Niagara Falls

Lock Your Doors and Guard Your Wallets: Is Mayor Restaino Ignoring Crime for Centennial Park?

Lock Your Doors and Guard Your Wallets: Is Mayor Restaino Ignoring Crime for Centennial Park?

Local News, Niagara Falls September 2, 2023 at 10:54 pm

Cartoon courtesy Niagara Gazette Niagara Falls has signs around the falls advising tourists: “Lock your car doors. Take your valuables. Enjoy your stay.” Really? The signs give tourists a frightful first impression that they won’t enjoy their stay, for they have entered a high crime area instead of a naturalRead More

Mayor Restaino Booed Off Stage During Third Street Event

Mayor Restaino Booed Off Stage During Third Street Event

Featured, Local News, Niagara Falls September 2, 2023 at 3:30 pm

By Ken Cosenstino Mayor Robert Restaino spoke at the start of the “Thursday’s On Third” event, which showcases musical talent and local vendors on Third Street. According to one attendee, the mayor spoke about the success of the event and how it was an important factor in bringing tourism toRead More

Mayor Restaino Mum on Rising Murder Rate

Mayor Restaino Mum on Rising Murder Rate

Local News, Niagara Falls August 23, 2023 at 11:13 pm

By Ken Cosentino Yet another person was shot and killed in the heart of the Niagara Falls tourist district this past Saturday. Once again, Mayor Robert Restaino is mum. Mayor Restaino has yet to meet a camera that he didn’t like (with the exception of WGRZ photojournalist Ben Read’s lens).Read More

Buffalo News Editorial Gets it Half Right on Niagara Falls

Buffalo News Editorial Gets it Half Right on Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls August 4, 2023 at 12:41 pm

By Tony Farina The Buffalo News editorial today on Niagara Falls got it half right and we certainly applaud the strong endorsement of the major expansion of the Niagara Falls Aquarium, already a bit of a small wonder next to the world wonder that the whole world knows. The editorialRead More

Szwedo: Continuing to Administrate Past Failures

Szwedo: Continuing to Administrate Past Failures

Featured, Niagara Falls August 3, 2023 at 12:07 pm

By Jim Szwedo Once again, I feel compelled to write another article on behalf of the citizens of Niagara Falls. The current administration, just like our past administrations, has decided to lead its constituents down a rabbit hole of half-truths, endless egos, unreachable goals, and insurmountable debt. From the beginning,Read More

Numbers Tell the Good Story at WROTBC As Legal Challenge to New Board Set

Numbers Tell the Good Story at WROTBC As Legal Challenge to New Board Set

Local News, Niagara Falls August 1, 2023 at 12:57 pm

By Tony Farina The revamped Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. board, including four new members who were in attendance last Thursday but not licensed yet, got a firsthand look at the stunning financial numbers being generated by the public benefit corporation made up of 15 counties and two cities. TheRead More

"Niagara Digital Campus" digital rendering courtesy of PRCG | Haggerty LLC

Niagara Falls at a Development Standstill of Its Own Making

Local News, Niagara Falls July 27, 2023 at 9:37 am

By Tony Farina One could argue that Niagara Falls is spinning its wheels  in an election year in its battle with Niagara Falls Redevelopment (NFR) over about 12 acres of South End property that the city wants to acquire through eminent domain from NFR for the mayor’s $150-million Centennial ParkRead More

Trevino’s Response to Tompkins’ Article Makes Good Sense

Trevino’s Response to Tompkins’ Article Makes Good Sense

Local News, Niagara Falls July 26, 2023 at 12:08 pm

By Tony Farina I think NFR’s Roger Trevino makes very strong arguments in response to Councilman Kenny Tompkins’ op-ed in piece in the Niagara Gazette this week on needing to work together to foster development. Trevino, in today’s Guest View article in the Gazette, quite accurately points out the omissions inRead More

From ‘Crazy Judge’ to Troubled Mayor: Restaino’s Long Battle With Mental Health Suspicions

From ‘Crazy Judge’ to Troubled Mayor: Restaino’s Long Battle With Mental Health Suspicions

Elections 2023, Niagara Falls July 18, 2023 at 5:13 am

The one big question in Niagara Falls is whether Mayor Robert Restaino merely snapped – when he placed his hand in front of a camera – or whether he is unraveling and headed for another mental health breakdown. His history of suspected mental illness is not new. On March 11,Read More

Another Home Run for Batavia Downs Gaming

Another Home Run for Batavia Downs Gaming

Local News, Niagara Falls July 13, 2023 at 12:13 pm

   By Tony Farina I’ve recently written several articles, including in the Buffalo News (Another Voice), about the amazing success of WROTBC/Batavia Downs Gaming in returning many millions of dollars to its member counties and cities to help reduce local property taxes since its inception 50 years ago. The publicRead More

Former Niagara Falls City Councilman Michael Gawel

Mike Gawel Event at Player’s Bar Tuesday Night

Featured, Niagara Falls July 9, 2023 at 12:21 pm

By Tony Farina There will be a fun-filled fundraiser for Niagara Falls City Council hopeful Michael Gawel on Tuesday night, 5:30 to 7:30, at the always electric Player’s Bar at 528 Niagara St., Niagara Falls. Beer, pizza and music on the patio for $25, with checks payable to the CommitteeRead More

Wack-a-Mayor: Restaino’s Anger Management Hits New Low

Wack-a-Mayor: Restaino’s Anger Management Hits New Low

Elections 2023, Ken Cosentino, Niagara Falls June 30, 2023 at 12:45 am

Mayor’s Unpredictable Anger Strikes Again By Ken Cosentino Folks, we literally have a petty tyrant as our mayor. While awaiting election results Tuesday night, Mayor Robert Restaino could no longer suppress the impotent rage that has become synonymous with his legacy. Once again, Restaino displayed his ugly and explosive temperamentRead More

Lights, Camera, Chaos: Angry Mayor Takes Matters Into His Own Hands, Literally

Lights, Camera, Chaos: Angry Mayor Takes Matters Into His Own Hands, Literally

Elections 2023, Ken Cosentino, Local News, Niagara Falls June 28, 2023 at 11:04 pm

Mayor Restaino Declares War on Unflattering Questions with Hand By Ken Cosentino   Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino won the Democratic primary on Tuesday night. His win was majorly overshadowed by a (now viral) interview between himself and WGRZ-TV photojournalist Ben Read. That video has been viewed over 100,000 timesRead More

Restaino’s Troubled Past: A Cell Phone Incident and Now an Ill-Advised Land Grab

Restaino’s Troubled Past: A Cell Phone Incident and Now an Ill-Advised Land Grab

Local News, News, Niagara Falls June 26, 2023 at 3:35 am

Today and tomorrow are the last days to vote in the primary for Niagara Falls Mayor, and the choices are Glenn Choolokian, Demetreus Nix, and the incumbent Robert Restaino on the Democratic line. Those who support Nix or Restaino will not be left hopeless if their candidate loses. Nix has hisRead More

Pay-to-Play Scheme? PAC Supporting Restaino Allegedly Connected to Niagara Falls Water Board

Pay-to-Play Scheme? PAC Supporting Restaino Allegedly Connected to Niagara Falls Water Board

Featured, Ken Cosentino, Local News, Niagara Falls June 25, 2023 at 7:08 pm

By Ken Cosentino Several days ago, the Niagara Falls Reporter published a bombshell article about Nick Forster’s Niagara Falls Water Board (NFWB). The article was a deep dive into questionable spending, hiring practices, alleged micro-managing practices by Forster, and potential connections to Mayor Robert Restaino’s re-election campaign. Since publication, severalRead More

A Bird of All Feathers: Restaino Sought GOP Endorsement, Now Running on both Dem and Conservative Lines

A Bird of All Feathers: Restaino Sought GOP Endorsement, Now Running on both Dem and Conservative Lines

Ken Cosentino, Local News, Niagara Falls June 23, 2023 at 3:02 pm

By Ken Cosentino Mayor Restaino is a registered Democrat, and not surprisingly he’s been endorsed by the Democratic Committee. Conversely, he was also endorsed by the Conservative Party, which will help boost his votes in the general election. Arguably, Restaino sought the Conservative endorsement in order to appeal to anotherRead More

Watergate 2.0: Chairman Forster and Mayor Restaino’s Unholy Alliance Drains Residents’ Wallets at NF Water Board

Watergate 2.0: Chairman Forster and Mayor Restaino’s Unholy Alliance Drains Residents’ Wallets at NF Water Board

Ken Cosentino, Local News, News, Niagara Falls June 22, 2023 at 9:05 pm

By Ken Cosentino Put on your wetsuit, slip on your flippers and let’s take a deep dive into the cesspool that is Nick Forster’s Niagara Falls Water Board. As a homeowner and resident of the City of Niagara Falls, I am extremely concerned by what you are about to read.Read More

Gaming Negotiations Blindsided by Rochester Casino Talk That Only Became Public at the 11th Hour

Gaming Negotiations Blindsided by Rochester Casino Talk That Only Became Public at the 11th Hour

Niagara Falls June 14, 2023 at 4:32 pm

By Tony Farina Nudged along with help from State Sen. Tim Kennedy of South Buffalo, the State Legislature appeared poised to approve a new gaming compact over the weekend  between the state and the Seneca Nation, but the secretive negotiations leading to a deal have now ignited a firestorm ofRead More

Szwedo Rails Against Mayor’s Costly Centennial Park Project, When Less Expensive Alternatives Exist

Szwedo Rails Against Mayor’s Costly Centennial Park Project, When Less Expensive Alternatives Exist

Local News, Niagara Falls June 11, 2023 at 12:12 pm

By Jim Szwedo BUT THIS TIME, WITH A TWIST First off, to start this article, I do know what roles the Mayor and his administration play in governing this City. I am also aware of the role that the City Council serves in this governance. I am also painfully awareRead More

Mayor’s Bullying Behavior Contradicts School District’s Zero-Tolerance Policy

Mayor’s Bullying Behavior Contradicts School District’s Zero-Tolerance Policy

Ken Cosentino, Local News, News, Niagara Falls June 3, 2023 at 5:36 pm

By Ken Cosentino Mayor Restaino’s Fragile Ego The Niagara Falls City School District defines bullying as “a variety of negative acts carried out repeatedly over time. It involves a real or perceived imbalance of power, with a more powerful child or group attacking those who are less powerful.” Mayor RobertRead More

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