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Thread: Lackawanna news

  1. #196
    Member YNOTNOW's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lackawanna #1 View Post
    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???

  2. #197
    Member andreahaxton's Avatar
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    Post lack-a-clue

    Called the DEC last week, obviously lack1 is scared .....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.

  3. #198
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    Post Tuesday September 6, 2011

    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...........

  4. #199
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    Post Lackawanna Losing BIG MONEY on all our poles that are out.....

    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.

    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?

  5. #200
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    Post Lackawanna Hearing will discuss possible POST OFFICE closing!

    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]
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    People Power!

  6. #201
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    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?

  7. #202
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    If you want something mailed, give it to your mailman.

  8. #203
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    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.

  9. #204
    Member mnb811's Avatar
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    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.....

  10. #205
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    Lightbulb Please Come.......I hear Joe Jerge made the sauce!

    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 ...

    FYI: OLV Basilica is the sister church to St. Anthony's. 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?

  11. #206
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    Post Just a Reminder!

    [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!

  12. #207
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    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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    Last edited by literal; September 30th, 2011 at 08:59 AM.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  13. #208
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    Post Oh What a Tangled Web...... THEY weave!

    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 "..........

  14. #209
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    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".

  15. #210
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    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!!!!!!

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