Farmers market moves to Horsefeathers

By Crissie Russo and Caitlin Waters
BengalNews Reporters

Snowy weather is approaching, pushing at least one popular farmer’s market inside.

The Elmwood-Bidwell Market will be moving into the Horsefeathers building at 346 Connecticut St. and will be open every Saturday starting Jan. 5.

Farmers markets have usually been associated with the warm, summer months when produce and livestock are thriving. However, vendors that may still have products at the end of the season are left without a place to sell them. This is where the Horsefeathers building comes in.

The Winter Market at Horsefeathers, created by The Frizlen Group, will provide a location for vendors from the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market to sell their products during the off months.

The Market will stay open every Saturday through May 4. May 11 will mark the date to continue the summer Elmwood-Bidwell market.

The Horsefeathers building, which was vacant for about three years before the Frizlen Group bought it, will have 24 apartments in the upstairs floors and has approximately 10,000 square feet of commercial space in the basement and ground floors. The apartments will not be completed until at least May.

Construction worker Charles Bloomquist said the construction started in July and is more than halfway done.

Construction worker Charles Bloomquist with market flooring

“We recently got the wood needed to cover only about 4,000 square feet of flooring for the market,” Bloomquist said.

Karl Frizlen, founder of the Elmwood-Bidwell farmers market and president of the Frizlen Group, hopes to develop an outlet for food makers within the new building.

“I didn’t buy the building with the intent of creating a winter market but I wanted to provide this food makers concept,” Frizlen said. “This winter market is a great way to market the space.”

Frizlen said the momentum from the market in the summer months has developed a need for these vendors in the winter months. The success of the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market has lead to the public’s request for an indoor market during the winter months.   
 

Karl Frizlen, on the vendors for the Winter Market at Horsefeathers:

 

The future market, which 12 vendors have signed on for, requires that all participating businesses be within a 50 mile radius of Buffalo. They have to commit to being open every Saturday from opening in January to the closing in May.

The emphasis on the winter season is because some products do not reach their peak until the winter, therefore is essential to have a market at this time. Preservation of the produce allows the season to be extended.

Dr. Wende Mix, an associate professor in the Geography and Planning Department at Buffalo State College explained that plants grow successfully through December as long as they’re taken care of. 

“A lot of eating local has to do with preserving,” Mix said.  “Canned tomatoes, frozen meats and things along those lines you could see at a winter market.”

Buffalo State College Professor Wende Mix, on winter availability of produce:  

 

Mix also explains that fresh mint and herbs that are grown over the spring and summer months can be dried and sold as spices at farmers markets during the off-peak seasons.

         Some other items that will be available for purchase include pastas, salsa, dog treats, and cookies. Venders include Arden Farms, Avenue Boys Smokehouse, and The Pasta Peddler.

           Future vendors and more information about the development of the Horsefeathers building can be viewed at www.horsefeathersmarket.com  Edited by Maureen Vitali
















 

W.S. holiday food drives in full swing

By Tom Gallagher and Mike Straw
BengalNews Reporters

Thanksgiving is typically a time for families to gather and eat a festive meal while enjoying each other’s company.

For those that are less fortunate, however, holiday meals aren’t always that easy to come by.  On the West Side, with an abundance of immigrants and families in need, this is commonplace.

Catholic Charities and many other local organizations are lending their hands, determined to assure that nobody goes hungry this holiday season.

“We provide constant service to people who need it,” said Catholic Charities Communications and Public Relations Coordinator Stephanie Hamm.

Sure enough, Catholic Charities provides Thanksgiving meals for people in need. Hamm noted that as should be expected, more people come during the holiday season.

“(The meals) can be delivered or the families or persons can pick them up,” Hamm said.

Despite not having a pantry located immediately on the West Side, Hamm noted that Catholic Charities has seen a large increase in clientele from the West Side,  refugees and immigrants in particular.

D'Youvile's Anthony Spina sorts food donations

D’Youville College’s CampusMinistries has also lent its hand to the community by sponsoring a variety of food drives and accepting food donations.

“We collect food and it all goes to West Side Ministries,” said Rev. Jan Mahle, Associate Campus Minister. “We have collected and donated, in the past, 50 Thanksgiving boxes.”

In addition to sponsoring its own food drives, Campus Ministries has teamed up with several local organizations that are also committed to assisting those in need.

One of these organizations is Friends of Night People, a non-profit soup kitchen located 394 Hudson St. Mahle and Campus Ministries volunteer at the soup kitchen regularly.

“(Friends of Night People) serves an evening meal every night,” Mahle said. “On average, they serve 200 meals. Most of the persons who come to the soup kitchen are homeless, but there is a growing percentage of those persons who are immigrants or refugees.”

Campus Ministries has also created a working relationship with Holy Angels Roman Catholic Church, adjacent to D’Youville.

D'Youville Campus Ministry's Rev. Jan Mahle talks on a message that she was told years ago:

“The church has a food pantry and whenever we have a collection our food goes there,” Mahle said. “Recently, we collected 28 boxes of food. They can be used for the Thanksgiving drive, and what isn’t appropriate for Thanksgiving we give to the Holy Angels food pantry.”

Mahle noted that everything Campus Ministries collects is sorted by whether or not it’s perishable. For the holiday season, they’ve put an emphasis on turkeys, canned goods and other common holiday foods, though any and all donations are accepted.

“The things you take for granted, someone else is praying for,” Mahle said. Edited by Chelsea Goodridge

Old West Side homes for sale need rehab

By Mackenzie Clarke and Cheri St. Croix
BengalNews Reporters 

According to real estate agents, buyers and sellers have been extremely active for the past few years on the West Side, where some of the oldest houses in Buffalo reside.

“The housing on the West Side is so inexpensive that if you bought one of these places that were in need of renovation and you did that work, I think you’d be way ahead of the game, instead of going out to the suburbs looking for that finish product,” said Michael Maywalt, owner and broker of Maywalt RealtyGroup.

            However, not many buyers are willing to put in the time and work associated with these older homes, most of which were built before the 1940s. 

            According to Maywalt, only 20 percent of new home buyers are looking to renovate. That 20 percent consists of mostly younger people who want a vibrant city life.  Then there’s the 80 percent of home buyers who are looking strictly for move-in-ready housing, most wary of taking that renovation plunge, which is usually an older, busy and single executive lacking time or wanting renovations.

“These old homes often come with quite a bit of baggage,” said Jennifer Yuhnke, development coordinator of Heart of the City Neighborhoods Inc. “The cost of rehab can often be unpredictable. Asbestos, lead paint, [and] water damage are just some of the many challenges we see in homes that we rehab.”

“The West Side   is filled with housing in terrible need of renovation, and with city streets deteriorating from slum landlords, disrepair and neglect over time, it seems that homebuyers are fearful of taking on major renovations that could exceed the budget by thousands of dollars,” said Maywalt.

“Many buyers don't mind doing little things to a property, painting or minor repairs,” said William Abels, real estate agent with Hunt Real Estate. “But, for the most part if the property needs something major like a foundation repair they will not even consider it.”

If homebuyers choose move-in-ready housing to avoid more expenses and loss of time from renovating themselves, they lose the chance of having a more personalized home and are left with the taste of the previous owners.

“I think that [renovating] is the best,” said Abels. “You can design your home the way you want it and not have to pay top dollar for something someone else has done.”

For example, in kitchens, many people like different styles of counter tops, tiles, and back splashes.  A homebuyer may purchase a house that has an updated kitchen but it’s not at all to their particular sense of taste. The homebuyer must simply live with it or spend even more money redoing the previous owners improvements just to meet their own personal needs.

            “Don't be afraid to do a renovation in a property, just make sure you do not over improve it, said Abels. “Many people go into a house that needs work and spend way more money than they will ever get back when they try and sell it.”

Homebuyers should know that even though buying a house between $10,000 to $40,000 with added improvements can be time consuming and somewhat expensive, it will ultimately enrich the neighborhood’s appeal and is a far better option than leaving Buffalo.

“I feel like more people should be socially responsible,” said Maywalt. “Fix something in the city and make it viable again.” Edited by Miranda Ruckdeschel

Somali community questions surveillance

By Michael Canfield and Jacob Tierney
BengalNews Reporters

 It’s been two months since a leaked document emerged detailing the NYPD’s surveillance of the Somali community in Buffalo, and members of that community are still wondering why they were being watched.

 The document, issued on January 2, 2009, outlined several steps the NYPD had taken in Buffalo, including meeting with then Erie County Undersheriff Richard Donovan and discussed area schools with high populations of Somali students. It’s unclear from the report if or when the NYPD’s Security Intelligence Unit stopped conducting intelligence operations in Buffalo. It’s also unclear whether any arrests had been made as a result of the surveillance.

Lafayette High School was chosen for surveillance because of its large number of immigrant and refugee students.

 Several attempts to contact Mary Murray, the Erie County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman, went unanswered, as did several phone calls and emails to the NYPD.

  The Somali community in Buffalo has a lot of good, hard working people in it, said Yahye Omar, executive director of H.E.A.L. Internationaland chairman of the Imams Council of WNY. If police know about someone who is involved with illegal activities, they should be pursuing that person. Where the line gets blurry, is when police don’t have a reason.

 “The thing is that, for no reason, they stereotype,” Omar said. “They say, ‘You are Muslims and you come from such and such country, you are a bad guy.’ That’s something wrong.”

 There are three types of people in the Somali community when it comes to the spying, he said. For some, it doesn’t matter. Others are more upset about it.

 “Some say, ‘Why us only?’ and some of them say ‘Why don’t we have the same rights and respect as the others?’” Omar said.

 The Somali community works with local law enforcement when necessary, and has a good rapport  with them. That’s why it was surprising to Omar to find out that the NYPD was watching Somalis in Buffalo. 

Mosques in WNY, like this one on Connecticut Street, were targets of NYPD surveillance.

 “We have local law enforcement here, and they know us, we know them and we work together. To come from another place and become involved, that’s a kind of ridiculousness. It’s important that the rights of those living in the Somali community are upheld, Omar said. "(The NYPD) can’t do anything they want, if the Constitution gives them the right, then they can do it.”

 Since the report was made public, Omar acknowledged that it might lead to people being suspicious of the Somali community. The community, however, has nothing to hide. While it’s not clear whether Somalis in Buffalo are still being watched, there isn’t a lot to watch, Omar said.

 “We go home, we go to the Mosque, we come back from the Mosque, that’s the routine that we do,” he said. “We go to the restaurant, we eat. If this is wrong, that’s another case.”

 Despite the concerns raised by the release of the document, the Somali community is ready to help if the NYPD needs them and has a reason to be there.

 “If they look up certain people, and think they’re bad, it’s up to them,” he said. “They have to do their job. If we have some people that are bad, we have to stop them.” 

Bicycling's popularity grows on West Side

By Elaundress Ballard and Christie Jok
BengalNews Reporters
   The Queen City is riding a phenomenon that is increasing with popularity while positively impacting the West Side: bicycling.
  Second only to motor vehicles, bicycles are one of the leading modes of transportation on the West Side, said Kim DeFlyer, the program director for On The Job Ministries.
  Bicycles are benefitting not only the West Side as a community, but also its residents and the environment. Henry Raess, community outreach coordinator for Green Options Buffalo, said bicycling is a positive form of transportation and exercise.

 Kim DeFlyer of On the Job Ministries talks about opening a bike rehab shop on Grant Street. Henry Raess of Green Options Buffalo talks about giving tips on bike safety on Colvin Avenue:


 “For the environmental reasons, there are no emissions,” Raess said. “It’s a healthy way to get around and burning calories keeps you fit. The cost is pretty obvious, you’re not paying for gas, you’re not paying for a lot of maintenance. If you do pay for repairs it’s very cheap or you can repair them yourself with simple tools.”
 Due to rising gas prices and the impact of motor vehicles on the environment, bicycles are becoming more popular on the West Side and across the country, Raess said.
 “You’re able to see your community more clearer because you’re slowed down. You get to see people on the street and it’s a lot more accessible to get around town,” Raess said.
  Not only can bicycles save you money, but also time, said Jonathan Petzoldt, a Buffalo State student and Green Options volunteer.
  “When I just hop on, I can go place to place and not really worry about the time it takes going place to place,” Petzoldt said.
  As bicycling increases on the West Side, there is an increase in demand for affordable bikes, parts and repair options, DeFlyer said.  Westside Wheels, a micro-company under On The Job Ministries, is a growing business meant to help bicyclers on the West Side purchase revamped and repaired bikes for manageable prices, DeFlyer said.
 “The average price for a bike at Westside Wheels is $40. Tuned up, tubes, everything replaced, ready to go,” DeFlyer said.
 Westside Wheels also offers children’s bikes for a reduced price, $10 to $15 with a free helmet included with purchase, DeFlyer said.
  Westside Wheels isn’t the only company taking part in the recycled bike business. Green Options Buffalo has programs too.  Green Options offers educational information about bikes and teaches people how to fix and maintain their bicycles, Raess said.  Green Options also promotes bicycle safety to children and adults, Raess said.  One program on the West Side sponsored by Green Options is called the Bike Rodeo. The program has an obstacle course and teaches kids how to maneuver on their bikes and practice proper bicycle etiquette on the road, Raess said.
  Children aren’t the only cyclers that need to be informed of safety regulations, here are five bicycle safety tips for riders of all ages on the West Side according to Raess:
 • Wear a helmet  • Get a bell or lights for your bike  • Use the proper hand signals for turning  • Be aware of your surroundings  • Inspect your bike for malfunctions before riding
 Edited by Anna Dinger

Men's stories cast light on W.S. homeless

By Jacob Becker and Edward Mazzu
BengalNews Reporters         

            Jose Calderon was born in the Bronx before his mother sent him to Buffalo to live in foster care when he was just four years old. 
            Jaye Perry was born in Buffalo and was raised by his abusive grandfather before Child Protective Services took him away at the age of 7. 
             Now, both homeless, Calderon and Perry have formed an inseparable bond as they navigate the streets of the West Side pooling any resources  and struggling to find food and shelter every day. 
             “I’m so used to the streets that it’s hard for me to cope with trusting people,” said Calderon, 37, who alluded to being ripped off countless times while looking for a place to stay. “I drift around to wherever I can have a good time and spend the night. I’ve basically been like that my whole life.” 
              Calderon, who is HIV positive, claims he has earned some notoriety on the streets of Buffalo because of his involvement with the HIV Starts With Me campaign that featured him on several billboards throughout Buffalo.

   

 

Jaye Perry and Jose Calderon, while currently struggling on the streets, once lived a better life.  Both men have now bonded together in hopes of one day having a place to call their own.

            “Everybody knows me,” said Calderon who claims he always has options for a place to stay. “I can walk to the corner and I bet you at least 100 people are going to say hi to me.” 
            Until he met up with Calderon about six months ago, Perry, 27, didn’t have that luxury. A former drug dealer on the West Side, Perry spent most of his youth in and out of juvenile facilities before eventually doing some hard time in prison. Both men admitted to having been molested several times as children.

            Most nights the two men walk to Friends of Night People, located at 394 Hudson St., where they are provided a free hot meal and a much-needed respite from a life on the street, even if only for a few hours a day.

            “The Friends of the Night People do provide a place for people who don’t really have much and have come so far,” said an emotional Perry. “There are people out here just like us who had the world and now they’re pushing bottles in a cart to get a cigarette and pay someone to let them spend the night.”

            As the two men layered up on clothing and prepared to head back out to the streets, they still had no idea where they would lay there head down to rest for the night.

            “We won’t know until the sun goes down,” said Perry, “But we make the most out of whatever we do, and try put it to the best use.” 

             He mentioned that the most common form of shelter comes by way of charity from friends and people they meet in their travels.

            Things, however, are starting to look up for the duo. Perry claims he is days away from securing a steady place to stay on Vermont Street and Calderon currently works weekends at a Tim Horton’s doing maintenance. They plan on moving in together and working hard to stay off the streets.

            Calderon, who seemed to be the decision maker of the two, vowed to lead a life that was crime free and where both men can earn an honest living.

            “Maybe one day I would like to live a good life, you know?” said Calderon. “We can pay bills together, go out to dinner or a movie, maybe throw a party or whatever.” Edited by Ann Hendricks

             

Chefs showcase 'dangerous' global tastes

By Katie Anderson and Danielle Wayne
BengalNews Reporters

 Fine dining in Buffalo will have an international transformation when Dinner with Danger joins forces with Journey’s End Refugee Services Inc. in a six-dinner series.
 On May 14, O’Connell’s American Bistro, located at 981 Kenmore Ave., will be inviting refugees in the area to prepare foods from their homeland.
 For the past two years, Dinner With Danger has been a unique way of exploring local talent through off-menu dinners. Organized by Michael Bernhardt, these dinners provide local chefs with the opportunity to be creative by offering unique dishes.
  “I create opportunities for chefs to go off-menu, with minimal risk,” Bernhardt said

Michael Bernhardt, organizer of Dinner with Danger, speaks about O'Connell's American Bistro as a venue for upcoming refugee dinner series:


 Each event in the six-dinner series will feature a buffet-style meal prepared by refugees who will represent their country with the food they cook. Proceeds from each dinner will go to Journey's End Refugee Services Inc.
 Bernhardt organizes the dinners but leaves it up to Journey’s End to select a chef.
 “We ask our clients or former clients who are good cooks or actual chefs to prepare foods that represent their country,” said Brian Brown-Cashdollar, development coordinator at Journey’s End.
 Many refugees participate in a culinary program at Journey’s End that helps establish both cooking and communication skills. Many refugees start out in the culinary field because it does not require much vocabulary, Brown-Cashdollar said.
 “To work in the restaurant industry, you need about 500 words of English,” Brown-Cashdollar said. “So, it’s one of the easiest industries for someone who’s just learning the language to get started in.”
 Congolese, Cuban, Ethiopian/Eritrean, Bhutanese, Sudanese, and Persian dishes will be presented to culture-craving foodies. Tickets can be purchased for $40 online at dinnerwithdanger.com.
 Some patrons of past Dinner with Danger events said it is a good way to meet new people and try new things.
 “You sit down, sharing a table with complete strangers and end up with a new group of friends,” said Rudy Witkins, faithful participant in the Dinner with Danger events.
 Witkins said that he is looking forward to the refugee dinner series and that it will be a good opportunity to learn about another culture.
 “It’s a win-win,” he said. “The refugee agency gets exposure to a new group of folks and gets a sizable donation. We get delicious food and the opportunity to meet people in our community.”
  The dinner series will also help spread awareness of refugees in the community, said Brown-Cashdollar.
 “The goal of this is to make people aware of the impact that refugees have on the West Side and throughout Buffalo,” he said.
 Bernhardt also said the fundraisers that were held to gather food and money donations for the series will benefit the refugees and help create awareness.
  “Many people are not aware of the extent of refugees in Buffalo,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to create new food experiences and raise money for a good cause.”
 he first dinner, on May 14, will be Ethiopian/Eritrean. The following dinners will be held June 11, July 16, August 13, September 17, and November 19. Edited by Jacob Tierney

Beekeeping on Urban Roots, city agenda

By Michael Hargrave and Shayna McKie
BengalNews Reporters

  Beekeeping on the West Side is going forward as the Common Council considers its legality.

  “So far there’s been a couple meetings (about beekeeping),” said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots on Rhode Island Street. “But, no resolution has been passed.”

Catherine Herrick talks about beekeeping at Urban Roots:

  Honeybees play a vital role in pollinating flowers and fruit trees, and some businesses on the West Side, such as Urban Roots, are seeking to improve their urban farming yield by managing their own hives.

  “We have a hive now, it is empty,” said Jablonski-Dopkin. “It’s not warm enough yet.”

  “Urban Roots has tried to keep bees at its gardening center before, but the hive was not successful,” said Jablonski-Dopkin.

 At the moment, the city does not have anything on the books dealing with bees directly. The only reference to bees in any way is as insects, and any insect infestation is considered illegal within the city.

  As the agenda moves forward, the Common Council is considering proposals that would restrict people to keeping up to two small hives. As well as where those hives could be located on a property.

  Concerns with keeping bees near people are that bees do sting, and some people are highly allergic to those stings. Other concerns could be that bees are insects, and other health concerns arise from insects getting on food.

  Rick Thompson, secretary for the Western New York Honey Producers Association, said that honeybees are not inherently aggressive, but that they do present a certain amount of danger to people.

  “If you are walking in grass or clover, you could easily step on them,” said Thompson. “Then they would attack you.”

 Thompson, a 30-year beekeeper, said that the main food source for honeybees comes from flowers. Unless those food sources are in short supply, honeybees don’t usually bother people.

  “Honeybees are mainly after pollen and nectar,” said Thompson. “They aren’t like wasps, they won’t go after meat.”

  Thompson, who lives on a 2-acre plot of land on Grand Island, keeps two hives of his own, and doesn’t like to keep them near his own home, or other people,  in part because he because he wants to limit his liability. 

  “If somebody (in the neighborhood) gets stung, it was your bee,” said Thompson.

  Catherine Herrick, a 25-year beekeeper and board member at Urban Roots, keeps a small hive on her roof. The West Side resident   is one of a handful of Buffalo residents who keeps bees within the city.

  Herrick said her neighbors are understanding of her beekeeping and have told her that they have begun to notice their gardens flourishing.

 Herrick will be leading a class on beekeeping at Urban Roots on April 21.  She hopes to be able to show the people attending, her own hive. Edited by Elaundress Ballard

West Side Bazaar celebrates anniversary

By Michael Canfield and Jacob Tierney
BengalNews Reporters
 The West Side Bazaar celebrated its one-year anniversary on March 3, 70 mile-per-hour wind gusts and all.
 “We planned on having a tent party, but our tent blew over at 8 a.m.,” said West Side Bazaar marketing coordinator Mary Joy Buscemi. “We had to move the tent sale to the basement.”
 Despite the winds and the surprise move to the basement, the bazaar celebrated the anniversary in style. With Wendell Rivera’s brand of Latin jazz providing the background music, a store full of patrons mingled and interacted with the vendors, eating cupcakes and buying unique, handmade goods from around the world.

West Side Bazaar Marketing Coordinator Mary Joy Buscemi, on the first anniversary:



 “We’re very happy,” said Buscemi. “We’re sharing our culture, our cupcakes and the wonderful music of Wendell Rivera.”
 The bazaar, which was founded by the Westminster Presbyterian Church through the Westminster Economic Development Initiative, features vendors from all over the world, including Peru, Indonesia, Rwanda, Sudan and the Ivory Coast.
 “Each woman has their own name for their shop: Pure Peru, Origins, Sumatra, Gysma’s African Styles and they're jsut so proud of their products," Buscemi said.
 Through a variety of partnerships with various community groups and institutions, the bazaar has grown into a stable part of the Grant Street area, Buscemi said. It partnered with Buffalo State College, the Tri-Main Center and Buffalo Spree Magazine. It also rented space in a local art gallery.
 “It gets the ladies out into the community,” she said.
 The bazaar was profitable over the past year, Buscemi said, which means the vendors will be paying more for rent and contributing to the general costs associated with running a business going forward."
 The bazaar is in the process of looking at new venues on the West Side to accommodate 30 vendors and a restaurant.
"We're very dedicated to this neighborhood," said Buscemi. "Community support of the bazaar has been incredible." Edited by Edward Mazzu

Community prepares to celebrate diversity

By Ann Hendricks and Miranda Ruckdeschel
BengalNews Reporters
 If there is one thing that’s not hard to find in Buffalo, it’s diversity. Buffalo’s annual Taste of Diversity festival displays just that and more. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., June 2 on Lafayette Street.
 This annual event brings people in Buffalo together no matter what race, gender, or cultural background one may be.
 The program coordinator of the event, Kelly Lang, says there are many ways this year will differ from last. You can count on a longer festival, as it will go from 4 hours to 8 hours. You will also find a much bigger event that will even feature the Buffalo food trucks. This year the festival also will be expanding the variety of food it has. Last year there was everything from Native American food, to Peruvian and Vietnamese and even a chef from the Cordon Blue in Paris.
 “This year we have almost all the vendors we had last year and more and we’re still looking,” Lang says.

Mary Jo Buscemi of the West Side Bazaar prepares for Taste of Diversity

 As she prepares for this year’s event, she is trying to bring in new vendors to attract more people. She also hopes that students will participate and bring something new to the festival.
 The mission of Taste of Diversity is to enhance the quality of life by revitalizing the area, helping small businesses and bringing awareness to the different cultures and people in the Buffalo community. While the festival is still being organized by some of the same people from almost a decade ago, it also has other volunteers and organizations that are new to the city with different ideas to offer.
 With the number of businesses growing on the West Side, there is definitely a new energy taking over Grant Street. The West Side Bazaar just opened its doors this past July and has a lot to offer Taste of Diversity this year. This unique shop is located on Grant Street, and it serves as a place for refugees from all over to come together and sell their goods straight from their country.
 You’ll be sure to find hand-crafted jewelry, clothing, scarves and home goods.

Handcrafted items will be sold at the Taste of Diversity

 “We are really excited to take part in Taste of Diversity, because it shows our diversity with the goods that we carry from Indonesia, South Sudan, Peru, from the Ivory Coast and from all over, shared with the neighborhood. It just gives a really nice cultural aspect,” says Mary Joy Buscemi, the marketing coordinator of the West Side Bazaar.
 Westside Stories is another local business that will be participating in this year’s Taste of Diversity festival. The book store participated in the event last year and officially opened this past July, selling books at affordable prices and hosting in store events
 “We want to see it grow,” says Joe Petri, owner of West Side Stories. “We think the West Side is unique, it’s the great melting pot of Buffalo, and it is one of the few areas where we are seeing people from all over the world, whether it be refugees or friends moving back from New York City. It’s growing and it’s having a rebirth, and I feel the festival is kind of like the cornerstone of this area’s outreach to the greater Western New York area.”
 Petri and his wife also serve as staff workers for Taste of Diversity. He says that while it did rain during last year’s event, there was still so much excitement creating a great atmosphere. He hopes the event this year mirrors that excitement and that the weather will be nicer for the event.
 Taste of Diversity, which began in 2003 at Our Lady of Loretto church, has come a long way. The festival eventually had thousands of attendees and was moved onto Lafayette Street last summer. In the next few years the committee hopes to extend the festival into a two-day event and to be able to host the festival on Grant Street. Taste of Diversity celebrates the diversity and culture of all the people who now call Buffalo home. It is about sharing heritages, food, stories and coming together as a community. Edited by Katie Anderson

First Buffalo church celebrates 200 years

BY Kristina Ferris and Megan Kreps
BengalNews Reporters
 When walking into The First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, one is immediately swept back in time to the 19th century. Its 168-foot steeple towers over the West Side, across from Kleinhans Music Hall. Every detail is preserved, from the solid iron handles to the mammoth wooden doors that remain bolted to their original frames. The natural wood and stone facade gives the gothic monster of a building a soft and warm feel. With the church still in such remarkable condition, it’s easy to believe that on Feb. 2, the congregation celebrated its 200 year anniversary.
  The interior of the church is even more brilliant and ornate than the outside. The vaulted ceilings go on forever, but even through its vastness, the sanctuary was calming and quiet. Everyone who has ever been inside an empty church by themselves knows this feeling of presence.

  As the First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo celebrates its 200-year anniversary, its picturesque architecture still stands strong. Church member Liz Kemke explains:

 Tiffany-designed stained-glass windows line each wall, telling stories as if the church itself were narrating. Tim Neaverth, the building supervisor, described the images in the windows of the chapel as being rare for the 19th century.
 “The windows depict images of unusual topics for churches such as civil rights, women’s rights and child labor,” he said.
 After a recent Sunday worship service, in a quiet office down the hall from the main entrance a documentary was being filmed in celebration of 200 years. Older members gathered to tell their stories to today’s younger generation of what it was like growing up with the church. Lesley Haynes, who runs the food pantry at the church, told the story of how when she was in her younger years a group of women would teach others how to sew.
 The church was founded in 1812, the first in all of Buffalo. It’s even called, “the mother of all churches” by some. James Madison, the fourth president of the United States was in office at the time it was built and President Theodore Roosevelt even worshiped with the congregation.
 The church was organized by Reverend Thaddeus Osgood in 1812, but the church as it stands today was not the building where it was formed. In fact, the church inhabited two different buildings before the construction of the current location at Symphony Circle. The existing structure was designed by famous architects Green & Wicks in 1889.
 First Presbyterian wears the badge of Buffalo’s oldest church, but it only has 300 members. Due to economic hardship, it has had to rent out portions of the building. The Elmwood Village Charter School calls the church home, as well as K.C.’s Fitness. Lloyd Taco Truck rents out the church’s kitchen.
 In honor of the bicentennial celebration, the church has held two special services, one featuring the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, which volunteered its services to help raise money for the church, the other, an organ recital. Even bigger celebrations throughout the year are being planned. A special service will be held on May 20 with a luncheon to follow for all those who attend.
 With such beauty of the church and the history it depicts, it’s hard to believe that talks of closing the church were among discussions just a few years ago. While the church is not out of hot water yet, there are small things members are doing to help stay afloat.
  “Building preservation has helped them tremendously, especially when the church has volunteer days where members come and vacuum or refinish the seats,” said Jean Hess, a member of the church.
  Hess also credits “the wise use of the funds that the church does have,” as being able to help with planning for the future.
 Although the church is 200 years old, and has ministries for all ages, community outreach and missions activities, it is up to date with modern technology. The First Presbyterian has a website and a twitter account.
 However, in a recent newsletter to the congregation, Reverend Dr. Phil Gettings asked for his members to, “Please pray that God will guide us all in celebrating our past, and in making decisions for our future.” Edited by Alexa Myers