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Elizabeth Leader's Illuminating Idea for Industrial Relics

6/8/2012

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An excerpt from Elizabeth Leader's Illuminating Idea:
 
"There are abandoned spaces in this city which are currently considered "off limits" but could become a great public asset. As an urban explorer, I have visited many of these sites, taken photographs and been inspired to make art from what I’ve seen. These places have so impressed me that I hope anyone who wishes can someday experience them first-hand.

Our defunct grain elevators and steel mills located along the waterfront are not just part of Buffalo’s history but important pieces of human history. They tell the story of industrial development from its beginning to its collapse in the Northeastern United States. We are fortunate these relics have not been ripped down completely. In fact, they sit waiting for nature to reclaim the land and for humans to dream up plans for their creative reuse. Making a continuous park out of the ruins of grain elevators and steel mills may seem like an impossible idea but actually it has been done under similar stressful conditions in the Ruhr Valley of Germany. To see how Germany turned around the most degraded land in Europe, just Google “Emscher Park.”"

~Elizabeth Leader, Leader Artworks
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Ryan, Tim, and Paul Kucinski's Illuminating Idea for the Arena

4/25/2012

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An excerpt from one of the many illuminating ideas for the City of Buffalo by the Kucinski brothers: 
Lack of an overall fan experience has curtailed visits to the foot of Washington Street for a number of years, due in large part to a lack of entertainment options other than the actual game itself (and now the Party in the Plaza before many home games) while the abundance of parking creates a seemingly desolate landscape. During days where an event is not being held, the area surrounding the arena is flat pavement, with no aesthetic appeal. Even on days where an event is being held, the only difference is that cars now fill the empty spaces. Aside from There is nothing to see and nothing to do around the arena aside from attending the event … The first project would consist of the creation of a number of statues leading fans to the arena along either Washington or Perry Streets. The statues would feature the great Sabres players and icons of the past and would be able to add more in the future.  Examples could be: a statue of the French Connection celebrating their achievements, Luce and Ramsey, LaFontaine and Mogilny or Schoenfield and Korab. Another option to the group statutes could be statues of individuals like Dominic Hasek making one of his trademark sprawling saves, Rob Ray ripping his pads off during a fight, and Punch Imlach, standing famously with his hat perched up on his head with one foot on the boards.

~Ryan, Tim, and Paul Kucinski

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Jacob Pastwik's Illuminating Idea for Buffalo's Waterfront

4/3/2012

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An excerpt from one of Jacob Pastwik's many illuminating ideas for the City of Buffalo: 
...Find ways to construct a waterfront lodge (something similar to a ski lodge) within the inner harbor area complete with a large wood burning chimney upon which a carved stone Buffalo graces the stack. This could be an epicenter of activity for the Labatt Pond Hockey tourney and other winter events.

In the summer the lodge can be the epicenter of activity for the field games that have caught on down there. Ive said in other places I think a professional Kan Jam (regionally unique) ground would be amazing there. The lodge, similar to a ski resort would also be complemented with public restrooms and food services establishments, maybe some retail or local interest museums, etc...
~Jacob Pastwik
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Danielle Huber's Illuminating Idea for the City of Buffalo

3/28/2012

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Here is an excerpt from Danielle Huber's illuminating idea for the City of Buffalo: ...Buffalo needs to stop building new and start using old. New ideas can and should use old buildings. The architecture, intricate detail, and workmanship put into Buffalo’s old buildings are irreplaceable. “Newness, and its superficial gloss of well being, is a very perishable commodity,” Jane Jacobs. This is especially true if our economy does not ascent in the near future like we hope.  The buildings that we are blessed to boast would make great “homes” for new business and when the economy is on a rise again and companies run out of old buildings to occupy then that is when new buildings can be weaved into the old. In the meantime, we have so many vacant buildings that are falling victim to the demolition machine.  The incubation stage of a small business should take place in a reused building, one with affordable rent.  Once that business grows, it may then afford to rehab or even build new... ~Danielle Huber   
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Dreaming of A Better Buffalo by Kristin Dudish

3/22/2012

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Here is an excerpt from Kristin Dudish's illuminating ideas: My personal vision is to someday convert a vacant building downtown into an artistic hub of creative thinking (and doing).  I would love to create a gallery/shop/studio space that showcases local artists talents.  It would also serve as a place for artists and volunteers to gather, discuss, and organize potential mural projects to aid in the beautification and revitalization of Buffalo.  (During the very gray days of winter, some added color could definitely give the city a boost.)
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Alan J. Bedenko's Idea for the City of Light

3/15/2012

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Here is an excerpt of Alan Bedenko's Illuminating Idea for
the upcoming book:...But our fundamental problem isn’t that complicated to diagnose. We have too much government, and too many governments. Too many elected officials, too many appointees. Too many entities with the power to spend, regulate, and tax. Our myria...d, byzantine bureaucracies throw up too many roadblocks and produce so much red tape that average citizens can barely navigate this system they own...We overthrew our feudal lords in the 18th century. So, why have they been allowed to set up shop here? More pointedly - why do we allow them to do it?...
~Alan J. Bedenko, Writer at Artvoice
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One of Steve Balesteri's Illuminating Ideas

3/12/2012

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_...This city already has a lot going for it and we simply need to utilize our
strengths.  We are in a prime location on the water with Canada only
minutes away and developing the waterfront and downtown areas will
encourage tourism not just from Americans but Canadians as well.

Another strength is Buffalo’s culturally diverse population.  This population has very strong ethnic roots, as shown by the many well-attended cultural festivals.  I believe this pride in their heritage should not only be celebrated and recognized  just once a year at an annual festival, but all year round.  This could be done by the creation of a cultural center.  This center would a meeting place for individuals to celebrate their heritage as well as providing them with the opportunity to learn about other cultures.  It would feature different ethnic restaurants, live music and dancing as well as a museum aspect to it where people could learn about the history of the city and where its people came from.   It could even grow to include classes teaching languages and perhaps even ethnic traditions such as dance, cooking and the arts.  I believe a center such as this would be a wonderful addition to the waterfront.  This would provide both a tourist attraction to those visiting Buffalo to learn about our rich culture and also a place for residents to visit.  It could also be a great attraction for students and class field trips.  What better place for teachers to take their students than to a center celebrating diversity?...

~Steve Balesteri
Director of Member Grant Items/Community Liaison
Senator Mark Grisanti -New York State, 60th District
_
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A Spaceship and some thoughts about Illuminating Ideas by Ran Webber

3/7/2012

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    Praise the human condition and its highly evolved physiognomy for giving
almost everyone born with a Human cranium and filled with a human brain, from idiot to genius, an innate ability to conceive of an idea or two.  In fact,  everyday Human activity, however mundane, is filled with bright ideas and their resulting decisions. A restaurant menu is a list of ideas from which the reality of your selection results in a meal.  Some brains are filled with too many
ideas, so much so, that seldom does any of them develop substance and have
little chance of becoming a reality. The phenomenon of creating something from nothing does indeed separate the Person of Action/Inventor from the
philosopher/dreamer.
    Simply having an idea of a descriptive sentence or two might be
referred as brain gas or just something right off the top of one's head. A great
idea or even just a good idea needs to contemplated, researched, loved, fed with creative energy, caressed and developed with clarity during gestation 
There needs to be an evolution and a path of developed thinking that makes up
any worthy idea. An idea almost necessitates a problem and a resulting solution.  After all, giving birth to an idea may require time, dedication and
responsibility, staying with it to see that it grows and develops from the time
when the light bulb first flashed on. It needn't be switched off after just a
few cobbled words are thrown together. I think that an idea needs to be
convincing, vivifying, enlightening and even magical to its audience. No one
will take up an idea that apparently has little or no developed thought, no
genuine excitement or no creative energy. Ideas need to be finely crafted. When
presenting a great idea, the audience wants to see a great solution rather than
just a few babbled words. Everyone and his brother has those kinds of ideas. I
am also saying that a good idea necessarily does not have to be mentally  complicated or compelling, case in point - the paperclip or a roll of toilet  paper. Elegant solutions are born out of elegant ideas. After many years of  working in the arts, engineering and architecture I know well the mental process and the discipline of bringing forth something out of nothing. It takes some work!
   One Idea that just comes straight off the top of my head is this one  -  We should all build a very large Spaceship and get the heck out of here before the ? hits the fan. Are there any illuminating ideas about what the ? is, or, how it could be adaptively re-used to power the Spaceship? 

~Ran Webber
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John Montague's Idea for Buffalo for the 21st Century

2/21/2012

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It is critical to  Buffalo's revival that we  reshape our own image to  reflect more realistically not only what we are but what we can be. For too long we have left this to  others.  We not only need to paint a more truthful picture of the City and the people but  we need to aggressively and energetically display and propagate it.  While we should not abandon the numerous  economic  incentives and strategies we have practiced for years,  exploiting  Buffalo as an extremely desirable place to live and work should be a priority. And beyond the  verbal rhetoric aptly crafted in the new CVB slogan " Buffalo For Real," we need to SHOW  Buffalo. Imagination  deals through "images." and  it is through "images/pictures" that   the fortunes and reputation of the city will turn.  It is of paramount importance that we  consciously and  deliberately replace the media images of snow and rust with more realistic and positive icons which more truly define us. ~John Montague Director of the Buffalo Maritime Center _
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Joseph Randazzo's Illuminating Idea

2/11/2012

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Another idea pertaining to the Skyway...if we assume the Skyway is here to stay, there are ways to beautify it to make it blend in to its surroundings better and add functionality. Create a 'Hanging Garden' by hanging plants and/or colorful flowers from the beams underneath the Skyway. And, add a series of multi-level decks to each pillar where people could sit and sip coffee, work on their computer, play chess, or just watch the sunset.
~Joseph Randazzo

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