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Wallenda scoffs at suggestion walk across Horseshoe Falls was ever in danger of not happening

by jmaloni
Wed, Jun 6th 2012 11:45 am

All permits are in place, all fees will be paid according to contract provisions, says daredevil as he prepares for next week's event

by Peter Conradi/Bullet News

Daredevil Nik Wallenda says fees to the New York State parks department and to Ontario's Niagara Parks Commission will be paid by the end of the week as required by his contracts with the two agencies.

Wallenda, speaking Tuesday to Bullet News Niagara, scoffed at the suggestion that permits are not in place and that his walk June 15 over the Horseshoe Falls is in danger of not happening.

"I don't know where this stuff comes from," he said. "There are so many totally wrong stories out there right now. It's unbelievable."

Reports began circulating Monday that the walk was up in the air because Wallenda had not yet signed an agreement with New York State parks. Wallenda said he in fact signed a contract weeks ago and has the permits. The $200,000-fee to the state was to be paid by the end of Tuesday, he said.

"That's what's in the contract," Wallenda said from Branson. Mo., where he is producing and appearing in a circus show. "It's $150,000 for security and $50,000 for a parks fee. It's a lot of money, but that's what it costs. People have no idea what it is taking to make sure this thing goes ahead. No one has any clue."

Wallenda said the fees owing to the Niagara Parks Commission will be paid by the end of the week. The Canadian charges are substantially less than those levied in the United States. The NPC is billing Wallenda $105,000 plus HST for what Chairwoman Janice Thomson says are the 'real expenses' that the Commission must recover.

Click here to read the full story at Bullet News.

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