TEEN SHOTS SELF IN FOOT

East Niagara Post is reporting that a Gasport teen shot himself in the foot last Saturday while hunting. Details here:

http://www.eastniagarapost.com/2014/12/teen-shoots-self-in-foot-while-hunting.html

WATER MAIN REPAIR IN HARTLAND

The water supply to Hosmer Road is shut off from 2647 Hosmer Road north to Townline Road while crews repair a water main. Estimated restore time is 3 p.m.

FROZEN PARTY AT THE LIBRARY

Children from Grades K-5 are cordially invited to attend a fabulous “Frozen” party at the Royalton Hartland Community Library on Saturday, January 10 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to dress as their favorite character for this fun event that will feature treats and activities, all with a  “Frozen” theme.  The kids will also be able to sing along to their favorite songs from the movie at the party.

“Frozen”, the 2013 animated musical fantasy-comedy by Walt Disney  was inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen”.  As of December 2014, the movie soundtrack has had forty-three nonconsecutive weeks on the top of Billboard’s Top Soundtracks.

The “Frozen” party at the library is limited to 25 participants so please register for this event by calling 716-735-3281 or registering in person at the library

For more information about events, activities or new releases at the library, please call 716-735-3281, or visit the Royalton Hartland Community Library at 9 Vernon St., Middleport, NY, or find more information on the library’s website at www.RoyHartCommunityLibrary.com.

ROY-HART LEOS CLUB

ATTENTION: Middle and High School students

The Gasport Lions Club is looking for young men and women between the ages of 12 and 18 who are interested in serving their community. They are reorganizing the Roy-Hart Leos Club; their first meeting is open to all students and their parents who are interested in learning about Leos and what they do in their community.

The meeting will be held at the Zion Lutheran Church, 4447 Central Ave, Gasport at 7PM, Sunday January 11th.

Anyone interested that is unable to attend please call Lion Joan at 716.772.7688. Leave a message and she will contact you. The Lions hope to see you there.

ST. MICHAEL'S WOLCOTTSVILLE

INTERVIEW WITH McQUEEN

Here is video of 92 year-old Jack McQueen's interview with the Lockport Union Sun and Journal's Michael Canfield about World War II and what led to Jack's French Foreign Legion award...

NEW YEAR'S EVE AT TC

GASPORT MAN HONORED BY THE FRENCH

This is an extremely awesome achievement: WWII veteran Jack McQueen, 92, received the Légion d'Honneur Chevalier medal from the French government in a special ceremony last month:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/gasport-native-receives-french-legion-of-honor/article_a70bb243-b849-5b44-a142-3d5fdc6d906b.html

COME TO ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH

The Christmas season can recharge or create a feeling of reverence in people, and they will often seek out a church at that time that they can call home, not just at Christmas, but for the entire year.

If you are one of those folks who are experiencing such an awakening or inquiry, I suggest that you give Zion Lutheran Church on Central Avenue in Gasport a try.

The Church offers a friendly, welcoming atmosphere for young families and retirees alike and there are plenty of activities, social events, and evangelism available for all age brackets.

Pastor Rodney Klinzing gives excellent sermons chock full of theology, wit and caring. Whereas some churches might make people fear God, Klinzing's sermons are always positive and lead one to love their God and their fellow man.

Zion has two services on Sundays, one at 8:00 AM and another at 10:30 AM. Sunday school is also available for the little ones at 9:00 AM.

ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH

Pastor Rodney Klinzing and the Zion Lutheran Church will be celebrating Christmas at these services:

Christmas at the Barn: 4:00 PM on Christmas Eve at Becker Farms

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service: 7:00 PM on Christmas Eve at the Church

Christmas Eve Late Service: 11:00 PM on Christmas Eve at the Church

SEX OFFENDER RELOCATION NOTICE

New York State authorities released a sex offender relocation notice to the public today, indicating that a level 2 registrant (moderate risk of repeat offense) has moved to Gasport.

Details can be found here:

http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/SomsSUBDirectory/offenderDetails.jsp?offenderid=27781

This is for notification purposes only. Per the state's official notice, anyone who uses this information to injure, harass or commit a criminal act against any person may be subject to criminal prosecution.

WOLCOTTSVILLE CHURCH HIGHLIGHTED FOR ALTERNATIVE ENEGY USAGE

St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Wolcottsville has once again been highlighted in a national magazine for utilizing alternative energy. Theirs is a feature story in the December 2014 edition of "Contractor".

The article can be read in its entirety online at:

http://contractormag.com/geothermal/congregation-embraces-geothermal-thanks-buffalo-geothermal-heating

St. Michael's utilizes both geothermal heating and solar to offset their electric costs. They are the only church in Niagara County to utilize both systems as a way of alternative energy, and they were told by their installers that they were the second church in the country to use both systems.

They can be located at www.stmichelsakron.com, Facebook: St. Michael's Lutheran Church and Preschool, and on twitter @StMichaelsAkron. Their email address is: stmichaelsakron@gmail.com

ROY-HART GRADUATION RATE SPIKES

New York's high school graduation rate improved slightly to 76.4 % last year, even with higher learning standards, education officials said Thursday.
Roy-Hart showed major improvement. Its mark of 85 % was higher than the 77.4 % of a year ago.

Read the Lockport Union Sun and Journal's report on local results here:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/graduation-rates-up-statewide/article_c69f9e43-814d-55b9-a20f-816061f9457e.html

FUTURE TEACHERS TO HOST CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

Roy-Hart’s Future Teachers Club will be reading children’s books and playing Christmas music again this year in the Community Room at the Royalton Hartland Community Library on Saturday, December 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Community members are invited to attend this annual event that takes place at the library, 9 Vernon Street in Middleport.

Local residents have enjoyed this free and fun holiday celebration hosted by students from the Royalton-Hartland Central High School for the past several years. The Future Teachers Club members look forward to this festive community event which is a great time for anyone, at any age, who loves Christmas to come and listen to holiday music and stories.

There will be coloring and activity sheets for the children and everyone can enjoy the delicious holiday treats and cider that will be served. Children can even bring their own favorite Christmas story for the Future Teachers to read aloud. The Community Christmas at the library is a great opportunity to hear the Christmas classics once again.

The future teachers from Roy-Hart hope to see lots of local residents including singles, families, adults and children at their annual Future Teachers and the Community Christmas event.

For more information, please call 716-735-3281, or visit the Royalton Hartland Community Library at 9 Vernon St., Middleport, NY, or find more information on the library’s website at www.RoyHartCommunityLibrary.com.

ZION CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

If you'd like to be entertained and experience the joy of the holiday season, attend the annual Sunday School Christmas Pageant put on by the children of Zion Lutheran Church at the Church's 10:30 AM service this Sunday, December 14th.  

MITTEN TREE DEADLINE

The last day to hand-in toys for the annual mitten tree toy drive is Monday, December 15th.

FMC Grant Helps Start-Up of Roy-Hart Schools FFA Chapter

FMC Supports Roy-Hart FFA Chapter.  FMC Community Liaison Jessica Heideman (second from right) oversees the presentation of a grant check from FMC Corporation supporting the start-up of the Royalton-Hartland Schools chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Accepting (from left to right) are Diana O'Rourke Daigler, chapter co-advisor, Nathan Grant, Megan Blackburn, chapter president, Becca Albrecht, Jesse Wilcox, chapter sentinel, Emma Halstead, chapter vice president, Ian Becker and (far right) Carolyn Waters, chapter treasurer.

MIDDLEPORT, N.Y. –  FMC Corporation, which operates the Agricultural Solutions plant in Middleport, has awarded a $4,500 grant to help with the start-up of a chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) for the Royalton-Hartland Schools.

The grant, one of three made nationwide to FFA chapters in each of the company’s Agricultural Solutions plant communities, illustrates FMC’s commitment to investing in farming’s future by supporting youth agricultural education.

"To continue America's leadership in agriculture, we need to engage students now," said John Kasper, FMC Agricultural Solutions North America commercial business director.

"FFA prepares students for more than 300 careers and reaches more than 600,000 members,” Kasper said. “Our support can make a positive difference in the lives of many young people who will be the future scientists, business leaders and educators in global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resource industries."

FMC’s support is aimed at helping expand students’ interest in science and agriculture by engaging with FMC visiting scientists and developing vital career skills through participation in career development events.

“The students are very appreciative to FMC for their generosity in this grant that will directly benefit the students in working towards the goals they have established,” said Megan Blackburn, FFA Roy-Hart Chapter president, and Emma Halstead, chapter vice president.

In addition to the grants, FMC is co-sponsoring the national FFA Agriscience Plant Systems Research Proficiency Award. This award recognizes student research covering the life cycles, classifications, functions, and practices of plant systems related to crops, turf grass, trees and shrubs, and/or ornamental plants.

LIGHT UP GASPORT

Light Up Gasport Christmas Party hosted by the Gasport Beautification Committee

Free Fun for the Whole Family!

When: Sunday, December 14, 2014
Place: Gasport Firehall
Time: 4:00pm

Festivities will include: Santa Claus, Music, Caroling, Decorating and Lighting of Community Christmas Tree, Basket Raffles and more!

Last year 85 kids participated and every one of them went home with a gift thaks to donations from the community and local business.

GASPORT BOOKS MAKE GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Are you racking your brain trying to figure out what to get a loved one for Christmas?

I suggest these books steeped in Gasport history....

Back in 2010, Frederick Fierch of Middleport, in conjunction with Arcadia Publishing, released a pictorial book, Images of America: Royalton, Hartland and Middleport that features a great collection of awesome pictures highlighting our community's history.

This book is available online at Barnes and Noble for $16.99 (plus taxes, shipping) at:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/royalton-middleport-and-hartland-new-york-frederick-g-fierch/1100095023

Another Gasport-themed book that would make a great Christmas present is the 2012 release by retired DEC officer, former Roy-Hart wrestling coach, and former Royalton supervisor Dick Lang.

It's an easy and fun read that's a collection of adventures from his days with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

Entitled "Behind The Badge: My Life as a Game Warden", the 368-page tome is described as follows:

Whoever thought conservation work could be so exciting! After 34 years as a New York State Environmental Conservation Officer, Dick Lang has more stories than could fit into any one volume. Join him as he watches a fellow officer give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a deer, runs high-speed chases after dark, moves a cougar in the patrol car, finds a skeleton in the trunk of a car, and many more fun stories. Told in Dick’s comfortable, easy-to-read style and embellished with photos and illustrations, this is a book that will appeal to all ages and is a tribute to the dedication of our Environmental Conservation Officers, regardless of which state they patrol.

You can find copies of this book for $17.28 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Badge-Life-Game-Warden/dp/1480144215/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417955244&sr=8-1&keywords=dick+lang

Another excellent book is 2003's "Gasport Girl." It's an enjoyable read and I strongly suggest Gasport residents get a copy to get a feel for the village's history during the World War II era.

The book is a memoir of sorts by Jean Lang who used to write for the Henrietta (NY) Post. She gives accounts of the summers and holidays of her youth that were spent with her grandparents in Gasport.

This book is getting difficult to find. It is no longer available online through Trafford Books. Your best bet is to check out local bookshops or antique shops in hopes of stumbling on one. Also, peridoically check eBay.

8th ANNUAL MITTEN TREE

When you’re out and about shopping for Christmas, please extend your giving beyond your family. Please buy a gift for a needy child in Gasport.

The Mitten Tree is back this year.

This is the eighth year for this awesome program that is run by the Gasport Lions Club.

Here’s how it works…

The tree is located out front of the Gasport post office at the corner of Main Street and Route 31.

Take a mitten from it and give a gift that is appropriate to the age/gender of the child noted on the mitten.

Attach the mitten to the unwrapped gift and drop it off at Absolut Care or Drum Oil (they have drop boxes) or at the Elementary School (under the tree in the lobby). The Lions Club will distribute the gifts in time for the holidays.

It’s extremely important that the community supports the Mitten Tree. The economy is still  a little messy, unemployment (and underemployment) is still high, and we need folks to help those who are struggling.

Please participate and make Christmas a little better for a child – maybe even your neighbor – who is in need. That’s what the holiday is all about.

GET ROYALTON'S TOWN CODES & LAWS ONLINE

The codification of the Town of Royalton's records is complete.  Here is the link to look up general information, local laws and ordinances:

 

http://www.ecode360.com/RO3169

MOVIE NIGHT AT LIBRARY

It’s movie time at the Monday, December 8 meeting of the Royalton Hartland Library’s Book Club when the group will watch “The Pilot’s Wife”. The made-for-TV movie is based on the 1998 bestseller by Anita Shreve about a young American widow’s discovery that her husband was living a second life with another wife and two children who live in England.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., which is an earlier than usual meeting time for the group due to this special viewing of “The Pilot’s Wife,” which will be shown at 7 p.m.

Interested residents and prospective new members are always welcome to attend the meetings of the Royalton Hartland Book Club. During the meeting, the members choose the book that they will discuss at the following meeting and a wide variety of genres are always considered.

For more information about the Royalton Hartland Book Club and the library’s other programs please call the library at (716) 735-3281. Additional details can be found online at the library’s website at www.RoyHartCommunityLibrary.com .

SANTA CLAUS COMING TO ROYALTON HARTLAND LIBRARY

Santa Claus will be visiting the Royalton Hartland Community Library on Thursday, December 4 from 7 to 8 p.m.  Everyone is invited to come and see Old St. Nick at the library, 9 Vernon Street in Middleport.

While Santa is at the library, children will be able sing a Christmas song with him, which is one of Santa’s favorite holiday things to do.  After visiting with the children in the group, Old St. Nick himself will read a Christmas story at about 7:15 p.m.

Following the story and song, children will be able to sit on Santa’s lap so that parents can get a photo. There will be a small candy treat for everyone from Santa, as well as wrapped books for the younger children.

To complete this holiday celebration with Santa, Christmas cookies will also be served.

For more information, please call 716-735-3281, or visit the Royalton Hartland Community Library at 9 Vernon St., Middleport, NY, or find more information on the library’s website at www.RoyHartCommunityLibrary.com.

PUBLIC HEARING: DECEMBER 8th

The town of Royalton will have a public hearing at 7:00 PM on December 8th to consider two laws...

Local Law 4 of 2014, known as "Private Driveway and Covert Installation of the Town of Royalton", would amend Local Law 2 of 1991. It would prohibit concrete structures in the town's right-of-way and require permits for all driveway work done in the right-of-way.

Local Law 5 of 2014, known as "Dog Licensing and Control in the Town of Royalton", would amend Local Law 3 of 2010. This would change the 5-day hold to a 3-day hold before the Town's Dog Control Officer can transfer the dog to the SPCA or rescue group. 

EARTHQUAKE SHAKES AREA

If you heard a boom and felt the earth shake yesterday evening, you weren't alone. A lot of people experienced what was a small earthquake at that time --- epicenter: Lockport

The report from the East Niagara Post:

http://www.eastniagarapost.com/2014/11/earthquake-reported-in-south-lockport.html

BUY LOCAL WHEN CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

When out Christmas shopping, don't forget to "buy local." Help keep money in Gasport, drive our economy and support your neighbors by buying wine at Becker Farms and Vizcarra Vineyards, candy/jelly/honey at Schwab Farm Market, cheeses at Teacup Farm, meats at Hartland Abattoir Corp., Christmas items at Always Christmas, everything under the sun at Standish-Jones Building Supply and anything else you can think of at any number of local businesses.

FIRE DESTROYS WRUCK ROAD BARN

Yesterday's fire at a barn on Wruck Road destroyed that structure. Here's the report from East Niagara Post:

http://www.eastniagarapost.com/2014/11/fire-destroys-wruck-road-barn.html

FIRE ON WRUCK ROAD

Hartland and Gasport fire have been dispatched to 3876 Wruck Road for a barn fire. Animals inside. Owners not home. Totally involved per firemen on site. Middleport has also been dispatched. House is in danger of catching -- just 20 feet from fire.

SUPPORT GASPORT'S CUB SCOUTS!

THANKSGIVING EVE AT BECKER FARMS

Becker Brewing at Becker Farms is having their annual Thanksgiving Eve celebration from 7:30 PM till midnight Wednesday. There will be live music with Dave Stockton and Pocket Change. Enjoy your favorite locally-brewed beers and Estate produced wine and their new BBC Traditional Hard Cider. They also have a full bar and drink specials.

GASPORT TEEN WINS I LOVE NY SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST

Family Travel Forum (FTF), the award-winning resource for family vacation planners, in association with Empire State Development’s Division of Tourism (I LOVE NEW YORK) congratulates the winners of the 2014 ILNY Teen Travel Writing Scholarship.

Designed to promote teen literacy, the merit competition challenged students to blog about what they love most about New York State, with college grants to be awarded for the top three teen writers.

According to Gavin Landry, Executive Director of Tourism at Empire State Development, “We love the idea of young voices in the market promoting New York State Travel. There is so much to see and do in our amazing state, and so many life-long memories to be made for young people traveling with friends and their families.”

Judging was done by FTF and I LOVE NEW YORK staff, the Society of American Travel Writers, and Eileen Ogintz, author of “The Kids Guide to New York City.”

Submissions ranged from tales of hiking the Adirondacks, to swimming in the Finger Lakes, to visiting grandparents along the Erie Canal, and to the excitement of Times Square.

They congratulate the winners of the ILNY Teen Travel Writing Scholarship, one of three merit scholarships offered this year by Family Travel Forum that drew more than 2,000 applicants. They encourage the young authors to continue exploring New York State and sharing their great travel adventures and memorable experiences.

1st Place, or $1,000, went to Samantha Carney, Age 15, Gasport.

Her winning entry -- entitled  Escape Into Letchworth: Sehgahunda, “Vale of Three Falls”--- can be seen here:

http://myfamilytravels.com/students/61073-escape-letchworth-sehgahunda-%E2%80%9Cvale-three-falls%E2%80%9D

ROY-HART BASKETBALL PREVIEW

The Lockport Union Sun and Journal's has published these season previews for Roy-Hart basketball...

Boy's: http://www.lockportjournal.com/sports/roy-hart-boys-b-ball-team-begins-new-era-with/article_9a13754a-a03f-5f71-8ace-538d390c4f76.html

Girl's: http://www.lockportjournal.com/sports/roy-hart-lady-rams-bring-attacking-style-back-for-a/article_3899ddbd-5f41-5524-8267-dd7857ed4a0d.html

BOWER IS TWC'S SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Congrats to Royalton-Hartland senior Ashley Bower. She is Time Warner Cable News' scholar athlete of the week. 

Here's TWC's report:

http://rochester.twcnews.com/content/sports/scholar_athlete/787232/scholar-athlete-of-the-week--ashley-bower/

TEACUP FARM SPECIALIZES IN RAW MILK

Finding a facility that serves raw milk -- which many say is exceptionally healthy --- is extremely difficult in New York, but we are fortunate to have one in the town of Hartland.

Teacup Farm and Tidbits is one of the very few farms allowed by the State to sell it. They are located at 2278 Johnson Creek Rd. just south of Town Line Road.

They sell both cow milk and goat milk and make a variety of cheeses and yogurt. They also sell eggs.

They have a stand on the farm which is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 till 2.

Their website is: http://teacupfarmandtidbits.com/

Their blog is: http://teacupfarm.blogspot.com/

Their Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teacup-Farm/270686485749

RESUME DEADLINE FOR ROYALTON POSITION

Please note, the Assessor is accepting applications for the position of Assessor's Information Clerk through November 26th

GOT NEWS? I'LL POST IT HERE

I've been running the Gasport blog since 2007 and the accompanying Facebook page since 2009. Even to this day, organizations, churches, businesses, and government functions based in Royalton or Hartland either forget about or feel uncomfortable with sending their news items, press releases, upcoming events, and fliers to me for posting.

Don't be afraid. I don't bite.

And I don't charge anything for the service. This isn't a commercial enterprise.

The whole point of the blog/Facebook is to share all news and the good things that are going on in Gasport as means to show just how special Gasport really is and promote the community, its people, and its organizations.

 

Just email all such items to me at bobconfer@juno.com  

4-H NOW HAS SHOOTING SPORTS

Niagara County 4-H now has a Shooting Sports program. Shooting Sports teaches youth marksmanship, the safe and responsible use of firearms, the principles of hunting and archery and much more. The program is run by CCE staff and volunteers who have earned the NYS Shooting Sports Youth Development certification. The focus of the program is to provide youth with the opportunity to develop life skills and conservation ethics. The archery part is open to youth 8 years old and up, the firearm portion is open to youth 12 years and older. Currently our archery program is full but another class will be offered in the springtime. If interested in signing youth up for shooting sports please contact Heidi Feltz 433-8839 ext. 241 or email, hmk3@cornell.edu

GASPORT'S BURG CONCLUDES SOCCER SEASON AT SWEET BRIAR

The Sweet Briar College soccer team finished 2014 with a 7-8 mark, missing out on the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) playoffs on tiebreakers. The Vixens started a season 4-0 for the first time ever and equaled or bettered program marks for wins (seven), ODAC victories (four), winning percentage (.467) and shutouts (five).

Freshman Bridgett Burg (Gasport, N.Y./Middleport) played in two games as a rookie. She is pursuing a difficult engineering and mathematics double-major.

Story on Burg and her teammates balancing college soccer with an engineering major: http://vixenathletics.com/sports/wsoc/2014-15/releases/201409183xmpmm

Sweet Briar College is an all-women’s institution in Virginia, located on 3,250 acres near Amherst, Va. The College sponsors six NCAA varsity sports, along with a nine-time national champion riding program. The Vixens compete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), the second-largest multi-sport NCAA Division III conference in the country.

ROYALTON SEEKS ASSESSORS INFORMATION CLERK

The town of Royalton is currently accepting applications for an Assessor's Information Clerk

Contact:

Michael Hartman, Town Assessor

Address:

Town of Royalton
5316 Royalton Center Road
Middleport, NY 14105

Phone:

716-772-7826

Fax:
716-772-2748

Email: trassess@rochester.rr.com

Hours: 30 hours per week   

Pay: $13.00 per hour

Starts / Ends: ASAP

Type: Permanent

Description:

HELP WANTED

Town of Royalton

Part Time Assessor's Information Clerk

 

30 hours per week; Starting Pay $13 per hour; Town Resident Preferred

 

Duties to include:

* Types, mails, or distributes correspondence in and out of Assessor's office

* Assists in the creation and completion of various list and exemption reports containing changes affecting the tentative and final assessment roll including the task of pro-rating of exemptions

* Creates, sorts, indexes and inputs data regarding title changes, change of address, requests and miscellaneous changes to the tax rolls

* Answers phone-calls and provides information on various subjects and makes appointments

 

* Receives, processes and analyzes the acceptability of information submitted by property owners applying for various exemptions including senior citizens, veterans, agricultural farmers, non-profit organizations and disabled persons. Arranges for the completion of all forms which may require a visit to the applicant's home

 

* Enters information into computer regarding building permits

 

* May assist in the preparation and maintenance of property inventory files and assessment rolls

 

* May maintain office supplies and equipment for the office

 

Graduation from high school or possession of high school equivalency diploma; Speaks Fluent English

 

This position is a Competitive Civil Service position that will require the successful candidate to take and pass a Civil Service exam

CHRISTMAS CUPBOARD

The 29th annual Christmas Cupboard show will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, November 21st and from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 22nd at Hartland Bible Church on West Avenue.

Crafters will have holiday ornaments, painted glasses, lawn ornaments, wreaths, snowmen, an assortment of lighted items, stocking stuffers, paintings, decorated trees, crocheted items, homemade all-occasion cards, decorated sleds and many inexpensive items. There will also be homemade jams, jellies, salsas, cookies, breads, sweet rolls, candy and more. Credit cards cannot be scanned onsite, so vendors will accept checks and cash only.

SPAGHETTI DINNER FUNDRAISER: POSTPONED

The Middle School's spaghetti dinner fundraiser originally scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed till January 8th

BRAUER ON THIS WEEK'S "OUTDOOR BEAT"

Gasport's own Scott Brauer will be the guest on this week’s Outdoor Beat on LCTV (Wednesday at 4 p.m.). An expert ice fisherman and the man behind Makiplastic (http://www.makiplastic.com/), he will be sharing information about how to get started, where to ice fish and what baits/lures work best.

Outdoor Beat airs on Channel 22 in the Lockport Time Warner market. If you don’t have Time Warner Cable you can go to www.lctv.net to watch the simulcast or a replay.

COVENANT YOUTH GROUP'S AUCTION FLIER

GILES MAKES COVER OF "INTERNATIONAL ARTIST"

The Niagara Gazette has a nice article about Gasport's own Kathleen Giles and how her article and artwork ended up on the cover of "International Artist". You can read the Gazette's report here:

http://www.niagara-gazette.com/news/communities/honors-keep-coming-for-local-watercolorist-kathy-giles/article_e75a3d44-4da9-573c-85a3-1ff50b36d56d.html

FMC'S LATEST STATEMENT

Here is the Monday morning update from FMC regarding what happened last week and the status of operations...


At approximately 10:00 a.m. Friday, November 14, 2014 the FMC Middleport, NY agricultural products formulation facility identified smoke coming from a vent associated with its Building 70 process, where blending and packaging of products occur. Operators immediately shut down the process and followed safety procedures by calling for outside emergency response. Facility suppression systems activated and the incident was under control in just a few minutes.

Through the weekend the facility temporarily ceased operations as we investigated the incident. The root-cause investigation continues to understand the cause of the incident. We are uncertain how much time the investigation will take. We are committed to being thorough. It is important to FMC to learn what happened, its cause and to use this knowledge for prevention.

As of this morning, the facility has resumed normal operations, except for the building that experienced smoke, as those were not affected by the incident. Building 70 equipment is being inspected and assessed.

On Friday, we notified the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation of the incident in an abundance of caution while we investigate. Also, FMC immediately notified the Royalton Hartland School nearby of the situation as a precautionary measure.

There were no injuries as a result of Friday’s incident.

FMC is grateful for all departments that responded and to our team of employees.

We remain committed to safe operations and regret any concern this incident may have caused to our neighbors and employees and their families

COVENANT YOUTH GROUP HOLDING LIVE AUCTION

Covenant Youth Group will hold their first Live Christmas Auction on Sunday, November 23 at 2pm. The auction will be at the church at 4449 Main Street, Gasport. Preview will be at 12 noon.

Area businesses have been very generous with their donations for the auction. Among the new and collectible items available are two 1970s vintage pinball machines with their original paperwork, Sabres tickets, new picnic table sets, hand stitched quilt, guided ice fishing trip, toys, jewelry, artwork, baked goods and many gift certificates for area businesses; truly something for everyone on your holiday shopping list. Lunch will also be available. Proceeds from the auction will be used for the group’s annual mission trip.

Pictured holding some of the donated items are left to right: Lindsay Yates, Ashley Bower, John Stoddard and Jamie Bower.

There is still time if you or your business would like to donate an item for the auction; please call Scott or Pam at 208-6306.