Pictures of Buffalo I took during the Hospice walk today:


































































































































































Even though the weekend isn't over yet it sure feels like it is, and it sure went by fast. Hope it was good to everyone.

So I just got back from seeing Angels and Demons. I thought it was pretty good, but won't give away anything. It seemed like there where a lot of assholes out today, including the guy who got out of line in front of me at the bank and filled out his thing then bumped me and said something. What I should have done is say, um no dude you got out of line to the back of the line. That is what the tables are for you fill the stuff out then get in line.

If any of you follow me on facebook you will notice that I put links up to news articles. I think you have to like click 3 times and it ads the link to your page. I don't know why but all this stuff with the Chosen Few is really interesting.

That being said. I think it is important for everyone who watches the news or reads it to remember something. The News is only one persons perspective. It is also important to know that profit is a big part of the news now. What I'm saying in a round about way is when you hear news don't just go oh ok. Think does that make sense and think about what you heard. I'm not saying that you should go look it up your self. But just remember that when something happens (more internationally then locally ) that perspectives of what happened will change how the story is told.

I find this very true with the Chosen Few articles. I feel like there is some stuff that doesn't make sense. There must be stuff that the news isn't telling us. I'm not going so far as to say they are with holding stuff maybe they just don't have all the information.

My first question is why are they and the Kingsmen rivals. The news says they are and says something about something at like a race of some kind. But it doesn't say what the Beef is.

One of the stories mentions that "The Law" met with the Chosen few and tried to stop the violence. At the very least to make sure if they went after The Kingsmen that no one else got hurt. That same story said that the Chosen Few where unable to stop the feud.
But they still don't say what the violence is about.

The part that I really don't get is if there is a supposed beef or even so called war, then why didn't they arrest any kingsmen. Maybe there is no reason to because maybe the left the feud in the past. But none of the articles say anything about it. Maybe some other agency is building a case on them. Maybe the kingsmen ended things and told the police that they them selves aren't a gang. I admit I have no clue. But unless I missed something nothing in the paper gives any answers to this. These articles leave the reader guessing.

I can admit that I know nothing about Bike Clubs. I would assume that once they start breaking laws they get called gangs. Just because someone puts on leather and likes to ride a big motorcycle doesn't mean they are in a club. I did see one documentary about some cop who got into I think the hells angels and it was pretty interesting. I remember being somewhere in Toronto maybe the skydome and they had a sign about not being allowed to wear your colors there. So I guess at least at one time it was a problem in Toronto I assume.

It would be nice if the news gave us readers all the information. I wonder if I'm the only one who read the articles and found them interesting but had questions. Sometimes I wonder if the news is turning something into a bigger then then it is to sell Papers. Other times I think they might not have all the info.


The Latest article on The Chosen Few

The local headquarters of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club at 94 Main St., Depew, was bugged by the FBI.
Bill Wippert/Buffalo News

Updated: 05/15/09 07:44 AM
Biker club raid puts focus on theft case
By Dan Herbeck
NEWS STAFF REPORTER


When police raided the home of the president of the Chosen Few motorcycle club last week, they found about $5,500 worth of equipment allegedly stolen from his employer, the state Thruway Authority.

A wide range of items - including floodlights, electrical wire, raincoats, light bulbs, emergency flashers, numerous pairs of leather gloves and more than 30 boxes of paper towels - were seized from the Alden home of Alex Koschtschuk.

Police are investigating to determine how he got them, a federal prosecutor said Thursday.

"The Thruway Authority has been made aware of this investigation," Assistant U. S. Attorney Anthony M. Bruce said during a detention hearing for Koschtschuk.

Bruce also revealed that a series of diagrams were found indicating that the Chosen Few might have been planning to attack the local clubhouses and some homes of the Kingsmen, their rival club.

The prosecutor said the diagrams of Kingsmen clubhouses and homes were found by state police in Koschtschuk's home.

And he told a judge that authorities suspect someone in local law enforcement - possibly a suburban police lieutenant - has been illegally giving the Chosen Few police mug shots of rival bikers.

Koschtschuk, 58, and another Thruway Authority worker- Alan "Deuce" Segool, identified by FBI agents as the Chosen Few vice president - were arrested May 7 with 18 other members of the biker club. They are accused of waging a violent war against the Kingsmen.

During Thursday's hearing, Bruce called Koschtschuk a "danger to the public." U. S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy ordered that Koschtschuk be jailed until his case comes to trial.

The ruling was a disappointment to Koschtschuk's wife, Tracy, and to his attorney, Herbert L. Greenman, who said the federal investigation turned up "a lot of talk" but little evidence that Koschtschuk ever actually harmed anyone.

Greenman described Koschtschuk as a solid family man and working man whose past record includes no convictions for crimes of violence.

"[Koschtschuk is] not a danger to any person or to the community," Greenman said.

Bruce disagreed, saying federal agents used hidden recording devices in the Chosen Few's clubhouse in Depew to get tapes of Koschtschuk ordering his club members to go after the Kingsmen with guns, fists, ax handles and bombs.

"[Koschtschuk] is the unquestioned leader of this organization," Bruce said.

Both Koschtschuk and Segool, 48, of West Falls, are employees of the Thruway Authority, according to state records obtained after a Freedom of Information request by The Buffalo News.

Koschtschuk is a general mechanic for the authority at an annual salary of $47,049. He was hired in August 1999 and is currently on leave without pay because of a work-related injury. He receives workers' compensation pay.

Records show that Segool is a Thruway maintenance worker who was hired by the state in July 2001. Because of his arrest, he is on unauthorized leave without pay.

Before working with the Thruway Authority, Segool worked for six years as a police officer with the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, said his attorney, Angelo Musitano.

Segool has never been convicted of a crime of violence, Musitano said, but McCarthy said he did not feel that he could risk releasing Segool on bail.

"I think he's one of the key players [in the Chosen Few]," the judge said, "and I can't be certain that he would not instruct others to use violence."

dherbeck@buffnews.com

A few other stories about them

Well Mothers day was interesting we wound up going to the botanical gardens. Maybe it was just me but it seemed smaller since I went last, I think some of the rooms might not have been opened. There will also be some pictures from Buffalo also.







































































































































Here are some flower pictures from near where I live:

So I went to see the new Star Trek Movie. I don't want to give anything away so I can't say to much. The one thing that did bother me a little bit was that I know one of the Main Characters as someone else from a TV show, it was hard to see him as Spock when you know him as this other guy who is nothing like him. Besides for that I found the movie was very good. I also want to mention the previews for The Transformers, GI Joe and the new Terminator movies all make them look amazing. I don't think they can be as good as the shows. It is a different media and so it can't be as good as animation can be.

So On Saturday Night the Bandits play the Titans the winner moves onto the championship game. Last night I tried to post a few pictures from the game but was having problems. So here are pictures from the bandits win last weekend:































Before the game they Had a Party in the Plaza. It was nice and strictly hip was good. But see all they had to eat where hot dogs so I ate inside. Here are some pictures from before the game.







































So then On Monday I went to Monday Night Raw. But before I ate I checked out this place called Benchwarmers. It is near the arena. Here are some pictures from that and the AUD you might notice that the Canisius College Lacrosse sign is gone.











































I also heard an ad for someplace else I want to try in that same building. Hope everyone has a good weekend, unless you are a Titans fan then I hope you have a bad weekend. I'm hoping to go see Star Trek either downtown or on Elmwood at sometime on Saturday.

So the week has been busy. It started out with dinning out for life. Yes there is a long wait everywhere and so you have to factor that in. I think it is a good cause. It gets people to go out and eat. Hey if the food is good they will come back. Then money goes to a good cause as well. We went to Boomerangs on Niagara St. The food was very good and I tried this chicken wing soup that was very tasty. I even got home in time to watch Fringe.

So On Thursday Night I went to go see "L Save the World". I will admit it wasn't the same as the 2 other movies. First of all with an event like that I now found it is better to go as a group. But I still had a good time and had food at applebee's before the movie. The movie was different there was no Kira and Yes it was a Death Note movie so there was one and a Shirigamie but that wasn't what the movie was about. It was L trying to stop a Biological attack. It was good just not what I thought it was. I get that people like to talk to the movie but the stuff that was being yelled just didn't seem to make sense. The movie started late do to some issue and because of that I got a pass for a free show, well everyone did. I used it to go see the new Wolverine movie it was very good. Lots of action and story and all that good stuff.

Last night was Jerry Seinfeld. I thought he was pretty funny and so was his opening act. I was a bit back but it didn't take away from anything. He talked back to hecklers that was funny. He answered some questions at the end. Before the show I checked out this place called Caberet and since I didn't have a reservation sat at the bar and ate. I thought the Roast Beef and drinks I had where pretty good. Plus the person who waited on me seemed to be running the place taking orders making multiple drinks at a time. She was blond and hot and really good at her Job. Plus the place wasn't to costly either.

Other then Lets Go Bandits I feel like I'm forgetting something.....

Well on Sunday I did get to see two movies that I wanted to. Often I don't know where the time goes. The third movie I wanted to see I couldn't stay awake for, "Super High Me" . Some comedian made a documentary where he doesn't smoke weed for 30 days and then he smokes weed for 30 days in a row. I thought it might have been interesting oh well, maybe that station will show it again.

I don't know how to even talk about stardust. It is an adventure movie with kings trying to kill each other over the thrown and then there is a love story, there is a unicorn and witches and stars and stardust. I thought it was pretty good and really enjoyed it.

Next I watched Shooter. Mark Walhberg plays a sniper in the army. The army leaves him for dead and then years later he is needed to stop an attempt to Kill the president. He winds up being set up and then there is a mystery and lots and lots of action. Hey I'm not a fan of his acting style but it was a pretty good movie is that is your kind of thing. I watched both movies through the Showtime on demand service.

So for anyone who might be reading this a posted some stuff about news Stories today also, some of you might find the links pretty interesting. Last night I watched two movies. The Wrestler I kinda knew what it was about but didn't know all the details. With out giving anything away the ending is assumed. I have seen other movies that have shown Wrestlers who kinda live like this, but see they are documentaries so it is a little bit different . It isn't a happy story. It isn't about the fame and the glam. It is about a hard working guy with a tough life outside of the ring. I thought it was pretty good. Plus it had some good 80's style Rock but yet it is set in today. They did use real wrestlers I only new a few of them. People who follow the Independent scene I'm guessing would know a lot of them. I thought the movie was pretty good. The feature they had in was good also and showed a good amount about making the movie.

On indemand I watch a Movie called Heckler. It was a documentary made by Jamie Kennedy . It wasn't only him and it wasn't only about hecklers it was also about critics. I found it interesting and they did have some good footage. The one thing that I think it lacked is the fact that not everyone finds the same thing funny. You could take that a step further and say there are people out there that really do suck. There are some people that I think Heckle because the persons material isn't as good as some of their stuff in the past. But that was never mentioned. I think that not all bloggers are nasty just the nasty ones get noticed, of course the good ones wouldn't make it into the movie. That being said I still found it an interesting movie. Hopefully I'll get to watch a couple movies today as well.

So I have read a few interesting articles about food and gardens today and I think they might be kinda related a bit. I know that I eat a lot of food that seems to be very bad for me. I can't help it the taste is so good, by that I mean fast food. I think Sub-Way is most likely the least deadly but when you ad sauce and cheese and Bacon, like the Bacon Chicken Ranch it changes that. When I was on Yahoo today I saw a pretty interesting article about how much food costs by the calorie and it has an entire breakdown of a bunch of fast foods. I will admit there is one thing that I find Ironic as I read this it made me hungry or maybe that was just all the pictures.

Big Macs and Fries: What You Pay Per Calorie
by Jason Kephart
Friday, April 24, 2009provided bySmartMoney.com

Even with glimmers of hope for the recovery, consumers are still cutting back - especially when it comes to dining out. But turning to some of fast food's biggest bargains in order to stretch your dollar in the recession may be one belt-tightening measure that could end up forcing you to loosen your buckle by a couple of notches.



Going out for cheap eats is an obvious way for consumers to keep their spending in check. That's why fast food restaurants are seen as a good investment in tough times. McDonald's and Yum! Brands, which operates Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut (among others) both reported stellar fourth quarters as proof. Bucking that trend were Burger King and CKE Restaurants, the operator of Hardee's and Carl's Jr. Burger King, reported that it experienced "significant" traffic declines in March (it reported 1% same-store sales growth) and CKE's same-store sales were down 2.7%. Nevertheless, that slide is still modest when compared with the double-digit losses at higher-end restaurant chains like Ruth's Hospitality Group's Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and Benihana.



Bang for your buck continues to be one of the biggest selling points for fast food right now. But how much food are you really getting for your money? SmartMoney.com sought to find out which menu items are the costliest and cheapest per calorie. The results may surprise you. Looking at the cost per 100 calories of some items underscores what nutritionists have been saying for years: The cheapest calories typically aren't the healthiest.

Here's our dish-by-dish look at some popular menu items and their total cost per 100 calories - from the most expensive to the cheapest.

1. Premium Southwest Salad With Grilled Chicken

McDonald's
Cost per 100 calories: $1.47
Calories: 360
Calories from fat: 29%

McDonald's answered the call of health-conscious consumers by adding salads to its menu in 2003. No one can deny that it's a healthier option than, say, a Quarter Pounder with cheese, but it will cost you. Once we added some Newman's Own low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing (another 40 calories and three grams of fat) for a little extra taste, this salad became the costliest per calorie dish on our menu.

2. Mandarin Chicken Salad

Wendy's
Cost per 100 calories: 96 cents
Calories: 540
Calories from fat: 43%

In the 1980s, Wendy's was asking "Where's the beef?" These days, the chain is a lot less meat-focused. Wendy's now offers four varieties of salads and five varieties of chicken sandwiches (it also offers fish fillet sandwiches during Lent). Of course, burgers still reign supreme: There are currently 12 different types of hamburgers on the menu.



3. Large Popcorn Chicken

KFC
Cost per 100 calories: 94 cents
Calories: 550
Calories from fat: 58%

Typically chicken is considered the cheaper meat. The average retail price for chicken is $1.75 a pound, 56% less than the average price of a pound of beef, according to the National Beef Cattlemen's Association. But if you want KFC's bite-sized popcorn chicken with the Colonel's 11 secret herbs and spices, be prepared to pay up. This is the most expensive per calorie item on our list that isn't a salad.

4. Steak Gordita Baja

Taco Bell
Cost per 100 calories: 90 cents
Calories: 320
Calories from fat: 47%

Jack Russo, an analyst at financial-services firm Edward Jones, says Taco Bell is considered one of the industry's leaders when it comes to menu innovation. The Gordita - a soft taco made using flatbread rather than a tortilla - may very well be proof of that. Since it first debuted in 1998, the Gordita has helped boost sales at the chain significantly, he says.



5. Low-Fat Footlong Turkey Sandwich

Subway
Cost per 100 calories: 89 cents
Calories: 560
Calories from fat: 14%

Since the ads featuring Jared Fogle (who lost 245 pounds purely by eating Subway sandwiches) first launched in 2000, Subway's sales have more than tripled to almost $13 billion. A Subway spokesman says that while several factors contributed to that growth, Jared's weight-loss campaign played a significant role. Unfortunately for waist-conscious consumers, the low-fat sandwich comes at a premium per-calorie price compared to our other menu items.

6. Croissan'wich

Burger King
Cost per 100 calories: 75 cents
Calories: 330
Calories from fat: 44%

Breakfast has been driving the fast food industry. "That's where all the growth has been," says Steve Solomon, president of FSInsights, a menu development company. In February, Burger King's CEO said that breakfast made up 15% of its sales. This rival to the Egg McMuffin made its debut in 1984.



7. Big Mac

McDonald's
Cost per 100 calories: 74 cents
Calories: 540
Calories from fat: 48%

Since its debut in 1968, the Big Mac has been McDonald's flagship burger. More than 550 million are sold world-wide every year, according to the company. Compared to its double-decker rival, the Double Whopper, the Big Mac is pricier on a per-calorie basis.

8. Pepperoni Personal Pan Pizza

Pizza Hut
Cost per 100 calories: 68 cents
Calories: 660
Calories from fat: 42%

On a per 100 calorie basis, the six-inch pepperoni personal pan pizza lands in the middle of our roundup, but you can actually save yourself 20% (per 100 calories) by ordering the large pepperoni pan pizza and eating a slice. Doing so will also trim about 43% off the total calories.



9. Toasted Wrap With Tender Roast Filet

KFC
Cost per 100 calories: 64 cents
Calories: 310
Calories from fat: 42%

KFC was slow on the uptake when it came to catering to the health-conscious crowd. It just started offering its grilled chicken lineup earlier this year - a move that probably should have made about five years ago, says Edward Jones' Russo. "It's what the consumer clearly wants today," he says.

10. Medium French Fries

McDonald's
Cost per 100 calories: 58 cents
Calories: 380
Calories from fat: 26%

Before 1949, McDonald's didn't offer French fries; burgers came with a side of potato chips instead. In fact, it wasn't until the 1960s - when potato farmer J.R. Simplot pioneered the first frozen French fry - that these fast food staples started becoming the popular McDonald's side dish they are today.



11. Butterfinger Blizzard

Dairy Queen
Cost per 100 calories: 49 cents
Calories: 990
Calories from fat: 31%

Surprisingly, the Butterfinger Blizzard - a vanilla-flavored milkshake with bits of Butterfinger candy bars chopped up in it - has one of the lowest percentage of calories from fat in the foods we looked at (that may be because it's not made with real milk). In fact, the percentage is impressively close to what nutritionists generally recommend for a healthy diet - 30% of one's daily calories can come from fat. But that doesn't mean you should be going on an all-Blizzard diet. One of these large-size concoctions is a full 990 calories - nearly half your recommended daily intake.

12. Double Whopper With Cheese

Burger King
Cost per 100 calories: 49 cents
Calories: 1010
Calories from fat: 59%

The average person spends around $247 on beef a year, up from $48 in 2001. That amount of cash could buy you 49 Double Whoppers with cheese. And you'd get a pretty good return on your investment: The Double Whopper's cost per 100 calories is about two-thirds of what the Big Mac costs.



13. Fiesta Taco Salad

Taco Bell
Cost per 100 calories: 48 cents
Calories: 840
Calories from fat: 47%

The Fiesta Taco Salad is the only salad on Taco Bell's menu, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's the healthiest item. In fact, the salad has the highest calories and fat content of any single item on the menu. Its 840 calories and 45 grams of fat are equal to four Crunchy Taco Supremes, three MexiMelts, or two Spicy Chicken Burritos.

14. Cheeseburger Slyder

White Castle
Cost per 100 calories: 41 cents
Calories: 170
Calories from fat: 47%

At 41 cents per 100 calories, White Castle's snack-sized cheeseburger bested every other sandwich in our survey when it came to cost per calorie. In 1930, White Castle conducted a study (it later dubbed it the "Craveology" study) that monitored the health of a student who lived on nothing but the Slyders and water for 13 weeks. According to the company, the student maintained good health. Barbara Baron, a New York registered dietician, says you probably don't want to follow suit. "I wouldn't advise anyone to eat only one food item for 13 weeks," she says.



15. 32-Ounce Coca-Cola

Subway
Cost per 100 calories: 38 cents
Calories: 330
Calories from fat: 0

Here it is, the cheapest per calorie item in our survey of fast food land: the large Coca-Cola. Beloved by many, but eyed by some as a major contributor to the obesity problems in this country. Our brains process calories from liquids differently than those from solid food, so we don't feel full and are more likely to overeat, says Karen Ansel, a spokeswoman for the New York State Dietetic Association. If you really need to have your soda with your meal, order a Diet Coke.
Copyrighted, SmartMoney.com. All Rights Reserved.

So as I'm sure most people on this site Knows there has been a lot of talk locally about that family who wants to buy land and make an urban farm. I admit I wonder why they didn't look into that before they moved here but I guess that doesn't matter. In today's Buffalo News there is a big article about Urban Farming. I think these two stories kinda could be linked together in a way. One could argue that if one had an urban farm you would eat healthier. You don't need all those pesticides since you will be eating the stuff locally. I would also suggest following the link or picking up the paper so you have the photos to go along with it.

Updated: 04/26/09 08:43 AM
"There really is this exciting revitalization going on in Buffalo."
Community garden projects take root in Buffalo
Urban gardens are no longer a rare breed
By Maki Becker
NEWS STAFF REPORTER


Planting has just started on a tree farm in a vacant lot on Buffalo's West Side.

A community garden where neighbors can grow their own vegetables and children can learn about the origins of their food broke ground this weekend at a long-empty school in the Seneca- Babcock area.

Back on the West Side, one organization begins its seventh season of growing vegetables on several vacant city lots, providing fresh food for neighbors and jobs for local teenagers. A second group is getting ready to start planting on another urban farm.

Mark and Janice Stevens, the East Side couple who want to start a farm on vacant city-owned land on Wilson Street, aren't the only ones in Buffalo interested in urban agriculture.

Across the city, garden projects are sprouting up as Buffalonians embrace a national movement toward creating green spaces, eating local food and connecting with nature.

"There really is this exciting revitalization going on in Buffalo," said Cheryl Bird, one of the organizers of the Seneca- Babcock garden. "There seems to be a movement toward empowerment in neighborhoods. . . . I definitely see it happening. The excitement builds on itself."

While community gardens have been popular for years, new excitement is mounting here and nationwide for all types of urban farming as people have become more concerned about eating locally and more healthy, saving money in the face of a slumping economy and caring for the environment.

From thriving cities where real estate is at a premium to struggling Rust Belt towns where vacant lots are sadly plentiful, communities are transforming gray concrete cityscapes into gardens, farms and other green spaces, said Samina Raja, an assistant professor in the University at Buffalo's urban and regional planning department. She is nationally recognized for her research on the relationship between communities and health.

"Nationally," she said, "community gardens and urban agriculture have had a tremendous resurgence in the last five to six years."

Last month, first lady Michelle Obama helped break ground on the South Lawn of the White House for a kitchen garden - a move hailed by urban agriculture and local food advocates.

In California, Berkeley chef Alice Waters, who introduced diners to organic, locally grown fare nearly 40 years ago, helped establish a one-acre garden in a vacant lot next to a school. There, the children learn to grow food and then eat the food they grow. Her foundation also worked with the Berkeley Unified School District to eliminate processed foods from cafeteria menus and introduce fresh and organic foods instead.

In Milwaukee, Will Allen won a $100,000 MacArthur Fellowship for his urban farm, which not only provided a poor neighborhood with jobs and fresh produce, but also managed to turn a profit. His farm, Growing Power, includes six greenhouses, fish runs, poultry hoop houses, outdoor pens for livestock and an apiary with five beehives.

In Madison, Wis., Troy Gardens, a 31-acre development, combines 30 units of mixed-income housing, a five-acre farm and community gardens.

In Detroit, a nonprofit is battling city officials for the right to buy 2.5 acres from the city to turn into an urban farm. A massive 70 acre urban farm also has been proposed for vacant lots. On a smaller scale, a coalition of local urban agriculture and gardening groups, working with Michigan State University, helps residents build their own urban farms.

In New York City, which has had a rich, and at times raucous, history of community gardening, minifarms on vacant lots are growing produce sold in farmers' markets, and some city residents are raising chickens for eggs.

A decade ago, community gardeners fought then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who wanted to hand over gardens built in vacant lots to housing developers. They reached a deal putting some land into a trust for public land and transferring other lots to the Parks Department. A review process was set up requiring developers to notify the gardeners about plans to take over the land. New land would have to be found for gardens that were displaced.

Contaminated soil

Planners recently have begun focusing on growing food in urban settings as a way to combat diet-related medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease in the nation's poorest inner-city neighborhoods, where fresh produce is often hard to find, UB's Raja said.

"Urban planners want to understand how to build communities so people have access to food and the food system," she said.

Recent interest in urban agriculture here in Buffalo, highlighted by coverage of the Stevens family's bid to buy vacant land from the city for their farm, shows city residents are open to the idea, even though some in city government are wary, Raja said.

"It's a cultural issue: Does farming really belong in the city?" she said.

An advocate of growing and eating local food, Raja believes Buffalo is in a good position to give it a try.

"The best, thriving cities have urban agriculture," she said. "This is a relatively new area. Some are reluctant. At the same time, this is a great opportunity to think big. I don't sense that people are unwilling to do that."

Growing food in a city obviously poses challenges. The soil in vacant lots often is contaminated. Urban farmers have found a way around that by building raised beds using new soil. They also have found ways to collect rain water on site to irrigate their crops.

Youth employment

You can't talk about urban farming in Buffalo without talking about the Massachusetts Avenue Project. The West Side nonprofit organization started farming on seven vacant city lots about six years ago as a way to provide fresh produce and constructive jobs for local teenagers.

Diana Picard, the executive director, is thrilled with the recent interest in urban farming, even though some think it is novel idea.

"It's funny to me that in some ways people think this is such a new thing," she said. "In reality, up until 1945, we grew a lot of food in cities. But it's really exciting for us to see what's going on."

The Massachusetts Avenue Project farm employs 50 youths every year who are taught how to farm, develop recipes with fresh produce and market their goods, including a chili starter and a salsa. The group is also preparing to start a mobile farmers' market using a recreational vehicle painted purple like an eggplant, which they will drive to low-income neighborhoods around the city where fresh produce is hard to find.

Picard supports the Stevenses' bid to farm on vacant land on Wilson Street in the Fillmore Council District.

The East Side couple is likely to agree to leasing the land from the city, rather than buying the land as they had originally hoped because the city wants to keep it available for housing. Picard said she hopes the city eventually will become more amenable to selling or even giving land to urban agriculture projects.

"They think housing is development," Picard said. "But housing alone is not going to develop the city. Food has implications for so much: for the health of our people and the health of the community."

Picard says that Buffalo's bounty of empty lots makes it a perfect place for urban agriculture. "I'm not saying we need every vacant lot in the city. It should be part of the lots."

A second urban farm is getting started on the West Side. A group calling itself CurbSide Croft - croft means small farm -is getting ready to start planting on vacant land at Vermont Street and West Avenue, some of which they purchased and the rest leased from neighbors. The farmers here are particularly interested in providing pesticide- free produce in a neighbor-hood where many people rely on food stamps, which generally don't cover costly organic foods in supermarkets.

The CurbSide growers are applying for permits to be able to accept food stamps for the produce, which will include heirloom vegetables and ethnic crops that they hope will be ready for harvest around late June.

West Side tree farm

This weekend, two new urban agricultural projects are breaking ground.

Re-Tree New York, formed to help reforest Buffalo and the suburbs following the 2006 October snowstorm that destroyed thousands of trees, is opening a tree farm on vacant land on 14th Street on the West Side. The land, three vacant lots, was acquired by PUSH-Buffalo, a West Side community group, and developed for Re- Tree.

"It's in an area that once had homes that have been taken down," said Paul Maurer, Re- Tree chairman. "It looks bad. There's junk laying there and stuff like that. It'll be much better looking when we get done with it."

Trees of varying maturity will be planted in buried pots and grown until they are ready to be planted around the region. By raising the trees itself, Re-Tree will save a dramatic amount of money. The young trees will cost about $10 each while buying them more mature costs "about 10 times that," Maurer said.

To visitors, the farm won't look like a commercial nursery, he said. The trees won't be arranged in neat rows.

"We don't want it to look antiseptic," Maurer said. "We want it to seem like they're in a forest in the city."

In the Seneca-Babcock area, community residents, with the help of Daemen College, LUSH - a Canadian organic cosmetics company - and local foundations celebrated a "sod busting" Saturday at former School 26 on Harrison Street.

Gardening enthusiasts are putting in 20 raised beds on the lawn of the old school. Half of the beds will be available to neighborhood residents, and the rest will be divvied up among community agencies, said Bird, executive director of the Daemen Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement.

Like the Massachusetts Avenue Project, the Seneca- Babcock garden began with community residents concerned about the lack of activities for local teens and access to fresh produce.

Bird said she hopes that the garden will just be the beginning for the old school.

"Our hope is that we can take this vacant school and make it into a huge resource center," she said.

mbecker@buffnews.com

The Last story I'm going to Post Has nothing to do with food really. First of all I didn't know that the maid of the mist was open yet. I know it starts giving rides during the spring but wasn't sure when. Well Brad Pitt took the kids to ride it. Of course it was on the Canadian side. Not sure if that is the only side that was open or not. But I know if I had kids that is the side I would go to, I'm guessing he did more then just that but who knows the story doesn't really say.

Superstar Brad Pitt, in hood, was just another tourist in a plastic rain poncho Saturday on the Maid of the Mist.
James P. McCoy / Buffalo News


NIAGARA FALLS, Ont.-People magazine may have named him "Sexiest Man Alive" twice, but even Brad Pitt looked a little goofy in his blue Maid of the Mist poncho.

The superstar actor was in Niagara Falls, Ont., on a picture-perfect afternoon to take in the sights of the world-famous cataracts Saturday. In tow were two of his sons, Maddox and Pax; his parents, Bill and Jane, and his bodyguards. The group enjoyed the attractions while remaining relatively under the radar.

Not with them was Pitt's equally famous partner, Angelina Jolie, who has been filming the thriller "Salt" in Albany.

"He was looking good," sighed a star-struck Melissa Harris, 17, of Niagara Falls, Ont., as the hunky actor rushed past her. She conceded she was a little chagrined that she didn't have her camera with her for the celebrity sighting.

A pair of German tourists also recognized the famous dad and delightedly snapped photos with their cell phones.

But for the most part, Pitt remained largely unnoticed- just another dad enjoying a tourist attraction with his family.

Pitt managed to keep a low profile by sporting a look closer to that of the Unabomber than a movie star. He wore big, dark sunglasses and a paperboy-style cap with the hood of his oversized black sweat shirt pulled over his head.

The Pitt family was given the star treatment at the Maid of the Mist. When their black SUV with tinted windows was escorted down to the dock about 3 p.m., they were discreetly whisked to the front of the line. The family gathered on the upper deck as bodyguards kept careful watch.

During their ride, the Pitts took turns snapping photos of each other and the falls, and the little boys seemed to enjoy getting drenched.

Most of the tourists seemed oblivious to the famous family in their midst.

"Aaaahhhh!" screamed a distressed Raisa Monteiro, 18, a Brazilian exchange student, after learning that she had been on the same boat as Pitt, but hadn't even caught a glimpse of him.

"Maybe we can find them!" her friends cried, as they frantically tried to figure out where the family had gone.

But Pitt was long gone, apparently headed back to Albany. U.S. border officers said the actor was very pleasant as he crossed through the checkpoint at the Rainbow Bridge.

mbecker@buffnews.com

That does remind me of two other things Brad Pitt related. I don't have a link for it but the Suicide Girls did a full Photo set of them playing out that movie. Some of you might say so what they take lots of photo sets. Since it is some year (not sure how many 10 maybe) anivesrary of when the movie came out the set is up on their page and you don't have to be a paying member to see all the pictures, 1st time I think they have done that, that I know of. Also I haven't seen legends of the Fall in a long time but remember it was a pretty good movie, had to bring that up since the tittle of the article is a play on that movie tittle.

So there is a story in the Buffalo News today that they think Medical Marijuana might become legal in New York State My thoughts are we shall see. I only have one problem with the bill. I think one of the good things is that it moves drugs off the street and into places that are more legit. If you have people who have scripts being able to go get weed from drug dealers it could get complicated. The Other question is would the DEA Honor the fact that places that sell Weed now is legal or would they go after them Federally like they do in CA. in any event here is the article

Approval predicted for medical marijuana
State legislators likely to act this session
By Tom Precious
NEWS ALBANY BUREAU


ALBANY - Long-stalled efforts to permit the medicinal use of marijuana in this state appear to have a good chance of passage before lawmakers end their session in June. It would make New York the 15th state to legalize the drug for medical reasons.

Advocates say they believe the Democratic- controlled Senate and Assembly have the votes to pass legislation permitting qualified patients to grow their own marijuana plants, or obtain the drug on the streets or through a state-sanctioned dispensary.Gov. David A. Paterson also is said to be supportive of the legalization.

"It's looking pretty darn good," Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried, a Manhattan Democrat and Health Committee chairman, said of the bill's chance to become law this session.

The lawmaker, who has sponsored the measure for years, renewed a public push Tuesday, using the cases of two New Yorkers who have turned to marijuana to relieve their chronic pain as evidence of the need for the bill.

"I'm looking for all the help we can get to get this passed," said Joel Peacock, a Buffalo resident and self-described conservative, who turned to the drug in the past to help with severe pain he still feels from a 2001 car accident.

The effort was jump-started by the Obama administration's decision in February to stop raids on marijuana-dispensing centers in California, where medical marijuana is legal. U. S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. signaled that federal prosecution would cease in states that legalize medical marijuana, even though U. S. law bans the drug's use.

The Assembly is considered certain to pass the measure. Advocates are working on the Senate Senate, where control switched in January to Democrats from Republicans.

In 2007, the measure had the backing of a half-dozen Republicans. Supporters say they fear as many as four Democrats, including Sen. William T. Stachowski, D-Lake View, might oppose it. That would require GOP help to get it passed in a chamber where Democrats hold a thin, 32-30 majority. Stachowski could not be reached to comment Tuesday.

Paterson's office said the governor is not taking a stance on the bill, but sources described him as very supportive and said he even offered to introduce his own legislation legalizing medical marijuana.

Proponents say marijuana helps to relieve pain from such diseases as multiple sclerosis and to calm nausea, as well as to aid the appetite of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The measure has the backing of groups representing physicians, nurses and hospices.

The association representing the state's district attorneys has not taken a formal position on the bill, said Daniel Donovan, the Staten Island district attorney and president of the group.

Speaking for himself and not his organization, Donovan, said a number of other drugs - from methadone to oxycondone - have been legalized to help with such things as relieving pain. "I'm not opposed to the idea. I'm open to the idea of seeing studies - and will trust the medical field," he said.

The most vocal opposition comes from the state's small but influential Conservative Party, which helped to kill the 2007 bill in the Republican-led Senate.

"If this passes, this is the beginning of a slippery slope that opens the door to legalize drugs," said Michael R. Long, the party's chairman.

Long said patients have plenty of alternatives to marijuana for pain relief. He claimed a lack of controls to prevent marijuana prescribed for a patient from getting into the hands of the patient's children or from being sold on the streets.

"This is not helpful to our society," Long said.

But Peacock, the subject of a 2007 profile in The Buffalo News, said his pain medications cost him and his insurer $39,000 a year. Pulling a package of painkillers from his pocket Tuesday - which cost $26 a dose - Peacock said marijuana would be both cheaper and more effective.

Peacock, who is enrolled in the Conservative Party, used marijuana during a construction job in Louisiana several years ago and then in Florida. He does not use it now because it is illegal in this state. "It took the pain away. I was absolutely amazed," he said Tuesday at a news conference in Albany.

Joe Gamble, a Liverpool resident, a former Army paratrooper and commercial pilot, turns to marijuana now to relieve his pain from multiple sclerosis. He called for "a little compassion."

"It's not for everybody, but it certainly does work for me," he said.

Backers say this is the first time the Assembly and Senate have had the same versions of medical marijuana bills. They note its Senate sponsor - Sen. Thomas K. Duane, a Manhattan Democrat - is chairman of the Health Committee, which has oversight of the matter.

Duane predicted the bill will pass with Democratic and Republican backing, saying: "This is about compassion. This is about medicine. This is not about politics."

The bill would make marijuana legal for those sanctioned by a physician with a "serious condition," defined as a "severe debilitating or life-threatening condition or a condition associated with or a complication of such a condition or its treatment, including but not limited to inability to tolerate food, nausea, vomiting, dysphoria or pain."

It permits the possession of up to 12 marijuana plants or 2z ounces of marijuana. Those approved for the program can grow the plants from seeds purchased in the illicit drug market or through state-approved dispensing centers. The centers also could dispense marijuana.

The bill calls for the state Health Department to play a role in regulating entities that produce and sell marijuana to eligible patients. Patients that violate the terms of the bill would be subject to stricter penalties than someone now caught possessing marijuana.

Those eligible to legally smoke the drug for medical reasons would be given a card good for a year before requiring new approval by a physician or an approved caregiver. Doctors could not prescribe marijuana for themselves.

Patients deciding to grow their own marijuana must keep it in a locked, enclosed area, such as a greenhouse or closet accessible only to the patient or caregiver. Patients could not smoke the drug in a public place, and no caregiver could be responsible for more than five patients approved for medical marijuana.

The bill allows the state to charge dispensers a fee, and the entities could be anything from a pharmacy to a hospital clinic to a registered marijuana producer. It does not require insurers to cover the treatments.

Critics have said wording that lets eligible patients get the drug on the streets will only encourage the illegal drug trade.

A growing number of states, including Minnesota, Illinois and New Jersey, are considering medical marijuana laws, especially after the Obama administration's policy change on the issue. In November, voters approved the drug's use in Michigan and Massachusetts.

tprecious@buffnews.com

I know some people think that this would and is a first step to make it legal to sell and to Tax it. I think those days are a long way away. There are still so many people who get all upset over that. Not to mention the cotton industry.