LOCKPORT MAN ACCUSED OF HITTING SENATORS CAR

A 24 year old Lockport man has been charged
with hitting the car of State Senator George
Maziarz around 6:30 Monday night in the Falls.
Bryan Baxter of Adam Street allegedly left the
scene but was caught a block away after the
Senator was able to give police Baxter's
license plate number. Maziarz said he thought
Baxter would stop but instead he drove around
him and hit a pick-up causing more damage. The
driver was not hurt. Baxter was charged with
DWI, driving with a suspended license, and
leaving the scene.

MAZIARZ NOT HURT

State Senator George Maziarz was not hurt last night
when his car was struck by a hit & run driver on
Hyde Park Boulevard near Pine Avenue in the Falls.
The driver of the alleged hit and run vehicle was caught
a few minutes later by Police. He was charged with
DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation, and leaving the
scene of an accident.

FALLS CITY COUNCIL

The chairman of the commission created to come
up with a new Veterans memorial in the Falls telling
the City Council last night he wants to build one
that'll include full sized replicas of three famous
military monuments. David Fabrizio said it would
include the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Iowa
Jima monuments in Arlington National cemetery
and the Three Soldiers Monument for the Vietnam
War in Washington. He said the Tombs replica
would have the names inscribed on it of the more
than 960 residents who have died in battle since
the Civil War. He did not say how much it would
cost but hopes to get grants and other funding
for it's construction. It would be placed in the
corner of Hyde Park near Pine Avenue and Hyde
Park Boulevard and extend around a small pond.
In other action, lawmakers o-k'd spending up to
$50,000 to hire LiRo Engineers of Buffalo to help
the City's Engineering Department. Mayor Paul
Dyster said they would be used on a contingency
basis and not be assigned to any specific project.
He said it would be for the next six months. The
cash will come from Dyster's contingency fund and
$30,000 from the existing personal line in
Engineering. It hasn't been used because the
City did not have an engineer at the start of the
year and doesn't have one now. Public Works
Director Dave Kinney explained what's going on
with the rehab of 72nd Street after Councilmember
Bob Anderson said he's been getting calls. Kinney
said it's still in the hands of the Engineering
Department. He said they're putting together the
final specifications as to what has to be done...and
that the section to be repaired is also slated to
have some work done by the Water Department.
He said it all had to be co-ordinated and said
it would be a week to ten days before the spec's
are finished. Bids would have to be taken after
that and the selection made by the City Council.

HARVESTING MARIJUANA

Two Middleport men will likely be facing drug charges
after Sheriff's deputies caught them after they
apparently harvested a crop of marijuana around 1am
today in a field behind the Yellow Goose Market on
Rochester Road. Twenty-one year old Andrew Scott
of 5066 Graham Road....and 27 year old Nicholas
Dellario of 4 State Street arosed the suspicions of
deputies when they saw a car parked on the South
side of the store. A pair of scissors were allegedly
found in Dellario's back jeans pocket and the pot in
a large bag stuffed in the front of his hoodie. He was
arrested for trespassing and aggravated unlicensed
operation. Andrew was charged with trespassing.
Deputies also say they found a pen stem containing
a white powdery substance in the car. The two were
taken to the Sheriff's department for questioning and
then to the Jail where bail was set at $250 for Dellario
and $100 for Andrew. Additional charges are
expected to be filed after the suspected drugs are
tested at the County Lab. The two are due in
Royalton Town Court at 4:30 today.

SOLURI RESIGNS

Lewiston Mayor Richard Soluri told the Village Board
last night he will resign effective November first. He
read a statement at the end of last night's meeting
saying he is taking a much needed "respite from
responsibility" for personal reasons. The 78 year old
Republican said he plans to consider options for
life after elected office next year. The Board can appoint
someone to take his place or let Deputy Mayor Bill
Geiben assume the position. The next Village elections
are in June. In other action, police chief Chris Salada
said his department is stepping up patrols on Center
Street to combat a recent rash of vandalism. The Village
is contributing $100 to a reward fund that's reached a
thousand dollars for information leading to the arrest
and conviction of vandalism suspects.

WHEATFIELD

The Wheatfield Town Board decided last night to
continue to refuse to issue any building permits to
Ryan Homes until they resolve drainage complaints
from a couple living on Kingfisher Lane. The
homeowners had brought their problem to the
Town Board in August. Larry Parker said the company
had ackowledged ownership of the problem since
then and agreed to fix it but nothing's been done. The
Town Highway Department repaired some of the pipe
last week and Supervisor Tim Demler said they could
charge Ryan for that work. Meantime the Democratic
candidate for Supervisor, Sam Conti, criticized
councilmember Art Gerbec for the inaction of the
Drainage Committee. Gerbec is the board's
representative on the committee. He admitted they
had not met this year but said the chairman had been
ill. Demler said it was time to appoint a new chairman.

LAWSUITS GALORE

Lockport police officer Michael Stover confirmed
yesterday he gave the D-A's office a statement in the
Wilson hazing case last year. He told the Buffalo News
it was about an alleged conversation he had with varsity
baseball coach Thomas Baia about the bullying of a
j-v player in 2007. Baia and JV coach William Atlas filed
a notice last week they intend to sue Stover and the
Lockport Police Department over the statement. The
notice said it would be for unlawful arrest, malicious
prosecution, or both. A spokesman for the coaches
released copies yesterday of a nearly identical claim
filed against the State Police. Meantime the parents of
the three jv players who were the alleged victims are
suing the school district. Their cases have been
consolidated into one.

ILLEGAL B&B

The Falls woman accused of running an illegal
bed and breakfast at her Fourth Street home has
been given 45 days to correct several housing
code violations. Sixty-three year old Eva Hedges
says workers are about a third of the way through
removing a fence that was taller than the City's
zoning ordinance allows. She will also remove three
sheds and a tent over an above ground swimming
pool. She must return to City Court November 16
to show the changes were made. She'll also have
to answer charges she operated the B&B in a single
family home. Hedges home is the one where a 12
year old Bronx girl was staying last Summer when
she drowned in the Niagara River. D-A Michael
Violante told the Gazette he is still deciding whether
or not to press charges against her and her son.

BILLS

The Hamburg home of Bills safety Donte Whitner was
burglarized during Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.
About $400,000 worth of jewelery were taken. His
business spokesperson, Patrice Horton, said he
was upset and hurt and doesn't have any idea of who
could have done it. Whitner said it was too early to
say exactly what was taken. Meantime, the two teens
who spray painted the lawn of Leodis McKelvin after
the loss to the Patriots agreed to do 120 hours of
community service after McKelvin said he did not
want to press charges.

NOMINEES WANTED

The Starpoint School District is accepting nominations
through October 7 for the Alumni Walls of Fame.
Nominees for the Academic Wall should have
graduated between 1958 and 1990. Nominees for
the Sports Wall from 1958 through 1988. Applications
can be found on the district website at Starpoint. org.
Call 210-2307 for more details.