WYNDHAM LAWN

A 16 year old resident of Wyndham Lawn is being held on $500
bail after he allegedly incited a riot around 5:30pm Wednesday at
the home on Old Niagara Road. Rozell Blair is also charged with
disorderly conduct and second degree harassment. Sheriff's
deputies say seven other juveniles were involved and that two
were injured. Blair also allegedly shoved a 23 year old youth
counselor who attempted to break up the fight. He's due in Town
of Lockport court at 7pm September 30.

TRUANCY

The Niagara Falls School District announced yesterday
they had received a $118,000 State grant to fight truancy.
The program is aimed at making sure kids get to school
on time, that they perform well, and eventually lead
productive lives. It'll be led by the District's new
truancy prevention officer Ron Cunningham. He'll be
assisted by a team of four associates who'll work with
students and their families. They'll also rely on the help of
7 agencies. The grant can be renewed for another two
years.

PALIN

State Republican Committee Chairman Joe Mondello said
Thursday he's trying to get the party's vice presidential
nominee to visit the state before the November election.
Mondello said if Sarah Palin makes her way to the Empire
State he'll do all he can to get her to visit Western New York.
He said Palin could solidify the upstate vote for McCain. Mondello
made the remarks after visiting with County G-O-P Chief Henry
Wojtasek at the Olympia Restaurant in Wheatfield. The State
Committee recently named Wojtasek as it's Upstate Chairman.

GASPORT BURGLARIES

State Police in Lockport are leading an investigation into a
series of burglaries and larcenies in and around the Gasport
area. The thefts have been taking place since August and
mostly happen overnight. Officials say a computer, fishing
and golf equipment, state inspection stickers, and even a
motorcycle have been taken. The Sheriff's Department is
involved. They recovered two bicycles from an attempted
burglary at the Gasport Marina on Telegraph Road. A young
white male was seen running from the scene. Anyone with
information is asked to call the State Police Barracks at
434-5588.

HEATING

The governor saying today the President's funding proposal
for the low income home energy assistance program for the
upcoming Winter season is woefully inadequate and will put
New Yorkers at risk. Paterson said New York will receive about
$90-million less than last Winter based on Bush's proposed
budget. He said this comes at a time when residents are facing
unprecedented hikes in the cost of heating their homes and
now more than ever, the State needs an increase in funding.
He called on the President and Congress to fully fund the
program at the authorized level of $5.1-billion in the next
federal fiscal year. Such an action would provide about
$500-million for New York.

WYNDHAM LAWN

A 16 year old resident of Wyndham Lawn is being held on
$500 bail after he allegedly incited a fight around 5:30pm
Wednesday at the home on Old Niagara Road. Rozzell
Blair is charged with inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, and
second degree harassment. Sheriff's deputies say seven
other juveniles were involved and two were injured. Blair
allegedly shoved a 23 year old youth counselor who
attempted to break up the fight. Blair is due in Town of Lockport
court at 7pm September 30.

BIRTHDAY PARTY

The dining room at Lockport's Dale Association was full
Wednesday as family and friends gathered for a special
birthday party for 4 county residents who are 100 years old
or more. Loraine Clark, Ada Baes, Leetah Brown and Helen
Whitwell were honored at the event staged by the County
Office of the Aging. Mayor Mike Tucker issued a
proclamation and Jim Ward presented them with flowers
from State Senator George Maziarz. Similiar parties were
held at the John Duke Senior Center in the Falls and at
the North Tonawanda Senior Center.

THREE VEHICLE ACCIDENT

Three people went sent to the hospital just after 3pm Wednesday
in a three vehicle accident near the intersection of South Transit
and Robinson. A pick-up rear ended a Metro Link bus and the
impact caused the bus to rear end a Honda CRV. The injured were
on the bus. Two were taken to ECMC by ambulance and a third
was treated at LMH. Five others were treated and released at the
scene.

NIAGARA FALLS SIX

State Supreme Court Judge Ralph Boneillo ruling Wednesday
the "Niagara Falls Six" will be permitted to add more examples
of their alleged mistreatment to their lawsuit against the city. The
workers at the Department of Public Works asked the judge
September 10 if they could add 20 more work place incidents
to the suit. Boneillo denied the city's argument the amendment
was improperly filed and outside the proper timeframe. The lawsuit
was filed in 2003 when the six claimed they were the targets of a
pattern of discrimination, which they say has continued. The next
court date will be October 28 but the attorney for the six told the
Gazette he wants both sides to sit down and settle the case.
Richard Wyssling says the Mayor and the Council should be
included.

CANCER STUDY

The State Health Department released it's final report Tuesday
on the incidence of cancer near the former Lake Ontario Ordnance
Works site and the Niagara Falls Storage site in Lewiston and Porter.
It said they did find some elevated levels of cancer but they were unable
to conclusively link them to the sites. The study looked at three seperate
areas near the sites and in zip codes 14174 and 14131. It covered cancers
reported between 1991 and 2000. The study was requested by former
Congressman John LaFalce and others. It started in January 2002 and
concluded this year. A public meeting on its findings will be held
September 29 at 7 pm at Lew Port High School.

TWO NEW ORDINANCES

Lockport lawmakers last night o-k'd the city's 36 page sign
ordinance and the historic preservation ordinance. The
Council also lifted the moratorium on new signs imposed
in June. The city will distribute a placard to business owners
with examples showing the allowable designs and dimensions.
The law says business owners will have ten years to bring existing
signs into compliance. Companies whose requests were put on
hold during the moratorium will have to resubmit their proposals
but won't have to pay another filing fee. The Historic Preservation
law gives the city the authority to protect the exterior appearance
of buildings deemed to be of historic value. A 9 member commission
will be appointed by the Mayor. He says some of it's members will
be the same people who drew up the ordinance. A survey will
begin soon to decide which properties are eligible. The Council
can override any decision by the commission.

GUNS

Lockport police confiscated eight loaded handguns and a loaded
20 gauge shotgun from a home at 892 Willow Wednesday as they
were investigating a domestic incident. 62 year old Faustino Solis
was charged with second degree domestic violence harassment.
He allegedly pushed his estranged wife into a dresser amd punched
her twice in the ribs. All of that happening as the two were discussing
finances. The woman said she wanted an order of protection because
she was afraid because of all the weapons in the home and because
her ex was on medication for depression. Police said the weapons were
placed throughout the house and each was fully loaded with a round
in the chamber.

COUNTY UNIONS

The largest union representing County employees
overwhelmingly O-K'd a three year contract extension
Tuesday. That's C-S-E-A and they voted 89 per cent
in favor of the deal. It's nearly 800 members will get
3 per cent raises in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The 29 members
of the Probation Officers Association ratified a new contract
with the same terms last week. Both contain no changes in
health benefits. County lawmakers will vote to accept
the deal October 7.

COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITEE

The County's Democratic Committee last night re-elected Dan
Rivera to a two year term as chairman. There were only two
dissenting votes among the 135 or so committe members
attending the session at the Lockport U-A-W Hall. Suzanne
Needler of North Tonawanda, John Marcolini of Wheatfield,
William Choboy of Porter, John Villella of Royalton, and
Craig Touma of the Falls were chosen as vice chairmen.
Elaine Timm of Niagara Falls is Secretary, Shirley Joy
of Wheatfield Treasurer, and Joseph Rich of North Tonawanda
Sergeant at Arms.

WALL STREET/PATERSON

Governor David Paterson said Tuesday night he may need to
call State lawmakers back for another budget cutting session due
to the continuing mess on Wall Street. He said the failure of Lehman
Brothers, Bear Sterns, and the sale of Merrill Lynch are troubling signs
about the state of our economy. He said there's no doubt the State must
take deliberate action to ensure that we protect our solvency in the
months and years ahead. Lehman, Bear Sterns and Merrill Lynch
provided huge amounts of revenue to state coffers. Paterson said the
State's deficit has surely grown.

THE HIGH COST OF CONVICTION

It cost the county a lot of money to put convicted murderer
Richard Matt behind bars. The Legislature's Community Safety
and Security Commitee voted last night to pay two special
prosecutors almost $217,000 for their work in the trial. Matt was
sentenced to 25 years to like in May for klling North Tonawanda
businessman William Rickerson. The special prosecutors,
assistant Erie County district attorneys Joe Mordino and Lou
Heremski were appointed to the case by State Supreme Court
judge Richard Klock. Paying the bill will drain the $149,000
in the county's contingency fund for the rest of the year and
the county will also have to allocate about $68,000 from
anticipated sales tax revenue. The full legilsature still has to
O-K the payment.

LOCKPORT M-R-I

Lockport Memorial Hospital got it's new MRI machine Tuesday.
The $800,000 machine was won in a contest sponsored by Siemens
Medical Solutions that wrapped up in January. It was so big they
had to cut open a portion of the building's roof to get it into the spot
where it'll be located. Spokesperson Susan Wendler said workers
are putting the aparatus together and a public celebration will be
held sometime in early October. The contest required each participating
hospital to produce a video on why they needed the machine. The videos
were put on the company's web site and voted on by the general public.
L-M-H came in second behind a hospital in Georgia destroyed by a
tornado, but Lockport was declared the winner. The company said they
would also provide a machine for the Georgia hospital when they
reopen in 2010.

CANCER STUDY

The State Health Department releasing it's final report Tuesday
on the incidence of cancer near the former Lake Ontario
Ordnance Works site and the Niagara Falls Storage Site in
Porter and Lewiston. It showed there was an excess of cancers
in children through age 14 living near the Lew Port School campus.
Some had attended school there and others had not. It also found
unusual numbers of tersticular cancers in young men and gonadal
and germ cell tumors in children but said no conclusions could be
drawn because of insufficient information about where they went to
school and other risk factors. The study found no unusual cancer
patterns near the LOWW site and in areas downstream and downwind.
The only exception was a high number of prostate cancers near the
school campus and LOWW site. The investigation said the greater
than expected numbers of women with breast and bladder cancers
are not likely due to exposures received while they were attending
school because they were in older women who went to school before
the campus was built. The State said the occurence of the cancers
being the result of chance can't be ruled out. The State Health Department
will discuss the findings at a public meeting September 29 at 7 at
Lew Port High School.

LOCKPORT BUDGET

Budget meetings in Lockport that were set for this week have
been cancelled. Mayor Mike Tucker says the City Council asked
him last week to submit a reccommended spending plan for next
year. It's called the "mayor's budget" and he said he worked on
it all weekend and expects it will consume the majority of
his time this week. Tucker is being helped by Budget Director
Dick Mullaney and others. He'll present it to the Council next week and
they will be free to make further additions or deletions as they
see fit.

PARLATO

Falls businessman Frank Parlato Junior told a crowd of about a
hundred people last night he plans to install half a dozen slot
machines at his One Niagara building to protest the tax free status
of the Seneca Nation. He didn't say when or if he will go through
with a promise to allow his customers to gamble there against state
law. In a speecg, Parlato complained the Senecas can open a casino
but regular citizens can't. He said the Senecas pay no business taxes
while business owners in the State are among the highest taxed in the
nation. And he said the Seneca's don't have to comply with building
codes, Parlato handed out petitions protesting what he called the
disastrous inequality that grants a person born a Seneca superior
rights over Americans. He said if the Seneca's are tax free in the Falls
than all Americans should be tax free. He said it was not an anti-Seneca
meeting but a pro-American and pre-equality meeting.

NIAGARA FALLS TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD

N-T-C-C President John Percy Monday night defended his membership
in the Robert Moses Parkway Preservation Committee before members
of the Niagara Falls Tourism Advisory Board. Percy said the parkway
plays a major role in linking tourists to attractions to the North of the city
and maintained it would be detrimental to shut it off. The Tourism
Advisory Board and the City Council want it removed so tourists would
have to drive through the city. Chairman Jerry Genova said Percy's
membership on the parkway board is another example of the city not
being fairly represented by the N-T-C-C.

LOCKPORT REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE

Ken Genewick was re-elected to a two year term Monday night
as the chairman of the City of Lockport Republican committee.
Tom Grezbinski was chosen vice chair, Bob Scalzo as treasurer,
Dave Licata as secretary, and Shawn Hughes as Sergeant at Arms.
There are several vacancies on the committee and Genewick says
to call him if you're interested at 940-6818.

DEL FUEGO

A fire extenguisher was used Monday to put out a small blaze
in an apartment above the soon to open Del Fuego restaurant
in Newfane. The fire was confined to a wall. It was discovered
around 2pm when smoke was seen on the side of the building,
which did suffer some water damage when a fire company sprayed
the wall to make sure the blaze was out. The restaurant is expected
to open November 1.

PALMER

Wheatfield councilman Art Palmer resigned from the Town Board
Monday night. The action takes effect at noon Tuesday. Palmer's
been a fixture on the board for a dozen years and is in the middle of
a two year term. He's going to retire in Smith Station Alabama and
plans to leave the area in a few days after wrapping up some things
at Town Hall. Town attorney Bob O'Toole says a special election for
the remainder of Palmer's term will take place in November. He said
nominations would be made by party chairman or committees. In
the night's official business, lawmakers decided to hold a public
hearing October 20 on a plan to create a special charge on
property owners to pay for drainage work.