Mr. O’Connor is the kind of person you want in your corner promoting your product. One of his favorites appears to be the SCCA that dishes out culture in many different ways. Not popular with everyone in Suffolk the SCCA is the obvious cultural leader, providing local citizens with a headquarters for promoting a more gracious lifestyle. O’Conner shrugs off the notion his contribution to SCCA success exceeds what is expected of any supporter. But you don’t find too many SCCA board members willing, almost daily, to police the grounds picking up wind blown trash. He reminds me of those few members of any organization that hang around long after the oyster roast or public barbecue to wash the pots and pans, the least glamorous contribution.
He states that his motivation is to make certain failure will fail where he is involved. He also said, according to a SNH article, that he thought it was a joke when he was nominated for an award.
He appears more as a gentle former wrestler than artsy and it is easy to believe he was primarily interested in rescuing his alma mater from possible delmolition. We applaud him.
16 comments:
This Post reminds the reader of that SCCA lady called on this Blog an elite rich witch who is tasteless weak minded shady desperate cheesey gigantic blistered Martian misleading us with a double standard and a spiteful manipulative wanabe. My how IS projects itself as a pillar of credibility. Please remember when swallowing one's pride be sure not to choke on these words as they go down.
D.Leetme is back, it's a slow month so we gave him space, this time he is blaming the messenger, "IS" for the negatives printed about Martin in the election. He knows we also gave space for the positives that arrived. Somehow he reminds me of how Gardy cracked wise when he smiled saying something about how people claimed nobody could win a council seat twice in his borough. There still is the matter of a late letter about Mr. Varney.Funny how some news dissipates.
How can IS be blamed because so many rejected Caroline Martian or because it praised Tommy for bringing credit to the SCCA and our community.
Virtually everyone familiar with the SCCA or who follows its ticket sales disaster on its web site knows Tommy may be the glue that has held the entire project together. The little old ladies at the free cocktail parties promoting their elitism have built a house of cards that already is toppling, especially since the City subsidy itself is more than what appears the entire costs of the new season's second class shows that lack any symphony, classical music, serious ballet, modern dance, opera or anything other than a few has beens and little theater shows normally not requiring such wasteful subsidies with ticket sales frquently under 20%. One only has to look at the weekend Virginian Pilot to see that Suffolk is a desert among even smaller local communities that keep attracting better shows and programs with only a small fraction of the subsidy the Suffolk City Council is told each year is "absolutely necessary" to keep our "culture nobility aristocracy" in power over those who clearly don't support them.
Tommy has saved the SCCA, but it unfair to keep expecting this of him while so many other divas want the "glory" of being "in charge" without lifting a hand to help rather than attend meetings and discussing fund raising sources that that basically "dump" on Suffolk's self appointed prima donnas and that some expect are even exaggerated in the SCCA program.
I don't think IS or its supporters should "choke" for praising Tommy and his award while holding judgment on the obvious financial and social disaster that has been created by the SCCA and its secrecy.
P.S. Been to the restaurant lately? It seems a crime for the SCCA Executive Director and Board not to step in to save this fiasco and its failure to generate any support at all with a totally untrained staff and the inability to serve even a modest number of dishes it has on its menu or drink list.
Mr. Pocklington, please do not let anyone goad you into being so polite when isn't deserved.
If D.Leetme wants to still represent Mrs. Martin in her mayoral campaign or even wants the extremely foolish job of trying to defend the SCCA disaster because you (and many others like me) think Tommy .O. and his third party award is an honor, then you're dealing with a nut case.
Praises to Tommy, but we can't ask him to keep subsidizing a sinking ship
Save Tommy and fire the old ladies. Tommy is a good person hiched to a lost cause. If only he had a real mission.
Tom O'Conner is a straight shooter when shooting ducks or picking up trash at the SCCA. Culture is not a byword with him but protecting an investment is. If the SCCA gave up the ghost tomorrow, as it should, he would be there anyhow protecting his high school even after they found a way to properly use the building. It's been a nice try for the SCCA supporters but that elephant can't fly. It's a mighty purty building and with a little thought its character can be continued. Make it city hall.
After the last election business was so good that a Richmond based public relations firm is expanding to Suffolk. Mike and Jeff should pat themselves on the back for their contribution to Suffolk's economic development. Maybe the SCCA could use a little positive PR as well.
Anon 4:23
Tommy isnt subsziding anything at all by volunteering his time and his efforts. You are wrong in your sense of critizing of Tommy. Its not about the SCCA, this article is about a private citizen who is proud of the SCCA and is alma mater, It's mine as well. I imagine there are lots of transplanted Suffolkians who find fault in the SCCA, I imagine there are some true Suffolkians who might feel the same way. However I am one that isnt happy with how and what some did and the way they did it. But like Tommy amd many like us, but that buliding is a part of our heritgae and history same with the Obici estate. Suffolkians are a rare breed and our heritage and history is disappearing because the city is growing and the song says things are a changing.We true Suffolkians dont like it but its the way things are and will be.
I have known Tommy since his childhood days in Lakeside and I knew his parents. Tommy is a rare and dying breed. Our numbers are shrinking everyday.
Our POST did not criticize O'Connor in any way and no comment has arrived finding fault with him. We think he is a fine gentleman with a generous heart.
I agree with Mr Pocklington that no one here has critized Tommy O'Connor. To the contrary.
Many, and now probably most. of us however think the SCCA could have been saved from the need for so much financial secrecy if others had come even close to matching his volunteer efforts.
Incidentally, I understand Mr O actually has been a major financial contributor and sponsor, and hopefully he won't join what appears to be the large number of past sponsors and supporters who have virtually given up on this fsiled endeavor.
Of couse, the building should be saved, but it should no longer be an albatross whose failures to find even minimal support this season. There appear to be many worthy organizations that could benefit by being given a partial usr of the building without demanding a huge annual taxpayer subsidy that seemingly cannot be explained by anyone who looks realistically at the situation, dropping tictet sales(and the need to "block out" and comp the obvious seats marked on the web site), devastating restaurant results with what appear to be no supervision standards or efforts to find another franchisee or let other more successful restaurants in to save the disaster), and failure to attract the public to "shows" inferior to those of virtually every neighboring community.
Mr. O'Connor is a bright light in this situation, but he should not be expected to clean the parking lots (including the Jefferson lofts parking areas for which there was to be reimbursement) or to be the sole pioneer in saving the building without seeking personal or social recognition while other "SCCA supporters" interpret their self-appointed status as our "elite leaders" to promote what clearly is no longer supported in our community.
Suffolk doesn't hate "culture." It just hates the elitism and mysterous fincial disasters that seem to be strangling the SCCA at this time.
Finally, IS and this blog have by now a proven track record of being fair in our community, and it seems stupid that some few who seem to disagree with the majority try to attack this forum without which hundreds of individual opinions in our community would never have seen the light of day.
How true your comment above is that the SCCA is a true Turkey this and all past holiday seasons. If we really had those who care in charge rather than the publicity Bitties, they could do so much more. Why not make this site the downtown city hall and build a new one up north? seems like the best of both worlds to me! But not gonna happen because there are too many that want their own little fifedom to preen in. So sad and utterly wasteful.
Praises to Tommy, but we can't ask him to keep subsidizing a sinking ship
November 30, 2010 4:23 PM
If only he had a real mission.
November 30, 2010 10:23 PM
rpock said...
"no comment has arrived finding fault with him"
Im sorry that I disagree, true maybe no one is finding FAULT in the status of the SCCA and Tommy's involement in that but they are taking shots that are not justified.
I don't know where anon 9:35 is seeing or hearing shots taken at Tommy O but it hasn't happened here on "IS."
They were posted, then copied and pasted. Ray Charles wouldnt have to read them to hear them (see them)
If there are none why post the thread saying there are shots being taken? I said that I disagree, The matter is closed, We have in principal agreed to disagree, isnt that what blogs are about? Opninons? I thank Tommy for what he thinks is worthy of his time. I also thank Bob for allowing the discourse of my and others thoughts to be printed.Case Closed
If you are saying that it's possible to praise Tommy for his SCCA rfforts while at the same time reain infuriated at the abuses of and arrogance of a few other SCCA leaders and feel there is an urgent need for overhaul, then I agree with you.
Hopefully the City will disband the present structure and save the building while turning the "cultural" activities over to the Fine Arts Commission or even a new group with full accountability for the public's approval of its activities and expenses, including dismal (and perhaps still exaggerated) ticket sales.
Mr. O"Connor would be a great leader of a new group.
Anon 2:20
And where would you like to see the funding coming from?
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