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OPINION N aaaTi ekCMA COM Week This iagara SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

3:30 p.m. those stuck in the prison GETTING ROBBED This dastardly daytime industrial complex.

delinquent went in We should have done |

KINDA SUCKS, 2018 1, November Thursday, through our bedroom win- more to help John. That's WRITES JAMES dow, rifled through our the name of the guy who possessions, and walked broke into my house; alleg- CULIC right out the front door edly, I should say for legal JAMES with a garbage bag full of reasons, since he hasn't CULIC our stuff slung over his had his day in court yet, but Column shoulder like some kinda at this point it looks like a evil reverse-Santa from the pretty cut-and-dry case. South Pole. He got my I should also say, the Ni- wife's laptop, some jewelry, agara regional police did a As the trio of police offi- my collection of wrist- great job here, and they cers finished gathering evi- watches (including my were an absolute pleasure dence and taking photos in rare Sega Dreamcast com- to work with. They were my kitchen, the detective memorative watch) and he quick to respond after the turned to me and said, "So, stole one on my USB keys initial crime, did an ex- you're that reporter with that had some sweet Kanye haustive search and evi- the newspaper, yeah?" West albums on it. dence collection (they I told him I was indeed I think my wife was sur- found a footprint on the air that guy. prised that I wasn't angrier conditioner outside the "Do me a favour, would about the whole ordeal, but bedroom window) and the ya?" he said. "Give me a once I was informed the detective kept us up to couple weeks to solve this burglar was almost cer- speed on our missing stuff thing before you write tainly stealing this stuff to with regular email up- about it." pay for drugs, I wasn't real- dates. I got robbed. Or, I guess, ly angry so much as I was ... I honestly thought the technically I got burgled. sad? detective was just being op- It's only a robbery if some- I felt sympathy for this timistic when he said he one is there at the time of guy more than anything. was confident they would the crime, but since my Nobody wants to break in- arrest the suspect soon, but Royalty Free Stock Photo house was empty save for to homes and steal stuff. sure enough, they had him As much as the man who burgled homes in Fort Erie failed society, society has failed him, writes my kitty Zelda, it was a bur- You do that when you are in cuffs only a few weeks James Culic. glary, not a robbery. It very desperate. You do that later. Unfortunately our nearly was a robbery when you are struggling stolen stuff wasn't recov- burglarizing. I've never shortly after. His name? I had for this guy is gone. though. The thieving home with an addiction so power- ered; likely already traded been robbed, but my wife John. We doubled checked Lock him up and throw invader who has been hit- ful it makes you do things or sold to feed an addiction. has actually. both police reports and away the key. ting houses all over the nobody wants to do. It's a somewhat unsatis- It was 12 years ago, she sure enough, it was him. north end of Fort Erie is a As much as this burglar fying conclusion to the was working the cash reg- That's right: the same James Culic is Niagara daytime burglar. He busts has failed decent society, whole sad saga. I hope this ister at the old Ontario guy. The same guy who this Week's regular weekly in when good folk like me we have failed him by not guy John feels bad about Bakery in Fort Erie and robbed my wife, randomly columnist and he just are out working for a liv- demanding our govern- stealing my stuff, and I just before closing time, broke into her house more bought some new security ing. I got home early that ments do more to combat hope he gets whatever help some guy came in, flashed than a decade later and cameras for his house. day, around 4:30 p.m. and addiction, do more to offer he needs. a knife at her, and stole all stole a bunch of her stuff. Email him at jculic@niag- the police figure the bur- access to mental health I also hope he stops rob- the cash. OK, I've changed my arathisweek.com or holler glary happened around services, do more to help bing people. Or, I guess, They caught the guy mind. Whatever sympathy on Twitter @jamesculic.

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Email party. tailgate ecret olumnist and he won't his Week's regular weekly his Week's ying conclusion with a nstead," said Scott. a d d i h w e f c o s e g s t c T Advance uccess, I hadfinally uccess, Hey James, we were we Hey James, S " issed a home game in 15 issed a home game in oug Martin and all those cott, who waved me over. waved cott, who ude I know from town, from ude Iknow mayor "Oh yeah, arty. een hearing rumours ears." sked about the place and sked our house got robbed, uys; I heard they I haven't heard uys; r from this very tailgating thisr very from aid Scott. "About how hen, Ispotted a prominent he alleged pull elites who Erie pow- of Fort he levers hat's crazy." So I was in So I was crazy." hat's act in the right spot. I ound the I story had that ust talking about you," t d S a t t e p D g m y f j s y t f b e parked and went in and went e parked W artin, of or the any other rie people either. Just rie people either. here was one problem was here ouse directly across the across ouse directly May- be there. would eard ort Erie bigwigs I had rivate tailgating party a at rivate in the right place e I wasn't le were. "Yeah, this is the "Yeah, le were. can find for room lace. We ertised: nice a little pretty fter all, because I didn't ll the other Fort Eriepeo- ll the other Fort ou." ecognize Fort too many treet from the stadium. from treet o find largely as ad- it was hough: I didn't see Doug rom Fort Erie, and was Fort rom ooking for theooking place for where v t p h s T t M F h b a r E f l a p p y I spent Sunday looking for a secret Fort looking for Erie tailgate partyI spent Sunday at the Buffalo Bills game. e drove all up and e drove fter weeks another few hat was as much info as much was hat Yeah I know the place, I know Yeah We're full, sorry," said full, sorry," We're for your local news, real estate listings, auctions, classifi more. eds and much for your local news, real estate listings, auctions, classifi A " W T " Bills home game in 30 iththis guy and got most ith blue shutters. hatever that means. that hatever as a white house with as a white as pointed to another lo- Dougie Martinhere and ere ready to give up when to give ready ere e pulled over. e saw an unassuming e saw hite house, with, what oulevard. You'll see the You'll oulevard. e could tell me it is that adn't the come ad- across ouse: it's white and has ouse: it's white elseot to much go on, we the bridge on eaded over now the address but the I address now unday and planned to just unday lue shutters, and it was "to and it was lue shutters, ress for this place, for but I ress own that damn street and damn street that own lue shutters." lue wife shutters said (my riveway. I told him I was riveway. heard they haven't missed they haven't heard ears," he said. "I don't ears," f I poking still around, f the same story. There's a go. ll them guys s I managed to get before set out. With so we rrived, roup of like 20 of them and of like roup al guy who allegedlyal guy who could ould maybe be considered ould maybe oad near the stadium, orta drive around this around ortadrive heleft of the stadium," hink it's on Southwestern hey were actually teal) so actually hey were he guy standing in the ill me in. I got connected ast weekend's Bills game ast weekend's house aooking white for w h w b t o h d w c f w o w a g I a y d w k t B h b a l a n h S s r l w w w w c b t t d www.niagarathisweek.com hile at thehile local at YMCA e went on to explain e went nfortunately, the guy's nfortunately, inally. My first solid inally. Oh yeah, mayor Doug mayor Oh yeah, W F H " U few weeks back, some back, weeks few artinand all those guys ore of what I had already of what ore e. "There's like a group of a group e. "There's like Bills game, so I interject- hile lots of people I talked sol- me any as able to give ere talking aboutere going to as a secret "old boys club" as "old a boys secret as all Fort Erie folks, and Erie folks, as all Fort ills home game in 20 rie tailgate party. They rietailgate party. eard about aeard cool Fort until one of ervously, eard: that it was a house it was that eard: ear the it stadium, that aven't missed a single aven't nows someone to get in. nows udes in the locker-room lace actually was. lace actually lace was, and said I'd like lace was, idn't know the address; idn't know ears." pproval, and then they pproval, f guys who always go to always who f guys he told there," always re uys looked around sorta around looked uys otta know someone who otta know d. I told them I had tickets ouldn't even tell me what ouldn't even eal thing, and they go treet the house was on. All the housetreet was 0 of them and they I heard o knew abouto it, knew no one o go because there I heard old me that, yeah, it was a it was old yeah, me that, games. before here o a game and had also, nod a of quick hem gave he games. d leads on where the damn d leads on where ead. I asked where the where ead. I asked ntel and ended he there, t's a bit cliquish and you w t w a d w a p i p t w l t r t e t h E g n t a m h n w h B y t m o M a s d c i g k i 1 JAMES CULIC Column good story always

ord on was theord street tep one was findingtep one was out PINION 'd long known that for- that 'd long known

I A W S O er mayor Doug Martin er mayor as a huge Bills fan, and game, includ- ent to every here exactly this tailgate exactly here rie. ave to be "in the know" to to be "in the know" ave ome games. Fort Erie ome games. Fort ad heard whispers that he that whispers ad heard udes have been going to udes have iques my interest, and for interest, iques my arty happened, because ate partyate Buffalo at Bills athering of Fort Erie's of Fort athering ears I'd been hearing n NFL game so before, bout a good story in Fort nd the wife and see if I et into shindig. this secret lite and powerful at an ex- at lite and powerful lusive little pre-game tail- lusive ould find this clandestine heap pair of tickets for me for heap pair of tickets tory, and I'd never been to and I'd never tory, lice of Fort Erie south of lice of Fort hese games for, supposed- hese games for, his year I decided to findhis year a oo. It sounded like a good It sounded like oo. hat there was a secret was there hat he border. ng tailgate the secret party y, decades now, and you decades now, y, m h t l h d p y e c g NOT EVERY STORY EVERY NOT UP IN A TIES ITSELF WRITES NICE BOW, JAMES CULIC a t c w h w i t s g a E t g w p t a c s CHASING TALL TALES AT THE SECRET BUFFALO BILLS TAILGATE PARTY TAILGATE BILLS BUFFALO SECRET THE AT TALES TALL CHASING 11 | Niagara This Week COM A | Thursday, July 11, 2019 niagarathisweek.com LINDA HARGREAVES LINDA NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT ot that it will matter. N James Culic is Niagara Culic is James ill have poisoned their ill have ill become quickly ground et walkway to the light- et walkway alk or ride their bikes. ecause within a few de- ouse was the worst ofouse the our was worst ades, every other country every ades, er wars. By then, long er we'll wars. reshwater supply with pol- reshwater NIAGARATHISWEEK.COM or the days when a when slightly or the days ution and the Lakes Great akefront problems. akefront w lighthouse since the walk- lighthouse several leading to it is way Right water. below inches just the lighthouse, it's now the water years but in a few could be nipping at levels dudes' the toes of these rich That's when doors. front something might get done waters about rising flood change. and climate B c w f l w zero for the impending wa- t f w h l this Week's regular weekly this Week's columnist, and he's not investing waterfront in soon. any time property can email him at jcul- You [email protected] or holler on Twitter @ja- mesculic. *Plus taxes and gratuities. Available daily 5-9 PM with beverage purchase. ou must clean up after Not knowing where Not knowing Y That's basically where That's basically my I rode This weekend here people where do not our dog, so surely you hould also have clean uphould af- also have er horses your or go some- all, horse poop is not small. I'm hoping from, they were seeing it in the paper might someone clean up prompt after them next time. y s t w of dollars to spinal cord re- to spinal cord of dollars did that but he only search, para- was after he himself inju- a spinal cord lyzed by a lot of good did Reeve ry. and his money helped work of our knowledge advance but he injuries, spinal cord money to any didn't donate until research spinal cord bene- it stood to personally fithim. with climate at are we people are change: rich from about to be thrown their high horse and will soon be scrambling to do something to stop the ris- from ing flood waters their swank drowning luxury homes. shore-front out to the infamous bike Abino Lighthouse, Point meant going which gated the private through community of the absurdly pris- that own who wealthy of our water- tine stretch levels Thefront. water higher noticeably are there than normal, to the point closed access to the they've James Culic/Torstar Though they were fun to Though they were They did the same last Nothing gets done until of horses were ridden down of horses were the Niagara along the path Parkway. the amount of poop watch, was they left on the path not nice to see. the next for and now year it is not fun to weeks few After on the pathway. walk squeaky wheel getssqueaky the wheel with wheel but the grease, bank ac- a seven-figure count gets and the grease finish,also a chrome spin- and a butler who ning rims, shines it twice daily. it benefits people in rich then they turn some way, heroes like and act around finallyfor something doing I al- about it. That's why Chris- kinda thought ways a jerk. was topher Reeve praised always Everyone millions donating him for ST. CATHARINES ST. GAIL BENJAFIELD A wonderful read. A wonderful a large group Recently, That's a good thing be- the down a drive Take LEAN UP AFTER HORSES oast. The same could be aid for Lake Ontario. aid Ontario. for Lake Lake Erie is slowly swallowing the Point Abino Lighthouse. the Point Erie is slowly swallowing Lake with love for a hardy activ- a hardy for with love also ist, of course, but was about the his- so informed tory of the places. C c s something will cause now finally get done about this That a bit sounds problem. harsh, but it's true. of Niagara's of one streets neighbourhoods rich fancy and count the number of notice; then potholes you do the same thing in a neighbourhood where class people live working can spot the and see if you the difference. They say CIALS 3751 MAIN ST, JORDAN, ON |

limate change has been The column was infused The column was Those of us who have Those of us who C Why? Because change Why? The and short long of it 905-562-9591 ental activists, tree hug- ental activists, an made changes to our iagara's sunny southern ntario aredangerously rie is getting bad enough igh and are causing flood- that's aow sign of bad ow Lake Erie Lake andow Lake ow, flooding along Lake ow, omeowners who live along live who omeowners eople But for decades. lah blah. bout climate change and dversely affectingdversely regular cosystem is a seriouscosystem dan- ounding the enviro-alarm hings to come and that hat it's posing problems for he wealthy lakefront he wealthy ng all across Niagara and |

lived in Niagara some for lived of the people time know mentioned and places the family lived, where in St. Catharines, whether or on Decew Vineland, Gib- Lake from across Road son, or beyond. written, and so revealing. written, and so revealing. m -turtle are gers, lovers s a h i h t m e h O t a p n E only happens when it suits happens when only do where people. And rich Along the people live? rich shoreline. is this: flooding along Lake Ontario's Erie and Lake the good for are shorelines in the long environment run. ger to our future and blah b t h N $9 MUSSELS $8 CHEESEBURGER & FRIES $9 FISH & CHIPS (1 PC)

JAMES JAMES CULIC Column DAILY SPE JORDANHOUSE.CA Tuesday Monday

Thursday

ots of people - environ- PINION

ETTERS TO THE EDITOR Carla Carlson's column Carlson's Carla Re. Mom livedRe. a full life, L If you took all the water If you

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TRIBUTE A BEAUTIFUL able life was beautifully able life was on her mother's remark- July: Niagara Farmers' Monthly, Farmers' Niagara limits are stretched. stretched. limits are what happens when those happens when what water those lakes hold, and those lakes water glimpse of just how much glimpse of just how summer is giving us a summer is giving ally comprehend. But this comprehend. ally it's kinda impossible to re- Great Lakes. So much that So much Lakes. Great There's a lot of water in the There's a lot of water depth of 30 centimetres. flood both continents to a South America, it would land mass of North and dumped it across the entire dumped it across out of Lake Superior, and Superior, out of Lake JAMES CULIC ACTION, WRITES WE'LL SEE CLIMATE INCONVENIENCED, HOMEOWNERS ARE HOMEOWNERS ONCE WATERFRONT RISING LAKE WATERS ARE GOOD FOR NIAGARA'S ENVIRONMENT NIAGARA'S GOOD FOR ARE WATERS LAKE RISING