By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2023 at 9:47 pm
Orleans County residents go to the polls on Tuesday with voting from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
There are positions up for election in each of the 10 towns as well as the seven Orleans County legislators and the sheriff. There are 25,455 registered voters in the county.
Most of the polling sites are at town halls, although Albion votes at Hoag Library, part of Ridgeway uses the Volunteer Fire Company, and Carlton uses the Fire Company Rec Hall.
Here is a list of the polling sites:
Albion – Districts 1 through 6 – Hoag Library, 134 South Main St.
Barre – Districts 1 and 2 – Town Hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.
Carlton – Districts 1 through 3 – Carlton Fire Co. Rec Hall, 1853 Oak Orchard Rd.
Clarendon – Districts 1 through 3 – Town Hall, 16385 Church St.
Gaines – Districts 1 through 4 – Town Hall, 14087 Ridge Rd.
Kendall – Districts 1 through 3 – Town Hall, 1873 Kendall Rd.
Murray – Districts 1 through 6 – Town Hall/Highway Garage, 3840 Fancher Rd.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2023 at 9:19 pm
ALBION – The school district’s athletic department would like to add unified bowling in the 2024-25 school year, with the hope it leads to more participation in unified sports which include athletes with disabilities and student partners without disabilities.
“We have great kids here and it would be another opportunity for them,” Mariah LaSpina, the district’s athletic director, said during this evening’s Board of Education meeting.
The board would need to approve Albion’s participation, and also create a coaching position for the bowling team.
Unified sports are an inclusive program with an approximately equal number of athletes with intellectual disabilities and those without. They are on the same teams for training and competitions.
Currently in the Niagara-Orleans League there are three schools participating in unified bowling and basketball – Medina, Akron and Newfane. LaSpina said she has polled the other athletic directors with unified sports and they are very positive about the program.
“There are so many opportunities that come out of it,” she said.
Some of the student partners on the teams have gone on to pursue careers as special education teachers, she said.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York will honor veterans on the year’s sixth and final Free Fishing Day of 2023 on Saturday, Nov. 11.
On Free Fishing Days, the state waives the requirement for a freshwater fishing license, offering the perfect opportunity for beginners to try out the sport for the first time or for skilled anglers to bring along friends and family to experience New York’s world class waterways.
“Fishing is regarded as one of the most therapeutic outdoor activities, making it a perfect pastime for veterans, those currently serving in the military, and all New Yorkers looking to get outside and enjoy nature,” Governor Hochul said. “The Empire State is home to some of the best freshwater fishing opportunities in the world, and on Free Fishing Day we waive the fees for anglers of all skill levels and abilities to explore our abundant lakes, river and ponds.”
New York’s Free Fishing Days program began in 1991 to give those who might not fish the chance to try the rewarding sport at no cost and learn about a new hobby. During the Department of Environmental Conservation’s designated Free Fishing Days, residents and non-residents are permitted to fish in freshwater for free without a fishing license. While no license is required, all other freshwater fishing regulations remain in effect.
“DEC and our partners are honored to extend this opportunity for New York’s veterans and active military personnel to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family on Free Fishing Day this Saturday, November 11,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “I deeply appreciate all of those who have defended our nation’s democracy and freedoms, and Free Fishing Day is a perfect time to cast a line and enjoy the stellar fishing opportunities New York State has to offer.”
In addition to Free Fishing Days, there are other opportunities for veterans or active-duty military members to fish for free or at a reduced cost. (Click here for more information.) New York State offers free/reduced fee fishing licenses for active-duty military members meeting certain criteria and for resident veterans with a service-related disability of 40 percent or more.
MEDINA – The state Office for Aging has honored a Medina woman as one of 91 senior citizens throughout the state recognized for their volunteer service in their communities.
Barbara Filipiak
Barbara Filipiak is a dedicated volunteer who devotes countless hours to various organizations. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, she volunteered for the Orleans and Genesee County Public Health Department, providing vital assistance with essential supplies. She worked at every vaccination clinic, and her exceptional efficiency and organizational skills made her the first to step up when help was needed.
Her volunteer work also includes the Medina Area Association of Churches (MAC Thrift Store and Emergency Food Pantry). She also takes on numerous volunteer responsibilities within Medina Holy Trinity Parish and holds several officer roles within the Catholic Daughters organization.
She serves on the Board of Directors for the Medina Historical Society and is an active member of the Cobblestone Society, Sandstone Society, and the Friends of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. At the local Alpha Theta Chapter of the Woman’s Educator Society, she has held positions such as president, treasurer, and rules committee member over the years, making a significant impact both locally and at the state level.
Born in Eden, New York, she is the oldest of six siblings. She attended Immaculate Academy in Hamburg, followed by D’Youville College in Buffalo, and she completed her education at SUNY Brockport. She embarked on her teaching career in Medina in September 1972, dedicating herself to educating third- and fourth-graders for 33 years before retiring in June 2005.
Filipiak and the other honorees were celebrated during a livestream event on Nov. 3. The award-winners were nominated by New York’s 59 county Offices for the Aging and their partners who identified older adults making substantial contributions in their communities through volunteering and civic engagement.
“It is my distinct honor to recognize this year’s nominees who make the state a better place to live and age for all New Yorkers through their decades of volunteerism, civic engagement, and selflessness,” said Greg Olsen, director of the state Office for the Aging. “We often don’t think of older New Yorkers as an economic and social powerhouse, but that is exactly who they are, and it is our honor to recognize these contributions and showcase their incredible value. I also thank our 59 county offices for the aging and the Association on Aging in New York for their daily efforts serving millions of older New Yorkers.”
Provided photos: Todd Eick, Medina’s agri-science teacher and FFA advisor, attended an agriculture conference in Iowa.
DES MOINES, IOWA – Outstanding educators from 18 states and four countries convened in Iowa last month to participate in a unique professional development experience called the Global Guides program.
Hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation and the Global Teach Ag Network, the Global Guides brought educators together for conversations and innovative learning
opportunities with scientists, policymakers, and hunger fighters from around the world.
Todd Eick, agri-science educator at Medina, was selected to join the elite program that included 40 hours of immersive programming as part of the World Food Prize and the Norman E Borlaug International Dialogue, the premier global agriculture and food security convening.
Eick engaged digitally for two months of preparation before attending the Borlaug Dialogue, and will continue applying concepts in their communities over the next five months through
designing and implementing interdisciplinary global learning projects as an individual or team with other Global Guides.
“Words cannot begin to convey the experience,” Eick said. “It was personally and professionally one of the most powerful and inspiring opportunities I’ve had in my career as an educator. The global network and direct connections I was able to make will bring a new level of global ag education to our program that we have never had.”
During the Borlaug Dialogue, Eick and other Global Guides interacted with experts in food security, including 2023 World Food Prize Laureate Heidi Kühn, author Roger Thurow, Australia’s Action For Agriculture Founder Lynne Strong, 2022 World Food Prize Laureate Dr. Cynthia Rozensweig, and 2018 World Food Prize Laureate Dr. Lawrence Haddad.
The World Food Prize Global Guides program was facilitated by faculty from the Global Teach Ag Network including Daniel Foster, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Pennsylvania State University, Melanie Miller Foster, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania State University, OP McCubbins, Associate Professor at Mississippi State University, and Tobin Redwine, Ph.D., Learning Strategist at Vivayic, Inc.
Foster, co-founder of the Global Teach Ag Network, explained the impact and importance of the Global Guides program.
“Educators are an invaluable component of fighting global food insecurity,” Foster said. “By situating educators as part of the conversation among scientists and world leaders, we bring global action to local contexts and see direct change.”
Global guides including Todd Eick (fourth from the left). Standing behind Eick in the white suit is Heidi Kuhn, this year’s winning laureate. Ms. Kuhn’s efforts to turn minefields into vineyards through her Roots for Peace non-profit earned her the 2023 World Food Prize Laureate sculpture and $500,000 in prize money.
Campaign will send message: ‘Check Your Height, Know It’s Right’
Photo by Tom Rivers: A tractor trailer from Georgia got stuck under the railroad underpass/bridge in Holley on April 5, 2021. The bridge on Route 237 has a clearance of 11 feet, 11 inches.
Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that State Police will be conducting a bridge hit enforcement campaign across New York State, starting on Nov. 5 through Nov. 11.
Each year, commercial truck operators, as well as those driving rental box trucks and moving trucks, fail to recognize their vehicle’s height and collide with bridges and overpasses, colliding with bridges and creating public safety hazards, traffic delays and damage to bridges across the state.
From 2021 through 2022, there were a combined 808 reported bridge strikes across New York State.
“Bridge strikes are potentially hazardous to motorists and first responders and have caused needless inconveniences for local communities – but these incidents are 100 percent preventable,” Governor Hochul said. “While we have implemented measures and technologies across the state to help prevent bridge strikes, nothing is more powerful than knowledge. Drivers of overheight vehicles have a responsibility here as well: follow posted warnings, know the height of vehicles and most importantly pay attention.”
New York State Police will patrol areas of known bridge hits and parkways in an effort to prevent commercial motor vehicles and oversized vehicles from colliding with an overpass. They will also coordinate enforcement details with local law enforcement commercial vehicle inspectors in areas that have high occurrences of bridge strikes.
In coordination with the enforcement campaign, State Police, the New York State Department of Transportation, the Thruway Authority and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee will raise awareness through various social media channels throughout the week.
The NYSDOT’s campaign, “Check Your Height, Know It’s Right,” is designed to ensure that drivers know the height of their vehicles so they know if they can safely make it under any and all bridges. It will feature numerous videos, graphics and photos, and social media messages.
The aim of the campaign is to impress upon all drivers that it is their responsibility to know their height and avoid bridges that they are too tall for. Additionally, NYSDOT will continue to alert drivers of overheight vehicles that consumer GPS and cell phone mapping systems do not include warnings for bridge heights, which puts them at risk of collisions.
Trucking Association of New York President Kendra Hems said, “TANY is proud to work with our state partners on the Bridge Hit Mitigation Task Force to prevent bridge strikes in New York. Education is a critical component to ensure that drivers, both professional and those that drive rental trucks, take the extra step to check the height of their vehicle, know their route, and be diligent about paying attention to road signs. In conjunction with the education campaign, targeted enforcement sends the message about the seriousness of the issue. TANY looks forward to continuing to work on this important issue with our partners as we all strive to prevent bridge strikes in the future.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2023 at 8:57 am
Provided photos: Dawn Borchert, the Orleans County tourism director, holds a yellow perch she caught at a “Learn to Fish Seminar for Women” on Oneida Lake organized by New York Sea Grant.
Dawn Borchert, the Orleans County tourism director, is always looking for ways to bring more visitors to the county, especially the top draw of sportsfishing.
She thinks there in an opportunity to bring more anglers to the county by reaching out to women.
Borchert recently attended a “Learn to Fish Seminar for Women” on Oneida Lake. She attended as a regular participant and not as the tourism director.
She would like to offer a similar seminar for women in Orleans County.
“As we all know in any industry or sport, some women don’t feel comfortable if it is a room filled with men, and by having a seminar/workshop like this we can expand our reach for anglers not only male but maybe female anglers, that would find Orleans County a nice fishing destination,” Borchert said.
Fishing has a $28 million annual economic impact in Orleans County, according to a 2017 angler survey from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Out-of-state anglers account for 70 percent of the fishing economic output in Orleans County, $19,620,488 of the $27,989,393. County residents who fish accounted for $1,767,334 in economic activity while other New York state residents outside Orleans represented another $6,601,571.
Borchert sees engaging more women in the sport as a way to boost that economic impact in the county. She cited a national survey from U.S. Fish and Wildlife that showed the number of female anglers increased from 7.5 million in 2006 to 8.9 million in 2011.
Borchert was grateful for the chance to go fishing recently on Oneida Lake. She drove 140 miles and used her father’s fishing gear.
“My dad fished for walleye all the time, so when I inherited his gear I wanted to learn how,” she said. “This clinic allowed me not only to learn the science around how Walleye live in the waters of NYS, but tips on how to catch Walleye.”
The Learn to Fish Seminar for Women was hosted by New York Sea Grant and the Cornell Biological Field Station on Oneida Lake. Borchert was among 10 women who learned the basics of walleye biology and behavior; walleye fishing gear with lures and techniques; and how to tie common fishing knots.
Dawn Borchert holds a brown trout she caught a few years ago on Sandy Creek in Orleans County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2023 at 7:59 am
The average for regular unleaded gas in Orleans County went down 4 cents in the past week, from $3.782 on Oct. 30 to $3.740 today, according to AAA.
The price has now dropped 13 cents in Orleans in the past four weeks. The price was $3.871 on Oct. 9.
AAA is reporting this morning that the national average price for gasoline is $3.42, down seven cents from last Monday. A year ago, the price was $3.80.
The New York State average is $3.70, down four cents from a week ago. A year ago, the NYS average was $3.87. The average diesel price in New York is $4.668 today. It was $4.745 a month ago and $5.893 a year ago.
These are the average prices in Western New York counties today:
Orleans, $3.740
Genesee, $3.707
Wyoming, $3.817
Livingston, $3.811
Monroe, $3.719
Niagara, $3.668
Erie, $3.763
Chautauqua, $3.652
Cattaraugus, $3.667
Allegany, $3.810
AAA issued this statement about the gas prices: “The national price for a gallon of gas dropped 13 cents in the past two weeks. The primary reasons are flat demand at the pump and lower costs for oil. Future prices could be impacted by global events, which impact oil prices, but for now, drivers will benefit from falling prices with every visit to the pump.”
Information courtesy of Zach Busch, Holley Jr.-Sr. High School band director
BATAVIA – Seven students from Orleans County – four form Holley and three from Lyndonville –performed at the Zone 2 Area All-State festival this weekend at Batavia High School.
In order to participate for this festival, the students need to complete a NYSSMA Solo Festival performance in the spring, achieve a high score, and have their teacher complete a rigorous application and recommendation.
A committee then selects the very best students from Orleans, Genesee-Wyoming, Monroe, Genesee-Valley, Ontario, and Wayne counties.
Representing Holley Jr./Sr. High in the Band were, from left: Harrison Flanagan, Trombone – 9th grade; Cameron Kelley, Clarinet – 7th grade; Aidan Kelley, Clarinet – 9th grade; and Rosa Scroope, Horn – 7th grade.
Representing Lyndonville Jr./Sr. High were, from left: Sarah Corser, Treble Choir – 9th grade; Aurora Avery, Treble Choir – 8th grade; and Gavyn Draper, Mixed Choir – 8th grade.
The Jr. High Area All-State Treble Choir was conducted by Sarah Christy who has been a high school choir director since 2008, and currently teaches at Averill Park High School near New York’s Capital District. The Treble Choir performed a variety of works including Jim Papoulis’ “Eneza Upendo” which encourages listeners to spread love.
The Jr. High Area All-State Mixed Choir was conducted by Kent Knappenberger who has been a music educator at the Westfield Academy since 1989. Mr. Knappenberger is most well-known for winning the inaugural Grammy for Music Educator of the year. The Mixed Choir performed four selections including Steve Zegree’s “Mas Que Nada,” which featured electric bass and drum set accompaniment to provide a Latin-jazz feel.
YATES – In 1917, a young Rochester couple, Joseph J. Winghart, and his wife Mayme, purchased lakeside property at the northernmost end of Morrison Road in the Town of Yates. They built a small cottage there for use as a summer home.
Joe was a mechanic and taxi-cab driver. Bernie, Joe’s brother, also a mechanic, loved to fish on Lake Ontario. Mayme was, by all accounts, a feisty and formidable lady.
The National Prohibition Act took effect on January 16, 1920. Entrepreneurs soon devised ways of supplying liquor. Joe, Mayme, and Bernie found themselves ideally situated and suited to take advantage of new retail opportunities.
Bernie’s daughter, Joan Winghart Wilcox Sullivan, describes the exploits of “The Bootlegging Trio” as they were known, in the book “Bernie, You’re a Bootlegger: a Family’s Escapades During the Prohibition Era.” It was published in 2010.
Their isolated lakeside property was an ideal location for receiving liquor from Canada. Joe and Bernie built a two-story boathouse. The second floor was necessary for height so that a light could be placed high in the window to guide boats landing at night.
The boathouse had an overhead door with a steel track leading down to the water. A boat could be winched up the track and into the boathouse, out of sight. A pulley and cable system were then used to unload the cargo into a cement lined underground cellar area which could hold over 200 cases. The cellar could also be accessed by a cement lined underground tunnel.
Joe purchased two new six-cylinder Chevrolets from the Beers Dealership in Medina. He built up the springs to accommodate around ten cases of liquor, with at least seven inches of space between the fender and tire. Troopers would sit on hotel porches in small towns like Murray on Route 104, on the lookout for cars with heavy loads, which they would pursue. He also purchased a Chris Craft boat which was equipped with two liberty airplane engines, surplus from the war and easily converted.
Bernie made regular trips to Coburg. Canadian suppliers were ready with fast boats loaded with whiskey. The return trips were at night with no running lights and landed at various places along the shoreline. If you used the same route regularly, you would get caught.
The trio supplied the Lyndonville area. Mayme, equipped with a revolver and rifle, delivered whiskey to Rochester clients, while Bernie made deliveries to Niagara Falls, where the trio were associated with “The Black Hand Gang.” He combined deliveries with dating. Driving a car loaded with whiskey, he would take a girlfriend to the movies, then park at a gas station. The vehicle would be unloaded while he enjoyed a movie and dinner.
Bernie maintained that his reason for supplying Canadian whiskey was his desire to save people from the very real dangers of bathtub gin or homemade hooch, which had been known to cause sickness, blindness and even death.
The trio had some close calls. On one occasion in 1929, Bernie and his crew had to be rescued from their sinking boat, but they managed to toss their cargo overboard before the arrival of the Coast Guard.
In the mid-1920s, Ross Hollenbeck, a newly elected Orleans County Sheriff, tried to control these illegal activities. One night, Bernie, driving a car with a load of whiskey, saw a police roadblock ahead when he turned on to Route 18 at Kuckville. He turned off his lights and ran the roadblock. He later said, “I almost killed two police. If they hadn’t jumped out of the way, I would have killed both of them.”
A week later, when Bernie stopped for gas on Route 104 in Gaines, Sheriff Hollenbeck walked up to his car and said:
“Bernie, the next time I get in front of you, and you don’t stop, I’m gonna shoot you.”
Bernie replied: “If you bother me anymore, I’m working for the Black Hands in North Tonawanda, and they will pop you off.”
He was never bothered again.
When Prohibition ended, the trio had to adapt to a new lifestyle. The Lyndonville Enterprise of April 11, 1935 reported that:
“Joseph Winghart has remodeled the farm home on the corner of Lake and Morrison Roads into an attractive place to be known as the Winghart Tavern. A large crowd attended the opening party on Friday night.”
Several sources indicate that the farmhouse had been operated as a speakeasy prior to the repeal of Prohibition.
“Dancing Every Nite” at Winghart’s Grill. This advertisement appeared in the Medina Tribune May 23, 1940.
The announcement: “Winghart’s Grill for sale” appeared in the Medina Journal, April 10, 1941. Joe and Mayme purchased a hotel at Point Breeze, the Hotel Winghart. They later moved to the Thousand Islands and then, to Florida. Joe died in 1968, Mayme in 1989 and Bernie in 1998.
Forthcoming column: Lake Shore Villa and the Park House.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 November 2023 at 8:36 am
CHILDS – The Cobblestone Society met for its 63rd annual meeting Saturday at the Gaines-Carlton Community Church.
The meeting celebrated a year in which the Cobblestone Society and Museum saw a lot of successes, the most significant being receiving enough funds to begin construction next year on what on a visitors center promoting Orleans County attractions.
Cobblestone Museum director Doug Farley welcomed guests and introduced pastor David Beach, who gave the invocation, followed by a traditional founder’s toast by Gerard Morrisey.
Richard Remley, the museum’s executive vice president, goes over highlights from 2023.
After a turkey dinner prepared by the women of the church, the members moved into the sanctuary, where board president Erin Anheier presided over the annual meeting, which included election of officers, treasurer’s report by Dick Remley and presentation of special awards.
Remley called 2023 the “emergence of the museum out of the pandemic.” After a two years of reduced programming, Remley said 2023 has been extremely active.
He named their two major projects – the Vagg House and Thompson-Kast Visitors Center. Construction is expected to being in mid-2024 to build an addition to the south end of a 1830s brick home, which the Cobblestone Society purchased as a visitors center. The addition will provide meeting space for 100 people. The Cobblestone Society met their capital campaign goal of $750,000, enabling them to purchase the Burke property without borrowing any money.
To date, 13 naming opportunities for the future visitors center have been accepted, and six are still available.
Other successes of the year include a membership dinner which raised much-needed operating funds, a Summer Soiree, flea market, and the first Historic Preservation Awards dinner. The Dunn Martin internship program provided the full expense for three summer interns, totaling $9,000. A Challenge Grant resulted in $24,575 in operating funds, exceeding their goal of $10,000.
Other grants received during the year were $13,000 from the Curtis Foundation, $32,867 from the Rochester Area Foundation, $3,000 for operating money from Orleans County, $9,000 from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation for operating expenses and $5,000 from Go Art!.
Preservation work on the Ward House has begun with a $47,080 Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization grant.
“We are off and running for 2024,” Remley said. “For the first three quarters of 2023, our income and grants received are greater than expenditures by $36,000.”
New officers elected during the meeting were Matt Holland, president; Richard Remley, executive vice president; Christine Sartwell, vice president of development; Brenda Radzinski, secretary; Maarit Vaga, treasurer; Grace Denniston, corresponding secretary; and Gail Johnson, membership secretary.
Trustees elected were Lawrence Albanese, Erin Anheier and Marty Taber, terms ending Dec. 31, 2026; Mark Bower, Diana Flow, John Sansone and Doreen Wilson, terms ending Dec. 31, 2025; and Chris Capurso, Camilla VanderLinden, Bill Lattin and Joyce Riley, terms ending Dec. 31, 2024.
The first of several awards was the John Proctor Award, presented to Erin Anheier. Bill Lattin, retired museum director, said Anheier is “a person who does what she says.” Anheier is credited with bringing in $229,000 for the museum. That award goes to a dedicated member of the museum board of trustees.
She writes proposals to secure grant funding and also recognition on the National Register of Historic Places. She was influential in the restoration of the Hillside Cemetery Chapel in Holley. She got the Gaines Basin cobblestone school house on the National Register and now is working to get the entire hamlet of Childs listed. She also got Childs included in the Landmark Society’s “Five to Revive.”
Ginny Kropf of Medina accepts the Community Partner Award for her work as a news reporter. Doug Farley, the museum director in back, said Kropf is very reliable in writing about the museum’s activities.
Farley presented the Community Partner of the Year award to Ginny Kropf, who he said writes many articles for Orleans Hub and Lockport United Sun and Journal promoting the Cobblestone Museum’s activities.
Kropf has written 45 articles in the past six years highlighting museum programs and initiatives. Farley said Kropf has long been a dependable reporter for the community.
Lora Partyka, left, accepts the Business Partner of the Year from Sue Bonafini, assistant museum director.
The Business Partner of the Year was presented to Lora Partyka of Partyka Farms in Kendall.
“I first met Lora in 2016 when I went to ask her for an item for a gift basket we were putting together,” said Sue Bonafini, museum assistant director. “She said, ‘How would you like an entire gift basket.’ When I was short one or two sponsors for an event after the pandemic, I went to Lora, and she closed the gap.”
Partyka has continued to be a dependable contributor to the museum, donating corn on the cob and sponsoring events.
Mary Zangerle of Medina accepts the award for Volunteer of the Year from Sue Bonafini.
Volunteer of the Year for 2023 was Mary Zangerle of Medina. Zangerle began volunteering for the Cobblestone Museum in 2015 at the suggestion of Shirley Bright-Neeper. She is an avid Master Gardener and several years ago came to Bonafini and asked if she could do something “more administrative.” Zangerle learned how to use the Museum’s software and maintains records, organizes files and trains interns.
“She puts in 50 to 100 volunteer hours every year,” Bonafini said. “She volunteers year-round.”
Ann Mitchell of Spencerport, formerly of Kendall, quotes Sarah Jennie McCleery, a school teacher and resident of Ogden, from a speech given March 6, 1883. Mitchell entertained with her presentation of “Suffragettes UNITE!” at the Cobblestone Society’s annual meeting Saturday at the Gaines-Carlton Community Church.
The afternoon concluded with a program by Ann Mitchell of Spencerport, formerly of Kendall, titled “Suffragettes UNITE.” Mitchell has always been interested in the theater and singing. In 1976, she won the talent portion of the Orleans County Junior Miss Pageant.
After she was married, her husband once told her, “You have to vote. It’s your right.”
She developed Suffragettes UNITE as her final project at Brockport.
“I feel it’s important,” she said. “It reflects our history.”
In her presentation, she is dressed in period costumes as she quotes from suffragettes in our nation’s history. This includes “Equal Rights” by Sarah C. Owen Aug. 2, 1848 at the Unitarian Church in Rochester; “The Right to Vote” by Elizabeth C. Stanton on Feb. 17, 1864 in the New York State Legislature; “Is it a Crime for a U.S. Citizen to Vote?” by Susan B. Anthony in March and April in Monroe County; “Emancipation – War if we Must” by Elizabeth C. Stanton on May 6, 1873 for the National Woman’s Suffrage Association; and “On Being a Woman” by Sarah Jennie McCleary, a school teacher/resident of Ogden, on March 6, 1883 in The School Journal, Spencerport.
About 50 members of the Cobblestone Society enjoyed lunch at the Gaines Carlton Community Church.
