A Lancaster man is in Washington State to help search for his missing son and former partner. Jay Carver flew to Seattle late Tuesday night.

By a 387 to 25 vote, the House has approved a new bill to ban shipping cigarettes in the U.S. mail. The bill had previously passed the Senate by a unanimous vote and will now go to President Obama for his signature.

Gov. David Paterson's press secretary is resigning, making her the fourth top staffer to resign amid scandals that threaten the administration.

Hosted by Dave Ungaro and Ken Wolf from NEXT Financial:

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Following is an interview with Peter McGennis - Buffalo's rising film writer, director, producer and actor - discussing the upcoming release of his latest film, Buffalo Bushido.

When did you first come up with the idea for Buffalo Bushido?

It was a knee-jerk reaction to having a project in Northern Ireland hit a standstill in 2005. I had applied for funding through NIFTC - it was a co-production, but with the dollar sinking below the euro it didn't make fiscal sense. I started to look at Buffalo as the canvas for creating a Buffalo story that would pump as much spirit and vitality into the community as I had witnessed in New Orleans with my first film (In). So I proceeded to write a Buffalo story based on reflections from childhood that seemed worthy... I found reverence in the loss of my best friend David Pfalzgraf's brother Brendan... and how to honor him through narrative fiction.

Who, or what, is Buffalo Bushido?

Bushido is the code or way of the samurai. It serves as a coping strategy for the main character Davis, who is trying to come home. His perception is the lens of the story, as past, present and fantasy overlap.

Did the storyline change as the pieces began to fall together?

The storyline never wavered, but new Bushido underpinnings availed themselves through the collaborative process. This included the fantastic animation provided by Jeremy Appelbaum.

Was it shot in Buffalo, and if so, when?

It was 100% filmed in Buffalo. We filmed through 2006 and 2007.

Is it true that in one scene you walk across the outer edge of the Peace Bridge naked?

No. It was the middle traffic lane and up on the steel truss.

How did you pull that one off?

Unfortunately the wonderful man who made it possible is no longer with us.

Where did you find Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka?

On the WWE Legends Circuit.

And Lezley Zen? What kind of a movie is this?!

I needed a bad influence who was very comfortable with nudity. It was the first day of the shoot and it was the icebreaker. She's a really good actress... she's fun, she's crazy and she knows how to act. Lezley played the bad influence to a T. People go nuts for her... I damn well was not going to be the only naked character in this film. She was there for the first day as well as the last day of the shoot. She came back for the wrap party and played naked pool at Roxy's. She stripped naked right on Main Street and walked into the bar. She proceeded to play pool naked for two hours.


Click here to see the entire cast

What was the most important thing that you learned coming from your previous movie?

To not rush. My first film was turned around in six months. I cultivated a strategy to allow time to pull back and rethink. The fact that this was a state of mind film facilitated this creative, layered approach.

Name a director that influenced you.

Elia Kazan, and of course Akira Kurosawa.

What's your favorite movie?

Midnight Cowboy

If you could pick an actor and actress to be in your ultimate movie, who would they be?

I'm trying to think of someone who hasn't had plastic surgery. The legends are dead. Where are the American male leads? There is a void... Christopher Walken back in the day, but not when he's dancing with a Gummy Bear. And then Penelope Cruz, but she'll have to pass the no-plastic-surgery-test like Lezley ;)

Do you consider yourself a full time producer/director?

No. Because I write, direct, produce and act, I am finding that Hollywood places me in the ubiquitous Indie film-maker/artist file. What matters is that I do what I say I'm going to do. My scripts get read based on confidence that I deliver with heart and soul. I've built my reputation in the business one relationship at a time. Nick Nolte is reading the script for my current movie called Queen City. I push my filmmaking forward every day in some capacity, balancing it with my responsibility as husband, parent, youth hockey coach and other business owner.

Is it unusual for a producer/ director to take a lead in a movie?

Yes. And it's usually disastrous.

How was (or is it) it to shoot in Buffalo?

It's fascinating to redefine the city through my filmmaking. When you see Buffalo Bushido, local landmarks will take on new meaning (not just the Peace Bridge). Living in a place gives you enormous insight into making it come alive as a character. I did that with New Orleans (where my mom is from) in my first film, and have now accomplished it here through photography, music, etc. There's nothing worse than hearing a dumbed-down, rehashed Buffalo joke from some Hollywood nincompoop who has never been here or claims to have been stuck on the thruway during a snowstorm. Boohoo! I think that folks will dig the symbolism from start to finish. Buffalo Bushido is really a 'coming home' piece where home never changes... it's the person.  

Is our proximity to Toronto advantageous?

Big time. I used Deluxe Toronto for post-production and have gone to Raptor and Sabres games with their staff. It gives the region (with the Toronto Film Festival) clout.

Did you work with the Buffalo Film Commission?

Yes. Tim Clark has been super in supporting, coordinating and production. He understands that it is the indigenous productions that define the city's film identity and open the floodgates for future work. Buffalo Bushido shot for 27 days with all local crew vs. Keanu Reeves who was here for three and brought his crew from NYC.

Buffalo Bushido World Premiere and Red Carpet
Friday, April 30 at 8:00pm to 11:00pm
Where: Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre
639 Main St. Buffalo, NY

Advanced tickets available online through the Dipson website. Peter will be there throughout the weekend answering Q&As and talking about Queen City, which is filming now.

Brendan and Jackie know there are only two kinds of people in the world: the Irish and those who wish they were

May those we love, love us.

If they cannot love us,

May God turn their hearts.

If God cannot turn their hearts,

May they turn their ankles,

So we may know them by their limping.

Sláinte!

The National Lacrosse League announced today that Buffalo Bandits forward John Tavares was named Offensive Player of the Week as well as Overall Player of the Week, for Week #10 of the 2010 NLL Season. The Week #10 NLL schedule consisted of games played on the weekend of March 12th -14th.
Tavares scored the Bandits game-winning [...]

The former chief financial officer for Buffalo's Franklin Assets Management investment firm was taken into custody today after being sentenced to up to four years in prison on his third corporate embezzlement conviction.

St. Paul's Catholic Elementary School in Kenmore will close at the end of this school year because of plummeting enrollment.

The week of March 14th to 20th is Sunshine Week. As stated on www.sunshineweek.org, Sunshine Week is a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include print, broadcast and online news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public’s right to know.

The goal of Sunshine Week is to highlight and encourage transparency in government. One of the most important ways that government can be transparent is by providing information on the Internet that is comprehensive and easy to access. An organization named Sunshine Review, a nonprofit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency uses a 10 point transparency checklist to evaluate the websites of every state and 5,000 local governments. No governments in New York State received a perfect score or an “A” grade for their websites. A list of communities that did receive a perfect score or an “A” can be viewed here. You can see how Erie County (B-) and other counties located within New York State were evaluated here. It does not appear that any cities located within New York State have been evaluated.

Website reviews are tailored differently for states, cities, counties and school districts but in general the checklist looks for the following information:

• Budgets: The website should include the current budget. Bonus points if the website shows the budgets for previous years, and a graph showing increases or decreases over time to help citizens evaluate and understand trends in local government spending. The checkbook register and credit card receipts should also be posted.

• Rationale: Budgets show the big picture of what goals and priorities the government established for the year. Budgets details also serve as a way for taxpayers determine how the government performed in relation to past years.

• Open meeting laws should include notices about public meetings of its governing board, and minutes of past meetings. Also check for meeting agendas for future and/or past meetings.

• Rationale: Meetings are one of the few ways the public can engage in true dialogue with representatives. Given the reality of busy schedules, governments should offer an alternative to meeting attendance by posting meetings, agendas, locations and minutes on their website.

• Elected officials should include names of elected officials, and their contact information, including email addresses. Also we should be able to see an elected official’s voting record.

• Rationale: Officials are elected to represent their constituents. In order to do so effectively they should be engaged in regular dialogue and be as accessible as possibly by providing a variety of ways to be contacted.

• Administrative Officials should be listed on government websites. The website should include the names of key administrators, and their contact information, including e-mail addresses.

• Rationale: Administrative staff are knowledgeable resources, provide constituent services and often enforce ordinances. Because of these roles it is imperative for them to be available to constituents by providing contact information to the heads of each department and not just general information.

• Building permits and zoning: At the very least applications should be available to be downloaded online. In addition, constituents should be able to submit applications and track the process online.

• Rationale: Almost all government application processes are already digitalized. By facilitating the process online government should cut down on cost and time barriers as well as improving communication and service to their constituents.

• Audits: The website should include regular an audit information including: report results, audit schedules and performance audits for government programs.

• Rationale: While budgets give the big picture to constituents, an audit reveals how well the government performs on their goals. An audit reveals how closely elected officials kept their promises, and enable constituents to hold them accountable.

• Contracts: The website should include rules governing contracts posted online;including bids and contracts for purchases over $10,000 and the vendor’s campaign contributions posted with contract.

• Rationale: Contracts should be available for review so the people can evaluate if the contract was a no bid replacement and/or if the government chose the best solution for its constituents.

• Lobbying: If the unit of government belongs to any taxpayer-funded lobbying associations that it helps to fund by paying association or membership dues, that information should be disclosed on the government unit’s website.

• Rationale: Almost all government entities have lobbyists on retainer or are members of an association that lobbys on their behalf. This information should be disclosed to constituents, so they can make sure what is being lobbied benefits the community.

• Public records: The website should include the name of the person who is in charge of fulfilling open records requests, along with contact information for that person.

• Rationale: The government is obligated by law to answer FOIA requests. By posting an individual contact, it creates an avenue which should ease the way for constituents and displaces ill-will often caused by a confusing process.

• Taxes: The website should include a central location for all tax information, including state “fees” such as drivers’ licenses; Tax documents for all elected officials and each agencies sources of revenue.

Rationale: Tax information should be available to those looking to move or sell residences in their district. Disclosing tax burdens accurately reflects the cost of living.

Given the above criteria the websites of local governments in Western New York have  room for improvement.

We’ve run a poll over the last week asking Buffalo Bills fans who they’d prefer the team takes with the ninth overall selection of the draft.  We included six candidates we think should be on the board when the Bills were on the clock.
For that reason you didn’t find names like Sam Bradford, Ndamukong Suh, [...]

Amherst police are looking for two robbers wearing ski masks who took about $40 and a cell phone from a 29-year-old man walking on Springville Avenue near the University at Buffalo Main Street campus late Tuesday night.

Portland, Maine – The Cumberland County Civic Center Board of Trustees announced today that they have agreed to a two-year lease extension with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League.
The extension, announced in a joint statement following the Civic Center Board of Trustees Meeting held at the Civic Center this morning, will carry the [...]

By Nate Drag:

In environmental debates over the Great Lakes, it is easy to forget that there are tens of millions of people that live, work, and play along the shores of the waters. Even here in Buffalo, the presence of the Lake Erie can fade into the background and offer only the simplest context to our busy lives. But for certain people, the Great Lakes offer inspiration and exploration. One such individual, Paul Lloyd Sagent, is artist in residence and curator of a new exhibit opening this Thursday March 18th at the University at Buffalo's Center for Fine Arts.

The exhibit, entitled Precious Cargo, features a variety of work by artists and activists interested in issues that deal with the inherent contradictions that Great Lakes communities like ours, and places around the world, are facing as we move further into the 21st century. This multi-media exhibit explores our lives in our local environments and how, where, and why they intersect with global economic and environment forces. Ideas of international-national transportation networks versus regional and local transport, supply chain versus disposal chain concepts, resource exhaustion versus sustainable culture, and consumption versus reuse are some common themes that run throughout the exhibit.
   
Paul Lloyd Sargent, a multi-disciplinary artist, freelance video editor, and writer, is originally from the Syracuse area and grew up in the Thousand Islands region of New York. After living in New York City and receiving his Masters in Fine Arts. Sargent work began to explore the relationship of global economic forces, a disposable culture, and the transportation network that maintains them. From this, a project entitled Not To Scale took form. This concept of this piece is a working relief map of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway made entirely from discarded objects that were found in Buffalo and along the locks, canals, and waterways necessary for travel from the Atlantic Ocean to each of the Great Lakes.
 
Inspiration does not, however, have to come from examinations of global systems. It can also come from your own backyard.  In conjunction with the Precious Cargo exhibit, Alberto Rey, a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Visual Arts and New Media from Fredonia State will be presenting the Lightwell Project as a continuation of his Biological Regionalism series.  Throughout this series, Rey aims to reestablish a connection to local landscapes by introducing fish found in local bodies of water through video and traditional painting. For the Lightwell Project, Rey will be using source material collected at Ellicott Creek to capture the colors and movements of largemouth bass during their annual migration.

Finally, another local artist located in Buffalo, Stella Marrs, will be presenting her Shopping Cart Victory Gardens. This instillation, created to honor the memory of Buffalo's Rosa Gibson, brings Marrs' mobile urban gardens built in discarded shopping carts to a new focus: vermaculture.  Shopping Cart Victory Gardens, just like the other exhibits, communicates the interconnection of issues of community, environment, and water that Precious Cargo hopes to promote. The exhibit also highlights the work of The Center for Land Use Interpretation, The Center for Urban Pedagogy, Thomas Comerford, Compass Group working in the MRCC, Thomas Frank, Sabine Gruffat and Bill Brown, Chris Jordan, Mary Mattingly, Lize Mogel, Stephanie Rothenberg, Sam Sebren, The Waterpod® and Alex Young.

Precious Cargo opens this Thursday at UB's Center for Fine Arts from 5-7pm and runs through May 15th. 

In addition to this opportunity to reexamine the international economic and ecological systems working in the Great Lakes through art, there are number of lectures, presentations, and exhibits throughout this spring as part of the Exploring the Past, Present, and Future Relationship between the Environment and Trade Lecture and Film Series. These events include:

Tuesday, March 30 at 6pm, Center for the Arts, Screening Room
• Jeff Alexander, award winning journalist and author "Pandora's Locks: The Opening of the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Seaway"

Thursday, April 1 at 12pm, UB Art Gallery, Center for the Arts, First Floor Gallery
• Alberto Rey, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Visual Arts and New Media.
"Looking for Home"

Thursday, April 8 at 12pm, UB Art Gallery, Center for the Arts, First Floor Gallery
• Jennifer Nalbone, Great Lakes United, Director on Navigation and Invasive Species "Hindsight on Highway H2O"

Thursday, April 8 at 6pm, UB Art Gallery, Center for the Arts, First Floor Gallery
• Paul Lloyd Sargent "Precious Cargo: the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River"

Thursday, April 15 at 12pm, UB Art Gallery, Center for the Arts, First Floor Gallery
• Dr. Margaret Wooster, Habitat Coordinator, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper "I Drink Therefore I Am"

Saturday, May 1 at 10am, UB Art Gallery, Center for the Arts, First Floor Gallery
• Richard Price, Seedsavers' Exchange Member, Former NOFA-Certified Organic Market Gardener "Grow-Your-Own Garden Seedlings Organically"

Friday, May 14 at 8pm, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center
• Film screening and performance featuring work by Paul Lloyd Sargent, Thomas Comerford, Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat, $7 general, $5 students/seniors, $4 members

Check out the UB Art Gallery webpage for more info.

Tickets for Friday night's NCAA Tournament session at HSBC Arena are listed today for as much as $1,000 at online ticket reseller StubHub.