Greece Public Library receives state funding for renovation project
Assemblyman Josh Jensen (R,C-Greece) recently announced that the Greece Public Library has been awarded $917,115 in state funding for a comprehensive renovation project aimed at improving the library. The funding, part of the $34 million in capital funds for public library construction and broadband infra structure projects provided in the 2023-2024 State Budget, will focus on upgrading energy efficiency, patron comfort and public service accessibility.
In the 2024-2025 State Budget, the Legislature provided $44 million for projects that will be announced in the Summer of 2025. This $10 million increase from the previous fiscal year recognizes the continued need for support for libraries statewide to provide vital services to New Yorkers.
“This funding is a major win for our community,” said Jensen. “The Greece Public Library is more than just a building filled with books, but a hub for education and resources for people of all ages and abilities to come together in our community. These renovations will not only improve energy efficiency but also ensure everyone in our community can access and enjoy the library’s services comfortably.”
“We are thrilled to have received this funding to support our renovations to the Greece Public Library,” said Greece Town Supervisor William D. Reilich. “We have continually worked to make our library a state-of-the-art space and this additional funding has given us the flexibility to meet future library trends and community needs. I want to thank Assemblyman Jensen for his support in securing these funds that have aided us in making the Greece Public Library even more accessible, energy efficient, and accommodating for our community.”
Greece News
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of the community will be kept informed about the progress of the renovations and any potential changes to hours of operation during this period. For more information on the project and library updates, visit https://greecepubliclibrary.org/. Provided information
Members
THE TAX GUY
From the office of The Supervisor, Bill Reilich
As the leaves begin to change color, I would like to remind residents that the 2024 Town Leaf Collection Schedule can be found on the Department of Public Works webpage on the Town of Greece website. I would also like to remind residents of our upcoming Winter Parking Ordinance, which is enforced from November 1 through April 15 from midnight to 8 a.m. This allows for safer and more effective plowing and salting of dedicated town streets and helps keep the cost of snow removal down, saving tax dollars for our residents.
This past month, I hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the grand opening of AE Skin and Beauty. The business is located at 280 Elmridge Center Drive in Greece and is owned by Amanda Pagan, who is a licensed esthetician with over 20 years of experience. She has multiple certifications in the art of lash extensions and permanent makeup for brows. Amanda Esthetics has seen overwhelming growth over the past few years. In fact, this is the business’ third move due to the explosive growth of the spa. Amanda decided to continue expanding her business in the town of Greece because it was in this town where she started her career, where her business has flourished, and where she has created ties with clientele and the community.
We also recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Clear Choice Hearing and Balance. The business is located at 130 Canal Landing Boulevard in Greece and is owned by Christine Tirk. Clear Choice Hearing and Balance was established in Greece in 2008 and has been steadily growing, due mostly to grass-roots connections with patients, families, and the medical community they support. As the practice continues expanding, new employees continue joining the team of longstanding members. Their new state-of-the-art location was carefully designed to enable the experienced team to provide an unprecedented level of care to patients and their families and will provide easy expressway access from all reaches of Monroe County and beyond.
If you have any questions or concerns or are looking for factual information regarding town happenings, please call Greece Town Hall at 225-2000 or visit our website: greeceny.gov.
AE Skin and Beauty
Greece CSD dedicates Memorial Wall and Time Capsule
Greece Central School District honored the community’s past and celebrated its future with the dedication of the Memorial Wall and Time Capsule in front of the Technology and Support Services Facility (TSSF), 1790 Latta Road, on Thursday, October 3. This site
was once home to Greece Central School District School No. 5. Built in 1930, the school served generations of Greece Central School District students before being converted to administrative offices.
The original School No. 5 building was demolished in 2020 as part of the Reimagine Greece Capital Improvement Project, making way for a new facility to house transportation, facility operations and planning, technology, professional learning, the district warehouse and print shop. In partnership with the Greece Historical Society, the district has preserved significant artifacts from School No. 5, including the original cornerstone, which is incorporated into the Memorial Wall. Additionally, a time capsule from 1930, containing newspaper clippings, letters, and memorabilia from that era, was uncovered before the demolition. During the ceremony, the district placed this time capsule – filled with both old and new artifacts – into the Memorial Wall for future generations to discover.
The event featured remarks from district staff and members of the Greece Historical Society, as well as a Land Acknowledgement read by students from Paddy Hill Elementary School, recognizing the Indigenous peoples and their enduring relationship with the land. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and a brief reception followed. Provided information
Photos courtesy of Perfect Motion Photography
Looking at Time Capsule items.
Memorial Wall ribbon cutting and dedication.
Greece Chamber family networks at CNB
Continuing the tradition of growing business and community through in-person meeting and networking, another successful First Friday Networking event was held recently at Canandaigua National Bank-Greece Ridge Community Branch, 2455 West Ridge Road. The Chamber is grateful to Vice President/Branch Manager Javier Quintana, SVP/Retail Regional Manager Katie Gross, and the entire CNB team for hosting the recent networking event. A purposeful and enjoyable time was had by all who participated.
“There is nothing that helps sales or grows relationships like face-to-face conversations,” said Chamber President and CEO Joe Robach. “I have witnessed first-hand the benefits of those who capitalize on these opportunities!”
The Chamber’s First Friday Networking events, facilitated by
Greece Historical Society’s upcoming programs
Holiday Craft & Collectibles Sale
Saturday, October 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Greece Museum
Chamber President/CEO Joe Robach, give regional business owners and professionals the opportunity to network informally before the work day begins and allow Chamber members and guests to hear from the host business leaders.
The Chamber’s next major event will be the 2024 Community Awards Gala on Thursday, October 24, at Chef’s Event Center & Party House. For more information on this signature event or any Chamber events, visit www.GreeceChamber.org.
For more information on the Greece Regional Chamber of Commerce and its membership benefits available to businesses throughout Monroe County and the surrounding region, call President/CEO Joe Robach directly at 585-227-7272.
Provided information and photo
Stop by the Greece Historical Society’s Holiday Craft & Collectibles Sale to purchase items from talented local crafters. Most items for sale are handmade, including sewing, knitting, and crocheted. Books make great holiday gifts, too. This is a perfect opportunity to avoid the mall and find a unique gift for your family and friends. The Museum Shop will also be open.
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Elsa Von Blumen, Rochester’s First Female Cyclists
By Karen Lankeshofer
Tuesday, November 12, 7:00 p.m.
GCSD Transportation & Support Services Building, 1790 Latta Rd.
If you do not recognize the name Elsa Von Blumen, you are not alone. She was a Rochesterian who, in the 1880s, raced high-wheeled bikes against horses, skaters, male cyclists, when women were expected to stay at home, tend the household, and raise the children. Instead, she succeeded in a sport dominated by men and helped pave the way for other women to find the courage to break social taboos.
Her first professional bike race was against a horse in Rochester’s Driving Park. From Rochester she went on to race throughout the entire Eastern United States for a decade. She was a force to be reckoned with in the cycling world.
She subscribed to the belief that physical exercise improves one’s health and credited her bike riding with keeping herself fit. This presentation will introduce you to an Upstate New York athlete who should not be forgotten.
Karen Lankeshofer
Karen Lankeshofer is a longtime Henrietta, NY resident who has also lived and taught in Germany and Russia. She is an avid bike rider and advocates for safe cycling infrastructure. She enjoys studying history, especially if it pertains to Upstate New York. She discovered Elsa Von Blumen several years ago and has been researching her intensively. Her presentation is a tribute to a pioneering female professional athlete.
New trail open at Greece Canal Park
On September 27, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced the addition of the West Trail, a new trail at Greece Canal Park. Over the last three years, the Monroe County Parks Department has been actively updating and maintaining trails throughout the county parks.
“Monroe County’s Parks are second to none, and our Parks Department is committed to expanding recreational opportunities throughout the park system” said County Executive Bello. “By adding new hiking trails and keeping them updated and well-maintained we increase trail connectivity and provide our residents safe access to nature and outdoor activities.”
West Trail is a .90-mile path that runs from the parking area near Millennium Lodge to Manitou Road. It replaces an unmaintained pathway with a new curated trail.
“Monroe County Parks Department is very excited to announce the new West Trail in Greece Canal Park,” said Parks Director Patrick Meredith. “The connection to Manitou Rd. provides park users an additional trail head to access and utilize the park trail system.”
The trailhead for West Trail can be found at 1928 Manitou Road, Spencerport. For more information about trails in the Monroe County Parks system, visit: https://www.monroecounty. gov/parks-trailmaps.
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Greece Machines Celebrates 50 Years
by Mike Roorda
It is a cool Friday afternoon in early October when I meet up with Maryann Newland at Badgerow Park in Greece. There’s a gazebo there named for the car club she is a member of, the Street Machines of Rochester, and I’m here with two small kids in tow to talk to her about the club’s history.
The gazebo, which appears to be well-built and maintained, is a staging ground for a display of Street Machines of Rochester club t-shirts. However, the space is otherwise unused today. The early autumn weather is cooperating, and the final warm gusts of summer blowing through the park are barely enough to make shorts seem smart but will tide us over until fall truly sets in and the leaves start to change. After I pull up in the family-friendly Honda CR-V I’m driving, Maryann greets me, and my two girls decide to peel off for the playground, happy to have free reign of equipment that they’ve never seen at a park they’ve never been to.
The Street Machines of Rochester have been a car club since 1974. Originally founded as The Street Freaks of Rochester, the club went family friendly in ‘78 with the name change from “Freaks” to “Machines” and celebrated their 50th anniversary this summer. The gazebo was named after the club in 2017, and it’s here that Maryann and I make our introductions.
I quickly learned that Maryann Newland has been around since nearly the beginning. She was the club’s first female member back in 1979 when she joined the club with her ‘69 Camaro Rally Sport. “I didn’t have to convince them,” she explained, “they were very willing and welcomed me.” And the car? “I’ve had it for 48 years,” a wry smile cracks her face, “I drag-raced it myself! The guys used to flip me for lane choice.”
In addition to her long-standing tenure in the Street Machines of Rochester, owning an engine with some muscle and the smell of burnt rubber have very much been a family affair for Maryann. It’s clear that she wouldn’t have it any other way. “My husband went on to race, and after that, my son did, and then two of my grandsons.” Pride is pouring from her smile, and her eyes crinkle at the memories.
The lineup of t-shirts she’s brought and displayed serves as a sort of visual club timeline. Each shirt bears a caricature or car-
shirts and their images very much, as a collection, mark the years and memories quite effectively.
“This shirt right here,” she gestures to one t-shirt in a line array on the wooden picnic tables of the club’s namesake gazebo, “this was the Dick Windhauser shirt to honor him for our 35th anniversary in 2009.”
Richard Windhauser was one of the original founding members, and the others were Paul Acito, Jerry Nusz, Frank Hutchinson, and Dave Alertia. After meeting while attending Greece Olympia High School and sharing a mutual love of cars, the young motorheads decided to form an official club, and The Street Freaks of Rochester was born. Over the years, not only did the name change,
but as life evolved for some of the founders, one by one, they mostly left or began to pursue other interests. Not so for Dick Windhauser though, The Street Machines of Rochester would become a lifelong love letter to all things vehicular, and he remained a proud founding member until his eventual passing at 71 years old in 2022.
For both Dick Windhauser and the Street Machines, standing the test of time boiled down to one thing and one thing only - a simple love of vehicles. That was really it. You didn’t even have to own one to claim membership in the Street Machines; you just had to love cars and be willing to treat other members like family.
Maryann’s personal example of the club’s familial love and the effect that it had on her life is both touching and, at the same time, familiar. She was pregnant with her son when she joined
continued on page 15
Maryann Newland by the Street Machine Pavilion in Badgerow Park.
Photo by Mike Roorda
35th Anniversary t-shirt.
Photo by Mike Roorda
Larry Johnson and Vice President of Street Machines, Kim Knight, with her 1986 Pontiac Trans Am at the Hilton Apple Fest Car Show. Photo by Karen Fien
the Street Machines of Rochester in 1979. “We were building a room on the house [for the baby],” she explained, “and some of those guys would come over every single night, and I would buy them pizza or whatever, and they would paint the room or put boards up,” she pauses to remember, “and we were new to the club back then, but they were very helpful.”
For the other residents of Greece, the Street Machines of Rochester are most notable for the yearly car shows the club has hosted at Badgerow Park almost since its inception. During the earliest years, the car shows were loosely organized excuses for its members to show off their rides in the Olympia High School parking lot during off hours. Over the years, the small car show’s popularity grew along with the club’s membership, as did the number of vehicles on display.
In 1982, the Street Machines’ now annual car show outgrew their humble staging grounds, and by 1984, they had settled on their new home of Badgerow Park, where the show has continued for the past 40 years and where a gazebo now is adorned with the Street Machines of Rochester name.
Maryann tells me that Dick Windhauser had a long history of being a people pleaser. That attitude has endured and is reflected in the clubs’ approach to recruitment. At one time boasting a peak membership of 150 people, Maryann credits the Street Machines of Rochester’s welcoming attitude as one of the enduring reasons for the club’s longevity. That, and the fact that although members don’t need to own a car to join, they do accept all types of vehicles. Maryann’s son joined with a car many would have considered a simple “grocery getter,” certainly not a ride more commonly associated with car shows.
Remembering her son’s first appearance at the Street Machines 25th annual car show, Maryann smiles lightly and says, “Of course, it was mostly muscle cars back then, and then my son bought a 2000 Ford Focus.” Chuckling, she adds, “We added a compact car prize that year, and he took first place!”
While the club has keenly felt Dick’s absence for the last two years, the annual car show has gone on and continued to grow in his shadow. This year’s 50th anniversary show featured nearly 600 show cars, and thousands of spectators attended to see the vehicles and enjoy the show. continued from page 14
These days, the show is an official production complete with sponsors. The 50th anniversary’s big sponsor was Dairy Queen. “They gave us 500 coupons for free cones to give out,” Maryann explains, to help bring people in. They also donated $500 to trophies to help pay for the costs of the Street Machines Awards and get their name on the plaques awarded to winners as well. Gold was the color to mark the occasion of the 50th, and another year of the Street Machines of Rochester’s presence in the town of Greece can be put on the books as a success.
As for the next 50 years? Dick would want the club “focused on cars and enthusiasts who have respect for each other and their cars,” says Maryann. The Street Machines of Rochester should stay “family-oriented but welcoming to all, with the only requirement being an interest in cars,” she concludes.
Photo: 1967 Chevy Nova engine, car owner, Tim Newland.
Dan Lavell, Board member of Street Machines, with his 2005 Ford Mustang, which won 1st place in 2005 to present Mustang category at the Hilton Apple Fest Car Show. Photo by Karen Fien
Steve Bicker with his 1957 Chevy Pick Up, which won 1st place in 0-72 Modified Truck and Committee Choice (Best Overall) at the Hilton Apple Fest Car Show. Photo by Karen Fien
Charlie Sample, with his 1965 Olds Jetstar 88 that he has owned since high school, at the Hilton Apple Fest Car Show. Photo by Karen Fien
Cover
Photo by Karen Fien
The 2024 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5.
The last day to register to vote is October 26.
Early voting will be held Saturday, October 26 – Sunday, November 3.
Go to elections.ny.gov to check your voter registration, find your polling place, or request a mail-in ballot.
General Election Early Voting
October 26 - November 3
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday & Thursday 12 to 8 p.m.
2024 Early Voting Sites in Monroe County
•Bay Towne Plaza Shopping Center Suite 650
1900 Empire Boulevard, Webster, NY 14580
•David F. Gantt Recreation Center
700 North Street, Rochester, NY 14605
•Edgerton Recreation Center
41 Backus Street, Rochester, NY 14608
•Henrietta Public Library (in-person ASL Interpreter)
625 Calkins Road, Rochester, NY 14623
•Culver Ridge Plaza Unit #13
2255 East Ridge Road, Irondequoit, NY 14622
•Greece Town Hall Atrium
1 Vince Tofany Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14612
•Monroe County Office Building
39 W. Main Street, Rochester, NY 14614
•North Greece Road Church of Christ
1039 North Greece Road, Rochester, NY 14626
•Perinton Square Mall
6720 Pittsford Palmyra Road, Fairport, NY 14450
•Pittsford Town Court
3750 Monroe Avenue Suite 950, Pittsford, NY 14534
•Resurrection Lutheran Church
3736 Saint Paul Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14617
•St. Theodores Catholic Church
168 Spencerport Road, Rochester, NY 14606
•Staybridge Suites Rochester University
1000 Genesee Street, Rochester, NY 14611
•Empire State University (in-person ASL Interpreter)
680 Westfall Road, Rochester, NY 14620
•Susan B Anthony House
17 Madison Street, Rochester, NY 14608
•Sweden/Clarkson Community Center
4927 Lake Road, Brockport, NY 14420
•Webster Justice Court Building 1002 Ridge Road, Webster, NY 14580
Included on this year’s ballot is Proposal Number One, An Amendment to Protect Against Unequal Treatment. It reads: “This proposal would protect against unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy. It also protects against unequal treatment based on reproductive healthcare and autonomy. A “YES” vote puts these protections in the New York State Constitution. A “NO” vote leaves these protections out of the State Constitution.”
Greece Residents: Proposition 2
Greece residents will also be asked to decide on Proposition 2. It reads: “Shall the Town of Greece enact Local Law #3-2024 A Local Law setting the procedure for the filling of vacancies of the Town Board whereby, in the event that any vacancy occurs in Town Board membership, the remaining members on the Town Board shall appoint an individual, by a majority vote of the remaining Town Board members, to fill the vacant office until such time as a duly elected successor takes office as a result of a special or general election?”
