JOHNNY FLYNN GOES TO MINNESOTA

Former Niagara Falls basketball stand-out
Johnny Flynn was the sixth choice in last
night's NBA draft and is headed to the
Minnesota Timberwolves. In 73 games
at Syracuse, Flynn averaged 16.6 points
and 6.0 assists. He ranked 38th in career
scoring with 1,211 points. He's the first
Syracuse player selected in the draft since
Carmello Anthony went third in 2003.
Flynn was one of two point guards selected
by the Timberwolves, Spain's Ricky
Rubio was chosen fifth.

SAME OLD SAME OLD

Both sides showed up for yesterday's special
Senate session in Albany but they did not
meet together. They held seperate sessions
just minutes apart in the same chamber. The
two ran about four minutes. The Governor
said "today is the same as yesterday, yesterday
is the same as the day before...once again the
Senate has done no work and did not do the
people's business. He said local governments
and individuals are suffering as a result and he
demanded they stay in session until an agreement
is reached. The Governor said both sides told
him they are close to a power sharing agreement
and they want to come back next week. He said
he had told the State Treasurer not to pay them
their $160 a day per diems and travel expenses.
Meantime local activist Rus Thompson planned to
file suit today in State Supreme Court, also trying
to stop them from getting paid.

BIANCO

The sister of former Niagara Falls School
Superintendent Carmen Granto was named
last night as the new School Chief. Cynthia
Bianco was given a three year contract at
$155,000 a year. There were five other
candidates for the job but none were granted
an interview. Board Vice President Don King
said that was a mistake and it opened them
up for charges of nepotism and complacency.
He said Bianco was qualified and could have
easily won the job through a legitimate interview
process. The School Board also made eight
staff cuts eliminating four teaching and four
non instructional positions. Seven other
teaching slots were reduced to teaching
assistant positions with much lower salaries.
The district's chief of financial operations, Joe
Giarizzo, announced he was leaving to take
a similiar job in the City of Tonawanda.

NIAGARA HOMECOMING

The Niagara Homecoming continues today with a
Job Fair at the Power Vista from 11 till 4. About
25 local employers are looking to hire people
and will hold interviews. There'll also be an
event at the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center on
Pine Avenue starting at 4. There'll be activities
on each floor and all the studios will be open.
Live music and food are promised along with
refreshments from some of the counties wineries.
A "Niagara Power" baseball game will be played
at 7 at Sal Maglie Stadium. Admisison is $4 for
adults and $2 for kids. The city's Preservation
Society will offer tours Saturday. Bill Bradberry
will narrate a Victorian era tour starting at 10am at
the First Presbyterian Church and Tom Yots
will present another the downtown area as it
was in the 1920's. It'll start at 2 pm at the Red
Coach Inn. Each is $15, call 205-0287 for
tickets and information. The Main Street
Business & Professional Association has a
two day street festival Saturday and Sunday at
the corner of Orchard Parkway and Main. It
starts at 10am each day with live music, food,
and arts and crafts.

FREE FISHING

The State will hold it's annual free fishing event
Saturday and Sunday. Anglers can drop their
hooks in any of the State's lakes, rivers, and
streams without a license.

DRUNK BOATING

State Parks Police and the Canal Corporation will
be looking for drunk or drugged boaters today thru
Sunday. It's dubbed "Operation Dry Water."
Officers will be using 77 pocket sized hand
held breath alochol testers. The standard is the
same as it is for vehicle operators, you're
considered to be impaired if your blood alcohol
content is .08 or higher.

STORMY WEATHER

A lightning strike during yesterday's storm
damaged the chimney of the Ransomville
Baptist Church. It blew it apart around 2pm.
Firefighters had to chop a hole in the roof
to put out a small blaze. Police and fire crews
also dealt with power failures, downed utility
lines, and traffic signals that went out at Shawnee
and Mapleton Roads. As many as 7,000
National Grid customers lost power for around
90-minutes starting at 2:30 in Wheatfield and
Cambria.

RUBBEFORM RECYCLED PRODUCTS

The Greater Lockport Development Corporation
agreed yesterday to allow Rubberform Recycled
Products to only make interest payments on it's
$225,000 loan for the remainder of the year. It's
the second time in ten months that the Michigan
Street company has been given such a break.
The loan was granted in June 2007. The interest
payments will come to $682 a month and are
retroactive to March. The company makes a
variety of products from ground up tires.

OVERNIGHT BLAZE IN THE FALLS

An overnight fire in a 2 1/2 story wood frame
home at 2817 McKoon Avenue did an estimated
$25,000 damage. A dispatcher says the occupants
got out safely. The fire was reported by a neighbor
around 2:30. The house next door at 2815 McKoon
also suffered exposure damage.

ASSAULT

A 23 year old resident of Dysinger Road was
jumped by three men dressed in hoodies
just before 1am today in the parking lot og
his apartment building. The victim said he
thought he recognized the voice of one of
them but the other two were strangers. The
Sheriff's Department says he suffered numerous
abrasions and cuts on his face, head, and arms...
that he had bloody knuckles and complained
of pain to his ribs, He was treated at the scene
by the South Lockport Fire Company and then
taken to an undisclosed hospital. The
assailants fled in a black car headed West
on Dysinger.

RICK LAZIO IS BACK

The Republican who ran unsuccessfully against
Hillary Clinton in 2000 is planning to run for
Governor next year. A spokesman for Rick
Lazio said his boss has formed a campaign
committee and is seeking contributions on his
web site. The 51 year old could face former
New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani in a
primary.

NIAGARA HOMECOMING

The Niagara Homecoming, meant to coincide
with a similiar event in Buffalo, kicks off at
6 tonight with a reception at the Crowne Plaza.
Colleen Kulikowski is with Niagara Rises, which
is co-ordinating the event. She says it'll be
$25 at the door and it benefits the NCCC
Culinary School scholarship fund. Between
two and three hundred people are expected.
There'll be "power Your Future" Job Fair
tomorrow from 11 till 4 at the Power Vista where
some 25 local employers have jobs to fill and
will hold interviews. There will also be an
Arts & Crafts show at the Niagara Arts &\]
Cultural Center starting at 4 and a Niagara
Power baseball game in the evening at
Sal Maglie Stadium. It'll be $4 for adults
and $2 for children and will be a throwback to
all the teams that have played in the City over
the years. The City's Preservation Society
will hold tours Saturday. Bill Bradberry
will narrate a "Victorian Era" tour starting
at 10am at the Presybterian Church and
Tom Yots will offer one highlighting the
downtown area as it was in the 1920's at 2
starting at the Red Coach Inn. Each is $5,
call 205-0287 for tickets and information.
The Main Street Business & Professional
Association will hold a two day street festival
Saturday and Sunday at the corner of
Orchard Parkway and Main. It'll run from
10 till 10 Saturday and from 10-6 Sunday
with live music, foood, and arts & crafts.

WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION PLAN

No one had anything to say last night at a
public hearing on the City of Lockport
proposed waterfront revitalization plan.
It calls for rezoning several areas from
residential to business, including the
West side of South Transit North of
Willow, the East side of State Road
North of the Stephens Street Bridge,
and Van Buren East of North Adam. The
Lockport Town & Country Club would
be changed from residential to a parks
and woods zoning...and the designation
would also be institued for narrow sections
along both banks of the Canal East of
Prospect. It would also apply for the
abandoned Flintkote site off Mill Street.
The Dussalut Foundry and the Union
Station locations would be rezoned from
lighj industrial to central business while
several areas of North Transit, Caledonia,
Green & Church would go from light
industrial to multiple dwelling. Most of
Mill Street would be changed from heavy
industrial to light industrial, the exceptions
being the Twin Lake and Isochem plants.
The plan must be o-k'd by Albany and
lawmakers would vote on it once approval
is gained, possibly in August. The plan
cost $50,000 to produce, half of it was
paid for with a State grant.

MINI BIKE ACCIDENT

A 16 year old Somerset girl was taken to ECMC
by Mercy Flight after she had an accident on her
mini bike around 5pm yesterday. It happened in
the backyard of the family home at 1612 Johnson
Creek Road. She suffered a severe laceration to
her left ankle. She was treated at the scene by
Barker Ambulance and Miller Hose Advanced
Life Support. They said she was conscious and
alert at the scene and had been wearing her
helmet.

STOLEN VEHICLE

A 69 year old Lockport man told police yesterday
his 2001 red Dodge Ram pick-up was stolen
overnight. The resident of Fairway Drive said he
had left his keys in the unlocked vehicle. He said
his other vehicle was also entered and his
passport was stolen from the center console.
It was also unlocked.

MOUNT CARMEL SCHOOL

The last two Catholic elementary schools in the
Falls may be consolidated into one. The
Gazette says it's learned there's a plan to
combine the Mount Carmel School with
Prince of Peace. Diocesan spokesman
Kevin Keenan says nothing has been decided
yet but acknowledged the board has been
talking about it since last September. He
said the bishop had not signed off on any
decision.

LOCKPORT TRAFFIC STOP

Seventeen year old Andrew Failing of 289 Church
was charged with possession of marijuana and
being an unlicensed driver after he was pulled
over by Lockport police around 4:30 am Wednesday
on South Transit. Police said he only had a permit
and that the pot was found under the driver's side
floor mat. They originally pulled him over about
his possible involvement with a stolen bicycle,
which turned out not to have been stolen.

FOR SALE

The Sheriff's Department investigating after the
son of a Wilson man was reportedly trying to sell
a 12 gauage shotgun belonging to his dad at a
bar and a restaurant in the Town. The dad says
he recently told his son to move out and suspects
he may have taken the $3,000 gun with him as he
left. The report said a $1200 Garmen GPS system
was also missing and the son was supposedly
looking for buyers for it too. The dad said his
son has a severe drug problem.

STARBUCKS CLOSING IN THE FALLS

The Starbucks coffee shop inside the Crowne
Plaza in the Falls will be closing soon but the
actual date has yet to be determined. They
started operations in the hotel in 2006. About
a dozen employees will be affected.

ALBANY

State Senator George Maziarz says several
Democrats have locked themselves in the
Senate Chamber again this morning and
they won't let Republicans inside. The
action follows a weird day Tuesday when
the two sides in the power struggle held
competing sessions and each passed their
own bills. No one knows if they are
legally passed and the Governor was clearly
angry when he addressed the issue yesterday.
He said they had added onto the existing
financial crisis by creating a governing
crisis. He said what he has seen in the past
two weeks is digusting and they have
forgotten who they serve. He compared the
situation to a domestic couple having a
disagreement and said when any outsider
tries to come in and shed any light they
refuse the help. He insisted they would
stay in Albany till the situation is resolved.
The Senate is slated to meet at 3pm today
and Mazairz says everyone is waiting to
see what happens then. Paterson compounded
the problem yesterday by sending a new
list of bills he wants them to consider today
including his marriage equality bill.

POWER OUTAGE IN TOWNS OF LOCKPORT & PENDLETON

A power failure around 6:15 last night that
affected parts of the Towns of Lockport and
Pendleton impacted the County Water District
Pumping Station on Dysinger Road. Emergency
Services co-ordinagtor Jim Volkosh told us
it caused the facility's diesel generator to start
up and it generated a lot of smoke. They believe
a passerby saw the smoke and called 9-1-1.
The fire departmernt responded and found the
generator running and called the haz-mat team
just in case. He said there was no fire. NYSEG
says the outage was caused by a load imbalance
on an already weakened jumper that may have
been damaged by a previous lightning strike.
The imbalance may have been caused when
too many customers switched on their air
conditioning simultaneously. The outage
affected as many as 2900 customers at one
point but the company's field customer service
supervisor said many had their power restored
after 90-minutes...he added that as many as
800 were without service till 9pm. It affected
South Transit, Tonawanda Creek, and other
areas off South Transit. Volkosh said it
triggered a number of fire alarms and said
one of them was as Ted's Hot Dogs where
the fans stopped working and they could
obviously not turn off the grille.

NIMAC NEEDS MONEY

The organization charged with making sure
the Falls Air Base stays open will meet this
afternoon trying to resolve a shortage of
funding. Merrill Lane is the Chairman of
the Niagara Military Affairs Council. He
says the new State budget does not
provide any money for NIMAc. They had
been getting about $100,000 a year. A
meeting is set for 4pm today at the Falcon
Club on the base with representatives from
Assemblywoman Francine Del Monte and
State Senator George Maziarz to see if
they can supply some cash through their
"member items." Lane says the County
provided $40,000 in January but their
budget generally runs about $150,000.
Most of that goes to pay their Washington
lobbyists. Lane says they will be very low
on money by September or October if
they don't get some help.

NEW COUNTY DOG

The Sheriff's department announcing deputy
James Hildreth and his new canine partner,
Sarge, successfully completed a ten week
training course last Thursday in Syracuse.
Both were certified in patrol, tracking, and
article recovery. Sarge was born in Slovakia
in August 2007. He was purchased with funding
from Milk Bone and with assets from the
forefeiture account of the County Drug Task
Force. The County's other dog is Zeus and he
works with deputy Craig Beiter.

HARTLAND BAR FIGHT

The Sheriff's department says charges are
pending after they responded to a fight
around 2:30 this morning at Boyers Tavern
in Hartland. A report says it erupted after a
20 year old Ransomville woman entered the
bar with some men. The woman, who is
pregnant, was hit in the eye with a closed
fist. She was concerned about the health
of her unborn child.

MANNING DROPS OUT

A Lockport man has changed his mind about
running for the alderman at large seat in the
City Council this Fall. Michael Manning said he's
withdrawing due to circumstances connected
with the expansion of his wife's work
responsibilities and the subsequent care of
his two handicapped children. He would have
challenged Republican Joe Kibler. There was
no word on whether the Democrats will field
another candidate.

SPERRAZZA SAYS NO

County Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrazza yesterday
refused a request by the defense ro withdraw herself
from the case of a man who was tasered in order to
obtain a DNA sample. Defense attorney Patrick
Balkin said the judge, in her decision upholding the
legality of the sample, referred to Ryan Smith as
a "suspect in a kidnapping and armed robbery."
Balkin said the words she used were improper
and evidence of bias. Balkin also asked for two
seperate trials for the 2006 incidents for which
Smith is charged. Sperrazza gave the prosecution
a week to prepare a counter argument. They will
also talk that day about the use of a surveillance
video taken at the gas station Smith is accused
of robbing.

ALBANY

The Governor turned down a request yesterday
for more time to resolve the power struggle in
the State Senate and said the special session would
go on at 3pm today as planned. Paterson thanked
former Lieutenant Governor Stan Lundine and
former Senator John Dunn for their efforts at
trying to reach a compromise. Paterson said the
people's business has been delayed long enough.
He said they would first address a calendar of
55 basically non controversial items and after that,
the Senate would be called into session everyday
until the people's business is discharged and
deliberations are held on a number of important
issues including reform, fiscal discipline, and
civil rights (the marriage equality bill). Paterson
added that interesting and controversial
legislation has always come to Albany to die
but he said they would give a hearing to those
issues the people want the legislature to
deliberate on. As they've been doing everyday
since June 8, Democrats boycotted yesterday's
meeting which was the final day of the regular
session.

SCHOELLKOPF PARK REDEDICATION

A member of the Schoellkopf family was on
hand yesterday as the Niagara Falls Memorial
Medical Center rededicated Shoellkopf Park
following an extensive $630,000 makeover.
Susan Beatrice Schoellkopf is the daughter
of longtime hospital trustee Paul Schoellkopf.
She said the landscaping and everything was
fabulous and thanked the person in charge
for following the original concept of the park.
That was independent landscape consultant
Joy Keebler. She said the re-installation of
the fountain was a big part of the job and that
she used historic photos to guide her in
re-instituting it's long paths with circles of
shrubbery and flowers. Schoellkopf said her
ancestors would be very proud. The park is
on the eastern end of the hospital across the
street from the Niagara Arts and Cultural
Center at Pine and Portage. Mayor Paul Dyster
said it would be a catalyst for the revitalization
of the entire neighborhood.

AMERICA AT ARTPARK TONIGHT

A big crowd expected tonight as America returns
to Artpark. Spokesperson Maureen Kellick says
the opening act will be One And One. They're
a very popular young group which recently had
a CD release party at the Tralf. The amphitheatre
opens at 4 and free childrens arts and crafts will
start at 5:30. One And One will go on at 6:30 and
America takes to the stage at 8. The concert is
free but it will cost you $10 to park. You cannot
bring any food or beverages into the park, but
a variety of items ranging from burgers to pizza
will be on sale along with beverages. The season
started June 9. Last week's show with the Blue
Oyster Cult drew a record crowd and they had to
eventually close the park to any more fans.

MORE TIME FOR ANELLO DEFENSE TEAM

A federal judge yesterday gave attorneys for
former Falls Mayor Vince Anello another week
to submit legal arguments before he decides
whether to dismiss the case. Judge Jeremiah
McCarthy said he must decide whether the
four count indictment meets legal standards and
if some of the arguments raised by defense
attorneys Joel Daniels and Mark Uba should be
addressed at trial. They maintain the indictment
does not detail any promises Anello made to
businessman Joe Anderson when Anderson
gave Anello a $40,000 no-interest loan.
Yesterdays hearing ran about an hour.

TRUSCIO

A 35 year old worker for Home Helpers Healthcare
was charged yesterday with stealing about $85 in
change from a Walnut Street apartment. Tonia
Truscio of Evans Street allegedly admitted to
taking the money from an apartment that adjoined
the one where she was caring for an elderly man.
The victim was the man's grandson. Truscio
is charged with second degree burglary and
petit larceny. The money was taken last week from
a metal tin in the grandson's apartment.

VIGIL

More than a hundred people showed up last
night for a half hour candlelight vigil to
remember Renee Greco. The 24 year old
youth counselor was brutally murdered June
8 by two teenage boys in her carein a group
home on East Avenue. A framed photo was
on the top porch step of the home last night.
It was surrounded by stuffed animals and
flowers. A white ribbon was tied between the
two porch railings.

SEARCH

Two Border Patrol helicopters and numerous
Sheriff's deputies were used overnight but
they failed to find individuals who allegedly
tried to steal landscaping equipment from a
home at 3285 Hess Road. The search started
around midnight and continued till around 3am.
A track dog was also used as they searched
cornfields, the area around two ponds, a group
of pine trees, and thick brush. Forty-five year
ol;d Lee smith Senior told deputies nothing
appeared to be missing, but said it's happened
numerous times within the past couple of weeks.

BIG WIN

The penny slots at the Seneca Niagara Casino
paid off big time for an Amherst man Saturday
night. John Stehlin won more than $885,000
on the Wheel of Fortune progressive megajackpot
machine, He won after investing a bit more than
$45. Stehlin says he plays the same machine every
time he visits the casino. The marketing consultant
plans to keep his job and says he will use the cash
to pay off debt, invest, and travel.

PROPOSITION

A Town of Lockport girl says a van driver
propositioned her last Friday as she was
walking home from Lockport High School.
The girl told sheriff's deputies it happened
around 10:30 am on Strauss Road. She said
a white van passed by and turned around and
pulled up next to her. She said no when it's
driver asked her if she wanted to make $50.
She told them to get away and the van sped
away East on Strauss Road. She said he was
a white male in his 30's with messy dark hair,
a moustache, and he wore glasses. Another
man was also in the full size white cargo van
which had tinted windows and rust around the
wheels.

FLIGHT OF FIVE

Members of Lockport's Flight of Five committee
talked Monday night about the work that's about
to begin on the project next week. BVR Construction
of Rochester is slated to take care of lead paint on
the railings near the base of the locks and inject
epoxy into the stone steps. The small piece of the
larger puzzle is slated to be finished by the end of
July. Committee Chair Dave Kinyon said he got
a letter from the Thruway Authority saying the
project may be eligible for federal stimulus money.
A former regional director of Empire State Development,
Thomas Blanchard, said it would help the committee
get funding if they worked together with other major
projects seeking cash in the downtown area such as
the rebuilding of the parking ramp and the re-use of
buildings on Canal Street.

DOG THROWN INTO GORGE

A Falls woman telling police Saturday she
believes her neighbor threw her one year old
dog to it's death in the Niagara Gorge. State
Parks Police told her they had found the body
of a dog matching the description of the Sheltie
and it appeared it was thrown down about 125 feet.
The woman told police she discovered her pet
missing Friday night after hearing her other dog
barking outside. She said she saw her
neighbor in a dark alley near her house shortly
before the dog disappeared. She said she had
had problems with the neighbor before. She
paid $1500 for the dog.

HUNTING & FISHING FEES FOR SENIORS

Falls City Clerk Carol Antonucci says the new
State budget increases the cost of fees for
senior citizens for their hunting and fishing
licenses. Those who are between the ages
of 65 & 69 will no longer qualify for the
reduced cost senior fishing license. You'll
have to be over the age of 70 to get one
starting in October and the cost will increase
from $5 to $10. Deer management permits
will no longer be free for Seniors, they will
be $10. Antonucci says if you are between
the ages of 65 & 69, you can buy a senior
lifetime license for $50 before the changes
take effect. On October 1, the cost of it
will increase to $65. Call Carol at 286-4393
and she'll explain it to you.

BUSY WEEKEND IN NEWFANE

Budweys opened it's new location in the
former Shurfine Food Store Sunday in
Newfane. Co-owner Frank Budwey says
most of it is new and his 27 year old spm,
Justin, will manage the operation.
Eighty-five people were hired to staff the
store and ten others were transferred from
their other stores in North Tonawanda and
Kenmore. State Senator George Maziarz
was there for the opening along with several
members of the County Legislature. Meantime,
the owners of about 200 cars brought them
to Miller Hose for their 5th annual Fathers
Day Car Show. There was also music
by Nancy J's Rock & Roll Revival. The
beach at Krull Park also opened yesterday
for the season. It'll be open daily from
noon till 7 through late August when there
is a lifeguard on duty.

LOCKPORT DISTURBANCE

A 23 year old Gasport man was charged with
assault and resisting arrest following a
disturbance around 2am Saturday at Lockport's
Taboo nightclub. Michael Mondello of 3319
Checkered Tavern Road allegedly sucker-
punched one man and struck another on the
right side of the face. One of the men was
taken to ECMC with a fracture to his right eye
orbit. Witnesses said Mondello ran out of
the bar following the attack. Police found him
hiding in an alley near Heritage Court. He
was also treated by the fire department for
lacerations to his head and leg.

HEAD INJURIES

Two men suffered head injuriesin seperate
incidents early Sunday in the County. A
25 year old Falls man suffered a large deep
laceration during a fight involving 6 to 8
people just after 3am at the Party Time Cafe
on Lockport Road. The Wyoming Avenue
man told deputies two women were arguing
inside the bar and someone accused him of
hitting someone's wife. An unknown person
than struck him in the head. He was taken to
the hospital by a friend for sticthes. In
Lockport, a 22 year old resident of North Royal
Parkway was taken to ENH-Lockport after he
was cut on the forehead with a beer bottle
around 5am at a house party on Hamm Road.
The victime told deputies somebody threw the
bottle while he was arguing with another man
as the party was wrapping up. He was treated
for a 1 and 1/2 inch cut above his right eye.
The person responsible will be charged with
assault if they can find him.