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December 11, 2016
Issue No. 50
Drawings
www.westsidenewsny.com
SOUTH EDITION
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Churchville-Riga, North Chili, Spencerport-Ogden
Windows of worship Concordia Lutheran Church in Brockport replicates stained glass windows in time for holiday season
Concordia Lutheran Church in Brockport recently had the stained glass windows from the former church on Spring Street recreated with help from the late Marian Schleede Quackenbush. Her family’s window can be seen to the far right. Photos by Grace Griffee. by Grace Griffee
Close up of the recreated stained glass window dedicated to the Schleede family.
“When God closes a door, He opens a window,” or so the saying goes. That certainly was the case at the Concordia Lutheran Church in Brockport this fall. While the church has been at its 6601 Fourth Section Road location since 1974, the stained glass windows that church members paid for in 1945 never made the move from the Spring Street location. “Our church had been on Spring Street since 1887 and had the old stained glass windows in it, each window with the name of the church member who had paid for it,” said Sharon Fuerch, church secretary. The windows were dedicated on June 24, 1945 and many of the families have since moved away or are no longer affiliated with the church. Marian Schleede Quackenbush was the exception. Her family had paid for a win-
dow in 1945 and after she passed on July 3, 2011, she left money for the windows to be moved to the current location. “Unfortunately, it was too costly to move them and would leave the owners of the Spring Street church with the problem of how to replace them,” said Fuerch. After much brainstorming, Fuerch contacted an old co-worker who had taught art at Byron-Bergen School District while she was working there as secretary. Matthew W. Bertram, now the owner of Bertram Extermination L.L.C., still dabbled in art and was willing to reproduce the designs on the existing windows at the current location. After the design was applied to each window, church member Alvin Anheier constructed the casing and hung them in place. Recently, lighting was added behind the windows to further showcase them. “Two-thousand sixteen is our 130th year of ministry, so the addition of the windows
has been very timely,” said Fuerch. Reverend David Triplett, who has been with the Concordia Lutheran Church for the past four years, led a service in the spring acknowledging the anniversary. On Thursday, December 15 at 7:30 p.m. the new windows will be on full display during the annual Christmas Concert with Mitzie Collins. Collins has performed the concert at Concordia for the past 30 years. “She loves coming here and with the Christmas tree, decorations and candlelight, it is a very special occasion,” said Fuerch. Collins will play the hammered dulcimer, along with Roxanne Ziegler on harp, Glennda Dove on flute and Casey Costello singing tenor. There will be a free will offering and refreshments following the concert. For more information, call 637-5930.
Sweden residents speak out on proposed local law amendments affecting agriculture by Kristina Gabalski Sweden Supervisor Rob Carges said the town board has no intention of throwing out proposed amendments to local laws covering special events in the town, and which define specific terms regarding agriculture such as “farm,” “farming,” “farm operation,” “brewery,” “cidery” and “distillery.” “The board will revisit the issue and look at things we can amend ourselves,” Supervisor Carges told the Suburban News/Hamlin-Clarkson Herald following public hearings held December 6 on the proposed amendments. The public hearings were very well
attended, but Supervisor Carges observed many of those who spoke had been misled by information garnered via social media. “It was never our intent to pick on farms or a winery in particular,” he explained. He said town board members heard repeatedly during the hearing that the proposed amendments would kill business in the town and hurt farmers and business. Supervisor Carges said those claims are unfounded. “All we want to do is amend laws already on the books to bring them to 21st century norms,” he said, and noted the current law has become dated. The law governs businesses in the town, Supervisor Carges said, but complica-
tions occur because farms are businesses located in residential areas. “All towns are struggling with the issue,” he said, and explained the town does not want to discourage agriculture. He has been in contact with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets over the issue and recently received from them a copy of a similar law on Long Island that has been in place for over a year. “We’re trying to stay ahead of the issue,” Carges said. If something happened during an event at a local business or farm that resulted in litigation, the town would likely be sued, he said, and the amendments would help to address that.
He also responded to criticism that complaints over events at a winery have come from only one resident, saying we, “can’t brush (even one) person off.” Supervisor Carges said the topic will likely be part of a town board workshop session in late January. Five Sons Winery and RG Brewery on West Sweden Road has been at the center of the issue and Aimee Mesiti, who runs the business with her husband, Adam, said she is encouraged and humbled by the amount of support shown by community members to Five Sons and other farms during the December 6 public hearings.
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