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Never going back home Buffalo’s West Side has a large population of immigrants and refugees, with rich cultures taking root along Grant Street. And as a result, businesses sprout out in response to its population. Denise Phillips Beehag, of the International Institute of Buffalo, says that the West Side seems to recognize that refugees are breathing life back into the community and are trying different things to help the West Side grow.
Due to the circumstances behind the refugee’s flight from their home country, interviewing and quoting Beehag’s clients proved to be difficult. According to article one of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the UN Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, describes a refugee as someone who has left their country due to a “well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of s particular social group or political opinion.” Refugees however must be recognized as refugees by the UNHCR; then they must undergo a screening process by the UN, as well as agencies of the host nation, once one has been decided upon. In the US, agencies like the FBI, CIA the Department of State and US Citizenship and Immigration Services must perform checks on the refugees entering the country. How does one prove they are refugees? According to Beehag, a lot of refugees have difficulty proving that they need help. When they leave their homes often they are unable to take any form of documents with them, she said. Some of the ways a refugee can prove the need for refugee status is:
Their Journey Refugees, or clients, are sponsored by the I.I.B. agency through a government program, the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The structure of refugee services organizations is setup as follows:
After they have been approved for refugee status the refugees come to the US (or to any of the 72 countries in the world), the agencies are responsible for helping the new arrivals with housing, language training and even finding a job. Beehag has even picked up newcomers from the airport. It is a very long process coming into the United States. Depending on the refugee’s circumstances, people can be in a refugee camp from six months to 15 years. They go through numerous security checks before they get here and they don’t know where they are going to wind up. Life in Buffalo the minimum time in which clients are directly aided by the agency, often six months to a year, I.I.B heavily relies on donations for clothing, apartments, furniture, and other things vital for day-to-day living. The most obvious barrier is English. I.I.B. provides language classes for those who need them. According to Beehag, the older refugees find it more difficult to get used to this new place. Everything from American culture to the very concept of time is a real struggle (some rural villages would not have clocks or time schedules as people in the west understand). It could take from six months to a couple of years to really get used to Buffalo. Employment in Buffalo Because of simple language difficulties, the I.I.B typically places refugees in entry-level jobs, such as:
A refugee’s impression of Buffalo According to Beehag, most families who come in the winter are shocked because they’ve never seen snow before and oftentimes they are unprepared for a cold, snowy winter. But after some time, most refugees tend to want to keep Buffalo their home because they really like it. Missing home “The older a client is, the more they miss their country,” Beehag says. “When I say older I’m talking about the folks who are maybe in their seventies, live their entire lives in their own country, and maybe in their village…they were a leader,” which makes adapting to life in a completely new social structure hard. The younger ones, however, are sometimes very interested in the democracy movement. According to Beehag, some of them even want to go back and make things better, but sometimes returning is impossible. For those who stay, the international institute has many departments that provide a variety of services. This includes:
While the tasks of the I.I.B. and other organizations are great, and the refugee concern worldwide is a never-ending concern. And while refugees find their homes in Buffalo, this city finds new neighbors, new neighborhoods and an even more elaborate and diverse tapestry in its makeup.
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Full of Ups & Downs Kyle DeLuca David Bain II, 22, climbs into his plowing truck to start the shift While most of us are wrapped tightly in blankets and pillows at 3 a.m., there are a certain few people who brave the Buffalo winter weather no matter the time of day. Even if their bravery stems from being under a contract to provide snow-removal services to over six major clients. David Bain II has worked with B & B Snow Plowing for over nine years and continues to enjoy the finer points of the job. “I don’t even have to get out of the truck,” says Bain as he hoists himself into his work truck. But inside the truck, what has to be done? Although Bain only needs to operate levers on the front seat of his pick-up truck, it does take some practice. “If you’re not exactly sure how to work the controls, you can totally destroy your plow,” said Bain lowering the plow for action inside a legion post parking lot. The American Legion Niagara Frontier Post 4041 on Amherst Street is familiar to the Black Rock native. Growing up in Buffalo helped Bain discover his niche in the area. “I get paid to do something that everyone around here has to do,” said Bain as he pushes more mounds of snow to the rising pile in the corner of the legion post parking lot. When there is at least three inches of snow at one of the designated addresses, Bain goes out to plow and salt the pavement. Comfortably suited in pajama bottoms and a hooded sweatshirt, Bain stops to buy a hot coffee en route to his next appointment, a church near his old home. The former St. John the Baptist Church on Hertel Avenue, although recently closed as a parish, remains open for the convent. Although the 20 car lot is not that big, Bain said he thinks it is important to remain active in the community where he grew up. “It’s nice just to be able to do a little thing, when it means so much for them,” he said as he pulls out of the church parking lot. Since his father moved to Las Vegas last year leaving him the business, Bain has kept all five of the previous clients and has even added one of his own. The Unknown’s Club on Saratoga Street was first discovered some 15 years ago while playing at a classmates house. “I would be over there three to four times a week, I got to know the layout of the place pretty well,” a laughing Bain said as he reaches the site. After a few residential jobs we finally come to the conclusion of the five hour shift at 8 a.m., while most people are just starting their work day. Bain is just settling in to his free time. But unfortunately for him, Buffalo winters are not known for break time.
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Uncertain future for eBay seller eBay finalized plans to restructure its online auction site. These changes include: The effects these changes bring may vary from seller to seller, but ultimately it may be the "little guy" who suffers. For one seller, the future is very unclear. Terry Higgins, founder of Fred&Barneys, has been selling on eBay for three years. Throughout that time, Higgins has averaged sales of $10,000 a month, both through online and local sales of iteming ranging from dehumidifiers to plasma televisions. Not bad for a 23-year-old part-time Erie Community College student. "I love the excitement of the entire process," Higgins said. "To watch an item's price go up and up and up. It's never been about the money though. This is what I love to do." But it hasn't been all profit, profit, profit for him. Sales can differ sharply from week to week, depending on the mood of the buyer, and with eBay taking an 8.75 percent cut of the final sale price, Higgins' bottom line can be compromised. It is a love-hate relationship Higgins said, as he has felt first-hand the effects of dealing with difficult customers. His fears with eBay's new feedback system are that things will only get worse. The new rules in effect cater only to eBay buyers, leaving sellers vulnerable to potentially non-paying, non-complaint bidders, Higgins said. In his opinion the site has gone from a fair marketplace to a censored and unwelcoming forum. "What am I supposed to do if someone stiffs me for $1,000,” Higgins said. "Just suck it up and smile? And then on top of it only have the feedback option to say 'Great buyer'." Forums and Web sites, such as eBaySucks.com, have grown in popularity in recent weeks as sellers have sought a refuge to vent their frustrations. Some sellers have devised a plan to boycott eBay for one week, to take a chunk out of eBay's bottom line, but such a plan, Higgins says, is pointless. "I can understand where these groups are coming from and the boycott isn't all that bad of an idea, but what do they think it is going to accomplish," Higgins said. "eBay has so much revenue coming in that it won't make any difference whether 100 or 1,000 sellers boycott for a week. They're just too big." Many powersellers have left eBay for various other auction sites like Overstock.com and Amazon.com in the hopes of continuing to do business. While this opens up a bigger piece of the eBay pie for smaller sellers like Higgins, who currently averages 60 auctions a week, he has to consider all his options. Local sales make up approximately 30 percent of his monthly income, and broadening these connections could not only up his revenue, but also increase his word-of-mouth throughout Western New York. But at this point, Higgins is open to any suggestion. "If there is a way I could transfer my focus from being entirely eBay to something more locally based, then the issue of feedback and listing fees would no longer matter to my bottom line,” Higgins said. “But I have to recognize that I would not be able to match the visibility I get from merely being in eBay's system." So for now, Higgins will remain an eBay seller, while considering any and all possibilities to further grow his business. Higgins hopes that with enough dissatisfaction regarding the new policies, eBay officials will have no choice but to restore harmony to the auction site. "I'm not going to play the role of optimist and say that things for eBay will go back to the way they were," Higgins said. "I will play the realist and say that unless these new rules are removed, I will have no choice but to eventually leave eBay and do business elsewhere." For more information contact:DMJCQTGAL6@aol.com
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Photo by Lauren Patricola
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Buffalo State professor helps struggling community The West Side has been on the decline for a while, but there are people working on establishing programs to bring it back to its former glory. Buffalo State College professor Dr. Gary Welborn is one of those people.
He and his wife, Eileen, started the Massachusetts Avenue project in 1992, a group they co-chaired for 10 years. But that was only the beginning of his community activism.
In that role he goes to many classes and talks about the struggles on the West Side and what students can do to help.
With all that is being done to help rejuvenate the West Side, there is still more that needs to be done, according to Welborn. He says more money, especially on a federal level, needs to be devoted to the area. |
photo by Matthew Levy
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Independent Hamburg store owner concerned about you, not competition or state of economy. In the midst of supermarket franchises like Tops and Wegmans, John's Corner Store is a bastion for small independent store owners concerned with interacting and serving their customers instead of making a large profit. That is because John F. Braymiller, 53, a co-owner of the small food retail establishment, believes in bonding with his clients and does not want to get rich off them. Go to his store, and there is a strong chance of seeing him mingling among his customers to make them feel welcome. “Good business is customer relationships,” he said. Braymiller and co-owner Anne Smith have operated John’s Corner Store for six years. On the store’s opening day, only 248 customers came in leaving the owner to figure out how to attract more customers. "I bend over backwards for my customers,” Braymiller said. “If I don’t have it, I’ll get it.” Getting things for his customers was only the beginning. Over the years, Braymiller began learning a few other tricks of the trade to entice customers into his store such as: “I listen to their stories,” he said. “[I] listen to their problems.” For example, on one occasion, the store hosted a coloring contest for children. Approximately 300 people packed in the store to see the winners of two oversize candy bars on the day before Easter, Braymiller said. Another time a child, whom Braymiller identified only as Bobby, got a lesson in tidiness. Braymiller asked Bobby if he picked up his toys at home, and the child replied he did not. Braymiller told Bobby that if he went home and picked up his toys, he would get a candy bar in return. The next day, Bobby’s parents came to the store thrilled and told the owner how Bobby picked up his toys as soon as he came home. Those were just three out of the now 800 plus customers Braymiller serves per day. Competing with Tops, Wegmans, and Wilson Farms franchises in the same area does not worry him, Braymiller said. But he is aware of how the state of the economy and the decreasing value of the U.S. dollar affects his business and his customers. “They don’t spend as much as they did two years ago,” he said. Instead, Braymiller competes and works with the economy by always being there for his customers and believing in his motto, “good relationships is good business.” He is at his store on weekends and holidays, and a day off is rare, he says. He is cautious about expanding his business, but a second John’s Corner Store is located in West Seneca. “Successful is probably something I won’t know until the day I close the store,” he said. Born in Gowanda, Braymiller’s dream of owning a food retail store began as a teenager while riding home from a school wrestling match on his bus, he said. Looking out the window, he spotted a small convenience store and desired to own something similar one day. In 1973, Braymiller broke into the food retail industry stocking store shelves with groceries 40 hours a week. He then moved his way up becoming meat manager at Super Duper for six years and has 15 years’ experience as a head meat cutter, he said. For questions or more information, contact bronnb61@buffalostate.edu. |
John Braymiller, 53, stands in the soda and beer isle of his store. One aspect Braymiller does not like about the food retail industry is the little time he has
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Local musician on the Grammy ballot two years in a row By: Shelbey Bidell Whoever believes in the underdog should give Mike Smiarowski’s music a try. “I am a product of all the greats; I’m trying to keep it alive where music matters, and not just promotional hype and money and who you have backing you,” Smiarowski said. The guitarist and composer from Lackawanna prides himself on his diverse and timeless musical style. He describes his music as a blend of jazz, pop and rock comparable to the “Margaritaville” man, Jimmy Buffet. Smiarowski has played on the national radio charts alongside artists such as Kenny G and Quincy Jones, and he’s also been honored by being named on the Official Ballot for the 2007 and 2008 Grammy Awards. In 2007 Smiarowski’s “Island Fantasy II: Return to Jabeam” album was listed in six different categories on the Grammy ballot including:
Smiarowski’s “Island Fantasy” album was listed in five of the categories on the 2008 Grammy ballot including:
“It was really an honor (to be) among all those names…because those guys are some of the best musicians of all time. They’re not just entertainers…and that’s even more of an honor to be with those guys,” Smiarowski said. Smiarowski achieved all that through his own independent record label, Smear Records. He started the label as a tribute to his late father, Mitchell P. Smiarowski, who was a two-time All-American football player for St. Bonaventure University. He played middle linebacker, center and place kicker. He graduated in 1951 and was inducted into St. Bonaventure’s Hall of Fame in 1969. According to Smiarowski, he was considered one of the best football players in the country at the time. According to Smiarowski’s Web site, his father was known for playing for pride and honor, and not just for money. Smiarowski prides himself on practicing the same principles. He explains his music is an art form combined with commercialization to create appeal for his audience. Because Smiarowski has listened to, and been influenced by many different musicians and artists, he says he has the ability to play a wide variety of styles. He also says he has been able to reach out to a range of audiences throughout his career, but would like to tap into the college market. “I appeal to all age groups, races, and all musical tastes…I really think they (college students) should listen to other music than what’s out there in the mass media,” Smiarowski said. “When you’re in college you should experience, go and say, ‘Yeah that is cool even though I don’t see him on VH-1 or MTV,’ and decide for yourself.” As a musician, Smiarowski grew up studying the music from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. “Those periods of music, to me, are considered great music,” he said. His musical influences include:
“Kids should find out who Rod Serling is; know the history of art…know who the greats really are,” Smiarowski said. “Rod Serling was just one of the great writers...he inspires me.” For more information on Smiarowski, or to sample his music, people are encouraged to check out his Web site at www.smearrecords.com. Contact Information: bidesc28@mail.buffalostate.edu |
Photo courtesy of www.smearrecords.com Local musician Mike Smiarowski has a
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Giving local animals a voice
Where can one find an orange tabby cat and a green parakeet sitting contently side by side? This unusually cute sight is the one I encountered as I walked into Gina Browning’s office. Gina Browning is the public relations director, of the SPCA Serving Erie County. www.yourspaca.org After she welcomes me, and quickly introduces Sherman, who is lounging on his own blanketed chair, and Bandit perched in his cage listening to some rainforest sounding CD. Watching Browning interact with this furry and feathered duo, makes it apparent how passionate she is about her work. You can hear the love in her voice as she talks to them as though they are human. But in 1990, she went through picketers to interview for the public relations position with the SPCA. During this time many people felt the shelter was inhumane. They believed the organizations sole purpose was to euthanize animals. She admits she had second thoughts once seeing the protestors, questioning what she might be getting herself into. Browning says, back then the “public had a very poor perception” of the shelter. But since then, Browning and the entire crew, of staff and volunteers have worked very hard to change the SPCA’s image. She modestly reveals this is one of her proudest accomplishments. As public relations director, Browning’s role is just that… to make sure the SPCA is well thought of in the community, positioning the organization in a positive fashion. It is her responsibility to create public awareness about the organization. It is important to remember that the SPCA is entirely funded by individual donations it receives no monetary help from the government on any level. “It’s their money, they deserve to know what’s going on, and how money is being spent,” adds Browning.
Without as much as a second thought she reveals that her work makes her “happy, fulfilled and content.” Although she admits, it’s not without sacrifice, saying the animal welfare business is anything but lucrative. She says it’s important in life that “if you need a reminder of why you are doing what you are doing… get out.” After 18 years, Browning says she still can’t wait to get to work. Family life is something else that is very dear to Gina…which is supported by shelves upon shelves upon shelves of photographs in her office. She admits she is single, but says all of her extended family is extremely close, “I come from a very large Italian family,” Browning adds. Besides her family, faith is also important. Reading and playing piano are favorite past times of Browning’s revealing someday that she would love to write a book, although as of now, not too sure what about. Browning is a native Western New Yorker.
For more information on the SPCA Serving Erie County, or to check out some of the animals in need of a home, visit yourspca.org Contact: westal36@mail.buffalostate.edu |
Public relations director of the SPCA Serving Erie County, Gina Browning, with Sherman the office cat. Photo By:Amanda Westley
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It’s more than a shop, it’s family
Though it looks and operates like any other business, the Sunday skate-shop in Buffalo acts as though it were simply someone’s living room.
Perks for the most promising riders:
The prospect of sponsorships are very seductive to most young skateboarders, since a sponsored rider gets free clothing and equipment and essentially gets paid to skate. |
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