Kiwanis Club of Lewiston supporting Academy Park electrical upgrade, but move called into question

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

Members of the Kiwanis Club of Lewiston set out Monday to ensure longtime community leader Jerry Wolfgang’s legacy would live on in Lewiston. But a $29,500 donation made by the service group he assisted for 65 years was later called into question.

Kiwanians Mark Briglio and John Ceretto presented a check to the Village Board of Trustees prior to the monthly meeting. A press release sent last week noted funds will go to “launch the long-planned electrical modernization of Academy Park. The project – originally initiated by the late community leader Jerry Wolfgang – includes burying electrical lines and installing nine electrical ports throughout the park. The Village of Lewiston will provide trenching and pole removal at no cost.

“This event will highlight a major infrastructure improvement benefiting festivals, concerts, and future community events, while honoring Wolfgang’s legacy and the Kiwanis Niagara County Peach Festival.”

Ahead of the check presentation Kiwanis Club board member Briglio said Wolfgang’s “vision was to have this project completed. He had money put aside – the Lewiston Kiwanis has that money now and is using part of that to pay for this donation, plus what we've collected, as well. We're going to dedicate this electrical project in the name of Jerry Wolfgang, because the man did so much. There's not a plaque anywhere that thanks him for anything. I felt a drive to – with (club president Ceretto) and the rest of these folks here that passed this – our board passed it – to give him recognition. He was the founding father of this project.”

Jerry Wolfgang (File photo)

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Upon Wolfgang’s passing in January 2023, a remembrance shared in this publication noted he was Kiwanis Club president in 1979, and “continued to be very active with Kiwanis events over the years. Wolfgang served as advisory chair for the Lewiston club’s annual Niagara County Peach Festival” – held each September at Academy Park – “and oversaw its numerous functions. These included organizing the annual Peach Festival parade, the Peach Festival ‘Taste-off’ contest, cheerleading competitions, and managing the event’s numerous entertainment and publicity areas.

“He is the man most often credited for the success of Lewiston’s famous festivals and parades.”

Mayor Anne Welch called the donation a “gracious” act. She shared, “This project is for the removal of all the old power poles and panels, and installing new underground electrical lines with new power boxes. Dave Rulli/Rulli Electric will accept the check and will be doing all the electrical work. Mr. Rulli has also donated his services for the cost of the installation.

“The Village of Lewiston DPW will be removing the old poles and panels and will do the trenching for the new underground lines.

“This is a coordinated effort that will further enhance our beautiful park. We want to thank Kiwanis for funding this project; Dave Rulli for his services; and our DPW for their help with this project.”

Ceretto said, “Over my 30 years of being a Kiwanian and now president of the Lewiston Kiwanis, (I’ve seen that) the Lewiston Kiwanis Club is plugged into the community. And this particular project here is not only helping us and our Peach Festival – which is economic development and helps over 100 organizations out there – it will also help the village with all these festivals that are coming into play at Academy Park. (Plus,) the farmers market; we see that the Italian club is coming here for the Italian Festival; and I foresee that there'll be many, many more organizations coming to Academy Park, and we're making it easier and less costly to do that.

“I’m very proud to be part of the Kiwanis that supported this.”

“We're giving back to the Village of Lewiston,” Briglio said. “It’s not just for the Peach Festival; it’s for everybody else. It's a donation to the community.”

Trustees voted 4-1 to accept the donation. Trustee Tina Coppins voted “No.”

Welch with Rulli and Kiwanians Mark Briglio and John Ceretto.

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Not all Kiwanians in favor of donation

Kiwanis board member Ric Flores said he supports the idea of upgrading the electrical at Academy Park, but not at the club’s expense.

“Why should Kiwanis be the sole provider of the funds when we only use the park two weeks out of the year?” he said. “Nobody here really knows the scope of work being done. Right now, you’re going to get a check that’s going to offer you $29,500, which is just limited funds. You can get a fully funded project (funded) by the Town of Lewiston” via its six-and-a-half-megawatt energy fund that came with the New York Power Authority relicensing agreement.

“This project can be fully funded and not a cent come out of Kiwanis. … We are not the only users of this park,” Flores said.

Welch said there was no indication or guarantee the Town of Lewiston would provide such funding.

Briglio noted the Kiwanis Board voted 7-3 in favor of the donation.

Both Flores and Coppins expressed concern over the donation process.

“It doesn’t matter whether you get a gift or you get a donation – it doesn’t matter what word you use – it should still be part of the bidding,” Flores noted.

Coppins said three bids for the electrical upgrade should’ve been collected.

“Just because it's gifted doesn't mean it can go to one person,” she said.

Treasurer Stephanie Longwell replied, “I spoke to our accountant, and they said as long as we have the two quotes that (Kiwanis) did receive, and the (club’s meeting) minutes – and no money flows through the village at all – we are OK.”

She said the funding gift would go toward depreciable capital assets.

Following the meeting, Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Broderick confirmed his municipality is willing to provide funding – and more than $29,500 – through the NYPA fund. He said the upgrade project is eligible because it’s electrical and would happen on municipal grounds.

“It's a no-brainer,” Broderick said. “We're already funding the Upward Niagara Chamber with new windows, new roof, new door. We're already funding electrical upgrades at the Red Brick in the village. … We're in the process of talking about replacing all the windows at Red Brick.”

“The town is willing to fund the whole project,” Broderick said.

Town funding would require the traditional sealed bid process to occur, with a minimum of three applicants, before an agreement with an electrical services provider is initiated.

Broderick said the Village Board could submit a letter to the Town Board requesting funding for electrical upgrades. That could take Kiwanis off the hook.

If or until that happens, “This is between Kiwanis and the village,” Broderick said. “I'm not influencing it.”

Briglio reiterated the donation is a gift, intended to benefit the community, and that his board voted to take such action. He noted Kiwanis wants to act now, as the price for materials has increased over the past three years. Briglio also said he had no prior knowledge of the Town of Lewiston’s funding offer.

Welch said, “The Village Board has had many conversations over the years about upgrading the electrical service at Academy Park, starting with former Kiwanian Jerry Wolfgang who told me that Kiwanis would pay for the upgrade. Our village engineers drew the plans for the new electrical service, and the Kiwanis Club members voted to pay for the upgrade.

“I have not had any conversations with Supervisor Broderick regarding any funding of the electrical upgrade of Academy Park.

“We are grateful to Kiwanis for their generous donation and will move forward with this project that will further enhance the park.

Under the terms of the existing Kiwanis Club donation, Trustee Jim Fittante said a coordination meeting would be required – with Engineer Mike Marino’s office, the DPW, Rulli and Kiwanians – before the electrical upgrade begins.

Metro Creative Graphics

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Graffiti arrest

Lewiston Police Department Chief Michael Salada updated the board on graffiti found along walls at the Frontier House and The Silo Restaurant, and on some street signs.

“We did make an arrest on the graffiti,” he said. “It was a 17-year-old male, so I can’t get into too much detail. He has been cited and will be going to juvenile probation to hopefully, at some point, make some restitution to get it fixed.”

Board actions

Trustees also approved the following:

•A motion to award the bid for the Red Brick Municipal Building energy improvements/service upgrades, in the amount of $54,950 to Resa Power Service, contingent upon availability of funding and review by the village attorney.

•The prepared Full Environmental Assessment form for development plans from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s “Niagara Region viewsheds project” – cleaning up the Lewiston Hill overlooks. The proposed action will not result in any adverse effect or environmental impact, so a negative declaration will be filed.

•Purchase of a 24-niche, horizontal, two-sided columbarium wall for the Lewiston Cemetery at a cost of $9,950. Funds will come out of the SAGE cemetery account.

•Three race requests: Two made by iRun WNY Inc. to host the 2026 Historic Lewiston 5K on Friday, April 24; and the Niagara Falls USA Marathon and Half Marathon on Saturday, April 25; and another from Niagara Hospice to put on the Mighty Niagara Half Marathon and Hospice Dash 5K on Saturday, Oct. 3.

•Appointments of James Spanbauer and reappointment of John E. Daigneau to the Lewiston Public Library board of trustees.