The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department’s Mounted Division will be “horsing around” Sunday during the second annual Horsin’ Around For Law Enforcement fundraiser at the Niagara County Fairgrounds.
Members will be raising money to support their volunteer branch of the sheriff’s department. The group has been around for more than three decades.
Lt. Tom Chiappone said the group of about 18 has various roles to assist the sheriff’s department.
“Like the Marine and K-9 divisions, we are volunteers,” Chiappone said. “We can be activated at any time. We do whatever they need us for, like crowd control. We can get into areas that are inaccessible by cars and four-wheelers.”
The Sunday event will raise money for the equipment that the group needs, such as bridles and safety equipment, Deputy Donna Richards said.
Richards said she would like to see the branch raise enough money for safety vests for the officers.
“We are just as vulnerable as anybody up there,” she said. “But vests are expensive. They run about $500 apiece.”
Richards and husband Sgt. Allen Richards raise horses to ride on their Akron Road ranch. Mounted Division personnel all own their horses.
From 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., attendees can enjoy a Niagara County 4-H horse show, craft and food vendors, a chicken BBQ to support the 4-H program, Western tack raffle, basket raffles, Chinese auctions and even a blessing of the horses through a ceremonial dance of the Tuscarora Indians.
Donna Richards said the division also will hold a competition among themselves and other counties’ divisions starting at 1 p.m. The Untouchables will perform several sets between 1 and 5 p.m., belting out music from the 1950s through the 1980s.
Admission is $2 per person. The event is free for children under 12. Children will get an up-close visit with the horses, if they wish.
Chiappone said he is hoping for a good turnout this year.
“The one thing that is nice about the event is that it brings public awareness of how the different branches of law enforcement all work together,” Chiappone said. “It shows how much we help each other.”
Local News
MOUNTED DIVISION: Fundraiser set for Sunday
- Local News
-
-
Paying Respect
- Sense of resignation escorts AES tax pact
- Town considering WNYLC's request
-
Palace, Hartland get Greenway funding
The Historic Palace Theatre and the Town of Hartland both were cleared Tuesday to receive Niagara River Greenway funding for improvement projects.
The eight-member Host Communities Standing Committee voted unanimously to approve funding requests of $151,000 for the Palace and $244,000 for Hartland, which is planning a multi-phase town park enhancement project.
-
Erie Canal photo contest underway
The seventh annual Erie Canalway photo contest is under way.
Entries are being accepted now through Sept. 7. Winning photos will be published in the 2013 Erie Canalway calendar.
-
Jobless totals drop slightly
Unemployment in the Lockport area decreased slightly last month, but it wasn't because more people are going back to work.
The New York State Department of Labor reported Tuesday about 1,000 city residents were without a job in April, the fifth straight month with over 1,000 unemployed. That was down from the 1,100 it reported in March, however, the number of employed stayed the same at about 9,700 people.
-
Fishing for 'Ultimate' perks
Olcott teaming up with Ontario town in running for Canadian equivalent.
-
Sprinkler work coming
Piping in high school fire sprinkler system will be addressed in July.
-
Willow Street victim identified
The victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Willow Street on Saturday was identified by Lockport Police as Richard Boye, 46.
-
Cutting the travel time
For the most part, there is a lot of planning that goes into traveling. Some like to handle the details on their own, making arrangements on the phone or using travel websites to book hotels, planes, vehicles and so on.
But lately, working with a travel agent is becoming more popular.
- More Local News Headlines
-






