Regional April 19, 2011 9:02 PM
2011-12 Buffalo Bills Schedule
The NFL released the 2011-12 schedule moments ago despite the fact that there is doubt that the season will even take place. Or start on time. 
Not surprisingly, the Buffalo Bills have not been selected for any primetime games for the second season in a row. This year, the Bills have 15 games on Sunday and 1 game on a Saturday (Christmas Eve). 14 will start at the customary 1:00pm start time with two 4pm games.  This makes this year slightly
Regional April 19, 2011 10:27 AM
Forum This Afternoon: Building a Better Peace Bridge
Last fall, the organizations that together make up the Partnership for the Public Good voted to adopt the Peace Bridge/Truck Plaza expansion as an issue to focus on for the coming year.  As part of that effort, the Partnership will be hosting a forum this afternoon to exchange views among an invited panel and the community (details below).

Alert Western New Yorkers know that there has been a lot of recent news on this issue, including the apparent "final, official" death and burial of Shared Border Management, calls for merger of the Niagara
Regional April 19, 2011 12:03 AM
Fort Erie Fires Back on Bridge Merger Resolution
With the bicentennial of the War of 1812 nearly upon us, fresh hostilities broke out across our long-peaceful border this spring.  In a fusillade of paper and streaky faxes, the Town of Ft. Erie volubly and vociferously made it clear that they're not talkin' to us -- because, they say, we're not talkin' to them, first.  And sparking this cross-border undiplomatic incident?  None other than the notoriously undiplomatic Peace Bridge Authority General Manager, Ron Rienas.

Clearly demonstrating why elected officials on our side of the border have taken to calling him "Ron
Regional April 19, 2011 12:01 AM
This is Why We’re Broke

I part ways with many urbanists in that I don't hate suburbs. In fact, I think we need to start with a basic acknowledgment of the fact that most people like owning single family homes and like living in the suburbs. I might live in the city and not own a car, but that doesn't mean other people necessarily do. Did subsidies and public policy contribute to sprawl? Of course, as we've recently been examining here. But I do believe there's a legitimate consumer preference for the suburbs.

I do think we

Regional April 18, 2011 3:35 PM
Sabres Fans Turn on Briere: #UntrueBriereFacts
Buffalo is buzzing as the city plays host to Game 3 of the Sabres/Flyers series tonight. The Party in Plaza will be kicking off at 5pm and there will be a "white out" as fans will reportedly be given white pom poms at the entrance points.

To ratchet up the contempt generated by any playoff series, Sabres fans on Twitter have launched a new meme pointing out more and more reasons to dislike former Sabre Danny Briere. You may recall the last Buffalo Twitter meme we covered - #fakegagasightings - and it's
Regional April 17, 2011 7:10 AM
Artists Head East for April 30th Paint-In

Following up on the successful "Paint-In" at the Blacksmith Shop last month, Sara Zak, the Plein Air Painters and other independent artists, working with different media, will assemble to capture and bring awareness to another building on the Preservation-Ready List: 169 East Ferry, also known as the Harris Hardware building. The building, owned by Glenn Banks, has a leaky roof that has resulted in major water damage to upper floors and interior walls.  Artists will begin their work at the site at 9:30

Regional April 17, 2011 7:00 AM
Is another universe tugging on ours?
In 2008, A NASA scientist and his research team announced their discovery of clusters of galaxies far apart from one another appearing to be moving in the same direction.

What is so special about this? The discovery contradicted the standard model of the universe which says that mass within our universe should flow in random directions. This led to so many questions running through the researchers minds. Maybe another universe exists beyond the bounds of ours dragging our stars closer through the pull of gravity. This became known as the "dark flow" theory.

The researchers
Regional April 16, 2011 12:01 AM
Group Formed to Advocate for Erie Community College’s City Campus

Young Citizens for ECC, a regional advocacy group for Erie Community College, announced the organization's establishment this week. Composed of about 50 young professionals and growing, Young Citizens for ECC intends to introduce "adult supervision" to the debate about the future of Erie Community College. 

The organization announced its mission: To grow ECC's neglected City Campus into the regional hub for ECC's three-campus system.

"We believe the future of Erie Community College is in downtown Buffalo," said Bernice Radle, the chair of Young Citizens for ECC. "ECC must

Regional April 15, 2011 11:00 AM
echo: Art Fair Launches and Calls for Submissions

The Buffalo Expat Network, Emerging Leaders in the Arts in Buffalo, HandsOn Greater Buffalo and Hallwalls are excited to announce a new, first-of-its kind art event in Buffalo: echo: Art Fair. The one day event will take place at the Central Terminal on Saturday, July 9th, 2011.

The mission of echo is to connect experienced collectors and first-time buyers with emerging local, regional and international artists

Regional April 15, 2011 9:04 AM
Welcoming Spring With Boom Days
Spring is finally here and the city will be ready to welcome its arrival this weekend with Boom Days, the local celebration that coincides with the lifting of the Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom.  

The celebration kicks off this evening, Friday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. with the Boom Days Ball Race. 

The competitors: Harry's Harbour Place Grille, Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, and Templeton Landing.

The challenge: launching three five-foot in diameter balls over the side of the world's oldest operating fireboat, the E.M. Cotter, and into
Regional April 14, 2011 10:34 PM
Miller Time: #30 Steals Game 1 for Sabres
The Sabres were outshot 35-25 in Game 1 of their best of seven series against the Philadelphia Flyers. And they took more penalties (6) than the Flyers (2). But in the end it didn't matter as Ryan Miller stole the night and Patrick Kaleta banged home a rebound to give the Sabres a 1-0 victory.  
This was Miller's second career post-season shutout (the first also came against the hated Flyers). Tonight's victory was punctuated by Miller's play and the penalty kill unit which fought off 6 Philly power plays including a two man advantage. Tyler Myers, Marc-Andre Gragnani
Regional April 14, 2011 12:35 PM
Riverkeeper Proposes Green Infrastructure Solutions
Last Friday, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper held a technical briefing and review of their Green Infrastructure Solutions Plan to address sewer overflow issues in the city.

The International Joint Commission that oversees the Great Lakes has identified the Niagara and Buffalo rivers as "Areas of Concern," due to the pollution that has contaminated these waterways from sewage and storm water outfalls.  This raw sewage that poisons the rivers after the sewers overflow poses a severe health risk to those who come into contact with them and also endangers the fish that inhabit them by reducing
Regional April 14, 2011 10:10 AM
Sabres vs. Flyers: Let’s Get it On (Video)
No one in Buffalo needs another reason to hate Philadelphia. And no one should need extra motivation to get fired up for tonight's Game 1. But in case you need that little extra something to get ready for this playoff series, here is a great video highlighting the most memorable moments in the Sabres-Flyers saga. 
In it, you'll see Stevie Shields skate the length of the ice to take on Garth Snow. And you'll see the single greatest moment in the history of the Sabres-Flyers rivalry - Brian Campbell's hit on RJ Umberger. 
Watch this video.
Regional April 13, 2011 1:49 PM
Green Development Zone Wins International Sustainability Competition
Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of State and the American Planning Association announced the three finalists in their Changemaker's International Sustainable Urban Housing Competition.  Out of 11 finalists from countries around the globe, PUSH Buffalo and its Green Development Zone came out on top.

The leaders and staff of PUSH (People United for Sustainable Housing) will be hosting a celebration event in honor of this important victory for our city and the efforts being made towards
Regional April 11, 2011 4:15 PM
Buffalo Company Releases 2011 Tour Schedule

The company Naked Buffalo is offering a wide variety of tours of the Buffalo area and has released the 2011 schedule of tours set to begin on April 9th.

The company which originally started by showing one tour of Mafia sites in Niagara Falls has expanded to offer eight historical tours in Buffalo. The tours are meant to "reveal the fun underbelly of Buffalo history".

"We were already presenting material that no one else has covered, and we needed a name that really showed we were different. We think we have that now," said company co-founder

Regional April 7, 2011 2:05 PM
Gagged State Geologist to Speak on Hydrofracking Tonight
With New York State's temporary ban on permitting of natural gas hydrofracking set to expire this summer, it's natural to expect a dramatic uptick in activity and media coverage of this issue -- above and beyond what we've already seen with the recent ban by Buffalo's Common Council, consideration of bans in other municipalities, and showings
Regional April 6, 2011 8:30 AM
Martin House Restoration on Home Stretch

The latest phase of the Darwin Martin House restoration is in full swing.  Much of the current work is expected to be completed in time for the National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference in October.  Eric Jackson-Forsberg, the Martin House curator, was nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule recently to give a tour of the house for Buffalo Rising. Eric has been curator for eight years and is very passionate about the Martin House.  He half-jokingly

Regional April 6, 2011 12:00 AM
Census 2010 Offers Portrait of America in Transition

I promised some people I'd come back and update my Census findings after all the states were released. Well that's done so here I am. I previously posted this on New Geography the day after the last of the results came in, and the piece has gone sort of ballistic.

If there's one simple example that shows the power of my Telestrian platform, it's this: the maps I created from it landed on the front page of Yahoo: 

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Regional April 5, 2011 12:15 AM
Additional Give for Greatness Events Scheduled

Artvoice's Give for Greatness campaign has announced two upcoming events that will take place this month in Buffalo, Doctor's for the Arts and a concert presented by BPO and MusicalFare.

Give for Greatness is a campaign that has been running since March 8th with the goal of reaching $1 million to benefit cultural institutions that lost funding in this year's county budget.

The first of these two events will be the Give for Greatness campaign's Doctor's for the Arts event on Sunday, April 10. The event will begin at 5 p.m. and run until 8 p.m. at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Regional April 4, 2011 8:28 PM
WNY Land Conservancy Speaker Series Hosts Local Geologist

In observance of their 20th anniversary, the Western New York Land Conservancy is going to be continuing their Spring speaker series with a discussion led by Stan Radon, geologist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

For the past 20 years, Radon has been working as a geologist for the NYSDEC and also teaching classes in geology and environmental sciences at SUNY Buffalo and Daemen College.  His work with the WNYLC has helped many who visit the conservancy site to understand more about our local landscapes.

"We selected Stan because he volunteers