South Buffalo Blogger

As previously posted, the Cazenovia Library will for the first time (ever) have handicap access. Over the last couple of months, it’s becoming reality.

By: Cindyk. The age-old saying “what a difference a day makes” is alive & well in South Buffalo.

I blogged about this mix-up in poles on Tuesday, I met with my Councilman for a few minutes on Wednesday (I told him I already have stories up on the internet about the streetlight poles) and today pole #206 on Cazenovia Street had a full crew working.

It might be small potatoes to some, but it’s the little things that can be done to make a City a better place. HT Councilman Kearns for taking a few minutes to listen to the concerns of South Buffalo residents. He along with others have stated pole #155 is also a concern.

Updates are sure to follow.

The Friends of Cazenovia Library meeting is scheduled for today at
5:30pm.

Cazenovia Library
155 Cazenovia Street
Buffalo, NY 14210

This meeting will be held at 5:30 pm in the Cazenovia Library.

The public is invited to join the Friends of Cazenovia Library, and
current members may renew their membership for 2008.

For information call John Klukowski, Sr. at 826-2637

By: CindyK. Following up on this post, it’s now been 16 days since filing a report with the Mayor’s Call & Resolution Center. Today, the first sign of any actually work being done was on pole #197, one that I hadn’t made a complaint about.

Note: Pole 206 in the picture is across the street with the “one way” sign.

Today, here’s what work was done to pole #197:

The rust was chipped away and new slabs of metal were welded to cover the holes in the pole, then it was painted over with primer. A quick fix? Perhaps, but pole #197 is/was not as rusted as what pole 155 still is:

Keep in mind that the original complaint was for two things specifically:

Poles 155:

Pole 206:

Christ Theatre Ministry will present three performances of the play The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on

Friday, December 7th, Saturday, December 8th, and Sunday, December 9th at Harvest House,
located at 1782 Seneca Street in South Buffalo.

The cast is made up of 16 local youth from several area schools and parishes. Each youth member brings varying degrees of experience in the performing arts.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe performances will be in the Harvest House auditorium at 7pm on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sunday’s performance is a matinee at 2pm.

Tickets are $7 each in advance or $8 each at the door for adults,
and $6 each for seniors and high school students with school I.D.
Advance tickets are available at Caz Coffee Café,
located at 688 Abbott Road in South Buffalo.

This event is made possible, in part, with support from Harvest House and private donations.

For more information, contact CTM Youth Director, Ellen O’Rourke, at 716.824.2443
or email christ.theatre.ministry@gmail.com

Christ Theatre Ministry (CTM) formed in the fall of 2005 with the goal of working with youth of various faiths to “teach Christ through the arts.” While the primary arts focus is theatre, another goal of the group is to create community among young people. CTM performed Godspell in the spring of 2006 at St. Martin of Tours Church with great success. This past spring, CTM announced its new home and partnership with Harvest House. This partnership provides the group with a home base to stage productions, hold special events and fundraisers and regularly meet with volunteers and youth who come from many areas of Western New York.

On November 11, 2007 a complaint was made to the Mayor's Call & Resolution Center about two streetlight standards: (poles 206 & 155)

Complaint Type: DAMAGE TO STREET LIGHT POST

Submitted On: 2007-11-11T13:19:11.0000000-05:00

Complaint District: 

Complaint Address: 0 CAZENOVIA 14210

Complaint Description: 2 POLES ON CAZENOVIA ST. NEED TO BE FIXED. POLE 155 IN FRONT OF THE CAZ LIBRARY IS MISSING ITS LIGHT (IT'S VERY DARK AT NIGHT). THE SECOND IS 206 (AT PEREMONT PL), ITS WIRES ARE OUTSIDE OF THE POLE & HAVE BEEN MICKEY-MOUSED TO A LINE THAT CROSSES CAZ ST. I HAVE SOME PICTURES HERE: HTTP://SOUTHBUFFALOBLOGGER.WNYMEDIA.NET/BLOGS/2007/11/04/NEW-CAZENOVIA-STREET-SAME-OLD-RUSTED-STREET-LIGHT/

Referred To: The Department of Public Works - Engineering

Status: OPEN

On November 13th, workers were on cite, then left without fixing the Mickey Moused wires:

The only changes that have been made is a brand new street was spraypainted on November 16th in front of a pole not listed in the complaint:

By: Cindyk. I had hoped to take some pictures of a deconstruction on Columbus Ave. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way, this is all that remains of a property I was told Buffalo ReUse was at last week.

Earlier this year a house on Strathmore Ave. was torn down, adjacent to this property on Columbus. 

Why were these two houses torn down? Bishop Timon-St. Jude purchased the properties for an expantion project.

South Buffalo residents attended a community forum early last year to discuss a new field house addition for the 60-year-old Bishop Timon - St. Jude High School. Here is the outcome of that meeting:

As an incentive to renew the all boy catholic school in South Buffalo, and compete with the attractions of suburban enrollment, the proposed 27,331 sq. ft. field house would be part of the Timon's Capital Campaign. The $2.3 million campaign, in addition to the field house, includes ideas of raising funds for school cafeteria renovations, a new mini bus, and technology enhancements. Other improvements have been made to the school over the years like new science labs, infrastructure outside, a state of the art Center for Media & Arts, Pre-Engineering Center, a modernized library, advanced facilities within in the classrooms and theater-style seating in the auditorium, which currently doubles as the school's gymnasium.
 
It is noted that the construction of a proposed field house would be a tremendous asset extending itself into the community; other schools and athletic programs would have access to utilize the facility. Representatives of Timon at the meeting feel this, not only will benefit its school, but will be a way to give back to South Buffalo as well.

John Collins, Board of Trustees Chairman and Timon Alumni, said Mayor Brown has endorsed the program "whole heartedly" and stated that Commissioner Joe Giambra said the Department of Public Works would "do what ever it could".

It was stressed at last night's forum that the field house is not a "go project" until adequate funding is raised and the community's apprehensions are addressed. This was a preliminary meeting to hear what the population around the school has to say about the idea; right now it was said that there is no eminent domain in place to acquire two existing property lots beyond the school's parking lot.

Plans of the field house would include a three-lane track, concession area, lobby and storage. School activities would include practices for track & field, football, lacrosse, soccer and baseball, as well as community recreation and health and fitness programs. The Mezzanine level would have a weight room, a cardiovascular room and couches' offices.

It is proposed that the new field house would be the size of their entire parking lot, with side parking on Strathmore & Columbus Avenues.

Today, it looks like the plans are moving forward.

For more information about Buffalo Reuse, go to their blog here.

2nd Annual Buffalo Ball
Saturday, December 22nd
7:00 P.M.- 11:00 P.M.
Buffalo Statler Golden Ballroom
$45 Pre-Sale (Online Only)
$50 at the door the day of the event
Admission includes: appetizers, cocktails, music, and dancing
MUST BE 21 TO ATTEND

Over 500 people attended last year’s event and we were able to raise over $13,000 for Roswell Cancer Institute and the Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse. This year we have picked Hospice Buffalo and ReTree WNY as our two beneficiaries.

Mission Statement:

The Buffalo Ball was established to bring together Buffalonians, both current and displaced, during the holiday season. It is an opportunity for all to visit with old friends and make new ones, all while benefiting important non-profit groups in this great city we call "home".  Buffalo is truly the "City of Good Neighbors", and we hope to revitalize this lively community spirit in all those present at the Buffalo Ball.

For more information, view their website here.

Students at Bishop-Timon St. Jude have begun collecting non-parishable food items for the Valley Community Association food pantry. Bishop Timon high school has held this event for many years.

Within the next two weeks anyone can drop off non-parishable food items during regular school hours, M-F 8am-2:45pm. Last day for donations is November 20th, 2007.

601 McKinley Parkway, South Buffalo (14220)

Turkeys are needed.

For more information, contact the school (716) 826-3610

If there's a pothole on any street in the City of Buffalo, you can call (716) 851-4890. It is guaranteed* to be fixed within 24 hours…. but you have to make the call. If the city doesn't know about it, there is nothing they can do.

*The only exception to the guarantee would be on weekends, because crews don't work Saturdays or Sundays. Complaints that come in late on Friday or on weekends will be addressed on Mondays.

Click here to find more information on the City of Buffalo website.