Saturday, May 24, 2014

SPEAKING OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Long-time conflict-challenged Martha Lockwood has come alive to report her findings regarding the Bay Beach situation on that Facebook group commandeered by the ninjas:


"Steve you said in a previous post that the Molinarosstill owned the area used for 

parking along Erie Road. That is true for now. They are in the midst of selling it


 and are concentrating their efforts in areas that welcome them. Interestingly enough 

in the midst of all of the sabotage of the Crystal Beach project, Mayor Vance 

Badaway invited them to Port Colborne to show them areas of their waterfront he 


would love developed (see Nickel Beach). Its amazing how some communities have


vision and others do not. It will be a long time before anyone is interested in investing 


significant amount of money in this area."



Oh, Martha, getting careless with the truth, again are you? Are you enjoying putting down the

people of Fort Erie who did not want a high rise on public beach front property?  And where did


you get this inside information?  Still hanging onto the Molinaros?  Vance Badaway has never 

invited the Molinaros to look into developing Nickle Beach. Port Colborne recently received 

word that a major grant will be given to Nickle Beach in order to renew the sand dunes which 

could result in a coveted Blue Flag designation.  There is fierce opposition in Port Colborne 

to any high rise buildings along its waterfront. In fact, some are lamenting the four story condo 

apartment building that was built on the waterfront several years ago.  Townspeople have 

vowed that will never happen again on the Port waterfront.



So the "vision" that Martha is talking about going on in Port Colborne is exactly what should be 

going on in Fort Erie.  


Just this past week in Port Colborne, The Elm Street Naturalization Park officially opened

its first phase: a leash-free dog park drawing visitors and their canine friends. It is all part

of a 24 hectare park being developed by the Niagara Region on the former site of the Elm

Street Landfill and Organics Composting. I doubt if its economic impact was part of the 

consideration to ask for the support for the parkland. Port Colborne manages to blend public 

parks with businesses and established residences.  It can be done with smart planning.


Perhaps Martha should keep herself out of the limelight. She can still be sued for conflict of 

interest for her votes on the Bay Beach Issue while her domestic partner had a direct pecuniary 

interest in the Bay Beach snackbar/tee shirt shop. Some of us still remember her support of 

cheese smuggler Bernie Polino as he grabbed the snack bar lease from the long-time lessee, 

Charley Boy's.



(Editor's Note: In all honesty,  I really pushed hard for someone to file suit against her, but those 

who could deferred, thinking that was not the best strategy. The knowledge of Martha's other 

lies cost her the voters' trust and she lost the election in 2010. Even then, she filed for a 

compliance audit against the man who beat her in the election: Don Lubberts. This produced 

nothing and cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars.)


17 comments:

  1. Curious in the BurgMay 24, 2014 at 6:16 PM

    Should the lawyer David Hurren be acting as the solicitor for Tim Whitfield, Jimmy Thibert, and the FELRC. Or can something in there be considered a conflict of interest.


    From the Fort Erie Race Track Alive and Kicking facebook page:

    For all who follow these things, The Board of Directors met yesterday and have authorized me to sign off on the contract with the Province for racing at FELRC.

    I will be signing the approved agreement later this morning once official documents are prepared by FELRC solicitor, David Hurren.


    See you all Tuesday at the seasons opener!

    JImmy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Geeze. Martha's quote even caused a formatting problem for me. Anyway, David Hurren does seem to be quite busy these days. It is difficult for one lawyer/firm to take on related cases. They usually have to erect what is called a "Chinese Wall" to avoid cross contamination of information from one lawsuit to another. Could be an interesting question to ask the Upper Canada Law Society.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is Mr. Hurren also the lawyer for the EDTC: He also represents Tim Whitfield in his suit against 4 councillors, he represents the EDTC who is trying to broker a deal for the race track which includes selling some industrial land to the town that is owned by Kompson a well respected developer ( if what I have heard is true), and is also the lawyer for the race track who is selling the property. Is there not a conflict here with the lawyer and with Mr. JT???? representing both the race track and brokering the deal through the EDTC with the town, and as a personal citizen suing a councillor. Not sure what hat he is wearing when he is doing all this. I would like to know how much of the tax payers dollars are going to Hurren.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hurren was also a $200. donor to Doug Martin' campaign in 2010. Not a bad investment at all. So far, it has cost the four councillors in excess of $150,000. to defend themselves in the Tim Whitfield inspired COI lawsuit. It is a known fact that Whitfield hasn't the whereforall™ (Rick Shular) to pay litigation expenses, so who is paying? Who is paying for Jim Thibert's lawsuit? Is it like the one against me? Paid for by the taxpayers? Inquiring minds want to know.

      Delete
  4. As far as The Conflict of Interests related to the 2006 to 2010 Councillor Martha Lockwood's reign of terror:
    Do you recall at the time Martha was assisting her live-in friend selling her trinkets at Bernie's Snack Bar at the beach that she attempted to lock in a five year Concession Contract to carry over to the Molinaro retail space?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I noticed that the crap is spreading to Bullet News comments. Isn't Lesley North incorrect about Mayor Martin winning in all 6 ridings?
    Ann-Marie was very close to a victory announcement when somehow Martin got a huge hike in votes after over an hour because of a mishandled dumping of a box in Shular's ward.
    AND HOW COULD MARTIN GET A MAJORITY OF VOTES IN EVERY WARD WHEN THERE ARE 6 WARDS AND HE WON BY 5 VOTES.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right. Ann Marie was way ahead in Wards 4, 5 and 6. She was ahead in Ward 3. Martin, as predicted, carried Ward 1 and went ahead of Ann Marie after the delay and the vote count in Ward 2. Unfortunately, a similar delay cost Richard Berry his election to Tim Whitfield in 2006.

      I think that no town employees should be allowed to come within 20 feet of the ballots. The voting should be carried out by a third party. As I've said before, many municipalities trade staff with other municipalities for elections.

      Delete
  6. It boggles the mind that an unsealed ,unsigned box of ballots can be found, from an old folks home and all of the ballots were for Doug Martin, Anne Marie had a lead of 200 votes only to see that lead dissapear after Russ Wilson dumps his ballots into the counting machine. This action does not meet the standards set out by the Province. I was a former poll clerk for Provincial elections.also I attended the seminars held at the McBain Centre about the election rules. That box was not legal, and a campaign worker for Doug Martin had his fingers all over that suspect ballot box.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The good people of Fort Erie must wake up and realize that their very rights are in jeopardy. The 2010 mayoral ballot count was a travesty. The police should have been called in. Anything that Russ Wilson has been involved with, going back to the Customs Christmas Fund, has "problems." Look at the mess that has happened at Bridges where he is CEO. A quarter of a million dollars embezzled and he knew nothing about it? If you believe that, I've got a full bingo card for you.

      Delete
    2. When is everyone going to realize that THE FOUR do have a majority? When are THE Four going to realize that if they have some good ideas \ they can carry the vote. I guess they must have some hidden agenda and no ideas for progress, Only accusations and obstructionist policies. Wake up people. These four are not saviours, or benefactors, they are only against anything positive for our town. If I am incorrect why aren't they proposing their own cure for our problems? They have the votes!!

      Delete
    3. Because "certain people in opposition to the 4 insightfull councillors keep throwing barriers in front of them so that if they can be hindered in any way, it will be done. Law suits, obvious hidden agendas, accusations and obstructionist policies, (it works both ways…g) whatever the opposition can think of to stop them in their tracks, has been tried, but they have stood strong because they are doing what is right. They have to cut the dead wood out before the before it destroys the life of this town. And no, a condo on the public beach lands is not progress.

      Delete
  7. Big G, Many people don't understand how deep and for how long the tentacles of nepotism and cronism is, in Town and staff, the directors of the Towns agencies, they have taken control of most of the levers of power, the 4 elected by the people do not have a magic wand to wave, and make things right again, it took a long time for them to take our Town over, so it could take just as long to rectify. The treatment and welcome that Doug Martin gave our newly hired CEO was horrible, and to me disgusting , no wonder he couldn't do his duties and decided to quit and find friendlier people to work for.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I ( Fact Checker) think I may have been mistaken, in reviewing my earlier post I made comment that Hurren was the lawyer for the race track. What I thought I said is the JT is involved in the race track and the EDTC that is involved in the purchase/sale of race track and/or some industrial land. I do not know who the lawyer for the racetrack owner is. Does anyone know who the lawyer for the non for profit race track consortium that is headed by JT is???

    ReplyDelete
  9. Porgey, you could not be any further from the truth. I happen to know Larry Adams personally and he did not leave because of anything Doug Martin did or didn't do. He left because he had some personal medical problems ongoing that needed him to be closer to home to family.

    So before you go off spouting inaccuracies I would suggest you get your facts together and speak in truths rather than assumptions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the clarification, however, many believe that Adams did not receive a warm welcome at town hall. It was obvious that Martin favoured Tripp for the job.

      Delete
  10. The four have done an amazing job in spite of the onslaught of negativity [to say the least] from the very minute they got elected. Mostacci realized there was a new power shift in Council and left immediately.

    Don't forget the ridiculous Compliance Hearings that cost us taxpayers huge that was kicked off by Martha Lockwood and Marina Butler. Kimberly Zanko speaking for the "new" coalition that printed the rude pamphlet with the two follow up nasty billboards. Worst of all was our own Mayor's massive radio and newspaper coverage that "Fort Erie is Closed for Business", just because his Molinaro condo development was not wanted. Also the numerous photos of Mayor Martin and our Economic Development and Tourism leader Jim Thibert claiming that Fort Erie had a "Dim Future".

    Steve Pessaro who wants so badly to lead Council next election has said that he doesn't consider job promotion as a job for Council. This time I agree with him, it is the EDTC's responsibility to foster new businesses. That is after all the NAME of the corporation.

    The four have worked tremendously hard to keep our taxes down. Consider in Martin's first four years the huge percentage that all our taxes went up. I think it was an increase of about 35 %.

    The four have represented Fort Erie citizens by protecting by-law changes that were favoured as well establishing the best record of new building permits issued in 15 years.

    ReplyDelete
  11. People can believe what they want to believe but that doesn't make it fact. Fact is he did have some personal medical problems and with regards to his unwarm welcome, as it was told to me right from Larry, he had no problems with Mayor Martin whatsoever, that he was very welcoming. Sorry to burst your bubble

    ReplyDelete

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