Calling on her background in marketing and broadcasting, Vice Mayor Alicia Reece staged a 2 1/2-hour meeting Tuesday to get the city's message out about the boycott.

        But in a more subtle way, she also managed to market her family business.

        The meeting took place at the Reece family's Integrity Hall on Seymour Avenue. And it was broadcast on the city's cable access station and live on WDBZ-AM (1230), where Ms. Reece has a Sunday talk show.

        Ms. Reece's father, political veteran Steven Reece, donated the small banquet hall for the event. A three-man private security force guarded the door from nonexistent protesters.

        The head table was adorned with a big “Integrity Hall” banner. Television reporters did their stand-up reports outside in front of the sign over the building's front door.

        Mr. Reece also helped with the sound system and, during the discussion of the Empowerment Zone, even threw in his two cents' worth.

        “You need to get out there and start connecting, and stop hiding behind the mayor and the council,” he told Empowerment Zone Director Harold Cleveland. “What did you do with the federal money? How many loans have you made? You haven't done nothing, and that's the deal.”

        Making the rounds: City Manager-designate Valerie Lemmie won't start at City Hall for another six weeks, but already she's been in places few city managers have gone before.

        She was in Cincinnati last week to have her picture taken with Mayor Charlie Luken, Ms. Reece, Fire Chief Robert Wright and the convention bureau's Eric Kearney for an anti-boycott marketing campaign. But then she spent the rest of the afternoon making the rounds at City Hall.

        Employees in the Department of Transportation and Engineering even reported a rare city manager sighting on the fourth floor.

        “We're not used to having people looking over our shoulders,” said department director John F. Deatrick in mock dismay. “Not that she's not welcome up there.”

        Ms. Lemmie said she'll start her new job about April 1. “I'm certainly not going to pick April Fool's Day as the start date,” she said. “But sometime around then.”

        City Hall people: In a speech to the Metropolitan Club last week, Mr. Luken said that many of the things boycott groups demanded last April have already happened — for example, Safety Director Kent Ryan was “fired.”

        In truth, Mr. Ryan has been reassigned as a deputy director in the General Services Department, making a $102,008 salary.

        Mr. Luken did not disclose how much he would pay James A. Franklin when he hired him last month as his Vine Street coordinator. He will get $33,000 a year, according to the city's personnel office.

        Statistic: Number of votes received in the 2001 election by Ms. Reece, who has emerged as a leading anti-boycott figure: 45,104.

        Number of votes received by pro-boycott candidates Nate Livingston Jr. and William Kirkland combined: 19,811.

        Ms. Reece came in second citywide. The two pro-boycott candidates, if their votes were combined, would have been good for 16th place.

       City Hall reporter Gregory Korte can be reached at 768-8391 or gkorte@enquirer.com.

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