If political candidates debate, but no one hears them except their supporters, does it even matter?
Niagara Falls mayoral and City Council hopefuls found themselves facing that question after last week's debate at Niagara Falls High School.
The Niagara Gazette co-sponsored the forum with Adelphia Cable. Unfortunately, the good folks who put it together forgot to mention it to anyone else. Given the financial troubles at both corporations, the meager publicity they afforded the event is almost understandable.
Almost. But not quite.
The organizers failed to notify any other media outlet about the debate. That meant no coverage by Buffalo television, local radio stations or even the Buffalo News. It's pretty sad when you have to stage an event, then keep it a virtual secret, in order to get a scoop.
Worse, the paucity of pre-debate publicity led to a turnout of only 125 (by the Gazette's generous estimation) in the cavernous auditorium at the new high school. You'd think twice as many people would have shown up just to enjoy the air conditioning.
You could chalk up the meager turnout to voter apathy, but that would run contrary to the interest level shown by people around town all summer, as well as recent history.
Last October, a larger crowd filed into the same venue for a town meeting sponsored by local hotelier John Prozeralik, despite a lack of local races on the next month's ballot.
In 1999, then-Mayor James Galie debated Democratic contender John Accardo, while Irene Elia and Barbara Ann Geracitano squared off on the Republican side, in front of an overflow crowd at the Earl Brydges Library on Main Street.
Voters packed the theater's 300-plus seats, as well as ringing the walls, with dozens more listening to the debate on speakers. Even more people went home after finding out the seats were filled and watched the event on Adelphia, where it was broadcast on tape delay later that evening.
This time around, the first broadcast of the debate was Sunday afternoon -- not exactly prime time unless the subject matter is the National Football League.
In the interest of full disclosure, the 1999 debate was organized by Bruce Battaglia and the Gazette's then-City Hall beat guy, Mike Hudson, nearly a year before they launched the Niagara Falls Reporter.
Let's see -- no corporate sponsors plus good word-of-mouth advertising, along with a few phone calls to the local media, equals a house largely packed with undecided voters who want to hear what the candidate says and plenty of press coverage for those who couldn't make it to the event.
Meanwhile, the two largest media entities in the city minus any attempt at publicity equals a sparse gathering of long-since-decided politicos who come to cheer for their guy.
Since there are no other debates scheduled before the Sept. 9 primaries and the Gazette printed only the most generic quotes by each candidate in its story on the event, you can check it out for yourself on Adelphia 13 at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 6.
Democratic mayoral candidates Vince Anello, Paul Dyster, Sam Granieri and Glenn Choolokian, as well as City Council aspirants Babe Rotella, Bob Anderson, Jim Stewart, Ralph Aversa, Nicholas Melson, Sal Campanino, Gary Krull and Matt Davis, all have important things to say.
Too bad so few people who hadn't already cast their support got a chance to hear them.
Drivers traveling down Sawyer Avenue in Tonawanda last week may have wondered, and certainly should have, "What gives with the giant rat?"
No, it wasn't advertising for a new car dealership. Business owners generally use oversized replicas of more appealing animals, such as those you see at that place off the I-190 on Grand Island, to draw attention.
This 20-foot rubber rodent came courtesy of Local 4 of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators, and was erected to protest use of non-union labor on an insulation job at the 3M O-Cel-O plant.
The rat collapsed Friday, however, when the blower used to keep it inflated conked out. But not before it accomplished its primary goal of grabbing the eyes of passersby.
One female motorist stopped and showed her support for the union cause by yelling, "I love you guys," then flinging, well, let's just call it an undergarment, rubber-band style at the picketers.
"Sometimes," one picketer said, "walking the line has its fun side."
And now, a word from our Shameless Self-Promotion Department ....
Having established both the most widely read weekly newspaper in Niagara County and the area's most-visited Web site, the Niagara Falls Reporter is taking on another medium -- radio.
Well, sort of.
The Reporter is one of the sponsors of Talk of Niagara, a new radio show on WLVL-1340 AM, hosted by Sal Paonessa.
The show, which debuted last week, is on the air from 4 to 5 p.m. weekdays and focuses on local politics and news.
Paonessa is a Niagara Falls police officer who also works part time on the Town of Niagara force. A former dispatcher for the city fire department with extensive knowledge of the area and its people, Paonessa adds a welcome voice to the local media scene.
So Citycide encourages you to check it out, and keep an ear open for our spots highlighting stories in each week's edition of the Reporter.
You may even hear one of us chatting with Sal once in a while. But listen anyway.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | August 26 2003 |