~ Turkeys Don't Fly ~ NOT APRIL FOOLS’       Board members Deb Hall and Laura Douglas, county appointees, refused to vote on several measures until they could see the latest paperwork.     The developers' attorneys and financial advisers scurried to make copies, carrying two cardboard boxes of paperwork in and out of the meeting room.     Two of the missing documents were the updated "sources and uses," a breakdown of where the project money was coming from and how it was to be spent.     Hall admonished the authority staff, calling its work "sloppy." “LeCrone might be on board long before September,” today’s Sunday News     Can you even imagine?  A $170 million dollar publicly funded project and they hadn’t seen the paperwork?  This is the first time this has been mentioned in the Lancaster Newspapers.  The Intell and New Era never said one word about this in their reporting of the meeting.  Artie See reported it on his site and on the Talkback forum the next morning.     On the Talkback forum, under one of the articles about Fulton Bank, there was this exchange:     So we've know for a long time what Dale gets out of this deal and now we know how Fulton is cashing in but what is LNP's angle. Do they believe their own hype? Do they think that convention attendees will give them added leverage when selling ad space in their rag or is there some other pay off they will receive?      This answer was posted:     Are you serious?     LNP, will be a 50% owner of the free hotel.     While they miss out on the outrageous and totally inappropriate fees (I have never seen a more blatant conflict of interest) that High and its subsidiaries have gotten as well as the construction, steel, and concrete contracts, the grand old ladies see more than their share. Actually, I am a little surprised they were absent on Wednesday night. At a big meeting, you can usually count on Jack Buckwalter trotting at least one of them out on display.     This was also posted:     This is unbelievable. This, coupled with Artie's other revelation that Wachovia has propped up the worthless junk bonds for the LCCC so that, if the bonds are sold, Wachovia will own the convention center and hotel for the next 40 years and can dictate the operation of everything, including the financing of the CC and hotel (i.e., tax increases to pay for it), when it fails.     It's like a nightmare. Only it's real.     Unless this turkey flys, which it won't, the city and county taxpayers are hosed!     And Fulton bank is gonna clean up - at taxpayer expense!     None of this, sadly, is an April Fools’ joke.  It’s really real.     Please click here and read Artie See’s latest articles on Looking at Lancaster.   LIP News will publish tomorrow and briefly on Tuesday and then will take a Spring break until Monday, April 9th. FAILURES       The Game Commission said it would work with Brown to tranquilize and capture the deer, then transport it to the rehabilitation facility in the Harrisburg area.     The deer will be monitored and then taken to another licensed rehabilitation facility, where it will be trained to survive in the wild.     "It will be specifically trained to reverse the habituation so that it can be released into the wild without posing a danger to the public," Feaser said. “Pa. will capture, free deer into wild,” yesterday’s New Era     This whole saga with the deer reminds me of the convention center fiasco.  The time and money the Game Commission will spend on a failed project!  Didn’t Oregon Dairies say they would take the deer?  Then give them the deer.  This deer can’t be trained to “reverse the habituation.”       You say I’m not optimistic?  No, I’m not.  And to explain why, please click here for Lanco Yokel’s excellent piece, “On a Less Optimistic Note…”  It should be required reading for the LCCCA board.   Please check back tomorrow.   ~ It’s Friday! ~ NOT IN THE BAG!       Well, a deer and how to bag groceries have captivated the public and the New Era won’t stop talking about their “Lost Angels” series.  An international tragedy occurred in Lancaster County and it seems to me they should be winning more awards than just the one Janet Kelley has won so far.      Meanwhile a different kind of tragedy is taking place in Lancaster spurred by the Lancaster Newspapers.  I simply cannot understand any of this.  Convention centers have failed and are failing across the country.  Several weeks ago one of the papers referenced Dan Logan, the LCCCA consultant who has been paid over $700,000 for nothing, and he mentioned booking boat shows.  Excuse me?  Can you imagine the trucks hauling the boats to the convention center through downtown Lancaster?  Is he nuts?  Maybe he meant a canoe show.     Has everyone gone nuts?  It’s almost become too painful to write about and there are just so many lies and so much spin being published by the Lancaster Newspapers, who now have a 50% interest, that it’s almost impossible to keep up, let alone list all of their lies.  But I will try to over the weekend.     Newspapers are supposed to improve their communities.  These are some of the saddest days in Lancaster I have ever seen. FRIDAY FUN     Three quick items to lighten things up:      Under one of the many stories about the deer, this was posted today and seems particularly appropriate:     The government is awash with chronic wasting disease, something must be done about this epidemic.     It’s been a long time since I’ve given an awful headline award – there are so very many – how does one chose?  But this New Era headline from March 28 defies intelligent thought:     1 bar-stool pitcher among DUI arrests     The story tells us one of those arrested threw a bar stool before leaving a restaurant where he had been drinking.  Wow.  That is just bad!     Now Becky, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. I have been reading the drivel on your site just for laughs. If you weren't such a coward, you would have a way for people to respond to you there.     And joy of joys, “Starling,” our “men’s rights” sicko, has returned in all of her old “glory.”  Where's my broom?  She’s right up there with the Penn Square Partners at lie telling.  Trolls always come back!  Is Lent over yet?  There will be much more on this next week.  What a hoot!      By the way, I currently have no way for people to comment on my site, but that will change shortly.  However, I doubt if any of her comments will make it past the moderator!   EXACT OPPOSITES       I am overwhelmed by many recent events.  So I will keep it short and simple today and tackle the other issues tomorrow.     Regarding the latest installment of the “Arrogant Monster” series I received this email:     I read your website faithfully and just saw your post today. You mentioned that your father was in WWII.  I KNOW people who ACT just the way you describe - who you see behaving one way but saying the exactly opposite thing about who they are.    Anyway, I thought you might get a kick out of this.  There's a website where you can view people's WWII registrations.  I copied and pasted it, just like it was online.  I have no idea whether the person tells them their civil occupation or if the government assigns it... but the "actor" part was hysterical to me... since you describe his behavior as seemingly "Oscar-worthy."  Enjoy.  By the way, your mother was telling the truth: he did enlist right after Pearl Harbor occurred.     The full occupation listed is this:  ACTOR (Motion picture actor.) or DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE (Motion picture director.) or ENTERTAINER     I responded with this:    The funny part is - my father never, ever went to movies.  We were told the reason was that no one could make a movie that was intelligent enough for him (honest).  I think he didn't want to spend the money (I haven't even gotten to the subject of money yet!) but even more than the money - I don't think he wanted to leave his beer!     No, I haven’t gotten to the money part or the fact that my parents didn’t believe children should play or have fun.  Children were to be seen and not heard and do work.  And both of my parents are excellent actors.  They have been doing it for years.     The enlistment also shows under “Education:  2 years of college.”  Once again, Franklin and Marshall College might want to find out how, where, when and why he received an undergraduate degree.        Thank you very much to the emailer and the link to the U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Record for my father is here.   ~ Not Fit To Print! ~ LIARS!       Cassidy said she no longer has the notebook she used when Kirchner wrote down his password. She said she routinely throws out her notebooks once they are filled. Former Intell reporter Carrie Cassidy testifying in Coroner Kirchner’s preliminary hearing from the Intell story, “Coroner faces trial on Web charges,” 3-27-07.     I’ve never heard of such a thing.  You date them and save them in order.  You never know when you might need them later.  What kind of reporter is she?  Her new employer, The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, must be proud.  I still have score-keeping notebooks from when I covered basketball games for the Intell 30 years ago.     She said the coroner wrote down the user name and password in her notebook. Carrie Cassidy testifying  from the same article as above.     Why would the coroner write it in her notebook?  Was it that long and complicated?  And she didn’t save the notebook?  What kind of reporter is she?     There will be much more on this farce coming later this week.  This is simply an outrage that the five reporters were given immunity.  WHAT A DEAL!     Penn Square Partners has pledged $36.3 million in upfront cash and debt service. The rest of the budget would come from public sources like the $63.9 million in bonds. Intell reporter Dave Pidgeon in today’s article, “County to make center board appointment.”     Artie See caught this lie and posted this on the Talkback forum under the article:     NOT TRUE. Only $11 million is in UPFRONT cash. The rest would come from FUTURE PROFITS. And all of this would be for the hotel ONLY.     Taxpayers are stuck with paying for all but $100 million PLUS INTEREST for the proposed convention center. Plus, taxpayers would be paying for NEARLY HALF of the proposed $35 million hotel.     What a deal: the Penn Square Partners get to pay $11 million in cash plus $24 million from FUTURE PROFITS for a $70 million hotel.     Artie also has something to say about the bonds.  Click here for Looking at Lancaster.     The LCCCA board meets tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the Southern Market Center.  WHO CAN SHE BE?     Whether or not you like what Ron does and how he does it, I have to give him credit for using his own name on here to be subjected to a lot of bashing. Not too many do that. I wonder how many of us could stand up to the scrutiny of using our real names. I see Ron on a regular basis and wouldn't consider identifying my real name with my personna on TB. Posted by Alyssarah1 on the Talkback forum under the article, “Harper arrested in Norristown.”     It’s so nice she reads my site, even though in her first ten posts she took three shots at me including calling what I post “junk.”  I recently posted this about her:     Wow!  You are just so important and know so many influential people!  I’m impressed.  The funny part is - they don’t know you!     Here is her answer!  To which I say  - yeah, uh-huh, sure and get lost, troll!  How many times do you have to be outed?   SAY WHAT?  “She said she routinely throws out her notebooks once they are filled.” Please check back later today…       ~ Brett Lovelace ~ “NOT CREDIBLE”        Lancaster County Coroner G. Gary Kirchner’s preliminary hearing is today (see the “Breaking News” in the box below).  I wanted to remind everyone exactly what State Attorney General Tom Corbett stated about the Grand Jury investigation and the five Intell reporters who are involved.    Intell editor Ray Shaw should pay particular attention.   February 5, 2007 Attorney General Corbett announces computer crime and conspiracy charges against Lancaster County Coroner    …Corbett said that several reporters from the Intelligencer Journal newspaper were subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury about illegal intrusions into secure sections of the 9-1-1 website, including Brett Lovelace, P.J. Reilly, Paula Holzman, Carrie Caldwell Cassidy and Madelyn Pennino.  All five reporters asserted their Fifth Amendment right to refuse to provide evidence which would tend to incriminate them, but each later testified after being granted immunity from prosecution for crimes supported by evidence arising from their testimony.     The grand jury later found that portions of the testimony offered by some reporters were not credible.  According to the grand jury, Lovelace was not credible when he denied knowing that he was not authorized to access secure sections of the county 9-1-1 website.  The grand jury also determined that there was proof Lovelace had used an alternate computer to access the secure 9-1-1 site, something he denied under oath.     "We allege that Dr. Kirchner knowingly frustrated the security efforts surrounding the 9-1-1 website, disregarded the confidential and sensitive nature of the information included on that website and abused his authority by distributing his user name and password to reporters from the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal," Corbett said.      "In addition to the breach of public trust by Dr. Kirchner, the grand jury found that employees of the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal violated the security of the 9-1-1 website simply to gain a tactical advantage over a competing newspaper," Corbett said.  "Contrary to the assertions of Lancaster Newspapers in repeated legal challenges that the grand jury was seeking newspaper source information, it is clear that the evidence sought was solely forensic in nature, establishing the direct illegal use of computers at Lancaster Newspapers by its reporters to access known restricted websites."     Kirchner is charged with one count of unlawful use of a computer and other computer crimes and one count of criminal conspiracy to commit unlawful use of a computer, both third degree felonies punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.   Click here for Corbett's full report and a link to the Grand Jury report. *** BREAKING NEWS *** The Intell Five!       According to Ron Harper, Jr., Lancaster County Coroner Gary Kirchner’s preliminary hearing is today and that means Intell reporter Brett Lovelace and the four others will have to testify.  Let’s see what the Lancaster Newspapers do with this!  This is District Attorney Donald Totaro spending your tax dollars wisely.  Harper says he will be there and his buddy, Bennett J. Vonderheide, will be taping!  Ron had a little problem with his video camera if you recall…  Do you have your "Press Pass," Ron?  Wow!      Please check back later today for any updates and “Arrogant Monsters.” PRESS THIS!     I thought I read back much earlier in a posting, or somewhere, that someone printed "PRESS" on their computer, laminated it and used it as a "Press Pass".   Is it that easy and is that legal? Posted on the Talkback forum under “Harper arrested in Norristown.”     Hey, that’s me!  You forgot the yellow part.  It’s a stunning press pass - bright yellow, laminated and clip-on.  Wow!      What do you think of the five Intell reporters who were named “co-conspirators” in two felonies by the State Attorney General’s Grand Jury?  Do you think they should have their fancy press passes taken away?  Is it legal that they still have “Press Passes?”     Please check back later today… “Lancaster County is more than just a place.” Jon Rutter’s opening sentence in his front page Sunday News article, “Route 23 is followed far and wide.”     I am so overwhelmed by this thought that I need to take the day off.  It makes you wonder how Rutter graduated from grade school.  Can you image he and editor, “Mad-Dog” Marv, having a conversation?   Mad-Dog – “Yes, it is just a place.” Rutter –  “No, it’s also a state of mind.” Mad-Dog – “Have you been taking your pills?” Rutter –  “No.  Have you?” Mad-Dog – “I can’t understand the instructions on the bottle.”  Rutter – “Me, either.” Mad-Dog – “Did you see any goats when you did your story?” Rutter –  “They were everywhere!  It’s not called a ‘goat path’ for                nothing.” Mad-Dog –  “Abigail loves goats.  We’re going for a ride on Route                      23.  See you later.” Rutter – “Can I come too?  I've never been on Route 23.”    Mad-Dog - "Come along!  The more kids, the merrrier!"                   ~ Rights and Freedoms ~ HARP ON!       My brother, Tom, lived in Lancaster many, many years ago and worked the second shift.  He walked home through Lancaster very early in the mornings.  He was often stopped by the police and asked for identification.  He always refused.  The police have to have a reason to stop you and ask for identification and they never had a reason for stopping my brother.      This, and other safeguards, are basic to our individual rights and freedoms in this country.  Which, of course, leads me to Ron Harper, Jr.’s recent run in with sheriff’s deputies and the police in the Montgomery County Courthouse.  The very brief and inaccurate Intell article, “Harper arrested in Norristown,” (click here) has an astonishing 98 posts and over 3,400 views as of this morning.  It is the hottest topic on the Talkback forum.  Harper, uncharacteristically, has remained silent.     I spoke to Harper yesterday on the phone at approximately 9:00 a.m. and obviously my piece below on this site is his side of the story.  I would like to thank him for the “exclusive.”  That will teach the Lancaster Newspapers to have their attorney send him ridiculous, threatening letters.     To answer one major question that has been raised – this occurred inside the courthouse according to Harper.  The Intell quotes a Norristown Police Captain as saying “outside.”  I do not know if he was there, but his information, according to Harper and all other sources, is incorrect and it did in fact happen inside the courthouse.      A longtime Talkbacker posted my entire story and then asked this:     This is Ron Harper's side of the story. I have a few questions for Mr Harper. 1. When an officer asks you not to film, why is your first reaction to turn on the camera instead of asking what the problem is? 2. If you told your child not to do something, would you expect his/her first reaction to be to listen to you or go ahead and do the opposite? 3. Why on earth can't you be civil? 4. Why are you so confrontational?     I think many of us feel this way about Harper from time to time.  The question is, however, does any of the above justify what Harper alleges was done to him?     By the way, as of our telephone call yesterday morning, his video camera was in the hands of the police and again, according to Harper, it is severely broken.     There will be more on this and a news round-up tomorrow.   *** BREAKING NEWS *** Ron Harper, Jr. has a new post on MontcoWatch.com (click here).   There will be much more later today... EXCLUSIVE – BREAKING NEWS   ~ Ron Harper, Jr. ~ “I WAS ASSAULTED!” [Editor's note:  Ron Harper requested that I add that he turned on the camera "for my protection" in the story below.]        “I left sick to my stomach,” Ron Harper, Jr. said by phone this morning.  “It’s horrifying that you can be assaulted in a courthouse in America.”     Harper, of www.5thEstate.com, had his video camera broken yesterday, was handcuffed and denied a call to his lawyer in the Montgomery County Courthouse.     Ron said he was there to take video for his new website, www.montcowatch.com.  He went through security with the camera, they were aware of it, and then he began to view what he would film.  A deputy came up to him and told him he was not allowed to film.  Harper said he turned on the camera at that point and told him he wanted to capture his “pretty face.”      “He lunged at me,” Harper said.  “He said I was not going to take pictures.  A sergeant came over and told me to turn it off.  I said,  ‘No.’  The guy pulled at my camera and it crashed to the floor.  It’s broken.”     Harper asked if he was under arrest.  He was told, “No.  We’re detaining you to question you.”  Harper at this point was sitting on a bench.  He pulled out his Blackberry and they asked him what he was doing.     “I’m going to call my lawyer,” he said.  “No, you’re not,” he was told.  Harper said, “Yeah, I am.”      “I was assaulted,” Harper said.  “I found myself in a headlock.  They threw me on the ground and assaulted me.  Five Sheriff’s deputies.  They had my head crushed into the granite floor with a knee on my neck and they handcuffed me.”     Harper, who was in an auto accident in December, suffers constant back pain.  He told them and they let him up and took off the handcuffs.      They let him go at that point and said they would be mailing him a citation for disorderly conduct.     “I was assaulted - that’s what I want people to know,” Harper said.  He said action against the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office and the Norristown Police would be forthcoming.     ~ Get A New Client, George! ~ ZERO “JOURNALISM ETHICS”        …You then accept and print as “fact” an undocumented, unsubstantiated story from a bitter, disgruntled ex-employee.  Your reporting, if that is what it can be called, demonstrates a flagrant disregard for even the most basic journalistic standards and violates every norm of journalism ethics. Attorney George C. Werner of Barley Snyder LLC, in a February 9, 2007 letter to Ron Harper, Jr. regarding the story on 5theEstate.com titled, “Inside Lancaster Newspaper.”     Werner is not a smart man.  He has the audacity to talk about “the most basic journalistic standards.”  The Lancaster Newspapers, as has been pointed out repeatedly by this site and many sites, break the most basic journalistic standards every day with their 44% interest in the convention center and their reporting of it.     I questioned Harper’s story on this site.  I said he didn’t attribute any of his “information” to anyone and some of what he wrote had to be supposition on his part.  Does that mean he can be sued?  No.     Werner says this in his letter:     To ensure that you are quickly on notice to cease and desist, I will not be cataloging a list of everything that is wrong with the article.  In general, the article: ~ Inaccurately accuses a reporter of criminal conduct.     Excuse me?  The State Attorney General’s Grand Jury accused the reporter, Brett Lovelace, and four other Intell reporters, of criminal conduct.   Sue Attorney General Tom Corbett.