Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

Click on the stories below to relive some of the news items from 2011 in Gasport and Royalton-Hartland...


January

Niagara Metals has Customer Appreciation Days. The prize: A pick-up truck!























February
















March












April














May






June










July




















August








September












October








November








December






And, there are many, many more stories and events that can be found in the archives of this website!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

JANUARY ON THE WINE TRAIL


The Niagara Wine Trail will approach their January event a little differently than most months, when it is limited to just one weekend. During January, every weekend will fall under the special event umbrella.

Here's a synopsis of the event that will be bring visitors to Gasport...

January: Warm Your Winter with Wine!

(Saturdays and Sundays in January)
Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12pm-6pm

Price: $20/person online or at the door

Each winery has a different discount on wine purchases when you show your event ticket during the event! Check out the wine specials below and restock your wine collection. Participate in our wine glass competition!

Tickets valid each Saturday and Sunday in January and include 3 tastes of wine at each participating winery and the individual winery discount.

Wine glasses are NOT included with this ticket. Please bring your own wine glass or purchase one at the wineries.

Visitors may bring a wine glass from a past event or participate in a wine glass-decorating contest:

• Guests are encouraged to decorate a glass to use during the event.
• When a winery staff member sees a glass they admire, they will ask for the guest’s ticket number, name and preferred contact information to record it. If possible, they will take a picture of the glass.
• At the end of the event, the list of candidates will be compiled. The person whose glass received the most votes will receive a pair of tickets to a future wine trail event.
• Glasses should be decorated in good taste and show creativity.

*Discount is valid at each winery once.

Each winery’s discount is below:

* The Winery at Marjim Manor – 20% off: Lady at the Window (dry white), Plum Dandy (Medium Plum), Treasure Beyond Measure (sweet plum)
* Arrowhead Spring Vineyards – 20% off any white wine purchase
* A Gust of Sun Winery –25% off bottles of "Trismegistus" - our Meritage-style blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot
* Eveningside Vineyards – 10% off all purchases
* Honeymoon Trail Winery – 20% off Blackberry wine, 10% off 6 bottles, 20% off 12 bottles
* Victorianbourg Wine Estate – Chardonnay ice wine buy 2, get 1 free. All other wines discounted 5% - 20%, depending on the specific wine
* Schulze Vineyards – 20% off Chardonnay unoaked 2010, Cabernet Rose 2009, Cabernet Franc Reserve 2009 and Meritage 2009
* Vizcarra Vineyards - 20% off Perfect Plum and all Red Wines
* Niagara Landing – 10% off all White Wines – Ice Wine included!
* Spring Lake Winery – 20% off award-winning 2009 Riesling
* Long Cliff Winery – 10% off all purchases
* Midnight Run Wine Cellars – 25% off our dessert wine, Icey Apple
* Black Willow Winery – 1 year anniversary celebration sale for the month of January: 15% off Flight 6-1-37 (port style wine), any Mead or Chardonnay. 20% off Trilogy Red or Cabernet Franc. Buy $75 or more of wine and get a set of (2) Black Willow Wine Glasses FREE.*cannot be combined with other offers, discounts, or promotions
* Freedom Run Winery – 15% off three bottles of wine

SNOWSHOEING IN GASPORT

Paths, Peaks, and Paddles, a Tonawanda-based outfitting company will be holding 2 events in Gasport this February. Here's a copy of their blog postings....


Come out and join Paths, Peaks & Paddles on Saturday 2/4/12 at Royalton-Hartland Elementary School (4500 Orchard Place, Gasport, NY) for our annual snowshoe event. This exciting event will be held from 11:00am to 4:00pm. You can’t miss us! We will be outside with our snowshoes and poles waiting very patiently to take you, your friends and family on a snowshoe demo.

Instructors and Guides will be present to assist you with putting on your snowshoes, the use of poles and walking on the snow. Your instructors and guides will take you on a short tour around the school property so you can experience how to walk with snowshoes.

All are welcome to join us for this exciting event. Please dress for the weather as your snowshoe demo will keep you outdoors between 15-30 minutes. If you have any questions regarding snowshoeing, clothing or footwear feel free to contact christine@pathspeakspaddles.com. See you on the 4th!


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FREE Full Moon Snowshoe Hike at Royalton Ravine in Gasport
February 7, 2012


Come out and join Paths Peaks & Paddles for a “Full Moon” snowshoe hike out at Royalton Ravine. If there is no snow we will hike in the Ravine. Meet in the parking lot out in Royalton at 6:00 PM SHARP! We want to head into the ravine by 6:15 at the latest with an expected ETA back to the parking lot between 9:00 PM & 9:30 PM.

There is no cost if you have your own snowshoes & poles. (Poles are a must to aid in ascending & descending aka stability) If you do not have snowshoes contact us for rentals. Snowshoe rental with poles is $10.00 pp.

If you have never snowshoed this is the time to come out and try it. This is a great evening adventure into the Ravine hiking the trails, up and down the hills and a short break in the pines.

Instructors and NYS Licensed Guides will accompany you on this hike. For further information or directions call 716-213-0350.

CEDENO'S LETTER TO THE SCHOOL BOARD

At last week's school board meeting Mary Cedeno continued her fight to bring ethical practices and legality to the library vote. She presented the following letter to the school board:



To All Board of Education Members:

Given that the Library Tax vote of June 7th, 2011 was neither legal, nor ethical, the residents of the District request that the Board exercise their legal right per Section 2007 of the NY State Education Law, and duty to the District, and take up the REPEAL of the tax at the next annual budget, or sooner. According to the facts as we have determined:

1. The Board passed a Resolution on Dec. 9, 2010 to hold a special election for the Library. By law, the District, as the taxing authority, was to give the public notice and run the election. Yet, you did not give notice or run the election. This is effectively a dereliction of your duties.

2. By Law, the School District is required to mail the annual budget information to residents. The Special Vote was to be held the same as the annual budget…yet residents received no mail notifications.

3. You, School Board members, knew that “no one knew” about the vote. Yet you did nothing to notify us. Our constitutional right to vote was violated by your actions! This is extremely unethical in principal, and a violation of your own Ethics rules.

4. There is proof that the law was broken when you allowed the Library to run a District election. This resulted in an illegal tax to the District residents.

It is your duty to the District residents to act on behalf of the taxpayers, as our representative, to assure that we are not “taxed without representation”. You are our representatives in this situation.

It was clear that the Library had motive for keeping the vote quiet. They knew the support of Gasport would be crucial for their vote, but because of their failure to gain Gasport’s support in the past for a playground in Middleport, they chose to leave Gasport out of the election by not giving proper notice and not conducting an educational campaign. A notice to “Middleport Free Library” is not a notice to Royalton Hartland School District Residents! In fact, the Library’s highly unethical behavior has effectively created an atmosphere where the community no longer views them in a positive light.

In fact, per Section 2010 of the Education law, these deceitful actions alone make this an illegal tax..

§ 2010. Effect of want of due notice of district meetings. The proceedings of no district meeting, annual or special, shall be held illegal for want of a due notice to all the persons qualified to vote thereat, unless it shall appear that the omission to give such notice was wilful and fraudulent.

Residents of the District have been disappointed in the events leading up to the Library Tax vote, and even more disappointed afterward by the failure of the BOE to act on this injustice in our community.

We encourage you to regain the trust of your community and do what is right, and legal. A repeal of the Library Tax on the next ballot is the only way to give voters in the district a true chance to have their voices heard. It is your right and your duty.

Sincerely,

Mary Cedeño

Friday, December 23, 2011

PROPERTY TAX RATES TO CHANGE

Depending on the town in which you live in the Gasport community, the county's portion of your property tax bill will rise or fall as a result of the 2012 budget passed by the Niagara County Legislature earlier this week.

In Hartland, the rate per $1,000 of assessed value will be $7.64, down 80 cents (a drop of 10.5%).

In Royalton, though, the rate goes up by 37 cents to $7.87, an increase of 4.7%.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

ROY-HART BOARD MEETS TONIGHT

The Roy-Hart School Board meets tonight at 7:00 PM in the High School Auditorium. Read the agenda here:

http://royhart.org/BOE%202011_12%20Agenda%20and%20minutes/122211%20Agenda.pdf

Mary Cedeno -- who has been fighting the manner by which the library tax was put upon the community -- will be in attendance and plans to ask that the board take up a resolution to put a repeal of the library tax on the next ballot. She needs your help in influencing the board...there's strength in numbers.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

BARN DESTROYED IN GASPORT FIRE

Fire destroyed a barn on Gasport Road early Monday.

The blaze, fought by Terry’s Corners volunteer firefighters, struck and fully engulfed the barn at 4870 Gasport Road, near Dale Road, around 6 a.m.

Due to high winds, firefighters were unable to extinguish it and had to turn attention to protecting the house next to the barn, an eyewitness said. Steady wind of about 20 mph was blowing sparks around and blowing water from the fire hoses into the air.



Read the Lockport Union Sun and Journal's full report here:

http://lockportjournal.com/local/x1759193568/Barn-destroyed-by-fire-in-Gasport

Thursday, December 15, 2011

NEW YEAR'S EVE AT GASPORT FIRE HALL

The Gasport fire department will be hosting a New Year's Eve party from 7:00 to 1:00 on the 31st. Tickets are on sale now for $20 each. To buy yours, see any Gasport firefighter or stop by Drum Oil or Standish and Jones. Ticket includes BBQ dinner, music by Last Call, beer, pop, and champane Jell-o shots at midnight. Hats and a noise maker provided.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

LIBRARY BOARD MEETS MONDAY


Since the Royalton-Hartland/Middleport Library is now a special district associated with the school tax bill, more taxpayers are keen on being involved with what the Library does with taxpayer money.

The next board meeting for the Library will take place Monday, December 19th at 7:00pm in the upstairs meeting room of the Library at 9 Vernon Street in the village of Middleport.

They have made available on their website their May presentation about the district-wide taxation issue. Check it out here:

http://middleportfreelibrary.org/MIDDLEPORT_FREE_LIBRARY_PUBLIC__FINAL_files/frame.htm

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

SHOT HUNTER IDENTIFIED

Niagara County has released the name of the hunter shot Sunday morning in Gasport. He is Nicholas P. Dougherty, 27, from the Town of Lockport. Dougherty was treated at ECMC for a 4"-long gash across his back from a 12-gauge slug.

Monday, December 12, 2011

CONSIDER THIS....

The hamlet of Gasport as IDed by the US Census Bureau has a population of 1,248. This website's Facebook page has 1,247 fans. Soon more people will "like" Gasport than live in it.

ROYALTON BOARD MEETS TONIGHT AT 7:30

TOWN OF ROYALTON

REGULAR BOARD MEETING AGENDA

December 12, 2011

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



•Ø Resolution to authorize a line item transfer in the Historian budget FROM A7510.4 - Historian, Contractual TO A7510.2 - Historian, Equipment in the amount of $50.00.

•Ø Resolution to authorize a line item transfer in the Highway budget FROM DB5110.4 - Repairs, Contractual TO DB5142.4 - Snow Removal, Contractual in the amount of $18,000.00.

•Ø Resolution to authorize a line item transfer in the Highway budget FROM DB5110.4 - Repairs, Contractual TO DB5130.4 - Machinery/Garage, Contractual in the amount of $10,000.00.

•Ø Resolution to increase the Culvert Pipe Pricing effective January 1, 2012 due to the increase in costs for these materials as follows:


PIPE PRICE PRICE OF MINIMUM
PER FOOT 30 FOOT PIPE
LENGTH OF PIPE WITHOUT STONE* WITH STONE*

8" $ $ 405.00
10" $ 4.75 $ 412.50
12" $ 4.90 $ 417.00
15" $ 6.96 $ 478.80
18" $10.20 $ 576.00
24" $16.35 $ 760.50
30" $25.55 $1,036.50
36" $32.85 $1,255.50
42" $47.80 $1,704.00
48" $57.18 $1,985.40


*The Town of Royalton reserves the right to increase prices without notice as the market dictates.


•Ø Resolution to authorize a line item transfer in the Court budget FROM A1110.12 - Court Clerk, Salaries TO A1110.4 - Court, Contractual in the amount of $6,500.00 and further resolve to authorize a line item transfer FROM A1110.2 - Court, Equipment TO A1110.4 Court, Contractual in the amount of $5,000.00 to cover the cost of Courtroom chairs.

•Ø Resolution to authorize a line item transfer in the Assessor's budget FROM A1355.4 - Assessor, Contractual TO A1355.2 - Assessor, Equipment in the amount of $208.00 to cover the balance of the new computer purchased for this office.

•Ø Resolution to accept for filing the Liquor License Renewal Application for Hoganey, Inc., dba Canalside Inn, 4431 Main Street, Gasport, NY 14067.

•Ø Resolution to authorize Supervisor Lang to enter in to an agreement between the Town of Royalton and the Niagara Community Action Program, Inc. and further resolve to issue a check in the amount of $1,500.00 for their fiscal year 2012.

•Ø Resolution to accept the application for membership with the Terry's Corners Volunteer Fire Company from Brandon W. Balcerzak.

•Ø Resolution to schedule the Year-End Board Meeting on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 5:30 PM.

•Ø Resolution to reschedule the January Work Session meeting on Wednesday, December 28, 2011. This meeting will immediately follow the Year-End Board Meeting.

1. Unfinished Business

1. Public Comment - Good and Welfare of the Community

1. Adjournment - Motion to adjourn

Sunday, December 11, 2011

SHOOTING IN GASPORT!

Just before 10:00 this morning the calls came across the police scanner for a shooting in Gasport at the corner of Kayner and Mill Roads. Piecing together the transmissions, it appears to be a hunting accident. The Sheriff's deputy on scene told dispatch that it was a grazing wound in the fellow's back.

The deputy also indicated Tri-Town Ambulance should proceed with caution, meaning the accident wasn't too bad. Phew! The community could have had a tragedy on its hands.

The Ambulance was delivering the injured party to Lockport Memorial but was rerouted to ECMC.

More to follow as news becomes available on the scanner!

BOOSTERS CLUB CASH DRAW

The Roy-Hart Sports Booster Club will have a cash draw on Saturday, February 18th at 7PM at the Middleport Fire Hall (need not be present to win).

Tickets are $100 each (allows 2 people to get in). Food and beverages are included. Only 300 tickets are available = 1 in 15 chance to win!

1st PRIZE = $10,000
2nd PRIZE = $1500
3rd PRIZE = $1000
20 Cash Prizes in all will be awarded.

Early Bird Raffle will be held on January 15... (5) $100 cash prizes will be awarded. Tickets will be returned to the main draw.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!! You can contact any one of the following people for tickets and information: Mike Meal, Rick DeWaters, Suzanne Bobbitt, Sandy Smith, Patti Riegle, Sara Fry, Colleen Albee, Kim Metz.

If you have any questions or concerns about this huge event, please drop Rick DeWaters a line at bostonrick123@yahoo.com. All proceeds will benefit Roy-Hart sports and students.

DEC REPORT ON DEER SEASON ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

Lieutenant Frank Lauricella of the Region 9 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Police issued on Saturday a mid-season summary of hunting-related enforcement actions that have occurred during the first two weeks of the regular deer season – from November 19 to December 2. Region 9 covers six counties: Erie, Niagara, Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany.

Following is a summary of enforcement actions throughout the towns of Hartland and Royalton that occurred during the first portion of the regular season.


Town of Hartland
Matthew J. Scott
Niagara Falls, NY
-Possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle

Town of Hartland
Lawrence H. Toni
Amherst, NY
-3 counts of failure to immediately and properly fill out DMP tag

Town of Hartland
Daniel T. Gullos
Lockport, NY
-Possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle

Town of Hartland
Carol Burch
Lockport, NY
-Failure to tag deer as required

Town of Royalton
Mark E. Prosser
Lockport, NY
-Possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle

Saturday, December 10, 2011

GASPORT WEB DIRECTORY UPDATED

My directory of websites for businesses, people, and activities in Gasport has been updated. I added 5 new sites today:


Friday, December 9, 2011

FIFTH ANNUAL MITTEN TREE

When you’re out and about shopping for Christmas, please extend your giving beyond your family. Please buy a gift for a needy child in Gasport.

The Mitten Tree is back this year.

This is the fifth year for this awesome program that is run by Absolut Care, the Gasport Lions Club and the Roy-Hart Schools.

Here’s how it works…

The tree will be located out front of the Gasport post office at the corner of Main Street and Route 31.

Take a mitten from it and give a gift that is appropriate to the age/gender of the child noted on the mitten.

Attach the mitten to the unwrapped gift and drop it off by Wednesday, December 14th at Absolut Care (they have a drop box) or at the Elementary School (under the tree in the lobby). The Lions Club will distribute the gifts in time for the holidays.

It’s extremely important that the community supports the Mitten Tree. The economy is still a mess, unemployment is still high, and we need everyone in the community to be heroes to those who can't afford to brighten their kids' Christmas.

Please participate and make Christmas a little better for a child – maybe even your neighbor – who is in need. That’s what the holiday is all about.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING

LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM EST FRIDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM EST FRIDAY. THIS UPGRADES THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY IN EFFECT.

* LOCATIONS...THE NIAGARA FRONTIER. GREATEST ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN SUBURBS OF BUFFALO...SOUTHERN NIAGARA COUNTY...AND INLAND TO NORTHWEST GENESEE AND WESTERN ORLEANS COUNTY.

* TIMING...LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY EVENING.

* ACCUMULATIONS...2 TO 4 INCHES OVERNIGHT AND 4 TO 6 INCHES FRIDAY...LEADING TO STORM TOTALS OF 6 TO 9 INCHES IN THE MOST PERSISTENT LAKE SNOWS.

JOE DERDA: GASPORT'S SANTA CLAUSE


Joe Derda of Hartland sent along a message to let us know that during the holiday season he is a Santa for many kids.

If you know of someone that may need Santa to come by, please contact Joe. Kids in hospital, people in nursing homes, private home visits....he's very accommodating! Joe said that with just a few hours notice he can be there.

Joe does not charge a fee, staying away from being a shopping mall Santa who would flush the kids through to get rich on photo ops.



His main reason to volunteer his time is that when the kids get to the point where Santa is out, they are too old and younger children are present, a short visit may just squeak out one more year of believing in something. Pretty cool!

You can contact Joe at: jtderda@gmail.com

ANNABLE RETIREMENT PARTY TONIGHT

The Hartland Town Board invites the public to a retirement gathering for Supervisor William A. Annable from 5:30 to 7 p.m. today at the Hartland Town Hall

Annable will retire Dec. 31 after 33 years at the helm. He ties Floyd Snyder, who served as Lockport supervisor from 1962 to 1995, for length of service in that job in Niagara County.

Friday, December 2, 2011

DECEMBER'S NUTRITION MENU

Every Monday at the Hartland Bible Church in Gasport (the former St. Mary's Church) Niagara County Office for the Aging offers its nutrition program serving the population age 60 and older. All Meals are served with bread, skim milk or 2%, coffee or tea. Suggested Contribution for meals is $3.00. Menus are subject to change without notice.

Please reserve a lunch a day in advance by contacting the site director of the nutrition program in your building, Bonnie Tilyou – 418-4143.


Here is the menu for December:

December 5) Chicken Parmesan/ Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan Cheese Tomato Sauce Shell Pasta Chef Salad / Cucumber Slices, CarrotsChilled Apricots

December 12) Baked Ham with Pineapple SauceScalloped PotatoesGreen Beans/Pimientos WW Dinner Roll Green/Red Gelatin/Whipped Topping

December 19) See Below

December 26) No meal due to Christmas weekend


December 19th will be a holiday celebration at noon!

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Small Red Potatoes/Parsley
Baby Carrots L’Orange
Whole Wheat Dinner Roll
Cherry Cheesecake
Skim, 2% or Chocolate Milk
Coffee or Tea

Suggested Contribution: $3.00

ROYALTON'S NOVEMBER MINUTES

The minutes from Royalton's town board meeting of November are available online.

The first set of minutes looks at the public hearing that addressed the town's plans to institute a local law allowing an override of the tax cap:

http://townofroyalton.org/content/MinuteCategories/View/9:field=minutes;/content/Minutes/View/179

The second set focuses on the public hearing for special benefit assessment roll:

http://townofroyalton.org/content/MinuteCategories/View/9:field=minutes;/content/Minutes/View/178

The third set is from the public hearing over the town budget:

http://townofroyalton.org/content/MinuteCategories/View/9:field=minutes;/content/Minutes/View/177

The last set looks at the general business portion of the get-together:

http://townofroyalton.org/content/MinuteCategories/View/9:field=minutes;/content/Minutes/View/176

HOLIDAY DINNER AND CHRISTMAS AUCTION

The Hartland Fire Company on Route 104 in Gasport is having a holiday party and Christmas auction this Sunday, December 4th. Dinner starts at noon and the auction starts at 3:00. There are hundreds of new gift items to bid on. The auction will be conducted by RD Harriger.

SCHWAB'S OPEN HOUSE

Schwab's Farm Market on Route 31 is having their holiday open house this Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 5. There will be fun, prizes, and refreshments. There will be all kinds of Christmas baked goods, deli platters, cookies, crafts, fruit baskets and more. Order your roast beef for holiday parties this weekend and get 20 cents off per pound. For more info go to http://www.schwabsfarm.com/
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