New safety standards set for festivals; board looks to sell ‘Little Yellow House’

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

The Village of Lewiston recognized outgoing Lewiston Police Department Chief Frank Previte and thanked him for three decades of keeping the public safe.

At the start of Monday’s monthly board meeting, Mayor Anne Welch presented Previte with a certificate of appreciation. She said, “Thank you so much for all your service. It's been a pleasure working with you. I hate to see you go, but thank you for everything you do for our community.”

Previte, who is retiring June 28, said, “Thank you for your support. It's been an honor. It’s been an honor to serve as chief of police.”

He received a round of applause from the audience.

“We do wish you well,” Welch said.

“Great job, Frank. Thank you very much,” Deputy Mayor Vic Eydt said.

“It’s been a pleasure working with you,” Department of Public Works Superintendent Anthony Mang said.

Capt. Mike Salada will take over as police chief.

“I’m sure you’ve seen him before around, and he does a great job, too,” Welch said.

Previte’s final meeting took place in the Morgan Lewis Village Boardroom – the same Red Brick Municipal Building unit that once served as LPD headquarters.

He has been chief for 10 years.

Improved safety measures at festivals, but with new expense

Mang recently met with Previte and Lewiston Fire Co. No. 1 Chief Spencer Lilly to address bolstering safety measures for this summer’s Center Street festivals.

“We came up with a pretty good plan as to how to make the festivals a little safer,” Mang said. “Everyone was really happy with the layout.”

Operational gates and additional safety barriers will be employed to make for a stronger perimeter.

As a result, the DPW’s workload is expected to increase for each event. In fact, the hourly wage expense is projected to almost double, resulting in $692 in additional fees ($1,038 total, between laborers and equipment).

This extra charge was not part of the recently adopted fiscal year 2025-26 budget, so trustees discussed a method to recoup the cost.

Mang said, “There are a lot of people that enjoy the festivals, but … (the full cost) shouldn’t fall onto all the taxpayers to absorb those additional costs.”

The board agreed, and voted to split the bill: Festival organizers will be charged $350 per event this summer.

On average, the DPW donates more than $300 in labor to each village festival, as well as almost $750 in vehicle and equipment rentals.

What the new safety cost will be moving forward remains to be seen, as there are two variables: DPW salaries increase yearly, and trustees (or the DPW) could allot more in future budgets to absorb the fees.

Trustee Jim Fittante reminded the board that Lewiston benefits financially from its festivals, and suggested this topic be reviewed again next spring.

“It’s not fair to put it all on (the festival planners),” Trustee Tina Coppins said.

The “Little Yellow House” on Center Street.

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Board looking to sell ‘Little Yellow House’

Trustees voted to engage Lewiston’s real estate professionals in the sale of the “Little Yellow House,” at 476 Center St.

“Our Planning Commission has subdivided the ‘Little Yellow House’ out of the Peace Garden, and we'd like to put it up for sale,” Welch said. “We're not in the business of owning real estate. We sold the ‘Big Yellow House’ behind it a couple years ago, and we want to do the same with the ‘Little Yellow House.’ I think it's a great opportunity for somebody to purchase it and hopefully put a nice little retail store in there.”

She noted the building has preservation protection: “It has to remain historical, no matter if we own it or anybody else. It has to remain historical, subject to (preservation) rules.”

The “Little Yellow House” is currently rented to Just Desserts by Aimee. The business would have the right to continue as a tenant with a new owner through the duration of its lease agreement.

Rendering by Fittante Architecture.

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New development proposal OK’d

The Village Board approved the proposed development plans for 748 Center St. The project was endorsed by the Historic Preservation and Planning commissions last week, following a presentation by Fittante, principal at the Fittante Architecture.

Part of the concept for this space, which was previously occupied by The Vintage Barber, Soully Created and Sue’s Frame of Mind, calls for a two-story building with a rental unit on top and a business below.

Fittante abstained from the vote.

Other news

•Mang reported the DPW will be out paving May 28-29 (or May 30, as a rain date). Roadways include Cayuga Street, from Portage to South Eighth streets; Center Street, from Fourth to Water streets; and a portion of South Fifth Street.

He also said bids will be accepted to repair the 44-year-old Hennepin Park gazebo – work that will include supporting the roof for a period of time.

•Recreation Department Director Brendan McDermott reported the recent “Spring Fling” was well-attended, with almost 180 registered runners and “plenty of families taking part in the activities in Toohey Park afterwards.”

He also noted the summer basketball program has 180 participants to date.

•Welch said she intends to partner with the Niagara Region office of New York State Parks, and the state Department of Transportation, to have some shrubbery and scrub trees removed from Lewiston Hill “so we can get our views back.”

•The annual Memorial Day parade will begin at 11 a.m. Monday, with participants marching down Center Street to Academy Park and the “Circle of Honor.” Following that, Veterans of Foreign Wars Downriver Post 7487 will host its annual remembrance ceremony.

Metro Creative Graphics

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First responders set drill exercises in village

Clerk Shannon Fundis informed trustees two first-responder training programs are scheduled to take place in the Village of Lewiston next month.

•As part of the “Empire Challenge,” the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and its Office of Interoperable & Emergency Communications will test equipment near the waterfront docks on June 5-6.

Per a press release, Homeland Security will team with multiple federal, state and local public safety units, along with New York Naval Militia, the New York Army and Air National Guard, for a multifaceted joint exercise wherein these agencies will deploy boats for operations on the Niagara River and on Lake Ontario.

The press release noted, “The exercise scenario is based on a multi-agency response to multiple simultaneous events taking place” on these waterways, with a goal of testing the participants’ communications capabilities.

Mike Carl, a radio engineer for Homeland Security, said that, when calamity occurs, “We need the ability to communicate. It is the key component to facilitate the response to a disaster in an emergency.”

He added, “If we can't talk to each other, we can't send the help that people need, so we're practicing communications and we're honing our skills,” by working with military and public safety partners.

In correspondence to the Village of Lewiston, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Senior Dispatcher Raymond A. Yurek said equipment “smaller than a large suitcase” will be placed near the docks and used from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“This will allow the government boats participating in the exercise to communicate seamlessly with the rest of the participants via their normal marine radios,” he said.

Yurek noted the safety agents are “experts at setup and making it work without any inconvenience to others in the area.”

•Then, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office will conduct exercises with bomb dogs from June 23-25.

“If residents notice increased police patrol, there is nothing to be concerned about,” Fundis said. “But they will be around for those three days.”