Buffalo, NY Honors Its Native Son

Tim Russert was proudly from Buffalo, NY. He loved the city, their sports teams and the city loved him back. Sometime back they named a park in his honor, and when it was learned that he had died suddenly in Washington D.C., the mayor of Buffalo ordered all flags on city buildings lowered to half staff. Last night there was a candlelight vigil in his honor in the park that has his name.

An NBC remote crew spent the day at that park and reported on the generosity of the citizens of Tim's hometown:

From NBC's Rehema Ellis and Patrice Fletcher
WEST SENECA, N.Y. -- Today, as we did liveshots here from the park named for our beloved Tim Russert, a steady stream of people dropped by to leave flowers in remembrance of Tim, and well wishes for our NBC crew of six.

At one point, the owner of the Red Brick Inn down the street drove up in his catering truck. He offered us the use of the restaurant's bathroom facilities and left us with a stack of menus.

Soon after, a West Seneca fireman showed up in a pumper truck with six barbecue chicken dinners from his department's Father's Day celebration. Then another man, who would only give us his first name, Steve, showed up with coffee and doughnuts. A few minutes later, Steve's wife brought us cold Gatorade on this 80-degree day.

It seems that Buffalo wants to make sure that Tim's NBC family is taken care of. We are the beneficiaries of their affection for him.

After videotaping people leaving flowers, flags and notes, our cameraman Steve Delmonte, said the mourners treated him like family.

"I feel like I'm an ambassador for NBC," Steve said. We told him that that's exactly what he is. It's what we all are -- stand-ins, here in Buffalo, for the man they call "Timmy."

There's nothing bitter about that part of America.