2020 was a year unlike any other in most people’s memories – a year that many would rather forget. Despite the immense difficulties faced in a year marked by a global pandemic, political divisiveness, and social unrest, there were also things to be celebrated. Milestones were achieved, communities rallied to support one another, and some used their creativity to adapt to our “new normal.”
January
•We learned about six about six Byron-Bergen students – Sydney Brown, Kelly Ireland, Jillian Menzie, Michael Olander, Andrew Parnapy, and Devon Zinter – who serve the community by volunteering with local fire departments.
•A misprint affected all the 2020 Town and County tax bill amounts in the Town of Ogden and caused them to be incorrect. Revised tax bills were mailed to all residents.
•With the departure of Dr. Lesli Myers-Small, the Brockport Board of Education appointed former Brockport superintendent James Fallon as interim superintendent effective January 6.
•Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a $300 million plan to reimagine the Erie Canal by creating recreational activities on the Canal to boost tourism, mitigating flooding, enhancing irrigation and recreational fishing, and restoring wetlands. The “Brockport Loop” project was included in the plan to connect The College at Brockport to the Empire State Trail and the village of Brockport through the transformation of a canal guard-gate into a pedestrian bridge and overlook.
•Holley inducted 16-time wrestling Coach of the Year John Grillo and his son, former state wrestling champion Andrew Grillo, into the Holley Hall of Fame.
•Hilton school bus driver Rebecca Gates was named Miss First Frontier Circuit 2020. During the pageant, the contestants were judged in several different categories, which included a written test, horsemanship, and an interview. In addition to the overall title, Gates won the Appearance Award, Spirit Award, Miss Congeniality Award, and Personality Award, and was runner-up for the Horsemanship Award.
•A retirement party for Kathi Rickman, long-time Hamlin Town Clerk, was held at the Hamlin VFW on January 11.
•Kathy and Mike Hayes stepped down after many years of leadership and service to the Brockport Ecumenical Food Shelf.
•Dr. Heidi Macpherson received the 34th annual ATHENA International Award, given annually to a professional female leader who has demonstrated significant achievements in business, community service, and the professional advancement of women.
February
•The Kendall Lions Club held a chicken barbecue to benefit Phil Haight who suffered a severe head injury in October 2019.
•Donald Grentzinger received the 2019 Monika W. Andrews Creative Volunteer Leadership Award, presented by the Brockport, Clarkson, and Sweden municipalities, for his work and leadership on the Sweden Farmers Museum.
Photo by Lori Skoog
•Westside News outdoor reporter T.R. Hendrick went ice fishing at Sodus Bay on February 9 and found himself on the scene of a daring rescue effort as a father and his twelve-year-old son went through the ice.
•Adams Basin-based publisher, The Wild Rose Press, Inc., in conjunction with some of its authors, published a three-book anthology to support the battle of the Australian wildfires. All proceeds from the sale of the books went to recovery and relief efforts in Australia.
•New York State Assemblyman Peter Lawrence (R,C,I – Greece, Ogden, Parma) announced that he would not seek re-election in the 134th Assembly District in November. Lawrence was first elected in 2014 after a long career in law enforcement.
•A tree slab display and accompanying timeline was installed at the Seymour Library to show “A Slice of History.”
•The Hamlin Dog Shelter created the Westside Pet Food Pantry to serve as a food shelf for dogs and cats. Dave Maynard, with the help of Brockport High School student Haley Sutherby, Hamlin Supervisor Eric Peters, Clarkson Supervisor Christa Filipowicz, and County Legislator Jackie Smith coordinated the effort to provide pet food assistance to seniors in need who live within the community, to make sure their pets can stay in their homes and be part of their families.
•The Town of Hamlin held information sessions for shoreline residents pertaining to sanitary sewers relating to the town’s receipt of REDI Grant monies.
•Brockport took third at the Class B Boys Swimming and Diving Sectionals. Individual sectional champions included junior Nick Dambra with double state qualifying first places in the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, and the members of the first place 200 freestyle relay – Alex Scaglione, Colby Riexinger, Jacob Falvey, and Dambra.
•Kendall native Austin Clay led the Alfred State Esports team to gold at Empire State Winter Games.
•Pati Christian, of Churchville, was a contestant with her quilts, “Thank You Hallmark” and “Lemonade,” at the American Quilter’s Society QuiltWeek, held February 26 through 29 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
•Blaine Broughton, Brockport’s Hill School STEM Enrichment Specialist, was awarded the RMSC STEM Education Award for PreK-6.
•The Spencerport Lions Club sponsored a Winter Art Contest for middle school and high school students in the greater Spencerport area.
•Hilton wrestler Greg Diakomihalis came back from a knee injury to win a record-setting fifth NYSPHSAA state championship title in Albany on February 29. No other Section V wrestler has ever won as many state titles. Diakomihalis was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler in Division 1 at states.
March
•The Churchville-Chili LEO Club held its 23rd annual “Lions and LEOS Charity Basketball Game” on Saturday, March 7, to benefit the family of Ian Mech, a first-grader at Fairbanks Road Elementary School who was fighting Stage III Rhabdomyosarcoma.
•We learned about Brockport’s shift toward solar energy with a 650kW project at the village’s capped landfill. Use of the solar array was projected to save the village nearly $15,000 in its first year.
•Churchville resident Mary Hull was recognized by proclamation at the March 10 meeting of the Monroe County Legislature for her 40-plus years of volunteer service in 4-H.
•Jennifer Probst, a Dental Assisting teacher at the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center at WEMOCO was named New York State CTE 2021 New Teacher of the Year by the New York State Association for Career and Technical Education.
•Construction was underway on a $1.9 million project to replace the Route 33A (Chili Riga Center Road) Bridge over Black Creek in the town of Chili, with a new bridge designed to provide safe and accessible travel for the next 75 years.
•The Towns of Sweden and Clarkson and the Village of Brockport hosted a COVID-19 Informational Meeting on March 10 at the Brockport High School auditorium. The meeting was called in order to share accurate information about COVID-19 in light of the quarantine of students returning from abroad at SUNY Brockport.
•The first case of COVID-19 in Monroe County was diagnosed on March 12. New York soon went “On Pause” in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. Schools and non-essential businesses closed. Restaurants shifted to take-out only. Those whose jobs would allow began working from home. Many events were first postponed, then canceled for 2020, while others went virtual. And toilet paper became almost impossible to find on store shelves.
•Spencerport Area Chamber of Commerce planned to recognize its 2019 award winners during a banquet on March 26 that had to be postponed. Honorees included Keith A. Ryan, owner of Westside News Inc., as Citizen of the Year; Spencerport Federal Credit Union as Business Person of the Year; Spencerport Municipal Electric and Superintendent Owen McIntee with the Civic Beautification Award; and Daniel Milgate, Superintendent of Spencerport Central Schools, Chamber Member of the Year
•The unlikely friendship between Lundy, a Chihuahua who couldn’t walk, and Herman, a pigeon who couldn’t fly, warmed the hearts of people across the country. Photos of the pair from Hilton went viral, garnering the attention of Good Morning America and People Magazine, among others, and becoming the subject of a children’s book.
April
•Christopher Cilento, an Army veteran and visual studies graduate student at SUNY Brockport, was offering free “Front Step Portraits” to families and businesses in the Spencerport community. Donations received for these socially-distanced photos benefitted Eagle Star Veterans’ Home in Spencerport.
•On April 2, a trailer piled with potatoes, onions, carrots, and cabbage pulled into the Byron-Bergen High School parking lot. The produce was a gift to the community from five area farms that combined their resources to provide food to be distributed to local families during their school meal pick-ups.
•Century Mold in Ogden responded to a call from Rochester Regional Health to design and produce face shields to protect local medical professionals.
•The Brockport Parent Teacher Student Association encouraged high school seniors to decorate their front door as a way to show their 2020 senior pride and celebrate all of their achievements.
•Rochester Americans’ defenseman Nathan Paetsch, a Spencerport resident, was named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Rochester community during the 2019-20 season.
•Several area fire departments took on the job of escorting the Easter Bunny on a tour of westside neighborhoods to spread some socially-distanced Easter cheer.
•Byron-Bergen students designed face shields which were 3-D printed by STEAM Lab Teacher Craig Schroth and donated to Face Shields ROC, an organization collecting face shields to distribute to medical facilities and first responders in the Rochester area.
•Despite outcry from taxpayers, the Town of Sweden was forging ahead with a reassessment to avoid a punitive equalization rate.
May
•The Spencerport community pulled together in support of the #SpencerportTogether dinner subsidy program. The subsidy began as a concept by Superintendent Dan Milgate, who wanted to provide reduced-price dinners to families financially impacted by COVID-19 and generate limited revenue for local restaurants. The response was overwhelming. In just six weeks, the program raised over $40,000 and served over 8,000 meals.
•Drive-by parades and drive-thru celebrations became common occurrences in the time of social distancing. Brockport’s long-time photographer Helen Simpson and former mayor Frank Sacheli each received parades to celebrate their birthdays. Spencerport High School seniors were celebrated during a drive-thru cap and gown distribution parade at the school on May 9.
•Monroe County distributed more than one million masks to the public with the help of local towns and villages on May 9 and 13. The Finger Lakes region began the phased re-opening process days later.
•The National Warplane Museum conducted flyovers on Saturday, May 16, to honor first responders, health care workers, and essential workers. Called “Operation Thanks From Above,” the flight path covered over 80 sites from Fredonia and Buffalo to Rochester and on to Oswego and Syracuse.
•Brockport school bus drivers Lorie Dennis and Diane Rood were volunteering distributing meals and more to Brockport CSD students. Both ladies went the extra mile in showering the children with love and often extra goodies by providing books, clothing, stuffed animals, face masks and treats to the children.
•The Harvey C. Noone American Legion Post #954 Family encouraged the community to observe Memorial Day “2020 Style” by creating a list of suggested activities for children and families to do together that are centered on the meaning of Memorial Day.
•Mr. Grey’s Strays, a small, community-focused cat rescue located in Brockport, received a grant from American Humane’s Feed the Hungry fund.
•Leslie Morelli retired from her position as Brockport Village Clerk on May 31, having served 21 years.
June
•Dozens of people gathered in Spencerport and Hilton on June 6 to show solidarity with those peacefully demonstrating throughout the United States and around the world in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Black Lives Matter rally events were held in Spencerport and Hilton a week later. The Spencerport rally focused on listening to Black and allied students and alumni, creating a platform for them to share their experiences and insights on the Black Lives Matter movement.
•Area school budget and board of education votes were held entirely by absentee ballot.
•2013 Hilton High School grad Jordan Ott was named the new head coach for women’s hockey at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
•Dennis Heidemann, of Holley, received unexpected early morning visitors on June 14 when a hot air balloon landed in his yard.
•Logan McGranaghan, a sophomore at Hilton High School and a Hilton Boy Scout, raised a total of $1,901 for the Hilton Parma Emergency Food Shelf through GoFundMe by vowing to shave his head if his $1,000 goal was reached.
•Ethan DeGrandis and Skylaar Garbowski were the last individuals to be named Valedictorian and Salutatorian, respectively, at Hilton High School. Beginning with the Class of 2021, there will be three levels of achievement recognized at graduation for students meeting set GPA thresholds.
•Dr. Deb Leh, Superintendent of Wheatland-Chili Central School District, retired at the conclusion of the school year. Lynda Quick was appointed to fill the superintendent position beginning August 17.
July
•Merton Williams Middle School in the Hilton School District welcomed Marc D’Amico as principal on July 1. He replaced Tracie Czebatol, who was promoted to the position of Director of Reporting and Compliance.
•The Harvey C. Noone Legion Family sponsored a 4th of July Decorating Contest.
•Sean Bruno was sworn in as superintendent of the Brockport Central School District on July 7. The Brockport Board of Education also presented James Fallon with The James C. Fallon Distinguished Service Award.
•On July 19, 14-year-old Julia Zigrossi of Spencerport won the 36-hole Rochester District Golf Association Women’s Championship at Brook-Lea Country Club. Less than five days earlier, Zigrossi captured the 2020 RDGA Junior Girls title at Mendon Golf Club. It was the first time in RDGA history that the same person held both titles.
•Alex Bieler of Boy Scout Troop 324 led a group of volunteers to build and install a landscaped perennial garden at the Clarkson Town Hall. He also built a sturdy wooden bench and placed it under a shade tree for those visiting graves at the West Clarkson Cemetery. These were the visual bookends for his Eagle Scout project, a Clarkson Historical Scavenger Hunt app allowing people to learn about the buildings and people who are a part of the town’s history
•Thousands gathered at Stokoe Farms in Scottsville on July 25, to take part in a rally and ride supporting local law enforcement. Many bikers, vehicles, and participants were donning black and blue flags as well as American flags for this non-political event organized by two groups called the Blue Line Ride and True Blue NY. The Spencerport and Brockport Fire Departments displayed patriotic support using their ladder trucks to hoist a large flag over Route 259.
August
•With the cancellation of the Orleans County 4-H Fair, 4-H member projects were instead displayed at several libraries and businesses for the public to enjoy.
•A task force was formed to help ensure the physical and emotional health and safety of students and their families, education professionals, and the community as schools in 13 Finger Lakes counties navigated the process of reopening in the midst of a pandemic.
•Russian sailors traveling on “Pilgrim,” an 18th-century handmade pine wood replica of a Russian White Sea sailing boat, docked in Spencerport, a brief stop on their journey to sail around the world.
•The Rochester Street Rods Car Club held an American Graffiti-themed event in Brockport on August 8. Participants could have their classic cars photographed outside The Strand with proceeds benefitting the historic theatre.
•First Presbyterian Church of Chili dedicated a Little Free Library in memory of Melvin L. Olver, former Chili Town Justice, long-time member of the church community, and an avid reader.
•After 34 years of dedicated service to the Town of Sweden, Kathy and Paul Beaumont stepped down from their positions of dog control officer and deputy dog control officer. Building Inspector Lyle Stirk assumed the additional duties of dog control officer for the town.
•Rosalind Lipomi, Adult Services Librarian, retired after serving the Parma/Hilton community for 28 years at the Parma Public Library.
•The Town of Sweden held a public information meeting on the proposed extension of Gary Drive in Sweden Village. Residents were deeply divided on the project. In November the Sweden Town Board decided to form a committee of Sweden Village residents to study the issues and make recommendations to the board.
•The Village of Brockport was awarded an Erie Canalway IMPACT! grant to help restore the Erie Canal Mural on the facade of the Lift Bridge Book Shop building. The village was seeking community funding to cover the remaining cost. Artist Stacy Kirby was reconstructing the mural on durable panels to be installed over the existing image, painted on the brickwork 10 years ago.
•The Town of Kendall was awarded grant funding through the Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI) for the replacement of four culverts located on Thompson Drive, Knapp Shore (2) and Ed Rose Shore
•Unable to host its annual Country Fair, the Churchville Lions Club joined forces with the Churchville Fire Department on August 22 for a community-wide drive-thru chicken barbecue. The profits went towards the donation of dinners for front-line workers at Unity Hospital. The day was capped off by a fireworks display at dusk.
•New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 James Sauer, a Churchville resident and Army aviator with more than 6,000 hours in the air, capped his 40-year career on August 25, with a traditional military “final flight” salute in Rochester.
•Sharon Mattison retired after 30 years of service to the Town of Clarkson, first as Justice Court Clerk and the past 13 years as Town Clerk.
September
•Spencerport High School assistant principal Steven Lysenko was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation after a video of him using expletives against the Rochester Police Department circulated widely on social media. The video was taken in downtown Rochester on September 4 during a protest against the death of Daniel Prude in which protesters were reportedly sprayed with pepper spray or pepper balls following an altercation with police.
•Churchville-Chili was one of nine high schools statewide named National Banner Unified Champion Schools by Special Olympics New York in recognition of their leadership in creating an inclusive school community where all students are accepted, celebrated, and included.
•A socially-distanced Rochester Recreation Fest was held in Spencerport on September 12.
•Village elections that had been postponed since March were finally held on September 15. In Hilton it marked the first time that two women – Sherry Farrell and Shannon Zabelny – were elected to serve on the Village Board.
•We concluded a four part series on the history of Parma Center written by Parma Hilton Historian David Crumb.
•The Trucking Association of NY Safety Maintenance Management Council acknowledged Kendall Heffernan of Holley, a professional truck driver for Reid Petroleum Corporation, with the New York State 2019 Statewide Driver of the Year Award during a virtual awards ceremony.
•Churchville-Chili High School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 19, to celebrate the Grand Opening of the school’s new pool and athletic facilities.
•Churchville-Chili High School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 19, to celebrate the Grand Opening of the school’s new pool and athletic facilities.
•A gazebo dedicated to the memory of Willie Sweeting (1944-2018) was installed at the Sweden Town Park. The gazebo was sponsored by the Sweden Community Foundation and made possible through donations from Mr. Sweeting’s family and friends.
•The Town of Bergen and the Byron-Bergen Public Library hosted a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 26 to celebrate the renovations that were completed at the 13 South Lake Avenue building.
•On September 28, Mike Zale was sworn-in as a member of the Ogden Town Board, leaving his post on the County Legislature. Robert Colby was appointed to fill Zale’s County Legislature seat.
October
•Hilton High School teachers Michael Brooke-Gay and Jared Streiff were honored in the Rochester Institute of Technology Distinguished Teacher Recognition Program.
•The Brockport Community Museum and the Western Monroe Historical Society dedicated an interpretative panel depicting the history of the Morgan-Manning House on October 10. The panel was made possible through a donation by the WMHS in memory of Fletcher and Alice Garlock.
•A team of volunteers from Ogden Presbyterian Church gathered on October 10 to build 20 beds, which were delivered complete with sheets, comforters, and pillows for children in need.
•The 700 building of Viking Apartments and Townhouses in Brockport was destroyed by fire on the morning of October 14. Multiple agencies responded to the blaze, which displaced 41 residents sending two to the hospital. Several Brockport businesses sprang into action collecting donations for the victims.
•Volunteers from the Harvey C. Noone American Legion Family and Cub Scout Pack #156 planted daffodil bulbs to bloom in the spring as part of the Living Fields of Honor along Westshore Rail Trail.
•Dominic Iovine, a member Ferris-Goodridge Post 330, was selected as the Humanitarian of the Year for both Monroe County American Legion and the 7th District, which encompasses seven counties in Central New York.
•Hilton pup Mackenzie was voted American Humane’s Hero Shelter Dog of the Year and ultimately won the overall title of American Hero Dog 2020 during the American Humane Hero Dog Awards® which were broadcast on the Hallmark Channel.
•Doug Hickerson, a long-time contributor to Westside News, died October 21 after a brief illness. Over 28 years, Doug’s stories featured Brockport area service organizations, institutions, interesting people, and remarkable places including museums, historic sites, and landmarks that he encountered.
•Spencerport sophomore Julia Zigrossi won her first individual Section V Girls Golf Championship title at Ridgemont Country Club on October 21 with a 4-over-par 148 total for the 36-hole Championship.
•Amanda Daubert of Girl Scout Troop 60727 earned her Gold Award by planning a “Blessing Box” that was set up at Hilton Baptist Church, containing food and personal items to meet the needs of the community.
•Spencerport Superintendent of Schools Dan Milgate announced his plans to retire, effective January 2021. Milgate’s retirement will cap a 30-year career in education, with 25 of those years in the Spencerport CSD.
•Deb Cody received a Certificate of Recognition from the Monroe County Legislature for her work as a volunteer at the Seymour Library.
•Byron-Bergen fifth-grader Ruthie Kuipers won first place in the Genesee Play to Get Fit Challenge with 4,279 minutes of activity recorded.
•Unable to hold its annual Scream Fest, the Hamlin Recreation Department instead offered Hamlin’s Horrid Halloween Drive-Thru, a free event for families to drive through Hamlin Town Park amongst scary, creepy, fun, and horrid Halloween displays.
November
•Churchville-Chili High School announced four new individual members to its Athletic Hall of Fame – Coach Gary Boyce, Coach Mary Pat Dewey, Luke Pavone (Class of 2013), and Leslie Troup (Class of 1987). Also, for the first time, an entire team, the 2003 Boys Varsity Volleyball Team, was chosen for recognition.
•The superintendents of the five school districts in Orleans County implored local and state legislators to continue their efforts to bring reliable, accessible high speed broadband internet to their communities.
•The Greece Historical Society received two grants totaling $30,000 to fund a Cultural Resource Survey of the architecture of Thomas W. Boyde, Jr., Rochester’s first African American architect.
•A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on November 10 to celebrate the completion of the $17 million rehabilitation of the historic former Holley High School. Now known as Holley Gardens, the building offers affordable homes for seniors with public meeting space and offices for use by the Village of Holley.
•Riga’s WWI memorial was rededicated during a Veterans Day ceremony, 100 years after its original dedication.
•Aggie Seneway, Founder and President of the Hilton Education Foundation, died on November 12.
•Cashless tolling on the New York State Thruway began on November 13.
•An “Outdoor Art in Brockport” interpretive panel at the canalside Welcome Center was dedicated on November 14. The panel includes photos and information about 21 works of outdoor art in the village.
•The Spencerport Rangers girls soccer team won the Monroe County Divisional Championship and their fifth Section V Class A Championship in a row.
•Spencerport rejoiced as the lift bridge carrying Route 259 over the Erie Canal opened to vehicular traffic on the evening of November 20, following 16 months of construction, which required the bridge to be raised and accessible for boat traffic only.
•Past Brockport Lions Club President Normand Fluet presented his Presidential Award to current Lions Club President Norman Knapp in appreciation of the work done to get copies of menus in Braille at many Brockport area restaurants.
•Hilton Central School District was recognized as the Best Public School in the 2020 Rochester Official Community Choice Awards.
•Holley sixth-grader Josmar Hernandez collected donations from Holley staff and students to give to the Orleans County Animal Shelter.
•On Thanksgiving weekend, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hilton coordinated a roof replacement project for a neighbor in need.
December
•As cases of COVID-19 rose dramatically in this area, contact tracing data showed that 70 percent of new cases originated from households and small private gatherings.
•Churchville-Chili art teacher Anne Clancy was named Region 2 Art Educator of the Year for 2020 by the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA).
•It was announced that Byron-Bergen Superintendent Mickey Edwards would be leaving the district in January after nearly five years. He was been selected to fill the superintendent position in Albion.
•Twelve-year-old Ethan Haley of Rochester won a cleat design contest through the Green Bay Packers as a part of the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” campaign. Star running back Aaron Jones wore Ethan’s award-winning cleats during the Packers win against the Eagles on December 6. Two Spencerport businesses, McColley’s Irish Pub and Cakes by Karen, helped make the day even more special by hosting a watch party and creating a special replica cleat cake.
•The Park Avenue/Fayette Street bridge over the Erie Canal in Brockport closed December 8 so the structure could be rehabilitated. The bridge is expected to remain closed for approximately four months.
•Holiday traditions looked a bit different this year. Clarkson’s Umpteenth Annual Christmas Party became a drive-thru event. The Stetson Club converted their annual holiday parade to a stationary parade along Central School Drive. And Elves in Hamlin helped deliver goodie bags and response letters from Santa.
•After 550 wins, three State Championships, nine Section V titles, and hundreds of lives impacted over 39 years, Wheatland-Chili girls soccer coach Gary Ward retired.
•Town of Clarkson was on its way to becoming a “greener” community through solar projects which also had additional benefits to the community.
•The Village of Brockport was awarded an Urban Forestry grant of $26,609 from the DEC that allow the village to take down 30 dead ash trees in Corbett Park and plant 12 large shade trees.
•A portion of New York State Route 31 in Albion was renamed the “Charles W. Howard Memorial Highway.” Howard was a lifelong resident of Albion, nationally recognized as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Santa Claus for 18 years, and founder of the world’s first Santa Claus school.
Compiled by Joanne Michielsen from past issues of
Westside News, Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald.
