The Bridge Filled With Buffalo's Heroes

Event organizer Laurie Kostrzewski leads one of the four moments of silence in the middle of the Scajaquada Pedestrian Bridge on Sept. 11.

By: Matthew Barton

The Scajaquada Pedestrian Bridge sits empty and quiet most of the time. 

365 days out of the year, it grants every biker or walker safe passage above the busy expressway, into or out of the sprawling trails of Delaware Park. 

But for one day out of the year, the bridge is louder than ever, not by noise, but by remembrance.

On Friday, Sept. 11, dozens of American flags were draped over the metal guardrails of the bridge. Each flag righteously flapped in the wind, serving as a reminder to drivers who passed by of the tragedy endured by our country 25 years ago. 

At the end of each flagpole stood a friend, a neighbor, or a child of the Buffalo community. Veterans wore hats, shirts and jackets filled with patches showcasing where they’ve served. Active military personnel stood stoically in uniform, alongside the Buffalo Police Department, Buffalo Fire Department and local EMS. The bridge was filled with Buffalo’s heroes. 

As the event was just getting started, a woman came walking up the bridge. She was sporting an American flag button-up, holding a speaker, a headset, and an American flag. After embracing an old friend, she found her spot on the bridge and unrolled her flag. The wind did the rest of the work, and passing cars honked in acknowledgement.

This woman is Laurie Kostrzewski, a Buffalo resident and the organizer of this remembrance event. What started as a small way to pay tribute in 2003 turned into a can't-miss ceremony, growing larger and larger each year. 

“There’s people from Cheektowaga, from Eden, from all parts of Western New York, and they’ve come here,” Kostrzewski said. “I think the significance is that it’s here in Buffalo, because Buffalo’s central to Western New York, and that we come together like this has a lot of meaning.”

Kostrzewski made sure to check in with everyone on the bridge, delivering hugs, thank-yous, and even bending down to check on a couple of patriotic pups who sat respectfully at their caretakers' feet. 

From 8:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., Kostrzewski led all four moments of silence, each recognizing one of the plane crashes on this day 25 years ago.

During these moments, Kostrzewski read the names of victims who resided in the Western New York area. A sense of togetherness lay heavy on the bridge during these times, along with the continuous honks of respect from below. 

“It connects us somehow,” she said. “I didn’t actually know anybody who died, but still, as a country, we feel this because it was the worst attack ever.”

Kostrzewski is a strong advocate for education on this difficult, yet important topic. One way she wants to ensure that we always remember is by renaming the bridge to the 9/11 Heroes Bridge.

It’s been a 15-year mission, and she’s been able to get through the Senate, but the assemblymen have “ignored it.” She plans to push hard in January when the legislature reconvenes.

On the south end of the bridge, Jackson Fisher stood in solidarity alongside his fellow members of the United States Coast Guard. None were born before 2001, but all still felt compelled to attend. 

“It means a lot for what they did, for what we currently do, and what we’re going to do in the future,” Fisher said about the gathering. He wants to set a positive example for younger people because that’s the impact that the previous generation left on him.

“I have family who have prior military service,” he said. “So seeing them serve for our community and our country is something I wanted to always do.”

One of the first people on the bridge Friday morning was Navy veteran Derek Sansone. It was Sansone’s third or fourth year attending, and as the sun beamed off his black Navy hat, he remembered the impact of this tragedy. 

“At that time, the guard and reserve call-ups really affected swaths of greatly middle America, arguably greater than previous conflicts that had drafts,” Sansone said. “Because of that, you’d be hard-pressed to know somebody on Main Street, U.S.A., who wasn’t personally impacted by the conflict.”

Sansone believes remembering this nationwide tragedy in small communities like Buffalo helps teach the next generation.

“We have an obligation to set the example by remembering it or talking to our kids about it, even if they are busy in school and can’t make every event like this,” he said. “If we don’t show up, then we don’t remember.”

 

Queen City Vintage Ushers in the Beginning of Bills Season

On Sept. 5, thousands of Buffalonians flocked to Elmwood Avenue, dying to get their hands on the goods of Queen City Vintage’s season-opening Bills sale. The flourishing Elmwood staple listed 4,000 new items for the sale. “Between online and in-store, we’re at about 1,500 [sold],” said co-owner Nick Kirby, who’s been with Queen City Vintage through their transition from your typical vintage spot to the biggest Buffalo sports store on the West Side. To take the sale to the next level, the store teamed with neighbor Hand of Doom Tattoo to offer Bills-inspired flash tattoos, proving that Elmwood Avenue may just be, as Nick states, “the best place for business” in Buffalo. 

By: Lucas Lyon

 

Stitch Buffalo is True Representation of Good Neighbors

Founder Dawne Hueg, finance director Linda Crist and the seamstresses of Stitch Buffalo.

By: Adrianna Miller

What started in the basement of a church flourished into the far reaching organization it is today. Stitch Buffalo, located at 284 Plymouth Ave., is on a mission to provide Buffalo’s immigrant and refugee community with a dedicated space to create, teach and hone their skills. “A non-profit organization on a mission to stitch communities together, using textile arts as that thread,” said Linda Crist, the business and finance director of the organization.

From the basement of a church on Lafayette Avenue, the founder of Stitch Buffalo Dawne Hueg started a gathering where women from the community could come together to embroider and build a community. Realizing they needed a way to create some profit for the women, they started selling intricate embroidered “Buffalove” pins that became very popular at pop-up events.

The success allowed them to grow into the much larger organization they are today. They now continue to sell the original “Buffalove” pins along with many other embroidered designs, and have expanded to selling purses, ornaments, clothes, tablecloths and runners, pillows, and jewelry.

Stitch Buffalo operates on three different programs, the first one being their refugee women's workshop. This provides a space for women all over Buffalo who have immigrated from various countries to design and create products that are then sold in the Stitch Buffalo retail space and throughout the community. The program has about 200 women working in it with about 40 to 60 women being paid every two weeks, some earning over $1,000 for their work. As the organization grew, it naturally evolved into a manufacturing center as well, requiring them to hire on some of the women from the program. “It is the true representation of a good neighborhood," said Munawara Sultana, a participant of the program turned hired seamstress and class instructor.

The second program focuses on community outreach and education. Offering many classes hosted in their Plymouth Avenue address and offsite as well, teaching classes in Buffalo public schools, D’youville campus and anyone looking to use textile arts for meditation and mental wellness. The list of classes offered includes sewing, embroidering, crochet, knitting, leather working and even holiday themed classes such as a witch hat making class. Stitch Buffalo also works closely with the students in the Fashion and Textile Arts program at Buffalo State, providing them with cheap and recycled materials, sometimes even creating specific materials they need for their projects.

Jane Cameron, a sewing instructor at Stitch Buffalo, reflects on how her work affects the community, stating that it develops greater interest and keeps people sewing. This aspect of the organization makes Stitch Buffalo a great "third space" for the city of Buffalo, helping to create a stronger community. To see what classes are being offered and when, visit Stitch Buffalo’s Calendar.

Their third program "Second Stitch" focuses on sustainability. By accepting donations from the community from fabrics to knitting needles they are able to expand their work. Collecting useful items for the seamstresses and women in the refugee workshop program to use in their art work, while also providing shoppable items for their retail section of the organization. “Community fabric” is one of those very projects that came out of the "Second Stitch" aspect of the organization.

Using cut up donated denim they create a large patchwork like fabric that is then sent out into the community where the people can paint anything they want. That fabric is then used to create jean jackets, bags and clutches for the retail section of the organization.

To donate to the organization you can visit Stitch Buffalo’s website. Hear from the business and finance director Linda Crist how the organization got started.

 Fistful of Vintage Bringing Back Styles

Fistful of Vintage owner Matt Santora discusses the inspiration behind opening his

vintage clothing store at 194 Grant St. in Buffalo. Santora, who started collecting vintage

items as a hobby, said his collection “got out of control,” inspiring him to expand from online

sales to an in-person store. He shares his passion for vintage fashion, the growing interest among Gen Z shoppers and why vintage clothing has made a comeback. Santora also explains what makes Fistful of Vintage unique from other thrift and vintage stores in Buffalo.

By: Annemiek Kashindi

 Consignment Shop Aims to Make Fashion Affordable

Ground Control is a consignment shop located at 569 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. The owner,

Mike Gates, started the business in 2021. He hoped to make fashion more accessible to youth

who could not afford it. He offers a wall of shoes that range from $5 to $30 for students and

children who want to keep up with the latest fashions at a discounted price. By: Ahmari Stevens

 A Taste of Jamaica at West Side Bazaar

Chef Dwayne Jones is one of many people living out their dream at the West Side Bazaar located on Niagara Street. Jones grew up in Jamaica and moved to the United States searching to start a new business where he could show off his skills learned in culinary school. “My inspiration for cooking came from my grandmother and memories in her kitchen,” Jones said. The building has eight total restaurants ranging from Congolese to Egyptian food. The restaurants are lined up similar to a mall food court with large menus stationed above each eatery. This cultural staple is one of many examples of recent developmental overhauls taking place on the West Side of Buffalo. By: Cal McTigue

 New Developments Aim To End Buffalo Homelessness 

Driving through the streets of Buffalo, you may notice homeless people gathered under bridges or at intersections asking for money.

Recently, there has been a push from the local government, independent organizations, and generous individuals to lower the homeless rate and create living arrangements for these people in need.

According to the Partnership for the Public Good, Buffalo has both a crisis of abandoned housing and a severe homelessness crisis. This is evident simply by walking around the city.

Due to the increasing number of people in need, many organizations have been solely focused on helping these vulnerable individuals.

The Homeless Alliance of WNY was established in 1992 by the Erie County Legislature, but has recently become a larger factor in ending homelessness. The organization has housed over 1,300 individuals, connected over 6,100 to services, and has collected over $19 million to combat this problem. This West Buffalo agency is located on Delaware Avenue.

Continuum of Care Supervisor Daniella Gallego believes homelessness is a problem that can be solved. “By collaborating with community partners and making clear decisions, we can overstep these barriers to help those in need,” Gallego said.

The agency also hosts events and gatherings to spread awareness. People can volunteer or donate during these events, which provide meals to the needy.

According to the Homeless Alliance of WNY, there are 1,230 sheltered homeless people in Erie County. This is over 200 more than the count in 2024, and the goal is for all homeless people to be sheltered and accounted for in the future. Once this goal is near completion, the next goal of ending homelessness as a whole can start to make way.

Training Coordinator Nicole LaLonde helps put together these events and works each day to help solve the problem of homelessness. LaLonde believes the most impactful recent development is the opening of Amy’s Place of Hope at the beginning of October. This brand new shelter on Sycamore Street is named after Amy Betros, the co-founder of St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy.

“They will be serving as a community access center and men’s shelter offering over 90 beds and 80 code blue cots,” LaLonde said.

These 80 beds will be used when a code blue is called in the city, meaning the weather is so extremely cold that people living in the streets could be severely injured or die from just being outside.

This new facility is set on the east side of Buffalo and was built by the organization Build Promise.

Sam DiVincenzo, executive director of Build Promise, notes the new facility has showers, laundry facilities, medical care, and a place to get haircuts. “We will be able to offer everything from mental health services to peer services,” DiVincenzo said in a press conference earlier this month.

People across the Western New York region have noticed an improvement due to these organizations. Matthew Szczepanski is a volunteer firefighter in the Buffalo area and has helped put out countless fires in the city and the surrounding area. “A major problem we see is that squatters start living in remains from a previous fire. Abandoned housing provides a space for them to live, but it is simply unsafe living conditions,” Szczepanski said.

Szczepanski says these abandoned residences are major dangers to homeless people or squatters living in them. There could be gas leaks, carbon monoxide issues, or electrical problems that could lead to spontaneous combustion.

While these abandoned places may seem like a potential solution, they are sometimes even more dangerous to sleep in than a city bench or under a highway bridge.

To help the cause to end homelessness, people can donate to organizations like the Homeless Alliance of WNY and Build Promise. The Homeless Alliance also has an Amazon wish list that contains items that could instantly help a person in need. By: Cal McTigue