Well here is a response to a comment posted on my latest blog. The bold is what he said. And its the whole comment...nothing deleted or added.

"wait you are trying to tell me that because they tore down a hotel on Forrest and Elmwood in 1901 because it wasn't financially viable, there's no way that one could be successful in 2006?"

1. it's Forest. One R.
2. No I am not saying that. What I am saying is that any hotel for the last 106 years that existed in the general area around Elmwood and Forest, has not been financially successful. Not one. In fact, tell me one hotel that is in the area here. If you had read it properly you would see that a hotel existed right on Forest and Lincoln parkway. Where is it?

"I applaud your research and dedication, but give me a break. This hotel is essentially a sign of Buffalo's turn around,"

1. Turnaround? You need to have something here people want to come to from out of state etc. Do you think someone is going to come stay at this hotel to go to Coles or India Gate?

"It will enrich your neighborhood by helping your local businesses to thrive. take India Gate for example, they have amazing service and fantastic food, but they can't afford to upgrade their dumpy blue awning."

1. What businesses? The ones I really like will be demolished. Businesses that I already shop at and use. Right...where will people shop at on this end of Elmwood when these are gone? We Never Close? The current shops are original and thats what Elmwood stands for. Mom and Pop stores. I know that a storefron in a 7 million dollar hotel is going to cost a pretty penny or a trillion. So how would I be able to afford going into these "shops"? Also note that there are only 2 storefronts and a resturant in the new design. Right...i see a lot of shopping going on. Furthermore, how will a hotel benefit me when it wil be less than 5 feet from my house? I am not going to stay in it.

"An influx of customers from the new hotel will help them thrive and expand, I’m sure all the businesses in the area will flourish, and that is a good thing."

1. Again. Where are the "influx of customers" going to come from? Do you think someone is sitting in California saying, "hey they just built that new hotel in Buffalo. Lets go and stay in it." No. You need to have something here they want to come to first.

Plus the homes they’re tearing down are dumpy, not architectural treasures. Let this project move forward.

So we are supposed to reward a landlord (Hans Mobius) for neglecting his properties INTENTIONALLY for 20 years? Tell me, whats right about that? Thats why they are a dump. You need to yell at him about that. He is a slum lord. If the city had forced him to keep them up to code like the city is supposed to, they would not be "dumpy". Also, any improvements done on the properties were done by the business owners and residents or non-profit groups (the grop I forget the name, did all the neon lights you see that are not working anymore mostly....look over coles, you will see them there too...all down the street) Dumpy? I can name a lot more worse looking places in Buffalo...

Well I have done some real in depth reporting this time. And I think some of you might be suprised.

There was NO hotel on the same site they want to build the Elmwood Village Hotel. There was however; one right across the street where the Mobil gas station is.

My Latest article I wrote:

Rocco Termini writes a letter to the Buffalo news, and it was published 3 hours ago:

That TEMPORARY hotel was called the Statler Hotel, or Statler's. It was built in 1901 for the Pan-American Exposition and ONLY for the exposition. It was taken down with 90% of everything else for the exposition and that was that.

The hotel I might add, was a failure, financially. According to documents he took what little money he (Ellsworth Milton Statker) made and built the next temporary hotel in St. Loius for their exhibition in 1904....that one was successful.

It also shows that there were no hotels or rooming houses in the area prior to the exposition, and after. To this day, any hotel or rooming house that was documented in records at the Buffalo Historical Society, in this area, does not exist anymore, and no hotel since then has existed in this area and to this day there is not one.

So tell me, if a hotel has not been financially successful for 100 years, why would it be now?

Sign the petition to STOP the Elmwood Village Hotel and put and end to this madness: Petition:

Well...I have heard stories about people who joined MySpace and then out of no where someone from their childhood of 10-15 years ago e-mails them. I never thought it would heppen to me.

I opened my mail on Myspace and saw two messages from two girls. I read them and they both said that they went to elementary school with me. I mailed them back and turns out that I was best friends with both of them through most if not all of my elementary school days. I was quite impressed and shocked. They were apparently bored and were looking through names of people they went to school with and such and I popped up. I think its so cool!!!

Anyways, one had to mail the other to believe it :) So now I am glad to have met up with old friends and hope to hear from more.

Now for the hotel. We managed to delay any decision on the proposal for a maximum of thirty days. The Common Council is expected to meet on rezoning issues and allow the public to voice support or opposition in a public hearing this Tuesday at 2pm in City Hall 13th floor, Council Chambers. I will be there.

Here is my latest news article on the hotel:

Also, there is LITTLE time left to sign the online petition to stop the hotel here:

If you are against it, please sign it if you have not already. And spread the link :)

Jason

Sources that want to remain anonymous have said that a meeting for all OPPOSED to the Elmwood Village Hotel is to take place TONIGHT at 7:30pm at 55 Penhurst off Forest Ave. just west of Elmwood. Sources say that Joel Golombeck is also going to attend this meeting. Please spread the word

Well I interviewed Eva Hassett, VP of Savarino construction. My latest article is here:

Also, time is running out to sign the Stop the Elmwood Village Hotel development petition:

One thing I like that she said:

We would be happy to do one more big public meeting. We will be talking to Forever Elmwood about that on Monday (February 27, 2006). We would like to see if there is support for the new design and we also want to honor the public's request for another meeting. I am hopeful that meeting can take place the week of March 6th.

Also, time is running out to sign

I am trying to figure out where I can go on a short vacation. No where fancy. Just somewhere where I can relax and enjoy myself for about a week. I was thinking Toronto. It is so easy to get to from Buffalo and is fairly cheap. I am also planning on Florida in March. Any Ideas? I want to spend as little money as possible, but still have a good time :) Let me know.

I am also glad to see that Eva Hassett of Savarino is open and willing to talk to me. I e-mailed her some questions and she replied right away. I called her earlier on tThursday and she was busy. I did not think she was going to get back to me. I am in the process of using her answers in my next article so I cannot post what she answered to my questions just yet.

Also, I am going to have to stop accepting signatures on the Stop the Elmwood Village Hotel petition soon to get it ready to send out or give to the Mayor. So if you or anyone you know is AGAINST the hotel, please have them sign the petition here: if anyone has not yet done so.

Jason

Well it seems the hotel IS going under a complete redesign. My source tells me, who has come through for me on my latest news article, (thank god), however, that the development company will NOT or at the moment is not releasing any major details to the public. At the moment it seems that its a possibility that the meetings on the 28 will still take place, but sources say its not likely. Since Eva Hassett is out of the office for the night and likely the weekend I cannot call her. But she did leave me a message this AM.

I am now concerned that Savarino will keep the NEW design in hiding until the 28. So far no new meeting has been announced and no plans to release the new design to the public have been made. I fear that they will not let the public know whats going on any longer....at least until the meeting...I don't know...I just hope they do not build this thing.
Petition to stop the hotel:

Hotel News article I wrote yesterday:

Ok so I am taking the story and runnng it before the local media get their hands on it. If I knew how to I would even send my article to all the local stations just so that when they do report my "breaking news" they will have to give Wikinews all the credit...well according to copyright laws anyway.

Since the story is too local, I cannot mark it as "breaking" but however it is quite breaking if you live around the area.

Here is my latest work:


BTW...Once again, I wrote published interviewed all the people in here. This is all original reporting. P.S. I am up for accredation for Wikinews. If accredited, I get a Press Pass :)

Here is photo of Rocco's Plan...its a bad photo...but at least its something. My article above has a larger, clearer picture. Just click on the picturre in the article. After looking at this, please reconsider my petition. And if you want Rocco's proposal, please sign the petitionto STOP the Elmwood Village Hotel here:

Well I worked last night. After being up all day, it was not fun. We were dead, and had maybe 12 tables the whole night. So the shift just dragged on and on.

I have seen a lot of stuff working at Pano's. fights with drag queens, fights with 15 peoiple, you know drunk people things. But last night tops them all.

This woman who was totally ripped cam speeding into the parking lot got out of her car and went inside. She then proceeded to tell the host that she wanted to order to-go. After only waiting a minute for her order, she began to say, "where the h*ll is my s**t"? Some cusrtomers ended up noticing something. They were taking pictures of her car. After 2 pictures they went inside. the drunk woman then ran out went into her car and drove off in a big hurry. It reminded me of the feeling like someone just robbed your store. But, not the case. She had apparently went to the Mobil on Elmwood and Forest and drove away, intentionally, with the gas pump still in her tank. But we managed to get the pump from her car before she peeled off. The police have not found her yet.

Crazy huh?

I feel it was like a where's waldo book. Sitting in the front row looking back at what seemed to be 300 people crammed into a room about 50 long maybe. I looked and looked, and after confirmation from Savarino, Hans Mobius was NOT there.

They ran out of chairs, literally, there were none left for anyone to sit on.

I recorded most of the speech by Sam Savarino and Eva Hassett. I got interviews with both :) I also interviewed Frizlen and Rocco Termini.

So,,,Rocco Termini...He proposed a whole new thing. No hotel, but completely redoing the exisiting structures. Much like what they did on Auburn and Elmwood. He had a brilliant picture and I was totally amazed. Shocked. Perhaps the most suprising thing from him when I interviewed him:

I would be willing to take hold of it myself. Or I would be more than happy to partner with Sam, Sam Savarino.

So...if he wants to develop this himself...why not let him. He is sending me a digital image of his design...and its really nice. And I am glad he would want to do it himself.

So wheres Hans? No one knew. I am begining to wonder just how much he really cares about Elmwood, if at all. I mean wouldn't you show up to a meeting of one of the most talked about projects in Buffalo? I would.

But as soon as I get a picture from Rocco I will post it his way with an image of the hotel...then you can judge...Personally, I go for Rocco.

Jason