RECYCLING IN LOCKPORT

Lockport lawmakers continued to talk about the
cost of the proposed curbside recycling program
at yesterday's budget workshop. Proponent
Richelle Pisceri tried to convince the Council
that even though there is the initial cost of
$335,000 to start the program, the Committee
has shown them there will be a cost avoidance
that would have the program pay for itself in 4 1/2
years. She says it's a cost effective program and they
showed the council how and when it would be
achieved. She said she would go over the budget
with them and try to find cuts elsewhere. She says
her constituents say they are for it. Fourth Ward
alderman Pat Schrader says he doesn't think anyone
is against the idea, it's the cost that's the problem.
He said he would probably vote for it if cuts
can be found elsewhere in the budget. Pisceri
also indicated the State DEC could come down on
the City for not offering the program.

NIAGARA COUNTY PRIMARY RESULTS

Wheatfield Supervisor Tim Demler lost yesterday's
Republican primary to former Town Justice Bob
Cliffe. Cliffe tallied 784 votes to 677 for Demler.
Cliffe will face Democrat Sam Conti in November.
Meantime in the GOP primary in the Town of
Lockport, incumbent Marc Smith defeated Dave
Mongielo 587-253, and current board members
Mark Crocker and Paul Pettit emerged victorious.
Mongielo and board challengers Donna Pieszala
and Dave Devereaux all have the Democratic line
in November so a repeat is in the works. Lewiston
Supervisor Fred Newlin bested Kathryn Lake
Mazierski in the Democratic primary 433 to 265.
Mazierski has the Independence line in November.
In the Falls, Kristen Grandinetti, Sam Fruscione,
and Charley Walker were the winners in the Democratic
primary to run for City Council. Grandinetti received
1832 votes, Frusicone 1721, and Walker 1614. Former
Councilmember Glenn Choolokian came in fourth
with 1479 and Elliot White received 823. Richard
Marasco defeated first district county lawmaker
Jason Murgia in the Democratic primary 542-288.
Murgia still has the Republican line in November.
Vincent Sandonato won the GOP primary in
LaSalle 172-52. Elsewhere, incumbent Robert
Blackman and Randy Roberts won the Republican
primary in Cambria to run for seats on the Town
Board. In Wilson, the winners were incumbent
Brad Clark and Jon Munni-Khuysen. In Royalton,
incumbent Terry Nieman won the Independence
party line for Town Highway Superintendent.
The Board of Elections website says he
received all ten votes, but said there are
writeins and they may change the outcome.
Carson Kelly won the Conservative line,
24-15.

BUFFALO MAYOR'S RACE

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown won his second term
in office Tuesday. He received 62 per cent of the
vote and defeated Michael Kearns in the Democratic
primary. Brown has no Republican challenger in
November.

LEWIS SAYS COUNTY DID NOTHING WRONG

County manager Greg Lewis does not agree
with yesterday's assessment by a union leader
that the County will have to pay $5-million in
back pay because they did not follow a contract
when they let 99 workers go at Mount View.
AFSCME 182 President Ed McDonald said
a state arbitrator had ruled in their favor, but
Lewis said the County would only be responsible
for back pay if they did not offer available part
time work to the 99. He said they did and he
did not think they would have to pay anything.
McDonald told WLVL the arbitrator said they
had to prove they had 99 written signed
documents from people offering the work
and subsequent signed documents refusing it.
He said they may have a few, but they
don't have 99. He said they would have to
provide back pay for the ones they lack.

THREE VEHICLES ENTERED IN WILSON

Two residents on Haner Street in Wilson telling
Sheriff's deputies their unlocked vehicles were
entered between 7pm Monday and 7am Tuesday.
A 26 year old man said a Cobra radar detector and
a Magellan GPS system were missing from his
Chevy S-10 and a Sony car stereo from his Chevy
Camaro. His total loss coming to $575. A 38 year
old woman next door said $5 in change was taken
from her Jeep.

ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES IN NEWFANE

A 35 year old Newfane man charged Tuesday with
nine counts of failing to license and identify dogs
following a joint investigation by the State Police
and the County SPCA. Officials say they found 9
pit bull terriers chained to trees in a wooded area
in July at the home of Michael Paonessa of Coomer
Road. They had no food or water and some wounds
that appeared to have been caused by fighting. A
trooper said they had gotten information he was
selling the animals for a dog fighting ring and that's
why they continued their investigation before
announcing the charges yesterday. The dogs are
being cared for by a vet and are recovering. The
investigation started after the SPCA received a tip.

MOUNT VIEW DECISION TO COST PLENTY

A State arbitrator ruled Monday the County did
not follow the procedures required by their
contract when they let 99 workers go at Mount
View. AFSCME 182 President Ed McDonald said
the workers could recieve the appropriate back
pay and equal benefits plus interest. He says
the average employee was making $25,000
and there are 99 that were laid off. He said
that would come to $2.5-million a year and
since they were let go in 2007 it could add
up to around $5-million. Three hearings were
held in the last year and a half at the Courthouse
in Lockport. It was an independent arbitratror
selected by both the County and the Union and
it was binding arbitration and it should hold up
in court. He expects the County will try to
appeal anyway. County Manager Greg Lewis is
out of Town this week attending conventions and
is unavailable for comment.

PRIMARY DAY

Voting locations in Niagara County will be open
from noon till 9pm today for the primary. County
Republican Elections Commissioner Scott Kiedrwoski
expects there could be more than the usual low
number of participants in at least a couple of Towns.
The battle in Wheatfield between Republican incumbent
Tim Demler and challenger Bob Cliffe is attracting a
lot of interest as is the contest in the Town of Lockport
where businessman Dave Mongielo is attempting to
take the GOP nomination away from incumbent
Marc Smith. Today's election also gives voters in
Royalton the first crack at the new voting machines.
You can watch the returns tonight on the Board of
Elections web site. Kiedrowski expects they'll start
showing up around 9:45. Their address is www.
elections dot niagara dot ny dot us.

HOSPICE

Niagara Hospice celebrated the return yesterday
of Doctor Colin Skinner. He was here 21 years
ago in 1988 when Niagara Hospice was just
getting started. He spent the morning talking
with staff about how they had been helping
people. They now have 160 patients versus
the one they had 21 years ago. Skinner was
walking across America in the 80's to raise
awareness of Hospice development. He's
doing it again now because his mother recently
passed away from pancreatic cancer. He said
seeing what she went through made him want
to do the journey again. He started in New york
City and has walked about 400 miles in the last
three weeks and he plans to visit about 70
hospices across the country. Skinner was
22 when he made his first walk. He's 43 now
and averages between 20 & 30 miles a day.
Hospice had a three hour open house to mark
the occasion.

INDIAN FILM BEING SHOT IN WESTERN NEW YORK

A crew started shooting scenes Monday at
locations in the Falls for a film produced by
a company from India. They were at Three Sisters
Island and Luna Island yesterday and will be in
the area for about ten days. The script calls for
other scenes to be shot at the Cave of the Winds,
the Maid of the Mist, and downtown Buffalo. It's
a love story called "After Life." The chairman of the
Buffalo Niagara Film Commission said the cast and
crew will be staying at local hotels, renting equipment
in the area, and using local transportation and
catering. The producer says most of the people in
India love Niagara Falls. The film will be shown with
subtitles in the U.S.

GRECO

The organizers of Sunday's benefit for Renee
Greco say they may file a wrongful death lawsuit
against the State. Greco was beaten to death June
8 at the Avenue House in Lockport by two teens
under her supervision. They say the State Office
of Children & Family Services put some troubled
teens in community settings that were not
restrictive enough. Sunday's benefit attracted
about 200 people and raised almost $20,000. The
money will fund scholarships for students at
West Seneca East and West High Schools for the
next ten years. Greco was from West Seneca.

14 GUNS TAKEN IN PENDLETON BREAK IN

Eleven handguns and three long guns were
taken during a weekend break-in at a home on
Tonawanda Creek Road in Pendleton. The
victim discoerving the burglary when he
returned home around 5:30 pm Monday. He
also told deputies twenty pocket knives were
missing along with about a thousand dollars
worth of camera equipment and a $2,000
pair of Sworaski binoculars. He told deputies
he found his side door open and the glass in it
broken when he got home. Reports say other
seemingly valuable items were not touched. The
victim said only close family members would've
known he had so many guns in the house.

LAWYER ASKS FOR DISMISSAL

The lawyer for the Falls man accused of killing
landlord Robert Biggs back on March 20 asked
Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrezza Monday to dismiss
charges against his client. Public defender
Christopher Privateer said police did not have
enough evidence to prosecute 23 year old
Darnell Carter. Privateer called it shaky at best.
Sperezza reserved a decision. The two sides will
be back in court September 28.

FALLS MIX UP

A Falls family wants answers after they got an
erroneous call Sunday from a US military liason
claiming their son had been killed in Afghanistan.
Raymond and Robin Jasper say they learned
their son, Jesse, was o-k after his girlfriend called
from North Carolina. She said she talked to him
Sunday. Senator Chuck Schumer is also looking
into the issue.

MARIST COLLEGE POLL SHOWS OBAMA LOSING SUPPORT

The health care controversy is apparently catching
up with President Obama even in liberal New York.
A Marist college poll released Monday showed the
number of registered voters who say he's doing an
excellent or good job has fallen from 63 per cent in
July to 57 per cent now. His approval rating among
Democrats fell from 83 per cent then to 79 per cent
now. On the health care issue itself, 52 per cent
say they approve, 43 per cent disapprove. A lot of
that support is in New York City, 51 per cent of
upstaters disapprove of the health care proposal.