Niagara Views

Ortt issues State of the City

NT: Lawmakers to consider new inspection fees

NORTH TONAWANDA -- City lawmakers will discuss a proposal tonight to charge inspection fees to property owners who have cases in housing court.

A proposal from the city's Property Maintenance Task Force, which calls for a mandatory $500 charge starting with the third inspection for an individual case, is one of several item's on tap for discussion.

Under the proposal, the city Building Inspector's Office would have the discretion of levying a charge of up to $250 for each of the first two inspections of a property in housing court.

The proposed change to the city code is aimed at providing an incentive for landlords to complete required improvements and thereby reducing the backlog in the city's housing court, said task force Chairman David J. Conti.

The building department charges fees for permits for new builds and additions, but has never charged for this area of inspections, Conti said.

The meeting, which is open to the public, kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of Mazda Terrace.

Here's a link to tonight's full workshop agenda.

Tonight's Council workshop in City Hall is open to the public.

--Aaron Besecker

Buffalo Niagara? Not yet for Niagara

The Niagara USA 2010 visitors guide is out.

The 56-page magazine promotes everything in Niagara County from the Ransomville Speedway to Fatima Shrine.

What you won't find are listings for cultural attractions in Erie County like the Darwin Martin House, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

Why not? That was a question raised at a meeting of tourism representatives Thursday morning in Niagara Falls as the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. unveiled a new two-year marketing strategy.

NTCC President John Percy told tourism leaders that the agency has discussed how much focus it should give cultural attractions in neighboring counties.

"We've had this discussion over and over," Percy said. "We do promote it. It's not specifically in our visitors guide. The unfortunate thing is the cost of the visitors guide. ... It's where do you stop?"

Adding more attractions outside of Niagara County, Percy said, means adding more pages to the guide at a significant cost to the NTCC.

Pamela Forge, publisher of "Explore New York," attended Thursday's meeting and had a different take.

"I think I can shed light on that," Forge said after the meeting. "Most counties, because of the government funding and bed tax, have to be parochial about things. It's a shame."

Read more about the NTCC's new two-year marketing strategy here.

Listen to Percy describe the marketing strategy in this audio clip:

-- Denise Jewell Gee

Niagara Falls is for lovers again

Niagara Falls is in vogue again for honeymooners.

At least according to CNN.

The Cable News Network posted a story on its Web site today focused on young couples who have honeymooned in Niagara Falls.

Once considered a "cliché," Niagara Falls has been rediscovered by romantic couples, the story says. The trend was highlighted last year when fictional couple Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly of NBC's "The Office" tied the knot in the Falls in an hour-long special.

Rebecca Dolgin, executive editor of theknot.com, told CNN that Niagara Falls is part of a recent trend of retro honeymoons to places like Palm Springs, Calif., and the Poconos in Pennsylvania.

The Web site lists Niagara Falls among the top 19 honeymoon destinations in the United States and Canada.

"It's sort of kitschy and it's fun, and it's for couples who maybe don't take it too seriously," Dolgin told CNN. "I don't think anyone is going to come back from Niagara being disappointed. You know when you go there what you're getting into; it's the same kind of thing with Las Vegas."

-- Denise Jewell Gee

City of NT: veterans monument, bike rally