Niagara Frontier Publications

The Island Dispatch was founded in 1944 by Ollie Howard. It was originally a bi-weekly paper with a one-year subscription price of just $2. The Grand Island PennySaver was launched in 1950 by Art and Dorothy Mazenauer and was one of the first pennysavers in Western New York. In the mid 1960's, the Dispatch became an official newspaper in Erie Count... y and, over the next 12 years, it changed hands six times. The paper was purchased by current publisher Skip Mazenauer in 1978 so that Grand Island would not be without a local newspaper. Already publishing the PennySaver, which he had purchased from his parents, Mazenauer added the Dispatch to create Niagara Frontier Publications. NFP's success on Grand Island in Erie County led to the addition of the Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune in Niagara County in 1985. The Lewiston-Porter Sentinel began in 1987 as the result of several Western New York newspapers submitting proposals to the Lewiston Business Association to create a weekly community newspaper for Lewiston, N.Y. Due to its superior coverage of the local areas, NFP's proposal won over the other publishing groups in Western New York. True to his word, GLBPA President Sam Sperazza backed the new publication from the start. On Valentine's Day of 1987, NFP's fourth paper debuted, but did not yet have a name. A "Name Your Newspaper" contest was held and the Lewiston-Porter Sentinel was born, rounding out NFP's coverage of northern Erie and western Niagara counties. Under the leadership of Mazenauer and his staff, NFP has been instrumental in helping the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce to create the Grand Island Citizen of the Year and Property Improvement awards and to publish early editions of the Grand Island telephone book and tourist maps. Ever community-minded, NFP continues to work with the surrounding towns and villages to promote local events by co-sponsoring their marketing. Examples include Lewiston's Jazz Festival, Harvest Festival, Christmas Walk and Peach Festival. NFP has more than 20 full- and part-time ...Read More