Posts filed under ‘city of lorain’
Announcing a New Political Page and Blog
Interrupting this…. That WOMAN blog with news.
I have another blog OH HER AGAIN!
The OH Her Again Blog is going to be and is in addition to a Facebook page which is City of Lorain Politics concentric . The face book page is private and you have to be a member to see and or post of comment. This is to enable the administrators to have an easier job of “administrating”
(1) City of Lorain Politics | Facebook
The page deals only with the “Politics of the city of Lorain”. The page has only been in existence for the past week but already so much individual research has been added. Therefore, the informational pages all checked and verified with City and County officials has been up loaded to the blog. and more are coming.
The Oh Her Again blog is open and shareable by anyone. It was decided the information should be archived in one place. So far the informational pages have compromised of How things work re legislation in City council and responses .
The administrators of the City of Lorain Politics page hope to have intelligent, open and factual dialogue as to how things work, and possible solutions.
You will find on the side bar of OH HER AGAIN a widget as to how to follow the blog when it is up dated .
Morning Journal- Punishing Press-Part 4
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 😉
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….
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.
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/sigh-cra-p-p-stands-for-politics/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/here-it-comes-crappppp/
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:
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/two-sides-one-published-one-denied/
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
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/veterans-memorial-park-fini/
and an except of a letter sent to the city administration and in particular Prudoff…. and there they are again
Cole,
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)
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 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….
https://thbarchive.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/october-15th-2007-cole-and-foltin/
COLE-fuc-*-us say :
Apologies to ConfuciusSince 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
How does your garden grow? Part One
I love flowers , eating the vegetables and looking our the window at my garden and the ponds BUT I hate gardening. In the long before the turmoil that has struck this home especially in the last few months I would , in the springtime, have a blitz for one day in the garden. Usually it was to get my husband to move the stuff that had accumulated over the fall and winter and tidy up. I really don’t like weeding , digging in the dirt and getting all hot and sweaty but I love the results when my garden looks full of flowers and the pond and the waterfall wakes up in the spring.
The pond I have written about and the Ghost Koi
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/the-ghost-in-the-pond-continued-2015/
Purchasing the vacant lot next door in 2015 was a huge drain and investment of time and energy.
Illness interrupted the rehabilitation of the now vacant lot, my ideas and wants had to be put on hold but eventually thanks to the help of two little boys who moved so much dirt the ground was level. I was amazed at how much these two little tots worked and how much help they were. I am still amazed!!!
The once vacant lot was divided into two sections and the back section I decided on a mini orchard with still ponds , plantings consistent with non filtered and pumps water gardening. In other words letting the plantings in the ponds filter the water with no fish.
Considering we are two blocks from Lorain’s downtown this was a bit of a novel idea for Lorain, Ohio. After a season of raw builders dirt used for fill where the previous little house had been ,
dodging the concrete and rubble that had been dumped in what was a ravine and small rivulet that runs under the property next door we managed hit and miss plantings of the trees for the orchard.
My husband would use the back part of the original lot as his vegetable garden, we flourished with tomatoes, peppers, potatoes ( planted by the grandchildren ) corn and asparagus.
And so success for a couple of years, the planted orchard of two cherry trees, one peach tree , one pear tree, two apple trees and a plum tree blossomed beautifully. It took a couple of years but this year they all bore fruit and that is another story to come in this urban orchard.
The front part of the vacant lot was planted more formally I envisioned climbing roses on the fence and archways, the side rockery full of roses, butterfly bushes and lavender for the fragrance as we opened the windows.
We have a lovely balcony and it was my mother’s pride and delight to empty the containers , refill with new soil and planted fresh every year with all the plants she received on Mother’s Day. Of course watering was an issue as the balcony is in full sun and south facing. Mum, being mum was forever weeding out the errant weeds that somehow made it to the containers and would water twice a day.
Last year as she fell into decline at 99 she did not have the strength to plant and water so that job fell to me. My mum loved those flowers and her bedroom was off the balcony so she would sit and enjoy the garden from above and sit amongst her flowers.
It has been a terrible few months one way and another , my mother passed in October and January found my husband extremely ill ( as has been documented in the series )
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2019/07/11/medical-care-a-consumers-perspective-brookdale-pt-2/
Time and weeks slipped from dead of winter to spring whilst the garden lay dormant , my thoughts were not of how to manage the garden or ponds.
Trips sometimes twice a day for hours dealing with medical issues left me tired, frustrated and lacking energy . I admit it took what was left of any energy to keep the house running and laundry up to date. I had no time or desire to deal with anything else.
In order to wind down before bedtime I would watch my British murder mysteries and also programs from Britain on gardening, basically because they took me back to the land of my birth, to familiar places and happier times . One such program and presenter / gardener extraordinaire is a chap called Monty Don, https://montydon.com/
he has numerous garden shows but the one I would watch every week on Britbox
is Gardener’s World
https://www.gardenersworld.com/
and there by hangs the rest of the tale on how my garden grows this year and the way Britain is rewilding and cultivating the pollinators one flower pot and meadow at a time !!!!! https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/garden/plants/a28574537/wildflower-seeds-garden/
‘Wildflowers are often capricious so if you have the space, create varieties of habitats within your garden – shade, dampness and wild. You can also, within reason, harvest the seed of our more common wildflowers from the wild.’
More so now than ever, gardeners are being urged to transform parts of their garden into wildflower meadows to help save the bees. The UK has seen a vast decline in the number of bees, and with 75 per cent of all food crops requiring pollination, the rapidly declining bee population has been cause for serious concern.”
and help the sunflower kisses
To be continued
A rusty old boat and tale of the Lighthouse.
Taking a break from the series of “healthcare USA” to tell the tale of a rusty old metal boat, not really wanted anymore , not much use, holes in the bottom,two or three paint colors interspersed with the rust. BUT she has a tale to tell this old girl , she carried the volunteers out into the lake and to the Lorain Lighthouse on many a day.
Lorain Lighthouse , the history of the previous and current lighthouses can be found here https://lorainlighthouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Lorain-Lighthouse-History-1917-2017.pdf on the webpage of http://www.lorainlighthouse.com .
1965 the United States Coast Guard had no further use for the “Lorain Light “and she was slated for demolition . Fate intervened and people rallied to Save the Lighthouse. 1966 the Lorain Light was decommissioned and a five year lease was given. Unfortunately , things didn’t go as planned, the lease expired and the Coast Guard turned the property over to the General Services Administration .
1974 and bids were put out to purchase the Lorain Lighthouse. A community rallied around , politicians , businesses , historical societies, local and state government got behind the saving of what has now become the ICON of ALL THINGS LORAIN. Ironic when you think just a few decades ago she was scheduled to be demolished. Now of course every where you look she is used in advertising, promotions, fodder for the photographers, she is Lorain!
But what of those volunteers mentioned in the “history ” the ones that took on a huge project to rehab , maintain and make her beautiful once again, they had to make the journey from the shore to the light. The history tells one such operation in the many years of restoration and bring in the “light” was “Operation Lighthouse”
“Operation Lighthouse” took about 17 days to complete with multiple delays due to inclement weather that made trips out to the Lighthouse risky.
and there it is our segue from land to shore and back again – a rusty old blue battered boat that has sat in many places over the years , in wind and weather no-one particularly caring for her. And yet it was this boat that took those volunteers time and time again safely to and from the Lighthouse in order to save her .
This rusty old tub has a new home , delivered by volunteers on Lorain Pride Day to between 2nd and 1st streets on Oberlin Avenue.
The area just west of Eric Barnes Heroes Walk, south of Settlers’ Watch , where a replica carved from a tree stands in the children’s garden
, north of Lorain Utilities parking lot and positioned pointing to the Lorain Lighthouse, near the Lighthouse shed
and the Lorain Portside sign.
She has been beached , and soon will be landscaped and loved once again.
Her contribution to the Lorain Lighthouse recognized, a reminder of those volunteers. In weeks to come she will be tied to granite pylons, sea grasses and plants will adorn her area , white gravel and blue glass mulch , roping, a lick of paint here and there and new lettering and love will anchor this old lady of the lake . The volunteers and people who saved the Lighthouse deserve such admiration and recognition. I hope they will remember the old blue boat with a fondness and smile as she settles in her new home promoting and recognizing the Lighthouse .
I often think if everyone who used the likeness of the Lorain Lighthouse and actually make money from her likeness would donate a few dollars to the Lorain Lighthouse Foundation they would never have to ask for any money again.
Such is the tale of a Lighthouse in Lorain and an old rusty blue boat, together again …..
Photo courtesy of http://www.lorainlighthouse.com
The Lorain Lighthouse Foundation, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1989 by a group of civic leaders wanting to preserve Lorain’s historic lighthouse. The foundation is a volunteer group looking to preserve a unique part of our local history – the Lorain Lighthouse.
Your donation can help the Lorain Lighthouse Foundation, Inc. to maintain “The Jewel of the Port” as one of Lorain’s most famous landmarks. All gifts to preserve and maintain the Lorain Lighthouse are fully tax-deductible.
Lorain Lighthouse
319 Black River Lane
Lorain, OH 44052
Sherrod Brown and Hospice THANK YOU- Lorain
This blog has been all about death and dying recently – more so than usual. It has been a long 6 months since my mum was put under Hospice Care. I have to give a shout out to Mercy New Life Hospice – Kolbe Road. https://www.mercy.com/locations/specialty-locations/hospice-care-palliative-care/mercy-new-life-hospice
because their nurses and aides helped me keep my promise to my mum that she would stay in what became her home here with us.
It was NOT easy, anyone that tells you that being a “carer ” 24 hours a day 7 days a week will not leave you drained, frustrated , emotionally pulled in so many directions has not walked that path.
I found myself having to do things for my mum in those last weeks that I hated doing and she hated having done. She could tell by my face that I was struggling with things. I was never cut out to be a nurse , never wanted to care for the ill but you do things you never thought you would because of love. There were times I didn’t think I could keep my promise as lifting and being “on duty” 24/7 took their toll physically, my husband and I were the walking wounded to begin with. Thank goodness for my daughter who stepped up to the plate on more than one occasion.
And then all of a sudden she was gone, my job was gone as well, it has taken many days not to listen for the sound of her “chimes” calling me upstairs to help her. Not to look at the clock , not to wake at 3 in morning and get up and check on her. The days of trying to find something she could eat or might tempt her to eat put aside. Tea was her elixir of life in this house.
I am grateful to the Doctors , nurses and aides because those last months she and I didn’t have to worry about the prescription coverages, the medical bills. WHY because she was covered by insurance and why was that ?
Regular Readers will remember this time last year I was fighting the gatekeepers . Kasich , the Governor of Ohio , had done away with the medical program under which my mother was covered and paid into for decades. People who should have known a way forward did not help this 98-year-old woman , bureaucracy abounded and for months I fought and cajoled only to be turned away by the local Social Security Offices ( Medicare) – Job and family Services – all this is documented and one day I will write in-depth the whole sorry fiasco. I was at my wit’s end for so many weeks – I was helpless – ME who can cut through the crap to solutions stymied , lost in a healthcare limbo, not knowing where to turn next.
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/the-gatekeepers-keeping-us-out-part-one/
On November 6th we will be voting , I am in a quandary as to how most of my votes will be cast BUT there is one person who will receive my vote as well as that of my family Sherrod Brown – https://www.brown.senate.gov/
Why???? because his staff in Lorain and “his” caring , expertise and knowledge of the medical system, federal programs cut through all the gobbledegook I was facing and pointed us in the direction of HELP when not one other agency or politician would or could.
Still the confusion with bureaucrats and up jumped Muppets of Medical abounded BUT now I had people with knowledge to help us through and that was totally thanks to Sherrod Brown and his offices. Because of that my mum and I only had to deal with “dying” and could access the medical assistance she needed .
So yes this is a political “Vote For” post but I know in my heart of hearts this man and the people he employs CARE and cared when I needed the help the most. I am not a Democrat or Republican and haven’t ever before asked anyone to “vote For” but I am doing so now and I take this plea very seriously please vote for Senator Sherrod Brown thank you ………..
To Stabilize or DE-stabilize that is the question Lorain County
UPDATE!!!! today the 29th of April I drove past the property that was the Olde English Parlour and Lorain Creamery and what a difference in just a few days. The property has had the mattresses and tires and junk cars on the sidewalk of last week removed and the place tidied and cleaned – Thank you City of Lorain
The 10 hundred block of 4th street especially 1026 has been mentioned in the past few days . https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2018/04/23/a-dangerous-situation-castration-of-justice-lorain/
The Incarceration House
Interesting home , a pretty home and now a mini jail ( in my opinion ) where ,according to court records ( Judge John Miraldi’s court), there is a history. Check out these court cases from Lorain County Court of Common Pleas and John Miraldi’s courtroom – You be the judge – and please check out the indictments
16CR093607 03/25/2016
Then there is court case : 16CA011062 which is apparently ( not being an attorney I have struggled with some of the documentation ) an appeal … but that date is 12/27/2016
BUT this “gentleman – of our neighborhood “ was arrested less than one month later with regard to a heroin bust at 1141 W 14th Street
http://www.morningjournal.com/article/MJ/20170124/NEWS/170129722
Jan 24, 2017 – A Lorain Police Department SWAT Team member watches the front of Matatanes Auto Repair and Towing, 1141 W. 14th St., as narcotics detectives search the business Jan. 24, 2017. The Lorain Police Department Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant at the automotive repair shop and at 911 W. 14th …
Approach the bench – side bar-
Lorain readers will remember this lovely little business at 1141 W 14th used to be the Lorain Creamery / Olde English Parlour . How many of us enjoyed ice cream and a a meal at the Olde English Parlour?
https://sites.google.com/site/loraincreamery/home/production
http://danielebrady.blogspot.com/2009/07/lorain-creamery-scoop-5.html
http://www.chroniclet.com/news/2012/03/18/Fire-damages-former-Lorain-Creamery.html
and now???? Just drive by , I did – past the trash , junk and mattresses etc. Who let that facility end up the way it has , where are the inspections???? … From Lorain County Auditors Site – Owners Nicolaou Petros & Elena – tax bill mailed to 897 S Lake St. Amherst . Ohio
Oh yes! been down that road before – Whomever it was should have been fired in my opinion….. but I digress back to the courts:
Case number 17CR095700 ( back in John Miraldi’s Court ) 02/14/2017
You may well be asking WHY am I still banging on about this guy and his court case ? You see there is a little more history on this 10 hundred block.
In my opinion the County and the Courts have acquiesced to having this person serve time ( under house arrest) in our neighborhood thereby “destabilizing” a neighborhood that has its struggles and abuts the downtown which everyone is wanting to “bring back???
He wasn’t originally living in this neighborhood NO! he was arrested at 911 W 14TH ST LORAIN, OH 44052 owned by Barreto Cadido and Megdalia and whose tax bill of $6,273.98 doesn’t look to have been paid in 5 or 6 years .
These streets around downtown could be positive foot traffic for the big downtown renewal but what sort of foot traffic is being sent your way answer me that – Downtown Lorain?
In fact the county , under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program poured money into this block, taking down a derelict house that had stood abandoned for over forty years, upon the advise of another expensive “study” –
Thriving Communities Institute of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy- Sarah Ryzner, the institute’s director of projects, and Paul Boehnlein, GIS and conservation planning specialist had a lot to say starting with two doors down from the now “incarceration house”
The Icon House
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/11/16/welcome-to-fairyland-aka-in-the-pink-lorain-ohio/ and https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/away-with-the-fairies-living-in-lorain/
True to their word with much hoopla Lorain County Land Reutilization and Lorain County Port Authority came and took down the Icon House
“So under the auspices of the Lorain County Land Re-utilization Corp – Lorain County Port Authority
whose mission ” Improving Lorain County and Revitalizing Neighborhoods” the eyesore ,that was once a well-loved and cherished home, came down.”
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/history-demoed-another-rehabbed-pt-1/
This segues into the rest of the story because thanks to the Neighborhood “Stabilization” Program -the county and co – another historic property The Coleman House – 1031 W 4th was rehabbed see the story here …
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2014/07/22/history-demoed-another-rehabbed-pt3/
The county duly rehabbed the house- it was too far gone for an historic rehab, but supposedly helped with stabilizing the neighborhood. More than a few 10’s of thousands went into this “icon” project …We, in the street were pleased someone was recognizing the worthiness and rehabbing.
My question is will the county and courts get on the same page …. please make up their mind because using the “house across the road from the rehab house as a “16 hour a day place of incarceration” is not conducive to stabilizing this neighborhood .
And whilst we are at it and the cost to the “community”- that apparently has no say so in control- I asked the Judge John Mirald etc i- for which I never received and answer :
How much does a drug raid cost us the taxpayers , local, state and federal for our law enforcement to go on these raids as opposed to the amount of sentencing????
MAKE UP YOUR MIND LORAIN COUNTY – DO YOU WISH TO STABILIZE OR DESTABLIZE THIS STREET……… The community who have invested years have rights too………….. OR DO WE?????? Lorain County and Courts enquiring minds would like to know!
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