By Hannya Boulos (Buffalo ReformEd):
Two major issues have come to the forefront of the Buffalo Public Schools in the past month: teacher evaluations, and funding to improve Buffalo's lowest achieving schools. These issues are directly related, because a provision of receiving funds from the state to carry out improvement in 6 low achieving schools is contingent upon the negotiation of a new teacher evaluation system.
There is a lot at riding on whether or not the State Education Department

Sarah Bishop's (of Buffalo First) birthday celebration will be one for the books this year. Rather than basking in the birthday spotlight with the typical annual party, she's seizing the opportunity to turn her special day into a shared celebration of life and community. "A [26] Candles Reprise," which will be held on Friday, March 9 at The Eights Bistro, will be a fundraiser to support a local not-for-profit organization: The Pride Center of Western New York. 
"For over a decade, The Pride Center has tirelessly

The next chapter in Rich Tomasello's artistic journey will open up to the public at 464 Gallery on March 9. The exhibit, entitled "BREED," will build upon the themes that Tomasello established in his first solo show, "Rhinoceros" and will continue to confront the issues of conformity, masculinity, violence and abuse of power in today's society, this time with different mediums and a more universal perspective. 
"The

Since moving to Buffalo three years ago, I've watched with great interest the astonishing development of the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus.  I've watched the stunning Gates Vascular Institute  rise from an empty lot to rival the new federal courthouse as the most talked about pieces of modern architecture in Buffalo.  I've toured the iconic Hauptman-Woodward

Sometimes you need to compare something you know against something else to truly understand the real nature of that something else.  One such 'something else' for me was a newly built giant of a building. As an architect I was naturally interested in the construction of the massive Burj Dubai now know as Burj Khalifa. At 2,723 feet it is currently the tallest man made structure in the world. It has 163 usable floors and 46 maintenance floors with a total of over 3.3 million square feet of space. It was the centerpiece of a $20 billion

By Matt Sabuda:
In the next round of Bills lease negotiations, we can expect that some expansion or enhancement of premium seating will be highlighted. Why not create premium seating sections that are aimed at a uniquely Buffalo demand segment?
Bleacher Report ranked Buffalo 4th among all NFL cities for tailgating. Even Food and Wine Magazine has recognized Buffalo as one of "America's Best Tailgating Cities." Why not bring the party into the game?  Bringing Buffalo's tailgating tradition into the stadium would build on an already

Two model homes flanking the entrance to the Colvin Estates subdivision in North Buffalo are nearly finished.  A former railroad right-of-way is being transformed into 127 new homes.  Twenty-four lots are available in the project's first phase.  The development is located off of Colvin Avenue between Taunton Place and St. Lawrence Avenue.

Burke Homes is offering both one and two-story homes ranging from 1,235 to 2,126 square feet.  The Craftsman style homes, designed by Dean Sutton Architects,

By Joshua Bauer (Football Nation):
Just recently, Forbes Magazine released their selections for the "Most Miserable Sports Cities" and, wouldn't you know it, Buffalo made the list. Ranking number four in 2012 (they've been higher, but never number one and always in the top 5), Buffalo has been an annual fixture on Forbes' list of futility, sitting alongside perennial number ones Atlanta or Seattle, as well as lovable losers Phoenix and San Diego. Picking from

A heads-up for artists and galleries: the March 16 submission deadline for the 2nd annual echo Art Fair is approaching fast.
The fair takes place July 7 and 8, 2012 at The Larkin Center of Commerce, 701 Seneca Street, in Buffalo, NY. Last year's echo Art Fair, a one-day event, was held at Buffalo's historic Central Terminal, and drew over 3,000 people. Forty artists and galleries were selected from an international pool of applicants to display their art for exhibition and sale. The

Back in April, we featured a property located at 408 Amherst Street that we felt was a great opportunity for a buyer with good intentions. Since that time realtor Larry Bartolomei has sold the property and is convinced that the new owner will be a good fit for the street. When I last talked to Larry he wasn't just thrilled with the news of the latest property sale, he was already talking about a number of other successes and potentials that Black Rock was seeing. Personally, I find myself on Amherst Street more often visiting places like Nick's

Letter to the Editor:
My name is Vincent Alejandro. I was born and raised in the old First Ward in Buffalo, NY. I left for the Army in '93 and haven't lived back there since. I have missed Buffalo so much and am now planning within the next year to move back to my home city with my family. My parents, who were also born and raised in the ward are also talking about moving back to the area from Missouri. I check your website on a regular basis and love to read the stories of the old buildings and businesses being revitalized and reused. 
The

After witnessing Elmwood's first Easter Bonnet Parade last year, I vowed that I would return again this year... with a creative hat too! The inaugural event was such a blast, with people coming from all over the city donning custom creations to parade about on the lawn of the Unitarian Universalist Church before heading off in a colorful march towards the final destination - Lafayette Presbyterian Church. As it so happens, I happened to capture a number of the parade-goers and was able to put together

By Michael Hargrave:
The West Side Bazaar, on 242 Grant Street, celebrated its first anniversary on March 3rd. Exactly one year to the day from when they first opened their doors. The six women, some the original members, and some more recent additions, spent the day amidst a flurry of cupcakes and music.
I took a moment before the festivities started to sit down with Novi Paluch and Louise Sano, two of the vendors who run stalls in the Bazaar. Paluch,

Earlier today, Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) released a statement regarding the Trico Plant #1 Building. The Trico building, as most Buffalo Rising readers are aware, sits on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC). The BNMC is the designated developer for the building. 
In the statement, Preservation Buffalo Niagara noted that they were appreciative of the opportunity to have met with the BNMC director regarding the building. The statement continues: 
Our

By Joshua Bauer:
Just a few months after signing Ryan Fitzpatrick to be the QB of the Bills through 2017, Buffalo announced Monday that his talented (and sometimes troubled) favorite target will now be there for the next five years. The Bills signed Johnson to a deal worth $36.25 million through 2016, with $19 million guaranteed, and have effectively thrown down the gauntlet in the AFC East, announcing to Miami, New York, and New England (as well as the NFL as a whole) that Buffalo will now be looking to contend once more.
The chemistry

Back in 2010 I wrote a story on the great potential of Trinity Place, which runs west of Elmwood on the south edge of Allentown. I compared its potential to that of Buffalo's Little Summer Street on the West Side off Richmond, which is at the heart of a neighborhood resurgence in that part of the city. I followed up that story with a story focused on the wedding

Although I'm one week late in posting this, there are plenty more films coming up, and as far as films go, these are some of the best you'll ever see. Not only will you get a chance to add some 'all time great' flicks to you cinema roster, you'll be able to view them on the big screen - how often does that happen? Movie aficionados be warned... you are now required to block out a couple hours of time each Tuesday evening (starting tonight) to enjoy some of the finest films ever made. Not only that, you also get to listen to a couple of our local experts who will share some valuable insight

It might be early in the game, but the Buffalo Lazy Randonneur Club already has 50 cyclists signed up for the Third Annual BLRC Tweed Bicycle Ride. If you're not familiar with this ride, one of the more unique rides that this group organizes, then all you really have to know is this:
In order to be a part of the ride you need at least two of the following:
1) A bike - preferably a Penny Farthing2) Like of cheese and cured meats - olives oils for the trendy types3) Wear

The Shambhala Meditation Group of Buffalo is diving into a two-month celebration of the arts with its annual Shambhala Arts Festival. The festival, which kicked off on Friday, March 2 with a First Friday Opening at the CG Jung Center Gallery, included a series of events centered on the appreciation of "Dharma Art." 
The meditation group is part of the international students of the late Chugyam Trungpa, the Tibetan meditation master and artist-poet multi-cultural provocateur. Trudy Stern, an organizer

Close your eyes and try to picture the corner of Elmwood and Tupper. I bet that you're having a hard time thinking of what is there... or more importantly what is not there. For a long, long time, this corner has seen businesses come and go, and it's hard to remember what any of them were exactly. It always appeared as if the windows were filled with all sort of everything and nothing, from draped ripped bed sheets to personal belongings. Each time a business opened, it looked as if it had kept the leftovers from the previous business. I've never had much hope for this corner, primarily