Image of the Day – September 29, 2013

Buffalo takes on Ray Rice and the Baltimore Ravens today.
Can the injury laden Bills hang in and pull off an upset?

Falls woman dies following early Saturday morning shooting

[From Niagara-Gazette]

A 39-year-old Niagara Falls woman is dead following an early Saturday morning shooting on North Avenue.

Falls police were called to an apartment on North Avenue about 3:30 a.m. for a shooting and found the Falls woman suffering from two gunshot wounds.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE:  http://niagara-gazette.com/local/x134967032/Falls-woman-dies-following-early-Saturday-morning-shooting

Image of the Day – September 28, 2013

Jim Carrey on the Maid of the Mist in Bruce Almighty

The Devil’s Hole Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary

[From 2chicks2go]

The Devil’s Hole State Park is 42 acres of both wooded and cleared land along the Niagara River gorge, adjacent to the Whirlpool State Park. The park has a charming trail along the top of the ridge, providing beautiful scenery, including a view of both the American and Canadian Power vistas, which are both accessible to the public. http://www.nypa.gov/vc/niagara.htm and http://www.niagaraparks.com/niagara-falls-attractions/sir-adam-beck.html   If you descend one of the walkways down to the river, you will be presented with a wild river, full of torrential rapids. There are also trails down below.* Beware this is a dangerous area and to enter the water is deadly. Also, the trails are steep and the footing can be treacherous. http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-buffalo-new-york.

The Niagara area and beyond are very historical and played a large role in the establishment of the United States as we know it.

Yesterday marked the memorial of the 250th year since the Seneca Native Americans ambushed the British at Devil’s Hole.  http://niagara-gazette.com/communities/x312428187/Devils-Holes-marking-250th-anniversary-on-weekend.

To commemorate the Anniversary, a re-enactment of the events was held. The upper trail is most often used by tourists, joggers and dog walkers, but yesterday, that wasn’t the case; horses and wagons appeared in the normally quiet park. True to period costumes for the soldiers, Native American garb for the Native Americans, and rifle firing over the gorge were the order of the day. There were also walking tours available, and we took one, in which the speakers in essence said the following;

*Warning: the italicized writing is HISTORY. We like it. Not everyone does. We tried to make it interesting, but to each their own…

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE: http://2chicks2go.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/the-devils-hole-two-hundred-and-fiftieth-anniversary/

 

Seneca Casinos earn 31 ‘Best of Gaming 2013′ awards from Casino Player Magazine

[Press Release]

Readers of the prestigious gaming magazine, Casino Player, have recognized Seneca Casinos for excellence as leading resort destinations, with Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel and Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel awarded a total of 31 “Best of Gaming 2013” awards. The annual survey determines the best casinos, hotels, amenities and games throughout the United States.

Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel ranked in the top three among “Native Northeast” casinos for 21 categories, including coveted first-place honors for Best Hotel, Casino with the Best Facebook Page, Casino with the Best App and Casino with the Best Twitter Feed. Some of its other notable honors were for best rooms, Best Suites, Best Casino, Best Pool, Best [Table Games] Dealers and “Casino Where You Feel Luckiest.”

 

Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel ranked in the top three among “Native Northeast” casinos for 10 categories, including coveted first-place honors for Best Rooms, Best Suites and Best Comps. Seneca Allegany was also recognized for Best Hotel, Best Pool, Best Spa, Casino with the Best Website, Best Overall Gaming Resort, Best Promotions and Best Players Club.

 

“The nation’s most avid casino fans read Casino Player, and they are the ones who choose the ‘Best of Gaming’ honors – so, naturally, we’re thrilled they consider Seneca Casinos among the very best destinations for gaming,” said Cathy Walker, president and CEO, Seneca Gaming Corporation. “From the gaming floor renovations at Seneca Niagara, to the expanded Four Diamondrated hotel tower at Seneca Allegany and now the opening of the new Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, we’re continually striving to reinvent ourselves and to provide unbeatable entertainment value for our guests.”

 

The full list of “Best of Gaming” awards is available in the August 2013 issue of Casino Player. In addition, the publication will soon release the results of a separate, inaugural “Best of Dining & Nightlife” awards program later this fall. Categories such as Best Overall Entertainment, Best Steakhouse and Best Sports Bar are now part of these rankings and were included within past “Best of Gaming” awards until this year.

 

Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel and Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel are both AAA Four Diamond Award® hotels – two of only three such designated properties in Western New York. Earlier this year, Seneca Niagara earned the prestigious award its eighth consecutive year and Seneca Allegany achieved its fifth year in a row. Only 3.8 percent of the 59,000 AAA Diamond Rated establishments throughout North America and the Caribbean earn the rating.

The two Seneca casino resorts each also received the prestigious Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor® – known as “the world’s largest travel site” – for the second year in a row. Only the top-performing 10 percent of businesses listed on the online site receive the award for consistent positive reviews and minimum overall ratings of 4-out-of-5 stars by travel reviewers.

 

 

 

Test scores, graduation rate given high priority by leaders of Falls schools

[From BuffaloNews.com]

The leaders of the city’s public schools Thursday adopted goals for raising test scores and the high school graduation rate, while acknowledging the challenges facing the district and improvements it needs to make.

The School Board adopted Superintendent Cynthia A. Bianco’s proposed three-year strategic plan by a 7-0 vote.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE: http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/niagara-falls/test-scores-graduation-rate-given-high-priority-by-leaders-of-falls-schools-20130927

Falls teen faces terror charge for prank call

[From Niagara-Gazette.com]

A Niagara Falls High School student has been charged with a terrorism-related offense for a prank phone call.

The 14-year-old student was arrested Thursday morning, one day after a threat of a mass shooting at a Falls school sent city police and school district officials into a emergency response that included dispatching every available patrol officer in the city to the local schools.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE: http://niagara-gazette.com/local/x2112881600/Falls-teen-faces-terror-charge-for-prank-call

Image of the Day – September 27, 2013

Fog and Sunlight at Whirlpool – Photo courtesy of Michelle Petrazzoulo

Niagara Falls Home to Miss USA Pageant in 1970′s

[From NiagaraFallsUpClose.com]

Niagara Falls is known for its’ beauty, but from 1974 to 1976 that beauty was enhanced by some of the most stunning women in the USA as they traveled to Niagara to compete in the Miss USA Pageant.  The Miss USA Pageant is part of the Miss Universe Corporation and then President Harold Glasser negotiated with Niagara Falls New York to host the pageant for three years in the City’s brand new Convention Center.

The Miss USA Pageant was then televised live on the CBS television network to a national audience with terrific ratings. Because of those rating and the television exposure, the City of Niagara Falls picked up the entire tab for hotel rooms, meals and transportation for the pageant employees and supports staff.

The Miss USA Pageant completely took over the Convention Center for about three weeks as the individual State Pageant winners arrived and competed in the categories of talent, bathing suit and interviews. Miss USA Pageant National Field Director Griff O’Neil ran the entire operation from the Convention Center meeting rooms, using many of Niagara Falls’ citizens to assist in various capacities.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE:  http://niagarafallsupclose.com/niagara-falls-home-to-miss-usa-pagent-in-1970s/

 

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Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls drums up excitement for global Pinktober campaign with special living ribbon event and free outdoor concert

Hard Rock supports breast cancer awareness through the 14th annual PINKTOBER™ campaign! As part of the program, Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls, USA is going beyond the pink ribbon this pink season with a special “Living Ribbon” event. On Friday, October 11, 2013, Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls invites guests and survivors to gather across the Rainbow Bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada to symbolically join the fight against breast cancer.

After the ceremony, Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls will host a free outdoor concert with a performance by a Zac Brown Tribute Band (ZBTB). The event benefits the American and Canadian Cancer Societies and the ECMC Lifeline Foundation – organizations that combine an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer.

As part of PINKTOBER, Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls has partnered with the Buffalo Bills, ECMC, ECMC Lifeline Foundation and KISS 98.5 to raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Hard Rock’s “Living Ribbon” event will also support the Buffalo Bills and their “Billieve” breast cancer awareness campaign for the second consecutive year. The event will raise awareness and funds for breast cancer and will
benefit the American Cancer Society, the Canadian Cancer Society and the ECMC Lifeline Foundation. Hard Rock’s PINKTOBER program encourages guests around the world to support breast cancer awareness by attending live music performances and pink-themed events at Hard Rock locations across the globe. Fans can visit their local Hard Rock and rock out for the cause with concerts and special events to benefit local
breast cancer charities such as The American Cancer Society, The Canadian Cancer Society and other breast cancer research and awareness organizations.

Hard Rock Cafe also serves up sweet support this September and October with a special selection of pink menu items, including non-alcoholic Strawberry Basil Lemonade, Strawberry Dream Milkshake and Strawberry Cupcake Dessert, with a portion of the retail price benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF). Fans can also get into the hottest color of the season with Hard Rock’s 2013 PINKTOBER products, including a collector’s edition pin, T-shirt, bracelet, tote, robe, scarf, pink sheets and more! All products will be sold exclusively at Hard Rock properties worldwide, including Cafes, Hotels, Casinos and online at www.hardrock.com. Proceeds from the sale of PINKTOBER products will benefit BCRF and local breast cancer charities with 75 percent of the retail price of each pin and 15 percent of the retail price of other
products going directly to the cause.

What: Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls, USA Hosts PINKTOBER
When: Friday October 11, 2013
5:30 p.m. Living Ribbon Registration
7:00 p.m. Living Ribbon Bridge Ceremony
8:00 p.m. Performance begins
Where: Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls, USA
333 Prospect Street
Niagara Falls, NY
716-282-0007

Admission: Free Concert
Living Ribbon entry fee – $30
To register for the Living Ribbon event, visit www.buffalobills.com/billieve
Indoor VIP tickets – $100
To purchase tickets, please visit www.tickeweb.com

For additional event information, visit www.hardrock.com/niagarafalls. For additional information on the PINKTOBER™ program, please visit www.hardrock.com.