This article was originally published in the Democrat and Chronicle on August 25, 2019.

by Caurie Putnam

On a winter’s day in 2016, Sue Savard opened a dust-covered trunk in a storage room of the village of Brockport’s Emily L. Knapp Museum of Local History and made a startling discovery.

“There were books, newspaper clippings, brushes and notebooks,” recalled Savard, director of volunteers at the museum. “But at the bottom, stacked one on top of another, were 105 oil paintings and 135 illustrations that were at least 100 years old.”

The art — an astonishing variety of landscapes, figure paintings and stills — was the work of Helen Mary Hastings, a Brockporter who lived from 1871 to 1953 and was best known locally for persuading her cousin James Seymour to bequeath his family home to the village for a library and the Knapp Museum.

Just like the stacks of paintings, though, Hastings had many layers. She was not only a relative of one of Brockport’s leading families, but also an accomplished artist with impressive training and a passion for women’s rights and architecture.

“You’ll find articles in all the old New York papers about the museum she started and her historic home restoration,” Savard said. “But few people knew she was an artist.”

Hastings studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art from 1898 to1904 under some of the leading artists of the day, including portraitist Cecilia Beaux and impressionist William Merritt Chase. She also studied at Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry with illustrator Howard Pyle. The paintings and illustrations in the trunk were all made while she was a student.

Also in Hastings’ trunk were her student notebooks and sketchbooks with direct quotes, criticisms and instructions from her teachers.

“We have something amazing here,” recalled artist, instructor and gallery owner Sarah Hart when Savard shared the contents of the trunk with her.

Not only was Hart impressed with the caliber of Hastings’ work, but realized immediately the value of her notebooks, especially with the words of Chase, who was considered an American Monet and established the institution that was the forebear of the Parsons School of Design “Her notebooks have one of a kind information that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world,” Hart said. “And Hastings’ collection shows the old fashion training of a portrait painter. This is a really significant find for people who love this type of art because it’s been washed over by a tidal wave of modernism, but it is making a comeback.”

It is unknown why Hastings saved her student work. At the time, artists typically destroyed their student pieces. Hastings even writes in a notebook that Chase said “not to keep their studies but to paint them out and use the canvas for a fresh start.”

Hart, who lives in Brockport, believes Hastings saved the work as a time capsule for the future and that this time capsule has the potential to attract art scholars and enthusiasts from around the world to the village.

In an effort to further preserve her words and works, Savard has spent the last three years painstakingly transcribing Hastings’ notebooks and self-publishing a book called “Helen Hastings’s Art In A Trunk.” The book, whose proceeds will help support the museum, is available locally at Lift Bridge Books in Brockport and on Amazon.

The public can view the find for the first time at a free exhibit of artwork by Helen Hastings from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, and from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Emily L. Knapp Museum of Local History, 49 State St., on the first floor, in the former mayor’s office, below the museum.

After the show, the work will all be available for viewing permanently in the newly named Helen Hastings’ Gallery within the museum.

Due to the age and delicate condition of the original works (most need extensive restoration), the show and gallery will feature replica canvas prints that have been reproduced by Greg Lawrence of Holley,  Orleans County. Lawrence also assisted Savard with the book.
​Contact Caurie at caurie@urgrad .rochester.edu with news from west-side towns. She’s on Twitter at @Caurie Putnam and on Facebook at facebook .com/BrockportBlog.

This article was originally published in the Democrat and Chronicle on August 11, 2019.
by Caurie Putnam
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Jennifer Oberlies isn’t bothered by some of the strange looks she gets when new customers pop into her store, JC’s Cards and Collectibles in Brockport.

“A lot of people are shocked when they realize I’m the owner,” Oberlies, 43, said. “I’ve been asked, ‘Is your dad here?’ or ‘Is the owner here?’ I don’t know any other female owners of sports cards shops and I don’t know a female that collects either.”

Oberlies, who lives in Spencerport and graduated from Spencerport High School, is no stranger to sports cards. She began collecting baseball cards at age 7 after her parents took her to a Rochester Red Wings game and she fell on love with the sport.

When she was 12 she was the only girl to attend a local baseball camp run by Bobby Bonner, who played for the Baltimore Orioles and Rochester Red Wings — her two favorite baseball teams. She won camp MVP.

Oberlies estimates she has about 100,000 cards (mostly baseball) in her personal collection, over 3,000 of which are her favorite retired player, Baltimore Oriole legend Cal Ripken Jr.

Interestingly enough, one of the most sought-after cards at JC’s Cards and Collectibles is her current favorite player: the Orioles’ Trey Mancini, who is the brother of a Brockport resident.

“People come in looking for Trey Mancini all the time because of the local connection and because he’s very popular,” Oberlies said. “Other popular cards at the moment are Mike Trout, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield.”

Her store buys, sells and trades individual rated and non-rated sports cards and blaster boxes of all types, including baseball, hockey, football and basketball. There is also some fan memorabilia and merchandise, like hats.

Michael Macartney of Brockport was one of about six customers who stopped into JC’s Cards and Collectibles when I was there for an hour on a recent Sunday. He was looking to add to his own, extensive baseball card collection.

“I was in the first day she opened,” said Macartney, who was wearing an Orioles shirt. “I love that the store’s in Brockport, that it’s small, has great pricing and that she’s very personable and knows what she’s talking about.”

Prior to JC’s Cards and Collectibles opening this summer, Macartney did most of his card shopping online from two trusted sellers, but he’s happy to have a sports card focused store on the west side again.

“In the late ’80s, early ’90s, there were probably 20 card stores within a 45-minute drive of Brockport. Now there’s not really any aside from here,” he said. “If you’re spending more than a couple of bucks on cards, you want to feel them and see them.

​That’s why it’s so great to have a place to buy in person.”
Oberlies did have a sports card store on Culver Road for a year in 2003, but the market wasn’t right at the times, she said. What motivated her to try again was to get more youths involved in the hobby. The store is partially named after her 4-year-old nephew, Charlie, whom she has introduced to collecting.
“I wanted a shop for the kids so they have a place to go, where it’s OK to touch the cards and where they can open their packs and enjoy themselves,” Oberlies said. “This is for the kids.”
Contact Caurie at caurie@urgrad .rochester.edu with news from west-side towns. She’s on Twitter at @Caurie Putnam and on Facebook at facebook .com/BrockportBlog.

This article was originally printed in the Democrat and Chronicle on August 18, 2019.
by Caurie Putnam
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When Ryker Pray, 6, of Brockport heard who was performing at the Monika Andrews Children’s Park in Brockport recently, he was raring to go.

“As soon as I told him ‘Your music teacher is going to be there doing a concert’ he was out the door,” said Megan Pray of Brockport, Ryker’s aunt. “He was so excited to see Mrs. Kuhn!”

Ryker and about 50 other youngsters attended the pop-up concert at the park on Aug. 9. The rock star was Sara Kuhn, the music teacher at the Ginther Elementary School in Brockport.

By now, most people are aware of the pop-up trend; eateries, artists and retailers temporarily and unexpectedly setting up shop in a unique location. But, Kuhn surprised the community by offering a pop-up teacher experience to help get kids ready and excited for back to school.

“This idea has always been in the back of my head as a way to help with the transition for the new kindergartners,” said Kuhn, who received an enthusiastic green-light for the concert by her building principal Debra Waye. “Because of the unique way Brockport schools are set up, I teach every kindergartner. I’m a face they all know or will know and I wanted them to have a positive experience with me before school even started.”

Kuhn put a few posts on her teacher Twitter page and some Brockport parenting Facebook pages to advertise the concert, but said she never expected such a huge turnout. Every parking place was full and wagons and bikes lined the sidewalk.

Tommy Brice, of Brockport, brought his first-grader and 3-year-old twins to the concert after his wife saw a post on Facebook. They danced and sang along with Kuhn as she played various instruments and introduced the group to items they’ll see in her classroom, like an owl puppet and cleanup basket.

“Our oldest already had Mrs. Kuhn as a kindergartner, but it was nice for her to interact with her again before school starts,” Brice said. “It was nice for the kids to get out and enjoy the good weather, the music and other kids.”

Kuhn, who grew up in Massena in St. Lawrence County and graduated from Nazareth College with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, is celebrating her 20th year as a music teacher.

She began her career in the Rochester City School District and has taught at Brockport since 2006. Most of her career was with middle school students, but three years ago she moved to the Ginther School, which is for kids from universal pre-kindergarten to first grade.
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“A lot of people didn’t understand why I wanted to move to the younger grades,” said Kuhn, lives in the district with her husband Daniel and their three children, ages 14, 10 and 6. “I believe it’s really important to be where children start; to give them a foundation and help start their love for music now.”

Kuhn draws inspiration from the teaching method of Zoltán Kodály, the late Hungarian composer and educationalist who extolled teaching music to children early and the importance of elementary music teachers in the community.

Among her favorite Kodály quotes: “It is far more important who the elementary music teacher is in a small town than who the director of an opera house is because if the opera house director is not good, he will be dismissed in a year, but a poor music teacher in a small town can kill off the love of music for 30 years from 30 classes of children. This is an enormous responsibility.”

A responsibility Kuhn clearly takes to heart.

Contact Caurie at caurie@urgrad .rochester.edu with news from west-side towns. She’s on Facebook at facebook .com/BrockportBlog.​

article originally published in the Democrat and Chronicle's West Extra column on August 8, 2019.

by Caurie Putnam

A unique, new business in Sweden has horses to thank for its existence.

“This all started because of the horses,” said LaChelle Vick, an owner of 14 horses, who opened Embroider Barn, in December 2018. “When you show horses at A-rated shows, everything from the stall curtain to your jacket back is embroidered with your farm’s name and the horse’s name.”

Vick started showing horses at age 16 and for years would bring her embroidery machine to events to make last minute items and custom requests for other horse owners. Her work became so popular she bought a $10,000 embroidery machine, but it became so much work to lug around to shows that she decided to open her own brickand- mortar embroidery business.

“When we were putting the sign up for Embroider Barn I got really emotional because I am living a dream,” said Vick, who also credits her unique first name as an impetus for getting involved in embroidery. “My name is so unique that I could never find anything pre-made with my name on it; so I made it.”

Her business goes beyond embroidery, though. She also creates T-shirts, decals, personalized gifts, bottle art, decorative items for the home, wedding items (centerpieces, table runners, window panes, etc.) and much more.

​When I stopped by the store at 4878 South Lake Road, in the Sweden Plaza, Vick was creating a custom quilt for a client that was made of denim squares from 40 to 50 pairs of jeans the client’s husband had worn over the years. Some of the squares were embroidered with dates that were important to the family, like anniversaries and birthdays.

“I love being able to talk to someone about a unique gift for their husband or for their daughter’s wedding, coming up with an idea together and then creating a one-of-akind gift,” said Vick, who grew up in Greece and graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School.

When it comes to all her embroidery and other arts, she is self-taught; her grandmother taught her how to sew when she was a teenager and from there she learned through hands-on experiences. She would like to offer such teaching experiences at the store.

“My goal is to offer classes on a monthly basis

on things like rag quilts, card and candle making, painting glasses, and things like that,” Vick said. “There are so many things I want to do and teach others. Crafting is so much fun, but many people are intimidated to try.”

Mariana Soto, of Rochester, is a customer of Vicks who met her through the horse-showing world. She’s thrilled she has her own store now.

“Most of the time you see people who specialize in one thing, like embroidery only,” Soto said. “But she’s DYI (do it yourself) for everything; she’s so talented.”

To learn more about Embroider Barn call (585) 391-3018 or visit on Facebook at Embroider Barn.

Pick of the week

The 25 th Brockport Arts Festival will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 11, on Main Street and several side streets in the village of Brockport. In addition to juried artisans along Main Street, there will be food vendors, non-profit exhibitors, live entertainment, a wine garden, vintage car cruise-in, Duck Derby and more. For a full schedule, go to brockportartsfestival .com.

Contact Caurie at caurie@urgrad.rochester .edu with news from west-side towns. She’s on Twitter at @Caurie Putnam and on Facebook at facebook.com/ BrockportBlog/.

This article originally ran in the July 28, 2019 edition of the Democrat and Chronicle.

by Caurie Putnam
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When Dean Smith, 51, joined the Barnard Fire Department’s Explorer post as a teen in 1984, he had no idea he’d someday teach fire safety in the schools he attended.

“When I was in high school and you would have told me I’d be involved in fire safety I probably would have laughed at you,” said Dean, who graduated from Greece Olympia High School. “I would have said, ‘Just give me a hose.’ ”

Smith, who has been Barnard’s fire and life safety educator since 2001, was recently named the 2019 Fire Safety Educator of the Year by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York. The award is given each year to an individual who has shown a strong dedication to fire safety and education within their community.

“He’s a very humble guy,” said Marsha Holland, of Westfield, Chautauqua County, chair of the Fire Prevention & Life Safety Committee for FASNY. “When I met him at the awards ceremony he said he felt as though he already won just in being nominated by his fire department.”

The committee was impressed by the volume of fire education Smith provides each year to Greece residents (ranging in age from pre-school to senior citizens), his dynamic and interactive lesson plans for classroom visits in the Greece Central School District and many excellent letters of recommendation, including from teachers at the schools he visits, Holland said.

Though Smith, who was also a professional firefighter with the Ridge Road Fire District for nearly three decades, can’t pinpoint why he decided to also volunteer as a fire educator, he’s happy he did.
“Firefighters working in education, prevention and code enforcement are fighting fires before they start,” said Smith, a lifelong Greece resident. “You are touching people in a positive way, empowering them and saving lives.”

Smith points to one story close to his heart to illustrate this. In the early 2000s he made a presentation in a small, special education classroom at English Village Elementary School. He wasn’t sure how much the students absorbed, but a few months later he was contacted by the family of one.

“There had been a fire at the family’s home and this student did what he had learned,” Smith said. “His grandmother said that during the fire he was calm, knew what to do and said, ‘Get on your hands and knees.’ I learned an important lesson that day that in fire safety you don’t always know who you’re impacting.”

Smith, who is also a graduate of Monroe Community College and Empire State College, retired in 2016 from the Ridge Road Fire District following a diagnosis with multiple sclerosis in 2012. But, he’s busier than ever running fire presentation programs, visiting classrooms (where he’s affectionately known as Firefighter Dean) and providing community outreach and education on important topics like car-seat safety.

“Multiple sclerosis has impacted my life significantly and changed the way I do things, but it hasn’t stopped me from doing the things I love or helping others.”

Contact Caurie at caurie@urgrad .rochester.edu with news from west-side towns.