Lackawanna news

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A Drug Raid In Lackawanna Lands Twenty People Behind Bars
January 28, 2011

Updated Jan 28, 2011 at 1:55 PM EST

A six-month undercover drug investigation in Lackawanna came to a head today bring in drugs, cash and the arrests of 20 people.

Channel 7 was the only news channel on the scene to get exclusive video of the suspects. There were 18 males and two females brought into custody. Eleven of those people were transported to downtown Buffalo to be arraigned. The others had their first appearance in Lackawanna City court. They all face charges related to the illegal sale and possession of drugs.

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There were 14 agencies that participated in the raid including the Lackawanna Police, New York State Police, Erie County Sheriff's Office and the Hamburg S.W.A.T team.

Lackawanna Police Chief James Michael said they began the raid around five this morning, searching eight locations in the city. Just hours later, they had all their targeted suspects in custody.

The Lackawanna Police will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. where they will release the names and mug shots of the suspects. They will also talk more in-depth about what was found at the scenes and the amount of drug and money that was seized.

Stay tuned to Eyewitness news at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. for more on this developing story.



Another sad day for Lackawanna. Watch the news tonight...

[Dragonldy]

Good news,thanks for posting this.It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look around and realize this area has problems that are drug related.I'm glad it's being shook down and cleaned up,way to go to the people responsible for making it a better place for our kids to grow up...hope it's not just another front story and it's the real deal

[Caz5]

Sad to see St. Barbara's being knocked down, especially when there are all sorts of grants available to rennovate. A church in Florida that is 95 years old received grants to rennovate the building into an apartment complex - producing property taxes for the City. Doesn't the City of Lackawanna have grant writers? Did the City Council or Mayor go to the City to ask the tax payers what they would like?

It just seems that the City of Lackawanna's solution is to condemn, board up, and knock down anything from the past. Sad. Sad. Sad.

[sunflower]

In today's paper, Sweet Home was acknowledged for having a successful Universal Pre-K. I know that Lackawanna also has one. Anyone know how it's doing?

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WASHINGTON -- The warning to the parents of the 26th Congressional District could not have been more stark.

"Responding to what may seem like a friendly e-mail or an appealing marketing offer can have serious consequences," Rep. Chris Lee wrote in June 2009 in a column in the Tonawanda News. "Private information and images can so easily be transmitted to friends and strangers alike."

Lee, obviously, failed to heed his own warning.

The Amherst Republican was touting legislation aimed at helping protect youngsters from "the dangers and unknowns associated with a medium that is growing by several billion web pages per day."

And by ignoring his own warning about the temptations of the Internet, Lee brought an abrupt end Wednesday to his own political career.

At about 2 p.m., Gawker -- a website best known for stories about Lindsay Lohan and other out-of-control celebrities -- published e-mails between Lee and a single Maryland woman whom he met on Craigslist. One of the e-mails came with a photo of the local congressman, shirtless.

By 4 p.m., the story had hit the New York Daily News, New York magazine, Daily Kos and a host of other blogs.

Soon, Lee's name appeared as one of the top 10 topics discussed on Twitter.

At 5 p.m., Lee resigned from Congress.

That was an astonishingly quick end to scandal in a city known for scandal.

It also shocked everyone, from people who knew Lee well to the partisans of the blogosphere.

A Democratic congressional aide said Lee -- the man with the astonishingly beautiful wife, friends on both sides of the aisle and a knack for the tell-it-like-it-is quote -- would be the last congressman he ever would expect to get caught up in scandal.

It also "may be the fastest-moving sex scandal ever," Daily Kos observed.

After all, it took two days for then-Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer to resign in 2008 after revelations surfaced that he had frequented a prostitute.

And Rep. Eric J.J. Massa, D-Corning, suffered through five days of humiliation last year before leaving office amid allegations that he groped a man on his staff.

By nightfall Wednesday, though, Lee was no longer a congressman, not even a human being with tragic weaknesses, but merely a target in the biggest firing range ever invented by mankind, the Internet.

Megan Carpenter of Talking Points Memo pointed to Lee's e-mails that identified himself as a divorced father of one when he is really married.

"The 'divorced father of one' part could happen earlier (depending on how well he works it out and the state in which it gets filed)," Carpenter observed.

And on Wonkette, he was Rep. Chris Lee (R-Casual Encounters) and a "weirdo."

Christopher Malagisi, an East Amherst native and Republican activist who also serves as an adjunct professor in political science at American University in Washington, D.C., learned about the developments from a colleague after they already had played out.

"It was kind of done before it even had broken," Malagisi said. "I went straight to Twitter and Facebook. I could see the feed already and all the information about it. There really wasn't much time to think about it."

For Malagisi, also active in the young conservative movement, it leaves an ignominious mark on a seat previously held by Jack F. Kemp, Bill Paxon and Thomas M. Reynolds.

"What a strange legacy that he's leaving for such a powerful district and a rising star within the party," he said.

Strange indeed. This well-liked young member of Congress and married father of one turns out to have flirted with a single woman on the Internet, trying to lure her in with a pack of lies -- and his real name.

Once she Googled him, he was done. And one of the lies he told would stand out as the saddest of all.

Writing to the woman he didn't know on Craigslist, Lee wrote: "I promise not to disappoint."

News Staff Reporter Joseph Popiolkowski contributed to this report.

jzremski@buffnews.com

[andreahaxton]

Call 827-6489 City Council or
827-6426 Engineer Office

A neighbor told me there is some kind of mix-up in dates of pick-ups of recyclables.
Did they mail them out or do you have to call for a 2011 schedule? They were put in with tax bills years ago to save money.
Maybe put in Bflo. News?

[CraftyExp]

Call 827-6489 City Council or
827-6426 Engineer Office

A neighbor told me there is some kind of mix-up in dates of pick-ups of recyclables.
Did they mail them out or do you have to call for a 2011 schedule? They were put in with tax bills years ago to save money.
Maybe put in Bflo. News?

I found this on the Lackawanna website under public works. The schedule there is in a better graph format. I never received a schedule in the mail either, they could have included it in our tax bill. The powers that be would also save us much aggravation if they would just pick up both co-mingled and paper every week. That's the way most of the other well run communities do it. Oh, I forgot... we're not a well run community!

2011 Lackawanna Recycling Schedule
Go Green!


DPW/Sanitation 827-6406 827-6407


Paper
Jan 3 to Jan 7
May 9 to May 13
Sept 12 to Sept 16
Commingled
Jan 10 to Jan 14
May 16 to May 20
Sept 19 to Sept 23
Paper
Jan 17 to Jan 21
May 23 to May 27
Sept 26 to Sept 30
Commingled
Jan 24 to Jan 28
May 30 to June 3
Oct 3 to Oct 7
Paper
Jan 31 to Feb 4
June 6 to June 10
Oct 10 to Oct 14
Commingled
Feb 7 to Feb 11
June 13 to June 17
Oct 17 to Oct 21
Paper
Feb 14 to Feb 18
June 20 to June 24
Oct 24 to Oct 28
Commingled
Feb 21 to Feb 25
June 27 to July 1
Oct 31 to Nov 4
Paper
Feb 28 to Mar 4
July 4 to July 8
Nov 7 to Nov 11
Commingled
Mar 7 to Mar 11
July 11 to July 15
Nov 14 to Nov 18
Paper
Mar 14 to Mar 18
July 18 to July 22
Nov 21 to Nov 25
Commingled
Mar 21 to Mar 25
July 25 to July 29
Nov 28 to Dec 2
Paper
Mar 28 to Apr 1
Aug 1 to Aug 5
Dec 5 to Dec 9
Commingled
Apr 4 to Apr 8
Aug 8 to Aug 12
Dec 12 to Dec 16
Paper
Apr 11 to Apr 15
Aug 15 to Aug 19
Dec 19 to Dec 23
Commingled
Apr 18 to Apr 22
Aug 22 to Aug 26
Dec 26 to Dec 30
Paper
Apr 25 to Apr 29
Aug 29 to Sept 2

Commingled
May 2 to May 6
Sept 5 to Sept 9





Bulk Pickup
Spring Pickup – Week of April 18 to 22 on your garbage day
Summer Pickup – Week of June 13 to 17 on your garbage day
Fall Pickup – Week of September 19 to 23 on your garbage day

Bulk Items
Appliances Spring-made furniture Large Furniture
washers chairs dressers scrap metal
dryers couches desks/buffets whole rugs
refrigerators mattresses/box spring console tv’s

Grass and yard waste will be picked up with your garbage on your garbage day. Grass and yard waste must be put in separate open containers. No plastic bags.

· Branches will be picked up from April 15 through October 15.
· All branches must be placed at curbside with cut ends facing the street.
· Christmas tress will be chipped at curbside. Please remove plastic bags from tree.
· Leaves will be picked up from mid-October through November (weather permitting).

All items must be placed at curbside by 7 am and cannot be put out earlier than 6 pm the day before your pickup. Please note: There is a Maximum of 4 containers (e.g., cans, bags, boxes) of solid waste per pick up.

Contractors are responsible to remove all demolition materials from premises.

[andreahaxton]

Good eye/call, Crafty! Nice job, and Thanks for the info!

If the "family and friends" club weren't too busy planning their next vacation, maybe WE Citizens could get the correct information put out! :rolleyes:

[sunflower]

In today's paper is a list of school superintendents' salaries -

Lackawanna:

Korach makes $150,000 PLUS $52,274 in benefits

[lackawanna #1]

Sunflower were you not on the board for 3 yrs? Oh Ya you were just a yes person for Patty. Why would you feel the need to post that.....If it was in the paper.....TROUBLE that is all you people like to do is start trouble and talk about everyone......Have a great Day.........

[mnb811]

A yes person for Patty is still better than five bought and paid for yes votes for Makeyenko.:eek: Just look and see what the 5 in the majority owe people or what family members have jobs in the district. Must be nice to get what you want by blindly following the pied piper of Lackawanna and shafting the kids and the taxpayers in the process.

P.S. Sunflower did not start the trouble in the paper. You can thank Gov. Andrew Cuomo for that! Its nice to see a guy taking on the school districts the way he is. Thanks Andy!

[lackawanna #1]

What do you care what happens in Lackawanna,mnb,didnt you move to Boston????Dont they have speak up boston that u can chime in on????The problem is that it is not your 5 people.Can you tell me that Patty and her 5 people did better???NOT......Raises for certain people,lawsuits ,paying her people out on the lawsuits and the list can go on......Do u find good in anything anyone does????Thats the problem everyone has the answers on here run for this years election, 3 open seats. Gotta be in it to WIN it.Maybe u can save the school.But i am sure you will come back w an excuse.:p

[mnb811]

Yep I did move to Boston to get away from the crap that people like you instigate and do that ruins peoples lives that you don't agree with. I am glad I don't have to deal with a losing school district anymore. By the way the pied piper of Lackawanna Makeyenko can continue to lead his district and followers right off a cliff. It'll be fun to watch from Boston. I'll get my popcorn ready!

P.S. I still have family/friends that still live in Lackawanna. So I'll continue to point out what kind of bs you guys pull. Another thing they settled lawsuits on the advice of an attorney they fired and replaced with a law firm. Then you guys go out and rehire him. Makes a lot of sense! Who are the village idiots now. Take a look in the mirror.

P.S.S. Run for school board in a rigged election with one polling place? Are you kidding me. I'll tell everyone what a farce that is. Hopefully someone will stand up against you jokers.

[cath829]

Sunflower were you not on the board for 3 yrs? Oh Ya you were just a yes person for Patty. Why would you feel the need to post that.....If it was in the paper.....TROUBLE that is all you people like to do is start trouble and talk about everyone......Have a great Day.........

I do not understand how you can say that anyone started trouble by posting what was written in the newspaper. Last time I checked, this site was for posting what was happening in the different communities. It is for the taxpayers to voice themselves on local and city politics. It appears you are the only one starting "trouble" Lackawanna #1. Korach's salary is for the public, as well as the mayor etc. to know. So what really has your undies all bunched up?

[mnb811]

The real trouble starts at why they are paying him that much in the first place. I thought the city was a poor district. Didn't Makeyenko ask Dr. Wile to refund some money because the district needed money? I think someone should ask Korach the same question. Since he is from Lackawanna I am sure he will understand that his city school district needs him to cut costs now more than ever. Why not take a pay cut to show how much you care about Lackawanna? Why not take a page out of Makeyenko's suggestion to Dr. Wile and Cuomo's book?

P.S. Did Korach ever move back to Lackawanna? After all I thought you "need to keep people who live in this city in charge of it not outsiders."(Makeyenko's words at school board meeting) Not mine.

[lackawanna #1]

A rigged polling place.....lol.......It was long a waiting to do that...Look in other city and towns, we are not the 1st.How can u rig the polling place that is impossible.you really sound dumb.And as for cathy run again maybe this time be serious about it.Try walking and meeting people,talking to them. From what i recall you didnt do that last election just throwing it out there.Have a good night.
:D

[mnb811]

Your comprehension problem pops up yet again. I said rigged election not rigged polling place. They mean 2 different things you know. I just love how you avoided all the lawyer stuff. Typical from people who can't counter the truth,they just avoid answering at all and think the problems go away and no one will notice. In reality people see right thru your non answers.:eek:

[lackawanna #1]

I believe the last lawyer firm was related to the last school board president ask her and u tell me how votes r rigged u must be a pro at that......Good night and sleep tight.....

[cath829]

So your undies are bunched because I didn't meet you? Ok, we can start over....would you like to be my manager if I decide to take the plunge? Have to get busy soon!

As far as a single polling place located in the city....how much $ will it save? $3,000? Heh, I know.....Makeyenko can make sure those saved dollars go to the city to pay for the fuel pumps! That way everyone can play nice!:rolleyes:

[andreahaxton]

I wonder if it even saves $3000.00, Cath to eliminate all the neighborhood polling spots. Last I knew they paid places like St. Anthony's appr. $100.00/day per district.

Citizens in Lackawanna have had their polling places changes so many times in the last 10 years or so that many folks do not even bother taking their time to go vote anymore. Hence, the "family and friends" club members push their people out and the rest is history. Just watch them on their cell phones on election day---"the machine" is finely oiled and the pyramid grows daily with people who are given false job promises.

They can only promise so much--there are only crumbs left in the bottom of the pie tin, and they will still fight each other to lick the pan dry in order to get their kid "in"!

mnb, you are on track with the "pied piper", BUT----he is NOT the Piper, there are higher-ups that jerk his chain and tell him what to play. He has been a very obedient soldier these past 16 years or so, ironically this is about the time that Lackawanna School District started slipping in Business First rating. Hmmmmm.........

Cath, sounds as if "lack 1" has been intimately following your career or someone close to you.....You know that old saying, "Keep your friends close, But your enemies closer"!

" Gotta be in it to WIN " Thanks "lack1", I have been in "it" for over 20 years and have no plans of ever leaving "it" till Lackawanna is free of the corruption that has robbed it of its glory!

All Aboard the "A" Train! How about joining the " A " Team lack---you will be on the right track for once! Choo Choo!:cool:

[andreahaxton]

16 people currently "viewing", WOW!
I am very happy to see so many folks interested in the City of Lackawanna!

"SPEAK-UP!"-----that's what this #1 Community Forum is for, and there is no time to waste anymore.
Don't we all want OUR children to inherit a modern community with a government that works for them instead of themselves? We owe it to the kids, PLEASE Speak-Up and get involved in stopping Lackawanna any further decay, drive around all neighborhoods- if you can dodge the pot-holes......:(

[mnb811]

I believe the last lawyer firm was related to the last school board president ask her and u tell me how votes r rigged u must be a pro at that......Good night and sleep tight.....

Really? Didn't they put in bids for law firms? You guys spread more garbage than Joe Ball. As far as vote rigging goes, I see you still have your reading comprehension problem. Got to be in it to win it? Seriously with these clowns its more like got to be in it to watch your family and friends get jacked up!

[sunflower]

Dear Lackawanna #1

Yes, I was on the Board for 3 years.

Causing trouble?

Interesting interpretation of my posting.

[literal]

Really? Didn't they put in bids for law firms? You guys spread more garbage than Joe Ball. As far as vote rigging goes, I see you still have your reading comprehension problem. Got to be in it to win it? Seriously with these clowns its more like got to be in it to watch your family and friends get jacked up!

School attorneys are appointed by the board of education. There is NO bidding process....just the favor the the BOE!

[sunflower]

Yes, School Attorneys are appointed by the BOE, but when the law firm of Ferrara, Freedman, et.al. were appointed it was only after law firms that SPECIFICALLY dealt with education law, BOE issues, Special Education, etc. were interviewed by the BOE. We felt the need for attorneys who were up-to-date with tax laws, labor relations, and who could counsel us on options available to us. We found a law firm with a practice dedicated to education law and with a proven track record for winning in court. This law firm represented over 100 school districts and BOCES.

[toms]

good eye/call, crafty! Nice job, and thanks for the info!

If the "family and friends" club weren't too busy planning their next vacation, maybe we citizens could get the correct information put out! :rolleyes:

how dare them sneaky people put the recycling schedule under the public works department.......them varments.

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Charles BARONE Jr. Visit Guest Book

BARONE - Charles Jr. February 14, 2011 of Lackawanna, NY, beloved husband of Mary Ann (nee Novelli) Barone; dearest father of Cheryl A. (late Gerard J.) Connolly II and Robert C. Anthony; grandfather of Jared M. Connolly; great-grandfather of Bethany A. Connolly; son of the late Charles and Mary (nee DePasquale) Barone Sr.; brother of Florence (Edward) Shuski, Lillian (Carlos) Chameli and the late Anthony "Tony", Norma (late Ray) Gechoff, Elizabeth "Betty", James (Sherry); also survived by nieces and nephews. Services from THE COLONIAL MEMORIAL CHAPELS INC., 3003 South Park Ave., Lackawanna Thursday morning at 9 and from St. Anthony's Church at 9:30. Visitation Wednesday only 2-8 PM.

Dolores A. (DeMaria) ANTECKI Visit Guest Book

ANTECKI - Dolores A. (nee DeMaria) Of Lackawanna, NY, February 15, 2011, beloved wife of the late Michael P. Antecki; dearest mother of Michael Sr. (Patricia) and Mark (Lori) Antecki; grandmother of Maj. Michael Jr. (Veronica), Marc and Olivia Antecki; sister of Rose (late Sam) Librera and the late Samuel (late Frances) DeMaria and the late Mary (late Lester) Haskell. Family will be present to receive friends Thursday 3-7 PM at the (Blasdell/Lackawanna Chapel) JOHN J. KACZOR FUNERAL HOME INC., 3450 South Park Ave., where Funeral Services will be held Friday morning at 10 AM. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery.


Dolores A. (DeMaria) ANTECKI Visit Guest Book

ANTECKI - Dolores A. (nee DeMaria) Of Lackawanna, NY, February 15, 2011, beloved wife of the late Michael P. Antecki; dearest mother of Michael Sr. (Patricia) and Mark (Lori) Antecki; grandmother of Maj. Michael Jr. (Veronica), Marc and Olivia Antecki; sister of Rose (late Sam) Librera and the late Samuel (late Frances) DeMaria and the late Mary (late Lester) Haskell. Family will be present to receive friends Thursday 3-7 PM at the (Blasdell/Lackawanna Chapel) JOHN J. KACZOR FUNERAL HOME INC., 3450 South Park Ave., where Funeral Services will be held Friday morning at 10 AM. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery.

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How much does your district have in reserve?
Feb 16, 2011 7:41:19 AM / Comment
During state budget hearings in Albany on Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy echoed the same theme we've been hearing from the governor: the schools should be able to absorb the proposed state aid cuts without feeling the pinch.

Among other things, Duffy again pointed to the millions that school districts have in reserve funds. By the most recent estimates available, from the end of the last fiscal year in June, that totals $1.5 billion statewide.

By law, a district can have up to 4 percent of its total budget set aside in undesignated fund balance -- what many people refer to as the "rainy day fund." (The state cap used to be 2 percent, but that's been increased in the past few years.) The money is there to cover costs that might arise unexpectedly.

The governor's office says it's time for school districts to tap into those reserves to cover budget shortfalls. School officials say that's not what the reserves are for -- and add that if they use up the reserves this year, they'll have nothing left next year, when that property tax cap is expected to take effect.

Cuomo's office has released a list detailing how much each suburban district had in reserve, as of June 30. Keep in mind that a district may have spent down its reserves since then.

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What you don't know about the property tax cap
Feb 15, 2011 12:01:00 AM / Comment
For all the talk about the property tax cap that seems headed our way, something has been kind of lost in the hubbub.

The details.

Chief among them is the fact that the proposed tax cap would not go into effect until the 2012-13 school year. That gives school districts one more year to play under the old rules (as long as your voters approve a budget, it's fair game).

Some of the other details worth noting (taken from the bill approved by the Senate in late January):

- A district's tax levy increase would be capped at 2 percent or the annual increase in the consumer price index, whichever is less.

- There is a way for schools to exceed the cap. If a district proposes a budget that exceeds the tax cap, the district would need 60 percent approval of the budget, rather than the standard 50 percent.

- If a budget fails to get voter approval, the district would have to submit a revised budget subject to a public vote on the third Tuesday in June. If this revised budget exceeds the tax cap, it would require approval by 60 percent of those voting.

- If the revised budget fails to get voter approval, the district would have to adopt a budget with no tax levy increase.

The tax cap, passed by the Senate and supported by the governor, still requires Assembly approval.

- Mary Pasciak

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How much does your superintendent make?
Feb 11, 2011 10:50:39 AM / Comment
In defending his budget proposal, which calls for significant cuts to school aid, Gov. Cuomo has gone on the offensive.

Chief among his targets: administrator salaries.

Forty percent of the school superintendents in the state receive more than $200,000 in salary and benefits, Cuomo said last week when he unveiled his budget proposal.

"Why they get paid more than the governor of the State of New York, I really don't understand," said Cuomo, who currently makes $179,000 and has announced his intention to take a pay cut to $170,050. "If it's about the students, then let's find savings within the bureaucracy."

To bolster his argument, the governor is circulating a district-by-district breakdown of salary and benefits for superintendents across the state.

Here's the info that Cuomo's office provided about local districts:

ERIE COUNTY Salary Benefits
Akron $152,402 $45,769
Alden $144,238 $42,285
Amherst $168,568 $19,974
Buffalo $223,372 N/A
Cheektowaga $146,000 $29,980
Cheektowaga-Maryvale $141,000 $35,782
Cheektowaga-Sloan $176,519 $40,315
Clarence $213,200 $68,400
Cleveland Hill $135,200 $36,990
Depew $160,000 $39,573
East Aurora $147,000 $35,502
Eden $135,306 $36,169
Frontier $186,010 $56,801
Grand Island $159,150 $49,795
Hamburg $161,397 $36,186
Holland $140,000 $42,049
Iroquois $166,006 $26,736
Kenmore-Tonawanda $185,602 $34,891
Lackawanna $150,000 $52,274
Lake Shore $144,615 $21,346
Lancaster $162,000 $45,427
North Collins $129,792 $36,053
Orchard Park $167,000 $40,921
Springville-Griffith $154,733 $37,120
Sweet Home $168,000 $42,000
Tonawanda $156,000 $31,200
West Seneca $162,225 $23,064
Williamsville $227,000 $70,236
NIAGARA COUNTY Salary Benefits
Barker $145,396 $35,915
Lewiston-Porter $176,875 $25,378
Lockport $154,916 $42,421
Newfane $144,989 $26,974
Niagara Falls $155,000 $43,671
Niagara-Wheatfield $160,425 $29,003
North Tonawanda $140,000 $30,000
Royalton-Hartland $146,575 $38,401
Starpoint $183,343 $59,540
Wilson $146,763 $38,882

- Mary Pasciak

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Cost-sharing agreement with city OK’d by board
Published:
February 11, 2011, 12:00 AM


0 Comments
Font Size:
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The Lackawanna School Board on Thursday approved an intermunicipal agreement between the school district and the city.

School Board President John Makeyenko said the long-standing agreement covers services that the city provides to the school district, such as fuel, road salt, maintenance of the district’s baseball diamonds and other grounds services.

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Lackawanna housing plan backedBy Harold McNeil

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
February 8, 2011, 12:00 AM


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The Lackawanna City Council on Monday agreed to support a national developer’s plan to construct 40 single-family rental homes for low-income residents in the city’s 1st Ward.

The NRP Group, a full-service developer, general contractor and property manager, is seeking to buy the city-owned parcels and land for a clubhouse as part of a development that would be called Lackawanna Homes.

City officials have offered to reduce the initial asking price for the 40 parcels to $225,000, from more than $300,000, to demonstrate support for the development, City Council President Charles Jaworski said in a Feb. 2 letter to the company’s vice president of development.

Second Ward Councilman Geoffrey Szymanski was the only one of the five lawmakers to express reservations about supporting the project.

“I’m not against this project. I’m just simply a little bit confused as to the direction this is at right now, and I’m not exactly comfortable with [Jaworski’s] letter that we are approving,” Szymanski said prior to a Council vote.

After Monday’s meeting, he explained that he had conducted a basic Internet search of the company and learned that several cities around the country have been clamoring for similar NRP Group developments in their communities.

Once completed, Szymanski said, the single-family homes would be rent-to-own properties, allowing renters to purchase the houses at a reduced price after 15 years of continuous renting. After that point, he said, the properties would become available to those renters for a purchase price of about $33,000 each.

hmcneil@buffnews.comnull

Comments

[literal]

Regents exams: Cancel some or make schools pay?
Feb 17, 2011 10:48:30 AM / Comment
While school districts across the state grapple with their own gloomy financial forecasts, the State Education Department's own situation isn't looking too rosy, either.

Tom Precious reported that during budget hearings in Albany this week, the State Education Department's fiscal outlook is so bad that the state might have to cancel Regents exams, according to Education Commissioner David Steiner.

"Steiner said a $15 million account to fund the Regents exams is facing elimination. Cuomo's proposed budget includes no money for the program, Steiner said, and federal funding that did cover the exams has run out," Precious reported.

There's talk of scaling back to just two Regents exams: math and English.

A few months ago, the state floated the idea of charging school districts $6 for each Regents exam taken by each student. Talk of that proposal is still circulating and riling local school officials.

In fact, it tops the list of mandate relief proposals put forward by the Conference of Big Five School Districts (representing Buffalo and the other four biggest urban districts in the state): "Ensure that no new state assessment-related expenses are passed on to districts already struggling with difficult administration, scanning and scoring mandates that have already placed an unfunded fiscal burden on them."

- Mary Pasciak

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The biggest local improvement on the integrated algebra was in Lackawanna. There, 72 percent of students passed the exam last year, compared with 60 percent in 2008.

Lackawanna also posted one of the biggest improvements on the English exam, with 90 percent of students passing last year, compared with 85 percent two years before that.


# 1 = number of students who got 65% or better
#2 = number of students who got 85% or better
#3 = total number os students who took the test

District School Subject Percent passing 65 and up Percent excelling 85 and up Number of students taking exam
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School French 100 47 15
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna Middle School Integrated Algebra 100 29 28
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Spanish 95 38 21
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School English 90 19 140
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Living Environment 87 19 149
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School U.S. History and Government 85 42 140
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Integrated Algebra 69 3 237
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Global History 65 19 175
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Physics 65 29 14
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Earth Science 63 11 177
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Math B 60 40 5
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Geometry 39 2 166
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Chemistry 31 3 64
Erie Lackawanna City School District Lackawanna High School Algebra 2/Trigonometry 15 0 93

[andreahaxton]

" Welcome to the City of Lackawanna Official Website "

Mayor
716.827.6464
City Council
716.827.6489
City Clerk
716.827.6452
""Do you have a picture of beautiful Lackawanna NY to submit? email it to us at pictures@ci.lackawanna.ny.us and we'll post it online!""

While checking out a few web sites I noticed that, and no offense to anyone, that the La City "Official Web Site" has had the same ole' same ole' going on 3years or so.
They said to mail in pictures of "beautiful Lackawanna", anyone have any?

I just went to the "Lackawanna City Republican Party" web site recently----VERY nice job GOP's! Thanks for the info!


Visit:

The City of Canandaigua Government's Official Website -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On-Line Utility Account Services
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

City of Canandaigua residents and property owners now have the option of paying their water/sewer utility bills and accessing information about the status of their water/sewer utility accounts on-line.


Requests for service (e.g.: water shut-off) can also be submitted on-line.

Use this link to set up your on-line account access.

Read more...

Sidewalk Snow & Ice Removal
************************************************** ********
Has anyone been there, it is very quaint, and has that nice home-town atmosphere. They are a small city too but they managed to preserve the integrity of their "Business District", and neighborhoods.

What is the City of Lackawanna's legacy to OUR children? Why even the Steel Plant Museum is going in Buffalo---why didn't the politicians fight to find a home for them here?
"Old North" at 1 Gate would have been ideal but ......... It is called a Vision, and the rest is sadly all of OUR City of Lackawanna history.

A good character can not be bought.

[lackawanna #1]

This post is for Lackawanna News, not Canidaigua, if its so bad here and youve been trying to change everthing about GOOD OLE LA for forever and a day, Why dont you go some where else and give it a whirl? If you think about it, its really not that good here,but its really not that bad here either. Move on or move out!

[andreahaxton]

This post is for Lackawanna News, not Canidaigua, if its so bad here and youve been trying to change everthing about GOOD OLE LA for forever and a day, Why dont you go some where else and give it a whirl? If you think about it, its really not that good here,but its really not that bad here either. Move on or move out!



Obviously, lack1, what I meant by comparison went way over your head. So sorry.

Again, my Grandparents settled here in 1916, I was born here in 1953. My Dad instilled his love of Lackawanna in me and I can not stop my/OUR crusade against the greed of the "family and friends" club until they stop taking and give what is due the rest of US---a clean and modern city, inside and out!

Good advice lack1, I have "moved on" ! Onto a new attitude about how to get to the bottom of this mess created by the decades of neglect and empty political promises from self-serving, pompous puppet members.


You think I have been "trying to change everything" about Lackawanna forever, lack1?---Think again, NOT everything---just the Corruption that has decayed the infrastructure and the incompetence that has made us the laughing stock of WNY!:mad: I am sick of OUR City having a poor reputation to outsiders! My fight is and has ALWAYS been for OUR deserved dignity and a City of integrity to be inherited by OUR children! That is all I ask.



Lastly, you are right, it is not that bad here because taxes are fairly low. Also if you do NOT:

* Take your kids/grands to the playgrounds
* Drive by or go into the "orange crate" perched on the hill
* Are an employee and have to rig or go without state of the art tools,
computers, electronic or safety equipment
* Drive anywhere due to the lack of streetscape
* Want to hit crater size pot holes on pretty much all streets (even the newly paved ones will be bad in no time---WHY?)
* Try to shop at....well, this is really stuck in 1952!
* I will not even mention the "School District"...........!
* Etc., etc., etc.!



Why do You lack1, want the City of Lackawanna to stay the same?

P.S. My personal property tax situation is old news.

[andreahaxton]

Published:
February 21, 2011, 7:51 AM


The Tonawandas are experiencing an upsurge in commercial real estate activity, and some hope the high-end housing developments and new interest in restaurants and other recreational offerings could help redefine the area at the end of the Erie Canal.

The biggest of the new projects is a rehabilitation of a giant Sweeney Street warehouse by real estate mogul Tony Kissling. He says the loft-style apartment building, called Remington Lofts on the Canal, is modeled on buildings in Manhattan's SoHo and TriBeCa communities.

"Overwhelming demand gives me confidence," said Kissling, whose project has drawn more than 1,000 inquiries. "It's just that no one has really done work-live lofts here, so some people don't believe it can be done."

Kissling, also a successful New York City developer, is used to doubts. His company has about 25 properties in Buffalo, including several stylish buildings along Delaware Avenue, with more than 10,000 apartments and an occupancy rate of 92 percent.

Jim Sullivan, who works for the City of North Tonawanda in development, has aided the project for five years. "Many things [Kissling] developed took other developers aback at first. They didn't think it would work, but everything he touches turns to gold," Sullivan said.

Other projects in the area include Tonawanda Castle in the City of Tonawanda, a former armory that hosts events and weddings, and a proposed luxury townhouse development in the Town of Tonawanda. The Riviera Theatre is courting bigger, more diverse acts.

Joyce Santiago, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas, has said businesses are enthusiastic about the Remington Lofts because the tenants and attractions should provide a new customer base.

"It can only have a positive effect," she said, She also noted years of pent-up demand for waterfront living.

Picture lavish lofts with high-end amenities: a salon and cosmetology school, a yoga studio, personal training and a white-tablecloth restaurant that serves up sushi. You might imagine the whir, hubbub and sizzle of brash Manhattan or Georgetown. But this is the vision for the near future of North Tonawanda, a developer's promise to fuse the ultra-modern with small-town charm.

The Remington Lofts on the Canal is a $28 million work-live project scheduled for completion in November. The primary pool of residential tenants is expected to be workers for the building's retailers. Eighty-one residential units will be available. About 10 have been reserved. Rent for an average unit, about 1,200 square feet, will be $1,500 monthly.

All the planned retail spaces have been rented. A Brooklyn-based computer company has rented two penthouse spaces. A $1.5 million multilevel restaurant will boast a elite Manhattan chef and enviable views of the canal.

Skeptics might wonder: in North Tonawanda?

North Tonawanda Mayor Robert Ortt believes the lofts will be at home in the small city cherished for its quaint Webster Street storefronts.

"Clearly, part of the allure is the aesthetic. We happen to have the perfect building and location [on the Erie Canal]," he said.

Ortt said many restaurateurs have expressed interest in the area.

Ortt embraces the contrast between the lofts and their location as part of a transformational strategy for not only North Tonawanda but the entire region. The resurgence of apartment living in downtown Buffalo serves as a model.

Jake Schneider, the developer behind The Lofts at 136, a student facility on North Division Street in downtown Buffalo, strongly believes such projects can help revive an area. He said he was able to attract Wilson Farms to the former warehouse he rehabilitated with the promise of 300 students as customers.

"The two strongest commercial districts Buffalo has are Elmwood and Hertel," he said. "Strong neighborhoods are what make them vital, because they demand services that are not there. Downtown Buffalo does not have a real neighborhood yet, but we are getting there."

Ed Woodbury, the president of leading Chicago-based developer McCaffery Interests, has experience with rehabilitating buildings in smaller areas and turning them into lofts. He believes his company's success in Pittsburgh has increased similar development and contributed to a newly unveiled riverfront redevelopment plan.

"It has a social impact because it preserves history," he said. "We turned a derelict building into a national landmark. From an economic standpoint, these are very solid buildings, which helps the process."
Ortt sees the North Tonawanda project, which he acknowledges would be more at home in a large, cosmopolitan city, as a step in a broader effort to change the perception of not only North Tonawanda but the region.
Tonawanda's downtown. It can create the demand for the things we do not have at this time."

"We need jobs and this style of housing to retain young professionals. It has the potential to ... redefine North
Kissling is attempting to negotiate agreements for delivery from supermarkets, dry-cleaning businesses and other essential services. The facility will also provide 60-plus indoor tenant parking spaces.

But why did a developer spend $650,000 four years ago for an old, declining building in an odd area?

Scott Lacasse, executive vice president of The Kissling Interests, cited the proximity of the Erie Canal and years of inquiries for suburban accommodations.

Sullivan said Remington has become a "cornerstone" of the city's effort to revitalize downtown. The city is offering incentives on facades and revitalization efforts along nearby Webster and Main streets.

Urban planning professor Ernie Sternberg of the University at Buffalo strongly believes in the project.

"It's an old industrial city. Often those kind of loft spaces are pretty solid. People want to live in them. It's only about one block from the [Riviera] theater, and there are some restaurants."

The city helped The Kissling Interests obtain about $2 million in funding from the state when it encountered unexpected costs from structural damage. The city has also put $155,000 into nearby sewer and water upgrades.

If the building is successful, Kissling says, there may be similar projects in the area.

vsherry@buffnews.
************************************************** *******
I am sorry it is such a long article----I am only trying to show the contrast between "Lack"awanna and Tonawanda.
Yes, there are is Martin Rd Project and hopefully the First Ward new homes project will get the funding needed from the County to build them, BUT........

So many years have passed since "the Plant" went down and we have......WHAT? What Vision did the "family and friends" club use to plan and complete THEIR goals to revitalize Lackawanna? Everytime I drive by St. Barbara's I want to throw up.

Gosh, they travel enough to see what is hip and happening in other places!

Give me an "L", A........C'mon Lets Go Lackawanna!

I hope the club understands what I mean by this post.

[cath829]

Visit www.lackawannarepublicans.com. Sign up for "official" newsletter plus fundraising events for City of Lackawanna students. Visit the site for informational/events. Keeping the citizens of Lackawanna informed.

[andreahaxton]

CITY OF LACKAWANNA
Demolition order sought on building at Bethlehem site
Published:
February 20, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: February 20, 2011, 6:32 AM


Lackawanna Mayor Norman Polanski Jr. said the city this week will seek a demolition order to level a newly constructed building on the old Bethlehem Steel site because the city never received permits for the building.

In addition, Polanski said, four 1,000- gallon propane tanks that were installed haphazardly and without permission were shut down Thursday because they posed an even greater hazard.

“These tanks were put right next to each other. If one of the tanks went up, they all would have gone up,” Polanski said.

There also was concern that toxic chemicals on the site could have been ignited by the propane tanks. The mayor said the unpermitted building on the Bethlehem Steel site was constructed over railroad tracks and was discovered Wednesday by city Code Enforcement Officer Steven Bremer. The site is currently owned by ArcelorMittal, which, Polanski said, claimed to be unaware of the newly constructed building.

************************************************** ***
How/Who............!?

[CraftyExp]

Hmmm, think someone is lying? Steve just happened upon this building?

[literal]

Updated: February 23, 2011, 6:55 AM


Lackawanna Council President Charles Jaworski said a potentially hazardous situation on the old Bethlehem Steel site was averted last week after a building that was constructed without the proper permits was shut down and four 1,000-gallon propane tanks were drained.

The issue was raised during the City Council’s regular business meeting Tuesday, when former 1st Ward Councilwoman Andrea Haxton requested an update on the site during the public comment portion of the meeting.

“The director of code enforcement is taking care of it,” Jaworski said.

“It’s in the hands of the Law Department right now. The tanks have been drained, as far as my knowledge, and [the city Law Department] is going after the builder of the building,” he added.

Last week, Mayor Norman Polanski Jr. confirmed the building constructed over railroad tracks was discovered Wednesday by City Code Enforcement Officer Steven Bremer and immediately shut down. In addition, four haphazardly installed propane tanks were discovered nearby.

“These tanks were put right next to each other. If one of the tanks went up, they all would have gone up,” Polanski said late last week.

The mayor said a demolition order would be sought this week to raze the building. The tanks were drained by Noco, he added.

The former Bethlehem Steel site is owned by ArcelorMittal, which was leased to another company, according to city officials, though the city’s economic development director said officials were still attempting to pin down the name of the company that leased the property.

“Tonawanda Coke’s name is being thrown around out there,” Miranda said, after the meeting.

“They’re hauling the coke out there. The coal and coke get brought into this building to be warmed up,” Miranda added.

Haxton on Tuesday questioned why city officials had not been aware of the building and the propane tanks earlier.

“You can’t see [the site] from the road,” Jaworski replied.

“I think you’re covering it up,” Haxton responded later.

Both Miranda and Jaworski bristled at Haxton’s suggestion.

“We secured the situation. We notified the public, and we did what we were supposed to do,” Miranda said.

hmcneil@buffnews.comnull

[Caz5]

The Code Enforcement officer couldn't see the building from the road?

So if it isn't seen with the naked eye, it doesn't exist?

[andreahaxton]

The Code Enforcement officer couldn't see the building from the road?

""So if it isn't seen with the naked eye, it doesn't exist?“You can’t see [the site] from the road,” Jaworski replied. ""
Yupper! "They" have an answer for everything don't "they"?

Someone left the barn door open on this one, and at they put the well-being of the unsuspecting Citizens of Lackawanna in harms way!

Why is this so hushed up? The tanks were outside so I realize that it makes somewhat of a difference if they blew, but...... Over a year? Mayor/Jaworski, Please tell us what this is really about. Someone knew something, too many people involved.
************************************************** ********

Supplied by the Lackawanna Area Chamber of Commerce and edited by Rev. Robert McArtney.

(This history of Lackawanna is offered because it explains the background of two of the items on this page, Father Baker and Our Lady of Victory, part of the Catholic Health System. Lackawanna is the home of this web site.)

LACKAWANNA: located on the shore of Lake Erie. The city area is about six square miles and is approximately 600 feet above sea level.

GOVERNMENT: Lackawanna has a Mayor-Council form of government, one councilman being elected from each of the four wards of the city while the Mayor and Council President are elected at large. The city maintains a modern police and fire department.

POPULATION: 20,585 (1990 Census)

[literal]

arrested in home invasion, attackBy Lou Michel

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
February 24, 2011, 12:00 AM


0 Comments
Font Size:
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Three young men were arrested Tuesday and Wednesday for what Lackawanna police say was a vicious home invasion early Saturday on Smith Drive.

The three, armed with a shotgun, are accused of assaulting Jonathan Cochrain, 22, when they forced their way into his bedroom after midnight.

“They kicked in his bedroom door, awoke him and attacked him with the butt end of a shotgun for about 20 minutes until they were able to get him handcuffed with zip ties,” said Capt. Joseph Leo, chief of detectives.

The robbers then broke open a small gun safe bolted to shelving in Cochrain’s bedroom and removed about $3,200.

Police were contacted after Cochrain managed to crawl out of his home. Lt. Mark Packard and Officers Michael Gawronski and Paul Fino found the victim in his driveway and took him to Erie County Medical Center, where he was treated for broken bones in his back and multiple bruises.

Leo, Detectives Brian Lakso and Rodney Pietras and Officer Chuck Jaworski interviewed Cochrain and came up with information on possible suspects.

“Two of the suspects were interviewed and admitted to taking part in the home invasion. The third suspect was arrested after we obtained an arrest warrant,” Leo said.

Matthew M. Lucarelli, 21, and Eric J. Crawford, 18, were arrested Tuesday following their confessions, Leo said. Shawn M. Whalen, 17, surrendered Wednesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

All three Lackawanna residents, remanded to the Erie County Holding Center, were charged first-degree robbery, first-degree gang assault, first-degree burglary, unlawful imprisonment, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal use of a firearm.

lmichel@buffnews.com

[cath829]

Z-man running for mayor? Wow....this election is going to be so interesting. Wonder how many more will be coming out soon.

[andreahaxton]

Z-man running for mayor? Wow....this election is going to be so interesting. Wonder how many more will be coming out soon.

With me anywhere in the race, I am fully aware that "the party" will put any horse in the race to block me. Seabiscuit.

This is meant in no-offense to any other candidate, I wish everyone well and believe the more the merrier!
Glad to hear Officer Z might throw his hat in the ring---he is a very astute businessman!

[cath829]

Police Shoot Drug Suspect in Lackawanna


LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WGRZ) -- Sources tell 2 On Your Side police in Lackawanna have shot a suspected drug dealer following a sting operation involving an undercover officer.

We're told the shooting happened at a gas station at the intersection of Grant and Abbott, after officers swarmed in to make an arrest following a drug purchase from the undercover officer. Authorities say the suspect tried to run over several officers. One fired at the suspect and hit him. The condition of the suspect and the officers is not known.

2 On Your Side is at the scene. We will have more on wgrz.com and on 2 On Your Side at 10 on MyTV and on Channel 2 News Tonight at 11.

[mnb811]

Hopefully the officers are ok. The city needs to get a hell of a lot tougher on the drug problem. More outside undercover people are needed maybe?

[literal]

By T.J. Pignataro

News Staff Reporter

Published:
February 25, 2011, 12:46 AM


2 Comments
Font Size:
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A drug suspect died when he was shot by police about 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Noco gas station at Grant and Abbott roads in Lackawanna, authorities said.

The incident occurred during an undercover drug sting operation by Lackawanna Police and Erie County sheriff's officials, authorities said. When officers converged on the minivan with four suspects, the male driver slammed the vehicle into reverse in an effort to escape, striking an undercover detective and pinning him against the undercover police vehicle, also a minivan, authorities said.

According to law enforcement sources, the driver then repeated the maneuver a second time in an attempt to escape. The officer then fired his service weapon through the back window of the suspects' vehicle, killing a suspect in the back seat, authorities said.

"Deadly force can take many forms," said Thomas Burton, the attorney representing the officer. "This one happened to have four wheels in reverse. The officer is very, very lucky."

Burton said the driver of the vehicle "knew the gig was up" and that's why he accelerated his minivan to escape police.

Three officers were injured, two seriously enough to be taken to the Erie County Medical Center for treatment. Their injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Lackawanna police, who were still at the gas station early today, had yet to issue a statement on the shooting. The names of the suspects and officers were not available. The investigation was continuing.

tpignataro@buffnews.comnull

[cath829]

Prayers to all involved in this incident. Thank you to the officers for risking your lives every day in order to keep the rest of us safe.

[andreahaxton]

Prayers to all involved in this incident. Thank you to the officers for risking your lives every day in order to keep the rest of us safe.

Why is there so much drug activity ALL over Lackawanna? I realize drugs are running rampant everywhere, no community is left untouched, but we are very small and lots of people know each other.

[lackawanna #1]

Why is there so much drug activity ALL over Lackawanna? I realize drugs are running rampant everywhere, no community is left untouched, but we are very small and lots of people know each other.

Its most likely the school boards fault or mayors fault ,its a conspiracy theory! Or MAMMA CASH NEEDS MONEY FOR DELIVERING THEM IN HER VOLKSWAGON!

[cath829]

Here you go again....

[sunflower]

I just wanted to express my thoughts about the recent incident surrounding the drug bust. I can't imagine what the police who were involved are going through right now. I know that I am guilty of forgetting just how DANGEROUS your job can be.
Thank you for everything you do to keep our City safe.
Thank you for risking your lives for us.

[andreahaxton]

Its most likely the school boards fault or mayors fault ,its a conspiracy theory! Or MAMMA CASH NEEDS MONEY FOR DELIVERING THEM IN HER VOLKSWAGON!

"MAMMA CASH"?
Is that your wife?

Lack1, do you " lack " the courage to fully explain with only the facts regarding whatever you are stating and then stand behind your accusations?

Or do you have the Courage/Strength/Guts like I do when I make a statement about someone an incident or issue?

Yes or No?

[lackawanna #1]

"MAMMA CASH"?
Is that your wife?

Lack1, do you " lack " the courage to fully explain with only the facts regarding whatever you are stating and then stand behind your accusations?

Or do you have the Courage/Strength/Guts like I do when I make a statement about someone an incident or issue?

Yes or No?

No accusation, Did you think I was talking about you? Why, do you know someone named mamma cash? Please elaborate for everyone here to know exactly what you are talking about. What proverb does this fall under?
Ps. No wifey here:eek:

[sharky]

Buffalo News said "The van's driver, Derrick "Murder" Nailor, who has been arrested 27 times"

WTF?
why was he still on the streets?

[cath829]

No accusation, Did you think I was talking about you? Why, do you know someone named mamma cash? Please elaborate for everyone here to know exactly what you are talking about. What proverb does this fall under?
Ps. No wifey here:eek:

You used Mama Cash before referring to Andrea...you are the one in need of elaborating for everyone here to know exactly what you are talking about

[lackawanna #1]

"MAMMA CASH"?
Is that your wife?

Lack1, do you " lack " the courage to fully explain with only the facts regarding whatever you are stating and then stand behind your accusations?

Or do you have the Courage/Strength/Guts like I do when I make a statement about someone an incident or issue?

Yes or No?

Please read your posts before you hit reply, furthermore read all your posts. Now all of a sudden after you make thousands of false accusations, something that someone else posts bothers you and you want them to fully explain with only facts, Are you kidding me , practice what you preach!

[lackawanna #1]

You used Mama Cash before referring to Andrea...you are the one in need of elaborating for everyone here to know exactly what you are talking about

Ask Russell or Frank.

[cath829]

If you believe or know otherwise as to false accusations, then it is YOU who needs to post the proof to prove yourself right and Andrea wrong. Let's see what you got to backup YOUR claim of falsehood.

[cath829]

Ask Russell or Frank.

We have already been through this MONTHS ago.....Russell or Frank are NOT the ones referring to Andrea...You are. Unless you have proof.....keep it to yourself

[andreahaxton]

No accusation, Did you think I was talking about you? Why, do you know someone named mamma cash? Please elaborate for everyone here to know exactly what you are talking about. What proverb does this fall under?
Ps. No wifey here:eek:


cont. Hatred towards me. Wow, I can see why " No wifey here::eek: "

" Ask her yourself, she wont talk about it, she used to make runs to florida with her yellow volkswagon, to get some lets just say goods and it wasnt for the mom and pop store! why do you think she...
Forum: City of Lackawanna Politics May 17th, 2010, 07:04 PM
Replies: 200 Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority
Views: 10,266 Posted By lackawanna #1
Lsd trip have you ever been on one?

Lsd trip have you ever been on one?
Forum: City of Lackawanna Politics May 17th, 2010, 07:01 PM
Replies: 996 School Board Candidates Blog
Views: 25,205 Posted By lackawanna #1
No raise here,not in a long while,take the blame...

No raise here,not in a long while,take the blame ,you are such an idiot, you blame one person for everything when there is a board of seven, buty then stick up for the majority when they control the...
Forum: City of Lackawanna Politics May 17th, 2010, 06:51 PM Replies: 996 School Board Candidates Blog
Views: 25,205 Posted By lackawanna #1
Andrea is just a scumbag>>>>>>>>>>>>>> shut your...
Andrea is just a scumbag>>>>>>>>>>>>>> shut your mouth mamma cash!
go make another run to florida! "


Please tell me who you are lack1---so I can seek an order of protection!

[andreahaxton]

Ask Russell or Frank.

Do you really think they think poorly of me? Yola always used to say to me over the years how she, "wished I married Russell".
He was my boyfriend appr. 1970-72', when I was 17 and 18, I met him at an Our Mother of Good Council dance when I was 16, and we broke up when I was about 18. So? NOTHING secretive--EVER, and who cares? OLD News!

Now I did drive a brand new 1975 yellow Camaro that my husband Butch from Hamburg bought me so I could go back to college safely in 1976.
The first time I ever went to Florida was in 1981 with Guy Masocco, my daughter's Father. And the next in 1999 when my son moved there. You want more lack1?

Did you know that I am friends to this day with Dan Kozub's wife's older sister? I was in her first wedding in 1971, we met at Immaculata Academy where I graduated high school from. Carol, Mike, Russell and I all hung around together.

You know what lack 1 ----maybe Russell and Franks' sister would like to talk to you about me too! And Marge, if you know who she is, would really love to get to the bottom of this all with you. I LOVE Marge and Donna!

[mnb811]

Buffalo News said "The van's driver, Derrick "Murder" Nailor, who has been arrested 27 times"

WTF?
why was he still on the streets?

Libtard judges probably. They think people like this do not need to be jailed because they need to be in "treatment".

[andreahaxton]

I just got back from Lasertron by the Boulevard Mall---What a blast! How I wish we had things like this and other family fun stuff in LA.

Someday, I wish......for OUR kids!:cool:

[literal]

City & Region Officer pinned to van forced to shoot
Police chief says officer opened fire to prevent more injury to colleaguesBy Lou Michel

News Staff Reporter

Published:
February 26, 2011, 12:21 AM


10 Comments
Font Size:
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An undercover Lackawanna police officer could have lost both his legs if he hadn't used deadly force and shot three times into the black-tinted back window of a minivan filled with drug dealers, authorities said Friday.

When the shootout was over late Thursday afternoon, van passenger Rashad Bradford, 29, of Buffalo, was dead with one bullet in the head and another in his back.

The van's driver, Derrick "Murder" Nailor, who has been arrested 27 times, had stopped gunning the engine and backing up in his attempt to shove an unmarked police minivan out of the way in an attempt to escape, police said.

Officer Joseph Milkowski, who fired the shots, had opened the sliding passenger-side door of the police van when the other van rammed it in the parking lot of the NOCO gas station at Grant Boulevard and Abbott Road at about 5:53 p.m.

An eight-year police veteran, Milkowski found himself pinned between the rear end of the drug suspects' van and the middle seat of the police van.

As the suspects' van continued accelerating and pushing deeper into the interior of the police van, the officer drew his weapon and fired to prevent himself and other officers from being harmed further, according to Lackawanna Police Chief James L. Michel.

Milkowski suffered multiple contusions and is now on injured-on-duty leave. He was not the only officer hurt.

The impact of the suspects' van colliding into the police van threw Officer Chuck Jaworski 15 feet through the air as he was getting out of the front passenger door.

Like Milkowski, he, too, was transported to Erie County Medical Center, where he was treated and later released; he also is on injured-on-duty leave.

The driver of the police van jumped out of the vehicle just before the other van backed into it. "He yelled, 'Police, you're under arrest,'" Michel said.

A fourth officer in the van suffered minor bruises.

Earlier, two other unmarked police vehicles had pulled up on either side of suspects' van, boxing it in at the gas station. With a curb and pile of snow in front of the vehicle, the driver had tried to escape by backing out.

Lackawanna detectives under the command of Capt. Joseph Leo and Erie County sheriff's narcotics officers led by Senior Detective Alan Rozansky had targeted the individuals in a joint operation based on a tip involving drug sales.

Crack cocaine was found beside the suspects' van, authorities said. No guns were found. All four have criminal records.

Nailor, 30, of Buffalo, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, a B felony; first-degree reckless endangerment, obstructing governmental administration, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, loitering, unlawful possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license.

Megan Costner, 28, and Milton Campbell, 34, both of Buffalo, were charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and loitering.

All three were arraigned Friday before Lackawanna City Court Judge Louis Violanti. Nailor and Campbell were sent to the Erie County Holding Center without bail. Costner was also sent there in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Michel said an investigation into the fatal shooting will be conducted by his department and the Sheriff's Office "under the strict supervision of the Erie County District Attorney's Office."

Attorney Thomas H. Burton, who is representing Milkowski, said his client could have lost both his legs if it had not been for the cushioning of the van seat he was pinned against.

"This arrest attempt turned bad for the cops in a second. It's an example of why street officers can never let their guard down," Burton said. "It doesn't get much worse, having the back of a vehicle come at you through an open door. This officer had no other choice [but to shoot]. He could have left that scene with no lower legs."

lmichel@buffnews.com

[lackawanna #1]

cont. Hatred towards me. Wow, I can see why " No wifey here::eek: "

" Ask her yourself, she wont talk about it, she used to make runs to florida with her yellow volkswagon, to get some lets just say goods and it wasnt for the mom and pop store! why do you think she...
Forum: City of Lackawanna Politics May 17th, 2010, 07:04 PM
Replies: 200 Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority
Views: 10,266 Posted By lackawanna #1
Lsd trip have you ever been on one?

Lsd trip have you ever been on one?
Forum: City of Lackawanna Politics May 17th, 2010, 07:01 PM
Replies: 996 School Board Candidates Blog
Views: 25,205 Posted By lackawanna #1
No raise here,not in a long while,take the blame...

No raise here,not in a long while,take the blame ,you are such an idiot, you blame one person for everything when there is a board of seven, buty then stick up for the majority when they control the...
Forum: City of Lackawanna Politics May 17th, 2010, 06:51 PM Replies: 996 School Board Candidates Blog
Views: 25,205 Posted By lackawanna #1
Andrea is just a scumbag>>>>>>>>>>>>>> shut your...
Andrea is just a scumbag>>>>>>>>>>>>>> shut your mouth mamma cash!
go make another run to florida! "


Please tell me who you are lack1---so I can seek an order of protection!

I can care less what you say or do just pointing out the facts of how you play both sides, there is two sides to every story, sometimes we like to forget one of them. the past is the past and you cant change the past, but we may be able to change tomorrow if everyone would quit pointing fingers, when you point at someone you usually have 3 fingers pointing back at you!

[mnb811]

Funny that you never give your side hmmm! You just say it's slander etc. So why don't you give everyone the "real story" and then we can compare. Usually the truth is right in the middle. You up for the challenge?

PS Make sure you have the proof to back you up.

[mnb811]

Figures no response how telling.

[andreahaxton]

Job Summary
Company
Niagara Falls Civil Service Commission
Location
14302
Industries
All
Job Type
Per Diem
Temporary/​Contract/​Project
Career Level
Entry Level
Job Reference Code
83155149
Contact Information

Niagara Falls Civil Service Commission Phone: 7162864430 Seasonal Hiring Fair
About the Job
CITY OF NIAGARA FALLS SEASONAL HIRING FAIR Thursday, February 24, 2011, 9am-12pm & 1pm-5pm CITY HALL, 745 Main Street • Room 116 PLEASE BRING VALID ID ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS & ON-SITE INTERVIEWING FOR: CERTIFIED LIFEGUARDS, RECREATION, SEASONAL LABORERS, & PARKING ATTENDANTS FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 286-4430 The City of Niagara Falls is an equal opportunity employer and a drug free work place.
This listing brought to you by The Greater Niagara Newspapers



This is how "we" do it:
Wrong! Not in Sunny LA.
We have "2" Seasonal Laborer positions in the Lackawanna Budget---except in 2007 there were "3". Was that an election year.....?

Visit the CEO and.......

How I wish it was really "Equal Opportunity" for ALL in Lackawanna!

[Caz5]

Driving through Lackawanna, I see lots of bars. There have been plenty of times that the creative parking and traffic congestion around these little watering holes have been accidents waiting to happen. Add the metro busses, people who double park, kids playing hockey in the middle of the street...this City resembles an obstacle course at times! Why are there so many corner bars without parking allowed in this City?

[mnb811]

I wonder myself. Check out that bar by Roland Ave. Solitaire wonder how they can reopen without parking?

[andreahaxton]

Job Summary
Company
Niagara Falls Civil Service Commission
Location
14302
Industries
All
Job Type
Per Diem
Temporary/​Contract/​Project
Career Level
Entry Level
Job Reference Code
83155149
Contact Information

Niagara Falls Civil Service Commission Phone: 7162864430 Seasonal Hiring Fair
About the Job
CITY OF NIAGARA FALLS SEASONAL HIRING FAIR Thursday, February 24, 2011, 9am-12pm & 1pm-5pm CITY HALL, 745 Main Street • Room 116 PLEASE BRING VALID ID ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS & ON-SITE INTERVIEWING FOR: CERTIFIED LIFEGUARDS, RECREATION, SEASONAL LABORERS, & PARKING ATTENDANTS FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 286-4430 The City of Niagara Falls is an equal opportunity employer and a drug free work place.
This listing brought to you by The Greater Niagara Newspapers

This is how "we" do it:
Wrong! Not in Sunny LA.
We have "2" Seasonal Laborer positions in the Lackawanna Budget---except in 2007 there were "3". Was that an election year.....?

Visit the CEO and.......

How I wish it was really "Equal Opportunity" for ALL in Lackawanna!
************************************************** ********
Home > Leadership > Mayor > 2011 Mayor's Summer Youth Employment
2011 Mayor's Summer Youth Employment
Dear Applicants:

Thank you for your interest in applying for the 2011 Mayor’s Summer Youth Internship Program. Enclosed is an application that must be completed and returned to the Department of Community Services, 65 Niagara Square Room 1701, Buffalo, New York 14202. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
•2011 Summer Internship Program Application
•Form W-4 (2011)
•Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
•IT-2104 - Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate
•Residency Verification
Applications can be returned Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 4:00pm. The deadline for submitting an application is Friday, May 27, 2011. Those who fail to meet the application deadline will be put on a waiting list and your chances of obtaining employment will be diminished.

To be eligible for this program you must be a City of Buffalo resident between the ages of 14 and 21 and you must turn age 14 by May 31, 2011.

In order to determine your eligibility for the Mayor’s Summer Youth Internship Program, the following items must be documented and returned with your completed application:

1.Working Papers for all youth under age 18
◦Ages 14-15 (Blue Card)
◦Ages 16-17 (Green Card)
2.Birth Certificate
3.Proof of Buffalo Residency (Utility Bills, Lease Agreement)
4.Family Income5.Social Security Card
6.Attending School (Most recent School Report Card or Transcript)
If you have any questions regarding the application, please contact us at (716) 851-4170. Remember, incomplete applications will not be accepted. Once again, thank you for your interest in the Mayor’s Summer Youth Internship Program


************************************************** ********
Want the list of names of the families whose kids get hired in Lackawanna?
Vast majority of their parents have excellent jobs and can well afford school clothes, etc. It breaks my heart that kids who truly need the paycheck don't even know there is summer jobs. They hire about 50 kids or so ----do you think every kid who applies get hired? Or are they only the connected ones?

I tried to get the rest of the Council to support me on a motion to make income a guideline in Lackawanna but they ALL shouted me down! EOP, my....

When a municipality receives FEDERAL FUNDS they MUST be an "Equal Opportunity Employer". Is Lackawanna? How do they do it you ask?--- You tell me, how do they get away with this form of corruption and ALL the other mountain of it?

If I am the only person in Lackawanna who cares I will never stop fighting for "Justice For All" people who live and have lived here!

[literal]

.News » Local Share Email this articlePrint this articlePoloncarz Warns Of New Telephone ScamBy WKBW News
Bio | Email


Poloncarz Warns Of New Telephone Scam
February 27, 2011

Updated Feb 27, 2011 at 12:15 AM EST


BUFFALO, NY—( RELEASE ) Today, Erie County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz warned of a telephone phishing scam currently targeting Erie County residents and even county employees.

Identity thieves are contacting potential victims to warn them that their bank account was supposedly compromised. Unlike typical phishing scams that use email, this one is initiated by a phone call, currently to the victim’s mobile phone from a (732) area code.

E-News - subscribe to our daily newsletter

Upon answering the call, an automated voice message announces that the victim’s “Western New York Credit Union debit card has been deactivated” and to “reactivate or speak with security, please press #1 now.”

The goal is to get the victim to call back a phone number and enter their bank account information.

“The scam works by warning you that your debit card has been deactivated and then urging you to provide your account information so that it can be reactivated,” said Poloncarz. “People may fall for this scam because the automated message refers to the financial institution as being the ‘Western New York Credit Union’ and there in fact exists a highly respected local credit union with a similar name - WNY Federal Credit Union. This morning I spoke to Marie Betti, the local president of the WNY Federal Credit Union, to express my concerns and she confirmed the calls were not being sent out by their organization and they are warning their depositors to not fall for the scam. Considering the calls are being received by many county residents, regardless of whether they are a member of a credit union, it is important that all residents be aware of this scam and be vigilant to these scam artists.”

Poloncarz then warned, “As soon as you are asked for any sensitive personal information, that’s when you should be suspicious and just hang up. Your bank or credit card company WILL NEVER call you and ask for your account information. It’s a scam. With this information, scammers can assume your identity and empty your bank accounts.”

Erie County residents are advised to report such solicitations to the Erie County Comptroller’s Whistleblower Hotline at (716) 858-7722, the New York State Attorney General’s office at (800) 771-7755 or the Federal Trade Commission at (877) 382-4357.

Poloncarz noted a number of telephone scam tips, including:

· Never provide your personal or account information or password in response to an unsolicited request. If you did not initiate the communication, you should not provide any information;

· Contact the company yourself. Ask the caller for their name, department and phone extension and then contact the company at the number you know to be correct to determine if the call is legitimate; and,

· Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct. If your account statement is late in arriving, call to find out why. If you have Internet account access, periodically review activity online to catch suspicious activity.

If you believe you have given personal information to an illegitimate source, you should contact your financial institution and credit reporting agencies immediately and monitor your credit files and account statements closely.

[literal]

.News » Local Share Email this articlePrint this articleLackawanna Police Chief Defends Deadly Shooting By OfficerBy Laura Gray
Bio | Email| Follow: @LauraGraywkbw

February 25, 2011

Updated Feb 25, 2011 at 5:31 PM EST


Lackawanna, NY (WKBW) -- Police say a suspected drug dealer tried to run over a police officer last night during an undercover drug bust, and left an officer with no choice but to fire back. "When I got the cell phone call, of course my heart dropped. I immediately jumped in vehicle responded to the scene." says Chief James Michel.
When Chief Michel arrived at this gas station on Abbott Road shortly after 6 last night, he found two officers injured and a suspect dead in the backseat of a minivan. The Erie County Sheriff's Department and Lackawanna Police had been conducting a drug bust, Michel says, and when they went to place a driver under arrest, "He drove into the police vehicle injuring two of my officers. One of my officers was partially trapped between the police and suspect vehicle." The officer fired his weapon. "In my 31 years in this department, this is the first time has had to use deadly physical force to take a life."
Chief Michel says a quarter ounce of crack cocaine was found in the minivan. Mayor Norm Polanski says the incident remains under investigation, but he stands by the officers decision to fire his weapon. "I consider these young men to be like my sons." He tells us, "I know the officers involved have outstanding records, so I'm certain everything will have been done right."
Both officers are out of the hospital Friday they will remain off the streets until the investigation is complete. Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita would not release the names of the suspects or what they have been charged with.
Lackawanna Police tell us none of the suspects were from the City of Lackawanna, and all of them have lengthy criminal records with prior drug arrests.

[literal]

at members of the 15-member advisory committeeBy Matt Spina

News Staff Reporter

Published:
March 4, 2011, 1:40 AM


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Downsizing of Legislature complicates redistricting
Key Links
Politics Now blog
The News' politics pageUpdated: March 4, 2011, 1:42 AM


The Erie County Legislature is turning to a 15-member advisory committee to guide its once-a-decade reapportionment process.

The Legislature's Republican and Democratic leaders have each appointed six members, and the County Legislature chairwoman has appointed one. The other two are the county's Republican and Democratic elections commissioners or their designees.

Appointed by Republican Minority Leader John J. Mills, R-Orchard Park:

* Emilio Colaiacovo of Kenmore, an attorney and partner at the Bouvier Partnership LLP, is involved in several civic and professional groups, including the Erie County Bar Association. A significant portion of his practice is in election law.

* Jorge S. de Rosas of Buffalo, a former assistant U.S. attorney and Erie County assistant district attorney, works for the law firm Wolfgang & Weinmann, LLP.

* Jonathan S. Hickey of Clarence is an attorney and a founding member of the law firm of Burden, Gulisano and Hickey, LLC. He served on the Clarence environmental quality review committee and is involved with the Volunteer Lawyers Project providing pro bono legal services.

* Bryan Wittmeyer of Hamburg is a physical therapist at Greater Buffalo Physical Therapy. He has been an active member of Hamburg's community development and senior services advisory boards.

* Brian R. Biggie of Buffalo is an associate attorney at the firm Goldberg and Segalla, LLP. He was a candidate for State Assembly last year and founded Buffalo Christmas Wishes, a gift-giving campaign for local children.

* Martha Lamparelli of Buffalo led the committee that studied downsizing and recommended an 11-member Legislature. Mills asked her to fill the seat that the Legislature minority leader can occupy on the redistricting commission.

Appointed by Legislature Chairwoman Barbara Miller-Williams:

* Adam W. Perry, a partner with the Hodgson Russ LLP law firm who is a commissioner on the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and a member of Buffalo's Citizen Planning Council since 2009. He will serve as chairman of the commission.

Appointed by Majority Leader Maria R. Whyte:

* Diane M. Terranova of Lancaster, who served on the County Legislature for several months in 2009 when appointed to fill a vacancy. She is a full-time clerk and deputy registrar in the Lancaster town clerk's office.

* Jonathan D. Rivera of Buffalo, manager of an HSBC Bank branch and a former field representative for Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo.

* Jesse W. Martin Jr. of Buffalo, an adviser with SVB Wealth Management.

* The Rev. Jeff E. Carter of Getzville, pastor of Ephesus Ministries on Grider Street, a retired chaplain from the state's Attica Correctional Facility and the former executive director of the Pastoral and Church Ministries Program at Houghton College.

* Daniel M. Boody, business manager and secretary treasurer for District Council 4, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades of America and Canada.

* Jeremy C. Toth of Buffalo, a lawyer and adjunct professor at the University at Buffalo who has served as chief of staff to State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo, and former State Sen. Marc Coppola, D-Buffalo. He will serve as Whyte's designee.

mspina@buffnews.comnull

[literal]

Downsizing of Legislature complicates redistrictingBy Matt Spina

News Staff Reporter

Published:
March 4, 2011, 1:41 AM


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A look at members of the 15-member advisory committee
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Politics Now blog
The News' politics pageUpdated: March 4, 2011, 1:42 AM


The Erie County Legislature is in angst over redistricting, the once-a-decade process to design new legislative districts based on census shifts.

This time, it's complicated again by the Legislature's continued downsizing. Voters last year overwhelmingly approved a proposal to shrink the Legislature from 15 members to 11, with those 11 seats to be decided in elections this November from 11 newly designed districts.

"In the best of years, reapportionment is difficult. Simply put, not everyone can be happy with the new boundaries," said Democratic Majority Leader Maria R. Whyte of Buffalo. "This year we have to grapple with downsizing, as well."

Incumbents and challengers will want to start passing petitions to gather minor-party backing this spring, said Republican Minority Leader John J. Mills of Orchard Park. But the commission still awaits census data, and with the possibility of a court challenge, no one expects district boundaries to be final by spring.

"All those endorsements are up for grabs, and I think there is a lot of anxiety going on as far as what districts people are going to represent," Mills said. "There are four people who will have no district, so to speak."

The Legislature itself need not draw the boundaries. The County Charter requires creation of a 15-member advisory commission — 11 citizens joining the county's Republican and Democratic elections commissioners and the Legislature's majority and minority leaders — though both Whyte and Mills have designated others to serve in their stead.

The commission will meet for the first time at 10:30 a.m. Monday on the fourth floor of Old County Hall.

On paper, Democrats will control the Legislature during redistricting. Nine Democrats — rarely united — hold sway against five Republicans and one Independent in the 15-member house.

However, a coalition made up of the five Republicans, the Independent and three Democrats retained control at the start of this year, with Democrat Barbara Miller-Williams of Buffalo as chairwoman.

Plus, Republican County Executive Chris Collins can veto any plan, meaning the Legislature then would have to muster a two-thirds majority to override his veto — difficult for almost any piece of legislation these days and even more unlikely when considering the coalition usually sides with Collins.

Erie County's population has declined, and there are more and more people in the suburbs. Now roughly 30 percent of its residents live in Buffalo, but six legislative districts, or 40 percent of the representatives, include some or all of the city.

Does that mean that representation will further shift toward those Republican-leaning suburban towns?

Republicans welcome that chance.

Christopher M. Grant serves as Collins' chief of staff and political strategist, and he will be involved behind the scenes in drawing the new boundaries.

"Any time you are downsizing the County Legislature, and reflecting a historic shift of population from urban to suburban, it is only natural that some urban legislators face the potential of being in races against each other," he said in an interview conducted before voters approved the downsizing referendum but when its passage was a foregone conclusion.

Asked to predict the makeup of an 11-member Legislature at mid-decade, Grant said, "I think there is a potential to have at least four Republicans and as many as six in an 11-member body."

A little-known state law appears to work in the Republicans' favor: Several suburban and rural towns, including several that tend to vote Republican, are not to be divided among legislative districts.

Let's say the census determines that Erie County's receding population landed at 900,000 in 2010. Each of the 11 new districts would ideally contain 81,800 residents.

But a section of New York's Municipal Home Rule Law prohibits the designers of those new district maps from cutting up any town that doesn't have at least 90,000 residents — the size of a standard legislative district plus a 10 percent buffer.

Towns with fewer than 90,000 residents would have to belong to one district. Buffalo and only a couple of towns could be broken up: Amherst and possibly Cheektowaga, which are broken up now. Republican strategists figure that the rule will help them further shift political power from Buffalo to the suburbs.

But it's not an absolute rule. County legislative districts already break up towns that should not have been broken up when boundaries were drawn early in the last decade. Hamburg, for example, is split between two legislative districts.

The Municipal Home Rule Law lists the rule against dividing smaller towns with a number of other values to be employed in redistricting, and those values are listed in order of importance. The rule protecting smaller towns from being carved up is second on a list of four. So there's an implication that it's no mandate.

"Those factors are in descending order of importance. I don't think that anybody can say they are mandatory factors," Dennis E. Ward, the Democratic elections commissioner, said in 2010.

As a lawyer, in 2002, Ward helped contest a Republican-inspired redistricting plan for the County Legislature. He said that Republicans have controlled reapportionment in three separate decades, and each time, Democrats controlled the Legislature soon after.

In the most recent instance, in the last decade, reapportionment also included downsizing — from 17 legislators to the present 15. By the middle of the decade, Democrats were firmly in control, 12-3.

mspina@buffnews.comnull

[andreahaxton]

I see only one person from the south-towns, Mr. Wittmeyer from Hamburg.

Did I miss something ---Who knows Lackawanna on the new committee? OR, maybe we won't be re-district-ed, reapportioned or cut up in any way or through.

[literal]

I see only one person from the south-towns, Mr. Wittmeyer from Hamburg.

Did I miss something ---Who knows Lackawanna on the new committee? OR, maybe we won't be re-district-ed, reapportioned or cut up in any way or through.

Maybe Dan Kozub will be out of his job?

[sunflower]

I know this is off topic, but I just wanted to say THANK YOU to whomever was responsible for filling the potholes on Ridge Road (especially that one around Monarch!!!)

[literal]

Demolition began this week on St. Barbara Catholic Church on Ridge Road in Lackawanna. The church was built in 1930 primarily for Polish immigrants who worked in the city's steel mills.
Sharon Cantillon /Buffalo News Saying goodbye to St. Barbara
Former parishioners watch, reminisce as Lackawanna church faces wrecking ballBy Jay Rey

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
March 5, 2011, 12:42 AM


3 Comments
Font Size:
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The gaping hole torn into the back of St. Barbara Church in Lackawanna left a little hole in the hearts of those who stopped by Friday.

Demolition began this week at St. Barbara, the first church to face the wrecking ball as a result of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo's multiyear effort to shut down more than 70 worship sites across eight counties.

It was hard for John Kwasniewski to watch.

Kwasniewski was baptized at St. Barbara. He had his first communion and confirmation at St. Barbara. He was married at St. Barbara.

"When you see it coming down, it's like losing someone in your family," said Kwasniewski, 69, who lives in the neighborhood. "It's like going to a wake."

Former parishioners, like Kwasniewski and his wife, Patricia, have been stopping by the demolition site throughout the week to catch their final glimpses of St. Barbara and reminisce about what had once been the heart of a neighborhood.

The imposing yellow-brick church on Ridge Road, between Center and Franklin streets, was built in 1930 for a parish that consisted of Polish immigrants who worked in the Lackawanna steel mills.

Constructed as a modern improvisation on the old Romanesque style, St. Barbara could seat as many as 1,000 people and in its heyday its pews were filled.

The old ladies in the neighborhood walked to St. Barbara each morning for Mass, Kwasniewski said, as did the kids, before they crossed the street to St. Barbara School, which is gone now.

During the summer, people from all over came to the St. Barbara lawn fete to have a beer and listen to Polish bands.

St. Barbara was closed in 2008 as part of the diocese's downsizing, and merged with St. Hyacinth and St. Michael the Archangel in Lackawanna and Our Lady of Grace in Woodlawn under the name Queen of Angels.

"A lot of people had hard feelings when they closed the church and there's still a lot of animosity," said Rich Kozak, 67. "A lot of people won't come around to watch, because it's hard for them to see it coming down."

Elise Haremski and her brother, Edmund, were at the church on Friday, too. "It's a shame," said Elise Haremski, a graduate student studying historic preservation in South Carolina.

"People aren't going to church, they are moving to the suburbs. I get it. They have to close churches," Haremski said. "But I think there are alternative uses for it."

The diocese has been able to sell 55 of the closed churches for reuse, but St. Barbara was considered a difficult sell because of its size and location.

It would have cost an estimated $3 million just to stabilize the building, diocesan officials have said.

"Little sad to see it go," said David Lapa, 50, of Lackawanna.

Lapa has stopped by every day since work started, and has snapped approximately 150 pictures during various stages of the demolition.

Lapa's aunt was married at St. Barbara and called him from Texas when she heard about the church being razed.

[andreahaxton]

City of Lackawanna
Navigation
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Municipality of City of Lackawanna
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SWIS: 140900 Tax ID: 142.37-4-1.11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax Map ID / Property Data

Status: Active Roll Section: Taxable
Address: 539 Ridge Rd Property Class: 620 - Religious Site Property Class: 620 - Religious
Site: Com 1 In Ag. District: Error
Zoning Code: CBD - Central Bus Dis Bldg. Style: Not Applicable
Neighborhood: 00105 - 2nd Ward School District: Lackawanna
Legal Property Description: Legal description not given for property
Total Acreage/Size: 2.12 Equalization Rate: ----
Land Assessment: 2011 - Tentative
$34,000
2010 - N/A Total Assessment: 2011 - Tentative
$221,500
2010 - N/A
Full Market Value: 2011 - Tentative
$221,5002010 - N/A Market Value/sqft: N/A
Deed Book: 2129 Deed Page: 153
Grid East: 1081679 Grid North: 1029555

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Districts for 2011
(Tentative)
No information available for the 2011 roll year.
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Land Types
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Primary 90,482 sq ft
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************************************************** ********

Taxes on the building is what per year? Very roughly appr. $10,000/yr?
St. Barbara's closed when---about 3 years ago? It was OK to be in then.

I know when it shut the City assessed them at appr. $800,000 and a neighborhood group of Parishioner's fought them to lower it, maybe to $1/2 mil......

Follow the money my good friend always tells me......follow the money!

[literal]

Richard A. Pytak, retired teacher, administrator
Feb. 12, 1932—March 4, 2011
Published:
March 5, 2011, 12:00 AM


0 Comments
Font Size:
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Richard A. Pytak of Lackawanna, a retired educator, died Friday in Fox Run at Orchard Park nursing facility. He was 79.

Born in Lackawanna, he was a graduate of Lackawanna High School and Canisius College. In the late 1950s, Mr. Pytak served in the Army as a translator and was primarily stationed in Stuttgart, Germany.

He was a longtime educator who taught at Lincoln High School and Hoover Junior High School in Lackawanna. Mr. Pytak also taught at the Gowanda Correctional Facility. He served as assistant principal of Hoover Junior High School and assistant superintendent in the Lackawanna School District. He retired in the mid-1990s.

Mr. Pytak was a member of Matthew Glab Post 1477, American Legion, and was active in Our Lady of Victory Parish, where he was a longtime member of the church choir.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, the former Alice Pientka; two sons, Richard and David; and two daughters, Mary Hageman and Linda Mendola.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 a. m. Monday in Our Lady of Victory Basilica, 767 Ridge Road, Lackawanna.

[andreahaxton]

Richard A. Pytak, retired teacher, administrator
Feb. 12, 1932—March 4, 2011
Published:
March 5, 2011, 12:00 AM


0 Comments
Font Size:
-2-1Standard+1+2E-mailSharePrintFacebookTwitterGoogleRedditDelicious Stumble UponDiggFarkMySpaceUpdated: March 5, 2011, 6:29 AM


Richard A. Pytak of Lackawanna, a retired educator, died Friday in Fox Run at Orchard Park nursing facility. He was 79.

Born in Lackawanna, he was a graduate of Lackawanna High School and Canisius College. In the late 1950s, Mr. Pytak served in the Army as a translator and was primarily stationed in Stuttgart, Germany.

He was a longtime educator who taught at Lincoln High School and Hoover Junior High School in Lackawanna. Mr. Pytak also taught at the Gowanda Correctional Facility. He served as assistant principal of Hoover Junior High School and assistant superintendent in the Lackawanna School District. He retired in the mid-1990s.

Mr. Pytak was a member of Matthew Glab Post 1477, American Legion, and was active in Our Lady of Victory Parish, where he was a longtime member of the church choir.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, the former Alice Pientka; two sons, Richard and David; and two daughters, Mary Hageman and Linda Mendola.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 a. m. Monday in Our Lady of Victory Basilica, 767 Ridge Road, Lackawanna.



My Grandson"s kindergarten-teacher at Truman is Mr. Pytlak. i am very sorry!

[andreahaxton]

Literal----get off the obituaries, OK?

[literal]

I know, but it is news. Many people do not look at the Buffalo News.

[literal]

Updated: March 8, 2011, 6:29 AM


Lackawanna lawmakers Monday squabbled over whether to postpone action on legislation that would let the city borrow $5 million to resurface crumbling streets in all four wards of the city and pay for long-overdue repairs to the city’s three firehouses.

In the end, the City Council voted, 3-2, to “receive and file” the bond ordinance, which was tantamount to acknowledging receipt of the legislation without any plans to take future action on the request.

Second Ward Councilman Geoffrey M. Szymanski, who, along with 4th Ward Councilman Joseph J. Schiavi, voted against the receive-and-file move on the bond, argued that “tabling” or postponing action on it instead would avoid the specter of the city having to start the bonding process from scratch.

“If we start over, we might as well just scratch any form of road repair for this year,” Szymanski said at the Council’s work session before its regular bimonthly meeting. “We’re already in March. Municipalities are putting their orders in for their streets. If we start over, that’s another month and a half [or delay].”

Council President Charles Jaworski insisted that the city could not go forward with the process for borrowing the money until specific repair projects and their estimated costs are itemized in the bond ordinance. “I’m not going to vote on [a bond ordinance] when I don’t know where . . . the money is [going],” he said. “Right now, this doesn’t even name one street [scheduled for resurfacing].”

It is in the city’s best interest, he said, to receive and file the bond ordinance and obtain “hard numbers and get a list of the streets” in need of repair from Public Works Commissioner Thomas N. Love.

Meanwhile, two city firefighters at Monday’s meeting expressed concern that years of neglect have hurt the three firehouses. Firefighter James J. Fino said that Love, who did not attend the meeting, estimated that it would cost $1.3 million to make external repairs to them.

hmcneil@buffnews.comnull

[andreahaxton]

" It is in the city’s best interest, he said, to receive and file the bond ordinance and obtain “hard numbers and get a list of the streets” in need of repair from Public Works Commissioner Thomas N. Love.

Meanwhile, two city firefighters at Monday’s meeting expressed concern that years of neglect have hurt the three firehouses. Firefighter James J. Fino said that Love, who did not attend the meeting, estimated that it would cost $1.3 million to make external repairs to them. "

March 7, 2011 Lackawanna City Council Agenda:

Communications from Department/Division Heads:
7. City Comptroller – seeks Council approval of bond ordinance for resurfacing of streets and repairs to fire houses.

Ordinances

Bond ordinance for resurfacing of streets, repairs to fire houses.

***************************************
Mr. Jaworski is Council President---talk about Love's favorite word, "grandstanding!", he could have held it till it was firmed up and ready for a vote, he had no problem keeping many of my proactive agenda items from the public.

Firefighters---I feel very sad for you all, that you have to keep coming to meetings and beg them for a safe building. Again, Polanski and Company have been in office since 2000---what have they really done to preserve and improve OUR City property and services? What does OSHA say?

[andreahaxton]

March 1st, 2011, 01:00 PM #205
andreahaxton
Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 788 "TWO" Years ago! Why do we still have the mine field in front of the Library? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Official Website
COUNCIL MEETING
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Monday, March 2, 2009Regular session of the Lackawanna City Council met in the Council Chambers, Council President Charles Jaworski presiding. The meeting was preceded by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council President Jaworski.
Roll Call: Present: Haxton, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi, Jaworski

Create Line Item "Transfer to Capital Funds"
Advises Council that in order to use a portion of the City's fund balance to pay for street resurfacing projects and not sell a bond that would generate interest and bond attorney costs, it will be necessary for the Council to amend the current budget and create a new line item, “Transfer to Capital funds.”

ROBERT MARCINIAK, COMPTROLLER
Moved by Jaworski, seconded by Szymanski, receive and file, act upon ordinance.

Yeas: Haxton, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi, Jaworski Carried 5 – 0

************************************************** *******
""I begged for this to happen because our fund balance was way too large......Spend cash for the capital improvement instead of "floating another bond"! Save people's hard-earned money by going this route that could be used for other things like a new City Hall, Fire Houses, Community Center, etc.They went along with me but nothing happened---please explain Mr. Jaworski---where is this money? BIG MONEY.""
**********************************************


Follow the money...... What have they been using the Fund Balance(their slush fund) for? Where is the money from 2009 Comptroller?
What happened--there was appr. 6 million that could have paid cash for OUR roads? CDBG money??? Where is our Senator, etc.--did you ask him fellas? I know he was not your candidate( Stachowski is gone) but he did win--so ask him to help us, please? And if someone already did--Thank You!

Two years ago I got them to agree NOT to float a bond and now they want to? If they would have done the work 1 or 2 years ago we would not be in the mess they put us into now. Hmmmmm....follow the money!

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Plans underway for three new local charter schools
March 10, 2011 - 10:10 AM / Comment
Proposals for three new local charter schools -- one in Buffalo, one in South Buffalo or Lackawanna, and one in Niagara Falls -- recently made it through the latest round of reviews by the state Education Department.

Each proposal still faces additional steps in the charter application process, so this by no means guarantees that any of them will be granted a charter -- but it does move them closer to the possibility of opening their doors for the 2012-13 school year. Each group has until March 31 to submit a full application to the state.

Here's a bit about each of the three proposed schools, based on information each group of founders submitted in their prospectus to the state Education Department. (Click on the school name to read that school's full prospectus.)

Global Sciences Charter School, a middle/high school for students in the Niagara Falls area.

The folks behind this school are Kevin Donovan and Janice Barrett of the Economic Development Group, who opened the Health Sciences Charter High School in August in the Town of Tonawanda. Their proposal for the Global Sciences Charter School follows a similar format, geared toward preparing students for careers in the sciences.

Plans call for "year-round instruction, including a summer session; state-of-the-art laboratory instruction; industry-specific curriculum; AP and dual college credit courses; mentoring; service learning; internships; individual career guidance; and hands-on instruction from leading industry and educational professionals."

If it gets approved, the school would open with 120 ninth-graders, then add an eighth and tenth grade the following year, gradually expanding until it serves 720 students in grades seven to 12 in 2017-18.

Southwest Key Charter School, which would target students in South Buffalo and Lackawanna.

The project is driven by Juan J. Sanchez, the founder of Southwest Key Programs Inc., a non-profit group serving youth in Texas for more than two decades. For 14 years, Southwest Key has been running Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs, alternative schools in Texas. Two years ago, an offshoot of Southwest opened the East Austin College Prep Academy in Austin, which now serves students in sixth and seventh grade.

If Southwest Key Charter School is approved, the school would open with with 50 students each in kindergarten, first grade and sixth grade. By 2017-18, the school would serve 1,034 students in kindergarten through tenth grade. The school's founders hope to eventually expand it through twelfth grade.

The school would replicate the YES Prep Public Schools model, a five-campus program in the Houston area. Key features: two hours of homework each night for middle and high school; one Saturday a month devoted to community service; a mandatory three-week summer session; and teachers who are on call for students on weekends and as late as 9 p.m. on weeknights.

Wisteria Charter School, a Waldorf-inspired elementary school. In Waldorf tradition, the school would incorporate the arts into daily instruction in a variety of ways and emphasize an appreciation for nature.

The school would also feature: three- to four-week instructional content blocks, each two to three hours long; mandatory parental involvement of at least eight hours for each parent, each year; and looping, which would keep students with the same teacher for up to three consecutive years.

The school would open with 25 students each in kindergarten through fourth grade, and expand to have 25 students in every grade from kindergarten through eighth grade by 2017-18.

- Mary Pasciak

E-mail me at mpasciak@buffnews.com or follow me on Twitter. Check out the Buffalo News' education page at www.buffalonews.com/schools.

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Looking for former school superintendent Paul Hashem????

Here he is.....INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT


Paul Hashem
01/11, Springville-Griffi th
Institute CSD
Springville, NY

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Retirees

Vicki Wright
01/11, Springville-Griffi th
Institute CSD

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Here is the job posting.....Springville-Griffith Institute CSD
Student population:2,050
Salary: Up to $165,000
Job serach conducted by:Dr. Vincent J. Coppola
Search Consultant
State University of New York at Buffalo
222 Baldy Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260-1000
716-645-2932
debrabri@buffalo.edu
If interested: Reply By: 4/15/11

You will see similar population to Lackawanna. Mr. Korach is underpaid!

[mnb811]

Underpaid my ass. Lackawanna is on the bottom of the rankings where is Springville? That Dr. Williams in Buffalo is a very very overpaid super also. Their salaries should reflect the schools rankings. Throwing money at the problem does nothing. Let them work for their raise example: Move the schools up 10 spots in the rankings we will give you x amount of dollars. This bs has to stop.:mad:

[lackawanna #1]

Underpaid my ass. Lackawanna is on the bottom of the rankings where is Springville? That Dr. Williams in Buffalo is a very very overpaid super also. Their salaries should reflect the schools rankings. Throwing money at the problem does nothing. Let them work for their raise example: Move the schools up 10 spots in the rankings we will give you x amount of dollars. This bs has to stop.:mad:

You show your ignorance to education, trying to match up students from Springville to students from Lackawanna is apples and oranges. Why bother, you are disgruntled and just a miserable person who cant handle reality! I know you think otherwise, but most people involved with the education side of school are in it to teach and make a difference, not to stop kids from getting educated and collect a salary!

[mnb811]

You show your ignorance to education, trying to match up students from Springville to students from Lackawanna is apples and oranges. Why bother, you are disgruntled and just a miserable person who cant handle reality! I know you think otherwise, but most people involved with the education side of school are in it to teach and make a difference, not to stop kids from getting educated and collect a salary!

Yep its all about the kids with you guys. LMAO. Everyone knows it isn't. Just look at the sub registry clerk and all the other stuff going on in the school system. Its all about jobs with you guys. The kids come last just like your rankings indicate. We are all Americans ,we are all from WNY and we all should get the SAME education. Your comment suggests kids from Lackawanna are either dumb,stupid or inept and are not worthy of matching up with anyone. More likely its people like yourself that have/created the problems! I guess everyone will see it tommorow in front of your city hall.

[andreahaxton]

You show your ignorance to education, trying to match up students from Springville to students from Lackawanna is apples and oranges. Why bother, you are disgruntled and just a miserable person who cant handle reality! I know you think otherwise, but most people involved with the education side of school are in it to teach and make a difference, not to stop kids from getting educated and collect a salary!


I fully realize that education is a combo of home-school-environment, BUT why do/did we keep falling so far below the other districts in the WNY education network? Lackawanna loves sports---who is dropping the ball?
I am very happy to hear Truman is on the move! Our babies are like sponges at that age, I see what our guy learns by the day--he can spell a few words now too. Staying on green--thanks Truman Teachers+Staff!:D

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I fully realize that education is a combo of home-school-environment, BUT why do/did we keep falling so far below the other districts in the WNY education network? Lackawanna loves sports---who is dropping the ball?
I am very happy to hear Truman is on the move! Our babies are like sponges at that age, I see what our guy learns by the day--he can spell a few words now too. Staying on green--thanks Truman Teachers+Staff!:D

Truman school is the jewel in the district. After Gr. 2 I say, get OUTof the district!

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:32 AM




The Lackawanna School Board on Monday unanimously appointed a replacement for a board member who resigned over the weekend.

David M. Joyce, a 19-year veteran of the Lackawanna Police Department, will serve the remainder of Kevin Rozwood’s three-year term, which expires in June. Rozwood resigned Saturday after he was accused of posting anti-Arab, profanity-laced comments on his Facebook page.

Joyce, who has not previously held publicly elected office, is a familiar presence to those who attend the Lackawanna City Council’s bimonthly business meetings. He is the on-duty law enforcement officer providing security when the Council convenes. He has one child who attends school in the district.

Joyce was nominated by School Board President John W. Makeyenko during a special meeting held prior to the board’s regularly scheduled work session Monday. No other names were placed in nomination to succeed Rozwood.

Rozwood, who works as a dispatcher in the Lackawanna Police Department, was first elected to the board in 2005 and served as board president in 2007. He is the second School Board member to resign during this school year. Ernesto C. Leonetti abruptly resigned last fall, although the reason why was never publicly announced. His vacated seat was filled in early November by Maureen Murphy Gambino and will become vacant again for the May 17 School Board election. Gambino has already has announced that she will seek re-election to the board.

Joyce assumed his seat on the board without comment Monday. However, if he seeks to remain on the board past June 30, Joyce also will be required to run as a candidate in the May 17 School Board election.

The other seat on the seven-member School Board that is up for election this year is held by Omar Saleh, the only Yemeni- American on the board. The deadline to submit petitions to run in the district’s 2011 School Board election is March 26.

The top two vote-getters in the race will each be elected to three-year terms. The third highest vote-getter will serve the remaining year of Leonetti’s unexpired three-year term.

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What's the racial composition of your school?
March 16, 2011 - 11:59 PM / Comment
During a recent discussion about desegregation and neighborhood schools, the question arose: Just how effective was the court order to integrate Buffalo's schools?

Board of Ed member Pamela Cahill said she wasn't too impressed; most of the schools she's been in seem either practically all white or all black or Hispanic.

Ralph Hernandez disagreed. The schools have been successfully integrated, he said.

Well, which is it?

I don't know what the measure of "integrated" is, so I don't know how to answer that. Instead, I'll give you the data and let you decide for yourself. (If you're interested, a couple observations from me are posted below the database, so scroll down a bit once you're done poking around the data yourself.)

But why limit this to Buffalo? The data's out there, so we might as well broaden the discussion. Here's the racial breakdown for every traditional public and charter school in Western New York. (Click here to do a new search.) Click on a column header to sort by that column.



District School American Indian Asian Black Hispanic Multiracial White
Lackawanna Global Concepts Charter 0% 1% 20% 8% 3% 68%
Lackawanna Lackawanna High 1% 1% 21% 8% 0% 69%
Lackawanna Lackawanna Middle 0% 1% 20% 8% 3% 68%
Lackawanna Martin Road Elementary 1% 0% 18% 11% 0% 70%
Lackawanna Truman Elementary 0% 0% 14% 9% 0% 76%
Records 1-5 of 5

Online Database by Caspio
Click here to load this Caspio Online Database.

A couple of the things that struck me as interesting:

- Of the six whitest schools in Buffalo, five are in South Buffalo (Discovery, Lorraine Elementary, Southside Elementary, South Buffalo Charter and Hillery Park Academy). The other one is City Honors. At each school, at least 64 percent of the students are white.

- The four schools with the highest percentage of black students -- 96 percent or higher -- are all charter schools (Buffalo United Charter, King Center Charter, Westminster Community Charter and Community Charter).

What strikes you as interesting? Drop me a line and let me know.

And if anyone out there happens to have racial breakdowns for each of the city schools prior to the desegregation order in the mid-1970s, let me know. I think it would be fascinating to compare today's numbers with those.

- Mary Pasciak

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Lackawanna schools refuse to refund taxes on former churchBy Harold McNeil

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
March 19, 2011, 12:00 AM


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Saying goodbye to St. Barbara
Updated: March 19, 2011, 11:38 AM


A Lackawanna School Board member was stymied this week in his attempts to persuade his colleagues to refund school taxes apparently overcharged on the former St. Barbara’s Catholic Church property owned by the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

Omar Saleh also failed Thursday to win a reversal of a resolution the board adopted in November, consolidating the district’s 11 polling sites at one central location.

Trustees from Queen of Angels Church on Warsaw Street, which has merged with St. Barbara’s, told the School Board that the City of Lackawanna had refunded $23,000 while Erie County had repaid $18,000 of taxes collected from 2008 to last year on St. Barbara’s Church, which is being demolished.

The school district, however, has not refunded its taxes.

“Through an improper determination by the city assessor, [the school district] overcharged us by . . . $9,378,” said Gene Nowicki, a trustee on the board of the former St. Barbara’s.

“So, when the city assessor, after many meetings, realized that [he] made a mistake, [the city] turned around and gave us our money back, . . . and the county gave us our money back,” Nowicki said after the meeting.

During the meeting, Saleh questioned why the district was not returning the funds, prompting Carl Morgan, the board’s attorney, to explain that, legally, the district could not do so because it was not a party to whatever legal action prompted the city and the county to return the funds.

“There is no reason why we should withhold [the church’s] money,” Saleh countered. “Legally, it’s not right; it’s unethical.”

Morgan, however, warned that if the board ignored his legal opinion and refunded the money, each board member could be held liable if a resident successfully claimed the refund amounted to be a gift of public funds.

“You took an oath. You have to stand by our legal opinion,” Ronald Miller, another board member, told Saleh.

The board also voted to establish four election districts at one polling site in Martin Road Elementary School. The move followed a decision by the state education commissioner overturning the board’s action reducing the number of election districts to one, with a single polling place.

Saleh unsuccessfully sought to table the resolution in favor of rescinding the entire plan to consolidate polling places.

He charged that it violated state Education Law as well as the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and said he plans a further appeal to the state education commissioner.

[mnb811]

Sounds like the news was wrong on the above.

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What's your school's suspension rate?
March 23, 2011 - 11:00 PM / Comment
This week's school database provides suspension rates from 2007, 2008 and 2009 for every traditional public and charter school in Western New York.

(Although the 2009 data is a year and a half old at this point, it is the most recent available from the state.)

The percent given for each school, for each year, reflects the percentage of the student body who got suspended in that year. Whether a student was suspended once or 12 times, he or she is counted as one person. So if a school has 400 students, and 100 of them were suspended (each at least once) that year, then that school's suspension rate would be 25 percent.

As always, to make multiple selections, hold down the control key (PC) or the shift key (Mac).To do a new search, click here.



District School Suspensions 2009 Suspensions 2008 Suspensions 2007
Lackawanna Lackawanna Middle 18% 15% 17%
Lackawanna Martin Road Elementary 13% 13% 8%
Lackawanna Global Concepts Charter 12% 11% 7%
Lackawanna Lackawanna High 9% 9% 13%
Lackawanna Truman Elementary 3% 4% 5%


Records 1-5 of 5

Online Database by Caspio
Click here to load this Caspio Online Database.

- Mary Pasciak

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Trooper killed while issuing summons on YoungmannBy Gene Warner

News Staff Reporter

Published:
March 26, 2011, 11:42 AM


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Updated: March 26, 2011, 11:54 AM


A 14-year veteran of the New York State Police was struck and killed by a passing motorist while issuing a traffic summons on the Youngmann Highway, officials announced late this morning.

Trooper Kevin P. Dobson died in Kenmore Mercy Hospital at 8:10 a.m., about 40 minutes after the accident that occurred at about 7:30 a.m., authorities said.

Dobson, working out of the Clarence barracks, was conducting a vehicle and traffic stop on the Youngmann just east of Colvin Boulevard.

No arrests have been made, and the State Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to call them at 759-6831.

The accident led to a massive backup of traffic on the eastbound Youngmann. Troopers later forced eastbound vehicles to exit at Colvin Boulevard, as they continued to investigate the fatal crash.

Officials are expected to release more details about the crash at a news conference this afternoon.

[cath829]

Very, very sad. Prayers and thoughts are sent to Trooper Dobson's family as well as the entire fleet of NYS Troopers.

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What's your school's attendance rate?
March 31, 2011 - 9:16 PM / Comment
This week, we bring you a database with attendance rates from 2007, 2008 and 2009 for every traditional public and charter school in Western New York. This is the most recent data available from the state.

For a complete explanation of the data, scroll down below the database.

As always, to make multiple selections, hold down the control key (PC) or the shift key (Mac).To do a new search, click here. You can sort by various columns by clicking on each column heading.


District School Attendance 2009 Attendance 2008 Attendance 2007
Lackawanna Martin Road Elementary 94% 94% 94%
Lackawanna Global Concepts Charter 93% 92% 93%
Lackawanna Lackawanna Middle 93% 94% 92%
Lackawanna Truman Elementary 92% 91% 92%
Lackawanna Lackawanna High 86% 88% 89%


Records 1-5 of 5

Online Database by Caspio
Click here to load this Caspio Online Database.
Here's State Ed's definition of these numbers: "Annual attendance rate is determined by dividing the school’s total actual attendance by the total possible attendance for a school year. A school’s actual attendance is the sum of the number of students in attendance on each day the school was open during the school year. Possible attendance is the sum of the number of enrolled students who should have been in attendance on each day the school was open during the school year."

- Mary Pasciak

E-mail me at mpasciak@buffnews.com or follow me on Twitter. Check out the Buffalo News' education page at www.buffalonews.com/schools.

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Costly education: budgets up 19%, property taxes 12%
Enrollment has dropped, but average cost per student is 27% more than in 2005-06By Mary B. Pasciak

News Education Reporter

Published:
April 3, 2011, 7:12 AM


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Statewide database of district spending, tax levy, enrollment
Key Links
School Zone blog
The News' education pageUpdated: April 3, 2011, 8:23 AM


School spending in districts across Erie and Niagara counties has increased an average of 19 percent over the past six years.

And to help fund their budgets, school districts have increased the total amount collected in local property taxes an average of 12 percent.

Yet student enrollment has been falling in nearly every district.

Only Lackawanna, North Collins, Orchard Park and Niagara Wheatfield have more students today than they did six years ago.

Consider those two factors together, and what you get is school districts spending an average of 27 percent more per student now than they did in 2005-06.

Most of the factors that drove up spending in recent years are still at play today, as schools are putting together their 2011-12 budgets, which will be sent to voters in May. This time around, though, schools are trying to cover those rising costs with significantly less state aid than they had last year.

Many officials point to personnel costs -- the biggest chunk of their budget -- in explaining the spending increase in recent years. "Spending has gone up because employee benefits have gone up," said Deborah A. Ziolkowski, superintendent of Cheektowaga-Maryvale. "Seventy percent of our budget has to do with the people who work for us."

Districts pay a percentage of their payroll each year into the state pension system. The percentage is lower when the stock market is strong. A decade ago, schools paid less than 1 percent of their payroll toward pensions.

Next year, they will pay more than 11 percent.

Health insurance premiums have increased in the double digits each year, creating a compound effect, Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Superintendent Mark P. Mondanaro says. The same goes for salary increases.

Many districts are still paying annual raises that were negotiated in contracts a few years ago, when the economy was much healthier.

"In the '05-06 era, things were better," Mondanaro said. "Many people were getting 4 percent raises, and those have a compound effect, as well."

Generally, contract settlements now tend to include much more modest salary increases, or even wage freezes, along with bigger employee contributions to health insurance. Maryvale teachers, for example, just approved a contract that included salary cuts, along with increased employee contributions to health insurance.

"The settlements clearly reflect the economic challenges that are out there," said Carl Korn, a spokesman for New York State United Teachers.

Employee contracts are not the only factor driving school spending.

The state has loaded schools with dozens of unfunded mandates, school officials say, from putting a defibrillator in every school to reporting student attendance electronically. Each mandate comes with its own price tag.

And the educational landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, officials say. No Child Left Behind now requires schools to provide extra help to struggling students. The state requires all students to pass five Regents exams to graduate.

"Even if you have declining enrollment, you have more kids getting academic intervention services, and more kids needing remediation services to pass the five Regents exams," Mondanaro said.

The biggest spending increase locally has been in the Buffalo Public Schools, whose budget is now 40 percent bigger than it was six years ago. And on a per student basis, the increase is slightly higher because it's affected by the city's falling enrollment.

Buffalo today spends $22,063 per student, when the district's total budget -- including payments to charter schools -- is divided by the number of enrolled students, including those attending charter schools.

Buffalo officials say that besides all the usual cost drivers, the city schools also have to provide health insurance to retirees -- a cost that now exceeds employee health insurance. At more than $60 million a year, retirees' health care costs taxpayers more than $1,600 per student, officials point out.

Debt payments on the district's massive school reconstruction project cost $79 million this year, triple the bill from 2005-06.

And although the district has lost more than 7,000 students to the charter schools over the past decade or so, the district has not been able to translate that into a major cost savings, chief financial officer Barbara J. Smith said.

That's because the students are drawn from classrooms and schools across the district, she said.

"Envision a single classroom and one or even two students leaving that classroom such that there are still too many students to close it," she said. "What costs have decreased for the district? The teacher is still there, and so is the principal. The utilities didn't go down and will most likely increase the following year."

Higher than average special-education rates also drive up costs in Buffalo, as well as in Cheektowaga-Sloan, which has seen a 41 percent increase in spending per student over the past six years, the biggest increase among the suburbs.

"We've got a lot of kids with a lot of severe needs," said Superintendent James P. Mazgajewski. "They generally need a small setting with more adults with specific training."

Many of those students attend private facilities such as the nearby Stanley G. Falk School, whose intensive services the district pays for. The average cost of educating a special-education student in New York State is about $26,500; in Sloan, the average cost is about $34,000, he said.

The Tonawanda City School District has lost more students -- 16 percent over six years -- than most districts.

It has also been more aggressive than many districts in dealing with that loss.

Two years ago, officials closed one of the four elementary schools in Tonawanda. Last year, the district reduced its work force by 10 percent. The cuts resulted in a number of teacher layoffs.

"We looked at how many staff we had in relation to students, what our class sizes were, and we made some adjustments," said Joseph A. Giarrizzo, administrator for business and financial services. "It was not so much downsizing the district as right-sizing the district -- making the staff numbers balance with our enrollment numbers."

But no school district has managed to control spending the past few years better than Royalton-Hartland, a small district in Niagara County.

"As student enrollment has decreased, staffing has decreased," said Superintendent Kevin MacDonald.

Spending has gone up less than 1 percent a year.

It comes at a cost.

Business electives are no longer offered at the high school. Spanish is the only foreign language that's taught. And the football team last year was cut from the district budget -- although the boosters stepped in to raise outside funds to save the team.

"I think the Board of Education has really tried to balance providing a quality education at a price taxpayers can afford," MacDonald said. "But I'm sure there are varying opinions out there as to how successful they've been."

mpasciak@buffnews.comnull

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Lackawanna board OKs bond for repairs to streets, firehousesBy Harold McNeil

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
April 5, 2011, 12:00 AM


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Updated: April 5, 2011, 6:29 AM


Lackawanna lawmakers Monday unanimously approved legislation that would allow the city to borrow $5 million to resurface deteriorated roads in parts of the city and make long-neglected exterior repairs to the city’s three firehouses.

It is the same bond that the City Council failed to approve March 7 because it lacked a listing of the streets that would undergo repairs and the estimated cost for resurfacing them. The major change to the bond since then is that it now includes $1.25 million for exterior repairs to the three firehouses, an increase of $250,000.

“The rest [will go] for different projects we have in the city, and then the majority of it [will be used] for street pavement,” said Council President Charles Jaworski.

First Ward Councilman Abdul K. Noman balked at the fact that none of the streets designated for repair under the bond are in his ward, but he joined the other four lawmakers in voting yes on the measure.

“Just to let everybody know, I’m going to vote yes because my main concern is the fire stations,” Noman said.

Firefighters have for several months been clamoring for repairs to the city’s firehouses. They include repairs to the roofs of the buildings, new doors and repairs to the brick work. Scaffolding has been erected outside Firehouse No. 3 at 2900 South Park Ave. to capture crumbling pieces of brick facade from the building.

At the Council’s Oct. 17 meeting, lawmakers considered borrowing $975,000 in emergency funds but voted against it until officials could provide them with an assessment of specific repairs that needed to be made.

Monday, Warsaw Street resident Dennis Mulqueen questioned whether it would be more prudent to use the entire $5 million that the city seeks to borrow for not only exterior but interior repairs to the fire houses.

“I mean, [the firefighters] have been waiting since November,” Mulqueen said.

Second Ward Councilman Geoffrey Szymanski retorted: “And the streets have been waiting for about 40 years. It’s a fair balance.”

Jaworski said the Council may consider approving a smaller bond for interior repairs to the firehouses next year, or lawmakers might consider using funds from the city’s general fund budget.

[literal]

County District Spending per student 2010-11 Spending change 2005-06 to 10-11 Tax levy change 2005-06 to 10-11 Enrollment change 2005-06 to 10-11
Erie Lackawanna $19,547 32.4% 23.9% 4.1% Details



The database excludes large urban districts, which do not levy their own taxes. Enrollment numbers include students enrolled in charter schools. Spending numbers include a district's total budget for a particular year.

Spending per student includes all spending in a given year, divided by all students (including charter school students). This figure will differ from the "per pupil" expenditure figure posted on the State Education Department website. That per pupil figure excludes certain expenditures, such as transportation and debt service for building projects.

- Mary Pasciak

[literal]

Williamsville Has Highest Teacher Pay
April 6, 2011

Updated Apr 6, 2011 at 8:54 AM EDT

Williamsville teachers are paid the most in WNY. Business First is out with new rankings of teacher pay this week. Researchers say Williamsville has the most generous pay scale for teachers. Its median salary is nearly $68,000, highest in the eight-county region. North Tonawanda is next, followed by Lackawanna, Sweet Home and Niagara Falls.

The region's smallest district, Wyoming, has the lowest teacher pay, followed by Genesee Valley, Hinsdale, Canaseraga and Fillmore.

[literal]

Tightening Belts Not Enough to Avoid Tax HikesBy John Borsa
Bio | Email| Follow: @JohnBorsa

April 5, 2011

Updated Apr 5, 2011 at 11:25 PM EDT

TONAWANDA, NY (WKBW) - There is not just one worst-case scenario in the Kenmore-Tonawanda School District this budget season.

There are three . Each comes with layoffs and tax hikes.

E-News - subscribe to our daily newsletter

"We've gotten some union concessions," said Mark Mondanaro, Ken-Ton's superintendent. "We're trying to put ourselves in the place of the student."

Administrators have agreed to a wage freeze and the district is considering dipping into its fund balance.

The district needs to close an estimated $18.3 million budget gap. It is presenting three options to residents.

Option 1: A tax hike of 14 percent and the elimination of 42 full-time positions.

Option 2: A tax hike of 10 percent and the elimination of 40 full-time positions.

Option 3: A tax hike of 7 percent and as many as 100 layoffs. Class sizes would increase to near the state maximum.

The school board will hold a public work session Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at 3200 Elmwood Avenue.

[mnb811]

Williamsville Has Highest Teacher Pay
April 6, 2011

Updated Apr 6, 2011 at 8:54 AM EDT

Williamsville teachers are paid the most in WNY. Business First is out with new rankings of teacher pay this week. Researchers say Williamsville has the most generous pay scale for teachers. Its median salary is nearly $68,000, highest in the eight-county region. North Tonawanda is next, followed by Lackawanna, Sweet Home and Niagara Falls.

The region's smallest district, Wyoming, has the lowest teacher pay, followed by Genesee Valley, Hinsdale, Canaseraga and Fillmore.

Number 2 on the bottom of rankings but Number 3 at the top in salaries. How nice! LOL Kind of confirms what people have been saying right along!!!

[youcangohome]

Number 2 on the bottom of rankings but Number 3 at the top in salaries. How nice! LOL Kind of confirms what people have been saying right along!!!

It was your buddies Bryniarski and co. that made them # 3

[sunflower]

Dear Youcangohome - Of course the UNIONS and UNION NEGOTIATIONS had nothing whatsoever to do with the salaries, right? And having to settle contracts that should have been settled 3 to 5 years PRIOR to "Bryniarski and Company's" term also had nothing to do with the increased salaries either, right? If I remember, NOBODY was crying when the contracts were finally settled.

[literal]

It is NOT that simple. Contracts are NOT SETTLED for a number of reasons......
the most important that being the district (on the advice of the Business Manager) wants to hold on to district $$$$$ to earn interest. Sometimes the stall has to do with union concessions in not wanting to trade something for something else like, paying into health insurance to get an extra personal day. But by not settling for three years the district banks that money and even when they have to finally pay and give retroactive money back...they still earn extra money for the district.

It is very complicated and in Lackawanna that Superintendent does the negotiating along with the board attorney. The Superintendent gets his raise yet he stalls to settle contracts. Blame the administration NOT the board who has no power in negotiations (other than telling those negotiating what they would like to see). The board IS continually informed of all negotiations and can tell the Superintendent to settlle quickly. Bottom line...this is the Superintendent and attorney business and you'd have to ask THEM why the delay....

[cath829]

No, it is just easier to blame Bryniarski and Co....they failed to mention that Rozwood and Parker signed previous Contracts.....they always try to reflect the blame on someone that isn't/wasn't in "their" company! Who was on the board when "Rozwood and Co." and "Parker and Co." signed Contracts?

[sunflower]

I'm confused. This is all "double speak" to me. If I understand your answer, there is a REASON why contracts are not settled...all have to do with MONEY and the interest it would earn not to settle the contracts. When the contracts were settled...it all had to do with MONEY - which included RETRO pay. But somehow it's Bryniarski and Company's fault? Somehow the previous Board are heroes for NOT settling contracts and therefore helping the school district MAKE MONEY through interests? Like I said, I am confused. Are you saying that it's OUR FAULT now that there will be layoffs due to the budget cuts because we settled the contracts and gave the teachers and administrators the money they were demanding? Part of our fighting so hard AGAINST the outrageous demands was BECAUSE WE SAW THE FUTURE BUDGET CUTS AND IT WAS U-G-L-Y!!!!

[cath829]

Yeah I know about the 3% raise given in the newest Contract. There were concessions given from the Bargaining Unit as well......Rozwood and Miller were on the Board and approved the Contract along with Bryniarski and the rest of her "Company"!

[literal]

What EVERY BOARD REFUSES to LISTEN TO is that every time you hire a person....your "yes" vote is AGAINST kids. It is showing POOR FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Our staff numers are in EXCESS no matter what the school administrators say. We should have STOPPED hiring teacher aides 10 years ago.

Board after board, year after year just says yes to all hires (many of whom they told the Superintendent to recommend for hire). Now we have TOO MANY STAFF, one of the highest paid school district employees and no money for the kids.

REALLY? Only the board has the POWER TO VOTE. Why has no one ever said "NO" and put a freeze on all hiring?

So the mess the district is in I personally blame the board. Each vote cost the district PLENTY in the LONG TERM.

What you permit, you promote!

[cath829]

What EVERY BOARD REFUSES to LISTEN TO is that every time you hire a person....your "yes" vote is AGAINST kids. It is showing POOR FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Our staff numers are in EXCESS no matter what the school administrators say. We should have STOPPED hiring teacher aides 10 years ago.

Board after board, year after year just says yes to all hires (many of whom they told the Superintendent to recommend for hire). Now we have TOO MANY STAFF, one of the highest paid school district employees and no money for the kids.

REALLY? Only the board has the POWER TO VOTE. Why has no one ever said "NO" and put a freeze on all hiring?

So the mess the district is in I personally blame the board. Each vote cost the district PLENTY in the LONG TERM.

What you permit, you promote!

Finally......that is exactly what I had been saying before....they...not the Superintendent

[literal]

Unfortunately in this case, it is true that the burden is on the board. I still do blame each Superintendent too who lets the board have such control by making those recommendations. If the Super didn't recommend who the board wanted to give jobs to, there would be no one to bring to the board to vote on.....plain and simple. Shame on each board member who hired anyone during their term.

Tenure has been eliminated in the state of Florida effective July 1, 2011. If you have it, you keep it. If you do not....you are on the merit system based on your performance.

[mnb811]

It was your buddies Bryniarski and co. that made them # 3

Whatever. Why are they still giving raises out yet moron?

[youcangohome]

Whatever. Why are they still giving raises out yet moron?

They're called contracts. A binding legal agreement between two or more parties. Are you that dumb or did you drop out of 6th grade at the age of 16? All you do is throw crap out there and see if any will stick. Said it beofre, you're a sad, bitter, pathetic human being.

[mnb811]

They're called contracts. A binding legal agreement between two or more parties. Are you that dumb or did you drop out of 6th grade at the age of 16? All you do is throw crap out there and see if any will stick. Said it beofre, you're a sad, bitter, pathetic human being.

How about the one they are trying to re-open? Everyone knows you can't rescind a binding legal agreement unless your in Wisconsin. I guess if questioning where people's taxes and authority of people in power goes makes me a sad pathetic human being,so be it. People talk you know. So don't deny this one as stuff people throw out there.

[literal]

Contracts can be re-opened by mutual agreement. They may be legally binding UNTIL the parties who requested opening them, agree to the new terms of agreement.

[literal]

« BLOGS Campus WatchKuwik named assistant at Dayton
April 12, 2011 - 10:03 AM | Comment
---Lackawanna native Kevin Kuwik has been named an assistant coach at Dayton under new coach Arch Miller. Kuwik had been on Ohio State’s staff as video coordinator for the last two years and before that, he was the director of basketball operations for Butler and spent seven years as an assistant at Ohio University under Tim O’Shea. The Notre Dame grad has a military background, having done one tour of duty in Iraq as part of the Indiana National Guard.

[literal]

The Lackawanna School Board on Thursday unanimously adopted a $45.1 million proposed budget for the 2011-12 school year that would increase spending by 2.57 percent. Homestead property taxes would increase by 4.58 percent, nonhomestead by 8.32 percent.

The budget cuts 11.2 teaching positions, as well as other staff positions, some of which are currently filled and others that are not. It also cuts spending for materials and supplies by 25 percent across the district, and funding for both sports programs and extracurricular activities by 25 percent.

Along with school districts statewide, Lackawanna faces a significant cut in state aid.

“Over the last two years, we lost $5.1 million in state aid, and that’s just enormous for us,” said Superintendent Nicholas D. Korach, following Thursday’s regular School Board meeting.

He added that increases in the district’s retirement costs, health insurance premiums, payroll expenses and the payment it makes to local charter schools necessitated some cuts in the proposed general fund budget to avoid further increases in school property taxes.

“What we really slashed into was called the administrative components [of the operating budget], as well as the capital [expenditures] . . . because we wanted to keep our educational and academic programs the way they are,” Korach said.

The estimated tax levy for the spending plan is $8.59 million. The district anticipates a $5.3 million surplus at the end of the current school year, $4.7 million of which will be used to avoid a bigger tax levy increase.

The budget calls for an estimated homestead tax rate of $10.35 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, an increase of 45 cents or 4.58 percent over the rate for the 2010-11 school year.

“On an average of a $70,000 home . . . it’s about [an] $18 [annual increase],” Korach said.

The nonhomestead tax rate would be $36.13, an increase of $2.77 or 8.32 percent.

District officials anticipate receiving $27.8 million in state aid, which represents more than 61 percent of the district’s budget.

The budget also has a $1.2 million tax reserve fund that was held in escrow for several years, which the School Board in January voted to liquidate following a settlement in a years-long challenge of property tax assessments by Acelor-Mittal, current owners of the former Bethlehem Steel plant site. Those funds are also being used to avoid further increasing taxes.

A public hearing on the budget is set for 7 a. m. May 5 in the Martin Road Elementary School auditorium. The public will vote on the budget on May 17.

hmcneil@buffnews.com

[mnb811]

11.2 Teaching Positions? How do you slice and dice up the teacher to get .2?:eek:

[literal]

Every class a teacher has is a .2. If you are a full time teacher you are 1.0.

Some staff are "part-time" or traveling teacher between buildings due to the need of the building and what they teach. It is not unusual for a district to hire somone for a .4 or .6 job which means they are part-time with little/no benefits compared to full time staff.

[literal]

Two linked to stabbing in Lackawanna altercation
Published:
April 16, 2011, 12:00 AM


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Updated: April 16, 2011, 6:34 AM


A Lackawanna man remained hospitalized in serious condition after he was stabbed during a confrontation in South Buffalo.

Joshua Chido suffered a stab wound to the middle of his back, according to South District officers. The stabbing occurred shortly before 9:30 p. m. Thursday on Geary Street.

Chido was listed in serious condition this afternoon in a trauma unit at Erie County Medical Center.

Two Buffalo men were charged in the attack: Kirk McCabe, identified as the assailant, was charged with a felony count of assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Keiten Barnett was charged with assault and harassment.

[literal]

Nearly 5,000 people have applied for a chance to become a Buffalo police officer, and most of them were downtown Saturday morning to take the police department exam.

The streets of downtown, normally deserted on weekend mornings, were filled with applicants from Buffalo and throughout Western New York. There were long lines at the Convention Center where the three-and-a-half hour exams were being administered.

The last time the police exam was given, which was in 2007, about 3,300 people applied.

The high turnout this year shows the city's public awareness campaign about the exams succeeded, said Lt. Kim Beaty, who is in charge of recruitment.

"We doubled in every demographic category," she said.

"We went throughout the community, throughout Western New York and the City of Buffalo," she said. "We went to special events, church services, community centers and we even went to libraries and movie theaters. College campuses. Universities. We went all over. We did not limit ourselves."

mbecker@buffnews.com

[literal]

Public hearing set Thursday on budget
Published:
May 4, 2011, 12:00 AM


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Updated: May 4, 2011, 7:10 AM


A public hearing on a pro-posed $45.1 million budget for the Lackawanna City School District will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Martin Road Elementary School auditorium.

The 2011-2012 budget, approved unanimously by the School Board in April, would increase spending by $1.1 million, or 2.57 percent over this year’s budget.

Homestead property tax rates would go up 4.58 percent —about $18 per year on a home valued at $70,000. The proposed nonhomestead rate increase was 8.32 percent.

State aid makes up the bulk of the budget, $27.8 million, or 61 percent. The rest comes primarily from property taxes, county sale taxes and fees.

Lackawanna residents will vote on the budget May 17.

[literal]

Updated: May 8, 2011, 8:02 AM


Erie County Comptroller Mark C. Poloncarz returned to his hometown and embraced his blue-collar roots Saturday in announcing his Democratic candidacy for county executive.

"Like so many of you here today, I didn't grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth," he said outside the Lackawanna Public Library. "As the son of a steelworker and a nurse, it was a steel spoon."

Poloncarz repeatedly portrayed his Republican opponent -- incumbent Chris Collins -- as a "divisive figure" out of touch with voters, during a 15-minute speech to a crowd of more than 100 supporters that included his parents, brother, Buffalo Common Council members Michael P. Kearns and Michael J. LoCurto, Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo, and party leaders from throughout the county.

"Despite his rhetoric, folks, the truth is this county executive raised your taxes and decimated necessary services you rely on, like libraries. At the same time he gave significant raises to his patronage appointees," Poloncarz said.

After the announcement, Poloncarz embarked on a daylong tour of Erie County to reinforce his campaign's promise to address the different needs of its urban, suburban and rural residents.

In Cheektowaga, he stood with homeowners on Zurbrick Road, which has been closed to traffic since it started to collapse into county-owned land more than three years ago.

Collins should have used federal stimulus funding to help repair the road and perform other infrastructure projects rather than pad the county's budget surplus, Poloncarz said.

"It's quite clear that the county has dropped the ball on this," he said.

The road is not the county's responsibility since it is owned by Depew and Cheektowaga, countered Grant Loomis, Collins' spokesman.

Later, at the African American Cultural Center on Buffalo's East Side, Poloncarz said Collins was disconnected from the needs of inner city residents.

High voter turnout from solidly Democratic Buffalo will be crucial for Poloncarz in the Nov. 8 election. But many city races may be decided in the Democratic primary if Republicans fail to mount candidates.

Hoyt, whose district includes much of Buffalo, promised to mobilize his supporters on Poloncarz's behalf and called on other elected Democrats to do the same.

"I have to imagine that all good Democrats will support Mark Poloncarz even if they weren't here today," said Hoyt.

Meanwhile, the Collins campaign issued an opening salvo Saturday blasting the comptroller's record.

"Mark Poloncarz has built a record of being on the wrong side of taxpayers time after time," it read in part. "Poloncarz has politicized the Comptroller's office with audits that provide no value to taxpayers and has proven incompetent at the basic functions of his job."

In his role as the county's "independent taxpayer watchdog," Poloncarz has conducted audits to find savings for taxpayers and uncover fraud, waste and abuse, said Jennifer Hibit, spokeswoman for the Poloncarz campaign.

"Collins is going to attack us because he doesn't want an opponent," she said. "We're going to fight to show the voters of this county that we're going to work hard to make Erie County a better place and we're going to do a better job than he has as county executive."

jpopiolkowski@buffnews.com

[Frank Broughton]

Just what we need - NOT!!!! Throw that bum out before he even gets any traction.

[Caz5]

And you noticed that they held the thing in front of practically the ONLY nice looking building in Lackawanna (save for the Basilica) - how proud we would have been to see everyone standing on the orange crate steps!!!

[mnb811]

Poloancarz is running for election and the Mayor is there for a candidate. Has anybody asked the Mayor how come he has no communication with the current county executive? Does he only deal with Lackawanna people? Or is it because he's a republican?

[literal]

Lowe’s grant targets playground expansion
Published:
May 11, 2011, 12:00
Updated: May 11, 2011, 6:52 AM


A $62,030 grant from the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation will be used to expand the playground at Truman Elementary School in Lackawanna.

Playground equipment, including swings, ride-on toys, seesaws and picnic tables, will be added, and rubber mulch and a chain-link fence will be installed for safety.

Truman School held fundraisers for three years to build a new basic playground in 2008, after the city declared the old one unsafe and tore it down.

The Lowe’s gift will allow the new playground to be enhanced for better safety and recreation, said Angela McCaffrey, federal programs administrator for the district.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of August.

[andreahaxton]

Poloancarz is running for election and the Mayor is there for a candidate. Has anybody asked the Mayor how come he has no communication with the current county executive? Does he only deal with Lackawanna people? Or is it because he's a republican?

************************************

When I won on the Republican and Working Family Party lines for Council member back in 2005 I took a lot of mocking for it from my peers. I proudly stood my ground against their nasty belittling remarks! Their grudge/sore losers sadly, also goes back to Giambra years.

[Caz5]

Polling Places for the City of Lackawanna

Ward 1 - District 1 --Bocce Court, 175 Madison

Ward 1 - District 2 --Fire Station #1 - Ridge Road

Ward 1 - District 3 --St. Anthony's Church, 306 Ingham Avenue

Ward 1 - District 4 --St. Anthony's Church

Ward 1 - District 5 -- Queen of Angels (former St. Michaels) 144 Warsaw

************************

Ward 2 - District 1 --VFW Post- 2909 South Park Avenue

Ward 2 - District 2 --Queen of Angels Church

Ward 2 - District 3 -- Queen of Angels Church

Ward 2 - District 4 --Lake Erie Italian Club - 3200 South Park Avenue

Ward 2 - District 5 --VFW Post-2909 South Park Avenue

************************

Ward 3 - District 1 -- McKinley School-245 South Shore Blvd, Orchard Place Entrance

Ward 3 - District 2 -- McKinley School-245 South Shore Blvd, Orchard Place Entrance

Ward 3 - District 3 -- McKinley School-245 South Shore Blvd., Orchard Place Entrance

Ward 3 - District 4 -- VFW Post - 2909 South Park Avenue

Ward 3 - District 5 -- Ridgewood Village Co-op, 9 Winstead, Ridgewood Village

***********************

Ward 4 - District 1 -- Truman School, 15 Inner Drive

Ward 4 - District 2 -- Senior Citizens Ctr, 230 Martin Road

Ward 4 - District 3 -- Lake Erie Italian Club, 3200 South Park Avenue

Ward 4 - District 4 -- Senior Citizens Ctr, 230 Martin Road

Ward 4 - District 5 -- Senior Citizens Ctr, 230 Martin Road

[mnb811]

Simple .....they don't want people to vote!

[literal]

I would like to hear the reason Lackawanna Schools has NO posting of their voting sites??????????????

People are telling me they do not know where to go.........



School Board Elections and Budget Votes



Date:

Tuesday, May 17, 2011



Time:

6:00 AM - 9:00 PM



Details
Lackawanna City School District, 12-9pm
For polling locations, please call 827-6706

Tonawanda City School District 7am-9pm
Tonawanda High School, Wellness Gym, 100 Hinds St.

Akron Central School District, 12-9pm
Akron Central School District, 47 Bloomingdale Ave

Alden Central School District, 6am-9pm
Alden High School, 13190 Park St.

Amherst Central School District, 7am-9pm
Amherst High School, 4301 Main St.

Cheektowaga Central School District, 12-9pm
Cheektowaga High School, 3600 Union Rd

Cheektowaga-Maryvale UFSD, Maryvale School System, 12-9pm
Maryvale High School, 9-10 Gym, 1050 Maryvale Dr.

Cheektowaga-Sloan Union Free District, 12-9pm
JFK High School, 305 Cayuga Creek Rd.

Clarence Central School District, 7am-9pm
Clarence High School, 9625 Main St.

Cleveland Hill Union Free School District, 12-9pm
Auditorium Foyer, 105 Mapleview Rd.

Depew Union Free School District, 12-9pm
Cayuga Heights Elementary, 1780 Como Park Blvd.

East Aurora Union Free School District, 7am-9pm
Main St. Elementary Cafeteria, 430 Main St.

Eden Central School District, 9am-9pm
Eden High School, 3150 Schoolview Rd.

Evans-Brant Central School District, Lake Shore Central Schools, 9am-9pm
Lake Shore High School, 959 Beach Rd.

Frontier Central School District, 7am-9pm
For polling locations, please call 926-1711

Gowanda Central School District 6 am - 9 pm
Gowanda Middle School Library, Panter Rd.

Grand Island Central School District, 10-am-9pm
Grand Island High School Gym, 1100 Ransom Rd.

Hamburg Central School District, 7am-9pm
Hamburg High School, 4111 Legion Dr.

Holland Central School, 6am-9pm
Holland High School Auditorium Foyer, 103 Canada St.

Iroquois Central School District, 7am-9pm
Iroquois Intermediate School, 2111 Girdle Rd.

Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District, 7am-9pm
For polling locations, please contact PPuma@kenton.k12.ny.us

Lancaster Central School District, 7am-9pm
Lancaster High School Java Gym, 1 Forton Dr.

North Collins Central School District
North Collins High School, 2045 School St.

Orchard Park Central School District, 7am-9pm
Orchard Park High School, 4040 Baker Rd.

Springville-Griffith Institute, 10am-9pm
For polling locations, please call 592-3230

Sweet Home Central School District, 12-9pm
Sweet Home High School Norman Vergils Community Room, 1901 Sweet Home Rd.

West Seneca Central School District, 7am-9pm
West Seneca East High School 1st Floor Gym, 4760 Seneca St.

Williamsville Central Schools, 7am - 9pm
Williamsville North High School, 1595 Hopkins Rd.

Yorkshire Pioneer Central School District, 6:30am-9pm
Pioneer High School, 12125 County Line Rd.
Return to previous page



HomeContact UsErie County Links

[Caz5]

School Board Results:

David Joyce - Lackawanna Police Officer
Kenneth Motyka - Lackawanna Police Dispatcher (retired)
Maureen Murphy-Gambino - Lackawanna Mayor's secretary

School budget: $45.13 million (up 2.57 percent) PASSED - an increase spending by $1.13 million over current budget
homestead rate up 4.58 percent
non-homestead rate up 8.32 percent

JUST A NOTE: City of Lackawanna Mayor's Proposed Budget for 2011-2012
Homestead Assessed Value 45.42% (rate: $12.41)
Non-homestead Assessed Value 54.58% (rate: $35.52)

[literal]

Lackawanna

* Candidates: (Elect 3): George W. Halsey III, John E. Ingram, David M. Joyce, Kenneth S. Motyka, Maureen Murphy-Gambino and Nicholas M. Sobaszek.
* Total budget: $45.13 million, up 2.57 percent. Passed.
* Property tax rate per $1,000 assessed value: homestead rate, $10.35, up 45 cents or 4.58 percent; nonhomestead rate, $36.13, up $2.77, or 8.32 percent.
* Total amount to be raised through property taxes: $8.59 million, up 4.88 percent.
* Taxes on $100,000 home (market value): $1,035.
* Percentage of budget from property taxes: 19 percent.
* Percent of budget from state aid: 61.7 percent.
* Proposition 2:
* Polls open: Noon to 9 p.m. in Martin Road Elementary School.
When voters go to the polls, they will consider a $45.13 million budget that would increase spending by $1.13 million over the current budget.
Six candidates are vying for three spots on the seven-member School Board.
The candidates are:
* George Halsey III, 51, a nonprofit agency administrator, who served on the Lackawanna City Council from 1990 to 1994.
* John Ingram, 54.
* David Joyce, 45, a Lackawanna police officer, who was appointed in March to the seat vacated by Kevin Rozwood.
* Kenneth Motyka, 56, served on the school board from 1995-2001 and lost in a 2003 run. Motyka is a retired civilian dispatcher for the Lackawanna Police Department.
* Maureen Murphy-Gambino, 55, was appointed last November to serve the rest of the term of departed board member Ernesto C. Leonetti, which runs through June 30. Murphy-Gambino works as secretary to Lackawanna Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr.
* Nicholas Sobaszek, 25.

[literal]

Restaurant Fire Devastates CommunityBy Jaclyn Asztalos



May 23, 2011

Updated May 23, 2011 at 12:10 PM EDT

A fire in Lackawanna rips through a restaurant that residents said was a staple in the community. It is called Cup Of Joe's and some people have been going there for their coffee for more than three decades.

"It's actually an icon in the community for quite some time since the early 70's. Joe Paolini started this then the son took over," Lackawanna Mayor Norm Polanski said.



"Joe Paolini Jr. And has family stared disheartened at the charred remains of their restaurant. They did not want to talk on camera but they did tell Channel 7 that their father had passed away and the restaurant was filled with memories. They were able to salvage a flag and military paraphernalia belonging to their dad.

As the family deals with the loss, so does the community. City Council President and Paolini's friend Chuck Jaworski said it was a special place in town.

"It was a meeting place for the community. It's open six days a week. In the morning, we'd discuss the world problems," Jaworski said.

Fire officials said they arrived on scene just before five this morning but said the fire was burning for hours.

"Found heavy fire load in the back of the building we attempted to do a rear attack but the back of the building began to collapse. They had a rubber roof and it prevented us from putting out the fire from above," Fire Captain Thomas Mendez said.

Despite the challenges, fire fighters got the blaze under control but they said the building is total loss and residents said they lost a wonderful part of their community.

"It's a sad day. We hate to lose a business but we also hate to lose something that people recognized when they went through the city," Polanski said.

[literal]

Three-alarm fire destroys Lackawanna diner
Fire levels popular Lackawanna dinerBy Gene Warner

News Staff Reporter

Published:
May 23, 2011, 11:55 AM


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Related photos

More photos

Updated: May 23, 2011, 11:07 PM


For decades, Lackawanna neighbors, construction workers, cops, firefighters and other city workers gathered there, in the shadows of Our Lady of Victory Basilica, for their morning shot of caffeine — their "cup of joe."

But early Monday, Cup of Joe's, the well-known Lackawanna coffee shop and diner described as a city icon, was destroyed in a three-alarm fire that led to the roof collapsing, fire officials said.

"Everybody went there," said Mike Novick, who lives around the corner from the Ridge Road restaurant. "It's been a family restaurant for at least 30 or 40 years. [Owner Joseph Paolini's] father owned it before him. It's been a neighborhood institution."

Cup of Joe's, which was open from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m., specialized in Italian dishes, along with regular diner food, including chicken wings, curly-Q fries, hot dogs and burgers.

"It's been around for ages, so it's a Lackawanna icon," said Fire Chief Ralph Galanti.

Although the restaurant was destroyed, firefighters managed to salvage some valuable family heirlooms, including a U.S. flag belonging to Paolini's father that was displayed military-style in a box, along with some war medals and a miniature model of the building.

"A couple of our guys went in to retrieve them for Joe," Lackawanna fire Capt. Raymond Jakubowski said. "He was quite happy and overcome with emotion."

The fire at Cup of Joe's, a narrow one-story building at 617 Ridge, about three blocks west of South Park Avenue and OLV, was reported in a 911 call at 4:50 a.m.

A second alarm came four minutes after the initial call. A third alarm was sounded at 5:53.

"With the heavy black smoke and fire upon initial entry, it did seem like it was going for a while," Galanti said after returning from the scene.

The building was declared a total loss, and emergency crews began tearing it down.

Fire officials estimated the loss at about $125,000.

Fire investigators from the Erie County Sheriff's Office were combing through the debris in an attempt to determine the cause of the blaze, which started in the rear of the building.

Two firefighters were injured: One suffered a neck and shoulder injury; the other was struck in the side with a pole, fire officials said. Neither required further medical treatment.

gwarner@buffnews.comnull

[andreahaxton]

A HUGE " Thank YOU! " to all the men, women, and their families who are/have fought for OUR Country's Freedom! May you ALL come home safely! No words can express my gratitude to the many who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, especially the long forgotten original Lackawannan's whose families are gone from us too........ Lackawanna has a very prideful military history that we all should be extremely proud of!
Like many, our Dad lied about his age and enlisted the day after Pearl Harbor broke out, all of his buddies did after being at "Mamula's Main Lunch" on Ridge Road at Gates, the night before.
There was so much pride for OUR Country, OUR City back then----you even got a ticket if you spit on the sidewalk!
Drive around and look at our litter-strewn City streets, it breaks my heart.

Where has the pride and integrity of some neighborhoods gone? I know some blame renters, others landlords---I believe it starts at the top and trickles down, and sadly for Lackawanna, some people will voluntarily or involuntarily mimic what style the leaders lead with. Why is Hamburg, etc. booming if you don't believe me? Just look at their landscaping, trim public buildings, streetscape, parks, and playgrounds--a picture is worth a million words.
God Bless OUR Veteran's and current military!

[CraftyExp]

You're absolutely right on Andrea. The pride has gone from this city.
Today we took a ride out to Ellicottville, just beautiful, fresh and clean. The small village with it's unique shops and eaterys, people strolling around leisurely enjoying the day. It was like being in heaven. What a shame, we have nothing here to draw tourists. Yes, we have the Basilica but the surrounding area leaves much to be desired. The Botanical Gardens lies on our door step.. yet again the surroundings don't offer much more.
Yes, and Hamburg is another wonderful village. Nicely kept shops and the roundabouts decorated beautifully. And East Aurora, and Orchard Park...all surrounding us, doing well and prospering. And I support their shops and restaurants because they have so much more to offer.
So sad to feel this way about our own city.. but I don't see much hope for the future. I should have listened to my husband and gotten out of here 30 years ago. But I was always the one who thought the best of this city and I wasn't even born here. I was looking for that one great person who would make a difference and turn this place around, but alas when election time comes it's the same old thing. I respect you highly for fighting the good fight...if people would only listen.

[andreahaxton]

You're absolutely right on Andrea. The pride has gone from this city.
Today we took a ride out to Ellicottville, just beautiful, fresh and clean. The small village with it's unique shops and eaterys, people strolling around leisurely enjoying the day. It was like being in heaven. What a shame, we have nothing here to draw tourists. Yes, we have the Basilica but the surrounding area leaves much to be desired. The Botanical Gardens lies on our door step.. yet again the surroundings don't offer much more.
Yes, and Hamburg is another wonderful village. Nicely kept shops and the roundabouts decorated beautifully. And East Aurora, and Orchard Park...all surrounding us, doing well and prospering. And I support their shops and restaurants because they have so much more to offer.
So sad to feel this way about our own city.. but I don't see much hope for the future. I should have listened to my husband and gotten out of here 30 years ago. But I was always the one who thought the best of this city and I wasn't even born here. I was looking for that one great person who would make a difference and turn this place around, but alas when election time comes it's the same old thing. I respect you highly for fighting the good fight...if people would only listen.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks for understanding CraftyExp!
Something is bound to happen, don't give up hope---that's what they want people to do, just pay your taxes and shut-up about how "WE" run things! I listened to everything the four years I was up there---the soldiers were always reactive-not proactive, and if they didn't like someone they went on a personal vendetta against them to make them go away!

Mayor Radich once told my friend in front of all of our group, " What woodwork did YOU people crawl out from ? " Can you believe their mind-sets?

I/We started a movement over 20 years ago for a better Lackawanna. Nepotism breeds incompetence and it has held us back for too long, we/future generations deserve a clean vibrant City.
" A Jug Fills Drop by Drop ", Buddha :cool: I/We've just got a brand-new, very long, heavy-duty, high-pressure hose!

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Council offers to alter budget from mayorBy Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
June 3, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: June 3, 2011, 6:54 AM


A $23.2 million operating budget that Lackawanna Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. proposed appears unlikely to face major changes as it heads for a City Council vote next week.

Council President Charles Jaworski proposed eliminating a $68,579 line item for a second captain in the Police Department, and a handful of speakers discussed the possibility of adding funds for new playground equipment during a 60-minute public hearing Thursday morning in Council Chambers.

Polanski’s budget would raise taxes by 3.9 percent for homeowners and by less than 1 percent for nonhomestead property owners.

It sets aside $4.1 million for the Police Department, including $137,158 for two captains — second in rank to the police chief.

But Jaworski said one of the captain’s posts was vacant for most of last year and is no longer necessary.

“We’ll put a patrolman in if we have to, but not a captain at $70,000,” he said.

Jaworski said he would try to line up enough votes from other Council members to change the line.

But Second Ward Council Member Geoffrey M. Szymanski said he preferred to see a second captain in place after discussing the issue with the police chief and the current lone captain.

“They both said that they need that second captain position,” Szymanski said.

The only other objections to the mayor’s budget centered around allocations for playground equipment.

The mayor set aside a total of $10,000 — or $2,500 for each of the city’s four wards.

First Ward Council Member Abdul Noman said $2,500 was hardly enough money to buy even a new swing, when many of the playgrounds are badly in need of updating.

“Our playgrounds look like garbage compared to Blasdell and other towns,” Noman said, adding that he would vote against the proposed budget unless it included $10,000 for new playground equipment in the First Ward.

The Council has a regular meeting Monday but is unlikely to vote on the budget then, Jaworski said.

jtokasz@buffnews.comnull

[andreahaxton]

TRUTH!

ALL double talk, when you know the true In's and Outs of their pass the buck game played off the backs of the innocent taxpayers you would be sadder than you already are about our decayed City. Some BIG paychecks and Cadillac bennes coming out of the orange crate if you step in line!

Some businesses stay because they play with their assessments and make it lucrative for them to remain here. We are ALL supposed to be at 100% evaluation of our properties worth--ie., during the 2007 total City re-val we should all be at fair market value. If something currently sells for $100,000 it should be assessed at $100,000 so they pay their fair share of property taxes.
If they like you ---you get a "deal" or a break with them for a lower assessment ( maybe they will take you to $ 75,000 or so---$$$ really adds up and cheats the City out of Real Property Tax Money that is passed on to the average Joe or Jane), if they don't like you or care--you are at the 100% price. Makes a huge difference if a business stays, goes, or attempts to locate in Lackawanna.
The Businessmen and women tried to revolt in the early 90's but fizzled out due to--- "Let's make a deal" tactics. Pretty sad for honest people to have to deal with dishonest people.
I heard Polanski tell the Assessor in 2006, "remember who hires you Frank". And guess who's Father was a City Assessor in the 60's?

They feed off each other and hide the truths-- False Assessments, OVERTIME, and Judgements and Claims are three of the biggest money pits.

I am NOT against anyone getting their fair share of FAIR earnings, BUT lots and lots and LOTS of hidden favors paid out with YOUR hard-earned money to keep the " family and friends " tree watered. Or should I say greased.......

[andreahaxton]

"" The only other objections to the mayor’s budget centered around allocations for playground equipment.

The mayor set aside a total of $10,000 — or $2,500 for each of the city’s four wards.""
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++
Working on the 2006/07 City Budget my first year on the Council, I lobbied for budget line items for the playgrounds in all four wards of the City.
There had been no money set aside specifically for playground equipment in any of the prior year budgets before I got there----go ahead and look it up.
I wanted more money but got them to agree on the $10,000 which equalled $40,000 City-wide.
Then Polanski in his following year budget, took away $5000 (which left only $20,000 City-wide) from each playground to pay for the "Centennial" which the boys went along with---I fought for more playground money but they were all against me.
Then all the following years, including 2010 when I was gone it was only $2500/per Ward for a total of $10,000 City-wide.

A decrease of $30,000 has been taken away from revitalizing our sorry playgrounds in the past four now five years---what did they do with the money intended for OUR children and their families recreation?
It is and always has been a Council call and why didn't anyone help me fight for more playground money since the 2007 cuts?:rolleyes:

P.S. 1 Mayoral Ford SUV= appr. $17,000 + gas , insurance, repairs, etc.
1 Love Com of DPW Chevy Truck = $ 17,000 + gas to Hamburg and back,
insurance, repairs
$15,000x appr. 7, City Retirement Bonuses on top of last years NYS retirement bonuses, to employees who were going to retire
anyway =

Take away from OUR kids...... and.....

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Council quickly passes amended 2011 budgetBy Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
June 8, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: June 8, 2011, 8:55 AM


The Lackawanna City Council wasted no time Tuesday morning in approving a slightly amended $23.2 million city budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

The meeting started promptly at 10 a. m. A pledge of allegiance, roll call and a quick 3-1 vote later, it was over.

First Ward Council Member Abdul Noman, who had made it known at an earlier meeting that he would raise an issue about allocations for parks repairs, showed up a short time later, after the meeting was adjourned.

Some witnesses said Noman was not happy the vote occurred without him and confronted Council President Chuck Jaworski. A heated discussion ensued on the second floor of City Hall.

Second Ward Council Member Geoffrey M. Szymanski, who voted against the budget, said Jaworski could have held off on the vote until Noman, who was taking an early lunch break from his job, arrived seconds later.

“He didn’t even wait two minutes,” Szymanski said. “The bells from OLV Basilica were still ringing when we adjourned.”

Neither Noman nor Jaworski could be reached Tuesday to comment.

But Third Ward Council Member Francis J. Kulczyk said he didn’t have a problem with Jaworski’s decision to move quickly.

“We all had to make the effort to be there on time. There was nothing underhanded. Everything was above board. We just did business,” said Kulczyk. “For some reason, Abdul got delayed. I don’t know what it was. I didn’t ask him.”

The budget moved ahead untouched, except for the elimination of a $68,579 expense line item for a captain’s position in the police department.

Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. said he would not veto the removal of the second captain’s post — a change he had proposed himself in the 2010-11 budget — and plans to sign the budget for implementation.

jtokasz@buffnews.com

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Festival location could be a liabilityBy Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
June 15, 2011, 12:00 AM

Updated: June 15, 2011, 6:52 AM


In Lackawanna, even a friendly neighborhood festival can be the source of political contention.

A Hispanic Heritage Family Days festival set for this weekend on the surrounding property of a condemned building is going ahead as planned, even though the city’s Law Department has cautioned that the event “creates serious liability issues” for the city.

The City Council in March gave organizer Ceferino Lopez the go-ahead to use the grounds of the former Friendship House at 264 Ridge Road as the site of the two-day festival, which will feature Latino music, various food vendors and a beer truck.

The city’s Law Department raised objections both to Ceferino and to Council President Chuck Jaworski that festival organizers did not have enough insurance coverage to properly protect the city against future lawsuits in the event of an accident.

The former Friendship House has been condemned since 2007, and the city’s insurance carrier won’t provide insurance for use of the property, Assistant City Attorney Antonio Savaglio wrote in a May 16 letter to Jaworski.

Fairview Avenue, a dead-end street off Ridge Road, will be blocked to traffic for vendors and the music stage, and a beer truck will be parked near tennis courts, far away from the condemned building, according to Lopez, who expects a couple thousand people to show up.

“The building’s got to be 200 to 300 feet from where they’re setting up,” said Jaworski, who called the location “an ideal spot” because many members of the Hispanic community live in the First Ward.

The festival is scheduled to run from noon to 9:30 p. m. Saturday and Sunday.

Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. said Council members were fishing for votes in an election year by approving the festival at the Friendship House location. The council voted, 5-0, to approve the festival.

“The grounds have not been prepared properly for use by a festival,” Polanski said.

But Jaworski and festival organizers aren’t concerned and are looking forward to a lively event that will bring people together.

“It’s probably one of the best things that can happen for the city because of the diverse cultures here,” said David Hardy, who was assisting Lopez with preparations for the event. “The First Ward, I would say, is in dire need of some type of entertainment, involvement, uplift.”

Lopez pegged the cost of putting on the festival at about $5,000 — including $1,000 of his own money.

“My wife is mad at me because I’m pulling from my own pocket,” he said.

Still, Lopez and others said they hope this weekend’s festival becomes an annual event.

jtokasz@buffnews.com

[mnb811]

So why don't the Mayor fix the grounds? LOL Always an excuse with this guy and the others. Let the place go to sh#t then try to sell it afterwards. Only in Lackawanna!

[andreahaxton]

Twelve years is a very long time for Team Polanski to have got us moving toward being the modern, vibrant City due Lackawanna!

If the powers to be real priority post-election focus was truly on taking care of the City/People/and plans for solvency to keep future generations then.... People would be happy with the progress they made/underway, and the growth toward Lackawanna being/becoming a fine up-standing community in WNY.
Instead.....
The " family and friends " club grew leaps and bounds and promises/alliances are being made as I type this!
City Hall is crumbling, playgrounds are worse than ever, and Firemen/DPW Workers have to come begging for safe buildings because bricks are falling!

Who is going to pay the bills when more of OUR kids/grand-kids move out because they want/deserve to live in a clean and with-it place? I have said it for years---we need a COMPLETE Forensic Financial Audit undertaken by a non-LA Citizen CONTROL Board! Yes folks, it is that BAD!

$5.1 million bond and....and....and....!
Food for Thought: What was the $6,000,000 Fund Balance ( hidden City extra money that they spend any way they want to) spent on from spring 2009 to the present----how much is presently in it?

[sunflower]

On June 6, 2011 at the City Council meeting, there was a 3-2 vote to sell city-owned property to the Yeminite Community. Councilman Noman argued that the land had lay vacant for 30 years and was quoted in the Buffalo News as saying that the Yeminite Community would be willing to invest millions of dollars to expand the building and parking lot.

On June 20, 2011 at the City Council meeting, Rev. Blue and representatives from his church (2nd Baptist) showed up with John Ingram (Chairman of Citizens of Lackawanna's Future) to protest the sale, stating that they had wanted to purchase the property.

Mr. Lucarelli (Lucarelli's Banquet Center) stood up and basically said that city-owned property for sale should be made available to everyone in the city, including businesses. His argument was that churches and other non-profits don't pay taxes...businesses do. He also told the council that the city wasn't in the real estate business.

Ahhhh, says Mr. Dicenzo as he holds up proof otherwise...MARTIN ROAD SUBDIVISION!!!!

Another resident stood up to voice her disgust with the condition of our city playgrounds. And yet another resident stood up to voice her anger and frustration over the property being lost each year as it erodes into Smokes Creek foot-by-foot.

Sooooooo, there will be some sort of meeting between the 1st Baptist congregation and the Yemen community to "work out a compromise" with regards to the property in question. STAY TUNED....

[andreahaxton]

Why were ALL the other Councilmen silent last night? I know the Charter states we must address the Council President, but, they always chime in with their take or diversion of some irrelevant rhetoric to rescue Chuck.
But NOT last night......silence. Was it pre-planned to diffuse the obvious chaos/dispute they created? I am sure it was.

Chuck was on the Council in 02', when the same land was sold to Second Baptist Church and taken back from them for their same lame reasons. So why didn't they all do their homework and seek an equitable deal when the same sale proposal came up 2 weeks ago?
(The Council did it to First Baptist church late last year too when they had tried to purchase City land years back and were told no. )

This is nothing about either groups' attempt to buy City property---it is about Councilmen abusing their governmental powers, by trying to buy blocks of votes when they make deals to appease special interest groups requests.

Geoff was silent because he wants the Arabic voting block, Noman was already sold the land, and the 3rd and 4th Councilmen were.....somewhere in la-la land.

Chuck took the heat because he had no other choice and I feel Lucarelli was planted to take the pressure off Chuck with his attempt of saying no non-for-profit group should get prime City "Business Zoned" land.:rolleyes: I told him to buy 264 Ridge Road, 5 acres, Friendship House site---bring in jobs!

This is another election year fiasco that they created and I hope ALL Lackawanna Citizens see this for what it is. A self-serving deal that back-fired on them because Second Baptist stood up for what is right and fair! I hope all parties come to a peaceful compromise in the near future for the betterment of ALL of us in Lackawanna!

[sunflower]

Thanks for clearing that up, Andrea. How can the council sell and then reverse the sale on property, sell it again, and now are back-peddling to reverse the most recent sale? No wait, this time they want to "come up with a compromise"?!!? OMG!!!

[andreahaxton]

January 20, 2009
Lackawanna City Council Meeting Archive:

• Council Member Haxton

To Council:

To make purchases of all city lots fair, I Andrea Haxton, 1 st Ward Councilwoman, ask your honorable body to direct the law department to draw up a local law on the sale of city property. In 2006 we had a meeting with Frank Krakowski and all agreed that the sale of a build able lot 60 feet wide is to be sold for 55 2/3% of the accessed amount. An un-build able lot is to be sold for 33 1/3% of the assessed amount of the lot. In order to take the politics out of property purchases I feel a local law would be a benefit to all parties. Thank you in advance for your anticipated support and cooperation.

Moved by Haxton to direct law department to prepare the local law. No second. Motion moot.

Moved by Jaworski, seconded by Szymanski, to receive and file.

Yeas: Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi, Jaworski

Nays: Haxton Carried 4 – 1


A sitting Council member told me, " Receive and File means to -- Throw It In the Garbage ".....

And that is what they did in 2009, so you all can read between the lines about what they think of making things fair for all in "Lack"awanna! :rolleyes:

(Typo in minutes,---should read 66 2/3% NOT 55 2/3%)

[andreahaxton]

City of Lackawanna NY:
The Code (Laws)
Part 1--Administrative Legislation
Chapter 12

CITY-OWNED REAL ESTATE, DISPOSITION OF
Basic View[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Lackawanna 11-8-1993 by L.L. No. 6-1993 (Ch. 107 of the 1987 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]§ 12-1 Definitions.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

CITY-OWNED REAL ESTATE
Encompasses all property acquired and held by the City of Lackawanna for use of the City as an entity and that acquired and held for public use and benefit of its citizens.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Etc., Continued on City Web Page.

[Caz5]

Came across an article dated November 9, 2010 in the Buffal News titled:
"Ethnic Friction Marks Session on Field, Land" It seems that the Yemen Community and the 1st Baptist Church have gone toe-to-toe prior to the most recent battle over city-owned property.

ALTHOUGH THE MAIN DISCUSSION AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING WAS WITH REGARDS TO THE NAME OF THE CITY-OWNED SOCCER FIELD, THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION ABOUT "SOUTH STREET" PROPERTY THAT THE CHURCH AND MOSQUE BOTH WANTED:

"...Meanwhile, other Yemeni-Americans called on city lawmakers to approve the sale of a vacant city-owned South Street property to the Lackawanna Islamic Mosque, at 154 Wilkesbarre St. The property also is being pursued by First Baptist Church on Ingham Avenue." (P.S. WITH SUCH A "HISTORY" BETWEEN THE YEMENITE COMMUNITY AND THE 1ST BAPTIST CHURCH, YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE DONE A MORE THOROUGH RESEARCH OF THE LAND IN QUESTION IN THE JUNE 2011 DEBATE).

P.S.S.

THE SOCCER FIELD WAS NAMED "YEMEN SOCCER FIELD" 35 YEARS AGO AND AT THIS MEETING, JOHN INGRAM STATED THAT HE FELT THAT CITY-OWNED PROPERTY SHOULD NOT BE NAMED IN HONOR OF ONE ETHNIC GROUP. ANGELO IAFFALO (CITY REC. DIRECTOR) SAID THAT THE FIELD HAD BEEN NAMED 35 YEARS AGO BECAUSE THE PROPERTY HAD BEEN CONVERTED INTO A SOCCER FIELD TO ACCOMMODATE THE YEMENITE COMMUNITY WHO'S NATIONAL PASTTIME WAS SOCCER.

[andreahaxton]

Lackawanna Churches, Directory of churches in Lackawanna, NY ...Find a Lackawanna NY Church in our directory of Lackawanna churches with ... FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. 716-826-0646. 320 INGHAM AVENUE LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 US ... SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH. 716-826-4940. 18 CHURCH STREET LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 US ...

[literal]

A sitting Council member told me, " Receive and File means to -- Throw It In the Garbage ".....

Yes, whether it is city or school agenda item, a "receive and file" means it is a DEAD file.

[literal]

Board mulls personnel cuts due to contingency budget





Published:June 30, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: June 30, 2011, 6:31 AM


A special meeting of the Lackawanna Board of Education will be held at 6:30 p. m. today in the Superintendent’s Conference Room 202 of the McKinley Administration Building, 245 South Shore Blvd.

The board will discuss personnel cuts following the June 21 defeat of a pro-posed $45.1 million budget—the second time residents voted down a spending plan for 2011-12.

Taxpayers were informed prior to the two pollings that the contingency budget would amount to $44.1 million, a small increase over the current budget of $44 million.

[andreahaxton]

FREE DIRT/TOPSOIL (Lackawanna)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2011-06-30, 11:05AM EDT
Reply to: sale-4mukj-2470548895@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Free dirt at the curb of 292 South Shore Blvd.
Just haul it all away!!!
Will be adding more throughout the day...

• Location: Lackawanna
•it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests









PostingID: 2470548895

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Lackawanna subdivision goes begging for houses

Only one home built on 21-lot tract



By Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:July 5, 2011, 12:00 AM




Updated: July 5, 2011, 6:29 AM

Crisply paved and curbed streets that wind through large expanses of dirt are raising an obvious question in Lackawanna: Where are the new houses?

Land for the city’s first subdivision in 20 years has been cleared since 2009, and city officials have invested hundreds of thousands of tax dollars in the project off Martin Road, with the hopes of expanding the tax base and bringing new revenue to a city that desperately needs it.

A total of 21 lots ranging from $20,000 to $29,000 apiece went on the market more than a year ago. But just three of the lots have sold so far, and only one house is currently under construction.

Critics say city officials miscalculated the market by stipulating that homes in the subdivision have minimum sizes of 1,800 square feet for single-story ranches and 2,400 square feet for two-story houses.

At those sizes, some local builders say the homes would cost upward of $230,000 — three times the current median home value, which is $79,700 in Lackawanna, according to U. S. Census data.

“Should they have aimed lower? I think so, definitely,” said Denise Tomilo, who lives on Michelle Drive, a stone’s throw from the empty lots. “A lot of people say, ‘Who wants to build in Lackawanna?’ ”

Another neighbor on Michelle

Drive suggested the empty lots were emblematic of the city’s dysfunction. Besides, the city hasn’t done nearly enough to market the property, said Jeff Otremba, a longtime resident.

“To me, it’s typical Lackawanna. You come up with good ideas, but nobody follows through with it,” he said.

The homes on Michelle Drive, built in the late 1980s, were the city’s previous newest subdivision.

Those homes ranged in size from 1,100 square feet to 1,500 square feet and sold for $80,000 to $90,000, with some income-qualified homebuyers receiving state subsidies that lowered the prices by thousands of dollars. The developer, M. J. Peterson, had no trouble selling the houses, which have appreciated in value over the years.

The land off Martin Road – not far from Martin Road Elementary School — was proposed in the early 1990s as a second phase of new development, following completion of Michelle Drive.

But that phase never got off the ground.

Development wasn’t pursued again until about six or seven years ago, when the former property owner, the Lackawanna- Martin Road Housing Development Fund Corp., turned the land back over to the city, according to Mayor Norman

L. Polanski Jr. Looking to restart the project, city officials envisioned something new, exciting and different — a high-end subdivision in Lackawanna that would cater to young professionals who might otherwise build large homes in places like West Seneca or Hamburg.

At least two dozen potential buyers expressed strong interest in buying a lot at the time, and “they wanted larger houses and a bigger yard,” recalled the mayor. Some city officials even expected that they might need to institute a lottery system to sell the lots fairly.

So what happened? Some of the buyers, said Polanski, balked at the conditions of the lot sale, which included restrictions on street parking and strict timelines calling for construction to be completed within a year and a half of lot purchase.

The economy also bottomed out, and mortgages became harder to come by. “These are tough times. There’s not a lot of money out there,” Polanski said.

City Council President Chuck Jaworski cited delays in getting the project rolling. “People lost interest or may have moved on,” he said. “It just took too long, I believe, to get off the ground.”

Polanski is eager to get more homes built as quickly as possible, and he’s asked the Council to consider changing the subdivision’s land covenants to allow for smaller, more affordable homes.

“The property’s paid, but there’s a debt in our pocket because of it,” the mayor said. “We need to have this project. You can’t have these lots sitting out here, and nothing’s happening.”

The city used $832,485 from its general fund to pay for the street paving and storm sewers and so far has received $72,000 from the sale of the three lots.

Last December, Burke Homes proposed constructing 1,400-square-foot ranches and 1,800-square-foot two-story homes in exchange for being named the preferred builder in the subdivision. Burke Homes also outlined the possible availability of a $40,000 state subsidy to assist buyers of 10 of the remaining 18 lots.

Developer David Burke said he’s still interested in the project, but only if the home sizes are scaled down.

“In my opinion, those minimum sizes are too large,” said Burke. “The math won’t work unless you lower the square footage of the house.”

Andy Romanowski, president of Alliance Homes, which is building the house currently under construction, said that the “price point is higher than we wish it was” for a Lackawanna home.

But the lot fees were low compared with other communities, and “it’s an awesome area,” said Romanowski, who hopes to build more houses in the subdivision.

As more homes go up, others will follow, he said. “It’s got to be promoted somehow or another,” said Romanowski, adding that his firm may do some of its own marketing.

In February, the mayor asked City Council members to approve a “memorandum of understanding” between the city and Burke Homes, but the Council voted unanimously to table the measure and hasn’t considered it since.

Rather than change land covenants to allow smaller homes, the Council president said he wants to see the city be more aggressive in marketing the lots.

“There should be signs on Martin Road and maybe get a realtor involved,” Jaworski said. “I just don’t think it’s put out to the public enough.”

He said it wouldn’t be fair to the three families that already purchased their lots for the city to change plans midstream for smaller, subsidized houses.

“These people are building $300,000 homes, and the next thing you know your neighbor’s got a 1,200-square-foot ranch house that’s worth $100,000,” he said.

Besides, the sizes of the lots — the largest measuring 125 feet by 196 feet — likely would need to be downsized for smaller houses, or else the whole development would appear out of scale, Jaworski added.

Interested lot buyers from six years ago may have lost interest when the project took as long as it did to get off the ground, said Jaworski.

But Jaworski said he believes there’s still a market for upscale homes in Lackawanna that would appeal to young professionals hoping to stay in the city.

jtokasz@buffnews.com

[mnb811]

Norman's Folly! Notice that fiscally responsible Szymanski and Jaworksi both voted for this thing. Doesn't anyone notice that the other towns with a subdivision like this have better schools? Do your research gentlemen before you build!

[mnb811]

If you are one of the 2 who paid a lot of money because of what this subdivision was supposed to be wouldn't you be pissed if the mayor said this: Polanski is eager to get more homes built as quickly as possible, and he’s asked the Council to consider changing the subdivision’s land covenants to allow for smaller, more affordable homes.

Wonder what the payback will be to the 2 if this happens?

Notice all the excuses and pass the buck mentality? That is a sign of piss poor leadership. Maybe if you cleaned up the city and maintained the infrastructure and had things for kids to do along with atleast an average ranked school system you could have sold them.

[Caz5]

A housing development that will "cater to young professionals"??? In Lackawanna? Professional WHAT??? If I was a "young professional" who was in search of something "new, exciting and different," trust me...I'd not be searching in Lackawanna, New York!!!!

[mnb811]

On June 6, 2011 at the City Council meeting, there was a 3-2 vote to sell city-owned property to the Yeminite Community. Councilman Noman argued that the land had lay vacant for 30 years and was quoted in the Buffalo News as saying that the Yeminite Community would be willing to invest millions of dollars to expand the building and parking lot.

On June 20, 2011 at the City Council meeting, Rev. Blue and representatives from his church (2nd Baptist) showed up with John Ingram (Chairman of Citizens of Lackawanna's Future) to protest the sale, stating that they had wanted to purchase the property.

Mr. Lucarelli (Lucarelli's Banquet Center) stood up and basically said that city-owned property for sale should be made available to everyone in the city, including businesses. His argument was that churches and other non-profits don't pay taxes...businesses do. He also told the council that the city wasn't in the real estate business.

Ahhhh, says Mr. Dicenzo as he holds up proof otherwise...MARTIN ROAD SUBDIVISION!!!!

Another resident stood up to voice her disgust with the condition of our city playgrounds. And yet another resident stood up to voice her anger and frustration over the property being lost each year as it erodes into Smokes Creek foot-by-foot.

Sooooooo, there will be some sort of meeting between the 1st Baptist congregation and the Yemen community to "work out a compromise" with regards to the property in question. STAY TUNED....

Since the meeting is tommorow for the "compromise" I wonder if the city let any potential other buyers know about this? I wonder if the public was informed? Or is this all about the vote pandering? The land should be put up to the highest bidder. You want it you pay for it. The money should go into a recreation fund or something for the deprived kids in Lackawanna or maybe a business improvement program or rehab program! Furthermore I wonder if the city is violating any open meeting rules on this? Since the meeting wasn't published and the general public not notified I would assume they are.


Sorry! But seems it like these guys are playing the vote getting game to perfection! Meanwhile the taxpayers get the shaft! What the hell is this $$Vote Buying 101$$ Please!

[andreahaxton]

Council Meeting
Monday, July 11, 2011
Council Chambers
NB: Meeting being recorded.
Hearings from Citizens:
John Ingram – various concerns
Approval of Minutes of regular meeting of June 20, 2011.
Communications from Council

Council President Jaworski – requests Law department prepare necessary ordinance for the sale of 187 Holbrook which was approved by Council at June 6, 2011 meeting.

Council Member Noman - requests an ordinance authorizing the sale of properties on Ridge Road to the Yemenite Benevolent Association as approved at the June 6 meeting.

Communications from Department/Division Heads:

City Attorney – requests approval of resolution authorizing installation of ten post top luminaires in Michelle Drive Subdivision.

Commissioner of Public Works – requests permission to purchase a new truck under state contract to replace truck destroyed in fire this past spring, sufficient funds in account to cover costs.

Commissioner of Public Works – requests council award contract for 2011 Pavement Replacement project to low bidder Destro & Bros. Co. ( recommendation of TVGA)

City Comptroller – advises Council of transfers made to balance many 2010-2011 accounts.

City Assessor - request Council adopt list of city owned properties available for sale and establishing the properties not needed for any municipal purposes.

Resolutions:

A resolution authorizing National Grid for the installation of ten luminaires in the Michelle Drive Subdivision.

Ordinances:

An ordinance authorizing the sale of properties on Ridge Road to the Yemenite Benevolent Association.
Tabled Items:
Adjournment:

[literal]

Benefit held for single mother battling cancerBy Edward Mazzu

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
Updated: July 11, 2011, 6:46 AM


Carmen Alvelo is no stranger to hardship. A single mother of three, she has worked hard her whole life to become a prominent businesswoman and now faces her biggest challenge yet. In January, she was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer and has just finished eight rounds of chemotherapy.

“When I found out, I was in shock,” she said. “I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted a second opinion right away.”

Just before Christmas, Alvelo had flulike symptoms and a strong pain in her side. After a biopsy revealed that she had breast cancer, she had a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, but it had already spread to her lymph nodes. She will soon begin radiation therapy.

“My driving force is my kids,” she said. “I still have a lot to do in life.”

Alvelo, 41, of Hamburg, has worked as a sales consultant at West-Herr Toyota for more than 10 years. In that time, she has been in the company’s Top 200 Club — selling over 200 cars a year — five times. She said one of her goals is to hit that mark again next year.

Since her battle with breast cancer began, she has been unable to work and expressed her appreciation for the support of West Herr Automotive Group.

“I’m very fortunate that I work for such a great company,” she said.

Alvelo said that after one phone call to her boss, Scott Bieler, president of West-Herr Automotive Group, and within 12 hours, she was at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Sunday, her support group of friends, family and co-workers put on pink T-shirts and held a benefit at the Lake Erie Italian Club in Lackawanna.

One of Alvelo’s closest friends and co-workers, Tracey Duffy, who helped organize the benefit, said that by splitting up into separate committees and soliciting local businesses for donations, they were able to maximize their outreach.

“Everybody kind of used their connections in the community to pull together a lot of the proceeds and gifts to be silent auctioned,” said Duffy.

Some of the items up for grabs in the silent auction drew bids of more than $500, including a Class of ’83 framed autographed picture of Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly, Dan Marino and John Elway and a framed autographed Derek Jeter jersey.

“I’m very impressed, overwhelmed and grateful,” said Alvelo. “I never expected this many people to come.”

Alvelo’s oldest son, Giovanni Massimi, 20, spoke from the heart about just how important his mother is to him and his 17- year-old twin brothers, Jordan and Joshua.

“My mother is the strongest woman I know,” said Massimi. “When I first found out, it was like a kick in the gut. But we just stayed strong and came together as a family and have made it through so far.”

Alvelo wanted to make sure people understand that if she had not gone to the doctor for the pain in her side, she would have never found out that she had cancer.

“Listen to your body,” she said. “Mine saved my life.”

emazzu@buffnews.comnull

[literal]

School Board cancels tonight’s meeting
Published:
July 13, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: July 13, 2011, 6:49 AM


The Lackawanna Board of Education has canceled its meeting that was scheduled for 7p.m. today in the Martin Road Elementary School auditorium, 135 Martin Road.

[getalife123]

School Board cancels tonight’s meeting
Published:
July 13, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: July 13, 2011, 6:49 AM


The Lackawanna Board of Education has canceled its meeting that was scheduled for 7p.m. today in the Martin Road Elementary School auditorium, 135 Martin Road.

do you know why?

[literal]

Councilmen vote to delay sale of land to Yemenite communityBy Jay Tokasz


Published:
July 13, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: July 13, 2011, 6:51 AM


A disputed sale of city-owned parcels again dominated discussion Monday on the Lackawanna City Council—the third consecutive Council meeting featuring impassioned debate about whether the land should be sold to a Yemenite group for additional parking and expansion of a hall that neighbors the vacant lots.

In the end, councilmen voted to put off the sale until the city can negotiate a deal between the Yemenite Benevolent Association and Second Baptist Church, a second party that had tried years ago to purchase the property along Ridge Road, only to be told then that it was mistakenly put up for sale.

“If we’re going to do this, let’s do it the right way,” said 3rd Ward Councilman Francis

J. Kulczyk.

Members of Second Baptist

Church and the Yemenite community packed into Council Chambers and at times engaged in testy exchanges over who rightfully deserves to buy the land.

Leaders from the Yemenite Benevolent Association thought they had a deal when the Council voted 5-0 on June 6 to sell the six lots at $500 apiece — over the objections of City Assessor Frank E. Krakowski, who warned that the sale of the former brownfields could jeopardize future state aid for redevelopment on Ridge Road.

But at the following Council meeting on June 20, Second Baptist Church members objected to the sale, pointing out that they had a deal for the same land in 2002 and backed away after the Council told them the property should not have been sold.

Council President Chuck Jaworski acknowledged then that the Council erred in approving a sale to the Yemenite community, and he set up a meeting to broker a compromise between the church and the association.

The meeting was scheduled for last week, but it didn’t happen because City Attorney Arc

J. Petricca said he had a potential conflict of interest and recused himself.

“This should be done properly. It hasn’t been,” said Jaworski. “It didn’t go through the assessor; it didn’t go through the attorney.”

Jaworski later initiated a measure to hire outside counsel to handle legal aspects of the negotiation between the city, the Yemenite group and the church. The measure passed 3-2.

The Council voted 3-2 against an ordinance that would have authorized the June 6 sale of land to the Yemenite group.

Members of the Yemenite association said they have been denied the opportunity to buy the land in question for nearly 40 years.

“It’s only fair to sell the property to the people who requested it first,” said Anwar Alkalai.

But members of Second Baptist Church, which backs up to the property in question, said the Council would be violating the City Charter by approving the sale to the Yemenite group.

Leaders of Second Baptist, who hope to build a new food pantry and community center, urged negotiations. But some Yemenite speakers maintained that the land could not be split, and that the church should offer to buy out the benevolent association’s current land if it wants to expand.

In other action
The Council agreed to award a contract to Destro & Brothers Concrete Co. for $1.37 million to cover a second phase of paving in the city. Destro was awarded a $1.69 million contract for the project’s first phase, as well.

Both contracts are contingent upon the city’s ability to sell $5 million in bonds to fund road and firehouse improvements. The bond sale originally was slated for last week, but is now scheduled to be completed later this week.

For complete coverage, go to buffalonews. com/lackawanna. jtokasz@buffnews.comnull

[literal]

do you know why?

No. I am sorry. I have no idea why the BOE meeting was cancelled. I just cut and pasted the information from the Buffalo News today with the public notice.

You can call the Board clerk who may be able to give you more information. My guess is they do not have all of the information they need yet to meet. Maybe they are collecting specific information to see how they can juggle what they need against what money they have to work with......

[literal]

Lackawanna woman tied to jewelry theft





Published:July 17, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: July 17, 2011, 6:39 AM


A Lackawanna woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and attempting to sell it was arrested Friday night.

Ann M. Bren, 29, broke into a residence on Ladner Street in Buffalo on July 11 and took jewelry valued at $3,000, police said, then attempted to sell that jewelry at Airport Plaza Jewelers on Union Road in Cheektowaga.

Bren was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

[andreahaxton]

I hope everyone is taking it easy with the heat wave and checking on Seniors/neighbors. Anyone has extra fans hanging out can maybe give away to the LA food pantry to give out. I thought I had 2 small ones to donate but they won't turn on this year.

How I wish Lackawanna had a sprinkler pool for kids like Caz, West Seneca, etc., and like we used to. I have asked LMHA to put one in their Capital Budget-Wish List for years, with all the cut-backs the CEO told me a few weeks ago that this is a total no go.

Is pool at Senior High open for all to enjoy daily, if they don't have a pool?

Don't forget annual Bethlehem Park Garage Sale August 6.

[andreahaxton]

CONCERT IN THE PARK SERIES 2011 6:15 PM TO 8:15 PM - 230 Martin Road

JULY 7TH - THE AUSLANDERS

JULY 21ST - CARIBBEAN EXTRAVAGANZA:cool:

AUGUST 4TH - ITALIAN NIGHT - CHUCK CORDONE & FRIENDS

AUGUST 18TH - POLKA IN THE PARK - NEW DIRECTION

[andreahaxton]

Zoning Board of Appeals Agenda - Meeting Tuesday, July 26, 2011 @ 6:00 pm

[andreahaxton]

Stadium Employment


The Buffalo Bills are always seeking individuals who are interested in part-time employment as Ushers, Guest Service Ambassadors, and other Event Service related positions. Individuals will work as associates of the Bills staff. Positions are seasonal. Applicants must be able to work all Buffalo Bills home games at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The individuals in these roles will be responsible for greeting guests and assisting them throughout the stadium, monitoring crowd behavior and taking steps to ensure that each guest may enjoy the event without disruption from others. Ralph Wilson Stadium staff work hard to make sure our facility looks its best and our guests receive the assistance they need.

Responsibilities for the positions include, but are not limited to:

Guest Services Ambassadors - Assist guests in locating areas of Ralph Wilson Stadium and supplying general information. Provide a high quality customer service interaction with all guests which will set the tone for the overall entertainment experience. Must have excellent customer service skills.

Usher - Assist guests in locating seats during events at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Work to ensure crowd behavior is positive and supports an enjoyable experience for all guests. As necessary, escalate situations to supervisors and/or security. Must have excellent customer service skills.

Applicants should be highly motivated and customer oriented. Interested individuals should call 716-312-8799 for more information or print out the application (click here) and send it to:
Event Services
One Bills Drive
Orchard Park, NY 14127

The Buffalo Bills are equal opportunity employers. All qualified applicants, including minorities and women, are encouraged to apply.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


I went last night for my training session.
( yes, they pay you to go and usually feed you too but due to strike, no food this year---but we do get fed before every game we work)
( Started 2010 season but you have to go to mandatory training every year as things change often).

If someone puts my name down on their application( they don't have to, only an extra perk) and they are hired, we both get entered into some incentive drawings for some real neat prizes.:cool:
They have some signed footballs by some of the players during the 1990's Superbowl(s) drive/push.
There are only nine home games---must be 18, BUT younger teens with working papers can start out working with the fans in the field house they told us last night.
Note: Stadium is now totally " Smoke Free "----it is going to be an interesting/fun season!
I hope lots of Lackawanna folks/kids---good for their resume'.
FYI: NO Traffic on Abbott this year either---they are trying to change the traffic pattern to make exit?entrance easier!

[literal]

City seeks to head off closing of its post office


Published:July 29, 2011, 12:00 Am

Updated: July 29, 2011, 6:30 AM


Lackawanna City Council President Chuck Jaworski, concerned that the city’s lone post office will be shut down because it was included on a list being considered by the U. S. Postal Service, said Thursday that he will ask Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, to challenge any attempt to close the Ridge Road office.

The Lackawanna station was one of at least eight in Western New York that the financially troubled Postal Service is considering closing. The station also was included on a 2009 list of sites for possible closing.

“It will leave the residents of the city of Lackawanna with no post office available to them,” said Jaworski.

[gibbsgal]

“It will leave the residents of the city of Lackawanna with no post office available to them,” said Jaworski.

DUH!!!!!!!

[andreahaxton]

:eagerness:Bethlehem Park Garage Sale!

[andreahaxton]

August 16, 2011

Buffalo News Sports Adam Tardif, who played for Lackawanna under coach Bill Pukalo in 1991 and 1992, is the new Steelers coach. After graduating from the University at Buffalo, he was hired by his high school alma mater as a biology and physics teacher. He succeeds Bruce Lakso, who stepped down to watch his son and daughter compete athletically.

[YNOTNOW]

Where's Lack 1 been? I miss the easy, breezy campign style! :witless:

[gibbsgal]

I think he lost his little gonads or someone is squeezing real hard

[mnb811]

I think he lost his little gonads or someone is squeezing real hard

Must be squeezing a lot of gonads since Lackawanna1 is more than one person.;)

[andreahaxton]

I guess we were talking about balls though!

Next Game:D
Jacksonville Jaguars


Sat, 08/27 at 7:00 PM EDT

Home:

Ralph Wilson Stadium

TV: WKBW-TV
Radio: WGRF 96.9 FM
Sirius: 135

[andreahaxton]

City & Region
LACKAWANNA

Mayor to seek DEC’s OK to thin out deer
By Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:August 16, 2011, 12:00 AM

1 Comment

Even a former steel town can provide plenty of pasture for hungry deer.

Lackawanna is the latest municipality to be overrun by deer — so much so that Mayor Norman L. Polanski plans to seek approval from the state Department of Environmental Conservation to thin out the city’s deer population.

“We’ve had numerous deer hit on Martin Road. We’ve had complaints about shrubs being eaten,” Polanski said. “It’s gotten out of hand. They’ve become a nuisance. It’s a serious problem.”

So far, the mayor has received no opposition from the City Council, which on Monday unanimously approved a resolution supporting his overture to the DEC.

“Everybody’s got a ton of ’em,” said City Council President Chuck Jaworski.

Second Ward Councilman Geoffrey Szymanski noted that he recently saw a couple of deer prancing together like young lovers in the middle of the street.

“Did they have a permit?” 4th Ward Councilman Joseph Schiavi asked.

“They didn’t have a permit to eat my tomato plants, I’ll tell you that,” Szymanski responded.

DEC officers recently did a flyover of Lackawanna and determined the bulk of the deer are in the southwest corner of the city, around Abbott and Martin roads, Polanski said.

He said the city will examine how bait-and- shoot programs have worked in Amherst and Cheektowaga.

In an effort to reduce the number of deer-related car accidents in Amherst, police snipers killed about 1,450 deer between 2005 and 2010. The meat was given to the Western New York Food Bank.

In other action, the Council adopted a resolution opposing the planned closing of the city’s lone post office, on Ridge Road.

Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, has vowed to fight the closure, sending a letter to the U. S. Postmaster General stating that the Lackawanna site “serves a unique population highly dependent on the facility’s close proximity to surrounding neighborhoods.”

“There are a number of characteristics that justify the need for a post office directly in the city, and we plan to fight for its continued existence based on those facts,” Higgins said.

jtokasz@buffnews.com
[B]
Comment:
The deer are a problem in the city and right behind them are coyotes . I am seeing more and more in city in fields right along the border with Blasedell. This may become an issue in the future although thinning the deer population may solve both problems.

JOHN MANGUS, LACKAWANNA, NY on Wed Aug 24, 2011 at 11:52 AM
************************************************** ************************************************** ******************************

We know about the deer.......shouldn't folks be told to watch their dogs and kids? I heard many years ago that the coyotes were on the Bethlehem Property but they must be coming our way looking for food. I am calling the DEC.:eek:
716-851-7010 Buffalo Office DEC Wildlife Division

[andreahaxton]

Lackawanna City Council Debate

Share · Public Event.
Friends' Event
Time
Wednesday, August 31 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Location
Lucarelli's Banquet Facility
1830 Abbott Road
Lackawanna, New York
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Created By
Lackawanna Chamber
The Lackawanna Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a debate for all candidates seeking a seat on the City Council. The League of Women Voters will be moderating the debate.


:eagerness:

[andreahaxton]

Did anybody just hear Bauerle? Whoa........ Lackawanna in it again. Whoa!

[lackawanna #1]

DEC confirms cougar passed through NYS
Updated: Thursday, 01 Sep 2011, 11:15 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 01 Sep 2011, 11:15 PM EDT

Aaron Mason
Posted by: Eli George
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (WIVB) - State wildlife experts are now confirming the first case of a mountain lion in New York in years.

DNA has linked a cougar that was hit and killed by a car this past June in Connecticut to droppings found last year in Lake George. It's believed the mountain lion was born in South Dakota and traveled more than a-thousand miles.

Copyright WIVB.com

[YNOTNOW]

DEC confirms cougar passed through NYS
Updated: Thursday, 01 Sep 2011, 11:15 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 01 Sep 2011, 11:15 PM EDT

Aaron Mason
Posted by: Eli George

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (WIVB) - State wildlife experts are now confirming the first case of a mountain lion in New York in years.

DNA has linked a cougar that was hit and killed by a car this past June in Connecticut to droppings found last year in Lake George. It's believed the mountain lion was born in South Dakota and traveled more than a-thousand miles.

Copyright WIVB.com

What in the world does this have to do with an increase of coyotes in Lackawanna???

[andreahaxton]

Called the DEC last week, obviously lack1 is scared :rolleyes:.....waiting for new study info to be mailed to me.
I was reassured that our coyotes feed on rats and rabbits. They have been on the former Beth Steel property for years.
She also stated that there has never been a coyote attack on a human in NYS.

Buffalo DEC Wildlife Officers # again.......851-7010.

[andreahaxton]

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Meeting called to order/Pledge of Allegiance
NB: Meeting being recorded.
Roll Call: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi, Jaworski
Dept.Heads: Law, Public Works, Public Safety, Recreation, Development
Hearings from Citizens:

Approval of Minutes of regular meeting of August 15 th and special meeting of August 25, 2011.
Departmental Reports:
1.City Compt. – AP Check Listing #51, July 29, 2011.
2.City Compt. – AP Check Listing #52, July 29, 2011.
3.City Compt. – AP Check Listing #1, August 23, 2011.

Communications from the Council:

Council Member Noman – requests Council direct the City Attorney to prepare ordinance banning parking in Bethlehem Park from 11pm to 7 am from November 1 st through April 1 st to clear streets for snow removal.

Council Member Noman - requests Council allocate funding for demolition of 61 Ingham and 235-237 Ingham Avenue .

Council Member Noman – requests Council allocate funding for paving of various streets in the first ward.

Communications from Department/Division Heads:

City Attorney – requests Council approval on dog licensing ordinances, raising the rate on seizure and impoundment fees.

Economic Development Director - requests the Council schedule a work session regarding rat baiting and trapping, noting Erie County has ceased this service.

Comm . of Public Works - requests Council accept recommendation from TVGA and award contract for the Ridge Road Traffic Signal Implementation to low bidder, South Buffalo Electric Company for their bid of $616,435.99.

Ordinances :

An ordinance adding Chapter 66.10, Seizure and Impoundment of dogs, raising the fees for seizure and impoundment of dogs.

An ordinance amending Chapter 66.14 Licensing of dogs, stating all dogs harbored in the City of Lackawanna be licensed through the city of Lackawanna only. (NYS no longer handles any licensing of dogs, each municipality licenses their dogs individually)


Hmmmmmmm...........:indecisiveness::indecisiveness ::indecisiveness::indecisiveness::indecisiveness:: indecisiveness::indecisiveness::indecisiveness::in decisiveness:

[andreahaxton]

Business

Catching costly mistakes

Since being chosen to audit state agencies' energy bills, Troy & Banks has found and recouped hundreds of thousands of dollars in overcharges
By Samantha Maziarz Christmann

NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER

Published:September 3, 2011, 10:36 PM
Looking to get the state's financial house in order, Gov. David A. Paterson mandated in 2009 that every New York State agency have its gas and electric bills audited to be sure they were being billed correctly. The state chose Troy & Banks to get the job done.

So far, the 20-year-old Buffalo auditing company has found plenty of mistakes and has recouped hundreds of thousands of dollars in overcharges for state agencies.

"In my experience, three out of four accounts have some kind of erroneous billing issue," said Justin Raybeck, vice president of utility auditing and energy services for the company.

Earlier this year, the company's audit found National Grid had been billing the University at Buffalo at the wrong rate -- and had been since the account was established. Since the statute of limitations for overcharge refunds is six years, it sent a letter to the electric company requesting a $66,571 refund for six years of back payment, including interest.

National Grid responded saying it had done some homework of its own.

It agreed it had billed the university incorrectly, but insisted it had charged the school at a more favorable rate than it deserved. Since UB made out in the deal, National Grid maintained, it wouldn't be issuing a refund.

"I went back and looked further, because I knew that couldn't be the case," said Raybeck, who conducted that audit. "I went back and it turned out there was no way the rate they had been charged was better. The rate was incorrect and it was costing them money."

Eventually, National Grid agreed and, about a month and a half later, the auditor got a refund notification for the full amount. The company also recovered another $17,000 for UB from the utility company -- $5,000 of it for an incorrect meter reading, the other $12,000 was for a separate line set at an incorrect rate, which National Grid caught and corrected on its own a short time later without issuing a refund.

The Western New York District of the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities was overcharged to the tune of $11,338 by National Fuel and another roughly $10,000 by National Grid. Under the state's mental hygiene law, the OPWDD qualified for residential rate billing but was instead charged at the higher commercial rate.

"That actually happens a lot," said Raybeck.

In fact, there is a lot that can go wrong when it comes to utility billing.

Numbers get transposed. Taxes get misapplied. Exemptions are missed. Rates and rules change. Meters malfunction. Accounts get set at the wrong rate.

"It's not uncommon for customers to be charged for accounts they canceled years ago. I've seen customers charged for lines that don't even exist anymore," said Thomas Ranallo, the consulting firm's president.

And without a lot of research, access and knowledge about things such as utility tariffs, overcharges can be hard to spot. "We do in fact conduct our own physical and paper audits of our billing practices as well as our customer accounts, both billing and residential," said Stephen F. Brady, a spokesman for National Grid. "But we have 1.6 million electric customers in upstate New York. It's just not practical to audit every single customer every single time."

National Fuel said it conducts ongoing internal audits as well. "As a result of this internal review process, National Fuel representatives have identified and corrected billings in which the customer paid more than the most beneficial rate based on incomplete or inaccurate customer information," said Karen Merkel, a spokeswoman for National Fuel.

Under the state's contract, the auditing firm receives sliding scale fees from 39 percent for $20,000 of monetary refunds to 25 percent for $100,001 and above. As with all of the company's clients, there is no fee if overcharges aren't found.

Outside of the state mandates, individual municipalities also contract Troy & Banks to audit streetlight usage and the payment of franchise fees from cable companies. Streetlight usage can account for up to 40 percent of a town's utility bill. Auditors reconcile bills and usage and do physical inventories of things such as wattage settings.

It found $2.1 million in streetlight overages for the City of Buffalo, $150,000 for the Town of Cheektowaga and $215,000 for the Town of Amherst.

The franchise fee audits check to make sure municipalities are paid full franchise fees by cable companies who use and occupy public property. The audits have shown cable companies regularly underpay franchise fees. One example is Time Warner Cable, which underpaid Ithaca by $50,000.

Telecommunication providers often get it wrong, too. Monroe's BOCES program was overcharged $20,000 by Frontier Communications. Batavia City School District overpaid $7,000 to One Communications.

And overbilling doesn't just happen to schools and government agencies. The company has more than 7,000 clients, including the New York Stock Exchange (for which it recovered $100,000), Amtrak (it caught $1.1 million), M&T Bank (another $1.1 million) and the U.S. Postal Service ($400,000).

Catholic Charities of Syracuse overpaid $190,884.33 to National Grid; Upstate New York Transplant Services paid them $30,000.

schristmann@buffnews.com
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

In conjunction with the above article..........
Tried for years and years to get the Lackawanna City-Comptroller to go after the money lost to National Grid when poles are down or out!
He fired back at me that " I don't have time! to do that! " He/they do not care that we over-pay National Grid day after day--month after month--year after year!

Well I care and I want my credit when over-charged anything, even a dollar, don't you?

All we need is a system......one City Clerk e-mails pole numbers in daily to National Grid. So when a Citizen calls them in and Policemen routinely gather the outages while on patrol. Citizens can't see electric poles on the Turnpike.
Now we only get reimbursed 6 cents per pole once they are reported to National Grid......so the poles that are out must be e-mailed in as soon as possible and the City Comptroller must go after our refunds.
BUT, now, the attorney's in the article seem to have it together to fight for " The People's " money!
These outside attorney's are ones that we hire on contingency when they deliver the goods.:encouragement:

I counted 12 poles out on Sat. from Madison to the Bridge.......12poles x.06=.72/day........ .72x30days=$21.60/month.
I believe we should go after any money owed to the City of Lackawanna by National Grid. What do you all think?

[andreahaxton]

Published:September 16, 2011, 12:00 AM

2 Comments

The proposed closure of the lone post office in Lackawanna will be the subject of a public hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Lackawanna Senior Citizens Center, 230 Martin Road.

The U. S. Postal Service announced in July as part of cost-curring efforts that it was studying 3,653 local offices, branches and stations across the country for possible closing, including the post office on Ridge Road in Lackawanna’s central business district.

The Lackawanna City Council, Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. and Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, have all gone on record vowing to fight it.
Comments

Sort:NEWEST FIRST | OLDEST FIRST

I am also upset about the possibility of The Lackawanna post office closing, many senior citizens live very close to the post office and that is there only means of getting things mailed. We have a senior citizen complex 2 for that matter very close to the post office, and I hope it stays open. As far s Mr, Higgins goes he has done more far more for our area than any other politician in a long time. He is very accessible,knowledgeable and gets his facts straight, His assistants are also very excellent in thier duties. He is a GREAT politition and not a glory hound,, Mr. David Jones.

VALERIE BRILLHART, LACKAWANNA, NY on Fri Sep 16, 2011 at 05:59 PM
Flag As Inappropriate

Here we have a Post Office system that needs to reconfigure to cut cost. Lackawanna may close but so will many others across our nation. Here we have Higgens not getting involved to see what can be done to help the situation, but instead becoming an obstructionist to the process only trying to get his name in the news. Is Higgens a glory hound or a politition trying to do his job? In my book a glory hound!!!!

DAVID A. JONES, WEST VALLEY, NY on Fri Sep 16, 2011 at 08:55 AM [/B]
************************************************** ************************************************** ****************************

People Power!

[WNYresident]

I am also upset about the possibility of The Lackawanna post office closing, many senior citizens live very close to the post office and that is there only means of getting things mailed. We have a senior citizen complex 2 for that matter very close to the post office, and I hope it stays open.


I'm going to assume they will have a drop box or that a local business can pick up selling stamps or act as a drop location to letters.



As far s Mr, Higgins goes he has done more far more for our area than any other politician in a long time. He is very accessible,knowledgeable and gets his facts straight, His assistants are also very excellent in thier duties. He is a GREAT politition and not a glory hound,, Mr. David Jones.

Is he referring to the same Brian Higgins from Buffalo?

[blahblahblah]

If you want something mailed, give it to your mailman.

[WNYresident]

Are there senior complexes around the post office they are planning to close? They can easily have a drop box at the apartments to make it easier if the seniors don't drive.

[mnb811]

Every senior complex has a mailbox outside of it. Just add a stamp machine and your in business. The problem with people is that they do not understand business as usual for the postal service is bankrupting them. You want to help the US Postal service out? Get off the internet! and mail stuff! That just isn't going to happen so.....

[andreahaxton]

OUR LADY OF VICTORY NATIONAL SHRINE AND BASILICAwww.ourladyofvictory.org/Parish/bulletin

Sep 18, 2011 – ST. ANTHONY SPAGHETTI DINNER, 306 Ingham. Avenue, Lackawanna ( Drilling Hall) on Sunday,. September 18, from 11:30 a.m. until 4:30 ...:eagerness:

FYI: OLV Basilica is the sister church to St. Anthony's.:cool: We are Blessed, indeed!

I will be there later if anyone wants to chat, I have to go to my " 40th " " High School Welcome Home to Immaculata " mass and brunch first. 40 years?!?!, seems like yesterday Charlie V. was revving his GTO engine in the parking lot waiting for Roseann O. to come out. And who would have thought I would have bought Roseann's families Mom and Pop store 27 years later.

I hope we can start a " Come Home to Lackawanna " every other year or so, maybe just a big BYO picnic or something. We need to build on what we have, our memories, and shared visions for the future of Lackawanna.
Any ideas?

[andreahaxton]

[QUOTE=andreahaxton;792957]Published:September 16, 2011, 12:00 AM

The proposed closure of the lone post office in Lackawanna will be the subject of a public hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Lackawanna Senior Citizens Center, 230 Martin Road.

The U. S. Postal Service announced in July as part of cost-curring efforts that it was studying 3,653 local offices, branches and stations across the country for possible closing, including the post office on Ridge Road in Lackawanna’s central business district.

The Lackawanna City Council, Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. and Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, have all gone on record vowing to fight it.

************************************************** ************************************************** ****************************
People Power!

[literal]

Watkins launches write-in campaign

Targets Szymanski in Lackawanna race


Updated: September 30, 2011, 7:08 AM


The Rev. Dion J. Watkins, who narrowly lost the Democratic primary for Lackawanna mayor, will run an aggressive write-in campaign in the November election, continuing his challenge of front-runner Geoffrey M. Szymanski.

An outpouring of support following last Friday’s vote tally at the Erie County Board of Elections convinced Watkins to stay in the race, the candidate said Thursday.

“I was done in my mind, but people flooded my office with calls,” said Watkins, who announced his campaign strategy during a press conference Thursday in Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, of which he is pastor.

Szymanski, 2nd Ward councilman, won the Democratic nomination over Watkins by a final vote count of 1,544 to 1,529.

Watkins, a school teacher in his first run for political office, shocked the Lackawanna political establishment by ending primary night on Sept. 13 trailing Szymanski, the party’s endorsed candidate, by a single vote, with absentee and military ballots yet to be counted.

Finishing third with 808 votes was Council President Chuck Jaworski. Patrick A. McCusker, who runs a tax preparation firm, received 189 votes.

McCusker won the Republican and Independence party lines, and he had sought the endorsements of

Watkins and Jaworski to mount a serious challenge to Szymanski.

But McCusker’s poor showing in the Democratic primary limited his leverage with the other candidates in the heavily Democratic city.

In an interview Thursday, McCusker said he will no longer actively campaign and would likely vote for Watkins.

“I told him I’ll back out. I don’t want to be a spoiler in the race. I’ll let Dion and Geoff go head to head,” said McCusker.

Jaworski said in an interview that he was leaning towards endorsing Watkins, but hadn’t made up his mind.

Watkins faces an uphill climb. His name won’t be on the ballot, while Szymanski’s will appear on the Democratic, Working Families Party and Conservative lines.

Individual voters will have to write in his name and fill in the ballot circle for “other” to cast a vote for him.

Watkins said his campaign team is planning to hand out stamps with his name, which would allow voters to fill a write-in line with an easily readable printed stamp.

“We’re going to be prepared,” he said. “We have to work two times harder.”

Szymanski said Watkins presents a formidable challenge, but he was more concerned about continuing his own campaign efforts than not having the support of Jaworski and McCusker.

“It’s going to be an interesting race to say the least,” he said. “We can only do what we do to try and win the election. When you start worrying about what the other campaigns are doing, you take the focus off what you should be doing.”

John Nowak, who lost the Republican primary to McCusker, also is running as a write-in candidate. Former city employee Walter Seres will appear on the Time for Change line.

jtokasz@buffnews.com




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[andreahaxton]

AGENDA

COUNCIL MEETING
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011
www.ci.lackawanna.ny.us
Meeting called to order/Pledge of Allegiance
NB: Meeting being recorded.
Roll Call: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi, Jaworski
Dept.Heads: Law, Public Works, Public Safety, Recreation, Development

Hearings from Citizens:

Approval of Minutes of regular meeting of September 19, 2011.
Departmental Reports:
1.City Comptroller – AP Check Listing #4, September 15, 2011.
2.City Comptroller- AP Check Listing #5, September 21, 2011.

Communications from the Council:

Council President Jaworski - requests Council approval of resolution extending appointment of the Council Clerk to the date of December 31, 2015.

Council Member Noman – requests Council allot funding for demolition of 61 and 235-237 Ingham Avenue , properties not sold at city auction.

Communications from Department/Division Heads:
Director of Development – requests Council authorize the City Clerk to advertise for bids for demolition of various buildings.

Communications from Citizens.

Mary Novak - requests the Council allow parking on both sides of Keever Avenue from 4 pm to 10 pm on Saturday, December 24 th for her annual Christmas party.

Andrea Haxton – requests permission to use Bocce Court building for meetings on Oct 8, 15 and 22, 2011 and permission to hold Bethlehem Park Halloween Parade on Saturday, October 29 th at 3:30 pm.

Business Registrations :

Drag-In Automotive Repair & Service Corp. – 1205 Ridge Road – T. Capuano

Resolutions

A resolution extending the appointment of the Council Clerk to December 31, 2015.

Tabled Items:
Adjournment
PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK BEFORE THE COUNCIL SHALL GIVE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS, LIMIT THEIR REMARKS TO THREE (3) MINUTES ON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS ONLY AND DIRECT THEIR QUESTIONS TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER. TO PLACE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PERSONS SHALL SUBMIT THEIR CORRESPONDENCE IN LETTER FORM, SIGNED AND FORWARDED TO THE CITY CLERK, VIA CERTIFIED MAIL OR IN PERSON BEFORE 12:00 NOON ON THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEETING. COUNCIL HAS FINAL APPROVAL. PLEASE TURN OFF ALL CELLPHONES AND GENTLEMEN, REMOVE YOUR HATS

FYI......
The money spent is hidden in the " AP CK Listings "..........:mad:

[cath829]

Council President Jaworski - requests Council approval of resolution extending appointment of the Council Clerk to the date of December 31, 2015.

Is that even legal? Or is this just another political favor for Marlene Kita?
Where's the resolution for the City Clerk's appointment? These are the only two positions the Council can appoint. What's good for one is good for the other isn't it Chuck? Both appointments end December 31, 2011. Hmmm, quite interesting. I know this isn't "past practice".

[had enough yet]

if the council votes who they should have as their clerk, doesn't it make sense that the new council should vote on that once they are elected to office. why would the council want to be STUCK with chuck's choice? there could be 3 new members on the council. Geoff isn't fond of the work kita does. there is one vote that should be a no, unless he made a deal!!!!!!

[andreahaxton]

if the council votes who they should have as their clerk, doesn't it make sense that the new council should vote on that once they are elected to office. why would the council want to be STUCK with chuck's choice? there could be 3 new members on the council. Geoff isn't fond of the work kita does. there is one vote that should be a no, unless he made a deal!!!!!!


Whoa.......!:rolleyes:

[YNOTNOW]

if the council votes who they should have as their clerk, doesn't it make sense that the new council should vote on that once they are elected to office. why would the council want to be STUCK with chuck's choice? there could be 3 new members on the council. Geoff isn't fond of the work kita does. there is one vote that should be a no, unless he made a deal!!!!!!

Jobs for votes in Lackawanna? I wonder what would happen if they reneged on the deal and someone contacted the press? Oh yeah, Nothing.

[cath829]

Guess Andrea was right! Here is a game
Of poli-tricks!! Gotta love it!

[WNYresident]

Jobs for votes in Lackawanna? I wonder what would happen if they reneged on the deal and someone contacted the press? Oh yeah, Nothing.

If there is something up with this why allow people to crap on you... Call the news and have it looked into.

I spotted this on facebook...

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/321203_2180644910576_1080533608_32354118_951622_n. jpg

[had enough yet]

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

[andreahaxton]

Same as " Are YOU part of the problem OR part of the solution" ?

The small City of Lackawanna has been the underdog for so long it is pathetic. We have the beautiful OLV Basilica that was built on a corner that was once described as a " Cosmopolitan " area. Ha! What is it now.......
And then in the 70's Lackawanna wanted to tear down the Botanical Gardens instead of maintaining them and South Park lake grounds. Thank goodness they gave them to Buffalo where people had a vision and worked hard to preserve and revitalize the Gardens and Parkways.
Instead of relentlessly going after anything they could to get ready for Fr. Baker's canonization.........they just zoom on by to cash their fat paychecks!
Time to re-group and mobilize Silent Majority in order to take back OUR City from the regime/machine who has taken and NOT given back through volunteerism, youth activities, beautification projects, etc.-- at all! Oh yeah, I did hear about a certain politician who passed a bottle of his wife's wine around for the Seniors to taste during one of the summer concerts at the Senior Center this year! :rolleyes:
Unless you like the image we have and the way OUR City looks, let's MARCH!

Now The News:
Campaign Financial Disclosure
Provided by the New York State Board of Elections
Expenditure Search Page by Candidate or Committee Name
Contributions and Expenditure Database»Expenditures by Candidate/Comm Name»Results

List of EXPENSES where Disburser Name is like COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR.
County Erie
Municipality Lackawanna
For Transaction Date Range: [01-JAN-07 to 09-JAN-11]
Expenditure is greater than [$ 1 ] And less than [$ 1000000]
No Zip Code or Zip Code Range Specified. Show all Expenses from all Zip Codes
Oracle found [ 279 ] records matching
Record are sorted by [ PAYEE NAME ] Schedule Legend

F = Expenses
Disclaimer: The majority of financial disclosure statements filed at the State Board are entered into the database directly from e-mail or diskette filings submitted by committee treasurers or candidates. The information contained in paper filings is entered into the database exactly as it appears on the forms. Because database searches retrieve information exactly the way it is reported, search results may be inaccurate and/or incomplete.

Payee/Recipient Amt Expense Code Date Disburser Filing Sched Office Dist
ACCESS OF WNY INC



BON TON
MCKINLEY PKWY
BLASDELL, NY 14219 53.21 FUNDR 20-APR-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
BOUNCING ON AIR

, 168.56 OTHER - BOUNCE HOUSE - DONATION 10-JUN-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
BOYS ASSN OF LACKAWANNA
PO BO 38
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 159.00 OTHER - SPONSOR FOR BASEBALL 06-MAR-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
BOYS ASSOCIATION
PO BOX 73
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 170.00 OTHER - SPONSOR BASEBALL TEAM 17-APR-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
BOYS ASSOCIATION
SOUTH PARK
LACKA, NY 14218 50.00 OTHER - FUNDRAISER FOR BOYS ASSOC 18-JUL-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
BUFFALO AFL-CIO

, 60.00 FUNDR 27-JUL-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 32 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
BUFFALO CHOPHOUSE
DELAWARE AVENUE
BUFFALO, NY 14202 800.00 OTHER - POLITICAL DINNER 19-DEC-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 Jan Periodic F Mayor
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
RIDGE ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 125.00 CNTRB 21-MAR-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
CHRISTMAS SHOP
N. FALLS BLVD
AMHERST, NY 320.80 OTHER - SUPPLIES FOR GIFT BASKETS 16-JUN-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
CHRISTMAS TREE SHOPPE
NIAGARA FALLS BLVD
AMHERST, NY 187.60 OTHER - BASKET FOR RAFFLES FOR FUNDRAISER 24-JUL-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
CHRISTMAS TREE SHOPS

ED WEGRYN GOLF TOURNAMENT

LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 50.00 OTHER - DONATION FOR GOLF TOURNAMENT 10-JUL-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
ED WEGRYN GOLF TOURNAMENT
60.00 CNTRB 26-AUG-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF CHUCK JAWORSKI
MCKINLEY PKWY

FRIENDS OF FATHER BAKER
RIDGE ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 120.00 OTHER - DONATION FOR FATHER BAKER FUNDRAISER 02-OCT-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 11 Pre General F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF FRAN PORDUM
, 50.00 CNTRB 05-AUG-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 32 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF FRANK KULCZYK
MAGNOLIA
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 50.00 CNTRB 09-OCT-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF GEOFF SZYMANSKI
MODERN AVENUE
, 50.00 CNTRB 27-APR-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF JIM SIERACKI
MARYKNOLL DRIVE
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 200.00 FUNDR 01-MAY-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF JOHN MAKEYENKO
BEECH ST
, 35.00 CNTRB 20-AUG-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF LISA FRIEND
MADISON AVENUE

, 50.00 CONTR 08-AUG-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 32 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF PAT DEPASQUALE
WOODBINE
WEST SENECA, NY 14224 40.00 FUNDR 11-JUL-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A

BUFFALO, NY 50.00 FUNDR 19-FEB-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF TIM WROBLEWSKI

WEST SENECA, NY 14224 50.00 CNTRB 20-AUG-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
FRIENDS OF TONY ORSINI
ELECTRIC AVENUE
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 525.00 OTHER - FOOD FOR WORKERS 11-DEC-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
JAMES MICHEL
BOARDMAN RD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 594.39 OTHER - PLASTIC WARE FOR FUNDRAISER 07-SEP-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 Post Primary F Mayor N/A

JOANNE ARTS AND FABRICS
MCKINLEY PKWY
BLASDELL, NY 14219 65.23 OTHER - DONATION FOR KOEHLER BENEFIT 18-SEP-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 Post Primary F Mayor N/A
JOANNE FABRICS
MILESTRIP RD
BLASDELL, NY 14219 54.35 OTHER - BASKET FOR BENEFIT 13-OCT-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 11 Pre General F Mayor N/A
JOHNSON ESTATE WINERY

WESTFIELD, NY 107.58 OTHER - WINE FOR GIFT BASKETS 25-JUN-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A


LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 40.00 OTHER - BENEFIT 22-SEP-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 Post Primary F Mayor N/A
KOHLS
MILESTRIP
BLASDELL, NY 14219 65.09 OTHER - PRIZES 16-JUL-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKA FOOD PANTRY
RIDGE ROAD
LACKA, NY 14218 200.00 OTHER - DONATION FOR FOOD PANTRY 15-DEC-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKA LITTLELOOP FOOTBALL
SOUTH PARK
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 60.00 FUNDR 18-NOV-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKA MARINE CORP CLUB
ELECTRIC AVENUE

LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 125.00 FUNDR 28-FEB-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKAWANNA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
RIDGE ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 80.00 FUNDR 18-AUG-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2011 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKAWANNA CHEERLEADERS
MARTIN ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 50.00 FUNDR 25-FEB-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKAWANNA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
MARTIN ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 50.00 FUNDR 28-FEB-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKAWANNA DARE PROGRAM
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 CNTRB 23-APR-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKAWANNA DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 CONTR 02-MAY-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKAWANNA FUND BANK
RIDGE ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 200.00 OTHER - CONTRIBUTION FOR FOOD BANK 10-DEC-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2011 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
LACKAWANNA HS SENIOR CLASS
MARTIN ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 25.00 OTHER - DONATRION FOR SR CLASS FUNDRAISER 04-OCT-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 11 Pre General F Mayor N/A
LACKAWANNA POLITICAL COMM

LACKWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 CNTRB 24-APR-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A

LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 PRINT 16-JUN-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
LAKE ERIE GOLF TOURNAMENT
SOUTH PARK
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 OTHER - DONATION, PRIZES FOR GOLF TOURNAMENT 09-JUL-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 400.00 OTHER - SHELTER RENTAL FOR FUNDRAISER 08-SEP-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A

LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 FUNDR 23-OCT-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
LISA'S LEGACY BENEFIT
, 50.00 OTHER - BENEFIT 11-MAY-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
LUCARELLIS BANQUET
ABBOTT RD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 150.00 OTHER - DEPOSIT ON BANQUET HALL 25-APR-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
LUCARELLIS BANQUET HALL
ABBOTT ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 2,541.72 FUNDR 22-FEB-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOC
, 50.00 OTHER - DONATION TO MDA 19-AUG-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 11 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
NEW WNY POLITICS COMMITTEE
, 150.00 CNTRB 30-SEP-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2011 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
NORMAN L POLANSKI
MARTIN RD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 1,950.00 OTHER - PAID BY LOAN MADE TO CAMPAIGN 05-MAR-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
NYS SPECIAL OLYMPICS

, 50.00 FUNDR 21-JUN-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
ODANIELS RESTAURANT
ABBOTT ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 250.00 OTHER - FOOD FOR WORKERS GENERAL ELECTION 07-NOV-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 27 Post General F Mayor N/A
ODANIELS RESTAURANT
ABBOTT RD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 175.55 OTHER - DINNER FOR WORKERS AT FUNDRAISER 01-AUG-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A

OLV BASILICA
RIDGE ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 50.00 OTHER - DONATION 04-JUN-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
OLV BASILICA PENNIES TO HEAVEN
RIDGE ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 50.00 PRINT 24-JUN-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
OMEGA DELI
CENTER RD
WEST SENECA, NY 14224 149.33 OTHER - LUNCHMEAT, SALAD, WORKERS PRIMARY 18-SEP-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 Post Primary F Mayor N/A
ONE STOP PARTY RENTAL
MILLERSPORT HWY
AMHERST, NY 135.94 OTHER - BOUNCE HOUSE FOR BBQ FUNDRAISER 13-AUG-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 32 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
ORIGINAL DOG BAR RESTAURANT

WEST FALLS, NY 320.00 OTHER - POLITICAL DINNER 18-MAR-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
OUR LADY OF VICTORY CHURCH
RIDGE ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 50.00 CONTR 15-JUN-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
PARTY CITY
MILESTRIP RD

PATRIOTS CLUB
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 OTHER - DONATION 16-FEB-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
PATRIOTS CLUB OF LACKAWANNA

, 100.00 OTHER - DONATION 07-FEB-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
PATS SUBS
ABBOTT ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 70.00 OTHER - FOOD FOR WORKERS AT FUNDRAISER BBQ 10-AUG-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 32 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
PELLICANOS MEATS
READING STREET
BUFFALO, NY 14220 77.94 OTHER - HOT DOGS, FOR BBQ FUNDRAISER 10-AUG-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 32 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
PIER ONE IMPORTS
MILESTRIP
BLASDELL, NY 14219 34.42 OTHER - PARTY SUPPLIES - FUNDRAISER 24-JUL-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS
57 LUCY DRIVE
CHEEKTOWAGA, NY 14225 100.00 CNTRB 30-OCT-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2011 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESSION

LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 70.00 OTHER - BASKETS FOR FUNDRAISER 02-DEC-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
PRESTIGE WINE & SPIRITS
MILESTRIP RD
BLASDELL, NY 14219 134.76 OTHER - GIFT BASKETS 08-MAR-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
PRESTIGE WINES
MILESTRIP
BLASDELL, NY 14219 466.43 OTHER - DONATIONS FOR BASKETS 14-DEC-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
PRESTIGE WINES & SPIRITS

, 165.65 OTHER - WINE BASKETS FOR VARIOUS ORGANIZATIO 06-AUG-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2011 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
PRIESTEGE WINE & SPIRITS
MILESTRIP RD
BLASDELL, NY 14219 169.15 OTHER - WINE FOR FUNDRAISER 27-JUL-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
PROF. BUSINESSMAN ASSOC
PO BOX 2607
BUFFALO, NY 14240 60.00 OTHER - MEMBERSHIP DUES 30-DEC-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
PROFESSIONAL BUS. ASSOC

BUFFALO, NY 14202 60.00 OTHER - MEMBERSHIP DUES 02-JAN-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
PROFESSIONAL BUSINESSMANS ASSOC

, 60.00 OTHER - MEMBERSHIP DUES 12-DEC-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
PROGRESSIVE CHURCH OF GOD
GLENWOOD AVENUE
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 75.00 OTHER - CHURCH FUNDRAISER DONATION 08-SEP-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 Post Primary F Mayor N/A
REAL CONSERVATIVE PARTY

, 150.00 CNTRB 26-APR-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
REAL CONSERVATIVES

, 75.00 CNTRB 17-JAN-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
REUBEN BROWN BIKE RIDE

LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 60.00 CONTR 15-JUN-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
RICHRD GERNAT
ELECTRIC AVENUE
LACKWANNA, NY 14218 75.00 OTHER - BEVERAGES FOR WORKERS 11-DEC-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
RIDE FOR ROSWELL
HIGH STREET
BUFFALO, NY 50.00 FUNDR 21-JUN-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
ROCKLYN PRINTING
2111 SENECA ST
BUFFALO, NY 14210 588.34 OTHER - PRINT HAND CARDS 07-SEP-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 Post Primary F Mayor N/A
ROCKLYN PRINTING
2111 SENECA ST
BUFFALO, NY 14210 227.29 LITER 28-AUG-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 11 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
ROCKLYN PRINTING
2111 SENECA STREET
BUFFALO, NY 14210 61.99 LITER 22-AUG-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 11 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
RON SPADONE GOLF TOURN
CIRCLE LANE
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 FUNDR 21-JUN-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
RON SPADONE GOLF TOURNAMENT
CIRCLE LANE
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 OTHER - DONATION FOR GOLF TOURNAMENT 10-JUL-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
RON SPADONE GOLF TOURNAMENT
CIRCLE LANE
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 100.00 PRINT 30-JUN-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
RUBEN BROWN RUN

LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 60.00 OTHER - DONATION 18-JUN-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
SPECIAL OCASSIONS SPECIALIST

, 520.00 OTHER - BOUNCE HOUSE/POPCORN MACHINE 15-AUG-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2011 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
SPECIAL OCCASSIONS SPECIALIST

, 100.00 OTHER - DEPOSIT FOR BOUNCE HOUSE/POPCORN MAC 01-AUG-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2011 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
ST ANTHONYS CHURCH
INGHAM AVE
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 70.00 OTHER - PRINT AD 21-MAR-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
ST ANTHONYS CHURCH
INGHAM AVENUE
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 70.00 PRINT 09-APR-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
STEEL PLANT MUSEUM
RIDGE ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 50.00 FUNDR 28-SEP-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
SUE WELSH BENEFIT

, 50.00 OTHER - BENEFIT 19-JUN-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2008 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
TARGET
MILESTRIP
BLASDELL, NY 14219 159.27 OTHER - PRIZES 16-JUL-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
TARGET
AMELIA DRIVE
ORCHARD PARK, NY 14217 74.75 OTHER - SUPPLIES FOR FUNDRAISER 12-AUG-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2011 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
TEAM CURE-ROSWELL HOSPITAL

BUFFALO, NY 14202 50.00 FUNDR 06-FEB-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
THE REAL CONSERVATIVES
SOUTH PARK
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 75.00 CONTR 02-MAY-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
THE REAL CONSERVATIVES
SO PARK
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 75.00 FUNDR 12-DEC-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
TIM HORTON'S COFFEE
RIDGE ROAD
LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 98.82 OTHER - PRIMARY DAY/COFFEE/DRINKS 18-SEP-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 Post Primary F Mayor N/A
UNION GRAND RENTAL STATION
1701 UNION ROAD
W SENECA, NY 14224 60.82 OTHER - POPCORN MACHINE, POPCORN FUNDRAISER 12-AUG-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 32
, 554.00 OTHER - UNITEMIZED EXPENSES 10-JUL-09 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 July Periodic F Mayor N/A

VETTER WINERY

WEST FIELD, NY 82.05 OTHER - WINE FOR GIFT BASKETS 25-JUN-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
WILCOX WINERIES

, 275.00 OTHER - BASKET OF CHEER FOR FUNDRAISER 18-MAY-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
WILCOX WINERY

, PA 275.52 OTHER - DONATIONS 01-SEP-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 11 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
WILCOX WINERY

, PA 205.81 OTHER - DONATION AND PRIZES FOR SENIORS 10-NOV-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 27 Post General F Mayor N/A
WILCOX WINERY

, PA 54.06 OTHER - DONATION FOR GIFT BASKETS 01-SEP-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 11 Pre Primary F Mayor N/A
WILLOW CREEK WINERY
2627 CHAPIN RD
SILVER CREEK, NY 266.67 OTHER - WINE FOR BASKETS/FUNDRAISER 12-DEC-08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2009 Jan Periodic F Mayor N/A
WILLOWCREEK WINERY

SILVER CREEK, NY 412.25 OTHER - WINE FOR GIFT BASKETS 25-JUN-10 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2010 July Periodic F Mayor N/A


, 50.00 CNTRB 17-MAY-07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR. 2007 July Periodic F Mayor N/A
Total Expenses 63,757.09

[andreahaxton]

Sorry it is sooo long! I had to cut out appr. 1/2 of list to fit computer screen.
Entire lists are found on the NYS Board of Elections Campaign Contributions and Expenditures list for politicians.
ALL Public Information. Transparent Government to the max!

Lots of WINE floating around Lackawanna.......isn't there?!:rolleyes:

[had enough yet]

Sorry it is sooo long! I had to cut out appr. 1/2 of list to fit computer screen.
Entire lists are found on the NYS Board of Elections Campaign Contributions and Expenditures list for politicians.
ALL Public Information. Transparent Government to the max!

Lots of WINE floating around Lackawanna.......isn't there?!:rolleyes:

Maybe they could get some cheese from Sorrento to go with the wine ----- ooooopps, that bridge was burned long ago with the truck driving ban!!!!!

[YNOTNOW]

[QUOTE=WNYresident;799230]If there is something up with this why allow people to crap on you... Call the news and have it looked into.

In a perfect world the local television news, Buffalo news, state atty general(s), local DA, Lackawanna papers, would have all looked into our pleas. As Mnb stated, he wrote and was never even acknowledged, same thing I got from them.

One news story on the television news about Norm Polanski promising David Hardy a job if Norm got elected. Since then, this expose' has disappeared, I have tried all search engines and there is not even a hint of this story to be found.

It is not a case of "allowing people to crap on us", it's a case of asking/begging for investigations of the city that fall on deaf ears.

[getalife123]

[QUOTE=WNYresident;799230]If there is something up with this why allow people to crap on you... Call the news and have it looked into.

In a perfect world the local television news, Buffalo news, state atty general(s), local DA, Lackawanna papers, would have all looked into our pleas. As Mnb stated, he wrote and was never even acknowledged, same thing I got from them.

One news story on the television news about Norm Polanski promising David Hardy a job if Norm got elected. Since then, this expose' has disappeared, I have tried all search engines and there is not even a hint of this story to be found.

It is not a case of "allowing people to crap on us", it's a case of asking/begging for investigations of the city that fall on deaf ears.

This is the product of a one party political system (Both parties are the same). Nobody is going to throw one of their own under the bus. Democrats take care of Democrats and Republicans take of their own. Both parties play the game and ignore the other party's trangressions. The only ones who get burned alive are those not connected. We pay for this political system which refuses to change. When people do try to make waves they are served up as fodder by both parties. (see Tea Party advocates) The politicans love them because they have some else to deflect their short comings. Does anyone really believe that the Tea Party advocates started in 2009 and actually got people elected in 2010 caused the current mess that this government has created? Our political leaders use them as excape goats. A classic case of shoot the messenger. In our case ignore the problem because they all do it. You need to be presistent, you need to be focused and you need to demand results. We all need to keep trying until someone listens.

[YNOTNOW]

[QUOTE=YNOTNOW;799849]

This is the product of a one party political system (Both parties are the same). Nobody is going to throw one of their own under the bus. Democrats take care of Democrats and Republicans take of their own. Both parties play the game and ignore the other party's trangressions. The only ones who get burned alive are those not connected. We pay for this political system which refuses to change. When people do try to make waves they are served up as fodder by both parties. (see Tea Party advocates) The politicans love them because they have some else to deflect their short comings. Does anyone really believe that the Tea Party advocates started in 2009 and actually got people elected in 2010 caused the current mess that this government has created? Our political leaders use them as excape goats. A classic case of shoot the messenger. In our case ignore the problem because they all do it. You need to be presistent, you need to be focused and you need to demand results. We all need to keep trying until someone listens.

I understand getalife, that political parties are in it for themselves. I have read on here that a lot of fed up people have tried to get the attention of "higher ups", or people whose job it is to persue and investigate corruption when and where it occurs.

The frustrating thing is though, I keep hearing that...it's on the way, it's in the works, there is an investigation, people are working on it, yada, yada, yada. It is hard not to lose hope when you keep getting doors slammed in your face!

[andreahaxton]

5/18/2007----- Wilcox Winery/----- 275.00
9/1/2007----- Wilcox Winery/----- 54.06
9/1/2007----- Wilcox Winery/----- 275.52
11/10/2007----- Wilcox Winery (for Seniors)/----- 205.81
12/14/2007----- Prestige Wine and Spirits/----- 466.43
12/2/2008----- Prestige Wine and Spirits/----- 70.00
12/12/2008----- Willow Creek Winery/----- 266.67
7/27/2009----- Prestige Wine and Spirits/----- 169.15
3/8/2010----- Prestige Wine and Spirits/----- 134.76
6/25/2010----- Vetter Winery/----- 82.05
6/25/2010----- Johnson Estate Winery/----- 107.58
6/25/2010----- Willow Creek Winery/----- 412.25
8/6/2010----- Prestige Wine and Spirits/----- 165.65
Total= $2684.93


ALL purchased out of the Chicken BBQ and donation money Grandma and Gram-pa scraped together and gave thinking the snowplow will miss their driveway and stamps for important campaign news..........:rolleyes:
I wonder if they had a designated driver on their Wine Tours?!

(Sorry, taking an Excel class---I'll get there!)
Ooops........I forgot all of the other expenditures bought in Rochester, etc. for all those raffles!

On top of ALL that wine given away in those baskets there was stuff from the Christmas Store......BonTon......Kohl's, etc.
What nice raffle baskets they must have been......I wonder who won them? Lucky raffle ticket holders! How many parties/fundraisers did they say they had again..........? 3/year? x 3 years= appr. ??? At appr. $10.00(on the high side)/bottle= appr. 268 bottles........Whoa!

I wonder where they stored ALL THAT WINE .....at the Senior Center?:indecisiveness:

[blahblahblah]

You Truly Are A Nutjob!

[had enough yet]

You Truly Are A Nutjob!

so nice to see lackawanna 1 is back!!!!!!

[had enough yet]

does anyone know the name of the lackawanna police office that is under investigation for sexual misconduct?

[cath829]

3581

Please see the last two paragraphs of this article from the Buffalo News, dated October 4, 2011. If Geoff has a difficult time making this type of decision and speaking his mind in front of the residents and the rest of the Council AS a sitting Councilmember, how will he make a DIFFICULT decision as Mayor?? This appears to be Chuck wanting to play King. If this wasn't a POLITICAL move, tell me Geoff and Chuck, why wasn't the City Clerk's appointment extended? All FIVE members should be ashamed of themselves by circumventing the proper procedure in appointing the Council Clerk. Cheap politics as usual.

[getalife123]

Bad decision on your part Geoff. This close to the election you should have voted NO. You won by a handful, maybe this action will cause your own loss. What game is being played with the council, let us know before the election, some voters want a change. And for you Jaworski, are you looking to squeeze in on a seat, gonna miss those few extra bucks to sell your soul. What a bunch of stooges. Smart voters help this city.

[andreahaxton]

post is focus of criticism
By Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:October 6, 2011, 12:00 AM

1 Comment
Another Lackawanna mayor appears to be lining up work with the Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority after the conclusion of his term in December.

The board of commissioners of the authority voted Wednesday morning to request a waiver from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development that would allow the board to consider hiring Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. as executive director.

The vote provoked sharp criticism from some tenants who view Polanski as an ineffective mayor whose administration did little to assist Lackawanna’s First Ward, where the Housing Authority’s three developments are located.

“Lackawanna politics as usual,” said George W. Halsey III, a former First Ward councilman. “Norm appointed all of the board of directors over the eight-year period.”

“You appointed everybody; now they’re going to appoint you executive director,” he added. “That is unethical.”

Halsey also accused Polanski of having a “history of retribution against people who don’t support him.”

Polanski appointed five of the seven commissioners; the remaining two commissioners were elected by tenants.

The board, during a special meeting in Parkview Towers, voted, 4-1, to approve the waiver re-

quest.

Polanski has not received the job and won’t be considered for the post unless a waiver is granted, said Jeff DePasquale, chairman of the board of commissioners.

“We wanted to make sure we had HUD’s blessing to avoid any controversy,” he said.

Years ago, the board ran into trouble when it did not seek a waiver and appointed a former mayor to the executive director’s spot.

Polanski acknowledged Wednesday that he is interested in the job, and he said he’s well-qualified for it.

“Their little budget is nothing compared with what’s here [in City Hall],” he said. “And their major problem is maintenance, which I have a background in. I’ve been dealing with maintenance crews all my life, and I think it’s a good fit for me.”

The Housing Authority, which consists of three developments with a total of 490 units for families and seniors, has an annual budget of about $4 million. The city’s current budget is $23.2 million.

“He’s managed much bigger budgets. He’s managed much bigger work forces,” DePasquale said. “I certainly think he’s qualified.”

Other candidates are likely to emerge in the coming weeks, DePasquale added.

For months, there has been speculation that Polanski was seeking the Housing Authority job, which currently is held on an interim basis by Robert W. McManus, the authority’s longtime housing project assistant and deputy director.

McManus said he was not seeking the executive director’s post permanently.

The previous executive director was Thomas J. Radich, who accused Polanski of meddling in the authority’s affairs and negotiated a $50,000 buyout with the board of commissioners in 2009.

The executive director’s post currently pays $82,000 annually, which would amount to a sizable raise for Polanski, who makes $56,106 as mayor.

A mayor moving into the Housing Authority is nothing new.

After losing the 1991 mayoral election to Kathleen M. Staniszewski, former Mayor Thomas

E. Radich— father of Thomas

J. Radich— served a year as Housing Authority director, resigning when Staniszewski was able to appoint her own commissioners to the board.

Then, Staniszewski took the helm of the authority in 2000, following a failed bid in 1999 for a third term as mayor.

Polanski, who like many past Lackawanna mayors has had a tumultuous relationship with the Housing Authority, is unable to run again for mayor due to term limits.

HUD’s ethics policy prohibits housing authorities from hiring public and elected officials who exercise functions or responsibilities with respect to the Housing Authority during the tenure of the official or for up to one year after the tenure is completed.

A HUD waiver would allow the board to consider hiring Polanski as soon as his term ends in December. “They’ve given waivers before, but who knows?” Polanski said. “If it happens, OK. If it doesn’t happen, then I go to back to work for the Department of Corrections.”

Polanski took leave from his plumbing job at Collins Correctional Facility to run the city.

He also is still considering a run for the Assembly, although he can’t by law mount a campaign if he is in the Housing Authority post.

A group of tenants plans to hire a lawyer to convince HUD to deny the waiver, said Halsey, who accused the board of trying to sneak in Polanski.

Polanski refuted that. “There’s no way I’m sneaking into the Housing Authority,” he said, “because HUD has to approve me.”

jtokasz@buffnews.com




Comments

Sort:NEWEST FIRST | OLDEST FIRST

The events described in this piece are SO ABSOLUTELY TYPICAL of what goes on here in the City of Lackawanna.

I used to be amazed at the number of people I saw driving south of here, holding their noses....and now I realize that THEY WERE DRIVING DOWNWIND OF THIS CITY....it explains everything.

THIS kind of thing is why I AM A REGISTERED INDEPENDENT..."business as usual" here in Lackawanna discredits the party these boobs were elected from.

DARLENE OLIVER, LACKAWANNA, NY on Thu Oct 6, 2011 at 10:01 AM



" Took a leave to "" run the city ""...........
He sure did---right into the toilet and the poorhouse! Folks, they have spent 3 1/2 $$$$ million dollars in the past 2 years alone AND then had the audacity to "float" another bond to fix Fire Stations and roads that he--they should have been doing the past 12 years as routine maintainence!

Time to MARCH Lackawanna..........Enough is REALLY Enough! This political set-up is sickening, $82,000!!! Do you think HE is worth it?

PAYBACKS-PAYBACKS-PAYBACKS! The whole gang of them..........:disgust: I can't say what I want to say, I'm too much of a lady!

[WNYresident]

Polanski acknowledged Wednesday that he is interested in the job, and he said he’s well-qualified for it.

Don't take his word for it.

Put an add in the paper and hire someone more qualified for the position. It's for the kids.

[gibbsgal]

Polanski acknowledged Wednesday that he is interested in the job, and he said he’s well-qualified for it.

Dumbing down that position too?

[mnb811]

Polanski took leave from his plumbing job at Collins Correctional Facility to run the city.
Who is the poor person who gets screwed after this guy has been gone for 8 years? I hope that person doesn't have a wife and kids. After you leave your job for more than a year you should be canned.Unless its a medical condition. In the private sector they don't give a sh*t either way. Must be nice!

[mnb811]

Other candidates are likely to emerge in the coming weeks, DePasquale added.

LMAO like they really really really have a chance. It'll be a cold day in hell before that happens.:cower:

[mnb811]

What is this guy doing I thought he was running for assembly? Must be scared he can't beat Fahey. Maybe he's flipping a coin? More than likely he realizes that he doesn't have what it takes to win a state race. Just look at the city. Did anyone see the article on OLV and Martin Road home? After this group gets done screwing everyone the only business left in the damn city will be Curly's and Diamond Cutters.

[Caz5]

The way things seem to work in Lackawanna politics is that as long as you play by the rules of those in power, you are guaranteed a job with benefits and a pension. A plumber takes a leave of absence to RUN A CITY (?), then slips into the Housing Authority job to oversee the housing development's 3 properties. In a way, it's kind of sad if you think about it. The only time any of the politicians recognize the first ward as even existing is during campaigning and as political favors. Once the politician gets into office, the first ward just gets shoved to one side - last on the list for repairs, upgrades, improvements, services, etc. Over and over and over again. Yet, nobody really actually does more than scream, complain, and grumble about the abuse and neglect. That's why the plumber-turned-mayor will become mayor-turned-Housing Authority Czar.

[andreahaxton]

Polanski took leave from his plumbing job at Collins Correctional Facility to run the city.
Who is the poor person who gets screwed after this guy has been gone for 8 years? I hope that person doesn't have a wife and kids. After you leave your job for more than a year you should be canned.Unless its a medical condition. In the private sector they don't give a sh*t either way. Must be nice!


Exactly!

What about Geoff Szymanski........at the Mayoral debate this past summer, Geoff made a joke and told his wife laughingly, " even though it will mean a BIG ( I think he gave a figure) cut in pay when I become Mayor ", dear or honey---something like that. I know someone who has it all on tape.

When Polanski ran against Kuryak in 2003 for Mayor of Lackawanna he did NOT have any kind of a platform...........Do you remember what they ( the party) rigged up for Polanski to pound his chest about the summer Kuryak took his job with the Erie Water Authority?

" I will be a full-time Mayor and NO phone call goes unanswered ", he bellowed! That was it.
Folks in Lackawanna wanted a full-time Mayor and jumped on the band-wagon-----it worked for "the party" and they stopped answering the phone soon after!
Looking back, Kuryak could have run this City from his cell phone he is so smart! And I don't know if the other one is really a plumber---were his credentials ever vetted? A plumber is a hard worker and must do a lot of math calculations............where did this self-professed "plumber" graduate from? Degrees?:rolleyes:

Now the point.......WHAT ABOUT GEOFF?
Is HE going to take a 4-year leave from the Erie County Water Authority to " run the City " if he gets in? I know it is grounds for immediate dismissal if someone takes a leave from the County to take other employment and you must come back by day 364 in order to re-gain/retain your position.

Did the rules change? Are the Erie County Water Authority employees under different by-laws than the rest of Erie County employees?

What's up with this " Leave " business is right, mnb!::mad:

[mnb811]

You said that right Andrea. Also no one seems to mention that although " Mayor Fulltime" Polanski whined and cried,kick and screamed about the so called "Mayor Part-Time" Kuryak he basically made the city department heads pretty much all part-time. What the hell is that all about? No wonder the city has problems. Part time workers for Full Time jobs.

[andreahaxton]

You said that right Andrea. Also no one seems to mention that although " Mayor Fulltime" Polanski whined and cried,kick and screamed about the so called "Mayor Part-Time" Kuryak he basically made the city department heads pretty much all part-time. What the hell is that all about? No wonder the city has problems. Part time workers for Full Time jobs.

The official term is called " Theft of Governmental Services ", and it is a very serious crime!

Along with it follows the fact that they/he are breaking our Lackawanna City Charter/Code LAWS........they get away with it because they think THEY are the law.
Self-serving agendas is more like it,
I believe if Joe and Jane Public knew and really digested the toll of it all, about this blatant scamming and the rest of their corruption, they would revolt and march on the orange crate. How do we reach " The Silent Majority? "

How do they sleep at night, I have often heard asked......oh yeah, some are on the bottle and the other on legal prescriptions.:rolleyes:

[blahblahblah]

You flap your lips about people on the bottle but yet you ran a store and probably sold more booze to alcoholics than anyone here. You didn't care about that as long as you made money off them! And while you made money you could never seem to pay your share of taxes.

[getalife123]

You flap your lips about people on the bottle but yet you ran a store and probably sold more booze to alcoholics than anyone here. You didn't care about that as long as you made money off them! And while you made money you could never seem to pay your share of taxes.Contribute something positive for the voters of Lackawanna, if you cannot, then make yourself useful and volunteer. Lake Erie needs some cleaning up with all the algae & muck, that should keep you busy for a long time.

[blahblahblah]

Positive?!?! Are you for real?!?! LoL !!! What positive have you contributed? Your fond talk of people you don't even know?

[getalife123]

Positive?!?! Are you for real?!?! LoL !!! What positive have you contributed? Your fond talk of people you don't even know?

See that Lackawanna #1 is back. Nothing but bad manners. Just more blahblahblah. Even the name change doesn't cover the stench that comes through, PU, have a nice day.

[andreahaxton]

You flap your lips about people on the bottle but yet you ran a store and probably sold more booze to alcoholics than anyone here. You didn't care about that as long as you made money off them! And while you made money you could never seem to pay your share of taxes.


You flap your BIG ... about people because you are probably the one on the ......and your ignorance of the truth has caused to be be in a state of delusion.

I feel so sorry for you blabblabblah, and hope you snap out of it one day when you hear the truth about the lies YOU spread! You are in my prayers.

FYI.......I heard awhile ago but it has been recently confirmed that a certain candidate went in and " quit " their job one day because they could not handle the election process pressures and job, where they served more alcohol than anyone on here! They didn't care as long as they made money off them ! And while they made money they still had to file.......:rolleyes:

[blahblahblah]

You just don't get it. That person isn't on here accusing people of doing things, YOU ARE!!!
You try to bring up God and prayers but yet you still sit here and slander people! You are nothing but a lying hipocrate!

[andreahaxton]

You just don't get it. That person isn't on here accusing people of doing things, YOU ARE!!!
You try to bring up God and prayers but yet you still sit here and slander people! You are nothing but a lying hipocrate!


" You are nothing but a lying hipocrate! "

" Don't get it "
Are YOU kidding me? Are YOU for real? How old are YOU?


I ask you blabblabblay, I mean blah------- to PLEASE prove ANYTHING I say is a lie.......or slander, which is a very BIG thing to accuse someone of. Go right ahead, and sit there and make your list, sweetie.:chuncky:

P.S. I don't " try to bring up God and prayers "........he does a fine job all by himself. If you are a saved Christian you would understand that. I have a hunch on who you are and I am very disappointed in you if you are the person I have in mind. YOU confirmed it by saying, " That person isn't on here accusing people of doing things, "
I just feel sorry for you, and......I will still pray for you.
BTW: Why do I get you so mad when you feel I am a " scumbag " , blah?

[blahblahblah]

As the person making accusations, YOU have the burden of proof not me! I'm old enough to know that. You are right you don't "TRY" to bring up God and Prayers, you "DO" bring them up. You are a Christian ?!?! Let he without sin cast the first stone!

[gibbsgal]

You flap your lips about people on the bottle but yet you ran a store and probably sold more booze to alcoholics than anyone here. You didn't care about that as long as you made money off them! And while you made money you could never seem to pay your share of taxes.

You seem to be the one flapping lip - how would you know what type of client Ms. Haxton had frequenting her store? Maybe you were one of them? Heh Andrea, ask Ms. Prissy Pants what lawyer she used when she filed bankruptcy then you can tell "blahblahblah" aka as Lackawanna #1 that you followed in her footsteps and "what is good for one is good for all"! Then he would have to shut his flap about you - you would be just like his girl!! Did Prissy Pants file becasue of the lawsuits against her and her "establishment" or to avoid the IRS?

[blahblahblah]

"what is good for one is good for all" ? Talk about double standards! You are just as hipocratical as she is!

[had enough yet]

"what is good for one is good for all" ? Talk about double standards! You are just as hipocratical as she is!

'hipocratical', who is the doctor here?

[blahblahblah]

Yeah, you got me. Sorry about that. I never claimed to be a doctor.
Just kills me that when someone "IN" does it it's bad but when someone not "IN" does it it's ok? You people are truly messed up!

[blahblahblah]

And why do you insist on me being Lackawanna#1 ? Trust me, you have noooooo idea who I am. I am just someone that use to casually read this forum and couldn't stand the crap written here anymore!