The S.S. Heyman and her crew were sailing the publicity seas yesterday, overtaking the S.S. Ament's booty.
Link to D&C online story, Link to MEHnow article, Link to Rnews article.
This "collaborative" project was spearheaded by Bob Ament back in February - right after the vote - various news sources reported on this, and verified that Mr. Ament contacted Home Depot and Target to secure donations and volunteers for this project at the Pinegrove building for the Seniors.
Instead of "working collaboratively" with Mr. Ament, MEH - peg leg, eye patch and all - decided to have him kicked off the property.
To see the Rnews (now YNNRochester) video, click play at this link.
I can pretty much guarantee that this wouldn't have happened to me if I had been on the property yesterday. You would have most certainly had to drag me off in handcuffs. Public property? My taxpayer paid public property and you are going to kick me off of it? On a project that I organized? LMAO I don't think so.
I was very surprised to learn that a Parks & Rec guy from the Town basically "threatened" Mr. Ament by saying "wait till I see you on the street without this blue shirt on"
(Please see update two at the bottom of this blog for another side to this story...and then see update three after that for another 'nother side to this story...)
I most certainly would have accepted his challenge. Most certainly.
AJ Mazzenga ushered the R NEWS photographer down the hall at this point.
There were witnesses not associated with Mr. Ament who were there and can verify that this was said. Call the news source and verify with the reporter and the camera person if you have to, it was said.
The man in the blue shirt in the video IS the person who said this. Mr. Ament says "Hit the lights" and blue shirt dude says "No, don't hit the lights."
If nothing "bad" was happening, why wouldn't you want the cameras turned on?
The IPD had to drive down to Pinegrove to issue a formal warning to this person.
FOIL request the IPD report if you have to, if you don't believe me.
MEH told Bob Ament to put down the shovel after digging 4 shovel fulls. She told him, "you can put down the shovel, there are no cameras rolling". This was at 8:30am.
I believe Mr. Spang was also saying things like "No Mary Ellen, don't do it..." in reference to her constant contact with Mr. Ament, trying to intimidate him, and get him to leave.
I'm not kidding.
Mr. Ament was the one who orchestrated this whole project, and MEH - just like a pirate - took it and claimed it as her own. Waxing poetic on her "collaborative efforts" while excluding the person responsible for spearheading this project.
Mr. Ament could have signed a waiver and stayed, just like the volunteers that were there. Mr. Ament was actually digging and working before MEH had him kicked off the property.
I guess that's because he is running against her for Supervisor, she doesn't want him to get any publicity......she wants it all to herself so you will re-elect her.
You've elected her twice so far......all I have to say is:
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
~Albert Einstein
"Collaborative" means working with everyone - not just the select group that supports you.
For example:
This new proposal that has been brought forth by a small group of people are MEH supporters......and wouldn't you know that MEH is behind this and happy to work with them 100%.
Another resident not named Bob Ament had brought up this SAME idea to MEH and this is what she wrote to him - this was in the D&C article from Dave Andreatta in March 2009 titled, "Irondequoit's squabbles roil over senior center":
~In August, she wrote a scathing letter to a constituent who over the years has offered Heyman and the previous administration various proposals for a community center at limited cost to the town. Heyman administration officials have deemed the plans unfeasible.
(6 of 6)
Responding to what she characterized as his persistence on the issue, Heyman wrote: "For more than two and half years of listening to you, your ideas, plans and opinion I have come to the conclusion that implementation of any plan you may have thoughts on is impossible. ... I have spent time investigating recommendations only to find no basis in fact."~
But now.....all of a sudden when a small group of MEH supporters offer the same proposal.......it IS possible, and she WILL spend time investigating the recommendations of this small group to find some basis in facts?
Is that how this Town works?
What a shame.
I think y'all need to look in a dictionary and find the word "Unify" and try to understand what that really means.
Especially you, Mary Ellen.
Article in this morning's paper.....buried on page 6B of the Local section.
Update: Here's a quote from Bob Ament about this whole incident. (2:15pm)
"The guy in the video is the person who said, "wait till I see you on the street without this blue shirt on ..." and basically implied he wanted to assault me.
His name is ********* or *********??? The IPD had to drive down to pinegrove to issue a formal warning to this person.
AJ ushered the R NEWS photographer down the hall and I didn't want to create any problems for Home Depot and Target. We were actually just taking a break for lunch and we were all gathering inside. I was told by MEH to put down the shovel after digging 4 shovel fulls. She told me "you can put down the shovel, there are no cameras rolling". This was at 8:30am and I was dressed in my work shirt, pants and shoes.
I stayed the entire morning, and talked with the volunteers all morning.
I admire the efforts of all those who help others in need, especially during a recession.
I told Ms. Heyman I would be glad to sign a waiver but she never brought me one/ or offered one, even though there were town employees coming and going all day from Town Hall.
After she told me to put down the shovel, she leaned in and said..."I haven't told you to leave the property yet" to which I replied "god bless you".
I have never met an individual like this in my entire life. It is very disheartening.
She asked me to leave several times but the Home depot volunteers asked me to stay.
It was only at lunch time that she barred my entrance."
He was kicked off the property for "insurance reasons".......uh huh.
Update two (5:45pm):
I just received a phone call from a friend who just talked with Debbie Evans. Debbie insists that there is another side to this story. Debbie says that a Home Depot employee overheard Mr. Ament threaten this Parks & Rec blue shirt dude, and that Mr. Ament is the one who threatened with the "if I see you out on the street without that blue shirt on...." and this person supposedly is willing to be a witness for the Town about it. Debbie also requested that I take off blue shirt dude's name that was referenced in Mr. Ament's quote......which I have no problem doing.
I would like to know if the IPD did go to Pinegrove to issue a warning to anyone....either Ament or blue shirt dude.
FOIL time?
Update three 10pm: I just found out that Mr. Ament was extremely upset about me putting up Debbie Evans' "other side of the story" because he feels it is tarnishing his name. I apologize if he feels that this "tarnishes" his name, that was not my intention at all. I am just relaying information that is told to me. If Debbie's claims can be proven false, then we will have another notch in the belt of town lies.
Let me clarify that Debbie Evans was unwilling to name the Home Depot employee, and her main concern was getting the blue shirt dude's name off of the blog. The other stuff I put on because I felt it was interesting to be told this by a Town Board member about a resident. Debbie said that she didn't show up to Pinegrove until around 3pm, and was not a witness to the verbal exchange, however, she did say that the Home Depot employee would be willing to be a witness for the Town, and she did say that she was going to go to the IPD today and find out any information - I have yet to hear if she actually did find out anything.
Mr. Ament is willing to provide the officer's name who he communicated with about this issue. As soon as I get that information, I will share it with you. (Please refer to update four below....)
Mr. Ament has also said that no Home Depot employee was within earshot when this exchange took place between the blue shirt dude and Mr. Ament.
We have a FOI request out for any police calls/reports dealing with Pinegrove for Wednesday June 24th, 2009. As soon as we get a reply, I will put that on here too.
I am going to take a chance here and say that I believe Mr. Ament over what Debbie Evans has claimed. That is my opinion, and from the person I spoke with......it was the Parks and Rec guy that got.....well.....all up in Mr. Ament's grill. Why would blue shirt dude not want the cameras turned on if Mr. Ament was the one being "threatening"? That's the question I have........Mr. Ament WANTED the cameras on......Mr. Blue Shirt DIDN'T.......why?
What the police reports prove, I will have to see that for myself. When I do, I will put that on here too.....unless for some strange reason there happens to be "no record existing" for this......Mr. Ament has said he filed a complaint with the IPD. I believe he did.
I can only go by what trusted people tell me, until I see with my own eyes differently. I'm sorry if this is difficult for some of you, or you feel I'm being "unfair". I'm not trying to be. I'm trying to figure out what really happened. One side claims one thing while the other claims differently, and right now I can only go by the "hearsay" that I have heard, the video on Rnews, and the quote from Mr. Ament himself.
Update four (6/26 3:30pm): The officer's name was John Reinders (not sure of the spelling) and a Lieutenant sat in on the discussion as well. A warning was given to the guy in the Blue Shirt and a record of his name was attached to the 911 call.
