JAMES TAYLOR FOUND GUILTY

It only took a jury about two hours Thursday to
find a former Newfane Middle School janitor
guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting three
girls. Forty five year old James Taylor of Fuller
Road could get as much as 50 years in prison.
County Judge Matt Murphy revoked his
$75,000 bail and sent him to the county jail to
await sentencing March 3. Assistant D-A
Elizabeth Donatello confirmed there were
actually four victims, but said the statue of
limitations had run out on the oldest case. The
abuse came to light in March when a 16 year old
victim told a counselor about it. It led to an
investigation by the State Police.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

The members of the Retail Council of New York State
say tomorrow should be the busiest shopping day
of the year. Spokesperson Rebecca Flach said things
have not been too shabby so far. Half of the merchants
surveyed this week were pleased with their sales since
November 29. Fifty-seven per cent said they were better
than, or the same as, the same time last year. Many
customers are paying with cash or debit cards..and
even checks... because they don't want to run up their
credit cards. Flach said the weather has been
also been cooperating this year.

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD HERITAGE COMMISSION

The first meeting of the new Underground
Railroad Heritage Commission was held
yesterday at the Niagara Falls Public Library.
State Senator Antoine Thompson said it
would provide the City with a tremendous
opportunity to rebuild Main Street and increase
heritage tourism. He said the State Park gets
six million visitors a year and the development
would give them an opportunity to keep
visitors around longer and also have people
come to the region just to see the Underground
Railroad Heritage area. He said they were talking
about more shops and businesses, a museum,
and new housing in the area. The 13 member
commission includes former City Administrator
Bill Bradberry, County lawmaker Renea Kimble,
and City Council member Charley Walker. Zachary
Casale was appointed temporary chairman. The
Commission has till 2012 to complete the plan and
submit it to the City, the State Parks Commission,
the Legislature, and the Governor for approval.
Assemblywoman Francine del Monte said their
activities would be funded with some of the casino
money they took from the County this year.

HENRY'S CRIME

A scene from the new Keanu Reeves movie was
shot last night at Prospect Point in the Falls.
With a spot like that, you know it had to be a
romantic scene. Assistant Director John Tyson
said the scene, involving Reeves and co-star
Vera Farmiga....was pivotal to the plot. He said
the two characters are basically on a date and are
starting to fall in love. The fim, "Henry's Crime," is
about a man wrongly convicted of robbing a bank
who gets out of jail and decides to actually rob the
same bank. Other scenes were shot in Buffalo
Tuesday and Wednesday.

BILLS GAME TO BE ON TV

The Bills announced Thursday they had sold
the remaining tickets for Sunday's game with
the Patriots and the contest will be shown
on channel 4. Buffalo has not won a game
against New England since September 2003.
Sunday's game starts at 1pm.

LOCKPORT HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION

The Lockport High School Foundation is selling
tickets now for a Victorian High Tea that'll be
held February 6. High School Principal Frank
Movalli said they wanted the word out now in
case people wanted to buy them for Christmas
presents. The Tea will be held at the Olcott Fire
Hall and it's being put on by the Community Tea
Ladies led by Joanne Stanton. She puts the events
on as fundraisers for various community groups.
The proceeds will be used for scholarships for
students that are taking college credit courses
while attending the high school.The tickets are $25.
More information is available through the school
or by calling Stanton at 434-2316.

COLLINS IS THINKING ABOUT IT

Erie County Executive Chris Collins is giving
serious thought to running for Governor. He
said Thursday he has hired NLO Strategies...
a New York City media firm with ties to Rudy
Guiliani...to help him as he tries to make up his
mind. Collins says it appears Guiliani is not
going to run and that he expects to decide
on his course of action by the third or fourth
week of Janauary. He said he's prepared to
take on former Congressman Rick Lazio in a
primary and that he would contrast his record
with Lazio's.

WHEATFIELD FLOOD PLAIN MAPS

Senator Chuck Schumer is urging FEMA to
take more homes off their proposed flood
plain maps in Wheatfield. He told the agency
in a letter released yesterday he supports
the town's efforts to remove scores of homes
that were on previous maps especially in
Bergholz. He urged FEMA to work with the Town
based on studies done by Wendel Duchscherer.

NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL BOARD

Members of the Falls School Board were told
last night the State withheld $250,000 from this
week's scheduled payment of $6.4-million.
Business Administrator Tim Hyland said Albany
only delayed certain types of aid and it
resulted in a lower cut than they expected.
He said they have enough cash on hand and
won't have to borrow any as long as the delay
doesn't turn into a permanent cut. He also
said they're looking ahead to next month
to see the Governor's preliminary budget
proposal for the coming year. There are
concerns state aid may stay the same or
even see a reduction.

DAIRY FARMERS TO GET HELP

Senator Chuck Schumer says struggling New
York dairy farmers will see about $40-million in
emergency direct payments in the coming weeks.
He said the USDA will calculate them based on
each farms total pounds of production
commercially marketed during the months of
February through July of this year ...multiplied
by two...with up to six million pounds per
operation. The payments will be sent directly
to farmers and no application is needed. The
payment rate is yet to be decided, but it's
estimated it will be 32-cents per hundredweight.
Schumer said the vast majority of farms in
New York fall under the cap, but thousands of
industrial farms in other states will exceed it.

RAYMOND BETSCH DIES OF HEART DISEASE

Former Lockport Mayor Raymond Betsch passed
away Wednesday at Millard Fillmore Hospital after
battling heart disease. He was 86. The Republican
served four terms as Mayor. He won his first term
in 1971 and was re-elected in 1973, but lost to
Mike Chanley in 1975. Betsch took a job at
Harrison Radiator after that and lost two other
stabs at a return to office. He finally won
another term in 1985 when he defeated Tom
Rotundo and he was re-elected in 1987. He
chose not to seek another term in 1989.
Friends say he loved Lockport more than any
other man. He also wanted to see the merger
of the City and Town and continued to push for
it when he spoke to the council and town boards
in February. Current Mayor Mike Tucker said
Betsch told him he had not felt well since he
took part in the Olcott Polar Bear Swim in
March. Betsch has donated his body to the
UB Medical School. A memorial service will
be held at the Second Presbyterian Church at a
later date.
Town

FORMER FALLS COUNCILMEMBER PASSES AWAY

A former member of the Falls City Council and
the County Legislature passed away recently.
Leo Martel died December 4 at the VA Hospital
in Loma Linda, California. He was 89. Martel
represented the Falls on the Legislature from
1974 through 1979. He was elected to the City
Council in 1980 and served four terms. A memorial
mass will be held on Wednesday, January 6, at
Saint John dela Salle Church. He'll be buried
in The Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lewiston.

FATAL ACCIDENT IN ORLEANS COUNTY

The Orleans County Sheriff's Department says
an Albion woman was killed this morning in a
two vehicle crash in the Town of Barre. The
incident happened around 5:20am on State
Route 31-A about a half a mile west of State Route
98. Deputies said the woman lost control and
slid across the center line and into the path of
a tractor fuel tanker combination. The truck
driver was not hurt. The woman's name is
being withheld pending notification of next
of kin. The truck was carrying 8,000 gallons
of ethanol but there was no spill.

LOCKPORT REACHES DEAL WITH FIREFIGHTERS UNION

The details won't be released for awhile, but the
Lockport Common Council last night o-k'd a
contract with it's Firefighters Union. The
agreement was reached during a six hour
bargaining session Tuesday. The Council
approved the deal before the members of the union
because last night was their final meeting of the
year. Members of the union are slated to vote
December 28. Mayor Mike Tucker calls it a
fair agreement for both sides. Lawmakers also
o-k'd the plan to expand the Police and Fire
Boards from four to five members. Alderman
Pat Schrader abstained.

NEW TERMINAL OPENS FRIDAY

The first flight out of the new terminal at the
Niagara Falls Airport is set for 6:15pm Friday.
It'll be headed to Punta Gorda/ Fort Meyers
Florida. Direct Air says all of the 155 seats
have been sold. Representatives from the
Myrtle Beach tourism industry, it's Chamber
of Commerce, and various elected officials
are expected to arrive at the old terminal at
2:30. Ceremonies to celebrate the opening
of the new building are set to start at 5:15.

NCCC STUDENT KILLED IN CRASH

An 18 year old student at NCCC was killed
Tuesday night in a one car accident in
Pendleton. Tyler Gabbey of Akron was a
passenger in a car driven by another
student at the school, 18 year old Issac
Cummings Junior. The Sheriff's department
says Gabbey was trapped in the vehicle
after it rolled over into a ditch and became
partially submerged in water. He was
pronounced dead at ECMC where he had been
taken by Mercy Flight. He and Cummings were
students in the school's Sports Management
Program. College President James Klyczek
said he spoke for everyone at the school
when he issued a statement expressing their
deepest sympathy to Gabbey's family and
friends. He said they were thankful Cummings
did not sustain serious injuries. The accident
happened just after 7:30 Tuesday on Lockport
Road between Comstock and Meahl.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION?

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb is still
trying to garner interest in his plan to call a
People's Convention to put together a new
state constitution. He presided over a
crowded Town Hall Meeting Wednesday
morning in Queensbury. He and two other
members of the Assembly have introduced a
bill that would put the question on next year's
ballot. State law already says voters will have
to decide in 2017 if they want to hold a
convention, but Kolb says it can't wait. His
proposed law would require that any elected
official wanting to run as a delegate would have
to resign from office.

CULINARY ARTS INSTITUTE

The Board of Trustees at Niagara County Community
College o-k'd an agreement Wednesday to go ahead
with plans to locate the school's Culinary Arts
Institute in the vacant Rainbow Center Mall in the
Falls. The non binding memorandum of understanding
between the college, the city, USA Niagara, and The
Cordish Corporation also calls for the Institute to
be temporarily located in the Conference Center while the
Mall is being renovated. The Institute will include
student run restaurants, a wine store, a bookstore, and
a theatre style instructional kitchen space. The school
still needs about $2-million of the $13-million price tag.
The Niagara Falls City Council already approved the
agreement Monday.

LOCKPORT SCHOOL BOARD

The Lockport School Board talked about money
last night in the wake of the Governor's decision to
delay the delivery of a portion of their state aid.
They district has put a spending freeze in place.
Board Secretary Allan Jack said they don't want
to have to borrow money and they don't want to
raise taxes or dip into their reserves. He said they
would also have to get an early start on next year's
budget.

COUNTY LEGISLATURE

Three people will be getting raises next year under
a $305.1-million budget approved last night at the
Courthouse. County Attorney Claude Jeorg will see
a $7,600 increase, his assistant Joe Foltz will get
$5,000 more, and Public Information Officer
Christian Peck was awarded an increase of
$2,632. As expected, the plan to change the
public's ability to offer comments was approved.
Residents will be restricted to items on the agenda
during their first opportunity at the start of the
meeting. A chance to talk about anything else
affecting the county will come at the end of the
session. A public hearing was set for January 19
on a proposal to change the way empty legislative
seats are filled. The law currently says anyone
appointed to fill a vacancy must be of the same
political party as the person they replaced. The
sponsors want to change that so the appointee
can be from any party. As for the budget, it does
contain a nearly $140,000 increase in spending
but the amount to be collected in property
taxes will not change. Residents in most
municipalities will see a decrease, but rates will
go up by six cents in the City of Lockport, by a
nickel in Lewiston, and by 14-cents in Porter.
Those living in the Town of Lockport will see a
reduction of 21-cents and rates will fall by
$1.06 in North Tonawanda. The Falls will see a
reduction of three cents. County Manager Greg
Lewis said the County has enough in the surplus
to withstand the state's ten per cent delay in aid.

SEX ABUSE TRIAL BEGINS

The trial of a former Newfane Middle School janitor
accused of abusing and raping three girls got
underway yesterday in County Court. Forty-five
year old James Taylor of Fuller Road could be
sentenced to 50 years in prison. He allegedly
abused the girls at different times between March
of 1997 and 2003. Two of the alleged victims are now
20 years old and a third is 16. The prosecution said
they have all suffered personal problems since it
happened, that one of them had attempted suicide
and another frequently cuts herself on the arms. The
Defense told the Jury the prosecution would have you
believe that every bad thing that's happened to the
girls is the fault of Jim Taylor. He said the 16 year old
had changed her story several times. Taylor was
arrested by the State Police in March. None of the
alleged crimes took place on school property.

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT WORKER FIRED

A 35 year old County worker accused of stealing
two snowplow blades and some bridge railings
from the Highway Department has been fired.
Joel Allen of Johnson Creek Road in Hartland
is facing a felony charge of grand larceny plus
criminal mischief. He allegedly took the material
December 5 and sold it took Dunn Salvage in
Middleport. It's worth $7,600. Allen had worked
as a truck driver for the department for about five
years. He made $31,000 a year and was let go
last Friday. Allen was arraigned in Lockport
City Court Monday and released on his own
recognizance. A pretrial hearing is set for
next Wednesday.

LOCKPORT COMMON COUNCIL

The Lockport Common Council holds a public
hearing at 6 tonight on that plan to add another
member to the Police and Fire Boards. They
are expected to vote on it during the meeting.
The Council is also expected to amend the
recently passed budget and add another penny
to the tax rate. It's needed because Walgreen's
and several homeowners won reductions to their
assessments in court. Walgreens had theirs
cut by $206,000 and is now assessed at
$1.98-million. That's despite the fact that they
paid $4.3-million for the property in 1999.

SENIOR DANCE ON IN WHEATFIELD

Lawmakers in Wheatfield agreed Monday to spend
no more than $950 on a dance for senior citizens
this Saturday at the Town Community Center. The
cash will pay for a bus to take them there, food,
and a disc jockey. The gathering is run by Supervisor
Tim Demler. It became the center of controversey
when some members of the Town Council said
residents of other nearby communities were also
attending and they did not want to spend money on
them. Demler said afterwards he would use donations
to pay the cost of bringing in residents from out of
town. A plan to cut the pay of the Town Clerk and
the Highway Superintendant was dropped after a
public hearing. Town Attorney Bob O'Toole said
they decided to call it off because of the animosity
and ill will it would cause.

SUPER BOWL WINNER

Twenty-one year old Daniel Klavoon of the Town
of Lockport will be going to Miami for the Super
Bowl. He won Bud Light's "Tailgate Tested
Tailgate Approved" contest. Klavoon had
finished second in on-line voting but the first
place finisher was disqualified. Klavoon's entry
was an idea for a beer sphere. The brew is
placed inside a football allowing it to be
thrown to somebody else without damaging
the contents.

BABY JESUS STOLEN

A statue of the Baby Jesus was stolen from a
Christmas display at a home on Fernwood
Drive in the Woodlands Trailer Park. Delores
Limardi said she hopes and prays someone
will bring it back. She and her husband
recently acquired the 1950's vintage manger
set. State Police also say another resident
of Fernwood Drive reported that two blowup
holiday decorations...a Christmas present and
a globe with penguins...were taken from his
front lawn. In the Town of Lockport, the
Sheriff's Department says a woman told them
someone chopped down three evergreen
trees that were growing in a fenced in area
of her property. The 55 year old resident of
Tonawanda Creek Road said they were the
size of regular indoor Christmas trees. They
were taken between 4pm Sunday and 2pm
Monday.

CANAL STREET SALE TO WAIT

The City of Lockport's plan to sell the Canal
Street block to a Depew company will be
delayed till next May or June. The two sides
met yesterday and Corporation Counsel
John Ottaviano said afterwards, they need to
get State and Federal agencies to approve the
deal. The Mayor said last week that InLighten
wants to buy the block for $100,000 and use it
for a technology campus. The City had told the
State and Federal government they expected to
fill the spaces with restaurants and retail stores
when they accepted nearly $3-million in aid.
The proposed change means they must get their
approval before the sale can go forward. Mayor
Mike Tucker also said outgoing alderwoman
Amanda Alexander will not get the job in the
City Treasurers office. He said the $25,000 a
year position will be given to somebody else
based on the results of interviews and the
reccomendation of Treasurer Mike White. Alexander
was one of six people who interviewed for the job.

NIAGARA FALLS BUDGET PASSES

The Niagara Falls City Council failed to override
the Mayor's veto's Monday and kept the salary of
the City Administrator at $110,000 and preserved
the post of the Economic Development Coordinator.
Councilmembers Charley Walker, Steve Fournier,
and Chairman Chris Robins sided with the Mayor.
The decision means the city's $93-million budget
for next year has passed. It'll decrease the tax
rate for commerical properties by 7 per cent and
increase the rate for residential buildings by
1.5 per cent. City Controller Maria Brown warned
the Council the Governor's decision to delay aid to
cities could cause problems down the road. She
said the City would get 90 per cent of what was
promised and would have to wait for another
$1.4-million. She said there was no guarantee
they would get it but was more concerned there
might be more cuts for 2010 that would affect the
budget approved last night. The council also
voted 5-0 to call for the resignation of NTCC
Chairman John Percy. The resolution says he
refuses to work in concert with the City to better
promote Niagara Falls as a premier tourist destination.
It passed even though members of the agency's
Board of Directors and local hotel and tour operators
showed up at 7 pm to voice their support.

BATTLE ON THE BLOCK

Several weeks ago we told you the Home &
Gardens TV network was looking for residents
wo wanted to decorate their homes for a holiday
special that'll air next year. The three entrants
from the DeVeaux section of the Falls showed off
their work at 5pm yesterday. They can be found
at 4662 Terrace Avenue, 946 James Avenue, and
4016 Cliff Street. Three other families were chosen
in Youngstown and their efforts will be unveiled
at 5pm Friday. They're on River Road, Elliot Street,
and Riverview Drive. Each family was given
$5,000 and 48 hours to decorate. They will each
be featured in a series of one hour shows to
run next year. The winners will be chosen by the
hosts of the show and a couple of local officials.

RUNWAY TO BE PAVED

The massive pork barrel spending bill passed by
Congress over the weekend includes $400,000
to repave the main runway at the Niagara Falls
Airport. The Omnibus Appropriations bill is
awaiting the President's signature.

SLAUGHTER WANTS TO CAP CREDIT CARD RATES

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter announced
Monday that she and Representative John Tierney
have introduced legislation to cap credit card
rates at 16 per cent. Slaughter called it the best
gift they could give Americans in the New Year.
She said the bill would put an end to the outrageous
rates that hurt hard working people and she planned
to hold hearings in the Rules Committee....which she
chairs...as soon as possible. The bill would also place
a $15 limit on late fees and overdraft fees.

BILLS TICKETS LEFT FOR THE PATRIOTS AND COLTS

The Bills say about 2,000 tickets are left for
Sunday's game against New England and
about 5,000 remain for the January 3 meeting
with Indianapolis. A special two game holiday
pack is available for fans wanting to buy tickets
for both games. You'll also get a Bills hat,
key chain, and towel. The offer can be found at
Ticketmaster. com. Individual game tickets are
priced between $38 and $77. The games will be
blacked out if all the tickets are not sold.

YANKEES LICENSE PLATES

Yankees fans will want to get their hands on
a new special New York State license plate
commerating their World Series win. The
limited edition plates will cost $50 for a
random number letter combination and another
$31.25 to keep it each year thereafter. A
personalized plate with six characters will
go for $81.25 with a cost to keep it each year
of $62.50. Details can be found at the DMV
website or by calling 518-402-4838.

FLU CLINIC TODAY IN BARKER

The County Health Department is holding an
H1 N1 vaccination clinic today at Pratt Elementary
in Barker. Both the regular flu and the H1N1 shots
will be given to any Barker resident over the age
of six months for free. The clinic runs from 10
till 7.

BARKER HIGH SCHOOL

For the second straight year, US News & World
Report yesterday named Barker High School as
one of the Top 100 in the country. The magazine
used a school evaluation service run by Standard
& Poors to analyze over 2,100 schools.

LOCKPORT DRUG ARREST

Lockport Police and members of the County Drug
Task Force say they found a quantity of suspected
cocaine last night when they executed a search
warrant at 72 Saxton Street. They said it was cut
and ready for sale. Twenty-five year old Anthony
Ervin of 72 Saxton...and 19 year old Kewan Jackson
of Rochester were each charged with two counts
of possession of a controlled substance. The raid
happened just after 6pm.

SECOND COMMENT PERIOD POSSIBLE

County lawmakers may give residents a second
chance to speak during meetings of the Legislature.
They are slated to consider a rule change tomorrow
night that would add another opportunity at the end
of each meeting. The first comment period would be
limited to items on the night's agenda while the second
would be for any county-related topic. Time limits would
still be enforced during the first but limits on the second
would be at the discretion of the Chairman. Minority
Leader Dennis Virtuoso says it's not public friendly
because many of the speakers are senior citizens
who won't stay till the end of the meeting. Majority
Leader Rick Updegrove said removing the arbitrary
time limit should make up for having to wait till the end.
Chairman Bill Ross says their average meeting is
over in two hours.

OUT OF MONEY

The Governor said Sunday the State will delay
$750-million in payments due in December to
school districts, cities, towns, counties, and
insurance carriers. Paterson said the State had
run out of money and was $1-billion short. He said
payments to schools would be trimmed by
$146-million and cities would have to wait to get
$45-million. There will be $436-million delay
in Star payments and $76-million owed to counties
for human services would have to wait. He said it
was a decision that had to be made because the
Legislature did not make enough cuts in the
recently completed special session. Paterson said
he was well within the bounds of his legal
authority to do so. He said the State may be able
to make the payments if money becomes available.
He also reserved the right to cut more as needed.

SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST TO CELEBRATE SUNDAY

Lockport's Saint John The Baptist church will
celebrate it's 175th anniversary Sunday. The
church is the second oldest Catholic church
in the diocese and the oldest in Niagara County.
Bishop Edward Kmiec will attend Sunday along
with a number of clergy including former pastors
and religious sisters who worked at the parish.
Some non-Catholic clergy are also expected along
with the Mayor and Town Supervisor. The celebration
will take place at the Noon mass and be followed by
a reception in the Church Hall. Current pastor
Father James says many former parishoners are
also planning to be here. The church celebrated its
first Mass at midnight in December 1834. They
grew in numbers last year when they merged with
Saint Mary's of Gasport.

SIX LARGE WINDOWS

Six large windows were broekn during a
domestic argument late Saturday at 56 Frost
Street in Lockport. Thirty-two year old Kermit
Crissey of 48 Park Place allegedly used a rake
to smash them after punching a woman in the
face. Police said he walked up to them as they
were responding and simply said, "just take me
to jail." The victim said a verbal argument turned
physical and Crissey struck her with a closed
fist. She had one black eye and another that
was blue with severe swelling.

NACHOS AND CHEESE

A Medina man was charged with disorderly
conduct after he allegedly fought with a
security guard early Sunday morning at the
South Transit Bowling Lanes. The problem
started when a worker allegedly saw Mark
Havens of South Transit Road in Medina
go behind the bar and take an order of nachos
and cheese without paying for them. Havens
started arguing with the security guard when he
was confronted by the employees. Deputies
said they saw Havens swing a closed fist at
the guard and fight with him as they were
entering the building.

LORDS DAY DINNER

Organizers of the annual Lords Day Christmas
Dinner in the Falls are looking for donations of
food, toys, and clothing. Matt Davis says they
need hams, turkeys, dressings and other
items. They're also looking for toys and
clothing that'll be passed out after the feast.
It'll be served from noon till 6 Christmas Day
at VFW Post 917 at the corner of Seneca Avenue
and Hyde Park Boulevard. Call 284-6973 to make
donations or to volunteer or to get directions
to the event.

HUNTING ACCIDENT IN PORTER

A hunter from the Falls accidentally shot
himself in the left foot around 8:30 yesterday
morning in Porter. Forty-four year old Joe
Folts of Ashland Avenue was taken to ECMC.
Deputies said they got a 9-1-1 call from one
of Folts buddies after Folts shot himself while
climbing down from a tree stand in a wooded
area across from 1944 Youngstown Lockport
Road. Folts said he thought he put the safety
on on his 12 gauage shotgun before he tied
it to a rope as he was climbing down. He
thinks the gun got tangled up in the rope
causing it to accidentally fire.

WOMAN ROBBED AT GUNPOINT IN FALLS

Falls police say three men wearing ski masks
forced their way into the home of a 20 year old
Monroe Avenue woman late Saturday and
robbed her at gunpoint. They took a TV,
playstation 2, and a video game but were
apparently looking for money and marijuana.
The woman told police they kept asking where
it was. She said one of them held a gun to the
back of her neck but she did not see it. She
said another grabbed her hair and pushed her
head into a doorframe.

MIDDLEPORT CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Two windows were busted out of a '97 Mazda
overnight Saturday on Chestnut Ridge Road in
Middleport. The car was parked by the side of
the road with a "For Sale" sign on it. Deputies
said there were other reports of criminal
mischief in the area but the victims did not wish
to file a report.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS & CASH TAKEN IN WHEATFIELD

Christmas presents and cash were stolen from
an unlocked car overnight Saturday on Nash
Road in Wheatfield. The gifts and two car seats
were stolen from the trunk and a 27 year old
said $163 was removed from his wallet. The man
said the car belongs to his mother and it was
parked in their driveway when the stuff was
taken. Two rear tires were also slashed. The
Christmas presents were worth about $100.