Letters to the Editor

Craft is Wrong About Lewiston

This letter is in response to Ron Craft's letter in the Niagara Falls Reporter of Dec. 16. Mr. Craft states that somehow the Historical Society was involved in the welcome center in Lewiston that no one wanted, including the chamber of commerce.

He also stated that the same group used $1 million of Greenway money for their own recognition. What he fails to do is get the facts correct. First of all, the organization he is writing about is the Historical Association of Lewiston. Secondly, the association he incorrectly named, had nothing to do with the welcome center in Lewiston.

Some members did some volunteer work at that building, but was done strictly as an individual for the Village of Lewiston, not the Historical Association. He went on to mention the Lewiston Council of the Arts and the Lewiston Jazz Festival as recipients of tax dollars over the last five years.

However he fails to mention the amount of money that goes to the Chamber of Commerce, which exceeds the Arts Council, or the Sanborn Historical Society on a yearly basis. He apparently likes those two organizations.

Mr. Craft moved to Lewiston to run his antique shop in Lewiston because the quality of life here. The quality of life here is because organization such as the Historical Association, the Lewiston Jazz festival, and the Council of the Arts, not to mention the other volunteer organizations in Lewiston. It amazes me that a shop owner on Center Street would complain about supporting organizations that bring people past his store to visit the Freedom Crossing Monument, or the thousands that view the Lewiston Art Festival, not to mention the thousands that enjoy the Lewiston Jazz Festival.

Of course, if those were to one day go away, he would complain the politicians ran all " his customers" out of the area. I do understand that those who attend the festivals we have in Lewiston don't patronize all the shops and restaurants that we have here when they attend a festival.

However I know many of them return on a different date to visit the shops, eat in the restaurants, and yes visit the monuments and museums.

Also, the Historical Association has never had a stand on Chemical Waste Management. If a past or present member has had an opinion not in favor of CWM, that is considered a personal opinion, and has nothing to do with the Association.

The Greenway money he speaks of that came to the Association not only came from the town, but also the Niagara County Legislature. Mr. Craft, Greenway funds are not intended to replace taxes, nor can they be used to fund programs normally funded through taxes. The Historical Associations projects funded with Greenway funds were gifts to the Village and Town of Lewiston, the Tuscarora Nation, and future generations.

For those who do not know Mr. Craft's recent history, he was appointed a Trustee on the village board to finish the term of Ron Winkley. After serving the remainder of Mr. Winkley's term, Mr. Craft ran for that seat on his own as an incumbent. He failed in his election bid, and has been a critic of everything in Lewiston since that day.

Mr. Craft, don't assume what you hear in a coffee shop is always correct; the people that volunteer in this community do so to make Lewiston a better place to live, not because of a hidden agenda.

Perhaps he should follow the code of ethics from the Lions Clubs organization he is so fond of: "Be careful with my own criticism, and liberal with my praise; to build up, and not destroy."

Robert Welch

Lewiston resident.

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Activist Thanks Cuomo for Banning Fracking

What better gift could Governor Cuomo have given the citizens of New York this holiday season than the assurance that the dirty drilling practice known as fracking will not be coming to the Empire State?

Across the country, this rolling environmental disaster has been poisoning families, destroying rural and wild landscapes, and deterring our critical transition to a clean energy economy.

Thankfully, after five years and more than 100,000 face-to-face conversations, New Yorkers Against Fracking has helped shaped the conversation so that this fundamental threat to our land, air, and water has been deemed too significant of a risk to public health to permit.

Despite the power of the oil and gas industry, Gov. Cuomo has chosen to respect the many communities concerned about the potential impacts of fracking and the latest science that backs them up.

As cities and states across the country consider this issue, we urge them to show the same courage and foresight to reject fracking and protect health in 2015.

Heather Leibowitz, Director

Environment New York

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Body Cameras Prevent Mistreatment

The massive public reaction to the tragic deaths of three black teens at the hand of white police officers has led to a national call for use of body cameras to record and prevent any future mistreatment of suspects.

There is ample precedent. Animal protection activists have used body cameras to document egregious atrocities and safety violations by workers in the meat, dairy, and egg industries. The resulting videos have led to a number of corrective actions, as well as felony convictions, meat recalls, and even a $500 million civil settlement.

How ironic then that agribusiness interests in seven states (Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, and Utah) have now enacted "ag-gag" laws imposing severe penalties for using body cameras in their agricultural facilities. The language is typically drafted by the anti-consumer American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Let's hope that other vested interests do not impose similar restrictions on the use of body cameras by law enforcement officers.

Nelson Gustavo Niagara Falls

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Kane Praised

Thanks a lot Niagara Falls Reporter for publishing the article on John Kane. It was great to see your words. He deserves all of them. My great thanks as a reader.

Chaz Kader, Akwesasne