A Happy belated Mothers Day!

On the Saturday before Mothers Day this year, The Independent newspaper printed what was meant to be a feel good story about Massillon's first woman mayor, Kathy Catazaro-Perry, the family she shares with local doctor, Anthony Perry, and how she juggles being mayor and mom to her and Dr. Perry's six children, including a daughter who has Downs Syndrome.

There wasn't anything overtly political in the story, just a busy woman handling career and family responsibilities. This is a common experience shared by many women in Tiger Town, though most don't live their lives under the same spotlight as a mayor does.

However, what this harmless, non-political, non controversial pre-Mothers Day story wrought on the comment section of our local hometown paper did not appear to keep with the spirit of the occasion.

The comments posted lacked joy.

They were misogynistic and personal.

And many folks around town believe these extraordinary comments sprung from the friends and family of  Massillon's Once and Future Mayor for Life, the Extraordinary One, Frank Cicchinelli.

And these comments would appear to be representative of the feelings of Team Cicchinelli, who, like the Japanese soldiers at the end of World War II, hiding in the caves, refusing to believe the war was over, continued to fight for their Emperor.

For them, the election defeat of their Lord Sovereign of the City could never have happened.

What the Extraordinary One and his gang never quite figured out was that the root cause of his defeat, the crux of his problem, the error of his way was his insular behavior.

Surrounded by lackeys and sycophants, he compiled a Nixonian enemies list that would have made Richard Nixon himself blush.

He would take punitive action against someone for a perceived slight that happened years prior. With the Extraordinary One, the wounds never heal.

He would crack skulls over something as harmless as an attempt to name a park.

He was perceived as being mean, aloof and punitive.

Which brings us back to Mothers Day 2013 and the comments posted.

Which appear to be representative of the joyful attitude he brought to Massillon City Hall.

On May 20, 2013, The Independent had this to say in that week's "Cheers and Jeers" editorial;

"JEERS to those commenting on Indeonline.com who used an inspiring Mothers Day article about the mayor and her family as an opportunity to take personal and political shots at Massillon's "first lady." The vindictiveness and general belligerence reflected in those inappropriate remarks may be the biggest reason we saw a changing of the guard at City Hall in 2012."

To whom could they possibly be referring?

Frank Cicchinelli will be back.

Mark it in red on your calendar.

Like a General Douglas MacArthur before him, he shall return.

He and his crew saw the last mayoral election as a blip, an aberration, a correctable event.

The comeback is on.

And we are confident his quest to reclaim what is rightfully his will be carried on with the same dignity, good will and spirit of fair play that was his hallmark.

It, of course, will be extraordinary!