Feature Stories May 2012
The Spare Seat Kayak Expedition on an Erie Canal adventure
Arriving in Spencerport, Richard Harpham with Mike Schaffer, a professor at The College at Brockport and spare seat rider, in the front kayak, with Glenn Charles with Rosie Fuller in the second kayak. Richard Harpham and Glenn Charles, two adventurers from the United Kingdom, are making a 500 mile trek across New York State from Niagara Falls to the Statue of Liberty. Traveling in two two-seat kayaks starting in Buffalo along the Erie Canal to Albany, they recently stopped in Holley, Brockport and Spencerport. The Spare Seat Kayak Expedition is so named because they have a spare seat in one of their kayaks for others along the way to share in the adventure. The trip will take about three weeks from Buffalo to Albany as they kayak along and explore the historic Erie Canal.
Traveling along with Richard and Glenn are Simon Bevan, who is documenting the adventure on video and British adventure writer Rosie Fuller. They kicked-off The Spare Seat Kayak Expedition on May 1 in Buffalo and spent the first night in Lockport. On day two, they kayaked through Medina to Holley where they spent their second night.
Day three of their adventure started early in Holley with Wayne Hale, Orleans Tourism Director, in the spare seat and arrived at the Brockport Welcome Center about 9 a.m. The adventurers were greeted by Bill Andrews, who currently manages the Welcome Center. Andrews then took Richard, Glenn and Rosie on a tour of the village providing them with historical facts about the area.
Departing from the boat dock in Spencerport, with Claire Wysokowski, Manager of Communications and Public Relations VisitRochester, in Richard Harpham's spare seat white kayak and with Rosie Fuller and Glenn Charles in their kayak on their way to Pittsford and Fairport. 
The Spare Seat Kayak Expedition arrives in Brockport near the Welcome Center dock and is greeted by Bill Andrews, who manages the Welcome Center and is former Brockport Historian.
The next stage along the Erie Canal was to kayak to the Village of Spencerport for lunch and tour the Spencerport Depot & Canal Museum with Mike Schaffer, a teacher at The College at Brockport, another spare seat rider. Along the way they were invited to stop and tour the Adams Basin Inn with owner David Haines. In the Spencerport village, they were greeted by Jacqueline Sullivan, Village of Spencerport Clerk, Tom West, Superintendent Village of Spencerport Public Works Department, and by David Haines who is also President of the Spencerport Area Chamber of Commerce, who then took them on a tour of the Spencerport Depot & Canal Museum.
Follow their travels on Spare Seat Blog www.thespareseat.com.
Photos and text by David Knox
5/13/12
Dunbar Road Cemetery restoration project launched
by David Crumb
The picturesque old country cemetery located on the south side of West Creek north of Hilton on Lake Avenue and the corner of Dunbar Road is the resting place of Hilton’s pioneer founding fathers.
Parma Union Cemetery did not exist until 1850, and the Parma citizens buried their dead either in six small cemeteries scattered around the town or on their own land in family plots. The Dunbar Cemetery as it used to always be referred to, and now known also as the Smith Family Cemetery, served old Unionville (now Hilton) and North Parma (Bartlett’s Corners at the intersection of North Avenue and Curtis Road). The earliest grave on record is Lucy Cheney, wife of John Cheney. She was interred on August 11, 1811. The last interment was about 1900.
As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 between the young United States and Great Britain and Canada, it brings to mind some of the Parma men who served the nation in that historic conflict. Six 1812 veterans from Parma are buried in the Dunbar Cemetery and some of them still have descendants in the area. Some of their graves are noted and faithfully marked with a new flag each Memorial Day, thanks to the efforts of Tom Burger and other historians, but other stones lay in a sad state of disrepair.
The War of 1812 veterans in the Dunbar Cemetery are: William Henry who was 56 when he served; John Henry, Ezra Tyler, Ira Cheney, George Dunbar, and William Raymond. William Henry, for whom Henry Street in Hilton was named, also served in the 1776 American Revolution. Parma raised a Militia during the War of 1812 and the soldiers drilled on the land by Salmon Creek now a parking lot for Tops Market, CVS, and other commercial establishments. Colonel Johnson Servis was in charge of the Parma Company. Major Lockwood, Captain Jonathan Leonard Sr., and Sgt. John Henry were the officers. None of the soldiers saw active combat, but were none the less prepared for British and Canadian raids on frontier settlements close to Lake Ontario. History relates according to O.S. Turner’s 1851 account in The History of Monroe County: “Never at any period, in any situation, did men more cheerfully or promptly take up arms and from citizens become soldiers, than did most of the able bodied men from this region.”
During Parma’s Bicentennial year (2009) a great effort was made to restore all of Parma’s small historic cemeteries. Five of the six cemeteries were renovated. Fallen and lopsided stones were straightened. Stones long forgotten and buried underground were righted in their proper place. Footstones were reunited with their proper headstone. These five cemeteries never looked so good. Sadly for some reason the Dunbar cemetery never received the same attention. While the lawn is mowed, and the fence kept in repair, many stones remain broken and askew due to years of frost and shifting of the earth. Two family plots are enclosed with 1860 vintage cast iron Victorian fences. Those neglected fences are becoming rusted, disconnected and otherwise deteriorated.
The Hilton Parma Historical Society is focusing their immediate attention on raising funds and initiating volunteers to put the Dunbar Cemetery back in its proper and respectable condition. Through the leadership of John Toal, many stones were straightened to their upright position last year, and mason Joseph Rauber skillfully repaired the stone of Nero Vond, Parma’s first African American and former slave. The Historical Society has created a Dunbar Cemetery fund to receive donations for the restoration project. Parma residents, and family members of the old pioneers, are encouraged to make a donation to this historic landmark project. Those wishing to do so should make checks payable to the Hilton Parma Historical Society, and to the attention of Parma Historian, Donald Stilson, 1300 Hilton-Parma Corners Road (Route 259), Hilton, NY 14468.
5/13/12
The Legacy of Mikey the Therapy Dog
by Dianne Hickerson
The residents at Beikirch Care Center celebrated Mikey's birthday in October when he came by for one of his usual visits.Monday, May 7, we lost a very special friend, the kind you can’t replace. For more than six years Mikey the Therapy Dog brought smiles to the faces of so many elderly residents of Lakeside Beikirch Care Center in Brockport. He passed away quietly after a brief fight with cancer.
Mikey was born to be a therapy dog. He was naturally gifted in gentleness and loving and at 115 pounds he quickly became known as the gentle giant. He had the perfect personality and suitability to bring comfort and companionship to the elderly residents of Beikirch Care Center. He visited every week, and greeted each resident with a wag of the tail, a gentle paw shake, and his head on their lap. Broad smiles beamed across their faces, and of course Mikey did all his silly routines to make them smile even more. I could tell that he brought a sparkle to their day, and perhaps rekindled old memories of previously owned pets.
Mikey was definitely heaven sent. Each week he amazed me with his ability to bring comfort and happiness to the residents. He reacted differently to each person he visited. One resident he visited regularly was feeling depressed, so Mikey immediately went to her bedside, jumped up with his front paws on the edge of the bed, and began giving puppy kisses on both cheeks. The resident started to laugh and continued laughing until she was nearly crying. It was just so unexpected and so funny. I told Mikey to get down, and that he had given enough kisses, but the resident insisted that he stay right where he was, and said, “I haven’t laughed like that in years. Thank you so much.”
Mikey gets a dog treat from his friend. Ruth Werth.Mikey knew just how to react to each resident. He had the innate ability to know just what they needed from him, whether it be gentle petting or silliness. If they were a little reticent, he would quietly sit next to them and after a while, he would offer his paw. If the resident was excited to see him, he was more animated and did some cute routines. In the activity room, he actually sat at a table with a group of people who were working on an art project. There was one space left at the table, and he just took that place and became part of the group. They all laughed.
It has been clinically proven that through petting, touching, and talking with dogs, patients’ health is improved. There are so many Mikey stories to prove this. One week, the physical therapist asked Mikey to visit a new resident who loved dogs. She had suffered a stroke and had difficulty using her right arm. Her speech was also affected. When Mikey entered her room, she was so excited that she seemed to forget about her infirmities. She petted Mikey with her right arm, and spoke to him with ease. The therapist was amazed.
One resident said about Mikey, “I love it when Mikey visits. He makes me remember things I haven’t thought about in years, like my poodle, my children when they were babies, my life long ago.” Another resident had difficulty remembering things, but asked every day if Mikey was coming. One man worked on jig-saw puzzles, and would have a new one completed each week to show Mikey and me. He kept Mikey’s photo by his bed.
One time we visited a new resident who eagerly reached out to Mikey with delight. She told me many tales from her youth, including a story about finding a small puppy in the woods, nursing it to health with a baby bottle and heating pad and finding out, when it matured, that it was really a fox. We later discovered that this resident normally did not socialize with anyone, but she had spent more than 30 minutes with Mikey and me. Isn’t it amazing how people can be reached through the love of animals?
Mikey was honored by Therapy Dogs International with their Outstanding Volunteer Award, and their Remarkable Volunteer award. He was a very special boy. Everybody loved him. So many people will miss him. We love you, Mikey.
Our heartfelt and deepest appreciation to all who knew Mikey, loved him, and cared for him, especially Dr. Jess Buttery and Clarkson Veterinary Hospital.
5/13/12
George and Rosie Rich named Brockport Foundation Volunteers of the Year
Rosie Rich is joined by Adam Shoff, winner of The George and Rosie Rich Volunteer of the Year Scholarship. Provided photoA couple that has long been a part of the fabric of The College at Brockport community was honored April 27 for their commitment to the college. Long-time Brockport resident Rosie Rich and her husband George, who died in December, were named the Brockport Foundation Volunteers of the Year at the College’s sixth annual President’s Donor Recognition Dinner.
The award, which is in its fifth year, is presented annually to an individual or couple who has been generous with their time and talent in order to contribute to the success of the college and its students. Approximately 200 donors and friends of the college attended the dinner, the most in the event’s history. Another mark was set as more than $13,000 was raised to benefit the Foundation.
“George and Rosie Rich have indelibly left their mark on our campus,” says Brockport President John R. Halstead, PhD. “The way they have inspired our students has been nothing short of remarkable. They are truly deserving recipients of this prestigious award.”
George Rich had served as President of the Brockport Alumni Association for longer than anyone in its history. Rosie Rich volunteers on the Brockport Hall of Fame committee and for booster events. She frequently organizes and runs fundraisers to support these initiatives.
“The Volunteer of the Year was established by the Brockport Foundation in appreciation of the significant role volunteers play in the life of the college and to recognize exceptional individuals for their volunteer efforts on Brockport’s behalf,” says Roxanne Johnston, Brockport’s Vice President for Advancement and President of the Brockport Foundation. “George and Rosie are widely known and recognized as leading supporters of the College. We are grateful for all they have done and continue to do for Brockport.”
In honor of George and Rosie Rich, the Brockport Foundation awarded The George and Rosie Rich Volunteer of the Year Scholarship to a student who best exemplifies the ideals of commitment and service to others. This year’s recipient is Adam Shoff, a senior who is majoring in exercise physiology.
Another highlight of the evening was a speech given by senior Justin Jackson of Spencerport, who is this year’s recipient of the President’s Citation Award, the most prestigious academic award offered by the college.
5/13/12
Nine-year-old sets out to make a difference
Mikayla, (seated) and several of her friends at the end of Mikayla's Hubbard Park clean up with several bags filled with trash and recyclables to be disposed of properly. Text and photo by David Knox.Nine-year old Mikayla Tolliver, the daughter of Kitty and Michael Tolliver of Chili, came home from school one day with notebook in hand and shared with her mother that she wanted to organize a park clean up to do something to help make the world a better place. According to her mother, Mikayla had all the details for what she wanted to do written down including a list of friends she wanted to invite, a list of supplies needed, and what they all should wear to the clean up: green or blue earth colors. Mikayla’s mother, in addition, felt Mikayla was inspired by her Girl Scout troop leader Becky Hurst and her daughter, Lauren, who, at a meeting, had a conversation about endangered animals.
Mikayla’s mother said she felt it was important to support her daughter because it’s not very often a child of Mikayla’s age is so concerned about the environment and wanting to make a difference. She contacted Chili Recreation to inform them of Mikayla’s plan.
Mikayla’s park clean up took place on Monday, April 30 at Hubbard Park in North Chili. Many friends, family members of friends, her scout leader, and scouts showed up for the clean up. Teams spent about an hour covering all areas of the park. Several bags were filled with trash and recyclables to be disposed of properly. At the end of the clean up, Mikayla and her friends were happy with what they had done to make the world a better place.
5/6/12
Delta Sigma Fraternity from The College at Brockport helped with the Canal Clean Sweep in Brockport village on April 20. They are shown with Brockport Mayor Connie Castaneda.
Provided photo
5/6/12
Discover Brockport’s hidden gems theme of Historic Preservation Month programs
Citizens in Brockport can join thousands of individuals across the country to celebrate National Preservation Month this May for a month-long celebration sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Since the National Trust for Historic Preservation created Preservation Week in 1971 to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts in America, it has grown into an annual celebration observed by small towns and big cities with events ranging from architectural and historic tours and award ceremonies, to fundraising events, educational programs and heritage travel opportunities. Due to its overwhelming popularity, in 2005, the National Trust for Historic Preservation extended the celebration to the entire month of May and declared it Preservation Month to provide an even longer opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of our country’s cities and states and enable more Americans to become involved in the growing preservation movement.
Programs at the Seymour Library in Brockport will mark National Preservation Month with the theme “Discover Brockport’s Hidden Gems.”
•Historic Preservation in Brockport: Join Bill Andrews, Chair of the Historic Preservation Committee, in a whirlwind tour of Brockport’s Past, Present and Future, Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 p.m.
•Beyond the Brockways and Seymours: Join Carol Hannan and Pam Ketchum in a historical exploration of Brockport’s historic houses and their owners; the little-known people who shaped this village, Wednesday, May 16, 6:30 p.m.
•Fatal Flames at the Morgan Homestead: Join Eunice Chesnut as she speaks about the founding of the Western Monroe Historical Society and the 1964 fire at what is now known as the Morgan-Manning House, Wednesday, May 23, 6:30 p.m.
5/6/12
Bridge traffic gets the green light --
The Route 259 Erie Canal bridge in the village of Spencerport was out of service for barely a month but motorists rejoiced on Monday afternoon, April 30, when NYSDOT removed the barricades and vehicles were once again allowed to traverse the lift bridge span. Repairs were made to decking on the bridge during this closure, but the DOT has warned village officials that more repairs to the span sometime in the future will require detouring traffic once again and likely for a longer period.
Photographs by David Knox
5/6/12
Holley Rotary Club supports Crime Victims Recognition Week
At its last meeting the Holley Rotary Club listened to a presentation from Terri Sue Drennen, Crime Victim and Witness Coordinator for Orleans County and Carrie O’Neill, Juvenile Adjustment Coordinator for Orleans County. They spoke about Crime Victims Week and the events planned.
The Holley Rotary Club made a donation to support the week’s events.
Pictured (left to right) are Rotarian Stephen Smith (Undersheriff for the county), Terri Drennen, Carrie O’Neill, and club president Roger DeFrancesco.
Provided photo
5/6/12
Family members of the Ross family, the Maier family and members of the Can-Ale Biking Club participated in the Canal Clean Sweep on Saturday, April 28. They collected garbage, trimmed branches and created a garden between Adams Basin and Spencerport as part of an Adopt-a-Trail project.
Submitted photos
5/6/12
War of 1812 Battle of Chippewa (July 1814) British and U.S. Troops met on the plain at Chippewa, Canada. The battle lasted three hours and resulted in an American victory. It was the first time in the War of 1812 that regular forces of both countries faced each other across an open field in major action. It showed the world that the young country of America had become a professional military arm capable of holding its own. View the display by Ron Zorn at the Newman Riga Library, 1 Village Park, Churchville.
5/6/12
Arjuna Florist brightens lives of Beikirch Care Center residents
Pictured from left to right are Don Short, owner, Arjuna Florist; Rose Stilwell, Beikirch Care Center resident; Lynne Short, owner, Arjuna Florist and Mary Mack, Beikirch Care Center resident. Provided photoBeikirch Care Center residents enjoy springtime all year round thanks to floral donations from Don and Lynne Short, owners of Arjuna Florist. The couple has been bringing flowers to the Lakeside Health Care System long term care center regularly for the past several years.
“If we had to calculate in dollars the amount of gorgeous buckets full of flowers, many times including roses, it would be in the thousands,” said Nancy Duff, Lakeside Health System Director of Recreation and Volunteers. “They are a generous couple and have a beautiful business.”
Don and Lynne, residents of Kendall, believe in the emotional power of flowers. “Emotions and feelings that words sometimes can’t express can be said with flowers,” said Don. “Sharing flowers with the residents at Beikirch is a great experience for us.”
The residents and the staff at Lakeside are extremely grateful for the gifts. “Thank you from all of us,” said Duff.
Provided information
4/29/12
Brockport Arts Festival adds Don Quixote Day Beard Contest
A Different Path Gallery owner Katherine Weston and artist Sarah Hart have great fun with their fake beards. Brockport Arts Festival events include a beard growing contest this year. Provided photoChallenged to come up with new ideas for the Brockport Arts Festival (August 11-12), Sarah Hart, a local artist who has her studio at A Different Path Gallery in Brockport, wants Brockport to celebrate Don Quixote Day, August 12 with a Beard Contest. Sarah, who has studied in Italy and is known for her portrait work, would provide a charcoal portrait of the winner as a grand prize. Other prizes would be given out to the beard most like Don Quixote’s, Best Fake Beard (have to let non beard growers have a chance), and similar categories.
The contest will be held at A Different Path Gallery, Sunday, August 12, beginning at 2:30 p.m. There is a rumor that the charismatic Steve Appleton may take a turn as Beard Contest MC. More information, including entry forms, will be available at www.DifferentPathGallery.com and at the gallery (23 Market Street).
BISCO invites merchants to have a role in Festival
BISCO is on a quest to make the 2012 Arts Festival the best ever as it returns to Main Street in mid August. For the first time in the 18 years of the festival, merchants are being invited to assume a larger, more visible role. Business owners may register as festival sponsors for a modest fee and those who wish to put out a display on the sidewalk in front of their business are encouraged to do so as long as the appearance adds to the festival. Those who wish to go further, like Hart and A Different Path Gallery owner Katherine Weston and present an activity, project or separate event directly enhancing the festival’s attractiveness, will have their efforts included as part of the festival schedule.
Business owners who have not yet received an explanatory letter and registration form should contact Jo Matela at Red Bird Café and Tea Shoppe (637-3340). See www.brockportartsfestival.com for a list of those merchants who have signed up to this point.
Provided information
4/29/12
Dave Fisher, President and CEO of Oak Orchard Community Health Center, opens a box of World Book Night books.
One of many recipients of World Book Night organizers’ largess, OOCHC volunteered to be one of several dissemination points for the books which are intended to promote love of reading and reading skills.
Supplementing Brockport Rotary’s Blue Bookcase program where continuous book recycling is encouraged, the World Book Night books are intended for ownership by the recipient. Twenty individuals will each be given a copy of Friday Night Lights, the book that was the incentive for the popular TV series and 2004 film. T
he OOCHC books were distributed by Lift Bridge Book Store and Seymour Library was another local distributor.
Provided photo
4/29/12
Vietnam Veterans Appreciation Day and fundraiser May 19
The American Legion Greece Post #468 and Vietnam Veterans Chapter 20 host Vietnam Veterans Appreciation Day at the American Legion Greece Post #468, 344 Dorsey Road, Greece on Saturday, May 19 from noon to 5 p.m. The event is open to the public.
The afternoon will begin with a ceremony thanking Vietnam Veterans for their service and sacrifice and honoring P.O.W.’s/M.I.A.’s from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. A picnic will immediately follow the ceremony and speakers. There will be raffles throughout the afternoon. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 20. Tickets will be $8 in advance and $10 at the door and will include lunch, beverages, and live entertainment provided by DannyB. Sponsorships start at $100 and are still available. The event will be held rain or shine.
For details on becoming a sponsor of Vietnam Veterans Appreciation Day call Dave Taylor or Ralph Presciutti at the American Legion Greece Post #468 at 585-663-2091 or Terry Hogan at 585-260-0585. Event details can also be found at www.OurVietnamVets.com. Any Vietnam Veteran wishing to submit photos from their tour in Vietnam to be included on www.OurVietnamVets.com should email them to thogan11@rochester.rr.com. For details on the American Legion Greece Post #468 visit http://www.greecepost468.com.
4/29/12
Auction of Hilton house benefits YMCA Invest in Youth campaign
by William Matthias
Pictured at the official ground breaking ceremonies on March 28 are (l to r) Will Gallagher, John McBride, Kevin Foy, Marco Mattioli, George Romell, Paul LeFrois and Paula Amico.Construction is underway for a 2,100-square foot, colonial-style home in Parma that will benefit the Northwest and Westside YMCA Invest in Youth Campaigns and the “Dream Home” will soon be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Matco Builders and Developers broke ground on the third YMCA “Dream Home” March 28 and bidding on the house, which retails at $215,000, begins May 5. The house is located in the All-Seasons Sub-division in Hilton at Lot 247 Fallwood Terrace. The proceeds from the auction will help the YMCA provide local families with financial aid, giving youngsters access to character-building programs including day care, summer camp, youth sports and swim lessons.
“We strive to not turn any child away from the life-changing programs the YMCA offers,” said George Romell, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Rochester. “The Invest in Youth Campaign helps us deliver that promise. Matco Builders is not just building a dream home for a local family – they are funding the dreams of kids who want to learn to swim, go to camp and be a leader in the community.”
The two previous Dream Home fundraisers – in Greece in 2010 and in Henrietta in 2011 – raised $66,000 for the Invest in Youth Campaign, according to press releases from marketing agency Dixon Schwabl. Parma resident Marco Mattioli, president of Matco Builders and Developers, said he hopes to raise $30,000 this year.
The fundraiser has given Mattioli an opportunity to give back to the community that supported him during troubling times. Mattioli’s 10-year-old daughter Gabriella died of cancer in August 2010. Gabriella took swim lessons at the Northwest YMCA.
“The support and compassion of the people within the community was tremendous,” Mattioli said. “It inspired me to give something back. I’m proud to collaborate with the YMCA because the organization gives so much to the children and families of our communities every day.”
Last year, the YMCA Westside Group, which includes the Northwest and Westside YMCAs, raised $174,000 for youth program assistance, Romell said. The group awarded an additional $526,000 for membership assistance, raising the number of families receiving financial aid in the west side district from 1,700 to 4,000, Romell added. The programs funded in part by the “Dream Home” are designed to foster healthy living and social responsibility.
“We want to make sure we are taking care of the needs of the kids within the community,” said Will Gallagher, YMCA Westside Group vice president. “We want to teach them good principles through fun activities so they are not out getting into trouble.”
The Westside Group’s Invest in Youth Campaigns help provide scholarships to children in westside communities including Hilton, Greece, Gates and Chili. About 25 to 30 percent of the children participating in the group’s youth programs receive financial aid, Gallagher said.
Gallagher brought the idea for a “Dream Home” from the O’Fallon Family YMCA in St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked from 1998 to 2003, before moving to Rochester and joining the Westside Group. He remembered the original fundraiser as a “novel idea” and the sponsor for the first “Dream Home” in Rochester, Wegman Companies, was eager to jump on board, Gallagher said.
“The really neat thing about it is that so many people said we couldn’t do something like this because of the economy,” he said. “It’s amazing to see how many people stepped up to help make this happen.”
Wegman Companies donated the land for the first “Dream Home” and suggested the sponsor, @Home Builders, for the following year, Gallagher said. Jay Wegman, vice president of operations at Wegman Companies, said his family wanted to help “kick-start” Gallagher’s vision.
“We are excited that the fundraiser has made it into its third year,” Wegman said. “Marco (Mattioli) is helping to keep the tradition alive and it (the fundraiser) just keeps getting better and better. It’s gratifying for everyone involved.”
According to a list provided by Matco Builders and Developers, 28 subcontractors and vendors are contributing to this year’s “Dream Home,” some of which are donating their services and/or supplies. This includes Residential Steel Services, Morse Lumber Company, Matthews and Fields Lumber, Madalena Mechanical, DTT Insulation and Drywall, and Alside Supply.
The community helped shape the style of the ”Dream Home” via online voting for the house’s exterior and kitchen designs, which can be viewed at www.13WHAM.com. The house is expected to be completed by July 15, Mattioli said.
Bidding for the house runs from May 5 through July 15. All bids will be handled and qualified by Paula Amico at Keller Williams Realty. (paulaamico@kw.com)
4/22/12
Where did North Chili go?
by Bonnie Moore, Chili Town Historian
Hoffman's Service Station and Grill became Towne Plaza Restaurant and is now Rite-Aid, corner of Route 259 and Buffalo Road, North Chili. Photograph and information provided by Chili Town Historian Bonnie Moore. Photo, (circa 1940), notes that the service station is the "largest, most modern service station between Rochester and Buffalo."The fun thing about being interested in history is the chance to be a Time Traveler. We can catch glimpses of a prior time and take a peek into what once was. A part of Chili that was called “The Crossroads” in the early 1800s was North Chili. Perhaps that was because it centered around two major thoroughfares – Union Street (then called Braddocks Road) and Buffalo Road. (Routes 259 and 33.)
Let’s not step back that far. If our Chili Time Traveler can back-pedal to North Chili in 1950, what would one see? In short order, by comparing 2012 with 1950, you would be tempted to say, “Where on earth did downtown North Chili go!”
Few original buildings remain. A sentinel at the northeast corner, the Olde Stagecoach Inn has been rejuvenated. The grand old lady now sports new makeup and apparently likes her new image as she stands straight and tall. She is a testimony to those who saw her worth and saved her. She won’t mind if we reveal her age which is circa 1815.
The yellow brick Community Center, once the North Chili Elementary School, still sits near the Towne Plaza on Buffalo Road. It changed careers over 40 years ago.
A few houses remain. On the south eastern side are two homes that belonged to two prominent families back then. Their names, in spite of the implications, were the Spotts and the Staines.
The old blacksmith shop disappeared in the middle of the night a few decades ago but not before it became an antique shop, and later the Pizza Shack, feeding hundreds of hungry people, many of them Roberts Wesleyan students. Perhaps when it was torn down, the developer did not quite grasp the historic nature of this little old fieldstone and cobblestone building erected in the late 1800s.
Now called the Chili Doll Museum, a building near Orchard Street was once a grocery store known as the Red and White. And yes, the North Chili Cemetery is still there and open for business.
But our Time Traveler spinning to this new millenium will ask, “Where’s the little ice cream shop? Where is Perry’s Palace, also known as the Towne Plaza Restaurant which gave way to what is now Rite Aid Pharmacy? Sandy Tulloch’s Plumbing shop stood where Walgreen’s is located. Several vintage houses at this site have also disappeared.
Alexander’s Market stood for many decades where the Hess Station is today. Roland’s Service Station is now a video store and Subway shop. And before it became Jitters, that building housed Kreckman’s little department store and after that the North Chili Post Office.
Where is the Methodist Church and parsonage? It changed locations further down the road near Westside Drive. One Step Tree and Lawn Care now occupies that space. The Erickson Barber shop is gone, too.
Our Time Traveler must admit, though, that what was a thriving commercial corner as a ‘crossroads’ then has morphed into a sparkling and vibrant area of Chili. The traffic pattern and bright new buildings reveal a bustling, forward-looking community. We did enjoy the ‘good ole days’ when life may have been easier and folks were friends. But before our Time Traveler gets too dreamy- eyed about the past, let’s understand the continuity of one age surviving to the next.
“Those who appreciate the past invest in the future.”
4/22/12
Trout Lilies
Trout lilies (Erythronium americanum) Yanty Marsh, Hamlin Beach State Park, April 16, 2012.
Trout lilies bloom in early spring with golden yellow flowers touched with red. The plant’s leaves are mottled with reddish-brown spots, somewhat resembling the coloring of brook trout.
Trout lilies grow in groups or colonies which, when left undisturbed, can create carpet-like settings in wood lots where they receive filtered light in the spring.
Photograph by Rick Nicholson
4/22/12
ecopark offers recycling opportunities
Earth Day is an ideal time to learn about the Monroe County ecopark. The facility is an innovative venture by the Monroe County Department of Environmental Services and Waste Management of New York. Its goal is to keep reclaimable materials out of landfills and the county sewer system.
Located at 10 Avion Drive in Chili (near the intersection of Beahan Road and Paul Road), the state-of-the-art facility allows Monroe County residents to drive their vehicles through the large building, stopping at each well-marked station to drop off their items. At each stop, dumpsters and huge metal bins keep everything neat and contained. People must unload their own vehicles.
The ecopark facility is open each Wednesday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and accepts items such as: appliances (not air conditioners, dehumidifiers, freezers, refrigerators); batteries (must be non-alkaline; includes rechargeable, lithium ion, button, sealed lead, and vehicle batteries); cardboard and paper; cereal box waxed liners; clothing and fabric (good quality items will be given to Goodwill or the Salvation Army); commingled recyclables (cans, bottles, jars, etc.); CO2 empty cartridges from air soft guns; cooking oil and grease in closed containers (fryer oil, lard, and animal fat drippings); electronics (cell phones, TVs, computers, printers, monitors, etc.); fluorescent light bulbs (return compact fluorescent bulbs to Home Depot or Lowe's); magnetic media (CDs, DVDs, audiocassettes, videotapes, 8-track tapes, etc.); large plastic items (patio furniture, toys, shower stools, etc.).
Also collected onsite are: prescription bottles (must be empty); printer cartridges; propane tanks (1 lb and 20 lb); scrap metal; sharps (needles) and syringes; shredded documents (also provides document destruction done off site); sneakers; Styrofoam packing material (not egg cartons or food/drink containers).
The ecopark facility will also take anything accepted at the Monroe County Recycling Center via the curbside collection program; visit www.monroecounty.gov/des-residentialrecycling.php.
The ecopark schedules specific dates to collect the following:
•household hazardous waste (paint, stain, paint thinners, pesticides, fuel, etc.) (by appointment only)
•prescription and over-the-counter medications
•tires: $3 each (credit/debit card only)
•appliances containing CFC/Freon (air conditioners and refrigerators): $15 each (credit/debit card only)
The ecopark’s web page www.monroe-county.gov/ecopark has a search tool called “ecopark Prospector,” which gives Monroe County residents alternative options that may be closer and/or more convenient than driving to ecopark. Residents are encouraged to use the most environmentally friendly way to manage their items (generally the closest to their homes).
4/15/12
Murray-Holley June Fest parade planned
The Murray-Holley June Fest Committee is working on bringing back a Holley parade on Saturday, June 2 starting at 10:30 a.m. with Mark Time Marchers (former Kendall Firemen’s Band), drum corps Prime Time Brass, Ghost Riders drum corps and other parade participants. These groups will also perform at the drum corps show at 7 p.m. at the Woodland Soccer field. The parade route begins at Veterans Drive and continues to Batavia Street and proceeds through the Public Square to White Street to East Avenue and finishes at the Canal Park entrance.
Anyone wishing to participate in the parade can contact David at 638-8922 or 943-9188 or email dilldavid7@aol.com.
Provided information
4/15/12
Kendall launches Bicentennial celebration
Events planned April - August for community’s 200th
by Kristina Gabalski
It may be the biggest event in Kendall in 200 years. The town is celebrating its bicentennial in 2012 and many special events are planned over a five-month span from April through August.
“We wanted to plan something for each month,” Jane Hart says. She co-chairs the town’s Bicentennial Committee with her husband, Robert.
Mary Campbell, who is also a member of the committee, says the length of the celebration allows for everyone to participate at some point. “If it was just one event, people might miss it,” she notes.
Planning for the celebration actually began back in 2006 when the town was given an anonymous donation specifically for celebrating the bicentennial. Then Supervisor Bill Vick took the lead in beginning preparations.
“The committee began meeting a couple of times a year,” Hart says. “Things started to gel about three years ago.”
Hart and Campbell say many members of the community have been involved in organizing and planning and will staff the upcoming events.
“Everybody has pitched-in,” Campbell says.
The Opening Ceremony is set for April 28 at 7 p.m. at the David J. Doyle Junior/Senior High School. The evening includes music by the Kendall Community Chorus and the Kendall Central School choruses.
“State Senator George Maziarz and Assemblyman Steve Hawley will be attending,” Hart says. “The town was settled in April of 1812, so we wanted to stay as close to that as we could for the opening.”
Kendall Town Historian Joette Knapp has set up a display in the Town Hall which includes (above) a dress she made for the town's sesquicentennial 50 years ago. Committee members Jane Hart and Mary Campbell say she has done a lot in preparing for the bicentennial celebration and has been a tremendous resource of information. Knapp also set up the mannequin shown (right) as part of the Kendall Town Hall display. In contrast to the reproduction outfit, this figure sports a bicentennial sweatshirt and other souvenir items available as part of the celebration. Photographs by Kristina GabalskiCampbell has been very involved in producing a DVD commemorating the bicentennial. “Kendall: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” will be available for the first time at the opening ceremony event.
The DVD was professionally videotaped and produced. Over 100 people tell their personal stories of growing up in Kendall. The production covers life in the town over the past 70 years and Campbell says the stories are told sensitively, intuitively, insightfully and humorously.
“She interviewed a lot of people of all generations,” Hart says.
Campbell said that Jim Miesner of Fruit Tree Studios gave of his time and professional talents in videotaping and editing the DVD. Punch and cookies will be served following the concert and Kendall Bicentennial souvenir items will be available.
May 11 through 13 is the annual Partyka Farms Quilt Show. Hart says this year the show will have a patriotic theme in honor of the bicentennial.
A Bicentennial Decoration Day Breakfast and Cruise-In will take place May 19 from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Fire Hall.
“We could have over 100 cars coming in that day,” Hart notes.
The Lions Club Garage Sale is also planned that day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fire Hall and a Steak Roast will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Kendall Garden Club has donated patriotic buntings to festoon houses along the town’s parade route, Hart and Campbell say. “We’re asking everyone in the community to put out the red, white and blue this year,” Hart says. She adds that the Lutheran Church is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year and the Kendall Fire Department is marking its 100th anniversary in addition to the town’s milestone.
June 15 and 16 includes a Family Movie Night and a Living History event with Civil War re-enactors.
“June 15 is field day at school,” Hart says. “The students will be learning old time games. That night (at dusk) there will be a movie on the Town Hall lawn. It will be a fun day for the kids and a fun night for them.”
The family movie event is sponsored by the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA)/Reality Check and Mike Cuzzupoli of Zuper Bounce will provide the movie.
Highlights of the Civil War Living History event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, include a children’s historical scavenger hunt and cannon firing throughout the day. The event will be held at the Firemen’s Field.
Hart says the Civil War re-enactors will “set up camp and have demonstrations including cooking and sewing to show what a soldier’s life was like. The Boy Scouts are going to participate by demonstrating (modern-day) camping to show the juxtaposition.”
A Sloppy Joe Lunch will be served by the Kendall United Methodist Church at the Fire Hall. The lunch is being organized by Bob and LuAnne Henry.
The Bicentennial Community Musical - “The Music Man” - will be performed July 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. at the David J. Doyle Junior/Senior High School. Admission is free; donations will be accepted.
Campbell is co-directing “The Music Man” with Jeremy Rath. She says the musical was chosen for it’s small-town patriotic flavor and the fact that it is set in 1912 - 100 years ago when the town marked its centennial.
“The response we’ve been getting is great,” she says. “Kids and people in general are interested ... from small children to an 86-year old. The Kendall Royal Blue Marching Band will be performing in their uniforms.”
Campbell notes that two local college students home for spring break expressed their interest and she will be holding auditions in May.
The auditions are set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, May 1, 2 and 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Kendall High School vocal room. For details call 659-8504.
Adults and children of all ages are needed for the production, Campbell says. She explains that the auditions will serve to place people in the show rather than inspect individual talents and gifts.
“The show is open to anybody,” she emphasizes. “Even people outside of the community.” Campbell adds that Stockham Lumber is donating supplies for the sets.
“We also need people to help with things like costumes and sets and - everything,” Hart says.
The summer-long celebration concludes with Home Grown Days August 18 and 19. “It’s the big event,” both Hart and Campbell say.
A long list of events is planned for Saturday, August 18 with things kicking off at 8 a.m. with coffee and donuts provided by the Morton Ladies Auxiliary.
The parade steps off at 11 a.m. and events at the Fire Hall/Town Hall/Firemen’s Field include a Firemen’s Muster with antique firetrucks; steam engine threshing demonstrations; a Tug-of-War; petting zoo; children and young adult activities and music including the Alumni Band.
So far, Campbell says, the Alumni Band has 18 members and is being directed by 76-year old Dick Roberson, a former band director at the school.
Exhibits by local artisans are planned in the Town Hall - Friday, 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“The more we talked to people, the more we found out how many talented people we have in the community,” Hart says.
Exhibitors include Thomas Markusen who is a metal artist. His works are part of the permanent collections of such illustrious places as the Vatican Museum in Rome, Italy and the White House Craft Collection, Hart says. John Marchand is nationally known for his duck carvings; Karl Driesel is a “true craftsman” Hart and Campbell say and a “master woodworker.” He crafted the judge’s bench and tables at the Kendall Town Hall. Jan Root is a renowned quilter and collector of sewing machines and Harry Beaver crafts handmade wooden bowls.
Hart says more than a dozen artisans will be displaying their work and antiques will also be a part of the exhibit.
Food vendors on August 18 include a Pork BBQ by the Morton Fire Department, a corn roast by the Kendall Masons, ice cream sundaes by the Concordia Lutheran Church, hot dogs and hamburgers, and similar items sold by the Kendall Fire Department and waffles by the Kendall Ladies Auxiliary.
The celebration continues on the 18th with a Street Dance at 7:30 p.m. Pizza and sodas will be available from the Kendall Lions Club and fireworks are planned for 10 p.m.
On Sunday, August 19, Home Grown Days concludes with a 10 a.m. Community Church Service at the Kendall Community Park Gazebo (bring your own chair). “All five churches in the area will participate,” Hart and Campbell say.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. lunch will be served by St. Mark’s Catholic Church at the Fire Hall.
The Bicentennial Celebration will wrap-up with a concert and closing ceremony on the Town Hall lawn from 1 to 3 p.m. (bring your own chair). The Community Chorus will perform.
More details on all activities and contact information is available at the Town of Kendall website: townofkendall.com
“Come find something,” Hart says of the summer long celebration, “there has to be something to interest you. It should be a really nice event,” she adds. “We have tried to tie things into what we have in the community.”
3/25/12
New edition of Erie Canalway Trail guidebook now available
The bicycling and sightseeing waiting for visitors along the legendary Erie Canal is highlighted in the newly revised edition of “Cycling the Erie Canal: A guide to 400 miles of adventure and history along the Erie Canalway Trail.” The book, which features new sections of trail and up-to-date listings of lodging, bike shops, and other services, is published by Parks & Trails New York (PTNY), the statewide non-profit parks and trails advocacy organization.
“Cycling the Erie Canal” is a key resource for cyclists planning to bike the entire 400-mile route as well as for riders looking to enjoy an afternoon of fun and natural beauty. It is also useful for walkers, hikers, inline skaters, boaters, and auto travelers who want to enjoy the trail and some of the historic and cultural sights along the route.
The 144-page guidebook includes 42 full-color maps that detail the trail route, as well as the things to see and do along the way. In addition to parks, museums, historic sites, and visitor centers, the maps indicate lodging and bike shops. Services such as restaurants, convenience stores, ATMs, pharmacies, post offices, hardware stores, and parking areas are also shown.
The book includes interpretive information about the history of the canal, plus tips on cycling, travel, and trip preparation.
“Cycling the Erie Canal” retails for $23.95. Parks & Trails New York members receive a special discount price. It is available from Parks & Trails New York by visiting the Parks & Trails New York website at www.ptny.org or calling 518-434-1583. The guide is also available at bookstores, bike shops and museum and gift shops.
Provided information
3/25/12
Share your memories of Eastman Kodak Company
E-mail your memories of the Rochester photo giant to
Please include your name along with your address & phone number (address & phone number not for publication).
The memories will be compiled on this website.
1/22/12
Memory by John B. Corcoran...
On the job at Kodak’s Hawkeye Plant
Eastman Kodak’s Hawkeye Plant was not far from the neighborhood where I grew up. It always appeared to me to be an ominous brooding presence overlooking the Genesee River from high atop the east bank. After leaving my college days behind I began my 28 years of Kodak employment in that very plant in August 1963. I found the place to be full of friendly, hard working folks and my previous impression was soon dispelled.
I was initially hired as a quality control inspector in the copy products manufacturing area. It wasn’t long before I learned the hard way to use diplomacy and tact when informing 20 and 30 year employees that their work wasn’t quite up to standards. Soon this new kid was accepted as part of the team and I enjoyed many friendships with my co-workers.
There was a particularly hot spell during the summer of 1964. I remember it well because during that time I was assigned to the camera case shop to cover a fellow inspector’s two-week vacation. This was a small department in the oldest building in the complex where fine leather cases were crafted for Kodak’s high-end cameras. After the leather was cut, formed, and stitched together, the case interiors were coated with glue. The final step was to spray on red cotton flocking to form the velvet surface protecting the camera. There was no air conditioning in this building, just a few windows that opened, and the smells were pungent and the summer heat intense. The worst thing however, was the red cotton dust which settled on everything – especially the perspiring workers, including me. I greatly admired those men and women who produced such fine products under such difficult conditions. Even to this day when I hear the term “sweat shop” I immediately think of those hardy people.
It was also about this time that I appeared in a film showing the manufacture of office copiers. Mr. Gerry Zornow, a sales executive, was filmed praising our Kodak copiers as he strolled through the manufacturing area, and there I was doing the final checks before shipment. In subsequent years, Mr. Zornow rose to be CEO at Kodak and I like to think I played a small role in his success. OK, make that a very small role.
Later that year I was assigned to a cost accounting group where I spent four years before transferring into data processing at Kodak Office on State Street in 1968. There I remained until early retirement in 1991. Today data processing is called information technology and the computing power then contained in a large room of humming equipment is dwarfed by the devices we now carry in our pockets.
In early 1991, I was sent to the home of recently retired Kodak Chairman Colby Chandler. Retired chairmen normally maintained contact with the company during a transitional period following their tenure. My assignment was to set up Mr. Chandler’s home computer for accessing his e-mail accounts back at State Street. To say the least I was apprehensive about meeting this titan of industry and repeatedly practiced the hardware and software installations I was slated to perform for him. As it turned out Mr. Chandler was very pleasant and expressed his appreciation for my assistance. In retrospect it was like my going to meet the Wizard of Oz and finding that behind all the intimidating power and influence was a gracious gentleman who was very much like the rest of us.
After an absence of nine years I returned to Kodak Office as a contract worker in 2000. I’m still there but there are very few faces left that I recognize from the pre-1991 days. What has happened over the last few years is indeed unfortunate but not altogether unprecedented. I believe it was Tom Peters who said in one of his books on business excellence in the 1980s, that not one of the top 100 American companies in 1900 still existed in 1985. What many of us have witnessed recently is apparently a normal cycle of events in the business world, but no less sad to see.
John B. Corcoran
Hillside Drive, Hilton
4/22/12
Memory by Jane E. Davis...
Kodak - what a wonderful experience …
Jane Davis with Wilt Chamberlin at the US Tennis Open in New York City, July 1990.My earliest memories of Kodak are movies on Sunday, picnics and Christmas parties with gifts for every child; the smoke from the Kodak chimneys and the daily whistle at 8 a.m., noon and 5 p.m.
My Father, Richard Wilcox Forward, worked 39 years in the metal shop. When WWII started, he joined the Navy Seabees Construction Battalion. In December 1944, he wrote home that Kodak had sent him a Christmas present - a $50 Kodak war bond. He returned home in August 1945 and his job at Kodak was waiting. He worked another 26 years.
Kodak had bowling alleys, a recreation center, camera club, banks, stamp club, ballteams, a KPAA band, eye care, shoe department, employee stores and cafeterias with the best food. My Dad and Mother, Margaret, often met me at B-28 along with our neighbors, Ken and Doris Bloss. Dad and Ken felt they were on “sacred ground” having lunch at Kodak after their retirements.
I remember one year with his bonus Dad and Mom got my brothers and sister and me all new bikes, another year they got a new car. We grew up in Kodak’s 10th Ward. Dad walked to work for years. As kids at #7 school I recall Eastman Dental coming into school and setting up chairs in the hallway and we were given exams and cleanings. The Kodak nurses even made house calls when Dad had surgery in the late 1950s.
I joined Kodak Elmgrove in 1981 and was part of huge lay-offs in 1983. I was re-hired in 1985 in the Research Labs and worked in B-69 on Ridge Road and Dewey Avenue in the Photo Finishing (Pilot Lab). I worked in all areas of the lab where we processed and printed Kodak employees’ film along with the testing of all new photographic equipment and products. I had the best jobs in Kodak!
I have a scrapbook full of Kodak early history, newspaper articles and “Kodakerys” along with pictures, trucks, pins and memorabilia with Kodak logos.
I worked for the Kodak Press Center in New York City in 1990 at the U.S. Tennis Open where I met Wilt Chamberlin. I also had the honor of working at the Winter and Summer Olympics around the world through the 1990s - what a wonderful experience those events were.
I retired in 2002 with many happy memories and lasting friendships.
Thank you Eastman Kodak Company.
Jane E. Davis, Brockport
Rolls of film are only part of a collection of Kodak memorabilia which includes logo pins and trucks.
A film processing folder from 1952.
The Kodak train engine made its way through the complex of company buildings and across Ridge Road with regularity.
A photo of the Kodak Park Band printed in a 1990-91 company newspaper, “Kodakery” likely dates to the early 1900s. The caption reads: “What could be more seasonal than Kodakers gathered to celebrate the rites of summer?
This shot was taken a few summers back, probably in the 19-teens. (The Kodak Park Athletic Association - ancestor of today’s Kodak Recreation - dates from 1910.) Note the existence of a KPAA Band then, and how formally the people dressed for an outing. Little is known of the photo or the event it portrays.
The print - stained and dog-eared - was discovered in a Rochester attic by someone who was going to throw it out, but who instead offered it to Jane Davis, Minilab, KP. She in turn gave it to her dad, Richard Forward, who retired in 1971 from the KP Metal Shop after 39 years. The two are sharing it with Kodakery readers. No doubt the author of the upcoming Kodak book would pounce on pictures like this.”
4/22/12
Memory by Derek VanHouten...
Diary retells early Kodak days
Claude E. Van Houten, who retired recently after 47 years' service, has seen Kodak Park expand from four buildings on a 10-acre site to 83 main buildings on 400 acres of ground. From "Kodak A Magazine For Eastman Employees," August 1938. Provided by Derek VanHouten.My Grandfather was born in 1873 and in 1891 George Eastman hired him to work at the Eastman Company, which many of you know is now or was the Eastman Kodak Company. He was the 13th employee and worked there for 47 years.
At first, he was the only draftsman that the company had; when he retired in 1938 he was the Assistant Superintendent of the old ECM&U (Electrical Construction Maintenance and Utilities Division). In the early days he was responsible for several tasks, such as the location of water wells on the property, overseeing the construction of the early buildings, handling the Assistant Fire Chief (duties) for the in-house Fire Brigade and other responsibilities. I started work at Kodak in 1966 and worked there for 32 years in the Construction Division.
During his time at Kodak he faithfully kept a diary of daily events of which I can remember a few of the entries. He lived on Albermiale Street off Lake Avenue. He wrote about crossing the fields to get to work back in the 1890s. One of his jobs was to do the final inspection of the twin smokestacks in the Park. There is a picture of him standing on top of one of the chimneys at its completion. In 1905, he was called to the property on East Avenue to fix a pump in the barn at (the George Eastman House). After he made the repair, George Eastman took him in a horsedrawn sleigh down East Avenue with a Buffalo robe over their laps for a ride. Many years later while we were visiting the Eastman House I happened to ask what happened to the barn. I was very surprised when they told me that is was still in use and was located in the back area of the estate.
Recently I gave to the Rare Books Department of the University of Rochester the collection of diaries, pictures, and binders of material that my Grandfather collected during his life at Kodak. It is under the title of the C. E. VanHouten Collection and now can be viewed by everyone.
Derek VanHouten
Rochester
3/18/12
Memory by Walter Horylev...
The Kodak experience
On the day I started work in the Color Photography Division in 1954, the first engineer I met was working on magenta screen, a printing component manufactured by Kodak. I was impressed by his friendly manner and technical know-how. His name was Colby Chandler. He eventually became the head of the Eastman Kodak Company.
When I started work I would smoke a pipe at my desk and no one complained, even though I smoked rum and maple, a very aromatic tobacco. When I suffered from a throat problem years later I gave up smoking, cold turkey, and never tried it again, not even the customary cigar offered upon the birth of a child.
For twenty years I put a certain amount of money once a month in the Quinby Plan; a unique plan offered by Kodak that allowed you to purchase Kodak stock on the installment basis. I finally sold it all when the stock was worth about $40 per share and broke even.
One summer I worked in the Synthetic Chemistry Division making large scale chemicals. While making an indicator dye on a lab setup with many glass components, a cork popped on a flask, releasing carbon monoxide into the air. I didn’t notice the cork was askew and carbon monoxide has no odor. I was blithely watching the process when a fellow lab worker walked in and exclaimed: “Your lips are blue!” I looked at my fingernails and the tips of my fingers were also blue. I quickly went to the office and asked for an ambulance to take me to medical. After breathing oxygen for about an hour I was released and went back to work.
Many years ago I played basketball with “Barefoot” Post at Kodak and, yes, he was barefoot. I understand he also ran track barefoot, which must have been some feat, since those were cinder covered tracks back then.
I was a long time member of the “Musical Notes.” It was a singing and dancing group of Kodak employees who performed in formal attire with everything memorized. Ken Kier, a technician in the Paper Service Division, led the group and brought out the best in us. He had a wonderful bass voice and was an excellent singer and director. We performed at many nursing homes and veteran’s hospitals and several years during the Christmas season at the home of the Mr. Hargraves, then head of the Eastman Kodak Company. His guests included family members, friends, company vice-presidents and a number of managers. When midnight came he would say: “It’s midnight; time for everyone to go home!” And everyone dutifully left.
Back in the 1950s and 60s, and even the 70s, there were many events outside of work where employees and their spouses socialized. I was part of a group of eight engineers and technicians who would put on a clambake every year: we even built our own steamer out of a garbage can. We would rotate the location of the event so that everyone took a turn hosting the party. The men bought the food, prepared it, served it and cleaned up the mess. The women really enjoyed that outing!
Every engineer wore a shirt and tie in most Kodak Park areas and some wore suit coats/sports jackets, even though they might never have to deal with an outside customer. I can remember having my shirts starched every week. There was a breakthrough in the early 1980s when a project leader in the Instant Photography project started to hold meetings where he didn’t wear a tie. Soon others gave up their tie and the culture started to change.
Walter Horylev
Hilton
3/11/12
Memory by Kodak Families...
Vacation With Kodak --
A Kodak family celebrated a “Kodak Moment” with their entry in the 1987 Hamlin Firemen’s Kiddie Parade. The children’s fathers and grandfathers were all Kodak workers.
Left to right: Daniel LaDue, Carrie (LaDue) Sigler, Sarah (Smith) Flannery, Kelly Jo Smith (kneeling). Marion Rath of Hamlin provided the photo.
3/11/12
Memory by Diane Carey...
Working at KAD on Elmgrove Road
I started at Kodak, the old KAD on Elmgrove Road, in March 1972, working B Shift. I was 21 years old and thought the plant was huge and would never find my way around. There were only four buildings at that time. Of course, over the next 10-15 years, KAD grew to 14 buildings.
In 1972, there were two cafeterias, a bank, a store, a post office, Cashier’s Office and a recreation office where you could get tickets for various Kodak events, cameras and someone to help you out if you had a problem with a Kodak product. You could buy vitamins, film, batteries, greeting cards, etc. at the store - it was wonderful.
KAD also had a gymnasium/auditorium. The auditorium was used for “town meetings,” retirement receptions and other family events. When it was the gym, we had “Noon Hour Nonsense” and “Noon Hour Movies,” as well as basketball and volleyball. I took my son to Halloween parties, Christmas with Santa, family movies and so many other events. I worked at KAD until we had to move to building 642 in February 2001.
I was very fortunate to work for Kodak 34 1/2 years until I retired in September 2006. I will always remember Kodak as the best time of my life.
Diane Carey
Brockport
2/26/12
Memory by Walter Horylev...
I spent 33 years of my life at Kodak and I do have a lot of fond memories, like:
•Spending noon hours playing competitive Bridge or Gin Rummy (5 per side) or Hearts.
•Spending part of my lunch hour perusing sale items in the tool section of the nearby Sears store on West Ridge Road.
•Going to the homes of fellow workers in our group for a Friday lunch and trading the location weekly. That came to a screeching halt when we were over 45 minutes late coming back from Brockport.
•Playing Christmas music with the Off-Beats, fellow musicians from CP&P and Photo Technology, during lunch time in the cafeteria of B-69 and having everybody joining in on the carols.
•Watching explosions going off from an office window in B-65 when they were forming a base for the foundation of B-69 next door.
•The Friday afternoon rush to get to Lake Shore Country Club and dressing while driving; it was first-come, first-up on the tee and with a late starting time you might not get 18 holes in.
•Walking all over Kodak Park East to meetings; rain, snow or shine.
•The noon hour basketball games in B-28. We even had girls playing eventually and they looked slightly nervous when we said we were ‘shirts’ and they were ‘skins’.
•The long hours, even Saturday and sometimes Sunday, spent on making the Instant program technically successful. Although it failed for other reasons this project generated a whole new cadre of engineers who learned that the good old days of less urgency were over. It was inspiring to see so many people from different divisions working together, even the brass coming in on the weekend, for a common cause.
•The time I was tricked into leaving my office ostensibly to have a photo taken in B-28 and coming back to find it decorated by my basketball buddies.
•The feeling that you could talk to so many experts in various fields to find out information about almost anything. They were the Google® of that time.
•All the training sessions that were provided to engineers, new and old. It was a great way for me to get up to speed in learning a new technology, photo science, back when this wasn’t a college course.
•The long coffee breaks, morning and afternoon, and the same people always sitting at the same tables with the same companions, day after day for years, like in church pews.
•B-28 was a home away from home with a magnificent stage where on special nights speakers gave presentations and gifts, especially power drills, were given away, an excellent cafeteria, a rifle range, bowling lanes, basketball courts (the evening leagues were great fun, I only sprained my ankle once in 30 years), a running track, a pool that was used for drying Coloramas, a gift shop and plenty of darkrooms for color and B&W processing and printing.
•The Kodak Camera Club held numerous photo competitions and classes that provided a tremendous learning experience for me and many others; these activities helped create a number of personal friendships and produced some outstanding photographers. (Every employee of Kodak Park was a member of the Camera Club but, of course, most did not participate).
•My least fond memory: The day when B-65 and B-69 were imploded. I was with a large crowd slightly northeast and two blocks away from the buildings when the huge cloud of dust and debris from the blasts was carried right at us, engulfing us in a blinding brownish fog, as if to say: “You were a part of me, now I’m a part of you.”
Walter P. Horylev
Hilton
2/5/12
Memory by Ken and Mary Eichas-Gavigan...
Kodak employment began February 14, 1964
All five of us remember February 14, 1964, the day that Ken began employment at Eastman Kodak Company, full time, reliable, you could count on, work. This meant grocery money every week. Additionally, every March, Kodak shared profits by distributing a bonus.
Each year on Dividend Day, the three children and I (JoAnn, Victoria and Christopher) made a snowman announcing our joy. This year, 1969, as a bit of humor, we hung a pail because as a five year employee, Ken would get a full, 100 percent bonus. Wearing Ken’s hat, gloves, and holding one of our maple sap buckets, we displayed our gratitude and appreciation - and waited for ‘Dad’ to bring the check home. Some of the money stayed at Kodak, saved, and this year the part coming home would help pay for JoAnn’s orthodontic braces.
Because of this consistent Kodak employment, we were able to give our children educational travel experiences, sports programs, educations, and weddings. This gave Ken and I tremendous satisfaction.
God bless George Eastman and his Kodak for all it made possible for us.
Ken and Mary Eichas-Gavigan
Parma
2/12/12
Memory by Maisie Rife Strassner...
Living the Kodak life
I am 95 years old, and my family goes back with Kodak Park, to about 1912.
I lived on Steko Ave. off Dewey Ave. for about 60 years (have seen changes). My memories are some good ones, plus what my parents told me. When I was small, it was Lewiston Ave., not Ridge Road. During WWI, Kodak supplied workers with small lots and seeds for gardens. During the Depression, instead of laying off workers, they divided workers into groups. One group worked three days a week, the other two days, then the next week they rotated.
Also, instead of not giving a dividend, they just reduced it. At least we got something. Dad always said it was a blessing and no one went hungry.
I remember when I was little, once a year the workers put on a minstrel show - how great it was.
Friday night was basketball, in old Building 28, with dancing after, then free ice cream in the old 28 cafeteria. Jackie Brightman was the basketball man then. My father managed the Kodak Park soccer team for many years and all the trophies were on display in the Building 28 show case. Leigh Rife was his name. Shifty Gears was our baseball great.
As children, when we were hurt, we went to Kodak medical and Dr. Slater took care of us.
…the five o’clock whistle … the big coal pile on Ridge Road … George Eastman started Kodak Park School, now #41 … Sunday dinners in both old 28 and new 28. Then new Building 28 was built, with new bowling lanes, Camera Club, the auditorium, for movies and plays … I could go on and on -- wonderful memories.
Maisie Rife Strassner
Victor Lane
Hamlin
2/12/12
Memory by Mary Lou Rockow...
Kodak Memories
My grandfather, James A. Noble, was an Eastman Kodak executive who rose from office boy to an assistant manager at Camera Works and worked for Kodak for 45 years. He was credited with a number of technical developments at the plant including a lacquer formula he devised in 1914 that was still in use at his retirement in 1953. He also designed a camera bellows and equipment to manufacture bellows. In a newspaper article written at his retirement he was quoted as saying: “One of the most rewarding aspects of my career was the opportunity for encouragement of young employees. I have always told young people who have come to me for advice to put forth every helpful idea they get, for it all aids in gaining plant management recognition.”
James Noble was a Kendall native and through night study he completed a New York Central course in telegraphy, served as manager of the Pinnacle Club in Rochester and worked for a Cleveland electrical firm. At Kodak, he began in the Camera Works spool department and rose to the position of foreman and head of several departments. In 1938 he was named superintendent of process and became superintendent of manufacturing in 1944, general superintendent of manufacturing in 1946 and assistant manager of the plant in 1952.
I remember the summer home that he and my grandmother had on Conesus Lake and the wooden Chris-Craft inboard he would give us rides around the lake in when we visited.
One of my first jobs was as a “mail girl” (only young girls were hired for the job at that time) at Eastman Kodak. There was a large group of young people who would sort and deliver the mail throughout the building on State Street. I did the 19th floor. We would sort the mail for our area and organize the mail in a large cardboard box we would carry with shoulder straps. We’d race against one another to see who could get their mail delivered first. We’d run up the stairs instead of using the elevator!
On Lomond Shores on Lake Ontario, where I live now in a family home, there were many early cottages built with materials from Kodak Salvage. Cypress wood used for shipping by Kodak and discarded after use was reclaimed from Salvage and used to build many of the early cottages along the lake. Other discarded items such as electrical lights removed in building renovation were reclaimed by Kodak workers and re-purposed for domestic use.
One very big and special memory I have of working there reflects the Kodak philosophy to encourage workers to share their ideas for innovation and facilitation of work tasks. Workers in the mail room had to scan the incoming mail envelopes. The set up to scan items only allowed for one person to work at a time. I suggested that if the light on the scanner were raised, two people could access the light mechanism. The suggestion earned me $500!
Mary Lou Rockow
Kendall
2/12/12
Memory by Donald 'Barefoot' Post...
At core of Kodak employment are the friendships made
I am writing in response to your request in the January 29 Hamlin-Clarkson Herald seeking memories of Kodak. I worked at Kodak 37 years and my most precious memory is of the many friendships I developed there. I even met and courted my wife there. As a member of the Kodak Camera Club I developed and printed over a thousand pictures in my day without cost. I watched Shifty Gears strike out the batters and Tommy Castle hit one into the George Eastman Tree in right field at the lighted Kodak ballfield, a novelty in its day. The Kodak team was world champion twice. I ate delicious meals at the Kodak cafeterias. I couldn’t wait to read the Kodak newspaper, “The Kodakery,” which featured articles on company doings and on company people. I worked for Kodak Construction which built many of the buildings. I worked on buildings which no longer exist but their demolition cannot destroy their memory.
I enjoyed the memories of past Kodak people in your last issue. A book could be written on Kodak ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’. The physical aspects might be destroyed but the memory of the greatest company in the world will never be destroyed.
Donald ‘Barefoot’ Post
Brockport
2/19/12