SHEPARD WINS PHOTO CONTEST

Earlier this year, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County announced its first annual photo contest. The entries needed to be photographs of Niagara County with the theme "A Good Thing Growing: Celebrating Niagara County Agriculture". Voting by the community (in person at the fair and by Facebook "Likes") decided the winning photographs.

Chaya Shepard of Gasport was the big winner. She had photos that got her both first place and second place!

Photographed above is Chaya with her photos. Chaya has been a 4-H member for 6 years and has been named one of their 2015 4-H Royalty.

For more information about CCE Niagara, visit http://www.cceniagaracounty.org/

ROY-HART SCHOOL BOARD SWITCHES MEETING DAY AGAIN

A month after switching the day and time of the monthly board meetings, the school board has decided to switch them back to where they were.

Here's the Lockport Union Sun and Journal's report:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/article_a8fe1e7c-89b6-5a49-975e-a11374e7ae5a.html

SCHOOL BOARD MEETS AUGUST 28th

The Royalton-Hartland school board meets tonight at 8:00 at the High School media Center.

The agenda and associated documents can be downloaded here:

http://royhart.org/cms/lib/NY01913927/Centricity/Domain/17/082814.PDF

The entire packet is 43 pages long, so watch your data usage on your wireless service.

THINGS TO DO AT BECKER FARMS

There's never a lack of fun things to do and produce to enjoy at Becker Farms in the fall. This Examiner.com article by Paula Thompson discusses all of that:

http://www.examiner.com/article/fall-fun-2014-becker-farms

SADDLE UP FOR ROSWELL: SEPTEMBER 20th

On September 20th, Chestnut Ridge Equestrian Center will be hosting their 9th annual Saddle Up for Roswell event.

This is a wonderful horse show where the riders raise money for Roswell. The day benefits cancer research and patient care in Western New York at Roswell park Cancer Institute.

The Chestnut Ridge Equestrian community is passionate about cancer, a cause that has touched so many in one way or another. They are proud to partner with Roswell Park to assist those who face this disease. Over the past 8 years, they have raised over $103,000.

In order to continue this special event, they are seeking both in-kind and monetary donations. They also sponsor a basket raffle at the event. Donors would receive exposure on many levels from hundreds of participants, ads in the newspapers, TV spots, links with USEA (United States Eventing Association) and USDF (United States Dressage Foundation).

For more information please contact Megan Gamin, Co-Chair of Saddle Up for Roswell, at (716) 772-7703 or pistolmeg@thegamins.com.

To donate to Roswell Park Cancer Institute on behalf of this event, make checks payable to Roswell Park Cancer Institute and send to: Chestnut Ridge Equestrian Center, Saddle Up for Roswell, 7913 Chestnut Ridge Road, P.O. Box 372, Gasport, NY, 14067.

Information for participants and donors can be found on the Equestrian Center's website:

http://chestnutridgeequestriancenter.com/shows-and-events/2014/9/20/saddle-up-for-roswell

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center. The Institute was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

ROYALTON COMMUNITY DAY

Sunday, August 24 from noon to 4:00 the Town of Royalton will be holding their 2nd Annual Community Day.

The event will take place at Royalton Town Hall, 5316 Royalton Center Rd, Middleport. The local Fire Departments, Wolcottsville, Middleport, Terry's Corners and Gasport will be showing off their trucks and equipment as well as providing information about membership and fire safety.

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office will have the Mobile Command Center set up from noon until 2:00 for anyone who would like to tour.

The Town Historian, Jesse Bieber will be in his office to share photos and information as well as the Town Clerks office will be open to answer questions and handing out tourism information. Local organizations, groups and businesses will be set up.

They will be giving away pop and hot dogs to all who stop by. Any local Royalton Business, group or organization can still sign up and set up a table at no cost, by simply calling Jennifer Bieber, Town Supervisor, at 716.628.0179.

BOOK CLUB TO MEET

Royalton Hartland Book Club Discussing “The Age of Miracles”

Bestseller that portrays fictional future is the topic of August 25 meeting

Julia is a quiet girl who listens carefully. She has a lot to process as the earth’s rotations slow, the days and nights get longer, and the whole world changes. And that doesn’t include her parents’ dissolving marriage, the loss of old friends and a grandfather convinced that the government is taking over.

This fictional future and its challenges are captured in the book “The Age of Miracles” by Karen Thompson Walker, which will be discussed at the August 25 meeting of the Royalton Hartland Community Library Book Club. The group will meet at 7 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room at the library, 9 Vernon Street in Middleport.

The story’s narrator, Julia, a ten-year-old from the suburbs, opens up in Walker’s book to describe how she adjusts to the new normal through a world changing event they call “the slowing”.  The book, a New York Times Bestseller, depicts how life goes on even in times of profound uncertainty.

The members of the Royalton Hartland Book Club meet monthly to discuss a wide number of literary selections and a variety of opinions and new members are always welcome.

Interested readers are invited to attend this month’s meeting, or any of the future meetings at the library, which are posted online at www.royhartcommunitylibrary.com.

Please call the library at 716-735-3281 with any questions or for more information.

SOIL SAMPLING AT ROY-HART

A soil sampling event will be conducted by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) at the Royalton-Hartland Central School District property in Middleport to evaluate soil conditions on this property.

The school yard has been sampled before and a partial soil removal was performed in 1996 and 1999 in the vicinity of the football field. This additional sampling is necessary to fully define the extent of the arsenic contamination on the remainder of the property and to determine exactly what needs to be removed to completely address the school property.

Please use this link to view a fact sheet about the upcoming soil sampling event:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/data/der/factsheet/932014soiltest.pdf