Fargo Estate Neighborhood Association issues,” he said.
“And if we can deal better with these
Newsletter ~ Spring page 2 of 2
Congrats Marylou & Patty
The Morning Glory
Café - a.v.editors pick
Written in Artvoice on
4/10/2008
Another West Side
treasure stowed
away in a corner, this
place hides behind a dry cleaners at the juncture of
West, Porter, and York. There’s a gazebo-like
structure out front, where a lucky arrival can snag a
seat and enjoy the weather and the beautiful houses
in the area. Open for breakfast and lunch, the Morning
Glory serves a full coffee selection (espresso,
cappucino, latte), and smoothies too. And the baked
goods are out of this world. Don’t try to roll in there
for a late-nighter’s idea of brunch though. The place
closes at 4pm. —k. o’day
Council member urges outside assistance for
quality-of-life policing in Buffalo neighborhoods
By Brian Meyer NEWS STAFF REPORTER Updated:
04/28/08 - Claiming some neighborhoods are seeing a
spike in complaints about quality-of-life problems, a
Common Council member thinks the city should seek help
from outside law enforcement agencies. Even as Buffalo
expands the size of its police force, North District Council
Member Joseph Golombek Jr. said he thinks the city needs
assistance from state and county law enforcers to grapple
with neighborhood woes. Golombek will introduce a bill
Tuesday that calls on the Council to ask for help from the
New York State Police, Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Niagara
Frontier Transportation Authority and police agencies at the
University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College. While violent
crime makes headlines, Golombek said, quality-of-life
problems that include persistent noise, loitering,
panhandling and graffiti are the things that spur many city
residents to flee to the suburbs. “The major problems we
need to address are these nagging, annoying quality-of-life
issues,” said Golombek. “Our Police Department just isn’t
large enough, and I think taxpayers should get their fair
due from [outside agencies].” Mayor Byron W. Brown’s
communications chief said the administration shares
Golombek’s concerns about dealing swiftly with
neighborhood nuisances. “That’s another reason the mayor
has pushed to increase the size of the Buffalo Police
Department,” Peter K. Cutler said Friday. “Quality-of-life
issues are very important to the mayor.” Cutler said the city
has recruited about 100 new officers this year, most of
whom will hit the streets this summer. But with recent and
anticipated retirements, the size of the force might not be
substantially larger than it was a year or two ago.
Golombek said this fact only underscores the need for the
city to ask for help from other law enforcement agencies.
He said he doesn’t think it’s unreasonable to ask county
sheriff’s deputies to patrol around Buffalo parks that are
currently being managed by Erie County. He said state
troopers could help city police with neighborhood patrols,
while transit police could boost their presence on city bus
routes. University and college police agencies could increase
their presence in neighborhoods around campuses,
Golombek said. The lawmaker said his request shouldn’t be
viewed as a criticism of the Police Department. “Our cops
are doing a great job, but there’s not enough of them,” he
said. Thirteen state troopers recently joined forces with city
officers to form a unit that is targeting guns, gangs and
drugs, said Cutler. While he said the administration wouldn’t
rule out seeking additional help, he voiced skepticism that
outside agencies would be receptive to helping Buffalo
enforce quality-of-life ordinances. Golombek said
neighborhood troubles top many people’s lists of gripes.
“I’m hearing constant complaints about quality-of-life
issues, the bigger issues tend to disappear.”
From Heart of the City Neighborhoods
HCN and West Side Neighborhood Housing Services
have been working together to expand the availability
of financial assistance to residents in our service area.
Applications will be available starting 5/1/2008.
Applicants if qualified can be awarded up to 5,000 in
financial assistance. This loan is designed for
emergencies to include:
A break in Sanitary System - A break in Water Service
Leaking Roof System - Electrical Hazards at Main Panel
Hazardous Chimney - Water Meter Instillation
Defective Heating System Defective - Hot Water Storage Heater
Have an emergency and want to deal with it now,
contact Stephanie Simeon between the business hours
of 8:30 to 4:30 at (716) 882-7661 and let’s discuss
how we can assist your needs.
Stephanie J. Simeon, Executive Director, Heart of the City
Neighborhoods, Inc. 42 Plymouth Avenue, Bflo, NY 14201 - Phone
716.882.7661 - Fax 716.882.7662
From West Side Neighborhood Housing Services
West Side NHS located at 359 Connecticut St. is your
“one stop shop” for any housing needs. We have
grant and loans for current and potential homeowners
if you want to buy a house, financial fitness
workshops to help anyone manage their money, lead
safety, fair housing issues for foreclosure prevention
and help avoiding predatory lenders. As a chartered
NeighborWorks ® America member we have loan
funds to help families buy a home, rehabilitate
whether it is an emergency such as a broken water
line, furnace etc or a full rehab of your owner
occupied home. For more information, please call us
at 885-2344. Linda Chiarenza Ex. Director
Suggested reading - article in Buffalo News
Sunday April 27, 2008 - Condensed Version
Parkside keeps an eye on what’s going on Neighborhood
network holds crime to minimum By Stephen T. Watson NEWS
STAFF REPORTER Updated: 04/28/08 - This is the modern,
electronic version of the neighborhood watch, relying on e-
mail instead of phone trees, newsletters or fliers taped to
streetlights. Residents of the Parkside neighborhood stay in
close contact, let each other know what’s going on and
quickly report any problems or suspicious activity. “There’s
a vast network of e-mails that go around. There’s a kind of
a sense of neighborhood awareness and activism,” said
Ruth Lampe, who, with her husband, David, has lived in an
American foursquare house on Crescent Avenue since 1970.
Parkside residents are particularly active, and this close
interaction among homeowners, police, area institutions
and the city keeps the neighborhood strong, city officials
say. That constitutes one piece of a dedicated effort from
people who choose to live in Parkside because of its history
and camaraderie. “It’s work. I’m not going to kid anybody.
It’s work to turn a neighborhood around. But the proof is
right in our neighborhood. It’s worth it,” said Michele
Graves, a retired community liaison with the Buffalo Police
Department and active Fairfield Avenue resident. The
community association e-mails the block clubs, Buffalo
State and Canisius College police, the neighborhood’s
Common Council member, area businesses and other
officials. In the past, the association would have hand-
delivered fliers with news of criminal activity and crime
prevention tips.
Fargo Estate residents – something to think about!