WELCOME

This page has been put back the way it appeared on July 16, 2005. A corruption of the

apostrophe/quotation key added unreadable charachters and the whole page had to be

deleted. This is from the google "cache" on July 17, 2005.

July 16, 2005

After almost a year and a grand jury, Micah Stewart was charged with the murder of his girlfriend and mother of his then two-week-old daughter, Cortney Fry. What took so long? Why did they announce it yesterday?

“WAS THE MAYOR STEALING CABLE?” IS POSTED HERE.

WRITERS, TRAINS & PLAQUES

COMING

There are just going to be a few random thoughts today. I am gearing up for next week when there will be a major story on the Cortney Fry case, a major follow up on CableGate and a response will be due from my parents in the case of Holzinger v. Holzinger before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

BORN TO WRITE

I was thinking about Ted Byrne, the parking guy. He obviously is in the wrong profession. The man was born to write. And I did notice that on the Talkback board he listed his email address as “editor_writes”. What’s up with that, Ted? I’d love to give you a column here if you’d like. You can write about whatever your heart desires (no profanity and no pornography, though, just in case your heart might lean in that direction). Think about it. All that talent is going to waste. Forget about cars and 15 tour buses and seven story parking garages and nasty things of that ilk. Come write for me, Ted. I’ll buy you lunch and we’ll talk, okay? (Ted's rebuttal is here. )

WATCH YOUR WALLETS

Speaking of writers, Lancoyokel (who is this person? – everyone seems to know but me) has a good piece on the $5 million “gap” in the hotel/convention center here. And Artie See has some things to say about Commissioner Pete Shaub here.

TICKET TO RIDE

Please keep in mind that you are welcome to suggest candidates for the train out of Lancaster (see below). In fact, I enjoy it so much I will soon give the train its own page. I will also reveal where the train is going (hint to District Attorney Donald Totaro who sits on the prison board – you might want to do something about the prison assaults and food really fast).

HEADS WILL ROLL

Finally, I am both bewildered and depressed today. I have been told that the plaque on the police station can not be changed. Smithgall’s name will apparently be there forever. How is this possible? Who engineered this? Heads will roll. I will not be defeated. I will check with the best engineers in the country. I will scour this land for answers and be back to you. Hey, Ted, got any ideas?

JUSTICE FOR CORTNEY FRY

INVESTIGATE THE DA

As many readers of this website know, I’ve had a box at the top of this website for almost six months. When I took it down yesterday, I had changed it that morning to read “It’s been one-hundred and seventy days since the coroner released his autopsy on Cortney Fry.” I do not have time today to discuss the charge of murder brought against her boyfriend, Micah Stewart, yesterday. I will do a lengthy story next week, which will also be the one year anniversary of the day she “disappeared” (July 20, 2004). What I will say today, and expand upon in my article, is that an outside agency needs to come in and investigate the District Attorney’s office and their investigation of this case. An alleged murderer was left on the streets for almost a year. A family was in anguish. Donald Totaro, and the County Detectives that were involved in the case, need to be removed and possibly prosecuted. More later.

TED BYRNE’S REBUTTAL

CUTESY SCOUNDREL?

Ted Byrne, the Lancaster Parking Authority Chairman, wrote a rebuttal to my article “I Think Ted Is Lying” which is below on this website. His rebuttal is posted here. (I would seriously like to thank Ted for responding and I honestly do appreciate his open discussion about this topic on Talkback and here.)

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

“High Industries also has developed a proposal to move the state offices out of the city to its Greenfield Corporate Center. High submitted the proposal despite state requirements that the property be in a downtown area, Kane said.”

This is from this morning’s Intell article “State on lookout for city real estate.” High Industries, of course, is headed by Nevin Cooley of the Penn Square Partners who cares so much about downtown Lancaster and apparently thinks nothing of breaking state requirements. Get him on that train - now.

WHO SHOULD BE ON THE TRAIN WITH NEVIN COOLEY? DISTRICT ATTORNEY DONALD TOTARO & MAYOR SMITHGALL. WHERE IS THE TRAIN GOING?

Also Ted Byrne, the parking guy who never saw a seven story parking garage he didn’t like, sent LIP News a letter! It will be published here. (Ted, have you ever met Dr. Fraud?). See below this for his introduction.

PUT NEVIN D. COOLEY ON THE NEXT

TRAIN OUT OF LANCASTER!!!

This morning I ran Nevin Cooley’s quote about the mayor (below) and I was going to write about Mayor

Smithgall and cable theft and the District Attorney and the Lancaster Newspapers and the Penn Square

Partners. I will do that tomorrow. I would like to point out Cooley’s quote from yesterday’s New Era

article, “Partners refuse to help fill $5M gap” – “The public sector still has things they can do to create

more money for the project. Look under every stone.” The next train, Cooley…

“We have come a long way on this critical project. We could not have achieved the progress to date without the strong leadership of the Mayor…”

Nevin D. Cooley in a “Press Release” from Penn Square Partners dated June 13, 2005

THAT CUTESY SCOUNDREL BYRNE

(This email with the above heading, honest, was received from Ted on July 14, 2005. His rebuttal to the article immediately below will be printed here later today. This is his “introduction.” Ted, I think you are a national treasure.)

Hey… nice letter. I mean it. Even the headline. You, unlike too many others, do not just go off and call me some name (liar for example). You said “I think”… and that’s damn fair. I’d be pleased to post a rebuttal. BTW, I think you were even more fair and balanced (!) sending a link to the others sites so that readers might judge for themselves. I tell ya Becky, debate still lives in Lancaster, and yeah, I hope Rick takes me up on that luncheon offer – and I will pay for it. I’ve always liked the guy, and hope we will still respect one another when the race is over (not necessarily agree… but respect).

Ted

~ But, sigh, he’s very good at it ~

I THINK TED IS LYING

The purpose of the proposed seven-story parking garage for 732 cars and 15 buses is for the proposed hotel/convention center. The article in this morning’s Intell, “Gray opposes putting garage on W. King” by Dave Pidgeon even spells it out, “The properties [proposed for the garage] are within one block of a proposed hotel/convention center on Penn Square, a project expected to spark economic development in the city.”

Ted Byrne, chairman of the Lancaster City Parking Authority is quoted in the July 7, 2005 New Era article, “W. King site selected for 700-space parking garage” saying, “When the (convention center) flies, that will be nice, but we can’t take that into consideration,” he said. “This is separate from that.”

Sorry Ted, I don’t believe you. Why in the world do you need a seven story parking garage one block from Penn Square? (Do you realize how high a seven story building is?) Now Byrne and Mayor Smithgall have both been quoted as saying it is for Central Market. Excuse me? I was there on a Saturday several months ago and the first block of East King Street was empty. I had my choice of many spots to park. I was also on West King Street on a Friday about 1:00 p.m. and, again, I had my choice of many places to park.

Byrne posted this on Talkback this morning, “These are neighborhoods teeming with stores, restaurants, nightclubs and opportunities. They are the heart of downtown’s pulsebeat.” Cleverly written, Ted, but I think teeming is pushing it – and as for night life, when I was there it was pretty much dead and again, there was all kinds of on-street parking available on a Saturday night.

Ted is also quoted on WGAL-TV’s website saying, “We fully anticipate that this will bring significant numbers of new people to town.” I have never known a parking garage to bring new people or any people to a town. Hey mom, can we go look at the seven story parking garage that’s empty today?

On top of everything else, in the New Era article cited above it says, “The authority has worked out a financial deal to build the garage soon and pay later. Byrne acknowledged that the authority is currently in debt. It pays $1.5 million annually in debt payments.”

Now I praised Byrne on Sunday for coming onto Talkback and defending the garage proposal in a public forum. Since then Ted has posted and posted and posted and posted and gotten just a little too cutesy. And, sorry Ted, I’m not buying it. This seven story monster is for the hotel/convention center. And that is not going to happen. So we don’t need your garage and more debt.

In response to Democratic Mayoral candidate Rick Gray’s comments against the garage in this morning’s Intell, Byrne posted this on Talkback, “Heck, I’ll even treat to a lunch. We were friends before this election…I hope we will be afterward. A passionate public airing of responsible disagreements among knowledgable(sic) people is exactly what allows a community to prosper.” Are you running for something, Ted? Take him up on it Rick – just make sure he pays and not the Parking Authority – they have enough debt.

“Gray opposes putting garage on W. King” is here.

“W. King site selected for 700-space parking garage” is here.

The WGAL-TV article is here.

CENSORED

A very scary thing happened yesterday afternoon on the Lancaster Newspaper’s “Talkback” board and it is indicative of what is going on in Lancaster. Shortly after the New Era article, “3 wounded in drive-by city shooting” was posted, three Talkbackers posted messages. One noted that this flew in the face of Mayor Smithgall’s claims of reduced crime. A second said with sarcasm that attendees of the convention center/hotel could have a dinner and a show and a third posted “A plus for the convention center!” All three were simply removed with no explanation. Posters then came on questioning the deletions and those posts were deleted as well. The thread was then closed, again with absolutely no explanation.

One of the well known posters who had her message deleted started a separate thread “Message censured” and wrote, “How can LNP claim it is not biased in the Convention Center reporting? I feel that LNP does not practice freedom of speech and press.” In response, a poster said, “On your freedom of speech line, this is a private message board, they can do whatever they want.”

Yes, it is a “private” message board but it is operated by newspapers, the backbone of freedom of speech. They make advertising money from the board, and if they want people to continue to use it, they need to stop the selective censorship. Otherwise, people will move on to a different board they can trust.

The Lancaster Newspaper/hotel/convention center/Mayor Smithgall connection is really just downright scary at this point. The newspapers and the District Attorney should be investigating whether Mayor Smithgall was stealing cable. Instead, the District Attorney’s office has brought a defiant trespass charge against Dan Messimer, the “cable guy.” This is just a disgrace.

Tomorrow, there will be a look at who can and who will investigate the mayor for cable theft.

Comcast’s Cash Machine

A key measure of success in the cable TV business is operating cash flow – the amount of cash retained by the business after it pays its expenses (including interest and the principal on its financing).

In billions:

2004 - $5.9

2003 - $2.9

2002 - $2.4

2001 - $1.6

2000 - $1.2

The Inquirer's reporter’s blog on Comcast is here.

(Source – The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, July 10, 2005)

CHECK BACK LATER TODAY…

“WAS THE MAYOR STEALING CABLE?” IS POSTED HERE.

There will be much more on this story all this week. In an Intell article this morning, “Mendoza calls City Council walkout ‘orchestrated’” the final sentence reads, “The mayor and his cable provider, Comcast have denied those allegations.” Comcast has not denied the allegations and what do you think the mayor is going to say? Is this a newspaper and are you a reporter, Dave Pidgeon? Ask the mayor for his bills. How hard is that? And, as for the walkout, Artie See (see below) who was there posted, “…it was obvious that the walkout was planned.”

“GET A LIFE”

Artie See, one of the most knowledgeable and hardest working people on the hotel/convention center, has posted a copy of an email from Molly Henderson to Charlie Smithgall explaining why the commissioners have taken a stand against the project on his website, www.lookingatlancaster.com. It is very important. Please go there to read it. Artie also has a sense of humor. Under this week’s (snooze) “Coffee with Clyde” column, Artie posted this, “And while he’s at it, Mr. Hennigan needs to give serious thought to getting a life.”

SO SMART!

So, Smart, I see you began your column with “so” again this week. You did this on purpose to hurt me. I recently pointed out that Smart had begun two columns in a row with “so.” This makes three in a month. Enough Smart! Learn how to write. Apparently Rick Santorum has learned since your column talks about a book he has written. If Santorum can do it, I’m sure you can too.

IMPORTANT DATES THIS WEEK

There are a number of important events coming up this week, some serious, some fun. They are:

$6.8 MILLION FOR A $1.25 MILLION BUILDING?

Tuesday, July 12^th at 9:00 a.m. - April Koppenhaver’s lawsuit against the Redevelopment Authority’s purchase of the Watt & Shand Building continues in the court room of Judge Joseph Madenspacher on the third floor of the courthouse in court room number 2. April formed the www.lancasterfirst.org group.

JUST SAY “NAY”

Wednesday, July 13 at 7:00 p.m. – The Lancaster County Convention Center Authority meets in the Southern Market Center. Artie See of www.lookingatlancaster.com urges opponents of the convention center to show up. With the recent revelation that the hotel/convention center is $5,000,000 over budget with half of the plans reviewed, this meeting becomes extremely important.

THE DEMOCRATS MEET THE SHARKS!

Friday, July 15 at 5:00 p.m. – The Lancaster County Democrats will sponsor an old-fashioned “Family Picnic at the Ballgame” at the Clipper Magazine Stadium. The all-you-can-eat buffet will include BBQ chicken, hotdogs, hamburgers, corn-on-cob desserts and soda. The price also includes the Barnstormers game against the Camden River Sharks. The first 2000 fans through the gate will receive free Yingling Sunvisors. Tickets are limited and available by calling or visiting Democratic Headquarters at 53 N. Duke Street, phone # 299-5701 or by email at lcdchq@epix.net.. The price is $35 for adults, $31 for children aged 6-12 and $25 for children under 6.

Please note the price includes the all-you-can-eat buffet and game and also supports the Democrats. Someone correct me if I’m wrong here, but I believe there has never been a Democratic Judge elected in Lancaster County. That is hard to believe and can be corrected by electing Samuel Mecum this year, not to mention electing Rick Gray as mayor! Both are featured in the true article, “The Krushinski Scandal” on this website and which is posted here.

PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL

July 12-16 at Thaddeus Stevens School Athletic Field – This is listed on Rick Gray’s site, www.grayformayor.com, and I will try to get more information and find out when Rick will be there.

~ STOP THE HOTEL/CONVENTION CENTER - NOW! ~

SMOKE AND MIRRORS

The only thing to say about the hotel/convention center project is “Stop!” Stop, now. “The 2-year-old Hilton Scranton & Conference Center will be put on the auction block as early as September, a move that comes after the hotel’s creditors moved Wednesday to foreclose on the property.” The entire article from The Times-Tribune is here. (Thank you to a Talkback poster.) The lancoyokel also has a good look at the situation here. Please, stop this now!

PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER…

“GOOD GRAVY WOMAN”

(Ted Byrne, Chairman of the Lancaster Parking Authority, on Talkback)

BULLETIN: CONVENTION CENTER COST UP $5 MILLION

This highly unusual bulletin was posted on Lancaster Online last night right before WGAL-TV announced it on air. The article is here. Please also go to www.lookingatlancaster.com for commentary. This makes Wednesday’s LCCCA meeting extremely important. I will follow up on a possible protest against the convention center on the “First Friday” in August or a Saturday during Market hours.

GOOD GRAVY WOMAN!

Ted Byrne, the Chairman of the Lancaster Parking Authority, went on Talkback to answer questions about the proposed new 700 space parking garage in the first block of West King Street. Mr. Byrne appears to be something very rare in Lancaster, a public official who is intelligent, knows his subject, is not afraid to speak out and even has a sense of humor. And I, personally, enjoy a good gravy. Wow! The article and the Talkback is here.

COMING TOMORROW – THE DAY DAN MESSIMER (“THE CABLE GUY”) SAYS HE FOUND AN ILLEGAL CABLE HOOK-UP TO MAYOR SMITHGALL’S HOUSE

FREE THE CABLE GUY

Dan Messimer, the “cable guy” will plead “Not Guilty” this afternoon to the charge of defiant trespass brought against him by Mayor Smithgall. There will be full details here this weekend as well as an in-depth article on Sunday on the day Dan says he discovered an illegal Comcast cable connection to the mayor’s house. The “Free the Cable Guy” page is here.

(Dan noted today in a phone call that this website takes a long time to load. That is strictly because of the length of this front page and this weekend I will move information to inside pages and the site will load much faster. Please be patient.)

Please also see the new article directly below on my appeal to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

~ The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ~

THANK YOU, DAVID

Nice people don’t sexually molest their children. That thought would start me on a two year investigation of my parents and my family. And what I found was extremely ugly. This has been a life altering experience. I had to start over again at close to 50 years old. I’ve had to throw out everything I ever thought and believed. It is the most painful journey you can imagine.

I would like to thank my lawyer, David Dessen of www.dms-lawyer.com. I worked with David professionally and I hesitated to contact him regarding a personal matter. In desperation, I finally did. I told him it couldn’t be done. I’d been told about the Supreme Court decision in Dalrymple over and over again. David never hesitated. He never questioned my story. He filed a Writ of Summons the day after we met. He asked how this has changed my life. I didn’t have the words to express it.

On July 5, 2005, David Dessen filed a “Petition for Allowance of Appeal” to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in the case of Holzinger v. Holzinger. I will print the entire appeal here next week, but today I am printing the “Conclusion.” Please note that IIED stands for the tort of Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress.

Thank you, David.