Waterfronts--New York (State)--Buffalo--Planning
Urban renewal--New York (State)--Buffalo
Buffalo (N.Y.)--Economic conditions
City planning--New York (State)--Buffalo
Shows why, after a century of missed opportunities, there is solid evidence of progress on waterfront development in Buffalo, N.Y., and the money to back it up. Features the major players working behind the scenes to map out the city's future, such as Larry Quinn, Brian Higgins, Mark Goldman, Rich Tobe, Mike Powers. Shows the progress in completing the Inner Harbor Erie Canal project, as well as an overview of the plans at the foot of Main Street, and more.
Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)
Ersing, Rich (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Moretti, Luke (Investigative Reporter)
Schlaerth, Joseph (Executive Producer)
WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
Richert, George (Reporter)
Flynn, Lisa (Reporter)
Walker, Jacquie (Reporter)
Root, Kim (Photographer, Editor)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, Editor)
Ersing, Matt (Photographer, Editor)
Hutchinson, Dave (Contributing Photographer)
Swenson, Scott (Contributing Photographer)
Dee, Joe (Contributing photographer)
Gabalski, Ron (Contributing Photographer)
Carroll, John (Contributing Photographer)
Ivancic, Paul (Contributing Photographer)
Vinciguerra, Jerry (Graphic Artist)
Tielman, Tim (Historical Consultant)
Blanchard, Tom Jr. (Historical Consultant)
Goldman, Mark (Historical Consultant)
Tobe, Rich (Historical Consultant)
Newberg, Rich (Researcher)
Ersing, Rich (Researcher)
Moretti, Luke (Researcher)
Schlaerth, Joe (Researcher)
Copyright held by WIVB-TV. 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 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
Holocaust survivors
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Personal narratives
World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps.
It took decades for Holocaust survivors to break their silence following the end of WWII. In the 1980's, a small but tight-knit survivor community in Buffalo, New York, began reaching out to the public, bearing witness to what they had personally experienced in Nazi death and labor camps. "Survivors of the Holocaust," presented on WIVB-TV in April 1983, was one of the first local television efforts to explore the lives of survivors, and the lessons they offered to civilization. The vignettes included testimony from three survivors, two of their children, and a liberator of Nazi concentration camps. The program became the cornerstone for the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo, which was created to teach the lessons of the Holocaust, remember its victims, and honor its survivors.
Summerville, Dan (Photographer, Editor)
Vandivort, Dave (Director)
Mombrea, Mike Sr. (Contributing Photographer)
Ader, Joe (Contributing Photographer)
Wigginton, Chris (Production Editor)
Root, Kim (Production Editor)
Christian, Roger (Music Coordinator)
Barbour, Al (Technical Staff)
Case, Hal (Technical Staff)
Johnson, Len (Technical Staff)
Novelli, John (Technical Staff)
Pels, Gordon (Technical Staff)
Rowell, Earl (Technical Staff)
Rozek, Dan (Technical Staff)
Back, Toby (Historical Consultant)
Kuperstein, Asaiah (Historical Consultant)
Bucholz, Arden (Historical Consultant)
The People's Pope : Life and Times of Pope John Paul II
John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005
Popes--Biography
Catholic Church--History
Polish Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo
Documentary on Pope John Paul II's historic 1999 visit to his homeland, Poland. It includes biographical video about the pope's life, his influence on the Catholic Church, and the impact of his papacy on the people of Poland and the many Polish-Americans in Western New York. A special segment focuses on the Pope's relationship with Ann Odre, the Buffalo woman who took a bullet along with John Paul II during a 1981 assassination attempt. Host Rich Newberg also interviews the former president of Poland, Lech Walesa, who he had met fourteen years earlier, during Solidarity's struggle to be free of communism in Poland. Two Buffalo physicians, Dr. Jeffrey Meilman and Dr. Amar Atwal, are also featured, donating their services on their mission of mercy in Poland.
Mombrea Jr., Mike (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Musial, Chris (Producer)
Van Horn, Mike (Graphic Artist)
Mombrea, John (Digital Editor)
Baxter, Tim (Digital Editor, Post-production Editor)
Musial, Chris (Executive Producer)
Giovenco, Joe (Director)
Clemens, Michael (Technical Director)
Benzel, Gary (Audio Engineer)
Brown, Dave (Chyron Operator)
Foster, Joseph D. (Videotape Operator)
Masse, Dave (Master Control Operator)
Goldschlag, Dave (Contributing Photographer)
Ayers, Don (Louth System Operator)
The Promise of 100 Years : the Pride of a People
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963
Talbert, Mary
Niagara Movement
African Americans--Civil rights--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
The organized struggle for civil rights in America had its early roots in Buffalo, New York in 1905. Hoping to create a great "current of protest," W.E.B. Dubois and fellow activists met at the home of Mary Talbert and voiced their demands for equality by establishing the Niagara Movement. It led to the creation of the N.A.A.C.P. A century later, African Americans in Buffalo's inner city are still struggling with poverty, crime, and unemployment. Many students fall far behind in school because of poor reading skills. See how these challenges are now being addressed, and how African culture is being preserved and promoted through the arts. "Minute by minute, hour by hour," says and old African proverb, "if we lose our history, we lose our power." Features reflections by former New York Deputy Assembly speaker and Buffalo mayoral candidate, Arthur O. Eve.
Hairston, Mylous (Producer, Writer, Reporter)
Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Producer, Contributing Photographer, Editor)
Schlaerth, Joseph (Producer)
Schrodt, Roy (Post-production Editor)
Mombrea, John (Post-production Editor)
Hairston, Mylous (Researcher)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Researcher)
Schlaerth, Joseph (Researcher)
Musial, Chris (Researcher)
The Road to Freedom : Preserving Black History In Western New York
Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913
Nash, J. Edward (Jesse Edward), 1868-1957
Michigan Street Baptist Church
Underground Railroad--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
Fugitive slaves--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
Highlights Buffalo's unique role in the abolitionist movement. Uses reenactments, old photographs and drawings, and interviews with historians and preservationists such as Dr. Monroe Fordham, Jesse Nash, Jr., George Arthur, Rev. William Henderson, and Kevin Cottrell, to tell the story of Buffalo's critical role as the last stop on the Underground Railroad. Discusses significant sites in Buffalo to be preserved, such as the Michigan Street Baptist Church and the Nash house.
Dawkins, Don (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Vetter, Tom (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Hairston, Mylous (Reporter)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Contributing Photographer)
Baxter, Tim (Post-production Editor)
Battilana, Tony (Director)
Foster, Joseph D. (Tape Operator)
Brown, Byron
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People--History--20th century
The election of Byron Brown as Buffalo's first African American mayor came one hundred years after the nation's modern civil rights movement was born on the Niagara Frontier. The Niagara Movement, which began in 1905, was the forerunner of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "The Vision and the Victory" celebrates Brown's historic election and shows how Buffalo's historic role in the struggle for civil rights has received national recognition, including perspectives from former Secretary of State Colin Powell, N.A.A.C.P. Chairman Julian Bond, and New York Senator and former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Root, Kim (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Williams, Lillian (Historical Consultant)
Dee, Joe (Contributing Photographer)
Ersing, Matt (Contributing Photographer)
Parrotte, Mark (Researcher)
Woodstock Then & Now : Remembering Woodstock Twenty Years Later
Woodstock Festival
Rock music
Woodstock (N.Y.)
The Woodstock Festival of 1969 is commemorated 20 years later. Shot on location at Bethel and Swan Lake, New York. Featured interview with comic activist Hugh Nanton Romney, better known as "Wavy Gravy," who helped keep the peace during Woodstock.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy
World War, 1939-1945--Regimental histories--United States.
Fifty years after the Allied amphibious invasion of Normandy during World War II, Western New York veterans of D-Day reflect on their roles and experiences as they descended on the northern coast of France. The seven-part series was presented on WIVB-TV as a tribute to all who took part in the invasion, which claimed 16,293 American lives. D-Day, led by U.S., British and Canadian forces on five beachheads, helped liberate Northern France from the Nazis and enabled the allies to launch their drive into Germany.
Smith, Doug (Producer, Writer, Host)
WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)
Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
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 Buffalo Story: History Happens Here” aired on June 7, 2021 as a local primetime special on WIVB-TV. The documentary features major events covered by the station’s news department and illustrates the contributions of Buffalo’s broadcast journalists and the value of local television news archives and their potential to inform, educate and uplift the communities they represent. 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.
Moments In Time Video, Inc. & TVRE Productions, Inc.
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)
Copyright held by Moments In Time Video, Inc. & TVRE Productions, Inc. 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.
A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 1]
Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)
Chemical plants -- Waste disposal -- Environmental aspects -- New York (State) -- Niagara Falls
More than forty years after covering the Love Canal disaster in Niagara Falls, former WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg returns to the site where 20,000 thousand tons of buried industrial chemicals took a terrible toll on families living on top of the toxic dumpsite. Hooker Chemical had once sold the property to the Niagara Falls School District for a dollar. 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.
Vetter, Tom (Producer, Editor)
Murphy, Kurt (Co-producer)
Copyright held by WIVB-TV. 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. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
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]
The Memory Keepers : Rescuing Western New York’s Moving Image History
Broadcasters--New York (State)--Buffalo--History.
Broadcasting--New York--Buffalo--History.
The Memory Keepers (2021) This feature presents the cornerstone project of the Buffalo Broadcasters Association (BBA). It lays out the goals and challenges in preserving and utilizing Buffalo’s archival TV news film and videotape dating back to the mid-1960s. This piece is the most recent in a series of videos tracing the history of The Archive Project. “The Memory Keepers” was presented at the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame induction ceremony on November 4, 2021 (Runs: 7:12) The Archive Project History (5 Parts: 2006 - 2011) (Total running time: 22:49) The history of The Archive Project is presented here by Rich Newberg in a series of five features. They document a period of awakening to the value of archival TV news footage, and show how painstaking efforts are underway to preserve the moving images that reflect more than a half century of life on the Buffalo-Niagara Frontier. Rich Newberg is a founding member of the Buffalo Broadcasters Association and former Archive Task Force chairman for the BBA. His five video reports were presented during most of the BBA's Hall of Fame ceremonies between 2006 and 2011.] (Summary of Reports) The Archive Project (2006) Runs: 3:51 *Edison’s historic moving images of Buffalo are presented as well as a vision for The Archive Project *The first meeting with Buffalo television executives is documented *Recommendations are given for saving Buffalo’s TV news film collection The Archive Task Force (2008) Runs: 4:00 *A task force is created to seek grants for digitization of TV news film in the BBA's possession *University at Buffalo senior research scholar Michael Frisch signs on to create a system for categorizing and indexing digitized material *Highlights of major Buffalo news stories from the 1960s and ’70s are referenced (civil rights riots, Blizzard of ’77, Love Canal, Attica uprising, Jack Kemp’s political rise to power) The Journey Begins (2009) Runs: 4:39 *First boxes of TV news film are itemized from the year 1966 *A vision is presented for a museum and resource center to house the collection *First meeting is conducted with Buffalo area colleges and universities *The BBA’s Archive Project is featured at a national conference of the Institute of Museum and Library Services held in Buffalo *Conference presenter Dr. Michael Frisch calls Buffalo “one of the most important media centers in the country, of the evolution of television news.” He references Western New York natives Tim Russert, Wolf Blitzer, and political satirist Mark Russell Buffalo Moments in Time (2010) Runs: 3:52 *A database is created listing the slugs of all 15-hundred WIVB-TV (formerly WBEN-TV) news stories from the year 1966, the first full year of the BBA’s collection *Scene Savers of Covington Kentucky sends representative John Walko to advise BBA leadership on how best to preserve and utilize the archival news film *Dr. Michael Frisch illustrates how his company, Randforce Associates, is able to catalogue and index all the digitized footage for easy access *BBA president Dave Gillen says, “We’ve got all the pieces in place. We just need the money to do it.” The Scene Savers (2011) Runs: 6:00 *The step-by-step digitization process is documented by Scene Savers staffers working on the BBA’s Archive Project. *Mr. Newberg says future projects will range from documentaries, to classroom presentations, to museum exhibits *The project seeks to complete the mission of the BBA to make Buffalo’s moving image history accessible to the public, “so that future generations will know their roots and will appreciate the contributions of Buffalo’s broadcasting pioneers.” Official Launching of The Archive Project (2019) WIVB-TV Report Runs: 3:24 On March 29, 2019, the Buffalo Broadcasters Association (BBA) officially launched The Archive Project. The BBA established written agreements with WIVB-TV (Nexstar/CBS) and WKBW-TV (Scripps/ABC) to digitize their news film and early videotape archives. The moving image archive will be made available for educational use only. Through BBA fundraisers, donations, and grants from the Western New York Library Resources Council, digitized news reports and clips dating back as early as the mid-1960s began being posted on the New York Heritage website. Postings will also appear on the BBA’s own website. This WIVB-TV news report by News 4 anchor Jacquie Walker shows viewers the scope of the project and why the initiative is a valued resource for Western New York and the nation.] Official Launching of The Archive Project (2019) WKBW-TV Report Runs: 2:05 The BBA collection of archival Buffalo TV news film and video tape becomes the first of its kind on the New York Heritage website. Rich Newberg, one of the chief architects of the project, comments that the collection will document “huge stories, huge challenges that faced this community.” He says the archive holds valuable lessons for “seeking better solutions in the future.” He adds, “It’s the journalists, the reporters and photographers, who basically gave their communities the first draft of history. And that’s why we think it’s so vital to bring this back.” Actor Ed Asner Endorses The Archive Project (Recorded: September 20, 2019) Runs: :60 sec. Ed Asner, who played television’s legendary news director Lou Grant on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, endorsed the BBA’s Archive Project in a public service announcement. The endorsement was recorded while Mr. Asner was in Rochester, New York performing a one man show. Asner endorsement: “Hello. I’m Ed Asner. You may remember me as television’s no-nonsense news director, Lou Grant. If you think about it, journalists provide us with our first draft of history. Right here in Buffalo, more than 50 years of TV news coverage is being brought back to life! Local stations are working with the Buffalo Broadcasters Association to bring back the stories that helped define the Niagara Frontier. It’s called The Archive Project, and I support it with all my heart! So should you.”]
Buffalo's Immigrants : the American Dream
Buffalo (N.Y.)--Emigration and immigration
Immigrants--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
Ellis Island Immigration Station (N.Y. and N.J.) -- History.
A 5-part series hosted by Rich Newberg that traces the lives of European immigrants who passed through Ellis Island in the early 1900s, settling in Buffalo. Common themes of sacrifice and love of country are reflected by local family members of Polish, German, Irish, Italian, and Jewish descent.
Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Reporter)
Mombrea, Mike Sr. (Photographer, Editor)
Gangs--New York (State)--Buffalo
Teenagers--New York (State)--Buffalo
Gang members on Buffalo's Lower West Side were getting recruited at younger ages as gang violence was on the increase. WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg and photographer Mike Mombrea Jr. spent a week on the streets of these neighborhoods. Their findings were that young teenagers were engaging in violence for the sake of violence alone, and that they had little regard for their own futures or those of their neighbors. "There is a ruthlessness on the streets, on a growing scale," observes Newberg, "that's new to our city."
Paige, Lenny
Vaudeville--New York (State)--Buffalo
Entertainers--New York (State)--Buffalo
New York (State)--History
Five part series featuring memories from some of Buffalo's vaudeville and nightclub entertainers of the 1940's and 1950's, including Tony Ode, former master of ceremonies at McVan's nightclub, and Lenny Paige, former MC at the Town Casino. Second portion of video is Rich Newberg's extended interview with Lenny Paige, who was friends with many of the nation's top entertainers.
Beauchamp, Steve (Photographer, Editor)
Live reports from St. Peter's Square during the funeral of Pope John Paul II, who died on April 2, 2005. WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg and Chief Photographer Mike Mombrea Jr. find Western New York pilgrims among the millions of mourners who flocked to Vatican City to say goodbye to a pope who would later become a saint in the Catholic Church. Interviews also feature Sr. Mary Raymond Kasprzak, a Buffalo native who is head of all 2,200 Felician sisters in the world, as well as New York Governor George Pataki. Newberg and Mombrea devote a report to the deep ties between the late pope and Western New Yorkers, including Ann Odre, who was wounded by the same bullet that struck the pope during an assassination attempt on May 13, 1981. The final report in this series jumps ahead to Buffalo's reaction following the April 27, 2014 declaration by Pope Francis, making John Paul II a saint.
Sliwa, Curtis, 1954-
Sliwa, Lisa
Guardian Angels (Organization)
Crime prevention--United States--Citizen participation
When crime fighters who wore red berets appeared on the mean streets of Buffalo in the early 1980s, people wanted to know more about the young crime fighters calling themselves the Guardian Angels. Their leaders, Curtis and Lisa Sliwa, invited WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg and photographer Mike Mombrea Jr. to cover the group's activities in the Bronx, where they began organizing subway safety patrols in 1979. Newberg got an up close and personal view of the Sliwas, who lived in poverty on Manhattan's Lower East Side. They lived on $9,000 dollars in 1982 and didn't own a car or have life insurance. They called their apartment "The Roach Motel." Yet they were effective in organizing chapters in big cities including Toronto and Cleveland. Sliwa was shunned by Buffalo Mayor Jimmy Griffin when he accused city officials and police of taking payola in the areas of prostitution and drug dealing. Griffin said Sliwa could not produce evidence that this existed. Interviews include Buffalo Police Commissioner James Cunningham, Curtis and Lisa Sliwa.
Mombrea, Mike, Sr. (Photographer, Editor)
Sliwa, Curtis (Guardian Angels Founder)
Sliwa, Lisa (Guardian Angels Founder)
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968
African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--Economic conditions
African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--Social conditions
Buffalo civil rights leaders reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King's dream vs. reality. Revisits the urban riots of the turbulent 1960s. The series raises the question: Are Buffalo's African American citizens better off now than they were during those times? Segments feature reflections from William Gaiter, George Arthur, Jim Pitts. There is archival footage of black leaders of the B.U.I.L.D. organization confronting Mayor Frank Sedita about the need to create jobs. Black Buffalo police Lt. John Eberhart says he joined the Buffalo Police Department in the 1960s as an act of self-defense, “to keep myself from the police.” Former Buffalo police officer Ted Kirkland reflects on his federal lawsuit against the city over the lack of black officers on the force. Former Buffalo School Board president Florence Baugh recalls the condition of the schools before desegregation. She calls desegregation “the most exciting social revolution occurring in the City of Buffalo.” School Superintendent Eugene Reville said English and math scores are up, while the drop out rate is down. The suspension rate for black students, however, was twice as high as that of white students.
Panama—History—American Invasion, 1989
Drug control -- Latin America.
Drug control -- United States.
Military assistance, American.
In 1992 crews from the 914 Tactical Airlift Group out of Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station were deployed to Panama for a multipurpose mission. The C-130 cargo crews took Part in a drug interdiction operation, as well as providing aid to an orphanage and helping to build a school. 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.
Woodson, Paul (Photographer, editor)
Nolf, Neil (Niagara Falls Airbase Public Affairs Officer)
Copyright held by WIVB-TV. 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 expressed written permission of 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.
The Buffalo Firefighters Story: A 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.
SEGMENT 1: 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)
Mongiovi, Rachele (Reporter)
The Morning After: The Demise of the Courier Express
Buffalo (N.Y.)--History--Newspapers.
Buffalo, New York became a one newspaper town on September 19, 1982. It lost The Courier Express, the popular morning and Sunday newspaper that had begun publishing in 1926. 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.
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)
Wigginton, Chris (Photographer, Editor)
Cantwell, Bill (Photographer)
Santana, Dave (Photographer)
Ayers, Don (Technical Staff)
Clemons, Mickey (Technical Staff)
Johnson, Rex (Technical Staff)
Kerner, Kathy (Technical Staff)
Pels, Godon (Technical Staff)