Retirement Party for Kinney at Como to be Gala EventFebruary 24, 2015 |
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A retirement part will be held for David Kinney, the former Director of the DPW for the City of Niagara Falls. Kinney retired Jan. 30, 2015. His party - which all are invited to attend will be at the Como Restaurant on Pine Ave, on Saturday, March 7. The party begins at 6 with open cocktails and dinner at 7 pm. The cost is $30 a ticket. Of his retirement Kinney is optimistic. He said, "My timing was good. I retired January 30, and it started snowing February 1 and it hasn't stopped snowing a day ever since." Kinney worked as DPW director for seven years, starting in 2008. He was one of the first hires of incoming Mayor Paul A. Dyster. Prior to that he had about four years more with the city as deputy director of the DPW under Mayors Gallie and Elia, from 1997-2001. He also had two years with Niagara County two as Commissioner of Parks from 2002-2003 Most of Kinney's career was spent however in the private sector. He was born in Niagara Falls. He went to school here too, going to Ashland Ave Elementary School, then to North Junior High, then Trott Vocational, graduating in 1961. It is perhaps characteristic of the decline of Niagara Falls - at least its population that all three schools Kinney attended are now closed. After graduating from high school, Kinney enlisted in the Air Force wehre he served four years, from 1962-1966, where he worked in communications and then in his last year in the Air Force he got into the new field of computers. Following his honorable discharge, he went looking for a job. This was a different day in Niagara Falls "I got out the service in 1966 and I got hired at Carborundum in October 1966. On the same day I was offered the job there, I got a job offer at Kimberly Clark and Acheson Graphite. That was with a high school education. And these were very, very good paying jobs. Ironically I had all three offers on the same day. I picked Carborundum because it was white collar and was a job managing computer operations," Kinney said. Kinney was to remain with Carborundum until it was sold in 1996, sending 30 years there. During his seven year tenure with DPW, where he managed 130 employees, Kinney estimates he paved 225 roads. "A lot of asphalt," he said "My last year there was probably close to 200,000 square yards of asphalt and binder we laid down." Kinney also oversaw maintenance and plowing of some 220 miles of road in the city, and 30 city parks. Looking back on his time with the city, he said, "It was all about the people. To please as many people you could. Everybody's problem is a big problem- to them. I always tried to remember that. I was always a people person. I enjoyed doing it for the people. "Hopefully I made a difference. Made it a little bit better today than it was seven years ago." As for his retirement he said, "Retirement is different. When the weather gets a little better, the wife (Sandra) and I can do more things and travel. I miss work. But I just decided it was time to leave." Kinney, now 72, has a memory of Niagara Falls that those old enough will share with him. "I grew up in the 50's. The biggest change was the loss of the industries. I remember them all. And of course Falls St. I have a picture from 1958, I was 15 and I went down there to the movie theaters, the Cataract, the Strand. The road was four lanes, two in each direction with diagonal parking. "I don't think you'll ever see the big industries come back. The city will have to make a comeback from tourism. I guess the only way Niagara Falls is going to flourish is going to be in through the tourist industry. I hope it does. My kids live in Niagara Falls, my grandkids live in Niagara Falls and my great grandkids live in Niagara Falls. I want to see it flourish."
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