🌱 Cavities due to Water + Recycling Contamination +Nietzche's Sale

Good morning, neighbors. Let's dive into what's going on around town today. Including news on...

• There's a lack of fluoride in the Buffalo water system.
• The beloved Allentown music club, Nietzche's, is for sale.
• Conversations take place about Buffalo's segregation.

But first, today's weather:

Rain and snow showers. High: 38. Low: 31.

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Here are the top five stories today in Buffalo:

1. Buffalo's water system has not contained fluoride since 2015, which may be the cause for the current uptick in cavities among children. The city was updating the fluoride system in 2016 when the water crisis began in Flint, Michigan. They paused the upgrades to research if the new fluoride system could negatively affect the city's lead pipes. The city says the new system has proven safe and fluoride will start being added to water again sometime in 2023. In the mean time, use of fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash is recommended. Read more via The Buffalo News.
2. Buffalo's director of recycling, Susan Attridge, is urging residents to be more careful with their recycling practices. As plastic becomes more complicated, systems are not yet in place to keep up with reprocessing. The recycling plant can sometimes see upwards of 25% or 30% contamination. Her advice is,“Turn it over. If there's a one, a two, or a five on it, and it's a takeout container, you can put that in your green tote. Otherwise, it goes in the garbage." Learn more at Spectrum Local News.
3. Nietzsche's, the Allentown venue that acts as a home for live music, is for sale. Since its start in 1982, the venue has hosted Phish, the Tragically Hip, and the Goo Goo Dolls, on their respective rises to fame, and is famously the place where Ani DiFranco got her start. The sale of the building includes the property, the name, and the second floor which has an artists space and a living space. Joe Rubino, the longtime owner, said, “I love the place, and I hope it continues, but after all these years, it’s just time to let go of the responsibility." Learn more at The Buffalo News.
4. Reflections during Martin Luther King Jr. Day has led to conversations about Buffalo's racial segregation and other crisis. Community leader at the Buffalo African American Cultural Center, James Pitts, had a front row seat at Kleinhans Music Hall when Dr. King spoke in 1967. He told WKBW 7, "Many of the struggles we see today we faced at that time. Buffalo is still a very segregated and there has to be more of an effort to address that." Likewise, the Coordinator at the Concern Citizens Following the Dream organization, Bessie Patterson, spoke up this MLK Day to remind Buffalo that it is important to keep working hard after the tragedy of the Tops Massacre settles. "We were together and thats the way it should be all the time," she said. Read the full article via WKBW 7.
5. GOBike Buffalo is offering 175 free bike racks to Western New York. Seventy-five of the racks will go to community organizations, while the rest could to towns, villages, and cities in Erie and Niagara counties. Christine Krolwewicz, Outreach Specialist for GOBike Buffalo Niagara, says that people often cite on surveys that "a lack of bike parking near their place of work, or near businesses in their neighborhood," is a large deterrent to increasing bike rides and decreasing car emissions. To read more and find the application visit WGRZ 2.

Today in Buffalo:

• Literacy NY Buffalo-Niagara Work Experience Program! Buffalo & Erie County Central Library, 9:00 A.M.
• Bank on Buffalo Bank on Wheels - City of Buffalo Special Events! Peter Machnica Community Center, 9:00 A.M.
• Illumination Meadery Takeover! The Beer Keep, 5:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.
• Behind-the-Scenes Collection Tours: Geology Rocks! Buffalo Museum of Science, 6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.
• A Couple of N3rds Comedy Trivia Show! Spotted Octopus Brewing, 6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.
• Candlelight Fireside Sound Bath! Online Event, 6:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.
• Comics Against Humanity! Helium Comedy Club, 8:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
• Plastic Picnic with Johnny & The Man Kids Concert! 9th Ward at Babeville, 8:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M
• Open Mic Wednesday! Day's Park Tavern, 8:30 P.M. - 11:30 P.M.

From my notebook:

• Larkin Square Mural: "Keep the season going! For Damar. For Buffalo. ❤️🫶💙 #InTheBUF / Artwork and photo by @adamzyglis Check this out for yourself at 740 Seneca St. near Larkin Square" (Visit Buffalo Niagara via Instagram)
• Work Hard, Play Hard: "Serious 🧐 or Silly 😜? Whichever side of Ford you prefer you’re in luck 🍀 because he is the perfect mix of both!" (City Of Buffalo Animal Shelter via Instagram)
• Appreciate A Dragon Day: "Did you appreciate your dragon yesterday? Our keepers sure did! Kadal enjoyed a bunch of fun enrichment for #AppreciateADragonDay 🐉" (The Buffalo Zoo via Instagram)
• New Bars & Restaurants in Kenmore: "The best part? You can easily hit up a couple of these great new spots in the same night! Tap our link in bio for every new place in Kenmore you need to add to your bucket list 🤩" (Step Out Buffalo via Instagram)
• Parivaar Pub: "What was once the old Acropolis is now home to @parivaarbuffalo, a new an Indian fusion restaurant that puts a new twist on some of our favorite Indian cuisine." (Buffalo Eats via Instagram)
• Protected Intersections: "What are Protected Intersections?" Kicking off this year with some posts explaining what we're working for and why." (GObike Buffalo via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update.