Simon Cowell made an interesting comment last night on “American Idol” and it made me think of Buffalo. Yes, I watch Idol. I watch it because I’m a musician and singer - and believe me sometimes it’s painful - and of course I watch it because it’s amusing.

Now to my point. One of the contestants in Philly who made it through to Hollywood went out into the waiting area and you could hear the joy of his family and friends. Simon made a comment along the lines of “people in America are genuinely happy for each other. When good things happen they want to share it with one another.” And from his tone, he was truly surprised by that.

Buffalo is a town filled with people who genuinely care for one another and who are really happy for one another. I feel extraordinarily lucky to have so many friends and family that share in my joys and support me in my disappointments. I think the city of good neighbors is an understatement.

A friend forwarded this to me and I’d say it’s pretty true of Buffalonians:

>FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
>BUFFALO FRIENDS: Always bring the food.
>FRIENDS: Will say “hello”.
>BUFFALO FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss.
>FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
>BUFFALO FRIENDS: Call your parents Mom and Dad
>FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
>BUFFALO FRIENDS: Cry with you.
>FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
>BUFFALO FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing and just being together, and then clean up.
>FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
>BUFFALO FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
>FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that’s what the crowd is doing.
>BUFFALO FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds’ ass’s that left you.
>FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
>BUFFALO FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, “I’m home!”
>FRIENDS: Are for a while.
>BUFFALO FRIENDS: Are for life.

Feel free to share…I did!

Museum Hosts New York City-Based Photographer Michael L. Horowitz’s Cathedrals of Industry

Buffalo, N.Y. – Jan. 15, 2008 – Imagine a time when Buffalo was the second largest transportation hub and one of the largest industrial centers in the United States. Such was the case in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Colonel Ward Pumping Station’s massive four-storey steam engines pumped billions of gallons of water from Lake Erie each year, while dozens of towering grain elevators bustled with activity along the Buffalo River and Ship Canal. Today, the steam engines loom mute alongside newer, smaller electric motors and most of the remaining elevators stand dormant in ghostly testament to Buffalo’s glorious past.

The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society will present an exhibit of large-scale photographs of the present-day interiors of these structures in its museum, located at 25 Nottingham Court at Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. Cathedrals of Industry: Photographs by Michael L. Horowitz will run in two parts, featuring images from the pumping station from Feb. 2, 2008 to July 25, 2008 and photos from the grain elevators from Aug. 8, 2008 to Jan. 25, 2009.

Horowitz, based in New York City, gained rare access into the pumping station through assistance from New York State Assemblymember Sam Hoyt and the Lake and Rail Grain Elevator from RiverWright Energy co-founder Rick Smith III – and the results are breathtaking. His 40 by 60 inch photographs will be set low to the floor, creating the illusion of walking into these structures and enabling visitors to discover and explore the hidden cores of buildings that were once at the heart of Buffalo’s rise to industrial power.

Throughout his life, Horowitz has been drawn to buildings on the brink of extinction. In his teens, he photographed the decomposition and demolition of New York City’s South Street Seaport and West Side Piers. He later captured the Italian city of Assisi on film shortly before an earthquake devastated the town and its ornate cathedral in 1997.

Struck by the impermanence of architecture, destroyed or discarded by the hand of man or nature, Horowitz turned to photography, as he put it, to “document and preserve cultural history even as – and precisely because – it vanishes right before our eyes.” His photos from Cathedrals of Industry will help the Historical Society maintain the stories of the Colonel Ward Pumping Station and the grain elevators for generations to come.

Cathedrals of Industry: Photographs by Michael L. Horowitz is included in general admission and will be on view during regular museum hours. For more information, the public may contact the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society at (716) 873-9644 ext. 301.

Museum Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.
Monday Closed

Admission:
Members Free
Children 6 and younger Free
Children 7 to 12 $2.50
Students 13 to 21 $4.00
Seniors 60 and older $4.00
Adults $6.00

The Historical Society’s Museum Shop will carry 24 by 36 inch fine art giclée prints of several of the Cathedrals of Industry images, as well as the book Reconsidering Concrete Atlantis: Buffalo’s Grain Elevators, edited by Lynda Schneekloth, which discusses the historical significance of the elevators and their potential adaptive reuses. Museum admission is not required to visit the Museum Shop.

BRIAN WHEAT & GROGGY DARLIN’, SHAMBU, AND VINNIE DEROSA & DAY GO LOVE AT NIETZSCHES ON JAN. 18

Buffalo-based bands Brian Wheat & Groggy Darlin’, Shambu, and Vinnie DeRosa and Day Go Love will perform on Friday, Jan. 18 at 10:00 p.m. at Nietzsche?s, 248 Allen St. in Buffalo.

Alt.country songsmith (and Gasport native) Brian Wheat was named “Best Solo Artist” by Buffalo Spree magazine in 2007. His finely-crafted songs and evocative delivery have garnered him supporting positions for some of today’s most exciting national and international acoustic artists, including Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon), Hamell on Trial (Righteous Babe Records), and David Dondero (Team Love). His band, Groggy Darlin’, features a veritable who’s who of the Western New York music scene, including bassist Peter Williams, multi-instrumentalist Peter Gerace, and drummer Mark Longolucco. Check him out here.

Shambu performs textured indiepop in the vein of The Decemberists, The Shins, and Death Cab For Cutie. The band, which includes guitarist/vocalist Peter Burakowski, multi-instrumentalist Dan Reitz, bassist Mike Milazzo, and drummer Brian Dziewa, will reprise its four-song song cycle committed to the 1901 Pan-American Exposition and the assassination of Pres. William McKinley, first performed on the anniversary of McKinley’s death, last September. The band will be joined by special guests Ange Sciarino (French horn) and Jonathan Filbert (trumpet). Check them out here.

With a vocal presence that ranges from soaring tenderness to impassioned grittiness, Vinnie DeRosa offers sincere, convincing soul a la Bill Withers. He will perform with support from his newly-formed band, Day Go Love. Check them out here.

LAST CHANCE FOR MILTON ROGOVIN EXHIBIT AT BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Exhibit of Images by Internationally Recognized Photographer Closes Jan. 13, 2008

Buffalo, N.Y. – Jan. 8, 2008 – The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society’s popular exhibit of photographs by internationally recognized social documentary photographer Milton Rogovin will close this Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. The exhibit, titled Milton Rogovin: Native American Series, 1963 – 2002, is on display in the Historical Society museum, located at 25 Nottingham Court at Elmwood Avenue.

The exhibit includes striking images of Iroquois communities throughout upstate New York, Canada, and Buffalo’s Lower West Side. Rogovin’s black and white photographs capture a cross section of Native Americans, young and old, urban and rural, in varied settings, including psychedelic rock and roll culture, an Iroquois social gathering and weathered reservation buildings.

Rogovin has described himself as a photographer of “the forgotten ones.” Subjects of his work have included the struggle of miners in ten countries, the decline of Buffalo and Lackawanna’s once-mighty steel industry, Yemeni families in Lackawanna, and the movement of the Spirit in store-front churches on Buffalo’s East Side.

Born in New York City in 1909, Rogovin moved to Buffalo in 1938 and opened an optometric practice. He became active in Buffalo’s communist party, which led to a hearing before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952 and the Buffalo News branding him “Buffalo’s Top Red.” Despite the devastating effects of a public blacklisting, Rogovin refused to be silenced and, instead, turned to photography to give a greater voice to the cause of the working class. Rogovin’s work is included in the Library of Congress, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, and the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona.

Milton Rogovin: Native American Series, 1963-2002 is included in museum admission, which is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and students ages 13 to 21, $2.50 for children ages 7 to 12, and free for children age 6 and younger. For more information, the public may call the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society at (716) 873-9644 ext. 301.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dorothea Braemer, 884-7172

Channels - Stories from the Niagara Frontier 08

Call for applications for filmmakers and grassroots initiatives

Deadline: Monday, February 4, 2008

Channels - Stories from the Niagara Frontier is Squeaky Wheel’s production
program which matches documentary filmmakers with grass roots initiatives
and groups that effectively address one of these three focus areas:

* Increase Economic Self-Sufficiency
* Reduce Racial Disparities
* Protect and Enhance Environmental Resources

Channels addresses the need to educate people about these issues in their
communities through the powerful medium of documentary film.

Selected documentary filmmakers receive a stipend of $ 2,000 and access to
Squeaky Wheel’s production and editing equipment to produce their projects.
Project starts in March 2008, and all documentaries should be finished by
November 2008.

Channels - Stories from the Niagara Frontier is a production program of
Squeaky Wheel/Buffalo Media Resources and is supported by the Community
Foundation of Greater Buffalo.

Please check out www.squeaky.org to view past Channels projects.

Our thanks as always to Paul for providing this information!

Did You Know?
By Paul Wolf, Esq.

*According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Buffalo region (Erie & Niagara County) ranks in the upper third nationally for job growth. The region added 2,100 jobs during the past 12 months. Buffalo ranked 124 out of 367 labor markets.

*Construction projects for the year are down 8% in Erie and Niagara Counties for 2007 as compared to 2006 due to a slow start to the year. The past three months have seen significant increases in activity, with an increase in August of 17%; September increased 55% and October saw a 119% increase in activity over 2006.

*Wilson Farms has selected Buffalo based Tripifoods as its new wholesale distributor. Tripifoods provides distribution services in eight states, delivering products to more than 3,400 locations. Tripifoods expects to create 60 new jobs to handle the Wilson Farms business. Wilson Farms was previously using a distributor based in Texas.

*Kittinger Furniture is doubling in size by moving to a new 6,000 square foot retail showroom on Transit Road. The company was located in smaller space in Cheektowaga. The company design center is located at the Tri-Main Center in Buffalo. Kittinger has a worldwide reputation for high quality furniture associated with Buffalo.

For more interesting items check out Buffalo Ideas.

I’ve been terrible about keeping up with posting about the academy, which is now over. We had a great trip to D.C./Quantico a couple weeks ago. We weren’t allowed to take many photos as obviously, it’s the FBI. However, this is a photo of the forensics lab where all the scientists work. It’s a beautiful building and they’ve already outgrown it.

More to follow about the trip and academy in general…

I love sharing this stuff…thanks as always to Paul.

Positive Buffalo Area News
October 30, 2007
Did You Know?
By Paul Wolf, Esq.

*Christopher Jacobs of Avalon Development who currently owns 721, 723, and 737
Main Street has acquired a vacant two-story structure located at 741 Main Street,
along with a one-story building behind it on Washington Street. Full Circle Studios
a growing media company which currently employs 14 will be taking 7,000 square feet
of space at 741 Main Street, creating what will be the largest sound studio in
Buffalo.

*The $65 million overhaul of the Dulski Federal Office Building on Delaware and
West Huron by Acquest Development is moving forward with the announcement that the
building will be home to a new 150-room Embassy Suites Hotel.

*Savarino Construction has been retained by local investors to construct a new $10
million, multi-tenant office building at the corner of Main & Dodge. The building
consisting of two-stories and 30,000 square feet already has two tenants about to
sign leases for 10,000 square feet of space. The site currently is home to the
Buffalo Tourist Lodge.

*While we have lost population from the Buffalo area it is interesting to note
that according to a Business First analysis of IRS data in 2005-06, 1,108 people
moved from Florida to WNY, a group that included young people and retirees who
returned home after experiencing Southern living.

Is that the question? No.

As part of the FBI Citizens’ Academy, we had the opportunity to see FBI Buffalo’s finest in action. Last Friday, we gathered at the Tonawanda Sportsmens Club in Pendleton. We were privy to a bomb diffusion demonstration. We were also lucky enough to witness a mock SWAT hostage rescue negotiation…$11 million helicopter flown in from FBI HQ in D.C. to boot. It was all very cool stuff.

The part about shooting? They had 5 different weapons that we had the opportunity to shoot. I opted to shoot a Glock 9 pistol (the standard pistol of FBI Special Agents) and an M-14. The pistol? I did pretty well. The M-14? I did okay until it switched to automatic…then it was just like in the movies…

Gave you an appreciation for what the FBI does…and makes those tax dollars a little easier to swallow. Tried to attach my target so you can see, but alas…not working…

The Addams Family. Black cats wandering the streets. A full moon casting an eerie light on the turrets and gargoyles of a dark mansion. Ghosts of former cemeteries rising up to haunt the houses built atop their gravesites. October and Halloween bring thoughts of the supernatural to mind. This year, the Allentown Association has teamed with noted author and paranormal expert Mason Winfield to bring these thoughts to life with the first-ever Haunted Allentown event on Saturday October 20, 2007, from noon until 7 p.m. Held just one day only, Haunted Allentown features a host of entertaining experiences to welcome the myths and mysteries of the season.

Events Headquarters will be at the “Haunted” Hamlin House, 432 Franklin St. (between Virginia & Allen Sts.) with treats for the whole family. Wine tasting, warm cider, donuts, and more await, along with the opportunity to have a reading by some of the area’s top psychics including Cassandra Joan. With it’s Mansard roof, tall windows, stone porch and long, narrow hallway, Hamlin House has all the trappings of a Hollywood set for a ghost story. The main attraction will be a new twist on the popular Secrets of Allentown house tour that draws thousands of visitors each year. Haunted Allentown will offer self-Guided Haunted Walking Tours sites throughout the Historic District. Each location will feature interpreters that recount the site’s haunted history. Many of the sites will offer interior tours, while some will be “porch” tours only with an interpreter telling the ghoulish tales associated with the property. For those with their own ghosts at home who are looking for information on dealing with supernatural guests, one site will feature high-tech ghost-hunting demonstrations, given by the Ghosthunters of Rolling Hills. Naturally, there will be a total of thirteen sites to visit. For many people, the mention of the phrase ‘haunted house’, conjures images of an abandoned Victorian mansion whose occupants linger long after their demise. Association president Christopher N. Brown says. “Allentown is a
perfect backdrop to the supernatural stories and folklore that have developed over the neighborhood’s 150-year history”. “Allentown’s Victorian-era homes are authentically spooky, with soaring chimneys, glaring gargoyles, and witch’s hat turrets.” One particular neighborhood house has been informally referred to for decades as the ‘Addams Family house’ by locals and tourists alike for its remarkable resemblance to the home of Gomez and Morticia.

Paranormal talks will be held at Hamlin House each hour with topics such as “Buffalo’s Haunted Architecture”, given by Mason Winfield, “The Frontier’s Most Haunted Cemetery”, given by Rob Lockhart and “Halloween and Psychic Communication”, given by Ellen Bourn, president of the Lily Dale Association. Each visitor to Haunted Allentown will receive a beautiful, full-color booklet entitled The Streets of Allentown. This keepsake features descriptions of every street in the Allentown Historic District and some of the most significant historic and architecturally significant homes. The publication is lavishly illustrated with color photographs celebrating Allentown’s exceptional architecture. The booklets will be helpful during one of two guided walking tours given during the event, at 2 p.m. (featuring picturesque Irving Place and Park Street), and at 5 p.m. (highlighting Symphony Circle and Days Park). Tour attendees will learn that these beautiful neighborhoods were both built over former cemeteries and battlefields.

There is more!
Augmenting the events at Hamlin House will be a Haunted Courtyard at “Steel Crazy” on Allen Street at the corner of Elmwood Avenue. Participating Allentown merchants will offer tour attendees free or discounted access to other Allentown attractions including restaurants and retail stores. To ensure that the haunted ambiance permeates the entire neighborhood, residents throughout Allentown are getting in the “spirit” by participating in Allentown’s Spookiest House Contest. Tickets for Haunted Allentown are on sale now for only $10 (pre-sale) or $13 (day of event) at Positively Main Street (773 Elmwood Ave.), Quaker Bonnet Eatery (175 Allen St.), Steel Crazy (Allen St. at Elmwood Ave.), online at www.tickets.com or in person at Tickets.com outlets in all Tops Friendly Markets locations. Allentown Association members and children under 12 may receive a $2 discount on the day of the event only. Tickets may be purchased the day of the event at the Hamlin House, 432 Franklin Street. An additional charge applies for psychic readings.

This fun and unique event will showcase Allentown in a way that has never been done before, while supporting Allentown Association’s mission to preserve and promote the Allentown National Historic District in Buffalo..

HAUNTED ALLENTOWN EVENT LISTING
DATE: Saturday, October 20, 2007
HEADQUARTERS: Hamlin House, 432 Franklin Street, Buffalo
Noon – 7 PM – Self Guided Tour, 13 of Allentown’s most haunted sites
Noon – 7 PM – Steel Crazy Haunted Courtyard (Elmwood at Allen)
Noon – 7 PM – Psychic Readings (Hamlin House, additional charge applies)
1:00 PM – Talk: Hostage to the Devil: Exorcism and Possession, John Koerner (Hamlin House)
2:00 PM – Talk: Buffalo’s Haunted Architecture, Mason Winfield (Hamlin House)
2:00 PM – Guided Architectural Walking Tour: Irving Place/Park Street (starts at corner of Park and Allen Sts.)
3:00 PM – Talk: Hill of the Ghouls: The Frontier’s Most Haunted Cemetery, Rob Lockhart (Hamlin House)
3:30 PM – Talk: Halloween & Psychic Communication, Jim Lagona and Ellen Bourn (Hamlin House)
5:00 PM – Talk: Earth Magic! Dowsing and Power-Sites, Ray Watson (Hamlin House)
5:00 PM – Guided Architectural Walking Tour: Symphony Circle/Days Park (tour starts at Symphony Circle/Kleinhans Music Hall)
6:00 PM – Talk: The Spooks that Speak: Psychic Readers and Spirit-Guides, Tim Shaw (Hamlin House)
All day – Discounts to area restaurants and attractions
All day – Allentown’s “Spookiest House” contest