THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS FAIR FREE DEC 30 - JAN 07 , 2016 VOL. 16, NO. 50 FREE

Niagara Falls Government Tops (per capita) in... 2 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 The Top #10 Stories of The Dyster Administration in 2015 the reputation of the Isaiah 61 program was Anna Howard pronounced DOA upon the building's col - lapse. No matter, the mayor continues to (Ed note: 2016 is here and, like many use taxpayer dollars to support this non- publications, the Niagara Falls Reporter transparent government/not for profit hy - wishes to recap the year just gone by. Since brid program. Mayor Paul Dyster is likely to be around #9 - City's plan to build a cricket for another four years, we might just as well field bugs Little League parents look at his accomplishments in the past While the city's debt and deficit soared year. This story and the 10 selections con - to frightening new heights in 2015, and as tained in it were written by everyone’s fa - Little League parents lobbied Dyster for vorite critic of Mayor Dyster --Anna better maintained baseball diamonds in Howard.) Hyde Park, His Honor ignored the needs of #10 - The roof caves in on the Dyster youth baseball and their parents' respectful administration's housing rehabilitation wishes by insisting on constructing a cricket program field in LaSalle for a small group of wealthy The Isaiah 61 housing rehab program, and influential professionals of Indian de - supported with casino revenue dollars and scent. The cricket aficionados were largely planned to be headquartered in a con - from the greater Buffalo area but had some - demned fire hall, that's administered by More garbage on the streets, more cost was the result of the new how gained Mayor Dyster's ear as the Mayor Dyster's fair haired favorite bureau - mayor sought re-election. Dyster rebutted trash plan. crat, Seth Piccirillo, literally brought the critics by saying he supported diversity. roof down by "accidentally" demolishing a recycling program in spring of 2014. His Fichte, it was a smart business move. #8 Mayor Dyster refuses to take his home on Centre Avenue that they were sup - troubled trash plan actually got worse in #6 Dyster-DeSantis train station failed trash plan to the curb posedly rehabilitating. No lives were lost 2015 as the mayor added costly additional breaks ground while going off the rails Paul Dyster launched a costly, poorly when the home came tumbling down, but trash pickup options in a clumsy attempt to The mayor, to great fanfare, broke planned, and horribly coordinated trash and silence the complainers. Mr. Dyster then ground on his $45 million train station that swelled the city employee overhead by hir - has yet to establish a source for its annual ing his campaign photographer and political operating budget even though the facility operative, Brook D'Angelo, to manage his will open its doors in 2016. No operating SWEET trash enforcement program. Blue budget and no visible means of support but tote, green tote, Totes McGoat...all of it none of that matters as this 19th century failed to float the residents' boat. mode of transportation boondoggle pre - #7 Poverty pimping and pseudo eco - pares to support Dyster-DeSantis, along nomic development programming ex - with their consultant and engineering pands friends, in the style they've grown accus - Coming into office in 2008 with high tomed to. All aboard as the residents are hopes and boisterous promises regarding taken for a costly ride. imminent economic development initiatives #5 Hamister Hotel project is deader Mayor Dyster quickly abandoned his lofty than dead 26 months after contract was "green economy" campaign promises in inked favor of moving registered sex offenders It's the development project that never into the city, opening homeless shelters, ex - was and never will be that was supposed to panding subsidized housing, and cutting the have been more than two years ago. The The roof collapsed on a home under the supervision of Isaiah 61, a ribbon on heroin addiction treatment cen - would-be development project lumbered to not for profit under the shepherding of the Mayor. ters. Nothing epitomizes this race to the life through a murky selection process that bottom better than how the Fichte Eye Cen - saw mayor and USA Niagara gift a $1.5 ter sold its 24th Street facility to a drug million piece of downtown property to Dys - treatment agency while choosing to build ter and Cuomo supporter, Mark Hamister. their new multi-million-dollar eye center in It was a stacked deck that drove councilman the Town of Niagara. We don't blame Sam Fruscione, who had the nerve to ques - NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER

“The Truth is Always Fair”

CHAIRMAN & EDITOR IN CHIEF Frank Parlato

Managing Editor Senior Editor Dr. Chitra Selvaraj Tony Farina

(716) 284-5595 PHONE: P.O. Box 3083, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14304 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.niagarafallsreporter.com

The Reporter found this Dyster-look alike to show the elegance of All contents copyright © 2015 Niagara Falls Reporter Inc. Dyster’s new plan to revive a 19th century mode of travel. 3 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 A track record unequalled their own Financial Advisory Panel to stick their fiscal management recommendations where the calculator don't shine. Mayor and council then approved the 2016 budget after tacking on seven secretive budget amendments while no one was looking on November 17. And, incredibly enough, this all went down totally unnoticed and completely unremarked upon save for the Reporter. #1 Dyster administration continues to stonewall the State Comptroller's findings The NYS Controller performed a five- month audit of city finances and then re - leased a lengthy report in June 2013. That audit discovered: millions of dollars inside the budget that were improperly concealed from the mayor and council; more than $1 million of taxpayer cash that couldn't be found; and, casino money repeatedly mis - used to improperly close the city's strangely recurring budget deficit. Why there hasn't This is an artist depiction of the as yet to be built Hamister Hotel been a thorough state investigation into the which was described at the time of its proposal as the salvation of disturbing audit findings as revealed by the Niagara Falls. The artist shows the Hamister Hotel atop the Biblical State Comptroller's 2013 report is an un - Mount Sinai, with elected officials in prayerful worship of Hamister solved mystery. and his doings. tion the project, from office. The project #3 City hall gives 72nd St. residents planning went forward and set records for cold shoulder for second straight year non-transparent contractual clauses that After allowing the residents of 72nd continue to cost the city taxpayers more Street to suffer through two winters of than two years later. frozen water lines, the mayor presented #4 Candidate Dyster limps to a third himself in 2015 as the savior of the neigh - term with a flaccid 47% of the vote borhood. This after he had cruelly ignored Two termer Mayor Dyster nearly had their plight for two and half years as resi - his political career nixed by councilman dents had to flush their toilets using buckets Glenn Choolokian as the council member of water hauled from the fire hall down the came within 65 votes of winning the may - street. His Honor's repair job rose in cost oral primary. Things took a very strange from $300,000 to $650,000 to a current turn in the general election however as (and growing) cool $1,000,000. The news Choolokian's insistence on staying in the of the waterless neighborhood gained state race as a write-in candidate drew 1300 wide exposure in the summer of 2015 as votes and cost John Accardo the mayor's well it should have. The news coverage office. Dyster - due to accident or design - failed to redden Dyster's face. owes his political life to Choolokian, an #2 Debt and deficit grow as city fi - elected official he has never had a single nances confound the Financial Advisory good word to say about...until election Panel night. Hmm. With a shocking debt of more than $63 million and an inexplicably fluctuating 2015 budget deficit of $7.6 million Mayor Dyster and the city council essentially told

Let the good times roll on… Mayor Paul Dyster was reelected with 47 percent of the vote. More than half the voters rejected him but he won reelection oddly due to the write in campaign of his harshest critic, Glenn Choolokian, who split the anti- This photo was taken in 2014, of 72nd St. when the water lines first Dyster vote between him and Re - froze. Residents were treated to another year, 2015, of frozen publican challenger John pipes, But happily during the election season, Mayor Dyster got Accardo. the will to fix the problem. 4 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 City Taxpayers Footing Bill for Scores of

$100,000 Salaries Here higher and higher taxes. Mike Hudson Much of the inequity between what One hundred thousand dollars. public sector employees make compared to It’s a lot of money anywhere, but in a their private sector counterparts is attribut - place like Niagara Falls, where money’s able to the rise in unionism among teachers, tight and jobs are scarce, it can be consid - police officers and fire department person - ered a fortune. nel and its decline everywhere else. In a city where the per capita income According to the Bureau of Labor Sta - Gender Factoid: Some 56 of the 90 for all residents is just $20,327 and the av - tistics, the tipping point occurred in 2009, Niagara Falls School District em - erage household scrapes by on $31,531, ac - when the number of unionized public sector ployees earning more than cording to the website City-Data.com, workers – 7.9 million at the time – became $100,000 are women. Conversely greater than the 7.4 million private sector $100,000 is the stuff that dreams are made only two of the 69 city wage earn - out of. union members. ers exceeding $100,000 are That gap has continued to widen, to the A report by the New York State Finan - women. cial Restructuring Board for Local Govern - point where relatively few private sector ments shows Niagara Falls to be the most employees. Or one out of every 6,768 resi - workers in Niagara Falls are unionized as lice and fire departments and three work at opposed to public sector employees, who highly taxed municipality in New York dents. city hall. State in proportion to the value of the prop - Troy, with 50,129 residents, has 34 city are virtually 100 percent union members. Of course a big chunk of property taxes While city, county, state and federal erty being taxed. workers making more than $100,000. Or here, go toward the support of the Niagara According to WalletHub, New York one out of 1,474. employees enjoy good pay, great benefits Falls City School District and, there again, and job security, those in the private sector ranks as the worst state in America for tax - Utica, with a population of 62,235, has those making $100,000 or more a year are payers. only 19 earning more than $100,000. This face cutthroat competition, layoffs and in - plentiful compared to other cities. creased income inequality. Therefore, sadly for its residents, the translates to one city worker earning more According to seethrroughny.net, 90 City of Niagara Falls is arguably the highest than $100,000 for every 3,275 residents – In Niagara Falls, one needs look no fur - school district employees earn more than ther than the DuPont Chemours plant here, taxed municipality in the highest taxed about five times lower than Niagara Falls. $100,000 a year, despite the fact that the state. Schenectady, with a population of where an announced closing will cost more district is among the poorest in the state. than 200 unionized workers their jobs, A portion of that local tax burden goes 66,135, has 70, only one more than Niagara Comparatively, again, Niagara Falls is to help pay the salaries of 69 city employees Falls. With 17,000 more people, the city which paid an average of $60,000 to head and shoulder above other cities. $70,000 a year. who make $100,000 or more a year, accord - comes in at one out of 945, compared to Ni - Like Niagara Falls, the Albany City ing to the public service website agara Falls’ one out of 717. And to make matters worse, a large School District also 90 school district em - percentage of those earning the big bucks SeethroughNY.net. Albany, the state’s capitol, with almost ployees making more than $100,000 but Indeed, the impoverished City of Niag - twice the population, at 97,856, has only 81 working for the city don’t even live in the with a much larger district. city. There is no residency law for firefight - ara Falls is rich with top earners, most of city employees earning more than $100,000 And Buffalo with five times the popu - them with the police and fire departments. or one out of 1,208. ers and many police officers chose not to lation also has 90 school district employees live in the city despite residency require - With 49,468 residents as of the 2013 Buffalo, at more than five times the earning more than $100,000. US census estimate, the proportion is high population of Niagara Falls (261,000), has ments. Utica has only 14 school district em - All that money leaving Niagara Falls compared to other cities. F0r every 717 city 180, or one out of 1451. In other words, Ni - ployees earning more than $100,000 per residents, there is one city employee who agara Falls has about twice the number of every payday goes to help make Lewiston, year despite the fact that it has almost Youngstown, Wheatfield, the Town of Ni - earns more than $100,000. $100,000 city workers per capita than Buf - 10,000 students – compared to 7,000 in the Looking at similarly sized municipali - falo. agara and Grand Island the beautiful places Niagara Falls School District. they are. ties around, Binghamton, with 47,376 resi - Of the 69 city employees earning more Niagara Falls is rich with top earners dents, has only seven $100,00 plus city than $100,000 per year, 66 work for the po - while its ever poorer residents are paying

FDR's View of Public Service Unions Differs Vastly From What They Are Today

President Franklin Roosevelt, a friend of private-sector unionism, drew a line when it came to government workers. "Meticulous attention should be paid to the special relations and obligations of public servants to the public itself and to the Govern - ment,” he said in 1937. “The process of col - lective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public serv - ice." The first president of the AFL-CIO, George Meany, agreed. “It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government," he said. Roosevelt argued that government work - ers, sworn to protect the rights of the people they served, had no business putting their own interests ahead of ordinary citizens. "A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to ob - FDR would hardly recognize the country struct the operations of government until their today, particularly in a place like Niagara demands are satisfied,” he added. “Such ac - Falls, where even mid-level school teachers, tion looking toward the paralysis of govern - policemen and public works employees can ment by those who have sworn to support it is afford a lifestyle far above what their counter - unthinkable and intolerable." parts in the private sector can enjoy. 5 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Dyster Demeans Majority that Voted Against Him Four More Years of More of the Same Fact is, the man has a BA and a masters how it happened that he barely squeaked past derfalls hasn't progressed past the drawing James Hufnagel degree in political science. He knows the for - a democratic primary challenge, then fell board or the expensive, overbuilt, soon-to- mula for building a constituency. short of a majority in the general election as be-underutilized train station is the enduring You'd think Dyster's repudiation by a the result of an unlikely write-in campaign, butt of jokes here. majority of voters, after eight years of seeing despite eight years of his brilliant leadership. the man in action, would have given him "AFTER WINNING THIRD TERM, When asked why so many, in fact, a ma - pause and engendered some personal reflec - DYSTER DOUBLES DOWN ON ECO - jority, voted to reject his bid for a third term, tion on his performance, but as the comedian NOMIC DEVELOPMENT," trumpets the Mayor Dyster offered that "Every decision Steve Martin used to say, "Nah!" City and State headline in caps, going on to you make, there’s going to be someone who A mere three days after the election, on state, "Looking ahead, Dyster said he hopes doesn’t like it... You gradually build up peo - November 6, an interview with Dyster was to finish what he started in the economic re - ple who on one issue you’ve upset them dur - published in "City and State", a New York vitalization in the city... For example, major ing your time in office and they’re now City-based magazine and website closely projects like Mark Hamister’s Hyatt Place going to vote against you every opportunity followed by state politicos. There are two project, the planned WonderFalls develop - that they get," attributing his opposition to good reasons for Dyster to have granted the ment at a long-defunct mall and the $40 mil - an "accumulation of grievances". interview to City and State. For one thing, lion train station..." So if you voted for someone other than not a lot of Niagara Falls residents make a Of course, the average reader of City Paul Dyster for mayor, according to him, regular habit of reading City and State. Sec - and State magazine in Albany, New York you need to get over it and stop being such a ond, Dyster must have thought it necessary City or Schenectady hasn't the slightest whiner. to explain to the state political establishment knowledge that Hamister is a mirage, Won -

Paul Dyster

Tomorrow's the big day. Mayor Paul Dyster will raise his right hand and take the oath of office for the third time, the first mayor to do so in decades, even though a majority of voters on election day clearly preferred someone else take over leadership of the city of Niagara Falls. Dyster's meager 47.05% plurality, com - prising less than 4500 votes in a city of 50,000, was actually lower than that of loser Mitt Romney, who finished with 48.4% of the 2012 presidential vote. Was challenger Glenn Choolokian promised some kind of quid pro quo for waging a quixotic write-in campaign that as - suredly tilted the election in the incumbent mayor's favor? No one knows for sure. However, we have reason to assume. Despite all outward appearances of a typically hard-fought Niagara Falls mayoral primary election, the two men, having served in city government on-and-off together for over two decades, get along just fine. Witness the moments after the Septem - ber 2, 2105 debate at Abate school which featured Dyster and Choolokian seated to the left, John Accardo in the middle of the table and two other candidates to their left. As the session ended, Dyster and Choolokian rose from their seats and turned to each other. The Mayor playfully threw a fake body block to his opponent, who reciprocated with a shoul - der feint, and both men shared a hearty belly laugh together. Not only was there not the slightest hint of animosity between the two, but they looked like two buddies at the bar sharing a good joke. Which they probably were, the joke being the upcoming election. So between friends and family, political appointees and other assorted hangers-on, the directors, boards and volunteers who serve the numerous non-profits who depend on hand-outs from the city courtesy of the mayor, and the octogenarians who were cured of catarrh fifty years ago by his father, a retired physician, the mayor managed to cobble together sufficient support to keep his job. 6 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Choolokian Had the Right to Try to Win Niagara Falls – There is a canard around this city that Glenn Choolokian is to blame for Mayor Paul Dyster’s reelection. Choolokian’s 1300 plus “write in” votes were more than the difference between Dys - ter and his main challenger, John Accardo, who were separated by about 700 votes. People say that, had it not been for Choolokian, the will of the majority would have prevailed. After all, Accardo and Choolokian to - gether got 53 percent of the votes. Dyster got a minority of votes – 47 percent. But still won. But for Choolokian John Accardo Some of that majority of voters, who might be preparing to usher in a wanted to see someone other than Dyster as new era for Niagara Falls. mayor, have less than pleasant feelings to - wards Choolokian. Glenn Choolokian ran for mayor and But there is one thing, not to be forgot - After losing by less than 75 votes in the primary, Glenn Choolokian de - cided to stay in the race as a write in candidate. lost. He had the right to try. ten, that is more important than whether This is the American way. Dyster or Accardo is mayor of this city: – but to spoil it for Accardo, and help Dys - trying to save the city he loved, he handed And a failure is not always a mistake. Choolokian had the right to run for office. ter. the city back to its marauder. Even if it did seem hopeless. And get a favor in return. Had he stood aside and not vainly tried, Even if the consequences – Dyster’s re - They point to Choolokian as a betrayer. today, most likely, the city would be looking election – were something the majority did For years, Choolokian labeled Dyster and his forward to a new age of governance under not want. pro-Albany, pro-Buffalo, pro-campaign con - John Accardo. Time and again I hear people say, tributor agenda – as the main problem with Until anyone can prove, however, that “Choolokian should have known he had no the city. there was a quid pro quo, that Choolokian chance to win. He should have stayed out of Choolokian campaigned that he wanted had a motive other than doing what he the race for the good of the city.” to put Niagara Falls first. He thought he thought was best for the city – hopeless as But Choolokian wanted to be mayor; would be able to rescue this poor city – hindsight knows that effort now to be; until and, after he lost by less than 75 votes in the which should be rich with hydropower, anyone can show he will get a payoff – a Democratic primary against Dyster – he tourism, and its casino windfall. better job at city hall or the water board – be - If the whole world stands chose not to give up in the general election. That he split the anti-Dyster vote and cause he stayed in the race – and handed the against you sword in hand, There have been insinuations that handed the man who, in his opinion, hurt the election to Dyster – it is unfair to assert he would you still dare to do Choolokian stayed in the race – not to win city is one of those bittersweet ironies. In was a spoiler. what you think is right? 7 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 What's Really Going on With the Rumored City Hall Personnel Changes? cisions on his own, has formed a Personnel meshed in the mayor’s personnel prob - Anna Howard Retention Committee. The committee is lems. said to be made up of his secretary Nick City employees who are fired or de - In our last edition, the Reporter ex - Melson, a Dyster family member, a female moted due to the behavior of the PRC plained how the mayor ordered his top per - officer from the city democratic commit - could take legal action. If so the PRC sonnel to submit updated resumes if they tee, and a yet to be identified man. The members would find themselves as defen - hoped to keep their jobs. Sources told us PRC (no, we won’t pronounce this dants in court. If the mayor or city admin - the mayor was going to rely heavily on the acronym) will review nonunion employees istrator were to recommend dismissal or council to review the resumes. The council and give a thumbs up or down. This Dyster demotion that would be one thing, but del - was to help him decide who had been system is a mixture of the ancient Roman egating those duties to the civilian sector naughty or nice. Coliseum and the former Soviet Politburo. is to invite lawsuits. Our column warned that involving the Such is the mayor’s understanding of per - The mayor should do what he was council in personnel matters violated the sonnel management. elected to do: command city government city charter. It appears the column was Just as we advised the council against and personally make the difficult deci - read inside city hall because the council becoming involved in the mayor’s person - sions…such as removing inadequate em - has declined to act as Dyster’s personnel nel gamesmanship, so too do we advise Nick Melson is said to have an ployees. But that raises a key question: is management flunky. against the civilian members of the Per - increasingly powerful role in the mayor interested in better government However, we understand that Mr. sonnel Retention Committee becoming en - the Dyster administration. or government he can better manipulate? Mayor, incapable of making command de -

No Limits Poker Tournament to be Held in Niagara for Diabetes Research A poker tournament on January 9 will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Western New York. “Team In For a Penny” will host the event at 5 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Town of Niagara Community Center, Lockport Road, Town of Niagara. The event is being hosted by the JDRF fundraising team that’s named for Niagara Falls resident Penny Lane, a juvenile dia - betes patient. The event will be a no-limit hold ’em tournament, with half the winnings being split among the winners and JDRF getting the other half. Blinds will double on a regu - lar basis until a winner is crowned. Pizza will be provided for free; alcohol will be sold. For more information, e-mail pjl - [email protected] or look up “In For a Penny” on Facebook. 8 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Planned Parenthood Says Hiding HIV

International Planned Parenthood Fed -rom Sex Partners Is A ‘RighHIVt-po’ sitive youth: “Some people have sex eration, of which Planned Parenthood Fed - when they have been drinking alcohol or eration of America is an official affiliate, using drugs. This is your choice. Being maintains it is a person’s “human right” not drunk or high can affect the decisions you to tell their sexual partners they are HIV pos - might make about sex and safer sex. If you itive if they don’t want to. want to have sex and think you might get The International Planned Parenthood drunk or high, plan ahead by bringing con - Federation’s booklet for HIV-positive youth doms and lube or putting them close to entitled “Healthy, Happy and Hot” says, where you usually have sex.” “Young people living with HIV have the “It’s not okay to have sex with someone right to decide if, when, and how to disclose who is so drunk or high that they are stag - their HIV status…. Sharing your HIV status gering, incoherent or have passed out.” is called disclosure. Your decision about The above post was excerpted from in - whether to disclose may change with differ - formation made available on a post in the ent people and situations. You have the right federalist.com by Kimberly Ells of the Utah to decide if, when, and how to disclose your Chapter of Family Watch International HIV status.” In 35 states if you or someone who is The pamphlet gives tips to protect one - perience sexual pleasure” and that “you’ve HIV positive have sex with someone else self from criminalization, but does say that done nothing wrong.” without divulging it, you can be charged the best way to protect yourself is to tell your Here is the “Healthy, Happy and Hot” with a crime. partner that you are infected before you have advice on alcohol and drug consumption for International Planned Parenthood Fed - sex. eration is working to change that. This section ends with the statement, “Healthy, Happy and Hot” explains, “Get involved in advocacy to change laws “Such was the will of the Father that his “Some countries have laws that say people that violate your rights.” It appears that, ac - Son, blessed and glorious, whom he gave to living with HIV must tell their sexual part - cording to Planned Parenthood, Sheen’s right us, and who was born for us, should by his ner(s) about their status before having sex, to have sex trumps his partners’ right to live. own blood, sacrifice, and oblation, offer even if they use condoms or only engage in That should give him some peace of mind. himself on the altar of the cross, not for sexual activity with a low risk of giving HIV Planned Parenthood’s booklet says, himself, by whom "all things were made," to someone else. These laws violate the “There are lot’s (sic) of people who don’t but for our sins, leaving us an example that rights of people living with HIV by forcing mind whether their partner(s) is HIV nega - we should follow his steps.” them to disclose or face the possibility of tive or positive,” that it’s your right to “ex - St Francis of Assisi criminal charges.” 9 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Anti-SAFE Act Organization, SCOPE, Sues US Atty General, FBI and ATF on Gun Background Check Disclosures Rochester, NY – the anti-SAFE Act defense of the Second Amendment. ond Amendment groups. group is fighting back. Pratt said, “At Thanksgiving, Presi - Go ahead and contact the people in - This time they are going after the fed - dent Obama asked Americans to think volved if you are interested and want to eral government’s use of information col - about gun control. We did. …(W)e’re ask - help: Paloma Capanna lected during background checks of gun ing Americans to talk about freedom and Attorney & Policy Analyst, 633 Lake purchasers. civil liberties and how we will restore our Rd., Webster, New York 14580, (585) 377- Activists from across the State of New Bill of Rights.” 7260, [email protected]; Stephen York filed a civil rights case against the Stephen J. Aldstadt is a co-plaintiff in J. Aldstadt, President Larry Pratt, Execu - U.S. Attorney General, the FBI, the ATF, the lawsuit. He is also the President of the tive Director; Shooters Committee on Po - and the Terrorist Screening Center. The Shooters Committee on litical Education Gun Owners of America; name of the case is Pratt vs. Lynch, and it Political Education, based in New 8316 Colden Road 8001 Forbes Place, details how the conduct of several federal York. SCOPE is heading up the “Stop the Suite 102, Colden, New York 14033-9777 agencies has been both unconstitutional Secrecy!” campaign associated with this Springfield, Virginia 22151, (716) 941- and illegal. lawsuit, whereby gun owners around the 3286 (703) 321-8585, The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunc - country are being asking to submit a Free - [email protected] tion barring the Defendants from using any dom of Information request to the FBI to information collected in a background discover what information has been kept check for any other purpose than those de - from their ATF Form 4473s. “The ATF is fined by law. under a legal obligation to protect our per - A limitation was placed upon the use sonal information when we go to a dealer of background check information in 1993 to purchase a firearm and to purge that in - when Congress passed the so-called Brady formation after the background check is Bill. completed. Instead, the ATF, the FBI, and For more than 10 years confidential the TSC have been freely sharing the in - information about gun owners has been formation for more than ten years, includ - breached by the U.S. Attorney General, the ing with foreign governments and private FBI, the ATF, and the Terrorist Screening contractors.” Center. The lawsuit also seeks a release of any The lead Plaintiff in the lawsuit is and all information that the federal govern - Larry Pratt, who is also the Executive Di - ment has collected on each of the coplain - rector of Gun Owners of America, a na - tiffs, who are prominent Second tional organization dedicated to the Amendment activists and leaders of Sec - 10 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 King con Shmuel Shmueli Challenges Israeli National Hero him. The Rebbe answered: (your, Shmueli’s) Frank Parlato recent writings and publications have aroused new opposition that drive people away …. Ac - This week in our series on that fascinating cording to the prevailing situation, it seems conman, Shmuel Shmueli, we go to Shmueli’s more reasonable to halt [such activities] for the native country Israel. time being.” Shmueli, who by our calculation has sued In 2003 Dov Wolpo founded SOS Israel— or was sued about two dozen times, finds it a grassroots action group uniting a broad spec - easy to participate in litigation, for win or lose trum of the religious right in Israel behind he rarely pays attorneys. extensive poster campaigns and mass protests Shmueli formed a weekly Brooklyn He - against giving parts of the Holy Land away to brew newspaper – Israel Shelanu (Our Israel) Israel’s enemies. Dov Wolpo offered monetary and “lifted” stories from other newspapers, rewards “to those who take out and neutralize who sued him and shut him down. terrorists attacking Jews.” And last week we mentioned how In 2003, Shmueli could offer no one any Shmueli retained the law offices of Lorenzo money but was willing to receive it. Coming and Cohen which became HoganWillig and the Who would you trust to run a party? Shmuel Shmeli or Rabbi Shalom Wolpe? off bankruptcy, he told the administrator he was law firm of Zdarsky Sawicki and Agostinelli. living off charity – as he had no income – and We do not have space to get into how Shmueli and piety. a confusing name.” lived in poverty in Brooklyn on $1000 per hired more law firms – with the intent of suing While Shmueli was in the US suing and This was classic Shmueli. He speaks of month. my partner, Larry Reger and I. being sued, back in Israel, a national leader, the Torah, and can quote from it too. In 2005, Dov Wolpo was active in the We won’t detail his deceptively named Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Wolpo, established a Readers might care to know that Shmueli protest movement that fought the disengage - shell company, “Trump State Equities Inc.,” new political party called ‘Eretz Israel Shelanu’ attended the Wisconsin Institute of Torah Stud - ment from Gaza. Following the failure of that whose purpose was to raise money for litiga - or Our Land of Israel. ies. They might not want to know that he stiffed campaign he organized a rabbinical conference tion and give haircuts to lawyers so Shmueli Readers may recall that Shmueli’s defunct the school on their tuition. Indeed Shmueli dis - entitled “We shall never forget and we shall could pocket the difference. newspaper was called Israel Shelanu or Our Is - charged a $3,128 bad debt to the Wisconsin never forgive”. Thousands of supporters joined We also hate to mention Shmueli had rael. School of Torah Studies in his bankruptcy. Shmueli is not known to have any sup - more than 500 unpaid billable hours for work Shmueli now claimed the name. To give an idea of the validity of porters and he asked his lawyers to forgive done by HoganWillig owing them legal fees of On Dec. 7 2008, Shmueli sent a letter to Shmueli’s claims in his letter to Dov Wolpo, let and/or forget any debts. $114,712.92, which they won a judgment for Rabbi Dov Ber Wolpe demanding he stop us compare the two men: In January 2006 Dov Wolpo wrote a letter but settled for only $54,597. Shmueli tendered using the name ‘Eretz Israel Shelanu’ for his Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Wolpe, (b 1948) to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warning him two Trump State Equities checks totaling political party, since he, Shmueli, had been op - is a rabbi, an Israeli political activist and author that if he ever gave up even “a tiny parcel” of $54,597 only to stop payment on the checks. erating an organization in Israel for 17 years of more than 40 books. Through his various po - the Land of Israel he would suffer from a bitter HoganWillig had to sue Shmueli again. under the same name. litical organizations like SOS Israel—he has fate. He called for Olmert to be “brought to We’re loathe to tell you Shmueli retained While there is no known record of run press and billboard campaigns promoting trial and punished.” the law firm of Anderson & Anderson in China, Shmueli operating any organization with that the belief that to surrender parts of the Land of Shmueli is not known to have sent any let - or Jaeckle Fleishmann in Buffalo and then name or any name, Shmueli, as mentioned Israel is prohibited by the idea of “Greater Is - ters other than to his attorneys. stiffed them. above, did publish Israel Shelanu (Our Israel) rael”. Dov Wolpo, addressing a demonstration Delicacy prevents us from posting all the from 1979 until it ceased publishing in 1998 Shmuel M. Shmueli (b 1951) has written against the Olmert government’s peace moves dunning emails from Anderson and Anderson after being sued for copyright infringement. no books but his newspaper was closed down with the Palestinian Authority, said the prime such as one on 7-29, 2010, that reads “Dear Mr. Shmueli wrote to Rabbi Dov Wolpo, “To after three newspaper sued him for plagiarizing minister, Vice Premier Chaim Ramon, Foreign Shmueli, Re: Outstanding Bills of my surprise, you are acting in a way that will their work, winning a $24 million judgment Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister US$57,047.75 (HK$444,972.45) We have not purposely destroy the work of the organization against him. Shmueli was not known to publish Ehud Barak would be “hung from the gallows” received payment for the above outstanding with the same name, that was established in anything since that time. were Israel run properly. bills. We are shocked by your unethical behav - (1991) by the Rebbe’s order to myself, which I After the Second Lebanon War, Rabbi He released a film under the SOS Israel ior, we will take legal action against you im - have been operating since. Dov Wolpo organized a publicity campaign name entitled “there is judgement and there is mediately, unless payment in full is received “We spend time, money and effort on ad - with the slogan “We Told You So” that distrib - a judge”. Maariv reported that two million this week.” vertising and doing work under the name uted over a million brochures. He was respon - copies of the film were to be distributed. We’d like to hide the Aug. 16, 2010 hear - ‘Eretz Israel Shelanu,’ and hundreds of the sible for a poster campaign promising that Shmueli has made no films but says he ing held by State Supreme Court Justice Judge readers of our publications may mistake our those responsible for Israel’s actions during the plans to make a film in the future. Frank Caruso on Zdarsky Sawicki and agenda with yours. You (Volpo’s organization) war would be “punished from heaven”. In 2007, Dov Wolpo started a political Agostinelli’s unpaid bill Shmueli owed the have lots of opposition in many segments of Around that time Shmueli was sued by his campaign under the slogan “if anyone comes firm for $141,000. the community, and this confusion can mean a employees, a printer and graphics company for to remove me from my home, I will chop off Or we could impugn dark motives when disaster for our work. not paying them and they said Shmueli’s ac - their hands” to protest the removal of Jewish Shmueli entered into a retainer agreement with “If you will not listen to my request (don’t tions would be punished in court, but they were settlers from their West Bank homes. Andrew Lavoot Bluestone of NYC, to handle mistake the friendly tone, to undermine the se - wrong. In 2007. Shmueli was appointed by David “a matter of legal malpractice and to defend an riousness of this request) I will be forced to use In 1979, on the instructions of Reb Men - Ho, to begin litigation to chop off my manage - attorney fee dispute.” my alternative options, according to Torah and achem Schneerson also known as the Lubav - ment of One Niagara, a business I was running. Actually we could go on and on… and on, the law in a case such as this, including adver - itcher Rebbe, Rabbi Dov Wolpo published his In December 2007, Dov Wolpo stated that but we don’t want our readers to get the idea tising this letter in the media, and an official first book Da’at Torah a polemic against return - his followers will secede from Israel if the Is - that Mr. Shmueli is a bit of a cad. complaint sent to Kenesset officials, for using ing lands captured by Israel. He was active in raeli government withdraws from the West Instead we will talk about his patriotism the protests that surrounded the forced eviction Bank. of Yamit as per the Rebbe’s instructions to him In December 2007 Shmueli launched a Shmueli was evicted by federal marshals plan to get his lawyers to secede after not pay - from a home he bought in 1979. ing them and at least two landlords – in Brook - In 1982, Dov Wolpo published the book lyn and one in China demanded that he secede Shalom, Shalom, Ve’ain Shalom that argued from the premises after they evicted him. that peace with Arabs was impossible, and no And, on 11, November, 2008 Dov Wolpo discussions concerning concessions may be founded his new party, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu. held. It allied with the Jewish National Front, In 1982 Shmueli transferred his house and ran in the 2009 Knesset elections as part of back and forth to his wife and daughter and the National Union alliance. Eretz Yisrael She - back again to commit apparent bank fraud, and, lanu took one of the party’s four seats, taken by according to several ex-employees of his Our Michael Ben-Ari. Israel newspaper, cheated them out of payment And Shmueli sent his letter threatening for their work. Rabbi Dov Wolpo In 1984 Rabbi Dov Wolpo wrote a book While Shmueli is lucky that Dov Wolpo proclaiming the Lubavitcher Rebbe, (Rabbi chose not to hang him from the gallows, this Schneerson) was the Messiah. The book was episode and one we will relate next week that published in 1991 with Rabbi Schneerson’s also occurred in Israel will bring great joy to blessings. those who follow the adventures of Shmueli, In 1991 Shmueli asked the Rebbe and need reinforcement that he is indeed a con - Schneerson if he could write an article about man of unusual proportions. 11 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Second Amendment Watch: We Need Guns and Armed Guards, You Don't, Say the Wealthy and Politically Connected Is the Constitution, and specifically the Anna Howard Second Amendment, more applicable to some and less applicable to others based upon in - What do presidential candidate Hillary come, social standing, or political office? No. Clinton and President Obama have in com - Not at all. My home, your loved ones, our mon? And what do President Obama and neighbor’s small business, and all of of our in - Hillary have in common with Michael dividual personal property is every bit as de - Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of serving of protection by firearm as that of the New York City? All three of these famous in - wealthiest and most influential among us. dividuals have around the clock armed guards More money or more influence is not trans - guaranteeing their personal security and pro - latable into more constitutional rights. tecting their property. In America everyone is equal. And The similarities of this renown American nowhere is this truth more evident than trio doesn’t end with the commonality of their through an historically accurate interpretation particular security details. These three folks of the Second Amendment of the Constitu - all have a well-publicized desire to limit the tion. average American’s access to the Second Amendment: in other words, this renown trio is in favor of stringent gun control. In fact, President Obama has recently gone so far as Michael Bloomberg, Barrack to make it known that he now plans to use an Obama and Hilary Clinton all executive order, if need be, to institute the enjoy the Second Amendment tougher gun laws that he’s been unable to while fervently desiring that you move through Congress in the last seven shall not. years. Since the recent extremist Islamic terror - hypocrisy of astounding magnitude. Their gun ist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Cali - control philosophy could be summarized as, fornia, gun sales and gun permit applications “We’re important and wealthy Americans. We are at all-time highs. Why is that? It’s due to deserve and need firearms and armed guards the average American’s sincere belief that in order to protect ourselves, our loved ones, their city streets, shopping malls, schools, and and our property, but the rest of America social venues have grown increasingly vulner - shouldn’t have these same rights of personal able to terrorists of every stripe, and espe - protection.” cially attractive to extremist Islamic terrorists. Oh, really? The Second Amendment has To these Americans – who feel aban - no income test. It wasn’t written with the doned by the government they rightfully ex - upper class or those of vast wealth specifically pect to protect them – it’s time to take matters in mind. Quite the contrary it was written for of self-defense into their own hands, like all Americans as was the Constitution. Is the never before. Critics of the Second Amend - Clinton compound in Chappaqua, NY more ment may call it paranoia or exaggerated fear important than your modest homestead? Does for personal safety – this desire to arm oneself Michael Bloomberg deserve special rights to – but the drive to protect oneself, one’s loved personal protection because he lives in an ex - ones, and one’s property is as old as time and clusive penthouse and owns a fleet of jet hel - as elemental to survival as fresh air. icopters that he enjoys flying as a hobby? That President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Because Barack Obama lives in the nation’s and Michael Bloomberg want to curtail, if not White House is his house more sacrosanct outright repeal the Second Amendment, is than your house? 12 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Cult of NXIVM Part 6: Raniere and The Bronfmans Try to Buy The Dalai Lama Frank Parlato During my tenure as a press consultant for purported cult leader, Keith Raniere, and his benefactors, Clare and Sara Bronfman (heiresses of the Seagram’s liquor fortune), I was tasked with improving Raniere’s pub - lic image and that of his company, NXIVM, which critics say is a “cult.” During my tenure, Raniere enjoyed a rare respite from negative press, something Clare and Sara Bronfman paid he had not seen before or after I left the or - plenty to sit on stage with the ganization. Dalai Lama. But did they get their Getting the Dalai Lama money’s worth? Some say yes, The slight improvement in their press since they did not earn any coverage under my guidance may have en - money, do not know the value of couraged Raniere to seek what many com - money, and any money they lose mercial operations seek – a celebrity which does not go into the venge - ful hands of Keith Raniere is that endorsement. In the past he had used the late The Dalai Lama with another cult His Holiness the Dalai Lama with actor Eddie Albert. He tried for Goldie Hawn much better for the sisters and leader, Shoko Asahara who mas - Venerable Lama Tenzin, who had a their guru swindler? leader. once – but failed. This time he wanted a terminded the subway poison gas special relationship with Sara “higher powered” endorsement. attack on a Japanese subway that Bronfman. Thanks to Lama Tenzin, Sara and Clare One day, I got an enthusiastic call from killed 13 and injured more than Bronfman and Nancy Salzman, president of one of Raniere’s inner circle. 6,000. He is said to have donated teries and schools for Tibetans in India, lec - NXIVM, were granted an audience with the “What would you say if we got the $1.2 million to the Dalai Lama. tured in more than 60 countries, and au - Dalai Lama in India. There they expressed Dalai Lama to come to Albany and announce thored or co-authored more than 100 books. their desire to invite His Holiness to Albany that Keith’s teachings are the solution to the last time I was asked to advise or help on Along the way, The Dalai Lama met to meet Raniere, and offered to make a suit - world’s problems?” she asked. press matters. Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, the Chief able, Bronfman-style contribution to the I asked, “Does The Dalai Lama know Keith Raniere, he’s as smar t as it Rabbi of Israel, the Archbishop of Canter - Dalai Lama’s causes. Keith?” gets bury, and the President of The Church of The Dalai Lama agreed. “No. But Sara and Clare are ready to do - Keith Raniere in his online bio claims Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Back in Albany, an excited Clare told nate a million to the Dalai Lama. One of the he is a “scientist, mathematician, philoso - Now he was to meet Keith Raniere, ge - the Albany Times Union that she had a vi - Dalai Lama’s assistants, a monk is here in pher, entrepreneur, educator, inventor and nius, and founder of NXIM. sion of “bringing His Holiness together with Albany and Sara is showing him everything. author”. He also claims he has one of the Getting Ready Keith, believing that we may have certain If the Dalai Lama… endorses Keith, the highest IQs in the world - with an estimated The Bronfman sisters worked for more tools that His Holiness would think would be press will not say we are a cult; we are cut - problem-solving ability that only one in 425 than a year organizing his visit. Sara, in par - good and beneficial for humanity.” ting edge.” million people can equal. ticular, worked hand in hand with the Vener - Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden lent I told her that a slow and steady trans - If this is true, in a world with seven bil - able Lama Tenzin Dhonden, a special his voice, as well, announcing, “With the parency with the press would be more effec - lion people, there are less than 20 who can emissary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. ethical tools developed by Keith Raniere, tive and less costly not that I didn’t think match wits with him. The title venerable is given to Buddhist and the presence, wisdom and guidance of they could secure the services of the Dalai The Dalai Lama has accomplish- monks who take a vow of celibacy and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we have the Lama. ments too poverty. essential ingredients to transform our soci - While little is known about the Dalai Since 1950, His Holiness the 14th Dalai The two had met in Idaho and Sara told ety.” Lama’s personal wealth or his Tibetan gov - Lama, Tenzin Gyatso has been the spiritual Lama Tenzin that the Dalai Lama might find Fig Leaves Falling ernment-in-exile’s finances – their published and secular leader of Tibet. Since 1959, he NXIVM’s tools useful (and their money the In the sex charged society of the love budget for 2002-03 amounted to $22 million has been a refugee living in India having es - Dalai Lama might also find useful.) cult of Raniere, it wasn’t long before the – I believed that if the donation was large caped the repression of Tibetans under the Tenzin visited Sara in Albany and met Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden was trans - enough, the Dalai Lama would come. Chinese government. NXIVM members. Despite the allegations formed by Raniere’s ethical tools. One night, But I advised Raniere that I doubted this The Dalai Lama has established monas - that NXIVM was a cult, Tenzin said, “I have Sara’s mother’s friend found Sara and Lama would spin well in the press. This was the my own intellectual resource, capacity, to Tenzin in the hot tub cuddling amorously, or, know persons, to feel persons. I can pick up as NXIVM inner circle member, Kristin Ke - like that, very easily.” effe, called it, “canoodling.”

The Dalai Lama places a scarf of purity on love cult leader Keith Raniere. Getting the Dalai Lama to put the scarf on harem-keeping, vengeful-to-en - emies Raniere –wound up costing the Bronfman sisters a reported $1-$2 The Dalai Lama on stage with Bishop Howard Hubbard, Clare Bronfman, million. Sara Bronfman and Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings. 13 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Dalai Lama says ‘investigate’

Stage from back of the theater cancelation now announced the reschedul - goodbye to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he A screen shot of the video of the Dalai Lama’s lecture in Albany shows ing, noting that the Dalai Lama event moved touched each of our cheeks and held our Keith Raniere (center) and Nancy Salzman (leaning forward) in the audi - from the 17,500 seat Albany Times-Union faces next to his with the words ‘thank you’ ence. Center to the much smaller, 2,800 seat Al - and ‘see you again.’ Tears started running bany Palace Theater. Ticket prices dropped uncontrollably down my cheeks.… his visit Barbara Bouchey, another inner circle students, or advertising or recruiting,” ac - to $55 to $85 per person which meant a gross was a privilege we fought for….. It was a member, said, “Yeah, they weren’t having cording to U Albany’s vice president for de - of less than $250,000. long road, and one paved with hardship, ad - sex, but they were in the hot tub in a hot- velopment, Fardin Sanai. Critics took shots at the Dalai Lama. It versity, and tremendous growth. The highly necking embrace.” Stories in the Times Union, the Albany was widely assumed that Bronfman money paid media campaign designed to destroy A celibate monk in a hot tub with Student Press, The Daily Gazette, and Al - changed his mind. our company, or any person or entity related heiresses? The Venerable Lama Tenzin was bany Metroland captured people’s astonish - When questioned about financial incen - to it, reared its ugly head at the news of his inches away from a torrid affair. ment at the coupling of the Dalai Lama with tives from the Bronfmans connected to his visit. We had naively believed people would The Dalai Lama teaches that sex offers the Bronfman-funded Raniere cult. visit to Albany, Lobsang Nyandak, represen - be excited about his visit and that our com - fleeting satisfaction and leads to trouble Typical of this was what Daniel Weaver tative of the Dalai Lama to the Americas, munity would put their pettiness aside to later, while chastity required of a monk of - wrote in the Schenectady Gazette, “Keith told the Times Union that the Dalai Lama unite for this momentous occasion. We were fers a better life and “more independence, Raniere has been involved in controversy for would not receive money for his trip. When wrong. His visit was met with fear and cyn - more freedom”. the last 20 years. He’s been the subject of pressed for clarification, however, he said icism and some of our local media sources How much trouble Lama Tenzin got lawsuits and investigations. He has initiated that whatever money was received would be worked ardently to destroy the honor faster into, is unknown. From the hot tub it was a numerous lawsuits (which) harasses peo - “used for charitable and other purposes as than we could build it…. few paces to the bedroom. ple…. He is hardly a poster boy for human - per His Holiness’ guidance.” “In the end the truth prevailed, but in the Bouchey said, “I’ve showed up to her itarianism, peace and ethics; and his The Dalai Lama Arr ives and Ex- process we lost participants, money and house a couple of times and the two of them invitation to the Dalai Lama to speak makes plains good faith…. It was a victory for us, for this come out of that bedroom.” one question the motive of the invitation.… On May 6, 2009, the Dalai Lama ar - region and for humanity. I feel proud to have Keeffe said, “I’ve seen him come out of . In 2003, Keith Raniere roped actress rived to speak at Albany’s Palace Theatre to been a part of this great feat.” the f--g bedroom. It wasn’t even a secret.” Goldie Hawn into speaking…. When Hawn a near capacity crowd of about 2600. Sara Clare wrote on her blog, “Due to the on - Raniere knew. He used to say to Sara in learned about the controversies surrounding and Clare were seated onstage with him. going struggle…. how we have been por - front of other people, referring to Lama Ten - Raniere … she canceled her appearance. If At the beginning of his talk, the Dalai trayed in the media – his visiting and zin, ‘how’s your husband?’” Goldie Hawn has the sense not to appear at Lama presented Sara and Clare with white message was particularly moving. His com - Helping him dispense with the monk’s an event sponsored by Keith Raniere, then silk scarves, called “kataks,” which, accord - ing brought about a certain contradiction: second vow – of poverty – Sara Bronfman cancellation by the Dalai Lama, winner of ing to Tibetan culture, symbolize purity. what is written about NXIVM, Keith, Sara purchased a home for her lover Lama in Half the Nobel Peace Prize, should be a The Dalai Lama, seated cross legged on and myself in the press – being labeled as a Moon, a suburb of Albany. no -brainer.” an oversized chair, addressed the audience cult – and a world leader showing his sup - Bad Press Days Like Goldie, The Dalai Lama Cancels on the topic of compassion for about an hour. port for us after thorough investigation.” While things were hot with lover Lama Too When the time came for questions, the Dalai And reportedly a donation of one mil - and Sara, her sister, Clare, announced to the With the spate of negative publicity, the Lama was asked about his canceled then lion dollars. media that the Dalai Lama was to appear for Dalai Lama canceled his appearance. rescheduled visit. After the Dalai Lama’s visit – the honor four days of talks and meetings, capped by Times Union Publisher George Hearst, “Firstly I received an invitation that, in that Raniere and the Bronfmans sought from an appearance on Sunday, April 19, 2009, at who spoke with a representative of the Dalai principle, I accepted,” The Dalai Lama said, the endorsement eluded them. the Albany Times Union Center, where His Lama, said, “there’s enough stuff out there “Because this is controversial, some allega - My exposure of a $26 million Los An - Holiness would give an address on compas - that (they) don’t need to expose His Holiness tions, then we carry further investigations. geles real estate scam guided by Raniere sion and ethics – a lecture sponsored by to this kind of risk.” Then finally this organization’s teacher using Bronfman money led to my being Clare, Sara and Raniere’s new organization, This was a PR nightmare for NXIVM. (Salzman) and some friend(s) (Bronfman fired. This leaked out to the press and cou - The World Ethical Foundations Consortium. If the Dalai Lama did not appear he was all sisters) came to see me in Dharmasala …. I pled with the Bronfmans $65 million in com - Tickets were priced at $52, $82 and but saying NXIVM was a cult. Raniere in - told them very friendly, very openly, ‘as far modities losses – also guided by Raniere $112 and, with a seating capacity of 17,500, structed top assistant, Nancy Salzman, to your sort of work for promotion of ethics I dwarfed a single lecture by the Dalai Lama. that could pull in a million dollars for the rush to India to see the Dalai Lama and bring fully support…. but at the same time …. If And the onslaught of negative publicity Dalai Lama. Sara and Clare and their checkbook. you have done something wrong, you must has rained down on them ever since. Instead of receiving the tidings with joy, They were persuasive. accept, you must admit, change, make cor - there was an outburst of shock that the Dalai While the Dalai Lama would not con - rection. If you have not done (anything Lama would associate himself with the sent to a four day Albany visit, he agreed to wrong), make clear all these allegations (are “cult-like” NXIVM. deliver a single lecture in Albany –during a untrue), truthfully, honestly, openly, trans - The Albany Times-Union reported that 24-hour visit. He was coming to the US any - parently.’” despite the Dalai Lama’s stature as a reli - way for a Harvard University sponsored en - Covering his bases, the Dalai Lama gious leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, gagement asked the press to investigate – everything – no school was willing to lend its name as an Perhaps not coincidentally, “The Dalai to have the long nose of the elephant – and official host for an event associated with Lama Trust,” was registered in New York smell the truth from the front and behind. Raniere. State, just two days before the Dalai Lama’s At the event’s conclusion, the Dalai Skidmore College and Rensselaer Poly - rescheduled appearance in Albany. I was told Lama called Raniere – who was in the audi - technic, declined to host the event. by reliable sources at NXIVM that the ence – on stage and placed a katak around On May 6, the Dalai Lama arrived The University of Albany agreed to rent Bronfmans donated $1 million to the Dalai his neck. to speak at Albany’s Palace The - out an arena but with the condition that Lama. A Lesson for Br onfmans atre to a near capacity crowd of “NXIVM and the organization were not So he’s baaaaack The day after the event, Sara wrote on about 2600. Sara and Clare were going to have any part with dealing with our The press that jubilantly announced the her blog, “As we stood in the rain to say seated onstage with him. 14 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 The Eyes Have it as the Reporter Launches Dyster Watch 2016 cardo would be getting sworn in as the new to trade with the mayor, such as the endorse - ion renovation, Sal Maglie Stadium, conven - Anna Howard mayor next month, had Glenn Choolokian not ment by unions and management employee ient purchasing agreements, and the musical engaged in a doomed from the start write-in groups. Woe unto those employees who had chairs of Dyster’s “cabinet level positions.” We’re looking, we’re listening, we’re pay - campaign, is beyond doubt. only their commitment to the city and the sweat That 47% – as weak as it was – didn’t hap - ing attention. The Reporter is watching the To vacuum up that paltry 47% Dyster had of their brow to offer His Honor. pen by accident. It was built by the Dyster Ma - moves of Mayor Dyster as his re-election fades to wheedle and cajole and turn campaign car - The Reporter will be paying careful atten - chine one campaign promise at a time to in the rear view mirror and the post-election nival barker as he pledged, promised, and tion as to how the pork in what should be a unions, key department heads, not for profits, city hall gears get greased with quid pro deals pleaded his way to a third term win. We know pork free city budget is divvied up. We’ll be and friendly businesses with all of it coming at that were made pre-election. of some of the pre-election promises and com - watching the Third Street loans and grants, the tremendous eventual cost to the taxpayers. The mayor cobbled together a clumsy but mitments he made. People have told us. We’re consulting contracts, the legal fees, the raises, As Robert DeNiro said to his future son in ultimately effective political campaign as his already seeing preferred, influential, city em - stipends, promotions, special overtime arrange - law, played by Ben Stiller, in the hit comedy witches brew of support gave him a third term ployees benefitting from the mayor’s win. For - ments, the use of the dwindling casino cash, the Meet the Flockers, “I’m keeping an eye on with a mere 47% of the vote. That John Ac - tunately for them they had pre-election trinkets business of the train station, nonstop ice pavil - you.”

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Happy New Year!! Hope everyone is safe and enjoying The Holidays. We have been busy at The Nifty the last few weeks. The crowds are getting bigger and good times are being had by our customers and staff. We are truly appreciative of the wonderful support our friends, family & local community have shown. We strive to make each and everyone of

In the time of your life, live—so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it.” ― William Saroyan, The Time Of Your Life

16 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Did Kennedy Play Duplicitous Role in Cuomo Child Support Settlement? According to the New York Post, two truth.’’ haps not coincidentally, just after Dicker – the anonymous sources were for the Post? anonymous sources said that Gov. Andrew But anonymous source(s) – which the who has been a critic of Cuomo – began Did Cuomo agree to disadvantageous Cuomo, 58, has been battling his ex-wife Post identified only as “close” to the making inquiries into the matter. terms to halt unfavorable press? Kerry Kennedy, 56, for 2.5 years over child Kennedy family – and “well known” – say Cuomo is paid $179,000 a year as gov - After she got the agreement from support payments for their three daughters Cuomo “didn’t pay child support or alimony ernor. Cuomo, did Kennedy agree to join Cuomo and possibly over alimony. for the past 2½ years until a few weeks ago.” Cuomo and Kennedy had an unpleasant, in ‘lying’ to the Post about their dispute? The Reporter surmises that one of the It is not clear why Cuomo would have very public divorce battle in 2003 following If Kennedy was the anonymous source, Post’s anonymous sources may have been to pay the purportedly wealthy Kennedy al - revelations that Kennedy was having an af - then this cynical ploy was transparent to Kennedy herself. imony. fair with a married, wealthy family friend, Dicker of the Post. On the record, Kennedy and Cuomo is - Kennedy is the daughter of former Sen. Bruce Colley. He has an obligation to protect his sued joint statements denying they had fi - Robert F. Kennedy. The conflicting statements between the sources, but also to report the truth. nancial disputes over the support of their The anonymous source(s) told Fred anonymous sources “close to the Kennedys” Dicker wrote, “One of The Post’s children. Dicker of The Post that Kerry agreed to issue and the public statement of Kerry Kennedy sources said Kennedy agreed to sign on to Statements released by Cuomo and the “no problems” statements because has raised the question in our minds: Was the joint statement with Cuomo because ‘he Kennedy read in part. “The Post hearing ru - Cuomo finally agreed to financial terms for Kerry Kennedy one of the unnamed sources? finally agreed to make the payments he had - mors of discord, they are just that, un - the children. If not, did she encourage a relative (who n’t been making’ and ‘out of a desire to founded and untrue gossip, and as such their Allegedly, disputes over costs of educa - she armed with her version of the child dis - shield her daughters from as much of this as publication would be hurtful and inaccu - tion for Cuomo/Kennedy children, Cara, 20, pute facts) to contact Dicker? possible.’” rate.” attending Harvard, Mariah, 20, attending Did she successfully use the press to A second statement said, “Kerry speaks Brown U., and Michaela, 18, recently grad - embarrass Cuomo into settling? for herself and only she would know the uated from high school, came an end, per - Did Kennedy lie to Cuomo about who

Sal Maglie Stadium ‘Management’ Up for Bids –

The City of NSiagara iFadlls Dnivisoion tof to be a ‘cash-cow” like Ice PavilTihoe denal m!a?y n!ot? – much like the Ice Purchasing issued a Request for Proposals Pavilion make money for the city given the for a “License to Operate and Manage Sal deferred maintenance and the terms of the Maglie Stadium.” RFP. The successful proposer will have ex - While the proposal is to include rent clusive rights to sell food, alcohol and other paid to the City and offers an option to pay beverages at the 2500 seat capacity stadium in one lump sum or monthly, the city will be located in Hyde Park in the center of the city. responsible for repairs of the stadium facility The stadium is being offered in “as-is” structure and its fixtures such as the elevator, condition – sort of – and permits an operator electrical system, plumbing and lighting sys - to stage events that could generate ticket rev - tem and parking lot enue in addition to food and beverage sales. Routine maintenance (i.e. replacement Sal Maglie Stadium is presently main - of light bulbs, winterizing the stadium facil - tained by the Department of Public Works. ity,) are the responsibility of the operator It has not been in regular use since 2014. and, evidently, if the operator wants to fix the The Niagara Power baseball team stop scoreboard or improve the condition of the using the stadium amid complaints that it playing field he or she may do so at their could not get core maintenance issues ad - own expense. dressed by the city while at the same time the The city estimates it will cost an opera - city refused to let the team make its own re - tor $149,183.32 to maintain the stadium an - pairs or needed maintenance. Sal Maglie Stadium playing field. nually and will make periodic inspections to The city cited union issues prevented insure the facility is being maintained and the team from doing common maintenance York, 14302, no later than February 1, 2016 for a minimum of three (3) years commenc - operated in a satisfactory condition. items like changing the light bulbs. at 11:00 A.M. ing on April 1, 2016 (or sooner), with a max - Highest bidder may not necessarily be Explaining why the management of the The length of the license term shall be imum term of five (5) years. chosen. stadium is being put out to bid, Niagara Falls Among the items to be considered in Mayor Paul Dyster told the Niagara Gazette, making its selection determination, the City “We don’t regard the direct operation of Sal will, among other things, take into consider - Maglie as a cash cow. It doesn’t have the ation rental payments, but also the uses pro - same income possibilities as something like posed, as well as the business background, the (Hyde Park) ice pavilion.” experience and qualifications of the li - The city invested $13 million into the censee/staff. Ice Pavilion – bonding some of the cost – The amateur New York Collegiate Base - since Dyster has been mayor and collects an ball League Niagara Power played 23 games annual rent of about $200 per year from the at Sal Maglie each summer, and the stadium operator who won a bid in 2014. also hosted high school sporting events until At the present rent, it will take 55 years recently. to recoup the $13 million investment of the Niagara Gazette sportswriter Doug so-called “cash cow” not counting interest Smith estimated that about 1,193 profes - on the bond. sional baseball games were played since the Besides the bleachers and a regulation stadium opened as Hyde Park Stadium in sized baseball field which is in disrepair, 1939 and that about 1.2 million people at - amenities at Sal Maglie include parking lots, tended games played by the various minor a small concession area, ticket booths, two league Rainbows, Citizens, Bisons, Rapids, elevators, locker rooms and bathrooms. and Mallards. Sealed proposals will be received by the City Purchasing Division at City Hall, Room The city is putting out the operation of Sal Maglie Stadium to bid. 17, 745 Main Street, Niagara Falls, New 17 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Ice Boom Installation Complete,

Along With Ouraul sourrce Fof hlyedropeowecr ini tnhe wg orld and newed the license of the “Apple Authority” Frank Parlato we have to buy our power from a company to have dominion over their apples, and, for owned by investors in Great Britain.) another 50 years, they imported far more ex - The New York Power Authority Meantime, NYPA delivers our locally pensive, but inferior apples, or went without (NYPA) successfully installed the three re - produced hydropower to New York City and apples, though the orchards were all around maining floating sections of the Lake Erie- eight other states. them. Niagara River ice boom on December 28, That is right. NYPA controls our locally And the people remained dead broke. completing the work for the 2015-2016 sea - generated hydropower while local residents You’d call these people insane, wouldn’t son. get little use of the power. you? The official Lake Erie water tempera - In 1957, this region, represented by Meantime the ice boom is in and the ture on December 28 was 42 degrees F. local elected officials, signed a 50-year li - people of NYC and eight other states are The ice boom is a steel pontoon struc - cense with NYPA and then renewed the li - grateful for our insanity. ture that keeps the Niagara River free of cense in 2007 for another 50 years – a large chunks of ice. century without control of our hydropower It was installed in the mid 1960’s and is – which gave NYPA control of the hy - owned by NYPA. dropower generated on the US side of the American Cruelty: The main purpose of the ice boom is to Niagara River. L.A. County Jail’s ‘Potty enrich NYPA since it allows for millions of In return NYPA gives a pittance (less dollars of additional hydroelectric power than 5% of its profits from the Niagara Watch’ Policy Comes generation every year since the river is not [Robert Moses] power plant) back to the re - Under Scrutiny obstructed by large chunks of ice. gion in annual payments to several munici - NYPA’s overall profits are largely de - palities and grants through its Greenway pendent on the profit it makes from control Los Angeles Times | December 29, fund. of the hydropower generated by the Niagara 2015 The New York Power Author - To use an analogy to explain the River – which has exceeded $230 million per Dozens of partially or fully naked in - ity’s “JonCaire” Tug towing a arrangement: Suppose a region grew mar - year. mates at a Los Angeles County jail were span of the Lake Erie-Niagara velous apples – red and delicious; they were NYPA’s control of hydropower in the chained to a wall with their hands behind famous for it. They could get rich from the Niagara Region has been criticized by this River Ice Boom from the Buf - their backs for hours as officials waited sale, and healthy from eating these apples – writer as having a negative impact on the falo River shore to begin prepa - for them to expel contraband from their but the people and their children – for 50 wealth of the region since the inexpensive rations for installation across bodies. years – never tasted the apples or profited hydropower produced locally is not used by Lake Erie. The Sheriff’s Department has from them (unless, of course, they moved local residents, who pay among the highest stopped the “potty watch” practice and re - away – which many did). electrical rates in the nation and who get coal and other inefficient methods by Na - ferred 24 cases to prosecutors. Then these people of this apple growing their electrical power mainly from burning tional Grid – a company owned by investors in England. (Ironic we have the richest nat - region and their uniquely inept leaders re - 18 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 The Right Side: What Is Religion in The First Amendment?! such as the Church of England. ‘(and Wasserman Schultz wiggle room to spin that ISLAM?) ‘. one into allowable, unless, of course, she too Today, what constitutes an “establish - wants to eliminate our Constitution… ment of religion” is often governed under the OMG… is that what she and the Democrat three-part test set forth by the U.S. Supreme Party are up to… you know Bernie Sanders Court in Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 and Hillary, along with Obama?!! The De - (1971). Under the “Lemon” test, government mocrat leaders, want to do away with the can assist religion only if (1) the primary Constitution! That’s why they are working purpose of the assistance is secular, (2) the on the First and Second Amendments. If you assistance must neither promote nor inhibit are a Democrat and want to save our Consti - religion, and (3) there is no excessive entan - tution, you may well have to vote for who - glement between church and state. (that ever the Republican candidate is, just to save means …NO Islam and NO Ayatollah) your freedom. Think about that for a while! The Free Exercise Clause protects citi - It follows that if a book of faith pro - zens’ right to practice their religion as they fesses acts of violence that are contrary to please, so long as the practice does not run our Rule of Law but those acts are NOT Strength, therefore, is the one afoul of a “public morals” or a “compelling” practiced nor preached and only peaceful as - thing needful. Strength is the J. Gary .The Right governmental interest. For instance, in sembly is practiced and preached within our medicine for the world’s dis - DiLaura Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158 Rule of Law, then it’s a Religion and not a ease. Strength is the medicine Side (1944), the Supreme Court held that a state group of thugs. However, I feel there must which the poor must have could force the inoculation of children be open access to all religious service to in - when tyrannized over by the “Congress shall whose parents would not allow such action sure that it is a peaceful assembly! rich. Strength is the medicine make no law respecting an establishment of for religious reasons. The Court held that the It MUST then also follow that if those that the ignorant must have religion, or prohibiting the free exercise state had an overriding interest in protecting people who have a book of faith that speci - when oppressed by the public health and safety.” fies violence, in direct contradiction to our thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, learned; and it is the medicine It would seem fair to say then that if a Rule of Law, and if those same people or of the press; or the right of the people that sinners must have when peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Book of Faith called for the murder, assault, “preach and practice” such acts, like 57 Is - government for a redress of grievances.” stoning, beheading of anyone who doesn’t lamic Muslim Nations do, they can and tyrannized over by other sin - According to uscourts.gov; “The First believe in their religion and the believers fol - MUST be prohibited by our Constitution ners. Amendment has two provisions concerning low that path, it must be in violation of the AND OUR FREAKING RULE OF LAW, religion: the Establishment Clause and the 1st Amendment and our Rule of Law, or am from practicing those beliefs here!!!! Swami Vivekananda Free Exercise Clause. The Establishment I wrong? I need some help here! What do So, it seems to me, those who are Mus - clause prohibits the government from “estab - you think? This is all a “no brainer” to me! lims and cling to the Koran as their book of Sanders, Hillary ‘Rotten” Clinton and any - lishing” a religion. The precise definition of Obviously a Religion that denounces faith, need to do some soul searching and de - one else who wants to destroy America and “establishment” is unclear. Historically, it the First Amendment (separation of Church cide if they want to assimilate to the Ameri - my Constitution can all go to Hell, Iran, meant prohibiting state-sponsored churches, and State) does not even allow Debbie can Freedom of Religion beliefs and our Saudi Arabia, or Russia (in the case of Clin - Rule of Law OR use our freedom of religion ton and Sanders) if they love Allah or com - AGAINST us, like Valerie Jarrett said she munism so much because I don’t, nor do wants to do. If you don’t assimilate and we most Americans! won’t “submit” and America doesn’t lose, If you are a Democrat, especially those what do you think is going to happen?! fought for the right to be a Democrat, you Write a “modified” Koran without be - had better pull your head out of that dark heading and stoning infidels or go back to place you have it stuck, so at least your ears Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, etc. and cut off all clear! You are going to lose you Constitution the infidel heads you can find! and your Country if you vote for the crap the I don’t buy the argument that I have to Democrat party is offering! Obama has make concessions for, nor allow people who brought us to the brink!!! Clinton or Sanders want to kill me; to practice their unlawful be - will push us over!!! liefs in my Country, in the name of Islam. America, created by geniuses and run Valerie Jarrett, Barack Obama, Bernie by idiots!

Buffalo Army National Guard Unit Honored for Unit Video by New York's Adjutant General A video produced by Buffalo's 152nd York National Guard's YouTube Channel: Engineer Company has been named winner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6t of the New York National Guard's first unit TZNk3s7M video contest. Major General Patrick Murphy, the Ad - The 10-minute video was produced by jutant General of New York, decided to hold New York Army National Guard 2nd Lt. Erin a video competition in order to capture the Morris, a platoon leader in the 152nd Engi - varied missions and activities across the neer Company, from video and photographs 16,000 members of the New York Army and she took as well as those provided by other Air National Guard. unit members. The 152nd Engineer Company video is The video recounts the highlights of the an excellent introduction into what one company's training and operations during Army National Guard unit accomplishment federal fiscal year 2015, which includes the in a year, he said. unit's response to the "Snovember" Novem - The unit and 2nd Lt. Morris, a Buffalo ber 2014 snowstorm in Erie County, the resident, works in the marketing department company's annual training, and its annual of the Buffalo News, will receive Adjutant "engineer rodeo." General awards for their effort. The video can be seen here on the New 19 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 Only in North Tonawanda: Tale of Two Ends of Northeast Ave. Wurlitzer Park. It’s Oliver Street, with all the There is also a DPW Advisor on the commit - ment building. They have a stop sign at both character and charm of its history and cur - tee. the exit onto 17th where it is still Northeast rent residents. The Committee should tour both legs of and on the Gilmore end where it also joins From the Town of Wheatfield border Northeast Avenue. None of them live there. 17th. where it’s Ward Road to Walck Road/9th Av - The north leg, from where Carr Street If the south leg has two stop signs for enue, it’s pretty well maintained, with just an joins 19th Avenue, has six apartment build - that small number of occupants and vehicles, occasional rental property like 970 Oliver ings and three single family homes. On 19th why can’t the Committee figure out there are spoiling the view. Except for the section with between Carr and Payne, there are four hundreds of seniors, youngsters, dogs, mo - a number of properties owned by the plan - apartment buildings and three private resi - torcycles, cars, trucks, occasional RVs and ning board member who got most of the dences, the Gibbons Court apartment com - boats, and the vehicles coming and going grant funding for façade renovations, some plex with two entrance drives, and two from the Walgreens parking lot, on that north Sweeney Payne ignored sections, like from 1st to 9th Av - entrance drives into Bishop Gibbons Apart - leg of Northeast? Oliver Street actually doesn’t look bad enues and from Mechanic to Schenck, could ments, which fronts on Payne. Most access The corner of Northeast where it runs if it weren’t for trash, litter and too conspic - use some of those grants. is from 19th. There’s also the busy Wal - into 19th should have a stop sign for vehicles uous and generally always overflowing A few places seriously in need of atten - greens’ parking lot entrance/exit on 19th. heading west onto Northeast and one on garbage totes at some rental properties. tion include the old Hungarian Orthodox There’s NO stop sign for those exiting Northeast heading east onto 19th at Carr. The few facades between Schenck and Church at First Avenue, the old Mirror Room the south leg of Northeast onto either 19th or Wheatfield that got attention with the grant at 728, the Rainbow Sports building, the Carr. There’s NO stop sign for traffic going program do look “nice” on the outside. house at 341 that had a bad fire and is still west on 19th into the south leg of Northeast Oliver still looks like the Oliver of old. boarded up, the Bestaste Mini Market at 653 nor for those turning left onto Carr. It just doesn’t have small business owners re - Oliver. There are more than a dozen vacant Fortunately, there is a stop sign at the siding in their buildings with their families. storefronts that could use business occu - 19th/Northeast end of Carr. That is what made it what most of us remem - pants. The block on the east side of Oliver The south leg of Northeast is actually a ber it as. between Walck and 8th is sitting vacant, street that begins at 17th Avenue in the mid - Also gone are Buffalo Bolt, Auto Wheel waiting for a business to replace Twin-Ton dle of the block and runs in a semi-circle Coaster, Bennett Lumber, the Main Street, Auto Sales before it deteriorates. over to Gilmore Avenue. Cut off from the River Road and Tonawanda Island industries NT has known for at least most of the other end of Northeast by a large stretch of and their combined thousands of employees last decade that non-resident property own - vacant lots for whatever reason, this park- to patronize the bars, restaurants, diners, ers with drug-addicted and alcoholic tenants like south leg has houses on each corner of small shops and service businesses on with no respect for their neighbors are a se - 17th, one house on the west side, several va - Oliver. rious problem. Perhaps in 2016, they can cant lots reputedly owned by the homeowner Privately owned resident-occupied make a plan to remediate that problem. of the first house, two more houses, five homes and buildings converted from store - Mayor Pappas re-appointed Joseph garages from homes on 17th, and an apart - fronts to residences look fine on the outside Sikora, Robert Frank, Anthony DiBernardo, and are generally taken care of inside and Mark Anastasi, Mark Lemke, Edward out. Oliver isn’t going to look like Wurlitzer Smolinski, and Arthur Vater to the Traffic Park neighborhoods. Those from the west Safety Committee for a two-year term begin - end of NT wouldn’t want them to! It’s not ning January 1. They have all been on that committee for the last two years at least.

Niagara Falls Man Writes Book About How Women Think NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — This week marks the nationwide release of “To Answer the Question, to Find Air Here on Earth,” a book, written by a man, that explores the psyche of women. Authored by Niagara University and Ni - agara County Community College adjunct professor, Robert Bennett; he was formerly the program director of Fellowship House Inc. Madonna House facility, which is an in - tensive residential treatment center for women with children who are recovering from substance abuse disorders. “To Answer the Question, to Find Air Here on Earth” is, according to a statement from the author’s publicist, Michelle Whit - man, announcing the release of the book, “a compelling journey into a woman’s psyche, which is written from a male perspective! Come and take an exciting journey into the author’s world. This book presents a power - Bennett is currently working on his doc - ful side of women rarely explored by men. torate in counselor education and supervi - The readers will laugh and maybe shed some sion. He has a master’s degree in mental tears. The author hopes that by the end of this health counseling and is an internationally book, his readers will find it to be inspira - certified alcohol and substance abuse coun - tional.” selor. Through six of his 20 years of sub - Published by Tate Publishing and Enter - stance abuse treatment counseling, Bennett prises, the book is available through book - focused primarily on women services and, stores, from the publisher according to Whitman, “strived to enhance atwww.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by the delivery of overall treatment interven - visiting barnesandnoble.com or tions for women who are recovering from amazon.com. substance use disorders.” 20 20 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 DiPizio Construction Co. Wins Major Appellate Court Ruling on Canalside Suit Dee and understood the issues. After that de - cision, Ferdman took depositions from board members—in a related action– and found “they did not know there were design changes and design errors” by ECHDC and had only heard from Dee that problems and delays were all DiPizio’s fault. The latest ruling, says Ferdman, means the court decided there are triable issues of what the board understood and calls into question whether the termination by Dee was valid or not. In its ruling, the Appellate Division said despite ECHDC’s bylaws and the presump - tion that the board’s president had the author - ity to enter into and terminate contracts in the ordinary course of business and that no for - Tony Farina mal vote was required, “there are triable is - The local construction company suing sues of fact whether a formal vote of the the state over its termination as the Canalside Board was required.” contractor in July of 2013 has won a major Now that DiPizio’s complaint has been victory in the Appellate Division of State reinstated in front of Walker, Ferdman is Supreme Court. hoping the case will eventually go in front of In a unanimous ruling handed down last jury that will have the opportunity to hear all week, the court reinstated DiPizio Construc - the evidence and decide whether the termi - tion’s claim that the president of the state’s nation of the construction firm with a solid Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation 37-year history of satisfactory work was (ECHDC) may have lacked the legal author - properly authorized or not. ity to terminate DiPizio from the $20 million The costs to taxpayers for the legal bat - replica canal project without authorization in tle are soaring, and the construction company the form of a vote from the Board of Direc - is also paying plenty to defend itself and try tors, something DiPizio’s lawyers contend to recover its reputation through the courts. never happened. Veteran court observers suggest the Appel - “The court’s decision calls into question late Division ruling in favor of DiPizio could whether the termination by ECHDC Presi - help boost the possibility of a settlement, but dent Dee was valid or not,” said Michael Fer - no word yet from ECHDC on the ruling or dman, the attorney who argued the appeal for possible settlement efforts. the DiPizio firm. “We’re very pleased with this decision, we won.” Dee had notified DiPizio by letter in May of 2013 that ECHDC intended to re - move the company from the job, which it did in July, because it was falling behind con - struction schedule and not meeting its obli - gations on materials and with coordinating work with subcontractors. Ferdman called the termination notice a political document issued to cover up “the bad faith administration of the construction agreement” that forced long delays and drove up “not just DiPizio Construction Co.’s costs, but taxpayers’ costs.” In addition to construction costs, the state has been paying millions of taxpayer dollars in legal fees to the Phillips Lytle law firm to defend itself against the lawsuit by the local contractor which maintains it has been severely damaged by the negative pub - licity it received as a result of its termination that was well promulgated by ECHDC at the time which was trying to blame DiPizio for falling behind the schedule laid out by Al - bany for the replica canal project. The appellate court ruling in favor of DiPizio sets aside the summary judgment is - sued by State Supreme Court Justice Timo - thy Walker in January of 2014 in favor of ECHDC. Walker had basically decided that the Board of Trustees had ratified the termina - tion (without a vote), ruling they had been notified and had sufficient information from 21 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016 News of the Weird

2012 to Gilead Sciences, which famously set Questionable Judgments (Lufkin, Texas) reported responding to a 911 Chuck Shephard sofosbuvir’s price for 84 pills to $84,000. •“It may be the most confusing traffic call about shots fired at a home on Nov. 8, Now, the Department of Veterans Affairs, but made no arrest. The male resident was Ar e We Safe? light you’ve ever seen,” wrote The Boston with 233,000 war vets with hep-C, tells Con - Globe in December, describing a pedestrian sitting in his pickup, admittedly drunk, and •As if 2015 weren’t bad enough for the gress that it needs much more money, even crossing in Cambridge, Massachusetts. If the having listened to a “sad song” on his fa - Department of Homeland Security (e.g., in though Gilead has “cut” the VA’s price in three clusters of three lights each are dark, vorite station, he of course pulled his .22-cal - June, internal DHS tests revealed that its half (to $42,000 per treatment, or $9.66 bil - drivers proceed. If a pedestrian comes along, iber pistol and shot the radio. According to Transportation Security Administration lion). (In a 2013 medical journal, Dr. Schi - one light will blink yellow, then solid yellow, the report, “Suspect’s wife took possession failed to stop 67 of 70 guns passing through nazi revealed that sofosbuvir could be then two solid yellows, then two reds, until of the handgun and suspect.” airport screeners), a U.S. congressman re - manufactured for about $17 a pill, or $1,400 two flashing red lights in each cluster appear Ir onies vealed in December that, based on a congres - for an entire treatment.) — and in Cambridge (and only Cambridge!), • Sweet: (1) As deputy leader of Scot - sional staff investigation, 72 DHS employees •Famously, of course, no central charac - flashing red lights mean…go (unless pedes - land’s South Lanarkshire Council, Jackie currently appear on the FBI’s terrorist watch ters from big banks went to jail for crashing trians are actually present). The city has pre - Burns was instrumental in the budgetary list. He admitted to Boston Public Radio that the economy and causing thousands to lose pared a 12-diagram pamphlet to explain the closing of all 24 public toilets in the area. In DHS’s record makes him squeamish about their homes and jobs, but the U.S. Justice whole thing, and officials say they have sta - November, Burns was fined (the equivalent our ability to vet Syrian refugees. (Being on Department and Securities and Exchange tistical proof from tests that the system en - of about $60) after he, out on the town, could the FBI list is not a prohibited category for Commission seem rather proud that at least hances safety. hold it in no longer and urinated in the street. buying guns, either, and in fact, the Govern - they pressured several banks to pay the gov - • It was Nick Silvestri, 19, of Seaford, (2) Hector Segura, 29, in town for a Wash - ment Accountability Office reported that 91 ernment billions of dollars in civil-case set - Long Island, who, seated in the orchestra ington, D.C., conference on drug policy re - percent of listees’ attempts to purchase guns tlements. However, the activist group U.S. section of the Broadway comedy Hand to form (with most attendees certain that the in the last 10 years succeeded.) PIRG revealed in December that of the 10 “war on drugs” has failed) was found by po - The Continuing Crisis God on July 2, left his seat to plug his iPhone largest such federal settlements, where banks into an “electrical outlet” on the stage set. lice naked in a flower bed in a neighborhood •The vice president of human resources and corporations paid a total of $80 billion, Actors, patrons, and management went nuts, near his hotel in Arlington, Virginia, with at the Washington Post issued a formal more than half was characterized as tax-de - but Silvestri ultimately was allowed to stay, (according to police) “bath salts” the culprit. memo in December to reassure female em - ductible. (In addition, of course, all of the and the show resumed. The set designer Be - It required two Taser shots to subdue him as ployees in its sleek new office building that $80 billion was ultimately paid by the banks’ owulf Boritt said later he was proud that he he pounded on a squad car. people in the seventh floor’s central “hub” and corporations’ stockholders rather than by had created a stage set so realistic that the Read the full News of the Weird daily at could definitely not see up their skirts as they wrongdoing employees.) electrical outlet (which of course was at - www.weirduniverse.net. or Send items to walked on the indoor eighth-floor balcony tached to nothing) looked so authentic. [email protected] overhang, even through the clear glass bar - Cliche Come to Lif e riers. The memo cited HR’s “multiple” futile • The Angelina County Sheriff’s Office attempts, from many viewing angles, to see no-no’s, and thus concluded that the ladies are safe. Nonetheless, the memo encouraged all employees, when in the seventh floor “hub,” not to look up. Leading Economic Indicator s •Dr. Raymond Schinazi was a federal government employee when he led the team that discovered sofosbuvir, which com - pletely cures hepatitis C patients with an 84- pill regimen, but, as he recently told CBS News, he only worked for the government “7/8th’s” of the time—and, conveniently, it was during the other 1/8th that he found so - fosbuvir. He admits now that he made $400 million selling his sofosbuvir company in 22 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016

A Paul Dyster “political equivalent.” A thought bubble above the mayor’s The mayor, the council chairman, and What’s the difference between the mayor’s In the normal world a job promotion is head: “I wonder if anyone noticed that the a frozen water pipe consultant walk into a annual city hall Christmas party and a funeral? called a job promotion. In Dyster World a election was less than two months ago and bar. The mayor turns to the bartender and The funeral is more fun. job promotion is called “an administrative I’ve already handed out big promotions and says, “Give my consultant friend all the thank you.” one special deal for overtime? Nah, no one drinks he wants and charge triple the price pays attention to this stuff except that damn because the taxpayers are picking up the Reporter. And no one reads it. Do they?” tab!”

The phrase “Fourteen hundred and ninety two” refers to: A) the year Columbus discovered Amer - Answer: Super Tramp and Cheap Trick Less than perfect but perfectly less. Inflated Invoice and Wasteful Spending ica Question: What two famous rock bands While 47% is a failing grade all across the isn’t a Dyster approved Buffalo law firm, but B) the number of accounting violations were named after city hall employees? globe, in the recent mayor’s race it qualified it is a much respected city hall management cited in the 2013 State Comptroller’s audit for a third term. technique. of city hall C) the number of registered sex offend - ers Mayor Dyster wants to move into the city D) all of the above 23 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 30 - JAN 07, 2016

Aries: (March 21 - yourself - and wish you weapon against muggers - your face! You April 19): hadn't. You are the kind of have an inferiority complex - and it's fully Pisces: (February You were the answer person who, when one justified. 19 - March 20): to a prayer. Your parents first meets you, one does - You’re so dumb you prayed that the world n't like you. But when one Capricorn: (Decem - thought Taco Bell was a would be made to suffer gets to know you better, ber 22 - January 19): phone company. Don't and here you came along. When you go to one hates you. You’re nobody’s fool. turn the other cheek. It's see a haunted house they offer you a job. The Let’s see if we can get just as ugly. They say truth is stranger than only place you're ever invited is outside. Scorpio: (October someone to adopt you. fiction. Look, your mother gave birth to you. 23 - November 21): You’re the first in your You should have been born in the Dark Ages; Taurus: (April 20 - You’re acquitting family born without a tail. you look terrible in the light. May 20): yourself in a way that no Space is a dangerous place . . . especially if You will never be jury ever would. You’d it's between your ears! You must have a low able to live down to your steal the straw from your opinion of people if you think they're your reputation! You’re so ugly, mother's kennel. Talk is equals. when you walk into taco cheap, but so are you. You grow on people - bell, EVERYONE runs for the border! You like a wart! You have a face only a mother Aquarius: (January are very kind to animals so please give that could love - and she hates it! 20 - February 18) : face back to the gorilla. Luckily for you, stu - You’re not yourself pidity isn't painful. Sagittarius: (No - this week. People notice vember 22 - December the improvement immedi - Gemini: (May 21 - 21): ately. People don't know Is government June 20): You’re like one of what makes you so stupid, supposed to entertain the Your conversation is those “idiot savants,” ex - but it really works! space is a dangerous governed? like the waves of the sea. cept without the “savant” place . . . especially if it's between your ears! It makes everyone sick! part. You have that faraway look. The farther You started at the bottom - and it's been You were an exceptionally you get, the better you look. There is no vac - downhill ever since. ugly baby. You had tinted windows on your cine against stupidity. You have a good incubator. You changed your mind! But what did you do with the diaper? What you lack in intelligence, you more than makes up for in stupidity.

Cancer: (June 21 - July 22): Your family tree is good but you are the sap. You’re the best at all you do – and all you do is make people hate you. Moonlight becomes you - total darkness even more! You are liv - ing proof that manure can grow legs and walk.

Leo: (July 23 - Au - gust 22): Your mouth is getting too big for your muzzle. Yours is a prima facie case of ugliness. And your body is ugly too. No one will ever know that you've had a lobotomy, if you wear a wig to hide to the scars and learn to control the slob - bering.

Virgo: (August 23 - September 22): Your verbosity is ex - ceeded only by your stu - pidity. Any similarity between you and a human is purely coincidental! People can't say that you have absolutely nothing! After all, you have inferiority! You are not as bad as people say - you are worse!

Libra: (September 23 - October 22): You’re a habit people like to kick; with both feet. Weds: Excellent time to become a missing person. Some day you will find