Buffalo, NY – The Tool Library’s service events return to put their tools and volunteers to work with a calendar of community service events every Saturday in October and on November 5. Each of the six service events provide an opportunity to beautify, strengthen, and contribute to the WNY community through direct, hands-on action. 

This fall’s schedule includes park and trail cleanups, planting in community gardens, and gardening at William Gaiter Parkway, and cleanup in Dewey Park. In addition to focusing on neighborhood improvement activities, The Tool Library’s service events provide an opportunity for volunteers to learn new skills, such as pruning, gardening, and tree planting.

To register to attend a service day and view the full calendar of events, visit thetoollibrary.org/service. 

For its first service day of the season, October 1, The Tool Library will be partnering with the Resource Council of WNY on their Perkins Park Cleanup. The Tool Library will also be presenting the organization with their first ever Community Partner of the Year Award for all of the organization’s support of Buffalo’s East Side.

“Giving passionate people the tools they need to turn an idea for change into action within their communities is essential to The Tool Library,” said Darren Cotton, Board President of The Tool Library. “That’s what these service days are about. What providing affordable access to tools is about. By lending and using these tools, we are enabling all to contribute to the beautification, repair, collective knowledge, and sustainability of WNY.” 

Fall 2022 Service Days are made possible with the support of National Grid and the offices of Hon. Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Majority Leader, Hon. Lisa Chimera, 3rd District Legislator, and The Tool Library’s sustaining donors.

The post Tree Plantings, Community Gardening, and Clean-ups: Tool Library Fall 2022 Service Days! appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Because I don’t usually review “one-offs” (since there’s no opportunity for readers to hear a second performance) I didn’t tell you about the really magical, evanescent Buffalo Philharmonic season-opening concert at Kleinhans Music Hall on September 17 titled “Midori Returns” when JoAnn Falletta conducted world-famous violinist Midori in her return engagement with the BPO. After the traditional playing of both the Canadian and U.S. national anthems (complete with audience sing-alongs) the concert opened with an upbeat “Fandangos” composed in 2000 by Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra. It wasn’t announced as such, but did fit nicely with “Hispanic Heritage Month.”  If the name Sierra rings a bell, it could be because he has been an integral part of the bi-annual JoAnn Falletta Guitar Concerto Competition, as judge, as composer of the guitar work “Folias,” and because that same “Fandangos” opened the finals concert at the inaugural competition in 2004.

After “Fandangos” Midori appeared to perform the hyper-romantic Violin Concerto by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, famous in the last century for his movie scores. Midori plays quietly but in Kleinhans, you could hear every note.  More importantly, her very presence seemed to inspire the orchestra to greater heights.  Honestly, and I’ve been going to Kleinhans since the 1960s, the BPO never sounded better.  They had a lush sound, but not mushy or muddy, and each solo passage in the orchestra was crisp, clean, and immaculate. One could say that they shimmered.

For some reason, even though the large opening night audience showered her with four enthusiastic curtain calls, Midori declined to offer an encore. But wait, as it turned out, there was a brilliant violin “encore” when, after intermission, Falletta conducted (from memory, without a score) one of her favorite works, “Scheherazade” by Rimsky-Korsakov.  Like the Korngold, it’s a hyper-romantic work that uses the entire orchestra, features various sections, and also soloists to great advantage. In that work, the “voice” of Scheherazade” (the sultan’s wife who came up with “1,001 Arabian Nights” stories) was played on the violin by the BPO’s concertmaster, Nikki Chooi. OMG, did he ever rise to the occasion.  He’s always great, but here he was 1,001 times great. 

Having set the bar incredibly high, I wondered if the BPO could maintain that opening night level of excellence. Short answer: Yes and one reason is that we get more Nikki Chooi!  

And that brings us to the most recent concert, the Friday morning September 30 10:30 am “Coffee Concert” (free coffee and donuts are offered in the Mary Seaton Room prior to those concerts). The concert was titled “Destination: Carnegie Hall! The Lukas Foss Legacy” where, in commemoration of his 100th birthday, the BPO celebrated the life and works of Lukas Foss, one of the most important composers of the last century who was the music director of the BPO from 1963 to 1970, and, like his successor at the BPO, Michael Tilson-Thomas, a transformative force in the Buffalo arts scene.

That’s all true, but judging from the sparse audience on Friday, I’m wondering if people stayed home thinking that this concert was going to be one of those edgy, avant-garde, academic, astringent, ascerbic affairs from the 1960s “Creative Associates.” Short answer: It wasn’t. What did it sound like?  Aaron Copland’s music.  Lovely Americana. 

Good news: the concert repeats Saturday evening, October 1 at 7:30 pm at Kleinhans.  Now, these two “local” concerts at Kleinhans are a chance for us to hear the music that will be played Monday night, October 3 at Carnegie Hall at 7:00 pm. Actually, JoAnn Falletta turned around on the podium and thanked us all for being there for the “rehearsal” for Carnegie.  The concert is billed for New York audiences (and the large Buffalo contingent traveling down to Manhattan) as the “Lukas Foss Centennial Celebration at Carnegie Hall.”

Where is Carnegie Hall?  It’s at 881 7th Ave, New York, NY.  How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  You know the answer: “Practice, practice, practice!” (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.)  

The concert started with Foss’s “Ode for Orchestra” composed after World War II in memory of the fallen and it sounds like movie music, maybe by James Horner (“Legends of the Fall”) or Rachel Portman (“Cider House Rules”) but also like Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome (particularly the section on  “The Appian Way” with that steady pounding of the tympani). 

The next work, composed originally for the violinist Itzhak Perlman, was “Three American Pieces” and featured the BPO’s Nikki Chooi.  Again, very easy listening, very much in the vein of Aaron Copland’s Americana pieces (“Rodeo,” “Appalachian Spring,” or his opera “The Tender Land”).

Then, guest flutist Amy Porter came out with her custom-made 14K white gold flute with rose gold engraved keys to play a work originally composed by Foss for Buffalo’s own Carol Wincenc.  Called a “Renaissance Concerto” it featured a small orchestra with an “echo” orchestra (flute and strings) positioned in the balcony.  

After intermission, we heard Foss’s Symphony No.1, a work written in his youth, that I found a little meandering, like a lot of American compositions from the last several decades. It wasn’t my favorite part of the concert, but your mileage may vary.  What everyone loved, however, was the concert closer, the “Three Dance Episodes from On The Town” by Foss’s life-long friend, Leonard Bernstein.  Very jazzy with the tune “New York, New York” embedded in the final movement, so if you get lost on your way to Carnegie Hall, just remember the lyrics: “New York, New York, a helluva town / The Bronx is up, and the Battery’s down / The people ride in a hole in the groun’ / New York, New York, it’s a helluva town! 

Good luck on your Carnegie Hall concert, BPO! (Remember this “preview” concert repeats Saturday, October 1, at 7:30 pm at Kleinhans.) The BPO Box Office can be reached at 716-885-5000.

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The 27th Annual World Pumpkin Weigh-off at the Great Pumpkin Farm will soon take place.

On Saturday, October 1 (Fall Festival) the weighing of the pumpkins will commence, with numerous growers competing for the chance to walk away with the first prize ($1000) in the World Pumpkin Weigh-off.

For anyone that sets the NYS record, $5000 is on the line. Plus, if a pumpkin is able to weigh in at over 2708.8 pounds… the grower can expect to collect a $10,000 cash prize, along with claiming a world record. Last year’s winner was David DuBoy of Williamsville, NY, whose pumpkin weighed in at 1359 pounds, according to the organizers. And don’t think that a world record is out of reach – in 1996 a pumpkin clocked in at 1,061 pounds at Fall Fest, earning a page in the Guinness World Record. Of course, the pumpkins have been growing steadily since that time.

Also happening this weekend:  

• Animatronic dinosaurs Vinnie and Teddy will wander around the corn maze from noon to 4:00 p.m. both days looking for prey 
• In Jest Juggling will perform at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on October 2nd
• There will be live music at the Witch’s Brew throughout the weekend

And there’s a lot more in store, including amusement rides; hayrides; corn maze; apple cannons; the pumpkins and mum patch; pumpkin cannon; Apple Cannons; shooting gallery; homemade donuts, pies, cookies and pastries; and Halloween decorations and special events such as IndePumpkins Day, the Pumpkin Olympics, and the Pumpkin Drop.

Fall Festival at Great Pumpkin Farm

The Fall Festival runs weekends through Monday, October 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 7pm

The Festival also runs on Monday, October 10 (Columbus Day)

The Great Pumpkin Farm is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 7pm from now through Monday, October 31.  There is NO admission on weekdays, except on Columbus Day, October 10. The Pumpkin Palace is open and features Halloween decorations, a bakery and candy store as well as the Witches Brew Bar & Cafe. Guests can purchase pumpkins; cornstalks; gourds and cider. There’s also a petting zoo, hay maze and playground. Group tours are also conducted during the week. 

Cost: Admission to the Fall Festival is $12.00/person (children two and under admitted free) – Seniors 65 and older are $10.00

Visit here for more information on the Annual World Pumpkin Weigh-off.

Admission to the Fall Festival includes (Tickets are good for any weekend):

• FREE Magic Show with Mike & Annie
• FREE Petting Zoo
• FREE Cow Train Ride
• FREE Tractor Drawn Hayride
• FREE Boo Barn Entry
• FREE Children & Adult Pie Eating Contests
• FREE Scarecrow Making Contest
• FREE Pumpkin Decorating Contest
• FREE Mummy Wrapping Contest and a FREE kids craft area

Back By Popular Demand: The Jumbo Jumping Pillows; Zombie Train; Cow Train; Hayrides; Gem Mining and the Bakery and Halloween store.

Location: The Great Pumpkin Farm is located at 11199 Main Street in Clarence and features plenty of free, onsite parking. 

More Information: Complete event information is available at www.greatpumpkinfarm.com

The post The 27th Annual World Pumpkin Weigh-off at the Great Pumpkin Farm appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

For those who are impressed by the outward appearance of The Grid – Cedarland Development and D&S Capital Real Estate’s five-story building at 1159 Main Street – they will be even happier with with the interior.

The residential amenities at The Grid are bar none (in Buffalo). I recently toured the mixed-use development with Kevin Dagher, Vice President of Cedarland Development Group, who assured me that the residents had everything that they could dream of at their fingertips. To date, with 217 apartments, this is the biggest project that Kevin has brought online. He told me that is was the project that raises the bar for apartment living in Buffalo, and I would have to agree with him. Not that there aren’t some nice places to live these days – there’s just something “next level” with The Grid.

Maybe it’s the VR Gaming Room, or the tech-forward Package Room. Or it could be the sprawling community lounge with demonstration kitchen, or the killer patio with an automated garage door? There’s even a convenient 24-hour Fitness Center, and an elaborate pet washing station. Not to mention the community coffee kiosk, the conference room, a number of places to break open a laptop and chill (including a co-work space), front desk amenities, underground bike storage, and in-unit laundry. It’s got just about everything that anyone could ask for, including commercial tenants Dark Horse Barber Studio and Papa John’s (coming soon). And another “Coming Soon” is the Strive Markets concept – a vending market that will be available to residents of The Grid, founded in Buffalo by NFL Pro Jon Corto and his wife, Jen. The micro market will offer healthy meals and snacks around the clock, for anyone in the building that needs or wants a quick fix. Oh, and there’s an additional 800 SF commercial space available, as an FYI.

As we toured the building, checking out all of the various features, I asked Kevin if he was from Buffalo. He told me that he was born in NYC, and moved to Buffalo with his family in 2003. He attended University at Buffalo (for Urban Planning and Environmental Design). Today, he runs Cedarland Development alongside his father, Dr. Fadi Dagher (see the team).

“The Grid is a dream project,” Kevin told me, who now has over 50 employees that he works with at Cedarland, and numerous high profile projects. “It’s a $33 million project – we wanted to create something very special for Buffalo. The residential units are 95% leased. We designed the project for the young urban professional and graduate students. Being so close to the Medical Campus was key. The site was the former Buffalo Motor Lodge property. Today, the project attracts people who are looking for fully furnished units, which is a new concept for Buffalo.

“Our tenants want a place to study and sleep. They don’t want to worry about the headaches that are associated with furnishing an apartment. They’ve got more important things to consider. This has been a very exciting project for us – we pulled it off with the help of Utah-based Blackfish Investments and Architectural Resources (A|r). The design was inspired by the city’s street grid – the design element can be seen on the outside of the building, as well as throughout the building’s interior. We also liked that the building is situated along the Metro Rail route.”

For me, watching the transition of the former forlorn Motor Lodge site into a beehive of development activity is worth its weight in gold. And now that Kevin (and the Cedarland group) has set the bar high, and proved that people want to have nice trappings, without being weighed down by movables, I can only hope that there are more of these types of developments on the horizon.

Welcome to Buffalo.

Get connected: The Grid | 1155 Main Street | Buffalo NY 14209 | 716-500- GRID

The post The Power of The Grid appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

West of the Great Northern Elevator so prominent in the News these days, there is a historical place marker located on Michigan Avenue near Ganson St. stating that the first settlement of Buffalo occurred near there, at a trading post established by Daniel Chabert Joncaire aka Joncaire Chabert.  The settlement was established at what the French called the “Petit Rapide” or Little Rapid at a place also known as the “Riviere aux Chevaux” or Horse River.  But is the location on an island in the Buffalo River, correct or was the Horse River somewhere else?

The Riviere aux Chevaux was established by Joncaire-Chabert in 1758 at the behest of Governor General Vaudreuil who oversaw Canada for the French.  The settlement probably lasted until the French surrendered Fort Niagara in July of 1759.

The whole idea of a settlement at the rapids near Lake Erie is spelled out to Daniel Joncaire-Chabert by his superior the Governor General of New France (Canada) Pierre Rigaud Vaudreuil.  This is captured in a memoir written by Chabert in 1760. 

From the memoir we see that in April of 1758 during the midst of the French and Indian War, Vaudreuil sends a letter to Chabert stating;  

…Chabert will endeavor to clear the lands at the Horse River, located there at 6 leagues from the Portage at the entrance to Lake Erie …

Vaudreuil continues by telling Chabert what to bring to the Horse River; 

…he will take from the small Fort the boats and cars which will provide him with the necessities to send to the Strait the animals and other things which he may need for the establishment of the said River,

Chabert also tells us; 

…all the hopes of abundant harvest after many expenses to clear & seed the lands of the Horse River & the Petit Rapide,  …

This seems to indicate that the Horse River and the Petite Rapide are one and the same, or are connected and proximate to each other.  The French were not talking about Buffalo Creek when they talked about the Little Rapid, they used the word “Strait” and that is in fact what the Niagara River is.  The French were talking about the fast moving water leaving Lake Erie that pushes quickly in to the Niagara River and then slows as it moves north past Unity Island.  The fact that the Scajaquada Creek empties into the rapids as they slow near the end at Unity Island, supports the possibility that Scajaquada Creek is the Riviere aux Chevaux and that it is not Buffalo Creek. 

At the time Vaudreuil makes the request of Chabert, Chabert is in charge of the “Petit” or “Small” Fort Niagara, just south of Niagara Falls.  His mission there is to move ships and their cargo around the falls by taking them out at Lewiston and transporting them to the small fort where they could continue up the Niagara into Lake Erie.  Historians have noted that the new settlement was supposed to be a trading post, and the memoir notes that Chabert was farming at the settlement as well.  While these are important aspects of the settlement and Chabert was involved with both at the Petit Fort, to me, during the middle of a war, it seems likely that the French would have been more concerned about having the ability to move boats, supplies and personnel up and down the river and the trading and farming would have been secondary or supportive of their true mission.  This mission can be completed if the settlement is at the mouth of the Scajaquada River but having a settlement in Buffalo Creek for this purpose seems unlikely and less productive.

So why do historians up to the present time believe the settlement is on an island in the Buffalo River? 

It seems likely that the person responsible for stating that the Horse River was Buffalo Creek was Franklin Hough a noted author and social scientist who gave the designation in his 1866 translation of the Memoirs of Pierre Pouchot.  Pouchot, the Commandant of Fort Niagara during the French and Indian War, gives us an account of the Niagara Frontier prior to and at its surrender.   Pouchot describes;

The entrance of the lake, as far as to the Riviere aux Chevaux forms a great bay lined with fiat rock, where no anchorage can be found.  If they could keep open the mouth of this river, they would find anchorage for vessels.  

Hough then adds in a footnote to Pouchot’s description;

Buffalo Creek, which now forms Buffalo Harbor.

We have no further description by Pouchot nor explanation by Hough, but I surmise that because Pouchot only described two waterways coming from the east towards Erie and Niagara, and that Hough had designated the other as Tonawanda Creek, that he decided Buffalo Creek must be the River of Horses.

While Pouchot’s description is far from conclusive, I can understand why Hough, using Pouchot’s description made his designations.  We will, however, share other information from the French Canadians in the area of that time, that bring Hough’s decision into question.

But first we should mention that other historians including Buffalo historian Frank Severance seems to support Hough and in 1917 Severance writes in An old frontier of France;

There are maps on which both the Tonawanda  and  the Buffalo appear as **R. aux Chevaux”;  but the  French of Chabert’s time applied this name to Buffalo River;  and since he had already designated the Tonawanda, he could only have meant the Buffalo,  at the mouth of which,  in 1758,  as we have seen,  he had erected buildings and cultivated lands.

Here we see that Severance is aware of a map showing the Riviere aux Chevaux, but discounting it by insisting Chabert has made different designations.  Maybe he was confusing Hough and Chabert,  as Chabert never indicated the Riviere aux Chevaux as Buffalo Creek.  Also, other than Crevecoeur’s map which we will talk about next, I do not know of any other 18^th century map showing the Riviere aux Chevaux.

The name Horse River is important as it told the French what to expect when they arrived at this place.  Unlike the British who mostly named places after people, the French tended to give some type of descriptor to a location that might be useful for future travelers.  The Riviere aux Chevaux was a designation to let future sailors know that at this place you would need animals to assist in pulling your boat or to carry your cargo up the rapids to the lake.

There were other Frenchmen at that time who referred to the Riviere aux Chevaux and the information they share should not be discounted.  Instead we need to weigh this other evidence and see if it brings us a clearer picture of the location of the Horse River and thusly Chabert’s settlement.

The only 18th century map by a Frenchman showing the Riviere aux Chevaux is a map by Michel Crevecoeur and it is surely the map that Severance mentioned above.  It shows that the Horse River is at the end of the rapids in the Niagara River that flow from Lake Erie.  Buffalo Creek as we all know, is south of the rapids.  The rapids are referred on the map as “swift” and can be seen below:

Michel Crevecoeur, like Pouchot, was in the French Army during the war and he worked making maps under Montcalm the commanding French General.   After the war, he worked as a surveyor, farmer and later as a Consul for the French after the American Revolution.   He was probably one of the only people to have visited the Niagara Region under the French, British and American administrations.  He wrote a popular best seller, Letters of an American Farmer, and his later writing Le Voyage dans la haute Pensylvanie et dans d’état de New York gives us probably the best description of Niagara at the time of its publication in 1801.

Crevecoeur’s map, published 6 years after Pouchot’s book came out, accompanied a later French edition of Letters of an American Farmer in 1787, and seems to have included the Riviere aux Chevaux possibly to clarify the placement mentioned by Pouchot due to Pouchot’s less than precise description. 

That the French knew about the rapids and the need for a portage is noted by Peter A. Porter in an address regarding the French explorer LaSalle in Volume VIII of Publications of the Buffalo Historical Society.  The sailing of the Griffon in 1679, some 80 years earlier than the time referred to by Pouchot and Crevecoeur show;

The  river  was  now  sounded,  up  as  far  as  Lake  Erie, and  an ample  depth  of  water  found; and  soon,  with  a favorable  breeze,  and under  her  own  sails,  the  Griffon  ascended  the  stream,  and  anchored below  Squaw  Island,  to  await  La  Salle  and  her  equipments.  It  was July  before  he  reached  her,  bringing  the  necessary  out fittings.  it was  the  end  of  that  month  before  everything,  anchors,  stores,  merchandise for  trade  in  the  West,  were  all  on  board.  And then,  it  was not  until  August  7th,  that  a strong  northeast  wind  enabled  her, with  the  aid  of  her  crew  on  the  beach  towing,  to  overcome  the  rapids and  to  reach  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie.

Peter A. Porter was the grandson of Peter Buell Porter who along with his brother ran the portages on the Niagara River after the British left the area at the end of the 18^th century.  Where did Peter Buell and Augustus Porter run the portage?  They used a portage around Niagara Falls from Lewiston to where the Old Stone Chimney still stands today along the Niagara Scenic Parkway.  This is the same portage the French had established 50 years earlier and that the British used after taking over from the French.  The Old Stone Chimney lies close to where Daniel Joncaire-Chabert had established the Petit Fort Niagara and the area was known under the British as Fort Schlosser.  The Porters also ran a portage at Scajaquada Creek, taking boats and goods up to Bird Island where they would then be able to enter the Lake.  This I believe is the same portage that Joncaire had established in 1758.  In 1818 the first steamboat to ply Lake Erie, the Walk In The Water, was towed up to the lake from Scajaquada Creek due to the rapids.

Further information is provided by French Canadian explorer Joseph Chaussegross De Lery.  De Lery whose father came over from France, and was involved in the building of Fort Niagara, was born and grew up in Canada and was involved in travels through the Great Lakes.

De Lery kept meticulous journals that give exacting time between locations while travelling.  In his journal for May of 1754, he explains a trip from Fort Niagara out to Lake Erie and then down to Chautauqua Lake.  It seems a part of this trip, leaving from the Petit Fort Niagara and traveling by boat approximately 13 miles, to around Frenchman’s Creek on the west side of the river (according to Severance), took about 7 ½ hours.  This means De Lery’s group were traveling at about 1 ¾ miles per hour.  They rested for a few days due to harsh weather and then proceeded up the Niagara to the Riviere aux Chevaux.  According to De Lery this trip took about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Scajaquada Creek lies about 1 ¾ miles from Frenchman’s Creek.  Buffalo Creek lies about 5 miles from Frenchman’s Creek.  Since De Lery would have travelled more slowly up through the rapids, it is obvious that De Lery could only have reached Scajaquada Creek in the time he recorded.

This seems to be the most relevant information on the subject of the Riviere aux Chevaux.  It shows that the Riviere aux  Chevaux and the Petit Rapide were not up in Buffalo Creek but rather situated near Unity Island and the Scajaquada Creek.

If we only had the information that Hough had, I can understand us believing that the River of Horses is Buffalo Creek.  With the additional information of De Lery, Crevecoeur, Joncaire and Vaudreuil it becomes clear that Hough was probably mistaken.  La Salle’s earlier usage and Porter and Barton’s later use of the area around Scajaquada strengthen the view that this location better suited for portaging boats through the rapids is the settlement founded by Chabert.  

Lead image: Author copy of 1907 Cobb map of a section of the Buffalo Harbor

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Part III – Sun, Sun, Sun – Will it Come?

Panic At The Disco must have channeled the beliefs of the ancients for the intro to their song ‘When the Day Met the Night‘: 

When the moon fell in love with the sun

All was golden in the sky

All was golden when the day met the night

In the eyes of our distant ancestors, the Sun and Moon are constantly chasing each other in the sky, only meeting for that brief moment in time, leading to the awe and wonder felt by the terrestrial inhabitants below.  Today, we have people who travel around the world to observe and experience the total eclipses which happen predictably around the world.  Local leaders will see huge dollar signs in the estimate of 7.4 million people who travelled to see the 2017 total eclipse.   But it will take planning and a little luck for these tourism dollars to flow into local coffers.

The upcoming eclipse is expected to be viewed by millions more people than the estimated 20 million people (including those 7.4 million tourists) that saw the 2017 eclipse.

The people running our regional tourism at Visit Buffalo Niagara will have the following positives to work with.  First, the total solar eclipse that will pass over Western New York on April 8, 2024 will be the last total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States for 20 years, making this an event that Americans will be amped up to see.  Second, visitors can be brought in for a long weekend as the 2024 eclipse will occur on a Monday.  Third, the upcoming eclipse is expected to be viewed by millions more people than the estimated 20 million people (including those 7.4 million tourists) that saw the 2017 eclipse.  Some of that is because the path in 2024 will cross over more populated areas of the country.  But the path of totality is missing mega-cities like Houston, Chicago and Toronto that are an easy couple of hours drive to be part of the unique experience.

On the flip side, things not in our favor are weather related for an outdoor event.  First, the average temperatures for this time of the year are only 56° for the high and 36° for a low.  Second, the historical records show a 60% chance of having a cloudy or mostly cloudy day and about a 44% chance of precipitation sometime during the day – which may include snow.  Third, it will likely be breezy (when is it not in Western New York) with the winds chilled by a still cold Lake Erie.  

We will be able to watch the eclipse as it moves towards us directly over Lake Erie.

Even with the weather, if we get the word out, we can still have a lion’s share of the tourist market because we have something that places like Dallas, TX and Evansville, IN don’t have.  We will be able to watch the eclipse as it moves towards us directly over Lake Erie.  We will have not only an unobstructed view along the lakeshore, but a unique view of the lake as it is swallowed up in darkness right in front of our eyes.  Only the view from the eastern shore of Lake Ontario will rival our good fortune.

There is one other local viewing site that is unique along the path of the 2024 eclipse.  That would be Niagara Falls.   The best view will be from the American side of the Falls as the path will sweep in from the southwest over the Horseshoe Falls (though the view from the 775 foot tall Skylon Tower equally spectacular).  As mentioned in a Forbes article detailing unique viewing experiences, their biggest question about viewing at Niagara Falls was “Will the famous multi-colored illumination of the water switch-on during totality?” 

Tomorrow, we will look at what local leaders will need to plan for to maximize the additional benefits from the tourists and how to turn the out of towners into our best ambassadors by rolling out the red carpet.

See Part I – Is this a Curse on Our Region?

See Part II – The Motion of the Celestial Spheres?

Lead image courtesy nationaleclipse.com

Order your eclipse glasses, Road Atlas, and swag

The post Part III | Western New York Will Be in the National Spotlight by “Going Dark” appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Author: Lauren Wesp

As Autumn arrives, Buffalo is slowly beginning the process of morphing into a landscape of warm hues. The intensely vivid colors of fall add even more beauty to an already scenic backdrop, from downtown skyscrapers, to historic grain mills, to houses/mansions from the early 20th Century, to a vibrant waterfront, and Olmsted Parks.

Though, as the array of red, yellow, and orange leaves commence their annual fall and will soon begin piling up, I trust that many Buffalonians are already dreading the backbreaking labor of attempting to eliminate each and every leaf that dares to hit the ground. But maybe we should just leave the leaves on our lawns?

Buffalo is known as the “City of Good Neighbors,” so of course, we want to be responsible members of our community. As good neighbors, we probably feel a duty towards the upkeep of the outdoor spaces of the buildings we inhabit. And raking up leaves, gathering them into bags, and tossing them into trash bins just seems like part of the whole deal. So I completely understand if you are feeling somewhat skeptical of my proposal and fully acknowledge that it could sound kind of crazy.

It might surprise you, though, to find out that raking leaves is actually a bit of a modern fad. It wasn’t until the 1930s that most people began using rakes to scour the ground, grabbing up leaves.

It’s all part of a more general trend toward overly manicuring our environment (along with practices like creating seas of shortened, dandelion-free grass or neatly sculpted bushes with not a leaf out of place). As a show of wealth and status, upper-class Britons in the 17th Century would demonstrate that they could afford to waste space with their highly tamed, pristine lawns.

In a bid to appear wealthy, the average person began adapting these status symbol lawns, until they eventually became the norm.

In a bid to appear wealthy, the average person began adapting these status symbol lawns, until they eventually became the norm.

Aside from seeming like we are imitating 17th Century British aristocratic aesthetics, though, you might be wondering if there are any other downsides to having leaf-free lawns. Obviously, it takes a good deal of time and energy to rake lawns, which could be a positive or a negative, depending on whether one enjoys raking. From an environmental standpoint, however, the value in raking (or not raking) is more clear-cut.

As mentioned earlier, raked leaves usually get compiled into bags before being tossed away. So there are multiple layers of issues at hand. The first would be the bags. Plastic garbage bags will have the harshest environmental impact, with the plastic taking an immense amount of time to decompose. If you plan to continue raking leaves, repurposing other bags, like perhaps some paper grocery bags you’ve got kicking around, would create a smaller impact. Regardless of the type of bag used, however, when we throw away our piles of leaves, they add weight to the garbage trucks, which burns extra fuel in the transportation process. Ultimately, the leaves make their way to their final destination, taking up space in landfills.

Next, let’s consider the soil and the plants that grow in it. Some people are afraid that a blanket of leaves atop their grass (that aristocracy-style grass) will lead to its demise. But simply breaking up the leaves with something like a lawn mower will create a layer of mulch. This will make it easier for the leaves to break down while allowing the grass to breathe.

Packed with nutrients, the leaves will biodegrade and leave behind healthier soil. And if you really don’t feel comfortable keeping leaves on your lawn, another option would be to rake them up to be placed in a compost bin, thus still creating more nutritious soil. If you don’t own a compost bin, you can sign up for a composting service with organizations like Farmer Pirates.

Finally, we’ll take a look at the impact of raking on wildlife. Thousands of species, from caterpillars, to turtles, to chipmunks make their homes within the fallen leaves. So by disposing of the leaves, we are also throwing away wildlife habitats. When we instead choose to leave our leaves on the ground, we are helping animals to find essential resources that they need to survive. And to truly be a city of good neighbors, we can extend kindness to all of our neighbors, regardless of their species.

How often do we get a chance to do good by doing less? 

All that being said, I can see why people might still be apprehensive about leaving the leaves on their lawns. I totally get being worried about your neighbors side-eyeing you for the apparent infraction of not maintaining a spotless lawn. It’s also an opportunity, though, to be a trendsetter while feeling good about doing something to benefit the environment. And how often do we get a chance to do good by doing less? Plus, now that you are informed about the environmental impacts of raking, you are well equipped to spit out knowledge defending your leafy lawn to any neighbor who might make a snippy comment.

On a final note, I absolutely do not discourage anyone from raking their leaves into a condensed area and jumping in said leaf pile before returning the leaves to their lawns. Some traditions should be here to stay!

The post Let’s Leave the Leaves appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

We all do our part to support the Buffalo Bills. From participating in boat parades to wearing our favorite Bills gear. There are those, however, that take their love of Buffalo football to an entirely different level. A monstrous level, in fact!

For 25 years, Melanie Wickham (co-owner of Pick’n Patch in Stanley, NY) and her family have been designing and building corn mazes. It all started when her sons decided that they wanted to do something fun and creative on the farm. Throughout the years, the mazes have become bigger (from 3 acres to 8 acres) and more elaborate. In 2022, as a way to celebrate 30 years in business, the Wickhams decided to pay tribute to their beloved Buffalo Bills football team.

“We’re near Geneva,” said Melanie, who was busy making donuts when I spoke with her on the phone. “There’s a huge Buffalo Bills fanbase here. Our family loves the Bills. Each year we choose a design by committee. This year, it was unanimous – Josh Allen and The Bills. We know that we’re going to the Super Bowl, and we wanted to show our support. Every year, we try to partner with a special cause or organization. This year, we called the The Patricia Allen Fund to partner with us. They said yes, and have been so supportive and gracious. It seemed like such a good fit – it’s our way of giving back to the community.”

When I asked Melanie how they designed and built the maze, she answered that it was a trade secret. “We do it all by hand [joking]. We make sure to put in a lot of trails and dead ends. The whole walk is close to three miles. We also issue passports, with ten questions that correlate to numbers throughout the maze. If someone answers a question correctly, they get sent in the correct direction (for people that want some assistance).”

I asked Melanie if she had a memorable story about her maze experiences. She responded,” We do two night mazes a year, with outdoor movies. One year, a guy dressed as a Sheriff showed up. I thought it was a gag costume. He told me that he was there because someone had called his department (a distress call) saying that she was lost in the maze [laughing]. I thought that he was joking, but he wasn’t. We have our own ‘Corn Cops’ that flush out the maze at the end, so that this doesn’t happen… we found her of course!”

For anyone that wants to go experience the Josh Allen corn maze, they have until October 30 – it’s open every day except Tuesdays (from 1am-6pm | Last folks enter at 5pm). After that, a local farmer comes by with his combine and mows this “field of dreams” into cattle feed.

When you visit Pick’n Patch, there are all sorts of other activities and adventures to participate in, including a low ropes course, apple cannons, radar for apple throwing, targets, jumping pillows, giant slides, a train, a climbing tower, bubbles, duck races, tricycle Grand Prix, and barnyard animals. Oh, and pumpkins…

“Our stock and trade is as pumpkin farmers,” said Melanie. “And our famous donuts of course!”

Pick’n Patch | 2205 RT-5 Stanley, NY 14561 | (585) 526-6518

The post The A-Maze-Ing Josh Allen @ Pick’n Patch appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Hertel is heating up this weekend, with the arrival of the annual Hertel Fall Fest. This relatively new event is being organized by the Hertel businesses, which are anticipating that this event will be well attended by the North Buffalo residential community, as well as by people from all over the region.

“I’m excited that the small businesses organized this family-friendly event,” said Delaware District council member Joel Feroleto. “This second annual Fall Fest is quickly becoming a fan favorite, thanks to the incredible mix of businesses that now populate the street. I encourage everyone to come out and support the endeavor.”

The organizers of Fall Fest stated that they are closing down Hertel Avenue, from the corner of Saranac to the corner of Norwalk, to provide a safe and festive atmosphere, with the purposes of unifying the street, and the neighborhood in a sensational seasonal setting.

“Revolution Gallery and The Lounge at Revolution Gallery are excited to be participants of Hertel Fall Fest ’22,” said Maria Pabico LaRotonda, co-owner of Revolution Gallery. “The event just happened to coincide with our opening reception for ‘MONSTROUS DREAMS‘ by internationally exhibited artist Adam Cooley (who will be at the opening!). So we decided to expand the celebration by having Matt Smith’s Nervous System and Smitten for Trash perform outside on street in front of our patio, and DJ Dr. Wisz (starting at 9pm) inside the gallery. Lots of entertainment for everyone on Hertel from 4:00pm to 9:00pm. But the fun doesn’t end there!”

Like Revolution Gallery and Lounge, so many of the Hertel businesses are doing what they can to coordinate their own programming in tandem with Fall Festival. That means double the impact, with a huge variety of events throughout the five-hour time frame. So buckle up, and enjoy this fun-for-all fall ride!

2022 Hertel Fall Fest

Saturday, October 1, 2022

4pm-9pm

Free!

See Facebook event for further details.

The post 2022 Hertel Fall Fest appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

The Motion of the Celestial Spheres?

Roger Waters ends the Pink Floyd masterpiece “Dark Side of the Moon” with the words:

All that is now

All that is gone

All that’s to come

And everything under the sun is in tune

But the sun is eclipsed by the moon

If you have not heard, Western New York will be in the path of a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 and our friends at 97 Rock will have time to play the Eclipse song twice as darkness fills the sky for nearly four minutes except for an eerie glow from the Sun’s corona.  

Even though a solar eclipse involves our sun, it is not an event that takes place “when the stars align.”  Although rare, eclipses are not unexpected or nearly impossible.  The motion of the Sun and Moon in relation to the earth could be calculated by even the Ancient Greeks and Romans and eclipses could be predicted by at least 700 BCE.   But there is nothing resembling the belief of many ancient astronomers that there are concentric spheres that move around the earth as you can see in the diagram below.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in alignment.   The rays of the Sun create a full shadow (called the Umbra) and a partially shaded area (called the Penumbra).     Much of North America will experience a partial eclipse as the moon will block out only a portion of the sun from their viewing angle.  Here in Buffalo, we will gradually lose slivers of the sun beginning at 2:04 pm leading up to the full eclipse at 3:18 pm.  Starting at 3:22 pm, the sun will slowly return to our afternoon sky with the partial eclipse ending at 4:32 pm.

During an eclipse event, you need to remember one rule.  It is never safe to look directly at the Sun, even if it is partially obscured.  To view the eclipse safely, you need to wear eclipse glasses at all times if you want to look at the Sun.  Don’t think that your high-tech sunglasses will be good enough to watch the eclipse.  Eclipse glasses have special filters that block 100 percent of the infrared and ultraviolet light.  They also block almost all of the Sun’s visible light.  You won’t be moving around much because you won’t be able to see anything other than the Sun.  

Even though they have special lenses, solar glasses are an inexpensive way to save your retinas.   $10 will buy you five pairs right now on Amazon.   If you have kids, you can go old school and view the eclipse through a pin hole camera or take them to the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium at Buff State or the Space Lab Planetarium at Williamsville North High School (hopefully, the Kellogg Observatory at the Buffalo Museum of Science will also be open for this).  Resist the urge to use a camera, binoculars or a telescope during the eclipse, even if you have your eclipse glasses on.  The lenses on these devices will intensify the Sun’s rays and damage your eyes.  

Tomorrow, we’ll explore what regional planners will be working with for our time (not) in the sun.

See Part I – Is this a Curse on Our Region?

Eclipse Timing for the Buffalo Area:

The moon’s shadow will be moving from the southwest toward the northeast.  Exact local times will vary depending on your location.

• Partial eclipse begins a little after 2:00 pm
• Totality will begin at about 3:15 pm, depending on your location
• Totality will last about 3 mins and 45 secs if you are on the centerline
• The farther you are from the centerline, the shorter totality will last
• Sun Altitude 45 deg & Azimuth: 226 deg
• Partial eclipse ends at about 4:30 pm
• Overall eclipse duration: 2h 27m

The post Western New York Will Be in the National Spotlight by “Going Dark” | Part II appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

With previews lasting for weeks (the better to maintain excellence, my dear) resulting in some mid to late-summer openings, it’s easy to believe that the Shaw Festival season will go on into the fall forever, but all good things must end, and, except for JUST TO GET MARRIED (which continues through October 16) all the rest of the shows in Niagara on the Lake (see below or visit here) continue only through October 8 or 9.  So, do the math.

It’s easier and more affordable than you might think.

How is it easier?  Crossing the border into Canada should soon be as easy as it was back in pre-pandemic times.  I personally found the ArriveCan app to be quite easy to fill out and use to cross the border into Canada this summer, but apparently, I’m in (or was in) a minority.  And so, Canada will lift all of its COVID-19 travel restrictions on October 1. The country will no longer require travelers to show proof of vaccination, testing, or to submit health information via Canada’s ArriveCan app.  

How is it more affordable?  The Shawfest advises “American patrons: Due to a favorable exchange rate, you may save up around 20% in US funds when purchasing using your US credit card, based on the current exchange rate.”

So far this summer, I’ve only able to see four plays at The Shaw.  I’ll mention those first (plus one reviewed by my colleague, Grant Golden), then give a quick blurb to those I had to pass on, and finally mention one more that I’m so looking forward to.  

By the way, the website shawfest.com is incredibly content rich and you can click on and read the entire playbill for each and every show as well as see production photos.  So enjoy that!

JUST TO GET MARRIED is on stage through October 16 (the only play offered in that final week). It’s a humorous 1910 play by feminist writer Cicely Hamilton, directed by Severn Thompson, at the charming Royal George Theatre at 85 Queen Street in the heart of Niagara on the Lake, surrounded by ice cream shops and other stroll-worthy venues.  In the spirit of G.B. Shaw (an iconoclast who seemed to despise most institutions), Hamilton has the family of Georgiana Vicary quite eager to marry her off.  At the age of 29, Georgiana is reluctant because she has no marketable skills and sees marriage as admitting defeat.  

My take is that if you’d like to see a play by G.B. Shaw without pages and pages of diatribes, this is your ticket.  Lots of “Shavian” sentiment but with more charm and less edge.

Runtime: 2 hours and 20 minutes including one intermission (Coffee Crisp candy bars for sale in the lobby.  Mmmmm.)

EVERYBODY, on the other hand, is only up through October 8 at the modern Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre and is directed by László Bérczes (who directed a very fine THE GLASS MENAGERIE a few years back and you can read my review here). 

EVERYBODY is another play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins whose very clever retelling of an old melodrama became AN OCTOROON that was at Shawfest in 2017 (read my review here).

By the way, that play starred actor André Sills, who is starring this season at The Stratford Festival in two plays by Shakespeare – RICHARD III and ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL – and I can report that Mr. Sills still has that great stage presence.  But back to the Shawfest….

EVERYBODY, at the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre, is a modern retelling of the medieval EVERYMAN morality play with what seems like a simple message: Death comes to us all.  But don’t think for a minute that this is dreary, or morbid.  However, the message is clear, as playbill commentator Jennifer Buckley writes:  EVERYBODY places “moral pressure on individual audience members here and now.  Do better, it urges us.  Be kinder.  Listen more and take less.  Admit your mistakes and apologize for them.  Grow up, for real.”

One thing that keeps this play fresh is that at every performance, the roles are handed out just before the curtain.  The cast is, on purpose, quite diverse in terms of age, gender, and racial and ethnic identities.  In other words, the cast mirrors “everybody.”  The plot is simple.  The central character is informed by Death that he or she can take a friend with him or her into death.  It sure puts some pressure on friends who claim to be “ride or die” bosom buddies.  When push comes to shove (or gravedigger’s shovel) and it’s time to shuffle off this mortal coil, “Everybody” is abandoned one by one.  Well, almost, but that would be a spoiler to tell you.

RUNTIME: 1 hour and 40 minutes without intermission

CHITRA, by the late 19^th early 20^th century Bengali poet, playwright, composer, philosopher, and social reformer Rabindranath Tagore, directed by Kimberley Rampersad is a short play offered as a “lunchtime” play.  All performances at the Royal George Theatre begin at 11:30 am and can be paired nicely with a lunch followed by a 2:00 pm matinee.  

Doesn’t that list including “playwright, philosopher, and social reformer” remind you of George Bernard Shaw?  This play is particularly true to Shawfest’s mission by placing an empowered female squarely in a lead role (think of SAINT JOAN, or MAJOR BARBARA, or MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION).  Chitra is a woman who is blindly attracted to Arjuna and he to her, but it’s not true love until they drop the masks and get real with each other.  With lots of original music and dance, costumes, and special lighting, the play is rather dreamlike.  

RUNTIME: 50 minutes

TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD is by the old man himself, G.B. Shaw, and is chock-a-block with his patented rants and soapbox speeches where he upends all sorts of assumptions and pokes at the social order.  It’s very well directed and acted but is only up through October 8.  You can read my review from August of this play at the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre here.

TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD by Bernard Shaw at the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre is a three-act play dealing with a host of (still contemporary) issues. But it’s only up through October 8.  You can read my review from this August here.

RUNTIME: 3 hours with two (!) intermissions

GASLIGHT is at the Royal George Theatre and also only through October 8.  In his review, Buffalo Rising colleague Grant Golden wrote “This is a new adaptation of ANGEL STREET, a 1938 hit thriller by Patrick Hamilton. It’s still a period drama, but Johnna Wright and (the Shaw’s own) Patty Jamieson have endeavored to bring the piece more up to date, especially as regards the more advanced and equitable position of women in society.”  You can read Grant’s review here.

RUNTIME: Two hours with one intermission

THE SHAW FESTIVAL’S OTHER OFFERINGS THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND INCLUDE:

DAMN YANKEES, the musical, with words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop.  Friends who are theater industry insiders tell me that they enjoyed this production immensely, the story of a rabid middle aged baseball fan who trades his soul to the devil so that his favorite team can win the pennant and finally beat those damn New York Yankees.  It’s at the large Festival Theatre, where Shawfest typically mounts its musicals.  Often we are offered two, but this summer, still getting around Covid, when understudies and swings are often being called upon to step in, the festival has wisely limited their exposure to just one musical.  As I mentioned, I haven’t seen it, but word of mouth is very positive.

Also at the Festival Theatre you can see THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde but only through October 9.  This is the classic and deservedly famous and beloved drawing room comedy of mistaken identities, a genre at which the Shaw Festival traditionally excels.  If you’ve never seen this play, or have only seen an amateur performance, do yourself a favor and see what a world-class theater company can do.  

And, also at the Festival Theatre you can see THE DOCTOR’S DILEMMA by Bernard Shaw (as they call G.B. Shaw in Niagara on the Lake) but only through October 8.  The festival promotes it as follows: “One of the most popular Shaw plays we have presented in our 60 years, this exploration of medical ethics has again found its moment.  If one patient can only live at the cost of another’s life, how on earth do you choose? What is the value of a human life?”

And, finally, a play that I have been looking forward to for a while, GEM OF THE OCEAN by August Wilson, the first play in his legendary ten-play “American Century Cycle” on the African-American experience in the 20th century which is offered at The Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre only through October 9!  

The GEM OF THE OCEAN publicity blurb reads as follows: How can we ever come to terms with the crimes of the past?  Aunt Ester, the 285-year-old “washer of souls” at the center of this poetic masterpiece, has an answer. When a young man who is drowning in guilt comes to her door, she sends him on a quest to find the mythical City of Bones.  His spiritual journey through history takes place against the backdrop of very real events in the 1904 Pittsburgh depicted in the play. 

I noticed that seating is limited, so you might want to act sooner rather than later and catch GEM OF THE OCEAN or any of the other fine productions soon.

Lead image: Mike Nadajewski as Applegate and Kimberley Rampersad as Lola in Damn Yankees (Shaw Festival, 2022). Photo by Michael Cooper.

The post Shaw Festival’s world-class theater continues into October.   appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Author: SGAA Staff

On a bitterly cold day in December of 2017, a semi-truck came to a stop in Buffalo, NY. With 115-years worth of historical paperwork, magazines, and archives weighing down the axles, it was hope and unbridled tenacity that kept the boxes from collapsing in on themselves.

Just a few months earlier, in October of 2017, Megan McElfresh of Buffalo, NY had been offered the job of Executive Director of the Stained Glass Association of America (SGAA), founded in 1903. Her terms: “You’d have to move the national offices to Buffalo, NY.” The Board replied, “Go pack the truck.”

The architecture of Buffalo has a reputation all its own, but if you’re a stained glass artisan, you’ve definitely heard that the Queen City is one of the places you need to go. McElfresh calls it a “living museum” of stained glass. 

Buffalo has one of the best historical collections of stained glass in the country. From original windows from the height of the art nouveau movement by Louis Comfort Tiffany to intricate French grisaille and dalle de verre, Buffalo is home to a diverse selection of notable glass. SGAA headquarters at Trinity Episcopal Church contains original windows from both Louis Comfort Tiffany and John LaFarge, one of only three places in the world to do so. 

The City of Good Neighbors– with its vibrant art community, love for its people, and pride for its history— is the perfect place for the stained glass community to put down roots.

The SGAA has the distinct honor of being the only accrediting body for architectural stained glass in the United States. The organization maintains Standards and Guidelines for the Preservation of Stained (and Leaded) Glass Windows to ensure the best possible stewardship of our nation’s art glass treasures for the next generations. Today, the organization has approximately 60 Accredited Professional Studios, many of which are in their 3rd generation or more.

Having the SGAA headquarters here in Buffalo has brought to light and renewed ties to national studios and led to incredible collaborations to preserve the City’s historic glass. For instance:

• At First Presbyterian on Symphony Circle, the “New Jerusalem” window was designed by Frederick Wilson, who would go on to work at The Judson Studios in Los Angeles, CA. The Judson Studios is one of the Association’s founding members and is now in its 5th generation of family ownership. David Judson was the SGAA President responsible for hiring McElfresh and led the board to agree to the move to Buffalo.
• In South Buffalo, the work of 4th generation SGAA Accredited member Rambusch Studio can be seen in Our Lady of Charity Parish or St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.
• The 1884 interior of Delaware Ave Baptist Church was designed and executed by J&R Lamb Studios, America’s oldest continuously-run decorative arts company. J&R Lamb Studios constructed some of the country’s first opalescent stained glass windows for the Church, including the opalescent stained glass dome skylight. Today, the fourth generation descendants of the Lamb family sit on the SGAA’s Board of Directors.
• It was SGAA Accredited member Oakbrook Esser that carried out the restoration of the stained glass windows at The Darwin Martin House. Another SGAA member, Bovard Studio, tackled the mosaic fireplace.
• This fall, SGAA Accredited Studio Nzilani Glass Conservation is assisting with the conditions survey for the window restoration at Westminster Presbyterian.

McElfresh herself is a third generation artisan. When she first moved to Buffalo in 2011, McElfresh turned to her lifetime of experience in stained glass and established McElf GlassWorks as a way to funnel her experiences and energy into a professional life here in her new home city. 

Since its move to Buffalo, Stained Glass Association of America has built partnerships with Explore Buffalo, the Buffalo History Museum, Buffalo Religious Arts Center, and other architectural organizations throughout the city. McElfresh exchanges knowledge and support with these organizations, but most importantly, she exchanges passion. A frequently heard exclamation at the end of one of McElfresh’s tours is: “I will never look at stained glass the same way again!”

McElfresh shared: “Stained glass is part of our buildings, it’s part of our atmosphere. Our work is part of the living space of an amazing city like Buffalo. It is an artform of service and generosity from the talented hands of the maker to the community that it serves.”

“Buffalo used to hear that its glory days were behind it, but it’s a vibrant city that will surprise you. The same is true of stained glass.  I hear people say that ‘Stained glass is a dying art form,’ But we have just as many studios operating at a professional level today as we’ve ever had. The new work that’s happening right now blows my mind every single day.”

Now, McElfresh is focused on the future: making access to stained glass education equitable and accessible to radically different emerging voices.  “I am so excited for the years ahead and what the future holds for this organization, and by extension, for our glass community here in Buffalo. There is no place the SGAA would rather be and I am so ready to celebrate that!” says McElfresh.

___

The SGAA Foundation, in partnership with the Center of Glass & Light at Trinity Church, is hosting Facet & Form: Glass Tradition Reimagined, as a celebration of our new home in Buffalo. Through stained glass demonstrations, activities, and education, attendees will leave this event rethinking everything they know about stained glass.

The Stained Glass Association of America & The Stained Glass Quarterly

371 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202

800-438-9581 | 816-737-2090

www.stainedglass.org

The post Buffalo as a Stained Glass Hub appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Part I – Is this a Curse on Our Region?

Near the end of the 1972 Carly Simon hit You’re So Vain, she sings: 

I never expected to see one in person, but in August 2017, I was driving my daughter on a college tour and we were driving from North Carolina State to the University of Georgia.   With the tours and interviews, we crossed our fingers that we would get there in time.  In South Carolina, we just made it into the path of the total solar eclipse and pulled over to the side of the road.  Soon we were plunged into an eerie darkness, as the path of totality of the eclipse passed overhead for a little over three minutes.   Unlike the former president, I did not look at the eclipse with the naked eye.  But we were not alone, as just about every car on the highway stopped to experience a once in a lifetime event.  

Or so I thought.  The Sun and the Moon will align again on April 8, 2024 and this time I’ll be able to see it from my backyard.  Buffalo and Western New York will be in the path of the total eclipse for just under four minutes.  And now is time to start planning for this date.

In ancient times, although many civilizations were able to predict an eclipse, they were feared by the common people.   The word eclipse comes from the Greek word meaning disappearance and the Greeks considered an eclipse to be an abandonment or punishment from the gods.   Many other cultures considered solar and lunar eclipses to be part of a mythical celestial battle.  The Chinese believed that during an eclipse, the sun (or moon) was eaten by a heavenly dragon.

Solar Eclipses also are featured in key events in the three Abrahamic religions.  In the 10 plagues of Egypt that preceded the Jewish Exodus, several theories are possible for the 9^th plague, The Plague of Darkness.  One of the contenders is a solar eclipse that happened in 1223 BCE, right in the timeframe that biblical historians place these events.  In Christianity, the Gospels say that the sky darkened at the time of Jesus’s death on the cross.   In this case, two solar eclipses – one in 29 CE, lining up with the generally accepted biblical historical timeline of Jesus – another in Anno Domini 33, if you prefer to count from Jesus’s birth – coincide with the event that led to the rise of the religion that shaped European history.   In Islam, the Quran describes an eclipse that preceded the birth of the prophet Muhammad.  Researchers have been able to identify a solar eclipse in 569 CE.  

With this historical precedent, it is ironic that people now come from all over the world to experience the three to four minutes of a total eclipse (and experience shows that it has not been a curse on these locations).  The 2017 “Great American Eclipse” (named for its extremely rare coast to coast path) passed over the homes of 12 million Americans.  It was estimated that up to 7.4 million people traveled to be in the path of the total eclipse.  Cities like St. Louis and Memphis reported record tourism numbers for the eclipse and the 2024 may exceed even those as major cities like Toronto and Chicago are only hours away from joining in on the fun.  

Tomorrow, we will explore what happens during a solar eclipse.

Stay tuned at buffaloeclipse.org/science

The following organizations have been collaborating, to ensure that Buffalo is sufficiently prepared:

Buffalo Astronomical Association

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library

Buffalo Museum of Science

Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Preserve

The Planetarium Association of WNY (PAWNY)

Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium

Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium

The post Western New York Will Be in the National Spotlight by “Going Dark” appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Everyone wants to know what’s going to happen with the downgrading of the Scajaquada Expressway and Scajaquada Creek. We are all aware of the possibilities and the potential. We know that different organizations and groups all have their own ideas about what it will be. Then there’s the DOT, which has its own ideas, and tends to act upon those ideas without listening to the community, or take the community’s best interest to heart.

It seems like an eternity that we have been waiting to hear constructive news pertaining to the future of this transportation corridor, which was once part of the Olmsted Park system. Delaware Park and historic neighborhoods were ripped apart to make way for the automobile. Now, there is an opportunity to mend this “scar,” if enough people (and public officials) get behind a bold plan.

But what is this scenario? And how far does it extend? What will it look like? How will it behave? Where does it all stand at the moment? Should we be excited? Should we expect business as usual?

As we patiently await all of these answers, and the ensuing plans, Alan Oberst has crafted a presentation that he feels will shed some light on the importance of the Scajaquada, and its “Lost Waters.”

“It’s part of Waterkeeper’s Scajaquada September,” said Oberst (aka Rachacha). “The talk is based on some of the research I’ve done on remaking the Scajaquada corridor over the last five years, some of which I’ve published on Buffalo Rising, especially this article. I think that readers would enjoy it, [especially those who have been asking] what’s the big picture plan for the Scajaquada?”

Scajaquada: The Lost Waters

Thursday, September 29, 2022

6pm presentation, followed by a Q&A and discussion

Black Rock Historical Society | 436 Amherst Street | Buffalo NY 14207

The post Scajaquada: The Lost Waters appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

THE BASICS:  THE PROM, part of the M&T Broadway series at Shea’s, with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Bob Martin and Beguelin, is on stage now through October 2, Wednesday-Friday at 7:30, Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00, Sunday at 1:00 and 6:30 at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, 650 Main Street.  716-847-0850 or sheas.org.  For an impressively content-rich website loaded with extras, including a study guide for high school students, behind-the-scenes notes, videos, and more visit www.sheas.org/performances/the-prom.

Runtime: 2-1/2 hours with one intermission

THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  THE PROM is a musical comedy about big Broadway stars on a mission to change the world by revealing the love that unites us all (and save their careers too)!  After failed reviews, the stars look around for an opportunity to show that they are not narcissistic egos, and they decide that helping a lesbian high school girl fulfill her dream of going with a same-sex date to her mid-western high school prom is just the ticket.  THE PROM has also been turned into a Netflix movie musical with some big stars, including Meryl Streep, but I don’t know if I’d watch it before I go to Shea’s.  Maybe just let the real-life musical reveal its magic.  Then, if you want, watch the Netflix show later.

THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION:  The musical opens as Dee Dee Allen, an egotistical two-time Tony award-winning Broadway actress, having just opened on Broadway as Eleanor Roosevelt in the (fictional) show ELEANOR! and her co-star, Barry Glickman, another self-important Broadway actor, are devastated by their poor opening night reviews, with the kiss of death being the New York Times reporting that since these two are such self-absorbed narcissists, they have no concept of how to play their roles.

With fellow actors, Angie Dickinson, a chorus girl who has never gotten a chance to portray Roxie Hart in the musical CHICAGO, and Trent Oliver, a Juilliard graduate (as he tells everyone… often) who once starred in the (fictional) television sitcom TALK TO THE HAND, but has just signed on for a national tour of GODSPELL, they decide to engage in a selfless, charitable cause.  Scrolling social media, Angie sees the story about Emma, a lesbian who has been denied the chance to attend her high school prom going as a same-sex couple. The local PTA forbids this and when the four actors (and their publicist, of course) descend upon the small town of Edgewater, Indiana to right this unrightable wrong without question or pause (they are, after all, narcissists) they only make things worse. And so, as the curtain comes down on Act I with the obligatory impossible situation, fear not, THE PROM is a Broadway musical, and so despite numerous self-effacing jokes throughout the show, by the end of Act II, the power of Broadway conquers all.  I mean, this is THE PROM, for cryin’ out loud, not CARRIE.

The show is loaded with Broadway references.  One touch of irony is that, in the plot, it’s a devastating New York Times review that puts the plot in motion.  In real life, IRL, Times critic Jesse Green described THE PROM as “such a joyful hoot. With its kinetic dancing, broad mugging and belty anthems, it makes you believe in musical comedy again.”  Another fun moment is when, in trying to get better rooms at the small town Edgewater, Indiana motel, the characters pull out the two Tonys and the one Drama Desk award that they have won.  IRL this show didn’t win any Tonys (despite numerous nominations) but it did win one Drama Desk Award (Outstanding Musical).

Another fun scene has Angie (played by Emily Borromeo) tell young Emma (Kaden Kearny) a story of how Bob Fosse inspired a nervous young CHICAGO actress by telling her to bring a little “zazz” to her performance, and in that number, we get a lot of references to Fosse’s dance steps.  In a show with a ton of high-energy dancing, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw (2011 Tony, etc. for THE BOOK OF MORMON and 2014 Tony, etc. for ALADDIN) that was a sweet homage.

And, oh my god, that dancing.  Those young legs!  With only two swings on this tour (and, by the way, this is the original tour cast from 2021) I don’t know how they put on 8 shows a week.  THE PROM is a little MEAN GIRLS, a little HEATHERS, a little CINDERELLA, and a little FOOTLOOSE.  

Readers of my reviews know that it’s not a musical if I don’t also get all choked up and for me that moment was sung by the character Alyssa (Kalyn West) and it’s called “Alyssa Green” in which she relates how she’s expected to be perfect in everything, and endless rules apply, cause it’s do or die, and don’t ask how or why… when you’re Alyssa Greene.  I got the same feeling that I get from “I’m not that girl” in WICKED.  Marvelous.

Perhaps the biggest applause at the curtain came for Courtney Balan as the older character 'Dee Dee Allen' who was just over-the-top enough without taking it too far.

Perhaps the biggest applause at the curtain came for Courtney Balan as the older character “Dee Dee Allen” who was just over-the-top enough without taking it too far.  Masterfully done and well aided and abetted by Sinclair Mitchell as the high school principal, Mr. Hawkins.  Another fine performance came from Bud Weber as Trent Oliver, the Juilliard-trained actor.  A fine singer and dancer.

I was a little disappointed in Kaden Kearney as Emma because she was just too loud at the end of each phrase or stanza and her voice, while adequate, was not as easy on the ears as Balan’s or West’s (Dee Dee or Alyssa).  And I didn’t like the “make it gay AF” direction apparently given to Patrick Wetzel who plays the other failed Broadway actor Barry Glickman.  Back in the early 20th-century vaudeville shows there was often a stock homosexual character called “The Nance” who would prance and take mincing steps and lisp.  Wetzel’s performance seemed a throwback to that early era.  

But those two items aside, this was a perfect way to open the 2022-2023 M&T Broadway season.  Lots of fun and there’s nothing wrong with that. 

*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)

ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.

TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.

THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.

FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.

FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!

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The Story Garage is preparing to host its inaugural Market Square Vintage & Maker Market on Saturday, October 1 at Market Square in Black Rock (11am-4pm). Neil Gerard, owner of The Story garage, has managed to accumulate upwards of 40 vendors for this auspicious occasion, which will showcase vintage wares, regional makers, a food truck (M&S Street Eats), and live music. The event is being co-hosted by the BRR|Alliance.

This new market venture is the culmination of much of what Gerard has been striving to achieve since he relocated his vintage furniture and housewares business to Niagara Street. When I first spoke to him about setting up shop in Black Rock, he mentioned that he had his heart set on utilizing the neighboring Market Square in a way that would pay homage to its roots.

Now that day has come.

“It is a rain or shine event, with most of the outdoor vendors bringing their tents,” said Gerard. “We have 15 vendors who are already setting up inside The Story Garage throughout the first floor of my building, so we could probably squeeze a few more in if it rains. But the hope is that it will be a beautiful day!”

Hopefully it will be the first of many, and will signal to other marketeers in WNY that Market Square is ripe for the picking, when considering venue locations to host outdoor markets.

As for the live music element at the upcoming Vintage & Maker Market, Grace Lougen (from Grosh) will be performing from 1pm-3pm.

Market Square | Corner of Niagara Street and Amherst Street

The Story Garage  | 1875 Niagara Street | Black Rock | Buffalo NY 14207 | 716-343-0905

See Facebook event for further details.

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Jefferson Avenue is in line for another infill mixed-use development.  T.O.P Enterprises is proposing to renovate the circa-1871 Lion Brewery building at 1035 Jefferson, construct a community center and affordable apartment units for a site at the southeast corner of Jefferson and Best Street.  T.O.P is a non-profit dedicated to the revitalization of the Jefferson-Best area. The Planning Board started review of the proposal at its Monday meeting.

From the Application:

The proposed 3.5 acre development includes a new-build Fine Arts Community Center, the renovation of the existing Lion Brewery building, and the rehabilitation of the surrounding site. Together, both buildings will contain 83 affordable apartment units (ranging from Studios, 1-Bedroom units, and 2-Bedroom units).

The Fine Arts Community Center currently includes space which will be used for art galleries, a multi-purpose large scale banquet hall space, and private studios, as well as space for small pop-up restaurant vendors and seating. The exterior design of the building is designed to create a new, additional neighborhood landmark, sloping up toward the intersection at Jefferson Avenue, showcasing both the creativity and great potential of the community, as well as a commitment to excellence and future growth. The building slopes down away from the corner to approach Best Street and Earl Place at a smaller scale.

The renovated Lion Brewery Building will have commercial space on the first floor along Jefferson Avenue, which would contain a restaurant, a small museum gallery acknowledging the rich and diverse history of the building, as well as other commercial uses. For this existing structure, we plan to both restore the dentil detailing of the cornices, and also open up the existing ground floor loading bays along the west façade with glass. This strategy aims to both celebrate the historicity of the building and activate and engage with Jefferson Avenue.

CPL Architecture Engineering and Planning is designing the project that will also include 92 on-site parking spaces, an outdoor recreational space for tenants, and a community garden facing Earl Place.

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By this stage in Buffalo’s economic recovery process, one would think that it would be quite obvious that preservation would be one of the single most important tried and true strategies. By preserving, and restoring this city’s historic architecture, we have seen a resurgence, there is no doubt. At the same time, we continue to watch as architectural gems slip through the cracks, as if they meant nothing. Whether we’re talking about St. Mary’s on the Hill, numerous buildings along the Genesee Gateway, or the Great Northern (lead image), this city talks a good preservation game, and then doesn’t back it up.

In order to quantify just how meaningful preservation is to Buffalo, Preservation Buffalo Niagara and the Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo have announced the release of “Everyone’s Heritage: The Impact of Historic Preservation in Buffalo.” This is the first time that a report of this nature has been thoroughly conducted, as it relates to the economic and social impacts of historic preservation. The findings – conducted by PlaceEconomics, a firm of world-renowned economists – demonstrate that Buffalo is unique, stating: there is “no city in the United States where the historic preservation movement has had a higher priority on making sure that historic preservation is diverse, inclusive, and equitable.”

“The extraordinary collection of historic resources in Buffalo has attracted visitors worldwide and made heritage tourism a significant part of the City’s economy,” stated Donovan Rypkema, chief author of the study and Principal and Found of Place Economics.  He went on to add: “Few cities in America have been more successful in making sure that historic preservation reflects the entire population than has Buffalo.”

Buffalo’s historic preservation efforts were found to play a significant role in supporting economic diversity, property values, tax revenues, jobs, and incomes.

State Senator Sean Ryan said, “The results of this study demonstrate what defenders of our city’s historic buildings have known all along. Historic preservation is about much more than keeping old buildings intact for nostalgia’s sake. A large part of Buffalo’s economic resurgence has been tied to the city’s architectural history. This report quantifies the impact historic preservation has already had on Buffalo and demonstrates just how far its benefits can reach.”

Jessie Fisher, Executive Director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara, said, “This report confirms what many of us have believed to be true, but didn’t have the numbers to prove. There can now be no doubt that historic preservation is a major part of making Buffalo a more sustainable, equitable, and successful city.  We hope this report will give neighborhood leaders and politicians alike the tools to fight for the places that matter to them, because now we know that those places matter to all of us.”

Paris Roselli, Executive Director of the Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo, said, “Western New York hosts a wealth of architectural marvels and, through the data collected in this valuable report, we can point to the importance of preserving our architectural heritage for the community. We are very pleased to have collaborated with PBN in this endeavor and grateful for the excellent work of PlaceEconomics.”

The “Everyone’s Heritage” report found that:

• 41,000 Buffalonians live in a historic district.
• Historic districts are both economically and racially diverse—neighborhoods in local historic districts were found to be more fully integrated and less segregated than neighborhoods in the rest of Buffalo. 
• Properties in historic districts contribute a disproportionate share of the city’s property tax revenue.
• Property values in historic districts have increased at a rate far greater than the rest of Buffalo.
• Vacancy levels in local historic districts have fallen due to population growth while vacancies in the rest of the city have fallen largely through demolition of vacant or abandoned properties.
• Nearly half of all job growth in Buffalo took place in historic districts, even though commercial historic districts represent a tiny fraction of Buffalo’s land.
• Over the last decade, an average of $54 million has been invested in historic district properties.
• That investment has generated on average 272 direct jobs and 247 indirect jobs, totaling an averaged $15 million in labor income.
• Heritage tourism is a major contributor to Buffalo’s economy: 13.4% of visitors to Buffalo come for our history and architecture.
• More than $658 million in local spending is generated by heritage tourists each year.
• Heritage tourism has created 6,000 direct jobs and 2,100 indirect jobs in Buffalo.

Now that the City is privy to this report, one would think that it would take a closer look at the importance of preserving our architectural heritage. By investing in our history, we are investing in our future. Let’s stop playing politics, and start concentrating harder on preserving the historic buildings that play a key role in our city’s revival and stability.

This work was made possible with funding from the Baird Foundation, the John R. Oishei Foundation, New York State Senator Sean Ryan, and Erik Stenclik and Steven Deitz. The key findings and full report can be viewed at online at www.preservationbuffaloniagara.org/everyones-heritage.

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A struggling Radisson Hotel could have a residential future. Salt Lake City-based J.B. Earl Company and Michael J. Conroe of Elev8 Architecture are teaming up on a $25 million project to convert the Radisson hotel at 100 Whitehaven Road on Grand Island into apartments.  The 12-acre site is located on the Niagara River.

Currently 263 rooms, the redevelopment plan calls for 138 residential units.  The existing restaurant and fitness center would be expanded and the complex would retain its 26,000 sq.ft. of conference and meeting space. A rooftop patio and co-working space are also planned.

Substantial exterior renovations are proposed.  Public space includes a proposed waterfront trail and the development team is offering the town a half-acre site along the river for construction of a boat launch and public parking. 

The hotel is currently owned by an affiliate of the McSam Hotel Group.  The development team is seeking a rezoning of the site.

J.B. Earl Company and Conroe are making their mark locally and have been involved with The Grid and The Rails on Main Street, The Elli in Tonawanda, and The Riv in the Old First Ward.

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We continue the series on walking Buffalo, from the intrepid couple who walked every day—no matter the weather—in the first 30 months of Covid. They think (without being systematic) they walked every street in Buffalo, and many in other cities and towns, taking some 20,000 photos, some of which are shared in this series. While not itineraries, we hope to encourage others to “walk the walk,” to see, observe and appreciate Buffalo—and beyond. William Graebner and Dianne Bennett are also 5 Cent Cine’s film critics, here.

Today’s Photo-Essay: Remembering 9/11

It’s been over two decades since that horrific September 11th of 2001, when the twin towers of the World Trade Center came down in fire and smoke, killing thousands and ushering in contemporary America. One imagines that the walls of Buffalo, like those of every other city, were soon covered with representations of the towers, as well as signs of the patriotism that was an inevitable consequence of that moment in history.  

Little remains of the on-the-street memorials to 9/11. In all our treks, we’ve come across only 4 such efforts, all on Buffalo’s East Side. They’re not without interest. Here’s what we found.

One of the memorials can be found under a bridge over the Kensington Expressway (between Peach and Grape), linking the Fruit Belt with the Willert Park neighborhood of the near East Side. As one approaches the bridge from Peach Street, the 9/11 iconography appears on the structure’s support column. 

One side of the column features the twin towers, super-imposed on an American flag, and above, the word “NEVER.” On the left, the words FRUIT BELT, and on the right, “WEED-N-SEED,” a reference to a city program designed to reduce inner-city gun violence, dating to 1997. “Yo! Buffalo” has the ring of boosterism, but it is the branded name of a U.S. Department of Labor workforce development program (Youth Opportunity Program of Buffalo), created in 2000. 

On the other side of the column, a solitary figure—apparently a Black man—with an abbreviated American flag on his back and a headband reading “New York,” faces away, looking at the towers, here rendered in simple outline. These two photos were taken in December 2020. 

Less than a mile to the south and east, across the Expressway, is a second memorial, painted on the two sides of a handball court in Johnson Park (between Sherman Street on the east and Johnson Street on the west and south of Genesee). On the north side of the court, the twin towers are again set against the American flag, with the words NEVER FORGET above and below. This drawing has been damaged by graffiti and tagging, but it’s still there.

So, too, is the painting on the other side. Here, the words “Yo! Buffalo” and “Weed & Seed” suggest that this drawing may be by the same group as one of those on the Peach Street/Kensington bridge. The flag is Puerto Rican. These photos were taken in March 2021. 

This one escaped our attention until we looked at the larger photo closely, and for another purpose. IAF refers to the International Firefighters Association. MOCHA refers to an Engine 23 organization, Members of Color Helping All.  

We’ve saved the most complex and artful rendering for last. It’s not far away, at 582 Sycamore, once the home of S & G Mini Mart, with its “Full Line of Groceries” (the letters refer to the cross streets, Sycamore and Gray). During the 2022 East Side Garden Walk, an across-the-street resident estimated that the business had been closed for a decade.

The 9/11 painting is still remarkably intact, and rich with detail. Though 9/11 replaces the stars on the flag, the twin towers are less prominent here, appearing above the words “BE IT KNOWN (NY?) WE WILL NEVER FORGET.” The background features a Buffalo, with a NY lettering design on its side and, to the right, the Statue of Liberty. The muscular, thin-waisted figure, who appears to be Black, is not any clearly identifiable superhero. Among the comic book icons with a star on the chest are Captain America and Falcon (a Black superhero), though their costumes differ from the one in the painting. At the bottom, what looks like a single, long-stemmed rose.

It’s likely that the four memorials were created in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. That they remain, mostly intact, is testimony to the continuing power of the tragic events of that day.

Also see:

How to Take a Walk—in Buffalo, and Beyond (2nd in the Series)

How to Take a Walk—in Buffalo, and Beyond

©William Graebner

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