JUNE 3 - JUNE 9, 2000
JUNE 9, 2K
O.J. Simpson, go away!
Good morning. It is 59.4 degrees at 5:59 A.M.
Is it spelled niger or nigger? Myself, I always preferred the two
"g's" but that doesn't make it right.
I know that is a pretty tasteless way to start today's article, especially when you
consider that the Ku Klux Klan is having a rally tomorrow on the steps of the Warren
County Court House. But that word that has been used for many, many years to describe
black people, both by whites and blacks themselves, seems all too appropriate this
morning, especially when we are suddenly being treated to news clips about Mr. Simpson and
his most recent antics.
Some of you might want to call me a racist because I opened with the famous "n
word." Have at it. I am not a racist. I am an equal opportunity hater.
I hate everyone equally, especially when they show their ignorance and try to hide it;
or, in many cases are too ignorant to know that they are ignorant. And that starts with
the boys in the white sheets who will be using the freedoms in the Constitution to spew
out their hate. If there are niggers anywhere, then they will be on the steps of the Court
House wearing the sheets.
Years ago when I was in the Chicago area I worked with and had a very good friend,
Alexander Poole, III. Al was a black man and he was my friend. Al was not a nigger and
neither was the lovely Stephanie who lived with him. Al was my golfing partner. We played
at the predominately black South Shore Country Club right on the shore of Lake Michigan.
In fact, Al and I finished in third place in the Annual Budweiser South Shore Open one
year, behind former Chicago Bears Gayle Sayers and Willie Hollman. Ironically that day, I
was the only white person playing.
My son and Al's son, Al Poole IV played together.
They played together in Chicago in the playground near South 56th Street and they
played together in the suburban white playground around the corner from my house. That was
1979 and eyebrows were raised quite a bit in both neighborhoods. Today, it would not be
such a big thing, but twenty-one years ago it was something else.
Al and Stephanie stayed at my house. My neighbors didn't care much for the idea, but I
didn't care about what they thought much, either. And I stayed at Al and Stepahnie's
apartment. Even beyond that, Al and I shared a room when we traveled out of town for
training.
Once, in a black club in far south Chicago, Al said to some friends of his who were
questioning our friendship that I ".....was white, but I had the heart of a black
man." I quickly corrected him. "I have the heart of a man," I said.
"Color and race has nothing to do with it." It must have been a good answer
because the people we were with accepted me the rest of the evening and well on into the
early morning of the next day.
Ironically, that night I heard the word nigger thrown around quite a bit. It was
usually when the people I was with were describing some ignorant person that they did not
much care for. Pretty much the way I described the KKK'ers. White niggers!
And I suppose there are Polish niggers, Italian niggers, Irish niggers, English
niggers, and German niggers, too. If that is true then there must be Jewish niggers and
Catholic niggers, also. Now, who have I left out? Oh yes, there are the sand niggers, too.
Now keep in mind, that when I refer to a group, I am not referring to a group. I am
referring to individuals who distinguish themselves with their ignorance within that
group. And besides, it is only a word.
And if it is only a word, then the antics and the spotlight grabbing of the criminally
acquitted murderer, but civilly convicted murderer, may well apply to him if it ever
applied to anyone.
Calling his former sister-in-law as she is appearing on a talk show was ignorant and
tasteless. It was and he didn't care because it would get his name out in front of all of
us. That is what he craves. He doesn't care what we think of him, just so we do.
Well, O.J. I didn't like you as a football player and I haven't much liked you as a
celebrity. I certainly don't like you as a man and really, I wish you would go away
somewhere so we all could forget about you and what you did. You took up too much of our
time with your crimes and regardless of what the first jury said, we all know you did it.
The only question I have is who helped you?
Your comments are welcome at editor@mlrmag.com.
JUNE 8, 2K
Being judged by the company you keep
Good morning. It is 54.9 degrees at 6:10 A.M.
I have been notified of Prom Queen sittings for almost the entire past week.
The phone answering service for the Mountain Laurel Review has been filled with
messages every day and as I travel around people come up to me and say that they have seen
her. Big Deal!
I have taken the time to try and answer all the wonderful people who want to keep me
informed. I am writing this column so maybe the ones who didn't know and when they
did would certainly want to notify me when they did, won't.
However, when you do see her, and I am certain that you will, then you should say hello
to her and maybe ask her some questions.
Ask her: "Where are you staying while you are in town?"
Ask her: "Where did you spend last weekend?"
Those are the fun ones for openers.
Now keep in mind that I must be very careful as I write this. The Prom Queen has
already sued me once (What was that for? Was it three or was it five million dollars? Did
she really think her reputation was worth that much?). I don't think we need a repeat of
that.
And, I had better be very careful not to mention any drugs like cocaine in the same
sentence with her name - she alleged that I made a reference to her "packing"
and that in her mind was cocaine and she said that in interviews about her suit
against me. I wonder where she got that idea? I did not mention cocaine or any other
illegal drugs in that piece, just as this piece is not about cocaine or illegal drugs of
any kind. I really do wonder where that came from?
I don't know!
However, when I was growing up as a boy in Pittsburgh, I came home one day with a kid
named Nicky.
Now keep in mind that my dad was the Chief of Police and he had been involved in
raiding various places in our community that were trafficking in things like gambling,
prostitution, and even worse things. She had gone to the great extent of putting me and my
brother in the Catholic Schools so we would be removed from the seamier sides of life as
long as possible. She just never considered that the "bosses" in Pittsburgh had
the same idea for their kids.
And while the son of the man who controlled all the gambling in Pittsburgh and all the
way up to Buffalo was one of my very close friends and was accepted in my home, Nicky
wasn't. I was told to never bring him back and then I was told why.
Junior, his dad alleged to be involved in gambling, was different from Nicky, whose dad
was alleged to be involved in drugs. Even Junior's dad didn't approve of Nicky's dad and
he did not want the son of that man in his house either. Junior reinforced that when I
asked him and at the age of thirteen I was rapidly making a differentiation in the degree
of crime and the certain involvement that even the crime families (not saying that any
such thing existed then or does now) had and how they viewed themselves.
That was something that I always kept and as I grew to be an adult and as Junior and I
kept our friendship, we have even spoken about it.
"Buddy," Junior would say. "You are judged by the company you
keep."
"Our mothers told us that," I said back to him.
And it was just as true as he told me as it was then as our sainted and wonderful
mothers tried to beat it into our thick skulls.
So, when an individual has a family member who has a criminal record for drugs, doesn't
that stain rub off on the entire family?
And, when someone spends time with and stays overnight in the home of someone named in
a local drug task force investigation as one of the dealers in a town, wouldn't that rub
off, too?
I don't know. Maybe I am wrong and way off base. Maybe.
But what does that have to do about anything? This is not about cocaine. This is about
all the wonderful people who have called me and asked if she is in town about the lawsuit
and what is going on with it? And to them and now to you I give the same answer.
The lawsuit was dismissed as being groundless and incompetent.
I also go farther. I say that if they want to know what the Prom Queen is doing here,
they should ask her. And at the same time I tell them all to ask her one question for me.
I tell them to ask:
"What ever happened to all that money we were supposed to make when we borrowed
$24 million?"
Do any of you remember that? That was the beginning of our ever increasing school taxes
and she was right in the center of it. That proves what I always say when I say over and
over that the people get the government they deserve. She is living proof of that, now and
then.
But people have short memories about those things and our three commissioner know and
are counting on that. Instead, people would rather talk about things like sex and that was
evidenced when one of her alleged former lovers began going on about her. That was
something I really didn't need to know and wish I never did. Oh well all we can hope is
she goes back to Florida and soon. I fear that she just might stay and then what would I
do?.
Comments are welcome at editor@mlrmag.com.
JUNE 7, 2K
Bits, pieces, and bad taste
Good morning. It is 46.0 degrees and very foggy at 5:49 A.M.
Yesterday, a Main Street merchant mentioned how transparent Jim Weaver
was over the Wal-Mart issue. I asked him if he had read the column - he hadn't, and I went
into my spiel about why Wal-Mart would be out of their minds to even consider this place.
The Erie news today was running the story about Wal-Mart putting in a super store at
the I-79 interchange in Edinboro. They had 75 acres of prime land and the store is
scheduled to open in 2001. The borough council was unanimously behind it as were the
people of the area. And, not one of the County Commissioners were adversely affected.
How many acres are there in Foster Township? What major highway like I-79 is it near?
And oh yes, don't you think Wal-Mart loves all this publicity?
Another person I spoke to said the whole thing was good. He had a point. At
least now we know what it takes to get Jim Weaver to do anything besides raising our taxes
and his pay at the same time.
And finally, another who was at the meeting commented on how Weaver was out of control
over this issue.
"What do you expect?" I asked back. "It is on his door step."
"Yeah!" the person said sarcastically. "He points out he has lived in
his home for 46 years and when progress threatens that, he says no. Just wait until
someone wants to put a factory in someone else's neighborhood. He will be the first to say
the greater good for the greater number out weighs the needs or wants of one or two."
I nodded in agreement. He was right on target about Jim.
And then there was the discussion at the Monday meeting about the Sena Kean
roof.
I was reminded that when it was first announced that a new roof for Sena Kean would
cost $250,000 that I said: "If Al Pingie is involved, that roof will get to $600,000
real fast. It appears that it took exactly three months to grow to the figure I originally
predicted.
Now, reading the Error on line, this is a five year plan. What happens when
the roof starts caving in two years from now? Will the price go up? It would seem to me
that doing it all now would be cheaper than doing it over five years. But then we must ask
ourselves, are they really telling the truth about the Capital Reserve Fund? Wouldn't it
be great to get a new Attorney General and have him investigate what really happened with
the money.
Finally, there was the little quarter page ad taken out by BRADFORD WINDOW CO.,
alleged window experts, in The Error yesterday.
The crux of it was a shot at Tom Riel and his competing McKean Window Company. Claiming
that they have never been affiliated with the McKean Window Company, Tom Riel, or
"Club Bradford," Holly and Kevin Frederico for some reason feel they are making
some kind of statement. What statement would that be?
As far as nude clubs, Holly, someone I know personally and alleged to be quite a
swinger in her day, should not throw stones at anyone. And then there is Kevin and the
history that goes with his family. My God! What is this all about?
The picture of the man in the Public Notice didn't even look like Tom - was it supposed
to be Kevin? If he had a beard I would be led to believe it was me, but he didn't.
Actually, I think the guy is supposed to be the poor reader who is asking: "What the
hell is this all about?" Or maybe he was one of the bystanders at the Memorial Day
Parade wondering what David Souder was doing. Who knows?
All I know is that the ad was a tremendous waste of money and if the Fredericos
have that much money to waste on stupidity, then they must have a very large mark up in
their windows. Maybe they are "the window experts" they claim to be if
they have that much money to waste in The Bradford Error.
Your comments are welcome at editor@mlrmag.com.
JUNE 6, 2K
This column has no title
Good morning at 6:05 A.M. and a chilly and damp 50.4 degrees.
It has no title because there are so many for it so I chose not to name it.
Really, it could be Don't take a knife to a gunfight. It could be because as I
read the Error on the net this morning I got a vivid picture of a blustering, red
faced Jim
Weaver taking on the inferior Foster Township Supervisors over the alleged Wal-Mart. Jim,
an old politician, obviously came equipped to dismantle them and from the sound of the
article, indeed did. If the supervisors want to develop property in the township, they
should at least know what they are talking about first. They apparently don't.
At the same time once more I go back to Bill Belitskus who petitioned the Commissioners
right after we took office in 1996 and pointed out irregularities and illegalities in the
chipper mill that went in across the road from his house. Weaver at that time called
Belitskus "a nut." Keeping that in mind, this column could be called Not in
my front yard you don't!
That title is very appropriate because the back of the store, if it was located there
by some lapse in economic judgement by Wal-Mart, would be right in Jim's face every time
he opened his front door. It would be kind of like Bill trying to sit in his living room
when the mill was going ker- thump, ker-thump, ker-thump, ker-thump all day long, but not
exactly on the same scale.......eh?
And that brings me to the title Much ado about nothing!
Why would Wal-Mart choose that location in the first place? Are they stupid? Are they
nuts? Is K-Mart doing so good that the chain of stores would fail if they didn't capture
the immediate and local market of the thriving metropoli of the Borough of Bradford and
Foster Township? I hardly believe so.
Anyone with half a brain, and that certainly excludes the Foster Township Supervisors
both individually and collectively, would believe that a successful chain and marketing
organization like Wal-Mart has to be looking at Coudersport right next door in Potter
County.
Potter County is so much more attractive than McKean County. It is because of one
thing. Taxes! Taxes! Taxes! Taxes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Jim Weaver who denied he was, was the
major proponent of that.
Wal-Mart when it does come to an area is in for the long haul. Ten years of free taxes,
while nice, means nothing to them. They are twenty and thirty year organizations and they
look down the road. With McKean County and the Bradford Area School District so poorly
managed financially and no promise of that changing soon, no business, let alone a
Wal-Mart, would even consider moving here. For that reason, I could have named this column
Get a grip on reality.
Certainly the Foster Township Supervisors and Jim Weaver need to do that. Kane is a
better location for a Wal-Mart than the Borough of Bradford or Foster Township. Heck! For
that matter, Marshburg is a better location than any of them.
From the top of this hill it would draw Warren, Kane, the Borough and the Townships.
The old gun club is an excellent location. Of course we did at one time have a tentative
promise for the Marshburg Dome from Governor Ridge - but he hasn't kept any of his other
campaign promises, so why would he keep that one? The Dome is just another one of those
deals like referendums for our School Budgets like they have in New York State. With that
in mind we could name this column The Best of Intentions or Broken Promises.
But the reality of all of this is what this column should and really is about. The
reality of it all is what really matters. And the reality is what the Jim Weavers and the
three dummies masquerading as supervisors along with the rest of us seem to be missing.
I am oh so correct when I say Wal-Mart would not and won't come here. That is the
reality of it. And even more in reality of it all is that we are a sixth rate county that
boasts some of the highest taxes in the state and nation and seem to think we need to
compete with the big boys when we cannot.
We have governments that belong in places like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, not up here
in the woods.
We have debts for our schools that are in excess of districts that have larger
enrollments than we have for a combined population.
We have leaders who are not leaders and have no idea of where or how we are going to
get anywhere for even the next week let alone any planning farther down the road than a
year or so.
And then there are the "fathers" who like everything the way it is. Don't
forget them. And as I remember I think of all the William Faulkner novels I loved for so
many, many years. We are kind of like any one and all of them. Just us poor ole folks
doin' what we have always been doin' - gettin' by. And the big daddies are up there in the
fancy mansions pullin the strings and seeing to it that we have just what we need, nuthin
more, nuthin less. Yezz Sir!
Your comments are welcome at editor@mlrmag.com.
JUNE 5, 2K
Points To Ponder BY TOM CLARK
I apologize to Bud and my faithful readers for taking a week off from my column. I was
chosen to portray Jesus Christ in Bradford's Memorial Day parade and needed time to
develop my character. I had the "walking on water" trick down pat and was fairly
convincing with the healing thing.
It came time for the parade and I had my costume on. I must say that I looked and acted
like "da Man". Then, some guy showed up with a cordless DeWalt drill and said we
had to authenticate the role and would I please hold out my palms. That's when I drew the
line and bowed out.
I'm sorry to let down the many people who lined the streets to see me in my greatest
acting role. But, at least I had a chance to slug down a bottle of red wine and party with
these twelve really cool guys. I never caught their last names, but Luke and John were a
hoot.
On to other stuff:
Last week's Indy 500 saw the first time that two women were in the field. As luck would
have it, they crashed into each other about halfway through the race. Sounds like a scene
right out of Tops parking lot. This should set the hyphenated women's movement back a few
laps.
If the police are going to crack down on drivers who don't wear seatbelts, let's take
it one step further. What about these people who let their dogs ride in their lap while
driving? This is far more dangerous than anyone using a cell phone while driving. I saw a
lady the other day with one of those little kickable - type poodles right up
in her face. She couldn't possibly see out the window and barely in front of her. If I
were a cop, I would have given her a ticket and shot the dog.
Am I the only one left on the planet who thinks that "Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire" really sucks? This has to be the most drawn out, boring show I've ever
seen. The kicker is that it comes on right after Jeopardy! around here. That's like
showing a Little League game as the second game of a Major League doubleheader.
According to statistics published by the Bureau of National Affairs, the Buffalo -
Niagara Falls metro area ranks first in the nation for union membership. The rate of
membership, 27,3 percent of all workers, is nearly double the national average of 14
percent. And they wonder why they have a hard time getting companies to locate there.
Pennsylvania State Representative Tom Dulce, R - Bucks County, is facing vehicular
homicide charges for a hit - and - run death last July. His attorneys are saying there is
no evidence that he committed the crime, even though Dulce admitted that he thought he ran
over a sign, not a person. Another case of a drunken, arrogant public figure trying to
weasel out of what is coming to him. You have to feel for his victim's family, knowing
that politics will probably win out over justice.
The space shuttle Atlantis just returned from a very successful repair mission on board
the International Space Station. Now it's the Russian's turn to take another section up in
July. The Rooskies turned out to be like a loser brother - in - law that talked you into
opening a business with him. Always broke and never showing up when you need him. Their
next launch was supposed to be two years ago and has held up our own space program.
The borough of Bradford is buzzing with rumors that Wal-Mart is coming to town. If the
people in power in Bradford Township were smart they would have been tugging on the shirt
tails of the Wal-Mart guys.Bradford Township offers the best locations for a store along
the South Avenue/219 corridor.
Some of the locals are complaining that a Wal-Mart will wipe out many of the small
store owners. I have one word - bummer. Times change and if they cannot survive, then so
be it. Remember stores like Silverbergs, Sunshine Market, Crawfords and every other corner
grocery store? Time passed them by when they were unable or, moreso, unwilling to compete
and the same fate will probably happen for the merchants who sit back and feel sorry for
themselves. A business associate of mine
recently bought a new copier at Staples in Olean for a third of what she was quoted by two
Bradford stores. It's all about offering the best goods and services at the best price.
The new clock on Main Street is mighty spiffy, and honors three of Bradford's greatest
citizens. It's too bad that they set the time two minutes slow. I have the Stewart
Mechanical time/temp clock set to the official World Time.
Have you heard any good Marilyn Horne jokes lately?
Lycos, an internet search engine service, publishes a weekly Top 50 list of the most
searched topics. The top five last week were, in order, Pokemon, Britney Spears,
Dragonball, Eminem and WWF. Tattoos came in sixth, followed by Pamela Anderson eighth and
Marijuana at 14th. The Bible was the 21st most searched topic, nearly missing the 20th
spot, held by The Simpsons. At least the Bible beat out Golf, which came in at 25th.
Last week, I saw someone on South Center Street having a yard sale. Shouldn't they be
required to give all proceeds back to the taxpayers who support their lazy asses?
Pennsylvania Tourism Week was the third week in May. Why would they choose that week
when it wasn't even tourist season yet? There were billboards scattered about proclaiming
the big event. My favorite Pennsylvania Tourism Week billboard was in New York state, just
as you cross the line on 219 heading out of PA. It's a shame that the Marilyn Horne
Expressway wasn't open for that week. Just think of all of the vacationing opera fans we
could have attracted. Perhaps next year...
We are only six months into Michelle Corignani mayorship and many people are already
talking about possible successors when her term is up, which can be none too soon.
Hopefully, the Bradford citizens will chose someone who really wants to make this a better
place to live and is not in it for their own benefit. My early pick could be Mike Smith, a
dedicated businessman who, like everyone else, is fed up with the ineptness of Bradford's
city government.
As usual, your thoughts and comments will most likely not be ignored if you send them
to me at tcclark@2-cool.com. 'Til next week...
Am I ever glad he is back! Your comments are always welcome with me at editor@mlrmag.com.
JUNE 3 & 4, 2K
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