Festival of Homes Sets Attendance Records

This year's Niagara County Builders Association Festival of Homes got underway earlier this month with a V.I.P. party on September 6 at the Wheatfield Heights subdivision off Nash Road in Wheatfield. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to kick-off the eighth annual on-site home show. The show brings together five of Niagara County's finest builders, who combine talent and experience to showcase seven of their custom homes in the beautiful Wheatfield Heights subdivision, developed by Tom and Gerry DiMatteo of GT Custom Built Homes.

The V.I.P. event was organized by Joe Paonessa, NCBA Home Show Chairman, and Trudy Christman, NCBA Judging and Awards Chairperson. All seven of the homes in the show were open for viewing the night of the party, with the builders, subcontractors, and suppliers available to answer questions regarding the special features of each home. Participating builders are Anthony C. Barone General Contracting, David Homes, Eddy & Lewin Homes, GT Custom Built Homes, and Sil Barone Homes. All of the homes in this year's show are ENERGY STAR® Labeled Homes, which feature improved insulation, ventilation, heating, cooling and appliances and are 30% more energy efficient than comparable, conventionally built new homes. This is the first home show in New York State to feature only ENERGY STAR® Labeled Homes.

The homes were judged by the following panel of judges: Clyde Burmaster, 13th District Legislator and Chairman of the Niagara County Legislature; Tim Demler, Wheatfield Town Supervisor; Bill Ross, 8th District Niagara County Legislator; Murdoch Mitchell, NCBA Home Show Committee Member; John Ennis, NCBA President; Joe Paonessa, and Trudy Christman. The results of the home show judging are as follows:

• Best Kitchen Design: the Oakdale II by GT Homes
• Best Exterior: the Devonshire by Eddy & Lewin Homes
• Best Landscape: the Coventry by Eddy & Lewin Homes
• Best Floor Plan: the Marigold by Sil Barone Homes
• Best Master Suite: the Brentwood by David Homes
• Best Interior: the Kassie Kristyn by Anthony Barone Homes
• Best of Show: the Ciara Christine by Anthony Barone Homes

Major sponsors for the Festival of Homes 2001 are Countrywide Home Loans, 84 Lumber, Sadlo Lumber and Frontier Lumber. Other sponsors include the NCBA, NYSERDA/ENERGY STAR® and American Eagle, which has provided a gazebo and several playsets for display at the show. JT Wheatfield's catered the V.I.P. reception and musical entertainment was provided by the Fred Caputi Trio.

The Festival of Homes will run for one final weekend, Sept. 21-23, from 4-7 p.m. Friday and 1-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with a $3 admission charge for adults 18 and over. Children are admitted free. WYRK will have a live remote at the show on Saturday, from 3-5 p.m. A portion of the proceeds from the Festival of Homes will benefit the Starpoint School District, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Wheatfield Lions Club, which has provided volunteers throughout the show, and the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund.