local topics. 570 WKBN has local talk radio. The Vindicator has their message boards. The local blogs allow and encourage comments. So where is the outrage over the murder rate?

There is discussion about the crime rate, after all. It's not as if there is total silence. The regular crop of bigots and naysayers all have a comment when something like last week's rash of murders occur. The Vindy message boards have a group of contributors that make a point of making disparaging remarks on every crime article. There are others who write about Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley who should be lauded for the number of positive topics they find to write about. There are times, though, that their optimism borders upon unrealistic. Is there never any time appropriate to comment upon the elephant in the room that is hindering Youngstown's revitalization?

However, there are others, like Ron Verb, who seem genuinely interested in having an open and honest discussion about crime. During last week's shows I heard callers offering reasons for why the murder rate is high and suggesting ways to curb it. There were also callers who wanted to do nothing more than proclaim the city was a haven for criminals and pat themselves on the back for moving out. Yeah, hooray for you. Unfortunately they forgot that Youngstown is the heart of the Mahoning Valley. What happens there affects all of us. We can't all just turn a blind eye to the rampant crime and cluck disapprovingly. "That's Youngstown," they tell their friends, "I live in Canfield." or Poland, or Hubbard or Austintown or Boardman.

Big deal. When your community borders a city that has a murder rate of 40 per 100,000 people, you are affected. Your property values are lower, job opportunities are fewer and your children are more likely to leave the area. Pretending you are oh-so-smart because your address does not fall within the city limits is simply ignoring the problem.

So where is the outrage at the murder rate? Where are the letters to the editors of the Vindicator and Tribune-Chronicle decrying the violence? Even if people accept Police Chief Jimmy Hughes explanation that a criminal lifestyle begets a violent end, a pregnant woman, her unborn child and another son were executed this year. Another child, age 3, was killed in a separate incident. All victims are not leading a criminal lifestyle. Where is the realization that the rest of use have to live with the aftermath of so many murders?

Why is there silence regarding the broken families these murderers come from? If dad isn't around are we really surprised when kids drop out of school and deal for a living? Has it become so acceptable to slough off our responsibilities as parents that no one wants to criticize those who do so? Perhaps it's time to consider that having kids outside of marriage is a terrible idea. You know why? Not for any puritanical notion of morality but rather because it is hard to raise kids. It takes two people. Work, laundry and feedings take their toll. Kids need attention they won't get shuffling between babysitters. Maybe it's time to look at fathers who are not at home with their kids at night and say, "Hey, get home to that kid so you don't raise a thug".

We should all be upset. Our outrage must be stronger than our apathy or nothing will ever change.

The Haunted House on the North Side

Legend has it the home at 449 Alameda is haunted. Possessed, some say, by a mischievous spirit, a poltergeist infatuated with holiday decoration and zombie movies. Ample evidence of this is easily observed in the photos attached here and by driving past the house in question. The front yard is covered with ghosts, coffins and assorted creatures in various states of decay. The spirit won't say why this is done, except to utter a few disjointed words about loving this time of year and scaring the young ones as they brave the walkway looking for treats.

The owners of the haunted mansion, Glenn and Beth Reed, put up with the devilish spirit's antics every year. As the windows are boarded up and smoke begins to rise from the ground they can only sigh and hope that the Trick or Treaters enjoy the poltergeist's effort. The Haunted House of Youngstown's North Side is no mere myth, it can be seen now...if you dare.

City Receives Federal Funds to Combat Crime

Youngstown is one of eight Ohio metropolitan areas to receive aid from the Byrne Formula Grant Program. The city will receive $227,569 to fund special interdiction patrols like those used to saturate the city earlier this year. The grant also includes cities across northern Ohio and myriad Federal agencies such as the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. This group will collectively be known as Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium.

One exciting feature of the grant is a mobile lab that can travel around the state to test weapons used in the commission of a crime and determine if they have been used previously. Ohio Attorney Marc Dann hopes that the data collected can be used to determine the origin of weapons used in crimes and shut off the supply at the source.

If crime can be suppressed by the presence of additional officers on interdiction patrols then overall crime rates should fall. So far this has not been the case but the effort needs to be made. For all we know 2007 may have been more deadly if the increased patrols had not been performed. It's altogether possible they blunted a serious rise in crime by removing dangerous felons from the streets. It may be hard to imagine the murder rate being any higher but who knows what could have been if the effort had not been made?

Hopefully this will be an effective tool for the region to fight crime. Tracing the origin of guns used in crimes and identifying the dealers who are supplying guns to criminals is in everyone's interest. Even though the NRA resolutely stands opposed to this common sense idea, I fail to see how the logic does not appeal to most people. Those who live in areas plagued by gun violence obviously want less of it. Sportsmen who obtained their weapons legally and enjoy using them shouldn't be lumped together with gang members. Gun dealers who supply weapons to criminals hide behind responsible gun owners who don't break the law. As the NRA is so fond of pointing out, it's the criminals who are breaking the law. Well, this is one more tool to use against those criminals.

With four killings in the last week and a pace to meet or exceed the homicide rate for 2006, Youngstown needs every tool in can get to combat crime. Furthermore, the accomplishments of the city like the Business Incubator are constantly overshadowed by the crime rate. Those of us who wish to see the city do well so that the whole area can thrive are frustrated by those who wantonly commit the crimes that stunt the recovery currently taking place.

It is worth noting that Mayor Williams seems to understand the damage the high crime rate can do the city's recovery. Attacking it with as much police power as possible as well as demolishing vacant structures where crime takes place must eventually have a positive effect. Ultimately though, it will be up to the city residents to decide on which type of community they wish to live in.

32

That is the number of people murdered in the city of Youngstown in 2006.

32 people. The youngest was only a year old and the oldest was 62. These people were shot, stabbed and beaten to death for a variety of reasons although none were good enough to take someone's life. The responses to this number have been many; the more optimistic cite a drop in the rate of 8% (35 in 2005 compared to 32 in 2006), the more cynical express thankfulness for having a trauma center in the city to treat serious injuries but overall people are angry.

I hear them calling the Ron Verb and Robert Mangino talk radio shows on WKBN. I read their comments on various area blogs and discussion groups. I saw them protest downtown after the shooting at the pee wee football game. People want action. They want more cops on the street, they want the jail open to full capacity and they even want federal troops in the city. These folks aren't stupid. They know how much money is being spent in Iraq and then look around in disgust at their own city. They know businesses are moving because of crime and they know their taxes are too high.

The frustration is understandable. Youngstown has an award winning plan to revitalize itself. It has a new convocation center that is a success, it has an independent mayor and thanks to the elections in November it has statewide recognition with the election of Marc Dann to the Attorney General's office and Ted Strickland to the Governor's seat. Overshadowing all of this is the Morgan Quitno ranking of Youngstown as the ninth most dangerous city in the United States and a murder rate that is 8 times the national average of 5.6 per 100,000 people.

Reducing that murder rate isn't as easy as it seems though. The majority of people killed are being killed because they are involved in the drug trade and they are involved in the drug trade for a variety of reasons. It is those reasons that need to be attacked if the murder rate and crime overall is to be reduced.

A number of things need to happen if Youngstown is to see any headway in the fight against violent crime:

• First, Mayor Jay Williams needs to make an emphatic statement about where his administration stands on crime. The deafening silence emanating from city hall on this issue only increases the frustration felt by the residents of the city.
• Second, a plan needs to be drafted. This plan needs to have original ideas and unique solutions. Doing the same old thing will not engender more favorable solutions.
• Third, the population of the Mahoning Valley must be open to new ideas and supportive of those implementing them. It is simply not acceptable to complain about the problem and then criticize someone for trying something new.

Over the next few weeks I will air my suggestions on what can be done to prevent crime, what should be done with those arrested and how the entire Mahoning Valley can help. The problem of crime isn't limited to the city. If allowed to run unchecked it will spread to every community in the surrounding region. This is no longer a "those people in the city" problem. Crime affects us all and we can all play a part in the solution. I look forward to your feedback.