I am going to answer
the question South Park posted here by opening a new thread.
Quote
South Park
So, what's the problem with this Salone guy ? In other words, I am MOCKING the people who whine but lack the cojones to stand up and SPEAK.
Ok Sarge, here is my list of things that make me less-than-optimistic about Larry Salone.
First of all, during my visits to Rockhill Furnace, (1) some of EBT's former employees have told me that Mr. Larry Salone really screwed them over and (2) an incredibly dedicated FEBT volunteer told me that Mr. Larry Salone has threatened to sue him.
Second, when I read the many articles that have been published about the East Broad Top over the last few years, I am struck by how few of those articles quote both Mr.Salone and the Kovakchicks. If an article quotes Mr. K., it won't quote Mr. S, and vice-versa.
Third, when I
google "Larry Salone" I find multiple newspaper articles about bankruptcies and lawsuits involving him. There is a May 15, 2008
Altoona Mirror article "Salone Holdings files Chapter 11 - State College restaurant, rail museum won’t be affected by action, owner says" and a November 14, 2008
Sharon Herald article titled "Lube franchisee sued first, calls action ‘heavy handed’"
Fourth, when I went to Guidestar.org and downloaded the tax form for his non-profit organization (the East Broad Top Preservation Association), I was left with the impression that the "Association" is one-person: Mr. Salone. Furthermore, while I am not a tax accountant, several aspects of those tax forms make me extremely reluctant to donate to it.
Another google search of the phrase "Donations can be sent to EBTPA" finds dozens of published articles that all say Mr. Salone's non-profit is attempting to raise $6 million by the end of the year. IMHO, a non-profit attempting to raise that amount of money really needs to have a BOD.
Fifth, since taking over the EBT, Mr. Salone has made several unusual moves - for example,
here is a RYPN thread about how he moved PRR 1361's boiler into the East Broad Top's shop.
Another unusual move Mr. Salone made was claiming that the EBT needed "$400,000 for safety repairs needed to run excursions". Here is a quote from an 2012 Altoona Mirror article by William Kibler:
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Altoona Mirror article (not available online)
The association doesn't want to compromise this effort to secure the future of the National Historic Landmark operation by siphoning energy into the short-term goal of raising up to $400,000 for safety repairs needed to run excursions - especially given the possibility it will lose control at the end of the year, association President Larry Salone said Friday.
There's no way operational profits this summer would cover the cost of the safety improvements, Salone said.
Moreover, even if the association could raise the funds for safety repairs, those repairs would take more than a month, which would cut into the excursion season anyway, he said.
AFAIK, Mr. Salone never explained why the EBT suddenly needed $400,000 in "safety repairs. Furthermore, FWIW, the Friends of the East Broad Top operated a members-only excursion during the 2012 Fall Spectacular.
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Chris Webster
