Tradition, family values, and respect are hard to find these days. With a weakening economy and a culture shift, small businesses are finding it harder and harder to survive. However there is one business that has the secret to success. Santiesaro’s on the corner of Niagara Street and Lafayette Avenue has been running strong for 90 years and sees no ending in sight. Full story
By Pasquale Maggiore and Alexa Myers
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Urban Roots draws interest in beekeeping
On March 10, the first of two beekeeping seminars was held at Urban Roots Community Garden Center on 428 Rhode Island St.
Catherine Herrick, an Urban Roots board member, shared her 25 years of experience with the potential beekeepers who attended the two-hour seminar.The next seminar will be on April 21 at the garden center.
About 20 potential beekeepers filled the room during the first seminar.
“I was only expecting 10-12 people,” said Herrick.
The room was filled with the buzz of spring, as Herrick constantly answered the questions of people eager to start beekeeping.
Despite her initial fears over beekeeping, Herrick has found it rewarding.
“Being outside and being with bees, and seeing the bees in my garden is my favorite part,” said Herrick. “If my bees are happy, my garden is happy.”
Homemade honey is the other benefit of having one’s own hive. But, that honey doesn’t always taste like the honey one would find in a grocery store.
“My honey tastes a lot different than other honey,” said Herrick. “It has a mint flavor to it.”
Melissa Gardener, co-owner of Five-Points Bakery, deals directly with honey producers in Appleton and knows just how honey flavors can differ depending on what the bees collect pollen from.
“Honey tastes like what the bees are around,” said Gardener. “Blueberry honey tastes like blueberries.” By Michael Hargrave and Shayna McKie
Catherine Herrick, an Urban Roots board member, shared her 25 years of experience with the potential beekeepers who attended the two-hour seminar.The next seminar will be on April 21 at the garden center.
About 20 potential beekeepers filled the room during the first seminar.
“I was only expecting 10-12 people,” said Herrick.
The room was filled with the buzz of spring, as Herrick constantly answered the questions of people eager to start beekeeping.
Despite her initial fears over beekeeping, Herrick has found it rewarding.
“Being outside and being with bees, and seeing the bees in my garden is my favorite part,” said Herrick. “If my bees are happy, my garden is happy.”
Homemade honey is the other benefit of having one’s own hive. But, that honey doesn’t always taste like the honey one would find in a grocery store.
“My honey tastes a lot different than other honey,” said Herrick. “It has a mint flavor to it.”
Melissa Gardener, co-owner of Five-Points Bakery, deals directly with honey producers in Appleton and knows just how honey flavors can differ depending on what the bees collect pollen from.
“Honey tastes like what the bees are around,” said Gardener. “Blueberry honey tastes like blueberries.” By Michael Hargrave and Shayna McKie
EAGER FOR ENGLISH - Tutors at First Presbyterian Church teach refugees how to read, write, and speak English on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to visit http://www.firstchurchbuffalo.org/. Video by Kristina Ferris and Megan Kreps
IN DEPTH: School 30 looking up with vertical growing
The kids at School 30 decided for the first time this year to move their student-run garden from the old vacant lot that they used before, to inside the classroom. The students used a new, vertical growing trend to grow their produce. The new trend allows the students to produce a large amount, using only a few square feet of the classroom. Full story By Richard Cumpston and Mike Tellier
Monday, March 19, 2012
Small Press Book Fair turns writing to art
Printers, poets, bookmakers and more will gather at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum for the sixth annual Buffalo Small Press Book Fair on March 24.
The purpose of the fair, scheduled from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., is to give these independent publishers and writers the chance to collaborate and share their work with a larger audience, said Chris Fritton, the founder and organizer of the fair.
It’s also about turning writing into art.
“It’s indie lit so to speak, it’s all entrepreneurial, small-press publications, which is where literature and poetry makes its initial leap forward,” said Michael Basinski, curator of the University at Buffalo’s rare poetry collection.
During the fair Basinski will hold a presentation on visual poetry, which he described as any mixture of art and verse.
Other presentations will show attendees how to operate their own printing press, or print their own T-shirts.
Over 100 vendors will be selling their work during the one-day event, which is free and open to the public.
“Buffalo has had a strong independent publishing scene and underground literary scene since the ‘60s,” Fritton said. “Somehow, we're still riding that wave, people here are still doing innovative work, and they're still very attached to the idea of publishing it themselves.”
“It’s a blast, it’s one of the biggest in the northeast,” Basinski said
Afterward there will be a free communal dinner at Rust Belt Books, followed by a music event called “Electric City,” where writers and poets perform original music at The Vault art gallery downtown. By Michael Canfield and Jacob Tierney
The purpose of the fair, scheduled from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., is to give these independent publishers and writers the chance to collaborate and share their work with a larger audience, said Chris Fritton, the founder and organizer of the fair.
It’s also about turning writing into art.
“It’s indie lit so to speak, it’s all entrepreneurial, small-press publications, which is where literature and poetry makes its initial leap forward,” said Michael Basinski, curator of the University at Buffalo’s rare poetry collection.
During the fair Basinski will hold a presentation on visual poetry, which he described as any mixture of art and verse.
Other presentations will show attendees how to operate their own printing press, or print their own T-shirts.
Over 100 vendors will be selling their work during the one-day event, which is free and open to the public.
“Buffalo has had a strong independent publishing scene and underground literary scene since the ‘60s,” Fritton said. “Somehow, we're still riding that wave, people here are still doing innovative work, and they're still very attached to the idea of publishing it themselves.”
“It’s a blast, it’s one of the biggest in the northeast,” Basinski said
Afterward there will be a free communal dinner at Rust Belt Books, followed by a music event called “Electric City,” where writers and poets perform original music at The Vault art gallery downtown. By Michael Canfield and Jacob Tierney
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Rust Belt Books hosts controversial play
The Western New York premiere of The God of Vengeance, performed by the Brazen-Faced Varlets, opened on March 8 at Rust Belt Books, located at 202 Allen St.
According to Artvoice, “back in 1923, The God of Vengeance, the English language version of Sholem Asch’s 1907 Yiddish play, was the first drama on Broadway to feature a lesbian love scene. The play’s producer and cast, and the theater owner were arrested on obscenity charges.“
The storyline takes place in Poland and deals with controversial topics, including prostitution and homosexuality.
The Brazen-Faced Varlets IS a feminist theater company and the members chose to perform The God of Vengeance because it deals with a lot of strong female roles, as well as lesbian content.
"We picked Rust Belt because they're very open to working with starting out artists,” said Lara D. Haberberger, director and founder of Brazen-Faced Varlets. “They're very warm and welcoming and it's a nice intimate space for this so it makes people actually feel like they're in the house where the play is happening.”
The play is being performed on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through March 23. It is open to the public but requires a $12 entry fee at the door on Fridays and Saturdays. Thursdays are pay as you can.
"We're very lucky to be able to bring this play and we're very surprised that people have been responding so well to it,” said Haberberger. By Anna Dinger and Kevin Freiheit
According to Artvoice, “back in 1923, The God of Vengeance, the English language version of Sholem Asch’s 1907 Yiddish play, was the first drama on Broadway to feature a lesbian love scene. The play’s producer and cast, and the theater owner were arrested on obscenity charges.“
The storyline takes place in Poland and deals with controversial topics, including prostitution and homosexuality.
The Brazen-Faced Varlets IS a feminist theater company and the members chose to perform The God of Vengeance because it deals with a lot of strong female roles, as well as lesbian content.
"We picked Rust Belt because they're very open to working with starting out artists,” said Lara D. Haberberger, director and founder of Brazen-Faced Varlets. “They're very warm and welcoming and it's a nice intimate space for this so it makes people actually feel like they're in the house where the play is happening.”
The play is being performed on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through March 23. It is open to the public but requires a $12 entry fee at the door on Fridays and Saturdays. Thursdays are pay as you can.
"We're very lucky to be able to bring this play and we're very surprised that people have been responding so well to it,” said Haberberger. By Anna Dinger and Kevin Freiheit
LEARNING CITY FARMING - Zoe Hollomon, growing green markets director for Massachusetts Avenue Project, talks about the organization’s three-day Urban Agriculture Training that occurred from March 9 to March 11. The non-profit organization on Grant Street tries to get the youth involved in urban agriculture, while teaching them life skills and character building skills. Video by Mackenzie Clarke, Stephanie Delaunay and Cheri St. Croix
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