Going for the top role in Pavilion’s fourth and fifth grade musical may have seemed daring for 10-year-old Maddie Smart, who admittedly had some apprehension to overcome.

But the soft-spoken fifth-grader decided to take the leap.

“I tried out for the role because I thought, I’ve never been the lead before, and I’ve never done a play,” she said Monday during a break from rehearsal at the high school’s auditorium. “I didn’t want to be on the couch, I wanted to be doing something. It’s very exciting; it’s not as scary anymore.”

It was almost as if Maddie, in her island-themed skirt and shell-decorated tank top, wearing a turquoise necklace and holding a small wooden paddle, had literally embodied lead Moana’s brave spirit from the show "Moana Jr. Musical."

The show goes on at 2 and 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Pavilion High School, 7014 Big Tree Road, Pavilion.

“She’s a brave person. She wants to save her island,” Maddie said of her character. “I can see myself in her. It’s not in this time; it’s a long time ago, before there were buildings. There was hay and stuff, and people had their own tribes and islands. She became a superhero by saving her tribe.”

Given the amount of time that Moana is in the show, that means learning many lines and choreography, and singing solos. There wasn’t much that felt too challenging for her, Maddie said.

“I memorized all my lines. My brain is just very smart and can memorize,” she said. “I feel good singing in front of people.”

Moana Jr. is a 60-minute adaptation of the 2016 Disney animated film, and features a “coming-of-age story that follows the strong-willed Moana as she sets sail across the Pacific to save her village and discover the truth about her heritage,” Music Theatre International states.

Sixth-grader Connor Smart, Maddie’s cousin, was already in his own school’s play earlier this year, and was asked by Musical Director and Coordinator Rebecca Marczyk if he would help out with this one as assistant director. He hasn’t minded putting in the extra time after school the past few months, he said.

“I’ve been helping getting everyone out on time, and just helping people memorize their lines, and helping with the songs and stuff,” he said, answering if he’s had to act like a boss to fellow students. “Not really. Most of the kids are very well prepared and ready to go.”

Connor has gained from the experience, such as “learning just to be patient a little bit,” he said. He also has taught from his own acting on stage: "Speak louder to all the exit signs, articulate your words," he said.

“It’s a very good show, all the kids are doing a very good job, they’re very good at singing,” the 11-year-old said. “It’s definitely very upbeat, I would say, because it’s very, there’s some parts like, very calm, and kind of sad, and then there are others parts that’s very active. And people are coming in from all sides, that’s really cool.”

Dressed from head to toe for her role in the monster ensemble — an ocean creature of flowy underwater plants — Emma Sponaugle had not one but two roles in her first play ever. A transplant from Lyndonville last November, the 11-year-old also plays an ancestor. She wanted to be part of this production for reasons other than the plot.

“Moana is my favorite movie. I like swimming, and it’s all about the ocean,” she said. “The music is fun to listen to, it’s cheery.”

She also said that some of the movements can be challenging, displayed by a stage full of actors moving about the full width at any given time with dialogue, singing, dancing, and a crescendo of blue waves from the ocean, followed by stillness.

A trio of actors made up Essie Michau’s Tamatoa, a crab obsessed with all things shiny, with Ari Sardina serving as the left claw and Tenley Harris as the right one. All girls are in the fifth grade and described their central character as being “very sassy.”

“I am very bossy and have to make it about myself, and I love myself,” 11-year-old Essie said of her role, as Tenley added that “looking sassy is hard — the sassy face.”

There were lots of roles, though, both in front of the spot light and behind it. Landon Jett was one of the four stage crew members who opted to move sets and props in place, as another critical responsibility.

“I like to sing, but I didn’t really like singing in front of big crowds. So I wanted to be in stage crew,” the fourth-grader said, admitting to a change of heart for a future play. “Maybe I’ll act next time.”

Press Release:

That was the message from Arc GLOW and over 900 advocates, allies and professionals during the 2025 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington D.C. to support the intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) community.

“For me, Medicaid provides my home, transportation, staff, medication and doctors. … Because of my Medicaid, I attended a college experience program at SUNY Geneseo,” said Julie Johnston, an Arc GLOW self-advocate, during a meeting with staff from Sen. Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s offices. “I learned so much, and gained so many skills. I now have a job at SUNY Geneseo washing dishes. If Medicaid is cut, I would lose my house, my job and my independence.”

“Going to Washington was an opportunity of a lifetime,” said James Gibbs, an Arc GLOW self-advocate. “We talked about the importance of Medicaid. I liked advocating and I felt like they were listening to me when I spoke.”

Arc GLOW representatives including Vice President of Public Relations Lisa Bors, Vice President of Day and Employment Services Kellie Kennedy, Board of Directors President Cheryl Englert, Direct Support Professional Gabby Root, and Self-Advocates James Gibbs and Julie Johnston met with representatives from Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney to advocate for continued federal support to the IDD community.

“We are pushing lawmakers on Medicaid, education and disability funding,” said Bors. “We need to keep pushing the federal government to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.” 

Arc GLOW is asking community members to contact local representatives now to tell them:

• Reject any effort to block grant, cap or cut federal spending in Medicaid.
• Oppose work requirements in the Medicaid program.
• Congress should reject any cuts to Social Security or SSI, including any proposals to cut benefits or limit who can qualify.
• Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Oppose laws that reduce the rights of children with disabilities to secure a free, appropriate public education.
• Ensure that students with disabilities in higher education receive the accommodations that they need.
• Pass budget and appropriations laws that provide funding to support people with disabilities in the community.

Each call and message can make a difference. On Wednesday, 12 Republican Congressional representatives sent Speaker Mike Johnson a formal letter opposing any cuts to Medicaid including for people with disabilities; four of the 12 members were New York representatives.

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

Empire Hemp Co., a trusted name in New York’s hemp and cannabis industry since 2018, is proud to announce an exciting new chapter in its journey: the transformation of its retail space at 204 E Main St. into Mrs. Green’s CANNAry, the area’s first woman-owned, licensed adult-use cannabis dispensary.

Founded by Shelly Wolanske and Chris VanDusen, Empire Hemp Co. has built a reputation for producing high-quality CBD and THC products with a commitment to integrity, consistency, and care. With New York State cannabis regulations prohibiting vertical integration, the company made a strategic decision to expand in new ways. As a result, Shelly has launched Mrs. Green’s CANNAry as a standalone retail dispensary, while Empire Hemp Co. continues to focus on cultivation and manufacturing.

The new dispensary will proudly feature the Empire products that helped define the brand—such as the popular GOAT Infused Pre-Rolls—alongside a carefully curated selection of top-tier cannabis products from across New York State. Mrs. Green’s CANNAry will continue to serve the community with the same warmth, transparency, and customer care that have been hallmarks of the location since its original opening in 2021.

“Mrs. Green’s CANNAry is a natural next step,” said Shelly Wolanske. “We’re building on everything that made Empire special and bringing that energy into a fully licensed adult-use dispensary. I’m excited to create a space where education, quality, and customer experience come first.”

Empire Hemp Co. remains under the leadership of Chris VanDusen, operating from a new production facility in Batavia that better supports its continued growth. The company will expand its manufacturing of high-quality THC products for distribution to dispensaries across the state—including Mrs. Green’s.

“This is a win-win,” said VanDusen. “Empire gets to focus on scaling production and developing innovative cannabis products, while Mrs. Green’s CANNAry offers customers access to the very best flower, pre-rolls, and extracts that New York has to offer—including our own.”

The opening of Mrs. Green’s CANNAry is expected in early May 2025, and updates will be posted on social media as preparations continue. In the meantime, customers can continue to shop Empire’s full line of CBD products online empirehempco.com.

Press Release:

Arc GLOW is accepting applications to the Mary Anne Graney Memorial Scholarship until April 25. 

Now in its 20th year, the Mary Anne Graney Memorial Scholarship is presented to area high school seniors who plan to further their studies in human services, special education or related fields. The scholarship honors Mary Anne Graney, a special education teacher, who passed in 2004. The scholarship is funded by the Friends & Family 5K, scheduled this year for September 20 in Elba. Since 2006, 63 scholarships have been awarded to deserving local high school students. The scholarships will be presented to recipients at their upcoming school scholarship programs.

To download the application, visit ArcGLOW.org and click on News and Events. If you have any questions, contact Sandy Konfederath at 585-343-1123 ext. 1715 or SKonfederath@ArcGLOW.org. 

Arc GLOW is a public, non-profit organization founded by parents and friends of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities serving Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. For more information on Arc GLOW and its services, visit ArcGLOW.org.

Call Reliant Real Estate today - 585-344-HOME (4663) to check out either listing!

West Main Street Road - SHOVEL READY!! This property is ready for you to hit the ground running when you are READY TO BUILD as current owner has DONE ALL THE DETAIL WORK already!! Site work completed with survey, perc test/wastewater treatment plan, building plan, building permit AND housing blueprints should you want!! This 1+ acre lot is conveniently located to all major routes and two thruway exits not to mention shopping restaurants and more-ALSO located in Pembroke School System as an added bonus!!

29 Brooklyn Avenue Batavia-City. Great storage opportunity, easy access location! Solid brick storage on approximate 71x103 pie shaped lot. Owner desires sale but will consider lease option!

 

Adrienne S. Bechtold, 29, of Vine Street, Batavia, Jacob W. Patterson, 29, of Vine Street, Batavia, and Rebecca I. Patterson, 58, of Batavia, are charged with multiple crimes. (Note, the charges are not specified by person in the press release and it's unclear which charges apply to all and which might apply to only a single individual).  The charges are, six counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, three counts of promoting prison contraband 1st, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, three counts of conspiracy 4th, two counts of criminally using drug paraphernalia, one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, moving from lane unsafely, and insufficient turn signal. On April 15, deputies conducted a traffic stop on the Thruway near mile marker 390.9 after observing alleged traffic violations. Deputies reportedly became suspicious of criminal activity after observing "several criminal indicators," so they requested the assistance of Batavia PD K9 Batu. As a result of the search, narcotics were allegedly located in the vehicle. After the search, one of the suspects produced more narcotics that the person had concealed on his or her person. The three people were transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing. At the jail, more narcotics were allegedly found on Bechtold and Jacob Patterson. They are accused of possessing two ounces of cocaine as well as fentanyl. Rebecca Patterson was released on an appearance ticket. Bechtold and Jacob Patterson were held pending arraignment. The investigation was conducted by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun, Deputy Alexander Hadsall, Deputy Jeremy McClellan, and Officer Stephen Quider, Batavia PD, handler of K-9 Batu.

Carrie Ann Stewart, 44, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with burglary 3rd and petit larceny. Stewart is accused of entering and remaining in Walmart with the intent to commit a crime at 8:31 p.m. on April 14.

Michael Anthony Fanizza, 31, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass 2nd. Fanizza is accused of entering another person's residence in Oakfield and remaining there without permission at 1:20 pm. on April 18. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Michaela Ruth Bohn, 25, of Clinton Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Bohn was stopped at 11:44 p.m. on April 19 on Clinton Street Road, Bergen by Deputy Jonathan Dimming. He was issued traffic tickets and released. 

After two years as director of Richmond Memorial Library, Beth Paine has resigned the position, Board President Leslie Moma says.

Moma issued a press release Monday announcing Paine's departure. She was hired in March 2023 to replace former director Bob Conrad. 

"Beth will remain available to us as we transition to new leadership," Moma said. "Her contributions will continue to help the library serve the needs of our community.  During her tenure there were numerous positive developments: modernizing library policies, increasing operational efficiencies, overseeing improvements to our building and grounds, and evaluating staff skills and talents and promoting them to positions that enabled them to utilize their diverse talents.”

After her first year as director, Paine recommended that the library, for the first time in decades, take over its own financial and purchasing duties from Batavia City School District, which provided them as in-kind services as part of its landlord-tenant relationship. 

Paine's job responsibilities then included the payroll and related duties, she had said, and the library accounts payable clerk and accounts receivable clerk had taken over the bookkeeping tasks. The library also hired an outside accountant to “oversee all of these functions, and we have hired a payroll company to process our payroll,” Paine had said of the new arrangement.

Batavia police officers or seeking the public's assistance with an investigation into an incident in the parking lot of the East Main McDonald's on Easter Sunday that led to one man being stabbed.

When police arrived on scene, one male was located at that location.

The other male, who sustained a knife wound, was not at the scene when police officers responded to the report of a disturbance. He was latter located at a residence in the city. His injuries was not life-threatening.  CIty Fire and Mercy EMS responded to the residence and the person was transported to a hospital in Rochester for further treatment. 

All subjects believed to be involved in the incident have been identified and police say there is no ongoing risk to public safety.

Investigators are encouraging possible witnesses to come forward.

Tips can be provided by calling 585-345-6350, the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370 or by clicking here.

Ivy Village

For more information on Ivy Village (Adult Patio Homes), contact Megan Hensel at: mhensel@armorbuildingsupply.com. Call 585-813-5611

Press Release:

An all-day, online conference to assist and educate healthcare professionals and caregivers for older adults living in rural areas across New York will take place on Friday, May 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Let’s Talk About Health: Caring for Older Adults in Rural New York” will feature several speakers discussing the many challenges faced by older adults in rural areas when seeking health care.

“Access to health care and other supportive services are critical to maintaining good health as we age, yet older adults in rural areas face a variety of access barriers,” says Thera Blasio, director of professional education for the Rochester & Finger Lakes Region Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, a co-sponsor of the event. “These challenges are a topic not often covered in health professions education.”

The goal of the conference is to identify and mitigate the challenges of providing health care in rural areas by increasing knowledge of population health data, treatment strategies and supports and services in order to encourage and build resilience in rural caregivers and health care providers.

The following speakers will be featured:

• Nora Obrien-Suric, President/CEO, Health Foundation of Western and Central NY
• Karen Madden, Director, Center for Health Care Policy and Resource Development, NYS Department of Health
• Dale King, Owner, PSKC Crossfit - with discussion of the documentary Small Town Strong
• Ann Marie Cook, President/CEO, Lifespan of Greater Rochester
• Monica L. Ranaletta, DO, UR Medicine
• Colette Phipps, LMSW, CDP, Director, Program Development, Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services
• Susan Craine, LMSW, Lifespan of Greater Rochester
• Christa Barrows, BSN, MPH, Alzheimer's Association Volunteer

The event is free, but Continuing Education Units (CMEs, CEUs) will be available for a $10 fee. Individuals can register online at bit.ly/RuralHealth25.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Rochester & Finger Lakes Region Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield of Rochester, NY, the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center at the University of Rochester, Lifespan of Greater Rochester, NYS Association for Rural Health and the Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center (WNY R‐AHEC), and is funded, in part, through grants from the New York State Department of Health.

To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, call 800.272.3900 or visit alz.org.

Press Release:

As the weather gets warmer, people are more likely to see wild and baby animals in their yards, parks, and wooded areas. The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) want to remind residents to stay alert and cautious around wild, stray, and even baby animals.

Rabies is a deadly disease that can affect both animals and humans, but the good news is, it is preventable.

“Rabies is most often spread through bites from animals that have the disease, like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes,” stated Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director for GO Health. “Baby or young animals might look cute, but they can still have rabies. Don’t touch, feed, or approach wild animals or stray pets. If you see an animal that looks hurt or sick, call animal control instead.”

Rabies is deadly if not treated. If you are bitten by an animal, wash the wound right away with soap and water and seek medical attention. All bites should be reported to the Genesee or Orleans County Health Departments.

To stop the spread of rabies, the health department reminds residents of the following:

• Make sure your pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
• Do not go near or touch wild animals, baby animals or stray cats and dogs, even if they seem hurt or lost. Report any unusual animal behavior. If an animal seems aggressive, confused, or unusually friendly, contact animal control right away.
• Follow leash laws. Keep pets on a leash so they do not encounter wild animals or strays. If an animal bites your pet, seek veterinary assistance immediately and report it to the health department.
• Prevent bats from entering living spaces. If you find a bat in your home, safely capture it and contact the health department. DO NOT release it! For instructions on safely capturing a bat, watch this GO Health Minute.

Residents are encouraged to take advantage of our upcoming drive-thru rabies vaccination clinics for dogs, cats, and ferrets in Genesee and Orleans Counties, offered at no charge. 

Genesee County Rabies Clinics at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia)

• Thursday, May 15, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, August 7, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 9, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Orleans County Rabies Clinics at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 State Route 31, Albion)

• Saturday, April 26, from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, June 18, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 20, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 25, from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

For more information on GO Health’s programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also contact your respective health department:

• Genesee County- 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@geneseeny.gov
• Orleans County- 585-589-3278 or OCPublicHealth@orleanscountyny.gov

Follow GO Health on Facebook, Instagram, and X at GOHealthNY.

View my listings, click here.

Batavia Kiwanis Club hosted its annual Easter Egg Hunt at Centennial Park on Saturday.

Despite the rain, more than 5,000 eggs were eagerly scooped up by enthusiastic egg hunters who didn’t let the weather dampen their fun.

Photos by Kara Richenberg

There are no microwaved meals at Kade's Scratch Kitchen, 15 Main St., Le Roy.

All meals are made to order. They're not reheated entrees. They're not made in a commercial kitchen in another state.

There isn't even a microwave in the kitchen. The only microwave is behind the dining counter. 

"We use it to heat brownies," said co-owner Beth Burger. "That is the only reason we have it." 

Burger's partner, John Steward (also her fiancé) describes the cuisine at Kade's as "classic family fare foods" that have been elevated. Every item fits into the "scratch kitchen" concept.

"We dedicated a whole month before we opened into research and development," Steward said. We went through trial periods for the burger alone. There were days when we would literally open up six or seven different burgers, try each one, compare and contrast, and then do another tasting. And same with the french fries. So, you know, I have a lot of this knowledge I carried over from my previous jobs, but we are trying to have an immersive team effort and a collaborative effort with our management team."

What might you find on the menu? Pizza, chicken French, chicken parm, spaghetti and meatballs, linguini and clams, steak frites, and burgers. And for dessert, cookies, cannoli, fudge brownies, cheesecake, and sundaes.

Burger and Steward discussed several food items, the process for selecting quality ingredients, and the development process.

One item that comes in frozen is the french fries, but even there, the team paid attention to the details, trying five different products before settling on the winning candidate.

"We do get the best on the market," Steward said. Our french fries are actually the same french fries that McDonald's uses, minus the preservatives."

For soft-serve ice cream, the couple did thorough research.

"We went and drove everywhere within a 15-mile radius to try the soft serve ice cream, to see what we liked the best," Burger said. "We found it. We were really happy about that, too. Our soft serve is delicious. It's dangerous. If you have an ounce of it, you're like, 'Okay, I'm done.' It's so rich It's actually custard.

The bread is a milk bread, which Burger describes as unique and special. It's baked in-house.

"Our bread is delicious. It's called milk bread - just so light, airy, and buttery," she said.

When you get a sandwich, it's coming on the milk bread and usually with a sauce developed at the restaurant. 

"I'm particularly fond of our wicked smart hot sauce," Steward said. "It's really hot, but it's got a very good depth profile in flavors. So now you get the heat, but you don't get, like, the heat of straight capsaicin."

Burger described it as very layered.

"It’s quite pleasant, actually. So even someone who doesn't like, is afraid of spice, it's still likable. It's so flavorful," she said.

There is also a medium hot sauce and a mild sauce available

"We want families to be able to come in here with their kids, because we have our own children, and we want it to be a nice, a family-friendly place, but it's also a place that you can bring a date," Burger said. "We have some really nice wines. We really care about customer service and going the extra mile for our guests."

If you go to Kade's for dinner, you might want to cap off your meal with the cheesecake (your correspondent was provided with a slice).

The team tried out eight or nine house-made cheesecake recipes before hitting the right notes.

"I'll be honest," Burger said. "I was a little bummed about it, because I wanted the classic cheesecake, and they wanted to do their little thing where they just kind of changed the products around, and I was more annoyed that they were right. It's the best I've ever had. Yeah, it's really good."

Burger and John Steward both have extensive backgrounds in the restaurant business. They met when she was a bartender at Farmers Creekside and he was the sous chef. Burger, a lifelong Le Roy resident, was co-owner of Woody's Deli and a bar manager at Batavia Downs. From Creekside, Steward went to Terry Hills as executive chef, then returned to Creekside. COVID hit, and he worked at Sweet Betty's (the same location now occupied by Kade's). He was cook at the Lake House before helping to own a restaurant in Rochester.

That experience helped convince him it was time to reach for his end goal: to own a restaurant.

"It was always the end game," Steward said. "Throughout my career, I've compiled a lot of numbers in my head, data, and I got to the point, after opening up the steak house in Rochester, I looked at Beth, and I was like, 'I don't want to keep doing what I do for others. I want to do it for ourselves.' And so there was a lot of sacrifice leading up to that point, and a lot of missed times, a lot of missed firsts for me with our kids, and I didn't want that any more. Beth was on board immediately. Immediately after we talked about it -- it was funny -- when we  talked it, Sweet Betty's literally dropped the news about closing permanently within 24."

Steward and Burger definitely have a mutual admiration society going.

"People (in Le Roy) know Johnny as a cook extremely well, and they don't even understand how good he is on the admin and in the back end," Burger said. "It's ridiculous how intelligent he is. Very, very smart and extremely talented. People have been waiting for him to do this. And so there's that excitement about it."

Steward said Burger's genius is at running the front of the house.

"She adds the layer with the best expertise in the front, and how she can handle talking with guests and training the staff appropriately," Steward said. "We both come from corporate backgrounds, too. So we also understand the importance of training. The importance of the good and the bad of corporate practices. Training is high emphasis for corporate. But then the other practices of corporate is really bad when it comes to the interpersonal, and so we want the best of both worlds."

It's all about balance, Burger said.

"As I was telling him, we want that nice balance where you have all the rules and regulations, but we want them (employees) to still be themselves, to be likable, approachable, kind, entertaining. That's what we're looking for here."

"Upon the whitewashed walls, a woman’s shadow falls — a woman walketh o’er the darksome floors. A soft, angelic smile, lighteth her face the while, in passing through the dismal corridors."

That line from a Victorian-era poem by Emma Lazarus may not hold completely true to the bustling hospitals of today, but how many patients can probably relate to seeing that soft smile from a helpful nurse? Lazarus penned the poem about Florence Nightingale, a famous British nurse of the 1800s who offered comfort to soldiers during the Crimean War. 

She also serves as inspiration for a traditional ceremony conducted by the GLOW Nurses Honor Guard, a local chapter of the New York State Nurses Association.

“It’s been an organization for a really long time; it recognizes nurses who have passed on. Our purpose is simple: to honor our fellow nurses during their funeral or celebration of life,” member Amy Bontrager said to The Batavian. “We’re trying to get more recognition for it, because of all the funerals that I’ve gone to, everyone said, every single time they’ve said, ‘I didn’t realize this was a thing, this is great that you guys do this.’”

The local chapter is planning to honor nurses during National Nurses Week with a brief ceremony at noon, May 12, in front of United Memorial Medical Center, 127 North St., Batavia. This is the first time the ceremony has been held at the hospital. It includes a reading of a Florence Nightingale poem, some audience participation, and the honor guard in traditional nurses' all-white uniforms with blue and red capes, Bontrager said.

“The purpose is to remember those nurses who have previously passed on without having had a Nurses’ Honor Guard ceremony. Anyone who has previously lost a loved one who once served as a nurse — LPN, RN, NP, or the public in general — is welcome to attend,” she said. “To me, it’s important because I have an emotional connection to being a nurse; they do a lot of things no one ever knows about — a gentle touch, a smile, giving hope, the bigger picture that you’re making a difference. It’s very emotional.”

New York State Honor Guard’s vision is to “make sure that when a New York State nurse is coming to the end of life or has passed away, that nurse is not forgotten. Volunteer nurses from all over New York are committed to remembering the careers and commitment of their colleagues,” with a mission to pay tribute to these nurses, including living tributes to those who are approaching end-of-life care.

The organization has grown from one chapter to 24 that cover 59 of the 62 counties in the state, including Genesee. Many funeral homes are aware of this service, Bontrager said, and members hope to continue spreading the word so that nursing friends and families keep it in mind when planning to honor loved ones.

“We stuff it all down, but it’s in there,” Bontrager said of colleagues’ memories, and her own nursing experiences that began in the 1990s. “It’s very moving, just offering support to fellow nurses.”

And now and then there slips

A word from out her lips,

More sweet and grateful to those listening ears

Than the most plaintive tale

Of the sad nightingale,

Whose name and tenderness this woman bears.

Her presence in the room

Of agony and gloom,

No fretful murmurs, no coarse words profane;

For while she standeth there,

All words are hushed save prayer;

She seems God's angel weeping o'er man's pain.

And some of them arise,

With eager, tearful eyes,

From off their couch to see her passing by.

Some, e'en too weak for this,

Can only stoop and kiss

Her shadow, and fall back content to die.

No monument of stone

Needs this heroic one —

Her name is graven on each noble heart;

And in all after years

Her praise will be the tears

Which at that name from quivering lids will start.

And those who live not now,

To see the sainted brow,

And the angelic smile before it flits for aye,

They in the future age

Will kiss the storied page

Whereon the shadow of her life will lie.

Florence Nightingale By Emma Lazarus

For more information about the honor guard, go HERE. 

April 2025, I am sitting at the Florida airport, waiting for my flight. I look around at how things have changed since I first traveled as a young child: the signs about firearms, the bag searches, and the X-ray machine. I remember when you could have someone go to the gate, kiss you goodbye, and watch your plane take off. 

Every place I go to recently, I'm taken back to a time when I reflect on a specific time in my life.

When I passed Notre Dame High School, many memories flooded my mind. The first thing is the uniforms. When I went to school, I told my granddaughter that you had to kneel and make sure your skirt touched the floor, as I was folding her very short uniform skirt.

We connected with our friends in high school by walking and talking in the hallway. There was an origami folding puzzle we enjoyed -- sometimes referred to as a Cootie Catcher. I remember writing a note in religion class to one of my friends to have the teacher retrieve it from me, read it to the class, and post it on the bulletin board. That was our texting. 

If you wanted to make a phone call, you waited at home for your phone to be free. The phone was attached to the wall with a very long cord. We had a time limit on the phone. On just about every corner, there was a pay phone. When I think about using them, I cringe at how dirty they are now. 

I am unsure where the kids hang out today, but we hung out at Critics Ice Cream Parlor or Kustas Soda Fountain. If you were lucky to get a booth at Critics, you had your jukebox attached to the wall to play your favorite songs.

There was no such thing as Amazon. We had beautiful stores lining our Main Street. Anything you needed, you could find on Main Street. As a young girl, you would go to C.L. Carrs, Scott and Bean, and Alexanders to see the latest styles in girls' clothing. 

I only remember one person with a car in high school. The vehicle was called Captain America. We were all very fit because we walked to every place we wanted to go. On weekends, you would go to the movies at Mancuso Theater or Dipson Theater to see the latest movie. Now, you can watch hundreds of movies and television shows streaming on your flat-screen TV, phone, tablet, or computer. In my day, TV shows were in black and white, your TV set was in a cabinet, and the first remote I remember had a cord attached to the TV, allowing you to turn the TV on and off and adjust the volume. In our house, that remote was only used by our dad. 

The stores were not open on Sundays, and Sundays were for church. It was a family day. One corner store might be open for that emergency loaf of bread or milk. 

I try to explain to our grandchildren what it was like back in our day. I'm not sure they're interested, but when they're in their 70s, they'll try to share more about their past. I know our parents did, and I would give anything to hear one of their stories today.

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