Bethlehem Steel

The last few days I've been hanging around just over the Buffalo border in Lackawanna, site of one of the last remaining vestiges of the days when steel was king and tens of thousands of people were employed in the mills. The work was hard, dirty, and very dangerous, but yet provided a steady paycheck, and a better life.

When the mills started shutting down, those who apparently could not land a job in any of the factories took up the company stance that the wages were too high. But people were getting sick and dying, and instead of shrugging it off as part of the job, they were starting to wonder why the plant didn't do more to protect the workers.  Environmental standards were making an appearance, and it was cheaper to import foreign steel, where standards in air quality, worker safety, and wages were/are non-existent.

As long as the administration building stands, it's not too late. Call the Mayor of Lackawanna and express a preference for repair and preservation instead of demolition with no plans for the vacant lot.  Lackawanna has a lot of those.  Of course, not everyone feels that way. Some see it as a symbol of promises not kept, capitalist greed linked with disregard for the common worker, jobs gone that will not return. Tear it down...like they'll ever forget.

These last few days it's been like a vigil, with people coming and going in shifts. Some are preservationists, both those who have been adamant about saving and preserving history and heritage for a while now, .and those younger, awakening to what is around them and what it means.

Then there are those who spent part or maybe a good portion of their lives in the mills. Some reminisce, some just come and look, perhaps taking a mental roll call of their co-workers...how they were then...how things are now...

There are places I'll remember

All my life, though some have changed

Some forever, not for better

Some have gone, and some remain

All these places have their moments

With (people) and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life, I've loved them all...

It's not living in the past...it's respecting the past, our heritage, our history, and looking to integrate it as we move forward.

Past the Eve of Destruction

The City of Buffalo recently announced plans for the demolition of  ten commercial properties. Should have been eight, since two are gone already. Still possessing very solid structural bones, the Brecker Building at 630 High Street did not want to come down...

...while the Marlowe Theater, located at 257 Virginia Street yielded a bit more easily. Although the interior was largely intact (but bearing the scars of looting and neglect), perhaps the indignity of its facade being plastered over, along with tacky graffiti, allowed it to go with barely a whimper...

Pretty soon all that will be left are books like Buffalo's Legacy of Power and Might (by Michael F. Rizzo) that document the commercial buildings that once upon a time provided livelihoods for so many.

On the Preservation-Ready Sites page on Facebook someone made a comment to the effect that it was too bad that these buildings couldn't be offered for a dollar to those who demonstrated a solid business plan. Therein seems to lie the problem. Many of the soon to be demolished are large factories, and there just isn't much call for them anymore, at least not in Buffalo, or anywhere in the United States.  Even the Sunbelt loses out to foreign countries that pay much lower wages, have largely unacceptable working conditions, and even lower environmental standards.

However, it isn't just factories that have taken the hit. Not just cities either. Every town has vacant storefronts as people with a dollar and a dream find it difficult to make a go of independent enterprise. The people who once frequented them have been replaced by machines or computers in the workplace, or their jobs outsourced.  Even those in some legal professions have found some jobs being delegated to foreign competitors who can look up info online that used to take in-person legwork and research.

Strip Malls...let's just say that they keep those in the construction industry busy.  Housing is much the same.  Build shiny new with prefab parts as long as they have plenty of amenities, while available housing sits vacant.  Bigger is better in some circles, although I wonder what is eventually going to happen to the existing McMansions when those who can afford them always build new...

Even the agricultural sector is not exempt.  Vacant farmland abounds, as smaller farms struggle to continue, usually in a family tradition.  Empty fields lead to new subdivisions in many cases (see above), and a way of life is lost. Towns have had to resort to setting aside greenspace before everything is paved over.

Things change, and always have. Younger generations are not always interested in the companies or farms that previous generations built. Bigger corporations have bought out, stripped assets, and shut down many a business.  Trouble is, not much is taking its place. Even if localities made it easier for new business to take over existing places, is there a market?  Maybe they could try it and find out.

Well now, that was nice and depressing, eh? As is the seemingly endless stream of abandoned and shovel ready sites...

Some Saturday Snark

Often I find snide remarks floating through my head as I read articles in the newspaper. Today was no exception. Cases in point:

1. While gleefully reporting on the demolition of buildings in Buffalo (more on this later) it seems that there is a handy list of buzzwords that must be inserted into every article. Dilapidated. Crumbling. Blight. Eyesore. Today's article in the News was no exception, but the writer forgot a perennial: Decrepit. Better do a rewrite, or people will think you're getting sentimental or something.

2. Why is it that suburban police have to keep reminding people with cars (just about everyone) to keep their valuables out of sight or remove them to avoid theft?  Why do they have to keep telling people to lock the doors and (the real knee-slapper) to take their keys out of the ignition?  The common response seems to be a flippant toss of the head or a fist shake along with "I shouldn't have to", like it's the police who aren't doing their jobs as opposed to carelessness and/or sloth. Most vehicles come with a key fob thing that has one button for "lock" and another for "unlock". Use it.

3. I'm thinking that there really aren't any "hitmen for hire" in the area.  An awful lot of would be employers seem to end up busted by undercover cops when pursuing this route. Live and let live would be a better mantra...that and quit doing stuff that leads to conniving to erase people.

4.  Political firing was in retaliation...this is news??

May 4, 1970

A Teachable Moment

When my kids were small there would be occasions when perhaps something got broken or spilled or, more generally, sibling strife would break out and accusations as to who did what flooded my airwaves. I didn't strive to get to the bottom of the situation for the most part, wasn't all that interested in who could portray being the victim most effectively, nor was I interested in interpreting the stony glares they might throw at each other should they decide to go mute. They were both assessed the same penalty (usually a time-out or early bed time) because the bottom line was that the whole brouhaha was unacceptable. Smart kids, they learned quickly to cease with objectionable behavior.

This works well within the immediate family. When other kids from the neighborhood are involved, there may be conflicting philosophies as to resolutions.  You can only deal with your own and then get on with life, hopefully a little wiser.

On a related note, there are team sports such as lacrosse, and those in the elementary through high school levels seek to build character, discipline, skill, along with the concept of teamwork. As a team they win together and lose together. They can also develop collect amnesia together. Just as one would hope that a coach would not see fit to single out individual players for shame and blame when things go downhill (professional sports seem to toss that out the window), I see no reason to look to publicly scapegoat individual players for what seems to be a breakdown in good sportsmanship during team play.

As such, when reading about the Clarence Middle School girls lacrosse team four game suspension of competitive play, I'm not looking to ladle blame on individual kids that may have picked up certain thought processes in the home, from peers, via media related sources or wherever. In fact, it would seem parents are looking at it as an indictment of themselves, which they should not (unless the shoe fits, of course). They also should not hire lawyers or lurch from reporter to reporter seeking to exonerate themselves...I mean, their kids. This is a teachable moment and they should accept it as such. The school superintendent should not back down either.

The lesson to be learned is about basic civility.  One only needs to browse about reading comments left on stories, including coverage of this one, to know that for some it was a lesson not learned.

It could be argued that the other team from another district should undergo personal enrichment/diversity/politeness classes themselves, and that may be so. However, one can only deal with one's own "family".  They're smart kids. They'll learn quickly to cease with objectionable behavior and become better citizens in the long run.

Update: It seems that doing the dignified thing is a low priority when faced with irate parents, pressure, and threat of lawsuits..."lily-livered" comes to mind....another teachable moment, in a manner of speaking....

Update#2: Maybe I should have read the whole article first...at least they are currently still scheduled to receive diversity/enrichment/civility training after all, and that's a good thing...might even be the most important thing.

Forest Lawn Wildlife and Still Life

So, continuing on with the subject of Forest Lawn...What?  It's been a few months? Time flies...and so do Canadian geese...While WGRZ has a goose watch cam set up on their site of a goose nesting in a sculpture around Mirror Lake,I've had a few goose run-ins myself, the first being the most memorable.

So there I was, walking briskly and minding my own business, when suddenly to the right of me I hear this loud sound, like a helicopter "whoomphwhoomphwhoompph" and I freak out a bit and end up somehow standing on one leg with my arm around my head, all kind of curled up in a protective stance, like that would have helped.  A guard goose! I yelled at him that he was being rude and tried to walk away, but made the mistake of turning my back..."whoophwhoomphwhoomph"...Geesh!! I backed away after that, keeping an eye on him.

The next day I came back with my camera. I'm prepared.  However, come to find out that as soon as I heard the sound and whipped around, the goose got all casual...well, except for the neck thing...that means he's got an attitude...

...also vocalizes said attitude a bit when he decides to try the in your face intimidation routine....

A step in his direction though, and the casual act returns...until I turned my back....Put it this way...he's fast...but maybe you get the idea...

A few weeks later maybe I finally found the urn he was protecting, and everyone had flown the coop...he did a good job distracting me, that's for sure.

Meanwhile, the past few days have seen eggs hatching all over the place.  I saw at least 5 goose families around and about...

...the ducks just hanging out, watching the festivities...

One time the resident deer accompanied me for quite a while as I was walking about, but I didn't have my camera...rarely do when I see him...

Some wild turkeys were hanging around in the Fall...cars do not impress them...

Also saw a groundhog, then saw his burrow, and finally saw him peeking out...with the zoom on the camera! Not sticking my face that close!

Nearby, some still life...

...somewhat similar, a sphinx is in another section...

...and as long as I'm posting pictures from Forest Lawn, the headstone of Edward Austin Kent, who perished on the Titanic...

....that overlooks Mirror Lake...you know, back where this post started...and ends...

Craig Hoppe RIP

Clarence alumnus ('79) Chris Hoppe has passed away.  Rest in peace.

From the Buffalo News:

HOPPE - Craig F. Died April 23, 2012, at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital after a long, hard-fought battle with Multiple Myeloma. Craig retained to the end his incredible will to live, his independence, his interest in the world, family and friends, and his unique wit and good humor.

Craig lived in Clarence Center from the age of 2, and graduated from Clarence Central High in 1979. He enlisted in the army and served a tour of duty in Germany. He worked in roofing, construction and manufacturing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick and Shirley Hoppe; his brother Philip and his sister Jane Hoppe Schreiner; he is survived by his sister Pamela; brother-in-law Craig Schreiner, sister-in-law Leila Hoppe; three nieces and two nephews. A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 5 at 11:30 AM at Zion Lutheran Church, 9535 Clarence Center Road.

Share online condolences at www.beachtuynfh.com

Janet Parr RIP

Back in the day, in the years shortly after high school, Clarence alumna ('73) Janet Parr and I inhabited a few of the same places before going on our separate ways. I know from Facebook that she passed away in March, but not much else....

Ride free, Janet, with the eternal wind...