MARCH 27 - APRIL 2, 1999
APRIL 2, 1999
Good morning at 3 A.M. It is 50.7 degrees and it is really foggy outside - and
maybe in my head, too. Wow! I've been sleeping it seems, since yesterday afternoon.
Thank you for the mail. It is good to know that so many of you read this column
every day.
About yesterday's Bradford Era:
Hey folks! It was April Fools Day. Round the Square was funny! It was a joke. Lighten
up! I liked it, but you said:
"I'm not sure what Jim Buck is to you. At first, I thought that maybe he tags
along for some tibbits, then I thought he maybe just the reporter you need to, Oh I don't
know, start being on your side for stories or whatever. But now, jeez, who is Jim Buck to
you??
P.S. What do you think of Cheri's Letter to the Editor this morning??"
Publisher's Comment: It is about news. Whether I like it or
not, I am news. If I am seen coming out of an East Main Street saloon in
the middle of the afternoon, the presumption that I was in there drinking is present and
can easily become a story. That is the price I pay for telling you what other people in
power are doing for and to you. Other people who are public figures are not treated the
same way, but who am I to complain. It goes with the territory. As for Cheri's letter,
read on.
"Your buddy Jim Buck must have tipped you off about Cheri's letter. You laid a
bomb on her with your pictorial essay on Asbestos in the Senior High. I know if I was a
parent of a child attending school there I would be outraged. I would be getting myself an
attorney - but not one from McKean County, that's for sure."
and;
"Thank you for giving us the truth about the asbestos. I hope I am allowed to
because I made twenty copies of the asbestos article to give to parents of children who
are attending the high school like my daughter is doing."
and;
"I was phoned at ten this morning and told to turn on my computer and read this
site. I did and I am astounded at what I found. I had always trusted Cheri O'Mara and when
I read her letter this morning I took solace in it. Then, as I look at color photographs
of what was really existing, I realized that all the writing you had done about her may
well be true. I did not want to believe what other parents were saying but now I am forced
to agree with them. The girls locker room incident and the pictures have cinched it. Thank
you."
and;
I was shocked to see actual photographs of exposed asbestos in the Bradford High School
and know that school is still in session. What is the matter with Cheri O'Mara and the
School Board? The whole damn bunch of them should resign! There is no excuse for what they
have allowed to take place."
and;
"I laughed at the jab at you in Round the Square this morning. When I
read your piece on the asbestos and looked at the pictures I realized that what they
said in jest just might be prophecy. You deserve some sort of award for exposing the lies
we are being told. What do you intend to do next?"
and;
"Asbestos is no laughing matter! Asbestos around our children is outrageous and
should be treated as a crime. Cheri O'Mara and the school board should be forced to
account for their lack of response to this serious problem and now danger to our
children."
and;
"Mr. Beck, I want to kiss you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the
bravest man I have ever known and I wish I knew you personally. You do so much good for
people by telling them the truth about politics and now you are exposing a genuine health
risk to our children. You have my vote. You are a good man and my God Bless you for the
fine work you are doing. Thank you again."
and;
"I knew they were lying to me about how my daughter's clothes became contaminated
with asbestos fibers in the girl's locker room. Your pictures have proven to me that they
were deceiving us all along. They were doing it because they were too lazy to do the job
right. What is wrong with Cheri O'Mara? Does she hate our children that much or is she
that hard that she just does not care? You tell me why they would do this when school is
in session."
Publisher's comment: I left out the letters that said they were voting for me
because I ran the pictures. I would have run them even if it wasn't an election year. It
seems, in light of Ms. O'Mara's letter and the way she targeted a
concerned parent (Tina Stull), I should look into this a little deeper with some experts.
"I hope you are finding this crappy day to your liking. If I were you, I'd be
gloating, finally making the big time. Bud, please share with me what it's like to have
your name in 'Round The Square.
"I'm not one of the lucky ones who gets to see the first
robin take a dump in Veteran's Square, or witness the first shopping
cart appear through the ice of Tuna Creek. Just once, I would be proud if all of those
well-informed Era readers knew that I was the first to spot a dandelion creeping through a
sidewalk crack on South Center Street.
"I sent in one those always-informative Zippo Sightings last month,
but they never published it (with 82,879,767 Zippos out there, I guess they will get
around to mine eventually). My Zippo Sighting was when the lighter flew out of Bobby
Guzan's pocket as he was dragged down 219. Anyway, congratulations on your recognition by
such a prestigious media source. I'm going out in the yard to and wait for a caterpillar
to crawl up my pant leg. That should get me in there!"
Publisher's Comment: I heard that after the asbestos piece, Cheri O'Mara
withdrew her support for my Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She now feels it should be in
Investigative Reporting. Of course the competition is heavy in that field. I have my
fellow Bradford Hotel drinking buddy, Jim Buck, and of course, Geraldo Rivera, too.
"Sorry about the typo...............
Mr. Beck: My apologies to you for the typo. I assure you that it was completely
unintentional and beyond my control. The original letter was legibly typed and addressed
as required by the Era. Also the party in question is my cousin( by adoption...me not
him). I can also assure you that my spurt of 'civic duty' was in no way influenced by the
events of 2 plus years ago. If you , or Mr. Clark will check the voter registration , you
will find that to my recollection I have not missed an election in the last ten years.
There is no dark conspiracy or ulterior political motives here. It was a typo on theEra's
part, not mine. I have '0' political aspirations.
"The letter was an opinion. It was my heartfelt observation on the grand scheme of
things here in McKean county. It seems to me that there is only one right side to any
issue that comes about. Yours. After that,heaven help any dissenters to your opinion,
right or wrong. In my job, I deal with a few of the parties that have been the major
subjects of various campaigns in the MLR in the past. I actually feel sorry for them. They
did what they thought was their job to what I am sure they thought was the best of their
ability, only to have someone who like myself, was not born and raised here, absolutely
crush them verbally in public. Who are you ,or I ,for that matter to tell natives of this
county what they want? You were elected by them to do their bidding.
"Making waves is not a bad thing in my opinion. On a personal note, I have no
problems with you. Before the fire, I played some music in the old Rainbow with 'the
Gunners. We had some good times, good food and before the politics, some good
conversations. Politically though, I can't say as I would give a nickel for 20 minutes of
you time. In closing , the one thing I can see as a positive note is that people now pay a
little more attention to the local gov't than they used to. My take on life is this: You
can measure success by the by the number of people swearing by you versus the number
swearing at you. As one of our elected county commissioners, how does your tenure stack
up?
Thanks for your time. Michael C. Krott p.s. watch for related letter in the Era. ( I
don't want anyone to think that the typo was a ploy)."
Publisher's comment: Good to hear from you again. I hope you
don't mind that I cleaned up the spelling, and by the way, in the future, capitalize
"I" in a sentence when you refer to yourself.
We've spoken about three times in the past four years. The first time you were
running an auto repair shop along 219 and had turned the property into a junk yard.
Township officials were on your case then. You wanted me to intercede for you using all
the "power and might" of the office of County Commissioner. The
next time I heard from you, you believed that you were qualified to be the Airport Manager
at Bradford Regional Airport.
As I remember, I told you to submit a resume and I would see to it that your
were given due consideration. Obviously, with your experience as an auto mechanic, parts
man, and member of a band, not to mention your extensive ability and experience at writing
such lofty and high minded letters, your application was treated fairly. (By the way, did
you spell your name properly on the resume or was there another typo?) Maybe, just maybe,
if there are more people swearing at me than by me, the next county commissioner will give
your pleas for special treatment more consideration than I have. By the way, your band
wasn't that good to begin with - just cheap.
Your comments are welcome at rdhedbud@penn.com.
and a late arrival;
"You might already have all this information but pehaps not, anyway
the public is not being fully informed, not by school officials,
the Bradford Era or you. Given the scope of the construction being
conducted at the highschool, it is likely that the asbestos is not
limited to the pipe wraps, pleases note the areas I have highlighted in red with special
attention to the miscellaneous material list.
No fault on your part, I just think it might have slipped by you. Did
any of these materials get used in the initial construction of BHS and
if so were they treated accordingly? Just doing MY part. The JERK"
Publisher's Comment: There was extensive material attached to this note. I am
the first to admit that I am no expert on Asbestos or related materials. The initial essay
was verified by persons who were experienced asbestos handlers, and, according to them, it
is highly unlikely that the air quality is as pure as we have been told.
However, it is my intention to read the material you sent completely and then
take Ms. O'Mara up on her offer and statement in paragraph four of her letter to Other
Voices on April Fools Day. If by law, policy and practice, (their) school and
records are always available for citizen inspection, then it is my intention to do
just that. Care to join me? Think about the possibility! The JERK and the Demigog on the
same side for once.
Once more, please comment at rdhedbud@penn.com.
APRIL 1, 1999
Smears are not an April Fools Day Joke
Good morning at 5:38 A.M. It is 45.3 degrees outside and we have rain. All the
rain in the world cannot wash away the Asbestos that is in the Bradford High School.
(Refer to the front page for the pictorial essay on the asbestos.)
As I was preparing to publish the seventeen pictures of the asbestos in the High
School, I stopped into the Bradford Hotel. Jim Buck was there alone and I was glad. I had
something I wanted to talk about.
"Hello," he said, not suspecting that I knew what he was up to.
"Hi Jim," I said.
"What's new?" he asked.
"You tell me," I said. "Are you getting ready for another little expose
on me?"
Jim didn't answer.
"How were you going to do this? Were you going to wait until Friday night and call
me at the Rainbow at 8:30 and spring it one me?"
Again, Jim didn't answer.
"This is old stuff," I told him. "I dealt with it last November and I
had someone from the phone company check out the line on the weekend when no one else was
around. Someone had tampered with the connection. It was a set up that was going on for
sometime. We just couldn't figure out what it was for or why."
Jim opened up.
"You're saying it was a setup?"
"Call it what you want. What would you call it?" I asked.
"It looks like you were making long distance phone calls and charging them to the
county."
"Does it?" I asked.
"There are all those phone calls to Altoona. It is an internet connection and it
is from your phone in your office."
"Jim. There are phone calls to Altoona and they are from a phone line that
connects to my office. Where else it connects or is connected is a different issue. I said
from the beginning that the phone line my computer was attached to wasn't right. I kept
getting knocked off line. I had them trace the line and re-run the line but nothing seemed
to work. Magically, about the time we filed with the Supreme Court it all stopped. Then,
when I brought out Michele's little six hundred mile trip to Pittsburgh and back, these
phone bills showed up. What do you make of that?"
"And then what?" Jim asked.
"Larry wrote me a note wanting an explanation. He thought I was charging my
internet service to the county using the phone bill."
"Were you?" he asked.
"Hell no!" I answered. "I am the only person in the court house who pays
for my own internet connections. I have a service with Penn Com and use a local number
(362-8130) and that is not a toll call from Smethport. I access America On Line using a
TCP/IP connection - also not a charge to any phone and I am on line that way. All of my
charges are paid directly to Penn Com and AOL by credit card every month. This is bull and
you know it! If you want to see an expense, you should look at all the offices in the
Court House who claim that it is an absolute necessity that they are connected to Penn Com
and we pay it. You and I both know that the DA and the Judge don't need internet access.
Check out those expenses.
"Tell me," I asked. " Did you get copies of everyone else's phone
bills?"
"Well, no," he answered.
"Why not?" I asked. "Why single me out? Why do this now at
election?"
"It would be news," he said.
"Smears, Jim, are not news. Let me point something out to you. Our phone lines are
totally unprotected in the basement of the courthouse and anyone who wanted to could get
access to them. This was set up for a scandal and you are playing right into it. Just like
Paul, the head custodian asked: Why did this go on so long? Why wasn't I told about this
the first month it happened?
" I know where this originated and how it came to you. I can tell you how and
why."
"So tell me," he said. Dave Sheffer came over to listen.
"This started with the highest paid telephone operator in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania."
"How do you know that she is the highest paid telephone operator in
Pennsylvania?" he asked.
"The County Commissioner's Association does an annual survey of wages in counties.
Each and every year there we are with a $20,000 plus a year telephone operator. She knows
darn well that bothers me when it comes to budget time. I want to make the phone system an
automated system and eliminate that position once and for all. The secretary in the
Commissioners' Office can field the operator assisted calls. Besides, the phone system we
have is already capable of directing the calls automatically. This is a tremendous waste
of money."
I continued.
"From her it went to Kilmer and Lovell who are still smarting over the editorial
Gates wrote saying they cost the county nearly a million dollars a year by opposing the
idea to rent the building for Sena Kean back to ourselves so the rent could be reimbursed
by the state."
Jim was silent.
"There are no issues in this campaign. You know that. If anyone wants to get
elected, they had better create an issue or two. This one seems tailor made seeing how all
my taxes are paid in full up to date and there is no story on that subject. So Lovell
called you with this."
Jim stayed silent. He neither confirmed nor did he deny that Lovell called him.
"Jim, now that you have check my phone calls and seem to be ready to report on
everyone and every place I call, don't you think you should look at other phone lines? I
think if you would, you might be surprised. And while your at it, look at expense
accounts, too. That would prove to be interesting. You know, if you want to make a story
out of something, you should make a real story. Find out how many elected officials charge
the county mileage for travel in McKean County. Find out who doesn't charge the county
mileage for any travel. Look at all the personal phone calls that are made out of state.
Did you check the Judge's phone? Did you check on the telephone operator?"
Jim got interested. "What will I find?" he asked.
"I am not going to do your research for you and I am not going to write it for
you. I picked up a story that you were given and it is on the net right now."
"What is that?" he asked.
"Asbestos in the Senior High School. It is on the front page of my web site as we
speak. It is there with the pictures that you refused to print. It has the proof that the
exposure is more than just a trace as Cheri O'Mara has claimed."
On that, Jim stayed silent. It was as if he knew that The Era had full
knowledge of what was going on and did not tell anyone.
"Where is journalistic integrity on that story?" I asked. "Why would you
protect Cheri O'Mara when you had the proof that the place was loaded with asbestos and it
was not being handled properly? Everyone is at risk of getting cancer twenty years from
now! How do you justify staying silent?"
Jim said nothing.
If you want to say something, say it here! Comment at rdhedbud@penn.com.
MARCH 31, 1999
Character assassination and true confessions
Good morning. It is 37.2 degrees at 5:18 A.M. It looks like another nice day as
the hint of first light comes through the trees in the east. The moon was beautiful this
morning. It was almost like daylight out there.
Passover begins at sundown this evening and the Easter season is already upon
us. It is the beginning of a holy and reflective time for Jews and Christians, alike.
Perhaps many of us should do just that and reflect on where we have been, what we have
done, and where we are going.
The other day former County Commissioner and notable Irishman, Pat Costello, in a
conversation with me mentioned that people call me an character assassin. To begin with, I
have been called worse. Still, I thought about it and attempted to review the past six
years that I have been in the business of assassinating the good names of fine, honest,
courageous, and hard working people.
Now, to be a character assassin, that assumes that the person being assassinated is a
fine, upstanding, and lily white person who, for no reason of their own doing, became the
target of my viscous and unwarranted attacks.
Let's look at the record.
Charlie "The Tuna" Jeff Duke. The man who ran against Jay
Paul Kahle in the 1992 District Attorney's race and called Mr. Kahle a liar. He accused
Mr. Kahle of plea bargaining cases and promised to the voters that he would never plea
bargain with any criminal. Mr. Duke promised the voters to be fiscally responsible and
give the people of the county a clean and honest DA's office.
How I assassinated his character. I pointed out that he was absent from the
Court House and the Court Room for a stretch of up to thirteen weeks, yet he cashed his
paycheck every two weeks. I pointed out that he stopped calling plea bargains plea
bargains and renamed them arrangements. I pointed out that he was as soft on child
molesters and rapists as Judge Cleland; and, I pointed out his incompetence in the Matis
case where he was trying the wrong man for vehicular homicide. (Only recently proven in
court in 1998 after untold thousands of dollars wasted by his administration and current
DA Alfieri's.) He unsuccessfully tried Sean Bacha for timber theft after making him the
target of a $75,978 Grand Jury investigation. Once he left office he formed a partnership
in the timber business with Mr. Bacha. If he couldn't beat him, evidently I suppose he
thought he should join him. Character assassination - plain and simple.
Joseph Massa, Warren County District Attorney. The man who placed Jay
William Buckley on trial for his life knowing full well his star witness was lying through
his teeth.
I assassinated him by telling the truth and finally exposing how he conspired with
a State Police investigator to convict an innocent man. Since then a rash of cases
where innocent people who were convicted using perjured testimony have surfaced. In each
instance it becomes rather obvious that the DA was aware of the perjury well in advance of
the trial but went forward just to win at any cost.
The former County Commissioners. The three people who ran the county
right to the brink of bankruptcy and never had a clue of how much they had to spend or
where the next dollar was coming from. They were going to sell Sena Kean Manor for $3.5
million and then give back $500,000 to the purchasers for some strange reason that was
never fully explained, when, all the while, the true value of the nursing home was $9.8
million.
The list of how I assassinated them just goes on and on.
Judge John M. Cleland. Clearly the most innocent of any of my targets.
This fine, upstanding pillar of the community represents impartial justice and the fine
administration of it in McKean County.
I assassinated HIS HIGHNESS ON MANY OCCASIONS. I pointed out how he was
breaking the County Budget with demands on the tax payers to support higher salaries for
his staff than the norm for the people he was supposed to be serving. I pointed out that
his rulings and sentencing of rapists and child molesters seemed a slight bit liberal and
that he appeared to be a little soft on them. I did tease him about being a draft dodger -
just like Bill Clinton, and, I did call him a closet Democrat disguised in Republican
robes. I also asked him if he vacationed with Ted Kennedy.
Cheri O'Mara. The school superintendent of the Bradford Area School
District. Also an obvious innocent victim of my unwarranted attacks. Everyone loves Cheri.
All she needs is to have Lamb Chop with her and she can have her own television show.
See, there I go already. I have accused her of having a shopping mall
mentality in the way she spends our money. Have you ever wondered how much office
furniture you can buy with a half a million dollars? I have. It staggers the imagination!
You could furnish 86 floors of one of the two World Trade Towers with $500,000; yet our
Cheri claims to have spent that amount on some casual office furniture for the
administration offices. Also, ever wonder how a $23 million dollar renovation and bond
issue became a $36 million renovation in just three years? What happened to borrowing more
than what we needed to make money on the interest? Tune in sports fans. More is on
the way!
Fred Gallup. One of my more recent targets and victims. The
girls in Freddy's office say I am picking on him because he does a good job for his client
- The Bradford Area School District. Guilty again! I am the scum bag, not Fearless Freddy!
I am a scum bag because I pointed out how he unmercilessly attacked and smeared the
good name of a fine woman who had done nothing wrong!
Fred Gallup accused, tried, and convicted Carolyn Gulnac with the able aid of radio
station WESB-AM and FM and the smut digging reporters of The Bradford Era. (See,
I covered all of them with three words in my admissions of character assassinations.) To
date, no charges have ever been filed against Mrs. Gulnac and Fearless Freddy now wants to
call the whole thing off. You see, I was never supposed to take Mrs. Gulnac's side; and, I
was never supposed to leak the inside information I have from being a County Commissioner.
Information like I have places Freddy, and his law firm by association with him, in a bad
light. Oh my! Poor, poor, Freddy.
What about what he did to Carolyn Gulnac! If anyone should have been prosecuted, it
should have been the financial people at the School District for not complying with state
law and auditing the tax collectors each and every year. They were too lazy to do what
they were supposed to do. They knew there was a discrepancy with the two sets of figures
yet they allowed it to continue year after year until Freddy found and used Mrs. Gulnac as
a scape goat.
There is a difference between character assassination and criticizing the
public deeds of a person.
Mayor Connie Cavallaro. Willingly took the support of people who
wanted a change and immediately turned on all of them. Pointing that out is not character
assassination. It is telling the truth in the broad daylight.
Real mayor, Peggy Comilla. Bought back old City Hall for more than
what they sold it for and now has a million dollar albatross hanging around the necks of
the tax payers.
Senator Bill Slocum. Is trying to wreck unemployment compensation when
thousands of his constituents depend on it because of the seasonal aspect of their jobs.
While he wants them to starve, he doesn't seem to have missed too many free meals. I say
that he asks what is being served and forgets who he is serving. I also call him Sludge
King because for three years or so, he knowingly polluted the Brokenstraw Creek, a
tributary of the Allegheny River, with raw human waste.
Party Chairman C. Russell Johnson. I did not name him C. Russell Pig.
I only name people after cartoon characters, not barnyard animals. The same holds true for
Betty Comes.
Bobby Guzan. Recovering from road rash in the McKean County Jail, he
now plans to go to Maple Manor because he is an alcoholic and he can get half of his one
year sentence eliminated. Sounds like more special treatment for the drug snitch.
Michele Alfieri. Finally knows the mileage to and from Pittsburgh and
understands that the murder of a police officer is a Capital Crime, punishable by death.
Was she too quick to grant immunity and why didn't she charge all three with murder and
conspiracy to commit murder?
Have I missed anyone? If I have, I am sorry. I will start another list and
repent once more on my birthday in June.
Please comment at rdhedbud@penn.com.
MARCH 30, 1999
A Showering of Recognition
Good morning. I seem to have slept late. It is 6:08 and we have 29.7 degrees
out side.
Jim Buck and I were sitting around the Bradford Hotel last night discussing yesterday's
Publisher's Page. The debate went on for quite some time and he had dropped back to the
old Era view that I wrote my letters to the editor. (Ironically, many of my
letters in the editorial yesterday accused the Era staff, or their letter reading
lawyer, of doing just that.)
"Look at this letter," I said to Jim. "This proves my
point." (The argument had progressed beyond accusing one another of writing
letters. We were now discussing the old vs the new way of doing things.)
Jim took the letter and began to quietly read.
"Good afternoon Commissioner,
"It was a beautiful day in McKean County, I hope you had a chance to enjoy it. Today,
I found out that more people read The Era than I had imagined. Submit a Letter to The
Editor and watch the parade of
comments that will come your way. The most interesting was a mild confrontation with a
known detractor of the Beck candidacy. Geez, you think a guy could eat lunch in peace.
"The above-said aggressor tried, in vain, to disqualify my opinions,
referring to my absence from McKean County for seven years. No, I
wasn't here for the last election, I was in Virginia. Nowhere in my
writing did I say that I voted in the election. And I proved that the
subject of my rebuttal hadn't either.
"I live, work and play in McKean County as of last June. Yes, I am a
registered Republican in the 6th Ward district of Bradford. My
qualifications for witing a letter to The Era lie not in my past voting
record, but in my ability to observe what has occurred in the county
from when I lived here before to present.
"Read the facts...from deficit to in the black, the county has turned
around. I could beat a dead horse and list all of the positive changes
I see, but we all know the results and benefits. Perhaps I have the best vantage point,
the cat-bird seat, if you will. If you have lived here consistently, it's very hard to
step back and analyze legislation and progress. There is so much depression and gloom, and
justifiably so, among the citizens concerning their long-term futures that any
less-than-paramount improvement to the quality of life goes unnoticed. Somewhere along the
line, many self-promoted leaders developed a mindset that, no matter what the outcome,
there is a standard "go along" agenda that disregards the welfare of the public.
From county commissioners to city councilpersons, the "we like it just fine" and
"we've been doing it this way forever" mentality has survived for too many
political generations.
"Perhaps, Mr. Commissioner, you are a Henry David Thoreau of the late Twentieth
Century. Your reluctance to "go along" may have ruffled a few feathers, but the
proof that the Old Guard is sapping in power has and will continue to be a positive
influence in the growth and well-being of McKean County. I'm proud to be a McKean County
citizen, once again, and I can see the forest through the trees. Despite the misintentions
of your detractors, I like what I see."
"So. What does that prove?" he demanded.
"Look, Jim. You are beating a dead horse. There is a whole new world out there and
just as Tom Clark wrote, everyone sees through your attempts to hold on to the old. I
don't understand why you would want to. What is the incentive for you and the rest of the
staff. Most of you are young and have fresh ideas."
Just then Marty, one of the power women, came in. Immediately she started on
me.
"I heard that, Bud Beck. Don't you call me old and stale! I'll give you a shot
right in the chops and I'll show you what a power woman is all about!"
"Opps!" I said.
"We've bent over backwards trying to be fair to you. This business over the
Michael Knott letter is a bunch of B.S. We verified the letter. We just didn't verify the
spelling of the name."
"How convenient!" I said. "Is that the official line to get Hauser off
the hook so his candidacy is not damaged? This all could have been avoided if all of you
would have done your jobs. I have twenty more letters that single out Chris Hauser and
attack him personally. I don't want to start that stuff. I think he deserves the same
courtesy that I am extending to the other three candidates. I have said from the beginning
that I am not going to take sides in that race. But, I will not sit back and let him take
pot shots at me. He should know that."
"Listen, Bud," Marty insisted. "It is our fault. We take responsibility,
not him."
"Look, Marty," I said. "It goes beyond this. Your whole policy needs to
be revamped."
"In what way?" she asked.
"You need to stop protecting the sacred cows!"
"What?" she demanded. "Who are you talking about?"
"Connie Cavallaro and Cheri O'Mara," I said.
"In what way am I protecting them? How am I protecting Connie?"
"When a candidate, any candidate, comes in with a proposal that will change things
- a proposal they are incorporating into their campaign - you ignore them until you can
get a comment from ten other people. That's wrong. A unique idea from a candidate deserves
to be covered and reported on. You are shutting out any idea that could be used one way or
the other. That is not responsible reporting."
Jim chimed in. "I agree with him, Marty. I told you we should cover some of
Corignani's ideas. They are election issues and they are news."
"We printed the story about the zoning!"
" Sure you did. It took you how long? Did she give it to you last Thursday?"
I asked.
I continued.
"And with Cheri O'Mara, you have protected her from her incompetence regarding the
asbestos in the school. You took her official stand that the asbestos is only incidental
and left it at that. No one dug deeper. Why weren't you there, Jim," I asked.
"Why weren't your reporters getting the truth instead of helping Cheri's lie by not
saying what is really going on and how serious the problem really is?"
"Bud. You don't have any more information than we do. Everything is hearsay."
"Is it?" I asked. "What if I could produce pictures that show there is
asbestos everywhere? Would you report it? Would you make it a front page story? Or is that
part of the power woman code - never do damage to one another and preserve the
superior breed?"
"Bud. You're being unfair. I report the news - all the news. If you brought me
proof, I would have to look at it and make my decision. As for the other matter, it is
newspaper policy."
"What's unfair about telling the parents of those kids in the High School about
the threat that really exists?"
There was no answer. I was frustrated and left.
As for the mail, not all of it can get in this editorial page. This last one was funny.
"Here's our whole damn problem with attracting tourists to McKean
County... no famous dead guys. Maybe we can buy one."
Comment on this at rdhedbud@penn.com.
MARCH 29, 1999
Lawyers, Liars, Lovers & losers......revisited
Good morning. It is 35.4 degrees at 5:45 A.M.
It took longer than usual to read my mail this morning. The letters were
especially interesting. This one perked my interest.
"I enjoyed your article located in the archives entitled Lawyers, Liars, Lovers,
& losers. Being a victim of our judicial system and having dealt with several lawyers
I couldn't resist writing. Although I'm generally in agreement with your point of view, I
find that your opinion of lawyers and judges is much higher than mine. A friend of mine
recently went through a costly divorce with all the attorney 's fees and he places them in
the same category as child molesters, which I also feel is a fair comparison.
Unfortunately, as long as we have lawyers policing lawyers, the system isn't going to
change."
Publisher's comment: If what you say is true, then that is the explanation for
why John Cleland is so lenient on child molesters. Rattlesnakes don't strike at one
another and neither do lawyers.
and still more:
"F.Y.I., there was a story featured on NBC's DATELINE news magazine this evening
about federal prosecutors who target and harass innocent citizens. Sound familiar?
http://www.msnbc.com/news/253707.asp"
Publisher's comment: I caught the broadcast and it was very familiar. Win
at all costs? was the title of the feature. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette ran the
article. Ironically, just the other day I was also sitting with a local lawyer who spoke
about running for District Attorney. "I would never have the support of the
police," he told me. "I will not go along with perjury. Michele puts them
on the stand knowing full well they are lying their asses off and she goes along with it.
They justify it by saying that they would not be able to get a conviction unless they stretch
the events. That's not right."
Imagine that! A lawyer with a conscience!
Getting back to the article, it is exactly a similar situation to what they are
doing to my sister-in-law and me. It is a shame that the Era did not print my
entire interview last Thursday. I went on at great length to point out how she is an
innocent victim of this vendetta against me. We tell people to get involved and when they
do, this is what happens. They are sending a message that is loud and clear. They want us
to stay the hell out of politics and just be rubber stamps for the party and their
choices. Heaven help the maverick who takes things into his or her own hands without their
blessings. Heaven help them!
The NBC article along with the Post Gazette's show how prosecutors
have corrupted the system. We do not have to go very far. Since 1992 we have had exactly
that and even though we live in a safe and relatively crime free area, we also live in a
greater police state area than most of the rest of the nation. We can look directly to our
prosecutors for that result. We can blame the lawyers because none of them consider the
job important enough to run for it. We do get the government that we deserve. It starts
with our local District Attorney, runs to the State Attorney General, and ends up with
Janet Reno, the Attorney General of the United States of America.
and even more:
"Clarkie's letter in the ERROR on Saturday was great! We do see right through them
and it is about time that more of us used the same weapons right back against them as they
use against you. Did Chris Hauser take his own name out of the letter. He reads the
letters for the paper and he is the partner of Fred Gallup, the slime ball that
persecuted Carolyn Gulnac. Why is it that you are the only one with access to print that
has had the courage to stand up and say what a travesty the whole deal was? Hauser,
running for an office himself, had better be on notice. We are aware of the fact that HE
is holding these phony and contrived letters about you and it is HIM that is putting them
in the paper. We will remember that on election day!"
and:
"Tommy Clark said it right. We are all sick and tired of the Bradford Era printing
these letters from people who do not exist. Do they sit around and have contests to see
who can write the worst letter about you? Where do they come up with the names? All the
letters in support of the Comfort Inn were signed by non-existent people and most of the
ones about you are exactly the same. We do see right through them!"
and:
"If Tom Clark wants to see someone who is jealous of you he should stand next to
Christopher Hauser in Carnegie's some night when he is drinking and listen to him go off
about you. You know who Christopher Hauser is - he reads the letters for The Bradford Era.
He influences what we read in Other Voices. It may even be that he writes what we read in
Other Voices. Now he wants to be our Magistrate. Guess again! I see right through
him."
Publisher's comment: I have no comment. You said it pretty much the way I have
said it all along. Thank you.
MARCH 28, 1999
Sunday morning shadows
As you have all figured out by now, I am an early riser. Sunday mornings are one of my
favorite times. The house is asleep and I am alone sitting in the dark watching the day
begin.
Where I live is an especially beautiful area. It is a forest and tall trees are in
every direction. While the land is flat, that in itself is a deception. I am on top of a
hill - or small mountain. Still, there is not perception of being up high until you
attempt to travel in any direction for more than five miles. Then you descend into the
valleys and see how high these northwestern Pennsylvania hills really are.
Even in the dark on a clear star filled morning sky there is enough light to make out
the horizon of the forest and the uniform tree lines. The snow is not gone yet. There are
patches of it that paint white streaks across the ground. They become more visible as the
eastern sky shows the first sign of light. It is then that the wall of trees begins to
separate and the forest shows its individuality as first light makes its way through. The
sky changes ever so slowly but it changes with each passing minute. Night turns into
morning and a soft blue sky shows itself.
Even then, while it is morning in the sky, the night shadows are still in the trees and
on the land below. The shadows of the morning, for some reason, are more pronounced on
Sunday. I am not sure why that is, but it certainly seems so to me. Maybe it is because
this is a day of rest and peace for me. Even at that, it still seems different from any
other day of the week or any other morning.
It isn't until the sun rises out back and beams its first orange rays into the house
that the Sunday shadows begin to leave me. It is then that my mind begins to focus on that
day. Before that time, from the moment I first looked at the stars and saw the first
inkling of the day, my mind wandered across many many places. Even with the shadows I
relived parts of my life - good and bad. I remembered people who turned a corner and were
lost to me, forever it seems. Even today, I can't remember why they left or where they
went. All I know is they are gone, and, for that moment anyway, are missed.
Sunday mornings in the forest are special to me. They are my time alone with myself.
Maybe they give me the strength to deal with what comes the rest of the week.
Good morning to everyone. It is 32 degrees at 7:44 A.M. Now that I have that
off my mind, I want to post a few letters that came in yesterday in response to the
Cornplanter inquiries. The following information may prove helpful.
"Thank you, Bud, for writing all those stories. Would you please put me in touch
with Pauline. I remember her grampa and her mother, Chester Redeye and Ella. I would like
to know who her father is. I used to be pretty good friends and went to school with, I
think his name is Merwyn. I may be a little confused, it was so long ago. Please ask her
to contact me. Please give my e-mail address to the two people that are looking for
Cornplanter family tree. I think I can help them and tell them who to contact. Thanks for
your interest. You may end up with the only Cornplanter Center of Communication! Thanks
again. Lucie Revelu2080@aol.com"
and;
"Check out http://foxnews.com/views/hiers/images/041798.gif ."
and, while I was compressing my mail folder (I do it several times a week
because of the volume of mail I receive) I e-mailed some old friends who I hadn't heard
from for awhile. Carol, you are one of them obviously, and the message and question you
sent along to me is just too good for me to pass up.
"Funny that you should E-mail me today, I was just thinking about
writing to you. I am fine, have just been busy. I need to ask how I
should address a judge in a letter. Do I call him Hon. Judge so&so?
Also, the particular judge I need to write to is in the McKean County
Courthouse. If I just address it to the courthouse in Smethport,
will he receive it? Thanks for the E-mail, nice to know that someone
other than family cares about me. :-) Carol
Publisher's comment: If you are writing to the court house the official address
is McKean County Court House, W. Main Street, Smethport, PA 16749. If you are writing to a
judge, Your honor is proper. Mail should be addressed to The Honorable Judge So and So
except in the case of John Cleland. In his case, Your Holiness or Your Highness, or Dear
Prince John would do. Also be sure to include his additional title of President Judge
following his name. He is the President Judge in a one judge county. He is president of
himself. I take credit for that. One of him is enough and the taxpayers can't afford him
and his empire as it is. Imagine what it would be like with two of him!
MARCH 27, 1999
Weekend letters
"That Tourism Thingy
Morning Mr. Beck: During the last couple of weeks of dealing with the mom and pop
businesses on a daily basis in the Mt. Jewett, Smethport, and Kane areas, I have come
across as many different views on tourism as their are business owners in our area. But
the one thing that comes out of all of their mouths is that something has to be organized,
and concentrated on McKean County, not the entire region. I believe you and the other
commissioners feel that way also.
"Although, I personally do not believe that we should abandon the efforts of the
"Seneca" regional efforts all together, we should get something going locally.
With my business and new responsibilities of the Mt. Jewett Area Revitalization Group
consuming more and more of the 24hrs in a day, I would like to either make time for a
"McKean County Tourist's Association", or forget about devoting any more time
working on that theme. My lady and I are very proud of this area, and will do what we can
with or without the support and funding of the county. But, and this is a big but, we
would love to work with you all, and bring the people here to spend money in our area.
"We have good Ideas and Intentions, but we need to either **** or move on to another
pot...We're just looking for that point in the right direction... Good luck with that
STUPID court case against you, and watch your back."
Publisher's comment: Your letter is now in the hands of many others. Let's see
if they agree and want to join in. If they do, this can be the beginning.
"Hi, I am interested in the descendants of Chief Cornplanter. Is there a recorded
family tree? My father was told as a child that a painting in the attic of a woman smoking
a pipe, that it was a great,great,great grandmother. Her English name was Rachel and she
was reported to be the daughter of Chief Cornplanter. Supposedly she was
purchased at an auction in Pittsburgh by a gentleman who married her. I can get the name
of the man she married. I am doing this search as a tribute to my father. He has always
been proud of the possibility of his heritage. Please help me in my search Sincerely,
Janet Hughes"
Publisher's comment: We will use this column as a clearing house for you.
Anyone who is interested can write in.
"Mr. Beck,
You have an interesting web site and I look forward to reading your books someday. I'm an
American working in Saudi Arabia, and in my spare time I have been doing some family-tree
research that has produced a possible link between one of my ancestors, Andrew Harman of
Westmoreland Co., PA, and Cornplanter.
"Following is the text of a chapter from the old HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY,
which tells the story. Thought it might interest you. I'd be interested in any comments
you might
have. All the best, BOB LEBLING"
Publisher's comment: Thank you for the text. I will read it and give you my
comments. Please note the letter before this one.
Send your comments to redhedbud@penn.com.
"Subject: The Speedtrap Registry
An interesting site I stumbled across. I'm happy to report that I
submitted 219S past Westline at the top of the hill. The PA troopers
run radar daily there, catching the traffic in the passing lane coming
up the hill. I also submitted the Bradford Twp "Drunk Hunt" they go on every
weekend night. For my friends receiving this who are not familiar with McKean County,
Pennsylvania, skip the above.
Click on: www.speedtrap.com."
"Subject: hi there..........
I picked up a copy of your mag. on Friday. I would like to know why so many people seem to
want to bring you down? I met you at the Warren County Fair,when you were first running. I
have tried to get your mag. when it was around, or I would see it. I haven't read it too
often, but when I do you seem to be the brunt of a lot of hate..... Must be a lot of
people are just plain stupid ,or, scared......... Seems you know how to stand up on your
hind legs and tell it how it is....... I don't want to go off on a rant here (Dennis
Miller) but........in a society of (good manners), (ethics), and the guts to speak the
truth (honesty), you seem to have it all..........good luck with all you do with your mag.
and givum' hell dude.......................thanks for the space s.s. warren
county............thought for the day..........look out for dumb &
dumber..........."
"Subject: DORA TALL CHIEF
I would like to see an article about William C. Hoag and Dora Tall Chief. I understand he
was a full blooded Seneca and president of the Seneca nation abt. 1911. Are any of his
decendents still alive and active in the Seneca Nation?Thanks Kenneth Hoag khoagy@aol.com."
"Subject: Looking For Half Brother
From: Kpboyd@aol.com.
Hi I`m looking for my half brother he was born in Bradford on 6-26-52. His fisrt name is
Steven. I have tried many ways to find him but no luck. Ithought maybe you could do a
story on him. Thank you Kathy."
"Subject: Cornplanter Plate
Maybe you can help me. I've been on a three year mission to try to find a a souvenir plate
that was produced by a company called "Kettlesprings Kilns". The plate was
commissioned by the Warren County Nurses Association. It bears the image of Chief
Cornplanter and the Cornplanter Monument, as well a a photo of a group of people described
as "A typical Seneca Indian Family". The young girl in the photo is my cousin,
Gloria (Bennett) Hamblin, formerly of Warren. I came very close to obtaining one last year
when I located a woman reputed to have a case of them, but by the time I tracked her down
she had just given the last on away. I would very much appreciate any assistance that you
could provide.
"Thank You
Robert Magee
PO Box 331
Hammondsport NY 14840
(607) 569 2667
rvmagee@infoblvd.net"
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