“The problem of insecurity cannot be solved by spreading people out more thinly, trading the characteristics of the city for the suburbs.”
-Jane Jacobs

There have been a few violent assaults/rapes in and around UB North this semester, starting to instill in people that just because its not the city-doesn’t mean that you’re completely safe.

In fact-some of the areas on and around UB North could become havens for rapes and assaults simply through poor and anti-social design.

Vast VAST surface lots with poor to little lighting, massive single use structures and complexes, discouraged sidewalk activity etc etc…

The city of Buffalo has to deal with the “stop snitching” movement, but in UB north there isn’t even any one around to “snitch”. Its hard to believe that there aren’t more crimes like this occurring.

UB is working on its “UB2020? plan and with that should come some changes to the way UB North works as a mini-city of sorts. With much thought into making it mixed-use, well lit, pedestrian friendly and giving the place a sense of community…UB North can maintain its reputation as being the clean safe escape from the city campus.

Today Buffalo Common Council member Joe Golombek and the Rev. Terry King announced that Saving Grace Ministires has withdrawn their proposal for a level 3 sexual offenders house at 31 Tonawanda Street.

“This is not a problem that will be going away. We will continue to seek a site that is appropriate.” said Rev. King.

Rev. King on withdrawing the proposal:

In the City of Buffalo, there are over 600 registered sex offenders with more than 200 level III offenders.

The state of New York is releasing sex offenders into our community almost daily. Some may not even be from our community and are only here to receive treatment that is unavailable in other parts of the state.

Golombek announced that a commission will be formed to study this growing problem to try and see if these offenders are even from the community in which they are being dumped.

Golombek on Commission:

“we want to take a look a how many offenders we are talking about.”

listen to the full news conference:

As the Buffalo City Mission, 100 E. Tupper Street, prepares for its Community Christmas Dinner, to be held Tuesday, December 18, Kitchen supervisors are sounding an alarm.
“I just learned we need 200 hams and we only have two!” said Aubrey Calhoun, community relations director. Calhoun said the Mission will need all the food necessary for the feast no later than December 15.

“We expect to welcome hundreds of homeless for dinner,” she said. “Many of these people have no family and some have burned every bridge due to addiction and other circumstances. We want to share with them our caring hearts and show them there is hope. Often that starts with something as simple as a holiday meal and a hug…

Buffalo, NY – Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment welcomed representatives from local, state and national organizations to an open dialogue on issues important to the future of the Great Lakes.

“The Great Lakes are our region’s most vital natural resource,” said Congressman Higgins, a member of the House of Representatives Great Lakes Task Force. “Historically, the lakes shaped this region as a port welcoming settlers, commerce and growth. The long-tem health and vibrancy of this fresh water source is fundamental to the future of our environment and quality of life for those who will enjoy the lakes for generations to come.”

Organizations attending the meeting included: the United States Army Corps, Sierra Club, Southtowns Walleye Association, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers, Great Lakes Sports Fishing Council, University at Buffalo Environmental Law program, Great Lakes United, Seneca Nation, Audubon NY, Buffalo Audubon Society, Jamestown Audubon Society, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Attorney General’s Office, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

On Sunday, former Buffalo Bill Adam Lingner was on Hardwick’s show promoting a new political social networking site he’s started called Voters Direct. Its mission:

This website has been launched to reduce the impact of money in politics and to return the power to you, the American Citizen.

I absolutely detest MySpace, and Facebook is marginally better than that. At least this site has a purpose, despite having only 29 users signed up as of this writing. It’s homegrown and it’s somewhat different. Check it out.