Top officials from Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the University at Buffalo will meet with a consultant and the state health commissioner Monday to discuss greater collaboration and possibly even a merger between the cancer center and the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences – a move that Rep. Brian Higgins vows to fight, saying it would destroy Roswell Park’s national standing.

Dr. Donald L. Trump, president and chief executive officer of the cancer center, confirmed that Roswell Park and UB were looking at building a closer relationship.

Asked if the effort would include studying a possible merger, Trump said: “Nothing is off the table.”

Officials in the medical community told The Buffalo News earlier this year that a merger seemed impractical because, for starters, it could not replace lost revenue from the state, which has been cutting back its commitment to Roswell Park for years. Trump said he had not heard specifically about a merger from state officials, but expressed confidence it would be a topic under consideration.

“We agreed to look at every opportunity that would be mutually beneficial,” he said.

But Higgins, one of Congress’ leading advocates for federal cancer research funding, warned that a Roswell Park-UB merger could endanger the hospital’s standing as one of the nation’s 41 federally designated comprehensive cancer centers – a designation that is up for renewal.

“This comes at an awful time,” said Higgins, who added that the National Cancer Institute, which awards that federal designation, “is raising questions about the future of Roswell because of these merger talks.”

Roswell Park was the first federally designated cancer center, and several cancer research breakthroughs – including chemotherapy – started there. Continuing that federal designation is important because much of Roswell Park’s federal research funding depends on it, as does the cancer center’s reputation.

In recent years, though, Roswell Park has been seeking to develop a new business model, especially in light of the Cuomo administration’s 2012 proposal to make the cancer center “operationally independent.” That proposal, which would have ended Roswell Park’s state subsidy of more than $100 million a year, has since been abandoned.

In its place since March of last year has been a behind-the-scenes effort led by Buffalo’s John R. Oshei Foundation to seek ways to improve Roswell Park’s business model, including possibly strengthening its ties with UB.

Oshei has hired Cindrich Consulting of Pittsburgh to manage the study. Robert D. Gioia, president of the Oshei Foundation, said the foundation is primarily funding the study’s cost, which is expected to run between $50,000 and $100,000.

The goal is to develop a sustainable business plan for Roswell Park by January, said Gioia, who downplayed the idea that the effort will result in a merger.

Asked about that possibility, Gioia said, “I think people are chasing ghosts here.”

“We’re urging the participants to work through this process to determine if we can come to a combined resolution and what that resolution might look like,” Gioia said. “We are aware of many, many possibilities.”

The options for UB and Roswell Park include “expanded collaboration and partnerships,” Gioia said.

Citing examples of such collaborations that have worked in metro Buffalo, Gioia cited the Gates Vascular Institute – a partnership of Kaleida Health and UB – and the merger of CEPA and Big Orbit galleries, in which CEPA is essentially absorbing Big Orbit.

Yet if UB were to absorb Roswell Park in that way, the results would be disastrous, Higgins warned.

That’s because Roswell Park’s reputation and the UB medical school’s exist on two entirely different planes, he said.

Roswell Park has been one of the nation’s leading cancer hospitals for more than a century. But the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education recently placed UB’s general surgery and pediatric surgery residency programs on probation, and the university shuttered its dermatology program after that, too, ended up on probation.

“They can’t solve the problems of the UB medical school on the backs of Roswell Park,” Higgins said. “Western New York needs to position Roswell Park to become the best cancer center in the nation. ... Any effort to merge Roswell with an institution that will jeopardize Roswell Park’s designation as a comprehensive cancer center should be rejected aggressively and categorically.”

Trump said, however, that successful collaborative efforts between Roswell Park and UB could stop well short of a merger.

For instance, potential opportunities for greater efficiency include combining medical libraries and the management of grants. UB and Roswell Park already have long-standing links in the training of new cancer specialists and cancer-related researchers, and the consultant may recommend ways to enhance those existing relationships, he said.

“Collaborations, linkages and partnerships have become increasingly important across the country in medical care and education,” Trump said.

“You need to do this to thrive in an era of reduced funding for science and clinical care,” he said. “We’ve also been asked by New York to examine ways to become more independent of the state.”

UB officials, in a statement, said the school is the cancer center’s long-time academic partner, with a shared education, research and patient-care mission.

“The university, with Roswell Park and with the support of the Oishei Foundation, is engaged in a process to explore ways we can build upon our shared commitment to improving clinical care, medical research and education in our region, growing the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and ultimately transforming Buffalo into a world-class health care destination,” the statement said.

Asked about a possible Roswell Park-UB merger while in Buffalo last week, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said he knows nothing about it.

“What we have talked about are creative alternatives,” Cuomo said.

Asked again about the merger possibility on Friday, state officials said state Health Commissioner Nirav Shah was invited to the meeting Monday to discuss ways Roswell Park and UB can work more collaboratively and that merger is not a topic for the meeting. He will attend.

Still, Higgins wonders and worries.

For one thing, he marveled that the Oshei Foundation could have been involved in the effort since March 2012 with little, if any, public disclosure of its efforts.

“Why is this discussion going on with such secrecy?” he asked.

Moreover, Higgins noted that Albany – and particularly the state Department of Health – has been cutting back on the state commitment to Roswell Park since the Pataki administration. He said he believes the state Department of Health is behind the merger talks, figuring that there are too many hospital beds in Buffalo – and figuring that a merger could bring the state Roswell Park’s cancer research dollars, as well as any royalties from cancer breakthroughs made there.

“The New York State Department of Health has had it out for Roswell for a long time,” Higgins said. “I don’t get it.”

News Albany bureau chief Tom Precious contributed to this report. email: jzremski@buffnews.com and hdavis@buffnews.com

The City of Lackawanna is in need of a new development director, and Mayor Geoffrey M. Szymanski could be courting an established political insider to fill the seat.

Ralph D. Miranda submitted his resignation to Szymanski, effective Dec. 2.

Szymanski said he has yet to start a formal search, but one name already has surfaced as a possible successor.

Multiple sources said Szymanski is looking to appoint Robert A. Mendez, the former executive director of the Erie County Water Authority.

Mendez, a longtime Lackawanna resident and campaign treasurer for former County Executive Dennis T. Gorski, stepped down from the Water Authority in late September, after 16 years at the helm. He could not be reached to comment.

Miranda, 61, who had come under fire in recent months by some members of the City Council, could not be reached to comment.

Miranda wanted to pursue another opportunity, according to the mayor, who said he did not have further details about Miranda’s plans.

Miranda had been local project manager for Lackawanna Clean Energy, a company that proposed converting petroleum coke into synthetic gas at the former Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna. But the project never got off the ground due to environmental concerns, and former Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. appointed Miranda, who had served on the city Planning Board, as development director in 2008.

Szymanski retained him when he took office in 2012. Miranda was making $48,500 per year.

Over the past several months, members of the City Council repeatedly requested from Miranda an updated development plan for the city. At a Sept. 16 Council meeting, Miranda informed members that he was still working on the document. When pressed, he acknowledged that he hadn’t put together a city development plan before.

“Actually in writing? No,” he said. “Verbally, yes.”

Development plans, he added, had been shared “in a work session” with previous councils.

Miranda also took heat from some Council members for saying he “worked for the mayor,” suggesting that he didn’t have to answer all of their questions.

And 1st Ward Councilman Abdul Noman pointedly asked Miranda why a Dubai-based startup company, Alita USA Holdings, chose South Buffalo over Lackawanna for its plan to build a $102 million factory that will make steel pipes for the oil and natural gas industry and employ an estimated 172 workers.

“That Dubai company was originally supposed to come to Lackawanna,” Noman said. “What happened?”

Miranda said he never had conversations with Erie County officials about a Dubai company setting up shop in Lackawanna, which has hundreds of acres of developable land for manufacturers.

Large companies usually reach out to the state or county, not the city, he added.

Both Szymanski and Polanski commended Miranda for his professionalism and rapport with the business community.

Miranda was instrumental in helping the city land $862,460 in October from the state’s Brownfield Opportunity Areas competitive grants program.

The grant award was more than two years in the making and is expected to help breathe new life into several brownfields in the city’s First Ward.

The mayor and Polanski said some Council members treated Miranda unfairly.

“A couple of them are the reason why he is leaving,” said Szymanski.

Department heads are required to attend Council meetings, but Miranda has missed the past three. On Monday, City Attorney Antonio Savaglio informed Council President Henry R. Pirowski that the economic development plan he had been seeking from Miranda was completed and would be provided to Pirowski on Tuesday, pending a discussion with the mayor about a “couple of changes.”

Pirowski said he has requested economic development plans for the city for the past decade but still hasn’t seen one.

“It’s in our charter that this is supposed to be done every year,” he said. “To my knowledge, this has not been done in at least the past 10 years and if it has, I haven’t been able to obtain a copy.”

Pirowski said he and other Council members simply want “a picture of where we’re going.”

They’re holding department heads accountable, and some department heads, he said, have responded very well to the new accountability.

“Others,” he added, “don’t show up anymore.”

Szymanski said Miranda is using up accrued vacation and sick time.

email: jtokasz@buffnews.com

LOCKPORT – Jennifer Marchant, the North Tonawanda woman who claims she killed her boyfriend in self-defense, may be cross-examined regarding her physical confrontations with two other men, Niagara County Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas ruled last week.

Farkas barred the prosecution from using the information in making its direct case to the jury at Marchant’s upcoming manslaughter trial.

But if Marchant takes the stand to bolster her self-defense claim, the prosecution will be allowed to confront her with charges that she pulled a knife on a previous boyfriend and assaulted another after he announced he didn’t want to date her anymore.

Marchant, 24, was not arrested in either of those alleged incidents.

The former Internet pornography performer stabbed Ralph D. Stone Jr., 24, in February in the couple’s Oliver Street apartment.

According to police testimony in pretrial hearings, Marchant told officers that Stone was drunk, chased her around the apartment and “threw me around.”

Prosecutors sought Farkas’ permission to tell the jury about an alleged incident on New Year’s Eve, 2010, in which Marchant purportedly pulled a knife on a boyfriend, threatening “to stab [him] if he attempted to block her exit,” Farkas wrote, quoting the prosecution motion.

In the other incident, on Oct. 13, 2008, Marchant “punched [a man] in the head, kicked and pushed him, after [he] told the defendant that he did not want to date her again.”

Farkas wrote that she didn’t know the full circumstances of either uncharged incident, and at any rate, both men were unconnected to the Stone case.

“The court has no way of assessing whether the defendant was the primary aggressor in these situations,” the judge wrote. “The introduction of such evidence would create an unacceptable risk that the defendant would be convicted on the basis of a perceived propensity to use violence toward her boyfriends.”

Farkas concluded that the 2008 and 2010 incidents wouldn’t help prove what Marchant’s state of mind was during the fatal incident with Stone.

The sides are scheduled to return to court for a pretrial conference Dec. 11.

email: tprohaska@buffnews.com

The 200 new refugees enjoying an early Thanksgiving feast in Buffalo on Saturday may not have understood all the nuances of the holiday – the turkey, the cranberry sauce, the pumpkin pie.

But arguably no one can relate more to Thanksgiving than these modern-day pilgrims.

Persecuted in their own country.

A long, hard journey to a strange new land.

Adjusting to life in a new home.

“If any of our traditions in this country relates to the refugee, it’s Thanksgiving,” said Molly Short Carr, executive director of Journey’s End Refugee Services.

“Even if they don’t know the actual story, they know the concept and they know it establishes who we are as a people,” she said. “They know this was a country of refugees.”

Central Park United Methodist Church on Beard Avenue hosted Saturday’s dinner for more than 200 refugees. Most of them were celebrating their first Thanksgiving since being resettled in Buffalo from some of the most troubled, war-torn spots in the world.

As many as 20 countries were represented around the dining tables, including Somalia, Burma, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Bhutan, Nepal and Congo-Brazzaville, which Charles Kayi and his wife, Marguerite, once called home.

The couple had a pleasant dinner but were curious about this Thanksgiving tradition.

“We want to know more about why this happens and does this happen in other places,” she said through a French interpreter.

This is the 11th year Journey’s End has sponsored the First Thanksgiving, partnering with the Central Park and North Presbyterian churches, Congregation Shir Shalom, Temple Beth Zion and Erie I BOCES to provide Saturday’s meal.

The story of Thanksgiving was explained to the refugees by the children enrolled in the Refugee School Impact Program. The kids – each a different nationality – stood on stage, where they spoke a few words and held up large letters to spell out Thanksgiving.

Baidaa Ahmed attended with her two boys, Yousif and Ehab.

She is an Iraqi who lived in Syria for several years before being resettled in Buffalo eight months ago. She likes it here because her boys are safe.

They’re still getting used to American food, but along with the stuffing and mashed potatoes Saturday’s spread included rice and beans and turkey basted with Ethiopian berbere spice.

And by the end of the meal, these newcomers to the United States seemed to have a pretty good hang of this holiday tradition.

Kids were running around playing, and diners, like Mohammad Amin, departed with cartons of leftovers for home.

Amin has come a long way since fleeing Afghanistan.

He met his wife, Takhmina, in Kazakhstan and the couple lived in Russia, before finally being resettled here with their three little girls.

After all they’ve been through, they’re thankful to be in Buffalo.

“I like Buffalo,” Mohammad said. “I love America.”

email: jrey@buffnews.com

Wheatfield is mulling the possibility of dropping dog control services from the SPCA of Niagara in response to the SPCA’s request for a nearly 20 percent fee increase.

Supervisor Robert B. Cliffe said last week that the Town Board might decide to again have its own dog control officer and seek another place to house the stray animals.

The SPCA’s shelter is in Wheatfield, but Cliffe said the town might decide it’s more cost-effective to use some other means of controlling dogs.

At present, the SPCA charges the town about $16,700 a year to pick up strays and house them at the Rainbow Animal Shelter on Lockport Road.

Shelter director Amy Lewis said the SPCA asked for $20,000 for 2014, because it needs more money to house animals as it works toward the goal of being a “no-kill” shelter.

“The lion’s share is associated with the cost of sheltering the animals,” Lewis said of the increase.

Medical care for the animals in particular is increasingly expensive as the SPCA tries to avoid euthanizing the dogs.

Cliffe said before the town gave up on its own animal control work a few years ago, it was paying about $7,500 a year for picking up dogs and another $7,500 to harbor them.

“Certainly, we have to give it consideration,” he said. “Anytime anyone raises prices considerably, you have to look at it.”

Lewis said the SPCA is willing to house Wheatfield’s stray dogs without actually collecting them.

“If the town thinks it’ll be more cost-effective for them to explore their own dog control officer, there will be a slight reduction in the contract cost,” Lewis added.

“There are other ways of doing that,” Cliffe said. For example, Lewiston has an arrangement with a veterinarian in its town to allow the town dog control officer in after hours to deposit strays in cages.

“It has to be lawful. It has to be approved by Agriculture and Markets,” Cliffe said.

He said the board didn’t act on the SPCA’s contract request at Monday’s meeting because the SPCA had only presented the proposal the preceding Friday. The supervisor said he wished the SPCA had sent in the contract a month sooner, so it could have been included in the 2014 budget.

“I certainly think we can handle $3,500 in a $12 million budget,” Cliffe said. “I think we need to do some support of the SPCA, but I don’t like to be hit with substantial increases in cost, not quite at the last minute.”

The supervisor said the possibility of dropping the SPCA contract is not related to the SPCA board’s refusal earlier this year to allow the towns of Wheatfield and Niagara to build a dog park behind the shelter.

Councilman Arthur W. Gerbec said the towns are looking for another site for the dog walking park. The SPCA has 20 acres of open land behind its building.

Lewis said the agency thought a dog park would be “a beneficial thing for the community.” But the SPCA had several concerns, “one being liability issues. We have shelter animals from all parts of Niagara County. Some of them have contagious diseases.”

email: tprohaska@buffnews.com

A cab driver told Buffalo police he was punched, choked and robbed by two males early Saturday in the city’s Riverside neighborhood.

The cabbie picked up a fare about 1:18 a.m. on Roesch Avenue, where the two males jumped in and starting attacking him, according to police. A gun was pressed against the driver’s head during the struggle. The robbers fled on foot with $300, police added.

A Riverside man has been charged with the stomping attack on a man critically injured during a fight Friday in the 500 block of Ontario Street, Buffalo police said.

Joseph Watkins, 30, of South Lane, is accused of twice stomping on the head of Herman Dixon, no age or address available, during the confrontation about 5 p.m., police said. A knife also was used during the fight, police added.

Dixon was taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, according to police.

Watkins, who was arrested on Lower East Lane near his home, was identified through a surveillance video, police said. He was charged with second-degree assault.

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The National Weather Service has cancelled a lake effect snow advisory for most of Western New York today.

The only place the advisory still covers is Chautauqua County, which will see 2 to 4 inches, less than originally predicted.

Forecasters are predicting a band of lake effect snow will move from the Southern Tier towards the Buffalo area late tonight, though any accumulations to the north should be less than an inch, the National Weather Service said.

Temperatures across the region today will be very cold, with highs in the mid 20s across lower elevations and the upper teens in the hills.

Wind chill in the single digits was reported in Niagara Falls and Jamestown late this morning.

Taking your dog to visit swim therapist Mary Beth Glatz is like going to the day spa. Her indoor in-ground pool was custom-built for SandDancer, the canine swim and therapy business she named after her black Labrador retriever. The business is located on Powers Road in Orchard Park.

The pool – four feet deep with water heated to 92 degrees – becomes a healing ground for canine clients that wear life vests while their owners sit pool side to watch the sessions. At age 59, Glatz said she learns something new from the dogs each day she works in the water with them.

A former casino dealer and most recently a secretary for the Frontier Central School District, Glatz held various jobs throughout her life. She calls SandDancer her retirement plan, and said she is working more hours now than ever. The mother of three grown children, Glatz lives with her second husband in a home adjacent to their business.

People Talk: How did your business evolve?

Mary Beth Glatz: From my own dog Woody (Woodrow T. Sand Dancer), who passed away in 2009. Awesome dog. His favorite thing to do in the world was eat and swim. He was crazy about water, and when he got older he couldn’t walk very well so the vet suggested water therapy. We knew it was at the end of his life, but he would drag me into the building for swim therapy. At the time I wanted to open a dog day care and do swim therapy in the same building. I decided to focus on swim therapy.

PT: Can dogs get into spa music?

MBG: They can. They like Native American flute music, some of them. It’s very relaxing and calming for dogs.

PT: This must be your dream job.

MBG: Yes. It took four years to pull this off. I thought about it every day. I researched and I had some help with the business plan. You can achieve anything you want in this world if you work hard enough, and I am not a quitter. I don’t want to sound selfish but this is good for my arthritis, too. I want to feel younger even though I’m getting older.

PT: What’s it like spending so much time in the water?

MBG: I love it. There is no chlorine, no harsh chemicals to shrivel you. I have three filtration systems to keep this naturally pure. You have to balance the water perfectly. This is a natural healing for the dogs. It’s good for them mentally.

PT: Do they sleep better after?

MBG: When the younger dogs come out of the water, they want to run in circles. This is stimulating for them. They spin around for 20 minutes, and then they crash. They’re down for three days sometimes.

PT: What about the older dogs?

MBG: I don’t want to sound weird – I have to be a little off my rocker to do this at my age – but when I have an older dog I do a little energy work. I actually say a prayer. I call the angels and the dogs that have passed before to help heal this dog. It’s like I’m a conduit for the good energies the universe has. I get the dogs to float, and when they start floating that means they trust me 100 percent.

PT: What happens when you get attached to older dogs that may not be here for too long?

MBG: We learned about that in school. I think I’ve learned a lot about the grieving process from going through it with my own dog. People can get through loss of a pet. I think this helps the dogs’ owners through the process of saying goodbye.

PT: Where did you train?

MBG: La Paw Spa in Sequim, Wash., northwest of Seattle. It was about 70 hours of intense training. Warm water rehab, energy work and massage therapy is becoming bigger for dogs, horses and other animals.

PT: Is there a breed that’s tougher to connect with than others?

MBG: I’ve heard German Shepherds are. I worked with shepherds in training school, one of my challenges. Shepherds are very sensitive dogs to their owners. It takes longer for a shepherd to trust someone. They are extremely intelligent dogs who want a job to do. I worked with one who had never been in water before. It’s a scary situation for a dog.

PT: Do you recommend dogs not eat before they go swimming?

MBG: Yes. I have a list of rules and regulations. Owners should not feed their dogs three hours prior to a swim because it stimulates the intestines. If a dog ever had an accident in the pool, I would have to shut down business, drain my pool, sanitize it, sterilize it and refill it. I’d lose business for three or four days.

PT: What tool of your trade is indispensable?

MBG: Treats, with the owner’s permission only. I use cheese, mozzarella or mild provolone. Dogs will follow me around the pool if I have one piece of cheese in my hand.

PT: How do you calm a dog down?

MBG: Energy work and massage. Some dogs I have to carry into the water. My pool temperature is 90 to 92 degrees. The warm water increases the circulation of the dog, feeding oxygen through the whole body especially the muscles. Once their muscles are warmed up, I can do specific stretches with them. They’re buoyant so there is no stress on their arthritic joints. The increased oxygen to the brain is like serotonin, and with the warm water it reduces inflammation. I’m always praising them. Once you build their confidence, they’re a new dog.

PT: How can you tell a dog is confident?

MBG: Body language. Watch their tails. It’s the demeanor, the connection, the way the dog reacts to people. If a dog is not confident they bark at people. They cower.

PT: Tell me about a star pupil.

MBG: Ilio, a show dog, is a bull mastiff. He is the most incredible dog. He gets it. He is so friendly and he doesn’t bark. His mom and dad bought him three years ago, and they brought him here specifically to build his stamina, endurance, to expand his lung capacity and his reach in the show ring. It’s a big ring they have to run around. Ilio was huffing and puffing, panting. He’s 150 pounds. After six visits they were preparing him for a regional show.

PT: What makes dogs so special?

MBG: They live in the moment. They don’t carry baggage, and if they do there are ways to get them to heal and get them through that. They’re the quickest to forgive a situation. They get life quicker than humans do. That’s why dogs are here for such a short time.



email: jkwiatkowski@buffnews.com

On the Web: Video and photo gallery at Buffalonews.com

NIAGARA FALLS - A vacant Pierce Avenue home went up in flames early this morning.

The blaze at 1149 Pierce was reported at 4:11 a.m., the Niagara Falls Fire Department said.

Damages to the 2 1/2-story structure were pegged at about $15,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The property is scheduled to be demolished next week.

CAMBRIA

• Baer Road, Alexander Young Jr.; Evelyn A. Young to Melissa Forsey; Craig J. Forsey, $16,000.

HARTLAND

• Gill Road & Hartland Road, Roscoe Fancher to Brereton Acres, $154,103.

LEWISTON

• Chicora Road, Joseph P. DiFonzo; Linda J. DiFonzo to Holly E. Sloma, $286,000.

• East Eddy Drive, Holly E. Sloma to Linda DiFonzo, $160,000.

• River Road & Chicora Road, Alexander V. Allen; Vera J. Allen to Shelly Reed, $90,000.

• Swann Road, Sarkee Sanoian; Patricia A. Sanoian to Cynthia Marie Sanoian; Patricia Sanoian Gormley, $14,200.

• Swann Road, Sarkee Sanoian; Patricia A. Sanoian to Cynthia Marie Sanoian; Patricia Sanoian Gormley, $11,300.

LOCKPORT

• Morton St., Robert W. Tinklepaugh to Christopher Wright, $41,000.

• Juniper St. & Pound St., James M. Rockwood; William W. Wertman to Shaun H. Aiken; Keri A. Aiken, $38,500.

TOWN OF LOCKPORT Highest price: $300,000 Average price: $167,814 Median price: $170,000 Number of Sales: 9

• Day Road, Michael Aronson; Wendi Aronson; Wendi Lehrer to Steven A. Cotten; Cynthia S. Cotten, $300,000.

• Sherwood Drive, George A. Bojalad to Judy K. Bykowski; Michael B. Bykowski, $247,900.

• Emily Lane, Karen Maurer; Karen Matsulavage; Karen Dipasquale to Rosemary Doeing; Douglas W. Doeing, $191,000.

• 5927 Stone Road, Bryan W. Schubring; Colleen A. Schubring to Weichert Relocation Resources Inc., $170,000.

• 5927 Stone Road, Weichert Relocation Resources Inc. to Shelly B. Liaros; Theodore P. Liaros, $170,000.

• Amy Lane & Angela Drive, Sara Beth Schmidt; Sara Agostini; Daniel J. Schmidt to Brenda M. Schuler, $161,500.

• 6096 Strauss Road, Travis L. Dries to HSBC Bank, $148,924.

• 7224 Akron Road, Marjorie A. Singleton to Lourdes Hardy; James D. Hardy, $111,000.

• Wynkoop Road, Richard Raymond; Christine Bern to Noah Raymond, $10,000.

NEWFANE

• Phillips Road, Mary R. Dobbs; Thomas A. Dobbs to Kristen H. Andrews; Chad L. Andrews, $233,000.

• Maple Ave. & Prospect St., Michelle S. Wedekind; Clifton J. Wedekind III to Tammy A. Dunkelberger; Clark J. Dunkelberger, $140,000.

• 6239 East Lake Road, Jared M. Baker; Tina B. Baker to HSBC Bank, $91,136.

• Main St. & Clinton St., James L. Skutt to Kimberly A. Hardt; Fredrick A. Hardt Jr., $40,000.

NIAGARA FALLS Highest price: $197,000 Average price: $67,209 Median price: $54,000 Number of Sales: 17

• North Council St., Barbara Ann Kudela to Wayne Kostuk; Angela Ciraolo-Kostuk, $197,000.

• Sunnydale Road, Hudson S. Rankin; Elaine E. Rankin to Debbie Ann Mazzara; Jack P. Mazzara, $131,000.

• 1002 South 86th St., Amor Markel; Lynn Martino to Constance E. Mcmonagle, $119,000.

• 98th St., Johanna Pawlukovich to Thuy T. Nguyen, $88,000.

• 87th St., Erik J. Nowakowski; Deborah E. Nowakowski to Joshua Lilienthal; Amy Oswald Lilienthal, $85,000.

• Joliet Ave., Kathleen Kenney; Fred W. Kenney; Robert A. Kenney; Kathleen Blake to Marilyn Uren; Samantha Uren, $85,000.

• 58th St., Scott C. Sexton; Darlene M. Sexton to Renee Rozicki, $75,000.

• 70th St., Merle Smouse to Madeline V. Demunda; Linda A. Warren, $72,900.

• 80th St., Colleen Dawn Davis to Pareshbhai F. Patel, $54,000.

• South Ave., Patricia A. Shahin to Thomas R. Collins III, $53,000.

• 71st St., Charles W. Goss to Jerrica Davis, $45,000.

• Willow Ave., Shaun Keller to Smartwholesaler Llc, $30,000.

• 15th St. & Ferry Ave., Terrance J. Franckowiak to YHK Properties, $28,000.

• Welch Ave., Terrance J. Franckowiak to YHK Properties, $28,000.

• 2494 Grand Ave., Gabriel Manro to US Bank, $24,650.

• Memorial Parkway, Sharon E. Burton to Shelly Reed, $18,500.

• Pierce Ave., Roger Brown; Camille J. Brown to Victoria Dolansky-Gentner; Peter Dolansky-Gentner, $8,500.

NORTH TONAWANDA Highest price: $251,400 Average price: $130,113 Median price: $110,000 Number of Sales: 9

• Walck Road, Crasandan Homes Inc. to David Szuromi, $251,400.

• Daigler Drive, MCW Construction Inc. to Joy B. Heim, $209,900.

• 96 Northeast Ave., Harold Robert Fritzke; Harold Robert Fritske to US Bank, $162,728.

• Eggert Terrace, Renee Rozicki to Marianne E. Lovullo, $158,800.

• Remington Drive & Wayne Ave., Sandra M. Burgstahler to Paul Eichler; Linda M. Eichler, $110,000.

• 683 Nash Road, Kevin J. Morgan to Fannie Mae, $102,121.

• 1338 Brookfield Drive, Amber A. Foley; Kevin D. Foley to Kimberly M. Cudzilo; Deborah L. Cudzilo, $97,000.

• Oakwood Ave., Michael Doktor to Jill K. Harms; Karl D. Harms, $60,000.

• 108 Cramer St., Sherry L. Bronson; Troy J. Bronson to Troy J. Bronson, $19,066.

PENDLETON

• Fiegle Road, Barbara Hobart; Alice L. Alexander; Henrietta M. Moje; Ann H. Maerten; Rosemary M. Miller to Gloria Evereth; Michael G. Evereth, $8,000.

PORTER

• Water St., Main Street Properties North Llc to Kent P. Frey; Laurie A. Frey, $255,000.

ROYALTON

• Cottage Road & Highland Drive, Dominick Ciliberto; Helene M. Ciliberto to Christine A. Biro, $145,000.

• Cottage Lane, Dennis Higgins to Jenna M. Baehr, $78,000.

SOMERSET

• Johnson Creek Road, Bertha Wronski; John P. Wronski to Mary C. Orr, $121,000.

WHEATFIELD Highest price: $2,158,229 Average price: $430,137 Median price: $225,000 Number of Sales: 9

• Forest Park Way & Shawnee Road, CO8 Holdings Llc to Riester Wheatfield USA Llc, $2,158,229.

• Stone Ridge Road, Brenda M. Schuler to Eun Ha Haynes; Thomas Haynes, $300,000.

• Summer Set Court, Mansoor A.F. Kazi; Shahida A. Kazi to Jimmy P. Vigil; Olga L. Vigil, $285,000.

• Sage Court, Renee Mapes; James Mapes to James A. Johnson; Doreen M. Porpora, $277,000.

• Niagara Falls Blvd., Bethany L. Snyder; Bethany L. Kasprzak to Colton Auto Properties, $225,000.

• Rachelle Drive, Elizabeth M. Longo; Joseph C. Longo to Michael C. Biondo; Deidre M. Olson, $220,000.

• Shawnee Road, Carol Treichler-Hewett to Gabrielle Kujawa; Thomas R. Kujawa, $200,000.

• Washington St. & Stoelting Road, Jamie Swanson to Suzanne Halliday, $153,000.

• Walmore Road, Betty J. Dolan; Francis C. Dolan to Timothy L. Foster; Lisa M. Foster, $53,000.

WILSON

• 2273 Riverview Drive, County of Niagara to Roy Francis Warner, $5,495.

ALDEN

• 500 Briarwood Court, Lawrence M. Schalberg; Marie A. Schalberg to Tammy Achkar; Michael Achkar, $207,500.

AMHERST Highest price: $550,000 Average price: $217,927 Median price: $202,383 Number of Sales: 38

• 8610 Transit Road, Kevin M. Curry; Paul M. Bliss to 8610 Transit Road Llc, $550,000.

• 124 North Cayuga Road, Brunswick Terrace Llc to M. Lemoyne Rhoades, $435,000.

• 44 Brynstone Court, Kathlyn H. Koepeczi-Deak to David G. Hodge; Kristina T. Hodge, $425,000.

• 40 Pineview Drive, MJR Associates to Vital Pineview Llc, $395,000.

• 133-147 Denrose Drive, Joseph D. Teresi; Jane H. Teresi to Denrose Drive Llc, $384,000.

• 357 Lebrun, Rebecca Demakos to David Hogan; Martha Hogan, $350,000.

• 192 Lord Byron Lane, Norma Jean Pawley; Brian L. Pawley to Rosalie A. Foti; Sebastian L. Foti Jr., $325,000.

• 10 Greenboro Court, John J. Wiertel; Rosa M. Willett; Rosa M. Wiertel to John S. Loffredo; Karen P. Loffredo, $319,500.

• 51 Pino Alto Court, Seung Wook Lee; Sang Dae Lee to Wiam Bshara; Kristine L. Bshara, $315,000.

• 33 Hunters Glen, Thomas Sanborn; Tiffany L. Sanborn; Tiffany L. Paulsgrove to Jeffrey R. Incorvia; Michelle M. Incorvia, $299,000.

• 106 Patton Place, Roger A. Forden; Carol M. Forden to Timothy J. Breier, $256,000.

• 16 Amsley Court, Chris J. Seeton; Chreyl L. Seeton; Cheryl L. Seeton to Stacey A. Webb; Brian E. Webb, $250,000.

• 24 Fox Chapel Court, J. Roger Quimby; Linda Quimby to Susan E. Wiese, $250,000.

• 92 Wyeth Drive, Florence Alberts; John F. Alberts to Carol B. Giangreco, $249,000.

• 170 Meadow Spring Lane, Melissa D. Grimm; Melissa D. Bault to Mary E. Gaffney; Thomas J. Gaffney, $240,000.

• 328 Countryside Lane, John A. Maines; Marianne L. Maines to Timothy P. Mondello, $230,000.

• 231 Presidio Place, Lisa Malkowski; Steven Foti; Sebastian Foti; Rosalie A. Foti; Sebastian L. Foti Jr. to Jerry D. Slipko; Jeanine K. Slipko, $225,000.

• 54 Bauman Road, Wei-Dong Yu; Rui-Xian Kong to Olia Golimowski; James M. Golimowski, $210,000.

• 93 Cherrywood Drive, John J. Carney; Maureen C. Van Strijp to Daniel R. Obst; Jaime R. Obst, $208,000.

• 2837 Dodge Road, Tara Kamble; Sean Laughlin to Nationstar Mortgage, $196,765.

• 296 Seabrook Drive, Susan E. Wiese; Susan E. Gundel to Paul M. Keck, $176,000.

• 340 Muegel Road, Margaret Knoerschild Maurer; Margaret Knoerschild; Margaret H. Knoerschild; Barbara J. Blocher to Beverly G. Brownell; Mark A. Dettmer, $170,000.

• 68 Cascade, Samuel Barabash to Margarita Barabash, $169,000.

• 409 Sherbrooke Ave., Anthony J. Gugino to Kari Piazza; Matthew Piazza, $152,000.

• 31 Cottonwood Drive, Ish Munjal to Frank Decarlo; David Cutter III; Kristen Cutter, $150,250.

• 173 Allenhurst, Xuewei Li; Xiangtao Zhao to Colleen P. Culleton, $149,200.

• 21 Monarch Drive, Matthew Licata to Katie A. Thompson; John J. Thompson Jr., $148,000.

• 2130 North French Road, William H. Buckeye; Adina D. Buckeye to Michael J. Young, $135,000.

• 105 Homer Lane, Harold B. Rosenberg to Jeannette Paternostro; Ann M. Sorrentino; Russell L. Paternostro; Lisa M. Calabretta; Russell J. Paternostro; Michael A. Paternostro, $131,500.

• 529 Windermere Blvd., Jonathan Demeis to Beverly M. Alexander, $130,000.

• 253 Stevenson Blvd., David W. Dietz; Tina L. Dietz to Joy Pulera, $125,000.

• 650 Youngs Road/Unit C, Sandra Lee White to Evelyn V. Nowak, $112,000.

• 12 Hamilton Drive, Robert E. Pope; Carol A. Pope to Ross L. Goddard; Erica L. Goddard, $97,500.

• 26 Callodine Ave., Victor P. Deplato to Juan Carlos Perez Deleon, $84,000.

• 382 Windermere Blvd., Theresa Lattuca; Salvatore Lattuca; Angelo Lattuca to Amy M. McClosky; Stephen J. McClosky, $82,000.

• 3940 Ridge Lea Road, Lori A. Roessler to Mario Giancola, $75,000.

• 60 Old Lyme Drive, Cecile Tegler to Sherri L. Lojacono, $62,500.

• 2497 Sweet Home Road, Anthony J. Galasso Jr. to Giuseppe Holdings, $20,000.

AURORA/EAST AURORA

• 623 Person St., Tracy J. Hinman; Donna M. Hinman to Carissa Dirado; Nicholas Dirado, $169,900.

• 480 Oakwood, Judy Lee Ball; Iva A. Webster to Jefferson C. Walker II, $156,000.

• 285 North St., Debra A. Reformat to M. Bradley Rogers; Anne M. Rogers, $153,000.

• 1546 Quaker Road, BP&A Real Estate Management to David W. Janca, $128,000.

• Vacant Land/Lewis Road, Richard E. Koch; Ladonna K. Koch to Clemons Construction, $28,000.

BOSTON

• 7953 Boston State Road, Rosebud Solutions Inc. to Christie N. Rosputni, $174,000.

• 7519 Valley Circle Lane, Ann Marie Santonocito; Joseph R. Santonocito to Phyllis I. Langan, $140,000.

BUFFALO Highest price: $710,000 Average price: $105,578 Median price: $45,600 Number of Sales: 73

• 33 Chapin Parkway, Robyn Regehr to Alexander E. Gress, $710,000.

• 2207 & 2199 Elmwood Ave., Robert Mangano; Ursula Mangano to Waheeb Ali Ahmed; Waleed A. Ahmed, $500,000.

• 54 New Amsterdam Ave., Sarah A. Mahoney to Michael J. Weber, $500,000.

• 892 Main St., 892 Main Street Llc to Manley Real Estate Holdings, $485,000.

• 35 Lexington Ave., Diane D. Ivins Trust; Clinton F. Ivins Jr. Trust Agreement to Emily Santos; Todd Santos, $410,000.

• 43 Cleveland Ave., Hilkka Leone to Matthew D. Georger; Christine C. Georger, $382,450.

• 54 New Amsterdam Ave., WBF Properties VII Llc to Sarah A. Mahoney, $375,000.

• 66 Middlesex, Kevin R. Billet; Annick M. Billet to Rhea Anna; Michael Meyer, $375,000.

• 372 Hudson St., Theresa Stephan Hains to James T. Solomons, $280,000.

• 78 St. James Place, Scott F. Propeack to Andrea L. Milazzo; Joseph S. Fanara Jr., $218,000.

• 198 University Ave., Joseph D. Provenzano; Nicole L. Provenzano to Melissa D. Grimm, $180,000.

• 27 Ketchum Place, Julie Jackson-Forsberg; Eric M. Jackson-Forsberg to Joseph C. Smith, $180,000.

• 16 Cleveburn Place, Steven E. Wright to Armin Properties, $178,000.

• 137 Mariner St., Amy L. Torres; Edward O. Watts Jr. to John Laven, $167,000.

• 78 Tracy, Thomas Kobus to Albert Litto, $153,600.

• 199 Colvin Ave., Scott C. Roberts to Laura Rayner, $150,000.

• 230 Taunton, Stephen J. Duszynski to Jeffrey Young; Linda M. Young, $140,000.

• 3215 Bailey, James S. Rados to M&M Dearot Inc., $135,000.

• 47 Blantyre Ave., Lubavitch Bais to Joseph A. Granata; Cynthia W. Thomason, $130,000.

• 247 Crestwood Ave., BBB Real Properties to Katelyn M. Brickhouse, $127,000.

• 223 Virgil, Brandon J. Lutz to Matthew L. Amerosa, $124,000.

• 100 Villa Ave., Paul F. Desantis; Yadira D. Desantis to Daniel G. Fisk; Keyla G. Zintek, $112,500.

• 529 Lisbon, Harold Palmer II; Terri L. Lotempio to Fannie Mae; Mae Fannie, $91,434.

• 18 Brinton St., Ronald C. Serio to 18 Brinton Llc, $85,000.

• 47 Ripley Place, Jose R. Vega; Julia V. Vega to Eric P. Heine, $84,900.

• 150 Choate Ave., William P. Lewis; Elizabeth A. Lewis to Brian J. Bartosik, $80,000.

• 412 Winspear Ave., Winspear Properties to Lulix Llc, $79,000.

• 210 Tupper West, Andre Dortch to Jeffrey T. Bochiechio, $75,000.

• 68 Schiller St., Joshua Dubs; Lawrence P. Fumanti to HUD, $71,346.

• 663 Hopkins, ABS Enterprise to Sokolov 94 Llc, $71,000.

• 205 Lisbon Ave., Flavia J. Acevedo to Jako J. Mondal; Camielle A. Mondal, $66,000.

• 420 Riley, Glebova Realty Group to Fang Liu, $62,000.

• 38 Duerstein, OPM Niagara Llc to Zaw Hein, $56,000.

• 63 Rachel Vincent, Dato Development to M. Rogan Morton; Joseph F. Cardinal III, $55,000.

• 314 Potomac, Westend Properties of Buffalo to Kevin Helfer Sr.; Kevin Helfer Jr., $52,000.

• 309 Fargo Ave., Jesus Acosta; Anna Acosta to 307 Fargo Group Llc, $50,000.

• 253 Rosalyn, Equity Trust Company; Francis Rogoyski to Level Field Spread Llc, $45,600.

• 171 Landon, Glebova Realty Group to Sankt Pauligatan; Sven T. Tiedtke, $42,000.

• 149 Roesch, Peter Hartmann; Mary A. Hartmann to Richard Medico; Christina Medico, $35,000.

• 155 Roesch, Peter Hartmann; Mary A. Hartmann to Marissa Draksic; Mark Draksic, $35,000.

• 116 Greenwood Place, India Asplundh; Michael Morton to Morton-Werner Real Estate Income Fund, $32,900.

• 17 Okell, GJ Brewerson Llc to PCS Landholding, $32,000.

• 79 Freund, KC Buffalo Enterprises to Manderly Hill Llc, $31,000.

• 135 Roesch, Anna M. Kieser to Jure Draksic; Mark Draksic, $30,000.

• 439 Normal Ave., Charlotte Leap; Richard Leap to Bethany Wagner, $30,000.

• 317 E. Delavan Ave., Salvatore Mistretta; Rosie Mistretta to Jimmie Larke III; Carmen Wingo, $28,000.

• 680 Fulton, KC Erie Niagara Properties to Manderly Hill Llc, $28,000.

• 39 Argus, Patricia R. Schmitt; George W. Schmitt Jr. to Jeffrey A. Keitel; Jarred C. Hudson, $26,000.

• 181 15th, Maria A. Rosario to Farhana Akther, $25,500.

• 184 Congress St., Darren Wayne Priddey to Schlomo Rosenfeld, $25,000.

• 82 Newfield, Peterson Corp. to Keith Canazzi; Equity Trust Company, $25,000.

• 86 Greeley, Peterson Corp. to Kevin Seaman; Equity Trust Company, $25,000.

• 598 Tonawanda St., Steve Kovats; Elizabeth Kovats; Elizabeth C. Kovats to YS Buf Holdings, $22,500.

• 97 Huntington Ave., Terri Lewis; Carol A. Flaherty to Anthony Dillon; David M. Mueller, $18,000.

• 298 Jewett Ave., Steven P. Greene to Ajm Salek, $16,500.

• 102 Howell, Peterson Corp. to Wing Properties, $15,000.

• 251 Esser, Peterson Corp. to Wing Properties, $15,000.

• 160 Courtland, Pravin D. Suchak; Dinesh D. Suchak to KC Erie Niagara Properties, $14,000.

• 734 Prospect, Ramanico Inc. to Mohammed M.R. Salim, $14,000.

• 66 Hirschbeck, Francis W. Kaczmarek to Evelyn Owens-Hennings; Michael L. Harris, $13,500.

• 308 Florida, Kiante S. Lynch to Glebova Realty Group, $11,500.

• 124 Liddell St., Robert Folting to RPS of Western New York, $10,000.

• 222 Riverside, Peterson Corp. to KC Buffalo Enterprises, $10,000.

• 120 Gatchell St., Ron C. Lane; Cynthia L. Lane to Premier Investment Properties, $9,000.

• 291 Sumner Place, Sushil Kaur; Khazan Singh to Zabiullah Omari, $8,000.

• 886 Kensington, Mary Ann Canella; Joseph P. Canella to Anita Sanders; Enterprise Woodruff, $7,000.

• 267 Hambur, Suzanne Y. Janik; Kenneth J. Janik Sr. to Glebova Realty Group, $6,000.

• 373 Fargo, Charles Strickland to Sarah Spurlock, $5,000.

• 42 Philadelphia, Peterson Corp. to KC Buffalo Enterprises, $5,000.

• 56 Hawley, Peterson Corp. to Wing Properties, $5,000.

• 620 Fulton St., Ann Marie Lommer; Michael Lommer to Ali H. Aljamali, $5,000.

• 73 Victoria Ave., Del-Rich Properties Inc. to Mohammed Alamgir Pathwary, $5,000.

• 94 St Joseph, Richard Siuda; Eleanor Siuda to Eric Joseph, $5,000.

CHEEKTOWAGA Highest price: $295,000 Average price: $105,388 Median price: $93,500 Number of Sales: 17

• Vacant Land/Transit Road, RMF Holding Corporation to National Retail Properties, $295,000.

• 15 Harvest Lane, Judith C. Travis; Judith C. Desiderios to Kathleen Wielinski; Brian Wielinski, $174,000.

• 243 Zoerb Road, Kristie L. Slack; Kristie L. Martzolf to Andrew Smith, $132,000.

• 27 Pamela Court, Robert L. Tyler; Susan J. Tyler to Darrell E. Londos, $131,000.

• 20 Leni Llane, Thomas S. Scherer; Natalie T. Scherer to Jonathan P. Fax; Michelle B. Lafratta, $124,000.

• 47 Doyle Court, James P. Karas to Vincent L. Andolina, $119,500.

• 482 Lamark Drive, Joanna Korman to E. Kathryn Deavers, $114,000.

• 60 Ledyard Ave., Peggy A. Karp; Joseph P. Karp to Diane Brindle; Michael Brindle, $112,600.

• 14 Calderwood Drive, Kathleen Schafer; Thomas Whissel; Eugene M. Whissel to W. Scott Leuth, $93,500.

• 280 George Urban Blvd., Lorie Maciejewski; Lorie Brindle; Michael Brindle; Lorie L. Brindle to Syed Muhammed Z. Burney; Syed N.A. Burney, $78,500.

• 41 Dania Drive, Ralph Joseph Mueckl; Suzanne E. Miller to Tammy Sessanna, $77,500.

• 6386 Transit Road, Lorenz & Sons Inc. to RMF Holding Corporation, $75,000.

• 35 Southcrest Ave., CJE Holdings Inc. to Kenneth J. Costa, $69,500.

• 2 Normandy Ave., Leanne Bober to Robert Conly, $57,000.

• 271 Oehman, Sandra Lehner; Daniel F. Lehner to Stephen Cavers, $54,000.

• 188 Harvard Ave., Alexander P. Gelley; Susan A. Gelley to David Deutschlander, $49,000.

• 15 Marne Road, Anna Appleby; Nancy A. Appleby to Robert Rash, $35,500.

CLARENCE Highest price: $701,000 Average price: $279,300 Median price: $250,000 Number of Sales: 9

• 9736 Stonecliff Court, Brandon Hickey; Martha Hickey to Elizabeth Kraus; David P. Kraus, $701,000.

• 6341 Bridlewood Drive S, Audrey G. Coviello; Patrick M. Coviello to Tenzing T. Deck; Neha T. Deck, $344,900.

• 6257 Emily Court, Michael Saeli; Karen M. Saeli to Martha L. Hickey, $335,000.

• 6046 Samantha Lane, Ranch View Llc to Nancy Digiore; Daniel J. Digiore, $329,900.

• 8960 Candlewood Lane, Dennis P. Cole; Carrie A. Cole to Keith Demonstoy; Marissa Demonstoy, $250,000.

• 4148 Fireside Drive S, Deborah L. Honsberger; Deborah L. Bernd to Paul F. Desantis; Yadira D. Desantis, $190,000.

• 4551 West Overlook Drive, Clare A. Rey; Joseph C. Rey Jr. to Brandon J. Hickey Jr., $185,000.

• 8295 Ericson Drive, Marjorie L. Baker to Marcus Newhouse, $147,900.

• 8270 Tonawanda Creek Road, Jacqueline A. Kenney to Mike Wood, $30,000.

COLDEN

• 9557 Blanchard Road, Allen Kick; Allan F. Kick; Jeanne L. Kick; Jeanne F. Kick to Rasc 2005-KS2; US Bank, $107,828.

COLLINS

• 3813 Woodside Road, Kelly A. Tamberino; Paul R. Tamberino to Eileen L. Bauth; Richard K. Bauth, $181,000.

CONCORD

• 5988 Genesee Road, Dolores C. Gunsher to Colin W. Miller, $82,500.

• 9266 North St., Patricia Harshbarger; Allen Meyers; James A. Meyers; Marsha L. Smith-Solari to Marsha L. Smith-Solari, $80,000.

EDEN

• 8839 East Eden Road, Tammy S. Sessanna; Tammy S. Hecke to Brian R. Mathews, $165,000.

• 2513 North Creek Road, Daniel R. Martucci; Sandra L. Martucci to Matthew M. Kirsch; Viki L. Kirsch, $58,500.

ELMA

• 1761 Transit Road, Cindy M. Youngers; Andrew J. Youngers to Cadets Federal Credit Union, $265,000.

• 61 Summerdale Drive, Louis R. Reboy; Louis R. Reboy Sr. to Matthew M. Reboy, $185,000.

EVANS Highest price: $285,000 Average price: $130,306 Median price: $120,000 Number of Sales: 9

• 402 Lakeside Road, Anthony P. Buttino; Suzanne M. Buttino to Joseph F. Chimento; Roseanne P. Chimento, $285,000.

• 761 Lake St., Shannon M. Renaud; Derek S. Renaud to Melissa M. Tessoni, $193,000.

• 628 Seymour Terrace, Mark W. O’Connell to John R. Simet, $150,000.

• 707 Monroe Ave., Andrew R. Kulikowsky to Sean M. Vanhatten, $125,500.

• 8073 Delamater Road, Virginia E. Fennell; Virginia E. Bittinger; Richard D. Fennell Sr. to Tammy S. Barry; James A. Barry, $120,000.

• 9681 Oakgrive Drive, Venita Viapiano Wright; Dennis F. Wright to Lillian Dechellis; John D. Kary II, $117,000.

• 714 Burvch St., Scott Petrus; Tanya M. Petrus to Christopher A. Porter; Mariah E. Porter, $105,000.

• 6825 Revere Drive, Randall Gillick; Barbara A. Gillick Puskas; Thomas J. Gillick; Deanne M. Tripi; Candice D. Gillick; Candice D. Hawkins to Green Tree; US Bank, $54,758.

• 6895 Hamilton, Mellon Bank of New York; Protium Master Grantor to Brian T. Schroeder; Kristen M. Schroeder, $22,500.

GRAND ISLAND Highest price: $235,000 Average price: $167,250 Median price: $185,750 Number of Sales: 8

• 907 Carter Creek Drive, Kent D. Jayme; Jillian M. Jayme to Valery P. Sandyrev; Liya V. Lukyanchuk, $235,000.

• 141 Bradfield Drive, Benjamin J. Hoey; Barbara A. Hoey to Mark D. Hoey, $219,000.

• 3073 Stony Point Road, Bonnie J. Beam; Kenneth R. Beam Jr. to Joseph E. Winski, $217,500.

• 285 White Oak Lane, Edward O. Watts; Lydia T. Watts to Jerry W. Vereeke, $211,500.

• 3410 Stony Point Road, Paul C. Reger to Charles E. Jones; Michelle R. Jones, $160,000.

• 3344 Wallace Drive, Joseph A. Mondoux; Nicole M. Mondoux to Marcia A. Hagerty, $121,000.

• 1942 Broadway, Paul Gast; Dana Gast to Luis Ezquerro; Regina M. Guenther, $114,000.

• 145 Sturbridge Lane, New England Estates of Grand Island to Ryan Homes of New York; Nvr Inc., $60,000.

HAMBURG Highest price: $380,000 Average price: $150,000 Median price: $132,000 Number of Sales: 22

• 4592 Winding Woods Lane, Gwen Conway; Michael Conway to Brett T. Baker; Lynette M. Baker, $380,000.

• 2150 Shadow Lane, Ryan Homes of New York; Nvr Inc. to Holly L. Amodeo; Michael L. Amodeo, $360,920.

• 1446 Evergreen Drive, Eddy & Lewin Homes Inc. to Daniel J. Schmitt; Jessica A. Schmitt, $220,204.

• 5665 Southwestern Blvd., Villas At Brierwood Llc to Kathleen M. Pack; Michael T. Pack, $209,900.

• 4231-4233 Sowles Road, Philip J. McConkey; Deborah J. Angell to Steven D. Daly; Donna M. Daly, $204,000.

• 3376 South Creek Road, Shirley A. Beale to Rosemary Dippert, $181,500.

• 4674 Newton Road, Julie Salem; Corey Salem; Francis A. Salem; Carter G. Salem III to Mary Anne Goodheart, $170,000.

• 5056 McKinley Parkway, James R. Brown; Karen J. Brown; Susan B. Stanton; Kathlyn A. Edwards; Rosanne L. Radigan; Roberta L. Wicinski to Patrick N. Marsillo Jr., $155,000.

• 236 George St., Robert C. Waterfield; Darlene M. Waterfield to Darlene K. Marilla; John W. Marilla Jr., $144,900.

• 2229 Hobblebush Lane, Marissa Russo; Marissa Dahn; David S. Russo to Brandon Farrell; Rebecca Simon, $143,000.

• 5191 Briercliff Drive, Michael R. Solly; Barbarfa A. Solly; Barbara A. Bednarek to Patrice Truskey; James M. Truskey, $134,000.

• 164 Oak Hill Drive, Amy N. Brodfuehrer; David A. Brodfuehrer to Emmy S. Fahey; Joseph C. Joy, $130,000.

• 3041 Ansdell Road, Diarmuid P. Flanagan to Joann Mohler; Michael Mohler, $130,000.

• 5000 Morgan Parkway, Scott May; Mary E. Giallanza; Scott P. Mayh to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, $129,166.

• 5717 Lakeview Terrace, Roy E. Campbell; Dorothy A. Campbell to Jeffrey S. Lewis Jr., $110,000.

• 4283 Elmwood Ave., Joseph Grajeda; Esther Grajeda to Bernadine Almasi; Zoltan R. Almasi; Zoltan R. Almasi Jr., $100,350.

• 5035 Morgan Parkway, Roxann Ferazzoli to Kristine M. Koerner, $100,170.

• 83 Pine St., Nancy M. Ranic; Nancy M. Clark; Harold T. Clark to Kelly A. Tamberino; Paul R. Tamberino, $99,900.

• 63 South Lake St., Scott R. Redmon to Travis A. Czerwonka; Thomas A. Czerwonka, $87,000.

• 4838 Lake Ave., Emily Hallden to Anthony Bernardi, $55,000.

• 5383 Bayview Road, Darlene K. Marilla; John W. Marilla Jr. to Barbara Sarick; Francis Sarick, $45,000.

• 38 Scooter Circle, Country Meadows Llc to Bernadette Knighton; Bryan A. Knighton, $10,000.

HOLLAND

• 205 Capitol Heights, Nicholas G. Ruchser to Yue Song, $135,000.

LACKAWANNA

• 63 Baker Court, Maureen T. Druzbik; Joseph P. Garvin to Patrick F. Gorman Jr., $121,000.

• 361 South Shore Blvd., Robert Cintron; Benjamin Cintron; Michael Cintron; Thomas J. Gaffney; William Cintron; Susan Sullivan to Frances Gadomski, $60,000.

• 58 Myrtle Ave., Sadeq Ahmed to Priyanka Chugh; Pankaj Chugh, $60,000.

• 60 Sharon Parkway, Magdalena Viterna; Stephen G. Gelle to Gerald W. Biles, $46,900.

LANCASTER Highest price: $365,000 Average price: $124,451 Median price: $130,000 Number of Sales: 22

• 32 Worthington Lane, Windsor Ridge Partners to Peter F. Nawojski, $365,000.

• 640 Aurora St., James M. Brundage; Joanne P. Giordano; Joanne P. Brundage to Kevin E. Vandermeid; Jamie R. Vandermeid, $315,000.

• 15 Ryan St., Kevin E. Vandermeid; Jamie R. Vandermeid; Jamie R. Miranda to Jason W. Godios; Paulette M. Godios, $230,000.

• 37 Grafton Court, Ann Marie Kornacki Delzer; Ann Marie Kornacki; Robert M. Kornacki to William L. Travis; Judith C. Travis, $221,160.

• 21 Cumberland St., Marrano/Marc Equity Corporation to Paul Debergalis; Laura M. Debergalis, $215,370.

• 581 Aurora St., Mary Ann Metzgar to Ian W. Jenney; Jenna M. Jenney, $200,000.

• 40 Pleasant View, Linda Kinal; Linda Grzybek; David J. Grzybek Sr. to Mary Virginia O’Brien; Michael D. Basinski, $170,000.

• 6 Transit Blvd., Betty Ann Bosworth to David J. Grzybek; Linda M. Grzybek, $166,000.

• 38 Bottimer St., Anne Antes; Robert L. Antes to Ronald P. Mantz, $152,000.

• 33 Milton Drive, Edward H. Kusmierczyk; Georgia R. Kusmierczyk to Scott C. Grant, $150,000.

• 38 Lombardy St., Carol Ann Beckman; Robert G. Beckman to Allison Monaco; John Santora III, $140,000.

• 14 Antoinette Drive, Michael A. Sedia to Joseph C. Sedia, $120,000.

• 90 Irwinwood, Bernadetto Papili; Bernadette Magiera; Filomena Papili; Michael Papili to Jonathan M. Berent; Kira N. Ceppaglia, $113,000.

• 9 Silent Meadow, DJC Land Development to Sharon L. Norton, $58,500.

• 36 Muskingum St., Michael P. Darcy to Raymond J. Enser, $40,000.

• 48 Crane St., Larry Rawa to LR Property; David R. Lambert, $30,000.

• Vacant Land/Mohawk Place, Abadon Revocable Trust to Kenneth J. Sielski; Jamie L. Johnson, $14,000.

• Vacant Land/Mohawk Place, Abadon Revocable Trust to Craig M. Pauline, $8,410.

• Vacant Land/Mohawk Place, Abadon Revocable Trust to Eleni Tshulos; Nicholas Tshulos, $8,200.

• Vacant Land/Mohawk Place, Abadon Revocable Trust to Jennifer Glenn; Eric B. Glenn, $7,990.

• Vacant Land/Mohawk Place, Abadon Revocable Trust to Laura Szefel; Joseph S. Szefel, $7,000.

• Vacant Land/Mohawk Place, Abadon Revocable Trust to Patrick Shafer; Sarah Shafer, $6,300.

MARILLA

• 12881 Bullis Road, Maria Bliemeister; Jacob A. Bliemeister to Lynn Fox; Brock Fox, $193,000.

• Four Rod Road, Patrick Francabandiero; Patrick M. Francabandiero to Joseph Knarr, $30,000.

NEWSTEAD

• 12143 Nice Road, Shannon M. Thompson; Shannon M. Connors to Allison Stoll; Aaron Stoll, $248,800.

• Vacant Land/Cedar St., Nancy E. Peters to Tammy Fox, $60,000.

ORCHARD PARK

• 66 Hilltowne Drive, Ryan Homes of New York; Nvr Inc. to Jason S. Winkelman; Jessica L. Winkelman, $333,035.

• 6437 Milestrip Road, Elaine M. Widmer to Anthony Dibiase, $140,000.

• 31 Woodhaven Road, Richard D. Hallett to Esther M. Hallett; William J. Hallett; Richard D. Hallett, $139,000.

• Vacant Land/63 Hilltowne Drive, Hilltowne Estates to Ryan Homes of New York; Nvr Inc., $88,000.

• 4631 Abbott Road, Kathleen Breault to Karl Kofod, $35,000.

CITY OF TONAWANDA

• 155 Minerva St., Kariann Kiener; Thomas J. Kiener to Thomas D. Neff Jr., $132,000.

• 79 Frederick Road, John R. Krywcun to Richard T. Tice, $86,500.

• 137 Delton St., Lore Hoffman; Werner Hoffman to Holly A. Milewski, $86,000.

• 78 Cranbrook Road, Christopher F. Zmuda to Charlene Thomas, $84,000.

• 245 Main St., Clara Garrity; Douglas J. Garrity to Timothy S. Wrazin; Heather M. Wrazin, $35,000.

TOWN OF TONAWANDA Highest price: $282,520 Average price: $124,104 Median price: $116,000 Number of Sales: 22

• 2355 Elmwood Ave., Leemilts Petroleum Inc. to Hari Bhumi Corporation, $282,520.

• 40 Allegany Ave., Douglas P. Leising to Christopher J. Kacala; Kristin K. Bentley, $180,246.

• 335 Clark St., Brian E. Webb to Michael R. Brynildsen, $156,000.

• 111 Palmer Ave., Allison F. Stoll; Aaron D. Stoll to Jason D. Walker; Titeca M. Walker, $138,600.

• 4 Kingsbury Lane, Joanne M. Janish to Azhar Gill, $135,000.

• 224 Dexter Terrace, Derek McGee to Stephen M. Kniery; Julie M. Kniery, $132,000.

• 48 Wendover Ave., Jason A. Kocot; Valeri A. Notto; Valerie A. Kocot to Jennifer Simpson, $128,500.

• 195 Delaware Road, Kristine L. Stoklosa-Bshara; Kristine L. Stoklosa to Brandy L. Vandermark-Murray; Matthew D. Murray, $123,711.

• 274 Orchard Drive, Marilyn Demarchis; Anthony J. Demarchis to Joel W. Nelson; Melissa G. Gebauer, $122,000.

• 480 Zimmerman Blvd., Robert D. Dinunzio to Sarya Abihabib; Elias A. Mansour Jr., $117,200.

• 128 Woodward Ave., Charles E. Jones; Michelle R. Jones to Megan Notaro; Derek A. Notaro, $116,000.

• 82 Lowell Road, Thomas M. Bishop to Susan M. Dicenso, $116,000.

• 161 Fairfield Ave., Susan Gregory to Matthew V. Donatelli; Rachael J. Donatelli, $114,900.

• 674 Fries Road, Nancy Molyneux to Christopher G. Bellegia; Rachel J. Bellegia, $113,000.

• 119 Harrison Ave., Francesco M. Germano; Judith A. Germano to Michael Labelle, $110,000.

• 80 Enola Ave., Elizabeth A. Metzen to Beth A. Holleran, $106,000.

• 25 Kenton Road, Amy L. Blake; Richard J. Blake to Carolyn R. Frandina, $105,000.

• 61 Hoover Ave., Dawn M. Krupczyk; Dawn M. Core to Patricia R. Grabowski, $105,000.

• 304 Wabash, Leonard J. Thornton to Corey Berger, $100,700.

• 95 Koenig Road, Norman C. Bedient; Norma Bedient to Antonio Capaccio, $84,000.

• 281 Parkhurst Blvd., Michael J. Johnson; Rebecca A. Bylewski to State of New York Mortgage Agency, $76,017.

• 405 Westgate Road, Julie Atti Rogers; Jay A. Joslyn to State of New York Mortgage Agency, $67,905.

WEST SENECA Highest price: $288,779 Average price: $143,962 Median price: $114,000 Number of Sales: 10

• 96 Chancellor Lane, Marrano/Marc Equity Corporation to Elizabeth A. Zogaria, $288,779.

• 135 Chancellor Lane, Marrano/Marc Equity Corporation to Valerie L. Andrews; Eric E. Andrews, $251,340.

• 20 Sunset Creek Drive, Tracy L. Dominiak; Brian J. Dominiak to Bruce H. Gibson; Melinda L. Gibson, $215,000.

• 3648 Seneca St., Christine A. Blonski; Richard A. Blonski; Patricia L. Blonski to Craig Horner, $125,000.

• 91 Theresa Court, Kim A. Dahn to Samantha J. Wurstner, $123,000.

• 73 Ludwig Ave., Laura Pieprzny; Leocadia Pieprzny; John Pieprzny to Daniel L. Nowak; Sarah A. Nowak, $105,000.

• 52 Singer Drive, Kuei-Hsiang Mu; Mei Lin Jan; Ying-Yeh Mu; Shih-Yuan Mu to Nicholas D. Chojecki; Denice M. Chojecki, $100,500.

• 32 Collins, Mary R. Szczesny; John F. Garvey; Judith A. Bondanza; James J. Garvey Jr. to Karen Reichert, $98,000.

• 231 Chamberlin Drive, Laura Tirone; Linda Huber; Paul J. Huber to Michael S. Maciejewski, $88,000.

• 940 Reserve Road, Dante Pacella; Angeline Pacella to Jozefa Sajecki; Stanislaw R. Sajecki, $45,000.

Musician Jon Bon Jovi is interested in buying the Buffalo Bills, according to a report from CBS Sports.

According to this morning’s report, the rock star has spent considerable time in the area as well as in “getting to know politicians and power brokers” and has ties to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the group that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and that is a significant player in the Toronto region.

While the future of the Bills after owner Ralph Wilson dies remains a subject of speculation, CBS reported that “...sources said Bon Jovi is aiming to be the principal owner - [though] it remains to be seen if he has the type of immense capital necessary to meet that threshold of ownership - and has aligned himself with several power brokers in his effort to turn his dream into reality.”

But the report also notes that league sources say Rogers Communications, a media conglomerate worth billions, is the “prime suitor” for the franchise.

The Bills already have a deal with Rogers Communications and have been playing games in Toronto since 2008. This year’s game at Rogers Centre is next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Bon Jovi, a 51-year-old New Jersey native, was part of a group that founded an Arena Football League franchise in Philadelphia in 2004.

A 2009 blog post on the New York Times’ The Fifth Down blog described Bon Jovi as a longtime New York Giants fan and a season-ticket holder.

At the time, he indicated he would be interested in exploring ownership of an NFL team.

“Yeah, why do you think I’m getting this education?” he told The Fifth Down blog about his Arena League experience.

The Bills issued a statement this afternoon through a spokesperson:

“Pro Football Hall of Fame member Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. is the founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills franchise. The organization does not respond to reports of the interest other parties may have in ownership of the franchise or of speculation concerning various groups that may have such interest.”



email: abesecker@buffnews.com

It begins with the rape of a 15-year-old girl in the home of a prominent member of the community.

A judge intercedes on behalf of the rape victim and is later admonished by his superiors for overstepping his authority.

After that, secret tapes are made of closed-door school board meetings.

A mysterious blogger spouts angry opinions on the Internet.

Next, there are accusations of blackmail and of a major cover-up of drug activity among high school students.

Vengeance, threats, lawsuits and finger-pointing.

This may sound like the plot to a sleazy novel or TV soap opera, but they are elements of a drama unfolding in the Hamburg Central School District.

In recent months, the people involved have essentially settled into two camps.

One is headed by Sally Stephenson, a veteran of Hamburg politics who is now vice president of the School Board.

The other camp is composed of her critics, who accuse Stephenson of joining the School Board to carry out a vendetta against the district because one of her daughters was fired from a Hamburg teaching job.

Stephenson said she sought and won election to the School Board so she can fight for quality education. She said she also wants to shine a spotlight on some of the district’s problems, including what she calls a “huge” student drug problem that school administrators and Hamburg police are covering up.

The other camp is led by attorney Daniel J. Chiacchia and businessman Edward Piazza. They head a group of taxpayers and parents trying to get the state Education Department to investigate Hamburg Schools and have Stephenson and two of her allies thrown off the School Board.

Chiacchia’s critics claim that he, too, is driven by vengeance, after a state judicial panel, acting on a complaint from Stephenson, admonished his law partner for acting improperly on behalf of the teenage rape victim.

The Buffalo News interviewed 42 people for this story, including all of the major players. At least 10 of those interviewed – mostly teachers and parents – spoke only on the condition of anonymity, saying they feared retribution on them or their children from others in more powerful positions. What becomes clear after these interviews is that the resulting turmoil has created a deep rift in this suburb that prides itself on being a safe and quiet community.

Lawsuits, complaints of alleged human rights abuses, heated public debates and calls to the police are all part of the story in this stormy district comprised of six schools, nearly 3,800 students and 548 full-time employees.

Some are saying it has to end, but how?

“We’ve got to stop this war,” School Board President David M. Yoviene pleaded with colleagues during a particularly nasty meeting earlier this month.

There are few signs that a truce is in the works.

***

The rape

The war in the Hamburg schools can be traced to an underage drinking party nearly five years ago that was held in Holly A. Balaya’s home and where a 15-year-old girl was raped.

Balaya, now a School Board member, is one of Sally Stephenson’s three daughters.

Balaya said she and her husband went out the night of Jan. 31, 2009 and hired a 19-year-old baby sitter to watch their six children.

When Balaya and her husband returned home around midnight, she said they were upset when they realized her teenage daughter had thrown a party for friends. But she said she didn’t find empty beer cans until the next morning.

“There were 15 kids in my daughter’s room when we got home. They were playing video games,” Balaya said.

Rather than sending the teens home at such a late hour, she said she and her husband allowed them to stay overnight at their home on Pierce Avenue.

Early on the morning of Feb. 1, while Balaya and her husband were downstairs, watching television reruns of the “General Hospital” soap opera, a 15-year-old friend of their daughter was offered drugs and then raped in an upstairs bedroom, according to police.

Clarence Justice, Balaya’s 35-year-old brother-in-law at the time, was later charged and convicted of the rape. Justice was living with the Balayas at the time because his marriage to Balaya’s sister, Courtney Stephenson Justice, was breaking up.

The victim, a student at Hamburg High School, said she told some of her friends – including Balaya’s daughter – about the rape that morning. But she did not report it to police until a day later, after school officials caught her with drugs at the high school.

Police said they and Erie County prosecutors did not charge Justice with rape until four months later, after waiting for results of DNA tests that found traces of Justice’s semen on the victim’s underwear.

Justice refused to submit to any questions from police, refused to voluntarily give blood or DNA samples and refused to take a plea deal.

***

The trial

With support from Holly Balaya and other family members, Justice insisted on going to trial and making the teenager take the witness stand.

“Even after this overwhelming DNA evidence came in, Clarence Justice and his family decided to put our daughter through the ordeal of a trial,” the victim’s mother told The News in an interview. “I think that’s disgusting.”

She said her daughter had to take a nauseating cocktail of AIDS-fighting drugs for a week after the rape because of Justice’s refusal to voluntarily give a blood sample. Authorities later obtained a DNA sample from him.

And when the case went to a jury trial in July 2010, members and friends of the Stephenson family repeatedly harassed her, the rape victim told The News.

The victim, now a college student, said members and friends of the Stephenson family “sat right in the middle of the front row, staring me down,” and State Supreme Court Judge John L. Michalski directed them to move to a different part of the courtroom.

During a break in the trial, the rape victim said, two Stephenson daughters, Lindsey and Courtney, sat right next to her in a hallway, even though plenty of other seats were available.

“The prosecutor asked them to move, and they refused,” the victim’s father recalled. “They only moved after the prosecutor threatened to go and get a court deputy.”

And after the jury convicted Justice of felony rape and a felony criminal sex act, Martha Kavanaugh, a Hamburg teacher and close friend of the Stephensons, glared at her in the courtroom, twice mouthed the word “LIAR” and then flashed her middle finger at her, the victim told The News.

Members of the Stephenson family, Kavanaugh and Kavanaugh’s attorney vehemently denied those allegations in interviews with The News.

“That is a preposterous allegation. It didn’t happen,” attorney Robert L. Boreanaz said. “If the allegation had any credibility, the district attorney’s office would have taken some action. They have not and never did.”

When an attorney for the victim raised the allegation, Boreanaz said, he reviewed the court transcripts and found no evidence of intimidation. He also said he reviewed a videotape of the hallway outside the courtroom.

“The DA’s office had access to all of this as well. If the DA thought there was any credibility to one of their witnesses being intimidated, I have no doubt they would have taken action, but they didn’t take any action whatsoever,” Boreanaz said.

Court officials told The News that the videotape from the hall no longer exists, as the tapes are routinely erased after a few months.

But Kavanaugh, Balaya and Sally Stephenson said – despite the DNA evidence – they are convinced that Justice is innocent and wrongly convicted. Kavanaugh called the trial “a farce.”

“As I sit here today,” Balaya said, “I absolutely do not think he did this.”

Capt. Michael Melisz of the Hamburg village police disagreed, saying the DNA evidence found in the victim’s underpants showed that the probability that Justice had sex with the 15-year-old was “about a billion to one.”

Even if Justice claimed the sex was consensual – and Justice made no such claim, because he never gave any statement and never testified – it would still be rape, because the legal age of consent in New York is 17, Melisz said.

***

The village judge

In the early stages of the rape case, Justice was arraigned before Andrew P. Fleming, the village of Hamburg’s part-time judge, and the case was soon after referred to State Supreme Court.

Fleming is a longtime friend of the rape victim’s family.

So after the rape case was transferred to state court, Fleming – as part of his private law practice – acted on behalf of the rape victim and her family.

He spoke several times in 2010 with a prosecutor, Judge John L. Michalski and the victim’s family about the alleged harassment of the rape victim, according to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct.

And soon after the trial, in late July 2010, Fleming sent a letter to Lindsey Stephenson and Martha Kavanaugh, stating that he represented the victim’s family and threatened a lawsuit.

In the letter, Fleming demanded that Kavanaugh, Lindsey Stephenson and others associated with the Stephenson family “cease and desist” any further harassment of the victim. Fleming also sent a copy of the letter to Hamburg School District officials.

Sally Stephenson said she is convinced that the judge’s letter is the reason her daughter was fired from her teaching job in late 2010.

Earlier this year, Stephenson filed a complaint against Fleming with the state judicial commission. Lindsey Stephenson and Kavanaugh also sued him and his law partner Chiacchia in 2011, claiming the attorneys had slandered them in his letter.

After an investigation, the judicial commission in September admonished Fleming. Admonishment is the least severe punitive action the commission can take against a judge.

Even if Fleming was “motivated by a sincere desire to help the young victim of a crime,” ethical regulations prevented him from acting as the girl’s advocate as an attorney, the commission said. The commission noted that Fleming received no money from the rape victim’s family and that he has “acknowledged the impropriety of his conduct” and promised to avoid such situations in the future.

“I made the complaint against Andy Fleming. Chiacchia blames me for his admonishment,” Sally Stephenson told The News. “That’s why Chiacchia is going after me now.”

That is not true, Chiacchia said.

He said he got involved in the fight against Stephenson and her allies because Stephenson “has a personal vendetta” against the district and has been flooding the district with lawsuits, complaints and freedom of information requests.

Fleming said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the situation because he is a judge.

Last week, Stephenson said she recently filed a second complaint against Fleming with the judicial commission, regarding another aspect of his involvement in the district.

As for the rape victim and her parents, they said they were upset when Fleming was admonished.

“These people put my daughter through hell, and all Andy Fleming did was stand up for her as a decent human being,” the victim’s father said. “Andy did the right thing and got punished for it.”

***

The firing

Lindsey Stephenson is a graduate of Columbia University and the University of Michigan, and she served on the school district curriculum commission in Manatee County, Fla.

After finishing her first probationary year as a teacher at Hamburg, she was fired.

She was accused of going into Kavanaugh’s economics class in June 2010 and berating the students while defending Kavanaugh’s academic integrity and the second-quarter grades Kavanaugh had given them. Students and their parents had complained about the grades and the principal had raised them – against Kavanaugh’s objections. Kavanaugh was removed from teaching the class soon after the grading incident.

Lindsey Stephenson in the spring of 2010 had received a notice that she would be laid off, one of about a dozen teachers losing their jobs in a cost-cutting move.

But during the summer, following her brother-in-law’s rape trial, she received from Fleming the “cease and desist” letter concerning the rape victim. The letter was dated July 27, 2010, and Fleming also sent a copy to a school board member.

A day later, July 28, district officials notified her that she would be fired instead of laid off.

The school board discussed her dismissal during a closed executive session on Sept. 21, 2010, and then fired her during the open meeting that night.

Stephenson appealed to state Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. The appeal was dismissed because it was not filed on time.

But in his dismissal, King noted the district’s concern over her speaking to Kavanaugh’s class.

“Generally, a board of education has the unfettered right to terminate a probationary teacher ... for any reason,” he wrote in his decision, unless she was fired for a constitutionally impermissible reason or in violation of the law.

***

Secret tape

After Lindsey Stephenson was fired, a tape recording of the executive session from the Sept. 21, 2010 school board discussing her dismissal was distributed widely in the district.

The copies were delivered anonymously to several community members, and no one claims credit for it.

Sally Stephenson, who was not a member of the school board at that time, said the tape mysteriously appeared in her mail box Sept. 22, 2010, the day after the executive meeting.

Soon after, others reported they, too, had received a recording under similar circumstances.

On the tape, board members are heard discussing “what Andy Fleming did” and the incident of Lindsey Stephenson addressing Kavanaugh’s class in June.

Sally Stephenson and her supporters say the secret conversation proves her daughter was wrongfully fired.

The previous Hamburg School Board and several current and former staff and board members have sued Sally and Lindsey Stephenson and Kavanaugh, claiming they are responsible for the secret taping of the executive session and distribution of the recording.

The three women deny they taped the meeting, and when the new School Board majority was elected earlier this year, it voted to discontinue the district’s involvement in the lawsuit.

***

Elections

Holly Balaya was elected to the Hamburg School Board in 2011, after the conviction of her brother-in-law and after her sister was fired.

Her mother, Sally Stephenson, was elected in 2012. And together, they formed a bloc of two.

But control of the seven-member School Board flipped dramatically this year with the election of David Yoviene, Catherine Schrauth Forcucci and Laura Heeter.

The newly elected board members plus Stephenson and Balaya made dramatic decisions in their first meeting in July.

All five voted to hire a new lawyer for the school district and to remove the district from the lawsuit against Sally and Lindsey Stephenson and Kavanaugh. Four - a majority - voted to place the outgoing superintendent on administrative leave until his retirement.

The bloc has splintered since then, with Schrauth Forcucci remaining steadfast in voting with Stephenson, while Yoviene and Heeter have not.

Control of the board is important, because the board is expected to appoint a new superintendent in March.

Chiacchia last week made a formal appeal to the state education commissioner to remove Stephenson and Balaya for conflict of interest. Should one of them be removed or replaced, control of the board could flip again.

***

Allegations of cover-up

During an interview of more than five hours with The News, Balaya, Stephenson, Kavanaugh and Schrauth Forcucci repeatedly claimed a major drug problem exists in the Hamburg Middle and High schools.

They claimed that the district has done little to attack the problems and also claimed that police and school administrators are covering up the problem.

According to Kavanaugh, she and several other teachers in recent years have been transferred to other schools, or punished in other ways, after they claimed the district wasn’t doing enough about drugs.

“I’ve told the administrators for years that there’s a drug problem at Hamburg High School. They refused to do anything about it, and the police did nothing about it,” Balaya said.

Balaya and Stevenson said several incidents involving students possessing drugs have been covered up.

Acting Superintendent Richard E. Jetter acknowledged drug incidents in the schools, but he denied that they are covered up.

He also maintained that Hamburg’s drug problems are no worse than in other local school districts. He noted that the district sponsored a drug information session for parents Nov. 13.

Melisz, the Hamburg police captain, said the cover-up claim “doesn’t sound legitimate to me,” adding that Hamburg officers do not cover up drug incidents in the schools.

In response to a freedom of information request from The News, he provided reports on eight drug incidents involving high school students dating to 2010.

Five of the incidents involved students caught smoking pot on school buses, in restrooms, locker rooms or outside the high school.

***

Claims of intimidation

Martha Kavanaugh has become a lightning rod for much of the controversy in the Hamburg schools.

Her trouble with the district started with the allegations of harassment at the rape trial, according to her attorney, Boreanaz.

“From that point, Martha has been diligent to try and defend her record of being an outstanding educator,” he said, adding that “challenging people’s outlandish claims are defensive acts, not acts of threats or intimidation.”

But five people – teachers, parents and a former student – told The News that Kavanaugh intimidates them and they or their colleagues are afraid to stand up to her.

Those who have done so have received nasty emails and been stared at by Kavanaugh as they move through the school, they said. Or they are the subject of internal charges of harassment.

Since 2010, Kavanaugh has filed 17 grievances and nine harassment complaints against the district, including four complaints with the state Division of Human Rights. Some complaints are about staff members, others refer to parents and students.

Several of Kavanaugh’s complaints are pending, several were not pursued beyond the building level and some were withdrawn. So far only one of her complaints has been resolved in her favor, according to district officials.

“I’ve watched my colleagues go through hell and back,” one teacher said of their dealings with Kavanaugh. “I’m scared to death to have my life tied up in knots.”

“We’ve gone to the union, and they said it’s something the district has to do. We’ve gone to the district, and they said it’s something the union has to do,” another teacher said.

One teacher told The News she thought Kavanaugh was being treated unfairly.

One mother, who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution, said that a school official warned her that the district could not guarantee that her daughter wouldn’t be bullied by Kavanaugh after her child posted on a Buffalo News story a comment referring to Kavanaugh.

“My hope and prayer is that nobody else gets a call,” the mother said.

The Stephenson family and supporters of Kavanaugh are outraged a district official would make such an accusation. They said this and other false allegations are part of a vicious, systematic attempt to ruin Kavanaugh’s reputation and livelihood for speaking out.

They also said she has been harassed and threatened.

Kavanaugh has been out on sick leave since Oct. 17, due to stress, she said.

***

The parents’ group

The parents group got started this fall as the controversy swirling in Hamburg appeared to grow.

So far, the group has held three public meetings: Oct. 3 at the Erie 1 BOCES offices in West Seneca, Oct. 17 at the Hamburg Fairgrounds, and Nov. 12 in a church hall in Boston, which is part of the district.

Ed Piazza is one of five parents and taxpayers who founded the group, known as Hamburg Education Information.

Piazza and other members said their goal is to improve education in the district.

“If decisions in the district were being made properly and ethically, there would be no need for this group,” said Christina Whipple, vice president of the district’s Parent Teacher Student Association.

More than 200 people showed up at the group’s most recent meeting, Nov. 12. Leaders of the group accused Stephenson, Balaya and Schrauth Forcucci of several violations of district policies and the code of ethics. They demanded the resignations of the three.

While that is an unusually large number of people for such a community meeting, critics of the parents’ group point out that the vast majority of district taxpayers did not attend. About 28,000 people live in the school district.

Balaya accuses Chiacchia, the parents’ group most vocal member, of carrying out a vendetta against her family and trying to blackmail her.

According to Balaya, Chiacchia sent her a series of text messages on Oct. 16, threatening that he would publicly expose the facts of the Clarence Justice rape case if she could not get her mother to resign from the School Board. She said Chiacchia also demanded that Lindsey Stephenson and Kavanaugh drop a lawsuit they have pending against Chiacchia and his law partner Fleming.

“He said he was going to bring up the rape in public if I did not broker that deal,” Balaya said.

She characterized Chiacchia’s actions as “bribery ... coercion ... blackmail.”

Her mother did not resign nor drop her suit. And Chiacchia talked in detail about the rape case the next night, on Oct. 17, at a public meeting of the parents’ group at the Grange building on the Erie County Fairgrounds.

During an interview, Chiacchia did not dispute the series of text messages with Balaya, but he said the texts were part of many long discussions he has had with Balaya.

“These were negotiations, not blackmail,” Chiacchia said.

But Chiacchia makes no secret of his dislike for Stephenson.

“They keep saying this is a witch hunt,” he said. “We know who the witch is. We have her in our cross hairs.”

***

The future

Despite all the controversy surrounding the Hamburg School District during the past three years, its students perform well on the state’s standardized tests. The district has featured a pre-kindergarten program for 45 years. It has its own emergency medical technician program. The high school has a Finance Academy, where students gain business skills and run their own credit union.

Eighty-six percent of the high school’s 2013 graduates said they intended to attend college.

While he said he is proud of the district’s accomplishments, Interim Superintendent Jetter admitted that the drama and infighting can be frustrating.

“If I didn’t have this layer of chaos, I could go home and have dinner with my family at night,” he said.

And yet the Hamburg School Board has some very important issues on its plate.

Board members are starting work on the budget for the next school year, and they are also cooperating with an audit by the State Comptroller’s office.

Last month, the board hired a consultant to help them search for a new superintendent, and some who live in the district worry that all the turmoil will discourage top-notch people from applying.

And during one recent meeting, Hamburg officials discussed a new proposal for allowing some Buffalo Schools students to transfer there next year because of all the problems in the city’s public schools.

“Shouldn’t we get our house in order first?” one parent asked.

email: bobrien@buffnews.com and dherbeck@buffnews.com

The Buffalo School District is taking disciplinary action against a veteran elementary teacher from BUILD Academy who sent a note home with all her students last week complaining that several of her prekindergarteners were coming to school wearing dirty clothes and smelling bad.

In a handwritten letter titled “URGENT NOTICE!!!”, pre-K teacher Sharon D. Perry Dunnigan asked all parents to address the cleanliness issue, saying, “It is a health and safety concern. It also makes it difficult for me to be close to them or even want to touch them. Enough said.”

School Board members and parents said they are upset and troubled that a teacher would choose to deal with a matter involving a few students in such a broad and shaming manner. The letter was not only sent out to all parents, but also required that it be returned to her with the signatures of parents and their 3- and 4-year-old children.

Board members discussed the matter in a closed session during Wednesday’s committee meetings and were unanimous in their agreement that the teacher handled the matter poorly and said she should face more than a minor verbal reprimand.

“I was stunned to see a note that was to all parents when it was not all children in the class that are involved in the situation,” said board member Mary Ruth Kapsiak, who once supervised elementary teachers at BUILD.

“Everybody on the board was appalled by that, everybody,” said board member James Sampson. “We’re very concerned about what this communicates to little kids and to families.”

The district had discussed placing a counseling letter in the teacher’s personnel file, indicating that an administrator spoke with the teacher about the inappropriateness of her actions, but some board members and parents said they encouraged the district to take further action, such as requiring the teacher to receive further training and issue parents an apology.

“Sending that letter home to all parents is offensive and almost shows a contempt for the children,” said Samuel Radford III, president of the District Parent Coordinating Council. “As opposed to judging them, condemning them, make an effort to address the underlying problem. That would be most helpful to the parent, most helpful to the student, and most helpful to the district.”

Parent offers to diffuse the situation by soliciting donations for uniforms worn at BUILD, offering to wash dirty clothes and suggesting hygiene lesson plans were rebuffed by the teacher, said Denise Glenn, the school’s parent facilitator, who met with the teacher last Friday, the day after the letter was sent home.

“She said, ‘What do you want me to do, apologize? I’m not going to apologize because I got my point across,’ ” Glenn recalled.

Dunnigan has taught elementary students in the Buffalo system for nearly 30 years, The Buffalo News determined. She did not return a message seeking comment Thursday afternoon and did not teach at school Thursday or Friday.

While hygiene and child welfare issues like this are regularly confronted and addressed by teachers in the district, they often involve assistance from a school nurse or social worker and/or a personal call home to the parents of the affected children.

“Our schools have the support of social workers, school counselors, nurses and external support services ready to help families and lend aid to teachers,” said Will Keresztes, the district’s chief of student support. “Buffalo teachers regularly and faithfully make use of these resources to assist children and families in our district.”

Superintendent Pamela Brown also stated that the district should show respect for all children and families.

In this case, however, parents said they are not only upset and angry at Dunnigan’s unsanctioned approach to the matter but questioned whether the teacher’s letter is indicative of a larger culture of insensitivity and dismissiveness toward parents within some of the district’s more troubled schools.

At BUILD Academy, 20 percent of parents have submitted applications to have their children transferred out of the school, the most requests of any elementary school in the district.

Dunnigan’s actions only exacerbate the matter and will lead to more transfer requests, parents said.

When The News broke this story on its School Zone blog Wednesday, some posted comments defending the teacher and blaming parents who are sending their children to school unclean. Many others said the way the teacher handled the matter was wrong.

“When you read this, how do you feel?” said Bryon McIntyre, vice president of the parents council, who alerted the district to Dunnigan’s letter. “You can’t tell me that if a teacher had written that to a parent in Williamsville, that teacher wouldn’t have been rode out of the district on a rail.”

He added that one child came home with the letter last Thursday and asked her grandmother if she smelled bad.

“A couple of parents wanted to lay hands on her,” McIntyre said. “We’ve been working hard to keep this thing contained and let them know this is not how things are done.”

Aside from a letter in her personnel file and possibly other disciplinary actions, board members and parents said Dunnigan will not be allowed to send home letters to parents that are not first approved by the principal.

email: stan@buffnews.com

The Buffalo History Museum’s “Train Day,” which includes a giant model train layout as well as train crafts, artifact scavenger hunts and face-painting, will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday.

Admission for museum members is free; the cost for nonmembers is $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and students, and $2.50 for ages 7 to 12. The museum is at Elmwood Avenue and Nottingham Terrace.

NIAGARA FALLS – Assemblyman John D. Ceretto announced Monday that his office, 1700 Pine Ave., is collecting donations for the Heart, Love, and Soul Food Pantry in Niagara Falls.

The pantry needs nonperishable food items and personal care items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, paper towels, soap, laundry detergent, shampoo and tissues. The items collected will be given to families in need in Niagara Falls and the surrounding area. Other locations for donations to Heart, Love, and Soul are the Town of Niagara Clerk’s Office in Town Hall, 7105 Lockport Road, and the Village Clerk’s Office in Lewiston Village Hall, 145 N. Fourth St.

LOCKPORT – The eighth annual Mayor’s Charity Ball is scheduled from 8 to 11 p.m. Dec. 7 in the Lockport Town and Country Club, 717 East Ave., organizers announced Monday.

This year’s net proceeds from the black tie optional event, hosted by Mayor Michael W. Tucker, will be donated to the United Way of Greater Niagara.

Cocktails and snacks will be served, with entertainment provided by Biggs Sound and Entertainment.

Tickets are $125 per couple or $65 per person. Reservations may be made by calling Rosalie Tucker at 434-7724 and by sending payment to Shirley Weiland at 20 Vermont St., Lockport, NY 14094. Checks should be made payable to “Mayor’s Charity Ball”.

Several Newstead residents living near Braun’s Concert Cove urged the Town Board on Monday night to forgo issuing special-event permits until proposed amendments to the Special Events Law are passed.

Braun’s has been at the center of controversy in the town over the noise emanating from concerts held there. Residents living near the venue say it’s too loud, while others in the town appreciate the economic value Braun’s brings to Newstead.

A public hearing on the amendments to the Special Events Law, which in part look to address the noise issue, was held at the last Town Board meeting Nov. 11.

Since then, the board hasn’t discussed the law, Supervisor David Cummings said during the public comment period of the board meeting Monday night.

“We’re considering all of the information we have and reviewing it over the next four to six weeks to come up with something,” Cummings said.

Quarry Hill resident Linda Jackson, who lives behind Braun’s, proposed the idea of holding off on the permits.

“Could you promise us that no permits will be issued until the law is changed?” she asked.

Jackson thought the law would be discussed at the meeting Monday night, she said.

“That brings us into January,” she said. “That means that in 2014 they can go for their permits. Promise us that there will be no permits issued to Braun’s until after the law has been made. If you can make that promise, you can take your six weeks, and we won’t harass you.”

Cummings said the board wouldn’t be making a decision like that at the meeting.

“Why can’t you guys answer yes or no?” Jackson asked.

The town could place a moratorium on special-event permits for a period of time, but it would need to pass a local law to do so, said Town Attorney Nathaniel Neill.

“The board needs to agree to do it,” he said.

If the board does decide to place a moratorium on giving out special-event permits, it will happen at an upcoming meeting, Cummings said.

“We’re not going to make any decision tonight,” he said. “We’re going to go into a work session and find out what the board wants to do.”

In other board news, Carl Klingenschmitt, chairman of the Conservation Advisory Council said there could be an issue in the town with an ash tree disease known as Ash Yellows.

“The disease, on trees, is 100 percent fatal,” he said.

There is some hope that the disease may be able to be treated, but there is no evidence to support that it can be, Klingenschmitt said.