friday may 9th 2008
Calderone To Receive Honorary Doctorate
Anthony Swinnich
Tom Calderone, President of VH1, will receive an honorary doctorate of human letters from Buffalo State College during Commencement this Saturday.
Calderone graduated from Buffalo State in 1986 before going on to become President of VH1. He was the program director at WBNY, the school's radio station, and is responsible for the alternative format the station still plays today. He remains heavily involved in the station's alumni chapter, frequently sets up internships for students and visits the campus frequently.
“Anyone who knows me knows that Buffalo State remains a very special place for me because the school helped mold me into the person that I am today,” said Calderone. “My years there were a truly positive 360-degree experience from my teachers and my classes to WBNY and back to all of my fellow students. I am deeply gratified to receive this honor and want to thank the SUNY Board of Trustees, Dr. Howard and my teacher and mentor Tom McCray.”
Calderone is also th…
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STEEL
This wonder of architectural expression was designed to work seamlessly with Buffalo's surrounding Allentown neighborhood, including the elegant Butler Mansion directly across the street. The owner, Walgreens drugstores, pulled out all the stops spending twice what it was spending on its typical prototype stores at the time of its construction. Its design went through many reviews and revisions until everyone was satisfied that this prominent corner of Buffalo's most historic neighborhood would receive the best building possible. THIS is the building they came up with. THIS is the best that was possible! THIS!
At one time this corner was the epicenter of Delaware Avenue high society. It was often referred to as the best address in Buffalo. Once, clustered here were four mansions (Williams, Butler, Metcalf, and Root) designed by McKim Mead and White, the nation's most presti…
queenseyes
It didn’t take long to find an owner for the dollar house on Niagara Street. As a matter of fact, the dollar house now has three owners… three friends who are all about to graduate from the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo. When they learned that there was a house for sale on Niagara Street for one dollar (see original post), they didn’t quite believe it. Joseph DiPerna thought it was a joke at first. But he told his buddy A.J. Hibsch about the house and the two of them decided to take Harvey Garrett up on his offer to see the house. After that initial visit they called a third friend of theirs, Daniel Jeffrey, who soon learned that the two had found a fixer-upper that could be picked up for a dollar… or 33.333 cents each.
It turns out that the three architecture st…
buffalorising
There's a 96-foot tall ship coming to port on Saturday, May 10 at noon. The ship, christened Challenge, and built to resemble an 1800’s era schooner, will dock in the Buffalo Harbor carrying a new craft brew into the United States.
Labatt company officials, who were at first keeping a lid on the name of the craft brew, have now disclosed that the ship will carry barrels of Alexander Keith’s Traditional Lager that will be distributed for the first time in the United States. Buffalo, the City of Good Neighbors, was chosen to be the first city in the nation to try the beer.
Marketing Director of Labatt USA Peter Bodenham said "This is a very, very fun brand from the original brewery in Halifax, Nova Scotia," adding, " Alexander Keith is not new in Canada. Keith, who was also the mayor of Halifax at one point started this brewery in the 1800's, and we roll out about 240 mil…
West Coast Perspective
A sale of a vacant or under-utilized property offers hope. Hope that the new owner has the means and vision to bring the property back to life. Oftentimes properties are purchased by investors only looking to milk a property or to hold on to it for speculative purposes with minimal investment. With seven properties for sale on two blocks in the heart of downtown, the turn-over in ownership could mean changes for the better.
The seven properties are, or in two cases were, Hunt Commercial listings. Chris Malachowski, with six of the listings, says each of the buildings have been sold, are under contract, or should soon be under contract. Malachowski is excited that all of the buyers plan “significant changes” to each.
thursday may 8th 2008
"Trash and Treasure" Exhibition Opens at Buffalo Big Print
Annie Schentag
After traveling extensively throughout North America, photographer Viktoria Ciostek has produced a body of work that captures an aesthetic reminiscent of Buffalo. In "Trash and Treasure (Life on Forgotten Frontiers)," her images focus on subjects that have been "left to rot beneath a shadow of unappreciated neglect." By examining the beauty hidden in dilapidated buildings and discarded objects, these ten photographs illustrate human patterns of abandonment and shifting cultural values. These visual themes seem particularly appropriate for Buffalo, suggesting a fresh appreciation of our surroundings, be it a renovated cathedral or a crumbling factory. Buffalo's history seems to breed a personal understanding of both ruins and renewal, creating a local form of respect for the kind of beauty that links those two extremes.
Ciostek's exhibit, to be displayed May 10 at Buffal…
buffalorising
It's going to be an interesting evening tonight when Buffalo Superintendent of Schools comes before the school board to discuss his yearly performance evaluation along with the possibility that he may be leaving Buffalo for a similar job in Memphis Tennessee.
One of five finalists looking for the Memphis job, Williams would be awarded with a salary of $260K, a raise of nearly 20 percent over his current salary.
Williams announced the potential job at a BPS Board of Education committee meeting after his candidacy was announced by Memphis Board of Education on Tuesday, along with appearing in the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. Williams said that he was approached by school officials in Memphis about the superintendent's job along with the four others, all from …
buffalorising
"Hello? We're here and open for business."
That's the message from Park Lane Catering (PLC), in the Statler Towers. Recent news coverage about Bashar Issa's redevelopment plans may have given the general public a different idea, but Park Lane Catering Executive Molly Ford wants everyone to know that PLC's involvement in the Stater's Golden Ballroom, Terrace Room and Rendezvous Room is not affected.
"It's unfortunate that the fate of our business is bundled up with what's happening with Mr. Issa's development plans. I can assure you that we are ready to host events that are planned and future events that require an historic and elegant setting," said Ford. She goes on to say that the improvements made to the building make PLC's efforts as an event planner all the better.
After news of Issa's halting wor…
queenseyes
Man, I thought that the last problem that Russ Maxwell and his FLW Davidson House would run into would be the neighborhood. I thought that maybe the cost to rehab would be prohibitive... or the historic codes would be tough... or the FLW Foundation wouldn’t give its blessing... or anything other than what Russ is actually facing. But it looks like Russ already has a battle on his hands if he wants to open up the house to FLW enthusiasts (see original post). "Believe me," Russ told me. "I don't want to do something that the neighbors don't want... but if they would just give it a chance I think that they would see that it's good for the neighborhood and the city. The people that would be staying there are not going to be ruffians... they are going to be people who appreciate architecture and culture.…
Eli George
NexxNow has made terrific strides since February to get Buffalo a basketball team. In February, they had purchased the franchise but were looking for a venue. Now, they have a venue and a name. The Dragons will be playing at the ECC downtown campus in the Premiere Basketball League (PBL).
According to Paul Riley, President and CEO of NexxNow, the company’s business plan is to deliver US Sports content to China. “Our intent with the Dragons is to broadcast the Dragons’ games back to China. We plan to have a roster of 5-6 national players from China. Hence the name “Dragons,” as it is inspired by our China initiative,” says Riley.
The team will open the doors to new sportsteam in the city and put Buffalo on the international map as well as serving to facilitate a local rivalry. A PBL team exists i…
