NEWFANE — Blessings continue to mount at a plaza on South Main Street in Newfane.
Blessings Plaza, once known as Eighteenmile Creek Plaza, has already four tenants, Sunkiss’d Tanning, H&R; Block, Tammy-Jo’s Cafe and Blessings Hair Salon. But plaza owner Lori Flynn will be bringing along another business when she opens Yesterday’s Blessings in October. Flynn, who also owns Sunkiss’d and Blessings Hair Salon, described the new business as sort of like an antique shop. Yesterday’s Blessings will be selling gently used and refurbished items.
“It’s always been a passion of mine,” Flynn said.
Flynn said she has plenty of stuff to unload in Yesterday’s Blessings. Some of the items include country style home decor as well as some folk art items. Flynn said an opening in October might be able to draw some of the Christmas shopping rush. When it does open, Yesterday’s Blessings will be open from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
With 30 years of experience in hair care, Flynn opened Blessings Hair Salon in 2002. Since then, Flynn has been busy. The tanning salon opened in September 2007, replacing an old tanning salon that had been there for about 22 years. Then, about a year ago, Flynn bought the entire plaza.
“It’s our one-year anniversary,” Flynn said. “We’ve redone the storefronts. It’s a great opportunity for business.”
But with blessings sometimes come trials. Sunkiss’d Tanning Salon offers oval-shaped tanning beds which help give people a more complete tan. There are also spray tanning rooms, which provide a person with a tan that moisturizes the skin and protects it from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. But a recent report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer said people who use tanning beds increase their risk of developing cancer by 75 percent. That has caused some trouble for tanning salons, including Sunkiss’d. Flynn said it depends on what kind of bulbs are used in the beds.
“We use bronzing bulbs,” Flynn said. “Other bulbs are identical to sunlight. We don’t have those.”
Regular bulbs are hotter than bronzing bulbs. Some tanning salons have them, others don’t. Flynn said people can always call ahead and ask a particular salon what kind of bulbs they have in their beds.
A Newfane resident, Flynn spends a lot of time in the Blessings Plaza. The days may be long, but that’s what is needed, Flynn said. She compared her businesses to other local stores that do the same, such as Box Office Video in Newfane or Hedley’s Market in Olcott. Flynn said she spends most of her time working at Blessings Hair Salon but still knows what’s going on at Sunkiss’d and the plaza as a whole.
“My hand is in everything,” she said.
Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.
Communities
NEWFANE: Plaza owner is bringing a third business
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Newfane's Apple Blossom Fest has something for everyone
An apple a day may keep the doctor away and the apple blossoms of Niagara County are cause for celebration. Sunday’s Apple Blossom Festival will lure hundreds of visitors to step back in time to the good old days.
The Newfane Historical Society’s annual event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the museum grounds at the corner of West Creek and Ide roads. Admission and parking are free, and families can while away a sunny afternoon perusing everything from antique tractors to a Civil War encampment.
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NFTA targets Lockport bus routes for closure
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s proposed service reductions would eliminate all bus service from, to and within greater Lockport.
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Library adds online selections
Library card holders can check out and download e-books anytime, anywhere by visiting lockportlibrary.org. Patrons can download to a personal computer, Mac and many mobile devices, according to librarian Claire McDonough.
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Mayor Maedl
Julia A. Maedl is stepping away from politics after 19 years of service to the Village of Middleport in 2001.
Maedl, who was a village trustee for nine years and village mayor for 10 years, will not seek re-election. She says she will remain very active, however.
Since the death of her husband, Robert Maedl in 2008, the Middleport mayor has been running Maedl Woodcrafts. She is on the tourist committee, chair of business association and trustee of Middleport United Methodist Church. She sings in the choir and is in charge of Harvest dinner and chicken barbecue. She manages 28 apartments. -
Memorial tree program off to a good start
The town’s new memorial tree program has been growing quickly.
Councilwoman Cheryl A. Antkowiak said the program is being done with Stedman’s Nursery of Newfane. Residents who wish to have a tree planted will receive an information packet from Stedman’s as well as a map of Day Road Park showing where each of the 85 trees are located. Stedman’s sells the trees along with a plaque if the resident wants one to be put up. -
New recycling bins available soon
Town residents could have some new bins to go along with its new recycling incentive program.
At Monday’s work session meeting, Town Board members approved the purchase of new recycling bins. The town placed an order of 1,000 of the 18 gallon bins for $8,845 and another order of 200 of the 32 gallon bins for $3,110. The large bins are 31 and a half inches in height and 22 inches in diameter.
Both sets of bins will be blue in color and the 32 gallon bins will come with lids.
The 18 and 32 gallon bins were produced by Otto Environmental Services in Charlotte, N.C., a company Supervisor Marc R. Smith said the town has used before for bins. The company still has a rubber stamp with the town logo on it. -
Library names new director
Beverly Federspiel, Director of the City of Tonawanda Public Library, has been appointed as the new Director of the Lockport Public Library.
Federspiel, 49, will succeed Marie Binderman, who is retiring, on Feb. 28.
“I’m excited,” said Federspiel, who has been at the Tonawanda Library three years after serving at the Buffalo and Erie County Central Library for 18 years. “I’ve always loved the Lockport building and the community is very supportive. There are lots of opportunities out there.” -
Winterfest, take two
Winterfest was a big success last year and Winterfest 2011 may even be bigger Saturday at Royalton-Hartland Elementary School and the Hartland Bible Church.
“Last year was the first year and well over 650 people attended, that’s a huge response for an inaugural event,” said Helen Feron, the chairman of the steering committee. “This year we expect more.”
Entertainment and activities are scheduled from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. including a basket auction at the Hartland Bible Church at 3 p.m., where Magician Robert Geckler will also perform at 2:15 p.m.
The event is geared towards school aged children and free to children 10-and-under. Admissiong is $3 for adults and includes Chinese auction tickets. -
High school project coming along
Construction on Lockport High School is continuing throughout the winter months. Construction crews work on a scaffold on the west side of the building, which is the Locust Street side. The school is undergoing a $23.5 million capital improvement project that includes adding a fitness center, a six classroom addition and completely renovate the auditorium into a brand new fine arts center. The auditorium will also have stage work completed, new music rooms, a renovated foyer and a new entrance on the Locust Street side. There will be improvements made to ventilators and mechanical systems, an art gallery, new windows, as well as new padding and bleachers in the gymnasium. The technology wing also will be updated, and the library renovated to make room for a computer lab. Also, bathrooms will be added nearby. The entire project is expected to be completed in September.
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Going green
With a symbolic “shot heard ‘round the community,” Lockport’s historic Kenan Center Arena unveiled its new artificial turf indoor soccer field and renovated “annex.”
About a dozen local dignitaries were on hand Thursday night at special dedication ceremony, attended by about 200 parents and soccer players, who wasted little time putting two new soccer fields to work.
The new turf installation was part of a larger arena capital project, which included the renovation of the arena’s adjacent annex room, which was gutted last year to create almost 6,000 square feet of additional space. Parts of the old artificial turf field were used to cover the new, smaller soccer field in the annex.
Lockport Mayor Michael Tucker lauded the Kenan’s effort and others who joined in to make the $106,000 capital improvement project — more than 10 years in the making — a reality. Funders include the Kenan soccer players, who raised about $60,000 selling candy, the Grigg-Lewis Foundation, the Kenan Arts Council, Rotary Club of Lockport and the Lockport Lions Club. - More Communities Headlines
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