News for the week of
February 22, 2004

In Features:

Spencerport Chamber of
Commerce Annual Awards dinner

A full house was in attendance for the Spencerport Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards dinner, held January 30 at the Whittier Party House. more

Clarkson residents advised of new assessment data process
As part of the Reassessment Project 2004, new preliminary full value assessments will be mailed to all property owners in the Town of Clarkson. more

Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 4-8
holds awards and change of watch ceremony

Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 4-8 held their Change of Watch Ceremony and swearing in of their new bridge for 2004. more

Churchville Chamber announces award winners
The Harvey C. Noone Post 954 of the American Legion will receive the Churchville Chamber of Commerce's 2003 Citizens of the Year Award at the group's annual awards dinner on Thursday, March 11 at the Johnson House Restaurant. more

Film Fest a part of Tale for Three Counties
A Tale for Three Counties, the area-wide book discussion in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, will include a Film Fest as part of this year's program. The public libraries in these three counties are hosting this project and are offering book discussions, a review contest, and appearances by author Howard Frank Mosher, whose novel, Northern Borders, is this year's selected title. more

Fire district receives grant
Thanks to a grant written in a Monroe Community College course, the volunteer Hilton Parma Fire District (HPFD) will receive $11,500 to upgrade their radios. Without the money, fire officials were without resources to purchase the essential equipment. more

Frozen pipes and ice dams: Cold weather culprits
There are ways you can prevent frozen pipes and ice dams and avoid the hassles and costs of cleaning and repairing problems often caused by these two winter problems. more

Holley Hawks Community Center project takes flight
Holley's Community Center is well on its way to becoming a full service center for both youth, adults and senior citizens. With the formation of the Holley Hawks Youth Advisory Board, students and an advisory panel have been brainstorming ways to develop after school programs for the children. more

Holley Library web page goes live
The Community Free Library in Holley now offers the community its new web page. Funding for this project has been provided by the Curtis Foundation of Orleans County. This group has been helping many organizations since 1972. The web page was designed and will be maintained by the Scenic View Web Company in Hilton. more

Instrumentalist to return to Churchville
When Gina Valvano graduated from Churchville-Chili in 1995, she made a commitment to herself that she would always continue to sing and play the bassoon "in some capacity," she said. "I wasn't sure that I could make a living making music, but I knew that it must always be part of my life." more

Kendall-Hamlin Euchre Tourney is a 50-year tradition
Playing Euchre, the card game, is a tradition in Western New York. Nowhere is this more evident than in the lakeshore towns of Kendall and Hamlin. more

Lead-acid batteries top the nation's recycling list
American motorists who buy new automotive-type batteries help the lead-acid battery remain as the nation's most highly recycled consumer product. The lead-acid battery industry, with help from consumers and retailers, recycled 97.1 percent of spent battery lead from 1997 to 2001, according to a report issued by Battery Council International (BCI). more

Maple syrup production expected to be higher this spring
Given weather conditions for the last nine months and forecasted temperatures for western New York, agricultural specialist Dr. Bob King says he expects the tapping of maple trees (sugar, black and some red) for maple syrup production to begin during the last week of February. more

Retiring Spencerport employee
notes many changes in postal services

From hand sorting to computerization, the post office has undergone myriad changes during the past two decades but the biggest change, according to Jeff Wood, will be the retirement of long-time postal clerk Bonnie Callaghan. more


In Briefly:

Area preschool fair presented by local Moms Club chapters
Thirteen area preschools will be showcased at the Seymour Library in Brockport on Thursday, February 26 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Schools represented come from towns including Spencerport, Brockport, Hamlin, Hilton, Holley and Kendall. more

Community chorus concerts set for March
The Spencerport Community Chorus will present its annual Spring Concert on Saturday, March 6 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 7 at 3 p.m. Both concerts are held at the First Congregational Church (the Historic White Church) on Church Street in Spencerport. The concerts are free, with baskets available for donations. Receptions will follow both concerts. more

Dinner/Theater fundraiser benefits scholarship fund
Greece Community Partners is sponsoring a Dinner/Theater on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 to raise money for the Greece Community Scholarship Fund. The fund annually awards scholarships to high school seniors who are continuing their education. more

Garth Fagan Dance returns to SUNY Brockport
Garth Fagan Dance (GFD) returns to SUNY College at Brockport for an informal showing of new work and well-loved pieces Wednesday, February 25. more

Gates Lions and Lions Club International celebrate Liberty Day USA
March 16, the birthday of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, has been recognized as Liberty Day by Lions Clubs around the country. This is a year long program within Lions Clubs International with special emphasis on March 16. more

Hillwood Girl Scouts host sweetheart dance
The Girl Scouts of the Hillwood Service Unit Northwood and Hilton enjoyed a night of dancing with their dads or other special guy at the Hillwood Sweetheart Dance on Friday, February 6 at the Hilton Community Center. more

Hope Hall receives funding from Rotary
Josettee Battisti, president of the Rotary Club of Gates Chili, presented Sister Diana Dolce, principal of Hope Hall, with a check for $1,200 at a recent Rotary meeting. more

Nominations for SUNY Maritime scholarship open
Nominations are being accepted for a college scholarship program created by the State Legislature two years ago. The program awards scholarship winners with full tuition for four years at the State University of New York Maritime College in Throggs Neck, New York. more

Spaghetti dinner planned
The Holley Rotary Club is planning a spaghetti dinner to benefit two local firemen who have been ill. Pictured above, from left to right, are dinner chair Gary Ahl, Ron Vendetti, who has volunteered to cook the meal, and club president, John Heise. more

St. John, Hamlin offers Lenten Services
based on "The Passion of the Christ"

As part of their awareness program, St. John Lutheran Church in Hamlin will be holding Lenten Services based on the soon-to-be-released Mel Gibson portrayal of "The Passion of the Christ." more


Politically Speaking:

Bob Cook announces campaign for Monroe County Clerk
Bob Cook announced his candidacy for Monroe County Clerk at a press conference where he was joined by Democratic elected officials, party faithful and family at Monroe County Democratic Committee headquarters. He has vowed to re-open the Downtown Motor Vehicle office if elected in November. more

Ogden polling sites for Democratic Presidential Primary March 2
The Democratic Presidential Primary Election is March 2 from noon to 9 p.m. Any registered Democrat may vote in this primary election. For this election only, District #12 will be voting at The Assembly of God Church, 3940 Canal Road. more


In Schools:

BOCES 2 staff holds clothing drive for adult students
Office professionals at Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES sponsored a clothing drive to help adult students at BOCES 2's Center for Workforce Development (CWD) who are reentering the workforce. more

Cornerstone Christian Academy open house
Cornerstone Christian Academy, 60 Holley Street, Brockport, is holding an Open House on Friday, March 12 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The Academy includes kindergarten through 12th grade. more

CRS students explore the power of science
Fourth-graders in Mary Jane Preston's class at Chestnut Ridge Elementary School stayed after-school to celebrate Super Science Night. Together with parent volunteers, their teacher and the elementary enrichment coordinator Cassandra King, the students performed two hands-on science experiments. more

Hilton band benefit raises $1,000
On Thursday, February 12, over $1,000 was raised at Hilton High School's Band Benefit for two young people battling leukemia. more

Roberts Wesleyan College and
Northeastern Seminary offer open house for adults

Adults looking to complete college or earn a graduate degree can check out the programs at Roberts Wesleyan College and Northeastern Seminary from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 4. An open house will be held in the Kodak Atrium of the Roberts Cultural Life Center, 2301 Westside Drive, Chili. more

Valentines for veterans
Students at Fairbanks Road School made Valentine cards, letters and paper flower bouquets for veterans at Batavia Veteran's Hospital in Batavia. Representatives from the Harvey C. Noone American Legion Post delivered the Valentines to the veterans. more


In Seniors:

Chili Golden Agers choose officers
Lucille Connell has been elected president of the Chili Golden Agers club for 2004. Her vice-president is Don Strine; secretary, Grace Sibbald and treasurer, Rose Schwer. Activities are currently being planned for the year. more

Chili Senior Center programs
Senior Day Trips - for Senior Citizens age 55 and over who are residents of the Town of Chili. more


In Sports:

Aerobics in Hamlin
Hamlin Recreation participants get a workout every Monday night at 6 p.m. at the Hamlin Town Hall gym. They kick, stretch, tone, strengthen and flex their way into shape - all for $2 per session at the door. more

Area runner recognized by track club
Spencerport resident Lois Hotchkiss was inducted into the Greater Rochester Track Club's Hall of Fame at their annual banquet on Sunday, February 8. In the audience to cheer her accomplishment were her husband, Patrick, members of her extended family, neighbors, and close friends including the women who inspired her to race: Mary Brewer, Kellie Root and Meg LeBeau. She also convinced her 91-year-old mother to attend. "I had to shame her into coming but she enjoyed it immensely," Hotchkiss stated. more

Background screening on volunteers
to be addressed by New York recreation professionals

The growing concern over pedophiles and other dangerous individuals preying on children in youth sports programs is one of many crucial issues that New York's recreation professionals will address through a special series of upcoming seminars. more

Fundraiser aids CC baseball teams' spring training costs
The CCHS varsity baseball team will be traveling to Charleston, South Carolina during April for spring training. In order to help offset the cost of the trip for the student-athletes, the baseball program will be holding a rummage sale on Saturday, March 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Churchville-Chili Senior High School. Those interested in the sale should use the main entrance to enter the building. more

Manners' 16 points leads Kendall
Justin Manners scored 16 points and pulled down five rebounds as Kendall defeated Holley 58-40 in the final regular season game for both teams. more

Rangers fall to Olympia
Spencerport led by nine points at halftime, but could not hang on as Greece Olympia defeated them 62-48 in high school boy's basketball. more

Rangers tie on Otto's Goal
It was senior day for the Rangers, but it was freshman Dan Otto who scored the tying goal half way through the final period as Spencerport tied Webster-Thomas 1-1 in high school hockey. more

Trip to the Harlem Globetrotters
On Sunday, February 8, the Hamlin Youth Group took a trip to the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester to see the Harlem Globetrotters in action. more

Volunteers needed for hockey championships
The Greater Rochester Visitors Association and Rochester Youth Hockey will be hosting the USA Hockey Women's and Girls' National Hockey Championships at ESL Sports Centre from March 25 through April 4, 2004. more