Tyler Ennis/ Shop Local/Buffalo Culture
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Jericho Road / Terry Pegula / innovation/Clarity/Food
THRiVE! THRiVE! YOUR CITY’S BIGGEST FAN BUFFALO NIAGARA REGION WWW. WWW.THRIVE THRIVEBUFFALO.ORG THRIVEBUFFALO.ORG
CREATING A
HOCKEY CULTURE BY PAUL WIELAND
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THRiVE! From culture, to food, charities, businesses, and people that together are bringing new life and hope to our region, this issue offers you a slice of the best of Buffalo. As a friend of mine likes to say, Buffalo is a place ―where good things are happening.‖ That is our heartbeat- to highlight and celebrate the good of Western New York. With expanded coverage and sections in this issue on Buffalo‘s ever growing cultural scene including food, arts, people, places, and sports, I am confident this issue won‘t disappoint. At THRiVE! we like to think of ourselves as the magazine about good people, companies, and organizations leading the way for a brighter future in Western New York. We are also a magazine with a cause. We raise money through advertising and subscriptions for non-profits, schools, and charities that are doing good in our community. Our advertisers, partners, and contributors are a collaboration of business people, educators, leaders, and volunteers working together to make Western New York a more beautiful and attractive place to live and work. Looking back since 2007, we have come a long way as a values based magazine trying to make a difference in our community. This issue we are excited to highlight people like Terry Pegula who of course just became the new owner of the Sabres, Buffalo Princess founder Marinette Kozlow, Tyler Ennis and others. Plus we look at innovative technology companies and entrepreneurs making strides in the tech sector of Western New York. Additionally, Buffalo First Director Sarah Bishop talks on the importance of doing business locally and contributor Lisa Littlewood looks at Jericho Road Ministries and reports from inside the American Red Cross‘s historic Delaware Avenue mansion and much more. Special thanks to other contributors this issue including Erica Eicklekraut, Jerry Gillis, Stuart Harper, Paul Wieland and Ron Calandra and of course the ever hardworking photography of Matt Brown who brings our stories to life with his crisp photography. Thanks for reading and join us online for further discussion at www.thrivebuffalo.org. Looking forward to hearing from you,
Kyle Patterson, Publisher and Editor
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Pegula Time: The Buffalo Sabres introduced Terry Pegula as the team‘s new owner during a press conference at HSBC Arena attended by current and former Sabres players in February. Pegula is the fourth owner in franchise history, taking over from B. Thomas Golisano who owned the team from 2003-2011. The Sabres also announced that Ted Black has been named the team‘s new President and Alternate Governor, and Ken Sawyer will serve as the team‘s Senior Advisor. A lifelong hockey fan, 59-year-old Pegula was a Sabres season ticket holder from 1980-98 as he spent time living in both Olean and Orchard Park, NY, while operating East Resources Inc., an independent exploration and development company. A native of Carbondale, PA, Pegula founded East Resources Inc., in 1983. Over the next 27 years, he built it into one of the largest privately held companies in the United States. In July of 2010, Royal Dutch Shell purchased the assets of East Resources Inc. for $4.7 billion (US). In September 2010, Pegula and his wife Kim donated $88 million to Penn State University -- the largest private gift in the history of the school -- to fund a state-of-the-art multi-purpose arena, a world-class practice facility and help to establish an NCAA Division I men's hockey program. Black joins the Sabres following two years as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of FSN Pittsburgh. Prior to that he was a member of Mario Lemieux‘s senior management team and served as Vice President of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1999-2008. Black was instrumental in the initial design and construction vision of the Penguins‘ new state-of-the-art home, the CONSOL Energy Center. The Sabres are celebrating their 40th anniversary this season as an NHL franchise. Source: nhl.sabres.com
Free for All. Hunter‘s Hope cele-
brated its annual Hunter‘s Day of Hope for children at the Buffalo Bill‘s field house in Orchard Park in February. The day full of free food, activities and fun for kids reminds families how precious children are to them. Jim and Jill in their annual invitation wrote, ―Two very exciting things take place at Hunter‘s Day of Hope for Children. One, families come together and spend time just having fun (music, dancing, games, face painting, and food). Second, the most important – we all gather together and pray for our children. How wonderful is that!‖ Sponsors included Barnes and Noble, Christian Central Academy, Pepsi and The Hub.
Sabre Profit. Former Sabres owner
Tom Golisano sold the Sabres to Terry Pegula for a nice profit. According to David Robinson of The Buffalo News, ―The team sold for a reported $189 million, including $14 million in debt which works out to an annualized gain of 15.4 percent. That‘s a tremendous return during a period that included the country‘s worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Consider this: Golisano‘s profit from the Sabres is almost four and a half times better than he would have earned by investing that money in the stock of Paychex Inc., the company he founded.‖
XCEL Launch. A West Side partnership between multiple organizations made possible the launch of XCEL Leadership Center at Renovation Church on Hertel Avenue this March. The center offers multiple programs including a literacy program, scholastic skills through a homework club, a mentoring program that addresses development of social skills and decorum, job training, computer skills, leadership development and training in the arts.
Bloomberg Apologizes. Mayor
Michael Bloomberg apologized to the residents of the city of Buffalo at the request of Mayor Byron Brown who told media he was ―pissed‖ that Bloomberg mentioned the troubles Buffalo has had in its real estate market.
Power to the People. With the idea of the big
box retailer coming to save downtown Buffalo out of the way, innovative and fresh ideas are coming forth on ways to make the waterfront work.
Winter Blues? How could you say
there is nothing to do during winter in Buffalo? Not many cities could say they have a Bubble Hockey Tournament, but Buffalo can. This past December, in conjunction with the World Juniors our city hosted the first ever Bubble Hockey Tournament. The tournament offered more than a thousand player slots for team play with more than $12,000 in prizes. Plus, another thousand slots for individual competition offered $7,400 in prize money.
Hockey Town: Buffalo welcomed the nations this
past December as thousands descended upon HSBC arena for almost two full weeks of junior hockey fever. The World Juniors represented the best of junior hockey, with 75% expected to be playing in the NHL in the next couple of years.
SOLD! Finally, the Statler Towers are in good hands after years of limbo in and out of bankruptcy. The historic landmark in downtown Buffalo lands itself in the hands of developer/restaurateur Mark Croce, who plans to restore the site floor by floor. He told the Buffalo News, ―This property will have a life, and 20 years from now, everybody is going to look back and say, ‗Thank God we saved the old historic Statler building.‘‖
Forward Thinking. The master plan
was released this March for the restoration of Buffalo‘s historic Central Terminal. The property has been a lying doormat since 1997 when it was finally transferred to Central Terminal Restoration Corporation. The plans call for new transportation including a high speed rail terminal, private rentals for events and entertainment, green industry including green products and energy. The plan also includes room for travel exhibits and museums at part of the cultural piece and finally space for commerce including retail and office space.
Show House. The Buffalo News and
Disaster Response. The Salvation
Army is doing good locally and around the world. The Korea Territory quickly arranged to provide 100,000 bottles of water to be sent to Japan. The Korea Disaster Relief Association will be sending 5,000 first-aid kits. Salvationists in Korea are holding a month of prayer for the people of Japan.
In preparation for Congressional action regarding the 2011 budget, Jericho Road Ministries, in conjunction with Jericho Road Family Practice, held a press conference Tuesday, March 15th at 184 Barton Street. The shared vision of Jericho Road is for Buffalo to become a city of abundant opportunity for the underserved and marginalized and for the city to be healthy, educated and whole.
Moving On. The
CEO of WNY Americorps announced his resignation this March, stating he is moving on after a successful tenure as CEO helping the non-profit succeed in winning many grants and contribute to the revitalization of Buffalo.
Innovate 2011. Innovate 2011 is
scheduled for May 3 at the Hyatt Regency in Buffalo. Nominees this year include Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. Kinex Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Kaleida Health, Yahoo! And Life Technologies among many others.
the Junior League of Buffalo announced the Bayliss-Oshei Residence has been selected as the site of the 2011 Decorators‘ Show House. Located at 360 Depew Avenue in Buffalo‘s Central Park community, the home sits directly across from Burke‘s Green on land that was originally the Lewis J. Bennett Estate. Area decorators were invited to a ―Bidding Day‖ at the home on Friday, November 19 where they began the process of submitting design proposals for rooms and spaces. Decorators interested in participating may contact Junior League Headquarters at 884.8865.
The 2011 Buffalo Home & Garden Show took place March 4-6 and March 11-13 featuring celebrity appearances, interactive seminars, wine tastings and – NEW this year- a variety of cooking demos! Over 400 companies attended answering home-related questions.
Mick
Hayes written over the course of the last few heartaches before meeting my beautiful fiancée and the Lord as well. The title is, ‗The Recovery EP.‘ The Studio band project is going to be back to my roots as a songwriter and entertainer, I did try to commercialize the last album a bit (MHB 2009 Self-titled) and it came out great, but this time I just wanted to be a bluesblues album rather than a rock - blues.
Congratulations on your new contract with Warner Brothers. What lands you in Buffalo, NY? I'm originally from East Aurora , NY. I have cultivated my music style all over the country but my first few musical experiences were right here in Buffalo. Your working on both a solo album and a group project, why the two separate works? The solo album is a collection of 'songwriter' songs that really don't fit the known mold of a Mick Hayes show. It's emotionally intensive and very intimate, they are works that I have
What do you enjoy most about being a professional musician? I enjoy the little things, (laughing) being able to make your own schedule is amazing right from the start. I love spending time with my music collection and learning during the first part of the week and entertaining people the second half of the week. Obviously everyone thinks if you are doing what you love that it's the perfect life, well it's quite far from perfect. These days, faith takes me through the tough times and that is growing stronger everyday.
What is most challenging? Well there are a few things but the most challenging is the wait. God designed me with an amazing sense of patience. I have found myself so close to the finish line so many times, both in television and music, and have not quite crossed it. There are also days I have to wonder if I am being tempted with something to lead me away from my faith that looks an awful lot like what I have been praying for. That would be the most recent challenge. Where do you go or what do you do when you are in need of inspiration? I usually have to travel to a music city like Nashville or Atlanta for musical inspiration. I have been kind of stale lately, funny you should ask that! I have been around our country a few times in different locations and musically it‘s comforting to see great musicians also struggling in big music towns. I write a lot when I'm traveling too. There is a lot to be said about the emptiness of hotel rooms and what it does to your heart.!
Where in Western New York can you get ―Chocolate Therapy,‖ ―Al Green,‖ and ―Red Stiletto,‖...for your walls? At one of the area‘s newest local businesses, C2 paint retailer Evanhill Paint. Founded by Tom Hill Jr. and Sr., Evanhill offers a unique approach in the paint industry that has sparked interest in the local design community of Western New York. The father and son started on their own in the paint industry over 10 years ago when Tom Hill Sr. was laid off from Pratt and Lambert, formerly headquartered in Buffalo. In the late ‗90s, a buyout took P & L outside of Western New York, and Hill Sr., a former VP and innovative chemist, was inspired to re-invent the industry. He wanted to support the independent merchant in a
market dominated by corporate giants Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams. After reading an article about the consolidation of the brewing industry and the rise of micro-breweries, Hill Sr. began applying the same principle to the paint industry. He built a cooperative network, ―The Coatings Alliance,‖ comprised of micro-retailers selling a custom brand of paint that he developed, called ―C2.‖ Evanhill Paint was the logical next step for the Hill family. Tom Jr. had worked beside his dad in the industry for over a decade, and watched the product gain the respect and trust of its customers. He believed there to be a local niche market for C2 Paint, and recently opened Evanhill, Western New York‘s exclusive C2 retailer. Evanhill focuses on family-oriented service, local convenience, and a superior paint product. ―The chips you see in the C2 color samples are made of real paint, not inks or dyes. The resulting product is a more accurate color-match. Also, the paint itself is made using a unique 16-tint colorant system, bettering the 12-colorant system of most paint brands. The four additional pigments make the paint more intriguing by offering depth of color, saturation, and visual interest,‖ Hill Jr. explains. His company‘s business model is as unique as the C2 product itself. Hill Jr. says, ―Evanhill is a new way to sell paint. I‘ve been asked, ‗Why would you open a paint business in a depressed economy?‘ My response is that we have to look hard to find new, more effective, and better ways to sell everyday products like paint. We have no other choice but to get creative in tough economic times. C2 makes the common uncommon. The very names of the paint colors have been created by independent C2 retailers across the U.S. and Canada. That kind of control and free reign is rare in this industry.‖ Evanhill Paint has no traditional paint storefront, only a barebones laboratory where paint is tinted and shipped locally (and free of charge). Customers can order the paint or color samples online, another convenience Evanhill offers. ―In a mature place like the paint industry, this is our way to innovate. We stand with the product wholeheartedly, and we build relationships with designers and customers that ‘Big Box‘ stores cannot offer. At Evanhill, we answer your calls, we respond to your emails, we deliver your paint, and we build relationships because we are a paint family. Paint is more than wet walls; it is an expression of people‘s identity. It is independence in a can.‖ The entrepreneurial spirit of companies like Evanhill Paint are helping Buffalo thrive again. You can visit Evanhill at 9880 Transit Road or online at www.evanhillpaint.com.!
When you walk through the front door of 233 West Ferry Street on Buffalo‘s West Side for the first time you might experience a moment of culture shock. Women and men of varying ethnicities- Burmese, Somali, Burundi, Congolese, Sudanese, Cuban, Ethiopian and Iraqi, to name a few-- crowd into the front room as they wait their turn for assistance from one of several case workers. The clients, speaking even more languages than the ethnicities represented, are hoping for help with any number of tasks and issues. One client needs help reading her mail, another needs to set up a doctor‘s appointment, another needs help filling out food stamp paperwork and another needs transport and translation for
a morning doctor‘s appointment. Sometimes clients need help with green cards, or because their water has been shut off. Sometimes they need suggestions for ESL classes or learning how to register their children for school. Others need jobs and are not sure where or how to begin looking. Several women have sleeping babies slung on their backs; others shush children or stand alone and quietly wait their turn. Some seem pensive and others are joking. This place is the Hope Refugee Drop-In Center, one of many extensions and services offered by Jericho Road Ministries. This particular location on West Ferry was purchased last summer (to replace their former drop-in center on Breckenridge Street) by Jericho Road Ministries to help meet the growing needs and demands of a group of people who are quickly growing in number as part of Buffalo‘s inner city population. There is no neat and orderly way to serve the vast needs of the estimated 25,000 refugees who have been resettled in Buffalo, mostly on the West Side. The needs are many and the cultures varied, but everyone on the Jericho Road Ministry staff seems to have a common goal; to better the lives of those hard pressed,
particularly those who had no choice in coming to the United States, but were forced from their homes and countries for awful and horrific reasons. Jericho Family Ministries is a multidimensional organization that began in 2003 as a sister organization to Jericho Road Family Practice; a medical practice providing healthcare to between 20,00030,000 mostly poverty stricken patients on Buffalo‘s West Side, many of whom are refugees. Upon realizing that the needs of his patients far surpassed the mere medical, founder Myron Glick set out to create an organization that could meet as many of his clients needs as possible. Jericho Road found its name in the biblical story of the good-Samaritan. A story that compels its readers to love your neighbor as yourself, but really challenges its readers to think about who their ―neighbor‖ actually is. Historically speaking the Samaritans and the Jews were two cultures with strong enmity towards each other. When the Samaritan goes above and beyond to help the fallen Jewish man (who has been left to die and passed over by several others on the same road), the message is quite simple, love those other than you, of different cultures than you, those you don‘t completely understand or relate to. Today, Jericho Road Ministries, which has grown faster than they could have imagined, and sometimes faster than the needs they can meet, is a multi-faceted organization with over a dozen programs. Programs fall into three categories (part of their holistic approach): health and family services, adult empowerment and youth and education. Programs include a diabetes center, a family needs pantry, the Pricilla Project (focusing on vulnerable refugee women who are pregnant or mothers), a homebuyers education program, an urban gardening initiative, a financial management program, a reading program, and a tutoring and learning program that attempts to bring refugee students up to speed academically. The Drop-In Center is just one more branch of Jericho‘s outreach. The center serves more than 80 clients each day and is a client-driven program that offers case management for any number of issues including educational, housing, social services, interpretation and health needs.
Despite the dire circumstances that many refugees have fled from there is a pervasive feeling of hope that seems to illuminate the attitudes of many of Jericho‘s clients as well as its workers. Alicia Clifton, a former Jericho Road employee, says that while the work and the needs can be overwhelming at times it is also incredibly rewarding because of those being served. ―The refugees still have this incredible amount of hope. They‘re so motivated and it‘s really rewarding because of that. It‘s not like the culture of poverty that we often think of. This is situational poverty as opposed to generational poverty. They are a bright spot in the community. They have a vision; someone in their family remembers a better time,‖ says Clifton. Jericho Road partnered with HOPE Refugee Services in 2009 to bring a stronger focus to a unified cause. Anna Ireland, one of HOPE‘s founders, has since played a number of roles within Jericho Road. She is the current Director of Health and Family Services and is passionate about the population of people she is serving. ―Refugees are survivors,‖ she says. ―They want to know am I safe? Are my children safe? We help them take it a day at a time. Slowly, as they adjust and work through these emotions and the differences to being here, you begin to see a change- not planning a day at a time, but a week at a time, or a year at time.‖ Ireland says that the drop-in center is a one of kind service—to her knowledge they are one of the only programs in the U.S. addressing the resettlement needs of refugees in such a multi-faceted way. Because of the resources offered, refugees have moved from other states to the Buffalo area to receive help from Jericho Road Ministries and the HOPE Drop-In Center. The message traveling throughout the refugee community, not just locally, but nationally is that ―You can keep getting help at HOPE.‖ Ireland will also be the first to tell you that for as much as the center may be
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doing to improve the lives of the their clients, that the refugee population is also beginning to make its own positive imprint on the surrounding community. Formerly vacant houses are being inhabited and cleaned up, community gardens are finding helpful hands and several new ethnic restaurants and grocery stores are filling the voids of formerly abandoned buildings and streets. One of Jericho Road‘s largest concerns right now is state funding and potential cuts that will greatly impact many of their services. Over the next several months Thrive will be running columns written by Ireland and her coworkers at Jericho Road in which they will update us on their needs, their programs and how funding is impacting positively and negatively the good work they are trying to accomplish as Samaritans to the West Side of Buffalo. How Can You Help Jericho Road‘s needs are widespread. They are always looking for volunteers for their many programs; tutors, mentors, case workers, even drivers to help drive clients to doctors appointments that may be outside of the West Side. If you are interested in volunteering you can call David Francis, volunteer coordinator at 716-882-1326 or email him at david.francis144@gmail.com. You can also visit the web site to see a more detailed list of volunteer opportunities. They are also always looking for donations of clothing, books, household items, personal care items, baby food and formula, baby gear (such as strollers, car seats, cribs, etc.), and furniture. The web site includes a more detailed list of needed items.!
CREATING A HOCKEY CULTURE
HOW HOCKEY BECAME AN INTEGRAL PART OF BUFFALO LIFE & CULTURE BY PAUL WIELAND PHOTOS BY MATT BROWN
E
COVER STORY
In the decade after World War II, those U. S. citizens who played hockey in Western New York would have fit into the seats of a pair of school buses, with plenty of room for referees and linesmen. There were but two hockey rinks in the entire region, one at Memorial Auditorium and the other at the private Nichols School. If a kid growing up was to learn how to play hockey, by and large he had to do it on natural ice in winter. Western New York liked its brand of pro hockey. There wasn‘t the mass affection shown towards football‘s Buffalo Bills. But thousands regularly supported a professional franchise in the American Hockey League. The Buffalo Bisons were locally owned and a farm club of the Montreal Canadiens—a franchise rich in success. Buffalo benefited from the Montreal success and the fact that the Canadiens were able to lock down nearly every quality French-Canadian player in the Dominion. ―The Flying Frenchmen‖ were just that, so the Bisons flew themselves on the legs of Paulie Meger, Murdo McKay, Freddie Hunt, Art Lessard, and the goaltending of Connie Dion. In 1947, the Bisons battled the Cleveland Barons for the AHL title, with standing-room-only crowds for every playoff game in the Aud, at that time with a capacity of about 10,000 when stuffed to the portals. Outside of the Aud ice and pond hockey, it was almost impossible for a kid in the Buffalo area to learn how to play, unless he went to Nichols. There was a senior amateur hockey league that played its games mostly on Sunday afternoons in the city auditorium, but most of its players were Canadians either living and working in Buffalo or sliding across the Peace Bridge from nearby Fort Erie, Ontario. In the early 1950‘s, high school hockey developed among three Catholic boys schools-- Canisius, St. Joe‘s and Timon, --and Nichols threw in its reserve squad to make a four-team league. This league had no place to play regularly and crossed the Peace Bridge to rent ice time in the Fort Erie Arena, a barn of a structure that had dim lighting and boards that angled away like that leaning tower in Pisa. Because there was no culture of youth or schoolboy hockey, even those four schools that fielded teams did so as an aside. They were schools with rich athletic programs. However, hockey was a poor relative when it came to doling out dollars.
“That was the situation in the first months of 1970 when the Knox brothers obtained an NHL franchise. They immediately realized that developing youth hockey and amateur hockey in the area was vital to the success of the Sabres.”
Two new rinks were built in the ‗60‘s in the Town of Tonawanda. That community‘s recreation department placed outdoor artificial ice rinks in opposite ends of the sprawling suburban residential town, rinks that were undersized and caught every gust of wind that originated as far away as the plains of Manitoba, or so it seemed when playing a night game in February. There were cases of players getting frostbite until the town enclosed the rinks and roofed them. The rinks were for use of town residents only, but they enabled boys (and later girls) who lived in Tonawanda to learn to skate and play hockey from the time they were in pre-school. The town immediately began a recreational senior league, one that attracted a wide variety of talents, who lived in the town, from hardly-able-to-skaters to ex-college players who happened to have settled in the area, and even some Canadians working in the states and living in the town. Hockey was the runt of the litter in youth and senior sports in the area. It was around, but it was being pushed away from the money trough when it came time to fund sports in the public school systems. Pushed away may be the kindest thing to say. It never even got into the room. While youngsters were able to go to the Aud and watch a very high level of professional play by the hometown Bisons, hardly any had a chance to learn to play the game. That was the situation in the first months of 1970 when the Knox brothers obtained an NHL franchise. They immediately realized that developing youth hockey and amateur hockey in the area was vital to the success of the Sabres.
COVER STORY
Every kid who learned to skate and to enjoy the game is a potential customer, dragging his parents and family to a Sabres game, and remains a potential customer and season ticket-holder for a lifetime. In 1970, the question was how could the Sabres encourage and even fund youth hockey in the area as quickly and as economically as possible? The Knoxes couldn‘t afford to pay the development costs for a community trying to get youth hockey underway. Even if they could afford to fund two or three programs, what about the rest of those towns and cities that didn‘t get the financial support? The way it was done involved tying together the celebrity of Sabres players with the needs of kids to learn hockey skills and contribute to their own fund-raising projects. We devised a hockey clinic program that swung into operation late in the first season and hit its stride in 1971-72. Branding was paramount in the hockey clinic program and all the Sabres outreach activities for a decade. We didn‘t share the Sabres brand with any commercial sponsors. Every community activity and every promotion was sponsored by the Sabres and paid for by the Sabres. The Knoxes agreed that the Sabres needed to establish a brand and identity that was solid and substantial, and not mixed up with the names and commercial aims of other brands. That‘s hardly what happens in pro sports today. Everything has a commercial tie-in, and sometimes it can‘t be determined where the sponsor leaves off and the sports product begins. The critical component of the hockey clinic program was player participation. Sabres GM and Coach Punch Imlach made it a policy that every player on the roster owed at least two public appearances during the season. These couldn‘t be deals where a player is paid, instead meant a visit to a sick child in a hospital, a sports night banquet or, in this case, working as an instructor at a hockey clinic. His rookie standout, Gilbert Perreault, was shy and spoke little English when he came to training camp straight from junior hockey in Montreal. Perreault would beg off every request to do a sports night event that first year, but agreed to do hockey clinics, where he could show and tell his natural skills as a player to youngsters on a rink. The rink was a second home to
Perreault, so the clinics worked perfectly for him and for several others who were not happy in front of a questioning banquet crowd. The clinics were limited to 25 or 30 young skaters a session. There were times the young players had one-onone instruction from an NHL player at worst there were small group sessions. There was a feeling out process at first. Few of the players had done this kind of work though some of the veterans had worked in summer hockey schools back in their Canadian hometowns. I was given a large supply of tickets for the season to use as I saw fit in public relations activities, and I slotted most of them for use in hockey fundraisers or for other community causes. Tickets are dead-on perfect prizes. They have a real value. They bring new people to the arena and expose them to an NHL game, and they can be used for raffle fund raising purposes. We also would give simple booklets containing instructional material covered in the clinic drills, plus team decals, schedules and the like. Brand frequency as displayed by the clinic program, would not be enough to establish our brand as a big league entity. We had entered the league at the same time that Buffalo was granted an NBA franchise, the Buffalo Braves. We shared Memorial Auditorium with that franchise, owned by Paul Snyder, a feisty Buffalo businessman and entrepreneur. The new Sabres had to compete with the Braves and as well as the football Bills, and outstanding college basketball programs at St. Bonaventure, along with Canisius and Niagara. College basketball was king on Saturday nights in the Aud, often playing to packed houses. The Sabres won the battle for winter sports supremacy in Buffalo with a thrust to the Stanley Cup finals in the spring of 1975. Along the way, not only did the Braves decide to skip town, but college basketball took a blow from which it never recovered. Today‘s NHL hockey players make millions of dollars a year as journeymen. In 1970, the year I started with the Sabres, I was paid more than one of the players‘. I kid you not. One day I was complaining to Imlach about how much I made in comparison to a corporate PR job I had left to join the new franchise. ―How much do you make?‖ Imlach asked. I told him the number, and he opened a file drawer and pulled out a folder. He wouldn‘t show me the name on the contract, but sure enough, there it was: one Sabre was getting $500 less than I was for the year. ―Of course, he has some performance bonuses, so there‘s chance he will make more,‖ said Imlach. But I was shocked that a big league player could make so little. Now I am shocked that they make so much.! Paul Wieland was the Sabres public relations man and communications director for 25 years. He is the author of “Then Perreault Said to Rico,” a 2008 book on the team’s early years. He is a journalism professor at St. Bonaventure University.
innovation HOW A HANDFUL OF ENTREPREUNEURS ARE LEADING THE WAY IN THE NEW ECONOMY By Kyle Patterson
FEATURED
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Whether we acknowledge it or not, Western New York has a wealth of innovative people who are using their talents to provide jobs for our local workforce. Through their talent and hard work they are enhancing the lives of businesses and individuals in our community, adding value to their customers, and helping to make Western New York a better place to live and work. We selected a handful of companies both local and locally based, some small, some large that are making a difference. So be inspired that like you, there are people who care about our future as a city and region. InfoTech Niagara InfoTech Niagara is the trade association of Western New York‘s information technology industry. They are a source of networking, resources and promotion for companies and individuals in our region. Director Jeff Ross who has served in various capacities in the Buffalo tech scene said, ―For the good of the industry is why we are here. It is almost surprising the level of expertise that we have in Western New York. We couldn‘t hide the tech sector more if we tried. There is a ridiculous amount of talent here.‖ Ross explained companies are succeeding by signing customers from other markets and finding a cheaper rate and rent in Buffalo. Instead of paying $100,000 customers can pay $60,000 and pass on those savings to their customers. The Buffalo market is 25%-50% cheaper than the national average. ―It‘s disappointing to see companies that are local and yet have a website created by an out of town vendor. They go with a big national chain with no customer service rather than utilizing the local talent. Buffalo has a big advantage in that it is typically much cheaper and the talent is here,‖ explained Ross. ―Everyone says all the kids are moving out of town and then they go and spend their money out of town. They wonder why there is no place to work,‖ he continued. ―The best customer service is service that you get when you call a local company that knows you. The expertise is here without a doubt, it creates jobs, taxes and allows the company to grow and prosper. If we could capture that business it would make a huge difference.‖ Ross believes that we need to redefine the work culture. In the past it has been a culture of go to work, 9-5, hate the boss and come home and complain. Ross believes a culture of entrepreneurship, personal responsibility and initiative changes that. VOIP Supply VOIP Supply based on Sonwil Drive in Buffalo has made their niche by capitalizing on emerging markets while they are young and attracting early adopter customers before the technology goes main stream. Founder and CEO Benjamin Sayers creates a prototype product, hires a developer, proves it in the marketplace and creates a business around it. Sayers, a serial entrepreneur who dropped out of college to grow and sell his first company has proved himself time and again with his successful e-commerce platforms including Voipsupply.com, a leader in Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) solutions enabling his company to grow to over $25 million in sales in 4 years. Despite the economy, Voipsupply.com has grown consistently over the last 4 years winning numerous national awards including being named to the INC 5000 for three years in a row, Entrepreneur Magazine‘s HOT 100, in 2008 they were named the best place to work in Western New York and in 2007 they were number six on the fastest Growing Company in WNY—employing 50 employees and offering value to their customers. ―We do a tremendous amount of education. That is the real difference. Other companies just want to sell you stuff. We get a lot of people in the early sales cycle; our guys
are highly trained to offer the right solution,‖ explained Sayers. Interestingly, Voipsupply.com has created a company culture that thrives, even in Western New York. ―The last place I worked was terrible. I have always loved working. I want to have fun and everyone works better when it‘s not a high pressure place. Work hard and play hard is kind of the deal,‖ said Sayers. In terms of developing further technology companies in our region Sayers says, ―I don‘t know if there are enough entrepreneurial leadership programs. I think people are afraid.‖ The solution, Sayers says, is adding more incubators and creating an environment where innovation thrives. IP Logic IP Logic has been delivering IT solutions in Buffalo for over 35 years. Peter A. Grosskopf, Director of Business Development at IP Logic explained, ―We pride ourselves on being a preferred business partner in providing solutions through a collaborative process to help clients achieve their business objectives. People in Buffalo may invest in technology out of necessity, but appreciate quality toward a purpose-driven solution of functionality and reliability of use.‖ With offices across New York, Western PA, West Virginia and Ohio, IP Logic‘s Support Operations Center is located here in Buffalo. VARBusiness, the industry magazine covering strategy and technology trends for solution providers recognized IPLogic as one of North America's top technology integrators in its annual VARBusiness 500 List, ranking the local company at 432. IPLogic is growing by introducing new technologies to their portfolio including digital signage solutions to the healthcare market, Grosskopf commented, ―Digital Signage provides consistent globally-branded messaging among hospitals, who due to expanded growth and outreach, need to maintain a sense of community. With healthcare organizations, such as Kaleida Health‘s recent signage deployment, IT must deal with disparate networks, per hospital location or even medical groups.‖ .By delivering converged voice, data, and multimedia solutions that increase revenue, decrease cost, and maximize organizational productivity for clients the company has been able to serve medium to large organizations across the states of New York and throughout the Northeast. Noobis Noobis was founded in 2007 as a development shop for social media applications. After building and launching some of the earliest applications on Facebook and MySpace, Noobis expanded to offer its services to companies based on experience and knowledge gained. Developing tools and applications for companies and non-profits to utilize the power of social media to grow their cause, Noobis has developed sites including Buffalo City Mission‘s HungerHunt.com and Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation and the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation‘s Amazingcounty.com. The sites have helped the organizations increase exposure and for the Buffalo City Mission grow their donor base. Through innovative products and execution, Noobis is a forward thinking group of young entrepreneur‘s working to make businesses and non-profits succeed. They recently began developing Mobile Apps as the market for smart phones and apps have seen tremendous double and triple digit growth. Focusing primarily on location-based applications for the iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry platforms, the first product will be a mobile version of the company's successful Amplify program, (Continued on page 42)
WHY SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS BENEFITS
EVERYONE
AN INSIDERS LOOK AT THE SHOP LOCAL MOVEMENt– and why it matters to you. BY SARAH BISHOP
“IImagine: that gorgeous painting hanging in your living room is from an artist somewhere in your figurative backyard; those delicious vegetables in your salad are from a Western New York farm; the owner of The salon where you got your great haircut might be your Next door neighbor; and on and on it goes.”
Did you know that the growth and prosperity of Buffalo is directly dependent on you? Believe it or not, it‘s true -- the decisions you make today greatly impact your city‘s tomorrow. For every dollar spent at a local, independent business, generally three times more money is re-spent in the local economy than if you shop at a national chain. That equates to more than 68¢, versus 43¢ spent at a chain, that remains right here in Buffalo. How is this possible? Why does it happen? Local businesses purchase more products and services from other local vendors, support more local charities and civic institutions, pay more taxes and simply have a more vested interest in seeing their community succeed and its residents prosper. Thus, money brought into local, independent businesses is recycled back into Buffalo, which minimizes leakage, secures jobs, stabilizes our economy and even goes so far as to provide the means and the incentives to protect the environment and to build the relationships of mutual trust and responsibility. In short, local business owners are keenly aware of the fact that the greatest profit does not necessarily equate to the best economics. The positive impact on our city and its communities via buying local and independent are both economic and human-scale in nature. It‘s simple really -- the more support we give to community-based businesses, the more we all benefit. With retail comprising seven percent of the U.S. economy, according to the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), local shoppers have a significant opportunity to use their purchasing power to support their fellow Buffalonians while helping to produce a healthy independent retail sector that can, in turn, be influential in preserving our communities unique identity and sense of place. Imagine: that gorgeous painting hanging in your living room is from an artist somewhere in your figurative backyard; those delicious vegetables in your salad are from a Western New York farm; the owner of the salon where you got your great haircut might be your next-door neighbor; and on and on it goes.
In order for Buffalo to become a fully sustainable community, all of us together must become advocates for locally-owned, independent businesses. Wondering where to start? As Executive Director of Buffalo First!, we are doing all that we can to increase awareness about the personal and community benefits of living local. From our All-Local Coupon Book to monthly events and community business mixers, to the blog and online business directory, Buffalo First! can give you the resources you need to join the local movement. Every day, we are afforded the opportunity to vote with our wallets. By ‗casting our ballots,‘ so to speak, in favor of local business, we‘re speaking out for a more socially conscious, ecofriendly and financially sustainable economy. At Buffalo First we are also assisting the businesses themselves. Besides promotion through the coupon book and business directory, Buffalo First! lobbies for legislation that will benefit local businesses and business owners, teaches owners how they can take small steps to help the community and offers the support to make such changes. One of our largest efforts is B-Corporation legislation. A BCorp is a new kind of company that works on a triple bottom line of environmental sustainability, social benefits and monetary profit. The benefits are too numerous to go into in-depth in this story, but, simply, B-Corp status gives business owners more leeway to make changes that will benefit the environment and surrounding community without having to worry about how those changes will affect shareholders and profits. The New York State government has, for some time now, been aware of and working for a bill that would allow businesses to obtain BCorp status. Whether you‘re just joining the local movement or have been involved for years, Buffalo First! welcomes your questions, participation, expertise and enthusiasm.! Sarah Bishop is Executive Director of Buffalo First!, a five-year old nonprofit organization that offers a support network to local businesses and strives to educate consumers and business owners about the benefits of a living, local economy. For more information, visit Buffalo First! at BuffaloFirst.org.On Facebook (Facebook.com/BuffaloFirst) or on Twitter(@BuffaloFirst).
Hearts for the Homeless celebrated its 20th year of outreach to the poor and homeless in Buffalo on December 24, 2010. My wife Peg and I have been with Hearts since its inception. Annually, Hearts for the Homeless continues to reach thousands of homeless and poor people through its Mobile Soup Kitchen and also helping to meet the needs of its immediate community through Hearts Thrift Shop. In 2010 more than 12,472 poor and homeless people were served. Hearts has five separate committed and dedicated Mobile Crew Teams consisting of 26 adult volunteers, each committed long term to one night per week. We also have an 80 year-old woman who has been a volunteer for over 15 years and many other long term committed volunteers like her. We also have some youth volunteers that go out in tandem with adult supervision, some need to put in community service, some have caught Hearts‘ mission and want to serve on a regular basis. We also have a few volunteers in Hearts Thrift store who help to maintain and tidy up the store as customers come in and out all day, and help to restock and display products. Hearts relies heavily on our main resource - the generosity of individuals, churches, and local organizations for its funding. We do receive some matching donations via some larger company employee giving programs like Praxair and Liberty Mutual Foundation and the United Way has an employee payroll deduction program of which some of our donors find a convenient way to give. Hearts' Mobile Soup Kitchen (an RV where we serve prepared meals, with a clothing pantry on board) has one stop known to all our clients, which is at the Buffalo and Erie County Library, downtown Washington and Ellicott Street, we park under the overpass connecting the two library buildings. Although we do not ask where the people are coming from, as we get to know the "regulars" we know that the homeless are dispersed throughout the city, live under city bridges and nooks and niches where they are shielded from
cold weather and wind; and the poor families that have residences come from all over including the West Side, Riverside and Downtown. The best part of the job is knowing that when we go out and feed people at night they won‘t be going to bed hungry. The most challenging aspect of the ministry is having enough resources to lift more people out of their pit and improve their quality
of life – that would be permanent. (i.e. help someone off the street, get an apartment which we have done in the past, creating a job that pays more than minimum wage like a clothes sorting job for our Thrift Shop); and having more resources to impact more lives in bigger ways. (i.e. getting someone a car – we helped a young woman get a car by which she was able to go back to school for nursing and succeed; we watched the
hand of God move in her situation.) It is very difficult to watch a mom with kids walking down the street, scurrying along, dragging a buggy in one hand and corralling the other kids with the other hand just to get something to eat.!
STUART HARPER
A BRIGHTER
FUTURE
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VIOLENCE, CRIME AND POVERTY. SOLUTIONS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE. BY STUART HARPER When contemplating the struggle our city faces with violence, crime and poverty there is ultimately only one way we will ever be able to overcome these challenges. Unfortunately, often times the nature of man drives us from the solution not towards it. Our egos, our politics, our prejudice, our violent history towards one another all drive us further from the solution. Faith in Jesus Christ and us earnestly asking for his intervention in our lives personally and as a community, I believe, is the only solution that will work because his solution will bear none of these maladies. I talk with the men and women who come to the Mission and many have violent pasts or have lived through violent situations. It is very difficult to come from living on the street or in poverty and not have been caught up in some kind of violence. While talking to them I often think about these men and women being born. They knew nothing of violence as babies, violence is learned or thrust upon them. Each of us needs to imagine what it would be like to grow up in poverty; the frustration of not being able to provide even the necessities for your family. Often decisions were made at a young age with no awareness that that decision would affect them for years to come. I did not grow up poor so I can‘t speak to knowing what it is like, however, I do know hopelessness. Hopelessness is a terrible thing because it affects everything you do and think. Consequences no longer matter because the future doesn‘t exist. You stop thinking about anything in terms of safety; yours or anyone else‘s. It is like being caught in a circle with no off ramp. For me the only way out was by hitting rock bottom and finally asking for help. When our men and women at the Mission make that decision to enter our long-term program they are asking for help. That act of asking provides them an off ramp to a new path in their life. For us as a community to come
together, we have to realize we are living our lives in a vicious cycle. History keeps repeating itself, the same things keep occurring. No matter how much money we spend on community services the more it seems we need. How do we solve homelessness, addiction, welfare, domestic violence? Do we do it by throwing more money at it or do we sit down together and admit we have hit the bottom as a community and we need to try something different. I read an article on 24/7 Wall St. that said Buffalo was the #1 Dead City in America and their rational was we had lost the people and industry that made us great. I often hear the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing repeatedly expecting a different outcome. If that is true we need to stop pointing figures at each other and make a decision. Do we want to see the same outcomes ten years from today or do we want to change things by doing things differently?‖ I don‘t have the answers, I don‘t even know if I know the questions but I am willing to try. My way of trying is to jump to my knees and ask Jesus Christ to show me the way; then keep my mouth closed and listen for His guidance. Please join me in prayer…Jesus guide us in a direction where we as a community can come together and lift us all up together. Show us a way that will lead our neighbors out of poverty, out of hopelessness and into a hopeful place. Guide us to a place where the future is bright and a place where we see a positive future for our sons and daughters. A place we can all live together as neighbors sharing food from our gardens and where we listen to each other through our hearts. Bless you Lord for You are the only way, Amen.! Stuart Harper is Executive Director of The Buffalo City Mission. Since 1917, Buffalo City Mission has seen the City of Buffalo and its people through hard times on every level imaginable. Through the widespread devastation of the Great Depression to the current economic downturn in our city, the Mission has opened its doors to help men, women and children restore their hope, dignity and lives.
WHY WE LOVE TIM HORTONS TIM HORTONS is vital to the life and energy of Western New Yorkers. Just look at the lines between eight and eleven on any given morning and you’ll understand what I mean. Recently a national survey pinpointed Buffalo as the best large city for a restaurant chain to expand. Employing more than 3,000 full time employees and operating 180 locations throughout WNY, it is almost hard to imagine a morning without Tim Hortons or as the more affectionate followers refer to them, ―Timmys.‖ Here are just a few of the reasons why Buffalo loves Tim Hortons. It also turns out Tim Hortons actually does more than just turn out a great cup of coffee. They are involved in numerous projects that make a difference locally and globally. The Goods: The average store generates $1.8 million per year in revenue. Total spending in Western New York on coffee and other goodies at Tim Hortons is $324 million per year! Their baked goods are baked and served fresh all day including their newest strawberry banana donut. Add to that choices like muffins, pastries, sandwiches, wraps, soups and chili, it‘s no wonder we keep coming back. The Coffee: 100% Arabica beans. No additives and no artificial flavors. 20-Minute Freshness Guarantee. No Nicotine (despite popular opinion). Available at HSBC Arena. 4 sizes. Hot but not too hot. All sizes under $2.00 The Freebies Tim Horton‘s annual Roll Up The Rim To Win campaign gives away millions of free food prizes and other great prizes across the country and Canada including cars, grills, bikes, TVs and gift cards. With a 1/6 chance of winning something, the contest is a local favorite.
24 x 7 One of the few remaining fast food chains open 24 x7, there is never a moment when you have to go without. The Locations With locations everywhere from gas stations, to Tops Markets and hospitals like ECMC and Millard Fillmore Suburban, the convenient locations are a major plus. The Wait With an average of 30 seconds or less per car, chances are your purchase of fresh coffee or food will take less than 4 minutes even on busy days. The Caffeine (mg) Small: 80 Medium: 100 Large: 140 Extra large: 200 The Community Tim Hortons is involved in numerous sponsorships and charitable work including youth soccer, hockey, summer camps scholarships. This year the Tim Hortons Children‘s Foundation will serve close to 14,000 children from economically disadvantaged homes (worldwide). Socially Conscious Over 1 million families in South and Central America depend on coffee to support their families. In 2005, Tim Hortons launched its first community partnership program in the Oriente coffee region in Guatemala. Subsequently, they started projects in Colombia (Huila) and Brazil (Minas Gerais). The organizations are designed to continue training activities after finalizing the project implementation. By helping local farmers become professional businessmen and women, they gain the knowledge to increase their income and improve their lives. To date, approximately 2,000 farmers and their families have benefited from these projects in three countries, representing about 6,000 people in total.!
Dibella‘s Old Fashioned Subs are nothing short of famous in Western New York. Famous for its hearty, fresh baked multigrain, plain, wheat, or everything rolls, Dibella‘s has a variety of options for the quick meal or even a call ahead and take out option. Cold subs include turkey, ham, capicola, spicy ham, roast beef, genoa salami and corned beef. Signature subs include the cheesesteak, Italian meatball, chicken philly, Buffalo chicken, Dibella‘s dip (roast beef), Chicken Caesar and tuna salad and every kind of condiment you can think of. Our recommendation: Chicken Philly
Jim‘s Steakout is a locally-owned Buffalo tradition famous for its delicious, though sometimes messy, steak hoagie. With choices ranging from their steak hoagie to chicken finger, tacos, traditional cold subs, and even boneless wings, chances are they are open at a convenient time for you. Most locations are open from 10:30am- 5:00am and are a great stop any time of day. A true urban sub shop atmosphere Jim‘s is a great place to stop for a bite to eat. The food is served hot, fresh, and fast. They use high quality brand name products to prepare their food. So, next time you're hungry, make sure to you drop by any one of Jim's nine locations. Our recommendation: Steak Hoagie
Speaking of fresh, Charlie the Butcher‘s beef on weck is sliced off the bone right in front of you and served on a savoring roll that literally melts in your mouth. Not only do they have eight locations but they instruct you on how to Eat a Roast Beef on Kummelweck: 1. Take the top off the kummelweck roll; 2. Add the sauces: au jus and horseradish; 3. Make the sandwich as sloppy and wet as you can; 4. Replace the top; 5. Eat the sandwich; 6. Use a million napkins.
People are still surprised by the size of the sandwiches at Chris‘ NY Sandwich Shop on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. Priding themselves on the gourmet sandwich and fresh breads, Chris‘ has become a favorite lunch spot for the downtown crowd. Specialty breads include Honey Organic Wheat, Marble Rye, Pumpernickel, Italian, Baby Pita, Country White and Rye. Favorites include fresh carved 100% natural turkey, a Hawaiian chicken salad, and corned beef and Swiss cheese among many others. Salads, drinks, and chips served as sides.
Our recommendation: Beef on Weck
Our recommendation: Turkey on Honey Organic Wheat
Buffalo Party Rental Where Everyday is a Party & Every Customer is a Guest Buffalo Party Rental is one of the largest and finest party rental equipment stores in all of Western New York. Our inventory includes large party tents, banquet furniture, wedding accessories, restaurant equipment and much more. We serve all of Western New York and many upstate cities such as Rochester, Syracuse and Albany. Linens, China, Glassware, Flatware, Ballons, Tents, Tables, Chairs, Staging, Dancefloors, Pipe and Drape, Grills, Restaurant Equipment, Fryers, Chafers.
“Grand stories, incredible architecture, and a secret passage.” By Lisa Littlewood
I‘m a sucker for old houses. I‘m not sure that I would want to live in one—the upkeep, the draftiness, the ghost stories— but I love a good house tour. Perhaps that is what drew me to Massachusetts for almost ten years—the history, the architecture, the old houses. Houses that belonged to notable historical figures such as Paul Revere, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and for a time, on my running route, I used to jog right by the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow house, also known as General George Washington‘s headquarters for his wartime use of the house. Buffalo has its own historical figures and stories still remembered within the walls of some of its oldest houses and buildings. As a teenager, growing up in the Buffalo area, I used to drive down Delaware Avenue admiring the large stone, mansions that lined the street. I‘d imagine the extravagant parties, the horse-drawn carriages, the servants, the grounds, and the decadent food prepared in the kitchens. The fact is, the stately homes stand as mementoes to old Buffalo—a time when Buffalo was on the rise, emerging as a leader in industrial innovation, home to an incredibly wealthy cast of characters; presidents of large banks, owners of industrial corporations, leaders with national appeal. My recent visit to 786 Delaware Avenue, presently known as the Red Cross Building, did not disappoint. It is a building that comes with grand stories, incredible architecture and a secret passage built into the wall from the music room to the library. The house, also known as the Carolyn Tripp Clement House, was designed by the notable Buffalo architect E.B. Green—an architect responsible for designing close to 200 buildings and homes in the Buffalo area (buildings which included the
The Red Cross Sits on a Wealth of Western New York History.
Albright Knox Art Gallery, the Lockwood Library at UB and First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle) and who can be credited for a significant portion of the architectural landscape of the Buffalo that we still know today. If Buffalo were a portrait, Green would have been one of the primary artists. For those privy to architectural terminology, the style of the house is considered to be English Tudor or Tudor revival—a style that borrows ideas from both the large medieval palaces and the cozy medieval cottages of the English Gothic and Renaissance eras. It is a style dictated by beautifully patterned brick or stonework, the use of parapets, high, overlapping gables and long narrow windows. The beautiful peaks and use of stone at 786 Delaware Avenue are certainly more palatial and castle like than reminiscent of any sort of cottage, a fact that would not have been lost on its owners—good, philanthropic people, but wealthy Buffalonians none the less, who would have been trying to Keep Up with the Knoxes more than the Joneses during their day. The house was symbolic of their great wealth and status in Buffalo‘s high-society— a wealth amassed by Mr. Stephen Clement, the then president of Marine Bank. Sadly, while money may buy many things, it cannot secure everything. Mr. Clement, who had the house commissioned, plans drawn and walls built starting in 1912 for a cost of $300,000, never lived in the house with his wife. He died at age 52, a day before his 29th wedding anniversary and before the family moved into the beautiful estate. It has been said that his funeral was one of the first events held in the house. Mrs. Carolyn Tripp Clement, her six children, and later generations of family did inhabit the house, and considering Mrs. Clements‘s status in society, as well as her philanthropic, educational and religious interests (she was a member of Westminster Church for 67 years and donated land for what eventually became their parish house, as well as giving $80,000 to the University of Buffalo and serving on their leadership council for 21 years, Clement Hall at UB is named after her, it is likely that numerous fund-raising and social functions took place in their home.) Also a lover of music, it is no surprise that one of the most impressive rooms in the house is the 2-½-story music room that looks onto Delaware Avenue (if you are staring at the front of the house the music room sits to the left, adorned by the gorgeous tall bay window in the center). The music room measures 52‘ by 20‘ feet and has been described as ―the heart of the family‘s life.‖ While the family lived in the house, the music room held two grand pianos, a harp and a full-scale pipe organ (Mrs. Clement spent a year studying piano and traveling through Europe before she was married and played both the harp and organ.) Other notable features of the 20 room house are the oak paneled wardrobe room (used to receive guests and hold their coats and wraps) off of the main hallway, the reception or ―morning‖ room (between the wardrobe and music rooms), the Italian marble baseboards, archways, floors and mantles throughout the house, and the beautifully grand limestone staircase that still greets visitors as they walk through the front door. Also worth mentioning is the still functioning copper lined Otis elevator— the first ever installed in a Buffalo residence.
“Mrs. Clement donated the home to the Red Cross in 1941, no doubt impacted by the Red Cross‟ involvement in WWII at that time. In an interview Mrs. Clement was noted as saying, „There is no other organization to which I would rather give it…it serves day in and day out in times of war as well as in times of peace.‟” Mrs. Clement donated the home to the Red Cross in 1941, no doubt impacted by the Red Cross‘ involvement in WWII at that time. In an interview Mrs. Clement was noted as saying, ―There is no other organization to which I would rather give it…it serves day in and day out in times of war as well as in times of peace.‖ The Red Cross is happy to inhabit the house and enjoys meetings in the grand music room, now their boardroom, as well as the library with its dark towering shelves. Cubicles and workers inhabit many of the nooks and crannies, bedrooms and former storage spaces. While Mrs. Clement likely would not recognize the computer screens, printers, telephones, copiers and fax machines that propel modern business, the ―bones‖ of the house remain in tact, and I have to believe she would be proud of the upkeep and the meaningful work still taking place within its walls. Thank you to the staff at the Red Cross who graciously welcomed me and showed me around. A particular thanks to Jay Bonafede, Communications Coordinator and Heather Flipowicz, Director of Advancement for their time and the stories they shared. Many of the details in this article were also borrowed from a comprehensive website created by Chuck LaChiusa. The site ―Buffalo Architecture and History‖ can be found at www.buffaloah.com.!
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The CityLove Clothing Company was founded in July 2007 by Tony Maggiotto, Jr while in graduate school as a way to promote Buffalo and become more involved in the community. Since then, CityLove Buffalo has worked with over fifteen artists to create over twenty-five original designs in over one hundred styles and colors. They have also created over fifty custom projects for groups, small businesses, and non-profit organizations throughout Western New York.
Born in Buffalo T-Shirt Company is all Buffalo. Inspired by the lake, the food, the people, our collective sense of humor as well as our Buffalo-born legacy of futile attempts to redefine ourselves constantly...oh, and who can forget the smell of Cheerios in the morning...smells like...winning. When asked why they produce their line, owner Dave Hassett responded, ―Because although the St. Lawrence Seaway seriously maimed us (Buffalo) in 1959 it could not kill us. Because the British burned us to the ground in 1813 and yet here we are, nearly 200 years later, talking about pro-Buffalo tshirt companies. When is the last time you heard anyone mention a pro-Britain t-shirt company? Exactly. Because in 1999, NHL Commissioner Gary "The Knob" Bettman changed the "no skate in the cease" rule mid-season without telling anyone outside of the league. Because our lake-effect-snow driven winter has a funny way of annually obliterating good ideas in its icy, cold tracks. But then we get to start all over again each spring when it comes to almost everything in Buffalo. Because when you lower you're expectations in this town, it seems that progress happens a lot faster. Because more school kids need to know that although President McKinley was tragically shot in Buffalo, his assailant was born and raised in Michigan.‖
When Buffalo Princess founder Marinette Kozlow went shopping for baby clothes that represented Buffalo she came out short of satisfied. ―I was disappointed at my lack of options. Most, if not all, of the Buffalo art was masculine. Last fall, I started designing greeting cards in a feminine, juvenile style. A local store owner suggested I make a Buffalo in that same style. It all clicked. I immediately jumped on it and Buffalo Princess (and Prince) was born,‖ explained Kozlow who now offers her clothing at numerous shops around the area including, Spoiled Rotten, Cat‘s Meow, and Bay-6, among others. The clothing line has since grown from girl designs to boys to men and women‘s designs.!
What is the best part of playing hockey in a town like Buffalo? I think it is how much they care about hockey here, every time we score it‘s exciting and it‘s a packed building and everyone is going crazy, so I think just playing in a place where hockey matters is awesome. How is the new ownership affecting the team? Awesome, he seems like a great guy, he is a great guy, you know, he really wants to win and his family is into it and super nice. They are great people and I think everyone is motivated with the change. It‘s a good change of scenery, everyone is excited and we want to win. Off the ice what is your favorite thing to do? Well, I am living with Myers and we are pretty much the same person other than the height differential but we are pretty relaxed guys, we don‘t do too much. We go to a lot of movies, take a lot of naps, lot of eating. Off season is golf, some training, some relaxing.!
teenage/college aged princesses in the ladies sizes too! You have introduced numerous new designs, since you first started, where do you see yourself next year at this time? I'd like to offer irresistible Buffalo clothing and accessories for everyone in the family. I'm trying to design them in a way I haven't seen offered. For men, nonsports related, for women, glamour and glitz, for the young and young at heart, sweet yet pampered designs.
Love the design of the Buffalo Princess shirts, what inspired you to start creating them? I had a childhood friend who moved to Florida years ago with her family. We stayed in contact ever since. She has a deep love and such fond memories of our city. A few years ago, she had a baby girl and I thought I'd send her baby clothing featuring Buffalo. I was disappointed at my lack of options. Most, if not all, of the Buffalo art was masculine. Last fall, I started designing greeting cards in a feminine, juvenile style. A local store owner suggested I make a Buffalo in that same style. It all clicked. I immediately jumped on it and Buffalo Princess (and
Prince) was born. What has the response been so far? It's been very exciting for me because the reception has been so good! The line has been picked up by shops around town. I was invited to do some art shows in the fall and was able to talk to people face-to -face. Their reactions said it all for me. Moms, aunts, and grandmothers all wanted to get some for their little prince and princess. The onesies and t-shirts have been shipped all over the country and beyond and some have stayed here for shower gifts or birthday presents. Some wanted t-shirts for themselves or their
You're a designer by trade and full time homeschooling mom, how do you do it? Generally, we home school during the day and I work in the evening after my youngest is asleep. I do everything one day at a time. Certainly, nothing is perfect -- as much as I'd like to think it can be -- but I love the way we live. I love having my kids around. They are learning so much just watching Buffalo Princess unfold. They saw the whole process, from the computer to the end product -- even getting tours of the different print shops and processes. They were with me when I designed the greeting cards and critiqued every one. They were my advisors during design concepts of the Buffalo, immediately stating whether it looked right or not. I figure, if a child can't figure out what I'm drawing, it can't be right. What stores can they be purchased at? So far, Buffalo Princess and other MAK Design products can be found at Spoiled Rotten, 831 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo. The Kat's Meow Kids Inc, 5655 Main St #1, Williamsville. Bay-6 Buffalo Clothing Company, Southgate Plaza, 1050 Union Rd. West Seneca. The Gift Shop at Sisters of Charity Hospital, 2157 Main St, Buffalo. The Buffalo Show House Boutique from April 30 - May 22.!
The all new Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site re-opened in August of 2009 after extensive renovations to the Wilcox Mansion and construction of a new addition on the site of the original Wilcox Carriage House. The Site has essentially re-invented itself and now offers a visitor experience that is a far cry from the typical guided tour long associated with historic homes. To set the stage for the guided portion of the tour, visitors will be welcomed by the sights and sounds of Buffalo‘s Pan-American Exposition. Using a compelling ―storytelling‖ approach, a guide will then transport visitors back to the drama-filled days of September, 1901. Visitors will feel as though they are following in Theodore Roosevelt‘s footsteps on the day that he became president. After a powerful multimedia ―object theatre‖ experience, visitors finally ―catch up‖ with Roosevelt in the library of the Wilcox home, where the guide‘s interpretation is enhanced by a moving audio reenactment of the ceremony. Interactive exhibits on the second floor of the museum are designed not only to encourage a leisurely exploration of Roosevelt‘s years as president, but also a thoughtful look at how the issues he faced continue to resonate in today‘s world. In addition to fresh, exciting state-of-the-art exhibits the Site offers universal access, air-conditioning and a slick new museum shop and visitor center. An eye-catching logo and new website are all part of the mix as one of Buffalo‘s ―best kept secrets‖ takes center stage. The time is right to take a walk in Theodore Roosevelt‘s footsteps and relive these dramatic moments that changed history with a visit to the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site! Open seven days a week, the museum is located at 641 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo with plenty of free parking in the rear lot, entrance on Franklin Street.!
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When I first moved back to Buffalo in 2008, I was anxious to relearn the creative ‗scene‘ here. I visited local galleries, went to festivals and shows, and found a favorite hidden gem at WBFO‘s Wednesday Night Concert Series. During my first visit, I was introduced to a band named Free Henry!, comprised of a group of twenty -something guys who clearly loved their music as they smiled while they played, often closing their eyes, getting lost in their sound. It was the perfect blend of shake-your-head rock and tap-your-toes jazz, and in a different venue, most certainly a move-your-hips kind of groove. While they played, I couldn‘t help but to notice a small stuffed creature placed at the front of the stage. The creature, which I now know to be a muskrat named Henry, was one of those oddities lingering in the basement that served as their original practice pad when the band first formed a few years ago. Henry was always around when they played, and naturally became the band‘s mascot. He‘s a funny little animal that has transformed into a serious symbol of their music and the intangible feeling of freedom that is passed along to the fans at their shows, hence the name Free Henry! While I am excited to I write this article, I do feel it necessary to point out that the exclamation point that appears at the end of Free Henry! is actually part of the band name. They wanted a name that expressed the energy that exists in their music, and felt as though the ―!‖ added that perfectly. exists in their music, and felt as though the ―!‖ added that perfectly. Free Henry! is now one of the fastest up-and-coming bands in the Western New York area. They were recently named "Best Original Rock Act" at the Buffalo Music Awards two years in a row, and "Best Rock Act", "Best Original Music Act", "Best Band Name", and "Best Male Vocalist" at the Artvoice Best Of Buffalo Music Awards. A relatively new band, they have already shared the stage with some powerful players, including Blues Traveler, Foreigner, The Guess Who, Soulive, Rusted Root, Blind Melon, Badfinger, Better Than Ezra, We The Kings and Lou Gramm. They have played Thursday in the Square and Artpark and have even headlined shows in New York City. So who is behind Free Henry!? The band is fronted by lead singer, Bob Buckley and backed by guitarist Alex Foote, bassist Derek Presti and drummer Pat Mannella. All members are equally vital in the band‘s growth and success, sharing responsibilities on and off stage, including song-writing, marketing, social networking and even taking out the trash and doing the dishes. Yup, that‘s right. In addition to being best friends and band members, all four of the guys are roommates as well. When asked how they dealt with creating, playing and living together, Presti said ―It‘s never a problem because we get along so well and have our own things going too. The Henry! house is a location where we can live and create and make music together.‖ Their debut album, Summers on Neptune, was released in early 2009 and has already been followed by Get Up and Feel the Flow, featuring live performances from some of their 2010 shows. The band now prepares for the release of their next album, Ethereal Gust due out Spring 2011.
The band‘s tagline is "Influence & Accent Your Senses"― and their music is a blend of many sounds, especially reminiscent of U2, The Beatles and Dave Matthews Band. Foote explains that they prefer not to pinpoint their style, ―It should and always will be evolving with no real objective in mind in regards to how we want to sound. The music and songwriting just slowly shapes itself over time with new, mature ideas that come out of our life experiences. I think what sets us apart from other bands is that we have a diverse collection of individual influences that pulls the bands sound in eclectic angles and each one of us are open to everyone's creative ideas.‖ FH! acknowledges that their music has changed and grown over the past few years. Buckley says, ―I think the sound has ripened nicely, into something that can potentially carry us around the world… Generally speaking I think we've opened up ourselves to new fan demographics which is both important and fun because… it's lending itself to producing more music outside our box. What's next for FH! is making 2011 a year of travel and expansion. Hitting the road with our upcoming album, Ethereal Gust, under our belts will make this year the next step we have been looking for.‖ They have performed all over WNY, but they say that their favorite Buffalo spot is Mr. Goodbar on Elmwood, hands down. They play there every few months and always have a packed house, filled with energetic fans grooving along with the band. So far, the best show they have ever played was opening for Foreigner last year at Artpark's Summer Concert Series. They had the chance to play for over 20,000 people in one of the most impressive venues in the area. They were asked back and will now be a headlining act at Artpark this year, Foote says, ―It will be the most special show we have done up to date because it will be by our rules this time!‖ Being in Buffalo has played an essential role in the band‘s success, including ―the overwhelming vibe of community throughout the people/artists/creative beings that inhabit this great city,‖ says Buckley. ―Everybody in the scene shares the same outlook, there is a lot of sharing of ideas going on and active support by artists, for artists. I genuinely feel as if we all want each other to succeed in our dreams here.‖ A powerful sentiment followed through with real action; Presti and Foote co-founded and co-host a monthly Writers/ Artists/Musicians event aptly called WAM which Buckley & Mannella often make guest appearances at, performing unique acoustic acts. WAM unites and celebrates local talent, further bringing the creative community together. So, how could you not love a band comprised of down-to-earth musicians that love their music, their city and their fans? Not to mention, one that makes you get off your feet, free your mind and just groove? Check them out to see what I mean; I‘m sure you will most certainly fall for Free Henry! too. Go to www.freehenryband.com for more info, tour schedule, videos and even a free download.!
Continued from page 23 an online treasure hunt where participants complete tasks and solve clues for points and prizes. "We are excited to enter this burgeoning market. As a premium social web and application developer, mobile was a natural progression for the company," stated Jon Brennan, CEO of Noobis. "Over the past year, Facebook and Twitter have experienced triple digit growth rates in mobile usage and we are seeing similar trends in all areas of the web. Fueling this growth are the mobile providers who are offering unlimited data plans at very affordable prices. Noobis intends to capitalize on this opportunity by investing in and creating a new revenue stream." Additionally Noobis has developed and introduced games played on Facebook. Sound and Theater Watch movies, listen to music, adjust your lights, control your home's temperature, and manage your security system from one device with solutions from Williamsville based technology provider Sound and Theater. President and CEO Shawn Lemay says, ―We sell quality, ease of use, and simplicity for our customers, solutions that make life easier, safer, and more comfortable from anywhere in your house, or anywhere in the world.‖ The business grew by 60% last year by focusing on residential and commercial applications that do one thing— make life and work simpler. Lemay has found his niche by working with builders to integrate home automation. Though people automatically think expensive when Lemay mentions home automation, Sound and Theater is able to offer a low cost of entry and people can build up to a more sophisticated solution over time. Starting with integrating a universal remote for TV, radio, lights, and security, Sound and Theater scales up to solutions like multi-room lighting, smart lighting, advanced climate control, security, and others including door locks, window shades, pool controllers, and appliance monitors. If you can think it, they can do it according to Lemay whose technology experience dates back almost twenty years when he started his first company, an internet service provider. Aside from innovative solutions, it‘s good business practice that keeps his customers coming back, ―Our key is that we talk and listen to our customers, we aren‘t pushing products, we come into it brand neutral.‖ Yahoo! Yahoo!‘s presence in Lockport is one of the world's most energyefficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective data center buildings in the country. The facility uses a combination of innovative data center design and Lockport's naturally cool climate to dramatically decrease its electricity use throughout the year. The design was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2010 with a sustainability grant of $9.9 million, the largest award received from the DOE's recent Green IT grant program.
The facility uses a combination of Lockport's cool climate, prevailing winds and hydropower to keep the 120-by-60-foot server buildings cool. The YCC design, dubbed the "Yahoo! Chicken Coop," mimics the long, narrow design of a chicken coop to encourage natural air flow 100 percent of the time, resulting in an annualized average of less than 1 percent of the buildings' total energy consumption being required to cool the facility. Hydropower for the data center is supplied by the New York Power Authority, which was recognized in 2006 as one of the cleanest utilities in the United States. ―By working closely with Yahoo! and providing low-cost hydropower to the data center, NYPA is creating a more sustainable environment in the region and supporting the creation of jobs for western New Yorkers in the information technology sector,‖ said Richard M. Kessel of NYPA. Yahoo! is thoughtful about site locations, with the goal of benefiting the local community, local businesses and Yahoo! users worldwide. Yahoo! supported up to 500 jobs throughout the construction process at the 155,000-square-foot site, and is committed to creating up to 125 jobs total in the state of New York. In addition to the data center, the site also supports a Yahoo! Operations Center, which monitors the Yahoo! infrastructure to ensure consistent uptime, and a Global Service Desk, a 24/7 IT support center for Yahoo! employees. The Lockport facility is integral to powering the valuable network of Yahoo! sites, including Yahoo! Mail, Messenger, Flickr, News, Sports, Finance, Answers. Source: Business Wire Ingram Micro ―These local guys are as good as anyone else out there. Through our services like the Ingram Micro Service Network, local companies are able to expand down to New York City and beyond,‖ says Fran Murello, Solution Center Engineer at Ingram Micro. Ingram Micro though headquartered in Santa Ana, CA has its largest office in the US right here in Western New York. On Wehrle Drive in Williamsville, the office employs about 1200 associates and services thousands of reseller accounts. Ingram Micro is the world‘s largest IT distributor in the world with partnerships with leading manufacturers including Cisco, HP, Dell, Intel, AMD, Microsoft and Symantec among many others. Ingram has placed Western New York on the map for these companies who send representatives and resources to the Williamsville office of Ingram Micro every week. Ingram is a hub of sorts for the latest solutions in the industry, talking with Murello, he told me about the resources Ingram offers its resellers including training and certification at their multi-million dollar solution center at the Williamsville office. The center features the latest solutions including virtualization, digital signage, security and more. Ingram has positioned itself to capitalize on the growth in the industry through emerging technologies like virtualization, data center capabilities, storage, and security, something Murello says is helping local and national resellers grow their businesses, ―Our
local guys can bring sales, technicians, and customers in for training and consultation, configuring custom solutions tailored to the end user‘s needs.‖ Dell & UB When Michael Dell, president and CEO of Dell, announced in November his company was making a $15 million investment in computer equipment and services to support the launch of UB‘s new Institute for Healthcare Informatics, it truly was a leap forward for innovation in Buffalo/Niagara. It is something former UB President John Simpson had been talking about for some time now. ―This is truly an exciting and critically important development for theCity of Buffalo, the University at Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC),‖ said Mayor Brown. Brown continued, ―Investing in the knowledge-based economy, which has been made possible through the continuing growth and success of the BNMC, is precisely what will continue job creation and new opportunities for new initiatives like the UB Institute for Healthcare Informatics. I am thrilled that Michael Dell has confirmed the viability and benefit of this venture by making such a strong commitment to its success.‖ Assembly Member Crystal Peoples-Stokes, who was instrumental in securing the $20 million HEAL NY grant, said the new UB Institute for Healthcare Informatics is a promising addition to the BNMC. ―It will create new jobs and educational opportunities in medical records management for residents of Buffalo's East Side, including residents near Sheehan Hospital and the Erie County Medical Center," she said. Erie Community College plans
to expand its associate's degree program in medical informatics to feed UB and local industry. UB's Educational Opportunity Center is offering training and education programs targeted to entry-level medical records management jobs.‖ Dell's investment is critical to the creation of UB's Institute for Healthcare Informatics and establishing it on the Roosevelt Building's first floor. The 15,000-square-foot space will be renovated to accommodate Dell's high-powered computers and 100 employees from UB, Dell, Buffalo-based technology company CTG, and UB Associates, and the management service organization supporting the 450 physicians in the UBMD medical practice plans. The project has the potential to create approximately 115 new highpaying jobs in computer programming and data analysis, and new entry-level positions in medical records management. Medical informatics is an emerging health care field centered on using information technology to analyze and share patient information among health care practitioners and across health care institutions. Such analysis leads to better monitoring of patient care, enhanced measures to prevent disease and identification of more-effective treatments, which leads to better patient outcomes and reduced medical costs. Creation of the UB Institute for Healthcare Informatics will help establish UB and the Buffalo region as a major hub for medical informatics in the SUNY system, throughout New York State and beyond.!
Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with work, or life, or whatever that I don't really think straight. It seems that the noise rules sometimes, and my thoughts, ideas, and creativity get muddied. I long for clarity sometimes. There is a clarity that can come to anyone. Everyone has epiphanies, whether a follower of Jesus or not - everyone experiences moments of clarity. I know that sometimes when life is on overdrive, when stress is high, and when every string is pulled as tight as it can go - I just need to get out and exercise. Just take a run, push around some weights, or ride an angry, hungry bull (I do two of these three, I'll leave the guessing up to you). It gets my endorphins kicking, pushes some of the toxins out of my body, and in those moments after I finish I feel like I can think more clearly. Well, physiologically, I probably am a little sharper mentally as a result. But that is not the clarity I am after (though it is definitely a good thing). I'm not necessarily after this because anyone can find this kind of mental sharpness and alertness if they take care of their body. No, it's something different.
Clarity is about sight, after all - it's about seeing things clearly. In my lifetime, I have seen a lot of things. Some of my aged acquaintances and friends have seen a lot more than I have. But this is not really what I want either - everyone, no, anyone, that lives life will see some things. In fact, they will see a lot of things. Some will be clear, others may not be - but that is just a part of living. Some of the things we long to see are wonderful indeed. Some of those things are noble and beautiful and worthwhile. Some of the things I want to see that I haven't seen yet: The Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Australia, the Roman Coliseum, and the Aurora Borealis to name a few. Some beautiful things that I have seen: Israel, the Swiss Alps, the waters of the Caribbean, the Rocky Mountains, Niagara Falls, the faces of my wife and children. All of these are beautiful. All of these are worthwhile to see. And everyone would agree. But there will always be something missing from the beauty if we fail to see it - really see. God. I want to see God. We don't always see Him though, do we? I would suggest the reason we don't see Him sometimes is because are hearts are a bit muddy. We aren't clean. We aren't pure. But Jesus reminds us with a phrase from his teaching on the hillside that purity gives clarity. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. This isn't some claim that we can get ourselves into a moral position to be able to see God. That would be the opposite of what Jesus is trying to tell us. I think He is reminding us that when we embrace Him, the One who is the righteousness, holiness, and purity of God - when we embrace Him, we see God. When we surrender to the way of Jesus - we will see God. And that, honestly, is the only sight that has the power to transform the human soul because every other expression of beauty in place or in person is simply a reflection of the Beautiful, Awe-inspiring God who created them. Jerry Gillis is lead Pastor of The Chapel at Crosspoint in Getzville.
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