Jentes out at Twin City Hospital

It's always been my belief that the recession will hurt in waves. Banks, homeowners, manufacturers were hurt first. Up next are governments, including schools, and healthcare, including your local hospital.

Proof?

Marge Jentes is out as CEO of Twin City Hospital. Here's the memo she sent to employees on Monday, May 17:

To: staff

Subject: American Healthcare Solutions

At a special Board meeting this evening, the decision was made to contract with American Healthcare Solutions for the day to day operations of the hospital. As part of this agreement, AHS will be providing all Administrative oversight. I want all of you to know that I fully support this decision. I know that all of us have been impressed with the insight and professionalism that the AHS team has demonstrated in their short time on sight here at TCH and I know that each and every one of you will continue to give them your full cooperation going forward.

While I am sorry to leave TCH, I am also thankful for the opportunity that I have had to work with all of you. Together, we have accomplished many things and now you will have the opportunity to work with a great group of people to ensure that what we have built together will be here for the community for many years to come.


My sincere thanks and best wishes to all of you!


mj


Marge Jentes

American Healthcare Solutions troubleshoots failing and/or financially troubled hospitals and attempts to right the ship by examining all aspects of the budget, including staffing, salaries and pension payments, and then by making hard choices.

Read into that what you will.

Alan Sayre: Goodbye, Columbus

One of the truly good guys in politics -- Alan Sayre -- is stepping down as state representative of Ohio's 96th House District.

He has accepted a position -- chief deputy auditor -- with the Tuscarawas County Auditor's Office. Sayre, assistant majority floor leader, was on the November ballot and was to have faced Dover's Allen Landis, who won the Republican primary earlier this month.

Don't think for a minute that the race scared him. Sayre made the decision primarily because of his family. He has two children and Columbus has kept him from seeing them grow up. I can understand. Kids grow up fast and Sayre and his wife Stephanie have two school-age children, who are involved in activities that a parent doesn't want to miss.

And there's probably also that damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't thing going on, too. I've heard that a lot from frustrated politicians over the years.

Sayre said the Democratic Party chairmen from the three counties that comprise the 96th -- Tuscarawas, Harrison and Belmont - will meet and discuss successors. Presumably, whoever is chosen to fill in for Sayre also will be the November candidate.

Sayre, a moderate, served his district and the state with honesty and dignity. He'll be missed.

Big yuck: Bank customer shows gun to teller

What's up with the dude who showed a gun to a teller at the First National Bank of Dennison branch on the Boulevard while he cashed a check.

It was a joke, he said.

Joke?

There are some things one shouldn't joke about. In a community that has had a dozen or so bank robberies in the last year, brandishing a weapon while one gets a check cashed IS NOT FUNNY.

What, you don't think tellers aren't a little nervous these days?

IT'S NOT FUNNY.

* * *

If you're a Cleveland sports fan as I am, the sad performance by the Cavs Tuesday night was another dagger in the heart. This team doesn't have the heart to win a championship. That was evident Tuesday as the Celtics clobbered them.

I'll leave in-depth analysis to the folks who cover the team on a daily basis, but methinks there is a chemistry problem. And maybe LeBron really does want to go to New York or Chicago. He vacations in Chicago, you know.

What do we call this episode? "The Elbow"? "The Rondo"? "The Choke"? What?

If LeBron leaves the Cavaliers this summer, move over Art Modell. James will become the most hated figure in Cleveland sports.

* * *

Hooray for Dover, which is poised to become a two Dollar-General-store town. The new Dollar General store on N. Wooster Ave. is set to open within the month and the old one -- in downtown Dover -- is going to stay in business!

How about that for retail dominance?

This is from Dollar General's corporate website: "Dollar General saves you time by staying focused on life's simple necessities: laundry detergent, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, socks and underwear...maybe a gadget or two that you just can't live without. The average Dollar General customer completes her shopping trip in less than 10 minutes."

And a gadget or two that you just can't live without. God help us.

* * *

State Sen. Bob Gibbs, whose farm is located in Holmes County, declared himself the winner in the eight-candidate race for the Republican nomination for the 18th District House seat.

Gibbs is leading Fred Dailey by more than 100 votes and that apparently is enough, at least in Gibbs' mind. If he's right, he'll face U.S. Rep. Zack Space of Dover in the November general election.

Here's Gibbs' mission statement:

"Federal spending and borrowing is so out of control that our national security and individual freedoms are at risk. I am committed as your Congressman to cut the spending and borrowing, and eliminate the practice of earmarks. Washington needs to send the pro-business signals that create confidence in our economy and ensure it is on solid ground so that businesses can confidently make investments and create jobs. The only way to restore confidence is to get spending under control, cut taxes and cut the red tape that is choking our economy."

A lot can happen between now and November but Space should take note of what happened in a West Virginia congressional race on Tuesday: A 14-term incumbent, Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, was tossed in the primary. In addition, an ABC News-Washington Post poll found that 57 percent of Americans will be looking at candidates other than the incumbent during this election season.

And if you don't know what cap-and-trade is now, you will.

Who are those guys (and gal)?

Republicans must think that U.S. Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, is vulnerable. That's apparently why eight people are facing off in the Republican primary on Tuesday.

That's right -- eight people. You think they're smelling blood?

Here's the list:

Beau Bromberg, Newark;
Fred Dailey, Mount Vernon
Dave Daubenmire, Thornville
Bob Gibbs, Lakeville
Ron Hood, Ashville
Hombre Liggett, Dover
Jeanette Moll, Zanesville
Michael D. Royer, Malvern
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Moll is the favorite although Gibbs, a state senator, is the guy the party wants. The Dispatch says straw polls put Liggett in second place with Gibbs second from last.

Republicans should remember this when they go to the polls: More than anything else, Zack Space's residency -- Tuscarawas County -- will have a far larger impact on the results than his stand on cap-and-trade or healthcare reform. Tuscarawas County contains the largest pool of voters in the district and if Space runs well there, he will likely retain the seat if only breaking even everywhere else.

And voters traditionally have given passes to their congressmen while complaining at the same time how worthless Congress is.

That's not to say that Space will have an easy ride to re-election. He won't, but unless something unexpected happens between now and November, he should win re-election no matter whom Republicans nominate on Tuesday.

* * *

Here's an easy prediction: former Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher will defeat Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Brunner recently called out Fisher for referring to her as "Jennifer" during a recent debate. She said Fisher was not respecting her by referring to her by first name.

That,. folks, is ridiculous.

* * *

The state's voters are being called on to change the location of the Columbus casino (State Issue 2). That's what happens when we screw with the Constitution rather than legislating change. Should voters in Tuscarawas County care about where the folks in Franklin County put their casino?

No. Vote yes on Issue 2.

* * *

Prediction: The Tea Party phenomenon will fizzle as soon as people realize that it really offers nothing but anger at the way things are going.

I think the main premise of  the Tea Party is that the government ought not to be spending money it doesn't have. OK, so what does it think we ought to cut? Medicare? Social Security? Defense? What?

Therein lies the problem. As far as I can tell, there is no consensus.  Except the anger thing. And the fact that its members don't like President Barack Obama.

We're not mad as hell anymore

As circulation keeps falling, the debate over whether newspapers ought to maintain their long-standing tradition of presenting readers with unsigned editorials continues as publishers try to figure out what will help them survive.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently did away with unsigned editorials as a result of reader feedback, or so it says.

"What we found is they don't want us to be a newspaper with a strong point of view," Julia Wallace, the newspaper's editor-in-chief told NPR. "But what they do want is, they want balance. If we have a view to the right, they want a balance of a view to the left. And they want us to be transparent about how we go about our work."

The AJC's opinion pages are devoted to both sides of any debate, apparently with the goal of letting the reader decide what's right and what's wrong.

I'm OK with that. Perhaps it is time for newspapers to do away with the unsigned editorials, which traditionally have spoken on behalf of the newspaper and not just the writer.

In some corners, publishers believe that newspapers should not weigh in on any subject, leaving the reader to render the verdict on any number of issues.

I'm not OK with that.

Without the strong voice of the daily newspaper and without editors using their bully pulpit to improve life in their communities and watchdog those in power, I believe the democratic process is damaged.

Newspapers, of course, ought to be transparent when they offer opinions whether in signed or unsigned pieces. Would it help to know that the newspaper's corporate office weighed in on presidential endorsement? As a reader, I'd like to know the answer to that question.

Anyway, the Atlanta paper really must have missed the mark with its editorials if its readers now support a weak voice over a strong one. Or maybe a lot of Atlanta Journal-Constitution readers are public officials and government bureaucrats.

Danny's angels

Congratulations to Danny Jeandervin, who returned to his "new" Dover home after a long period of recovery and rehabilitation as a result of a sled-riding accident in January.

More than 100 volunteers pitched in over the last several weeks to help make his family's home more handicapped friendly. In addition, materials and food were donated by a number of businesses.

As promised, here's a list of the businesses that donated to the cause:

Carter Lumber
Glass Lumber
Peterman Plumbing
Wood Electric
The House Doctor
JMG Construction
Gor-Con Construction
Dave Williams Painting
Williams Furniture
Dover-Phila Heating and Cooling
Hatcher Roofing
Pace-Sanker Landscaping
Alan Singre Drywall Finishing
Blick Tool & Die
Reese Cast Stone

Gary's Market & Deli
Miceli's Quality Meats
Hog Heaven
Bread Head Bakery
Mary Zifers' Pizza
Domino Pizza
Papa John's Pizza
East of Chicago Pizza
Taco Bell - Cleveland Ave, Canton
McDonald's - Dover
Subway - Dover

Sherri Douglas reports that there were many other community members who made individual donations. Sherri has posted photos of Danny's homecoming here.

Ohio lost a good one

Ohio lost a true public servant when Chief Justice Tom Moyer died last Friday and sadly most of its citizens probably don't realize it.

Moyer was a periodic visitor to the Times-Reporter during my tenure as editor. He didn't bring with him the traditional entourage that normally accompanies high-ranking public officials. (Former U.S. Rep. Bob Ney used to bring so many people that I'd have to reorder business cards after he left.)

But Moyer apparently didn't believe he was anything special. Introducing himself to editors, he'd offer simply, "Hi, I'm Tom Moyer."

What would follow would be a casual conversation about the current state of the law -- the kind you might have at the kitchen table if the chief justice happened to be your father.

Moyer believed judges should be appointed and not elected, arguing that politics had no place in the judicial system. I’ve come to embrace that line of thinking, given some of the trials in our own county.

Moyer also seemed to have the wrongly accused-innocent victim in mind with at least several of his decisions. He believed prosecutors should share with defense attorneys any witness statements and other evidence before trial. He also questioned the extent of the weight given to “expert” witnesses when they testify to a myriad of circumstances.

A friend of mine, former Plain Dealer Columbus bureau chief Jim Underwood, knew Tom Moyer well and testified to Moyer’s quick wit.

“One of my first memories of him was when he was an assistant to Gov. Jim Rhodes,” Underwood said. “During a campaign year, Rhodes came into one of the communities I was covering as a young reporter and promised to build a much-needed highway in the region.

“As I was getting ready to write the story, an editor suggested I check the files and sure enough, Rhodes made the same pledge in a prior campaign. I was covering Rhodes at another stop and spotted Moyer. ‘Hey,’ I said, ‘This is the second time he has promised to build that damn road in Licking County.’

“Moyer just nodded and whispered to me, ‘That road is so important to the community he's going to build it twice for the good folks in that part of the state.’”

* * *
Journal Register Co., former owner of the Times-Reporter, is thinking of changing its name.

According to Editor & Publisher, CEO John Paton, who has been charged by lenders with the task of remaking the once-bankrupt company, wrote in his blog: "While some of our newspapers have been around since before the American Revolution, the Journal Register Company name is only about 20 years old or so. That name has certain connotations both pro and con.

"I am wondering if the name now needs to be changed to reflect our new focus on multiple media platforms and hyperlocal journalism. What do you think?”

E&P notes that Journal Register, which managed the T-R in the '90s, acquired a reputation as a chain of relentless cost-cutting and unambitious journalism.

Its CEO at the time was the late Bob Jelenic, whose focus was on coverage of local sports. He loved the labor-intensive baseball and softball box scores in his papers and made it known in no uncertain terms.

"I find it very disappointing that some of our publishers and editors still do not fully understand the value of local sports," Jelenic wrote in a 1995 memo. "The more local names that we can get into the paper the better our future will be.

"Therefore, for the last time, I am mandating that your coverage of high school, commmunity college, legion, Little League All Stars and Babe Ruth All Stars, include the entire box score for the primary teams in your market. So there is no misunderstanding, following is a list of teams that the Trentonian covers on a daily basis with box scores..."

Jelenic, a Canadian, also was a huge hockey fan. Fortunately, there were no hockey teams for the T-R to cover in its circulation area, which probably irked the hell out of him.

Mr. Paton, change the name.

* * *
Mark Judy, whom I worked closely with over two decades, is the latest casualty of the contraction in the newspaper business. Judy wore many hats at the T-R, including graphic artist and information technology chief.

One minute he'd be fixing your computer and the next he'd be working on a map of the Christmas parade. Or downloading mistake-laden documents. Or posting the Buehler's circular to the Web. Or, well, you get the point.

Mark's a good guy and I wish him the best.

* * *
Work continues on the home of Dover High football player Danny Jeandervin, who was seriously injured in a sledding accident in January. I'm told Danny's home is being retooled by volunteers to allow for his physical needs.

I'll be happy to publish a list of those who helped and/or donated to the project if someone gets it to me.