|
 |
UPCOMING EVENTS:
 JANUARY 28, 2008: STATE OF THE UNION WATCH PARTY
Please join the WNY Coalition for Progress as we host our third annual State of the Union watch Party. Starting at 8:00 PM Coalition members will gather to listen to the president's address to the nation, play State of the Union Bingo for great prizes, and listen to the Democratic response. This has become a Coalition tradition and a favorite of all, so we hope to see you there. Here are all the details:
WHAT: State of the Union Watch Party
WHERE:
Founding Fathers Restaurant, 75 Edward St., Buffalo
WHEN: January 28, 2008, 8:00 - 10:00 PM
FEBRUARY 12, 2008 @ 7:OO PM: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Coalition's annual meeting will be held on February 12, 2008 at 7:00 PM, and will feature a talk from Congressional candidate Jon Powers. Powers is a former Army Captain, Iraqi War Veteran and founder of War Kids Relief, a nonprofit organization aimed at assisting the youth of Iraq, providing them the resources and education needed to avoid recruitment by radical and terrorist organizations. War Kids Relief was quickly recognized for its pathbreaking work and was featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams “Making a Difference” series and in a Newsweek cover story.
The Coalition will also present a discussion for members on future events and goals for the organization.
WHAT: WNY Coalition for Progress Annual Meeting
WHERE:
Loughran's Restaurant Restaurant, 4543 Main Street, Snyder/Amhersto
WHEN: February 12, 2008, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
We hope to see you there!
PAST EVENTS:
Thank you to all of you who joined the Coalition on September 15th, with this fall's Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper cleanup and helped make it a rousing success! We had a record number of participants at Gallagher Beech this year. We wish to thank all of the Coalition members that helped, the group from Buffalo State for coming out as well as the classes from Lackawanna High School that joined us.
We hope to see you all in the spring at the next cleanup!
You can see pictures from the fall cleanup here.
On June 20, 2007 the WNY Coalition for Progress partnered with
WNYMedia.net to bring you
BASS PROS & CONS : A Debate about the Canalside Project
  The WNY Coalition for Progress would like to thank everyone for their hard and dedicated work to help make BASS PROS & CONS : A Debate about the Canalside Project an overwhelming success.
Over 160 people came out, as well as members of most press outlets. Thank you to WNYMedia.net for partnering with us, providing us with manpower, ideas, video and helping us get the word out.
To the panelists, Scot Fisher, Larry Quinn, Jim Ostrowski, and Carl Paladino for agreeing to participate and provinding a thought-provocing discussion. We thank Stefan Mychajliw for keeping the evening moving along beautifully. And finally to all the people who came out and made this event so successful, THANK YOU!
Check out news coverage here and pictures from the event here.
SPRING SHORELINE SWEEP 2007
Each year the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper coordinates shoreline clean-ups on the Niagara River, Buffalo River, Cazenovia Creek, Scajaquada Creek, Buffalo Creek, Ellicott Creek, Tonawanda Creek, and Cayuga Creek.
The Coalition helped out Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper for the second year in a row. The details for this years Coalition site were as follows:
CLEANUP SITE: Gallagher Beach
DATE and TIME: Saturday, April 21, 2007 12pm-2pm
Erie County Legislature Chairwoman Lynn Marinelli Provides her State of the Legislature to the Coalition
On February 20, 2007, Erie County Legislature Chairperson Lynn Marinelli presented her State of the Legislature to the Coalition during its quarterly General Meeting.
To read a report on the meeting and Ms. Marinelli's address please check out Buffalopundit post at our blog.
To view Chairwoman Marinelli's Presentation please click here.
THANK YOU!!!
The Western New York Coalition for Progress would like to thank everyone who participated in our Second Annual State of the Union Watch Party on Tuesday, January 23,2007. The event was an overwhelming success with over 100 people attending. Congratulations to all the winners in our State of the Union Bingo! We would especially like to thank Founding Fathers Pub for providing such wonderful food and a great location. We hope to see you all next year!
To view pictures from the event, please click here.
 On December 9, 10, 16, and 17, the Coalition and Revitalize Buffalo revived Santaland for 2006. This event not only revived a longstanding tradition that would otherwise not have happened due to county budget cuts, but also highlighted a need and directly benefited the Food Bank of WNY. Children throughout Western New York look forward to Santa at Chestnut Ridge every year, and it has become something of an annual tradition for many families. Yet, the county has been unable to restore funding for the decades-old county operated “Santa’s Park”. By planning, organizing, and hosting a modified “Santaland” in the Casino building at the park, these groups have shown that the community itself can step in to preserve certain aspects of our unique quality of life when it becomes unsustainable by public funding.
Tops donated an unbelievable amount of cookies and cocoa, and Wegmans donated additional food to hand out to the kids. Finally, the event would have been much more difficult to host without the hard work and assistance of the parks workers at Chestnut Ridge Park, and County Parks Commissioner Angelo Sedita and his staff.
People were encouraged to bring food and formula donations to the Food Bank of WNY, and they delivered. We also raised money for the Food Bank through the raffles and sales of tree ornaments, and the final accounting of the money raised is forthcoming.
First and foremost, the organizers of Santaland 2006 would like to thank our volunteers. Without the assistance of about 40 average Western New Yorkers who gave tirelessly and selflessly of their time and effort, Santaland could not have happened. In addition, without the assistance of local businesses, the event would have been untenable. Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo and Western New York gave visiting children free books to take home. Drew Cerza of the National Buffalo Wing Festival provided logistical assistance necessary to hold the event. One anonymous plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm provided monetary assistance. Local Internet site WNYMedia.net provided internet hosting and multimedia services for the Santaland event. Raffle items were provided by Studio Arena Theatre, ChocoLogo, and Steve Tasker.
The cash donation to the Food Bank of WNY will be $1,159.10 in addition to the cocoa, cookies, baby formula and food donations we collected over the 2 weekends.
The folks at the WNY Coalition for Progress and Revitalize Buffalo would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and joyous New Year.
Click here for a slideshow from day one of the event.
Click here for a slideshow from day two of the event.
Click here for a slideshow from weekend two of the event.
On October 25, 2006, the The WNY Coalition for Progress, along with Revitalize Buffalo, Buffalo Rising, NAACP Buffalo Branch, Depew & Cheektowaga Taxpayers Association, Buffalo 2032 and the WNY Media Network were proud to present the report
THE COST: Paying Our Politicians, What 439 Elected Officials Cost us
The WNY Coalition for Progress hosts a Night Exmaining Media in America Today: Left, Right or Wrong
On Tuesday, October 17, at Buffalo State College, the Coaltion held a free screening of
Good Night, and Good Luck
and panel discussion about
Media in America Today:Left, Right or Wrong?
We want to thank our great Panel Moderator,
Peter Anderson, Host of Time-Warner Cable's “Crossroads”
and our wonderful panelists:
Rich Kellman
Senior Correspondent, WGRZ TV-2
Murray Light
Former Executive Editor, Buffalo News
Bruce Bryski, PhD
Associate Professor, Buffalo State College
Ashley Fogle, PhD
Assistant Professor, Niagara University
We also want to thank all those who attended and all those Coalition members that worked hard to make this another fantastic event!
Please stay tuned here for pictures and video of the evening as well as information about upcoming Coalition events.
WNY Coalition Members Cleanup Houghton Park!
On Saturday, September 16, 2006, members of the WNY Coalition for Progress' Energy & Environment Working Group participated in the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers Fall Beach Sweep by cleaning up the Buffalo River at Houghton Park. You can check out pictures of the cleanup HERE
WNY Coalition for Progress Hosts Buffalo Premiere of "An Inconvenient Truth" and following Group Discussion on Global Warming
 On Friday June 16th, approximately 40 members of the Coalition attended the Buffalo Premiere of Al Gore's Film "An Inconvenient Truth" and met afterwards for a Coalition General Meeting and discussion session.
Coalition Vice President Nelson Starr and Energy & Environment Working Group Chairperson Rachel Brancato led the attendees in a free-form discussion about the movie, what they are doing in their daily lives to reduce greenhouse gases and save energy, and what they can do to inform others of the issue. WNYmedia.net put together a great video montage of the meeting which you can view HERE.
WNY Coalition for Progress Releases Report on County Government in NYS & Recommendations for Amending Erie County's Charter
On Tuesday, April 12, 2006, the Western New York Coalition for Progress released a
comprehensive report stating its position regarding proposed changes to Erie
County's Charter.
It details the history and laws governing counties in New York, and compares the various types and structures of county governments throughout the state. It also makes recommendations for amending Erie County's Charter. Some of these recommendations were adopted by the Charter Review Commission, passed by the legislature and coounty executive, and became law when the charter referendum was passed by voters on November 7, 2006!
Click here to watch the press conference courtesy of wnymedia.net. 
Click here to read the Coalition's recommendations for reforming County
government.
Click here to read the Coalition's full report.
WNY Coalition for Progress Hosts Screening of the "Wal-Mart Movie" & Panel Discussion on Wal-Mart's Impact on Local Economies
On March 22, 2006, the WNY Coalition for Progress hosted a well-attended screening of the movie, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price at The Screening Room in Amherst. A panel discussion followed, featuring panelists Allison Duwe, Executive Director of the Coalition for Economic Justice, Dennis E. Ward, Democratic Commissioner of the Erie County Board of Elections, and Richard Lipsitz Jr., Business Representative for Teamsters Local 264.
Please click here for the press release regarding this event.
WNY Coalition for Progress Hosts State of Union Watch Party
On January 31, 2006,
The WNY Coalition for Progress hosted a State of the Union Watch Party at JP Bullfeathers on Elmwood Ave. About 60 people came out to watch the President's speech with other like-minded folks, have some pizza and wings and play a rousing game of State of the Union Bingo.
WNY Coalition for Progress Hosts Free Screening of "Lost Boys of Sudan" and Panel Discussion on the Sudanese Conflict
On January 24, 2006,
Screening at UB's Center for the Arts Screening Room: Emmy Nominated film The Lost Boys of the Sudan
Followed by a panel discussion on issues facing Sudanese Refugees that move to WNY.
Please click here for the press release regarding this event.
WNY Coalition for Progress Presents 2005 Santaland!
On December 22, 2005, the WNY Coalition for Progress joined Revitalize Buffalo in presenting the Food Bank of WNY a check for $1,600 from the proceeds raised during the saving of "Santa Land" in Chestnut Ridge Park. “Santa’s Park,” a popular Erie County attraction held annually at Chestnut Ridge Park, was cancelled this year due to the ongoing county fiscal crisis. However, on December 17 and 18, a group of dedicated volunteers, including members of the WNY Coalition for Progress, revived “Santa’s Park” by organizing, planning, and hosting a scaled-down “SantaLand” at the Chestnut Ridge Park Casino.
At the check presentation ceremony Coalition president Alan Bedenko noted that, “this event could not have happened without the help of about 30 concerned Western New Yorkers, who gave freely of their time and effort to bring Santa Claus to the kids, as well as the cooperation and help of the Erie County Parks Commissioner, Andy Sedita, and his fantastic, professional team of Parks workers.”
To read more about the group effort to save "Santa Land" please check out its website at Save Santa Land.
WNY Coalition for Progress Recommends NO Vote on NYS Prop 1
On November 6, 2005, the WNY Coalition for Progress issued a statement against the proposed Proposition 1 Amendment to New York's Constitution. To read the Coalition statement in its entirety please click HERE.
WNY Coalition for Progress Issues Report on Proposed Bass Pro Project
On July 5, 2005 the WNY Coalition for Progress issued a report and recommendations on the proposed Bass Pro Project. The Coalition concluded that the proposed project is in the best interest of the area, and therefore supports the project. To read the report please click: HERE and you can also read WGRZ NBC-2's story on the release of the report by clicking: HERE!
WNY Coalition for Progress Hosts Panel Discussion on 2004 Election Results and the Future of the Democratic Party
On February 3, 2005, the WNY Coalition for Progress hosted a moderated panel discussion on the campus of Canisius College on the topic of the 2004 election (presidential and congressional), what went wrong for the Democratic Party nationwide and where do democrats and progressives go from here. Panelists included the following:
Simon Peter Gomez, Ast. Prof. of Political Science, Buffalo State College
William Graebner, Prof. of History Emeritus, SUNY-Fredonia
Kevin Hardwick, Prof. of Political Science, Canisius College
Len Lenihan, Chairman, Erie County Democratic Committee
Mark Thomas, County Executive, Chautauqua County |
|
|
|
|
