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Zadzilka, Pecoraro, Braun, and Berube recognize Niagara Reporter as a free and viable news source for NT residents to go to for the latest news and information.
By: Nicholas D. D’Angelo
Managing Editor
Upon taking over as Managing Editor of this newspaper in January, 2018, it was clear there was much work to do in terms of building the paper into something bigger (and better). In the months that followed we made some meaningful and much-needed changes.
We changed the name. We changed the layout. We changed our writers. We began printing on a weekly basis.
All in all, we changed our focus.
One of the less flashy changes, albeit an exciting one for us, was the decision to begin covering North Tonawanda on a weekly basis in addition to the City of Niagara Falls back in March.
“The decision was all part of our strategic expansion plan,” said Owner and Publisher Frank Parlato. “There is undoubtedly a need throughout Niagara County for a free news publication that is reliable and produced regularly. We are thrilled to provide that to the people of Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda.”
With more than three thousand papers delivered throughout North Tonawanda, and delivery locations including Tops, Budwey’s, Save-A-Lot, Platter’s Chocolates, and more, people throughout the City are noticing a difference.
“I’ve lived in North Tonawanda for most of my life,” said Sandy Harmen, “and have witnessed many papers come and go. We used to have the Tonawanda News, but they, like so many others, weren’t able to sustain the number of subscribers to stay viable. Truth is, people just don’t have the money to spend on a newspaper in this community. I had always been a fan of the Reporter and the way they reported on Niagara Falls and other topics of interest throughout Niagara County and was happy when I noticed they consistently were covering NT because there’s a lot that goes on here – good and bad – that nobody knows about.”
Nicollette Silluzio, who moved her family into North Tonawanda a year ago, hopes the Reporter continues to grow in its coverage of the City.
“I just moved into NT about a year ago,” said Silluzio, “so I obviously wasn’t very dialed in with what was happening throughout the community other than the one big Facebook page people post stuff to. It seems as though every week I open up the Reporter and see events or coverage of issues that I had no idea were going on.”
As it turns out, our coverage of news, events and government in North Tonawanda attracted the attention of City Officials as well.
“A lot of times you open the paper, turn on the news or scroll down your Facebook newsfeed and see a lot of negative things,” said Eric Zadzilka, Common Council President. “But the reality is that there are more positive things happening that just don’t always get reported. Fortunately for North Tonawanda residents, the Niagara Reporter seems to understand the importance of being balanced in terms of the positive and negative news they report on.”
Brendan McDonough, who is our Reporter for North Tonawanda, sees the good happening throughout the City each and every week.
“There’s more going on in North Tonawanda than I think people realize,” said McDonough. “Yes there are your occasional negative stories or drama in City Hall, but on the whole so many positive things go on that – if not for our paper – I don’t think would ever be reported on.”
The reporting of Brendan, as well as our efforts throughout each week to highlight things happening throughout the City, prompted the North Tonawanda Common Council to acknowledge the Niagara Reporter at a meeting on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2018.
Before the meeting concluded, Common Council President Zadzilka read a proclamation recognizing the Niagara Reporter for their growing and evolving role in the North Tonawanda community. Specifically, for “cover[ing] the city of NT, its local news, events, reports and updates.”
“The Niagara Reporter is [a] new, free, viable news source for our NT residents to go to for the latest news and information,” finished Zadzilka, “and we are happy to have them in our City.”