Here is a list of items needed for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s project in Buffalo.

Extreme Makeover is right on target, taking down the Powell family home and putting up a new one in 106 hours, a lot of pressure on the builder David Homes.

Sunday night on NBC’s pregame show, Tony Dungy said the Bills could be a darkhorse location for Michael Vick in 2010.  Dungy, who advised Vick before he signed with Philadelphia, said the Bills did have some conversations with Vick before he signed with the Eagles.  Dungy says Buffalo would be a “good spot” for Vick. 

Obviously, the Bills QB situation will need to be addressed in the offseason.  If Trent Edwards doesn’t make major improvements in the second half, the Bills will almost certainly be looking for a new starter.

What do you think about Vick potentially coming to Buffalo?

On Wednesday, November 4, 2009, hundreds of local business people and community leaders gathered at the Adam’s Mark for the 20th Annual Athena Award Luncheon hosted by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and co-sponsored by WIVB-TV. I was pleased to emcee this community event for the seventh consecutive year. The Athena honors women who excel in their professions and who provide significant help to other women along the way.

For this special 20th anniversary luncheon, the keynote speaker was the woman who founded Athena International as a non-profit organization. Martha Mayhood Mertz told the crowd that she started Athena to advance the status of women in business because she had often been told that women could not be considered as leaders in the business world. She discussed the need to change our thinking about what business leaders look like in our community – the need to change our picture of the ‘face’ of leadership.

Martha Mayhood Mertz, founder of Athena International, and Sharon Lochocki, 2009 Athena Award Recipient

The face of leadership in Buffalo now looks like Sharon Lochocki, Senior Vice President and District Leader, Business Banking, KeyBank N.A. Sharon was named as Buffalo Niagara’s 2009 Athena Award recipient at the dramatic conclusion of the luncheon. In her thoughtful and gracious acceptance speech, Sharon urged the crowd to extend a hand to girls and women who may need help opening doors in the working world.

The event featured something new this year – the first ever Young Professional Award. This honor goes to an emerging local leader, a young woman who is early in her career and demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative. Amy Martoche, a partner at the Connors & Vilardo law firm, made a point of thanking those who have provided mentorship and support in her development as an attorney and community volunteer.

Amy Martoche, the first Athena Young Professional Award Recipient

The Athena luncheon this year benefits the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge. The rambling Summer Street home provides free lodging for those who have come to Buffalo seeking treatment for cancer.

WIVB-TV has taken an active role in community events for decades and the season of fall seems to be a particularly active time for local charities and non-profit organizations to raise money and present awards. I have been privileged to have a role in many of these events on behalf of the station. I try to take pictures when I can to help document and remember these community events.

Harvest Festival

Unfortunately, I forgot to pull out my camera during the 9th Annual Harvest Festival on October 2, 2009, at the Statler Towers, co-sponsored by WIVB-TV. It was a huge crowd – 720 guests – that turned out for the gourmet meal and wine-tasting. The successful benefit raised an impressive $285,000 to benefit the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care.

M.S. Dinner of Champions

The Dinner of Champions to benefit the Upstate Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is always a highlight for me. This year the 30th Annual DOC brought hundreds of supporters to the Hyatt Regency on October 13, 2009. I believe I have emceed this event for close to 25 years and I have learned how many, many people we have in this area who are living with Multiple Sclerosis. They need and appreciate the services of the M.S. Society.

Lee Evans of the Buffalo Bills and his wife, Miranda, attended the Dinner of Champions to help promote the Team Up 4 MS campaign. Funds support research and patient programs of the M.S. Society.

Use this link to pledge a donation for every touchdown or sack the Bills score this season.

Roswell Park Alliance All Star Night

For nineteen years, the Roswell Park Alliance has presented a gala fundraiser to benefit Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute. WIVB-TV has been a partner through the years as this event has evolved into what is now All Star Night, a white-tie benefit set on the stage of Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Each year, Roswell honors a faculty member, a volunteer, and a courageous cancer survivor. On October 24, 2009, those honorees were cancer prevention researcher Dr. James Marshall, inspirational 80 year old volunteer William McLaughlin, and NFL Hall of Famer and prostate cancer survivor Michael Haynes.

NFL Hall of Fame member, Mike Haynes, the 2009 Gilda Radner Courage Award Honoree

Dr. Donald L. Trump, President and CEO of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Jacquie Walker was emcee for All Star Night.

Mary Pinto and Barb Heller were co-chairs of All Star Night. Suzy Sears was chair.

Amherst Chamber of Commerce

The Amherst Chamber of Commerce changed its Business of the Year dinner a bit this year. On October 26, 2009, at the Buffalo Niagara Marriott, the Chamber honored the University at Buffalo as its business of the year and presented eight Alpha Awards to businesses and individuals with specific ties to UB. It demonstrates how far and deep UB’s roots stretch in Western New York. It’s not only a major employer, but it serves as a catalyst for creating numerous other companies and jobs in this area.

UB President John Simpson accepting the Amherst Chamber Business of the Year Award from David Rutecki of M&T Bank.

I interviewed Dr. Robert Smolinski and Dr. Claudia Fosket as they accepted the UB Believers Award.

The newsroom is rarely busier than on election night. News 4 Buffalo draws station employees from other shifts and other departments to join us nightside as we collect vote totals, interpret the results, and present them on News 4, CW23, and WIVB.com. The preparation actually takes weeks – researching the ballot, collecting the names and positions of candidates, loading computer data, drawing up a newsroom game plan, testing remote locations, and making contact with those who will be key players on election night. When the polls close at 9 p.m., it’s like turning on a fire hose! Information comes pouring into the newsroom and it’s a race to get it all on the web, on the air, out to our teams in the field, and into all the right hands. You can see why we need so many ‘hands on deck’ to help wrestle with one or two hours of ‘breaking news’ on election night.

Computers in the newsroom are key sources of information on election night. Much of the data is coming from the Board of Elections website.

Producer Vic Baker and News Director Joe Schlaerth have decades of experience covering local elections.

Newsroom Operations Manager Nancy Sanders and Nightside Assignment Editor Martha Meegan oversee coordination of our news teams in the field.

Director Tony Battilana, Engineer John Fellinger, Technician Dave Brown, and Technical Director Mickey Clemons handle the extraordinary volume of graphics and remote video feeds on election night.

News Four Political Analyst Joe Crangle and Ken Kruly, former Erie County Budget Director, examine vote totals.

A small army of volunteers gathers vote totals from the phone bank in News Four’s Election Center. This is information Political Analyst Joe Crangle uses when deciding whether to “call” a race.

During the Ten O’clock News on CW23, Political Analyst Joe Crangle shares his insight on the election. News 4 Videographer Craig Cornwell captures the action.

Part of a six day disaster drill, called Vigilant Guard, simulated an earthquake in the Buffalo-Niagara region.

The old Spaulding Fiber Plant in the City of Tonawanda was transformed into an earthquake zone.

>> click here for an up-close-and-personal photo slideshow

No extreme chill during the week, but chilly enough–especially by Thursday. A short wave and a cold front will set us up for a cold NW flow. As the cold advection continues Thursday night, current indications point to enough lift being generated synoptically by the wave to allow some limited accumulation on the hills to the south.  A pattern change will begin to evolve on Friday, but especially over the wknd into early next week, as a ridge builds in the east and a warming SW flow develops.  An el nino analysis follows below.

The numbers continue to tell the story of this historically bad Bills offense.  Just 9 first downs against the Texans, just 204 total yards.  Its been almost three years since a Bills quarterback threw for 300 yards, an regular accomplishment on most NFL teams.  

But leave it to an opponent to put some perspective to what the numbers say and what our eyes have seen. Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans was asked how the Texans defense (ranked 21st) was able to throttle the Bills offense.

“It was easy,” Ryans said. “They kind of had the same formations, they didn’t give us a lot of motions and things. So it was a simple offense to go against.”

Wow.  Makes you realize just what the rest of the NFL thinks about the Buffalo offense.  Of course, we know why.  The offensive line’s issues don’t allow any fancy formation or motions.  They can’t even block for basic plays.

Oh how I long for the days of Langston Walker.

While WNY college football fans know about local starts Mike Williams of Syracuse and Doug Worthington of Ohio State, James Mallory is making a name for himself too.  The Kenmore West grad had another big game Saturday for Central Connecticut State University.  He ran for 204 yards and 3 TD in a win over Albany.  The Blue Devils are now 7-1.  Mallory has run for 2081 yards in his career at New Britain.  He is close to another 1000 yard season.    The 5-10, 200 pound senior had a standout career for the KW Blue Devils, running for over 5000 yards.

AP Photo

Taking nothing away from a Bills defense that is playing well and taking the ball away….the midterm exam comes Sunday and it will tell us alot about the student.  Buffalo’s D has beaten the 31st and 32nd ranked NFL quarterbacks (Sanchez and Delhomme) the past two weeks, forcing 9 interceptions.  Those picks aren’t lucky.  They were earned.  But the QB’s throwing them also played a role in making them happen.

That won’t happen against the Texans.  Schaub leads the NFL in TD passes, ranks 4th in quarterback rating and has throw only 5 interceptions.  He has the league’s leading receiver in Andre Johnson, and the tight end leader in yards in Owen Daniels. 

So we’ll find out much more about the Buffalo defense based on how they do against Houston.  Plus, we’ll learn if the offense can produce enough points to win.  I don’t see the Texans scoring less than 21.  So can the Bills offense, if they don’t get handed the short fields from turnovers, maintain some drives and score some points?  I don’t think so.  I think the Bills are a below-average overall team, and I believe we’ll see that Sunday.