Archive for April, 2020
Nana’s MY BOOK- memories of another time
ED NOTE: My mother, Violet Janet Gabbey 1919-2018
My mum had a long and amazing life. Mum was 99 when she passed and was loved by all her friends and family. However, 40 years ago she was going through a very trying and emotional time in her life. Her only child, me, was three thousand miles away in the United States at the time and was unable to do much of anything.
Mum had nights of not sleeping I suggested she use that time to start writing down her memories of being young for her granddaughter , Nikki . I have always found writing things down cathartic and still find that to be the case. Mum scribbled notes on scraps of paper every time she couldn’t sleep .( I still have those notes)
A few years ago we sat in the den and she and I put them in some sort of order. Mum then sent a copy of what she named “MY BOOK” to the oldest grandchild of each of her brothers and sisters and to some special people .
Please remember when reading her words and memories it was a very different time , especially in her young years, what was pretty much the norm then probably wouldn’t be acceptable today.
Cover Design Chris Ritchey
So , where is the beginning of it all? Upon reflection and trying to summon up the very first picture, there is a faint imprint in my mind. Can a child of three really retain, retell the event so many years on? Could I really see six or seven human forms lying on a mattress of black and white ticking strung between wooden frames? The box like shapes, the harsh sounds of human retching , the pungent smell of oil and vomit, that unpleasant fragrance still is in my nostrils. Some photo of that time with its sights and smells must have embedded itself forever in my mind
I can still feel still the roll and steady beat of a noise below. I was huddled, warmed and comforted by another little body next to mine. I can see my mother lying stretched out a short distance away from us; her long dark hair was damp and lying untidily on the pillow. I knew somehow she was ill too. My Father was on his feet , I see his arms with dark shapes and lines on them holding a cup to my mouth. He was telling me
“Drink this, you will feel better”
then oblivion and I remember no more .
Many years afterwards I made the discovery that my first recollection was of being in a cabin of a troop ship travelling home to England. The ship was bringing soldiers and their families, who had been serving in southern Ireland ( where the Anglo – Irish War – [1919-1921] had broken out after the Great War.(1914-1918)
My father was a soldier and a very good one. I fear, however he always drank too much and was forever shouting . He had scores of wonderful stories in him. He had a moustache which tickled and scratched when he would kiss you.
The dark shapes and lines were tattoos which he had subjected himself to in a far away land. When I was very little and asked about them he said the one said ” I love Betty” I used to wonder how could my mother bear to see that day after day , as her name was Charlotte! However, the “I love Betty” was just my fathers peculiar sense of humour . When I was older and could read and looked more closely I found there was only two hearts entwined with a lover’s knot and there was no wording there at all……
To be continued:
Morning Journal- Punishing Press-Part 4
Chris Ritchey
Part One : https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/morning-journal-lorain-the-punishing-press/
Part Two : https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/14/morning-journal-lorain-the-punishing-press-part-two/
Part Three: https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/15/morning-journal-the-punishing-press-part-3/
Part Three cont. https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/16/morning-journal-the-punishing-press-pt-3-cont/
I have spent hours going through old writings and blogs. Unfortunately, as I have said a lot of the links are missing and in fact blogs have disappeared from the WWW. I can only go by the hard copy I have. I can only assure you the reader the information is true and I have those documents in hard copy or in my files electronically.
Here were go:
Front Page News .. a tale of a super woman, well maybe not 😉
WoM Logo by Scott Baklar
Jon Veard & word of mouth scott bakalar on 22 Nov 2006
SO SAYETH THE NAYSAYERS:
““I’m going to extricate myself from downtown Lorain,” Veard said.
[…]
“I don’t have to do business in Lorain, especially if I’m not wanted,” he said. Veard, 65, who has run his United Properties development company in downtown Lorain for the last 44 years, said it will be “easier to do business elsewhere.”
Why?
“Admittedly, council has taken Jon to task a few times, but council has approved projects with him involved, such as the restoration of the Duane Building,” Foltin said.
Veard said he hasn’t faced opposition only from council, but criticism from citizen activists, such as downtown resident Loraine Ritchie. Veard said Ritchie has been a critic of his developments.
NOTE: THE ONLY CRITICISM I GAVE was his plans to build condos in the historic park”
“What is she attacking me for?” Veard said. “Let her develop downtown Lorain.”
Ritchie declined to speak to The Morning Journal.
But Veard said he’s tired of the criticism.
“I lost money on the Duane Building. I lost money on the Antlers Building. I haven’t made a dime yet on City Center. … Let them throw darts at someone else.”
The quote came from the article in the Morning Journal- Kate Giammarise November 2006
HOWEVER A DAY LATER… Mr. Veard stated to Joe Medici of the Chronicle
“Despite having three buildings up for sale downtown, local developer Jon Veard said Tuesday he has no intention of leaving the city…..“My roots are here. All my business and banking relationships are here. It would be a nightmare to move all that,” Veard said. “These people know me and when I ask for something it’s a done deal because they trust me.”
“I’m not selling because I’m mad about the park. Maybe (City Council) did me a favor when they shot it down. Building condos in downtown Lorain is risky business,” Veard said.
Which publication printed the correct information? Remember media moguls you are only as good as your sources ( biased or not)? This knee jerk reaction maybe to Cole and Co caused Cole to jump once more into the Editorial mode and chastise me a “history bonehead.. sorry can’t link to it BUT here is my response :
As I decided to BOYCOTT the Morning Journal…. You can find that WoM post here TUDOR Boycott
Who got it wrong John Cole? I think I know – tch tch tch – how much egg is on the face of your publication on this one? And poor Mr. Veard – he came across in your article as a whiney, sorry, pouting, juvenile, it seems I have more respect for Mr. Veard than his ”friends”. You did him no favor – believe me – in your portrayal of this Lorain Developer. What my international readers (and I have a “barrelful”) must think of this community, I shudder to imagine.
NOTE – Oh! and one more thing, it has been remarked that Mr. Veard is upset that he didn’t get the chance to show City Council his “plans” for our park ( that other editorial chastising Lorain City Council….before they voted No! the first time. Check the minutes, I think you will find that Mayor Craig Foltin ”called for the vote” that night – that is right Mayor Craig Foltin.And then YOUR “Love letter to Veard” Oh! come on now – hearts and flowers begging him – Don’t go-Please stay – when he apparently had NO intention of leaving. I ask you who is the “blow-hard and crank and short sighted” individual whose “long winded” piece sent the negative message of Lorain’s developer diva -great publicity for Lorain? Shoe fits – wear it JC!
But all is not lost – Cole and Company you can – by a change in editorial policy, adhering to unbiased news reporting and an apology to all who ”dare to suffer the editorial wrath” by stepping up to the plate and to those “long winded politicians” who do the best they can to represent THEIR constituents on City Council stop this ”Old-Boy Cott” Up to YOU!!!!!!!!
2007 was the Lorain Bicentennial we had a city wide celebration focused in on the little park. Now don’t go looking for coverage- John Cole denied any coverage , that is until so many organizations involved took issue there was a small blurb in the Saturday section.
Link to a number of photos of the event :
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12219598@N06/with/1249174028/
However, the opening ceremonies were taped and one participant berated the Morning Journal for their stance and lack of coverage for the event. Problem was it was ME who was spearheading the whole shebang.. Oh well happened without him or the Morning Journal….
.
Tom Skoch
John Cole retired in February 2008 and a new editor Tom Skoch took over the editorial seat. Mr. Skoch reached out to me and we came to a friendly truce. He was really kind and instrumental in getting Charleston Village projects publicity etc. for the Admiral King Tribute Space, Eric Barnes Heroes Walk and Settlers’ Watch . He may not have been overly fond of yours truly but he could see past the tree to the forest.
Although I have been known to come out fingers flying when I felt the Morning Journal and others and its staff needed a different perspective : https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/media-as-the-word-turns-or-rolls-lorain/
You see at the same time all this bruhaha was going on with me the news media were all over Councilman Dan Given and others with the Community Reinvestment Areas. This too had its birthing in politics and the blame game ensued.
Before I get pilloried once more let me tell you I was involved in the CRA situation before any of the media.I did my homework and I have files two inches thick, Courts, the players and their agendas, articles comments and documentation up the ying yang. Anyone wants to see them -only too willing… Oh and the politics are mind boggling.
However Dan Given became the scapegoat even though the Plain dealer article OCTOBER 2007 used in the court case had 11 inaccuracies ( I wrote to the Editor pointing out the journalists biased leanings – no reply)
NOTE: Article is no longer on line but I have the hard copy. There was a friendly relationship between the county’s attorney and the journalist….. I have the article
Later on I took Tom and the MJ to task over an article in 2009– I had just 6 days earlier lost my son to cancer – but it was still important to me that truth and the whole truth should be explored.
Dan Given was also pilloried in the article of December 10th 2009 but the readership of the Morning Journal has been denied the “rest of the story ” and denied so far as they would not print Mr. Given’s rebuttal leading their readership and those of the community in a direction that is less than accurate. I published his letter to the MJ because they wouldn’t- I would suggest a read of that letter found in the link below:
When you go to the comments of that post you will find Mr. Skoch had his say .. but since the claim by the editors stated they had reached out to Mr. Given originally they apparently missed the part in all the bru haha that the Law Director had told Council members ( because of litigation they couldn’t comment ) although at least two did …
Does ANY of this matter NOW? You tell me as recently as March 12th 2020 Dan Given was accused of public corruption in a letter chastising now Mayor Bradley from the Lorain FOP for supporting a political candidate they have issues with. Click on jpg for a clearer picture.
Although letters and legal stating no wrongdoing 15 YEARS LATER DAN GIVEN IS STILL BEING ACCUSED. 10 YEARS cleared of any wrongdoing AND YET STILL IN 2020 THE FOP ACCUSATION OF public corruption..
MAYBE THEY MISSED THE ARTICLE FROM 10 YEARS AGO!!!!!
GIVEN CLEARED – CHRONICLE – BRAD DICKEN DECEMBER 10TH 2010
WHY ? If anyone had really done ALL the homework and evidence complied and not just dwelled on the surface of the CRA situation the story would be different, believe me I looked at that CRA situation until I was sick of it and the ones that should be held responsible weren’t.
AND NOW!!! We have Mary Springowski feeling the wrath of imho of a up-jumped egotistical 32 year old reporter Kevin Martin / Morning Journal trying the name and shame game because Mary , in order to reach out and provide information to her constituents with information and participation. by pasting an article on her facebook page ! Horrors she apparently single handedly has brought down the print media local by publishing the article
Facebook post by Mary :
THE REST OF THE STORY!!!!
( Mary) “What is happening with this money? Who should benefit from this? Who CAN benefit from this? There must be some regulations. If this is CDBG then it is geared towards low to moderate income areas. What are your thoughts? Remember, if you want them to be part of the permanent record, post your comments and thoughts on the city’s official Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/CityofLorainOH/
( Morning Journal)Lorain, Elyria to get stimulus money in coronavirus response By Richard Payerchin rpayerchin@morningjournal.com @MJ_JournalRick on Twitter Apr 1, 2020
The cities of Lorain and Elyria will receive money from the first allocations in the federal government’s economic stimulus bill due to the novel coronavirus.
The city of Lorain will receive $725,720, while Elyria will receive $439,110 in Community Development Block Grant money, according to an announcement from Sen. Sherrod Brown.……..
Innocent enough one would have thought HOWEVER Mr. Martin thought otherwise and through Twitter started on April 9th to chastise Mary for an article written NOT by Mr Martin but by Rick Payerchin……..although Martin states he is speaking for himself ( that didn’t last long ) Click on the jpg for a clearer picture
Has Mr. Payerchin , the journalist and writer of the piece, contacted Mary with his displeasure? NO! according to Mary. Has Daryl Tucker the Editor contacted Mary? No! apparently not BUT 13 days after Mary posted the article on face book Kevin Martin of Muck Rack fame and membership https://muckrack.com/ complained to the Facebook Police for copy right infringement –
APRIL 13th
If you believe that this content should not have been removed from Facebook, you can contact the complaining party directly to resolve your issue:
Report #: 253706562467430
Rights Owner: MediaNews Group Inc.
Email: kmartin@morningjournal.com
Copyrighted Work: Other
NOTE Martin does not use a personal email account in filing his complaint but that of the Morning Journal .
This should never have gone this far…. I wouldn’t have had to spend five days writing and reliving the punishing press… and maybe “raking the muck” because I was angry at the “punishment not fitting the crime”
All it would’ve taken was a phone call to Mary to take down the post, explain why there was a concern but No the crusading journalist jumped on his high horse and banner of punishing the politician of the people……
WHY? what is his agenda …. when obviously the writer of the offending piece and the Editor didn’t complain….. but because of Mr. Martin -Mrs. Springowski will no longer share , be interviewed or subscribe to the Morning Journal, and Mary is always newsworthy so who suffers by this petulant posturing? NOT Mary .. maybe Martin should be taught the old adage :
“Cutting off the nose to spite the face” is an expression to describe a needlessly self-destructive over-reaction to a problem: “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face” is a warning against acting out of pique, or against pursuing revenge in a way that would damage oneself more than the object of one’s anger
THE END then again maybe NOT!!!
Morning Journal – The Punishing Press- Pt.3 cont.
Part One : https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/morning-journal-lorain-the-punishing-press/
Part Two : https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/14/morning-journal-lorain-the-punishing-press-part-two/
Part Three: https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/15/morning-journal-the-punishing-press-part-3/
Regugitating( in more ways than one) this week has woken up this poor old brain. I started out wanting to show that this particular local paper the Morning Journal had indeed used tactics in the past in order to retaliate and by all accounts a journalist working for them today ( Kevin Martin) had seemingly no compunction about going to the “over the top” reaction when reporting one of Lorain’s “popular with the people” councilwoman. Mary Springowski. You see, my belief, knowing Mary – had Martin or his boss Tucker contacted Mary personally and requested she take down their article from facebook and refrain from sharing in depth again – Mrs. Springowki would have acquiesced.
That “would have been the smart move” in my opinion but that is not what happened . Instead a ” I was reminded of the quote in Maxwell Anderson’s play ” Mary of Scotland”
“We must look to it….. has a woman’s face( and principles 😉 stirred such a confluence of air and waters to beat against the bastions….”
Other thoughts have also been running amok as I go cross- eyed reading the files, news article and editorials and I am thinking my hindsight is telling me there was more going on in that period from 2004- 2007.
Whilst I and others, were in middle of the waters swirling around us and we were fighting for our very homes , way of life and yes opinions we were fighting on more than one front. I can’t believe all these “plans were not part of a bigger picture” but I suppose now I will never know for sure
Shawnee( John Cole, Foltin and secrecy- selling off of lakefront land to the tribe.. being lambasted…. as greedy gobblers saw visions of casino chips dancing in their eyes. Why did it take a small group to point out the folly of having a reservation on the lakefront and the problems that would occur. Did Foltin , Cole Prudoff etc really believe that was going to happen as they spent our money? Thousands upon thousands for what ????? ( as seat at the table with the big boys?? https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/the-read/articles/cashing-in . We , and me mainly , certainly incurred the wrath when speaking out, but you see this was going to be “here” in our neighborhood, all the plans swirling around and the bandwagons rolling … COLE and Foltin were NOT happy with me !!!!
Blight – Before we in this Lorain’s oldest neighborhood could even get a handle on the Shawnee during those same weeks and months another plan quietly slipped into place .
The Administration paying yet MORE thousands upon thousands to go through the process of blighting the whole neighborhood on the lakefront where a casino entranceway, bus parking you name it would go .( for private development) .. can you say land banking??? And once again we were thrust into those swirling waters and coming up against media, politics. We were being stretched very thin. Land banking was what it looked like to me BUT FOR WHAT PURPOSE
From my testimony re Blight maybe ( in hindsight) I wasn’t too far from the mark.…”Eminent Lorain V
“Interestingly enough the land banking- that I believe is going on – happens to correspond to the entranceways to that same lake front property. Our City officials in planning, administration and that same newspaper editor making the decision the sell the 200 year old green space that was the birthplace of this community without informing the public or even our representatives on City Council. City council and myself were politely told to keep our place until the decision and plans were made for that park
Veterans Park ..AND THEN at the other end of the neighborhood “planned Blight of a historic little park .. Oh the wheeling and dealing pitting “history boneheads ” ( Coles words not mine ) against developers, and the administration – Foltin , Cole and Prudoff .. The proposed senior citizens condos in the Park.. we had to take on the Veterans who at one point had received hundreds of thousands for improvement for that park..”WHO TURNED NEARLY $500,000 DOLLARS INTO A BOONDOGGLE, BAD NEWS AND DEAD PARK?” https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/veterans-memorial-park-thanks-for-the-memories/
Oh! we were taking a beating by Cole and Co. Letters sent to Veterans groups and meeting berating the history boneheads, ridicule and downright untruths and nastiness followed us who tried to save a tangible and imho important part of Lorain’s history from the earliest times..
http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2006/02/22/opinion/16173705.txt
Lorain’s City Council shouldn’t be so quick to reject downtown condos (John Cole)
Published: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
But how can city leaders trumpet the need to save the park, when they have stood by and let it become such a vandalized dump? Lorain’s veterans barely use it anymore because it’s so seedy and because all the ceremonial action in Lorain these days is at Black River Landing.
You see the plans ( although NOT shared with anyone in City Council or even employees of Community Development came to light over a lunch… and I made some phone calls
You can read the entire situation here
and an except of a letter sent to the city administration and in particular Prudoff…. and there they are again
Cole,
Foltin
Prudoff
( if I was a betting person I would say there was some sort of collusion) BUT that would only be my cynical “OPINION” ( lawyers take NOTE!!!)
….[Veard} mention to two representatives of Charleston Village Executive Board on Jan 6th his “plan” as we were eating lunch in a very public place. There was no mention of the need for discretion, if anything the impression given was one of the plans for the park being a “done deal” and that all obstacles such as the Gilmore family restriction was and I quote “not a problem, I have been assured that isn’t an issue any more”.
I believe he was truly shocked when his plan did not meet with favor in our eyes. According to Mr. Veard, “you are the first ones that don’t like it” we were then informed, during that conversation, that other public officials, and non profits had been made aware of the plan to put condos in the “Veterans Park”, such as some members of the Lorain Port Authority, “ the veterans are on board”, the city, including Mayor Foltin and yourself (Sandy Prudoff), as well as the editor of the Morning Journal, John Cole.
At the same time Compass House was setting up as an independent housing and bringing in 10 Registered Sex Offenders a night .. and kicking them out into the neighborhoods a so many days – worrying since the city no longer had a jail and the funding for the Shawnee bond was apparently rolled over into that bond which went on ”
Jail– Lorain City Councilwoman Anne Molnar ( deceased) started to look into the funding and where the money had gone earmarked for a new Jail . Anne wrote to Wom and we put up the minutes of the meeting for her . Anne bless her “fighting for Lorain” heart wrote to WoM at the time
Dear Loraine,
Thank you for posting the minutes of the police and fire committee meeting on WOM. You can sure work miracles on the computer, did a great job posting it on WOM. I believe when most people read them, they can easily see how the Mayor has twisted his words and lied .
There is a lot more to be told, that I found out later regarding the jail, and it is all to late now. Money wasted and spend, many lies told, and not all from the Mayor.[Foltin} Anne
NOTE: The minutes of that meeting and the unbelievable amount of money and spin here Minutes of Feb 2003 No Jail
It seems you couldn’t pick up a paper without my name being “used” . I did seem to be on some vicious treadmill…..me against the media and city government.
–
Why? Yes I was involved but a free press believes in free speech , at least I always thought so . Initially I was confused by Coles’ comment in his editorials (problem is I can no longer link to them) and then I got angry. I started answering back.
The Shawnee excitement came down to earth with a bang when finally City Council etc after receiving much detailed information decided not to renew the option for the land at Black River . I testified at length before members of city council and with a plethora of documentation for the record. ( Was not well received by the Foltin Administration)
Phot by Dan Brady
It was the selling of the little park that really upset Cole and the Morning Journal – you see we along with our sister organization of (Charleston Village Society) Black River Historical Society and Anne Molnar and various residents fought for that park to remain a park. We were gathering our arguments together when Frank Sipkovsky, President of the then Black River Historical Society walked over to City Hall and put in each councilpersons mail box a letter detailing their concerns as to what was going on with the park. Councilman Dan Given called for a vote then and there that evening to settle this situation : and King Cole really went off on them….
March 3rd, 2006: Editorial by John Cole in response to Lorain City Council’s unanimous vote NOT to sell the historic little Park…..
“You can’t make us believe that some council members didn’t cook up Monday’s vote in an illegal backroom meeting. That kind of government stinks as bad as those flooded basements. The state attorney general’s office should give these guys a wake-up call. Their vote could be invalid.
Every one of these zeros is up for re-election next year. Remember how they embarrassed you and your city with their rude and juvenile no-show act………
………Lorain has too many short-sighted, long-winded politicians, cranks and blowhards and not enough people who can look past all that and push forward with positive accomplishments that can make Lorain strong and attractive again.”
To be continued …
Morning Journal- The Punishing Press- Part 3
Part One : https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/morning-journal-lorain-the-punishing-press/
Part Two : https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/14/morning-journal-lorain-the-punishing-press-part-two/
ED NOTE As I revisit the situations in the early part of this century I am amazed at the amount of time, energy and money wasted. The 2004- through 2007 wheeling and dealing. Most of it centered around this old neighborhood, which of course is why I became involved and why I came up against the press and politics. Naïve is the word I would describe myself. Reading the harsh words today as I went through articles and posts of an Editor and a Mayor of that time.
I couldn’t help but think today
“ I was not a politician, I did not hold a job of work with the city or county or with anyone else.”
I suppose I was visible in the public eye due to all the volunteer situations and events from producing Lorain Community Music Theatre productions of Brigadoon and King and I , saving the Palace – Palace Players, one of the founders of Charleston Village Society and a great many other hats all of which did not bring me in a penny and cost me personally. Looking back and with hindsight I should have walked away years ago.
However, I was pilloried in the press and by local government administration as a “VOLUNTEER”- if this can happen to me it can happen and probably did to others. This is the reason I believe this regurgitating of “old news” is warranted.
Winston Churchill said,
“The further back you can look, the farther forward you can see…”
Apart from selling us ( Lorain’s oldest neighborhood) down the river – or on it by Foltin , Cole and the Shawnee , the gathering storm of the Foltin Follies hit Lorain Portside with not one but two blight studies and to hell with this old neighborhood and its people .
( Planned Blight ) was also on the agenda for the dismantling of the oldest greenspace in the county – now known as Veterans Park. Once again Cole , Foltin and Prudoff gathered together in the tower of power to make this happen for the developer Jon Veard. The paper calling that little slice of Lorain’s tangible history a “piss park”
Unfortunately I cannot link directly to those editorials they have disappeared , as has most of the Wom Blog articles at the time . I did however, manage to save some although the links embedded originally are “broken” through accident or design. A lot of revisionist history happens in Lorain.
Let us start with Blight. As a founding member and co chair of Charleston Village Society ( 1986 to present and a 501C3. )
http://www.loraincounty.com/charlestonlorai/feature.shtml?f=375llage
I received phone calls from the neighbors over on the Portside section of our neighborhood
A Mr. Gould would be coming into their homes to start a blight study.”
This was also around the time Eminent Domain for private development was being used see Kelo case https://ij.org/issues/private-property/eminent-domain/
We (CVSI) did some research and informed the neighbors NOT to let Mr. Gould onto or into their property and homes. We fought with what little resources we had and travelled to Washington D.C to meet with the Institute of Justice , became “friends of court for the Norwood Case” .
https://ij.org/ll/june-2004-volume-13-number-3/the-norwood-ohio-eminent-domain-trial/
With the help of the Institute of Justice – Gould and Associates could not meet the required percentage to “blight the neighborhood”- the first step in eminent domain .
On April 10th 2006 I testified before the State Task Force on Eminent Domain ( Ex Lorain Mayor Joseph Kozuira was a member of that Task Force. part of the testimony was as follows:
We believe the citizens and taxpayers are the last to know. In the Portside case it is the taxpayer that is paying the $125,000 for the study- $50,000 from our Utilities Dept -$25,000 from the Lorain Port Authority and $50,000 from the city- ALL dependent upon the tax payer and yet we were not informed of the ordinance or the fact that our money would be used. Every time a toilet is flushed in Portside they are paying for their homes to be under the tool of eminent domain. This evening (April 10th) they are asking the City to remove them from the study.
The designation of Blight in Lorain gives the following options to the city: the tool of Eminent Domain, TIF funding, and zoning changes and readies the area “in case a casino” or another concept comes across the board. Blight designation HAS worked well in Lorain with Harbor Walk but that development was different in the fact that the city and the developer (who owned the property) took a disused shipyard and turned it into housing and a marina. It is a wonderful asset. The difference being that there was financing in place, architectural drawings and “real plan” not concepts or visions. The community was aware of the project, it was no secret.
The city of Lorain has contributed to the housing infrastructure problems; the city of Lorain has NOT enforced building codes,
therefore contributing to the deterioration of our homes and infrastructure and NOW say-“oh the area should blighted!!”
ED NOTE:You can access the whole testimony here Eminent Lorain V
Are you adding up these costs to the taxpayer for the Shawnee, the Blight ? can you see why I was an irritant in the underwear of Foltin and Cole. Who the hell was I to point out the “waste” and meddle in their plans?
And then came the Park TAKE OVER- Lorain’s Oldest continuing green space from which the City of Lorain was platted and born :
The History Park- 1812- 201 hundred years – a recorded city park – Veterans Park Lorain Ohio
“In the closing months of 2005 the Foltin Administration along with Community Development Director Sandy Prudoff, Jon Veard and Morning Journal editor – John Cole, in their infinite wisdom, decided the historic park should be condos. Foltin and Co started the wheels in motion to make this little park unworthy of its heritage .
Mayor Foltin quietly stopped work and maintenance on the park so that after a period of months the park and its infrastructure started to rapidly deteriorate. The fountain no longer was turned on, said to have major problems ( which turned out later to be a false statement)- graffiti wasn’t removed – only the grass was cut – the vagrants were allowed to use it as John Cole’s editorial stated as a “piss park”. In truth Craig Miller the Safety Service Director told me the park would be “blighted”. Events happened when Jon Veard let the plans out of the bag prematurely and I, along with others, started fighting to stop this fiasco of finance.
And John Cole really had a field day with me and his editorials : However, I do have to thank him because it was “HE” who gave me the moniker “that woman” hence the name of this blog ….. Of course I was also named a crank, blowhard and history bonehead…..Nice
To be continued………
Morning Journal Lorain, The Punishing Press- Part two
Part One : https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/morning-journal-lorain-the-punishing-press/
This series stems from the fact a reporter from the Morning Journal, Lorain Ohio in my opinion got his knickers in a twist because Council Woman at Large Mary Springowski shared a full article on facebook ( but with the who what and where it was published) . Happens all the time but Kevin Martin took issue .. went to twitter etc ( operative word here TWIT) and one thing led to another. We will get back to Kevin Martin at the end of this series. He has not been alone in the pseudo bullying behavior over the years by the Morning Journal publication from the publishers to the editors.
However, I bet a lot of people from Lorain have no idea just what the meddling in Lorain has cost in dollars and cents.
ED NOTE : after the expenses were heading upwards of $100,000 dollars the monies were rolled over into a bond (see below) but before that happened I had started to make public records requests and here is the spread sheet from the City of Lorain Auditor at the time for the initial expenses incurred:
Hang on the ride continues. Since John Cole, former Editor, is now deceased he can not rebut my post but he had that opportunity more than once when he was alive and certainly took advantage of his position to make my life “interesting” . I will at the end of this series of course give the Morning Journal their unedited say on this blog!
2004
John Cole , Editor of the Morning Journal and then Mayor Craig Foltin put on a great dog and pony show, dangling the casino carrot to the desperate population of Lorain. It was touted as a cure all for all our economic troubles. My standing up to Cole re the Shawnee fiasco didn’t do me any favors and I was in danger along with Anne Molnar ( Lorain City Councilwoman. now deceased , the only city council person who took issue with the Shawnee ) of being “squashed “.
The following is from the article Condos for Cole which we will explore tomorrow!! Unfortunately the links imbedded in these articles have disappeared as has the original WoM Blog .
“It seems this town has a lot to thank Mr. Cole for in recent months. August 1st 2004 the editorial which pointed Lorain in the direction of the Eastern Shawnee. Starting off a firestorm of wheeling, dealing, controversy and spending of taxpayer’s money. The fact that National Capital One (in whose direction we were pointed) and Terry Casey, spokesperson for National Capital One who had a less than a sterling reputation was never mentioned in the editorial.
In fact although Dayton, Cleveland newspapers carried the story of Casey’s “faux paux” I could never find mention of that fact in any of Cole’s Editorials. The fact that National Capital One has pleaded guilty to securities fraud has not had any mention in any editorial I have seen since. And oh yes! the very person to whom Cole’s ability to “squash” was touted was that same Terry Casey in the infamous e-mail from Mayor Foltin: Also Terry Casey:
http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article/ohio-group-responds-to-tribal-casino-plans-148588
Plain Dealer 2005:
Repeatedly, Casey stressed that the Lorain plans had to remain secret. Foltin agreed but urged Casey to consider adding one person to the inner circle: John Cole, longtime editor of the local newspaper [Morning Journal]
ED NOTE: This article is no longer on line BUT you can access it here as I saved it : This article was in the Plain Dealer
Lorain mayor’s gamble paid off with casino deal
Talks with tribe kept secret from city officials, voters
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Molly Kavanaugh and Tom Breckenridge
Re: John Cole, longtime editor of the local newspaper. “I feel he should be briefed early (even in the next week or two) with the understanding that we are in very early stages and he will be the first to know if anything happens and when it becomes public,” Foltin wrote Oct. 11 in an e-mail to Casey. “He can personally squash any nay-saying and ensure broad community support.” – Plain Dealer 3/5/05
Now in 2007 I archived after another series of Cole’s decision making for Lorain for my records. The Shawnee fiasco the hundred thousand of dollars wasted and my take on Mr. Cole . Needless to say he wasn’t happy with me . And the citizens of Lorain shouldn’t have been happy with him, we were led down a very expensive garden path and I for one didn’t not like being threatened with being “squashed ” by him….
COLE-fuc-*-us say :
Apologies to Confucius
Since they don’t put the comics on line TP ( or That Paper) I always get a bit of laugh reading Mr. Cole’s take on life and so since we know that on August 1st 2004 Johnny Boy’s editorial sent Foltin charging off to the Shawnee and Terry Casey – his latest writings -especially this paragraph caused the bile to move up and out of the stomach and nearly choke THAT Woman!
The second throw of the dice for Lorain was Craig Foltin’s pillow talk with the Eastern Shawnee Indians. Predicated on dubious legal claims and if-you-say-so financial, planning and managerial expertise, the treaty was signed, the chief and the mayor blew a lot of smoke in the air and, before you knew it, Lorainites woke up one morning blood brothers to Tecumseh. It was a lot of fun if nothing else. John Cole
OH Johnny Boy! here I go again “nay saying” waiting to incur the wrath of the mighty King Cole! NO FUN for the tax payer -over $100,000 wasted by my calculations thanks to you supplying the bed for the pillow talk. And after a great deal of reasoning why we should jump in bed with your “slot sluts” you end up saying:
It’s time again for Lorain to jump into the casino game.
For your FUN peoples lives were disrupted and bunch of lemmings got on the casino tour bus 
following General Foltin to the Battle of the Little Big Bucks – A town divided , people in other parts of Ohio having their property compromised. I could go on – YOU SIR ! HAVE A PECULIAR IDEA OF FUN?
It seems a lot of the FEES were apparently rolled over into “a Bond” What Bond would that be I wonder? Could it be the Bond for the Jail?
The legal bill from Anthony Calabrese and the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease was rolled into a bond sale .
ED NOTE Anthony Calabrese was jailed for his part in another scheme according to the FBI press release:
Anthony O. Calabrese, III was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay more than $200,000 for his role in a series of bribery schemes involving Jimmy Dimora, Frank Russo, J. Kevin Kelley, and others uncovered as part of the Cuyahoga County corruption investigation, federal law enforcement officials said.
Remember the “Jail that never was Bond“ Johnny Boy ? The Plain Dealer had an editorial on that subject .
Lorain, the largest city in Lorain County, has no jail. Its police send their criminal suspects to the county’s lockup. Some critics say the city of 68,000 people lacks a jail because Mayor Craig Foltin and Safety Director Craig Miller diverted available money that could have been used to replace the antiquated facility that was closed last year.
They say it was spent on City Hall improvements, downtown lighting, landscaping and the like.
So Johnny Boy the next time you decided to get us in bed together for some pillow talk – cause you good Ole Boys “just wanna have fun” – YOU FOOT THE BILL!!!
ED NOTE: This article among others as I had felt the ire of the editor in his editorials and on his front page did nothing to calm the savage breast… but no-one was going to threaten and squash me not whilst I could write!!!!!
Continued Part three 2005-2007
Morning Journal Lorain- the Punishing Press?
ED NOTE: it takes a great deal nowadays to get my fingers flying over this keyboard. I have pretty much given up getting involved in all things Lorain. I am too old to worry about the future as it pertains to me and this neighborhood. Tired of swimming upstream. However, there are times that cause me to jump back in. This is one of them!
The Morning Journal vs City Council Woman at Large Mary Springowski
https://www.cityoflorain.org/305/Mary-Springowski
Mary Springowski . Council At-Large. Phone: 440-258-4302. Email Mary Springowski. Mary Springowski began serving as the Council at-Large representative on January 1, 2016 where she was gratified to receive the top votes in both the Democratic Primary …
Since the retaliation to various citizens ( usually me 😉 has been an ongoing behavior this post will be in a series one part every day! Time for a history lesson because history once again is repeating itself – in my humble opinion……( for the lawyers 😉
WoM Logo by Scott Baklar
Long time readers of this blog and the old WoM Blog will remember my penchant for holding the local press , especially the Morning Journal , Lorain to account. Unfortunately, that has put me time and time again on the list for punishment for my stance.
I had, with regard to publicity for the various theatre productions etc. and non profit , volunteer news , a very good relationship with the Plain Dealer, the Elyria Chronicle and yes! the Morning Journal. I would, when sending out press releases make sure the paper I was sending to had a local hook that differed with all three, meaning the press releases were geared to each paper so they weren’t rehashing the same article. This worked very well and over the years I like to think I built up a good rapport with the various newsrooms .
Unfortunately, this came to crashing halt in 2002 with the Publisher of the Morning Journal, Kevin Haezebroeck Publisher- The Morning Journal
Nov 2001 – Aug 2004 -2 years 10 months.
At the time I was on the board of what was MainstreetLorain a 501C3 . We were promoting one of our events in downtown Lorain. Our Director , at the time also promoted the event in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. This sent the hierarchy of the Morning Journal , Haezebroeck , John Cole ( deceased) and Bill Cyran (deceased) into a frenzy of frustration. I received a call from the Entertainment Editor ( since I was doing the publicty) he had been told to pull the article he was writing and the cover of the entertainment magazine. I called Bill Cyran and was told unless we got rid of our Director the Morning Journal would never give us any publicity again, I was informed we could only deal with the Morning Journal. I was shocked especially since Mr. Haezebroek was a sitting member of our Board of Directors. As the situation went from bad to worse, and as the majority BOD did not support our Director, due to not wanting to fall foul of the Morning Journal, our Director then resigned .
I was furious, not only at the majority of the BOD. and their, in my opinion ,cowardice at not standing united, I know they were probably scared of retaliation with their businesses but that a “free press” – the 4th estate, would stoop to such behavior. I had at that time a couple of columns for various publications ( freelance) and never had I come across such punishing behavior. I wrote in one of my columns in 2002 :
“Locally, this writer has had cause for concern with her “morning news publication” It seems that community coverage has become tied to the amount of advertising dollars spent, dictates by the publisher and editor as to with whom a non profit is allowed to do business. Retaliatory punishment of an organization because of a personal dislike of an individual who had the audacity to support advertising outside the dictates of the local “fair and balanced” periodical.
There were threats of non-coverage of community events whilst certain individuals remained in their position. In fact the threats became reality. How? You ask can a publication get away with that behavior. Can it be that the publication involved has become so used to dealing with situations they dislike by throwing their weight around, without answering to anyone for their actions? Have they become immune to the seriousness of their behavior? Have bullying and “mercenary” attitudes become so commonplace that they have forgotten their first obligation to John Q. Public? Can they no longer see their editorial opinions chastising others for suspect behaviors could well be directed inwards?
Who? I ask, stands up to the publications and say “NO! We will not be bullied”. Members of John Q. Public who quiver with fear at the thought of their company, political ambitions or organization being on the receiving end of a “nasty editorial”. Yes, it seems our local media has us by the throat, they will be fair and balanced when it suits them, they will as a recent quote in an editorial stated, “we will be watching”. The question begs to be asked, “Who then watches the watchers?”
Unfortunately, for the MJ and Haezerbroeck I became the “volunteer” Director of the MainstreetLorain 501C3 until we could bet another Director. Poor Kevin he found me difficult to work with …. probably because I didn’t cave in to his threat ( stated at a restaurant downtown when he was not in a good mood… I know he thought I was just a little overweight housewife on 4th street…. as he stated that day ”
” “never argue with someone who buys his ink by the barrel full …threat” as a matter of interest I had more monthly readers in one dance magazine than the MJ had in 10 🙂
However Mr. Haezerbroeck remembers it differently and came onto this blog a few years ago to correct me .. What I would have said was it was not smart to fight with people who “buy paper by the ton and ink by the barrel”.
( still a threat ???)
Next up 2004 Please note some of the links in some of the post are no longer linkable due to publications pulling them – but I usually kept the articles on file 😉
April 3rd- NO LIMITS -Chapt 3- Chris Ritchey
No Limits- The book
After the engagement announcement and the resulting kerfuffle with the in laws to be, I decided I would only do what I was asked , no suggestions or real involvement with this wedding. I could tell it would be walking on egg shells time.
A few days after the ring fiasco Chris called and said Angela wanted us to go to Beechwood where she had made an appointment to try on wedding gowns. It was rather short notice but Nikki and I, for the sake of fence mending, agreed to share in what should have been a delightful afternoon. In fact it was except the mother of the bride was not there, aunts and grandmother etc but no Sue Lombardi. Angela duly tried on various gowns and she did look lovely. I suggested that I would purchase the wedding veil of her choice.
Since I had to get back to a meeting – already planned- Nikki and I left. I found out later Sue eventually showed up as she didn’t want to take the time off work. Chris called and said Sue was very upset and
“What would I have done- would I have taken the time off? “
” Chris you aren’t pulling me into that situation”.. and I kept quiet.
Chris had still not recovered his usual good humour , although he was speaking to his sister once again. I couldn’t figure out what we had done wrong now. Finally , Nikki told me : Apparently Chris was beside himself worrying as to how he was going to pay for the wedding items that Sue and Angela had said were his obligation. The rehearsal dinner, cars, flowers , liquor for the reception, gifts, photographer, honeymoon etc. He had spent his savings on that ring and had just been offered a position with Wyse Advertising. Since his family had paid for all his college – 5 years at Cleveland Institute of Art he did not have any student loans and he was trying to get a loan for this wedding.
I thought to myself some of those of those expenses should have been covered by the Lombardi family and they should have realized what a wedding list of over 200 would cost this young man. but as I said
I was going to keep my mouth shut .
Chris came home from work and I asked him what exactly was worrying him and he told me. I told him his father and I would pay for all he needed to pay for and not to worry. He balked at the idea and I said:
OK let us pay for it , rather than you taking out a loan and you can pay it back to us over time.
It was decided and life pretty much went on, people being young and planning. Although it wasn’t all plain sailing as the bridesmaids and groomsmen were picked and Nikki , Chris’s sister was left out of the plans. Chris asked her why she wasn’t going to look at the bridesmaids dresses and she informed him
” I wasn’t asked , I don’t believe I am part of the wedding party” ( although her husband was)
Chris immediately got on the phone to Angela
“Nikki is one of the wedding party right? ( the reply of yes if she wants to be) rather a backhanded invitation ….
Looking back these things faded into the realm of really didn’t matter they were inconsequential in the grand scheme of life. Summer passed , autumn and Christmas and then in February a trip to the Doctors for Chris, whom we thought was not getting over bronchitus and swollen glands .
Our world was suddenly turned upside down inside out and the silent screaming started : I wrote about the phone call 10 days later:
All it takes is a phone call to start you screaming
Hello!
It was a phone call that sent an icy cold that permeated through my very core and has not left me yet, my brain not wanting to “compute” what my ears were hearing, mouth dry, eyes welling with tears , the incredulousness, the denial , the confusion, the sheer terror that runs through your frame, your mind screaming, a few seconds that changes your life forever- nothing will ever be the same.
A phone call that leaves you weeping with fear, that terror, whose tentacles reach through your very being, tearing at your insides, ripping to shreds happiness and laughter. One of the people you love more than life itself, one that you gave birth to, cuddled, bathed, fed and protected is on Route 2 and has answered another (cell) phone to be told that test results (for possible bronchitis) have come back with a life threatening disease.
face of a cancer cell
Someone please wake me from this nightmare……..what am I supposed to do, what do I say, how can I do anything- someone , anyone why????????????????
The look on your husband’s face as he tries to understand the picture of what is happening with this conversation………
The dread disease that sends a mother into the world of deal making ,
No please – not my child , let it be me, take me ,God how can I bear this?
How can I be brave and make it better when my heart is exploding with pain, every part of me screaming from the gauntlet of emotions that are coursing through my very essence?
You are removed from the world around you –
Nothing matters, not the politics, not the crime, not the state of the roads, not the weddings, the weather, blogs, the pettiness, media , CRA’s, pontificators, principles , presidents, arguments ….. .nothing…. your world has shrunk, your planet consists of no more than 8 people and the all consuming fire of fear that your child is going to be in a world of hurt and you are helpless.
You want to curl up in a dark place – trying not to feel, to escape but the pain and confusion drags you back to the surface of desperation, despair and the reality that is now your world.
Eventually the body decides, through sheer exhaustion, to sleep but the nightmare doesn’t stop, you wake, a pillow wet with tears, a coldness that remains in your very core reminding you there is no escape- you truly do
“wake from sleep exhausted”(Susette Kelo)
Family , friends try to be encouraging and for that you are grateful but in a mother’s heart there is really nothing that they can do or say , you want to wake up from the nightmare, make it go away.
Make it stop
You look for anything that will give you hope -that there is a mistake but somehow inside you know the truth – it will not go away – it is going to have to be dealt with.
No matter how old your child becomes they will always be your child. You see not the young man or daughter – you see the chubby 2 year old with soft plump arms, the eyes that never change
only mummy can’t- no soft butterfly kisses or a cookie is going to fix this – there is no magic bandaid with happy faces.
Your life and that of your loved ones is contingent upon a surgeon’s knife and upon a lab in California – a stranger making a decision that will decide whether there is happiness , hope or pain to come in your life and that of your child. You are just another lab report , a number with an insurance billing code- a job of work.
This nightmare of speculation and waiting for the next body blow , like some sort of insidious torture technique, rips at you and the very fabric of your family . Life goes on around you but you are removed you go through the motions but you aren’t really there and you only care about the turmoil that one phone call caused.
The tests, the scans, the trips to the hospital, the waiting rooms with color co-ordinated furnishings, a laugh echoing through a hallway, people talking about the weather, a child crying as life goes on -biopsies, more waiting – hoping- praying pleading with a greater power
“please let them have this wrong ” “please let it be a mistake”
Watching every movement,
“are they eating , are they paler today , the cough – is it better, worse,?”
Trying to smile, to put on the brave face and make life normal until the results are in, cooking food no one really wants to eat , but the strength has to be kept up.
Laying awake watching the clock tick away the hours of life and darkness, waiting for morning……things always look better in the daylight,
but that isn’t true- the mornings come and there is no sanctuary in the watery, wintery sun. Days run into one another, hours, the calendar and the marked events deemed important enough to make note of are no longer significant in their passing.
The darkness envelopes and you think of other mothers, how do they cope with news that threatens their babies, their teenagers, the mothers whose sons and daughters return from war missing limbs and with horrific injuries, how do they cope even having them in harms way- day after day ?
How does a mother bear the news that her child is gone- no longer to hold them, to feel a heartbeat , to gaze with love upon their face, the hear their laugh , to see their eyes no more ….the gut wrenching sadness the rises up. unasked, unwanted, and overflows with the releasing of tears without warning.
Then the results and you know, even before the Doctor opens his mouth – you see his eyes- what they are…. you hear the bad news tempered with good news and hope and another journey begins…………and you know that somewhere another mother shares your pain and fear and is trying to make a deal
take me, not my child………………..
To be continued
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