Published: November 19, 2008 12:20 am      

NIAGARA FALLS: It's Miller time for block club council

Echota president fills position of Roger Spurback

Robert Miller is the first to admit he faces a big challenge as new president of the Niagara Falls Block Club Council.

The D Street resident was appointed Tuesday to fill the vacancy caused by longtime President Roger Spurback, who resigned last week. Miller will take over the top position for the remainder of the year.

“We’re going to try our best to fill the void,” Miller said during a meeting at the 18th Street Resource Center. “We’ve got some pretty big shoes to fill, but we can do it if we all work together. The Block Club Council will persevere.”

Spurback, who used to live on Forest Avenue before moving out of the city this past summer, became block club president in 1997 and held the post until 1999 before stepping down to run for City Council. He returned as president in 2003 and also served as president of the Niagara Street Business Association from 2000 to 2002.

Miller praised Spurback’s commitment to block clubs, pointing out he was always “running around the city trying to put out fires.” Spurback sent the council his resignation last week, saying the time was right for other neighborhood leaders to step forward and show that concerns he has expressed about the inner-workings of city government are not his alone.

Miller said the council is up to that challenge if everyone gets involved.

“Block club leaders, we need your support more than ever now,” he told close to 15 members in attendance. “Our job will never be done.”

Miller has been serving as president of the Echota Block Club, which covers the south end of Hyde Park Boulevard. The club has been fighting to preserve dozens of properties in the old Echota area and has been promised federal support from U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. He had been first vice president of the block club council prior to Spurback’s resignation.

“I will do my best,” Miller said. “I want to see this city survive and I want to see this city improve.”

Spurback has taken a public stand against what he called a lack of “accountability and responsibility” in the city’s Inspections Department. He called for the removal of Inspections Commissioner Guy Bax during a recent City Council meeting. Council members have since voiced their support of Bax and his staff.

On Tuesday, Block Club Council Second Vice President Joe Paonessa told members he could arrange for Bax to attend a future meeting to open a dialogue and address any concerns they have. He said Spurback’s public criticism wasn’t the best way to resolve matters.

“We’re barking up the wrong tree when we mention someone personally,” Paonessa said.