The Observation Deck

[quote="Jim O'Bryan
As for how it escaped the LO Deck, maybe, just maybe the Deck has more heart and compassion than anyone gives it credit for. [/quote]

Yeah, That's not the question Jim.
That's not what's at stake.

Cleveland.com, covered it.
News 5, covered it.
WKYC-TV, covered it.
And if my google search is correct The LA Times covered it.
I'm sure that if I bothered there are more outlets that covered it.

And yet you flinched. The Lakewood Observer flinched.
Tough to talk about truth and transparency when you're selective about that sort of stuff.
It was a NEWS story. You should have reported it.

I'd like to know when Jim actually found out about this story.

If it was when it came out on the various news outlets in August or if it was when Gilman was actually arrested in June.

If he's known for months, then his silence on the topic put Lakewood's most vulnerable at risk.

What really gets me about this story is that this monster was released upon his arrest in June. He was caught literally with his pants down raping a child. My guess is that if he didn't have the "connections" that he has, he'd have been locked up for over 3 months already. I resent a judicial system that treats those with means (either financial or "political") with a different, more favorable standard of justice than the rest of us.

I was so relieved to not see that story here when it broke a couple weeks ago. I think it's disingenuous to compare the Observer or Observation Deck to regular newspapers that cover world events and crimes.

So, if I understand correctly, what you wanted Jim to do is write up a story about a pedophilia arrest made in Fairview only because it concerns Chief Gilman's son? What other examples do you have of the Observer covering such news? This seems vindictive and nasty to me and I suggest to anyone thinks it was an appropriate "scoop" for a local politics/issues newspaper to search your souls to understand your real reasons for wanting the story here. My guess is the reasons have little to do with honoring the victims or public safety and lots to do with very bad feelings regarding the hospital.

My guess is the reasons have little to do with honoring the victims or public safety and lots to do with very bad feelings regarding the hospital.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the opponents of the hospital, please. They are entirely unrelated. Amy Martin started this thread and I don't recall her being a leader or involved in SLH, but she has been critical of how crimes have been unreported in Lakewood.

Opponents of the hospital deal are vocal about the lack of transparency and the lies told during the debacle. They wish to know what happened and to hold officials accountable.

It's all about the functioning of government and how official duties were performed. It's NOT about the personal lives of those officials, never has been, and never will be.

I think this thread has gone on long enough.
This is a private family matter and should be left alone.

Unless some of you were present during the alleged crime, which you were not, then you don't really know the actual facts of the case. In this country, persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. There will be a trial.

How would you all feel if some of your skeletons were brought out of the closet? It is very easy now to search on the net and find out all sorts of things that you would think would be private.

In my opinion, this post has really brought out the worst behavior in some posters. I suggest that those of you that can't let this post go should think about volunteering for something productive. How about helping those of us that have been busting our rear ends investigating the alleged crime in the city involving the hospital and other issues?

I am prepared to be blasted as some here on the Deck have to have the last word.

I am not perfect, but, I prefer to pray for those involved instead of accusing without facts and ripping families further apart.

I suggest you all do the same.

todd vainisi wrote:I was so relieved to not see that story here when it broke a couple weeks ago. I think it's disingenuous to compare the Observer or Observation Deck to regular newspapers that cover world events and crimes.

Google: Lakewood Observer murder.
Google: Lakewood Observer robbery'
Google: Lakewood Observer dui.
Crime is covered.

My point has been consistent and focused on the following...
This was news and should have been reported in The Lakewood Observer.
You divining motivation and throwing the hospital into the mix doesn't even warrant a response.

Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.

Chose prayer over nasty comments about a subject that you all have no actual facts about.

The question of who is supposed to break or report the news is an interesting one. The Observer project thought of "hyper-local" reporting as stories that were written by people involved in events and projects and things. Anyone can and should bring news to the "Observation Deck" and/or the paper. It is not up to Jim O'Bryan to be the first to report issues, particularly difficult issues to the Deck or the paper. Back in the beginning of the paper, there was a strong "no news" argument for the paper.

Without the participation of our neighbors and ourselves, the project dies. The Observer has never "covered events" by sending someone out to report on stuff. All reporting is voluntary.

I think this is an important story. I didn't find out about it until it came up on someone's radar on Cleveland.com. I don't read Cleveland.com.

At any rate, it's up to each of us to bring a story to the table and discuss it. I don't know what this person was charged with, I don't know what the hard facts are and what might be misrepresented. I know that when the news media reports on stories, they sometimes get the facts wrong. That happened with Phil Distasio.

It's also reasonable, IMO, to feel sympathy for the families and none for the perpetrator.

Slightly off subject, but I just wanted to mention how interesting I find it that everyone is up in arms about this (maybe rightfully so) but was silent when I posted 2 years ago regarding about 10+ rapes in the city that City Hall apparently covered up.

One of these crimes included the molestation of a three year old on Ridgewood.

Another included a 23 year-old woman that was apparently raped and murdered inside her apartment on Clifton near Fry a little over three years ago. I was present immediately after the incident. Police were seen joining hands searching for the murder weapon, and the victim's car had apparently been stolen by the perpetrator. Police were also seen wearing crime scene booties. A gentleman that lived in the apartment came out and spoke with me about the incident, saying that the whole apartment looked like a grisly murder scene. The news came out and interviewed several persons about the incident, including myself. When the story did not air on the news, I telephoned the news station and asked why. I was told that someone at City Hall said the incident was a suicide.

How is an apparent rape and murder called suicide when the victim's car is missing and no weapon was ever recovered, according to public records? It doesn't take an expert to see that calling this incident a suicide is a stretch.

Again, slightly off subject, but I am genuinely curious as to why there is such an uproar over this incident but none over the other 10+ rapes that actually did occur in Lakewood over the past few years that were apparently covered up by City Hall? Again, I have made posts on the Deck in the past, with artwork, about these alleged 10+ rapes.

I'm not trying to thread-drift or start controversy, but I am very curious.

M... try not to serve up such soft balls.

You divining motivation and throwing the hospital into the mix doesn't even warrant a response.

Oh sure it did. You responded pretty quickly.

Google: Lakewood Observer murder.

Google results:
Search Results
Friday Shooting - 1 Male Charged Attempted Murder - The ...
lakewoodobserver.com › ... › General Discussions › Lakewood General Discussions
Oct 9, 2016 - 9 posts - ‎5 authors
Friday night, police were called to Hird and Detroit Avenue for two people shot, and shooter on the loose. Image (photos sent in) Witnesses said ...
Murder On Plover - Police News Release - UPDATED ...
2 posts
Feb 8, 2017
Lakewood Crime Blotter - The Observation Deck
12 posts
Jan 18, 2016
Murder On Waterbury - Lakewood Police Update - Page 5
3 posts
Jan 13, 2012
Murder At Ross Deli! - The Observation Deck
1 post
Aug 19, 2011
More results from lakewoodobserver.com

Oh look, theres a bunch of stories about murders that happened IN Lakewood and were handled by our police force.

Google: Lakewood Observer robbery

Google SAYS!
Lakewood police investigate reported burglary, robbery, petty thefts ...
AND THATS ABOUT IT - again crime that occured in lakewood, not crime allegedly perpetrated by children adult children of lakewoodites.

Lakewood Observer dui

Drinking and Driving Does Add Up! - The Lakewood Observer
That's pretty much it again.

Do me a favor and google stuff yourself before instructing me to as though you already had. And don't think anyone is fooled by your suggestions that bad feelings over the hospital and other political matters didn't completely taint your views about this.

Drag the fire chief through the muck for his own mistakes and/or alleged crimes. And any of you that have no sympathy for the perpetrator - how do you think people end up doing things like this? Get educated. If he was guilty he must be held accountable, not suggesting otherwise.

m buckley wrote:

todd vainisi wrote:I was so relieved to not see that story here when it broke a couple weeks ago. I think it's disingenuous to compare the Observer or Observation Deck to regular newspapers that cover world events and crimes.

Google: Lakewood Observer murder.
Google: Lakewood Observer robbery'
Google: Lakewood Observer dui.
Crime is covered.

My point has been consistent and focused on the following...
This was news and should have been reported in The Lakewood Observer.
You divining motivation and throwing the hospital into the mix doesn't even warrant a response.

Your statement: "I think it's disingenuous to compare the Observer or Observation Deck to regular newspapers that cover world events and crimes."

First I was never comparing The Deck to anything, my comments were strictly limited to The Obsever.
Secondly if the prior google search didn't net a refutation of "The Observer/Deck" doesn't cover crime position,
Then I'll offer the following...
I just googled: Lakewood Observer Robbery suspects.
The first result that popped up was an entry "June 4th Robbery on Detriot" at the bottom of which was a prompt for more results from Lakewood Observer. I clicked on that and it went two pages deep on crimes reported in The Lakewood Observer.
Crime is covered in The Observer despite your need to state otherwise.

It's my position that this was news and should have been reported in The Lakewood Observer. Period.

Of note, as my remarks were directed towards The Observer I never mentioned Chief Gilman, yet you brought him up twice . To what end?
Finally I can only marvel at your instincts to turn this into a sight gag. Really well done.

A site gag? Did I show up at your house (which I can't do since you are almost anonymous but I am here presenting myself with my name) and do a stage fall?

Why didn't you write the story up yourself when you saw it reported in all those news media outlets (staffed by paid reporters)? As DL pointed out, it's up to our community to write each other up for alleged crimes committed. Instead of blaming Jim, you should blame yourself.

Then I'll offer the following...
I just googled: Lakewood Observer Robbery suspects.
The first result that popped up was an entry "June 4th Robbery on Detriot" at the bottom of which was a prompt for more results from Lakewood Observer. I clicked on that and it went two pages deep on crimes reported in The Lakewood Observer.
Crime is covered in The Observer despite your need to state otherwise.

I repeated your search and yes those results are the ones I posted. Then I clicked the more from Lakewood Observer... and you'll see the same one or two stories I mentioned, followed by pages of links (more than 2 deep) of results from the DECK.

I have been a web monkey/developer since compuserve. You aren't going to teach me to use Google.

m buckley wrote: It's my position that this was news and should have been reported in The Lakewood Observer. Period.

I've been thinking about this and I got it wrong.
Clearly it's not the nature of The Observer to cover these kind of things.
Sorry Jim.