Town of Niagara taking aim at junkyards

By Benjamin Joe

The time for the junkyards to operate without oversight by the Town of Niagara has come to an end.

Supervisor Sylvia Virtuoso said she and councilmen will talk about the condition of the area along Hyde Park Boulevard at a special meeting 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, as well as how to hold owners of the junkyards accountable to the town’s laws and public safety.

The meeting is free and open to the public and will be conducted in the Town of Niagara Town Hall’s conference room.

“There are several different issues of them encroaching onto town right-of-ways and town roadways,” Virtuoso said. “It’s been a long time. We discussed it once before, but I think it’s time we take some action cleaning up that area.”

Virtuoso said the town needs to find out who is operating without licenses, as well as steps to make the entire area more prepared for emergencies, such as a fire.

“They all abut to each other; but in reality, there are roads between them. Unfortunately, they’re all unpassable,” she said. “We need to reseparate them, figure out who’s running which junkyard, who’s licensed, who’s not, and go from there.”

Virtuoso invited residents to come to the conversation during the Town Board’s regular business meeting this week.

“There’s been several complaints; the junkyards have been encroaching on all our roads; blocking them so fire equipment can’t get through,” she said. “So, we’re going to have a meeting on how we can improve that area. … If anyone’s interested, that’s what’s happening.”

Virtuoso said this is a situation that should’ve been taken care of many years ago, and she is resolute not to leave it undone now.

“It’s been years. Decades. I don’t know the last time they really took some action, but it’s about time we do now,” she said.

TON Police ask for improved bike measures

Town of Niagara Police Chief Craig Guiliani is pleading with the parents of mini-bike and ATV riders to do their job correctly and possibly save a life.

“There was two mini-bikes towed,” he said of an overnight incident in the town. “It’s going to cost the parents from $200 up to $2,500 to get these bikes back, so we’re not joking around.”

Guiliani said he’s asking the courts to give the maximum punishment for driving ATV and gas-powered bikes on public roads, which is a $2,500 fine. The county also has an ordinance with a $250 fee and, when the riders are caught, their vehicles will be towed, which Guiliani said was roughly another $250 expense – and that doesn’t include New York state’s traffic laws and ordinances.

Guiliani characterized the riders as juveniles without licenses, which is a crime, as well as a lack of registration, insurance and inspection. However, because they are juveniles, he said the law should be enforced at home before his department gets involved.

“Parents need to parent their kids before one of them gets killed,” he said grimly after the Town Board meeting.

“They think it’s a game and will continue playing until they’re hit,” Guiliani concluded.