Portland, Oregon's Bureau of Environmental Services is in the midst of a multi-year project that is changing the look of a large section of Southeast Portland.  The changes are part of the Tabor to the River program, which will improve storm-water drainage in the Brooklyn Creek Basin, an area with a history of flooding problems.   

/regional/index.html

Submission by Dan Frontera

May is recognized as Military Appreciation month.  It is a time when we put aside the opinions of why wars are waged and we recognize the men and women, sons and daughters, fathers and wives who have served.  A time when we remember those who did not come home and recognize that those who did will never be the same.  So many come home unable to deal with what they have experienced, unable to express their emotions, unable to ask for or find help. 

Then there is art.  There is expression and healing, there is passion and

At the end of March, Erie County's Legislature approved a program that allows private developers to compete for a pool of federal financing provided by selling Recovery Zone Facility Bonds (RZFB).

The City of Buffalo is receiving $7.2 Million in facility bonds while Erie County has an allocation of $17.1 million.

Recovery Zone Facility Bonds are a tool for encouraging private investment in economic development and job growth. RZFB

Aaron M. Renn is a urban policy analyst and consultant based in Chicago. His writings appear at his blog, The Urbanophile, and in other publications.  Buffalo Rising will be carrying Aaron's work on an occasional basis.

 

What does it take in a city to bring about change? I believe that one key prerequisite for change is a critical mass of outsiders; that is, a large enough of group of people who moved there without a background or personal connection to a place. Why?

Outsiders are willing to imagine

Cincinnati's Union Terminal and the Buffalo Central Terminal are alike in many ways.  Each is located some distance from their respective central business districts, they're both mammoth complexes that handled about 200 trains per day, and both were designed by New York architects Alfred Fellheimer and Stewart Wagner.  Cincinnati's station has been repurposed however and is now a focus of that city's cultural universe.

Cincinnati's Union Terminal was dedicated

Today, from noon to one, people from across Western New York gathered to pray on Niagara Square.  I was one of them.

I have to admit, I was uncomfortable.  It's not that I am uncomfortable with prayer--I pray daily, publicly and privately, for all sorts of things.  I was uncomfortable because of the politicization of the event, because Niagara Square is an odd place to pray, and because it felt like it might be more a show of devotion to country, rather devotion to God (both are fine, in my opinion, as long as they are properly ordered.  The square, however, had plenty

The Toronto Star has an interesting article on Saul Kaplan, a leading US urban planning guru, and how Toronto has evolved over the past 30 years.  Kaplan's views dovetail with 'creative class' thinker Richard Florida who we've covered on Buffalo Rising before. 

The Star article touches

The Downtown Public Library's Mason O. Damon Auditorium is not the largest auditorium in the area, but it certainly is a welcoming space. Bright upholstery, with rich wooden dividing walls on the wings, and subdued but warm carpeting create a hospitable space within the large concrete forms that make up the building. The smooth forms and simple geometrics of the design and architecture are as evident here as they are in the stacks of books on the floors above. The design is one of the reasons I enjoy visiting and borrowing from the Central library, more than any other library in the area. There's

What else is there to say about the Sabres early exit from the playoffs?  To some of us, the writing was on the wall at the trade deadline.  By acquiring Raffi Torres and nothing else, Sabres management telegraphed their belief that this team wasn't good enough to make a run for the Cup so there was no sense mortgaging the future to bolster this year's roster. Of course, that seems to be the Sabres approach every year.  No matter how good and hot their goalie is

With volunteers working on several short-term restoration projects at the Central Terminal, a strategic plan is being drafted that will prioritize stabilization projects and look at how best to prepare the property for long-term use.  Time is of the essence.  By some estimates, if major roof and masonry repairs are not completed in the next few years, the building could be in serious trouble.

"We are focused on two things right now," says Paul Lang, board member and chair of

"I've always been interested in the stories we tell one another," said artist Tim Rizzo.

Rizzo, inspired by a dream he had years ago, will be presenting his multimedia design exhibition thelittlewaves.com on Friday, April 30 at Studio 302, 567 Exchange Street, Buffalo from 7PM to 10PM.

"I suppose what I'm trying to do is give people an interesting puzzle, a story that they can give meaning to. That's how I experienced it, at least, and that's what I'm trying to recreate," said Rizzo.

The exhibition consists of digital prints, live music and narration supported

While thousands have attended events at the Central Terminal, a dedicated group of volunteers is working behind the scenes to save the beloved building for future generations.  The Central Terminal Restoration Corporation (CRTC) was founded in 1997 to oversee the stabilization and restoration of the property and has made significant progress to date yet much work remains. 

The CTRC is an entirely volunteer organization.  Their early work focused on safety issues including securing and stabilizing the building, removing debris,

The NFL has just released the schedule for the upcoming season.  The Bills will open the season September 12, 2010 at home against the hated Miami Dolphins.  That's a bit of a bad break for Buffalo who would much prefer to host Miami later in the season when the snow is flying.  The Bills get their bye in Week 6 and close the season on Sunday, January 2nd in New York against the Jets.  The Bills get to play 8 teams that made the playoffs last year though they still have the league's 16th most difficult schedule. 

As Hunter S. Thompson said it best, "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench...and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." This harsh, but honest description of the music industry is a warning for all those who enter the business unprepared and an endorsement to attain as much knowledge and expertise as possible to prepare for one of the hardest professions in the world. 

In an effort to help prepare area music lovers interested in entering the music business and to offer best practice strategies in the various business sectors, a group of successful

Today, for the eighth year running, the mayors of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Ft. Erie met in the middle of the Peace Bridge and dropped the big red "boom ball" to kick off the opening of Boom Days.

/regional/index.html

The Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA) announced six local companies have qualified for its innovative Minority Entrepreneurs Grant and Loan Program. The businesses - five existing firms and one start-up - will get a total of $139,000 in low-interest loans and grants through the Buffalo and Erie County Regional Development Corporation, the affiliated lending corporation of the ECIDA.

"These companies were selected from an initial field of 89 applications.  After much scrutiny we determined these six businesses showed the greatest potential for success and we are delighted

The World's largest Dyngus Day Celebration proved to be another exceptional event held throughout the city and region. Record setting numbers came out to enjoy dozens of festivities during Easter Monday's unseasonably mild weather. ="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto

So you may have a ham hangover from yesterday, but shake it off.  Today is the day we will set aside our petty differences and rejoice, for today is Buffalo's 49th Annual Dyngus Day!  With moderate temperatures and a recent bout of good weather, this year there is no excuse for not partaking.  In our poll today (upper left corner of your screen, below the site's header), we've even asked you to tell us about your favorite part of Dyngus Day.  If you have some Dyngus Day experience, feel free to vote today, otherwise, maybe you want to hold off until you return from the festivities

Nottingham Terrace, one of the premier streets in the City, has another $1M+ listing.  Directly next door to the $2.15M brick mansion for sale sits today's featured listing.  At 227 Nottingham Terrace, a 6,160 square foot traditional stucco house can be yours for $1.375M. 

The house, built in 1928, has 5 bedrooms, 4 baths and 2 additional half baths.  There are 7 fireplaces and 3 separate family rooms.  The house was last sold in 1993 for $595,000 and is currently assessed

News of this shooting came as I was preparing a sermon for Good Friday, the day Christians remember the death of Jesus.  The stories are far from parallel, but this much is true--first century society and our contemporary culture both suffer from disordered thinking.  We are inclined toward violence in way that is not only unhealthy, it doesn't make sense.

As I reflected on one of the words Jesus spoke from the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do," it occurred