Published: October 31, 2009 11:00 pm      

ENDORSEMENTS: Our picks for the City Council

If anything, listening to the five candidates for the three open Niagara Falls City Council seats discuss the current state of Niagara Falls, you can’t help but feel things are finally starting to look up around here.

Whether it was current councilmen Charles Walker and Sam Fruscione or challengers Candra Thomason, Kristen Grandinetti and Kenneth Pawlukovich, all spoke of the positive direction Mayor Paul Dyster has the city moving.

They also all agreed there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Of the five, the Gazette suggests voters select Fruscione, Grandinetti and Thomason in Tuesday’s election.

After meeting with the five candidates, Fruscione and Grandinetti were the clear front-runners. Both impressed members of the editorial board with their knowledge of city issues and desire to keep things moving in the right direction.

Fruscione has been an outspoken member of the council who’s been at the forefront on tourism-related issues in the city throughout his first term. He comes across as a stable and steady voice, who, as he says, will ask “the big questions.”

In discussing his time on the board and the state of the city, Fruscione told edit board members he will continue to work with everyone on a professional level and added Dyster is doing “a very good job.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Grandinetti, whose positive attitude is a bit infectious.

A self-proclaimed relationship-builder, Grandinetti said she’s prepared to listen and address all concerns from residents. The North End teacher, who also has experience in the hotel and restaurant business, also wants to organize town hall-style meetings.

We also liked that Grandinetti emphasized she wants to include the entire community in these efforts.

Of the remaining three candidates, we eventually decided on Thomason — but it was a tough choice.

In the end it was Thomason’s business experience and desire to serve her community that won us over. The former councilwoman and mayoral candidate also wants to build up a few relationships, particularly with developers and the Seneca Nation.

As for working with Dyster, who defeated her two years ago, Thomason said she was able to work with him when they were previously on the council together. “We’re both intelligent, mature people,” she added.

In discussing his 11 years on the board, Walker brought up his ability to communicate the issues with different personalities. He also highlighted his work to promote the area’s ties to the Underground Railroad.

We weren’t sure what to expect from political newcomer Pawlukovich and we came away impressed. The vice president of Hutch Enterprises had a lot of good ideas in the area of city development, including setting up a board of developers to open up lines of communication with the city.

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THE PROCESS: Candidates were invited to 30 minute individual interviews with the editorial board. These interviews in addition to the context gleaned from coverage of campaigns and ongoing issues relevant to voters were considered in making these endorsements. A particular party affiliation is not a qualification for the paper’s endorsement.