MARCH READERS' POLL RESULTS

The March 2010 poll on this website asked this question: Do you want Niagara Metals to come to town?

It was a simple question meant to determine what the public sentiment was about Niagara Metals moving to our community as it seemed to be such a controversial issue. When the smoke cleared, it really wasn't...

98 people participated in the poll. 83 of them voted "yes". Only 15 voted "no".

Those results show that an OVERWHELMING majority of Gasport residents welcome the business to our fair town.

HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETS THURSDAY

The Royalton Historical Society meets this Thursday, April 1st, at 7:30 PM at the town hall. Guests are welcome to attend. The night's speaker will be Marian Stroka of "A Stroka Gene-Us Alpaca Farm."

WELLNESS FAIR THIS TUESDAY

The school district is hosting a health and wellness fair at the high school this coming Tuesday, March 30th from 6:30 to 8:00 in the gym. There will be plenty of information booths at the event, ranging from smoking to diabetes to blood pressure, mental health and pregnancy care.

The LOYAL Roy-Hart football and cheerleading league – for boys and girls aged 6 to 13 – will be holding registration for the upcoming season at the wellness fair as well. Bring your child’s birth certificate and your health insurance information. For more info about LOYAL go to www.loyalroyhartfootball.webs.com

ROYALTON REQUESTS BIDS FOR CEMETERY MOWING

REQUEST FOR BID: The Town Board of the Town of Royalton is accepting sealed bids for the mowing and trimming of the Royalton Union Cemetery, located at 8451 Bunker Hill Road, Gasport, NY 14067, next to the Royalton Community Church. The cemetery is to be mowed one (1) time per week, or as needed, depending on weather conditions. (If it is a dry summer, weekly mowing may not be necessary.) This bid should include the trim work to be done around all headstones and monuments. Successful bidder will be required to provide the Town of Royalton with a Certificate of Liability Insurance in the amount of $1,000,000.00. Bidders must comply with New York’s prevailing wage requirements.

Bid specifications will be available Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM–4:00 PM at the office of the Town Clerk. Sealed bids will be accepted at the office of the Town Clerk, 5316 Royalton Center Road, Middleport, NY 14105, until Wednesday, April 7, 2010 where they will be opened and read aloud publicly at 10:00 AM.

The Town Board is requesting bid quotations for a one (1) year contract for these services with the option for a one (1) year renewal if mutually agreed upon by both parties. The Town of Royalton reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids for these services.

ROYALTON SEEKS BIDS FOR COURT REPAIR

REQUEST FOR BID: The Town Board of the Town of Royalton is accepting sealed bids for remodeling construction work to be done to the Courtroom in the Town Hall located at 5316 Royalton Center Road, Middleport, New York. The work is to be completed no later than July 15, 2010. Successful bidder will be required to provide the Town of Royalton with a Certificate of Liability Insurance in the amount of $1,000,000.00. Bidders must comply with New York’s prevailing wage requirements.

Bid specifications will be available Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM–4:00 PM at the office of the Town Clerk. Sealed bids will be accepted at the office of the Town Clerk, 5316 Royalton Center Road, Middleport, NY 14105, until noon on Monday, April 12, 2010, where they will be opened and read aloud publicly at 1:00 pm.

The Town of Royalton reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids for these services.

GUN SHOW IN HARTLAND

There was a gun show today at the Hartland Fire Hall on Route 104. It continues Sunday, running 9:00 to 4:00. Admission is $5. Kids under 12 are free.

A LOOK BACK AT GASPORT'S UFO SIGHTINGS

This past week's visit of a UFO expert to NCCC got me thinking again of "UFO" sightings that were reported to have taken place in Gasport.

Here's what the January 22, 1968 Niagara Gazette reported...


GASPORT -- Niagara County sheriffs deputies were summoned late Saturday and early Sunday to investigate "strange lights," reportedly observed near here.

The first call came from Donald A. Perry, of 3760 Quaker Road, Gasport, who said that his 11 year-old daughter, Mindy, looked out a window and saw a "whitish light, like a ball of light" falling at about 9 p.m. Saturday in the Quaker-Slayton Settlement Road area between this community and the City of Lockport.

Eugene F. Naish, of 3716 Hartland Road, here, called deputies about midnight and said that he had seen a yellowish light about 9 p.m. Saturday in the same general area.

He said that he was working at a dance at the Gasport Fire Hall and saw the light when he stepped outside for some fresh air. He said he first thought it was a light on a snowmobile on a hill.

He told deputies he and another member of the fire company checked the area but could find no trace of snowmobile tracks.


Source:

http://www.globalserve.net/~mallet/kzniag4.shtml




The website nuforc.org -- the National UFO Reporting Center -- also reports of one that occurred in 2003 and states the following:


Occurred : 12/23/2003 02:30
Reported: 3/4/2004 11:41:56 PM 23:41
Posted: 3/9/2004
Location: Gasport, NY
Shape: Light
Duration:3 hrs

Bright light shot across the sky from the horizon up. Made several right angle movements. Observed a bright light over a residence approx shape of basketball. Observed the light for approximately 20 minutes before it shot across half of the sky then stopped suddenly. The light then made several right angles, like a square shape. Observed the object for approx 3 hrs before it disappeared around 530 am. The object was soundless. 1 object was seen by 2 civilans and 3 deputy sheriffs.


Source: http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/035/S35410.html

"NO SMOKING" COMING TO ROYALTON RAVINE PARK

The Buffalo News reported on the following development in County Government:


Niagara County is planning to erect no-smoking signs in county parks, County Legislator Peter E. Smolinski disclosed at Thursday’s county Board of Health meeting.

Public Health Director Daniel J. Stapleton said the ban will cover only certain areas, such as locations near playgrounds, restrooms and fishing areas in the county’s parks.


Based on that, I will assume that smoking will be banned at the pond, around both pavilions, the johns, and at the little league diamond.

DISCUSS LOCAL ISSUES ON FACEBOOK

Yesterday I received an email from a reader who was wondering if I might be able to bring back the commenting tool for this website. The individual - like me - really enjoyed the lengthy discussions about the school district and local government that used to occur on this website.

As much as I'd love to, I cannot. The anonymity of the commenting tool caused many people to get reckless in the comments, attacking others or offering false information. I could add a moderation function to the site, allowing me to edit and delete comments, but it's a time -consuming task, something that doesn't interest me despite the importance of many of the comments.

Similar issues with anonymity have taken away message boards from the websites of some local newspapers and TV stations.

BUT...I can still make that reader, myself and others who liked the discussions happy...

Anonymity is NOT an issue on Facebook. People can communicate only by having a profile on that website. This may turn-off some folks since many people have a backbone only when possessing anonymity, but others will willingly participate, especially if they really care about Gasport and Roy-Hart.

We can have discussions on the Gasport page at Facebook. To access the page, scroll down to the very bottom of the www.GasportNewYork.com homepage and click on the Facebook box. When you arrive at the Facebook page click on the "discussions" box at the top of the page and start a conversation.

I look forward to some discussions!

DRUNKEN BUFFALO WOMAN DISOVERED IN GASPORT DRIVEWAY

The Buffalo News reported the following on Wednesday...

A Checkered Tavern Road woman awoke at about 7:30 a. m. to discover a strange car in her driveway, with the headlights on and still idling, Niagara County sheriff’s deputies said.

The woman was unable to awaken the driver, and a small dog also was in the car, deputies added. Niagara County sheriff’s deputies charged Jennifer R. Bliss, 30, of Marilla Street, Buffalo, with driving while intoxicated.

Deputies said Bliss, who measure a blood-alcohol level of 0.14 percent, last recalled being at a friend’s house on Route 425. Inside the car was an open container of rum, which was almost empty, deputies added.

Source:

http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/03/24/997454/woman-sleeping-in-car-is-charged.html

GASPORT WOMAN REMOVED FROM HOME

The Buffalo News reported this earlier this week...

A woman was removed from her home after a fire broke out next to a stove in her home at 3592 South Quaker Road at about 7 a. m. Monday, Niagara County sheriff’s deputies said.

The resident, Clara A. Duchow, 98, said she heard the stove backfire and found some items on fire and was able to extinguish the blaze. However, the Hartland Fire Department discovered melted wires near the stove, and Hartland Building Inspector Mark Harmon ruled the house uninhabitable because of several code violations.

Source:

http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/03/24/997453/woman-98-removed-after-kitchen.html

GOSPEL OF MARK THIS SATURDAY

The folks at the Hartland Bible Church sent along some information about an event happening this weekend at the Church on West Ave. in the hamlet...

Award winning actor, Hunter Barnes, will present his highly acclaimed performance of the “Gospel of Mark” at Hartland Bible Church of Gasport on March 27 at 6:30 PM. With a few simple props, Hunter unleashes the words of the “first” Gospel into a captivating drama. Come hear the Gospel story like you have never heard it before. The event is free of charge to all who attend and a free will offering will be taken to support Compassion International’s Haitian Relief Fund. More information about the performance is available by calling Hartland Bible Church at (716)772-6115 or by visiting Hunter’s website at www.markhisword.org. Come join HBC as we welcome Hunter Barnes and have your mind and heart provoked by the humor, emotion, and absolute force of this account of the life of Jesus the Son of God.

For more information go to http://hartlandbible.com

CENSUS SCAM HITS GASPORT

If you are a regular reader of my newspaper column you know what I think about the US Census, especially the long-form known as the American Community Survey. The information requests are too intrusive.

This past weekend I exchanged emails with a reader about the Census and I mentioned to her that it would be so easy for a con man to take advantage of the Census and send a similar survey to people, gleaning critical financial information from unsuspecting souls.

Well, no sooner do I say that and it happens, right in Gasport...

The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department this week notified citizens that a scam is in the works. A 70-year-old Quaker Road woman said she filled out the ersatz forms indicating Social Security number, name, date of birth, nationality, health insurance and income. After having mailed the forms, she became suspicious after she later learned that the U. S. Census does not ask for info like SSN.

So, be careful!

HARTLAND EGG HUNT

There will be an Easter egg hunt this Saturday, March 27th starting at 11:00 at the old schoolhouse at the corner of Seaman and Carmen Roads in Hartland. This is open to Hartland residents aged 2 to 10.

SPAGHETTI DINNER THIS WEEKEND

Gasport’s Boy Scout Troop 18 will be serving their annual spaghetti dinner this Saturday, March 27th, from 4:00 to 7:00 in the basement of the Covenant United Church of Christ on Main Street in the hamlet. Cost is $6 presale or $7 at the door. For pre-sales tickets call Dan at 772.5090.

There will also be a raffle for a kayak at this event. Tickets for the $250 boat are available for $5 each at the event.

Come out and support the troop. Proceeds will help pay for summer camp and other events. As someone who was a scout and leader of this troop, I know how meaningful this program is to the youth of Gasport.

For more info about the troop, go to www.GasportTroop18.com

NIAGARA METALS MEETING

The final site plan for Niagara Metals will be reviewed by the Planning Board this Wednesday at 7:30 at the Royalton town hall.

LOCAL SCHOOLS MUST MAKE HARD CHOICES

This past weekend the Lockport Union Sun and Journal ran a story about the hard choices local schools must make in the face of NY's final crisis. Here's some of what was said about our district...

Roy-Hart saw a 20 percent cut in state aid, about $1.5 million. The reason for that was when the state was determining how much aid a district gets, the it did not see Roy-Hart as a “high need” district, as it was last year. Instead, Roy-Hart was moved up from a high need to a average need district, hence the cut in aid. And that wasn’t because Roy-Hart suddenly became wealthier, it's because other districts dropped.

MacDonald said currently the budget stands with a 5.58 percent decrease in spending compared to the current school year budget of $23.4 million. Roy-Hart is also using $338,000 in reserve funds.

The district cut more than $1.6 million, with cuts ranging from the equivalent of five full-time positions. A number of positions were reduced to meet that figure. Other cuts include eliminating dormant clubs.

To read the entire article go here:

http://lockportjournal.com/local/x1338264254/Area-school-districts-have-tough-decisions-to-make

GASPORT MAN ARRESTED AS A FUGITIVE

The Buffalo News reports the following about a Gasport resident....

State police charged a Gasport man as a fugitive on a warrant for aggravated stalking after he was found with a rifle.

Scott J. McQueen, 30, of Humphrey Road, was stopped just before 11 p. m. Monday on Rochester Road and charged with criminal contempt as well as an active warrant for aggravated stalking from the Sarasota County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office. A rifle and ammunition were found in his vehicle, violating an order of protection by the City of Lockport.

He was arraigned in Town of Royalton Court and sent to Niagara County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Source:

http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/03/18/991181/man-wanted-as-fugitive-arrested.html

PANCAKE BREAKFAST AT HARTLAND FIREHALL

A pancake breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Sunday at the Hartland Volunteer Fire Company on Route 104. This special event is a part of the state's 15th annual Maple Weekend. They will be using syrup produced by Medina's Flyway Farms.

GARAGE SALE THIS WEEKEND

The Ladies Auxiliary are holding their annual spring garage sale at the Gasport fire hall this Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00. A light lunch will be available in the afternoon.

FIGHT CRIME THIS SATURDAY

The Middleport/Hartland/Gasport Neighborhood Watch is meeting at 11:00 this Saturday at the Middleport Free Library. Coordinator James Solomon and friends will be talking about the ongoing break-ins in our community.

BYE BYE BIRDIE THIS WEEKEND

The musical “Bye Bye Birdie” will take place this Friday and Saturday at the high school. The play starts at 7:30 and features some of the school district's best young actors, actresses and songbirds. Tickets are available at the door for $6/each.

TOWN SUPERVISOR ENTERS WRESTLING HALL OF FAME

Long-time former Roy-Hart coach Dick Lang was inducted into the Western New York Wrestling Hall of Fame this past weekend during the sixth annual WNY Wrestling Coaches Association luncheon at the Woodlawn Fire Hall.

Lang, who compiled a 294-43-4 record during two decades of coaching led the Roy-Hart program for 10 years (1978-88). He then served as an assistant coach at Newfane from 1988-98 before becoming the Panthers head coach from 2000-07. During that stretch his Rams and Panthers teams won a total of 17 Niagara-Orleans League championships.

A founder, three-time past president and current advisor of the WNY Wrestling Coaches Association and a four-time recipient of the WNYWCA’s “Coach of the Year” honor, Lang coached 96 N-O champions, 20 AA sectional champs, 12 state qualifiers, five state place finishers and two state championships during his tenure at Roy-Hart and Newfane.

ST. PAT'S AT TERRY'S CORNERS

Terry's Corners Fire Company will be having its annual St. Patrick's Day party on Saturday, March 20th. Doors Open at 6pm.

Corned beef dinners and sandwiches will be available and there will be a cash bar for wine & beer
(with Guiness on tap).

There will be 50/50 splits, bell jar rip tickets, and lots of fun and dancing!

Live Music at 9PM by Buffalo's Premier Party Band HIT N RUN, winner of Buffalo Music Awards (9 times!)

$5 Presale Tickets available at:

MJ AUTO CARE/ DURFS - Route 31 in Gasport
or ANY TC FIREFIGHTER

$8 Tickets at the Door

Get your tickets now, before they sell out!

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, the Gasport Lions Club is hosting a corned beef and cabbage dinner this Sunday, March 14th at the Gasport fire hall from noon to 3:00. Cost is $9/person.

US&J COVERS THE LAWSUIT

Today's Lockport Union Sun and Journal features a story about the lawsuit being levied against the town and Niagara Metals.

Among those quoted in the article is deputy supervisor Jennifer Bieber who notes the following:


“(Niagara Metals will) have an oil-separator for any contaminated water. Right now the whole area is stone and they will be putting in a concrete pad,” she said. “They won’t be taking any junk cars, they will be taking metal and transferring it to Niagara Falls.”

Bieber noted that two years ago, a group of people worked on a master plan for 18 months, and there were several public hearings. Information was posted on the Web site, and people on the committee were available to take comments.

“No one in the lawsuit ever came to any of those meetings,” she said. “The area has been zoned industrial as long I can imagine. We made a conscientious effort to keep that zoned industrial. There used to be a stone quarry there, with blasting and trucks. That (Route 31) is a truck route.”

The master plan committee looked at zoning and where it wanted business to come, according to Bieber. “Route 31 is our corridor. It was zoned industrial and is still zoned industrial. That’s a place where that type of business fits in our town.”


Check out the rest of the article here:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/local/local_story_067233638.html

BELVA LOCKWOOD ARTICLE

This week's edition of the Niagara Falls Reporter features a story about Royalton's own Belva Lockwood, the first woman to run for the US presidency. A hard copy of the Reporter can be had for free at newsstands throughout Niagara County or it can be read online at www.niagarafallsreporter.com.

Here's the article...

SUFFRAGETTE LOCKWOOD MADE HISTORY
By Bob Kostoff

One of the most remarkable and well-documented women of Niagara County was the redoubtable Belva Bennett McNall Lockwood, the first female to run for U.S. president.

I have written about Belva several times, most recently in mentioning the presidential elections of 1884 and 1888, when Buffalo's own Grover Cleveland was also a presidential candidate.

An old article in the Iowa State Register newspaper of August 1888 provided some interesting information about Belva's running mates. Usually running mates, as well as most vice presidents, do not make lasting impressions on the public consciousness, so any historical tidbits are welcome.

Belva's charge at history, while well-known, could stand a brief refresher course. She was born Belva Bennett on Griswold Street in the Town of Royalton and, when 18 years old in 1848, married Uriah McNall of nearby McNall's Corners. Uriah died before Belva was 22 years old. She took over the family farming and sawmill business. Despite success in running this business, she decided to become a teacher and eventually became Preceptress of the Lockport Union School from 1857 to 1861.

Then she decided to become a lawyer, opening a practice in Washington, D.C., even taking some cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, In 1868, she married prominent dentist Ezekiel Lockwood.
Belva was active in the suffragette movement and stood strongly for equal rights. Therefore, she was instrumental in formation of the Equal Rights Party, which nominated her to run for president in 1884. The party chose as her running mate Marietta L. Stow, a successful newspaper publisher in San Francisco. She was a native of Webster, just east of Rochester, N.Y.

They garnered about 5,000 votes in that election, even though women could not vote at that time.

A copy of the Iowa newspaper containing the account of the 1884 nominating convention was obtained in 1988 by Mrs. Norma Wollenberg, a Gasport resident interested in Belva's career.

The party next decided to emphasize the "equal" part of their name and opted to have a male running mate for Belva in the 1888 election. To choose the vice presidential candidate, the party sent out a flyer to members entitled "the National Equal Rights Party, composed of men and women."

The flyer stated, "The success of that movement was a marked and memorable one and it has been determined by the party to continue the race in 1888. But as we are an Equal Rights party, it has been claimed that we should have a man on the ticket and the following names are suggested."

The flyer named Belva to head the ticket and suggested Alfred H. Love, of Philadelphia, for her running mate. The flyer added, "In order to arrive at a fair expression of opinion, it is desired that you write your preference on the opposite page of this sheet and return at once in the enclosed envelope." It was signed by N.S. Chapin, Chairman, General Committee, Marshalltown, Iowa.

The party faithful favored Love, giving him 316 mail-in votes, with a scattering of other names provided. One wag even suggested the name of Frances Folsom Cleveland, whom President Cleveland married while in the White House. Another name mentioned was James Blaine, the Republican who opposed Cleveland for the presidency in 1884.

In an interesting aside, it was once reported that Blaine, when deciding to seek the presidency, visited Belva to solicit her support and was shocked when she told him she was going to run for president herself.

Love was president of the International Peace Union and operated a merchant firm in Philadelphia handling cotton and woolen goods. He also headed the American Literary Union.

Standing firmly against slavery, Love long campaigned for equal rights, for temperance and religion, for the native Americans, and was also firmly against the death penalty.

The Equal Rights Party put up a spirited campaign but lost. Cleveland, running with Allen G. Thurman, won the popular vote, but Republican Benjamin Harrison took the presidency with the electoral vote. Cleveland came back to recapture the White House four years later.

The U.S. Post Office honored Belva by issuing a stamp in her honor on June 18, 1986, something Mrs. Wollenberg had campaigned for.

ROY-HART STUDENT IS SECOND IN SPELLING BEE

Bravo to Roy-Hart seventh grader Tyler Kugler! He outlasted the brightest young minds in Western New York to take second place in the Buffalo News's 83rd annual spelling bee.

Read about his adventures in today's Buffalo News:

http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/03/08/980781/east-amherst-sixth-grader-casts.html

BUFFALO NEWS LOOKS AT LAWSUIT AGAINT THE TOWN

Sunday's Buffalo News features an article about the lawsuit levied against the town of Royalton regarding Niagara Metals. The article is NOT available online, so if you'd like to read the information filled article you'll have to buy a copy. Some key points from the article...

* Those issuing the lawsuit say that it's a junkyard and insist the Zoning board violated town code and state environmental law via their approval of the special-use permit

* The plaintiffs' attorney, Jefferey Palumbo, who spoke against the project at town meetings while representing Dunn's Salvage in Middleport, notes that Dunn is not a party to the suit

* The lawsuit says a "feeder yard" is not on the town zoning code's list of use for which a permit can be granted

* Palumbo accuses the Zoning Board of quickly skipping past the questions on the environmental assessment form and didn't allow for deliberation

ROYALTON BOARD MEETS MONDAY

Town Board Meeting & Agenda

Date: Mon, Mar 08, 2010; 7:30 PM

Address: Royalton Town Hall

REGULAR BOARD MEETING AGENDA

March 8, 2010

1. Open Meeting

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Additions or corrections of the minutes as presented

4. Public Comment - Agenda Items Only

5. Communications / Petitions

6. Regular Meeting Agenda

7. New Business


􀂾 Resolved to call for a Public Hearing regarding the Outdoor Boilers on Monday, April 12, 2010 at 7:15 PM. (Rescheduled from the March meeting).


􀂾 Resolution to authorize Terry Nieman, Highway Superintendent, to have the 2002 Cat Payloader sandblasted, primed and painted at a cost not to exceed $4,800.00. The work will be completed by Hahn Sales & Services, who provided the lowest price quote for this job.


􀂾 Resolution to authorize the Town Justices to advertise for bids for the Court Room renovation project.


􀂾 Resolution to authorize Supervisor Lang to cancel the phone maintenance contract with Avaya. This will result in a cost savings of $71.65 per month.


􀂾 Resolution to appoint Thomas Arlington to the Part-Time positions of Building Inspector and Zoning Enforcement Officer effective July 12, 2010. Positions will be based on the salary and hours approved at the February 8, 2010 town board meeting.


􀂾 Resolution for Permission to pay the bills.


8. Unfinished Business

9. Public Comment - Good and Welfare of the Community

10. Adjournment - Motion to adjourn

ROY-HART'S DROPOUT RATE

The Lockport Union Sun and Journal recently ran a story about drop-out rates and what schools are doing to keep the students from dropping out.

How did Roy-Hart fare against other local school districts?

The article said...

To figure out graduation rates, the state education department looks at a class of students entering ninth grade, which is known as a “cohort.” The percentage of students from a cohort that graduates in four years is a school’s graduation rate for that year.

According to the New York State Education Department’s 2008 graduation rates, the latest information available, all six Eastern Niagara County public school districts surpassed the state average of 71 percent. Barker led the way with 91 percent of its students graduating, followed by Starpoint with 85 percent, Newfane at 84 percent, Royalton-Hartland and Wilson each at 83 percent and Lockport City Schools at 75 percent.


The article also made note about timeliness of graduation...


For 2006, Education Week said 62 percent of Newfane students graduated on time, while the rate was 76.3 percent in Barker, 80 percent for Wilson, 73 percent for Roy-Hart, 90.8 percent for Starpoint and 69.6 percent for Lockport. The national average was 69.2 percent in 2006, according to Education Week.


Read the entire article online here:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/local/local_story_064003904.html

THE MARCH INTERVIEW: AARON PAZIK

A goal of this website is to have monthly interviews with community leaders, businesspeople, and newsmakers from Gasport to gain insight into their role in our community. This month's interviewee is Doctor Aaron Pazik, proprietor of Gasport Chiropractic and an active volunteer with the Gasport Lion's Club.

In 2005 Gasport Chiropractic and Wellness opened its doors in the hamlet of Gasport, becoming the first business to offer such care in the Gasport community. The offices of Dr. Pazik can be found on Main Street at the site of what once was the Depot Restaurant, just between the railroad and the the Canalside Inn.

Surprisingly, to this day people still say, "I didn't know there was a chiropractor in Gasport!" I am hopeful that this chat with Aaron helps to correct that.

Here's what Aaron had to say about Gasport and his business...

What brought you to Gasport?

I was born in Lockport, raised in Newfane, and knew I wanted to come home after finishing Grad school in Davenport, Iowa. I love my hometown and Gasport gives me everything I want in a close knit community. I also fell in love with the building I bought on Main Street and decided it would make a great addition to the neighborhood. The people of Gasport, and the surrounding area deserve to have healthcare close to home.


How has it been, running a business in Gasport?

I really enjoy the area, I have found that some people still do not know I have an office here, right on Main Street, even though I've been here since 2005-2006. Most people in the community are great and very supportive too. I hope that I can be as helpful and supportive to the community as it has been to me.


What is chiropractic care?

Chiropractic is a health care discipline and profession that emphasizes diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical/neurological disorders of the body, especially the spine, under the hypothesis that these disorders affect general health via the nervous system. The main treatment involves manual therapy, including manipulation of the spine, other joints, and soft tissues; treatment also includes exercises and health and lifestyle counseling. Traditional chiropractic assumes that a vertebral subluxation or spinal joint dysfunction interferes with the body's function and its innate intelligence, a notion that brings ridicule from mainstream science and medicine.

How is the art/science of chiropractic care done on the average patient?

This is done various ways by different Chiropractors. In my office I use very gentle techniques in order to get maximum treatment with minimum discomfort. Alone with the adjustments, some patients will receive various therapies to help the muscles surrounding the joints and bones being adjusted, some patients will also have exercises to do prior to being adjusted. These added things are for the patients benefit and help him/her to stay aligned longer than adjusting alone.

What are the benefits of chiropractic care to overall health?

Chiropractic care has many benefits, here are a few that my patients have told me about: Less ear infections (usually in children), better digestion, better immunity (not sick as often), more energy, increased range of motion, less pain and discomfort, and an overall of less stress.

How can people learn more about Gasport Chiropractic?

To learn more about Gasport Chiropractic & Wellness, PC people can check out our website: http://www.gasportchiropractic.com/ or stop in the office to say hi and ask your questions, we can also be reached by phone at (716) 772-2200. Dr. Pazik or Kathy would be more than happy to help make your day better.

MARCH POLL: NIAGARA METALS

Based on everything we've read on Facebook in recent weeks and the various emails I've received, a VAST majority of Gasport residents want Niagara Metals to come to town. It seems to be only a small but vocal minority of people who are against them coming here.

Sadly, it makes us look like an unwelcoming community.

For March's readers poll I would like to prove that we aren't that and that most of us welcome Niagara Metals to Gasport. The poll can be found atop the right hand toolbar of this page.

FEBRUARY POLL RESULTS

February's readers poll asked this question: What sort of future economic development would you most like to see in Gasport?

69 people responded to the survey and here are their answers in rank of popularity:

Retail: 26%
Manufacturing: 21%
Energy: 14%
None, I like Gasport the way it is: 13%
Agriculture: 8%
Dining: 7%
Government: 5%
Tourism: 2%

MORE ON THE LAWSUIT

An attentive fan of this website ventured to the County building today to look at the legal papers filed with the County and above you will see a copy of the cover letter. Click on the image to see it in full size.

The lawsuit places Don Perry, Norm & Judy Wolcott, Robert Micoli, Glen Whitmore, Ralph Wolfe, and Antonio & Barbara Bermudez against the Town of Royalton, the Zoning Board of Appeals and Niagara Metals. It should be noted that the lawyer is the same one used by Dunn's salvage in Middleport (who sees Niagara Metals as a competitor). Coincidence?

To read a spirited discussion about the lawsuit go to our Facebook page. If you aren't already a fan of the Facebook page scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page and click on the Facebook window.

A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE TOWN?

I received a tip last night that the "concerned citizens" who are against Niagara Metals coming to Gasport are bringing a lawsuit against the Town of Royalton. More to follow.

FIRE STRIKES GASPORT HOME

A fire around 1am today did an estimated $50,000 damage to a two story home at 8410 Ridge Rd. The homeowner, Angela Hanczarowski, said she thought it started in the chimney as a result of a wood burning stove. Deputies said flames were coming from the West side when they arrived. The Red Cross is assisting three adults and seven children. The blaze was fought by four fire companies.