Letters & e-mail
Was it necessary to write an editorial aimed at a priest? The
Catholic Church has had enough scandal both nationally and locally. We even have our own
brand of nuts who trump up charges against an innocent man and we become the ultimate
losers when he is sent off to another area. Your article, while definitely true about the
way the man has little if any humility, just added more fuel to a fire that rages around
the church. Too many people have left the church for reasons not as significant as what
you have exposed about him. I think it is time to stand back and allow the church to
recover. While I agree with you in principle about that man, he is still a priest and you
should respect him as such. Please, no more stories about him. I hope he has gotten the
message you sent. You are right but no more stories.
TF, Bradford
You should leave the Catholic Church alone. One bad priest does not
make a church bad. I don’t believe that you were insinuating that the church was bad,
but non-Catholics might get that impression. We believe in our church and do not believe
in that man. I believe you should set the record straight so potential converts do not get
the wrong impression. Other than that keep up the good work.
MP, Bradford
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thank you both. Your letters say it all.
It is the way I believe and I think you have set the record straight.
Thank you for the historical articles in the MLR. They are both
very informative and entertaining. The people of this area need to have a grasp of what
came before them. If they have this understanding then they will not be so anxious to
bring industry to the area that will damage the environment and ruin our life style.
LK, Port Allegany
Harold Beck has to stand trial for the alleged election code
violations. How much money has been spent to date to bring these ridiculous charges
against him. I heard it was in the area of $220,000. Is this true?
GH, Warren
EDITOR’S NOTE: All of that and then some. Seems kind of
silly over $370 that was reported.
The Kathy Wilson murder case goes on and on with you people.
Don’t you think that it is time to let her rest in peace? Shouldn’t you have
some respect for her family after all of these years? If you really do know the name of
her murderer then why don’t you print it and get it over with? I think that you have
sensationalized this long enough. It is getting boring to me and what purpose does it
serve to print the transcript of the trial of Buckley in your newspaper? Give us a break
after all of this time.
GB, Falconer
I have found the reprint of the actual trial testimony along with
your comments and directions to points of fact associated with the Wilson Murder very
interesting. I am told that you believe that you know who killed the woman and why she was
killed. Is that true? If it is when can we expect to be let in on the identity? In the
meantime I am really enjoying reading all I can put my hands on about the case. As
unfortunate as it must be for her family, it is an unsolved murder mystery and quite
interesting since you became involved and made us aware of the fact of the case. Keep up
the pressure.
TV, Jamestown
Following the scandal with President Clinton I finally understand
what you have been saying regarding the Trial of Jay William Buckley. You have accused the
District Attorney of Warren County of suborning perjury and obstruction of justice for
allowing Michael Brown lie under oath. As I have read the story, it appears that he knew
that the State Police Investigator was helping Brown with his story so it sounded
plausible. The Pennsylvania State Police in their zeal to get a conviction put the local
scum bag on trial figuring they would be doing everyone involved a real favor. What about
Buckley and his rights? It appears that he never mattered. What has happened to him and
what has happened to Michael Brown? Joe Massa was reelected and is still District Attorney
of Warren County. Does it matter who breaks the law? Apparently if you are a lawyer and
connected as Massa is—and as President Clinton is—you can do whatever you want
and hide behind the law. It just doesn’t seem right to me or fair. Oh well, what can
you say and thank you for allowing me to say my piece.
SD, Warren
I found it interesting that you printed Michael Brown’s
testimony against Jay Buckley and then pointed out how the story evolved, changing as many
as 43 times from the first time he discussed the case with Trooper Herzog to the time he
finally came to trial. That time span covered September 1989 until May 1991. That is an
example of our justice system at its worst. Another example is what they are trying to do
to you in McKean County. What did you do? It might have been a different story if you
would have stolen the money, never reported it, and then they found you out. As I
understand it you reported every penny that they are questioning. What is the big deal
other than they don’t want you in as the County Commissioner. You must be a really
dangerous man for them to be that scared of you. Is it because you stand up to your Judge
and refuse to give him everything that he wants? I see him right square in the middle of
this whole case against you. I am not sure that you will ever get justice in your own
county, and I believe you should ask to have the case moved far enough away so reasonable
people could see through the fog of the injustice that has always gone on in your county.
Until John Cleland is out of office your county will be held hostage to corruption and
favoritism. Good luck to you in your fight to obtain justice.
DS, Erie
What is happening with the case against Mr. Beck? All of this over
$300 that he reported on his finance report seems to be politically inspired to me. Who is
really behind this any way? Does Judge Cleland have that much power? I was told that he
was supposed to be out of politics. How can he exert so much influence?
JB, Lewis Run
EDITOR’S NOTE: That is the question of the year.
Obviously it began with Jeff Duke and C. Russell Johnson and no doubt there were
conversations that included the judge. The extent of those discussions or conversations
will be difficult to determine because everyone will conveniently have a loss of
memory—a common trick used by lawyers when they are put on the spot. You will also
notice that many of our readers are of an opinion that the election charges are tied to
the enemies that the chief has made. Specifically, Judge Cleland and the Pennsylvania
State Police, not to mention the District Attorneys of this part of the state. The actual
amount in question is $373, all of which was reported on his personal campaign report. I
also point out that when he did fill out his personal campaign reports, Mr. Beck reported
every penny received for his campaign including one dollar and five dollar contributions
that candidates are not required by law to report. You think it is crap, so do we.
Why is it that Mr. Beck is the only one capable of understanding
the problems of the Nuclear Dump site in this general area or any geographical area? Is it
reflective of the unresolvable problems at the dump site in Mt. Jewett? Or is it
reflective to the Phantom Dump Site at Foster Brook which, in my opinion, will take the
legal criminals one hundred years to realize they have only cleaned up the top 40 feet of
the existing 80 feet and that they will have to move Route 219 to properly complete the
job? Could it be when the legal criminals have absorbed all the assets and the people of
the geographical area will have to foot the bill with potential of unlimited millions of
dollars of taxes to complete the job? Is it the fact that our legal criminal system
informed the residents of Foster Brook that the problems with their drinking water had
nothing to do with industrial ground pollution? Why is it costing such astronomical
amounts of reserved revenues to remove nothing hazardous from the phantom dump site?
We have one of the nation’s highest record of cancer and death
that has not changed over the years. This record should make the "Guinness Book of
Records" and is something we should not be proud of. I am sure that if we have a
nuclear dump site in the general area the death rate will increase lowering the cancer
rate and we will lose our status as the national leader in cancer. What a loss. The
criminal government has finally found a way of improving our statistics.
Two major corporations have harvested billions of dollars of profit of
the carnage of men, women and children in the Port Allegany and Bradford geographic areas.
The other clones are raping the national tree environment before they leave the area under
which they have already sold out. Reflective to trying to steal the national forest for
profit.
May I suggest if the legal criminals were to locate the nuclear dump on
top of the phantom dump in Foster Brook the run off could do away with the Native American
population and solve Mr. Pataki’s problem of Indian taxation. We would not have to
use innocent law enforcement to monopolize the illegal price controls on gasoline so
foreign robber barons can earn millions. Using this theory, no one would be harmed or lose
their lives except those between Foster Brook and Pittsburgh. High water could and would
reach Pittsburgh within a week. And we could blame it on the Allegheny Reservoir. As in
Rome and Germany the sick rich using the legal criminal system for its self destructive
suicidal objectives.
RM, Gifford
I did not vote for Harold Beck when he ran for County Commissioner
but I have come to respect him as a man of great courage who tells it like it is and is
genuinely standing up for the people of the county. The latest fiasco with Larry Stratton
saying he wouldn’t mind having a nuclear land fill next to his property leaves me
wondering what is in his mind. I am sure that Harrisburg wants this in our county and I am
also sure that they would never approach Mr. Beck to promote their ideas. He would go to
the paper and tell the people what they had on their minds. I cannot say the same thing
about Larry. I believe that he would do what they wanted and then later say he had no real
control over the process. If he runs again he has my vote and the votes of my family. I
want him to know that we appreciate him being the watchdog for the people and not the
party or the fat cats like the County Commissioners have always been in the past. For once
we have someone on our side and that is refreshing.
MO, Port Allegany
I believe that it is a despicable thing to bring people like
Chem-Nuclear to McKean County, hold meetings and then say that you can’t remember who
attended the meetings when you were the one who organized them. Tell Larry that we
didn’t buy his story. Tell him if he wants nuclear waste in our county he should put
it on his farm. Instead he would sneak around behind the scenes and try to put it in the
back yard of honest hardworking people in Sergeant Township. I feel like I have been sold
out by him.
KW, Keating Twp.
Good for Mr. Beck for not having to evaluate
anything when it comes to nuclear waste in McKean County. He was elected to represent the
people and it seems to me that he is doing exactly that. What is there to evaluate when it
comes to the health and safety of the people of our county? The other commissioners made
it sound like this might be something that we should really consider. Harold said he was
against it from the beginning and stuck to his guns while Mr. Stratton finally bowed to
the will of the people. I would have hoped that he would have had the best interests of
the people in his heart before he invited these people to the county. How can anyone be
swayed by money when you are dealing with something that leaks and kills people? How much
money is one human life worth? How can any elected official play Russian Roulette with our
lives, our children’s lives and the lives of generations of unborn for hundreds of
years to come? We elect the commissioners to protect us and our interests. I am not sure
that it has happened this time with the exception of Mr. Beck. Good for you.
TC, Bradford
The most paramount land mark on the east coast is the mouth of
three rivers. However little attention is given to the headwaters these days. North
Central Pennsylvania’s wilderness has become timber industry oriented and little
attention is drawn to the fact that these rivers encompass the entire east coast. McKean
County has the privilege to have in its power the responsibility of two of these great
creations. Strong contaminates here is not a viable option. In the spirit of civil defense
caught between a polluting populace and being clearly defenseless against terrorist
attacks from those knowledgeable in acids and other creations of man, we the people should
be angry when someone suggests that we place nuclear storage in such a sensitive area. It
is not credible. Thank you for your attention.
RJ, Smethport
Which was it? Did Hamlin Township supervisor Bill Kilmer tell the
truth when he told the newspaper that he said he was at the secret meeting Larry Stratton
held with the representatives of Chem-Nuclear? I was at the meeting when Mr. Beck
questioned whether the minutes of the previous meeting were correct. He cited Jim Buck and
the BRADFORD ERA and said he did not recall Mr. Kilmer ever saying that he was at
the meeting. Kilmer claimed that he did admit being at the meeting. It seems that Mr. Beck
couldn’t find Kilmer saying that in the minutes. He asked Mr. Weaver and Mr. Stratton
and they said nothing. Only Bill Belitiskus from PROACT spoke up and then the solicitor
Mr. Kahle rudely interrupted. In the end Mr. Beck moved to approve the minutes as is and
Mr. Kilmer’s supposed admission was never added to the record. Was he lying or not?
Resident of Hamlin Township
EDITOR’S NOTE: I was at that meeting and I read Jim
Buck’s account of Kilmer’s statements. It seems to me that he was less than
truthful because even he was less than convincing when Mr. Beck questioned if the
admission had been made. He made some reference to attending meetings. In the statement he
gave to Jim Buck he gives the impression that he definitely admitted attending the secret
meeting about placing nuclear waste in McKean County. In front of all of us that day he
was not so definite. He either was or he wasn’t and he never said it one way or the
other. Oh well, what are we to believe?
As I review the minutes of each meeting I am noticing that Bill Kilmer
is taking up where Bob Lovell left off after being booted out of office by the people of
Smethport. Like Lovell, I think Kilmer would like to be a county commissioner. He can join
the ranks with several others. It seems that he already has the double talk down. Now he
just has to learn to have lapses of memory when asked who attended that meeting. Maybe
that was the problem. He asked someone if he was there and THEY couldn’t remember and
maybe that is the source of the confusion.
What was the purpose of Larry Stratton’s letter to Bill Belitskus? It was
read on the radio the other day and since when does a County Commissioner have the right
to try and censure a private citizen? Commissioner’s meetings are public meetings and
any citizen of McKean County should have the right to speak. Larry Stratton called
Belitskus anti industrial development. I see Belitskus as a person who is interested in
maintaining the lovely county that we have. I see him as someone who is interested in
protecting our water and our air even if greedy people are singling him out as a nut.
Thank God that Bill Belitskus attended the Planning Commission meeting otherwise we would
still be in the dark about the placement of Nuclear waste in our backyards. It seems to me
that when Larry Stratton got caught holding secret meetings he struck out at Belitskus. I
see this a very childish and petty. Some people should just grow up.
Sign me in as SOMEONE WHO SUPPORTS BILL BELITSKUS
On behalf of the people who attend the BRADFORD SENIOR CENTER I would
like to thank the McKean County Commissioners for their generous allocation of $6,000. It
came at a time when we dreadfully needed the money. God Bless the three of you for being
able to manage the budget and in three consecutive years continually increase our money.
Thank you and you will be rewarded.
RE, Bradford
EDITOR’S NOTE: The commissioners should be commended.
When they took office the former board allocated $4,200 that was divided between six
senior centers. The first year they allocated $4,200 to EACH SENIOR CENTER. The following
year they gave allocations from $4,200 to $6000 depending on the attendance and need. This
year every senior center received $6,000. They were able to do that and balance the budget
at the same time. They did a good job.
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