In this week’s installment of the Buffalo Rising Roundtable on WBFO (here in full podcast), News Director Mark Scott, Newell, and I discussed past and future events that have captured public attention.
Though it was last in our discussion, we’d like you to remind you upfront that this Sunday, January 24th, Buffalo ReUse, PUSH Buffalo, WNY AmeriCorps, ReTree WNY, Keep WNY Beautiful and David Homes will present the premier of Extreme Makeover: Buffalo Edition, a two-hour special at Shea’s Performing Arts Center. ABC corporate has devoted an extra hour to the the Buffalo story due to unprecedented community participation in the project that revolved around a remake of the Powell family home, but ultimately effected some 71 area homes as well. Channel 7 will air its own special beforehand. Tickets are still available. Let’s watch this one together.
The remainder of the roundtable touched on the Common Council appointment of Curtis Haynes to the Ellicott District Council seat, among other topics. Mark asked if it was odd that the council ignored the Democratic District Committee nod to the Reverend Darius Pridgen in their appointment of Haynes, citing Councilman Michael LoCurto’s appointment with a nod from both sides. Our belief is that that was a mere coincidence, in which both the committee and the council were in agreement, whereas Haynes was picked on the basis of who the council wishes to work with, regardless of recommendation. The Buffalo Common Council is granted last say, and they took advantage of it in relationship to Haynes appointment. A very important and much under represented district will benefit largely by the council’s ability to work well together.
In talking about the comeback of long-vacant buildings in the 500 block of Main Street, Newell posed a question of how many successfully resurrected buildings there are in town that were once on the demolition list. We discussed the luck we’ve had in dormancy of demo (and even rehab) projects, until such a time when our preservation ideals allow us to see things done the right way. We’ve lost a few, but those that are being redeveloped now are being done right, at last.
And speaking of resurrection, we discussed the buried Olmsted quarry bridge and gardens. One Buffalo Rising commenter suggested a few days of 500 volunteers with shovels. Looking at the archived photos, it would be splendid to see the bridge and gardens restored. The Conservancy is on it; let’s hope it happens soon.
This last Friday, there was a “Take Back the Night Anti-Violence Rally,” and this coming Wednesday, there is another event, “United We Stand: A Celebration of Diversity, a Plea for Peace,” at Babeville in support of our LGBT community. The word is that the City is as concerned as its residents, and that changes in communication and overall security will be made. We simply can’t afford to allow community members to be targeted on the basis of race, religion or sexual orientation. Help, it seems, is on the way.
Happy Martin Luther King Day. Here’s to the continuation of the dream.
Images: Take Back the Night by Glenn E. Murray, Esq.