NEWS FROM THE TRACY PARK SIGNING

We received the following report from someone who attended the Tracy Park signing last night. The report is very encouraging, however there is still much to do in the next two weeks.

"It went very well, considering that the plans were kinda last minute. The weather was heavenly...just cool enough for all to be very comfortable. We had a steady flow of citizens who were sooo eager to sign the petitions. There were doctors and nurses and local businessmen and several city workers. There were people in suits and ties and coveralls and some came on motorized chairs. It was very heart-warming to hear how fed up folks are with the so-called "CAVE" People.

About 75 people signed up so about three petition sheets were filled up. This is not a whole lot when over 1100 are needed. But several volunteers eagerly took blank petitions with them, including a lady who has already got 50 signatures on her own. Also many people left phone numbers of relatives and friends who want to sign, and someone will follow up with them. (Also some creepy guy was driving around the Park taking pictures, trying to be smeaky about it. A "CAVE" Person. We just waved at him. He almost caused a wreck.)

There will be probably be at least two more public signings, which will be much more publicized. Since the Tracy Park signing was just spread by word of mouth, everyone was very pleased. They want to get done by the middle of August but they can take more time if they have to."

We will let our readers know about future progress. If you want to sign up or pass petitions, please email us at ptownu@yahoo.com and we will provide you with contact information. Thanks to all who came out yesterday and God bless you.

Tracy Park Petition Signing (CONFIRMED)

Petition Signing:
Tracy Park, 5-7 PM,
Thurs. Jul. 28.

UPDATE: Petition Signing Event is confirmed.

Since former Police Chief Tom Bihl took out recall petitions last Friday, the effort to recall Jane Murray has been making good progress.

(Click here to watch a news story by WSAZ Channel 3 News, or click here to read the Portsmouth Daily Times article.)

Hundreds of signatures have been gathered towards the 1100-plus that will be needed to get the recall issue on the ballot in November. Finally the citizens of Portsmouth will have their chance to get rid of Jane Murray.

However, more signatures and more petition circulators are needed.

We have learned that plans are being made to set up a petition signing at Tracy Park across from the Kroger parking lot, tomorrow (Thursday) from 5:00-7:00 PM.

Here is a chance for our readers to sign a petition or even take blank petition with you if you are a registered voter who would like to collect signatures from your friends and neighbors.

Please plan on going to help save our City and get rid of Calamity Jane.

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P-TOWN EXTRA

About this time last year, Portsmouth the CAVE People (including Robert Forrey, Harold Daub, and Teressa Mollette) were trying to sabotage  a project sponsored by a local community group. Many of them lined up at the microphone at City Council meetings to get their face time on camera to criticize the Portsmouth Kiwanis Tracy Park playground project and condemn Portsmouth City Council and the previous mayor for allowing it.

Teresa Mollette  (whose husband has since been kicked out of office, thank you God) called city officials "tools, fools and lapdogs." She went on the internet to say the Kiwanians were "uncaring and self-absorbed" and call Al Oliver "a political pawn of the Kiwanians."

Robert Forrey called the playground project "skullduggery" and, among many other accusations, said that the Kiwanians"concern for children" is just a marketing ploy.

"Kiwanis Playground: The Hole Truth. [Kiwanis has] rebranded itself as the fraternal order that cares, and cares above all about children. With caring for kids as their new mantra, Kiwanis struck marketing gold, and ever since, in a kind of endless summer, has been surfing on that marketing wave."

The picture below is how they portrayed the Kiwanians and their Tracy Park project on River Vices, one of their vile websites: A skunk on a bulldozer giving the "finger" to the City of Portsmouth.

So if you go to Tracy Park for the petition singing take a moment to enjoy the children playing on the beautiful Kiwanis playground and if you know a Kiwanian, shake his or her hand and thank them for making Portsmouth a better place to live.

And take a moment to watch and listen to this beautiful video of the project the CAVE People tried to stop. If Mayor Murray's idiot supporters had their way it would not exist.

SOMC: Mayor Murray's Latest Target

Well, our wonderful, intelligent, tactful, and progress-minded Mayor has done it once agin. She has made a true ass of herself. Jane Murray has more chips on her shoulder than a Snyder's delivery truck driver. It is well-known that she has had a vendetta against Southern Ohio Medical Center. She doesn't like all of the ambulances that come by at all hours of the night, waking her dog and whomever happens to be sleeping at her place. (This is a little like someone who buys a house next to an airport and complains about all the airplanes.) She doesn't like all of the delivery trucks to the medical center complex. Like her C.A.V.E. People supporters, she blames they hospital for basement flooding on Grandview Street.

One of her first actions as Mayor was to raise water and sewer rates for large customers, specifically targeted at customers the size of SOMC, doubling their water and sewer fees (as many other local businesses, such as OSCO, Pepsi, KSA) without advanced notice.

Her latest effort began last month, shortly after the drawn-out exit of Crazy-Town's fake Civil Engineer, Jeff Peck, who Murray claimed had found evidence of the hospital illegally dumping waste in City sewers. (Are we sure Peck is really gone? The City's website still lists Peck as Director of Engineering and Public Services. Click here or here. We're just sayin'.)

Mayor Murray wrote a letter to the hospital ordering them to provide a written plan as to how SOMC will "manage this problem" of city sewers being clogged with "latex gloves, paper towels, syringes, hospital gowns, EKG patches, etc." SOMC responded that they did not belieive that they were the cause of the problem. After all there are doctor's offices in the area wich are not affilated with SOMC as well as Hillview Retirement, who also use such materials. The hospital ended its letter by agreeing to meet with the mayor to discuss the matter and even to install equipment "to allow any debris to be collected and disposed of." The Mayor released her accusation to the Portsmouth Times, which resulted in an article entitled "Hospital-Related Waste Clogging City Sewers, Mayor Says." (PDT, 7/3/2010)

SOMC met with the Mayor on Tuesday, July 13. (PDT, July 17, 2010) How did the meeting go?  

"Not well," Murray said. "I'm very disappointed in the meeting that we had. I specifically requested that SOMC come with a plan to get the materials out of the system, It's unlawful for any of these wastes to enter our sewer system. Instead of coming with a system, they caid they were there to listen to our concerns."

Have you noticed a pattern with our mayor? It seems like no meeting with the mayor ever goes well...with councilmen, with City labor unions, with A-plant officials, with EPA officials, with New Boston officials, with OVRDC...the list goes on and on. No wonder the CAVE people love her.

The meeting truly was a travesty. This was not in the newspaper, but Murray actually pounded on Mr. Arnett's desk (reminiscent of her past meetings with the Police Union, when she demanded to be called Madame Mayor, and her meeting with Councilman Basham) and threatened to shut the hospital down. Murray told them if Arnett didn't do what she wanted, she would call the EPA on them. Arnett responded that they would work with the city but he believed the hospital was in compliance. He merely wanted evidence that the alleged materials going into the sewers were actually from SOMC rather than a non-SOMC doctor's office, Hillview Retirement Center, or another source.

Hurrican Jane was true to her threat to call EPA. ("Mayor Seeks Help From Ohio EPA," PDT, July 15).

Portsmouth Mayor Jane Murray has thrown down the gauntlet in her dispute with Southern Ohio Medical Center over reports that debris from the hospital has been ending up in the city’s sewer system and in homes on Shawnee Road.

Murray requested that personnel from at least THREE (!) different Divisions of the Ohio EPA (Surface Water Hazardous Wastem, and Infectious Wastes) instpect SOMC "as soon as possible." Murray has had City Sewer personnel working overtime seven days per week random inspecting city sewers to try to catch the SOMC in the act, and has even order hazardous materials suits from sewer personnel. (This vendetta of hers is getting a bit expensive.)

Well the EPA inspection took place on Tuesday. What was the result? ("EPA says SOMC In Compliance," PDT, July 23).

Erin Strouse of the Ohio EPA said the Ohio EPA staff met Tuesday with Murray and city wastewater system officials before conducting an inspection at SOMC. Strouse said the Division of Solid and Infectious Waste Management staff from Ohio EPA conducted an infectious waste inspection at the facility during the site visit and found SOMC in compliance with all applicable rules.

According to Randy Arnett, president and CEO at SOMC, on June 20, three inspectors from the EPA conducted an assessment of SOMC’s disposal practices and storm water drainage.
“Portsmouth Mayor Jane Murray has alleged that SOMC is improperly disposing of waste, causing flooding to occur on Shawnee Road,” Arnett said. “We were appreciative of the visit by the inspectors. They were very complimentary of our practices and our staff.”

Arnett said two of the three inspectors were infectious and hazardous waste specialists. One specialized in surface water drainage. “They spoke with several of our staff members in various departments and were impressed by the knowledge and methods used consistently throughout the organization,” Arnett said. “They even said they would like to use SOMC as an example for other organizations.”

So once again Murray has made an ass out of herself (and the City of Portsmouth.)

Is this REALLY what we want from the leadser of our City? Is this REALLY what we voted for?

Do we really want her attacking the City's largest employer with 2200 paid workers? Maybe, since she thinks all things from Kentucky are better than Ohio, she would like to see SOMC's Kentucky competitor take over. Perhaps, just like her C.A.V.E. People followers who constantly criticize SOMC and call for boycotts, she would love to see the hospital close its doors for good.

Even if SOMC is ultimately found to be relasing unauthorized debris (after all, they have 2200 paid staff and 800 volunteer workers...it's not possible to monitor every janitor and every nurses every minute of the day), is this really how we want the Mayor to handle this situation?

Is this really how we attract new business to our area? But calling the EPA on our largest employer?

We say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! CRAZY JANE MUST GO!"

LET THE RECALL BEGIN!!!

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody

This is the story of four people who live in Crazy-Town, USA: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

Everybody said the new Mayor was crazy. Ever since her first day in office, Everybody felt like they were living in Crazy-Town. Nobody was happy that Anybody voted for her. Everybody thought Somebody should form a "recall committee" to remove the crazy Mayor from office.

But the Crazy-Town charter said the Mayor would have to be in office for SIX MONTHS before Anybody could recall her. Everybody marked the day on their calendars when Somebody could do something: July 6.

Well, July 6 came and went. And Everybody started to wonder. "When is Somebody going to start the committee to recall our crazy Mayor? Is Anybody going to do something about this terrible situation?" But Somebody said, "I'm afraid to do it because, Everybody will say I did for the wrong reasons.” And businesses in Crazy-Town said, "We don’t want Anybody who works for us to do it, because the Crazy Mayor will come after us."

Then Somebody thought, “It’s just like the old story.”

Everybody thought Somebody would do it. Somebody should have done it. Anybody could have done it. But in the end, Nobody did it.

Will Everybody be stuck with the mayor that Nobody wants? If Somebody doesn’t do something very soon, Nobody will have enough time to pass the petitions that Everbody wants to sign, and it will be impossible to get the recall of the Mayor on the November ballot. And Crazy Jane Murray will likely stay in office until at least May of 2011.

Does Anybody think this is good idea?

Great Moments in CrAzY-ToWn History (The first of a series)

Jane Murray Votes AGAINST A-Plant Resolution

Date:  Feb. 25, 2010
Location: Pike County Government Plaza, Waverly, Ohio
Event: Board Meeting of the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission

Elected leaders from a twelve-county area serve on the Board of the Ohio Valley Development Commission (OVRDC). They come, many on their own time, to support development projects and to request assistance for our area from state and federal funding sources. These meetings are often attended by representatives of congress and the governor's office. As the Mayor of Portsmouth, Jane Murray is automatically on the board.

Hurricane Jane used her first meeting with this group to cast the only dissenting vote against a resolution to help support the removal of outdated equipment and clean up at the Piketon plant. Seventeen members from Chilicothe, Piketon, Waverly, and elsewhere voted for the measure, proposed by the Scioto and Pike County Commissioners.

Why did she vote against it? Whose judgement was she relying on to make her decision? None other than a full-time anti-nuclear activist named Geoffrey Sea.

Mr. Sea is part of the Southern Ohio Neighbors Group, a tiny crew of anti-nuke kooks, who have caused endless problems for the A-Plant. This is the group Jane has sided with, against the interests of the Citizens of Portsmouth. This is the same Geoffrey Sea who, in January, wrote a letter published in the Portsmouth Times that called Pike County Commissioner Blaine Beekman (a board member of the OVRDC) a "dishonest, self-serving...obstructionist" who made "empty promises and backroom deals." (Click here to read the snide and insulting letter written by Jane Murray's friend, Mr. Sea.)

Jane Murray took it upon herself to invite Mr. Sea to her first meeting ever with this group to give him the opportunity to lecture them about his anti-nuclear, anti-progress views. Arrogantly imposing Mr. Sea's ranting on the attendees at that meeting was WORSE than her negative vote on the resolution.

For the Portsmouth Times coverage of the meeting, click here.
We especially urge you to read our additional information by clicking here.

Jane Murray: Winning friends? Influencing people?

Here's a book that the Mayor should add to her summer reading list...

1. The latest influential person she has ticked off is Frank R. Thompson. Mr. Thompson is a very energized local man who has dedicated himself to doing whatever he can to rid our area of abused prescription drugs. His organization, Fix the Scioto County Problem of Drug Abuse, Misuse, and Overdose, (click here for their Facebook Page) is active and growing.

Two weeks ago, Mr. Thompson described his frustration in dealing with Mayor Murray. Thompson had some public events planned for July (including a concert on the esplanade on July 2) and had received permission from the Mayor to use the main display window at the Martings building for publicity. In late June, he learned that the Mayor had instead promised the main window to the Portsmouth Area Arts Council and Thompson would be moved to the corner window:

Guess what, people? Our display has been moved to the small corner window. I was furious. Talked with the mayor and her secretary. Mayor hung up - guess that's where we'll be displaying. My apologies to the families and friends of the victims for this dreadful change. (Thompson on Facebook, 5:58 pm, 6/23/10)

As the evening progressed Thompson reviewed his correspondence with the Mayor and confirmed that she had lied to him. His description of the events on the group's Facebook page (click here) tells a lot about  how Murray runs her office. Here are some of his statements:

I have copies of the correspondence and they are dated and verified. How do they expect this to ride? I have spent this week making setting up the unveiling, securing the band and speakers, and making and handing out fliers. This was all dependent on the window.

Deception in City government...

...the Mayor's secretary had the audacity to tell me that the mayor attended [all of the drug action team meetings.] I laughed and said, "I remember one and I haven't missed since I started on the Action Team in February"...

She balled me out for making her secretary cry...

Mr. Thompson's arrogant treatment by the Mayoress probably wasn't very smart. Thompson's group's website has over 3,400 followers. Now Thompson knows what it's like to get the royal treatment from the Queen of CrazyTown.

A couple of Mr. Thompson's recent postings are quite revealing:
* Yesterday: "Poll of the Day -- Mayor Murray recall? Yes or No" The results were pretty impressive.
* Another interesting post (complete with a picture that is familiar to our readers): "The forbidden photo of the Mayor's lovely bathroom."

2. Major mess in the Mayor's Office. In April, Murray hired a young Portsmouth man as her assistant. But after two months of office turmoil and abusive treatment, he couldn't take it anymore. He quit a few weeks ago. We won't name the young man here, but his title was Mayor's Assistant. After working so closely with her Highness, he knew that when he left she was likely to say terrible things about him, so he spoke to several City employees to make sure that his side of the story was known. Here are a few of the things he described about the mayor's office.

* The mayor never comes in before 10AM.
* She believes she is suffering from fibromyalgia, which she diagnosed herself. She is frustrated that no doctor will confirm this.
* Mayor Murray does not work well with men.
* He was regularly ordered around (and even verbally reprimanded) by Murray's "volunteer" staff.
* The Mayor's office is hopelessly unorganized and she can't even complete the simplest tasks.
* She is convinced that her office is "bugged" and that the judges' employees have broken into her office and have stolen files.

This gentleman joins a line of people who found that they were unable to work with Ms. Murray, beginning with Pete Mingus, the Mayor's "Chief of Staff," who left after just five days on the job, with similar horror stories.