Archive for the ‘B-F People’ Category
Opłatek and Kolęda
St. Stanislaus Church
368 Peckham St. near Fillmore
Buffalo, N.Y. 14212
January 15th, 2012, 12pm
Down on the Farm: What’s Going on and a Recipe
Find out what the Wilson Street Urban Farm has been up to with a couple of new posts they have by clicking here—>
WGRZ Video – Honey Liqueur: A Christmas Tradition
Read written version of story on WGRZ website—>
(Story by B-F’s own Andrew Golebiowski)
Buffalo News: Memorial dedicated to homeless who have died on the streets
A memorial for the homeless who have died on the streets in Western New York was unveiled Wednesday at the Matt Urban Hope Center. Sharon Cantillon / Buffalo News
Local advocates for the homeless Wednesday launched the longest night of the year with the unveiling of a memorial dedicated to those who have died on the streets merely for lack of adequate shelter.
The outdoor memorial rests in the earth at Memorial and Paderewski drives, just feet from the Matt Urban Hope Center, where Karen Carman serves as director. During Wednesday’s service, which included a candlelight vigil, Carman described homelessness as a social tragedy.
“We have men, women, children, veterans, the elderly homeless, [all] living on the street. We have people with mental disease living outside unable to fend for themselves,” said Carman.
Buffalo News: Response to Love Center reaches out to the poor
Sister Mary Johnice Rzadkiewicz and John Reed share a laugh over a singing moose during Christmas dinner in the Response to Love Center on Kosciuszko Street. - Derek Gee / Buffalo News
Twenty-six years ago, when Sister Mary Johnice Rzadkiewicz was studying at a Philadelphia seminary, Mother Teresa came to town, and the two women sat at the same lunch table.
“Mother, do you think I could come to Calcutta?” Sister Mary Johnice asked. “I want to learn how to work with the poor.”
“She looked at me and said, ‘Little sister, go back to your neighborhood. Find your Calcutta there.’”
That’s exactly what Sister Mary Johnice did.
Buffalo Rising: The R&L Lounge
(By Bernice Radle – Buffalo Rising) Have you ever been to, or heard of, the R&L Lounge on Buffalo’s East Side? Do you have any idea what the East Side of Buffalo once held, as far as small businesses, community centers, tight-knit neighborhoods? Have you read the “Last Fine Time” by Verlyn Klinkenborg?
Kolędy Night to benefit the Response to Love Center – 12/17/2011
(Video from 2010)
Kolędy Night will feature Polka music by the New Direction Band and traditional Polish and American Christmas sing-a-longs featuring the Saint John Kanty Choir and the Response to Love Center Trio made up of Sisters Johnice, Catherine and Rose.
A special guest appearance will be made by Dave Gawronski.
Kolędy Night takes place at Potts Banquet Hall, 694 S. Ogden St., Buffalo. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and admission is $10.
Music will be from 7 to 11 p.m. with the Kolędy sing-a-long at 7:30 p.m. A buffet dinner for just $6.95 per person will be served from 6 to 7 p.m. There will also be special raffles and door prizes.
To make a table reservation call Sister Johnice at 894-7030 or Danny Potts at 826-6575.
Audio: Report from Public Meeting Concerning Potential Closure of Broadway-Fillmore Station
As sometimes happens in my BFA world, I forgot to grab my video camera for the public meeting regarding the post office. I did have however have my audio recorder with me.
The above audio is of Buffalo’s Postmaster, John Phelan. He lays out the problems facing the United States Postal Service and why the Broadway-Fillmore Station is under review to determine if it should close.
About twenty people were at the meeting. I spoke along with other people from the neighborhood.
The reoccurring message most of the public sent is how important the post office is to the community and the business district.
Patra Mangus…a neighborhood resident who also works in B-F and is a member of the Broadway Area Business Association, spoke at the meeting wrote this in her letter to the editor of the Buffalo News:
This is a very old community. Most residents rely on public transportation. Being a less desirable neighborhood, mostly low-income people live here. Like most communities, we deal with criminals who prey on the weak and elderly. The post office tells us to use the main office on William Street, which is not a practical solution. It would take two buses and $3.50 bus fare for me to check on my mail in my post office box. And even that location is part of planned closings.
Many of our older residents remember the Great Depression and don’t trust banks. Having a post office box allows them to receive their check, in their hands, instead of direct deposit in a bank. They purchase money orders to pay their bills and mail them—all at the post office. They don’t have to worry about their check being stolen from their mailbox on the house.
The post office should also take into consideration its carriers, who slog through unshoveled sidewalks and past vacant buildings, drug dealers and aggressive dogs. The more mail being put into the post office boxes, the less likely a carrier will be injured in a fall or endangered in some other way.
I appreciate the dilemma the post office is in, but the potential damage to our community is much too great to allow the Broadway Fillmore Station to close.
When I had the opportunity to speak, I spoke of how the decision to close the post office can’t solely be based dollars and cents (the Broadway-Fillmore Station isn’t losing money by the way) and that the intangible benefits to the neighborhood and business district need to be taken into consideration. A post office being open means a lot to a neighborhood like Broadway-Fillmore which has seen its share of decline over the years. Closing it works against its residents, people, organizations and businesses working hard to change things in the neighborhood.
I encourage you to give your input and ask the USPS not close the Broadway-Fillmore Station by writing to:
Facility Optimization Coordinator
United States Postal Service
1200 William St. Rm 205
Buffalo, NY 14240-9345
