Reconciling the election with my family's values

I can't help but feel as though I have thoroughly misled my children.

Growing up, their mother and I taught them what we considered simple life lessons that would equip them for the world they would some day inherit.

• Share. 
• Don't lie.
• Wait your turn.
• Be kind to others. 
• Don't talk about people behind their backs.
• Skin color doesn't matter. We're all people.
• Nationality doesn't matter. We're all people.
• Sexuality doesn't matter. We're all people.
• Religion doesn't matter. We're all people. 
• Don't look down on anyone different than us. It's what's in their hearts that matters.
• Don't pay attention to others who look down on us for not being wealthy. We're rich in ways they could never understand. 

We raised good girls -- good human beings. Their mother and I are proud of who they are. They are the best of us.

Unfortunately, they learned on Tuesday that the wisdom we imparted on them will not equip them for the world that they are about to inherit. The man we've elected president is the polar opposite of what we said is "right." Everything we told them not to be and not to do was just held high as the example of what "leadership" is.

My oldest daughter -- or "the Big One," as my former WLVL listeners know her -- watched election returns with me Tuesday night. We stayed up until Hillary Clinton called Donald Trump to concede the election. She was a Sanders supporter originally but supported Clinton over Trump -- for all the reasons I've listed above. She was heartbroken by the results of the election. And I've been trying to think for two days what exactly to say to her ... and her sister. From my point of view, the country they live in just told them that their ideals are wrong, being a good person doesn't matter, and using the wrong email is worse than using inflammatory language ... especially if you're a woman.

Personally, I'm used to being in the minority. I didn't vote for Clinton or Trump. So I'm not exactly heartbroken that Clinton didn't win. But I'm devastated to see that racism and misogyny is "OK" with America in 2016. Especially because of the message that it sends to my daughters.

But I would be remiss if I didn't remember another tidbit of wisdom that we imparted on the girls.

• Do the right thing because it's the right thing. 

Just because our opinion of what's right wasn't validated by millions of strangers doesn't make it any less right. Just because others don't share doesn't mean we shouldn't. Just because others don't wait doesn't mean we shouldn't. Just because others lie, doesn't mean we should. Just because others aren't kind doesn't mean we shouldn't be. Just because others gossip doesn't make it OK. Just because others are cruel and superficial doesn't make it OK. In short, the bad behavior of others doesn't mean we should behave badly.

To my daughters, I'm sorry America failed you. I hope you'll continue to be the incredible people you've been for years ... even if the only reward for your virtues is in the knowing that you are virtuous.

I expect you to respect our new president. And I expect you to be respectful of his supporters ... even if they aren't respectful of you or the things you believe in. And I know you'll do this because you're good girls -- good human beings. And if you get no other reward for your kindness, you'll always have my love.

+Scott Leffler is a father before all else. And a proud one, at that. Follow him on Twitter @scottleffler.

This column was originally published on All WNY News.

Enjoy fall foliage at Griffis Sculpture Park

 

EAST OTTO -- Western New York has four beautiful seasons, each capable of creating dazzling displays of photo-worthy color and texture -- but the vibrant reds and oranges of the changing leaves in the fall might be best of all.

While much of Western New York has yet to hit peak season for fall foliage, Cattaraugus County is at its peak right now, according to the ILoveNY.com fall foliage report. And let me tell you, having spent the weekend down there, it's a must-see.

From the serenity at Griffis Sculpture Park in Ashford Hollow to the bustling streets of Ellicottville, it's a good time to get out of the city and enjoy what's available just a bit south of the Buffalo metro center.

For those unfamiliar with the Griffis Sculpture Park, it's 450 acres of rolling parkland with some very ... unique ... sculptures, many of which were created by the park's namesake, Larry Griffis Jr.

I had the privilege of going there once or twice in my youth while the family camped at what was then Rainbow Lake (now Allegany Mountain Resort at Rainbow Lake). I've popped down every few years since then and finally made it this past weekend (after two failed attempts this year).

It seems bigger than I remember. I'm told there's good reason for that. A representative for the sculpture park told me that it has grown "exponentially" and that many sculptures have been added within the last 10-15 years. Additionally, the park has taken to offering different events, hosting SlyFest in 2012 and 2015, as well as other festivals and "Night Lights" the past few years.

Of the 250 sculptures located throughout the park, approximately 100 of them were created by Griffis Jr., who opened the park in 1966 as the first park of its kind in the U.S. The rest were created by as many as 100 other sculptors including several that were added by an international sculpture symposium.

The Griffis Sculpture Park is open from dawn to dusk from May 1 to Oct. 31.

RELATED: Photo gallery of Griffis Sculpture Park and East Otto

+Scott Leffler is editor of All WNY News and an avid lover of the arts. Follow him on Twitter @scottleffler. 

This column was originally published on All WNY News.

Sabres game felt like a win to me

BUFFALO -- I know the final score said 4-3, Boston. But Monday night's Prospects Challenge game felt like a win to me.

This is the second year that the Buffalo Sabres hosted a pre-pre-season tournament-style event featuring prospects from the Sabres, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils at Harborcenter. And judging by how it went, I can only imagine it won't be the last.

Harborcenter is a great facility. I've had the opportunity to catch a few events there, but I was usually in and out quickly; Grab a couple photos, maybe a quote and out the door to the next thing. Monday was the first chance I actually got to take it all in.

Apart from the limited seating and fewer concession stands, you would barely know you weren't at an NHL rink. But the seating itself if professional standard. And the concessions themselves are quite ample.

The action on the ice Monday night was a little grittier than I expected. Play was very physical given the pre-pre-season nature of it, which surprised me. But it shouldn't have. The prospects playing on the ice are trying to prove their worth, so, of course they were going to go all out.

Can I just say it was nice to watch hockey? And it was really nice to watch hockey players wearing Sabres uniforms ... even if they weren't exactly the Sabres.

For me, though, the nicest thing about Monday night was seeing all the kids watching hockey -- or not watching hockey as many were off doing their own things, or staring off into space as their parents watched the game. There were a lot of kids at the sixth-floor hockey rink, likely due to the $10 tickets.

The Sabres also had a pretty nice sale on hats, t-shirts and baubles. ONE BUFFALO hats went for just $5. Velcro hats were $10 and flex-fit hats were $12. There was a considerable selection of Evander Kane t-shirts for $5 ... for some reason.

Sabretooth was there wandering around the rink for pretty much the whole game. He stopped and sat with just about anyone that would let him. He posed for photos, signed autographs and even played some bubble hockey for a bit.

In my dealings with them (through three different ownerships), the Buffalo Sabres organization has always been a class act. That showed through again on Monday. I look forward to more hockey.

+Scott Leffler is editor of All WNY News and a fan of hockey. Follow him on Twitter @scottleffler.

RELATED: Photo album from Monday night's game.

This column was originally published on All WNY News.

Pokemon Is The Game America Needed

I'm don't want to say that a video game could save America ... but a video game could save America.

OK, maybe I exaggerate, but only slightly. Bear with me here.

Unless you're hiding under a rock with no access to media -- social or otherwise -- you're aware of the fact that almost everyone under the age of 30 -- and several of us over 30 -- are playing Pokemon Go.

The new mobile game came out last week and has quickly vaulted to the top of the charts on Android and iOS devices. On its day of release, it was on more phones than Tinder. And since Wednesday, the average Android user is spending nearly 60 minutes a day playing the game -- more time than they spend on Twitter.

I'm not entirely sure why, but it caught me by surprise. I noticed on Wednesday that three of my Facebook friends mentioned Pokemon. I thought it an odd coincidence. By Friday, it seemed like everyone I connect with on Facebook was talking about it in some way or another. Well, that and #BlueLivesMatter. But by Saturday morning, the seemingly never ending race war on my Facebook wall was replaced by Pokemon. Rather than a Hillary bashing or Trump bashing, it was Pikachu and Team Yellow.

Sitting on the bus en route to the Taste of Buffalo Saturday afternoon, I struck up a conversation with the stranger sitting next to me as he played the game. He said a friend got him hooked on it and he was enjoying catching the imaginary beasts. At the Taste of Buffalo, I overheard more than a few people talking about the Pokemon they had caught there. And at a friend's house afterwards, it seemed to be the primary topic of discussion.

Sunday, I couldn't take it any more. I had to play for myself. So I downloaded it and installed it and immediately caught a Charmander. I texted my daughters to ask if they were playing. One is. One isn't. The one who is explained why it's so great to live where she lives with water and woods and open areas -- allowing her to catch all kinds of Pokemon.

But today's Pokemon experience is what really excites me. Walking down Hyde Park Boulevard in Niagara Falls, I ran into a pair of kids -- probably 13 or 14. I overheard one of them say he was looking for a Pikachu, which excited me, frankly. I said, "Where? The church back there is a gym." We chatted for a bit. Two kids. And a 41-year-old. Talking about imaginary creatures while holding their cell phones. A short while later, I ran into a couple guys -- Joe and Tito -- who told me they were "hunting an Eevee." We walked together for a bit and talked about the game. And a few minutes after that, I ran into three more kids, who quickly hid their phones when they saw me. I asked what they were hunting, and they said they weren't sure. I then mentioned that there was a Pikachu in the area and one of them said, "I know! We're trying to find him."

That's eight complete strangers that I talked to in the past three days who I would have normally walked by without a word. Just the typical male head-nod. Eight conversations about Pokemon. No conversations about Trump. To me, that's a definite upgrade, even if I didn't find the Pikachu.

And I've read similar stories on social media about strangers meeting and discussing the game. One particularly amusing one about three guys in a park who were almost arrested until they explained they were just catching 'em all -- and convincing the officer to download the game.

Even if this Pokemon craze is temporary, it's a reprieve that a very stressed America needs so badly. Rather than black or white, gay or straight, Republican or Democrat, it's all about teams Yellow, Blue and Red right now.

People are creating events to catch Pokemon. And at least three businesses that I know of -- The Transit Drive-In, The Old Pink, and Grand Island Fun Center -- .have taken to social media to invite the public to come play there.

And on top of all that, it's getting people to go outside and exercise -- or at least walk.

So Pokemon Go might not be the game that America deserves, but it is clearly the game America needed.

Scott Leffler is editor of All WNY News and proud member of Team Yellow. He writes columns when he feels like it. See, Pokemon Go even inspired this column. It's taking over the world. 

This column was originally published on All WNY News.

The system actually is rigged

Much ado has been made in recent days about the electoral process in the state of New York.

Starting with complaints from Donald Trump's children that they were unable to switch their party affiliation to vote in the Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, then with a complaint from Common Cause/NY that the closed primary system disenfranchises independent voters (link), and finally from Bernie Sanders saying essentially the same thing.

This, of course, is on top of the general discontent from Trump and Sanders supporters about the primary election process at large -- with Trump's supporters saying the system is rigged against their candidate by party insiders and Sanders' supporters saying Hillary Clinton's superdelegates give her an unfair advantage. Not to mention the alleged disenfranchisement of over 100,000 voters in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

And then you've got third-party candidates like Libertarian Gary Johnson complaining that the two-party system is destined to keep him and fellow third-partiers out in the cold come the general election. He is unlikely to be included in the presidential polls or debates.

Also, there is the oft-mentioned argument that the Electoral College can override the people's will, essentially robbing them of their right to vote.

They're all right. The election system is rigged. But it isn't rigged against Trump. Or against Sanders. Or even so much against third parties. It's rigged against you.

It's rigged against you on a federal level when the Congress fails to ensure some sort of equal protection for voting in a presidential primary. Each party in each state is left up to its own devices on how and when voting should take place for their candidates. Different parties have different systems and allow for voting on different days. Some states allow voter registration on the day of the election. Others -- like New York -- require party switchers to change their affiliation months in advance.

I'm all for states' rights and allowing each state to essentially govern itself. But when it comes to electing someone to a federal office, some Congressional oversight sure would be nice.

In New York, it is certainly rigged against you on a state level. The "closed" primary system that Sanders and Common Cause/NY complained about makes sense to me, personally. As a registered Libertarian, I don't think I should be allowed to vote in a Democratic or Republican primary. And I don't want to. Everyone has a party and they be part of that party. But I find it somewhat ironic that in a "fusion" state where a candidate can run on the Republican, Conservative, Independence, Liberal, Libertarian, Democrat, Working Families, and God-knows-what-else lines -- all at once, that we the voters would be limited. If my state Senator, Rob Ortt, can claim to be a member of the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties, why can't I? Why can't you?

And when it comes time for the Commission on Presidential Debates to come up with rules for the debates heading into the general election, the process is rigged against you in that they only want you to hear from their candidates. Yes, the commission has candidates. It is actually a nonprofit corporation controlled by the Democratic and Republican parties. It's in their best interest to keep the other candidates out. That's why the rules for inclusion are so stringent. You usually have to be polling at a certain percentage (usually about 10 percent) to be included. Of course, to poll at 10 percent, you have to be included in the poll -- and have name recognition. Which leads to ...

The media has rigged the system against you. For convenience (also known as laziness) sake, the media focuses almost exclusively on the two major parties and those parties' candidates. Someone like Gary Johnson is never going to get to 10 percent if there's no ink on him. No ink means no name recognition. Which means poor polling numbers. Which means no debates. And therefore no votes. Low voter turnout for third-party candidates then gives the media cover, allowing them to continue to ignore the candidates: "Why should we report on something no one cares about?"

To make a long story short, the system is rigged against you. It's a self-perpetuating problem fueled in part by malice (by Republicans and Democrats) and in part by laziness (by the media -- and frankly, the voters).

Let's fix it.

Scott Leffler is editor and publisher of All WNY News. Tweet him @scottleffler or email him at scott.leffler@allwnynews.com. 

This story was originally published on All WNY News. 

Welcome to All WNY News

Hey. Hi. How ya doin'. I'm Scott. Nice to meet you.

So I thought I should take a minute and introduce myself and this website that you're on since I'm polite and you were kind enough to come visit.

I'm a former newspaper reporter, editor and carrier; former radio talk show host and production director; former paint salesman, burger flipper and pizza delivery guy. I'm a current father, political junkie, technology aficionado, and news addict.

Most recently, I served as news editor for East Niagara Post, a website I co-published with my partner until recently when I decided to "go solo." In the 2 1/2 or so years I worked on that site -- I'm still working on it, by the way, just not as a partner -- I learned a few things about how this whole internet news thing works. That knowledge will come in handy as I grow All WNY News.

All WNY News is a companion site of sorts to a site I launched 10 years ago today, April 1, 2006. That site, All WNY Radio, has grown and shrunk and grown and changed hands and came back to me. It offers music from all of Western New York. Similarly, All WNY News will offer news from all of Western New York.

In short, I think people in the Buffalo and Rochester areas deserve better news than they're getting. They deserve more news, without click-bait headlines and half truths. They deserve "journalism," which has frankly been lacking in the media world for some time.

All WNY News is going to offer news, sports, features, the arts, events -- you name it -- in a timely manner -- and for free.

I've spent the last few weeks writing stories that no one has seen yet, save a few people in my inner circle who helped me to design the site and make decisions about its layout.

This is a group effort ... by a very large group. And that group is going to grow.

I don't want to continue to ramble (yeah I do, but I won't). So take a look around and let me know what you think. You can email me at scott.leffler@allwnynews.com or tweet me @scottleffler.

Thanks.

- Scott Leffler
- Editor
- All WNY News

This column was originally published on All WNY News. 

Obama executive order a sensible first step

Earlier this week, when President Barack Obama announced his executive order requiring more background checks on gun purchases, the responses were pretty typical. Democrats loved it. Republicans hated it.

We ran a pair of stories here on ENP stating just that. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Gov. Andrew Cuomo came out in support of the initiative. Congressman Chris Collins and Sen. Rob Ortt released statements of their own opposing the plan.

Interestingly, most of the Facebook comments on the Gillibrand/Cuomo story came from people who disagreed with the Democrats' take, calling them "idiots." One person added, "Common sense tells us that the underlying cause of these mass shootings is 'gun free zones.'" Likewise, most of the comments on the story about Collins and Ortt, disagreed with them, calling them "out of touch." Maybe it's easier to be contrarian. I'm not sure.

Away from ENP, but still on Facebook, the topic is a hot-button issue, no doubt. I don't usually engage in political debate on Facebook but did so twice in the past few days on this very issue. Because, frankly, it's one I feel strongly about.

Thursday night, the president had a televised town hall on the topic, explaining his point of view and taking questions from the audience. The National Rifle Association was invited to discuss the topic at the event, but turned it down, instead choosing to tweet rebuttals to the president's statements with no fear of being asked difficult questions from President Obama or CNN moderator Anderson Cooper.

If you've read my column before or heard me in my radio days, you'll know I'm a huge proponent of the Second Amendment. In fact, I'm a "gun nut," according to most. Or rather, a "firearms nut," as I don't believe that the Second Amendment has anything to do with guns, really. It has to do with weapons in general. I believe that the intent of the founders was to allow the American people access to the same level of weaponry that the government has -- to keep that government in check. This includes bazookas, flamethrowers, tanks and atom bombs. The very same argument for the U.S. having atom bombs is the argument one could use for John Q. Public having one. "It's a deterrent." If our atomic bombs deter Russia from being stupid, "the people's" atomic bombs would deter Washington from the same.

But back to guns specifically. One of the things that the NRA tweeted during the townhall Thursday night was that "none of the president's orders would have stopped any of the recent mass shootings." That may or may not be true. But it's also true that none of the president's orders would have stopped a "law-abiding citizen" from buying a gun, which seems to be the NRA's whole point -- that Obama's executive order is an affront on the Second Amendment in that it would prevent "law-abiding citizens" from buying guns.

In fact, the main crux of the executive order is that felons are capable of buying guns, taking advantage of a loophole which allows basically anyone to buy a gun online or at gun shows. The majority of U.S. states do not require sellers at gun shows or online to be licensed. Since only licensed dealers must perform background checks, people who buy at gun shows and online can get one without a background check.

While it may be true that none of the mass shootings of the past seven years would have been prevented with this executive order in place, I don't know that as fact. I only know that the NRA says so. And then everyone who blindly follows the NRA parrots that statement.

The NRA said it turned down the town hall invitation because ".@POTUS doesn’t want an intellectually honest policy discussion. He wanted #NRA to be an audience member at his PR stunt. No thanks."

What a crock.

As I pointed out in a previous column, it's the NRA who doesn't want an honest policy discussion on the matter. And their adherents in the Republican Party make sure there isn't one. Rather than agreeing to even try to solve the issue of mass murder, they offer "thoughts and prayers" and move on.

Keep in mind, the executive order doesn't ban a single weapon. It doesn't take away anyone's guns. All it does is help to ensure that people who shouldn't have access to them, don't.

If the NRA, Chris Collins, Rob Ortt or anyone else can explain to me why felons, murders, rapists and domestic abusers "right to bear arms" trumps the safety of their past -- and future -- victims, I'll offer my apology. Otherwise, they should stand up and announce that they have no clue what they're talking about and have more respect for guns than for human life.

+Scott Leffler is pretty annoyed at the disingenuousness of the NRA and their cohorts. Feel free to disagree with him on Twitter @scottleffler or by email at scott.leffler@gmail.com.

This column was originally published on East Niagara Post.

Happy New Year -- good things to come

Another calendar year has come and gone and we begin anew, filled with the promise of change and the hope of perfection.

My hope for perfection lasted just a few short hours, as the second story I penned in 2016 had a glaring error -- in the headline, no less: "Today's foreacast: Mostly cloudy with a high near 31." You see that, right? In Friday's weather story? "Foreacast." Not a word. So with my first mistake out of the way quickly, I can throw aside the unattainable goal of perfection and work towards "pretty darn good," which isn't a bad goal, either.

Friday morning when I awoke from my slumber, I glanced at the daily email update and noticed the glaring error, fixed it, dusted off my shattered ego, and got right back to work, attending the inauguration ceremony for Lockport elected officials at the Historic Palace Theatre.

It was a nice ceremony, about the right length with a decent -- but not overwhelming -- amount of pomp and circumstance. Mayor Anne McCaffrey gave a speech. Other elected officials said a few words. Mike Niethe was sworn in as police chief and Pat Brady was officially sworn in as fire chief. The city attorneys were also sworn in. There was the pledge to the flag and the national anthem, sung -- as always -- by Pete Robinson. Afterwards there was punch and snacks. And later still, there was a fancy shindig held by city Democrats at the Kenan Center complete with tasty sandwiches, cake and Bloody Marys.

All-in-all, 2016 got off to a decent start. Now for the rest of it.

This is not going to be a column filled with resolutions; but plans, rather. Or plots, even. As I've been told, "It's better to plot than to plan. Plans fall through." I know this all too well.

East Niagara Post, which quietly celebrated its two-year-anniversary in November, plans plots to continue to grow, adding more contributors, more content, and more news.

We're starting right away with a brand new bi-weekly column (first and third Saturday of each month) penned by Dr. Scott Geise beginning today. Geise's column, a "series of historically relevant articles," will highlight local history, focusing largely on the Historic Lockport Mill Race. Geise previously published a column with the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal but came to us for this new series. We're glad to have him. He hopes (as do we at ENP) that the series of articles will promote the area and bring in some tourism dollars.

For those of you who prefer to stay indoors, we're also adding a cooking column. Also running every other week, the new column will be penned by my sister, Natilie Cavnar, an award-winning chef who graduated "most likely to succeed" from the Culinary Institute of America, Her column will run the second and fourth Saturday of each month beginning Jan. 9, and will feature recipes, "plus talk about culinary information, whether it be about seasonal food, GMO food, food allergies, and also offer a question-and-answer section as well."

The food allergy thing will be a particularly nice addition here for the staff at ENP as my partner, Heather Grimmer, is pretty much allergic to everything edible. No, really. At the Democatic celebration Friday, a couple people suggested I bring her back some food. But it all had wheat in it. Every. Single. Thing.

Heather was unable to attend due largely to her ongoing "allergy" of being the victim of a hit-and-run accident back in April. She continues -- eight months later -- to recover from her concussion, while being (at times quite visibly) irritated by the fact that it happened.

So after months of not being allowed to work -- doctor's orders -- Heather was given permission to return to light-duty ... just in time to put on her latest hat, that of owner of ART247, formerly Market Street Art Studios. In other words, the little amount of time she has to do work right now is being spent on that awesome endeavor.

If you missed the story about her taking over the immense former Western Block building, catch up here (link). And while the history is impressive, it's not nearly as cool as the future. Check out a rendering of Heather's plans for 247 Market St. here (link).

I'm proud of you, Hx.

East Niagara Post has called 247 Market St. home for a while now, sharing an office with Heather's other business, HG Design Studios. We'll continue to operate out of the building but are moving down the hall to our very own office.

Our new office, located in suite 205, will allow me more space, which will be very beneficial for our radio endeavors. We'll be adding a few new programs to East Niagara Radio to complement our current live broadcasts of Lockport Express hockey games and other live events. We're still hashing out details on those but keep your eyes here (and your ears on ENR) for announcements soon.

Okay -- so everything above is through the planning and development stage and simply awaiting implementation. The things below are more ideas that I'm working towards with no real date in mind -- other than "this year."

I'm hoping we can bring in another staff writer who will be able to take some of the day-to-day stuff off of my plate. Someone who can turn press releases into stories, who can write small features on upcoming events, and maybe write up police reports. This, in turn, will allow me more time to focus on my true love: politics.

In fact, I'm going to make a greater effort to attend local Common Council and County Legislature meetings. As much as I abhor meetings, I also abhor reading things I didn't already know about in the US&J and/or Buffalo News. Like it or not, sometimes those stupid meetings have real news in them.

In addition to the staff news writer, I'm hoping we'll be able to bring in beat writers to report news out of the four school districts we cover: Lockport, Newfane, Roy-Hart and Barker. Having one person dedicated to each school district will ensure that we stay ahead of the competition and help make ENP the only news source you need.

One other major addition I'm hoping for in 2016 is the addition of a sports writer to cover local sports. While I feel we do a bang-up job of covering the Lockport Express, the rest of our sports coverage is, admittedly pretty non-existent. In truth, though, that's kind of by design. Local sports is huge. And without a person dedicated to covering it, we couldn't do so adequately. Our philosophy before now has been that if we couldn't do something adequately, we didn't want to do it at all. My philosophy now is "let's get a person in here and get it done." Stay tuned.

Aside from everything above, we are constantly approached by people who want to contribute to ENP in some way or another. To them, I say, get ahold of us. Our new columns by Geise and Cavnar are coming in to reality because they both approached me and asked to contribute. They wanted to share their passion and realized that the Post was the best method of delivery. For others with a passion and no outlet, consider us. I'm always hoping to grow the family.

All these new plans plots require funding. Which is why we're happy to announce the return of Damien Brady as a sales consultant. He joins Simon Chavers, who was added to our sales team in mid-2015. If you own a local business, don't be surprised to find one of them at your doorstep. You're also officially invited to contact them and inquire about display and/or audio advertising.

Long story short (too late?), 2016 is going to be a great year for #TeamENP and we're excited about it. Expect more news, more sports, more radio, and just plain more East Niagara Post. We'll deliver it same as we always have -- via EastNiagaraPost.com and shared to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Vine, Periscope, YouTube, and our ENP Mobile Android App. And to those of you who have been hoping for an iOS app, this is your year, too.

+Scott Leffler is (clearly) is not allergic to food. Follow him on Twitter @scottleffler or email him at scott.leffler@gmail.com. 

This column was originally published on East Niagara Post.