| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| HTA ID | HTA-0398 |
| Title | Lonely Laredo Pine |
| Date | Late 1972 / Early 1973 |
| Date Confidence | MODERATE (Aired after the "summer floods" following the Feb 1972 disaster, while the record was being sold locally) |
| Program | Eyewitness News |
| Station | WKBW |
| Duration | ~2 minutes |
| Format | Feature |
Henry Lawrence (Tenenbaum) reports on June Wyckoff, an amateur musician from Williamsville, NY, who composed a song to commemorate the victims of the Buffalo Creek, West Virginia disaster. The February 1972 tragedy, caused by the collapse of a mining slag heap, killed over 100 people and devastated the community of Laredo.
The feature highlights Wyckoff's efforts to ensure the tragedy is not forgotten. Her song, "Lonely Laredo Pine," was recorded with the help of a local band called Narrow Bridge and pressed into a record. The piece covers her fundraising efforts, including a benefit concert and local record sales, with proceeds aimed at helping rebuild the Appalachian town. Henry frames the story around the power of a simple song to connect Western New Yorkers with a distant national tragedy.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| People | Henry Lawrence (Reporter), June Wyckoff (Songwriter/Musician) |
| Organizations | WKBW, Narrow Bridge (Band) |
| Locations | Williamsville, New York; Buffalo Creek, West Virginia; Laredo, West Virginia |
| Subjects | Buffalo Creek disaster, amateur songwriting, charitable fundraising, Appalachian mining tragedies |
| Themes | Human Interest, Art and Memory, Community/Connection |
| Tone | Contemplative, empathetic, respectful |
"I wanted to do something for my fellow man, and that's what it's all about in this world... I was hoping to help the people and put Laredo back on the map again and help the people in Buffalo Valley." — June Wyckoff
"It will be no small job to put Laredo back on the map, but it's a task that Mrs. Wyckoff believes can be bought for a song." — Henry Lawrence
The piece likely features audio of the song "Lonely Laredo Pine" and footage of the musicians recording or performing it. It serves as a classic local news "kicker" or human-interest feature, finding a local angle (a Williamsville resident) on a major national news event.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Era/Station | WKBW Buffalo Era |
| Source Tape | Found on same compound tape as HTA-0397 |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Source File | WKBW SEVERAL PLUS Long Night, Tough Street PLUS Kb1 Mono.txt |
| Alternate Files | None |
| Source Location | /WKBW/ |
| Transcription Quality | Good (Lines 1201-1283) |
| Repository Status | Pending upload |
This feature demonstrates Henry's early work in the human-interest format that would later define much of his career. The wordplay in the sign-off ("bought for a song") is characteristic of his writing style. The piece provides a specific historical anchor (the aftermath of the 1972 Buffalo Creek disaster) and shows how local news connected regional audiences to national events through personal stories.