It seems fitting that my first day of volunteering with Somali refugees would take me to 19th Street, often considered the most dramatic success story of the modern-day West Side. A former open-air drug market, the street is still a little shabby but relatively safe. As the many news stories about the streetis turnaround have said, 911 calls from the street went down by 90 percent following a massive crime and blight crackdown led by neighborhood groups, a drop that corresponded with a drop in crime on nearby blocks. On Wednesday night I walked from my Summer Street apartment to…
Author: Tatonka
When Meredith Conner and Ben Carlisle moved to Buffalo, 22 years old and newly married, they loved it o except for the cold, to which the native Southerners werenit accustomed. But when Ben got accepted at UB Law this past spring, they knew theyid be sticking around for at least a few more years. They started pricing homes in February, trying to get a sense of what they could afford. In May, they moved into a beautiful century-old home near the intersection of Lafayette and Grant streets. iWhen I saw houses online between 30 and 70 thousand dollars, I thought…
Now that everyone has had a chance to vent over the drubbings that the Bills have endured over the past two weeks, it is now time for that pivotal game in the season where they will collectively reach deep down inside themselves and define where this team is heading. Will it be a TEAM that looks in the mirror and sees a group that believes in their talent, ran into a few bumps in the road and decides to salvage a season hyped with so much potential? Or will it be a team that uses injuries and lack of experience…
On September 29, Amaryllis, a new restaurant run out of the downstairs of The Westbrook Apartments, officially opens to the public. But for tenants n and their friends n this potential new hotspot debuted two days earlier, when the bar opened for cocktails and free appetizers. Westbrook tenants will already be familiar with the space, which has a Delaware Avenue address (675) but actually fronts on North Street. The buildingis owners throw an annual Christmas celebration in it, giving the tenants a chance to mix and meet each other. The new restaurant, like the Westbrook itself, feels both casual and…
I am not quite sure where to begin with this team. Instead of mulling over all of the weak spots involved (qb, offensive line, play calling, red zone offense, run defense), I think it would be a lot easier to just compare two teams. The New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills are worlds apart. Anyone who thought differently this year (including myself) was in for the same old reality check. Two weeks ago I was trying to get suggestions for a nickname for this Defense that was supposed to make history. Now, after three games into the season, the…
It was the end of professional basketball in Buffalo right? Wrong. The Buffalo Rapids have found a home in the city. Not only is it the return of professional basketball, it’s the continuation of a great history of the game right here in our own backyard. Let me put it another way… Ball is Back! The rapids are bringing basketball home, along with great players that were born and raised in WNY, such as Tim Winn of St. Bonaventure and NBA veteran Trevor Ruffin of the Phoenix Suns, as well as nationally ranked collegiate players Carlton Brown of Texas A&M…
Well, here we are in week 2 and in my opinion, the first real test for the Bills and JP Losman. JP passed his first test with flying colors on opening day and now it is time to hit the road where Tampa’s crowd and more importantly their Defense will not be quite as hospitable. With both teams creating 5 turnovers of their own last week, something’s gotta give. A very important match-up will be the Bills’ left tackle Mike Gandy VS Pro Bowl linebacker Simeon Rice. If Gandy can take care of this pass rushing force, it would really…
Well it was important for the Bills to get a fast start and that is exactly what they did. With a 22-7 victory, all question marks were erased about the capability of JP Losman. He showed great decision making skills and looked like the leader that he knew he could be. He led the Bills to 5 straight scores on their first 5 possessions. The defense was dominant as ever creating 5 turnovers in the contest. I think it is about time for this group to get a nickname (any suggestions)? The crowd was electric from start to finish and…
The Bills regular season kicks off on Sunday and it could not come any sooner for the 70,000 plus Weekend Warriors. As the players will be donning the throwback unis of yesteryear, the one constant for this years team is bringing back one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses. The whole team is stressing on how important is to get off to a fast start and in order for that to happen, Losman is going to have to keep his emotions in check and trust that he has a championship caliber team surrounding him. The Texans come in with similar playoff…