The DREAM project, no, not Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon, the real DREAM project, putting football back at the top of the Massillon School district hierarchy, both "athletically and academically," has been achieved.
Head Football Coach Jason Hall has been named Washington High School Athletic Director to the surprise of... to the surprise of... well, to the surprise of absolutely nobody.
This was predicted by the Massillon Review for over a year now, and as recently as;
www.massillonreview.blogspot.com/2011/05/dont-bother-applying.html
As this choice was the "recommendation" of new Superintendent Richard Goodright, many people will be suspicious that his support of the "Football First" reorganization of the athletic department was some sort of implicit side deal he cut before the 'Friends of the Program' football boosters offered him the job of running 'their' schools.
We hope this wasn't the case. We have our doubts, but we certainly can hope.
We would now like to offer a hearty congratulations to Community Hero and School Board President Marshall 'It's all about the kids' Weinberg, and the rest of the 'Friends of the Program' football boosters.
You have proven without a shadow of a doubt that football "drives the bus" in our Massillon schools.
Good job on taking 'your' schools back.
We will never again doubt who runs things.
We should see immediate improvements from this selection.
We expect that illegal drug activity in our city should plummet as a result of this enlightened choice, made for the benefit of all Washington High School sports..
"Recent issues, including an assistant coach and booster club member growing and selling marijuana, could have been avoided, Weinberg said, if the football coach could report directly to the superintendent" (The Independent, March 30, 2010).
And now he does.
Mission accomplished.
And the choice for assistant athletic director? Another football coach.
Because, well, because we just don't put enough emphasis on football at Washington High School..
Yes, this has truly been a decision made of strength.
Congratulations to all involved.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Not True
While defending himself from criticism that he has been absent in dealing with the city's Annual Summer Financial Crisis, Our Extraordinary Leader, King Francis the Unavailable, quipped in yesterday's Independent that "Certain people will blame this administration for everything from now until 2030."
No statement could be further from the truth.
We will blame him until 2032, not 2030.
Because that's when the golf course will finally be payed off.
He owes us two more years.
Get it right next time.
No statement could be further from the truth.
We will blame him until 2032, not 2030.
Because that's when the golf course will finally be payed off.
He owes us two more years.
Get it right next time.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
You ain't seen nothin' yet!
"We'll be able to pay for these increases," Cicchinelli said. "I'm not concerned about it. We will be there. I feel confident the dollars will be there to make it through this year and we'll have the dollars to make it through next year."
- Frank Cicchinelli explaining how the city was going to pay for the 4% pay raises, equating to about $500,000 dollars, that he doled out to the city's union workers. (The Independent, July 6, 2010).
"The tax question (raising the city's income tax .2%) comes as (Jayne) Ferrero scrambles to fill a gaping hole - an estimated $2 million - in the city's budget. She projects that the city will have to tap into other expenses, such as bills, to pay employee salaries by the middle of August. Asked if this year was worse than last, Ferrero quipped, "You ain't seen nothin' yet" (The Independent, July 27, 2011).
You ain't seen nothin' yet.
What happened to "The dollars will be there?"
Where did they go?
Let's see...
The crack Massillon Review Finance team has been tirelessly working their calculators to uncover where the dollars went this year.
$500,000 to employee pay raises.
$524,045 to golf course debt.
$50,000 for the final payment on Club Legends, the restaurant at the golf course.
$127,000 for the mortgage on the Hampton Inn.
$120,000 for the mortgage on the Duncan Place Senior Housing complex.
$29,000 "late fee" on Duncan Place mortgage.
$1,350,045.00
One Million, Three Hundred Fifty Thousand and forty five dollars.
One Million, Three Hundred Fifty Thousand and forty five dollars squandered on pay raises, golf course debt, and sweetheart deals where the project developers have stuck the taxpayers with the bill.
Now we know where the dollars went.
And this is just what we know of.
We concur with Auditor Jayne Ferrero.
You ain't seen nothin' yet.
- Frank Cicchinelli explaining how the city was going to pay for the 4% pay raises, equating to about $500,000 dollars, that he doled out to the city's union workers. (The Independent, July 6, 2010).
"The tax question (raising the city's income tax .2%) comes as (Jayne) Ferrero scrambles to fill a gaping hole - an estimated $2 million - in the city's budget. She projects that the city will have to tap into other expenses, such as bills, to pay employee salaries by the middle of August. Asked if this year was worse than last, Ferrero quipped, "You ain't seen nothin' yet" (The Independent, July 27, 2011).
You ain't seen nothin' yet.
What happened to "The dollars will be there?"
Where did they go?
Let's see...
The crack Massillon Review Finance team has been tirelessly working their calculators to uncover where the dollars went this year.
$500,000 to employee pay raises.
$524,045 to golf course debt.
$50,000 for the final payment on Club Legends, the restaurant at the golf course.
$127,000 for the mortgage on the Hampton Inn.
$120,000 for the mortgage on the Duncan Place Senior Housing complex.
$29,000 "late fee" on Duncan Place mortgage.
$1,350,045.00
One Million, Three Hundred Fifty Thousand and forty five dollars.
One Million, Three Hundred Fifty Thousand and forty five dollars squandered on pay raises, golf course debt, and sweetheart deals where the project developers have stuck the taxpayers with the bill.
Now we know where the dollars went.
And this is just what we know of.
We concur with Auditor Jayne Ferrero.
You ain't seen nothin' yet.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Unfinished Business
Massillon's Extraordinary Mayor for 160 Days, King Francis the Vengeful, has not been an active participant in ruling his kingdom since his primary election defeat to Kathy Catazaro-Perry, his likely heir apparent.
Since election day, Massillon taxpayers learned we were now on the hook for the mortgage of the Duncan Place Senior Housing Project. We have been paying part of the mortgage for some time, although that fact was kept secret, even from city council, until after the big election.
Mayor Cicchinelli said nothing about this problem. He offered no solutions and did not participate in the discussion on whether or not to foreclose on the owners.
The city is broke. According to Auditor Jayne Ferrero, the city had unpaid bills since March and will run out of money for salaries for police and fire in mid August. The auditor has proposed raising the income tax. Our mayor has said nothing. While he claimed the "dollars would be there," when he doled out 4% pay raises to the city's unions, he has nothing to say about the massive budget shortfall.
As we are all well aware, in the buck stops everywhere but the mayor's desk world of Frank Cicchinelli, he doesn't take responsibility for the problems he has caused. The job of cleaning up his messes always falls to someone else.
While it has looked like the Mayor had already abdicated his throne, because of his total non-participation in the serious issues of city government, we have learned that he has unfinished business to attend to.
Or at least an axe to grind.
Mayor Cicchinelli has had NO INTEREST in solving the city's budget mess.
Mayor Cicchinelli has had NO INTEREST in discussing the proposed income tax hike.
Mayor Cicchinelli has had NO INTEREST in dealing with the collapse of another sweetheart deal, one he negotiated, that has left the taxpayers on the hook for another project, this time a senior housing facility.
But now he wants to help.
Help redrawing the city council boundaries.
www.indeonline.com/newsnow/x1797083310/Committee-likely-to-redraw-Massillons-wards
He has proposed a committee of five to do the work.
Himself, Community Development Director Aane Aaby, who is appointed by and works for the Mayor for Five Months, Council President and Loyal Mayoral Enforcer Glenn Gamber, as well as one Democratic member of City Council (our pick will be Paul Manson) as well as One Republican member of City Council (there is only one - Donnie Peters).
These five people will then be charged with drawing new ward council lines for the City of Massillon.
It will work a lot like the "Independent" Parks and Recreation Board. The Mayor appoints three out of the five members and does whatever he wants.
Under this "plan," Cicchinelli will draw the council lines, Gamber and Aaby will rubber stamp it, and Cicchinelli will be able to punish his enemies.
We wonder if Tony Townsend and Gary Anderson will still have a seat when the music stops?
The Mayor has no interest in the city's impending financial Armageddon, something he is responsible, but wants to gerrymander council ward boundaries, something he isn't responsible for.
Now we understand that Paul Manson, Glenn Gamber, David McCune and Ron Mang will think this a marvelous idea.
Cicchinelli knows he probably can't control city council when he's "on hiatus" as mayor through the ballot box. He's going to skip that step, and redraw the council lines himself.
And the majority on city council will probably let him.
Since election day, Massillon taxpayers learned we were now on the hook for the mortgage of the Duncan Place Senior Housing Project. We have been paying part of the mortgage for some time, although that fact was kept secret, even from city council, until after the big election.
Mayor Cicchinelli said nothing about this problem. He offered no solutions and did not participate in the discussion on whether or not to foreclose on the owners.
The city is broke. According to Auditor Jayne Ferrero, the city had unpaid bills since March and will run out of money for salaries for police and fire in mid August. The auditor has proposed raising the income tax. Our mayor has said nothing. While he claimed the "dollars would be there," when he doled out 4% pay raises to the city's unions, he has nothing to say about the massive budget shortfall.
As we are all well aware, in the buck stops everywhere but the mayor's desk world of Frank Cicchinelli, he doesn't take responsibility for the problems he has caused. The job of cleaning up his messes always falls to someone else.
While it has looked like the Mayor had already abdicated his throne, because of his total non-participation in the serious issues of city government, we have learned that he has unfinished business to attend to.
Or at least an axe to grind.
Mayor Cicchinelli has had NO INTEREST in solving the city's budget mess.
Mayor Cicchinelli has had NO INTEREST in discussing the proposed income tax hike.
Mayor Cicchinelli has had NO INTEREST in dealing with the collapse of another sweetheart deal, one he negotiated, that has left the taxpayers on the hook for another project, this time a senior housing facility.
But now he wants to help.
Help redrawing the city council boundaries.
www.indeonline.com/newsnow/x1797083310/Committee-likely-to-redraw-Massillons-wards
He has proposed a committee of five to do the work.
Himself, Community Development Director Aane Aaby, who is appointed by and works for the Mayor for Five Months, Council President and Loyal Mayoral Enforcer Glenn Gamber, as well as one Democratic member of City Council (our pick will be Paul Manson) as well as One Republican member of City Council (there is only one - Donnie Peters).
These five people will then be charged with drawing new ward council lines for the City of Massillon.
It will work a lot like the "Independent" Parks and Recreation Board. The Mayor appoints three out of the five members and does whatever he wants.
Under this "plan," Cicchinelli will draw the council lines, Gamber and Aaby will rubber stamp it, and Cicchinelli will be able to punish his enemies.
We wonder if Tony Townsend and Gary Anderson will still have a seat when the music stops?
The Mayor has no interest in the city's impending financial Armageddon, something he is responsible, but wants to gerrymander council ward boundaries, something he isn't responsible for.
Now we understand that Paul Manson, Glenn Gamber, David McCune and Ron Mang will think this a marvelous idea.
Cicchinelli knows he probably can't control city council when he's "on hiatus" as mayor through the ballot box. He's going to skip that step, and redraw the council lines himself.
And the majority on city council will probably let him.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Once and Future King
The term mayor for life means just that.
Mayor for life.
A little hiccup like an election defeat will not deter Massillon's Mayor for 179 Days, King Francis the Optimistic.
We are confident that it galls him to no end that a woman he has absolutely no respect for, a woman he refers to as the "Third Ward Diva," will in all likelihood be sitting in the mayor's office, HIS OFFICE, on January 1st.
His office.
We wonder if he leaves voluntarily, or if security must help him exit the building.
He is coming back in four years. Mark your calendar. The clues are every where.
Clue No. 1-
We at the Massillon Review found it odd that some one who just lost their election would be holding a campaign fundraiser.
But our mayor is doing just that. Frank Cicchinelli is hosting a golf outing fundraiser on August 11th at the Legends of Massillon Golf Course. The Committee (Mrs. Mayor for 179 days) wants to make it the "best one ever."
But why? If he isn't running again, he wouldn't need to raise campaign cash.
Clue No. 2-
Our mayor has just set a full slate of annual town hall meetings, one for each council ward.
The first meeting is the Ward 1 meeting, scheduled for August 8 at the First Christian Church, 1020 Wales Road NE.
The last meeting scheduled is October 10 at St. Barbara's Catholic Church Life Center, 2813 Lincoln Way West.
Why? Less than two months after his last Town Hall meeting, he won't be mayor any more.
There will be a new administration. New people. New plans.
Clue No. 3-
City council is debating whether or not to raise the city's income tax and the mayor is nowhere to be found. This is perhaps the biggest clue to Frank Cicchinelli's comeback. In the buck stops everywhere else but the mayor's desk world of Frank Cicchinelli, he has his minions do his dirty work, like raise taxes.
Mayoral loyalists Jayne Ferrero and Paul Manson are pushing the tax idea, so you know Cicchinelli wants it. If the city needs the money, and the mayor wasn't running again, he could come to council and help promote the idea. He is no where to be found.
Our beloved Once and Future Mayor does not want the political baggage from a tax increase.
Raising revenue is still council's job. Not his.
Raising taxes is unpopular work.
Especially for a man who's focused on reclaiming what he believes to be rightfully his.
Mayor for life.
A little hiccup like an election defeat will not deter Massillon's Mayor for 179 Days, King Francis the Optimistic.
We are confident that it galls him to no end that a woman he has absolutely no respect for, a woman he refers to as the "Third Ward Diva," will in all likelihood be sitting in the mayor's office, HIS OFFICE, on January 1st.
His office.
We wonder if he leaves voluntarily, or if security must help him exit the building.
He is coming back in four years. Mark your calendar. The clues are every where.
Clue No. 1-
We at the Massillon Review found it odd that some one who just lost their election would be holding a campaign fundraiser.
But our mayor is doing just that. Frank Cicchinelli is hosting a golf outing fundraiser on August 11th at the Legends of Massillon Golf Course. The Committee (Mrs. Mayor for 179 days) wants to make it the "best one ever."
But why? If he isn't running again, he wouldn't need to raise campaign cash.
Clue No. 2-
Our mayor has just set a full slate of annual town hall meetings, one for each council ward.
The first meeting is the Ward 1 meeting, scheduled for August 8 at the First Christian Church, 1020 Wales Road NE.
The last meeting scheduled is October 10 at St. Barbara's Catholic Church Life Center, 2813 Lincoln Way West.
Why? Less than two months after his last Town Hall meeting, he won't be mayor any more.
There will be a new administration. New people. New plans.
Clue No. 3-
City council is debating whether or not to raise the city's income tax and the mayor is nowhere to be found. This is perhaps the biggest clue to Frank Cicchinelli's comeback. In the buck stops everywhere else but the mayor's desk world of Frank Cicchinelli, he has his minions do his dirty work, like raise taxes.
Mayoral loyalists Jayne Ferrero and Paul Manson are pushing the tax idea, so you know Cicchinelli wants it. If the city needs the money, and the mayor wasn't running again, he could come to council and help promote the idea. He is no where to be found.
Our beloved Once and Future Mayor does not want the political baggage from a tax increase.
Raising revenue is still council's job. Not his.
Raising taxes is unpopular work.
Especially for a man who's focused on reclaiming what he believes to be rightfully his.
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