Slaughterhouse stirs protest in Lackawanna

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Lackawanna residents’ opposition to a proposed slaughterhouse and their support for a lame-duck lawmaker were the principal items of contention at Monday’s City Council meeting.

First Ward Councilwoman Andrea Haxton, who failed to win re-election to a second term in last Tuesday’s election, was an organizer of picketing in front of City Hall to protest plans for a slaughterhouse at 174-178 Ridge Road. About 50 protesters took part. Though many were from the First Ward neighborhood where the slaughterhouse is proposed, others were environmentalists and animal rights activists from outside Lackawanna.

“This [protest] is to put direct pressure on the Common Council to stop this live animal market, this slaughterhouse, [and] to start a complete investigation,” said Tracy Murphy, a Buffalo resident and founder of Stop Live Animal Markets.

“There is a city ordinance, Ordinance No. 66, which prevents the city from harboring or maintaining any type of farm animal, and what’s happening is the Common Council is looking the other way,” added Murphy, about an hour before Monday’s Council meeting.

Once the protesters moved into the Council chambers and discussion moved to other city business, the long estrangement between Haxton and other members of Council, particularly Council President Charles Jaworski, stole the focus of the meeting.

Fed up with appearances that Haxton was being stonewalled by her fellow lawmakers when they rebuffed her requests to discuss a variety of city issues, including whether the city is spending too much money on hiring outside attorneys, some residents rose to her defense when it was their turn to speak.

James H. Burnette, of St. John Place, accused the Council of unfairly engaging techniques to block Haxton from broaching substantive discussion or inquiry on topics requiring public scrutiny.

“A wall of silence and a refusal to second her motions paved the way for [receiving and filing her motions]. We hope you will pledge not to kill any discussions or obfuscate transparency of this technique as it does not serve the public,” Burnette said.

John Ingram, chairman of Citizens of Lackawanna’s Future and an opponent of the planned slaughterhouse, charged that the Council’s lack of respect towards Haxton is a reflection of the lawmakers’ lack of concern for issues that matter to Haxton’s constituents.

Jaworski barred residents from bringing up the slaughterhouse issue because it was not on Monday’s Council agenda. However, residents and the protesters from outside the city addressed the topic anyway.

hmcneil@buffnews.com

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