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Man imprisoned for meth-fueled beating of his grandmother

August 8, 2013, 1:36 pm
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LOCKPORT – A man who attacked his 83-year-old grandmother in what his attorney said was a methamphetamine-triggered assault was sentenced Thursday to one to three years in prison.

Daniel J. Regan said his meth use, which began last October, has damaged his mind. “I lost most of my memories. My reading is down to a fifth-grade level,” he told State Supreme Court Justice Richard C. Kloch Sr.

Regan, 24, of Locust Street Extension, had pleaded guilty last month to a reduced charge of attempted second-degree assault. Assistant Public Defender Michael E. Benedict said Regan had been using meth for three days running before he attacked the elderly woman who had taken Regan in when he was 5 years old. The woman was punched and kicked in the head.

Kloch issued a restraining order barring Regan from having any contact with his grandmother for eight years.
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Raw honey is pilfered from a Hartland farm

August 8, 2013, 5:39 pm
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HARTLAND – There’s a sticky-fingered thief in Niagara County who’s got sheriff’s deputies buzzing.

A beekeeper reported to authorities that 300 pounds of raw honey had been stolen from one of his fields in the 7800 block of Gill Road.

Bruce Fiegel, the owner of Appleton-based Fiegel Apiaries, said in the past 18 days someone made off with five and a half boxes of honey, which contained 45 screens and held approximately 300 pounds of raw honey. The honey was taken and the boxes were left behind. The total loss was $1,025.

He said that whoever removed the honey likely knew what they were doing.

But Fiegel is scratching his head about how someone pulled off the stunt.

“They had to know what they were doing. While we work on it, we have leather gloves and coveralls,” Fiegel said.

He said if not, “They’d probably be in the hospital by now. They’d be stung a lot. There’s zillions of bees in these things.”

He said the thieves left most of the bees behind.

“They took the honey the bees made all summer and left behind the bottom two boxes where most of the brood is and the queen,” he said.

He said he has heard of a similar theft at an apiary in Rochester last year but never had been burglarized at his sites.

“We’ve had some vandalism over the years – kids throw rocks at the bees or push things over. Quite a few years ago someone took a few frames, but these people took all the honey out of four hives,” said Fiegel.

Fiegel, who is a second generation beekeeper, has worked with honey bees since 1968. He said on a good year they make 50 tons of honey. The site on Gill Road was one of about 50 locations where he keeps bees, but a theft like this could affect his bottom line if it continues, he said.

Niagara County sheriff’s deputies interviewed a homeowner in the area near the northeast field on Gill Road, but didn’t turn up any leads.

Fiegel said the hives on Gill Road are out in the open, but most of the other hives are in more secluded sites.

“You can’t have them all in one place,” Fiegel said of his broods. “They have to fly around to get the nectar from flowers for honey.”

He said the theft on Wednesday is a small part of some of the many issues honey farmers face.

“People don’t understand,” he said. “It takes all summer for the bees to make the honey.”

He said last year was as a tough one, with people spraying for army ants, which drove down his colonies from 1,100 bees last summer to 650 by this spring.

The beekeeper just can’t understand what someone would want with so much honey.

“It’s like $3 a pound at Tops. But 300 pounds? It is more than you would eat yourself,” Fiegel said.

But he said he doesn’t think this is something another fellow beekeeper would do.

He said the thieves may be dealing with a messier situation than they bargained for.

“They have to get it out of the frames somehow. To me, it must be a huge mess, what they did. We have stuff to process this and get it out,” Fiegel said.

email: nfischer@buffnews.com
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Niagara County settles lawsuit over 2005 fatal crash in Newfane

August 8, 2013, 7:25 pm
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LOCKPORT – Attorneys for Niagara County feared that taking a lawsuit over a fatal pickup truck crash to trial might result in a big damage award for the widow of the Newfane man who died in the wreck. But the plaintiff’s attorney was afraid the case might be dismissed altogether.

The result was that the County Legislature voted Tuesday to settle the case by paying $75,000 to Jeanne C. Bogdan.

She is the widow of Francis J. Bogdan, who died at 59 when his pickup truck struck a county-owned box-end guardrail April 3, 2005, on Chestnut Road in Newfane.

“I think it’s in the best interest of the county to settle, given what their demand is,” County Attorney Claude A. Joerg said. He declined to make further comment until the settlement is approved and filed in State Supreme Court.

Philip J. O’Shea of the Buffalo firm of Smith, Miner, O’Shea & Smith, who represented the Bogdan estate, wouldn’t disclose the original damage demand, but he said it was “exceedingly beyond $75,000.”

State Supreme Court Justice Ralph A. Boniello III denied the county’s summary judgment motion to dismiss the case before trial.

The county, however, had appealed Boniello’s ruling.

O’Shea said, “We were not optimistic the Appellate Division would uphold the ruling.”

The result was many meetings with Mrs. Bogdan and negotiations with the attorneys, leading to what O’Shea called “a very compromised settlement.”

The county was arguing that it could take advantage of what lawyers call municipal qualified immunity, protecting local governments from lawsuits in certain circumstances.

O’Shea said he was not certain he could overcome that defense before the Appellate Division, which could have dismissed his case.

The crash happened at about 5 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies said at the time that they thought Bogdan, who was returning from Seneca Niagara Casino after working at the Delphi plant in Lockport, had fallen asleep at the wheel.

The issue in the case was whether the wrap-around end of the guardrail ought to have been modified for greater safety.

email: tprohaska@buffnews.com
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State says Covanta early start on Niagara Falls project violated law

August 8, 2013, 7:39 pm
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NIAGARA FALLS – A waste incinerator operator in the city violated state law when it started construction on a project before its permit application was approved, state environmental regulators said.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation said Covanta Niagara violated state environmental law and agency regulations by starting to build a boiler system at its facility at 56th Street and Frontier Avenue.

After a letter about the matter from three area residents was made public, the state agency said it was reviewing its options “regarding the appropriate enforcement actions,” which could include fines, civil penalties and an order to stop construction. Covanta Niagara burns about 800,000 tons of waste a year and turns it into steam and electricity while releasing pollutants into the air.

A year ago, it applied for a renewed air emissions permit from the state, which would cover what the facility already releases as well as the emissions from a new natural gas boiler and 190-foot smokestack. A public comment period on the renewed air permit ended Monday.

Although Covanta had not yet received the permit, it recently started construction on the new gas boiler and smokestack. Amy Witryol of Lewiston and Christopher Kudela and Shirley Hamilton, both of Niagara Falls, asked regulators, in their letter, to order Covanta to halt construction and dismantle what was already constructed.

A Covanta spokesman said the company “immediately ceased construction.”

“Covanta Niagara misunderstood the authority it had received from (the state), believing it could start construction on a new natural gas boiler without an approved air permit as long as it obtained the permit before operating the boiler,” spokesman James Regan said.

In the agency’s letter to the company, dated Aug. 1, it acknowledges that the agency was aware construction had begun, since that information was included in a May 13 agency report. For each day construction continued without a permit, the company would have been subject to additional penalties, the agency said. Any failure to halt construction could have subjected Covanta to criminal charges.

A contractor for Covanta Niagara received the required mechanical permit for the boiler and smokestack work from City Hall on Wednesday.

In their letter to regulators last week, the area residents said the agency was asked in May about whether the construction was allowed before the new air permit was approved. Regulators responded to a July email saying they had already answered the question, but the residents say they never got a response, according to their letter.

In addition to the boiler and smokestack, Covanta Niagara plans to build a rail spur to allow it to accept waste via train, a pipeline to provide steam to the new Greenpac paper mill, as well as a new office and maintenance building.

Being able to accept waste via train would be necessary as the company is negotiating to bring garbage here from the New York City area. A hearing on the $30 million in projects at Covanta will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday in City Hall.

email: abesecker@buffnews.com
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Annual boating event sets course at Erie Basin Marina

August 8, 2013, 9:36 pm
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A variety of high-performance boats will be on display to the public at 6 p.m. today as the Western New York Offshore Powerboat Association kicks off its annual Buffalo Poker Run at Templeton Landing in Erie Basin Marina.

The competition kicks into gear at 10:30 a.m. Saturday when participants being collecting cards to create the best poker hand on a course that begins at Templeton Landing, includes the Erie Canal, Grand Island and Niagara Falls, and ends at Cabana Sam’s at Sunset Bay Beach in Irving.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Excalibur Leisure Skills, which provides cost-free adaptive boating and fishing for the disabled and disadvantaged.

For information and registration, call Tony Scioli at 510-9669 or visit www.buffalopokerrun.com.
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Dale Association seeking candidates for ombudsmen

August 8, 2013, 9:40 pm
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LOCKPORT – The Dale Association is seeking candidates for the role of ombudsmen to act as advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

After training, the volunteers are assigned to a nursing facility and meet with residents for up to four hours a week. They also attend resident council meetings in their facility.

Training is scheduled for early October. Applicants must be at least 21. Those interested may sign up by calling Nancy Smith of the Dale Association at 433-3344, Ext. 1.
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Free yoga classes on tap at Canal Street marketplace

August 8, 2013, 9:40 pm
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LOCKPORT – Free yoga classes will be offered before and during the Lockport Community Market, starting Saturday.

On each of the next three Saturdays, classes will be held from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the Canal Street gazebo, and from 2 to 3 p.m. on the lawn adjacent to the Erie Canal Discovery Center, Church and Ontario streets. Participants should bring their own mat, blanket or towel and a water bottle.

No pre-registration is necessary. The class is taught by Rebecca Strong, founder of Movement As Medicine, who currently teaches at the School House Wellness Center, the Lockport Athletic and Fitness Club, and at the Alt Theater in Buffalo. Shopping hours at the market on Canal Street are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Veteran Falls firefighter is candidate for judge post

August 8, 2013, 9:40 pm
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PORTER – Daniel P. Boland, an attorney who also serves as a battalion chief in the Niagara Falls Fire Department, announced Thursday he is running for Porter town justice in this fall’s election.

Boland, a registered Democrat, is matched up against incumbent Republican Justice David J. Truesdale in primaries on all six party lines Sept. 10. Boland, of Youngstown, has been with the Fire Department for 35 years, including a stint as acting chief. He also has been an attorney for 25 years, associates with the Niagara Falls firm of Rice, Reid, Broderick and Wattengel. He was an assistant attorney in the Niagara County Social Services Department for seven years.
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Niagara Falls senior center to resume normal hours Monday

August 9, 2013, 8:46 am
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NIAGARA FALLS - The John Duke Senior Center on Hyde Park Boulevard will resume normal operations and hours on Monday as repairs have been completed from damages suffered in the July 19 storm.

The facility had to be sanitized and have rugs replaced due to a sewer backup into the building.

Regular hours for the facility are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Hit the water at these places to paddle in Western New York

August 9, 2013, 1:17 pm
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Learn first

The following online sites can teach you more about the WNY paddling scene:

• bnriverkeeper.org: Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper gives beginner kayak lessons and offers free tours on the Buffalo River, Scajaquada Creek, Black Rock Canal and Cayuga Creek in Niagara Falls. Sign up online. The nonprofit has 30 kayaks available for those who don’t have one – courtesy of the M&T and Community foundations – but they tend to go fast. They do take donations.

• Smartstart: This Thursday evening beginner class at Beaver Island State Park on Grand Island is for kayak owners who want to learn the basics. To register, call 282-5154.

• WeKaNu.com: Certified instructors Jeff and Laura Liebel teach other paddling instructors in the region but also offer classes to enthusiasts of all abilities. Their website also has a “Places to Paddle” section.

• ehow.com: Includes tips and videos on how to be safe on the water; search “paddling.”

Get out

• Businesses that rent kayaks and canoes in the region include Blue Water Marina (bluewatermarinagi.com) on Grand Island; BFLO Harbor Kayak (bfloharborkayak.com, cityoflightfitness.com, a related standup paddleboard company) at Canalside on the Buffalo waterfront; Buffalo River Canoe and Kayak Outfitters (paddlebuffalo.com) in West Seneca; Canoe and Kayak Rentals (ucanyak.com) in Wilson; Eastern Mountain Sports in the Town of Tonawanda; and Paths, Peaks and Paddles (pathspeakspaddles.com) along Ellicott Creek in the Town of Tonawanda.

• paddling.net/launches has a good list of launch sites in the region.

Go with others

• Buffalo Paddles: This Facebook page, captained by Bob Van Hise of the Adirondack Mountain Club Niagara Frontier Chapter, is loaded with information and photos from paddling excursions from throughout the region. The site includes a list of launch sites.

• kayakbuffalo.com: This website and its Facebook page keep people up to date on outings and has links to several paddle-related and outdoor websites across Western New York and Southern Ontario.

• Meetup.com: The popular social networking site buzzes with group trip prospects on regional waterways. See more at kayaking.meetup.com/cities/us/ny/buffalo.

• Clubs: The Scajaquada Canoe Club has a Facebook page and the Zoar Valley Paddling Club (zoarvalleypaddlingclub.org), a website that includes announcements on upcoming events.

Explore

These top regional paddlers have enjoyed their sport across the country – and all love the Adirondacks – but recommend heading onto the following waters in the region:

Bob Van Hise: Oak Orchard River, north of Medina. This is moving water, so it’s a one-way trip and you have to go with friends and “spot” a car at the endpoint, then drive back to the starting point. He also loves the Niagara River but recommends making your first voyages here with an experienced paddler.

Vanessa Nazny: Alabama Swamps, south of Medina. “If you put in on Sour Springs Road, the stream is Oak Orchard Creek, but it’s flat, and it’s part of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge,” Nazny says. “You can go as far as you want to, upstream or downstream, and turn around and come back. Just don’t go during hunting season.” She also likes the Marden E. Cobb Waterway Trail on the Cassadaga and Conewango creeks, which snakes through several communities in Chautauqua County.

Jeff and Laura Liebel: Black Creek in Churchville, western Monroe County. “It meanders,” says Laura, “and in the springtime, when the water’s higher, you can travel in among the trees, which is just a blast.” No need to spot your car here. “We also go out on the canal a lot,” she says. “We put in at Veterans Canal Park (off Tonawanda Creek Road in Amherst). We’ve seen mink and green heron, blue heron. It’s not very wide, there’s a little bit of current, but you can travel. We also put in at Widewaters in Lockport and you can get ice cream there.” You can also go through the locks.

Read more about our interview with these expert paddlers at blogs.buffalonews.com/refresh.

email: refresh@buffnews.com
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Niagara Legislature rejects lowest bidder for phone contract

August 9, 2013, 1:45 pm
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LOCKPORT – The Niagara County Legislature voted along party lines this week to award a consulting contract for the new county phone system to the second-lowest bidder.

The Republican-controlled body voted 11-3 to hire Cannon Design of Grand Island for $74,500.

That was $4,100 more than the lowest bidder, ECC Technologies of Penfield, Monroe County.

The county has a professional services policy giving preference to companies in Niagara County or bordering counties, but Information Technology Director Larry L. Helwig said the main reason for choosing Cannon was because of the company’s greater experience with large phone systems, including the voice-over-Internet system the county wants.

He said Cannon did a building-by-building assessment of the county’s nearly 20-year-old system about five years ago.

Helwig said ECC was the second choice of a four-person committee comprising himself, the in-house project manager, and representatives from the Public Works and Purchasing departments.

He said Cannon was more qualified to handle the task of rewiring the electrical closets in each of the county’s 11 buildings than ECC was, including running computer lines to some 400 phones that are in locations where computers are not located now.

“To go with our second-lowest bidder, we need more proof than that,” said Minority Leader Dennis F. Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls. He voted no, along with fellow Falls Democrats Jason A. Zona and Owen T. Steed.

Helwig said 26 companies picked up bid documents, but only six bid. “Maybe they saw in the (request for proposals) that they can’t sell us a phone system,” he said, referring to a clause that bars the successful bidder on the design contract from bidding on the actual phone hardware, estimated to cost $2.3 million.

In all, the county plans to buy about 1,700 new phone devices, Helwig said. About 200 phones in court offices will no longer be on the county system after the changeover.

Cannon has donated $3,286 to the Niagara County Republican Committee since 2007.

“Mr. Helwig’s reputation is not going to be tarnished by some off-the-cuff comments that it has something to do with partisan politics,” County Manager Jeffrey M. Glatz said. He criticized members who attacked the deal but didn’t attend the committee meeting where it was explained.

In other action, the Legislature voted to urge state passage of “Phoenix’s Law,” which would impose felony penalties of up to four years in prison for aggravated animal cruelty.

To emphasize the need for the law, Amy Lewis, shelter director of the SPCA of Niagara, and two volunteers led three rescued dogs around the Legislature Chambers to be petted by legislators.

“In the time I’ve been here, I’ve seen enough cruelty cases to say there needs to be stiffer penalties,” Lewis said.

Also, the Legislature reappointed John E. Shoemaker to a six-year term as real property services director. Shoemaker’s current $68,028-a-year salary will continue through 2014. Each year thereafter, he will receive a 2.5 percent raise, building his pay to $76,967 by 2019.

The Legislature also urged the rejection by the International Joint Commission of its proposal to implement new water level controls in Lake Ontario that would produce greater variations between high and low water.

email: tprohaska@buffnews.com
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Woman pleads guilty to drug sale, enters treatment program

August 9, 2013, 2:54 pm
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LOCKPORT – A North Tonawanda woman admitted in State Supreme Court Friday that she sold the painkiller oxymorphone to a police informant last year.

Susan L. Fogarty, 42, of Oliver Street, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Justice Richard C. Kloch Sr. admitted her to the judicial diversion program of court-supervised drug treatment.

If Fogarty succeeds in treatment, her charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor with a probation sentence. But if she fails in the program, she faces a state prison sentence of up to 5 1/2 years for the March 22, 2012, drug deal in North Tonawanda.
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Girl who ran away from Falls emergency shelter located Friday

August 9, 2013, 4:19 pm
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NIAGARA FALLS – A 15-year-old girl who had run away from the Casey House, the emergency short-term shelter for boys and girls ages 12 to 17, was located Friday, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office said,

Sheriff James R. Voutour had asked for the public’s help in locating Mckayla Bergquist. Authorities said she fled from the Cedar Avenue shelter at about 8 p.m. Thursday.
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Town of Niagara plans to seek for bigger share of sales tax revenue from expanded mall

August 9, 2013, 6:29 pm
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TOWN OF NIAGARA – Town officials are looking to get a bigger slice of any extra sales-tax revenues that result from the expansion of the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls.

At a work session Thursday, the Town Board and Niagara County Legislator Jason A. Zona agreed that the most sensible approach would be to ask the Legislature to approve a proposal that would give the town a larger share of any additional sales taxes that come in from the $71 million expansion of the mall.

Supervisor Steve Richards said the town would like to receive an increased share of the “found money” that will come to the county once the 170,000-square-foot expansion is completed.

Richards said mall developers are planning for an estimated $200 million in new retail sales.

Even $500,000 extra for the town would be “like manna from heaven,” Richards said.

Zona said the town would not seek to change the current distribution formula for sales tax revenues, which is based on each municipality’s population. The existing formula would remain intact, he said.

The sales tax in Niagara County is 8 percent: 4 percent each for the county and the state. The county keeps one percentage point to partially fund the local share of Medicaid.

Richards said the town lost about 2,000 residents since the last census so its share of sales tax has decreased.

Yet, the town has to cover all related expenses connected with the mall, such as police and fire services.

“What would it cost the county for those police calls? Richards said.

Zona agreed that there was no question that the town is “being shortchanged” and Richards said any extra revenues would go toward police and fire costs.

Zona cautioned the board that he still would need eight votes to approve any such measure and that representatives from other districts that receive revenues but have no related costs may not be receptive.

He asked the board to meet again to discuss an actual monetary figure to request and then pass a resolution for him to take to the Legislature.

Zona said the sales-ax issue has become a “political football” recently with inaccurate information being spread and he didn’t want the plan to suffer as a result.

He said he has been developing the plan and doing research for well over a month.

Site plans for the expansion are still under review but a property tax break for the mall is being considered by the town Industrial Development Agency, it was noted.
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Information in Tamburlin probe shifted to Sedita’s office

August 9, 2013, 6:40 pm
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LOCKPORT – Investigative information in the case of Mary Jo Tamburlin, the Niagara County Legislature clerk accused by Democrats of notarizing a nominating petition bearing false dates, has been sent to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.

A Freedom of Information request by The Buffalo News produced printouts of two emails from Niagara County District Attorney Michael J. Violante to an official at the office of Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III, forwarding the information. One was dated Aug. 1; the other was not dated on the printout. The forwarded material itself was not released.

Sedita wouldn’t confirm his office’s involvement. He said, “The office of the district attorney never comments on whether anyone is under investigation until charges are filed.”

Tamburlin is a Republican, as is Violante, and their past political association may have produced a conflict of interest for Violante and the need for a special prosecutor from another county. Sedita is a Democrat.

Lora A. Allen, Democratic election commissioner in Niagara County, said Thursday that Niagara County Sheriff’s Office investigators came to the Board of Elections office in Lockport last week and obtained the registration cards of three voters whose signatures are at the center of the controversy.

Those three men, all Town of Niagara residents, signed petitions carried by Tamburlin to obtain a write-in primary in the Working Families Party for 5th District county legislator.

Tamburlin is a notary public, meaning that by law she is allowed to circulate petitions for any candidate in any party.

The Republicans wanted a write-in primary in the 5th District to try to grab the Working Families line away from Legislator Jason A. Zona, D-Niagara Falls. They were hoping to produce a write-in win for the GOP-backed candidate, former legislator Giulio G. Colangelo, a registered member of the Independence Party.

Three valid signatures from Working Families members were needed, and to be valid, they had to be members who hadn’t signed Zona’s petition.

The three voters also signed voter registration cards to join Working Families as well as signing the petition Tamburlin carried.

When Tamburlin notarized the petition, the signatures of the three new voters were dated July 18, the final day to sign such petitions. However, the voters later signed affidavits at the Democrats’ request, attesting that they didn’t sign on July 18. Two said they signed on July 17 and one said he signed on July 16.

Colangelo, who accompanied Tamburlin on the petition-signing rounds, has said all the signatures were gathered July 17. He said he wasn’t present when Tamburlin signed the witness statement and notarized the petition.

However, since the petitions were signed on the night of July 17 and the registration cards couldn’t be submitted until July 18, the new voters were not legally Working Families members when they signed the petition.

The Board of Elections invalidated the petition, and the Democrats sought a criminal investigation of Tamburlin.

email: tprohaska@buffnews.com
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Swaggart preaches with trademark passion in Falls

August 9, 2013, 9:59 pm
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NIAGARA FALLS – Jimmy Swaggart doesn’t draw a crowd like he used to, but even at age 78, he commands a stage.

The once hugely popular televangelist enchanted an audience of about 500 people Friday evening, singing gospel songs and preaching for about an hour inside Sal Maglie Stadium.

“We’re going to be able to say, ‘God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit came to Niagara Falls,’ ” Swaggart said before launching into a passionate sermon in his trademark Louisiana baritone drawl.

In his heyday in the early 1980s, Swaggart preached to tens of thousands of people in large stadium crusades across the country.

But the relatively sparse crowd on Friday – the stadium seats were less than half full – didn’t seem to dampen his enthusiasm.

Wearing a dark pinstriped suit and tie, Swaggart frequently punctuated his remarks with “Glory to Gods” and “Hallelujahs” and paced back and forth across the stage gesturing dramatically. He spoke at times in a slow whisper, building to a full-throated crescendo.

Swaggart’s worldwide following took a massive hit following revelations in 1988, and again in 1991, that he visited a prostitute. For years, he was largely out of sight, but he launched a new television network in 2009 and agreed earlier this year to appear in Niagara Falls as part of “Field of Miracles, the Return,” a three-day family crusade that will feature his grandson, Gabriel Swaggart, preaching today.

The audience Friday held little against Swaggart and his past indiscretions, which were magnified because he had preached with such fire and brimstone against the infidelities of others.

“He humbled himself and asked for God’s forgiveness and now he’s raised again,” said Rose Maldonado, who drove from Schenectady with her husband, Jaime.

Joan Meyers, a fan of Swaggart’s gospel singing, said the evangelist’s stunning downfall in the late 1980s was unforgettable.

“I don’t think any of us are perfect, but you don’t look at him in the same way. Everybody’s allowed forgiveness, but if they did what they’ve been forgiven for, I don’t know,” said Meyers of the Town of Niagara.

“Who in life doesn’t make a mistake?” said Rose Messina-Russell of Niagara Falls. “I know some very good people, but I don’t know anyone who’s perfect. And really, why not listen to someone who’s made mistakes and learn from them?”

Her husband, Timothy Russell, was surprised by the small turnout on a perfect summer evening.

“This place should be filled up,” he said.

“There isn’t a lot of people here, but you can feel the energy in the crowd,” said Rose Messina-Russell.

Indeed, some people traveled great distances to get a glimpse of Swaggart, who rarely does public events outside of Baton Rouge, La., anymore.

Jerry and Ruth Brown drove six hours from Battle Creek, Mich., to see Swaggart in person.

“He’s been my church for two years,” she said. “I get so much more from him than I get from my own church.”

Swaggart’s wife, Frances, joined him on stage. At one point, Michael Chorey, organizer of the crusade, announced that Friday was her birthday, prompting a section of the crowd to sing a verse of “Happy Birthday.”

Swaggart later remarked that he and his wife will be celebrating 62 years of marriage in October.

“I don’t know how to explain that considering Frances will be only 39 years old,” he quipped.

Swaggart’s sermon touched briefly on the recent verdict in the Florida court case against George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty in the killing of teenager Trayvon Martin.

“It’s been nothing but talk about race, and hatred,” he said. “In this crowd tonight, there are Caucasian-Americans, there are Hispanic-Americans, there are Native Americans, and there are African-Americans. And you love each other. You’re not spitting on each other, you’re not cursing each other. ... It’s because of Jesus Christ, who lives within your heart.”

email: jtokasz@buffnews.com
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Smartphone users offered access to emergency app

August 9, 2013, 10:54 pm
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Smartphone users at the Erie County Fair will have an emergency mobile app at their disposal.

The fair, in conjunction with the Town of Hamburg Office of Emergency Services, will provide community and emergency alerts through the town’s public safety app, CodeRED mobile alert, according to a Town of Hamburg Emergency Services news release.

The app will allow fair patrons, employees and safety officials to receive voice calls, text messages and emails about emergency situations. The app can be downloaded for free at the iTunes store for iPhone users and from Google Play for Android users.

“If you have the app downloaded and are in the affected area of the alert, a notification will be sent through the app to alert you of the issue,” explained Sean Crotty, Hamburg’s deputy emergency manager, in the release. Hamburg residents who have already enrolled in the CodeRED, will continue to receive notifications.
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IDA cancels tax break to clear the way for sale

August 9, 2013, 10:59 pm
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LOCKPORT – The Town of Lockport Industrial Development Agency has canceled a tax break on one of the two now-vacant Custom Laser buildings in the town industrial park, clearing the way for its sale to a demolition company.

IDA Executive Director David R. Kinyon said Thursday’s vote dropped the IDA’s lease interest in the 6,000-square-foot building, to be sold by Custom Laser to Titan Wrecking and Demolition of the City of Tonawanda, which plans a new location there. The tax abatement was in its final year, Kinyon said.

Custom Laser, which has moved its operations to the former Franbilt plant on Akron Road, also has a 16,000-square-foot building in the industrial park available for sale.

The IDA board also authorized the clearing of trees from a four-acre site in the industrial park, on the south side of Enterprise Drive, to make it available for development. That site was the original choice of McGuire Development for an industrial incubator building, but Kinyon said McGuire now is considering four acres on IDA Park Drive.

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Storm repairs complete at Duke Senior Center

August 9, 2013, 10:59 pm
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NIAGARA FALLS – The John Duke Senior Center on Hyde Park Boulevard will resume normal operations and hours on Monday because repairs have been completed from damages sustained in the July 19 storm.

The facility had to be sanitized and have rugs replaced due to a sewer backup into the building. Regular hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Niagara County faith-related events Aug. 11-18

August 7, 2013, 2:38 pm
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Monday

 PRAYER: The Healing Rooms of Buffalo Niagara is open to pray for anyone who needs physical, emotional or spiritual healing, 7 to 9 p.m., Potters House Christian Community Church, 723 Seventh St., Niagara Falls. No appointment or fee necessary. For more information, call 884-0048.

Tuesday

 RECOVERY GROUP: 7:30 p.m., Wheatfield Community Church, 3571 Niagara Falls Blvd. Addiction Conquerors will offer a Life Recovery Group every week to those who are victims of any addiction. The Rev. Pat Lavery, co-founder of the group, will lead. For information, call 553-3794 or visit www.wheatfieldcommunitychurch.org.

Wednesday

 DEVOTIONAL GROUP MEETING: St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 1073 Saunders Settlement Road, Lewiston. Upper Room discussion and devotional at 1 p.m.; Vespers at 6:30; and “Orthodoxy 101,” a meeting designed for those wishing to convert or learn more about the Orthodox faith, at 7. All are welcome. For information, call 297-2668 or email saintgeorgeorthodox@yahoo.com.

Thursday

 GROUP DISCUSSION: 6:30 p.m., Mount Olive Lutheran Church. “Step One,” an informal group gathers to discuss various faith-based topics. All are welcome. For information, call 434-8500.

If you would like your event included, send the information two weeks in advance to: Niagara Community Calendar, c/o The Buffalo News, P.O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240, fax to: 856-5150 or email to: niagaranews@buffnews.com.
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