Daily Archive for July 6th, 2006

Putting falls in historical spotlight

Published
by
Graham
on July 6, 2006
in Niagara Falls News
. 0 Comments

From the Buffalo News:

As strange as it seems, this world-famous tourist destination desperately seeks recognition - from the federal government, anyway.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., is drawing up legislation that would establish the Niagara Falls Heritage Area, a designation that would mean up to $1 million in federal money each year for the land near the falls.

Schumer said the bill will be ready to submit to both the Senate and the House within a month. The move recently won the support of the National Park Service.

The $1 million in federal money will become available after passage of the legislation, which is expected by the end of the year.

But there is more riding on this than $1 million a year, said Niagara Falls activist Paul A. Dyster, who has been pushing for the designation since 2000, when he was a member of the City Council.

“It’s not just about the money; it’s about the recognition,” Dyster said. “Niagara Falls is an international landmark, but thus far, the federal government - and specifically the National Park Service - have not been major partners in the protection and improvement of the area.”

A David and Goliath story

Published
by
Graham
on July 6, 2006
in Niagara Falls News
. 2 Comments

From the Niagara Falls Review:

Opponents of a plan to put a 29-storey condominium tower on River Road say they need to be “better prepared” for an Ontario Municipal Board hearing than they were for the city council meeting where the project was approved.

“After we got surprised by the council decision, we decided we had to be better prepared,” said John Prentice, a John Street resident whose home will sit in the shadow of the proposed condo tower. One that would become the tallest residential building in Niagara Falls.

Whirlpool Jet Boat Getaway in Lewiston

Published
by
Graham
on July 6, 2006
in Niagara Falls Attractions and Niagara Falls News
. 0 Comments

News 10 out of Syracuse has a brief story on their web site and an accompanying video of the Whirlpool Jet Boat rides:

How about a boat ride? This one is a thrill a minute. All 45 minutes! That’s how long you’ll be taking on class 5 rapids, turning 360’s and enjoying the beauty of nature all along the mighty Niagara River.

Whirlpool Jet Boat rides begin at the South Water Street Landing in Lewiston, New York every day May through October. They are in their 15th year of taking people of all ages (6 years old minimum) on an exhilerating jet boat ride into the Niagara River Gorge including the Niagara Whirlpool and the Devils Hole Rapids.

The 2 1/2 minute video clip (it’s linked to in the article) does a nice job at introducing the ride and interviewing a few people who rode on it. It’s worth taking a look.