On restored UA president house, olive jars and Mike Williams

Inspired by the nearly $1 million makeover of  University of Akron  President Scott Scarborough & Family's new digs, I spent some time over the week end  making my office more presentable by emptying files and wastebaskets.

Among the old clippings that turned up was a Beacon Journal piece dated July 19,  2014 reporting the projected cost of the renovation as $375,000. Ted Curtis, UA vice president of  capital planning and facilities management, made it all seem worthwhile by saying "it's a great house in a wonderful neighborhood.  Very solidly built."  Not as solidly built was the rollout of the Team Scarborough's plan to cut UA debt.

Also quoted was Board of Trustees chairman Jonathan Pavloff , who noted that the trustees were "in agreement that the house is an appropriate piece of the presidential package". It was a reminder that the trustees were as useless then as they are now.

As we have come to learn, Curtis  missed the mark by a cool half-million dollars, even if you leave out that notorious olive jar...

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Speaking of that jar, it could be reinstated with respect if it were offered as a trophy to the winner of the annual KSU-UA  football game, much like the Michigan-Minnesota Little Brown Jug trophy.  I know.  UA and KSU already have a wagon wheel trophy.    But who wants to reach for a wagon wheel to garnish a martini?

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At last week's Akron mayoral debate Democratic candidate Mike Williams, a longtime foe of former Mayor Don Plusquellic,   talked of the improvements  in downtown Akron  over the past decade, sounding self-congratulatory as a city councilman.  But he forgot to mention that most of these improvements were produced during the Plusquellic administration.