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v5n23 > june 8-14, 2006

Greed AND THE DEMOLITION OF


THE H-O OATS ELEVATOR
WHAT YOU’RE BEING SOLD,
WHO’S SELLING IT AND WHY
BY BRUCE JACKSON > PAGE 12

GETTING A GRIP ART MUSIC


AN INCONVENIENT WEAVING SYMBIOTIC
MOVIE BETWEEN THE LINES CIRCUS
AL GORE: THE PAUL JOHN MCQUEEN AT THE ALLENTOWN ARTS FESTIVAL &
REVERE OF GLOBAL WARMING NINA FREUDENHEIM GALLERY ITS HOMEGROWN ALTERNATIVES
BY MICHAEL I. NIMAN > PAGE 10 BY GERALD MEAD > PAGE 18 BY BUCK QUIGLEY > PAGE 36
june 8 - 14, 2006 | | 1
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7530 Transit Rd Williamsville 565-0105 ��������������
mon-thu 11am-10pm | fri-sat 11am-10:30pm | sun 11:30am-9pm �������������
www.lastoltecas.com

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SORRY BUT THIS OFFER MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER COUPONS OR DISCOUNTS. PLEASE PRESENT COUPON WHEN
PLACING ORDER. LIMIT ONE PER PARTY, PER VISIT. DINE IN ONLY. DOES NOT INCLUDE BEVERAGE. EXPIRES 6-30-06.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN BOOTH


Courtyard of Trinity Church | 371 Delaware Ave.| 6:30 - 9:30 PM

Courtyard Concert Series


Tickets: 852-8314 | Fri-$10 & Sat-$20 (includes dinner) | Kids 1/2 price

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JUNE 9: �����������������������������������������
■ GOOD NEWS ABOUT North Buffalo, old Precinct 17 hasn’t �
THE BLUES been occupied by the Buffalo Police for Omnkara & Friends
years and gray years. But now there’s a Ravi, Anneal and Naryan Padmanabha, Krista Seddon, Ed Woods
New bicycle lending system is up new shift in the place, and it’s not the
and riding boys in blue. Rather it’s the bikes in JUNE 10: ���������������������������������������
blue—Buffalo Blue Bicycle, an innova-
tive, bicycle-lending program dedicated The BioCentrics
Of all the police stations I’ve spent a
Thursday night in, this one was by far
to making bike transportation accessible
to every Buffalo resident.
Gregory Horn, John Allen, Rick McRae, Ed Handman
Douglas Lambert, John Bacon, Ringo Brill
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the weirdest. It was dank and poorly
The idea for Blue Bicycle was hatched
lit, with the metal skeletons of bicycles
by Justin Booth, a soft-spoken giant of
pouring out of every room, hallway and
a man who works in City Hall, at the
closet. The dust looked like it settled on �����������������������������������������������������������
Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo &
the place 30 years ago and nobody ever WNY. He saw a similar program—Bike-
decided to sweep it away. �������������������������������������������������������
Share—in Toronto and saw the poten-
At the corner of Colvin and Linden in tial benefits of such a program here.
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june 8 - 14, 2006 | | 15


“It’s a healthy, economical and environ- it this way: “I’m hoping we can work on here, roped in by Booth or an interest in ten on the wall in the same black magic
mentally sustainable way to get around, the honor system. I’m hoping that when bikes, they all have a common purpose: marker as the sign in the window, they
and the workshops are great community- people take ownership of the program to make the program succeed. They are are straightforward and leave no room
builders, too,” Booth says. by either volunteering or donating some unassuming and jovial, happy to wel- for question. Certain things are expect-
That’s what I’d arrived for, at Booth’s in- money, they’re more likely to honor the come whoever shows up and quick to
ed of those who use the shop: “You can
vitation: a Thursday night Blue Bicycle system than abuse it.” give pointers to the unsure.
only fix your own bicycle if you build a
workshop. When I arrived, the sulking Such optimism has already carried this A typical night at the workshop involves Blue Bicycle first!” “Tubes, cables, brake
police station looked squat and deserted program pretty far, judging by the con- working on Blue Bicycles and, for the
pads, chains are for Blue Bicycles! If you
in the pre-dusk twilight. Closer inspec- tents of Precinct 17. The “grand tour” uninitiated, the chance to learn bicycle
tion revealed a cardboard sign stuck takes me past spare parts that hang from maintenance hands-on. They’ll start need one you can make a donation or go
up in the window with “Buffalo Blue Bi- every probable fixture, and some that you off by having you take a bicycle to a bike shop.” In other words, in this
cycle” scrawled in black magic marker. aren’t so probable. One room holds a completely apart and reassembling it. effort the self is left behind and the com-
This wasn’t going to be the lycra-wear- Pisa-like tower of bicycles of all shapes Once you get the hang of which parts do munity comes first.
ing, make-you-feel-stupid, gearhead set, and sizes, to be broken down and used what, they’ll teach you the finer points
There are currently only six hubs in the
that was clear from the get-go. A case for parts and scrap. A closet holds noth- of maintaining a bike. But this night was
of Molson just inside the door and a ing but rims and wheels. Just past the different; major capital improvements city, four along downtown Main Street
warm hello from Booth confirmed that. small workshop area, the bathroom even were in the works by way of a new bike and two on the Buffalo Niagara Medical
“Come on in, I’ll take you on the grand has spare parts scattered around in it. rack. We drank and talked and laughed Campus. “This year we’re just trying to
tour,” he said. But the real treasure room is in the back. and worked until the rack was complete, start up small, get the program up and
The system works like this: To become a That’s where all of the assembled blue continuing what has become a year-and- running, work out the kinks to make
member, one either gives a donation of bicycles lie in waiting. Along the right- a-half-long labor of love for this group. sure it operates properly,” Booth says.
$25 or volunteers six hours of his time hand wall, the Frankenstein bikes rest in Though Booth came across BikeShare Thanks to a $25,000 federal CMAQ
to the Blue Bike cause in any capacity, a long row on a two-tier bike rack. The four years ago, he really started pushing
(Congestion Mitigation Air Quality)
whether it be fixing bikes, building racks bikes aren’t grotesque in any way, just for Blue Bicycle in the last year and a
or doing administrative work. Once he’s full of character. Spare parts from hun- half. The Buffalo Niagara Medical Cam- grant, Blue Bicycle will be growing by
done that, the fleet of bicycles works like dreds of scrapped bikes adorn each Blue pus was an early sponsor, with its Active leaps and bounds next year. The Depart-
a lending library. Each member gets a Bicycle, meaning that each is unique in Living By Design Grant. That grant was ment of Transportation will use the mon-
username and password to sign into the terms of its handlebars, seat, tires, reflec- focused on increasing physical activity ey to build 36 new bike racks this winter,
Web site (www.buffalobluebicycle.org), tors—everything. But they’re all painted and making environmental changes that which will allow Blue Bicycle the chance
where he can check out a bicycle from a sleek, bright, metallic blue, which lends would encourage physical modes of tran- to spread its reach across the city. And at
the nearest hub. Armed with a descrip- them a proud, reliable look. sit, like cycling and walking. Since then, Precinct 17, where things were winding
tion of the bike and the combination The assembled volunteers were a seem- the Medical Campus has continued to down around 11pm, the fleet will con-
to its lock, he can retrieve it and ride it ingly rag-tag bunch, as mismatched support Blue Bicycle, printing its bro-
wherever and whenever for up to two chures and helping cover its insurance tinue to grow, piece by flawed piece.
and individual as the bikes. There are
days. After returning the bike to any of three bike shop mechanics—Ryan Ray- costs. Buffalo Place and Keep Western
the Blue Bike hubs, he simply checks it berg and Jake Bajdas from Rick’s Cycle New York Beautiful have been key part-
back in through the Web site. ners in the effort, too. For more information, visit the Blue Bi-
Shop, and Tom Weber from Campus cycle Web site at www.buffalobluebicycle.
And there’s the rub—it’s based on the Wheelworks—bike tinkerer Ed Lang, That’s what everyone becomes who joins
org or call Justin Booth at 851-4052.
honor system. Booth, a clear-eyed ideal- arts development officer Lauren Mitch- Blue Bicycle—a partner in the effort. The
ist and first-generation Buffalonian, sees ell and Booth. However they ended up shop rules are an apt illustration. Writ- —peter koch

16 | | june 8 - 14, 2006

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