Buffalo’s Pop Culture Heritage 83 - Buffalo Stories Archives & Blog

Buffalo in the ’80s: Laid-off GM workers ‘starting over down south’

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Buffalo News Reporter Mike Beebe visited with the 150 families as they “started over down South”; that is, moved from Western New York to Shreveport, La. The men were all looking for work after being laid off from the General Motors foundry in Tonawanda.

Beebe wrote a five-part series, several installments of which are spotlighted here:

News series to follow workers from GM foundry to Sun Belt (April 27, 1984)

“What would it be like in a new job in a new part of the country? How easy would it be to pull up your roots and transplant them to the Sun Belt? Would Buffalonians … be welcome in Louisiana? These are the questions that News Reporter Mike Beebe will attempt to answer in a human and often touching series calling ‘Starting Over Down South.’ “

Transplanted GM employees pick up pieces of a new life (April 29, 1984)

“‘We’ll give the place a try,’ says Mary Zulewski, who traveled to Shreveport last week from Hamburg to visit her husband, Tom, and look for a new house. ‘We’ve known all our lives — our home, our friends, and our family back home — but we’re going to give it a try.’ “

Culture shock, loneliness are facts of Shreveport life (April 30, 1984)

” ‘This is a lot cleaner, you’re not always breathing foundry dust. … But there are a lot of guys down here, willing to breathe that dust and grime to be home with their families.’

Buffalo in the ’00s: WNY’s ‘American Idol’ booted

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

It has been 10 years since Amherst teen John Stevens was voted off Fox’s “American Idol.” A decade later, you may remember the red-headed crooner who went on to become a member of the Beantown Swing Orchestra, but do you remember the controversy on what was then among the most popular TV shows in America?

Judge Simon Cowell said Stevens took “every bullet … like a man.” Both Dale Anderson and Alan Pergament wrote about Stevens’ final appearance on “Idol” in Gusto in 2004. Since then, Stevens has continued singing in the same style that gained him the unique combination of praise and dissension on Fox.

Stevens’ ‘Idol’ run leads to the exit

“The 16-year-old crooner from East Amherst, who reached the final six in Fox’s live televised talent competition despite weeks of unflattering vocal assignments, sour comments from the judges and howls of protest from music critics across the nation, finally was voted off the show.”

A memorable ‘Idol’

“Simon Cowell is labeled the cruel judge because of his brutal honesty, but Cowell actually earned my admiration for the way he handled things Tuesday.

“First he credited Stevens for taking ‘every bullet’ like a man. Even Cowell’s crack that Stevens and Latin music go together “like chocolate ice cream and an onion” could be viewed as an acknowledgment that performing Gloria Estefan’s music put him at a disadvantage.”

More recently, Buffalo native Carlton Smith made the show’s final 25 during the 2014 season of “Idol.” The 26-year-old spent most of his childhood on Highgate Avenue on the East Side, where his grandmother and sister still live.

Buffalo in the ’70s: Courts crack down on Buffalo’s no-show employees

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Streets Department employees were accused of conspiracy in the alleged hiring of “no-show” employees and then in the alleged covering up of the fact that, for three years, an Ash & Garbage Division employee never showed up for work.

April 29, 1974: ‘No show,’ paid 3 years, never knew job, jury told

“A ‘no show’ employee was on the city payroll for three years before he learned what he was supposed to do and what door he was supposed to enter to get to his non-existent job, according to testimony given today in the State Supreme Court trail of Cyril O’Connell.”

Buffalo in the ’40s: Father & son baseball stars

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Dr. William T. Clark, a former Buffalo Bisons pitcher and the director of Meyer Memorial Hospital (now ECMC), is photographed with his son Bill Jr., a pitcher for Amherst High School.

April 29, 1984: Son of ex-Bison hurler carries on: Bill Clark Jr. pitches no-hit game

“Dr. Clark hurled for Buffalo in the International League in 1924. Today, he is proud of the achievement of his son, Bill, 16, a sophomore at Amherst Central School, who, for the second time in as many years gained credit for the season’s opening no-hit, no-run game.”

Buffalo in ’40s: Albright Art Gallery opens series featuring Burchfield paintings

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

On April 28, 1999, News Reporter Tom Buckham took a look at a Burchfield watercolor that had come up for auction on a website “known as Ebay.” Fifty-five years earlier, the Albright (not yet -Knox) Art Gallery opened a series of comparisons between Burchfield paintings and photos of the scenes painted. Included in the series is a Wadsworth Street home in Buffalo.

The art center bearing the name of the renowned artist, who lived much of his life in Buffalo, has been a part of the arts renaissance in the city. In 2013, the Burchfield Penny Art Center, at 1300 Elmwood Ave., celebrated five years across the street from the Albright-Knox.

Camera, artist record scene differently

“The different languages spoken by the camera lens and the artist’s brush are illustrated in these two versions of the same scene in Wadsworth Street near Days Park.”

Buffalo in the ’90s: Mayor looks for more say in schools

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Since the current system of an elected school board has been in place, every Buffalo mayor has asked for the power to appoint members to the board in an effort to save struggling city schools. Mayor Byron W. Brown took it a step further, speaking this February (2014) of possible mayoral control of Buffalo Schools.

In 1999, Mayor Anthony M. Masiello wanted to name two members of the board.

Masiello asks Legislature for power to appoint two school board members

“The mayor announced his plan Tuesday from the city’s new telecommunications center at City Hall during a joint news conference with the co-sponsors of an education reform bill that would grant the mayor that and more when it comes to managing city schools.”

In 1974, the Buffalo School Board transitioned from an appointed body to an elected one. Even as the change was occurring, experts weren’t sure it would solve all the problems. Gary Stranges’ article in The News makes clear that many involved in seeking the switch from an appointed Board of Education to an elected body knew the issues facing school leaders were decades old.

Buffalo in the ’90s: Coast Guard approves building twin span to Peace Bridge

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Douglas Turner reported from Washington that after some delay, the Coast Guard approved the building of a twin span to the current Peace Bridge.

Coast Guard approves building twin span

“The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday approved the Peace Bridge Authority’s plan to “twin” the existing 1927 bridge and will issue a construction permit to the authority in the next few days.”

Sens. Charles Schumer and Daniel Patrick Moynihan voiced disappointment, as they joined many other elected officials in seeking a signature span. The next day, Patrick Lakamp reported that Common Council President James Pitts was ready to sue to stop the building of a twin span. Years later, the planning continues:

City officials begin moving to block twin span

“Pitts also said he plans to invite authority officials to his next Super Span Signature Bridge Task Force meeting to talk about the easements the authority needs from the city.

“The easements are needed because the Peace Bridge twin would cross a parcel of city land.

” ‘If they want to talk about the easements, they have to come to the meeting,’ said Pitts, who views the session as a chance to discuss an alternative design with the authority.”

Buffalo in the ’40s: Orphans & eye strain

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Most of what was written in the paper in 1944 had to do, in some way, with World War II. Even if not directly about the fighting, the backdrop of the war was apparent in every day-to-day task in Buffalo and around the country.

Thomas Webster was an orphan of the London air raids, and he moved into his uncle’s home on Weyand Street off Seneca Street in South Buffalo.

April 28, 1944: Boy who lost parents in raid likes new home

“Deprived of parents by the Germans’ ruthless bombing of London …”

Sattler’s, meanwhile, was offering ideas for helping those with eye strain brought on by second jobs for the war effort.

April 28, 1944: A second front for your eyes!

“If your eyes are feeling the results of extra wartime use …”

Buffalo in the ’80s: A step closer to a Hamburg mall

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Hamburg Supervisor Jack Quinn was one of the parties agreeing to a complicated land deal that exchanged some land, preserved some park space and set the stage for the $50 million McKinley Mall.

Land swap paves way for Hamburg mall

“[The project] is still on target for a June, 1985 opening. … Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Co. will be the key tenants in the first phase.”

Buffalo in the ’60s: Thumbs up for Williamsville toll move

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Gov. Nelson Rockefeller was expected to sign a measure approving the moving of the Williamsville toll barrier to Depew.

But not so fast. Today, the toll barrier remains where it was in 1969.

However, not all tolls are as they were decades ago. A campaign led by Carl Paladino in 2006 was successful in removing the Ogden and Breckenridge tolls on the Niagara Thruway, saving drivers on the highway at the time $0.75.

April 25, 1969: Move of toll barrier in Williamsville passes Assembly with ease

“The new toll booths would be placed at the ramp leading to Exit 49, Depew. Many commuters from Amherst, Clarence, Lancaster and Cheektowaga thus will be able to reach downtown Buffalo by paying only one 15-cent toll instead of two.”