Aug 11, 2014

Stopped by Kennesaw City Hall to file an Ethics

 Complaint on the mayor.

Ethics complaint brought against Kennesaw mayor

by Ricky Leroux   August 13, 2014 04:00 AM

KENNESAW — A Kennesaw resident and longtime critic of Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews filed an ethics complaint against the mayor Tuesday, alleging he improperly used public funds on a personal matter, a charge Mathews rebuts.

According to the Kennesaw city code, the city clerk must give the complaint to the Kennesaw Ethics Board within three days. After receiving the complaint, the board will determine its merit. If it is found to be frivolous or unfounded, the board members have the power to dismiss it. If the complaint is found to have merit, however, the board will call a hearing.

According to ciry code, the hearing must be conducted within 60 days of receiving the complaint. If a hearing is not conducted in that time frame, the complaint is automatically dismissed and cannot be refiled for six months.

Tuesday’s ethics complaint is the latest in a long saga of conflict between Bill Harris, a retired retail operations investigator who filed the complaint, and the mayor. The issue at hand involves a website with the address mayormathews.blogspot.com, which Harris writes on.

At the Aug. 4 meeting of the Kennesaw City Council, Mathews described the issue he had with the website.

“There were a couple of different sources that had put out information, one that actually was impersonating me, that was brought to my attention by a citizen, who also pointed out that some of the residents believed that I had made those statements directly,” he said. “And that was inaccurate. And so that had to be addressed.”

After finding out about the blog post, Mathews said he brought it to the attention of the city attorney, Randall Bentley.

“It was brought to my attention and I forwarded it to the city attorney. The city attorney reviewed it, and we discussed it with the city council,” he said.

The discussion resulted in a cease and desist letter being drafted against Harris, which Mathews said was done based on Brantley’s advice.

“It was done at his request, and the council authorized it. I would hope he’s giving proper legal advice and he’s operating within his legal bounds, which I’m confident that he is. And it was done with full authorization with the council,” he said.

The cease and desist letter states the website “appears to impersonate Mayor Mathews by using his name as the title of the blog and stating ‘Current Mayor of Kennesaw, Ga.,’ yet making no claim that is conspicuous and public in manner of the author/ownership by Bill Harris.”

In his ethics complaint, Harris, a Kennesaw resident for more than 13 years, alleges the mayor used “his official position to fraudulently secure personal representation by the Kennesaw City Attorney” to draft a cease and desist letter against Harris.

Harris’ complaint goes on to say the mayor made “false claims of libel and slander” to induce the city council and city attorney to draft the letter.

The complaint also states the issue “was and remains one that the mayor should have taken up with a private attorney paid for out of his own funds and not by using the city attorney to take up the matter.”

Harris claims Mathews used more than $1,000 in city resources to draft the letter.

When made aware of the complaint, council member Cris Eaton-Welsh said she could see both sides of the issue and she would prefer the two parties sat “around a table together and figured it out.”

In the ethics complaint, Harris requests the city council “censure” the mayor, which is defined as an official reprimand. Eaton-Welsh described it differently.

“It means nothing. It’s a slap on the wrist. That’s all it is. A censure is useless. And that’s one of the reasons the ethics commission needs to be autonomous and be able to have some teeth (regarding) what they do,” she said.

Still, she said she believes in the ethics commission, which will now decide the matter.

“I completely have faith that our ethics commission will take a thorough look and make the decision that’s best for our community,” Welsh said.

Lower down this blog site you will find the Harris Family History A narrative by my grandmother, Mable (Kelly) Hunter, typed and commented on by Beverly Elaine (Hunter) Anderson. Both now passed on, as are almost all of those mentioned herein. 

2 poems are by B. E. Anderson and this was put together about 1974 and posted here in Feb. 2006 by C. Harris, P O Box 7252, Marietta, Ga 30067. 

Contact info:  computer201@hotmail.com.  
Relevant Blogs are:  
http://harrisfamilyhistory.blogspot.com,
http://harrisphotostorage.blogspot.com,
http://harriscobbcountygeorgia.blogspot.com

We only get snow now and then, this is now.

1/28/14

World Ends!  Film at 11

I had a 1 pm appt to get the cars oil changed, got 3 miles from home in this traffic and called to cancel the service until Thurs.  

Whole outing, all six miles took nearly 3 hours start to finish, then couldn't get the car up the hill and into the garage, its now parked at the curb.

Kennesaw, Georgia Caught in Winter Impasse

Schools will be closed on Wednesday; most county government offices will have a delayed start while others, including some courts, will be closed.

Posted by Wendy Parker (Editor) , January 28, 2014 at 08:23 PM

Northbound traffic on Interstate 75 North on Tuesday afternoon near 
Delk Road. Photo: 511ga.org

Despite plenty of advance warning, Tuesday's winter storm seemed to take many in metro Atlanta by surprise, as commuters sent home by their employers and students released early were stranded on roads and at schools into the evening hours.

As much as three inches of snow were reported in the metro area, and more than an inch or more in places in Cobb County.

But it was ice that quickly hardened on roads and bridges that made driving treacherous, and all but impossible for many everyday motorists and school bus drivers to go very far at all.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for all 159 counties in Georgia.

Commuters abandoning vehicles

Some Cobb commuters posted on their social media accounts about hours-long traffic jams after employers let them go home.

But some feared they would never get there, as they reported they had abandoned their vehicles and were prepared to spend the night in their offices and get a restaurant meal if they could find one.

"This is absolutely the craziest thing I've ever seen," East Cobb resident Eric Stein posted on Facebook. "Two inches of snow and the ATL is at a complete and total standstill."

Many businesses and colleges and universities closed early, as did public and private preschool and K-12 schools. Kennesaw State University, Southern Polytechnic and State University and all campuses of Chattahoochee Tech will be closed Wednesday.

Even restaurants shut their doors early on Tuesday, including Marietta's venerable Williamson Brothers Bar-B-Q.

Students stuck at schools

Some Cobb schools students (along with teachers and staff) remained at their schools long after they were dismissed early, as bus transportation was delayed due to bad road conditions.

When announcing late Tuesday afternoon that Cobb schools would be closed on Wednesday, district officials did not acknowledge those delays.

But parents complained on the Cobb school district Facebook page that school officials waited too long to release students and perhaps should not have had school at all on Tuesday, a concern that has been echoed by parents across the metro area.

Around 7:20 p.m. Tuesday, Cobb schools did send out this message:

"Severe weather and traffic conditions continue to impact student transportation in several areas of Cobb County. Bus drivers will do their best to deliver students home. If road conditions do not allow students to deliver to their normal stops, students will be returned to school under supervision."

At Marietta City Schools, officials cancelled bus service and asked parents to pick their children up at schools.

As in Cobb, Marietta schools will be closed on Wednesday for students and all staff. 

Below my information:

Medical Info = 2013

  For larger image right click and open in new window:

Blog author information:

My grandfather, posted on Memorial Day 2012

Robert James Hunter, Sgt.
US Army Discharge Information

Born: Sept 8, 1891
Died: April 9, 1969
Discharged as Sgt of Infantry June 2, 1919
Inducted March 6, 1916 at Chicago.

Prior Service: Illinois National Guard, Nov 4 1909 to Nov 3, 1912

Campaigns:
Defense of Verdin Sector, June 23 to July 1, 1918,
Offensive Hamel July 4, 1918,
Somme Offensive Aug 8-19, 1918,
Defense Marbasch Sector Oct 26 - Nov 9, 1918,
Mosselle Offensive Nov 9-11th 1918.
Army of Occupation April 12, 1919 to April 19, 1919.
Discharged June 2, 1919

for larger image right click and open in new window:

MEDAL:  THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILIZATION

Bars for:

Somme Offensive

St Mihiel

Meuse-Argonne

Defensive Sector

(Top:  Front, Below: Reverse)

Dog Tags from WWI

Updated 7/7/18 by CEH

The First home I remember

My grandparents owned this house and I spent my first years there with my mother (Beverly Elaine Hunter/Harris) and grandparents (Robert James Hunter and Mabel NMI Hunter). Initially we occupied both floors, later the 2nd floor was rented out to Dr Charles and Peggy Fisher. The house was extensively remodeled about 2010 and now looks very nice inside.

I remember playing under the porch with neighbor kids and getting extremely dirty and of course yelled at by my grandmother.  My mother and I were here from about 1947 to 1952.

7234 S LAFAYETTE Ave CHICAGO, IL 60620

Beautiful & Unique total gut rehab brick 2-flat located in Greater Grand Crossing! with exterior/interior renovations new windows, tuckpointing, plumbing, heating, electrical, elegant lighting, soffits, arch interior wall designs, hardwood floors, exotic tile in bathrooms, jacuzzi tubs, 42in kitchen cabinets, appliances incuded, granite counter top, alarm system, enclosed porch. Too much to list! Close to Dan Ryan!

Property Type:	Multi-Family (2-4 Unit), 2 Flat
County	Cook

Community	Greater Grand Crossing
MLS#	07524958 see:

 http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/7234-S-Lafayette-Ave-60621/unit-1/home/13916118

-------------------------------------------------

  About a month ago the Google picture car went by and I have been watching for my photo to appear.

Now they are online for the world to see and folks can see me cutting the grass! I am now famous.

  http://www.trulia.com/homes/Georgia/Kennesaw/sold/354630-3217-Summer-Stream-Ln-NW-Kennesaw-GA-30152

=====================================================================


 4/22/13

NOTE:  FOR ADDITIONAL

BLOG PHOTOS CLICK

ON THE "OLDER POSTS"

 

LINK BELOW

1940 Census for my family in Chicago

I found the census form online, it was done on 4/19/1940. With some back and forth I used a blank form found online and entered the date as it appears on the original form. That original was a bit hard to read but below is the information contained on the hard to read form. I see that my grandmother provided the info and that their house at 7234 S. Lafayette Ave was worth $3,250 and my grandfather made $2,100 yearly, working 48 hours per week as the Superintendent of the Stockyard Post Office in Chicago.

The 2nd section of the form was not required and is reproduced here just FYI.

My mother was 18 at the time and still in high school, subsequently she joined the Marine Corp and married my father, Charles Ernest Harris, in the Camp LeJune Protestant Chapel on base, this of course is NOT on the form, just an addendum, also my great grandmother died about 1948 or 49, passing away at the house on Lafayette Ave.


Although the right side of the form is overlaid by gadgets all you need to do
for a larger image right click and open in a new window, the forms will be large 
and easy to read:

I looked up the realestate info for the house and found:

7234 S LAFAYETTE Ave CHICAGO, IL 60620
Beds: 5+  Baths: 2.0    Finished Sqft: 2,356        
Floors: 2  Lot Size: 5,841   Style: Multi-Family (5+ Unit)   
Year Built:  1909  or 1912, found different dates
Sold on 07/01/10  $200,000, Tax (2010)  $2,097   
Community: Greater Grand Crossing 

The house was completely redone inside, very modern and up to date.  When I lived there from approx. 1947 until about 1953 the 2nd floor was usually rented out and the only tenants I recall were a medical student and his wife, Charles and Peggy Marquart, he eventually moved to Phoenix and was well though of in his profession.

About 1953 the neighborhood was changing to blacks and the house was sold and me moved only about 2 blocks, to a rented 2nd floor apartment, this was a mistake as the minority population soon was moving into this area and we again moved to 7332 S. Campbell Ave, Chicago where my grandparents remained for many years in a rented 2nd floor apartment.

My mother and I ended up going to a newly constucted house at 7901 Redondo Lane, Laguna Woods, Orland Park, Ill about 1956, this was when my mother married my stepfather, Robert Norman Anderson.  My grandparents remained on Campbell Ave for years before moving to a 2nd fl rented apartment in Blue Island, Ill.

After my grandfather died my grandmother moved into a newly constructed 'mother in law' apartment with my mother.  As I recall my stepfather had died of cirosis of the liver by that time and both my grandmother and mother lived in that house until they each died in turn. 

The house was sold after my mothers death in 2002 and I received half of the proceeds, or about 80K.


===============================================================

Under the Misc. Section
I found the below regarding my 'step-uncle', my stepfathers brother, their family lived across the street from us in Laguna Woods.  Robert and Hank Anderson purchased lots in the new subdivision of Laguna Woods at the same time and my stepfather substantially built the house himself, bringing in contractors as needed to do some of the work.  Hank and Shirley had their house build and moved in several years later.  I last saw them when I went up to settle my mothers estate about 2002.  Hank died five years later.

Henry E. Anderson

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Henry E. Anderson, age 84, WWII Army Veteran, beloved and devoted husband of Shirley, nee Little; loving father of Glenn (Janet), Jeffrey (Olivia) and Kent (Mary Kay); dear grandfather of Glenn Jr., Gregory, Cory, Alyssa, Ellie, Eric, Haley and great-grandfather of Conner. Visitation Friday from 3 to 9 p.m. Funeral service Saturday, 11 a.m. at Colonial Chapel, 15525 S. 73rd Ave. (155th/Wheeler Dr. & Harlem), Orland Park. Interment Chapel Hill Gardens South. Memorials to Palos Park Presbyterian Community Church or Palos Community Hospital Hospice preferred. Express your thoughts and condolences at www.colonialchapel.com 708-532-5400

Published in Chicago Tribune on June 14, 2007

I have 140 blog sites, here are a few FYI:

http://nautiluscondosrules.blogspot.com/
http://overseasmedicalcare.blogspot.com/
http://708lighthouseroad.blogspot.com/
http://www.atlantajournal-constitution.blogspot.com/

Harris residence, 3236 Summer Stream Lane, Kennesaw, Ga 30156

Test Result is On Hand

Don't know what it means, probably it isn't good.

Nautilus Cove Condo, Panama City Beach, Fla.