Gam[bl]ing Commission shouldn’t skimp on background checks

Gaming Commission shouldn’t skimp on background checks

August 28, 2014

 

As the Gaming Commission prepares to award a casino license for the Boston area early next month, it needs to look into the eleventh-hour reports that one of the bidders, Mohegan Sun, may have violated the terms of its agreement with a Palmer landowner last year. The 2011 state casino law requires the commission to ensure the suitability of potential casino operators, including their integrity.

Related

• Mohegan Sun may have broken pact with landowner

Mohegan Sun passed its initial suitability hearing last October. At the time, it planned to build a casino in Palmer on land owned by Northeast Realty Associates. When that plan was narrowly rejected by Palmer voters in November, Mohegan Sun quickly struck a deal with Suffolk Downs racetrack to build a casino there instead. The Palmer landowners allege those discussions — which, as shown by emails obtained by the Globe’s Mark Arsenault, began before the referendum’s defeat was formalized — violated the terms of its contract. That contract forbade Mohegan Sun from “engaging in discussions or negotiations concerning the opening of any gaming facility in Massachusetts” other than the Palmer site.

The Gaming Commission has held applicants to the highest ethical standards, and shouldn’t relax them just because the process is nearing the home stretch, with a final decision expected in September between Mohegan Sun’s Suffolk Downs plan and a rival Wynn Resorts proposal in Everett. Luckily, the Palmer allegations should be easy to investigate quickly: If Mohegan Sun can explain its actions to the satisfaction of the commissioners, the questioning shouldn’t delay the decision on the license.



http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2014/08/28/gaming-commission-shouldn-skimp-background-checks/Wu98FRA3UwugCiNW7GjSEI/story.html



 

Filling Massachusetts' Courts with Predatory Gambling Lawsuits!

Judge rules Mohegan Sun, Northeast Realty can't keep some documents private in Palmer dispute

By PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press
June 13, 2014


SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts — Mohegan Sun has lost its bid to have certain documents kept out of the public eye in a civil lawsuit over its failed Palmer casino plan.


The Connecticut-based casino operator and its partner in the failed Palmer venture, Northeast Realty Associates, will not be allowed to designate materials "attorneys' eyes only" during the case's discovery process, Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard Carey ruled Friday.

But the judge also ruled that the two sides do not have the right to provide state gambling regulators copies of discovery materials, as Northeast Realty sought.

The judge said the types of materials expected to be the focus of the lawsuit would be "adequately protected" without such confidentiality agreements, which he said are sometimes needed to protect trade secrets and other sensitive information.

Northeast Realty, based in Longmeadow, said in a statement that it was pleased with the decision, which it said will "lead to the production of documents by Mohegan without delay."

Northeast Realty alleges Mohegan Sun violated an exclusivity agreement preventing the casino from pursuing a gambling license anywhere else in Massachusetts other than the 150-plus acres it leased from Northeast. It's seeking monetary damages, an amount to be determined at trial.

Mohegan Sun, which has declined to comment on the lawsuit on previous occasions, denies violating the agreement in its legal filings.

Voters in Palmer rejected Mohegan Sun's casino plan in November 2013. Within weeks, the horse racing track Suffolk Downs announced it reached a deal with Mohegan Sun to operate a casino on the Revere side of its property.

That more than $1 billion proposal is one of two plans vying for the lucrative Boston-area casino license.



http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/ba05c8a9154a42148f76d717cf87b0ca/MA--Massachusetts-Gambling-Palmer

CLICK ON LINK FOR VIDEO

Mohegan Sun demands signs removed in Palmer

Mohegan Sun wants sign removed.

By Ryan Walsh, Investigative Reporter
Published: June 6, 2014

PALMER, Mass. (WWLP) – The 22News I-Team obtained a letter sent from Mohegan Sun to the Palmer land owners (Northeast Realty) it leases land from.

The letter sent from Mohegan Sun President Mitchell Etess has demanded that all signs on its land be removed in 30 days.

The letter states that if the signs aren’t removed Mohegan Sun says they would be able to default on their lease.

The letter also states specifically that political signs in support of Paul Burns must be removed.

Mohegan Sun has a 99 year lease on the land directly in front of Massachusetts Turnpike Exit 8 in Palmer. It had hoped to build a casino there, but Palmer voters rejected their plan in November.

Mohegan Sun has since partnered with Suffolk Downs in Revere and is attempting to win the Eastern Massachusetts casino license.

Paul Burns is a town councilor who supported the casino, but has also held Mohegan Sun accountable for saying that they would use that land in some other way instead of allowing it to remain undeveloped.

The read the redacted letter you can click here.



http://wwlp.com/2014/06/06/mohegan-sun-demands-signs-removed-in-palmer/

Food Fight in Palmer Continues: Mohegan Sun vs Northeast Realty Associates

Friday, May 2, 2014

In battle over Palmer casino land, Mohegan Sun plans counterclaim

By James F. Russell CORRESPONDENT

 

PALMER — The multimillion-dollar legal wrangling continues between Mohegan Sun and Northeast Realty Associates, with a $25 million lawsuit already filed by the Palmer landowner and a $22 million counterclaim expected soon by the casino company.

Mohegan Sun planned to build a $1 billion casino in Palmer, but voters rejected the idea in November.

Northeast Realty Associates, which owns the 152-acre proposed casino site, filed a $25 million lawsuit against Mohegan Sun in February at Hampden Superior Court alleging the entertainment company ran a lackluster campaign in Palmer and blaming it for the outcome.

The landowner also alleges Mohegan Sun was more interested in building a casino at Suffolk Downs.

That action, according to Northeast's complaint, violated an exclusivity agreement the parties signed that bars Mohegan Sun from building a casino "anywhere within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, other than the Palmer property."

Whether Mohegan Sun filed its counterclaim in court was in question this week.

A lawyer for Northeast Realty said the casino company served Northeast with paperwork recently, indicating Mohegan planned to file a $22 million counterclaim.

The lawyer, James Kavanaugh of the Boston firm Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, said that when a law firm is served, that usually means an action has been filed or that one is imminent.

Contacted on Tuesday afternoon, Cathy Soper, a spokeswoman for Mohegan, said: "There has been a complaint a filed with Hampden Superior, outside of that no additional comment."

Yet the clerk magistrates' office in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield confirmed Thursday afternoon that no $22 million action has been filed by Mohegan Sun against the realty company.

Mr. Kavanaugh expressed surprise that the counterclaim had not yet been filed in court. He declined to discuss specifics of the case.

Paul Robbins, a spokesman for Northeast, said the potential Mohegan Sun counterclaim "further erodes their credibility in Massachusetts."

"Blaming others for their failures is a typical Mohegan Sun Massachusetts response," Mr. Robbins added.

"They blamed the two-year delay in sharing details of the Palmer project with the public on their debt restructuring and then blamed the host community process in stalling the Palmer agreement for more than 12 months, negotiations that took Mohegan only about 12 days to complete in Revere for their Suffolk Downs partnership."

 

 

http://www.telegram.com/article/20140502/NEWS/305029672/1116

 

 

Gaming panel enlisted in lawsuit vs. Mohegan

Palmer demands documents

 

 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

By:

Jack Encarnacao

 

Mohegan Sun’s erstwhile Palmer landlord is roping the state Gaming Commission into its lawsuit that seeks to bar Mohegan from building a casino anywhere but Palmer, demanding the commission turn over any communications between Mohegan and Suffolk Downs that might support the claim that Mohegan undercut its own Palmer casino effort to chase an opportunity in Revere.

Northeast Realty is arguing that any talks Mohegan and its chief executive Mitchell Etess had with Suffolk Downs before the casino developer lost a referendum in Palmer would violate an exclusivity agreement.

“The public records request to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission seeks to identify any communications conducted between representatives of Mohegan Sun including its attorney, Kevin C. Conroy, relating to the Suffolk Downs property, and the MGC including, but not limited to, commission staff and its Investigations and Enforcement Bureau,” Northeast spokesman Paul Robbins said in a statement.

Commission spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said the commission’s legal staff is reviewing the request, and does “not have a comment on the lawsuit at this time.”

The request, addressed to chairman Stephen Crosby and dated Feb. 28, asks for copies of any communications from Jan. 1, 2013, to Nov. 30, 2013, between the commission and a series of individuals “concerning the possibility or consideration of Mohegan’s participating in any way in the application for a license for and/or development of a gaming facility anywhere on the Suffolk Downs Property.”

The individuals include:

•   Suffolk Downs principals Richard Fields and Joseph O’Donnell.

•   House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and staff.

• Any attorneys or lobbyists associated with the law firms Foley Hoag and DLA Piper, who work for Mohegan.

• The public relations firm O’Neill and Associates, which represents Mohegan.

•   Former state Rep. Kathi-Ann Reinstein (D-Revere) and staff.

•     State Sen. Anthony Petruccelli (D-East Boston) and staff.
Mohegan Sun declined to comment on the records request.
Northeast Realty, which wants Mohegan to abandon its lease on the Palmer site, hit Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo with the same records request in January. Revere’s solicitor responded that a search of voicemail and email records of Rizzo and his immediate staff “failed to produce any records responsive to your public records request.”

http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2014/03/gaming_panel_enlisted_in_lawsuit_vs_mohegan

Jilted Palmer landowner suing Mohegan Sun

By Mark Arsenault

| Globe Staff February 20, 2014

Owners of the Western Massachusetts property where Mohegan Sun had originally proposed a casino will seek a court judgment to prevent the company from pursuing another gambling project at Suffolk Downs in Revere.

Northeast Realty Associates, which controls 152 acres in the town of Palmer, states in a lawsuit expected to be filed Friday that the casino company violated contracts with the landholder by allegedly engaging in secret talks with racetrack representatives. The lawsuit says the company then intentionally ran a lackluster referendum campaign for the Palmer project, contributing to its defeat at the polls in November.

The lawsuit comes less than a week before Revere residents go to the polls to decide a citywide referendum on Mohegan Sun’s plans to build a $1.3 billion gambling resort on land belonging to Suffolk Downs.

 

Northeast Realty is asking the Superior Court for a judgment declaring that Mohegan Sun may not pursue a casino license for any property other than the Northeast site in Palmer. The lawsuit, to be filed in Hampden Superior Court, also seeks unspecified damages, costs, and reimbursement for legal fees.

 

In a statement, Mohegan Sun said the Connecticut-based company “devoted over five years and more than $25 million to create a world-class resort casino proposal in Palmer. But on November 5, 2013 the community made a decision, which we have respected.”

“While we do not comment on pending litigation, it has been well established that there were no discussions between Mohegan Sun and the City of Revere or Suffolk Downs prior to the defeat of our proposal in Palmer’s November 5 referendum,” Mohegan Sun said. “Any suggestion to the contrary is completely without merit.”

Mohegan Sun’s Palmer casino plans had been an early favorite for the Western Massachusetts resort casino license.

In 2008 — three years before casinos were even legalized in Massachusetts — Mohegan Sun signed several agreements with Northeast Realty to build a casino in Palmer, including a lease for the site, according to the lawsuit. The parties also signed an exclusivity agreement that prohibited either side from “engaging in discussions or negotiations concerning the opening of any gaming facility in Massachusetts” other than on the Palmer site. A third agreement committed the parties to work together to get a law passed to legalize casino gambling and to develop a casino in Palmer, according to the lawsuit.

Separately, Mohegan Sun negotiated and signed a casino host agreement with Palmer officials in late August 2013 and scheduled a town vote on the project for Nov. 5.

Meanwhile, across the state, casino investigators conducting a background check on a partnership pitching a casino at Suffolk Downs had raised red flags about one of the project’s partners, Caesars Entertainment. Suffolk Downs dropped Caesars from the partnership Oct. 18, over concerns the gambling giant would fail the state background check. Racetrack officials stated publicly at the time that they would seek a new casino operator.

Northeast Realty alleges that Mohegan Sun saw the Boston gambling market as a more lucrative opportunity than Western Massachusetts, and that “no later than the early part of October, 2013” the casino company’s representatives began talking to “Suffolk Downs and its team of executives, lobbyists, attorneys and other representatives, and/or” state and municipal officials representing Revere, in violation of the agreements with Northeast.

“Mohegan’s true interests became the pursuit of a license to operate a gaming facility on the Suffolk Downs site, not the Palmer property,” the suit states.

Northeast accuses Mohegan Sun of then failing to do its best to win the referendum in Palmer, alleging that the casino company cut back spending on radio ads, failed to address concerns of key constituents in Palmer, and “ignored Northeast’s pleas to devote more time, resources and television advertisements to the campaign in the critical weeks and days right before the Palmer referendum,” the lawsuit states.

Palmer residents defeated the casino referendum by fewer than 100 votes.

Mohegan Sun chief executive Mitchell Etess notified Northeast on Nov. 20 that the company was terminating the exclusivity agreement but not the lease on the Palmer property, the suit states. The company did not answer a question about whether its officials spoke with Suffolk Downs before Nov. 20.

A Mohegan Sun affiliate announced Thursday it will retain CBRE/Grossman Retail Advisors to study development options for the Palmer parcel.

Suffolk Downs, which straddles the East Boston-Revere city line, faced two casino referendums on
Nov. 5. Revere voters approved casino plans at the track, but East Boston voters said no, killing the original proposal. Track officials quickly regrouped and launched a plan to build a gambling resort only on the Revere side of the property.

Officials for Suffolk Downs and Mohegan Sun reached an agreement in late November, under which Mohegan Sun would lease about 42 acres in Revere from the racetrack for a resort casino. Under the agreement, the track would be the casino’s landlord, not an owner.

The state gambling commission waived one of its deadlines to permit a new Revere referendum vote on the project, which is scheduled for Tuesday.


http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/02/20/revere/j3L6nQHUCjuW67AAx6nCWJ/story.html

 

Like the jilted bride: Palmer Landowner Sues Mohegan Sun

Palmer Landowner Sues Mohegan Sun
By Paul Tuthill

The owner of land in western Massachusetts where Mohegan Sun once planned a $1 billion casino is suing the Connecticut- based gaming company.

Enlarge image

An artist's rendering of Mohegan Sun's proposed Palmer, MA casino. Voters rejected the project on Nov. 5, 2013.

Credit Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority

Listen

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Northeast Realty Associates claims Mohegan Sun broke an exclusivity agreement for a casino project on a 152 acre site in Palmer. The suit accuses Mohegan Sun of abandoning that project for a more lucrative venture in the greater Boston area, before the November 5th referendum where Palmer voters rejected Mohegan Sun’s project by just 93 votes. It is an accusation that was raised previously by Palmer Town Councilor Paul Burns.

"It certainly seems like there was something going on behind the scenes. Whether there was or not you may never be able to prove it."

Mohegan Sun denies it began talks about another Massachusetts casino project prior to the Palmer referendum. Mohegan Sun is now trying to build a casino on property in Revere that is part of the Suffolk Downs race track.


http://wamc.org/post/palmer-landowner-sues-mohegan-sun



Feb 20, 2014, 9:59pm EST Updated: Feb 20, 2014, 11:24pm EST

Mohegan's Palmer landlord pursues breach- of-contract suit against casino operator

Jon Chesto

Managing Editor, Print- Boston Business Journal

Email | Twitter | Google+

 

As if the executives at the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority didn’t have enough to worry about.

With days to go before a make-or-break vote in Revere on Mohegan Sun’s casino plan for Suffolk Downs, Mohegan's landlord in Palmer is pursuing a breach-of-contract suit against the casino operator in Hampden Superior Court. The landlord, Northeast Realty Associates LLC, claims that Mohegan Sun violated the terms of its lease by pursuing this plan in Revere after voters in Palmer narrowly rejected a Mohegan Sun casino there.

To make things even more awkward, Mohegan Sun remains the tenant for the 152-acre site by the Mass. Pike in Palmer, under the terms of a 50-year ground lease signed in 2008. And Mohegan Sun just announced that it will hire CBRE/Grossman Retail Advisors LLC to recommend the best way to develop the property.

The timing of the lawsuit isn’t good for Mohegan. I received a copy of it tonight from representatives for Northeast, who said it would be filed on Friday, four days before the casino vote in Revere.

At the same time, this isn’t coming as a surprise. Northeast and its manager Leon Dragone have made it clear they’re not happy with Mohegan’s quick leap to Revere, and that their law firm was weighing a suit.

Northeast's lawsuit focuses on two claims. The first is that Mohegan officials began talks for a Suffolk Downs casino in October — violating an exclusivity agreement in the lease — after it became clear that Caesars Entertainment would be exiting the Suffolk project. The second claim is that in the final weeks leading up to the Nov. 5 vote in Palmer, Mohegan officials didn’t make the full-court press that needed to be done to win the vote: Mohegan, Northeast claims, ignored pleas to spend more money on advertising or put together a comprehensive traffic study to allay voters’ fears of congestion.

Mohegan officials have heard most of this before, and have denied these claims. They issued another brief statement tonight reiterating those denials. They say the Connecticut-based casino operator devoted more than five years and more than $25 million to a casino proposal in Palmer, and that it has been well established that there were no discussions between Mohegan and Revere officials or with Suffolk Downs about a Mohegan-Suffolk venture prior to the Nov. 5 defeat in Palmer.

Aside from Suffolk Downs, Mohegan and Northeast had been working toward a resort casino in Massachusetts longer than any other company. There was a time when this Palmer partnership seemed like the best of bets for a casino. No, there won’t be any such marriage ceremony anymore.

But there still could be an expensive divorce.

Further reading:
With Revere vote looming, bad blood remains between Mohegan Sun and its Palmer landlord


http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2014/02/mohegan-suns-suit-from-palmer-landlord.html

 

Mohegan Sun, Palmer Abuzz.....

Mohegan Sun, owner of Palmer site at odds
By Brian HallenbeckPublication: The Day

Published 11/22/2013

 

Proposed casino site now in dispute

Mohegan Sun has terminated its "exclusivity agreement" with the owner of the Palmer, Mass., land where it hoped to develop a $1 billion resort casino, freeing it to negotiate with potential partners in other casino projects elsewhere in the Bay State.

At the same time, Mohegan Sun's lease of the 152-acre site "remains in full force and effect," the Connecticut casino asserted this week in a letter to Northeast Realty Associates.

Northeast objected to the casino's claims, saying the Mohegans' continued lease of the land would prevent Northeast from making it available to any other developer.

"They want to negotiate with someone else but tie up the land in Palmer," Paul Robbins, a Northeast spokesman, said. "It's like having your cake and eating it, too."

Northeast said it had referred Mohegan's notice to legal counsel.

The Palmer casino proposal was narrowly defeated in a Nov. 5 referendum, prompting a recount of votes set for Tuesday.

"It is unfortunate that Mohegan Sun is abandoning the people of Palmer just days before the recount … so that it can continue to negotiate a possible deal in another locale in Massachusetts," Northeast said. "Mohegan's pursuit of a license in the Eastern Massachusetts zone is at odds with their long-held position that Palmer represents the best location for a resort casino in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It also violated the exclusivity agreement between the parties."

Earlier this week, Palmer Town Councilor Paul Burns questioned whether Mohegan Sun had talked to other parties in Massachusetts prior to the referendum. Kevin Brown, chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, responded in a statement, calling Burns' claims "patently false."

"Mohegan Sun and our team in Palmer worked tirelessly over the past five years to bring a world class facility to Palmer and the Commonwealth, invested millions of dollars into this effort, and engaged in a highly transparent process of explaining our project to the community," Brown said.

"Despite the long odds that a recount might bring a different result, we have deliberately stayed the course awaiting the outcome."


http://www.theday.com/article/20131122/BIZ02/311229925/1044


Mohegans considering non-gaming development in Palmer
By Brian HallenbeckPublication: theday.com

Published 11/22/2013

 

Mohegan Sun will consider a non-gaming development at the 152-acre site in Palmer, Mass., where it had hoped to develop a $1 billion resort casino, the gaming operator’s top executive said Friday.
“As far as Palmer goes, we’ve invested almost $25 million in the whole process, a lot of it involving the land,” Mitchell Etess, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority’s chief executive officer, said Friday. “Millions and millions has gone to the landlord. … We believe it’s a good site for development.”
Mohegan Sun signed a 99-year lease on the property in 2008.
Voters in Palmer rejected the casino proposal by 93 votes in a Nov. 5 referendum. A recount sought by Mohegan Sun and supporters of the project is scheduled for Tuesday. It is not expected to change the referendum outcome.
The Mohegan Sun Massachusetts plan included a 70,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor water park, two hotels and 300,000 square feet of retail development. Presumably, those portions of the project still could be pursued at the site, though Etess declined to discuss what the Mohegan Tribe has in mind.
“We could develop something other than gaming there,” Etess said. “It depends. We’ll have to take some time to assess what’s possible. … Everyone in Palmer liked the water park idea.”
Mohegan Sun has informed Northeast Realty Group, the owner of the property, that it was terminating its “exclusivity agreement” with Northeast, freeing the casino operator to negotiate with potential partners involved in other casino projects in Massachusetts.
Mohegan Sun has been in talks with owners of Suffolk Downs, the Boston-area race track hoping to propose a project in Revere.
Northeast Realty is free to pursue another developer of the Palmer site, Etess said, even though Mohegan Sun continues to lease it.
“They’d just have to go through us,” he said of anyone interested in the property.

http://www.theday.com/article/20131122/BIZ02/131129881/1047


Palmer Residents React to Mohegan Sun's Possibly Leaving Town abc40

(PALMER, Mass.) (WGGB)–Mohegan Sun wants out of its exclusive agreement with the town of Palmer to building a casino. Mohegan Sun had big plans for the ...

 

Northeast Realty: Mohegan Sun wants to break exclusive casino ... MassLive.com

PALMER - Mohegan Sun wants to end its exclusive casino agreement with Northeast Realty but continue to lease the 152 acres on Thorndike Street (Route 32), ...

 

Mohegan Sun seeks end to Palmer deal GazetteNET

In an earlier statement, Mohegan Sun rebutted suggestions by Palmer casino supporters that it had negotiated with Suffolk Down prior to the Nov. 5 referendum.

 

Mohegan Sun Addresses Future Plans for Palmer Site abc40

PALMER, Mass. (WGGB) — While they may not build a casino in Palmer, Mohegan Sun has announced their plans for the land on which they currently hold a ...

 

Mohegan Sun seeks break of exclusivity in Palmer WSHM-TV

While Etess did not confirm Mohegan is pursuing a casino in the eastern part of the state, he said they are seeking a break in their exclusivity in Palmer, without ...

 

Mohegan Sun looks for non-gaming development in Palmer WSHM-TV

Mohegan Sun announced it'll explore non-gaming projects at the site it has leased in Palmer. Suffolk Downs race track near Boston says it has been in contact ...

 

Mohegan seeks to end Palmer agreement, keep land WWLP 22News

Northeast Realty Associates, owner of the 152 acre parcel in Palmer and site of Mohegan Sun's proposed resort casino, today issued a statement as a result of ...

 

Mass. Gov. says casino law working as it should Businessweek

The vote came on the heels of rejections of proposed casinos earlier this month by voters in East Boston and Palmer, and in September by West Springfield ...

 

 

Failing Palmer

Mohegan Sun breezed into Palmer, wined, dined, schmoozed. Palmer Town Fathers fell in love!

A Palmer Citizens' Study Committee was appointed that determined Palmer lacked adequate water, the annual cost to host a smaller version of Mohegan Sun's Gambling Facility would be:

$18 MILLION to $39 MILLION

excluding the estimated $50 MILLION to bring water from the Quabbin.

Palmer Town Fathers allowed their judgement and reason to be obscured, failed to ask the pertinent questions.

At the 11th hour, traffic is being addressed?

Palmer working on casino traffic plan

Discussing environmental impact process

Updated: Thursday, 08 Aug 2013, 11:29 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 08 Aug 2013, 10:31 PM EDT

• Barry Kriger

Palmer working on casino traffic plan

PALMER, Mass. (WWLP) - Still no host agreement between Mohegan Sun and the town of Palmer, but the developer behind the proposed casino continues to work on the traffic plans.

Northeast Realty met this week with representatives of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to discuss what they plan to do with a small piece of land that borders Thorndike Street across from the proposed casino.

As part of phase one and two they will need to go through an environmental impact process for the triangle parcel of land.

At the beginning of Augues Palmer's Town Manager Charlie Blanchard told 22News that they're still about one to two weeks away from finalizing their casino contract.


http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/palmer-working-on-casino-traffic-plan

The Palmer Boozerino!

Yup! 24/7/365!

Northeast Realty requests additional liquor licenses for Palmer property
By Lori Stabile, The RepublicanThe Republican
on July

Northeast Realty requests additional liquor licenses for Palmer property

Mohegan Sun releases four traffic options for proposed $1 billion resort casino in Palmer

Massachusetts State Police: Camper trailer rollover causing delays on Massachusetts Turnpike in Palmer

Palmer town councilor wants details on Mohegan Sun's traffic plans for proposed casino; Mohegan Sun says details will be released Wednesday

Palmer Town Council suspends balloon test for proposed casino hotel

PALMER — Northeast Realty has asked for additional liquor licenses as part of its development along Thorndike Street (Route 32) near Mohegan Sun's proposed resort casino site.

Town Council President Philip J. Hebert acknowledged the letter from Northeast Realty's lawyer, Stephen E. Spelman, at Monday's Town Council meeting.

The letter asks for two additional liquor licenses for phase 1 of its development project at Thorndike and Shearer streets, also known as the "triangle" area, and four additional liquor licenses as part of phase 2 of the project, which includes creating a lifestyle center on property adjoining the casino site.
Northeast is leasing 152 acres to Mohegan for the casino project.

Executive Assistant Andrew Golas said there are 38 liquor licenses in town – 20 for restaurants and bars and 18 for package stores. Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said he believes the town is at its maximum for liquor licenses; the Legislature must be petitioned before additional licenses can be awarded.

Blanchard said the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission has been contacted to find out what the process is for granting additional licenses. He said this was done out of courtesy.

"We want to find out if we ever have an option to increase the number of licenses," Blanchard said.

"We're just looking into the situation. We're not saying we agree."

James L. St. Amand, Northeast's community liaison, said, "We want to be in a position to have economic development with or without a casino."

Leon Dragone

Northeast is in partnership with Cardinal's View of Grove Street, Worcester, for this development. Cardinal's View lists its resident agent as Thomas Cunningham and managers as Leon H. Dragone and Jeffrey E. Cunningham, according to filings with the Secretary of State's office. Dragone is the manager of Northeast Realty.

The former icehouse property on Shearer Street, targeted as part of Northeast's development, is owned by Cunningham Equities, according to town of Palmer property records. The head of Cunningham Equities, also based on Grove Street in Worcester, is Jeffrey Cunningham. Dragone said he owns a 50 percent stake in the old Rondeau property. Previously, the property was owned by another Cunningham business venture, KSJ Realty.

Dragone said Cunningham refurbished the HPAC building at 306 Race St., Holyoke, which is being used by the Sisters of Providence Health System, and also developed 18 units known as Cardinal's Ridge in Worcester.

Northeast is calling the development of this area "The Gateway to Western Massachusetts" and has announced plans for a Pride gas station and convenience store there, as well as restaurants and a medical office building. That development will take place on 20 acres abutting the turnpike exit 8.

Northeast also owns an additional 110 acres next to the casino site that it plans to develop as part of phase 2 of its project - that development will include a lifestyle center with a mixture of indoor and outdoor attractions, as well as retail shops and an outdoor skating rink. Dragone has said it will resemble "Downtown Disney."

The map below shows Thorndike and Shearer streets, also known as the "triangle" area, where Northeast Realty has asked for two additional liquor licenses for phase 1 of its development project near the proposed Mohegan Sun Massachusetts casino:


View Larger Map


http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/07/northeast_realty_requests_addi.html

 

Palmer: Paving Paradise

Watching the Malling of Palmer from a distance reveals the great loss and foolishness of short-sighted proponents who ignore the future, blinded by Fool's Gold.

For consideration --





They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot

CATHEDRALS OF CONSUMPTION

By Grady Clay; Grady Clay, formerly editor of Landscape Architecture magazine, is the author of ''Close-Up: How to Read the American City.''

Published: February 17, 1985

 

They Paved Paradise

Northeast Realty announces agreement with Pride Stores to develop project in Palmer
By Lori Stabile, The RepublicanThe Republican
on June 21, 2013

Leon Dragone

PALMER - Springfield-based Pride Stores has signed an agreement with Northeast Realty Associates in conjunction with the development group Cardinal's View LLC to lease a portion of the property under Northeast's control that is adjacent to the Massachusetts Turnpike Exit 8 ramp.

"We are delighted to have Pride. ... I just think this is a significant milestone in that it's the beginning of the development of that triangle, and will be the first of many good announcements in the near term," Leon Dragone, Northeast's manager, said on Friday.

The property in question is part of the Thorndike-Shearer street corridor and is opposite the proposed 152-acre Mohegan Sun Massachusetts resort casino site on Route 32. Dragone said the Pride development is not contingent on a casino being built. Mohegan is one of three companies vying for the Western Massachusetts casino license.

Dragone said the development on the "triangle" property at Shearer and Thorndike streets is being called the "Gateway to Western Massachusetts." The site is approximately 20 acres, and Northeast has the properties under option, with the intent to purchase them. He said Northeast already has purchased the nearby former Rondeau icehouse property on Shearer Street. Northeast also hopes to develop another 110 acres abutting the casino site.

Kara Selen, leasing agent for Cardinal’s View, said in a statement, “The signing of an intent to develop in Palmer by an iconic Western Massachusetts brand such as Pride Stations is an indication that this site is prime for economic development serving Palmer. ...The Northeast-Cardinal’s View team believes development of this parcel fills a long-standing need and will only enhance the resort destination casino project should Mohegan Sun Massachusetts be successful in its application for the Western Massachusetts gaming license.”

Robert Bolduc, founder of Pride Stores, said in a statement that he is looking forward to working with the Northeast Group and the town of Palmer to develop the site. He said Pride's "latest state-of-the art fueling facility and convenience store" will be built there. Pride also has a gas station and convenience store at Thorndike and Park streets.

Dragone said the new Pride store, to be built on a 1 1/2 acre parcel, would resemble the one at the Ludlow turnpike exchange. Dragone said conversations with Planning Board members have already happened about the permitting process for this project.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/northeast_realty_announces_agr.html

Palmer: Ever notice......

Palmer residents participated in a Citizens Casino Study Committee that determined, conservatively, the cost to host a casino would be $18 MILLION to $39 MILLION annualy, not including the cost to bring water from the Quabbin Reservoir [esitmated to be $50 MILLION].

Ever notice no one asks about the costs? Instead, they continue to proclaim the overstated promises.

Check out the conduct of Mohegan Sun in Connecticut: recruiting low wage workers from overseas, burdening public schools with non-English speaking students, cannibalization, 'hut' housing, and introducing drunk drivers to the Connecticut roads.


 

Mohegan Sun officials to discuss casino plans with Palmer Town Council at upcoming public forum at Pathfinder High School

By Conor Berry, The RepublicanThe Republican
on February 24, 2013

 

This is a rendering of Mohegan Sun's proposed resort casino, which would

rise on a 152-acre parcel bordering Route 32 in Palmer.

 

PALMER — Officials from Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun will update the Town Council about plans for a Palmer casino on March 4 at 7 p.m. at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School, 240 Sykes St.

The public forum is expected to draw a crowd.

Local officials and area residents have been clamoring for more information about the $600 million proposal by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, among the earliest contenders for the state's lone casino gaming license for Western Massachusetts. But Mohegan officials have been short on specifics since gaining an early foothold in the region after opening a Palmer office in spring 2009.

The luxury resort would rise on 152 acres bordering Thorndike Street (Route 32) across from the Massachusetts Turnpike toll plaza. Casino officials have said the overall project would create 2,500 to 3,000 permanent jobs, 1,000 to 1,200 construction jobs, and more than 2,500 indirect jobs.

The JOB SCAM: Ask them to GUARANTEE those jobs. [Any claims of indirect jobs are specious, as often happens.]

However, they have yet to provide details about the size of the facility, traffic plans and other project components.

Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said Mohegan officials are expected to reveal more about the scope of the project at the forum, which will be held in Pathfinder's cafetorium.

Town Councilor Donald Blais Jr. is among the officials seeking more information from Mohegan Sun. "I have lots of questions for them," he said at a council meeting earlier this month.

The 152.5-acre casino site – comprised of four undeveloped parcels worth $3.7 million that are owned by Northeast Realty Associates LLC – is bounded on the west and north by Thorndike Street, on the east by Breckenridge Street, and on the south by another large undeveloped parcel. Northeast Realty is leasing the land to the Tribal Gaming Authority, which is paying the property taxes.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/mohegan_sun_officials_to_addre.html

 

Northeast Gaming, Picknelly feud continues

Palmer, Picknelly casino feud continues
Published : Monday, 21 Jan 2013, 9:40 AM EST

• Ryan Walsh, 22News Investigative Reporter

Regular Photo Size

PALMER, Mass. (WWLP) - The 22News I-Team discovered that the controversy surrounding Peter Picknelly's interest in two casinos is still hotly contested. A lawyer for Northeast Realty, which owns the land in Palmer where Mohegan Sun wants to build a casino says Picknelly and/or Penn National Gaming are not telling the whole truth regarding Picknelly's stake with the Northeast Gaming Group. They dispute the timeline of when Picknelly attempted to get his money out of the Northeast Gaming Group.

The Northeast Gaming Group saw something Penn National's Senior Vice President of Public Relations Eric Schippers said in a live chat on Masslive (Penn National Gaming and Masslive's parent company have a deal in place worth millions of dollars if Penn National is awarded the casino license) and are saying it is not accurate and they are providing the 22News I-Team with the documents to prove it.

In the live chat Schippers, responding to a question about Peter Picknelly's role in Palmer said, "We have thoroughly reviewed the claim and we view it as completely without merit. Our partner Peter Picknelly is 100% committed to Springfield, and cut any ties to Palmer long before we even arrived in Springfield. In my opinion, this amounts to a PR ploy to try to get the Palmer applicants back in the spotlight since so much attention has been paid to Springfield. We're confident this frivolous claim will have zero effect on our exciting plans for Hollywood Casino Springfield."

The portion in bold and that timeline is what Northeast Realty is disputing: In a statement sent to the 22News I-Team it reads:

According to Stephen Spelman, of Egan, Flanagan and Cohen P.C., attorney for Northeast Realty, owners of the property that would host the Mohegan Sun resort in Palmer, “The notion that Mr. Picknelly has cut ties to Palmer defies belief when in fact he has simply attempted to transfer his interest to a close business associate, Mr. Malcolm C. Getz, Jr. Mr. Picknelly has close ties to Mr. Getz through his longtime business relationship with him.” Mr. Getz has served as a senior executive at the Picknelly-owned gun distribution company Camfour, located in Westfield.

Spelman noted that Penn announced in a press release on October 11, 2012, “Penn National is working in partnership with Peter Picknelly.”

Spelman said, however, “Northeast was provided with a document dated November 1, 2012 that was a purported assignment of Mr. Picknelly’s shares in the Palmer project to Mr. Getz.

“Mr. Picknelly would like the public to believe that he has cut all ties with the Palmer project by attempting to assign his shares to a close associate. Mr. Schippers would like the public to believe that Mr. Picknelly cut those ties in advance of his partnership with Penn. Their own documents show these assertions are not true.

Spelman adds that legal action may be necessary. Earlier this month, Picknelly sent 22News this statement:

Statement from Peter Picknelly:

“Long before the legislature passed legislation, I did explore an opportunity with Northeast Gaming Group, as did many others. However, when the situation changed, I exercised my right to leave the project. I understand the transformational impact a casino could have on the city that I call home, and where my family has located our business for the past 80 years, and so I wanted to focus my efforts on Springfield.

The facts in this matter are simple. I was only an investor in the Palmer deal. I was never any type of partner or principal in the project nor did I take part in any of their planning. The contract I signed doesn’t contain a single word that limits my participation in other business ventures, gaming or otherwise. In any case, and to further ease any concerns, I have since formally terminated my relationship with Northeast Gaming Group and, have transferred any financial interest arising from my investment to a third party.

The legal assertions being made by Northeast Gaming Group are completely frivolous and smack of desperation. These claims are being made by an operator that is on the outside looking in, and whose primary objective is to protect their declining operations in Connecticut by preventing Springfield from hosting a successful casino. Their allegations should be viewed in that context."

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/palmer-picknelly-casino-feud-continues 

Casino controversy lingers in Palmer

Picknelly, Palmer group dispute ongoing

Published : Monday, 21 Jan 2013, 6:02 PM EST

• Ryan Walsh, 22News Investigative Reporter

PALMER, Mass. (WWLP) - The casino controversy continues between Penn National Gaming's partner in Springfield and his former partners in Palmer.

The 22News I-Team has obtained new information.

Peter Picknelly is a partner with Penn National in Springfield's North End. They partnered this summer.

In 2008, Picknelly invested $500,000 with Northeast Realty, the group that owns the land in Palmer where Mohegan Sun wants to build a casino. This past July (2012), Picknelly asked for his money back; that request was denied. The lawyer for the group in Palmer told 22News when Picknelly partnered with Penn National he was still invested in Palmer and is still tied to that money today.

"His own documents show he was under revenue sharing as he was being promoted by penn national
as their 50-50 joint venture partner", says Attorney Stephen Spelman of Egan, Flanagan and Cohen, P.C.

Picknelly's lawyer is Paul Maleck of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, P.C.
"In 2011 he (Peter Picknelly) verbally told Leon Dragone that he is no longer interested in staying in Palmer and he was going to pursue his own casino", says Maleck.

Dragone is a partner with Northeast Realty. In November 2012, documents show Picknelly transferred that $500,000 to a longtime business associate, Malcolm Getz, to try and free himself from the Palmer casino deal.

"We've gotten a document from Palmer that shows that the attempted transfer to Mr. Getz didn't even happen until November 1st, after Mr. Picknelly has been announced as a joint venture partner with Penn National", says Spelman.

(What does Peter get out of signing over his money to Malcolm?)

"Like I said before Its an extra step that he took to show Northeast Gaming that he has absolutely no rights in Palmer", says Maleck.

22News then asked Maleck if Picknelly could profit off of the transfer of his $500,000 to Getz.

 http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/picknelly-palmer-group-dispute-ongoing

This from WSHM --

Controversy over Peter Picknelly's Palmer casino dealings
Posted: Jan 21, 2013 10:02 PM EST

By Cherise Leclerc - email

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WSHM) - Springfield businessman Peter Picknelly may be in the middle of a controversy surrounding two casino developers.

Northeast Realty, the owners of the Mohegan Sun Palmer property, say that in 2008, Picknelly became an investor in their project.

Picknelly's attorneys say that he transferred his involvement to a business associate. Now it is stirring controversy on both sides.

"Peter has nothing to do with Palmer," said Picknelly's attorney, Paul Maleck.

Maleck says that a 2008 agreement made with Northeast Realty as an investor is no longer valid after Picknelly reportedly "cut ties" with the group and pulled out of the project not long after joining forces with Penn National Gaming in Springfield.

"Peter had every right to exit, terminate all of his interests, he had signed a revenue sharing agreement where he was going to possibly partake in the revenues," Maleck said.

According to CBS 3 media partner Masslive and The Republican, Picknelly invested $500,000 into the Palmer project nearly five years ago.

On Nov. 1, 2012, Picknelly signed documents transferring his interests to close business associate Malcolm Getz.

But it's the timeline of events that's bothering Northeast Realty.

Reps for the group say that claims made by Picknelly that he cut ties well before his Penn National partnership are false.

"From their own documents that they provided to us, it shows that it was Nov. 1 after they had announced them as their joint venture partner on Oct.11," said Steve Spelman, attorney for Northeast Realty.

Spelman says that the document is useless and that Picknelly is still on board in Palmer as an investor.

"It is Northeast's position that Mr. Picknelly is a full joint venture partner with Palmer, he has been so under his revenue sharing agreement since Jan. 11, 2008, and his attempt to transfer it to Mr. Malcolm Getz has no force in effect," Spelman said.

Lawyers for Northeast Realty say that they are prepared to take Picknelly to court if he does not acknowledge his partnership in the project.

http://www.cbs3springfield.com/story/20643203/controversy-over-peter-picknellys-palmer-casino-dealings

Casino controversy lingers in Palmer - YouTube
With the state's casino deadline looming (January 15th), there are at least three casino developers who will attempt to win the Western Massachusetts casino ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2dHPiEDTQA&list...

Casino controversy lingers in Palmer

Published : Wednesday, 02 Jan 2013

• Ryan Walsh

PALMER, Mass. (WWLP) - With the state's casino deadline looming (January 15th), there are at least three casino developers who will attempt to win the Western Massachusetts casino license.

22News found out that one major local investor has his money in two of those projects.

The 22News I-Team obtained a series of emails dating back to August between lawyers for the Northeast Gaming Group - Mohegan Sun Palmer's local investors and Peter Picknelly - Penn National's major local investor. The Northeast Gaming Group claims that Picknelly is still financially involved in their project.

Mohegan Sun's casino proposal in Palmer and Penn National's proposal in Springfield are separated by 20 miles, but linked together by one man. Peter Picknelly. A series of emails obtained by the 22News I-Team shows that Picknelly invested $500,000 with the Northeast Gaming Group. That is the group of local investors with ties to Mohegan Sun in Palmer. Stephen Spelman is an attorney representing the Northeast Gaming Group.

"What Northeast Group wants Mr. Picknelly to do is live up to his obligations under his investment.
Under Massachusetts law he has a duty of good faith and fair dealing. We're asking him to live up to that", says Attorney Spelman of Egan, Flanagan and Cohen, P.C.

Emails show that Peter Picknelly has been trying to get his $500,000 back from the Northeast Gaming Group since August.

"Following that he transferred or attempted to transfer his interest to a business associate of his in November of last year", says Attorney Spelman.

Peter Picknelly refused an interview but did send 22News this statement. In part it reads, the contract I signed doesn't contain a single word that limits my participation in other business ventures, gaming or otherwise.

Picknelly has since partnered with Penn National in Springfield's North End. The casino developer is standing behind Picknelly. We are well aware of the legal claims being made by Northeast Gaming Group. We find the claims to be without any legal merit whatsoever.

Spelman told 22News Picknelly has been working with the group in Palmer for five years and this disagreement has the potential to be settled in court.

"Unfortunately if Mr. Picknelly fails to live up to his obligations to Northeast, Northeast will have to seriously consider moving forward in superior court to seek the relief that it is entitled to", says Attorney Spelman.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission told 22News they do not have an opinion on this situation and they hope it gets worked out locally.
Below is the full statement from Peter Picknelly & Penn National Gaming:
Statement from Peter Picknelly:

“Long before the legislature passed legislation, I did explore an opportunity with Northeast Gaming Group, as did many others. However, when the situation changed, I exercised my right to leave the project. I understand the transformational impact a casino could have on the city that I call home, and where my family has located our business for the past 80 years, and so I wanted to focus my efforts on Springfield.

The facts in this matter are simple. I was only an investor in the Palmer deal. I was never any type of partner or principal in the project nor did I take part in any of their planning. The contract I signed doesn’t contain a single word that limits my participation in other business ventures, gaming or otherwise. In any case, and to further ease any concerns, I have since formally terminated my relationship with Northeast Gaming Group and, have transferred any financial interest arising from my investment to a third party.

The legal assertions being made by Northeast Gaming Group are completely frivolous and smack of desperation. These claims are being made by an operator that is on the outside looking in, and whose primary objective is to protect their declining operations in Connecticut by preventing Springfield from hosting a successful casino. Their allegations should be viewed in that context."

Statement from Eric Schippers, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs at Penn National Gaming:

“We are well aware of the legal claims being made by Northeast Gaming Group, Inc. about our partner Peter Picknelly. We have thoroughly reviewed the matter and the underlying agreement, and find the claims to be without any legal merit whatsoever.”

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/casino-controversy-lingers-in-palmer

Picknelly Food Fight

For two casino groups, a dispute over investor

By Mark Arsenault

| Globe Staff

 

Casino developers in Palmer and the North End of Springfield are in a sharp dispute over which project may claim businessman Peter Picknelly, head of Peter Pan Bus Lines, who initially invested in the Palmer venture before joining Penn National Gaming in an $807 million casino proposal in his hometown of Springfield.

While Picknelly insists he has separated from the Palmer deal, his former partners say he remains legally bound to the original project, and they threaten to sue to stop Picknelly from moving forward with Penn ­National in Springfield. The partners argue that losing such “a prominent, highly visible local and regional businessman” to a competing project will undermine the Palmer casino bid.

Penn’s Springfield casino proposal, meanwhile, has become intimately tied to Picknelly, and it is hard to imagine that project moving ahead without him. The casino is proposed for land occupied by the Peter Pan bus terminal, and Picknelly has said he will be a 50-percent partner in the ­development.
Picknelly and Penn National say he has no obligation to any other casino effort, and they have threatened litigation of their own if the Palmer group interferes with Picknelly’s pursuit of a casino license in Springfield.     

The dispute is laid out in a series of letters, obtained by the Globe, ­between lawyers for Picknelly and Penn National and representatives of Northeast Gaming Group, which owns land in Palmer where Mohegan Sun has proposed a gambling resort.

The Penn National and ­Mohegan projects would be in direct competition for the sole Western Massachusetts casino resort license. MGM Resorts is also seeking the license with a project planned for the South End of Springfield.

The state gambling commission is taking applications for development rights for up to three resort-style casinos, one each in three regions of the state. The commission hopes to issue licenses by early 2014.

Picknelly’s public connection to the Palmer project dates to 2008, when it was announced that he had invested in the effort to bring a gambling resort to the town, if casinos were legalized in the state. The Palmer group struck a deal with Mohegan Sun to develop a resort at the site, and the project was among the first ­serious contenders for a casino license when Massachusetts ­legalized Las Vegas-style gambling in 2011.

But last August, Picknelly informed Northeast Gaming that he intended to “disassociate” from the Palmer effort.

“Peter will be pursuing a ­casino license for an undetermined site in Springfield, and, by operation of law, he cannot have an interest in more than one casino license,” Picknelly’s lawyer wrote on Aug. 7 to Northeast.

The letter asked the group to return Picknelly’s $500,000 investment.

Over the summer, Picknelly emerged as the local development partner for the Penn ­National Springfield project.

Northeast refused to let him walk away, maintaining that their agreement remained in force, despite Picknelly’s intention to leave. The group wrote that Picknelly’s obligations ­under the 2008 agreement “do not permit him to simply abandon his venture with Northeast so that he can become a competitor.” Northeast also said Picknelly had access to proprietary business information about the Palmer effort, “which he apparently feels free to use in his competitor status.”

“His decision to abandon Northeast and his legal obligations is regrettable and will surely result in Superior Court litigation for injunctive relief” and damages, the group wrote.

Penn National responded through lawyers, calling the statements “frivolous” and “completely unfounded” and arguing that Picknelly’s 2008 agreement with Northeast only obligated Picknelly to provide investment capital, which he did.

“All of the remaining obligations under the agreement are those of Northeast Gaming, not Mr. Picknelly,” Penn wrote to Northeast, in a letter dated last Friday.

Picknelly has taken another step to try to separate from Palmer, signing an agreement assigning “all right, title, and interest” in the Palmer venture to a business associate, according to a copy of the agreement.

Northeast was unmoved and complained directly to Penn National chief executive officer Peter Carlino, insisting that “Penn National Gaming not aid and abet any effort by Mr. Picknelly to breach his ­fiduciary and contractual ­duties to Northeast.”

Picknelly said Monday by ­e-mail that he was traveling and would be available to comment later in the week. He told the Globe in a mid-December interview that he had ­“divorced . . . completely” from Palmer.

“I was never really that ­involved,” he said. “I was simply an investor in the land. I never had any intimate knowledge, never had a conversation with Mohegan Sun, never even saw the plans until the day I said I’m out, I’m pursuing something in Springfield.”

http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/01/01/developers-dispute-over-role-major-casino-investor/I75pPTi0WBjmadmwgeJozL/story.html