Author: Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera I truly hope that students, educators, administrators, faculty and all staff across Erie County and beyond are experiencing a wonderful start to the 2026-27 school year! As a former educator, I believe in the importance of literacy and education. Books provide insight into our history and help us to understand other cultures. Books are also a way to explore what is possible. At a time when information is increasingly locked behind paywalls, curated by algorithms, or restricted outright, the public library remains one of the few institutions where access to knowledge is free and…
Author: BRo Guest Authors
Nursing students need to practice venipuncture, the skill of inserting a needle into a vein to draw blood, hundreds of times before they do it on a patient. The training arms they practice on are specialized commercial equipment, and sim-lab budgets only stretch so far. That practical teaching problem is what brought University at Buffalo School of Nursing faculty to 469 Franklin, a workspace and workshop on Franklin Street where members build real things for real users. The collaboration started with a simple conversation: what does a training arm actually need to do, and how much of that could be…
When Emily Saliers and her best friend Amy Ray first took the stage in Atlanta bars and began making a name for themselves, and paving the way for the next generations of LGBTQ+ musicians, there was a sense of optimism that surrounded what they were doing. There was a feeling that they were not only opening doors, but ripping them down, not expecting that by 2026, they would find themselves having to do it all over again, with the renewed need to stand up for the same causes through their music and activism. The Indigo Girls will perform at the…
Author: D. Charles Roberts Jr. As Stephen Watson reported on August 28, 2026, the Village of Kenmore has given the green light for a developer to tear down the 100-year-old historic Kenmore Presbyterian Church to make way for a “stand alone” Shake Shack. Attempting to justify the project, the News quotes Mayor Pat Mang stating they are “trying to bring in, more traffic into the village, to spend their money here.” Mang said the quiet part out loud – the Mayor and “Trustees” care about one thing – the tax base. Occupied parcels generate more tax revenue than vacant…
Author: Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz Numerous studies have shown that content featuring negative headlines designed to provoke anger and fear generates higher engagement than something that promotes positivity and optimism. With that in mind, I’d like to share this month some of the highlights of positive developments happening in Erie County government. Earlier this month I signed the deed and associated paperwork that transferred the Buffalo Bills stadium and surrounding complex from Erie County to New York State. As a result, for the first time since 1973 Erie County is out of the stadium business, saving Erie County…
Author: Josh Ketry Hans Christian Mann packed an extraordinary amount of life into just 46 years. Known to many around Western New York as “Hans the Carver,” Mann was a Great Lakes charter captain, elite multispecies angler, entrepreneur, lure maker, jaw-dropping artist, devoted family man, and the kind of friend who seemed to make every gathering bigger and every adventure more memorable. A Buffalo State alumnus and college football offensive lineman, Hans was one of those rare people who didn’t merely become interested in something. He studied it, explored it, experimented with it and eventually became exceptional at almost everything he did.…
Contributor: Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera As a former educator, I know this is a time of year full of excitement. Let me be one of the first to welcome our students, teachers, faculty and staff back to school! The start of a school year is the most critical in setting students up for success. In Erie County, we have several resources that support the well-being of our young people. The Erie County Department of Health along with the Office of Health Equity offers the Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHCN) program. Reintroduced in 2023, the CYSHCN program…
When Warren Haynes takes the stage with Gov’t Mule, you never quite know what you’re going to hear, except you can be sure the vibe will be good. That was certainly the case July 24 at Point of the Bluff in Hammondsport, a winery overlooking Keuka Lake in Steuben County. A few years ago the winery added a laid-back cozy concert venue that was perfect for the likes of the blues-rock style of Haynes and the Mule. Gov’t Mule still found rafters to rattle under the tent, and out onto the lawn in the steamy evening. The band will…
Author: Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera: This month our nation celebrated its 250th Birthday, with events commemorating this historic milestone held across Erie County. Many of these celebrations were led in part by the Erie County Historical Commission, a group dedicated to preserving the rich history of our region. The celebrations continue Sunday, August 2 when we recognize one of the most important but least celebrated days in our nation’s history, that in which 56 members of the Second Continental Congress began signing the Declaration of Independence. “716 Celebrates: Stars, Stripes and Signers” is a free, family-friendly event featuring live…
Author: Edward Carney When public accommodations for the disabled are missing, people generally don’t notice it until they or someone they care about is affected. That isn’t a moral judgement or a criticism of the masses. I think it’s a fairly obvious statement of fact. Daily life gives us all an overabundance of things to focus on and worry about, so it’s only natural that when we encounter small obstacles, we tend to climb over them and continue moving forward, without pausing to consider those of our neighbors who might not be able to do the same. In this sense,…