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THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS FAIR
JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
VOL. 16, NO. 04
As Modern Corp Owners Vie for One of Five NYS Farms, Lewiston
Council Members Make Leap to Support Medical Marijuana
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NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Lewiston Council Members Unanimously
Enthusiastic about Growing Medical Marijuana in Town
Frank Parlato
All five Lewiston Council members,
and Lewiston's State Assemblyman, say they
fully support Lewiston Greenhouse LLC,
owned in part by the owners of Modern Disposal, being selected as one of five growers
statewide of medical marijuana.
This support is seen as critical since
state officials - under the direction of Gov.
Andrew Cuomo - will pick the five medical
marijuana growers in New York based on a
variety of factors - not the least of which is
support from the local community.
One by one, last week, council members
declared support - not only because of the
economic benefits of having a growing facility offer to Lewiston and Niagara County
- but because - as each attested - of the compassionate aspect that - as a growing body of
scientific evidence proves - medical marijuana saves lives and eases suffering.
Topmost of all strains of medical marijuana in the field of medicinal marijuana perhaps is Charlotte's Web, which Lewiston
Greenhouses, LLC, has the New York State
license to grow and dispense, making the
company a leading contender - in a field of
what some predict will be as many as 100
applicants -- for one of five farming opportunities in New York State.
"I have to be all for it," said Supervisor
Dennis Brochey, "because it helps in the
treatment of chemotherapy. It helps relieve
pain and side effects from chemotherapy. If
it is used medicinally I don't have any issue
with it and of course if the Town of Lewiston
can make some money from it I'm all for that
too."
Lewiston Greenhouse LLC Member
Gary Smith said that his company will enter
into a reasonable host agreement with
Lewiston to ensure that the town shares in
the benefits, financially.
If anyone on the council was suspected
of being against growing medical marijuana
in Lewiston it would be Ron Winkley, the
former Lewiston police chief, who arrested
more than a few recreational marijuana users
and dealers in his day.
United in support of medical marijuana. Council members, (from left, above) Alphonso Bax, Ron Winkley, Supervisor Dennis Brochey. (below) Beth Ceretto and William Conrad. All five board members
stated they support Lewiston Greenhouse, LLC, owned by investors from Modern Disposal and others,
growing medical marijuana in Lewiston, a condition seen as necessary to procure one of five licenses
in the state for growing MM.
But Winkley said he supports medical
marijuana and sees a distinction between
recreational and medical marijuana.
"I hate to call it 'marijuana'. It is only the
name of the plant. In certain instances the
benefits are unbelievable. If you have an ailment and this is the drug that works, I would
hate to have it hung up because of the name,
of the stigma of where it comes from."
Winkley said he read the entire 120
pages of law before giving an opinion on the
subject. He added, "It's going to be highly
regulated. The state is going to be strict and
the facility is going to be secure. The state
looked at what is going on in Colorado and
worked to make it better. We can improve
over what Colorado has done. With a host
agreement, (with Lewiston Greenhouse
LLC) it could be beneficial economically.
It's always good to get more revenue since
the state is always giving us more state mandates that they are handing down."
Councilman Alphonso Bax also expressed support.
"I think the opportunity for Modern is
also an opportunity for the Town of Lewis-
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER
“The Truth is Always Fair”
CHAIRMAN & EDITOR IN CHIEF
Frank Parlato
PUBLISHER Peter Mio
Senior Editor
Tony Farina
Managing Editor
Dr. Chitra Selvaraj
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.
ton," Bax said. "The application for Modern
would be looked at more favorably if it had
the sign off of the town. The concern I have
as we move into any host community agreement, will be that it benefit both Modern and
the Town. The concept of turning h2 grow
(Modern's present greenhouse facility where
they grow tomatoes) into a medical marijuana facility seems to work. Obviously
there are no zoning perimeters (to prevent it).
I think the facility is an appropriate one. I
know Modern has safeguards with the state
to make sure the project is done correctly.
"And Modern has always been a great
neighbor to the town. They provide help to
our not for profits. There is a lot of cooperation. I would be in support of anything they
did that continued that spirit of cooperation."
Bax also weighed in on the value of
medical marijuana itself.
"I am in support of medical marijuana
and I think we need to be supportive. There
are enough studies to prove it works as medicine."
Then getting back to revenue Bax
added, "It's the right thing to do given the
times we're facing. Between the host community agreement already in place with
Modern Disposal and the Greenway funds
and now this-- we could really turn ourselves
into the gem of Western New York."
Councilman William Conrad also
weighed in. He has a 14 year old daughter
who has a spinal cord injury incurred as an
infant which has left her unable to walk. He
feels she might be helped with stem cell research which the government won't presently
permit.
"With my family situation, I have seen
firsthand, being in children's hospital,” said
Conrad. “If there is something out there that
could alleviate pain and suffering for someone, I don’t have an issue with it. Obviously
it needs to be controlled and monitored.
"Medical marijuana is a different derivative from our standard partying marijuana.
So I'd be in favor of the use of it. When it
comes to the town, I would be of the same
opinion - permit it - as long as it is done in a
safe manner, controlled, with regulations in
place.
"Additionally, we are trying to balance
the budget and find different sources of revenue and we are pulling back on some places
we'd rather not. I would be willing to discuss
this with the rest of the board. I would be in
favor of it. I want it done in a manner that is
respectable. I don't want someone to say the
Town of Lewiston is taking drug money. It
would be professionally done and up to state
standards."
Conrad stressed that money was secondary when compared to the relief from suffering medical marijuana could bring.
"I don't believe we should stand in the
way of suffering that goes on and could be
helped by medical marijuana," he said.
Rounding out the board is Councilwoman Beth Ceretto. She said, "I think it
would be of great benefit. First of all Modern
would hire more employees and Modern has
always been very good at hiring local residents. The company itself has been very generous to our community. They have been
great to the Lewiston area. As far as medical
marijuana, I know it would be a pig plus. I
think it is a positive move. I would definitely
be in favor of this."
Ceretto said she would go so far as to
take the lead in sponsoring a resolution endorsing Modern/Lewiston Greenhouse LLC,
as a grower of medical marijuana in town.
"Modern is such a clean company and
so good not only to Lewiston but to other
areas and I think they deserve the right to
have it."
To complete the picture, The Reporter
contacted John Ceretto, husband of Beth and
the representative for Lewiston in the NYS
Assembly. He was enthusiastic about Modern growing medical marijuana in town.
"I voted for the legalization of medical
marijuana," Ceretto said. "There is definitely
a need. I have a son who is going to be physician and he said to me 'doctors are professionals and this is another tool in their tool
box.' I would support Modern to grow marijuana. It will create jobs and bring revenue.
Modern Corp. has a good reputation. They
have done a good job for this area. Not only
have they created jobs in Lewiston and
helped communities pick up their garbage,
they have the good sense to be supportive of
the community. If Modern does get the license, we can capture on the revenue side
and create jobs for our people."
With this support, Lewiston inches one
step closer to becoming the host of one of
only five growers of medical marijuana.
Of course there is still a long, hard road
to hoe, and competition across the state for
one of five growing opportunities is expected to be stiff and intense.
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
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NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
As Parents Await Help for Their Children, Lewiston Company
Has Healing Charlotte’s Web and Seeks, Awaits NYS Approvals
Margaret Shea
The momentum to pass New York’s
Compassionate Care Act (signed into law
July 5th, 2014) began in Feb-March of last
year, when four Republican Senators from
Western New York added their support for
the bill: Senator George Maziarz (Newfane),
Senator Mark Grisanti (Buffalo), Senator Joe
Robach (Rochester) and Senator Tim O’Mara (Elmira).
These pioneering senators garnered
praise and thanks from patients, desperate
for access to medical marijuana all around
the state, for their efforts to end the gridlock
in the State Senate caused by anti-medical
marijuana conservatives. Until Western New
York stood up, the bill, although having
passed the Assembly four times, was stuck
in the Senate Health Committee, with no
hope of ever making it to the Senate floor.
Maziarz Makes the Leap
Maziarz became one of the first Senate
Republicans to publicly announce his support for the Compassionate Care Act along
with Grisanti, followed shortly thereafter by
Robach, and O’Mara. Maziarz’ support, then
third-highest ranking member of the Senate
Republicans, had huge effect.
O’Mara, a former Chenung County District Attorney, publically stated on his Senate
webpage in early March of last year, "This
legislation allows for safe, limited access to
medical marijuana, for people who suffer
from serious, debilitating diseases… Comprehensive medical research and the evergrowing
testimony
from
medical
professionals, health care experts, patients
and families show that the use of medical
marijuana can help ease the pain and suffering of the seriously ill. O’Mara enlisted
Gary Mervis, Chairman and Founder of
Camp Good Days, to also publicly express
his support for the bill. Camp Good Days operates a Recreational Facility on the shores
of Keuka Lake in Branchport, in O’Mara’s
district. It provides summer camping activities and other year-round events for children
with cancer, and their families.
Mervis stated, “I’ve devoted my adult
life to the quest to find and develop new and
better ways and methods to help ease the
fears and treat the pain and suffering of children and adults facing cancer, together with
their families and loved ones. We have a responsibility to recognize that in certain cases
medical marijuana can make a difference for
children with cancer and seriously ill patients
of all ages. It can help improve the quality
of their lives, which means it can help give
them hope. We’ve reached the point in our
medical advancement where we can administer this treatment safely and sensitively and
with no unintended consequences whatsoever for society at large.”
Skelos Turns Around
Thereafter, inspired by his fellow Western New York Republicans, Dean Skelos CoMajority Leader of the State Senate began to
soften his position. Up until then he had been
staunchly opposed to the bill. Capital New
York reported his change of heart, "I think
some people have made their case in terms
Gary Smith, CEO of Modern
Corp, is a member of Lewiston
Greenhouse, LLC, which has
the license to grow and dispense Charlotte’s Web. The
company needs state approval
to become one of five authorized medical marijuana growers.
of the oil, especially with kids that have hundreds of seizures a day." Although at that
point (March) he still wouldn’t commit to
bringing any legislation to the floor.
The following June Maziarz, Grisanti,
and Robach signed on as actual Co-Sponsors
of the bill.
Patients, healthcare providers and advocates with the statewide Compassionate Care
NY coalition praised Sen. Maziarz and
called on Senate leadership to finally allow
a vote on the measure.
“I want to thank Senator Maziarz for
signing on as a Co-sponsor to the Compassionate Care Act,” said Wendy Conte of Orchard Park whose daughter, Anna, suffers
from a severe seizure disorder. “This bill has
strong bipartisan support, and Senator
Maziarz has recognized that seriously ill patients across New York need this legislation
now. Every day the Senate delays acting is
another day that my daughter faces a life
threatening seizure. Just last night, she had
three severe seizures, and we had to call the
paramedics. She made it this time, but we
can’t keep waiting. It’s time for Senate leadership to bring the bill to a vote now.”
“We’re grateful for Senator Maziarz’
support of the Compassionate Care Act,”
said Gabriel Sayegh, state director of the
Drug Policy Alliance. “This legislation is
supported by Republicans and Democrats,
progressives and conservatives, and the
overwhelming majority of New York voters
and anyone else who cares about compassion
and justice for patients. Clearly, this isn’t a
partisan issue – it’s about people, about relieving suffering. Now it’s time for the Senate to stop delaying and pass the
Compassionate Care Act.”
The Bill makes it to the Floor
Along with Maziarz, Grisanti, Robach,
and O’Mara another crucial Republican who
added his support was Senator Bill Larkin,
(Cornwall-on-Hudson) who holds a seat on
the Senate Health Committee. Larkin cast
the deciding vote that allowed the Compassionate Care Act to move out of where it was
languishing in the Senate Health Committee.
He was the lone GOP member of that Committee to vote “yes.”
Former State Sen. George
Maziarz pushed for legalization.
Then, finally, the Bill could make its
way to the Senate Floor. "If you were to tell
me at the beginning of this [legislative] session that I would be voting yes on this legislation, I would say to you, 'No way,'" Senator
Dean Skelos said on the Senate floor June
19. "But when you meet Oliver Miller from
my district, 14 years old -- and some of the
folks here mentioned that they have 10 or 12
seizures a day, he has hundreds of seizures a
day because of a pre-birth stroke. That's
worth voting for this legislation."
Fourteen-year-old Oliver Miller suffered a stroke in utero that left him significantly handicapped, and still causes him to
have hundreds of debilitating seizures every
day. His mother, Missy Miller, says Oliver
needs access to medical marijuana, shown to
ease seizures in children. For years, Oliver
and his mother were on the front lines of the
fight to legalize medical marijuana in New
York State, and finally on July 5th, 2014 the
bill was signed by Governor Cuomo into
law. All their hard work paid off.
Now the Law is in Effect
will it Save Kids in Time?
It has been widely reported that Governor Cuomo played hardball in his negotiations with the Assembly and Senate, notably
with Diane Savino of the Independent Democratic Conference the original sponsor of
the bill. Particularly, the original bill proposed by Savino had a (1) year date of en-
actment provision after the bill’s signing.
Cuomo has been reported as saying he did
not feel the law could be effectively implemented in such a short period of time and
succeeded at having the final bill provide for
an (18) month date of enactment after signing. Or so it’s been reported.
However, a careful read of the law
shows it states “Section 3369-B. Effective
Date. Registration identification cards, or
registrations of Registered Organizations
shall be issued or become effective no later
than 18 months from signing or until such
time as the Commissioner (of Health) or the
Superintendent of State Police certify that
this title can be implemented in accordance
with public health and safety interests
whichever events come later.
This is significant distinction. Children
like Anna Conte of Orchard Park are in a
daily fight for their lives while waiting for
their legal prescriptions of marijuana to stop
life threatening seizures. Yet the reality is,
this law may NOT go into effect by January
2016 if the Commissioner of Health and/or
the Superintendent of State Police do not
certify that it can be implemented yet.
What???? It can take as long as 7+ months
to grow and harvest some strains of medicinal marijuana and process it into prescription
form. Yet here we are in January 2015 and
the application process for Registered Organizations to become certified by the State
has not even begun. Realistically, how is this
going to come together in NY so fast? Registered Organizations needs to be up and running - at least as far as their growing
operations are concerned - as soon as possible. The clock is ticking.
Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten
Gillibrand ask Federal Government: “Help
Sick Children Now with Charlotte’s Web!”
On September 29th, 2014 Kirsten Gillibrand published the following announcement on her US Senate Website (abridged) Schumer, Gillibrand Urge DOJ to
Grant New York A Medical Marijuana
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Maziarz Paved the Way for Medical Marijuana in NY
Waiver:
Waiver Would Allow Sick Children Suffering from Epilepsy and Seizures Access to
Critically Needed Cannabis Oil With A Doctor's Prescription Before New York State
Law Goes Into Effect
September 29, 2014
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators
Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand
today urged the U.S. Department of Justice
(DOJ) to grant New Yorkers immediate access to a strain of medical marijuana mostly
commonly known as "Charlotte's Web" before legalization is implemented in the state.
The waiver requested by the Senators in a
letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
would allow cannabidiol, from the cannabis
plant, known as cannabis oil, to be transported across state lines from Colorado into
New York State. The request originally came
to the Senators from New York families with
young children suffering from diseases
where cannabis oil proved to be effective in
reducing pain and controlling symptoms.
New York’s marijuana law was passed
in July and will allow limited access to medical marijuana. It is estimated that it will take
up to 18 months for the law to be fully implemented and for medical marijuana to be
produced in-state. If granted the waiver, critically ill seizure sufferers would have access
to medical marijuana far more quickly.
“For the many children suffering from
certain types of epilepsy and seizure disorders, who are in great pain, prescriptionbased marijuana can be the only option; it is
only fair to provide them access,” said Senator Schumer. “We urge the Department of
Justice, using adequate safeguards to keep it
Children at Camp Good Days & Special Times.
out of the black market, to provide this
waiver so that some of the most vulnerable
New Yorkers can have a measure of relief
from their suffering.”
"This is a common sense step for families with children suffering acute pain while
awaiting the legalization of medical marijuana to go into effect,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I hope the Attorney General will use
his authority to help ease the pain of these
families and their children who shouldn't
have to wait any longer for an effective medicine.”
Critics of Cuomo’s Sunset Provision
and the Risks for RO’s
As the Reporter wrote last week, Western New York’s hometown RO applicant
Lewiston Greenhouse, LLC, bought the
rights to the Charlotte’s Web strain of medicinal marijuana from its developers the Stanley brothers in Colorado. Founded in part by
the Modern Corporation, Lewiston Greenhouse has the Charlotte’s Web strain rights
for all of New York State, and is betting their
hopes on being granted an RO license. Their
plan is to transition their 12 acre commercial
greenhouse from tomatoes to medicinal marijuana following the Stanley brothers’ model,
with more greenhouses to be built as demand
arises.
However, there are many risks involved
in their investment. First, Cuomo pushed to
have the final law read that it “sunsets” in 7
years. In other words, if things aren’t going
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well the law will automatically be repealed
in 7 years if a renewal of the law isn’t passed
before then. Senator Diane Savino argued
heavily against a sunset provision stating it
will hinder companies from investing in the
state. What big company wants to invest in
an industry that could be required by statute
to fold in 7 years? Other risks to an RO applicant as provided in the Act:
• “Every sale of marihuana shall be
at the price determined by the Commissioner.”
• “The Commissioner is authorized
to set the per dose price of each form or medical marihuana sold by a registered organization.”
• “The Superintendent of State Police, or the Commissioner can make a recommendation for the revoke of a registered
agent’s license on the basis of Public Health
or Safety concerns.”
These prices are not anywhere close to
being determined, and the definition of what
fits a Public Health or Safety concern is not
fleshed out. As these final aspects of the
Compassionate Care Act were being negotiated Cuomo stated to the New York Times,
“There are certainly significant medical benefits that can be garnered; at the same time,
it’s a difficult issue because there are also
risks that have to be averted,” mentioning
safety and law enforcement concerns. “We
believe this bill strikes the right balance.”
Lewiston Greenhouse has an uphill battle because of these risks, and the degree of
uncertainty of how everything will play out,
but they are moving full steam ahead because of the urgent need for Charlotte’s Web
in NY.
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NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Democrats Struggle to Replace Silver as Probe Continues
Tony Farina
The U. S. attorney who filed charges
against Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
last week is still on the warpath when it
comes to investigating corruption in the
State Capitol and he told reporters to “stay
tuned” as he continues his aggressive probe
that had its roots in the governor’s now disbanded Moreland Commission.
Assembly Democrats, worried about
mounting negative public opinion, are anxious to find a replacement for Silver, at least
on an interim basis, after he was accused in
a complaint by U. S. Attorney Preet Bharara
of lining his pockets with about $4 million
in bribes and kickbacks for over a decade.
At a news conference with the FBI,
Bharara said: “For many years, New Yorkers have asked the question: How could
Speaker Silver, one of the most powerful
men in all of New York, earn millions of dollars in outside income without deeply compromising his ability to honestly serve his
constituents? Today, we provide the answer:
He didn’t.”
The arrest of Silver came one day after
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address, and there are reports the governor is
anxious to find out what’s coming next out
of the U. S. attorney’s probe that has many
in Albany scurrying for cover as political
scalps continue to pile up.
But as Assembly Democrats scrambled
Monday to find at least a temporary replacement for Silver in the wake of the burgeoning corruption probe, work on the people’s
business came pretty much to a halt as there
seemed to be a lack of consensus on a new
leader and bad weather was moving in on the
Northeast, sending many lawmakers from
the leaderless Assembly heading home.
Assemblyman John Ceretto (R. C. I.Lewiston) made the trip to Albany but turned
around and headed back home after a day
when nothing was accomplished in the way
of the people’s business.
New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is transported by federal agents to federal court, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, in New York.
Assemblyman John Ceretto
Former Sen. George Maziarz
US Attorney Preet Bharara.
“The public’s trust is going in the wrong
direction,” said Ceretto by telephone as he
watched Democrats struggle to come to
agreement on a replacement for Silver as
newspaper editorials and social media came
down hard on Albany’s seeming endless circle of corruption.
“The status quo has got to go,” said
Ceretto, a view similar to that of a fellow Assemblyman from across the political aisle,
South Buffalo’s Mickey Kearns.
Kearns, a longtime critic of Silver even
though he is a member of the Democratic
conference, immediately called for Silver to
step down and is planning to call on Gov.
Cuomo to reinstate the Moreland Commission “so that it may finish the job of rooting
out corruption throughout Albany and all of
New York State.”
In a statement Monday night, Ceretto
called on Democrats to elect a new speaker
so that the people’s work can get done.
“Electing a new speaker is not only the
first step in getting the people’s work done,
but it is instrumental in restoring the public’s
trust,” said Ceretto. “Right now, the Assembly Democrats are seen as the conference of
corruption. The only way to change this
image is by electing new leadership and enacting real reforms.”
While Democrats Kearns and Sean
Ryan from Buffalo are seen as important
players in the Democratic conference, Bronx
Borough President Ruben Diaz issued a
statement saying that the next speaker of the
Assembly must be elected from New York
City. That would leave out of consideration
members like Rochester’s Joe Morelle, a Silver supporter, who was briefly seen as a possible interim speaker on Monday.
While Silver may be the current face of
the corruption probe by the U. S. attorney,
there are a number of other lawmakers who
still seem to be under intense scrutiny, including retired State Sen. George Maziarz
(R-Newfane) who is being investigated for
his use of campaign funds.
Speaking of campaign funds, Silver will
have plenty of money for legal fees, as does
Maziarz, given the fact that Friends of Silver
currently has $3.3 million in the bank to take
care of his defense.
And there is a
fundraiser planned for Feb. 8 at the Hotel Albany to stuff a little more cash into Silver’s
account. Maziarz is still sitting on about $1
million in his war chest even as he begins
collecting his retirement pension.
It may take several days before Democrats can come together on their next speaker,
but there will be tremendous pressure on
both sides of the aisle and in both houses to
come up with ethics reform and other
changes, including limits on outside income,
to at least give the appearance that lawmakers are serious about cleaning up government, a job they have refused to take on
before and they now face the prospect of a
federal prosecutor doing it for them. His
first target was a very big fish, but for a prosecutor like Bharara, armed with the Moreland Commission files, this may be like
shooting fish in a barrel.
As he said, stay tuned.
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
How SWEET it is for Dyster's Brook D'Angelo
Anna M. Howard
In the spring of last year Mayor Paul
Dyster sprung a trash and recycling program
on city residents. The program included the
purchase of $2.2 million in trash totes, a new
garbage hauling contract with Modern Disposal and a trash ordinance that featured a
fine/fee structure for trash offenders in combination with the smallest allowable refuse
disposal for residents in all of Western New
York.
Dyster said the new plan would save
taxpayers $500,000.
The Reporter said then that Dyster
would eat his words about savings and true
enough, the 2015 budget shows not a
$500,000 savings but more than a $500,000
increase in trash costs. That's not counting
new employees at the DPW to enforce the
new, strict new plan.
Included in the mayor's new trash and
recycling program was what the mayor
dubbed the SWEET initiative. Sweet stands
for Sanitation Waste Education Enforcement
Team.
While the Dyster administration said the
three SWEET employees were going to be
seasonal city employees scheduled to work
at part time wages for a six month maximum, the Reporter went on record predicting
that the top SWEET job, if not all three jobs,
would become full time positions carved out
by Dyster as part of his friends and family
program.
Shortly after writing those words Dyster
gave the top SWEET job to Brook D'Angelo,
a city Democratic Committee operative and
Dyster supporter. Brook was a staunch Dyster ally who did the voice work on nasty anti
Sam Fruscione radio ads in the 2013 council
race, the race that saw the Hamister hotel
"deal" drive Fruscione from office.
While Brook's two SWEET co- workers
were laid off in September, Brook never
stopped working. At last week's council
meeting she was made full time with full employee benefits. Her pay and benefits covered out of casino revenue.
Brook D’Angelo submitted this
picture of her to the Reporter.
She is holding something in
her hand which bears the likeness of former councilman
Sam Fruscione.
At the council meeting, the mayor and
council majority earmarked $84,000 of
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casino cash to support the SWEET program
for 2015 with $43,000 of that total to provide
Ms. D'Angelo's salary and benefits.
The Reporter said that Dyster would
give the top SWEET job to a friend and we
said the SWEET initiative would never go
away as Dyster promised it would after it
had run its scheduled six month course.
Now we predict that Dyster's Democratic operative and political advertisement
voice talent, D'Angelo, is going to move up
the city employment ladder as quickly as
possible with Dyster's assistance.
She will also work for his reelection this
year.
The Reporter is not suggesting that
D’Angelo is not a good candidate for any job
she cares to assume, but we wish to remind
readers that the job she now holds was
handed to her outright and was never advertised as being available for application to the
general public.
And that's what hiring friends and family is all about.
Upstate NY Adults More Likely to Smoke Than Rest of the Nation
Study shows dumb, poor people smoke more than intelligent successful people
Cigarette smoking among upstate New
Yorkers has declined since 2004, but smoking rates in upstate New York continue to be
higher than state and national averages, according to a new Excellus BlueCross
BlueShield report -- "The Facts About Cigarette Smoking Among Upstate New York
Adults.
Issued during the 50th anniversary year
of the first Surgeon General's report linking
smoking to lung cancer, the Excellus BCBS
report found that while 20.9 percent of upstate New York adults smoke, the smoking
rate among all New York state adults is significantly lower (16.2 percent), and the
smoking rate among U.S. adults is also lower
(18.1 percent).
The data also shows that over the past
decade, the rate of adult smokers in upstate
New York has declined 5.4 points, while the
rate of adult smokers in New York state declined 4.9 points, and the rate of adult smokers in the U.S. declined 3.7 points.
New York state passed legislation restricting where people can smoke, and the
state's taxes on cigarettes are among the
highest in the country. About 24,000 New
Yorkers die each year from diseases caused
by smoking cigarettes, and another 3,000
lives are claimed by exposure to secondhand
smoke.
The study concludes that smoking costs
New York state more than $15.6 billion
(2014 dollars) each year in direct medical
costs and economic productivity losses.
Smoking among New York state adults
varies by socio-economic demographic:
• One in five adults age 25 to 34
(21.0 percent) smoke.
• Adults who haven't earned a high
school diploma or GED are more than three
times as likely to smoke (24.0 percent) than
college graduates (7.3 percent).
• Adults with incomes below
$15,000 are more than twice as likely to
smoke (25.2 percent) than those with incomes of $50,000 or more (11.7 percent).
8
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Will Walker Reveal his Campaign Finances During Anello Show?
Maverick Councilman has not disclosed who donated and how he spent
Anna M. Howard
Councilman Charles Walker, currently
in his eighteenth year in office, has yet to file
campaign finance reports that are now nearly
two years overdue.
Walker is scheduled to appear on the
Vince Anello Show Tuesday (February 3) at
10am over WJJL radio, 1440 on the AM dial.
Anello told the Niagara Falls Reporter
that he intends to ask Walker if he has filed
his disclosure forms when he appears on the
air.
"I told Charles that I hope he doesn't
embarrass himself again by saying he hasn’t
yet filed," Anello said.
On December 18, Walker appeared on
the Anello show and when a caller asked,
“Have you filed your financials yet?” Walker
said, “Yeah, we’re getting to that.”
New York State election law requires
all candidates for elected office from local
town board members to governor to file finance reports or risk fines and/or jail time.
By failing to file disclosure forms,
Walker is in violation of New York State lection law14-126 (1): “Any candidate who
willfully and knowingly fails to file required
forms can be fined $1000 per failure.” In addition (EL 14-126(4) provides that a candidate can be charged with a misdemeanor.”
Anello isn't the only one questioning
Walker. The Niagara Falls Reporter, the Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette have written
about Walker’s failure to put on record what
campaign donations he received and how he
Niagara Falls Councilman
Charles Walker has not filed
his campaign disclosure forms
for at least two years, possibly
longer.
used those donations.
This week, sources told us that political
activist and Niagara Gazette columnist Ken
Hamilton will present to the council a request for a resolution calling on Walker to
file his disclosure forms.
In Hamilton's proposed resolution-to be considered- which the Reporter has
heard narrated in draft form - it asks the
council to resolve to publicly ask Walker to
file his disclosures in order to make clear
who he received donations from in light of
the fact that Walker voted to support certain
developers and to exempt the Niagara Falls
Housing Authority for costs associated with
the new trash disposal plan, something
Hamilton said cost taxpayers $138,000.
It is not known as of press time whether
any council member will adopt the resolution and bring it before the council for a
vote, but Hamilton is said to be “likely” to
present the proposal during the public speaking portion of the next council meetingFebruary 2 - the day before Walker’s scheduled Anello radio appearance.
Records show that all four of the other
council members have filed their disclosure
forms.
From sources other than Walker, The
Reporter has learned that the councilman received contributions from at least the Niagara Falls Fire Officers political action
committee, $1,250; Niagara Falls Firefighters political action committee $1,250; International Union of Operating Engineers Local
463 $1,000; Niagara County Democratic
Committee $1,200.
These latest calls for Walker to file, follow a spate of publicity over several years.
When the Buffalo News asked Walker on Oct 30, 2013 - a year and three months
ago - just before Walker's election - why he
was the only council candidate not to file disclosure reports during the 2013 campaign
season, Walker said he would “check with
the two people helping to manage his campaign about the unfilled paperwork.”
Six months ago, (July 29) a Gazette
story titled “Charles Walker hasn’t filed campaign finance reports since early 2013” read,
“Walker acknowledged that his filings were
not up to date when reached by phone
Wednesday and said he is working on getting
the matter resolved. ‘I have to sit down this
week or next week to get that figured out’.”
Walker blamed the non-filing on his
“campaign treasurer”, who he named as
Isaac Williams, and a mix-up in the computerized filing process. Walker said Williams
didn't know how to use the computer to file.
The Reporter, in an Aug. 3 article,
“Walker blames ‘Treasurer’ Who Says He
Had No Part In It!” explained that Walker’s
alleged campaign treasurer, Williams, denied
any connection to the councilman’s filing
difficulties or to Walker’s campaign account.
Williams told the Reporter he had never
been asked by Walker to file his disclosures
and that he knows how to use the computer,
and is an IT specialist for Unifrax.
Three months ago, in a Reporter article
(October 21) titled, “Won’t You Come Clean
Charley Walker” we wrote, “He owes it to
the people of this city to quickly reveal how
much money he got during the last campaign
and from whom and how he spent it.”
A month and a half ago, a Gazette editorial, “Campaign reform requires enforcement,” (Dec 18) wrote, “Walker has
consistently failed to file records pertaining
to his political campaign with the state board
of elections as required by law. He has not
filed the required documents since January
2013, before the six-term councilman’s successful re-election bid last year.”
If Walker does not cancel his appearance on the Anello show, Walker will have
the opportunity to make clear exactly what
has taken place with his campaign financials.
Walker could use a portion, if not the
entire Anello show appearance, to inform the
voters as to the state of his campaign finances and explain why it took so long for
him to correct the record.
He could do the same when Hamilton
appears before the council.
As an alternative, he could simply file
the disclosure forms and end the matter.
There is but one book of election laws
in New York State and if everyone from the
governor to the local dogcatcher has to abide
by those laws then so must Charles Walker.
Rumor has it that local song
parody writer Pistol Pete Niagara is working on a song titled
“Won’t You Come Clean
Charles Walker” based on the
old standard Bill Bailey.
9
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Whether Innocent or Guilty, Sal Anello Faces Shocking Sex Crime Charge
Frank Parlato
Salvatore A. Anello, arrested and accused last week of "forcible touching," is either a dirty old man who should be
permanently removed as an art teacher at
Newfane Middle and High Schools, and, for
that matter, as a teacher anywhere - or he is
a victim of a hideous, wrongful accusation
that may ruin his career and destroy his life.
A charge of any type of sexual misconduct - a category of crime that allows the accuser to hide under the cloak of anonymity
and whose word alone is often sufficient to
level charges - is enough to bring shame and
embarrassment and disaster to the accused
even if he or she is never convicted. And a
conviction is usually a career-ender.
Anello, 42, of Niagara Falls, was arrested by Niagara County Sheriff Deputies
last Thursday and charged with the A-misdemeanor crime of forcible touching - which
is punishable by up to one year in jail.
Anello was taken to the Niagara County
Jail, arraigned in Newfane Court where he
pleaded "not guilty" and released after posting $1,000 bail. He is the nephew of former
Mayor Vince Anello.
Just so it is clear - forcible touching is
a sex crime. The New York Penal Code: S
130.52 defines “forcible touching”:
"A person is guilty of forcible
touching when such person intentionally,
and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly
touches the sexual or other intimate parts
of another person for the purpose of degrading or abusing such person; or for the purpose of gratifying the actor's sexual desire.
For the purposes of this section, forcible
touching includes squeezing, grabbing or
pinching."
In addition to possible jail time, registration as a sex offender is also possible in
cases where the victim is less than 18 years
old or where the defendant has a prior conviction for a sex offense.
Historically, this charge arises from incidents in crowded bars involving intoxicated people or on crowded subways or
buses, and are frequently very defensible.
After all, there is rarely any forensic evidence, or evidence of any sort, beyond the
testimony of the complaining witness.
Oftentimes, plea negotiations involving
first-time offenders can result in convictions
of lesser offenses like Harassment in the
Second Degree or Disorderly Conduct with
Salvatore Anello from a
Youtube video.
Salvatore Anello, a self
portrait.
behavioral counseling.
As of press time, few details on the
Anello case have been released. The Niagara County Sheriff's office says the investigation is ongoing which suggests that further
charges may be forthcoming.
The complaint was made in the Town of
Newfane, but not by the Newfane School
District, the Reporter has learned, and the alleged victim is a female student at Newfane
High School. The complaint does not name
the alleged victim, and Anello has not been
officially told who made the complaint
against him.
A source familiar with the case said that
since the alleged victim is a student, efforts
are being made to shield her identity to pre-
Mug shots of Anello taken after his arrest.
vent her from being "outed" at school and
potentially subjected to harassment.
While this protects the victim, look at it
from the defendants point of view: If Anello
is innocent - and these allegations are a fabrication - or misunderstanding - such as that
Anello may have been innocently friendly
without intending sexual misconduct Anello must sit home and wonder who is his
accuser - until February 17 - when he is due
back in court and when, presumably, his attorney can get information about the allegations and who made them.
If you were innocent and it happened to
you, would you be tormented with puzzlement over being charged with a highly publicized crime - that derails your career - and
yet not know who your accuser is, or exactly
what you are alleged to have done - or would
you just take it in stride?
As of press time, Anello has not been
told by police what he has done or to whom
he did it to. He only knows the charge -forcible touching.
Of course, if he is guilty - and police
feel confident that he is - then he likely
knows why he is being charged and why!
An Anello family member told the Reporter however that Sal Anello has no idea
who he supposedly "forcibly touched" and
said he denies having done this to anybody.
Anello has taught in the Newfane
School District for nearly a decade.
He was put on leave by the District following his arrest. In addition to being a
teacher, Anello operates a website offering
his services as a children’s entertainer, including magic shows and deejay services. It
is safe to say that business has been put on
hold.
Newfane School Superintendent Dr.
Michael Wendt says he learned of the investigation from the sheriff's office and the
school is cooperating, but Wendt told local
media that though "we may wish to comment, we are simply unable to do so at this
time."
Wendt sent a letter to parents in the district which said in part, "Your child's safety
continues to be our number one priority. Although this letter does not offer the details
involved with this arrest, we are hopeful that
you now have greater knowledge about what
we know and what we can share regarding
this incident. It is also important for you to
be aware that we are acting on this notice
and fully cooperating with authorities in this
investigation."
A law enforcement source familiar with
the case said the Sheriff's department is investigating whether there may another alleged victim in this case.
This is the second arrest of a Newfane
teacher in recent months.
Kyle Fiegel, 27, of Akron, the former
JV football coach and a substitute teacher in
the district, was arrested in November and
charged with two counts of statutory rape.
Police allege Fiegal had sexual contact with
a child under 15 years old on several occasions in Royalton. The child was not a student in the school district. Fiegel was
removed as a substitute and barred from
school property.
He is awaiting trial in Niagara County
Court on felony charges
Taxpayers through NEA Fund Consensual-Girlfriend-Slapping Videogame
The National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA), a tax-funded agency of the federal
government, awarded a grant for a
videogame designer about a Lesbian “consensually slapping her girlfriend in the face.”
In its 2013 Spring Grant Announcement, published on April 23, 2013, the NEA
said it was awarding $24,000 to the Polytechnic Institute of New York University,
“To support the production and exhibition of
video games created by the Different Games
Fellows. The four fellows are artists/gamedesigners who will be selected from a group
of women, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ community members
groups (i.e. everyone but heterosexual white
men) who find themselves marginalized both
as designers and characters in video games.”
One of these fellows was Anna Anthropy, “a game creator, writer, artist,
teacher, historian and gay witch (who)
makes games about polyamory, kink, Dan
Savage, space adventures, and is currently
using government money to make a game
about a lesbian consensually slapping her
girlfriend in the face.”
This is what you work and pay taxes for
in the United States of America.
10
Caso to be Acting DPW Director, Bradley Drops City Lawsuit
But Will Racial Politics Rear its Head ?
Frank Parlato
Sources have said that John Caso will
be named the Acting Director of the DPW
following the retirement of DPW Director
David Kinney this week.
Caso began at the DWP during the administration of Jacob "Jake" Palillo, who
served as mayor from 1991-1995.
Caso is currently the DPW's deputy director.
The Niagara Falls Reporter encourages
promotion through the ranks - as opposed to
hiring outsiders as allegedly “the best and
brightest.” We believe “the best and brightest” for any community are usually the people who live here and call it home.
We believe raising people from the
ranks inspires workers because it proves that
people can rise though the ranks through
hard work and initiative.
By all accounts Caso is one of the hardest workers ever seen at the DPW.
Overall, the DPW is the most visible
city department in that virtually everything
in its command impacts the average resident:
snow removal; street conditions; street
paving; tree maintenance; sidewalk repair;
city park maintenance; city parking lots and
city parking ramp; Hyde Park and Hyde Park
golf course and more.
Caso will have his hands full. The snow
removal season is in play, the trash and recycling program is far from settled, the parks
have deferred maintenance, the golf course
needs work, and streets are - well - what can
we write about the streets that hasn't been
written?
The new DPW director will have to
work hand in glove with Niagara Falls
Mayor Paul Dyster to pave streets, fix sidewalks, maintain parks, get the golf course up
to par and a whole lot more in this mayoral
election year and in tune with the mayor's
election campaign needs.
Is that man Caso?
Dyster, in his bid to get reelected this
year, has, sources say, considered bypassing
Caso as director because he is a white man.
Multiple sources told the Reporter that
Dyster campaign operatives approached political consultants, black ministers and others
in the black community about the advisability of hiring someone for the top DPW post
simply because that person is black - if it
would help pick up black votes.
As of press time Dyster has not accepted
this racist notion and may go with merit instead of racial politics.
Ironically one of the blacks the Dyster
team reached out to for possible rehire - although not necessarily as director of the
DPW was former DPW employee Clarence
Bradley.
Bradley admitted he was contacted by a
Dyster ally - who he asked us not to name who approached him about returning to the
DPW - possibly as director - to aid Dyster in
picking up black votes.
"I would consider coming back to work"
Bradley said.
Bradley Drops Lawsuit
Readers of the Reporter may recall that
Bradley was escorted out of City Hall. His
return would be an ironic full circle since
Bradley initiated a lawsuit against the
city for discriminatory firing.
According to his attorney Steven
Cohen, Bradley dropped the lawsuit last July.
John Caso will be new ActingDirector of DPW.
"It was my understanding that Clarence
Bradley did not want his former colleagues
and associates placed in the awkward position of having to testify against Mayor Dyster so he chose not to proceed," Cohen said,
adding that Bradley may have forwent winning considerable damages "to protect individuals who would have been put in a
position to testify against the City of Niagara
Falls."
The Bradley Saga
Before his firing in 2011, Bradley
worked for the DPW starting in 2003 as a
part-time seasonal worker at the Hyde Park
Golf Course and worked his way up to coordinator. By 2005, Bradley became a union
steward. In 2009, he was appointed assistant
department director of Clean Neighborhoods
and the Zone Outreach Objective Mission,
or ZOOM, team.
What got him in trouble was a matter of
some controversy.
According to Bradley, who suffers from
diabetes, he fell ill in the autumn of 2009
with a blood sugar count of 704, putting him
nearly in a coma. He was rushed to Mount
St. Mary's Hospital, where he stayed for several weeks.
While recuperating, he exhausted his
sick and personal leave time and filed for unemployment. His supervisor, DPW Chief
Kinney, approved it. There was a lag time
between when he applied for unemployment
and when he got his checks.
It later turned out that he was not eligible for unemployment, because he was not
unemployed. He was on unpaid leave.
Ultimately, Bradley got $3,200 more
than he was technically entitled to, between
October and December 2009, when he was
in and out of the hospital.
"I thought the city approved it, if I got
the check, it was approved," said Bradley.
Bradley returned to work in February
2011. Shortly after, a routine audit revealed
that Bradley had collected the overpayment.
Dyster said he called upon the state Department of Labor to investigate.
On the morning of April 5, 2011, a
plainclothes officer from the New York State
Bureau of Criminal Investigation came to
City Hall seeking Bradley's address in order
to issue him an appearance ticket on charges
arising from his illegally receiving unemployment benefits.
Learning the police officer was at City
Hall, the mayor proposed to summon
Bradley. City Administrator Donna Owens
contacted Bradley and instructed him to
come to her office, without disclosing the
Clarence Bradley
purpose of the meeting. Bradley said he had
no idea he had done anything wrong. While
the officer waited in another office, the
mayor called the local media to tell them that
an arrest was imminent at City Hall.
In the waiting room outside her office,
Owens, City Attorney Craig Johnson and
City EEOC Officer Ruby Pulliam, came in,
followed by the state Police detective. Once
inside the office, Owens began to accuse
Bradley, he contends.
"The officer then handed me an appearance ticket," Bradley said, "and we were
about to leave, when Donna Owens and
Craig Johnson both said at once, 'Wait, aren't
you going to handcuff him?' The officer
wouldn't. 'He doesn't have a record.' They argued with him. Johnson was upset. He said,
'You have to.' Owens said, 'The mayor wants
you to handcuff him.' The officer got upset.
He said, 'No. I serve 15 of these a month, and
we don't handcuff people for appearance
tickets.'"
Meantime, outside the city administrator's office, in the lobby, Mayor Dyster gathered members of the media and placed them
in advantageous positions to film Bradley as
he came out of Owens' office - presumably
in handcuffs.
Bradley continued, "I had agreed to go
down to the barracks with the police officer
and get fingerprinted and then be arraigned.
As the officer and I walked out of the office,
not handcuffed, there's Channel 2, Channel
4, the newspaper photographers, everyone,
all coming around filming me. The police officer said to me, 'I've never seen anything
like this. They really railroaded you.'"
As Bradley left City Hall, Mayor Dyster
held a press conference, telling the media he
was cleansing city government from corruption and Bradley was suspended without pay.
Five months later, Bradley pleaded
guilty to a single count of petit larceny in a
deal with the Niagara County District Attorney's Office that spared the unemployed man
from an expensive trial. He gpot three years
probation.
"We (officially) fired him," Mayor Dyster told the Niagara Gazette. "This type of
conduct is not tolerated by this administration."
In any event, last year Bradley dropped
the lawsuit. This year Kinney is retiring,
Caso is stepping up as Acting Director of the
DWP and Bradley was asked to return.
Stay tuned.
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Hunter Interest - Another Skrlin Stunning Political Cartoon
With the dawning of the Dyster casino
revenue cash windfall a veritable "turkey
shoot" had begun with "Hunter Interest"
stoked by none less than Mayor Dyster as
he turned the city of Niagara Falls into a
shooting gallery where businesses were essentially licensed by the Dyster administration to turn a profit. Into this milieu
appears the cartoonist to bring it all to life
and in this regard Skrlin does not disappoint as he details the cacophony of Niagara Falls casino revenue, big business and
local political shenanigans for the entertainment of the cartoon aficionado and po-
11
litical scientist alike. The artist presents the
"hunter" as a frighteningly reminiscent caricature of Mayor Dyster, the man who has
both made the turkey shoot possible and
who guides the expenditure of "casino revenue" as he serves as the casino cash "gatekeeper." At the end of the day the
cartoonist has taken the traditional American image of the hunter and transformed it
into a grotesque and cynical icon imbued
with political darkness and despair.
Ralph Peabody Waldo
Art Critic
Mayor Paul A. Dyster with celebrated artist Gerald Skrlin, who often
sketches and paints Dyster. It is said that once Dyster complained
to Skrlin saying he did not look anything like his portraits, and Skrlin said “Don’t worry Mayor, you will.”
12
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Lewiston Supervisor to Try to Set World Powerlift Record
Sixty-three year old will compete at authorized Niagara Event
Dennis Brochey, supervisor of the Town
of Lewiston, may be the strongest 63 year
old man in the world who weighs under 165
pounds.
At least if you rate strength based on the
weight a man can push off his chest with his
arms - while lying on a bench - doing something with a barbell called a bench press.
Brochey, if not the strongest, is almost
certainly in the top 10 based on his recent
bench presses. He can bench 280 pounds.
Brochey, who for years promoted The
Red Brick Red Brick Benchpress Championship, will be competing in his own event hoping to set a new world's record.
This year's event will be on February 21
and held at The Niagara Falls Air Base on
Lockport Rd. starting at 10 am.
State and international, authorized
power lifting referees will be in attendance
to watch Brochey (to make sure he doesn't
lift his butt off the bench when his arms lock
out - a requirement for a true bench press)
and to record the highest weight he manages
to push fully above his chest.
The referees are not there just for
Brochey. The US Powerlifting Association
requires any record-setting lifts to be witnessed by bona fide referees. You can't just
call it in.
Besides Brochey, referees will watch as
many as 130 bench pressers compete in a variety of weight, age and gender classes at the
event.
(A number of police and fire fighters are
expected to compete and reportedly the Niagara Falls Police are favored to win.)
If Brochey sets the world record for the
bench press (for men between 60-64 and
under 165 pounds) it will go into the books,
and perhaps as his swan song lift.
"This event will be my 12th and final
bench press meet," said a fatalistic Brochey,
who added that whether he breaks the world
record or not, he will retire after this event
as a competitive lifter.
"I did a real sloppy 280 pounds, the
other day," Brochey told the Reporter. "If I
was the judge I may not have given it to me,
but if I can do 270-280-290 over the next
two weeks, I have a chance."
The current world record for his age and
class is held by Vladimier Vodyanykh, set in
June 2013 -- a 291 pound bench press.
The Red Brick Bench Press Championship is not only about Brochey, as he is
quick to mention. It is a fund raising event.
"We give out about 23 'Outstanding
Lifter’ awards in honor of fallen Western
New York Troops," Brochey said.
Over the past 11 years Brochey promoted the Red Brick event he said he raised
and donated $110,000 for various charities.
This year, proceeds will go to the FFSA
(Friends of Family Support Association) a
private non-profit organization for the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station & Local communities to aide military families.
"Last year we raised $15,400," he said,
which was distributed to the Veterans Memorial in Buffalo's Naval Park, a special
Military Legal Service that provides free aid
to veterans, and the SPCA to provide free
trained dogs to veterans suffering from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome.
"When troubled veterans are coming
home to somebody and they have somebody
to take care of, it can help them. The SPCA
Awards in each class are in honor
of local fallen veterans.
Below: SPC Alan N. Dikcis
(Wheatfield) and CPL Lorne E.
Henry Jr. (Niagara Falls)
Right: SPC Albert R. Jex (Lockport) and SSG Aram J. Bass (Niagara Falls) are among the 23
awards.
Dennis Brochey (above, below
under barbell) will compete in
February for a world record.
trains the dogs and they give them to servicemen who might be suffering and might have
potential suicidal tendencies. If we could
save one life it will be worth it. Of course it
is the kind of thing you never know if it
saves a life. You hope it does," said Brochey.
As for hope, there is still some that
Brochey might set the record during his last
event.
"My best press was 310 pounds at a
body weight of 151 when I was 56," Brochey
said. "I almost got 320 which would have
been a world record for my age and weight
at the time."
Asked about his diet, he said he doesn’t
consume protein shakes and supplements.
"Chicken wings, pizza and beer - the everyday, normal average guy. That’s my training
regiment," he said.
If anyone wants to compete or make a
donation let Brochey know at 716-200-3533
(the supervisor's cell phone).
Check donations should be made out to
'FFSA'. If anyone wants to donate a basket
item for their basket auction at the event to
call Brochey and, he said “I'll be glad to pick
it up,” or call the Basket Auction Committee
members Stacey Zahno or Penny Rodden at
(716) 471-6181.
Paul Anderson (1932- 1994)
was called “the world’s
strongest man.” He benched
628 Lbs.
Ponderosa is Where I go for a Delicious Seven Course Meal for Under $10 with
Coupons in this Newspaper -- You Get Steak Too!
Moose, Jr.
"Something for every taste."
That's what I say about the Ponderosa
Steakhouse at 8612 Niagara Falls Blvd. in
Niagara Falls. After 40 years of going, Ponderosa never lets me down.
It's all you can eat for one low price,
which it so happens is $5.99 for lunch and
$8.99 for dinner buffet with the coupon in
this publication. (See pg 3; Without the
coupon lunch buffet is $7.49 and dinner is
$10.99 - so use our coupon!)
Upon stepping inside, a sense of nostalgia and light-hearted energy fills the air as
steam rises from the warm, velvety mashed
potatoes and fresh vegetables on the buffet.
I start by grabbing both to whet my appetite.
My second trip to the buffet is when I
create a salad with chilled, crisp lettuce
topped with French dressing, onions, radish,
mushrooms, carrots, celery, and sprinkled
with a cherry tomatoes - - above the dressing
- making a dazzling color popping statement.
After salad, I go back (going back to the
buffet is half the fun) for beef tacos drizzled
with creamy nacho cheese sauce. And
chicken wings to satisfy my craving to gnaw.
I don't do for the buffet alone. I add signature items such as seasoned, flame-grilled
steaks with shrimp, a thick, juicy, half-pound
cheeseburger, chicken breasts, salmon, and
grilled and fried shrimp - which you can add
to the buffet for as little as $2 more.
It includes a buttery baked potato with
a dollop of sour cream.
Meanwhile, the warm, attentive staff
never lets a glass go empty; there are free re-
cream sundae with chocolate sauce is standard. I usually add one or more of the 10 or
more deserts they have each day. And typically pie-ala mode.
When desert is done, is there anything
more pleasant than a cup of freshly brewed,
full-bodied aromatic coffee? At Ponderosa
the refills are free. You can switch from soda
to coffee at no extra charge. I take my coffee
black because I'm watching my figure.
I suppose the Ponderosa loses money on
me, because I eat a little more than some
other people, so I am hoping some of you
people who don't eat as much - but still like
good, home style food that is inexpensive
with a friendly atmosphere will consider
going there.
You should try it.
fills of 20 different beverages. I usually order
diet cola since it has zero calories.
The wait staff is friendly. But what's not
to be friendly about? People are coming in,
eating as much as they like of whatever they
like. Even vegetarians have plenty of options. Guests pay the tab before the meal, so
there’s no wait time after dining. It's as inexpensive as fast food, but plenteous and good.
After my entree, I return to the 70-plus
item buffet. It's time for soup. Italian Wedding soup is my favorite. With a slice of
pizza. Their crust has a honey, malt flavor,
and the sauce seems like a combination of
vine ripened tomatoes, sweetened reduction
of stout with the right amount of salt and
mozzarella, hot and soft.
After pizza and soup, I like to make a
trip especially for creamy macaroni and
cheese, classic mashed potatoes, baked
beans - rich, tangy, sweet and smoky - and
chicken nuggets which I like to eat plain,
popping them in my mouth like one does
with candy.
My next trip I call my variety walk. The
same homegrown recipes haven’t changed
over the years - but I like different combinations; yesterday I had the creamy coleslaw,
soft, fluffy rolls, broccoli and cheese - to
keep up my fiber intake - and spaghetti and
meatballs.
Trip seven is dessert. Homemade carrot
cake, oven-baked chocolate chip cookies,
scrumptious apple pie, and the ultimate ice
The Reporter publishes St. Jude ads
for free. Donations are accepted but
not required.
Thank you St. Jude for answering
my prayer: A.A.P.
14
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Pit Bull Battle Continues
Is Lazy Journalism Fueling the “Pit Bull Problem”?
Jennifer Ward &
Suzanne Laba
Buffalo Animal Shelter Volunteers, and Pit Bull Advocates
We are writing in response to Anna M.
Howard’s articles “Is Pitbull the Problem?”
and "Bite Statistics to Sink Your Teeth Into”,
which seems to be yet another attempt to vilify the “pit bull”.
First, any responsible journalist should
recognize the importance of reliable, factual
sources. Ms. Howard appears to base her article and opinions on pit bulls and bite statistics entirely upon a website run by a
woman allegedly attacked by a pit bull, and
a highly criticized article written by a Time
Magazine reporter who also used that same
inaccurate source. Here is a link to why information from Dogsbite.org should be disc
a
r
d
e
d
http://legal.pblnn.com/pro-bsl-experts/dogbiteorg/109-collen-lynn-seattle-animal-control-records. For reliable sources on the
subject of why breed bans don’t work in
minimizing dog bites, we offer the following
website http://stopbsl.org./fortherecord/journalistresources
For “pit bull” advocates, Ms. Howard’s
apparent laziness in writing this story is infuriating not only because of the inaccuracies
she reports, and the stereotypes she perpetuates, but because, to the average reader, the
story and pictures accompanying it are likely
to lead them to walk away from the story
thinking that “Yes, pit bulls are dangerous
dogs and only drug dealers or dog fighters
want them”. In our opinion, the media’s lazy
reporting on this subject is in large part re-
sponsible for much of the battle pit bull advocates are forced to fight every day.
“Pit bull” is not even a “breed”, but a
catchall term used by many local dog control
officers and municipalities to describe muscular dogs, with big, blocky heads.
The American Pit Bull Terrier is the
only American Kennel Club recognized
“purebred pit bull”. The dogs filling animal
shelters across the country, the dogs most
often being characterized as too dangerous
to live in communities where breed bans
have been put in places, are actually more
likely “mixes” of any number of terrier type
dogs, that may or may not have any “American Pit Bull Terrier”, “American Staffordshire Terrier” or “Bull Staffordshire Terrier”
(the two other recognized purebred breeds)
in their bloodline.
This catchall manner of identifying dogs
is dangerous and deadly because of the
stereotypes that surround the term. Stereotypes that in many places across the country
get a dog killed when it enters an Animal
Shelter, simply because of what it looks like
without ever considering what is known
about the individual dog’s behavior and tem-
perament.
Any legitimate expert on dog behavior,
bite statistics, etc. will tell you behavior and
temperament are the only characteristics that
should be used to judge any dog. More important than focusing on any one breed is
preventing dog bites before they happen.
The National Canine Research Council
has a wealth of information on the subject of
dog bites, and dog bite prevention (most
bites are completely preventable if the humans involved with the dog knew what signs
of distress in the dog to look out for). Their
website (http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/) In addition, Animal Farm
Foundation (http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/)
and
Bad
Rap
Rescue
(http://www.badrap.org/) are two rescue organizations that specialize in rescuing pit
bull type dogs in particular. Each has a
plethora of data and information available
for the asking. Pit bulls are their specialty.
They invest their lives in knowing them, living with them and saving them.
Ms. Howard quotes Mayor Paul Dyster
as saying “When you see guys sitting around
on a porch with pit bulls we know what we
have, a drug house, right?” However, the
photo chosen by Ms. Howard to accompany
her article is not of a porch full of pit bulls
belonging to Niagara Falls drug dealers. The
picture isn’t even of a porch in Niagara Falls
but of the family dogs belonging to a woman
who runs a blog called “Enlightened by A
Dog: A Dog’s Blog”. A simple Google photo
search on the origin of her picture reference,
would have led her to countless stories of the
love for these particular family dogs. Did the
origin of the dogs in the picture not matter
because the only point she wanted to get
across was: “porch full of pit bulls = drug
dealers?” (editor's note: the photo in question
was chosen to show that all pit bulls are not
drug dealers dogs and consequently the editor chose a picture of some clearly friendly
pit bull type dogs).
We are not drug dealers. We are dog
lovers, contributing members of our communities, volunteers at our local animal shelter
and willing and loving advocates of not only
our own personal dogs, but the countless pit
bull type dogs being abused, neglected, or
waiting for a loving home of their own. For
anyone to insinuate only criminals have “pit
bulls” is a slap in the face to most pit bull
owners.
Another valuable resource on the history of the demonization of pit bulls and
other breeds throughout history is “The Pit
Bull Placebo” by Karen Delise. The book
can be downloaded for free online by going
to this link: http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/publications/ncrc-publications/
There is much to be learned from history, and the fact that each generation had its
own larger than life, dangerous dog, but,
when you get over the hysteria and just look
at the facts, most bites could be prevented if
the humans involved were more knowledgeable, more caring and more careful.
Finally, we would like to leave you with
a suggestion. The Niagara County SPCA
and its Director, Amy Lewis, are right in
your backyard. Go visit and spend some
time talking to Ms. Lewis and her staff, and
most important, spend some time with the
dogs in their care. The article that could
come of that experience is one that would
prove genuinely helpful to your readers, and
the dogs you are writing about.
tweiler which were bred to guard their masters and their property.
Pit bulls were bred to kill other dogs.
The pit bull is quicker to anger than
other dogs, due to their high level of the neurotransmitter L-tyrosine. Pit bulls are more
tenacious; their attacks last for 15 minutes or
longer, and nothing—blows, kicks, sticks, or
whipped by hoses—can stop them because
of their insensitivity to pain. This has to do
with brain chemistry. The body releases endorphins as a natural painkiller. Pit bulls generate higher levels of the endorphins.
Most dogs warn you before they attack,
growling or barking. The pit bull attacks
without warning. Most dogs bow to signal
they want to frolic. The pit bull may follow
a playful bow with a lethal assault.
Pit bulls were not originally bred to be
aggressive to people. But irresponsible
breeders let the dogs' block against being aggressive to people disappear over time.
Raised responsibly, pit bulls can be
playful, intelligent, loyal and loving. Until
the genetic time bomb goes off - if it does.
And it may not.
Who knows.
As for me. I wouldn't chance it. That latent aggressive gene may erupt any time.
If it were a poodle, it wouldn't matter.
But we're talking about pit bulls which can
tear off your arm or bite off your face.
From my point of view, pit bulls should
be regulated like other dangerous species,
like leopards or crocodiles. You can keep
them at home, but don't be surprised if one
day they maul you - maybe to your death.
Good luck pit bull owners. I wish you
well and hope you never have cause to regret
your decision to keep such a potentially dangerous dog in your life.
Pit Bulls, Bred to be Aggressive Like Many of Their Owners
Jonathan A. Macready
Witness to pit bull terrorism
Dogs bite 4 to 5 million Americans
every year.
Few attacks are fatal. Unless it is a pit
bull or a pit-bull cross.
If a poodle bites you - you probably
won't go to the hospital and you won't die.
If a pit bull bites you - you are going to
the hospital and you might die.
Just like an alligator or a lion is not a
suitable pet, although a lizard or cat might
be, a pit bull or pit bull cross is not a suitable
pet.
Consider: Pit bulls make up 6% of the
dog population, but are responsible for 68%
of dog attacks and 52% of dog-related
deaths.
One person is killed by a pit bull every
14 days, two people are injured by a pit bull
every day. There is not a breed of dog more
dangerous because violence is in their DNA.
Pit bulls were bred to go into the pit and
fight.
Some say no dog has a predisposition to
aggression.
Just like Father Flanagan said in Boys
Town, "there is no such thing as a bad boy."
But there are bad boys and bad dogs and
if the bad dog is a pit bull, there is danger.
Every kind of dog is neglected and
abused. Not every kind of dog responds by
killing and injuring people.
Consider: Different breeds have genetic
predispositions to certain kinds of behavior,
though that can be influenced by how they
are raised. Why do herding dogs herd? Why
do pointing dogs point? That’s selective behavior. It's in their DNA.
Pit bulls were descended from the old
English "bulldogge," used in the sport of bull
baiting, where spectators watched dogs tear
apart a bull. It was banned in the 1830s, and
bull baiters moved to dog fighting and bred
accordingly.
Bulldogge owners crossed the bulldogge with terriers for dog fighting prowess.
Thus was born the pit-bull terrier, the most
dangerous dog known to man.
The pit-bull terrier's breeding history
separates it from the Doberman and Rot-
While a lion has many similarities to the house cat and can
be trained similarly, they make
poor pets. In the event that
they bite their owner, it will
likely have a more lasting impact.
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Lewiston: As Koosterman Leaves, Will Brochey Seek Reelection?
Frank Parlato
Lewiston, NY - Paul Koosterman, Town
Supervisor Dennis Brochey's handpicked finance director, is leaving his post to take a
job in the private sector - at Realty USA.
"I hate to see him go," Brochey said of
Koosterman, a Lewiston resident, a CPA and
Niagara University graduate, who gave notice he intends to leave his town position effective Jan. 31.
Koosterman receives an annual salary of
$60,000 without benefits.
The job of finance director is an appointment made by the supervisor of the
town.
Before leaving on vacation to Aruba,
Koosterman told several people he was glad
to leave the public sector which, he said, is
often politically charged and work in the private sector.
(The Reporter defines these two: The
public sector is where a man or woman gets
paid money that was taken by force (taxes)
from other people. The private sector is
where a man or woman gets paid money that
was offered voluntarily for goods and services.)
Meantime Brochey is seeking a replacement for Koosterman.
"I have 14 application on my desk,"
Brochey told the Reporter and that he had,
among applicants, a few CPAs, but was not
convinced the position requires a CPA.
Brochey also spoke of the town's financial challenges.
For the last several years, predating
Brochey's administration which began in
2014, the town has been spending more than
it takes in. It has avoided a town tax primarily based on Lewiston business, Modern
Disposal's tipping fees and by draining the
reserves or savings account of the town which has now dwindled to about $2 million.
"You never want to continue to take
money out of the bank to survive," said
Brochey, who ran an automotive business.
"As a small businessman, I always had
money in the bank."
Dennis Brochey said he will run
this fall - but won’t say for what
office.
Brochey suggested the deficit may rise
as high as $700,000 next year if steps are not
taken to curb costs or increase revenues.
Brochey has been an advocate for cutting costs - particularly the nearly $200,000
a year in cash and services the town donated
to Artpark & Company, a not for profit corporation that has a management contract
with the state of New York to stage events at
the Art Park State Park.
Last year, the Town of Lewiston gave
Artpark $100,000 in cash, paid for police
services (estimated to be $74,500 per year)
and traffic signage (estimated to be $13,500).
Brochey opposed townspeople subsidizing Artpark which books musical acts and
sells tickets at (taxpayer subsidized) low
prices. If ticket prices were raised marginally, Artpark would not need a subsidy from
the town.
To make the point clearer, last season,
Artpark staged a Ringo Starr concert on June
24. Thousands were unable to attend because
with only 12,000 tickets to sell at $17 the
Starr concert sold out within days.
Throughout the rest of Starr's North
American tour, the former Beatle commanded ticket prices starting at $40 and
going up to more than $200. Everywhere
else, Starr's concerts were not taxpayer subsidized and it may be that the people of
Lewiston - in the entire world- were the only
ones ever to subsidize a former Beatle's concert.
Paul Koosterman is happily
headed to the private sector.
Still, if everyone who bought a Starr
ticket at Artpark had paid $10 more - or $27
- the Starr tickets would still have been lower
than anywhere else, but Artpark would have
realized an additional $120,000 in revenue,
more than half of its subsidy from Lewiston
in one concert alone.
Of course some argue that the charm of
Artpark is its socialist ideal that taxpayer's
should subsidize entertainment for people
who can't afford concerts such as Ringo
Starr's.
The Reporter's position is that people
who can't afford $27 for a Ringo Starr concert needn't go. Concert goers should not expect working people and senior citizens to be
taxed to pay for their concerts. After all, a
Starr concert is not a necessity. It is obscene
on the part of Artpark to expect taxpayers to
be taxed (especially in light of Lewiston's
deficit which may spark a town tax which
would raise taxes for every homeowner) so
that people who can’t afford $27 for a Ringo
concert, but can afford $17 for a Ringo concert, can go to the concert.
If you can't afford a Starr concert- then
the Reporter has a suggestion - work harder
and put away that extra $10 and when Starr
comes back to town- go see him for $27.
Meantime Brochey has employed other
methods to cut costs. He pared down the finance department. Michael A. Johnson, the
budget director of the administration of former supervisor Steven Reiter retired in Au-
Ron Winkley says he is not
running for reelection.
gust. He was not replaced. Part-time accountant Katelyn Allan moved over to fill an
opening in the police department. She was
not replaced. Brochey cut costs in the finance department from $110,000 during the
Reiter administration to Koosterman's
$60,000.
It might be cut more.
"I can't speak in those terms yet," said
Brochey about the salary to be offered to the
next finance director. "I talked to a couple of
people. One sounds very promising. I said,
'what are you looking for' and she offered to
work for a lesser amount. I have to consider
also if going forward this is really a full time
or a part time job. I do have one applicant
looking for a part time position. We could
save a bundle of money. I want to make sure
we have enough of what we need but not
more than what we need." said Brochey.
Town Board Member William Conrad
told the Reporter that while the supervisor
makes the selection of the finance director it
is up to the board - presently made up of
three Republicans, one Independence Party
member and Democrat Brochey - what
salary the new finance director will be paid.
Conrad said qualifications need to be
looked at. "Certainly we would not need to
pay someone who is not a CPA as much as
someone who is," Conrad said.
Meanwhile the town supervisor is in the
second year of his two year term.
Is he running for reelection?
Brochey said he has not decided.
He said he plans to run for some elected
office this fall, but it may not be for supervisor.
Brochey declined to say what other office he is considering.
"I am probably 80-90 percent (certain)
about what my decision is. I will probably
know more in May or June," Brochey said.
There are several positions Brochey can
run for if he so chooses.
Two council seats will be open this year,
presently held by Ron Winkley and William
Conrad - both Republicans.
Winkley said last week he is not going
to run for reelection. After some 35 years,
with the police - he was a former chief - and
council -he said it is time to retire from public office.
Conrad, who ran last year in a special
election for the balance of resigning Michael
Marra's council term, will have to run again
for his own four year term if he wants to remain as councilman.
Also up for election are highway superintendent, and town clerk.
Since these are held by Republicans,
Brochey can opt to run for any of these without stepping on party toes.
All Signs Point to Brady as the Culprit in Deflate-Gate
17
Tony Farina
Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game but his legacy
will surely be tainted by the ongoing scandal
involving the use of under-inflated footballs
by his team, the New England Patriots, in
their playoff victory over the Indianapolis
Colts.
The evidence seems overwhelming that
Brady is the key to the scandal in which 11
of the 12 footballs used by his team were
short of air-- or softer--than the footballs
used by the Colts.
While Brady said last week he prefers
footballs inflated at 12.5 pounds per square
inch, the minimum NFL standard, 11 of the
12 footballs supplied by the Patriots didn’t
meet that standard.
No less than Hall of Fame Coach John
Madden and Troy Aikman, the three-time
Super Bowl winning quarterback, point the
finger of blame for the under-inflated balls
straight at Brady and not controversial head
coach Bill Belichick who has been fined for
cheating in the past.
“That would have to be driven by the
quarterback,” Madden told the Sports
Xchange. “That’s something that wouldn’t
be driven by the coach or the equipment guy.
Nobody, not even the head coach, would do
anything to a football unilaterally, such as
adjust the amount of pressure in a ball, without the quarterback not knowing. It would
have to be the quarterback’s idea.”
Aikman told a Dallas radio station “it’s
obvious that Tom Brady had something to do
with this. For the balls to be deflated, that
doesn’t happen unless the quarterback wants
that to happen. I can assure you of that.”
If you believe Madden and Aikman that
means Bill Belichick was just covering up
for Brady when he spouted about weather
conditions being the reason for the deflated
footballs, saying the weather outside was
colder than in the locker room where the
balls were pumped full of air before the
game.
What? The weather deflated the footballs? That’s just so much hot air from a
coach known for looking for any edge he can
get, legal or not, to win a football game. This
is the same coach who was fined $500,000
by the NFL for videotaping New York Jets’
defensive signals during a 2007 football
game from the sidelines. The scandal was
dubbed “Spygate,” and was the first inkling
that Belichick would break the rules to get
Little Feller: Tom Brady may be
a bit of a cheat. It seems that
just in case he was unable to
win honestly, his tiny mind
concluded that winning was
more important than honesty.
So he deflated his footballs to
make them easier to throw and
catch. Brady denies he is anything but the most integrous
person and has no notion how
the footballs he threw got deflated. Indeed he didn’t even
notice it. How long Brady has
been cheating, if he has been
cheating, is anybody’s guess.
Most likely since he was child.
an edge.
The NFL is taking its time investigating
the latest scandal, and you can be sure there
will be no action taken before the Super
Bowl on Sunday. The Patriots eventually
could well face another big fine and possibly
other disciplinary action once the league decides that New England deflated the footballs to give Brady an edge. But nothing will
happen before the big game as the NFL
wouldn’t dare suspend Belichick or Brady
before the game and blow up the ratings
which may be higher than ever because of
the under-inflated footballs.
It seems everybody loves a scandal and
not many people like the Patriots or Be-
If the whole world stands
against you sword in hand,
would you still dare to do
what you think is right?
University of Phoenix stadium, where Super Bowl XLIX is being
held. Wallett Hub, a statistical analysis company, estimates that 1.25
billion chicken wings will be consumed during the game, 7.5 million
households will buy new TVs and fans are expected to gamble $115
million on the game.
lichick. But like them or not, New England
is a three-time Super Bowl winner and looks
to win their fourth title on Sunday unless the
wind has been taken out of them by DeflateGate as the scandal has come to be known.
Now Brady is still a great quarterback
and I don’t think it comes down to how
much air he puts in his footballs. But he is
tainted nonetheless by the scandal and many
people will be rooting against him and the
Patriots on Sunday because they don’t like
the idea that he may have cheated to get an
edge, one he probably didn’t need against the
woefully undermanned Colts.
It may be several months before the
league decides what--if any--punishment
will be visited upon the Patriots for deflating
their game balls, but you can be sure Belichick and Brady will be around again next
year and looking for an edge against any and
all challengers to their status as the best team
in the NFL. Maybe Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills can find a way to deflate the Patriots next year and make a run for something
other than the bus. Only time will tell.
Companies are expected to spend $359
million on ad time for this year’s Super
Bowl. Each 30-second advertisement costs
about $4.5 million.
Some Recent Deaths: In Case You Hadn’t Heard
Sarah Martinez
Kim Fowley:
Music Producer
known for collaborations with KISS,
Alice Cooper, The
Runaways and Beyonce, died at age 75
on Saturday. His alleged funeral plans
prior to his death included having his corpse mutilated and
abused by models for the fetish magazine
“Girls and Corpses”, and placed on the
cover. The magazine prominently features
pictures of scantily clad women posing
with real dead bodies.
The magazine has reportedly agreed to
photograph his corpse with women surrounding it, for its front cover.
King Abdullah: Saudi state
run TV announced
on Friday January
23rd, 2015 that
King Abdullah,
the Ruler of the oil
rich nation, had
passed away at the
age of 90. During
his reign he maintained close relations with
United Statesand Britain and bought billions of dollars worth of defense equipment
from both states. He gave women the right
to vote (not that voting matter overly much
- man or woman - in that monarchy) and to
compete in the Olympics. According to reports, Abdullah had 30 wives and 35 chil-
dren.
The king had a personal fortune estimated at US$18 billion, making him the
third wealthiest head of state in the world.
Abdullah’s half-brother, Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud, will become successor
to the throne at 79 years old.
Melvin Gordon: CEO of Tootsie Roll Industries
died on January
20th, 2015 at the age
of 95. He was Chief
Executive Officer of
the company for
over five decades
and navigated the
company to become
a confectionary empire. Junior Mints, Charleston Chews, and
Tootsie Pops were amongst the other candies made by the company. His wife of 65
years, Ellen Gordon, 82, was voted as the
new CEO by the Board of Directors. Tootsie Rol Industries was founded in 1895.
Darrell
Winfield: An
American
rancher and
model was
known as the
“real” Marlboro
man. He died on
January 12th, 2015. He was 85. Darrell
modeled for the part of the famed cowboy
from 1968 to 1989. Many considered him
the “real” Marlboro Man because he was
actually a cowboy instead of an actor. His
cause of death was not disclosed but it is
known that he remained loyal to the Marlboro brand until his final days.
Dallas
Woodrow Taylor
Jr: Drummer for
Crosby, Stills,
Nash & Young,
died at the age of
66 on January
18th, 2015. He
wrote a book in
1994 called, “Prisoner of Woodstock”, where he chronicles his struggle
with addiction and fame. After becoming
sober in 1985, Dallas became a board certified interventionist/counselor in Beverly
Hills, California for over 28 years. Taylor
died on January 18, 2015 of complications
from viral pneumonia and kidney disease
George
Plitt Jr.: Passed
away on January
17th, 2015 from
a freak train accident. The
model/ actor
was filming a
promotional
video for energy
drinks near train
tracks in Burbank, California
when an action
scene went wrong and George tripped,
falling onto the tracks. The film crew
stated to police that George was trying to
film himself being like a “super hero”. He
was said to have been trying to outrun the
train while hopped up on the energy drinks.
He was 37.
Donna Douglas (born Doris Smith;
September 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an
American actress and singer, known for her
role as Elly May Clampett in CBS's The
Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971). Following
her acting career, Douglas became a real
estate agent, a Gospel singer and inspirational speaker, and authored books for children and adults. She was 82,
Rodney Sturt “Rod” Taylor (11 January 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor of film and television. He
appeared in over 50 films, including leading roles in The Time Machine, Seven Seas
to Calais, The Birds, Sunday in New York,
Young Cassidy, Dark of the Sun, The Liquidator, and The Train Robbers. He was 84.
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Sweeney Payne
Open Letter to Mayor Pappas and
esteemed members of the Common
Council:
Now that you have settled in, we,
those you were elected (or appointed by
others we elected) to serve, we would like
to draw some needs to your attention:
• We would be grateful if you could
look into why it now takes 12 to 15 (usually 15) minutes for the fire trucks to make
it to the location of the fire instead of the 3
to 5 minutes it took before the dispatching
was sent to Lockport. The same situation
exists with calls for medical assistance by
the fire company.
• We would like you to look into why a
number of security monitoring businesses
report that they contact the North
Tonawanda Police Department to meet
owners and/or occupants when security
alarms go off in North Tonawanda and
learn from their customers that no police
car or policeman is there waiting for them
when they arrive after getting a call.
• We would like to be pleasantly surprised when the new City Clerk-Treasurer
replacement isn’t a person whose main
qualifications are that he or she is affiliated
with you. We would like a City ClerkTreasurer who is a long-time resident of
our city and also has qualifications to be a
City Clerk-Treasurer. Otherwise, just eliminate that position and let the worker bees
in the two offices do all the work—as they
always do anyhow.
• We would like to see copies of your
proposed budgets for each year out where
the public can view them before you approve them in more places than the library
and City Hall. Perhaps you could put
copies in each school, in the fire halls, and
at the NT History Museum, all places
where we might all have a convenient location to go to open on days and times that
are more convenient for us. It should be up
on the City website also.
• We would like a public listing of
salaries—and overtime where relevant—
earned by everyone involved in any way in
City government, not just line items for departments. We also would like the details
on the health insurance and pension costs
for each of these.
• We would like Common Council
meetings to allow more time and for public
input at the beginning of the meetings—
with this being publicized so that people
actually become aware of it—on matters
you are dealing with or matters you appear
to either know nothing about or don’t care
“Because God has made us for
Himself, our hearts are restless
until they rest in Him.”
― Augustine of Hippo
Only in North Tonawanda
Mayor Art Pappas - lend us
your ear....
about. We would like to see our Common
Council meetings televised on LCTV like
the City of Lockport and the Town of
Lockport are. If Mayor Pappas participates
in the Ask the Mayor programs on LCTV
as does the City of Lockport Mayor and the
City of Niagara Falls Mayor, we would
hope he won’t be rude to callers as his
predecessor often was and we would appreciate him sticking to issues of importance
in the City, not telling us how great he is.
• We would like a report annually of
what each Council member and the Mayor
put their time into besides the offices we
have elected each of them to—and how
much each earns from those that have an
income connected to them which resulted
from other politically connected positions..
• We’d like to see a detailed list of
each street you are going to repair, resurface or replace in the coming year—and
would like to be provided with an opportunity for residents to provide public input on
those needs, the snow plowing and salting
and leaf pickup work done for us.
• We’d like to have a public meeting
with detailed information on what you are
going to do to finally fix the sources of
flooded streets and basements in the City.
• We would like to know when the
City is going to really develop the former
Buffalo Bolt property into a real business
or commerce park instead of an unkempt
field of weeds and overgrown grass.
• We suggest you do some recruiting of
businesses to make the Nash Road plaza
fully occupied. It has such a wonderful
parking lot which should be full! Why not
a quality chain steak house that residents
can afford to eat in, a family budget
friendly diner type restaurant, a clothing
store, perhaps a pet store so we don’t have
to drive to Amherst or Niagara Falls? What
is there is great—but why isn’t the City
helping fill it instead of adding more bars
to Webster Street?
Respectfully,
The Citizens (Taxpayers, Voters,
Residents) of North Tonawanda.
"All faults may be forgiven of
him who has perfect candor."
― Walt Whitman
19
Sarah Martinez
Thief Steals Candy Bars
Valued at $575.00
On January 17, Police responded to the
7-11 on Niagara Street in reference to a
shoplifter. The manager of the store told officers that a black male wearing a large black
coat entered the store and began browsing
through the candy bar aisle. According to reports, the man removes 7 cases of candy bars
valued at $575, and places them inside of his
coat. The suspect then made a small purchase with his food stamp card, and fled
eastbound with the stolen merchandise. The
manager of 7-11 reported that she may be
able to identify the suspect by tracing his
EBT Food Stamp card.
Man Beats Woman
After Being Rejected
On January 19, Police responded to
Townsend Place in reference to an assault.
According to reports, Police arrived on scene
and observed a pool of blood on a sidewalk
leading to a porch, where they found a female victim beaten and bloody. The woman
told Police that she had been at a neighbor’s
house with another female and two black
males, drinking and playing cards. According to the victim, the black male at the party
was trying to “get with” her. After rejecting
his advances, the female subject who was
also at the party became enraged with the
victim, and threw the victim’s purse outside.
As the victim stepped outside to retrieve her
bag, the black male followed her, and began
yelling at her for not giving in to his advances. She reports that two people knocked
Local Crime Blotter
her to the ground and began punching her in
the face and beating her. Witnesses at the
scene told police that they observed a large
black male and female punching and kicking
the victim while she lay on the sidewalk. According to the victim, the black male then ran
off her purse, which contained her ID and
Food Stamp Card. She was treated at the
hospital for a deep laceration to the face and
swelling of the eyes and ears. No arrests had
been made at the time of this report.
Woman Uses Butcher Knife and
Claw Hammer to Damage Vehicle
On January 20, black female Tasheka
Stalling was arrested by Niagara Falls Police
for Criminal Mischief in the 3rd degree. A
victim reported to officers that she observed
Stallings enter her driveway and exit a vehicle carrying a large butcher knife and claw
hammer. Stallings then began smashing the
victim’s rental vehicle with the hammer and
slashing the tires, causing $1000 worth of
damage. Reports indicate that Stalling’s
mother and sister were also present at the
scene, as the crime took place. Officer’s located Stallings during a traffic stop, and she
was arrested and detained for Criminal Mischief.
Walgreens Thief Drops Food
Stamp Card As He Flees the Scene
On January 20, Officers responded to
Walgreens on the 1200 block of Pine Ave. in
reference to a shoplifter. The manager of the
store reported that a black male entered the
store and removed Braun Shavers valued at
$157.00. The suspect walked past the manager who advised him to stop, to no avail. As
he was fleeing the scene, the suspect dropped
his NYS Food Stamp Card near the front
register. The manager advised Police that the
suspect is known for multiple shoplifting incidents at that location. Officers have taken
possession of the Food Stamp Card for evidence, and the information has been logged
into evidence. No arrest had been made at
the time of report.
Woman’s Home Burglarized,
Suspects Come Back for More
On January 20, a woman reported to Police that her home had been burglarized. Reports indicate that the woman did not notice
her home had been burglarized until almost
5 hours after she arrived home. She told Police that as she was putting her daughter to
bed she noticed that her daughter’s television
was missing from her room. She then inspected her home and realized that several
game systems and additional televisions had
also been removed. According to reports, the
front door of the women’s home was buckled
and kicked in, as a point of entry into her
home. The women stated that she did not realize her home had been burglarized for
nearly 5 hours after her arrival into the residence, because she does not use her front
door. Police spoke to witnesses who reported
seeing two unknown males with flashlights
on the victim’s porch looking into the windows, several hours after the burglary had
taken place. The victim did recall seeing
lights flash through her windows while she
was home, and believes the suspects came
back to steal more items, but failed to do so
because she was inside. No arrests had been
made at the time of this report.
Thank you for prayers
answered-- J.B.
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 JAN 27 - FEB 03, 2015
Bizarre Crimes (From Around the Nation, World)
Sarah Martinez
Man Sells Urine and Feces
“Whiskey” to Tourists
35 year old Nicholas Stewart from
Blackpool, England was arrested for selling
bottles of what he claimed to be Jack
Daniels whiskey, to tourists at a slot machine complex in his area. The contents of
the bottles were sold to the tourists by
Stewart who claimed that it was dark
whiskey, when in fact, the liquid inside has
been revealed to be water laced with urine
and feces. According to the Blackpool
Gazette. "They were totally unsuitable for
public consumption -- they were hazardous
and contained dangerous e-coli bacteria."
Stewart insists that he sold the fecal water
because he needed money for food.
According to UPI.com, Stewart was
involved in more than 30 other incidents is
described as "a persistent and troublesome
offender," according to UPI.com. He has
been sentenced to 70 days in jail for this
current charge.
Child Brings Lunchbox to Nursery
School Filled with Cocaine
Lee Webb from Britain has been arrested for sending his 3 year old son to
“Smarty Pants” nursery school with a Tupperware container filled with Cocaine and
other drug paraphernalia. According to reports, the child arrived at school and when
staff opened his Tupperware lunch box assuming to find juice and fruits, they instead
found cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
Webb went back to the school after realiz-
Do not buy whiskey from this man, no matter how good the price
may seem. Nicholas Stewart got 70 days in jail for selling his own
urine and feces in Jack Daniels bottles telling customers it was
whiskey. Were we the judge, we would have sentenced him to a
trifle bit longer sentence.
ing his egregious mistake, and attempted to
retrieve the cocaine, but staff refused to exchange lunchboxes with him. Webb returned home and scrawled the name of his
attorney on his hand, before Police arrived
and took him into custody.
“SLUT” Tattooed on Woman by
Brazen Boyfriend
A Kentucky man, Michael Aaron
Joseph, has been indicted for a variety of
charges, to include assault, endangerment
and false imprisonment, stemming from a
bizarre incident in May. According to reports, Joseph became violently jealous over
his girlfriend having contact with her exboyfriend, which resulted in a heated argument. The argument turned into a vicious
attack, led by Joseph who repeatedly pistol
whipped the girlfriend with a .22 caliber
handgun. He then held her down on the
floor at gunpoint and tattooed the word
“SLUT” on her back. Joseph remains jailed
on a $15,000 cash bond.
State Senator’s Recent DUI Defense
21
- Constitutional Provisions from 1891
Kentucky State Senator Brandon
Smith, who has been accused of driving
while intoxicated on the legislature's opening day, has now invoked a law from the
State Constitution requesting for dismissal
of his case. The provision, created in 1891
states that “barring felonies, treason, or
breach or surety of the peace, assembly
members are privileged from arrest during
their attendance on the sessions of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same," WKYT reports.
State Police say that Smith, a Republican,
was stopped on January 6 for speeding, in
which he it was determined that he was
also intoxicated. He failed field sobriety
tests and admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel.
Smith is noted for voting against a bill
that would have expanded alcohol sales in
the state of Kentucky, according to VoteSmart.org.
Is government
supposed to entertain the
governed?
Dirty Birds at City Hall or Much Ado About a Little Guano?
The pillars and entranceway at City Hall
have a rich blanket of pigeon droppings
prompting the celebrated artist Gerald Skrlin to pronounce the people’s building as
“Sh-tty Hall.”
The white on City Hall's pillars are not snow. It's
guano from pigeons that roost above.
It is not new and The Reporter does not recall ever
seeing it cleaned up.
Mayor Paul A. Dyster has done little to improve the
outward appearance of the peoples' building. In summer
the lawn is unkempt and full of weeds, the shrubbery is in
poor condition and there
are virtually no flowers in
season. This in spite of the
fact that Dyster claims to be
close to the Beautification
Commission and has fought
to give them taxpayer's
money. One would think
they could adopt the building and beautify the property for their beloved and
generous leader. It's also
strange that His Honor
never gave a contract to a
friendly campaign supporting landscaper to take care
of the grounds. Conversely
the mayor spent $465,000
of casino funds money to
pave the parking lot at City
Hall during late paving season last year, a poor timing
choice decision that led to
the cost being as much as
double what it would have
cost had it been bid out during the winter and planned
for execution in the early
Spring when contractors are
hungry for work. Indeed the
proof that the timing was
bad was that only one contractor bid on the parking lot paving - coming in at an what
we believe was a highly inflated price. The publisher of
this newspaper paved a similar sized lot in Niagara Falls
for less than half the price.
Meantime, simple maintenance like cleaning up guano
goes undone and perhaps unnoticed. One city hall insider
says the accumulated bird droppings and the wafting of its
smell inside the corridors when the doors open adds atmosphere to the building.
City Hall Jokes!
than three minutes!”
The council created a civilian panel
to review the city’s financial activity. Oh
boy, now the city government can legitimize their total lack of fiscal integrity
by appointing friends of the administration to double check the books.
Looks like chairman Touma is
going to double-down on his resolution
seeking shortened public speaking at
council meetings. He told the press, “If
Tom Brady can take two pounds of air
out of a football I can take two minutes
out of speaker time.”
There’s some truth to the rumor that
Mayor Dyster and councilman Touma
are going to require all public speakers
to have a PhD.
St. Paul to the Thessalonians: “For even when we
City residents are so upset at the
resolution limiting public speaking that
they’re holding a meeting at city hall to
recall councilman Touma. Those in attendance will be allowed to talk as long
as they want.
Council members Touma, Walker
and Grandinetti walk into a bar and the
bartender says, “You got three minutes
to finish your drinks and get out of
here!”
Kristen Grandinetti said, “I
wouldn’t have run for council if I knew
I had to listen to the residents for more
Back to the drawing board: City hall
insiders say the Dyster re-election campaign has released its 2015 slogan: “He
raised your taxes, he trashed your
garbage, he spent all your casino money.
Vote DYSTER!”
Just as we feared: Mayor Dyster responded to the reports of falling casino
revenue, saying, “I have my very best
people working on the problem.”
Chairman Touma is moving on from
trying to stop speakers from talking.
He’s now writing a resolution to stop
city employees from running in the hall.
were with you, this we commanded you, that if any
Mr. Touma recently released a written survey seeking the opinion of residents, which seems odd since he tried to
limit the residents’ speaking time at
meetings…the chairman said, “I want to
know what the residents are thinking,
that doesn’t mean I have to waste my
time listening to them.”
What they’re reading at city hall:
The Sound and the Fury
A Confederacy of Dunces
The Ya-Ya Sisterhood
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The Joy of Sex
would not work, neither
should he eat.”
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
“Gentlemen unite, but are not
the same. Small men are all
the same, but each for himself” Confucius