Letters to the Editor, Artpark Chastised as Nuisance
July 22, 2014 |
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Artpark is boorish and greedy ( In response to Lewiston residents’ complaints about rude, drunk and slovenly Artpark concert attendees, Town Supervisor Dennis Brochey sent this epistle.) I’m sorry to hear about the problems people are having with the Artpark crowd. Our Republican town board members insist that Artpark is an incredible asset to our community and everybody loves them. I live in the Village of Lewiston and I have had some minor disturbances but nothing like some I have heard of. I believe most village and townspeople feel that Artpark is not an advantage at all. As hard as I try, I can’t change the opinion of the present board. Possibly if the people affected adversely by Artpark would forward letters to the Reporter, others may follow with their own complaints. For whatever reason, George Osborne, president of Artpark, wants us to cut down on the amount of police officers patrolling. He once told me that too many officers at intersections may be scaring the ones who have been drinking too much at his concerts which may affect his business. I will try and do the opposite and ask our police chief to put more on foot patrol in village neighborhoods. Dennis Brochey
Artpark Parking Nuisance On Artpark nights, the South Fourth Street area and many other parts of the Village of Lewiston are covered with pop-up parking lots on residential lawns that operate in spite of existing zoning laws prohibiting commercial activity. These parking lots apparently operate without business licenses or payment of sales taxes. The village board appears reluctant to enforce the existing zoning ordinances that prohibit such activity. This lack of enforcement does not favorably impact property values or the quality of life in the community. Additionally, in the Village of Lewiston large portions of the lawns on which the parking lot businesses operate are not private property but are situated on village right-of-way. Thus, it appears that the village is aiding and abetting illegal business activity on these lawns. It also appears that this constitutes a significant financial liability for the taxpayers of the community, as it is difficult to imagine the village’s insurance company covering any losses that may occur under these conditions. In sum: • The village needs to enforce existing ordinances that prohibit illegal parking lots, or, if it chooses to continue doing what it is doing, to change the existing zoning ordinances by appropriate legislative action. This is only proper course in a credible community of laws. • The village needs to assure its taxpayers that it is not exposing itself to uninsurable financial liability for loss or injury should it continue to countenance illegal business operations that make use of its rights-of-way. As a final note, it must be recognized that this is not a new issue and that it has been raised and tabled a number of times before. This time around the issue is more serious and cannot be deferred until next year’s Artpark season. The needed measures outlined above are clear and urgent, and need to be addressed immediately by enforcing the appropriate laws and ordinances, whatever other action may be taken in the future. Robert M. Giannetti Resident and Business Owner Call Artpark out! Glad to see you guys call out George Osborne. Would have liked to see some mention of his inviting Ted Nugent to play the park after the musician waved assault weapons on stage and yelled for "piece of s--" Obama to suck on his machine gun. Al Rotundo
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More Letters to the Editor
Hello I'm a seasonal employee for the city. First, I want to know why the new garbage crew was hired without a posting for the job? Number two: I heard them talking yesterday and the new girl Dyster hired to run the crew, she has no idea what's going on. Another guy who was hired doesn't even live in the city said it's been about 10 years. He doesn't know where half the streets are. I'm pissed about this. I wont say my name yet cuz I don't want to get fired Thanks
Quasar Energy may have given up on the lagoons in Wheatfield, but there are farm fields with permits to use Equate (sewage sludge fertilizer) in Wheatfield. We need to shut down Quasar Energy! The fight against Quasar is about our health, safety and environment. How important is that to you and your family? This is grass roots effort by a group of residents. We do not have lawyers or marketing agencies like Quasar. This is the 21st Century Love Canal! This environmental disaster will NOT take decades to be harmful. It will be weeks and months. Your health and safety matter! Please help your fellow residents win this battle against Quasar! Laurie Galbo Wheatfield, NY ------- 83-Year-Old Woman Upset about Dyster Garbage Plan I have a few comments about this new garbage deal that is being shoved down our throats. As you will see I am not a good writer . I am an upset 83-year-old woman. First of all.I've seen these new cans. They are really ugly. Please ask City Hall what do the people of Niagara Falls do with our old garbage cans? I spent $40 on new cans in February. Will I now have four on my driveway? Two I won't be allowed to use? I want a refund from my new ones from City Hall. Also in the Reporter, you stated we will be able to put grass clippings out for pickup but only in clear plastic bags. I have 90 black 39 gallon bags I buy from Sam's Club for branches, clippings and so forth. These are at a $20 cost to me. Now the city will force me to buy clear ones. This is also upsetting to everyone I talk to. Thank you for listening to my plea to change this mess at least let us use the large ugly green monster for trash. Disgusted resident ===== 84-year-old Expresse Concern About Dyster Garbage Plan Welcome to Niagara Falls where government of the mayor and the city manager by the mayor and the city manager and for the mayor and the city manager are the rule. Their attitude towards its citizens in regard to the garbage totes is reminiscent of Marie Antoinette's "Let them eat cake." Other expressions come to mind "sock it to me" or "Like it or lump it." For those having a problem accepting this idea it should've been presented to the voters because these bins are already being delivered to many disgruntled taxpayers. It's probably too late to voice an opinion but I will do my best to express our views. Let it be known that we are tired of being treated like second-class citizens. We're not mindless puppet or imbecilic fools to be ignored and swept under the rug only to be recognized when election time comes around. With all the problems rampant in this city: streets in need of repair, empty lots with grass over four feet high, boarded up stores on Main Street, is the garbage cans the highest priority on the to do list. Is Donna Owens oblivious to these problems? Shame n those who went along with this idea without thinking it through thoroughly. There seems to be so much controversy and contradictions in the big rush to drop the bomb on us that one questions their ability to distinguish up from down. Our elderly, taxpaying citizens who live alone are deeply concerned about the burden these garbage bins will inflict on them in the winter when the snow banks are two feet high. Who will help get these monstrosities to the curb? Who will lift them to the tops of these urban alpine heights? According to Mrs. Owens, we should get someone to help us. What part of "elderly living alone" does she not understand? Getting these bins to the curbside in winter requires the elderly individuals to put on coats, boots, shovel a path to the front, sprinkle ice melt on the walk to prevent them from slipping and falling and then push the monsters to the curb. After the garbage is collected the procedure is repeated to retrieve the mini tractor trailer size bins. Some of these elderly individuals require a cane to sturdy them as they struggle along the garbage placement path. This is a very serious problem which needs to be addressed but does anyone give a damn? As for Mrs. Owens highly touted totes, why were these the only ones quoted? Since there are two sides to every story, those who were not in favor of this plan should have had the right to speak up. All citizens, voters, taxpayers, businessman of Niagara Falls should have been granted the right to speak up on matters that involve them. This is a democracy not a dictatorship. The plan may or may not work but why the big rush? I hope my letter is not offensive or slanderous, It is just the opinion of an 84-year-old citizen and taxpayer. I enjoy reading the Reporter immensely. As my son says, "if you want to know the truth, read the Reporter." Keep up the good work, and thank you for making so many of us get a chuckle so many times. Joe Forgione LePage Retired Sergeant Hates The garbage and recycle totes. Our newest council member Mr Tuoma. Did he not say that he was going to see about switching the recycling tote for the garbage tote because the 64 gallon totes are too small for garbage? Now he is all for it so the city can force people to recycle even more things. My garbage cans are 33 gallons. I usually place two cans out by the curb for garbage pick up (usually three bags per can). Every other week I put out the small blue recycle tote. I recycle quite a lot of stuff. It would take me more than a month to fill the large city recycle tote. This whole concept should have had prior input by city residents months before Mayor Paul Dyster and Donna Owens sprung it on us. If it were not for the Niagara Falls Reporter, it could have been worse. I think Modern Disposal bought all new specially made "tote" friendly trucks because they want to cut back on the manpower needed for a standard garbage truck and cut a deal with the city. I have a single family house with three adults. So I will need two garbage totes. What about the single family house with two adults or more with children? Are we going to have to pay extra for another tote? What a sham this whole garbage and recycle concept turned out to be. And why is it that the other media only prints praises of a couple people and not the majority of the people against the whole tote concept, specially the size difference? When I throw garbage out, it's garbage. There is nothing in that garbage that is recyclable. I don't need a garbage Gestapo team to go through my garbage to be sure I'm recycling properly. Thank you for your time. If you print this in your newspaper, please do not use my name as I do not want any repercussion's from city hall even though there is such a thing as freedom of speech (well, there used to b). Thank you, Name withheld MSG USARMY (Ret.) .
Joe Davis Paving Raises Questons Reading Frank Parlato and his article on the pavement failure I would like to offer some further questions to be asked. If indeed the the surface was irregular prior to applying the top, why was it not "True and Leveled" initially. The lower areas are filled either by hand or machine such to provide a surface that when the final top pavement is placed there is a uniform minimum depth, graded surface to function as a parking lot. Ken Young paving admittedly used the top course to provide the "T&L" which is poor practice. The result is the thin areas. Since top has little structural value areas with as little as measured were doomed to fail. As by my description the T&L is an additional step in the process with additional time for which there is incentive not to do it to achieve maximum profit. And it was not done obviously. Ken Young might convince himself he performed to standards but he has not. The Town most certainly failed in not having a knowledgeable presence while the work was performed. Robert Joseph ----------
Regarding your article about Niagara Falls new trash ordinance that will not allow residents to dispose of dead pets in the new garbage cans. I have a stray animal. Where do I put it, if I can't put it in a can? I called SPCA and the Niagara Gazette. What are we supposed to do? We can't burn them. This is dangerous and unhealthy. A concerned pet owner |
