COMPILED BY BRIAN MEYER
July 30, 2020
Buffalo FilmWorks' owner team from left, Jennifer O'Neill, Kevin Callahan and George Pittas in Stage 4, which boasts 80,000 square feet and high ceilings.
Giant studio spaces expected to bring big returns for Buffalo
We've seen more and more films shot in Buffalo, including major movies by acclaimed directors that star A-list actors. But the announcement of a state-of-the-art, full-service sound stage complex coming to the corner of Niagara Street and West Ferry – with a focus on made-for-television movies – could propel Buffalo to another level.
That's especially the case when adding Buffalo FilmWorks to the mix. The less-adorned South Buffalo site has four sound stages, including one that will be one of the longest motion picture stages in the world. It's tentatively slated for completion in 2022.
"A Quiet Place Part II" booked the complex from late March to October in 2019, and the hundreds of people involved spent some $60 million in Western New York. The total for all films shot in the region reached $75 million, according to the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission. Both were local records.
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How much higher can that kind of economic impact go? We're about to find out.
– Mark Sommer
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
Cuomo, state lawmakers differ over tax hikes on the wealthy: Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday dismissed talk of raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers to help close a newly projected $30 billion deficit over the next two years, saying Washington needs to step up and bail out the state government's finances. Democrats in the Legislature say both are needed: federal aid and higher taxes on the super rich in New York. Read more
Child Victims Act plaintiff confronts bishop: ‘I lost my son:’ Kevin Brun told Bishop Edward Scharfenberger on Wednesday that his son killed himself within 24 hours of reading Brun’s letter about being abused by a priest more than 40 years ago. Read more
Woman wins $232K after bank makes 465 robocalls in 6 months: The Wyoming County woman sued a Nevada-based bank under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Credit One had issued credit cards to Kimberly Salerno and her boyfriend and was trying to collect debts. Instead, a judge ordered the bank to pay $232,500 – $500 for each robocall that was made without her consent. Read more
Take me out (of) the ballgame: Fans will have tough time seeing Jays games from outside: If you’ve thought of a public spot from which to try and watch Toronto Blue Jays games in Sahlen Field starting next month, be prepared to strike out. Chances are the Buffalo Bisons and Jays have thought of it, too. Don’t expect to get into those places. Read more
DiCamillo Bakery marks 100th year with renovations, a new generation: The newly renovated retail store on Linwood Avenue in Niagara Falls opened Thursday. The store's flagship product is its 2-pound loaf of Italian bread, made with the same recipe as in 1920 by today's' third- and fourth-generation co-owners. Read more
COVID-19 COVERAGE
WNY’s Covid-19 hospitalizations hit lowest levels since crisis began: Hospitalizations in the region stood at 28 as of Tuesday, the lowest level since the state began publicly releasing Covid-19 data. This comes as a relief to local officials, who grew anxious when the phase four reopening for Western New York initially led to a rise in hospitalizations from early to mid-July. The trend also runs contrary to what's happening in many other parts of the country. Read more
Niagara County hospitals cut Covid-19 testing due to lack of supplies: The hospitals have stopped community Covid-19 testing services because it has become so difficult to have the samples analyzed, officials said Wednesday. Read more
WEATHER
Don Paul: Why the tropics matter more this year: With the congressional debates over how to fund the next economic relief pandemic package and the required vast expenditures to come, budgeting for the Federal Emergency Management Agency will almost certainly be problematic if we have additional landfalling hurricanes, writes Paul. Read more
FOOD & DRINK
Words are not necessary.
It took me 21 years to try chicken wings: News contributor Max Kalnitz tells us they were worth the wait. Read more
DEVELOPMENT
Rare hotel featuring inclusive design opens in Amherst: A new kind of hotel is opening in Amherst on Friday. The $14.4 million Hampton Inn Buffalo-Amherst is the first in the country certified as universally designed. The hotel, developed by Uniland Development Co., was designed with inclusive elements throughout to accommodate guests of all abilities and has no standard Hampton rooms. "There is nothing about this hotel that is your typical Hampton," said Stephanie Pericozzi, the hotel's general manager. Read more
COMMENTARY
Rod Watson: Revise the poll test in era of Covid-19: Watson argues that we need a new poll test to weed out those who can't grasp the necessity of protections against Covid-19, because they obviously aren't bright enough to take part in something as important as the democratic process. “While the Declaration of Independence includes the 'pursuit of happiness,' it does not protect the pursuit of ignorance," he writes. Read more
BILLS
Duke Williams, Vincent Taylor go on Covid-19 list, Cole Beasley on injured list: The Bills' Vincent Taylor and Duke Williams were among 19 NFL players placed on the reserve/Covid-19 list on Wednesday. The designation means the two players either had a positive test for Covid-19 or are in quarantine after having been in close contact with a person or persons infected with the virus. Read more
WITH YOUR MORNING COFFEE
• Do you remember where you were 33 years ago today when a powerful tornado ripped through the Union Road-George Urban Boulevard section of Cheektowaga? Check out this Buffalo News recap and this expanded report from WIVB's Jacquie Walker and Wadi Sawabini.
• The Aquarium of Niagara is gearing up for a big party to celebrate a resident's milestone birthday. Sandy, a harbor seal, will turn 40 on Saturday. WKBW’s Mike Randall reports that Sandy made veterinary history back in the late ‘80s by becoming the first harbor seal to undergo cataract surgery. By the way, Sandy’s special birthday cake will be filled with her favorite treats – including fish.
• An innovative program is being launched to empower citizens to help improve Lake Erie’s water quality and join the fight against harmful algal blooms. WBFO’s Mike Desmond reports the effort will involve the use of a tiny gadget that is hooked up to people’s smartphones.
• For the first time in a half-century, Pizza Hut isn’t “makin’ it great” in Western New York. You probably heard the news that the 17 remaining locations in the Buffalo area have closed. In this installment of [BN] Chronicles, Steve Cichon notes that were 62 local pizza joints when Pizza Hut opened its first location here in 1969. Thirty years later, there were nearly 300 local pizza places.
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