Buffalo & WNY History Course

Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society: Starts Tues 4/28.  See archive

Clean-Up at the Buffalo Central Terminal

Come help prepare the concourse and grounds for another busy summer season at the 12th Annual Spring Clean Up - April 25 2009, 9am to 1pm. Gloves, work attire recommended and tools, such as brooms, shovels, and rakes are always welcome. Free food and drink will be available. Official Website

Cars Sharing Main Street

Public Meeting Announced

The City of Buffalo will conduct a Public Meeting from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on April 27, 2009 at the Erie County Public Library (1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14203). After a presentation at 6:00 pm on the results of the Environmental Assessment, the public will have an opportunity to ask questions, make comments, and/or indicate their opinion regarding the EA and the Project.

The City of Buffalo, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), New York State Department of Transportation, and Buffalo Place, Inc., with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as lead Federal agency and the Federal Highway Administration as a cooperating Federal agency, has published an EA for the City of Buffalo Main Street Multi-Modal Access and Revitalization Project (better known as Cars Sharing Main Street).

The EA evaluates the environmental effects of the return of vehicular traffic to lower Main Street between Tupper Street and Scott Street. The EA is currently available for public review and comment at the City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning (920 City Hall, Buffalo, NY 14202); Buffalo Place, Inc. (671 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203); and the NFTA (181 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 14203). The EA is also available in electronic form at www.nfta.com/mainst.asp. The deadline to submit comments is May 16, 2009. Written comments should be directed to Kimberley Minkel of the NFTA at 181 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 14203.

The Main Street Multi-Modal Access And Revitalization Project Environmental Assessment was prepared as required under the Council on Environmental Quality regulations, (FTA) regulations under 23 CFR 771.119(d), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1965, the State Historic Preservation Act (SHPA) of 1980, and Executive Order 12898 for Environmental Justice.

Buffalo's Heavenly Spaces

The Grand Island Historical Society will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5 in the Grand Island Memorial Library Community Room. Guest speaker Bill Koch will present "Buffalo's Heavenly Spaces," a program on churches of Buffalo. Bill is past president of the Landmark Society, chairman of Erie County Preservation Board, board member of Buffalo Religious Art Center, and director of WNY Heritage Magazine. The public is cordially invited. Refreshments will be served.


Photo by Bill Koch

Housing Summit on April 25th

Heart of the City Neighborhoods, along with several West Side based community development organizations, Financial Institutions, local Realtors and the Office of the Attorney General is partnering to host a Housing Summit on April 25th. The housing summit will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2009 from 10 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. If you own a home, or have considered becoming a homeowner, don’t miss this event!

For more information and how to register for this FREE event, visit their website calendar.

Agencies involved include: Habitat for Humanity; Heart of the City Neighborhoods; HomeFront; HOPE Refugee Services; LISC; PUSH Buffalo; WEDI; Westside Community Collaborative; Westside Ministries; and WestsideNHS.

Martin House in the Architectural Record

A Modern Pavilion by Toshiko Mori

Be sure to click on this impressive article about the new Eleanor and Wilson Greatbatch Pavilion at Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin D. Martin House. The Pavilion houses the brand-new visitor center and is an architectural treasure all its own.

Dyngus Day on Buffalo's East Side

From the Buffalo Central Terminal:

Join the Buffalo Central Terminal in celebrating Dyngus Day on the East Side - April 13th, 5-9pm. The Dyngus Day Parade starts at the Broadway Market at 5, and ends at the Terminal at 5:45. Admission is $10 and include reduced admission to other East Side venues (see below). Music from Those Idiots, beer from Flying Bison, and food from Potts Deli and Grill, Ulrich’s Tavern and Wardynski Meats. Central Terminal is a 21+ venue.

Plan on spending the whole night on the East Side? Put more Dyngus in your Day with the 2009 Pussy Willow Pass. Purchase a $10 admission at participating Dyngus Day Buffalo Official Festival Sites and receive a wristband offering $2 admissions to any other participating venue during the day. Your Dyngus Day Buffalo Pussy Willow Pass also allows you to hop on the Sobieski Vodka Shuttle Bus to over 15 festival halls and taverns.

The Dyngus Day Pussy Willow Pass can be purchased and redeemed at: St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Parish, the Adam Mickiewicz Library & Dramatic Circle, *Buffalo Central Terminal*, Corpus Christi Church, Adam Plewacki Post No. 799, Pvt. Leonard Post Jr. VFW #6251, The Polish Falcons Club, Polish Villa II, Potts Banquet Hall, Dnipro Ukrainian Center and the Polish Cadets in Black Rock.

The smart and safe way to get around the Dyngus Day Capital of the World. The Sobieski Vodka Shuttle will run between many of Dyngus Day Buffalo’s Official Festival Halls from 4pm to 1am. Use of the Sobieski Vodka Shuttle is free once you purchase a Pussy Willow Pass. The shuttle is proudly sponsored by Sobieski Vodka and encourages all participants not to drink and drive.

ROUTE #1 - Outer Polonia

Polish Falcons Club 445 Columbia Ave., Depew
Leonard Post Jr. VFW Post 2450 Walden Avenue, Cheektowaga
Potts Banquet Hall 694 S. Ogden St, Buffalo (TRANSFER STATION)
Polish Villa II 1085 Harlem Road, Cheektowaga

ROUTE #2 - Historic Polonia

Adam Mickiewicz Library 612 Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
Adam Plewacki VFW Post 385 Paderewski Drive, Buffalo
Arty’s Grill 508 Peckham Street, Buffalo
Buffalo Central Terminal Paderewski Drive at Memorial, Buffalo
Corpus Christi Church 199 Clark St, Buffalo
G & T Inn 68 Memorial Drive, Buffalo
R & L Lounge 23 Mills Street, Buffalo
St. Stanislaus Parish 389 Peckham Street, Buffalo (TRANSFER STATION)
Three Deuces Grill 222 Gibson, Buffalo

ROUTE #3 - North - Dnipro/Black Rock

St. Stanislaus Parish 389 Peckham Street, Buffalo (TRANSFER STATION)
Adam Mickiewicz Library 612 Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
Dnipro Ukriainian Center 562 Genesee Street
Polish Cadets 927 Grant Street
Sportsman’s Tavern 326 Amherst
Ukrainian-American Civic Center 205 Military

ROUTE #4 - Polonia Connector

St. Stanislaus Parish 389 Peckham Street, Buffalo (TRANSFER STATION)
Potts Banquet Hall 694 S. Ogden St, Buffalo (TRANSFER STATION)

How to Make a Butter Lamb

Easter butter lambs are a Polish Catholic tradition. In America, that tradition continues at Buffalo's Broadway Market. But just how do you make a butter lamb, anyway? See below. (If you've never seen a butter lamb before, skip right to the third video.)

Buffalo Tours will give two "Heart of Polonia" tours this summer: July 12 and August 18. See you there!

Elmwood Village Green Campaign

The Elmwood Village Green Campaign invites everyone to the 2nd of their eight part series of informational programs aimed at fostering a sustainable and environmentally responsible lifestyle in the Elmwood Village.

In addition, the Elmwood Village Green Campaign has embarked on an effort to evaluate the energy consumption of our resident both within the Village and beyond. Please take a moment to complete their 5-minute online survey.