In depth with Sara Capen

Sara Capen and I had been trying to get together for several months. The first time, in early May, it literally slipped my mind because I had jury duty.

We had been playing text tag ever since, but it finally happened at Misty Guild Cafe in Niagara Falls on a recent Thursday morning.

Capen is the executive director of the Niagara Falls National Heritage area. She is one of the nicest, most positive and powerful leaders in the Niagara Region.

No questions were off limits. As with other subjects in this series, the Express came with preloaded questions. In most circumstances, the questions are in italics and the answers are paraphrased. Quotes, however, are verbatim.

No matter who the subject, the goal is to reflect their viewpoint without color.

What is going on with the church at the corner of Main Street and Lockport Road?

The project has not yet been finalized. The Heritage area hopes to make it a Gateway to the Suspension Bridge District and has already completed most of its ongoing public art project.

The Heritage Area has succeeded in every project it has completed but has some concerns and may ask for some guarantees from the city regarding the building permit and inspection process because it can be onerous and the perception is the city is not business friendly.

Can you name 3 Niagara County restaurants many people might not know about but should.

1. Misty Guild (Editor’s note, we were meeting there. It’s on Niagara Street. Try the poptarts.)
2. Ray’s Tavern (Editor’s note: Lake Road, Youngstown, try the fish fry and make a point of visiting Bandanna’s nearby.)
3. Manito: (Editor’s note: Route 78, Wrights Corners. Manito started with a food truck, built out to brick and mortar and is dog friendly. We were there for lunch recently. They welcomed our poodle Gordon inside. He behaved like a well-trained service animal. He is a good boy but not well trained. He also does not like tortilla chips.)

Where are a few places to go for a walk in Niagara County people might not think of?

The lower part of Joseph Davis State Park along the river, in solitude with the birds and river. The woods at Bond Lake Park.

As residents, “I don’t think we take advantage of the beautiful public spaces we have in Niagara County because there are so many.”

What is the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area? I don’t think many people understand?

It is one of 62 Heritage Areas across the country affiliated with national parks. Heritage areas celebrate the history of people and economic development in a place the way a traditional national park might celebrate nature. Niagara County is fortunate because it has two National Heritage Areas, Niagara Falls and the Erie Canal. “It makes this area all the more special.”

How does your budget get funded?

The overall budget is $1.2 million. $500,000 comes from the federal government in funding that has to be matched with nonfederal funding including state and local contributions like the bed tax in Niagara County, which specifically funds the Discover Niagara Shuttle. There is also money from the New York Power Authority.

“We've been able to pull together very instrumental projects in Niagara Falls and Niagara County because we invest a small portion and then that attracts other investments so that no one entity is putting in the full amount.”

How many employees do you have?

The Niagara Falls Heritage Area has 6 employees dedicated to specific projects. There are 3 unique business models involved with specific missions designed to prevent duplicating services and work collaboratively through partnerships to minimize silos and maximize efficiencies.

Can you explain about the Casino compact known as 99H? (Editor’s note. This question brought a long pause.)

99H was initially written and passed by “several pillars in the community who felt that certain projects should be funded sustainably for the greater good of Niagara Falls and that they shouldn’t be subjected to funded cuts based on the whims of politicians.” This group of individuals believed in supporting core institutions in Niagara Falls including Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center and the Niagara Falls City School District. Additionally, these individuals had a vision that understood the important role of heritage tourism in extending the stay of visitors with one of those efforts being to share the untold story of the Underground Railroad and the Freedom Seekers who engaged in it which led to the establishment of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center.”

“As it pertains to the funding expiring, I don't think it's fair to say that it expired, as if it was a passive event. Leaders, who are in a position of power and responsibility, let it expire. The expiration was intentional.”

As much as it impacts the sustainability of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center to lose this funding, it is as damaging to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center where the approximately $800,000 loss from 99H is a huge gap for a hospital where approximately 31% of patients are on Medicaid and the impeding impact of the Big Beautiful Bill will create greater fiscal challenges that will affect healthcare services provided to residents in the City of Niagara Falls.

So where have the 99H funds gone?

“Good question. We should ask that question every week.”

As for the meetings that led to the expiration of 99H, Capen didn’t have a seat at the table. The decision to let 99H expire was in the hands of Mayor Restaino, Assemblyman Morinello and State Senator Rob Ortt.

Tell me about lobbying in Washington and how the heritage areas are funded?

There is a difference between advocating and lobbying. Lobbying is a profession. Advocating is rooted in education and can be done by anyone. Advocacy is critical to the mission of any organization. Organizations can advocate on their own and they can choose to hire lobbyists to work on their behalf. Capen has the distinct honor of chairing the Alliance of National Heritage Areas. There are 62. Their objective is grassroots advocacy – to share the important work being done by NHAs across the country and the impact of NHAs on communities who have experienced economic decline. “We do this to ensure that the federal funding we receive continues. When we advocate in our own voices, with stories of impact in our communities, it can be as powerful of a tool as hiring a paid lobbyist. More importantly, it creates personal accountability, responsibility and commitment to the work we do.” On the state level, “Niagara Falls and Niagara County are often ignored. Let’s be honest, we make it easy to do so. The long practiced habits of working in silos and against each other, with one entity blaming another, keeps the entire region in a state of chaos. How do we attract new development when from the outside, our own “house” looks like a mess? As an example, cultural institutions and public space in Buffalo, such as AKG and Canalside have received over $150 million in public and philanthropic funding in the last 6 years. When I first saw these large investments, it was a major red flag. People extend their stay to experience history, culture, and outdoor recreation. What this did is give visitors a greater reason to come to Buffalo, stay in Buffalo, and return to Buffalo after visiting Niagara Falls in the afternoon. It further reduces reasons for visitors to stay in Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is not on that same playing field. We need to change the dynamic.

Are we the Niagara Region?

Yes, we are. We just don’t act like it. I would love to see a collective effort on what this looks like. Let’s claim Niagara instead of dividing it up into Eastern Niagara County, North Tonawanda, Lockport, and the City of Niagara Falls. We are too small of a place to work in competition with one another. Essentially, we defeat ourselves daily on this effort. We simply can’t move forward if we continue to operate with a mindset of Niagara defeats Niagara. “Why would we spend any energy on anything other than making Niagara the best it can be?”

What about the Turtle?

“Why can’t it be saved? Why shouldn’t it be saved? We need a sense of place and the Turtle provides a story that isn’t shared anywhere else in Niagara County. ” In May, Capen hosted professionals from the Alliance of National Heritage Areas who experienced the work of the NFNHA and historically significant sites like Old Fort Niagara, Love Canal, Flight of Five and several more.

“Main Street, Niagara Falls experienced the least amount of impact of urban renewal policies. The rest of Niagara Falls was decimated by those policies. Preserving what we can, like the Jenss Building, creates opportunities to demonstrate the rich history and build a vibrant future.”

What is going on with the Prophet Isaiah House (On Ontario Avenue?)

Tours start this month. The Heritage Area is grateful for the investment in the project made by the Kohler Foundation. They found us. Tours will be 10 people at a time.

“The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area is known for the power of saying yes” and being a positive force for change. For example, when work started on the Prophet Isaiah House, the Heritage area invited neighbors to use the dumpster on site. Numerous residents took full advantage. This small effort gave everyone a greater sense of pride and ownership.

A few weeks ago, that Harriet Tubman statue was here for a visit. I know we are supposed to be getting our own Harriet Tubman statue. When will we see it? What is going on with the Freedom Plaza adjacent to the museum?

“I have no idea. That would be a question for the City Administration.”

Editor’s note (Not from Capen): The sculpture was initially budgeted at $20,000 from the Greenway Commission as part of a grant of nearly $300,000 for the plaza in front of the train station and museum more than 5 years ago. The request for proposal that went out from Niagara Falls government was for a $285,000 sculpture which is now nearly complete. There has been no public discussion of how the Rochester-based sculptor will be paid but the people responsible for the bid mistake have since moved on from the city. Mayor Restaino explains it differently but the city ended up with much larger statue than it budgeted for and is trying to close the gap.)

What can you tell me about the dig planned for this summer at Cataract House Park?

The Heritage Area has collaborated on previous digs. People love archaeology. The significance of the Cataract House in our history should never be underestimated. The Heritage Area is collaborating with USA Niagara and NYS Parks on projects related to this history. It is a striking difference from what is going on with the Freedom Plaza and the Tubman statue.

Why do you think the state inflates the number of annual visitors by a factor of more than 200%?

“The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area utilizes our own data to determine the visitor number in the area and I can tell you our number is vastly different.”

Talk about how what’s going on in Canada is different.

“They have fully claimed, embraced and branded the Niagara region for the natural wonder, beauty, culture and history it is. On our side, we share the same landscape, history and culture. For example, they have built an entire experience around the Niagara Peach, which is the same peach we grow here in Niagara County. It is everywhere. Aside from the Peach Festival in Lewiston, we have not done the same.

“They have built an entire identity around the peach orchards that grow due to our unique conditions of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment.” While we have many of the same orchards here in Niagara County, we haven’t marketed them at the same level or created the experiences around them. Additionally, we continue to replace beautiful and active orchards with soybeans and corn, which makes us look like everywhere else in the country. Let’s find ways to keep what makes our landscape and Niagara unique. If we don’t, it is simply a different form of destruction, similar to urban renewal and erasure. We don’t get it back once it is gone. I always think about it. For me, it's the identity of Niagara and our beautiful landscape that is our most precious asset and deserves all of our efforts into preserving it.”

Sen. Rob Ortt appears untouchable but with Assemblyman Morinelle retiring, Nate McMurray v. Becky Wydysh appears to be a competitive race even in a gerrymandered district. What would it mean to our region for McMurray to win?

For 15 years, the area has had representatives in the minority (Republican Party). “What this has led to is a lack of public funding and resources coming to Niagara County. Again, I cite the over $150M of funding that went to Buffalo.

“Niagara County, and Niagara Falls deserves champions that are going to be in the room, work with the community and bring the resources and leadership we need to create a brighter future.”