|
City Auditor Trent Williams
breaks tradition with old practice of special
consideration for the elite super-wealthy. Mobster C.
Clayton Johnson got by with holding the September 1999 fire
sale for the Martings "damaged merchandise" without paying
proper fees and later in 2002 the same SOGP/Mob-Man Clay
Johnson again cheated the city by not paying even one
dime in "Going Out of Business Sale" fees for the final
months-long sale of Martings merchandise.
(You remember C.
Clayton Johnson: he is the SOGP man who cheated us
out of two million dollars in the Martings Fraud in May
2002. He still has our
money.)
Auditor Trent
Williams did not let the big-money Warsaw Family off
without paying "Going out of Business" fees. Good
work, Trent; thanks for doing an honest job on Lewis
Furniture. The City needs the fees.....written by Austin
Leedom |
COUNCILMAN JOHN HAAS DRIVING $42,990 PORSCHE
According to people who keep us informed at City
Hall,
his failure to make Child Support payments did not keep
“Dead-Beat Daddy” City Councilman John R. Haas from driving
a stylish new Porsche Cayenne Luxury auto to the special
“Recall Jane Murray” city council session last
night. This must be
new! Vehicle has 30-day tag
displayed. To people
who don’t know him, Councilman Haas may be impressive in his
new $42, 990 Porsche Luxury Cayenne.
(Reference : Automobile Magazine.)
*************************************************************************************************************
Truth about why John Haas
was appointed to Council 10 Dec 08
http://www.runboard.com/bmoesnewsforum.f1.t13464|offset=10
Opinion and prediction, by
Austin Leedom 8 Dec 08-
(This article was written and
published the day before the council meeting when Haas was
appointed)
CITY
COUNCILMAN
JOHN HAAS IS A
'DEAD-BEAT-DAD'
Fifth
Ward City Councilman John R. Haas was ordered to appear in
Common
Pleas Court 11/10/10 for contempt of court for failure
to provide support for his children. sciotocountycpcourt.org/
H
John Haas FAILEURE TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT case still
pending in Common Pleas Court – Most recent motion was filed on
Thursday, October 28, 2010.
**************************************************************
WILL POLICE
CHIEF CHARLES HORNER NOW USE HIS SECRET
POLICE
POWER TO MAKE WAR AGAINST NEWLY DISCOVERED ENEMIES,
“THE DOMESTIC TERRORISTS
WHO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT
LOCAL
OFFICIAL CORRUPTION?"
Mayor Calls City Corrupt
was
a
top news line in the
Thursday, August 19, 2010
edition
of the Portsmouth Daily
Times (PDT) FRANK LEWIS, PDT
Staff Writer in a front page article, reported, “Portsmouth
Mayor
Jane Murray has called the city of Portsmouth ‘the most
corrupt city I have ever witnessed,’ in an on-screen interview
with WSAZ TV in Huntington.”
Reporter Lewis reported that in an
interview with Mayor
Murray
she affirmed she had made the statement.
Two
days later, in the Sunday, 21 August, 2010 edition of the
Portsmouth Daily Times
reporter FRANK LEWIS wrote:
Horner
Says Mayor Should
Back Up
Allegations
FRANK
LEWIS quoted Police Chief Horner, “Horner said use
of
the word corruption infers that the Police Department, Fire
Department,
Solicitor’s Office or any such department in the city, i
s
corrupt, and thus sheds a bad light on everybody in city
government—
And
that’s not good for the community. If there is evidence,
the
evidence needs to be brought forward to the appropriate
authorities
for evaluation, Horner said”
“On
Friday, Murray was asked her response to Horner’s call for evidence
to
back her claims. “At the right time I will take the information to
the
proper authorities,” Murray responded.
End
of quotes taken from the Portsmouth Daily
Times.
It
is noteworthy that no other member of any other city department who
complained
to FRANK LEWIS about Mayor Murray mentioning
corruption.
Only
Police Chief Charles Horner cried out, Chief Horner may have
spoken up
just to get his name in the newspaper again and at the same time
aggravate
the Mayor, if he could.
Or Horner may have good reason that he
doesn’t like to hear about corruption of public
officials.
There is an
old-time saying that seems to fit this
situation.
“When you throw a rock into a
pack of dogs, the dog that yelps
and cries is the
dog you hit.”
Portsmouth
Police Chief Charles “Chuckie” Horner wants to know about
corruption. Horner has been less a
policeman and more of a crooked politician
and paid-for servant of the super-wealthy local
gangsters/shysters/bankers
who have looted our city treasury.
The
continued thefts of city funds (such as the Two Million Dollar
Marting Foundation
Fraud) by the wealthy
gangsters over the years have greatly created
the shortage of money needed to maintain city streets, sewers,
buildings,
swimming pools, city parks and Spartan
Stadium.
The
shortage caused by wrongful and fraudulent spending led to repeated
increases
in citizens’ water, trash and sewer bills and escalation in real
estate taxes
in order to avoid a deficit budget. This game of take more, give
less
back to the people played out at the end of 2009 when lack of funds
caused
by irresponsible spending was found to have left the city in a
deficit
of over a million dollars.
Chief
Horner for many years has been a big player, influencing City
Council members
by various questionable means.
In 2006 Horner influenced Council to
place an ordinance on the city wide election ballot to raise our
income taxes.
If passed by the voters his
proposal would have created another $900,000 a year in increased
taxes. Voters rejected
the Charles Horner Tax Amendment by
a tremendous margin.
While
refusing and failing in almost every way possible to perform an
acceptable
job of protecting the property and safety of the citizens of
Portsmouth,
Horner has actively sought to spread false self-serving propaganda
in
many public forums, including city government meetings, and has used
the local
radio and newspapers to help create improper, untrue public images
and
opinions.
CORRUPTION? IN PORTSMOUTH CITY?
I CAN’T BELIEVE
IT!
Police
Chief Charles Horner possibly was absolutely astounded and amazed
with
the corruption information.
Perhaps he couldn’t believe that corruption could
be found in Portsmouth; after all he, Charles Horner has been
prospering on
the public payroll as a police officer for nearly thirty years and
has been the
Chief since 2002.
Charles
Horner indicated that he felt “corruption” was a very serious
allegation
and the Mayor should report it to proper authorities.
Sure,
he wants the information.
He wants to investigate!
If he were given the evidence of
corruption the Mayor has, would his
investigation
be botched as so many of the other official inquiries he has
undertaken
have been bungled through the years?
Horner
would like to have any corruption evidence the Mayor has, and
that
would be a finish to any creditable investigation. He is trying to outwit
and
falsely discredit the Mayor as he has been doing since she took
office.
Chief
Horner is at a disadvantage trying to outwit Mayor Murray; he is far
out
of his class when it comes to matching wits with most average
people.
Mayor Murray is far
more intelligent, much better educated than Horner
who has little formal education and no degree. Jane Murray has been
employed
on the staff of a Member of Congress and made friends in the
United
States Congress in the nation’s Capitol. She has powerful connections
in
high government positions in Washington. D.C. Jane Murray knows
where and
how to report crime and corruption.
Portsmouth
Mayor Jane Murray is reporting the corruption she is finding, but
she is
presenting her information to law enforcement officials at high
government levels.
Portsmouth
Police Chief Charles Horner is, in my opinion, the personification
of
corruption. He has been
a major player as a “bad cop” and court records, federal
and state, have his history of mendacity, abuse of power under color
of law, false
affidavits, false
arrests, repeated violations of citizen’s civil rights, failure
to account for public funds and other wrongful acts.
Throughout his career,
even before he sent a crew of his drug raid officers
to smash a door off the hinges of the wrong house onto the floor
of
a Harrisonville Avenue home in December 1991, he had a reputation
of
being an abusive cop.
WRONG
HOUSE, Sorry,
Charlie!
Although
Horner confessed that he had had the proper ‘drug’ house
under surveillance for nearly a week, he sent his men into
the
home of a very elderly couple, next door to the targeted ”drug
house.” Wrong
house! This botched
raid was one of many
faulty stupid actions he was to make in the following years.
This illegal action of wrongful
entry into an aged innocent couple’s
home was bad, but not nearly as bad and damaging as future
actions Charles Horner was destined to commit.
The
Shawnee Sentinel and Doug Deepe Websites have
written extensively
since 2003 of many corrupt acts by Charles Horner as
the leader of the Drug Task Force and as Portsmouth Chief of
Police.
Not all of our discoveries and
writings have been published.
Portsmouth
Daily Times
Reporters and several video newsmen were
on hand at his bungled raid on Lee Scott on Market Street in
May
2008. At
that scene Chief Horner sent Lt. Lynn Brewer to the
Municipal
Judge to file an affidavit and get a warrant to search a truck
he
wrongly believed to be the property of Lee Scott.
Chief Horner ordered his
officers to lie.
That was a crime Horner may yet be
punished for.
That was corruption and Mayor Jim
Kalb had to remove him from duty
or prosecute him. Kalb
kindly placed Charles Horner on administrative
leave and took away Horner’s police authority, his badge,
gun
and the keys to Horner’s offices.
In
a video-recorded (By
Moezine) public
civil service board hearing in
which Charles Horner was seeking to get his job back, Lt. Lynn
Brewer was
asked what Chief Charles Horner had told him the day he went to
Court
to get a search warrant.
Without hesitation, and while
seated within four feet of
Chief Horner, Lt. Lynn Brewer
said, “He told me to lie.”
Horner
escaped imprisonment for this criminal act as City Solicitor
Mike
Jones failed to prosecute Horner.
CORRUPTION IS NOT
HARD TO FIND, CHIEF! WE
WILL SHOW IT TO YOU AND
TO THE REST OF THE
CITIZENS-
Yesterday,
in a short time, we pulled out 41 pages on corruption by
our police chief and associated officers from our files.
That was easy, we could have
extracted ten times that much information.
Much of the corruption information
in our files is to be published in our
upcoming book, “Terrorism
By Local Police.” Coming hard-copy editions
of the Shawnee
Sentinel
newspaper
will be printing many corruption
articles.
By Austin Leedom
11 Oct 2010
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
OF WAYNE LEE
NICHOLS
Written
by Austin Leedom on Friday, 02 April, 2010
(Thank God! The citizens of Portsmouth voted the
surly, abusive, corrupt Jim Kalb out of
the Mayor's office in November 2009. Kalb
only got 26% of the vote.)
Yesterday
morning, at Scioto County Common Pleas Court,
61-year-old
Wayne Lee Nichols, of 2018 Eighth Street was
facing
charges of theft, forgery and receiving stolen property.
(These
charges were the apparent result of a special
investigation
of Mr. Nichols by two Portsmouth Police
Officers.)
Through his attorney Aaron Triplett, Mr. Nichols
had
asked for a trial by jury; the trial was to begin Monday,
the
Fifth Day of April.
In a
pre-trial hearing yesterday, the Court as requested by
the
State dismissed all the charges against Mr. Nichols.
Nichols
was delighted with the dismissals and he is thankful
for
the fine legal defense by Attorney Triplett. The dismissals
were
good news for Nichols who has had little good news
since
February 2006 when he took out petitions to run against
the
appointed Jerrold Albrecht for the 4th Ward Council seat.
Nichols,
a severely disabled US Navy veteran, had been in regular attendance
at City
Council
meetings where he often complained of ordinances and decisions by
the council
that
he thought were unfair and financially burdensome to citizens. The Mayor (Kalb)
and
some of he councilmen were disturbed with Nichols for pointing out
what he believed
was
their improper handling of city finances.
In
February 2006 Nichols decided to run for Councilman in his
4th ward.
Soon after
Nichols
got his election petitions City officials wrote him a warning for
having a
“cluttered
porch”. This news item
was ‘leaked’ to the Daily Times by city personnel.
The
Times gave it big billing in publishing the “news” that Candidate
Nichols porch
was
“cluttered,” and he must remove the clutter to abide by city
regulations.
On
the day before the May election the Daily Times front-paged the
story that
Candidate
Nichols had been formally charged with having “a cluttered porch”
and
must
appear in Municipal Court to answer to this misdemeanor. Nichols got enough
primary
votes to qualify for the fall election. In the fall election
Albrecht won over
Nichols
by a narrow margin of 18 votes.
The
city officials harassed Mr. Nichols repeatedly. One day Police were sent to
7th
and 8th Streets to write parking tickets. They wrote four tickets that
day, two to
Nichols. One ticket was written for
parking a vehicle with one tire on the curb,
another
ticket for failing to move his vehicle often enough.
The
police continued writing tickets. The next time they wrote
violations against
Nichols’
three vehicles, towed the vehicles away to TST garage in the middle
of the month.
This
hurt Nichols as it cost $20.00 for each vehicle to get police
permission to reclaim his
vehicles,
plus the parking fines, plus a $50.00 towing charge on each vehicle,
plus a $20.00
dollar
a day storage charge on each vehicle. This ticketing and towing by
city police was
done
in the middle of the month, and Nichols, the crippled veteran, who
was surviving on a
$700.00
a month disability pension, had to wait until the first of the next
month, and then
borrow
money to reclaim his vehicles.
Later
Mr. Nichols was severely beaten by five men who were attempting to
rob his
neighbor’s
property. No arrest was
made.
Nichols
was later arrested on a charge of menacing with a gun when a person
took his
cell
phone and refused to hand it back. This case went to jury trial
in Municipal Court
and
Nichols was found not guilty.
His
latest arrest was five days before the fall election of 2009 when he
was jailed with no bond
on
indictments from the grand jury on the felony charges he faced
yesterday. Apparently
the
court
didn’t get notice of the warrant being served and Nichols was in
jail five days until the
Prosecuting
Attorney’s Office learned of the situation and quickly secured a
bond hearing for him.
He
was released on his signature.
During
the five days he was in jail his home on 8th street was
burned to the ground and a forty-feet
motor
home beside the house was destroyed in the very early hours of the
morning
on
Election Day.
Mayor
Kalb, who once had threatened Mr. Nichols during a council meeting,
did visit the scene
of
the fire about noon on that Election Day.
Hopefully,
the destitute crippled old veteran will have happier days
ahead. We can hope, and
pray.
Mr.
Nichols no longer has a house, only ashes.
Written by Austin
Leedom on 02 April, 2010
Sorry, but the OHIO EPA must
have rolled over in laughter ith
this letter, who wrote this for him. The more maintenance
one like he suggested the more
flow it's in the combine sewers and their
capacity,how big the sewer are, no capacity, no flow.
I assume that all this stuff they
"were looking at" they are still looking like Baughman is slapping around ideas on the city building?
And by the way, taking the roof
drains out of the sewers and putting them in the street does noting but just moves the
water around cause in a combined
seewer system the water still ends cause up in
the WWTP.........
what a hoot, Can't wait to get all
these lists identified and
have debates for publications,
etc.
Corruption
(Written at 12:30 a.m. Monday, August
23, 2004 by Austin Leedom)
FOOTPRINTS, HANDPRINTS AND
SIGNATURES OF TWELVE FAMOUS PERSONS MISSING FROM THE DISPLAY AT ROY
ROGERS ESPLANADE.
Written and posted by Austin Leedom at 12:15
a.m. Monday, August 23, 2004.
As written by Reporter Jay Olson on
Saturday, August 21, 2004, five of the 2’ by 2’ concrete squares
with the imprints of famous peoples' signatures, handprints and
footprints were found at Shawnee State University.
There were
twelve more at the Roy Rogers Esplanade. They are missing. The names
on the twelve concrete squares at the Esplanade were:
Roy Rogers
Roy Jr.
Dale Evans
Vern Riffe
Al Oliver
Gene
Tenace
Sunset Carson
John Russel
Bill Campbell
Jerry
Reed
Terry Frost
Eddie Dean
(Written by Austin Leedom at
12:45 a.m. on Monday, August 23, 2004)
FIVE MISSING
ITEMS FOUND AT SSU IN GOOD CONDITION
(Written and posted by Sentinel Reporter Jay Olson
at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, August 21, 2004)
Shawnee
Sentinel investigators have found
five of the missing hands and feet prints that were made in concrete
by visiting celebrities many years ago. These five precious articles
we located are safe and in good condition; they are presently on
display at Shawnee State University (SSU) about 70 feet southwest of
the University President’s office. We wish to thank SSU Director of
Facilities Butch Kottcamp for his gracious and knowledgeable
assistance to us in our search. The items located were the imprints
of the feet and hands of Mel Tillis, Lash Larue, Jock Mahoney, Will
Hutchins and Pat Buttram.
At this writing it appears that
the treasured imprints that were entrusted to the care of the
university are well maintained and safe, while at least eleven other
feet and hand imprints that once were displayed on the Esplanade by
the City have been carried away, and have disappeared forever from
public view. Among the missing items are imprints that were made by
Roy Rogers, Dale Rogers and many associates of Roy.
We have received information
that alleges that certain well-known local citizens who have no
intent to return this property to the City of Portsmouth carried
away the items missing from the Esplanade.
We are asking that anyone with
any knowledge of the missing items please communicate with us; our
interest is only that these irreplaceable items be returned to
public view.
(Written and posted by Sentinel Reporter Jay Olson
at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, August 21, 2004)
ROY ROGERS IMPRINTS MISSING FROM
ESPLANADE
CITIZENS CALL IT
THEFT
According to letter to the
Shawnee Sentinel from Jay Olson – (posted Tuesday, August 17, 2004)
(reposted Saturday, August 21, 2004.)
The robbing of our city, not
only of tax dollars but also our past history is disgraceful!
The elite few have been
stealing not only our tax dollars but over $300,000,000 in grant
money poured into our poor local economy to try to improve it. But
our past history is also being stolen by these few power brokers,
which claim they only want the best for Portsmouth. That’s what they
would and have made you believe for the last 50 years. What brought
this to my attention and I’m bringing this question to you, the
people to see if you really care about Portsmouth or it’s past.
Looking over an old Daily
Times, dated Tuesday September 7,1982. Rogers And Friends Hold
Touching Reunion. The point of my story is this, Roy Rogers, Scioto
County’s favorite son, agreed to imprint his hands and feet in wet
cement. This was to be permanently placed on the Esplanade. I, along
with 10,000 people, watched Roy do this. Well if you remember this
event, don’t you wonder where Roy’s PRINTS ARE NOW?
I decided to find out and asked
several people that I thought might know, well, none knew for sure!
But one person said they saw it imbedded in someone’s backyard patio
with other famous people’s prints from this area. I don’t know about
you but I believe this is out and out theft. This was given to the
city and should be enjoyed by the citizens and placed on public
display, perhaps in front of Roy’s mural on Front Street.
That’s the problem with this town, the greed
of a few and an all out attitude for themselves, not you, the people
that pay their way. At the writing of this, I can only hope the
holder of this missing property and other things donated to the city
will return the items and put them on display for all to enjoy, not
just your guests. Please come forward and return these items to
their rightful owners, THE PEOPLE OF SCIOTO COUNTY!
By J. Olson
(posted Tuesday, August 17, 2004)
County
Board of Health – Dr. Keith Gaspich who has been living in Florida
for past several years while drawing big pay from Scioto County as
Health Director is rumored to be resigning soon - complaints about
excessive expenses incurred by Gaspich are being investigated.
(August, 2004)
The Doug Booth File
(This article prepared and
posted by Austin Leedom at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 27,
2004.)
" MIDNIGHT MEETING…..THIS VIDEOTAPE CONTAINS
LOTS OF HUGGING AND
KISSING"
"Mr. Welton or Mr. Leedom,
I would like more information concerning Doug
Booth, Valley Superintendent?
Community members are afraid their children
will be compromised within the school if they ask these valid
questions. I figured the Sentinel is not afraid to bring this
information to light.
Any citizen can request, from the Valley
B.O.E., Booth's cell phone records which prove his illicit personal
relationship with Valley teacher Mitzi Myers, husband of Fred Myers,
teacher at Portsmouth City. A district resident recently requested a
copy of his own. Jerry Buckler also has a copy. All members of the
B.O.E. know about this illicit relationship: Eric Humston shared
these records with B.O.E. members during an executive session during
the Fall of 2003. The current B.O.E. members have overlooked this
information.
Here's additional information. The Valley
B.O.E. will meet on Wednesday (tomorrow) at 7:30 pm:
Doug Booth regularly writes favorable letters
of himself and/or Mitzi Myers, then strong-arms staff members into
signing them. I personally know he's done that with Kindergarten
teachers, Barb Flannery, Kristina Payne, and Jean Mauk. During last
year's Board election, Doug Booth wrote editorials for the papers
condemning Jerry Buckler, and then tried to strong-arm school
employees to sign them. I personally know two of those employees who
refused to sign.
Doug Booth had Darren Crabtree, AD, write a
letter of non-renewal for Jeff Rase, girls' basketball coach. This
letter had Crabtree's concerns about Rase which were shared with the
Valley B.O.E. Mr. Rase was never given a copy of this letter, even
though it's been asked for. Mr. Crabtree nor Mr. Yeagle has never
discussed girls' basketball concerns with Mr. Rase. This is just
more deception on the part of Doug Booth and how he's able to
manipulate employees into letter writing in his best
interest.
When Doug Booth hired Mitzi Myers in Summer
of 2003, all his advisors were against her hiring, including Eric
Humston, Asst. Superintendent, Keith Hickman, Elem. Principal, Jill
Mullins, Guidance Counselor, and Edna McNamer, Title I Coordinator.
Doug Booth stated "even though she may not be the best choice for
this position, she deserves it solely on her loyalty to me
personally."
Recently, Doug Booth hired Kay Freeman to
coordinate all curriculum activities, EXCEPT those of Mitzi Myers,
her program is OFF-LIMITS to Mrs. Freeman. Doug Booth made this very
clear to Mrs. Freeman. Scott Rolfe, VMS teacher was also internally
interviewed, AFTER Booth already had Freeman's nomination from the
County Office.
Doug Booth threatens certain staff members if
they attend board meetings, but allows his girlfriend, Mitzi Myers,
to attend with a video camera in hand. I'm sure she'll be there on
Wednesday with her video camera.
Doug Booth recently forced Edna McNamer,
Title I coordinator, to write a favorable opinion of Mitzi Myers
(against her will). This paper is included in the board packet this
Wednesday.
Doug Booth now wants to give Mitzi Myers
extended service time (more extra money). Doug Booth is trying to
pay Mitzi Myers over $2,200 to complete unfinished work. No other
employees in the district get paid to complete unfinished work. Mike
Bennett, school treasurer, says that this is against the law. This
money was appropriated last summer for intervention for K-4
students. None of her $2,200 time was spent with a single student.
Jerry Buckler, BOE member, is supposed to question Booth about this
at Wednesday's meeting. The public needs to know just how much extra
money Mitzi Myers is making this summer. What a waste of district
funds!
Doug Booth's wife, Suzy, found a women's
watch (not her's) in his suburban while they were on vacation in the
Carolinas. The watch turned out to be Mitzi Myers. Booth was caught
by the wife. She has now given him the ultimatum to leave the Myers
lady, or she'll divorce.
Doug Booth has included a letter is this
week's board packet from Jim Nordrum, basketball parent, commending
Booth on his administrative ability. Mr. Nordrum spear-headed the
attempt to get basketball coach, Scott Lowe fired. Mr. Lowe was
non-renewed last month. Now, this month the board packet contains a
favorable Booth letter from Jim Nordrum. Sound like a deal to me!
Scott and Lori Lowe probably have some other great information,
776-4403.
A custodian at Valley Elementary School
caught Doug Booth and Mitzi Myers together in a staff bathroom
during the winter. This occurred during the night shift, 10 p - 6 a.
A current principal may be in possession of a
school videotape of a Doug Booth/Mitzi Myers midnight meeting. This
videotape includes lots of hugging and kissing. Doug Booth knows
about this videotape. Booth's lawyer, Alan Lemon, has even discussed
this videotape with Jerry Buckler, asking him not to reveal the
information."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The above is the complete text body of the
email we received from a Valley teacher on June 29, 2004. The
teacher is not anonymous; we know who wrote this extremely
informative message.
Two of our reporters were able to cover the
four hour meeting of the Valley Board of Education on Wednesday, the
21st of July and produced a good descriptive record of
the meeting. Anna L. Mallory of the Portsmouth Daily Times (PDT)
published a very good article of the meeting on July 23, 2004.
Earlier this month Doug Deepe (aka John
Welton) published several copies of emails written from a teacher to
Superintendent Doug Booth. We do not usually attempt to tell readers
what to believe; we simply publish copies of documents and let the
readers make their own decisions. We will do that with the DOUG
BOOTH FILE. We have been the recipients of many more messages and
will print them as time and space permits. YOU be the
Judges.
(This article prepared and posted by Austin
Leedom at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 27,
2004.)
The Doug Booth File
VALLEY SCHOOLS HAS LONG, NOISY
MEETING
Thursday, July 22, 2004 by Austin Leedom - posted at
4:30 a.m.
At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, 2004 the
Valley School Board met before a concerned crowd of more than 140
persons in a session that lasted over four hours.
The meeting began with no prayer and no
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. (WHY IS GOD AND PATRIOTISM BEING IGNORED AT
VALLEY BOARD MEETINGS?)
The Roll was called; the minutes of the
regular meeting of June 30, and the special meetings of July 8 and
16, 2004 were not read. Board Member Jerry Buckler requested to know
why inquiries for information he had made at one of the meetings did
not appear in the minutes of the meeting.
Payment of bills were then approved; Jerry
Buckler had a question concerning a payment for legal services to a
Columbus law firm.
The Board then entered into executive session
to consider two subjects; the first subject to be discussed was
pending litigation; apparently this session was concerning
Superintendent Doug Booth. He was not included in the group of board
members who left the meeting room for an executive session,
accompanied by Attorneys Rebecca Bennett and Alan Lemons from the
Scioto County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and Valley Board
Treasurer Michael Bennett.
However, before leaving the meeting room to
go into executive session the board members did agree to later
include Mr. Booth in the executive session to discuss the second
subject of the session, which was employment appointments, and
compensation.
The School Board, the Treasurer and
Superintendent Doug Booth, plus the two attorneys from the County
Prosecuting Attorney’s Office re-appeared at 9:45 p.m. to resume the
regular meeting.
Ten items concerning acceptance of
resignations and awarding of contracts were passed. Item Number 8
which concerned the appointment of Linda Myers as a Diagnostic
Testing Teaching Leader was passed after a motion to table the
contract with Ms. Myers until more information could be obtained by
board members was rejected by a 3-2 vote.
Jerry Buckler and Joe Romanello voted to wait
until a later meeting to consider the appointment of Linda Myers.
Charles Wilson, Carl Crabtree and Don Crabtree voted against
postponing a vote.
Then a motion to award this position to Ms.
Myers was passed by the same 3-2 vote with Don and Carl Crabtree and
Charles Wilson voting for it, Joe Romanello and Jerry Buckler
against the proposal.
NOTE: The lady who was awarded this contract
is believed to be the writer of the numerous emails written to
Superintendent Doug Booth that were posted on the Dougdeepe.com
website earlier this month prior to the two special meetings held by
the Valley School Board on July 8, and July 16, 2004.
Sentinel
reporters had a question about the presence of Rebecca Bennett in
the executive session. Sentinel Reporter Harold Daub,
after talking with Mrs. Bennett, said that she was there at the
meeting as a representative of the Scioto County Prosecuting
Attorney’s Office.
However, today, in a 3:40 p.m. telephone
conversation with Helen, of the County Prosecuting Attorney’s
Office, we were advised that Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Alan
Lemons is assigned to cover the county school board meetings.
We were later told by a person attending the
meeting that Rebecca Bennett is married to Michael W. Bennett, the
Treasurer of the Valley School Board and that Mrs. Bennett regularly
attends the executive session meetings. Does the Treasurer have his
own personal attorney in attendance with him at school board
executive sessions?
We also received information that
Superintendent Doug Booth has allegedly hired Alan Lemons as his own
personal attorney. We will attempt to ascertain if this allegation
is accurate.
After the close of the board’s business
session the people in attendance were allowed to speak. There were
many speakers; some had high praise for Mr. Booth and his
accomplishments during his many years (44) in the Valley School
system. Many others expressed concern about the recent loss of good
teachers, others were displeased that parents who
were concerned with problems at the school had been told to "take
their children out of the district."
Many speakers requested that Mr. Booth
resign. This became a refrain with the speakers who often closed by
asking Mr. Booth to resign. After many such requests Mr. Booth
became exasperated, half rose from his seat and shouted, "I will not
resign."
The emails that were published on the
Dougdeepe.com website earlier this month were mentioned by more than
the one speaker who complained that children were able to read these
emails and lamented that such emails would be written by a member of
the Valley faculty.
Note: the emails that were published by Doug
Deepe were allegedly written from a teacher to Superintendent Booth
from a computer in a Valley School building during school hours. One
lady quoted from one the emails that the email writer had mentioned
a desire "for a personal relationship" with Mr. Booth.
Sherri Foster, RN, offered copies of the
notorious Valley emails to the Board members and then asked for
copies of all emails that have been received or written on
Superintendent Doug Booth’s computer for the past year. She also
asked for records of telephone calls. The board sought an opinion
from Assistant County Prosecuting Attorney Alan Lemons who advised
that the board provide the requested documents and deliver them to
the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office where a decision as to whether
they were public information would be made.
Another speaker, a teacher who is leaving the
district stated that Mr. Booth had never made any sexual advances to
her.
There was much applause and shouting after
many of the talks. This meeting became loud at times; much anger was
displayed but everyone behaved well; no such smutty words as were
written in the Valley Emails were heard during the meeting. This was
an angry crowd, but well behaved, although very noisy at
times.
More than one person spoke of removing the
older board members during the next election.
After the meeting as Reporter Harold Daub and
I were leaving the room we were stopped by four persons who asked us
about recall elections. These persons indicated that they do not
want to wait until the next regular election to make changes in the
personnel sitting on the board.
Also, after the meeting we were asked by a
Valley faculty member how we were able to obtain copies of the
Valley emails. I explained that I did not know how we obtained them
and that it didn’t matter; we are allowed to use anything we obtain
as long as we do not steal it.
I further explained that John Welton, aka
Doug Deepe had been the recipient of the Valley emails. (John
is on vacation, somewhere on the Carolina
Coast)
Note: Both John Welton, aka Doug Deepe, and I have received many
communications by phone, email and regular mail over the past
several months from faculty members and parents of students of
Valley Schools; we have been aware of difficulties at Valley School
for more than a year, but simply did not have time to follow up on
the information as our entire little staff was extremely busy
encouraging the recall of Portsmouth ex-Mayor Greg Bauer and
investigating the illicit activities of the SOGP and other
associates of Greg Bauer.
You missed a big meeting; keep your eyes on
the Valley School District, there may be more special meetings
coming up soon. (Written and posted by Austin Leedom at 4:30 a.m. Thursday,
July 22, 2004.) ---Next Story
....Moonlight, hugs and kisses---on
video?
(Written
and posted by Austin Leedom at 12:30 a.m. Monday, July 26,
2004.)
BEST CHANCE TO HEAR MEETING IS TO TUNE IN WPAY AM -
1400
The regular City Council meeting will be held
this evening at City Hall. Listening to WPAY Radio AM 1400 may be
your best opportunity to hear the meeting.
There is limited seating at the meeting,
which has been being held in a small courtroom that has not been
large enough to hold all the citizens who wish to attend the
meetings. Don’t expect that situation to be any better until we are
blessed with a change in the Presidency of City
Council.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT REFUSES BIGGER MEETING
PLACE
Portsmouth City Council President Carol
Caudill said she did not want a different place to hold the City
Council Meetings, according to Mayor Jim Kalb who told the
Sentinel yesterday that Caudill has refused his offer to
provide a meeting site that would accommodate all citizens who
desire to attend council meetings.
The gavel banging Caudill demonstrates
contempt for the citizens of Portsmouth (who she has sworn to serve) by continued irrational actions
since she attained her present position that she apparently equates
as being on the same level of power as the Supreme Being.
Mrs. Caudill, present Third Ward
Councilperson, has been made President of Council since the
promotion of Jim Kalb to the position of Mayor. At her first meeting
as president, it was reported, she tyranically, repeatedly banged
the gavel harshly upon the table and dictated a new set of behaviour
rules for the few citizens that are able to get into the present
council meeting space.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT DENIES CITIZENS’ RIGHTS UNDER THE
LAW
As befitting her officious, brazen actions in
presenting her new behaviour rules (commandments which would be
harsh even under the code of conduct of many prisons) she is also denying citizens their rights under Ohio
Law by failing to provide an area where all citizens have the
opportunity to attend the public council meetings.
Carol Caudill’s haughtiness is most
egotistical, particularly in that she only holds the position as
Council President due to a default by the former mayor, Greg Bauer,
who was recently removed from office by an angered citizenry who had
suffered too long because of Mr. Bauer’s corruption, deception and
arrogance.
LEGAL ACTION PROMISED BY STAR LOCAL WEBSITE
REPORTER
Investigative Reporter Doug Deepe, aka John
Welton, has already openly warned that further violations of
citizens’ rights at council meetings will lead to legal action.
Carol Caudill can expect to be answering questions under oath in
interrogatories, in depositions, and on the witness stand in the
courtroom if she persists in her present arrogant, immature,
repulsive course of conduct as council president.
CAUDILL FACING RECALL AND
POSSIBLE CRIMINAL CHARGES
Note: Carol Caudill, (and others) are now
under investigation in the purchase of the $762,000 old Marting
Department Store for $2,000,000 in May of 2002, and petitions have
already been filed for her removal from City
Council.
(Written and posted by Austin Leedom at 12:30 a.m. Monday, July
26, 2004
City council meeting
Monday, June 28, 2004 at Portsmouth City
Hall.
LORENZO BENTLEY OF WPAY RADIO
BROADCAST THE COUNCIL SESSION ON 1400 AM
Many WPAY listeners have
reported to us that they enjoyed the broadcast and are looking
forward to hearing the next council meeting on 1400 AM
(Written by Austin Leedom, Shawnee Sentinel Writer,
at 11:55 p.m. Monday, June 28, 2004)
AN OVERFLOW CROWD
AGAIN
A crowd of more than sixty people attended
the City Council meeting tonight, but only forty-nine persons were
allowed into the meeting room. Only one item was on the agenda, a
proposal to halt all further spending on the old Marting department
store that was purchased for $2 Million by Mayor Greg Bauer and an
allegedly un-informed council in May 2002 as an emergency action.
The true appraisal of the building was only $762,000.
MANY CITIZENS VOICED OPPOSITION
TO CONTINUED SPENDING
ON MARTINGS
BUILDING
At the beginning of the meeting citizens
spoke against continuing to allow Tanner-Stone to proceed further
with their expensive planning efforts until criminal investigation
is completed.
Work on architectural planning for the old
building has been continuing by Tanner-Stone company during the
recent recall election of the Mayor. Costs for the planning has
already been in excess of $350,000.
THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS VOTED
AGAINST STOPPING
SPENDING ON MARTINGS BUILDING
FIVE WEEKS AGO
An ordinance to halt this expenditure until
the criminal investigation in the purchase was finished was defeated
by a 3-3 vote five weeks ago when Council Members Howard Baughman,
Carol Caudill and Ann Sydnor voted against stoppage of the work by
Tanner-Stone.
THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS
CHANGED THEIR VOTE
Following a motion by 2nd Ward
Councilman David Malone and lengthy discussion of the ordinance the
Council voted 6-0 to suspend any more spending on renovation of the
old Marting Department store until the investigations are completed.
The attitude of the councilpersons who voted
against this ordinance five weeks ago appeared to be more thoughtful
and reasonable than it was before the recall election that voted
Greg Bauer out of office six days ago, on June, 22,
2004.
PORTSMOUTH DAILY TIMES,
COMMUNITY COMMON AND WNXT
RADIO
CHASTISED BY CITIZENS FOR
FAILING TO ACCURATELY REPORT NEWS
After the legislative session of the meeting
was completed many citizens spoke on items not on the
agenda.
The remaining old members of the council were
warned by the recall workers that they were not finished with their
work and that the members of the council that had voted with Mayor
Bauer for the over-priced ‘emergency’ purchase of the Marting
building were also in danger of facing recall.
SHAWNEE SENTINEL NEWSGROUP
PRAISED FOR HONEST REPORTING
Several persons spoke about the efforts of
The Portsmouth Daily Times, The Community Common and
WNXT radio to maintain the corrupt Mayor in office; these
three news outlets were charged with deliberately publishing
mis-leading and false information during the recall election.
The Shawnee Sentinel newspaper (a
group which includes websites
www.dougdeepe.com,
www.portsmouthohio.info and
Danny’s Forum) was praised by many citizens for honest reporting of
the facts concerning the reasons for the recall.
NEW MAYOR, NEW COUNCIL PRESIDENT
WILL BE AT NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Portsmouth City
Council is to be held on Monday, July 12, 2004. When that meeting
convenes Jim Kalb is to be Mayor of Portsmouth. Carol Caudill will
be the acting-President of City Council. She has been on the council
several years and reportedly has experience as once being the
Secretary of the Scioto County Republican Central Committee.
According to a member of the Republican Party, Ms. Caudill has at
times performed as acting-Chair of the Republican Party. She should
perform the duties as Council President quite capably.
MAYOR GREGORY A. BAUER MISSING
FROM MEETING TONIGHT
Tonight was the last opportunity for Greg
Bauer to attend a council meeting as Mayor, but he was not
present.
Reporters noted that Mr. Bauer’s bright red
Corvette is missing from the rear of his apartment home at 308 ½
Chillicothe Street. The Corvette had not moved for several weeks; it
has been seen parked at the rear of his home with expired license
plates. Reports from inside City Hall indicate that Mayor Bauer has
moved several truckloads of material from his office, and numerous
huge bags of shredded documents. Some Bauer-watchers indicated to
the Sentinel reporters that Greg Bauer is not expected to
return to City Hall. There are rumors that he may quickly leave the
Portsmouth area.
GRAND JURY INQUIRY EXPECTED SOON
ON MARTINGS SCANDAL
WILL BAUER’S CO-CONSPIRATORS AND
THE STATE MAKE A ‘DEAL’?
With the possibility of prison doors swinging
open to admit several of the participants in the Martings fraud, it
is expected that some of the suspects will be attempting to make a
deal with the investigators and prosecutors. It has been rumored
that already an offer has been made to avoid prosecution by wealthy
conspirators who have offered to repay the City of Portsmouth 1.5
Million Dollars and let the City keep the Martings Building, in
exchange for their criminal testimony against Greg Bauer.
This is only a rumor, but a reasonable rumor.
Time will tell.
(Written by Austin Leedom, Shawnee Sentinel
Writer, at 11:55 p.m. Monday, June 28, 2004)
Citizens have had enough! Mayor Greg Bauer is a "done
deal."
Written and posted by Austin Leedom at 2:30
a.m. Wednesday, June 23, 2004.
A tremendous out-pouring of money by Greg
Bauer’s "friends"and a deluge of false news, biased editorial
comment and vicious ads published by the local newspapers and
broadcast by a local second-rate radio station (WNXT) failed to halt
a recall effort by the angered citizens of Portsmouth, Ohio.
Not even the action of the Scioto County
Republican Central Committee to support the corrupt Mayor with
advertisements could halt the recall by the furious
citizens.
"IT’S A DONE DEAL"
"It’s a done deal; I don’t have to explain
anything to any citizen," said Mayor
Bauer, on May 19, 2003, when the Mayor was asked by Shawnee
Sentinel reporters about an expensive computer purchased on a
city account by City Service Director Mike Blackburn for his
personal use.
DOUG DEEPE AND THE SHAWNEE SENTINEL BEGAN TO
INVESTIGATE
The Sentinel reporters, suspicious and disturbed by the
Mayor’s arrogant refusal to talk with them, began an investigation
and reported their findings to the citizens on their popular local
websites.
CITIZENS LEARN THE TRUTH, AND BEGAN RECALL OF
MAYOR
When the citizens learned the truth about the Mayor, his corrupt
practices and the "downtown gang" that was siphoning off millions of
dollars from the city coffers, they petitioned for recall of the
Mayor.
A $762,000 BUILDING PURCHASED BY MAYOR AT A
PRICE OF $2 MILLION.
Citizens became extremely concerned by the illegal purchase of
the old Martings department store for $2 million dollars when the
building was only appraised for one-third of that price, many un-bid
overpriced contracts by the Mayor to his friends, theft of city
property by the Mayor’s appointees, and an arrogant disregard of the
citizens’ concerns by the Mayor and some of the members of the City
Council.
Courageous City Council President calls for
Investigation by Police
Council President Jim Kalb also became concerned about the
legality of the purchase of the Martings Building and boldly asked
Chief of Police Charles Horner to investigate. Chief Horner asked
for assistance from the Ohio State Attorney General’s Office after
he announced to the City Council in February, 2004 that his
preliminary investigation revealed that he saw the illegal purchase
of the building as a possible criminal act by Mayor Bauer and
members of the "downtown gang."
Rising taxes, crooked deals and high water
bills aggravate citizens.
The citizens were angered by rising taxes on their real estate
while a "favored few"of the Mayor’s friends paid no taxes, by water
bills that Mayor Bauer had increased by 64%, by crooked unbid
over-priced contracts with a notorious local insurance agent, by the
illegal purchase of $600,000 in new garbage trucks and garbage cans,
and by other criminal acts.
Citizens decided Bauer had to
go.
The citizens refused to support Mayor Greg Bauer any longer. A
committee of citizens began the recall effort that Lee Scott had
long advocated. Mr. Scott, a local man who is renovating, at his own
cost, the old Columbia Theatre, had been repeatedly mis-treated by
the Mayor and his unfair inspectors. Scott’s property at his
work-site had been stolen and destroyed by a member of the Mayor’s
family. His work had been repeatedly and wrongfully stopped by
unfair practices of the Mayor’s Office.
Local newspapers fight Recall – Corruption
favored.
When the recall of the Mayor got under way both of the local
newspapers, the Community Common and the Portsmouth Daily
Times were in favor of keeping the crooked mayor in power. The
Daily Times wrote in favor of retaining the Mayor and
repeatedly editorialized against the recall.
Inside business connections between
publishers and "downtown gang" revealed by Doug
Deepe.
Information furnished to the citizens by the Shawnee
Sentinel and Dougdeepe.com revealed a connection with the
local gang in power and the Daily Times, and also with the
Community Common newspaper.
Angered Citizens from all walks of life were
together in this Recall.
Credit for this end to mayoral corruption is to be given to an
angry awakened citizenry who simply could no longer afford to have
Mayor Greg Bauer and his associates in charge of the city treasury.
The recall was a concerted effort by citizens from all levels of
affluence, by all races, by all voting ages, and by members of all
churches. They had had enough. The citizens exercised their
constitutional right to recall the mayor by petitioning for a vote
of the people.
Reporter Doug Deepe did continuous
investigation into City Hall affairs.
Credit for the beginning and continuing
investigation into this scandalous administration is due greatly to
the efforts of Website Reporter Doug Deepe, aka John Welton and his
associate writers who helped make the public aware of the devilish
conditions at City Hall.
The opinion of this writer and many other
observers and participants of this successful democratic effort to
remove the corruption in City Hall is that the real turning point in
this battle for honest government occurred when newly elected Fourth
Ward Councilman David Malone began beseeching Our Heavenly Father to
remove corruption from our city in February 2004 while giving
opening prayers at council meetings.
Councilman Malone’s prayers were stopped
inside City Hall by Councilwoman Carol Caudill who objected to his
invocations to God at the beginning of City Council meetings.
The Spirit of God could be felt by many in
attendance at the meetings, and as David Malone continued to pray;
good events began to occur.
Verbal prayers in open council meetings were
stopped, but Mr. Malone continued praying for the intercession of
the Lord in the prayer meetings he held on the steps of the City
Hall and elsewhere throughout the City. Many of us believe that the
Lord is answering the continuing prayers offered up by Pastor David
Malone and by the many citizens who have prayed with him for
deliverance of the City from the powers of evil.
Let us all give thanks to the many, many
citizens who labored so long and diligently for the success of this
victory for the City of Portsmouth. Most of all let us offer up our
thanks to our Lord in Heaven who gave these people the power to win
this battle.
Written and posted by Austin Leedom at 2:30
a.m. Wednesday, June 23, 2004.
LETTER
TO THE EDITOR FROM 33 YEAR VETERAN CITY EMPLOYEE CLAIMS CORRUPTION
IN MAYOR'S OFFICE
(POSTED BY AUSTIN LEEDOM AT 12:30 A.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 18,
1004)
In My Opinion
Letter to the Citizens of
Portsmouth
This letter is about
Mayor Bauer’s concern over the cost of the recall election. Maybe he
needs to remember some of these things as I do:
If you are so worried about the cost
of a recall election, then what about:
- Mike Blackburn spending $32,000 on
a truck just to ride around in.
- What about the computer that Mike
Blackburn purchased under the city’s tax exempt number for his own
personal use? How much would that have cost the city if he hadn’t
been exposed?
- What about the big dozer and big
excavator at the cost of $8,000 each that was only used one time
each and then let a construction company use if for their own
personal use until the dozer blew up and then traded the equipment
off at a loss to the taxpayers. Then it cost the taxpayers more
money to repairs to the equipment that was traded for.
- Using city workers to do work on
private property. When they refuse, then you give them time off
work without pay. How much labor hours are you charging the
taxpayers for work being done for private parties in the City? I
myself was a victim of your using City employees. When I was a
City employee, you directed me work for Bob Huff when he first
moved into the City of Portsmouth.
- After all the favors that I had
done, you decided that I would be your next victim. You charged me
unfoundedly for sexual harassment and threatening employees. All
this was proven false. Then you demoted me from a supervisor
position to scraping dead dogs off the road, cleaning up bird poop
off Chillicothe St., and various other demeaning jobs that you
could think of at your leisure. This unfounded investigation had
to cost the taxpayers money for the attorney fees and the private
investigation that was conducted.
Then when I had health problems, you
put me off without pay and refused to make concessions for me with
my restrictions (which you have for other employees even now). A
City employee of over 33 years of service was forced to retire for
all the harassment you helped cause. I was not honored for my
service. I was not given any plaque for all these years of good
service. The only department that gave me a party was the sewage
department, because the department I came from was ran by Mike
Blackburn and I refused to do their deeds.
I was even threatened by Cliff Wolfe
one day when I was still an employee, while trying to obtain my
retirement papers, that I would be arrested if I did not leave the
premises (which is a public service department). I was put on 12
weeks unpaid leave for not being able to work because of my health
(which was backed by three different doctors’ orders—one being the
City’s doctor), yet you give Mike Blackburn paid administrative
leave, and then a disability PERS retirement because of his stress
from the investigation concerning five possible felonies.
Can you justify these things? Apples
for Apples? As you say? This was a done deal. In my opinion, you
have shown more respect for those that ignore the law than for those
that try to uphold the law. Yes, I feel you need recalled!!!!
Howard Boehm
Not a felon, Just a disgruntled
former employee! (POSTED BY AUSTIN LEEDOM
AT 12:30 A.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 18,
1004)
Written and posted by Austin
Leedom at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 18, 2004.
A LETTER TO EDITOR RICK
GREENE:
Dear Rick
Greene: You have studied journalism and ethics. Have you forgotten
your lessons? Have you lost your handbook? Have you totally
succumbed to the temptations, power and wiles of the local
"gang in power?" Whatever the answer may be, you are likely now in
the beginning stages of long interrogatories, lengthy depositions
and many court appearances as a defendant. However, don’t worry.
You’ll have plenty of company and your publisher Heartland
Publications, LLC of Jacksonville, Florida will be paying your legal
fees. Let us take a look at what has transpired with your recent
labors as an editor. The libelous ad by Sean Sturgill (of
Smith's Drugs) that you ran in today's issue may be one of your last
major errors with the Portsmouth Daily
Times.
Citizens of Portsmouth,
here is the situation:
Portsmouth Daily
Times Publisher Clifton E.
Forrest may not be allowed to retain Mr. Greene as an employee
following Greene’s latest deliberate error which may cost some
serious dollars to Heartland Publications, LLC, of Jacksonville,
Florida, and many local conspirators, including the Citizens Against
the Recall Committee.
It is understood that the
financial interests of the Portsmouth Daily Times (PDT) necessitates
their support of the present un-indicted felonious Mayor (Greg
Bauer) of this City. It is documented that the PDT has been an
active member of the Southern Ohio Growth Program since its
conception in 1991. It is also well known that the PDT is a member
of the Chamber of Commerce. Membership in these nefarious groups is
unethical, but necessary for the survival of the PDT.
This is understandable; if
the question for PDT is a choice between operating in an ethical
manner or taking money and knowingly printing prevarications and
falsehoods as honest information, traditionally there has been
little hesitation by any of the publishers or editors of the PDT to
choose the low road and take the money.
Editor Rick Greene confided
(on Monday evening, June 14, 2004) to Shawnee Sentinel writer
John Welton (aka Dougdeepe.com) that he had serious concerns about
an ad, concerning John Welton that was in his possession and was due
to be published in the Portsmouth Daily Times by the
Citizens Against the Recall Committee. This conversation took place
in the hallway outside of the City Council meeting room following
the closing of the brief council meeting that was aborted by the
failure of sufficient council members to attend.
Today, Thursday, June 17,
2004 Rick Greene, Editor of PDT, caused and permitted to be
published on Page A7 of the Portsmouth Daily Times an advertisement
"Paid for by Citzens Against the Recall Committee, Sean Sturgill,
743 Second Street, Portsmouth, OH 45662," that he knew to be, or
should have known, to contain information that is false, libelous,
misleading and damaging to John Welton, and his family.
Mr. Welton is, at this
writing, enroute to Cincinnati to seek expert legal counsel. Action
against the persons, and groups who have conspired to wrongfully,
and deliberately damage John Welton is expected.
Mr. Greene refused to print
the news that John Welton's wife was brutally assaulted by Dean
Conklin, a member of City Prosecutor Mark Kuhn's staff, on Friday
February 27, 2004.
Police investigative
reports verifying this attack were available, but Rick Greene
refused to allow this news to be printed.
Now the editor allows (for
pay) lies to be printed about John Welton. This is an example
of the 'ethical' operation of Rick Greene's editorship.
Written and posted by
Austin Leedom at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 17,
2004.
PRISON ABUSE NOT NEW TO
BUSH
Story below copied from THE NEW YORK TIMES
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Fox Butterfield
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Physical and sexual abuse of prisoners,
similar to what has been uncovered in Iraq, takes place in American
prisons with little public knowledge or concern, according to
corrections officials, inmates and humanrights advocates.
In Pennsylvania and some other states,
inmates routinely are stripped in front of other inmates before
being moved to a new prison or a new unit within their prison. In
Arizona, male inmates at the Maricopa County jail in Phoenix are
made to wear women’s pink underwear as a form of humiliation.
At Virginia’s Wallens Ridge
super-maximum-security prison, newly arriving inmates have reported
being forced to wear black hoods, in theory to keep them from
spitting on guards, and say they were often beaten and cursed at by
guards and made to crawl on their knees.
The corrections experts say some of
the worst abuses have occurred in Texas, whose prisons were under a
federal consent decree during much of the time President Bush was
governor because of violence by guards against inmates and
overcrowding. A federal district judge, William Wayne Justice,
imposed the decree after finding that guards were allowing inmate
gang leaders to buy and sell other inmates as sex slaves.
The experts also point out that the man who
directed the reopening of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq last year
and trained the guards there resigned under pressure as director of
the Utah Department of Corrections in 1997 after a mentally ill
inmate died while shackled to a restraining chair for 16 hours. The
inmate, who suffered from schizophrenia, was kept naked.
The Utah official, Lane McCotter, later
became an executive of a private prison company. One of its jails
was under investigation by the Justice Department when he was sent
to Iraq as part of a team picked by Attorney General John Ashcroft
to rebuild the country’s criminal-justice system.
McCotter, 63, is director of business
development for Management & Training Corp., a Utah-based
company that says it is the third largest private prison company,
operating 13 prisons. Last spring, the company’s operation of the
Santa Fe jail was criticized by the Justice Department and the New
Mexico Department of Corrections for unsafe conditions and lack of
medical care for inmates. No further action was taken.
In Texas, in a case that began in 2000, a
prisoner at the Allred Unit in Wichita Falls was repeatedly raped by
other inmates, even after he appealed to guards for help, and was
allowed by prison staff to be treated like a slave, being bought and
sold by various prison gangs in different parts of the prison. The
inmate, Roderick Johnson, has filed suit against the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice and the case is now before the 5 th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, said Kara Gotsch,
public policy coordinator for the National Prison Project of the
American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing Johnson.
In a 1999 opinion, Justice wrote of the
situation in Texas, "Many inmates credibly testified to the
existence of violence, rape and extortion in the prison system and
about their own suffering from such abysmal conditions."
Asked what Bush knew about abuse in Texas
prisons while he was governor, Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman,
said the problems in American prisons were not comparable to the
abuses at Abu Ghraib.
Nationwide, during the last 25 years, more
than 40 state prison systems were under some form of court order,
for brutality, overcrowding, poor food or lack of medical care, said
Marc Mauer, assistant director of the Sentencing Project, a research
and advocacy group in Washington that calls for alternatives to
incarceration.
The corrections experts are careful to say
they do not know to what extent the brutality and humiliation at Abu
Ghraib were an intentional strategy to break the prisoners for
interrogation or were just random acts.
But Chase Riveland, a prison consultant based
near Seattle, said: "In some jurisdictions in the United States,
there is a prison culture that tolerates violence and it’s been
there a long time."
Copied from NEW YORK TIMES on May 08, 2004 by
Austin Leedom of the Shawnee Sentinel
City Council
continues to follow the wrong leader.
Written and posted by Austin Leedom at 2:20 a.m.
Tuesday, April 27,
2004
We were told at
city council meeting tonight there would be no verbal prayer in
council meetings from now on because of a complaint by Councilwoman
Carol Caudill, aka as "Sassy Lassy" in the personal ads on
yahoo.com.
At the beginning of the 6:00 o'clock
meeting tonight (April 26, 2004) it was announced by Council
President Jim Kalb that the meeting would be started with a silent
prayer instead of the usual verbal prayer.
For many years
Solicitor David Kuhn has led off the meetings with a verbal prayer.
The prayers were very nice. Mr. Kuhn has an excellent speaking voice
and his prayers were brief.
In January, 2004 a new
councilman, David Malone, became a member of the city council.
Councilman Malone has, for the last couple of months, performed the
opening prayer.
Mr. Malone's prayers were a bit longer, his
words rang with humble sincerity, and his voice was touched with a
holy spirit as he prayed for forgiveness and invoked the Lord to
watch over, protect, and guide the Council with wisdom, honesty and
courage. His prayers filled many listeners with gratitude, comfort,
hope, and a true desire to "walk the high road" and do those things
that would be fitting in the sight of the Lord.
Listeners not
only heard his words of prayer but they also felt the spirit of the
Almighty as Councilman Malone offered the prayers. As
one citizen observed, "David Malone brought God to the City Council
meeting."
No doubt the Lord has been trying for many years to
get into a city council meeting. Finally, he found a way to get a
few minutes recognition in council meetings.
But the
Devil was not happy.
The angels of the devil could not bear
such success by an apostle of Christ Jesus and they moved upon their
servant to halt the spirit of holiness that was being delivered in
the council chambers by the man of God.
It is not known why
Carol Caudill objected to the prayers of David Malone. Mr. Malone is
a devout life-long Christian, a minister of the gospel of Jesus
Christ: he is well respected by every good person, and more
importantly, he is respected by his Master. He does not need to tell
anyone he is a Christian; he lives the life.
Carol Caudill is
not known as such a person. She was a big player in the Martings
purchase scandal. She voted to pay almost two million dollars for
the purchase of a $762,000 building from Clay Johnson (aka the
Martings Foundation) and was present when the "deal" was signed. She
signed as a witness to the "deal," along with Neal Hatcher, local
big-time real estate owner and developer.
We do not know why
Carol Caudill doesn't like the prayers of Councilman David Malone.
Perhaps he speaks a Christian language she finds strange.
Perhaps, she just doesn't like David Malone, an
African-American, because of the color of his skin.
May God
have mercy on her soul.
(Written
and posted by Austin Leedom at 2:20 a.m. Tuesday, April 27,
2004
Ohio Bureau of Criminal
Investigation and Identification Agent Finds reason to ask for audit
in the purchase of the Marting’s Building.
(Written and posted by Austin Leedom at 2:20 a.m.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004)
After the close of the regular meeting of the
Portsmouth City Council last night (Monday, April 26, 2004) Council
President Jim Kalb shared a letter he had received to day from
County Prosecuting Attorney Lynn Alan Grimshaw.
The letter is as follows:
"April 26, 2004
James Kalb, President
Portsmouth City Council
Municipal Building
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
Re: Audit
Dear Councilman Kalb:
I have been contacted by Jim Perry, an
investigator with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and
Identification. Mr. Perry has been assigned to look into the City of
Portsmouth’s purchase of the Marting’s building.
At a meeting with Mr. Perry, he indicated his
belief that assistance from the Ohio State Auditor’s office would be
beneficial to his investigation. He has already contacted the
Auditor’s office and has been told that its employees are willing to
assist, if asked. The request for assistance however, must come from
the City of Portsmouth.
Mr. Perry has asked that I contact Portsmouth
City Council to see if it would authorize the Ohio State Auditor's
assistance. I ask, for Mr. Perry, that this matter be brought
to the attention of the Council at its next meeting.
Thank you for your consideration to his
matter.
Sincerely yours,
Lynn Alan Grimshaw
Prosecuting Attorney
Scioto County, Ohio"
Following the sharing of the letter from
County Prosecuting Attorney Lynn Alan Grimshaw with
councilmembers and citizens there was a brief discussion.
Mayor Greg Bauer did not favor an investigation by the Auditor. The
council took no action and quickly adjourned.
Portsmouth Police Chief Charles Horner began
investigation into the 2002 purchase of the Marting’s Building in
February, 2004 after City Council asked that he make an official
inquiry into the the questionable "deal."
At that time Chief Horner advised that he
would make an investigation and would seek the assistance of state
offices.
Evidence uncovered to date indicates a fraud
of monstrous size was perpetrated upon the citizens of
Portsmouth.
(Written and posted by Austin Leedom at 2:20 a.m. Tuesday, April
27, 2004)
Corruption - Tampering with
Evidence Big News this Year.
Dr. John Adams' Attorney May Be In
Trouble in Scioto County Capital Murder Case.-
In February, 2004 the Shawnee
Sentinel reported on attorney indicted for
tampering with evidence in Clinton County death.
Now --- Athens County
deputy sheriff guilty of evidence
tampering.
latest news on evidence tampering by officials
""Published: Tuesday, April
20, 2004 - NEWS 04B By Jim Phillips
FOR THE COLUMBUS
DISPATCH
ATHENS, Ohio -- An Athens County deputy sheriff pleaded guilty
yesterday to evidence tampering, admitting he offered an altered
doctor's note as evidence in a criminal case.
Sgt. Jay Barrett, 38, faced charges of
evidence tampering and perjury. Special prosecutor Rocky Coss of
Highland County agreed to drop the second charge yesterday in
exchange for the plea in Athens County Common Pleas Court. Visiting
Judge Jeffrey L. Simmons of Vinton County ordered a pre-sentence
investigation. Coss recommended Barrett serve 18 months of
community-control probation if Barrett agrees to surrender his
peace-officer certification and quit the sheriff's office.
Coss said Barrett altered a note from his doctor to
indicate an office visit took place a month later than it did. He
said the note apparently was meant to bolster an assault case
against an Albany man who struggled with Barrett and other deputies
when they arrested him in September 2002. The date on the note was
changed to make it look as if Barrett had been treated for injuries
after the arrest took place, though the doctor's visit occurred
before the arrest. The prosecutor said he thinks Barrett knew
deputies had entered the suspect's residence without knowing whether
there was a warrant for his arrest. "I think he was just trying to
cover their butts for a questionable entry,'' the prosecutor said.
Barrett told the judge, "It was not my specific intent to violate
the law.'' He said his father altered the note, and that he thought
his father had done so with the doctor's permission.
Coss said he doubts Barrett's claim that his father
changed the note. He said had Barrett not pleaded guilty, he was
prepared to seek further charges against him in connection with a
workers' compensation claim stemming from a January 2003 arrest, as
well as alleged false statements the officer made earlier in his own
case."
Above article created by James B. Phillips
and published on Monday, April 20, 2004 by the Columbus
Dispatch.
jamesbphillips@hotmail.com
article above copied from Columbus Dispatch on Wednesday, April
21, 2004 by Austin Leedom
Article below written and posted at 1:45 a.m.
Friday, February 27, 2004 by Austin Leedom
Shawnee Sentinel research has compared a recent Clinton County case
with the present case in Scioto County. Attorney Eric Wrage's
alleged violations may be more serious than the offenses in Clinton
County for which the lady lawyer was indicted.
Also from the archives of the
Columbus Dispatch, NEWS 06C, Saturday, March 15,
2003:
" Wilmington, Ohio - -
A Clinton County grand jury has indicted a Columbus lawyer on
charges of tampering with evidence and obstructing
justice.
The indictments returned Thursday
accuse Diane M. Menashe of telling a client to destroy a statement
he made concerning a police shooting."
--------------
ooooooooooooooo
In July 2003 Dr. John Adams of Barboursville,
WV allegedly shot Portsmouth City Economic Development Manager Bobby
Burns to death at Burns home on Mound Street. It is further alleged
that Dr. Adams then kidnapped two ladies near Wayne Hills and forced
them to drive him to Kentucky where he was captured and jailed by
Kentucky police. Dr. Adams was extradited from Kentucky on July 14,
2003 and indicted the following day on charges of capital murder
(death sentence possible), kidnapping and using a firearm in the commission of a crime. His trial has
been scheduled for July 2004. Dr. Adams is represented by defence
attorneys James Banks of Dublin and Eric Wrage of Bull Run Rd,
Minford.A story by Investigative Reporter Doug Deepe on the
Dougdeepe.com website revealed that while Dr. Adams was being held
in the Greenup Jail his defence attorney Eric Wrage came to the
jail. He brought clothing to Dr. Adams and took away the clothing
that Dr. Adams was wearing at the time of his
arrest.
Faulty over-priced garbage trucks and garbage
carts bought from Andy Glockner in a suspicious
secret, unbid deal. Mayor Bauer and Andy Glockner together,
again. (Reposted February 14, 2004 by Austin
Leedom)
TRUSTEE ACCUSED OF ABUSING
POSITION
Published:
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
NEWS
03B
THE COLUMBUS
DISPATCH
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio -- A Scioto Township
trustee could face four years in prison if convicted of using public
employees to chop wood and complete home-improvement projects.
Russell Walkup instructed township employees
to cut and split wood for his home, build a culvert in his driveway,
do electrical work in his garage and install a water heater, said
Ross County Prosecutor Scott
Nusbaum.
Walkup is scheduled to appear in
Ross County Common Pleas Court on
March 1 on four charges of theft in office. On the advice of his
attorney, Walkup declined to comment.
"He was using personnel for his personal
use,'' said Ross County Sheriff Ron
Nichols.
The investigation is continuing, Nichols
said.
Meanwhile, two trustees, acting without
Walkup, placed the cemetery superintendent on paid leave in
November. The letter sent to Lewis Felts alluded to an investigation
but did not specify any allegations.
At the time, Felts said he had heard rumors
that he was accused of working too much overtime, buying a stolen
generator or paying cemetery employees to can beans for him while on
the job.
Felts remains on paid leave, trustee Tom
Straub said. "We just think it's the fairest thing to do.''
Straub said he could not comment on Walkup's
case.
posted 8:15 a.m., Monday, July 28,
2003)
DID MRDD EMPLOYEES COMMIT
MEDICARE/MEDICAID FRAUD?
Were employees forced to forge
doctor’s signatures of MRDD paperwork?
Workers continue to expose Superintendent John
Oakley
By Doug Deepe, Investigative
Reporter
(Posted 8:15 a.m., Monday, July
28, 2003)
Reports are beginning to flow
out from behind the locked doors and barbed wired fences at MRDD
leading us to revelation of possible criminal activity by employees
at MRDD, activity ordered by the upper staff management of
Superintendent John Oakley.
One new revelation concerns employees
being forced to forge signatures of local doctors in order to get
funding for services at MRDD through either Medicaid or Medicare. If
these new allegations are true (and it shouldn’t be hard to prove or
disprove) the individuals responsible for this action could be held
criminally liable.
State or federal investigators should be able
to pull out all the applications for services involving Medicare or
Medicare and compare signatures on the applications with signatures
of local doctors. These allegations have come from numerous sources
within MRDD. The Sentinel discussed this new allegation with
current and former MRDD employees and confirmed that forgery had
been committed on various paperwork for services offered to
consumers.
Another problem with improprieties involves
"backdating consumer plans." (This issue is still being worked on
for further discussion, but it appears to be illegal. More on this
issue later.)
Word also leaked out last week that Ohio
State investigators were told by the local investigator working at
MRDD that issues of wrongdoing at the Verne Riffe School had been
passed up through proper channels within MRDD but that
Superintendent John Oakley and/or his staff ignored the
information.
Sources claim that problems began to
materialize after Superintendent Oakley did away with MRDD’s most
experienced "Behavioral Support" workers. Sources claim that about
two years ago Superintendent John Oakley became angry at the two
workers, one for personal reasons and the other because she tried to
send a note home with an enrollee.
The Sentinel didn’t believe that
Superintendent John Oakley could go any lower than turning a blind
eye to rape and molestation, but we were wrong.
Superintendent John Oakley with the
assistance of MRDD employee John Cantrell decided to deny a "dying"
enrollee of MRDD a final wish. This student, had a final wish to
visit with Dave Ross, and his wife Kathy Ross, before he died.
Superintendent Oakley got this information about the final
request after MRDD worker John Cantrell found a note, that one of
the Behavioral Support workers sent home to the dying students care
givers informing them on how to get in contact with Dave and Kathy
Ross.
It seems that John Cantrell took the note and
delivered it to Superintendent Oakley at which point Oakley
chastised the employee and issued a warning to the worker about
sending notes home with the enrollees without Oakley’s
permission.
How low can one man (or two men)
go?
Other revelations are now surfacing about
one of Oakley’s Angels forcing MRDD workers to take home
paperwork and study it on the workers own time without paying the
workers' wages for working at home. Employees claim that they are
told that if they didn’t take the work home to read and study it
that they could lose their jobs.
Where will this all lead nobody is sure but
one things for certain, Oakley didn’t show up for work last week and
maybe he won’t ever return.
D D
(posted 9:00 a.m., Friday, July 25, 2003)
SUPERINTENDENT OAKLEY AND
"OAKLEY’S ANGELS" WITH-HELD
INFORMATION IN SRS/MRDD
INVESTIGATION
MRDD Board should ensure next
MRDD Superintendent is not one of these ladies.
By Doug Deepe, Investigative
Reporter
(Posted 9:00 a.m., Friday, July
25, 2003)
Sources have confirmed to the
Sentinel that a state investigator has re-opened questions
concerning the relationship between MRDD and Scioto Residential
Services (SRS) after the Sentinel published detailed notes of
meetings with Superintendent Oakley and the MRDD staff.
In those interview notes from a January 2003
meeting, it was disclosed that Superintendent Oakley had established
an illegal or immoral committee to stall services to customers that
needed services, unless the customer chose MRDD.
The notes
also disclosed that any services seeking assistance with special
therapy such as speech therapy, occupational therapy etc. should be
a "red flag issue," meaning that those services should be
denied.
Another section of the minutes of the meeting
contained information that clearly indicates that Superintendent
Oakley was stopping MRDD enrollees from choosing which service
provider that the enrollee actually wanted to use for services
unless MRDD was the chosen provider.
Enrollees were forced to wait months and
sometimes years to get approval for services. Superintendent Oakley
and his committee would deny, deny, deny until either the enrollees
accepted MRDD as their provider or the enrollee just gave
up.
One firm singled out by name in the January
2003 memo is Scioto Residential Services. The Sentinel
learned this week that Scioto Residential Services has been in a
major legal battle with Superintendent Oakley and MRDD concerning
some type of financial matter.
The disclosure of the January
2003 memo by the Sentinel gave first hand evidence to Scioto
Residential Services and the state investigator that Superintendent
Oakley and/or his immediate underlings at MRDD had covered up
information from the state investigator.
A source from Scioto Residential Services,
requesting anonymity, called the Sentinel today and thanked us for
printing the January 2003 memo from MRDD telling us, "We knew Oakley
and others within MRDD were withholding information from
investigators and the memo finally gave us what we needed to
confront them. They admitted it today."
The source could not give us specific details
about the financial issues that were being addressed other than to
say that someone from the state had been overseeing financial
matters between MRDD and SRS for about a year.
The Sentinel learned today that SRS
had filed a lawsuit against MRDD over a year ago concerning
financial problems between the two agencies.
This is proof that Superintendent Oakley and
his upper management team at MRDD can’t be trusted. This now raises
a bigger question.
Who will the Board of MRDD and/or the
Scioto County Commissioners choose to lead MRDD once Superintendent
Oakley is gone?
It appears that Superintendent John
Oakley has a "hand picked" successor ready to step in once he
resigns. This individual was sent to complete a course to make her
eligible to meet the educational requirements to be Superintendent
of MRDD.
This person was chosen because she is willing
to keep the corruption of the past, in the past, where Oakley wanted
it to remain.
People in charge of this appointment better
think long and hard before putting one of Superintendent Oakley’s
immediate underlings in charge of MRDD and the Verne Riffe
School.
Let’s review what we now know about these
people. Oakley and his hand picked leaders covered up molestations,
rapes, and sodomy of enrollees at MRDD’s Verne Riffe School.
These individuals withheld information from a state
investigator and apparently lied to investigators about whatever the
information was, since it was given up in recent days (possibly
today).
Who has been on the teleconference calls with
Superintendent Oakley while he hides out, staying away from the MRDD
buildings, hoping to weather this storm? The people we at the
Sentinel call "Oakley’s
Angels".
Oakley’s Angels, and the three of you know who you are, has
deliberately participated in helping Superintendent John Oakley
cover up crimes against enrollees at the Verne Riffe School.
Oakley’s Angels better not think they are going to take over
Verne Riffe School, because when all is said and done, they might
join him in jail where they all four belong.
None of these individuals will have the
backing or trust of the employees at MRDD considering that the
employees are fully aware that it was with their help (Oakley’s
Angels) that all this criminal activity was allowed to remain
secret for all these years.
The Sentinel hasn’t publicly named
Oakley’s Angels for one reason. We want them to resign right
along with Superintendent Oakley. Then let the legal system take
them to task for what they helped Oakley cover-up, crimes against
the enrollees.
The Sentinel has made a decision
to raise a question to the Scioto County Commissioner’s and the
Board of MRDD about a man Superintendent John Oakley has attempted
to discredit and destroy his professional reputation. This man has
not talked to any of us at the Sentinel and if Superintendent
Oakley or anyone at MRDD or the Scioto County Commissioners
retaliate against him for what we are about to say, it’ll be a very
big legal mistake. Our information comes from people with first hand
knowledge about this individual, both personally and
professionally.
You have a man working at MRDD that once was
Superintendent Oakley’s right hand man. A man that the parents of
the enrollees and many, many former and present staff members would
walk through hell and back with to help the enrollees at MRDD. His
name is Mr. Dave Ross.
Why is this very qualified man
sitting at a desk taking telephone notes like a
secretary?
This man was the one that took Superintendent John
Oakley to task and refused to be his YES MAN, and look what happened
to him.
Mr. Ross, I apologize for mentioning your name
publicly, but it’s time that this town is told the truth why your
talents are being wasted. It’s very simple.
Superintendent Oakley replaced Mr. Ross with
a less competent employee that would do anything Oakley asked of her
to do because Mr. Ross would challenge Superintendent Oakley when
Oakley was doing things wrong.
You can’t challenge a man like Oakley and
keep your job. It took Mr. Ross filing a complaint against
Superintendent Oakley to get back his salary, but Oakley was able to
retaliate against Ross by stripping him of any real educational
responsibilities at the Verne Riffe School.
Mr. Ross is one of the highest qualified
individuals working at MRDD and the Board Members of MRDD and the
Scioto County Commissioner’s have yet to challenge Superintendent
Oakley as to why a man with such talent is forced to answer
telephone calls.
According to the parents, former
employees and current employees of MRDD, Mr. Ross was a threat to
Superintendent Oakley because he (Ross) couldn’t be lied to by
Oakley, and Ross wouldn’t participate in corrupt or illegal
activities at MRDD.
Mr. Ross, as a taxpayer of this county, I
want to apologize to you for what the Scioto County Commissioners
and the Board of MRDD let Superintendent Oakley do to you. Maybe
when Oakley and his Angels are removed from MRDD, you can get
back to educating and training the enrollees as the MRDD programs
were intended.
Keep the faith people.
D
D
(posted 8:30 a.m., Thursday, July 24, 2003)
SECOND FAMILY COMES FORWARD WITH
POSSIBLE SEXUAL ABUSE CASE AT MRDD. TWO MORE FAMILIES ASK TO MEET
WITH SENTINEL
Rape kit test written report
being kept from family
By Doug Deepe, Investigative
Reporter
(Posted 9:00 a.m., Thursday,
July 24, 2003)
A second Sciotoville, Ohio
family has come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against
their 33 year old daughter by someone at MRDD.
This case began back in June of 2001 when the
parents were on vacation in Florida when they were notified that
their daughter returned home from MRDD’s Star Workshop having
trouble walking. The caretaker staying with the alleged victim
claims that when the young woman went to the bathroom blood was in
the victim’s panties along with another wet substance.
The
caretaker contacted the victim’s family later that evening and the
caretaker was instructed to take the victim to Southern Ohio Medical
Center (SOMC) to be checked out for possible rape or molestation.
Medical officials at SOMC examined the victim
and collected samples using a rape kit. While examining the victim,
the nurse at SOMC noticed that the victim had substances under her
finger nails.
According to the victims caretaker, the nurse
informed her (the caretaker) that the substance tested positive for
blood. The nurse stated that it appeared the victim had scratched
somebody.
The family returned from Florida and went to
the Verne Riffe School to discuss what had happened to their
daughter. The family claims that nobody could provide them with any
answers.
After months of no answers, Lt. Lynn Brewer
allegedly contacted the victim’s family and told the mother of the
victim, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is there is no
semen, the bad news is we don’t know what the substance is but this
is preliminary and a final written report will come
later."
The mother of the alleged victim stated to
the Sentinel that she was angry with Portsmouth Police Lt. Lynn
Brewer because Brewer continues to refuse to turn over copies of the
written medical rape kit test results.
"I’ve called Lt. Brewer on numerous occasions
trying to get my hands on the final written report on the rape kit
test and Lt. Brewer won’t turn it over to us. What is he hiding?"
says the mother of the victim.
The mother stated to the Sentinel that a bus
driver from MRDD stated to her that officials at the school were
trying to force the bus driver to lie to State MRDD investigators
that we’re going to come to the school to investigate this
case.
Why would Portsmouth Police Lt. Lynn Brewer
not turn over the rape test results if there is nothing to hide from
the family?
Or was this a ploy by the Portsmouth Police
Department to keep the information hidden from public view so the
victims could not sue MRDD or the Portsmouth Police Department for
failing to act on previous rape cases at MRDD?
Many of the victims are telling the
Sentinel that the Portsmouth Police have been called to the
Verne Riffe School on numerous occasions concerning potential rape,
sodomy or molestation.
It appears that the Portsmouth Police didn’t
arrest the alleged perpetrators because the Prosecutors Office
didn’t want to bring charges against a mentally challenged
defendant. If that is true, then the Prosecutors Office should be
called out to explain why this decision was made.
For the
third consecutive day MRDD Superintendent John Oakley was
mysteriously absent from work. Sources claim that Superintendent
Oakley is keeping in contact with his key personnel via
teleconferencing or through email. (Ladies you should be careful
what you say while eating at local restaurants.) Oakley is not
coming to the Verne Riffe School.
The Sentinel is sharing our
information about this case with other news media outlets that are
scheduling reporters to begin heading this way to begin covering the
abuses at the Verne Riffe School. We informed the media that
Superintendent Oakley will refuse to meet and discuss these issues
on the record.
Each media outlet is being provided with the
names, phone numbers and addresses of each victim that contacts the
Sentinel for help. Maybe some other news media reporter will
be able to get the Scioto County Commissioners and/or the MRDD Board
to come forward and answer questions about the sexual allegations at
the most vulnerable school in this region.
It’s becoming clear as each day passes that
the word in the political machine in Scioto County is just stay
quiet and ride out the storm. This storm isn’t leaving until the
dark cloud over the children at MRDD’s Verne Riffe School is lifted
by a complete, independent and non-political
investigation.
The students at MRDD’s Verne Riffe School
deserve no less than that.
D D
(posted 8:30 a.m., July 23, 2003)
STATE MRDD TO INVESTIGATE SCIOTO
COUNTY MRDD
Investigators seek names of
victims.
Let’s take the Oakley Rotary 4
Way Test
By Doug Deepe, Investigative
Reporter
(posted 9:00 a.m., Wednesday,
July 23, 2003)
The State MRDD Office in
Columbus, Ohio contacted this reporter yesterday afternoon inquiring
about the articles of abuse of enrollees at Verne Riffe School
printed on this web-site.
Amy Taylor and Edie Deal contacted me seeking
the name of the young 17 year old student that claims he was
molested at the Verne Riffe School. I immediately provided Ms.
Taylor the name of the student, the parents name, home phone number
and local address. The parents had agreed in advance that they
wanted this information out to anyone willing to investigate this
matter.
Ms. Taylor and I discussed the allegations
and I provided her with the majority of the information that I have
received from all the readers, parents, students etc. that have
contacted me. I did not disclose any of your names, phone numbers or
emails other than the parent that gave me approval to do so. I
informed Ms. Taylor that many of you have stated that you are
willing to meet with State Investigators privately to discuss the
allegations printed on our web-site.
To get this investigation up and running
faster, parents or anyone with information about possible sexual
crimes at the Verne Riffe School, call these numbers and discuss
your issues with a State MRDD Investigator:
MRDD Hotline: 1-866-313-6733
Amy Taylor: 1-614-995-3811
Edie Deal: 1-614-752-0094
This is your chance to finally expose what
you know and your chance to get the predators off the enrollees at
the Verne Riffe School. Many of you asked for our help to get this
information out to the public to attract help and we’ve done what
you asked us to do. Now it’s your turn to pick up the ball and run
with it.
WE’RE NOT DONE WITH OAKLEY THOUGH:
Someone called me tonight and explained to me
that Superintendent Oakley is a staunch supporter of the Rotary
Club. When I heard that, I went in and grabbed the Rotary 4 Way Test
and thought up some questions for Oakley using his favorite clubs
test as the example.
Here’s the actual Rotary International Four
Way Test of things we think, say or do:
I. Is it the truth?
II. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
III. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER
FRIENDSHIPS?
IV. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all
concerned?
Let’s examine this test concerning the
allegations about what’s going on behind the walls of the Verne
Riffe School.
I. Are the sexual allegations true?
Answer: Three sets of parents say yes and
staff members say yes.
- Is it FAIR to all
concerned?
Answer: The silence is not fair to the
individuals that were molested. Oakley’s order of silence is not
fair. The only one that believes anything is fair in this situation
is Oakley.
III. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER
FRIENDSHIPS?
Answer: Only if you are a sexual predator. It
could help your friendship with Oakley if you continue to help him
hide this criminal activity.
IV. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all
concerned?
Answer: The molested enrollees aren’t
benefited. Again, only Oakley and those that keep this hidden can
claim to benefit from it.
Superintendent Oakley seems to love to quote
definitions to his staff.
Examples: A full page memo dated
September 27, 2002 on GOSSIP.
If the employees at MRDD can
not understand what the word GOSSIP means without having the
Superintendent write a full page memo, including "pronunciation,
function, etymology and dialect references", then maybe the
Superintendent has hired the wrong employees to serve the
students.
The Sandal Scandal:
You actually had a committee to decide the
"footwear policy"? And then you thanked the committee for "doing a
fine job with a DIFFICULT subject." How hard of a decision is it to
decide that you shouldn’t wear an opened toed shoes in the Star
Workshop where your feet could be injured.
Try these definitions Oakley:
Rape: a seizing by force; sexual intercourse
with a woman carried out without her consent and by
force.
Molestation: to annoy, persecute, disturb
with hostile intent or injurious effect; to take indecent liberties
with.
While you and your staff were working on
dress codes and shoe policies enrollees were being criminally
assaulted.
Let’s look at the Scioto County MR/DD Mission
Statement (PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS, PEOPLE):
MISSION: To ensure the availability of
programs, services, and supports that assist eligible individuals
with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities in
choosing and achieving a life of increasing capability such that
they can live, work, and play in the community, and to assist and
support the families of these individuals in achieving these
objectives.
ASSIST AND SUPPORT THE FAMILIES:
Superintendent Oakley, explain to me and the
readers about the little girl at the Carousel Center in downtown
Portsmouth that walked out of the building, down behind Crispie
Crème Donut Shop, without anyone knowing she was gone? The girl was
found by a Portsmouth Police Officer and returned to the Carousel
Center.
The father of this little girl filed a
complaint about his daughter not being monitored and because he
complained services were denied for his family.
ASSURE AVAILABILITY OF PROGRAMS:
Your notes of January 9, 2003 read in part:
"Karren reminded all PSC’s to review all cases of referral for
service to outside agencies. It is the PSC’s job to make sure the
consumer’s choice is protected and that match funding is available.
(MATCH FUNDING HAS TO BE AVAILABLE) John Oakley said the BUDGET is a
big responsibility of the PSC. A red flag on professional services
such as speech, occupational therapy, nursing, etc. should be looked
at closely by the PSC."
Maybe the parents and staff should just call
the MRDD Board Members listed below and file a complaint with them.
Then again, many of the staff believe this list of individuals are a
rubber stamp for Oakley, so you might be wasting your time but give
it a try anyway.
Martina Lauro, President 354-4502
James E. (Ernie) McLaughlin
574-8172
Elissa Gulker 858-0507
Therese Doerr 353-0787
Tom Grashel 354-2095
Paul Crabtree 259-2693
Nancy Steele 574-4779
Oh my, is this Tom Grashel the same
individual that had his picture taken while with the Portsmouth High
School Girls Softball Team, getting his toe nails painted, while
lying on a hotel bed? Who appointed him to this important
position?
If I missed any board members I’ll post you
later.
D D
(posted 8:15 a.m., Tuesday, July 22, 2003)
SCMRDD STUDENT MOLESTED AT VERNE
RIFFE SCHOOL
PARENTS TO SUE SUPERINTENDENT
OAKLEY, SCMRDD BOARD AND OTHERS FOR HIDING MOLESTATIONS.
By Doug Deepe, Investigative
Reporter
(Posted 8:15 a.m., Tuesday, July
22, 2003)
The Sentinel has been
reporting over the last week about the horror behind the walls of
the Verne Riffe School. The Sentinel now has confirmation
from parents of a SCMRDD Verne Riffe School student that
molestations are still occurring at the school under the leadership
of Superintendent John Oakley. These are new molestations, not
molestations committed by Zane Douglas Loper.
Yesterday afternoon two Sentinel
reporters met with parents of a 17 year old boy that was molested at
the Verne Riffe School this past school year. This was not the first
attack on this young man by his perpetrator.
A male enrollee at the Verne Riffe
School, approximate age of 20, was following younger boys into the
bathrooms at the school, pulling the young boys pants down and
molesting the younger boys. Nobody at Verne Riffe School notified
local law enforcement officials for fear of being fired by
Superintendent Oakley.
The parents of the young man that was
molested stated to the Sentinel that they (the parents) had
met with Superintendent Oakley and his staff after learning that
their son had been molested in a closet at the Verne Riffe School by
this older male student. The parents stated that Superintendent
Oakley and his staff decided to keep the first molestation a
"secret" from the parents because the mother of the young man was
ill and Oakley "didn’t want to upset the mother because of her
medical condition."
Superintendent Oakley and his staff covered
up a possible felony crime.
According to the parents, Superintendent
Oakley stated to the parents during the meeting that he (Oakley)
couldn’t guarantee that their son would not be molested again if the
boy returned to the Verne Riffe School this past school year. Oakley
apparently was correct. The boy was molested upon his return to the
school.
The parents stated that an agreement was made
between the parents and Superintendent Oakley that the boy would be
moved to a room at the school one floor above the older enrollee
which had a bathroom within the schoolroom. The parents were told by
Superintendent Oakley that the boys’ new teacher, Wilma, would be
advised of the prior molestation. The parents claim that the teacher
was not informed as promised by Oakley.
The parents claim that they found out of the
latest molestation this past school year and immediately pulled
their son out of the Verne Riffe School and began home schooling the
young man. Superintendent Oakley wants the boy to return to the
school and apparently has requested the assistance of Scioto County
Children Services in getting the boy back into school.
What
is heartbreaking is to talk with the young man and listen to him
discuss how he misses his favorite teacher, Mr. Ison. The boy wants
to return to school but he appears to understand why he can’t at the
present time.
While interviewing the parents we were shown
a special commendation given to this young man by the Scioto County
Commissioners, so this young man is well known to the Commissioners.
How can the Commissioners not address the parents and young boy
about the terror they have suffered at the Verne Riffe
School?
Well, someone is about to be forced to answer
the parents charges against Superintendent Oakley. The
Sentinel put the parents in contact with a very good lawyer
who will be meeting with the young man and the parents to plan what
should be done to get Superintendent Oakley and the staff at SCMRDD
into court.
The Sentinel has provided names of
potential witnesses from MRDD that have knowledge about the
molestations within the Verne Riffe School and the lawyer will be
using subpoena power to force these people to come forward and
testify about what has been going on behind the walls of Verne Riffe
School.
Those at MRDD that ordered keeping these
secrets about the molestation of the kids at MRDD should be held
accountable, both criminally and civilly. The only thing that seems
to get the attention of the elected officials in Scioto County is
legal battles. Rather than stand up and do the honorable thing and
ask for Superintendent Oakley’s resignation it looks like the County
Commissioners would rather deal with another lawsuit.
Well ones on the way and this one will bring
the house of cards down around you. Superintendent Oakley appears to
not be in very good stead with his employees so it’s clear that the
employees are going to have their chance to put this man out on a
limb and then saw the limb off. This is going to be your chance
employees.
Many of you have wondered if the
Sentinel was going to walk away from this issue. I think you
should know by now that we aren’t going anywhere until
Superintendent Oakley is removed from that job over our mentally
challenged precious children.
Tomorrow the Sentinel is meeting with another
set of parents that claim their daughter was molested at the Verne
Riffe School. This story will either appear later in the
week.
Hang in their staff at MRDD. These suits will
allow you to speak freely for the first time in a long time; we
understand the oppression you have been under for
years.
D D
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