Fred Brace, President

Ed Speidel, Vice President Paul Lamparelli, Treasurer

Margaret Frainier, Secretary Deborah Chadsey James Ciminelli

Christoper Hayes

Bertha Hill George Morey Jo Schweitzer

Mary Wyatt

Board of Directors

Roseann Scibilia, Executive Director Andrew J. Byrd, C.O.O./C.F.O.

Margaret Frainier, Secretary Kevin Ferguson, Athletics Director

Sara Scott Sheena Wolford

Paul Kondak Chris Scibilia

Regular Contributors

Merged at Last

Welcome to the first edition of the University District Community Development Association (UDCDA) newsletter. Finally, after almost three year of planning, working and waiting, our merger between University Heights CDA and Kensington Bailey NHS was approved in December, 2010. We are now able to focus our efforts on strengthening the delivery of services and programs to all residents in the University District community. The successful completion of the merger was made possible through the cooperation of several stakeholders who saw consolidation as a method for improving performance. On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of UDCDA, I wish to thank the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County for it’s generous grant of $25,000 which was used for legal fees and strategic planning costs incurred in the merger process. We are also grateful to Mayor Byron Brown for putting the full weight of his office behind our plan to join community based organizations and for his recognition that this union would increase our capacity to service our community; to Councilmember Bonnie E. Russell, who shored up our operations with new “gap funding” when it was most needed; to NY Homes & Community Renewal and the Office of Child and Family Services for approving the merger and for retaining us as the providers for their services to homeowners and families. As we go forward in 2011, we do so with several goals in mind. One is to identify improved products in the area of housing development that support the needs of all homeowners in our expanded community. Another is to improve member experiences for those using our wonderful facility at Gloria J. Parks and to diversify programming to reflect the interests of our residents. Our third goal is to strengthen our partnerships with the many committed community groups emerging throughout the district, so that together we can empower residents, renew pride in and restore confidence in our community. It’s been a true pleasure making many new friends at both agencies over the past three years. I look forward to working together in making the University District an energized, revitalized community of choice for all. Have a wonderful, safe summer!

Roseann Scibilia, Executive Director

UNIVERSITY DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS VOLUME I , NO. 1

SUMMER 2011

Community Services 3242 Main Street

Buffalo, NY 14214

Housing Services 995 Kensington Avenue

Buffalo, NY 14215

Phone: (716) 832-1010 Fax: (716 ) 832-5099

www.udcda.org

Location

Alissa Corby Alissa Corby has an Art Education Degree and is one of our longest AmeriCorps mem-bers. She is a second year AmeriCorps member and is one of 3 team leaders in AmeriCorps ABLE branch. Alissa uses her Art education to broaden the minds of our community chil-dren by teaching them drawing and art related activities. She enjoys working with children in our after school program because of the relaxed atmosphere that affords a different style of learning.

Paul Kondak

Paul Kondak, has degrees in Secondary Education and Physics, and is a relative newcomer to Buffalo. He grew up just outside De-troit and wants to spend as much of his life travel-ing as he can. At the Community Center he helps run the 4-H after-school program working closely with the youth to enrich their scholastic work as well as helping out with inter-esting programming such as science expeditions. Paul’s goal is to see each child happy, successful, and on the right track toward whatever they want to do with their life.

INTRODUCTION TO AMERICORPS WORKERS

Ian Searcy Ian Searcy joined Gloria J Parks Community Center last summer as a mentor for the Summer Urban Environmental Science and Sports Skills Center and decided to continue serving through AmeriCorps as a coun-selor for our 4-H Afterschool Program. As a part of his service with the afterschool program, Ian has collaborated with Science Firsthand to facilitate science ses-sions twice a week with our 4-H children. Through direct experi-ence and question-driven inquiry, the children have planted seeds, created chemical reactions, investigated bubbles, created worm composts and terrari-ums full of outdoor life, and much more! He is currently excited about participating this coming summer in the sec-ond annual Summer Urban Environmental Science and Sports Skills Center.

Page 2

Welcome Aboard!

Cody Ross Cody Ross is integral to Gloria J. Parks Community Center’s Athletics Department, currently serving as Physical Education Counselor. He attended Polytech-nic Institute of NYU for Civil En-gineering and will continue to pur-sue that path in hopes of one day owning his own firm. He also ran the Buffalo Marathon in 2010 and finished 61st out of about 3000 runners and will run again in 2011. Cody enjoys his friends and family and the nightlife.

About WNY AmeriCorps

WNY AmeriCorps, an independent non-profit organization, creates opportunities for all individuals to serve, challenging citizens to turn their ideals into action and their passion into positive change. Through transformational service and civic responsibility, WNY AmeriCorps is designing a sustainable future for our nation’s communities. They offer several terms of service and program options for individuals with various educational and work related experiences.

Serving your local and national community fills you with a sense of accomplishment you carry with you throughout your professional career and beyond. WNY AmeriCorps is proud to foster growth within our members and serve those who need help the most.

WNY AmeriCorps offers programs you can get involved in to help your community while earning funds for your fur-ther education in higher learning or receiving your GED. If you're looking for a way to get back on track with your edu-cation, or you're looking to give back to the community af-ter graduating from college, we have something to offer you. For more information please check them out on the web at:

http://www.wnyamericorps.org/

HEALTH CARE PROXY

The New York Health Proxy Law allows you to appoint someone you trust—for example, a family member or close friend—to make health care decisions for you if you lose the ability to make decisions yourself.

By appointing a health care agent, you can make sure that health care providers follow your wishes.

Your agent can also decide how your wishes apply as your medical condition changes.

Hospitals, doctors and other care providers must follow your agent’s decisions as if they were your own.

You may give the person you select as your health care agent as little or as much authority as you want.

You may allow your agent to make all health care decisions or only certain ones.

You may also give your agent instructions that he or she has to follow.

Health Care Proxy Forms are available from the State of NY Department of Health.

WEBSITE ADDRESS: www.nys.gov/livingwill/proxy_form

Forms available at 995 Kensington Avenue and 3242 Main Street. SOURCE: State of New York Department of Health

S E N I O R & A D U LT N E W S Page 3

Blood Pressure Screening Blood Pressure Screening for seniors is held at the Gloria J. Parks Community Center the first Tuesday of each month from 11:15 am to 11:45 am.

Did You Know: Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps out blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. When your heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pres-sure. Your blood pressure reading uses these two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures. Usually they are written one above or before the other. A reading of

120/80 or lower is normal blood pressure

140/90 or higher is high blood pressure

Between 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom number is prehypertension

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure. You can control high blood pres-sure through healthy lifestyle habits and taking medicines, if needed.

SOURCE: NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Cardio Room The Gloria J. Parks Community Center's Fitness & Cardio room is opened Monday-Friday from 10 A.M.-9 P.M. as well as Saturdays from 9 A.M.-5 P.M. All members are offered instruction on how to use all equipment in both rooms.

Did you Know: "Cardiovascular exercise is any type of exercise that increases the work of the heart and lungs," says Tommy Boone, PhD, a founding member of the American Society of Exercise Physiologists. "Walking, jogging, and running are common forms of cardiovascular, or aerobic, exercise." From running and walking, to swimming, elliptical cross-training, biking, Stairmaster, and rowing -- to name a few -- the physical benefits of cardio exercise abound, explains says Len Kravitz, PhD, senior exercise physiologist for IDEA Health and Fitness Association. They include:

Reduced risk of heart disease

Improved blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels

Improved heart function

Reduced risk of osteoporosis

Improved muscle mass Read more about the benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise at

http://www.medicinenet.com/

Erie County Stay Fit Dining Program

The Stay Fit Dining Program is available to all senior citizens in the community. Come and enjoy a nutritious lunch Monday through Friday at 11:30 A.M. Membership is not required but there is a suggested donation of 2.50 for the meal. Check out the Lunch Menu on the Internet at

http://www.erie.gov/depts/seniorservices/health/nutrition_menus.asp

S E N I O R & A D U LT N E W S

Senior Trip to Broadway Market, Spring 2011

While our seniors hold many exciting events right here on-site, sometimes we put together a great trip out to see the sights of the city! This year one of our featured events was a hop down into the city to the Broadway Market. The day began with an Easter luncheon, complete with decorations and delicious treats. This open-air farmer's market runs year-round, Monday through Saturday, and features a great selection of fresh produce and crafts from around the city. Its convenient location on the East Side brings great fresh food to lots of local residents, and has been open continuously since 1888. We had fun taking the bus down and checking out an important part of Buffalo's culture and getting into the holiday spirit too!

Page 4

The Senior Program at Gloria J. Parks Community Center

On any given day you can walk into the senior room and be greeted by warm smiles and friendly faces. You will be of-fered a hot cup of coffee or tea and you will be asked to join in one their various daily activities. If the room is not bus-tling with conversation then it must be time for bingo. Whether they are playing cards, Wii bowling, exercising or just talking the seniors here are always having a good time. A typical day in the senior program starts out with coffee and conversations. There’s hardly a day that goes by that someone doesn’t bring in cookies or crackers to snack on while they settle in to playing cards or bingo for the morn-ing. At twelve o’clock there is a hot meal served. The delicious meals are provided by the Erie County Nutrition Program which has been a main part of our organization for years. The Erie County Nutrition Program has perfected the art of making healthy and nutritious meals that are just as tasty as they are good for you. They even offer meals that are low in salt and sugar for those who have special dietary needs. The meals consist of a main dish, vegetables, milk, bread and even a delicious dessert. There is a wide of variety of meals so there is no danger of getting bored with the same old thing day after day. The program also offers one on one nutrition counseling with registered dieticians. They also come in and do monthly workshops where they talk about different nutrition and health related topics concerning sen-iors. Erie County has also provided us with a fitness instructor. Every Monday at 11:00 there is a guided exercise class. The exercises are designed specifically for seniors. On the first Tuesday of every month, we also offer blood pressure screenings. We are fortunate to have Ms. Margaret Frainier, who is a registered nurse, willing to donate her time and expertise. All results are confidential. Every month there is a birthday celebration as well as parties for all major holidays where the seniors enjoy games, deco-rations, prizes and more. We also enjoy going on picnics and field trips several times a year. Some of our past trips have included Beaver Island, the Miss Buffalo boat ride and luncheon, the Corning Museum of Glass and more. We al-ways love to see new faces!

Stop by and check out the program for yourself !

St. Patrick's Day Senior Party 2011 The Luck of the Irish came to Gloria J. Parks Community Center this year as our sen-iors celebrated in style! In honor of one of Buffalo's favorite holidays, we deco-rated our lunchroom in swaths of green. The Erie County Nutrition Program served the traditional St. Patrick’s day lunch of Corn Beef and Cabbage. In addition, delicious snacks were pro-vided and a great time was had by everybody. After eating we played some games to get into the spirit of the day, then chatted away the afternoon. Thanks to the staff for helping the senior group celebrate another great holiday together!

Y O U T H P R O G R A M N E W S Page 5

2011 Summer Urban Environmental Science and Sports Skills Center The Community Center is excited to announce the second annual Summer Urban Environmental Science and Sports Skills Center. Last year our program was an enormous success & welcomed over 250 children from all over Buffalo to the Gloria Parks Community Center to learn science through direct experience and inquiry. In addition children were able to participate in a sports program focused on fitness, sports skills, sportsmanship, teamwork, and rules. We are delighted to have the op-portunity to run this program again. To give you a better idea of what the camp is like, below is a testimony from Ian Searcy, one of the Summer 2010 science mentors, about the science portion of last year’s camp:

“Snakes we fed, fish we saw, tadpoles and minnows we captured in jars, long-legged centipedes we screamed at in disgust, crayfish, grass-hoppers, bees, spiders, cicadas, dragonflies, ants, millipedes, fungal tree bark, roots, rhizomes and tree sap—this is just a snapshot of the science portion of the 2010 Summer Urban Environmental Science and Sports Skills Center at Gloria J. Parks.”

Over the course of seven weeks in July and August, children from various community centers, churches and other organiza-tions came to the Gloria J. Parks Community Center for fun, interactive urban environmental science exploration. They filled their own, handmade journals with observations, questions, samples, colorful pictures and tons of creativity and wide-eyed wonder. They explored the nature all around them in the neighborhood surrounding our community center—growing up between cracks in cement, buzzing overhead, perching on a blade of grass. The children learned that you don’t have to leave the city or go to a park to experience and explore nature. Nature is all around you. Wherever you go—in a web in the win-dowsill at home, squeezing up through the sidewalk in front of your house, in your backyard—you can find nature. It was a delight to see children return the next day with critters they had found at home.

This program is facilitated through a partnership among Science Firsthand Learning, Gloria J. Parks Community Center, and WNY AmeriCorps.

This summer marks the second year of this program. With its inaugural year being a success beyond expectations, hopes are high for a great time this summer! Community groups are committed to one full week of sports and/or science with avail-able sessions are from 9:30am to 12pm or 1pm to 3:30pm.

We would all like to thank M&T Bank & the Cameron Baird Foundation for their generous support of this program.

Summer Urban Environmental Science and Sports Skills Coordinator Introduction From 2008 through 2010 Christopher Scibilia was a program manager of Science Firsthand Learning stationed at the Seneca

Street United Methodist Church. That site (SSUMC) has an overwhelming amount of at risk youth of whom he mentored in a hands-on inquiry based science program. Last year over 40 children from his program were able to participate in 3 weeks of a science at Gloria J. Parks Community Center summer camp. He said, “Coming from an area which is lacking in re-sources, facilities, and staffing it was a great opportunity for us to attend.”

Chris was thoroughly impressed with the structure of the programming as well as the effective-ness of the staff. All of the children which he would normally consider “a tough group of kids” were fully engaged and well behaved during each of the weeks they participated. The children immediately bonded with the staff as they explored the intricacies of nature in an urban envi-ronment. This opened up a new world to the children which they never knew existed right in their own back yard. They investigated bugs that were found in the water, on sidewalks, on

trees, or even in parking lots. They were able to see animals some of them had never seen before such as snakes, crawfish, and salamanders. At the end of each week they took a field trip to Glenn Park Falls in Amherst N.Y. which was a new ex-perience for everyone.

Chris offered to volunteer 2 additional weeks of the Gloria J. Parks Summer Camp where he worked with children from dif-ferent community centers in the same structured program. He said, “The smoothness of the program was just as consistent as the three weeks I attended with the children from SSUMC. Even members of the staff from the respective community centers involved commented on how well orchestrated the program was, and effect it had on the kids was very noticeable.”

He is very excited that he is able to coordinate the 2011 Summer Urban Environmental Science and Sports Skills camp this year. He personally feel this program is a great way to connect with the community and enable children to grow. He hopes that we will be able to serve even more youth than last year and it will exceed all expectations.

Y O U T H P R O G R A M N E W S - C O N T I N U E D Page 6

Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo and Erie County The Gloria J. Parks Community Center will be a Drop-In Center for the Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo and Erie County. Literacy Drop-In-Centers are neighborhood-based locations staffed with trained Literacy Vol-unteers who provide students with personal instruction de-signed with their goals and capa-bilities in mind. Not only is reading critical in to-day's world, it can also be fun. Within the Basic Reading Program, every person is afforded the opportunity to improve their reading skill. The Literacy Volunteers meet every Monday and Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:30 pm Sign up by calling the Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo &

Erie County at (716) 876-8991.

This Years Gloria J. Parks Community Center 4-H After-School Program The Gloria J Parks 4-H Afterschool Program is dedicated to enriching the lives of youth in the University District Commu-nity. This year, the afterschool program offered a variety of enrichment activities that were both fun and educational. The youth that attended the GJP afterschool program received the opportunity to work one-on-one with tutors and volun-teers, ensuring a quiet and safe environment for homework completion, and thorough home-work comprehension. The GJP academic enrichment program also proudly partnered with Literacy Volunteers. This program offered students, who might not otherwise receive indi-vidualized attention from certified teachers and specialists in literacy, the opportunity to work on reading comprehension skills and better prepare them for NYS Testing.

Following the Science Firsthand Learning model of inquiry based learning, the GJP afterschool kids, along with University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College volunteers, joined our program in science related activities. The activities over the course of the year included everything from feeding and caring for a pet snake, inflating balloons with carbon dioxide, curdling milk, collecting and studying insects, making oobleck, miniature tsunamis, diet soda pop fountains, homemade fire extinguisher, water tornadoes, lava lamps and much more! The Afterschool Program also offered other exciting opportunities for kids. They had the opportu-nity to participate in an arts program that featured relaxing and educationally based projects, from engineering and designing buildings out of toothpicks, to creating their own bugs using recycling materials. They also participated in structured computer lessons, and a conservation club that em-

powered children to be concerned for their own environment through educational projects and curriculum. The kids played basketball, floor hockey, and learned out to break dance and unicycle through professional instructors. They had the opportunity to go on field trips that ranged from visiting City Hall, to seeing a basketball game at Canisius College. The Community Center is proud to end its 2010-2011 School Year with an end of the year celebration! As a way to honor and commend the hard work and “hard fun” of all the stu-dents and staff that participated in this year’s program, there was a picnic at Shoshon Park. Everyone at the Gloria J. Parks Community Center hopes to see all our participating children next year, and some new faces to join the fun!

2nd Annual Kelly for Kids Basketball Tournament

The Kelly for Kids Non-High School Basketball League was a great success this year. Thanks to a grant pro-vided by the Kelly For Kids Foundation young men that do not normally get a chance to play for their respective high school basketball teams were allowed to play in this tournament. The tournament ran from January 21st to March 4th and included youth from eight different community cen-ters in the city of Buffalo. All Uniforms and certified officials were provided for the youth in the league to lend a professional playing atmos-phere to the event.

Gloria J. Parks Community Center is now offering Comprehensive Tutoring

With a fully certified teacher on staff, Gloria J. Parks Com-munity Center opened its doors this spring to any local stu-dents looking for a little extra scholastic support. With flexible scheduling and a comfortable learning environment, students had a great opportunity for some extra help before tests started! The program was and is open to students of all ages and offered Monday to Friday, generally by appointment. Tutoring will be continually offered throughout the summer months, so if you're worried about falling be-hind while it's nice out or want to bring your grades up in summer school, call 832-1010 and get in touch with Paul Kondak about scheduling some time.

Space is limited so call now!

Y O U T H P R O G R A M N E W S - C O N T I N U E D Page 7

Annual Golf Fundraiser On Saturday, July 9th, Batavia Country Club will be hosting our largest annual fundraising event! Two separate outings will be held: the Scramble Fore the Kids as well as Coaches Vs. Cancer. This yearly event is always a blast and makes possible many of the great opportu-nities for our community, so sign up today! The cost is $100 per golfer, which will cover lunch, a full round of golf at the beautiful country club, and dinner afterward. Any interested golfers please contact Kevin Fergu-son either by telephone at 832-1010 or by e-mail at k.ferguson@udcda.org.

Table Tennis Gloria J. Parks Community Center is excited to offer Table Tennis as a relaxing pastime or a way to improve your game. Meeting twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays be-ginning at 5:30 PM, Table Tennis improves coordina-tion, agility, and speed, as well as being a whole lot of fun! Raymond Nagel directs the sessions as well as offering individual lessons on Tuesdays and youth instruction Tuesday evenings.

Please contact Raymond at 400-1041 to register for a weekly slot!

Chess Club "Chess thrives in Western New York thanks to Michael A. McDuffie!"

Certified Chess Coach, Michael A. McDuffie, Chess Ambas-sador extraordinaire is an encouraging, engaging and excel-lent teacher. His enthusiasm for the game is infectious. The game is a great way to develop confidence while teaching valuable thinking and social skills. Chess requires that you focus, visualize and concentrate to recognize the pattern in the moves of your opponent. You must be able to hold multi-ple options in your mind at one time and select the best option based on changing data. Chess teaches sequential, logical thinking. For all the reasons listed above, as well as the fact that it's fun to play, you and your children will want to learn. Coach McDuffie is bringing a great opportunity to children and families in the community, so come join us!

Ongoing Friday nights, from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

at the Gloria J. Parks Community Center.

The Primetime Signature Speakers Series The Primetime Signature Speaker Series is a unique opportu-nity for sports lovers across Buffalo. This teen league (ages ranging from 13 to 17) will meet once per week starting July 15th, on Friday afternoons, for a combination of motiva-tional/educational speaking and solid basketball practice. The program starts at 2:00 with a different professional each week. The speaker might be a college basketball coach, a professor or teacher, or a professional referee. Each speaker has one hour to address the youth about their area of expertise, stressing the importance of scholastic work and perseverance in school for everybody, especially athletes. The rest of the sessions will be a great chance for all these talented players to play basketball. If you are interested in participating please contact Kevin Ferguson either by telephone at 832-1010 or by e-mail at k.ferguson@udcda.org.

Y O U T H P R O G R A M N E W S - C O N T I N U E D Page 8

Wendy’s High School Summer League Over 50 High School Girls and Boys teams will compete in a league beginning in June and running through late August. Teams come from all over Western New York - from the greater Buffalo area to as far as Batavia. This league is sponsored by Wendy's Restaurants who buy shirts for all participants. Certified High School officials referee all of the games at the Gloria J. Parks Community Center. Over 500 youth between the ages of 13 and 18 play weekly in this league, which is the largest High School Summer Basketball league in Western New York. The league plays Monday-Friday be-tween 4:00 and 9:00 P.M. We are seeking further sponsors for this activity. If you are interested , please contact Kevin Ferguson, 832-1010.

The Aaron Graves Memorial Basketball Tournament

This past December we had our 12 annual Aaron Graves Memorial Basketball Tournament. The proceeds from this tournament are donated to St. Joe's Collegiate Institute in Aaron's name and are given to a select student with high abil-ity, both in academic areas as well as in athletics. Aaron lost his battle with cancer when he was a senior at St. Joe's College, but his legacy has lived on for over a dozen years now, helping many students pursue their dreams. If you are interested in participating, donating or just want to come and watch a good tournament for a good cause then please put us on the calendar for the 13th Annual Tourna-ment.

Unicycling Lessons Now at the Community Center

Back on March 4, if you were around the community center during the evening you probably saw some excited & nervous youth trying out Unicycling for the very first time. Since then on every Friday night from 5:30 to 7:30 these kids came back and are slowly mastering the Unicycle. A Few benefits of unicycling are:

Builds confidence & self esteem Improves balance, LIFE IS BALANCE! It's Fun, Fun, Fun Healthy Too!

We are know providing free Unicycling lessons to anyone over the age of 10. They are being taught by Mr. Joe Olgin, an experienced unicycler, who is volunteering his time. If you are interested in participating then please call Mr. Olgin at (585) 746 – 4975 to schedule lessons spaces are limited.

Gloria J. Parks Community Center’s

Annual Block Party! The party, held this year on June 11, was a great success! Although the weatherman tried to threaten us with storm warnings, it turned out to be a beautiful June day. The bouncy house was up before noon and was a big hit all afternoon long – and not just for the kids, several big people were seen flying around inside! Board president Fred Brace worked hard all afternoon over a hot grill to supply the entire party with delicious hot dogs and sau-sages and several volunteers worked overtime at the cot-ton-candy, popcorn, and snow cone machines. The musical selection was a lot of fun, too, with local mu-sicians such as MC Eecmcee and the Chill Harmonic Orchestra grooving in the after-noon sun. Break-dance group D.F.C. stole the show, im-pressing everybody with some ridiculously fun dance moves. DJ Cutler was the power be-hind it all, mixing up great beats all afternoon long. In addition to the neighbor-hood crowd in attendance, we also got to meet one of our

local state Senators, Mark Grisanti, who came early in the afternoon. Mayor Byron Brown was also there, and stayed for several hours to meet and greet, try the food, and watch the entertain-ment. He hopped up on the dance floor toward the end of the afternoon to say a few words about the community and his pride to be a part of it, which was a great note to end the afternoon on. All in all, we had a great party and everybody’s looking

H O U S I N G P R O G R A M N E W S Page 9

Our Housing Program

UDCDA’s housing department is concerned about the quality of life in our neighborhood and the community-at-large. We are committed to making the University & Delaware districts a community of choice by stimulating growth and revitalization through community and economic development efforts. We are committed to:

Promoting homeownership

Ensuring that all residents of our community have access to adequate housing

Empowering residents

Renewing pride, and

Restoring confidence in our community

Housing Services offered through UDCDA are supported in whole or part with funds or staff made available though the City of Buffalo and New York State Home & Community Renewal. These agencies not only contribute a large amount of capital to fund the conservation and development of Buffalo communities, they also aid our neighborhood service organiza-tion with administrative funding.

Other housing services include:

Administration of rehabilitation grants and loans

Homeowner education

Financial literacy education

Energy-efficiency classes

Support for area block clubs, and

Housing Court liaison activities

If we are unable to provide a service, we have an extensive referral list to assist households reaching all potential programs and services that may be available to them. Although other programs are available to all households, many of the programs target low to moderate income populations as well as the elderly population.

UDCDA And Affinity LLC Partner For Homeownership This month UDCDA received a donation of a very unique property at 400 Eggert Road from Affinity Renewal Develop-ment LLC. The donation is the first step in a new partnership with a pri-vate sector developer who is committed to community revitalization in the University District. The property, located directly across from an Affinity development know as Collegiate Village, had been neglected by its previous owner, and was an invitation for vandals and an eyesore in the community. Affinity took the first step toward stabilizing the area by acquiring the house, cleaning up the exterior and providing maintenance. It recognized that neighborhood stabilization depends on homeownership and offered 400 Eggert to UDCDA under the condition that we completely renovate it for sale to a new homeowner. Work has already begun to convert this once blighted house into a beauti-ful 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath home, complete with a first floor great room, ad-ditional living room, fully remodeled kitchen and baths. It will make a wonderful, maintenance free home for a family or any new homeowner. Down payment and closing cost assistance is available to the buyer through our City of Buffalo Block Grant program. We are very grateful to Marc Chasen and his associates at Affinity Renewal Development for demonstrating their commit-ment to our community by assisting us in this project.

From left to right:: Martin Chasen, Mark Chasen, Roseann Scibilia, Ed Speidel

O T H E R I T E M S Page 10

Summer Lawn Care Guide If spring lawn care is about getting your lawn healthy and green, summer lawn care is about KEEPING it healthy while temperatures soar and rainfall becomes a fleeting memory. It’s also about maintaining a lawn that can with-stand all the barbecues, games, parties, and running feet that summer has to offer. Here are some tips for keeping your lawn in shape over those long, hot days of summer.

About Summer Lawns

After the spring growing season, summer brings quite a bit of stress to lawn grasses. Not only are the heat and drought damaging, but we aren’t as forgiving in the summer as we are in the winter. We want our lawns lush and green for out-door activities, and we try to fight nature by continuing to fertilize, water, and coax new growth out of our lawns no matter what the weather. However, by understanding and respecting the seasonal changes of turf grasses, you can take steps to care gently for your lawn as the mercury rises. Cool-season grasses (such as fescue, bluegrass, and rye) grow best when temperatures are in the 60s F. Warm-season grasses (including Zoysia, St. Augustine, Centipede, and Ber-muda) like temperatures in the 70s. Once temperatures get into the 80s and above, lawns will begin to struggle a little, with cool-season grasses having the hardest time. Growth will slow, color may fade, and lawns will show signs of wear and tear as they are less able to re-cover from stress and traffic. Some cool-season lawns will even go dormant in the summer, looking brown and brittle until early fall.

Water Wisely

Lawns need at least one inch of water per week, and more when the heat is severe. Use a rain gauge or straight-sided can to keep track of the amount of water received from rainfall and irri-gation. Water deeply and less fre-quently to encourage drought-tolerant roots. Water early in the day to reduce evaporation and fungal growth. Either water your lawn regularly and deeply, or don’t water at all. Don’t let your lawn go brown and dormant, then try to “water it back to life.” If your lawn goes dormant in summer, it should stay that way until fall – don’t worry, it should recover once the weather changes. Small tuna cans make a good temporary water gauge.

Mowing Tips

Raise your mower blade in the summer. Taller grass is more drought-tolerant, grows deeper roots, and helps shade the

earth to prevent weed seeds from germinating. Cool-season grasses should be mowed at 3”- 4” during the summer, or as high as your blade will go, while warm-season grasses should be mowed at 2”- 3”. Mulching grass clippings helps keep moisture levels steady. Mow regularly, to prevent cutting more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. This keeps your grass healthier and prevents the clip-pings from smothering the grass. Keep mower blades sharp. Make sure your mower is cutting your grass, not tearing it, to mini-mize stress during hot temperatures. Mowing higher means mowing more often.

Don’t Over Fertilize

If your lawn is looking straggly in midsummer, resist the urge to fertilize. In fact, it’s best to stop fertilizing about 30 days before your area’s summer temperatures arrive. Applying extra fertilizer in the heat of summer can burn your lawn and create a flush of tender growth that will struggle in the hot summer weather. Never fertilize dormant lawns – wait until they green up in the fall.

Lawn Tip

Organic fertilizers are naturally slow-release, and they are much less likely to burn your lawn (or pollute the environ-ment) than chemical fertilizers. Organic packaged fertilizers are becoming more widely available.

High-Traffic Areas

By summer, many lawns begin to show signs of wear, espe-cially in a few popular pathways. Consider installing stepping stones to minimize damage to your grass, and try to minimize traffic on dormant, brittle lawns. If you’re getting plenty of rainfall and your lawn is actively growing, you can apply a bit of fertilizer to these areas to help the blades recover faster.

Control Weeds

Summer is the season to get those growing weeds removed before they bloom and disperse seed for next year. Targeted postemergent herbicides are designed to kill broadleaf weeds without harming turf grass, but they must be applied when temperatures will be below 85° F for a few days. Keep in mind that during the heat of summer, ANY product can be damaging to already-stressed lawn grasses, so use sparingly or hand-pull weeds instead. Source: Julie Day, http://www.dannylipford.com

O T H E R I T E M S Page 11

Neighborhood Safety Tips For Parents

Know where your children are. Have your children tell you or ask permission before leaving the house and give them a time to check in or be home. When possible, have them leave a phone number of where they will be.

Help children learn important phone numbers. Have your children practice reciting their home phone number and address, and your work and cell phone numbers. If they have trouble memorizing these, write them down on a card and have them carry it at all times. Tell your children where you will be and the best way to reach you.

Set limits on where your children can go in your neighborhood. Do you want them crossing busy roads? Playing in alleys or abandoned buildings? Are there certain homes in your neighborhood that you don't want your children to go to?

Get to know your children's friends. Meet their parents before letting your children to go to their home and keep a list of their phone numbers. If you can't meet their par-ents, call and talk to them. Ask what your children might do at their house and if they will be supervised.

Choose a safe house in your neighborhood. Pick a neighbor's house where your children can go if they need help. Point out other places they can go for help, like stores, libraries, and police stations.

Teach children to settle arguments with words, not fists. Role-play talking out problems, walking away from fist fights, and what to do when confronted with bullies. Remind them that taunting and teasing can hurt friends and make enemies.

Work together with your neighbors. Watch out for suspicious and unusual behavior in your neighbor-hood. Get to know your neighbors and their chil-dren so you can look out for one another.

Source: National Crime Prevention Council.

Immunization & Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder that involve de-lays in the development of many basic skills.

The most notable delay with autism is the ability to social-ize or form relationships with others.

The exact cause of autism is not known. But research has pointed to several pos-sible factors,, i.e. genetics (heredity), certain types of infections, and problems occurring at birth.

Affecting four times as many boys as girls, autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries.

Family income, lifestyle, or educational levels do not affect a child’s chance of having autism..

To date there is no convincing evidence that any vaccine can cause autism.

Because the exact cause of autism is not known, parents may continue to have concerns despite the evidence.

Parents should be aware of the risks of serious disease in chil-dren who are not vaccinated. In some areas, outbreaks of these dangerous diseases have oc-curred in people who have not been immunized.

Legal Services For The Elderly, Disabled,

Or Disadvantaged Of W.N.Y., Inc.

Legal Services for the Elderly alerts the senior commu-nity to the following developments: For those who help homebound, disabled and non-

English speaking individuals apply for Medicaid and other public benefits.

Anyone with questions or problems concerning Medicare Part D prescription drug benefits should call Legal Services for the Elderly at 716-853-3087.

New Power of Attorney Law takes effect on Septem-ber 1, 2009 however, a valid Power of Attorney signed before September 1, 2009, continues to be valid.

Legal Services for the Elderly will continue to assist in drafting Powers of Attorney and Revocations of Powers of Attorney for low-income individuals only.

O T H E R I T E M S Page 12

Seeking Board Members for University District Neighborhood

Candidates for being a Board member should ask themselves the following questions: Do you have the skills to do financial and legal oversight?

Approving financial plans

Monitoring organization’s financial health

Ensuring financial controls are in place

Ensuring there are independent audits

Managing key risks

Ensuring all legal requirements are met. Have you already demonstrated a passion for organizations like ours?

Previous nonprofit board experience or volunteer experience for a similar organization

Belief in the value of community-serving organizations. Do you fundamentally have the time to serve on our board?

Time commitment for our nonprofit boards can be substantial

All board members must be able to meet the basic requirements of board service. eg., preparing for and attending board meetings and serving on at least one board committee.

Are you able to meet the board fundraising requirements?

Our nonprofit organization relies on our board members to fundraise.

If you can say “YES” to any of these questions, please contact the office at (716) 832-1010 and ask for an applica-tion for being a Board Member.

Source: htpp://www.brigestar.org/library/Recruitingboard Members.aspx

City of Buffalo Housing Court Housing Court has a new Judge. Judge Patrick Carney has been assigned by the Chief City Court Judge Amandeo to the position of City of Buffalo Housing Court Judge. Judge Carney has been a City Court Judge handling criminal cases as a City Court Judge for the past 17 years. A wide ranging interview with the Judge can be found in this issue of Artvoice (www.artvoice.com\issues\v10n5\carneys_house). He has a different style than his predecessor, Judge Henry Nowak who was the Housing Court Judge for eight (8) years. This should not be viewed as a negative as he is very dedicated to the mis-sion of the court which is too hold residents of the City responsible for the acceptable/safe condition of their property. In the case where there are extenuating circumstances the court attempts to find ways to assist these residents in complying with court ordered repairs. Additional time may be given for exterior repairs due to our weathers impact on the building season. The court also requires that all repairs are inspected to insure that work is performed properly. In the case of rental property the court may order a receivership to insure that rents are used for repairs and not as income for the landlord. Those owners who are completely able to repair their properties and chose not to can be fined up to $1500.00 a day for each violation as well as appropriate jail time. If they do not appear before the court without due reason a warrant is issued for their arrest. No one should underestimate the serious nature of housing violations. Fred Brace is the volunteer Housing Court Liaison Administrator for the University District . He is assisted by two addi-tional volunteers, Diane Malone and Bel Luko, who are both residents of the University District. We can always use com-mitted volunteers to assist us in our endeavors.

Page 13

Does your home require repairs to the Roof, Windows, Chimney, Foundation, Water Lines, Sewer

Lines, Insulation, Heating System, Hot Water Tank, Hazardous Electrical Panels, or

other repairs?

We may be able to help you out.

Did you know that ever the since the University Heights C.D.A., Inc. & Kensington-Bailey Neighborhood Housing services, Inc. have been working together that we have provided

over 1.4 Million Dollars to your neighbors for home repairs. And now that we are merged and the University District C.D.A., Inc. was created

we plan to help out even more!

Please contact our housing department at 832-1010 or visit us at our housing facility located at 995 Kensington Avenue

& let us see if we can help you out!

Invest in a Piece of the Block!

INVEST IN A PIECE OF A BLOCK

University District C.D.A., Inc.

3242 Main Street

Buffalo, N.Y. 14214

Housing Department 995 Kensington Avenue

Buffalo, N.Y. 14215

Hours of Operation

10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Monday - Thursday

By Appointment Only

Fridays

Working Together for a Better Community

Hours of Operation Administration

9AM-6PM

Monday - Friday

Fitness/Cardio Rooms 10AM - 9:00PM

Mondays - Fridays

Community Services 3242 Main Street

Buffalo, N.Y. 14214