This week, I am sharing a very personal story. I have kept it in my back pocket, but I have come to realize we could all learn from Gramma and her bag of popcorn.
As I was growing up, I was blessed to have two grandmas to help me become who I am. Both very different, but both treasured all the same. Both a product of their generations and cultures. Teaching me lessons along the way.
Gramma’s popcorn bag is one I will always cherish the memory of. It was that of Little Eva or, as we all called her, Gramma Goon. She was not a silly or overly affectionate grandma, but rather a strong and stable influence.
She was a good Presbyterian and had no use for nonsense. And neither do I. She whistled as she worked. And so do I. She had her secret inappropriate TV shows, like “Soap.” And so do I. Life taught her to be smart with her money. And so I try.
Her little canvas sneakers were always by her door, because she washed them rather than buy new ones. And so do I. Those sneakers kept her moving quickly well into her 80s, never complaining or slowing down. I pray I can do the same.
But one of the greatest memories for me is Gramma’s popcorn bag. You see, every Friday night, my dad would grab up Gamma Goon and bring her to my house for a visit. Some days, she even wore her rollers. She wasn’t driving much those days, so it was a weekly outing. My dad brought beer, and Grandma brought her bag of popcorn. Not just any old popcorn, but freshly popped with lots of butter and salt. You could see the butter seeping through the bag. You could smell the love coming from the warm kernels.
Every visit was the same. Gramma scolding Dad for drinking beer, while holding her bag of popcorn with the rim rolled down on her lap. But when it was time to open the bag of popcorn, it was more than just, well, popcorn. It was special, because Gramma was here at my house with HER Popcorn she made for us.
Each kernel held a kernel of knowledge of how to be dependable, be kind, be charitable, be frugal, be self-sufficient … be grateful.
Grandma was born in 1909 in Clarendon. She went to college and raised a family. Life was not always easy. But she knew the secret that was in the bag of popcorn: to count your blessings, not your woes.
To this day, I still love popcorn. I will eat any kind, but I favor the kind on the stove with butter and salt, just like Gramma made. Each kernel reminds me of her lessons. Now I know why she held that bag so tightly. It held the secrets to success and happiness, and I am grateful she popped them for me.
I wish I had a picture of Gramma with her bag, but the picture in my brain is as clear as if it happened yesterday.
Treasure your time with your loved ones who are aging, and digest all the kernels they are feeding you. It will serve not only your belly, but your heart and soul.
xoxo Grammy Goon ?
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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 September 2020 at 9:24 pm
‘It’s playful and a little weird’ – artist Julian Montague
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Julian Montague, an artist from Buffalo, is working on a mural in Medina on two walls of a building at the corner of Pearl Street and West Avenue.
Montague started painting on the back wall of the building on Friday. He is mostly done with that wall which is 14 feet high and 80 feet long. He also will be painting a second 14-by-80 wall of the building, which is being used as a gym. That second wall faces the main parking lot for the building.
Montague said most of the work went into designing the geometric patterns and determining the colors. He will be adding eyes and mouth to give the mural some added personality.
“It’s playful and a little weird,” he said.
Montague was a featured artist during the PLAY/GROUND art exhibit in 2018 and 2019 inside the former Medina High School. He painted the hallways with the geometric patterns.
Montague works as a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator and installation artist. This is his first outdoor mural. He has developed a big audience on social media with nearly 70,000 followers on Instagram.
Tim Hungerford of the Form Foundation reached out to Montague for one of four new murals in Medina. The first one, the “Canalligator,” was completed in July on Proctor Place. Two more are planned for Proctor Place and have been approved by the Village Planning Board.
Montague said the new mural will transform what has been a boring cinder block building. He said the design will really jump put as people turn from Main Street onto Pearl Street.
“This is a pretty mundane building,” Montague said. “But it has great sight lines as you turn the corner.”
John Montague is helping his son with some of the painting. John is using the paint brush to fill in some spots with small pits and holes on the wall where paint didn’t stick from the roller.
The father and son will be back on Sunday working on the project. They expect to be mostly finished with the mural by tomorrow evening.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 September 2020 at 6:16 pm
7 demonstrators hold signs in Public Square, amidst jeers and cheers
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Heather Rowley of Holley organized a Black Lives Matter demonstration today in Holley from noon to about 2:30 p.m. She is holding the Black Lives Matter sign.
Rowley was joined by her sister and brother, and four of their friends from Holley and Brockport.
Rowley, 30, wanted to publicly support the cause, especially after a big processional a week ago in support of law enforcement. About 300 motorcyclists and 200 other vehicles were in the “Back the Blue” ride and rally that covered 52 miles in Orleans County.
“This is in direct response to the Back the Blue rally,” Rowley said. “We want to show people of color in our community that we support them and we hear them.”
The seven demonstrators stood in the Public Square for about 2 ½ hours. They received some thumbs up and supportive beeps, as well as middle fingers and expletives from passing motorists.
Rowley was bothered by the timing of the Back the Blue ride a week ago, with the protests in Rochester over the death of Daniel Prude, 41. He died on March 30, seven days after being taken into custody by police. Seven police officers involved in his arrest have been suspended and the police chief has been fired.
Prude was suffering from acute mental health problems when police were called. Officers found him running naked in the street on a cold night on March 23. He was restrained with a “spit hood,” designed to protect police from saliva.
Body camera video was released in early September, more than five months after his death. Protestors have been out every day in Rochester since the videos became public.
“That someone died in such a demeaning way and to still have that rally (a week ago) really rubbed me the wrong way,” Rowley said.
A demonstrator holds on a sign in Holley’s Public Square this afternoon.
Rowley, a graduate student for social work at Brockport State College, wanted her hometown to see that some residents support Black Lives Matter and the push for more police accountability.
She said she feels haunted by the image of Prude and his interaction with the RPD.
Her sister, Madeline Rowley, said most of the passing motorists seemed supportive of their presence. A few people stopped to chat and one wanted a group photo. Some people yelled, “All Lives Matter.” Some told them to “Go home” and “Get the f— out of town.”
Ben Rowley, the brother of Heather and Madeline, had never been to a public demonstration until today. He saw many familiar faces driving by. He felt it would be more effective to support Black Lives Matter in Holley, rather than joining a crowd in Rochester.
“We’re trying to change the town I grew up in for the better,” said Rowley, 24.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 September 2020 at 4:54 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson stands next to a Medina fire truck during a boot drive in Medina to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
MEDINA – Holding a boot drive to benefit a charitable organization is an annual tradition for firefighters in the Western Battalion, which includes Medina, Ridgeway, Lyndonville, Shelby and East Shelby.
For several years the drive was done for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, but for the last few years, the drive has benefited the Make-a-Wish Foundation, said Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson.
The group collected $9,000 today for Make-A-Wish, which topped last year’s amount by about $2,000, said Tim Petry, president of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
He thanked the community for being generous, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Medina firefighter Lt. Jacob Crooks gets a donation from a driver at the four corners in downtown Medina Saturday morning, during a boot drive to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The fire companies joined efforts on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to conduct their book drive at the four corners in downtown Medina, Route 63 and Maple Ridge Road in Medina and Routes 63 and 104 in Ridgeway.
Jackson and Petry spearheaded efforts to have a boot drive.
“There’s nothing more important than making a difference in our kids’ lives,” Jackson said.
Georgia Thomas came running out of a store this morning to make a donation to Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson.
Provided photos: A brick building from 1836 was built next to the Cobblestone Universalist Church, which was erected in 1834. They remain next to each other on Rpute 104, just east of the intersection with Route 98.
(Editor’s Note: This is the sixth article in a series about historic Childs in the Town of Gaines. The hamlet of Childs lies just north of Albion at the intersection of Routes 104 and 98. In 2019, Childs was selected to be on the Landmark Society of Western New York’s “Five to Revive” list. In 1993, the federal U.S. Department of the Interior declared the Cobblestone Museum in Childs a National Historic Landmark, the first site in Orleans County with that distinction.)
By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director
When we think of buildings in the historic Hamlet of Childs, the mind is quickly drawn to the amazing cobblestone structures that are located there. But, perhaps equally interesting are the red brick structures that were built in the hamlet. Brick construction in Childs actually predates the advent of cobblestone masonry by almost a decade. There are brick homes here that date back to the 1820s, and the first cobblestone building was the Gaines-Basin schoolhouse built in 1832.
We know of three brickyards that operated in the vicinity of Childs including the Laffler brickyard at the site of the current Brick Pond on Route 98 near Route 104, and another at the intersection of Routes 279 & 104 and a third owned by William Babbitt at Route 104 & Crandall Road which was actually the first brickyard in the area established about 1820.
The Laffler Brick Yard had a storied history that included some game-changing technology for the time. Laffler built and patented an Iron Clad Brick Machine that changed brickmaking from a hand pressing process to mechanical. His invention was said to produce 2,000 to 3,000 bricks per hour. Enough bricks to build the average house could be made in a few hours instead of several days. Laffler’s machine took the first place award at the New York State Fair in the 1860s for several years running. A photo of his workplace is shown.
The Laffler Brick Yard also has an interesting connection to the Cobblestone Museum. When the Cobblestone Universalist Church was built in 1834, it originally had a set of high wooden steps that were attached to the front of the building. In 1870s a stone and brick terrace was built to replace the treacherous wooden stairs. The height of the terrace was designed to accommodate easier entrance and egress from horse drawn carriages. The flat surface of the terrace was constructed of red bricks from the Laffler Brick Yard as seen in the photo above.
Another amazing brick building in Childs was home to none other than founding father, John Proctor. Also known as “Paul Revere of Ridge Road,” Proctor is remembered for his heroic horseback ride to alert settlers of the advance of the British along the Ridge Road during the War of 1812. Proctor’s patriotism is venerated on a plaque in the front yard of his former home in Childs as shown.
The Cobblestone Museum is also a proud red brick building owner, with the residence they have dubbed, “The Brick House.” Now currently serving as the Museum’s administrative office and Resource Center, the beautiful red brick home was built in 1836 as part of John Proctor’s prototype community, later dubbed Proctor’s Corners. A close up of the modern entrance is shown.
Photo from the collection of Kathy Staines
After the Proctor’s Corners years, the same brick building was enlarged with another brick wing, and later, a concrete block building was added at the front-west side. From the final addition, the Radzinski family operated a wine and spirits store for many years. In 1998 the property was nearly destroyed when a prospective buyer thought the building should be razed to make more room for his planned convenience store on the corner. Shortsighted individuals remarked, “No one famous slept there, so tear it down!”
Fortunately, a groundswell of community support for the 1836 brick structure saved it from the wrecking ball to be preserved for historical purposes. The Cobblestone Museum’s Research Center is located on the ground floor and the second floor is used as an art gallery and exhibition space.
Another interesting red brick home in the Hamlet of Childs is at least very rare, if not unique to the hamlet. This hybrid structure was built with cobblestones for the first story, and the second story is red brick.
Photo from the collection of Kathy Staines
The same brick/cobblestone house is shown here as it looked painted white in the mid-1900s. An interesting fact here is how the small structure played a role in entertaining America in the 1930s and beyond. A chance encounter with the home owner in the 1930s led Ferrin and Beatrice Fraser to rent the home for $10 a month. Fate, being fickle, called the couple away to NYC to continue their careers in music and radio. But whenever they could, they returned to their little home in Childs and worked there on the script for the radio series, “Little Orphan Annie.” The couple wrote four children’s books with a musical theme. Ferrin Fraser authored over 500 short stories for many leading magazines and Beatrice served as a local organist and formed several hand bell choirs.
One more red brick building in the Hamlet of Childs stands as proud today as it was in 1834 when built by the Everett family. It sits masterfully overlooking the scene of what was once Proctor’s Corners and the Cobblestone Church. This stately red brick home shown features two parlors and a grand foyer. It is beautifully embellished with crown molding and six fireplaces. Open hearth cooking tools are still present in the kitchen.
KENDALL – The Kendall Lions Club on Thursday recognized some of the club’s leading members and also presented a Citizen of the Year award.
Ken Spohr – Citizen of the Year: Spohr, scoutmaster of Troop 94, was named Citizen of the Year in recognition of his commitment to mentoring the youth of the community through his work and leadership with the Boy Scouts. Spohr has led several boys to become Eagle Scouts. Five of them have now completed projects at the Kendall Town Park, including creating a war memorial.
Julie Bunn – Lion of the Year: Bunn was presented this award by her father and Lion sponsor Mike Cusimano. Julie recognized for her commitment and service. She has organized and led a small group of our Lions in a program that checked on several senior citizens during the Covid quarantine. She also organized a team that delivered donated boxes of food to many families in our community.
Eric Maxon – Melvin Jones Fellowship: Eric Maxon received the Melvin Jones Fellowship award, the highest honor for a Lions Club member, in recognition of his outstanding service to the community through his participation and leadership in club activities. Maxon is a regular participant at our Bingo nights for the veterans at the Batavia VA hospital, organizes the annual Environmental Clean Up Day, and is an active member of our tent committee and other fundraisers and social events. Maxon has served on the club’s Board of Directors and is currently the second vice president. He lives the Lions Club motto of “We Serve.”
Bob Furness – Career Lion Award: Bob Furness was presented with a Career Lion Award. Furness has been a member of the Kendall Lions Club for 36 years and continues to actively participate in serving the community through many of the club’s events.
‘Justice Ginsburg was an unparalleled voice for our better angels and a singular force for equality and justice throughout her extraordinary career.’
Statement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“New York’s heart breaks with the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a daughter of Brooklyn and the embodiment of all that it means to be New York tough – yet her life was a testament that tough does not preclude acting with respect, grace, and dignity. I know I speak for the entire family of New York when I say we are absolutely devastated by this loss.
“As an advocate, litigator, professor, and judge, Justice Ginsburg was an unparalleled voice for our better angels and a singular force for equality and justice throughout her extraordinary career. In an era when women like her were asked why they were ‘taking the place of a man,’ she fought tirelessly to ensure our country lived up to its founding ideals, especially for all those marginalized by the status quo – from women and communities of color, to the disabled and the LGBTQ community.
“While there is still so much progress left to be made on the march towards gender equality and women’s rights, Justice Ginsburg’s legacy will continue to be a beacon for all of us in the fight.
“My thoughts are with Justice Ginsburg’s family tonight, especially her daughter Jane and son James.”
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer tweeted this statement:
“Tonight, we mourn the passing of a giant in American history, a champion for justice, a trailblazer for women. She would want us all to fight as hard as we can to preserve her legacy.”
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand issued this statement:
“The world has lost a giant. A brilliant jurist, a resolute champion for justice and a trailblazer for women’s rights, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has left a legacy that will echo through history. Justice Ginsburg will forever be a feminist icon who inspired generations of young women—myself included—to follow their dreams, break through barriers and never let gender stand in the way. She will be deeply missed and my prayers are with her family and friends.”
U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs issued this statement:
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a force on the Supreme Court, never compromising her values, and impacting our nation for decades to come. She served our nation with integrity, was a role model for many, and raised the standard for debate and discourse. As the second woman to ever be nominated to the Supreme Court she broke barriers and all Americans, regardless of ideology, should recognize her incredible achievement and mourn her loss. My deepest condolences and prayers are with her family.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 September 2020 at 7:52 pm
Photos by Marsha Rivers: It was a breathtaking sunset tonight, including in Lyndonville at the waterfalls and dam in front of the school.
A frost advisory is in effect tonight in Orleans County, from midnight to 8 a.m. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s well inland from the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario shorelines which will result in frost formation, the National Weather Service in Buffalo said.
The frost advisory is in effect for Orleans, Niagara, Monroe and northern Erie counties.
The frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered.
The temperatures will warm up to 56 on Saturday, which will be mostly sunny. On Sunday, it will be sunny with a high temperature of 61.
The sunset reflects in Johnson Creek this evening in Lyndonville.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 September 2020 at 4:27 pm
Orleans County doesn’t have any new confirmed cases of Covid-19 to report today while Genesee County has two more cases, the first new cases in nine days in that county.
In Genesee, the new cases are residents of Byron and Le Roy, and both are under age 20. The individuals were not on quarantine prior to testing positive. Genesee has now had 291 people test positive for Covid-19.
Genesee also has 6 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states, while Orleans has 10 more.
Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
• State-wide Data: Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that the state’s Covid infection rate remained below one percent. Yesterday, 0.88 of test results or 790 of 89,727 were positive.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 September 2020 at 4:02 pm
MEDINA – There won’t be any more food distributions in Orleans County this month, but there will be more in October.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday approved an additional $1 billion in the Farmers to Families Food Box Program through the end of October. The USDA this week hit a milestone by distributing more than 90 million food boxes in support of American farmers and families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the USDA said.
Candace Pitts, a volunteer from the Iroquois Job Corps Center in Shelby, helps get boxes of produce ready. There were three sets of boxes – meat, dairy and produce – as well as these boxes with oranges, peppers, grapes and 2 half-gallons of milk.
Local agencies are working on the details for the distributions next month. There aren’t expected to be any more at the 4-H Fairgrounds. The Cornell Cooperative Extension had been giving out 1,200 boxes of produce the second and fourth Wednesdays, and often hands 450 boxes of meat and dairy.
The tentative schedule for October includes:
• Friday, October 2 – Community Action Main Street Store, Albion
• Friday, October 9 – Holley/Clarendon with location to be determined.
Melissa Blanar, director of the Office for the Aging in Orleans County, said she is working on the details for distributions on Oct. 23 and Oct. 30.
The truck pulled into the parking lot just before 10 a.m. There was some confusion because the previous food distribution was at Medina High School’s parking lot. This time it was at the Ridgeway fire hall lot.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 September 2020 at 12:41 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The top of the façade on the three-story Bent’s Opera House is painted this morning. The building has been given an extensive renovation the past two years, and the new paint is a very visible change to the site on Main Street, at the corner of West Center Street.
Bent’s was originally built in 1864-1865 and is one of the most striking buildings in downtown Medina. The site is expected to open this spring with a restaurant on the first floor, boutique hotel on the second floor and events space on the third floor.
Here is how the building looked in September 2019, with scaffolding on the side facing East Center Street.
This photo from October 2013 shows the building when a crew arrived to install “cribbing” as a temporary support so the rotted beams could be removed and the new supports installed. That allowed structural support beams for the southeast corner building. At that time, the Orleans Renaissance Group owned the building.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 18 September 2020 at 10:28 am
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Well reflecting the school’s colors Roy-Hart’s new complex of six purple tennis courts located just east of the Middle School will certainly catch the attention of visiting teams next season.
Contributed Photo Superintendent Dr. Hank Stopinski officially opened the new tennis courts at the Middle School. on September 11. Pictured here at the ceremony with Dr. Dr. Stopinski are Athletic Director John Grzymala and R-H Tennis Coach Doug Meyer along with Rams tennis players Dom Peracinny (Class of 2021), Mya Quinn (Class of 2021) and Marissa Scott (Class of 2022).
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 18 September 2020 at 7:40 am
Advice: Don’t flush wipes or put instant mashed potatoes in garbage disposal
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Tony Sanders, owner of Albion Bower’s Plumbing, tells how the pandemic has affected his business. He is shown here ready to unplug a drain in a customer’s basement.
ALBION – An Albion plumber has words of advice for homeowners during this pandemic.
Tony Sanders, owner of Albion Bower’s Plumbing, has encountered some very unusual problems during the past six months, most of them attributed to the pandemic.
First, many residents have been stuck at home and not able to work, so many have decided to tackle odd jobs around the house.
One call he got was from a lady whose garbage disposal wouldn’t work. It seems like she decided to clean out her cupboards in her spare time and throw out some outdated foods. This included packages of dry instant mashed potatoes, which she dumped down the drain, right out of the bag. When the moisture got to them, they set up and caused the disposal to explode.
Talking about garbage disposals, Sanders thought he would remind homeowners of other things one should never put down a garbage disposal, such as egg shells and coffee grounds. He said one thing homeowners should do regularly is fill their drain with ice and turn on the garbage disposal. It cleans it and helps with the smell, he said.
Another big problem has been caused by the toilet paper shortage. Customers were buying whatever they could get, which often turned out to be generic brands, some of which were thick, almost like paper towels. As a result they plugged toilets.
Sanders said it was almost impossible to believe the women who still try to flush their personal products down the toilet.
“I could send my kids to college on the money I’ve made from those calls,” he said.
With college kids home more, appliances are being used overtime. This also applies to septic systems.
Sanders and his stepfather Jim Arnold purchased Bailey’s Septic three years ago.
“You take an average 500 gallon septic system now being used twice as much or more, and it can’t handle it,” Sanders said.
Talking about toilets, Sanders warned homeowners who want to install those jet flush toilets in an older home.
“Those high-efficiency toilets use as little as .28 gallons of water, instead of the three and one-half gallons used by a traditional toilet,” Sanders said. “Now you have the old cast iron plumbing and not enough water to carry the waste through.”
Flushable wipes which everyone has been purchasing during the pandemic are really not flushable, Sanders said.
“Use all of them you want, but throw them in the trash,” he said. “People have to realize their toilet is not a magic portal to nowhere.”
In an average year, Sanders said his plumbing business would average five to seven normal calls a day. For three months straight during the pandemic, he has averaged eight to 12 calls a day, of which four to six were emergencies.
“I’ve been in business since 2007 and I’ve never seen a season like this,” he said.
For a while, Sanders said it seemed like firefighters, police and his crew were the only people out there.
He said it has started to level off, but with cold weather just around the corner, calls will begin to come in about frozen lines.
Continuing his fight to make a college education more accessible for every New Yorker, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced a plan to cancel up to $50,000 in debt for federal student loan borrowers.
The resolution outlines how the next president should use existing executive authority under the Higher Education Act to substantially cancel student loan debt for students in New York and across the country, and ensure there is no tax liability for federal student loan borrowers resulting from administrative debt collection.
Schumer said addressing the student loan crisis will be one of the first legislative actions he will prioritize in the new 117th Congress in January, 2021.
“Millions of young New Yorkers and their families have been crushed by student loan debt greatly impeding their ability to begin careers and build the financial resources needed to build their futures,” said Senator Schumer. “For far too long the sunny, American optimism of our young people has been clouded by crippling student debt. Education is supposed to be a ladder up, but studies have shown that student loans hold people back and prevent young college graduates from owning homes or starting small businesses. This holds our entire economy back, which we cannot afford after the financial devastation of COVID. That is why I will prioritize student debt forgiveness in 2021, bringing immediate relief to millions of New Yorkers and boosting our economy.”
The senator noted that this plan will provide complete forgiveness of student loans for more than 75% of borrowers across the country and at least some debt forgiveness for 95% of people with student loan debt. This is especially good news for the nearly 2.4 million New Yorkers with outstanding student loans and a cumulative debt of $89.5 billion as of March 2020, according to studentaid.gov.
Schumer explained that student debt cancellation can provide immediate relief to millions who are struggling during this pandemic and recession, and give a boost to our struggling economy through a consumer-driven economic stimulus that can result in greater home-buying rates and housing stability, higher college completion rates, and greater small business formation. Over 100 community, civil rights, consumer, and student advocacy organizations have already come out in support of using executive authority to cancel student loan debt.
Congress has already granted the Secretary of Education the legal authority to broadly cancel student debt under section 432(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1082(a)), which grants the Secretary the authority to modify, “… compromise, waive, or release any right, title, claim, lien, or demand, however acquired, including any equity or any right of redemption.” The Department of Education has reportedly used this authority to implement modest relief for federal student loan borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The bottom line is that the cost of college is out of control and paying for it forces millions of students and families to take on crippling debt, which greatly impedes students’ ability to get started and succeed after graduation,” Schumer said. “It is like starting a long walk with a back pack stuffed with bricks. This plan to cancel student debt on federal loans will substantially lighten that load and give recent graduates a huge boost that will launch them into a much brighter future – that will energize the economy and substantially expand our dwindling middle class.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 September 2020 at 8:22 pm
NORTH TONAWANDA – Standing outside the Riviera Theatre, which has been closed for six months, State Sen. Rob Ortt today urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature to allow theaters to reopen for live music and entertainment.
Theaters were expecting to be approved for reopening in Phase 4, but the state didn’t allow that.
Ortt said the state has allow NBC Studios to open, but not community theaters, including the Riviera in North Tonawanda and the Palace Theatre in Lockport. Not only does that put historic theaters on the brink, but it hurts musicians, technicians and other performers who depend on those venues.
David Fillenwarth, executive director of the Riviera, led a news conference today, saying the theater has a safety plan for reopening that has passed the Niagara County Health Department. He said the Riviera provides a critical boost to local restaurants and other small businesses, who see theater patrons before and after concerts and other performances.
Fillenwarth said the Covid-19 pandemic has threatened 90 percent of theaters with closure.
He has pressed the Governor’s Office for answers or a timeline on when theaters can reopen. He hasn’t received a reply.
The Riviera’s reopening plan would require patrons to line up 6 feet apart before a performance. There would be temperature checks for patrons, staff and artists.
Patrons and staff would be required to wear masks inside the building the entire time, including during performances.
The Riviera, if following similar guidelines for other larger venues, would be limited to a 50 percent capacity. Fillenwarth said the theater would happily reopen at 25 percent in the beginning of the reopening.
There wouldn’t be concessions, alcohol and merchandise sales. There wouldn’t be an intermission. A traffic flow for people would be mapped on the floor.
People could sit next to people in the same party, but then there would be two seats of space from the next group, and people would be seated every other row to allow for social distancing of 6 feet.
The Riviera would have security on hand to enforce mask wearing and guidelines, Fillenwarth said.
The theater also won’t allow its popular mosh pit for the many bands that perform at the site.
The Riviera would like to host its first shows on Sept. 25-26 with The Chicago Authority, a Chicago tribute band. At 25 percent capacity, the theater could have about 300 people for the event.
But the governor and state need to approve live entertainment in the reopening.
“We can no longer be ignored,” Fillenwarth said at the news conference, which is posted on the Riviera’s Facebook page. “It’s time to turn back on the light.”
Ortt knows the theater well from when he was North Tonawanda mayor. He said theaters and live entertainment are important cultural centers that provide an economic catalyst for downtown business districts.
He worries if theaters close they may not come back.
Ortt said the state hasn’t be fair with reopening businesses in Phase 4. Gyms and casinos had to wait long after phase 4 was introduced. Amd the state “selectively” allowed NBC Studios to open while smaller theaters are in limbo.
“The thought was they would be in phase 4 but they weren’t,” Ortt said. “There is no phase 5.”
He said he would press Cuomo and the State Senate and Assembly, which Demcoratic majorities, to reopen theaters.
Fillenwarth said the state needs to give the green light soon for the live entertainment industry.
“This is no longer wait and see,” he said. “We need an answer immediately. We got to find a way to make this work.”
