Tuesday, August 26, 2014

(VIDEOS) WOULD "BOSS" HOOVER APPROVE OF WHAT HE IS SEEING OF NORTH CANTON GOV'T?


Note:  Graphic consists of a remix of
SCPR photos taken of depicted items

UPDATE
03:48 PM

OSBORNE REBUTTAL
 TO
HELD'S ASSESSMENT
(In Appendix)

VIDEOS

MAYOR HELD ON "BOSS" HOOVER
============================== 
OSBORNE ON NC GOV'T CRITIQUES
==============================
CITIZEN COVEY
ON
MAPLE STREET
TREE REMOVAL
==============================
COMPLETE HELD VIDEO
(Response to Osborne Criticisms)
===================================

  BONUS FOOTAGE
IN THE APPENDIX SECTION
============================== 
McCLEASTER & NC JCC PRESENTATION
==============================
  
One of the most used sayings in largely Christian America in terms of accountability is:  "WWJD" What would Jesus do?

And North Canton, being a bastion of Christianity would be no exception.

But there might be a modification.

Because he likely made North Canton a hugely successful community of yesteryear, his name remains to this very day a revered name in The Dogwood City.

View this video clip of current North Canton mayor David Held as he talks with the SCPR post August 25th North Canton City Council meeting about "Boss" Hoover.



The context of Held's "in awe" words of The Hoover Company founder was an attempt by North Canton civic activist (also a former councilman) Chuck Osborne's gambit at last night's regular city council meeting to draw a contrast between "Boss" Hoover and the successor owner (Maple Street Commerce) of what was once the building complete.

In Osborne's "public speaks" presentation, the SCPR largely focused the camera on city council members to try to get a sense of whether or not Osborne's theme was striking a cord.



Osborne cast "Boss" Hoover as a community builder whereas he was clearing trying to make Maple Street Commerce and by obvious implication North Canton City Council (past and present) and by further extension, the Held administration as community destroyers.

As he apt to do, Osborne "left no stone unturned" in his quest to make his overriding point.

At the end of this blog (Appendix) the SCPR has included a written version of Osborne's remarks so that readers can check it out to measure The Report's take on Osborne's assessment of North Canton - August, 2014 - against the words he actually used.

It seems to the SCPR that in building evidence to support his overall theme of community building versus community destruction, Osborne focused on:
The consequences, Osborne says or implies, include:
  • $6,753,000 spent for economic development with inadequate return,
  • a loss of community-ness,
  • a wrecking of community assets, that is to say,
    • the unnecessary destruction of trees,
    • the projected cutting down of some 180 additional trees,
    • the disruption of Stark Parks hiking trails, and
    • the continued viability of the North Canton YMCA
 SCPR Note:  Here is a photo of Maple Street and vicinity trees either cut down or projected to be cut down.



To end his speech and to make North Canton government officials conscious of their accountability, Osborne invokes "Boss" Hoover with an emotive:

 W. "Boss" Hoover is watching!

Earlier today (10:00 a.m.), Osborne was at Maple and North Main protesting what he calls the destruction of North Canton.  Rod Covey tells the SCPR he joined in the protest for about 40 minutes.


The question for the SCPR and ultimately North Cantonians is whether or not they as citizens of a community with a long, deep and rich history need to be the "eyes and ears" of "Boss" Hoover in 2014?

The obvious answer is that North Cantonians can honor the magnanimity of "Boss" Hoover and preserve the remaining fruits thereof by heeding the prompt of Citizen Osborne to scrutinize each and every North Canton City Council and Held administration move.

Here is the complete video of Mayor Held's response to Osborne's criticisms.



It could be that council and the mayor have done the best that anyone could under the circumstances of the unfolding of a different economic, cultural, social and political mix than when "Boss" Hoover lived.

However, it does seem to the SCPR that North Canton is far short of the mark of what the Lichter artist's rendition of projecting what the Hoover complex might one day become.


Such is for North Cantonians to decide at the ballot box.

But they owe it to Hoover, to themselves and to future generations of North Cantonians "to be on the watch."

As Osborne pointed out, the "Boss" is watching and they should be too!

APPENDIX LIST:
  • OSBORNE'S REBUTTAL REMARKS
  • OSBORNE WRITTEN COMMENTS
  •  
  • McCLEASTER ON NORTH CANTON JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
APPENDIX 1:  OSBORNE REBUTTAL 
    Rebuttal Remarks to Today's Blog - August 26, 2014

            Chuck Osborne
            Today at 2:15 PM

    To:  Martin Olson

    Hello Martin,

    In regards to the statements made by Mayor Held, in your video interview, I would disagree on the following points:

    First, Mayor Held’s statement that the majestic Pin Oak trees that lined East Maple had to come down to allow for the expansion of the street is untrue. The street was only widened five feet. The trees that lined East Maple sat a considerable distance back from the street. I measured the distance myself and if memory serves me right, the trees were close to twenty feet from the street. The distance the trees sat back from the street would easily have accommodated the widening plus the addition of the sidewalk and still have been about five feet further back. In short, the trees could have been incorporated in the redesign of the street and saved.

    Second, I disagree that the North Canton YMCA is not being threatened. McKinley Street is literally in the shadows of the YMCA and if the City vacates McKinley Street to Maple Street Commerce, the YMCA will be hindered in the performance of their mission. Development plans of Maple Street Commerce will be literally at the doorstep of the YMCA.

    Third, Mayor Held says that Stark Parks has no objections to the relocation of their trail. This statement is ludicrous. Stark Parks is not in the habit of expending public tax dollars constructing trails only to abandon the trails after they are constructed. Unfortunately, in the agreement between Stark Parks and Maple Street Commerce, Stark Parks agreed to terms with Maple Street that left them no choice but to relocate their trail. The agreement required of Stark Parks a one-time relocation of the trail at the expense of Stark Parks should Maple Street Commerce make that request. I would have to say here that Maple Street Commerce did not deal in good faith with Stark Parks at the time the agreement was signed.



    Contrary to what Mayor Held has stated the relocation of the trail to a sidewalk on East Maple is not how Stark Parks wants to spend public money. So, in short, I think it is safe to say that Stark Parks is not happy with how this has turned out for them.

    Lastly, Mayor Held touts the development of Waterside as a success. The City partnered with the developer in 2007 with the construction of a road that costs nearly $1.0 million. That was seven years ago. A state grant in the amount of $350,000 was extended to assist with the road construction. In 2017, that $350,000 must be repaid to the state. Here we are, seven years later and there is no development. I do not see any success in this situation.

    Thanks,

    Chuck Osborne  

    APPENDIX 2.   OSBORNE COMMENTS

    [Osborne] Prepared Comments Made to
    NORTH CANTON CITY COUNCIL
    August 25, 2014


    CORPORATE GREED IS OVERTAKING NORTH CANTON
     AND THE INSTITUTIONS THAT SERVE AND ENRICH OUR
    COMMUNITY

     “The North Canton Community Building was founded in 1923 by W. ‘Boss’ Hoover who gave the original ‘Community Building’ to North Canton for the enjoyment of its citizens. The current building was completed in 1970, with a major addition in 1983 and a new Wellness Center addition in 2002.”

    This information is from the Website of the North Canton YMCA.

    Unfortunately, “Boss” Hoover is no longer with us today nor is the company that he founded. The charity and paternalism championed by W. “Boss” Hoover and the Hoover Company for our community are gone. That benevolence is not something Maple Street Commerce, now the owners of the former Hoover property, feel compelled to show our community.

    What has Maple Street Commerce done for our community since becoming owners of what is now called the Hoover District?

    The roles have been reversed as it is the community that is now the benefactor. Corporate millionaires now expect to be served by the community upon which they have descended to suck from them as much as City leaders will hand out.

    How much has North Canton provided to the millionaire owners of the Hoover District since their arrival in 2008?

    First was $440,000 to purchase cranes for their first tenant, Meyers Controlled Power. Then it was $3,000,000 to renovate factory space for The Shroer Group. Then another $1.0 million for further office space on the second floor for additional tenants. Most recently and most noticed by the public is the expenditure of $2,253,000 for what has been described as a widening of East Maple Street. The so-called widening of East Maple in actuality simply creates on-street parking in front of the office building.

    It is through this recent construction that the majestic Pin Oaks which lined East Maple Street were destroyed in spite of the fact that the majestic Oaks were located far enough away from the finished widening of East Maple Street to have remained.

    In total, our small community has provided close to $6,753, 000 and this does not include the many tax abatements that the City and the North Canton City School District have had to accept to help make lease terms with Maple Street Commerce acceptable to new tenants.

    I suspect “Boss” Hoover is rolling over in his grave at this point, but that is not all that Maple Street Commerce has inflicted on our little community.

    Plans to expand the south parking lot could lead to the destruction of hundreds more trees that serve as a buffer to the surrounding neighborhoods. If that happens, home values and neighborhood harmony will be impacted very negatively.

    Community institutions are also feeling the greed of Maple Street Commerce.

    Stark Parks will be forced to relocate a trail if the south parking lot is expanded. The forced relocation of the trail will result in the squandering of thousands of dollars of public money that were expended to build the trail.

    Lastly, I am concerned about the future viability of the North Canton YMCA. That concern is for two reasons.

    First, the new entrance to the YMCA parking lot, presently under construction, is wholly inadequate. At 22 feet in width, it is much too narrow and will not serve the needs of the motoring public. Many of you on this Council have looked at this poor design and concur.

    The new entrance to the Hoover District parking lot is 33 feet wide. Why wasn’t the entrance to the YMCA parking lot afforded an equally inviting navigable entrance?  Further, bus traffic and emergency vehicles will have great difficulty maneuvering in the poorly designed network of curbs.

    Second, the vacation of McKinley Street will soon be decided before the Planning Commission. The vacation of McKinley Street should go entirely to the YMCA. The YMCA has parking and growth needs of its own that need to be filled. And that need is now.

    Maple Street Commerce, through its plans that may or may not be realistic and that may or may not come to fruition, is making a demand for parking that is unfair to the North Canton YMCA.

    McKinley Street is located in the very shadows of the YMCA building. To not vacate the entire length of McKinley Street to the YMCA will simply put a chokehold on their future.

    Please do not undermine the seeds that W. “Boss” Hoover planted over ninety-one years ago.

    Economic development should not come at any and all costs to the community.

    I ask this council to protect our community and the institutions that serve us. Save the Stark Parks trail. Support the North Canton YMCA in every way possible. And protect the City and its residents from the rampant “Corporate Greed” that we see consuming our community.

    W. “Boss” Hoover is watching!

    Thank you,

    Chuck Osborne, Resident
    City of North Canton

    APPENDIX 2:  McCLEASTER NC JCC

    at

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