Donner and political patronage at the ESL Centre
I am absolutely loathe to give kudos to a local TV station, but I have to give credit where credit is due ... a week or two ago, Channel 10 did a pretty solid exposé on the financial mess at the ESL Centre.
According to a Nov. 12 story filed by reporter Brett Davidsen, the ESL Centre — a four-rink, publically-owned facility on the MCC campus in Henrietta — is more than $7.2 million in debt. As a result, maintenance of the building has fallen woefully behind. Apparently the team's finances were a complete mess until a few years ago, says county legislator Jack Driscoll, the chairman of the center's board of directors. Now, however, he claims the center is making about $300,000 a year.
I've got a couple things to ponder here:
1) Steve Donner was heavily involved in the construction and management of the ESL Centre. Given that he's allegedly and royally screwed up the finances of the Rochester Sports Group, how heavy was his role in the mess at the ESL Centre? Exactly when and how was he involved? I've got a feeling Donner had his messy little fingers in this pie as well. And keep in mind that David Christa of Christa Construction, the firm that won awards for constructing the center, sued Donner in 2002 for an overdue debt. (Christa was eventually awarded more than $24,000 in that case.)
2) Let's look into the management of the ESL Centre a little more. In his report, Davidsen notes that the center's board of directors, headed by Driscoll, has "since hired a professional arena manager from Chicago."
As it turns out, that company is called Advanced Arenas Inc. It's based in Woodbridge, Ill., and it manages eight ice facilities in Illinois and Michigan — and, for some reason, one in Henrietta, N.Y.
So why does an Illinois company manage the ESL Centre? Oh, let's see, is it because Advanced Arenas and its related companies gave Jack Driscoll, Monroe County legislator and chairman of the center's board of directors, $10,000 in campaign contributions in April of this year? (I have a feeling the companies might have given even more to Driscoll, but that's all I could find on-line.)
Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that the company has given $2,600 in campaign funds to state Sen. Jim Alesi, whose district includes Henrietta? And let's not forget about the $1,200 Advanced Arenas has given to state Assemblyman Joe Errigo, whose district also includes Henrietta.
Money, people, follow the money
According to a Nov. 12 story filed by reporter Brett Davidsen, the ESL Centre — a four-rink, publically-owned facility on the MCC campus in Henrietta — is more than $7.2 million in debt. As a result, maintenance of the building has fallen woefully behind. Apparently the team's finances were a complete mess until a few years ago, says county legislator Jack Driscoll, the chairman of the center's board of directors. Now, however, he claims the center is making about $300,000 a year.
I've got a couple things to ponder here:
1) Steve Donner was heavily involved in the construction and management of the ESL Centre. Given that he's allegedly and royally screwed up the finances of the Rochester Sports Group, how heavy was his role in the mess at the ESL Centre? Exactly when and how was he involved? I've got a feeling Donner had his messy little fingers in this pie as well. And keep in mind that David Christa of Christa Construction, the firm that won awards for constructing the center, sued Donner in 2002 for an overdue debt. (Christa was eventually awarded more than $24,000 in that case.)
2) Let's look into the management of the ESL Centre a little more. In his report, Davidsen notes that the center's board of directors, headed by Driscoll, has "since hired a professional arena manager from Chicago."
As it turns out, that company is called Advanced Arenas Inc. It's based in Woodbridge, Ill., and it manages eight ice facilities in Illinois and Michigan — and, for some reason, one in Henrietta, N.Y.
So why does an Illinois company manage the ESL Centre? Oh, let's see, is it because Advanced Arenas and its related companies gave Jack Driscoll, Monroe County legislator and chairman of the center's board of directors, $10,000 in campaign contributions in April of this year? (I have a feeling the companies might have given even more to Driscoll, but that's all I could find on-line.)
Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that the company has given $2,600 in campaign funds to state Sen. Jim Alesi, whose district includes Henrietta? And let's not forget about the $1,200 Advanced Arenas has given to state Assemblyman Joe Errigo, whose district also includes Henrietta.
Money, people, follow the money
posted by Ryan Whirty at
8:39 PM
1 Comments:
Ryan, you need to do some research. ESL's financial mess began when Donner was front and center in the original construction. The first time his financial integrity as owner/investor/management was at ESL. The uproar and investigation forced him out ...essentially to avoid a lawsuit for the big E word.
This guy will not change. And, as your blogs consistently point out, there are a number of political connections as well. Maybe those rogues are the next ones who need some heat from the media. You never know that heat and information ... .connectiong the dots from the past to the present, will stir up the public from its apathy!
As you follow the money, go back to the start of the ESL mess. Bruno should be able to get you up to speed on this since I know this may have happened before you arrived on the scene.
KEEP UP YOUR WORK!
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Anonymous, at 5:47 AM
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