The Greater Niagara Ballet Company staged another successful production of "The Nutcracker" - the company's 51st and counting - on Friday and Saturday. Once again, talented and spirited youth from Niagara County, Western New York and Southern Ontario teamed to bring to life Clara, Uncle Drosselmier, the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Nutcracker Prince, family, friends and foes.

Mount St. Mary's Hospital has issued a scam alert. Unknown individuals have been calling residents in the local community falsely identifying themselves as representatives of the hospital and offering Medicaid services. Be aware this is a scam.

From 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, St. Peter R.C. School will host "Lunch with Santa." A full pasta lunch will be served in the school cafeteria, compliments of the Macri family and Macri's Italian Grille.

The Niagara County Peach Festival will remain at Academy Park for another year.

The big man in the red suit arrived in Lewiston via Rainbow Air helicopter on Saturday morning. After successfully landing in Academy Park, Santa met with children and families before boarding his special Deal Realty Float. J&J Strassburg Trucking transported the holly-jolly one to the International Peace Garden, where he greeted even more youth.

Yes, the holidays are in full force in northern Niagara. And with all of us having already experienced the season's first real snowfall (and more expected soon), it sets the stage perfectly for the River Region's next big celebration: Youngstown's "Christmas in the Village."

The annual Community Baskets collection drive will soon be getting underway in Youngstown-Porter - and organizers can use your help.

Following a public hearing last month that led to the tabling of the Bella Rose Farm Market/Winery proposal at 1243 Ridge Road over real property questions with Modern Disposal, the Lewiston Town Board moved forward Monday with a series of approvals.

When members of the CAO Head Start-Early Head Start program visit homes, they often see a family has more needs than anticipated and are able to link those families with the proper service agencies.

The Lewiston Christmas Walk and Tour of Homes are the highlight of a busy, festive few days in Niagara County and the River Region.

This Saturday, Dec. 1, from 1-3 p.m., Marsha McWilson will sing at What's The Point Ministries, 409 Plain St., Lewiston, as part of the "Christmas Tour of Nations" celebration.

Old Fort Niagara brims with holiday merriment, festive songs, creative crafts and booming celebrations at the annual "Castle by Candlelight," happening from 6:30-8:15 p.m. Saturdays, Dec. 8 and 15. This annual fundraiser allows visitors to step back in time and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the Christmas season within the candlelit-setting of the 18th century fort.

In response to its fast-growing patient volume, Mount St. Mary's Hospital has completed the relocation of its cardiology services office from the first floor of the main hospital in Lewiston to new, larger offices in an adjacent medical arts building.

During the time of year when children start thinking about what they want for Christmas, pre-K students at St. Peter's R.C. School learned giving can be fun, too. Students in Mrs. Shanks's pre-K 3 and Mrs. Ryan's pre-K 4 classes created a giving tree to raise money for Niagara Hospice.

Applications are now available for the 53rd annual Lewiston Art Festival, which will be held Saturday, Aug. 10, and Sunday, Aug. 11, 20I9, on Center Street in the Village of Lewiston. More than 175 professional artists will display and sell their work and compete for $5,000 in prizes in the juried show. The application deadline is April 1.

In partnership with the Western New York Land Conservancy, and with funding provided by Oath Community Benefit Fund for Niagara County, under the direction of Empire State Development, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper has completed the final phase of the restoration project along the shoreline at the Stella Niagara Preserve's landing in Lewiston.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce is preparing for a successful Lewiston Christmas Walk and Tour of Homes weekend Dec. 1-2. The busy, two-day weekend features boutique shopping, a North Pole mailbox, carriage rides, a petting zoo and a home tour (ticketed event).

In her first year of business on Main Street, Rebecca Poletti has, essentially, reinvented herself. A chef who was famous in Lewiston for her cookies, scones, pies and, more recently, heavenly breakfast offerings, has come to Youngstown and discovered dinner.

As a mother and a grandmother, I understand how important it is for children to enjoy the freedom, adventure and social interaction that takes place every day on America's playgrounds - but many of our youngest residents are being left behind.

The law firm of Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria announced Diane M. Perri Roberts of Lewiston was named a 2018 recipient of the Shira A. Scheindlin Award for Excellence in the Courtroom by the New York State Bar Association.

Excitement is growing for an all-inclusive play area unlike anything else in Lewiston. Village officials met recently to review a near-final set of designs for Mason's Mission Playground at Marilyn Toohey Park. When completed - hopefully by next summer - the playground is expected to be almost 14,000 square feet.

The Niagara Falls Culinary Institute will open its doors to a world of sweet holiday wonder this weekend.  Starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, the public is invited to view the life-sized gingerbread village created by baking and pastry arts students and chefs of the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute.

New York Power Authority fishing facilities, including the fishing pier at the base of the New York Power Authority's Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Plant, will close for the season at dusk on Friday, Nov. 30. The fishing pier near Upper Mountain Fire Co. at the Lewiston Reservoir and at the water intakes along the upper Niagara River will also close for the season.

The Rose Hanger is the newest addition to Center Street in the Village of Lewiston. Sara Morreale owns the women's clothing shop, which celebrated its official ribbon-cutting on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Broderick and members of the Town Board, Village of Lewiston Mayor Anne Welch and trustees, Assemblyman Angelo Morinello and local business leaders joined together Saturday afternoon to officially open a new season of the Lewiston Family Ice Rink at Academy Park.

Small Business Saturday is dedicated to our backyard merchants: homegrown retailers who make and sell hard-to-find or handmade items, get to know and care for their customers, and give back to the community in ways that go beyond dollars and cents.

For a decade, former Angel to Apple owner Jamie Symmonds worked to unite businesses on Center Street. Most notably, she organized annual Black Friday events and street-long sales.Though Symmonds closed her own shop in 2016 to transition into other endeavors - most notably Willow Consulting - she hasn't stopped promoting local mom-and-pops.

Get ready to kick off your holiday season in the hamlet of Ransomville.

Last month, joining a host of Halloween celebrations going on throughout the River Region, Lewiston resident Mike Carroll presented yet another one of his now-famous get-togethers at the Brickyard Pub and B.B.Q.

Visitors to Thursday's Lewiston Town Board session came away with a greater understanding on why town property owners will be contending with a tax increase for 2019 on the town's now $18,127,133 budget.

The Village of Lewiston's plan to move Kiwanis' annual Peach Festival to the plateau raises a lot more questions than answers at this time. Kiwanis has been presenting their annual festival for almost 60 years and knows better than anyone the logistics and huge amount of time and coordination that goes into the planning. Their thoughts should be respected and given priority before weighing any decisions. Kiwanis has a long history of giving back to the village and being an integral part of our community.

Gallo Coal Fire Kitchen owner Michael Hibbard led a charge this week to provide turkeys to the Ransomville Care-n-Share Food Pantry - just in time for Thanksgiving pickup.

Thursday afternoon, Wilson High School's Ian Evans signed his national letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Elon University.

On Saturday, Nov. 24, the annual "Lighting of the Manor" will be held at the Winery at Marjim Manor, 7171 E. Lake Road, Appleton. Festivities begin at noon and run until 5 p.m. Join in as event organizers officially light the dozen or more Christmas trees and the myriad Hanukkah menorahs.

Niagara County's taxpayers can expect their property tax rates to be cut to a historic low next year, if the budget blueprint prepared by Niagara County Manager Rick Updegrove and Budget Director Dan Huntington is approved by county lawmakers next month.

Mount St. Mary's Hospital has unveiled a third series of works from artists of Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara.

The St. Francis Guild of Mount St. Mary's Hospital recently held a memorial Mass for members of the organization who passed away in 2018. Monsignor David LiPuma, pastor of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church in Lewiston, presided at the event held in the hospital chapel.

Mount St. Mary's Hospital joined with the Our Lady of Peace Nursing Care Residence for a special appreciation luncheon to honor associates, volunteers and residents on Veterans Day.

The Zonta Club of Niagara Falls (New York) recognizes young women, ages 16-19, in the Lewiston-Porter, Niagara-Wheatfield and Niagara Falls school districts for their commitment to volunteerism, community service, leadership and dedication to empowering women with the Young Woman in Public Affairs Award (YWPA).

Lewiston Music will present a "Carols for a Cause" music recital at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11. The event is a benefit the Heart, Love & Soul Food Pantry and Dining room at Stella Niagara Education Park, 4421 Lower River Road.