The Buffalodown, Vol. 2, Issue 6
Stories & Events for Social Connection
By Seamus Gallivan
- Progress for Parkway Revival – for now
- Musings on Music: Bright Future for Nietzsche’s – wanna be part of it with me?
- Featured Events: 20 is the new norm, welcoming submissions!
- Listening Links: PPG’s #2 Issue for 2025
- Reading Rundown: What Are You Reading?
Welcome to the Buffalodown! Always welcoming submissions.
Thank you for clicking through!
For all the insanity flowing from DC, we often overlook local issues that more immediately impact us. One way to stay informed and get involved locally is through the nonprofit Partnership for the Public Good (PPG), which recently released its annual member-voted, Community Agenda of 10 “ways to change local or state policies to advance equality, sustainability, and cultural vibrancy in the Buffalo Niagara region.”
Leading this week with PPG’s top vote-getter, and the latest in the long and winding saga of parkway revival in Buffalo, as residents won a court case claiming what I’ve been saying for the better part of the past decade, since becoming part of the Restore Our Community Coalition (ROCC) – which had for decades been in a lonely yet steady struggle to open the minds and plans of officials from the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) to the possibilities of putting the *park* back in Humboldt Parkway – state officials need to do due diligence through a thorough Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before advancing any major plans.
Indeed, while ROCC leaders had long agreed to a compromise of capping the Kensington Expressway instead of a fill-in to fully restore Humboldt Parkway – due to DOT officials absolutely insisting that their primary purpose is to maintain existing vehicle traffic, no compromise despite compelling alternatives – what remained unresolved all along was addressing the adverse affects of lowered air quality caused by the highway that would clearly continue through construction of a toxic tunnel. Over many years, in every meeting, ROCC leaders kept asking for solutions, and DOT reps kept dodging the dilemma.
Eventually, and as bluntly noted by the judge last week, DOT leaders sidetracked the air quality issue and fast-tracked their billion-dollar bandaid on this wide open wound through the heart and lungs of our city.
“The (Environmental Impact Statement) is the only instrument that would provide a fair and impartial analysis of all of the considerable environmental impacts, fully evaluate all alternatives and mitigate any of the eventual effects that are bound to occur,” ruled State Supreme Court Justice Emilio Colaiacovo. “Why the state thought it could simply entertain a project of this magnitude and not comply with what it otherwise orders others to perform remains a mystery.”
In my opinion, it’s only a mystery if one ignores history. Generations ago, so-called public servants ignored the needs of Humboldt Parkway residents in destroying the parkway to build the expressway to begin with, and now they’re trying to do it again – only this time with the audacity to claim it’s in the name of racial justice. This time, at the request of residents, reps from the New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (NYACLU) got behind them, asking a year ago, Is the Environmental Racism of the Past Repeating Itself in Buffalo’s Kensington Expressway Project?
They’ve stayed on the case, as has steadfast WGRZ-TV reporter Nate Benson, whose latest coverage as well as a prior story are below – I’ll bet there’s more backroom BS to come from government officials in their attempts to push this toxic tunnel through, encouraging everyone to stay tuned to the East Side Parkways Coalition and find ways to support.
Ultimately, if one cares about social connection, one must question the wisdom of having a highway cut through the heart of a city – I’ll keep saying that this is the issue that inspired the conception of Reconnecter, much more to come…
Become a paying member to support social connection!
Musings on Music
Bright Future for Nietzsche’s
Buffalo’s bar and music community sure needs some good news, and here it is – Allentown anchor Nietzsche’s is being renovated as part of a glorious change in ownership from OG Joe Rubino to a team of four current and former staff along with veteran musicians.
They’ll be closing briefly this month for some of the renovations, including balcony and stage, bathrooms(!) and kitchen. The upstairs green room has already been upgraded – and for good measure, so has the website and promotional materials, love the vibe there. All this and much more is detailed in the latest episode of Why Music Matters with Jeff Miers and new co-owner Sam Marabella (video below), whose old band Sweatin’ Like Nixon might’ve been the first back-stage show I saw at Nietzsche’s, Xs on my underage hands and all.
Another of the four new owners, John Weber, has been playing there since `86, is now leading the renovations with his substantial off-stage skills, and happens to be one of my favorite people. Dig what he said for this article in Buffalo Rising: “It’s like a dream state. It’s how you remembered a place. The parts that you enjoyed. But now, when you go back there, there are so many areas of the bar that are better. It will always have some dive bar aspects, but it’s going to be professional. Look around and you will notice things that you never noticed before. It’s cozying up in here. It’s more and more comfortable, from front to back.”
Weber and I recently had a porch hang to dream up what we could do with this new beginning for Nietzsche’s – I don’t know what my place in it will be yet, I just know I’m in – would love to hear your ideas and go in together, hit me up!
Become a paying member to help us present and promote more music!
Events in the Week Ahead
Thanks to all who’ve submitted their events! Welcoming submissions with a flyer and link to seamus@reconnecter.org.
Become a paying member to help us promote community events!
Listening Links
What are you listening to? Please send links!
Here’s PPG’s #2 voted Community Agenda issue for 2025, detailed in two parts:
Treatment Not Jails: The Case for Harm Reduction and Holistic Court Systems – The Public Good – “Sophie Feal of Legal Aid Bureau of Western New York of the Holistic Representation Unit, discusses advocacy efforts to standardized harm reduction principles and create wider accessibility of treatment courts in New York State.”
Communities Not Cages: Sentencing Reform for Justice – The Public Good – “…to right the wrongs of the lingering effects of the War on Drugs and crack down on crime in the late 80s and through the 90s by offering incarcerated people a chance at restoration and freedom.”
In the Flamingo Lounge with Rockabilly Greg, episode 150: Seamus Gallivan – who wants to listen to a whole hour of me rambling?! Seriously grateful for Greg and this historical document of Buffalo’s music scene, now 150 episodes of open-ended stories behind the scenes – hopefully you’ll find this episode enjoyable, especially if you’ve bothered to subscribe to Reconnecter and read this far into it.
Reading Rundown
Always welcoming links to read and share at seamus@reconnecter.org.
Leaving this section to you this week, as I’ve been on the road and reading less – please send me links to what you’ve been reading!
Thank YOU for reading this far and being part of it all – extra thanks to everyone supporting this work with a membership at www.reconnecter.org!
Please share with friends to sign up for next Tuesday’s Buffalodown, and reach out with any feedback, all ideas welcome!
Related Posts
