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R VERR CK TIMES

Vol. 5 No. 49 Thursday, March 12, 2026 Covering the Northwest Corner of Buffalo

Boiler troubles result in temporary trailer option

By Amber Healy
here’s a new addition outside
Riverside Academy but it
Twon’t be around forever.
Back in early December, the
school had to close for a day after a
“significant amount” of smoke was
released into the building due to a
water pipe malfunction. The Buffa-
lo Public School District said at the
time the school was closed for the
day out of an abundance of caution
due to the smell of smoke.
Last week, the district notified
school board members that the main
The plaque on Grant Street where my journey began. boiler at the school was “not func-
tioning properly,” resulting in the
Always stop to read the plaque installation of a temporary boiler
outside the building in a small park-
The story of how one plaque planking from the wooden bridge ing lot on the left side of the school.
took me on an unplanned spanning this creek. With a battery The work was done in compliance Temporary boiler outside of Riverside Academy.
historical adventure into the on the south shore, Morgan’s troops with state regulations and by an ap- ing that he considered so loud as to one to be “close to 100 years old and
Battle of Scajaquada Creek bravely repelled three British at- proved contractor. be obvious or of public concern. the other over 70.” He said he
By Matthew Barton, tempts to repair the bridge and At the time, a neighbor near the He believes it’s possible some hadn’t noticed any noise from the
Senior Editor cross the creek. Despite a 5:1 disad- school complained to the district people might have sensitivities to temporary boiler at all, adding that
vantage in manpower, Morgan (ul-
Note: This article was originally about noise and vibrations coming certain pitches or tone levels, mak- he parks near it “all the time” while
published in The Record. Reprinted timately) forced the British into from the temporary structure, but ing it possible for them to hear fre- he’s at work.
retreating back to Canada.”
with permission. school board members were told the quencies or hums that other people “Maybe the work installing it
March 3, 2026 As I shivered in the 20-degree boiler could not be turned off “be- can’t or don’t hear as distinctly. The caused that noise. I know it took
weather, I let out a “huh?” after
o you ever find yourself on cause it would damage the exposed complaints he’s received have been quite a while to hook up. I’ve never
a walk or in the car, and out reading it once. It took me a second piping to the building due to the from people saying the noise has heard any noise in the morning or
reading to understand that the Battle
Dof the corner of your eye, cold temperatures,” according to a either woken them up at night or has when I leave,” he said.
you spot a plaque stating some his- of Scajaquada Creek Bridge was not letter sent to board members by Jef- prevented them from falling asleep. Bruno also suggested the tempo-
only improbable, but a monumental
torical event that happened there? frey Hammond, the district’s Marc Bruno, a teacher at River- rary equipment might not be notice-
Now, a lot of people wouldn’t American victory amidst the War of spokesperson. side, said the boilers at the school able or utilized much at all once the
1812.
care to take the extra minute to do a He also told the school board are “two of the oldest in city temperature stays above 65 degrees
double-take and learn something Imagine you wake up in your members that “there is major road schools,” estimating the original and might even be removed at that
dorm, teleported to 1814, draw your
new, and that includes me. I mean, construction happening on Review time.
a big block of text isn’t the most blinds, and BAM!, 1,200 troops are Place and Sandrock Road, which
heading towards a wooden bridge
enthralling thing to stop for. includes jackhammers and heavy
construction equipment and vehi- “Snow” more ice
I’ve attended Buffalo State Uni- leading right to you. Winning seems
impossible, but then a band of 240
versity for two and a half years, and cles. This is contributing to the
have never batted an eye at the his- American riflemen shows up, and problem. The interior of Riverside fishing this season
winning still seems impossible,
torical plaque proudly posted on High School is at normal sound lev-
Grant Street right across from Tops right? els.”
After painting the picture in my By Amber Healy ered a globally significant important
Markets. It’s a busy street. Why In a statement provided to the ith spring about a week away bird area for having 1% of the
would I stop and check it out? head of how this battle went down RiverRock Times, Hammond reiter-
212 years ago, I needed to learn Wand temperatures above world’s population of bonaparte
Looking at this plaque for a sto- ated that the school’s main boiler freezing for several days, it’s time to gulls, herring gulls, canvasbacks
ry has been ruminating in my head more. So after exploring the sur- was not functioning properly and
rounding areas and getting up close put away the ice fishing huts that and common mergansers in addition
for months now, but I just couldn’t that the temporary unit was installed have been dotting the Black Rock to 20 other species of birds who
get myself over there. In pursuit of and personal with the creek, I hus- in compliance with all pertinent reg-
tled back to my car to melt my two Canal the past few weekends. migrate here when the snow flies.
a fun fact, I finally parked my vehi- ulations. “As a precaution, the dis- Given the bitter cold tempera- Ice cover provides a surface for
cle and marched over the Scajaqua- nose-sicles and get to researching. trict measured the sound levels of
My first step was simple, I tures this region experienced in Jan- these birds to stand on or rest while
da Creek Bridge as cars whizzed by the temporary boiler, and they range uary and February, there was plenty they’re feeding, but it also makes
me on Grant Street to see what the opened up the internet and typed in from 65 to 78 decibels, comparable
The Battle of Scajaquada Creek of opportunity to enjoy the thick ice for a more productive cover for fish-
heck happened here that deserved to normal background noise or traf- that covered area waterways for ermen and women, compared to the
this plaque. Here’s what it read: Bridge. Good ol’ Wikipedia had fic.”
something, of course, because what weeks at a time. Even if there’s open water in the river.
War of 1812 doesn’t have a Wikipedia page? But He added that the district is issu- another cold snap, it likely wouldn’t For those who missed their op-
Battle of before even clicking the link, I ing a request for proposals in order be safe to resume ice fishing this portunity to ice fish this year and
Scajaquada Creek Bridge to “replace the main boiler as quick-
learned something more than what ly as possible.” season. already thinking ahead to next win-
“On August 3, 1814, 600 men the plaque stated. The New York State Depart- ter, the DEC provides a list of loca-
under British Lt. Col. John Tucker, A check of public records indi-
Wikipedia cites this as the Battle cates that a bid was released on ment of Environmental Conserva- tions where ice fishing is typically
designing to capture troops and of Conjocta Creek. But wait, I tion suggests it’s safe to go out on possible each year, including:
supplies at Black Rock and Buffalo, March 5 for a boiler replacement at
thought it was Scajaquada? It was Riverside, with bids being accepted the ice once it reaches a thickness of • Beaver Island State Park Mari-
crossed the Niagara River to Squaw previously known as Conjocta at least four inches of clear, solid na in Grand Island, where yellow
Island. 600 more men followed. In through April 7. The district is seek- ice. But don’t assume just because a perch, rainbow smelt, bluegill,
Creek, but was eventually changed ing “vendors to perform the replace-
defense, U.S. Maj. Lodowick Mor- local creek has frozen over that the pumpkinseed, northern pike and lar-
gan, with 240 riflemen, removed Continued on page 5 ment of the current boilers at same amount of ice is available ev- gemouth bass can be caught.
Riverside High School (School
erywhere. • Big Six Mile Creek State Mari-
#205). The work includes removal “Anglers should be particularly na, also on Grand Island, also has
of the existing boilers (and) installa-
cautious of areas with moving water yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkin-
tion of four (4) Burnham C-125 fire and around boat docks and houses seed, northern pike and largemouth
tube boilers or equivalent models.”
where bubblers might be installed to bass.
North District Council Member reduce ice from forming. Checking • Buffalo Harbor State Park Ma-
Joseph Golombek said his office has
the ice can easily be done with an rina, in Buffalo, offers angling op-
received a handful of calls from auger or ‘spud bar’ at various portunities for yellow perch,
concerned neighbors who report
spots,” the DEC says. bluegill, pumpkinseed, black crap-
hearing a humming sound. “I’ve The open water of the Niagara pie, northern pike, largemouth and
been there a couple times and I
River means it’s fully off limits for smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt.
don’t necessarily hear a sound the ice fishing, but it’s chock-full of fish • Clear Lake, in North Collins, is
same way other people do,” he says.
that provide an important source of where to go for largemouth bass,
After stopping to drop items off at food for the migratory birds that call northern pike, black crappie, blue-
someone’s house, he listened intent-
this region their home during the gill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and
ly and heard “a very, very light
Battle of Scajaquada Creek Bridge, oil on canvas by Doreen winter months. The river is consid- brown bullhead.
humming in the distance,” but noth-
DeBoth – Black Rock Historical Society.