Happy New Year friends and neighbors!

As I was enjoying my first cup of (Spot) coffee in 2014 this bright and crisp morning, I got to thinking about what many of us have been thinking, talking, and posting about: how great 2013 was and how we’ll dominate in 2014.

Karen and I were blessed with a baby boy (“Sweet Baby” Ray) a few weeks ago, so our primary resolution for 2014 is to figure out the whole parenting thing. Something tells me that will be our 2015 resolution as well, but we’re up for the challenge.

But apart from that, continuing to spread the positivity for Buffalo and pitching in to make our community better tops our list of things to do this year.

If you’re like many of the folks that I talk with, you’re wildly proud to be a Buffalonian, you’re stoked about all the things going on and you’re dying to be a bigger part of it all.

But “how?” you might say.

We were asking ourselves that same question this time last year when we decided we were going to start this blog. It’s nothing fancy but seems to be aiding in raising awareness and love for our North Buffalo ‘hood. In fact, the success of Hello Hertel has surpassed our wildest expectations, with over 15,000 views so far! For us, its a fun and easy way to contribute.

The answer for you is just as simple. Anything you choose to do that shares the BuffaLOVE will work. Shop local. Eat local. Don’t move to the suburbs. Embrace the progress. Ditch the “old Buffalo” mindset. Attend a community meeting. Stop and talk with your neighbors. Join a board or committee. Volunteer. 

All feasible. All impactful.

I see some folks are already taking action. Take a look at NorthBuffalo.org – a grassroots organization spearheaded by Ryan Sajdak that looks to pull it all together. Getting involved with this might be a no-brainer. Looks like there’s a meeting on Friday night…hint hint.

The Washington Post said that BuffaLOVE is “in” for 2014. Yep. Everybody’s sharing it. It’s your turn!