Highs and lows: Some of the best, worst of the week
Here are some of the best – and worst – of the week:
BEST
HOTEL STILL POSSIBLE – A multi-million dollar project in the town of Hanover is still alive. Last week, businessman Tony Borrello said he was pulling the plug on a proposed hotel and water park development, due to frustrations with local officials, specifically the building inspector. On Thursday, Borrello, town and county officials met to discuss the project. According to County Legislator George Borrello, the project is back on track. “I’m thrilled that everybody was able to come together and sit down and really work together to save this project,” he said. We’ll see what happens, but we’re glad this proposed development is once again moving forward.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS – The smiles on the faces of more than 300 children were apparent as students, teachers, staff and volunteers gathered at SUNY Fredonia for the 26th annual Special Olympics. Like the Special Olympics oath states, “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in my attempt.” We applaud those who help make this day such a success.
CCAA LEAGUE MEET – It’s been more than 30 years since Dunkirk High School was able to host the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association League meet. Last weekend, track athletes were able to gather at the newly renovated Hoeppner Field in Dunkirk and by all accounts everything went smoothly. Dunkirk will now be hosting the league meet on a rotating basis.
WORST
JNK LOSES ANIMALS – It’s a shame what has happened with JNK’s Call of the Wild Sanctuary. The Department of Environmental Conservation seized 12 tigers, three lions, three bears and two wolves from the facility after they were reportedly living in unsatisfactory conditions. JNK, which is located on Millcreek Road, in the town of Charlotte, had been the only recognized “true” sanctuary in the state, as defined by New York state and USDA regulations. Co-owner Jackie Wisniewski said previously that the manager of Walt Disney owned a tiger housed there. She also said at one point the USDA used recommendations from JNK’s feeding programs to educate other sanctuaries and exotic animal owners on proper animal nutrition. As long as the allegations are true, we don’t fault the DEC in this case; we’re just disappointed to see such a strong facility seem to fall apart.
Highs and lows: Some of the best, worst of the week
Here are some of the best – and worst – of the week:
BEST
CODE RED – Gowanda has a CodeRed system for village emergencies. CodeRED is a phone messaging system to issue warnings on storms or other emergencies, as well as scheduled street closings, power outages or other non-emergency situations of public interest. The system was put in use on Tuesday morning, as flash floods hit the village. “if we wouldn’t have had (CodeRED), we wouldn’t have been able to notify people. It’s a blessing,” said disaster coordinator Nick Crassi. To sign up for notifications, visit www.villageofgowanda.com.
TOLEDO BOUND – Congratulations to Fredonia’s Nick Johnston. The senior has signed with the University of Toledo as a walk on for their Division I football team. Johnson ranked 90th in the nation for punting. Good luck to him as he tries to make the Rockets.
BACK TO WORK – RHI Monofrax in Falconer had laid off a total of 74 out of 170 employees. But after Rep. Tom Reed was able to secure a $1.5 million purchase order from the Department of Energy, the company was able to bring back the laid off employees. We’re glad to see businesses in the county being able to put people to work.
WORST
ILLEGAL MEETINGS – Fredonia has been criticized for going into executive session illegally, but they’re far from alone. Too many village, city, town, school and county boards use the phrase “personnel.” But according to Robert Freeman, the executive director of the New York State Committee on Open Government the word “personnel” does not appear anywhere among the eight grounds for entertaining into executive session. According to Freeman, what his office advises and the courts have agreed to, is the motion should include two elements: reference to the keyword “particular,” so that the world knows the focus is on a specific individual or corporate entity, and one of those qualifiers appears in the language of the exception. “The motion would not have to identify the individual that is the subject of the discussion, but if the board uses a qualifier, it tells the world … they’re about to discuss a subject that may properly be considered during an executive session,” he said. In layman terms, municipalities need to be more specific about why they need an executive session.
Highs and lows: Some of the best, worst of the week
Here are some of the best – and worst – of the week:
BEST
DANCING QUEEN – Lindsey Ferguson, the daughter of Michael and Dianne Ferguson of Fredonia, has had some success in the entertainment business. As a dancer, she has appeared on MTV, Sesame Street, luxury cruise ships and has performed in New York City with a contemporary ballet company. Her latest venture has brought her back to the region. She is now part of the production “Dancing Queen” at the Fallsview Casino Resort’s Avalon Theatre in Niagara Falls, Ont. The show opened Thursday and runs until the 18th. Don’t wait if you want to catch her perform!
RIPLEY SCHOOL TAXES – The Ripley School Board of Education is proposing to cut the tax levy by 4.9 percent. The decrease could go higher in August. The school is able to do this because of the agreement it now has with Chautauqua Lake, where Ripley’s middle and high school students now attend. Students are getting a better education and residents are paying less money. That makes it the best of both worlds. Perhaps other schools should look at tuitioning as well.
154 YEARS SERVICE – We salute the teachers who are retiring this year, including those at Brocton Central School. The six retirees have a combined total of 154 years of service. Many of those teachers could have moved on to larger communities, but chose to stay. We tip our hat to you for your years of investing in the lives of young people.
WORST
LOCKDOWN – Earlier this week, the Cassadaga Valley Central School went into lockdown mode after two students left their guns in their vehicle after going turkey hunting that morning. In no way are we criticizing the school; they were simply following protocol. It’s just sad that in today’s society, because of all the school violence, a dumb act like this can create such turmoil.
Highs and lows: Some of the best, worst of the week
Here are some of the best – and worst – of the week:
BEST
FLOWER DONATIONS – The village of Fredonia has run into some difficult times with its budget. One of the things the village decided to cut was flower planters. But officials realized that some residents may be able to make up the difference, so Mayor Stephen Keefe put out a plea to the general public, asking for donations. In less than two days, the village had 25 flower baskets donated. Volunteers are also committed to watering the flowers. “I’m very impressed. So many people care so much about how the village looks. It’s greatly appreciated, all the help and support we’re getting on this.” It’s another example of how residents will step up to the plate when asked.
CHEERS – Competitive cheerleading is now a state-sanctioned sport. The state Board of Regents voted unanimously in favor of the measure earlier this week. New York is the 35th state to make this ruling. Participants in competitive cheerleading know how hard they work; it’s about time they’re recognized properly. Also, by making competitive cheerleading an official state-sanctioned sport, it will help ensure that coaches are properly trained and that schools follow a common set of standards. It was the right move.
HUNTING AND FISHING – Thursday was the opening of spring turkey season, which is probably the second-most popular hunting sport locally, next to whitetail deer. Also, today is the opening day of walleye season. Although we may wish May was a little warmer, hunting and fishing are a couple more good reasons to get outside and shake off the winter blahs.
WORST
GOWANDA BUDGET – Trustee Carol Sheibley got it right. She was the only member of the Gowanda Village Board who voted against this year’s budget, which is $28,000 higher than the state tax cap. The police department budget went up nearly 10 percent, adding another full-time officer and a new police vehicle. There is a reason the state has instituted the tax cap; villages should be more careful with taxpayer money. Whether you believe in the need for a new vehicle or a new full-time employee, it is too costly. The approval should not have been done.