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by Joshua Maloni
A controversial land transfer in the Village of Lewiston was not unconstitutional.
So said State Supreme Court Justice Richard C. Kloch Sr. on Thursday, as he ruled in favor of the municipality and its deeding over of 197.23 feet of Water Street property to Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours. Lewiston businessman Jerome Williams filed an Article 78 motion last December against the village and John Kinney's tourism company citing the sale as illegal and unconstitutional. Williams sought to have the land transfer voided.
A second lawsuit, questioning the validity of the lease agreement between the village and WJBT, was filed on Monday - unbeknownst to the defendants. Prior to Kloch's court session, Williams' attorneys, Gregory P. Photiadis and Elizabeth A. Kraengel of Buffalo law firm Duke, Holzman, Photiadis & Gresens, provided village attorney Edward Jesella and WJBT counsel John Bartolomei with what they called "courtesy copies" of the new motion.