The Walworthians: Reybrouck

The Walworthians: Reybrouck

A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209

by Kate Chamberlin

Marcia Reybrouck

August 17, 1995, Wayne County STAR Newspaper

Marcia Reybrouck is one of the people in our neighborhood. Perhaps you heard her being interviewed by Deborah Cauvel on WACK Newark Radio last May.

Raising sheep for their wool to spin and weave is just one of the many things this multi-faceted woman enjoys doing. She is an active member of the Spinners Guild. Her demonstrations at the Annual Sheep Shear Fest fascinate the youngsters and bring back memories to the oldsters.

Her family–she is related to a lot of people in Walworth!–and her church, the Second Baptist Church are the appreciative recipients of her carding, spinning, dyeing and weaving talents.

Along with her sheep on the farmette are four ducks, one Angora rabbit, one ferret, two dogs and one cat. I know Marcia has tried to spin the Angora rabbit’s fur, but I’m not so sure about the fate of the others!

Piece-work sewing for the Cross-eyed Sheep Crafts, owned by John and Beckie Kiever, provides pin (or should I say spin) money. The Kiervers make a variety of woven table runners, placemats and mug rugs. Marcia sews all the hems. They are then stenciled and sold at craft fairs.

Marcia thinks nothing of sewing up 400 mug rugs as “something to do this morning”.

Another thing she likes to do is sell Avon. During her 8 years as our neighborhood Avon lady she has reached the President’s Club level of sales. Her goal to make the Honor Society level of sales was thwarted by such a small shortage that she will be redoubling her efforts. That flash around town just might be Marcia making another delivery!

Marcia often shares her unbound energy with the foster children she cares for from time to time.

“Instead of shaking or harming a child, I’d much rather have young parents or an unwed mother put their child in my care for a while,” Marcia said. “It gives the parent a chance to cool down and maybe learn a better parenting technique.”

Marcia’s parents, Grant and Jerry Whitmire, often opened their home to foreign students through the Friendship Program. As teenagers, Marcia and her sister, Terri, spent 5-weeks in Japan visiting one of their exchange “brothers”.

It is no surprise that the Reybroucks have been a Host family for three years. Recently their week-end guest was a Japanese woman attending a summer program at Hobart-William Smith.

The Macedon FISH has her as one of their substitute drivers. She isn’t called often, but you can bet that she’ll be there when you need her.

Music during the annual Vacation Bible School sponsored by the Walworth Council of Churches will never be the same!  Marcia is this year’s Music Director and promises to have quite an interesting variety of songs. Her son, Dustin, is insisting on pre-approving her selections and will put them on tape. I can’t wait to hear what they have cooked up!

Marcia and her husband, Mike, live with their two children, Daniel, 14, and Dustin, 11, in Mike’s boyhood home on Macedon Center Road.

Mike has gotten into tree stump grinding as a side-line. He has a small Skid-steer loader that makes cleaning out yards a breeze. Dustin uses it to clean out the barn in 1/4 of the time it took Marcia to do by hand!

Last year, Daniel put a pumpkin out near the sheep pen for the ducks. This year, she has one humongous pumpkin on a luscious vine!

“A couple of years ago,” Marcia said. “Mike and I took SCUBA diving lessons. I’m very nervous on top of the water, but I’m much more comfortable under water. Besides, I thought we ought to have something to do as a family.”

Do you suppose someone should warn Mike that Marcia also thinks dance lessons would be a good “togetherness” venture?

Thank you, Marcia, you add spice to our life. You are a Walworthian with the accent on worth.

The Walworthians: Manca

The Walworthians: Manca

A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209

by Kate Chamberlin

Evelyn T. Manca

July 06, 1995, The Wayne County STAR Newspaper

Evelyn T. Manca is one of the people in our neighborhood. She does decorative painting on ceramics and other media.

“I took a big chance when I moved my business out here from Fairport in 1987,” Mrs. Manca said during our telephone interview. “It was the best thing I’ve ever done. The people are so friendly and helpful.”

She felt the less congested area would be more conducive for creating and she hoped her students and clients would follow her. And follow her they did. They come from Bergen, Holcomb, Webster, Gates and Greece just to name a few areas.

Decorating ceramic pieces began as a hobby. Her first teacher, Carolyn Stevens, became her mentor. Eve went to school to learn her craft, then apprenticed with Mrs. Stevens until she closed her shop.

Eve said the time was right to open her own, home-based business. It enabled her to be home with her young children, Anitra and Christina, a wife to her husband, Richard, as well as be an entrepreneur.

The entire basement of her ranch style home on Sherburne Road has become her studio. Some of us ol’ timers will remember that Charlie Hack (Hack, not Haak. Haak is another family!) had built a home on either side of his for their daughters. Eve now lives in the one Duane and Karen Hamelink lived in; right across from the new Town Hall.

“I teach decorative painting techniques on ceramic and other media to adults and children,” Eve said. “My students range from beginners to advanced students who have been with me almost 10 years.”

As a Certified and Licensed Ceramics teacher, her techniques are far from the Paint-by-number type. The techniques include marbleizing, stenciling, brushing and staining on ceramics, fabrics, wood and tin.

“I am experimenting with water-coloring on different surfaces this year,” she said with the excitement of a new challenge sounding in her voice.

She charges $3 per lesson plus the cost of tools, brushes and other supplies (about $7). It might seem expensive for the first-time student, but, as you build up your inventory of tools and brushes, you don’t have to buy them again.

During the summer she holds classes especially for children. She has been enjoying working with a 4-H group. The members are charged a flat rate for each project. After the young artists have decorated their item, she fires each project in her own kiln to complete the item.

“It’s like Christmas every time I open the kiln,” she mused. “You can never get exactly the same results each time, yet, every time is exciting.”

Eve’s work has been used by Habersham’s in decorating a Home-a-rama house.

Her work can be found in Potpourri of Gifts, right in Walworth. Lovely white pitchers and collector’s plates with our town’s name on them are available. Custom names can also be painted on these and other items she furnishes Potpourri of Gifts on consignment. Eve also does a special Christmas plate each year.

If you’re interested in signing up for fall classes or need more information about The Village Studio, Eve Manca’s phone is 986-1487.

Thank you, Eve, you are a Walworthian with the accent on WORTH.

August 23, 2017 Up-Date: Evelyn still lives in Walworth and is enjoying retirement.

The Walworthians: Youngman, Bill and Arlene

The Walworthians: Youngman, Bill and Arlene

A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209

by Kate Chamberlin

William J. Youngman

June 15, 1995, Wayne County STAR Newspaper

William J. Youngman is one of the people in our neighborhood. He was actually born in Walworth; (on February 20th) right in the house at the east end of sherburne Road. His folks rented the house until he was about one year old.

Bill has lived in Walworth his entire life. He can remember visiting the site of the original Walworth Academy with his father before they built the “new” Walworth High School. (Which, we all know, is now the Academy Apartments.

“When I went to school,” he recalled. “There wasn’t any Kindergarten. There was one teacher for the First and Second Grades, one for the Third and Fourth Grades, another the Fifth and Sixth, and another for the Seventh and Eighth Grades. Then we switched teachers for our classes in high school.”

Bill attended twelve years of school, but lacked enough English credits to actually graduate. He went into the Armed Services, instead.

He was in the Infantry (boot camp) and trained with the Air Born Glider Troops. He finished out his two-year military stint in Ordinance (distributing parts and pieces).

After the war, he worked for several months with his father doing carpentry work. He was then hired by Todd Printers. They printed checks and business forms.

During Bill’s 40 year tenure, he saw Todd’s be bought by Burroughs; who then merged with Sperry Rand. Unisys owned the company when it was sold to Standard Register. Bill retired two weeks before the sale was final.

Bill and his wife, Arlene, have lived on Center Street for 45 years. Although Arlene grew-up in Lincoln, she attended the Walworth High School. They knew of each other during school, but he didn’t REALLY meet her until she was a Senior. She was working in the Senior’s Booth at the Fireman’s Fair in Palmyra

They were married on January 4, 1947. They have four grown children:  Richard, is an attorney, Karen is an Assistant Vice-President for a Rochester insurance firm, Lori is an accountant and mother of Amanda and Jennifer. Lisa is a Speech Pathologist with BOCES #1 and the mother of Holly.

One of their fun get-away activities is to go to a cabin in Canada with his brother, Gordon, and his family. The next time you see Bill, ask him about the time they got the chipmunks drunk!

Along with raising his family and being employed, Bill is active in the Walworth Lodge, a Past Commander of the American Legion Post #1710, served on the committee for the Boy Scouts of America for 5 years, bowled with the Thursday Night Mixed League for 36 years and is presently President of the Walworth Cemetery Association.

“I have a lot of information on the cemetery,” he said, dying to talk about it. “It was established in 1852, but there are head stones in there dated 1826. It must have been a family burial place well before it was formally established as a cemetery.”

The Walworth Cemetery is located off Sherburne Road and commands quite a lovely view of the hamlet. Funds for the maintenance of the cemetery come from a 10% fee on each purchase of a grave site. That money is put into an endowment fund. Only the interest from the endowment fund is used for up-keep.

Donations toward this end are also gratefully accepted.

I assured Bill I would dig into this issue at a later date.

In the meantime, Thanks, Bill, you are a Walworthian with the accent on WORTH.

August 17, 2017 Up-Date: Memories of Bill, February 20, ?-June 14, 2011 , and Arlene, April 25, 1927-March 05, 2012,  will live on in the hearts of the many people they touched and deeds they did to help make Walworth a good place to live.

The Walworthians: Carol Johnson

The Walworthians: Carol Johnson

A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209

by Kate Chamberlin

Carol Johnson

June 01, 1995, Wayne County STAR Newspaper

You have an 8:07 A.M. flight out of Rochester International, but your mother is sick, your kids don’t drive and the neighbor’s car is in the shop. What do you do?

Drivers Unlimited, founded by Walworthian Carol Johnson, is your answer. In 1983 Carol began offering a service to drive you in your own car to the airport or anywhere that’s drivable.

Carol was a School Food Manager in Shortsville while her two children, Dan and Nancy, were growing up. She enjoyed the school hours, but, as her teens developed lives of their own, she saw the need for a transport service.

There were only two drivers when she started the business from her Walworth home.

“It has been a hard concept to market,” Carol said. “Our biggest competitor is family and friends!”

Drivers Unlimited offers the convenience of your doing your packing up the night before, the comfort of your own car and the reliability that your car is taken back home. If your car has a ski rack on top, you may not feel comfortable leaving it in the airport car park. You’ll enjoy your vacation knowing your car and rack are safely in your own garage.

The rate for this airport service is about $14 one-way with Midnight to 7 A.M rates being slightly higher.

Drivers Unlimited is also available on an hourly or contract basis to take seniors to regular doctor’s appointments, dialysis, or re-habilitation sessions. Multi-purpose trips to take you shopping and run errands after your appointment can be arranged.

You can also contract with Drivers Unlimited to do regular courier work for you or your business. The rates would be individually based on frequency and mileage.

A limousine service is also available. There isn’t a big call for limos in our area, so it is done on a sub-contracting basis.

The Car Re-location service entails driving you and/or your car to a destination such as driving you in your car to Florida. They can then leave you with your car or drive your car back home.

“Occasionally we have taken a car to a sea port to be transported to Europe. People then have their own car to use for touring”.

All of the services offered by Drivers Unlimited are available on a contract basis or by making a reservation to have an hourly rate. Attractive discounts are part of the contractual deal.

Carol now has 20 drivers. Each driver is screened for a clean license, safe driving habits and the ability to drive both standard and shift.

“Our drivers are very important,” Carol emphasized. “They are competent people you can trust.”

Carol told me about one client who was in a wheel-chair and had her own wheel-chair assist van. The drivers would take her to dialysis three times a week.

“That lady was such an inspiration to us all,” Carol said. “She had such a positive attitude, it became a “driving Miss Daisy” kind of job. Our drivers couldn’t do enough for her. They’d even make minor repairs on the van and carry-in her groceries.”

It is not uncommon for our drivers to stop in for milk and eggs on their way home from picking up a client at the airport.  All of our drivers are the kind that will go the extra mile for you.”

That extra mile was needed when they escorted a lady home after eye surgery. The lady was so glad to see her small dog that she bent down to pick him up. Her eye started to bleed all over. The driver made some phone calls and waited with the lady until medical help could come.

Carol will be a delegate for the Rochester Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners at the White House Conference on small businesses in Washington, D.C. on June 11 through 14. Two of the major issues the Rochester-Buffalo chapters will be raising for discussion are regulatory policies (reduce the paper work!) and income tax issues.

Carol would welcome your phone call concerning NABWO, her up-coming trip to Washington and, of course, to request a driver.

Drivers Unlimited is located at 3380 Monroe Avenue, suite 106, Rochester, 716-381-8750.

Thank you, Carol. You are a Walworthian with the accent on worth.

August 10, 2017 Up-Date: The are numerous “call on” outfits now-a-days, such as Uber, but none have the special services of Drivers Unlimited.

The Walworthians: Aman

The Walworthians: Aman

A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209

by Kate Chamberlin

John H. Aman, Building Inspector

May 18, 1995, Wayne County STAR Newspaper5

Do you remember Mr. Rogers asking, “Who are the people in your neighborhood? in your neighborhood? in your ne-bor-hood?” That’s the one. He used to sing it.

Well, John H. Aman is the Town Building Inspector and Assessor in our neighborhood.

Growing up on a dairy farm in Penfield influenced him toward wanting to be a veterinarian. Life intervened. 15 years after high school, he earned an Agricultural Science Degree from Cornell University.

The desire to be near his extended family and the need of a job, brought the Aman family back to this area. He was living on Cream Ridge Road when he heard about the town’s need for a Building Inspector to enforce the State codes. He applied for the job and was appointed our new Town Building Inspector in 1969.

In 1971, when the town chose to go with the single appointed assessor rather than a panel of three elected people, he added the title and job of Town Assessor. John has attended numerous in-service training courses, seminars and conferences.

“The Association of towns’ meetings,” he says, “provide insights to the new laws, planning, and zoning problems. I find them very helpful. They’re an opportunity to share and learn.”

John has seen Walworth grow by leaps and bounds during his 27 year tenure. The card record keeping formats were just about as numerous. In 1992, more than 90% of the data was re-collected and verified. (Remember Karen Moore coming around?)  The data was then entered into a computer.

“Serving a violation notice on a home-owner,” John says, “is the part about my job I don’t like.”

He is not afraid of dogs, but he does go cautiously when the dog and he don’t know each other.

John, whose birthday is April 4th, lives with his wife, Barbara, and teenage son, Benjamin on Atlantic Avenue with Rocky, a Boxer who thinks he’s a person. John built their home in 1979. There are also six grown children who do not live at home.

John reminded me that every town official has a photo identification card. If anyone asks to come into your home, and you do not know them, request to see their ID card and/or call the Town Hall (986-1400) to verify their right to enter your home.

Thanks, John, I’m glad you’re a Walworthian (note  the accent is on WORTH).

8/04/2017 Up-Date: A lot has changed since 1995. There is a plethora of information on the Town’s website, but, people are still accessible for that personal touch we might need from time to time. The Building Department can be reached at 315-986-1400.

Norman Druschel is our Building Inspector; 315-986-1400; bldginsp@townofwalworthny.gov

Phil Williamson – Code Enforcement Officer (315) 986-1400; zoning@townofwalworthny.gov

Mary Beth Braman – Clerk (315) 986-1400; bldgclk@townofwalworthny.gov