Sticker Shock

Buffalo Bills CEO Russ Brandon announced on Oct. 20 that the team has hired an architectural firm to study improvements to Ralph Wilson Stadium prior to the re-negotiation of the team’s lease with Erie County. Estimated costs to taxpayers could run anywhere from $40 to more than $100 million.

Swedish Royalty

His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, and his wife Queen Silvia traveled all the way to Jamestown on Oct. 23 to visit the Norden Club, a heritage organization celebrating its 100-year anniversary. What an honor to be graced by such a symbolic, albeit powerless, Scandinavian figurehead. Your move, Norway.

Low Blows

Notorious Buffalo villain Brett Hull cruelly reminded hockey fans of our collective sports misery on Oct. 23, tweeting “New pic for all my friends in buffalo xoxo” while posing with a mini Stanley Cup and shirt illustrating his non-goal. He later claimed merely to be teasing. Very clever, yes, you got us…jerk.

Move Your Money

Members of the Occupy Buffalo movement spoke before the Common Council on Oct. 25, urging the city to move its money from big banks in favor of local credit unions. The city currently uses JPMorgan Chase, a poster child for the bank bailouts and shady mortgage services, for some of its business.

Basement Finds

A painting that was formerly hanging in a Tonawanda home which some scholars believe is an original 16th-century Michelangelo went on display on Oct. 23 in Rome. La Pieta With Two Angels, which could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, recently underwent months of restoration work.

Percent of New York voters that prefer state legislators have sole control over redistricting according to a survey released on Oct. 26 by Quinnipiac University. 48 percent of respondants prefer a panel with no connection or input from legislators at all and 53 percent are against the drawing of borders that favor or protect incumbents.