DOORS OPEN NIAGARA

Lockport's "Erie Canal Discovery Center" will be one
of many local attractions celebrating "Doors Open
Niagara" over the weekend. Director Doug Farley
hoping for a big crowd Saturday morning at 11:30
when the winners are announced for a high school
Erie Canal poster contest. The man who wrote a
song about the waterway, Doc Stewart, will also
perform, and there'll be a Chiavetta's Chicken Barbeceue.
The barbecue runs from 11 till 3. Admission charges
to the Center, the County Historical Society, and the
Colonel William Bond will be dropped Saturday and
Sunday as part of the "Doors Open" weekend.
It's sponsored by the bi-national tourism alliance
and is designed to promote cross border tourism
in both Niagara County and the Niagara Penisula.
Some of the other attractions participating in the
Doors Open event include the Niagara Arts and
Cultural Center and the Niagara Gorge Discovery
Center in the Falls, the Sanborn-Lewiston Farm
Museum, the Herschell Carousel Factory Museum
in North Tonawanda, the Old Fort Niagara
Lighthouse, and the Town of Porter Historical
Society Museum at the Red Brick Schoolhouse.
More detailed information can be found at
" Doors Open Niagara .com"

PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY CENTER

A new one stop community center will be coming to the
former H-S-B-C bank building on Pine Avenue in Niagara
Falls. The United Way of Niagara announced plans
yesterday to join the Everywoman Opportunity Center,
the Police Department and other agencies in the effort.
HSBC donated the building at 1905 Pine Avenue to the
United Way in May for use as Little Italy's Community
Impact Center. The agency will staff a portion of the
building where they'll have information on the services
provided by their 16 community care groups. The Police
Department will use the building as a checkpoint for
officers working on Pine Avenue, and the Everywoman
Opportunity Center will move to the building by November 3.

DONNER ROAD BRIDGE

Pendleton's Donner Road Bridge will be shut down Monday
after the State DOT red flagged it in a recent inspection. The
Town Engineer says some of the decking has deteriorated. He
expects the span will stay closed through the end of Winter.

MEDICAL CENTER WANTS HELP

The Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center wants the State
to give them $5-million in aid. Hospital President Joe Ruffalo
said yesterday the facility is $700,000 in the red so far this
year and he expects that number will grow to $1.5-million by
the end of December. Ruffalo said the aid would cover a
portion of the $12-million in uncompensated care provided
by the hospital in 2007 and so far in 2008. State Senator
George Maziarz was not very optimistic they'll get it since
the State has it's own problems. Ruffalo says about half of
all emergency room visits are by patients who can't pay
or who are on Medicaid. He said about a third of all hospital
patients fall into the same category.

NEMI'S SUSPENSION REDUCED

Tony Nemi back at work Friday at his job at Lockport's
Youth and Recreation Department. Mayor Mike Tucker
yesterday cut his unpaid suspension to two days
following a bargaining session with Nemi's union, the
CSEA. Tucker says he did it in exchange for some union
concessions but he won't say what they were until he has
a chance to brief the Common Council. Tucker originally
suspended Nemi for three days for letting his 18 year old
son drive a Recreation Department van to the Haunted
Catacombs in Cheektowaga last Saturday. Nemi says
his son Andrew used the van for similiar trips in 2006
and 2007 without Tucker's knowledge. It was not the
case this year. A resident saw the van at an A-T-M Saturday
and called police.

THE BILLS GAME ON TIME WARNER CABLE

Time Warner customers living in Niagara County will
be able to watch Sunday's Bills game.....and some other
CBS programming on cable channel 15. Channel 15
on cable is CFTO...channel 9 from Toronto. The
cable company says they received an exemption
from the FCC allowing them to carry the station's
CBS programs in Niagara County because CFTO
has a significant viewership in the county.

BUSY DAY IN COUNTY COURT

A busy day in county court Thursday. The case against a 42 year
old North Tonawanda man ended, a Sommerset man accused of
murder was freed on bail, and the man charged with abducting a
12 year old North Tonawanda girl in March turned down a plea deal
and his trial will go forward. In the first case, 42 year old Thomas
Simcoe was found guilty on all 11 charges against him stemming from
attacks on his wife and N-T police officer Jeff Smith about a year ago.
The incident happened last September 29 at the couple's home on
Courtside Drive, Simcoe turned down two plea deals earlier this year
that would have reduced the charges against him from attempted murder
to first degree assault. He could get anywhere from 15 years to life
when he's sentenced December 19. Meantime 39 year old Jamie
Wilson was freed on $25,000 property bail by Judge Matt Murphy.
Wilson is charged with shooting 54 year old Theodore Tice to
death last Friday through his locked bedroom door. Wilson's home
at 9677 Hall Road was put up as security. Tice was a native of Lockport
who last lived in Tennessee. Wilson's attorney Anthony Lana told
the Buffalo News he doesn't think his client should be charged with
anything. He said Tice threatened Wilson from Florida and said he
was going to come up here and kill him. He said Tice came to Wilson's
home last Friday afternoon and assaulted him in the driveway. Wilson
ran inside his home and locked the bedroom door while Tice was
screaming he was going to kill him. That's when Wilson shot him
through the bedroom door. Lana says a state law says you can use
deadly force during a burglary in your home. Evidence in the case
will be presented to a grand jury Monday and Lana said he hoped they
would no bill Wilson which would close the case. Finally, 41 year old
Mitchell Brokob...accused of assaulting a 12 year old girl in March..
turned down a plea bargain that would have had him also
plead guilty to two other similiar crimes in Erie County. Judge Matt
Murphy said his trail woud tenatively start November 10. He also
scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday on whether it was legal
for officials to seize computers from Brokob's home and to take
a DNA sample from him. As for the two cases in Erie County, Brokob
is suspected of molesting a boy and a girl in Lackawanna in 2002.
He grew up there and lived there until he moved to NT a few
years ago. Erie County D-A Frank Clark says the chances are good
Brokob will be charged in at least one of the cases within the next
week.

NIAGARA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

N-C-C-C's Board of Trustees o-k'd a plan yesterday
to upgrade the school's athletic department. It will cost about
$377,000 and add six sports over the next three years ....mens
and womens lacrosse, mens and womens cross country, and
mens and womens swimming. Three full time coaches will be
hired and two full time administrative positions will be added.
The board also approved a new seven year agreement
with it's Technical Support Personnel Association. The 26
members will get an average 2.95 per cent pay hike per year.
The deal also provides for a single health care provider and
the restructuring of employee contributions. The agreement
is retroactive to September 1, 2004 and runs through the
end of August 2011. It's already been approved by the union.

ROYALTON WATCH

A rash of burglaries in the Gasport area prompted
over two dozen residents to talk about setting up a
neighborhood watch during a meeting last night at
Royalton Town Hall. The session was organized by
Ava Beiber. She says her home has been burglarzied
numerous times over the past few years. State Police
Investigator John Dipasquale told them the more details
victims can gather, the sooner the perpatrators will be
caught. Republican Sheriff's candidate Ernest Palmer
said the department would work closely with State Police
if he's elected. The group will meet again on the second
Wednesday of next month. In the meantime, they'll be
talking to people who know about setting up watch clubs.
The watch is arrapently needed. An 86 year old resident
of Humphrey Road arrived home just after 3pm Wednesday
and found a green pick-up in his driveway. He told Sheriff's
deputies two white males ran from behind his garage, got
inside the truck, and took off. The victim followed them
for some distance but lost them in the Wrights Corners
area. When he got home, he found three Winchester shotguns
had been taken along with $300 in coins. Deputies found
three other rifles lying next to the house that had been placed
there by the burglars. A safe inside the home had also been
tampered with. Deputies said a rear door had been smashed
to get inside.

NEMI

Lockport's Assistant Youth & Recreation Director Tony Nemi
was suspended for three days without pay Tuesday after he
let his 18 year old son use a city van last Saturday. Mayor Mike
Tucker said the city's personnel committee would deal with the
matter Friday. The "Union Sun & Journal" says police searched
for the van Saturday night after a part time worker at the Rec
Department saw the vehicle being driven aimlessly around the
city. Five young people between the ages of 16 & 18 were inside
when police found the van at Altro Park. It was being driven
by 18 year old Spencer Barnes. He and Nemi's son both work
for the Recreation Department. The paper says the elder Nemi
told Tucker he did not not see anything wrong because the
department's two vans are used for field trips. The teens were
apparently on their way to the Haunted Catacombs in Cheektowaga.
Tucker said the Youth Department doesn't normally do anything
at 10:30 on Saturday night....and he said if they do an adult
staff member drives...that they don't turn the keys over to an
18 year old.

NIAGARA FALLS COUNCIL MEETING

Lawmakers in the Falls last night agreed to give Niagara County
Community College $1.5-million to help cover the costs of building
it's Culinary Arts Institute. Mayor Paul Dystter says it matches a
committment made by the County and the city will also give the school
a piece of property that's needed for the new construction portion of
the project. The Institute in the Crowne Plaza will contain classrooms,
labs, offcies and a training theatre. A spokesman for Liro Engineers
also updated lawmakers on the Courthouse Project during their 4pm
work session. Leonard DePrima said there could be some cost
overruns but they would be a small amount compared to the
project's total cost of $47.8-million. He said it's currently about
$370,000 over budget. He expects it'll be completed on schedule
in March and ready for occupancy by May. Block Club Council
President Roger Spurback also urged the Council to reorganize the
City's Inspections Department and allocate more money to tear
down vacant and dilapidated buildings, He showed the Council
pictures of 7 properties left in poor condition after demolitions
paid for by the city and distributed dozens of others showing
dilapidated buildings, garbage, and other unkempt properties.
He said they wanted action, not excuses.

UNITED WAY OF NIAGARA

The United Way of Niagara reports today they have raised
21 % of this year's goal at the end of five weeks of their
9 week campaign. The goal is $935,000. Amost $198,000
has been pleged so far. The agency is also taking reservations for
it's "United Lights The Way" gala Saturday night at the Seneca
Niagara Casino. The proceeds go to help pay for the holiday
lights display in Hyde Park. Penelope will play and there'll
be a basket auction. Tickets are $120 for a couple or $65 for
an individual. It includes dinner and an "open bar" serving
beer and wine. Call 285-8461.

WINERY AT MARJIM MANOR

A big night ahead at the Winery at Marjim Manor. 180 people
will be there to watch the Sci-Fi Channel's "Ghost Hunters"
show that was filmed in June. 0wner Margo Sue Bittner
says the 180 will watch the show in a tent set up on the lawn and
another 40 or 50 will watch the show at another party at the
Spring Lake Winery and other customers will have private
parties at their homes. Bittner is not permitted to say if the
Ghost Hunters ran across a spirit while they were there but
says the Winery is inhabited by five human spirits and a ghost
dog. They will move things or turn off a light. The ghost dog
is named Duke. He belonged to a member of The Sisters of
Saint Joseph. They bought the building in 1933 to use as a
summer retreat. The program airs at 9 pm and will be repeated
at 11 for those wanting to watch the final Presidential debate.
The Sci Fi Channel is on Channel 38 on Time Warner Cable.

TIME WARNER/CHANNEL 4

The Buffalo News reporting today Channel 4 is losing between
$100,000 and $150,000 a week in advertising revenue because
it's not being carried on Time Warner Cable. The paper says the
ratings for the station's 6pm news dropped from a 9.2 at this time
last year to a 3.1 last week. The 11 o'clock news had a 4.6 rating
compared with an 11.9 the week before they were taken off the
system. Lin Broadcasting yanked Channel 4...and Channel 23
off cable almost two weeks ago. They want Time Warner and it's
subscribers to pay about $1.2-million a year for the priveledge
of viewing their programming. Time Warner spokesperson Robin
Wolfgang says they have not had a major drop in subscribers
but satellite installers say business has never been better. Intertech
said they're doing more than a thousand installations a week.

HATE CRIME

A felony hate crime charge against Falls D-P-W worker
James Curtis was dismissed yesterday by City Judge Mark
Violante. The 52 year old is still charged with aggravated
harassment for putting a "whites only" sign on a drinking
fountain at the City Garage. Prosecutors asked for the
dismissal of the hate crime charge after reviewing the case
and conducting numerous interviews with workers. Defense
lawyer Harvey Seigel said "its now a whole different case." He
compared it to making an harassing phone call. The most Curtis
could be sentenced to is a year in jail or a fine or community
service. The actual sign is being held in a crime lab in the
State Attorney General's office. Curtis is free on $500 bail,
his next court date is November 10. Mayor Paul Dyster said
the city is continuing its administrative proceedings to fire
Curtis. He said it is independent of the court proceedings.

WILSON HAZING CASE

Arguments against the two Wilson High School baseball
coaches involved in the hazing case were postponed last
night in Town Court when no one from the District Attorney's
office showed up. Justice George Berger put off the case
against Charles Atlas and Thomas Baia until October 23.
The coaches lawyers told the judge they have yet to receive
a written response from the prosecution on motions they
filed three weeks ago to either dismiss the charges or to
obtain discovery material from the prosecution. The coaches
face three counts of child endangerment.

BARN FIRE

Tankers brought in water during the noon hour Tuesday
to fight a fire in a vacant barn at 9425 Rochester Road in
Middleport. The action was needed because the structure
was so far away from hydrants. Several fire companies
were involved in the effort and also fought three grass fires
ignited by falling embers. One firefighter was treated for a
knee injury at Medina Memorial Hospital. The cause is under
investigation.

CAR-TREE

24 year old Cody Pembleton of 595 Birchwood Drive was
charged with DWI following an accident just before 3am
today at Georgia and Beattie. Lockport police say he hit
a tree. He's also charged with failure to keep right, aggravated
unlicensed operation, and having an open container of
alcohol. A passenger, 20 year old Greg Malcomb of 94
Garden Street, was charged with possession of alcohol
and obstructing governmental administration.

GRAND ISLAND BRIDGE FATAL ACCIDENT

A 32 year old Cheektowaga man was killed just after 6:30
this morning in a 4 vehicle accident at the apex of the
North Grand Island Bridge. John Zbock was operating a
2006 red Suzuki motorcyle and tried to avoid two stopped
vehicles by moving into the passing lane. His bike struck
the drivers side tail light on one of the stopped vehicles. It
caused him to lose control and he and the bike slid under a
slowly moving tractor trailer. Zbock was pronounced dead
at the scene. The truck was operated by 47 year old Phillip
Fournier of Munson Avenue in the Falls. The accident closed
the northbound lanes until just before 10am. Meantime,
rubberneckers are being blamed for a 5 vehicle accident
in the Southbound lanes that happened around 7:20. No one
was hurt though there was some property damage.

HOSPITALIZED MAN ROBBED

Almost $800 in X-Box equipment and games were reported
missing Monday from an apartment on Robinson Road. The
victim has been in the hospital for several months. The burglary
was discovered by a friend whose been checking his buddy's
apartment on an irregular basis. He said the last time he saw the
items there was in June. Entry may have been made through a
bedroom window that was open a crack.

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

The County Youth Bureau is putting together a
conference for later this month that'll deal with the
increasing number of overweight children. The
Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club is one of
several groups participating. So is the Health
Association of Niagara County. The "Being Fit,
Feeling Fit, Thinking Fit" conference will take place
October 22 from 8:30 till 3 at the Conference Center.
It's open to the public and the registration fee is $30.
Call 278-6886 to sign up.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A 23 year old Lockport man who allegedly picked up his
wife and slammed her to the floor during a domestic
dispute yesterday morning turned himself into police
later in the day. Joseph Page of 30 Monroe is also
accused of striking his spouse on the leg with a kitchen
chair. She said he was throwing thing around and threatened
to kill her. The argument started because he did not have a
ride to work. She wants an order of protection. He's
charged with harassment and menacing.

EDWARDS SAYS HE'S READY

Bills quarterback Trent Edwards said Monday he plans to play
against the Chargers Sunday. He said some testing is to be
done today, and if it comes back the way he expects, he should
be "good to go" Sunday. Edwards suffered a concussion when
he was hit by Arizona's Adrian Wilson in Buffalo's last game before
the bye week. Wilson was fined $25,000 by the league. Edwards
said he felt pretty comfortable at practice yesterday.

PALMER ENDORSEMENT

Falls detective Ernest Palmer has been endorsed by the
Independence Party in his run for Sheriff. Chair Eileen
Kozelak said they interviewed both candidates and Palmer's
qualifications were far superior to Democrat James Voutour.
She said Palmer's endorsement by the Niagara County Police
Chiefs Association played a significant factor in their decision.

OLCOTT MARINA

A $7,000 boat trailer was stolen Sunday night from the Olcott
Marina. The 66 year old victim said he last saw it at 9pm Sunday
and it was gone when he came back at 11am Monday. It's a
1979 E-Z load tri axle trailer and it was removed from the southwest
corner of the Marina's upper lot. It can accomodate a 30 foot boat.

LOCKPORT APOTHECARY

Two bottles of hydrocodone pills were taken in a Sunday night
break in at Lockport Apothecary at 6606 Lincoln Avenue. The
Sheriff's Department responded to an alarm at 9:45 and the found
the east side door has been pried open. Parts of the locking
mechanism were found on the floor near the door. A tall chain link
fence on the Southeast side appeared to have been moved from it's
original location. The surveillance video showed a white male
entered the building twice. He was wearing a dark hoodie, light
colored pants, and a backpack. A canine officer from the Amherst Police
Department tracked a trail that ended at Mulvey Construction on the
Davison Extension. The two 500-count bottles of hydrocodone were
nearly empty. The owner said they only contained about 105 pills
between the two.

THIRTY MILE POINT LIGHTHOUSE

Hundreds took advantage of yesterday's bye week for the Bills...
and the nice weather....to visit the historic Thirty Mile Point
Lighthouse. Sunday was the 50th anniversary of it's
decommissioning ..and they also held their 10th annual
"Christmas At The Lighthouse." There were tours, vendors,
and a basket raffle.

WAL MART SHOPLIFTERS

Two Lockport women are being held on $500 bail after they
were caught shoplifting around noon Saturday at the Transit
Road Wal-Mart. 16 year old Toni Crenshaw of 219 Park Avenue
and 19 year old Shamika Wright of 6 Walnut are due in Town
Court at 7 Tuesday night. The Sheriff's Department says Crenshaw
stuffed $50 worth of clothing and other items into a handbag.
Wright allegedly had over $123 worth of clothing and undergarments
in her handbag when she was stopped. She allegedly resisted arrest
and pushed a sheriff's deputy in the chest while being taken into
custody.

TABOO PURSE SNATCHING

A 23 Year old Lockport man was charged with 4th degree grand
larceny and possession of stolen property early Sunday after he
allegedly stole a woman's purse at the Taboo night club on Main Street.
Scott French of 6601 Old Niagara Road is also charged with possession
of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Police say they
found a Niagara County Federal Credit Union credit and debit card belonging
to the victim in his pocket along with a quantity of cash and three silver
ladies rings. French was in the bar with another man who allegedly
distracted the victim while French took the purse. The other man was
taken to police headquaters and French was arrested when he went there
to check on his disposition. Officers already knew his name was Scott
French but he allegedly gave them a phony name when asking about
his buddy...this caused police to be suspicious and French was searched
and the stolen items found.

CAR-MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT

A 22 year old Town of Niagara man is in serious condition at
ECMC after the motorcycle he was operating was struck by a
car about 8pm Saturday at the intersection of Saunders Settlement
and Old Shawnee Roads. Anthony Ross was taken to the hospital
by Mercy Flight. The Sheriff's Department says Ross was struck by
53 year old Kenneth Hawkins of Sanborn as Hawkins was attempting
to make a left hand turn onto Old Shawnee. Hawkins was treated for
minor injuries at LMH. He's charged with failing to yield the right of
way.

SHERIFF'S CAMPAIGN SIGNS

The Sheriff's Department is conducting an internal investigation into
reports a deputy called in sick so he could spend the day putting
up campaign signs for Democratic sherriff's candidate James Voutour.
Voutour told the Buffalo News the deputy has not been suspended.
Voutour told the paper Undersheriff Sam Muscarella told him it's
an ongoing investigation. Voutour also said if it's one of his supporters
they need to be disciplined and he did not condone it. He said if they
screw up, they have to face the music. Voutour also alleges about 200
of his signs have been stolen in the Falls. The paper says they have
gotten reports some police officers there have been carrying signs for
Republican candidate Ernest Palmer. Palmer says there's nothing
wrong with that as long as they're doing it on their own time. He said
he had nothing to do with the disappearance of the Voutour signs...
but suggested the D-P-W may have taken some down because they
were illegally placed in city rights-of-way.