Sun & Record/Wayne County Mail

02/25/2026

SECTIONAL CHAMPION: 🎳🎳 Congrats to Pal-Mac’s own Nora Rowe, who earned a Section V Class C Bowling title today!!!

Nora finished with an overall total of 1270 between the morning and afternoon sessions.

Her performance also earned her a spot in the New York State Championships, and the Class C All-Tournament Team.

The Red Raiders finished in the top 5 overall as a team, too!

Way to go, Nora!!

02/24/2026

Perry B. Lee was a formerly enslaved man who became a key figure in Palmyra’s Black history. After gaining his freedom at age 21, just days before the Emancipation Proclamation, he moved from the Washington, D.C. area to Palmyra, New York, where he built a home on West Main Street across from a church believed to be the final stop on the Underground Railroad before freedom in Canada.

A barber, horse doctor, and abolitionist, Perry owned a barbershop with his son at a time when few professions were open to Black men. Black barbershops were more than businesses, they were hubs for news, organizing, and mutual aid, where information and abolitionist ideas were shared.

Perry was an agent for The Colored American, a newspaper, and a participant in the Colored Men’s Convention movement, representing New York in national efforts for abolition, civil rights, and education. Like many Black barbers in Wayne County, he helped connect churches, Underground Railroad routes, and postwar support networks, showing that the fight for freedom also lived in everyday spaces.

Picture from: Find a Grave- Perry B. Lee
Find more information at: WARE- Black Barbers of the 19th Century Wayne County

02/22/2026

COLLEGE SPORTS WRAP
By John Addyman

For Feb 22 26

We are in full swing of championship season this week as track and swimming conference titles are earned, basketball is just entering the playoffs, and lacrosse and baseball are cranking up.
Lots of exemplary efforts this week. Check out Preston Steve, Keagan Hoesterey and newcomer Sam Banner in lacrosse. Outstanding performers in track & field include Gwendolyn Tompkins, Michael Prentice, Norah Keeney, Ben VanVranken, Aiden VanAmburg, Jack DeFeo and Meah Prutzman. In basketball, Mason Blankenberg, Taryn Goodness and Takyla Vaughn excelled. And in swimming championships, Elizabeth Share, AJ Merced, Hayden Smith and Kenzie Wilck made vital contributions.
Celebrate with all our local college athletes this week…

LACROSSE

Nazareth University men’s soccer opened the season on Saturday with a barn-burner against Endicott College that ended in overtime with a 9-10 loss. The Golden Flyers led at the half, 7-3, but couldn’t hang on. Sophomore midfielder Alex Garrow (Wayne Central) picked up two ground balls in the loss.
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Utica University’s women opened their season at home on Saturday by losing to SUNY New Paltz, 7-17. Senior starting defensive back Ella Stanton (Pal-Mac) picked up one ground ball.
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Roberts Wesleyan men’s lax opened the season on Monday with a 15-7 win over Malone University, then lost on Wednesday to Walsh University, 101-12, both games played in Ohio.
Junior attacker Preston Steve (Newark) put three of his shots on goal, picked up one ground ball and caused one turnover in the Malone win. Junior teammate Carlos Bueso (Newark) was active on the field – he picked up a penalty.
In the Walsh loss, the Redhawks had a 6-5 halftime lead they couldn’t extend. Preston assisted on two goals by Chase Wilson in the second period, put one shot on goal himself and picked up a ground ball; Carlos was on the field but produced no stats.
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Alfred University men’s lacrosse got a goal from junior attacker Drew Smith (Gananda) and three assists from sophomore midfielder Keagan Hoesterey (Pal-Mac) but that wasn’t enough to stop Penn College on Saturday in a 10-13 loss. Drew also picked up one ground ball and Keagan scooped three of them. Senior midfielder Tariq Joseph (Newark) was also in the game but recorded no stats.
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Daemen University’s women opened their lacrosse season by sinking Lake Erie College, 16-1, on Thursday. Freshman midfielder Sam Banner (Wayne Central) made her collegiate debut a solid effort by scooping three ground balls and getting a draw control. Senior starting midfielder Jenna Havert (Newark) picked up two ground balls and caused one turnover.
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Hartwick College men’s lacrosse opened its season with two losses – 6-23 to Skidmore College on Tuesday, and 10-16 to Oswego State on Saturday. Junior defensive back Cael Lawson (Wayne Central) lifted one ground ball and was 0-for-1 in faceoffs in the Skidmore game; he picked up another ground ball in the Oswego loss.

TRACK & FIELD

Nazareth University hosted its Conference Tune-up Track & Field Meet on Friday. Golden Flyer sophomore Gabriella Primrose (Clyde-Savannah) cleared 1.38 meters in the high jump, good for sixth place.
St. Bonaventure freshman Gwendolyn Tompkins (North Rose-Wolcott) finished 11th in the 200-meter dash with a personal best of 29.26 seconds, a clocking that’s in the top 10 for the Bonnies’ record book. Junior Kylie Paylor (Clyde Savannah) finished eighth in the 3000 meters (11:51.88).
Oren Welch (Marion), a sophomore at St. John Fisher, took third in the 60-meter hurdles (8.59) and finished fourth in the pole vault (4.47 meters – a post-season-qualifying jump). Teammate Michael Prentice (Wayne Central) zoomed to a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash invite (22.72)
University of Rochester junior Quillan Shimp (Clyde-Savannah) finished 14th in the high jump (1.68 meters)
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Oneonta State freshman distance runner Lilly Jacobs (Williamson) finished 13th in the 3000-meter run (12:02.59) at the Marc Deneault Invitational Track & Field Meet at Cornell University on Saturday.
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Penn State/Behrend sophomore Norah Keeney (Wayne Central) finished fifth in the hammer throw (12.63 meters) and was sixth in the shot put (9.05 meters) at the Houghton University Last Chance Qualifier meet on Saturday.
Houghton’s own sophomore Gwenna Haas (Red Creek) took fourth in the 400-meter dash (1:03.55). Sophomore teammate Grace Gasparri (Williamson) grabbed a third-place finish in the long jump (4.26 meters), came in fourth in the 60-meter hurdles (11:42) and 10th in the shot put (8.18 meters). Senior Isaac Gasparri (Williamson) ran to a 17th-place finish in the mile (5:54.56).
Alfred State College junior Charis Evans (Red Creek) claimed a third-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles (10.86) and took eighth place in the 200-meter dash (30.93). Sophomore teammate Ben VanVranken (Red Creek/APW) won the pole vault (4.50 meters – a post-season-qualifying mark). Sophomore Ethan Hanford (Red Creek) came in sixth in the 400-meter dash (55.20) and sophomore Keenan Murray (Williamson) was three spots behind him in ninth place (55.99).
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Roberts Wesleyan women’s track had a busy week. Last Sunday the Redhawks won the East Coast Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at Ocean Breeze Complex on Staten Island. Junior Jessica Montemorano (Clyde-Savannah) finished 23rd in the 800 meters (2:40.75) and ninth in the mile (5:42.53). On Friday night, the Redhawks were at the Brockport Friday Night Meet – Jessica did not compete.
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At that Brockport State Friday Night Meet, Brockport senior Vanessa Ramos (Wayne Central) took sixth place in the 800 meters (2:25.41). Senior teammates Lexi Rodriguez (Williamson) came in sixth in the 200-meter dash (27.07).
Fredonia State junior Aiden VanAmburg (Clyde-Savannah) took third place in the 500-meter dash (1:07.93).
Geneseo State junior Sophia Barclay (Pal-Mac) flashed to a second-place finish in the 300-meter dash (41.86) and was ninth in the 200-meter dash (27.26). Senior teammate Sam Belmont (Williamson) was doing some flashing of his own, claiming second place in the 500 meters (1:04.79).
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The Rochester Institute of Technology sent junior Jack DeFeo (North Rose-Wolcott) to Penn State on Friday to compete in the 400-meter dash. He finished third in 48.39 seconds.
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John Carroll University sophomore Meah Prutzman (Gananda) finished sixth in the mile (5:30.73) at the Ed Finnigan Invitational at Case Western Reserve University.

BASKETBALL

Penn State/Behrend men’s basketball finished its regular season on Saturday, winning the last three games and ready for the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference semifinals that will be played this Friday night at a site to be determined.
With the two wins this week, the Lions finish the season 19-6 (15-1 AMCC). On Wednesday Behrend tagged La Roche College, 71-45. Senior starting guard Mason Blanknberg (Wayne Central) scored 14 points, selected five rebounds for possession and blocked one shot. On Saturday, the Lions had to wrestle past Mount Aloysius, 60-57, with Mason and other starters on a short leash and just five minutes’ playing time – he scored five points, and has 953 career points at PSB.
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The season ended quickly for Alfred University women’s basketball. On Tuesday, the Saxons played their final regular-season game, losing to Houghton University, 53-78, and ending up with a regular-season 11-14 record (5-11 in the Empire 8 Conference). Sophomore forward Madison Dohse (Gananda) collected one rebound and made one steal for Alfred.
Saturday saw the beginning of the Empire 8 Conference playoffs, with Alfred the eight seed taking on top-seeded Nazareth and getting eliminated, 50-75. Madison had two rebounds and two assists. The Saxons close the lockers with an 11-15 season.
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Corning Community College women’s basketball dropped its last two games of the season – 60-74 to Jefferson CC on Friday and 50-84 to Onondaga CC on Saturday, closing he season scorebook with an 11-10 record. Freshman center Kayle Bellefontaine (Marion) grabbed six rebounds in the Jefferson game and took down three more against Onondaga.
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Fredonia State women’s basketball dropped three games last week, and with those losses, any chance of competing in the SUNYAC championship playoffs. The Blue Devils fell to Cortland on Tuesday, 48-666, to Oswego State on Friday, 67-71, and to Canton State on Saturday, 53-65. The Devils file away the scorebook with a 13-12 record (8-10 SUNYAC).
Sophomore starting guard Ashley Kalvitis (Macedon/Penfield) scored two points against Cortland and made three assists and had one steal; in the Oswego game, she scored one point, had two rebounds, made an assist and had one steal; in the season-ender, she scored seven points (her second-best scoring night of the season), had a rebound and three assists.
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Hobart College was one win shy of making the Liberty League playoffs with its 8-10 record, but the Statesmen won their last three games to finish the season off with a bit of a flourish and end up 14-11 overall. Sophomore guard Devyn Williams (Lyons) got into Saturday’s last game, a win over winless Bard College, but did not register any stats.
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Monroe Community College women’s basketball has a five-game win streak after getting two wins during the week, 85-63 over Bryant & Stratton on Tuesday and 65-62 over SUNY Niagara on Saturday. Freshman starting guard Taryn Goodness (Pal-Mac) scored 11 points, snagged seven rebounds, made four assists and five steals against Bryant & Stratton; in the Niagara game, she came in off the bench to grab one rebound, made three assists, five steals and one block. The Tribunes are 20-7.
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Starting freshman forward Takyla Vaughn (Newark) blossomed with a double-double for the Mohawk Valley Community College Hawks last Sunday, canning 19 points, corralling 13 rebounds, making four steals and two assists in a losing cause against Fulton-Montgomery CC, 57-62.
On Wednesday, the Hawks ended their regular season with a 77-59 win over Hudson Valley CC and Takyla dumped in 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds, had five steals and two assists. Mohawk Valley is 12-9.

SWIMMING

The Roberts Wesleyan swim team won the Metropolitan Collegiate Team Championship last Sunday after three days of competition, with important efforts from two local freshmen – AJ Merced (Newark) and Hayden Smith (Pal-Mac).
On the final day, Hayden swam the second leg of the second-place 400 free relay (3:10.12), which was the last event, the points awarded giving the Redhawks the team crown. He also finished seventh in the 100 free (50.05) that day. AJ was fourth in the 1650 free (18:28.04).
Roberts Wesleyan swimmers next compete on March 11 at the NCA Division II Championships in Evansville, IN.
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The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) swimming and diving championships were held from Wednesday through Saturday. As of Friday night, Oswego State’s women were in third place behind Cortland State and Penn State/Behrend. Laker senior Anna Baker (Ontario/Webster Shroeder) finished sixth in the 400 individual medley (4:51.44) and swam the third leg of the 11th-place 400 medley relay (4:18.54).
Cortland State freshman Kenzie Wilck (Newark) took fifth place in the three-meter diving (324.05) and was sixth off the one-meter board (313.80). The Red Dragon men were second overall.
Fredonia State freshman Landon Stanley (Clyde-Savannah) anchored the eighth-place 200 medley relay (1:46.74) and 400 free relay (3:33.91), and the ninth-place 200 free relay (1:40.59). In individual events he was 28th in the 100 free (55.19) and 29th in the 50 free (24.41).
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Alfred University’s women finished fifth in the Empire 8 Conference Championships that covered four days of competition at the Webster Aquatic Center. Sophomore Elizabeth Share (Pal-Mac) had one spectacular event – she won the 100 (58.07) and 200 backstrokes (2:06.38), took third place in the 400 individual medley (4:41.01), and swam the first legs of the fourth-place 200 medley relay (1:52.62) and the fifth-place 400 medley relay (4:11.19) and 800 free relay (8:25.43). She also anchored the fifth-place 400 free relay (3:50.12).
Brockport State’s men took runners-up honors behind the champions at Geneseo State. Golden Eagle senior Jace Fredericksen (Newark) finished 11th in the 1650 free (18:51.85) and the 500 free (5:08.78), swam the third leg of the 10th-place 400 free relay (3:15.59), and anchored the 1th-place 800 free relay (7:23.88). Senior teammate Chip Murphy (Newark) swam to a 10th-place finish in the 200 backstroke (2:07.10) 11th place in the 100 back (58.39), and 15th place in the 200 individual medley (2:11.50).
Hartwick College men’s swimming finished fourth. Junior Matt Cole (North Rose-Wolcott) placed seventh in the 1650 free (17:13.36), eighth in the 200 butterfly (2:03.31), and 10th in the 400 individual medley (4:33.40). In the relays, he swam the first leg in the 12th-place 200 medley relay (1:54.12) and the third leg of the 12th-place 800 free relay (7:28.00).

WRESTLING

The University at Buffalo men won a dual meet with Ohio University on Saturday, 22-16, but senior Kaleb Burgess (Pal-Mac) was beaten in a meet of this type for only the second time this season. Kaleb lost the 157-pound bout to Derek Raike by 7-3 decision.

BASEBALL

The Alfred State College baseball team opened its season at Mount Union University losing three straight to the Raiders, with two of those losses in games last Sunday 0-12 and 1-11. Those games were in Indianapolis.
On Saturday, in Salem, VA, the Pioneers were beaten by Roanoke College twice, 2-3 and 5-20.
The Pioneers have played six games and lost to three different teams, and two of those teams have beaten them at least twice. That’s a tough start.
Junior Christian Morrison (Pal-Mac) plays third base for Alfred State. In the first Sunday loss to Mount Union, he batted 0-for-3; in the second he was 0-for-1 with a walk. In Saturday’s first loss to Roanoke, he batted 0-for-4; in the second game, he didn’t play in the second game.

02/21/2026

02/21/2026

February 1893
NYS Custodial Asylum Opened in Newark

The following except by Cecilia Jackson (former Arcadia Historian) from an article in the Newark Courier-Gazette, Thursday, September 13, 1973.

“Commandingly situated upon the summit of a large hill at East Newark is a fine brick edifice, seen for miles away, attracts the attention of tourist and stranger.” Quoted from McIntosh’s History of Wayne County, the statement refers to the buildings at the north end of the Newark State School.

Miss Lizzie West, in an Early History of Newark (1918), writes, “Just before the rebellion [Civil War] a brick building was commenced on Asylum Hill intended for a Baptist Collegiate Institute. Funds failed, work was suspended, and 12 years later was purchased by and finished for a Lutheran Academy. It was used from 1873-1876 as a college but want of students and funds caused foreclosure of mortgage and it remained idle until the state became interested in the property.”

Landmarks of Wayne County credits S.S. Peirson and E. K. Burnham with untiring efforts to pass a bill in the State Legislature incorporating and permanently establishing the school, an experimental branch of the Syracuse Asylum since 1878 when it started with nine girls. The bill was passed on May 14, 1885, with Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Warner serving as first superintendent and matron. Warners resigned in 1886 and Mr. and Mrs. W. Landon Willett were employed, who were in turn replaced by Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Winspear in 1893.”

Other materials from Miss West tell of the improvements to the three buildings at the north end of the property. The driveways in front of the asylum were installed in 1887. The corridors connecting the buildings were built in 1887. The porch on the main building was added in 1893.

On a “clear, bright day in June (1893) people from surrounding communities began coming up the hill for the formal dedication to which the public had been invited. The newly completed chapel was filled to its 600-seat capacity and the NYS Custodial Asylum for Feebleminded Women became a reality.” With the establishment of the NYS Department of Mental Hygiene, the institution became known as the Newark State School in 1927.

The three long-time brick landmarks on the hill were demolished because of safety concerns in 1973.

Postcard view of NSS - courtesy Chris Davis, Newark-Arcadia Historian.

To read Jackson’s full article – visit: https://waynehistorians.org/Places/site.php?site=1220

02/20/2026

On Saturday, February 7th, over 300 students from grades 7-12 participated in the Wayne County Music Educators Association All-County Band auditions at Newark High School. Each student had to memorize scales, perform two prepared excerpts, and tackle a short section of sight-reading and perform in front of trained adjudicators, who rated them on seven different categories.

Please join us in congratulating the following students who earned a spot in this year’s WCMEA All-County Band, which will take place March 20th-21st at Sodus High School! We are !

02/18/2026

02/16/2026

02/16/2026

A huge shout-out to our neighbors at Dollar General in Newark! We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing drive to collect donated items for our pantry.

Our mission relies entirely on the generosity of neighbors like you. Whether it's a financial gift, a bag of groceries, or few hours of your time, every contribution keeps our doors open and our shelves stocked!

02/16/2026

02/16/2026