As long as it’s not Superbowl Sunday, you may want to choose to spend part of your Sunday afternoon and evening at Just Vino!

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Sundays at Just Vino are known as “Green Dot Sunday”.  Any previously open bottle of wine has a green stopper in it.  These “Green Dots” are all HALF-PRICE.

This give you a chance to try that expensive bottle that you’ve been too frugal to indulge in.

Just Vino isn’t making much money on Sundays, but according to co-owner Jeff, it does “Pay for the Lights”.

When I sat down to write this review of Lucky Tubb’s Buffalo show (12/08/09 at Mohawk Place), I said to myself, “Should I focus on the abundance of great shows and things to do in this City on any given night or should I just stick to the music itself?”  Well, I’m still not sure how to answer my own question but here’s my two cents on one of the best live shows I have seen in quite some time.

Let me start with a little background about “yours smoothly”.  I love music!  All kinds of music; underground hip-hop, old time country, heavy metal, experimental, avant-garde, classical, etc.  Hell, I even own an album of Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, etc.) recording noises into a tape recorded while setting in a hotel room… and I love it!  I also hate mainstream music.  If you really want to find good music, then don’t turn on the radio.  That’s the last place you’ll find good music in my opinion.  Well possibly on satellite radio because there are so many options.  You’ve got to be able to find something palatable, right?  So there’s the skinny on what I dig.  

When I stumbled across the advertisement for the show in the Art Voice and I was surprised.  I usually have something like this on my radar screen but I missed this one.  So I contacted a few of the crew to see if I could persuade any of them into coming with me.  I found one taker but many still decided that staying home in a vegetative state was a better option.  It’s not easy getting “30-Somethings” out on a work night.  Boy when did THEY get so old? 

We arrived at Mohawk Place at approximately 8:30 and as always I misjudged the time that the opening act would go on, so we did what anyone else would do in this situation – sit patiently and drink!  PBR’s with Jack is my typical poison when in Rome, and this night would be no different.  We enjoyed a few and while we waited Lucky stopped by and thanked us for coming to the show.  I told him that we had seen him open for Hank Williams III a few months back and were excited to see him back in town.  We also said hello to his fiddle player Natalie Page Monson.  (Our friend “Hot Buffalo” has had a school boy crush on her for quite some time and I figured a properly placed picture message would do the trick and get him to come down for the show.  Wouldn’t you know it – it worked!  Making our head count three.) 

The Steam Donkeys hit the stage about an hour after we arrived.  These local legends always offer up a great show.  They were solid as always and primed the pump with their brand of honky-tonk.  It was a very nice way to kick off the night’s music. 

When we had spoken earlier with Natalie, she had told us that forty tickets were sold before the show and she was pretty happy with that number.  I would estimate that there was double that when Lucky went on.  Not too bad of a crowd considering it was a cold, snowy Tuesday night in Buffalo. 

Lucky and his crew covered all of their hits and plenty of material from Johnny Cash, great uncle Ernest Tubb and many other country legends.  (Let me tell you that the combination of Lucky and Natalie is reminiscent of the legendary duo of Johnny Cash and June Carter.  Boy that gal has some pipes and Lucky is no slouch either.)  At one point our good friend “Hot Buffalo” yelled out a request for the song “Bakersfield” and they played it without hesitation.  They played two sets and really set the house on fire.  The night concluded about 12:30 and we stayed just long enough for one shot with our new fiddle playin’ friend. 

What more is there to say but; Great tunes, great friends and a great show!  The best Tuesday night I’ve had in years!!  (…and the hangover on Wednesday coupled with a twelve hour work day was a small price to pay for that kind of enjoyment.) 

So the next time someone tells you that real country music is a thing of the past or there is nothing to do in Buffalo, tell them to go stick it where the sun doesn’t shine! 

Thank you Lucky and the Modern Day Troubadours!

(http://www.myspace.com/luckytubb) 

BTW – Kudos to Scott Leary (the new owner of Mohawk Place) for updating the sound system.  If you have not attended a show at the Mohawk Place since, you don’t know what you are missing.

 Morning friends.  For those of you that don’t know this fact…  our Mayor is a moron and he’s planning of fixing something that isn’t broke.  I could ramble on and on about this but I don’t have to because Donn Esmonde at the Buffalo News must have read my mind and put it to print before me.  See the following link “Donn Esmonde: Olmsted deal being flubbed by Brown”, get the facts and come out Sunday to support the Conservancy and YOUR Parks!  Here’s the info:

Come out and show your support for Buffalo’s Olmsted Parks, this Sunday. Bring your family and friends to Martin Luther King, Jr. Park at Fillmore and Best in Buffalo.
Meet by the MLK Jr., Monument at Noon.

Here is how you can help
The Conservancy’s trustees met in special session yesterday and drafted a community action plan that includes:
•
A Public Rally in support of the Olmsted Parks to be held this Sunday, December 13 at Noon in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Everyone is invited to attend, meet at the large statue of MLK by the Fillmore and Best entrances to the park.
•
Sign the Olmsted petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/BOPC/petition.html
endorsing your support of the Conservancy’s work over the past 5 years.
•
Call the Mayor’s office and voice your concern.
•
Write letters to the media endorsing the Conservancy’s work and sharing park memories.

BE THERE SUNDAY!

A very odd thing happened the other day.  Buffalo’s mayor, Byron Brown, tried taking control of the Olmstead Park system.  He wants the parks to be city run instead of run by the Olmstead Park Conservancy.

The Olmstead park system consists of…

• Parks
• Cazenovia Park
• Delaware Park
• Front Park
• MLK JR. Park
• Riverside Park
• South Park
• Parkways
• Lincoln
• Bidwell
• Chapin
• Richmond
• Porter
• Red Jacket
• McKinley
• Circles
• Soldiers
• Gates
• Colonial
• Ferry
• Symphony
• McClellan
• McKinley

If you want to keep control of the parks in the current hands, (Basically if you think the city parks are running well) sign the Olmstead Park Petition.

There are, within the City of Buffalo, areas designated as Urban Renewal Areas (URA’s) and Comprehensive Code Enforcement Areas (CCE’s) where homes can be purchased for one dollar.  Yes, ONE DOLLAR!  

FYI - The Homestead Map of Buffalo and the Homestead Street Listing, detail these Urban Renewal Areas.

Properties that are within these designated boundaries are eligible for inclusion in the Urban Homestead Program, with certain conditions: 1.) the property is not needed for public purposes and 2.) no qualified buyer has attempted to purchase the property. A sale takes precedence over a homestead. (The City has to make some cash if possible!) Applicants can acquire property in these areas for one Dollar ($1.00) plus the required closing costs.

There are three ways to participate in the Urban Homestead Program. Each requires a completed REQUEST TO ACQUIRE CITY OWNED PROPERTY form:

• This request asks that a purchaser provide some basic information to the City before a purchase file is opened. The information required is specific to residential structure or vacant lot acquisition. The REQUEST must be submitted to the Division of Real Estate for review and release by the Land Use Planning Committee.
• If the Land Use Planning Committee determines that the property is needed for public purpose or development and can not be released, the Division of Real Estate will notify the interested party.

So check out the list of City owned properties and pick a home up “on the cheap”.  Note that the list is just a small fraction of City owned properties.  (The Real Estate Division should offer an updated and comprehensive list with photos, etc.  but they must be too busy!)   For a complete list click here and search under owner for “City of Buffalo”.

These homes are probably not for everyone due to the condition of the surrounding neighborhood but remember that even the biggest of journeys begins with a single step.  Happy home hunting!

Where: Cole’s Restaurant, 3rd floor, 716-886-1449
When: December 5, 2009 from 8:30 – 11:30
Cost: $30 plus an unwrapped toy

Your $30 admission includes: domestic bottled beer, well drinks, light appetizers, and of course… the Karaoke DJ from 8:30 – 11:30 PM. 

Please bring an unwrapped toy for the children. (Some toy stores have offered discounts in the past if you let them know you are buying for Toys for Tots).

In lieu of toys, cash donations will also be accepted. Raffle tickets for door prizes will be sold for $5 at the door. The cash raised will be split between Toys for Tots and the Food Bank.
**Win a Ryan Miller autographed jersey and two 200 level tickets to the Sabres vs.. Lightning game on January 6, 2010. And we also have a one night jacuzzi suite stay at Russel’s Grand Hotel and dinner for two at Russel’s Steak, Chops and More. Raffle tickets for this are just $10.**

Thank you for your support over the years and I hope to see you on December 5!  Please forward to anyone I may have missed.

I thought I’d do some digging on the possible Ellicott Common Council seat replacements.  Here’s what I came up with…

Rev. Darius G. Pridgen – Pastor of True Bethel Baptist Church.

He’s a pastor at an impoverished east side congregation located in the former Twin Fair store on East Ferry Street.  In mid 2007 he moved from a home on Humboldt Parkway, sold by True Bethel Church for $275K, to an upscale waterfront home purchased by True Bethel for $299K.    WOW, how about that?

Check this link…

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/buffalo-ny/TNCQOB0NQK75HCT6E

‘In the past year our leader Rev. Darius Pridgen has come in to quite a bit of wealth – or is it 10 % of our incomes multiplied by hundreds of members? Despite the fact that his “flock” is located mainly right here on the East side and there is a desperate need for residents he used our churches money to purchase a swanky $300,000 town home on the waterfront (in the churches name). If one of his members is in need of emergency counseling it is nearly impossible for them to get to his location because it is so far away and not served by public transportation.

Mr. Pridgen has also recently acquired (in the churches name) a new Hummer and Saab Convertible on top of a late model Ford Expedition.These vehicles are each valued at over $50 k a piece and the Expedition at $25k. Our church money is covering the costs of gas and insurance too.

When questioned by certain members of the church regarding his recent spending they were threatened and he began to push his weight around.’

Another concern is Pridgen’s pushing more costly subsidized-housing near his church. . . near BMHA’s struggling Ferry Grider ‘project’ .  After all the Davis wheeling-dealing & his exploitation of subsidized new builds to live elegantly (beyond his means) himself, the profits of “affordable housing” need careful scrutiny.

He’s held elected office before on the Board of Education, although he quit 19 months before his term was up, saying his pastoral duties demanded his time.  What?  Really?  …and now he wants to serve on the Council?  It’s a a full-time job involving a lot more hours than the School Board!

Bryon (CQ) J. McIntyre – City firefighter.

He made previous unsuccessful runs for the Council seat and for the Buffalo Board of Education.   He’s a recovered addict and alcoholic who has been sober for 20 years.  McIntryre knows his way around the district, being active in community affairs and having run for the Council and School Board. His support for Mickey Kearns in the mayoral primary will not hurt him with the Council majority who control the votes that choose Davis’ successor.  A real man of the people?  Perhaps…  perhaps.

William F. Trezevant – Buffalo attorney.

Trezevant ran unsuccessfully against Davis in 2001.  This spring, Trezevant called on the Council and the city’s Board of Ethics to investigate allegations of impropriety lodged against Davis.

Trezevant needs to explain why Transfigutation Church has crumbled under his care and he has never answered any questions.  Not a good indicator of “open & accountable” governance.

An interesting link (Bishop Kemic vs Trevasant… or so it would appear. )

http://fixbuffalo.blogspot.com/2008/03/transfiguration-church-update-march.html

His (mis)handling of Transfiguration Church needs to become an issue during his efforts to become a councilman.

Janique S. Curry – Former Board of Education member and local aide to Gov. David A. Paterson. 

I bet Byron would love putting her in the council seat.  See below.  That’s her at  being  Bryon’s right arm.  (Oh… wait… and who’s that to his left?  I need say no more…)

Marilyn Rodgers – A housing advocate and activist in the West Village Renaissance Group.  

She currently works at the Erie Regional Housing Development Corp.   They are the management group that operates the Marine Drive Apartments.  The Mayor has a heavy hand in the long-controversial BMHA who owns the apartments.  This may an issue should she choose to run for the seat. 

Nice looking resume…  Maybe this is the guy we need.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kenneth-robinson/8/915/5A4

Barbara Miller-Williams – Erie County Legislator.

She dismissed the notion.    “I’m definitely going to continue as a [county] legislator for the next two years,” said Miller-Williams, adding she is actively pursuing a push to become Legislature chairwoman.  She must be having too much fun as a County Legislator.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who aren’t aware, you may dial 311 from any cell phone (or (716) 851-4890 from any phone) while in the city and be connected to Buffalo 311.

Buffalo 311 is a call resolution center.  While in your neighborhood, or in your travels around the city you see something that needs to be addressed, dial 311.

What kind of things can you call in?

- Overgrown Trees
- Broken Street Lights
- Pot Holes
- Graffiti
- Plowing Issues
- Abandoned/Illegally Parked Cars
- etc…

Fixing street lights and overgrown trees & bushes GREATLY reduces the number of cars broken into.  Potential thieves rarely break into vehicles that are well lit or provide no cover.

With a little maintenance on our parts, we can make the city safer!

Do you believe in heroes?  Maybe you like supporting your local community.  Or maybe you just like doing the right thing.

Here’s your chance to proclaim it AND help out two deserving and grieving families.

The T-Shirt to the left is for sale at BuffalosBravest.com.  There are two points of note.

• First Impressions Apparel Inc, along with the Buffalo Professional Firefighters Association will be donating all profits from the sale of the Benefit T-Shirt to the Families of Fallen Hero Firefighters.
   
• The shirt is only $10!

So, get yours today!