Ken Cosentino
Mayor Closes Rink After Vote Doesn’t go his Way
The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. This past Wednesday, Niagara Falls City Council majority voted against awarding the operating contract for the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion to Legacy Hospitality & Entertainment Group. For the past 13+ years, local vendor Mike Carella’s company Niagara Sports Tournaments (NST) has held the contract rights to operate the rink; but for the past four years, there has not been an actual operating contract for the ice pavilion due to gross incompetence exhibited by the City Administration. Christopher McKendrick, the general manager of the Sheraton Hotel on Third Street, spoke in favor of
APHL Champions Support Current Hyde Park Rink Operator
The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. The contested Hyde Park Ice Pavilion operator contract was not on the City Council agenda last Wednesday. According to the current operator of the pavilion, the agenda item is presumed (though not confirmed) to have been moved to the council meeting on Wednesday, September 17th. If passed, the council resolution will award the operating contract to Legacy Hospitality & Entertainment Group, Mayor Restaino’s choice for operating vendor; according to its terms therein. Local vendor Mike Carella’s company Niagara Sports Tournaments (NST) has held the contract for the past 14 years. Among
Restaino Administration Blames Children for City Issues
The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Parents have become increasingly frustrated that their children are unable to enjoy the parks and splash pads, which the City of Niagara Falls kept closed during a recent heat wave. The Restaino administration has now officially developed a proven track record of cutting youth services and blaming their victims. The Niagara Gazette’s Mark Scheer spoke with LaSalle resident Nancy Gullo, who told Scheer “There’s so many things the City of Niagara Falls is lacking when it comes to children… They are all good at pointing fingers, but none of them are
Restaino’s Risky Pick for Hyde Park Ice Pavilion
The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino (once again) publicly embarrassed himself in the media last month after he ordered the locks changed at the Hyde Park ice pavilion, just to stop a youth hockey camp from practicing. Around 75 people (including the youth athletes, their parents and their coaches); were met by DPW Director Ken Tompkins and two police officers. Despite the fact that the athletes had already paid for hockey camp, they were told that they could not enter the facility. The news flurry sent City Administrator Anthony Restaino into damage
Restaino Locked Out Kids like he Locked Up an Entire Courtroom
The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. THE (LATEST) INCIDENT The Restaino Brothers have once again shown their asses to our entire community. On Monday morning, dozens of youth hockey players ages 11 to 14 (along with their parents and coaches) arrived at the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion for the start of hockey camp. The athletes (who had already registered and paid for camp) were intercepted by DPW Director Ken Tompkins and four armed Niagara Falls police officers who would not allow them into the building. Mayor Restaino ordered Tompkins and co. to change the locks on the
Shadows of Little Italy
The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Niagara Falls native Gabriel Porto was a proud Italian-American. His book, aptly titled “Memoirs of an Italian American”, was self published in 2023 on Amazon. As one might suspect, “Memoirs of an Italian American” is Gabriel Porto’s autobiography. Porto was a first generation Italian-American whose parents migrated to the United States in the early twentieth century. Born in 1934, Porto shares with us his memories as an Italian kid growing up in Niagara Falls during a completely different era. My own Sicilian grandfather Anthony Cosentino was born in Niagara Falls in
Gardengate: Part Four – Exposing the Truth
The following is Part Four of an ongoing series by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Part One, Two and Three recap: Niagara Falls Department of Public Works (DPW) invaded a privately owned home sensory garden, which occupied both public and private property; and removed just about everything. The family whose garden was destroyed were fined $2,300 by the City for expenses incurred during the clean up. Some of the sensory garden was on public property which violated Ordinance 738, but it is unclear as to whether or not any health hazards which may have been discovered on private property prompted the
Gardengate: Part Three – Did the City Act Unlawfully?
The following is Part Three of an ongoing series by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Part One recap: Niagara Falls DPW removed a sensory garden owned by a family whose 15 year old son has autism. The sensory garden occupied both public and private property. Local journalist Mark Scheer first reported the story on Friday, April 25th, three days after the incident. Scheer’s Niagara Gazette article and a social media uproar prompted a media frenzy, and the news was covered by WGRZ, WIVB and WKBW. As a direct response to the media coverage, the executive office of the City of Niagara Falls
Gardengate: Part Two – A Misrepresentation of Facts
The following is Part Two of an ongoing series written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. Part One recap: Niagara Falls DPW removed a sensory garden owned by a family whose 15 year old son has come a long way since he was originally diagnosed with low functioning, nonverbal autism. The sensory garden occupied both public property (sidewalk/easement) and private property; its removal was conducted during Autism Awareness Month. The City then slapped the family with a $2,300 fine. Local journalist Mark Scheer first reported the story on Friday, April 25th; three days after the incident occurred. The Niagara Gazette article
Gardengate: Part One – Falls DPW Removes Family’s Sensory Garden
The following is Part One of an ongoing series written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. THE INCIDENT Monday, April 21st – just one day after Easter, a Niagara Falls family’s sensory garden was confiscated and unintentionally trampled by Niagara Falls Department of Public Works (DPW) employees. The sensory garden occupied space on both public and private property. Adding insult to injury, they were then slapped with a $2,300 removal/clean up fee. An uproar on social media led to two Niagara Gazette articles written by local investigative journalist Mark Scheer, who was then publicly dressed down by Council Chairman Jim Perry.
Black Activists Struggle to be Heard in Falls
The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. A MODERN DAY FIGHT FOR WHAT’S RIGHT “It’s been about, oh twenty or so years since they took Center Court Park from us…” said Arlene Doss as she warmly sipped her coffee during my visit to her beautiful home. In the months since I’ve known Arlene, I have come to admire her unstoppable spirit as she quests for what’s good and right in her neighborhood. Her personality is as warm as the coffee we drank, and I can’t help but think about one of my own personal historic heroes with local
Tesla’s Vision of a Digital Niagara Falls
The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. A.I. IS A-OK For a long time, many of us have held out hope that the City of Niagara Falls, NY could once again become a “City of the Future.” Niagara Falls provides power to roughly half of the East Coast, including New York City. Genius inventor and “Father of Electricity” Nikola Tesla gave the world alternating current; born from the hydropower generated by the mighty Niagara River. Once dubbed the “Power City”, Niagara Falls is positioned to become a global leader in a new era of technology… if elected officials