Challenger Community News

Photo by Yves Richard Blanc

Rochester's Summer Soul Music Festival is Back with A New Location in The Heart of Downtown!

Getready for two days of Summer Soul at the 27th annual Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival bringing some heavy hitters as well as locals to the stage on Friday and Saturday August 18 and 19!

The fest will be held at a new location, Parcel 5, in the heart of downtown with a new lower general admission price of just $25!

This years event is produced by Xperience Live Events with hosts Jazzy T. and DJ Flava as stage general.

The fest kicks off at 5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 18 with performances by the Eastman School of Music, Anthony Dounte, NA$A Family, Jimmie Highsmith Jr. featuring Prince O and Chi the Realist, Adina Howard, Troop, and Big Daddy Kane.

On Saturday August 19 the fest continues at 5 p.m. with performances by the Eastman School of Music, Rod Bonner, Top 5, Mambo Kings, Yo-Yo, Kid ‘n Play, and SILK

Mayor Evans says, “The Rochester Summer Soul Music Fest is one of the premier Soul and R&B music festivals in the Northeast and the perfect conclusion to the events season here in Rochester Both days will have local food, drinks, and merchandise for sale. This years fest was made possible by the sponsorship of Wegmans, Constellation Brands, and MVP Health Care

General Admission One day-$25 , Two-day bundle - $39. More ticket options and purchases can be found on rocsummersoulfest.com, or in person, without the online fees, at the Rochester Broadway Theatre League Box Office, 885 E. Main Street.

Rochester Black Arts Council Hosts Major Exhibit During Month of August

Nowthru August 31 join The Rochester Black Arts Council during the entire month as they host a monumental exhibition “DEAD & UNDERGROUND THEY THOUGHT THEY BURIED US BUT THEY FORGOT WE WERE SEEDS,” dedicated to events such as Black August, The Black Arts Movement, The Harlem Renaissance amongst a plethora of ground shaking events that occurred in the month of August.

Housed in the Joy Gallery and Sheppard Studio located at 498 West Main Street, Rochester New York, these movements in our collective story made way for Art to speak to the souls of melinated people across the Americas.

Giving us a new breath of fresh air and a refined outlook of who we are and our mission of responsibility to community upliftment, RBAC is looking forward to creating a feeling of self-love and knowledge of self. From the experiences of the Watts riots, the death of Emmitt Till, the massive political explosion of the Black Panthers, each artist will create new pieces pulling from the fire of the everlasting message of Malcolm X, to the power of the pen with masters such as Amiri Baraka and phenomenal musicians such as Maxx Roach and Abbey Lincoln.

For more information on the series of programming or to reserve space follow THE ROCHESTER BLACK ARTS COUNCIL on Facebook.

BLOOD AT THE ROOT a New Production at Avenue Blackbox Theatre

Directed by Reenah Golden , the Artistic Director, Avenue Blackbox Theatre , this striking new Hip Hop theatre ensemble drama is based on the true story of Jena Six (2007); six Black students who were initially charged with attempted murder for a school fight after being provoked with nooses hanging from a tree on campus.

“Zackity Zack The Cat Sparkles His Teeth” Free Book Giveaway Event for Children and Families at the Phyllis Wheatley Community Library This Weekend!

Local author Karen Ward-Wilder and her committee will present an upcoming free, fun and educational event on Saturday, August 12 from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m., at the Phillis Wheatley Community Library, at 33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way.

During the event Ms. Ward-Wilder will feature her new Children's book, "Zackity Zack the Cat, Sparkles His Teeth," for a book reading and signing. Several children will join her in reading the book and each household with children will receive a complimentary copy. In addition, each child will receive a free school backpack and a toothbrush and toothpaste to sparkle their teeth, like "Zack the Cat!"

Children and families can enjoy delicious free BBQ and hotdogs and other delicious food. There will also singing and dancing to the Zackity Zack the Cat book series theme song. The music was produced by Rochester’s own, music producer, Darryl Cathey with World Dignity Records.

Mr. Cathey is among a core group of Rochester entrepreneurs and friends for twenty years who came together to help Karen Ward-Wilder develop her new children’s book and audio book. They include Deborah White-Green, Shirley Freeman, Rick Osborne and Tony Burris.

Although the event is free, pre-registration is required by Friday, August 11. To Pre-Register, Email: Karenwilder117@yahoo.com

This bold new play by Dominique Morisseau (Sunset Baby, Detroit '67, Skeleton Crew) examines the miscarriage of justice, racial double standards, class, gender, homophobia as well as the crises in human and racial relations that contribute to the fragile state of education and Black family life.

The play runs Friday, August 18 @ 6:30p.m., Saturday August 19 @2:00p.m. and Saturday, August 19 @6:30p.m. for tickets go to avenuetheatre.org

L iv e E very Saturday Morning 8 am - 9 am WLGZ HD2 The Beat 105.SFM A fast paced Live Call-In Sports Talk Show With Local, Regional and National Guests Call In 585-595-1055

Facebook, Twitter: @radman

AREA BRIEFS

ROSWELL RESPONDS

Recently Released Diversity Report Paints A Disturbing Picture of Bias and Discrimination Issues at the Hospital, But Three Women in Top Positions Say They Are Committed To Work For Change

How Do You Want Them to Be Remembered?

Your Opinion Counts! Last Public Meeting of The 5/14 Memorial Commission is August 15!

There's still time! Residents can share their opinions on the development of the 5/14 Memorial. The third public meeting is set to take place Tuesday, August 15 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center, 1095 Jefferson at Best.

Along with the public meetings, there is a 5/14 survey, where the public will have a chance to weigh-in on what the 5/14 Memorial will look like, where it will be located, and what theme it will have. How do you want the victims and survivors of the racist fueled mass shooting at Tops Market on May 14, 2022 to be remembered? For example, would you like to see a physical monument , a mural, a plaque? Outside? Inside? Near Tops? In a park? Another location? What should the theme of the memorial be? Remembrance? Love? Healing? Should it be connected historically to other racist massacres of African Americans in America? YOUR OPINION COUNTS!

To access the survey, scan the QR code with your phone's camera. Also, for more information about the commission and meetings visit www.5l4memorial.com.

GHANA TOUR AND FUNDRAISING MEETING

The next meeting of the upcoming Ghana Tour will be held at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church at 226 Cedar Street Saturday August 12 from 11.a.m.-2p.m. The event will be catered. Come and learn more about our building project for our youth and information about the tour to Ghana in November 2023

Unity In The Community Day

Back to Basic and TOP Enterprises Inc. is hosting a Unity In The Community - Family Fun Day Saturday, August 26 from 12noon to 5p.m. on Jefferson between Best & North Street featuring book bags, clothing, Food giveaways, games, prizes , free raffles and fun for everyone.

By Nanette D. Massey

It is no secret that Roswell Park Cancer Institute has a questionable reputation with Buffalo’s Black community as a place to work. They have been plagued with no less than fifteen federal lawsuits in the last eight years alleging overt gender, disability, and racebased bias and overt racist language despite declarations in their public media of diversity and inclusion.

In 2021, Roswell commissioned the law firm of Cozen O’Connor to conduct an independent diversity report. Their findings, which were just recently released, seemed to vindicate Black Buffalo’s underground rumblings. Black physicians and janitors divulged an atmosphere of “endemic hostility,” and a confusing, at times contradictory, system of reporting problems.

To address the issues, the report recommended creating the office of Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. To that end, attorney Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney was named to that position. Formally Buffalo’s deputy mayor, she also served as the city’s Chief Diversity Officer, and in the same position at Buffalo State University. Leecia Eve, also an attorney and Buffalo native, was promoted to Board Chair.

Are these two Black women window dressing, or is Roswell truly prepared to make the top-down changes their culture requires to recover the Black community’s trust?

Roswell wants Buffalo to recognize the voluntary commission of the Cozen O'Connor report as a brave move of introspection. Still it begs the question, why only after Roswell’s habitus became so dire?

“I have to say that I really had rose colored glasses," said Roswell's CEO, Dr. Candace Johnson,. "I think I was somewhat naive to the issues and problems, quite honestly. People rarely tell the CEO and if they do, they’re telling you what they want you to hear.” The report gives senior management the chance “to take an honest look at our past… the good, the bad and the ugly, where we are today, and how do we go forward.”

“I was troubled, disturbed, by some of the things I read but, frankly, as a woman of African descent, I actually was not surprised,” said Attorney Eve. The specific allegations brought to light were new, “but the fact that minorities and women weren’t feeling supported, that’s no surprise anywhere. Roswell is no exception to the rule with respect to the work that all organizations have to do.”

She and Dabney point out their new elevated status shows the level of priority Roswell is now prepared to give Black perspectives in the leadership realm.

It took Roswell months to make the report accessible. But there was no intent to bury it, they say. It was meant as an internal guide for their own benefit. Eve says the board finally decided “we need to build up a level of trust both internally and externally. If all [the public] reads is in the paper then it’s left to conjecture and assumptions if they’re not hearing from us.” She also wanted to send a clear message to employees who’ve come forward that “we’re not playing around,” that their input was meaningful and accounted for.

We asked Dabney what accomplishments during her time as a city official forecast what we can expect from her? She noted among other things, that she reached out to area

Marcus Garvey organized the United States' first Black nationalist movement. In the years following World War I, he urged Black Americans to be proud of their identity. Garvey enjoyed a period of profound Black cultural and economic success, with the New York City neighbourhood of Harlem as the movement's mecca.

Marcus

Mosiah Garvey, one of the most influential 20th Century Black nationalist and PanAfricanist leaders, was born on August 17, 1887 in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. Greatly influenced by Booker T. Washington’s autobiography Up From Slavery, Garvey began to support industrial education, economic separatism, and social segregation as strategies that would enable the assent of the “black race.”

In 1914, Garvey established the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Kingston, Jamaica, adopting Washington’s inspirational phrase “Up, you mighty race; you can conquer what you will.” By May of 1917, Garvey relocated the UNIA in Harlem and began to use speeches and his newspaper, The Negro World, to spread his message across the United States to an increasingly receptive African American community. His major au-

MARCUS GARVEY

TOP POSITIONS: From left Roswell Park Cancer Institute Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney, the hospital's CEO Dr. Candace Johnson, and Board Chair Leecia Eve. Photo Yves-Richard Blanc.

THE SUMMER GOSPEL EXPLOSION

FAITH & FAMILY Islamic Cultural Center of Niagara Falls Open House

Return of the New Kings of Harmony presents Summer Gospel Explosion Sunday August 20 at 4p.m. at the Greater Royal Church 1335 Clinton Street. The event will feature Living Waters, St. James Praise Dancers, New Kings of Harmony, Brouce Myles, Daughter of Destiny, Gospel Diamond and special guest performance by The New Gospel Times of Rochester NY. AI Wilson will be the M.C. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children. Doors open at 3p.m. and program begins at 4:30 p.m. sharp. For more info call Clarence Rodolph at 716 322-5329.

Healing and Deliverance Conference

This is God’s Ministry will hold a Healing and Deliverance Conference Friday and Saturday August 18-19 at Harvest House Church 1782 Seneca Street. Guest speakers include Apostle Joseph Hagley of Baltimore, Friday August 18 and Apostle Jessica Gant of Buffalo, Saturday August 19. For information contact Elder Nee Nee at (716)9947059.

Imam Dr. Mohammed Agwa invites the community to The Islamic Cultural Center of Niagara Falls Open House on Saturday, August 19 from 2- 5 p.m., 2843 Niagara Falls Bd., Niagara Falls. The theme is “Islam & The Future of Humanity." For more information call (716)310-0970 or (716)957-3758

NEWLYWEDS: Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Davis! The happy newlyweds were photographed after taking their wedding vows on July 12 by Challenger Photographer Darvin Adams at Canalside.

The 35th Annual Original Taking It To The Streets Rally and Festival is Back Full Force!

Saturday August 19 and Sunday August 20 occupying the entire Martin Luther King Park TAKING IT TO THE STREETS is back with a full two days of performances and activities that start 11am throughout the entire day until park closing time.

The stage will be active with both national artists like #1 on the billboard charts is Kim Person also gracing our city will be Denita Gibbs, Kea Michaels, Half Mile Home, and Truly Committed, along with Buffalo’s own Nia Badger, Reba Baldwin, Henri Star Muhammad, Sam Soul, Marchon Hamilton, and Niagara Music Hall of Fame artist. Also in the house will be Moe Badger, Mater Experience Band, The WAZ Band, Steven Young ,Jimmy Smith, Kase Klosed, Carol Milhouse, T. Ferg, Pastor Tara , Praise Team, Solar The Communities Daughter and many more. The stage will also consist of praise, drill dancers, live bands inspira tional speakers and DJ’S. Music Director this year will be Mr. Anthony Collins.

“It has truly been an extremely rough and challenging 3years but TAKING IT TO THE STREETS is back full force, continuing to fulfill our mission statement to our communities. Giving GOD all the glory and praise for his keeping power. 2020 was a virtual year for everyone, 2021 many events remained virtual and so did TAKING IT TO THE STREETS. 2022 we came back cautiously with a half-sized production. 2023 we are back to full capacity. Individuals are traveling from Las Vegas, Indiana, Atlanta, Virginia, Ohio and Canada to participate and enjoy the event." said Anita Williams who created the event.

The Kids Zone with administrator Tammy Lee, assisted by Mr. Lennie Lane will have wonderful activities including backpack toys book give a ways, games and visits from various Super Heroes , Albright Knox, and the UB school of science, and a new addition is Peaceful Rides which connects children of all economic backgrounds to horse farms/stables and preparing them for professional competitions.

“Our Prayer tent with results remains active throughout the event with spiritually mature, founded and dedicated individuals, ready to address all prayer needs. Certainly, the one of many things that we all have in common is the need for PRAYER! “Williams said. There will be a vendor alley serving up a variety of food and merchandise and the Taking It To The Streets Health and Awareness Tent is back to full capacity many different organizations are participating, bringing much needed preventative information, testing’s, and giveaways Covid vaccines will also be available. The Adult Edu. organization will be giving away easy to use Ipads and phones for seniors.

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS media sponsors include: WUFOmix 1080am/ Power 96.5. The Challenger News, WDAP radio, WBBZTV, The Buffalo Criterion, Shots Fired Photos, LCH. A Heartfelt Thank you to True Bethel Baptist Church, Bishop Darius Pridgen, Bethesda World Harvest, Bishop & First Lady Badger, Sword of the Spirit Church, Miracle Mission Church, Fellowship World, Mr. & Mrs. Mark & Jodie Weber, and Ms. Cheryl Marbel.

Major community sponsor Tops Friendly Markets. Others include Cedarland Corp. 1199 SEIU, The witness Project, ECMC, Colvin Cleaners, Salvators Grand, Independent Health, Sheas, National Grid, Kaleida Health, Roswell Park, Best Self, KeyBank, Bank on Buffalo, Seneca Niagara, Ciminelli, Lombardo Funeral Home and National Fuel.

Special blessings and thank you to our Political Sponsors. Thank you to my husband and greatest supporter Mr. Dillard Williams Jr.

Get ready for an awesome time bring your Lawn chair and your appetite. For inquiries call 716 -5071931.

Free event.

THE PRICE REPORT Willie A. Price

PROJECT PLAY:

It was a great Night for Niagara Track and Field Club and Project Play recently when the Club hosted the Project Play Summer Youth Development Meet at NFHS.

Thanks to the Niagara Track: Coaches, Parents and Elite Youth who came out to support our youth track program. Special-Special Thank you to our Biggest Supporter Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino and the NF Police who came out to meet, greet and speak to our residents and guest. There were several youth who never competed who came out and had a good time. There were youth who often compete that had a good time.

My Elite Youth: Nicholas, Will, Joseph, Gianna, Jacob, Zariah, & Kaliyah you guys are the greatest. Thank you!

Founder Anita O. Williams

HEALTH MATTERS Why Sugar Is Bad for Your Health

The single largest source of calories for Americans comes from sugar—specifically high fructose corn syrup. Just take a look at the sugar consumption trends of the past 300 years:

•In 1700, the average person consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.

•In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.

•In 1900, individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.

•Today more than 50 percent of all Americans consume onehalf pound of sugar PER DAY —translating to a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!

Sugar is loaded into your soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, and hidden in almost all processed foods. And now most infant formula has the sugar equivalent of one can of CocaCola, so babies are being metabolically poisoned from day one of taking formula.

Here are some of the unhealthy effects of sugar on the body:

1. Sugar causes glucose levels to spike and plummet. Unstable blood sugar can leave you experiencing mood swings, fatigue, and headaches. It also contributes to cravings, which begins the cycle of false hunger.

2. Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

3. Your immune function can be affected by sugar.

4. A high-sugar diet can lead to chromium deficiency.

Chromium, a trace mineral, helps regulate blood sugar in the body.

5. Sugar accelerates aging.

Sugar can also mess with your skin by contributing to wrinkles and sagging. After sugar hits your bloodstream, it attaches to proteins.

6. Sugar causes tooth decay.

7. Sugar can cause gum disease, which can lead to heart disease.

8. Sugar affects cognition in children.

9. Sugar increases stress.

10. Sugar takes the place of important nutrients.

ROSWELL continued fom page 3

Afrochick’s Yoga in the Garden Classes

The 3rd annual Afrochick’s Yoga In The Garden class series at the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House, 125 Jewett Parkway, continues this Saturday, August 12 at 10 a.m. with Power Yoga Flow, beginner based strengthening yoga flow with sound bowl meditation.

Remaining classes include Chakra Yoga Flow Thursday, August 17 at 6 p.m. energy opening yoga flow with special guest Danielle Byrd of Long Life Yoga. Kids Yoga wraps up the series Thursday, August 31. Kids yoga includes activities, games and meditation for kids ages 4 and older (parents and guardians free). Classes are $25 each.

AUGUST IS NATIONAL BREASTFEEDING MONTH

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS!

colleges to diversity candidate pools for city positions. She organized the Race & Reconciliation Conference and brought Dr. Angela Davis as its keynote speaker. She also spearheaded participation in the city’s Opportunity Pledge, calling on organizations to seriously study their DEI measures, and was a founding member of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable.

Dabney is nobody’s “yes man” (or woman, as it were). “I would not have come here if I didn’t think I was going to be able to put a team together to actually do the work.”

Eve backs Dabney up. “This is not a one person show. She is going to have the budget and the team with 1000% support from Dr. Johnson, and the greatest support humanly possible from the board because we understand the community is used to people paying lip service and short shrift and we’re not going to do that.”

Still, why should Buffalo believe this effort is something we should buy into?

Dr. Johnson understands “when I’m talking to employees of color they say to me ‘stop with the rhetoric and all this stuff. Blah, blah, blah, yeah you’re going to do this and that–I don’t care!... All the platitudes that we’re talking about, they don’t care and I don't blame them.” She tells of a man who started in environmental services and is now an OR technician thanks to opportunities for training and advancement made available to him. That’s the kind of thing Johnson promises to focus more on.

Eve wants to build Roswell’s reputation such that the tiny number of Black cancer doctors that exist are clamoring to come work here. “Judge us by not what we say, but what we do…. Hold us accountable! And let’s work together.”

Dabney remembers with fondness once when she was seven years old helping our editor piece together that week’s edition of The Challenger. “I remember her explaining to me how important this paper was to our community. That never escaped me, which is why I wanted to sit down and talk.” She’ll be walking the Roswell campus often and invites employees to seek her out, but “please keep an open mind.” Alluding to navy days, “it’s like an aircraft carrier. You don’t make a right turn on an aircraft carrier like you do in a car… This work is not going to be overnight. We’ll try things, we’ll fail, we’ll get back up.”

“We’re all saying the same thing,” concludes Dr. Johnson. “Just please give us a chance. Our hearts are in the right place.”

Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts Donates Commemorative Tree to Jefferson Avenue Tops

Tops is incredibly grateful for the heartfelt generosity of the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts for their donation of a Pink Pom Pom Redbud to our Jefferson Avenue store. This tree was chosen for it's beautiful heart shaped leaves and come spring, large display of flowers. "We wanted to pour love all over the neighborhood and thought this tree would be a great symbol of love and prosperity," said Cyd Cox. “Thank you to Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts, Cyd Cox, and Anthony Brown (pictured here with Jefferson Ave. Tops store manager, David Christopher) for their gesture of kindness to our community.”

National Grid Provides $150,000 Grant to Build New Playground at King Urban Life Center

King Urban Life Center recently hosted a grand opening of its new playground, made possible with a $150,000 grant from National Grid’s Project C program. The opening of the playground, located at 945 Genesee St. was celebrated in a ceremony that included civic and business leaders. The event included an announcement that King Urban Life Center is expanding its programs to benefit children in the neighborhood.

“A playground is more than a space for having fun,” said Dr. Henry Taylor, Chairman of the Board at King Urban Life Center. “It also gives children an opportunity to forge social skills, such as communication, imaginative play, empathy, and conflict resolution, while the physical activities help promote a culture of health.”

The playground received additional funding from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Odd Fellow and Rebekah Benefit Fund.

“Parks and the new playground like the new one at King Urban Life Center are important because so many of them are the centers of our communities,” said National Grid Regional Director Ken Kujawa. “When we had learned about the opportunity to help, we knew that this was a natural fit, because this kind of investment - made through our Project C program –provides long-term support as well as a positive impact for the neighborhood. That’s what National Grid and Project C are all about.”

National Grid Regional Director Ken Kujawa addresses media while kids play on the new King Urban Life Center playground. (photo source: National Grid)

Tree of Love : Pictured is Pink Pom Pom Redbud tree and plaque dedication to Jefferson Tops

RADAH BAKED GOODS! Lee and Lavenia Thomas are the proud young owners of Radah Baked Goods, located at 247 Amherst St., specializing in delicious deserts such as custom cakes and signature cup cakes! They cater to weddings, birthday parties, corporate events, community events and more! Check them out at (716)262-0698 or www.radahbakes.com or email them at radahbakesLLC@gmail.com

FUNK FEST! The Annual Buffalo Funk Fest tribute to Rick James returns to MLK Park Sunday, August 27 from 4-10 p.m. Our very own Marnetta Malcolm and the Buffalo Funk Fest Foundation Inc. is bringing us the entire Funk Fest weekend starting with the Jefferson Avenue Block Party August 25 – which has grown into the “mother of all street parties” in Buffalo New York over the summer! The brainchild of Malclom, it was designed to uplift the EastSide following the May 14 Massacre. It has done that and more! Thanks to Marnetta and all her sponsors! Then on Saturday August 26th Jefferson will come alive once again with the Art of Funk from 2-8 p.m . On Sunday, August 27 we rock with Funk & Roll at MLK from 12 Noon-4 p.m. and later that evening we “Funk It UP” with star studded entertainment and the memory of the King of Punk Funk!

Actress Roslyn Ruff to Receive Star in Buffalo Theatre District

OnMonday, September 18, Buffalo will honor award-winning actress Roslyn Ruff with a star in the Buffalo Theatre District as a kickoff event for the 40th Anniversary of Curtain Up!

The ceremony will take place at 4:00 PM at the corner of Main and Tupper Streets and will be hosted by past inductee, award winning, and Tony nominated Stephen McKinley Henderson.

Buffalo WORDISM Event

Buffalo Wordism, the premier noncompetitive open mic for Spoken Word Artists, is having their spoken word event Saturday August 12 at Rooted Lounge 69 Allen at 7p.m. All new and seasoned artists are welcome.

HEALING BY THE WATER LINE UP!

The upcoming schedule of performers will bring some real Healing By The Water at Broderick Park for the remainder of the summer staring with Manny Perez & His Latin Band Project this evening August 10. Next Thursday, August 17, A tribute to the renowned Jerry Livingston; on August 24 Denzel Ward; on August 31 The Caribbean Band; and the final act on September 7, "the Beating of the Drums." Healing begins at 5 p.m. every Thursday at the foot of Ferry. Vendors, food, and good vibes! See you there!

Ruff, a Buffalo native, has made a name for herself on stage and screen. She earned critical acclaim for her performances in August Wilson's plays, including "Fences", "Seven Guitars", "Joe Turner's Come and Gone", and "The Piano Lesson". Ruff was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in "The Piano Lesson" in 2013. "The Theatre District Association and Curtain Up! proudly acknowledges Roslyn's remarkable achievements and contributions to the arts, as she takes her rightful place among some of Buffalo's brightest stars, such as Stephan McKinley Henderson, Christine Baranski, Saul Elkin, Javier Bustillos, A.R Gurney, Michael Bennett, Lorna C. Hill and many more. This Induction serves as a tribute to her talent and a celebration of her extraordinary career thus far," says Curtain Up! Chair, and Executive Director of Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Lisa Ludwig.

The star honoring Roslyn Ruff will be the newest addition to the Buffalo Theatre District's collection of stars that celebrate the careers of Buffalo's most talented performers. The ceremony will feature remarks from Ruff, city officials, and local arts leaders.

Salsa in The Park

Salsa in The Park (Rose Garden Delaware Park) has added additional dates in August this summer: •August 21st (our special grand finale party with live music, $20/$15 students), and August 28th (our bonus night!).

See you there!

Doors open at 6:30p.m. Come early to socialize, secure your preferred seating and enjoy snacks and refreshments. Admission is $.5

For more information on Wordism events visit online at buffalowordism.com

SUPPOR

Roslyn Ruff

Jerry Livingston

Son Borikua

The 2023 Drumwork Music Fest is August 13!

Conway The Machine & Conway Cares Presents The 2023 Drumwork Music Fest SundayAugust 13th at The Buffalo Outer Harbor FROM 5pm-10pm featuring GUCCI MANE, Jadakiss, Rich The Kid and more! The Music Fest will be at Lakeside Event Lawn 825 Fuhrmann Blvd. The Parking lot opens at 4pm and entry begins at 5:00p.m.Parking is free and located at 875 Fuhrmann Blvd Tickets at Doris Records 716 883-2410 and The Cellar Boutique 716 783-9161 .Advance Sales Only.

Biggie Smalls Sculpture Unveiled

As the celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop kicks off across the country, a ninefoot-tall sculpture “Sky’s the Limit” of rapper Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls was unveiled last week at Cadman Plaza, Downtown Brooklyn its temporary home.

A sonic sculpture inspired by and dedicated to the art, life, and legacy of this Brooklyn Hip Hop legend, the form and structure of Sky’s the Limit in the County of Kings challenges the traditions of western public sculpture by representing his African American artistry, lineage, and evolution as the “King of New York.” The crowned bust is traditionally sculpted, sitting atop an angular steel frame and supported by panels that high-light Wallace’s achievements and contemporaries. It invites the viewer to experience the larger-than-life artistry of B.I.G.’s contributions to and love of Brooklyn, hip-hop culture and community.

Much fanfare accompanied the unveiling – there was a live DJ, remarks by the artist, along with activities for families and children at the event. The interactive artwork runs on solar power and features a mix of the Brooklyn native’s biggest hits. The sculpture will be on display until November 2023.

PINE GRILL REUNION PART 2 THIS SUNDAY!

The Pine Grill Reunion concert starts at 2pm Aug. 13. Bring your chairs and be ready to party! Tents are welcome in a designated area. Be ready to have a smile on your face the entire day! The concert ends at 9:00 p.m.

For additional information please contact Dorothea Baxter Hughes, Coordinator at (716) 884-2013 or Africancultural350@ gmail.com.

Brawlin' On the River

Why So Many Black Folks Are Reacting To the Alabama Riverboat Brawl

After a massive riverfront brawl in Montgomery, Ala., put his city in the spotlight, the city’s mayor stepped into the fray. “Justice will be served,” said Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed in a statement last Sunday.

So exactly what does justice look like in the context of a racially-motivated brawl in a deep southern city in 2023?

For a lot of Black folks, justice took place right there on the dock when scores of Black folks came to the aid of an unarmed worker who was being beat down by a gang of Whites.

If you missed the video a group of White boaters attacked a Black riverboat worker who told them to move so another boat – the riverboat Harriott - could dock. That’s when he was attacked for doing his job.

Then a group of Black people came to the rescue, including a 16-year-old who jumped in the water and swam to the worker’s aid. He’s being hailed as a hero.

The video went viral. It’s still a hot topic of conversation.

-Tweets & Texts-

The Griot, in commenting on the incident, quoted Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prizewinning writer and author of 1619 and MSNBC’s Joy Reid.

“If you understand the history of Montgomery — one of the most prolific slave-trading cities in the US turned brutally repressed apartheid regime after … it gives so much more perspective to this video,” tweeted Hannah-Jones.

Reid, in a text to the Griot, said that there was “Something deeply satisfy about that (event) for a lot of people.”

She wrote: “The video is getting the visceral reaction it’s getting from Black folks because we know our history. White men (and women) for centuries had the unchecked power to brutalize any Black person they wanted to for any reason or none at all — for looking them in the eye, for not calling them ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’, for trying to register to vote. You name it. There were no consequences for them and deadly ones for us if we tried to fight back."

It was also a myth dispelling moment and a Black history lesson.

The 16-year-old swimmer, Aaren, who in the face of adversity, jumped in the water swam like an Olympian to join in the rescue, dispelled the myth that we’re supposedly unable to swim. He’s being celebrated and said what he did was only “what I was taught to do.”

We also learned that the folding chair which was used in the fray – wielded by a Black man in the fight, was invented by a Black man named Nathaniel Alexander.

-A New Day-

In Montgomery, Alabama, nearly 60 years after a White supremacist bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four little Black girls, nearly 68 years after Rosa Parks and others led the Montgomery bus boycott to challenge segregation in the South, and 73 years after the last documented lynching in Montgomery, White Alabamians thought they could sail into a Black city and assault a Black city worker with impunity.

Concluded Joy Reed in her statement: “Well that era is done and it ain’t coming back, no matter how many sundown-town fantasy songs their country singers make. Seeing Black folk come as a community to that security guard’s rescue, one guy even swimming over like Aquaman to help him, was a ‘Wakanda Assemble’ moment, in which a group of old school southern bullies effed around and found out.”

THE BUFFALO I KNEW

by Ishmael Reed

Part TWO of a Special 3 Part Series

It wasn’t until years after I left Buffalo, while researching what I called my “neo-slave novel,” Flight to Canada, that I discovered its rich history. The city’s first non-Indigenous occupant may have been a Black man named Joseph Hodge. Buffalo in the nineteenth century was a center of antislavery activity. In 1843 the city hosted a convention attended by stars of the movement: Frederick Douglass, Henry Highland Garnet, and the Buffalo resident William Wells Brown, whose 1853 novel Clotel; or, the President’s Daughter is still in print. The biggest surprise of all was that A. J. Smitherman, the editor of The Empire Star, where I had worked as a teenager and again in 1962 after his death, was a hero of the 1921 Tulsa rebellion. It’s been called a riot, but it began as an uprising by armed Black men against the proposed lynching of a Black teenager, nineteen-year-old Dick Rowland, who had inadvertently bumped into a white teenage girl in an elevator. Though someone heard her scream, even she said that Rowland’s contact with her was accidental. As usual, it was the press, which continues to encourage anti-Black violence, that helped foment the riot. A mob egged on by a headline in The Tulsa Tribune—“Nab Negro for Attacking Girl in an Elevator”—gathered to lynch Rowland. Smitherman, a crusading young editor of The Tulsa Star, led an armed resistance against the lynching. A fight started. Smitherman’s account, rendered in a poem, is quite different from popular representations of the fight that cast Blacks as passive victims. They fought back: “Stand back men, there’ll be no lynching” Black men cried, and not in fun Bang! Bang! Bang! three quick shots followed, And the battle had begun.

In the fusilade that followed, Four white lynchers kissed the dust, Many more fell badly wounded, Victims of their hellish lust.

The armed Black men were outgunned, and the mob burned down Smitherman’s house and publishing company—along with thirty-five city blocks in the Greenwood District, the hub of Tulsa’s affluent Black community. Smitherman and his family fled to Boston, then to Buffalo. He was a fugitive like the thousands of fugitives from slavery who had passed through the town, Buffalo being the last stop before Canada, and freedom.

103 YearsYoung!

LEGACY! BUFFALO ENTREPRENEUR CELEBRATES 103RD BIRTHDAY!

Thomas C. Brown, a long time Buffalo resident and entrepreneur, celebrated his 103rd birthday on May 27th! Mr. Thomas is pictured above surrounded by family and loved ones. For many years he owned and operated several businesses on the East Side including Brownie’s Bar, Liquor Store, Furniture Store and laundromat. During his birthday celebration he was awarded a plaque from the Masons, which he has been a member since 1948. His son Rick also shared a photo of his dad during his time as a soldier during World War II (inset) . Recalled Rick: “He and the other Black soldiers turned over the base bus after having the all white bus pass them by too many times. They only wanted to get off the base just like the white soldiers but racism and discrimination followed them to Europe and they had enough!!" Birthday Blessings Mr. Brown!

I recall Smitherman as a sad, contemplative man who spent time in his office in a rundown building on Broadway near Saint Mary’s Church. He wore a Stetson hat and a brown overcoat and owned a beat-up car. He struggled to publish his newspaper. Sometimes when we drove back from the suburban printing plant he’d fall asleep at the wheel. Smitherman’s obituary in The Buffalo News noted that he “struggled against adversity.” They had that right. A time came when Smitherman couldn’t pay me. He asked me to make the sacrifice. If I’d known that he was an important historical figure, I would have stayed on. I should have taken a hint from the number of notable citizens who visited him, including Reverend J. Edward Nash, pastor of the Michigan Avenue Baptist Church, which had been a stop on the Underground Railroad. But I knew little about Black history and Smitherman’s place in it, because our school’s mission was to convert us into facsimile Anglos. I quit.

*

Black Americans have noticed that white backlash occurs whenever they are making progress. At a discussion sponsored by the Buffalo Urban League on December 14, 1961, I debated the white politician James Griffin, who was councilman-at-large-elect in a largely Black district. I said that he didn’t understand the Black experience and that a Black councilman should have been elected. He replied that as long as he could create jobs, race didn’t matter. Yet when he became mayor it was his ethnic group, Irish-Americans, to whom he gave the choice jobs and appointments. I was twenty-three at the time, but from his comments that night, I figured out the direction he was headed. In the 1970s, when Black politicians such as Delmar Mitchell, George K. Arthur, and Assemblyman Arthur O. Eve were on the rise, Griffin saw an opportunity and played to the fears of the white working class. He was elected mayor in 1977, defeating Eve, the Democratic nominee. He went on to serve four terms, the next sixteen years. “He by and large gave the back of his hand to the black community,” a white Buffalo resident told the scholar Diana Dillaway, “and didn’t depend upon them for votes.”

In her scathing study Power Failure: Politics, Patronage, and the Economic Future of Buffalo, New York (2006), Dillaway describes blunder after blunder wrought by the city’s white leadership, including the “Group of Eighteen” that emerged in the 1970s from the city’s new business elite. That group’s “master plan” for the city, she shows, failed to “include a plan for neighborhood development.” By the 1990s the Group of Eighteen had been replaced by more recent arrivals. Byron Brown, who came from Queens, was sworn in for the first of his four mayoral terms in 2006. In 2008 The Buffalo News reported that he was “refusing to comment on his Police Department’s decision to withhold basic crime information from the public.”

Thomas C. Brown, center surrouded by family.

We Need Black August Now More Than Ever

By Joseph Edelin

“We can’t afford to be spectators while our lives deteriorate. We have to truly love our people and work to make that love stronger.” -Assata

Shakur

In the face of an unprecedented attack on the teaching of a true and accurate portrayal of history in schools, spearheaded by those in the “anti-Critical Race Theory” movement (which is not really a thing, but I won’t get into that here), we who stand on the side of truth have a very important decision to make: a) allow it to happen or, b) fight like hell to stop it. Assuming option B is the only real option, in order for us to win this fight, our tactics must change; the traditional marching down the street holding signs with clever sayings isn’t going to cut it anymore. Fortunately, we are embarking on a month that can give us guidance and historical instruction on the best ways to properly confront this newest iteration of White supremacy. It’s called Black August, and many people have never heard of it.

Monifa Bandele, Chief Strategy Officer with Moms Rising, sums up Black August perfectly when she says that it is a time to “reflect and learn about the legacies of Black revolutionaries, while we rededicate ourselves to the protracted struggles against white supremacy, colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism. We study, plan, and pledge to continue the work and fight for Black liberation.” You might be thinking, as I did when I first heard about it, that Black August is a relatively new phenomena that emerged as a response to the 2020 murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor (still waiting on those convictions BTW). Actually, Black August has been in existence since 1979, and has been practiced by dedicated communities all across the country.

The birth of Black August was both intentional and organic, brought to life by incarcerated members of the Black power organization, the Black Guerilla Family, in San Quentin State Prison in August of 1979, following the killing of their founder and leader, George Jackson. Originally, Black August was used as time to reflect on, and honor the lives of incarcerated Black activists. Practitioners would celebrate during the month by studying revolutionary texts, fasting, exercising, and abstaining from drugs, alcohol, and mainstream media. Over time, the celebration has expanded to not only studying and bringing awareness to works by revolutionary authors, but to also engage in activism on behalf of incarcerated Black political prisoners and oppressed Black people around the world.

Black August is just the latest in a long line of important events concerning the struggle for the liberation of Black people. The Haitian Revolution began in August of 1791, Nat

BLACK HISTORY continued frompage 3

dience included the thousands of Southern blacks who were then migrating from the “shadow of slavery and the plantation” to the urban North. Black veterans of World War I were another Garvey audience. The UNIA grew larger still following the race riots in the Red Summer of 1919. Garveyism resonated with the rapidly urbanizing black community and spread beyond the United States to the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa.

At the 1920 UNIA International Convention at Madison Square Garden, with twenty-five thousand delegates and observers in attendance, Garvey issued the Declaration of Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World. The convention also produced the Universal Ethiopian Anthem. The Negro World, the official newspaper of the UNIA, also spread the

Turner’s rebellion occurred in August of 1831, the March on Washington took place in August of 1963, and the Watts rebellion took place in August of 1965. Additionally, a myriad of Black activists and leaders such as James Baldwin, Marcus Garvey, Anna Julia Cooper, Fred Hampton, and Marsha P. Johnson were also born in August.

August is also the month when hundreds of schools throughout the country begin their school year. Wouldn’t it be amazing if, in addition to teaching students the classroom expectations and procedures (please, still do that, you’re setting yourself up for failure if you don’t), students also got to start their year off by reading quotes and texts from Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, or Angela Davis, and engaging in dialogue about prison reform, food deserts, and the Black maternal health crisis? The education of our young people toward, what master educator Gloria Ladson-Billings calls, a “critical consciousness” is not just a necessity, but is our responsibility if we ever hope to see the dismantling of this oppressive system in which we currently exist. Brazilian educator Paulo Freire tells us that “there is no such thing as a neutral educational process. Education either functions as an instrument that is used to facilitate the integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes ‘the practice of freedom,’ the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of the world.”

Just as the early practitioners of Black August in San Quentin State Prison faced reprisals from prison guards, we know that in today’s educational climate, teachers across the country are being targeted by watchdog groups and state school boards for teaching the truth to their students about the facts surrounding this country and its inception. But what better way to teach about revolutionaries than by being a revolutionary! Students look to us, their teachers, mentors, and role models for guidance on how they should engage with the world around them. Now is not the time to shrink in the face of oppression, but to stand tall on the shoulders of our ancestors who have paved the way for our liberation.

Nelson Mandela once said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I would take it one step further, and say that a revolutionary education is the weapon that we need right now, one that is rooted in the spirit of Fred Hampton, Malcolm X, Assata Shakur, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Queen Yaa Asantewaa. As the state of our world seems to deteriorate with every new news cycle, what better time to use Black August as an entry point for teachers and students alike to engage in dialogue and practices focused on changing the conditions in their community and the larger world around them. The time to act is now, we can wait no longer because as George Jackson said, “patience has its limits. Take it too far, and it’s cowardice.”

Happy Black August!

organization’s philosophy globally. With a circulation of over 200,000 and published in three languages, Spanish and French as well as English, the Negro World was read on four continents.

Garvey’s most ambitious effort was the establishment of the Black Star Steamship Line. G. However, because of heavy debt and mismanagement, the steamship line went bankrupt and Garvey in January 1922 was arrested and charged with using the US Mail to defraud stock investors.

Garvey spent his last years in Jamaica trying to revive his political fortunes and eventually died in London, England in 1940, never having set foot on African soil.

Inmates Protest Racist Treatment, Unsanitary Conditions at Erie County Holding Center

Dear Editor:

We are writing because we need your help with getting the word out in regards to what we are going through here at the Erie County Holding Center.

For starters, they have us stuck in the old part of the jail and when it 's 90 degrees outside like today it is 120 to 130 degrees inside and they're not doing nothing about it! This is not right for any of us inmates to have to deal and live like this.

Secondly they don't follow any rules – not their own made up rules or any rules by New York State (minimum standards-Albany). On July 5th 2023 an officer called us Nigger to our face and no action was taken with that officer. Me and a few other inmates have written grievances and they didn't do anything. The bad part is they did not even answer our grievances back which is our right as inmates. The only thing that did take place about this officer was the removal of the Black officer that was working our unit . My brother died in a car crash and I wrote, as well as my family called and left messages, for (permission for me) to go to my brother’s funeral. I was denied my right to go pay my last respects to my brother and that's something that will always weigh heavy on my heart and soul. This jail has no respect for Black inmates or their families. The reason why I was told I couldn't go to my brother’s funeral was because Lackawanna is not a safe place for inmates to go. Lackawanna is a Black community and they are biased!

I have good reason for saying and believing this because a few other inmates and myself over heard two maintenance workers talking about how they had to set up tables for the Tops shooter to have dinner with his family for Thanksgiving! A man who killed ten Black people! Now if I did that to 10 White people would I get treated the same way? No!

Something really needs to be done about this place and the way that they treat inmates - and not just Black but all of us.

Nothing good has came out of this place since the new guy (Garcia) took over the jails. He is not making anything better, except perhaps, his pockets! The jail is still dirty so the pictures that they keep showing on the NEWS of this jail being clean, well let them show where that part of the jail is and I will show you that same place and everywhere that this jail is dirty.

They don't change our clothes, sheets or towels. I have had the same towel for over 30 days and how am I supposed to be clean after a shower!

So as I said, we need your help and everyone’s help that reads this letter. Someone reading it may have a family member here with me now that is living under these harsh conditions!

Signed,

Carvis McCutcheron & Five Other Inmates

“Knowing when to stop, you can avoid any danger.” -Tao Te Ching

SPORTS UPDATE

Buffalo Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher College is Well Under Way

The Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College in Rochester with 90 players in total (including 17 Offensive linemen and defensive backs) is well under way.

There are more days off than ever before and the number of players don’t have to be cut down to 55 until September 4th. That’s all part of the new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement approved by the Owners and Players Association.

The pads are on but still there were no true intense practices until this past Monday. That’s also when two fights broke out with the main event being wide receiver Trent Sherfield who went up against cornerback Kaiir Elam during wide receiver vs. defensive backs 1-on-1 drills. On the undercard, linebacker Terrell Bernard and Spencer Brown did some swinging at each other while other players got in plenty of pushing and shoving.

Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs brings the intensity every time he steps on the field and had an outstanding day of receptions from QB Josh Allen.

Bills undrafted free agent rookie running back Jordan Mims out of Fresno State has impressed me with his speed and quick bursts in between the tackles and good hands on passing plays. Mims runs low to the ground and could be a problem to tackle.

“I have been building on reps in OTA’s and increasing my burst into the hole is one of the goals my Coaches have for me,” Mims said . “I want to make the team especially being an undrafted guy and I have a chip on my shoulders and want to be a part of this organization.”

James Cook continues to improve as the Bills starting RB with his speed and catches out of the back field. It’s going to be interesting with veteran backs Latavius Murray and Damien Harris getting touches in this backfield. The veteran running backs have a history of not turning the ball over and will get plenty of playing time depending on the situations. The running game should be fine and the offensive line will be quite interesting at cut down time. I like Ryan Bates at center (most likely Mitch Morse), with O’Cyrus Torrence (left guard). Dion Dawkins (Left Tackle), Connor McGovern (right guard), David Qussenberry (right tackle). The best of the rest is Brandon Shell (massive man), Ike Boettger, David Edwards (don’t be surprised to see him in starting lineup at guard), Greg Mancz (center /guard), and of course the often-injured Spencer Brown.

It’s going to take all the way to the final preseason game in order for the Bills Brain trust to figure out this log jam on the offensive line. The tight ends are all set with number one draft pick Dalton Kincaid along with Dawson Knox and the very steady Quintin Morris rounding out the unit. The Texas native Morris continues to make plays in training camp, and going into his third season with the Bills will most likely add much needed depth at the position.

I will review Bills defensive unit which has a plethora of veteran talent on this side of the ball in next week’s edition. These are just a few of the players to keep your eye on as the preseason games start with Indianapolis Colts coming to High Mark Stadium on Saturday. Follow me on Twitter@georgeradman, FACEBOOK George Radney & Real Deal Sports Show, RADIO: WLGZ HD2 The Beat 105.5 FM Every Saturday Morning 8am – 9am; YouTube: Real Deal Sports Show.

COUNTY OF ERIE

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Highmark Stadium

Utility Separation Project NO. 2023-880-02

Separate Sealed bids for General Constriction, Site, Mechanical. Plumbing and Electrical bids for work for the above project will be received by the County’s Commissioner of Public Works in Suite 1400 of the Rath County Office Building, 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York 14202 until 10:30 AM local time on August 29, 2023, at which time they will be opened and read aloud. MBE/ WBE/SDVOSB, Apprenticeship program, NYS Vendor Responsibility

Form CCA-2 A/B/C, and Local & Disadvantaged Workforce requirements may apply to this project. Additional information must be found at: www. erie.gov/dpw

LEGAL NOTICE

PROBATE CITATION

File Number: 2022-858

SURROGATE COURTERIE COUNTY CITATION

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

By the grace of God, Free and Independent

TO: Michael Lewis, Calvin Lewis, Jr., Jamar Lewis, Monique Lewis, Marlena Lewis, Jenna Lewis, Albert Lewis, and Kari Lewis, if they be living, and if they dead to their heirsat-law, next of kin, distributees, if any such there be, all of whom and all whose names, ages, and places of residence and post office addresses are unknown to the Petitioner(s) and cannot after due diligence be ascertained, and HON. LETITIA JAMES, Attorney General of the State of New York, and to JENNIFER G. FLANNERY, Erie County Public Administrator.

A Petition having been filed by Lena Marie Lewis, who is domiciled at 106 Donovan Drive, Apartment B, BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14211.

YOU ARE HEREBY CITED to SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, Erie County, at 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York 14202 on August 23, 2023 at 11 o'clock in the fore noon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of Evelyn Lewis lately domiciled at 526 William Street, Buffalo, New York 14206 admitting to probate a will dated September 24, 2020 (a codicil dated n/a) a copy of which is attached, as the Will of Evelyn Lewis deceased, relating to real and personal property and directing that:

Letters Testamentary to Lena Marie Lewis

Dated, Attested, and Sealed July 7, 2023

Hon. Acea Mosey- Surrogate Linda C Novotny - Chief Clerk

Rashied H McDuffie, Esq. Attorney for Petitioner 594 Winslow Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14211 July 20, 27 August 3.10

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of RFP for Compliance Consultant

Gilbane | Turner is interested in securing the services of a highly qualified respondent(s) to serve as the Compliance Consultant (Consultant) for the construction of the new Buffalo Bills Stadium. The selected firm(s) will work with the Gilbane | Turner project team and the Buffalo Bills to track, monitor and report on the project business and workforce compliance efforts. Gilbane | Turner is committed to partnering with local, diverse firms for this opportunity. Proposals due August 14, 2023. To learn more, visit: https://ow.ly/pH7J50Pu8zP

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

Lightning Rod Strategies, L.L.C.. Date of filing of Articles of Organization with the NY Dept. of State: 26 April, 2023. Office of the LLC: Erie County. The NY Secretary of State has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served. NYSS may mail a copy of process to the LLC at (622 Tacoma Ave. Apt 1, Buffalo NY 14216). Purpose of LLC: Any lawful business for which limited liability companies may be organized under the laws of the State of New York. No specific duration attached to LLC. July 20, 27, August 3, 10, 17, 24

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

Fast Clean Car LLC. 290 Kenmore Ave Buffalo NY 14223. Erie County Articles of Incorporation filling date 06-06-2023 July 13,20,27 August 3,10, 17

LEGAL NOTICE

COUNTY OF ERIE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Erie County Department of Public Works

Operation of Wendt Beach Mansion & Stables

Project Number 2023-918-01

The County of Erie is seeking qualification proposals to operate and maintain the newly renovated Wendt Beach Mansion & Stables Project. Qualification statements and proposals for the above project will be received by the County’s Commissioner of Public Works in Suite 1400 of the Rath County Office Building, 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York 14202 until 2:00 PM local time on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. A walk-thru is scheduled for August 29, 2023 at 10:00 am EST at Wendt Beach. RFQ submission instructions may be found at: www.erie.gov/dpw/

PHOTO JEROME DAVIS

NOTICE

The bond resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted by the Erie County Legislature on July 20, 2023, and the validity of the obligations authorized by such bond resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the County of Erie, New York, is not authorized to expend money or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this Notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the publication of this Notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the constitution of New York.

ROBERT M. GRABER

Clerk of the County Legislature

RESOLUTION NO. 112, 2023

BOND RESOLUTION

DATED July 20, 2023

BOND RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE COUNTY OF ERIE, NEW YORK (THE “COUNTY”), AUTHORIZING THE INCREASE AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE FACILITIES OF ERIE COUNTY SEWER DISTRICT NO. 3 (THE “PROJECT”), STATING THE TOTAL ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST OF THE PROJECT TO BE $100,000,000, APPROPRIATING SUCH AMOUNT THEREFOR AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF UP TO $100,000,000 OF BONDS OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS OF THE COUNTY (COLLECTIVELY, THE “OBLIGATIONS”) TO FINANCE SUCH APPROPRIATION; AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING ANY AMOUNTS RECEIVED FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND/OR THE STATE OF NEW YORK OR ANY OTHER SOURCE FOR THE PROJECT TO BE EXPENDED TOWARDS THE COST OF THE PROJECT AS INDICATED HEREIN, OR TOWARDS THE REDEMPTION OF ANY OF THE OBLIGATIONS ISSUED THEREFOR, OR TO BE BUDGETED AS AN OFFSET TO THE TAXES FOR PAYMENT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE OBLIGATIONS.

object or purpose:

A capital improvements project generally consisting of improvements to the Southtowns Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility and improvements to the existing pump stations and the sanitary sewer collection system for Erie County Sewer District No. 3, in accordance with the report originally approved by the Board of Managers of Erie County Sewer District No. 3 on April 6, 2022, and filed with the County Legislature pursuant to Section 268 of the County Law.

period of probable usefulness: forty (40) years

amount of obligations to be issued: $100,000,000

A complete copy of the Bond Resolution summarized above and maps, plans and report referred to above shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the office of the Clerk of the Erie County Legislature, at the Erie County Hall, in Buffalo, New York.

Dated: August 2, 2023

Buffalo, New York

LEGAL NOTICE

Scrufari Construction Co. seeking M/WBE/SDVOB subcontractors to quote:

RPCCC cGMP Facility for Cellular & Viral Therapy – Due

Scrufari Mon., August 14, 2023

We are an EEO employer – 716282-1225

INVITATION TO BID

Project: 2023 CDBG Village Sidewalk Improvements

Owner: Village of Depew 85 Manitou Street Depew, NY 14043

Engineer: Nussbaumer & Clarke, Inc. 3556 Lake Shore Road Suite 500 Buffalo, NY 14219-1494

Date: August 10, 2023

Your firm is invited to submit a Bid under seal to Owner for the 2023 CDBG Village Sidewalk Improvements. Owner will receive Bids at the Village Clerk/Treasurer's Office, 85 Manitou Street, Depew, NY 14043, until 10:00 AM local standard time on the 24th day of August, 2023, at which time and place the Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bidding Documents not received by the indicated time will not be opened.

Project Description:

The Village is proceeding with the Community Development Block Grant's (CDBG) sidewalk improvement project. Work will be conducted in two locations, along Gould Avenue and around West Dawson Playground, as detailed in Appendix E, Contract Figures.

The Project will generally include sidewalk replacement for four (4) foot wide sections and five (5) foot wide sections, and landscape restoration in the areas around the sidewalks. The work is covered by one (1) construction contract. Refer to Section 011000 for a description of the work.

Contract Documents include Bidding Documents, Plans, and Specifications.

Effective August 10, 2023, Bid Documents can be ordered through the following web site: www.buffalocopyplanroom.com in the "All Public Jobs" section. If you do not have internet access or have questions on ordering from the site, please contact The Copy Store at 716-830-8320. Bid Documents can be picked up at The Copy Store at 49 Court Street, Buffalo, NY 14202, upon a non-refundable fee per set. Payment can be submitted by company check or money order made payable to The Copy Store.

Bidders must be registered with The Copy Store Planroom as having obtained a complete set of Bidding Documents. Bids submitted on copies of Bidding Documents from other sources will not be accepted.

Bidding Documents will be shipped from The Copy Store upon request and upon receipt of an additional non-refundable shipping charge payable to The Copy Store.

Bidding Documents are also available for review at the office of the Engineer, Dodge Reports, and Construction Exchange. The Village of Depew will not be responsible for full or partial sets of Contract Documents, including any addenda, obtained from any other sources.

Bidders will be required to provide Bid Security according to the requirements in EJCDC C-200 - Instructions to Bidders. Refer to other Bidding requirements as described in EJCDC C-200 - Instructions to Bidders.

The attention of the bidder is called particularly to the requirements of conditions of employment to be observed and minimum wage rates to be paid under the Contract.

The bidders' attention is called to Section 2604 of the Public Authorities Law, which requires a bidder's Certificate of Non-Collusion. Such certification is part of the Proposal form and, unless complied with on the form provided, the bid will not be accepted.

This Contract will be funded wholly or partially with federal funds, and as such, is subject to all federal rules and regulations pertinent there to, including, but not limited to, federal policy of encouraging the participation of minority and women business

enterprises as sources of suppliers, equipment, construction, and services.

The Village of Depew is an exempt organization under the Tax Law and is exempt from payment of sales and compensating use taxes of the State of New York and cities and counties of the state on all materials which are to be incorporated into the project, pursuant to the provisions of the contract. These taxes are not to be included in the bid.

The right to reject any and all bids, to waive any informalities in, or to make an award to other than the low bidder, should it be deemed to be in the best interest of the Owner and in accordance with law, are herewith reserved.

Questions regarding the Project should be directed to Nussbaumer & Clarke, Inc. (716) 827-8100, ext. 255, or by e-mail to dbritton@nussclarke. com.

Your Bid will be required to be submitted under a condition of irrevocability for a period of 45 days after submission. Owner reserves the right to waive irregularities and to accept or reject any or all Bids.

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held in the Office of the Erie County Personnel Commissioner, Edward A. Rath County Office Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York, 14202, on Friday, September 1, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. on the matters of amending the Appendices of the Rules for the Classified Civil Service of the County of Erie and the Towns, Villages, Special Districts and School Districts within the County. These amendments deal with the reclassification of certain competitive class positions within the Departments of Senior Services and Social Services into the non-competitive class as part of the Hiring Emergency Limited Placement (HELP) Program, as well as changes to the probationary term lengths for specific titles within the Departments of Social Services and Probation.

Such proposed changes are available for inspection at the Department of Personnel, County of Erie, Edward A. Rath County Office Building, Room 604, 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

BRIAN BRAY

COMMISSIONER OF PERSONNEL

•Date: July 18, 2023

August 10, 17, 24

LEGAL NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP #202305

The Town of Amherst Community Development Program is seeking proposals for lead hazard testing services, mold testing services, asbestos testing services and radon testing services for the Town’s housing rehabilitation program. The federally funded program requires lead based paint hazard evaluation, including paint testing and risk assessment, and clearance testing for rehabilitation conducted as part of the program. The program also conducts mold testing, asbestos testing and radon testing on single family homes if it is determined to be necessary.

The full RFP can be viewed online under Community Development on the town’s website (www.amherst. ny.us) or you may request a copy of the RFP via (716) 631-7082 or communitydevelopment@amherst.ny.us. Proposals are due by 4:00 PM on Wednesday September 6, 2023 to: Amherst Community Development, 5583 Main Street, Williamsville, NY 14221.

Region 1 Program Assistant

Ability to communicate effectively & Manage a large volume of calls. Gather All required documents for the purpose of reporting. HS diploma & 1 yr exp preferred. Resume and cover letter to WNYIL, Inc 3108 Main St Buffalo, NY, 14214 employment@wnyil.org EEOC

Open Doors Transition Specialist

Assist individuals w/re-entry from institutional Settings to the community. Asso deg & 3yrs exp req. Resume and cover letter to WNYIL, Inc 3108 Main St Buffalo, NY, 14214 employment@wnyil.org EEOC

NY Connects Independent Living Outreach Specialist

Help connect aging or disabled individuals and their Families to support groups and streamline access to Public benefits and application assistance. Asso. degree and human services exp. req. Resume and cover letter to WNYIL, Inc 3108 Main St Buffalo, NY, 14214 employment@wnyil.org EEOC

EMPLOYMENT

Health Homes Care

Coordinator

Help enroll consumers in a Health Home. Help decrease costs of consumers being Served in a Health Home.

Bachelor’s & 5 yrs exp. Req. Resume and Cover letter to WNYIL Inc 3108 Main St Buffalo NY 14214 employment@wnyil.org EEOC

Registered Nurse (PT)

Offering services to support those in crisis Who may otherwise utilize Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Dept services. Must possess a valid RN certification. Resume and Cover letter to WNYIL Inc 3108 Main St Buffalo NY 14214 employment@wnyil.org EEOC

Youth Peer Advocate (PT)

Provide peer support in person & online. Coordinate independent living skills, evaluations & training for transition-age youth w/disabilities. HS diploma or equivalent req. Exp w/ any or all Forms of disabilities required. $18-$20/hr. Resume and cover letter to WNYIL, Inc 3108 Main St. Buffalo, NY, 14214 employment@wnyil.org EEOC

Accounts Payable Specialist I

Responsible for posting & maintaining accounts Payable date & pay vendor invoices on time. HS diploma and 1 yr exp in basic accounting req. Resume and Cover letter to WNYIL Inc 3108 Main St Buffalo NY 14214 employment@wnyil.org EEOC

Peer Support Specialist: Renewal Center Service guests of the living space in overcoming Immediate and emotional crisis. HS diploma & 4 yrs exp req.Cover letter & resume to WNYIL, Inc. 3108 Main St Buffalo NY 14214 employment@wnyil.org EEOC

Administrative Review Specialist

Work with a member of the QA/ CC team Assisting w/monitoring, adjustment & correction Of claims & other claim related data. HS diploma And 3 years’ experience required. Resume and cover letter to WNYIL, Inc, 3108 Main St Buffalo, NY 14214 employment@wnyil.org EEOC

NEW YORK STATE LOTTERY NUMBERS

LLC 'S

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY CFP DELIVERY SERVICES LLC filed Articles of Organization with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 6/26/23. Office location: Erie County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 156 MILLICENT, BUFFALO, NY, 14215. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. July 27,Aug 3,10,17,24,31

786-568-853-518-312-468-014-065-342-781-852-

612-754-156-801-645-580-234-537-121-065-720626-435-468-075-716-214-250-128-813-576-802201-473-354-160-212-512-469-801-066-980-194-580075-467-890-944-357-909-434-680-073-456-708-286110-781-009-536-580-697-346-579-498-434-680-329736-678-325-758-230-646-701-920-457-910-075-109168-965-468-209-861-017-843-246-878-615-785-432

365-902-784-456-790-109-535-780-735-632-460-

MA RUTH SPEAKS THE TRUTH! SURE HITS!

168-985-678-198-256-890054-698-679-943-001-202147-001-865-732-855-648-

514-996-202

Aquarius -496-235-165-579

Pisces - 056-362-237-694

Cancer - 482-372-895-718

Aries - 289-946-034-594

Taurus -258-231-026-695

Gemini-495-257-694-508

Leo-345-213-157-201

Virgo 385-291-431-170

Libra -247-723-179-501

Scorpio - 453-253-571-597

Sagittarius389-701-234-924

Capricorn:893-275-342-506

MIDDAY

2-9-4 QUICK $ (BOX), SAGITTARIUS (BOX)

6-7-0 QUEEN “E” (STRAIGHT)

6-1-2 ZR (STRAIGHT), LUCKIE DUCKIE (BOX) 3-0-4 ARIES (BOX), CASH $ (BOX)

7-5-4 ZR (STRAIGHT & BOX), AUGUST VIBES (STRAIGHT)

EVENING

8-3-7 GAMMA’S (BOX)

1-0-0 AUGUST DOUBLES (BOX), MA RUTH (BOX)

3-7-5 ZR (BOX), # BOOK (BOX)

7-0-9 ZR (BOX), LUCKIE DUCKIE (BOX)

2-5-8 TAURUS (STRAIGHT), ZR (BOX)

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

SECOND CHANCE CREATIONS LLC filed Articles of Organization with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 6/21/23. Office location: Erie County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 31 LOXLEY RD, CHEEKTOWAGA, NY 14225 Purpose: any lawful act or activity. July 27,Aug 3,10,17,24,31

QUEEN "E' SPECIALS!

670 116

335 -20154444-1871-0978

980-422-809-981989-970-990-080-800-

515-996-390-196-102-

581-752-319-408-378352-126-189-444-886514- 332-522-112-432421-423-154-039-524119-616-719-593-655-97-127-111-019-200120-339-303-889-900 007-013-590-698-888

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

THURS. AUG. 10

Thursday Food Truck At Northland Training Center!

683 Northland, FREE 5-7 PM (See ad this page)

SAT. AUG. 12

VENDORS MARKET

PLACE AT THE WILEY STADIUM, Jefferson Avenue day-long even

Notice of RFP for Community Engagement Coordinator

Gilbane | Turner is interested in securing the services of a highly qualified respondent to serve as the full-time Community Engagement Coordinator for construction of the new Buffalo Bills Stadium. The selected firm will work with the project team and the Buffalo Bills to develop and implement a community engagement program that provides active, productive engagement with communities throughout Erie County. Gilbane | Turner is committed to partnering with local, diverse firms for this opportunity. The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to identify experienced individuals or firms with the best combination of qualifications and proven practice in community engagement services to develop and deliver the program efficiently and effectively with respect to time, cost, and function. Proposals due August 28, 2023. To learn more, visit: https://ow.ly/8jI550Pu8wO

YARD SALE

SAT. AUG. 12

Buffalo Central Terminal

"Health Is Wealth" free itness Bootcamp with ext zlevell Bootcamp 10 -10:45 a.m. To reseve: bit-ly/terminalSign Up

SUN. AUG. 13

PINE GRILL REUNION! MLK PARK. 2-9 P.M.. SEE YOU THERE!

MON. AUG. 14

Hustle for Health 12pm at Gloria Parks: 3242 Main St. Buffalo. FREE for ages 55+ Visit www.HustleforHealth.com

TUES. AUG. 15

What Do You Want The Tops Massacre 5/14 Memorial To Look Like? Public meeting Makowski Childhood Center 5:-30 to 7 p.m. 1095 Jefferson Avenue. Also take an on-line public opinion survey by going to: https://wnysurveys. com/514memorial

WED. AUG. 16

Hustle for Health 11am, Gloria Parks, 3242 Main St. FREE 55+ Visit www. HustleForHealth.com

Saturday August 12 North Division Street between Spring and Hickory from 10am and 2pm

The Business of Cannabis

Exchange at Beverly Gray hosts The Business of Cannabiz Wednesday August 16 from 6p- 8pm with Canna House creators and experts Reggie Keith Chef Rich and Valentino Shine as panelists ready to enlighten community entrepreneurs and cannabis enthusiasts. Learn how to turn your ideas into reality, build a top tier brand and develop products consumers love! Be there!

PINE GRILL AMAZING!

Thousands poured into MLK Park last Sunday for the kick off of this year's annual Pine Grill Reunion! The event is beyond special, given the times we're living in...and the brevity of life. Hats off to the African American Cultural Center and their staff and volunteers for continuing to host the event, and special gratitude to our beloved ancestors Agnes Baine and George K. Arthur who founded this important gathering. The Pine Grill continues this Sunday with another great entertainment line-up and countless great people. Ain't no reunion like the Pine Grill Reunion! Challenger Photos