Every sane person loves Wegmans.  And most people love Alec Baldwin (despite that notorious voicemail to his daughter).  Put the two together and you have one of the most popular Buffalo Rising stories of 2010.      
Our original Alec Baldwin / Wegmans story was shared on Facebook by 621 people and viewed by about 7,000 people.  To brighten your Christmas Day, here it is again - Alec Baldwin

Great Lakes Industrial Development LLC, a Buffalo-based real estate investment group, announced today it has acquired the former Bethlehem Steel Galvanized Products Division complex.  The development partnership purchased the property from ArcelorMittal in a transaction finalized today.

The new owners plan to redevelop the sprawling 160-acre hamburg site, which also includes the idle Bethlehem Cold Mill, into a multi-tenant business park suitable for a range of uses, including light manufacturing, warehousing and back office space.

"We are very excited to have made a significant

This year in Buffalo, the tradition of beautiful lighting displays will not have to come to an end with the holiday season.

In honor of the ten countries that will be participating in the 2011 IIHF U20 World Junior Hockey Championships, the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority and the Buffalo Sabres have collaborated on a massive lighting display that will illuminate the Peace Bridge for the twelve days of the World Juniors tournament.

"The Authority is excited to see the World Junior Championships come to Buffalo and expects many fans to cross the Peace Bridge on

Thanks to the efforts of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, New York was recently allocated an additional $7.3 million in high-speed rail funding.
           
The funding was a portion of the stimulus money originally awarded to Ohio and Wisconsin for building high-speed rail systems.  The newly elected governors of these two states chose to turn down this money, leaving it in the hands of the Department of Transportation.
           
"If other states don't want

Toronto writer Michael Cook and Montreal photographer Andrew Emond have created a unique publication that examines the assemblage of grain elevators in Buffalo's First Ward, an area long known colloquially as Elevator Alley.  Cook and Emond spent five years researching, exploring and photographing these enduring industrial structures, some of which are now over a century old and in dire need of repair.  Elevator Alley pushes beyond their concrete forms, to reveal the elevators' place in Buffalo today and in

When people think of Rust Belt or other regions that are either shrinking or growing extremely slowly, what often comes to mind is the thought of rats fleeing a sinking ship.  The concern over "brain drain" reinforces this exact type of narrative.  And when you look at the net migration figures from the Census Bureau, it's easy to find the image confirmed.  For example, here's net domestic migration for Midwest metro areas from 2007 to 2008:

="window.open('http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2010/12/mig1-16006.html','popup','width=500,height=329,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0');

The Sabres may be getting a new owner, but the future of the Buffalo Bills in WNY remains in doubt.  Early last week, a community-based financial plan intended to help keep the Bills in Buffalo spread across Western New York.  Recently, the idea has spread beyond Buffalo with reports from sports business publications and popular Wall Street blogs.  While some readers poked fun at the idea, nobody poked holes in it.  Opinions expressed from the reporters/bloggers were mostly positive and some complimentary. 

The Hockey News is reporting that Terry Pegula has signed a letter of intent to acquire the Buffalo Sabres from Tom Golisano for $150M.  Pegula, like Golisano, is a self-made billionaire who recently gave Penn State $88M to build a new hockey arena. 
Pegula's business is based

Christmas has come early for Buffalo Rising readers.  Starting immediately, you can get $8 off any Buffalo Rising shirt in stock and any of the ridiculously awesome Buffalo Rising Hero Design Prints.  Just use sale code GIBLETS and our store will automatically take $8 off each sale item you purchase. Supplies are limited so act quickly.  
Remember, all of our shirts are printed on American Apparel and the Hero Design prints were

By Kevin Christner:

No other issue has split American public opinion and invoked more passion on both sides than the debate over health care reform.  The Democrats, for their part, passed a deeply unpopular and by their own admittance very flawed bill.  Politically, they felt the results of doing anything would be better than nothing.  The Republicans, for their part, failed to offer any meaningful alternative.  The one thing that all sides seem to agree on is that the system as it currently exists in fundamentally broken.  Without a radical change insurance

The internet is heating up with the alleged designs of new NFL jerseys. So we're going to fan the flames. 

Nike, as you may have heard, has won the contract to provide NFL uniforms beginning in 2012.  Nike management has already said they plan on changing the look of NFL uniforms "dramatically" like they have with college jerseys.  Perhaps the most conspicious example of a radically modernized Nike uniform is that of the Oregon Ducks who now have 5 different uniform

Buffalonians who have lived elsewhere know something that other locals don't - grocery stores elsewhere generally stink.  Whether it's Safeway or Stop & Shop or Giant or Shaw's, shopping at any of these other large supermarket chains is a chore. Something you only do out of necessity. 

But in Buffalo, we have Wegmans. 

And the supremacy of Wegmans is perhaps the only thing Wester New Yorkers can agree on.  And Alec Baldwin's mother agrees with us. And now, so does Alec Baldwin. 

Without further comment, here is the Alec Baldwin and

There was serious sentiment some 16 years ago when the University at Buffalo's Center for the Arts opened on UB's Amherst Campus that it was going to steal touring talent from city venues, furthering the "giant sucking sound" of souls scurrying to the suburbs, to quote a phrase from the day.

Hopefully we can all now agree that such sentiment was nonsense. UBCFA has built a reputation for booking an eclectic array of acts that would likely pass over Western New York if not for a sub-2,000 seat venue built with pristine acoustics, comfortable seating, and a commitment to presenting performers

Last night's Erie County budget hearing saw the largest outpouring of civic discontent seen in Buffalo since the days of the Red/Green budget crisis.  Folks from all over Erie County began to arrive at Old County Hall by 4:00 PM, and some were there until 9:30.  One by one, they approached the microphone to speak about the proposed cuts running the gamut from youth programs, auditors in the Comptroller's office, security guards, libraries, arts & culture, medical examiners, the cooperative extension, and so on.  Not one speaker spoke in favor of the budget.  Full

The Buffalo News, like every other major newspaper around the country, is looking for ways to save itself.  Subscriptions are declining. The classified business has never been the same since Craigslist.  And while revenue has fallen off a cliff, the News still enjoys the luxuries of paying union wages to their surprisingly large staff. 

So what's next for the News?  Well, unlike their previous decision to tell the internet

The Association for a Buffalo Presidential Center (ABPC) is hosting its inaugural fundraiser featuring a special exhibit and lecture to increase public awareness of its long-term plans. The event will take place on Nov. 17 at The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, 220 North Street, starting at 6 pm.  The proposed Presidential Center will provide public programs, projects and research opportunities showcasing Buffalo's presidential history.  Project sponsors believe Buffalo may be one of the only cities in all of America that can boast it has been home to two United

He's not officially governor yet, but it appears Andrew Cuomo is already hard at work for Western New York.  On Friday, just three days after his election day victory, Cuomo sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking that if proposed high-speed rail projects in Ohio and Wisconsin are ended as promised by their recently elected governors, New York would gladly make use of the $1.26 billion in funding that would be forfeited by their cancellations. 

="MARGIN: 0px; FONT:

Jeff Pearlman is a writer for Sports Illustrated. You've likely never heard of him because, well, no one has subscribed to Sports Illustrated since they stopped offering a free sneakerphone with every subscription.  But apparently they still publish the magazine and they even have a website.

Mr. Pearlman wrote a piece on Shawn

Not Main Place Mall, but the concrete bunker known as Rainbow Centre in downtown Niagara Falls, NY.  Niagara County Community College's Hospitality, Tourism, Culinary Arts Institute will anchor the revamped complex after a multi-million dollar renovation. 

On December 19, 1998, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Bill Clinton. Congressman Jack Quinn, a Republican but friend of Bill Clinton, was on the fence as to how he was going to vote on impeachment.  Clinton called Quinn from Air Force One just 10 days before the impeachment vote and, reportedly, Quinn gave Clinton no indication he was going to vote to impeach.  But then Quinn did vote to impeach.  Unsurprisingly, Clinton never forgave Quinn and never forgot.