A BUYER FOR CANAL STREET

The Greater Lockport Development Corporation
gave it's attorney permission yesterday to make a
deal with a Depew business that wants to buy the
rehabbed group of three buildings and vacant lots
the GLDC owns on Canal Street. In-Lighten is a
global digital media technologies company. They
want to use the spot for a technology campus for
nearly a hundred white collar workers. Mayor
Mike Tucker tells WLVL the opportunity came up
within the past ten days. They're offering
$100,000 for the block. Tucker says it's worth more
but they're looking long-term. He said they would
initially bring in 70 jobs with an opportunity to
add about 25 more by 2012. They must also
promise to make at least a $1.5-million investment
in the buildings. Tucker said they're practically
"shells" and don't have heating and air conditioning
and they would probablly spend even more. He said
In-Lighten wanted to be in the downtown business
district so their employees can walk around and spend
some time. They would also have several meetings each year
that would bring visitors to hotels and motels. The
GLDC also made it's final offer to settle it's
lawsuit against the former owner of the Metropolitan
Bar & Grille for $150,000. If Peter Caleri accepts
the proposal, it would mean the City lost nearly
half the money it invested in the upscale eatery
that used to be in the Ulrich City Center. Tucker
said the board was in a difficult position and they
were trying to be as fair as they can to Mr. Caleri.
Tucker said he's been a long time business owner
in the Lockport and things happen for whatever
reason. Caleri still owns the Village Eatery and the
Davison Road Banquet House and they don't want
him to be pushed into bankruptcy.

FIREFIGHTERS

Some more "back & forth" yesterday between
the City of Lockport and it's firefighters. Their
union sent the city a letter Monday asking for a
meeting of the joint Health & Safety Committee.
Mayor Mike Tucker said the City would bring up
it's desire to institute three eight hour shifts
a day, to move the dispatch to the Sheriff's
Department or the Police Department, and to
limit the minimum staffing on each shift to nine
firefighters. Firefighters Union President Randy
Parker said their contract calls for the committee to
meet quarterly and it hasn't been done. He said
an arbitrator suggested about two months ago
that they should meet. Parker said he doesn't
think it would be a bad thing to get with the City
and air some of the safety issues they have and
go from there. He said open lines (of communication)
with the City is what they are trying to do. The Union
also filed a Freedom of Information request asking
for all city budgets and actual spending since
2000 plus the numbers for 1990. City Clerk
Dick Mullaney said he would charge them 25-cents
a page and it might cost as much as $200.

H-1 N-1

The County Health Department says they
have enough vaccine and they're ready to
comply with a directive issued by the Governor
yesterday that the H1 N1 vaccine should be given
to anyone that wants it. The Health Department
has a clinic today at the Newfane Elementary
School. The departments Emergency
Preparedness Director Elaine Roman says
anybody in the district can come and get the
shots regardless of age. School kids will get
them first and then the clinic will be open to the
public after 3pm. She said they would take the
last registration at 7:30. She said they plan to
hold a County-wide clinic in January at Gratwick
Hose in North Tonawanda. As for the immediate
future, another clinic set set for next Tuesday at
the Barker Elementary School. It'll be open to
the public from 3 till 7. Roman said they were
relieved the Governor has finally opened it up,
that they did not like having to turn people
away because they had limited supplies. She
said the department just received another
shipment and they have a lot of nasal vaccine
that can be given to people up to the age of 49.
Call 278-1903 for information on their other
locations where you can get vaccinated.

WHISTLE PIG TO RE-OPEN

The famous Whistle Pig restaurant at the corner
of Packard and Military Roads will be re-opening
next year. It's been bought by a new group of
owners that includes Niagara Falls natives Tim
Shiah and Dave Bruno. They have already
started a $1.5-million renovation and have set a
target of June 1 for the re-opening. There'll be a
drive thru window at both the main restaurant and
the ice cream stand and they still sell the famous
hot dogs wrapped in bacon and cheese. A new
set of rides is also promised. Bruno also owns
Dave's Niagara Auto & Radiator Repair on
Whitney Avenue. Shiah now lives in Las Vegas.

NTCC FLAP CONTINUES IN THE FALLS

The Board of Directors of the Niagara Tourism
And Convention Corporation issued a statement
Thursday expressing support for their President
& CEO John Percy. They said he has not refused
any request made by the Falls City Council for
information about their operations. The statement
said the Board instructs Percy as to what
information he should provide. Chair Tricia
Mezhir said if the Council has issues with their
operations, they should contact her or Mayor Paul
Dyster. She said the singular focus on Percy by
some council members clearly shows a lack of
understanding of their operations. Council members
Sam Frusicone and Bob Anderson have a resolution
on Monday's council agenda calling for Percy;s
immediate resignation because he has not provided
financial information to the Council.

EXTREME MAKEOVER

ABC-TV said Thursday the "Extreme Makeover
Home Edition" show shot in Buffalo will air
January 24 as a two hour special. The extra
hour is expected to focus on the rehab work
done on other homes close to the one on
Massachusetts Avenue that was the initial
focus of the show.

CORVETTE FIRE

The Cambria Volunteer Fire Company put out
a blaze around 5pm yesterday in a 1981 Chevy
Corvette. A 63 year old Newfane man said he was
driving on Ridge Road when he smelled the odor
of an electrical fire and noticed a light under the
dash. He pulled to the side but failed when he
tried to put it out with a floor mat. Firefighters
found the car totally engulfed in flames in front of
4931 Ridge Road.

UNDER BUDGET

The Lockport School Board was told last
night the project to rennovate the high school
is expected to come in at $1.4-million under budget.
A spokesman for Young & Wright Architects said
the district is getting very competitive bids because
there is not too much other construction going on
because of the economic slowdown. The project
was estimated at $23.5-million with construction cost
put at $20-million, but its now thought it will probably
be $18.6-million. Jerry Young suggested they might
want to add roof repairs to the project, or they might
want to wait till the bids are finalized before deciding
what to do with the leftover money.

PUBLIC MEETING NEXT TUESDAY IN LOCKPORT

The resultrs of a study on how to improve signage
in Lockport....and what to do about the Electric
Building facing the canal....will be discussed at a
public meeting next Tuesday night. The Common
Council, in June, awarded a $67,000 contract to a
South Wales architectural firm to do the study. Mayor
Mike Tucker said Wednesday that Caley & Company
is reccomending that a rooftop banquet facility
should be put on top of the structure. They're also
offering free advice on what to do with the downtown
parking ramp. The meeting will be at 7pm Tuesday at
City Hall. The Council also went into executive session
last night to review possible deals with three department
heads who don't belong to a union. They are City Clerk
& Budget Director Dick Mullaney, Corporation Counsel
John Ottaviano, and Personnel Director Mary Pat Holtz.

NIAGARA CLUB

A developer has major plans for the former
Niagara Club building in the Falls. The once
private facility at 24 Buffalo Avenue will be
converted into restaurant, banquet facility,
and bar. Developer and hotel owner B.F. Patel
says he will be asking the City and state for
help. He estimates it will cost a million
dollars. Patel bought the Econo-Lodge on
Rainbow Boulevard in 1996 and is currently
doing a multi-million renovation adding 56
rooms.

RED COACH INN

The USA Niagara Development Corporation
Wednesday o-k'd a $100,000 grant towards the
expansion and renovation of the Red Coach Inn.
The historic restaurant and hotel currently has
19 luxury suites and guest rooms. The plan is to
convert 12 former offices into new guest rooms,
and to add a reception area, new laundry
facilities, and enhancements to the buildings
facade.

GASPORT MAN CHARGED WITH HURTING BABY

A 25 year old Gasport man was charged yesterday
with causing multiple injuries to a four month old
child last month. David Stroup was arraigned in
Town of Lockport court and is being held on
$50,000 bail. Sheriff Jim Voutour says the injuries
occurred while the child was left in Stroup's care.
The arrest followed an investigation into a report
of child abuse November 23 at Strong Memorial
Hospital in Rochester where the chlld had been
taken for treatment. Stroup could get seven years
in prison if he's found guilty.

ROCHESTER

Seven Rochester area professionals are
facing felony charges for failing to file tax
returns. The State Tax Department says a
doctor, a lawyer, a dentist, a nurse, and
three local businessmen were arrested
Wednesday. They're accused of failing to
report nearly $5-million in earnings over
multiple years, avoiding the payment of
about $270,000 in state taxes. The Tax
Department said they mark the first stage
of a statewide crackdown on tax cheats.

VENDOR FAIR

A Holday Vendor Fair to benefit the DeSales
Home School Association and the annual
bid for Quality Education Auction is set for
6pm tonight at the Lockport Town & Country
Club. Many local merchants, restaurants, and
artisians will be offering gift items in every
price range. There'll also be gift cards, and
cash and carry items and special orders can
be made. A cash bar will be open. The event
runs from 6 till 9 and admission is $10. It
includes desserts and coffee.

THE NEW YORK STATE GREAT APPLIANCE SWAP OUT

You might want to wait till February to buy a new
refrigerator, freezer, washing machine or dishwasher.
The US Department of Energy has o-k'd a plan by
the state to use stimulus dollars to give rebates
in February for those buying new energy efficient ones.
The program will be held between February 12 and
the 21st. The State has $16.8-million and plans to
issue as many as 170,000 rebates. You can get
$75 for buying a new refrigerator or washing
machine and $50 toward a freezer. Rebates for
diswashers will only be available if you buy one
and two of the others as part of a bundle. You'd
get $500 back in such a case. You'll be able to
get a little more cash if you can prove the older ones
were recycled. Rebate forms and instructions will
eventually be posted on the NYSERDA website,
but they are not there yet.

NASTY WEATHER

Niagara County will miss the worst of the nasty
weather that's forecast for tonight and Thursday.
Forecasters say we won't see much more than
a few inches of snow tonight and there'll be
scattered snowshowers tomorrow. The County
is included however, in a high wind warning that
kicks in at 2pm today and continues till 7pm
Thursday. Winds could gust to 45 mph this
afternoon and up to 60 mph tonight and
Thursday. Areas to the South of Buffalo are
expected to get as much as two to three feet of
snow by Saturday morning.

LOCKPORT MAN ROBBED & BEATEN AFTER USING A-T-M

Three Lockport men are facing robbery charges
after they allegedly attacked another man around
11pm Tuesday after he used the ATM at the M&T
branch on Pine Street. Twenty-four year old
Shannon Hill of 294 Washburn and 22 year old
Christopher Howard of 107 Genesee are charged
with robbery and possession of marijuana.
Eighteen year old Zachary Smith of 42 Ashley
Place with robbery. The victim told police he left
his High Street apartment on a bicycle to get some
money and go to Wilson Farms. He said he saw
a man wearing a skeleton sweatshirt outside the
ATM and several others standing nearby. He
withdrew $40 and was leaving on the bike when he
felt someone grab him. He told police the man
wearing the skeleton sweatshirt started punching
him in the face with both fists. The victim got off his
bike and tried to defend himself but at least two
others started beating him and he was kicked in the
head and face while on the ground. He eventually got
away and ran to Molinaro's Restaurant where he
entered the store covered in blood. They called police
and he was treated for several deep cuts and scrapes
to his head and face. The three men were found by
police at Genesee and Locust. The victim identified
them as the one's responsible.

MONGIELO COURT DATE SET

The question as to whether Town of Lockport
auto repair shop owner Dave Mongielo
violated zoning ordinances when he put up
a video signboard in front of his Robinson Road
business will be decided January 20. Town
Justice Raymond Schilling set the date last
night. The non jury trial will deal with a bunch
of summonses Mongielo received. Town
Prosecutor Brad Marble says Mongielo is
due in court December 23 when he'll bring in
his attorney for the upcoming trial. Mongielo
says he will not use the attorney whose
representing him in his civil suit against the
Town. He says he's run up $20,000 in legal
bills with Jeff Palumbo.

COMMITTTEE POSTS

Lockport Alderman at Large Joe Kibler will
be the Common Counci's representative on
the Fire Board next year. Mayor Mike Tucker
announced the appointment yesterday along
with his committe appointments for 2010. Kibler
will also head the Finance and Highways & Parks
committees. Council President designate Richelle
Pisceri will head the Personnel Commitee and
Alderwoman Flora McKenzie will be in charge
of the Public Health & Safety Commitee and the
Youth Commitee and continue as the Council's
represenative on the Police Board. Kibler's
appointment to the Fire Board should be
interesting. He's a long time critic of the
Firefighters Union.

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

The City and Town of Lockport will present
a free holiday movie Saturday morning at the
Palace Theatre. The Jim Carey flick, "How The
Grinch Stole Christmas" will be shown at 11am.
Santa will be there and there'll also be free
pop and popcorn.

DRUGS STOLEN FROM CAR

A 58 year old Lockport woman says a bag
containing all of her prescriptions was stolen
from her car around 5:25 last night while it
was parked in the lot of the CVS Store on
Saunders Settlement Road in Cambria. A
total of 24 preascriptions were in the bag and
included everything from hydrocodone to
vitamin D. She said she locked the car
door when she and her hubby entered the
store, but he went back to get something
and left the door open. There are no
surveillance cameras in the drug store lot.

SLOWING DOWN HIS PROGRESS

A 20 year old Newfane man was sentenced to
six months in the County Jail Tuesday after he
told Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrezza the drug
treatment program she had previously assigned
him to was "slowing down his progress." Sperrezza
told Lee Smith of Hess Road he was immature and
"just didn't get it." Smith had pleaded guilty to
selling oxycodone pills January 8 to an undercover
Lockport police officer. He'll be on probation for
4 1/2 years after he's released from jail.

LAZIO GETS COUNTY GOP ENDORSEMENT

Former Congressman Rick Lazio was in
Lockport last night to get the endorsement
of the County's Republican party in his
quest to run for Governor next year. Local
party chief Mike Norris said Lazio met with
the Executive Committee where he shared his
vision on tackling the complete dysfunction
in Albany and to restore fiscal responsibilty
back to the Capitol. He said Lazio stands for
the fundamental principles that most New Yorkers
are yearning for, less taxes, less government
and real reform. Lazio said he was pleased
and proud to get the endorsement...because
of their record and because the county is
important geographically and he expected to
spend a lot of time in Western New york. He
said it was one of the most important areas
of the State where he wanted to create jobs.
He said lifelong politicians had created the
State's problems. He promised to turn the
state around by making sure politicians
spend money responsibly and programs
produce results. Lazio lost to Hillary
Clinton in the 2000 Senate campaign. The
endorsement was announced prior to the
party's holiday gathering at the Lockport
Holiday Inn.

FALLS BUDGET

Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster Monday
vetoed the City Council's decision to cut
the Economic Development Director from
the 2010 budget and to drastically reduce
the salary of the City Administrator. He issued
a third that would put casino money back into
the budget to pay for the Economic Development
Director's salary and benefits. The jobs are
held by Peter Kay and Donna Owens. He issued
a 23 page report defending their work and
reminded the council that the Economic
Development post was referenced in the City's
replay to the State Comptrollers audit of
their relations with developers. The Comptroller
basically said they had to do a better job of
protecting the taxpayer's interests in the
agreements and you do that by having a
strong person in charge. He also said
Owens came highly reccomended and she's
taken the burden of the city's day to day
functioning off his back , allowing him to
be the front man for the City. The Council said
they were disappointed with their work when
they made changes to the Mayor's proposed
budget. Dyster issued a 23 page report
defending them. Three members of the Council,
Chris Robins, Charley Walker, and Steve Fournier
have said they are willing to reconsider their
votes before the spending plan is finalized
next week. It would take four votes to overide
Dyster's veto.

HIGH WIND WATCH

The National Weather Service has issued a
high wind watch from Wednesday night thru
Thursday afternoon. A deep storm system over
the Central Plains this afternoon will lift northeast.
It's central pressure is expected to deepen to
minimum hurricane levels. Winds will increase
to 25 to 40 mph Wednesday night and Thursday
with gusts to 55 mph. They could bring down
tree limbs that might lead to power outages. The
Weather Service is advising you to secure your
outdoor holiday decorations. We're told that
as of now, it doesn't look like Niagara County
will see enough snow for a Winter Weather
Advisory or a Storm Warning. That could
change depending on the direction of the winds
and the resulting lake effect snow that is
expected in some areas.

BRUNO FOUND GUILTY ON TWO COUNTS

Former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno was
found guilty yesterday of two felony counts of
depriving the public of his honest services. The
80 year old was cleared of five more and a mistrial
was declared in a sixth. Bruno was found guilty
of mail fraud involving checks he got from companies
tied to an Albany area businessman and from a friend.
The other count involved his failure to disclose his
participation in a horse business and a $40,000
check he got for a horse that was virtually worthless.
He could get as much as 20 years in prison when he's
sentenced March 31. He's free on his own recognizance
till then. Bruno said he would appeal and said it was
far from over. The jury took seven days to reach a verdict.

HUNTING REPORT

In a midseason report yesterday, the State DEC
said they had issued about 250 violations since the
start of the big game hunting season. Twelve of them
took place in Niagara County but some residents
were charged with violations in other areas. Twenty-
seven year old Michael Moore of the Falls was charged
with killing a black bear during the closed season in the
Town of Birdsall in Alleghany County. Seventy-two
year old Charles Smith of Gasport was charged with
a misdemeanor in the same county for allegedly killing
a wild deer over bait, and a violation for hunting deer
over bait. Fifty year old Michael Greaser of the Falls
received a violation for hunting big game in Alleghany
County during the closed hours. In Niagara County,
63 year old George Merkling III of Wilson was charged
with a misdemeanor in Newfane for carrying a rifle
larger than a 22 calibre afield.

FELONY D-W-I

A 47 year old barmaid at the Canalside Inn is
facing a long list of charges after Sheriff's
deputies pulled her over around 1:30 this
morning at the intersection of Root and
Royalton-Hartland Townline Road. Valerie
Peters of Wruck Road is charged with a felony
DWI, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental
administration, speeding, failure to keep right,
refusing to take a breath test, drinking while
driving, and using obscene gestures and
language. Deputies said she started to hit her
head against the side of the patrol car after she
was handcuffed. She managed to slip out
of them while in the car and had to be pulled
out to have them re-secured. Once she was
back inside the vehicle, she banged her head
on the side windows and cage. When they
stopped to talk to her, she allegedly tried to
escape by kicking a deputy in the leg. Peters
is being held on $750 bail. The DWI felony charge
was levelled after it was found she had been
found guilty of DWI in January 2002. She was
originally pulled over for going 41 mph in a 30mph
zone.

84 LUMBER

The manager of Wheatfield's 84 Lumber reported
Monday $510 worth of wood was stolen sometime
since October 7. The lumber was kept outside on
the northwest corner of the property near the
railroad tracks. It's fenced in but the manager
believes somebody hopped the fence. Vehicle
tracks were found nearby and they led to the
railroad bridge. The thefts were discovered during an
inventory. The lumber was of construction grade
and consisted of thirty 2by4by16 pieces, ninety
2by4by10 pieces, and thirty 2by4by12 pieces.

RITE AID

A 33 year old Lockport man was charged last
night with taking a clock radio off the shelf at
the Rite Aid at Transit and High and then turning
it in for a refund. Robert Reeb told the
clerk had had lost the receipt and after he left
she checked the store's surveillance cameras
and found he had not been carrying the clock
radio when he came in. She called police and
he was arrested around 6:30 last night at his
apartment at 6552 Lincoln Place. He's charged
with petit larceny and is due in court December 16.