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City September 2, 2010 12:03 PM
Our Lady of Lourdes: The Boards Are Back
After sitting exposed to the elements for a better part of the summer (see post), the windows on Our Lady of Lourdes Church have been boarded up. Thankfully, after sending emails and placing phone calls to Councilman Curtis Haynes, he stepped up to the plate and reached out to the guardian of the building. Days later new plywood was up and the church is now secure for the fall and winter season. There is still a small upper window that needs to be boarded up, but it is so small that it should not present a big problem.

From Curtis:

"We sent an e-mail to Anthony Palumbo, Planning and Development Coordinator for Ellicott Development Corporation. A subsidiary of their corporation recently bought the property. They committed to properly securing the premises in addition to landscaping maintenance and the cleanup of any litter/debris on site in the coming weeks. They moved quickly."
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City September 2, 2010 11:31 AM
The Angry Bees
There is another bike group hitting the roads these days. It's not Critical Mass, or the Midnight Madness gang, or the Lazy Randonneur Club. It's The Angry Bees, a group of cyclists that departs from Allentown every Wednesday at 7pm. They meet at The Hive just around the corner from Hardware. The group looks to have around 50 members, many of whom wear yellow shirts with wide black bee-like stripes. Their ultimate destination is McCarthy's Pub in the old First Ward - an extremely bike-friendly watering hole.

For those people who feel that these cycle groups can get a bit out of hand,
City September 2, 2010 8:10 AM
Lorax Alerts: Shiver Me Timbers
When you live in a city that was once known as The City of Trees, you shouldn't feel bad when someone calls you a tree hugger. It can be tough to watch concrete being poured over tree beds, or a crew of hacks taking down branches on your street. Then again, you can't you can't save every tree. Sometimes you have to let some trees go in the name of progress. The frustrating part is not knowing - the times when you find yourself scratching your head and wondering why a tree-lined street was mowed down. In a perfect world (or even a far-from-perfect world) Buffalo would have a City forester to call
City September 1, 2010 5:39 PM
Bicycle Sculptures at Grant Street Gallery
What happens when you mix two people who are good with kids and like to fix bicycles?  An environmentally focused art program that engages kids in the creation of bicycle sculptures! The results of which will be on display at the Grant Street Gallery on Friday September 3rd from 6:00-9:00pm, located at 220 Grant Street (at Lafayette Avenue).

This project was conceived at the Gloria J Parks Community Center by Arts Coordinator, Alissa Corby and Program Director, David Harter, both Green Options Buffalo volunteers.  

The students, who ranged in age from six to ten
City September 1, 2010 4:33 PM
Mass Appeal to Showcase Wearable Art
This year's Mass Appeal fashion show is taking on a different twist. Designers and fashion boutiques are being asked to dress it down for once - the concept is based on a timely favorite... wearable art. That means that fashion gawkers will rejoice in seeing some totally unusual and original works of art being worn by some of Buffalo's hottest fashionistas. Designers are being asked to incorporate 'found' objects into the clothing. Ever witnessed a pop bottle cap vest strutting down the runway? Or a model sporting real headlights? This could be the year.

The fashion show has sold out
Recent Photos[ BR Flickr ]
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City September 1, 2010 1:39 PM
The West Delavan Connection
Here's a stretch of road that could use some real help. West Delavan Avenue, from Main Street to Delaware Avenue could, and should, be altered to become pedestrian and bike friendly. If you think about it, this is the connection between Canisius College and the Elmwood Commercial District. The four car lanes could be downsized to two. The elimination of roadway would mean that a sidewalk could be added to the north side of the street that runs along Forest Lawn Cemetery. Bike lanes could also be added.

Why is this important? For so long Canisius College (see dorms in photo) has been
City September 1, 2010 1:20 PM
Update: Project Rudnicki
Update on 120 South Park from Tim Tielman:

"By next Wednesday an engineer and an architect will have gone through the building. An engineer already has done exterior survey, and submitted an affidavit that the building is in no danger of collapse; some minor masonry work which might take a crew one day to accomplish is all that needs to be done. Unfortunately, the owner seems determined to continue the steps toward demolition; a crew is there now disconnecting subsurface utilities. Presumably they have city permits
City August 31, 2010 11:00 PM
History of the Hydraulics: Part Five, What Remains

Although the Hydraulics neighborhood continued to thrive into the twentieth-century, by the mid-1900s, the area faced increasing economic difficulties.  Like the city of Buffalo as a whole, job loss, declining population and the aging of the transportation infrastructure began to cripple the Hydraulics neighborhood.

Times were quickly changing in Buffalo during the post-World War II era.  By the 1940s and 50s, the city's railroads and factories, which had been constructed nearly a century earlier, were rapidly aging and becoming obsolete.  Buffalo also suffered from a series

City August 31, 2010 3:00 PM
Hello Yesterday
A Flock of Seagulls, The Romantics, Dramarama, When in Rome, Animotion and Gene Loves Jezebel... that's the line-up for the Hello Yesterday concert being presented at LaSalle Park on September 18th. Not a bad line-up for LaSalle Park, the city's premiere outdoor concert venue. It's an all-day concert event that also features a lip sync concert of course. The posters are around town and the buzz is starting. We've seen a lot of rock, blues and jazz this summer - now it's time to go back in time to the land of new wave hairdressers and power pop, featuring
City August 31, 2010 8:28 AM
Adopt This Corner
Rarely have I seen so much garbage strewn about than at the corner of Hertel and Delaware. It was so bad in fact that I hopped off my bike and began to look around to see what could be done. Stuff was everywhere - Tim Hortons and Dunkin' Donuts coffee cups, McDonald's and Burger King bags and soda cups, Mighty Taco wrappers... you name the business found anywhere near that intersection and it was represented. Unfortunately, ever since the North Park Branch Library closed, the park fronting the building has fallen into the hands of litterbugs. It doesn't help that there is a bus stop at the corner,

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