CONFRONTATION

State Parks Police quelled a confrontation Friday when the two sides
in the Magdalena Lubowska tragedy showed up at Whirlpool State Park
at the same time. It happened around 12:30. The attorney representing
the owners of the home where the 12 year old Bronx girl was staying, Earl
Key, said Eva and Timothy Hedges took him there to see the scene of the tragedy.
unfortunately, members of the Lubowksa family were also making their
first visit to the park at the same time. Their attorney, Gus Farinella,
said her parents wanted to have a private moment with their daughter
in spirit and that running into the Hedges ruined their first opportunity to visit the spot.
Key said he was willing to contact Farinella before any future visits so the
two families are not in the park at the same time. He said all he wanted them
to do was to stay away from the Hedge's home. State Parks Police said no
charges were expected to be filed in the incident. They also said they had
nothing new to report in their search for the body of the girl.

TWINS

Two 17 year old twin brothers were killed just after 11:30
yesterday morning in a single car crash on Main Street in
West Seneca. Thomas and Mark Sokolowksi were well-known
for their exploits on area soccer fields. They were on their way
back from a game when their '93 Honda Civic hit a horse chestnut
tree. The crash happened as they were trying to pass another
car and lost control. It split the front seat down the middle pinning
the driver inside. The passenger was ejected.

LOCKPORT PARKING RAMP

Seven companies submitted proposals for applications to rebuild Lockport's
closed downtown parking ramp by yesterday's deadline. Mayor
Mike Tucker says three or four will be chosen for interviews by
a committee he will appoint. 0ne firm will be chosen by 0ctober first
to design the replacement for the facility. The companies include
Foit Albert Associates and Liro
Engineers of Buffalo, the E-I team from Amherst, LaBella Associates
of Rochester, F-R-A of Henreitta, Kimball of Pittsburgh, and Clark
Patterson Lee with offices in Buffalo and Rochester. It's expected it'll
cost $5-million to tear down the old ramp and install the new one.
Tucker said he hoped to get the design phase done this year but
unless there's a mild winter no construction is expected to start till
next Spring.

PITLER

A 20 year old Lockport man who was wanted on five warrants
for failing to appear in city court was arrested Friday morning after
a short chase. Shawn Pitler of 133 Chestnut is charged with three
counts of bail jumping and onstructing governmental administration.
Police began looking for him around 11am after getting a tip he was
near the railroad tracks on Chestnut Street. He was seen riding a bike
up Vine onto Fayette Street where a foot chase began. He was caught in
the parking lot at Saint Joseph's Church. Pittler's also wanted by the
State Police on a bench warrant from Royalton Town Court where he's
facing firearms charges and another for possessing stolen property.
Pittler was also allegedly driving a car that a black woman got into after
leaving the Transit Road Wal-Mart without paying for $37 worth of merchandise
just after midnight Thursday morning. That car was reportedly stolen
out of Buffalo. Further charges against Pitler are possible.

CORNERSTONE

Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union says their branch
office in Middleport will reopen at noon Monday. They'll resume their
regular schedule Tuesday. The branch will be fully staffed. A
spokesman said no new talks are scheduled in the strike which started
a week ago Friday. It affects 73 members of the Local 212 chapter of the
Office and Professional Employees International Union.

CHILD PROTECTIVE UNIT

A child protective services unit could be opening in Lockport.
The County Legilsature's Community Services Committee o-k'd
a request this week from Social Services Commissioner Anthony
Restaino for such a unit. It would be staffed with 9 new workers
who he says are needed to reduce caseloads in response to
forthcoming state mandates. The request must still be approved by the
Legislature at their meeting in September. There are already two
such units in the Falls and another in North Tonawanda.

MAGDALENA LUBOWSKA

County D-A Micheal Violante says his investigators are looking
into the operations at the home in the Falls where 12 year old
Magdalena Lubowksa was staying. She's the girl from the Bronx
who fell into the Niagara Rapids last week while on a tour with
Timothy Hedges of the Renaissance House. Her body has not
yet been found. The girl's aunt pounded on the door at
722 4th Street in the Falls Thursday demanding to talk to Eva
Hedges, who ran the operation. She never came to the door
but their spokesman is claiming the girl was suicidal and that her
parents said she was a special needs child. Violante said he
wasn't ruling out presenting the evidence to a grand jury..but
said they were still gathering information.

A TIE

The National Weather Service in Buffalo says we tied the
record high for today. The temperature reached 87 degrees
at 1:02 pm. The last time the area saw temperatures this
warm on August 22 was in 1877.

WEST NILE

The County Health Department says a dead crow found last week
on Trechler Street in North Tonawanda tested positive for the West
Nile Virus. It marks the first positive test in the County this year.
West Nile produces mild flu like symptoms in most healthy people but
can result in encephalitis. Those over age 50 are most at risk. The
Health Department says residents should protect themselves from
misquito bites by wearing long sleeves , long pants, and using repellent.
They also reccomended removing breeding sites such as discarded
tires, tin cans, plastic containers, and other water holding containers.

JACK DAVIS

Congressional wanna-be Jack Davis assured his spot on the
November ballot Thursday by announcing the creation of his
own "SAVE JOBS & FARMS PARTY.' Davis said he still expected
to win his Democratic primary battle against Jon Powers and Alice
Krysan...but in the unlikely event he didn't, he intends to stay in the
race till the end. Powers campaign manager John Gerken said
Davis is showing his true colors as a spoiler in the race and is
concerned only with his own self interests. Gerken managed the
Davis campaign in 2006.