By Joshua Bauer (Football Nation)
Having had time to digest that Buffalo went with a cornerback in the first round, I've started to pour over the remaining players looking to see if GM Buddy Nix was right about the depth still available in areas of need. I won't lie, it was a little disappointing to see all those trades (New England traded up twice in the first round) and not hear the Bills involved in one of them. More disappointing was

Starting at 7am this morning 103.3 The Edge, the Olmsted Parks Conservancy and a host of various Buffalo tree huggers have been stationed at Fat Bob's in Allentown. Shortly after 8am, a 'full blow' parade set out into the city's historic Tree District, while Dakota Skye was officially crowned Miss Arbor Day . All this to commemorate The Biggest Arbor Day Party in America. With visits from members of the Botanical Gardens, Reinstein Woods, Winnie the Pooh (currently sucking down beers at the

If I were to tell you that Fireman's Park in Downtown Buffalo was about to get a makeover, what would you say? Would you say "Where the heck is Fireman's Park?" I guess when there is a lackluster park in our midst, it's bound to be fairly obscure, mainly because of its derelict nature. Fireman's Park has been derelict for many years. It's the public park that is bounded by North and South Division Streets in Downtown Buffalo. It's the one that has an inoperable modernist fountain and is usually inhabited by vagrants. It's the first property that anyone sees when coming to Buffalo by bus. It's also

Sometimes the history of an event speaks just as loud as the event itself. The event that I am referring to in this case is the Lizzard Ball. "The 'what' ball?" you may ask. The Lizzard Ball! Remember the Blizzard Ball? If you've been living in Buffalo for long enough, then you might. The Blizzard Ball was designed as a fancy dancy tux and gown wearing function around the time of the Blizzard of '77. 
Although I never made it to the Blizzard Ball, I heard that it was quite the scene. While socialites were raising flutes of Champagne into the air, there were

By Joshua Bauer (Football Nation):
It wasn't sexy, but it wasn't a worthless pick by any means.
As the Bills already had their front pass defense fixes from free agency, they started the 2012 Draft by addressing the backfield. Part of their continued effort to improve their 19th ranked pass defense (you thought it was all fixed after free agency?), Buffalo takes 6'0", 190lb cornerback Stephon Gilmore, a physical blocker,

Where are you from originally?  
Born and bred in Buffalo, NY
What is your medium?  
Photography
How has Buffalo influenced your work?
Beautiful architectural buildings, close to waterways such as the marina, canals, Niagara Falls and the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?  
As a young man I knew that everything changes

By Michael Hargrave:
The West Side Bazaar has been moving forward in leaps and bounds this year. Not only have they celebrated a full year of operation, but in that time they have been so successful that a major expansion is now in the works thanks to a large chunk of change that is heading their way. As of April 24th, the Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI), parent organization for the West Side Bazaar, is the

As Give for Greatness (G4G) continues to stretch its message out into Buffalo's cultural scene, there are individuals and organizations out there that are taking the ball and running with it. Every time you see a Give for Greatness event, it means that someone understands the mission enough to put some backbone into it. In this case, it's Marcus Wise from 464 Gallery. This Saturday he is hosting an event to raise money for Buffalo's culturals, and in true Marcus fashion, the

This Friday, Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki, Consul-General of Japan in New York will be attending a ceremony at Buffalo's Japanese Gardens where 20 cherry blossom trees will be planted. The additional trees will double the number that are currently growing at the site. The longterm plan would see cherry blossom trees lining all of Mirror Lake, creating spectacular visuals when the blossoms take flight each spring. 
Friday's dedication commemorates the centennial anniversary of Japan's gift to Washington DC. - that gift consisted of over 3000 trees. Mayor

Where are you from originally?
I grew up in Saugus - part of the urban sprawl of Boston, Massachusetts. 
What or who first prompted you to venture into the art world? 
As a young kid, my parents took me to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Little did they realize that they warped my mind towards art and there was no turning back! 
Have you been schooled in art? 
I graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and then spent

It's not that often that we see a couple of non-profits teaming up to draw visitors. In this case, Western New York Artists Group (Art Dialogue Gallery) and Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site are coming together to host an event that is partially intended to get people walking between the two destinations. After all, these groups anticipate that by creating a common draw they can make a bigger splash. 
The event that will be making that splash is called Gifts at the Galleries, and it's intended

By Joshua Bauer (Football Nation):
As a part of my never ending quest to rain Buffalo knowledge down on the rest of the football world, I wanted to go back and look at some of the unsung yet unquestionably dedicated heroes from the Bills' glorious (yes, glorious) past. It won't be a large, all-inclusive list (though I could name you 50, if you'd like), but just a trio of players, names you should know, contributors to some of Buffalo's more memorable

Over the past two and a half years, the University at Buffalo, Hallwalls, and the Buffalo Museum of Science have collaborated to produce their unique Cabaret series, where the worlds of art and science intersect for an evening of stimulating conversation, entertainment and creativity. These events bring together scientists and artists to investigate and present on scientific topics in a fun, casual atmosphere, bringing a whole new approach to the standard lecture. The result is an event that engages people to explore complex topics from a more creative perspective. Wednesday, April

Where are you from originally?  
Rochester, NY
What is your medium? 
Oil on panel or canvas, charcoal & graphite drawing
How has Buffalo influenced your work?   
I have found Buffalo to be very supportive; there is such a great community of artists here, and housing/studio space is VERY affordable!
Where do you draw your inspiration from? 
Animals

Have you ever poked around the home accessory aisles of places like Home Depot and found simple shelving that you wanted to purchase? Then you look at the price tag and think to yourself, "I can make that!" Of course you never do, and that certain wall in your house might still be bare to this day. If you're like me, this is the type of project that you never get around to because you rely on your woodworking friends to help. Thankfully, we now have Rusted Grain (see BRO post)

Indian food has come to Hertel Avenue. As much as India Gate has been a blessing for those living in the Elmwood Village, it's now time to share that bounty with North Buffalo. The owners of India Gate have opened their third restaurant (second in the city) in a location that boasts around eighty seats. Hertel already has a fairly diverse food scene, and Indian cuisine goes a long way towards adding to that strong mix. I've been eating at India Gate on Elmwood for years, and yesterday was the first time that I tried Jewel of India. If you're familiar

By Joshua Bauer (Football Nation):
Bills fans, I'm in Mock Draft overload; burnt out. According to all the "experts"(myself included), it would seem that Buffalo is definitely taking Riley Reiff with the tenth pick of 2012... no Michael Floyd... no Luke Keuchly... no Cordy Glenn... nope, they're trading down... wait, what about Stephen Gilmore? You see, the maddening thing is each one of these options could be absolutely right, but as we read over the umpteenth

By Michael Knott:
The Homeless Alliance of WNY has released the results of their State of Homelessness 2011 for the federal reporting year October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011.  The data used to create this report were compiled from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) as well as the annual Point in Time count, Housing Inventory Chart, Unsheltered Street Count, and the Erie County Department of Social Services and Veterans Administration. Throughout the

Tomorrow the Buffalo Common Council will vote on whether or not to make Trico Plant #1 a local historic landmark. As with many other issues, there is a period during the meeting for the citizens of Buffalo to have their voices heard. The meeting takes place tomorrow, April 24th, at 2pm in the Common Council Meeting Room on the 13th floor of City Hall. If you want to see Trico receive the landmark designation, come out and show your support, if approved, the local landmark status will ensure that the community

By Hannya Boulos (Buffalo ReformEd): Over the past two months, Buffalo ReformED has had the opportunity to visit a number of Buffalo schools and meet with their student support teams. These teams are made up of teachers, social workers, counselors, and administrators and are responsible for implementing a program aimed at reducing discipline problems and improving attendance rates.  We met with the support team in a small office or conference room; at each school, at least one wall of the room was covered in