(Buffalo, NY) Bloodline Handmade, a bespoke men’s tailoring company that makes all garments exclusively in Western New York, announced their upcoming launch on June 6^th in Buffalo.

 Bloodline Handmade gives their clients the opportunity to choose fabrics and material that are sourced from all over the world. Their manufacturing process as well as their team of tailors, cutters and seamstresses is entirely local. The Bloodline Handmade mission is to produce a product that is completely customizable at a price point equivalent to a quality, ready-made Italian suit.

  “The reception of Bloodline Handmade in the Buffalo market has been overwhelmingly successful to date,” said Bloodline Handmade Founder Jason Blood. “By word of mouth alone, our team has been busy filling orders. I’m excited about upcoming launch to officially showcase Bloodline Handmade to all of Western New York.”

“Western New York has a lot of style and charm and I’m excited to open my business here,” Blood added. “After traveling all over the world, and living in many places, I can’t picture a better place than Buffalo to launch a bespoke men’s line. It is my dream that Bloodline Handmade will become a benchmark of style in the Western New York area.”

The Bloodline Handmade Launch party will be held in Buffalo on June 6^th. The event is by invitation only, however, a limited number of spots have been made available to the public. Those interested in attending can visit www.bloodlinehandmade.com to reserve a spot on the guest list.

Letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency Details Strong Objections to Audit Findings, Continues Call for Withdrawal & Rejection of Conclusions

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Yesterday, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz issued a formal response letter to the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“OIG”) regarding that office’s March 29, 2013 revision of their audit entitled “FEMA Should Recover $48 Million of Public Assistance Grant Funds Awarded to Erie County, New York – Severe Weather October 2006” (“Revised Audit”).  This Revised Audit is a significant amendment to the original audit first released to the public on February 8, 2013.

“The fact that OIG was compelled to issue a Revised Audit two months after their original audit was publically released is significant,” said Poloncarz. “In doing so, OIG repudiated its major findings and created multiple new and previously unstated reasons and alleged factors in continuing to demand that the County repay FEMA $39.4 million.  This new letter is in response to these new—and still legally wrong—findings, the flawed process OIG conducted, the inappropriate motivation behind this audit and revision; and the flawed public policy that, if applied nationwide, would jeopardize the health and safety of all Americans during future disaster situations.  I am still calling on OIG to withdraw this deeply flawed audit, and I am also calling upon FEMA to reject the audit’s findings and decline to seek payment from Erie County or NYSEMO.”

Click here for a copy of the County’s Response Letter or OIG’s Revised Audit.

Previous News on the Subject:
3/14/13: Poloncarz Issues Response to October Storm Cleanup Audit
2/27/13: Poloncarz Calls Federal Audit “Legally Wrong” in Seeking Recovery of $48 Million in October 2006 Storm Disaster Relief

Some people have asked me why I would want to throw my hat into the political ring and the simplest answer is that I feel compelled to try to make a difference. Woodrow Wilson said “There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.”

I feel that I can apply my strengths in the political arena. I do have a business background, a legal background and a political science degree. I don’t mention these things in a boasting manner because I truly feel that one of the main qualities one must possess to be a public servant is humility.

I want to earn this job through this campaign, earn your trust through my conversations with you and my actions and earn some invaluable life experience in the process.

Can you share with us your thoughts on the following items:

1) On June 11th, the politicians on the town board are forcing the public to vote again on downsizing the board from 6 to 5 members. The public previously voted overwhelmingly 70% to 30% to downsize, but the politicians don’t want to do it.

Where do you stand on this? Should the board be reduced to 5 members or do you think it should stay at 6?

2) What is your position on term limits? Several members of the board ran for office knowing there were term limits in place. Once people get a taste of the power and perks of public office they never want to leave. Attempts have been made to eliminate the term limits in place now.

What is your position on term limits?

3) Recently I filed a Freedom of Information request seeking a copy of the Town Supervisor’s schedule from 2012. I am curious as to how top elected officials spend their time. To his credit County Executive Mark Poloncarz provided me his 2012 schedule without any problem and without blacking out the names of individuals he met with regarding county matters.

Mr. Weinstein forwarded his schedule with the names of people he met with on town business blacked out. Not very transparent and I am appealing his refusal to provide me a clean copy of his schedule.

Do you think the Town Supervisor should provide a copy of his meeting schedule that includes the names of people he is meeting with? Why would an elected official who is serving the public want to keep secret who he is meeting with?

Paul Wolf

***

To be fair to Mr. Cadmus. I would also like to hear the answers to the above questions from:

Steve Sanders
Tricia Dunn
Mark Manna
Barry Weinstein
and anyone else who is looking to run in Amherst this year.

To thank active duty and retired military personnel for their service, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is offering buy one, get one free tickets to the Patriotic Pops concerts at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 24 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 25.

The concert has become a Memorial Day weekend tradition. Conducted by Matthew Kraemer, this year’s event features the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and vocalists Niko Ellison of the Air Force Band and Danan Tsan, formerly of the Army Field Band.

Active and retired military personnel can take advantage of this offer by visiting www.bpo.org and using the code SALUTE, or by calling (716) 885-5000. Identification is required, and there is a limit of four tickets per patron (two paid and two free tickets). Previous purchases are excluded.

Once upon a time there was a frame, 2-story home located at 350 Abbott Rd. in South Buffalo, NY. It was built around 1920, like all the other frame structures that line Abbott Rd. on both sides for miles.

The home was built well, had good owners for years, but fell into the hands of fraudsters and scammers. It became a victim of white collar crime.

Why was this structure demolished? Why is there only a vacant lot there now? 350 Abbott Rd. never had a chance once Kathleen Martin, A.K.A. Kathleen Flynn, got her hands on it.

According to Erie County property records, 350 Abbott Rd. was purchased by the Lackemier family in 1974. It was well maintained, landscaped well and fit in perfectly along this middle-class, blue collar neighborhood.

In 1981 it was purchased by the Clarke family, once again, it was maintained, repairs made as needed and the mortgage always paid on time.

Then in 1989, it was purchased by Kathleen Martin, A.K.A. Kathleen Flynn, a vice-president of the mortgage department of M & T Bank in downtown Buffalo. It was the beginning of the end for 350 Abbott Rd.

Martin enjoyed the house, during the 1990′s, but soon began to dislike the area and decided to move to Orchard ark about 1993. Martin, then turned the long-time owner occupied property into a rental property. Martin then purchased a condo in Largo Florida and rented the Abbott Rd. property, often re-financing to suck out the available equity and never really reducing the principal balance. By 2003, Martin grew weary of maintaining the property and tried to sell it. After a year, with no bites, Martin decided to refinance the home once more, this time, turning to a rival lender! Martin had a mortgage with M&T, but as her employer, they had recourse on her if she stiffed them and stopped paying the mortgage. So, Martin, well versed in the business of mortgage, re-financed through Charter One Bank and Wells Fargo.

Martin paid off M & T and stiffed the rival lender, never making even 1 payment! Some call this mortgage fraud, some say white collar crime, some simply wink and nod at Martins corruption!

After the Martin fraud, the home was foreclosed and now bought by East Coast Capital Company. This time, scammers, Joshua and Jessica Douchette bought the property and began their own mortgage scams, Ponzi schemes.

In May 2007 word of these scams was brought to the attention of then-Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo prosecuted the Douchettes and the property sat vacant until 2010. Finally, after mortgage fraud by Martin, and house scamming by Douchette, 350 Abbott Rd. was purchased by a dentist, who privately tore down the structure, way before its time.

All that remains now is a vacant lot. The Douchettes were punished but ironically Martin is still employed at M & T Bank and continues working in the mortgage industry untouched by her fraud and financial misconduct.

Justice or business as usual for M & T Bank? They got their money in the Martin re-fi, so they wink and nod at Martin’s corruption!

Correction — The best candidate for the Democrats to win a seat on the Amherst Town Board in the upcoming November election was Matt Clabeaux but he was informed, not asked, that he had to step down as a Democratic candidate for the Town Board by Chairman Jerry Schad.

Shad was  instructed by the real chairman of the Amherst Democratic Committee Dennis Ward to replace  Matt with an older, more mature female politician who’s name was well known because of her being on the Williamsville School Board.

The reason many interested people who want to get involved in Amherst politics don’t run for office are the games they are made to play to stay in favor of the “good ol’ boys”, Dennis and Jerry.

If citizens do decide to seek office and win they know they can’t be their own person because they will be  controlled by two losers who need to feel important, Dennis and Jerry.

When will this type of politics die in Amherst?

Editor  James Tricoli, Amhersttimes.com

Saturday, April 13, select members of the Amherst Democratic Committee will endorse two candidates to run for the Amherst Town Board.  The first two people who tossed their hats in the ring were Janice Dunn’s daughter, Trish, and Matt Clabeaux.  They are two new faces with new ideas and good problem solving skills for Amherst’s real problems.

Matt Clabeaux has been a life long Democrat who grew up in Amherst.  As a boy he lived in Snyder and attended St. Benedict’s.  He later moved to the Village of Williamsville.

Clabeaux knows both the physical beauty and the brutal scarring of Amherst due to a weak Town Board who always gave developers the go-ahead to mutilate Amherst’s quaintness.  He will  fight hard to block any further butchering of Amherst.

These two new Democratic candidates are bright, intelligent and should be able to defeat any candidates the Republicans put against them.  They will win if the Amherst Democratic Party gives them their full support and join together to do what needs to be done to assure victory for them.  These candidates haven’t been touched by the controlling hands of any Democratic higher ups; therefore they owe them nothing.

Unfortunately the good ol’ Democratic boys want their cronies to run.  They want people whose names have been around Amherst for over 25 years. These ‘favored’ individuals have been continuously running for office whether it was political, school board or some other board which would make their name stand out.

This is exactly why we don’t need such candidates.

You may have read the comments on this site when the Republicans said they were going to endorse Shelly Schratz for the Amherst Town Board.  The Republicans didn’t endorse her as they planned.  Perhaps it was  because of the comments made by the citizens on this site.  We’ll have to wait to see if they decide to actually endorse Shelly.

Any candidate we endorse for the Town Board can’t, and must not, be connected with any of Jerry Schad’s old friends who spoke, like Abner Milk Toast and never won a seat on our Town Board.

The citizens of Amherst have had enough of good intentioned candidates who don’t win even though they have a list of clubs and civil organizations they are members of.

We Democrats have a hunger in our belly for victory.  The Democrats can win the two seats on the Board, or even if there 3 seats vacant, if we work hard together and don’t believe the rhetoric that we must have someone with a well-known name on our slate.

If you  believe the leader of the Democratic Committee about who the two main candidates should be, you are foolish.  He only follows Dennis Ward’s drum beat.  Be ready to lose again to the Republicans.

The main candidates for the Town Board must be Trish, Janice Dunn’s daughter and Matt Clabeaux.

Matt is an attorney, teacher, author and a life long Democrat.

Trish has been around the Democratic world most of her life. Helping to pass out literature,  ring door bells, stuffing mailers, putting up signs for candidates.  She and Matt have been active Democrats who know what it means to fight hard for DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES.

I apologize for not knowing Trish’s last name.  I have never called her by it.  In all our years working together I have only known her as Trish.

by James Tricoli, Editor: Amhersttimes.com

The Vito Lopes story and the disgusting sexual manner in which he treated 8 women in our State Assembly was sanctioned by the State Assembly Speaker must be known and understood. Mr. Silver must resign for this is only the tip of the iceberg.  Sheldon Silver has allowed grave actions in many cases.  It’s time for his actions to shared with the voters.  He must face the consequences.

Last year New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was told that Assemblyman Vito Lopes was touching Assembly women in a sexual manner for years.  Silver knew Lopes was forcing the women to keep silent as he was sexually tormenting them or they would be fired.  Sheldon, who in this case had the morals of … excuse me Sheldon doesn’t have morals.  He’s too drunk on power.  Power has replaced his sense of humanity.  Power has become his GOD.  He knew he could buy off the women who were being sexually belittled by Lopes. Why else would he let Lopes continue?

Sheldon Silver is a lost soul and anyone who doesn’t understand this must be part of his group of scared cowards, who fear Sheldon’s wrath.  Sheldon paid $103,000 dollars to the two women who were sexually degraded by Vito Lopes.

Since the payoff Lopes has sexually belittled two more women which made it a total of eight women he sexually tortured.  Some Assemblymen have relatives working  in the State Assembly and were aware of what Lopes was doing yet they did nothing out of fear of Sheldon Silver’s anger what actions he might take against them.

As of Monday Lopes has resigned from the New York State Assembly.

Sheldon is now saying he is sorry he didn’t handle this matter correctly last year.  He must have thought these women had no worth.

South Buffalo Democrat Mickey Kearns says he will not caucus with his party in the state Assembly until Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver steps down.  Kearns is disappointed with Silver’s handling of Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez’s sexual harassment scandal.

It’s clear the pen is mightier than this man who believed he was king.

Sorry Sheldon.  All of us have to answer to a higher authority.

I praise Assemblyman Mickey Kearns for not supporting Sheldon Silver.  Fear is something you learn but some people have learned to put fear in it’s place.

I’m proud Mr. Kearns represents Buffalo and has taken a strong stand against Sheldon Silver’s actions and that he has the integrity to know when things are wrong and gone too far.

Editorial by James Tricoli:  Editor – Amhersttimes. com

Jeff Marion is seeking a Supreme Court seat (previously ran for Town Clerk in Amherst a few years ago.)  At a recent gathering he spoke about some cases that have come before a judge where the amount one could sue for  “pain and suffering,” was limited.  The case involved  a lady  who was left in dire straits as a result.  The McDonald’s hot coffee case was his reference.

From his FB page:

Got a chance to speak to the Amherst Democratic Committee. I talked about how the outcomes of judicial elections matter to those seeking help from the civil justice system. People who have been horribly injured by the carelessness of others, children who have no idea which parent they are going home to that evening, and incapacitated people looking for a guardian who will do what is best for them all look to the civil justice system for help. My practice has been dedicated to helping those exact people get justice.

Beyond these words he shared a story with the audience which was, in reality, a strong pitch to vote for him.  One might read into this that he would take “pain and suffering” into account to a greater degree than other candidates might.

This is not acceptable for a candidate for a judgeship to do. He mentioned how, in the state of Minnesota no matter how badly you were wronged, the most you can sue for is $250,000 compared to other states where there is no a cap.

Jeff Marion is running for a seat as a Supreme Court Judge.  As a candidate he should have never have said anything about any particular case.

Marion crossed the line of what a candidate for a judgeship should tell the public.  Inferring how he might handle a case could sway voters and that is inappropriate.  Candidates can offer their personal background information including where they went to school, where they have been employed, what positions they have held, information about their families, etc.  NOT how they might handle a case.