thursday december 11th 2008
Don’t Pick on the Little Guy
RaChaCha
On today’s agenda for Buffalo’s Preservation Board is an issue of David against Goliath.
Buffalo State College has submitted a request to demolish a fine little house they own at 649 Grant Street. Built in the mid-19th century, and expanded in the back over the years in classic telescope fashion, this house nestles against much larger houses, including classic Buffalo doubles, built much later. Its size allows for a tree, welcoming front yard, and even sidewalk, which its larger neighbors don’t enjoy.
Bob Franke of the Grant-Ferry Association said, “If Buffalo State has a coherent plan for this area that they'd like to present to the community for open discourse, I have no difficulty in discussing the demolition of 649 Grant Street. Absent such a plan, I am vigorously against the de…
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Notice: Save the Date
December 26, 29, 30 and 31, 10 AM Till Noon Inside Downtown You don't know Buffalo if you don't know the landmarks by master architects Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, Richard Upjohn, and E. B. Green. St. Paul's Cathedral (whose interior image graces this post), the Ellicott Square Building and the Old Post Office are as magnificent on the inside as on the outside. We'll keep you indoors as much as possible as you trek between towers. The tour includes One M&T Plaza, Old County Hall, lower Pearl Street and more. Meet at the Market Arcade, 617 Main Street, $10
December 27 and 28, 10 AM Till Noon Legendary Lincoln Parkway One of the most beautiful avenues in Olmsted's park system, Lincoln Parkway was a magnet for lavish homes built by many prominent Buffalonians. John Larkin, founder of the Larkin Soap Company, even bought …
BRO Reader Submission
By Don Brenner
The New York State financial crisis weighs heavy on the shoulders of students attending any SUNY school. The price increase of $310 per semester for each undergraduate student, and $490 per semester for graduate students, is supposed to cover a portion of the $210 million budget cuts all across SUNY campuses. Students are now paying more money for less services. Students did not put New York State into a budget crisis, so why should they have to pay for it? There are other ways New York State can get money for education programs so the students do not suffer.
So where can the state get $210 million? That seems like an extreme amount of money, and there is no way the current budget can be balanced to give this money to schools. There is a simple way to give students the facilities and educational opportunities they deserve, though. It all has to do …
West Coast Perspective
James Hengst, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of ZeptoMetrix, has been researching the history of the Hoyt Mansion his firm is currently renovating at 878 Main Street. With help from local historians and preservation officials, he has assembled a comprehensive timeline of the building's history.
Dr. Orson Hoyt built the mansion at 878 Main Street. In the 1850’s, Dr. Hoyt purchased a large tract of land where he built two houses; these homes stood on N. Pearl Street immediately behind where 878 Main Street would later be built.
wednesday december 10th 2008
Alec Baldwin is Coming to Town
Elena Cala Buscarino
Leave it to Artistic Director Scott Behrend of Road Less Traveled Productions to thrill us with An Evening at Rockwell Hall With Alec Baldwin. Baldwin will read the Tony-nominated play Speed the Plow by David Mamet, directed by Scott Behrend, with Brian Mysliwy and Kelly Jakiel.
Regular seating goes for $40 or $55, but the private reception at the Burchfield-Penney with Baldwin and premier seating for the performance will set you back $175. Not bad for proximity to greatness along with a chance to help RLTP with this fundraising effort.
A lot of you may know Baldwin from his role as Jack Donaghy on the TV hit 30 Rock, but Baldwin is no stranger to Mamet, having played rolls in Glengarry Glen Ross,The Edge, and State & Main. Baldwin also starred in Beetlejuice, The Hunt for Red October, The Departed,
buffalorising
The 6th Annual Red Ribbon Community Awards Ceremony will be held at Asbury Hall at Babeville tonight. Designed to recognize the outstanding dedication and contributions of our community members in regards to HIV/AIDS, there will be 5 Red Ribbon Community Awards and 1 Excellence in Service Award.
The Award Recipients, are as follows:
Red Ribbon County Awards: Judy Deane Barton - Erie County Department of Health, AIDS Education Katherine A. Boger - Alianza Latina, Inc. Clara Gillies - is a community member affiliated with Trinity Episcopal Church Julie Rapp - American Red Cross, Greater Buffalo Chapter Pat Van Etten - Chautauqua County Department of Health
Excellence In Service Award: Ida J. Parker - Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network - Community Action for Prenatal Care(CAPC)
John W. Howell
Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus provides individual and collective example of hope rising from ashes of hate and intolerance.
A Roman Catholic Church is not the first place one would expect to find a stirring, well-received performance of a gay men’s chorus. But on one particular day, in one particular Catholic parish in Buffalo, gay men won the day.
“This is exactly the purpose of the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus and all the GALA choruses around the country,” said the BGMC’s artistic director, Barbara Wagner, a self-described “straight” person. (GALA is an international organization of several hundred choruses for gay men, lesbian and mixed gay community singers in the US and abroad.) “We want to educate—well, I don’t like that word, exactly, but—show the world that gays are not the scourge some people want to …
queenseyes
After long last (actually not that long) I'm happy to announce that Rusty Chain beer is ready and the first series of bike rings will be installed on Allen Street tomorrow morning (see back story). Of course we're a bit biased, but the Rusty Chain team is very pleased regarding the outcome of the beer. It's super smooth and clean, no strong aftertaste with decent hop character. The beer is so good that the first few kegs have already been kicked at the Flying Bison brewery. Beer fans and cyclists have been filling up their growlers (at FB) as the bars and restaurants have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first commercial shipments. Those shipments should be arriving at an establishment near you any day now. I just leaned that The Village Beer Merchant has Rusty Chain, Buffalo's Bike-Friendly B…
buffalorising
Thank you to all the readers who submitted photos to Buffalo Rising’s photography contest. This week’s winner is Alex Shaver. Alex receives a $100 gift certificate from Duo for this winning photo (above).
We received many inspiring, adorable and interesting photos. Below is runner-up Matthew Perrello’s photo submitted with a caption.
There will be another BRO contest announced this week. It requires creativity, but not the kind seen through a camera lens. Stay tuned!
WHAT? Bass Pro Is Coming To Buffalo? **** Just Another False Alarm.
queenseyes
Many of you may not know Days Park by name. Many of you might have heard of the park, but are not exactly sure where it is. Days Park is the neighborhood community that is found where Allen Street becomes Wadsworth in Allentown. It's the quaint little park that, at one point not too long ago, was in jeopardy of becoming a forgotten park. The ornate fountain had been stolen, the grounds were in disrepair, the vagrants outnumbered the residents, and the blight was rubbing off on the houses. It was not until the surrounding community, led by activist Mary Simpson, decided to take action that anyone discovered just how tragic the loss had become.
Back in 1986, neighbors rallied together and illuminated the perimeter of the park in order to show solidarity toward eliminating the blight. It was a signal of hope that the community was strong – like a animal that stands taller in orde…
