THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS FAIR FREE OCT 14 - OCT 22, 2014 VOL. 15, NO. 40 FREE New Operator Arrives With Baggage but Promises Field of Dreams 2 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER OCT 14 - OCT 22, 2014 New Sal Maglie Operator Ward Has Checkered Past in Arena Football Mike Hudson and Frank Parlato “Every saint has a past, and every sinner a future,” author and playright Oscar Wilde once said, and he could have been talking about Ray Ward, whose proposal to operate Sal Maglie Stadium was, according to Mayor Paul Dyster, the only one received by the city. Completely rebuilt in 1999 under the direction of former Mayor James Galie, who hoped to see it become the home of a minor league baseball team, , Sal Maglie Stadium has fallen into disrepair over the years. Operated by the Niagara Falls City School District primarily for use by its sports teams, the peeling paint and broken seats speak for themselves. A bank of night game lights, struck by lightning three years ago, still hasn’t been repaired. Looking to cut costs, the school dis - trict gave the stadium back to the city, Ray Ward (4th from left) with members of his Mobile Bay Tarpons. Coach Willie Gaston 3rd from left. which then set about trying to find an op - erator. pay for field time no matter where bile, Ala., where he bought a franchise concerned, the victories were bitter - Enter Ray Ward, 42, a Wheatfield they’re playing, could make operating in the Southern Indoor Football League sweet. resident and youth baseball enthusiast Sal Maglie a break even proposition. for the Mobile Bay Tarpons. “Nobody got paid,” he said. “And who saw the facility as an answer to a And the sale of food and soft drinks – “I had a heart attack, went through a this was even after Ward pressured prayer. Ward is a restaurateur by profession – kind of midlife crisis, and I felt like I everyone to get their families to buy sea - “You’ve got a stadium where just might enable him to turn a profit on needed to get out and chase a dream,” he son ticket packages.” Johnny Bench played, Rick Honeycutt the operation. said. Travis Barber was a player. He said pitched, one that saw thousands of pro - “I’m an advocate of youth base - From the start, things did not go about a week before the first game the fessional baseball games over the years,” ball,” Ward said. “That’s what I’m doing well. Ward had about $125,000, nowhere players were asked if they could buy Ward told the Niagara Falls Reporter. here.” near enough to launch a professional their own equipment, and that’s when he “What kid wouldn’t want to play there? Anywhere else this would be a sim - sports franchise. knew it was time to cut ties. But until now, the only ones who got the ple, heartwarming story. But this is Ni - Tarpons head coach Willie Gaston "Everybody wanted it so bad,” Bar - chance were those on the high school agara Falls, where things are rarely said that he and players on the team were ber said. "… there really was a lot of … team.” heartwarming and never simple. becoming increasingly suspicious even effort from the players and coaches, but Ward said that a combination of Back in 2011, Ward sold Ray's San - before the first game of the season. they all got burned. Ray Ward took them elbow grease, sponsorships and contri - born Pizzeria on Saunders Settlement “He seemed like a genuine guy, and for a ride.” butions from the youth leagues, which Rd, and took the proceeds down to Mo - I always thought an arena football team Barber said Ward may have started would work in Mobile,” Gaston told the out with good intentions, but "got in over Reporter. “I signed a contract for the sea - his head” and instead of taking respon - son at $10,000 and never saw a dime of sibility, he just "bailed out and ran.” it.” "Ray Ward had no money.” Gaston NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER Gaston, who was an All Conference said. “But Ray was a smooth talker. He “The Truth is Always Fair” defensive back at the University of Ala - made us believe we didn’t have anything bama and went on to play for the Hous - to worry about.” CHAIRMAN & EDITOR IN CHIEF ton Oilers of the NFL, said Ward showed Meantime, as the season progressed, up in a beat up jalopy and made calls pressure mounted. Frank Parlato using a flip phone held together with Rent to Mitchell Arena where the duct tape. Tarpons played had not been paid, and PUBLISHER “He was slick though. He made a totaled $30,000. Peter Mio killing down here,” Gaston said. Ward said that the league misled him The team’s first two games augured on the price, and dimensions of the sta - MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR well. Home field upsets of the estab - dium were actually 10 yards too small Dr. Chitra Selvaraj Tony Farina lished Georgia and Abilene teams had for the team to play regulation games. the fans in Mobile excited, if a little con - Gaston said that on the day of the (716) 284-5595 fused. team’s third game, a road game again PHONE: One fan, Ronald Broughton, who against Abilene, Ward told him he P.O. Box 3083, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14304 purchased season tickets, said he knew needed to go back to New York in order Phone: E-mail: [email protected] something was amiss when the credit to raise money to keep the Tarpons run - Website: www.niagarafallsreporter.com card transaction appeared on his state - ning. It would be the last time he would ment as a purchase at a Ward’s New ever see the man who had hired him. All contents copyright © 2014 Niagara Falls Reporter Inc. York pizzeria. The road trip was a disaster. The bus As far as Gaston and the team were the team was given to make the 12 hour 3 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER OCT 14 - OCT 22, 2014 Ward has vision for ‘Sal’ that includes little leagues When the Reporter asked Ward why "Sal (Maglie Stadium) needs a lot of he didn't rebut the harsh criticism that work. It's not like it needs millions of appeared in the local Mobile media at dollars worth of work. The painting of the time, Ward said he had, as a part of the façade, that’s probably the most ex - his contract with Turner, a "gag order" pensive part; the concessions stands are that prevented him from talking about right up there with it but that's what I the sale, which, he said, was for the sum do…. fix up restaurants. I just think if of $10,000. you keep a good product on the field Some of what Ward claims is backed (concession). We will have homemade up by the fact that the SIFL apparently pizza and pretzels. The more comfort - thought Turner bought the team from able you make people, the easier it is to Ward since a letter was sent by SIFL get them to spend money…. I think Sal commissioner Gary Tufford to some 600 is a great venue. It's a missing thing in season ticket holders, saying that Turner Niagara Falls. I think, just focus on Sal (not Ward) should be contacted if they and what it can do for some kids. Since wanted a refund on their season tickets. the early thirties it has created memories; Turner told Lagniappe that the SIFL local baseball is fading and baseball is spent weeks "drawing up paperwork” affordable especially for Niagara Falls… but ultimately the SIFL could not come . Guess what's a cheap sport to play? up with satisfactory terms and Turner de - Baseball. You need a glove, a bat…. clined ownership. "I’d like to see Sal succeed; it de - Sal Maglie Stadium would be a premier place for little leagues.... This went on behind the scenes. serves to succeed; that place is gorgeous. drive had no bathrooms and no air con - did, that the league was falling apart and Publically Ward took all the blame. I don't care what anybody says…. I ditioning. The team was miserable. After he probably thought 'let Ray Ward take Which brings us back to baseball know what kids are playing in… Sal is being beaten badly by the Abilene squad, the blame.'" and Niagara Falls., better. they reluctantly boarded the bus for the At the time, the media was blaming “Look. I’m just trying to save Sal "Right now I have over 100 games ride back to Mobile. Ward. Maglie Stadium,” Ward told the Re - tentatively scheduled. I have 13- 16 year And the bus immediately broke Lagniappe writer, Johnny Davis porter. “I’ve learned from (the Mobile olds that are going to travel out of down. wrote of Ward back in May 17, 2011, experience)... I’ve got a conscience. I felt there… existing travel (little league “We didn’t get back to Mobile until when the team was falling apart: bad about it for a long time and I still feel baseball) organizations that didn't have late Monday,” Gaston said. “Guys got "He came, he saw, and it appears he bad about it. But you live and learn.” a home. Two teams are from fired from their regular jobs. How are screwed us over. You name ‘em ... it Ward said that at Sal Maglie, he will Tonawanda; one from Amherst.