STATE SENATE

The State Senate yesterday held another of it's
speedy, do-nothing sessions as lawmakers
prepared to spend the holiday weekend in
Albany. State Senator Bill Stachowski said
it wouldn't be the first time he's spent a holiday
in the Capitol. He said they may not be
accomplishing anything on the floor but he
would still be working on e-mail's and reading
bills. Despite his assertion that he'd still be
working , State Comptroller Tom Dinapoli
said the Senators would not be paid not week.
Meantime, negotiations to end the stalemate
stepped up last night. The Governor had both
sides in his office for a talk that lasted over an
hour. Former Senate leader Malcolm Smith
said he thought Paterson had brought them
together but Brooklyn Democrat John Samson
said "there is no deal."

MORE SECURITY

There'll be two extra security officers on duty
tonight following the concert by Our Lady Peace
at the Ulrich Center in Lockport. David Ullrich will
pay to have two uniformed city police officers
stationed outside the Main Street entrance from
10:30 till 2:30am. The action was taken after some
trouble erupted in the archway after last week's
show and officers had difficuulty getting through
the crowd to address it. The two extra officers
will be paid about $44 an hour. Tonight's show
with the Canadian rockers is expected to draw one
of the largest crowds ever seen in the city. The
opening acts are Inward Eye and The Incurables.
Inward Eye is also from Canada. It's composed of
three brothers from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The
Incurables are another three piece outfit from
Wayne, Michigan.

TOO CLOSE TO THE SCHOOL

Representatives for the State Division of
Parole agreed yesterday that a boarding
house in the Falls housing 14 sex offenders
is too close to the Niagara Street Elementary
School. The regional director of the division,
Eugenio Russi, pledged to work to move them
from the Midtown Inn on Niagara Street but said
they would need hel[ in finding other locations
that don't violate a city law that says they cannot
live within 1500 feet of a school. He was one of
five officials from the Division of Parole that met
with school and community leaders during a two
hour roundtable organized by Assemblywoman
Francine del Monte. The Niagara Street Business
Association led protests in front of the Midtown
Inn last week after State Supreme Court Judge
Richard Klock ordered that a 51 year old North
Tonawanda sex offender should live there. The
President of the School Board said he did not
understand why it's taking so long to move
them.

WILSON HOUSE FIRE-DEPUTY BREAKS LEG

A Sheriff's deputy breaking his leg early this
morning as he was helping firefighters deal
with a small blaze at a home at 43 Sunset
Island in Wilson. It started around 2:15am
when sparks from a fireplace fell on a
couch. The couch was completly destroyed
and there was smoke and fire damage
throughout the home. The owners dealt
with some of it before crews arrived. Bob
and Barbara Dobosx suffered minor burns
to their arms and hands and were treated at
the scene. Deputy Ray Needle fractured his
left fibula when he fell down a set of wooden
stps leading to the home. He was treated at
Eastern Niagara Hospital-Newfane.

HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

The rain held off last night and those attending
Lockport's Independence Day parade didn't
need an umbrella. The Pipe Band from our sister
city of Thorold Ontario was in the march that
started at 6:30 at the High School, went up Locust,
and ended at the Ulrich City Center. Antique cars,
firetrucks and city officials were joined in the
parade by four other bands and entries from
the likes of the Palace Theatre and Immanuel
Methodist Church. The city's fireworks are set
for Saturday night at Outwater Park. There'll
be a concert by the Lockport Community Band
at 6:30. In the Falls, DPW Director Dave Kinney
said they would spend $25,000 on a display that'll
be offered Saturday at Hyde Park. Wheatfield
Recreation Department spokesman Ed
Sturgeon said the Town's fireworks would
be at Oppenheim Park and be accompanied
by music. He said they would run about 35
minutes and urged people to get there early
as the park begins to fill up around 8. The Town
of Newfane has their traditional display over
the lake at Olcott Beach Friday night at 10. They'll
also have a kids march at 12:30 Saturday
starting at Krull Park and ending at Carousel
Park where they can ride the merry go round.
Activities in Pendleton begin at 5pm Saturday
at Town Hall with fireworks to follow. Royalton
will have it's annual blow out Saturday starting
with a chicken barbecue at 1pm at the Royalton
Ravine. There'll be a parade at 3:30 and music
by three bands starting at 5 to be followed by
fireworks.

FIREWORKS

A 17 year old Town of Lockport boy was charged
with possessing fireworks after Sheriff's deputies
stopped him Wednesday night on Rapids Road.
Stephen Boulden of Creekview Drive
reportedly passed a Sheriff's patrol car recklessly
as a deputy was picking up debris in the roadway.
The fireworks were in a box and a black plastic bag
in the back of the pick-up the teen was driving.
He was issued an appearance ticket for July 14 in
Town of Lockport court.

DOG JUMPS ON BOY

An 11 year old Lockport boy had three stitches
put on the back of his left shoulder after a German
Shepherd jumped on him around 5pm Wednesday
at a home on Old Beattie Road. The boy also had
three marks on his left bicep which appeared to be
minor puncture wounds. He lives on Birchwood
Drive and is friends with a 9 year old on Old Beattie.
The homeowner said the two asked permission to
play and the dog ran up to the 11 year old and
jumped on him as they were entering the garage.
She did not believe the dog bit the boy and the
injuries were caused by the dogs claws.

HOLIDAY TRAFFIC INITIATIVE

The State Police say they'll be looking for
impaired drivers, those who are speeding,
and others not using their seat belts over
the weekend. The 4th of July safety
initiative will run through Monday.

CREDIT CARD LIMIT

The Falls School Board agreed last night to
limit the charges that can be made on the
district's four credit cards to $50,000. The
change was in response to last year's audit
by the State Comptrollers office. School
Chief Cynthia Bianco, Deputy Superintendent
Mark Laurrie, Purchasing Agent Marie Maynard,
and District Clerk Ruthel Deumas are the only
one permitted to use them. The cards were
held by 38 employees prior to the audit. It
found that during the two year period covered
by investigators they had racked up $638,000
in charges.

YOUTH HOMES

The head of the State's Office of Children
& Family Services announced yesterday
she will appoint a group to tour about
70 homes for troubled teens similiar to the
one in Lockport where a counselor was
killed last month. Gladys Carrion said the
group would include State officials, workers
at some of the homes, and perhaps a
former resident. They would be charged
with making reccomendations and Carrion
said they wanted them by the end of the
Summer. State Senator George Maziarz
said he's not opposed to her forming the
group, but the answer is fairly simple.
She needs to reverse her policy of
putting potentially violent juvenile
offenders in non secure facilities like
Avenue House in Lockport. He said she
was appointed in 2007 she has closed
all the secure facilities that housed juveniles
upstate. State Senator Catherine Young of
Olean told the Buffalo News the staff at the
homes are getting the daylights beaten out
of them and all the children are considered
victims and they have to be treated with
kid gloves.