PHOTOS: More than $1,700 worth of prizes will be awarded as part of the Friends of the Lewiston Library's second annual "Passport to Lewiston" raffle.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce will present the River Region Chamber Golf Classic on Monday, June 24, at Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course.

While the Avett Brothers technically kicked off Artpark's 40th anniversary on May 24, many will consider the upcoming week as the official start of the summer season.

The Care and Share Food Pantry, which serves families in the Lewiston, Youngstown, Ransomville and Wilson areas, recently held a volunteer appreciation luncheon at Knead the Dough Restaurant. A special award was presented to Debbie Parker, owner of Knead the Dough.

Destin Radder, Licensed Acupuncturist, a new member of the Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce, celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 29. Owner Destin Radder recently opened his new clinic at 779 Cayuga St., Suite 4.

It's that time of year. The grass is green, the flowers are blooming and the Niagara Falls Country Club is ready for the end of school year.

The Historical Association of Lewiston had one of its busiest years in recent memory, with some amazing events that brought visibility not only to the Historical Association, but also to our beautiful village and the friendly, supportive residents and visitors.

Congratulations are in order for the team that oversees the stroke care program at Mount St. Mary's for earning the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and Target Stroke Honor Roll designation.

VIDEO: Memorial Day was observed in the Village of Lewiston with a parade down Center Street, a remembrance ceremony in Academy Park, and a luncheon at the newly remodeled Lewiston No. 1 Volunteer Fire Co. firehall.

A landmark habitat restoration project will continue at Joseph Davis State Park in Lewiston.

A love of antiquing and an abundance of those treasures led Ernie and Debbie McPeek to the opening of the Lewiston Antique Mall in Sanborn.

Call it a matter of consistency.

Members of the Niagara River Greenway Commission met Tuesday, May 21, at the Beaver Island State Park Clubhouse to consider three submissions for project consistency with Greenway Plan objectives.

Veterans of the War of 1812 - Mathias Kline and Chester Barber - were honored with a plaque at the Kline Road Cemetery in a ceremony earlier this month by the Town of Lewiston.

The Town of Lewiston Republican Committee held its spring brunch at the Niagara Falls Country Club. The event saw the honoring of Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Reiter with the committee's first-ever Lewiston Leadership Award, and Lewiston resident Ed DeVantier with the Republican of the Year Award.

An investigation is continuing into the cause of a structure fire Wednesday, May 22, at the Modern Recycling facility in Lewiston.

There was silence when the vote was announced at Lewiston-Porter Tuesday night. The silence reflected the disappointment of the board and administrators as they learned the 2013-14 tax levy proposition was defeated by a 1,105 to 912 vote.

Lew-Port needed a 60 percent majority "yes" vote to pass the 5.52 percent tax levy. The levy exceeded the 4 percent threshold set by the state. The $40,001,368 spending plan was 1.16 percent less than the 2012-13 budget.

"I expected more from the community," said Board President Jodee Riordan. "We got the information out there as clear as possible."

"I'm hurt by it," said Superintendent Christopher Roser. "But they (the voters) spoke, and this is what we have to do."

VIDEO/PICTURES: The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce welcomed its largest crowd - more than 300 people - to the annual Chamber Awards Gala Friday at the Niagara Falls Country Club.

Don't miss the fifth annual Lewiston Region Tour of Kitchens and Homes June 8 and 9. Get an up close and personal look inside of six of the area's most fabulous homes and entertaining spaces located in the Lewiston and Youngstown region

PHOTOS: Work continues on a massive addition and renovation at the Lewiston Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1 main station in the Village of Lewiston. A small amount of work on the outside remains, along with landscaping to make the exterior blend into the surrounding area.

For those who may be hesitant to create a large garden, or who just don't have the space, put your gardening skills to the test by participating in the container garden contest at this year's Lewiston GardenFest on June 22 and 23. The event is sponsored by the Lewiston Garden Club.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce will recognize 10 area individuals and businesses at its annual Chamber Awards Gala, Friday, May 17, at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston.

As part of its 40th anniversary gala, Artpark & Company will hold an auction filled with prizes guests are highly unlikely to find elsewhere.

Domova celebrated the opening of its new and used home décor retail location at 421 Center St. (upper), Lewiston. Chamber board members and elected officials came to welcome owners Ed and Kylie Evanz and their family to the business community.

Niagara County fire investigators and Lewiston Police are continuing their investigations into a fire that forced the evacuation of hundreds of students from West Street Elementary School on Monday morning.

Vincenzo's Pizza House opened Tuesday in the Village of Lewiston. ... And within 10 minutes, it was filled with customers munching on old-fashioned and cheese slices.

With more than 15,000 food trucks rolling across America, it's only a matter of time before one makes its way to Lewiston - a 2012 top food finalist in the Rand McNally/USA Today "Best of the Road" competition.

One candidate is The Black Market Food Truck, a gourmet deli sandwich unit co-owned and operated by Lewiston native Christian Willmott.

On Monday, he addressed village trustees. Willmott, who called himself an "ambassador for food trucks," told board members these traveling kitchens can bolster the local economy - and help restaurants succeed.

The Sanborn Business & Professional Association has chosen Wendt's Propane & Oil as the 2013 Sanborn Business of the Year. Wendt's Propane & Oil takes immense pride in serving its community, providing outstanding customer service and creating a unique relationship with all of its customers.

Michelle Kratts and Teresa Sharp Donaldson, the Lewiston authors of "From The Mouth of the Lower Niagara River: Stories of Four Historic Communities," discussed the inspiration for their portion of the book at a recent Historical Association of Lewiston gathering.

The Youngstown Lions Club recently held its spring meet and greet at the Youngstown Volunteer Fire Co. firehall. The event provided visitors an opportunity to discover what the Youngstown Lions Club is all about.

Calling all Lewiston residents with a green thumb: The Lewiston GardenFest is looking for interested homeowners who are willing to showcase their private gardens during this year's annual event, to be held Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23.

Residents do not need to showcase their entire yard, but instead can choose a section they wish to highlight.

PHOTOS: A Youngstown marina owner and jetboat operators from Idaho made history Saturday in the Niagara River gorge. In the process, they drew the attention of the U.S. Border Patrol, Department of Homeland Security and the Niagara Parks Police Service in Ontario, Canada.

The Kiwanis Club of Lewiston presented a $5,000 check to the Mount St. Mary's Foundation for the hospital's Steve Washuta Cardiac Center. The funds were raised at the club's annual clambake, which was held last summer.

A number of Lewiston volunteers recently gathered at Susan Geissler's art studio in Youngstown to inspect the larger-than-life-size clay models of the Tuscarora Heroes Monument.

Stu Stu Studio celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, April 27, at its new location, 736 Center St. (inside the Historic Lewiston Opera Hall). Stu Stu Studio is a full-service photography and Web design company owned and operated by husband and wife Michael and Nicole Stuart.

More than 220 volunteers from Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center and the Our Lady of Peace Nursing Care Residence were honored at the annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, April 25, at the Niagara Falls Country Club.

Apprentices from Iron Workers Local 9 donated their time to repair the railings and fire escape at the Historic Opera Hall in Lewiston. The building is owned by the Sacarissa Bell Rose Lodge - Independent Order of Odd Fellows, whose members have been meeting there since the mid-1800s.

The YBPA has chosen Melloni's Market Place as the 2013 Youngstown Business of the Year. Melloni's is located at 200 Lockport St., and has been a welcome addition to the community in the two years since it opened.

With the annual Smelt Festival right around the corner, I thought I would give you a little background on how it started. Make note: I was there at the beginning, so my story is accurate!

Underage drinking has traditionally been a problem and, with today's technology, "fake identification" can be hard to spot. The Lewiston Police Department is taking steps to be proactive and work with local businesses to deter underage drinking.

We have the most comprehensive list of Artpark events and pictures around -- plus a video presentation of the "Tuesday in the Park" and "Coors Light Wednesdays" schedule.