Sore Losers

Maybe it was confusion. Maybe it was fatigue. Or maybe it was hubris after his stunning loss to an outgunned Democratic challenger. Either way, outgoing County Executive Chris Collins took some flak last week after he declined to give Mark Poloncarz a customary election night phone call.

Retributive Justice

After Sabres goalie Ryan Miller went down due to cheap shot from Boston’s Milan Lucic on Nov. 12, a lot has been made of the Sabres’ unwillingness to go eye-for-an-eye and take a run at the Bruins’ goalie as payback. No one knows how far such enlightened views take a team in the playoffs.

The Good Guys

Members of the Occupy Buffalo movement marched to police headquarters on Nov. 14 to thank police [you read that right] for allowing them to continue camping in Niagara Square without fear of the riot gear and skull-cracking seen in places like Oakland, New York, and Denver. Give these boys a donut.

Natural Disasters

Officials at the National Weather Service confirmed on Nov. 15 two tornados struck Chautaqua County during the previous days’ thunder storms. The F2 tornadoes had winds estimated at between 113 and 158 miles per hour. Well, there goes our false sense of security when it comes to acts of God.

Climate Contrition

Lame duck County Exec. Chris Collins went to the County Legislature on Nov. 15 and requested $6 million in funding for the Buffalo Zoo’s new polar bear exhibit. We’d like to think it has something to do with collective Republican guilt over global warming, but that assumes he has a conscience to begin with.

Acres of Amherst wetlands illegally filled by developer William Huntress of Acquest Development, according to a federal indictment released on Nov. 14. Huntress also faces charges of conspiracy for allegedly hiding documents from the EPA and making false statements to investigators. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years.