West Seneca group home protest

It's always nice when neighbors get together to engage in peaceful protest. And I think the best way to get their message heard is through homemade signs displaying subtle messages...

West Seneca sex offenders

Many West Seneca residents were shocked to hear that a house for developmentally disabled adults on Leydecker Road was being used to house seven registered sex offenders. The state was in error for not notifying residents as to who their new neighbors would be. However, had they notified them, the residents would never have allowed it to happen. The bigger question is, why did the state decide to place the seven men in such a residential location in the first place? I have to side with the neighbors on this one.

Having said that, I don't think it was necessary for the Front Page newspaper to post their pictures on the front of this week's paper. One of the guys had a huge smile, as if he was getting his picture taken for his birthday. 

I've worked with developmentally disabled adults for the past twelve years and I believe I know the population pretty well. The seven from this house are different than the pervert down the street who knows what he is doing and plots his illicit activities. The developmentally disabled are often unaware of the severity of their actions, until they are caught and punished. Then, they find out real quick. In fact, at my last agency, there was a house like this way out in a rural area. Everyone wanted to work there, because they had extra staff and there were hardly any behavior incidents to deal with. The residents were well behaved and it was an easy gig. But this house wasn't near any schools or parks, which made it a good location for the agency.

Although I'd bet these seven men are not as dangerous as advertised,  I wouldn't want them to live next door to me, either. All it takes is one incident. The agencies are always saying that the developmentally disabled are people like everyone else and should be treated the same. This works both ways. Society would never approve of non-disabled sex offenders living in their neighborhood. Why should disabled sex offenders be treated differently? Although their intentions might not be as malicious as the former, the result could end up being the same. It's not an easy group to place, but these are decisions that the higher ups get paid the big bucks to make. I think it's best to error on the side of caution. 

Street hockey owner arrested

 
Was very surprised to hear of the arrest of the owner of the Roller Hockey rink on Mineral Springs today...

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) - A trusted coach and owner of an ice rink in West Seneca has been arrested on charges he sent text message to a 16-year-old boy, asking for sexual favors.
Randall Kosinski, 49, was arrested and arraigned Friday. Cheektowaga Police say they have been investigating Kosinski since December.

I've known so many people (children and adults) who have played there. Yet, I've never heard any allegations about the owner. Normally, you would think behavior like this would prompt rumors, but I guess you never know. I've always had a great deal of respect for the business he put together over there. It will be interesting to see if more allegations surface. 
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/crime/man-sends-teen-inappropriate-messages#.UPndHySBiNE.email

West Seneca leaders try to "upsize"

 

I'm starting to think West Seneca is one of the most corrupt town governments in Western New York. In 2009, the voters overwhelmingly voted to downsize the town board. The people have had enough of unnecessary politicians and government. Now, in typically underhanded fashion, the town leaders are trying to schedule a vote to "upsize" itself...

“Sadly, ever since voters demanded downsizing, your behavior has reflected, at best, a disdain for the wishes of town voters,” Gaughan said Monday in a letter to Supervisor Sheila M. Meegan and Councilmen Eugene P. Hart and John M. Rusinski. “You’ve whined, bickered and made endless excuses for purposeful failure.

“Worse,” the letter continued, “you’ve made no effort to adapt to three-member board governance, a system which exists in tens of thousands of towns throughout our nation.”

I have to blame the residents of West Seneca themselves. They elected Meegan, the daughter of one of Western New York's most all-time corrupt political hacks, Chris Walsh. Walsh is the right hand man to Steve Pigeon, THE most corrupt political figure in modern Western New York history. Everyone and their brother knows these two guys are crooked. Did they really think the daughter was going to somehow fall far from the tree? 

A citizen, who probably is dependent on town government (Dan Warren), couldn't even gather the required number of signatures to put the referendum on the ballot. (Probably because most residents want LESS representation.) I really wish I lived in West Seneca, so I could attend a meeting and publicly make fun of the man who thinks the town needs more politicians. Fortunately, there is no doubt in my mind Gaughan's forces will reeducate the residents and explain to them exactly what these government-reliant crooks are trying to pull down there. Meanwhile, the site of the former Seneca Mall continues to sit vacant. I still remember seeing The Karate Kid II there.
Gaughan blasts W. Seneca board on ‘up-sizing vote’ - The Buffalo News

Letters to the Editor: West Seneca

 
I agree completely with this letter writer from West Seneca. I find it very annoying when local leaders try to make themselves look good by introducing irrelevant "fluff" legislation. A perfect example of this is West Seneca Supervisor Sheila Meegan. The former Seneca Mall site has been sitting vacant for 25 years and she's more concerned about the number of cats people have in their household. What would this woman do if she ever had to go out and find a real job?...

West Seneca should focus on real issues

As a West Seneca resident, I concur completely with the writer to this column about the supposed feral cat problem we are experiencing in our town. I am also a responsible owner to multiple indoor cats and have never witnessed hordes of strays on anyone’s property.

I must take umbrage with Town Supervisor Sheila Meegan for making this her platform concern at this time. Whether isolated or exaggerated, I am astounded by this displaced focus on a non-issue.

In lieu of trying to abate the cat population, I have a few proposals. Tend to the high unsightly weeds growing out of the sidewalks, paint the rusty guardrails along every bridge, keep vacant lots mowed, lure businesses to occupy vacated stores and gas stations, and please do something with the old Seneca Mall site. All of these are an embarrassing eyesore!

Elizabeth D. Sikorski
West Seneca

West Seneca fire

I'm sure everyone's aware of the terrible fire on Covington Street this morning. Tragically, Nancy Crance and her 12 year old son Austin lost their lives. Two other family members escaped the flames, thanks to the help of a great neighbor. The whole neighborhood is understandably in shock. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but authorities don't think it was intentionally set.

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Arrest In West Seneca Homicide - WBEN NewsRadio 930 : Buffalo & Niagara Falls, NY

Police have made an arrest in the homicide in West Seneca. One of the victim's former employees, Jonathan Lewicki, has been charged...

Buffalo, NY (WBEN Newsroom) -- Police have made an arrest in the murder of Conrad Pinker, the 79 year old man found dead in his home on Laurelton Drive in West Seneca Monday evening.

Jonathon Lewicki, a former employee of Pinker's at the Gardenspot Nursery in Cheektowaga, has been charged with second degree murder.

Lewicki is scheduled to be arraigned in Lackawanna later today because of a lack of available justices in West Seneca, police said.

West Seneca Police also say that additional charges are pending and the investigation continues.

Arrest In West Seneca Homicide - WBEN NewsRadio 930 : Buffalo & Niagara Falls, NY

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What the heck, Mr. Bek?

A long term substitute in West Seneca is accused of having three male students send racy photos to a fictitious Facebook profile named Sarah Grayson...

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Ridiculous

I just saw this story about Dawn Schafer, a Buffalo woman ticketed in West Seneca for having an air freshener hanging from her rear view mirror. This is absurd. If this is the only thing she's accused of, the West Seneca Court should send her a letter telling her the police officer made a mistake and not to bother showing up to court. I realize this law is on the books, but it is ridiculous and completely unnecessary. Isn't this the type of stuff the BTK killer Dennis Radar pulled when he worked as a Wichita, Kansas Code Enforcement officer?

This is not Egypt. We have no desire to live in a police state. This constitutes harassment in my opinion. This woman had somewhere to go and was needlessly pulled over and ticketed because someone obviously took himself way too seriously. Does this police officer realize the tough financial times most of us are living in? The next time he is complaining about his pay or benefits, he shouldn't expect any sympathy from motorists like the woman in this clip. This overzealous cop makes all level headed police officers look bad through his careless actions. If there's more to the story, then we'd like to hear it...

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Fear and loathing in West Seneca

When reading this article on the West Seneca Americorps, it is important not to trust town Councilwoman Sheila Meegan. Her father is political dinosaur Chris Walsh, longtime associate of Steve Pigeon. Pigeon is widely regarded as the Lex Luthor of Western New York politics.

Pigeon befriends wealthy residents and then uses them to further his pattern of deceit and corruption.

The article mentions Linda Boldt...

Linda L. Boldt, who served as office manager of the town Youth Bureau from 1992 to 2007 and also served in the offices of the town’s attorney, comptroller and Recreation Department, filed a complaint against Lazzara in 2007 with the state Human Rights Division.

I don't know Linda Boldt and I'm not sure if she's related to olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt.

However, there's a funny paragraph in the story, which talks about the time Boldt "accidentally" used the Town's credit card to finance her $1000 personal vacation. Man, I hate when that happens.
(Link) View more Mike Myers Quotes and Sound Clips and Austin Powers Quotes and Sound Clips
I don't care what else this stupid article is about. That sound you hear is her credibility "bolting" out the window...

Lazzara said his relationship with Boldt soured when he “caught” her using a town credit card to pay nearly $1,000 for a vacation. Boldt said she accidentally used the wrong card and reimbursed the town. Records supplied by Lazzara show a personal check from Boldt to the town one month after the transaction.

So it took her one month to realize this mistake? That must have been some vacation.

W. Seneca paying for suits tied to Lazzara - City & Region - The Buffalo News

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West Seneca cop pleads guilty

Former West Seneca police officer Sean Kelley pleaded guilty to two different crimes in two different courts. His attorney says he is very remorseful. However, if you look at this clip at 1:25, you can see exactly how remorseful he really is. Watch as he laughs as he walks out of the courtroom. You would think he would have enough common sense to at least pretend he is taking the matter seriously while the cameras are on him. I guess that's what happens when you're part of the entitled class. You lose all sense of reality. Kelley can never be a cop again, but why do I feel his daddy is already making calls to get him another public sector job?

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Sean Kelley- West Seneca's "Likes to fight" guy

I write on here about unqualified, politically connected people getting hired for scarce jobs and some people think it's an exaggeration. One needs only to look at the case of former West Seneca police officer Sean Kelley to see what is going on every day in small towns and the city around Western New York. From the Buffalo News...

-And while Gehen declined to comment on the politics involved, other law enforcement officials said town officials -- mainly, then-Town Supervisor Paul T. Clark -- forced Kelley on the department when he was hired in early 2005.

-Detectives who conducted a background investigation on Kelley before he was hired told the chief that Kelley -- because of some past disciplinary issues when he worked for the town highway department and a past domestic abuse incident -- was not a suitable candidate for police work. The Town Board hired Kelley anyway.

-Field training officers who rode with Kelley during his first few weeks on the job told the chief that Kelley had attitude problems, including tardiness and a lack of motivation and was not suitable for police work. The chief kept him on anyway. "Gehen said he had no choice, because Kelley's father was so close to Paul Clark,"

-After he became an officer, Kelley was disciplined 10 times -- including four suspensions for a total of 57 days without pay -- according to federal court records. He was also ordered to attend counseling for alcohol abuse and anger management. In July 2006, he was reprimanded for entering the police cellblock, while off-duty, and offering an alcoholic drink to a female prisoner.

I strongly encourage people to read the full article. At every step of the way, people tried to tell authorities that this spoiled son of a political hack was unsuitable for police work. Now, he is under FBI investigation for beating up a bar patron after he called one of his on duty friends to be there for backup. That's a real tough guy. He wants to fight someone at the drop of a hat but he has to wait until two of his fellow, gun carrying officers get there-because he's too much of a coward to confront the person on his own.

Recently, he was arrested by Buffalo Police for fighting with them, after they were called to a Seneca St. bar to babysit him there. I hope the guy who was beaten up in the West Seneca incident sues the town and Kelley for everything they're worth. I don't want him to sue Mackie's (I like their chicken fingers.) The town deserves it for hiring the spoiled son of an Erie County Committeeman. The world needs ditch diggers, too.
Politics helped troubled officer get hired, avoid being fired - City & Region - The Buffalo News

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West Seneca man carjacked

Some dirtbags carjacked a West Seneca man on the West Side. Apparently, they weren't too choosy on the vehicle, a 1992 Subaru Legacy. The victim escaped on foot (and outran his car for the first three miles)...

West Seneca man, 29, is victim of carjacking

A West Seneca man was the victim of a carjacking at 11:30 a. m. Wednesday on Forest Avenue near the intersection of Grant Street, according to Buffalo police.

Christopher A. Kosowski, 29, told police he was driving on Forest when one of two men opened the door of his vehicle, dragged him out of it and then attacked him before fleeing in his 1992 white, four-door Subaru Legacy.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police department’s confidential tip line, 847-2255 or Text-a-Tip, [716] 847-2255.

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Wacky talent

I wish this West Seneca kid good luck with his contest but I have to say, I'm not sure how rare his talent is. It is, however, better than I could do with a hula hoop. By the way, what happened to Kathy Lee and who the hell is Kelly?:



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We found your other sock...

West Seneca police found a guy parked behind Wimbledon Plaza yesterday naked, except for one sock, with pornographic materials spread out all over the front seat and dashboard. He was apprehended after leaving the scene and fleeing from the cops. The suspect is now sharing a cell at the Erie County Holding Center with the guy from Cheektowaga who tried to cook his cat last week:

A man wearing just a sock led police on a short chase through West Seneca early this
morning, before police located his van ... with pornographic photos inside ... and found him hiding nearby. The incident began at about 4:15 a.m., when Lt. Edward Baker checked on a suspicious van behind Wimbledon Plaza and found pornographic photos spread across the front seat and dashboard. The lieutenant also found an occupant in the back seat, wearing only one sock. The man in the van wouldn't get out of the vehicle and instead fled from the scene in the van, almost getting into an accident on Center Road before the pursuing lieutenant lost sight of him on a
side street. The fleeing driver ditched the van at a Seneca Street collision shop, before Baker found him hiding on top of a nearby abandoned travel trailer.

Baker charged Garrett Scheg, 37, of no permanent address, with seven misdemeanors, including unlawfully fleeing from police, public display of offensive sexual material and public lewdness. West Seneca police have had at least one recent report of similar activity in a van spotted in the town.

Driver wearing just a sock charged in West Seneca after chase - The Buffalo News

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False Tough Guy

Former West Seneca police officer Sean Kelley must be one tough guy. After feeling insulted by a fellow bar patron, Kelley showed how "tough" he really was. He called two on duty cops to the scene and then beat up the guy he had been in an argument with. The same guy who bought Kelley and his girlfriend drinks and apologized for whatever he said.

This other guy might be a jerk or a drunk. Who knows? But calling the cops and then beating him badly does not make Kelley a tough guy. The sad part is, I'll bet Kelley really still thinks he is a tough guy. Sorry, ex-small town cop. You're 30 years old. Fighting over something so stupid and losing your job in the process does not make you a tough guy. It makes you an unemployed guy.

My sources (ok, the people commenting underneath the story) say Kelley's father is a West Seneca political hack (these guys should walk around with tattoos on their foreheads for identification). Rumor has it, he prostituted himself to former town supervisor Paul Clark to get short-fused Junior the job of small town cop. I'm sure, as we speak, he is working on getting him some other job in law enforcement or the prison system (right after he gets him out of jail for breaking the law). Good move by the West Seneca Chief for turning the matter over to the FBI. The whole crew shouldn't be made to look bad because of the actions of one hothead.

Former police officer faces charges after bar fight - The Buffalo News
We have some rare footage of Junior in action:

Misery loves company

I guess drinking does impair your judgement. This happens so often now, it doesn't even qualify as being strange anymore. West Seneca woman pulls up to scene where her husband is undergoing DWI test. Guess what? She's wasted too! Reservations for two please...

From WGRZ.com

WEST SENECA,N.Y. - State Police say a West Seneca woman pulled up on the scene as her husband was undergoing a field sobriety test for DWI and ended up getting charged with the same offense.

It all took place on Winspear Road in the town just after 12:30 am Friday. Troopers pulled over Joseph Nagowski, 50, for failure to keep right. As Nagowski was being tested his wife Chrisanne, 48, pulled up in another

car and asked if everything was ok. Troopers also placed her under arrest after they determined she had been drinking. The couple was taken to the Elma barracks were both submitted to a breath test and were found to be over the legal limit.

Friends don't let Friends live in West Seneca

It always amuses me when one of these groups form to oppose Senior apartments or group homes. It's never politically correct for them to state the real reasons for their opposition so they use thinly veiled excuses to keep out minorities, the handicapped, or the elderly. More than 2,000 people in West Seneca signed a petition opposing the proposed Senior apartments at the Houghton College satellite campus citing concerns about "an increase in traffic." Oh, did I mention that some of these seniors might be poor? Increase in traffic! The neighbors are worried that their property values might go down. I saw some of the protestors on the news. After looking at them for 20 seconds, I think deflating property values should be the least of their concerns. From the Buffalo News:

Some West Senecans told News reporter Mary Pasciak that the land should have a more upscale use. But Rhonda Frederick of People Inc., the nonprofit group that develops senior housing, told me that a previous plan in another part of the town also got slapped down.

What qualifies as "upscale" in West Seneca? A Dollar General store? This is just like the story a few months ago involving the town of Orchard Park. Hey West Seneca, you're not wealthy enough to be snobby and not cultured enough to know what upscale even means. Let the old fogies move in.
Donn Esmonde: West Senecans needn’t fear senior citizens : Donn Esmonde : The Buffalo News

Western NY should market itself as hockey central

Maybe the readers of The Buffalo News are fiscally conservative but the majority of them are against building new ice rinks in West Seneca. I agree. If there was a demand for a new rink and it could make money (as they claim), then it could be done privately, for a profit.

Having said that, I think Western New York would be smart to start marketing itself as the ice hockey capital of the world. I think we have two distinct advantages over most other places. First, you have the weather. Instead of whining about the snow we get, we should embrace it as hockey weather. We could even have major street hockey tournaments in the spring and summer. Second, we already have the enthusiasm for the sport. People in this area love hockey like no other area in the country, with the possible exception of Detroit. Girls are starting to play hockey also. Buffalo could become a factory for producing great women's collegiate players.

Other parts of the country produce great warm weather athletes because they can play their sports outside year round. One reason Buffalo has produced so many great hockey players recently is because the weather forces them to choose indoor sports during the winter. In my opinion, Western New York would be wise to tap into our region's love for the game. There are so many different ways we could do it. I don't think initially it would take tons of money, just some good ideas from the public.
West Seneca Town Board urged to build twin rinks : Eastern Suburbs : The Buffalo News

Abuse of Power #213: West Seneca police chief has gas

The crime of using town cars at the expense of the taxpayer is becoming so common, I'm actually surprised now when it doesn't happen. West Seneca Police Chief Edward Gehen makes $115,000/year in that job. Because he must want to move to Orchard Park someday, Gehen also works part time at ECC as a security officer. He uses the town issued car (and gas) to get from West Seneca to ECC(In true investigative fashion, Bflo News journalist Mary Pasciak doesn't specify which campus Gehen drives to??? Apparently, she is unaware of the fact there are three campuses spread out throughout WNY.)

Gehen justifies the use of the car by saying he is often called from his security job at ECC to handle town crime. So, not only is this guy getting free gas from West Seneca taxpayers, he's also getting paid to do two jobs at once. I'm sure this makes the people at ECC feel real safe. But what would they care? Jack Quinn, the President of the school, is a complete tool anyway. He's so dense, he doesn't know his ass from page 10. Hey greedy police chief: Drive your own car to work and fill up at NOCO like the rest of us.
Councilman questions chief’s use of town’s car : City & Region : The Buffalo News