A Christmas wish list for some elected officials and others in the Mahoning Valley:
Trumbull County Sheriff Tom Altiere would be asking for an unopposed primary election.
The last time Altiere ran as an unopposed incumbent in a primary was in 1996. Since then, the sheriff has had competition for the Democratic nomination and the trend continues this year with retired sheriff's Major James R. Phillps challenging Altiere.
In 2000, 2004 and 2008 he won with more than half the vote, beating former Howland police Chief Steve Lamantia and twice, in 2004 and in 2008, beating Joe Consiglio, police chief in Weathersfield, who that year surprisingly plucked the endorsement from Trumbull County Democrats.
State Rep. Tom Letson would be making a similar request.
The Warren Democrat in the two election cycles since he's been in office has been opposed in three of the four elections. He's been opposed in the primary once before and will be again this year - two people have filed to run against him.
A GPS for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and Western Reserve Port Authority, which oversees operations at the airport.
The airport is neither in Youngstown or Warren, but Vienna. Plus a name change, being pondered by airport and port authority board members, who oversee airport operations, wouldn't hurt. Officials considering the idea say it will give the facility a more regional feel.
A GPS could also help locate the port authority on the Internet. A search on Google of Western Reserve Port Authority doesn't return the port authority webpage until page two.
A search of Western Reserve Port (who searches only part of a name?) shows a hit on the first page.
The site appears to still be under construction. It's one page, but does provide contact information for the executive director and services the port authority can provide.
Residents of Newton Falls (I am one) should be begging the giant, jolly man in red for an end to the bickering that has made the community a punchline, and for a return of common sense.
The arguing and personality conflicts have long been present among members of village council and the conflict has now extended to Election Day. Mayor Lyle Waddell, a part of the mess, before the Trumbull County Board of Elections has called the political behavior disgusting.
It's so bad that in an attempt to cleanse the village of issues on Election Day, the elections board has decided that at least for now, to prohibit village residents from working the polls. Instead, outsiders will be brought in, people ''without a stake in the fight,'' according to elections board director Kelly Pallante, to be pollworkers.
Also, a county sheriff's deputy will be assigned to watch over the three places where people vote.