Off Main Street: Southern exposure...
The offbeat side of the news
The years-long exodus of area residents to Charlotte has not gone unnoticed by folks at the other end of the job-search pipeline. Charlotte radio station 90.7 WFAE recently ran a three-day series of programs entitled “The Buffalo/Charlotte Connection.”
Topics included such sore spots as “Reasons Buffalo Natives Leave” and “To Investors, Buffalo Can Be a Frustrating Experience.”
But the news was not all bad. There was a piece on Buffalonians who returned home and a bit on “Buffalo Boosters.”
All in all, the station went out of its way to be fair.
Even so, Off Main Street awaits the day that a Buffalo station can do a piece about all of the Charlotte natives relocating here.
An odd couple indeed . . .
For just a moment, imagine Chuck Schumer and Sarah Palin in their finest faux camouflage, side by side in their tree stands, shotguns poised for the kill.
Absolutely crazy, you say?
Not if you’re a reader of Field & Stream, the outdoor magazine that last week gave its annual “heroes awards” to the New York senator and Alaska governor.
Never one to miss a media opportunity, Schumer issued a two-page press release explaining why he won: It was his plan to pay private landowners who allow hunting and fishing on their property.
“Receiving Field & Streams’ Hero award along with Sarah Palin certainly makes an odd couple,” Schumer said, “but I’m proud of my work to support New York’s hunting and fishing community.”
The magazine said Palin, the erstwhile Republican vice presidential candidate, was chosen for being the “first true hunter to run for executive office since Teddy Roosevelt.”
By the way, Field and Stream’s villain of the year?
None other than California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Talk about typecasting.
From Freddie to Frieda . . .
Back in January, we ran a couple of items about a furry and energetic squirrel that has a following among some of the people who work in downtown Buffalo.
Many people who work near the intersection of Franklin and Niagara streets have come to know the friendly little critter, who walks up to them and begs for food.
Unlike most skittish squirrels, this one takes peanuts or scraps of food from human hands, even climbing up on the arms or shoulders of some.
People enjoyed the antics so much they gave the squirrel a name — Freddie.
But recently, admirers learned something that changed their perceptions about the squirrel.
Clear evidence that sprouted on the animal’s chest revealed that Freddie is a female, and that she probably has a nest of babies somewhere.
Now, the downtown workers call her by a new name — Frieda.
Ugly, but honest . . .
When Off Main Street was taking a recent trip to Detroit, we first checked the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau Web site for tips on what to do and where to eat.
We’re used to tourism officials steering clear of anything that even hints of negativity.
That’s why some of the language from the site’s description struck us as brutally — and perhaps self-defeatingly — honest.
The site’s Downtown Destination Guide states Detroit is a “challenging city.” It is “struggling with vast stretches of emptiness and decay.”
And “people here acknowledge the grime.”
The only thing missing? A note warning against accidental exposure to a Lions game.
Written by Bruce Andriatch with contributions from Donn Esmonde, Phil Fairbanks, Dan Herbeck and Stephen T. Watson.
