Oh, Now You Like Us

Immediately after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his $1 billion development plan for Buffalo last week, leaders from other regional and state municipalities we’re falling over each other to be considered a part of “Buffalo”. Back off suburbs. Consider it retribution for all that fleeing you did in the past. Payback’s a bitch.

The Venice of The North

The ECHDC approved a $23 million bid on Jan. 9 to extend the Commerical Slip and build a series of new canals and bridges on the site of the former Memorial Auditorium. So move over Venice, methinks in a couple of years there’ll be a new challenger to your title of “dirtiest canals” in a city.

Moving On

The Federal Highway Administration drove the final nail in the Peace Bridge coffin on Jan. 9, burying 20 years of hopes and plans for a new bridge for good. The expected move was not all bad news however as officials hope it will help pave the way for plans of a smaller, more manageable plaza.

Location Shooting

According to a Jan. 9 Variety report, a sequel to the 2003 Jim Carrey comedy Bruce Almighty, which was set in Buffalo but filmed in a studio lot in Los Angeles, is now in the works. Call me cynical, but I welcome Hollywood’s pimping of our fair city as a combination punchline/symbol of boring “Middle Americaness”.

Meat Markets

In a move to address public safety downtown, Buffalo Common Councilmember Darius Pridgen introduced a new proposal on Jan. 10 to ban underage patrons from bars and clubs after 10 p.m. six nights a week. C’mon meatheads and sorority girls, who’s going to stand up to this latest affront to gettin’ crunk?

Number of earthquakes recorded in the Youngstown, Ohio area since March 2011. Officials there have halted the disposal of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing—known as hydrofracking—due to concerns the earthquakes are the result of instability caused by the injection of wastewater into the ground. New Yorkers had until Jan. 11 to voice concerns with a proposal to issue statewide hydrofracking permits.