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2 •                    • Thursday, May 21, 2026                                                    PERSPECTIVES
                     EDITORIAL                                    Mental Health Awareness Month



     How special are special elections                            serves as reminder: Help is available
       In Western New York, voters are learning an old lesson all over again:  ental Health Awareness                          to navigate benefits and programs
     political machines never surrender power voluntarily. They simply become  MMonth was established in                       that are available to our residents
     more sophisticated in how they keep it. The latest example is the increas-  1949 and every May we observe                 who have served. Their office can
     ingly routine practice of party insiders filling vacancies in elected office  the importance of taking care of            be contacted at (716) 858-6363 or
     without giving the public a meaningful chance to weigh in through special  our minds, inner thoughts and feel-            by emailing veterans@erie.gov.
     elections.                                                   ings. There is a plethora of resourc-                        Throughout the district there are
       When an elected official resigns, retires, or moves on to another office  es available for maintaining overall          also several legions that always
     – at that seems to be happening more frequently – the seat does not belong  healthy lifestyles and the Erie               have their doors open. The Ameri-
     to a county chairman, a legislative caucus, or a circle of party loyalists. It  County Department of Mental               can Legion Post 1041 in Black
     belongs  to  the  people.  Yet  again  and  again,  vacancies  are  treated  as  Health is an incredible source for       Rock and Post 1346 in Grand Is-
     opportunities for political chess moves rather than democratic participa-  all things relating to caring for your  District 3  land are extremely important to the
     tion. A small group of insiders meets –  Soviet Politburo style – behind  mind.                Erie County Legislator     communities they serve and go
     closed doors, taps a successor, and the public is expected to accept the  Mental Illness affects approxi-  Michael H. Kooshoian  above and beyond for not only our
     arrangement as inevitable.                                   mately 1 in 5 adults across the                              veterans and service members; but
       Erie County Democratic Party Chairman Jeremy Zellner, who seems to  United States and is identified as                  also, the residents that simply want
     have  mastered  this  distorted  process,  has  become  the  target  of  fellow  the second largest concern in Erie  on the website  a place to belong.
     democrat  NY  Assemblyman  Jonathan  Rivera.  Rivera  is  running  in  a  County after obesity. The Depart-  www.erie.gov/eriepath.  By bringing awareness to men-
     primary June 23 against Zellner who had maneuvered himself into a seat  ment of Mental Health is extremely  Other agencies that can be uti-  tal health, we can end the stigma
     on the NY State Senate upon the election of then Senator Sean Ryan as  committed to providing tools and  lized by residents include a 24 hour  that often comes with talking about
     mayor of Buffalo.                                            education that are necessary in  hotline through Crisis Services  our mental and emotional struggles.
       Defenders of the system insist these appointments are legal, efficient,  combating the various spectrum of  (716) 834-3131, a separate 24 hour  It’s especially critical in establish-
     and necessary for continuity. Perhaps they are. But legality is not the same  mental health issues. Their website  line for addiction (716) 831-7007,  ing an open environment where
     thing as legitimacy. Efficiency is not democracy. The right to vote is not  https://www3.erie.gov/mentalheal  and Spectrum CARES Team for  children and young adults can talk
     supposed  to  be  conditional  on  whether  party  leaders  find  an  election  th contains all types of information  families and children (716) 882-  about feelings they are experienc-
     inconvenient.                                                and printable literature in multiple  4357. Help and information can  ing before it becomes a problem.
       What makes this trend especially corrosive is the cynicism it breeds.  languages to ensure that all resi-  also be provided by dialing 2-1-1.  Stress is almost impossible to
     Voters already suspect that politics is rigged in favor of connected insiders.  dents have equitable access.  As May concludes with Memo-  avoid today and while you may not
     Every time a vacancy is filled without a competitive public election, that  Through the Live Well Erie  rial Day, it’s imperative to note the  think it’s something worth discuss-
     suspicion hardens into certainty. Citizens are told their voices matter most  program, the county has also devel-  services available to veterans. Our  ing – it can easily lead to signifi-
     on Election Day – except, apparently, when party bosses decide otherwise.  oped an app for your phone called  gratitude for their selfless devotion,  cant problems. Having the tools
                                                                                                bravery, and sacrifice only goes so
                                                                  EriePath. Not only does is provide                           and resources to work through is-
                                                                                                far and it is crucial to ensure mental
                                                                  information about how to assist                              sues that seem small can be helpful
     Students imagine possibilities                               adolescents struggling with mental  wellness services are made avail-  in the long run.
                                                                                                able to this vulnerable group. The
     at  Richardson Olmsted Campus                                health issues, but it also includes  veteran’s crisis line is available  As always, I welcome you to
                                                                  information for adults, information
                                                                                                24/7 by dialing 9-8-8 and selecting  reach out to my District Office at
                                                                  on housing, employment, childcare,                           (716) 832-0493 if you need assis-
      from page 1                                                                               option 1. The Office of Veterans
                                      “We see ourselves as a      food pantries, medical care, social                          tance navigating the many pro-
     ing, many of the windows were bro-  laboratory for projects like  and senior services available  Services under Erie County’s Vet-  grams available through Erie
     ken,  and  pigeons  were  flying  in.                        throughout the county. Information  erans Service Agency is available  County to ensure your mind stays
     There was enormous potential.”     these as we work to       about this useful app can be found  to assist with questions about how  healthy.
     Focus on light and movement      reactivate the campus.”
       The students, in teams of two or Paris Roselli, president of the
     three, were given the opportunity to  Richardson Olmsted Campus SCC proposes to reduce Rt. 198 to two
     imagine  demolishing  the  interior
     structure  and  the  two  circulation  signed the first floor as a space for lanes, use other half for pedestrians, cyclists
     cores, while keeping the façade and  cultural events, tied into the Lipsey
     roof intact. Guitart instructed them
                                   Architecture Center Buffalo that is   from page 1            opportunity to partner on bringing  for Forest Lawn Cemetery as well,
     to think of space in a sectional way.  scheduled to open next year, along                  this to the state.”            he says. There would be opportuni-
     All the units were required to dou-                          safer way. There would be multi-
                                   with the nearby Burchfield Penney                               The suggestions of the SCC  ties to reconnect streets that were
     ble  the  standard  ceiling  height  or  Art  Center  and  the  Buffalo  AKG  modal connectivity and on-street  might seem like an impossible pipe  disconnected when the highway
     have some sort of height variation.                          parking within the shoulders of the
                                   Art Museum.                                                  dream, but a change of this magni-  was built in addition to connecting
       “This would allow their work to  “This sequence of cultural build-  (westbound) lanes, using on-street  tude has already been done, suc-  streets that don’t already connect
     avoid a pancaked solution – a purely                         parking as a traffic calming tool.”
                                   ings  justifies  a  ground  floor  with                      cessfully, in Western New York --  with Niagara Street, like Bradley
     horizontal  set  of  floors,”  he  says.  some  flexible  program  that  could  With the state focused on the Rt  and this isn’t about the removal of  Street and West Avenue. All of this
     “They  would  have  to  think  how                           33 project and not providing a
                                   connect with these sequence of oth-                          the inner loop in Rochester.   is designed to help reconnect
     those  floors  interact,  sometimes  er buildings that are related to cul-  more solid timeline for changes to  Within 50 years, Niagara Falls  neighborhoods and provide more
     physically,  sometimes  visually.  In                        the Scajaquada Expressway, the
                                   tural  issues,”  Guitart  says.  “This                       built the Robert Moses Parkway  access to the park and the commu-
     many  cases,  they  also  needed  to  allowed  us  to  think  circulation  for  SCC thought making these sugges-  and had most of it removed, says  nities around it while also bringing
     consider how light goes through the                          tions would be “an opportunity to
                                   visitors versus circulations for resi-                       Greg Delaney, a clinical associate  down the speed on the Scajaquada
     units and the ground floor, produc-  dents, which I considered an impor-  sort of do a pop-up intervention to  professor in the School of Architec- roadway. An estimated 10 acres of
     ing  a  number  of  very  interesting                        test the concepts and, again, start
                                   tant  discussion,  especially  as  the                       ture and Planning at the State Uni-  space could be returned to Dela-
     sectional solutions.”                                        building toward the character that
                                   proposals  had  to  integrate  private                       versity of New York at Buffalo.  ware Park by removing the ramps
       To begin the collaboration, Gui-                           the Region Central plan heading,”
                                   spaces versus public areas.”                                    “As early as 1977, it was al-  to Delaware Avenue, Delaney says.
     tart  contacted  Paris  Roselli,  presi-                     Dold says. “Even if this is to set
                                      The  studio  culminated  with  a                          ready partially removed,” he says  He knows the big pushback will
     dent  of  the  Richardson  Olmsted                           something up for a short-term peri-
                                   series  of  large-scale  models  and  a                      of the parkway, built in 1968.  be from drivers and notes the de-
     Campus,  whom  he  says  has  been                           od, to be able to study what hap-
                                   final  presentation  in  Crosby  Hall.                       “Sometimes we have to admit our  creased speed on the Scajaquada
     incredibly  supportive  and  excited                         pens when you take the roadway
                                   The  public  can  view  the  students’                       mistakes (and) there’s so much  Expressway several years ago re-
     about the project.                                           down. You can learn from that. I
                                   designs in an exhibition on the first                        consensus about the Scajaquada  sulted in a decreased number of
       Roselli, who joined the Richard-                           think this is the beginning of the
                                   floor of the Richardson Hotel’s Ol-                          being a mistake, (both) the Hum-  cars on the road already.
     son campus at the end of 2022, says                          conversation and it’s an idea that’s
                                   msted wing throughout the summer.                            boldt and Scajaquada being these  “The surrounding communities
     he  welcomes  collaborations  with                           coming out of the (community)
                                      In addition, a book detailing the                         big urban mistakes that all the sur-  wish that meaningful change had
     UB.                                                          stakeholders and being somewhat
                                   design  studio  and  the  proposals,                         rounding communities have suf-  happened a long time ago and wish
       “We see ourselves as a laborato-  “My  Neighbor  Upstairs:  Eight  proactive.”           fered for.”                    that this highway had never been
     ry for projects like these as we work                           A spokesperson for Mayor Sean
                                   Housing  Proposals  for  Richardson                             This is not the kind of thing that built. But it was, and it’s still here,”
     to reactivate the campus,” he says.  Olmsted Campus. A Model for Ar-  Ryan, which the SCC says has been  happened overnight, he cautions,  he says. “The difference now than
     “The student designs highlight what                          made aware of the proposal, tells
                                   chitectural Reuse in America,” edit-                         noting that the decision was made  even 10 years ago, 15 years ago, is
     might be possible through an adap-  ed by Guitart, will be published this  the RiverRock Times the adminis-  to remove the parkway in 2001 and  there are so many more examples
     tive reuse reimagining.”                                     tration “has not yet reviewed the
                                   summer by Buffalo Heritage Press,                            what’s currently in place was com-  every year of highways being re-
       In this case, it’s housing, which  an imprint of City of Light Publish-  proposal. We do not have any up-  pleted by 2020, but a lot was com-  moved, not just in Niagara Falls
     Roselli says they would like to see                          dates regarding the request to be
                                   ing.                                                         pleted in between, in phases, to  and Rochester, but nationwide,
     integrated into the fabric of the cam-  It’s coming out at a time when  designated lead agency” on any  increase pedestrian use.  highways being downgraded or
     pus.                                                         changes to the Scajaquada Express-
                                   the Richardson Olmsted Campus is                                “All of this came out of conver-  partially or fully removed. I’ve
       “This  level  of  creativity  helps  enjoying a renaissance of sorts, fol-  way.         sations with the design committee  done research on this because I
     others,  including  our  developer                              Dold says this proposal has not
                                   lowing  a  halt  caused  by  the  pan-                       of the SC about how to move, how  teach in this area. What is the com-
     partners  and  funders,  see  what  demic.                   yet been presented to the GBNRTC  to do something meaningful, but  munity pushback? What are the
     might be possible in a way that can-                         as there are “too many variables at
                                      “These  structures  are  really  in-                      using the existing infrastructure  challenges here? And we were not
     not  be  conveyed  by  conversation  credible,”  Guitart  says.  “The  cam-  this early stage and New York  and not spending a ton of money,”  able to find a case of removal
     alone,  as  we  try  to  take  back  the                     State would need to determine the
                                   pus is making an amazing effort to                           he says.                       where, after (a roadway)was re-
     campus  building  by  building,”  he  bring  these  abandoned  buildings  cost as it is their road.” His organi-  Removal of the ramps to Elm-  moved, there was an eruption of
     says.                                                        zation is “starting conversations
                                   back to life. Of course, it’s not easy.                      wood and Delaware avenues in par- frustration. Once (a roadway) is
     Contributing to Richardson    It requires a lot of investment. But I  with the city of Buffalo as a mem-  ticular would create more on-street  removed, and people find their new
     Olmsted renaissance           think it’s a fascinating moment.”  ber agency of the GBNRTC, “de-  parking for Delaware Park and  ways through the city, you see the
       Guitart  and  the  students  de-  Source: University at Buffalo  termining if and how there is an  could open up connectivity options  benefits.”
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