Food pantry seeking summer volunteers

Mary Schaefer, senior manager of operations at prepares inventory at Provisions 139,  a food pantry operated by West Side Community Services. She is looking for volunteers to lend a hand during the summer months. Open since  August 2021, the facility provides canned goods, dog and cat food, diapers, wipes and occasionally, fresh produce to a large mass of families in the West Side. “It’s kind of fun! I have worked in the pantry doing all the things that the volunteers do. Especially if you’re in a group of people that you know. We put on music. It’s a good time,” Schaefer says. Volunteers will load in, unbox, and shelve shipments from weekly deliveries. These deliveries are scheduled every Thursday between 12 - 4:30 p.m.  By Julie Ferguson

 

West Side praised for extent of diversity

 

By Julie Ferguson

            “The West Side itself is super diverse. It’s more diverse than anything around here in my opinion,” says Najja Bouldin, a four-year resident, and professor at Buffalo State University.

            Professor Bouldin, originally from East Side Buffalo, moved west because of what he describes as a “better quality of life”. He also shared that his ability to go bike riding with his young son and the irresistible ambiance of the West side is what he loves most about the neighborhood.

            “We have people from all over south Asia, we have people from all over the continent of Africa,”  he said.

            According to the US Census Bureau American Community Survey, not only is the West Side  proven to have the highest rate of educational attainment, but it is more culturally diverse when compared to the Northern and Southern parts of the city. Main Street and the Scajaquada Expressway border a varied population of 7% Asian, 18% Black, 21% Hispanic, and 50 % WhiteWest Side residents.

            The culturally diverse population is reflected in the diverse set of businesses you can find on the West Side. Located in the Upper Elmwood neighborhood, Origem is an intimate Turkish gift shop on 830 Elmwood Ave. Luanna H. Akkurt, the owner, opened the store in December 2022 alongside her husband to bring a taste of Turkish culture to the West side.

            “So many of the customers that are coming in actually know someone, or it has been on their bucket list, and they want to get to know the place,” Akkurt said.

            The shop features a large variety of imported items that are handmade and full of culture. Her collection of merchandise varies from antique lamps, rugs, jewelry, scarves, wall decorations, and gemstones. Every customer can expect to learn a vast amount about the unique history of each item in Origem over a cup of Turkish coffee. Customers are also able to make purchases online and always have access to contact her with any questions regarding items.

            In the Waterfront neighborhood, La Casa De Sabores, a Dominican restaurant located at 1 Letchworth Street, has gained significant popularity with close-by Buffalo State students and west-side residents. Owner Carlos Cabrera opened the restaurant in 2018 after graduating from Buffalo State University. As a Long Island native, Carlos saw the need to bring his Dominican culture to the West side.

            “Knowing that there was nothing with your culture here, motivated me to see if we could bring our food and culture to the buffalo community,” Carrera said.

            This house of flavor has gained popularity because of its great customer service and exquisite-tasting Dominican cuisine. Customer favorites include mango, sauteed onioned over ripe plantains, chicken beans, and rive and empanadas. They also make sandwiches for anyone looking for their take on an American dish. Customers can come in person to pick up food from the display, or you can make orders on Grubhub, Caviar, Door Dash, Postmates, and Uber Eats.

            Both business owners bring something unique to the West Side. They equally contribute to the diversity of the West Side and highlight the importance of different cultures in a community.

 

 

Crockatt leaving helm of Olmsted Parks

Stephanie Crockatt, the current executive director for the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, is leaving her position to become the first CEO of Sarasota's Bay Park Conservancy. During her time as executive director for the Olmsted Parks, Crockatt worked on various different projects that have made a positive impact on the parks to this day. "There have been some momentous things that we have done. All of it. I mean you can't pick a favorite child in your family, it's hard to pick just one," Crockatt said. Crockatt said that she thinks after her departure, she expects the parks to find more funding to help sustain the parks. "We're going to be looking at maybe an endowment
campaign to help sustain everything. It's a balancing act between everyone wanting a capital project, but do they want to give to the sustaining fund to make sure that capital project lasts a long time," Crockatt said. By Justin Siejak

Waterkeeper hosts 3rd annual Spring Sweep

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper hosted the third annual Spring Sweep event on Earth Day, April 22, inviting members of the community to sites across Buffalo to clean up litter and trash before it enters the waterways and Great Lakes. The community assistance goes beyond just picking up the trash however. Jennifer Fee, director of communications and marketing, says the Clean Swell app allows volunteers to collect important data on the litter they find. “It can be detailed notes about the brand or item, but most importantly, we’re using that data to calculate how much trash we picked up,” she said, “and all of that data comes together to make a really strong case for what waterways we need to advocate for.” By Andrew DiMartino

Cherry Blossom Festival marks 10th year

 Spring brings the arrival of Buffalo’s blooming Cherry Blossom Festival.

This year will mark the 10th year annual festival, which is set to take place April 27 to April 30 in the Japanese Garden near the Buffalo History Museum.

Paula Hinz, co-chair of the Japanese Garden, says in Japan viewing the blossoms represents the importance of savoring life.

“Cherry blossoms blooming reminds us that we have to stop and enjoy the present moment, because the blossoms won't be here for long,” Hinz says.

Hinz also says that every year a few limbs of the trees break and how she would like to better educate visitors on preserving the cherry trees.

“One person can do a lot of damage in the garden without having any malice. How can we educate people on how to interact with nature? We need to take these moments and teach them,” Hinz said.

The festival partners with Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Buffalo History Museum, Music is Art, and Friends of the Japanese Garden.

“All of us bring something different to the festival. It's a really fun way for us to add new parts to the festival. I think it’s going to be  be a blast,” Hinz said.

This four-day festival will be filled with a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy. This year's activities include silent auctions, food, live music, boat rides and tea tasting. By Tanya Gamble

Pessecow talks - and cleans - trash on area streets

 Katherine Pessecow, director of the Western New York Trash Mob, says the organization was a direct response to the clean on her own street after clashes occurred with police and protestors following the death of George Floyd in 2020. “It was just a very organic call on our block after a hectic night that neighbors get together early in the morning and we just cleaned up some of the broken glass and damaged property and all the chaos that ensued from that night,” Pessecow said. Pessecow has been the director of the local non-profit for three years and says that the organization’s cleanup days, most recently on April 22,  are about more than just picking up trash. “It’s really more of a community event where we get people to host or to partner and it’s all free and community members can visit tables by our partners,” Pessecow said. By Carly Lawson

Apply now for Allentown scholarship

           The Allentown Art Festival is offering its annual scholarships for high school artists.

           The deadline for this year’s scholarships is April 23.

            Rita Harrington-Lippman, festival president, said the awards are offered for high school students across the eight counties in Western New York. There are eight scholarships available with each valuing $2,000.

            These awards are available to students who graduate from a Western New York high school and major in visual arts at an accredited college.

             The organization also has a returning student’s program for students who have previously applied for prior scholarships.

             Lippman said that the organization is also hosting an upcoming poster design competition with a $2,000 prize that students can participate in as well.

            “Students can apply in the student category, and they may even be considered for the entire for the poster for the show,” Lippman said.

            The 66th festival is running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., June 10 and 11. By Carly Lawson