December 30, 2018
Issue No. 52
www.westsidenewsny.com
NORTH EDITION
Distributed
to
Hilton-Parma
A look back at 2018 – The Year in Review January
Between January 9 and 11, the Village of Brockport moved their offices from 49 State Street to 127 Main Street. The move was to help ease overcrowding and make more room for the Village Court at the State Street location. A ribbon cutting and open house were held at the new Brockport Village Hall in April.
•There were many changes in local leadership. Jack Barton was sworn in as Parma Supervior on January 1. Kevin Johnson was sworn in as the new Sweden Town Supervisor on January 2, taking over the office from Rob Carges. Jerry Underwood became the Town of Clarkson’s first new Supervisor in 36 years suceeding Paul Kimball. Underwood donated his first year’s salary to the Seymour Library. •Todd Baxter, of Ogden, was sworn in as the new Monroe County Sheriff after defeating four-term incumbent Patrick O’Flynn in the November election. •At age 29, Clarkson’s new Town Justice Ian E. W. Penders was one of the youngest judges in New York State. •Despite the concerns of neighbors, the Ogden Planning Board gave preliminary and final site plan approval to Delaware River Solar, LLC, for a solar energy facility proposed at 760 Washington Street. •Reverend Joanne Gilbert-Cannon retired after serving 10 years as pastor of Brockport First Baptist Church. She was the first female pastor in the history of the church. •Spencerport Area Chamber of Commerce presented Jenny Rae Brongo with the Citizen of the Year Award, State Farm Insurance with the Business Person of the Year Award, Brindle Haus Brewing with the Civic Beautification Award, and Glynne Schultz with the Member of the Year Award at its Banquet on January 26. •The Hilton Lions Club, with community support, donated a new motorized scooter to Joe Bullis. For over 20 years Bullis sold the morning newspaper at the corner of South Avenue and Main Street.
February
Musician Eddie Money was in Rochester for the world premiere of “Two Tickets to Paradise - The Eddie Money Musical” at the Kodak Center. 2013 Brockport High School graduate Peter Raimondo was part of the cast.
Renowned ballerina Aesha Ash visited ByronBergen Elementary School in March as part of her Swan Dreams Project which uses powerful imagery to counter negative stereotypes of race and socio-economic background and inspire children to dream bigger.
•The Hamlin Public Library hosted a Meet the Director reception on February 3 to introduce new Director Christine Gates to the community. Gates had previously served as the Churchville-Chili High School librarian. •The Brockport Village Board presented the 2017 Monika W. Andrews Creative Volunteer Leadership Award to Gary Skoog for his 50 years of volunteer service within the community. Hanny Heyen and John Rombaut each received certificates of merit. •Clyde Bianchi (1987) was inducted into the Byron-Bergen Athletic Hall of Fame. •The Village of Holley was awarded a $165,600 grant for revitalization funding. •The College at Brockport gymnastics team defeated Rhode Island College to become the number one ranked gymnastics team in the country. •Students at Churchville Elementary School raised a record-setting $21,230 during their Hoops for Heart fund drive for the American Heart Association. •Union Congregational United Church of Christ honored 32 Churchville area first responders by serving them a free spaghetti dinner. •Brockport won their second consecutive Section V Class B boys indoor track and field championship.
•Hilton sophomore Greg Diakomihalis won first place in the 113 lb. Weight class at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships. He won his third state title in triple overtime and finished the season undefeated.
March
•The Greater Churchville-Riga Chamber of Commerce presented its Citizen of the Year Award to Mayor Nancy Steedman, Business Person of the Year Award to Dwayne Berg of Dwayne’s Barber Shop, Civic Beautification Award to Thompson Builds Inc., and Member of the Year Award to Joan Hawthorne at the annual Awards Dinner. •Churchville-Chili High School put on a production of “The Phantom of the Opera” which received numerous accolades at the Rochester Broadway Theatre League Stars of Tomorrow Gala. •Greece and Parma received more than $942,000 in grants to restore and rebuild following the 2017 Lake Ontario flooding. •Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park was awarded a $15,740 matching grant to enhance the history trail at the Civilian Conservation Corps/World War II Prisoner of War Camp on Moscow Road within the park. •Local robotics teams won big at the FIRST® Robotics Competition Finger Lakes Regional Tournament at RIT. Churchville-Chili’s Team 340 took first place, Spencerport’s Team 3015 won the Chairman’s Award, and Hilton’s Cadet Robotics earned the Rookie All Star Award. •Jerrod Roberts, assistant principal at Brockport’s A.D. Oliver Middle School, was selected as a 2018 NYS Assistant Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of NYS and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. •Sara Manning’s 150th birthday was celebrated at the Morgan-Manning House in Brockport. She was the last occupant of the historic home which bears her family name. •Byron-Bergen added three alumni to the district’s Alumni Hall of Fame - Jacqueline Mullen (1972), Michael List (1978), and Kimberly (Thompson) McLean (2000). •Over 100 people attended the retirement party for Chris Daily who had worked for the Seymour Library for 29 years, most recently as the Young Adult Services Coordinator.
2017 Hilton graduate Yianni Diakomihalis, a freshman at Cornell University, won the 141 lb. Division at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship in March.
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter died March 16 at age 88. At the time of her death, Slaughter was serving her 16th term in Congress.
April
•The Hilton CSD Winter Drumline won the First Place Gold Medal at the 2018 New York State Percussion Circuit Championship in Syracuse. The ensemble also won awards for Best Music, Best Visual and High Score. •The Town of Sweden held a Grand Opening of the Sweden Town Park Lodge on April 14. The Sweden Community Foundation secured a grant that provided the majority of the funding for the lodge and gifted $10,500 to pay for furnishings. •The Churchville Lions Club donated $10,700 to the Churchville Volunteer Fire Department for the purchase of a new HURST Jaws of Life tool. continued on page 8
A farewell reception was held March 29 for retiring Brockport Police Chief Daniel Varrenti (right). He had served as Brockport’s chief since January 2002. Lt. Mark Cuzzupoli (left) became Chief of Police on April 1 and was sworn into office during a ceremony held on April 5. Brockport Mayor Margay Blackman is also shown.