Is that the question? No.

As part of the FBI Citizens’ Academy, we had the opportunity to see FBI Buffalo’s finest in action. Last Friday, we gathered at the Tonawanda Sportsmens Club in Pendleton. We were privy to a bomb diffusion demonstration. We were also lucky enough to witness a mock SWAT hostage rescue negotiation…$11 million helicopter flown in from FBI HQ in D.C. to boot. It was all very cool stuff.

The part about shooting? They had 5 different weapons that we had the opportunity to shoot. I opted to shoot a Glock 9 pistol (the standard pistol of FBI Special Agents) and an M-14. The pistol? I did pretty well. The M-14? I did okay until it switched to automatic…then it was just like in the movies…

Gave you an appreciation for what the FBI does…and makes those tax dollars a little easier to swallow. Tried to attach my target so you can see, but alas…not working…

The Addams Family. Black cats wandering the streets. A full moon casting an eerie light on the turrets and gargoyles of a dark mansion. Ghosts of former cemeteries rising up to haunt the houses built atop their gravesites. October and Halloween bring thoughts of the supernatural to mind. This year, the Allentown Association has teamed with noted author and paranormal expert Mason Winfield to bring these thoughts to life with the first-ever Haunted Allentown event on Saturday October 20, 2007, from noon until 7 p.m. Held just one day only, Haunted Allentown features a host of entertaining experiences to welcome the myths and mysteries of the season.

Events Headquarters will be at the “Haunted” Hamlin House, 432 Franklin St. (between Virginia & Allen Sts.) with treats for the whole family. Wine tasting, warm cider, donuts, and more await, along with the opportunity to have a reading by some of the area’s top psychics including Cassandra Joan. With it’s Mansard roof, tall windows, stone porch and long, narrow hallway, Hamlin House has all the trappings of a Hollywood set for a ghost story. The main attraction will be a new twist on the popular Secrets of Allentown house tour that draws thousands of visitors each year. Haunted Allentown will offer self-Guided Haunted Walking Tours sites throughout the Historic District. Each location will feature interpreters that recount the site’s haunted history. Many of the sites will offer interior tours, while some will be “porch” tours only with an interpreter telling the ghoulish tales associated with the property. For those with their own ghosts at home who are looking for information on dealing with supernatural guests, one site will feature high-tech ghost-hunting demonstrations, given by the Ghosthunters of Rolling Hills. Naturally, there will be a total of thirteen sites to visit. For many people, the mention of the phrase ‘haunted house’, conjures images of an abandoned Victorian mansion whose occupants linger long after their demise. Association president Christopher N. Brown says. “Allentown is a
perfect backdrop to the supernatural stories and folklore that have developed over the neighborhood’s 150-year history”. “Allentown’s Victorian-era homes are authentically spooky, with soaring chimneys, glaring gargoyles, and witch’s hat turrets.” One particular neighborhood house has been informally referred to for decades as the ‘Addams Family house’ by locals and tourists alike for its remarkable resemblance to the home of Gomez and Morticia.

Paranormal talks will be held at Hamlin House each hour with topics such as “Buffalo’s Haunted Architecture”, given by Mason Winfield, “The Frontier’s Most Haunted Cemetery”, given by Rob Lockhart and “Halloween and Psychic Communication”, given by Ellen Bourn, president of the Lily Dale Association. Each visitor to Haunted Allentown will receive a beautiful, full-color booklet entitled The Streets of Allentown. This keepsake features descriptions of every street in the Allentown Historic District and some of the most significant historic and architecturally significant homes. The publication is lavishly illustrated with color photographs celebrating Allentown’s exceptional architecture. The booklets will be helpful during one of two guided walking tours given during the event, at 2 p.m. (featuring picturesque Irving Place and Park Street), and at 5 p.m. (highlighting Symphony Circle and Days Park). Tour attendees will learn that these beautiful neighborhoods were both built over former cemeteries and battlefields.

There is more!
Augmenting the events at Hamlin House will be a Haunted Courtyard at “Steel Crazy” on Allen Street at the corner of Elmwood Avenue. Participating Allentown merchants will offer tour attendees free or discounted access to other Allentown attractions including restaurants and retail stores. To ensure that the haunted ambiance permeates the entire neighborhood, residents throughout Allentown are getting in the “spirit” by participating in Allentown’s Spookiest House Contest. Tickets for Haunted Allentown are on sale now for only $10 (pre-sale) or $13 (day of event) at Positively Main Street (773 Elmwood Ave.), Quaker Bonnet Eatery (175 Allen St.), Steel Crazy (Allen St. at Elmwood Ave.), online at www.tickets.com or in person at Tickets.com outlets in all Tops Friendly Markets locations. Allentown Association members and children under 12 may receive a $2 discount on the day of the event only. Tickets may be purchased the day of the event at the Hamlin House, 432 Franklin Street. An additional charge applies for psychic readings.

This fun and unique event will showcase Allentown in a way that has never been done before, while supporting Allentown Association’s mission to preserve and promote the Allentown National Historic District in Buffalo..

HAUNTED ALLENTOWN EVENT LISTING
DATE: Saturday, October 20, 2007
HEADQUARTERS: Hamlin House, 432 Franklin Street, Buffalo
Noon – 7 PM – Self Guided Tour, 13 of Allentown’s most haunted sites
Noon – 7 PM – Steel Crazy Haunted Courtyard (Elmwood at Allen)
Noon – 7 PM – Psychic Readings (Hamlin House, additional charge applies)
1:00 PM – Talk: Hostage to the Devil: Exorcism and Possession, John Koerner (Hamlin House)
2:00 PM – Talk: Buffalo’s Haunted Architecture, Mason Winfield (Hamlin House)
2:00 PM – Guided Architectural Walking Tour: Irving Place/Park Street (starts at corner of Park and Allen Sts.)
3:00 PM – Talk: Hill of the Ghouls: The Frontier’s Most Haunted Cemetery, Rob Lockhart (Hamlin House)
3:30 PM – Talk: Halloween & Psychic Communication, Jim Lagona and Ellen Bourn (Hamlin House)
5:00 PM – Talk: Earth Magic! Dowsing and Power-Sites, Ray Watson (Hamlin House)
5:00 PM – Guided Architectural Walking Tour: Symphony Circle/Days Park (tour starts at Symphony Circle/Kleinhans Music Hall)
6:00 PM – Talk: The Spooks that Speak: Psychic Readers and Spirit-Guides, Tim Shaw (Hamlin House)
All day – Discounts to area restaurants and attractions
All day – Allentown’s “Spookiest House” contest

So, I haven’t been keeping up to date, but here’s the low down on what we did during weeks 2 and 3 of the FBI Citizens’ Academy.

Week 2: We had a tour of the office…the coolest part was seeing the gun vault. We got to see several different types of guns, including a tommy gun…just like in the old gangster movies.

Inside the evidence room, we were able to see the rifle that James Kopp used to assassinate Dr. Barnett Slepian. It was eerie because it was a piece of WNY history…tragic history, of course.

The most interesting part of the evening was learning about the case against Robert Hanssen. You remember him…he was the government agent who sold spies to the Russians. He was ultimately caught and convicted. We also heard about Dr. Wenho Lee, another traitor who worked at one of the most top secret facilities the government runs…and he sold secrets…

Week 3: Two big cases. Local 91 Investigation. Operation Greenback. Fascinating stuff.

Local 91 involved said union in Niagara County and how they prevented construction from happening if builders and contractors would not utilize their union workers. As a former Niagara County resident, it explains why nothing was built in Lockport, including a planned Wegmans. It also explains why Niagara Falls has so many rundown buildings. With the absence of power in the union, hopefully Niagara Falls will see the resurgence that Lockport has seen the past few years.

Operation Greenback was the Buffalo Police Dept corruption case. Narcotics detectives buying and selling drugs. That’s the long and short of it. Seasoned detectives that had been on the force for at least 15 years each. Needless to say, it is not representative of the BPD in its entirety.