Southtowns

The budget also doubled the minimum tuition assistance program, or TAP, award for $500 to $1,000 and expanded income eligibility for the program.

Christmas in the Country Artisan Market returns to the South Towns.

One of Western New York's oldest holiday traditions is getting even bigger.

Christmas in the Country Artisan Market celebrates its 42nd anniversary this year with two fall weekends of holiday shopping featuring hundreds of talented artisans, unique handmade gifts, delicious food, wine and spirits, and plenty of holiday magic.

In a recently released report from Progressive Companies, a design, architecture, and engineering firm working with the town, That idea of what could come to the area has been made a tad clearer.

The report outlines Highmark Corner, which could be home to medical clinics, a 5,000 seat arena, and an upper tier hotel.

The company noted that the south towns currently lack a centralized mega footprint sports science and outpatient rehab center, paving the way for the medical clinics to be involved in the plan.

It noted that institutional structures on the SUNY Erie South Campus, which is expected to be sold, could be repurposed into outpatient surgery centers, physical therapy labs, or orthopedic urgent care facilities.

Uh, a- and then we go back to, you know, talking about stuff that, yes, works for those who might not like the current tailgate scene, but also addresses post-game and addresses, you know, the middle of April.

What is something you can do in April that would, you know, would attract people from the South Towns? You know, a, a regular client base to give this place business outside the 10 games, three concerts, whatever the stadium year looks like.

Uh, y- you have to think of that as well.

And you know, obviously they want-- I mean, they're not gonna get the Super Bowl.

Now, a related article, this Western New York town has seen a jump in residential builds, and this comes to us from Lee & Bunny, and it says, "The town of Evans has gone from issuing eight permits for single-family homes in 2023 to 54 in the two and a half years since.

The town has also approved other housing projects recently, all pointing to a larger need for housing in the South Towns." William Smith, Evans director of planning, says, here's a quote, "We're open for business, so to speak.

We want to welcome people to our town, and we do so in a manner that's friendly and accommodating.

But at the same time, we've got to do it the right way, and that's our goal." Okay.

I'd move back tomorrow.

I've always said I had nothing but positive experience in the South Towns.

Loved the South Towns.

But if you live in that area, what do you wanna see? What don't you wanna see? Now, I'm not against building up, you know, a, a, a stadium, especially if the stadium is going to have events past football.

And we've already seen that.

George, what do you think about this?

Yeah.

You know, I, I really think that I like the idea of them trying to bring some more variety and restaurants into the South Towns area, especially Orchard Park.

Not that, you know, Hamburg's not already a busy area.

I love how people say, "Um, well, you know, who's going there in the off-season?" Well, you know, people who live in the South Towns.

A lot of people live in the South Towns.

It's the reason we still have a skyway.

If no one lived in the South Towns, you wouldn't have a skyway.

[laughs] I mean, anyway, let's go, uh, [laughs] let's go to Bill in Williamsville.

Hey, Bill.

The medical clinic could be key in bringing high-volume, non-gain patient visits to the district year-round, town officials say.

They say the South Towns lacked a centralized mega-footprint sports science and outpatient rehab center anchored by major networks like UBMD Orthopedics, Kaleida Health, and ECMC.

It would also provide the potential for reusing some of the existing ECC institutional structures into outpatient surgery centers, physical therapy labs, or orthopedic urgent care facilities.

There are eight outdated buildings on the current campus that was opened back in 1974.

while more than 700 have been cleared, meaning no unusual radiation levels were detected.

Keep in mind that this investigation has included Grand Island and parts of the South Towns, as well as areas throughout Niagara County.

As of September 18th, four Niagara County families whose properties had radiation levels up to 104 times above normal have been scheduled for temporary relocation.

There is also the separate case of a family living on 99th Street in Niagara Falls, quite near the Love Canal containment site, who noticed concerning materials in their soil after a pool excavation.