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R VERR CK TIMES

Vol. 4 No. 45 Thursday, January 9, 2025 Covering the Northwest Corner of Buffalo

Funding changes at City Hall means

Riverside Park splash pad needs new money

by Amber Healy
uring a public meeting last
July, people in the River-
What might the New Year bring Dside community gave their
general, but enthusiastic, approval
for Black Rock and Riverside? to the proposed design of a long-
awaited new splash pad in Riverside
by Amber Healy I am looking forward to bringing Park, replacing a pool that hadn’t
e are a little over a week more investment into the communi- been used in a few years.
into 2025 and the new ty through grants we are receiving One of the concerns raised dur-
Wyear is still shining with and programs and projects we will ing that meeting was that the fund-
promise and possibility. With a be launching including educational ing for the project, with its
blank slate ahead and more than 340 programs on air quality in people's estimated $600,000 price tag, was
days left to fill, it was a great oppor- homes and resources for improving secured. And at the time, they were
tunity to ask some local leaders that home environment; creating a promised it was. Unfortunately,
what they hope 2025 will bring to healthier exterior environment due to some shuffling and missed
Northwest Buffalo. Here’s what through our tree project; and plant- deadlines at Buffalo City Hall, the
they had to say. ing urban orchards in our food des- funds originally allocated for the
Anne McCooey, ert neighborhoods to splash pad were reallocated at the
executive director, combat food insecurity. end of the year.
Black Rock Riverside These are huge quality of On Dec. 23, the Buffalo Com- Rendering of proposed Riverside Park splash pad.
Alliance: life issues in our district mon Council voted 5-3 to prevent NBC affiliate WGRZ indicating the only about half. That’s why we lost
I look at 2025 and because we are surround- $30 million in American Rescue office “has received complaints of that ARPA money, part of the $19
see potential and hope ed on three sides by pol- Plan (ARP) funds from being sent misuse of Buffalo’s use of Ameri- million that went back (to the city).
for our community, lution-causing express- back to Washington, DC, as the can Rescue Plan Act Funds,” but It was very complex because you’re
which it seems has been ways and industries and funds were originally distributed to adding that the office could not dealing with federal dollars, it’s not
lost by many in the we have some of the the city for use in the COVID-19 comment on ongoing investigations. like city dollars we could just say
community who are worst air quality scores pandemic recovery effort four years In the meantime, North District oh, okay, we’ll just throw in another
helpless and hopeless. in the state while at the ago. However, there was a Dec. 31 Council Member Joseph Golombek $100,000 or $200,000.”
But now more than ev- same time having some deadline to get funds approved, and said while he’s disappointed the Golombek also said the city is
er, we as a community can come of the highest rates of airborne pol- lawmakers decided to take swift funding for the splash pad project going to send out another request
together to participate in the oppor- lution influenced health issues, and action. That meant some projects has been reallocated, he’s been reas- for proposals in the hopes of bring-
tunities to create the change that access to fresh, affordable produce that had originally been slated to sured by Mayor Chris Scanlon that ing the cost of constructing the new
needs to happen if we are to see real is limited for a significant portion of receive ARP funds were put back on finding money for the project is “a splash pad under $1 million.
change happen in the future and our neighborhoods. a shelf, including the Riverside Park priority.” Anne McCooey, executive di-
revitalization, which has been slow- Making strides towards finding splash pad. A total of $19 million “My understanding is you can rector of the Black Rock Riverside
ly creeping into our community, solutions for some of the blight is- will go for local organizations, only use ARPA funds for a majority Alliance, said her group has been
come in full steam ahead. With that sues that plague parts of our com- while $11 million will retroactively of the project; so if the project is $1 warning the city it wasn’t moving
said, the three things I am most munity in ways that currently seem pay for improvements to the Buffa- million, you have to take $800,000 fast enough to secure, and start uti-
looking forward to in the upcoming impossible to improve will be a big lo Water Board’s operations. towards the project, it needs to be lizing, the ARPA funds for the
year will all help create that envi- initiative we are working on in 2025 The Common Council’s actions 80-90% of funding,” Golombek ex- splash pad, along with other proj-
ronment of change, positivity and that I am excited about. By partner- have attracted the attention of the plained. “The city put $600,000 to- ects.
focused attention within and outside ing with others to really get at the federal Treasury Office, with the ward it, which was the estimate at “We knew the clock was ticking
of the community, for the better- root of some of the issues in these acting council to the Inspector Gen- one time. Unfortunately, the bid on the ARPA funding. If it’s not
ment of our community. Continued on page 5 eral releasing a statement to local came back at $1.1 million, so that’s encumbered, it can go away,” she
said, meaning the funds were dis-
persed or allocated through a signed
Expanded options featured as part of 23rd annual tax contract and work had begun, even
in a preliminary way.
preparation at Northwest Buffalo Community Center take three years to get this money
“The big question is, why did it
under contract,” she said. “(Com-
by Steve Dlugosz enue site includes the use of two days at the North Buffalo Commu- storm at the moment. We're getting mon council) knew where it was
s difficult as it is to believe additional rooms with new comput- nity Center starting Jan. 30. Those the word out. We have just an amaz- going. It was already promised to
at this stage in mid-January, ers, desks, tables and chairs for interested in obtaining further infor- ing staff here. We look for quality
Ait's still that time of year screening and related preparation. mation about the services can call here, with a two-tier Quality Re- different organizations and for dif-
ferent projects. Whose desk was it
where residents must start to think Additionally, two satellite locations, Teglash at (716) 948-7225. view. Last season, we used literally sitting on that nothing’s moving for-
about filing income taxes, with the at the Elaine Panty Library (former- The tax preparation services at every computer on a Saturday (with ward, and whose responsibility is it
annual April 15 dead- ly the Riverside Branch the NWBCC are ranked 16th nation- 120 returns generated that day). to be monitoring the progress of
line on the horizon. Library) at 820 ally out of 8,700 VITA sites across Now, we have even more room. We those things? When we get grants,
Luckily for those resid- Tonawanda St. as well the country, based on productivity. did a lot of good things last year, we have to look at where we are
ing in the area around as the North Buffalo Last year, 4,277 returns were gener- with VITA having a lot of experi- spending this grant money so we
the Northwest Buffalo Community Center at ated at the NWBCC through VITA, enced (volunteers). It's in many don’t lose it at the end of the grant
Community Center 203 Sanders Road, will resulting in $8,013,003 in federal ways a wait-and-see process. We cycle.”
(NWBCC), a service be available for tax fil- and state refunds. Those figures rep- just try to make the customer feel McCooey anticipates the last-
that has existed for ers. resented a 12 percent increase from relaxed. Usually it's a win-win when minute votes to keep most of the
more than two decades Tax preparation the previous tax season at the NWB- you come down here. Most people ARPA funds within the city of Buf-
– the Volunteer Income services are slated to CC. Teglash noted that it is the pro- absolutely appreciate what we do. falo will be a lesson for local offi-
Tax Assistance, or VI- begin Saturday, Jan. 25 gram goal to generate at least a five We're very organized and high qual- cials. “The city needs to be a little
TA, program – is once and continue through percent increase from year to year. ity. We're focused on personal at- bit better managing their grant mon-
again available at the the tax filing deadline The in-person tax preparation pro- tention… It's a big, happy family of ey so it doesn’t happen again in the
site at 155 Lawn Ave. to low- and date of April 15. Vol- cess is described as taking between staff here, and a lot of good, close future.”
moderate-income families filing unteers will be on site at the NWB- 45 minute and an hour, although friendships are built." Residents were excited about the
federal and state income taxes. CC on Mondays and Wednesdays various nuances and items differ The diverse population that is project and looking forward to see-
Longtime tax preparer John Te- from 4-8 p.m., as well as Saturdays person to person. It is estimated that served at the NWBCC includes
glash, who has more than three de- from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Appointments approximately 60 percent of VITA those of many different back- ing work start on it this year; now
McCooey said her group and others
cades experience as an Internal can be scheduled by calling 211, clients are return customers, encom- grounds, including (among several) in the Riverside and Black Rock
Revenue Services (IRS) registered and additional information is avail- passing roughly 20 zip codes from Spanish, Burmese, German and oth- neighborhoods are focused on mak-
tax preparer, again coordinates the able at the website Western New York, including, pri- er ESL (English as a Second Lan- ing sure the splash pad isn’t a lost
program at the NWBCC, with the www.freetaxbuffalo.com. Hours at marily, the base 14207 zip code. guage) residents. VITA volunteers opportunity.
assistance of several longtime as the Elaine Panty Library are 1 - 6 "We're ready to roll," Tegash at the NWBCC include 58 persons,
well as new volunteers. Additional- p.m. on Thursdays, beginning Feb. said of this season's tax preparation. Continued on page 3
ly, expanded space at the Lawn Av- 6; as well as 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thurs- "It's sort of the calm before the Continued on page 8