Broadway Fillmore Alive

The Online Voice of Buffalo's Historic Polonia

site stats

AM-POL Eagle: Postcard Commemorates Zawadzki’s Contributions To Local Architecture

Gregory Witul (Am-Pol Eagle) • Wed, May 22, 2013 – Buffalo’s Polonia is full of beautiful and important buildings. From the Polish Cadets in Black Rock to the Echo Club in Niagara Falls, each has played a vital role in the development of the Polish-American community of Western New York, but there is one building whose importance outweighs them all, the former Dom Polski Building, now known as the Matt Urban Center in Buffalo’s East Side. This building would be home to over 50 organizations, two libraries and host a number of dinners, dances, meetings, and rallies in its large auditorium. This building, as with many others in Polonia, was designed by one of Buffalo’s most prominent Polish architects, Wladyslaw Zawadzki. We will look at his early life and the auditorium he built as seen in this postcard.

Read full story on AM-POL Eagle—>

Memorial Day Mass @ Saint Stanislaus Cemetery

100454e2d2227aff96Saint Stanislaus Church invites you to participate in a special Mass on Memorial Day to be held on Monday, May 27th at 10:00am in the Resurrection Mausoleum of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr Cemetery to join together in prayer to express our gratitude to the Lord for all of our deceased loves ones, who have served so faithfully in defending the freedoms we are so pleased to enjoy.

http://ststansbuffalo.com/

BFA’s Pink Flamingo Project Takes Aim at Vacant and Abandoned Buildings

pfp

Earlier in the year, I came up with the idea to visually tag vacant and abandoned buildings in the neighborhood with some sort of theme drawing inspiration from what a group called Buffalo’s Young Preservationist were doing with “Heart Bombs” in other parts of Buffalo.  The problem with vacant buildings isn’t something that is going to go away anytime soon.  After awhile, they start to blend in with the surroundings and it is human nature to stop noticing them.  I had a few ideas as to what to use a theme, but none seemed to strike the right chord with me.

Then a BFA friend sent me this.

Kingus Dyngus

Theresa Wandelich and family were adding Kingus Dyngus to their Dyngus Day Parade float.  She sent me a preview picture of Kingus.  Immediately, the light bulb went off about using pink flamingos as the theme I had been looking for.

As April turned into May, I started acquiring various pink flamingo items.  I emailed Theresa and let her in on my idea and she graciously offered to help. Over the last few weeks, we started tagging vacant and abandoned buildings in the neighborhood with pink flamingos.  I started posting pictures on Facebook of the flamingos on buildings without telling what was going on.  People began to wonder what was up.  So consider this a formal announcement to the Pink Flamingo Project.

Over the next couple of months, more flamingos will be taking up residence on buildings throughout Broadway-Fillmore.  I will post more pictures of them and highlight some of the buildings getting tagged.  The first wave of pink flamingos can be seen on Fillmore, Paderewski, Broadway and the streets surrounding the Broadway Market.

Honestly, I don’t know if the flamingos will change the future of the buildings, but I want to highlight the problem of vacant and abandoned buildings in the neighborhood.  There isn’t any real plan on how to deal with them beyond demolition.  The fabric of the neighborhood is being drastically altered with no end in sight.  Take the Gibson and Lombard Streets surround the Broadway Market.  Instead of simply demolishing buildings, wouldn’t it be cool if vacant properties were cleaned up and sealed.  This would preserve them for future use and keep the historic footprint of the area intact.

I want people to see the pink flamingos, look at the buildings and view them as more than eyesores.

The first building I am going to highlight is the old Club Romway:

Club Romway

This is a gorgeous building @ 1334 Broadway.  You can read more about it  by clicking here—>

It sits waiting.  The problem is that it is dying a slow death like other buildings in the neighborhood.  When I was putting up the flamingo, a neighbor asked me if what I was doing was because something new was going to open up.  I told her that the flamingo will hopefully bring some luck to the place.

If you see a flamingo, snap picture of it and send to BFA…I will post it here  and on Facebook.  If there is a building you want to see a flamingo on, contact BFA as well.

 

The German Citizen: Why Saving St. Ann’s Church and Shrine Matters

german

Excellent article by Martin Ederer about Saint Ann’s in The German Citizen newspaper.

Martin Ederer is a professor of history at Buffalo State College. He co-chairs the St. Ann’s Church and Shrine Revitalization Committee.

Click here to read article (PDF)—>

You can also download the whole Summer 2013 issue of The German Citizen by clicking here—>

The German Citizen’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/germancitizen.newspaper

Saint John Kanty Summerfest June 9th

1-P1050761-001

Save the date for Saint John Kanty’s Summerfest.

Beginning with 10:30 Mass, the Summerfest continues at 11:30am, where a delicious BW’s BBQ chicken dinner in the school cafe’, complete with salad, potatoes, carrots, roll, coffee and homemade dessert will be available for purchase (take-outs, too!).  Grilled hot dogs and hamburgers will be served outside. The SJK Chinese Auction will include many nice gift baskets as well as a grill and a patio set and other large items.

Mrs. Stella’s Attic will return; there will be split clubs and some games for the youngsters. Buy a ticket for our major fundraising event of the year: Nine cash prizes for the ticket cost of $10. Early Bird drawing on May 26 and June 2.  It promises to be another day of good food, great raffles, friendship, and some surprises!

Can’t come to Summerfest but would like to buy a ticket? Just call the rectory during office hours 716.893.0412 (Mon and Fri 9-12 noon; Tues through Thurs 4-7 p.m.) to make arrangements to purchase.

http://stjohnkantychurchbuffalo.wordpress.com

Alive Photo of the Day: Foggy Terminal

(click on image for full view)

I took this photo a couple of years ago when there was dense fog in the neighborhood and as the sun was coming up behind the Central Terminal.

For more Alive Photos of the Day, click here–>

FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI TO BE CELEBRATED ON JUNE 2

Corpus Christi Sunday

On Sunday, June 2, 2013, St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church will join with Corpus Christi Church to commemorate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  Catholics from all around Buffalo and Western New York are invited to participate.

The observance will begin at 3:00p.m. at St. Stanislaus Church, located at 123 Townsend Street in Buffalo, for a traditional outdoor procession with the Most Blessed Sacrament through the streets of East Buffalo’s Historic Polonia.  In keeping with tradition, the procession will pause for devotions at four outside altars created specifically for this feast. The procession will end at Corpus Christi Church, located at 199 Clark Street, followed immediately by Benediction and Holy Mass.

A reception with light refreshments will follow at Corpus Christi.  All are welcome to attend.

The Feast of Corpus Christi, which dates to the 13th Century, celebrates the institution of the Holy Mass and professes the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.  This ceremony has long been an important day in Polish culture that is observed with a public display of faith.  Especially in recent years, hundreds of Western New Yorkers have commemorated this important event by participating in the church procession.

Leading up to the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is Forty Hours of Adoration of the Holy Eucharist.  This begins On Friday, May 31st at 6:30p.m. with special devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and spiritual teachings by Father Marek Kreis.  The adoration continues until 11:00a.m. on Sunday June 2 at Corpus Christi Church.

All are invited to sign up for an hour of adoration and to join in the Corpus Christi devotions.  For additional information, please call (716) 896-1050 or visit the Saint Stanislaus or Corpus Christi websites at www.StStansBuffalo.com or www.CorpusChristiBuffalo.org.

Church Tours Showcase Faith, Art, and History

BUFFALO SACRED PLACES

First Presbyterian, Blessed Trinity, Corpus Christi, Forest Lawn Chapel & Buffalo Religious Arts Center Join Statewide Open House

The National Trust Conference, hosted in Buffalo in October 2011, put our city’s architectural treasury of civic, sacred and residential landmarks “front and center” for a national audience. In the aftermath of this high profile event, a new collaborative, titled the Buffalo Alliance for Sacred Places, was formed “to promote the preservation and appreciation of the art, architecture and history of Buffalo’s houses of worship.” The member organizations are First Presbyterian Church, Blessed Trinity Church, Corpus Christi Church, the Chapel at Forest Lawn Cemetery and the Buffalo Religious Arts Center. Each site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Buffalo Alliance sites have chosen to participate in The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s third annual Sacred Sites Open House Weekend on May 18-19, joining dozens of religious institutions throughout New York State in welcoming the public to special programming during this unique event, as follows:

Read full story—>

Spaghetti Dinner @ Corpus Christi Church June 9th

Dinner

Corpus Christi’s annual spaghetti dinner is on June 9th from 12pm-4pm prepared by CCC’s Chef John Moroz in the Sears Street Hall. Pre-sale prices for the dinner are $9 for adults and $7 for children under 12. Tickets will be available after all Masses on 5/26 and 6/2 or at rectory. Price is a dollar more at the door.

There will be 50/50 Split Drawings and Basket Raffles at the dinner.

This is a great way to support Corpus Christi! Bring your friends and family!

http://corpuschristibuffalo.org

Alive Photos of the Day: Polished Floors at Buffalo Central Terminal

(click on images for full view)

Sometimes I see photos that make me say WOW.  Such was the case yesterday when the Central Terminal’s Executive Director Marilyn Rodgers posted a couple pics of the Terminal’s recently polished floors on Facebook.

This is a press release the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation issued.

BUFFALO, NY – May 13, 2013 – A brighter look will greet visitors to the former rail terminal following a couple of projects planned for this week.

The terrazzo floors of Buffalo’s Central Terminal will shine once again courtesy of a local facility services company.

Pro2 Facility Services will thoroughly clean the 90 year old floor in the main concourse and apply a special restorative process to one section that will return the shine that hasn’t been seen in decades.
“The 30,000 square foot terminal’s terrazzo will be machine cleaned, which will uncover the unique design lost over the years due to oxidation,” states Ken Casseri, CEO of Pro2, “the floor’s brass caning will be highlighted while the aggregate colors that once glistened will re-appear . What will really be dramatic, though, is the visitors’ entrance, where we will apply a product that will completely make the floor come back to its Roaring ‘20’s splendor!”

Casseri’s company is donating the services to the Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, caretaker, owner and restorer of the iconic building.

Coinciding with the floor rejuvenation will be the installation of six new replication sconces. Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 71 Retirees have been working on the lighting fixtures that were removed fromthe building during its devastating abandonment in the 1990’s.

“These same men were nominated by Buffalo’s Young Preservationists and will be honored with a Preservation Award for their skill and work on these fixtures on May 31st at Kleinhans Music Hall. We will install the sconces Saturday, May 18th and hope to have them lit in time for our inaugural Hard Hat Tours starting Sunday, May 19th,” explains Terminal Corporation Executive Director Marilyn Rodgers. “Between the Main Concourse terrazzo being cleaned and groomed, the entrance lobby terrazzo reconditioned by Pro Squared, the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 71 Retirees replication of six additional Main Concourse sconces, and our Building Committee installing the sconces, visitors will witness even more of what travelers from the 30’s saw when they stepped foot inside our beloved Terminal,” concludes Ms. Rodgers.

Buffalo Central Terminal Hard Hat Tours are scheduled on May 19, June 2, June 9, July 14, and September 15 and last about one hour with overlapping tours between 11am– 4pm each day. Hard Hat Tours will vary from date to date and the visitor will be able to view behind-the-scenes renovations and work as it progresses throughout the season. All visitors must wear hard hats in the building during these tours andmay wear their own Hard Hats if desired. Hard Hats were donated by Emedco and Allied Building Supplies. If the visitor desires to purchase their hard hat at the end of the tour for $25 they will receive a 100% tax deductible donation of $25. Hard Hat Tour Tickets may be purchased in advance by going to http://hardhattours.bpt.me/.

Pro2 Facility Services is headquartered at 1780 Wehrle Drive, Suite 102 in Williamsville, NY. Their phone number is (716) 810-0200. Their website is www.prosquaredfacilityservices.com.

Thanks Marilyn for sharing!

For more Alive Photos of the Day, click here–>