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Joseph A. Ferrante

MIDDLEPORT — A 72-year-old contractor from Lancaster was charged Tuesday with charging a Middleport woman to build a seasonal room and not delivering.

According to New York State Police, Joseph A. Ferrante was hired in October of 2014 and given over $8,500 to complete the work, but no work was completed nor a refund issued.

Ferrante was charged with felony grand larceny and felony scheme to defraud. He was processed at SP Lockport and ordered to appear in Town of Royalton Court on Oct. 8.

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Lions, Panthers, Rams and Raiders. Those are the mascots for the four high schools we cover here at East Niagara Post.

The Lockport Lions, Newfane Panthers, Roy-Hart Rams and Barker Raiders. As high school mascots go, they're all perfectly adequate. Two animals that roar, one that charges and a human that "arrrrr"s.

I went to high school at Niagara-Wheatfield Senior High School. We were the Falcons. Then I went to Ashland University. We were the Eagles. Pretty basic stuff. Nothing controversial — which I'm just fine with.

Earlier this week, the Lancaster School Board voted unanimously to drop their 60-year tradition of calling their sports teams "Redskins" following pressure from other school districts who announced they would boycott sporting events against the Lancaster team.

Specifically, lacrosse teams from my Alma Mater (Niagara-Wheatfield), Akron and Lake Shore school districts said that they would refuse to play a team named "Redskins." All three school districts have significant Native American populations. Many Native Americans feel the term is a racial slur.

So in the interest of playing lacrosse — and hopefully in the interest of not offending people — the Lancaster board made their decision.

But not everyone seems to agree that it was the right decision.

About 300 students walked out of school in protest on Thursday, holding signs like "School board speak with forked tongue." They were upset that they were losing their heritage. Lancaster High School does not have a significant Native American population.

Now, when I was in high school, I would have protested a ham sandwich if it had gotten me out of class. So I can understand how 300 kids would walk out in protest. However, my parents would have kicked my ass. So I can't understand how 300 kids would walk out in protest.

Except ...

It seems that many of the parents are with their kids on this. They feel the district should have continued to use a derogatory term to identify their sports teams. It worked when they were young, so why wouldn't it work now? They feel some people are just being "politically correct" in wanting to change the mascot. And the last thing they want to be is politically correct.

Not everyone is offended by the term "Redskin." Having never been Native American, I hadn't given it much thought until these past few years when it became a national conversation due to the Washington Redskins. But if people find it offensive, why would anyone fight to keep it?

Look, this is still the United States of America. We have the right to be jerks if we want to — to a degree. You don't have to talk to the cashier at the store if you don't wish to. You don't have to tip your waitress. You don't have to smile and say "hi" just because someone else does. And technically speaking, you can use derogatory terms. But why?

It would seem to me that a "civilized" culture such as ours would make an effort to not offend people. I mean, we're the best country on the planet, right? Does that mean we don't have to be nice? Because that's the feeling I get sometimes: "We don't have to be nice because we've got the bombs."

There's nothing wrong with political correctness, or as I like to call it, "being compassionate." But hey, Lancaster parents, if it pains you too much show kindness to others, then by all means, you have an opportunity to tell the world who you are through your new mascot name. I suggest the Lancaster Bullies.

+Scott Leffler tries not to offend people. But it happens anyway. Be offended on Twitter by following him @scottleffler. 

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Jason A. Kozakowski, 31, 35 Progressive Ave., Buffalo, was charged with second-degree aggravated harassment around 9:20 a.m. Monday. According to his arrest report, Kozakowski made threatening remarks to a woman. He was to be in City Court Monday morning.

Angela Y. Porter, 25, 433 Pleasant View Dr., Lancaster, was charged with second-degree criminal impersonation, second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, failure to signal and an equipment violation around 3:45 a.m. Monday. According to her arrest report, Porter was stopped by patrol and initially gave a false name. She was slated for City Court on Monday.

Corey J. Hemmer, 28, 121 Main St., Apt. A, Elba, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance around 3:45 a.m. Monday. According to the LPD arrest report, Hemmer was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped. When he exited the vehicle, a small baggy containing four orange pills fell out of his pocket, landing next to the seat. When police asked if he had weapons, he said he had marijuana in his right pocket. He was slated to be in City Court on Monday to answer to the charges.

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LANCASTER — An adult male and a juvenile male are dead after a plane crash in Lancaster this morning.

Emergency vehicles responded to a report of two planes that went down on Kieffer Road around 10:15 a.m. One plane had crashed near Kieffer Road while a second had come to a "hard landing" near Town Line Road.

The second plane had an adult male pilot and a nine-year-old girl, who both reportedly suffered minor injuries.

EDIT: Story updated at 3:53 p.m. to include status of passengers in the planes.