Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> Pan-American Exposition--(1901:Buffalo, N.Y.) --Songs and music]]> Haussauer, Meranda H.]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1875-1900)]]> Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> Pan-American Exposition--(1901:Buffalo, N.Y.) --Songs and music]]> Cobb, Will D.]]> Edwards, Gus]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Early Twentieth Century (1900-1925)]]> Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> Pan-American Exposition--(1901:Buffalo, N.Y.) --Songs and music]]> Herbert, Victor]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Early Twentieth Century (1900-1925)]]> Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> Pan-American Exposition--(1901:Buffalo, N.Y.) --Songs and music]]> Marshall, Harry B.]]> Loraine, William]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Early Twentieth Century (1900-1925)]]> Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> Pan-American Exposition--(1901:Buffalo, N.Y.) --Songs and music]]> Marshall, Harry B.]]> Loraine, William]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Early Twentieth Century (1900-1925)]]> Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> Pan-American Exposition--(1901:Buffalo, N.Y.) --Songs and music]]> Marshall, Harry B.]]> Loraine, William]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Early Twentieth Century (1900-1925)]]> Real estate business -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Real estate business -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Haas & Klein (Publisher of original)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1875-1900)]]> Real estate business -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Real estate business -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Haas & Klein (Publisher of original)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1875-1900)]]> Real estate business -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Real estate business -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Haas & Klein (Publisher of original)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1875-1900)]]> Real estate business -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Real estate business -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Haas & Klein (Publisher of original)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1875-1900)]]> Real estate business -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Real estate business -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Haas & Klein (Publisher of original)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1875-1900)]]> Real estate business -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Real estate business -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Haas & Klein (Publisher of original)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1875-1900)]]> Real estate business -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Real estate business -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Haas & Klein (Publisher of original)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1875-1900)]]> Real estate business -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- Periodicals]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Real estate business -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Haas & Klein (Publisher of original)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1875-1900)]]> Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> McKinley, William, 1843-1901-Assassination.]]> Czolgosz, Leon F., 1873?-1901.]]> ]]> Danelson, James Edwin, Compiler]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Early Twentieth Century (1900-1925)]]> Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> McKinley, William, 1843-1901-Assassination.]]> Czolgosz, Leon F., 1873?-1901.]]> Danelson, James Edwin, Compiler]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Early Twentieth Century (1900-1925)]]> Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> McKinley, William, 1843-1901-Assassination.]]> Czolgosz, Leon F., 1873?-1901.]]> Danelson, James Edwin]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Early Twentieth Century (1900-1925)]]> McKinley, William, 1843-1901-Death and burial.]]> Rare Book Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Early Twentieth Century (1900-1925)]]> Cheektowaga (N.Y.) -- Maps.]]> Cheektowaga (N.Y.) -- History.]]> Erie County (N.Y.) -- Maps.]]> Reinstein, Julia Boyer, compiler]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Mid-Twentieth Century (1925-1975)]]> Christopher, Joseph G.]]> Serial murders -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> Racism -- New York (State) -- Buffalo.]]>
Catherine Pelonero, author of the book “Absolute Madness,” makes the case that “Christopher’s crimes might have been prevented if he had received the psychiatric help he was seeking.” Ms. Pelonero provides the on-camera introduction and conclusion to this compilation of WIVB-TV reports.

An intensive search for “The .22 Caliber Killer” ensued after the first four homicides.
Two more African American men were murdered on October 8th and 9th. They were taxi cab drivers who had their hearts cut out. Christopher would later confess to these two killings, although evidence pointed away from Christopher as the perpetrator. Both cases remain open and unsolved.

In November 1980, Christopher enlisted in the U.S. Army. While on Christmas furlough, he journeyed to Manhattan and, on December 22nd, allegedly stabbed four people to death. He then became known as “The Midtown Slasher.”

A week later, on December 29th, after returning to Buffalo, another black man was stabbed to death. The following day, on December 30th, an African American male in Rochester was slashed and died from his injuries.

In January, Christopher reported back to his Army base at Fort Benning, Georgia and attacked a black soldier with a knife. The soldier lived and Christopher was confined to the stockade, where he attempted to take his own life with a razor.

In a session with a psychiatrist at the base, it has been reported that Christopher said he “had to” kill Blacks. At that point, Christopher’s home was searched by the police. They found evidence linking him to three murders. In April 1981, Joseph Christopher was indicted based on this evidence.

At his trial in 1982, Christopher rejected attempts by his mother to provide him with lawyers. He represented himself before a trial judge and was found guilty. However, the ruling was overturned because the judge had not allowed psychiatric testimony about Christopher’s mental ability to stand trial.

In 1985, after being found competent to stand trial, he was again found guilty and sent to Attica Correctional Facility. At the prison he was quoted to have claimed credit for thirteen killings. Author Pelonero says Christopher allegedly claimed eighteen victims during “a savage four month reign of terror…”

Christopher died in prison on March 1, 1993. Although it was reported at the time that he died of a rare form of male breast cancer, Ms. Pelonero’s research determined that the cause of death was testicular cancer. He was 37 years old.

This compilation of WIVB-TV news reports includes the manhunt for Christopher and a massive Buffalo rally against racism. Reporter Rich Newberg traveled with photographer Mike Mombrea, Jr. to Fort Benning, Georgia for first hand accounts from soldiers in Joseph Christopher’s barracks. This retrospective also includes special WIVB-TV coverage of an appearance by the Reverend Jesse Jackson, during Christopher’s reign of terror.
]]>

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]]> Vetter, Tom (editor)]]> Terranova, Michael (editor)]]> Tutu, Desmond]]> Eve, Arthur O.]]> Apartheid -- South Africa]]> Racism -- United States]]> African Americans -- New York (State) -- Buffalo]]> African Americans -- Civil rights]]>
Apartheid, which means “apartness” in the language of Afrikaans, was the name given to the official separation of the race. The practice was enforced by a government dedicated to principals of white supremacy. The National Party came to power in 1948.

The National Party, through legislation in 1950, classified South Africans according to race. Based on racial classification, the government decided where people could live and work, what type of schooling they could receive, what facilities would be open to them, who they could associate with, and whether or not they could vote.

Archbishop Tutu called the practice “evil.” His 1989 visit to Buffalo came at a time when an anti-apartheid faction within the National Party was beginning to make significant changes.

Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, told Buffalo audiences they could help in the fight against apartheid, even if it was just by saying a prayer. He compared the policy of apartheid to Nazism. He preached non-violence in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

WIVB-TV anchor Jacquie Walker interviewed Archbishop Tutu for a special program that documented his appearances in Western New York and his thoughts on civil rights. He said he believed he would see an end to apartheid in his lifetime.

In a report by WIVB’s Rich Newberg, African American inner-city residents living on Buffalo’s East Side shared thoughts about their own struggles for equality and the consequences of systemic racism. Violent crime was affecting their quality of life. There were also demonstrations against police brutality.

Deputy Assembly Speaker Arthur O. Eve told Mr. Newberg that conditions had worsened since the urban race riots of the late 1960s. He said there were more homeless people of color, that the Buffalo infant mortality rate among Blacks and Latinos was the highest in the nation, and drugs and Aids were wreaking havoc in the inner-city.

The campaign to end apartheid achieved success in 1994 with the formation of a democratic government in South Africa. The white minority’s rule through fear and intimidation had finally ended. ]]> Walker, Jacquie (Anchor, Reporter)]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter)]]> Sawabini, Wadi (Reporter)]]>
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)]]> eng]]> Erie County (N.Y.) -- Maps]]> New York (State) -- Erie County. ]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Erie County -- Maps. ]]>
An index has been created for this atlas at this link.]]> Stone & Stewart, publishers]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1850-1900)]]> Terrorism--New York (State)
]]> Yemeni Americans --New York (State)--Lackawanna]]>
They had attended a al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan in the Spring of 2001, just months before the attacks on the United States.

In his State of the Union address in 2003, President George W. Bush referred to the six as being part of an “al-Qaeda cell.” He said that along with other alleged cells broken in Hamburg, Milan, Madrid, London and Paris, “We have the terrorists on the run. We’re keeping them on the run. One by one the terrorists are learning the meaning of American justice.”

The men had grown up in the second largest Yemeni community in America and were all native born or naturalized U.S. citizens. One was a soccer star in high school. Another was voted “friendliest” in his graduating class.

There was never proof that the six had been plotting terror attacks on American soil or that they were, in fact a homegrown terrorist cell.

However, in December 2003, faced with possible long prison sentences if found guilty during a trial, all pleaded guilty to “providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.” They were given sentences ranging from seven to ten years.

Author Dina Temple-Raston, who wrote the book “The Jihad Next Door: The Lackawanna Six and Rough Justice in an Age of Terror,” says the men left the training camp early when they realized America would be a target.

During a 2007 interview on National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation,” Temple-Raston, NPR’s FBI correspondent, said the men were addressed by Osama bin Laden, who told them there were suicide bombers ready to take action against the United States and Israel.

After returning to Lackawanna, she said the men were not truthful to the FBI about their activities in Afghanistan and were later arrested.

As part of the plea bargain agreements, the defendants agreed to cooperate with federal terrorism investigators.

A seventh suspect from Lackawanna, Jaber Elbaneh, escaped from a Yemeni prison but later turned himself in to Yemen authorities in 2007. He had been placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list.

The alleged recruiter of the Lackawanna Six, Kamal Derwish, was killed by a drone in Yemen on November 3, 2002.]]> Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)]]> Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Terrorism--United States
]]> Yemeni Americans--New York(State)--Lackawanna
]]> Muslims--Civil rights--New York (State)--Lackawanna]]>
Discussions centered on whether or not the six friends from Lackawanna, New York, just outside of Buffalo, were actually part of a terrorist “sleeper cell.” Questions were raised about the practice of what has been called “preemptive justice,” meaning the arrest of individuals who were considered possible threats for violent acts that were never committed.

Prosecutors argued that attendance at a terrorist training camp and failure to disclose the fact to the FBI, were grounds for the arrests. All the defendants ended up pleaded guilty to “providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.” They were given sentences ranging from seven to ten years.

Defense attorneys maintained that their clients were lured into attending the training camp and realized too late what they had gotten into. They accepted plea bargain agreements that limited their prison terms. They agreed to cooperate with the U.S. government regarding information they had obtained during their time in the Middle East.

During their stay at the camp in Afghanistan the men from Lackawanna had been addressed by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden who said the United States would be a target of terrorist activity. Most of the defendants, according to their attorneys, decided they wanted to leave the camp early and have nothing to do with any attacks on America.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hochul said the defendants were told by bin-Laden that “forty to fifty men (would be) enroute to attack America,” but chose to remain silent when they returned home in the summer of 2001.
He questioned whether that information might have helped avert the attacks on 9/11.

Defense attorney John Molloy said all six had remained silent “out of fear.” He said they “were petrified” on 9/11 and that “they were afraid that they were next.”

]]> Newberg, Rich (Guest on “At Large with Geraldo Rivera”) ]]> Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Terrorism--United States--Prevention.
]]> Yemeni Americans--New York(State)--Lackawanna.
]]> Muslims--Civil rights--New York (State)--Lackawanna.
]]> Civil rights--United States.
]]> Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-]]>
President Bush maintained that The Patriot Act had been instrumental in the arrests of the so-called “Lackawanna Six,” a group of friends from a small city outside of Buffalo, New York who attended a al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan just months before the 9/11/2001 terror attacks on the United States.

While President Bush had referred to these men as belonging to a “terrorist cell,” their defense attorneys said the six had been lured to attend the camp, not realizing what it was all about. After being addressed by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-laden, most tried to leave the camp early. According to their attorneys, they wanted nothing more to do with al-Qaeda.

Faced with a trial and potentially lengthy prison sentences, they all pleaded guilty to “providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.” They received sentences of seven to ten years in prison and agreed to share information with the US government.

WIVB-TV senior Correspondent Rich Newberg reports on President Bush’s visit to Buffalo and the Patriot Act support he received from US Attorney Michael Battle and Buffalo FBI Agent In Charge Peter Ahearn.

Four days after the president’s visit, Fox News journalist Geraldo Rivera conducted a debate on the Patriot Act during a live Fox News Channel cablecast originating from Buffalo’s City Hall. “At Large with Geraldo Rivera” took a second look at the case of the The Lackawanna Six.

In reviewing the case, Rivera reports that the FBI had been tipped off by an anonymous letter that a group of Arab Americans that had traveled to Afghanistan was there to “meet bin-Laden and stay in his camp for training.” Rivera states that the men had told their neighbors they were going to Pakistan for religious instruction.

President Bush had stated that the Patriot Act “helps us to be able to connect the dots.” However, University at Buffalo constitutional law professor Dr. Lee Albert maintained that The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 had already allowed the CIA and FBI to cooperate in the Lackawanna Six case. “I don’t think the Patriot Act had a lot to do with this case,” he said.

FBI Special Agent Peter Ahearn disagreed and said, “The dots were connected” through the Patriot Act. He said shared information between the CIA and FBI led to the connection to a foreign terrorist organization. He said it had started as a criminal investigation but that the “spin of this case” changed. He added that seeing “the whole picture” helped reveal “how al-Qaeda operated overseas.”

During the debate, Patriot Act proponent Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute maintained that there had been “utter paralysis in the country’s intelligence community before 9/11.” She added, “For months after 9/11 the political community, the media, was railing against our failure to connect the dots. The Patriot Act solved that.”

Patriot Act critic, former US attorney Bob Barr, said there has never been a federal law that prohibits intelligence agents and prosecutors to talk with each other. He said there is a danger that the Patriot Act could be used “as a subterfuge to undermine the Bill of Rights.” He added, “If we say, well prosecutors should be able to get anything, anytime, anywhere that they want simply because they say it’s to fight terrorism, then we might as well just throw the Bill of Rights, and especially the 4th Amendment (the right against unreasonable searches and seizures) out the window, and I don’t think we ought to do that as a country.”
]]> Newberg, Rich (Guest on “At Large with Geraldo Rivera”) ]]> Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- United States.]]> United States -- History -- 1969-]]> Veterans -- Mental health -- United States.]]> War -- Psychological aspects.]]> Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Psychological aspects.]]>
These were some of the stories brought to public light by WIVB’s Rich Newberg in his series of reports dealing with the lasting wounds of war.

Delayed Stress Syndrome
A condition called delayed stress syndrome surfaces as Vietnam War veterans suffer the psychiatric after effects of combat. Five years after the war ended on April 30, 1975, sudden noises can trigger fearful reactions. Some vets have developed a distrust of people, while others cannot tolerate angry responses in a conversation. Outreach centers begin cropping up to deal with these issues.

Max Cleland
Max Cleland, a severely wounded Vietnam War veteran who headed the Veterans Administration under President Jimmy Carter, expresses concerns that President Ronald Reagan will cut funding for outreach centers.

Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm in Vietnam, has written a book called “Strong at the Broken Places.” He believes war veterans need counseling to help them develop positive outlooks toward life.

William Duxbury Suffers Without Much Relief or Compensation After Being Exposed to Agent Orange
William Duxbury of Wilson, New York was nineteen years old when the Marines assigned him to handle Agent Orange in Vietnam. Now he says his joints are deteriorating and that he has a nervous condition that cost him his job. His wife gave birth to a stillborn child and their five children suffer from bone and muscular disorders.

Duxbury says he knows of only one Vietnam veteran in Erie County who is being compensated for his toxic exposure to Agent Orange. He says the veteran is dying of liver cancer.

William Duxbury Receives a Surprise Visit from a Marine Buddy He Thought was Killed in Vietnam
Mike Metcalf walked into Bill Duxbury’s life eighteen years after each had thought the other was killed during a shelling attack by the enemy in Vietnam. By chance, Metcalf had seen the story of his friend on WIVB-TV. Metcalf had become a trained mental health counselor and was now in a position to help his fellow veteran deal with issues related to his experiences in Vietnam.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington Gets Mixed Reviews
(2 pieces)
A national salute to Vietnam Veterans will take place in the nation’s capitol. The names of the 57,939 American soldiers killed in the war will be read. There is concern that the ceremony will conjure up suppressed anxiety and stress for some who lost friends in combat.

A black granite wall in Washington DC bearing the names of those killed in the Vietnam War gets mixed reviews. There is “unresolved scar tissue that still remains over Vietnam,” according to Jan Scruggs, founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation.

The war ended about six years earlier but now is brought back in a way that forces visitors to the memorial to confront their own memories. The faces of spectators reflect minds that are “searching, reflecting, pondering, mourning,' according to this CBS News report.

Vietnam Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange Seek Compensation
Vietnam Veterans exposed to Agent Orange testify about the impact on their health. New York State lawmakers are learning that some veterans are suffering from cancer and painful lumps under their skin. Children of exposed vets are being born with birth defects. Eleven million gallons of the herbicide containing deadly dioxin were used to defoliate the jungles of Vietnam.

Three thousand Vietnam veterans have sued five chemical companies claiming they knew Agent Orange could be deadly but failed to warn the government or its troops of the dangers.
Exposed veterans say they cannot receive free treatment at VA hospitals because it difficult to prove their ailments were caused by dioxin.

Vietnam Ten Years Later
(Series)
April 29, 30, & May 1, 1985
Ten years after the end of America’s most unpopular war, WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg looks back at the televised conflict that divided the nation. Veterans of the war are still suffering from flashbacks and nightmares.
New programs are being created by fellow Vietnam veterans who understand the nature of the lasting wounds of war.
Close to 2,500 American soldiers and civilians are still missing in Vietnam.

Western New York families of POW’s or those missing in action keep the memories of their loved ones alive. The stories of Col. Robert Dyczkowski and Jimmy Rozo are featured.

The Case of Col. Robert Dyczkowski—Missing in Action
In 2001 the United States Air Force closed the case of Col. Robert Dyczkowski. His remains, personal artifacts and parts of his fighter plane that crashed near Hanoi in April 1966 during the Vietnam War have been discovered. He was a husband and father of three children. His widow never remarried. Thousands of people had taken on Robert’s cause, wearing his POW-MIA bracelet. Thirty-five years of uncertainty finally came to an end. On April 6, 2001 Robert Dyczkowski’s remains were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Remains of Col Robert Dyczkowski are Buried in Arlington National Cemetery
While one mystery is solved, more than 1,900 families in 2001 were still waiting for answers about their missing loved ones.]]> Newberg, Rich]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
]]> Kim Root (Photographer)]]> eng]]> Panama—History—American Invasion, 1989]]> Drug control -- Latin America.
]]> Drug control -- United States.]]> Military assistance, American. ]]>
The mission took place about three years after U.S. forces invaded Panama, removing dictator Manuel Noriega from power. Some members of the 914th had participated in the invasion, called Operation Just Cause.

Noriega was brought to the U.S. where he was tried and convicted of drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering.

WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg and photographer Paul Woodson accompanied the 914th on the mission and produced a four part series for the station. ]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Reporter)]]> Woodson, Paul (Photographer, editor)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Nolf, Neil (Niagara Falls Airbase Public Affairs Officer)]]> eng]]> Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- United States.]]> Veterans -- United States.]]>
Witnessing the ravages of war in Vietnam Tom decided to leave the Brothers of Mercy and join the Navy as a hospital corpsman (medic). He served three tours of duty beginning in 1966. He flew 221 combat missions with Marines and treated their wounds on the front lines of battle. Eagles was wounded twice.

While in Vietnam Tom also tended to Vietnamese civilians whose villages had come under attack.

During the war he married Karin Tran, a Vietnamese native. They had two sons. On April 29, 1975 Eagles and his family were among the last Americans to be evacuated from the war-torn country. They were airlifted off the roof of the U.S. Embassy.

After the war, Tom managed to bring eighteen of Karin’s nineteen family members to the United States. He served in the Navy until 1993 and developed emergency medical equipment still carried in Marine Corps first aid kits.

Tom Eagles passed away in 2016 at the age of 71. His family says he had suffered from exposure to the deadly herbicide Agent Orange, used by the United States to clear jungle areas where the enemy in Vietnam was hidden. At the time of his death he was the most decorated enlisted man in the Navy. He medals include The Legion of Merit, a lifetime career award for distinguished service.

One retired Marine said of “Doc” Eagles, “We have lost a true American hero...God now has one of the best care givers in the world. A true Lifesaver then and Caregiver always.”

The Navy has an award in Eagle’s name given to a corpsman who distinguishes himself in combat.

Eagles was once quoted as saying, “I don’t really know how many Marines and sailors I helped save. I do remember everyone one I lost.”
]]> Newberg, Rich]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> ]]> Erie County (N.Y.) -- Maps.]]> New York (State) -- Erie County.]]> Real property -- New York (State) -- Erie County -- Maps.]]> F.W. Beers & Co.]]> Western New York Genealogical Society (repository)]]> Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Late Nineteenth Century (1850-1900)]]> September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.]]> Terrorism -- United States -- Prevention.]]>
Efforts quickly got underway to prepare for a worst-case scenario, including heightened training for emergency responders and those involved with intelligence gathering. A new center for homeland security in Buffalo was also created.

The following collection of reports by former WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg documents the stepped-up efforts to protect the citizens of Western New York through cooperative efforts among many municipalities and agencies across the Niagara Frontier.

1 WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg presents an exclusive report on plans for a local Homeland Security Department in the soon-to-be-built Public Safety Campus on Buffalo’s East Side.

The 250,000 thousand square foot campus will house Central Police and Emergency Services, and state of the art forensic lab facilities.

There are also plans for Erie County to join forces with the state for the nation’s largest wireless government communications system. The new system would allow police, fire and emergency medical services personnel to talk to each other.

Hard lessons were learned when New York City firefighters and police officers could not communicate with each other during the Twin Towers attacks.

2 1:01:12 - 1:03:26
The Erie County Medical Center conducts a drill for a radiation exposure emergency. Mobile units are training to respond to a terrorist attack. Concern here is for a potential dirty bomb or bio chemical attack that could affect the health of eighty to a hundred thousand people.

Fifty-thousand tons of antidotes are now in place and could be deployed by air or ground. More protective gear is also on its way to Buffalo. Plans are also in the works to develop a system of mass immunization.

3 Close to a million dollars in new federal money has been dedicated to improving anti-terrorist training and response programs in Erie County. Response to a dirty bomb incident would require declaring the radioactive area off limits for quite some time, depending on the strength of the radioactive material used in the device.

4 The post 9/11 era calls for greater security and more sophisticated background checks of employees at airports.
“Ultra-scan, a new device developed in Western New York, identifies people through finger imaging. Its accuracy is believed to approach one hundred percent.

5 A new state-of-the art Emergency Operations Center at an undisclosed location in Western New York is near completion. (The location is later revealed to be in Cheektowaga).

New York Governor George Partaki, urges New Yorkers not to fall victim to fear.

Deputy Erie County Executive Carl Calabrese, one of the local Homeland Security leaders, says an effective response to terrorist threats rests on “having the right information at the right time in the right peoples’ hands.”

Erie County Emergency Services Commissioner Mike Walters says, “There has to be a spot where major decisions are made, and we have that capability here better than we’ve ever had it before in this community.”

6 More details are revealed about the new $2 million dollar Emergency Command Center where life saving decisions would be made during a terrorist incident or natural disaster. The facility can accommodate 105 emergency coordinators who have direct access to immediate lines of communication, including video conferencing and satellite downlink capability.

A new “800 Megahertz Wireless System” statewide would allow emergency responders from different agencies to talk to each other.

7 A major response exercise is conducted using actors as would-be victims of a terrorist attack is carried out on the campus of Buffalo State College. The drill creates a hostage situation following a terrorist hijacking of an NFTA bus. The Buffalo SWAT Team goes into action.

NFTA spokesman Douglas Hartmayer says first responders believe there may be some explosives onboard the bus. The drill is carried out using smoke bombs, the Erie County Sheriff’s helicopter, and a Buffalo SWAT Team storming of the bus.

The drill is deemed to be successful, due to effective cooperation between agencies and a unified command situation.

8 More details on the drill that started on the streets of Buffalo. WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg said “it looked so real it was somewhat frightening.”

The exercise includes a scenario where the terrorists who hijacked an NFTA bus and took hostages, had radioactive material onboard.

Rich Newberg reveals that the Transit Police who gave chase to the would-be hijacked bus, had not been told this was a drill.

9 Another drill is carried out involving first responders from Western New York and Southern Ontario. They dealt with the need for emergency chemical containment should terrorists attack the region. Western New York is third in the nation in the amount of hazardous material shipped through an area.

Buffalo Hazmat Team leader, firefighter Captain Tommy Fitzpatrick, says there toxic industrial chemicals could become a target for terrorists. Six agencies were represented in this drill including the FBI, airport rescue and fire and Twin City Ambulance.

10 More details on the above mentioned Buffalo Hazmat drill that took place at the Training Center in Cheektowaga. Special attention is paid to the potential disruption of a rail line or pipeline carrying hazardous chemicals.

11 The US Coast Guard is bolstering homeland security on Western New York’s border with Canada. Coast Guard Buffalo is about to be equipped with machine gun capability. Since 9/11, there are more patrols on the water.

A new 25 foot fast and powerful response boat is ordered for homeland security in Buffalo. There is also a higher level of cooperation between the Coast Guard and US Border Patrol. Citizen boaters are also being asked to report anything suspicious.

12 More details on the beefing up of US Coast Guard stations. Chief Steven Barr of Coasts Guard Buffalo says the new security boat will be able to turn at high speeds and will be “cabonized” for greater crew protection.

13 FBI Director Robert Mueller, who took over the agency seven days before 9/11, visits Buffalo’s FBI office.
The Lackawanna Six was the major topic of discussion.

Mueller says the men charged with providing material support to al-Qaeda by attending a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan can be considered, in his opinion, a “sleeper cell.” He says the Muslim community in Lackawanna was a big help in brining the case to a successful conclusion.
Mueller also said the US war effort in Iraq was aided by Iraqis in the Buffalo area and across the country.

Relating to another case, Mueller praised the Buffalo FBI office for its work on the James Kopp case. Kopp was arrested for the murder of Buffalo abortion provider Dr. Barnett Slepian.

He also gives credit to the Joint Terrorism Task Force comprised of twenty agencies assisting in anti-terrorism efforts.

14 New York State Police Superintendent James McMann, a Rochester native, is named by Governor George Pataki as coordinator of the state’s counter-terrorism efforts.

The Buffalo-Niagara region is named as one of 30 strategic regions in the country and will receive a federal $10 Million dollar counter-terrorism grant. $8 Million will go for planning, training and equipment. $2 Million for overtime costs in relation to Code Orange terrorist alerts.

15 Dr. Fred Cowie, an anti-terrorism expert, conducts as seminar in Buffalo. He is wearing orange prison garb and is handcuffed. He looks just like the Unabomber Ted KaczynskI and was once arrested by a police officer who mistook him for the suspect responsible for killing three people and injuring twenty-three others during bombings in various parts of the country between 1978 and 1995. He is from the same Montana town where Kaczynski was jailed.

Cowie gets the attention of emergency planners attending the session to learn the latest in anti-terrorism training techniques.

Former FBI Agent In Charge Bernie Tolbert also addresses the group. He is now running security for the NBA. He says big sports venues such as arenas and stadiums need to step up security.

16 More on the homeland security seminar mentioned above. Dr. Fred Cowie says, ”We have to find new ways, exciting ways to deliver the message and say ‘hey, that flammable liquid that took down the World Trade Center, that’s the same one your cop car is going to be pulling up to in a gasoline truck.”

17 The “nerve center” of Erie County’s emergency response operations is officially put into service. The Emergency Operations Center offers a high tech response to the worst of disasters. The center is located on Broadway in the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga. The center is equipped with a 105 seat training auditorium.

18 More on the Erie County Emergency Operations Center which will help coordinate responses by the county’s five thousand volunteer fire fighters and EMS providers.

19 The position of Buffalo Disaster Coordinator falls victim to budget cuts. Jack Sneiderhan was in working on an $880,000 thousand dollar grant for the city’s disaster efforts when his job was eliminated.

Plans are in the works for Erie County to take over Buffalo Police and fire dispatch functions. It will all be housed under one roof in the soon-to-be built new public safety campus on Buffalo’s East Side.

John Gibb, head of the New York State’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Task Force says the Western New York region has become a model for inter-agency, inter-regional cooperation. He is the point man for two $10 Million dollars grants to the Buffalo-Niagara region.

20 More on plans to put regional police and fire dispatchers under one umbrella in a Homeland Security campus being developed.

21 Erie County works to link up core buildings under one surveillance system. A new control center has the capacity to monitor 500 cameras. Erie County’s Public Works Commissioner Maria Lehman calls it “one stop shop surveillance for everything that’s going on in the buildings.”

22 A new million dollar alarm and communication system pinpoints the fire on any given floor in Buffalo’s major high-rise buildings. On every floor, firefighters have direct contact with the Control Center and are no longer dependent on cell phones.

23 New York State Homeland Security Chief Jim McMahon announces that $5.5 Million dollars in anti-terrorism funding is on its way to Erie County.

Some of the funds are earmarked for anti-terrorism training. Some of the training will take place on a new Public Safety Campus on Oak Street. The building is nearing completion. A top priority in spending will also go toward a new Rescue One truck for Buffalo. It will be equipped to respond to a terrorist attack. Money will also be spent on new protective gear for Buffalo firefighters responding to hazardous situations.

24 More on Homeland Security funds for Erie and Niagara counties. The state will pick up $2 Million dollars in labor costs for dispatchers.

25 Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg gives Western New York its first look at plans for a new $31 Million dollar Regional Training Center at Oak and Elm streets in Buffalo.
The first building designed to house local Homeland Security departments and a state-of-the-art forensic lab.

The new Training Center will bring in ECC criminal justice students and potentially offer anti-terrorism training for officers across the Northeast. An outdoor training facility simulating terrorist situations is another high priority.
A quarantine center is tops on the Erie County Health Department’s list.

Erie County is also looking to partner with the University at Buffalo to make Western New York a “Region of Excellence” for terrorism research.

26 New York State is ready to award a contractor to install America’s most advanced emergency communications network. It would allow first responders from different agencies to communicate with one another. Erie County Deputy Erie County Executive Carl Calabrese says the new Public Safety campus could potentially serve as the “brain center” for the new system.

27 A new approach to tracking victims of a biological attack is being developed in Erie County. A system using mobile computers at hospital bedsides would feed information into a central site for instant analysis.

Mike Moskal of the Calspan UB Research Center says it would be possible to prevent the spread of a disease further or start treating patients faster.

Paramedics would also be able to electronically record information while a patient is being transported to a hospital.

Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Anthony Billittier says health officials need information to determine if there is a disease spreading or victims are suffering from a terrorist event.

28 Western New York’s most spectacular tourist attractions, including the Maid of the Mist boat ride at Niagara Falls, have become a major security concern.
All ports and vessels must soon comply with new safety regulations.

Training sessions are held warning venue owners what to look for as tourists enter their attractions. Checking passengers for weapons on cruise vessels and tourists boats and security cameras are among the security measures taken.

29 More on anti-terrorism training sessions for tourist operators of major attractions on the Niagara Frontier.
Emphasis is placed on monitoring suspicious behavior of tourists, not their skin color, cultural attire or ethnic background. Training should be made available to the ticket-taker to the deckhand.

All of the nation’s ports and vessels must soon comply with tighter security measures. The belief is that terrorists will try to find the venue that is not protected.

30 Another major federally-funded drill has a hundred emergency responders from Western New York training for major “dirty bomb” attacks. The exercise includes the scenario of an attack on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge. The drill takes place at the Emergency Operations Center in Cheektowaga.

Public Health agencies are notified. A decision is made to shut down traffic on the Thruway. The drill is conducted by federal emergency experts from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).

In the drill, the Boulevard Mall is targeted by terrorists. There is also another threat on the New York State Thruway.

The exercise provides an opportunity for emergency responders from different agencies get to know each other. Representatives from Canadian agencies, including the Niagara Region Public Health Department, took part in the session. The exercise took a year to plan.

31 More on the above drill, testing the ability of emergency responders to handle a terrorist “dirty bomb” attack on the Peace Bridge in Buffalo and Boulevard Mall in the Town of Tonawanda. A decision is made to keep people sheltered in their homes and businesses.

The exercise includes a mock TV news anchorman who presents updates as the drill unfolds. The idea is to help define the information that citizens would need to know for protection. The lines of communication during a crisis situation is a critical element that must be considered.

32 A plan is put forward to consider a state-of-the art training center at the Niagara Falls International Airport.
The piece opens outside of Rochester, New York where a drill is underway, challenging firefighters from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to respond to a mock-up 737 plane whose cabin is on fire. It simulates a terrorist attack.

Deputy Erie County Executive Carl Calabrese attends the drill. He is considering a joint proposal that would have Erie and Niagara Counties building a training center on land at the Niagara Falls Airport. A feasibility study is underway. There is a long history of mutual aid.
34 More on the above story that includes graphic video showing response training for a terrorist attack on an airplane. It is pointed out that computers often drive training programs like this one. In this exercise, sensors show whether the firefighting techniques employed are effective.

WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg shows viewers what it looks like inside the cabin of the mock-up plane after flames were extinguished.

The NFTA firefighters are given a good review by a training instructor.]]> Newberg, Rich]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> eng]]> 2001-]]> September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.]]> Victims of terrorism -- United States.]]> Five months after the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan, Western New Yorkers were still lending support at Ground Zero.

One of the environmental cleanup experts, Steve Sherman, had found a wallet in the debris containing the Buffalo driver’s license of Sheri Leach. She had been on the 78th floor of Tower One when one of the wings of the plane that had penetrated the building made contact with her floor.

Sheri’s survival and her meeting with Steve Sherman is the basis of the first story in this collection of reports by Rich Newberg.

“Western New Yorkers Lend a Hand”
In February 2001, bodies were still being recovered from under the debris at Ground Zero.

Buffalo Salvation Army workers Barbara Janicki and Maj. June Carlson were among those giving help and encouragement to responders still on the scene.

Ron Papa of Buffalo helped assess damages to the Century 21 department store on the site. He recalls barely making his way through the cement dust following the September attack.

“Governor Pataki at Ground Zero”
In his final report in this series, Rich Newberg meets with New York Governor George Pataki at Ground Zero. The Governor was in Manhattan on 9/11 and shares his feelings after New York City firefighters brought him to the scene of mass destruction.]]> Newberg, Rich]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> eng]]> Colored Musicians Club (Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> Jazz--New York (State)--Buffalo--History and criticism]]> African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo]]> Tinney, Al.
]]> African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--Social conditions
]]>
The club was organized in 1918 and chartered in 1935. The building on Broadway and Michigan Avenue was purchased in 1944. It provided rehearsal space and social opportunities for Buffalo’s Black musicians who belonged to Local 533 of the American Federation of Musicians. Club members recall being denied entry into the white musicians union, Local 43. The two locals merged in 1969 but the Colored Musicians Club is still thriving. The building now features an interactive museum and is scheduled to undergo a multi-million dollar renovation and expansion.

The first video is a compilation of segments by Rich Newberg, drawn from the 2003 WIVB-TV documentary, “Buffalo Soul: The Legacy Plays On.” The second piece is a WIVB-TV report by Jordan Williams marking the 80th anniversary of the Colored Musician’s Club. It aired on July 24, 2015.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)
]]> Vetter, Tom (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
]]> Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, Editor)]]> Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)]]> Mombrea, John (Post-production Editor)]]> Baxter, Tim (Post-production Editor)]]> Dady, Kelly (Director)]]> Clemons, Michael (Tape Operator)]]> Benzel, Gary (Tape Operator)]]> Young, Matt (Audio Engineer)]]> Dawkins, Don (Researcher)]]> Newberg, Rich (Researcher)]]> Vetter, Tom (Researcher)]]> Hairston, Mylous (Researcher)]]> Musial, Chris (Researcher)]]> eng]]> Television Broadcasting of news--New York (State)--Buffalo--History.]]> Television Journalists--New York (State)--Buffalo--History.]]> Social Justice--United States.]]> Black lives matter movement.]]> Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)--History]]> Radioactive waste disposal--New York (State)--West Valley. ]]> Buffalo Bills (Football team)--History.]]> McVeigh, Timothy.]]> Oklahoma City Federal Building Bombing, Oklahoma City, Okla., 1995.]]> John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005.]]> Waterfronts--New York (State)--Buffalo.]]>
The two major segments in the first half of the program deal with the pursuit of racial and environmental justice in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Buffalo’s legendary role in the civil rights movement and the notorious Love Canal disaster are revisited through key archival news and documentary footage.

The second half features Buffalo’s prominence as a television market for news and its ties to many historic developments and events of national and international significance. Examples include the terminus of the Erie Canal, the Buffalo woman shot along with Pope John Paul II during an assassination attempt, and the four consecutive Super Bowl appearances by the Buffalo Bills in the 1990s.

The one hour program highlights efforts by the Buffalo Broadcasters Association (BBA) to preserve the images on early news film and videotape before they deteriorate and are lost forever. It is written and hosted by WIVB-TV’s retired senior correspondent Rich Newberg. He was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the BBA’s Archive Project sixteen years earlier.

Newberg’s fellow producer and editor Tom Vetter also worked at WIVB-TV as a news photographer. Newberg and Vetter created the station’s documentary unit in 1999. Some segments of their New York Emmy Award winning pieces appear in this documentary.

Veteran WIVB anchor Jacquie Walker co-produced the program along with WIVB graphic arts director Kurt Murphy.

“The Buffalo Story: History Happens Here” is more than just a history lesson or a tribute to the local broadcast journalists who provided an extraordinary chronicle of life-changing events. It is a call to action to preserve the news footage that helped define a region and in some cases, a nation.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Vetter, Tom (Producer, Photographer, Editor)]]> ]]> Walker, Jacquie (Co-producer)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Co-producer, Graphic Arts Director)]]> Holland, Dan (Contributing Photographer)]]> Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Interviewee, Documentarian)]]> Ziemer, Heidi (Consulting Archivist)]]> Mombrea, John (Digital Archivist)]]> Terranova, Michael (Digital Archivist)]]> Newberg, David (Logo Designer)]]> Dworsky, Molly (Logo Designer)]]> Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of Rich Newberg, Tom Vetter, WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.]]> eng]]> 1970-2020]]> Aircraft accidents--New York (State)--Clarence]]>
“4 The Families” included eulogies from relatives and friends and the latest details on the crash investigation.

Colgan Air Flight 3407 was on its way from Newark, New Jersey to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Colgan Air was a regional company servicing Continental Airlines.

Shortly before the crash, the crew had reported a buildup of ice on the aircraft's wings and windshield. The Bombardier Q400 two-engine turbo-prop failed to recover from a stall and crashed into a house on Long Street in Clarence Center. Three people were in the house. A mother and her daughter were able to escape. The father did not survive. The accident occurred at 10:17 pm, about five miles from the Buffalo airport.

An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board would later attribute the crash to pilot error. Instead of pointing the nose of the plane downward and applying full power, the proper reaction to an aerodynamic stall, Captain Marvin Renslow pulled back on the control column pointing the nose upward causing the plane to pitch and roll. It quickly lost altitude and crashed.

Among those killed in the crash were Allison Des Forges, a human rights investigator and an expert on the Rwandan genocide, Beverly Eckert, named co-chair of the 9/11 Family Steering Committee after her husband was killed in the September 11 attacks, Susan Wehle, the first American female Jewish Renewal cantor, and jazz musicians Gerry Niewood and Coleman Mellett, who were en route to a concert with Chuck Mangione and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.]]> WIVB-TV]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Jacquie Walker, Jacquie (Anchor)]]> Postles, Don (Anchor)]]> Holmes, Melissa (Reporter) ]]> Richert, George (Reporter)]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter)]]> Vaughters, Al (Reporter)]]> Schultz, Lorey (Reporter)]]> Arena, Joe (Reporter)]]> McClintick, Michele ]]> Hairston, Mylous (Reporter)]]> Cruze, Tricia (Reporter)]]> Moretti, Luke (Reporter)]]> eng]]> Testament to Courage, Commitment and Compassion]]> Fire fighters--New York (State)--Buffalo--History]]> Buffalo--Official and employees--History]]> Herbert, Donny--Health]]> September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.]]> The Rescue and Awakening of Don Herbert
A month after Buffalo firefighter Don Herbert was rescued from an attic of a burning house, WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg and photographer Tom Vetter reported on the dedication and sacrifices of those who fight fires for a living.

On December 28, 1995, Herbert became trapped after the roof collapsed. He ran out of oxygen before fellow firefighters could locate him. They saved his life but he suffered from brain damage and blindness.

Rich Newberg visited the veteran firefighter whose speech was impaired but who was determined to do anything necessary to regain his strength and communication skills. Despite his strength of character and will to survive, Herbert later lapsed into a decade-long coma.

On April 30, 2005, Don Herbert suddenly awakened and made international news when he began talking to family members and friends as if it were yesterday. He had been given drugs normally used to treat Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression.

Anderson Cooper, reporting for CBS’s 60 Minutes, produced a major story on what many were calling a “miraculous awakening.” Herbert broke into tears when a fellow firefighter told him he had been unresponsive for about ten years.

Subsequently, Don Herbert took a fall out of bed, which again weakened his condition. He developed pneumonia and passed away on February 21, 2006.

Herbert left behind a wife and four sons. Two became firefighters. The amazing story of his awakening gave hope to families with brain damaged loved ones in a coma. Herbert will always be remembered for his bravery and courage as part of a rescue team, and for his desire to do the very best he could under debilitating circumstances.

SEGMENT 2
The Ultimate Sacrifice on North Division Street
On December 27, 1983, a propane tank explosion at a four story radiator warehouse in Buffalo claimed the lives of five Buffalo firefighters. It remains the largest single day loss of life in the history of the Buffalo Fire Department. In addition, two civilians living near the warehouse were killed in their home.

The explosion occurred shortly after the firefighters arrived on the scene, responding to the call of a propane gas leak. All five crew members from Ladder 5 were killed instantly. Eleven others were injured when the blast occurred. There were more injuries during rescue efforts. More than 150 civilians were taken to hospitals.The warehouse was destroyed as were buildings within a four-block radius. It was later determined that the 500 gallon propane tank had been illegally housed in the warehouse.

A memorial service honoring the memory of the fallen firefighters takes place every year on December 27th at 8:23 p.m., the time of the explosion. It is held at fire call box number 191 at the intersection where the explosion took place.

SEGMENT 3
Buffalo Firefighters Respond to 9/11 Attacks at Ground Zero
When the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were attacked and destroyed by terrorists on 9/11/2001, Lt. Tony Liberatore, now a captain in the Buffalo Fire Department, said at the time, “A group of us felt we had to go there and we had to go there now. So we got there as quick as we possibly could.”

WIVB’s Lisa Flynn and photographer Steve Beauchamp produced a segment for the hour special, “Day of Sorrow: Year of Change,” featuring the role Buffalo firefighters played in recovery efforts at Ground Zero. They called the story, “Forever Changed.”

In the year following the attack, Liberatore returned to New York City, helping to train firefighter recruits. Flynn reported that the recruits were “desperately needed to fill the loss of 343 firefighters and a host of others who retired…”]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter, Archivist)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic artist)]]> Vetter, Tom (Photographer, Editor)]]> Cooper, Anderson (60 Minutes Reporter)]]> Richert, George (Reporter)]]> Mongiovi, Rachele (Reporter)]]> Flynn, Lisa (Reporter)]]> Beauchamp, Steve (Photographer, Editor)]]> eng]]> Aircraft accidents--New York (State)--Clarence]]>
The twin-engine turboprop belonged to Colgan Air, a regional airline company serving Continental Airlines. The flight had originated in Newark, New Jersey. It crashed only a few miles from the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.

This composite of stories begins the night of the crash. WIVB-TV’s Lisa Flynn was the first to report that it was a commercial airliner that crashed, not a small plane, as had been first thought. The crash sent a shock wave across Western New York. Many of the victims were from the Buffalo area.

Families and friends of those who perished in the crash remembered their loved ones during grief stricken moments, and Western New York went through a period of mourning. Many questions were raised about the cause of the crash and whether the crew had been properly trained to operate this particular aircraft. Family members began attending hearings in Washington DC and closely followed the investigation.

A year after the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board determined that pilot error was the probable cause of the accident. Captain Marvin Renslow had failed to correctly respond to a stall, which is the sudden reduction in lift of an aircraft. The pilot had pulled back on the control column, tilting the nose of the plane up instead of lowering it and applying full power.

Families had begun questioning whether Federal Aviation Administration regulations for regional airlines were adequate. Critical safety issues raised included pilot training and fatigue. On the one year anniversary of the crash, family members and supporters walked from the accident site on Long Street in Clarence to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport to draw attention to their cause.

In a series of WIVB investigative reports, Rich Newberg revealed that internal emails from Colgan Airlines were obtained by lawyers representing the relatives of deceased passengers. They indicated that pilot Marvin Renslow had training problems and appeared not ready to handle the Bombardier Q400 aircraft. However, a month later he was flying the plane. When Newberg questioned an attorney representing Colgan Air, he maintained that Capt. Renslow was qualified to fly the plane.

Attorneys representing the crash victims determined that Colgan Air had been expanding air routes and moving to fifteen of the bigger models of the Q 400 planes. Attorney Hugh Russ said Colgan was “desperately looking for pilots to fly these planes.” Russ said, “These emails in our judgement prove that Colgan sacrificed safety for profits.”

Families charged that Colgan Air had withheld the emails during the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB then ordered Colgan Air’s parent company, Pinnacle Airlines, to produce the internal emails in question. The company said it would comply.

A former Colgan Air crew scheduler came forward and told Newberg that the airline would fly pilots who lacked sleep to cover each leg of a flight itinerary. Colgan had no comment.

Eventually, the families, after many trips to Washington, got the FAA to implement tougher regulations including more hours of flight training and a requirement that airlines keep more extensive records detailing how pilots performed during training. Measures were also implemented to cut down on pilot fatigue.

Deborah Hersman, who was chair of the NTSB, told Rich Newberg, “…the families in this accident have been simply amazing. We have seen some incredible grace come out of the people who have gone through the worst experience of their life to really come together and try to determine if there’s anything good that can come from this, to make sure that no one has to go through what they went through. They have been a strong voice. They have been aggressive. They’ve been educated on the issues, and they’ve been a great help to the safety board as we try to focus attention on the issues related to this accident.”]]> Newberg, Rich]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Walker, Jacquie (Anchor)]]> Postles, Don (Anchor)]]> Flynn, Lisa (Reporter) ]]> Macko, Rob (Reporter)]]> Moretti, Luke (Reporter)]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter)]]> Shultz, Lorey (Reporter)]]> eng]]> Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)]]> Chemical plants -- Waste disposal -- Environmental aspects -- New York (State) -- Niagara Falls]]>
The cries of families ravaged by chemical exposure in their own homes had initially been ignored by lawmakers who were in a position to offer meaningful support. The grassroots struggle of these homeowners and their ultimate victory in winning federal support offers powerful lessons to a nation still troubled by environmental injustice.

Mr. Newberg tracked down the former Niagara Gazette rookie reporter who broke the story in 1978. In a rare interview, Michael Brown recalls his "journalistic obsession" after going door-to-door in the Love Canal neighborhood and establishing a pattern of still births and cancer.

Lois Gibbs, the stay-at-home mom who rose to national prominence in her fight to be heard, tells Mr. Newberg that local broadcast journalists played a major role in getting the word out. “When people are right and people peacefully demonstrate and speak truth to power,” she said, “that’s how democracy works, and then we got what we needed.”

The story ends with President Joe Biden bemoaning the fact that the right of every American to breathe clean air and drink clean water has yet to be fulfilled.

“A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening” received a New York Emmy Award in the category of Science/Environment. It also won a national Telly Award. In addition, Rich Newberg and co-producer Tom Vetter took first place “Enterprise Reporting” honors from the Journalists Association of New York.

The piece appeared as a featured segment of the Buffalo primetime special, “The Buffalo Story: History Happens Here,” which won a New York Emmy Award for “Public Service.”

Originally aired on WIVB-TV and WNLO-TV / Buffalo, New York.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Vetter, Tom (Producer, Editor)]]>
]]> Walker, Jacquie (Co-producer)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Co-producer)]]> Love Canal: Neighborhood of Fear [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 2] ]]> Turning Anger Into Action [The Story of Love Canal Pt.3]]]> What Have We Learned? [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 4]]]> An Interview with Michael Brown]]> An Interview with Lois Gibbs [Her battle and victory on behalf of Love Canal homeowners]]]> eng]]> Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)]]> Chemical plants -- Waste disposal -- Environmental aspects -- New York (State) -- Niagara Falls]]>
The half hour presentation, was written, produced and reported by Marie Rice, who co-anchored the special with WIVB anchor John Beard. It featured some of the most emotional testimony from Love Canal family members whose loved ones were sick and dying due to chemical exposure. More than seven hundred families were demanding that they be relocated and that their grievances be properly addressed.

Tests determined that residents had suffered “ominous” rare chromosomal damage. Lois Gibbs, who ultimately led the Love Canal Homeowners Association to victory, later attributed Buffalo news coverage to the successful outcome. The grassroots crusade has been credited with launching the environmental justice movement in the United States.

President Jimmy Carter came to Niagara Falls to sign legislation that met homeowners demands and led to the creation of the Superfund. Formerly known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, the program is designed to provide emergency responses to sites contaminated by hazardous substances. By one count there are 40,000 federal Superfund sites across the United States.]]> Rice, Marie (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> News 4 Buffalo (WIVB-TV Newsroom)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Beard, John (Co-host)]]> Swan, Ray (Editor)]]> A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 1]

Turning Anger Into Action [The Story of Love Canal Pt.3]

What Have We Learned? [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 4]

An Interview with Michael Brown

An Interview with Lois Gibbs [Her Battle and Victory on Behalf of Love Canal Homeowners]

]]> eng]]> Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)]]> Chemical plants -- Waste disposal -- Environmental aspects -- New York (State) -- Niagara Falls]]>
Beginning in the summer of 1978, when blood tests were first administered and only a selected number of households were ordered to evacuate their contaminated homes, Lois Gibbs and her Love Canal Homeowners Association demanded that arrangements be made to move out more families for permanent relocation.

After strong lobbying efforts, president Jimmy Carter took initial action in approving enough funds for New York State to buy 236 Love Canal homes. Families were relocated at a cost of $10 million dollars.

Three months later it was revealed that 200 tons of dioxin, one of the most lethal chemicals produced by humans, were buried in the canal. Residents said they witnessed the military also using the canal as a dumpsite.

In May 1980 the Environmental Protection Agency determined that some residents suffered from chromosome damage. Four days later President Carter declared Love Canal a national emergency. Eventually another 710 Love Canal families were relocated.

Love Canal families had originally sought $15 billion dollars in damages from Hooker Chemical’s parent company Occidental Chemical Corporation. In 1983, about 1,330 families got a settlement of $20 million dollars. In addition, a one million dollar medical trust fund was created.

In 1995, Occidental Chemical Corporation and Occidental Petroleum agreed to pay the federal government $129 million dollars as reimbursement for clean-up costs of the Love Canal landfill.]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Rice, Marie (Reporter)]]> Beard, John (Co-host)]]> Gunter, Gary (Reporter)]]> A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 1]

Love Canal: Neighborhood of Fear [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 2]

Turning Anger Into Action [The Story of Love Canal Pt.3]

What Have We Learned? [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 4]

An Interview with Michael Brown

An Interview with Lois Gibbs [Her Battle and Victory on Behalf of Love Canal Homeowners]

]]> eng]]> Chemical plants -- Waste disposal -- Environmental aspects -- New York (State) -- Niagara Falls]]> Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)]]>
In this series of reports presented ten to forty years after the evacuation of an entire Niagara Falls community due to toxic chemical exposure, a sad truth emerges. History appears to be repeating itself.

Viewers learn that the losses of life and property that received international attention beginning in the late 1970s failed to prevent others from establishing homes in close proximity to where 20,000 thousand tons of toxic chemicals remain buried in the ground. The industrial and military waste was capped and continues to be monitored by the federal government, which has insisted the area is safe.

However, new lawsuits have been filed claiming that chemicals have migrated from the site, again taking a toll on human health. Lois Gibbs, the environmental rights crusader who organized fellow homeowners when the Love Canal story first broke, revisited the neighborhood in 2013. She couldn’t understand how anyone could move anywhere near the Love Canal site.

“We said it so many times, don’t bring people back here,” exclaimed Mrs. Gibbs during a walking tour of the site. She added, “they bamboozled them into believing it was safe…and they innocently went in and bought what I bought thirty-five years ago, ‘the American dream.’”]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Rice, Marie (Reporter)]]> McClintick, Michelle (Reporter)]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter)]]> Williams, Jordan (Reporter)]]> Schanz, Jenn (Reporter)]]> A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 1]

Love Canal: Neighborhood of Fear [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 2]

Turning Anger Into Action [The Story of Love Canal Pt.3]

An Interview with Michael Brown

An Interview with Lois Gibbs [Her Battle and Victory on Behalf of Love Canal Homeowners]

]]> eng]]> Chemical plants -- Waste disposal -- Environmental aspects -- New York (State) -- Niagara Falls
]]> Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)]]>
Mr. Brown had begun covering toxic waste dumpsites in Niagara County. That became his journalistic focus. He managed to stir up a lot of controversy in the process.

While covering a public hearing, a woman in her early 20s from the Love Canal neighborhood broke down in tears when describing her concerns about potential health issues associated with chemicals believed to be leaking into her and her neighbors’ homes.

The city of Niagara Falls had initiated an assessment of the issue and considered covering the old dumpsite with clay. In 1977, Mr. Brown talked with a city engineer who felt the situation was very serious and could effect future generations if not properly addressed.

A period of silence by the city followed. Brown decided to follow up but said he got no answers from the County Health Department. He had become the Niagara Falls City Hall reporter for the Gazette. His journalistic intuition prompted him to go door-to-door, talking with Love Canal families. His goal was to determine whether the presence of toxic chemicals may have been having an effect on their health.

Rich Newberg’s interview with Michael Brown takes us back to that initial period of discovery and what followed next. At the time of the interview, more than four decades had passed since the Love Canal disaster became a “journalistic obsession” for Mr. Brown.

Viewers will learn of the obstacles he faced and how his reporting for the Niagara Gazette led to the rise of Lois Gibbs, leader of the Love Canal Homeowners Association, whose tireless efforts not only ended in victory for her neighbors, but served as the beginning of the environmental justice movement for people exposed to toxic chemicals in their communities.

Portions of the Brown and Gibbs interviews appear in the 2021 documentary, “The Buffalo Story: History Happens Here.” The segment entitled “A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening,” won a New York Emmy award in 2022 in the category of Science/Environment.]]> Newberg, Rich (Interviewer)]]> Brown, Michael (Interviewee)]]> Vetter, Tom (Producer)]]> Terranova, Michael (Editor)]]> A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 1]

Love Canal: Neighborhood of Fear [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 2]

Turning Anger Into Action [The Story of Love Canal Pt.3]

What Have We Learned? [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 4]

An Interview with Lois Gibbs [Her Battle and Victory on Behalf of Love Canal Homeowners]

]]> eng]]> Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Bibliography--Folios. 1623.]]> Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories & Tragedies, published seven years after the bard's death, compiles 36 plays written by William Shakespeare. Named the "First Folio" by scholars, it is the first collection of Shakespeare's work printed, and contained 18 previously unpublished works--The Tempest, Macbeth, and Twelfth Night among them.

Assembled by John Heminges and Henry Condell, and published by Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard, the First Folio was presented by the publishers as the first authentic reproduction of Shakespeare's plays (some of which had been previously printed under dubious circumstances). Additionally, the Martin Droeshout-produced portrait in the Folio would be considered one of the few reliable images of Shakespeare, as it was approved by those who worked with him during his life.

In 1919, NYC book dealer Gabriel Wells purchased a copy of the First Folio on behalf of Colonel Charles Clifton, president of the Pierce Arrow Company. The copy, though imperfect, was described in the seller’s catalog as “probably” belonging to Samuel Gilburne, one of the actor’s in Shakespeare’s company. The basis for this claim is rather flimsy, Gilburne’s name is written next to where his name is printed in the list of “Principall Actors”. The original catalog price was $3,000.00. Henry Clay Folger (Folger Library in DC) ordered the copy only to discover it had already been sold. Folger offered to pay the buyer $6,000.00; Clifton refused indicating that he wanted to own a First Folio. Eventually Folger and Clifton arranged a swap, whereby Folger got the purported Gilburne copy and Clifton received a more-perfect copy. Folger paid Clifton $6500 for the Gilburne copy and Clifton purchased a more complete, finer copy, which sold at auction for $8,800.00. In 1926, Colonel Clifton donated this copy of the First Folio, along with the Second, Third, Fourth Folios, and the Poems to the Grosvenor Library. In 1953, the Grosvenor Library was incorporated into the newly-formed Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, and in 1964 the collection would be relocated to the newly-constructed Rare Book Room at the Central Library. ]]> Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616]]> Rare Book Room of the B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> 17th century (1600-1699)]]> ]]> Chemical plants -- Waste disposal -- Environmental aspects -- New York (State) -- Niagara Falls]]> Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)]]>
She says that her son, who had been “perfectly healthy,” suddenly got “sicker and sicker and sicker.” He developed epilepsy. Lois began reading articles by Michael Brown in the Niagara Gazette, questioning whether a disproportionate number of health issues in the community could be attributed to toxic chemical exposure.

Mrs. Gibbs, who said it was “terrifying,” began her search for answers by going to the Niagara Falls school board, City Hall, and the offices of state senators and other representatives. She says no one offered to help. She says Mayor Michael O’Laughlin told her Michael Brown was a “troublemaker,” and that she should “go home and take care of my child.”

In her interview with Rich Newberg, Lois Gibbs reflects on the strategies employed to finally get the president of the United States to come to Niagara Falls and sign legislation benefitting Love Canal families wishing to move out of the neighborhood. It also created a Superfund to assist other communities across the country dealing with the hazards of toxic chemical exposure.

Portions of the Lois Gibbs interview appear in the 2021 documentary, “The Buffalo Story: History Happens Here.” It is part of the Rich Newberg Reports Collection. The Love Canal segment entitled “A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening,” won a New York Emmy award in 2022 in the category of Science/Environment.]]> Newberg, Rich (Interviewer)]]> Gibbs, Lois (Interviewee)]]> Vetter, Tom (Producer)]]> Terranova, Michael (Editor)]]> A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 1]

Love Canal: Neighborhood of Fear [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 2]

Turning Anger Into Action [The Story of Love Canal Pt.3]

What Have We Learned? [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 4]

An Interview with Michael Brown

]]> eng]]> Buffalo (N.Y.)--History--Newspapers.]]>
This News 4 television special hosted by the late Bob Koop looks back on the reasons why the newspaper could no longer compete with The Buffalo News and the impact of the Courier’s folding on its former staff members and its readers.

Staff members of the Courier Express voted down the opportunity to work under Rupert Murdoch’s News America. It would have meant transitioning to a tabloid newspaper as well as staff cuts of between 30 and 40 percent. When the paper shut down, eleven hundred people were out of work. Buffalo’s depressed economy at the time made it difficult for many of those workers to find jobs. Some had to go on welfare.

The demise of the Courier Express followed the closings of other major newspapers throughout the country, including the Cleveland Press, which shut down three months earlier. It had been operating for 103 years.

The roots of The Courier Express date back to 1828 according to SUNY Buffalo State, which has possession of the Courier Express archives. As the E.H. Butler Library at Buffalo State points out, “From 1828 to 1926, twelve separate newspapers merged during those years, ending with the formation of the Buffalo Courier-Express…” Mark Twain once was a columnist for one of those papers, the Buffalo Morning Express.]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter, Archivist)]]> Koop, Bob (Program Host)]]> Smith, Doug (Former Courier Express Entertainment Editor/News 4 “Fun Ranger")]]> Baker, Jim (Former Courier Express Radio-TV Critic)]]> Lapping, Ed (Veteran Newspaper Editor)]]> Jasen, Carol (WIVB-TV Reporter)]]> Newberg, Rich (WIVB-TV Reporter)]]> Sacks, Karen (Producer)]]> Vandivort, Dave (Director)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Wigginton, Chris (Photographer, Editor)]]> Cantwell, Bill (Photographer)]]> Santana, Dave (Photographer)]]> Ayers, Don (Technical Staff)]]> Clemons, Mickey (Technical Staff)]]> Johnson, Len (Technical Staff)]]> Johnson, Rex (Technical Staff)]]> Kerner, Kathy (Technical Staff)]]> Novelli, John (Technical Staff)]]> Pels, Godon (Technical Staff)]]> Rozek, Dan (Technical Staff)]]> eng]]> Homelessness--New York (State)--Buffalo]]> Homeless persons--New York (State)--Buffalo]]>
Only half a block away from the place where bread was being distributed, a poverty-stricken, laid-off shipping clerk tried to offer his services to load and unload trucks in a desperate attempt to provide milk and other essentials for his two children.

2 For some of Buffalo’s homeless, living quarters are concrete spaces under the New York State Thruway. Some use cardboard to shield themselves from the elements. 67 year old Harvey Bryant was one of them. He was a “hobo” who was barely surviving on food from trash cans. His health was failing when a Buffalo family came to his aid. The City of Buffalo’s Human Resources Department and Catholic Charities were made aware of the case and immediately provided Mr. Bryant with shelter, while also addressing some of his other basic needs.

3 Buffalo soup kitchens faced increased demand in the 1980s during a period when the city experienced economic decline. Families suddenly found themselves in dire need. The federal government set aside money for cities hoping to do more for the homeless and the hungry. Buffalo’s Department of Human Services vowed to cut through red tape in order to help the neediest.

4 Sunny Miano, a modern day Robin Hood, stole money to provide for the needy of Buffalo. He served time for writing bad checks. He then established a soup kitchen called Helping Hands. He became a beloved life-saver for the poor. His operating philosophy: “If we can’t help somebody along the way, what good are we? We’re nothing!”

5 As we entered the new millennium, there were still more than hundred homeless people in Buffalo living in tunnels, under bridges, in abandoned homes, and on the streets.

One of the most compelling and heartbreaking stories was about a man named “Jeff.” He lost both legs to frostbite. Various agencies came to his aid. He was provided a furnished apartment, but sadly, according to reports, he reverted back to heavy drinking and passed away.]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter, Archivist)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Terranova, Michael (Digital Editor)]]> A Life in the Balance: Struggles of the Mentally Ill]]> eng]]>
Anderson was held for six years and nine months, the longest of a group of Americans taken hostage at the time. The abductions were an attempt to drive U.S. military forces from Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war. Anderson was released on December 4, 1991.

From the time of his abduction, his sister Peggy Say worked tirelessly for his release. Her efforts were covered extensively by the Buffalo news media and often made national and world headlines. She was perhaps the most covered of all the hostages’ relatives.

On December 4, 1991, Terry Anderson was finally released by his captors. His 2,455 days as a prisoner included about a year and a half in solitary confinement. WIVB-TV anchor, the late Bob Koop, traveled to Wiesbaden, Germany for Anderson’s first meeting with the press. His report includes Peggy Say’s joyful embrace of her brother, one of the most moving moments of his newly found freedom.

This series of reports begins with a CNN recap of Anderson’s ordeal and later life activities. A sequence of reports follows, beginning with the time leading up to his release, his reunion with his sister, first statements as a free man, reaction in Batavia, and finally, Anderson’s return to Batavia in 2011 while on a “mission of peace.” ]]> Newberg, Rich (Reporter, Archivist)]]> Rich Newberg Reports Collection]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Michael Terranova (Digital Editor)]]> Koop, Bob (Reporter)]]> McClintick, Michele (Reporter)]]> CNN (from YouTube)]]> Rich Newberg Reports Collection]]> eng]]> 1990-2015]]> Westminster Presbyterian Church (Buffalo, N.Y.)--Directories]]> Westminster Presbyterian Church (Buffalo, N.Y.)]]> Grosvenor Room of B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]> Housing--New York (State)--Buffalo]]> Buffalo (N.Y.) Municipal Housing Authority]]> Grosvenor Room of B&ECPL (repository)]]> eng]]>