A few weeks ago, our esteemed Invisible Mayor Frank Jackson was honored by a local foundation with the Sam Miller Goodness Award.
At first, I was a little confused. Miller, after all, is chairman of the board of Forest City, which is not exactly a charity joint. What could this mean?
Was it like, “Thank goodness for Sam Miller, he bankrolled my campaign”? or “Goodness, Sam Miller, how much cash can I give Forest City today?” or maybe “Sam Miller, I’m taking your goodness all the way to the bank”?
Alas, no. This was apparently an annual award given to people who contribute to the community, exhibit “principled leadership,” and set “an inspiring example for others to follow.” And Jackson was in good company. Past recipients include:
* Bishop Anthony Pilla, Protector of Thieves and Child Molestors
* Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Grand High Priestess of Waste, Fraud, and the Worst Education Your Money Can Buy
* Alex Machaskee, former publisher of the Most Boring Newspaper in Ohio
Adding to the excitement, the award was handed out at a breakfast sponsored by Rysar Properties and chaired by its president, Ken Lurie — one of Jackson’s biggest fans. Without the good mayor, Lurie and his partner, Forest City, wouldn’t be able to spend millions of taxpayer dollars building houses in Central that fall apart.
Yep, thank goodness for Frank Jackson! — Lisa Rab
This article appears in Nov 15-21, 2006.