By Richard Luthmann Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino is a lawyer and former judge. But he sure isn’t acting like one with the Centennial Park deal. Centennial Park and Events Center Proposal Centennial Park is a planned 7,000-seat events center and a small adjacent park. Restaino began an eminent domainRead More

MICHAEL S. GAWEL, CPA, JD My name is Michael S. Gawel and I have been a Certified Public Accountant since 1980. I have a BBA in Accounting and a JD from SUNY @ Buffalo School of Law. I am going to write a weekly tax advice column for the NiagaraRead More

Now, a relative of Pigeon has commented after reading Coercive Plea Bargain? Pigeon Chooses Eight Months Over Gambling Life in Prison: By a Relative of Both Pigeon and His Sister I’m a relative of Steve’s by marriage, and he is still a friend of my family and myself. His niece,Read More

By Marie White Sebold’s Apology Too Late In 2021, Alice Sebold, the best-selling author of the memoir “Lucky” and the novel “The Lovely Bones,” issued an apology to Anthony J. Broadwater, a man she had wrongly accused of raping her in 1981 – 39 years after the fact.  Broadwater spentRead More

Bold Vision: Leveraging State Land for Event Center, Tech Campus to Spur Growth! With the Mayoral election over, Niagara Falls can now turn its attention to the “two-project solution” as a potential avenue for economic growth and development in the city. This solution aims to provide residents with an arena,Read More

By Tony Farina Former State Attorney General Dennis Vacco of the Buffalo law firm of Lippes Mathias, is still awaiting responses from the state on the lawsuit he filed in September on behalf of several member counties challenging the language in the state budget in May that, in Vacco’s words,Read More

In a dramatic turn of events, G. Steven Pigeon faced a harrowing decision in the face of serious sexual abuse charges. With the risk of a life sentence looming over him, Pigeon grappled with a gut-wrenching choice: accept a plea deal for a crime he insists he didn’t commit, orRead More

Restaino’s Alliance with the Conservative Party May Have Secured Win Democrat Mayor Robert Restaino has a small lead over Republican Carl Cain in the hotly contested Niagara Falls mayoral election. As of press time, Restaino leads by slightly over 200 votes, with affidavit and absentee ballots yet to be counted.Read More

In the crunch before election day, Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino displayed a blend of political savvy and desperation. His pre-election tactics were transparent, something he has not been during his four years as mayor. Borrowing the taxpayer-funded city’s emergency alert text system – which reaches residents throughout Niagara Falls,Read More

Niagara Falls, NY – On the eve of Election Day, Council Member Cauley presents a clear and compelling vision for the future of Niagara Falls. His is a vision of progress, bolstered by his track record and robust platform for his re-election bid. With Election Day on the horizon, CauleyRead More

By Tony Farina Election day is within sight (Tuesday) and there is a lot at stake in Niagara Falls for voters to consider, not the least of which is trying to keep the city in balance and not surrendering to the mysterious agenda of the incumbent mayor, Robert Restaino, whoRead More

Mayor Robert Restaino wants to build a taxpayer-funded events center. He does not yet have the funding or land. But we understand the principle behind his effort, and we want to support it by proposing some better, more accurate names than his preferred one: Centennial Park. Mayor Robert Restaino’s MajesticRead More

Niagara Falls City Council Member Vincent Cauley is emerging as a force to reckon with. Known for his assertive stance, Cauley has vocally challenged Mayor Robert Restaino’s extravagant use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. As a member of the Republican majority of the Niagara Falls City Council, CauleyRead More

By Brandon M. Stickney “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson For a time, human rights activist Malcolm X meant trouble for young Carlton “Carl” Cain. Malcolm’s autobiography, co-authored by Alex Haley, was nearly 500Read More

By Dennis Elsenbeck I have lived and worked in Western New York for decades now. Many in the area know me from the nearly 30 years I spent at Niagara Mohawk and National Grid (culminating in the position of regional director for Western New York), or from my role onRead More

Niagara Falls, NY – Mayor Robert M. Restaino, just in time for the election, has announced a modest decrease in residential property tax rates. Yet, since his inauguration in 2020, the city has been plagued with soaring crime rates and rising taxes. First, let’s dissect his “generous” tax cut. AlthoughRead More

Erie County – Nearly two years ago, former Erie County Democratic Chairman, G. Steven Pigeon, was indicted on charges related to an alleged one-time rape of his niece when she was nine years old. His trial is in 35 days. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced the charges on DecemberRead More

By Tony Farina Niagara Falls GOP City Council candidate Michael Gawel has raised questions in a Facebook post about Democratic council candidate Brian Archie’s role at the Niagara Falls Housing Authority where Archie serves as secretary. Gawel asks if the Housing Authority still owns a single family home, and is formerRead More

 With Crime So High, What Do We Have to Lose? By Ken Hamilton Niagara Falls, NY. What an unusual city we live in, especially when it comes to the dynamics surrounding its minority population. Mayor Robert Restaino, a Democrat currently facing re-election in just 10 days, has accomplished something thatRead More

By Tony Farina Mayoral GOP candidate Carl Cain said at Wednesday’s mayoral debate that open government is important to building good relationships with taxpayers. Cain hit hard at that message, saying “we need to build bridges and transparency” if we are going to be successful, and that’s my pledge toRead More