March 13, 2013

Fairport resident brings Spider-Man to Rochester

Congratulations to the Finger Lakes Film Office and it’s Director, Fairport Village resident, Nora Brown. She’s featured extensively in this piece by YNN’s Seth Vorhees.

 

 

March 3, 2013

A Modern History of Celtic Jewelry: 1840-1980 Features Irish Treasure the Tara Brooch

Special Guest Lecture by Author Tara Kelly at St. John Fisher College March 12

A Waterhouse Tara Brooch will be making its way to Fairport this spring, just in time for St. Patrick’s day. The Brooch will be on loan to Walker Metalsmiths as part of a larger exhibit showcasing modern Celtic-style jewelry. The Tara Brooch stands as an icon of Irish culture, a copy created by George Waterhouse in 1850 based on a Medieval artifact. The subsequent Celtic revival of the late 19^th and early 20^th century produced many reproductions as well as popularizing the Celtic style as a symbol of pride for Irish and Scottish heritage.

It is deep respect for Celtic art and heritage inspires the show’s curator, Stephen Walker. “When I began making Celtic jewelry, in my mind I connected what I was doing to the great medieval masterpieces of Celtic art. But that link with the ancient style was very much influenced by what others had done in the more recent past. We tend to imagine our heritage on a grand time scale of centuries and millennia, but in reality, what we get from the generations of our parents and grandparents is our authentic inheritance.”

Author Tara Kelly will be offering a fully illustrated catalog of the exhibit with articles by contemporary Irish silversmith Aidan Breen and Scottish historian Mairi MacArthur. Kelly tells the story of how renewed interest in the antique Celtic style in the decade following the Potato Famine merged with contemporary fashion trends and a growing sense of national identity in Scotland and Ireland. On the subject of the Walker exhibit Kelly says, “The important examples of Celtic Revival jewellery on view are emblematic of the reinvention of tradition and the construction of national identities taking place both at home and abroad, through the Irish and Scottish Diaspora, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. I’m so excited to take part in this exhibition because it provides the public with an opportunity to engage with these historic works of art and consider their role in how we define what it means to be ‘Irish’ and ‘Scottish’ today.” Her book will be available at a closing reception for the exhibit during Fairport Canal Days, June 1 & 2.

Kelly will also be a guest lecturer at St. John Fisher College for the Irish American Cultural Institute in Basil Hall 135 on March 12^th at 7:30 pm. Kelly is currently a PhD candidate studying Art History at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Her dissertation deals with Celtic Revival Irish metalwork such as the pieces that will be on display at the Walker show.

The Walker show features over sixty objects on loan from private collectors and dealers ranging from the antiquarian reproductions of medieval brooches to the work of Alexander Ritchie in the early 20^th century. The pieces chosen by Walker and Kelly for the exhibit will follow the theme of Celtic jewelry in the decades after WWII and conclude with early work of some of the pioneers of the present Renaissance which began around 1980.

Regular hours at Walker Metalsmiths are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 to 6 . Admission is free. An opening reception for the exhibit at 140 Packets Landing in Fairport will be on Friday March 15 from 5 to 8, which is free and open to the public.

            

 

February 16, 2013

FAIRPORT WINTERFEST

Our thanks to all from the Rochester Curling Club for giving of your time and talent for this event!

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February 14, 2013

Fairport-Perinton Winterfest Update

Learn to Curl in Fairport

Saturday Event with the Rochester Curling Club

Noon – 3:00pm

 Curling demonstration on the ice rink at Fairport Junction

Great fun for kids of all ages. Learn to Curl with the Rochester Curling Club.

Featuring the Rochester Curling Club. Demonstration and hands-on learn-to-curl for all interested. Saturday, February 16, Noon-3pm. Fairport Junction, Liftbridge Lane East in the Village of Fairport.

Free and open to the public. Public skating will be closed Saturday morning and resume upon completion of the Curling event.

Cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing at Center Park on Turk Hill Road, Town of Perinton

Saturday & Sunday, February 16 & 17: Timed runs. Cross country skiing from 10 a.m. – 12p.m. Snow shoeing from 1p.m. – 4p.m.  Weather permitting. Free and open to the public.

Winter Fun Run

The public is invited to join the Oven Door Runners on their Saturday and Sunday early morning fun runs from Bushnell’s Basin. For times and location visit: http://odrunners.org/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=23 Free and open to the public.

For More Information

Persons interested in Nordic and other events may register in person at Perinton Center Park or visit www.fairporthockey.com. For additional information on Fairport Perinton Winterfest, visit: www.fairportperintonwinterfest.com. Frequent status updates can be found on Facebook at Fairport Perinton Winterfest.

About Winterfest

The Fairport-Perinton Winterfest is co-produced by the Fairport Partnership for a Better Community and the Fairport Perinton Merchants Association in conjunction with the Town of Perinton and the Village of Fairport. Funds generated benefit non-profit Partnership and Merchant operations, events and local charitable endeavors.  Sponsored by Molson, Pepsi, Snapple, KidsOutAndAbout.Com, Raymond James Financial.

February 8, 2013

 Weekend Winterfest Events On

Nordic events, Ice Skating, Snow Sculpture                                                                                                    

Thanks to the snow storm that has arrived today, Nordic events will be held this Saturday and Sunday at Center Park in Perinton. The Snapple youth canal pond hockey tournament originally scheduled for this weekend was cancelled due to poor ice conditions.

Cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing at Center Park on Turk Hill Road, Town of Perinton

Saturday, February 9: Open runs: cross country skiing from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.; snow shoeing from 12p.m. – 4p.m.

Sunday, February 10: Timed runs; cross country skiing from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.; snow shoeing from 12p.m. – 4p.m.

Free and open to the public.

Figure skating demonstration on the rink at Fairport Junction

Featuring the Thomas Creek Figure Skating Club

Saturday, February 9, at noon. Fairport Junction, Liftbridge Lane East in the Village of Fairport.

Free and open to the public.

Winter Fun Run

Join the Oven Door Runners on their Saturday and Sunday early morning fun runs from Bushnell’s Basin. For times and location visit: http://odrunners.org/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=23

Free and open to the public.

For More Information

Persons interested in Nordic and other events may register in person at Perinton Center Park or visit www.fairporthockey.com. For additional information on Fairport Perinton Winterfest, visit: www.fairportperintonwinterfest.com. Frequent status updates can be found on Facebook at Fairport Perinton Winterfest.

 About Winterfest

The Fairport-Perinton Winterfest is co-produced by the Fairport Partnership for a Better Community and the Fairport Perinton Merchants Association in conjunction with the Town of Perinton and the Village of Fairport. Funds generated benefit non-profit Partnership and Merchant operations, events and local charitable endeavors.

VILLAGE OF FAIRPORT NEWS
From NYS DOT:

Work will start on the Rt. 250 bridge over the Canal in Fairport on Monday, January 21.

The road will be closed starting that day. It is expected that the work to take approximately 6 weeks.

At least one pedestrian walkway of the Lift Bridge will be open at all times.

Outdoor Ice Skating Venue Enters Seventh Season

 Fairport, NY— Outdoor ice skating in this quaint canal village will return in time to ring in the New Year. After the unanticipated failure and subsequent repair of one of the refrigerated system’s compressors, the long-awaited arrival of consistently below-freezing temperatures has finally allowed village and town crews to create a fresh sheet of ice on the rink at Fairport Junction.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the rink will open at 10:30 a.m. this Friday, December 28, 2012.

Rink Facts:

2013 marks the seventh year of seasonal operation of the rink. In the first five full seasons of operation the average number of skating days – days which the rink was officially open for skating – was 80 days each year. Last year’s warm temperatures reduced that number of days to just 54, a 25% decrease over 2011.

 Statistics: 2012 vs. 2011

Open date: Dec. 30, 2012                              Dec. 10, 2011

Close date: March 9, 2012                            March 10, 2011

Days open: 54 out of 69 days 78%             81 out of 91 days 89%

Purchase of the rink, in 2006, was a project of the Fairport Partnership and funded through generous contributions of the Polisseni Foundation and the Fairport Office of Community and Economic Development.

Fairport Electric provides power for the operation of the rink’s refrigeration system. In 2007 galvanized steel barricades were purchased by the Fairport Perinton Merchants Association and installed to delineate the rink area. This fall, Fairport DPW and Fairport Electric crews completed the construction of the base and the installation of the mechanical systems of the refrigerated ice rink in record time. They also coordinated compressor repairs.

Town of Perinton Recreation and Parks crews assisted with the build-up of the ice sheet and will groom and maintain the ice throughout the skating season as has been done in all preceding years.

The rink is open daily from 10am – 10pm, weather permitting. No hockey is allowed.

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Today is the day all Fairport Perinton residents can make a difference for the community they love!

A Roc the Day donation to the Fairport Foundation will really hit home. Give generously.

COME HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

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 The 42nd annual Fairport Village Christmas Party is less than a month away, so NOW is the time to make your reservations!

Friday, December 7 at the Green Lantern Inn, Cocktails at 6:00, dinner at 7:00.

It’s Pearl Harbor Day and all proceeds are going to Honor Flight.

Enjoy an excellent dinner, the soft jazz sounds of the Jane Mutiny Trio, and plenty of holiday cheer with your Fairport friends.

Co-chairs for the event are Georgia and Fritz May and Sue and Ron Roberts.

Tickets are $40/person, and pre-paid reservations are required. Tables for 8 and 10 are available, or just sign up and come join the festivities.

Call Sue or Ron today at 585-223-5929.

 

 

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COME ROC THE DAY WITH US!

 

On 12.12.12, the Rochester community will come together to ROC the Day and we need YOU to join us.

It’s 24 hours of unprecedented community giving. And it’s your chance to make a real difference right here in the Greater Rochester region.

 

 

 

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Click here to view the complete

Fairport Public Art Plan

 

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 Fairport Featured in American Lifestyle Magazine

 

Below is an article about traveling along the Erie Canal to be found in the September/October edition of American Lifestyle magazine. The NYC-based writer, Alvin Reiss, and his wife, Ellen,  were our guests one day last fall, here, in Fairport. We shared with them our various shops and other points of local interest, and ended the day with a wonderful dinner at Joey B.’s. during which we made good friends of the Reiss’s.

Their tour was the result of our efforts in tourism development through the Canal New York Marketing and Business Alliance, of which the FPBC is a member and for which I currently serve as vice-chair. Each year, the CNYMBA hosts a media luncheon in Manhattan targeting travel and tourism writers. Each year one of the writers wins an expense paid tour of whichever segment of the canal system that interests them. The Reiss’s chose from Syracuse to Rochester.

Once again, this past June we hosted our Manhattan media luncheon. As the MC for the event I spoke for the CNYMBA and Fairport. I was pleasantly surprised to see Alvin and Ellen in the group assembled. They spoke glowingly of their time with us and remembered fondly our beautiful waterfront, dinner at Joey B.’s and the “quirky décor” and “adorable hosts” of 20 Woodlawn B&B

This article clearly shows the benefit of our efforts in tourism marketing and how positively we are seen through the eyes of our guests. Enjoy.

Sincerely,

Scott Winner, Executive Director

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                   June 12, 2012

 

Fairport Foundation Building Momentum

 

IRS Grants Tax Exempt Status, Heisman Added to Board of Directors

The Fairport Foundation, a non-profit corporation dedicated to improving the quality of life for residents in the Fairport/Perinton community, has been designated by the Internal Revenue Service as a Public Charity with 501(c)3 status.

This means contributions to the Fairport Foundation are tax-deductible, and any number of funds may be established under the Foundation’s umbrella if they fit within the mission of the organization.

The Fairport Foundation serves as a fundraising organization for the Fairport Partnership for a Better Community.  The Foundation’s mission is to support a broad range of programs and projects that advance education and the arts, preserve local history, promote tourism, enhance the public realm, and ensure economic vitality.

“The designation as a Public Charity is a vital step in moving forward,” said Fairport Foundation president Bob Hunt.  “The 501(c)3 status will help us in raising funds to support the Fairport Partnership and the excellent work done by its many volunteers on behalf of our community.”

Hunt also announced that the Fairport Foundation as added village resident Lew Heisman to its board of directors.  Heisman, an attorney with Underberg and Kessler, will serve as the Foundation’s treasurer. For more information on Lew Heisman, go here: Underberg and Kessler.

In addition to Hunt and Heisman, other members of the Foundation board include Val Wilcox, vice president; Clark King, secretary; at-large members include Dale Davis, Lowell Twitchell and Scott Winner. Persons interested in being considered to serve on the volunteer board may contact President Bob Hunt or any of the aforementioned board members, or call 585-377-6010.

Fairport Foundation Mission

The Fairport Foundation is a non-profit corporation dedicated to improving the quality of life for residents in the Fairport/Perinton community by supporting a broad range of programs and projects that:

• advance education
• advance the arts
• preserve local history
• promote tourism
• improve public spaces
• ensure economic vitality

 

Activities

Specific areas of support are to include public art; performing arts; collection of oral, written and visual  histories; environmental initiatives; erection of public facilities and monuments; tourism and destination marketing; economic development agencies and their initiatives; and other endeavors that meet the needs of and goals of the community and are consistent with the purposes of the Fairport Foundation.

The Fairport Foundation has been incorporated to provide a charitable structure that will enhance the ability of existing community organizations to obtain funds necessary to implement programs, execute plans and sustain operations vital to the social, environmental, cultural and, ultimately, the economic well-being of the community.

Anticipated specific areas of Fairport Foundation involvement include but are not limited to:

Fairport Public Art Program

The development and implementation of a public art program, including the commissioning, acquisition and installation of works of art throughout the Village of Fairport New York, would be administered by a Public Art Commission appointed by the Mayor of the Village of Fairport in conjunction with the Fairport Partnership for a Better Community, an economic development agency which has operated in Fairport for 12 years. Together, the commissioners along with the “Partnership’s” Executive Director will work with other stakeholders in the community and region to implement the Fairport Public Art Program. The Fairport Foundation intends to support this vital arts and education program by seeking out grants and providing a fund to which donors may contribute to the cause.

Fairport Junction Rail Park and Festival Site

This fledgling venue will be made complete with the construction of an elevated train-viewing platform and rail park (as designed by the Design committee of the Fairport Partnership for a Better Community). This platform and park will provide a safe venue for the thousands of rail fans who already flock to Fairport to view trains in less-than-ideal safety circumstances. Residents and tourists alike will view the awesome power of the more than 50 trains that pass through the Village of Fairport each day. The elevated platform will also serve as a performance venue for the adjoining festival site. This venue will create a year-round tourist draw to the benefit of the entire village economy. Similar venues in other parts of the U.S. draw and estimated 100,000 rail fans annually. The Fairport Foundation intends to assist in this project by seeking out grants and establishing a fund to which corporate and private donors can contribute to this vital economic development effort.

Potter Park War Memorial

This war memorial, dating back to 1946, has fallen into disrepair and become a danger to residents using Potter Park. The Fairport Foundation intends to provide financial support to this project (now being designed by the Design committee of the Fairport Partnership for a Better Community) by seeking out funding partners and, through a fund to be established for the purpose of raising monies needed to rehabilitate, remodel and reconstruct this cherished monument to our community’s fallen heroes.

Each of these projects lessens the burdens on government, providing educational, charitable and public works to the greater Fairport community.

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The Design Committee of the Fairport Partnership for a Better Community has, in collaboration with the Village of Fairport and Perinton Post 8495 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, created new conceptual design plans for the War Memorial at Potter Park in the Village of Fairport. See the three images which illustrate the proposed renovations to the existing monument.

 

 

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All,

To all that I already know and to those that I have yet to gain the pleasure of their acquaintance, Happy New Year, and, on behalf of the Partnership, a heartfelt thank you for your involvement in this organization.

Below is a press release that announces the dawn of a new era in the Partnership.  It provides information not only about the transformation that has taken place over the last several months, but also announces the formation of the new Foundation.  This is an important initial step in announcing ourselves to the outside world and is the first of many more announcements to come that will provide details on the activities of both organizations.

We have completed a difficult transition and we’re now on our way to a new, exciting period of growth and successful endeavor. Again, thank you so much for being part of our team.

Gian-Paul Piane

President

Fairport Partnership For A Better Community

 

 

 

Fairport Partnership Announces Restructuring,

Creation of New Foundation

The Fairport Village Partnership, recognized throughout New York State as a leading Main Street economic development agency, has become an independent not-for-profit corporation known as the Fairport Partnership for a Better Community.  The change is effective immediately.

Also created is a not-for-profit Fairport Foundation, which will serve as a fundraising organization for the Partnership and its many community projects.  The foundation has applied for IRS 501(c)3 status so that donors may realize a tax benefit from their charitable giving.  Any number of funds may be established under the Foundation umbrella if they fit within the mission of the organization.

At the first Inaugural Annul Meeting for the Fairport Foundation held Jan. 9. 2011, directors elected officers. The voting resulted in Dale Davis, president; Val Wilcox, vice president; Bob Hunt, secretary; Clark King, treasurer; at large members included Lowell Twitchell and Scott Winner.

According to Fairport Partnership President Gian Paul Piane, creation of the new entities had been in the planning stage for more than a year, but the process was accelerated several months ago when circumstances forced the Fairport Industrial Development Agency (IDA) to withdraw funding from the Partnership.  Together, the two new organizations are meant to supplant the funding and operational services that had been provided by the IDA.

Piane emphasized that the Fairport-Perinton Merchants Association, the Village of Fairport, and the Fairport Municipal Commission – all original funding partners – have pledged continuing support for the Partnership.

“We believe incorporation of the Partnership, with the backing of the Fairport Foundation, creates a great opportunity for us to expand our initiatives and to build on our reputation for community-based economic development,” Piane said.

“Since its inception in 2000, the Partnership has contributed immeasurably to the vitality of the community and, in turn, the quality of life of Fairport and Perinton residents,” said Fairport Mayor Fritz May.  “This restructuring allows those good efforts to go forward, and the Foundation opens new avenues for support.”

More than 70 Fairport and Perinton residents serve as volunteers on various standing committees of the Partnership, meeting monthly to focus on areas of local economic development including design, outreach, promotions and economic restructuring. Hundreds more volunteers participate in Partnership projects and events, including members of the Fairport Rotary Club, Perinton Historical Society, and Fairport-Perinton Merchants Association.

 

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Fairport Oktoberfest 2011

 

 

Fairport Junction Festival Site

Liftbridge Lane EastFairport, New York 14450

Come party under the big tent to the sounds of music – traditional and contemporary. Authentic German Cuisine by Swans Market; German wine and beer and good-old American rock-n-roll! Friday, help open the ceremonial keg to traditional German Music by the Fairport Fire Department band under the Direction of Herr Direktor Lenz, followed at 9 pm by the Dave Matthews tribute band Big Eyed Fish! On Saturday, come hear the Alp horns! Dance and drink to traditional German oom-pah music played with a high-energy twist by the Genesee Valley Band!  Then close out the festival with rock-n-roll powerhouse, Download! Ein Prosit!

Sponsored By:

Fairport Savings Bank, Villager Construction, American Equipment Company, Rochester Beer and Beverage, BME

Produced by Fairport Village Partnership

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Thank you all for coming to the Fairport Tapas Pub Crawl

 

 

 

Raffle Winners are:

Donnelly’s Gift Basket winner is Kathleen Eastman

 

Towpath Cafe Gift Basket winner is Sharon Greszler 

Mulconry’s Gift Basket winner is Jean Seager 

A HUGE thank-you to our sponsors: Rochester Beer and Beverage, Villager Construction, American Equipment Company, Turning Point Signs and Design.  And, of course, to five of the finest restaurants in the Rochester area, Fairport’s own: Cellar Door, Donnelly’s Public House, Joey B’s Restaurant, Mulconry’s Irish Pub and Restaurant and Towpath Cafe.      THANK YOU ALL!