So long, farewell

Today at 1:30 is the closing ceremony for the days of the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. The time capsule will be opened, photo contest winners announced.

The crowd will slowly disperse, looking back at a hole in the ground where the Aud once stood, its physical presence long gone, reduced to dust in the wind.

So long, farewell...



(speaking of the photo contest, there are some really nice pictures over on ShutterBugStroll by many photographers)

The Brisbane: Updating an Update

All I had to do was wait a day, but who knew the work on the Brisbane Building entryway would move so quickly?

Brisbane Building Update

Last month I had posted pictures showing a restoration in progress at the Brisbane Building adjacent to Lafayette Square in downtown Buffalo. Yesterday I noticed that the left corner of the entranceway has been uncovered completely:


Two men were up on a scaffold, gently at work on the other corner. One man taps away with a small mallet of some sort while the other holds his hands underneath to catch the chips of concrete, then deposits them in a bucket. Painstaking work. It doesn't appear to be a daily thing, although I did notice that the columns have become a bit more prominent somewhere along the line.


A bit of history originally published by Buffalo Place says that the building was designed by Milton E. Beebe and Son. A postcard found on Buffalo as a Historic Museum shows that there is an ornate side entrance buried too. Curious how most of the pictures feature the side facing Lafayette Square. Two architectural treasures in one, with the Hotel Lafayette in the left corner background, all facing the Soldiers and Sailors monument.


I'm looking forward to seeing exactly how much of the Brisbane Building is eventually restored.

Down on Main Street - Part 2

In today's Buffalo News there's an article about redeveloping the former AM&A's. In it there is a reference to the area largely pictured in yesterdays post:

"(Termini) said the AM&A’s project, the Statler Towers and the 500 block of Main Street should be priorities for redevelopment efforts downtown."

The 500 block and upper 400 is where I was roaming with my trusty camera. Later yesterday I added more pictures to the Down on Main Street post (go look), but I still have a few left.

Fast food tried to establish a presence on Main, but their business model - long hours at high volume- is at odds with the reality of downtown as it now exists. To their credit, McDonald's and Arby's (pictured below) built on the ground floor of established buildings, although it didn't work out in the long run.


Burger King had to have it their way and built new but with similar results. Built right across the side street from McDonald's, and a block away from Arby's, no one whined about competition then, crowding being the norm among this type of business.


McDonalds has been cleaned up and now houses an architectural firm I believe. Couldn't get a picture due to a crew digging up the sidewalk, but right next to it is a closed Christian Science Reading Room. Looks like a nice building. Perhaps there are plans in the work for it also.



Back to AM&A's...I'm assuming that that the "Bridge to Nowhere" will come down. After all, it wouldn't be cost effective to maintain it, as well as a security nightmare, so that higher end (as opposed to low income) apartment dwellers could shop at a dollar store in Main Place Mall.

Down on Main Street

Back when the story of James the Ice Creamcycle Dude first hit the news, a person from Buffalo Place claimed that mobile vendors (or at least this particular one) didn't fit into their vision. This drew a lot of raised eyebrows as in "they have a vision?" which Buffalo Pundit pictured accurately, at least as far as the area around Main Place goes.

After I took pictures in Main Place, I had set out to cover a few surrounding blocks. Nostalgia is everywhere, but much bears little resemblance to the glory years. For every success story there is a neglected disaster or two. Everyone is familiar with the buildings that were AM&A's and its warehouse on Washington.


In front of Coca-Cola Field (aka "the baseball stadium, whatever it's called now") on Main sits an abandoned cigar stand. But, all in all, that area didn't yield much decay.

Over on Pearl Street behind what used to be the Courtyard Mall (now home to a mental health facility), there is what used to be the back door of Ulbrich's. The art supplies area was right inside at one time. It's a bit eerie there, right next to the Convention Center. I quickly moved on.

Main Street itself is a mix of splendor and squalor, and not just the people. Baker Shoes still has a presence, although not one they should be proud of. Underneath the deteriorated awning sits a cultist hawking his wares.

Over by the Hyatt there's old fashioned street signage along with the Electric Tower (!) and the Gold Dome (!) that is now a different bank. There are also rows along both Main & Genesee of what were long time stores, abandoned now, even by the newer merchants that tried to make a go of it.



This should be a hot area, so what's the problem? Is it greedy landlords? Over officious city regulations and permits? Apathy? I'm not advocating demolition, but rather re-use. A ready market would seem to be there if the atmosphere improved a bit.

It's good to have a vision, because the reality isn't so pretty sometimes. Maybe Buffalo Place could work on that before cars are allowed on that part of Main. As things stand now they'll get to see what visitors that stay at the Hyatt glimpse as soon as they walk out the front door.


Wait! There's more...

Unused restaurant space that used to be called Ruby Tuesday, Ruby Reds...Ruby something:


Need to get away?


In the end, not all is doom and gloom (despite these photos of some low lights), but everything isn't coming up roses either. That vision thing still needs some work. That, and some more investors serious about the task in front of them, and the potential that awaits. Vision and action...

Inside the Aud and more

A while back I saw this interesting letter from the days of former Buffalo Sabre Alexander Molgilny on the blog of Roadwolf (click on the photo to enlarge):


That brings back some memories. Just a guess, but maybe this incident goes a long way in explaining Lindy Ruff's apparent negative mindset regarding Afinogenov and Russians in general. Maybe.

Anyway, Roadwolf has a lot of excellent pictures from inside the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium after deterioration had set in. This set at the link has old basketball hoops, old ticket booths, you name it. He has more at other links too, so make sure you check out the entire blog.

As an extra added attraction, he's also been to caves in Akron NY and documented it for all to see!

Forest Lawn Encounter

It was a nice day yesterday so I decided to go to Forest Lawn, since my previous visits had been in the dead of winter last year. When over near the area where some relatives are buried I found that I was not alone.


A deer seems to have taken up residence in one section. It was not afraid. In fact, if I'd had a treat it probably would have walked right up to me. As it was, it staked a claim to it's "spot" and wasn't leaving. I didn't challenge it either. However, it did listen to me chatter away at it without the slightest bit of interest, sort of like some humans.


As it turned out, I was a section over from where I intended to be, so we parted ways for the time being. Next time I'll have fresh batteries in my camera.

Fixin' a hole where the rain gets in

Supposedly Rich Products is going to fix the hole in the roof of the historic Breckenridge Street Church (also known as the Union Meeting House) built in 1827. Covering it with a tacky blue tarp would have been a nice touch, but perhaps that falls under the "who are we kidding about preventing weather damage" school of thought.

Looking at the church from Niagara Street, it certainly doesn't look like anything special, but looks can be misleading.


The church may well have been part of the Underground Railroad, since it sets near the river, a block away from Broderick Park at the foot of Ferry where Harriet Tubman allegedly passed through. It would need to be documented in order to receive federal funding however. Then again, maybe they weren't abolitionists. At any rate, it has an interesting history. Besides being a house of worship that attracted President Grover Cleveland and others, it was also used for a variety of other purposes, including as a detention center for Chinese trying to sneak over the border this way.

Historic preservation seems to matter most to the company/family when it can be written off as a business expense, like converting space for a bakery or offices. Makes sense from a financial point of view. Since the church is now listed as a warehouse, it is low priority. After all, they demolished the restaurant on the corner when it no longer fit the business plan. At least they rescued the "man on the corner" but in the process moved him inside in order to prevent vandalism. The corner looks barren.

At any rate, it would be nice to see the church spiffed up a bit and possibly open for tours. Yeah, keep dreaming...

Clarence Teacher: In Memory of Edward Schmidt

Clarence High School teacher Edward Schmidt passed away Thursday evening. He enriched young minds through social studies while his wife taught English down the hallway. Many of us can count as friends one of the Schmidt children, Eddie, Marilynn, Gregory, and Brian, all Clarence alumni. From the Buffalo News:

Edward A. Schmidt, a longtime teacher, arbitrator and mediator, died Thursday in Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Amherst, after a brief illness. He was 85.

Born in Lackawanna, Mr. Schmidt grew up in Bethlehem Park and South Buffalo and later served as a chief gunner's mate in the Navy during World War II. He was a graduate of Canisius College and a social studies teacher and coordinator at Clarence Central High School from 1953 to 1979.

Mr. Schmidt created the first black studies course for high school American Studies in New York State during the 1960s. In 1979, he was the first nonmusician at Clarence High School to be awarded the John Phillip Sousa Award for his role as "guess conductor" in conducting the school orchestra in the "William Tell Overture."

While teaching, he also ran the Edward A. Schmidt Insurance Agency. After retiring from teaching, he took on his third career as a labor relations arbitrator and mediator, and was active in that field at the time of his death.

He was on the arbitration rosters of the American Arbitration Association, New York State Public Employment Relations Board, New York State Employment Relations Board, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation, and belonged to various professional associations, including the Labor and Employment relations Association, serving as president in 1996-97. He was named the organization's Citizen of Year in 2005.

Mr. Schmidt was also a member of the board of directors and Executive Committee of the Better Business Bureau. He headed the Personnel Committee and served in several other capacities for more than 30 years. Mr. Schmidt enjoyed boating with his wife Claire and was a member of the Sandy Beach Yacht Club and served on the board of directors and as secretary.

He was an active parishioner of St. Amelia's Catholic Church in the Town of Tonawanda.

Mr. Schmidt will also be remembered for his integrity and compassion, commitment to his family and friends, his warm charismatic way, as well as his keen wit and sense of humor. Anyone who ever met him will never forget him.

Mr. Schmidt is survived by his wife of 19 years, the former Claire Tonge; three sons,Edward, Gregory and Brian; and a daughter, Marilynn.

A Mass of Christian Burial with military honors will be offered at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday June 9, 2009 in St. Amelia's Church, 2999 Eggert Road, Town of Tonawanda.


SCHMIDT - Edward A. June 4, 2009. Beloved husband of Claire (Tonge) Schmidt; dearest father of Edward C. Schmidt (Karen Johnson), Marilynn Schmidt, Gregory (Elizabeth) Schmidt and Brian (Michele) Schmidt; loving grandfather of Michael (Kerri) Ward, Kimberly (Clifford III) Evans, Andrew and Anthony Schmidt, Jeffrey and Jonathan Schmidt, Halle Schmidt, and Joe Clark; loving great-grandfather of Clifford Evans IV. You are invited to attend Edward's Funeral Mass with military honors on Tuesday at 11:30 AM at St. Amelia's Church, 201 St. Amelia Dr. at Eggert Rd., Tonawanda, NY. Expressions of sympathy may be directed to the American Cancer Society . The MASON-SITTNEWSKI FUNERAL HOME is assisting Ed's family.

The Mug

There have been numerous email warnings floating around, seemingly for years, about the dangers of plastics. The latest ones concentrate on plastic water bottles, especially endorsed by those that hate them. Before mindlessly sending them on a short Google search should be in order, but they still plant a seed of uncertainty.

Uncertainty - like looking at my travel mug (which only journeys from pot to work station) and wondering how safe it is. Heat and plastic are key buzzwords lately. I know there are different kinds of plastic but there's always some new rumors about the different numbers, and more to come, I'm sure.

Travel mugs have their own band of hysterical detractors that focus on the distraction aspect of it all. Best to stick to the traditional mug, like this Happy Gal one created by Clarence alumna '72 Catherine Massaro, available through Zazzle.

Like the way I merged a legitimate query with a plug for a friend? More on Cathy's art studio later...

Main Place

The original challenge, as discussed on the blog of Mary Kunz Goldman, was to take pictures inside Main Place Mall in downtown Buffalo. However that was soon replaced by an even bigger one - finding something, anything, to take a picture of, besides blank walls.

Before 8am it's pretty easy to walk through with an active camera since the security guards apparently haven't started yet. I purposely chose not to include those hustling through the building on the way to work elsewhere, but other than lunch time there isn't many more people there any other time either.

With so few stores there isn't much reason to make the Mall a destination. The site deadmalls.com gives Main Place a mention, although it's scarcely alone, even in WNY.

Main Place was built in 1968 and used to be busy, hard as that may be to believe. Of course Main Street still boasted AM&A's (which had a connecting walkway to the mall), Hengerers, Hens & Kellys, Woolworths (with a basement store too), Ulrichs Ulbrich's Stationary (with art supplies downstairs), and Bergers back then, with many more stores and restaurants in between.


I worked at Sattlers in the late 70's, which anchored one end of the mall while Erie County Savings Bank (the "Big E") was at the other. I was located right in the middle front of the Greenhouse food court. There used to be a Liberty Bank service window right next to the second floor entrance.


Sometimes as I'm passing through the mall I try to remember the names of businesses that used to be there and where they were situated. There were two main restaurants, both with outlets on each floor. The Milkie Way had the bar and full restaurant downstairs and a snack bar upstairs. JPease Pub was the opposite, although their version of casual dining downstairs still featured waitresses, I believe.

Shoe stores, including Bakers (which also had a store further up Main), Fathers and Sons, and Thom McCans, dominated the floor plan. Many trendy clothing stores were there also, like Gutmans, Casual Corner, The Limited. Rite Aid was there too, with an additional store a block up on Main that is still open, although they closed the lower portion down.

This version of "management" for Main Place Mall has seemed determined to empty it so that it can be used for telemarketing companies or other behind the scenes businesses. It has gone as far as to raise rents through the skylighted roof to drive tenants out that didn't fulfill their "vision", as empty as that is. Rumor had it that the main owners in NYC use it as a writeoff and have little incentive to attempt a return to vitality.

The "All About Buffalo" icon upstairs looks rather lonely, like "I stepped out of the nickel for this??"


The cars being removed from Main Street for the MetroRail did a lot to kill retail in downtown Buffalo, but the suburban malls were the original ones to rip the heart out. So even if cars return some day, there's still that. Then again, most of the grand old stores are gone, remaining only in memories.

Not all is dreary downtown. Many other blocks have something going on at various times. And when the weather is nice and the farmers market in progress and maybe a lunchtime concert in front of M&T, the sidewalks on Main get jammed. Where there's people there's hope.

Buffalo in the 1930's

The public works projects of the 1930's built much of what we take for granted today in the City of Buffalo and elsewhere. WGRZ did a nice piece on the results a few weeks ago:

Notable WPA Projects:

• Alden Sewage System installed
• New Amherst Schoolhouse
• Best Street Stadium
• Broadway Auditorium Renovation
• Buffalo's New Airport
• Centennial Park created
• Clearwater Reservoir
• County Park Improvements (Como, Chestnut Ridge, Sheridan, Emery)
• Delaware Avenue Improvements
• Elk Street Wading Pool
• Erie County Sewing Project
• Household Training Class
• Lovejoy Branch Library
• Manhattan Quarry
• 174th Regiment Armory overhaul
• Wales Center Burying Ground converted to modern cemetery
• "DeWitt Clinton's Ditch" - filled in a 5 mile ditch that was once the Erie Canal between Buffalo and Tonawanda
• Holland Town Hall
• Zoo Improvement
• Buffalo Public Library Renovation
• Demolition of Elmwood Music Hall
• Major Renovation of Buffalo Parks
• Riverside Park Renovation
• Topographical Survey of Niagara River and Lake Erie along Waterfront

The original focus of this newscast seems to be current federal stimulus money, however I found the photographs and history presented here fascinating on their own:

Ronald Sardina - RIP

Clarence alumnus ('95) Ronald Sardina has passed away. He also was a substitute physical education teacher in the Clarence Schools. From the Buffalo News:

Dec. 18, 1976—May 4, 2009

Ronald Christopher Sardina, who taught physical education at Clarence Central Schools and other schools, including Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, died Monday in his Clarence home after a battle with colon cancer. He was 32.

Mr. Sardina was born in Kenmore and graduated from Clarence High School in 1995. At Clarence, he was a white letter winner in the school’s bowling league.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Brockport State College in 1999 and founded the university’s roller hockey club.

Mr. Sardina was certified to teach in both Western New York and Florida. He taught physical education at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Orchard Park from 2000 to 2003, then moved to Jacksonville, Fla., where he taught first grade in the Duval County Public Schools until 2008. At Pineville Elementary in Jacksonville, he was grade-level chairman. He returned to Clarence to be a substitute teacher this school year.

Mr. Sardina is survived by his parents, Ronald and Ellen, and a sister, Lauren Stover.

His funeral will be at 10:30 a. m. Friday in The Chapel at CrossPoint, 500 CrossPoint Parkway, Getzville.

SARDINA - Ronald C. May 4, 2009, age 32; beloved son of Ronald W. and Ellen V. (nee Barker) Sardina; caring brother of Lauren E. (Andrew) Stover; adored uncle of Alexander J. Stover; dear nephew of Anne (Pat) Bono, John (Joann), Joseph (Susan), Frank (Connie) and Jerry (Beverly) Sardina; also survived by many cousins. The family will be present on Wednesday and Thursday from 2-4 & 7-9 PM at the (Harris Hill Chapel) AMIGONE FUNERAL HOME INC., 8440 Main St., Clarence. Funeral Services will be held on Friday from The Chapel at Crosspoint, 500 Crosspoint Parkway, Getzville at 10:30 AM. Friends invited. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Rons name to www.hockeyfightscancer.com. Share your condolences at www.AMIGONE.com.

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Erie County's Scanner Accuracy Law Revisited

When former County legislator Ray Dusza died recently few thought to mention that he was a champion for the Erie County Scanner Accuracy Law. Maybe the newspeople thought it was no longer in effect or deemed it irrelevant. They would be wrong.

From an old site of the Bureau of Weights and Measures (new site under construction):

"In Erie County, we enforce provisions of Local Law 7 (1997). At all establishments, which were granted a waiver from item pricing, the store is required to pay out a 'super refund' when a pricing error occurs. This is 10 times the amount of the error, not less than $1 or more than $10, plus the amount of the error. They are required to properly fill out the County's Price Discrepancy Report and give a copy to the consumer."

On February 18, 2008 I wrote about one of my frustrating experiences in questioning a store's scanner accuracy. It devolved into a show of dishonestly, in my opinion, even though I was legitimately mistaken. It could have been handled much much better.

Others have faced rudeness and hostility on occasion (the store faces penalties for errors). One woman emailed me about an experience at a supermarket in which she ended up leaving the entire cart of groceries because of the way her complaint was handled. I've been there. One recent commenter was told by the manager that he had never heard of the law. He must be new in retail management.

Any store that has applied for a waiver from item pricing must have a sign posted (click photo to enlarge). I also saw a permit at a downtown store that was kind enough to allow me to photograph the signs (poorly and with my image reflected). Hard to do with constant traffic in the doorway and also a friend passing through who stopped to talk and comment "What are you DOING?", but I managed :)

I called the Bureau of Weights and Measures myself yesterday and they reaffirmed that the law is still in effect. However not every item falls under this law and there are exemptions. They also said that anyone with any questions and/or complaints should call their office at 716-825-1310.

The Bureau exists to ensure that scales, gas pumps, scanners, and other things that we tend to take for granted are accurate. They're the best!

It's All About People

The month of May has been declared "Love Knows No Boundaries" month in WNY. The best explanation for the emotion connected with the title of the song comes from one of the widows:

“My husband isn’t here to tell me he loves me, but love knows no boundaries.”

There have been various fundraisers already connected with the Crash of Flight 3407. Some have been for the benefit of the families of the victims and those from Long Street. Still others are for a memorial to serve as a focus for grief and to honor the departed.

It's understandable that many realize that the ideal time to raise money for a memorial is close to the event when many just want to Do Something. The fundraisers also serve as a community healing of sorts. However, much like the laudable idea of an Extreme Makeover replacement house, things get murky when it comes to actually implementing things on other people's property.

The site of the crash is privately owned, and Karen Wielinski has already stated that she never wants a house to rebuilt there. Even if she is in favor of a permanent memorial there, there are maintenance and liability issues. It's the same even if the Town or a larger government were able to obtain the land. The lot next door is also vacant now. No word on their plans either.

Even if something were to be erected on the grounds of the Clarence Center Volunteer Fire Company at the gateway to Long Street or on the Four Corners a block away, many are going to want to go to The Spot. That's a fact, whether people are comfortable with that or not. There are still barricades on the entrances to Long Street and No Parking signs where none existed three months ago. They need to come down.

Many of the people of Clarence Center, especially those who have lived there their entire long lives, sincerely and understandably just want things to go back to the way they used to be. Not going to happen. The best thing is to move forward, and that includes a memorial. The location to be determined at a later date needs to balance between the needs and rights of those of the area and those coming to pay tribute, or (to be perfectly honest) to sightsee. Tough job.

Carl Schlager - RIP

Clarence alumnus Carl Schlager passed away suddenly April 30, 2009. Rest in peace. Condolences to the family, members of which I count as friends. From the Buffalo News:

SCHLAGER - Carl J. Sr. Age 64, of Akron, NY, suddenly April 30, 2009. Beloved husband of Lynda A. (nee Czarniak) of Akron; loving father of Donna (Joseph) Sawyer of Clarence, Carl (Tammy) Schlager Jr. of Akron, Dawn Sawyer (Greg) of Getzville, John Schlager at home and Denise (Adam) Reeb of Lockport; son of Frances Schalger of Clarence and the late Robert Schlager; brother of Robert J. Schlager of Clarence, Mary (Scott) Hemperly of Lockport and Randy A. (Suzanne) Schlager of Clarence; grandfather of Leonard Jr., Joseph Jr., Amanda, Amber, John Jr., Katelyn, Jenna and Julia; also survived by several nieces, nephews and many dear friends.

The family will be present Sunday, May 3rd from 2-4 and 7-9 PM to receive friends in the BERNHARDT FUNERAL HOME, 130 Main St., Akron. Friends are invited to join the family for funeral services on Monday, May 4th at 11 AM in the First Baptist Church of Clarence, 10790 County Rd., Clarence. Burial in Clarence Center Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to the church of which Carl was a member. He also was a member of the International Harvester Club Chapter #35 and the WNY Gas and Steam Engine Association.

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The Peace Bridge Neighborhood

When discussing the homes in the Peace Bridge neighborhood the Peace Bridge Authority and its supporters frequently deride it, claiming that it's run down. That may be so - now - but the PBA itself is the main slumlord, having gleaned passive destruction techniques from viewing other neighborhoods overwhelmed by indifference. It is their buildings that are constantly highlighted when maligning the area, not the many treasures (for example, top photo).

So what came first - chicken or egg? Neglect or the PBA? From National Trust for Historic Preservation:

"While various Peace Bridge expansion plans have been proposed and debated for almost 20 years, the scale and destructiveness of this latest proposal is staggering. In order to increase the existing bridge plaza footprint from 14 to 38 acres and to accommodate a Duty Free shop, visitor's center and extensive network of new ramps and roadways, the plan calls for the demolition of more than 90 homes, including at least 9 National Register eligible properties; the elimination of streets; the clear cutting of trees; and, the permanent alteration of scenic lake views. Hundreds of residents would be displaced, several businesses would be relocated and dozens of historic buildings would be adversely affected through the loss of context and profound visual alterations."

In my opinion, the PBA has singlehandedly devalued a beautiful area, and has done so with malice. In writing this quickly I'm only going to link to one other article from one source, but there are many more out there. From Art Voice:

"(Al) Coppola emphatically tied to the enforcement of housing ordinances what he described as the authority’s irresponsible neglect of seven homes on Busti Avenue, near the bridge approaches, that were purchased 13 years ago. He brought photos of several of these, including the circa 1865 Col. S. H. Wilkenson house at 771 Busti, which has fallen into such a condition of disrepair that its survival is threatened, he told committee members.
Coppola drew members’ attention to a picture of the house at 730 Columbus Parkway, once home to Mariano Lucca, who lobbied the US Congress to designate Columbus Day a national holiday. Lucca’s son has been trying to sell the house for a couple of years but has been unable to because it’s within the area designated by the authority for demolition of all structures. Describing the authority’s stewardship of its currently owned properties as “devastating to the neighborhood,” Coppola asked committee members “If we’re going to enforce building codes, why should we exempt the Public Bridge Authority?”

Interestingly enough, I think that the trashed out Peace Bridge Exposition Center (in a previous life), which is easily visible from the Niagara section of the Thruway, is no longer in a reconstruction zone. The PBA probably owns that too. (update: has been demolished)

Buffalo History - Books

One of the first books I read that involved the history of Buffalo, that caught my attention and kept it, was actually a work of fiction. City of Light by Lauren Belfer takes place in the setting of the Pan American Exposition in 1901 and radiates throughout the City of Buffalo. It was my first introduction to historical figures such as Mary Talbert and Louise Bethune, among many others.

I wanted to know more, but I know my attention span. It may be a form of heresy, but I really don't care about the architecture. What gives the buildings life, in my opinion, is the people that occupied them and the events that took place.

During the past year I have finally gotten around to reading a few books on varying aspects of the history of Buffalo. While I will look at books of photographs, I won't buy them, except for the one about Forest Lawn. It helps tracking down the monuments to know what they look like (and why the person was important).

In no particular order, here are Buffalo books I've read and recommend (via links to previous posts mostly):

City on the Edge by Mark Goldman - Covers the time from 1900 to present and explores the development of the culturals and and the growing pains of City government, including the ever present need to demolish and build something new (preferably funded by federal dollars). Goldman has written 2 other books that I know of, High Hopes and City on the Lake, but I started here. For some reason or other I never wrote about it (but I meant to!), so you'll have to make do with Amazon.

America's Crossroads by Michael Vogel, Edward Patton, and Michael Redding - Out of print / available only through the library or on someones bookshelf; I also did a preliminary writeup when I first learned about it.

The Last Fine Time by Verlyn Klinkenborg

Coming of Age in Buffalo by William Graebner

I Never Looked For My Mother by Joe Ritz

998 by Mike Rizzo, who also wrote Through the Mayors' Eyes (City of Buffalo 1832-2005)

Hooded Knights on the Niagara by Shawn Lay

Inventing Niagara by Ginger Strand - Niagara Falls history, but it's interesting; close counts.


On deck, Shades of Justice by Paul Krehbiel (also available at the History Museum) - a coming of age memoir which takes place in Buffalo during the late 60's, early 70's.


This took longer than I thought, and I haven't even touched sports history, or the tons of books I haven't read yet. I probably forgot some too. Check out the Buffalo Historical Society bookstore, BuffaloBooks, any old bookstore, or even the library. Happy reading!

Clarence Teacher - In Memory of Alice Bachmann

Those of us who had Mrs. Bachmann for gym at Clarence Center Elementary remember her for her enthusiasm and dedication to bringing out our well hidden athletic abilities. Others recall her as dedicated to her children and their various pursuits in life. She was all that and more. RIP.

BACHMANN, Alice Elizabeth (nee: Thies), 89, of Otterbein-Lebanon, OH and formerly of Clarence NY died Wednesday March 25, 2009. Born November 13, 1919 in the Town of Pomfret, NY to Elmer and Amy (nee: Kerr) Thies, she was a graduate of Cortland State Teachers College in New York. She retired from Clarence Central Schools in New York after over 20 years as a physical education teacher. She was a member of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Lebanon OH and an active volunteer at Otterbein-Lebanon Retirement Community.

Preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Karl Bachmann, survivors include two daughters, Betsy (Doug) Fields of Cincinnati, OH and Kathe “Susie” (Dave) Ruch of Old Fort, NC, one brother, Charles Thies of Fairfax, VA, sister, Dorothy Kelly of Lakewood, OH, three grandsons, Karl Ruch and Josh and Nick Fields, one granddaughter, Beth Stockel, two great grandsons, Pierce and Keaton Ruch, and one great granddaughter, Madelynn Stockel.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 4th at 11am at the Resurrection Lutheran Church, 1270 N. Broadway St, Lebanon OH.

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Arrangements by the Oswald-Hoskins Funeral Home, Lebanon.

Two Towns in One - Part 1

A while back there was a column in the Buffalo News about Long Street in Clarence Center. It contained this observation:

"Long Street is not what many consider a “typical” Clarence neighborhood, not that there is such a thing, anyway. The houses are older, not very large, and are close to the street, which barely accommodates two cars heading in opposite directions."

Actually that description is exactly what I think of when referring to Clarence, not the Beverly Hills 14032 et al version that many seem to conjure up, even among some of those that live there. If one were to concentrate on getting from here to there without detouring through any of the many subdivisions, the traditional part of town is pretty much all one sees, with an occasional bigger house (that desperately needs fast growing trees) appearing by the side of the road.

Therein also lies a split within the town, with each barely aware of the other in real time. Those who think everyone in town is upper middle class or wealthy most likely just zip down the main roads without a much of a thought towards those who live in the "little houses", while those of more modest means rarely meander through all those rapidly spouting enclaves that house those with different expectations.

Meanwhile the elected officials must try to the best of their ability to represent all the townspeople. Some seem to cover their eyes and hope for the best, others try to reach out to all, and still others alienate with little effort.

More on another day...