City of Niagara Falls, N.Y.

      Retail is also part of our city's new economy.  In July, the new Super Walmart opened on Military Road.  The return of this property to the tax rolls has infused new revenue into our city budget.  As an added benefit, the store incorporates many green features, including skylights, energy-efficient LED lighting, the use of recycled materials, and low-flow toilets and faucets. 

In a special way, I want to acknowledge the hard work and sacrifice of those who operate small businesses in our city. T he restaurant owners, the storekeepers, those with professional offices … you are the backbone of our community.  I cannot possibly name all of you, but I do want to highlight a few who embody the spirit of our city's entrepreneurs.  

Earlier this year, I helped to cut the ribbon on the expanded Dairy Queen at 25^th and Niagara Streets.  With the help of a Community Development façade restoration matching grant, Michael Palmeri turned the restaurant into the first "Grill and Chill" Dairy Queen shop in Niagara County, offering a mixture of hot and cold menu items.  When a reporter interviewed Mr. Palmeri, here is what he said: "I can't wait to come into work.  It's what I look forward to every day.  This place is my home." 

 Last year, the closing of the Summit in Wheatfield left a local entrepreneur without a home for his business.  With a loan and grant package from the NFC Development Corporation, Timothy Krawczyk decided to move the Krows Nest to 8735 Niagara Falls Boulevard in LaSalle.  He chose that location for his family entertainment and gaming center because of the proximity to the new hotels on Niagara Falls Boulevard.  Thanks to his hard work, the Krows Nest will provide another entertainment option for local families and visitors alike. 

 Finally, I want to recognize Abdul Labi, a native of Sri Lanka who operates an alternative energy manufacturing company called PEMCO on Portage Road.  Last year, he made the final payment on a $220,000 loan that he received from NFC in 1989.  According to Mr. Labi, that loan made it possible for him to do business here in Niagara Falls.  And he has done all we can ask: he has kept his company here, created jobs, and repaid his loan.  He is the kind of business owner we can all be proud of.  There are many more. 

 Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, my administration is working overtime to create jobs and spur investment in our city.  We are making real progress, even in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression.  When the dust clears, Niagara Falls will be poised not just for survival, but for revival.  

Our third goal is to have a great quality of life, making our city a place where people choose to live, work and play. 

 During the past several years, Niagara Falls became synonymous with one word more than any other. Tourism? No. Entertainment? No. The word was … "potholes."  It's the complaint I heard most when I was running for mayor, and it's the issue that generated the most calls to my office during the early days of my administration. 

 Last year, we finally made a dent.  You couldn't drive anywhere in the city last year without encountering a paving crew.  That's because we took on more than 40 paving projects, with the assistance of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, Senator Antoine Thompson and Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte.  We paved and paved and paved some more, until the weather made it impossible for us to continue.  It was a great effort, but it was only the beginning.  

When the weather breaks this year, we'll start another aggressive season of repairs.  This year's reconstruction list includes three streets that have waited far too long to be addressed: 72nd Street, 10th Street, and of course, Lewiston Road.  We used casino funds last year to buy a new "zipper machine" that has made a real difference on some of our worst streets.  We will also keep the Pothole Killer in our arsenal to shore up streets that aren't yet on the paving list.  And we're buying a new small paving machine to start a formal alley-paving program.  Wait until you see our 2010 paving program; it will knock your socks off.  But not your hubcaps or tie-rod ends. 

 2009 marked another opening that many people in our city will never forget.  At long last, the Lockport Street Bridge reopened to vehicular traffic.  The Point Avenue Bridge in LaSalle was finally demolished after years of deterioration.  And the 93^rd Street bridge used by so many Little Leaguers was replaced, using monies from the Niagara River Greenway. 

 Three new tandem snowplows, along with some new smaller plow trucks, allowed the Public Works staff to keep our streets passable even when three feet of snow were dumped on our streets.