For Jim and Bonnie Stefanie of Stuffed Chocolate, Ltd., going “back to the grind” every Monday morning isn’t just a saying; it’s a reality. The local business owners are chocolatiers, creating a unique assortment of gourmet confections unlike any others available in Western New York. Established 10 years ago, Stuffed Chocolate, Ltd. began as an online company with a primarily international clientele. But after some time, the Stefanies decided to make themselves known to the community and sweeten it up a bit.“We started to join groups like the [Cheektowaga] Chamber [of Commerce], just getting out in the community, getting to know people, getting to be a part of the community,” said Bonnie Ross-Stefanie.... more

Lancaster- The Lancaster High School Academy of Finance held its second annual Academy Awards ceremony Thursday, January 26, at the Lancaster Opera House, to honor students and their mentors. A mini version of the Academy Awards, honored guests strolled down the red carpet, while stopping to have their pictures taken by student paparazzi. “The whole reason we hold it is because the internship is a huge part of the Academy of Finance. So, what we really want to do is capture the experiences of the seniors and mentors and honor them for doing so much for us,” remarked Lancaster High School Academy of Finance senior and Master of Ceremonies Katherine Czerniejewski, who interned at the American... more

BUFFALO - Veterans sled and stand up hockey clinics have been increasing with interest from veterans of all abilities. Clinics are offered in partnership with VA Western New York Healthcare System Recreation Therapy program, USA Hockey, Buffalo Sabres and Hasek’s Heroes and designed to teach hockey skills for sled and stand up players. Equipment and the clinics are provided at no cost. Upcoming clinics are scheduled Sundays at the Riverside Bud Bakewell Ice Rink, 2607 Niagara St. Buffalo. 11 a.m. to noon, Sunday, Feb. 12; 1 to 2 p.m., Sunday, March 4; 11 a.m. to noon, Sunday, March 18; 11 a.m. to noon, Sunday, March 25.“We take the ice with more veterans each time we hold a clinic,” said Pamela... more

Although our favorite teams might not be playing in the big game this year, the tradition of gathering at a friends to watch it on a 50-inch flat screen in a room filled with people is still something to celebrate. That tradition may have been a great way to enjoy the show in the past. This year, if your looking for a place to go where you and 10 of your friends won’t have to share one television and rotate seating locations per quarter, Tonawanda bars have great deals going on for the game day event. Beginning at kick-off, Crazy Jakes, 26 Webster St., North Tonawanda, is offering food and drink specials including four beers for $10, and four beers and 20 wings for $16.95. Spending the evening... more

Concerns for the redistricting of schools in North Tonawanda were raised by the public recently during the school board meeting. The meeting was held in the Alumni Center of North Tonawanda High School, where more than 100 parents gathered to have their concerns heard publicly in front of the school board, so that their ideas may help determine the correct direction for North Tonawanda students. Faced with the decision to make some initial changes to the district boundaries within the city to prepare for the upcoming school board budget, the board presented a few different redistricting options during the meeting. Those changes included:•Closing Gilmore School•Transferring the sixth grade students... more

Lancaster- Bullying is a widespread and serious problem that can happen anywhere. It is not a phase children have to go through, it is not "just messing around,” and it is not something to grow out of. Bullying can cause serious and lasting harm. To educate, prevent, and reduce bullying throughout the school setting, the Lancaster Central School District has implemented that the schools follow the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, an approach that involves individuals, classrooms, as well as parents and communities, to address bullying in schools.Court Street Elementary School Principal Jacqueline Clinard said the students are responding very well to the program and that there are four rules... more

BUFFALO, NY - An EPA-endorsed plan for asbestos remediation at the former Kensington Heights apartment buildings approves the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority’s project for a comprehensive solution and to proceed with abatement and demolition.The BMHA/EPA plan addresses the complete abatement, removal, clean-up, packaging and disposal of asbestos-containing materials at the entire site.“This plan, developed by the BMHA in concert with the EPA, fully addresses the long list of needs for this project,” said BMHA Executive Director Dawn E. Sanders. “We will move quickly and effectively to act in accordance with the plan.”“We also want to be transparent in sharing this plan with the public... more

Members of the North Tonawanda Common Council met recently during a workshop to discuss a broad range of city matters. Director of the City Community Development Department and the staff of the Lumber City Development Corporation, James Sullivan, met with the council to discuss the grant administration regarding the release of funds to the city pertaining to the micro enterprise grants. The grants are provided based on criteria, which is set by the state. The grants are intended to help grow and strengthen small businesses - they must be used once they are released. One of the businesses receiving a portion of the grant money is the Remington Lofts, 184 Sweeney St., North Tonawanda, for renovation... more

“Life imitates art,” as the popular expression goes, but the reverse can also be true – art imitates life. Toy train enthusiasts may consider their collections a hobby or perhaps an obsession – but an art? Some collectors set up train displays beneath the Christmas tree only, making for a Yuletide tradition. Others make it a full-fledged, year-round part of their home. Whatever the case, toy train displays can be strikingly realistic, fully functioning extensions of reality. In that way, toy train displays can hold artistic value for many. Conrad May, chairman and member of the board of directors of the Toy Train Collectors Society, is a man whose love of toy trains has been permeating his life... more

Lockport — Animal supporters filled the City of Lockport Common Council meeting Wednesday. After the findings of a three-week long investigation into the Niagara County SPCA by Erie County SPCA, were released Jan. 27. The Niagara SPCA board of directors announced that their Executive Director, John Faso was fired Monday afternoon after a meeting. Many Niagara County residents commended Lockport for their choice to withhold payment to the SPCA for January and February. The city has a four-year $88,330 contract with the SPCA, signed in June, to handle their animal control, like several other local municipalities in the area. The money from Lockport is paid monthly to the organization.As each person... more

Lockport — A billowing cloud of smoke covered Lockport last Friday, Jan. 27 as residents wondered where the storm looking cloud was coming from. A little after 2 p.m.., Lockport Police received a 911 call from Liberty Tire Service, 470 Ohio St. The Lockport Fire Department responded and found a tire fire in the milling building at Liberty Tire. Lockport was joined by the South Lockport Fire Company, Terrys Corners Volunteer Fire Company, Rapids Volunteer Fire Company and Wrights Corners Volunteer Fire Company, and used equipment from the Air Force base and Niagara County HazMat. Firefighters spent the rest of the day and into the night and morning Jan. 28, trying to put out the fire that caused... more

The Town of Cheektowaga is a busy place, to say the least. There’s always something new in town, always something going on, always something being planned. And much of that busyness that keeps Cheektowaga going is attributable to one organization devoted to the town’s growth: the Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce.Established in 1939, the chamber of commerce has been benefiting the Cheektowaga community through its many services for more than 70 years. The chamber is a reputable source for information, communication, economic development, and even recreation for area businesses, organizations, and individuals.“Our main goal is to try to be a resource for businesses in the area, so we do a number... more

Despite a substantial Monday night workload, Mayor William Krebs warned, during the Jan. 23 Springville Village Board meeting, that board members should be ready to tackle the sudden closing of the old Route 219 high level bridge. “I’m not just alarmed at this, I’m outraged,” Krebs said. “The NYSDOT need to know that they have not served us well.”When the New York State Department of Transportation cited a frozen bearing as its reason for the Jan. 5 closure of what is now officially known as the South Cascade Miller Road Bridge, Krebs immediately introduced a resolution to “repair and re-open” the structure as soon as possible. Krebs told the board, “We need to adopt another resolution. This... more

West Valley Superintendent Hillary Bowen announced that, in the wake of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s annual State of the State address, professional peer reviews have been in the forefront of New York schools’ minds.Cuomo said, in his Jan. 4 speech, “We need major reform in ... teacher accountability and student achievement. We need a meaningful teacher evaluation system.” The governor went on to say that the 2012 “Race to the Top” was not effective and did not reach its goals. “We cannot fail in our mission to reform public education, because we simply cannot fail our children,” he said.Bowen said, during the WVCS meeting held Jan. 24, that these peer reviews must be submitted by September.... more

New York State Department of Transportation representative Susan Surdej announced Jan. 31 that the bridge spanning Cattaraugus Creek on the old Route 219 is expected to re-open this April.According to Springville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kate Moody, the DOT has “invoked a statewide emergency contract for bridge repairs and will immediately begin preparations for the replacement of the frozen abutment bearings.” Over the next few weeks, the NYSDOT will be expediting the process, with the contractor’s completing shop drawings and ordering the bearings and equipment, “so that it will be a few weeks before we see anyone actually on the bridge beginning repairs,” Moody said.New... more

There was a sense of frustration, but no shouting. Some in the crowd were discouraged and some were disgusted, but no one behaved discourteously. The citizens who had gathered in the Springville Area Chamber of Commerce office on Jan. 25 were there to discuss business: the business of getting the old Route 219 bridge re-opened.Closed three weeks earlier without notice by the New York State Department of Transportation because of a frozen bearing, the high-level structure was the beginning of the journey south for those who had chosen to shop in Springville. The bridge was also the entryway for those coming north to buy everything from apples and autos to zippers and zinfandel. Springville Area... more

Fire destroyed the home of Judy and Bill Schunk on Maple Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 24. The house was completely gutted by the blaze. Springville, East Concord, Chaffee-Sardinia, Mortons Corners and West Valley firefighters responded, but were unable to save the home. Photo by Sandy... more

Town of Hamburg Police have charged Jacob Lester, 28, of Angola, with the Jan. 9 robbery of the McKinley Parkway branch of Northwest Savings Bank.According to police, the suspect allegedly entered the bank that day wearing an “Incredible Hulk” ski mask and ordered the teller, at gunpoint, to put cash into a carpenter’s bag and then fled on foot.On Thursday, Jan. 26, Lester was apprehended at the McKinley Mall for allegedly shoplifting a watch from Sears. Responding to the call, Town of Hamburg Police Officer Joseph O’Brien observed that Lester resembled the composite drawing released to law enforcement agencies and the media (the drawing appeared in the Jan. 26 edition of The Sun), that had... more

The Frontier Central School Board voted against including a student representative to serve as an ex-officio member on the Frontier Central School Board to be placed on the May 17 vote, denying the measure by a 5 to 3 margin during last Tuesday’s (Jan. 24) meeting.Board President Michael Comerford and Board Member Martin Lalka, as well as Stanley Figiel, Janet Plarr and Nancy Wood, cast dissenting votes.Jack Chiappone, Larry Albert and Lynn Burke voted in favor of the item, which would have included a two-year term through June 30, 2014 for the student representative. It had been stated that not enough information had been gathered in regards to the hypothetical student representative’s duties... more

Being active and not being trapped in an office is very important to Hamburg resident Justine Sacco.As a captain for the U.S. Army, Sacco makes sure she spends as much time as possible not behind a desk, but out in the field with the 109 members of her command.On Dec. 16, 2011, 24-year-old Sacco became the first woman to assume command of Delta FSC, 26th Brigade Support Battalion, forward support company of 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.Sacco is a 2004 graduate of Frontier High School and a 2008 graduate of Niagara University, where she majored in political science and international relations. She received her commission through the ROTC program... more