A DAY IN THE LIFE: AN OPEN LETTER TO BROOKLYN ARIEL

My Darling and Most Precious Angel,

Your name is Brooklyn Ariel and you’ve finally arrived, brought into this world on June 3^rd of the year, 2019. This was a day that your “Poppi” had anticipated for some time. Not specifically Jun 3^rd, but the day that you would join us. You are very small and won’t understand these words for a while, but I hope you will get the chance to and hopefully cherish their intent.

You were born a special little girl. Your Mommy and Daddy love you very much and they have been blessed with the greatest gift ever. You! And in that, you received a wonderful gift in having them as your parents, parent that wanted you and cared enough to have you. The gift of you keeps paying forward as you are also a blessing to your Grandparents, Grandma Jan and me, “Poppi”; G.G. and Grandpa Michael, Aunt Dre (Andrea) and Uncle Joshua, and a lot of cousins. Even your furry friends are happy you are here. Guinness and Marvel and Roman have taken on the job of watching over you and protecting you.

I can tell you as your “Poppi” that I cried when I heard you were born. They were not sad tears in the least. The birth of you is the happiest day of my life in a long string of happy days that I have seen. So, understand that happy tears are the best thing you could have.

In this short week of your life (as of today, June 10th), you have been an incredible joy and a reason to awaken each morning with a glow in my heart and the hope of seeing your beautiful face, your warm “smile” (even if it is gas), and the gentle sounds that come from deep within you. All of that stems from a contentment that you seem to display every day.

But, as your grandfather – your Mommy’s dad – your “Poppi”, let me offer my hopeful thoughts to you for your growth…

…I wish you could know right now how completely loved you are. There is no greater gift than that. I know one day you will understand this, but for now I hope you can bask in its glow.

…I hope to teach you as much as I can from this store of “knowledge” available to me. Know that “Poppi” is not the smartest guy in the world, but he knows enough to get by! I will try to help you see the promise of each new day, and the beauty of every sunset that graces your days. Whether in the sights they provide or in the words that describe them in the most poetic of ways, I hope you will find the hand of God in everything you witness. I promise to help you.

…I want you to know the music in the world around you. And the music in your very soul. Music is important. It will help you express your joy. It will help you understand your sorrows. It will ease your fears. Music will even make you happy for no reason other that just hearing it. And it will make you dance. Dance and music go together like Brooklyn and Poppi. You are my music. If I have the chance, I will teach you how to play music so you will never be without it. We’ll find your unique song (we each have one inside us) and we’ll dance to that too! And you’ll know the Beatles!

…I hope you never lose sight of who you are and where you’ve come from. It is nice to have nice things. But they will not make your life any better, only flashier. Your imagination will serve you well as long as you don’t get fooled into thinking you were meant to be something or someone you are not. Do not place more value on material things than you do on the people around you. They are your true wealth. They will make you rich in heart and mind, and that’s what is important! Be a good person. Be good to people. You are Brooklyn Ariel. Don’t forget it. And don’t get me wrong. It is ok to have nice things, if they are what you want and what you will work hard for. Things don’t come easily, but you’ll appreciate their worth when you work hard for them.

…Of all the gifts I can possibly give you, there is only one that truly matters; the only thing I can give you in great abundance. That is love. You are so loved, and will continue to be as long as I am able to be with you. Know that love will keep me with you no matter where I am. If given the choice of something of great expense or something as priceless as love, I hope you will know to choose love every time. In the end, love is worth so much more.

You are a beautiful little girl. You will grow to be everything you want to be and were meant to be. People will adore you for being the special person you are and will become. But not nearly as much as your Poppi does. Stay well, grow to be happy and love everything around you and you will be even more amazing than I already believe you are. I will forever carry you in my heart, Brooklyn.

 

With so much love,

Poppi

POET ONLY WHEN I NEED TO BE

The time to rhyme comes and goes, and God knows I’ve served my nickel in that regard. It has gotten harder to concentrate on pentameter when I know the meter is running. So I guess it’s time to log into the blog again and work at a pace that won’t misplace my thoughts. That’s not to say I won’t find my verse in rhythmic muse from time to time, but my time (and following) has seen better days. So for now, it will be just another day dawning and I’ll find myself fawning over what tickles my fancy. Reading this over, it seems it will take some doing to leave the rhyme behind. Oh (Brother! Why) Bother!

 

BEING FOR THE BENEFIT OF… DAN NEAVERTH

You talk Buffalo radio, and the talk will invariably turn to the legendary Dan Neaverth.

Neaverth began his career in Coudersport, Pennsylvania in 1957, a relatively short distance away from his South Buffalo roots to span a sixty year career for the radio veteran. In the early 60’s, WKBW (1520) had lured him to host the afternoon slot, and to eventually become the morning host. Danny enjoyed “looking at you through the hole in the record”, “moving your fanny in the morning” and “getting up early to be the first kid on the block to say good morning” to his listeners. Neaverth spent 26 years at WKBW until a format change to talk radio led to his termination by the late 1980s.

In an interesting sidebar, as a surrogate for WKBW, Neaverth had the chance to bring The Beatles to Buffalo on February 10, 1964, the day after their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. It would have been the Beatles’ first concert in North America. Danny did not think it wise to risk the $3500 appearance fee for the then “little known” band and declined the offer. Neaverth would later admit that his move was a mistake.

He moved his talents to WHTT on the FM dial for another long stint, until the economic side of things force Danny off the airwaves again. He had come out of retirement as a part of the revival “WKBW,” but after three years, WWKB’s owner ditched the oldies format again, and Neaverth became “semi-retired”.

Earlier in 2017, it was announced that Neaverth was being brought aboard as an on-air personality at “Buffalo’s Very Own” WECK (1230), hosting a Friday afternoon (3 – 7 PM) oldies program.

Neaverth is a member of the Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame and the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. It will be good to hear his familiar voice again.

 

THANKS, BUDDY!

I grew up on radio.

(Big whoop! We all grew up on radio.) But I guess it was the time that stands out more than anything. The influences that we garnered from the artists and songs that we heard in our lifetimes had a hand in molding who we would become. Be it Big Band music of the forties, or the 50’s and the birth of Rock ‘n Roll, the British Invasion and beyond, we were birthed in the sounds we heard.

I was a shy kid. (Very shy, extremely shy.) It was debilitating. (I got better!) But my social interactions were slightly above non-existent! I always seemed to find “friends” in the music that played on my transistor radio. (Those born after 1980, I’ll explain transistor radios in another posting. Think of your Mp3 player’s Great-great Grandfather.) So, I had become ensconced in the music of the early sixties and British Invasion, all the way  through the Woodstock era of Classic Rock. (I remember vividly the moment Ed Sullivan introduced those Beatles guys to the world on that February 9th Sunday night in 1964.)

Here in Buffalo, we had some great radio stations across the dial that offered all the music for which this kid could ask! We had WGR (550) on the lower frequencies of the AM scope. WBEN (930) ruled the mid-dial with WNIA (1230) a bit further up the scale. WYSL (1400) put a strong push against the King of Buffalo radio in the day, the 50,000 watt blowtorch, WKBW (1520) which was heard all up and down the Eastern North American  seaboard. There were others, but these five filled many memories with the music of my lifetime.

But the AM dial became a graveyard with the advent of the stereo quality the FM roster of stations provided. Through many machinations, those above favored channels were resurrected to shades of their former glory. WGR’s format went from music to News/Talk Radio and its current Sports Talk blather.   WBEN went through a stint as an Adult Contemporary radio staion to become what they currently program, News/Talk Radio.  WYSL and WKBW had their transformations as well, with KB holding court as the ESPN affiliate and more sports ga-ga.

Resorting to the above mentioned mp3 player (after the stint with cassette tapes and CD players) I found myself gravitating to the online music services. Pandora, iHeart Radio, Spotify, et al, all offered the music I remembered with great fondness. But it wasn’t the same. Something was missing.

Personality. The music lacked personality. Pre-programmed and sterile were no substitute for what I remembered. And the personalities on the radio in Buffalo were wonderful. Jackson Armstrong, Shane (Shane, Brother Shane) Gibson, Sandy Beach and Don Berns, Joey Reynolds, Tom Donahue, Tom Shannon, Dan Neaverth, Jim Quinn, Fred Klestine, Jefferson Kaye and Don Kobiella (Don Kobiella?). Even the News guys added their character. Jim Fagan, Henry Brach, Jim McLaughlin, John Zach, Joe Downey and the incomparable Irv Weinstein.

WWKB (the reformatted version of WKBW) made a short-armed attempt to resurrect the radio giant a short while back with the best ratings they had since the 1990’s. But with little promotion and a real lack of commitment, the once great 1520 fell to the curb.

Flash forward to 2017. A guy named William Ostrander bought WECK Radio (1230 – the former WNIA). The on-air persona of Ostrander is Buddy Shula, and Buddy seems to be on track to do it right on the Buffalo Radio dial. He’s bringing “Buffalo’s very own” personality back to the music we love. Local radio with local news and local broadcast professionals to replace the pre-programmed “music of your life”.

I, for one am excited to see the advent of “Good Ol’ Radio” done with a new drive. And the names? Tom Donahue will remain the morning show host, bringing on Buffalo radio veteran Gail Ann Huber, coming on board as co-host and the aforementioned John Zach returning to Buffalo airwaves as their news director, anchoring the local CBS News affiliate. Jon Summers, another KB legend steps into the 9-12 spot and Harv Moore “the boy next door”, taking noon to 3:00 PM. Harv’s former sidekick, Robert Taylor (Taylor and Moore) is the on-air branding voice of WECK. Mike Jacobs covers the three to seven slot Monday thru Thursday. And Friday evening from 3-7 will be filled by Dan Neaverth, ready to move your “Friday Fanny”. To top off the night, Buddy Shula will take his turn behind the mic from 7-9. The changes take place on July 10th. This should be interesting to hear. And long over due. My music, the right music, done the right way. Anyway, I think it’s great!

Thanks Buddy!

BREAKING BACK

Who’s this guy Walter White? This Wojtanik guy came ready to leave it all on the table. The age-old fable stems from tales that Dad taught me. The carpenter and apprentice building a bond in the home that he remodeled. Today, the story has a new chapter and is carried forward. Yes, it is hard to believe (I’m finding it hard anyway) but, I’ve completed my siding project. Well there’s still a matter of the downspouts, byr for all intents and purposes, I’m declaring this (in my best  Borat voice – “Great Success!”, “Very nice!”)

We’ll be here twenty-four years in December (Yes, we moved in on December 1st) and through the first three years in which I vowed it would be done, the third year finally ended today. It felt like a long one!

The green shake shingles were an eyesore for all these years (although the green was reminiscent of the old homestead in Lackawanna, growing up on Wood Street.) Dad finally relented for a pastel yellow, but the green was where I began. It seemed fitting to start here, but as with Dad, change was in desperate need.

Vinyl siding, an undertaking I’ve never attempted (well versed in wooden clapboard – thanks Dad!) But I taught myself quickly. The month of August was a dedicated effort to finish. A new month takes control today; it is  right that final touches were completed by the time burgers and dogs hit the grill surface. Labor has ceased on Labor Day.

< THIS IS THE BEFORE PICTURE

I had ranted on the many hues of “Tan”. (A Woj-TAN-ik house had to find its grounding in the soft brownish hue.) But good God, there was tan and beige and buff, and khaki, and wicker and… you get my point, And being somewhat frugal, I stayed within budget and had foregone the “fancy” colors for tints right off the shelf which were $11 – $22 cheaper a case.

THIS IS THE AFTER PICTURE—->

84% of the project was a one man ordeal and as the title mentioned, I busted my back to get to today! And my back isn’t in great shape to begin with! Battling Summer’s hottest and haziest, I sweated off some pounds and turned my skin to leather. Another shade of tan for the project.

I would be remiss if I failed to thank my “crew”: my daughter Melissa and my son (in-law) Ryan Kruse, my daughter Andrea and her BF and my right hand throughout, Cody Stanek, my ‘kid’ sister Laurie Anne Wojtanik and my Brother-in-law Tony Kujawinski (my second story man). The “Foreman” (my wife Janice) kept the construction on track.

And so what next? The back fence posts need to be reset and plumbed up. But for now, mission accomplished. Very nice. Great success!

A FAIR TO GREAT DAY

Erie County Fair

Some days are better than others. Today was a better day than most. First, it’s County Fair time in Erie County (Western New York). It still holds an allure all these years even though so much has changed. After 175 years, it sure as hell better have. I’ve always enjoyed the exhibits (and the food) and told myself I would enter SOMETHING at the fair to see how I’d…well, fare. My daughter Andrea has enter photographs in competition and did earn an Honorable Mention ribbon. I figured I’d join her this year. This year, Andrea entered a rather colorful photograph of Niagara Falls, She also experimented with an abstract black and white shot with some interesting colorations incorporated. Her Niagara Falls picture took Second Place in her category. I had placed my shots in a “Floral” category and one in “Informal Portrait” The “Floral” entry was the photo of my tea rose with its glowing center and pink highlighted edges. It was taken in series – a daily progression of its growth through the course of a week. From an opening bud to this magnificent bloom the series is capped nicely by this final shot. This earned a Second Place finish as well.   The “Informal Portrait” was my photograph of original Beatles drummer Pete Best. He was headlining a show with his Pete Best Band. I had captured this pic up close during his performance and had the opportunity to chat briefly with “The Best of the Beatles”. By my calculations, that’s one degree of separation from John Lennon and I think that is way cool. The Pest Best portrait earned me an Honorable Mention ribbon. All-in-all, a good haul.

I’m looking forward to the 176th edition of the Erie County Fair. If I can find the right subject, I’ll try it again. It was a fair to great day.

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE – BROADWAY MARKET AT EASTERTIME

BUFFALO’S BROADWAY MARKET

“Bring your car, come and park it. Meet me at the Broadway Market!”

Surveying the Polish Sausages.

A Tradition, tried and true. An Old World Market in the heart of the city district of Buffalo, known as “Polonia”. The Broadway Market, a Western New York Landmark, has stood to serve the Polish community for decades. This is the place to be as Easter time draws near. Treats and goodies are found here, and Polish foods have become the staples of  the Swieconka Easter meal. Aromatic Polish sausages (both smoked and fresh) fill the air. The fanciful painted Easter eggs in the Old World style draw the eye and elicits memories of youthful times with family and friends. Breads and butter lambs, and the famous Broadway Market Horseradish, the “bitter herbs” of traditional times all complete the feast. Each food is symbolic in representing Christ’s journey during Holy Week and at Easter.

Easter flowers on display

Easter flowers add their fragrances with Lilies, azaleas, hyacinths, and tulips available amongst others. It is a festival of sorts, as Tony Krew, of Buffalo’s Krew Brothers Polka Band parades down the aisle with his accordion to play polish favorites. But with the times comes mush change as the Market has presumed an International flavor with Middle Eastern fair along with Native American music and even a man with his barrel organ (sans monkey) to complete the scene. 

Much to see at the Broadway Market – Janice picks her Easter lily.

Attending the 9:30 mass at the Mother Church of Buffalo’s Polish Community, St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr R.C Church, it was the perfect time for my wife, Janice and I to check out the wares on this yearly Pilgrimage. This week will spell a savory trek to the Polish Mecca, in the shadow of  Buffalo’s New York Central Terminal, for no Easter is truly complete in Buffalo without a visit to the Broadway Market. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE BROADWAY MARKET LINK HERE!

BEING FOR THE BENEFIT OF… WILLIAM McKINLEY

Leon Czolgosz assassinates President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition, 1901

A new century was dawning and Buffalo held the spotlight as it hosted the Pan American Exposition in 1901. (See Here, There and Everywhere – “The City of Light” and the Pan American Exposition). On September 6, 1901, U.S. President William McKinley had visited Niagara Falls with his wife before heading to Buffalo, New York for the Pan-American Exposition. The plan was to spend some time greeting the people at the expo.

President McKinley was positioned inside the Temple of Music building at the Exposition, Many people had been waiting for hours in the heat to meet the President. Unfortunately, among those waiting outside was 28-year-old anarchist Leon Czolgosz who had plans to kill President McKinley.

At 4 p.m., the building was opened and the throng of people were funneled into one line entering the Temple of Music building. In an organized fashion, the line of people approached the president. The “visit” was the briefest of moments… a quick hello and shake of the hand and then rushed out the door again.

President McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was just starting his second term in office and the people appeared happy to get a chance to meet him. But, at 4:07 p.m. anarchist Leon Czolgosz moved into place to “greet’ the President.

Czolgosz held a .32 caliber Iver-Johnson revolver, which was wrapped in a handkerchief.  His covered hand was noticed as he reached the President, It had been a hot day, and many of the visitors to see the President had been holding handkerchiefs so as to wipe the sweat off their faces. 

When Czolgosz reached the President, President McKinley considering Czolgosz’s right hand injured, reached out to shake his left hand. The assassin brought  his right hand up to President McKinley’s chest and then fired two shots.

The Assassination of William McKinley – Wikipedia

The Assassination of President William McKinley – Crime Library

The Last Speech of William McKinley – PBS.org

Images of William McKinley at the Pan American Exposition, 1901 – University of Buffalo Libraries

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE – THE CITY OF LIGHT AND THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION, 1901

The Ethnology Building in the evening
Pan-American Exposition, 1901

 

When you hear the term “City of Light” people presume someone is referring to Paris, France. They would be correct in that assumption, The Age of Enlightenment had Paris as its center of ideas and education. Its intellectual preeminence earned Paris its title as the City of Light. The lighting of its city streets in the last quarter of the 19th century reinforced Paris’s claim on the moniker.

In the early 20th century, the city of Buffalo, New York began calling itself the City of Light. Plentiful hydroelectric power from nearby Niagara Falls helped support that claim, but also because it was the first city in America to have electric street lights. During the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, this was made clearly evident, as the illumination of the buildings and avenues made night time enjoyment of the “world fair” of sorts, a reality. The area where the exposition was held shows very few reminders of this landmark happening during Buffalo’s early days. Interest in the event waned quickly when United States President William McKinley was assassinated while receiving guests at the expo. Anarchist Leon Czolgosz was responsible for killing McKinley and vaulting Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency.

The Pan-American Exposition of 1901 played an important part in the development of Buffalo as a city, as it shined a spotlight literally on the “City of Light”

Find more information about the Pan-American Exposition of 1901 at these sites:

Pan-American Exposition – Wikipedia
“Doing the Pan” – The Pan-American Exposition
1901 Pan-American Exposition Buffalo, New York Photos

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

Post Blizzard of 2014b – Day 1: A dusting covered the cars and the municipal snow plows spewed onto the groomed apron of my driveway. But no snow was falling when I left for work. The roads were snow covered, but scraped down and the ABS brakes on my car give me the sensation of grinding my teeth badly. A slow trek, but what the heck my driving skills needed to be challenged. And they were.

There was that idiot in the BIGGER SUV than mine whose balls paled in comparison to the plastic prosthetics that hung from his trailer hitch. There was the lady who drove like NASCAR was a slow joyride. The elderly gent who was hell bent on skirting into the McDonald’s parking lot to take his place amongst his cohorts after nearly swiping the utility truck, was a moveable obstacle for sure. And to think I stayed home yesterday in part to avoid driving in the hellacious blizzard conditions, only to take my life into my hands the day after.

Their antics did not make them better drivers. Their reckless attitude toward others on the road, never mind themselves, was an affront to common decency. Twenty-four hours after the “city of good neighbors” pulled together in our weather induced dilemma, it was business as usual in the self-centered minds of these morons. It’s as if a cheer went up in unison. “Hooray for me! Screw everyone else!” A very telling comparison. What a difference a day makes!