to celebrate his 85th Inveterate writer, watercolor artist and cute curmudgeon, Hilton's Herb MacNaughton, will celebrate 85 years on the planet this April 24. Well-known as a journalist for more than two decades with columns and features in the Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald's "PAssing PArade" and the Greater Seminole Sun's "Right in Our Backyard" (Pinellas County, Florida), Herb has a presence hard to miss in the village of Hilton. He's a regular at Tom Strebenis' Hilton Family Restaurant with his gang of ROMEOS - Retired Old Men Eating Out - and their pals, the RODEOS - Retired Old Dames Eating Out. His small art gallery stood for years in the cafe inside Furnal's Big-M. And his love of civic affairs brought him into the offices of the Village of Hilton as editor of several publications and liaison with the Monroe County Recycling Committee for six years. He has also served on the Hilton School District Long Range Planning Committee, was a district commissioner for the North Star Boy Scouts, and is currently a member of the Hilton Writers Guild. Still can't place him? How about the Greek fisherman's cap or the Mercury Grand Marquis? Herb and wife of 64 years this June 17, Elsie Veness MacNaughton, raised four children, Calvin, Chali, Pam and Barry, and today they are the proud grandparents of "six grandkids and two greats." They make their home along the Salmon Creek on Route 18 and are long-standing members of the Parma-Greece United Church of Christ at the intersection of Latta and Manitou roads. Herb was hired as a columnist in 1980 by former owner of Suburban News, Jim O'Connor. His first check was $15. "I wrote the column for about ten years," Herb said. "It was somewhat like the Hilton Record - names, local situations and humor. I'm an inquisitive guy. I like meeting people and looking at life situations. Curiosity is the key word for me." His articles covered many people well-known to the Hilton-Parma area - from the retirement of teacher Bernice Blossom to the intentions of 1990 Hilton High School graduate George Herring. He wrote about the Thousand Islands, shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, and a series called "People We'd Like You To Know in Hilton." The "PAssing PArade" included such quips as: "You know what Eve told Adam don't you? It's time you turned over a new leaf." Once reviewed by the editor of the St. Petersburg Times, Herb's writing was characterized as of the "keenest wit." Today Herb uses the internet to communicate and it's not uncommon to get an e-mail like the most recent: "Recently I was diagnosed with AAADD: Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder ..." An Eastman Kodak retiree, Herb began work at the State Street office as messenger boy in 1937. For his 33 years at Kodak he worked in several capacities including the Stationery Department. "They had me cleaning ink wells," the Building Department, Hawkeye and in an area then called "methods and procedures." A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Herb continued learning about business and office management at R.I.T., the University of Rochester and RBI, the Rochester Business Institute. Herb remembers the 1960s and '70s at Kodak when a "Joint Computer Evaluation Group" was formed "to put the stamp of approval on any computers installed at Kodak." But life and fate intervened in his life and twice he contracted severe illnesses which called for long-term recuperation. "Elsie saved my life two times," Herb said, "with attention and TLC. I would not have accomplished what I have, such as it is, without her." In 1985 the MacNaughtons weathered another tragedy: the hit-and-run death of their oldest son, Calvin. The incident is unsolved to this day. Cal was walking on East Avenue in Brockport the night of August 29, 1985 when he was struck and killed. "We've always appreciated Herb's interest in our publications," said Westside News Inc. Editor Evelyn Dow. "His inimitable style of writing makes every word count. He loves to pack some humor with the twist of a phrase. I've always admired his commitment to the written word. After an absence of several years, we were happy that recently Herb has suggested an article or two, and we once again can include him in our community publications." From their living room the MacNaughtons see through a pine forested bank to the winding Salmon Creek. Herb's manual typewriter sits on a dining room table facing east with a large, sunny window at his back. "I'm trying to develop an autobiography," he said, thumbing through an accordion folder with bits of each decade neatly organized and unrolling a timeline of his life on graph paper. The wind chimes are barely audible as a breeze blows through the trees outside his windows. Herb and Elsie are surrounded by photographs, art work, and the people and places they love. Their love for family and place is apparent. What is so great about living here in Hilton, this writer asked. "It's home," Elsie replied. |
