South Buffalo Blogger

By: Cindyk. This is a topic that has been on my mind much lately. I wonder how people, including our elected leaders, could think we should spend millions in taxpayer money to tear the Skyway down when the Grand Island bridges are deemed structurally deficient?

If anyone can seriously answer that, then you’re smarter than I.

If to say it’s ugly, it’s a dinosaur, it just needs to go… keep in mind, it’s structurally sound and not in any disrepair, there is nothing calling the skyway an unsafe bridge.

Then you take a closer a look at the Grand Island bridges, and have to question such priorities of some politicians.

There’s a serious problem with the infrastructure in the Erie/Niagara region…. from Senator Stachowski’s district in Buffalo to Senator Thompson’s in Niagara Falls, and everywhere in between. Drive down the streets in every area to get the full effect in how badly politicians have neglected our streets. They are falling apart, potholes nearly the size of manhole covers, duct tape to cover exposed wires of a street light, patchwork on top of patchwork, and the best we get is (some other) elected representatives in Buffalo who think it’s more important to have the skyway gone, or others who continue to ignore the problems at the Grand Island bridges.

I’ll let these comparing images ask the real story of prioritizing:

Special thanks to Rus Thompson (Albany’s Insanity & No GI Tolls) for use of his pictures.

By: CindyK. There’s much hype and political propaganda about the idea of tearing the Skyway down. Politicians are using the idea as campaigning stepping-stones for themselves or others. In my thinking, it’s but one roadway in the City, and I wondered much about the rest of the streets around Buffalo. Or even just my area of South Buffalo.

I can’t see the investing of billions of dollars to take care of a perfectly good piece of infrastructure as the streets throughout the City of Buffalo continue to be neglected over the years. My fight for Seneca Street is just the tip of the iceberg, you could say. For anyone, even the politicians who want the skyway torn down, I ask that you take a good, long look around your own neighborhood and consider which would be a more benefiting priority…. the Skyway or the rest of the City of Buffalo?

Would taking down one perfectly sound bridge help the city more than the fixing of our streets first?

While these pictures aren’t all, it’s a good enough example in asking our elected leaders to take priority over the areas of which they are elected into. I’m sharing with you the neighborhood in South Buffalo, from Indian Church to Mineral Springs, and from Frank St. to North Legion (without reposting any pictures of Seneca Street, which is center-parallel with Frank & N. Legion)

From your own neighborhood or looking at these pictures, I wonder what part of infrastructure is really more important to a political agenda on “commitment to the City” and “working together with the people of Buffalo”… And providing our city with the best possible services to the neighborhoods, all of the neighborhoods, not just the areas that would help a congressman get re-elected.

Imagine having no skyway, but the same neglected streets which get worse after every winter.

How much federal money would it take to redo every street in the city first before thinking of spending all of our hard-earned taxes on just one road?

By: CindyK. It’s very simple, the City of Buffalo Comissioner of Public Works said in June (2008) that the new streetlights for Seneca Street would come “within” a month. He said this while Mayor Byron Brown paid a visit to the Irish Center in South Buffalo.

July arrived and it was said there was to be a 4-week delay. And here we are, the end of August stilling holding on to the promise Legislator Tim Kennedy made more than a year ago about wanting something a little nicer for South Buffalo.

May 2007:

Now when you talk about $300,000 and you think of light standards, we could have got the typical light standards that you see all over the City, or we could have gotten something a little bit better, a little more unique, and that cost over $300,000. But because of this Mayor’s dedication to this project, and because of the work of Congressman Brian Higgins, Assemblyman Mark Schroeder, and Councilmember Mickey Kearns working together this Mayor saw there was a viable project in the City of Buffalo that demanded attention and demanding commitment from his administration and that came in the form of $300,000.

August 2008:
All of this talk about “commitments” and “working together” led to nothing but waiting, like we have for the past 5 years when the community was told by another politician “the money’s in the bank, folks“.

I suppose the taxpayers of South Buffalo can only assume the dozen or so primed streetlights are mere props for a few primary elections coming up.

From this picture, it’s dated from the City of Buffalo “12/04/07″ today’s date: 08/26/08

BUFFALO, N.Y., August 22, 2008 — KeyBank has significantly enhanced and revitalized its South Buffalo branch at 2157 Seneca Street in Buffalo.

The enhancements, unveiled at a ribbon cutting Tuesday, are part of a multi-year, nationwide branch revitalization program now under way at Key. By the end of 2009, several hundred branches across Key’s markets will have received technology upgrades and other features designed to enhance the overall banking experience for clients.

According to Gary Quenneville, senior vice president and head of Retail Banking for KeyBank’s Western New York District, clients will notice a number of new features at the renovated branch.

Exterior features include:
- new rooflines or facades,
- red awnings over the windows and ATMs,
- enhanced lighting and
- upgraded landscaping.

Interior features include:
- new technology that allows tellers to deliver more timely service to clients, and
- large, flat-panel video screens behind the teller areas featuring images from the local community, as well as general banking information.

Architects for the project were Zaxis and Vocon. RP Oakhill Development was the contractor.

“Our goal was to create a welcoming environment for our clients and guests that reflects the spirit of the community we serve and the solutions we offer,” Quenneville said. “Key’s branch revitalization program is a very tangible and visible _expression of our brand, as well as our broader Community Bank strategy, which includes enhancing our delivery channels and developing our employees.”

Key’s branch revitalization program reflects the continued importance of bank branches to consumers and businesses, who increasingly seek a mix of channels so that they have the flexibility to conduct their banking business when, where and how it is most convenient for them.

The 2,700 square-foot South Buffalo branch has five employees who provide a variety of services ranging from traditional retail banking, investment products and private banking to small business banking and commercial banking. The branch also features four teller stations and three employee workstations, as well as a drive-up ATM and free, onsite parking.

The City of Buffalo, in collaboration with Border Community SERVICE of Niagara University, presents:

Ready, Set, Prepare!
Tips for Personal Preparedness

September 17, 2008
7:00pm

Cazenovia Street Area Block Club
Grace Lutheran Church-174 Cazenovia Street

Presentation will run approximately 30 minutes.

Attend the Presentation and receive a free Safety “Grab & Go” Kit!

Emergencies often happen quickly and without warning. Planning ahead will help you to be ready to respond effectively to natural and man-made emergencies. This presentation will cover the basics of emergency and disaster preparedness based on the Department of Homeland Security’s “Ready America” program.

For more information contact Dana Estrada, Community Preparedness Coordinator for the City of Buffalo at 851-4299.

Additional Guest: Chief Brian Strobele - City of Buffalo Police

By: Cindyk. For several months we’ve all seen this sign displayed in a vacant lot on Seneca Street in South Buffalo.

Last week I watched as the sign was taken down and hauled away. As of yesterday (8 months to the date), can we assume the plans for the “Future Home of the Chikara Kempo Karate” is now off? I didn’t see anything in the South Buffalo News of when construction is to begin, or if plans had fallen through. Who knows?

Are we to still give “Special Thanks to Legislator Tim Kennedy” anyways?

Compliments of the New York State DOT, Seneca Street in West Seneca is currently undergoing a repave project from the Buffalo cityline outward from the city. I’m sorry to report, the same Seneca Street of South Buffalo still remains untouched. I fear our State representatives saw it a need to fix the suburbs first, while the waiting continues here on this side of the boarder.

Looking in the opposite direction, towards South Buffalo: