Garage Days Revisited
The Lindbergh kidnapping trial was the “Trial of the Century”. For many, so was the OJ Simpson murder trial. But in terms of length, you’ve got to give props to the Dan Ashley garage case.
The case of the wayward garage started way back in 2005, when the Troy Record ran a photo of a three-bay garage built by Dan near his home in the wilds of NGB. The garage is an impressive, well-built structure, except for the fact that a required town building permit had never been issued for the garage, and no taxes ever paid on the building. Given the fact that you could probably see the garage from a satellite, and we’re sure there’s a satellite somewhere up there tracking NGB, trying to figure out just what the heck is going on down there.
So here we are in 2007, and the case is still open. Amazing! If you want to see the wheels of justice roll slowly, well, all you need to do is elect three of your stooges to a Town Board, have them appoint a town attorney who has handled your political lawsuits, and man, molasses moves quicker. Remember, the garage case was brought by the previous administration in 2005, after Ashley couldn’t produce a single bit of proof that he had constructed the garage legally or had obtained a permit. Dirty Dan’s contention that a permit was blown out of the water by two employees of the town’s Building Department, and for their efforts at upholding the law; he thanked them by firing one and trying to fire the other. And the town made no effort to prosecute the case once Dan’s gang rode into power. Boy, that’s the good government and reform CB and his gang promised. One set of rules for you folks, and don’t mind what’s happening among us bosses.
That is until this week. The denouement to Dirty Dan’s dastardly den of garage graft may be wrapping up this week in Sand Lake Town Court. A judge supposedly has decided to bring an end to the mess, frustrated the town wasn’t doing a thing to resolve the issue. Nearly two years after the garage case reared its ugly head, an end may be near with a hearing this week. Interested parties are invited to call the Sand Lake Town Hall and they might be able to get some answers. But don’t think the case will end there – the word on the street is some of NGB’s finest are bringing out some paperwork or complaints about how the case was handled. Obstruction of justice, anyone?
Engineer of Disgrace
Those classy guys in NGB, Dirty Dan and CB, sure have a record to be proud of. Especially when it comes to senior citizens. A few months back, CB demanded, whined, cried, that Lillian Parsons not be allowed to attend Town Board meetings. It seems Lillian had said something mean about CB. And CB, man’s man that he is, wanted to force her out. But Lillian Parsons, who has been going to board meetings since the Eisenhower days, was having none of it and wouldn’t back down. Lillian 1, CB 0.
At about the same time, Dirty Dan and CB were pushing hard to get Ed Dickinson hired as town engineer. Dickinson didn’t have the qualifications, but CB and Dirty Dan wanted him so badly, they even threatened a lawsuit against Civil Service. Well, Dirty Dan and CB weren’t the only ones pushing hard. Big Ed Dickinson did some pushing himself, allegedly whacking an 84-year-old man during a traffic altercation in Troy. On his resume, Ed called it a “road rage” incident, but police called it assault. Last week, Ed Dickinson pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts in Troy City Court. Ladies and gentlemen of NGB, that man could have been your town engineer.
It’s disgusting that anyone would attack a senior citizen. It’s equally disgusting that after the charges were filed, Dirty Dan, CB and their henchmen, Michaels, Fennelly and Mihalko, continued to push for him to be hired as town engineer. Dickinson committed a crime against a respected member of our community, but Dirty Dan, CB, Michaels, Fennelly and Mihalko committed a crime against the public’s trust.
Prime Cuts
The “Jimmy” Conroy campaign for mayor is said to be looking for a campaign headquarters. No word on whether HUD money will be used in the purchase….With three allegations of fraud or misuse of taxpayer resources set to go to a special prosecutor, Dems are digging deep to hire Brian Premo as their counsel….Pals of a Pattison flock together. Look for Marty Dunbar, who’s now the Brunswick Dem chief, to be treasurer for “Jimmy” Conroy. No word if he will be known as “Marty” or the “Martster” in keeping with Frank, err, “Frankie” LaPosta’s effort to make the button-downed Conroy seem just like one of the guys. But it does look like Dems may not be making a serious venture in Brunswick, if Dunbar is spending his time with the “Jimmy” Conroy campaign. Hope the Conroy campaign funds are more secure than taxpayer dollars were when Conroy was helping watch the books in City Hall, and Joe “Joey” Buchanan ran off with several hundred thousand dollars to his bookie….The hot-tempered would-be party boss we mentioned two weeks ago was worried enough about a possible federal probe into his strong-arm tactics that he rushed home from a western vacation to confront Dem appointees about who may have sent a letter revealing his bone-headed moves to the boys in pinstriped suits that touched off the situation? Don’t worry; we’re trying to get a hold of the letter and will bring it to if we get it….What wayward gadfly was out and about with his “special friend”, laying the groundwork for a reform effort to counter another reform effort that displaced him from power with surprising ease? Can you reform a reform? It’s kind of like the French Revolution, but without the guillotines, fancy clothes and good food.
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