Are Reckless Pitbull Owners Behind Dyster's Proposed Animal Shelter - THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS FAIR
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THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS FAIR FREE JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015 VOL. 16, NO. 01 FREE Are Reckless Pitbull Owners Behind Dyster’s Proposed Animal Shelter...?
2
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015
Is Dyster’s Proposed $3.2 Million Animal Shelter Plan For the Pits?
Anna M. Howard
Niagara Falls - Is Mayor Paul A. Dys-
ter planning to open a city taxpayer funded
animal shelter within the next two years
and is the city’s troublesome pit bull pop-
ulation the real reason for the mayor’s dog
pound dream?
On November 14 Channel 2 News re-
porter Jeff Preval’s story, “Mayor proposes
$3.2 mil for possible animal shelter” re-
ported that the S.P.C.A. was expected to Mayor Paul Dyster said he may
end its relationship with Niagara Falls by
build a taxpayer funded animal
2017, and that Mayor Dyster had ear-
shelter in Niagara Falls - if he
marked $3.2 million for a city shelter.
can’t work matters out with the
Preval noted that, “$3.2 million is only an
estimate at this time.” SPCA.
The mention of “Mayor Dyster” and
on a porch with pit bulls we know what we
“$3.2 million” and “estimate” in the same
have, a drug house, right?”
story should make city taxpayers nervous.
Was the mayor pointing out that there
The mayor has earmarked $1.6 mil-
is an illegal drug problem or a dog control
lion of casino dollars for 2015 and again
problem? Was he linking illicit drugs to Mayor Paul Dyster said that a number of Pit Bulls on a porch gener-
in 2016 to support his possible animal
troublesome dogs? And is he more con- ally indicates that home is a drug house.
shelter.
cerned about caring for the dogs than re-
On December 17, Mayor Dyster ap- ficer and Amy Lewis, the S.P.C.A. direc- It’s nothing short of outrageous that
moving the drug problem that it’s
peared on the Tom Darro show for his tor. the city, at this time in their fiscal history,
connected to?
usual, but irregularly scheduled, WJJL Casale owns a rescued pit bull and is even considering taking on the business
Are pit bulls the real, and hidden, rea-
radio appearance. said, “A dog bites more out of fear…if you of animal sheltering whether it’s a city run
son for the mayor’s move to put the cost
In response to Darro’s question re- give it love and compassion it will show facility or “a contract with a not for
of an animal shelter on the backs of city
garding the mayor’s animal shelter plans, you all the love and compassion you could profit.”
taxpayers?
the mayor laid out what he expected to do want.” Whatever problems exist between the
How much of this is a Dyster negoti-
if he couldn’t reach an agreement with the Lewis said of pit bulls, “A dog can be S.P.C.A. and the city are not insurmount-
ating ploy to get a better contract with the
S.P.C.A. Dyster told Darro, “The S.P.C.A. violent in the same way a person can be
S.P.C.A? One thing is certain is that if
is moving toward no-kill and that’s a good violent. You wouldn’t judge the entire race
Dyster does build an animal shelter, it will
thing…if the they want to work it out (a on the actions of a single person.”
cost the city millions of dollars to operate.
contract) we will work it out.” Officer Bower noted that 60 percent
A December 28 Niagara Gazette arti-
Dyster said he had a trained police of- of the “loose dog calls” in the city involve
cle by Philip Gambini titled, “As S.P.C.A.
ficer to handle animals, a vehicle for ani- pit bulls. He called the breed “gentle gi-
of Niagara deals with surplus of pit bulls,
mals and added “we’ve put a place marker ants” saying, “They are some of the most
officials defend breed” contained two es-
of $1.6 million of casino funds in the next loving dogs I’ve ever come across.”
sential takeaway points: pit bulls represent
two budgets for a building…we may get a In the wake of the Channel 2 story, the
the largest percentage of city dog calls,
not for profit to operate it on contract…we mayor’s remarks on Darro, and the
and pit bulls are lovable, misunderstood
need to get a building or use a current Gazette’s pit bull feature we suspect that
animals that make good family pets.
building.” someone or some group are salting the
To drive home the point of pit bull The question may very well be:
Dyster also said something rather local media with information to support
lovability the article quoted Kelly Casale, Who is more competent to take
strange while on Darro as he described the the Dyster animal shelter plan.
the S.P.C.A. adoption director, Dave care of abandoned dogs in Ni-
dog control problems of Niagara Falls. He And why would that be?
Bower, a city police officer and animal of- agara Falls - the SPCA or the
said, “When you see guys sitting around Well, consider the money at stake…at
city?
least $3.2 million by the mayor’s admis-
sion, just to get started.
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER Consider that a shelter – whether city
run or “on contract with a not for profit” –
able. The mayor needs to compare the
cost of a city animal shelter with the an-
“The Truth is Always Fair”
would require a director, employees, con- nual cost of the SPCA which is less than
sultants, a building, equipping the build- $200,000 per year.
ing, vehicles, insurance, utilities, Now imagine what the cost of operat-
CHAIRMAN & EDITOR IN CHIEF promotion and advertising, legal and vet- ing a municipal animal shelter will be with
Frank Parlato erinarian services with all the infrastruc- a dozen employees, food, veterinary care,
ture and bureaucracy that comes with it. heat, air conditioning, equipment, and sup-
PUBLISHER Salaries, contracts, services. We know plies.
Peter Mio where this is heading: straight onto the Four city employees alone (not any-
backs of city taxpayers. where sufficient to run an animal shelter),
As for the non-stop Dyster adminis- with benefits, will surpass the cost of the
MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR tration mantra that, “These are casino SPCA contract.
Dr. Chitra Selvaraj Tony Farina funds not taxpayer dollars” the Reporter It is inconceivable that a city-run ani-
continues to insist, “It’s all taxpayer funds mal shelter will cost less than $1 million
when the city receives, administers or per year.
PHONE: (716) 284-5595
spends it.” We recommend that the Dyster ad-
The Gazette recently, and much to ministration do all it can to reach an agree-
their credit, wrote in two articles that city ment with the animal care and control
P.O. Box 3083, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14304
bed tax money (with regard to the New professionals of the Niagara County
Phone: E-mail: news1926@gmail.com
Year’s Eve guitar drop) was unquestion- S.P.C.A.
Website: www.niagarafallsreporter.com
ably city taxpayer money because all city
All contents copyright © 2014 Niagara Falls Reporter Inc. money is taxpayer money and must be
spent responsibly.
3
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015
Bite Statistics to Sink Your Teeth Into
Pit bulls bite. A lot.
No matter how you crunch the num-
bers, pit bulls are represented all out of
proportion to other dog breeds when it
comes to biting.
It leads the list in unprovoked attacks,
Pit Bulls may be every bit as loving as any other breed of dog, but
when they are ill-trained, or if they get angry or frightened and bite,
as dog sometimes do, they are deadly. They have robust jaw
strength, a deadly bite style, tenacity and a high tolerance to pain.
attacks on other dogs, mauling and fatal at-
tacks on people.
The “pit” fans like to attribute human
characteristics to these dogs saying,
“they’re like people, treat them nice and
they’ll love you in return.” from 2005 to 2013 pit bulls killed 176
The problem with that logic is that it’s Americans.
false on its face: a dog is not a human. You Suggested solutions to the pit bull
cannot equate an animal’s behavior with problem have included sterilization, spe-
human behavior whether that animal is cial insurance or permits to own one, and
licking your hand or biting it off. outright banning of the breed on a commu-
Pit bulls make up 6% of the dog pop- nity basis. Pit bulls have been banned in
ulation and are responsible for 68% of dog Ontario, Canada.
attacks and 52% of dog-related deaths While neutering is popular with many
since 1982 as reported in a Time magazine dog owners, statistics show that pit bulls
story “The Problem With Pit Bulls” by are neutered at only 20% the rate of other (Above) The Our Gang Comedy
Charlotte Alter, June 20, 2014. breeds due to the fact that many owners films featured a Pit Bull named
An April 2011 issue of Annals of Sur- prefer not to sterilize the animal. “Pete”. (Right) A Chinaman in the
gery reported that “these breeds should be Ten years ago a rash of pit bull inci- old west, with his Pit Bull.
regulated in the same way other dangerous dents prompted then city administrator
species, such as leopards, are regulated.” Dan Bristol to consider pursuing an ordi-
That report was shared with Time maga- nance to address the city’s pit bull prob-
zine by PETA, the animal-rights organiza- lem. Those discussions to work toward a
tion. legal solution faded away. The city’s pit
The DogsBite.org site reports that bull problem remains.
A Pit Bull attacks its owner.4 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015
New Council Chairman Touma to Create Financial Oversight Panel
Tony Farina
With the City of Niagara Falls facing
severe budget challenges in the coming
years, there is no better time than now for
city leaders to work together to get the
city’s fiscal house in order before it comes
tumbling down under the weight of grow-
ing structural deficits, dwindling reserves,
declining property values, and gridlock
fueled by the lack of trust on many issues
between the mayor and the council.
Fighting over the tax cap, how to
spend casino money, and how to deal with
labor costs, the mayor and city lawmakers Andrew Touma was the top
have basically been unable to find a way vote getter in the primary and
out of the growing crisis and the council general election among a ro-
even spurned the mayor’s request for seven people, and they will work with bust field of council candidates
guidance and possibly financial help from [Controller] Maria Brown to gather and last year.
the state through the governor’s new Fi- review the information they need to help
nancial Restructuring Board. us deal with the problems we are facing Sam Fruscione who was seen as a casu-
But on Monday night, the Niagara and make suggestions,” said Touma. “It alty of the fight over the Hamister hotel
Falls City Council may have taken a step is not the state’s Financial Restructuring project. While he was expected to form a
that could help ease tension between Board (which Touma favored) but it is an- new council majority with Walker and
Mayor Paul Dyster and city lawmakers by other option to take a look at our prob- Grandinetti in lockstep with the mayor,
installing independent-minded Andy lems.” Touma has shown a strong independent
Touma as chairman in a unanimous vote, Touma says he hopes the new com- streak and has demonstrated a willingness
succeeding Charles Walker who was mittee will be able to begin its work soon, to look at both side of an issue before
often aligned with Mayor Dyster. Walker probably within a month, and he pledged making a decision, voting no on the
joined Dyster ally Kristen Grandinetti and to keep his fellow lawmakers informed mayor’s request for $26,000 in taxpayer
frequent mayoral critics Glenn every step of the way on the review and money to fund the Hard Rock’s New
Choolokian and Bob Anderson in sup- discussions with the administration as the Year’s Guitar Drop. Eventually lawmak-
porting Touma as chairman for a one-year oversight process goes on. ers, including Touma, approved $10,000
term. As he has been recently, Touma “We need common ground, and we for the event.
would be the critical third vote for any need the mayor to work with us,” said Touma has a long history as a teacher
legislation before the council, but as Touma. “The mayor has to realize we and educator and holds two master’s de-
chairman he will likely have a stronger [the council] have a voice, and he must re- grees in education from Niagara Univer-
voice in shaping that legislation with the spond in such a way that we know he is sity. He currently serves as a teacher on
administration as he works to build con- listening. The only way to make this hap- special assignment at LaSalle Preparatory
sensus. pen is with common ground. He should School. He is a former assistant principal
“I am looking forward to the chal- hold us accountable and we should hold at North Tonawanda Middle School and
lenge and the opportunity to help our city him accountable. But we need to find was dean of students from 2007 – 2011 at
move forward, and I am grateful for the common ground over the next several Gaskill Preparatory School.
support I have received from my fellow years to get things done.” Touma knows that in order for Niag-
lawmakers,” said Touma after Monday’s One of the biggest challenges the city ara Falls to escape its current financial cri-
vote. “I feel I am prepared for the posi- faces in dealing with the growing finan- sis, it will take more than future
tion and I want to make sure my col- cial crisis is the $60 million share of the development projects that have yet to
leagues on the council are kept abreast of budget committed to labor contracts, by begin to deliver their benefits. It will take
what’s going on every step of the way as far the largest piece of the spending plan. consensus building among leaders and se-
we begin our journey together.” “We have to open this up [labor rious discussion with all of the parties at
Touma says one of the first things he costs] and take a look at the costs and dis- the table, including labor, to ensure the
will do is establish an oversight commit- cuss the need for both sides to make con- city’s future short of a state-imposed con-
tee made up of experts in financial mat- cessions to build for the future,” said trol board if it can’t meet its obligations.
ters from the private sector who can make Touma. “There are tough decisions to be That’s almost the case in Lockport where
informed recommendations to the city made and it will take some time but we the state comptroller is overseeing the
and the council on how to deal with the must begin the task.” city’s financial operations after approving
many fiscal challenges ahead. Touma was first elected to the council a loan program to keep the city from
“It will be a group of about six or a year ago, succeeding long-time member going under.
(Left) New York State Assembly-
man John Ceretto (R.-Lewiston) was
joined by his wife Beth as he was
sworn into a third term on Sunday
by Niagara Falls Chief Judge Mark
Violante. They were joined in
Ceretto’s Niagara Falls office for the
occasion by Dr. Kevin Bakus, senior
pastor at Bible Presbyterian Church
of Grand Island. Ceretto said he
plans to hit the ground running dur-
ing the new legislative term in Al-
bany.5
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015
What’s to Become of 2015?
(The Niagara Falls Reporter, as other accomplished by awarding the incentives and operate the train station.
publications sometimes do, is making its in the first place. The Dyster administration will hire a
annual predictions at the beginning of the There will be no effort by the mayor consultant to manage the train station
new year. Come back next year at this to raise private sector funds for the 2015 once it’s open. With no consultant money
time and see how many of them come Hard Rock Guitar Drop and the mayor to access within a deficit budget it will be
true.) and council majority will continue to use drawn from casino funds. The mayor will
Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster will casino or bed tax funds to gift the Hard do this while chanting his mantra “it’s not
continue to use casino cash, casino fund Rock because “it’s not taxpayer money!” taxpayer dollars.”
interest, and bed tax dollars exactly as he The mayor will seek his usual large The Dyster administration, after
pleases while claiming, “It’s not taxpayer campaign contributions from the fire de- spending more than $100,000 for parking
money.” partment PAC but he’ll be denied as the studies, will hire a consultant to manage
The mayor will come out of the gate firemen throw their support to another the city’s “parking plan.” The consultant
in early spring with a street paving and re- candidate…unless the mayor makes labor and parking plan overhead will consume
pair program targeting key city voting concessions that fly in the face of all he most of the parking receipts.
districts. has said about city employees being the Old Falls Street will remain “shop-
The 2015 budget will be manipulated root of all budget evils. less” as all tourism activity and visitor
after April when it’s “opened” with The financial problems of Lockport dollars are directed to the State Park as
The Reporter offers a few pre-
money moved around like a pea under a will be reviewed with that review having planned.
walnut shell exposing the 2015 budget dictions about next year, which, possible significant impact upon the Dys- Development in the Military Road
process as the sham it truly was. incidentally, is a reelection year ter administration. area will continue to expand. Mayor Dys-
All budget problems will be laid at for Mayor Paul Dyster. The trash and recycling ordinance ter will continue to pretend he played a
the feet of city employees due to “em- will continue to limp along as fines are is- role in the development.
ployee pay, pension and health care tually begin next year, the following year sued to ordinance violators resulting in The relationship between the Dyster
costs.” The controller (the highest paid or never. confusion and upset for affected residents. administration and Seneca Niagara
city hall employee) and council majority There will be plenty of well timed With the train station nearing com- Casino will remain non-existent as city
(Charles Walker will receive lifetime “progress reports” on the Wonderfalls pletion, the hopes of the Dyster adminis- hall refuses to meet with the Senecas for
health insurance for part time service) project between March and November. tration to secure federal money for its the benefit of the city.
will join the mayor (the mayor will re- Nothing will be built next year. operation will vanish under the control of Mayor Dyster will continue to chase
ceive lifetime health insurance for part There will be an abundance of photo- the Republican US Senate causing Dyster his Niagara Experience Center much the
time service) in slamming the city em- ops and progress reports regarding the and the council majority to use casino same way Captain Ahab pursued Moby
ployees throughout the year. train station as the project grows in cost. funds and casino account interest to open Dick.
While blaming the city employees for The Underground Railroad Interpre-
the budget problems, Dyster and his tive Center lawsuit won’t be settled and
council majority will give favored em- the building will remain shuttered as the
ployees raises, stipends and overtime work and expenses of the project’s com-
while claiming that retirement costs for mission defy investigation.
the city are out of control. Mayor Dyster will cut the ribbon to
The concerns of there being no the Jayne Park John Maroon walking path
“morals clause” in the city’s NFC loan to local media fanfare in the spring, se-
program will be raised in the media but cure in his belief that he’s pleased the
the mayor, as chairman of the NFC, will Cayuga Island residents with the ghastly
ignore the matter and keep handing out "improvement" of Jayne Park and secured
loans and grants to friends of his admin- their vote.
istration. The mayor will continue to violate
The mayor’s reelection campaign and the city charter by refusing to hire a city
the city’s street paving, park maintenance engineer as he insists on using an engi-
and all other programs will be coordi- neering consultant at greater cost to the
nated in order for the mayor to obtain city taxpayer.
maximum reelection benefit via media After handing a $20,000 retirement
coverage. incentive to many city hall employees the
There will be plenty of well timed mayor will slowly bring his favored re-
“progress reports” on the Hamister hotel tired employees back into city hall as part
project between March and November. of his “retire and rehire” program, which
But it remains unclear if the hotel will ac- contradicts what Dyster claims to have6 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015
Astounding Difference in Price Paid, and Service
Between Maid and Hornblower
Frank Parlato As a result of robust bidding, the
Canadians got more money and improved
bid, it was strange, and provoked some
criticism in this publication - although it
After many claims to the contrary, services. was ignored elsewhere - how Glynn
Hornblower Niagara Cruises proved that The NPC estimated they will net avoided competitive bidding in New York
a company other than Maid of the Mist $300 million more over the lifetime of the after he lost the Canadian lease.
could offer boat rides below the falls. Hornblower lease than what Glynn would At the time he lost the Canadian
Last year was the first season for have paid with the lease he had signed- lease, Glynn was operating in New York
Hornblower, who won a bidding contest and which was invalidated by the Minis- under a lease that dated back to 2002, one
in Ontario in 2012 to offer boat tours fol- ter of Tourism following an expose in the he secured without bidding because he
lowing an investigative series in this pub- Reporter and an investigation by the In- had the Canadian lease.
lication that blew a hole wide open in the tegrity Commission of Ontario, led by New York state law requires compet-
longtime and secretive lease process used Commissioner Lynn Morrison. itive bidding for leases and concessions
to secure a monopoly for Maid of the Not only did the Canadians get more on state land, except in special circum-
Mist for more than 40 years. money they also got a better product. stances - such as where no other company
The combined ridership on both sides Some say the decades of monopoly could perform the services.
of the Niagara makes it the second most told on Maid of the Mist's product. Glynn Since the only winter storage docks
popular boat tour in North America be- operates antiquated boats. When he had and fueling facilities were in Canada at
hind the Statue of Liberty tours and just both sides of the Niagara, he had no com- the time and, at that time, Glynn had the
ahead of Alcatraz Island boat tours. pelling reason to make his tour excep- Canadian as well as the New York boat
Hornblower Cruises, a San Fran- tional or offer products now newly tour concession, he would fuel and store
cisco-based tour company, offers the introduced in Canada by Hornblower. his boats in Canada during the winter.
tours to the Statue of Liberty and Alcatraz Glynn's boats are without bathrooms, Glynn procured the New York lease
Island, making them the largest boat tour seats, handicap access, dry areas; there in 2002 --circumventing state finance law
company in North America. are no evening or early morning tours and that requires competitive bidding -- by
They proved they could pull it off in no timed tickets. making the argument that whoever has
Niagara Falls - securing some 1.6 million James Glynn may have lost the The Maid of the Mist has one boat the Canadian lease must have the New
customers in Canada this year, all without Canadian lease but he did well, tour – 20 minutes long and admission is York lease, since there was nowhere to
a hitch and rivaling what the Maid of the very well, negotiating the New on a first come, first serve basis. During dry dock boats in the winter on the New
Mist used to do in Canada before that York lease. holidays and weekends during the sum- York side.
company lost its lease in Ontario. mer season, waits are three to four hours Angela Berti, spokeswoman for the
While ridership was about the same payments before the company lost its to take the 20 minute tour. state park, said at the time that Glynn is
in Ontario, the difference was -- the result Canadian lease. This does not happen in Canada. the only one who could provide the boat
of competitive bidding - the amount of On the New York side, Gov. Andrew Hornblower has timed tickets. If you tour, because he has a lease on the Cana-
money the Niagara Parks Commission of Cuomo chose not to allow the boat tour book the 3 pm tour, you board at 3 pm, dian side that "allows (N.Y.) Maid of the
Ontario got for the boat tours operated by lease to go out to bid. One of the argu- without having to wait in line. Mist Corporation to dock its boats on the
Hornblower-- more than $10 million - ments used to secure the no bid lease sta- “(We have) bathrooms, snack bars, Canadian side."
which was three times what the Maid of tus for Maid of the Mist in New York was flat screen videos and multiple language So, because Glynn had the Canadian
the Mist paid during its last running year that it was said nobody other than Maid video tours, disabled access, all the mod- lease, New York deemed in 2002, he did
- 2013, in Ontario. of the Mist would be capable of success- ern features you would expect if you not have to compete for the New York
Maid of the Mist owner and operator, fully operating boat tours under the falls don’t have a boat that is 40 years old", lease.
James V. Glynn of Lewiston, had leases in New York. MacRae said of Hornblower's boats. But when he lost the Canadian side,
on both sides of the border since 1971. He Hornblower proved this to be untrue And he has sunset tours and fire- by the state's earlier argument, Glynn
lost the lease in Canada – after losing in a on the Canadian side, much to the Cana- works tours. should have lost the New York lease since
bidding contest with Hornblower - and dian's profit. Glynn never had a night tour. the state had argued that whoever has the
several other companies - in 2012. Maid The Reporter contacted Terry Still, with all these gains the Canadi- Canadian lease has to have the New York
operated its final season in 2013 then MacRae, CEO of Hornblower, months ans made by putting their boat tour out to lease. This would have meant Horn-
made way for Hornblower in Ontario. before Glynn was awarded the new no bid
Maid of the Mist held onto its lease lease for Maid of the Mist in New York.
in New York. MacRae told the Reporter he was
With the new Ontario lease, Horn- willing to assume operations in New
blower pays 22.5 percent of gross sales in York, guarantee there would be no inter-
rent to the NPC. ruption of service, and pay $100 million
Maid of the Mist pays eight percent more than Glynn's lease to the state of
to New York State Parks. New York.
The boost in rent in Ontario comes at Gov. Cuomo declined to consider
an important time since the NPC had been Hornblower's $100 million offer.
losing about $4 million per year in oper- in 2014, Hornblower paid more rent
ations of its parks in Ontario. This extra to the NPC than the entire Niagara Falls
money will aid in improving their parks State Park received from all combined
and in the all-important competition for sources of revenue – parking, boat tours,
tourism dollars, this could not have come souvenirs and concessions put together.
at a better time. For years, the NPC got 10- 15 percent
To win their bid, Hornblower guaran- rent from Glynn in Ontario. Glynn oper-
teed more than $10 million per year for ated in secret with NPC commissioners
the first five years of the lease, meaning who never disclosed terms of Glynn's
the NPC will get from Hornblower's lease contract. A series of articles by the Re-
alone a figure far greater than its recent porter about these secret arrangements on
deficit and should now be able to run at a the Canadian side led to the dismissal of
surplus. every NPC commissioner and resulted in
Maid of the Mist in Ontario was pay- the Ontario Minister of Tourism,
ing around $3 million per year in lease Monique Smith, ordering the boat tour
out to bid.7
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015
A Tale of Two Boat Tours and the Companies that Provide Them
Glynn's new Maid of the Mist lease The low four percent rent combined
was canceled by the Minister of Tourism with the profits from the observation deck
and every NPC commissioner who made things topsy-turvy in New York.
worked to secure Glynn's secret rent re- It so worked out that the Landlord
duction -- along with the NPC general (New York) actually paid the tenant
manager and his assistant, were fired or (Glynn).
resigned. When Cuomo awarded Glynn his
And Ontario picked up $300 million new 30 year lease last year he raised the
more than the Glynn lease that was can- rent from four percent to eight percent but
celed. continued the plan to allow Glynn to keep
Funny our reporting in Canada led to 75 percent of the observation deck
excellent results. money.
What happened in New York was So consider the differences:
every bit as shocking. But nothing hap- Hornblower paid $10 million to the
pened. NPC.
Consider: Glynn held the boat tour Glynn paid $800,000. But this was
lease on the New York side since 1971, offset by the $750,000 he took in from the
paying 10 percent of gross sales from Observation Deck. Glynn wound up
1971 until 2002. sending a net check to New York for
As the Reporter was first to expose, $50,000.
Glynn saw his 10 percent rent secretly re- The single biggest attraction in the
Hornblower cruises offer new boats with more amenities than the
duced to 4 percent in 2002 - the same year falls is a big money maker for Ontario and
Maid of the Mist
New York officials said only Glynn could in New York it is a big money maker for
operate in New York since he had the Glynn.
blower should have been awarded the York $100 million. Canadian side. And it appears for the next 30 years,
New York side - based on New York's ear- After the award to Glynn, Horn- Not only did they reduce his rent Canada parks will be getting more than
lier argument- the "sole source" argument blower's MacRae reiterated he would pay from 10 to four percent, the state gave $10 million a year while New York will
used by New York for Glynn. $100 million more in rent than Glynn. He Glynn control of the state-owned obser- get next to nothing for the most lucrative
By logic one would assume that ei- sued to pay the $100 million and lost in vation deck and allowed Glynn to keep 75 state-owned attraction in Niagara Falls.
ther Hornblower gets the American side State Court. percent of the revenue generated. More Over time this will give Canada a se-
because you cannot build docks on the All of this would have gone mainly than a million people annually pay one rious financial edge.
New York side, or, if you can build docks unreported except for the fact that the Re- dollar to use the observation deck. New
on the New York side then it should go porter took an interest in these matters York, prior to 2002, kept all the money.
out to bid. and published the terms of Glynn's leases;
It was natural enough then that after the public never knew what they were
Glynn lost the Canadian lease, Horn- getting for rent on their own park prop-
blower said NY law required the New erty.
York boat tours to go out to bid, since The Reporter learned that, for exam-
Glynn got the New York lease in 2002 ple, back in 2007, Ripley Entertainment
only because New York state argued they Inc. thought it might be able to provide a
could not build winter storage docks on better boat tour in Ontario than Glynn.
the US side. Instead of giving Ripley a chance to
Now Hornblower had the Canadian bid, Niagara Parks commissioners stalled
docks. Ripley while they secretly drafted a new
However, when Glynn lost the Cana- lease for Glynn two years ahead of time.
dian lease, New York did not use the same The commissioners secretly renewed
argument for Hornblower they used for Glynn's lease on the Canadian side in
Glynn. 2008 for 25 years, reducing his rent from
Under the shepherding of Gov An- 15 percent to a sliding scale that bottomed
drew Cuomo, it was discovered that out at 5.5 percent.
docks could be built on the New York side The Reporter obtained the secret min-
after all. utes of the NPC meetings that revealed
Cuomo discovered they could build the terms of the lease. In the wake of our
docks on state land at the site of the for- stories, local Ontario civic group, Pre-
mer Schoellkopf Power Plant. And the serve Our Parks, began a letter writing
state helped Maid of the Mist come up campaign. Park employees, facing layoffs
with a $32 million plan to convert the for- and fewer hours, marched on the park en
mer Schoellkopf Power Plant, on the masse. Citizens distributed our newspaper
American side, into a winter storage fa- in Ontario. Links to our website were sent
cility. out to thousands of people.
Then, instead of putting it out to bid We shared proof that Glynn's rent had
- since because now docks could be built been secretly reduced with the Toronto
in New York - and therefore any number Globe and Mail, Canada's national news-
of boat tour companies could compete to paper. They covered our story. Other
offer tours, Cuomo decided not to put the Canadian papers followed suit
boat tours out to bid, but declare it a "spe- And that's how Glynn lost his Cana-
cial circumstance" and allow Glynn to dian lease.
build docks for himself and not compete Amid this publicity, Ontario Integrity
for best price and services. Commissioner Lynn Morrison ordered a
Cuomo handed Glynn a 30 year lease forensic investigation by the Ministry of
at eight percent rent, about a third of what Finance. Tourism Minister Monique
Hornblower is paying in Canada. Smith ordered audits of park governance
This decree by Cuomo cost New and procurement.8 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015
Dyster’s Use of Casino Cash for Cop Cameras Comes into Focus
Anna M. Howard straight to the taxpayer casino cash and
write a check for cameras.
cameras. That’s not the question at the
moment. Instead we have to ask why
Dyster’s city hall is a closed envi- Dyster made this move and who will be
Mayor Dyster plunked down ronment where cash flows like water for the camera supplier?
$22,500 for police body cameras and he raises, stipends, overtime, consultants, And by the way, how are police
did with casino cash. contracts and “transformative projects” cameras to be considered "economic de-
Why did he raid the casino account such as the train station, courthouse and velopment". Dyster's argument against
when he could have applied for federal soon to be Dyster Doghouse. the use of casino money when he doesn't
grant money through an initiative Dyster is so insistent upon opening want it used is "It is not economic devel-
launched by the Obama White House his own animal shelter that he earmarked opment."
just last month? $1.6 million of casino cash in both the The entire process appears similar to
Instead of seeking the federal funds, 2015 and 2016 city budgets. the mayor’s manner of purchasing $2.3
like other municipalities, he chose to run We have no issues with the police million of trash totes with casino money.
In both instances there was no dis-
cussion, no transparency, and a manufac-
tured “sense of urgency”.
One parting thought since the
“casino cash for cop cameras” is a done
deal with the taxpayer money already
spent: maybe it’s time to put cameras in
the city hall offices where the big deci-
sions are made.
It’s time for us to hear what conver-
sations are taking place, what phone
calls are being made and learn who the
city government shot-callers really are.
Property is the fruit of labor;
Property is desirable; It is a positive
good in the world. That some
should be rich shows that others
may become rich, and hence is just
encouragement to industry and en-
terprise.
Let not him who is houseless
pull down the house of another, but
let him work diligently and build
one for himself, thus by example
assuring that his own shall be safe
from violence when built.
Abraham Lincoln March 21,
1864
Is government
supposed to entertain the
governed?Guitar Drop Strikes Sour Political Note
sociation in the city that could have be- Truly unfortunate was the political
Anna M. Howard come involved in raising dollars and food fight that was touched off as the
sponsoring the event? funding dispute generated news stories
It was such a shame.
Could the city-subsidized businesses about the disparity between the Ameri-
All the unnecessary hand wringing
on Third Street have worked to bring can and Canadian New Year’s Eve cele-
and gnashing of teeth over the city fund-
some heavy hitters to the table for a New brations.
ing or not funding the Hard Rock Café
Year’s Eve “Celebrate the First on Third” The American side isn’t as built up
New Year’s Eve Guitar Drop.
event? as the Canadian side and since that’s no
While Mayor Paul Dyster pulled his
Where were USA Niagara and their secret it shouldn’t be an embarrassment
political punch by withdrawing his initial
plans to develop a downtown Business in itself. It should be seen as a problem
request for a $27,000 contribution from
Improvement District with special to solve.
the city’s bed tax account, the mayor
events? What is embarrassing is the contin-
eventually convinced the council major-
Did anyone from city hall or the ual circular firing squad and lack of cre-
ity to contribute $10,000 in bed taxes to-
Hard Rock suggest anything more cre- ative thinking that’s part and parcel of
ward the New Year’s Eve celebration.
ative than “let’s have the taxpayers kick city government.
The shame is that it didn’t have to go
in again?” Maybe the Dyster administration can
that way.
Was the Hamister Group approached make a New Year’s resolution to find ap-
Why didn’t the city work, during the
as a sponsor? This would have been a propriate funding for the 2016 guitar
course of the past year, to locate corpo-
perfect opportunity for the group to in- drop.
rate sponsors. Why didn’t the Hard Rock
troduce themselves in the downtown, a They’ve got a one-year heads up.
find corporate sponsors instead of asking
downtown they will soon be locating in
the city to pick up part of the tab?
according to Mayor Dyster with a heav-
This billion-dollar corporation,
ily taxpayer subsidized hotel.
owned by the Seminole Nation, operates
How about Uniland and the Wonder-
facilities across the globe and they could-
falls project? Uniland’s project has been The Niagara Falls Hard Rock Cafe
n’t manage this local lift?
announced and supported by Governor celebrated the New Year by drop-
If Hard Rock couldn’t step up fully
Cuomo with major taxpayer contribu- ping a 10 foot Gibson Guitar from
or completely then why didn’t Gibson
tions. Did anyone dial Uniland’s num- a 120 foot scaffold. Niagara Falls
Guitar Corp chip in?
ber? taxpayers paid $10,000 for the
There’s the one-of-a-kind location of
Did anyone call the Maid of the Mist party.
Niagara Falls, the billion Dollar Hard
or Delaware North to see if they had an
Rock Corporation and the world-class And yet, with all those big names on
interest in coming aboard? “Because God has made us for
Gibson guitar company --and yet it went the local playing field it came down to
And, heaven forbid, did anyone con- Himself, our hearts are restless
off the rails. the mayor and council majority raiding
sider contacting Hornblower Tours? until they rest in Him.”
Do we still have an active Attrac- the bed tax because “it’s not taxpayer
Remember, folks: “Two nations one ― Augustine of Hippo
tions Association or an active Hotel As- money” to throw a New Year's Eve party.
attraction.”
Palace Theatre to Stage ‘Harvey’
With Veteran Cast
The Historic Palace Theatre will Chauvenet and Betty Chumley, Danielle
presents the third show in their our White as Miss Johnson and, William
2014/2015 90th Birthday Season, HAR- Curr as the cab driver.
VEY—a comedy in three acts, on Janu- Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for
ary 16th through January 18th, 2015. seniors, and $15 for students. Group
Performances are Friday and Saturday at rates available. Tickets may be pur-
7:30 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm. chased by calling (716) 438-1130, visit-
Written by Mary Chase and directed ing the Palace BOX OFFICE Monday -
by Steve Copps, HARVEY is a comedy Friday from 10 am – 2 pm, or at Mills
about a man, Elwood P. Dowd, and his Jewelers. For more information visit our
invisible friend Harvey the Pooka which website at
inspired the 1950 film of the same name www.lockportpalacetheatre.org.
starring Jimmy Stewart. The story cen-
ters on Elwood’s sister, Veta Louise Sim-
mons, and her concern for Elwood’s
mental health as ‘it stands to reason no-
body has ever seen a white rabbit six feet
high.’
This production will star Eric Glynn
as Elwood P. Dowd. Veta will be played
by Jennifer Ossont while her daughter
Myrtle Mae will be played by Amanda
McNulty. The family attorney Judge
Omar Gaffney will be played by City
Court Judge, and Palace Board Member,
William J. Watson.
Rounding out the cast will be
Stephen Smith as Dr. Chumley, Jake
Hayes as Dr. Lyman Sanderson, Leanne
Troutman as Nurse Kelly, Dan Urtz as
Duane Wilson, Peg Merrill as both Mrs.10
Three Sisters Islands Latest Casualty of State
"Improvements" Approved by Dyster
James Hufnagel walkways, which are fenced in so that
visitors can no longer get anywhere near
Mist and Delaware North and fattening
the wallets of Cuomo campaign contrib-
It appears that Three Sisters Islands, the river. utors, when completed, promises to fur-
a major attraction in the Niagara Falls Posing as a tourist, this writer spoke ther isolate the millions of tourists who
State Park, from now on will be closed to on the phone with a staffer at the Lehman visit Niagara Falls State Park every year,
the public during the tourist off-season. Visitors Center in the park (which is now where they park, sightsee, eat, purchase
Presently the stairway below the ex- referred to on official State Parks web gifts and souvenirs and then leave without
panded parking area, as well as the nar- sites as the “Niagara Falls Visitor Cen- having need or reason to set foot in the
row bridge affording access to the islands, ter”), who stated that the reason Three city.
have both been gated off with heavy Sisters Islands is off-limits is because vis- It’s enough to make you wish there
metal barriers bearing signs that forbid itors may slip and fall on the pavers made had been at least one local official in a po-
trespass on the small, formerly naturally- slick with ice and accidentally fall into sition to influence these matters, to speak It’s shocking really: For the
landscaped archipelago. the river above the falls. Seriously, that’s and act against the crass commercializa- first time Three Sisters Islands
One of the most popular features of what he said. tion and the sequestration of tourist dol- are closed to the public. Why?
one of the most popular parks in the “We check on it every morning, and lars there, which flow into the pockets of Because the super-expensive
world, Three Sisters Islands draw a large on days when it doesn’t look too danger- Albany, James Glynn and Jeremy Jacobs $60 per square foot pavers,
percentage of the millions who annually ous, we open it up so that people can walk instead of city merchants, restaurateurs
that Albany consultants de-
visit Niagara Falls State Park. Genera- around out there,” he added. and souvenir and gift shop-owners. And
signed, for an Albany quarry to
tions have reveled in the ability to get It is the $60 per square foot pavers in fact, there was.
make the sale, are so slippery
right out in the middle of the river rapids, now composing a labyrinth of ugly walk- $25 million, or well over half, of the
that the Islands must be closed
gamboling on well-worn pathways be- ways on the islands, conforming to an Al- Niagara Falls State Park Landscape Im-
during winter and rainy days.
tween ancient boulders which bore testa- bany-area landscape architecture firm's provements are funded through the Niag-
The old limestone paths that
ment to the primal forces of river erosion rigged specifications and purchased and ara River Greenway. Therefore, the entire
were needlessly replaced had
and glacial scouring. The three islands trucked in from an Albany-area quarry, multi-year undertaking, in application
both heavy contributors to Gov. Cuomo's form, had to be approved by the Green-
sure footing and served the
were thick with trees, and just a few years
recent successful re-election campaign, way Commission. public for a century without
ago, a botanical study found each of the
that are dangerously slippery when wet. On July 17, 2012, Greenway Com- having to close the Islands.
islands supporting its own unique set of
flora. During the winter months, that's most of mission Vice-Chair and Mayor of Niagara state and federal regulators? Have any
Writers, poets, painters and photog- the time. So the net effect of the "im- Falls Paul Dyster presided over the Com- economic impact studies been done to de-
raphers have been enraptured by Three provements", ironically, is to necessitate mission’s final discussion and vote on the termine if expanding parking and vending
Sisters over the course of our history, the closure of the islands for safety pur- Niagara Falls State Park Landscape Im- in the park will affect businesses in the
drawing inspiration from the unspoiled poses. provements plan. city?”
beauty and unique and breathtaking com- Actually, we visited Three Sisters on According to the minutes of the According to the minutes, “Vice
bination of river and rapids, sun and sky, several different occasions last month, on meeting concerning the Landscape Im- Chairman Paul Dyster called for a vote
tree and rock. some days when the temperature was provements Plan, just the following two with a majority finding the project con-
It was nice, but now it’s gone. well into the 40’s and there was no ice to questions were asked by Commissioners: sistent to the Niagara River Greenway
Last year, pursuant to Gov. Cuomo’s be found anywhere. The barriers were al- “Are these projects just maintenance?” Plan.”
Niagara Falls State Parks “Landscape Im- ways in evidence, while a lone worker in and “What is the period of time and how So for all the protestations on Mayor
provements” Plan, Three Sisters Islands a State Parks pick-up truck slowly drove will the funding work?” Dyster’s part that he has no direct influ-
were, in the opinion of many, ruined. back and forth past the entrance, clearly The following questions, apparently, ence on happenings in the Niagara Falls
First, the treasured space was denuded of keeping an eye on the situation. were not asked: “Will there be an oppor- State Park, when he actually had an op-
the bulk of its foliage. Then most of the The so-called “Landscape Improve- tunity for local citizens to provide input portunity to make a difference, when it
aforementioned boulders were either ments” plan, in reality a massive refash- to the plan? Have the various projects, was most critical to the future of his city
buried or hauled away. Bulldozers leveled ioning of the park towards the end of which involve substantial impacts on the and when it was still largely unnoticed by
what was left to allow for ugly, artificial boosting the bottom lines of Maid of the landscape and river, been approved by the majority of citizens, he sat mute.
More ‘Bad’ Improvements to Goat Island
Night is soon to become day on Fred- tourist season. On the other hand, two
erick Law Olmsted's Goat Island preserve large Delaware North trucks have been
as enormous light poles are presently parked here for several weeks. When State
being installed on Goat Island's south Parks is done, this formerly scenic area
parking lots, as part of the Niagara Falls will be virtually indistinguishable from a
State Park "Landscape Improvements" Walmart parking lot. Gov. Cuomo, Parks
plan. Of course, Olmsted wanted Goat Is- Commissioner Rose Harvey and Regional
land to be forested, and local residents Director Mark Thomas are the govern-
have long been at a loss to understand why ment officials most responsible for this af-
a sprawling parking lot is necessary at this front to our heritage, not to mention good
scenic location, located far from attrac- taste, with the tacit approval of local
tions on the other end of the island. Rarely politicians unfortunately too numerous to
are more than a handful of vehicles parked list here.
in this lot, even during the height of the11
NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015
Choolokian and Council Made History with 2012 Fracking Ban
Last month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo an- lease recognizing the governor’s fracking ban. In the re-
nounced his New York State fracking ban. lease the mayor noted that the city council had unani-
But it was nearly three years ago that the Niagara mously passed a fracking ban in 2012.
Falls City Council banned fracking and the treating and What the mayor might have mentioned in his press
or transportation of fracking waste water/materials within release is that until his press release, following the gov-
the city. ernor's fracking ban, he has not publicly supported the
While the media and environmentalist have praised city's ordinance/ban.
the governor’s ban, what has gone largely unnoticed is As those close to the passage of the Niagara Falls
the groundbreaking city ordinance/ban that the 2012 fracking ban know, it was Choolokian who was the driv-
council passed into law in March of that year. ing force behind the fracking ordinance passage.
At the time the ordinance gained some positive na- Chairman Fruscione, Choolokian and Anderson
tional attention, but here in Niagara Falls the ban attracted drafted the fracking ordinance and presented it to council
mostly negative comments by some members of the com- colleagues, Charles Walker and Kristen Grandinetti, for
munity and especially those in power at the Niagara Falls passage.
Water Board. What makes the fracking waste water ban so signifi-
Representatives and legal counsel from the Water cant, is that while Gov. Cuomo banned fracking in New
Board visited council members Sam Fruscione and Glenn York State, he has not banned the treatment of fracking
Choolokian after the ordinance passage, putting them on waste water.
notice that a lawsuit was likely to be filed that would chal- With benefit of three years of hindsight it’s now easy
lenge the frack banning ordinance and the council’s au- to see that the passage of the ordinance banning not only
thority to issue the ordinance. fracking but the treatment in Niagara Falls of fracking Glenn Choolokian shepherded the fracking
The three member council majority – Fruscione, waste was historic for Niagara Falls. ban in Niagara Falls.
Choolokian, and Robert Anderson – refused to relent and
the ordinance stood as written.
Last month, Mayor Paul A. Dyster issued a press re-
First Baby of 2015
At Memorial
Niagara Falls
Memorial Medical
Center greeted its
first baby of 2015
at 2:03 p.m. Friday
(Jan. 2) when
Marissa Gilling-
ham of Niagara
Falls gave birth to
son Brendan
Alexander Man-
gel. Brendan, shown here with his mother and father
Harold Mangel Jr. in their private labor and delivery suite
at Memorial’s Mary C. Dyster Women’s Pavilion, meas-
ured 20 inches tall and weighed in at 7 lbs., 10 ounces.
He was delivered by Dr. Donna Feldman.
It is the policy of the Niagara Falls Reporter
to accommodate publication requirements
for St. Jude Novena prayer requests without
charge. Donations are accepted.
Thank You St. Jude for answering my prayer,
J. S. J.12 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER JAN 06 - JAN 14, 2015
Mafia 'Betray the Gospel,' Italian Bishops Say in Rare Rebuke
By JOSEPHINE MCKENNA light the "painful evil" it caused. On Wednesday, the pope called for a
ROME (RNS) Catholic bishops from "It is clear that this announcement will "conversion" from a corruption scandal link-
the southern Italian region of Calabria have be like a sharpened sword that will injure ing Rome's politicians, a former right-wing
broken their silence and spoken out against those in a situation opposed to the gospel," terrorist and other criminal elements.
the "inhumane" power of the Mafia that the Calabrian bishops said in the document. In March, the Argentine pontiff met the
dominates their poverty-stricken area. "It is here that the debate on the victims of Mafia violence and later called for
The 12 prelates from the Bishops' Con- 'Ndrangheta begins. Those who are part of it the excommunication of the Mafia from the
ference of Calabria endorsed a document not only betray the gospel but it is as if they church when he visited Calabria in June.
condemning the local Mafia, or 'Ndrangheta, were trampling all over it every day." In the past, Italy's organized crime
on Friday (Jan. 2), just two days after Pope The bishops expressed concern about groups have had a cozy relationship with the
crime had now reached a "globalized" di-
Francis took a strong stand on Mafia corrup- the impact of high unemployment and the Catholic hierarchy. Inside 'Ndrangheta, the
mension and was finding allies on the fringes
tion in Rome in a forceful New Year's Eve spread of political corruption in a region initiation ceremony is known as a ''baptism,"
of politics through corrupt and deviant allies
message. where 'Ndrangheta has mushroomed into and for many members mob ties are no less
in positions of power.
Monsignor Salvatore Nunnari, president one of the most powerful organized crime sacred than their affiliation with the church.
"The church salutes only the wounded
of the Calabrian bishops, said the conference groups in the world through drugs and arms Newcomers must swear allegiance to St.
man and shouts out his pain and indigna-
believed the Mafia was "something inhu- trafficking, extortion and other operations. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of
tion," said the bishops, who referred to the
mane," and church leaders wanted to spot- The bishops said the nature of organized 'Ndrangheta.
spread of bribes and political favors.
Musician With Down Syndrome to Perform,
Inspire at Jewish Community Center
On January 11, 2015 from 2-4pm “Hand workshops. Since March of 2000 he has per- Games ’99 Special Olympics in swimming,
in Hand with Yad B'Yad: A Musical Per- formed in over 40 states and 13 countries. and numerous medals in alpine skiing, cross
formance by Sujeet” will take place at the He is the recipient of 16 international and country running, and bowling.
Maxine & Robert Seller Theatre in the Jew- numerous national awards for his music and This concert is part of the JCC Concert
ish Community Center, 2640 North Forest self-advocacy, one of which is the Presi- Series, in cooperation with Yad B'Yad. There
Road, Getzville, NY 14068). dent’s award received in Singapore in 2000. is a suggested donation of $18.00 at the door,
Sujeet Desai is a 33 year old musician Sujeet has had two documentaries cre- with proceedings benefiting Yad B’Yad. Stu-
with Down syndrome who has recently ated on his life, was featured in the Wall dents are free. Please join us for a light
moved to Williamsville, NY. Sujeet plays Street Journal, the New York Times, and has kosher reception following the performance.
seven instruments, including the Bb and bass appeared on national TV shows including To learn more about Sujeet please visit
clarinet, saxophone, violin, trumpet, piano The View, 20/20, and Oprah Winfrey. In his his website www.sujeet.com
and drums. A graduate of the Berkshire Hills spare time, Sujeet is also an accomplished Or find him on Facebook at
Music Academy in Massachusetts, Sujeet athlete having achieved 3rd level 2nd Dan http://www.facebook.com/sujeetmusic
travels worldwide to do inspirational solo Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and is a winner
musical performances and self-advocacy of gold and silver medals in the World
Memorial’s Competitive EDGE Sports Performance Program to Hold Open House
The Competitive EDGE Sports Per- are committed to improving athletes’ per-
formance Program will hold an open house formance through education, hard work, nu-
from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 8) at its new trition and injury prevention,” said Memorial
location in the Niagara Falls High School Sports Medicine Director Tony Surace,
Field House. M.Ed., A.T.C. “We use up-to-date training
A service of Niagara Falls Memorial techniques for the dedicated athlete who
Medical Center, the Competitive EDGE is a wants to work hard and become a better ath-
dedicated sports performance program that lete in his or her desired sport.”
helps athletes at all levels from across West- Thursday’s open house will feature in-
ern New York increase their success on the formation and demonstrations on strength
field, ice or court. training, Plyometrics, agility training, sports
The program’s new home on the Niag- nutrition and Pilates, as well as the Compet-
ara Falls High School campus features a itive EDGE’s ACL Bridge, Return to Throw-
large open arena for training and a fully fur- ing and sport-specific training programs.
nished weight room with Olympic Hammer Convenient access to the Niagara Falls
Strength racks, cardio equipment, TRX total- High School Field House is available from
body resistance exercise equipment, Pine Avenue via Packard Court, east of 39th
weighted sleds, agility ladders and much Street. For information about the Competi-
more. tive EDGE or Thursday’s event, call (716)
“Our certified athletic trainers and cer- 215-0723.
tified strength and conditioning specialistsYou can also read
