The Buffalo News - Northtowns http://www.buffalonews.com Latest stories from The Buffalo News en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 19:28:26 -0400 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:28:26 -0400 <![CDATA[ New Grand Island superintendent incorporates world view into leadership, teaching ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130519/CITYANDREGION/130518989/1339
Lawrence was named superintendent of the Grand Island Central School District last month and plans to take the reins June 10.

The director of curriculum and staff development for the Clarence Central School District for the past eight years, Lawrence sought the top position in Grand Island because she had grown to love the community while completing her administrative studies within the district.

“I have admired the school district and community ever since,” she said. “During the interview process, it became abundantly clear that the Grand Island School Board, and the community at large, values education. I believe together we can build upon an already top-notch school district,” she said.

Lawrence believes her combination of educational and career experiences made her an attractive candidate for the position, including her ability to listen and seek common ground with stakeholders while balancing what is best for students; a track record of achieving outcomes through collaboration; a strong work ethic; a history of seeking out educational opportunities; and a strong resume that includes positions with increased obligations and accountability.

These educational and career paths provided the foundation of what Lawrence describes as a global perspective to teaching, learning and leadership.

Her father was a U.S. Air Force officer and her mother is British, and the family moved to Germany when Lawrence was 5. From fifth grade through high school, she attended German schools, completing her studies completely in the language. She studied for and earned the American general education diploma with the intention of completing undergraduate studies in the United States, but she returned to Germany to continue her studies in mathematics before returning to the United States at age 20 to complete her undergraduate work.

“In 1990, I moved to Buffalo with the intention of completing undergraduate studies in statistics and math and returning overseas,” she said. “I never left.”

She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in statistics, an advanced certificate in educational technology and a doctor of philosophy from the University at Buffalo and a certificate in human resources from Cornell University. Her educational career began in 1991 as a middle school math and religion teacher at Queen of Heaven in West Seneca.

From there, she worked for several years as a consultant with LEGO Dacta, the educational division of LEGO Systems, Inc., based in Amherst.

Before joining the administrative staff at Clarence Central, Lawrence served for five years as the instructional specialist for research and evaluation for Williamsville Central Schools; one year as the program supervisor and assistant principal at Roosevelt Elementary School in Kenmore; and three years as the curriculum and staff development coordinator at Erie 1 BOCES.

While she originally was interested in quality control or actuarial work, the classroom beckoned.

“I was drawn to teaching,” she said. “I chose to stay on in Buffalo, where I began my career in education. I am currently in my 22nd year in education. I cannot imagine doing any other work.”

In addition to her work inside the schools, Lawrence has taken an active role in addressing the increase in prescription drug abuse among teenagers by serving as the lead coordinator of the Western New York Medication Drop-Off Campaign through the Drug Enforcement Agency and by assisting Kids Escaping Drugs. Lawrence sees drugs, bullying and other pressures as the larger challenges that students face daily, but she adds that since she began her career, technology has complicated matters.

“Technology has blurred space between ‘private self’ and ‘public self,’ ” she said. “Social media such as Twitter, Vine and Instagram keep more and more parents and trusted adults out of the loop of what they know to be their children, and what we know to be our students.”

Board of Education interim President Paul Krull explained that the field of candidates for superintendent began at 38 before the board narrowed the choice to three, and Lawrence’s blend of personality and background won over board members.

With the post will come several challenges, according to Krull, including increasing retirement costs and unfunded mandates from the state; yearly budget issues; the beginning of two capital projects totaling more than $60 million; contract negotiations with administrators this year and teachers next year;and the growing concern about the state’s testing mandates.

The board, however, is certain that Lawrence can meet the challenges.

“We think she is a great fit,” Krull said. “She will move the district forward and make it better for students, staff and the community.”

For Lawrence, the position is an extension of her mission of helping others within a field that she adores.

“I wanted a career in which I felt I could make a difference,” she said.

“I am at my best when I am working in service of others. After the first few minutes of teaching, I knew I was where I was supposed to be.” ]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 19:05:04 -0400 By Lisa A. Johnson

Suburban Correspondent

]]> <![CDATA[ Human services agency dogged by fiscal woes ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130519/CITYANDREGION/130518994/1339
The agency’s board of directors fired its president and chief executive officer in March after learning the agency owed the Internal Revenue Service about $133,000 in overdue payroll taxes.

Jack K. Manganello, the fired executive, responded with a lawsuit last month saying the agency owes him $132,408, including $72,261 in severance pay, $13,460 in bonuses and $8,000 in consultant fees.

The firing and lawsuit follow a 2011 finding by the state Office of the Medicaid Inspector General that Phoenix Frontier had overcharged the state’s Medicaid program by at least $600,000 in a three-year period.

Key Bank froze the agency’s line of credit.

And Timothy Maggio of Buffalo, the board chairman, died unexpectedly in April.

Despite the turmoil, board members said the agency continues to provide services to its disabled clients while taking steps to improve its finances.

“I can tell you that the board is unquestionably protecting its consumers, which is our obligation. The consumers are well taken care of,” said Timothy G. O’Connell, a Buffalo attorney and Phoenix Frontier board member.

Founded in 1965, Phoenix Frontier assists about 400 people with developmental and physical disabilities, including those who have trouble hearing or seeing or who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. The agency is headquartered on Leroy Avenue and has satellite sites in Amherst and North Tonawanda.

Court filings for Manganello’s State Supreme Court lawsuit revealed the agency’s financial troubles.

Manganello, who headed the agency for 24 years, said the board fired him without cause and that he should be paid the $132,408 under the terms of his contract.

He also wants Phoenix Frontier to defend and indemnify him against any attempt by the IRS to recoup the agency’s taxes from him.

O’Connell submitted an affidavit spelling out how the agency became “mired in serious financial peril under the watch” of Manganello.

The directors, O’Connell said, “lost all confidence in Mr. Manganello, whose relationship with the board became very difficult.”

The agency, with a $4.8 million budget and more than 100 employees, has been forced to cut staff and sell some of its property.

“Unfortunately, plans are under way to cut benefits and trim programs in order to try to save the agency from financial ruin,” O’Connell wrote.

In addition to the IRS debt, the agency owes $164,000 to the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General and $175,000 on its line of credit with Key Bank. It also owes money to vendors.

“Mr. O’Connell alleges that Phoenix became mired in serious financial peril under my watch and that I refused to take personal responsibility,” Manganello said in his affidavit. “What responsibility has the board taken for its actions, or rather, its inaction?”

The agency’s most recent problems with the IRS began in February 2012, when withholding payments were made late, resulting in penalties and interest. Between April and July, no payments at all were made to the IRS.

Manganello said the agency’s chief financial officer never told him about the overdue taxes and late tax payments. He maintained it was the chief financial officer’s responsibility to pay the taxes.

Manganello fired the chief financial officer in August 2012 when the officer told Manganello about the IRS “intent to seize notice” for monies owed.

Manganello said O’Connell blames him for the late tax payments.

“However, my job as CEO was to supervise the employees and to carry out the policies and directions of the board,” Manganello said in his affidavit. “My job was make sure that policies and procedures were in place for the payments of taxes, not to make the payments myself.”

Manganello’s annual salary was $108,392 at the time of his firing.

The IRS informed Manganello earlier this year that it would hold him personally liable for paying the taxes if Phoenix Frontier did not pay.

Manganello said the board received monthly reports last year indicating the agency did not have a surplus. And the board was told of “extraordinary expenses” and cash flow issues caused by delays in state funding that hurt Phoenix’s financial condition, he said.

Board members said Manganello never advised them that payments were not being made to the IRS until the financial officer was fired, nor did he make them aware that the agency did not have enough money to pay its debts.

“Bottom line is Mr. Manganello was the chief executive officer of the organization. If that’s not his responsibility, then whose is it?” asked board member Marty Haumesser. “Mr, Manganello’s departure was unfortunate, but the board felt it was necessary to take action to right the ship.”

The board hired a forensic accountant, who is still investigating the agency’s financial records, said Haumesser.

Taxes are being paid now and the agency is “in the process of correcting those past-due taxes,” he said.

But the other debts remain a huge fiscal challenge, and the board has been in discussions with the state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities to help map the agency’s future.

“We’re going to do everything in our power to keep Phoenix going,” said Haumesser. “We’ve got a strong board in place, so that if anyone can turn this around, I’m confident we can.”



email: jtokasz@buffnews.com ]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 18:15:56 -0400 Jay Tokasz
]]> <![CDATA[ Reinventing an ancient art form ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130519/BUSINESS/130519011/1339
Now, a team of students and faculty from the University at Buffalo is helping the Orchard Park company bring the techniques into the 21st century.

Researchers in UB’s School of Architecture and Planning have introduced the designers and sculptors at Boston Valley to new, high-tech tools that are saving time and helping them work more efficiently.

“We’re extremely lucky to be close to this caliber of facility,” said John Krouse, Boston Valley’s president. “I think it would have been extremely difficult to do it without their help.”

The tools – including a carving tool that works in three dimensions and a program that uses photos to create digital images of terra cotta pieces – aren’t intended to replace the craftsmen at Boston Valley with machines and computers.

Instead, they are meant to free the workers from the most onerous tasks, allowing them to focus on work that requires creativity while giving them training in valuable skills.

And UB students get the practical experience of putting academic concepts to the test in the business world.

“It’s embedded learning,” said Omar Khan, chair of UB’s architecture department.

The owners of Boston Valley Terra Cotta started fabricating architectural terra cotta 32 years ago, after Krouse and several members of his family bought and reconfigured Boston Valley Pottery, a producer of clay pots that began making bricks in 1889.

The new owners sought to recast the pottery company, located near clay deposits in Orchard Park, as a terra cotta manufacturer with a focus on historic restoration.

The company’s first restoration project was the ornate facade of the Guaranty Building in downtown Buffalo, which led to assignments across the United States and Canada.

Their hundreds of restoration projects have included Craigdarroch Castle in British Columbia, Burnham and Root’s Rookery building in Chicago and the Breakers, the Gilded Age mansion in Newport, R.I.

Today, Boston Valley is one of just three companies in the United States that manufacture terra cotta, which is growing in popularity as a building material in new construction, because ceramics are durable, “green” and sustainable.

“We’re hoping that goes for 20 or 30 years,” said Krouse, a ceramic engineer, referring to the terra cotta revival.

Boston Valley, which declined to provide sales figures, employs 130 people at its 180,000-square-foot facility on South Abbott Road. About half of its business is manufacturing terra cotta for new construction and half is for restorations.Khan and UB researcher Mitchell Bring reached out to Boston Valley prior to the 2011 National Preservation Conference, a major annual event that drew more than 2,000 people to Buffalo when it was held here.

UB wanted to demonstrate a more efficient, less invasive approach to restoring terra cotta details on architecturally significant buildings, and it wanted to work with Boston Valley to do this. “How does computing and craft come together?” Khan said.

The traditional process of re-creating terra cotta tiles, statues and other building features requires drafters to create a two-dimensional drawing of the object. They work off photos, measurements taken by hand or a piece of the object or facade in question if it can be removed.

The drafters’ drawing then is sent to the pattern shop, where sculptors produce a model, typically in plaster.

Plaster is poured over the model to produce a hollow mold, before workers press and form terra cotta into the mold. The terra cotta is then finished, dried and fired in a kiln.

UB introduced Boston Valley to digital fabrication tools already used by students in an architecture department lab.

One, a laser scanner, is used to scan an object that remains on the building or that has been removed from the building. Drafters at Boston Valley were trained to use modeling software to take the data generated by the scanner to create a three-dimensional image.

Another high-tech process, known as photogrammetry, uses photographs taken from a number of angles to create a similar 3-D image, and this process is better than a laser scanner for producing images of complex objects. Both approaches make the drafting process and model-making process easier, Khan said.

The 3-D images created by the laser scanner or the photogrammetry process are then used to produce a model, either using a laser cutter or cutting tools known as three-axis or five-axis routers, which UB also demonstrated to Boston Valley.

The routers get their names from the number of directions the router can move while cutting a piece of foam into a model. Three-axis routers cut along an X-Y axis or up and down.

The fourth and fifth axes refer to this newer router’s ability to rotate 180 degrees in a half circle motion around the piece of foam, creating models with undulating peaks and valleys.

A laser cutter creates a tool, made of wood and metal, that is used in turn to produce the plaster model.

Students at UB built their own five-axis router, following online directions, and used the machine to create replicas of the tiles on the Guaranty Building that were handed out to attendees of the 2011 National Preservation Conference in Buffalo.

Boston Valley officials who used the UB router were so impressed they decided to buy an industrial-sized version for themselves, after UB showed employees how to use it.

The region benefits when more workers are trained in how to use cutting-edge tools and software, Khan said. “We need people who know how to do this,” he said.Boston Valley used some of its new fabrication tools on its most recent major restoration project, the replacement of four aging, terra cotta female figures attached to the corners of the top floor of 150 Nassau, a condominium high-rise in Manhattan that dates to the 1890s.

The 19-foot-tall sculptures, known as caryatids, need to be replaced with terra cotta replicas that will be anchored more securely to the building.

A contractor removed one sculpture from the building, piece by piece, and all 54 of them were placed in separate crates and trucked up to Buffalo.

Boston Valley artisans used photogrammetry and a laser scanner to create 3-D images of each piece. The company then produced 54 models, molds and terra cotta pieces for the first of the replica caryatids, which look like angels and were dubbed “Dorothy” by UB.

Boston Valley’s workers are finishing up the project now, and the first of the replacement caryatids is set to be installed at 150 Nassau in August.

For Boston Valley, the new digital tools allow its employees to finish the drafting and modeling process faster, potentially letting the company take on more work as those skilled craftsmen and women focus on tasks that demand creativity.

Boston Valley is using the tools again for their next large restoration undertaking, the replacement of the terra cotta dome atop the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton.

“It’s something that would be almost impossible to do the old way,” Krouse said.

For UB, the partnership offers its students a chance to gain practical experience, and several students, including Linfan Liu and Peter Schmidt, have worked at Boston Valley part-time and shared what they learned in the lab at school.

The architecture department has set up a Material Culture Research Group and also has started introducing these tools to other companies, including Rigidized Metals, bolstering the region’s push into advanced manufacturing.

“We have a lot of really great manufacturers that are going to be retooling, that are going to be moving to far more sophisticated manufacturing processes, and those are all digital, those are all computationally driven,” Khan said.



email: swatson@buffnews.com ]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 14:03:29 -0400 Stephen Watson
]]> <![CDATA[ Retiring superintendent spent lifetime in Lancaster ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130518/CITYANDREGION/130519069/1339
In fact, many fondly call him “Mr. Lancaster” and can’t imagine how different it will seem without him walking the halls after June 30, when he retires.

“I sound Pollyannish, but I do enjoy working for Lancaster,” Myszka said in a sit-down interview last week in his office. “The only place I’ve ever been in is Lancaster. It has made it rewarding to see the growth in the community and vast changes. I’ve enjoyed every minute of my experience here at Lancaster. Some days better than others, and some more challenging. I’ve been there for the good times and the bad times.”

Myszka is a legacy, both in the classroom and in the front office, as well as throughout the community, where he’s involved in a smorgasbord of Lancaster-based organizations.

“Ed is the ultimate Lancaster person from many perspectives – growing up here, he taught here, was the business manager, assistant superintendent and then superintendent. It doesn’t get any more involved and committed,” said retired Lancaster Superintendent Joseph L. Girardi, who worked with Myszka for 16 years.

“In this changing world, Ed has risen to the challenge, and for lasting as long as he has, he deserves all the credit,” said Len Jankiewicz, retired from teaching math for the district and a former high school athletic director and football coach. “He has been productive in the length of his tenure, which makes it remarkable.”

Myszka’s roots go deep. As a young boy, he grew up near farmland on William Street, starting school in what was once a one-room schoolhouse on Aurora Street for his primary grades. A few years later, he moved to another school for fourth grade, before moving on to the higher grades. Over time, some of the schools closed, as he graduated to a new grade level. “I close schools,” he quipped, referring to ones that closed after he left them as a student, and also as he presided over them as superintendent during downturns in enrollment and the fiscal climate.

The striking thing about Myszka, a tall, husky guy with a head of bushy white hair, is his quiet, reserved demeanor. He has a humble way about him and is soft-spoken as he recalls the achievements, along with some of the challenges faced in his long career at a district that he grew up in, graduated from in 1961, and taught business to students for a dozen years. It’s also where he met his wife, Marcia, a high school French teacher at Lancaster, and eventually raised his three children – before rising through administrative ranks to become the district’s top leader in 2007.

Myszka has seen Lancaster go through spurts of growth. The 1970s started out with nearly 7,000 students, then dipped to just below 4,000 pupils after Westinghouse closed in the late 1970s. A short while later, Bowmansville Elementary School was closed and then sold. The Central Avenue Elementary School was closed for a decade before being re-opened in the early 1990s, only to be closed again in 2010.

Myszka clearly remembers how sensitive the school closing was to the community. “They weren’t calling me Eddie,” he said.

Critical to Myszka’s success has been his knack for having a keen sense about the community he served. “He knew everything and has incredible insight into the community’s pulse,” Girardi said. “Knowing the pulse of the community is his greatest asset. You could count on him.”

Myszka also has “a great ability” to handle any vocal critics of the district with grace, without losing his cool. “Ed has the incredible ability to tell critics to come on down to his office. He would calmly put them to rest on any issue,” Girardi said.

And through it all, Myszka realizes the value in a healthy sense of humor. “You have to see the light side of things, or else it will really wear you down,” he said.

When the changing of the guard occurs July 1, Michael L. Vallely, who has been the district’s assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and pupil personnel services since 2006, will succeed Myszka.

At the top of Myszka’s retirement “to do” list? “I promised my wife I’d take her to Provence, France. It’s time to pay up,” Myszka said, with a grin.

Aside from trying to better his golf game and holding onto his Bills season tickets, he and his wife want to remain active in the school community and Lancaster civic groups.

Another thought has crossed his mind, as well. “I should write a book,” he said.



email: krobinson@buffnews.com ]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 17:48:51 -0400 Karen Robinson
]]> <![CDATA[ Local college students take first step into future ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130518/CITYANDREGION/130519064/1339
But for Matthew Faulkner, graduating Saturday from Canisius College took on a more special meaning.

That’s because he was not expected to survive following a car crash in 2009 that left him with a traumatic brain injury and in a coma for nearly two months.

But Faulkner was among 725 students receiving undergraduate degrees Saturday in Canisius’ commencement ceremony in Alumni Arena on the University at Buffalo’s North Campus.

“It feels like quite an accomplishment,” Faulkner said, after getting his diploma.

The crash occurred at an East Aurora intersection about three months before he was slated to graduate from West Seneca West High School. Faulkner was a passenger in a car driven by a friend who pulled into oncoming traffic. He was flown by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center, where doctors were uncertain he would survive.

“But I proved them wrong,” said Faulkner, who penned a book, “Most Likely to Survive,” about his harrowing experience.

Twelve days after emerging from the coma, Faulkner walked out of the hospital and was able to attend his high school graduation. He then took a year off to recover more, and during that time studied at Erie Community College, where he earned nine college credits to add to the 18 he had earned while a high school student.

He enrolled at Canisius in the fall of 2010, graduating on time with a major in economics and finance.

“I love that stuff,” he said.

These days, Faulkner – who is totally independent – has been working part-time as a market analyst for BidURenergy for about a year while completing his studies.

Now, he is looking forward to working full-time.

Bishop Richard J. Malone, who delivered the keynote address, shared a lesson about a research experiment that showed people who practice gratitude are happier than those who do not.

The experiment involved three groups of people: The first group was tasked to list things for which each member was grateful; a second group was asked to write down daily hassles from the previous week; and members of the other group listed five events occurring during the same time period but were told not to focus on positive or negative aspects.

The study showed that members of the first group were 25 percent happier, more optimistic about the future, had higher alertness and enthusiasm, were more empathetic, less depressed and stressed, less envious and less materialistic, Malone said.

“Without gratitude,” he said, “it is difficult to appreciate the awesomeness of God’s grace. ... It’s good for the soul, good for society, and commencement is a prime time to say thank you.”

Malone also received an honorary degree, along with Donald L. Trump, president and chief executive officer at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and Walter Sharrow, Ph.D, emeritus professor of history at Canisius.

Commencement ceremonies also were held for four other colleges.More than 2,030 students received undergraduate degrees during Sports Arena ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The keynote speaker for each was Carl Wilkens, an activist and humanitarian who founded World Outside My Shoes, a nonprofit educational and professional development agency tasked with inspiring and equipping people to stand up against genocide, racism and intolerance.

“We are not defined by what we don’t have, what we lost. We are defined by what we do with what we have. And just don’t quit,” he said.

Donna M. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of the Buffalo Zoo, delivered remarks during the 6 p.m. ceremony for about 600 Buffalo State students receiving master’s degrees.

She offered advice for successful careers and what lies ahead.

“You will have to remain lifelong learners,” she said.

“The journey isn’t over. It has just begun, and you will discover that it is a very long road. And remember, it is not about the destination. It’s about the journey.”D’Youville College graduated about 700 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students during a ceremony at 9 a.m. in Kleinhans Music Hall.

The keynote address was delivered by Dr. M. Eileen Schmitt, a member of D’Youville’s Class of 1968, who drew on the life of Marguerite d’Youville – founder of the Grey Nuns and for whom the college is named – for inspiration. She challenged graduates to live their lives according to three rules of St. Marguerite.

“Mercy, frugality and humility: They will enable you to live a fully integrated life,” she said. “Compassion is what life is all about.”Kleinhans Music Hall also was the setting as Daemen College awarded more than 800 undergraduate and graduate degrees during ceremonies that got under way at 2:30 p.m.

Delivering the keynote address was Daemen President Gary A. Olson, who emphasized the importance of critical thinking.

“You have acquired a habit of mind – the ability and the responsibility to think critically and analytically about the world,” said Olson, who holds a Ph.D in criticism and rhetoric. “This is an ability that will help you make wise choices the rest of your life.”Fredonia State College celebrated its largest graduating class – numbering about 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students – during two ceremonies, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., in Steele Hall Arena.

The keynote speaker was Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, whose son, John, was one of the graduates.

Higgins urged the graduates never to lose sight of love, hope and faith.

“In you, the Class of 2013, we have hope,” Higgins said. “You see, God created the world, but he didn’t finish it. That’s up to you.”

Other featured speakers included Fredonia President Virginia S. Horvath, Ph.D., and Frank A. Pagano, former mayor of Fredonia and chairman of the Fredonia College Council.



email: dswilliams@buffnews.com ]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 20:54:48 -0400 Deidre Williams
]]> <![CDATA[ Depew School Board candidate removed from the ballot ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION/130519093/1339
Brady announced Tuesday that he was ending his campaign after his employer – the New York State Police – informed him that employees cannot run for office. Brady hopes to run in the future and is working with union leaders to convince supervisors in Albany to allow it. He argues that such a position is different from other elected offices because service is on a volunteer basis and no party affiliations exist for candidates.

According to District Clerk Jessica Neischel, the ballot will include Gabrielle Miller, Patrick Law, Nancy Fumerelle, John Spencer and Nicole Simon. They are competing for three seats.

Also, the district has dropped a proposition that would have asked voters to allow the sale of the Terrence Education Center because no bids were received, according to Superintendent Jeffrey Rabey. Officials, who were looking to sell the building for no less than $700,000, will solicit bids soon. If that is successful, either a special election will be held on the sale or voters could consider the issue during next year’s election.

Two propositions remain on the ballot: the $38.5 million budget plan that includes a 2.97 percent tax increase and a request to use $460,851 from a reserve fund to purchase vehicles. Voting will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Cayuga Heights Elementary School. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 23:28:15 -0400 By Lisa A. Johnson

Suburban correspondent

]]> <![CDATA[ Amherst motorcyclist injured in Maple Road accident ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION/130519097/1339
Albert C. Hummer was wearing a helmet but still suffered a head injury when he was knocked off his cycle as Rosemond Johnson, also 69, of North Tonawanda, changed lanes heading east on Maple.

Johnson, who was not injured, was ticketed by Amherst police for making an unsafe lane change. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 23:14:07 -0400 <![CDATA[ W. Seneca motorcyclist killed in Transit Road collision identified ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION/130519123/1339
Depew police said Eric M. Fontaine was traveling southbound at 3:24 p.m. at high speed with a fellow motorcyclist, when he collided with a car, striking it on the passenger side as it was leaving the U-Haul location at 6157 Transit.

Fontaine was pronounced dead at the scene. The name of the driver of the car was not released.

Depew police were assisted by Cheektowaga police in the investigation. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 22:34:49 -0400 <![CDATA[ Amherst rejects tax breaks for senior housing project ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/BUSINESS/130519183/1339
The rejection of the tax breaks puts the future of the three-story Maple Road Senior Apartments project in doubt, with the developer saying it would not make economic sense without the incentives because monthly rents could increase by as much as $200.

“The project is not viable without the IDA assistance,” said Michael Connors, the director of development for the project’s developer, MEL Investors. “If you’re asking me what the status of the project is without IDA assistance, I’d say it’s dead.”

The Amherst IDA board rejected the tax breaks in a 4-3 vote, with critics questioning the need for taxpayer subsidies for a senior citizens apartment complex that expected to charge rents of $900 to $1,000 a month. They also cited a study by the University at Buffalo that found that fewer than 1 percent of Erie County senior citizens move out of the county because they are unable to find suitable housing – a finding that contradicted a long-held belief that a housing shortage was driving elderly residents away.

Supporters, however, said the project merited taxpayer support because it would provide Amherst’s senior citizens with more housing choices, and they also noted that the agency had provided tax breaks for two other market-rate senior citizen complexes within the past three years. The market study done for the developers found that the vacancy rate at the eight market-rate apartment complexes in the Amherst area was roughly 1 percent.

The developers also stressed that the eligibility guidelines that all of the IDAs in Erie County follow allows incentives for senior housing projects.

“Just because it’s eligible doesn’t guarantee approval,” said Edward Stachura, an IDA board member who voted against the tax breaks.

While the developer presented a market study that noted that Amherst has nearly 30,000 residents age 60 or older and noted that some senior housing facilities in the town have waiting lists of more than a year, Stachura said many other local facilities have waiting times of six months or less and pointed out that the UB study found that the number of people age 75 and older in Erie County is expected to remain relatively flat through 2030.

The project called for the construction of 15 one-bedroom apartments that would rent for about $900 a month and 84 two-bedroom units that would cost about $1,000 in monthly rent on a vacant lot at 1765-1805 Maple Road, between Youngs and Ayer roads. Without the tax breaks, the developer said rents could increase by $200 a month, pushing them to the high end of the local market and making the apartments affordable only to wealthier seniors.

Amherst Supervisor Barry Weinstein, who voted against the project, said the tax breaks average out to about $160 a month for each apartment. “I’d much rather see them go ahead with the project and have it be unsubsidized,” he said.

The developer had hoped the complex would be ready for occupancy by next summer.

“There is clearly a need for this type of project at this location,” said Sean Hopkins, an attorney for the developers.

Hopkins also said the developers had been working on the project for more than a year under the belief that it would qualify for tax breaks, given the county’s eligibility guidelines and the Amherst IDA’s approval of incentives for the Fox Creek Estates apartment complex in 2010 and a 120-unit complex on Sweet Home Road in 2011.

“They relied on the fact that this project qualifies,” Hopkins said.

But IDA board members who opposed the project said the overview of the senior housing market changed with the UB study, which found that fewer than 1 percent of Erie County’s senior citizens move out of the area because of housing considerations. That undercut a long-held tenet among local economic development officials that providing a range of senior citizen housing options was an important factor in keeping the region’s elderly people from moving away.

“We did approve those projects, but the UB study came out only recently,” said board member Stuart Shapiro, who voted against the tax breaks.

Board member Aaron Stanley, however, said the UB study, which itself recommended that more research be done in the senior housing market, should be the basis for a longer-term review to shape the eligibility guidelines for senior housing projects throughout Erie County, not an immediate catalyst for rejecting the Maple Road project.

“I don’t believe we should be changing our policy based on a study that just came before us,” said Stanley, who voted in favor of the tax breaks. “It’s changing policy on the fly.”



email: drobinson@buffnews.com ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 14:44:33 -0400 David Robinson
]]> <![CDATA[ Costco reportedly shopping for site here ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION/130519226/1339
Woods, who got her engagement ring from the wholesale club, fell in love with Costco when she lived in Colorado.

Though the company does not yet have a single location in upstate New York, she has renewed her $55 membership every year, trekking over the border to St. Catharines, Ont., to get her discount fix.

Kallee Reynolds, who moved from Idaho and Utah to East Amherst, has done the same. She has traveled “all over” to shop at Costco and is delighted she might soon have one in her own backyard.

“I am more than excited,” Reynolds said.

Costco has garnered a passionate following around the world for its upscale shopping experience, discount prices, high-quality goods, ever-changing inventory and pleasant customer service. It’s the kind of place shoppers can find everything from cold cuts to televisions to a Cartier diamond watch, at discount warehouse prices.

The company has been looking at potential sites in the Buffalo Niagara area, real estate sources said, though a decision is not expected anytime soon. And it was reported this week that Costco is building a store in the Rochester area.

Western New Yorkers are giddy at the prospect of the membership-only warehouse club’s arrival here.

“People like Costco because it has great stuff at great prices,” said Jody Rohlena, deputy editor at ShopSmart magazine, published by Consumer Reports.

To hear devotees tell it, that is the understatement of the century.

“A trip to Costco is more of an event than it is a shopping trip,” said Abby Kozara, who lives outside Chicago. “It is the one errand the whole family enjoys. We can wander around the store for hours, looking at the merchandise and munching on samples.”

For starters, Costco routinely lands at the top of consumer satisfaction surveys and independent analysis in terms of quality, selection and price.

Its Kirkland store brand, which makes everything from diapers to cookware, is beloved. Its quality regularly trumps other store brands and even national brands in product tests, and the items are very competitively priced.

The store is considered more upscale than Sam’s Club and BJ’s, offering a better overall shopping experience.

“It’s like the difference between walking into Macy’s or walking into Walmart,” Reynolds said.

The Costco stores planned for Syracuse and Rochester are about 40,000 square feet larger than local BJ’s stores.

Costco is known to offer many product samples and product demonstrations throughout the store, and it has a liberal return policy.

Costco’s customer service is also routinely singled out for excellence. Costco’s employees earn an average of $17 per hour and have employer-paid health insurance, so turnover is low, and service is friendly and efficient.

Local real estate sources said Costco Wholesale has looked at a range of sites in the suburbs, from Tonawanda and Amherst to Cheektowaga. The retailer is working with Northwest Atlantic Realty, sources said.

The sites include the former BJ’s Warehouse site on Young Street in Tonawanda; the former Wegmans and other sites on Walden Avenue near the Thruway Plaza between Union Road and the Thruway; two sites on Transit Road, near Wehrle Drive and near Klein Road; and a site on Millersport Highway. Ellicott Development Co. has pitched a couple of properties as well, sources say.

But the company doesn’t appear close to a decision.

“There’s been a lot of stuff that’s been presented, and almost everything’s been rejected,” one source said. “I don’t see an announcement coming soon.”

Rochester’s Democrat and Chronicle reported Wednesday that Costco has committed to building a 150,000-square-foot store just outside the Town of Brighton. Costco just broke ground on a new store on the west side of Syracuse, but so far that’s the only location in upstate New York.

All of the company’s 15 locations in the state are downstate, including Long Island. There are other locations in nearby Connecticut and New Jersey.

But it has upstate New York surrounded, with at least 20 locations in Ontario, including one in St. Catharines; 10 in Pennsylvania, including three in Pittsburgh; and seven in Ohio, including three in Cleveland. That means it shouldn’t be too hard to open up here, said Robert Strell, president of Robert P. Strell Real Estate Advisory Services.

“They have their distribution network set up,” he said. “It’s not that hard to open up the stores if you have the locations.”

And that’s likely to impact rivals like BJ’s Wholesale Club or Sam’s Club more than others.

“They’re just cutting the pie thinner and thinner,” Strell said. “The population isn’t changing. Just a new store, new model. They’ll probably take a good slice of the pie from somebody else.”



email: schristmann@buffnews.com and jepstein@buffnews.com ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 12:38:50 -0400 Jonathan Epstein
Samantha Maziarz Christmann
]]> <![CDATA[ Tonawanda boy, 3, drowns in neighbor’s pool ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/CITYANDREGION/130519225/1339
Police withheld the name of the boy, but they said he was given emergency CPR when found in the pool.

The boy was pronounced dead at Kenmore Mercy Hospital.

Authtories said in a statement released Friday that an investigation was underway but “there are no indications that this was anything other than a tragic accident.” ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 10:44:53 -0400 <![CDATA[ University at Buffalo has helped bring modern technology to an age-old process Computers allow for three-dimensional modeling ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130516/BUSINESS/130519036/1339


Now, a team of students and faculty from the University at Buffalo is helping the Orchard Park company bring the techniques into the 21st century.



Researchers in UB’s School of Architecture and Planning have introduced the designers and sculptors at Boston Valley to new, high-tech tools that are saving time and helping them work more efficiently.



“We’re extremely lucky to be close to this caliber of facility,” said John Krouse, Boston Valley’s president. “I think it would have been extremely difficult to do it without their help.”



The tools – including a carving tool that works in three dimensions and a program that uses photos to create digital images of terra cotta pieces – aren’t intended to replace the craftsmen at Boston Valley with machines and computers.



Instead, they are meant to free the workers from the most onerous tasks, allowing them to focus on work that requires creativity while giving them training in valuable skills.



And UB students get the practical experience of putting academic concepts to the test in the business world.



“It’s embedded learning,” said Omar Khan, chair of UB’s architecture department.



The owners of Boston Valley Terra Cotta started fabricating architectural terra cotta 32 years ago, after Krouse and several members of his family bought and reconfigured Boston Valley Pottery, a producer of clay pots that began making bricks in 1889.



The new owners sought to recast the pottery company, located near clay deposits in Orchard Park, as a terra cotta manufacturer with a focus on historic restoration.



The company’s first restoration project was the ornate facade of the Guaranty Building in downtown Buffalo, which led to assignments across the United States and Canada.



Their hundreds of restoration projects have included Craigdarroch Castle in British Columbia, Burnham and Root’s Rookery building in Chicago and the Breakers, the Gilded Age mansion in Newport, R.I.



Today, Boston Valley is one of just three companies in the United States that manufacture terra cotta, which is growing in popularity as a building material in new construction, because ceramics are durable, “green” and sustainable.



“We’re hoping that goes for 20 or 30 years,” said Krouse, a ceramic engineer, referring to the terra cotta revival.



Boston Valley, which declined to provide sales figures, employs 130 people at its 180,000-square-foot facility on South Abbott Road. About half of its business is manufacturing terra cotta for new construction and half is for restorations.

Khan and UB researcher Mitchell Bring reached out to Boston Valley prior to the 2011 National Preservation Conference, a major annual event that drew more than 2,000 people to Buffalo when it was held here.



UB wanted to demonstrate a more efficient, less invasive approach to restoring terra cotta details on architecturally significant buildings, and it wanted to work with Boston Valley to do this. “How does computing and craft come together?” Khan said.



The traditional process of re-creating terra cotta tiles, statues and other building features requires drafters to create a two-dimensional drawing of the object. They work off photos, measurements taken by hand or a piece of the object or facade in question if it can be removed.



The drafters’ drawing then is sent to the pattern shop, where sculptors produce a model, typically in plaster.



Plaster is poured over the model to produce a hollow mold, before workers press and form terra cotta into the mold. The terra cotta is then finished, dried and fired in a kiln.



UB introduced Boston Valley to digital fabrication tools already used by students in an architecture department lab.



One, a laser scanner, is used to scan an object that remains on the building or that has been removed from the building. Drafters at Boston Valley were trained to use modeling software to take the data generated by the scanner to create a three-dimensional image.



Another high-tech process, known as photogrammetry, uses photographs taken from a number of angles to create a similar 3-D image, and this process is better than a laser scanner for producing images of complex objects. Both approaches make the drafting process and model-making process easier, Khan said.



The 3-D images created by the laser scanner or the photogrammetry process are then used to produce a model, either using a laser cutter or cutting tools known as three-axis or five-axis routers, which UB also demonstrated to Boston Valley.



The routers get their names from the number of directions the router can move while cutting a piece of foam into a model. Three-axis routers cut along an X-Y axis or up and down.



The fourth and fifth axes refer to this newer router’s ability to rotate 180 degrees in a half circle motion around the piece of foam, creating models with undulating peaks and valleys.



A laser cutter creates a tool, made of wood and metal, that is used in turn to produce the plaster model.



Students at UB built their own five-axis router, following online directions, and used the machine to create replicas of the tiles on the Guaranty Building that were handed out to attendees of the 2011 National Preservation Conference in Buffalo.



Boston Valley officials who used the UB router were so impressed they decided to buy an industrial-sized version for themselves, after UB showed employees how to use it.



The region benefits when more workers are trained in how to use cutting-edge tools and software, Khan said. “We need people who know how to do this,” he said.

Boston Valley used some of its new fabrication tools on its most recent major restoration project, the replacement of four aging, terra cotta female figures attached to the corners of the top floor of 150 Nassau, a condominium high-rise in Manhattan that dates to the 1890s.



The 19-foot-tall sculptures, known as caryatids, need to be replaced with terra cotta replicas that will be anchored more securely to the building.



A contractor removed one sculpture from the building, piece by piece, and all 54 of them were placed in separate crates and trucked up to Buffalo.



Boston Valley artisans used photogrammetry and a laser scanner to create 3-D images of each piece. The company then produced 54 models, molds and terra cotta pieces for the first of the replica caryatids, which look like angels and were dubbed “Dorothy” by UB.



Boston Valley’s workers are finishing up the project now, and the first of the replacement caryatids is set to be installed at 150 Nassau in August.



For Boston Valley, the new digital tools allow its employees to finish the drafting and modeling process faster, potentially letting the company take on more work as those skilled craftsmen and women focus on tasks that demand creativity.



Boston Valley is using the tools again for their next large restoration undertaking, the replacement of the terra cotta dome atop the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton.



“It’s something that would be almost impossible to do the old way,” Krouse said.



For UB, the partnership offers its students a chance to gain practical experience, and several students, including Linfan Liu and Peter Schmidt, have worked at Boston Valley part-time and shared what they learned in the lab at school.



The architecture department has set up a Material Culture Research Group and also has started introducing these tools to other companies, including Rigidized Metals, bolstering the region’s push into advanced manufacturing.



“We have a lot of really great manufacturers that are going to be retooling, that are going to be moving to far more sophisticated manufacturing processes, and those are all digital, those are all computationally driven,” Khan said.







email: swatson@buffnews.com ]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 23:03:33 -0400 <![CDATA[ Judge frustrated by further delay in case of strangled 5-year-old ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130516/CITYANDREGION/130519271/1339
But the result was a further two-month delay in the case.

Murphy ordered the attorney for John R. Freeman Jr., the alleged killer of 5-year-old Isabella M. Tennant, to deliver a Williamsville doctor’s report to the prosecution by May 31.

The attorney, Robert Viola, has been saying since last October he intended to use a psychiatric defense for Freeman, 17, of Sixth Street, Niagara Falls.

He is accused of strangling the Cheektowaga child while he was baby-sitting her Aug. 26 in her great-grandparents’ home on Sixth Street, and dumping her body in a stolen garbage tote.

A friend who allegedly helped him do so, Tyler S. Best, 18, of Barnard Street, Buffalo, is charged with tampering with physical evidence.

The pediatric neuropsychologist Viola hired examined Freeman in February, but no report has been submitted. Two weeks ago, Viola asked for more time, but Thursday, he still had no report.

“I am extremely frustrated,” Murphy said. “I have to set deadlines to move this case along.”

After the May 31 defense doctor’s report, the prosecution will have six weeks to have its own expert interview Freeman. That report must be submitted by July 12, Murphy ordered. The sides will return to court July 26.

On that day, Best’s attorney, James J. Faso Jr., will argue his request to have the two defendants tried separately. At present, they are to be tried together starting Aug. 19.

If the cases are severed, “Our intention absolutely is to try Mr. Freeman first,” Deputy District Attorney Holly E. Sloma said.

In other cases Thursday in County Court:

• Lockport attorney David C. Douglas accepted a court assignment to defend David L. Alfonso, 28, the Lockport resident charged with attempted murder in a Dec. 31 attack on his girlfriend’s 7-year-old daughter. The Public Defender’s Office had to drop the case after learning that it had once defended a person who will be a prosecution witness against Alfonso. County Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas set a June 13 pretrial conference and a July 29 trial date.

• Also receiving a new attorney will be Jennifer R. Marchant, 23, of North Tonawanda, who stabbed her live-in boyfriend to death Feb. 6. Her previous attorneys, Glenn Pincus and Steven M. Cohen, argued that Marchant killed Ralph D. Stone Jr., 24, in self-defense. However, a grand jury charged Marchant with first-degree manslaughter. However, it appeared Thursday that Marchant’s family is financially overextended. Pincus said her parents and grandparents “are not in a position to assist her any further.”

Farkas ordered Marchant, who is free on $100,000 bail, to apply to the Public Defender’s Office and return to court Wednesday with a new lawyer.



email: tprohaska@buffnews.com ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 22:39:05 -0400 Thomas Prohaska
]]> <![CDATA[ Talking bird and Clarence vet have ‘Today Show’ date ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130516/LIFE/130519306/1339
Dr. Laura Wade, who treated Disco the parakeet for a digestive problem in February, will join Jeff and Judy Bolton of Penfield and their daughter in studio for an interview Friday on the NBC show, which is aired from 7 to 11 a.m. locally on WGRZ, Channel 2.

The hosts of the early part of “The Today Show” watched a video of Disco on Wednesday morning, and then discussed whether he was really talking. In the videos, Disco, who turns 3 this month, intersperses such phrases as “What seems to be the problem, Officer?” and “Nobody puts baby bird in the corner!” with chirps, tweets, barks, meows and bits of song.

The show’s producers sent an SUV to pick up Disco and the Boltons Thursday. Wade, who operates Specialized Care for Avian and Exotic Pets in Clarence, flew to Manhattan on Thursday and will join the family in the studio.

“Our biggest concern is whether he will talk, with all the lights and commotion,” said Wade before catching her flight. “He didn’t talk with me in the exam room in February and March, but he wasn’t feeling well. Our hope is that he’ll feel comfortable and will talk.”

In any case, Wade plans to talk about “parrot cognition, intelligence and the way they use their speech. I’m hoping to tell them that they are great pets, they live a long time, they are intelligent and they are worth taking good care of, just like a bigger parrot.

“I’m just there to support Disco. I don’t want to take anything away from him. I asked Judy, ‘Do you really want me to go? It’s Disco’s moment, not mine,’ but she said they did, so it’s a great opportunity to be an avian ambassador.”



— Anne Neville ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 15:55:21 -0400 <![CDATA[ Dehumidifier blamed for Cheektowaga house fire ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130516/CITYANDREGION/130519309/1339
The fire at 10 Collette Ave. was reported at 9:47 a.m. According to Todd Roland, chief of the South Line Fire Co., a woman, her young son and a dog safely fled the structure.

Roland said damage was contained to the basement, where the dehumidifier was located. Damage was estimated at approximately $15,000 to $20,000. ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 12:25:49 -0400 <![CDATA[ Tops in Lewiston redone ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130516/BUSINESS/130519324/1339
Anthony DiMino cut the ribbon on his newly renovated Center Street store in Lewiston Wednesday. He spent $900,000 over the last two years upgrading every department in the store.

The store has eco-friendly upgrades, such as LED lighting and energy-efficient coolers, all new decor with earth tones and dark wood, and expanded produce, deli, cheese, carry-out cafe, organic and natural food sections.

DiMino’s father, Alphonso DiMino, first opened the Tops franchise in 1964. Most of the original franchised Tops locations were bought back by the company during the 1970s, but five of Tops 153 grocery stores are still franchised.

The Tops Markets on Grand Island Boulevard on Grand Island, a non-franchise store, will unveil its $1 million renovation Monday. ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 07:18:49 -0400 <![CDATA[ Lancaster man gets probation in crash that killed Depew High senior ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/CITYANDREGION/130519419/1339
Today’s outcome was expected. Radames Candelaria, 35, had earlier received in Depew Village Court a sentencing commitment of probation for his guilty plea to the misdemeanor reckless driving charge.

The crash killed 18-year-old Ashley Creighton, a Depew High School senior. She was waiting for a bus on the north side of Broadway near South Kokomo Street.

Candelaria told police he lost control of his SUV shortly after 7 a.m. on July 30. The vehicle veered off Broadway, hit the young woman, and then struck Penora’s Pizza on the other side of the road, causing considerable damage to the building.

He said he fell asleep on his way home from work after an 11 and 1/2-hour overnight shift.

Candelaria apologized to Creighton’s legal guardian in court.

Depew Village Justice Gordon Willis sentenced Candelaria. The probationary term includes stipulations that he not be around anyone with alcohol or drugs and not attend parties.

The most jail time Candelaria could have faced was 30 days, said Kelley A. Omel, chief of the Erie County District Attorney’s Office Vehicular Crimes Bureau.

“It’s tragic,” Omel said of the case. “It’s the judge’s decision, and I certainly respect the judge’s decision.”

Gail Thompson, Creighton’s legal guardian, had mixed emotions following the sentencing.

“Some of me doesn’t think it’s right because you hit somebody and you just get probation. But I guess that’s the way the law is,” she told The Buffalo News. “In my head, I want to hate him. But in my heart, I want to forgive him, so I can move on from this.”

In addition to probation, Candelaria faces fines. He must also attend a state Department of Motor Vehicles hearing in June regarding the status of his driver’s license.

Thompson wants his license revoked.

Candelaria has a lengthy record of convictions for minor criminal offenses.

Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III submitted evidence in the case to a grand jury. But the grand jurors did not indict on a more serious charge, so the case was sent back to Depew Village Court. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 13:28:53 -0400 Karen Robinson
]]> <![CDATA[ Missing Kenmore girl found safe on Grand Island ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/CITYANDREGION/130519420/1339
Nina Christofaro, 15, a sophomore at Kenmore West High School, had been missing since she slipped out of her house five weeks ago to meet a man her family believes she met on Facebook.

“She’s definitely going to be O.K.” said Nina’s mother, Rebecca Paul-Christofaro. “She’s safe now.”

An event scheduled for Saturday morning in Mang Park to distribute flyers with Nina’s description will now be cancelled.

“Thank you to everybody in Western New York who put in so much effort to help me find her,” said Paul-Christofaro.

“Thank you to all who have posted, shared, commented, and called in,” the department said in a post on its Facebook page. “Without your help, this may not have been possible.” ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 13:22:57 -0400 <![CDATA[ Tonawanda schools hold ‘Meet the Candidates’ night ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/CITYANDREGION/130519431/1339
Four candidates are vying for three open seats this year. Incumbent Danielle Opalinski is hoping to win a full three-year term after her board appointment earlier this year. Former board member Elizabeth Olka is attempting to win another term after she was forced to resign following a controversial tenure. Newcomers Geraldine Angelo, a non-active volunteer firefighter, and Fred Busch, an independent business owner, are looking to win their first election.

The election and district budget will be decided from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday in Tonawanda High School. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 08:17:59 -0400 <![CDATA[ Brady drops out of Depew School Board race ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/CITYANDREGION/130519434/1339
By Lisa A. Johnson

NEWS CORRESPONDENT

A week before Tuesday’s school board elections, a Depew candidate announced the end of his campaign after his employer – the New York State Police – refused to allow him to run.

Steven Brady used his allotted time during Tuesday’s Meet-the-Candidates Night at Depew High School to explain the situation to voters and to step aside, leaving five candidates to vie for the three open seats. After the meeting, he explained that he followed procedure by submitting a memo that outlined his intent to run and serve on the board in his spare time. The plan was approved by his local supervisors but halted by State Police leaders in Albany because employees cannot run for an elected position.

Brady does not agree with the decision and is working with his union leadership to encourage a change in policy so he can run in the future. The decision upsets him because, while he understands that employees cannot run for paid elected positions, school board membership is on a volunteer basis and no party affiliations exist.

He said he is particularly disappointed because as a 1991 graduate of the district and a parent of children attending the schools, he looked forward to the possibility of helping Depew as a Board of Education trustee.

“You want to give back and serve your community in an off-duty capacity, and you’re limited,” he said.

Whether Brady’s name will remain on the ballot is uncertain. District Clerk Jessica Neischel said that officials will contact the Erie County Clerk’s office for a decision.

The remaining hopefuls had a chance to introduce themselves to voters by outlining their platforms and answering questions posed by students from the high school’s Leadership Class, including Manda Macaluso, Holly Spoor and Miranda Walinski. Candidates were invited to the podium in the order they will appear on the ballot.

Political newcomer Gabrielle Miller spoke first, explaining that as a parent of two Depew graduates and a 24-year volunteer in the schools and village, she is running to continue her service to the community. She added that her business experience and 15 years of attending school board meetings would be assets. As a board member, she would hope to eliminate unnecessary spending.

“I believe I will be able to make the tough decisions,” she said.

Patrick Law, a 16-year resident of the district who served as an interim trustee in 2012, hopes to serve again to continue the board’s track record of successful budgeting. He lauded the board and Superintendent Jeffrey Rabey for balancing student programs with unfunded state mandates while remaining fair to the taxpayers. He hopes to continue that work if elected to a full term.

“Everything we do has to be fiscally responsible,” he said.

Nancy Fumerelle, a 1981 Depew graduate and two-term board member, hopes to continue her service to the community. She is influenced by her mother’s mantra that “your community starts right outside your driveway,” and she strives to assist her neighbors through her service. Also, with Diane Benczkowski leaving the board after 12 years, Fumerelle feels she can provide history and experience.

“I think I can bridge the old with the new,” she said.

John Spencer, a 1976 Depew graduate, has been a trustee since October 2006 and is seeking re-election because he feels experience is necessary in a board member. He touted the capital improvement project that resulted in the renovation of buildings and the sports complex as accomplishments, as well as increased technology in the classrooms. He added that he is committed to balancing budgets with student and taxpayer needs.

“Since I’ve been on the board, we’ve had six responsible budgets,” he said.

Newcomer Nicole Simon has lived in the district most of her life and has two younger children in the schools. She is driven to run for a seat because she hopes to help provide an education that prepares students for the future. She added that she sees the students, teachers and community as the experts on what they need from the district, and she will seek their input when it comes to budgeting and procedures.

“I know I don’t know all the answers,” she said.

All the candidates had the same answer when asked by the students if they support standardized testing as the primary gauge of teacher and school achievement: No.

The consensus was that testing is a necessary evil, but it should be used in addition to other measurements, including career and college placement trends after graduation, the availability of well-rounded educational opportunities and the life skills lessons provided by the district.

The school board election and budget vote will be held noon to 9 p.m. May 21, at Cayuga Heights Elementary School.

In addition to the candidates, voters will consider three propositions, including the $38.9 million budget for 2013-14. The spending plan includes a 2.97 percent tax levy increase. The second proposition involves the district’s use of $460,851 from a reserve fund to purchase two school buses, four vans and a plow truck for the Buildings and Grounds Department, while the third would authorize the district to sell the Terrace Elementary School building for no less than $700,000.

For comprehensive info about who and what is on the ballot in each district, visit School Zone blog.

email: citydesk@buffnews.com ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 07:35:35 -0400