Category: PostNews

ELMA N.Y. (WIVB) – The head of a Western New York church is stepping up to help Ukrainian refugees. Saint Gabriel’s Parish in Elma raised thousands of dollars for those seeking shelter in Poland.

“There’s a strong Ukrainian community here in our city and they’re working hard to support their people,” said Fr. John Mitka from the church. “We’re just one little effort to help support these people at this particular time in their lives, while they’re going through really horrific war and so forth.”

“We are church, and Ukrainians’ church too. We all one body, When one member suffers, we’re all suffering,” he said. “And especially during this lent season, when Jesus is calling us to do something for others.”

When Fr. Walter Grabowski found out his niece and her husband, who live in Poland, needed supplies to help people in Ukraine, he turned to his parishioners, who donated without hesitation.

“Everything that we do to support the needy, people respond immediately,” he said. “They say Buffalo is the City of Good Neighbors.”

The church has collected around $25,000 dollars already, and donations keep coming in from across Western New York. Fr. Walter already wired the first round of donations to his niece in Przemyśl, Poland.

“My family lives on the borderline of Ukraine, and they do all kinds of help to those refugees, mothers, children, everybody,” Fr. Walter said. “Even sending stuff to Ukraine because they need things like medication and basic, basic things that we take for granted.”

The church is still accepting donations. For more information click here.

CAMBRIA, N.Y. (WIVB) – Anyone who has filled up their gas tank in the last week knows that fuel prices are skyrocketing. But those record prices don’t just impact your checking account. Families, small businesses, and even governments are taking a close look at how the rising costs impact their budgets.

At Seabert Farms in Cambria, for example, the tractors that run on diesel will be used more and more in coming weeks as the weather turns. A lot of the machinery they use also runs on fuel.

“It’s definitely going to have an effect,” said Kyle Seabert. “How much? We don’t know yet. It’s a little early to tell.”

While some of his prices may go up, Seabert doesn’t believe increasing them across the board is the only answer.

“It’s an answer, but I think trying to cut costs on our end is also very important detail,” he said.

“As far as using the machinery out in the field for weeding, maybe we’ll have to go out ourselves and weed by hand to try to keep that gas price down,” the farmer added. “Maybe not taking as many trips into town to make deliveries. Maybe trying to lump them all in – one morning hitting a couple spots at once instead of going every day.”

On Tuesday, the average cost for a gallon of gas in Buffalo was $4.30, according to AAA. That’s a record. Statewide and national averages were also at record highs. While people are paying more for gas, more of their tax dollars also might be spent at the pump.

Governments use fuel too. In Niagara County, officials estimate they use 226,000 gallons of fuel each year, including 52,000 gallons of diesel.

Hamburg Town Supervisor Randy Hoak conceded high gas costs have an effect on the town’s budget. He says the most expensive fuel cost for the town comes from the police fleet. In 2021, Hoak says the town spent $190,000 to gas up its squad cars. In 2022, $175,000 was budgeted.

“If the prices continue at the rate they are now, we will be $42,000 short in our budget for fuel in the police department,” the town supervisor said.

While some people may be able to cut down on driving to mitigate the impact of fuel costs, Hoak pointed out the police force doesn’t have that option. But there may be other ways to move money around. Hoak is planning to work with the finance department to fill whatever gap exists.

“If we don’t have any snow for the rest of this season and our numbers are lower for our highway department, then we’ll have a little bit more flexibility,” he said.

Meanwhile, Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa said that town’s police force has switched to hybrid vehicles, helping to mitigate impact.

(WIVB) — The 100 deadliest days for teen drivers are still months away, but there’s already been two fatal crashes in Western New York involving young drivers this year.

The first claimed the lives of two 19-year-olds from Lancaster.

Lancaster Police say the driver, who is also 19, is still in the hospital fighting for his life. The crash is still under investigation and police won’t say if speed was a factor.

“That’s still stuff that’s all being determined by the experts that really look into that stuff,” Lancaster Police Lieutenant Jonathan Ziders said. “They’ll take measurements and look at the impact of the vehicle.”

The second crash involved two 17-year-olds. They died Monday after their vehicle hit a tree on Delaware Road in the Town of Clarence.

Ziders said with the winter breaking and spring around the corner, young drivers need to be extra careful.

“Some of the biggest dangers involving teens generally are speed, distractions, which also includes passengers and reckless driving,” said Ziders.

Local health experts say when helping your teen or young adult with managing their grief, it’s important to listen.

Really encourage your young adults to talk. Really encourage them to talk. If they won’t talk to you, which is sometimes the case, talk to a friend, maybe there’s a group of people who can get together at someone’s house to talk about their feelings in a mini session. If the young adult doesn’t want to talk at all with the parent, maybe go out and buy a journal, and give it to the young adult. And say ‘I know you don’t want to, but write down your feelings and if at any time you want to share that with me, I’m here for you.’ But don’t deny their feelings, that’s huge.”

Dr. Wendy Weinstein, BryLin Behavioral Health System psychiatrist

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WVIB) — “When I said it’s my life’s purpose to heal, to inspire and to connect, that’s so true,” said Tiffany Lewis. “And it hit me one morning at 3:33.”

Lewis grew up on the East Side of Buffalo with big dreams. She lived with her single mother and older brother.

“Seeing my mom as an educator in a marginalized community showed me resilience,” she said. “It showed me that through all of life’s challenges you can still be a woman of influence.”

After graduating from Hutch Tech, Lewis attended Erie Community College and transferred to Ashworth College in Georgia. She went on to work in city government — private investigations, real estate, and later in life, became the first woman of color in Western New York to earn an esthetics license.

“Skin, right, is the largest organ of the body,” she said. “And with that being said it’s not just about skin, it’s the overall health and wellness of a person’s body. So over 10 years ago, I decided to get into esthetics because I always wanted to help others.”

Shortly after, Lewis got into a bad car accident and couldn’t perform a lot of skincare services for the time being. She started speaking to youth about inner beauty, and it was during an event in Niagara Falls she discovered her calling.

“A young lady came up to me and said, ‘I need you to come back,'” Lewis recalled. “She never said, ‘I wanted you to come back,’ she said, ‘I need you to come back.’ And that to me was a call for action”

That’s when Confident Girl Mentoring was born: a safe space for young girls to talk about trauma — including domestic violence, abuse and food insecurity.

“It’s important that young people have someone that they can trust, and I’m fortunate to be in that position that youth can trust me to be a guide or a role model,” Lewis said.

The programs are inspired by what the girls are interested in talking about.

“It reminds me of something that I didn’t have growing up, you know — that voice, right? And to hear those stories from young girls, even when I’m out in public and they’re running up to me, ‘Oh, Miss Tiffany,’ I’m like, ‘Wait, hi!'” she said. “So the reward in itself is seeing a young girl to say, ‘Hey I thank you, I appreciate you.'”

Lewis also started National Youth Confidence Day back in 2017, with hers being chosen out of 18,000 applicants. It’s celebrated on Oct. 20 across the country.

She’s trained with Michelle Obama’s esthetician and worked with the Buffalo Bills. She’s also the chairwoman for the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women, and her list of accolades go on and on. Moving forward, Lewis says her work is unlimited, as there are always more opportunities to help others succeed.

“The sky is the limit,” she said. “And once you’re connected, you do have access to unlimited opportunities to be your best self and to keep pushing and to keep growing. And for me I figured out my life’s purpose is to heal to inspire and to connect.

I’m not a carrier of my wounds but I am a carrier of wisdom because of the trauma that I’ve went through.”

The post Introducing Melinda Buckley, finalist for the 2022 ATHENA Leadership Award appeared first on Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Erie County District Attorney’s office filed a misdemeanor charge under Public Health Law against a South Buffalo landlord, who was arraigned Tuesday morning.

MD Abedin, 53, is accused of continuing to rent a residential property that was in violation of a County Department of Health order after a child tenant tested positive for lead exposure. According to the DA’s office, this is only the second case prosecuted since the law was enacted in 2014, the first being prosecuted in March 2019. The defendant in that case pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Abedin was arraigned on one count of willful violation of health laws, under Public Health Law Section 12-B (1), an unclassified misdemeanor. He has been accused of failing to comply with the law by continuing to allow people to live at his Hammerschmidt Avenue property between July 12, 2019 and Nov. 30, 2021, knowingly violating a Department of Health order.

On July 3, 2019, the department was reportedly notified of a child with elevated blood lead levels at the residence, and a public health sanitarian inspected the residence. The DA’s office said the sanitarian attempted to work with the landlord to correct the violations, but on October 22, 2020, a “Do Not Allow Occupancy of Dwelling Unit” notice was posted on the residence, then unoccupied, indicating the property must remain vacant until it was inspected again and approved by the Health Department.

On Nov. 6, 2020, a sanitarian allegedly returned to the residence and said the notice had been removed from the front door and the residence was occupied. The sanitarian reportedly re-posted the notice, which is said to have been removed again prior to the sanitarians’ return on Dec. 18, 2020, when the notice was posted once again.

Abedin is scheduled to return on March 31 at 9:30 a.m. for further proceedings. He was released on his own recognizance as the charge is non-qualifying for bail.

“I want the residents of Erie County to know that I take this crime seriously as there are potential lifelong consequences for the children who are exposed to this toxic substance,” said DA John Flynn. “Any landlord who fails to comply with public health law and knowingly exposes their tenants, especially innocent children, to lead will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Flynn also encouraged anyone with a concern about lead exposure in their residence to contact the Department of Health immediately at (716) 961-6800.

The BNP works closely with government leaders to keep them informed of employer challenges and to advocate for policy that would ease the workforce crisis. The BNP supports legislation that expands access to education and training, makes quality childcare more accessible, removes barriers to workforce participation, and reforms our immigration system to meet our region’s workforce needs. The BNP has been in frequent communication with the Governor’s office about workforce challenges. We were pleased to see the Governor responded to those concerns by including numerous workforce policy changes in her Executive Budget proposal. The BNP recently wrote to the Governor and state lawmakers applauding many of those changes. Read our letter here. 

The Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition, a collective of regional chambers including the BNP, recently released its 2022 Policy Priorities. The agenda makes suggestions for federal policy to help ease the workforce crisis. They include expanding Pell Grants to short-term training programs, investing in apprenticeship and workforce training programs, increasing H-1B visa caps, and pursuing place-based immigration policies to meet the needs of our regional labor market. Read the full agenda here. 

The post Workforce Policy Update March 2022 appeared first on Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The unionization votes pertaining to three local Starbucks stores will be counted on Wednesday.

Starbucks Workers United, the organizing group for employees seeking to unionize, says the vote will take place at 3 p.m. These are the stores in question:

Amherst (Sheridan and Bailey)Cheektowaga (Walden and Anderson)Depew (Transit and French)

Unionization votes delayed at 3 area Starbucks stores

This comes after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) denied Starbucks’ request for review of the board’s order to hold the elections.

Of the 20 stores in the Buffalo market, two have already successfully unionized, becoming the first of Starbucks’ nearly 9,000 in the United States to do so. The first was on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. Cheektowaga’s Genesee Street store followed.

The third store to unionize isn’t anywhere near the other two. Located in Mesa, Arizona employees there voted to unionize on February 25.

Just days after the start of the new year, workers at the nation’s first unionized Starbucks walked off the job. Starbucks Workers United says it was due to “unsafe working conditions.”

The store became unionized the month prior.

To unionize, a store needs a majority vote, which means just over 50 percent.

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. (WIVB) – St. Bonaventure has found a replacement for university president Dr. Dennis DePerro.

Dr. Jeff Gingerich was announced Tuesday as the 22nd president in school history. He is currently the provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs at the University of Scranton.

Gingerich will replace Dr. Joseph Zimmer, who has served as acting president since DePerro died in March 2021 following a battle with Covid-19. His term begins June 20.

“Seldom in life do you see so many points of interest intersect on one conclusion, but in this case, all facets of the university community converged on a singular belief — that Jeff should be our next president,” said John Sheehan, chair of St. Bonaventure’s Board of Trustees.

Canisius College announces DePaul’s Steve Stoute as next president

St. Bonaventure will introduce Gingerich at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the university’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Members of the campus community are invited to attend.

According to a press release, the university’s trustees were unanimous in their selection of Gingerich.

“I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity I’ve been given to join the Bonaventure community,” Gingerich said. “I have always had such deep respect and admiration for the Franciscans. Their humility, reflection and sense of community are fundamental in the way I strive to live my life.”

Memorial mass held for late St. Bonaventure President Dr. Dennis DePerro

Before Scranton, Gingerich spent more than 18 years at Cabrini University in suburban Philadelphia, where he taught in the Department of Sociology and Criminology (2005-18) and served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs (2014-18), St. Bonaventure said in a press release. He also had stints as acting president at Scranton and Cabrini, which are both Catholic institutions. 

Gingerich is also co-executive editor of “Praxis: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Faith and Justice,” a scholarly journal founded to advance the intersection of theory and practice in the pursuit of social justice through faith traditions, the school said in its release.

Before entering higher education, Gingerich spent six years as a voluntary service worker in New Orleans, coordinating conflict resolution programming at the Twomey Center for Peace through Justice at Loyola University.

Sullivan: Joe Manhertz has big-time experience. Can it help him lift St. Bonaventure athletics to the next level?

“The man starts his career serving the poor in New Orleans. How incredible is that?” said Michael Hill, who co-chaired the search committee. “What better role model could we have for our students?

“One of the friars stopped me at the Beef ‘N’ Barrel (restaurant) and by then he had seen all of the candidates,” Hill added. “So I asked him, ‘What are your general impressions so far?’ And he told me, ‘That guy walks with (Saint) Francis.’ That comment was representative of the views of many trustees – that he’ll fit seamlessly into a place as special as Bonaventure.”

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The stage is set at D’Youville’s Kavinoky Theatre for the 2022-2023 season. Season tickets for Rock of Ages, Misery, The Play That Goes Wrong, Network, and The Sound Inside are available now.

The theatre was completely renovated during the COVID-19 pandemic and fits around 230 people.

Student, senior, and military member discounts are available.