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THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS FAIR
Ulrich to the County: Don't buy those properties!
MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
VOL. 16, NO. 11
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NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Ulrich Urges County Not to Buy Properties
Frank Parlato
The Niagara County Legislature's plan
to bid on three downtown Lockport buildings through an online auction this week has
met with opposition.
David Ulrich, Lockport's biggest developer, doesn't want the county to buy the
buildings, two of which the county already
leases -- 111 Main St., known as the Golden
Triangle, where seven departments of the
county - Aging Services, Board of Elections,
Civil Service, Insurance & Risk Management, Motor Vehicle Dept., Human Resources, Probation and Veteran's Service
Agency - have offices, and 20-40 East Ave.,
which houses the county's Social Services
Department.
The three-property sale also includes 50
Main St., the old Lockport Exchange Building, that later was occupied by Marine Midland bank, and now is empty.
Notwithstanding Ulrich's opposition,
the county says it is prepared to pay $2.4
million and will place a bid - before the online auction closes on Thursday.
The $2.4 million figure is based on $3.1
million still owed on the leases over the next
three years, minus the cost to renovate the
buildings - an estimated $570,000 and the
property taxes that will be lost if the county
owns the buildings - another $87,000.
“We’re just putting up what we’d have
to pay, anyway,” said County Attorney
Claude Joerg.
But Ulrich say he thinks the county is
dead wrong.
In an email sent to members of the
County Legislature - plus County Manager,
Jeff Glatz, County Attorney Joerg, the Clerk
of the Legislature, Mary Jo Tamburlin, and
Public Information Officer, Christian Peck,
Ulrich argued that the county should stay as
tenants.
"It is significantly more expensive for
the county to own these buildings than to
lease them," Ulrich said.
Ironically, Ulrich once owned these
three buildings himself. He bought them for
a reported $1 million in 2001 and sold them
in 2005.
It was Ulrich who was responsible for
Niagara County moving into these two
buildings in the first place.
For Ulrich, at least, it was significantly
better to own these buildings and lease them
to the county.
By 2003, the county signed leases for 15
years and the leases are in force today. The
County pays $375,000 a year for 111 Main
St. and $545,000 for 20-40 East Ave.
Although it is now vacant, back in 2003,
Ulrich also leased 50 Main St. to the county
- as the corporate training center of Niagara
County Community College’s Small Business Development Center - for $120,000 a
year.
In 2005, with three strong government
leases that went with the property, Ulrich
sold the properties to 37 Holdings-Lockport
LLC, which held title for principals David
and Natalie Roberts, of Roberts Management Group of Sherman Oaks, California,
both in their 70's, and their partner and
lawyer, Sheldon Berger.
For the three properties - which Ulrich
paid a reported $1 million and with a combined assessed valuation of only $985,000,
Ulrich was able to sell to the Roberts the
three buildings for the astronomical price of
$9.1 million.
The Roberts took out a $7.43 million
mortgage on the properties from Citigroup
for 10-years, at 5.66 percent interest, with
monthly payments of $42,935.
The Roberts may have put down the
$1.67 million cash difference between the
sales price and the mortgage or Ulrich may
have financed the down payment.
For a few years, the Roberts made mortgage payments.
But, in November, 2012, David Roberts
died, leaving behind his 83-year-old widow.
In December, the NCCC 's lease at 50
Main St. expired and the NCCC rented an office in the Bewley Building.
The widow Roberts lost $10,000 per
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER
“The Truth is Always Fair”
CHAIRMAN & EDITOR IN CHIEF
Frank Parlato
Managing Editor
Dr. Chitra Selvaraj
Senior Editor
Tony Farina
PHONE: (716) 284-5595
P.O. Box 3083, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14304
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.niagarafallsreporter.com
All contents copyright © 2015 Niagara Falls Reporter Inc.
David Ulrich, seen getting in to his Ferrari, has some advice for Niagara County Legislators.
50 Main St., the old Lockport Exchange Building was built in 1920.
It is vacant today.
month in rents, one month after she lost her
husband of 50 years.
Sheldon Berger, her lawyer said this
started her down the path of foreclosure.
“The rent on two buildings is not
enough to sustain three buildings,” he said.
In December, 2013, US Bank commenced a foreclosure action in State
Supreme Court. Roberts chose not to contest
it.
Berger said, “We’ve essentially given
(the properties) back to the lender.”
And these properties turned over to the
US Bank are free to be auctioned this week.
As the auction drew nearer, Ulrich made
his best arguments to dissuade the county
from bidding.
What was his motive?
Civic mindedness?
On March 9, Ulrich wrote to county
manager, Jeffrey Glatz explaining that none
of the three properties has parking, and that
lost city, school and county tax revenue over
the next decade would be $2 million, which
"will result in a significant disaster for an already financially stressed City of Lockport
and Lockport School District and will cost
Niagara County alone over $280,000 in taxes
over the next decade."
Ulrich disputed the estimated renovation costs, which he pegged not at $570,000,
but $3.4 million for the two buildings the
county leases, plus another $437,000 for 50
Main over the next decade.
Then he went into particulars.
Of 20-40 East Avenue, he wrote, "the
useful life of the heating and air conditioning
is at the end of its lifespan. Inside the building is in deplorable condition and needs a
complete renovation. There will be huge
costs to bring this building back to life."
Of 111 Main, he wrote, "a 36 year old
heat/air conditioning system. The inside of
the building is also in drastic need of a total
overhaul."
Of 50 Main, he wrote, "Extremely old,
inoperable elevators, immediate need for
heat and air conditioning systems. The entire
interior is over 50 years old. Even if this
building remains vacant, the landlord will
have to maintain minimum heat and climate
control of 48 degrees to prevent freezing in
the Winter and mold from forming in the
summer. Estimated yearly utility costs are
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NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
But What's His Motive?
111 Main St., known also as the Golden Triangle, presently houses seven county departments.
$34,100 and yearly maintenance costs of a
minimum of $9600 for a total of $437,000
over 10 years."
Two days later, on Mar 11, Ulrich wrote
Glatz again.
"While being managed by a PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE MANAGER the 3
Lockport buildings leased to Niagara County
showed an average yearly profit of $42,609
over the past 3 years. We find it hard to be-
lieve the County could do better.
…Did the County have these buildings
professionally appraised?"
The main problem with Ulrich's arguments is not one of merit. But rather of motivation.
More than a few county officials suspect
Ulrich is interested in buying the properties
himself- but for a lot less than $2.4 million.
Was Ulrich doing his best to eliminate com-
out parking and in need of repairs.
If the county bows out, Ulrich could,
buying them for $1.5 million, start the whole
process again - lobbying the county to renew
long term leases - then looking for an out of
town buyer to pay a sale price based on the
government leases and make another killing.
The county, however, is in control of the
process and is prepared to pay at least
$900,000 more than the minimum upset figure.
No new buyer - including Ulrich - can
depend on the county staying for more than
three years.
As Joerg warned, “The county’s not
committed to staying there. If you’re a developer who wants to buy the buildings,
don’t think the county’s going to be a tenant
for 30 years.”
But the determination of the legislature
to acquire these properties seems strong.
The legislators have called a special
meeting - for 11 a.m. March 19, the final day
of the auction, to monitor online bidding and
to decide, if need be, if the county wants to
bid higher than $2.4 million to purchase the
buildings.
petition?
The bank has set an auction "upset" figure - the minimum price they say they will
take- at $1.5 million.
If there is only one bidder, say Ulrich or
the county, the properties will be sold for
$1.5 million.
If the county did not bid- the likelihood
is there will be no other bidders for these
three oddball and obsolete properties, with-
“Remember that when
you leave this earth, you
can take with you nothing that you have received--only what you
have given.”
20-40 East Ave., houses the County's Social Services Department.
― Francis of Assisi
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NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Local Movie Struggles to Find Audience
An Update on Crimson, the Motion Picture
Frank Parlato
Readers may recall "Crimson: The Motion Picture," a movie shot in Niagara Falls.
Three and a half years have passed since
its producer, James Ventry and director, Ken
Cosentino completed filming; it was shot
primarily at the Niagara Arts and Cultural
Center (NACC), with the assistance of more
than 100 volunteers - 65 in front of the camera - including extras - and several dozen behind - as members of the crew.
It was a genuine local film.
And it is out there - available to be purchased and seen.
"Crimson: the Motion Picture" has gotten mixed reviews - some lauding the film as
an outburst of glory in the independent film
world - a low budget action film that surprises and will find its niche someday among
low budget cult classics- and then there are
other reviews which were impatient, and
fault finding, judging the film as one would
a fully budgeted multimillion dollar motion
picture; instead of what it is - a $27,000 production.
According to Director Cosentino, Crimson has sold about 1500 units - about 900
DVD's and 600 downloads for video on demand, which suggests Crimson has grossed
in the $12-$15,000 range - with much of that
being split by the retailer and the distributor
of the film, Pop Cinema.
Crimson got considerable local attention
around June 2011.
At the time, the project was stalled. The
filming had been completed. The editing was
almost finished. But work was needed to address a serious sound glitch picked up during
editing. And more money for marketing the
film.
At this point, Mayor Paul A. Dyster, a
friend of the NACC, and a number of volunteers who worked on Crimson at the NACC,
warmly welcomed the filmmakers to get a
cash handout from the NFC, an agency of the
city, with its own separate board, which he
guided.
The Mayor put Crimson on the NFC's
agenda - for a $10,000 grant.
In announcing the importance of the
grant and how his administration was a patron of the movie industry, he said he judged
the film as having genuine artistic merit.
He told the Niagara Gazette that he
watched the two minute trailer and it appeared to be of "very high, professional quality."
Adding to the allure of the production,
there was promise that if the film were to be
completed - something that Mayor Dyster
had all but ensured with his endowment of
the of $10,000 of the people's money.
Cosentino and Ventry told the Gazette
they had "a meeting scheduled with representatives from Paramount Pictures," and
"intend(ed) to show the film to audiences
during upcoming film festivals".
"What better than to have some young
people from right here in the city of Niagara
Falls growing the film industry here?", Dyster told the Gazette.
The Niagara Falls Reporter, writing in
opposition to the grant, wrote that the beleaguered taxpayers of Niagara Falls should not
James Ventry as the villain,
Tommy
The DVD cover of Crimson
be taxed to fund movies - especially ones
such as Crimson which were not likely to
create permanent jobs. Additionally however
fine the film might be, it was not a family
oriented picture.
Were it to be rated by the Motion Picture
Association of America - which it was not Crimson: The Motion Picture - about a
comic book cartoonist who suffers a brain injury, thinks he is one of the super heroes he
created, and turns vigilante, trying to clean
up Niagara Falls - and its Irish Mafia - would
likely get an "R" rating since graphic violence, nudity and profanity decorate the film.
The word F-ck is used "an estimated 152
times in the movie," according to Cosentino.
At the time of the grant, the Reporter
pegged it as another chapter of the Dyster
"friends and family" program, and the timing
a little too propitious.
Dyster was running for reelection.
The Reporter suggested that the 100
plus locals who contributed their talents while working out of the NACC, the not for
profit Dyster is most closely associated with
- would be grateful to the mayor - who was
facing John Accardo in a September primary
- for funding their movie in July.
In September, Dyster won the primary.
In November he won reelection.
Ventry took only $6,000 not the $10,000
when he found out that the grant was not really a grant - but a loan with no fixed repayment but a lien on his home to ensure,
ultimately, repayment.
But the movie was finished.
The Paramount deal did not come
through, and Crimson: the Motion Picture
made its world premiere on March 23, 2013,
at the Evening Star, a local bar and concert
hall on Niagara Falls Boulevard.
Now it was ready to be sprung upon the
world.
After the premiere, a distribution deal
with a company called Pop Cinema made the
movie available at retail and online outlets,
prompting the attention of motley critics.
Fangoria, a fan magazine specializing in
violent films, and Sci-Fi magazine wrote
about the film. Norm Breyfogle, who drew
Batman for DC comics, described Crimson
as a “blood-colored violence fest.” Marvel
Comics' Paul Gulacy said, "Great offbeat
story line. Really good camera movement
and lighting. The fight at the end was sick.
Awesome."
The Colorado Springs Independent
wrote, Crimson, "an ultra-low-budget feature", "is actually a smart, impressive and,
best of all, clever take on the typical superhero tropes that eschew the forced mythologies and, instead, focus on the spine it takes
to be a dispenser of justice. … If it sounds
like Kick-Ass, well, it kind of is, but in a
street-wise, take-no-prisoners way that a corporate franchise like Kick-Ass could only
hope to achieve."
DVD Verdict, however, thought less of
the film. "(A)n atrocious film (that) tries to
be a little bit like Kick Ass and Super, with a
pinch of The Dark Knight ….. (o)nly it lacks
the stellar acting, writing, lighting, audio,
and directing all of those films possess."
Of Crimson's leading man, Michael
Leszczynski, DVD Verdict wrote, "his performance is labored and hammy, with overly
expressive facial features that would make a
silent film star blush…. There's a lot of
yelling going on from actors who deliver
their lines with a lot of volume and little else.
… tough guys …add more unintentional hilarity to a film that is already full of inadvertent humor. There are moments in this film
that are just painful to watch."
But 10,000 Bullets wrote entirely more
favorably, "Crimson proves that talent, creativity, and determination may be the most
important factors in creating a motion picture
that stands tall amongst the general dreck of
modern independent cinema."
But HorrorTalk thought less of the film.
"There was a golden opportunity here to become the no-budget indie-darling version of
Kick-Ass, carefully marrying violence,
satire, and humor. Unfortunately… the
whole thing comes across as bleak, tired, and
dreadful … (a) drab, plodding, and pretentious story…"
But of Leszczynski's acting, HorrorTalks wrote, "while at times laughable
and misguided, (he) does manage to successfully propel the story forward. … James Ventry as the … crime boss’ son struggles with
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Could Crimson be called a success?
Amoeba, Vudu, Google Movies, PlayStation, Xbox, Midwest Tape, Hoopla, Blockbuster, Amazon.com and numerous
independent stores.
Downloads of the film- currently available range in price from Google Play $14.99, Xbox - $12.99, Amazon.com $9.99
But the DVD's prices varied and have
dropped precipitously in price.
When it was first released, Crimson's
DVD sold for $17.99.
But the distributor sets the price and the
filmmakers were none too happy to learn
that for the physical product - the DVD - admittedly overstocked because of slow
sales, Pop Cinema was now discounting selling the film low enough to recoup their
investment but denying the filmmakers - at
these prices - any chance of making anything.
Mike Leszczynski as CRIMSON
the dialogue, but has a very imposing onscreen presence that more than makes up for
any deficit in raw acting chops."
Rock! Shock! Pop! however had nothing but praise, writing that Crimson was
"surprisingly well written and well thought
out," and praised the actors: Leading man
Leszczynski "bring(s) the right sense of
pathos and unpredictability to his role. …
Ventry tends to chew through the scenery
and go completely over the top but it doesn’t
feel out of place for his character… Lizzy
Bruno is equal parts sympathetic and strong
as the female lead …. an appreciably subdued Michael Shimmel and a just as over the
top Patrick Posey round out that cast well."
But Sex Gore Mutants' review was
mixed, writing of Crimson's "truly pitiful
performances, " Sex Gore admitted that
"CRIMSON does have its own style…..
There is occasional humour, but it’s illjudged at almost every turn…. (T)here are
some endearing performances –most notably
from Leszcynski and Bruno. The character
of Tommy (Ventry) is too broadly overplayed but is at least sufficiently evil so as to
keep the viewer watching, just to see what
he’s capable of doing next.
"There’s no real momentum achieved
though … (T)here are times when what’s on
the screen is unbelievably amateurish…
."There’s a lot of shouting, bad acting and
unconvincing physical violence. … But the
whole thing manages to be oddly endearing
at the same time."
As critics praised and panned it, the film
was accepted by the Burbank Film Festival,
but because of the filmmakers continuing
lack of capital, the film was not shown since
they couldn't pay the entry fee.
Verizon's Redbox Instant brought excitement when they made the movie available for video on demand streaming in
October 2014. Within a month Crimson was
no longer available via Redbox a casualty of
Redox's losing war with NetFlix.
But Pop Cinema arranged for wide distribution and Crimson was available at
Transworld, Newbury Comics, goHastings,
F.Y.E. offers the DVD of Crimson for
$5.99. Best Buy -$4.99. Target online $3.49.
Meantime, the momentum that once
permeated the advent of a fresh new product
emerging into the fray has faded.
Crimson's Facebook page has had only
one posting in the last five months.
Both "official" websites, Crimsonmovie.com and Crimsonmovie.net have
been shut down.
Cosentino has moved on to another film
- "Attack of the Killer Shrews" a parody of
the 1959 cult classic "The Killer Shrews."
Asked if he is still proud of a limping toward no sales Crimson, Cosentino called it
"a decent achievement" and that, in a day
when star power and commercial support
drives the film industry, he and Ventry were
"fighting the odds".
"I consider it a violent opera," he said.
5
"Everything is exaggerated just like it is in
the comic book world. A lot of people got it.
"The good thing about a movie is it is
out there. It will always be out there. Maybe
someday it will catch fire. I feel it could
catch on as a cult film."
As for Ventry and Cosentino, cult film
or not, they are saving their money to pay off
the "grant" and said in the nature of a vow to
this writer, “I’m going to pay back every
dime with interest,” said Mr. Ventry, “That
$6,000 isn’t our money. It belongs to the
public.”
Both Ventry and Cosentino said they
planned to veer far away from corporate welfare in the future.
“I know people around here work hard,”
said Cosentino, “I held a job since I was 16.
If you have morals, you don’t go on welfare.
I’d work at MacDonald’s first. We won’t
take public money again.”
6
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Mike Hudson
Former city Council Chairman John
Accardo wants to be the next mayor of
Niagara Falls, confidently asserting that
the city can be doing a lot better than it
has for the past eight years under incumbent mayor Paul Dyster.
Accardo, a former Democrat turned
Republican, said that Niagara Falls –
which has been in decline since the early
1960s – has fallen fast and far since Dyster took office, something he finds particularly puzzling in light of the fact that the
city has received casino cash payments
averaging $20 million a year throughout
the Dyster reign.
“Come on, what happened to all that
money?” Accardo asked in an exclusive
interview with the Niagara Falls Reporter.
“Those funds were meant to be used for
one thing – economic development. Have
we seen any economic development in
this city over the past eight years?”
Most people, even those who voted
for Dyster twice, would have to say no.
The city continues to hemorrhage jobs
and skilled workers, the percentage of citizens receiving some sort of public assistance continues to grow, more and more
homes and businesses are simply being
abandoned by their owners, street crime
remains a serious problem and Dyster’s
repeated attempts to raise taxes and drive
even more property owners away have
been mitigated only by a vigilant and
sometimes combative city Council opposition.
Meanwhile, Dyster repaved the parking lot at City Hall at a cost of $450,000,
allowed do nothing developer Mark
Hamister to purchase a prime piece of
downtown city-owned real estate appraised at upwards of a half-million dollars for $100,000, threw $250,000 at an
out of state promoter to stage a monthlong “Holiday Market” event that made
the city a laughingstock and irrationally
handed Hard Rock International, a billion
dollar multinational corporation owned by
the Seminole Indians of Florida, a whopping $700,000 to stage a concert series
that actually drove business away from locally owned restaurants, bars and other attractions.
“It’s like they say, a half a million
here, a half a million there and pretty soon
you’re talking serious money,” Accardo
said. “The mayor has not only spent the
casino money we’ve received, he’s spent
revenue that hasn’t even come in yet.”
And with indicators showing casino
revenue declining in the years to come,
that’s a dangerous thing, he added.
“They got the money, what they
didn’t have was a plan,” he said.
Accardo said that Dyster’s anti-business attitude is as much at fault as his
spendthrift policies when it comes to the
downward spiral the city’s been in under
his peculiar brand of leadership.
“The reason you don’t see any businesses or entrepreneurs coming in from
Candidate Accardo Says Time
For Change Here is Right Now
John Accardo, the successful businessman, doesn't need a job. He
is running for mayor because he has, he says, a love for this city,
regret for what this city could have been, and hope for what this
city may yet become.
out of town is because they can see how
this administration treats those that are already here,” he said. “Almost single handedly, Paul Dyster has created an economy
where what passes for the upper middle
class, the upper class, are those who work
for the city, the school district, the hospital, the county and the state. Businesspeople look at that knowing that the only way
you can pull that off is with high taxes.”
Accardo said that damage done to the
relationship between the business community and City Hall needs to be repaired,
and Dyster is simply incapable of doing it.
A successful Niagara Falls businessman in
his own right, Accardo believes that all of
the stakeholders here need to have a place
at the table.
“I learned a lot from my father (Frank
Accardo, founder of Accardo Insurance
and longtime community leader passed
away last year), and one of the most valuable lessons is the importance of teamwork,” he said. “I’d like to get all of the
players, Niagara Falls Redevelopment,
Joe Anderson, everyone who has a financial interest in the future of the city, and
have a kind of economic summit. Just say,
what can City Hall do for you to help
make things happen here?”
Dyster’s idea of economic development, Accardo said, is giving money to
campaign contributors for dubious projects like additional public housing or even
offering cash bribes to young people willing to relocate here. Neither initiative, he
pointed out, has been successful.
“We’ve got a shrinking tax base as it
is,” Accardo said. “Right now in Niagara
Falls there are over 700 abandoned buildings. Schemes designed to take even more
property off the tax rolls, like low income
housing, create a lose / lose situation at
best.”
The candidate said that the transition
from a manufacturing economy to one
based on tourism has been and will continue to be difficult, but remains the city’s
only hope for the future. But again, Accardo said, without a plan, a clear vision
of where you want to go, choosing the
right path can be all but impossible.
“Why isn’t Nik Wallenda in downtown Niagara Falls? Because the administration, for who knows what reason,
thought the tourist district would be better
served by a small, cookie cutter motel
pitched by Mark Hamister, and the half
dozen permanent jobs that will go with
it,” Accardo said. “It’s a joke. The mayor
is on record as saying the Hamister project would transform downtown Niagara
Falls, now here it is a year behind schedule and it appears that Hamister doesn’t
even have the funding in place to start
construction.”
Wallenda, meanwhile, took his world
renowned high wire act to the Darien
Lake amusement park, where he will be
thrilling audiences starting on May 9, the
park’s opening day.
“Had Nik gotten that property instead
of Hamister, he would have pumped ten
times the $100,000 into the city economy
in the first season alone,” Accardo said.
“But of course Nik doesn’t belong to the
same Buffalo clubs as Dyster.”
At the end of the day, Accardo said,
John Accardo's father, the late
Frank J. Accardo, who died
last year at the age of 88, was
a beloved mainstay of the fabric of the Niagara Falls community.
In 1963, Frank started the Accardo Agency, Inc. on Pine
Ave. which grew to be a genuine Niagara Falls success
story as the company
branched into a wide array of
insurance opportunities while
maintaining their deep and
thoughtful connection to the
residents of Niagara Falls - and
their needs, however large or
small.
The company is currently operated by John Accardo and
his brother Paul.
In one respect, John Accardo
represents a different kind of
mayoral candidate. He represents a man who has worked
primarily in business, working
with his father and brother,
and who has helped build a
successful business, without
government subsidies, a company with steady profitability,
pursued now over the course
of 50 years and still going
strong. Accardo is a real businessman. And what his father,
his brother and he created was
a successful family business.
Niagara Falls needs to get back its’ sense
of humor about itself, something that’s
been missing in action for most of the current century.
“Look, we want to be known as a
place to have fun. We want people to
come here and go back saying they had a
good time.”
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Mike Hudson
Loser Maybe, Quitter Never;
Accardo Campaign Gears Up
Should someone ever write a book on
the history of politics in Niagara Falls
around the turn of the 21st Century, the
name of John Accardo would loom large.
For the past 25 years, Accardo has variously played the roles of popular public
official, Election Day spoiler, Democrat,
Republican, upset victim and successful
Pine Avenue businessman.
Last month, he announced his intention to run for mayor on the Republican
ticket, in the hope of preventing incumbent Paul Dyster from being elected to an
unprecedented third term. It will be Accardo’s third run for the position.
His first came in 1999. As a city
Council member, Accardo often found
himself at odds with former mayor James
Galie. Antipathy between the two men
boiled over, and Accardo announced he
would challenge Galie in that year’s Democratic primary.
As popular as he was, nobody gave
Accardo much of a chance at first. To
challenge a sitting mayor with no major
scandal or other problem looming was unheard of. But, with the help of his politically savvy father, Frank Accardo, the
candidate began pulling together backing
from business circles and the media. The
candidacy began to take off.
It was widely assumed that whoever
won the primary would be the city’s next
mayor. The Republicans had trouble finding anyone who even wanted to run and,
when a diminutive former nun named
Irene Elia entered the race flush with cash
from her family’s construction empire,
GOP leaders wished her well and told her
to go for it.
Over the following months, Galie and
Accardo beat on each other mercilessly in
the pages of the Niagara Gazette and on
local radio and television. It was a dirty
campaign even but Niagara Falls standards. Elia sat by the sidelines and
watched, offering the occasional tsk tsk
but little else.
On primary day, Accardo cruised to
victory on the Democratic line, upsetting
the incumbent and all but certain, everyone thought, to be the city’s next mayor.
Irene Elia had her own ideas. She appealed to the kinder, gentler side of the
electorate, many of whom found and still
find the sharp elbowed brand of political
campaigning generally practiced here to
be in extremely poor taste. And she had a
PhD, which impressed the often poorly
educated Niagara Falls voters to all get
out.
When Accardo attempted to attack,
the consensus was that he was picking on
a little, old ex-nun. And Elia had her own
media clout. Her attorney, Patrick Berrigan, also represented the Niagara Gazette.
His father, for many years, had been the
newspaper’s publisher.
To make matters worse, while Ac-
7
Irene Elia faced Accardo in a
pitched race for mayor and
won.
He ran against Mayor Paul Dyster and lost. If John Accardo and
Dyster win their primaries, a matchup will be on.
Mayor Paul Dyster
John Ceretto defeated Accardo
in a three way race for state
assembly.
cardo had knocked Galie off the Democratic line, the incumbent retained his position as a minor party candidate,
siphoning away even more votes.
Election night was an early one. It
wasn’t even close. Elia won by a landslide.
Much the same scenario played itself
out in 2010, when Accardo challenged
five term incumbent Francine DelMonte
in the Democratic primary for her
138thDistrict state Assembly seat. Running as an underdog for the entire campaign, Accardo eked out a narrow victory
and ended DelMonte’s political career.
He went on to face John Ceretto, an
affable but fairly anonymous member of
the county Legislature, in what was
thought to be a “can’t lose” campaign.
But, come the day after the election,
Ceretto emerged as the clear victor in a
triumph that still has some pundits
scratching their heads.
In 2011, Accardo entered the Democratic primary in an attempt to unseat Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster, whose
first term in office resulted in seriously
mixed reviews. Would the third time be
the charm for Accardo?
It wasn’t. He was defeated on the
Democratic line and chose not to campaign on the minor party lines he represented. Dyster went on to run against
Republican School Board Member
Johnny Destino in the general election,
eking out a slender 7-point victory.
Interestingly, both Accardo and Destino switched party affiliations following
the race, with Accardo becoming a Republican and Destino going Democrat.
Francine DelMonte lost in a
bruising Democratic primary to
John Accardo for state assembly. She stayed in the race on
the minor party,. Working Families line, split the Democratic
vote between her and Accardo
and the Republican John
Ceretto was elected in a traditionally Democratic district.
Each man cited a lack of party support as
the reason behind his switch.
Accardo will face community activist
James Szwedo in this year’s Republican
Party primary while Dyster will go up
against city Councilman Glenn
Choolokian on the Democratic side. The
winners of those races will square off in
November’s general election.
For Accardo, it will mark his third attempt to occupy that big corner office at
City Hall, the one with the fabulous Main
Street view. Maybe this time, the third
time will be the charm.
8
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Niagara Falls, County Pols on Collision Course Tonight
Sparks are expected to fly tonight at the
Niagara County Courthouse when county
legislators take up a pair of resolutions authored by the Niagara Falls-based Democratic minority that put the battle over
Seneca Niagara Casino funds front-and-center.
One resolution demands the county’s
share of casino cash be reallocated to include
Niagara Falls—despite the Cataract City receiving 20 times as much as the rest of the
county every year—while a second resolution calls for the censure and condemnation
of Republican Majority Leader Dick Updegrove of Lockport.
Both are expected to fail.
At issue is a resolution passed Dec. 9
that allocated the county’s share of casino
revenues—which are projected to amount to
less than $1 million this year—to Niagara
County’s 12 towns and the cities of North
Tonawanda and Lockport for tax relief and
community development, while excluding
the City of Niagara Falls.
Republican leaders in the county legislature contended that language in the state
legislation that divvied up the casino’s slot
machine revenues between the state and host
communities provided for Niagara Falls in
one section and the county outside the City
of Niagara Falls in a another, separate section.
In contrast to the $1 million the entire
county receives in casino cash, the City of
Niagara Falls receives between $18 -$20
Republican Majority Leader
Dick Updegrove of Lockport
thinks Niagara Falls has had
their fair share of casino cash to date $190 million -and that
state law allows for the rest of
the county to have its tiny fraction - $1 million - without having to give a portion of it to the
city.
million every year.
Democratic Minority Leader Dennis F.
Virtuoso and Legislator Mark Grozio never-
theless want Niagara Falls to get a portion of
the county share.
The Upstate New York Gaming and
Economic Development Act, which Gov.
Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law in July
2013, seems to bear out the Republican majority’s argument.
That law’s Subdivision 3 allocates substantial funds to Niagara Falls, while Subdivision 3a of the same law gives a separate
allocation to the county based on its population outside the City of Niagara Falls.
Virtuoso, Grozio, and their minority
caucus contend that, despite the Subdivision
3a funds being allocated only based upon the
approximately 170,000 county residents living outside Niagara Falls, the city should still
receive part of those funds—despite already
receiving 20 times as much under Subdivision 3.
Republican legislators stand firmly behind the majority leader, and agree with the
decision to exclude Niagara Falls from calculations.
“This is a shameful attempt at a moneygrab by Niagara Falls politicians,” Legislator
John Syracuse, R-Newfane, said, pointing to
the language of Cuomo’s Upstate New York
Gaming and Economic Development Act.
The challenge to Updegrove's plan
doesn’t pass muster with Republican town
supervisors contacted by the Niagara Falls
Reporter
“What’s at stake here is fundamental
fairness for the rest of the county, where taxpayers pay for so many of the social costs associated with operating a casino,” said
Supervisor Dan Engert, R-Somerset. As the
leader of the county’s least populous town,
Engert noted his constituents are not expecting to receive a particularly large slice of the
casino revenues, but deserved to be compen-
sated for the expenses—like social service
costs associated with the gambling industry—borne by county taxpayers.
Updegrove said he had no regrets in
bringing the December budget resolution
that allocated the casino dollars to county
residents outside Niagara Falls, adding Virtuoso’s resolutions amounted to an “effort to
distract from the failed leadership of Niagara
Falls’ elected representatives.”
“When you consider that Niagara Falls
has received nearly $190 million in casino
revenues since 2003, the Niagara County
Democrats’ effort to pick the pockets of taxpayers in Lockport and the Town of Niagara
is agitating,” Updegrove said, noting that the
county’s projected casino receipts for 2015
come in at less than $1 million, while the
City of Niagara Falls is receiving, on average, $20 million per year. “Niagara Falls
politicians can assert that their constituencies
are victims to pass the blame for their own
failed policies.”
Meanwhile, what is the City of Niagara
Falls spending its $190 million on? A partial
listing of expenditures by the City of Niagara
Falls includes:
• $2.2 million for trash totes
• $1.5 million to subsidize the state for
the conference center and parties and events
on Old Falls Street
• $304,000 for planned golf course cart
paths
• $521,000 to support part time jobs and
engineering consultants
• $500,000 to the nonprofit Isaiah 61 for
their failed housing and reuse store project
• $250,000 for a roof on the golf course
clubhouse
• $6,200 for Planning Department office
rugs and drapes.
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Importation of Frackwater in Violation of City
Ordinance, Puts Public Health, Safety at Risk
James Hufnagel
A local waste disposal firm may be
transporting toxic fracking wastewater
through the LaSalle section of the city of
Niagara Falls in direct and flagrant violation of a 2012 city ordinance prohibiting the
activity.
According to waste facility reports
available at www.marcellusgas.org, an industry web site, Allied Waste Systems,
LLC, located at 5600 Niagara Falls Blvd in
the city, has landfilled over 913,000 barrels
of fracking wastewater imported from
Pennsylvania drilling rigs and 90 tons of
solid drill cutting waste since the Niagara
Falls City Council banned importation of
the materials on March 6, 2012.
Passed unanimously, and sponsored by
councilmen Glenn Choolokian, the city's
anti fracking ordinance prohibits the "storage, transfer, treatment or disposal of natural gas exploration and production wastes"
within city limits. While the Niagara Falls
Water Board eventually complied with the
decision and has, for the time being, ceased
efforts to cash in on fracking, it appears Allied Waste, a subsidiary of Republic Services, Inc. of Phoenix, AZ, has other ideas.
Reports show that Allied has been accepting frack wastewater since July, 2010,
burying over 55 million gallons of the hazardous fracking wastewater here in an area
circumscribed by Niagara Falls Blvd.,
Packard Road and the 190, mere yards from
the Niagara Fall High School and the busy
Fashion Outlet Mall on Military Road.
Fracking wastewater routinely contains
upwards of 700 chemical additives, 30 of
which are known carcinogens, and radioactive compounds from deep shale rock layers.
Three months ago, the Cuomo administration outlawed the drilling process of
fracking in New York State, largely due to
the deleterious health impacts of fracking
wastewater.
Absent a local ordinance prohibiting it
- such as the one the Niagara Falls Council
passed, it is not illegal to accept fracking
waste at permitted landfills in New York.
The only sustainable option for disposal of the wastewater has been to pump
it underground at "injection wells" located
at scattered sites in Ohio, Texas and Oklahoma. An expensive process, given that the
wastewater must be transported by tanker
truck sometimes hundreds of miles from
gas well to disposal site, and problematic,
since the regions hosting the injection wells
have been subject to greatly increased seismic activity causing widespread infrastructure damage.
It therefore follows that the natural gas
drilling industry would be motivated to capitalize on economically-depressed municipalities like Niagara Falls which, along with
only a few other communities elsewhere in
the state, has been accepting the toxic frack
waste for years.
While the actual 135-acre Allied Waste
landfill is completely contained within the
Town of Niagara, one of two truck entrances is located on Niagara Falls Boule-
vard in the city of Niagara Falls. In addition, the only rail access to the facility, terminating at three spurs on the property, is
through the city.
Therefore, the prohibition on "transfer"
of the waste within the city of Niagara Falls
is clearly being violated by rail, and possibly by truck, if any use the Niagara Falls
Boulevard entrance or drive on the 190
through LaSalle to access the Packard Road
entrance. And sorry, but it's hard to believe
dozens of large semis loaded with frack
wastewater are driving past Wegmans and
Olive Garden on a daily basis to access the
Packard Road entrance to avoid having to
drive through the city.
Interestingly, the 2005 DEC Solid
Waste Permit issued to Allied allows the facility to accept "contaminated soils and
sludges" while not specifically authorizing
gas drilling or frack waste. Interesting, because these state permits are exhausting in
their specificity. If a particular brand of
waste isn't expressly listed, it isn't supposed
to be accepted by the facility. Allied's permit also states, "No drummed waste shall
be place in the landfill without prior written
approval from the RMSE (DEC Engineer)."
Did Allied get written approval back in
2010 to landfill nearly a million barrels of
frack waste? We intend to find out.
In fact, a very recent, January, 2015
DEC listing of issued permits reveals that
exactly eight landfills statewide are authorized to accept and dispose of "Petroleum
Contaminated Soil". Allied Waste is not one
of them.
Leaked documents describing an incident that occurred in August, 2012, three
months after the city ban was passed, constitute a "smoking gun". Two of three rail
cars containing "drilling solids" triggered a
radiation alarm at Allied Waste as the contents were being off-loaded onto dump
trucks. The material, which was being
transported on CSX rails by contractor Diaz
Disposal of Kingsley, PA for Cabot Oil and
Gas Corporation and consisted mostly of
soils, was immediately returned to the rail
cars. Samples were taken under the super-
9
While Allied Waste lies mainly in the Town of Niagara, the roads
and rails to the landfill run through Niagara Falls. This might pose a
problem for Allied if they are using city roads or rails to transport
fracking waste since a city ordinance prohibits fracking waste to be
transported in or through Niagara Falls.
vision of the NYS Dept. of Environmental
Conservation and sent to URS Corporation
in Pittsburgh, which determined, reassuringly, that "even the highest measured activity concentration is below the applicable
exempt activity concentration..."
When asked for comment on what
amounts to the next Love Canal taking
place before our eyes, Mayor Dyster replied
by email as follows: "Jim - Do you have information suggesting a potential violation
of local law that you want to report? If yes,
please provide to our law office (copied
above) so we can act appropriately."
"Thank you."
10
Hamister ‘Ups’ Job Estimates at IDA Meeting
The Niagara County Industrial Development Agency granted a 10-year, $4.25
million tax break on March 11 for the
planned 128-room Hyatt Place hotel to be
built in downtown Niagara Falls by the
Hamister Group.
In addition to IDA tax breaks, the
Hamister project, if built, will receive $3.85
million from state taxpayers through Empire
State Development Corp. and be able to purchase from the City of Niagara Falls, 310
Rainbow Blvd., for $100,000. The parcel
was appraised for more than $1.5 million.
Combined, the Hamister Group will
reap around $9.4 million in taxpayer help for
the planned hotel.
The purpose of the IDA is to give tax
breaks in return for job creation.
When Hamister made its application
with the IDA, Hamister Vice President
Daniel Hamister signed an affidavit on Jan.
26 that the hotel would create six full-time
and 29 part-time jobs.
At the IDA meeting, Susan C. Langdon,
IDA director of project development, told the
board that Hamister said the application was
not correct. It should have read "35 full-time
equivalents."
Which is not to say there will be 35 full
time jobs.
The term "Full time equivalents" is
often used when there are low wage part
time jobs. It is calculated by combining the
number of hours worked by all part time, full
time and contracted labor in a business and
divide that by 40 - - the number of hours in
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Henry Sloma, chairman of the
Niagara County IDA says he
wants to see the job creation
numbers for the proposed
Hamister hotel put in writing.
a normal full time work week - and that is
the number of full time equivalent employees.
In other words if you had two part time
employees working 20 hours per week - it
would equal one full time equivalent.
But who knows if this is the last and
final number.
Full time job numbers reported to be
created by Hamister have shifted several
times.
In February 2012, USA Niagara, Empire
State, and the City of Niagara Falls announced in a joint press release with Hamis-
ter that his hotel would create 130 full time
jobs.
In July 2013, the same group in another
press release said the number of full time
jobs at 70.
This is all a matter of public record.
Considering the public investment
planned for this project, the roller coaster
ride of purported Hamister jobs speaks
poorly of the planning from the beginning.
Let's recap:
Feb. 2012 - 130 jobs.
July 2013 -70 jobs
Jan. 2015 - 6 full time, 29 part time.
March 11, 2015 - 35 full time equivalents.
At the IDA meeting, chairman Henry M.
Sloma said he’d like to see that (latest) job
promise in writing. That's a good idea since
Hamister stands to gain $4.2 million from
the IDA courtesy the Niagara County tax-
payers.
IDA policy says that if a recipient of tax
benefits doesn’t deliver on job creation
promises, the IDA can revoke the tax breaks.
And Mr. Sloma, may we recommend
you make the job creation language in the
contract iron clad.
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF
A DOMESTIC LLC
BOULEVARD VAN CITY & MEDICAL TRANSPORT
LLC has been formed as a limited liability company
(LLC) by filing Articles of Organization with the NY Secretary of State (NYSS) on December 26, 2014. Office
located in Niagara County, NY. NYSS designated as
agent for the LLC upon whom process against it may be
served. NYSS may mail a copy of any process against it
served upon him to: 2708 Niagara Falls Boulevaard, Niagara Falls, NY 14304. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful business acts or activities permitted
for LLCs under the NY Limited Liability Company Act.
The limited liability company is to be managed by one
or more members.
1/13/15, 1/20/15, 1/27//15, 2/3/15, 2/10/15, 2/17/15
Thus spake Swami
Vivekananda to his disciples, “We
are not weak. And if you are weak
it is because you love your own
weakness!”
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Can Dyster Win on Promises and Not Much Else?
Tony Farina
In a way, Paul Dyster is running for a
third term as mayor of Niagara Falls on
promises that so far have not lived up their
hype.
With a backdrop of cracked and pothole-filled roads and frozen water lines, the
mayor promised when he made it official last
week that his next term would be even better,
if one could take that seriously given what’s
happened in the first two terms.
But perhaps the biggest danger to Dyster’s re-election is the still uncertain future
of his administration’s biggest hype job, the
nearly $36 million Hamister hotel project on
Rainbow Blvd. that has yet to begin construction.
Yes, the Niagara County IDA last week
rubber stamped 10 years worth of tax breaks
($4.25 million) for the Buffalo developer to
build the hotel and Hamister will get another
$3.85 million from the state, but even with
all that, financing questions appear to remain
with neither the developer nor the public
sponsors saying much.
Sure, Hamister boosted the job numbers
up to the equivalent of 36 full time jobs,
whatever that means, after the number six
full time jobs on the IDA application took
plenty of heat from this newspaper. But so
far, there are no jobs, lots of political maneuvering, and an uncertain start date that would
be a killer for Dyster is if doesn’t happen in
time for his third term bid.
The fact is, if the Hamister deal falls
through after all of the turmoil and hype of
the past three years, that’s the unfilled promise that will hurt Dyster the most. Never
mind all the other follies the administration
has tried to sell, or the failure to land a Wallenda center after at first resisting even having the daredevil make his historic walk
across Niagara Falls.
The mayor has cultivated a good rela-
Will this be converted into this? The downtown vacant lot at 310
Rainbow Blvd., is the proposed site of the Hamister Hyatt Place
hotel. Will it ever get built?
“Such was the will of the Father that his
Son, blessed and glorious, whom he gave to
us, and who was born for us, should by his
own blood, sacrifice, and oblation, offer
himself on the altar of the cross, not for
himself, by whom "all things were made,"
but for our sins, leaving us an example that
we should follow his steps.”
St Francis of Assisi
11
September 2013: L-R: Mark Hamister, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster convene to sign a ceremonial contract for the Hamister hotel. The project is now more than a year
late.
tionship it seems with Gov. Cuomo but beyond a lot of promises, not much has really
happened that you can see. Of course, by far
the biggest payoff from the cozy relationship
was supposed to be a transformational downtown hotel that the governor backed all the
way, and we now know even if it comes, the
Hamister Hyatt Place won’t transform much
and won’t be the kind of attraction that a
Wallenda entertainment center would have
provided for downtown.
I’m sure the mayor is doing all he can
to make sure Hamister breaks ground on his
scaled down business hotel before the pri-
mary or he’ll have a lot of explaining to do
to the residents of Niagara Falls who were
promised a new day and have yet to see it as
they try to unfreeze their pipes and navigate
the bad roads that are taking a toll on motorists. In fact, that’s what you hear from
people all the time: the roads are killing our
cars.
Will Dyster carry the day and win a
third term? It may all depend on a Buffalo
developer and all the state sponsors that
pushed the Hamister deal on the city and that
Dyster bought hook, line, and sinker.
We’ll keep you posted.
12
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Frank Parlato &
Mike Hudson
County Legislature to Back Local
Marijuana Production Proposal
The Niagara County Legislature has
proposed and is likely to pass.
They want it so bad they can taste it.
Last Tuesday, the National Indian
Cannabis Coalition, an organization just
formed a few weeks ago in Washington
State, held a conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The stated goal of the organization is
to position Indian Tribes across the country
to get in on the ground floor of the rapidly
expanding, multimillion dollar medical
marijuana growing industry.
Robert Odawi Porter of Odawi Law
PLLC, a former President of the Seneca Nation of New York who was central in spearheading the effort to allow for Native
American gaming in New York State during
the late 1900s, has now taken up the marijuana growing cause, and was a chief figure
in the formation of the National Indian
Cannabis Coalition.
All of this has serious ramifications on
the Niagara Frontier and Niagara County in
particular, where at least one private company have announced their desire to get into
the market.
This Tuesday, the Niagara County Legislature is expected to approve what is in effect a symbolic resolution endorsing the
new medical marijuana law in New York,
and encouraging the state to select, as one
of five statewide growers, a company called
Herbal Agriculture LLC, which is a subsidiary of Lewiston Greenhouse LLC, -some of whose investors are the owners of
Modern Disposal.
Modern's Chief Operating Officer,
Gary Smith, has been the main spokesperson to date for Herbal Agriculture LLC.
The company plans to convert Modern Disposal's current tomato production facilities
into what is hoped to be the far more profitable cultivation of medical marijuana.
The Niagara County resolution - which
is seen as helpful for the upcoming state application process, since it evidences local
support - notes that medical marijuana has
been found effective in the treatment of
pain associated with cancer, HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, multiple sclerosis, and
other afflictions.
It is also sound fiscal policy for Niagara County, if Herbal Agriculture, of Lewiston is selected to grow medical marijuana,
the county resolution points out.
“The awarding of a license to grow
medical marihuana to Herbal Agriculture
LLC will have significant economic development benefits to the county and its taxpayers, as counties where medical
marihuana is grown in New York will receive 22.5 percent of the state’s 7 percent
excise tax charged for medical marihuana,”
the resolution states.
Herbal Agriculture intends to convert a
12.5 acre state of the art greenhouse on
Pletcher Road to cultivate, among other
strains of medical marijuana, Charlotte’s
Web, a variety of marijuana so weak it
wouldn’t get you high if you smoked it.
Charlotte's Web s processed into a marijuana extract that does not induce the psychoactive
"high"
associated
with
recreational marijuana strains high in
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
But Charlotte's Web is widely believed
to have cured hopeless cases of Dravet's
Syndrome - most famously of five year old
Charlotte Figi, after whom the strain is
named.
She was in hospice - with a no resuscitation order - her 300 seizures per week
were killing her by the moment - when her
desperate parents turned to medical marijuana and the strain that now bears her
name.
Her 300 seizures dropped to three per
month and mostly in her sleep - after just a
few doses of this strain of medical marijuana.
Charlotte went home to her parents
with whom she lives today, living a normal
life, because of medical marijuana - when,
Charlotte Figi became the poster child for medical marijuana and
especially the strain that bears her name-- Charlotte's Web. Happily,
for Niagara County residents, the only company in the state that is
licensed to cultivate Charlotte's Web is Herbal Agriculture of Lewiston.
without it, she would not be with us today.
Other children have been cured- and
there is now a waiting list for Charlotte's
Web.
Which Herbal Agriculture of Lewiston
hopes to help alleviate.
Charlotte's Web has become, in the annals of medical marijuana's fight for legality, and respectability, the most famous
strain of medical marijuana in the nation. It
is the gold standard.
While medical marijuana remains illegal in Florida, the state passed the "Charlotte's Web" law on June 6, 2014, a law
designed to limit the government's ability
to prosecute those in possession of Charlotte's Web and other low THC/high CBD
strains of marijuana - which can be used to
cure children of otherwise hopeless dis-
eases.
On July 28, 2014 the Federal government introduced bill H.R.5226, also known
as "The Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act
of 2014" which would amend the Controlled Substances Act -- to exempt Charlotte's Web and other plants with a low
THC, the chemical that makes users high.
It should duly be noted - and certainly
gives pause - that only Herbal Agriculture
LLC, of Lewiston is licensed by the developers of Charlotte's Web - the Stanley
Brothers of Colorado, to sell Charlotte's
Web in New York State - pending, of
course, approval from the state to grow
medical marijuana.
If Herbal Agriculture is not approved
for a New York license, Charlotte's Web
will not be sold in New York State.
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
13
Lewiston Medical Marijuana Grower is a Natural Choice
County Legislator Kathryn
Lance, a cancer survivor, understood the need for people
to have the best opportunities
for healing and health. She cosponsored the county resolution to endorse Herbal Agriculture and its operations in
Lewiston NY.
The Niagara County resolution endorsing Herbal Agriculture was sponsored by
Clyde L. Burmaster R-Ransomville,and
Kathryn L. Lance R-Wheatfield, and is expected to easily pass tonight. It has bipartisan support.
The Lewiston Town Board is expected
to pass a similar resolution in the near future.
Its members, Ron Winkley, Alphonso
Bax, William Conrad and Beth Ceretto,
have all expressed support for the Herbal
Agriculture proposal, along with Town Supervisor Dennis Brochey. State Rep. John
Ceretto is also behind the initiative.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s medical marijuana law, universally acknowledged as the
strictest in the country.
In California, Colorado and a number
of other states, the holder of a medical marijuana prescription has merely to go into
one of the ubiquitous smoke shops that
sprung up in the wake of legalization and
purchase as much as an ounce of pot a day.
In Colorado, where the recreational use of
marijuana is also permitted, the state raked
in a whopping $69 million during the year
following legalization.
Under the Cuomo law, just five sites
around the state will be chosen for cultivation, the cannabis sold must come in the
form of a pill, a topical salve, or oil for vaping.
Doctors have little discretion in determining what conditions may be treated
using marijuana therapy. In California, simple depression or insomnia is enough to get
a prescription; in New York suffering from
frequently fatal illnesses such as cancer,
AIDS and Parkinson’s Disease or some
traumatic condition like a spinal cord injury
is required.
Unlike California and Colorado, where
legalization put a significant crimp into the
black market in marijuana, because in effect
almost anyone who wants to smoke, can get
it legally there, Cuomo’s law will have little
effect on the underground market.
Cuomo meant to keep medical marijuana just that - medical, with substantive
proof that it can ease suffering and heal patients.
Meanwhile the Indians, spurred by a
federal Justice Department memo in December essentially telling prosecutors to
stand down on instances of marijuana cultivation on Indian Reservations around the
country, are hoping for a windfall similar to
that they enjoyed with casino gaming.
The Niagara County Legislature is
hoping they don’t get it.
It remains to be seen whether the Indians will attempt it in New York and whether
they will defy the thoughtful strictures that
Gov. Cuomo hopes to impose and simply
grow and sell it in bags or bundles or doo-
Herbal Agriculture's State of the art greenhouse that may soon be
growing Charlotte's Web and other strains of medical marijuana.
bies or joints and try to find black market
stoner customers.
While the Indians perhaps may grow it,
the residents of New York cannot legally
buy it. Their use of marijuana legally requires that they follow the rules and the regulations of the New York State Medical
marijuana law.
Given the governor's reluctance to
open the floodgates of marijuana use for all
occasions, and for any trifling ailment - as
long as the user gets 'high,' a serious proposal, by a company like Herbal Agriculture, and their brand - Charlotte's Web from which one cannot get 'high' conforms
perfectly with the objectives of this governor - which is to make this state one where
the medical aspects are recognized and honored.
One can get a Rocky Mountain High in
Colorado.
14
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Lancaster Board Votes Down “Redskins” Nickname
Tony Farina
The day of the “Redskins” is over in
Lancaster as the controversial nickname and
mascot was voted out Monday night by the
school board at a special meeting before a
packed auditorium at the William Street
School. The vote was 7 to 0.
“I was proud of them and proud to be a
part of process,” said John Kane, a strong
crusader for Native American rights and
radio talk show host who had joined forces
with those who had pushed for the change,
arguing the nickname was offensive and a
racial slur to Native Americans, a position
the school board supported in its action
Monday night.
“They [school board members] thoughtfully went through the process and they
voted with their conscience, I believe,” said
Kane in responding to the board’s action to
do away with native imagery altogether and
create a fair environment for all children.
Kane said the audience he estimated at
more than 100 was about equally split, with
opponents of the board’s decision frequently
being disruptive and shouting out their feelings. But he said most of those in attendance
and the people who he has come into contact
with during the lengthy and often bitter debate between neighbors were respectful and
courteous, and many felt it was just time to
move on.
The action comes in the wake of the decision by three school districts, Akron, Lake
Shore, and Niagara Wheatfield, to have their
lacrosse teams boycott playing against Lancaster as long as the Redskins nickname was
in place.
In the resolution passed on Monday,
Lancaster Supt. Michael Vallely said the
longstanding nickname had become “a symbol of ethnic stereotyping” and if the nickname stayed in place, it could subject
students to retaliation.
The debate over the nickname attracted
national attention and USA Today posted the
story of the board’s decision to revoke the
nickname on its website shortly after Monday’s vote.
Republicans say they will begin the interview process of Dirschberger soon and determine if his background equips him to head
the Social Services Department going forward. Meanwhile, it is presumed the Poloncarz team is still at work looking for
candidates to head Mental Health and cor-
rections. Poloncarz had wanted to move
Dankert-Maurer to Mental Health but withdrew her nomination after it became clear
she might have trouble making it through the
legislature. We’ll keep you posted.
Poloncarz Responds, Finds Candidate for Social Services Position
Tony Farina
Perhaps it is just a coincidence, but
within weeks of our stories calling attention
to key vacancies in his administration, Erie
County Executive Mark Poloncarz came up
with a candidate last week to head the
county’s largest department, Social Services,
which had been led by a holdover-who
wanted to leave for months.
Poloncarz said in a statement that he
came up with Al Dirschberger as his nominee to head Social Services “following an interview process that included several good
candidates,” and Dirschberger was the best
of the lot.
It will now be up to the county legislature to approve Dirschberger, the former
head of Journey’s End Refugee Services, to
see if he is up to the task of overseeing an
often volatile and controversial department
that deals with the county’s most vulnerable
residents.
Poloncarz said Dirschberger, 51, “has a
vast knowledge of the issues surrounding the
delivery of social services,” adding that
“Professor Dirschberger ‘s career has been
dedicated to being a staunch and caring advocate for children and families, as well as
teaching the next generation of social science
students the skills they will need to succeed
in their careers.”
Dirschberger, who is a teacher at Daeman College and ECC, if approved by the
legislature will take over for Carol DankertMauerer to lead a department that has often
come under attack for its handling of cases
involving children who died while their families were under investigation by Child Protective Services.
Dirschberger, who is already on the job,
is expected to face some level of scrutiny by
the Republican majority in the legislature
who say they will deal with the Dirschberger
nomination as soon as possible. That will
begin with interviews of Dirschberger by the
Health and Human Services Committee before any vote is conducted by the full legislature.
Al Dirschberger
Key vacancies remain in the Poloncarz
camp, including Mental Health-where Deborah Goldman serves as acting commissioner, and chief medical officer of the
correctional facilities, two positions where
leadership is extremely important in dealing
with vulnerable residents and often volatile
and incorrigible inmates.
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF
A DOMESTIC LLC
CR HOME INVENTORY LLC has been formed
as a limited liability company (LLC) by filing Articles of Organization with the NY Secretary of
State (NYSS) on December 17, 2014. Office
located in Niagara County, NY. NYSS designated as agent for the LLC upon whom
process against it may be served. NYSS may
mail a copy of any process against it served
upon him to: 2802 Stenzel Ave., North
Tonawanda, NY 14120. The purpose of the
LLC is to engage in any lawful business acts or
activities permitted for LLCs under the NY Limited Liability Company Act. The limited liability
company is to be managed by one or more
members.
2/3/15, 2/10/15, 2/17/15, 2/24/15, 3/3/15,
3/10/15
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Only in North Tonawanda: 'We are Kept in the Dark'
Sweeney Payne
Sunday, March 15 began “Sunshine
Week,” a news-media-led event focusing on
American citizens’ right to open government
and ready access to public records. Open
government begins with public officials,
whether elected or appointed, consciously
committing to it. In a Buffalo News editorial
on Sunday, that paper wrote, “To a great extent, the public’s ability to review the actions
of government relies on the character of the
men and women occupying those offices.”
The editors of the region’s daily newspaper
continued, “The ground rules of democracy—the very definition of democracy—
demand that the public have easy access to
public meetings and public records.”
We respect our fellow citizens who have
differing opinions than we do. We respect
their right to express their opinions. Our
concerns in this column, however, are not directed toward our fellow citizens nor toward
Democrats or Republicans or any other
party. They are aimed at non-transparent
elected and appointed officials in NT.
We are still waiting for answers to our
previously expressed concerns FROM THE
ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS to whom they were directed. Unless
our elected and appointed officials listen to
us – to ALL of us, not just those who agree
with them, they cannot properly represent
the citizens of NT. They are supposed to
be accountable to all of us and become transparent in all of their decisions and actions so
that all of us know what is going on and why.
Lockport’s method, under their Charter
as we recently heard their current Mayor explain at a televised Council meeting, of filling a vacancy for Mayor appears to be better
than North Tonawanda’s. Their charter
makes it automatic that the President of their
Council becomes Mayor in such a case. That
way a person legally voted into office becomes Mayor instead of the cronyism
method used in North Tonawanda which has
resulted in our currently having a 2/5 appointed Council, an appointed Mayor, and an
appointed Clerk-Treasurer at the same time.
Charter revisions are needed to avoid this
happening over and over again, with the controlling party keeping those it can control in
office and creating “incumbents” to make it
easier for them to be elected in the future.
On February 27 an opinion piece in the
Niagara Gazette bemoaned the timing of
Lewiston board meetings. We in NT also bemoan Common Council meeting starting
times changed from the long time 7 p.m. to
earlier times in the last decade. The earlier
starting time is not for the convenience of
citizens. It is for the convenience of the officials who prefer that not many citizens actually attend their meetings.
Per the Open Meetings Law, “It is essential to the maintenance of a democratic
society that the public business be performed
in an open and public manner and that citizens be fully aware of and able to observe
the performance of public officials and attend and listen to the deliberations and decisions that go into the making of public
policy.”
A Buffalo News article on March 8, included the following, “A Democratic resolution to change the public speaking format at
meetings was sent to committee. Minority
Leader Dennis p. Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls,
predicted before last week’s session that the
Republican majority probably would kill the
proposal there. The resolution would move
public speaking about issues not on the
night’s agenda back near the start of the
meeting. In 2009, the Republican majority
passed a measure moving such comments to
the end of the meeting, meaning that anyone
who wanted to address the Legislature on a
general topic had to sit through the Legislature’s typical two-hour plus meeting to do so.
Public speaking in the final time slot has
dwindled, and the former cadre of “gadflies”
that used to attend Legislature meetings no
longer does so.”
A gadfly is someone who annoys people
by being very critical or a person who per-
sistently annoys or provokes others with criticism, schemes, ideas, demands, requests,
etc. We in NT identify with those citizens of
Niagara County also denied their rights to
express their opinions to those who are supposed to represent them. In NT, the meeting
time was also changed from the long time 7
p.m. starting time to 6 or 6:30, and sometimes 6:15 and occasionally other times to
also make it inconvenient for most residents
to come to meetings.
We are kept in the dark about details
probably covering up collusion between
City officials and certain special interests
using our City as if it were their own sandbox full of toys meant to increase their
wealth and to insure income levels for many
far in excess of the median income level in
NT. All cloaked in secrecy. This lack of
transparency has to stop!
If the whole world stands
against you sword in hand,
would you still dare to do
what you think is right?
16
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Mayoral Candidate Szwedo Makes Candid Remarks During
Appearance on Former Mayor Anello's Radio Show
Anna M. Howard
Jim Szwedo, Republican Party candidate for mayor, appeared on the Vince
Anello show March 12, and if the strength
of his radio appearance is any indicator of
the strength of his candidacy the political
neophyte just may be able to make his way
to the mayor's office in November.
But before he tries to take down the
winner of the Democratic primary he'll
have to get past former Democrat, and current Republican mayoral candidate, John
Republican candidate for Mayor of Niagara Falls, James "Jim"
Szwedo.
Accardo who similarly covets Dyster's office on the first floor of city hall.
Historically, the Republican Party from notable national races down to town
hall contests - intensely dislikes to engage
in primaries. Until several weeks ago Accardo appeared to have the Republican line
for Niagara Falls mayor all to
himself...until wildcard Szwedo entered the
race.
If anyone thought Szwedo was going
to be a primary pushover for the politically
experienced Accardo, Szwedo's radio appearance with Vince Anello should have
put an end to any such notion.
Szwedo took phone calls, held his own
in banter with Anello and laid out a campaign platform that was easy to relate to in
its populist call for increased participation
in government by city residents.
"Come down to my headquarters at
2512 Niagara Street when it opens and
don't bring a campaign check, bring your
ideas on how to make the city better, I want
to hear from you," the fledgling politico
stated.
Plain spoken and sincere? Is such a
thing truly possible in a candidate?
Consider this. About three quarters of
the way through the show Szwedo, in between Anello's recounting of his days as
mayor, managed to lay his campaign platform bare for all to hear. Such forthright-
ness is rare if not unheard of in local politics.
And while this straight forward talk
may come to bite Jim Szwedo in the end
(no pun intended) what he said is worth citing here both for its rarity of utterance and
the dramatic change in city government it
offers to the voter.
Szwedo said, in part, that he will:
Remove city administrator Donna
Owens from her job due to lack of performance...
Roll back the high pay of city department heads that have benefited so heavily
under Dyster...
Put an end to the Dyster habit of naming "acting" department heads which drives
up the cost of government...
Immediately negotiate a new contract
with "the professionals at the SPCA and
stop the talk of a costly city operated animal shelter we can't afford"...
Stop the practice of handing out pay
stipends for work that should be already be
getting done as a matter of routine...
Require department heads to work as
needed as part of their having taken a department head position...
Will hire a city engineer and end the
expensive drama that has surrounded the
city engineer position since Dyster assumed office...
Put an end to the mysterious "Buffalo
Connection" to city government...
Say what you will but saying Candidate Szwedo isn't being forthright as to
where he wants to take city government
would be neither fair nor accurate after listening to him on the radio.
In an era where candidates for office from the nation's capital to the local town
hall - routinely couch their words while
making vague promises - Jim Szwedo already stands out.
Whether his up front approach will
play with the voters as a strength or appear
as political naiveté by a well-intended but
mistaken candidate remains to be seen.
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Election
James ‘Jim’ Szwedo
It appears election season is beginning
early this year.
I know we, the citizens and businesses
of Niagara Falls, look forward to what is sure
to be a painful mix of promises, finish lines,
tales about how far we’ve come, grand plans,
and what they (the politicians) see as the future of Niagara Falls.
Please take note that I said their plans
(politicians’ plans), not ours (the citizens and
businesses of Niagara Falls). They won’t ask
you where you would like to be in the next
four years, but rather, they prefer to state
what the four-year plans for their political future would look like.
But are they even their plans? The seven
plus years of this administration have been
controlled by powerful people outside of this
city. Look around. Have they really made it
any better for anyone except themselves and
their special interests?
(By the way, if you happen to see the
Mayor limping around Niagara Falls, it’s because of that ball-and-chain of outside interests he has been dragging around since he
took office.)
When you look at the other politicians
running for office, I need you to look for the
strings attached to powerful political figures
and operatives funding and calling the shots,
once again, from outside our city. I need you
A side note to the citizens of Niagara Falls from Niagara Falls
Mayoral candidate James 'Jim'
Szwedo:
to visualize puppets or marionettes happily
controlled by people who never have to
stand in the light. I need you to think of the
Wizard of Oz, when the curtain gets pulled
open and the Great and Powerful Oz gets exposed by Toto.
That is why, to make things a little less
painful for you this election season, I want
to state, for the record that I have no balland-chain to drag around. There will never
be any strings attached to me, and, for better
or worse, I speak and write my own
thoughts. No outside interests or powerful
political operatives will invest in a candidate
Am I willing to stand up and take
the hit? NO PROBLEM.
Can I take a joke? NOT AT YOUR
EXPENSE.
Am I one of you? YES.
Will what I say make you think,
and sometimes smile? YES.
Can I win? THAT’S UP TO ONLY
YOU.
Can we change the way things
have always been done? ABSOLUTELY
they can’t control.
So let me give you a quick recap:
1. I have no powerful political parties
throwing tens of thousands of dollars into
my campaign. This means I will not have an
endless barrage of junk mail attacking my
opponents. (P.S. I do have a Facebook page
that I update from time to time.)
2. There will be no rich backers from
outside our city hoping to gain or retain control of your future. This means no radio, TV,
or phone calls attacking other candidates.
3. I won’t bore you with my grand
plans, but rather, I would enjoy talking to
17
you about what bothers you, the citizens and
businesses, to find out where you would like
the city to be in the next four years. (P.S. 40
years of political grand plans haven’t served
the citizens well.)
4. I need you to know that the only hold
these interests have on the future of Niagara
Falls is the one we, the citizens and businesses, allow them to have. Their money,
their political power, their ties that bind us
cannot stand alone in the light. For all their
posturing and huffing and puffing, the reality
is, in the end, your vote is what determines
your voice, and your stake, in the future of
our city.
It truly isn’t about me. Rather…
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU.
Your voice. Your choice. You future.
Is government
supposed to entertain the
governed?
18
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Conservative Event Honoring Kemp Attracts Big Turnout
Tony Farina
The Erie County Conservative Party’s
Tribute to Jack Kemp drew more than 150
guests last Saturday (March 14) at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens and “was just fantastic,” according to Conservative Chairman
Ralph Lorigo.
“Salvatore’s had to set up three extra
tables to accommodate everyone,” said
Lorigo, “and they came from as far away as
Binghamton, Ithaca, and Rochester, and all
the speakers were just great.”
Speakers included Jeff Kemp, the son
of the late congressman and former Bills
quarterback, and Fox News contributor Dr.
Charles Krauthammer. Other speakers included state Conservative Party Chairman
Mike Long, Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs, and political operative Roger Stone.
The list of high-profile guests in attendance at the tribute dinner is far too long to
include here, but some of the dignitaries on
hand were Buffalo School Board member
Carl Paladino, Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III, Erie County Legislators Peter Savage, Kevin Hardwick and
Erie County Conservative Party
Chairman, Ralph Lorigo hosted
a tribute to the late Jack Kemp
and marshaled an all star group
of speakers and packed Salvatore’s Italian Gardens.
Tom Loughran, and numerous state,
county, and local officials including Hamburg Supervisor Steven Walters.
Also on hand was former State Sen.
George Maziarz, a longtime Niagara
Jack Kemp and Ronald Reagan. Kemp was a fierce advocate for the
power of ideas, and especially for what he called “The American
Idea.”
County political leader and nine term state
lawmaker. Many leaders from the business
community also came to the fundraiser, including Dave Cappretto from Cappretto
Homes.
Lorigo’s goal was to top last year’s
successful tribute dinner, and by the size of
this year’s turnout and the great reception
the speakers received, he accomplished his
goal.
Danielle Restaino, Running for City Court Judge, and Facing Two Prominent Opponents, Will Hold Event at the Como
On Thursday, March 26 - at 6:00 pm,
the public is invited to the Como Restaurant
to support Danielle Restaino, a Niagara Falls
lawyer running for City Court judge.
Ticket prices are $35 per person and $60
per couple.
Restaino, 31, announced on Jan. 17, that
she would seek election.
There are two city court judgeships out
of four that will be up for election. Judge Angelo J. Morinello will be retiring, having
reached the age of 70, the mandatory retirement age for judges in New York and incumbent Judge Mark A. Violante’s 10-year term
is up this year.
Violante, 64, announced in December
he will seek reelection.
Niagara Falls lawyer David G. Boniello
also announced - on Mar. 4 - that he too is
running for City Court judge.
As it stands, three will run for two city
court judgeships.
All three are prominent names from
prominent legal families.
Danielle Restaino maintains a general
private practice of law at 731 Third Street in
the city and is a member of the Niagara
County Public Defender staff.
Her father is former City Court Judge
Robert M. Restaino who presently maintains a private law practice and is a Niagara
Falls School Board Member.
Her uncle is Anthony J. Restaino who is
the Commissioner of the Niagara County
Department of Social Services.
Violante, a Democrat, has been on the
city bench since 1986. He has been chief city
judge since 1996 and an acting Niagara
County Court judge since 2000.
His brother Michael J. Violante is the
Niagara County District Attorney.
Boniello, 62, also a Democrat, is a former Niagara County assistant district attorney who started practicing law in 1979. He
Danielle Restaino
has had his own law practice since 1982.
His late father was Ralph A. Boniello, a
prominent Niagara Falls attorney. His
brother is Ralph A. Boniello III, a state
supreme court judge sitting in Niagara Falls.
This will be an interesting race since
three of the most influential political and
legally connected families in the city will vie
for two seats, leaving one candidate behind.
Potential supporters, too, will be placed
in awkward positions; almost everyone in
the Niagara Falls legal, law enforcement and
political circles - those who normally turn
out for fund raisers and lend campaign support for judicial races - will know all three
families.
Local lawyers in particular will have to
be careful in choosing who and who not to
support in order to preserve longstanding
professional and personal relationships with
all three of the renowned legal families - and
of which two, or possibly three - depending
on the results - will have a family member
who is a judge.
For Restaino, she will kick off her campaign at the Como next Thursday. Those
seeking to meet Danielle - and learn why she
is running and what she believes she can do
to ensure justice in the city court of Niagara
Falls are invited to join her.
Although the youngest by several
decades of the three judicial candidates,
Danielle Restaino says she has experience
and judgment.
Having served in Niagara Falls City
Court as counsel for the poor in felony and
misdemeanor matters and now assisting individuals in the courts of Niagara Falls and
in Lockport in family law and quasi criminal
matters, Restaino has handled a wide array
of cases.
At the request of courts at various levels
of the judicial system, Restaino said she has
been called upon to provide review, evaluation and reports "on complex factual and
legal matters to assist the court in deciding
complex cases."
Restaino received her law degree from
the University at Buffalo Law School and
was admitted to the bar in 2010.
She sits on the Board of Directors for
Niagara County Head Start.
She is also a life-long resident of Niagara Falls and she credits her late grandfather,
Tony Restaino, for influencing her decision
to stay and make her career in Niagara Falls.
“I decided very early during my education, that I wanted to obtain my professional
degree and make my home and business in
Niagara Falls," Restaino said. "We grew up
having pride and concern for our city.
"It was never my thought to leave the
city and live elsewhere. This is my home,
this is where I want to be to help the community and, in this position, I feel that I can
do that."
Although a Democrat, Restaino said she
intends to file nominating petitions for all
major political party lines in the upcoming
election.
“The problems of today are more complex with the advent of social media and
technology," Restaino added. "I believe my
knowledge and experience can bring a
unique perspective to the justice system during these changing times in the city and society in general.”
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
Niagara Cup Names Co-Chairs for 2015 Tournament
The Niagara Falls Memorial Medical
Center Foundation has named a Niagara
Falls chiropractor and a local business
executive chairpersons of the 24th Annual Niagara Cup Classic.
Dr. Michael Cardamone and Douglas
Mooradian will chair the annual
fundraiser on Tuesday, June 9. To accommodate the event’s growth, golfers
this year will play at two courses: Niagara Falls Country Club and Hickory Stick
Golf Course. Both courses will serve a
barbecue lunch followed by a shotgun
start at 12:30 p.m. sharp.
Mr. Mooradian, who returns for a
sixth year as the tournament’s co-chair, is
the director of customer relations for
Pine Pharmaceuticals. He is involved in a
variety of community organizations and
is a 2014 recipient of Buffalo Business
First’s 40 Under 40 award. In 2013, he
was the recipient of the Niagara Falls Education Foundation’s Emerging Leader
Alumni Award.
Dr. Cardamone, the owner of Cardamone Chiropractic in Niagara Falls, is
well versed in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, espe-
cially those resulting from motor vehicle
accidents. He is the 2014 recipient of the
Niagara Falls Education Foundation's
Emerging Leader Alumni Award, the Niagara USA Chamber’s Small Business of
the Year Award and the Main Street Business and Professional Association's Business of the Year Award.
Since the inaugural tournament in
1992, the Niagara Cup Classic has raised
more than $1 million for medical equipment and health care programs at Memorial Medical Center. The tournament is
presented by the Medical Center Foundation.
Money raised at this year’s tournament will benefit the Golisano Center for
Community Health. Groundbreaking for
the new center is scheduled for this
spring.
For tournament sponsorship and registration information call Cheryl Wienckowski, Memorial’s director of special
events and projects, at (716) 278-4570 or
email [email protected].
19
20
Skrlin Delivers on the Hamister Hotel
To those who say artist Gerald Skrlin's
biting cartoons too often feature Mayor
Dyster as the victim of the cartoon skewering, we present "The Joker Goes Green" as
a way of spreading the skewering and
pointing out the multiple villains in the political circus called Niagara Falls.
Has there ever been a more obvious
boondoggle involving the fleecing of the
taxpayer and rewarding of a businessman
than the "Hamister Project"? This piece of
work portrays developer Mark Hamister as
The Joker who has craftily lashed the taxpayer to his Hamister wheel (oh, the richness of the word play!) and so the hapless
taxpayer must feverishly churn the wheel to
keep the Joker's scam alive as the hotel
project shrinks in size, grows in cost, and
sucks off the teat of state, county and city
government.
Hamister is presented as "The Joker"
but he is in reality "The Bundler" who, with
his Buffalo Niagara Partnership membership, raised over $700,000 for Cuomo's
candidacy and has been aided and abetted
by Paul Dyster who could easily be cast as
"The Bungler" who has damaged Niagara
Falls beyond repair. Joker, Bundler and
Bungler...until a super hero appears, Niagara Falls is assuredly doomed.
Arrington Cole
Art Critic
22
Don't say he never warned you:
Dyster kicked off his campaign for a
third term on March 12 telling the small
crowd at the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers hall that he wants
a third term because "I'm not done yet."
The IBEW hall was full of electricians. But no electricity.
"If the damn Niagara Falls Reporter
would just disappear this entire scam
would be so much easier!" (a thought
bubble above Paul Dyster's head).
The mayor was overheard saying
"Those frozen pipes on 72nd Street
should have been put ten feet under, the
way we bury the truth at City Hall."
The city's new animal rescue van
was involved in a rescue two weeks ago.
City workers had to pull it out of a
LaSalle neighborhood snow pile after
the driver lost control of the vehicle.
(You can't make this stuff up).
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAR 17 - MAR 25, 2015
City Hall Jokes
Dyster, always the animal lover, announced "Bring your pit bull to city hall
day" to be held in June. We'd like to see
him organize "bring your calculator to
city hall day" so the suspiciously shifting city deficit could be fixed.
How are Paul Dyster and a pit bull
alike? They'll both cost you an arm and
a leg.
The three greatest mysteries in
American political history:
1-who killed JFK?
2-who was the Watergate "Deep
Throat"?
3-Exactly how much slush WAS in
Paul Dyster's anonymous slush fund?
Dyster supporter Frank Soda, a
member of the Bridge Commission, was
just appointed to the Niagara Falls
Housing Authority on the recommendation of the mayor, which comes on the
heels of Soda's appointment to the city's
new "Finance Review Panel" upon the
recommendation of council chairman
Touma. The Reporter is tracking down
the rumor that the omnipresent Mr. Soda
is in line to be named as US Ambassador
to the United Nations...upon the recommendation of Dyster and Touma.
Mixed news on the Isaiah 61 dilapidated Highland Avenue fire hall project.
The bad news is the fire hall roof has
collapsed. The good news is the asbestos
has been remediated.
We all recently adjusted to DST Daylight Savings Time. The Reporter is
currently adjusting to DFT - Dyster
FOIL Time - as the mayor and his Law
Department are refusing to turn over
documents regarding the frozen pipes on
72nd Street, in spite of the fact that the
mayor and Law Department gave those
same documents to the Buffalo News
weeks ago just three days after the
newspaper requested them.
St. Paul to the Thessalonians: “For even when we
were with you, this we commanded you, that if any
would not work, neither
should he eat.”