New Threads

To distract fans from the reality that they haven’t made the playoffs in over a decade and face an uncertain future in Buffalo, the Bills unveiled their new retro jerseys on June 24, a vampirish move certain to line owner Ralph Wilson’s pockets at the expense of long-suffering fans.

Courage

By looking past his religious objections and ignoring the potential political fallout, State Senator Mark Grisanti was able to step up and deliver a vote on June 24 in support of marriage equality. We don’t toss around the word “hero” lightly here—so we won’t. But Mark, you’re a solid guy in our book.

Great Escapes

Buffalo Schools Superintendent James Williams breathed a sigh of relief on June 27 when the Board of Ed. spared him the embarassment of a “no-fault” termination and thus freed him merely to retire—two years in advance of his contract’s expiration—in disgrace next year. Cue nationwide search!

The Slacker Vote

Mark Grisanti’s vote for gay marriage earned him a shout-out on the June 27 edition of The Daily Show. Host Jon Stewart even pledged to retire his “offensive Italian New Yorker voice.” See, Mark, dividends. You just won the coveted, albeit non-voting, age 18-35 demographic.

Tin Foil Hats (For Protection)

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown announced on June 28 that the city will install hundreds of high-tech sound monitors as part of ShotSpotter®, a one-year trial program that uses triangulation to detect and transmit gunfire location to police. You can call me paranoid, but Big Brother is getting powerful—for real.

Estimated number of people in Erie County that were homeless in 2009-2010 according to the Homeless Alliance of Western New York. In addition, 58 percent of those were homeless for the first time in their lives. On any given night an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 people are homeless, or roughly 1.3 to 1.6 percent of the population of Erie County. In 2006 Buffalo and Erie County announced their PRISM initiative, a 10-year plan which aimed to end homelessness.