Archive

Let's not forget that New Rome still hasn't been dissolved, and that has been the ultimate goal since the inception of newromesucks.com! State Auditor Betty Montgomery has started the process to excise New Rome from the map forever! Click here to read her news release!

And some more fun from Valleyview. They're too big to be dissolved by the state but the infighting may be their downfall...

Hey folks, although our updates aren't as frequent, our interest in New Rome hasn't waned! I drove through New Rome today for the first time in years. A guy on a motorcycle popped a wheelie right in front of me just as he entered the village limits. I guess the celebration continues.

The Dispatch had a good article today about the current state of affairs as the November election draws closer. It seems Connie Tucker has eyes on the mayor's spot while Jamie Mueller sees "no need" to run and feels the village will be dissolved before the election. In other news, the county auditor blocked New Rome's usual $14,000 local government grant for next year.

And if you picked up the September issue of Playboy, there was a "Back Road Robbery" blurb about New Rome listing off the fines for various offenses, along with with the minuscule population.

Congratulation on your successful efforts to correct a very serious miscarriage of justice which has been taking place in New Rome for so many years. I commend you and the other principle individuals who have instrumental in correcting and removal of this "gang" from our west side. Thank you so very much for your efforts which were "above and beyond the call" but a most valuable contribution to our community.

While we await the final blow to New Rome there is increasing noise coming from Valley View now, so perhaps if you are up to the task (should your accept your next assignment) this "bunch" might also need some of your gifted "illuminating skills.

Thanks again for the restoration of many our past lost freedoms.

The AAA has put signs up in FL pointing out speed traps in Waldo and Lawtey. I commend them for their actions! While I don't have the financial means that the AAA has I certainly would have done it to New Rome if I could have. The police insist that it's not a speed trap even though their entire budget for the force is brought in through citations.

On another note I got a hate mail last night. I'll get it put up for everyone to read. I couldn't reply because it's to AOL and their servers block email unless your mail server does all this stuff. So any AOL users who mail me and want a reply you need to complain to AOL.

I have to ask anyone who wants to send me hate mail to please use complete sentences, use spell check , and come up with some new arguments and put downs. The same ones over and over are old and tired.

The meeting was funny last night. All started with Connie arriving and unlocking the door at about 5:45pm and entering the municipal trailer. Steve Stephens arrived and tried the door and it was locked. He came over to my car and we talked a bit about what was going on. A few more people arrived and then the Franklin County Sheriff arrived followed up by Jeannie Frazier. Since a council person was there Connie decided to let us in. It was my first time being in the trailer since the force was disbanded. It was kind of spooky! No police wondering around giving dirty looks. No dispatcher sitting there looking up license place. The pop machine had been removed (repossessed?). All was quiet.

We took out seats and waited. I was beginning to think there wouldn't be a meeting and then all the old guard started showing up and they were soon followed by Jamie, Ed, and Karen.

They handed out an agenda, a letter from Jamie protesting the payments being made to the old guards legal council, and the last meetings minutes. I read through the minutes while they finished setting up. I'll get scans of them put up for all to see. Nothing too exciting in them.

First they read the minutes of the last meeting and moved to accept them as read. Ed pointed out that the meeting they held after the first adjournment was not valid and that a lot of the minutes we ad-libbed. Everyone argued about how the meeting was never adjourned. Funny thing is they still held the meeting with David Tisler running the meeting and casting a vote during issues. It's too bad some official of the county doesn't sit in on these and tell them when they can't do something. She was then asking Connie if she had heard back from the Board of Election. Connie said that she had not heard anything.

They got through the minutes and then moved on to Jamie reading his letter as to his protest. He talked about the village did not have enough money in it's accounts to cover the legal fees the old council was incurring. Their lawyer was there though he told Jamie he wasn't there on official business. I guess he was there for the environment.

Nancy kept trying to move to accept the budget and Jamie pointed out that she was out of order. It all moved rather fast but before ya knew what was going on Jamie said he was going to have Karen Anthony sit in on council. The old council was irate. Nancy got up and was out there talking to the Sheriffs trying to get them to do something. They told her they were there to keep the peace. David then got up to talk to them and came back asking for the letter from the Board of Elections. I don't know if he thought it would compel the Sheriff to interfere or what, but Connie said it was at home. There was then a recess while Connie went home to get the paper.

After a few minutes Connie came back and they all sat down. Nothing came of the recess but Nancy was then going on about approving the budget and Jamie told her that if she added a motion to adjourn he would entertain the motion. This went back and forth several times and finally she moved to adjourn and it passed and they all left. I don't think the budget ever got passed in the motion to adjourn. As they were walking out someone asked if they were going to approve the bills and Nancy said there was no bills. I can only guess their electric must be free if they have no bills or it's on it's was to being turned off.

That's the meeting in a nutshell. I may have left something out, but I'm including a link to Steve Stephens story in the Dispatch to fill in any gaps.

After the meeting I stood out and talked to some people and listened. The Sheriffs (4 of them (1 was a K9 unit)) and Joe from Prairie Township stood out and talked. I saw John Carmony make an appearance in civilian clothes. I was tempted to go up and ask how his vacation was going. I resisted. He then pulled Joe aside from the Sheriffs and was talking to him alone. After they were finished I asked Joe what was up his sleeve and he said John was once again saying how Prairie should absorb New Rome. Joe said this is not the first time this has been brought up and it never goes over well when he says the all the old guard people would have to go before they would even discuss this on a formal level.

So I asked the Sheriffs if they brought an application for Carmony. They said no. I laughed and thanked them for their protection.

Tonight is the New Rome meeting and you know I will be there! Can't wait to see what has happened.

Hi Jim,

Driving home on I-70 West past I-270 to Hilliard / New Rome exit.

The freeway signs no longer say Hilliard Exit and New Rome Exit.

They now say Hilliard-Rome Rd North Exit and Hilliard-Rome Rd South Exit.

One More Step!!!

Monte

All I can say is YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! One more nail in the coffin! I will get a picture up as soon as I get one. They should never have gotten their name there in the first place. I won't if I could buy that sign? Anyone from ODOT give me some info on this? It would be a shame to throw it away! The sign...not the village.

Last a little something about the Valleyview PD nearing it's end. I don't think anyone will shed tears on this either. While they're far from the evil of New Rome I think they are a bit overzealous in their speed enforcement. My dad got a ticket there back in the early 80's for going like 27 in the 25 zone.

Wanted to pass along a couple more stories regarding the removal of the traffic light in New Rome. It looks like the word is spreading about the latest nail in the coffin.

Ohio mayor's courts do fine (Toledo Blade, picture of New Rome and all you ever wanted to know about Ohio's crazy Mayor's Court system!)

I have to comment on the antics in Valleyview last week. It's a small town with big egos. Although a lovely little garden spot on Columbus's West Side, unfortunately we must recommend avoiding it.

Second: Ben mailed us a nice link to his most recent article that talks about the council seats, the cars getting written on, and how everyone feels about it. Great stuff! Many thanks to Ben for keeping us up to date!

Last: Looks like Valleyview is having PD problems. They need to just give it up and disband their force too.

Now assuming everything in the story is true I must say it looks like classic nepotism. I mean a lot of police come across as chip on the shoulder because in that line of work you have to demand a certain level of respect or people will try to abuse you and not give you respect. So I'm leaning more to the cops favor. Perhaps more details will arise!

Today the news reports that the New Rome Police Cars were vandalized. Someone spray painted words on them. A reader mailed us and said they have been taken away. I will restate my position on this. No one at New Rome Sucks condones any sort of vandalism! Lowering yourself to their levels makes you no better than them.

Thanks to Tom for sending in pictures from this weekend when the Bicentennal Wagon Train made its way through New Rome! Click on the small picture below to see all four!

Thanks also to John for this link...stories from New York City on a recent ticket frenzy that's sweeping the city. They are issuing citations for the most minor of infractions! It makes NYC looks like its policed by a sniveling junior-high hall monitor! They're issuing tickets for feeding pigeons, not separating recyclables from garbage, even one to a pregnant woman that sat down on a subway stairwell! Click here to read more from the NY Daily News!

Thanks to Ben Crites of Suburban Newspapers for his account of Tuesday's New Rome Council meeting. Ben masterfully captured the action, I feel like I was almost there!

I didn't get to go to the meeting last night I'm sorry to say. There is a great article in the Dispatch though.

Wow! This sounds exciting! The good guys control the council, the mayors court has been disbanded, and the Sheriff had to step in to stop a fight. Wow! Now that's a New Rome style meeting! As soon as other links about the meeting I'll put them up for those of you who don't get the Dispatch.

Wanted to give an update on this weekend's Independence Day activities in the New Rome area. The Westland Area Business Association is hosting a parade and celebration starting at 9:30 on Broad St. Apparently last year, Chief Cunningham and company wanted an outrageous fee for the parade to pass through the village. This year they have the freedom to run through the village without paying a toll! More information can be found on their website.

Also wanted to share a very nice letter we got today from a Westside resident:

I live on Alton Road, part of the "New Rome Bypass" that motorists use to avoid that miscarriage of justice on Broad St. I can already see a reduction in traffic on my road as a result of your efforts to dissolve New Rome. I am an old, pudgy, bald guy in an expensive new car so, other than tailgating me several times, they haven't bothered me but I have seen hundreds of young folks pulled over and harassed by this embarrassment of a police department. When I wrote Betty Montgomery, who was Lieutenant Governor at the time complaining of this obvious abuse of authority, her representative wrote to me "we believe in letting local municipalities govern their own police." When I responded with "what should happen if these local municipalities abuse their powers" she responded quite tersely "maybe you should get involved in government and change what you don't like." Thank you all of you folks who have worked so diligently to rid us of this cancer. Now I won't have to warn my houseguests to be on alert when you drive to my house because I live near Hooterville and they will be watching you. HOW EMBARRASSING.
Thanks again and if I can help.....let me know how!
Robert.

Not heard much in the news these days. There was a nice editorial in The Dispatch.

Other than that not much to report. If there was a meeting this past Tuesday I didn't hear anything about it.

I can't go this coming Tuesday so if someone wants to send me notes I would be thankful!

One of our readers reports he was driving through New Rome and one of the police cars was not in it's place. Not sure what's going on but be on the look out! If we're lucky it was just repossessed and the other is soon to follow.

This looks like this could be what we have been waiting for! What we all have worked so hard for. While New Rome's fall is close at hand, I will not count my chickens before they have hatched. Until the police cars are gone and the tailor boarded up it will not be over. While these things are still there they will be a threat. They will have the capacity to kick start their "police force" any time they like.