California comes to Wheatfield

Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, April 19, 2007

Saturday at The Summit, students from California traveling across the United States stopped in Wheatfield for lunch and were welcomed by Wheatfield Town Supervisor Tim Demler before moving on to Rochester. Above, from left, Jane White, Stacy Collyer, Demler, Mailys Harston and Jessica Beerman give thumbs up to the supervisor. They said that if Demler came to their school, they would want him to be principal for a day. (photo by Chuck and Donna Cederman)

On Saturday, April 14, the state of California was well-represented in Wheatfield when 73 students from the eighth grade class at Rosemont Middle School in Los Angeles visited The Summit for a luncheon hosted by Wheatfield Town Supervisor Timothy Demler.

The class of 73 students plus a dozen teachers and escorts were on day two of their eight-day New York state trip that would see them visit Niagara, Rochester, West Point Military Academy, New York City and many other destinations.

The Niagara Falls Tour was guided by Spirit of Niagara Tours, the new tour company operating from The Summit.

“This was an eighth grade history class on wheels,” said Spirit of Niagara Director Peter Green, “and part of their experience has been the recreation of Dewitt Clinton’s ‘wedding of the waters’ from 1825.” The opening of the Erie Canal was celebrated in 1825 by then-governor Clinton’s pouring of water from Lake Erie into the Hudson River, symbolizing the joining of the two bodies by the Erie Canal. Green shared that the group drew the water from Three Sisters Islands and enjoyed tours of the Falls and Power Authority before lunch at the Summit’s Gallery Room.

Students and teachers alike commented on the warm and informative welcome provided by Demler, who shared a brief history of the Wheatfield name and area, and distributed Wheatfield pins. Demler joined the group for lunch and traded stories about his own visits to Los Angeles.

After their stop at The Summit, the group departed on an afternoon trip through the Underground Railroad with Motherland Connextions.

Spirit of Niagara plans to open a Welcome Center in The Summit later this spring, and is already planning for several large conventions and Conferences this year.