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GOOD NEWS!: Fire department celebrates 125 years
By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
EDITOR’S NOTE: Here’s the latest in our ongoing “GOOD NEWS!” series. We hope you have been enjoying hearing about the good things that are happening in our communities — like the local fire department that has been serving its community for 125 years.
RAVENA — In the year 1897, Grover Cleveland was president, the Boston Marathon was run for the first time, and inventor Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the precursor to the movie projector.
It was also the year the Ravena Fire Department was founded.
That is how long the department has been serving and protecting its community.
On Saturday, the fire department held a parade commemorating 125 years of service, opening up the annual Friendship Festival.
“The fire company has always been there for all the people in the community,” said Village Foreman Henry Traver, who was directing traffic along the parade route. “They also do a lot of community events like ice cream socials and steak dinners, and they keep the people going.”
The parade stepped off at 11:30 a.m. from Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary School, marched west on Main Street, turned north on Pulver Avenue and made its way to Mosher Park. Numerous area fire departments, businesses and community groups also participated in the parade, as local residents lined the streets and cheered.
“All fire departments are deep in my heart,” resident Barbara Tanner said as she waited for the marchers to arrive. “My husband was with the New Baltimore Fire Department and I was in the Auxiliary. God bless them — it’s free, it’s volunteer, no pay. They get up day, night, cold, hot — I appreciate the fire departments.”
Ravena resident Rebecca Shook, a gold medalist swimmer in the 2022 Special Olympics held in Florida earlier this year who also serves as the village’s ambassador, was selected as Grand Marshal of the parade.
“It felt amazing to be the Grand Marshal. It was very thrilling,” Shook said. “I love my community a lot.”
Firefighter Rich Byerwalters has been with the fire department for more than two decades. Firefighting is a family tradition for him.
“I joined in 1996 and my father was fire chief before me. Both of my parents were active members for years before that,” Byerwalters said. “It’s great to see so much support from the community. At a time when it is so difficult to find volunteers, we certainly encourage people to come out and do what they can — we have to help each other out because we are all in this together. It is such a small community, we need to rely on each other.”
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-20, was among the officials marching in the parade and spoke of the vital nature of the services volunteer fire departments provide.
“Firefighting is deemed by many to be the most dangerous occupation. When you can provide quality fire service — fire protection and fire response services — for 125 years, that is worth celebrating,” Tonko said. “We are here in celebration with them, thanking them for the training, the fundraising they do, the selflessness that they bring to the table. They sacrifice personal, family and social time to service their community. There can be no better role model than firefighters.”
The department is a vital part of the community, Village Trustee Linda Muller said.
“Without the fire department, we wouldn’t have a real community,” Muller said. “They are a great bunch of volunteers that keep our community safe.”
The value the department brings to the community is incalculable, Deputy Mayor Nancy Warner said.
“Words can’t say what this fire company means to the community,” Warner said. “We have one of the best fire companies in the area. These men and women, and now some young community members, are there day or night, anytime. I am thankful to them and I wish them another 125 years here in the village.”
Fire Police Officer John Meyers has spent the past 50 years with several different fire companies and joined the Ravena department a year ago. The contributions of the fire company to the community go beyond firefighting, he said.
“What the fire company does for the village, besides answering alarms, is great,” Meyers said. “We have so many programs to try to help our community.”
Here are more photos from the parade:
Friendship Festival marks 38 years
By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
RAVENA — The Friendship Festival marked its 38th year in the village of Ravena this weekend.
Always held on the last Saturday in August, this year the festival got off to a very special start — a parade honoring the 125th anniversary of the Ravena Fire Department (see accompanying article).
After the parade concluded everyone headed to nearby Mosher Park for the games, bounce houses, vendors, demonstrations and more.
There were several new activities this time around, including a foam party, a pie eating contest and a science exhibit and show.
This year’s festival was organized by Village Trustee Caitlin Appleby, Tina Hotaling, Chuck and Kristina King, and Yvonne Shackelton.
“It is wonderful to have the community come out like this because this is just one in a series of community events that are happening this year,” Shackelton said. “I think it is really building community spirit. We had the Music and Arts Festival in the spring and we have something new coming this fall. We are trying to do something every season in the community and the Friendship Festival is something we have done every summer for years.”
Hotaling said this year’s festival had great weather, which was gratifying after last year’s rainy event.
“It’s so exciting to see people share and get excited about the lead-up to this year’s festival, so I think it’s already successful,” Hotaling said. “Everything else that happens will be gravy on top.”
Nine-year-old Bella Darlington played in a play area with her brother Christian Darlington and Thomas Wright, waiting for the bounce houses to open at 1 p.m. She said she was already having a great time.
“I really like the Jenga blocks and the Connect Four, and I’m really excited to go on the bounce houses,” Bella said.
One of the new activities at this year’s festival was Mad Science, an exhibit and demonstration of all things STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to spur kids’ imaginations. Brandon Wiegert, whose wife Margaret Liberti owns Mad Science, was setting up the exhibit prior to its 1 p.m. start.
“We have a number of different STEM-based activities. It is really geared towards kids of elementary school age,” Wiegert said.
Kids played with insta-snow, used Snap Circuits to build functional Lego houses, stacking tops and toys that demonstrate physics, among others.
“A lot of it is just getting kids interested in science with the different cool things that are available for them to explore,” Wiegert said.
For many families, the annual festival is a tradition they recall from when they were growing up, and one they shared with their kids as well.
“We have been bringing the kids here since they were young,” resident Kelly Meacheam said. “It’s an annual thing — you can’t not go.”
For others, the Friendship Festival was a new experience. Dawn Fountain, of Athens, came with her daughter Kira for the first time.
“My mother-in-law moved up to the Ravena area and we figured we would come and check it out,” Fountain said. “We are having a lot of fun.”
The festival is both a tradition for local families and a way to share Ravena’s offerings with others from outside the community, Deputy Mayor Nancy Warner said.
“We are continuing a tradition of 38 years. I think we have only missed two years the whole time,” Warner said. “And it’s going to keep on going for many, many more years — younger and newer blood has come along and is picking it up and running with it, and that is what we need. It’s a free, fun family day for people from the community and for people outside the community to come here and see what we have to offer.”
