Memorial Day

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final-resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate... we cannot consecrate... we cannot hollow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us... that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

.

November 19, 1863

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Golf is Fun!

It takes more to be Mayor for Life than an obedient city council who will cheerfully rubber stamp your every proposal, regardless of how financially irresponsible it may be. It takes more to be Mayor for Life than Board appointees who put your political fortunes ahead of the common good. It takes more to be Mayor for Life than department heads who enforce the party line, that all is perfect, and to say other wise marks a citizen as an "Anti-Cicchinelli Mayor Hater." It takes money.

Massillon's Mayor for life has incorporated his fund raising with Massillon's favorite past time, golfing at the Legends of Massillon. Mayor Cicchinelli has a golf outing fund raiser every year at the Legends of Massillon Golf Course. Why just last year, Massillon's Mayor for Life raised $14,165.00 at his fund raiser. Who could resist a day out golfing with our Mayor, and helping him raise the funds needed to remain Massillon's Mayor for Life.

Let's see what kind of people pay money to golf with our Mayor.

Massillon's Fifth Ward Councilman, Republican Donnie Peters, ponied up $360.00 to golf with the Mayor. This must be a mistake, for Peters is a Republican. Oh wait, he is a Republican In Name Only (RINO), who now strives to be our Mayor's obedient foot soldier.

John D. Helline kicked in $360.00 to play golf with the Mayor. Helline... Helline... that name rings a bell. Oh yes, there is a John Helline who is an investor in the Massillon Hampton Inn. The City budgeted $211,000 of our community block grant money to pay the mortgage on this private hotel. We can see why John Helline wants to play golf with the Mayor.

Golfer and Developer Roger Deville tossed in $460. Developer Tim Putman kicked in $190.00. Putman developed the Grand Mill Centre office building in downtown Massillon, and our Mayor moved the Health Department in to give Putman a tenant. Two Republicans on council at the time, Nancy Halter and Jim Filhour, voted no. Those were the days, when the Republicans on council thought for themselves, and were not rubber stamps for the Mayor. So much for two party government.

Todd Locke, our Mayor's advertising guru, coughed up $360.00. Excavator Howard Wenger was good for $460.00. Mary Pribich, wife of Mayoral confidant, poker player extraordinaire, and Park Board member Ron Pribich, donated $500.00. The Aqua Ohio PAC (Political Action Committee) threw in $180.00. Boy, those Aqua Ohio folks sure are civic minded. Not only do they donate substantial money for the Mayor's Summer Concert Series, they want to golf with him too. I wonder what they want... Oh, right, good government. Parks Director Kenn Kaminski also donated to the golf outing. He was probably just there to protect the golfers from Massillon's infamous Park Vandals.

Not only was there a fun day of golf, but a scrumptious meal at the Club Legends restaurant, which we now own, was included.

Golf sure is fun... and profitable.

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!

According to The Repository, The Stark County Commissioners delayed making a decision on Massillon's request to annex the R.G. Drage Career Technical Center.

"Commissioners said Wednesday that they don't necessarily agree with the annexation, which would subject teachers and staff at the technical center to Massillon's income tax."

Perhaps the county commissioners need to spend a little time with Massillon's answer to Thomas Jefferson, Fifth Ward Councilman Donnie Peters. According to Peters, the city's income tax "comes with the territory," and he's tired of hearing arguments about "taxation without representation" (The Independent, 4/13/10). We are guessing King George III was tired of those arguments from his colonies, too. And hey, if its what the Mayor wants, who are you to argue.

It is no secret that Peters is no fan of President Barack Obama, complaining about taxes, and referring to him as a "socialist." Well Donnie, it takes one to know one, and if the Sickle and Hammer fit....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yDrtNEr_5M

Tiger Pride

The Massillon community has a long and proud tradition of High School Football. It was born early in the last century, nurtured by Paul Brown during the Depression, and recognized 22 times as the Champions of Ohio. The Greatest Show on Turf, something the whole community can be proud of. Unfortunately, some members of the community don't hold the football program in high esteem, and a number of Massillon's Stark County Neighbors show animosity towards the Tigers. Jealousy? Maybe. We at the Massillon Review believe we may know the reason why some folks show disdain for the Tigers. That reason will be on display tonight, at 6:00PM, at the Massillon Middle School. It is the behavior of a number of "Football Boosters," and "Friends of the Program." Not all of them, but some of them.

These "Friends of the Program," act as if they own Massillon's High School Football team. They are the self proclaimed guardians of tradition. They know best. And what they think is best is that the position of head football coach and athletic director should be merged, and that the Assistant Athletic Director should be the Tigers offensive coordinator. Forget the other sports, football should be recognized as the top priority of the school district. Apparently, one school board member, Marshall Weinberg, believes this is such a great plan, that it could even reduce drug use in the community; recent issues, including an assistant coach and booster club member growing and selling marijuana, could have been avoided, if the football coach could report directly to the superintendent (The Independent, March 30, 2010).

The "reorganization plan," or "football first" was opposed by Superintendent Lisa Carmichael. The School Board voted it down, 3 - 2. Board members Gary Miller, Vicki Becherucci, and Tom Seesan voted with the superintendent, and voted the plan down. Certain members of the Tiger Football Booster Club, and a complement of "Friends of the Program" have directed their ire at Board President Tom Seesan. They are trying to get Seesan to resign, and have started a yard sign campaign to "Oust Seesan." They will be protesting Tom Seesan at the Massillon School Board Meeting, scheduled for 7:00PM tonight, at the Massillon Middle School. They will be starting at about 6:00PM.

The protesters will not include some of the more prominent "Friends of the Program," as they lack the testicular fortitude to do the work themselves. No, others will do it for them. What they hope to accomplish is to have Seesan resign, and appoint someone more amenable to the reorganization plan, someone like Ron Pribich, former Board Member, and confidant of Massillon's Mayor for Life. Pribich, who lost elections for the school board in 1997, 1999, and 2007, was appointed once, and was elected once, in 2003.

We hope Seesan sticks to his guns, follows his convictions, and doesn't quit. We believe he has more integrity than to be pushed around by a small group of people who care for little in the Massillon School District beyond what is best for the football team.

Some people, unfortunately, do not like the tradition that is Massillon Tiger Football. It isn't the coaches, kids, or administrators that have created this climate. It is the overzealous behavior of some of the "Friends of the Program," and it will be on full display tonight.

Which Rubber Stamp Will It Be?

As Margy Vogt has resigned from the Parks and Recreation Board, it is time for Massillon's Mayor for Life to nominate someone new. Will it be an independent thinker who has the best interests of the parks at heart, like former board member Joe Luckring? Or will it be a rubber stamp for the Mayor, someone who has Cicchinelli's political interests at heart, like board member Ron Pribich, who was actually rejected by City Council on a 6-3 vote before Judge John Haas ruled he could serve anyway?

You have got to be kidding! It will absolutely be a rubber stamp. You don't get to be Mayor for Life by having board appointees think for themselves. If he could appoint Ron Pribich twice, he would. The early money is on Kevin Phillips, who is our Mayor for Life's once and future candidate for Ward 2 Councilman. Phillips lost the vote to be appointed to council when former Councilman Chuck Maier moved out of the Second Ward. Gary Anderson was appointed, and the mayor was none too happy. It was alleged that Anderson was "anti-Cicchinell," and a "Mayor Hater."

We anticipate Phillips will be back politically, and will run against Anderson in next year's Democratic Primary. Let us not forget that it was Gary Anderson who negotiated a water rate increase for Massillon's water consumers, after being out maneuvered and out foxed by the mayor. We suspect Phillips will campaign against the double digit rate increase negotiated by Anderson.

Republican In Name Only

A "RINO" is a slang term for a "Republican In Name Only." It means that an elected official may be a registered Republican, but that office holder doesn't really subscribe to Republican principles. Lately, Massillon's only elected Republican on City Council, Donnie Peters, has been a Republican in Name Only. Peters gave Massillon's Mayor for Life the crucial one vote margin he needed to pass his unbalanced budget. Peters joined loyal Democrat rubber stamps Manson, Hersher, McCune, and Mang in giving the Mayor yet another political victory. The budget is a work of fiction, and revenue does not match real life expenditures. The Massillon Review believes this budget will pave the way for the City's annual Summer fiscal crisis.

When Mayor Cicchinelli annexed the R.G. Drage school from Perry Township, he was able to grab about $70,000 of income tax from the teachers and others who work there. Once the property was annexed into the city, the teachers had to pay Massillon's 1.8% city income tax, which includes the .3% park and recreation income tax. Congratulations to the teachers at R.G. Drage, their salaries now help subsidize a golf course!

The teachers did not have legal standing to oppose this annexation. They complained that it was taxation without representation. One would speculate that Massillon City Council's lone Republican would surely sympathize with these teachers. Their taxes were raised without their vote. Surely Donnie Peters, Republican member of Council, would appreciate their plight, that their taxes were raised without their vote. Republicans stand for low taxes, limited government, and a strong business climate. Surely Donnie Peters showed up to council that night wearing a tri-cornered Revolutionary War era hat, ready to demand that these teachers not have their taxes raised without their vote. He must have been on the phone all weekend, rallying support from the local tea party activists, demanding that they fight taxation without representation. Protests. Petitions. Rallies.

Right?

Nope.

Peters said the tax "comes with the territory," noting he's tired of hearing arguments about "taxation without representation." (The Independent, 4/13/10).

Tired of hearing arguments about "taxation without representation?"

If our founding fathers shared Donnie Peters' views on taxation, we would still be a British Colony. We can only envision Donnie Peters standing on a pier in Boston Harbor chastising Sam Adams, claiming that the tax on tea "comes with the territory."

God Save King George!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN9EC3Gy6Nk

Donnie Peters. A man of deep convictions. A Republican In Name Only.

Surveying the Landscape

The Stark County Park District has put up a survey on its website to gauge public opinion and help them plan for the future. Citizen input? Who needs citizen input?

Let's compare.

The Stark County Parks District is holding open public meetings where they encourage citizen input as they develop their next five year plan.

The Massillon Park District had an unpublicized elected officials tour so they could show city council that "park vandals" were responsible for all our park problems.

Stark Parks has an online survey to gauge public opinion, both good and bad, in an attempt to continuously improve their parks.

Massillon Parks Director Kenn Kaminski believes people who are critical of the Massillon Parks may be "Anti-Cicchinelli." We find this a novel way to gauge public opinion. Either the parks are in good shape, or you are a Mayor Hater.

Stark Parks allowed the Armed Forces Softball tournament to go forward without charging our armed forces.

Massillon Parks wanted to charge our armed forces to play softball.

Stark Parks invests its tax dollars in parks and walking trails.

The Massillon Park District owns a restaurant.

If you wish to take the Stark Parks survey, just link to;

http://www.starkparks.com

We encourage the Massillon Park District to put up their own survey.

We dare you.

Fun with Numbers

Massillon's Mayor for Life and his faithful rubber stamps on City Council have authorized the following prudent expenditures necessary to maintain the most basic of city services just this year.

$211,000 for the mortgage of the Hampton Inn, a privately owned hotel.

$199,000 to purchase the restaurant at the golf course.

$527,885 for the annual debt payment on the golf course.

$937,885 Total

Heck, thats knockin' on a million dollars. No wonder we have to charge our kids and our soldiers to use our ball fields.

Good thing there is a local ordinance granting the Mayor and City Council annual, unvoted pay raises. They sure have earned their money this year.

We at the Massillon Review are confident the citizenry can only marvel at the fiscal responsibility being exercised on our behalf by our local leaders.

Summertime

As we head towards Memorial Day weekend, considered the unofficial start of Summer, we need to get ready for another marker of Summer in Tiger Town, the City of Massillon's annual budget crisis.

Here is how it works. City Council, being obedient rubber stamps, approve the Mayor's budget pretty much as submitted. In order to make the math work, so that expenditures do not exceed revenue, the Mayor does not budget for things like police and fire overtime. Hopefully there won't be any crimes, or fires during off hours. We suspect that may not be the case.

Around June or so, Auditor Jayne Ferrero reports that the City is (pick a number) short financially. Massillon's Mayor for Life, never one to let the buck stop at his desk, asks the City Auditor to recommend spending cuts, and asks council to "plug the budget hole." He acts like it is not his problem. He seems to forget he submitted the budget that was never really balanced in the first place.

Making cuts is the Mayor's job, not the Auditor's job. The Auditor is not the City's administrator. The Auditor merely pays the bills and tracks the money. The Mayor, with approval of City Council, decides how and where that money is spent. The Mayor is responsible for running the city, not the Auditor. Of course making cuts is not politically popular, and you don't get to be Mayor for Life by making unpopular cuts. The Auditor takes the bait and makes recommendations for spending cuts, because the Mayor tells her to.

The City normally dodges the bullet financially because a wealthy person dies, and they receive the inheritance tax, or a building owned by the Parks and Recreation Board burns down, and the Mayor grabs the money from the parks, or the voters pass "Electric Aggregation," and the City gets a "Civic Grant" from the utility company.

Relying on death and disaster to survive financially does not seem like a prudent way to manage a city. Mayor Cicchinelli's luck has been good lately. Our community will be wondering what happens when it finally runs out.

Did You Know?

Did you know? The City of Massillon spends Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money to pay the mortgage for a private hotel.

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) provides annual grants on a formula basis to entitled cities and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low - and moderate - income persons.

Massillon uses this money to pay the mortgage on the Hampton Inn hotel. At the May 3rd City Council meeting, City Council voted to allocate $211,000 of the city's share of CDBG money for the mortgage of the Hampton Inn for 2010. Only Councilwoman Kathy Catzaro-Perry voted no.

We can clearly see how paying the mortgage of a private hotel fulfills the mission of the CDBG grant "by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low - and moderate - income persons."

$211,000 of our tax dollars going to a private hotel just this year. The City is on the hook for a 20 year loan. $211,000 is just one year's obligation.

A hotel. What does Massillon's Mayor for Life think of spending our tax dollars for the mortgage of a private hotel;
"It was a good expenditure of tax dollars and the city is better off for it."
(The Independent, May 8, 2009)

Enough said.

2032

The enormous debt on the Legends of Massillon Golf Course will not be paid off until 2032, which, by our calculations, will be the first year of Mayor Frank Cicchinelli's 12th term as Massillon's Mayor for Life. He will be running for his 7th four year term as Mayor for Life next year. The golf course will never make a profit until 2032 because of the enormous annual debt payments. This year the City of Massillon will be paying $527,885.00 on golf course debt. A mere $267,885.00 will be spent on just the interest. That's not even counting the $199,000 that City Council negotiated to pay for the restaurant at the golf course. Total it all up, and you reach $726,885.00 total. If you think this is a wasteful expenditure of $726,885.00, your reasoning is obvious. You must be anti-Cicchinelli.

Back in 2008, our Mayor for Life tried to sell 52 acres at the golf course, 6 of the holes. He tried to sell it twice. No one made a bid either time. If the golf course was such a spectacular idea, why was he trying to sell chunks of it off? If you count the annual debt as an expenditure, there is no possible way the golf course will ever break even, let alone turn a profit, until 2032, a mere 22 years from now. If there was only a way to remove this albatross from around the necks of Massillon taxpayers...

Apparently there was. It has been alleged that about five years ago a local businessman offered to take over the payments on the golf course, and assume the operating costs. Allegedly, this businessman negotiated with Massillon's Mayor for Life, with Law Director Perry Stergios present, in the Mayor's office. If this is true, it would have been a deal the City should have jumped at. If this is true, we wonder why they did not.

The Price of Freedom

America's Armed Forces protect our nation and ensure our freedom around the world on a daily basis. They are heroes and have earned our respect and admiration through the courage of their service. This is an especially dangerous time for our men and women in uniform, and our troops are on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan serving our nation with honor.

Our Armed Forces locally wanted to put together a softball tournament of recruits, active duty personnel and reserves. It was to include the Army, Army Reserve, Marines, Air Force, National Guard and the Navy. It was to be a day of fun, camaraderie, and competition for our Armed Services. They wanted to play the games in Massillon. Apparently, the Massillon Parks Department wanted to charge them $500 to use two fields.

Fortunately, the Stark County Parks District stepped up and offered them two fields without cost. The Armed Forces Softball Tournament will be played on Saturday, May 22, starting at 8:00AM. The games will be played at Petros Park in Perry Township. Everyone is invited to watch. Bring a comfortable lawn chair and cheer your favorite military branch.

We are confident the Stark County Park District is proud to have our Armed Forces play softball in their park. The sacrifice of our Armed Forces have more than paid for the field rental.

$13,404,575.00

In November, 2002, Massillon City Council finalized a General Obligation Bond for the Legends of Massillon Golf Course. This included the cost for the nine hole expansion, and the remaining debt on the original 18 hole course. The debt stood at $7,281,232.65.

On December 16, 2002, about a week before Christmas, Massillon City Council, at the strong urging of Massillon's Mayor for Life, merged the golf course with the Parks and Recreation Department. Why? Because the Parks and Recreation Department had a revenue stream, the .3% income tax, to subsidize golf course debt. Massillon's Mayor for Life claimed the merger was to "streamline" City government, and was not a scheme to have the Parks Department cover the golf course's expenses. Of course, this ended up being a scheme to have the Parks Department cover expenses from the golf course.

This debt will not be paid off until 2032. The taxpayers will pay $6,123,342.35 on the interest alone, according to the bond repayment schedule. The total cost will be $13,404,575. The golf course may only be worth $3,500,000 on its best day. The scheduled bond payment for 2010 is almost $528,000. Over half a million dollars of golf course debt paid this year alone. If that money was used for maintenance and upkeep at our parks, they would indeed looks as nice as Parks Director Kenn Kaminski would have us believe they are. We would have decent parks, well maintained ball fields, and we wouln't have to charge our kids to use them.

Do the Right Thing

In theory, the City of Massillon Parks and Recreation Department is run by a five member board (Commonly referred to as The Parks Board). It is a joint district between the City of Massillon and the Massillon City Board of Education. Each board member is appointed for a five year term. The Massillon School Board appoints two members, and the Mayor, with the approval of City Council, appoints three members. The Mayor has the upper hand in this arrangement because he appoints a majority of the board members. The Parks and Recreation Department is funded by a .3% income tax, passed by the voters of Massillon in 1995, specifically for parks and recreation. This tax generates more than $2.2 million dollars per year.

Parks Board member Margy Vogt just resigned. She was appointed by the Mayor, and the Mayor now gets to appoint her replacement. In late 2008, juvenile delinquents set fire to the chapel at the old state hospital grounds. The property had been purchased by the Parks Board, and the chapel was insured by the Parks Board, using Parks Board money. The insurance claim paid out $490,000. The Mayor had this parks money deposited in the City's general fund, not with the Parks Department, which paid for the insurance policy. This incident was part of the taxpayers lawsuit ruled on by Judge Haas. Judge Haas ruled in Mayor Cicchinelli's favor. The City has the right to raid the Parks Department money, even though the Parks Tax was supposed to be used for parks and recreation. The Chairman of the Parks Board at the time was Joe Luckring. He was appointed by Mayor Cicchinelli to serve on the Parks Board. Luckring wrote a letter to Mayor Cicchinelli asking that the money be returned to the parks, where it rightfully belonged. Cicchinelli had a better idea. He replaced Luckring as a member of the Parks Board. He appointed Ron Pribich, a well known friend, confidant, and rubber stamp for Cicchinelli. People believe Pribich, unlike Luckring, would never contradict Massillon's Mayor for Life, even if it was the right thing to do.

According to State Law, City Council must approve a mayor's appointment to the Parks Board. Massillon City Council found the appointment of Ron Pribich so detestable, that they rejected it by a vote of 6 - 3. Council members Manson, Hersher and McCune stuck with the Mayor, as they always do. Mayor Cicchinelli argued that he didn't need Council's approval, because Massillon has a local law that stated he didn't need Council's approval. This also went to Court. Judge John Haas ruled that the appointment stood, and that Massillon's local law trumped Ohio's state law. Pribich's appointment was legal. City Council then changed the local law, requiring the Mayor to get Council's approval on future appointments.

This brings us up to today. Mayor Cicchinelli may now appoint Margy Vogt's replacement, but it must be approved by Massillon City Council. Speculation is that Massillon's Mayor for Life will appoint another rubber stamp. You don't get to be Mayor for Life by having your appointees contradict you, like Joe Luckring did. Council rightly rejected Ron Pribich. We beg Massillon City Council to require the Mayor to appoint a competent, independent person who has the best interests of the Parks Department at heart. Please, for the community's sake, do the right thing. Put the taxpayers above any personal loyalty to our Mayor for Life. Force the Mayor to appoint someone who will do a good job, not a person who will be just another rubber stamp.

Anti-Cicchinelli Rhetoric

"There is no doubt the parks and recreation department is getting more criticism this year (than in the past)," he said. "I think the reason is two things. One there will also be anti- (Mayor Frank) Cicchinelli people. If he says the sky is blue they will think it is green and, two, there are people who are continually looking for something to pick on."
- Parks Director Kenn Kaminski, The Independent, May 10, 2010

We finally understand. The parks are in great shape. If they are not in great shape it is because the citizens are "Anti-Cicchinelli" mayor haters. It isn't that the parks and recreation income tax passed by the voters is being hijacked to pay golf course debt and to buy a restaurant. Nope. It isn't that Massillon's Mayor for Life merged the golf course with the Parks Department because the golf course had a $7.2 million dollar debt that the City could not pay. No, it isn't that when our Mayor for Life went to a Parks Board meeting and "stated that they promised the citizens that the city would not subsidize this golf course" (Park Board Minutes, November 14, 2002), and did just that, took park tax money and subsidized the golf course.

It isn't that the promises made when the park income tax was on the ballot were broken. Promises like, "Passage of this issue will allow for the revitalization and improvements of our neighborhood parks, the creation of a community park with ball fields for our youth sports programs, and a community recreation center." It isn't that the City is now charging our youth sports teams to use these fields. No, it isn't we are now gouging our children. Oh no. It isn't that our Parks and Recreation Department's budget is double that of neighboring Jackson Township, who manage to maintain their parks properly and let their residents use their fields for free.

No, it isn't that there is not enough money for routine maintenance and upkeep because the City has committed to spending $376,000 of our park dollars for a restaurant and golf course debt so far this year... and it is only May! No, it isn't that we pay our Parks Director built in overtime, and provide him with a car and a gas card. No, it isn't that when an actual insurance claim of $490,000 for real vandal activity was paid for the arson related destruction of a building owned by the parks board, insured with parks department money, was taken from the parks, and dumped into the City's general fund, and not used for park maintenance and repairs as it should have been used. Oh No. It isn't that when a Park Board member, Joe Luckring, actually stood up for the parks and the citizens, and demanded the $490,000 be rightfully returned to the parks, and our Mayor for Life's response was to replace him on the Park Board with his lackey Ron Pribich, an appointment so repugnant, that even City Council voted against it 6 - 3.

Nope. It isn't that Kenn Kaminski seems to see his top priority to be protecting our Mayor for Life from criticism, telling us that the Emperor is wearing fine gold and silk clothes when he is so clearly naked. The problem is evident. It is crystal clear. People who don't believe the parks are being properly maintained are "Anti-Cicchinelli." If you don't believe our parks are in great shape, and that perhaps spending our income tax on an unprofitable, debt ridden golf course may not be the best idea, you are dead wrong. You would be "Anti-Cicchinelli." You would be a Mayor hater. Perhaps a politician this paranoid should seek employment in another line of work.

If these pictures do not reflect a pristine park system, you of course are "Anti-Cicchinelli." You better look twice!

The Past is Prelude

Someone isn't telling the truth. Is it Parks Director Kenn Kaminski, or is it Parks Director Kenn Kaminski? The Massillon Review believes it is Parks Director Kenn Kaminski.

Kenn Kaminski stated to the Independent (Foul Ball? City's fee increases at ballfields a swing and a miss to some, April 10, 2010);

"the department (Parks) will use income tax revenue to pay $177,000 of course debt this year."

OK, $177,000 of parks tax money to subsidize debt payments at the golf course. Got it.

$199,000 of Parks income tax money was used to buy the concessions contract at the golf course as well (Massillon City Council Minutes, March 15, 2010). Add these two numbers up, and the total is $376,000 of parks income tax money used for golf course expenses in 2010 alone. Seems pretty straight forward, doesn't it?

Well, not according to Kenn Kaminski.

In Monday's Independent (City's parks director gives councilmen tour of Massillon Parks), Kenn Kaminski states the following in relation to the criticism that the golf course drains away money from the park system;

Kaminski said many critics point to the Legends of Massillon golf course as the root of the problems faced by his department. "That's not an accurate statement," he said. We didn't give any additional money to the golf course. Money from the golf course that is brought in is the only money spent on the golf course." Kaminski admitted in the past that wasn't the case.

We are really confused.

In March, the City spent $199,000 to buy the restaurant at the golf course with park tax money. In April, Kenn Kaminski stated the City was spending $177,000 of park tax money paying golf course debt. In May, the golf course was only spending revenue it generated through use, and "we didn't give any additional money to the golf course."

Who is telling the truth? April's Kenn Kaminski, or May's Kenn Kaminski?

The Massillon Review's crack investigative team has this all figured out. Using park tax money to subsidize the golf course only happened in the past.

"We didn't give any additional money to the golf course."
...Kaminski admitted in the past that wasn't the case.

The past. A long, long, time ago when dinosaurs were roaming down Tremont. Way back when. March 15th, seven long weeks ago, when $199,000 of our park tax money was used to buy the restaurant at the Legends of Massillon Golf Course. Four long weeks ago, when Kaminski admitted the City was spending park tax money on golf course debt retirement. The distant past. Hopefully historians will be able to reconstruct this ancient time and explain how our .3% Park income tax was used to subsidize a golf course.

An Enemy of the People

By all accounts, Board of Education Member Tom Sessan is a good person. Former Superintendent of MRDD, Rotarian, and Tiger Football fan. As Superintendent of the Board of MRDD, Seesan was a true professional, helping those in our community least able to help themselves. He then ran for the Massillon School Board. Mr. Seesan wanted to get the DREAM (Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon) project back on track.

As a School Board Member, Tom Seesan quickly learned that the cost of the Paul and Carol David foundation's involvement in the DREAM project came with a few conditions. Seesan balked at making the Massillon Tiger Football Coach, Jason Hall, the Athletic Director for all sports, and making Alex Wood, the offensive coordinator, Assistant Athletic Director. Superintendent Lisa Carmichael opposed this, and Seesan backed up his Superintendent. This action by Seesan was quickly condemned by members of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club, and various other self proclaimed "Friends of the Program." A number of Boosters and "Tiger Insiders," are threatening to vote down Massillon's school renewal (not a new tax) levy to show their anger at football not given its place of supremacy in the Massillon School District. As a result of Seesan's vote, he is now an Enemy of the People.

The "Friends of the Program," many of whom have never picked up a football, let alone played high school football, are not done yet. They have a plan. They plan on forcing Seesan to resign, because he did not vote to "restructure" the athletic department to the "Tiger Insiders" liking. They are now putting up yard signs throughout the community asking for his resignation. They want to pressure him to resign so that they may appoint a new school board member, unelected by the community, who will properly take care of football as a member of the school board. Look for someone like Ron Pribich, the ultimate insider and confidant of Massillon's Mayor for Life, to seek the appointment.

The primary concern of a school board should be educating the children of the school district. It should not be the prize in some proxy fight over who runs a high school football team. The Massillon Review hopes Tom Seesan tells these "Friends of the Program" where to stick their yard signs, that he is staying, and if they want to be on the school board, they can get elected to it like he did.

Vandalicious

Recent photographic evidence of vandal activity in our parks submitted by our readers. We can see clearly how routine maintenance and upkeep could never possibly slow these vandals down. These Park Vandals are out of control. We at the Masssillon Review can only hope Parks Director Kenn Kaminski and our City Council are careful today as they enter the belly of the beast, and confront these vandals head on.

Sprucing up

Saturday morning, Parks Director Kenn Kaminski is leading Massillon City Council on a tour of our parks to show council that the deplorable condition of our parks is because of vandal activity, not because our parks money has been diverted to subsidize the white elephant of City government, The Legends of Massillon Golf Course.

There just isn't enough money for basic maintenance and upkeep all year long. It appears, however, there is just enough money for one week of proper care. Reports are flooding in from around the City that city workers are frantically trying to cut grass, trim, lay mulch, and clean our parks, best as they can before the weekend. Unfortunately, we don't believe this level of effort is anything more than an attempt to get council to buy into the Vandal Theory.

Of Course there is some vandal activity. That is why the Parks Board has insurance. Unfortunately, the City Administration can, and has, taken money for park claims and diverted it to the City's general fund, when it should be used for fixing the parks. Our .3% Parks Income Tax generates plenty of money to fix problems in our parks. Unfortunately, money is going for golf course debt and a restaurant.

Kaminski is trying to put his best foot forward for his tour. We think he's trying too hard. The rubber stamps on council were never going to question Kaminski's Vandal Theory anyways. If Kaminski tells them to see vandals, some council members will. No reason to spruce up.

Park Vandals Tour Stop

When Council members Kathy Catazaro-Perry and Tony Townsend complained that our parks were in disrepair, but the Golf Course was immaculate, Parks Director Kenn Kaminski had the answer at hand. The problem with our parks was not that our parks tax money was being hijacked to subsidize the golf course's $7.2 million dollar debt, and to buy a restaurant. The problem, according to Kenn Kaminski, was Park Vandals. It was all the vandals fault. He was going to take the members of Massillon City Council on a tour of the parks to show them the havoc these vandals have wrought. We waited patiently, but there was no tour. Surely the public would be invited to see the vandals' carnage first hand. After all, we pay the bills. Still no tour.

Finally, seven weeks after a promised tour, Kaminski delivers. We at the Massillon Review are proud to be the first media outlet to announce the Massillon Tour Stop for the Park Vandals 2010 Tour. The Vandals Tour will kick-off on Saturday, May 8 (This Saturday), at the Massillon Recreation Center, at 9:00AM. While it does not appear the taxpaying public has been invited, I am confident Director Kaminski and the City Council will be positively thrilled if we attend and offer to follow in our own vehicles so that we may see Massillon's Park Vandals at work firsthand, and ask questions of our elected leaders. Questions like;

When juvenile delinquents set fire to the chapel at the former State Hospital Grounds, why was the $490,000 insurance claim given to the City's General Fund, and not the Parks Department, even though the building was owned and insured by the Parks Department. Wasn't this Parks money that belonged to the Parks Department?

Or someone could ask why our Parks Department spends twice the annual budget that Jackson Township does, and our youth sports teams are charged to play on our taxpayer funded ball fields, while at Jackson Township, the kids can play for free?

Maybe you could ask Kaminski to show you the Parks Department's Five Year Plan. Oh wait, they don't have one. OK, let's try this again. The Stark County Parks Department has a five year plan, and has public meetings to gain citizen input. How come we don't?

Our guess is that this Parks Tour will be as scripted as professional wrestling. The Council members will either be blindfolded, or only shown a very limited piece of the parks system. It has been speculated that the Parks Department has laid some mulch in a few select areas, and hung some swings in an attempt to spruce up before the big tour.

We hope a council member, or two, asks real questions about maintenance and upkeep, and that they ask to see some ball fields, tennis courts, and playground equipment. We hope this is a legitimate exercise and not an attempt to blame a lack of proper maintenance and upkeep on something other than a lack of funding because of the necessity to subsidize the golf course with our park income tax dollars.

Parks Quiz

This was sent in by one of our loyal Massillon Review readers.

It's time to play find that soccer goal. These are three images of soccer goals from around the world. Guess which one is from;

A.) Mexico
B.) Iraq
C.) A Massillon City Park

Marshall Law

Local restaurateur Kevin Smith was charged by the federal government for "conspiracy to cultivate marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and maintaining a premises to manufacture marijuana in Stark County, Ohio." It has been alleged that Kevin Smith had one of the most sophisticated marijuana growing operations in the history of our fair city.

Kevin Smith is a former Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club President, who was a member of the Football Booster Club's Senior Executive Board. Kevin has been temporarily suspended from his Booster Club duties until the conclusion of his legal proceedings. Kevin Smith ran for Massillon City School Board as part of a team with Ron Pribich, a former school board member, in 2003. Kevin was also appointed by Massillon's Mayor for Life to the City's Zoning Board of Appeals. Perhaps Kevin was hopeful that the two homes he owned where the marijuana was growing could be zoned for agriculture. Besides his apparent love of poker, he circulated campaign petitions for Dale Walterhouse when Walterhouse, at the urging of certain politicians, tried to defeat Kathy Catazaro-Perry for Ward 3 Council.

It is a tragedy when something like this happens in our City. Unfortunately for our community, it didn't have to go down like this. If we had just made the Massillon Tiger Football Coach the Athletic Director as well, this wouldn't have had to happen. It's true. According to Massillon School Board Member Marshall Weinberg, recent issues, including an assistant coach and booster club member growing and selling marijuana, could have been avoided, if the football coach could report directly to the superintendent (The Independent, March 30, 2010).

We blew it. Had only School Board members Tom Seesan, Vicky Becherucci, and Gary Miller made the football coach the athletic director as well, not only would the DREAM project have been saved, but we could have curtailed Massillon's drug trade as well.

It is clear where the blame for this fiasco lies. Squarely at the feet of Massillon Schools Superintendent Lisa Carmichael. She opposed the plan to make the head football the athletic director. Had she only heeded Marhsall Weinberg's prudent advice, we could have taken a bite out of Massillon's drug problem. Shame on you Lisa, how do you sleep at night?

Department of Justice Press Release

From the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cleveland

Massillon Residents Indicted for Marijuana Conspiracy

Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced that a federal grand jury in Cleveland returned an indictment charging Kevin Smith, age 41, and Edwin E. Smith, age 53, of Massillon, Ohio, with conspiracy to cultivate marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and maintaining a premises to manufacture marijuana in Stark County, Ohio.

For additional information, go to this link

http://cleveland.fbi.gov/

and check the "Press Room"

I See Park Vandals

Back in March, at our Mayor for Life's urging, Massillon councilmen David Hersher, Ron Mang, David McCune and Larry Slagle voted to spend $199,000 of our Parks Tax money to purchase the concessions contract at the Legends of Massillon Golf Course. The vote was a 4 - 4 tie, but Council President Glenn Gamber voted in the affirmative, making the Massillon Taxpayers the proud new owners of the Club Legends restaurant. Council members Tony Townsend and Kathy Catazaro-Perry voted against this purchase, and then questioned why our parks were in such poor condition, while our golf course was immaculately maintained. Could it be that our Parks Tax money was being used to subsidize the golf course and our parks were being neglected? No, according to Parks Director Kenn Kaminski, the deplorable conditions of our parks was the result of Park Vandals.

It wasn't that our Parks Tax money was hijacked to buy a restaurant, subsidize the unprofitable City owned golf course, and help pay the staggering $7.2 million dollar golf course debt. It was vandals. Kaminski even promised to take the elected officials of Massillon on a tour of the City parks to show them the havoc these vandals have wrought. Kaminski has not yet gotten around to his "Vandals 2010" tour, so The Massillon Review, with the help of our readers, exposed the vandals responsible for ruining our parks. Let us recap;



We have Vandal #1, Wear and Tear. Routine maintenance and upkeep could never fix Wear and Tear.



Vandal #2 - Oxidation.




Vandal #3 - Neglect



And finally, Vandal #4 - The Legends of Massillon Golf Course, the most insidious of all the vandals. The Legends of Massillon Golf Course has hijacked our parks tax money which should have been used for the basic maintenance and upkeep of our parks.

Instead of using the Parks Tax money from the .3% income tax narrowly passed by the voters to fix our parks, we now charge Massillon Youth Sports Organizations to play on the fields that our income tax was supposed to provide and maintain.

So what of Kaminski and his "Vandals Tour?" Well, rumor has it that Kaminski is planning a secret tour for the elected officials, so that he may show them vandal activity without the prying eyes of the taxpaying public. We certainly hope this is not true. If you are going to have a tour, make it open to everyone. What is there to hide? Unless this "Tour" is more scripted than a Broadway play.

Of course there is some vandal activity in the parks. It is not, however, why our parks are in the deplorable condition they are in. If something is broken, fix it. That's why we have a Parks and Recreation tax, not to run a golf course. If there is to be a tour, invite everyone. After all, it is our tax dollars you are spending. Invite the public, let them ask questions. Unless, of course, there is something you are trying to hide. We anxiously await our invitation.