Group Wedding at Goat Island, Niagara Falls USA

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Nik Wallenda Press Conferece Summer 2011

Niagara Power - A HOME RUN!

Niagara and Power! Two words that go together. But did you know that there is another "Niagara Power" in Niagara Falls? The Niagara Power is an expansion team in the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) and is an Affiliate of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), a national, faith-based ministry. FCA partnered with Cal Kern (Grand Island, NY) and the city of Niagara Falls to establish the Niagara Power in 2007.

The Power provides opportunities for furthering baseball skills and abilities of collegiate players while also emphasizing the importance of character, integrity, and excellence in baseball and in the community.

The New York Collegiate Baseball League, founded in 1978, is a summer wood bat development league for professional baseball. Major League Baseball funds a small portion of the leagues annual budget. The league gives college players who have not yet signed a professional contract the opportunity to develop their skills at a higher level of play, gain experience with wood bats, and be evaluated by scouts. The NYCBL is located in scenic Upstate New York.

Teams play a 44 game regular season schedule with games beginning in June and ending in the last week in July. All games are 9 innings, with most doubleheaders scheduled on the weekends. The All-Star game is played in early July, and the League Championship Series concludes in the first week of August.
Niagara Power players come from all over the country and are housed in host family homes around the area. I am currently housing two fine young men, Danny Hall, from San Jose, CA, and Matt Van Slyke, of Oxford, MS. What a joy it is to have the power of youth again in the home!! (and in case you baseball fans wondered, yes, Matt is related to the famous major leaguer, Andy Van Slyke, formerly of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who coincidentally, was one of my favorite major league players).
The Niagara Power 2010 season began on June 4th at Sal Maglie stadium, where all their home games are played.

The best thing for area baseball fans is the reasonable cost to attend a game. Adult ticket prices run $3 or $4, with a dollar off for senior citizens, and youth (6-12)tickets are only $1 or $2. Concessions are available at very reasonable cost and there are many promotion nights during the season. You can check out the team rosters as well as the schedule and other interesting facts at the team's website:
http://www.niagarapower.org.

If you are a baseball fan be sure to take in a game or 10 during the next two months and if you have a spare room available next year, please consider hosting a couple of these fine young athletes. I have just made two new, wonderful friends and look forward to a winning season.


Jim Brunn

The Barenaked Ladies at the Seneca Niagara Casino

Canadian pop (rock?) group The Barenaked Ladies took the stage Friday night and played to a capacity crowd at the Events Center in the Seneca Niagara Casino. The Barenaked Ladies, which consist of singer/ guitarist Steven Page, guitarist/vocalist Ed Robertson, keyboardist/vocalist Kevin Hearn, drummer/vocalist Tyler Stewart and bassist/vocalist Jim Creegan (sorry folks, no actual barenaked ladies performed!) blew the roof off the joint with their energetic, improv-laden performance.


Barenaked Ladies - One Week - 1998

The Barenaked Ladies, known for many of their pop hits in the 1990s (One Week, If I Had a Million Dollars, Brian Wilson and many more) have clearly refined their stage persona over time with a mixture of music, stories, comedy and improvisation. Between almost every song, frontmen Steven Page and Ed Robertson would banter back and forth, making up mostly every word as they went along... Could they really have written lyrics to an on-the-spot song about furry teeth and pork and beans?! Are Fonzie impersonations always part of the act? The improv style made the crowd howl with laughter between each song, just long enough for everyone to catch their breath from the constant dancing and singing along.

The Events Center proved to be a great venue because of the sound quality, large screen videos and diverse crowd. There were adults ranging from 18 - 80, guys in Harley Davidson attire bumping hips with senior citizens, long time fans dancing with brand new listeners, no matter who was in attendance - everyone had a smile on their face. It was a great sight to see so many people having such a good time. At this Casino concert, everyone emerged as a winner.

Check out their official website here: http://www.bnlmusic.com/news/


For more information about future events at the Seneca Niagara Casino, click here: http://www.senecaniagaracasino.com/seneca-events-center.cfm

Good Morning Niagara Falls!

Good Morning America's Whistle Stop Tour '08 paid a visit to our hometown this morning, broadcasting live from the brink of the Falls.

Chris Cuomo does a segment just feet away from the mighty Niagara

I arrived on the scene at about 5:30am (yikes!) and was able to get a close view of all the mayhem and hoopla that springs from a live television broadcast. Although there were about 500-700 people in attendance, I was able to worm my way closer to the front of all the action in order to be "one of those people in the background." Have you ever watched any of the live morning television news broadcasts like Good Morning America or the Today Show and wondered, who the hell would wake up that early and stand there like an idiot in the background? Your boy Stenz, that's who!

Diane Sawyer and the early morning crowd

Niagara Falls, NY was just one of the many stops on GMA's Whistle-Stop Tour as the train makes its way across the nation. Click here for the official site and for some interesting insight about our hometown. You be the judge as to whether the video is an optimistic view of our city (looking forward?) or if our glass is half empty. Either way you view it, I think any publicity is good publicity.

The entire event this morning was a thrill for many onlookers and celebrity seekers (myself included), but no one had a better time than young JT Robertson. Watch the videos from today's broadcast here and also to see the interview and the special surprise that JT received from ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Very cool.

Ty Pennington gets ready to surprise JT

Even more surprises from the cast of Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Sam Champion in the midst of the crowd and in the mist of Niagara Falls!

Robin Roberts signs autographs and talks to fans

Michael Moloney and Paige Hemmis

Michael Moloney and Paige Hemmis with
a real hometown Lebowski Achiever, ME!

It was an eventful morning not only for JT and his family, but for everyone in attendance hoping to get a little glimpse of the Hollywood on display here in Niagara Falls. On a personal note, had I known this morning I was going to meet Paige Hemmis, I definitely wouldn't have complained about having to get out of bed so early!

Aquarium to Host Wine Tasting Gala Event

Sniff the nose. Check the legs. Taste some of the finest wines from the Niagara Wine Trail and the Finger Lakes area at the Aquarium of Niagara’s annual fundraiser, Winds, Waves & Wines IX.

Wine tasting, sampling hors d’oeuvres, live music, a silent auction and more are all a part of the gala planned from 6 to 9 p.m. September 18, 2008, at The Conference Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St. Free parking will be available at the Aquarium lot, between Third and Whirlpool streets. Shuttle service, provided by the Niagara State Park Trolley, will run from 5:45 to 9:30 p.m. Parking also is available on city streets and in nearby lots.

The popular Aquarium event will feature Aaron Mentkowski of WKBW Channel 7 as celebrity host. Participants include the Niagara Wine Trail wineries: Niagara Landing, The Winery at Marjim Manor, Eveningside Vineyards, Freedom Run Vineyards, Honeymooon Trail Winery, Arrowhead Spring Vineyards, Chiappone Cellars, Leonard Oakes Estate, Warm Lake Estate, Vizcarra Vineyards, Spring Lake Winery and Schulze Vineyards; also Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars, Goose Watch Winery, Heron Hill Winery, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Johnson Estate, Merritt Estate, Penguin Pay, Standing Stone Vineyards, Swedish Hill, Vetter and Wagner vineyards.

Caterers/restaurants include the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Days Inn at the Falls, Muscareil’s Bistro & Dessert Gallery, Niagara CCC Culinary/Pastry Arts program, Starbucks Coffee Co. Niagara and the Conference Center Niagara Falls.

The Rod Nickson Project, sponsored by Turner Construction, and Premier Sound Mobile DJ will provide musical entertainment.

Tickets to the fundraiser automatically enter guests into a drawing for an authentic penguin or sea lion painting. A silent auction could also net guests prizes from Whitenight’s Jewelers, Art Effects Glass, Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare, WELCOME Magazine, Wyland, marinelife artist, and many more.

Tickets for WWW IX are $55 each or $100 a couple. They can be purchased in advance at the Aquarium or at the door that night. For more information or to be included as an event sponsor, call 285-3575, Ext. 204. Sponsors to date are Advantage Flooring & Tile, Business First, Calamar, Empire Building Diagnostics, M&T Bank, Niagara Frontier Publications Weekly Newspapers, Sharp Printing Inc. and the Talking Phone Book.

THE AQUARIUM OF NIAGARA PRESENTS A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

The Aquarium of Niagara is turning its parking lot, between Third and Whirlpool streets, into a drive-in movie for one night, complete with popcorn, soft drinks, ice cream and hot dogs, available for purchase. And, of course, a couple of popular movies the whole family can enjoy. “Cirque du Cinema” is planned Friday, Aug. 22. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

Films to be shown on a 20-foot outdoor screen include a recent comedy starring a veritable boat full of animals and humans, Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman, followed by the now classic tale of a giant shark that terrorizes a New England coastal village and its residents.

Before the movies begin and during intermission, there will be circus-like entertainment with prizes and surprises. This professionally produced production is a fund-raiser for the not-for-profit Aquarium. Admission is $20 per car with two occupants; $25 for a car with three or more occupants. Walk-ins are $5 and should bring their own chairs. Rain date is Saturday, Aug. 23. Time Warner Cable is sponsoring this night of film and fun.

For more information, contact Tracy at 285-3575, Ext. 206. Admission will be paid at the “drive-in” entrances.

What a great way to spend a Friday night in Niagara Falls. Bring the family, tell the neighbors, and come out to support the Aquarium. See ya there!

Kathy Griffin: Hilarious D-Lister

Best known For her role on the NBC sitcom "Suddenly Susan, " Kathy Griffin has also appeared in over 25 films and 40 television shows including her own stand-up comedy specials on HBO and the Emmy award-winning TV show on the Bravo Channel, "Kathy Griffin: My life on the D-List." Kathy performed Saturday night in the Events Center at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel.

Evident in her introduction video (which was shown on the giant side-screens next to the stage before Kathy took the mic), Kathy has been seen in A LOT of television and movie roles over the last twenty years... most of them being one or two sentence cameos (Pulp Fiction anyone?). Although her celebrity status is of the self proclaimed D-List variety, her stage act Saturday night was a very funny A+.

I have to admit that I have never been much of a "Life on the D-List" fan, but after listening to Kathy rant about her celebrity "friends" (celebrity targets) and offer her take on her semi/quasi-celebrity culture, I will be giving the Bravo show another look. She isn't afraid to give the dish about the fake appearances of Hollywood, so-called friends, sex and drugs, and is in no way afraid of inserting an F-Bomb in every other sentence - my kinda gal!

For an hour and half, Kathy dished the dirt on everybody from Pamela Anderson to Oprah (and everybody within that spectrum of celebrity), only pausing long enough to have a sip of water, then moving quickly on to the next spoonful of celebrity gossip. Her performance was like reading an issue of Entertainment Weekly with a little bit of grit and grime smeared in for good measure. I am sure along her ladder climb up the fame scale, she has burned a lot of bridges and has pissed off more than her fair share of those who reside in Hollywood, but after listening to Kathy's take, it sounds like they all deserve it!

The show on Saturday night was sold out, and Kathy was very proud to exclaim while flipping off the crowd, "SOLD OUT F#$&ERS! TAKE THAT RYAN SEACREST!" to the cheers of an audience filled with screaming fans. It looks like life on the D-List ain't so bad after all.

Check out Kathy's website at: http://www.kathygriffin.net/

Be sure to visit http://www.senecaniagaracasino.com/seneca-events-center.cfm for more details on upcoming shows and attractions at the Seneca Niagara Events Center.

One Man, Many Voices - Frank Caliendo

Frank Caliendo Performed Friday Night
(8/1) at the Seneca Niagara Events Center

Eighty years ago, versatile actor Lon Chaney was known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" - it wouldn't be too far of a stretch for comedian/impressionist Frank Caliendo to adapt that moniker for his own stage act and call himself "The Man of a Thousand Voices." Now, a thousand voices might be a bit of an exaggeration, but in the time Frank spent on stage Friday night at the Seneca Niagara Events Center, he defintely made it seem possible that if he had another couple of hours to spend talking to the crowd, we might've heard that many... or more.

Known mostly for his uncanny impression of NFL broadcaster John Madden, Frank is the writer, actor and star of his own show on TBS called FrankTV. He was also a cast member of MadTV, appears regularly on the Fox NFL pregame shows, and makes the rounds on several late-night talk shows.

In the hour and a half he was on stage, Frank was a whirlwind of different characters, barely stopping to catch his breath before moving on to the next voice in his arsenal with rapid fire succession. Frank, the man himself, disappeared after the first few minutes of his act and basically left the stand-up routine to his act's mainstay - George W. Bush. Every chance he had, and with every change of thought, there was the "W" spitting out nonsense words like "talkified" and "pronouncification." His impression of the President is perfect and served as his go-to joke whenever he needed to segway into the next bit. Frank made the transitions effortless, bouncing like Cybil from one persona to the next. The crowd loved it.

Here is the complete list of every impression Frank did on stage Friday night in order:
George W. Bush
Bill Clinton
Charles Barkley
Bill Walton
Jay Leno
Dr. Phil
Al Gore
Jeff Goldblum
Adam Sandler
Nathan Lane
Robin Williams
Dr.Evil
Dick Cheney
Al Pacino
Yoda
Michael Richards
Jerry Seinfeld
Andy Rooney
John Madden
Kermit the Frog
Miss Piggy
Shaggy
Scooby
Chris Rock
Casey Kasem
Ted Knight
Jim Rome
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Mike Tyson
Sean Connery
Robert DeNiro
Keanu Reeves
Rick Moranis
Terry Bradshaw
David Letterman
Paul Schaffer
Marv Albert
Donald Trump
Chris Farley
Paulie Shore

Frank Caliendo is one of the "everyman" type comedians, and although some of his punchlines and impressions might need a little tweaking (they all can't be dead-on!), his "aww shucks" personality makes it hard for anyone to criticize his stage act. He looks like your brother-in-law and doesn't take his rising popularity too seriously at all. What other headliner makes himself available to every single fan for pictures and autographs after the show?

Check out Frank's website http://www.frankcaliendo.com/ which includes his tour dates, videos, merchandise and blog.

Be sure to visit http://www.senecaniagaracasino.com/seneca-events-center.cfm for more details on upcoming shows and attractions at the Seneca Niagara Events Center.