WasteCap Resource Solutions, the nation's leading nonprofit construction recycler, will be piloting an innovative online/onsite documentation tool in partnership with Buffalo's Minority Contractors Alliance (MCA) at ABC-TV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition deconstruction and rebuild project in the city.

Mayor Byron Brown called the launch of the new technology, WasteCap TRACE, at Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's first "green deconstruction," a major win for environmental sustainability and local economic development.

"The launch of WasteCap's

 Everyone's talking about the proposed plans for Canal Side.  Whether its positive or negative, it's obviously a really big deal. 

It used to be that a Sabres game or trip to Pearl Street was a rare occasion for most Western New Yorkers to get close to the waterfront.  Thanks to the efforts of the ECHDC, the waterfront attracted 200,000 people this summer through various activities. 

Full speed ahead! The $4.4 million reconstruction of downtown Buffalo's historic Inner Harbor street grid is underway. With Canal Side's tight deadline looming over the Erie Canal Harbor development team, workers can be seen putting up the bones for new streets.

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THE BASICS:  This spoofy take on the classic 1935 Hitchcock film has been directed by David Lamb, and plays weekends at the Kavinoky Theatre through December 6th.  The show runs just over two hours, with a single intermission.

THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  1935.  Richard Hannay, a single, dashing thirty-something Canadian, makes a return visit to his old London haunts.  In short order, he finds himself on the lam in the Scottish highlands, falsely accused of the murder of a glamorous new acquaintance, and working desperately to track down a ring of nefarious spies before

The Old Adage, Think Globally, Act Locally has many possible applications. The global recession has hit Buffalo hard and it has become a struggle for many small businesses to stay open. For the people of the city of Buffalo and all of Western New York, one of the best possible ways to help preserve the things that make Buffalo great is by supporting them now more than ever. The Allentown Shop Krudmart had many fans and supporters but still was not able

I don't think that anyone quite understands the long-term positive effect that Extreme Makeover will have on the West Side (see back story). After speaking to diehard West Side activist Harvey Garrett moments ago, my head is still spinning from what I have seen and learned. The number of volunteers has now surpassed 5000. The average number of volunteers for each Extreme Makeover episode is somewhere between 700 and 800. Thanks to David Stapleton of David Homes who asked why the entire neighborhood

The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation met today to discuss the on-going process of revitalizing their charge in Buffalo. 

First up, the ECHDC board, led by Jordan Levy, discussed the use of the Donovan Building lot for event parking with Mark Croce's Skydeck Corporation.  Skydeck submitted proposed to pay for temporary use of the lot for $91,682 through April 6.  Their bid was the highest by close to $10,000.  The funds will be used for further waterfront development.  Levy also pointed out that Skydeck will

In 1918, the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" was the time appointed for the guns across Europe to fall silent.  Ever after, November 11--originally known as Armistice Day commemorating those who lost their lives in WWI--has been a day for honoring veterans.  The Connecticut Street Armory will host a public Veteran's Day commemoration at the historically correct time of 11AM on Wednesday (11/11), to be followed by a public reception and a public tour of this monumental fortress.  The other opportunity to tour the armory is at a similar event held every

Today marks the 20th of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  To celebrate the incredible impact of the event, Canisius College and 27 other colleges and universities provided faux Berlin Walls in visible sections of campus to remind students of how the world changed that day. 

Canisius applied to take part in the project through the German Missions in the United States' "Freedom

The Erie County Legislature will be meeting at 5 PM at 92 Franklin Street's Old County Hall on the 4th floor, Thursday, November 12, to allow for public address of the proposed 2010 Erie County Budget.  More budget info here.

You can pick up copies of the Tentative Budget at the same location for review if you wish. 

The budget calls Erie County a place where

These pictures, courtesy of Joe Cascio, tell the story of ABC's Extreme Makeover project at 228 Massachusetts.  Enjoy!
Top image: A rash of volunteers.
Below: The Powell family.
Below: Mayor

West Side Buffalo resident Delores Powell and her four children are enjoying a stay at Disney World in Florida while their home at 228 Massachusetts Avenue gets a much needed redo.  In truth, it's the plot of land the single mother's house sits on that is being redone because the house - slated for demolition before Powell bought it - is coming down, with all of its problems, and a new house will go up in its stead.
All of this, courtesy of ABC's Extreme

Ugly Christmas sweaters; everybody's got one!  Well, almost everybody.  
Roswell Park Cancer Institute is asking you to put on an ugly Christmas sweater and proudly wear it out in public. They are holding this unusual fundraiser on December 5th, from 6:30 to 10:30 at Fontana Ogden's Restaurant at 1834 William Street, and it's all in good fun.
We immediately thought of our friends at Block Club Magazine, who just had a Christmas portrait done by Lori

When the creation stories of the Abrahamic religions came onto the scene, they were different in that God was very intentional about creation.  This is taken for granted now, but many earlier creation stories (from the middle east, at least) had God (or Gods) make humans - or even the world - accidentally, in order to take some of the workload away from God.

In "newer" stories, however, God is not compelled to create.  Instead, we find a God that brings order out of chaos simply as a matter of choice.  In this way, evolution and the creation stories agree: the movement

Buffalo's own Alan Friedman, President of Great Arrow Graphics and President of Buffalo Astronomical Association has shot the sun, and it appears as the "Astronomy Picture of the Day" on this NASA site.
This isn't Friedman's first play on the NASA page, as his moon shot got their attention back in February

Allentown First Fridays Gallery Walk continues on Friday, November 6, with the openings and exhibitions at the following galleries and venues for art. 15 venues showing 40-plus artists - and it is all FREE!

 

You would have no idea it's even there.  But located inside of the unassuming building, that stands devoid of identifying signage at 825 Main Street, is a studio whose work can be found all over the city; from restaurants, to sports arenas, to vehicles, to the very ground.

Keystone Film Productions joined forces with NetW Imagery around 12 years ago, and the two have been in that Main Street building for over 10 years.  During that time, they've produced work for the Sabres, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Burchfield-Penney, the Niagara

The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy invites the community to participate in a Public Input Meeting regarding the Riverside Minnow Pools Restoration project.  The project is located in the northern portion of Riverside Park in Buffalo, between Hotaling Drive and Vulcan Street.

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The last mayoral election was exciting.  We watched big screens, waited for updates, listened to a concession speech, and cheered our new mayor.  Whether or not you are a fan of Byron Brown's, tonight's celebration will be little more than an acknowledgment, minus the adrenaline rush.  Maybe races are more fun when there's a loser.
That being said, here is the mayor's schedule for this unopposed election day:

Morning Vote

This was a rather spirited week for the Buffalo Rising Roundtable in Studio B with WBFO News Director Mark Scott.
There was yelling...or close to it, and argument, and then some pretty good laughs.  In talking about the panel Newell and I will be sitting on come Thursday night, Mark got all fired up about anonymous commenters who act trollish, and addressed one in our pre-recorded