A-1
The West Seneca & Elma Sun / Saturday, January 10, 2015
C PO W N Y. co m
w e st se n e ca & e l m a
Community Papers
of Western New York, LLC
Locally Owned!
WEEKEND FORECAST FRI SAT SUN 19o/11o 17o/14o 26o/22o 100% chance of snow
80% chance of snow
50% chance of snow
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY COMMUNITY PAPERS OF WNY, LLC
TALE OF THREE TAVERNS
WNY NATIVE KNOX SIGNS WITH BILLS
PAGE A3
PAGE B4 VOL 3 NO. 2
VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.WESTSENECASUN.COM
Amanda Hansen Foundation gives out 400 CO detectors
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2015
West Seneca board readopts local town attorney
By Max Borsuk
By Max Borsuk
WEST SENECA SUN EDITOR
After the death of their daughter Amanda from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2009, Ken and Kim Hansen have been doing everything possible to prevent others from experiencing the same hardship they went through. The Amanda Hansen Foundation held an event at West Seneca West High School Saturday, Jan. 3, in which they gave out 400 carbon monoxide detectors. Since the foundation was started in 2010, the Amanda Hansen Foundation has given away 17,000 detectors. “It’s a great feeling knowing that we are helping so many people that can’t afford CO detectors or just getting them into people’s homes and make sure they are aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide, said Ken Hanson, Amanda’s father and President of the Amanda Hanson Foundation. “They turned a negative into a positive and said how can we reach out to the community and how can we do something,” said Assemblyman Michael Kearns. Not only does the Amanda Hansen Foundation donate carbon monoxide detectors to people in need, they have now started donating furnaces as well. Last year, companies including Northeast Mechanical Inc., Warm and Fuzzy Home Heating and Cooling, Roy’s Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, Heatwave Heating and
WEST SENECA SUN EDITOR
PHOTO BY MAX BORSUK
West Seneca Supervisor Sheila Meegan (third from left) presenting a certificate of merit to the Amanda Hansen Foundation for all the hard work they do helping people stay safe from carbon monoxide, Pictured from left, Kim Hansen, Ken Hansen, Meegan and Assemblyman Michael Kearns. Cooling and Reimer Heating and Air Conditioning, donated 17 furnaces to the Amanda Hansen Foundation and they were all honored at the West Seneca West event. “I’m very proud to be helping the Amanda Hansen Foundation,” said Roger Hoffman of Northeast Mechanical Inc. “It’s great to give back to the community and we look forward to working with them for years to come.” Kelsey Williams, a customer care representative for Reimer Heating and Air Conditioning and friend of Amanda spoke at the event about the person Amanda
was and the great work of the Amanda Hansen Foundation. “Knowing that I was friends with Amanda, it really means a lot to me that Reimer Heating and Air Conditioning is a part of the Amanda Hansen Foundation and I’m glad to be able to help everybody else out that we can,” said Williams. West Seneca Supervisor Sheila Meegan also announced at the event that a congratulation to the Amanda Hansen Foundation for giving their 17,000 carbon monoxide detector will appear on the town sign starting Jan. 12. Meegan also
presented Ken and Kim a certificate of merit for all the work they have done not just for the local community, but for all of Erie County. “It’s great to work with a family like that that’s willing to take an absolute tragedy and prevent it for other families,” said Meegan. “Kim and Ken have never stopped looking out for us.” For more information on the Amanda Hansen Foundation or to fill out a survey to apply for a new furnace or CO detector, visit their web site at amandahansenfoundation.org.
Community Days, scholarships done by Community Service Organization of the Year By William Homan SUN CORRESPONDENT
The West Seneca Chamber of Commerce recently named the West Seneca Civic and Patriotic Committee as their 2015 Community Service Organization of the Year. The organization, which has been in existence since 1974, was originally commissioned by the United States Government to celebrate the bicentennial year in 1976. Following the success and excitement of the initial celebration, the group decided that this was something that could take place every summer and kept the event even though it was no longer being commissioned by the government. Joan Lillis, the current Chair of the committee, was the only woman involved in the original planning of the
THE SUN
HAMBURG VILLAGE SQUARE PLAZA 141 BUFFALO ST., HAMBURG, NY 14075 OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. www.westsenecasun.com editorial@westsenecasun.com
event and is thrilled to still be celebrating what is now referred to as ‘Community Days.’ “We feel so great about what we are doing,” Lillis exclaimed. “We’ve been celebrating for almost 41 years and it’s amazing how it brings together communities and involves so many people.” Community Days is an annual event that takes place during the summer in West Seneca. Beginning on Friday evening, Community Days features a multitude of rides for children and young adults, food for all ages, a beer tent and live music. The fun continues on Saturday with a large parade featuring a number of local organizations. At dusk on Saturday, there is a fireworks display. Dave Dingwall, who is the co-chair of the event and has been with the committee for
over 30 years, raved about the fireworks display. “It truly is one of the best displays in the area and we always have a large crowd come and enjoy that.” Dingwall, a former firefighter in the West Seneca district, noted that despite having been around for almost 41 years, the event has remained largely unchanged. “I grew up in West Seneca and I’ve always been involved in something here,” Dingwall said. “Everything that we make as a committee goes into this event and I think the residents enjoy it.” In addition to Community Days, the West Seneca Civic and Patriotic Committee awards a number of scholarships to students at local schools. Last year they awarded a $500 scholarship to a male and female student at West Seneca West Senior, West Seneca East Senior,
and Orchard Park High School. They also awarded a $500 scholarship to a student at Bishop Timon, Saint Francis High School, Mount Mercy Academy, and Immaculata Academy. In total, they awarded $5,000 in scholarships last year. “We are so honored to receive this award and we are looking forward to the dinner celebration,” Lillis said. The West Seneca Chamber of Commerce hosts their 68th Annual Community Awards Dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m., on Thursday, February 12 at Kotecki’s Grandview Grove. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres begin at 5:30 p.m., with the dinner and awards scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $40 for an individual ticket, $80 for a couple, and $320 for a table of eight. Tickets are available for purchase through the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce.
The West Seneca town board held their reorganizational meeting Jan.5 in which a Town Attorney was reestablished for West Seneca and the town judge was reinstated for his fourth year. At last year’s reorganizational meeting, the board decided to abolish the town attorney position and instead go with the firm of Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel, LLP. But after looking at the best interests of the town, the board decided to reinstate the town attorney position and appoint John Fenz. Supervisor Sheila Meegan said that it good to once again have a local attorney again for West Seneca. “I am very happy that we went back to a town attorney,” said Meegan. “I didn’t feel that having a firm represent the town was in the best interest of the town. Having an attorney hands on who has great recall of the town’s history is a positive for the town.” Another change made at this year’s reorganizational meeting was hiring the firm Drescher & Malecki LLP as the Town’s Director of Finance. Meegan stated that she is happy that the town is going back to the way it was after trying a few changes that they felt did not serve the town’s best interests. “I think we as a board are moving in a positive director together,” said Meegan. “We tried something different and it just wasn’t something that we were going to stay with. We gave it a shot, but it didn’t work out in the best interests of the town and that’s our responsibility, to do what serves all.” At the end of the meeting, Town Justice Jeff Harrington was sworn in after winning the election unopposed in November 2014. “He has proven that he has been serving the town well and he will continue to serve the town well as our town justice,” said Meegan. “I was again honored to have the opportunity to swear him in to do four more years of service to our community.” The next West Seneca Town Board meeting will be held Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. with a work session preceding the meeting at 3 p.m.
Chamber of Commerce awards local business By William Homan SUN CORRESPONDENT
For franchise owner Rick Schunke Sr. and his wife Karen, bringing Just Pizza to West Seneca was an easy choice. The local, privately owned franchise opened in 2007 and has been a major hit amongst the community ever since. Now, almost eight years after the opening, Just Pizza has been named the 2015 West Seneca Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year. Employing roughly 30 full and part-time employees, the company provides a family oriented atmosphere that has resulted in some of its first, part-time high school employees remaining with them to this day. In addition to the dedicated employees, Just Pizza has built a loyal fan base in West Seneca by working to play an active part in community events and remain an affordable option for local organizations.
See Just Pizza Page 2
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
STUDENTS MAKE PRESIDENT’S LIST ...... SECT. A PAGE 7
WEGMANS DONATE TO FOOD BANK...... SECT. B PAGE 8
COMMUNITY EVENTS.............................. SECT. B PAGE 8
MILLS, LORIGO REAPPOINTED............... SECT. A PAGE 4
TALE OF THREE TAVERNS ......................... SECT. A PAGE 3
POLICE BLOTTER ..................................... SECT. A PAGE 5
SECT. B PAGES 1-4 SPORTS..................................................SECT.
ENJOY THE JOURNEY EXHIBITS .............SECT SECT A, PAGE 2
CLASSIFIEDS .......................................... SECT. B PAGE 5-7
SECT A, PAGE 4 EDITORIAL ...............................................SECT
Come visit our website for specials:
wizardgoesgreen.com
“Natural Gas. Your Best Energy Value.”
694-8524
The “Wizard” of Comfort.