What a day. The skies went from sunny and clear to partly foggy to really foggy and back to clear again, all within just a few hours. I couldn’t see City Hall from my office, a mere three or four blocks away, but hours later the sky above the Albright was crystal clear and lovely. Now if I could only focus…

Sunday afternoon’s late-winter chill was no match for the hardy people of Buffalo, who lined Delaware Avenue by the thousands to watch the 2007 St. Patrick’s Day parade. The parade featured marching bands, bagpipes, Irish dancers, kilts, and green green green everywhere you looked. It was a great day to be Irish, even if, like me, you’re only 1/16 Irish. To see photos from the St. Patrick’s Day parade visit www.realdreamcabaret.com/spp07.htm.

Filmmakers Kelly Spivey and Stephanie Gray will present new work (in
person) at Squeaky Wheel!

Squeaky Wheel is proud to welcome internationally exhibited
filmmakers Kelly Spivey and Stephanie Gray back to Buffalo with their
new film and video work. Spivey will present a new half-hour long
piece called FISH UNDER DELANCEY and Stephanie Gray will present her
latest New York City Films titled THE ULTIMATE CITY: DEAR NEW YORK:
CITY FILMS 2004-2007, which includes THIS IS MY FLUSHING FILM and YOU
KNOW, THAT SIDE STREET.

Kelly Spivey comments on her new film "Fish Under Delancey":
"Traveling from Flushing to Manhattan via the subway, as well as
throughout NYC, I became entranced by the tile murals that line many
subway platforms. The tunneling of the subways through bedrock and
beneath the city, the people who ride the subway, the sound of a
screeching train, and the slogan, "If you see something, say
something" inspired this stop-motion, eavesdropping, dreamlike
journey film.  The film also follows the poet and writer Eileen Myles
on parts of the journey."

Stephanie Gray, who made many short super 8 city symphony films when
she lived in Buffalo (indeed it was Buffalo's ragged urban landscape
that inspired her to make city films to begin with), will show a
selection of new super 8 city films made in NYC since she moved there
in early 2004.  Since getting involved with Squeaky as a volunteer in
1997 through her time working there until early '04, Stephanie
learned and later refined a particular style which exploited the
unique qualities of super 8 filmmaking.  Her Buffalo city film-poems
often show desolate and lonely parts of Buffalo, as well as
demolitions, countless for sale signs and urban neglect, through an
eclectic style of rhythm and feeling, intuitive filmmaking, all
edited in camera.  However, her new NYC films still hold the same
frantic and slow movement and iconoclastic style, but the frame is
crowded with thriving neighborhoods, odd parts of the city and still,
an eye for the slightly forlorn in the middle of one of the most
celebrated cities of the world.

THE ULTIMATE CITY: DEAR NEW YORK: CITY FILMS 2004-2007 by Stephanie Gray:
More Bread Forever (2004, 7min., b/w, color, super 8 on video) The
last days of a legendary Bakery in Greenwich Village.  the owner kept
the spare keys of customers for them. popular mermaid parade in
forlorn coney island (2004, b/w, 7min, world premiere) These are
several reels I shot back to back.  While everyone knows about Coney
Island, it's true colors shine when you're just past the glitter.
With theo of the lunachicks and moby as king & queen. I bought the
last 4 bagels at jon vie pastries (2004-05, 7 min, b/w/color) I did,
before it too closed. Governor's Island (2005, 7 min, color) A
distorted view made strange from the boat to this long forgotten
island that recently opened up to the public after the military left
it years ago.  What does the magic silver sparkle really mean, at the
end? This is my Flushing Film (2005, 7 min, color) This neighborhood,
once the home to fictional character Archie Bunker, could be mistaken
for a faraway place, but little bits of clues here and there should
tell you it's in Queens USA. hearts in ny (2006, color, 3 min) While
setting out to make a valentine's day film in the east village, the
filmmaker discovered hearts were everywhere, and she wouldn't have to
film any special displays.  It was weird.  I ran into a fellow
classmate poetry project class by chance who held up the title sheet.
you know, that side street (2006, color/bw, 7 min) Everyone's after
that something on that side street. After doing my taxes around here
(2006, color, 3 min) Silver pom-pom in trees, how many things do you
see just standing, looking 360 degrees?  Numbers magically relate to
taxes.

• HSBC has several immediate job openings. 2 are senior developer positions (consultants) and the other is a management position. If you are interested, please click here.

• Check out Brainstorm Buffalo for job listings.

• Rich Products New Job Openings:
• Benefits Specialist,
• Lab Attendant,
• Manager of International Operations - Finance
• Business Process Consultant

• M&T Bank announced that it is moving 230 jobs downtown from the suburbs.  250 of the employees are moving into a new building on Delaware Avenue.  M&T has 5,200 employees in WNY, including more than 2,800 jobs in downtown Buffalo.

• According to the State Labor Department, a surge in hiring at schools and health care firms helped the Buffalo Niagara region start the year with its strongest monthly job growth in more than two years.

• According to a Report issued by McGraw-Hill, Inc., contracts for future construction in Erie and Niagara counties soared 27% in January, totaling $66.1 million.  Compared to $51.9 million in January 2006.

• UB’s supercomputer already ranked at number #7 on the top 500 list of the world’s fastest machines has been upgraded to 13 trillion calculations per second.  High-end computing is a critical tool for engineering, physics and other fields.  UB’s supercomputer which is utilized by local businesses is among an exclusive group in terms of computing power.

• The 190 acre Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park, once a contaminated brownfield is now home to two companies.  Certain Teed Corp. and Cobey Inc. that employ 350 workers.  The park, through the purchase of additional land is growing by another 60 acres, making available more land to turn into shovel ready development sites.

• Forbes magazine rated Buffalo Number 1 among cities for affordable cost of living.  While we still have a long way to go in terms of jobs, Buffalo did move up 5 places for its jobs ranking.

• Orchard Park has a TV network called Bridges TV that employes 25 people.  Started in 2004, Bridges TV is available on cable and satellite outlets across the U.S. and Canada.

*Thanks to Paul Wolf, Chief of Staff for the Buffalo Common Council for this info!

On Wednesday, March 28, 2007, the public is invited to
learn first-hand about initiatives for improving upstate New York's
economy from one of the state's key economic development leaders. In one
of his first personal appearances in the area, Daniel Gundersen, the new
Upstate Chair of the Empire State Development Corporation, will speak at
the second Buffalo City Forum and buffet luncheon on Wednesday, March 28
at 12:15 pm. After a brief presentation, Gundersen will answer written
questions presented by audience members.

This quarterly speaker series is produced by WNED-AM 970 and Leadership
Buffalo and is sponsored by Independent Health. The hour-long FORUM will
be broadcast live (on WNED-AM and wned.org/AM) from the WNED studios in
downtown Buffalo, beginning at 1 pm. WNED-AM News Director Jim Ranney
will host.

Governor Eliot Spitzer nominated Gundersen to his new Buffalo-based post
in January. As Upstate Co-Chair, he is responsible for implementing
Governor Spitzer's strategies to revitalize the upstate economy that
include improving the business climate, developing strategic industries
and revitalizing diverse communities.

Previously, as Executive Deputy Secretary of Pennsylvania's Department
of Community and Economic Development, Gundersen directed operations
that exceeded $665 million annually. He also led Pennsylvania's
international business development office as well as global
competitiveness strategies. Prior to that, Gundersen was part of the
economic team that helped guide Maryland into the top tier in the nation
for economic growth.

Buffalo City Forum events are $20 ($15 for members of WNED or Leadership
Buffalo). Advanced registration is encouraged; RSVPs must be received by
Monday, March 26.  Tickets can be purchased by contacting Leadership
Buffalo at 716-849-2626, ext. 17 or by writing to
shiller@leadershipbuffalo.org.   Please note: Lunch is served from 12:15
pm to 12:45 pm.  The live BUFFALO CITY FORUM radio broadcast begins at 1
pm, so attendees must be seated by 12:45 pm.

BUFFALO CITY FORUM is made possible by the support of Independent
Health, the lead sponsor, and the vision and support of Hunt Real
Estate, M&T Bank and Phillips Lytle LLP.

If you haven’t checked this out, it’s worth the 2+ minutes on youtube!

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What does it mean? Find out HERE.