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BUFFALO NIAGARA MEDICAL CAMPUS TO HOST
Over the next six months, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus will be working with the community, the City, and other stakeholders to identify steps for moving forward. Please join us in the first work sessions to discuss these issues. Here are the details:
For more information,
click here
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JOIN CHRIS BROWN, DAVID GRANVILLE & RON GROTH FOR
A great time... great food... and helping a great cause! Make your reservations today!
KLEINHANS NEIGHBORHOOD RE-TREE PLANTING
Help to make your neighborhood greener, healthier and more beautiful. Call today at 884-1914 if you can help plant trees on May 3.
DEADLINE FOR 2008 GARDEN WALK APPLICATION
Our neighborhood is one of the most popular destinations on the two-day event and this year we're trying to encourage as many participants as possible. Participation is simple - just open your gardens (front and/or side or back) to appreciative garden-loving visitors. Garden Walk is fun-filled and one of the most important events that has ever taken place in our neighborhood. It has literally put the Kleinhans community on the map; the neighborhood was featured prominently in the 2006 book, Buffalo Garden Walk , with over 5,000 copies sold. Participation in Garden Walk has made the neighborhood more attractive, well-known, and has spurred new investment from existing residents and interest from visitors who want to become part of our community. Over the last decade, Garden Walk has also provided financial support for neighborhood beautification initiatives because of our residents' participation in the event. Your gardens don't have to be picture-perfect to participate. The key is to have a critical mass of gardens within our walkable neighborhood. Visitors are interested in neighborhood architecture and meeting neighborhood residents. It is possibly the most important and direct way you can improve the neighborhood.
Won't you please consider participating in Garden Walk 2008?
You can event submit your application online!
SPECIAL KCA MEETING AND PLANTING SCHEDULED FOR
Please bring gloves and brooms. Flower planters
will be planted and litter picked up in the neighborhood.
ALLENTOWN ASSOCIATION SPRING DINNER SCHEDULED
WAR OF 1812 HERO JOB HOISINGTON TO BE HONORED
On Saturday, May 24 the Kleinhans Community Association (KCA) will dedicate a historic marker to the bravery of Job Hoisington, a Buffalonian and War of 1812 hero who sacrificed his life so that fellow villagers could escape British and Native American forces that invaded and burned Buffalo to the ground on Dec. 30, 1813. “The Kleinhans Community Association is honored to commemorate this long-forgotten Buffalo hero, not to glorify war, but to recall how ordinary citizens responded in extraordinary ways when conflict found its way to Buffalo,” says KCA president Christopher N. Brown. The story of Job Hoisington surfaced when community volunteers were researching the rich history of Plymouth Avenue (from Hudson Street to Porter Avenue) culminating in a Kleinhans Community Association monograph entitled Historic Plymouth Avenue and Kleinhans Music Hall. Several years ago, the KCA joined forces with Heart of the City Neighborhoods Inc., a community-based housing development corporation, to reclaim several vacant houses on Plymouth Avenue. Part of the neighborhood redevelopment process included identifying local history. While the neighborhood is brimming with landmark architecture and significant Buffalo history, the story of Job Hoisington stood out. “This inspiring story needs to be re-told for our time. Job Hoisington’s courage is exemplary of the same passion being shown today by neighborhood residents who are working hard to reclaim this welcoming and diverse community,” says Stephanie Simeon, executive director of Heart of the City, which has renovated two homes on Plymouth Avenue in 2007 and is currently planning a major residential construction project on Hudson Street at Plymouth Avenue. Job Hoisington is a larger-than-life character in Buffalo’s lore. A carpenter who moved to Buffalo just a few years before the War of 1812 began, Job joined the militia when the war threatened to engulf Western New York. On the fateful day of Dec. 30, 1813, the British crossed the Niagara River and marched south along the river until they reached Porter Avenue (at the time called “Guide Board Road”) and headed east towards Main Street. Job, along with his fellow militiamen, confronted the invaders on Porter Avenue at Plymouth Avenue. The militia was vastly outnumbered and had little support from the regular U.S. army. Job, being an expert marksman, made a courageous decision to save his comrades while at the same time putting his own life at risk. He single-handedly held off the invaders while his fellow militiamen were able to escape by fleeing to Main Street and then to Williamsville. But his friends’ safety cost Job his life. After the battle, Job, beloved by Buffalonians, was instantly hailed as a hero. Within a year, an epic poem was written about Job’s brave sacrifice. Job was considered so hallowed that when his remains were being transferred to the “new” Forest Lawn cemetery in 1850, his skull was stolen because of its value as a relic. To this day, the whereabouts of Job’s skull is a mystery. As the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 nears, the Kleinhans Community Association hopes that this new historic marker will inspire other community groups and private building owners to create similar markers. “There are number of sites within Buffalo that have been identified as being significant War of 1812 sites but are not marked; because either they have not been marked before or they were marked at one time yet the marker has since disappeared. Throughout the Niagara Frontier and Southern Ontario, a number of sites associated with the War of 1812 are expected to draw visitors to the region over the next few years. Buffalo, with its outstanding cultural tourism attractions, should be a destination for those visitors,” adds Brown, remarking, “all events are associated with the dedication are FREE and open to the public.” Expected to attend the dedication are public officials, representatives from the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society and descendants of the Hoisington family, some of whom are journeying hundreds of miles to attend the historic marker dedication. A reception, a reading of the epic poem and an one-hour historic walking tour will follow the dedication. The reception (refreshments will be served) and the reading of the historic Job Hoisington epic poem will take place at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum, 453 Porter Avenue. Attendees may take the opportunity to view the museum’s current exhibit, “First Ladies.” The exhibit showcases memorable letters, speeches, and other items of various First Ladies of the United States, including: the Martha Washington Golden Dollar, a letter written by Abigail Adams concerning the Revolutionary War, a letter written on mourning stationary by Mary Todd Lincoln about her theory that Booth did not act alone in his assassination of President Lincoln, and a speech given by Eleanor Roosevelt before the Democratic National Convention in 1956. “There are even two documents from Dolley Payne Madison, First Lady during the War of 1812, who is legendary for saving a Gilbert Stuart painting of President George Washington from the White House before it was burned by the British army in 1814,” says Chris Kelly, executive director of the Karpeles Manuscript Museum. “In addition, Dr. Karpeles, owner of the museum, has prepared a special exhibit of a number of historic War of 1812 documents to coincide with the historic marker dedication,” adds Kelly. Also available at the museum will be a detailed narrative of the story of Job Hoisington (with illustrations by local artist Don Mayer) included in the KCA-produced book Historic Plymouth Avenue and Kleinhans Music Hall. The Job Hoisington Historic Marker is made possible through the Kleinhans Community Association, the City of Buffalo’s Livable Communities Grant, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, Karpeles Manuscript Museum, the Allentown Association and Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Event Schedule
ALLENWEST FESTIVAL RETURNS TO WADSWORTH STREET
The Allentown Association will at the same time be hosting the AllenWest Festival for local artists on Allen Street and Wadsworth Street from Elmwood Avenue to Hudson street. In recent years the festival ended at Days Park but with the increased popularity of the west end of Allen Street, overwhelming demand for booth space has pushed the festival all the way to Hudson Street.
BULK TRASH PICKUP IN NEIGHBORHOOD SCHEDULED
Ellicott District
INTERIOR HISTORIC TOURS OF KLEINHANS MUSIC HALL
CITY MEETS WITH RESIDENTS ABOUT CONCERNS AT
The Allentown Association, the residents of Hudson Street and the greater Allentown community, met with Rich Tobe, Commissioner of Economic Development, Permits and Inspections and other representatives from the City of Buffalo on Feb. 25 and March 6, 2008, regarding concerns at 318 Hudson Street. No. 318 Hudson Street is important to the community from a variety of perspectives. The property is within the Allentown Historic Preservation District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure within the district. The house is also located in a pivotal and strategic location within the Allentown community, near Days Park, Allen Street/Allentown Art/AllenWest Festival, Kleinhans Music Hall and other venues important to all Western New Yorkers. Therefore, many people are concerned about the future of the house and its impact to the larger Allentown community. Petitions signed by 64 concerned citizens and the March 2008 Allentown Association newsletter support this position. Not only is 318 Hudson and its location important to Allentown, its condition is as well. The house has had a negative impact on the community for the past several years. It has been a problem not only because of its preservation/housing code violations, but also because of crime stemming from the house. The Allentown district has lost several key properties over the last two years including: 359 Hudson, 7 Wadsworth, 382 Maryland and 399 Franklin Street. The Allentown Association zealously guards the preservation of each and every property within the district, so it is concerned about 318 Hudson Street. When 318 Hudson was last occupied, it was a den of crime with incidents of drug dealing, drug use by residents, vicious attack dogs terrorizing neighborhood residents, thievery and a myriad of other crimes traced to the location over the previous five years. The house has been unoccupied for the past two years - and that has been a positive change for the neighborhood. The house became vacant and quiet about the same time that the Byron W. Brown administration took office. The blatantly conspicuous Hudson Street drug dealing on multiple corners near the house that had been occurring for years suddenly disappeared. Hope returned and once again, residents believed in their neighborhood and they began improving their properties. New roofs were installed, porches built, and houses painted. Neighborhood volunteer beautification efforts (historic signage, tree plantings, flower planters, cleanups, etc.) blossomed. Below is a detailed list of some of the positive changes that have occurred:
This detailed list shows the level of investment that neighborhood residents have made in their community within the last few years. Therefore, the concern about 318 Hudson Street is not solely based on the new owner’s ability to repair the house (Beeville West LLC - disclosed by the City at the 3/6 meeting that Beeville had taken title to the property on 3/5/08). The Allentown Association would be equally concerned with whoever purchased the house. No. 318 Hudson Street is in a condition of serious disrepair. It has had its maintenance and necessary repairs deferred for decades and the house needs a substantial infusion of capital to cure its defects. The many people who are concerned about the house expect the Allentown Association to monitor its progress and address its issues. In short, the neighborhood has progressed. Residents have invested their savings, energy, time and passion into their homes and their community. They are now dependent on City of Buffalo officials to address the issues at 318 Hudson Street. While the problems there are, perhaps, not the worst in the City of Buffalo, they are nonetheless real and the Allentown Association believes that the residents of the street and their quality of life should be considered and respected. We need your help to protect the important gains that have been made in the neighborhood over the last several years. As a result of the Allentown Associaton's efforts, the City of Buffalo has ordered a complete dye test to ensure that the sewer, which is believed to be broken, is repaired prior to occupancy. The City of Buffalo is also addressing the outstanding exterior housing violations at 318 Hudson Street. Serious problems remain that need to be addressed and repaired properly in order for the house to be preserved. Below is a list of items compiled by the Allentown Association:
Because of the extent of the violations at 318 Hudson Street, the City of Buffalo is assigning it the same status as a property marked for demolition. Such a designation means that a comprehensive inspection by Inspector Dave Gilmour has taken place and a letter of violation was issued. The new owner, Beeville West, will have a limited amount of time to address all violations. All work performed must have proper permits and if work is performed on the exterior, permission from the Buffalo Preservation Board must also be obtained. According to Rich Tobe, the house will not be certified for occupancy until all health and safety violations are corrected. On a related note, the Allentown Association is deeply concerned by a pattern that is becoming far too commonplace where, in many instances, owners of properties in Allentown are making inappropriate preservation-related changes to their properties first, and then asking for forgiveness later. Particularly troubling is the widespread installation of vinyl windows, siding and other similar items. The owners of these properties are not seeking Preservation Board approval and then hope that the changes are not detected. Those properties that have been identified as having inappropriate changes made to them have been reported to the Mayor’s Call and Resolution Center and are being tracked by Michele Brozek of the Buffalo Preservation Board. The City asked the Allentown Associaton to take photographs of 318 Hudson Street so that changes can be compared to photographs. The Allentown Association maintains an on-line database of all properties within the district on its website, including 318 Hudson Street . The Allentown Association is working with the City to create a safe, clean, healthy, supportive and attractive neighborhood that respects its history in which all residents can live and grow. Neighborhood residents, through the existence of the Allentown Association and block clubs like the Kleinhans Community Association, know that the model used to reclaim borderline neighborhood streets in years past has worked. We will continue to use that same proven model on Hudson Street. We will do our part: promoting the neighborhood, beautifying it, acting as its watchdog and engendering community support and private investment. The City has pledged its help and support in order for us to be successful.
Mayor Brown, in support of the Allentown Association's efforts regarding 318 Hudson Street, wrote a letter
to the Allentown Association and said that the "Allentown community
is an important area of our city that demonstrates
the postive changes a small group of dedicated citizens
can make in their neighborhood... I am pleased to hear
that city representatives are working with you to address
issues [at 318 Hudson Street]. Please keep me updated on the progess."
WADSWORTH STREET IMPROVES
CRIME PREVENTION: PREVENT "CAR POPPING"
Here are a few tips to help prevent this crime:
Hopefully following these tips will prevent your vehicle from being the latest "car popping" victim!
GRACE MANOR NURSING HOME ON SYMPHONY CIRCLE
"The new arrangement with Kaleida Health and the state Health Department aims to lead to changes but preserve 250 jobs and the 167-bed nursing home’s mission to serve the minority community." "Under the agreement, Kaleida Health may act as the financial caretaker for as long as 18 months and will ensure no interruptions in service." "Officials said they will study potential relationships with Kaleida Health that could include Grace Manor becoming part of Kaleida. The hospital network already is a key provider of long-term care in the city, with the Deaconess Center on Humboldt Parkway, Waterfront Health Care Center on the Lower West Side and a skilled facility in Millard Fillmore Hospital."
Kaleida said it’s too early to say whether Grace Manor’s building will be a
part of plans to consolidate Deaconess Center on Humboldt Parkway, which it operates,
or whether its nursing home beds will be incorporated into a new facility.
HOUSING CHANGES IN KCA NEIGHBORHOOD
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