{"id":65955,"date":"2025-07-12T01:30:52","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T05:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/?p=65955"},"modified":"2025-07-12T01:30:52","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T05:30:52","slug":"genesee-county-le-roy-garden-club-unveils-specially-made-benches-at-wiss-lot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/07\/12\/genesee-county-le-roy-garden-club-unveils-specially-made-benches-at-wiss-lot\/","title":{"rendered":"GENESEE COUNTY\/ Le Roy Garden Club unveils specially made benches at Wiss Lot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Metal sculptor Stacey Mrva of Rochester, left, and Nikki Calhoun, president of the Le Roy Garden Club, address a group of about 25 people on Friday afternoon shortly after unveiling two steel benches, titled \u201cRooted Harmony\u201d, at the Wiss Lot at the corner of Routes 5 and 19 in the Village of Le Roy. Photo by Mike Pettinella\/For Video News Service.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BY MIKE PETTINELLA
For Video News Service<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Le Roy Garden Club celebrated a special time in the sun on Friday afternoon by unveiling two impressive and inspiring hand-crafted benches that will enable community residents to enjoy their time in the sun for many years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Women who were instrumental in the installation ceremony of the benches are, from left, Genesee County Legislator Shelley Stein, Garden Club members Rita Wallace, Lucy MacKenzie, Candy Bower and Judith Alberts, artist Stacey Mrva, Garden Club President Nikki Calhoun, Jodi Fisher of the GO Art! and Garden Club member Barb Galliford. Photo by Mike Pettinella\/For Video News Service<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nikki Calhoun, garden club president, welcomed a couple dozen people to the green space known as the Wiss Lot at the corner of Routes 5 and 19 to mark the community\u2019s heritage and appreciation of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The garden club and the Village of Le Roy maintain the village property that has been transformed into a vibrant greenspace, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judith Alberts, chair of the Wiss Lot for the garden club, acknowledged the club members who have contributed to the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very proud of our motto, \u2018Getting down and dirty since 1954!\u2019 and we are thrilled about these benches,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benches, titled \u201cRooted Harmony\u201d, were crafted by Stacey Mrva of Springwater in Livingston County, a metal sculptor and founder of Ironwood Studios Inc. Mrva\u2019s work is on display throughout the Finger Lakes region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrva thanked the group for the opportunity to create the benches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of things that I absolutely love about what I get to do is creating artwork that people can interact with and gather as a community to celebrate things they are really proud of about their community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese benches represent the copper beech tree that was in front of the library that unfortunately had to be taken down. They kind of follow the shape of the tree and then there are the beech leaves which sort of represent those \u2013 those of us who are nostalgic for those beautiful trees that unfortunately had to go. But hopefully these will bring us a lasting memory and a wonderful place for the community to gather.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genesee County Legislator Shelley Stein said the Wiss Lot \u201crepresents the last piece of the green to match the other four corners of the community, and from a planning perspective and from a welcoming perspective, the green in this corner is really important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has already established itself as a piece of peace here in the corner of our two state routes. So, congratulations to the group that has worked so hard on this corner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wiss Lot bench project was funded by the statewide community regrant program, administered by GO Art! and supported by the NY State Council on the Arts, the Office of the Governor and New York State Legislature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jodi Fisher, GO Art! program director and community regrant coordinator, said the project is part of the agency\u2019s mission to bring arts and cultural events and programming into communities. She said more than $385,000 was regranted in Genesee and Orleans counties in 2025 \u201cand we\u2019re looking at the same for 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calhoun thanked the Le Roy Village Board and the Department of Public Works for their support and acknowledged the efforts of the garden club members who understand that \u201cbeautifying our community is very important.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Metal sculptor Stacey Mrva of Rochester, left, and Nikki Calhoun, president of the Le Roy Garden Club, address a group of about 25 people on Friday afternoon shortly after unveiling two steel benches, titled \u201cRooted Harmony\u201d, at the Wiss Lot at the corner of Routes 5 and 19 in the \u2026<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8eTP4-h9N","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":65548,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/06\/22\/genesee-county-community-invitation-to-artistic-bench-unveiling-in-le-roy\/","url_meta":{"origin":65955,"position":0},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Community invitation to Artistic Bench Unveiling in Le Roy","author":"aka","date":"June 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Pictured above: Artist\u2019s rendering of \u201cRooted Harmony\u201d bench design by sculptor Stacey Mrva. Press release \u201cRooted Harmony\u201d Benches Represent Le Roy History The Town and Country Garden Club of Le Roy, in partnership with the Village of Le Roy, proudly invites the public to the unveiling of two extraordinary steel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "LeRoy"","block_context":{"text":"LeRoy","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/leroy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Stacey-Mrva-Bench-Design-for-Rooted-Harmony.jpg?fit=1200%2C875&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Stacey-Mrva-Bench-Design-for-Rooted-Harmony.jpg?fit=1200%2C875&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Stacey-Mrva-Bench-Design-for-Rooted-Harmony.jpg?fit=1200%2C875&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Stacey-Mrva-Bench-Design-for-Rooted-Harmony.jpg?fit=1200%2C875&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Stacey-Mrva-Bench-Design-for-Rooted-Harmony.jpg?fit=1200%2C875&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74265,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2026\/04\/15\/genesee-county-le-roy-garden-club-award-scholarship-applications-due-may-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":65955,"position":1},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Le Roy Garden Club Award Scholarship applications due May 1","author":"aka","date":"April 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release Le Roy, New York, April 15, 2026 \u2013 The application period for the Town and Country Garden Club of Le Roy annual $500 scholarship closes on May 1. Any graduating senior who is a resident of the Le Roy School District, including home-schooled students, and plans to attend\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "LeRoy"","block_context":{"text":"LeRoy","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/leroy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/new-vns.jpg?fit=1200%2C1117&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/new-vns.jpg?fit=1200%2C1117&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/new-vns.jpg?fit=1200%2C1117&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/new-vns.jpg?fit=1200%2C1117&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/new-vns.jpg?fit=1200%2C1117&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":73496,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2026\/03\/22\/genesee-county-le-roy-garden-club-announces-scholarship\/","url_meta":{"origin":65955,"position":2},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Le Roy Garden Club announces scholarship","author":"aka","date":"March 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release Application Period Open through May 1st Le Roy NY, March 2026 \u2013 The Town and Country Garden Club of LeRoy is accepting applications for its annual $500 scholarship through May 1st. Any graduating senior who is a resident of the LeRoy School District, including home-schooled students, and who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/433446342_413925407994442_1613612245831467743_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":53697,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2024\/06\/04\/genesee-county-le-roy-garden-club-awards-scholarship\/","url_meta":{"origin":65955,"position":3},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Le Roy Garden Club awards scholarship","author":"aka","date":"June 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Left to right: Cathy Christopher, Lucy MacKenzie, Robert Kifowit - Club Scholarship Committee; Rachel Smith and mom Mary Smith; Lana Bradbury - Club Member Rachel Smith to Attend Rochester Institute of Technology Press release LeRoy, NY \u2013 June 4, 2024 \u2013 The Town & Country Garden Club of LeRoy NY\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "LeRoy"","block_context":{"text":"LeRoy","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/leroy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52078,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2024\/04\/05\/genesee-county-town-and-country-garden-club-of-leroy-celebrates-70-years-of-cultivating-community-beauty-and-connection\/","url_meta":{"origin":65955,"position":4},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Town and Country Garden Club of LeRoy Celebrates 70 Years of Cultivating Community Beauty and Connection","author":"aka","date":"April 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release [LeRoy, New York - April 5th, 2024] - The Town and Country Garden Club of LeRoy proudly announces its70th anniversary celebration, marking seven decades of enriching the local community throughhorticulture, art, and civic engagement. The celebration will take place on April 10th, 2024, at 6:30 PM, hosted at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "LeRoy"","block_context":{"text":"LeRoy","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/leroy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1000098084.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1000098084.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1000098084.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1000098084.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1000098084.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43664,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2023\/06\/20\/genesee-county-leroy-garden-club-announces-their-2023-college-scholarship-winner\/","url_meta":{"origin":65955,"position":5},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/LeRoy Garden Club announces their 2023 College Scholarship winner","author":"aka","date":"June 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"2023 Scholarship Winner-Michael Covert Press release Le Roy, NY\u2014 June 20, 2023 \u2014 The Town and Country Garden Club of Le Roy is pleased to announce that it has awarded its 2023 College Scholarship of $500 to Michael Covert, a 2023 graduate of Le Roy High School. The Club\u2019s Scholarship\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "LeRoy"","block_context":{"text":"LeRoy","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/leroy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_3254-Garden-Club-Awards-2023-Scholarship.jpg?fit=1054%2C843&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_3254-Garden-Club-Awards-2023-Scholarship.jpg?fit=1054%2C843&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_3254-Garden-Club-Awards-2023-Scholarship.jpg?fit=1054%2C843&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_3254-Garden-Club-Awards-2023-Scholarship.jpg?fit=1054%2C843&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_3254-Garden-Club-Awards-2023-Scholarship.jpg?fit=1054%2C843&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65955"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65957,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65955\/revisions\/65957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}