Birds flock to open waters and where there are birds, there are bird watchers. The Niagara River corridor, a recognized sanctuary for a variety of bird species, is the site of an International Celebration of Winter Birds called Birds on the Niagara. Launched last year by the Niagara Greenway Commission in partnership with several state environmental conservation groups, the event has crossed the border to include Canadian organizations this year. According to Jay Burney, one of the event founders, “We will be able to experience and enjoy this celebration at many sites on both sides of the international Niagara River…
Author: Judith Frizlen
There are a lot of great things going on in town; it can be challenging to choose which ones get added to the calendar. An event to know about and attend is a lecture series at Canisius College sponsored by the William H. Fitzpatrick Institute of Public Affairs and Leadership. Every time I have been to one of these lectures, I have walked out enriched by the experience. Through the lecture series, I have been introduced to engaging, relevant writers whose words and works have inspired me. It is a gem of an event in a gem of a venue…
If you could choose between a shopping experience that is sedentary, solitary and fills the pockets of strangers and one that is active, social, and benefits your community, which one would you choose? The good news is you can choose, the bad news is that according to research data, in the last three years, more and more people are choosing online shopping, the sedentary, solitary and disconnected option. A conversation with Sue Marfino at Shoefly while I was purchasing boots, got me thinking about the local economy and what I want to support in my shopping practices. Why do people…
It is that time of year when the days grow colder, and the nights grow longer. Time to cozy up indoors. Add a book and you can make an evening of it. If there are children in the home, it is helpful to have a collection of of carefully selected books next to a comfortable chair ready for a reading session. In recognition of the power of stories, the fifth annual WNY Children’s Book Expo is gearing up to celebrate children’s literature. During KidsLit Week, the WNY Children’s Book Expo hosts a week of events connected to children’s literature. From…
Children need caring families. Families need caring societies. Caring societies need a caring world. Who cares for those who welcome foster or adopted children into their families? To fill that need, there is a new organization called Adoption Perspectives, founded by Patricia Jones and Marcella Moslow. They are both licensed social workers who have experienced adoption personally. Jones is an adoptive parent and Moslow is an adoptee. Both adoption experiences were through FANA, an orphanage in Bogota, Colombia. Both know first-hand the importance of support for children and families. For them, the work is personal, professional and instrumental in shaping…
There are times to build and times to rest. For artist Ben Perrone, 86 years old is a time to build. To build not only a house to live in but to create an iconic structure (see 133 School Street). Driven by his commitment to the environment, the desire to create a space to hang his art and a studio for creating more, Perrone is one of the unique individuals who calls Buffalo his primary home. No doubt, his building will attract a lot of attention; people may wonder about the person who created the design and had the courage…
When the weather gets colder and the days shorter, our bodies react, at least mine does. There is no denying that the seasons affect us. Muscles contract, aches and pains can call our attention. Then what? There is nothing like a good massage to relax the muscles, relieve the aches and pains and make you feel good again. Joseph Myers, owner of Frequency Therapeutic Massage wants to get the word out that massage is for everyone, so he opened a studio in the Horsefeathers Building at 346 Connecticut Street. A native Buffalonian, Joe is coming home after operating his business…
If you have met Tanya Zabinski, you know her positive, calm and infectious spirit! It has left its mark on Planet Love, the hand-printed clothing company with a positive message she cofounded with husband Joe DiPasquale, the Elmwood Arts Festival she also cofounded with Joe and other activists, her artwork, and now her first children’s book, Peace, Love, Action!: Everyday Acts of Goodness from A to Z. In the introduction to a Peaceful Activist, we meet Tanya’s life-affirming world view as well as Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Shirley Chisholm and others who embody the spirit of the book. Throughout,…
Buffalo has renowned historic buildings, an interest in preserving them and a shortage of laborers skilled in the crafts required for building restoration projects. An acute need for training has been identified by the NYS Department of Labor and local contractors alike; UB Architecture professor, Dennis Maher decided to address that need. In September 2017, Maher started a 15-week skill-building, work readiness and job replacement program called SACRA to train qualified candidates in the building arts. SACRA, an acronym for Society for the Advancement of Construction Related Arts, recently graduated its fourth class. According to Maher, “In the SACRA program,…
A born entrepreneur, Elena Robertson has been running a small business since she was eighteen years old when she started selling organic cupcakes at the Clarence Farmers’ Market. In 2015, she opened Nature’s Apothecary selling plant-based juices in the Horsefeathers Building on Connecticut Street. Now she is set to open Keepsake Consignment on Potomac Avenue in the heart of the Elmwood Village. Her husband, Laird Robertson along with her father, Jay Capozzi completed the store’s build-out. Clearly, Robertson has support, vision, know-how and a growing collection of clothes, including one of a kind items. When I walked in to inquire…