Orchard Park

Orchard Park may refer to:

In Canada:

In the United Kingdom:

In the United States:

Ralph Wilson Stadium

Ralph Wilson Stadium (originally Rich Stadium) is a stadium located in Orchard Park, New York, a suburb south of Buffalo. Opened 43 years ago in 1973, it is the home of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. The stadium was renamed in 1998 for team founder and then-owner Ralph Wilson (1918–2014).

History

Finding A New Place to Call Home

An original franchise of the American Football League in 1960, the Buffalo Bills played their first thirteen seasons at War Memorial Stadium, a multi-use W.P.A. stadium that opened in 1938, located in downtown Buffalo. While suitable for AFL play in the 1960s, the "Rockpile" (as the stadium came to be nicknamed), was both in disrepair and, with a capacity of under 47,000, deemed undersized for a National Football League team. The league mandate instituted after the NFL-AFL merger of 1970 dictated a minimum of 50,000 seats.

In early 1971, owner Ralph Wilson was exploring options to relocate the team, possibly to Seattle, with other cities such as Memphis and Tampa soon expressing interest as well. The potential loss of the team hastened the stadium project and Rich Stadium opened in 1973. The location and construction of the stadium in Erie County were the source of years of litigation, which ended with a financial settlement for a developer who had planned to erect a domed stadium in Lancaster. However, plans changed because it was not wanted to be close to Lancaster High School. The stadium was ultimately built by Frank Schoenle and his construction company. Stadium bonds were approved by the county legislature in September 1971.

Orchard Park (town), New York

Orchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York and a suburb southeast of Buffalo, New York. According to the 2010 census, the population is 29,054. This represents an increase of 5.13% from the 2000 census figure. The town contains a village also named Orchard Park. Orchard Park is one of the "Southtowns" of Erie County.

History

In 1803, Didymus C. Kinney and wife Phebe (Hartwell) purchased land and built a cabin in the southwest corner of the township which has since been turned into a museum. The following year, a migration of Quaker settlers began.

The town was separated from the Town of Hamburg in 1850 and was first named the town of Ellicott, after Joseph Ellicott, an agent of the Holland Land Company. Within months, the name was changed to the town of East Hamburgh. Around 1934, the town was renamed Orchard Park after its principal settlement.

In the early 1900s, a large fire burned down most of the central part of the village of Orchard Park around South Buffalo Street.

Orchard

An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit, vegetable, and nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive purpose. A fruit garden is generally synonymous with an orchard, although it is set on a smaller non-commercial scale and may emphasize berry shrubs in preference to fruit trees. Most temperate-zone orchards are laid out in a regular grid, with a grazed or mown grass or bare soil base that makes maintenance and fruit gathering easy.

Orchards are often concentrated near bodies of water, where climatic extremes are moderated and blossom time is retarded until frost danger is past.

Layout

An orchard's layout is the technique of planting the crops in a proper system. There are different methods of planting and thus different layouts. Some of these layout types include:

The Heartbreakers

The Heartbreakers, also known as Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers to distinguish them from Tom Petty's band, were an American punk rock band, formed in New York in May, 1975. The band spearheaded the first wave of punk rock.

History

In May 1975, Johnny Thunders (vocals/guitar) and Jerry Nolan (drums) quit the New York Dolls, the same week that Richard Hell (vocals/bass) left Television. Their first gig was on May 31 of that year, at the Coventry, a rock club in Queens. The trio soon added Walter Lure (guitar/vocals) to the line-up. Lure had previously played with a glam-punk band called the Demons.

In early 1976 Thunders walked out on the line-up, due to Hell's attempts to impose his will on the band and on their performances, and Lure and Nolan followed, so in effect the band left Hell. Richard Hell was replaced by Billy Rath. Hell then went on to form his own band, with his name prominent in the band name: Richard Hell and the Voidoids.