2024
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Fred Dahlstrom - November 2024
Granddaughter Jolie Bourgeois edited the writings of her grandfather Carl "Fred" Dahlstrom and recently published "War is Hell, Dot: A World War II Memoir" on Amazon.
Fred and Dorothy Dahlstrom ran a photography business in Buffalo, but spent as much time as possible on the Niagara River during the summer as they could. Their three children fondly remember the days spent at the property on North Colony Road where they all learned to waterski and sail. They often fished or picnicked on Strawberry Island. The kids were all born after Fred returned from War, and consider themselves fortunate that he left a memoir of his time in Europe.
During the War he was not able to share what was happening or exactly what he was up to, but was permitted more license once the War ended. He then wrote in detail of his adventures as his unit chased the retreating frontlines, pretty much keeping them in harm's way at all times. The book on Amazon is a collection of his letters to his wife describing his life chasing across Europe in 1944 and 1945.
Christine Seibert Bonn - October 2024
Christine Seibert Bonn, Robert Shields & Mark Bonn.
Two Western New Yorkers return to their hometown for the showing of their multi-award winning documentary, “Robert Shields: My Life as a Robot” at the Buffalo International Film Festival on October 12th at 4:30 PM.Mark Bonn grew up in North Tonawanda and Christine Seibert Bonn on Grand Island. They met while working at WNED-TV (in different years – but life is funny that way)! They have now been married for over 30 years (that’s 117 years in Hollywood marriages) and have been making award winning documentaries for nearly 25 years. This documentary will play in, of all things, the Buffalo Toronto Media space, which is in The WNED-TV building!
THE FILM: Robert Shields: My Life as a Robot. Truly proves that anything is possible. This documentary tells the story of how Robert went from a teenager performing as a robot in front of the Hollywood Wax Museum to having a top-rated CBS variety show with his beautiful wife Lorene Yarnell, and, unbeknownst to him, becoming the inspiration for famous Hip-Hop and Pop & Lock dancers all over the world.
This story includes incredible never-before-seen footage of Robert doing his incredible performance in San Francisco’s Union Square, the same act that made Francis Ford Coppola put Robert in his movie “The Conversation”. OVER 40 years old, these films were discovered in a Southern California garage and to our delight, these unbelievable movies had not turned to dust!
This film may not save the environment, it won’t take on a corrupt corporation nor will it make you write your congress person. What it will do is make you laugh, bring you wonder and joy and a man who shows you he can do just about anything. www.mylifeasarobot.com.
FedcoSpeed - August 2024
2024 Season for the FedcoSpeed 21G Wingless 600 Sprinter is drawing to a close soon. The season has been full of challenges and victories on and off the track. New engine builder has saved us money and supplied us with a even stronger powerplant. The team has traveled alot to Pa, New Jersey, Delaware, and our home track; Limerock Speedway near Leroy, NY. Only one feature win this season but that does not reflect how far we have come as a team and what we have learned each and every time out on the track and in the shop. Our traveling has matched us up against the very best in the northeast and from elsewhere. Winning on the track is top dog, but the hard work and learning can be a win in itself and big efforts bring big results. Our future races include the First Responders Night, Sept 7th at Limerock Speedway, which we won last season, The Butch Coffey Classic Oct 11th-12th, Limerock, and maybe the Lindas Nationals in PA and the Fall classic at Airport speedway, Delaware in November.
FedcoSpeed is a small 2 man team and we are very fortunate to have these Grand Island companies as well as nationally known suppliers support us both financially and personally: Woodchuck Tree Service, Top Notch Sewer and Drain Cleaning, Childress Performance and Fitness, Double D Construction, Wheelfind Automotive, Mint Chassis, Hammer Down Engines, FK Rod Ends, Simpson Racing Products, Lifeline Fire Suppression. See you at the track Lets Race!!!! Geoff Federspiel: Driver, Jim and Joanne Federspiel.
Shawn Enser - July 2024
Shawn, a now seven-year-old boy from Grand Island who suffered a stroke at birth, unbeknownst to anyone until nine months later. Despite his parents being told their son would never walk or speak, he has defied the odds and is now speaking, walking, and even playing soccer and baseball.
When Shawn was first born, his parents, Neha and Ryan Enser, were living overseas and were told that their son had cerebral palsy. Nine months later when they returned to the US, they discovered the stroke after a doctor recognized that Shawn hadn’t been showing symptoms of cerebral palsy, but a stroke. Devastated, Neha and Ryan enrolled Shawn in various types of therapy, praying he could one day have the life that he deserved. Shawn also tried using a leg brace to help him walk, but he would only fall, further worrying his parents.
Desperate to help her son, Neha researched other options for Shawn and came across the Bioness L300 Go, a functional electrical stimulation device used to stimulate nerves in the leg. Upon first trying the device, Neha and Ryan saw an immediate improvement in his gait and mobility; Shawn was no longer falling and was able to walk without tripping over his feet. With continued use, Shawn has made incredible strides – playing on his school’s soccer and baseball teams and running around with his classmates and little sister.
Federspiel Family - May 2024
Pictured from left: Micheal Fauci, Brooke Fauci, John Evans (setup guru), Joanne Federspiel, Jim Federspiel, Driver Geoff Federspiel.
Picture courtesy of Dirty Lens Photography.
FedcoSpeed Racing 21G sweeps race at Limerock Speedway. Written by Jim Federspiel.May 18 at Limerock Speedway in Caledonia NY, was the setting for both a winning night and other firsts for the FedcoSpeed Racing 21G Micro Sprint Team, driven by Islander Geoff Federspiel. Geoff sweep the first race attended at the track this season with not only fast time in hot laps, heat, and feature, but also won both his heat race as well as the feature event in the 600 Wingless Micro Sprint Class. It was also the first win for the newly developed MINT CHASSIS , built by long time micro racer Micheal Fauci of Spencerport NY.Micheal developed the concept for his own chassis after years of racing and working for Hyper Racing in Pa, as well as running a driver development team along side his wife Brooke. The micro sprint arena if full of Hyper cars and to beat them in a newly designed car is a big deal.
We will be running at Limerock Speedway as well as numerous races in Pa, New Jersey, and Delaware. Our team will race the KKM Challenge Race, May 29-June 1st at Clyde Martin Speedway in Pa, as well as Hyper 600 Speedweek in July, support class for the USAC Eastern Storm Series , and Extreme Midget Series in August. This is our 5th main event win and 7th heat victory , in only our 3rd season running. Last season Geoff won a heat race during speedweek and we qualified for 3 out of the 5 nights in a row we ran. FedcoSpeed also won the First responders Night race on Sept 9th at Limerock.
We would like to Thank the Grand Island Businesses that help support us this season. They are: Woodchuck Tree Service, Top Notch Sewer and Drain Cleaning, Double D Construction, Childress Performance and Fitness, Wheelfind Automotive.
Mackenzie Wright - May 2024
Buffalo News Story - Grand Island resident Mackenzie Wright, award winning baton twirler. See article.
Luke Hess - May 2024
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Three University at Buffalo students and one alumna have received prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) scholarships. The latest awards continue UB's success in placing its students as winners in the GRFP scholarship program. Launched in 1952, the GRFP represents the oldest continuous investment in the nation's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. As one of the most competitive scholastic programs in the U.S., it recruits high-potential, early-career scientists and engineers, and supports their graduate research training.Luke Hess (Grand Island, New York)
Hess graduates from UB this spring with a BS in biochemistry and will pursue a PhD in cancer biology at the University of Michigan. He conducted research in biochemistry professor Jennifer Surtees's lab at UB and at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center under Katerina Gurova. His research pertains to understanding genomic instability and characterizing next-generation chemotherapies, called chromatin damaging agents. Hess has also served as a Civic Engagement Alternative Break team leader, Ready-Set-Buffalo team leader and is an academic tutor.
See complete press release HERE.
Aiden Daghestani - May 2024
Tridelphia, WV. A life-long resident of Grand Island, and 2nd grade student at Huth Road Elementary, Aiden Daghestani was crowned wrestling champion at the annual "Tournament of Champions" on April 27, 2024 in the 60-pound Bantam division. The "Tournament of Champions" - as it is officially named - is referred to as America's #1 toughest and largest youth wrestling tournament, with the best wrestlers in the country going head-to-head with hopes of being crowned national champions. Aiden's 20-man bracket was stacked with multiple state champions from across the US with impressive accolades on a national level. After defeating Jace Hughes from Georgia in the round of 16, he went on in the quarter-finals to beat Michigan State champion Dawson Bittinger. Afterwards, Aiden faced Kentucky State champion Kaysen Mabry in the semi-finals. Mabry had won all his previous matches without giving up any points, but Aiden was able to pull off the win and move on to the championship bout against Georgia State champion Luke Autin. Aiden went on to take an early lead and defeat Autin by score of 6-0 and become champion of champions.Prior to winning Tournament of Champions, Aiden won New York State championship on March 9, 2024. Aiden has won his last 6 tournaments and is on a 25-match winning streak. Aiden's success is attributed to highly successful coaches Tony Kuhn from Niagara Wheatfield Wrestling and Jeff Catrabone from Revolution Elite Wrestling. The Tournament of Champions had historically been held in Columbus, Ohio. However, it has been held in Tridelphia, West Virginia since 2021.
Jaimen Wright and Peyton Abbott - April 2024
Jaimen Wright and Peyton Abbott, both seniors at Grand Island High School, travelled to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to participate in the USA hockey 18U National tournament. They played a round robin in the beginning of the tourament with 3 teams from around the country. They advanced into the quarter finals on Friday where they faced the Reston Raiders from VIrginia and won in an overtime victory. They then faced the Cleveland Crusaders on Saturday and won that battle as well. That brought them to the National championship on Sunday. Their opponent was the St Clair Shores from Michigan. Sadly the Grand Island boys and their Cheektowaga team lost in the last 36 seconds of the game. But they still came away from the weekend #2 in the national. That's a great accomplishment for the Western New York area
Jaimen Wright and Peyton Abbott - April 2024
Jaimen Wright and Peyton Abbott participated in the 18U Tier II New York State Amateur Hockey tournament this past weekend at the Northtown Center. They played Wheatfield Blades in the quarterfinals, then the Mid Hudson Polar Bears in the semi fials and the Rochester Coalition to win the championship game. They will be traveling to Pittsburgh to participate in the national tournament in April.
Aiden Daghestani - March 2024
Second Grader Aiden Daghestani, student at Huth elementary school, won NY State Wrestling Championship in the 57-pound weight category held at the Exposition Center in Syracuse, NY on Sat. 3-9-2024. This annual event is organized by New York Wrestling Association for Youth (NYWAY) and over 2,600 wrestlers from all over NY, spanning multiple age groups and weight classes, took part in this wrestling event over the past weekend.
To qualify for a chance to compete at the State Championship, Aiden had to place among top 6 at one of 6 Regional Championship qualifying events that are spread out across the state. Aiden qualified by taking first place in the Far Western Regional Championship on 3-3-2024, which was held in Gowanda, before heading to Syracuse the following week and winning State Championship by going 5-0 in an elimination bracket that pitted the best wrestlers in the state against each other. The level of talent at the tournament is quite impressive considering the wrestlers that made it there are not only the best in the state, but also some are nationally ranked among the best in the country. Worth noting is Aiden did not give up a single point during any of his wrestling bouts at the State Championship. Grand Island does not offer youth wrestling programs. Therefore, Aiden practices at the Niagara Wheatfield program under coach Tony Kuhn.
