PORTSMOUTH
Just upstairs from the Holley Ballroom, the man himself stood center stage.
Mayor James W. Holley III bragged that Portsmouth was the only city in Hampton Roads to turn its annual State of the City update into a party, with balloons and prizes. He mentioned the new Starbucks store under construction downtown. He reminded hundreds of attendees that he would be running for his fifth term as mayor in May.
Then the time came for the official State of the City address.
Holley sat down.
Where other Hampton Roads cities have their mayors speak, Portsmouth showed a video touting its redevelopment and educational advances to the crowd assembled at the Renaissance Hotel.
City administrators switched to the video format after the mayor in 2005 gave a rambling speech that left many of Portsmouth’s biggest accomplishments unmentioned.
For years, Holley’s strength has been his service as an optimist bent on selling the positives of Portsmouth to the world, state, region – and to its residents. With his boundless charm and his history as a civil rights activist, he has garnered the support of blacks and whites across the community.
But the change in the State of the City program was a subtle acknowledgment of his age – 81 – and at times diminished abilities. It hasn’t been the only sign: Earlier this month, the council voted to take away the mayor’s city car after his third accident in as many years.
None of that seems to affect Holley’s stature as a politician. No experienced competitor has challenged him in recent elections, and council members with interest in his seat have deferred to his rule.
This year, his only rival is Martha Ann Creecy, a previously unsuccessful candidate for council and School Board, who believes no one should run unopposed.
“Politics is somewhat of a personality contest, and he’s made a lot of friends,” said Councilwoman Elizabeth Psimas, who had been named as a possible mayoral candidate but declined to run.
“He’s mayor as long as he wants to be.”
Road to success
Jim Holley left his home in Portsmouth to attend college and then dental school, but after graduating from Howard University in 1955, he and his wife, Mary, returned and quickly fell in with a connected group of black professionals.
Holley’s role model was Dr. Hugo Owens, a pioneering dentist.
The two men and a handful of others were at the forefront of the local civil rights movement. In 1956, Holley filed the second of two lawsuits that opened the city’s golf course to blacks. In 1959, Owens and Holley were plaintiffs in a lawsuit to desegregate the city’s libraries.
Holley said they were able to act because they were self-employed, their incomes not tied to the city’s white population.
“We weren’t going to start a riot. We were going to take an intelligent route,” he said at an African American Historical Society of Portsmouth forum last month. “We did it for everyone. We owed that much back to the community.”
Following Owens’ political lead – the dentist had run for office and eventually was a councilman in Chesapeake – Holley ran for Portsmouth council in 1966 and lost the election by 32 votes. He tried again two years later and won in a landslide, becoming one of the first two black City Council members in Portsmouth.
“He was one who didn’t mind opening his mouth,” Vice Mayor Marlene Randall said. “He was very ambitious.”
Holley was elected the region’s first black mayor in 1984. His term was defined by his flamboyance and outsize personality. He drove a Corvette with the license plate “Hizonor” and used city money to pay for phone calls, magazines and travel.
It was his refusal to publicly take sides on the closing of I.C. Norcom High School – and a subsequent anonymous hate-mail campaign aimed at black community leaders who were opposed to its being shut down – that led to his downfall. Holley denied writing the racist letters, but his fingerprints were found on the envelopes, and he was the only suspect. No one was ever charged.
Outraged residents called for his removal. Holley became the first mayor in Virginia to be recalled.
He was 61 years old then. People wrote his political obituary, the story of a fast-rising star burning out at the height of his power.
And then he came back.
After eight years of repairing relationships with neighborhoods and civic leaders, Holley beat incumbent Gloria Webb in 1996 to regain the mayor’s seat. Residents, tired of the city’s economic downturn – businesses closing, schools struggling to perform – were ready for a return of the jovial Holley boom years of the ’80s.
The new Mayor Holley also had learned that the most important thing was to listen.
“It was just enough of a burn to say think before you act,” Randall said of the recall. “It was a lesson for him. You don’t get so big that you forget the people who put you there.”
The Portsmouth family
Inside Jim Holley’s corner office on the top floor of City Hall, at least three clocks keep time. Plaques line every inch of the walls, all awards or recognitions from schools, businesses and community organizations.
Holley has rarely belonged to a group that he didn’t lead, and the city of Portsmouth is the biggest example of that.
If he had his way, City Council meetings would take days because citizens would have all the time they wanted to talk. Council members would listen more, speak less.
“I take a minute,” he said. “If you think that we’re not really listening to what you’re concerned about, I’ll carry the ball for you. If you have to pay all the levies and taxes, you ought to be able to say something.”
Holley thinks nothing of breaking formalities by dancing with renowned R&B singer Ruth Brown at a street naming, or parading through council chambers with this year’s Little Miss Portsmouth on his arm.
He attends hundreds of events on behalf of the city each year, and at each, he tells a joke, shares a bromide, shakes hands, flashes his 100-watt smile. He says that after a ribbon-cutting, he often stops back at small businesses to follow up weeks or months later.
“You can open up a lemonade stand, and you’d think we were opening up IBM,” Psimas said. “He gives it just as much personal attention. And doesn’t that make the business owner feel good?”
In response, the business community has provided him much support.
With the mayor, the “glass is always three-quarters full,” TowneBank chairman Bob Aston, one of Holley’s closest friends, said.
For a city that has struggled with crime, redevelopment, its schools and finances over the last two decades, that positive message hits the right note, Aston said. “Sometimes we don’t collectively as a community see ourselves that way,” he said.
When Esquire magazine featured Holley in a photo spread last year, he was quoted as saying that the best thing to do in his city was hang out with the mayor.
Elizabeth Psimas first saw the mayor’s work in action in 1997, when the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance staged a big party in New York City to coincide with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s debut at Carnegie Hall. Inside the hall, Hampton Roads’ business and civic leaders waited to meet people who could bring new companies and industry to the region.
Holley stood alone in the foyer, stopping people as they got off the elevators.
“He made friends with every single person before he ever got in the party,” Psimas said. “He is truly the face of Portsmouth.”
But despite his connections and friends, Holley is a lone wolf.
He has never voted in favor of a city budget – he always believes the city manager should provide more details – and is often in the minority on council decisions. He reminds constituents that while he is mayor, he is only one of four votes needed for a majority.
When there’s an issue he believes in strongly, he’ll try to sway politicians to his side in private conversations, many said.
He often begins council meetings, leaning forward in his seat, with a lecture about the origins of democracy and a reminder that Portsmouth’s citizens are all members of the citywide family.
And while some may dismiss Holley’s talk as dreaming, others say his long-standing vision for an economically successful Portsmouth – a city that can now boast new shopping centers, a community college and international industry during his political tenure – is coming true.
“Jim is a lot more effective than people recognize,” Aston said. “He marches to the tune of his own drummer. But he’s willing to take a long-term item, and stay with it."
Putting things in perspective
The mayor will turn 82 this year. If he wins re-election as anticipated, he will be 85 before his next term ends.
Holley, who retired from dentistry about a decade ago, said his doctor gave him the OK to run. He insists he still has the stamina to keep up his intense schedule that often stretches into 12- to 16-hour days.
Yet many of his colleagues and friends say that in recent years, they’ve seen his indefatigable nature flag on some days. During some meetings, Holley will get a distant look on his face or will lose his place, but then will perk up and make a relevant comment.
Because of the mayor’s recent car accidents, the council voted earlier this month to revoke his privilege of driving a city car, a move council members described as awkward. Holley, who voted in favor of the resolution, privately objected to their interference.
“Take it from me, he’s not going to quit,” Vernon Crump, a longtime friend and neighborhood leader, said. “If he showed weakness, people would tend to think he didn’t need to be in the job.
“But age has its way of catching up with you, I don’t care how tenacious you are.”
The mayor’s testy side also has appeared occasionally at council meetings, in stern rebukes of colleagues, employees and residents who have crossed him.
It’s that anger that keeps many from running against Holley for mayor, Randall said.
“If he’s for you, he’ll do anything he can for you,” Randall said. “But he has a sharp tongue. And the average person would not endure the sting.”
Headed into the election, Holley is focused, as always, on economic development, driving what he calls the “Portsmouth Renaissance” forward by luring new businesses and redeveloping downtown.
“Why don’t I just say I’ve done all I can?” he asked rhetorically a few weeks ago. “Being competitive like I am, there’s more that can be done.”
Meghan Hoyer, (757) 446-2293, meghan.hoyer@pilotonline.com
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Bravo markgy!
I had forgotten to mention Mr. Whitehurst in my earlier post. His voting record should speak for itself and will hopefully keep him out of office.
I agree MarkGY
Mark, I agree with your point of view and Mr. Whitehurst will be off my list of "outside" candidates for the upcoming elections too. I also noticed that several candidates listed are also associated with various City of Portsmouth commissions and organizations that have ties to the city government such as Mr. Ellis (Portsmouth Planning Commission, Secretary) and Mr. Morrison (Founder, Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority). Unless I hear anything negative enough to convince me otherwise, I will consider these two as potential candidates too. As Mark pointed out, any insider politician acting like an “independent” doesn’t deserve YOUR vote.
What every resident should be doing right now is constantly monitor/post messages on these forums or any other Hampton Roads forums that even posts similar articles like these one – they only inflate the Mayor and City Council’s egos, such as when Ms. Psimas said “He’s [Holley] mayor as long as he wants to be.” Does that sound like someone who deserves YOUR vote? I don't think so.
No one should be entitled to an elected official position due to their legacy or their association to local community organizations.
Opinions are like noses
Everyone has one. I am in touch with reality - I just hate it when people base opinions on past perceptions. I do realize life is not perfect in Portsmouth but like all cities in this region we face problems - city council is truly out of touch with reality with projects like the Sports Hall of Fame and that traffic circle but hopefully we'll end Todi Festival spending and focus more on our Public Safety employees and Education System. All cities face the same economic downturn this year but in Portsmouth we have the problem of both a new City Manager learning the ropes plus the city council has strange ways at looking at things - spending 11 million on upgrades for a hotel but not spending enough on education and public safety. I thank you for your opinion but I based mine on the facts maybe we all should agree to disagree on that point. As for Mayor Holley the voters will decide - as for me I'll keep watching channel 48 to keep informed and see what strange things keep developing there
Please, Not Anyone But Incumbents
When is a challenger not a challenger? When s/he is a former incumbent. JP, if you want to have a blanket prohibition against incumbents, you need to include the formerly Honorable Charles B. Whitehurst who has already been on council for eight years and "retired" for two. Any negative job performance factors that you would ascribe to the current incumbents should stick to him as well. He voted for the "no bid" nTelos contract (the original), the taxpayer subsidies for the Sports Hall of Fame, and construction of the traffic circle, which he now calls a waste of money. He also engineered a council rule change (rescinded after his departure) that limited citizen input on every agenda item other than public hearings to one five-minute segment per council meeting. He is your quintessential insider running as an outsider; don't be fooled, and don't let him back in!
No Joke!!
The mayor made a rambling speech in 2005? Anyone who has heard the mayor speak anywhere, at any time realizes that 2005 wasn't the only rambling speech. The city council funded that traffic circle for $2 million, and Holley has been talking in circles for years. How much has the city sunk into both useless circles together? The city should be embarrassed just because his senseless babbling is broadcast on channel 48 for everyone to see. I personally signed up for DirectTV just so I couldn't get that channel and accidentally tune in and have to listen to him. I know he isn't the only one at fault, but with his "leadership", the city's bankroll has crashed harder than a city owned Impala into a HRT bus in Newport News. When will the voting public realize that Mayor Holley has long outserved his usefulness and should relinquish his post as mayor as well as his drivers license.
I too have lived in
I too have lived in Portsmouth (I detest the name Ptown) my entire life. It appauls me to watch the Portsmouth Channel 48 when a City Council Meeting is broadcasted to see the behavior by not only our "illustrious" mayor but by the council members as well. Our mayor is rude, demeaning and condesending to the citizens that get up to voice their opinions on various issues. It appears at times that all the council members have their minds elsewhere when citizens are speaking. It is time for a change in the ranks!!! Good luck to Ms. Creasy - maybe if elected she can instill some manners while conducting the city's business.
Mayor Holley
3 clocks? Last time I was there, there was a clock visible from every seat in his office. Having been at the 2005 SoC, I thank Meghan for being so "kind" with her words. I can remember looking at Ken Wheeler and seeing his jaw dragging on the ground. Mayor Holley it's time to go. At 82 just take your 500 “I love me” pictures off the wall, go home, and maybe play golf at Bide-a-wee. You are not doing the citizens any good. You are actually becoming an embarrassment to the city. You were past your prime in 2004 when you ran unopposed. People don't run against you, not for fear, but you are a household name and too many voters just vote for the name they know. You now either make people mad or your actions make people sit back and laugh - you're better than the comedy channel. As the election draws closer I have to wonder who will be taking care of all his election paperwork? Thanks again Meghan for good reporting!
To sw32578 and markgy, there
To sw32578 and markgy, there is nothing to envy about Portsmouth. If you feel you live in a great city then great. Obviously you are out of touch with reality. To bgibs094 glad to see someone from Portsmouth excelling academically. You are an inspiration. However, wheither Portsmouth is run by a majority black , white, whatever, the citizens determine what happens in Portsmouth. With a large section of the city being consisted of drug dealers/users, homeless, jobless(and don't care), school drop outs, and kids having kids to collect a check, Portsmouth needs to put more money into educating the children so that more turn out to be like you bgibso94. Unfortunately the people who run it would rather grease their pockets and bring a Wal-Mart and Sports Hall of Fame to town. In the end all the city leaders are doing is covering up the trash that Portsmouth is by trying to paint over it not fixing the problems but covering them up. As far as all of the new houses being built, considering all of the people who once lived in the projects are getting govt assistance to move into them, they too will become unwelcoming to look at in the next 1-2 yrs.
For what's it worth....
....I have lived in P-town for the majority of my 42 years and have watched it dying a slow death. New shopping centers and housing developements don't make a city nicer. The criminals and thugs prevent this city from being the way I remember it growing up. Is it any surprise that our Wal Mart isn't open 24 hours like all the others? The PPD is overworked and underpaid and is led by an incompetent chief. Mayor Holley is past the age of being an effective leader. Our city council puts traffic circles and other pet projects before the needs of the community. I would move out of this city if only the real estate market were better. Unfortunately the city assessor's office has over-inflated the value of my house and I am stuck. It's time for a change in this city and it should start with the upcoming elections. I agree that all the incumbents should be voted out from the top down!
4 The Record, Mall, Ptown, Banned, Siberia, Combat
The mall was avoided, by the rest of the area because of the presence of loitering thugs. I really can't state their intentions.. It does appear that no one wanted to find out. I will concede Churchland & the areas mentioned by joan are ok. Portsmouth is improving their lot. Improvements are being made, but, today, the consensus remains..I doubt a lot of other people who don't live there will jump to their defense. I have seen no one banned from the site..I have noticed that those who engage in calling other posters names, personally, etc sometimes are banned to "Comment Siberia." That is when the screen is pink after you post, & comments can take forever to appear to other readers.."Comment Combat" should probably be avoided...on a personal basis..Have a nice day all, & enjoy "the little slice of heaven" you reside..
sofballuvr
We do not go to ptown because we do not want to get mugged. I can only think of 2 halfway decent areas in Portsmouth where you can actually walk down the street and not have to worry about some crack head trying to rob you. Those 2 areas are High Street North to Crawford and east of London and then the roads near riverside drive south of high street near the water . I'll stay in Great Bridge thank you very much. And Churhland of course.
Does anyone remember ...
... that this mayor was recalled?!? Holley is Porsmouth's answer to Washington, DC's Marion Berry! I, and many others, worked long and hard to get this man out of office when he flagrantly violated the law. Then, the igorance of the citizentry voted him back in. Simply put, "If you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas." Thank God I had sense enough to move to Chesapeake years ago. Wait! That brings about another saying, "Out of the frying pan, in to the fire."
Hey Contractorva !
We who live in Portsmouth and love it are very fortunate that you live somewhere else. You have no idea what you are talking about. Portsmouth is a community where people truly care about one another. There was a time in the late 80's and early 90's that your comments may have had some validity. That is not the case today. It is people like you that should be banned from commenting on this site because you are an idiot! I would ask you to come see for yourself how nice our City is but we really don't want peole like you to spoil this special place we call home.
enough...
My goodness, we keep re-electing the guy because he's likeable, and Portsmouth has gotten used to him being around. Exactly the reason we have 8 year limitations for the President so he doesn't become royalty or worse a dictator. Portsmouth has done well the past several years, but will not move to the next level until new inspired passion is elected. We all only live so long and I for one would like to see great strides made before it doesn't matter to me anymore. Holley has done well, but he needs to ride off in the sunset before due to age related issues, starts making a fool of himself and the city. The wrecks in city cars is the start of a disastrous downfall.
State and local government has more impact on our daily lives than on the federal level by far. It's the most important vote we can make. Like the Obama enthusiasts chant, it's time for change.
Facts
In Portsmouth Wal-mart replaced a run down shopping center in Mid Town that was 3/4's empty and owned by a company from out of state that didn't care to invest to improve their property. Victory Crossing was the former site of Tower Mall which had seen better days and could not compete with the larger malls and shopping centers in Chesapeake. Victory Crossing and Wal-Mart are just two examples of new economic ventures in the city but lets not forget the new houses going up in Newport, near City Hall, and Near Mid Town. Portsmouth is changing for the better and I honestly feel Mayor Holley has played a major role in this - not sure if I'll vote for him again but I'll consider it. Portsmouth isn't the armpit people say it is - Portsmouth is a city undergoing changes for the better. Of course like all cities Portsmouth has its problems and for the record I lived in the Red Mill section of Va Beach and I have not had no regrets moving to Portmouth all those years ago.
Vote for Change: ANYONE except the INCUMBENT
It's time to have another party - a RETIREMENT party. On Tuesday 6 May 2008, tell all Portsmouth INCUMBENT elected officials that "economic & political mismanagement as usual" attitude will not be tolerated by voting for ANY CANDIDATE EXCEPT the INCUMBENT Mayor, City Council, and School Board members.
By voting for these incumbent officials, you (the taxpayer) are pretty much allowing these individuals to continue to mismanage YOUR city budget monies, increase YOUR housing assessments beyond actual market prices, and avoid funding economic/education infrastructure projects that are desperately needed to help revive city residential areas (e.g. Craddock, Midtown, etc.) that YOU reside/live at and seriously lag behind other Hampton Roads counties.
So on Tuesday 6 May 2008 - vote for CHANGE by picking anyone except the INCUMBENT(S).
Office Title: Mayor
James W. Holley III - Incumbent
Martha Ann Creecy - Candidate
Office Title: Member, City Council
Elizabeth M. Psimas - Incumbent
Ray A. Smith, Sr. - Incumbent
Stephen E. ''Steve'' Heretick - Incumbent
Terry K. Morrison - Candidate
Charles B. Whitehurst, Sr. - Candidate
James E. ''Jim'' Ellis - Candidate
Ptown, Armpits, Sono, Va Beach
No offence. First we get 750 characters. Abbreviations are not always used to offend. ContVa has been to SoNo. I'm here now. Historic Dist.
We may be the elbow of the region, but , are a far cry from stealing the "armpit" title from Ptown. If it feels any better, Newport News has the real title, but, southside region Ptown gets it. Challenge , Walmart etc. What did that Walmart replace? Mid Something Mall? What happened to that "fine" shopping establishment? Nuff said there! Tend to agree about Va beach though. My opinion their placement on the body is 90 Degrees to the back & a little farther south than Ptown. These comments may be archived for all I know & studied in the future.. May as well give the students an accurate picture of the times.. Ptown is the armpit. Posting guidelines prohibit me from continuing. with the rest...lol
Mayor Holley
First, to those who call Portsmouth the armpit of the region, I say your envy is showing. My town is as good as anyone else's. Secondly, I think this particular profile of Dr. Holley is pretty even-handed, spotlighting the accomplishments from earlier in his career and the unfortunate deficiencies of the present day. I hope the Virginian-Pilot will give his rival, Ms. Martha Ann Creecy, equivalent exposure.
Sadder
When are the citizens of the City of Portsmouth going to finally "GET IT?"
Here is a man that, besides not being able to drive a city vehicle in a competent and safe manner, spends City money on things that they DON'T need.
Needless to say, the RETIRED FIRE AND POLICE PENSION FUND, is underfunded by $110 million dollars. Anybody on the present City Council planning on doing anything about this?
We need a NEW mayor, a NEW City Council, and people in the City of Portsmouth government that care about whether this city will be able to survive the troubles that it presently has, not about the "cultural diversity", and making sure they hire more black firefighters and police officers next time. They are also the lowest paid in the Tidewater area.
Portsmouth is HOME to me
I am totally and absolutely offended that anyone would publicly refer to Portsmouth as "the armpit of the region". I have seen places in all of the seven cities that were not picture perfect. Mayor Holley is a great example of what hard work, dedication, and honesty will do for a person. He did not come from money, and his journey throughout life has followed a path that many people (maybe not yourselves reading this) can understand and use as a model for their own. I understand that a majority of you are white and do not like Portsmouth simply because it is a place where black people are in positions of leadership, no matter how well you think they do their jobs. But we are human beings and our home will continue to become economically, politically, and socially forward thinking. If not because of people like myself, a 25 year old college Senior, determined and focused on changing the way we think and treat people, not just looking to make more money than the next man. That's what people like Mayor Holley have taught us here, that it's not always about the money you make, or the success you obtain in the eyes of others, but it's in the decisions you make, the responsibility
Portsmouth Mayor James Holley
W. Virgina Senator Byrd over 90 years old and nobody is saying he is to old to run for reelection for the U.S. Senate a lot more responsibility then a city mayor let him run for reelection and let the citizens of Portsmouth decide. i will vote for him
Portsmouth Mayor
Mayor Holley is a fine spokesperson and representive for not just Portsmouth but for the Hampton Roads area. He often takes a common sense look on the issues facing the city council - the location of the proposed court house next to the traffic circle comes to mind mainly due to his being the only no vote to the location. But how come so many of the comments say Portsmouth (not Ptown) is the armpit of the Hampton Roads? Ever been to South Norfolk (Chesapeake) or to the many areas of Norfolk that are on the news it seems everyother night due to the high crime rates? Preception is hard to overcome but I challenge almost anyone to come to Portsmouth and check out the shops and museums near Ole Town or come to Mid-Town and go shopping at our Wal-Mart or go shopping at Victory Crossing. I don't consider Portsmouth as nothing less than a good place to live and my actions speak loud because I moved to Portsmouth over ten years ago from Virginia Beach. Those who disagree go take a drive to the crime ridden areas of Norfolk - they are easy to find just watch your local evening news.
Sad
Time is an enemy to us all. However, he is an elected politician. It's up to the citizens of Ptown to decide if it is affecting his competence, as long he is still throwing his hat in the ring. I would tend to agree that Portsmouth is the armpit of the region, & awarded that position by popular consensus of the surrounding cities, but, do not personally attribute the position to the mayor entirely. I am compelled to point out, if you don't have an armpit, you are missing an arm. If someone has to be the armpit, better Ptown than Chesapeake. Probably a good idea about the driver's license. (O)
New Mayor
I think Paul Riddick should move across the river and sink his teeth in this job.
Holley's retirement...
none to soon, actually 4 terms to many, the main reason Ptown is generally considered the "armpit" of Tidewater and lags behind all of the other area cities in any measurement of success is beacause of his complete lack of leadership.
It is time
he should retire and enjoy all he has accomplished. There is no reason Mayor Holley can not become a part-time consultant or advisor. I am sure there are a few people waiting to carry on the leadership of Portsmouth.
You know
That`s why Portsmouth has always the armpit of the area!
three clocks and retirement
Submitted by Jonest on Sun, 04/13/2008 at 6:37 am.
"At some time you just have to realize that it is time to go."
Hence the need for the three clocks in his office?
Retirement
At some time you just have to realize that it is time to go.
Nice run, now move aside
It was a nice run. Now move aside so fresh ideas can be infused into the local government. Please don't be the Strom Thurman of Portsmouth. It's time for some fresh voices. Thank you for your service