By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 9 July 2023 at 2:00 pm
MEDINA – The Medina Area Partnership has announced the launch of its second annual Scavenger Hunt which will run until Sept. 1.
Clues are designed to encourage participants to explore various parts of the 14103 zip code with family, friends, co-workers or on their own. Each clue gets the participant one step closer to the prize.
The winner will have the opportunity to choose from a family prize pack or an adult night out prize pack, each valued at $150.
“Last year exceeded my expectations for the inaugural year,” said Tim Elliott, a member of MAP’s Events Committee and creator of the scavenger hunt clues.
“This year I’d love to see more businesses using this as a team building activity,” Elliott said. “Some of the clues really make you think.”
Clue sheets are available at the Coffee Pot Café, 114 East Center St. or online (click here). The hunt can be completed in a couple of hours or at the participant’s leisure. Participants should answer as many questions as they can and submit their forms by Sept. 1 to be entered in the prize drawing.
“Medina is rich in history and a treasure trove of unique and interesting finds,” said Ann Fisher-Bale, chair of MAP’s Events’ Committee. “This scavenger hunt will challenge participants to look for both old and new places throughout 1103.”
“Tim, Ann and the entire Events Committee did a great job putting this event together again this year,” said Scott Robinson, president of MAP. “This activity adds another layer to what a day or night out on the town can include. Visit some of your favorite shops, eat and drink at some of our incredible restaurants and then see if you can find some of the clues. This is another reason to visit Medina this summer.”
Rhode Island – the smallest of all the United States – is jam-packed with beauty and history. I had been to Rhode Island before, but both times gave me very limited time and experiences. The first time, I spent a few days at a seminar in Providence for work. The second time, I was on a New England States adventure in the motor home with my brother and sister-in-law, but we didn’t make any major stops when passing through Rhode Island. So, it was on my list of states I’d like to return to for a closer look, someday. Well – “someday” came in October of 2021. It was a last minute decision to go after another planned trip was canceled – it was perfect, since I already had the time and money planned for a get-away.
This was definitely a “fly by the seat of my pants” trip. I hadn’t done a lot of research and just had a rough list of possible things to do. Once I got there, the list pretty much stayed in my purse and I just started exploring and one thing lead to another and I did whatever caught my interest each day. I ended up putting 572 miles on my rental car over the time I was there – flew in on Monday, spent three days exploring, and flew home Friday.
I chose to fly into Boston Logan airport, instead of Providence – mainly because I could get a non-stop flight and it saved me some money. It was a bit of a drive, though, from the airport to Newport and arriving after dark resulted in a stressful drive – Providence airport would have been much closer. The other decision was whether to stay in Providence or Newport – my original plan was to stay in Providence, but I wasn’t liking the idea of staying in a big city, so I chose Newport – a smaller, quaint little harbor city and was so very happy I did – I absolutely LOVED Newport!!!
I stayed at a lovely Bed & Breakfast Inn called the Artful Lodger. It’s in a perfect location, my room was large and comfortable, and breakfast was amazing – definitely a good choice and one I highly recommend! Restaurants I enjoyed were The Lobster Bar and The Mooring in Newport and The Olympia Tea Room in Westerly.
Some key points of interest: Newport is famous for their gilded age mansions – some of America’s wealthiest families of the mid-19th century had what they called “summer cottages” on the coast of Newport. I took a city trolley tour that took us by these homes and ended with the opportunity to tour one of them – WOW. The harbor and wharfs are a big part of the Newport experience. I took a sailing cruise on a schooner that was amazing – I used Classic Cruises of Newport. I saw the church where John and Jackie Kennedy were married, I borderline trespassed to see the mansion used to film outdoor scenes in the 1960’s TV series Dark Shadows, shopped on Thames Street – a lovely cobblestone street full of shops and restaurants, and crossed the bridge to Jamestown to visit America’s third oldest lighthouse. I also walked a ways on the Cliff Walk – a great way to see the beauty of Newport. It is a 7 mile round trip walk, so I only did part of it, but what I saw was amazing. I enjoyed navigating the narrow one-way streets of Newport, walked around downtown, and, of course, I ate lobster! I also visited Providence and took a drive up Cape Cod as far as Chatham and back.
Newport and Providence also played a major role in the establishment of religious freedom in America – I visited the first and second American Baptist Churches and the first synagogue in America. Be sure to click on the link for my blog post about the churches – I give a brief overview of two men who were pioneers in the movement of religious freedom, founded Rhode Island, and formed the American Baptist denomination. Their stories are fascinating.
For a tiny state, Rhode Island has so much to see and do and enjoy and Newport is wonderful! Check out my blog posts to see all the stories and photos from this amazing trip. I hope you enjoy reading them.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 July 2023 at 7:14 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Larry Flynn, left rear, stands with Randy Heideman next to the nearly completed car Heideman plans to race next month at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
LYNDONVILLE – Randy Heideman has had a love of racing (cars and motorcycles) all his life, and has spent his entire life in the automotive business in one form or another.
He was sales manager for Weld Wheels, owned a collision shop in Ridgeway, ran a used car lot and for 50 years raced motorcycles.
“But with age comes a roll cage, so at the age of 64 I gave up racing motorcycles,” Heideman said.
But racing is not out of his blood.
His next endeavor is to take a 1934 Chevy Coupe, which he has built almost entirely from the ground up, to the world speed races at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.
He bought the car seven years ago, and started rebuilding it into a race car, with help from friends Larry Flynn, a top mechanic, and Jerry Guy, a head engineer from Fisher Price.
“I have built 95 percent of this car here in my garage,” he said.
When he got the car, its wood frame was rotted and the only piece he could salvage was a strip in the door under the passenger’s window. Every other inch of the car he has fabricated out of steel.
Bonneville Salt Flats is home to all kinds of speed-shattering records that are set in many different racing events there, including Bonneville Speed Week, which begins this year on Aug. 4. Bonneville Speed Week attracts hundreds of drivers in all racing categories, who compete to set new land speed records in all kinds of racing categories.
Heideman doesn’t think he stands a chance to break any speed records. Not knowing the rules at Bonneville, he made all kinds of modifications to the car, which require him to be in a much more difficult class, he said.
Provided photos: (Left) This is the hood of the 1934 Chevy Coupe when Randy Heideman of Lyndonville started rebuilding it seven years ago. (Right) Here is the 1934 Chevy Coupe after Randy Heideman put an industrial Hemi engine in it.
His class is C/BGCC, which stands for Class/Blown Glass Classic Coupe.
“Some people in this class may spend $1 million on an engine alone,” Heideman said. “This is not about a record. It’s just seeing how fast I can go. It’ll probably be the world’s fastest industrial Hemi, which is the engine I put in it.”
The engine is capable of 200 miles per hour. He has never driven that fast before, and will have to do a run on a test track before the actual race.
Heideman has a bucket list on which he has some pretty exciting adventures. In the 1990s, Heideman and several of his friends were the first to ride their motorcycles on the pipeline from Fairbanks to the Arctic Ocean.
Heideman, Randy Flynn, his mechanic and crew chief, along with several others will leave July 29 to drive to Bonneville in a motor home, towing the race car on a trailer. They are planning on a four-day drive to the Utah/Nevada border.
“It will be a big accomplishment if I can get this car to go as fast as it’s supposed to,” he said. “It will be hard with all the old suspension on it.”
Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Randy Heideman points to the strip around the window of the car he is rebuilding, which is the only piece of the original wood frame he could salvage. (Right) The rear of Randy Heideman’s rebuilt 1934 Chevy Coupe race car shows some of the 300 louvres on the car, a race driver’s prayer and the required parachute to enter the Bonneville Salt Flats world speed races in Nevada.
The car also has 300 louvres on the hood, sides and trunk, all made by a man from Rochester in his 90s. It is also required to be equipped with a parachute.
While Heideman did the body work on the car, Flynn was the mechanic. Heideman said Guy, who helped set up a facility for Fisher Price in China, is also an avid drag racer, engine builder and hot rod/muscle car builder. Flynn is also well-versed in hot rods. Both helped him every step of the way and he couldn’t have done it without them, he said.
Mark Weld, an artist from Middleport, painted the graphics and gold leaf lettering on the car.
It’s number, 5151, has special meaning for Heideman. His number when he raced motorcycles was 51, but when he asked if that number was available for Bonneville, he was told no. Then he asked if he could have 151, but was told they don’t have any numbers of three, but the official said they could give him 5151. His wife looked up the meaning of numbers and 5151 has an angelic connection.
He is confident his guardian angel will be watching over him.
Heideman already has his next project in the works. He has purchased a 1949 Austin from England, which he is going to rebuild. It was a four door, but he has converted it into a two-door.
MEDINA – Headstone-cleaning kits will be available for sale through Cooper Funeral Home in Medina starting this month.
All proceeds will benefit the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery, a not-for-profit organization with a mission for the promotion and conservation of Boxwood Cemetery, to honor past generations for future generations.
Jake Hebdon, owner of Cooper Funeral Home, is a board member of the Boxwood Cemetery Commission. In recent years, Hebdon has received an increasing number of inquiries through the funeral home asking how to properly clean their loved one’s headstone.
This can be done through a monument company, however many people choose to take on the task themselves. In the latter case, it is important to educate the public on proper techniques, tools and chemicals to use that will not permanently damage the stone.
The kits are $75 each. They include a 32 oz. reusable spray bottle of D/2 Biological Solution with instructions, a plastic scrub brush, plastic scraper, a wooden pick to clean into lettering and a 2-gallon bucket for rinsing.
D/2 Biological Solution is a biodegradable, easy-to-use liquid that removes stains from mold, algae, mildew, lichens and air pollutants. It is effective on marble, granite, limestone, brownstone, travertine, masonry, terra cotta, concrete, stucco, wood, and other architectural surfaces including monuments, sculptures and headstones.
This chemical is the most highly recommended and safest chemical for headstone cleaning and is most notably used at Arlington National Cemetery, among other nationally renowned cemeteries, monuments and architectural structures. A contact time of only 10 to 15 minutes followed by scrubbing with a soft nylon or natural bristle brush will loosen most biological and air pollutant staining.
Metal utensils are not recommended, as metal will permanently scratch stone surfaces. A common chemical that should also not be used is bleach, as it is caustic and will mar granite and marble surfaces over time, along with contaminating the dirt around the stone.
The Friends of Boxwood will be hosting a stone cleaning seminar in Boxwood Cemetery on Saturday, July 15, at 10 a.m. Pre-registration is requested by emailing friendsofboxwoodcemetery@gmail.com.
For kit sales, please contact Hebdon at 798-5000 or cooperfuneralhome@gmail.com. Kits are expected to go quickly, but will be restocked as demand dictates.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 July 2023 at 3:04 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Cadence Marciano, 4, of Medina picks a rubber duck from the duck pond during a kickoff celebration for Lee-Whedon Memorial Library’s summer reading challenge.
Patricia Mumau, right, is the children’s librarian. She said there are many activities the next six weeks at the library.
“We have a lot of things going on for kids from age 0 to 16,” she said. “It should be awesome.”
There will be four outdoor movie nights at the library including one tonight at dusk with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Water and popcorn will be provided.
Other movie nights include Beauty and the Beast on July 14, Wonder on Aug. 4 and Paddington 2 on Aug. 18.
Sophia DeMarco 6, of Medina holds an iguana outside Lee-Whedon today during the kickoff celebration for the summer reading challenge. This year the theme is “All Together Now.”
2 X 2 Petting Zone from Macedon brought many creatures for the petting zoo, including a ferret, hedgehogs, Guinea pigs, a bearded dragon, a tortoise, mourning doves, a California kingsnake and other animals.
Byron Hill, 7, of Medina holds a tortoise. He was among about 150 kids at the kickoff event today with the petting zoo.
Samantha Covis, the library’s assistant director, makes cotton candy.
Tucker Damey, 4, of Medina, left, and Joshua Hill, 2, of Medina have fun with Guinea pigs.
Lee-Whedon will host many activities through Aug. 18 to welcome children to the library, including story hours, arts and crafts, a butterfly exhibit, Dungeons & Dragons games, painting the sidewalk, a visit from Hawk Creek Wildlife, yoga for teens and many other programs.
Click here for the Lee-Whedon website and the full calendar for the summer reading challenge.
ALBION – The golf tournament has been a summer tradition for Hospice of Orleans. On Wednesday, July 19, the organization will be hosting its 26th annual golf tournament at Salmon Creek Country Club in Spencerport
“Many of the teams and event committee members have been a part of the tournament for years,” said Julia Alt, Development Director for Hospice of Orleans. “Some have golfed with us since the first tournament. It’s a wonderful way to get the community involved for a great cause.”
There are still spots available for golfers. Tickets are $100 per golfer and include lunch and dinner. For more information, contact Alt directly at 585-589-0809.
Registration for the tournament opens at 8 a.m. on July 19 with the first tee-off at 10 a.m.
Hospice of Orleans also said people can support the event by donating a gift basket in memory of a loved one.
“This is a great way to still be involved in our fundraiser and also honor a loved one,” Alt said.
All proceeds from the golf tournament go toward patient care.
“Our patients come first, and we strive to provide the best comfort care during their end-of-life journey,” Alt said. “We appreciate the community’s support to make our mission possible.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 July 2023 at 9:18 am
Provided photos
MEDINA – A new mural was added on the side of Mark’s Pizzeria on Main Street to direct people to a municipal parking lot behind the Main Street buildings and East Center Street. The mural is actually facing the one-way Proile Alley between Mark’s and the Medina Theatre. This is the first roadway on Main Street for motorists crossing the railroad tracks into the downtown.
Tim Elliott, a village trustee, took the lead on the mural that is 9 feet high by about 14 feet wide. He painted most of it over three days this week with help from retired art teacher Brandi Zavitz.
Village officials were considering adding more signs on Main Street and the downtown to direct people to parking, but the state Department of Transportation advised the village it was already “oversaturated” with signs.
The mural was a way to not add another street sign, but highlight a big parking area not far from Main Street. Many visitors to Medina don’t realize there is a lot behind the buildings, Elliott said.
He presented the plan to the Medina Planning Board, which gave its OK and said the design was historically appropriate. Elliott said the pointing hand is in sepia tones to give the mural a historical look.
The mural was paid for without any public funds, Elliott said.
A clearcoat sealer will be added next week.
Elliott thanked Mark’s owner Brian Christiaansen for his willingness to have the mural on the building.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 July 2023 at 8:18 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The band Swooners from Rochester performed jazz and dance music on Thursday evening on Main Street in Albion, the first concert in a music series by the Albion Merchants Association.
The Merchants will have more concerts on Thursday evenings after the Village of Albion concert series ends on Aug. 30. The village series will be at Main Street next Wednesday, July 12, with the Dave Knaudt Band and then shifts to the amphitheater at Bullard Park for the rest of the summer until Aug. 30.
The Swooners get ready for their concert on Thursday evening in Albion. This photo shows the Gold Medal Flour mural on the Pratt building on Beaver Alley.
The concert was also the start of the Market in the Square on Thursday evenings. Splashes & Splinters, homemade décor and upcycled furniture by Evelyn Warren, was one of the vendors.
The band and some of the crowd are shown in the background.
The Market in the Square will be back next Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. The vendors yesterday included the Lone Star BBQ, Pretty Sweet Bakery, Paeth Farms, Splashes & Splinters, Carol Ostrander and Red Check.
Helena Nitzsche hugs the bronze statue of Santa at Waterman Park, which is next to the area where the band plays on Main Street.
Helena, 6, is from Tacoma, Washington. She is in Albion visiting her grandparents, Gary and Claudia Deiboldt of Albion.
BATAVIA – Genesee Community College is pleased to announce The BEST Center will be offering new technical programs this fall. With the changing needs of the workforce and the increased need for individuals trained in technical skills, the BEST Center will offer a variety of programs including Introduction to Electric, Refrigeration, HVAC, Heating, Plumbing, Computer Numerical Control and Cybersecurity courses.
Introduction to Electric will be one of the first courses to be offered. It is scheduled for Saturdays from Sept. 16 to Nov. 18 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
“The course times and hours were selected to allow working professionals to take the class outside of their regular working hours,” said Jennifer Wakefield, executive director of Workforce Development. “These new technical programs will benefit many employees and companies in the GLOW region. Reports are generated monthly demonstrating the unfilled positions in our region due to the lack of skilled employees. We hope to close this gap with these new offerings.”
In addition, through the SUNY HealthCARES Grant, training for GCC Health Care Studies students and BEST Center clients, will be offered in a virtual reality format. Students will be able to use ocular headsets loaded with industry-recognized curriculum to explore healthcare career options, practice techniques, learn new skills and prepare for industry-recognized certifications. In addition, students will be connected with local healthcare organizations for career pathways preparation.
New programming requires new staff to provide service to our companies and students. Kathy Wood is the Regional Coordinator for the SUNY HealthCARES Grant. Wood has over 20 years of combined experience in program coordination and healthcare workforce development.
Christa Palmer, also new to the team, is the Coordinator of Technical Programs for the BEST Center. She joins GCC with over 25 years of experience in education.
“Technology gives our companies important business tools, which leads to gains in productivity and profitability. These new courses for high-demand careers will provide the training needed for our companies to be successful,” said Dr. Craig Lamb, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at GCC.
The BEST Center at GCC is the recognized regional leader in developing the skilled workforce that powers local economic growth. The Center serves individual employees, as well as businesses large and small, with seminars, workshops, and trainings designed to improve the performance of people and processes.
LOCKPORT – The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office is announcing a partnership with Flock Safety, a company that provides an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) service. The installation of cameras will include 67 locations strategically located throughout Niagara County.
These cameras provide law enforcement with real-time data to capture the make, model, color and license plate from the rear of vehicles traveling throughout Niagara County.
They capture actionable evidence and send real-time alerts if a wanted or stolen vehicle passes by these cameras. The alerts are sent to all law enforcement agencies within seconds.
The cameras are not used for traffic enforcement, they do not take photos of the vehicle occupants and there is no facial recognition technology.
Additionally, when new technology is introduced there is generally a question whether it’s tracking citizen movement. This system is not, the data is securely stored in the cloud, automatically deleted every 30 days on a rolling basis and is not sold or shared with third parties.
Niagara County law enforcement will be able to use this system for both proactive and reactive crime fighting. This system will also provide valuable information when investigating crime, providing much needed leads to help solve criminal offenses.
The Flock Safety cameras are just one more tool to assist law enforcement across Niagara County solve and prevent crime. As technology and crime trends change, these ALPR cameras allow law enforcement to remain at the leading edge to continue to provide safety and security for Niagara County.
“These cameras will be a game-changer for law enforcement in this county,” Sheriff Filicetti said. “Many communities have seen a reduction in crime by utilizing this technology as a crime-fighting tool.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 July 2023 at 1:22 pm
ALBION – A member of the clay target shooting team at Albion is among the top performers in the state. Tommy Fox, 18, will compete next week in the national championships in Marengo, Ohio.
Fox just graduated from Albion. He finished his senior season ranked first in his conference and 15th overall in the state. He averaged hitting 23.6 clay targets out of 25 shots over the course of the season for school teams. (Jeffrey Paes of Coxsackie-Athens High School and Andrew Stratton of Hoosick Falls tied for first with a season average of 24.4 out of 25 targets.)
Noah St. John of Holley also made the All-State Team with an average of 22.7 targets hit. Two from Genesee County also made All-State: Michael Covert of Le Roy with a 22.9 average and Brayden Smith of Elba at 22.5.
Fox, the son of Tom and Jill Fox, also is a member of the Orleans County Clay Crushers and finished fourth in the state during the scholastic competition on June 10. He hit 96 out of 100 targets.
Tommy Fox finished fourth in the state out of 227 shooters in the state scholastic championship, hitting 96 out of 100 targets.
Mason Tomaszewski of Fredonia and Micah Armstrong took first hitting 98 out of 100. Fox was fourth out of 227 shooters that day. Another Albion clay target shooter, Caden Uderitz, also had a good day at the state tournament, hitting 90 out of 100 targets.
Fox has been on the Albion school team since it started in 2019. He has consistently been among the team’s top guns, but took it to a higher level this season, including 97 out of 100 at one competition.
“He has very good hand-eye coordination, and he is very relaxed on the line,” said Jeff Atwell, one of the coaches for the school team and also the Clay Crushers. “He doesn’t let anything bother him.”
Fox started shooting clay discs at age 12. Even as a beginner he was hitting in the 30s out of 50. By 14, he could consistently break 45 out of 50.
“It’s something to do that is fun,” Fox said. “It’s hard to nail every one of them.”
The clay discs are about 4 inches in diameter. They fly out of a machine at 42 miles per hour. They are sent left and right at varying angles. The shooters fire shotguns from several different spots during the competitions.
Tommy said he tries to stay focused, and reacts. If he misses one, he doesn’t dwell on it, and goes after the next one. He shoots with a Browning BT-99 Plus trap shotgun.
Atwell said Fox is “coachable” and listens to advice – and learns from mistakes to keep getting better.
“He’s a pretty talented kid,” Atwell said. “I think he has the ability to break a lot of targets at some big events.”
The Albion team and Orleans County Clay Crushers compete at the Barre Sportsmen’s Club for the regular season matches. Fox went to Fulton for the state scholastic competition at the Pathfinder Fish & Game Club. Another big match was at Cicero.
Tommy Fox works at TF Enterprise, his father’s metal fabrication business on Route 98. He is a CNC programmer and machinist. He also enjoys fishing, especially for bass.
He thanked his coaches for all of their help and support, a group that includes Jeff Atwell, Chris Rice, Mike Donahue, Ryan Uderitz and Patrick Woodworth.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 July 2023 at 11:33 am
Provided photo
HOLLEY – The Class of 1988 gathered this past weekend for their 35-year reunion. There was a senior skip day at the beach, a reunion at the Holley VFW, Friday Happy Hour at the Holley Falls Bar and Grill and a tour of the Holley Junior-Senior High School. The class would like to thank Matt Feldman, the school principal, for giving the tour.
Pictured, kneeling from left: Patty Jo Groenendaal, Trina Cook, Ruth Ellen Lach, Rick Cary and Michelle Fricke.
Standing, from left: Darlene Orbaker, Darlene Case, John Bell, Leslie Harner Mcmillion Neale, Brenda DeYoung, Sandy Smith, Jody Maxim, Krista Radford, Bob Pedley, Lisa Boyer Ettinger, Kristen Rees Isabelle, Cindy Wharram LaRuffa and Julie Dinehart McCabe.
Rhode Island – the smallest of all the United States – is jam-packed with beauty and history. I had been to Rhode Island before, but both times gave me very limited time and experiences. The first time, I spent a few days at a seminar in Providence for work. The second time, I was on a New England States adventure in the motor home with my brother and sister-in-law, but we didn’t make any major stops when passing through Rhode Island. So, it was on my list of states I’d like to return to for a closer look, someday. Well – “someday” came in October of 2021. It was a last minute decision to go after another planned trip was canceled – it was perfect, since I already had the time and money planned for a get-away.
MEDINA – Headstone-cleaning kits will be available for sale through Cooper Funeral Home in Medina starting this month.
Tim Elliott, a village trustee, took the lead on the mural that is 9 feet high by about 14 feet wide. He painted most of it over three days this week with help from retired art teacher Brandi Zavitz.
