NORTH TONAWANDA - As little girls we imaged that one day, when we were all grown up, we would have the chance to attend a ball and wear a beautiful ball gown. We played dress up with our friends, slipped on shoes that were six sizes too big, and slapped on some bright red lipstick as the finishing touch.

My, weren’t those the days.

Now, as young women, it’s a bit harder to imagine attending such a glamorous event. In reality, we don’t all have the financial means needed to fulfill our childhood dreams. However, it’s only fair, that at some point in her life every girl is given the chance wear that beautiful dress.

Whether she wears it to the winter formal or to the prom is her choice.

In order to assist girls in North Tonawanda and offer this opportunity, Brenda Hoffman and Cheryl McMahon have teamed up to present the North Tonawanda Prom Boutique to those girls in NT who may need a dress this year.

“Everyone should be able to go to prom,” said McMahon.

The pair came together with this idea last year after they had heard of a few too many girls that weren’t going to be able to attend the prom.

“There were a few girl that needed dresses. So they headed over to Erie County where there was some type of dress donation spot that girls in need of a dress could head to. But, since these girls weren’t from Erie County they were turned away,” said McMahon.

Feeling awful that those girls weren’t going to get the chance to attend prom because they didn’t have a dress, Hoffman and McMahon sent out an S.O.S last year and asked the community to donate any old dress they had laying around in the closet.

As a result, they now have almost 200 dresses for girls to choose from.

“It’s been wonderful so far. Things are going really well,” said McMahon. “The school district has been great. They gave us a room at Grant School that we have almost completely filled with donations.”

She continued, “The community is full of love and generosity. They have really stepped up.”

The North Tonawanda Prom Boutique is still looking for donations of dresses, shoes, and accessories, and has added the request of graduation caps and gowns, and full length mirrors.

The mirrors will be used for girls to be able to try on the dresses while at the boutique.

Saturday, Feb. 22 have been deemed “Donate Your Dress Day.” From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days, Hoffman and McMahon will be at Grant School, 35 Grant St., North Tonawanda, in the boutique room, and available to accept any and all donations from the community.

“Sometimes things get really tough. We all understand that. Especially in NT, we are a close community,” said McMahon. “I encourage girls to donate and remember the spirit of giving.”

Those girls who are in need of a dress are asked to call McMahon at 909-3823 or Hoffman at 695-2101 and set up an appointment to try on dresses.

The Cheektowaga Police Department has been recognized as the winning agency for their participation in the recent Holiday Heroes Campaign conducted by Unyts this past holiday season. Unyts organ, eye, tissue and community blood center promoted the event in an effort to promote the gift of life.

Throughout Western New York, 20 agencies participated, resulting in 23 blood drives. The Cheektowaga Police Benevolent Association (PBA) led the effort for the police department. Officer Justin Haag, PBA Vice President organized a blood drive at police headquarters resulting in 39 total donors. Part of the success was a competition between the three shifts to see which would have the greatest participation. Each shift had information sessions at the daily briefings and the drive was promoted in the surrounding community. The afternoon shift led the department with 53 percent of the shift donating their blood.

As a result Cheektowaga Police had the greatest percent of participation out of the 20 agencies taking part. Haag said that, “we are very proud to have earned this recognition but the real reward is knowing that we have potentially saved numerous lives.”

For Angelina Bohrer, raising her science grade from sixties to the nineties cost her family thousands of dollars. She suffers no learning disabilities, but, like many students, simply responded more positively to a smaller class setting and the more personal instruction she found outside of her public school.

Bohrer attends New Creation Fellowship (NCF) Academy, a small, private school in Cheektowaga where her grades climbed from the 60s to the 90s. Remaining in public school would have stunted her educational growth, her parents believe, and caused her to drop further behind her peers, perhaps permanently. Bohrer’s parents want to make it easier for other Buffalo students to find a similar opportunity to thrive and are just one example of a growing number of local families asking the city and state to allow parents a crucial role in their child’s education: the right to choose what school or educational setting is best for them.

Most students attend the school district where they live. Some parents and critics suggest this method traps students in one district, despite a student possibly responding better in another setting or district, unless the family can afford a private education. This system is most harmful to low-income students in struggling or persistently low-achieving districts, who have no other option. Bohrer didn’t attend a poorly performing school, but because she has a different learning style, the standard methods were ineffectual. Then her parents found an accessible alternative, and her educational life radically improved.

“Not everybody fits into the mode of sitting behind a desk and rote learning,” said Joelle Dunklin, of Buffalo, whose children attend Aurora Waldorf School in West Falls, about 25 miles from their home.

Dunklin and husband David, opted out of the Buffalo school district during the elementary years despite living in the Frederick Law Olmsted School territory, considered a top Buffalo school, highlighting the core principle of school choice: parents can select the best educational setting for their child’s needs, not merely escape a poorly-performing district.

Neither the Dunklins nor the Bohrers represent the stereotype of the status-seeking private school family, and both help illuminate the financial barriers to non-traditional education. The Dunklins talk of sacrifices and difficult choices made in prioritizing a private education in their family budget. Both families arrived at this decision seeking an educational setting appropriate for their children, not viewing it as a luxury. For these and other families, providing their children with schooling in which they flourish is impossible without sacrifice, contributions from family members, tuition assistance from their schools, and aid from private scholarship groups like the BISON Fund.

For families in circumstances like these, for those struggling in public school, those unable to afford a private school, and those trapped in a underperforming schools – those elephants in the room of any school choice discussion – hope builds for an education system that opens all doors to all students regardless of socioeconomics as New York lawmakers begin advocating for school choice unlike in years past.

The adoption of school choice by state legislators grants the school choice movement an air of mainstream legitimacy, which grows stronger with the introduction of the Education Investment Tax Credit bill in New York State Legislature.

The bill, which has previously passed twice in the State Senate, but still awaits action in the State Assembly, provides a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit for individual and corporate tax payers in New York State that donate to public schools or private school scholarship organizations. Each year, $300 million in tax credits would be made available on a first-come, first-served basis, with at least half earmarked as available for both public and private education.

Supporters of the bipartisan bill hail the legislation for creating a new revenue stream without raising local property taxes. Funds donated would support a number of public and private education needs, including additional teachers, funding for sports and the arts, and more widely available scholarship programs. The bill would also help provide much needed resources to budget-strapped districts and schools while encouraging private investment in education.

To support the bill, Buffalo group Education Choice Alliance of Western New York (ECA of WNY), a local grassroots advocacy group focused on educating parents on school choice programs, organized the Western New York Voices for School Choice Rally in Albany on January 28, 2014 to coincide with National School Choice Week.

ECA of WNY’s push to educate parents and galvanize support began in October with hosting Virginia Walden Ford, former executive director of D.C. Parents for School Choice, Inc, a clearinghouse designed to organize and educate parents to empower them to make appropriate educational decisions for their children. Ms. Ford was also one of the first 130 black students handpicked to desegregate the Little Rock, AR schools in the 1960s.

For more information on school choice, the events of National School Choice Week, and how you can support school choice visit www.educationchoicewny.org or call us 430-5318. To find out more on New York's Education Investment Tax Credit Bill and how you can support it visit www.investined.org.

Sen. Tim Kennedy and Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, both Democrats from Buffalo, launched an online petition to build support for the comprehensive series of legislation that they’ve proposed to strengthen and improve Child Protective Services in Erie County and across the state. Together, the bills introduced by Kennedy and Peoples-Stokes present major changes to a system long in need of reform.

Kennedy and Peoples-Stokes are encouraging Western New Yorkers to sign the petition to help demonstrate the widespread support for CPS reform. Broad public support will help compel the State Legislature to take action on this critical issue. The petition is accessible on Senator Kennedy’s website at: http://www.nysenate.gov/webform/reform-child-protective-services-sign-petition-change-system

With their legislation, Kennedy and Peoples-Stokes envision a child protective services system that is more responsive, accountable, transparent and effective. Their proposals include a wide range of sweeping changes, which extend from new interviewing protocols to increased staff qualifications, and from restructured definitions of abuse to deeper and more thorough investigations.

“As a community and as a state, we must keep children safe from harm and ensure no family ever again has to suffer the pain of losing a child to abuse, especially once that child is in the hands of the system set up to protect them,” said Kennedy.

“With our legislation,” Kennedy added, “we will make child protective services more responsive and accountable, demand investigations are conducted more thoroughly, provide better training and preparation for CPS workers and enhance the effectiveness of the statewide hotline so that children in Erie County and across New York State are kept safe. However, to ensure our reform legislation is passed and signed into law this year, we need the community’s support. We encourage all who support CPS reform to sign the petition and help us demonstrate the urgency of immediate action to help protect children across the state.”

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of this most recent tragedy. How many more of our children need to suffer this fate before it’s understood that systemic reform of child protective services is needed? There is something seriously wrong here – the system is failing those that it was set up to protect. We will continue to demand change to protect those that are the most vulnerable and will not rest until we get it,” said Peoples-Stokes.

In several weeks, after the gathering of signatures, the petition and the signatures attached to it will be delivered to the legislative leaders of the senate and assembly, as well as the governor, to stress the abundant public support for CPS reform. Those who want to sign the petition but do not have access to the internet can call Kennedy's office at 826-2683 to add their name to this CPS reform effort.

This CPS reform effort follows the tragic deaths of several children in Erie County – which shed light on serious gaps and inadequacies within the system of child protective services locally and statewide. In the days after five-year-old Eain Brooks died in Sept. 2013, family members came forward with details of their numerous attempts to get Erie County Child Protective Services to intervene and stop the abuse Eain was suffering. In 2012, 10-year-old Abdi Mohamud was murdered by his stepfather after Erie County CPS conducted an investigation but did not take any action to remove him from the home.

More information on the CPS reform legislation proposed by Kennedy and Peoples-Stokes is available at: http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/kennedy-peoples-stokes-propose-major-changes-reform-child-protective-services.

And the CPS reform petition is accessible at: http://www.nysenate.gov/webform/reform-child-protective-services-sign-petition-change-system.

LANCASTER- Based on anticipated state funding, the Lancaster Central School District is accepting applications for a tuition-free universal pre- kindergarten program for the 2014-2015 school year.

The district’s universal pre-k provider is located at 149 Central Ave., in the former Central Avenue elementary school building. The program runs 2.5 hours per day, five days a week and follows the district calendar for holidays and recesses. Classes are offered in the morning from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and afternoon from noon to 2:30 p.m. These times may be subject to change. Parents are responsible for transporting their child to and from the program.

Universal Pre-Kindergarten Requirements:

• Your child must be 4 years old no later than Dec. 1, 2014. 


• You must be a Lancaster Central School District resident.

The application is available on the district's website under “Headlines,” or call the curriculum office at 686-3390 to obtain an application. The application deadline is Friday, April 18. Students are selected by lottery to participate in the pre- k program. A lottery for available enrollment will be held at 5 p.m. May 6, at William Street School.

LANCASTER- This week Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs made a motion at the New York State County Clerk's Association (NYSACC) meeting calling for the State Legislature to pass legislation to keep the information of pistol permit holders protected from public disclosure.

"The SAFE Act kept the State Police Pistol Permit Database protected from public disclosure yet county pistol permits are not; we are asking for consistent protection of our citizens across-the-board,” said Jacobs.

The vote of the statewide County Clerk's Association, representing clerks from the 62 counties across the State, was nearly unanimous at today's meeting, which laid out the 2014 Legislative Agenda for NYSACC.

The issue of public disclosure of pistol permits came into question over a year ago when a downstate newspaper obtained the records of Rockland County's pistol permit holders and posted all their information on a website where the public could see the names and addresses of pistol permit holders. An interactive Google map was also created allowing the public to view actual homes of permit holders. Even pistol permit information of those in law enforcement was made public.

"Most agree that such public disclosure puts both pistol permit and non-pistol permit holders in danger," stated Jacobs.

The Cheektowaga Police Crime Resistance Unit, the Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce and Community Connections are pleased to announce Tyler Kunkle, a student at Cleveland Hill High School, as the January Student Achievement Award Recipient.

Kunkle has been chosen for this award not only for his commitment to the field of criminal justice but also his strength of character and leadership in the Cleveland Hill community.

Kunkle has been a key person in the school’s Freshman Mentor Program, musicals and athletics. He is very involved in his academics and extra curricular activities at school and still finds the time to both volunteer and work for the Town of Cheektowaga.

Kunkle is an honors student in his core academics and in his Criminal Justice Harkness Program. He was recently nominated for the National Technical Honor Society for his continued hard work at Harkness.

He has known as far back as he can remember that he would work as a police officer, as he loves to help people and has always looked up to police officers as his role models.

According to his counselor, Ms. Manley, Kunkle is very deserving of the Student Achievement Award.

“Observing Tyler’s overwhelming passion for he field of criminal justice and his commitment to working hard every day to reach that goal left no questions that Tyler should be the recipient of the Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce Student Achievement Award,” she said.

The Cheektowaga Police Crime Resistance Unit, the Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce and Community Connections congratulate Kunkle on his recognition and wish him much success in his future endeavors.

Erie County Legislature Minority Leader Betty Jean Grant (D-Buffalo) is seeking three college students to serve as unpaid interns for the spring 2014 semester.

Interns will assist the elected legislators and their support staff during the regular session of the Erie County Legislature for college credit or for experience, and will be expected to complete 15 hours of service a week. Interviews will be scheduled with prospective intern candidates to determine the selected interns; women and minority students are strongly encouraged to apply.

The desired intern qualifications are:

•A strong desire to learn about public policy and the legislative process;

•Good written and oral communication skills;

•Strong analytical and research skills;

•Strong work ethic;

•Mature judgment;

•Ability to handle a fast-paced environment.

Duties may include assisting staff in the day-to-day operations within the Legislative offices; answering inquiries by phone and through written communications; preparing letters, memos, certificates, resolutions, proclamations or reports; assisting with research assignments and special projects; analyzing policy; attending meetings or community events; filing, faxing, photocopying, etc.

Students meet weekly with legislators, department heads, and various committee members to deepen their understanding of all components of local government. Students interact with County officials as they learn about the function of county government, the procedures for introducing new legislation, and the roles of the various departments in each branch. Interns will be supervised by a legislative staff person and will be assigned to either subject-oriented committees or to the offices of the Democratic staff.

For more information, please contact intern program coordinator Shiana Denise Eve at 858-8853 or [email protected].

TONAWANDA - The Town of Tonawanda police department is investigating a daring armed robbery of the the Gas Kiosk at the Tops Market, located at 1740 Sheridan Dr. in the Town at 6:40 p.m. Sunday (Feb.2) night.

The suspect, described as a white male, mid 20's, 6-foot, 200 plus pounds, with a 'chubby/full face' and a mustache, forced his way into the gas kiosk, brandishing a knife and demanding cash from the store clerk.

The suspect was wearing a gray, zipped hooded sweat shirt with a blue and white shirt underneath and black sneakers. The clerk complied with the demand and turned over an undetermined amount of cash. The clerk was not injured during the robbery.

The suspect reportedly fled north on Delaware Rd. on foot heading away from the Town and in the direction of the City of Tonawanda. Town detectives are in process of reviewing video and collecting all evidence as they process all clues.

Within in a few minutes of the robbery the City of Tonawanda police were in pursuit of a white Dodge Charger, newer body style, that was speeding down Delaware St. away from the scene of the robbery.

“The guy was last seen running north on Delaware Rd., so we never see if he gets into a car or if he doesn't,” said Town of Tonawanda Police Captain Joseph Carosi. “We can reasonably suspect that he got into a car, but nobody knows for sure because nobody sees him.

The vehicle, which may potentially have out of state plates-possibly California-was able to elude the police. It is unclear of this vehicle was involved in the robbery, and City of Tonawanda police were unable to get a good enough look inside of the car to determine if the driver or passenger(s) matched the description of the robbery suspect.

“We don't know for sure if it's related or if it's just a weird coincidence that it happened around the same time,” said Capt. Carosi. “This car is taking off, going (in) the opposite direction of the town.”

Anyone with information about the robbery is encouraged to contact the Town of Tonawanda police at 879-6613 or the Town of Tonawanda confidential tip line at 879-6606.

Carosi was unable to confirm if this robbery was connected in anyway to other similar recent robberies in Western New York or specifically in the Town of Tonawanda. But he did say the Town police department isn't ruling anything out.

“We're absolutely exploring all of those options,” Carosi said. “I know Cheektowaga made an arrest in a few of their robberies. Is it related to anything in our Town? We're trying to see if we can connect dots to anything. It looks a little different than the other ones (we're investigating).”

The United Way of the Tonawandas has a remedy for the dreary days of winter. Join us for a Wine and Chocolate Tasting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9 at the United Way office, 34 Seymour St., Tonawanda.

Enjoy a blind taste test of chocolate. Try wine and chocolate pairings and chocolate inspired delicacies. Try your expertise at a Chocolate Trivia contest, or take a chance at the Chocolate-and Wine-themed basket auction.

Enjoy an afternoon of good company and delicious treats and help to support the United Way of the Tonawandas as we support human service agencies at work in our Tonawanda communities. These agencies have assisted our residents in finding assistance in times of crisis or need; provided many worthwhile programs for our youth, adults and seniors; and supported those who are coping with disabilities and health challenges. They are agencies that we rely on as the Salvation Army-Tonawanda Corps, YWCA Tonawandas, Boys and Girls Club of the Northtowns, North Tonawanda Inter-Church Food Pantry and more.

Tickets are $6 per person and are available at the United Way office or by calling 693-0895. Treat yourself and help support the United Way of the Tonawandas and our communities.

Jan. 25

Possession

Candice M. Hurst, 29, of Riverside Avenue, Buffalo, was arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana. Patrol initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling down Eggert Road with a rear window tint.

Officers immediately detected an odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle was conducted and a baggie of marijuana was found under the driver’s seat. The vehicle was towed and Hurst was placed under arrest. She was later released on an appearance ticket.

DWI

Nicholas R. Morath, 24, of Columbus Avenue, Buffalo, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with .08 of one percent or more alcohol in blood.

While on routine patrol, a vehicle recklessly pulled out in front of the Cheektowaga Police vehicle and continued to drive with its driver side tires in the middle turn lane of the road.

A traffic stop was initiated. The officer detected signs of intoxication and the driver, Morath, said he had two or three beers.

Field sobriety tests were performed and Morath failed. He was taken into custody and transported to headquarters. A breathalyzer was performed and Morath had a .12 percent BAC.

DWI

Samuel C. Marino, 58, of Indian Road, Cheektowaga, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with .08 of one percent or more alcohol in blood.

Officers responded to a report for a vehicle off the road and stuck in the snow. The vehicle was located and the officers questioned the sole occupant and driver, Marino.

Marino said he was driving home from a gentleman’s club. The officers observed a strong odor of alcohol and asked him to step out of the vehicle. Field sobriety tests were performed although due to a disability, Marino couldn’t perform a couple. An alcosensor test was positive for the presence of alcohol.

It was determined that Marino was driving while intoxicated and was transported to headquarters. A breathalyzer showed a .13 percent BAC.

Aggravated DWI

Darin J. Zelaski, 28, of Baywood Drive, Cheektowaga, was arrested for driving while intoxicated, with a previous conviction designated offense within 10 years, aggravated DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation.

Patrol observed a vehicle in the snow on Borden Road at Cherrywood. The officers turned on their emergency lights and the operator of the vehicle, Zelaski, turned off the vehicle and exited.

The officers detected signs of intoxication. Zelaski said he was coming from a friend’s house.

Field sobriety tests were performed and failed. It was also found that Zelaski’s license had been revoked in July of 2012 for DWI. He was taken into custody and held to see the judge following a .21 percent BAC result.

DWI

Joseph S. Ferraro III, 21, of Sarabel Court, Cheektowaga, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with .08 of one percent or more alcohol in blood.

Officers spotted a vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed and initiated a traffic stop. The operator of the vehicle, Ferraro, was observed to have glassy eyes. Ferraro was asked if he had been drinking but he said his eyes were just sensitive to the light.

He was then asked to submit an alcosensor and tested positive for the presence of alcohol.

The officer asked Ferraro to say the alphabet from E to T, which he failed. He also failed a test of counting backwards from 74 to 58. Although he passed the walk and turn test, he failed the one legged stand and the eye hystagmus test.

Criminal Possession of a Weapon

David L. Pantano, 28, of Meaford Road, Cheektowaga, was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon and aggravated unlicensed operation.

A vehicle was observed crossing the lane markers and a traffic stop was initiated. The operator of the vehicle, Pantano also had a passenger in the vehicle. Pantano explained he was in the process of clearing his license of suspensions.

When the officers asked the passenger of the vehicle, the spotted a wooden baton type stick in the rear seat, within reach of the passenger.

During interviews, the officers noticed Pantano’s and the passenger’s stories seemed suspicious and asked for consent to search the vehicle.

During the search, the officers found a metal knuckle knife that Pantano said he had bought at a dollar store and said he was unaware of the legality of possession of said weapon.

The vehicle was released to the passenger and Pantano was placed under arrest. He was found to also have a previous conviction of petit larceny in April 2012.

He was transported to headquarters and held to see the judge.

Jan. 22

DWI

Christopher J. Welch, 21, of Mount Vernon Road, Cheektowaga, was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Officers stopped a vehicle for travelling at a high rate of speed and immediately noticed an odor of alcohol coming from the driver, Welch’s, breath. Welch stated that he had five to sixe beers and wine. The officer had Welch perform the alphabet test and the count backwards test while still in the vehicle. He failed both tests.

Welch was then asked to exit the vehicle and he stumbled several times while doing so. He failed additional field sobriety tests and an alcosensor was positive for the presence of alcohol.

Welch was placed under arrest and transported to headquarters.

Possession

Anthony T. Griffa, 21, of East End Street, Cheektowaga, was arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Officers stopped a vehicle for having an expired inspection sticker. The driver, Griffa, had no identification but told the officer his name and date of birth. He admitted his license had been suspended.

He was placed under arrest and upon search, he was found to have a baggie of marijuana in his right coat pocket.

A search of the vehicle found more marijuana in the center console and 38 additional baggies in the glove compartment. He was transported to headquarters and held to see the judge.

Griffa also had an outstanding warrant for burglary out of North Carolina.

DWI

Paul J, Gerard, 39, of Sheda Lane, Town of Hamburg, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.

Cheektowaga Police were dispatched for a possible intoxicated driver. Once the driver, Gerard, was found, he had a strong odor of alcohol emanating from his breath, glassy eyes and slurred speech.

He initially told officers he was drinking at home, but then said he hadn’t been drinking. He then said he had been drinking at work but then, again, said he hadn’t been drinking at all.

Gerard failed field sobriety tests and refused an alcosensor. He was placed under arrest and transported to headquarters where he was held to see the judge.

Possession

Vincent A. Fermo, 29, of Stratford Road, Buffalo and Justin L. Foxworth, 33, of Davidson Avenue, Buffalo, were arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana and criminal possession of marijuana.

Officers responded to a report of smoking marijuana. The officers located the vehicle and lit it with a spotlight. Upon approaching the driver’s side, the officers detected the odor of burning marijuana. Fermo was in the driver’s seat and Foxworth was the passenger.

Fermo was asked to exit the vehicle. While doing so, Foxworth also began to exit the vehicle until he was ordered to return to the vehicle and place his hands on the dashboard.

Both men were placed in handcuffs and patted down. A search of the vehicle showed a baggie of marijuana in the center console and a marijuana cigar in the ashtray.

Fermo and Foxworth were placed under arrest and held on bail.

LANCASTER- Erie County Legislator Ted Morton has been named to the Erie County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board with unanimous support by the Legislature. Chairman John Mills announced the appointment at the Jan. 23 session of the Legislature.

“I am honored to be appointed to the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board as Erie County continues to focus on supporting the farming industry. The board’s mission is critically important to many of our communities and residents and I look forward to having a seat at the table to address the needs presented by the board,” said Morton.

For information about the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, please visit www.erie.gov/environment.

To contact Legislator Morton’s Legislative Office, please call at 858-8856 or email [email protected].

Mary Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School will host its annual basket auction event on Friday, March 14, in the former Infant of Prague School, 921 Cleveland Drive, Cheektowaga. Doors will open at 5 p.m., with the auction beginning at 7 p.m. A $5 donation includes admission and your first sheet of auction tickets. More than 200 baskets, gift certificates and other prizes will be given away during the event.

Mary Queen of Angels is currently looking for items for auction baskets. If you have any gift certificates, gift cards or new items that you can’t use, please consider donating them to the auction. If you are unable to bring your donations to the school, please call the school office at 895-6280 to arrange for pickup.

For more information about Mary Queen of Angels School or to schedule a tour or shadowing opportunity, please visit www.mqangels.com or call the school office. You can also follow the school on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MaryQueenofAngelsSchool for frequent updates.

LANCASTER- Over the past few years, a number of Lancaster Village residents have shared their “sewage nightmares” with the village board. Basements flooding, raw sewage continuously spewing from drains, and household and personal items destroyed.

It was no different at the Jan. 13 meeting when Village of Lancaster resident, Walter Ryszka, who resides at 65 Camner Ave., told the board he once again woke up on Dec. 22, to find his basement was full of sewer water, some of his neighbors experienced this as well.

The Village of Lancaster Department of Public Works (DPW) crewmembers responded to his house and pumped out some of the water, but at the meeting Ryszka demanded action, some sort of resolution to alleviate the flooding.

Lacking the necessary equipment to go through the sewers, the board hired an outside source, Kandey Co., to video, cut and remove any root infiltration in the sewer.

Providing an update at Monday’s meeting, Lancaster Village Deputy Mayor Kenneth L. O’Brien III said the company filmed all of Camner Avenue and Southwest Parkway from Gordy Avenue to Camner Avenue. There were some sections where roots infiltrated the main and the roots already have been removed.

There was also a water leak found in the Erie County water system within that area and the board will be contacting Erie County to see if they’ll fix it.

“We are going to do further field work to resolve some of the other flooding issues,” said O’Brien.

Furthermore, a broken main on Camner Avenue was found and a broken main was found on Southwest Parkway, which O’Brien sponsored a resolution for an emergency repair based on Kandey Co., bids not to exceed $25,000 for the sewer repairs.

“In conjunction with that we are at the mercy of the vendor coming in to shoot these lines and to alleviate some of the roots that are in our lines,” explained O’Brien.

The board has instructed Lancaster DPW Superintendent William Cansdale to get information on purchasing a camera-cutter, so the village in the future could do the work themselves.

“He will look at whether or not it is cost efficient for us to purchase it and maintain it on our own or whether we might want to hire Kandey Co., as a exclusive vendor,” remarked O’Brien. “Those are things we are looking at now to continue to alleviate the sewer system issues.”

Cansdale added the work that will be done by Kandey Co., will only solve some of the problems. He and his crew have also identified some houses where the problems are in the laterals due to root infiltration, which by village code is the responsibility of the homeowner.

Cansdale said they will be notifying homeowners, as well as letting them know they need to take care of it on their own.

“Every time there is a sewer issue or backup in the basement it’s not necessarily related to the village main,” remarked Cansdale. “There are a lot of contributing factors in a household that would be the responsibility of a homeowner.”

The $7 million project proposed by Erie County Water Authority for a new trunk line, which is supposed to relieve some of the flooding problems, will be going out to bid in February. Construction is expected to begin this year.

In other village news:

• In a 4 to 1 vote, the board authorized Lancaster Village Mayor Paul Maute to sign and execute an agreement with Donald Gallo, Consulting Engineering, PC, in the amount of $83,700, to provide engineering services for the design, construction, and inspection of the West Main Street Extension Project. Lancaster Village Trustee Russell W. Sugg voted no to the resolution. Previously, Sugg voiced his concerns regarding the village board only interviewing one firm, as well as the bids received by each firm varied so widely.

• The board received a letter from Thomas J. Dearing, deputy commissioner of Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, indicting the village sidewalk improvement project was not recommended for funding through the 2014 Community Development Block Grant.

• The board tabled the resolution to sign an agreement with Clinton Brown Company Architecture, PC, per the recommendation of the Historic Preservation Commission, to provide professional services for the completion of the National Register of Historic Places District Nomination project, with funds received from a Certified Local Government grant and required village matching funds. The village attorney was asked to review the contract before signing it.

The next Village of Lancaster Board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, in the Municipal Building Council Chambers, 5423 Broadway, in Lancaster.

Meals on Wheels for Western New York, 100 James E. Casey Dr. in Buffalo, NY has retained Manzella Marketing Group, 80 Sonwil Dr. in Cheektowaga, to manage its advertising and marketing efforts in 2014.

Research conducted by Manzella Marketing in 2013 identified general misperceptions the pubic has regarding the services Meals on Wheels provides, in particular that the scope of these services is not completely understood. This led to a coordinated media and pubic relations campaign designed to educate the public on the mission of, and resources required by, Meals on Wheels.

Manzella Marketing, in collaboration with the Meals on Wheels director of strategic communications, redesigned the entire Meals on Wheels website (MealsOnWheelsWNY.org) to be more informational, functional and interactive. The site was re-launched in December of 2013. In 2014, Meals on Wheels and Manzella Marketing will partner to get the message out, sharing two critical needs with all of Western New York: the need for individual and corporate donors, and the need for volunteers, especially in the City of Buffalo and rural Southtowns communities.

Meals on Wheels for Western New York is the second largest Meals on Wheels organization in America in terms of number of meals served. As the need for a twice-daily source of food continues to grow, so does the need for funding and volunteers.

With extensive experience in the areas of branding and ROI-driven communications, Manzella Marketing Group has over 25 years of experience providing clients with innovative marketing solutions. Manzella serves over 75 clients in the not-for profit, financial services, healthcare, education, entertainment and business-to-business fields and employs 16 in its office in Buffalo.

LANCASTER- Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs is proud to announce that the Erie County Auto Bureau is offering additional locations and hours through the On-Site Mobile Unit. Jacobs has successfully teamed up with the AAA of Western and Central New York and Supervisor Sheila Meegan, Town of West Seneca, to make auto bureau services more convenient.

“I pledged to restructure and improve the hours and location sites of the Erie County Auto Bureau,” said. “We are working with our partners in government and the private sector to expand office operations and enhance hours for area motorists.”

The new Mobile Auto Bureau locations and hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays at the West Seneca Ice Rink, 1250 Union Road, West Seneca and from 9:30 a.m. to noon “Reservation Saturdays” at the AAA Travel and Insurance Center, 100 International Drive, Williamsville. Reservations are required for Saturday services at the AAA and can be made in advance on-line at www.erie.gov/clerk/reservations.

“My objective is to provide our customers with the finest service possible, including the availability of additional auto bureau outlets and offering reservations at a convenient time,” Jacobs added. “In addition, more transactions performed in our local auto bureaus deliver more revenue to the citizens of Erie County, not Albany.”

A complete listing of all Erie County Auto Bureau locations and hours, including Mobile Sites, can be found by visiting www.erie.gov/clerk/autobureau.