Each time I read a story about this project, it seems to be more and more likely to actually happen.

A planned alternative fuels plant along the Buffalo River stands to benefit from an ethanol tax credit plan proposed Wednesday by Sen. Charles E. Schumer.

Schumer, D-N.Y., used the planned RiverWright Energy plant site, at the foot of Childs Street in Buffalo’s Old First Ward, as the backdrop to unveil his proposed Ethanol Stimulus Act of 2006.

“This is a win-win-win for Western New York and Buffalo,” Schumer said, as he introduced a plan to provide tax breaks and accelerated equipment depreciation schedules for new ethanol plants located in areas of the country where ethanol is scarce.

About two weeks ago, I went on a boat ride down the Buffalo River and got a close up view of the grain elevators. I never really appreciated their true majesty as I usually see them in the distance from the I-190. I moved into the camp that they were worth saving as long as we could find a reuse for them as I’m not a fan of saving them for posterity with no real use.

The proposed ethanol plant is just such a use and I’m psyched that the project is privately funded and scheduled for completion in 2007. The design company that was brought on to retrofit the existing grain elevator into an ethanol production plant has demonstrated success with previous projects and is evidently well regarded in the industry.

Take a look at the spinoff employment and business that the Buffalo Ethanol plant will create:

Services required: Surveying, Electrical contractors, Plumbing contractors, Mechanical contractors, Welding contractors, Asphalting services, Sitework contractors, Rental of heavy-duty equipment, Control contractors, Grain Handling, Tank Erection, Steel Erection and Fabrication

Commodities required: Various construction materials (e.g. painting materials, mason tools, sand, gravel, ready mix concrete, cement, asphalt, concrete blocks), Electrical supplies, Carpentry and plumbing materials, Equipment & accessories of information technology, Electrical tools & accessories, Various office & accommodation furniture, Cleaning supplies, Supplies for IT equipment, Fuel supply, Safety supplies, Mechanical equipment and supplies, Pumps, valves and seals, Centrifuges, Compressors, Large and small tanks, Boilers, Condensers, Chillers, coolers and heaters, and Chemical supplies

Real spinoff development, real jobs, real entrepreneurial opportunities, and real progress.

Sounds good to me.

I’ll never understand why candidates for statewide office don’t rally the troops in Upstate New York and instead focus on downstate politicos. Sure, there may be more money down there but, there is a discordian mafia in this area that is just waiting to hop on the bandwagon of a candidate who listens to and understands our problems. We’re fed up we’re looking for answers.

When a Rochester think tank asked thousands of New Yorkers this spring how they viewed state government, it found an overwhelming number are plain mad at the ways of Albany.

But in Western New York, respondents to the poll are more than angry. They’re downright seething.

If someone would have hired me to consult on the Tom Suozzi Gubernatorial campaign, I would have told the man that he should spend his time and money motivating upstate voters to rise up and vote no to the status quo. It’s a risky strategy, but no less likely to fail than begging downstate hacks for money and trying to motivate a group of voters committed to the status quo.

There is a sizable majority of people up here that will vote for a thoughtful and reform minded candidate for governor, regardless of his/her party affiliation.

Upstate voters are a puzzle wrapped in an enigma inside a conundrum…we’re pissed and we’re apathetic. Why? Because we keep being presented with empty suits like Spitzer who couldn’t be bothered to piss on us if we were on fire. We need change and we need it now…and the first candidate that figures out how to speak to us will lead a revolution.

It’s time to demand more of our politicians and it’s time to finally say that average just isn’t good enough.

I’ve been back in Buffalo for two years and it has never even crossed my mind that attending a UB football game might be a fun thing to do. Let’s be honest, the team has sucked for the better part of a decade.

Being the eternal optimist that I am, I’m going to throw some support behind new UB Head Football coach Turner Gill and support the team.

By “support”, I mean going to watch them play Temple University tomorrow, the only team that scored fewer points than they did last year. If they don’t win this game, against the universally described “worst team in college football”, well, I dunno what to say.

I’ll have a few beers with the BFLOBlog boys before the game. If you want to stop by our tailgate on the way in, give me a call. If you don’t have my number or email address, I probably wouldn’t want you to stop by anyhow.

Cheers.

If you’re not familiar with the current debate on Net Neutrality, you should be.

Network Neutrality — or “Net Neutrality” for short — is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet.

Net Neutrality ensures that all users can access the content or run the applications and devices of their choice. With Net Neutrality, the network’s only job is to move data — not choose which data to privilege with higher quality service.

Net Neutrality is the reason why the Internet has driven economic innovation, democratic participation, and free speech online. It’s why the Internet has become an unrivaled environment for open communications, civic involvement and free speech.

Here’s a short video that explains the issue:

Why is it important? Let, Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, explain it:

A Note to Google Users on Net Neutrality:

The Internet as we know it is facing a serious threat. There’s a debate heating up in Washington, DC on something called “net neutrality” – and it’s a debate that’s so important Google is asking you to get involved. We’re asking you to take action to protect Internet freedom.

Today the Internet is an information highway where anybody – no matter how large or small, how traditional or unconventional – has equal access. But the phone and cable monopolies, who control almost all Internet access, want the power to choose who gets access to high-speed lanes and whose content gets seen first and fastest. They want to build a two-tiered system and block the on-ramps for those who can’t pay.

Creativity, innovation and a free and open marketplace are all at stake in this fight.

Thanks for your time, your concern and your support.

Eric Schmidt

Take Action:

“Allowing broadband carriers to control what people see and do online would fundamentally undermine the principles that have made the Internet such a success…A number of justifications have been created to support carrier control over consumer choices online; none stand up to scrutiny.” - Vint Cerf, Co-Developer of the Internet Protocol

“The neutral communications medium is essential to our society. It is the basis of a fair competitive market economy. It is the basis of democracy, by which a community should decide what to do. It is the basis of science, by which humankind should decide what is true. Let us protect the neutrality of the net.” - Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the World Wide Web

LANCASTER, NY – The WNY Chamber Alliance Inc., an organization comprised of the Chief Executive Officers of 26 regional Chambers of Commerce, will host a Town Hall Meeting with Gubernatorial Candidates John Faso and Tom Suozzi. Eliot Spitzer (D) was contacted but has a conflict for this date.

The event will be held on Tuesday, September 5, at 7:00 pm at Depew High School, 5201 S. Transit Rd, Depew.

The main focus of the questioning will be issues specific to Western New York’s business community, as well as to have candidates address the “Unshackle Upstate” agenda that has been adopted by many area Chambers of Commerce.

Anyone interested in addressing the candidates should be prepared to sign-in early with their question. For advance ticket(s) to the event, interested parties may call 681-9755.

There is no cost to attend this event and it is open to the public subject to available seating. Free parking at Depew High School in the front and rear of building.

*********

If anyone wants to attend, make the call and join Marc Odien and I at the event. If you can’t make it, we’ll be attempting to stream the event online as well as recording it for later viewing. Come out and meet the candidates.

When we sat down with Mayor Byron Brown about six weeks ago to discuss Buffalo Old Home Week, he was very supportive. We had already done much of the planning and we asked him to sign a proclamation officially declaring this as Buffalo Old Home Week and maybe make an appearance at our Sunday Brunch. Not much for him to do, or so we thought. He immediately committed significant city resources to our event and gave us a tremendous amount of legitimacy with our partners during the remainder of the planning process.

The Mayor spent a considerable amount if time at several of our events and really helped to make them all special. He pressed the flesh and had a great time for two hours at our Happy To Be Back cocktail party. He visited us at the Career Fair and spent another couple of hours at our Sunday Brunch. At each stop along the way, he was ecstatic to see so many people who came back to celebrate the city. He also brought a media horde with him which added to all of our positive press. He brought the media but did not take away from the event, instead, he refused to speak at most events and simply wanted us to get the attention for planning the activities. Very classy.

In the end, he was simply happy to be a part of the fun and really shared in the joy of the weekend. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with him at length about his plans for the city and his vision for what’s to come. I have to say, I’m impressed. He’s a leader and I’m proud to have him as my Mayor.

Thank you for making a difference.

When I was invited by Marc Odien to start this blog in February of last year, I thought it would be a nice way to comment on news articles and share my opinion with others. Essentially, a way to get things off my chest and maybe get a few readers.

As it turns out, writing a blog has made me fall in love with my city all over again. I’m now involved in promoting it and fixing it in ways I never imagined. I’m not the only one…there are now 28 of us at WNYMedia who’ve accepted Marc’s invitation to do the same and I’d like to think that collectively we are making a difference in this city. Our roster of writers is a veritable who’s who of activism and progress. Michelle Johnson, Alan Bedenko, Amy Maxwell, Mark Poloncarz, Judy Einach, Chris Byrd, Cindy Locklear, and more. Marc envisioned a site in which we didn’t just focus on the rosy good news but a site on which we had a conversation about how we can make it better, through offline action. He embodies change and selflessness and is a true leader of “Our Buffalo“. It’s about time we gave him the recognition he deserves for spearheading reform efforts and driving real, positive, and substantive change. Whether it’s exposing the criminality of house flipping in East Side neighborhoods, taping campaign speeches, conducting podcast interviews with local leaders or showing up to roll tape at every event Alan and I are interested in, he’s always there. Marc is the leader of “my” Buffalo.

He’s probably going to say I’m a jerkoff for writing all of this but, I just feel like people “misunderestimate” a guy who has become a great friend and future business partner. So, thanks for all that you do Marc, it is appreciated.

I really don’t know any other way to sum up what a fantastic day this was. All I can say is wow.

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, I never thought Buffalo Old Home Week would be this big. I was optimistic but, I was trying to stay realistic by reminding myself that we’re just a bunch of scrappy volunteers operating on a shoestring budget with only six months to plan a HUGE event. Well, on day two of Buffalo Old Home Week, I was humbled.

I was humbled by the turnout of over 500 people at the Buffalo Niagara “Where Life Works” Career Fair. I was humbled by the fact that more than half of those 500 people were Buffalo expatriates who drove, flew, swam, rowed, and shuffled home for our little event. I was humbled by the overwhelming support and assistance we received from the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and Buffalo Niagara Enterprise. I was humbled by the tireless support and grace of my beautiful friend Jessica Biegaj who is the one person on the BOHW team who is patient enought to deal with me.

Most of all, I was humbled by the people of this wonderful city that I am lucky to call home.

If you don’t believe this city is in the midst of a renaissance, I don’t know what else I can do to change your mind. Hell, The Buffalo News even hopped on the Buffalo bandwagon. We had fantastic companies, applicants, and entrepeneurs join to celebrate what a wonderful city we live, work, and play in.

I listened to Kent Keating of Seevast tell me how much he loves what he does and how he loves being in Buffalo. I listened to Tom Kucharski, President of Buffalo Niagara Enterprise tell me how his organization is uniting the alphabet soup of governmental agencies under one economic development umbrella, I had Zack Schneider, Winsome White, Geno Principe, Mike Christiano, and Newell Nussbaumer tell me why there isn’t any other place they’d rather be. I even met an expatriate who flew home from Japan to be here for our festival. Seriously, how great is that???

Today marks the start of a new course for Buffalo. It is a course filled with a steady march of expatriates who return to the city they love. I listened to expats from Charlotte, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York City, and Portland tell me they plan to move home and they believe they have found fantastic jobs. Lives are changing, the city is changing, and we’re on our way to better days.

I have never felt more full of optimism, so full of pride, nor so full of love for the city that I call home.

Today, it truly is a New Buffalo.

Welcome home.

You might remember me as the author of this quasi-cool website.

Sorry for the lack of updates, my life has been swallowed whole by Buffalo Old Home Week and I’m not able to write very often. Hopefully, I’ll see you at our events this weekend. You’re probably tired of seeing me pimping the event on local TV, I have become a complete media whore. I’ll be back next week to frequent postings…

Have you bought your Buffalo Old Home Week tickets yet??? They’re going fast, better get ‘em while they’re hot.

How about you buy some now?

Buffalo Brunch at Marcy Casino on Hoyt Lake
Brunch in Delaware Park
Delaware Park Casino
10:00am-3:00pm
Come mingle with Expats, Repats and locals at Buffalo’s biggest and best Sunday brunch. Tickets for this remarkable event are only $12 for adults and $6 for children under twelve years old.

Buffalo Bills Pre-Game Tailgate Party at Pearl Street Grill and Brewery

Pearl Street Grill and Brewery
August 26th, 2007
2:00-4:00PM

Join Buffalo sports fans as they join in the most Buffalo of traditions, the pre-game tailgate party.

Appearances by Buster Bison from the Buffalo Bisons; Victor E. Bull, the University at Buffalo mascot; Rex, the mascot of the Buffalo Bandits; and Sabretooth of the Buffalo Sabres, who will be joined by a current Sabres player and a Sabres alumni. You can also try your skills at the Sabres Puck Patrol.

Food stations featuring Buffalo foods and a cash bar will be available at the tailgate party. Tickets for this fantastic celebration are only $14.95 and are available through Google Checkout.

The Waterfront: Buffalo’s Future - Waterfront celebration with live music

There will be a celebration of Buffalo’s Waterfront on Saturday, August 26th from 5:00pm - 9:00pm at the Chief Petty Officers Club at the foot of Porter Avenue. Please join us for an outside barbeque with live music by The Electras and a beautiful Buffalo sunset over the water! Dinner is available for purchase for $6.00 at the door and there will also be a cash bar.

We will have speakers and artistic renderings available to share with you the many waterfront projects in the works. Congressman Brian Higgins and Kevin P. Gaughan, civic leader, are scheduled to speak on Buffalo’s waterfront. Also present will be Margaret Wooster of the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers, and representatives from the Erie Canal Inner Harbor Project, the Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse, and the Uniland/Opus Outer Harbor Project .

Looking for a job? Know someone who is looking for a job? Well, I’ve got some good news for you, there are forty companies looking to hire thousands of Buffalonians…Right Now!

Those employers will be at the Buffalo Old Home Week Career Fair on Friday, August 25th between 9AM-2PM in the unique space on the third floor of the Pearl Street Grill and Brewery.

You can register online and bring copies of your resume to the career fair.

If you’re interested in work in the IT, finance, sales, accounting, engineering, management, architecture, or medical fields…we’ve got a job for you!

Companies scheduled to be in attendance include HSBC Bank, Kanoodle, Clever Method, Praxair, Greatbatch, Delphi, Merrill Lynch, Greater Buffalo Savings Bank, Catholic Health System, National Fuel, Rich Products, AXA, The Buffalo News, and Citigroup.

The BERC, BNP, and BNE will be on hand to discuss the various incentive programs available for those who wish to start their own business. There will also be a panel discussion featuring small business owners who have realized their dream of running their own business.

Why yes, thanks for asking! Tom Kucharski, President of Buffalo Niagara Enterprise will be giving the opening remarks and Kent Keating, Chairman of the Board of Seevast (formerly Kanoodle.com) will be giving the keynote address.

I have no idea. Heck, the Buffalo Old Home Week crew is even providing free continental breakfast for everyone!

Register today!

Yes, after the column about Buffalo Old Home Week appeared in the Wall Street Journal and several other newspapers around the country, the CBS Sunday Morning News will be airing a piece on our little grassroots phenomenon.

Seriously. Tune in to Channel 4 tomorrow morning at 9AM and see what they have to say. If you still need more information, check out WBEN tomorrow morning, WHAM and WGRF on Monday morning, and WEDG, WIVB, and WGRZ later in the week.

In six short months, ten true Buffalo believers have sunk the majority of their lives into this event and it’s on the cusp of paying off…big time. Our mission? To reposition Buffalo in the marketplace and in the minds of our former residents. With the coverage we’re getting, I think we’ve succeeded before the event even happens.

I couldn’t be prouder of our efforts and we’re going to have one helluva party next weekend. If you haven’t bought your tickets by now, why the hell not? Are you waiting for an engraved invitiation? Well guess what, I’m giving you one right now. Head over to our website, order your tickets and join in on the biggest celebration of our wonderful city that we’ve had in nearly a hundred years. Don’t be a procrastinator, get ‘em now. By the time we’re done with our media blitz, you might not be able to get any tickets.

So, on this Saturday night before the big weekend…I raise my glass to Marti, Amy, Jessica, Newell, Shelly, Jen, Ethan, Amanda, Harvey, and the hundreds of other people who have made contributions to this process. It’s all going to be worth it…as one of my friends keeps saying about this event…”It’s gonna be BIG”

Just wait until you see what we have planned for next year! Can I get an AMEN from the congregation?!?!?

EDIT: Thanks to All Things Buffalo for capturing the video for us!

Cherish the past, adorn the present, construct for the future…

That is the corporate motto for BSC Group, the firm that is planning to invest $80MM into the Statler Towers.

As discussed here in June, Mr. Issa and BSC Group have a fantastic reputation in the industry and a track record of success in rehabilitating existing structures as well as building modern office/residential towers in Manchester and London in the UK.

From their website:

As most of our schemes are in the heart of urban regeneration areas, we understand the importance of creating residential schemes that are inclusive and accessible. We use our skills and knowledge to buy and build astutely, creating affordable luxury homes, designed for all. The apartments and communal areas are created with the aim of enhancing the homeowner’s life through imaginative architecture and design.

They specialize in regenerating urban areas and finding classic buildings to which they can give new life. I’m excited about this project because it is 100% privately funded and BSC Group retains full and total control over the project from start to finish. They do not cede management responsibility to subcontractors or management groups.

However, I have a sneaky suspicion that this could lead to some interesting union problems in Buffalo…who knows if they’ve ever had to deal with a group like the Buffalo Building Trades Council. Let’s hope they can get the project done without much meddling from the city or unions. After all, this company has earned some latitude based on their project portfolio…

Check out some of their other projects:

Sarah Tower
Issa Quay
Canopus Green Gate

BSC Group has a portfolio of over $400MM in mixed use and residential developments. They have the money and skillset necessary to make this project work. Excited? You should be.

Steven Wright On A Bus

Be careful if you’re at work, colorful language ahead

Bush vs. Bush

Color me impressed

The Internets are a very weird place…a mashup of several classic Internet clips

Channel 4 Newsteam…On Your Side. What would Stef do?

Family Game Time

What are the odds that this job goes to somebody from the SEIU or a party operative as a reward for raising money, humping petitions, or other such electoral endeavors? Wouldn’t it be nice if jobs like this were widely publicized and hiring was done on an open basis and not based on insider knowledge? If you’re interested, send your resume to your local legislator or walk it down to the Rath Building to find out where you can apply. From what I understand, it pays pretty well.

CLERK OF THE LEGISLATURE

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:
The work involves performing administrative duties associated with the operation of the Erie County Legislature. The incumbent performs a variety of duties related to the efficient operation of legislative offices and meetings, record maintenance and office personnel management functions. Work is performed under the general direction of the Chairman, County Legislature and other legislature members. Supervision is exercised over lower level administrative and clerical staff. Does related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:
Keeps a record of all acts and proceedings of the County Legislature; Serves as custodian of the records, vouchers and other papers required or
authorized by law to be deposited in his office; Maintains custody of all policies of insurance of all types carried on the corporate property of the County and keeps a record properly indexed showing the property of the County and keeps a record properly indexed showing the property,
name of insurance carrier, amount of insurance and date of expiration of all policies; Conducts roll call in the County Legislature; Administrates legislative office staff operations

FULL PERFORMANCE, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Thorough knowledge of County operations and functions; thorough knowledge of current principles, procedures and techniques of government administration; thorough knowledge of budgeting, financial and personnel procedures; ability to supervise and delegate administrative responsibilities; ability to plan and carry out various administrative methods; ability to maintain good interpersonal relations with others; good judgment; tack; initiative; dependability; resourcefulness; physical condition commensurate with demands of the position.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
A) Graduate from a regionally accredited of New York State registered college or university with a BachelorÂ’s degree and six (6) years of satisfactory
administrative experience in accounting, public administration, personnel administration, financial administration or a closely related field, two (2)
years of which were in a supervisory capacity; or

B) Graduate from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and ten (10) years of satisfactory administrative experience in accounting, public administration, personnel administration, financial administration or a closely related field, two (2) years of which were in a supervisory capacity; or

C) An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of (A) and (B).

NOTE: Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time experience requirements.

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I have some good reasons…

Oh, I also have a job that’s been keeping me busy as of late…

There is a ton of stuff I want to discuss but I don’t have the time to generate thoughtful commentary on each issue. I’m keeping a running list…

So, talk amongst yourselves, I’ll stop in and see what’s what.