City of Good Neighbors

[WhoTom]

Way to go, Buffalo!

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/25/us/snow-storm-korean-tourists.html

 

Quote

A South Korean tour group’s van became stuck in the snow outside a house in Williamsville, N.Y. They spent the weekend with the homeowners — who luckily had a well-stocked kitchen.

 

The visitors — seven women and three men — filled the three-bedroom house, sleeping on couches, sleeping bags, an air mattress and in the home’s guest bedroom. The other travelers included parents with their daughter, an Indiana college student, and two college-age friends from Seoul. Three of them spoke English proficiently.

 

They spent the weekend swapping stories, watching the Buffalo Bills defeat the Chicago Bears on Christmas Eve ...

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by WhoTom

[Dan Darragh]

From today's Wall Street Journal:

 

Craig Elston, who owns C&C Cutz in downtown Buffalo, said he kept his barbershop open during the storm and sent out a message on social media telling anyone without heat or power to come over. About 25 people came to the shop, he said.

 

The first person who visited said he had walked for an hour after the heat and power went out in his house. “‘Let me in; I’m going to die,’” Mr. Elston said the man told him. Mr. Elston said the man had “frostbite on his fingers and his face was really red.”

 

Mr. Elston said 10 people spent the night in the shop on Friday and nine on Saturday. Mr. Elston spent what money he had on Hot Pockets from a corner store that was still open.

 

Full story here (paywall): https://www.wsj.com/articles/deep-freeze-envelops-u-s-for-another-day-11671982084

Edited December 26, 2022 by Dan Darragh

[Big Turk]

If anyone ever asks what is so special about WNY, just have them read this story. Pretty much perfectly sums up this area and this is the type of stuff that is almost expected to happen during these type of situations.

 

Simply put this, this is WNY in a nutshell.

[Just Jack]

There's also this story about Target on Walden letting people stay there

 

Stranded motorists have blizzard slumber party at Target on Walden Avenue (buffalonews.com)

[Not at the table Karlos]

6 hours ago, Big Turk said:

If anyone ever asks what is so special about WNY, just have them read this story. Pretty much perfectly sums up this area and this is the type of stuff that is almost expected to happen during these type of situations.

 

Simply put this, this is WNY in a nutshell.

Then there's WIVB taking pics and doing stories about the people stuck in front of their station and telling them nope can't come in stay in your cars. They may have let people in after people started calling them out

[BuffaloMatt]

That's what Bills Mafia is all about. 

[muppy]

I was raised to give back and help when needed since I was young. It goes back to that mentality of people from Buffalo and WNY. The kindness of strangers and empathy to help each other through adversity. 

 

It does not surprise me at all that attitude still exists and is present today. While some things change, some things stay the same 

 

we Rule 🙂 #home #716 #585

[Just Jack]

 

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Just Jack

[UConn James]

posted on the soulseeds FB page:
 

Edited December 28, 2022 by UConn James

[Nextmanup]

There's no doubt neighbors helping neighbors is a big part of life in WNY.

 

Especially when things get extra tough, people come out of the woodwork to help one another.

 

I can remember going out to the corner (we lived on a corner in the T of T) to chat with all the fathers/sons with shovels/snowblowers during all the big snow dumps, usually in peaceful quiet at night.  Big conference going on out there talking about the weather!  

 

We were all good friends, the kids all played together, the parents socialized together, and we all helped each other out as necessary.

 

A few houses where only old widows lived were always taken care of by SOMEONE and you would often find the new snowfall had already been taken care of by the guy with the biggest snow blower, saving my dad and myself some shoveling.

 

That's just how it was, and that's how it was consistently.

 

 

[Just Jack]

Video Snowmobile group rescues dozens amid Buffalo blizzard - ABC News (go.com)

[muppy]

Mainstream Media are loving to post the feel good stories comin out of Buffalo  on their channels. As well they should. So Great.

 

These kinds of stories can only breed more positivity I really think so. It  helps to restore peoples faith in humanity in general. It gives a person Hope and a witness that Love indeed can conquer all barriers may they be racial or political or whatever.  I like to call it Love in Action.   AND it is being shown across the world right now.

 

and as far as the looters they are desperate criminals whom have no honor or decency. every city has those.

 

Buffalo Strong

[muppy]

this came today from my sister in Bergen. Apparently the weather has indeed shifted. 😏

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

During the Blizzard of '77... My father stayed @ Fork's Firehall in Sloan/Cheektowaga off Broadway and Union. He was heading home south on Union, coming back from VA doctor appointment when a car got stuck under the Broadway viaduct on Union. He couldn't get around the Lady.  They had to abandon vehicles and go up to the firehall. I think a whole group of people were stuck there for about a week. 

13 hours ago, muppy said:

Mainstream Media are loving to post the feel good stories comin out of Buffalo  on their channels. As well they should. So Great.

 

These kinds of stories can only breed more positivity I really think so. It  helps to restore peoples faith in humanity in general. It gives a person Hope and a witness that Love indeed can conquer all barriers may they be racial or political or whatever.  I like to call it Love in Action.   AND it is being shown across the world right now.

 

and as far as the looters they are desperate criminals whom have no honor or decency. every city has those.

 

Buffalo Strong

Angry people do angry things.

Edited December 30, 2022 by ExiledInIllinois

[Wacka]

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

During the Blizzard of '77... My father stayed @ Fork's Firehall in Sloan/Cheektowaga off Broadway and Union. He was heading home south on Union, coming back from VA doctor appointment when a car got stuck under the Broadway viaduct on Union. He couldn't get around the Lady.  They had to abandon vehicles and go up to the firehall. I think a whole group of people were stuck there for about a week. 

 

In 77, my uncle was going home to Alden and got stuck in Lancaster. I don't know which one it was at but he and about 20 people including a  cop or two got stuck at an elementary school. He said the cop had pull a gun on two women to get them to get out of their car and into the school.  They broke into the cafeteria and  had enough to eat.

Edited December 30, 2022 by Wacka

[Demongyz]

Saw this article.  I'm not a Buffalonian but thought I would share with those who are.

Merry Christmas Jay

 

Really good folks out there in Buffalo.

[muppy]

7 hours ago, Demongyz said:

Saw this article.  I'm not a Buffalonian but thought I would share with those who are.

Merry Christmas Jay

 

Really good folks out there in Buffalo.

Not just good but Smart too. HERO!~!!! Survival instinct kicked in. He did what he had to do!

Edited December 30, 2022 by muppy

[Just Jack]

Buffalo Couple Feeds 130 Strangers During Blizzard on Christmas (insider.com)

Quote

 

Al Robinson is a pastor with the Spirit Of Truth Urban Ministry in the Buffalo neighborhood of Lovejoy. He and his wife Vivien live on the church campus.

Robinson told TODAY that he and Vivien had initially planned to spend Christmas weekend with their nine children, who were visiting from out of town. They stocked up on food for their family, but upon learning of trapped residents in their neighborhood, the couple decided to switch plans.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by Just Jack

[Just Jack]

10 hours ago, Demongyz said:

Saw this article.  I'm not a Buffalonian but thought I would share with those who are.

Merry Christmas Jay

 

Really good folks out there in Buffalo.

 

 

He's been found...

 

Buffalo man Jay Withey known as 'Merry Christmas Jay' hailed hero for rescuing people in winter storm (nypost.com)

[Beck Water]

Another heart-warming story

 

https://buffalonews.com/news/local/bangladeshi-community-rescued-sheltered-and-fed-hundreds-affected-by-blizzard-and-racked-up-4-500/article_344297d2-8799-11ed-9935-7f850480b1b6.html

 

Hope their fines are cancelled because of the lives they saved and helped, just as "Merry Christmas Jay" will not be prosecuted.

 

If not, some of our players were saying they were looking for a way to chip in - quietly paying fines for anyone ticketed whilst helping others would be nice

Edited December 31, 2022 by Beck Water

[ExiledInIllinois]

19 hours ago, Beck Water said:

Another heart-warming story

 

https://buffalonews.com/news/local/bangladeshi-community-rescued-sheltered-and-fed-hundreds-affected-by-blizzard-and-racked-up-4-500/article_344297d2-8799-11ed-9935-7f850480b1b6.html

 

Hope their fines are cancelled because of the lives they saved and helped, just as "Merry Christmas Jay" will not be prosecuted.

 

If not, some of our players were saying they were looking for a way to chip in - quietly paying fines for anyone ticketed whilst helping others would be nice

That's the thing about driving bans in stuff like this. How does one save people.

 

You'd... Think maybe they should start a program like volunteer fireman. Or maybe like a Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGA) program. Sanction certain groups to aid in rescue by first checking their private equipment and vehicles to make sure they pass rigorous standards to survive in the snow. Just like on the water. Then, when a storm kicks up... Emergency Services has auxiliary to help. 

 

Just saying... Something has got to change. As much as driving bans help... They may be killing people too!

Edited December 31, 2022 by ExiledInIllinois

[WhoTom]

41 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

That's the thing about driving bans in stuff like this. How does one save people.

 

You'd... Think maybe they should start a program like volunteer fireman. Or maybe like a Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGA) program. Sanction certain groups to aid in rescue by first checking their private equipment and vehicles to make sure they pass rigorous standards to survive in the snow. Just like on the water. Then, when a storm kicks up... Emergency Services has auxiliary to help. 

 

Just saying... Something has got to change. As much as driving bans help... They may be killing people too!

 

I don't know if it applies in this scenario, but when the Dept of Homeland Security was created, they started a program called CERT: Community Emergency Response Teams. Each community's law-enforcement agency would train civilians to help first responders. When I taught at a college, I was part of the campus CERT. Our campus police dept trained us in search-and-rescue, triage, and other stuff. (Not rescuing people in a snowstorm, however.) We all received certification in basic first aid, CPR, fire extinguishing, and using a Stryker Chair. We were given a backpack of equipment and told to keep it in our offices and be ready to respond if we were called.

 

Seems like the same concept could be used here, with the conditions you suggested.

[Pete]

When I describe how great it is as growing up in the city of great neighbors- when my family went on away for vacation, we would return to a freshly cut lawn.  Our 80 year old neighbor would cut our lawn while we were away