They say the most beautiful mosaics are still made, after all, of broken pieces. It appears that there are broken pieces to the story about Mosaics on Main, which had its grand opening on Sunday.Northampton County Executive John Brown and DCED Diane Donaher proudly stood inside this new business, heralding it as something they want to bring to every borough. Perhaps they should think again.
Peter Theodoropolous and his family have owned and operated the very popular Nazareth Diner for at least the past quarter century. So when he announced plans for a new business called Mosaics on Main, there was no reason to doubt its potential for success. According to a news account, he owns three others in Red Bank, Atlantic City and Miami. His mosaics sell at between $3,000 and $85,000.
I'm unsure whether Theodoropolous has mosaic galleries in Atlantic City or Miami, but can tell you that he he has no art gallery in Red Bank. He did have a business there called Tesserae Mosaic Gallery, but telephone calls reveal that the number is no longer working. Rather than being part of a revitalized downtown, it's an empty storefront.
Courthouse records reveal that Theodoropolous is being sued by the Nazareth business that at one time had a contract to mount his pieces. Engineered Wood Products, LLC, supplied easels, gallery renovations and mounted mosaics for Theodoropolous, starting in June 2013. But as of February he still owed nearly $62,000 to Robert Stanke's Engineered Wood.
Stanke, in an attempt to work with Theodoropolous, cut his bill to $51,000, and the artist agreed to pay $1,000 per week for the next 51 weeks until he is current. But nothing was paid.
Easton Attorney Gary Asteak has filed a complaint on behalf of Engineered Wood. Theodoropolous is represented by John Karoly II.
So John Brown announced a $1 million grants program from inside a business that deserted Red Bank, changed its name and is now being sued for $51,000. By the way, his grants program includes public art.
Was any public money involved in the opening of this business?
ReplyDeleteI am unable to answer that right now.
ReplyDeleteAnother Brownstain snafu!!! First, he and his flunkie Donaher failed to invite local elected officials and chambers to their sleazy photo-op. Instead they dragged along the bloated DCED staff to fill the room. Now, the business they chose to crow about has a sleazy owner who has screwed another local small business. Great screening Duhnaher!
ReplyDeleteBrown's scorched earth policy rolls on and on. Let them eat cake!
ReplyDeleteAttention to crucial details not a Brown administration strong point. This is just another case in point.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, the pieces in the background look detailed and kinda fancy. Hard to see with pretty boy empty suit in the way.
ReplyDeleteIt will be funny if grant money was used to fund this, considering your reporting. Keep up the good work, Bernie. I still think BT should name one of their new crappers the Bernie O'Hare to honor you.
@12:35AM No kidding. Lack of attention to detail is his team's specialty. Act first, make excuses later.
ReplyDeletemeh. i think Brow is less than adequate, but won't be holding this one against him.
ReplyDeleteOuch...someone didn't do their homework. What an embarrassment. This is exactly what you get when their is no skilled staff members in your administration. No one with experience spells disaster and we the taxpayer suffer. Why can't Northampton County elect a good County Executive? We haven't had one in more than twenty years.
ReplyDeleteI don't know which is the bigger ripoff this or paying 4.95 for bad chili at the diner
ReplyDeletejust another hate piece from bo. he will never be the man Brown is or just about anyone else for that matter. What a sad little man.
ReplyDeleteBrown is the sad,crotchety little man who is despised by employees and more and more the county citizens. Don't kill the messenger for reporting this Brownstain botch job.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just Brown. The Obama Administration has lost at least $1 billion on stuff like this (Solyndra alone was $535MM down the tubes). Pawlowski blew at least $500k backing Johnny Manana's, making the loan after the owner was a convicted on tax evasion charges. State programs, rolled out under both parties, typically create about 1% of the jobs and economic impact that is projected.
ReplyDeleteAll these cases, the deals don't stand under scrutiny, but were done anyway. They were made for purely political purposes.
Brown is doing the same thing.
The conclusion? Both parties suck.
Brown has no regard for the law, or the rule of law, or anything that resembles government serving the needs of people and an understanding and appreciation of what that means. Judge Barratta wrote to the stooge Campos in order to highlight the problems Brown's policy of dismantling government, except for his lackeys, is causing in the criminal division of the court, having already attacked the civil division of the court. If he could only figure out how to pay off the right people, then he might succeed.
ReplyDelete"just another hate piece from bo"
ReplyDeleteNo it is just the truth. Brown has announced his $1 million economic dev grants program from a business that deserted Red Bank, left it with an empty store front and is being sued for $51,000. Those are just the facts.
Brownstain leaves quite a trail! Not eating at Nazareth diner anymore either.
ReplyDelete@7:44AM You evidently don't know good reporting when you see it, OR you don't like what good reporting reveals. Please take your pathetic ignorance elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteBrown is captain of the Titanic, with stooges like Campos and his other minions feverishly rearranging the deck chairs as his Ship of Fools slips under the Arctic Sea.
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ReplyDeleteNo soup for you!
Brown is captain of the Titanic, with stooges like Campos and his other minions feverishly rearranging the deck chairs as his Ship of Fools slips under the Arctic Sea
ReplyDeleteAccurate description.
R or D, this story points up the folly of these kinds of government schemes. Dillinger robbed banks because that's where the money was. That's why people scarf up government programs, like these. If only government were as good at due diligence as it it is at keeping information from the public. Anyone surprised by this type of story is simply not paying attention. Behind every cardboard check is a scam that harms taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteit's amazing how jealous Bernard is.
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ReplyDeleteJealous? Of what? Government by consultant is insulting to the populace. We know what we need and what the price tag is. Brown will sit on this money and dare us to jump thru his hoops to try to get a few table scraps at best. Smoke and mirrors and empty promises is all we get form DD and her over priced compatriot consultants. Study this JB!
**snort**
ReplyDeleteI see nothing wrong with this.
MOVE ALONG..
"it's amazing how jealous Bernard is."
ReplyDeleteThis site attracts some real losers. WTH are you babbling incoherently about?
Brown's "high performance team" couldn't hit a dart board with a guided missile. Couldn't get wet by calling out of a boat. Couldn't find Waldo if he was hiding in their pants. Couldn't screw a lightbulb in without hiring five consultants to teach them. More tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteFalling not calling...
ReplyDelete