FREE CONCERTS

County residents get to enjoy two excellent free concerts
this weekend. Our Lady Peace returns to Lockport tonight
for the Molson Canal Conference Series.....and the City
of Niagara Falls kicks off it's own six week summer concert
series at 6pm tomorrow on Old Falls Street. The headline
performer is Gord Downie of Tragically Hip. He'll be
performing with a group called Country of Miracles that
he's touring with. The show will open with popular local
artist Alison Pepitone. The show starts at 6 and officials
are expecting a large crowd. Officials talked at Monday
night's council meeting about special measures they're
taking to control traffic because the Seneca Nation also
has it's holiday fireworks display tomorrow night as well.
Dyster will present the key to the city to Downie in
recognition of his work to protect the environment. In a
related story, the free mini concerts will continue at 1pm
today at the Gazebo on Canal Street in Lockport. Mike
Patraglia will play acoustic classic rock and easy listening
music. The free two hour shows will continue each weekday
through the end of the month. Some will start at 11am and
others at 1pm.

LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE

The State budget may not be finished, but Senate
Democratic Majority Conference leader John Sampson
touted their accomplishments anyway during a press
conference yesterday in Albany. Sampson said the
bills they passed kept spending under the rate of
inflation for just the fourth time in 30 years. He said
they provided property tax relief. restored school aid,
and they have a plan to eliminate tax breaks New Yorkers
cannot afford. Sampson said residents should not
overlook what they had accomplished because of
what they have yet to finish. He said they were working
on a contingency plan in case a billion dollars of Medicaid
help doesn't arrive from Washington and also on higher
education reform. He called on all parties to work together
and find common ground and sensible solutions to the
State's problems. Sampson said they would be back next
week.

BLACK BEAR HIT ON 990

A motorist struck a 150 pound black bear last night
on the 990 near the Sweethome Road exit. The driver
was not hurt, but the bear was killed.

LEWISTON PEACE GARDEN

The 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden opens tomorrow
on Center Street in Lewiston. Jacquie Lodico is the
co-chair of the committe that spent several years
putting it together. She said it take sup half an acre
that was formerly a parking lot and volunteers
transformed it over the past few years. She said all
the money was donated. There are shrubs, roses, trees,
a beautiful new fountain and washrooms. She said it
was a place where you can come to sit and enjoy the peace
that has existed between the US and Canada. The garden
features a sculpture called Friendship Rising that was
done by Clarence resident Donna Ioverio. Tomorrow's
dedication starts at 1:30 and will also feature a
re-enactment of the Battle of Marble Orchard. The entrance
to the garden can be found on Center Street at the
very yellow house that's one of the oldest in the Village.
Many of the bricks in the courtyard were purchased by
contributors and are enscribed with special remembrances
and notes. Assemblywoman Francine Del Monte will attend
the dedication along with Village Mayor-elect Terry
Collesano and Lee Simonson, he's the President of the
Historical Association.

ONE NIAGARA

State Supreme Court Judge Richard Klock ordered
the City of Niagara Falls yesterday to abide by the
terms of an injunction he granted months ago and to
allow the 9th floor observation deck at One Niagara to
remain open to the public. Klock ordered the City
to pay $10,000 in legal expenses incurred by the
building's legal team. He was visibly upset as he
questioned the City's motive in the case and suggested
officials had better things to do than hassle a
businessman whose trying to make it in an
economically distressed community. An attorney
for the City said they were only trying to enforce
building codes and they will appeal. The attorney for
One Niagara said they were committed to working with
the City to resolve all outstanding issues.

NEW AIR SERVICE

New air service started today from New York City to the Falls.
The first flight by Rainbow International Destination
Management was slated to arrive at 8:25 this morning.
The company is using a SAAB 340A propjet with leather
seating and lots of legroom. The flights open to the
general public next Thursday. A daily flight from the Falls
to Newark will leave at 8:45 each morning....and the
return flight will touchdown in the Falls at 7:45 each
night. The round trip fare is $229 plus taxes and fees.

MAN SAYS GUN POINTED AT HIM

A 19 year old Lockport man turned himself into
police just after midnight today after he allegedly
pointed a gun at another man during an arguement
yesterday on Cottage Street. Antonio Hyland of
80 Genesee was charged with second degree menacing.
He was released on his own recognizance and is due in
court July 7. The victim says he's been having problems
with Hyland because he's dating his ex-girlfriend. He
said Hyland came up to him while he was walking on
Cottage, started an argument, and then pointed a gun at
him and threatened to kill him.

MORE CHARGES ARE PENDING

Lockport police say more charges are pending after
they charged two women with possessing hypodermic
needles around 11:30 yesterday morning on High Street.
Police say they found them after they stopped to give
32 year old Michelle Culverwell of 8704 Lake Road in
Barker a ticket for parking illegally. They also
discovered she was wanted on a warrant and allegedly
found two needles and a spoon with white residue on it
in her purse. Police said they also saw a white powdery
substance on the floor of the passenger side. Thirty-five
year old Alicia D'Angelo of 42 Ashley Place allegedly
admitted to having needles in her purse as well. Police
said they also found a plastic baggie containing two
spoons with a white residue on them. D'Angelo, we're
told, also goes by the last name of Conjerti.

SCHOOL BOARDS

The Presidents of two local school boards won
another term in meetings last night. Patricia Riegle
was re-elected at Roy Hart and Russ Petrozzi won
another term at the top in the Falls. Riegle is starting
her eighth year on the board at Roy Hart. They also
chose Jeffrey Waters as Vice President and new member
Paul Guinn was sworn in to begin the three year term
he won in May. Carmelette Rotella was chosen as
Vice President in the Falls.

PAYNE AVENUE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

The North Tonawanda church that changed it's
name a few years ago in anticipation of building a
new headquarters in Wheatfield is now back in
NT. The Payne Avenue Christian Church had
changed it's name to the Church At Shawnee
Landing, but plans to builnd a new sanctuary there
fell through due to rising costs. They have bought
the former St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Payne
Avenue and reclaimed their name. The Payne Avenue
Christian Church will have their first service there
a week from Sunday at 10am. It'll be followed by
a Chiavetta's chicken barbecue for only $7.50.

ALBANY

Senate democrats in Albany decided last night to
wait till next week to finish the State budget. Democratic
Conference Leader John Sampson said they want to
talk more about SUNY funding and to come up with a
contingency plan in case a billion dollars in promised
Medicaid funding doesn't materialize. The Governor told
WOR Radio this morning "if they have a Medicaid plan,
they should send it to me." Paterson said he appreciated
the remarks made by Sampson and that Sampson sees
now " it is fiscally irresponsible for them to be pretending
the money is coming." Paterson signed the 6900 vetoes this
morning to the budget passed Monday. He also introduced
a bill yesterday that would add $70 a week to the state's
weekly unemployment checks. The maximum benefit is
currently $405 a week. The change would take effect next
year if it gains approval. Meantime, local representatives
Francine Del Monte and George Maziarz say a bill they
sponsored to allow for hunting in the State with crossbows
has passed both houses. The bill specifies that crossbows
can be used in any big game season when a shotgun or
muzzleloader is permitted.

WRIGHTS CORNERS MAN FINED AFTER ACCIDENT

A 70 year old man from Wrights Corners was fined
in City Courty yesterday in the aftermath of the March
30 accident that took the life of 85 year old Virginia
Barnwell. Robert Payne Sr swas found guilty of failing
to exercise due care to avoid striking a pedestrian. The
fine and surcharge came to $200. Payne hit Barnwell
with his Chevy Trailblazer as she was crossing Walnut
Street at Cottage. He was found guilty after a 40-minute
non jury trial.

FALLS GETS NEW LIBRARY CHIEF

The Niagara Falls Library Board voted 5-0
yesterday to appoint a former city resident
as it's new Library Chief. Michelle Petrazzoulo
grew up in LaSalle and has worked for the past
14 years managing two library branches in
Charlotte, North Carolina. She'll start August
9. She was hired on her birthday but she refused
to give her age or any details about her family. Her
starting salary will be $80,000 a year plus
$15,000 in medical, dental, and life insurance
benefits. Petrazzoulo told the Board she wanted
to get back to her community and make the
libraries as relevant as possible. She said she
would be spending a lot of time getting to know
the staff and preparing for her new job in the
coming weeks. Former Executive Director Betty
Babanoury resigned last November.

LOCKPORT COMMON COUNCIL

After hearing from Fire Chief Tom Passuite yesterday,
Lockport lawmakers expect to vote next week on buying
a new pumper for the Fire Department. The City got a
$247,000 grant in April to help pay for it but it specifies
the truck must be ordered by July 16 or the money's
gone. The City got two bids but Passuite wants to accept
the higher one because it better meets the needs of the
department. Churchville Fire Equipment wants
$529,000. Passuite said the City could ask Albany for
a low interest loan to pay for it. He also said Churchville
would cut the price by $18,000 if the City delivers the grant
money upfront to pay for the chassis and frame. The new
truck would not be delivered till January or February. The
Council also met with the Lockport Historic Preservation
Committee. They want the City to do a survey to determine
which houses and buildings are historic and should be saved.
The survey would be done by Clinton Brown & Company
and it would be done in three parts. The first would focus
on the central part of the City and a grant would pay the
$20,000 cost. It would take 9 months to a year to complete. The
Commission plans to apply for another grant for the next
phase. Mayor Mike Tucker says the item will be on next
week's agenda.

PRIESTS TO GET RAISES

Your parish priest is getting a raise. The Catholic
diocese says raises of at least 20 per cent will be
phased in over the next two years as part of a new
base salary scale that takes effect in September.
Base pay for a newly ordained priest will go from
$17,000 to $18,500. A second increase next September
will bring their pay to $20,500. Buffalo priests were among
the lowest paid in the state over the past five to eight
years. A priest with 25 years experience will make
around $21,000 this year and $23,380 next year. A
priest with 50 years experience will make more than
$24,000 this year and $26,380 in 2011. The diocese has
about 200 active priests and another 125 or so who
are retired, ill, or otherwise not working. Retired
priests are covered by a pension plan. Catholic priests
earn less than clergy in mainline Protestant churches.

HICKORY STICK GOLF COURSE

A contractor that worked on the Seneca's new
Hickory Stick Golf Course says they are owed
$4.1-million for material and labor. Sue-Perior
Concrete and Paving says they'll go to court, but
the Senecas are threatening to do so as well. They
claim the company failed to file required change
orders and did not complete required work on time.
They say Sue-Perior owes them $809,000 in lost
profit and they want them to withdraw a lien and
to finish some work....or they will go to court.

MUSIC IN THE AIR

Lockport Main Street begins a series of 16 concerts
today at the Gazebo on Canal Street. Folk acoustic
artist Andy Mitchell will perform from 1 till 3pm.
The mini concerts will be held from 11am till 1pm or
from 1 till 3 Monday thru Friday. Niagara Produce
Lockport will have a cart on the street and they're
hoping to add an ice cream and hot dog vendor
next week. Meantime the free Friday at the Falls
concert series begins tomorrow night on Old Falls
Street with the USA Band. Large Marvin will be there
next week followed by 4.0 on July 16, the "A" List on
the 23rd, and Robots Are Thieves on the 30th. The
offerings in August include Penelope, White Chocolate,
Then & Now and This Vehicle. The Sunday night
jazz series on the steps of the Niagara Arts & Cultural
Center begins Sunday at 6 and continues through
August 29.

BAD KHARMA

A bank in the Falls that was robbed Tuesday was struck
by a vehicle around noon Wednesday. A car careened out
of control and smashed into the brick wall of the Citizens
Bank branch at 8298 Niagara Falls Boulevard. Nobody was
hurt and the building sustained minor damage.

COPPER STOLEN

The owner of S.M. Pynn & Sons told Lockport police
yesterday a $300 coil of copper was taken from a
worksite at 35 William Street overnight Tuesday.
The 80 pound coil of 3/4 inch soft copper was in a
trench and covered with paper. The police department
contacted Lock City Metals and asked them to call if
that type of copper comes in. In other entries on the
police blotter, an elevator at the Lockport Plaza
suffered $100 damage around 9pm Tuesday when
someone scratched the walls. A High Street man also
reported that a Troy Built cultivator was taken from
his shed sometime over the past month.

BURGLARY

Two guns were taken Tuesday from a home on Bowmiller
Road in the Town of Lockport. A $50 Crossman pellet gun
and a $50 Daisy BB gun were taken from a cabinet in the
living room. A 72 year old told sheriff's deputies it appeared
some kicked in his front door. The damage to the door and
cabinet estimated at $100. A neighbor said she saw a white
Chevy Cavalier pull into the man's driveway between 2:30
& 3pm and a tall white male left the home awhile later and
got into the passenger side of the vehicle.

FIREFIGHTER RESIGNS

Lockport firefighter Michael Collette handed in his
resignation yesterday. The 45 year old Lieutenant
was slated to attend a hearing today to answer two
charges of misconduct. The Fire Board has accused
him of violating several departmental rules of conduct
and state law and city rules pertaining to compensation
of injured firefighters. Collette has been off the job for
15 months on a workplace injury. Mayor Mike tucker
said the City would take him to court to recover
disability payments allegedly made under false
pretenses. Collette had been a firefighter for 15
years, his resignation takes effect immediately. He
told the Union Sun & Journal he's been the victim of
character assassination after a series of revelations
about his activities while on disabilty leave.

TEEN CHARGED IN CAR-MOTORCYLE ACCIDENT

Charges have been filed against a Pendleton teenager
in connection with last Friday's accident that took the
life of a 33 year old motorcyclist. Regina Harville has
been charged with failing to yield the right of way. Sheriff's
deputies say she struck Martin Crowley when she made
a left turn to enter Kenyons Variety on Campbell
Boulevard. Crowley was thrown from his motorcycle
and his body struck the front end of another vehicle.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. Harville told
deputies she did not see the motorcycle. She was also
charged with a restricted license violation, possibly
because she is 16 and was driving after 9pm. Captain
Mike Filicetti said her cell phone was confiscated to see
if she was talking or texting when the accident happened.
Meantime, 51 year old James Boyer Jr. remains in
critical condition at ECMC. The bike he was riding
struck a deer early Sunday morning in Hartland.

ALBANY HIJINKS

The Governor said yesterday he's calling off negotiations
with the Legislature over the nearly 7,000 vetoes he's
promised to make to every addition and pork barrel
grant in the Legslature's budget that they passed Monday.
Paterson said legislative leaders would have to come to
him with solid counter proposals for his policy goals
which they rejected in the spending plan. They include
a local property tax cap, a contingency fund in case a
billion dollars in promised Medicaid funding is not passed
by Congress, and a plan to let SUNY schools set their own
tuition. Senate Democratic leader John Sampson said he
met briefly with the governor yesterday and he's trying to
re-start talks between Paterson and Assembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver.

AMERICAN IDOL

Lockportians enjoyed his singing last year at Sweet
Melodies and now 22 year old Kyle Van Schoonhoven
is getting ready for his American Idol audition
August 3 in Rutherford, New Jersey. He told WLVL
he's not sure what to sing and his mother had the
idea to have him sing in the store she manages and to
let the customers decide which song he should
perform at the audition. The event will be held at
noon Sunday, July 4, at the Dollar Tree on South
Transit. Van Schoonhoven won the right to go to
the front of the line at the auditions during a singing
competition at Disney World. He says he's guaranteed
an audition and that's important, because so many
show up that some are turned away. Van Schoonhoven
has another year left at Fredonia State where he's a
music education major.
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BANK ROBBERY

The Citizens Bank branch at 8298 Niagara Falls
Boulevard was held up around 11am Tuesday. A teller
said a man held one hand inside his jacket as if he
were concealing a weapon as he quietly demanded
all of the 50's & 100's. A city police officer was less
than a block away but arrived too late to stop the
robbery. Meantime, a 28 year old Town of Tonawanda
man was sentenced to 2 1/2 to 5 years in prison
yesterday for robbing the M&T branch on Military Road
in the Falls in May of last year. Jason Simmons of
Parker Boulevard had been on parole from a 2006
robbery convicton when he committed the new offense.
A fingerprint left on a hold-up note was matched to
him.

SOMERSET

Town of Somerset Supervisor Richard Meyers says
two new wind turbines will be constructed near the
Town sewage plant by October. Most of the cost will
be absorbed by a $135,000 federal stimulus grant
administered by the state's Energy Research and
Development Authority. Meyers said they would
only cost taxpayers around $15,000, but they would
save the Town about $3,700 a year in energy costs.
Bids are expected to be out by July 13. Meyers said
they would provide about 20 per cent of the power
needed to run the plant.

DWI & MORE

A 35 year old Lockport man is facing a slew of
charges after an early morning incident today on
Jackson Street. Joseph Castle of 189 Union allegedly
followed his ex-girlfriend to a home on Jackson after
she said he was bothering her earlier in the evening
at the Summit Street Salon. Castle allegedly started
pounding on the door and screaming for her...and a
male friend...to come out. Police said he was driving
away as they arrived and they pulled him over to
investigate. Castle exhibited signs of intoxication
during their interview and he failed field sobriety
tests. He was charged with DWI and auto stripping
for ripping the license plate off the woman's car...
plus criminal mischief, trespassing, petit larceny,
possession of stolen property, and harassment.

SHOPLIFTER

A worker at the Wilson Farms store at 2620 Niagara
Street in the Falls called police early Tuesday after he
and another man wrestled a suspected shoplifter to the
ground outside the store. Forty-five year old Everett
Lee Downing Jr of 24th Street allegedly took a
handfull of sunglasses worth $75. He was charged with
robbery, assault, criminal mischief, and criminal
trespass.

22 YEARS TO LIFE

A West Seneca man was sentenced to 22 years to life
yesterday for his part in the murder of a Falls man last
year. Twenty-sixy year old Darrius Molson was found
guilty May 3 of second degree murder and criminal
possession of a weapon. Judge Matt Murphy said he
considered Molson to be an accomplice in last June's
murder of 27 year old Deion Wood. Wood was shot by
22 year old Phillip Holloway as he sat on a front porch
on Ferry Avenue. Holloway will be sentenced July 20
to 40 years to life in prison.

WHEATFIELD AUDIT

An auditor told lawmakers in Wheatfield last night
the town's financial situation at the end of last year
was the worst of any of th3 15 or 16 municipalities
he had examined in Erie and Niagara counties. Tom
Malecki said there was a combined deficit of $721,000
in the Highway Fund, the General Fund, and the
Fire Prevention district. He called some of the
previous administration's financial maneuvers
improper and illegal. Supervisor Bob Cliffe told
WLVL Malecki confirmed when they knew all along
anyway. He said the town is in severe financial stress.
Malecki said the Highway Tax stopped the bleeding
and Cliffe told us they don't like it but it was absolutely
necessary. Former Supervisor Tim Demler stood in the
back of the room. He said a referndum in 2008 that
increased retirement benefits for volunteer firefighters
caused some of the deficit and $668,000 spent on sewers
for Wheatfield Heights added to it. He also said he let
department heads spend too much and he should have
had better control. Malecki said the bottom line is that
for four to five years, expenses were up and revenues
were down. He said Demler's use of capitol project
money for operating costs was illegal under State law.
The State Comptrollers office is expeced to release
it's own audit sometime next month.

STATE BUDGET

Governor David Paterson last night vetoed $419-million
in education spending that had been approved earlier in
the day by the Assembly and Senate. Paterson said he
took no joy in doing so, that he had a child in school
himself, but he said the Legislature did not provide any
means to pay for the aid. He said the budget passed
yesterday is between $400-million and $1.5 billion in
the red. The Legislature passed it's own version of
a budget yesterday and Paterson warned more vetoes
are coming. He told WOR Radio the last straw for him
came when lawmakers refused to accept his idea of a
contingency fund in the event all or most of a billion
dollars in promised Medicaid funding never arrives. He
said the US Senate has tried three times to pass the
appropriation and they keep lowering the amount each
state would get. Lawmakers also killed a plan to let
SUNY schools raise their tuition and they rejected
Paterson's plan to cap property taxes. He said 74 per
cent of New Yorkers wanted the cap when he took
office and the number has increased to nearly 80 percent.
He also threatened to call the Legislature back in the
Fall if the billion dollar medicaid hole is not dealt with.

NIAGARA FALLS COUNCIL

The President of the Niagara Falls Block Club
Council told city lawmakers last night they should
join him in forming a task force that would serve
as the community's voice if negotiations begin on
new terms for the deal between the State and the
Senecas on the casino. Roger Spurback said the
nearly $65-million they've gotten so far was a
start but they needed more, a lot more. The compact
will be up for review in 2016. The Council passed a
resolution honoring Theodore Williamson, Sr. The
long-time owner of Williamson Funeral Home passed
away last Thursday. He was 86. Mayor Paul Dyster
said somebody told him Williamson was a great leader
in the African American community, but Dyster said
Williamson was a great leader in the City and he was
also from the African American community. He said
Williamson was a city father and made the short list
of the All Star team that made the city operate.
Williamson served on several area boards and
organizations over the years including the NFTA, the
Lions Club, the NAACP, and the National Conference
for Community Justice. The Council was also told the
air conditioning has failed again in the Library's
Department of Local History and books and papers
could be damaged by prolonged exposure to heat and
humidity. Lawmakers o-k'd the transfer of $250,000
from the city's Special Projects Fund balance to the
NFC Development Corporation. The money will be used
to promote economic development through loans and
grants.
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OBAMA GIRLS VISIT THE FALLS

The White House confirmed Monday that the President's
two daughters visited the Canadian side of the Falls
Sunday. Malia and Sasha were there with their grandmother
Marian Robinson. Officials sent a short e-mail to the
Buffalo News confirming the visit, but saying nothing
more. The newspaper said sources told them the two
girls went on the Journey Behind The Falls on the
Canadian side.

CONDITION IMPROVING

Officials at ECMC say the condition of a 51 year old
Gasport man involved in a motorcycle-deer accident
Sunday has been upgraded. James Boyer Jr. is now
in serious condition, he had been listed as critical.
Boyer was thrown from his bike around 1:30am Sunday
when he struck a deer near Becker Farms on Quaker
Road in Hartland.

HICKORY STICK GOLFCOURSE

Seneca President Barry Synder Sr. was in Lewiston Monday
for the opening of the Hickory Stick Golf course. He called
the $25.5-million course their latest step in their journey
toward financial sovereignity. The course opens to the
public Friday.

MECKLER TO RETIRE

NFTA Executive Director Larry Meckler announced
Monday he would retire October 29. His 12 year reign
is the longest in the Authority's history. The 58 year
old said an early retirement incentive offered by the
State would substantiallt increase his pension. A national
search will be done to find a successor. The Authority's
General Counsel, David Gregory, has also announced
he will retire as part of the incentive and Meckler said
other top administrators are considering it as well.

DAYTIME BURGLARIES

Two apartments were burglarized during the day Monday
in a complex at 6301 Robinson Road. A 40 year old said
a $2,000 Panasonic flat screen TV and a $1,600 Sony laptop
were taken from his apartment. A 29 year old living next
door said his loss amounted to about $2,500. It included a
12 gauge shotgun, a scoped rifle, a digital camera, an X box
and about $270 in cash, most of it Canadian.

FELONY BURGLARY

An 18 year old Lockport man was arrested Monday in
connection with a break in Saturday at a home on East
High Street. Jessie Scheeler of 6851 Akron Road is charged
with felony burglary, assault, menacing, and coercin. The
female victim told police she was upstairs with a male
friend and left for a moment, and found Scheeler and
another man in her living room. She tried to call police
but Scheeler allegedly grabbed the phone and threw it
across the room. He demanded to know where her
male friend was as he pushed her to the floor. Police
said Scheeler stormed upstairs and confronted the man.
He told him to get dressed and meet him outside. The
woman was able to get her phone back in the meantime
and called police and the two men fled.

TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER

A federal district judge granted a temporary restraining
order Monday that allows a Seneca Nation mail order
retailer to continue to sell tobacco products nationwide
without having to comply with the federal PACT act that
took effect at midnight. The motion was granted as part
of the lawsuit filed againast the US government. The
retailer, Red Earth, does business as Seneca Smokeshop.
They want the law declared unconstitutional. The
retraining order will remain in effect for 14 days unless
the court rules sooner on the retailers motion to keep the
federal government from enforcing the new law thru the
duration of the case. Judge Richard Arcara said the
business showed it would suffer irreparable injury without
the restraining order and a liklihood parts of the law
were unconstitutional.

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS

One motorcyclist was killed and another badly injured
in crashes in the county over the weekend. In the latest,
a 51 year old Gasport man was taken to ECMC by Mercy
Flight after the motrocycle he was operating struck a deer
around 1:30 Sunday morning near 3724 South Quaker Road
in Hartland. James Boyer Jr was ejected when he struck the
animal near Becker Farms. He suffered multiple injuries
and is in critcal condition. In the other, 33 year old Martin
Crowley was killed around 9:30 pm Friday when the bike he
was operating was struck by a vehicle on Main Road in
Pendleton. He was thrown from the bike after a vehicle
operated by 17 year old Regina Harville of Pendleton
allegedly made a left turn in front of him. Crowley was
pronounced dead at at the scene and it's unclear whether
charges were filed. In Erie County, a 53 year old Clarence
man died after he was thrown from his bike after he struck
a deer late Saturday on Lapp Road. An Eden man was also
badly injured around 4:40am Saturday when his motorcycle
crashed head-on into a pick-up truck on Boston Road in
North Collins.

CITY HALL WORKER CHARGED WITH STEALING MONEY

A 34 year old worker in the City Clerk's office in the
Falls was charged last week with stealing money while
on the job. Tina Pugh was fired in December 2007 after
she admitted to taking $30 but an arbitrator sided with
her union and gave her her job back. She told police she
begged her superiors not to put her around money when
she was re-instated. She's now charged with falsifying
business records and petit larceny and is free on her own
recognizance. She's slated to return to court August 8.
D-A Michael Violante is offering her a deal where she'd
have to plead guilty to petit larceny to get the other
charge dropped and she would also have to quit her job.
Pugh told investigators she would shortchange dog
license fees, keep the money paid for engineering
licenses, and not enter the money paid for getting dogs
out of the pound. She said she had been ripping off the
City on and off since last November.

PROJECT REACH

About 430 high school students and adult supervisors
arrived in Newfane Sunday for this week's Project Reach
work camp. Spokesman Neal Fischer said they planned
to start working today on 39 homes in Lockport and
surrounding areas including Newfane and Sanborn.
The work includes a variety of projects on their
interiors and exteriors including painting, fixing
porches and installinh wheelchair ramps, some roof
replacements and some drywall and flooring. The
project is still based in Lockport but construction at the
high school made it necessary for them to find someplace
else to stay. The students pay $399 to come here. Fischer
said they all have a heart for service and they all come with
great intentions to share God's love through service. They
will take the afternoon off on Wednesday to see the sights.

AMERICA'S PASTTIME

Buster Bison paid a visit to Niagara University's
Castellani Art Museum yesterday to draw attention
to a new exhibit on American baseball stadiums.
"Field of Dreams, North American Baseball Stadiums"
will be on display through Aug. 2. It features 26
photos by Jim Dowd taken between 1980 and 1981
including Fenway Park and the recently demolished
Yankee Stadium. Plaques along the wall also
celebrate past Niagara players who turned pro like
JoeMcCarthy and Sal Maglie who pitched against the
Yankees in Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956
World Series. Yesterday's opening included an old
fashioned hot dog cookout and a lot of talk about the
game.

STATE BUDGET

Lawmakers in Albany ignored the Governor's call for
a special session Sunday. The Assembly adjourned
after meeting for six minutes, the Senate after three.
They never took up Paterson's proposals but advanced
their own $136-billion budget instead. They used a
parlimentary procedure by saying they had never gavelled
out of a session several months ago. Assembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver said there would be no government shutdown,
that their bill would take care of it. The action came after
Paterson inserted deeper cuts in school aid Saturday to
the extender bill he planned to introduce today. The
Legislature has rejected Paterson's plan to sell wine in
grocery stores and to give SUNY the authority to raise
tuition by up to eight per cent annually over the next
four years. They're also against his proposal to cap
the growth on local property taxes to about 4 percent a year.
They do agree on bringing back the sales tax on clothing
and shoes and cutting in half the charitable exemptions
for residents making at least $10-million a year. They also
want to expand the hours for Quick Draw.

LOCKPORT MAN FACING COCAINE CHARGES

A 30 year old Lockport man is facing drug charges
following an incident just after midnight Sunday on
Cave Street. Police said they were called ti investigate
a fight between a man and a woman, but instead they
found Jermaine Webster of 101 Vine leaning into a
car. He reportedly turned away when the officer asked
what was going on...and allegedly tried to swallow and
off-white rock-like substance when police told him to
lean against the car. There was a brief struggle after
he attempted to pull away from the officer. Police said
three small pieces of cocaine were found on the hood of
the vehicle. Webster was charged with possession of a
controlled substance, resisting arrest, and obstruction
of governmental administration.

FALLS REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE

The Niagara Falls Republican commitee will meet
at 6:30 tomorrow night in the basement of St John
DeLa Salle Church. They're inviting everyone, regardless
of party affiliation, to come and meet their candidates.
Jill Rowland is running against Congresswoman Louise
Slaughter, and Mark Grisanti against State Senator Antoine
Thompson.

DOG CHASES BLACK BEAR INTO A TREE

Another black bear was seen in the County around 8pm
Friday. A Lewiston man on Ridge Road said his Akita dog
chased an approximately 200 pound bear up a tree in his
backyard. He said the dog chased the animal into a wooded
area behind his home when the bear came back down. The
dog returned unharmed. Officials say the bear was attracted
by a bird feeder and had been eating out of it. A black bear
was also sighted in the Newfane area about a week ago.

NIAGARA HOSPICE

Niagara Hospice is warning residents about phony
fundraising calls. They say several people have told
them in the past month...and last week....that they've
gotten calls asking for donations. Marketing & Public
Relations Director Tricia Degan says they are bogus,
that they're not involved in any solicitations over the
phone. Degan says their efforts are conducted by mail
and they ask that you call them at 439-4417 if you're asked to
contribute in a phone call. Anyone wanting to donate
can mail their contribution to Niagara Hospice at
4675 Sunset Drive, Lockport 14094.