OCI Press

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (aka GO ART!) plans to host the 7th Annual Genesee-Orleans Community Arts Awards on Saturday, April 21, 2007 at the Stuart Steiner Theatre and GCC Forum, Batavia. GO ART! is seeking nominations of outstanding individuals and organizations for recognition of their contributions to the Genesee-Orleans cultural community. Each year, GO ART! focuses attention on the extraordinary contributions to arts and culture made by individuals and organizations in the Genesee-Orleans region. Nominations are solicited annually by the public, and recipients are selected by an independent committee of cultural leaders. The award categories are:

Individual Award: An individual who has made a significant contribution to the arts in our community, including arts in education, patronage, development of cultural programming, or arts activism.
Cultural Organization Award: An organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the arts and cultural life of our community.
Artist Award: An individual in any artistic discipline (e.g. dance, literature, visual arts, folk arts, music, etc.) who has made a significant contribution to his or her art form.
Business/Foundation Award: A business or foundation that has made an outstanding contribution to the arts and cultural life of our community.

We would also like to recognize significant anniversaries of arts and cultural organizations. If you know of an arts or cultural organization celebrating an anniversary in 2007, please let us know – this will not be competitive.

Deadline for the complete submission of nominations is 4pm, December 20th, 2006. Nominations must be received by GO ART!, 201 East Main Street (corner of Main & Bank Streets), Batavia, NY, by the deadline. For more information or to request a Nomination Form, please contact GO ART! at 585-343-9313 or 1-800-774-7372, email info@goart.org or download a copy at http://www.goart.org.

With nothing but blue skies above and temperatures in the 70’s & 80’s, the weekend had the key ingredients for success from the start. And judging from the comments we received after the 6th Annual Oak Orchard Wooden Boat Festival, our goals had been achieved. The Orleans County Marine Park hosted nearly 2,000 visitors over the 2-day event, August 12-13th, with guests attending from as far as Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Texas to enjoy any of the 8 concerts, the multitude of antique and classic boats on display, food tastings and arts & crafts. We even met some wayward foreign students who got sidetracked while traveling to Niagara Falls!

Ray Leonard, boat coordinator and originator of the festival, had his concerns leading up to the festival regarding sufficient dockage & bridge clearance. He had received over 450′ of boats registered to be displayed on shore and in the water, one with a 51′ mast height. This was a record number of registrants, which included, for the first time, sailboats, classic fiberglass boat and two eye-catching schooners that sailed in from Wilson and Sodus, NY.

Celebrating National Marina Day on Saturday, the boat parade was lead by local band, Jazz-a-Matazz performing Dixieland tunes on Leonard’s 37′ wooden yacht, Dahlikahn. Juggler Brian Kozody entertained the masses while juggling on a 16′ Chris Craft, the Emily Pearl, owned by Bob & Kathy Schumacher. Applause broke out along the river as the schooner, Sara B motored by with Bagpiper Jake Allen performing traditional melodies such as ‘Amazing Grace’.

Demonstrations by the WNY Chapters of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association and the Antique Outboard Motor Club held the interest of many of the ‘Do-it-Yourself’ boat enthusiasts on shore. Both organizations were thrilled to be part of this year’s festival and are looking forward to returning next year. Family entertainers such as Roger Ragan, AKA Dock the balloon twisting Fisherman and juggler Brian Kozody attracted very captive audiences. Coastie, the US Coast Guards’ talking, robotic mascot traveled all the way from Cleveland to join in on the festivities Saturday. A variety of performers graced the two stages at the park with country, bluegrass, jazz, rock & blues and contemporary music filling the air throughout the weekend, which began with the Orleans County Veterans marching in accompanied by Ron & Nancy OneSong’s “God Bless America”.

Local fundraising efforts by the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Committee also proved successful with record sales of official Lighthouse merchandise, according to chair, Peg Wiley. The Orleans County Genealogical Society’s book signing and presentation was also a popular attraction as Holly Canham introduced the new historical book “Carlton & Point Breeze”. This was especially appealing to the visitors as it included historical photographs of activities along the Oak Orchard River and lake shore from days gone by.

Wayne Hale, director of Orleans County Tourism, hosted the event with OCI Partners & Leonards Landing Marina, which included the annual Moonlit Movie projected under the Lake Ontario Parkway bridge. The response was so overwhelming, that plans have begun to feature a series of weekend movies at the marine park for Summer 2007.

OCI Partners attributes much of the festival’s success to the generous support of our sponsors and contributors, including Washington Mutual, Medina Railroad Museum, Michael Zelazny CPA, Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union, Lake Breeze Marina, Greg’s Barber Shop, Associated Brands, Monroe Electronics and Ontario Shores Federal Credit Union. Prizes were provided by Classic Schooner Adventures, Moondance Catamaran, Wal-Mart, NauticaLyn Designs & Nautical Stationery and the Medina Railroad Museum. Further support was provided by Orleans County Veterans, Journal-Register, Orleans County Chamber of Commerce, LynOaken Farms, GO ART!, Sports + Graphics Company and the Iroquois Job Corps.

For more information and especially to view photos from the Wooden Boat Fest, visit www.woodenboatfest.com. And mark your calendar for the 7th Annual Oak Orchard Wooden Boat Festival, Aug. 11-12, 2007!

A public reading of “Gettysburg, the True and the Free”, a full length, dramatic musical written by Jim and Debbie Schmitt of Lyndonville, will be presented Tuesday evening, June 20, 2006 at 7:30pm, at the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, 20 Windsor Street, Rochester, NY.

Inspired by actual people and events, the story follows best friends Winfield Scott Hancock and Lewis “Lo” Armistead who, having served side by side in the Mexican War, return to long-time love, Almira Russell. They are soon divided by the outbreak of civil war. At their parting, Armistead vows that he will never raise his hand against Hancock. Gettysburg residents are also torn apart as brothers Wesley and Will Culp discover that they are on opposite sides of the cause. Jennie Wade must say goodbye as fiancé Jack Skelly goes off to fight. The story culminates when Union and Confederate forces collide in Pickett’s Charge at the famous Battle of Gettysburg. The musical contains numerous songs that are sung by the leading characters and the entire ensemble. Battle sequences are accompanied by extensive arrangements for a nine piece orchestra. The cast includes popular, professional actors from the Rochester area and New York City.

“Gettysburg” was originally written in 1997, followed by productions in 1998 in Lyndonville, NY and again in 2001 for the Historic Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, NY where the musical was well received. Grants were awarded by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council to assist with the development and production of “Gettysburg”. Since that time, Jim and Debbie have done extensive re-writes that improve the character development, dialogue and flow of the story. Downstairs Cabaret Theatre sponsored two readings of “Gettysburg” last year that received positive reviews. After the latest modifications, the goal of this reading is to establish the readiness of “Gettysburg” for a complete professional production in Rochester.
Please call 585-325-4370 for reservations.

POINT BREEZE, NY… The 6th annual Oak Orchard Wooden Boat Festival will be held August 12 & 13, 2006 at the Orleans County Marine Park, Point Breeze Road (Route 98) in Point Breeze. Festivities are kicked off with opening ceremonies by the Sheret Post #35 American Legion Family and other veterans organizations as well as the United Way’s annual 5K Run on Saturday morning, and continue with a full line-up of live entertainment on the main stage and other activities throughout the Park on both days of the event. The festival observes National Marina Day on August 12th, and admission and parking are free.

This year’s event will feature in-water and onshore wooden, classic & antique boat displays & parade on the river (2pm Saturday), the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association exhibit & demos, the western New York Antique Outboard Motor Club, Coast Guard Auxiliary. Also on tap is a juggling pirate, face painting, clowns, food vendors, free boat rides, not-for-profit booths and an arts & crafts show & sale. Live entertainment line-up for Saturday includes the toe-tapping rhythms of the Dixieland band, “Jazz-a-Ma-Tazz”, the soothing vocals of Lisa Zelazny, bluegrass artists “Fiddlers of the Genesee” and “String Fever”, finishing up with the rock ‘n’ blues band “The Whodats”. Saturday night you’ll want to join us under the Parkway overpass to watch a nautically themed movie projected over the river. On Sunday the festivities resume with a spiritual concert in the morning, followed by the critically acclaimed “Henrie Brothers” with their old-time and traditional bluegrass (funded in part by the NYSCA Folk Arts Program).

The Oak Orchard Wooden Boat Festival is presented by the Orleans County Tourism Office, OCI Partners, Leonard’s Landing and the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council. Sponsors include Washington Mutual, Monroe Electronics, Michael Zelazny CPA, Associated Brands, Lake Breeze Marina The Orleans County Marine Park is located at the Lake Ontario State Parkway Albion exit, on Point Breeze Road, 8 miles north of Albion. For more information contact OCI Partners at 585-331-8814 or visit http://www.woodenboatfest.com.

###

POINT BREEZE, NY…On June 9 & 10, 2006 Orleans County is excited to join the ranks as one of four competitive two-day team sport fishing tournaments on Lake Ontario, New York, this summer. For the first time, Orleans County will be hosting its own Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament, timed to coincide with the ever-popular Strawberry Festival in Albion to make for a fun-filled weekend for the whole family to enjoy. Also, from 2-4pm on Friday, June 9th, while the weigh-in is taking place, there will be a live and silent auction at the Orleans County Marine Park. Part of the proceeds from the auction as well as the Pro-Am Tournament will benefit children’s cancer projects.

According to the Orleans County Tourism web site (www.orleanscountytourism.com): Lake Ontario is the most prolific Great Lakes trophy trout and salmon producer. Together with the Oak Orchard River, they form an unequaled year round trout and salmon sport fishery famous for its world class fishing. Fishing our waters is both relaxing and instantly exhilarating when fighting a 12-pound brown trout or 30-pound Chinook salmon. What distinguishes a Pro-Am Tournament is that “some of the luck is removed and replaced by skill”, claims Mike Waterhouse, Chair of the Orleans County Tournament. “The winner of a Tournament has the highest number of points based on two days of fishing. Contestants are awarded 10 points per fish and 1-point per pound of each legal fish caught. Also instead of individual fishermen, the tournament is made up of teams. The pro teams compete against the other pro teams and the amateur teams complete against the other amateur teams.”

Prizes abound, and fishing time for a normal day will be from 6:30am to 2pm.
However, those times can be altered at the discretion of the committee. If you are interested in participating, mail-in-entries must be received by Friday, June 2nd, and walk-in entries must be received by Noon on Monday, June 5th. Entry forms are available at area tackle shops or by calling 585-682-4925.

The four-tournament series covering Niagara, Orleans, Oswego and Wayne Counties is sponsored by Health Imaging, Inc., and the Orleans County Pro-Am Tournament is presented by the Oak Orchard Business Association, Orleans County Chamber of Commerce and Orleans County Department of Tourism. For more information, call 585-682-4925 or visit http://www.lakeontarioproam.com/orleans.html.

The Marketing & Tourism Committee of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce announces its annual Brochure Exchange, to be held preceding the OCCC Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006. The Exchange offers Orleans County businesses an opportunity to network and exchange promotional material with fellow retailers, restaurants, accommodations, attractions, and service professionals. In 2005, nearly 200 attended the Chamber’s annual meeting, so it also provides a great outlet for informing Chamber members of services and products available. The Exchange takes place from 4:30-5:30pm, with the Annual Meeting starting immediately afterwards. Reservations for attending both the Brochure Exchange and Annual Meeting (includes dinner, silent auction and awards ceremony) are $25; Brochure Exchange only is $10. Tables and signage will be available for all Exchange participants. For more information or to reserve your space, call 585-589-7727, or download the pdf form here, fill it out and mail it to the Chamber, 433 Main Street, Medina, NY, 14103.

In “New York Game & Fish” Magazine’s January edition, our two local Wildlife Management Areas were among the top recommendations in an article by Rod Cochran entitled “Waterfowl Bonanza”: “These two WMAs bracket the 11,000-acre Iroquois Wildlife Refuge, and together they comprise one of the top waterfowl management areas in the East. The problem for late-season hunters is that the areas’ extensive marshes and shallow ponds freeze early. But during years when Jack Frost stays north of the border and a few sunny days break through the December gloom, these state facilities are highly recommended. The habitat here is ideal for puddle ducks, and geese flock here as well. The DEC has conducted extensive tests on various types of mallard nest sites to foil predators.”

Open to residents and visitors of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties! The photographic subject is maple production and events during New York State’s award-winning maple syrup season (depending on our winter…last year it ran from March 4 through April 3), and in particular, Maple Weekend celebrations on March 19-20 and 26-27. This competition is part of the region’s “Sugar & Spice and Everything Ice” promotion. There will be two levels of competition – Adult and Youth – with 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place for each level. Prizes will be awarded. For entry info, visit http://www.SugarSpiceandIce.com or call 585-343-9313 ext. 26.

After nine long months of waiting to hear on their application to the IRS for Not-For-Profit status, the Oak Orchard Light House Museum is now a 501(c)(3) organization. With this designation, donations to the museum are now fully tax-deductible for the donor. This is a giant step that started with a few interested people meeting in the Orleans County Marine Park in the summer of 2003 to explore the possibility of rebuilding the light that once graced the entrance to Oak Orchard Harbor. The 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status should step up fundraising, with a lighthouse at Point Breeze being constructed in the near future. For more info, call 585-682-4530 or visit http://www.oakorchardlighthouse.com.

Congress is now considering a tax bill whose provisions may profoundly affect charities and foundations. The House of Representatives and the Senate are expected to move into a conference next week to resolve differences in their respective versions of the Tax Relief Act of 2005 (H.R. 4297). In addition to other tax provisions, the Senate bill includes a number of charitable giving incentives and reforms intended to strengthen the governance and accountability of charities and foundations. The House bill does not include any of the charitable incentives or reforms. The incentives included in the Senate bill are intended to increase significantly charitable giving at a time when the resources of charities are stretched thin. Many of the reforms are designed to improve government oversight and prevent abuses by individuals who would exploit the tax laws and charitable organizations for personal gain. There are, however, five specific provisions that we think will be harmful to charitable initiatives. Independent Sector, as well as many other charitable organizations, is working hard to convince the conferees to drop or amend these provisions, which are detailed on the IS website: http://www.independentsector.org/programs/gr/charityreform.html#changes