Challenger Community News

B E Y O N D T H E T U R K E Y & D R E S S I N G : T H E T R U E S T O R Y B E H I N D T H A N K S G I V I N G Page 10

Group Images by Street Legacy / Darvin Adams

November 16, 2023 | FREE

VISIONARY! Mayor’s Mentor Up! Gala Delivers Inspiration to Rochester’s Youth Page 2

Buffalo Urban League To Build New $25 Million Headquarters on the East Side! Page 3

Thanksgiving Giveaways Continue! Page 9

Buffalo Mass Shooting Lawsuit Goes to Court This Week Page 7

For Blacks In Buffalo Home Ownership Is Still A Distant Goal Page 5

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INSIDE ROCHESTER

Mayor's Mentor UP! Gala Delivers Inspiration to Rochester's Youth ast weekend, Mayor Malik L Evans hosted the Mayor's Mentor UP! Gala and welcomed

some of Rochester’s brightest young minds to the Penthouse at One East Avenue to connect with established community role models in a formal and enjoyable setting. Leaders shared their experiences and advice during “Mentor UP! Moments.” Fostering mentorships between community leaders and city youth is the goal of Mentor Up! One highlight of the evening was the raffle of prizes, including dance classes at Borinquen Dance Theatre, GEVA Theatre vouchers, a Bluetooth speaker from T-Mobile, a gift basket from the Roc City Skate Park, and lunch with Mayor Evans. Regional Transit Service donated bus passes so transportation would not be an issue for any young leader who wished to participate.

“This Gala not only celebrated city youth who are doing the right thing, it also provided an opportunity for them to connect with established leaders and to encourage the development of relationships that could lead to brighter futures,” said Mayor Evans. “Our community’s progress rests on the potential of young minds, and we are giving them the tools they need to succeed; to turn their hopes and dreams into reality.”

“Everybody here tonight has something to offer whether it’s experience or knowledge to give the kids for a mentor program,” said Jake Bishop. “We want them to see that there's hope out there. For as many bad things as you see on the news, there’s ten other ones going on right now that are just as important that are good and we want to be able to show that.”

The Mayor's Mentor UP! Gala was made possible by the support of community agencies, area colleges, and business leaders, affirming the community’s dedication to nurturing the next generation of leaders. nThe local chapters of international fraternities, including Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Kappa Alpha Psi volunteered.

Feed The Village to Host 1st Annual Community Feast The Community Feast is a community Feast for all. Feed The Village plans to feed 100 people and perhaps more on Wednesday November 22 from 3-6 p.m. at the Flint Street Recreation Center.

Hot food and grocery items will be given away. The goal is to connect with folks thru food, but to also provide the historic narrative that our people are native to this land and we must come together to celebrate this point.

FEED THE VILLAGE people is #COMMUNITYJUSTICEINITIATIVE. We are a AFRIKAN, Aboriginal and Black Centered nation building team.

We strive to improve the lives of Melanated folks in each area of Black life. We do FEED THE VILLAGE every two weeks. This has been the case since June 18, 2020.

Why? To reduce hunger. Reduce poverty. Restore families and to improve the quality of life for Melanated people.

BLACK POWER MARKETPLACE CJI is back with the Black Power Marketplace on Sunday, November 26, 2023, 113p.m. at 803 West Avenue, Rochester, NY. We believe cooperative economics is crucial to stabilizing our communities. We practice Ujamaa daily.

Adult Vendors are $35 and youth vendors are $20. We ask that vendors who want to register email communityjusticeinitiative@gmail. com and provide: name, contact info, description of your business and pictures necessary for promotion previous to the event. Payment can be made via Cash App ($CJI520), Zelle or PayPal. If you would like to volunteer for face painting, child activities, serving snacks, hosting, pre-event promotion please hit up Diallo Payne at 585-355-7884.

Be Thankful and Give When You Can

Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

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Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

AREA BRIEFS

Visionary! Buffalo Urban League Announces Plans to Build $25 Million Headquarters on East Side

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WARREN GALLOWAY RECEIVES ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Warren Galloway (center) was presented an achievement award from the Canadian Government for his diligent work on spear heading the The African American Veterans Monument on Veterans Day. It was presented by the Nobles of Hadji Temple #61 Kermit Petity Potentate, James Green. Chief Rabban, Daryl Write Asst. Rabban and Mark Dobson Past Master, Paramount Lodge # 73. STREET LEGACY PHOTO BY DARVIN ADAMS

Humboldt Parkway Annual Gospel Fest

The Humboldt Parkway Baptist Church Senior Usher Board's Annual Gospel Fest will take place Sunday, November 19, at 4 p.m. Guests include Sister Bessie Patterson, Psalmist Sister Carol Milhouse, guest Minister of Music Anthony Jermaine Collins and many more. Join us in this worship service.

Humboldt Parkway Baptist Church is located at 790 Humboldt Parkway at Woodlawn. Reverend Jason C. Keith is the Pastor.

THE BULLYING STOPS HERE! The public is invited to a discussion about bullying on Tuesday Nov. 16 at 6 p.m., 1423 Black Lives Matter Way (Fillmore Ave.) Call (716)332-3773 ext.. 1404 for more information.

Native American Heritage Month Celebration Native American Heritage Month will be celebrated Monday, November 27 at 12 noon, 92 Franklin Street, 2nd Floor inside the Ceremonial Courtroom. The guest speaker will be Jamie Jacobs, Tonawanda Seneca, Turtle Clan. There will be Native American food sampling, Native American dancers and a light lunch. The event is sponsored by Hon. Mark A. Montour, Appellate Division Justice, Appellate Division, Fourth Department. The UCS Office of Diversity & Inclusion, Franklin H. William Judicial Commission and the 8th Judicial District is hosting the event.

The Challenger Will Not Publish On Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 23.

By Schondra Aytch

he Buffalo Urban League was the talk of the town this week, thanks to it’s gala last Saturday at the Buffalo Convention Center. The all-black affair commenced with a series of special awards to community leaders, before enjoying a performance by the Unity Band and honoring 50 years of hip-hop with a two-hour long set by DJ Jazzy Jeff. Just before the musical fanfare, President Thomas Beauford Jr. also unveiled plans to build a new $25 million headquarters for the nonprofit agency.

VISIONARY! Rendering of the Urban League's proposed “After 96 years, we have made a ma- new headquarters in the midst of the revival on Jefferson jor announcement tonight…we’re mov- Avenue. The concept is sustainability, cultural and artsy. talented architect is a young man of color, Rishawn ing to Jefferson Avenue and we’re look- The Tubbins-Sonubi A.I.A Partner Young + Wright Architectural. ing to all the magnificent things that will happen there,” Beauford shared.

Founded in 1927, The Buffalo Urban League’s purpose is to socially and economically support African Americans and other underserved communities in the area. From gifting out college scholarships to teaching sustainability awareness to creating workforce development programs, the organization has been active this year making advancements to better support the community.

Most recently, the agency appointed Darnell Haywood Jr. as the President of Buffalo Urban League’s Young Professionals Sector earlier this month.

During the awards portion of the gala, Beauford and lively co-hosts Mercedes Wilson and John DiSchulo of Channel 7, WKBW touched on Haywood’s new appointment and announced the honorees of the night:Emerging Leader Awardee Rashida Dowell; Community Service Awardees American Legion Posts Bennett Wells, Jesse Clipper and Johnetta R. Cole; and Mayor Byron W. Brown who received the William L. Evans & Whitney M. Young Jr. Humanitarian Award.

Shortly after the awards ceremony, the agency’s board members and staff joined Beauford on stage to announce “the new vision” for the Buffalo Urban League.

With a colorful montage of historic clips from Jefferson Avenue and greater Buffalo, the BUL’s headquarters announcement video touched on moving forward, particularly past the racial turHONOREES: Pictured top photo Mayor Byron Brown (center), bottom left Rashida Dowell and moil of the May 14th Tops shooting. While the (right) representatives from the Bennett Wells, theme of “growing further together,” was the Jesse Clipper, Johnetta R. Cole Posts. Street Legacy motto for the night, Beauford didn’t shy away from communicating the grim history that has Photos by Darvin Adams hindered Jefferson communities.

“How do we move this community forward? How do we help this community heal?...Because of all this previous historical discrimination, practices, policies. All of the red-lining that happened, the segregation, how do we move forward,” President Beauford said in the announcement video.

With a focus on revitalizing Jefferson Avenue and centralizing the BUL’s services, the estimated 40,000 ft. building situated on the corner of Jefferson and Dodge will be a mixed-use, multi-floor facility. Already supported with over 8 million in funding towards the new building, thanks to donations from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, Assemblywoman Crystal D, PeoplesStokes and Centene Corporation, parent company of Fidelis, the BUL looks to get additional

financial support through a long term fundraising campaign.

Received with a roar of an applause for the new BUL facility, Beauford celebrated his staff and the ongoing work of the agency. Concluding the night with a special set by celebrity DJ Jazzy Jeff kept spirits high for the new pursuits of the Buffalo Urban League. To support the Buffalo Urban League, head to their website for more information: Buffalourbanleague.org/donate

Slavery by another name: The Sugarland 95.

Sugarland’s Ugly, Racist Past…

The Houston, Texas suburb of Sugar Land, “where life is sweeter,” has one of the fastest-growing populations in the country today.

Of the city’s nearly 110,000 residents, just 7.2 percent are Black, about half the national figure.

But beneath Sugar Land’s success lies a disturbing piece of Black history.

In 2018, the remains of 95 African Americans — 94 men and one believed to have been a woman — were found during the construction of a technical school in Sugar Land. The discovery drew national news coverage and calls for a proper memorial, research into the convicts’ lives and broader education about the brutal system of convict leasing.

For decades after slavery was abolished in the United States, a prison farm that grew sugar for the Imperial refinery relied on the forced labor of prison inmates, most of them Black men, including many who had been locked up for conduct as minor as loitering or not having a job. The practice, known as convict leasing and used throughout the South, created such brutal conditions that many Sugar Land inmates died within two years after being incarcerated.

That history began in the 1820s, when settlers established sugar plantations, bringing with them enslaved Continued Page 7

NEW HOURS! DINE IN & TAKE OUT! MONDAY & TUESDAY CLOSED! Wednesday 9AM-6PM • Thursday 9AM-8PM, LIVE JAZZ & OPEN MIC Friday 9AM – 6PM • Saturday 9AM-2PM BREAKFAST ONLY! SUNDAY 11AM-4PM TO ORDER CALL (716) 253-2100, Door Dash Delivery Available Located at 633 Northland Inside The Workforce Center.

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FAITH & FAMILY

“We Just Love Being a Blessing!”

Calvary Baptist Church Announces Annual Thanksgiving Outreach The Thanksgiving Holiday is fast approaching. It is the time of year when we feast with family and friends and give thanks for the blessings, we’ve been given. Many individuals and families in our community and surrounding area, however, will not be fortunate enough to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

They struggle to find sufficient daily bread.

“We have been given so much, and we're constantly reminded of how blessed we are,” read a statement from the Church.

This year Calvary is planning to give back to our community through their Annual Thanksgiving Outreach endeavor on Saturday, November 18th beginning at 8:00am at the Calvary Bap-

tist Church. They are excited this year to work in collaboration with the University Presbyterian Church and Temple Beth Zion, and other entities to make this effort bigger and better!

“We just love being a blessing,” said coordinator Lynne Baugh-Richardson.

Last year, the church prepared over 1,000 dinners for individuals/ families. Those dinners were cooked, packaged and delivered by passionate volunteers who cared enough and gave of their time to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. We couldn’t serve this community and the surrounding area without their help!

Volunteers are needed to help package and deliver dinners to homeless shelters, senior citizens and the home bound. To volunteer, support of know of an individual or family in need of a Thanksgiving Dinner, please call the church office at (716)8953642.

Submitted By Lynne Baugh-Richardson, Coordinator & Rev. Corey B. Gibson, M.Div. Senior Pastor

Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

“Families In Crisis: Where Do We Go From Here?”

Is Theme of Mt. Olive Family Conference

Wars and rumors of wars, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, wayward spouses, rebellious children, lax parenting, immorality all too common, and a falling away by the church.

What are people to do? How can we show forth Jesus Christ and be that light He called us to be? How can we stand firm in our faith at work, in our homes, and at school? How can we Guide and protect our children?On Saturday, November 18, the Women’s Ministry of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor Dwayne R. Gillison, Sr., is hosting a family conference entitled, "Families In Crisis :Where Do We Go From Here?" Featuring workshops for everyone, Registration is $15 for one attendee, $20 for a couple or a single parent and child, and $25 for a family of three or more and includes a continental breakfast and light lunch. People can register on the day of the conference. Hope to see you there!!!

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Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

For Blacks in Buffalo Home Ownership is Still A Distant Goal

Whites are twice as likely as Blacks to own their own home in the city and there's been little growth among African-Americans over the past four decades. Income disparities are a major reason for the inertia. So, too, are concerns about schools and crime, as Black home buyers are increasingly turning to the suburbs.

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By I'Jaz Ja'ciel/ Investigative Post

espite a plethora of programs encouraging Blacks to purchase their own homes, the ownership rate for African-Americans in Buffalo has barely budged over the past four decades.

Where there has been growth lately, it’s come in the suburbs, according to Census data and federal mortgage loan reports.

Concerns about red-lining in the city persist, but Black incomes in Buffalo — pegged at about three-fifths that of whites — are largely blamed for the stagnation.

“Overall, we can attribute the lower Black homeownership rate to the racial wealth gap,” said Buffalo State University associate professor Jason Knight, coordinator of the school’s Urban and Regional Planning program.

“If you’re a median-income Black household in the City of Buffalo, and you’re making on the order of $34,000 a year, it’s really hard to qualify for a mortgage at an income of that level, especially given increasing housing prices,” he said.

Concern over crime and schools is what’s driving some Black residents with the financial means to the suburbs, said Rosalind Burgin, co-founder of real estate firm Mootry, Murphy and Burgin, and the first African-American to serve as president of the Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors.

“Buffalo has kind of a reputation — ‘I don’t want to live in Buffalo,’ or ‘I have kids and I don’t want them in the Buffalo school system any longer,’ ” she said.

“I have two daughters and both of them live outside the city just because of that same stereotype of the City of Buffalo.”

Another issue in the city is that many potential homebuyers are finding there are just not enough available properties.

“The last couple of years, we have had an inventory shortage, so there are fewer houses out there,” Burgin said.

Housing experts say that between soaring interest rates and a slew of out-of-town investors with cash offers that often go well over asking price, many potential buyers are being priced out of homes in the city.

“I do get a lot of calls where they’ll say, ‘I’m losing out on these offers because people are coming in with cash and I’m passionate. I’m losing out on my dream home. What can I do?’

And, I don’t know,” said Terri Gayles, housing specialist for the University District Community Development Association.

Housing experts say banks have a mixed record helping boost Black homeownership in the region. Some are making strides, collaborating with neighborhood housing organizations or establishing first-time homebuyer programs. Others are criticized for not expanding their demographic reach, or for not establishing programs for moderate-income households.

A 2021 probe by the state Department of Financial Services looked into home mortgage lending practices in the Buffalo metropolitan area as an inquiry on redlining.

“One statistic that leaps from the data is that, market-wide, loans made to minorities in the Buffalo MSA comprise only 9.74% of the total loans made in Buffalo — less than half of what would be expected given that minorities make up roughly 20% of the MSA’s population,” the report said.

There is help from the government, with both the city and state offering homebuyer programs, but there are some caveats to eligibility, and observers say the programs aren’t advertised or targeted as well as they could be.

Other types of programs would be impossible to run today because the market has become too competitive, according to Jennifer Carman, director of housing and community development for Heart of the City Neighborhoods.

About 20 years ago, the organization sought to help increase homeownership in Buffalo by buying and rehabbing vacant houses for resale.

“We're being locked out of the homebuyer process, and one of the reasons we're not able to keep up with those programs is — and I think a lot of nonprofits are seeing this too in the city — is because of the fact that investors are now scooping up properties,” Carman said.

While about half of white households in Buffalo own their homes, the rate drops to closer to a third for African-Americans, according to Census data.

The gap widens when analyzing yearly trends countywide. About 70 percent of white households are homeowners, vs. 35 percent of Black, Census data shows.

It’s pretty much been that way for the past 40 years.

There’s been some progress. More Blacks throughout Erie County are applying for and receiving home mortgage loans today than five years ago, according to federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data.

“If the question is, ‘Is Black homeownership increasing?’ The short answer in absolute terms is … slightly,” said Knight, of Buffalo State.

On the whole, though, the numbers aren’t big enough to move the needle in Buffalo or countywide.

Black home loan applications in Erie County — where African-Americans represent 14 percent of the population — inched up from 4.3 percent of all applications in 2018 to 5.5 percent in 2022, the mortgage loan data shows.

Approved loans for Black applicants followed a similar trend, going from 4.4 percent of all loans approved in 2018 to 5.6 percent in 2022. For 2022, that meant of almost 9,400 home loans approved in Erie County, 524 went to Black homeowners.

Census data indicates Black incomes in Buffalo barely kept up with inflation between 2000 and

2020, while white incomes exceeded the inflation rate.

The median income of Black households in Buffalo was $30,313 in 2020 compared to $52,289 for white households, according to Census estimates. In Erie County, the median income for Black households was $33,758 compared to $66,934 for white households.

Black homeownership remained generally stagnant in Buffalo during the 2010s, when it began creeping up in the suburbs, according to Census data.

Federal loan data shows more mortgages were approved for Black buyers in the suburbs than the city in the past three years “Black home ownership is relatively flat, but those with the means are going to the suburbs,” Knight said.

In Cheektowaga, for example, Black homeownership more than doubled between 2000 and 2010, from 500 to almost 1,200. It is now estimated at closer to 2,000, based on Census and loan data.

“I do see an increase in Black homeownership; it does not necessarily show in the percentage in the City of Buffalo,” Burgin said.

Still, about 80 percent of an estimated 20,0000 Black-owned homes in Erie County remain in Buffalo, according to Census data.

“I believe if we could put the numbers together — city and suburbs — completely, we would see a slight increase, but it’s still nowhere where it needs to be,” Burgin said.

Increasing Black homeownership, Burgin and other Realtors said, requires some heavy lifting from banks, community organizations and government overseers, as well as from within the African-American community.

Raising Black incomes would help. But beyond that, because many Blacks have never lived in a house they or their families own, they are not familiar with the culture of homeownership, the realtors said.

“Part of the education process is just getting past the history of homeownership,” Burgin said.

“If you were raised in a household where your parents always rented, and your parents’ parents rented — there’s that generation that is going to repeat as opposed to breaking the curse.”

SUPPORT

Investigative Post is a nonprofit investigative reporting center based in Buffalo. You can find their work at investigativepost.org and on WGRZ, Channel 2. You can subscribe to their free weekly newsletter by emailing info@investigativepost.org

Full Moon Watch:November 27 Full Moon in Gemini: A Powerful Time for Growth and Transformation

The upcoming Beaver Full Moon in Gemini is expected to bring intense energy that will help you regain your focus and take on the responsibilities you may have been ignoring. This is the perfect time to reassess your priorities and make a plan to move forward with confidence. Embrace the energy of this Full Moon and use it as a catalyst for positive change in your life. Remember to take care of yourself during this time as well, as the intense energy can be draining. This incredible charge of energy will create much tension, anxiety, uncertainty, and insecurity. But with flexibility, you can adapt to changing conditions and take advantage of opportunities to improve your Life. According to astrologers, this full moon is associated with change and uncertainty in love relationships and also with money. This can be an intense and transformative time for many of us. Also, communication, creativity, and flexibility will be key themes during this lunation. Whether you're looking to try something new, connect with others, or simply express yourself more freely, the full moon in Gemini is the perfect time to do it. So, get ready to embrace your versatility and let your creativity soar. This is a time to be open to new ideas and experiences, and to trust in your ability to adapt and thrive in any situation. Be flexible and not so rigid with your thoughts or actions. This full Moon is about leaving behind the noose of old habits, patterns and broken dreams. What has been cannot be changed and it is time to let it go, while we lean forward to embrace all that lies ahead. -Cherokee Billie

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Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

HEALTH MATTERS

Traditional Thanksgiving Foods Have Plenty of Health Benefits Turkey: Rich in B-complex vitamins niacin, B6 and B12 and the essential nutrient cholin. Both white and dark turkey breast meats are packed with protein.. Dark turkey meat typically contains more vitamins and minerals than white turkey meat but also more fat and calories. The tryptophan content in turkey may help to support healthy levels of serotonin in the body, which promotes alertness and good mood.

Greens: Be it collards or mustards greens are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, a rich source of vitamin K, and a good source of iron, vitamin B-6, and magnesium.

They contain nutrients that boost bone health, fights diabetes and improves liver function, and digestion. They may also help prevent cancer, improve sleep, and enhance hair and skin health and even weight management.

Sweet Potatoes: A true superfood high in vitamin A, vitamin B5, B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and, due to their orange color, are high in carotenoids. Fat free, low in sodium. A single sweet potato is packed with 120% of your recommended vitamin A intake for the day. They can promotes bone health and good vision. And the B6 in sweet potatoes helps to promote cardiovascular health. They also help fight inflammation and regulate blood sugar levels.

Green Beans: aka string beans better yet snap beans are nutrient-packed. One full cup of cooked green beans contains just 44 calories, providing you with 2.4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Green beans are fat-free and full of antioxidants. They also contain nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin K folic acid and helpful with improving bone health and fighting depression.

Corn: Corn is full of fiber and a great source of protein, magnesium, potassium, calcium, selenium, and vitamins A and C and yes in the form of cornbread there are some benefits like folate that is good for red blood cell formation and healthy cell growth and many other beneficial B vitamins.

Cranberries: Cranberries are a great antioxidant loaded with vitamin C . Studies prove they have helped prevent urinary tract infections, cancer, improve heart health, dental health and helps with digestion and reduces inflammation. Cranberry sauce freshly made that has less sugar of course is healthier.

Stuffing: A journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that a cancer-fighting antioxidant called pronyl-lysine exists in high concentrations in bread crust. And this antioxidant is more abundant when bread is broken down into smaller pieces and baked, as it is with stuffing.

“Knowing when to stop, you can avoid any danger.” -Tao Te Ching

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Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

Buffalo Mass Shooting Lawsuit Goes to Court ThisWeek

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atthew P. Bergman, the nation’s leading attorney against harm caused by social media companies, and Buffalo attorney Kristen Elmore-Garcia will argue this week why a local court case — the first of its kind to hold social media companies and firearms manufacturers accountable for mass shootings in America — should be permitted to proceed. The suit was filed in response to the racist mass shooting at a Tops supermarket on the city’s predominantly Black East Side in May 2022. Attorney Bergman (left) and Attorney Ten people, all of them Black, were killed, and three oth- Elmore-Garcia. ers were injured.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Paula Feroleto will hear oral arguments on the case, Patterson, Diona et al vs. Meta Platforms, Inc., et al., on Nov. 16 and 17 in Erie County Supreme Court, Part 14. Gun magazine lock manufacturer Mean LLC, and social media companies Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, and 4chan, have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit.

The Social Media Victims Law Center (Seattle, Wash.); John V. Elmore, P.C. (Buffalo, N.Y.); the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (San Francisco, Calif.); and Belluck & Fox L.L.P. (New York, N.Y.) filed the Buffalo lawsuit on May 12, 2023. It was the first of a series of lawsuits filed on behalf of victims of the mass shooting that aim to hold accountable the social media companies that radicalized the gunman, as well as the gun store, body armor manufacturer, and magazine lock manufacturer that armed him. Arguments in this case will likely impact the outcome of similar lawsuits filed in October by 33 state attorneys general that accuse Meta, parent company to Facebook and Instagram, of having “engaged in … deceptive and unlawful conduct in violation of state and federal law.”

Bergman and Madeline Basha of the Social Media Victims Law Center will argue, in part, that the Buffalo mass shooting was “the foreseeable consequence of ... social media companies’ conscious decision to (create and utilize) platforms and tools that maximize user engagement … at the expense of public safety,” and that the gunman “was motivated to commit his heinous crime by racist, anti-Semitic, and white supremacist propaganda recommended and fed to him by the social media companies whose products he used.”

Elmore-Garcia, of John V. Elmore, P.C., will argue that Mean LLC, which manufactured the magazine accessory installed on the Tops gunman’s AR15-style semiautomatic rifle when he purchased it, engaged in deceptive and false marketing practices by advertising its product as being compliant with New York State gun laws. However, instructions on how to easily remove the magazine lock were printed on the accessory’s packaging. While New York State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a similar case against Mean LLC, Elmore-Garcia will be the first to argue such a case against the company.

Following the conclusion of each day’s court proceedings, media conferences will be held at the Law Office of John V. Elmore, P.C., 2969 Main Street, Suite 200, in Buffalo.

Representatives from the Elmore firm and the Social Media Victims Law Center will be in attendance, and available to answer questions.

The Challenger Will Not Publish On Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 23.

SUGARLAND

continued from page 3 people. The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery in 1865, but a loophole allowed the state to lease out its prisoners to plantation owners to fill the labor gap.

Five years later, the remains still sit, unidentified, in a makeshift graveyard facing a school parking lot. The few public testaments to the lives of these people — known as the Sugar Land 95 — include some references on the city’s website and in local museums, and a small exhibit in a Sugar Land school hallway.

The discovery of the Sugar Land 95 has national significance, said Robert Perkinson, the author of “Texas Tough: The Rise of a Prison Empire.” The area’s use of convict leasing, he said, was so expansive and lucrative that it created the template for a modern prison system that prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation, and for the continued use of prison labor by businesses. (Excerpted from the Nov. 12 NYT)

This past weekend Nov. 11 & 12, the city hosted the inaugural Honeyland festival, a two-day celebration of Black food and music.

REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS:

An exclusive press release event hosted by the National Association of Real Estate Brokers® (NAREB®) for the incoming Erie-Niagara Board of REALTIST® Local Board was held October 13 at the Merriweather Library. The event served as a platform to unveil the NAREB® Board's initiatives and key goals for the local Western New York (WNY) region. The National Association of Brokers® is the oldest and largest African American Real Estate Trade Association in the country comprised of over 100 Boards amongst 35 states over its 76 year history. Among those in top photo, Paul (VP)Nia Holmes, Andew Scott Jr. (President), Princessa Williams, Athenia Cyrus (Secretary), Deputy Mayor Attorney Rashied McDuffie, Aisha Teruel-Conethan. Pictured bottom, founders Greg Bellanton and Aaron Haynes. Challenger Photos

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Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

Entertainment

Pictured are the 2023 committee members l/r: Gilbert Hargrave, LeRoi C. Johnson, Cecelie Owens, Herky Bingham and Sinclair Fabor

Aaron Mays Returns to Buffalo to Direct The 2023 Buffalo Athletic Inner City Sports South African Drama “Master Harold"…And Legends 31st Annual Gathering of "Athletic The Boys at the Irish Classical Theatre!

Greats" to Take Place at Rose Bar and Grill

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pening November 16 and running through December 3, the Irish Classical Theatre Company will present Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”…and the Boys directed by Artie Award-winning director Aaron Mays.

“Master Harold”… and the Boys is a drama that explores the relationship between Hally, a White teenage boy (played Director Aaron Mays

by Samuel Fesmire), and Sam and Willie two middle-aged Black waiters ( played by Roderick Garr and Gerald Ramsey respectively) who work in his mother’s tea room, during apartheid-era South Africa. Faced with the return of his alcoholic and war-injured father, Hally lashes out at Sam and Willie, exposing a pernicious cycle of hatred, despite Hally’s dreams of “progress.”

“One of the important things about this play is that apartheid is never mentioned by name. You see it manifested in the relationship between the characters. It's a reminder that hate and bigotry must be called out by name, and they operate in a dangerous and silent fashion,” says director Aaron Mays.

This play has been prduced in Canada, the UK, and South Africa, as well as on Broadway and Off-Broadway and now adding Buffalo to the list is amazing . It was selected by the former artistic director Kate LoConti who originally approached Mays to direct it. Mays feels there is no better time than now to have productions like these on stage. “ It captures a personal account of apartheid in the 1950s, while currently it seems our country is reversing its progress with its own racial reckoning by striking down affirmative action programs in colleges. We need plays like this as a reminder of what systems of oppression look like and how to stop replicating them,” he said.

“Master Harold”…and the Boys centers both a tenderness and an ugliness that we may not otherwise choose to dwell on, particularly because of how vulnerable we might feel if we recognize traces of either in ourselves,” said Keelie Sheridan, artistic director of Irish Classical.

“As a Buffalo native, it’s always an honor to return home to direct a play, especially one of this literary quality. Master Harold is an international gem about the true test of friendship in an age of state-sponsored racial division. I hope Western New York patrons will see the timeliness of this masterpiece tackling race, family and friendship,” said Mays .

He is currently hopeful that his holiday play he wrote,(he’s also a playwright), “BlackSanta” will be in production soon.

“I would be ecstatic if I can get that as my Christmas gift.”

As a content advisory for audience members, “Master Harold”… and the Boys contains instances of racial slurs, mature language, onstage violence, partial nudity and mentions of partner violence and alcoholism. The Play runs November 16 to December 3 at Irish Classical, 625 Main Street. For information about showtimes and tickets, visit: https://irishclassical.com -Staff Writer.

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n Wednesday November 22 the Buffalo Athletic Inner City Sports Legends committee will hold their annual "Athletic Greats" event at the Rose Bar and Grill 199 Scott Street at 6:30p.m., celebrating former athletes.

Sadly this year’s program will be missing three outstanding steering committee members; Clarence Strong and Lum Smith who passed away this year as well as " Athletic Greats" founder and organizer for 29 years, Richard "The Lionhearted" Clark who passed away June 26, 2022.

This years awardees include: Curtis Aiken, Victoria Baxter, Cecil Brown, Starling Bryant, Damion Foster, Maurice Harriston, Joe (Flash) Jackson, Shane (Crow) Johnson, Sylvester Johnson, Dorthoy (DJ) Jones, Rodney Jones, Ricky Livas, George Nicholas, John (Timmy) Nunn, Phillip S. Richardson, Bill Russell (coach) , David Spiller, Dwayne Taplin, Kenneth Weaver, Kisha West, and Holly Workman Cercone.

The Committee encourages you to come out and support and enjoy a great night among friends at the Rose Bar and Grill for this anticipated sports event.

SUPPORT THE ARTS!

CEASEFIRE!Groups and people from across the region are calling for a ceasefire. Join them at Niagara Square Nov. 18 at 2:30pm. The event is presented by Muslim Public Affairs Council of WNY and JVP Buffalo.

Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

Thanksgiving Giveaways Continue

WUFO Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway WUFO MIX 1080 Power 96.5 Radio will host a 100 turkey giveaway on Tuesday, November 21 from 12 noon – 2 p.m. at the WUFO studio parking lot, 143 Broadway. Sponsored by WUFO and the Girl Scouts of WNY.

NFTA Black History Month Art Contest The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), in collaboration with the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, is seeking local artists to submit proposals for art that will be showcased on NFTA-Metro busses in honor of Black History Month. The theme is “Black History of Western New York”and artists are encouraged to be creative and inspiring. Images should be eye-catching, engaging, colorful and should be reflective of “Black History of WNY. Submitted artwork can be new or existing. Upon selection, the Grand Prize winner will be paid a flat fee of $1,500 for their artistic contribution. Due date for the artwork is Friday, December 1, 2023 For general inquires or questions regarding this Call for Artists, please eamil: ally@discoverniagara.org.

716- 300-8477.

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Turkey Giveaway: Free Thanksgiving Dinner to Go A Free Thanksgiving Dinner To Go will be held Wednesday, November 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 943 Jefferson Avenue sponsored by APS Foreclosure Bill Thomas at (716)444-5493 for more information.

FOR THE COMMUNITY: Pictured above, Desiree L. Parker of DLP Consulting, Mark Talley of Agents for Advocacy and Natania B. Parker, of Natania B. Parker Foundation teamed up last Saturday for a successful Thanksgiving giveaway featuring turkeys and full bags of groceries for the community at 1339 Jefferson Avenue. The line was nearly a block long at the start of the event. This was Mark’s second annual Thanksgiving Giveaway and he expressed his appreciation to be able to partner with “two powerful strong Black women from the community.” Mark will be hosting another Thanksgiving Giveaway Drive this Saturday Nov. 18 from 1 p.m. until while supplies last at Mighty Fine Fashions, 257 Niagara Street. Last Saturday’s event was just one of many Thanksgiving food giveaways around the community. An event at Mt. Olive Baptist Church hosted by MMB Realty Group and Friends attracted hundreds of residents to the Mt. Olive Baptist Church parking lot for free turkey and produce! Challenger Photo

He’s Back!

Just in time for the holidays

Eric Martin is back with “The Black Out” adult party at the Pearl Street Grill, 76 Pearl Street Saturday, November 25. Tickets available at Doris Records, Hair to Go Natural, Hair It Is or by calling (716)308-3328.

Stephon Wright to Host 6th Annual Turkey Giveaway Community activist Stephon Wright, who made history as the first student representative on the Buffalo Board of Education, is set to host the 6th Annual Harvest of Hope Turkey Giveaway on Saturday, November 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Super Price Chopper Market, located at 1580 Genesee St. This event, open to the public, will provide over 150 free turkeys to local residents, ensuring that families in need can enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving. It will operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Annual Thanksgiving Outreach “Sharing Is Caring,” an annual Thanksgiving Outreach, will take place at Calvary Baptist Church,1184 Genesee St. on Saturday, Nov. 18 starting at 8 a.m. If you can volunteer, support know of anyone or any family in need of a Thanksgiving Dinner, please call the church office at (716)895-3642. Sponsors include Calvary Baptist church, Temple Beth Zion and University Presbyterian Church.

Agents for Advocacy's Sustaining Artists Strengthening Communities Thanksgiving Giveaway Join Agents for Advocacy November 18 from 1p.m. until supplies run out at Mighty Fine Fashions 257 Niagara Street . Turkeys, yams, stuffing cranberry and more to nourish the community.

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Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

National/World

THE BIG LIE is still taught in schools. There was no feast.

There was a massace of Native American men, women and

The True Dark Story Of The First Thanksgiving

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ong before the European settlers arrived, Native tribes were celebrating the autumn harvest and the gift of Mother Earth’s abundance. Native American spirituality, both traditionally and today, emphasizes gratitude for creation, care for the environment, and recognition of the human need for communion with nature and others.

Truth be told, Thanksgiving as a holiday originates from the Native American philosophy of giving without expecting anything in return.

However the story of the first Thanksgiving, as most Americans have been taught , is not exactly accurate, starting with the idyllic partnership of 17th Century European Pilgrims (settlers) and the indigenous people /Native Americans of New England sharing a celebratory meal . And it was only after the First World War that a version of such a Puritan-Indian partnership took hold in elementary schools across the American landscape. We can thank the invention of textbooks and their mass purchase by public schools for embedding this "Thanksgiving" image in our modern minds. It was, of course, a complete invention, a cleverly created slice of cultural propaganda, just another in a long line of inspired nationalistic myths.

The first Thanksgiving Day did occur in the year 1637, but it was nothing like our Thanksgiving today. On that day the Massachusetts Colony Governor, John Winthrop, proclaimed such a "Thanksgiving" to celebrate the safe return of a band of heavily armed hunters, all colonial volunteers. They had just returned from their journey to what is now Mystic, Connecticut where they massacred 700 Pequot Indians. Seven hundred Indians men, women and children - all murdered.

This day is still remembered today, 385 years later. No, it's been long forgotten by White people, by European Christians.

But it is still fresh in the mind of many Native Americans.

Since 1970 a group calling themselves the United American Indians of New England meet each year at Plymouth Rock on Cole's Hill for what they say is a Day of Mourning. They gather at the feet of a statue of Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag to remember the long gone Pequot. They do not call it Thanksgiving. There is no football game afterward.

Here’s what they have to say about this choice to mourn: “Thanksgiving day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the relentless assault on Native culture. Participants in National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.”

On that first Thanksgiving there was no turkey, no corn, no cranberries, no stuffing. And no dessert. Those fortunate Pilgrims were lucky to get a piece of fish and a potato. All things considered, it was a Thanksgiving feast.

Did the Pilgrims share their Thanksgiving meal with the local tribes, the Wampanoag and Pequot? No. That never happened.

That is, until its inclusion in the fake "Thanksgiving Story" in 1890.

While some Native Americans have chosen to reject the Thanksgiving holiday entirely, rather than choosing to mourn publicly and openly, some simply refrain from participating in this “national holiday.”

Teaching a false narrative of its beginnings perpetuates colonialism and ignores more than 400 years of atrocities committed against Native Americans and First Nations’ people.( Native American Heritage Month (November) Celebration in Buffalo. See Page 3)

Amnesty Petition Demanding Ceasefire to End Civilian Suffering Backed by More Than One Million Signatures

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mnesty petition demanding ceasefire to end civilian suffering backed by more than one million signatures More than a million signatures from people around the world have been gathered for an Amnesty International petition demanding an immediate ceasefire to end the unparalleled escalation of hostilities in Gaza and Israel since 7 October 2023.

In response, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International, said: “The world is watching in horror as more and more civilians lose their lives each day amid Israel’s relentless bombardment and ground operations, and the unfolding of an unprecedented, man-made humanitarian catastrophe in the occupied Gaza Strip.

More than 10,800 Palestinians have been In Gaza, Over 25,000 injured. killed in Gaza in- At least 1.5 million forcibly discluding at least 4,200 placed. More than 10,800 Palchildren in the last estinians have been killed in four weeks. In Israel at least 1,400 people Gaza including at least 4,200 were killed and more children in the last four weeks. than 200 were taken In Israel at least 1,200 people hostage, including 33 were killed and more than 200 children, by Hamas were taken hostage in the Oct. and other armed groups on 7 October. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas.

For more than one month the international community has failed to act in the face of staggering levels of civilian bloodshed, destruction and unimaginable human suffering in Gaza.

“Israel’s further tightening of its illegal blockade of Gaza has left 2 million people without access to drinking water, food, medical supplies and fuel, leading to the collapse of the health system at a time when the number of those injured is over 25,000. At least 1.5 million Gazans have been forcibly displaced from their homes due to the attacks and as a result of orders from the Israeli army to move to the south of the Strip.

“Outraged over the devastating toll on civilians, a global chorus of Amnesty International members and supporters are calling for the protection of all civilians at risk by signing our petition to demand an immediate ceasefire by all parties to the conflict.

Hundreds of thousands of people continue to protest across the world to demand a ceasefire, yet their calls have gone unheeded by the international community as warring parties continue to display a callous disregard for civilian lives.”

“Israeli authorities continue to dehumanize Palestinians in their rhetoric as Israeli forces bomb densely populated refugee camps, hospitals, UN-run schools, bakeries, mosques and churches, roads and civilian homes wiping out entire families.

Civilian hostages held by Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza remain in danger, and ongoing indiscriminate rocket fire into Israel places civilians at risk.

“For more than one month the international community has failed to act in the face of staggering levels of civilian bloodshed, destruction and unimaginable human suffering in Gaza.

This failure is a shameful stain on humanity. Instead, some states continue to arm parties to the conflict with weapons used in flagrant violations of human rights.

“The only way to prevent further loss of civilian lives and allow lifesaving aid to reach those in desperate need in Gaza is for states to act now to demand an immediate ceasefire by all parties to the conflict in the occupied Gaza Strip. ”

CEASEFIRE RALLY IN BUFFALO!Groups and people from across the region are calling for a ceasefire. Join them at Niagara Square Nov. 18 at 2:30pm. The event is presented by Muslim Public Affairs Council of WNY and JVP Buffalo.

Celebrating Over Forty Years of Black Book Selling In Buffalo s 2023 comes to a close, we pause a moment to reflect A on 40+ years of Black Bookselling in Buffalo, New York. Our start in the 1970's was a call to fulfill a need for

the community to have access to books by and about people of African descent and to dispel the myth that "Black people don't read." We are proud to say that we still stand on that principle and after multiple locations and a name change from Harambee Books Crafts to Zawadi Books we still see that as our mission.

We have continued to operate at 1382 Jefferson Avenue and vend at Juneteenth Festival, Kwanzaa, Soulful Christmas and several other community events. When space is available we have hosted book signings and author readings, promoted local authors, fulfilled orders for community organizations, and participated in writer's events, storytelling events, book clubs and conferences.

We love what we do and inspired by the seven principles of the Nguzo Saba, we believe that knowledge of self is the first step to liberation. So this is a Thank You to the Buffalo community (and those beyond Buffalo) who have supported Zawadi Books...What You Read Matters.

-Kenneth and Sharon Holley •Black AF History: The Un-whitewashed Story of America

by Michael Harriot •Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey •Coach Prime: Deion Sanders and the Making of Men by Jean-Jacques Taylor •The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store: A Novel by James McBride •Let Us Descend: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward •Lucky Me by Rich Paul •Our History Has Always Been Contraband: In Defense of Black Studies edited by Colin Kaepernick, Robin G. Kelley and Keeanga Yamahta Taylor •Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi •Something, Someday (Childrens) by Amanda Gorman •Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Triumph

by Sheila Johnson •Worthy by Jada Pinkett Smith

NOW AVAILABLE! HOLIDAY CARDS AND 2024 CALENDARS!

ZAWADI BOOKS , 1382 JEFFERSON OPEN WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY 12-4

716-903-6740 or holleykenneth@yahoo.com

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Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

A TALE OF 2 MEETINGS: Community Push Back of Kensington Plan Continues What Really Happens at Those DOT Stakeholder Meetings on the Kensington? You Know, the One’s You’re Not Invited To?

Dear Editor: To see what all the shouting is about, on Wednesday, November 8, I headed over to the Buffalo Museum of Science for the DOT’s monthly stakeholders meeting on the Kensington Expressway cap. “Stakeholders” is what they call the meetings even though most folks who are actual stakeholders in the community have never been invited. The DOT was out in force, with them and their well-paid consultants on one side of a rectangular meeting table taking up a half of the Cummings Room.

ROCC was also out in force, occupying most of the other side.

That was interesting because other organizations, at least those fortunate enough to be invited, have been told they can only bring two members. But it looked like ROCC brought whoever they wanted and as many as they wanted.

And by the end of the meeting, it seemed clear that it was ROCC and DOT against the community, even though the rest of the community was scarcely represented.

The meeting began with the DOT project manager who (forgive me) I can only describe as the High Priestess, trying to refute all of the opposition pushback they have been receiving and seeing on TV. This was all kinds of weird, because the opposition hadn’t actually been invited to hear what she had to say.

She was astonishingly condescending for someone whose job was to oversee a meeting to engage with a disrupted, disrespected, and disenfranchised community. As she derided and tried to refute the main issues raised by the community, I kept wondering why she wasn’t discussing this with the actual community? Like they failed to do at the September public hearing, where the DOT refused to answer questions. And also, at the community meeting put on by Jes Breathe, where the DOT sent a retired politician who never seemed very friendly to the Black community to speak for them.

The project manager began pooh poohing those who would like to see the expressway gone altogether. It must be an article of faith with the DOT that expressways must be good for cities, because she seemed almost to credit the expressway for making the streets safe on the East Side!To hear her tell it, because all the traffic had been funneled into the DOT’s traffic sewer it is now safer for kids to walk or bike down the street, and air quality is better because all the cars went somewhere else.

I thought, how can she not know what everyone who grew up in Buffalo knows? That the DOT’s expressways killed oncethriving commercial districts and neighborhoods all over the city by taking cars off the streets and enabling white-flight to the suburbs? I mean, does a bombed-out Genesee Street with overgrown, vacant lots and broken sidewalks and boarded-up storefronts feel safe and inviting? Thanks, DOT. But things got even weirder when the DOT dunked on the idea of light rail to the airport along the Kensington, as many have suggested in their comments. Why did the High Priestess dismiss the idea? Because she spoke with her fellow high priestess of the NFTA, who told her they have no plans for that. Well, is that really a surprise that the NFTA has no plans to provide quality transit service to the neighborhoods along the Kensington, which are some of the poorest in the city thanks to what the DOT did to them decades ago? No, the NFTA is busy with extending light rail to Amherst, whose wealthy residents don’t actually want it! On the East Side bus routes are cancelled, bus shelters mostly nonexistent, and half the year everyone has to wait for the bus in a snow drift. Thanks, NFTA. So instead of just talking with a fellow bureaucrat who doesn’t care about the East Side, and probably doesn’t even use their own system, why isn’t the DOT talking with stakeholders?

When the High Priestess claimed it didn’t matter anyway,

because their project would allow the rail to be added in the future, one man put them on the spot about that, asking if the tunnel would be too narrow to add rail in the future. One member of ROCC really didn’t like that question and had an outburst, interrupting angrily and trying to make the questioner and the question sound ridiculous. Finally, the man got to finish his question, and the High Priestess admitted that the tunnel would not be wide enough to add rail in the future. That meant they got caught trying to peddle some incorrect information that was either a lie or not carefully checked ( I don’t know which is worse). The High Priestess said they would have to modify their statement to admit that their design would actually stand in the way of future light rail to the airport.

That seemed to be a big deal, but it got bigger during the roundtable part of the meeting when one of the ministers representing a coalition of churches echoed the man’s comments about light rail, pointing down the table to him. He said that future light rail in the corridor was very important to upgrade transit options on the East Side to improve people’s challenging lives.

The fact that the man’s comments spurred one of the other stakeholders to also push back must have infuriated the DOT, because when the roundtable mic went to that man, the DOT cut him off and wouldn’t allow him to take his turn to speak like everyone else at the table.

In fact, the DOT ended the roundtable altogether when one woman, who initially seemed to be speaking in favor of the deck project, began raising a number of concerns about construction disruption in the neighborhood, blasting, and air quality impacts during construction. After it was clear that she had a number of issues to raise, the retired politician who was moderating the meeting cut her off and abruptly ended the roundtable.

Even though there were no hymns and no prayers, in so many ways this meeting was like the gathering of a religious sect.

During the DOT presentation, the Q&A, and the roundtable that followed, the DOT, ROCC and a representative from the assemblywoman’s office all seemed to be sending the message that dissenting opinions were not only misguided and silly, but wouldn’t be looked kindly upon. Even those at the meeting with serious concerns about the DOT project, which many in the community have been calling “The ROCC Cap, ” seemed to be couching their pushback in positive language so as not to run afoul of the orthodoxy being preached and affirmed by the faithful who appeared to be in the overwhelming majority in the room. Maybe they were also leery of being disinvited or excommunicated, just as some whose comments and questions didn’t uphold the proper doctrine were silenced or denounced.

My other big takeaway, given the events of recent weeks, was this. At the same time as news of growing opposition to this project seems to come out daily, what appeared to be an overwhelming majority in the tightly controlled DOT/ROCC meeting appears increasingly to be an overwhelming minority in the community. It was crystal-clear to me that we need more stakeholders at the table than this hand-picked, self-righteous bunch. And soon, before we make a hugely expensive mistake that we regret not getting right for generations, in a rushed attempt to put a band-aid on another hugely expensive mistake that we have regretted for generations.

- A Member Of The Community "Keeping It Real" ,

Citizens Call for A Full Environmental Statement on The 33 Expressway Project Recently, Wednesday, November 8, I attended a press conference and public meeting at the Delavan-Grider Community Center hosted by the Eastside Parkways Coalition, a group that is advocating for the complete restoration of Humboldt Parkway as opposed to digging/building a tunnel then creating a covering for a portion of the 33.

The meeting was well attended, with several families who still live on Humboldt Parkway, in attendance. They spoke eloquently and many complained about the noise that will be generated by blasting and drilling into the rock bed to widen and deepen the 33. Many of them spoke of health issues they or some of their family members have been experiencing for decades. These illnesses include a higher than normal rate of asthma, Cancer, COPD and other respiratory problems. Some of them asked if an Environmental Impact Statement was done. To my knowledge it was stated that only an EIA was done. There is a difference in both procedures even though they look and seem to be almost the same.

An Environmental Impact Statement documents the need, benefits and or consequences of a particular project or development. The environment portion of the statement would include the high rate of illnesses in the area and the increase in noise and pollutants that are or will generated by the proposed project. Another way of looking at this is to say: an EIA defines the Purpose and Need of the project. A need that is driven by the 70, 000 plus cars that are using the 33 during the morning and afternoon peak hours. An EIS takes into consideration: will the proposed project have a negative or a positive result on the already existing conditions or will more persons be affected by the proposed project?

Some in the environmental field have suggested that there is another choice in addition to building a tunnel or leaving it the way it is now. And that choice, some have designated Option10, calls for the restoration of Humboldt Parkway by filling in the Expressway to the way it was before shortsighted politicians gave the order to dig it up! These environmental specialists and preservation leaders are supporting the restoration that would cost only a fraction of the amount of the Tunnel and would definitely improve the health and well-being of people in the area.

The hundred of thousands of dollars in savings could then be used to address the other pressing needs of the 33 Expressway.

Up until now, the homeowners in the Impacted area on Humboldt Parkway have felt locked out of the process or that their opinion did not matter. I want to thank the Eastside Parkway Coalition for hosting the meeting to give residents and homeowners a say in an Issue that affect them, good or bad, the most.

Whatever the decision the NYS Department Of Transportation makes, I hope they are reminded of the oath those in the medical field takes: First Do No Harm! It is too bad those who made that fatal decision to uproot long established neighborhoods and destroy Olmsted''s Parks and Parkways masterpiece had thought about the harm that they were unleashing on a city

“Knowing when to stop, you can avoid any danger.”

-Tao Te Ching

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Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

On Second Thought . . .

The Fat Lady Just Sang Sayonara on Bills Playoff Hopes

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Pictured: Broncos #3 Russell Wilson throws a pass to #14 Sutton photo/Jerome Davis

Uptight Bills Shocked by Broncos 24-22 T

he Buffalo Bills played offensively a very uptight game and could not get out of their own way in losing a must win game to Denver Broncos 24-22 Monday night. Bills QB Josh Allen did not get much help from Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey’s questionable play calling during the entire game. It was obvious the Bills could run the football against a weak Broncos run defense. Dorsey should have called 90% run plays and 10% passes in this game. It’s like Dorsey rarely has a feel for the game. Everyone could see Josh Allen was having another off night throwing the football while the running game was working almost to perfection. The benching of James Cook after a first play of the game fumble made no sense at all especially against a weak run defensive opponent. Cook finally came back into the game and had 12 rushes for 109 yards while his teammate Latavius Murray ran nine times for 68 yards. They were averaging 9.1 and 7.6 yards per carry respectively. That’s the best rushing yards by Buffalo Bills running backs in quite some time. Why didn’t Dorsey run the ball 30 to 40 times in this game? It's clear that the Broncos defense could not stop them on a consistent basis and it would have taken pressure off of a struggling Josh Allen.

The Bills offensive line was dominating the Broncos defensive front with trap plays and blocking by Dion Dawkins was looking like Reggie Mackenzie’s back in the day “Electric Company” line that turned on the Juice. Allen fumbled a hand off to Cook that showed us he must practice more the proper technique of getting the ball to Cook in his belly instead of his shoulders. Peyton Manning, future NFL Hall of Famer said “QB’s must practice the hand off from under Center instead of from the shotgun position. It’s a lot easier to place the football in the proper position for running backs from this traditional position.”

It’s a combination of Josh Allen low football IQ and not being Coached properly by Bills OC Ken Dorsey and Sean McDermott leading to his poor performances. Bills Head Coach McDermott has turned a once proud defensive unit into a gambling blitz happy crew that can’t get it done against veteran QBs. Broncos QB Russell Wilson is a Super Bowl Champion winning QB who went 24/29 for 193 yards and 2 TDs. He’s seen it all and was not fazed by McDermott’s scheme. McDermott Special Teams Coach allowed too many men on the field for that missed field goal which falls directly in the lap of McDermott. McDermott should resign from Defensive Coordinator position and concern himself with Head Coaching duties because there’s a mutiny brewing on his team especially after a “Players Only” meeting earlier in the week. A player only meeting never bodes well for the Head Coach and his staff.

Josh Allen’s confidence has been shattered and now its time to focus on running the football and going with a limited passing game against a tough New York Jets defensive unit on Sunday afternoon at Highmark stadium. The Bills can’t afford to lose both games to the Jets and a gambling blitzing defensive game plan might work against Jets QB Zach Wilson. I see another hard to watch football game with Bills winning late 17-14. Remember to be a good sport.

LSU defeats Florida in Historic win 52-35 It was a cool fall night in Baton Rouge Louisiana and the atmosphere was electric prior to start of University of Florida vs. LSU Tigers. Jayden Daniels had a historic performance of a lifetime with 350 passing yards and 200 plus rushing yards. That’s the first FBS player to accomplish this feat. Daniels played with great poise and confidence that will propel him to being a top draft pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He completed 17/26 for 372 yards 3 TD’s and rushed 12 times for 234 yards and longest run was an LSU record 85 yards. “There’s no better player in the country,” said LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly. Yes, keep an eye on this young man who might win the Heisman Trophy for 2023 NCAA College football season after his historic performance. Remember to be a good sport.

Follow me on @georgeradman, FACEBOOK: George Radney & Real Deal Sports Show, RADIO: WLGZ HD2 The Beat 105.5 FM Every Saturday Morning 8am – 9am.

s I watched the Buffalo Bills in the last gut wrenching moments of their 24 – 22 upset loss to the Denver Broncos, I couldn’t help but hear all the tired clichés that kept playing through my head. First came the “so close, but yet so far,” when Russell Wilson barely avoided a sack before tossing a game tying TD to RB Javonte Williams, that tied the game, but only because Denver botched its extra point attempt.

But then, lo and behold, when Buffalo managed to score the go-ahead TD in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, it became, “the thrill of victory,” even if it may have seemed a wee bit undeserved.

That is when the Broncos came marching back down the field with just under two minutes remaining on the clock and a chance to still win the ballgame. But it was an opportunity that they had seemingly blown with a missed 41 yard FG attempt into a tricky Highmark Stadium wind. Then, it was the joyous refrain of, “happy days are here again.”

Unfortunately, however, when Buffalo gave them another shot at it with a penalty for having too many men on the field, it became a case of “never counting your chickens before they hatch.”

After Denver was given new life to try a 36 yarder that sailed straight through the uprights, it was once again, “the agony of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.”

It was right after that when one last cliché played out in my head. And that was whether, ”the fat lady had sung” on the Bills once promising season.

In light of the disastrous result in still another prime time game, the Bills are left to ponder their once potent offensive strike force. Not surprisingly, the team decided that it was “time to fish or cut bait.” And so it is that Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey was sent packing the very next morning. It didn’t take long for Dorsey to finally move from the hot seat to the unemployment line.

Although Dorsey had nothing to do with the four turnovers and the three critical dropped passes, I guess it’s a whole lot easier to fire one guy than the entire offensive unit. Personally, I thought the Bills would wait until the end of the season before making such a move, but apparently, there remains hope at One Bills Drive that they can still right their sinking ship.

But, as former Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells once said, “You are what your record says you are.” And the 5 – 5 Bills are exactly that – an average, middle rung team that looks a lot better than it plays.

No doubt, there are a number of diehard fans willing to ignore reality and cling to the slender hope that Buffalo can still make it into the playoffs. They are the ones who believe that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Certainly, that is a nice fantasy to entertain, but their remaining schedule says otherwise.

The Bills will need to win at least five of their next seven games, with Denver counting as one of those wins in order to sneak into the playoffs. Sorry folks, but it just ain’t gonna happen.

And if by some stroke of luck, it does happen, every game from here on out will be tantamount to a playoff game which they cannot afford to lose. When one looks realistically at the product they’ve put out on the field and the caliber of the opposition they will face, the Bills have about as a much chance of making the playoffs “as a snowball in hell.”

At this stage of the game, what the Bills must show us is whether they can hang together as a team in the locker room. This is a time for the coaching staff and the veteran leadership to step forward in order to keep this team from tearing itself apart with infighting and finger pointing.

That is what the Bills must now play for – “whether to hang together, or to hang separately.”

Bills Announce They Have Relieved Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey

The Buffalo Bills made a staffing change Tuesday morning, around 12 hours after their 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday night. The 5-5 Bills have announced that offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey has been fired. His interim replacement will be quarterbacks coach Joe Brady.

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Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

$600 Million Affordable Housing Initiative

Attention East Side Minority Contractors and MWBE’s!

Hello East Buffalo, Minority Contractors And MWBE’s! The Buffalo Black Billion, LLC, Is Pleased To Announce The Workforce Development, Community 1 Action Plan For The $600 Million Dollar Affordable Housing Initiative In East Buffalo And The Fruit Belt Community For 2024!!

A Meeting Will Be Held Friday, November 17, 2023 at the Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave. From 4 To 6p.m. This Event Is Sponsored By Community 1.

TERRENCE D. McKELVEY Attorney at Law 181 Franklin Street Suite #301 Buffalo, New York 14202

EMPLOYMENT

League of Women Voters of BuffaloNiagara Hosts Annual Holiday Party Registration is open for the annual League of Women Voters of Buffalo-Niagara holiday luncheon. A non-partisan civic organization, the League encourages informed and active participation in government and works to increase understanding of major public policy issues.

The annual December luncheon is open to both members and guests who want to learn more about the work of the League and this year’s invited guest organization, H.E.A.L. (Helping Everyone Achieve Livelihood) International.

When: Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Registration and social hour begins at 11 a.m. with lunch served at noon.

Where: Banchetti’s, 550 North French Road, Buffalo, NY 14228 Cost: $35 members, $40 non-members. Lunch choices include Cobb Salad, Chicken Parmesan, Stuffed Pork Chop, and Pasta Primavera (Vegetarian).

Guest Speaker: Mustafa Abdo of H.E.A.L. will discuss the work of the organization in helping refugees navigate life in Western New York, including learning how to access medical care, social services and education.

Registration: Reservations due by Nov. 26. Visit lwvbn. org for details and registration link.

LLC'S

Notice of Formation of a Domestic Limited Liability Company Greater Buffalo Village, LLC Date of filing of Articles of Organization with the NY Dept of State: November 15, 2021 Office of the LLC: Erie County The NY Secretary of State has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served. NYSS may mail a copy of any process to the LLC at: LEGALINC CORPORATE SERVICES INC. 1967 WEHRLE DRIVE, SUITE 1-086 BUFFALO, NY, 14221, USA Purpose of LLC: Any lawful purpose permitted for LLCs under NY Limited Liability Company Act October 12,19,26, November 2, 9,16 Notice of Formation of a Domestic Limited Liability Company Notice of Formation of Castaneda Kavanaugh Consulting LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 09-30-2023.

Office location: Erie County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY should mail process to Castaneda Kavanaugh Consulting LLC: 65 Hyledge Dr., Amherst NY 14226.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

October 12,19,26, November 2, 9, 16

JOBS

Buffalo Employment and Training Center

BETC 716-856-5627

www.workforcebuffalo.org

The BETC is here to help

with your job searching needs.

We have free services to all jobseekers looking to find better paying work, an exciting new career, or wanting to upgrade skills to become more marketable.

in today’s marketplace.

I T PAY S TO A D V E RT I S E !

LEGAL NOTICE RFP NOTICE OF RFP’s Bills Stadium & Events Company will be soliciting Requests for Proposals (RFP) for the BUFFALO BILLS NEW STADIUM PROJECT. Proposal Packages include*: FOOD SERVICE EQUIPMENT (FURNISH AND INSTALL) All businesses interested in submitting a response to this Request for Proposal (RFP) as a Prime/Tier1 subcontractor must prequalify to receive a Request for Proposal. For information on the prequalification process, reference Bills Contracting Opportunities at www.buffalobillsnewstadium.com. We encourage NYS-certified minority-, women- and service-disabled veteran-owned and local businesses to participate.

Please refer to proposal documents for full MWBE/SDVOB plan information. If you provide services relevant to any of the above packages and are interested in participating at a lower-tier level, please register your interest via the Bills Contracting Opportunities section on the project website. *Subject to change

Legal Notice

LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS YOUTH SERVICES under WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT November 9, 2023 The Buffalo & Erie County Workforce Investment Board, Inc. is accepting proposals for services to youth in the following categories: OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH SERVICES UNDER THE WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT. IN-SCHOOL YOUTH SERVICES UNDER THE WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT. A signed and electronically submitted proposal with the subject clause RFP for Out-of-School Youth Services and/or RFP for In-School Youth Services must be received at info@ becwib.org no later than 3:00 PM on Friday, December 29, 2023 in order to be considered. Those interested in submitting a proposal, or proposals, may download the RFPs at www.workforcebuffalo.org/news/rfps Funding for these solicitations is by way of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, 29 U.S.C. 3101 et. seq. (EEO/AAE).

14

Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

NEW YORK STATE LOTTERY NUMBERS SUN 11/05

MON 11/06 TUES 11/07 WED 11/08

THURS 11/09 FRI 11/10

SAT 11/11

3-WAY

MID-0-9-5

MID-5-3-2

MID-8-0-0

MID-0-7-9

MID-8-9-3

MID-4-5-5

MID-1-4-8

EVE-3-1-7

EVE-0-2-3

EVE-1-5-9

EVE-9-1-5

EVE-9-9-9

EVE-4-4-4

EVE-1-2-1

WIN 4

MID-0-3-1-2 EVE-1-4-4-6

MID-6-4-6-6 EVE-2-8-0-5

MID-7-9-7-8 EVE-1-3-0-7

MID-4-8-1-1 EVE-8-7-0-2

MID-4-9-1-7 EVE-4-5-6-7

MID-8-8-6-3 EVE-4-3-5-9

MID-4-2-5-3 EVE-9-8-6-0

TAKE 5

MID-13-23-24-26-30 MID-08-24-29-30-32 MID-05-08-28-30-31 MID-12-22-23-31-32 MID-06-12-16-29-34 MID-04-05-08-35-35 MID-05-22-27-28-34 EVE-03-18-20-30-33 EVE-04-08-26-28-36 EVE-23-32-33-35-37 EVE-06-08-13-22-28 EVE-03-12-18-29-35 EVE-13-29-35-37-39 EVE-11-24-27-29-33

*Saturdays Public Market 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday *Thursdays International Market 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. and Sundays

GOOD NEWS!

ATTORNEYS PRATCHER & ASSOCIATES Franklin Muhammad (Pratcher) Attorney 1133 Kensington Avenue (716) 838-4612

AUTO BEN’S Downtown Tire

50 Sycamore (cor. Elm) (716) 856-1066 or 894-1483

BAKERY Taste of Supreme 100% Gluten Free Vegan Goodies Contact the Supreme Bakers

(585) 285 - 5496

www.tasteofsupreme.com Rochester Public Market

280 N. Union St. BLDG. B #44

ELECTRICAL EMPIRE ELECTRIC (716) 634-0330

FLORISTS MAUREEN’S Flower Market 441 Ellicott St. * 852-4600

Advertise Your Business in our directory email advertising@ thechallengernews.com or call (716) 881-1051

LOTTO

01-04-16-24-27-35 +22

4018

HOT TIPS

022

064

648

Zakiyyah’s Rundown (ZR) Daily Vibrations 876-016-983-706-186-967-849-701-265-478-026070-945-761-017-899-676-010-546-806-596-864-968601-089-265-800-103-496-186-460-496-186-257350-659-486-625-967-806-079-657-236-671-678-340726-970-430-968-086-609-705-563-435-978-265-780104-657-569-478-630-359-763-946-019-757-684-908695-785-959-679-219-576-605-246-806-675-380-100435-768-685-209-359-189-603-407-986-568-853578-853-168-470-065-768-981-243-679-350-156-847MA RUTH SPEAKS THE TRUTH! SURE HITS! 168-985-678-198-256-890054-698-679-943-001-202147-001-865-732-855-648514-996-202

NOVEMBER VIBES 289-163 654-890 529-236

Aquarius -496-235-165-579 Pisces - 056-362-237-694 Cancer - 482-372-895-718 Aries - 289-946-034-594 Taurus -258-231-026-695 Gemini-495-257-694-508 Leo-345-213-157-201 Virgo 385-291-431-170 Libra -247-723-179-501 Scorpio - 453-253-571-597 Sagittarius389-701-234-924 Capricorn:893-275-342-506 November Lotto Luck

16-23-36-37-44-48 17-30-33-34-42-45

GAMMA’S NOVEMBER PICS

793-563 867-296 243-738 BEST TRIPLE 666

26-29-41-43-44-50 +20

996

515 140 Challenger Hits

MIDDAY 1-2-7 LUCKIE DUCKIE (STRAIGHT), QUICK $ (STRAIGHT) 7-2-6 ZR (STRAIGHT) 5-6-9 TAURUS (BOX), ZR (BOX) 6-3-0 ZR (STRAIGHT & BOX), QUICK $ (BOX) 2-3-5 AQUARIUS (STRAIGHT), SCOPRIO (BOX) 6-5-7 ZR (STRAIGHT & BOX)

QUEEN "E' SPECIALS!

EVENING 8-9-1 LUCKIE DUCKIE (BOX), QUICK $ (BOX), MA RUTH (BOX), ZR (BOX) 1-0-0 MA RUTH (BOX) 9-1-1 GRANDMA’S DOUBLES (STRAIGHT), LUCKIE DUCKIE (BOX) 7-1-5 LEO (BOX), SCOPRIO (BOX)

Madam Ozlla's Predictions 249-752-239-501-381953-382-935-472-843-

GRANDMA'S NOVEMBER DOUBLES 556-911 255-677

670 116

luckie duckie 743-133-202- 335 -20154444-1871-0978 134-431--143-

648*123*104

Special November 4-Digit 2743-4221-1064-8894-0978

980-422-809-981989-970-990-080-800515-996-390-196-102581-752-319-408-378352-126-189-444-886514- 332-522-112-432421-423-154-039-524119-616-719-593-655-97-127-111-019-200120-339-303-889-900 007-013-590-698-888

quick money 189-809-444 886-980-422 322-522-355 800-592-390 394-833-924 127-909-418 927-313-466 124-550-098 511-005-201

584 - 049-012 360-211842 237-120-910

1102/2015

CASH$$$$ 7890-0743-121

017-430-034-501483-656-491-248853-9961

THE NUMBER BOOK 708-469-801-066 781-980-194-580 805-075-467-890 579-944-357-909 680-434-680-073 678-456-708-286 230-110-781-009 920-536-580-697 075-356-579-498 4-WAY2015 Midday 0-4-9

15

Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

CALENDAR OF EVENTS THURS. NOV. 16 THE BULLYING STOPS HERE! Let’s talk about it!

November 16 at 6 p.m., 1423 Black Lives. Matter Way (Fillmore Ave.) Call (716)332-3773 ext. 1404 MON. NOV. 20 Hustle for Health Line Dancing with Jazzy T 12pm at Delavan Grider Community Center 877 E Delavan Ave, Buffalo FREE 55+ RSVP at www.HustleforHealth.com Free Line Dance Class, Dorothy Collier Community Center, 118 E. Utica, BEGINNER 11a.m.-12p.m.; ADVANCED 12-1p.m.

(716)882-0602.

April Hall

US Army 4 April 1983 -19 May 2014 M.O.S. Alpha Medic/ Administration

KWANZAA MEETINGS

CAO, Masten Resource Center 1423 Fillmore from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Black Lives Matter Way (Fillmore Ave.)

WED. NOV. 22 Hustle for Health with Phyllis Caver 11am at Gloria Parks: 3242 Main St., Buffalo.

FREE 55+ RSVP at www.

HustleForHealth.com

Buffalo Athletic Inner City Sports Legends annual "Athletic Greats" event at the Rose Bar and Grill 199 Scott Street at 6:30pm, celebrating former athletes.

MON. NOV. 27 Hustle for Health Line Dancing with Jazzy-T 12pm Delavan Grider Center 877 E Delavan Ave, FREE 55+ RSVP at www.HustleforHealth.com Native American Heritage Month Celebration 12 noon, 92 Franklin Street, 2nd Floor Ceremonial Courtroom. Guest speaker Jamie Jacobs. There will be Native American food sampling, Native American dancers and a light lunch

TUES. NOV. 28 Free Line Dance Class, Dorothy Collier Center, 118 E. Utica, BEGINNER 11a.m.12p.m.; ADVANCED 12-1 p.m. (716)882-0602.

WED. NOV. 29 Hustle for Health 11am at Gloria Parks: 3242 Main St., Buffalo. FREE 55+ RSVP at www.HustleForHealth.com THURS. NOV. 30 Community Grief. Support Group 5-6 p.m, CAO, 1423 Fillmore Ave. (716)-3323773.

16

IMAGES OF US

Challenger Community News •November 16, 2023

THE Your Community Newspaper

60 Years of “Pleading Our Cause”

Dear Valued Reader, On April 11, 2023 The Challenger Marked It’s 60th Year Of Serving Buffalo’s Black Community.

January 2024 Will Mark Editor & Publisher Alnisa Banks 45th Year At The Helm.

To Commemorate These Key Milestones In The Paper's Existence, We Will Publish Two Special Anniversary Editions December 7 & 14,2023.

We Invite You To Join Us By Placing A Commemorative Ad In Either Of These Upcoming Editions. Patron Ads Are Just $25. Display Ads At Various Rates & Sizes Are Also Available.

PEACE! Pictured above are scenes from the WNY Peace Center’s 56th Annual Dinner Nov. 10 at the McCoy Convention Center. Honorees included Ms. Della Miller and Gail Wells of Growing Health and Freedom Gardens; Sameria Mbili, a host of Talking Peace video/radio show; and WBFO's What's Next team. The lovely Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad delivered a revealing and thought provoking keynote address a the sold out affair. Her topic was "The Dharma of Racial Justice.” Deidra M. EmEl is Executive director of the Peace Center. Victoria Ross, who received a special award, is Chair of the Coordinating Board. Challenger Photos

We’re here for you.

Here in your neighborhood.

There’s nothing quite like local. That’s why your local AARP creates experiences with your community in mind. We’re neighbors, connecting you to free events, learning opportunities, and resources right in your backyard. Wherever you live, we’re here to help your money, health, and happiness live as long as you do.

Find us at aarp.org/local

/AARPNY

@aarpny

THE

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