The Buffalo News - Southtowns

Graduation rates up for some Niagara high schools

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:37:10 -0400

Niagara County schools showed small gains and minor losses in the percentages of their high school students graduating in four years in 2012, according to data released Monday by the state Education Department.

Biggest improvement was seen at North Tonawanda High School, where the rate bounced back to 84 percent after dropping from 84 to 77 percent between 2010 and 2011. Barker High School experienced a similar rebound from 91 to 96 percent, almost regaining its 97 percent rate from 2010.

The sharpest decline came at Newfane Senior High School, where the rate fell to 83 percent from 89 percent in 2011. Newfane’s rate was 86 percent in 2010.

Niagara Falls High School registered an increase from 69 to 70 percent, but was still down from 75 percent in 2010. Lockport High School remained steady at 84 percent for the third year in a row.

Lewiston-Porter Senior High School posted the highest graduation rate in the county for the second straight year – 97 percent. In 2011, it had 100 percent.

In Erie County, high schools outside Buffalo showed modest gains and losses.

Within the city is another story entirely. No longer do more than half of Buffalo’s students graduate from high school within four years. The Buffalo graduation rate was 47 percent, compared with 54 percent in 2011.

The Rochester school district did even more poorly, with only 43 percent of students graduating within four years.

Buffalo showed the sharpest decline among the five largest school districts in the state, causing the Education Department to red-flag the city in its statewide news release.

“Graduation rates for four of the Big 5 school districts remained relatively stable,” the release stated. “However, Buffalo’s graduation rate dropped by more than seven percentage points.” The other Big 5 schools ranked include Yonkers, with a graduation rate of 66 percent; New York City, with 60 percent; and Syracuse, with 48 percent.

Buffalo’s 2012 graduation rate erases the gains the district made in 2011 and puts the city school district back at roughly the same graduation level it had in 2010.

The picture is bleaker when looking at the school-by-school breakdowns. Among the 20 city public and charter high schools, only four showed any gains, while nine showed losses of 5 percentage points or more compared with 2011’s rates.

Since 2010, six of the city schools have seen double-digit declines in graduation rates. Burgard Vocational High School showed the single most alarming drop – from half of its students graduating in 2010 to only a fourth – 24 percent – graduating in 2012. East, Bennett, Riverside and Lafayette high schools also showed a troubling pattern of two-year stagnation or decline, with less than a third of students graduating from those schools.

On the positive side, some schools both in and out of the city showed marked improvement. Buffalo’s Emerson School of Hospitality showed a 15 percent year-over-year gain in its graduation rates, from 66 percent in 2011 to 81 percent in 2012.

In surrounding districts, Depew, Lake Shore, North Collins and Frontier high schools made notable one- and two-year gains. Among the largest suburban school districts, the graduation rates were 92 percent in Williamsville, 81 percent in Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda and 85 percent in West Seneca.

The overall statewide graduation rate “remained stable at 74 percent despite increased rigor required for graduation phased in over the past four years,” according to Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch and State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr.

For more information on this story and other local education news, visit the School Zone blog at www.buffalonews.com. News Staff Reporters Gene Warner and Dale Anderson contributed to this story. email: stan@buffnews.com

Contract with Lackawanna DPW workers to be reveiwed

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:10:26 -0400

The City of Lackawanna has reached a deal with another one of its collective bargaining units.

But public works employees will have to wait a couple more weeks for the new contract to be finalized.

The City Council on Monday tabled a vote on the deal, saying they planned to look it over more carefully after being burned last month by a tagalong provision on a new contract for police officers that brought with it pay raises for department heads.

Council members said they were not aware that a city ordinance adopted in 2009 linked pay raises for patrol officers to corresponding wage increases for nonbargaining employees – who hold about a dozen of the city’s highest-paying jobs.

The tagalong provision on the police contract made several of the members unwilling to pull the trigger Monday on another new deal until they look it over more closely.

“I don’t want to give the dog catcher a $50,000 raise and find out later that we did,” quipped 3rd Ward Councilman Joseph Jerge.

The proposed public works contract calls for pay raises of 2.75 percent in 2013-14 and 2014-15 and 3 percent in 2015-16, as well as retroactive pay increases of 2 percent per year going back to 2009.

It would cover about 36 employees in the Public Works Department.

Members of the Civil Services Employees Association, Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO also would get increased longevity pay: $1,000 after 10 years of service, up from $800; $1,100 after 15 years, up from $900; $1,300 after 20 years, up from $1,100; and $1,500 after 25 years, a step that didn’t exist in the last contract.

New hires in the department will be required to live within the city as a condition of employment.

About two-dozen public works employees showed up in Council chambers for the vote. Council President Henry R. Pirowski Jr. assured them the Council will reconsider the deal at a special meeting, likely on June 27.

“I want to make sure nothing is attached to their contract. What happened last time should never happen again,” said 1st Ward Councilman Abdul Noman.

If the public works employee contract goes through, it will be the third new deal struck between the city and a collective bargaining unit since May 20. Only an expired contract with city firefighters is still in negotiations, but a deal there seems far away. The firefighters recently filed an unfair labor practices claim against the city with the state Public Employment Relations Board.

City Attorney Antonio Savaglio was excused from Monday’s meeting due to the death of his father, Carlo. Council members adjourned the meeting in his memory.

email: jtokasz@buffnews.com

Thorn-in-the-side blogger to stay anonymous

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:01:46 -0400

Concerned Hamburger, the anonymous blogger who comments on and lampoons the Hamburg Central School District, will remain anonymous.

State Supreme Court Justice Diane Y. Devlin Monday quashed a subpoena to Google that would have forced the Internet giant to turn over the name of the person who runs the Hamburg Educational Ethics blog to the school district.

“I think it’s good news for any blogger, any citizen journalist,” said Joseph M. Finnerty, the attorney for Concerned Hamburger.

He argued the subpoena threatened the blogger’s First Amendment rights.

“They went after Concerned Hamburger because they don’t like what he says, because they’re thin-skinned and don’t like criticism,” Finnerty told the judge.

Anonymous speech is protected speech, he said, and one of the hallowed features of America, noting the Federalist Papers were published anonymously.

Richard T. Sullivan, the attorney for the school district, said the subpoena is merely part of the discovery process and the district wants to examine the person who runs the blog.

“We are not seeking to suppress anyone’s right to free speech,” he said in court. “They can blog their brains out. I don’t care.”

The subpoena was issued as part of a lawsuit filed by the district and several current and former board members and administrators over the taping of an executive session on Sept. 21, 2010. The lawsuit claims Sally Stephenson; her daughter, Lyndsey Stephenson; and teacher Martha Kavanaugh secretly taped the meeting, and is seeking damages from them. Sally Stephenson has taken a seat on the School Board since the lawsuit was filed a year ago.

The women deny the charge, and they denied that they created the blog or post to it.

Sullivan said the district has the right to question Concerned Hamburger, who posted a portion of the tape, on how he or she got the tape. Concerned Hamburger and Sally Stephenson both said the tape was found in their mailboxes, the lawyer told the judge.

“There are only four people who have published this tape for their benefit,” Sullivan maintained.

Concerned Hamburger has sworn that he or she is not one of the defendants, and is not the person who recorded the meeting, Finnerty told the judge.

While the judge ruled in Concerned Hamburger’s favor, she did not grant a motion for the district to pay the attorney fees for the blogger.

Sullivan said the court decision will have little effect on the lawsuit. He said the lawsuit will continue even if the School Board, which will have three new members taking office in July, decides to end the district’s involvement. The individuals will continue the lawsuit individually, he said.

The district also has subpoenaed a teacher, Chris Cerrone, who is corresponding secretary for the Hamburg Teachers Association. It dropped subpoenas to Google for the identities of two people who post to the blog, Klozman and Super. Robert Johnstun identified himself as Super. Johnstun, a father who talks frequently at School Board meetings, said he was pleased the subpoena was quashed.

“To me, its amazing news,” he said, but he added, “I’m upset as a taxpayer that it had to come to this.”

email: bobrien@buffnews.com

Buffalo graduation rates sank to 47 percent in 2012

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:38:00 -0400

Buffalo Public Schools graduation rates continue to stir serious concerns, with the latest graduation data released by the state showing the city trailing behind every other major city school district in New York State except for one.

According to the 2012 data released by the state Education Department on Monday, high schools in Erie and Niagara counties generally showed either modest losses or positive gains outside the City of Buffalo.

Within the city is another story entirely. No longer do more than half of Buffalo’s students graduate from high school within four years. The Buffalo graduation rate was 47 percent, compared with 54 percent in 2011.

The Rochester school district did even more poorly, with only 43 percent of students graduating within four years.

Buffalo, however, showed the sharpest decline among the five largest school districts in the state, causing the Education Department to red-flag the city in its statewide news release.

“Graduation rates for four of the Big 5 school districts remained relatively stable,” the release stated. “However, Buffalo’s graduation rate dropped by more than 7 percentage points.”

The other Big 5 schools ranked include Yonkers, with a graduation rate of 66 percent; New York City, with 60 percent; and Syracuse, with 48 percent.

Buffalo’s 2012 graduation rate erases the gains the district made in 2011 and puts the city school district back at roughly the same graduation level it had in 2010.

The picture is bleaker when looking at the school-by-school breakdowns. Among the 20 city public and charter high schools, only four showed any gains, while nine showed losses of 5 percentage points or more compared with 2011’s rates.

Since 2010, six of the city schools have seen double-digit declines in graduation rates. Burgard Vocational High School showed the single most alarming drop – from half of its students graduating in 2010 to only a fourth – 24 percent – graduating in 2012.

East, Bennett, Riverside and Lafayette high schools also showed a troubling pattern of two-year stagnation or decline, with less than a third of students graduating.

Some schools both in and out of the city showed marked improvement.

Buffalo’s Emerson School of Hospitality showed a 15 percent year-over-year gain in its graduation rates, from 66 percent in 2011 to 81 percent in 2012.

In surrounding school districts, Depew, Lake Shore, North Collins and Frontier high schools made notable one- and two-year gains.

Among the largest suburban school districts, the total district graduation rate was 92 percent in Williamsville, 81 percent in Kenmore-Tonawanda and 85 percent in West Seneca.

In Niagara County, graduation rates ranged from 70 percent at Niagara Falls High School to 97 percent at Lewiston-Porter.

The overall statewide graduation rate “remained stable at 74 percent despite increased rigor required for graduation phased in over the past four years,” according to the announcement by Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch and State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr.

Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Pamela C. Brown declined an interview request about the student graduation rates report, which reflect a period before her arrival. In a statement, however, she said she’s instituted a number of strategies designed to bring city graduation rates up to 80 percent by 2018.

Those strategies include more collaboration and communication with the Say Yes Buffalo program, more professional development for staff, more early intervention through the use of student data, and more after-school and summer school programs to help struggling students.

“With these key strategies in place, we are very optimistic that increased graduation rates will follow,” she stated. “As always, it is our goal to provide a world-class education for every child.”

For more information, read the School Zone blog at www.buffalonews.com News Staff Reporter Gene Warner contributed to this story. email: stan@buffnews.com

Colorful character coming here to spread word about empowered disabled people

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:26:13 -0400

Jewel Kats is a character – and a fashion eccentric.

The 34-year-old Toronto woman wears ultrabright “Ruby Woo” lipstick, sports permanent tattooed eye makeup, and uses two hot-pink crutches.

She’s also a woman with disabilities who has a message, contained in her Web-based comic strip, the “DitzAbled Princess.”

“The DitzAbled Princess is empowering to women with disabilities, because it demonstrates that they can be fun-loving, take care of themselves and have the world at their fingertips,” she said in a phone interview.

The writer is bringing that message to Buffalo for two public appearances this weekend, at the “Museum of disABILITY History,” at 3826 Main St., near Eggert Road in Eggertsville.

On Friday, she’ll talk to people with disabilities, human-services staff and the general public from 7 to 9 p.m. The following day, from 1 to 3 p.m., she’ll read from her children’s fairy tale, “Cinderella’s Magical Wheelchair.” The museum is a project of People Inc.

Kats never plays the victim, despite physical problems and chronic pain dating back to a car crash when she was 9 years old. She’s had eight surgeries and suffers from osteopenia (low bone density) and arthritis.

“I don’t let that shape my life,” she said. “I think everyone has problems. It’s just that mine are more visible. I just take it in stride. It’s life.”

Kats takes an old cliche – not being limited by a disability – and turns it on its head, suggesting her disabilities help her.

“Disabilities are a perk,” she says. “They make you stand out in a sea of ordinary folks. Limitations are just a perceived mindset. Nobody, nothing should stop you. You’re entitled to reach for the stars in your very own way.”

The former Michelle Katyal took the name Jewel Kats while working as an actress.

A big fan of Archie comics, her husband suggested that “Jewel” was like a comic book character. So why not write a comic strip about herself?

“I poured my life on the page, and it became like a diary,” Kats said. “I think people relate to the fact that I can poke fun at myself.”

The DitzAbled Princess, released on tapastic.com website every Wednesday and Sunday, has had 650,000 Web hits since February, she said.

Kats explained the image she wants to leave on her Buffalo audience.

“People with disabilities – you may not find us in toy boxes. We may not be Barbie, but we can be the ideal woman, in our own shape and form.”

That’s the persona of her comic-strip princess.

“I think princesses can come in every shape, form, type, color or age,” she said. “Anybody can get a prince, but you don’t necessarily have to get a prince to be a princess. You can do it on your own.”

Kats knows how to grab attention. Two of her seven books are “Cinderella’s Magical Wheelchair” and “The Princess and the Ruby: An Autism Fairy Tale.”

The Cinderella story, of course, has its own message.

“She doesn’t rely on a prince to rescue her,” Kats said of her Cinderella. “She makes it on her own. She’s business-savvy, and she opens up her own jewelry store. She’s wheelchair mobile, but she’s also empowered.”

That’s the lasting image Kats hopes to convey to her audiences this weekend – empowerment for people with disabilities.

Anyone wanting to RSVP or learn more about the two events may call the museum at 629-3623.

email: gwarner@buffnews.com

Board approves reprimand in cellphone records episode

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:58:53 -0400

The Wales Town Board recently passed a resolution reprimanding Highway Superintendent Michael Zywar for his handling of cellphone records.

According to Town Supervisor Rickey Venditti, the phone records were removed from a secure place in Town Hall that Zywar had access to as an elected official, but he failed to notify or ask the town clerk for the records. The records were replaced by the phone company.

Zywar, a 12-year employee of the town, has an agreement to pay for his personal use of the phone, Venditti said. The supervisor added that the town now plans to assign a town phone to Zywar, who is seeking re-election this fall.

Warsaw, Attica, Randolph nominated for distinction

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:55:33 -0400

The downtown districts of three Western New York villages have been nominated for addition to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

The nominations, according to State Board for Historic Preservation, are:

• Randolph Historic District, Cattaraugus County, a 19th century lumbering community.

• Exchange Street Historic District, Attica, Wyoming County, railroad district including the 1879 depot and three railroad hotels.

• Warsaw Downtown Historic District, commercial and religious structures in the Wyoming County seat.

Events on Longest Day to raise money, awareness

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:53:14 -0400

The Longest Day, a variety of daylong events in the Buffalo area, will raise funds and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease on Friday, the longest day of the year.

At the Western New York Chapter office of the Alzheimer’s Association, 2805 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville, staff, volunteers and supporters will make paper chains from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. to symbolize personal links to the disease and the strength of working together.

Blocher Homes, 135 Evans St., Williamsville, will be decorated in Alzheimer’s purple and will serve purple food all day. Residents, staff and visitors are encouraged to wear the color.

Members of Western New York Unit 116 of the American Contract Bridge League will play duplicate bridge from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Bridge Center of Buffalo, 3362 Sheridan Drive, Amherst.

Meanwhile, at the Weinberg Campus, 2700 N. Forest Road, Getzville, there will be a daylong series of events that include crafts, games and a parade. For more information, visit www.alz.org/wny.

Springville-Griffith turns down $1 offer for old bus garage

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:57:08 -0400

An offer to purchase the Springville-Griffith’s former bus garage for $1 was turned down last week by the school board, pending further investigation.

Superintendent Paul Connelly said Friday that the Christian Youth Core, a nondenominational group headquartered in Arcade, made the offer several months ago for the building on Route 240 and five adjoining acres.

The board had reservations, particularly about potential liability.

The building, a former airplane hanger, is no longer used to house buses because engineers said it was unsafe. Connelly said it was deemed structurally deficient and failed several tests. The superintendent said, however, that he was even more concerned about hidden problems, like what might lie beneath the garage, such as dumped chemicals or toxic waste.

The district’s new garage is on North Street, but Connelly said the east side of the old garage is still somewhat sound.

“We still used it as a staging area for wood, supplies and snow plow equipment. If we sold it, I’m not sure where we would house the stuff,” the superintendent said.

Connelly also said that if the district decided to sell the old garage, he would advise the board to first auction off a number of items in the building that he believes have value.

The school board asked administrators to get more information about the disposition of the property. The district has engaged a commercial real estate group to evaluate options regarding the building and property.

Zellner staves off leadership challenge

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:09:51 -0400

By Robert J. McCarthy

A legal challenge to the 2012 election of Jeremy J. Zellner as chairman of the Erie County Democratic Committee has been dismissed by the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court.

The suit, brought by supporters of unsuccessful chairman candidate Frank C. Max Jr. -- chairman of Cheektowaga Democrats -- was found to be without merit by the Rochester panel after a similar decision in Buffalo. Max had contended that the vote at last September's reorganizational meeting was unfairly weighted toward Zellner after improper redistricting in the Town of Amherst engineered by Democratic Elections Commissioner Dennis E. Ward, the town's former Democratic chairman.

"The elections commissioner used an arcane provision of election law to redistrict in Amherst to his advantage," attorney Peter Reese said in filing the appeal last October.

Zellner was elected by a wide margin, with about 57 percent of the vote to Max's 43 percent.
In a statement, he reiterated his contention that he is the legally elected chairman of the Erie County party.

"This ruling confirms the overwhelming vote by the duly elected committee members of the Erie County Democratic Committee," Zellner said. "At the time of the vote, both candidates for chair stated publicly that they were going to unite behind the winner. It is time for the Democratic Party in Erie County to move forward together and unite behind our strong ticket."

Max said Monday no decision has been made regarding taking the case to the Court of Appeals.

Western New Yorkers to join large anti-fracking rally

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:19:12 -0400

About 100 Western New Yorkers were scheduled to board buses headed to Albany today. Their mission: to demonstrate against hydraulic fracturing and to call for New York’s elected officials to do more with clean energy.

A number of local groups – from PUSH Buffalo and Communications Workers of America District 1, to the Western New York Peace Center and Occupy Buffalo – will add their voices to those converging on the state capitol for a rally that organizers say will be the largest anti-fracking rally ever in Albany.

“It really speaks volumes that so many people are interested in this topic,” said Rita Yelda of Buffalo, an organizer with Food and Water Watch and New Yorkers Against Fracking.

Yelda has attended rallies in Albany before, including the last one – an anti-fracking rally held there to correspond with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s State of the State address in January. More than 100 groups are co-sponsoring today’s rally at the capitol, Yelda said.

“We’re really expecting the numbers for this rally to surpass the State of the State,” she said.

While speaking out against the process of fracking – which involves pumping millions of gallons of water combined with chemicals into the earth at high pressure to release gas from underground rock – those heading to Albany also plan to call for the state to take a number of measures to enhance renewable energy efforts.

That includes the passage of the Solar Jobs Act, as well as an extension of the moratorium on fracking that was passed in the Assembly earlier this year but has yet to pass in the Senate.

“On the renewable energy side, we think New York State is missing the boat by not getting more involved,” said Bob Ciesielski, chairman of the Sierra Club Niagara Group and chairman of the energy committee of the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club.

The Solar Jobs Act would codify the governor’s pledge to invest in solar power over the next decade, Ciesielski said.

New York and the United States lag far behind what other countries are doing in terms of renewable energy, he said.

Instead, New York remains focused on fossil fuels, the use of which contributes to climate change, Ciesielski said.

“We’re hoping that the governor and the Legislature realize the potential of renewable energy and how much it could mean to this state,” he said. “We could become a leader.”

Last September, Cuomo tapped Health Commissioner Nirav Shah to conduct an analysis that would help determine whether the state will allow high-volume fracking. Cuomo has been criticized for what many see as a lack of transparency in the state Health Department’s review.

email: abesecker@buffnews.com

Buffalo Pepsi gives $6,500 to support Hillside program

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:06:45 -0400

Soft drink bottler Buffalo Pepsi has donated $6,500 to support the expansion of Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, a dropout-prevention program in the Buffalo schools.

The Hillside program, which serves nearly 4,000 high school students in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Prince George’s County, Md., was introduced at South Park High School in March 2011 and was expanded to Bennett High School in 2012.

More than 180 students participate at the two schools.

The program, an affiliate of the Hillside Family of Agencies based in the Rochester area, provides students with a professional youth advocate through graduation and up to two years after high school.

The school-based advocates serve as mentors and role models and help the students graduate and go on to college and careers.

Akron motorcyclist faces felony DWI charge

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:28:18 -0400

A fight outside an Akron bar early Sunday led to a felony drunk driving charge, according to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were called to the scene outside The Filling Station after they received a report of a man fighting with three women.

Scott M. Clark, 42, of Akron, was pulled over on his motorcycle a short distance from the bar and charged with felony driving while intoxicated. Clark has a previous DWI conviction within the last 10 years, which led to the felony charge, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Clark also refused to submit to a chemical test. He was released on appearance tickets for Akron Village Court.

Where We Live: Lackawanna

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:30:15 -0400

The Lackawanna city schools will have fewer teachers when students return from their summer recess in September.

The district’s board of education on Thursday approved a resolution cutting eight full-time teachers and one part-time teacher – all in the middle school and high school.

The cuts affect two full-time English teachers, two full-time science teachers, two full-time social studies teachers, one full-time math teacher and one full-time social worker.

The full-time equivalent of 1.4 physical education spots also will be cut.

In addition, a full-time French teacher, a full-time consumer science teacher and a full-time art teacher all will be reduced to part-time posts.

The reductions are slated to take effect June 28.

Some of the teachers losing their jobs have more than 10 years experience in the district, said Mike Popek, a high school science teacher and teacher’s union president.

The latest round of cuts will hurt programs and stall progress in a district with high percentages of students who are in poverty, need English as a second language instruction or special education, Popek added.

“I’m afraid the cuts are going to set us back many, many years,” he said.

Also this week:

• The Lackawanna City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Council chambers in City Hall, 714 Ridge Road, to discuss the transfer of $20,000 from the “judgments and claims” line item of the budget to a Council account to pay attorney fees for the defense of Council members in a lawsuit filed against them in 2012 by Mayor Geoffrey M. Szymanski.

City Attorney Antonio Savaglio also is requesting that the Council approval a new contract deal for public works employees.

Where We Live: Southern Erie County

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:29:58 -0400

The Town of Colden Republican and Democratic committees have endorsed candidates for the November election.

The following candidates received both the Republican and Democratic endorsements: James DePasquale for town supervisor, Paul Clarkson for highway superintendent and David Arcara for councilman. Jessie Hrycik received the Republican endorsement for councilman and Ronald Fraser received the Democratic endorsement for councilman.

Also this week:

• The Boston Conservation Advisory Council will meet at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday in Town Hall, 8500 Boston State Road.

• The Boston Town Board will review its agenda at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, followed by a regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall.

• The Eden Central School Board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the Junior/Senior High School auditorium, 3150 Schoolview Road.

• The Elma Town Planning Board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 18 in the town hall, 1600 Bowen Road.

The Town Board will meet twice on Wednesday, June 19 beginning with a work session at 6 p.m. followed by a monthly board meeting at 7 p.m.

• The Marilla Planning Board will meet for a Farmland Protection meeting on Thursday June 20 at 7 p.m. in the upper meeting room of the Town Hall, 1740 Two Rod Road. Barbara Johnson, Farmland Protection advisor from Stuart Brown will head the program.

• The 10th Annual Marilla Civil War Days will be celebrated in the Marilla Town Park 2499 Three Rod Road on Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23.

There will be living history, a ceremonial burial, exhibitions and displays, a Ladies tea at the Lemke Shelter presented by the Historical Society, musket firing, drills and demonstrations all day. A battle will be held at 2:30 p.m. and the main road will be closed prior to the battle scenes and access denied.

The Gettysburg Address will be presented by Dave Krietz. A three act play, and music will conclude Saturdays events.

On Sunday, there will be a 19th century church service at 10 a.m., Victorian dancers at 11 a.m. and a battle from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The “saloon,” where refreshments will be sold, will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Camp will break at 4 p.m. A basket raffle will benefit the Historical Society. All are welcome.

Where we live: Hamburg

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:29:56 -0400

It was special day for U.S. Navy veteran William W. Broadbent Jr., who received his high school diploma from the Frontier School District earlier this month.

The School Board recognized Broadbent by giving him his diploma as part of Operation Recognition, a program in which school districts grant diplomas to honorably discharged veterans who served in the United States military during World War II, the Korean Conflict or Vietnam War, and had to leave school to serve in the armed forces.

Broadbent was visibly moved during the recognition and had brought his wife, daughter and some of his grandchildren with him. He is the father of five children and seven grandchildren and is semi-retired.

Board President Janet MacGregor Plarr called it “a big day.”

Asked for any comments, Broadbent had this to offer: “Keep your kids in schools. It’s very important, very important.”

In the town, Hamburg has improved accessibility to Woodlawn Beach State Park.

Town Working Crew Chief Raymond Pawlowski developed and constructed a ramp on the boardwalk over the sand dunes at the park. The ramp allows those who use wheel chairs or who have difficulty navigating the stairway to get to the beach. Sand wheelchairs are available at Pirate’s Cove Souvenir Shop.

Also at Woodlawn Beach, leagues are being formed for adult coed beach volleyball. Openings remain for Monday and Wednesday night play, with the first games of the evening to begin at 6:15 p.m. To register, call or visit the Hamburg Recreation Office at 646-5145, 2982 Lakeview Road, or check the website at www.townofhamburgny.com.

Hamburg Town Board members have hired Wendel to update the town’s parks and recreation master plan. Wendel, which will charge $50,000, was one of six firms responding to a request for proposals.

Also this week:

• The Hamburg Village Board will conduct a work session at 5:30 p.m. Monday followed by a regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Village Hall, 100 Main St.

• The Architectural Review Committee will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Village Hall.

• The town Planning Board will conduct a work session at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m. in Room 7B.

• The Frontier School Board meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday, first holding a hearing on district internet safety and internet content filtering policy. The board’s regular business meeting will follow at 7:15 p.m. Both will be held in the board meeting room of the Frontier Educational Center, 5120 Orchard Ave., Hamburg.

•The Blasdell Farmers Market runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant, 3785 South Park Ave.

• The Blasdell Village Board will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Village Hall, 121 Miriam Ave.

• Nick Battistella will perform at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at JFK Park in Blasdell as part of the village’s summer concert series.

• Buffalo Niagara Concert Band is scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Memorial Park as part of the Hamburg village summer concert series.

• The Hamburg Central School Board will conduct a special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at Hamburg Middle School, 360 Division St. The board plans to go into executive session at 6 p.m., then return to regular session at 7 p.m.

• The Hamburg Farmer’s market is open from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the village municipal lot off Union and Main streets.

• Fantastic Sams Hair Salon at 3812 South Park Ave. , Blasdell will donate 10 percent of children’s hair cut sales between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday to Empire Animal Rescue Society, E.A.R.S., a home-based shelter located in Salamanca.

Where We Live: Orchard Park

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:09:23 -0400

Orchard Park School Board members have called on New York State to use tests only to measure the progress in introducing learning standards, not to measure student performance or teacher effectiveness.

Board members unanimously passed the measure, which also asks that the district be reimbursed for the cost of having teachers grade the assessments, and calls for an end to “field assessments” in elementary grades.

The district spends about $18,000 a year hiring 200 substitute teachers to take the place of teachers who must leave their classrooms several days a year to grade the assessments, according to the board. Students in third through eight grades also have had to take field assessments in recent years, “resulting in additional time lost from instruction,” the resolution said.

While the state assessments are helpful in comparing school districts and assessing the alignment of curriculum, “they are not always an adequate and reliable measure of student learning and educator effectiveness,” the board said in its resolution.

This year’s tests were given before the state had fully developed the Common Core Learning Standard curriculum and provided it to schools, the board said.

Also this week:

• The Town Board will conduct a work session at 6 p.m. in the supervisor’s conference room in the municipal center, 4295 S. Buffalo St., followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m.

• The village Zoning Board of Appeals will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the municipal center.

Where We Live: West Seneca

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:29:43 -0400

After meeting with potential candidates for this fall’s election, the town’s Democratic Party endorsed a longtime employee of National Fuel Gas for a four-year term on the Town Board. And the Republican Party decided not to endorse anyone.

William Hanley is the choice of the town’s Democratic Party Committee for the Town Board seat currently occupied by John M. Rusinski, a Democrat whom the committee endorsed two years ago. According to committee chairman Daniel McParlane, one of the reasons why the committee didn’t vote for Rusinski was that he voted against the supervisor’s budget, without putting forth an alternative.

A longtime employee of National Fuel Gas, Hanley is a former union steward who’s now serving in management. “The West Seneca Dems were very impressed with Hanley’s ideas, his ability to work with both management and organized labor, and his passion for the community,” McParlane said in a statement.

Democrats will be circulating nominating petitions this month, in advance of a Democratic primary on Sept. 10. Rusinski had won the party line in the 2011 primary for a two-year term on the board, besting three other hopefuls that included Hanley.

Both Hanley and Rusinski also appeared before the Republican Committee, which didn’t have a Republican candidate to consider. “It was the decision of the committee to make no endorsement for the seat,” said chairwoman Patricia DePasquale.

Also this week:

• A Father’s Day breakfast, sponsored by AMVETS Post 8113, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon today in Legion Post 735, 35 Legion Parkway. Admission is $8 for adults and $3.50 for children under 10.

• West Seneca Community Days, featuring music, rides and entertainment, begins at 6 p.m. Friday on the grounds of Town Hall, 1250 Union Road. Activities resume at noon Saturday.

• “A Natural Style – The Art Realism of Dean Vigyikan, continues at the Charles E. Burchfield Nature & Art Center, 2001 Union Road. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

Where We Live: Aurora/East Aurora

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:30:25 -0400

The East Aurora Village Board will discuss a bond resolution for the new Central Fire Station for an additional $1 million at Monday’s meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. in Village Hall, 571 Main Street.

Other items on the agenda include applications for temporary use permits at Hamlin Park for East Aurora Wesleyan Church for Sunday services during August and the East Aurora Little Loop Football & Cheerleading Monday through Friday from July 29 – November 1, 2013 from 4:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. and other dates.

Where We Live: Evans

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:30:08 -0400

The 31st annual Summer Lawn Concert Series kicks off Wednesday, June 19 in Angola’s Centennial Park.

Concerts begin at 7 p.m. each Wednesday in the William G. Houston Gazebo. The rain location for the concert series is the nearby New Angola Theater at 72 Main St. The refreshment stand will be operated by Girl Scouts from the Evans-Brant area. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

Here’s a list of the dates and performances:

June 19: Crash Cadillac with vocals by Linda Giancarlo.

June 26: Sunset Blue Grass Band.

July 3: Caribbean Extravaganza.

July 10: Formula Band, which plays traditional and modern Italian music.

July 17: Cahal Dunne, who will present an Irish stage show.

July 24: Twenty Three Skidoo.

July 31: Stone Row, which will present Celtic and World music.

August 7: Queenstown Swing, formerly known as the Eddie O Band, will present music from the Big Band era.

Aug. 14: Creek Bend, presenting Blue Grass music and more.

Aug. 21: The Frankfurters Band.

Aug. 28: Judd Sunshine will perform a mix from the 1950s on up.

Also this week:

• The Lake Shore Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the media center of the high school, 959 Beach Road.

• The Evans Town Board will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Evans Town Hall, 8787 Erie Road. An agenda meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

The Town Board will meet only once a month in July and August, instead of twice a month, like it usually does. Board meetings will be on July 17 and Aug. 14.