Well, the rumors are widespread enough that there must be something to them. Click here to read about it in the NY Daily News. Click here to read his resignation letter. He’s taking a senior position in the Empire State Development Corporation. Click here to read his explanation.

In a statement, Sam Hoyt, who represents the 144th Assembly District, said he has accepted a senior position with the Empire State Development Corporation. The position was offered by Governor Cuomo.

The streetscape around the Wehrle Family Restaurant may have changed, but the restaurant has stayed the same.

General manager Darcy Regier said defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was in touch with some former teammates who’ve played in Buffalo, like Mike Grier and German countryman Jochen Hecht.

New Sabres defenseman Robyn Regehr was introduced at HSBC arena Thursday. Terry Pegula, Ted Black, Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff were all on hand as Regehr received his new number 24 Sabres jersey.

We’re trying to get additional confirmation, but sources tell us that Sam Hoyt will be resigning his Assembly seat to go accept a job with the Cuomo administration.  We’ll update the site as more information trickles in.

UPDATE: It’s confirmed. Sam Hoyt has resigned the Assembly seat he’s held since 1993 and will be accepting a job with the Cuomo Administration at the Empire State Development Corporation. The now-vacant Assembly seat in A-144 will be filled by special election to be called by the governor. Names are already popping up, including City Councilman David Rivera, former Erie County Legislative counsel Sean Ryan, former State Senate candidate Sean Cooney and City Councilman Joe Golombek.  The winner of the special election would serve through the end of 2012, and a regular election would be held in November of that year.

We’re also hearing that this move is part of the same Erie County Democratic peacemaking that led to Len Lenihan’s resignation from his county party chairmanship, and unity more or less across the Democratic ticket for 2011.

UPDATE 2: I’m hearing that Sean Ryan is the likely nominee, already determined as part of the Democratic detente between ECDC, City Hall, and Grassroots.

UPDATE 3: Sam Hoyt has issued a statement:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:             June 30, 2011

 

STATEMENT FROM SAM HOYT

REGARDING HIS RESIGNATION

 

Dear Friends:

Governor Cuomo has offered me an exciting and important opportunity within his administration, a senior position with the Empire State Development Corporation, about which more details will be available tomorrow. I have accepted his offer with enthusiasm, which necessarily means that I will also be stepping down after 19 years of service in the New York State Assembly. After the most productive legislative session I have experienced – both for me personally and the Legislature as a whole – I can hardly imagine a better moment to make this transition. The last few hours of this last session were by far the most thrilling I have been a part of in all of my years in the Assembly. I was proud to help Governor Cuomo pass key elements of his legislative agenda including SUNY 2020, the strongest property tax cap in the nation, and most historically, marriage equality for all New Yorkers, an issue I have advocated for years.

While the work of the Legislature will never be finished, this session marks the successful completion of many of the projects I have worked on throughout my career. One of my primary goals has always been revitalizing our upstate cities, with a focus, of course, on Buffalo. In the past three years, I have authored and passed into law three bills in particular that I believe will have a transformational impact on our upstate cities. They are the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, the State’s first Smart Growth law, and most recently the Land Bank bill that was passed by both houses just two weeks ago. These three pieces of legislation have the potential to make a significant impact on the repopulation and revitalization of Upstate New York.

Over the past 19 years, I have worked hard to represent the interests of the people of the 144^th District, not just in Albany but here at home as well. For me, elected office has been about more than legislation alone. It has been about helping the people in my district when they need it the most, and about making Buffalo a better place to live and work. Over the years, that has meant things like helping protect and preserve the historic H. H. Richardson Complex, stopping the closure of Children’s Hospital, and fighting for community-driven projects like the Jesse Kregal Bike Path along Scajacquada Creek and Black Rock Canal Park. It has also meant hours and hours of constituent service, helping the people of Western New York straighten out bureaucratic problems with Medicaid or unemployment insurance, lending a hand to block clubs in their efforts to clean up problem properties in their neighborhoods, and fighting to ensure that above all, the government works for the people.

Of course in my duties as a Legislator, I have also worked hard for my legislative successes. From the Protections for Health Care Workers Act to the Local Government Consolidation Law to Race to the Top education reform to the Main Street Grants Program and more, I have consistently fought for economic and social justice legislation that would benefit all New Yorkers. All of this work has culminated in the great accomplishments of this most recent legislative session.

It is no coincidence that the Legislature’s most successful year coincides with Governor Cuomo’s first year. I have long felt a sense of partnership with Governor Cuomo, indeed long before he was Governor. There has been no daylight between his priorities and my own. It has therefore not been difficult to conclude that the best way to advance those priorities further on behalf of Western New York and the entire state is to join his team.

I was first elected to the Assembly under sad circumstances – the seat opened upon the premature passing of my father, Bill Hoyt.  My initial motivation was to continue the family legacy – that of both Bill and my mother, Carol of progressive leadership. During the ensuring two decades that motivation has married well with the needs and aspirations of the people of Buffalo and Grand Island, who I have had the honor to serve. And while I enter this new phase under much happier circumstances, those motivations will continue to inspire me every day I will be working for the most dynamic leader this State has seen in generations.

Although this moment marks the end of my career in the Assembly, it is far from a goodbye. More than anything else, every success attributed to me has been a team effort. I am so grateful for the many dedicated staff members I have had over the years who made enormous personal sacrifices to serve along side me to help improve the lives of the people of the 144^th District. Both in Albany and throughout the district, they worked long hours behind the scenes on legislation, local projects, constituent service, and beyond. It is through their efforts that I was able to represent the interests of the people of Western New York, and for that I am thankful.

All of you have been my partners in so many of those efforts as well, and Governor Cuomo and I will continue to need your support going forward. The future has never looked brighter. I am grateful for this new opportunity to get to that bright future, and I am eternally grateful for your help, support and friendship in our shared goal of getting there together.

Sincerely,

 

SAM HOYT

 

Talks also under way on shifts downtown

Police said 19-year-old Richard Conte of Medina, 23-year-old Reynaldo Melendez of Rochester, 17-year-old Louis Staples of Rochester, and 19-year-old Kristina Brongo of Clarendon are under arrest. Police say the arrests come after a two-month investigation.

Interview by Tara Sasiadek:

The Buffalo Expat Network, the Emerging Leaders in the Arts and HandsOn Greater Buffalo are pleased to present the echo: Art Fair which connects experienced collectors and first-time buyers with emerging local, regional and international artists in a centralized and creative environment; the Buffalo Central Terminal. echo: Art Fair will showcase a broad scope of fine art disciplines, including painting, photography, sculpture, print, works on paper, video and combined-media. echo will commence with a VIP Reception on July 8th, 2011. On July 9th, the echo: Art Fair will run from 9:30am until 5:30pm. The After-echo party, also to be held in the Terminal, will take place shortly after the ending of the fair featuring live music from The Albrights, Alex Kelly, and will wrap up with a dance party featuring DJ Cutler and AVDJ PROJEX. Here is the next in a series of Buffalo Rising interviews with one of our featured artists, Melora Griffis:

Who are you, and what do you do?

My name is Melora Griffis and I was born in NYC.  I am a painter, actress, and performance artist.  My visual art has been shown in galleries in and around NYC such as; White Columns, Bowman / Bloom, Pamela Williams, Boltax, and 571 Projects. I went to the Rhode Island School of Design as a painting major and am a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse.  I have either trained or collaborated with dance theatre artists,Yoshiko Chuma, Hanya Holm, Nimrod Fried, and currently Liz Gerring.  

I have also acted in numerous films, (Blessing with my father Guy Griffis - Sundance Film Festival 1994), television, (Law and Order) and theatre, (Las Maninas, by Lynn Nottage) to name a few.  I have written, designed, performed in, and directed performance pieces, Shook, Hunting Accident, Veils, Fault, and Hurricane Baby in festivals and theaters in NYC.

What are the most essential elements of your work?

Improvisation, Personal experience, the psychological, physical, spiritual, emotional; aspects of humanity, the story, play, drama, nature, the human body,what is hidden behind the exterior, the truth of things, history, heritage, role playing, repetition, color, space, movement, relationships, groups of people or things, pain and healing, the power and strength in the ensemble, white, line, the application of a mark, death, memory, and dreams.

If you had to choose only 5 materials or tools to work with, what would they be?

huge amounts of fine portrait linen or arches paper a drawing tool (oil stick, charcoal, pencil / graphite, pastel) tub of white paint (oil, acrylic, gouache, house) and a few other colors a mirror staple gun/staples/ wall

Would you describe your artistic education as a guided or self guided journey?

Extremely self guided, probably to a fault, but at the same time I look for a response. I have known since before I can remember that I wanted to be an artist. I was tormented at an early age that I would have to choose between painting, acting, or dance. Later, I found I could combine and / or focus in on different mediums at different times. I am grateful for all the encouragement teachers and elders gave me in and out of school. The message was always to keep doing what I was doing... to keep going. The next question and answer in this interview tells more of the original circumstances that probably had allot to do with inevitable guidance of my artistic journey. Recently I have had the opportunity to go to several artist colonies where one is given extended periods of time to work with out distraction or interruption. The Edward Albee Foundation, VCCA, Schloss Pluschow Residency in Germany, and in September The Constance Saltonstall Foundation (near Buffalo!!) Thus far, these periods of time, have been like short, invaluable, graduate study sessions. The lessons have been hard learned but essential durning these solitary periods and I imagine the education from simply continuing to work is inevitable.

Do you have a connection to Buffalo?

When I was around one, my mother was cast in the play, A Delicate Balance at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo. At that same time my father, Roderick Griffis, became Director of Performing arts for The Ashford Hollow Foundation. My parents began producing plays at the Foundation's home, a former ice house on Essex Street. The stage was under the shed roof of the outdoor parking lot, thus the name "Courtyard". They then purchased the former Studio Arena Theater on Lafayette which became the Courtyard Theater.

My parents moved back to Buffalo where my father, Roderick Griffis was born and grew up (Nichols School) He and my mother, Georgia Hester Griffis, met in acting class in Manhattan. We lived over the theater; the lobby and box office, were on the first floor and the dressing rooms, rehearsal spaces, and dining hall / kitchen was in the basement. My parents directed, produced, and acted in many plays there and my brother Ian and sister Kate and I were all in productions. I was in a play called, Dark, about a little girl who was afraid of the dark, that my father directed. Perhaps a foreshadowing, my parents lit candles the night I was brought home from New York Hospital, as there was a blackout. My brother and I went to the Park School and I started ballet classes. My parents received a NYSCA grant and were very involved in the Buffalo community providing professional innovative productions. They hired actors from NYC and Buffalo. They served dinner before the show in a big room downstairs from the theatre where fencing classes were held and where I had a big birthday party. My mother made lasagna every night for the audience and would often then put her costume on and appear in the play.

My father and his brother Larry Griffis II were both extremely convicted artists. Living above the stage and in a city where my Uncle"s sculpture grew from the ground by the side of the roads we drove daily made my world a unique one. The real world paled compared to the imaginary one we could create. A deep respect for the power of connecting through art was instilled in me. A resourcefulness was learned. I understood the importance of telling my own truth and how this could connect others to theirs and that ultimately love was the seed of great art. Between my Uncles fantastic large scale steel sculptures at Griffis Sculpture Park, the interesting people around the theatre and the live drama going on every night at home, the road was paved for me to be an artist. When the State University of New York asked to rent the space, we left and moved closer to Manhattan where my parents returned to being working actors as opposed to running the show. We continued to commute every summer to Canada where we would live in one house with my Uncle and his 7 children. My uncles paintings were all over the house. Crescent Beach was beautiful and I was deeply connected to the land and the other kids living along the beach. We were a gang and we all spent an exorbitant amount of time on the beach, and in the lake.

I feel a connection and respect to nature was instilled in me there and I often return to this element in my work. Places like Crystal Beach, Niagara Falls, Art Park, The old Indian Graveyard, the drive-in, and The Albright Knox Art Museum are all very much a part of my history. When I was 18, I taught at the Nichols Summer Day Camp and performed with Yoshiko Chuma at Art Park. In 1987 I was invited and awarded scholarship to the Chatauqua Institute, to perform in plays directed by the mask master, Pierre LeFevre and artistic director, Rebecca Guy. In 2002 I did over 300 portraits of children, friends, strangers, and family. This project started when I was in a Checkhov play in NYC. I began to paint the cast and then everyone I knew. My interest in people and character relates to my interest in theatre. I painted a few people from Buffalo.

Is there a Buffalo landmark or meal you plan to visit or have while here?

I will probably go to the food co-op on Elmwood avenue and maybe catch a glimpse of my Uncle Larry Griffis sculptures SPIRIT OF WOMANHOOD and BIRDS IN FLIGHT.

How do you define success as an artist?

Creating, showing, and selling the work. I would like to be able to work in different mediums and allow ideas to overlap. Having a life that supports inspiration and offers time, space, and resources to bring ideas to fruition.

Can you share with a us a harrowing tale of an artistic disaster?

I can share many tales of artistic disaster, but think to keep them secret. My paintings are often disastrous resurrections.

Do you have a set schedule for studio time?  How do you structure your creative life?

My intention is to go to the studio every day. This rarely happens. When I am lucky enough to go to residencies I work every day all day and even at night for weeks at a time. Bodies of work have come from these excursions away from my daily city life. I tend to work in spurts. I can go for periods where I am not in the studio at all as life and the business of being an artist takes time. If I am away from the studio for too long, I begin to feel strange, not in a good way. It is best if I go to the studio regularly, even if I dont make anything when I am there.

Can you tell us about where you find resources or inspiration for your work?

After I went to the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin and the Hamburg Kunsthalle, I was inspired. I look at other artists work as much as possible. When I see great art, theatre, film, performance, I am inspired. I find the interviews on Charlie Rose inspiring. I will use photographs from the picture file at the library or the New York Times for reference. Details of things and people are important. If I remember, I always carry a journal with me to sketch or write in as I never know when I will hear, see, feel, taste, touch, sense, or even smell something that relates to the work. I will often collect things in groups in order to bring focus and eventually deeper understanding of a subject.

What quote or mantra or words of wisdom do you have for other creative types?

listen

believe and follow what is true

courage in the face of doubt

do it again

know your process in all that you do

meditate

meet people in person

everything is temporary

live curious

change perspective

visualize it

take action

take your ear phones off and leave your phone at home

Where can we find more of your work?

Until my website is reconstructed on September 1st you can see my work at The Pamela Williams Gallery: www.pamelawilliamsgallery.com.  This fall I will be having a solo show at 571Projects in NYC / www.571projects.com

My studio is located in NYC in The Chelsea Arts Building. My acting reel is on Youtube.

For full details on echo: Art Fair, visit the site at www.echoArtFair.com, or find us on Facebook.

The list includes four minimum-security facilities for men: Buffalo Work Release in Erie County, Camp Georgetown in Madison County, Summit Shock in Schoharie County and Fulton Work Release in the Bronx.

Team also signs Gerbe to three-year deal

Vast Erie County Home and Infirmary will be closed, perhaps in 2013. So what will the town do with it?

Pride of Baltimore II traveling the Great Lakes to promote Bicentennial of War of 1812

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts co-star in romantic comedy about a man who loses his job, goes back to school and falls in love with his teacher.

In sharp contrast to county executive Chris Collins, whose thick-headed policy toward public libraries has made Erie county a national laughing stock, Democratic challenger Mark Poloncarz today issued a report supporting the institution. Click here to download a copy of the report, “Libraries: An Economic Engine for Our Future.” “I use the library. I have [...]