Presenting Rod Keller's
Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review

Volume 6, Issue 39 - January 20 2002



Buffalo Org

A column in the Buffalo News on January 16th urged the city not to condemn the Scientology org to construct a new parking ramp, but to convert it to apartments. "The four-story Hurst Building stands alone on the corner of Franklin and Huron streets. There's a parking ramp on one side, another across the street, surface parking lots scattered nearby. We've defaced downtown, paving urban paradise with parking lots and block-long blank walls. We've turned a pleasant walk into a forced march, sapped life out of the city, sacrificed humanity on the altar of the automobile. We still haven't learned. Now the lone stepchild's head is on the block. "The Church of Scientology owns the Hurst Building. It's willing to talk. We should be talking about putting apartments in the place, not knocking it down. We need more spaces for people to live downtown, not more spaces for people to park. "There are 24,000 parking spaces downtown. Now they want to spend $14 million to add just 850 more. That's $16,000 per space, in a city that's nearly bankrupt. The answer isn't knocking down what few buildings are left. The answer is jacking up parking rates to move more people to Metro Rail or bus. The answer is more park-and-ride shuttles on downtown's edge. The answer is building ramps on surface parking, a sinful waste of space. The answer is angle parking to create more on-street spots. "The answer is anything except obliterating another downtown building. We can make the Hurst Building the symbol of a new way, the place where we said, 'Stop.' Or we can knock it down and march blindly on." Message-ID: a2bpor$rbe@netaxs.com

Celebrities

The December, 2001 issue of Celebrity Magazine reported that Kirstie Alley has opened two new reading centers in California, and that a benefit event was held in Los Angeles to raise money for Scientology volunteer ministers. "The grand opening of the first new Lillie's was at the Mission of Beverly Hills. Present were Jennifer Aspen and Lynsey Bartilson as well as hundred of attendees ranging from Scientologists to local community leaders and non-Scientology celebrities. The second Lillie's was opened at the Mission of Riverpark, in Sacramento, California, the very next day. Among those attending were Jenna Elfman and Kate Ceberano. "Lillie's Learning Place provides tutoring for anyone who wishes to improve their ability to study, by utilizing L. Ron Hubbard's Study Tech. Also taught is a phonics-based reading program for anyone wanting to improve their ability to read, as well as a thorough, easy-to-learn course on grammar. Kirstie's plans now include opening up four more Lillie's in the months to come. "Crowds attended the 'LA Love NY' benefit held at the Garden Pavilion. Celebrity guests included Marisol Nichols, Lynsey Bartilson, Michelle Stafford, Gina St. John, Catherine Bell, Jack Armstrong, concert pianist Mario Feninger, singer Shannon Start Roberts, singer Kelly Meyersfield, singer/songwriter Erik Meyersfield, singer/songwriter David Pomeranz and STOMP! dancer Chad Kukahiko. The show was a variety of musical performances, true dramatic stories from New York read by actors, wins from our Volunteer Ministers, and quotes by L. Ron Hubbard. Proceeds from the event went to benefit the efforts of the Volunteer Ministers in New York." Message-ID: U9NBNU6637276.2570601852@anonymous.poster

Clearwater

From the Letters to the Editor of the St. Petersburg Times on January 16th: "As the Scientologists are buying up all of downtown Clearwater and much of the surrounding areas, I think we should rename the city Hubbardville. There is nothing 'clear' left about it. It has become the home of many zombies walking around, each with a beeper on them and never a smile on their faces. "I am sure glad that there were enough smart people in this city to vote down the redevelopment project for downtown last year. It would only have made things look better for the Scientologists, as they are the only ones that go downtown anymore. - Karen B. Gauvreau, Clearwater" Message-ID: a248l3$lfu@netaxs.com

Criminal Justice

The Washington Times reported on January 17th that Scientology planned a seminar for the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice in the Washington, DC org. "The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers Program hosts a National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice seminar for mentor training of offenders returning to the community. Location: 1701 20th St. St. NW." Message-ID: a2bqvi$rbe@netaxs.com

FSMs

The January 2002 issue of Flag FSM Newsletter included leaders in the statistics for Scientology's commissioned salespeople, and also a schedule for the Flag World Tour. "CUMULATIVE STANDINGS [ NOTE: The game will end on LRH's Birthday 2002] 1. Michael Phillips CW 2. Wendy Ettricks WUS 3. Barry Klein WUS 4. Ray Barton CW 5. Pat Parodi WUS 6. Steve Besio CW 7. Ronit Soracco WUS 8. Deborah Hulthen CW 9. Mike J. Smith WUS 10. Doug Sadwick CW "FLAG WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE 19 January Lausanne, CC Int, Columbus 26 January Dusseldorf, San Diego, Detroit 2 February Hamburg, Phoenix, Washington DC 9 February CC Paris, San Francisco" Message-ID: JLIJMOFL37272.6845486111@anonymous.poster

Germany

Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on January 18th that experts criticized a Scientology anti-drug campaign in Munich, Germany. "People viewed the addiction assistance coordination by the city for the roaming Scientology show with extreme skepticism. It opened today at 1 p.m. at 51-53 Luisen Strasse. The theme of the exhibition on 1,000 square meters of space was the 'Anti-Drug Campaign' of the Scientologists. "Scholar Michael Lubinski and his colleague, psychologist Axel Seifer, they the arrangers are concerned mainly with blowing their own horn. After all, the organizers are members of a cult that is known for using any conceivable means to snag customers. "That is also what drug experts and cult experts believe, that the Scientologists' anti-drug campaign is nothing less than a large-scale recruitment drive along the lines of gaining young people as well as their parents on a new front. The word 'heroin' acts as a decoy to lure in parents and others and 'to make them curious as to what Scientology has to offer.' In addition, the magic words 'anti-drug campaign' deepen the misunderstanding that you could solve addiction problems by doing away with drugs or dealers - 'from a society, that is full of drugs and addiction, and in which drugs are available everywhere and illegal narcotics can be had.' "Rather than going to Scientologists to get help for drug problems, it is much more valid to apply a series of tested measures to the addictive behavior itself. In addition to that, 'dependable standards of addiction prevention are required.' The Scientologists have always declined to have experts monitor their standards." Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1020118183856.114A-100000@darkstar.zippy

In Memoriam

Ray Krenik reported this week that once old timer Scientologist, since then a Free Zoner, Bob Ross, has passed away. "Bob Ross wrote articles for IVy Mag. On 11 January, 2002 he passed away of Congestive Heart Failure complicated by Pneumonia. Connie Hamilton is looking into ways to preserve his records and writings." Message-ID: a25fsk$7ec@netaxs.com

Roger Gonnet

Scientology critic Roger Gonnet is on trial in Villefranche, France for allegedly making Internet-posted threats against Scientology attorney Kendrick Moxon. "Moxon has complained that I had injured him (by words on Internet), in two messages from July 2001. He complained as well that I have asked Helena Kobrin to assassinate him, while it is most than clear that the whole message is clearly a joke on ARS. I had had any idea to really ask for the death of this criminal attorney, I wouldn't in any case ask to his associate Kobrin. "The Judges decided that the decision would be given later, on 24th february. I've been allowed to give some explanations about my 'job' on ars, and about the fact that attorney Moxon wasn't a normal attorney, but an inside house attorney. I've also reminded the judges that Scientology was a estimated legally a fraud since long in France." From Le Progres on January 16th: "For targeting on the net an american attorney defending the cult, Roger Gonnet was before the penal Court of Villefranche sur Saone for 'provocation to commit a crime' or misdemeanor of insult. 'Le Secticide' is the title of the website created in 1997 by Roger Gonnet. This man shows a remarkable energy to denounce the practices of the cult. M. Gonnet says he has the largest world-wide website against Scientology in French language. "A member of this movement from 1974 to 1982, he created the Lyon Scientology organization. 'I have helped the Scientology church with a good faith. I've always had doubts and have criticized the cult when I was a member,' did said in a 'Le Monde' column in June 2001. Yesterday, before the penal Court in Villefranche sur Saone, Roger Gonnet was charged of 'incitation to a crime not having been followed of a result,' and of 'public insult.' 'Why don't you kill Moxon?' asked Roger Gonnet on a newsgroup. Moxon is the American attorney of the 'Church of Scientology.' "Nobody could take it as anything but a joke, replies Roger Gonnet. T The Parisian counsel of Mister Moxon established some comparison between the American anti-abortion leagues and the threats suffered by doctors. The attorney says that 'someone unbalanced could take this message seriously. M. Gonnet can't guarantee that those reading this message will be as wise as himself or have his humor.' He ask 10000 F damages. "For the defense, attorney Michel Delmas shall demonstrate some doubts about the incriminating words. He'll explain in detail the purpose of his client. Waiting at the doors of the Justice Court, a Parisian responsible of the church of Scientology has traveled to Villefranche. He's waiting journalists. Jean-Louis Gagnot explains why the words of Roger Gonnet are dangerous and why the man is, according to him, not credible. 'No problems if he criticizes us, but threats, no! We won't let that be done,' says the Scientologist." Message-ID: a23do0$n3l$1@news2.isdnet.net Message-ID: a26npj$1tal$2@news4.isdnet.net

Reed Slatkin

The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles published an article on January 11th describing one of Scientology minister Reed Slatkin's investors in his Ponzi-scheme investment club. "After being left a quadriplegic in a car accident in 1993, 53-year-old Alice Wintz received an insurance settlement that she thought would, with careful investing, leave her financially secure for life. So she asked money manager Reed Slatkin to invest her settlement. Wintz and her ex-husband had met Slatkin in 1986 through a business associate, and considered him a friend. "The Securities and Exchange Commission had accused Slatkin of running a Ponzi scheme shortly after he filed for bankruptcy in May 2001. A Ponzi scheme is a phony investment plan in which money provided by later investors is used to pay artificially high returns to the initial investors, with the goal of attracting as many investors as possible. Slatkin's alleged scheme is said to be one of the biggest cases of investment fraud in American history. "Last week, Slatkin agreed to be barred from investment management as part of ongoing settlement negotiations with the SEC, the Los Angeles Times reported. But, whatever the results of the SEC case, Wintz may not recover her funds. "At the end of December 2000, Wintz said she received a statement from Slatkin telling her that she had more than $1 million in capital left in her account. However, when she requested a withdrawal of some $15,000 in April 2001 to pay her taxes, her mortgage and her nursing care, she was unable to withdraw the money or to reach Slatkin on the phone, she told The Journal. "'I'm about to be thrown out here on the street and I don't have income to pay for my nursing care and my other expenses,' Wintz, a divorced mother of two, said. 'According to the creditors committee and the attorney for the trustee, it had been a fraudulent scheme from the beginning.' "Slatkin, 52, lives in Santa Barbara. He was born Jewish but turned to the Church of Scientology when he was a teenager, eventually becoming a minister for the church, according to news reports. When Slatkin saw that he could not live off the salary he was getting as a minister, he started investing to help his family and other members of the church earn some extra money. "Richard Wynne, an attorney representing the creditors, noted that Wintz's situation was 'complicated' and said in an interview with The Journal that he 'believed she was a net debtor,' (meaning she had possibly taken out more money than she had put in). This sentiment was echoed by Todd Neilson, the Chapter 11 trustee, who told The Journal that Wintz was in an 'unfortunate situation, and we genuinely feel sorry for her and her condition, and we empathize with her, but that doesn't change the numbers.' "Wintz is in the process of setting up a charitable foundation designed to help handicapped or otherwise impaired victims of fraud, she said. 'We were in shock and disbelief when we found out what had happened,' Wintz said. 'I sat in his house in Santa Barbara at the end of 1994 and he said, 'Don't worry, I'll take care of you,'' Wintz recalled. 'He was not the great friend we all thought he was, that's for sure.'" Message-ID: a248fk$lfu@netaxs.com

John Travolta

The Sun reported on January 15th that Scientology celebrity John Travolta demands eight new t-shirts per day on the set of a new movie. "John Travolta has demanded eight new Armani T-shirts a day to appear in his latest movie because he refuses to wear the same one twice. The star, who objects to washing clothes for religious reasons, had it written into his contract that he is supplied with the 250 pound black tops. Pulp Fiction hunk Travolta, 47, is a member of the Church of Scientology, which frowns on chemicals used in dry cleaning. "So producers of his new movie Basic, in which he is seen in a black T-shirt most of the time, agreed to fork out 2,000 pounds a day on fresh ones. A source said yesterday: 'John wasn't happy wearing just any old shirts - he wanted to look right. But the producers were amazed when he said he wanted eight a day.'" From Fox News on January 14th: "John Travolta's on set demands are legendary. So when a new film called for him to wear a black T-shirt, you know it's not going to be 'Fruit of the Lame.' Only Armani cotton T-shirts for him. And because Scientology doesn't like dry cleaning chemicals, Mister Very Big got eight black Armani T-shirts - not for the whole movie - eight $350 Armani T-shirts per day." Message-ID: ngn84ukclqdg052vstv3nina2nlvknhh9d@4ax.com Message-ID: 20020115160616.10209.00004833@mb-fh.aol.com

Volunteer Ministers

Scientology released details this week of the new billboard campaign to promote its Volunteer Minister program. "In Los Angeles and Orange County, forty 12' by 24' billboards will be seen a total of 1,020,000 times per day. Additionally, pedestrians and drivers on Hollywood Boulevard, one of the busiest streets in the city, will see the message on the side of a huge building. In Milan and Brescia, billboards will be seen 13.7 million times and large posters 41 million times. Electronic billboards in London and Amsterdam will be seen in those cities a total of 18 million times. In Birmingham and Copenhagen, as buses travel the city streets, notices on the outside of the buses will be seen nearly 16 million times. Billboards in Hamburg, Vienna, Zurich and numerous cities throughout the US, and posters in Paris, Munich and Milan will get the message to millions more. "In the United States, notices will be placed in national and local newspapers and publications. Us magazine, Working Woman and National Health are just a few of the publications which will carry the notices in their pages monthly. In Europe, 10 million copies of broadsheets will be printed and distributed in 11 languages throughout Europe." Message-ID: Rse28.1573$Xw4.513109@news1.news.adelphia.net


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A.r.s. Week in Review is put together by Rod Keller © This collection is organised for WWW by Andreas Heldal-Lund. Only edits done by me is replacing word encapsuled in * or _ with bold and underscore, and made links into HTML.


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