New mural commemorates refugees in Buffalo

The Young Audiences of Western New York and the city of Buffalo are partnering to create a new mural on Grant Street and Lafayette Avenue.

 The mural will be constructed based on stories from local refugees and immigrants, which will then be transformed into pictures of art.

“The theme of this mural is ‘Celebrating the Refugee Experience’, and we are just trying to learn more about the immigrants in our community and their stories,” said Melissa Buckley, Director of Development of Young Audiences of WNY.

             The art project is broken down into two different phases. The first involves Young Audiences doing programs with school children of Lafayette High School, International School Number 45, and the Community Academic Center, beginning early winter.

“The purpose of these programs is to speak to the children and their families and listen to their stories and then figure out how to turn that into art,” Buckley said.

The second involves sorting the combination of stories and coming up with the final visual for the mural based on those anecdotes. The mural is expected to be complete by next summer.

Councilman David Rivera of the Niagara District thinks having the city of Buffalo join with Young Audiences is something that contributes to this great creation.

“The West Side is a very diverse neighborhood and immigrants are coming in from all over the world, and they make up what we call our ‘beautiful melting pot,’ and this mural will really capture that,” Rivera said. By Lakisha Forde and Narmeen Karzoun

IN DEPTH: Director of veteran affairs helps students

             Members of the Student-Veteran Association (SVA) at D’Youville College have a special nickname for the college’s director of veteran affairs, Ben Randle.

            “He’s the grandmaster,” SVA president Jimmy Borzillieri said. “He’s behind the curtains with everything. We don’t do anything without going through him first.”

            Sure enough, Borzillieri and Gary Lee, fellow student-veteran and club member, were quick to credit Randle for the college’s inclusion on the 2013 Military Friendly Schools list through Victory Media last month. Full story by Tom Gallagher and Mike Straw

BE PREPARED - Antoinette Siragusa, an employee of Dibble Hardware on West Ferry Street, familiarizes herself with keeping the cold out.  Farmers’ Almanac predicts a “blustery and colder” winter for Buffalo this year.  Photo by Sara O'Brien and James Wright

West Side Rowing Club celebrates 100 years

 The West Side Rowing Club (WSRC) turns 100 this year, with plans for several regattas and a party to celebrate.

 Several regattas are scheduled for the year, including the John Bennett Regatta, which features rowers from the U.S. and Canada, said Matt Logue, director of boathouse operations.

 “We will have crews from across the northeast and Canada racing our own Buffalo based crews right on the Black Rock Canal,” he said.

 An event will be held to celebrate the club’s birthday on August 25, Cotter said. The party will feature an open bar, Buffalo-based food stations and dancing.

 “We expect 1000 people,” he said.

 The club was founded in 1912 as a way to bring rowing to the West Side, said Bill Cotter, a former president of the WSRC who’s been involved with the club for 50 years.

 “The organizers were Irish,” he said. “For some reason, rowing attracted the Irish.”

 While several rowing clubs at the time were more established, the WSRC has outlived them all, Cotter said.

 Currently the club serves as the home base for several area high school and college clubs, including Canisius College’s Division 1 women’s program. There is also a club for high school students who don’t have rowing as an option at their schools, he said, bringing together students from all over Western New York.

 The secret to the club’s longevity is in serving the area high schools, Cotter said.

 “We were the first club to bring in high schools,” he said.

By Michael Canfield and Jacob Tierney

Gear up for Bike to Work Week

  Megan Townsend, Baker and Chef for Sweet_ness 7 café

GO Bike Buffalo is teaming up with several West Side businesses to show their love for cycling and recognize Buffalo’s bike to work week, May 14 to May 18.

To kick off the week, GO Bike, formerly known as Green Options Buffalo, is encouraging cyclists to meet on their way to work between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Monday, May 14 at the Sweet_ness 7 Café’s Grant Street location, to enjoy a free coffee and discounted breakfast.

Tristan Trump, program coordinator for GO Bike, says that since the organization has grown in members over the past few months due to a mild winter, he expects a large number of people to participate in bike to work week.  

“Each year it gets a little bigger,”  says Trump.  “People are also preparing for gas prices to go through the roof.”

To finish off the week of cycling, Cafe Taza, located at 100 Elmwood Ave, is opening its doors from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. May 18, where cyclists can enjoy a free cup of coffee and a treat from Five Points Bakery.  During the commute home, cyclists can also stop by Cantina Loco at 191 Allen St. for discounted food and drinks from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.  

In preparation for bike to work week, GO Bike’s staff will be assisting cyclists with bike checks and tune-ups from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., May 11 at their community workshop, located at 98 Colvin Ave. Story by Katie Anderson and Danielle Wayne; photo by Michael Hargrave and Shayna McKie

HOUSING FAIR - Several housing groups came together to host the fifth annual West Side Housing Fair on April 28 at the Loretto Ministry Center on 14th Street. The fair included vendors who provided information to those looking to live on the West Side, and attendees could participate in workshops to learn home buying and renovation skills. Translators were available to provide information to Spanish, Burmese and Arabic.
 Video by Michael Canfield and Jacob Tierney

In Depth: Old West Side homes for sale need rehab

  “The West Side is hot spot,” said Michael Maywalt owner and broker of Maywalt realty group. “The greatest thing buffalo has is its homes; its resource is a whole lot of houses.” Buyers are spread out in abundance across the many neighborhoods of the West Side, from houses ready for the move in, to those in terrible need of renovation. The effects of renovated houses may go further than you think. They can affect how people can view your street, neighborhood, even city, said Maywalt. Full story by Mackenzie Clarke and Cheri St. Croix