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Q&A:Cindy Battista

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by Melissa Shepard

Cindy Battista knew she had a calling for hospitality and had the drive to make it happen. After hearing a heart-warming story from a colleague, she knew exactly what she had to do. And that was when she started Grace Guest House, a place for families to stay in times of need to relax and get the rest and assistance they need. Before Battista started Grace Guest House, she worked for National Fuel for 30 years, starting as a secretary then eventually getting into management. She went to ECC and got her Associates degree, then went to Buffalo State where she got her bachelor’s degree. She was going to go to law school at the University of Buffalo, but got the opportunity to work at National Fuel, so she took a different path. Grace Guest House serves families in need, whether they need a place to stay when they are receiving treatment, visiting loved ones in the hospital, or anything generally medical related. To cover the cost of their stay, there is a suggested donation amount. Some people can’t always afford to pay for a place to stay, and Grace Guest House understands that. They’re there to serve you during times of hardship. The scribe sat down with Battista to discuss her work.

The Scribe: What inspired you to start the Grace House?

Cindy Battista: Grace House was inspired ultimately by a colleague’s son’s motorcycle crash down in North Carolina, so that was the ultimate inspiration. The original inspiration was a calling that I had to do something in my community. I knew it would be something in hospitality, but I didn’t have clarity on what kind of hospitality it was. When my daughter was a student in Boston in college, I thought maybe I’m supposed to house starving artists because I knew she would be one, one day. Ha-ha. I had actually looked at this space thinking, oh, this might be great for that and the church next door could be a practice place, but it didn’t resonate. It didn’t feel right. I kept thinking and thinking and put it on the back burner until that one conversation with my colleague when he came back from North Carolina and sort of abruptly said when I thought a conversation was over, “Cindy, you have to hear about the house we stayed in”. They drove down not thinking about not where they were going to stay. Their son was pronounced dead three times, and this house they stayed in was a blessing to them. They had transportation like we do as well as food and lodging. It was him sharing that for what is ultimately now Grace Guest House.

TS: Your colleague’s story is eye opening. I’m glad he was so fortunate to have a place to stay. I think it’s important to feel at home and as comforted as possible during times of hardship. When did Grace Guest House first open its doors?

CB: We opened in November 2017. We had our first family stay with us that month. To date, we’ve served over 300 families.

TS: Wow! It must be interesting to meet all sorts of people and get to know them in their stories, but to also know that you are helping them and making a difference in their lives. What keeps you motivated when you face obstacles?

CB: Most of the obstacles came from 2013 to 2017 during the formative years. I would often hang my head and wonder why I thought I could do this. Then within a week or two someone would show up with that thing that I needed and help me get back up and keep going.

TS: Did you ever doubt that you were going to be able to keep things going?”

CB: I had powerful people in the city tell me this would never take up off the ground, which had me question my abilities and myself. But, now, when I see the number of families we served now and think that if I gave up where would these families had stayed. What would they have done? They might have stayed and slept in the waiting room or stayed home or not been able to get their cancer treatment or maybe they couldn’t afford a place to stay. If I had given up and taken the easy road to just not doing it, what would have these people done. I don’t know. I’m sure they would have gone somewhere, but the fact that they were able to stay here and to be embraced by our mission, embraced by the people who work here, and get a break is just humbling.

TS: That is so humbling. It’s an amazing thing that you started and are able to help so many families during their times of need. It’s a blessing. So, coming to the Grace House from National Fuel, where did you know to start?

CB: It was tough. When you experience a calling, I want to say it was from God, you can’t just forget about it. It drives you and motivates you. It’s just there. And how do you do it? I’m a self-starter. You just do it. I went home that night and started my search. I knew I needed to secure my domain, Facebook, anything to secure it all. Nothing about my experience or work experience prepared me to start a business or be an entrepreneur, yet everything did. Everything fed into allowing me to get to where I am, but not directly, it was more indirect through experiences. Life experiences and tools indirectly led all right up to it. I learned about hospitality from my husband’s family who are from Italy.

TS: That’s amazing. It’s inspiring to hear you say you had a calling and made it happen. How many people can say they’ve done that? As far as the grace house? How do you keep it running since it’s based off donations?

CB: Our program revenue is not nearly enough to sustain us. We’re staffed 24/7 which is a very big expense especially with minimum wage going up and continuing to rise. We try to stay ahead of that. We reach out to the community. We are supported by grants from foundations, big companies who understand what we’re doing and who make pledges as well as individuals who do that.

TS: I saw you have events coming up. Would you share more about those too?

CB: We have two events. We have Soiree on Seneca, which is a primary source of revenue for this time of the year. We raise money through ticket sales, the event itself, basket raffles, 50/50s. That will sustain us for a couple months. In the spring we hold the Light of Grace Breakfast. It’s a free breakfast to attend. It’s like the state of the union, except it’s the state of Grace. It’s a great way for people to hear the stories of the guests we served and see what we are up to. Then at the end it allows people the opportunity to make a recurring gift or donation if they desire.

TS: I can definitely see how things can start to get expensive. I hope the word about Grace Guest House and your mission continues to spread to the community and beyond. What kinds of exciting things are happening here? Are there any new changes?

CB: We just added a resident manager and that in itself is an interesting story. He came to us originally as a guest from the ECMC burn trauma unit. He was local, but his house burned down and when he was ready to be released he had no place to stay. The hospital called us and told us about his situation. They asked if we would allow him to stay with us.

TS: That is amazing. All of the new changes sound so exciting. Any final thoughts, you want the community to know about Grace? What can the community do to help you make a difference?

CB: In a big way we’re making this impact, but very quietly. The impact on these families, Melissa, they come from everywhere, all over the country. It’s amazing.. Also, if they want to do fundraising for us, that’s amazing. Maybe if they’re having a garage sale and want to donate the proceeds, we’re grateful. We would be so grateful. Sending a check or getting friends together and contributing a small amount helps too. It’s expensive to operate a house like this. Donations of products are always welcome. Fresh items are always needed. If you live in the neighborhood and could call us, and say hey, you need milk or yogurt? That sort of stuff, that’s expensive. It’s a home. Whatever you buy on your list for home, we probably need it here too. If you pick up one for you and pick up a second something for us, it helps. If people wanted to make meals and bring them in, especially freezable things, that makes things easier for us too. Getting word out about this into the community helps. Thank you so much, Melissa.

The community can contact us to volunteer or call the house at (716) 829-7240.

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Journalism Camp: Hilbert Cafeteria Held Up at Gunpoint

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Editor’s Note: This story was written as part of a breaking news exercise. No robbery took place at Hilbert College.

by Nick Pulinski, Leah Chlewicki, Grace Wenner

An armed robbery occurred at the Hilbert Campus cafeteria this afternoon. 

At approximately 1:30 pm a white male about 5’8” entered the dining hall wearing sunglasses and threatened a cashier with a supposed weapon. Vito Czyz, Director of Hilbert College Campus Safety, said the armed robber fled the area with approximately $250 in cash. 

“The suspect is not in custody, he is still at large,” Czyz said. “The Hamburg Police Department and the New York State Police are continuing to search.”  

A student in the cafeteria at the time was shaken up by the out of the ordinary activity at the small, liberal arts college.

“[He] said he had a gun or something, came up, asked for the money, threw it in a bag and just stormed out there, ran past everyone,” Ryan Zunner, a witness, said,  “It was a crazy scene.”

Czyz stated that Hamburg police were called to the scene and chased the suspect before losing him in a wooded area behind the school. He also added the campus was placed in a lockdown while police searched the location. 

“A Town of Hamburg Police Officer, who had happened to be nearby campus, pursued him and chased him through the woodline, which is adjacent to our practice fields,” Czyz said,  “[He] also fell and possibly broke his ankle in the woods and was taken to ACMC.”

Czyz asks the community to promote public safety by using established the police tip line when necessary; 1 (800) 723-3786.

 

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Journalism Camp: News About News

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WKBW

by Owen Rung

Have you ever wondered what goes on at the heart of a news station? In this article we follow Lanora Ziobrowski, who works at Channel 7 WKBW, on a tour of the building and what goes on there. We first go to a large room filled with multi-media journalists, journalists who film, edit and write all of their own work. We talk to one of those journalists, Ed Drantch, who also anchors the morning news

“I get up at 2:15[AM], and I get here at 3:30[AM],” says Drantch. “You got to love it to do it”. 

But they don’t just leave after they go on television. In fact, they have a regular workday where they research for stories. 

After, we explored a technical area with many screens and buttons. Here they have lists of when the commercials play, and what the commercials are. They also make sure everything is running okay on their channel.

 Lanora then guided us to the studios where they have a living room scene, an outdoor scene, and a fully functioning kitchen for shows with specific needs. Then, at the news studio we witness Madison Carter, the noontime news host, go live to talk about the upcoming heat. 

“We’re going to give you some tips on how to stay cool in dangerous temps,” says Carter.

We also saw meteorologist Aaron Mentkowski in front of a green screen to talk about the hot weather. He has a small screen off camera he references to see where he should point to, since all he can see, is green.

Outside, we see a gazebo, for outside videos, which Lanora claims that they are one of the few news stations where they can still choose to broadcast outside. A weather van is also outside, with an intricate satellite device on its roof. Lanora said that they can get the general weather from anywhere in this van. A lot can happen inside this building that many people don’t think twice, or even once, when watching the news.

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Journalism Camp: Canalside continues to grow

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Canalside

By Peyton Leftwich

On any given day in Canalside you can see families bustling around enjoying the boardwalk, the naval park and more opportunities that weren’t even imaginable just 15 years ago.

Canalside is a constantly developing place that is increasingly popular. Starting in 2004, buildings began springing up on the once desolate downtown area. Presently, a mix of new attractions and outdoor green space has attracted locals and tourists alike to the waterfront area. City planners and developers are also working toward creating new living and retail space.

Julie Tahan, a mother who was visiting her hometown from Princeton New Jersey, said that she has seen steady improvement downtown on her yearly trips home.

“I think back then and everybody thought Buffalo was a joke and in some ways that the downtown was kind of dying,” said Tahan. “It was just deserted buildings, so this has been a really nice transition.”

Chris Hawley, a city employee with the planning department, said that the Canalside history has been instrumental in renewing the popularity of the downtown area. Among the accomplishments a revitalized waterfront brings, the city will be able to rebuild a once influential neighborhood in the heart of downtown.

“If that’s successful I think we’ll have a completely different relationship culturally and economically between the citizens of Buffalo and the waterfront,” said Hawley.

Mary Katherine, a mother and museum member, said that Canalside is the place that comes to mind when she has a free day to go somewhere and do something with her children. 

“I grew up in Buffalo and I would have never come down here before,” Katherine said. “They’ve done so much, even just going for a walk around the water, this museum, there’s restaurants and it’s pretty awesome.”

Jeannine Weber-Kahabka is the marketing and public relations director at the Explore and More children’s museum. She said the museum’s canal exhibit not only provides children with a new experience, but also with some history on Buffalo. She wanted to make the exhibit more interactive-based, so it isn’t just a museum, it teaches the children to appreciate where they live, and it provides them with insight on the history of Buffalo.

“When children are exposed to something that they haven’t considered before, you’re turning on a switch of interest and nobody can turn that switch off,” said Weber- Kahabka. “I want children to learn about themselves and figure out what’s interesting to them. If you don’t expose a child to the consideration of becoming a lab technician or to finding the cure to cancer, they may never consider to take that path.”

 There are so many things that make Buffalo itself and Canalside has added a great amount of community and significance back to a once bustling area of the Queen City. 

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Journalism Camp: Young Stars Drive Excitement for Bisons

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Vlad

By Grace Wenner, Leah Chlewicki, Nick Pulinski

Sahlen Field is a stadium swaddled in the scrabble of skyway bridges and set amongst the developing rubble of urban construction, quaintly housing the Buffalo Bisons professional Minor League Baseball team. 

A Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, The Bisons serve as a farm team for the Canadian Major Leaguers. Toronto, which stands as a northern metropolis, was once in identical size to Buffalo, which now has to climb the ladder of popularity amongst it’s municipal competitors. 

Comparable to Buffalo’s growth of culture and community in the past decade, the Bison’s blessing of rookie players clawing at competitive success is proving Buffalo’s aspirations of economic and social prosperity, sealed with old American charm.

While baseball, or local sports of any nature, bring a competitive edge to the community’s entertainment industry, the residents of Buffalo recognize that there is much more color to the lifeblood of America’s favorite pastime. 

Buffalo, built on the grass-roots idea of American Industrialization, is appropriately fitted with a ballpark parallel to the early start of blue collar American culture. With the revival of Buffalo city sophistication, the team has been gifted with prodigy players.

Notably, Vlad Guerrero Jr., son of Hall-of-Famer Vlad Guerrero Sr., has been described as a “rare, unique, once in a lifetime opportunity,” by Brad Bisbing, the Director of Marketing & Public Relations.

“There has been nobody like him in the 32 years of this ballpark,” Bisbing adds. “The month that he was on, the traffic that our website would see was almost more than the next two minor teams combined.”

Guerrero, as well as Bishette, are ballpark prophets. Pat Malacaro, the Media Relations Manager and announcer, or commonly called the “Voice of the Bisons”, made note of the attention the Bisons received online from Guerrero and Bishette.

“Everyone wants to talk to him [Guerrero],” said Bisbing. “We make sure the players have what they need, and the media members have what they need. The sense of cooperation and humanity displayed by this group embodies Buffalo’s tone as a whole.

Buffalo’s adored trademark beer vendor of 48 years, self proclaimed as “Conehead” provides observation of audience reaction. Conehead’s title is explanatory in his headpiece, a nod to SNL’s popular 70’s skit.

“Obviously the team is playing much better,” he said. “Last year, the month of August, it was phenomenal. The excitement the young guys create […] he’s [Guerrero] got hall of fame written all over him.”

The success is written in the stats. Bichette, aged 21, thrives with a batting average of .327 in his Minor League career. Guerrero, only aged 20, tops with an average of .331. They prove themselves as prospering players in the numbers.

An authentic anticipation of success shown to the rising players is no stranger to the overwhelming anticipation of Buffalo’s own success. The blessing of baseball legends in the making mirrors the influx of attention downtown has been receiving, specifically, the curating and crafting of Canalside as a booming tourist attraction. The Queen City and the Bison’s adamant growth continue to prove themselves as a testament to Western New York’s proud Rust Belt history, and the journey of achieving the American dream.

 

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Journalism Camp: New Explorers Program Aimed at increasing Police enrollment

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IMG-1546

by Duncan Schiff

The Buffalo Police Explorer program, a police scout program created by Officer Joelle Bence, swore in its first 29 young officers-in-training at a ceremony at Canalside this week.

The program is open to people ages 14 to 20 who are interested in becoming police officers.

The program is similar to the Boy and Girl Scouts ethically with the “campers” learning to be good citizens. The Explorers have a bit more boot camp feeling while in the Scouts activities include whittling wood, earning badges, sitting around campfires and eat s’mores.

Ayan Hussan was inducted into the Explorers as part of the ceremony. A native of Kenya, she said she wants to use the experience to help her community in Buffalo and beyond.

 “I want to be in law enforcement because I want to help people in my community, from my background and my culture, not only here but worldwide” Hussan said.

The explorers will have to be fit if they want to do their dream-job, sometimes having to chase suspects on foot, jump over fences, fire a fire-arm while running, and dodging bullets.

Hassan got emotional during the ceremony, saying that putting the uniform on brought her nearly to tears.

“I love the uniform, because I was about to cry and everything,” Hussan said. “This is a dream come true.”

Additional reporting by Maki Becker

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Hilbert baseball falls to St. Vincent

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Hilbert_Baseball_2

by Noah Welch

The Hilbert Hawks men’s baseball team had a rough time against the St. Vincent Bearcats in a game at McKechnie Field, the spring training facility for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where they dropped the game by a score of 12-1.

Pitcher Chad Nelson would get his first start of the  season, but the righty went only 3.1 innings after getting little help from his Hawks teammates, who weren’t to sharp on defense.

The Bearcats, had a great day offensively collecting 12 runs on 12 hits.

The Hawks earned five hits, three of them being doubles hit by Noah Welch, Austin O’shei, And Jonathan Wilson. Wilson went one for two at the plate, driving in the only run by the Hawks scoring Anthony DiNizo. “It might not have been the outcome we wanted on the day, but still a great opportunity to play on a field this nice,” head coach Drew Fittry said. “I feel the boys really enjoyed the experience.”

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Hilbert Baseball Earns First Win

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Hilbert_Baseball

by Noah Welch

Hilbert College men’s baseball team gained their first victory of the new season against Wentworth Institute of Technology in Auburndale, Fla. as part of the team’s annual spring road trip. Tristan Aldinger led the charge in the 5-4 victory, recording two hits, scoring a run and driving in Noah Welch on Aldinger’s first triple of the season.

Head coach Drew Fittry said getting off to a good start is always important.

“Feels really good to get the first one out of the way,” he said.

Pitcher Evan Kraus picked up the Hawks’ first win out of the bullpen after starting pitcher Zachary Crane left the game in the second inning due to injury. Pitcher Jordan Brown recorded his first collegiate save as a Hawk.

Wentworth scored early making it 2-0 after just three innings. But the Hawks weren’t out of the fight, as they answered back with two runs of their own making it 2-2. In the bottom of the 4th Wentworth scored, regaining the lead 3-2. The Hawks erupted for three runs in the top of the 6th and held on for a 5-4 victory. Jordan Brown came in with the bases loaded and just one out, but it only took one pitch to end the inning. The closer fielded a come-backer and threw to the shortstop Welch fora 1-6-3 double play. Brown went back out in the bottom of the 7th to face six batters and collect the Hawks first win of the season.

“I feel like we battled all seven innings which allowed us to come out on top,” Fittry said. “Very excited to see what the rest of the season has in store.”

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Video: The Beauty of New York State

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Check out this amazing video Tony Nally, a junior Digital Media and Communications major, put together of trips he took with friends this winter. Tony used the DMaC lab’s Lumix GH4 and his own Mavic 2 Pro drone to capture the beauty of winter at spots throughout the state including Western New York, the Finger Lakes and the Adirondacks.

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Hilbert Baseball: Spring trip

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by Noah Welch

Last week the Hilbert Hawks baseball team boarded a bus to make the long journey to Auburdale, Fla. for their annual spring trip. The Hawks will make a quick stop to play one game against Bridgewater College in Virginia on March 1 on their way down south. The team will then make its way to Florida where they will  play 8 games, giving the Hawks a chance to get a jump on their season, getting out of the snow to work on their game.

“The energy surrounding the program is infections right now,” Head Coach Drew Fritty said. “We feel as confident as ever heading into the upcoming season thanks in a large part to this year’s incoming class, which has shown that they’re ready to make an immediate impact on our program.”

Being ranked eighth out of 10 teams the Hawks look to gain some momentum down in Florida and bring it back to Hamburg and have a strong season.

”We’re ready to hit the ground running,” Fritty said. “Our focus right now is on preparing at a playoff game caliber so that we can get back to the AMCC postseason play again this spring.”