CONSIGNMENT SHOP COMING TO GASPORT

Here is the Lockport Union Sun and Journal report on the new consignment shop coming to the Gasport plaza:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/consignment-store-coming-to-gasport/article_8e977ae1-b077-51be-9f81-9df391e64e10.html

TC SPRING BONANZA

To buy a ticket, visit: https://squareup.com/market/terryscorners

HOLY WEEK AT ZION

Here are the Holy Week Services at Zion Lutheran Church:

Maundy Thursday - Agape Fellowship Meal (it's a potluck!) at 6:30pm at Zion. Worship and Holy Communion will be "sprinkled" throughout the meal

Good Friday - Cross Walk thru Gasport, 3pm. Meet in front of Covenant Church. There is also a Service of Shadows at Zion at 7pm.

Easter Sunday - Sunrise Service, 7am followed by an 8:00 am to 9:00 am pancake breakfast sponsored by the Youth Group. There will be a special Easter Sunday School at 9am. Easter Sunday Worship is at 10:30am.

VILLELLA IS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

This week's Time Warner Cable Scholar Athlete of the Week honoree comes from Royalton-Hartland Senior High School. Amber Villella starred on the soccer team and also runs track.

Watch the video here:

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/rochester/scholar-athlete/2016/03/18/scholar-athlete-of-the-week-amber-villella.html

EASTER EGG HUNT

The Gasport Lions Club will be holding their annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday, March 26th at 11:00 AM at Veteran's Park in Gasport. All pre-school and elementary school age children are welcome to participate in this fun event.

NEW STORE COMING TO GASPORT

Gasport is getting a new store!  On Saturday, April 9th, Ushaboodles Consignment is opening in the Dollar General plaza on Route 31.  They will be selling gently used and new kids clothes (12 months and up), shoes, toys, women’s clothes, jewelry, shoes, purses, select men’s clothes and books.  The new enterprise will be owned and operated by Cori Krause and Chrissy Eick.

Like them on Facebook for updates: https://www.facebook.com/Ushaboodles/ 

The Facebook event page for their opening day can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1059600410777916/

THE GASPORT BEAVERS

In a December 2014 nature column for East Niagara Post I wrote about the growing beaver population in Niagara County (http://www.eastniagarapost.com/2014/12/exploring-niagara-frontier-beavers.html). Although the population is growing, it will always remain small in Niagara County.

Most Gasport residents have never seen one of these large rodents, but you can, if you're patient. There are beavers right in our community, right in the hamlet itself. 

Beavers have taken down and still continue to take down a lot of trees in Royalton Ravine Park. If you hike the yellow trail and take its outlet that leads down to the former Gasport Reservoir, you will go out onto a small peninsula where many trees have been taken down. Some have been freshly chewed. When you get to the northern-most point of that shore, look across Red Creek and you will see a massive beaver lodge built into the northern cliff.

Be patient. Sit there and be quiet and you will see beavers surface or you will hear them slap their tails in the water. They are a sight to see.

Related to this, don't take dogs down the yellow trail's outlet to that area. The beavers will be made leery of the continued presence of canines and they might abandon their home. We don't want that to happen -- it would be pretty neat if the Gasport beavers started a family.

YVONNE McCLANAHAN FUNDRAISER

This Saturday from 2:00 till 7:00 there will be a fundraiser at the Hartland Conservation Club on Orangeport Road to benefit Yvonne McClanahan who is battling stage 3 brain cancer. Admission is free and there will be numerous raffle and auction items. The event will include a chicken alfredo dinner for a donation of $15.

Details about the event and Yvonne's fight against cancer are available at the Lockport Union Sun and Journal:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/benefit-planned-for-foster-mom-fighting-brain-cancer/article_872a219a-cce9-5c16-b2ba-0f3c99d820d4.html

BOCES STUDENTS BUILD ROYALTON TABLE

The teachers and students at Orleans/Niagara BOCES often like to take on projects to help the community. When the Royalton Town Hall reached out to Orleans Career and Technical Education Center Building Trades teacher Matt Anastasi to see if his students could help them, he assigned three of his students to the project. “They wanted a picnic table built out of composite material that could also be handicapped accessible for their town hall. It was a bit of a challenge because the students had never worked with that material before. It’s very expensive.“

The students and Mr. Anastasi decided to make a picnic table out of pressure-treated wood as a template before they started constructing the one made out of composite material. “Once they were able to get the dimensions right and had that one completed, they were able to get started on the table for Royalton. They were very happy with the end result. The representative said the students did a phenomenal job.”

What was a nice bonus is that the original wood picnic table will be donated to the Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Orleans Learning Center for their students to enjoy when the nicer weather comes. “I am very proud of the workmanship that my students put into both tables,” says Mr. Anastasi. “It makes us all feel good that we can help out the community and BOCES students.”

GILL ROAD REPAIR

Gill Road in Town of Hartland is closed from Hosmer to Checkered Tavern Roads today until 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15th for culvert replacement.

BICENTENNIAL PLANNING

The Town of Royalton Historical Society’s Bicentennial committee is diligently planning for the big community birthday bash which is a year away. There are a lot of time-sensitive issues that need handling this year -- from a calendar to a cook book to a logo contest

They need your help and input. Here are the details:

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/niagara-county/royalton-wants-community-to-pitch-in-for-bicentennial-celebration-20160221

PACK 23 & TROOP 23 PANCAKE BREAKFAST

BUDGET WORKSHOP

The Royalton-Hartland Board of Education will hold a budget workshop at the high school media center this Wednesday, March 16th at 6:30. The 2016-2017 budget will be discussed as will details of the board's corrective action in response to the State Comptroller's report that said Roy-Hart is among 3 local schools that have maintained a large unrestricted fund balance.

DAIRY PRINCESS PAGEANT

This year the Niagara County Dairy Princess Committee will be celebrating their 50th Pageant and our 20th Anniversary as the Niagara Orleans Dairy Princess Pageant! Fifty years ago, Linda Chaffee Rosenthal was crowned the first Niagara County Dairy Princess. The committee is looking for all former Niagara or Orleans dairy Princesses and would love to see all of them attend or at least be included in our program with an update on where they are today and how the program touched their life. Please contact Brian Waters at 735-7113. Each past princess will be given complimentary dinner tickets to this year’s event.

You may ask, what is the Niagara Orleans Dairy Princess program? It’s a lot more than you imagine. The Dairy Princess delivers and promotes the Dairy Industry. It really wasn’t that long ago that everyone worked on a farm or had a family member that was a dairy farmer. Unfortunately that has now become many generations removed from the family farm. But thankfully the Dairy Princess program lives on and is keeping our heritage and our roots deep, strong and alive. The Dairy princesses take part in many activities to help bridge the gap between farmers and consumers. The youth of our program work hard in your local schools and in your community to promote and educate about the Dairy Industry.

The Dairy princess program is an important part of American Dairy Association and Dairy Council Communications team. This is a grass-roots effort to reach consumers on a daily basis. Many educational programs are based for elementary school age children. The Princess and her court travel around Niagara and Orleans County to educate our youth on the industry and its future. They participate at Farm Bureau meetings, Cornell Cooperative Extension Annual dinners, Parades, Niagara County Fair’s Farm City Breakfast and various 4-H animal shows. They do supermarket promotions, radio and tv promotions as well as Environmental days that take place every year at the Royalton Ravine. Over the past 10 years the Princess has went to our local hospitals to welcome the first baby born in June, which is Dairy Month, and presented the new moms with a dairy care package which has included a onesie, bib, and a bottle among other things.

This program helps to build strong, energetic leaders on and off the farms. It has taught public speaking, dealing with difficult and tough questions about farm practices and educating the public on misconceptions about milk and the farming life. Today it is more important than ever to educate people on the importance of dairy in our lives. This group represents a bright and strong future for our New York State farms and farming industry.

This year’s Pageant will be held at the Hartland Volunteer Fire Company, 8945 Ridge Rd, Gasport on April 23 at 7:00. Tickets are $12.00 for adults, children 6-12 are $8.00 and children under age 6 are $4.00. This event is open to the public and if you would like to attend please make checks payable to Niagara-Orleans County Dairy Princess Committee and mail to Lorretta Criswell, 8519 Ertman Rd, Lockport, NY 14094 before April 15th.

PETER PAN CAST ON WKBW

If you missed the Peter Pan cast and crew on last night's newscast on WKBW, watch it here:

BLUMRICK'S CURTAIN CALL

If you go see Peter Pan at Roy-Hart this weekend, savor not only the student's performances and productions, but also what's going on behind the scenes. Peter Pan will mark the last show for school musical director Carol Blumrick after serving as Roy-Hart's musical director for a 24 years. She's helped to put on an impressive array of events over the years. The District will miss her artistic touch and guidance.

Here's the report from the Lockport US&J:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/carol-s-curtain-call/article_9df6901a-40ec-572c-913b-c54d68de5be8.html

PETER PAN TAKES FLIGHT

If you haven't already, buy your tickets and mark your calendars to see Roy-Hart's production of Peter Pan this weekend. Here's the report from the Lockport Union Sun and Journal:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/peter-pan-flying-into-middleport-this-week/article_28419fa1-3a3d-5441-a373-14fb3deb94c2.html

BECKER FARMS HIRING EVENT COORDINATORS

Becker Farms is now accepting applications for 2 positions:

Junior event coordinator: http://buffalo.craigslist.org/bus/5476910253.html

Senior event coordinator: http://buffalo.craigslist.org/bus/5476903629.html

MRS. BONKOSKE HAS PASSED AWAY

We are sad to report that Mavis Bonkoske has passed away. She was a fixture of the Hartland community for years, driving bus for Roy-Hart, helping to found Tri-Town Ambulance, and running community roller skating in Johnson Creek.

Here is her obituary...

Mavis M. Bonkoske, 94, of Leonard Court, Olcott, NY, formerly of Johnson Creek, NY died Monday, February 29th, 2016 at her residence, following a short illenss. She was born in Valley City, North Dakota on November 2, 1921, the daughter of the late Robert and Delsie (Parr) Frederickson.

She was a graduate of Arcade High School, Class of 1940 and worked as a Cook for Medina Hospital, for 10 years.  She was previously a Bus Driver for Ridge Road Express and Royalton-Hartland Central School District.

Mrs. Bonkoske was a member of the former Johnson Creek Grange, she co-founded the ambulance service in Hartland, started the Johnson Creek Cadets 4-H club and started a community Roller Skating activity at Johnson Creek Grange Hall.

Survivors include two sons Howard Bonkoske, of Burt, NY; Russell (Lois) Bonkoske, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; two daughters, Evelyn (Alexander) Potter, of Indore, West Virginia; Janet (Roger) Cooper, of Olcott, NY; three brothers, Donald Frederickson, of Irving; Roy Frederickson, of South Dayton; James Frederickson, of Forestville; five sisters, Virginia (Lester) Palmer, of Forestville; Irene (Earl) Blakely, of Irving; Ann Frederickson, of Silver Creek; Lucille Harmon, of Florida; and Lois (David) Valentine, of Forestville.  Also surviving are 12 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren and several nieces & nephews.  Besides her parents she was predeceased by her husband Alfred Bonkoske, whom she married on December 28, 1940 in Arcade and who died July 11, 1996 and by 5 brothers, Marvin, Robert, Lyle, Ernest and Harold Frederickson.

Friends are welcome to call at the Riles & Woolley Funeral Home, 39 Main Street, Forestville on Friday from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. from where Funeral Services will be held Saturday morning at 11 o’clock, with Rev. Michael Pollock, pastor of Gage Chapel Community Church, officiating.  Interment will follow in Balltown Cemetery, Town of Hanover.  To post condolences go to www.rilesandwoolleyfuneralhome.com.

CAMERON SWICK INTERVIEW

The folks at New York Wrestling News (http://www.newyorkwrestlingnews.com/) conducted a nice 4-minute interview with Roy-Hart's state champion wrestler Cameron Swick. Watch it here: