Crossfire of Allegations at County Jail - Niagara Falls Reporter

THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS FAIRFREE MAY 21 - MAY 29 , 2013 VOL. 14, NO. 20 FREECrossfire of Allegations at County Jail

2NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Lawsuit Promised Against Sheriff's Department in Jailhouse Harassment CaseFrank Parlato.A Buffalo lawyer intends to file alawsuit alleging that a civilian employeeat the Niagara County Sheriff'sDepartment sexually harassed at leastone female prison inmate under hiswatch and in the absence of any swornSheriff Department officers.Robert Maranto of the law firm ofAndrews Bernstein Maranto & NicotraPLLC said he is filing a notice of claimto be served this week against NiagaraCounty."There is zero question this casewill be sued. This will wind up in litigation,"Maranto said.His suit will allege incidents occurredin the laundry room of the NiagaraCounty jail without supervisionfrom uniformed deputies."I think the case is very solid,"Maranto said. "You are a woman in jailand you should be protected from peoplewho are going to prey on you, particularlyin a sexual way. This is asexual harassment case. There was impropertouching. It is more than verbalharassment."The Reporter learned the allegedperpetrator has quit under, what he andothers have said, the threat of being investigatedfor the incidents alleged andfaced possible criminal charges.He denies he did anything improperexcept to inappropriately touchone inmate by "flicking" her pony tailin the laundry room where no cameraswere present.The victims claimed he did muchmore.A second alleged victim told theNIAGARA FALLS REPORTER“The Truth is Always Fair”Danielle McKean got only three weeks with her baby before being taken offto jail for a DUI incident. The failure rate in Niagara County Drug Court isso high she was set up to fail. McKean got more time than many drug dealers,home invaders and far less time than people like Dr. Corasanti who actuallykilled a young lady. McKean hurt no one but herself.Reporter that she too was harassed bythe same civilian employee. On top ofthat, a letter in the Reporter's possessionfrom a third inmate suggests shetoo may have been victimized.Multiple calls made to her cellphone and her mother's phone wentunanswered.As of press time, there is only oneparty to the pending lawsuit.The alleged civilian employee,suspected to be the target of the lawsuit,is Patrick Ryan, 49, of NiagaraFalls, who has worked at the jail in a"civilian" or a non sworn officer capacity,since 1998, in the laundry facility.Ryan resigned in April under pressurethat he could face charges fromhis actions with the alleged victim."I didn’t do anything," Ryan toldthe Reporter. "I quit my job because Ican't fight the county. I don't haveenough money to fight for my job.That’s the reason I left."The Sheriff's Department told methey would charge me with misdemeanors.It was very intimidating,"Ryan said. "They had no evidence, butI would have to go in and prove my innocence.You either try to prove yourinnocence in court and spend a lot ofmoney. Ten, 15 thousand down theroad. I don't have money. There is noway I could fight the county. It is ahuge, tough situation."Niagara County Sheriff JamesVoutour confirmed Ryan resigned hisposition. He said he could not commenton specific details of the allegationsbut said, "Ryan quit on his own.He was made aware of the allegation.He was made aware of a possible criminalinvestigation and he chose to quit,"said Voutour." As a general policy, Iwon't tolerate inappropriate actions onthe part of any employees. Whenbrought to our attention, we investigateand take immediate action. We don'tjust take the inmate's word."One of two women who claimed tohave been harassed by Ryan in thelaundry area of the prison is DanielleMcKean, also known as DanielleLeighton, and is the plaintiff in thelooming lawsuit against the county."When I first started to go down(in the laundry room) Ryan would starthitting my pony tail and hit me withthe cart in my butt," McKean said."After a month, he placed his hand onmy ass. It was done with an open hand.He would say inappropriate comments.When I was bending over, he wouldsay 'I bet your husband likes that.'"When (other inmates and I)would be in the restroom, he wouldbang on the door. He thought it wasfunny, but it wasn't funny. One time,when Chyna (another inmate) was inthere, the door flew open, and he seenher sitting on the toilet. I would alwaysleave the door locked."McKean, 32, is in jail on a drivingwhile under the influence of drugscharge and was recently sentenced to3.5 to years. She is the mother of a oneyear old child.McKean told the Reporter she becameaddicted to heroin when she was22, was charged for cashing forgedchecks when she was 26, violated probation,then later parole and it took hersix years to get out of the system on the(Continued on page 3)PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEFFrank ParlatoFOUNDING EDITORMike HudsonMANAGING EDITORDr. Chitra SelvarajMARKETING DIR.Michelle ReebSENIOR EDITORTony FarinaCONTRIBUTORSJohnny DestinoJane GrenkeMoose, Jr.Jane SchroederCIRCULATIONLou AvinoP.O. Box 3083, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14304Phone: (716) 284-5595E-mail: info@niagarafallsreporter.comWebsite: www.niagarafallsreporter.comAPARTMENT FOR RENTLaSalle Silverlake Apartments.2 bedroom. $625 + electric.Open house Saturdays - 8235Buffalo Ave: 11-3pm. call 716-877-3142All contents copyright © 2013 Niagara Falls Reporter Inc.

4Blue Collar Union Alleges He Didn’t Get Proper Training(Continued from page 3)chance. God, no. I know better thanthat. The only thing with (Danielle) Iever done to her which I didn't realizewas such a big deal was I touched herpony tail."Why?"No reason. There was one of thegirls upstairs and that they alwaystalked about her swinging her pony tailall the time when she walks down thehallway. Everybody always teasedabout that one girl and how her ponytail swung."Were you friendly with Danielle?"As a working environment. It wasstraight business, simple as that."Yet you touched her pony tail?"Touched the pony tail and that’sall. That's what this is all about."Danielle's lawyer, Maranto was incredulous."All he did was touch a woman'spony tail and he was informed that hewould be charged criminally or he hadto quit?," the lawyer said. "I suspectthere is much more to the story than heis claiming. It is egregious conduct,which is why I suspect he quit."What my client described to me,and my understanding of the situationat the jail with respect to his beingfired, are very consistent."Referring to Danielle's history ofanxiety, Maranto said, "The psychologicalcomponent of being confinedwith a history that she had, coupledwith an individual who's taking advantageof a young woman who is extremelyvulnerable and creatingextreme mental anguish in that personis actionable."According to an inmate, whospoke on condition of anonymity, afterRyan quit the prison, laundry servicestopped for a week."We heard through the grapevinethat he had been fondling female inmatesaround there and that's why hegot fired," the male inmate said. Thisparticular inmate however wasn’t convincedof Ryan's guilt."It's easy for one of these femalesto say whatever, but you never know.There are a lot of scams going on inthis place," he said.AFSCME Local #182, UnionLeader Bill Rutland came to Ryan's defense."He had to resign or face potentialinvestigation or maybe charges againsthim." Rutland said. "But the real problemis they put him in this position. Hewasn't trained, he was alone with thesewomen and there were no cameras to(Continued on page 5)Dan McKean visits his wife Danielle at the Niagara County Jail in Lockport,NY.

5(Continued from page 4prove one way or the other. It is justtheir word against his."Kathy Newton has worked for thecounty for 26 years. She is the vicepresident of AFSCME, local #182. Shealso worked at the laundry facility inthe jail, actually having been replacedby Ryan."He was unfairly treated," she said."There is no training for civilian employees.None. As far as I am concernedthe whole thing is hearsay.There was never cameras in the laundryroom…. Pat Ryan deserves theNIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Grievances filed by blue collar workersbenefit of the doubt. I would needproof. They don't have proof. He wasrailroaded. Let's face it, those girlsaren't there for skipping Sundayschool. If they can make a buck, theycan make a buck."Sheriff Voutour disputes the ideathat Ryan was too naive to work alongsideinmates. "He was trained to workin that unit. He took the job knowingthat it's inside a jail and obviously therewere going to be inmates. He acceptedthat position."According to Rutland three men inthe blue collar union were asked insuccession to replace Ryan after heA typical jail not unlike the Niagara County jail.Was Danielle McKean sexually harassed or is it a money grab?quit. They refused and were suspendedwithout pay for three days.Voutour defended the need to havediscipline in the jail."This is a police department. …When they were asked to do it andwhen they refused an order, they weresent home. These employees… workinside a jail. They work with inmatesevery single day they are there. Theyknew their job is inside the jail. …They go inside cells and fix toilets. Idon't know how they think this is anydifferent…. and say they are not doinglaundry."Rutland said he has filed grievanceafter his union workers were suspended."We filed a grievance for three employeesthat were asked to go into thesame laundry facility where Pat Ryanworked and with the same girls thatmade the accusations (after Ryan quit).That work that is not in their job description."

(Continued from page 6)you guys want to do the (usually unprofitable)foodsales, that’s up to you."Sklarski (pressing to the heart ofthe matter): “What type of bands?”Hutchins: “Alternative rock to aheavy metal... We do a lot of Indy rockbands….”Teixeira: “You gonna bring chairsin?”Hutchins: “The people will bringtheir own (or sit or dance on the park'sgrass).”Texeira: “Will there be mosh pits?”(moshing, a kind of dance, where participantsslam into each other, is associatedwith "aggressive" music.Moshing happens in a "pit". Injurieshave been reported and a few deathshave occurred).Hutchins: “It depends on theband.”Texeira: “It's crazy. They go intomosh pits and come out all bloody andbeat up?”Hutchins: “Those things happenspontaneously …But security istrained for that. When that happens thesecurity moves right in and they arecontrolling (the violence). When weare having that kind of band we have alot more security."NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Richards - Clark war of words continuesApropos of this, one remembersthe July 4th weekend of 2011 when, atone of Hutchins’ concerts, one manwas shot, others were stabbed andmore than a 1,000 people spilled intothe street as a riot broke out at theRapids Theater. His security totally unableto handle the riot, he needed thehelp of not only the Niagara Falls policebut also the Town of Niagara policedepartment."Could we get an approval at thenext meeting?" Hutchins asked."No," Richards said.As the meeting went into its secondhour, the storm between Clark andRichards broke loose. It was over thehiring of an outside fire inspector.The background is this: Richards,along with Teixeira and Sklarski, invoting to reduce property taxes for residentsby 9.3 percent and businesses by6.8 percent, cut 1½ positions from thetown's inspection department, saving$110,562. One of the inspectors, JeffStahlman, is a friend of Clark's.Another inspector, Charles Haseley,an ally of Clark's, had his job reducedto 18 hours.Richards’ argument was thatLewiston, with a population of 16,262,has only one building inspector.Wheatfield, 18,450 people, has onlyone building inspector. The Town ofNiagara, with a population of 8,378,less than half of the two neighboringtowns, had two building inspectors.The plan was to hire an outside fireinspector who would not cost the townany money. It seemed a no-brainer, butthat didn't stop Clark from challengingRichards.When Sklarski pointed out how farbehind the two inspectors were lastyear, Clark said, "Mr. Haseley told methey are not technically behind."Richards: “He's not being truthfulwith you.”Sklarski: “Do the math, on average(they should do) 250 (inspections tokeep pace with required inspections).They only did 32.”Clark: (referring to Haseley) “Wehave a fire inspector on payroll.”Sklarski: “We are not here to debatethat. We're here to put a positionin place.”Clark: “We already have somebodyin that position now. It is possiblypart of their duties. (Haseley) does notknow what his full duties entail.”Richards: “He knows exactly whathis full time duties are.”Clark (sarcastically, referring toHaseley's cut in hours): “His part-timeduties?”A discussion went on about thefact that it would not cost the town adime to hire an outside fire inspector.In fact, it would earn the town moneysince the inspector would get no paybut split fees the town normallycharged for inspections.Clark either didn't like or understandthe idea.Clark: “There is nothing budgeted[for this job].”Richards: “First of all, it isn't budgeted.It is an income source….If hedoes 30 inspections (the town makesmoney) What is wrong with that?(Taxpayers) paid $179,000 per year forthree people that did 20 inspections inone year.Clark: “They did more than 20 inspectionsin one year.”Richards: “Stop it. Stop it.”Clark: “Come on.”Richards: “Stop it… This is a selffundedposition that the board approveda long time ago and they neverimplemented it.”Clark … “We never approved …we discussed it, sure”Richards: “Stop it.”Clark: “No.”Richards: “…Places are burning(Continued on page 8)7

8down. You're putting this town in jeopardyover the job that will get donemore efficiently and the town willmake money.”Clark: “Wasn't the town makingmoney prior to that also [with fines andinspection fees]”Richards (sarcastically) “Well, Idon't know. With $179,000 (in salaryand benefits)you tell me if the townwas making money…Clark: “They are not making anymoney (now) because there is nobodyin there for extra permits.”Richards: “You tell me: $179,000it [used to cost] this town to run a departmentwith three full-time people …You look around this town… youproud of the job they are doing? Drivedown Hyde Park Blvd. Go throughyour own neighborhood…”Cark: “There is nobody (left) to doit… How (is Haseley) supposed to doit in18 hours?”Richards: “18 hours?”Clark: “Let me finish”Richards: … “I am tired of arguingwith you when you don't know thefacts and you refuse to … Now you'remaking a political football out of fireNIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Richards: I’m tired of arguing with you(Continued from page 7)inspections.”Clark: How am I making this political?If we are losing money fromthat department [it is because] there'snobody in there to work…. We cannottake in permits. … When they(inspectionsdepartment) can't take in permitsor they can’t set fines or they can't dowhat they're supposed to do, that affectsthe courts which in turn affectsother departments.Richards: “Affects the courts?”Clark: Yes… They set a fine, theygo to court, nobody is there (inspectorsat court.)”Richards: “Stop it!”Clark: “No, you wont let me finish.”Richards: “You're talking in circles.”Clark: “How am I talking in circleswhen your just saying, 'stop it, stop it,stop it.'”Richards: “I have the facts in myoffice of how many cases that went infront of the courts over here and younever find zero (revenue).”Clark: “Is it because there is nobodythere to go to court?”Richards (speaking of the inspectors):“They did not take their job serious…”Another stormy night at the meeting of the Town of Niagara Board.Clark: “They did take their job serious.”Richards: “We need an ( outside)fire inspector…”Clark: “You gave (the paid inspectors)grief… They did what they weresupposed to do. They met every requirement…”Richards: “…How many yearshave you been on this board?”Clark: “Seven.”Richards: “Alright, write downone thing you did for this town in yourseven years and I'll shut my mouth.”Clark: “Every time I try somethingit ends up like this. I'm sure I had to dosomething and you tell me to stop…”When Texieria asked about the detailsof the self-funding aspect of thefire inspector job, it must have finallydawned on Clark that this change frompaid town inspectors to an outside contractorwould not only save taxpayersmoney, but actually be an incomestream.Clark toned down and not long afterwardthe meeting ended.Now, what interested me was thesummer job.Sitting before me, on a table, werethe two lists of summer employees.I checked the names and found the(Continued on page 9)

Town of Niagara Town Hall.(Continued from page 8)old list had the name of a man, JeffreyMitchell, and, on the new list, hisname was gone and in his place was awoman's name, Colleen Fending.I found Sklarski in the hallwayand asked him about the two names.What about Fending's work performance?Sklarski: “She has done an exemplaryjob.”Then she was there before. Whatabout the guy? Is there a reason he didn'tget the job back?Sklarski: “That’s a question thetown attorney would be best to answer.”Town attorney Risman was still inthe hallway.NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Officials mum on jobs listJournalists interview: Councilman Dan Sklarski, the Gazette’s Justin Sondel,the Buffalo News’ Thad Komorowski and Supervisor Steve Richards.How come a simple change on thelist of summer help needed to be madeon the advice of attorneys?Risman: “I give the town advice onmany matters but the subject of that isattorney-client privilege. Personnelmatters are confidential.”Next I sought out Richards. Whilerefusing to discuss the employmentmatter, he was willing to talk aboutHutchins' plan for heavy metal concertsand mosh pits in the park."It's just not what I envision forthe town park," Richards said. "Themore I listened, the more I felt thispark is not the right spot."I sought out Clark and asked if heknew Colleen Fending, the womanwho was rehired?"I don't know the girl," Clark said."I cannot get into any detail because itwas discussed in executive session."Do you know the guy that wasfired? Did you hire him?“No, I didn't hire him.”Why was there a closed door session,,I asked. Are the removal of theman and the reinstatement of ColleenFending in his place connected?Clark declined to comment.The Reporter also spoke with bothFending and Mitchell. Both declinedcomment.At this point, no one will talk aboutthe reason Mitchell was taken off thelist and Fending given her job back.That remains a mystery and neitherMitchell nor Fending would commenton the circumstances that led to thechange.The town’s official position is thatit is a personnel matter and cannot bediscussed publicly. We’ll keep youposted if there any new developmentsthat become a matter of public interest.Curiously, shortly before presstime a woman who identified herselfas Courtney Smith, apparently a friendof Colleen Fending, called to deliver athreat that if we printed Colleen’sname, we would face a possible lawsuit.It was a strange and odd call, giventhat Colleen’s name is a matter of publicrecord since it was on the town’sjobs list. We didn’t create the list anddespite our best efforts, we were notinformed by town officials what wasbehind the switch from Mitchell toFending. For now, it remains a smallchapter in another busy and combativenight in the Town of Niagara.Sorry, Courtney, we don’t createthe news, we just report what happenedand search for answers whennone are forthcoming.9

10In response to growing complaintsregarding nuisance activity near andaround certain business establishments,the Niagara Falls City Councilis expected to pass an ordinance modifyingan existing city law in order tocontrol such activity.The ordinance is expected to be onnext week’s council agenda.“We’ve been receiving an increasingnumbers of complaints from residentsregarding noise, loitering, illegalactivity and other unwanted behaviortaking place in the business districts,”said Councilman Sam Fruscione.“We’re seeing repeat offenders in thisregard and this ordinance modificationis going to target the problem.”Chapter 737 Property and BuildingNuisance Reform will address “nuisancesthat substantially and seriouslyinterfere with the interest of the publicin the quality of life and total communityenvironment, commerce in thecity, property values and the publichealth, safety and welfare of the peopleof the city of Niagara Falls and of theCouncil Set to Strengthen Nuisance Lawbusinesses thereof and the visitorsthereto.”Noise, littering, fighting, lewdness,uncontrolled dogs, disorderly conductand violation of the alcoholic beveragecontrol law are some of the behaviortargeted for enforcement.The ordinance will put a point systemin place with offenses racking upviolation points."The ultimate penalty, if required,would be closure of the business,” saidFruscione. “We’re looking for this ordinanceto give our police the tools totake control of what has become abothersome and dangerous situation inthe city.”There are several properties in thecity that not only seem to be a locus ofcriminal activity but seem to encourageit.A recent Niagara Falls Reporter investigationfound that a number oflocal convenience stores, for instance,openly sell crack cocaine smokingparaphernalia.Council Chairman Glenn(L-R): The famed Council Majority: Sam Fruscione, Bob Anderson andGlenn Choolokian.Choolokian noted, “blight and crimecontinue to pose serious problems forNiagara Falls and it’s only going to getworse unless we take the needed stepsto go after the offenders. This ordinancewill help do that.”“It goes to the quality of life in ourcity, people want to feel safe and comfortablewhether they’re walking theirneighborhood street or visiting one ofthe city’s business districts,” saidCouncilman Bob Anderson. Nextweek’s council meeting will be held onTuesday because of the Memorial Dayholiday observance on Monday.Business Criminal Fronts Are Growing Problem, Says FruscioneMike HudsonBack around the turn of the 20thCentury, when Irish politicians and policemenruled the roost in NiagaraFalls, various laws were passed and enforcedagainst keeping what wereknown as “disorderly houses,” placeswhere gambling, liquor, prostitutes andother vices were easily available.Primarily, these disreputable establishmentswere located in the growingEast Side Italian neighborhoods,where recent immigrants lived and the“Moustache Petes” who would oneday become organized as La CosaNostra attempted to gain a foothold.As time went on and organizedcrime came to control the city underStefano Magaddino, the old laws wereforgotten. Actually there was no needfor them. The disorderly houses of yesterdaywere now owned and operatedby the city’s leading citizens.Ironically, the decline of organizedcrime, starting with Magaddino’s deathin 1974 and continuing to the presentday, has given rise to an unorganizedcriminal element, one that also makesuse of businesses and private homes asfronts for illegal activity.And City Councilman Sam Fruscionethinks it’s high time to put an endto it.He’s proposed an ordinance thatwould zero in on troublesome behavioraround business establishments such asloitering, littering, noise, public drinking,drug use and sale, lewdness and soon. If necessary, and depending uponhow many and how serious the violationsare, the offending business couldbe closed.“These activities have been on theincrease,” Fruscione told the Reporter.“The council members have been receivingnumerous complaints in thisregard, and we’re going to work tomake this ordinance law at our May 28meeting.”The ordinance would be part of atwo-pronged approach, with an increasedand highly visible police presencealso part of the equation.“Earlier this year the council providedadditional funds to our police departmentin order to expand patrols inthe tourism corridor and put walkingpatrols in various areas of the city. I’msure you’ve noticed police officerswalking Pine Avenue and other mainstreets including some streets in ourLaSalle neighborhood,” Fruscionesaid. “Undercover and unmarked policework moves ahead as usual, butwe will also continue to put officers inplain sightbecause itdeters crimeand providesa realsense of securityforour residents.”T h i sisn’t thefirst city ordinancethe council has written ormodified in order to address what mustbe described as undesirable activity inthe city’s business districts. Last yeartwo city ordinances were amended inorder to deal with the proliferation ofpawnshops and secondhand dealers inNiagara Falls.Pawnshops and similar businessessuddenly locating throughout the businessdistricts of any city aren’t considereda good sign, and council membersconsidered the increase of these businessesin Niagara Falls as a clear indicatorof our struggling local economy.In response, some thoughtful ordinancemodification was carried out,making it harder to open such businesses.Fruscione said that his recent proposalto catalogue buildings in need ofdemolition here and fund a comprehensiveprogram to tear them down issimply another aspect of improving thequality of life in the city.Sam Fruscione with Sen. GeorgeMaziarz.

said he was still hopeful and that heunderstood the governor is under a lotof pressure [on many issues].”Dyster also praised Gov. AndrewCuomo for getting a settlement on landrights and taxation issues with theOneida Nation that will also see theOneidas share casino revenues worthabout $50 million with the state in exchangefor exclusive gambling rightsin Central New York.Dyster credited Cuomo withbreaking the logjam with the Oneidasas he has in the case “of so many othersupposedly intractable issues in the lastseveral years,” adding in a statementthat it demonstrates Cuomo’s skill atsettling disputes at the bargainingtable.NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Mayor hoping Cuomo can work magicSeneca Niagara CasinoThe mayor is hoping that Cuomocan work his bargaining table magic innegotiations with the Senecas beforethe conclusion of the arbitration, sayingthat getting close to the eleventhhour may be the time both sides “getdown to business and make the difficultdecisions” to get an agreement.“The window of opportunity for asettlement is now,” said Dyster, whobelieves that is the best possible outcome.Meanwhile, the mayor said the cityis tracking cash month-to-month, andwill be okay until the fall on its presentcourse. Dyster said the city will havetime to implement a settlement if itcomes within the next few months beforehitting the wall.When asked what would happen ifthere’s no casino money, Dyster referredto an editorial in the BuffaloNews that indicated that Cuomo, in ameeting with the editors, said NiagaraFalls would be held harmless if there’sno casino cash.Other options that would be availableto the city in a worst case scenariowould be the $13.45 million NYPA aidspin-up that the council rejected in thecurrent budget because it could jeopardizefuture payments of $850,000 ayear for 44 years if the money couldnot be paid back.Dyster said his administration haslooked at private borrowing---insteadof the NYPA spin-up---and said itwould cost slightly more but would nothave the spin-back option that wouldbe present under the NYPA arrangementif the casino money eventuallycomes through.Meanwhile, as the city awaits theoutcome of the arbitration process,Dyster said the city has taken a separatetrack with the Senecas on economicdevelopment issues, and he’shopeful that agreements can bereached, like landscaping around thecasino on John B. Daly Blvd. and NiagaraSt., saying “I believe that we can13get that done.”It could be a sign of better thingsto come and could mean that themayor’s political tightrope walkingwill pay dividends in a post-settlementenvironment. Of course, if there’s nosettlement forthcoming, all bets are off,as they say, and what comes next isanybody’s guess.City Council leaders have beenbracing for a future without casinofunds, at least in the short term, andhave been rightly concerned about theapparent lack of progress in the arbitrationprocess. The mayor continuesto hold out hope for an eleventh hoursettlement and has publicly supportedCuomo’s efforts to bring about a negotiatedsettlement.As for the Senecas, they believethe state has violated the compact byopening three “racinos” in the WesternNew York exclusivity region and inprotest are continuing to withhold revenuesharing due the three host cities.But despite the heated words andall the threats, in the end there are veryhigh stakes involved for both sides,and a settlement is the best option, asDyster maintains. Now, at the eleventhhour, the time may be right.

14Proposed Law Would Require Inspections of Welfare DwellingsMike HudsonThings may be about to gettougher for welfare recipients and theslumlords who rent to them in NiagaraCounty and in Niagara Falls, in particular.A measure expected to be introducedby County Legislator DennisVirtuoso will require that houses andapartments being rented to those whohave their rent paid by the county Departmentof Social Services be inspectedprior to the welfare client’smove-in date.Currently, individuals and familieswhose rents are subsidized by the federalSection 8 housing program alreadyhave the prospective domiciles inspected.Virtuoso’s plan would expandthat program to include all welfare recipients.“Eighty percent of the substandardhouses are attracting only welfarecases,” Virtuoso told the Niagara FallsReporter. “It’s a quality of life problemand it’s a safety concern.”The measure is being co-sponsoredby Virtuoso’s Democratic colleagueson the legislature, Jason Zona andOwen Steed.Sources close to the Republicanmajority caucus said the legislationwill have GOP support as well.County Legislator Jason Zona,joined by his two Democratic colleaguesin the legislature, Owen Steedand County Minority Leader Dennis F.Virtuoso, submitted a resolution thisweek to bid out the lease to storecounty voting machines.Republican lawmakers have indicatedthe Zona resolution may be mootbecause the current lease doesn’t expirefor 11 months.The Democrats' proposal, however,could ultimately provide costsavings since the warehousing of votingmachines can likely be provided byany number of landlords in this countyand possibly at a lower price.In 2008, the Republican majorityin the legislature chose to enter into alease to rent 28,000 square feet to storethe voting booths in a warehouse at1961 Transit Rd, in Burt, an unincorporatedhamlet in the town of Newfane,for $86,400 a year.The warehouse is owned by ClearOpportunity Properties LLC, whosemanaging member is Lockport developerDavid Ulrich, a large donor tocounty Republicans.The lease deal was done withoutDennis Virtuoso“This will cut down on fraud andexpenses to the county,” Virtuoso said.“And it will clean up neighborhoodslike you wouldn’t believe.”Earlier this year, the legislaturepassed a law that mandates direct paymentto landlords for welfare clients’rent in order to cut down on the problemof recipients spending the rentmoney on drugs, liquor, gambling andprostitution.While no study was undertaken tosee just how big of a problem it was,Virtuoso and other legislators said itwas big enough to warrant further regulation.The current legislation, which willrequire the hiring of some inspectorsand perhaps even result in the creationof a whole new county department, targetsthose who rent substandard housingto the indigent.“You’re not going to see slumlordshere because they’re not going to beable to rent to anyone,” Virtuoso said.A substantial percentage of therental housing units in Niagara Fallsare occupied by people who, for variousreasons, are unable to pay theirown rent. Some are addled by liquorand drugs, while others are simplylazy. Still others are dumber than a boxof rocks or have serious and extensivecriminal records that render them essentiallyunemployable.A very small number have somesort of true physical infirmity that preventsthem from working for a living.Virtuoso may be predisposed tothinking of building inspections as asolution for problems since he headsup the building inspections departmentin the city of Niagara Falls.But by targeting slumlords and thepolitically invisible people who generallylive in substandard, non-codecompliant housing, he may have founda winning issue that taxpayers and voterswill find attractive.It will almost certainly drive someof the welfare cheaters off of the dole.Hopefully, the measure will notJason Zonadrive too many welfare recipientsaway from Niagara Falls, as the city isdependent on their numbers in order toreceive its own welfare subsidies, stateand federal funding that increases indirect proportion to the incidence ofpoverty here.Make no mistake, the warehousingof ex-convicts, unwed teenage mothersand their offspring, hopeless substanceabuse cases and others on the fringesof society is big business for municipalgovernment here, and as much as anythingelse allows upper echelon cityemployees to enjoy the sorts of salariesand perks that turn their counterpartsin larger and more affluent cities greenwith envy.Democrats Seek Open Bidding on Voting Machine Storage LeaseFrank Parlatoseeking competitive bids.By November, 2012, a resolutionby the Republican majority to renewthe lease, well in advance of its expiration,drew criticism from Zona andVirtuoso who argued that rather thanhave the majority decide who gets thelease without shopping for the bestdeal possible, the lease should go outto bid."I thought it was no coincidencethat Ulrich, the largest Republicandonor in the county, should get thelease without bidding," Zona said.Virtuoso argued it was a violationof the procurement policies of thecounty to enter into a lease withoutbidding—a point disputed by CountyAttorney Claude A. Joerg.“It makes us look like fools if wedo this,” Virtuoso said. “If Mr. Ulrichis the low bidder, that’s fine with me.”Joerg, however, pointed to caselaw where courts have ruled that competitivebidding—or even shopping forthe best deal—is not required of governmentfor real estate deals.The Republican majority electedto keep voting machines at the Newfanefacility, calling the Ulrich deal adequatefor county needs at the time.The criticism from the two Democrats,however, may have convincedcounty lawmakers to drop thematter of long-term renewal of thelease. The Administration Committeelast fall tabled a resolution to extendClear Opportunity’s lease to store votingmachines at the same facility. Theinaction on the new lease triggered aone-year extension of the existinglease, whereby Ulrich's Clear OpportunityProperties LLC continues to collecta monthly rent of $7,200 to storethe voting machines.Zona argues for the proactive position,proposing that, rather than approvethe new lease with Ulrich, hewants County Manager Jeffrey Glatzto issue a request for proposals fromany and all property owners who mayhave space to store the voting machines."Who knows," Zona said, "Somebodymay offer us something very inexpensiveor perhaps even donatespace for free. It is in the best interestof the Niagara County taxpayers to explorethis by doing a request for proposals.It is also a transparency issuefor Niagara County."Keith McNall, a Republican caucuslawmaker from Lockport whopresently chairs the Community ServicesCommittee, said he’s fine with anRFP—when the one-year automaticextension in the lease runs out.“Under the existing lease, absentany effort by the legislature to eitherdepart the Newfane facility or sign anew lease, the current lease stands,and, according to the county attorney,it will be in place for one year,” Mc-Nall said. “I agree with Mr. Zonaabout seeking the best deal for the taxpayers—andMr. Glatz will be instructedto study a full array of options,including signing a new lease withClear Opportunity Properties, utilizinga county-owned building, or puttingout an RFP to seek other vendors. Theshort of it is, we have a year, and wewill use it.”McNall also noted that no membersof the legislature had sought tomove the resolution for a vote.“The Niagara Falls Democratswere welcome to do that any time,”McNall said. “It’s right there inRobert’s Rules of Order. The inactionresulted in this lease extending for ayear. Short term, that actually providesa viable solution, but long-term weneed to consider all of our options.”

16Niagara Falls resident David J.Zajac, a Republican, announced his intentionto run against longtime incumbentDemocrat Dennis Virtuoso for the6th District legislative seat in thisyear’s election.The district is located exclusivelyin Niagara Falls and has a better thantwo-to-one Democratic plurality.Zajac, 22, recently graduated fromErie Community College with an associate’sdegree in criminal justice/lawenforcement. He works for the NiagaraFalls Board of Education as a safety officer.A first-time candidate for publicoffice, Zajac says he is focused onquality of life issues as well as improvingthe business climate in the community.Zajac said he believes that cultivatinga positive business atmosphere willlead to more private capital investmentin the city, which will translate intomore job opportunities for the peopleof Niagara Falls.“It is time to put people before politics,”he said. “My family’s business,Zajac Funeral Home, has been servingthe people of this city since 1949. Ilearned at a very young age that smallNIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Zajac to Challenge Virtuoso for Legislature SeatZajac reviewing county budgetdocuments.Dennis Virtuoso veteran lawmakerfaces challenge in November.business is the heart and soul of thiscommunity.”Zajac said he wants to workclosely with the Niagara County Departmentof Economic Development ifhe’s elected to represent his neighborsin county government.“I will work tirelessly to improvethe business climate in Niagara Fallsso the men and women of this communitywho’ve invested in this city canthrive,” Zajac said. “I believe that creatinga welcoming atmosphere for newfamilies to come invest in our city isjust as significant.”With his recently earned degree incriminal justice and employment as asafety officer, Zajac intends to workclosely with city, state, and federal officialsto address rising crime issues aswell as housing blight in the city.“Niagara Falls is a wonderful citywith great history,” said Zajac. “Unfortunately,our housing stock has been allowedto deteriorate at an extremelyalarming rate. This has created a rippleeffect throughout much of our city thathas led to higher crime rates, increaseddrug activity, and more sex offendersliving in Niagara Falls.”Zajac said that the quality of life issuesare the result of afailure of localgovernment and a betrayal of local residents.“Nobody deserves to feel asthough they cannot safely walk theirneighborhood at any time of day orsleep peacefully at night,” he said.Zajac said he believes better daysare ahead if strong leaders are elected.“When tough times knock youdown you must simply get back up,brush yourself off, and push forward…” he said. “I want to be part of the revitalizationof Niagara Falls.”Zajac's opponent, Virtuoso, recentlyannounced he will run for reelectionand is employed as the actingdirector of Code Enforcement for thecity of Niagara Falls.

State Rep;. John CerettoLast week, State Rep. John Cerettocalled for the resignation of AssemblymanVito Lopez, and asked assemblySpeaker Sheldon Silver to step downafter the release of The Joint Commissionon Public Ethics (JCOPE) reportdetailing alleged sexual misconduct ofLopez toward members of his femalestaff and a cover-up by Silver.Lopez said he would resign hisseat on June 20.Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Silverare pushing to have Lopez expelledfrom the Assembly immediately.An expulsion vote may occur thisNIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Ceretto Joins Growing Chorus Calling ForSilver to Step DownVito Lopezweek.“No man who has a repeated historyof sexual harassment is fit for publicoffice. I am also urging SpeakerSilver to step down because he enabledLopez’s behavior for years and did notdo enough to protect the femalestaffers who worked for (Lopez).”Lopez is alleged to have gropedand harassed at least eight young femaleemployees in his Brooklyn office.Women allegedly were forced tomassage his body, asked to spend thenight with him in hotel rooms and instructedto wear skimpy skirts and highSheldon Silverheels.One woman was made to feel thetumors on his neck, shoulder andarmpit as Lopez, who has cancer, toldher he was dying. Another said shecontracted pinkeye after being made toput drops into his affected eye.Lopez denied all wrongdoing andsuggests that he’s a victim of a smearcampaign.When Silver first learned aboutthe first harassment allegations, morethan a year and half ago, he directedthe Assembly to quietly enter into settlementnegotiations, paid out17$103,000 in taxpayer money and, atthe insistence of Lopez and Assemblylawyers, included a confidentialityclause thus allegedly exposing morewomen to Lopez's alleged harassment.Silver did not send the matter to anAssembly Ethics Committee — whichis required by the Assembly’s sexualharassment policy.Joining Ceretto in calling for Silverto step down are dozens of others includingpredictably attorney GloriaAllred who represents two of Lopez'salleged victims and State RepublicanChairman Ed Cox.Silver who is now being widelycriticized is, of course, pointing an accusatoryfinger at Lopez and callingfor his ouster.Lopez maintained his innocenceand said he was stepping down tofocus on his campaign for New YorkCity Council in November.Lopez will walk away with an annualpension of $64,634.28.Ceretto, a father of two, said hewill vote for the expulsion of Lopezand support a call to oust Silver fromhis position as speaker.

18NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Walker will Face Hill in 15th Legislative DistrictJoshua Walker, a registered Conservative,is seeking a seat on the NiagaraCounty Legislature with aplatform calling for a "reform of thecounty’s purchasing practices andchanges in the policies of the IndustrialDevelopment Agency."Walker will challenge incumbentMichael A. Hill in the 15th District,which includes the Towns of Royaltonand Hartland and doglegs into a portionof the Town of Lockport calledRapids.Although he is a Conservative,Walker is seen as the likely endorsedcandidate of the Democratic Party and,oddly, Walker is not seen as likely toIf the whole world standsagainst you sword in hand,would you still dare to dowhat you think is right?secure the endorsement of his ownparty.In the past, Conservatives, headedby County Chairman Dan Weiss, haveendorsed Hill and are expected to dothe same this year.Curiously, Walker's grandfather,the late Raymond Walker, was thefounder and long-time chairman of theNiagara County Conservative Party.His father Dean was chairman of theparty and was replaced by Weiss.“I'm a Conservative," Walker said."But I believe the Democrats offer thebest hope for the future of NiagaraCounty. I do agree with many of mygrandfather’s political views, especiallyhis insistence that public serviceis about helping people and giving thetaxpayers’ the best value for their hardearneddollars.”Walker is expected to wage a primaryfight for the Conservative lineagainst Hill. The Conservative Partyappears third on the ballot.Walker may need the Conservativeparty line in the 15th District, which isfarm country and has a more than 2-to-1 Republican edge.Nevertheless, right out of the gate,Walker has criticized the local Republicans.“The deal the County made forleasing record storage space is a joke,waste of taxpayers’ money and a rewardfor one of the biggest contributorsto the Republican Party,” Walkersays, referring to how the Republicanmajority in the County Legislatureawarding a no-bid deal for warehousespace to Lockport developer David Ulrichlate last year. Public records showUlrich is a major contributor to the NiagaraCounty Republican Party andlocal Republican office holders.“Ulrich paid just over $75,000 forthe 60-year-old building and the Republicansturn around and give himmore than $640,000 for the next fiveyears,” Walker says. “That’s absurd.We are one of the highest taxed countiesin the entire nation and the serviceswe receive do not justify the spendingthe Niagara County Legislature approvesroutinely. The political dealingin the legislature is rampant and wemust change the way the county conductsbusiness.”If elected, Walker said he wouldcall for a review of the entire county’sspace needs and better use of existingcounty owned buildings.“The Republicans dominate theCounty Legislature and the oneparty rule does not serve the interestsof working families. We need achange of direction where countygovernment becomes more efficientand innovative in bringing muchneed economic development andjobs to Niagara County."~ Joshua Walker“We don't need to lease space forbasic government functions when

NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 201319Forster praises Walkerowning the properties is more cost-effective,”Walker argues. “NiagaraCounty’s leasing practices have becomea way to give sweetheart deals tosugar daddy campaign contributors.”The Royalton resident is an electricianand member of IBEW Local 237.He and his wife Jessica have twodaughters. Walker has done volunteerwork for the United Way, The Girls andBoys Clubs and Big Brothers and Sisters.Niagara County Democratic ChairmanNick Forster, who has promisedthat every one of the incumbent Republicansin the County Legislaturewill have an opponent this year, praisedWalker. “He’s young, energetic, andsmart and wants to bring fresh ideas tothe legislature. We need people likeJosh Walker to turn the county aroundand restore integrity,” Forster said.Walker wants the county to requirebusinesses getting tax deals from theIndustrial Development Agency to hirea fixed percentage of local residentsfor the construction projects as well aspermanent employees.His opponent, Hill, has generallyrun in the past with either token or noopposition.DELIVER THE NEWVERIZON TELEPHONEDIRECTORIESM & W 18+ w/insured vehiclesto deliver in Niagara Falls,Lewiston, Ransomville areas.Also looking for office clerks &loaders. Starts june 10th.Work minimum of 6 daylighthours per day get paid within72 hours at completion ofroute.800-979-7978, 9-5:30 pm, M-F. Refer to job# 30057-a.The American Osteopathic Associationhas granted a five-year accreditationto the Family MedicineResidency Program at Niagara FallsMemorial Medical Center.The approval was granted followingan inspection that included an onsitevisit and a review of the program’sOsteopathic Family Medicine ResidencyProgram Earns Five-Year Accreditationcurriculum, policies and procedures.Osteopathic postdoctoral trainingprograms such as Memorial’s are recognizedthroughout the United States.As the only accrediting agency for osteopathicmedical education, theAmerican Osteopathic Association isresponsible for developing and enforcingpostdoctoral training requirements,policies and procedures in order to ensurethe highest quality programs.Niagara Falls Memorial MedicalCenter is member of The Lake ErieConsortium for Osteopathic MedicalTraining (LECOMT) and its networkof affiliated teaching hospitals. ItsFamily Medicine Residency Programis committed to attracting, training andnurturing talented physicians so as toassure quality medical care in our communityand beyond for generations tocome.

20Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomoannounced he will spend $90 millionof the people's money to "improve" 50state parks across the state.Of that, about $5 million will go toa business enterprise pretending to bea state park known to the public as theNiagara Falls State Park.Half will go to improving the administrativeoffices and the rest will goto "improving" the paid parking lots insidethe park.The "improvements" to parkingNIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Niagara Falls State Park: Where Concrete is GodFrank Parlatowill include plans to direct more trafficinto the park and get tourists parkedfaster. It will also include using automatedpaid parking to increase theareas where parking income can be derived,as well as cut down on employeecosts.There will be more paving to maximizeand expand paid parking.Parking is one of the big incomestreams at the Niagara Falls State Park.Curiously, the people who run theNiagara Falls State Park website liketo pretend that the State Park is hardlyThey live concrete and money at the Niagara Falls State Park.a business at all.The website authors like to writeabout Frederick Law Olmsted, the fatherof landscape architecture and thedesigner of the Niagara Reservation.They wrote, "Olmsted believedthat parks should be places of naturalbeauty where 'the masses could be renewed.'This philosophy was appliedthroughout Olmsted’s landscape designfor Niagara Falls State Park, withan entire network of footpaths throughwooded areas and along the banks ofthe Niagara River. Today, the oldestAmerican state park retains Olmsted’svision by staying committed to maintainingnative vegetation, preservingits unparalleled vistas and providingpublic access."In pursuing their business model,however, the state had to abandonmuch of the Olmsted vision, even ifthey do not admit it on their website.Whether it is paid parking lots, takingup acres of scarce parkland, restaurantsand souvenir stores dotting thelandscape at every turn, or boothsalong every pavement trail selling discoverypasses, the State Park hasswerved far from Olmsted's vision.For the record, Olmsted's visionwas basically four "cardinal" points:1. Keep the park all green withonly native vegetation.2. Absolutely no commercial enterprisesin the park.3. No man-made gardens, fountainsor statues.4. No parking except for "a fewshady harbors."Despite the fact that Olmstedcalled the prohibition of restaurantsand stores in the Niagara Falls park, "acardinal necessity (for) success (of his

park plan)"-- actually writing "If (thepark) were a commercial undertakinginto which the State was entering, incompetition with the people of the villageof Niagara, it cannot be questionedthat the restaurant could bemade profitable"- restaurants andstores sprung up everywhere inside thepark.The park even competes with citybusinesses for banquets.Olmsted’s original plans also didnot plan to set aside land for parking,"because at best many trees must bedestroyed."Olmsted envisioned that those whocame to the park would park outsideand walk inside the all-green park andpatronize local businesses for theircommercial needs.Albany, seeing the business potentialof the park, clear-cut acres of treesfor parking. Presently they have threepaid lots and will spend $2.5 millionmore to create more revenue fromparking.NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013More parking lots coming soon at Niagara Falls State ParkThe annual parking business forthe state park, at $10 per car, is around$2 million per year, making their parkingbusiness one of the most successfulin the region.As part of the plan to redesign thepark in Albany's image, moving awayfrom Olmsted to a business enterprisein competition with the city, the parkadded statues and man-made gardensto complete the departure of all four ofOlmsted’s original four cardinal points.It is interesting that the only moneyCuomo found for the Niagara FallsState park was to increase parking andmake better offices for the people whorun the business.Funny too, when Cuomo announcedthe glad tidings of his $90million plan, he said the money spentwill "support New York’s tourism industry.”What he really meant, in NiagaraFalls at least, is that it will support Albany'stourism industry.So what else is new?21Scientologists Put on a Show!L. Ron HubbardOn Saturday, June 1st at 1:00 PM.there will be a theatrical reading at theChurch of Scientology Buffalo, 836Main Street Buffalo when Golden AgeTheater presents "Tough Old Man."Written in 1950, the short story byL. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology,is a comedic science fictionHubbard published here.story that originally ran in a pulp magazinecalled Startling Stories.According to Author Services,Inc., which represents the literary, theatricaland musical works of Hubbard,the event will "transport the audiencebackin time to the days of the Golden Ageof Radio-Style theater, with a live performanceof a short pulp story from the1940's, with professional Hollywoodactors. There is also a live musical performancewith professional local musicians….Itis entirely a communityevent to experience the excitement andaesthetic appeal of a real-life radiodramaproduction."Admission is free - and they add,because it is held at the Church of Scientology"no requirements. All arewelcome. Refreshments will beserved."For more information, contactChris Latham at 716-856-3910, oremail at buffalo@scientology.net

22Tuscarora businessman Joseph'Smokin' Joe' Anderson has opened hisnewest downtown venture, 'Smokin'Joe's Native Center,' at 333 First St. inNiagara Falls.The center, which occupies whatwas the old Tele-tech offices, is for themost part a large souvenir store with acurtained off area which seats about500 and an elevated stage at the back.The Native Center will apparentlyoffer regular native dance performances,cultural acts and entertainment.The initial show featured a dance,drum and wailing called, "A NativeJourney into the Spirit of the Mist" performedby the Native Spirit Dancers.For those who could understandthe mysticism of it, it was perhaps amoving performance. The costumeddancers were spectacular in their vividcolors but somehow the wailing of thesinger sounded so shrill to my uninitiatedears that it was, at times, repugnant.I wondered if it was a war crymeant to horrify the listener into surrenderingjust to get the singer to stophis performance.In any event, there may be muchmore to the performance than what metthe ear and one is inclined to suggestthe casual visitor or tourists make a tripthere anyway to check it out.But don't bring your camera.NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013‘Smokin’ Joe’ Opens New Native CenterFrank ParlatoQUOTE OF THE WEEK"I will make one campaign promiseand that is I will not let you down."~ Russ VesciRuss Vesci, a candidate for NiagaraFalls City Council, is a karate expertwith a 57-0 record in full contact bouts,a 22 year veteran of the Niagara FallsWater Board and an accomplished musicianwho plays five instruments. Hisphilosophy is well worth looking intoand the Reporter plans to delve into itin coming editions.New native center: 333 First St.Smokin’ Joe Anderson at new store.On a second visit to the NativeAmerica Center, one of the managersthere told me that people are not allowedto take pictures inside the place.I thought this odd and asked if thatmeant only the media, or more particularly,the Niagara Falls Reporter.He said he had been instructed thatno one may take pictures inside theNative Center.A native journey is performed.Native program launches new store.Opening night video show.Souvenir store now open for business.Fortunately, I had already taken aslew of pictures before I was informedof the no-photo rule.Still, one wonders how a place thatfunctions as a souvenir store, but lurespeople to come in thinking it is a NativeAmerican center, with various visuallyexciting exhibits andperformances, can hope to please whentourists are barred from taking photographs.When the manager was asked thereason for the prohibition, he said, "Idon't know. It is just what I was told."Community Support Made Rock-a-Thon a SuccessJane Grenke, Presidentand Rock-a-Thon Co-Chairand Jane Schroeder,Rock-a-Thon Co-ChairThe Auxiliary of NiagaraFalls MemorialMedical CenterThe Auxiliary of Niagara FallsMemorial Medical Center would liketo thank all those who contributed tothe success of its 12th Annual Rock-A-Thon.This year’s event raised nearly$7,000. Since its inception, the Rocka-Thonhas raised more than $100,000.The Rock-a-Thon is one of theAuxiliary’s major fundraisers and itwouldn’t be the success it is withoutsupport from the community, ourelected officials, hospital staff and, ofcourse, our own members. All moneyraised goes to purchase medical equipmentfor the hospital.The Auxiliary was the first groupof volunteers dedicated to raisingfunds for Niagara Falls Memorial. Youcan identify us by our pink smocks –we volunteer in every hospital departmentand also operate the gift shop.Since it was founded, the Auxiliaryhas raised close to $4 million dollarsfor the hospital.Auxiliary members receive freehospital parking, a 20 percent discountin our lovely gift shop and free lunchon the days they volunteer. If you areinterested in becoming a member,please contact Judy Villani, Memorial’sdirector of Volunteer Services, at278-4440.Once again, thank you to all whohelped make this annual event a success.

24NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Wayside Nursery- 45 Years And Still Going Strong…Moose, Jr.Phil Rotella Sr. was no stranger tohard work and getting his hands dirty.He started with just a shovel and apickup truck.He turned that hard work into ablossoming landscaping and gardeningbusiness called Wayside Nursery in1968 with his wife Jenine. Phil and Jeninehad seven children and all of themworked at one time or another for WaysideNursery.In fact, when Phil passed awaytwo years ago, his son Michael anddaughters, Rachael and Julie, took overthe store without missing a beat.Wayside Nursery is a commercialand residential full service retail GardenCenter with a complete line ofshrubbery, flowers, patio trees and topPhillip Rotella, Sr. started WaysideNursery.(L-R): Rachel Rotella Glassner, Michael Rotella and Julie Rotella standingamidst Henry Studio Concrete products for the lawn and garden.soil. Wayside carriesa very high qualityplant material and has a staff of 12landscapers with a heavy resume ofprojects completed.Wayside Nursery has worked onthe Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece,the Darwin-Martin House, taking careof the paving work and landscaping.Other projects include the NiagaraGorge Trail Project, the DiscoveryCenter, The Water Intake LandscapeProject, Schoellkopf Park, Old FallsBlvd., Lewiston Rd., John B. DaleyBlvd., and too many other successfulprojects to mention.In addition to flowers and trees,Wayside Nursery is the only authorizedUni-Lock Dealer in Niagara Falls.They sell top quality gardening equipment,tools, Henry Studio Concrete

Wayside Nursery is full service center25The Discovery Center was one of Wayside’s commercial projects.Products (the top quality concrete inthe biz), and an extensive selection offoundations and decorative statuary.They offer a large selection of solutionsto remove all unwanted pests, insecticides,and disease control productsto enhance your garden and lawn.A view of some of the high quality plant material at Wayside.An example of a residential landscaping project by Wayside.Therefore, since we are surroundedby such a greatcloud of witnesses, let usthrow off everything thathinders and the sin that soeasily entangles, and let usrun with perseverance therace marked out for us.Heb 12:1:

26NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Social Security Reveals the Most Popular Baby NamesMichael still going strong, Frank not so much….!Frank ParlatoCarolyn W. Colvin, the ActingCommissioner of Social Security,whose first name has never been in thetop ten most popular names for girlsfor at least 130 years, announced lastweek that the names Sophia and Jacobwere the most popular baby names inthe U.S. for girls and boys respectivelyin 2012.For boys, the top ten were Jacob,Mason, Ethan, Noah, William, Liam,Jayden, Michael, Alexander and Aldenin that order.For girls it was Sophia, Emma, Isabella,Olivia, Ava, Emily, Abigail,Mia, Madison, and Elizabeth.In New York State, Michael wasthe most popular name given to boysin 2012. Over the past half century,Michael -- which translates from theold Hebrew as "Who is like God" --has only rarely been out of the top 10male baby names in this great country.Just as it was nationally, Sophiawas the most popular name New Yorkersgave baby girls.This is the second year for Sophiaand the fourteenth year in a row Jacobtopped the list. There is only one newcouple in the top 10 this year--Elizabethand Liam replace Chloe andDaniel. This is the first time Liambreaks into the top 10.According to the people who writethe press releases for the Social SecurityAdministration, Liam’s "newfound success" might, they suggest, beattributed to parents who name theirchildren after actors who are likely tobe pretty much forgotten by the timetheir child reaches adulthood.In this case, an actor named LiamNeeson, the folks at Social Security tellthe Reporter, is the inspiration to Hollywood-struckparents, and has had recentmajor roles in “Battleship” “TheChronicles of Narnia,” “Clash of theTitans” franchises, and the popular,“Taken.'”From 1913 to 1946, Mary, thename of both Jesus’ mother and thewoman who converted her life underhis influence, was most popular forgirls. Linda took over from 1947 to1952 while Mary, sank to number two.Then, Mary rose again to numberone, where she stayed from 1953 to1961. Lisa took over from 1962 to1969, with Mary, dropping to two, thenfive and then off the top five for thefirst time in 1967.After 43 years as the most populargirls name, where mothers gave totheir babies the name their own mothersgave them, 'there seemed somethingthere that sounds so square,' andMary dropped to 65 by the 2000's.Starting in 1970 and until 1985,Jennifer was tops. Jessica horned infrom 1985 until 1995 except for a twoyearinterlude where Ashley (1992-1993) stole the prize. Emily ran from1996 to 2007. Emma took it in 2008but lost to Isabella in 2009 and 2010.Sophia now is number one.For boys, it was John from 1913to 1923. Robert from 1924 to 1951.James from 1940-1952. Robert had itagain for one, last, glorious, nostalgicyear in 1953. Then Michael was themost popular name for baby boys from1954- 1998 with only a single year ofDavid in 1960. Jacob has been numberone since 1999.In the decade of the 1880's, Frankwas the seventh most popular name forbaby boys in America with 30,967lucky babies getting that name. Overthe next 133 years, Frank inexplicablydropped in popularity. By 2000, Frankhad dropped to number 221, just behindLeonardo but still one notchahead of Malachi.All power is within you;you can do anythingand everything. Believein that, do not believethat you are weak; donot believe that you arehalf-crazy lunatics, asmost of us do nowadays.You can do anythingand everything, withouteven the guidance ofany one.- Swami VivekanandaMike HudsonIf you ask him, the Rev. KevinDobbs – a 16-year veteran of the NiagaraFalls Board of Education – wouldtell you that the proudest moments ofhis tenure on the board have been thebuilding of three new schools, NiagaraFalls High School, Cataract ElementarySchool and Niagara Street School.“My involvement in the buildingof those schools makes me feel good,knowing that the best we as a board ofeducation can deliver to the studentsand community has been provided,” hesaid.Dobbs said he’s also proud of thefact that the board hasn’t had to increasetaxes since he was first elected,despite the fact that much of the citylives in abject poverty and the tax baseshrinks more and more with each passingyear.“My desire is to see a greater numberof students graduate, serving allstudents regardless of their challenges,”he said. “We have goodschools in Niagara Falls, safe schoolsin Niagara Falls and good staff who areDobbs Proud of School Board Tenureconcerned for the well-being of ourstudents.”He’d be a bit more reluctant to discussthe fact that federal and state authoritiesare hounding him for morethan $45,000 in unpaid taxes, accordingto public documents on file in theNiagara County Clerk’s Office.The IRS placed a tax lien in theamount of $35,257.54 on propertyowned by Dobbs and his wife,Norschenia Payne-Dobbs, in Septemberof last year.A tax warrant for $10,586.54 wasfiled by the state Department of Taxationand Finance in November 2011.Dobbs said the situation arose after hedipped into his retirement account.“I paid so many taxes on it, and Ithought I had paid enough taxes,”Dobbs said. “It wound up that I didn’tpay enough taxes.”Dobbs is pastor of Christ RedemptionTabernacle at 22nd and Niagarastreets, which he said he purchased in2010.Dobbs said he has set up a paymentplan with the state and has beenmaking payments on his debts. TheKevin Dobbs says tax problem notan issue.money he was owed from his most recentstate tax return was applied towhat he owes, he said.“I’ve been doing everything I can,”Dobbs said.Water bills at Dobbs’ Seymour Avenuehome haven’t been paid in morethan a year, according to the NiagaraFalls Water Board. The property is onthe board’s shutoff list.Dobbs downplayed what he believeshis tax situation should mean tovoters.“I don’t think it would affect myability to sit on the School Board,” hesaid.Dobbs’ nearly two decades of serviceon the school board speaks for itself.He has also served on the NiagaraFalls Housing Authority and thecounty Industrial DevelopmentAgency, and believes public service tobe essential, both as a man and a Christian.Dobbs answered the call of God toserve as the founder and pastor of theChrist Redemption Tabernacle Churchin Niagara Falls, New York in Septemberof 1999 after serving in various capacitiesat Emmanuel Temple ApostolicChurch for 23 years.“I believe I must deposit hope intothe community wherever I go, locally,state or nationwide,” Dobbs told theReporter. “It’s important for me toserve as a positive role model.”

28NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Darro Advocates for Senecas on Radio ShowMaybe he's right.But it did strike several of ourreaders who listen to the dulcet tonesof WJJL radio host Tom Darro, whenboth he and his wife, Ann Marie, toldlisteners that they could save money ifthey purchased products from theSenecas instead of buying the sameproducts at American owned stores.You save the sales tax, Ann Marieexplained as she went into ecstasy overthe new line of product the Senecas’bath and body works store offers."This is a franchise," she said."They can’t raise their prices so youare guaranteed that their prices arecheaper because you don't pay anytaxes."It is true.Crabtree and Evelyn beauty productsare now available at the SenecaNation in Niagara Falls and, as AnnMarie and hubby Tom explained,Crabtree and Evelyn set the prices and,so, wherever you go, you pay the sameprice for their products.The savings, the couple explained,in the sovereign nation of the Senecas,is in the sales tax you don't pay. AtAmerican stores where Crabtree aresold, such as at the Galleria Mall, buyershave to pay sales tax.And on top ofGet beauty product with no tax atSeneca Casino.that, the foolish Americans also paystate income and property taxes, butthat is another matter.Mrs. Darro, who happens also tobe an employee of the casino, mighthave mentioned that one could alsostop for a snack, a coffee, a donut or asandwich at Tim Hortons in the casino.$20 bill will cover costs; no tax.Why should one go to the TimHortons on Pine Avenue, when theycan go to the Seneca Tim Hortons andsave the taxes?When reached for comment Tom Darro told the Reporter that his "radioprogram is an opinion program," adding that his wife, Ann Marie, makes referenceto new business regularly on the show, "If she sees something, as awoman, she thinks other women might be interested in she talks about it. Thisis the first time I believe she has made reference to any business in the casino.She mentioned it because she uses the (Crabtree) product."Same price everywhere, but atSeneca Casino, pay no tax.Or you could shop at the Sky Boutique,Swarovski Crystal Boutique,Seasons, The NewsStand, Yankee Candle,EQ Movado, Watson’s Chocolates,or TEN.You may eat tax free at - BluesBurger Bar, Koi Noodle Bar, ThreeSisters Café, Thunder Falls Buffet, TheWestern Door Steak house, La Cascata,Koi Asian Cuisine, Morrie's Express,Cold Stone Creamery and drinktax free (and freely smoke inside too)at the Chairman's Lounge, Club 101 orAces.Taking the Darro's advice, I boughta $20 Crabtree and Evelyn product,saving $1.60 in sales tax then had a

NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Senecas enjoy big advantagecigarettes and gas and across state linesfor tax-free clothing. Now we have agrowing number of tax-free storesright next to our taxpaying ones.29I wonder if the Senecas will oneday open their own radio station.North Tonawanda SummerHours AnnouncedNorth Tonawanda — MayorRobert G. Ortt has announced thatCity Hall summer hours will be from8 a.m. – 4 p.m. beginning next Tuesday,May 28th, and will be in effectthrough Friday, August 30th. TheCity Clerk/Treasurer’s office will beopen until 5p.m. on Wednesdays.Same products, different price. Betterdeal at casino with their unfairtax advantage.$20 lunch at Tim Horton’s saving another$1.60.With the unlevel playing field andthe sales of more and more new products-they have planned a gas stationand convenience store- the Senecaswill be able to successfully compete, ifnot crush the American-owned, highlytaxed, over-regulated businesses whichare next door.Tom Darro has broken newground. For the first time that I know,a radio show is advertising that Senecacasino stores are tax-free and thereforea superior place to shop.People go for miles to get tax-free

30Tony FarinaThere are some people you meetalong the way who make an impressionthat lasts a lifetime.In my long career as a print andbroadcast journalist going back to myNavy days, I’ve met and intervieweddozens of celebrities, public figures,political leaders, and many regularday-to-day people who make a livingat a job that sometimes gets them intothe news.But about 20 years ago, when Iwas working as an investigative reporterat Channel 7, I spotted an itemon the rundown that CBS golf analystKen Venturi was going to be at theConvention Center for an equipmentshow.Now I didn’t cover sports at thetime, but I wondered if we were goingto cover Venturi’s appearance as hewas a well-known TV broadcaster andhad been a terrific golfer, winning theU.S. Open in near 100 degree temperaturesin 1964 at Congressional.In those days, they played 36 holeson the last day of the Open, and Venturi,who was suffering from dehydration,was warned by medical peoplethat he was risking his life if he continuedto play in the torrid heat.But despite the danger, Venturiplayed on with a doctor following onthe course with salt pills and water tokeep him going (and alive). I rememberwatching him that day, and wonderinghow he could possibly go on inhis dehydrated state. Not only did hego on, but he won the Open and I neverforgot the courage he showed that day.Now back to the golf show at theBuffalo Convention Center. I asked ifNIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013I Remember Ken Venturi, a Class ActKen Venturiwe were going to get an interview withVenturi while he was here about thingslike equipment, the state of the game,and his own great story of overcominga stammering problem as a young manto develop into one of the best sportscommentators in the country.I was told there were no reportersavailable to get the interview, so I saidI’m going to do it because I admireVenturi, I play golf, and he was someoneI respected from that U. S. Openwin so many years before.I grabbed a photographer andheaded to the Convention Center. Venturiwas busy dealing with people atthe show, but he said he would breakaway to give me an interview and Italked to him for about 45 minutes.No question was off limits to Venturi,from his Open victory to his careeras a golf analyst. He even talkedabout his friendship with Frank Sinatra.In short, he was a terrific interviewand a great guy. I remember him sayingto me, “what else do you need.Ask me whatever you want, I’ll maketime.”Venturi wins U.S. Open in 1964.After the interview, we shookhands and it was clear that we had connected.He was a regular guy, verygracious and charming, warm and engaging.Ken Venturi turned out to beexactly who I thought he was, a specialperson who made it big but never forgothis everyman roots.Venturi will never be mentioned inthe same breath as some of the golflegends, but he won 15 professionaltournaments, including the Open, despitebeing plagued with injury problemsthroughout his career, forcinghim into an early retirement.But he was a terrific golfer andteacher, and had been friends withmany of the greats of the game includingByron Nelson and Jack Nicklaus.It was my pleasure on that day 20 or soyears ago to spend some time with himand he made an impression on me likefew others.When I learned of his death lastFriday at age 82, only 12 days after hisinduction into the World Golf Hall ofFame, I remembered that interview inthe Buffalo Convention Center andsaid a prayer for him.Ken Venturi was a special guy, andhe will be remembered as long as thegame of golf is still around. I hope hefinds a course up there with oceanbreezes, lush fairways, and fast greens.And I hope to see him again someday,on the course.This column is for you, Ken.Thanks for the time you shared withme and I want people to know what aclass act you were. May you rest inpeace.Venturi won 15 professional events."There is no problemthe mind of man can setthat the mind of man cannotsolve."~ Samuel Johnson

NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 201331This scary picture clearly shows the danger of beingon the beach when Bigfoot (right) is nearby.This horrifying picture shows Godzillaabout to do something horrid.The CN Tower is certainly something anyonewould want to see.