Author: Matthew Ricchiazzi

@MattRicchiazzi on Twitter

Bergman Associates has been contracted to perform design work on the downgrading of Route 198, which they presented on Wednesday at Buffalo State College’s Bulger Communications Center. There was strong and deep interest in the project — around 100 area residents, city activists, and students were in attendance. The design recommendation that they presented — dubbed “A Boulevard in a Park” — was not particularly well received and, during a question and answer session, was roundly criticized by attendees. “I don’t understand why they aren’t presenting us with the removal option. Of course we should be studying that alternative,” said North District Councilman…

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The New Bills Stadium Working Group, an inter-governmental initiative of Governor Andrew Cuomo, met for the first time on Tuesday – behind closed doors at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. They had planned for the meeting to be secret, but word got out in advance. Though they did allow for pictures briefly beforehand, the media and the public were then prohibited from the room, where officials conducted nearly two and a half hours of discussions. Congressional candidate Eddie Egriu, the “anti-war liberal” and “pro-hemp populist” who is challenging Brian Higgins in the Democratic primary was at the Convention Center to voice his…

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Bernie Tolbert is running for a citywide seat on Buffalo’s Board of Education. He brings to the table a long career’s worth of experience — from leading the Buffalo field office of the FBI to serving as the NBA’s top security official, overseeing safety operations for all of the league’s arenas. Before he became an expert in security, he worked as a teacher at Bennett High School. In fact, Tolbert comes from a large family of educators. Tolbert says his focus is going to be on providing the district sound governance, and sees his role as a consensus builder. This is what he had to…

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On Tuesday, congressional candidate Eddie Egriu (pronounced e-grew) called for the legalization of marijuana for use by adults, while pledging to introduce legislation that expunges all non-violent marijuana convictions. “It’s time to end the expensive, destructive, and pointless war on marijuana users, including cancer and glaucoma patients. It wastes over a billion dollars a year and draws too many young people into a life of crime in areas lacking job opportunities,” Egriu said. “While I was sitting at the city court, I saw an endless, depressing stream of lost youth, whose schools failed them; whose communities failed them; whose politicians failed them.…

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Board of Education member Carl Paladino is alleging that Superintendent Pamela C. Brown, Deputy Superintendent Marry Guinn, Chief of Curriculum Yamilette Williams, and Chief of School Leadership Faith Alexander engaged in “apparent collusion and conspiracy… to illegally and improperly award contracts to ENI,” a firm that, he alleges, has employed Dr. Guinn for the last 12 years. Paladino is calling on the US Attorney William Hochul; the Federal Bureau of Investigations; the New York State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations; State Education Commissioner John King; and District Attorney Frank Sedita; to open criminal investigations on the matter. Paladino is calling on the Board of Education to…

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County Legislator Betty Jean Grant’s birthday party on Saturday evening at the Metropolitan Lounge on Main Street was a showing of political force. It was a red carpet event that attracted elected officials, state and city court judges, congressional contenders, school board members, high level party officials, and some of the region’s most influential operatives. For Grant, who is preparing to primary Senator Tim Kennedy, the event was a flexing of political muscle. Grant leads a powerful political apparatus — and she has proven her ability to mobilize tens of thousands of voters without the money or media buys that make most politicians. Few have as loyal…

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Three chairs sat conspicuously empty Tuesday night during a special hearing convened by the Community Development Committee of the Buffalo Common Council. Adorning those chairs were the names of three senior Obama Administration officials — Dan Tangherlini, Denise Pease, and Madeline Caliendo — who are alleged to have abused their powers to violate federal environmental law and Obama Administration directives for political expediency at the expense of Buffalo residents. The trio represent the three most senior officials of the “Federal Five” who had been summoned by the Common Council to testify on their involvement in the thwarted August 2012 interagency environmental justice taskforce investigation into the West Side’s childhood asthma…

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On Monday, the Eastside developer, housing activist, and co-founder of PUSH USA, Eddie Egriu (pronounced e-grew), announced his campaign to oust longtime politician Brian Higgins from Congress. The announcement was held on the city’s East Side, on a block containing seven abandoned homes and seven vacant lots, where Egriu scolded Higgins for “being owned by banksters, defense contractors, and big-money interests.” “While our politicians and their contributors continue to feed at the public trough – one taxpayer funded development project after the next, legalized corruption amuck – our neighborhoods continue to lie in ruin,” he says. “Higgins first held public office in 1988, and he…

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Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino was in Buffalo on Thursday, receiving the endorsement of Representative Chris Collins in his ambitious bid to unseat Governor Andrew Cuomo.  Congressman Collins hosted Astorino at the downtown headquarters of ZeptoMetrix, a biotech firm that Collins founded.  Former Mayoral candidate Sergio Rodriguez, County Legislators Ed Rath and Kevin Hardwick, and County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw also stood with Astorino. The event projected something of a coalescing of the party around Astorino. Other Republicans were there briefly, and seemingly supportive of Astorino, but left before the press portion of the event. Perhaps more interesting than who was there: who was…

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It’s rumored that Buffalo businessman Eddie Egriu (pronounced e-grew) is considering challenging Congressman Brian Higgins in this year’s Democratic congressional primary, but the East Side entrepreneur is keeping a curiously low profile.  Mr. Egriu’s volunteers have been seen circulating his nominating petitions, particularly in the Jefferson avenue neighborhoods where he has built several small businesses. Mr. Egriu is known to be a liberal populist and fervent defender of the working poor and other marginalized populations. He is a cofounder of PUSH USA and has been a prominent longtime activist since the early 1980s. But, when asked about the campaign that he’s rumored…

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