Victor Hiking Trails Hall of Fame Inducted Three New Members in 2024
Victor Hiking Trails (VHT) celebrated thirty years of service to the Victor community in June, 2022 by hosting an open event in the Village of Victor. As part of that celebration, VHT created the Victor Hiking Trails Hall of Fame to recognize the significant contributions made by certain individuals to the creation, maintaining, and expansion of our network of trails. In 2022, for our inaugural class, we inducted fifteen current and former VHT members into the VHT/HOF. For 2023, we inducted four additional members into the Hall of Fame. In 2024 we inducted the following three.
Nat Fisher - Was a VHT member from 2005 until his passing in 2014. He served on the VHT BOD from 2007 until 2014 as Assistant Trail Boss, a frequent leader of trail maintenance crews and as Secretary. There used to be a crude bridge over a tributary of Irondequoit Creek in Fishers Park near Nat’s home. Every Spring, the bridge would get damaged from the flooding. Nat and friends would spend many hours fixing that bridge so folks could get over the creek and into the park. As a tribute to Nat for all his contributions to VHT and the community, a substantial bridge is now stands in place of the old bridge.
Wizzy Geno – Was the first person to hold the newly created BOD position of Volunteer Coordinator in 2009. Wizzy held that position until 2016. This was before MeetUp, so as Volunteer Coordinator she had very work-intensive responsibilities, relying on phone calls and emails in order to gather enough volunteers for the many VHT events and activities. The filing system and record keeping that she created set the standard and were a great help to future Volunteer Coordinators.
Suzy Mandrino - Has been a member of VHT since 2012. From 2014 until 2016, Suzy served on the board as VHT Secretary and from 2016 until 2018 as our Volunteer Coordinator. Between 2016 and 2018 Suzy’s accumulated amount of VHT volunteer hours placed her among the top four of all VHT volunteers. As an employee of the Town of Victor, Suzy keeps the town’s social media up to date with VHT events like our monthly hikes and National Trails Day.
It is with great gratitude that we welcome these three members as our newest inductees to the VHT Hall of Fame. They now officially join the other nineteen members of the Hall of Fame.
These 3 were formally inducted at the VHT Annual Dinner on Monday, October 21, 2024 at the Fire On Main Brick Oven Restaurant in Victor.
VHT Hall of Fame Inducted Four New Members in 2023
Victor Hiking Trails celebrated thirty years of service to the Victor community in June, 2022 by hosting an open event in the Village of Victor. As part of that celebration, VHT created the Victor Hiking Trails Hall of Fame to recognize the significant contributions made by certain individuals to the creation, maintaining, and expansion of our network of trails. In 2022, for our inaugural class, we inducted fifteen current and former VHT members into the VHT/HOF. For 2023, we are pleased to announce four additional inductees into the Hall of Fame. All four are currently serving VHT as members of its Board of Directors:
Jeff Hennick - Currently serving as VHT’s Webmaster and Assistant Chairman. More than thirty years ago Jeff attended the very first meeting of Victor Hiking Trails. Jeff created and still maintains VHT’s website. Jeff is a regular volunteer at scheduled trail maintenance events and volunteers for many extra events.
Larry Fisher - Currently serving as VHT’s Membership chair, Larry also was present at VHT’s very first meeting. Larry served as VHT’s TrailBoss for twenty-three years. As TrailBoss, he was responsible for storing and maintaining all the tools and equipment necessary to the creation and maintaining of VHT’s trails. A bike enthusiast, he frequently leads VHT bike rides.
Chauncy Young - The VHT Treasurer for nearly twenty years, he was handed the TrailBoss reins (and all the corresponding tools and equipment) by Larry Fisher. Chauncy has taken on the daunting task of scheduling and leading the volunteers to keep our seventy-plus miles of trails in excellent shape. As a regular hike leader, he is known far and wide for setting a torrid pace!
David Wright - Has served as the Chairman of Victor Hiking Trails since the mid 1990’s. David also attended the very first VHT meeting, and served as an assistant TrailBoss until taking over as VHT Chair. Under his watch and leadership, the Victor trail network has grown from near zero miles to over seventy miles. He forged remarkable relationships with the Town & Village of Victor, as well as cooperative arrangements with other regional and national trail organizations.
Congratulations to our four inductees! The formal induction took place at VHT’s Annual Dinner: Monday, October 16, 2023, Fire On Main.
VICTOR HIKING TRAILS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION SCRIPT - 2022
IN RECOGNITION AND CELEBRATION OF OUR THIRTY YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY OF VICTOR AND BEYOND, THE VHT BOARD OF DIRECTORS VOTED TO ESTABLISH THE VICTOR HIKING TRAILS HALL OF FAME. THE MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR INDUCTION ARE
A MEMBER FOR A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS
EVIDENCE THAT THE NOMINEE HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE GROWTH OF VHT AS WELL AS TOWARDS IMPROVING THE SYSTEM OF TRAILS.
ROBERTA LOCKWOOD PASSED AWAY IN 2019 AT THE AGE OF 91. ROBERTA WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF VHT. SHE WAS THE VHT HISTORIAN, SCOURING LOCAL NEWSPAPERS FOR ARTICLES PERTINENT TO VHT. ROBERTA WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE VICTOR COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTING HER TALENTS TO MANY OF OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. WE PROUDLY INDUCT ROBERTA LOCKWOOD INTO THE VHT HOF.
ACCEPTING FOR ROBERTA ……(Chauncy?)
ALLEN JOHNSON IS A THIRTY-YEAR FOUNDING MEMBER. ALLEN WAS THE VERY FIRST VHT TREASURER. HE PARTICIPATED IN TRAIL MAINTENANCE, DONATED TRAIL CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, AND HELPED RAISE FUNDS FOR THE IRONDEQUOIT CREEK BRIDGE ON THE AUBURN TRAIL. WE PROUDLY INDUCT ALLEN JOHNSON INTO THE VHT HOF. ALLEN ISN’T HERE TODAY BECAUSE, HIS WORDS, “I’M 95 YEARS OLD AND I DON’T GET AROUND MUCH ANYMORE.” VHT LOOKS FORWARD TO DELIVERING THE PLAQUE TO ALLEN JOHNSON.
HARRY LLOYD WAS A MEMBER FROM 1991 TILL 2012. HE WAS THE FIRST ELECTED VHT VICE CHAIRMAN. HE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN GETTING RG&E TO GRANT VHT PERMISSION TO USE THE AUBURN RAIL BED AS A TRAIL. HE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SEVERAL OTHER TRAILS.
WE PROUDLY INDUCT HARRY LLOYD INTO THE VHT HOF. HARRY PLANNED ON BEING HERE, BUT WAS CALLED OUT OF TOWN. ACCEPTING FOR HARRY …..
DAVID COLEMAN PASSED AWAY ALMOST A YEAR AGO. DAVID JOINED VHT IN 1996 AND WENT RIGHT TO WORK CLEARING TRAILS, LEADING HIKES (ESPECIALLY WEEKEND HIKES IN THE ADK). DAVID SERVED AS VHT MEMBERSHIP CHAIR AND AS VHT CAMPING CHAIR.
ACCEPTING FOR DAVID TODAY IS HIS DAUGHTER STEPHANIE.
NORMAN SMITH PASSED AWAY IN 2011. NORM WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF VICTOR HIKING TRAILS. FOR MANY YEARS , HE WAS ACTIVE IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZATION . ****DAVE - NOT MUCH ON HIS NOMINATION - FEEL FREE TO ADD A SENTENCE
WE PROUDLY INDUCT NORM SMITH INTO THE VHT HOF
ACCEPTING FOR NORM IS HIS WIFE LINDA.
JOE LOGAN IS A LONG TIME MEMBER OF VHT. JOE WAS THE CONSULTING ENGINEER FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS INCLUDING PROVIDING AN OFTEN UTILIZED TRUSS BRIDGE DESIGN. HE ALSO PRODUCED THE DESIGN FOR THE LEHIGH TRESTLE DECKING. JOE LOGAN ALSO SERVES HIS COMMUNITY AS A LONG-TIME MEMBER OF THE TOWN OF VICTOR’S PLANNING BOARD.
WE PROUDLY INDUCT JOE LOGAN INTO THE VICTOR HIKING TRAIL HALL OF FAME.
ALAN LOCKWOOD IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF VHT. ALAN PROVIDED THE EXTENSIVE LEGAL WORK NECESSARY TO THE CREATION OF VICTOR HIKING TRAILS, INCLUDING OUR INCORPORATION AND OUR NON-PROFIT DESIGNATION.
WE PROUDLY INDUCT ALAN LOCKWOOD INTO THE VHT HOF
CAROLE FISHER IS A LONG TIME MEMBER OF VHT. CAROLE HAS NEVER HAD AN OFFICIAL TITLE, HOWEVER, HAS WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES FOR MOST OF VHT’S EXISTENCE . CAROLE IS FOUND AT COUNTLESS EVENTS PREACHING THE VHT GOSPEL AND PROVIDING HANDS ON HELP WITH TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND PROJECTS. CAROLE IS TRULY A VOLUNTEER EXTRAORDINAIRE. WE PROUDLY INDUCT CAROLE FISHER INTO THE VHT HOF.
LENORE “LEE” DAY HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF VHT SINCE 1992. LEE SERVED ON COUNTLESS COMMITTEES INCLUDING PLANNING FOR NATIONAL TRAILS DAY, HANG AROUND VICTOR DAY AS WELL AS OTHER EVENTS. LEE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP. A TRUE VOLUNTEER
WE PROUDLY INDUCT LENORE “LEE” DAY INTO THE VHT HOF
RUTH NELLIS IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF VHT. RUTH HAS TAKEN ON THE ROLES OF SECRETARY, ASSISTANT TRAIL MASTER, AS WELL AS FOR MANY YEARS, THE EDUCATION POSITION. SHE WAS ALSO ACTIVE IN SEEKING WAYS TO MAKING OUR TRAILS MORE AMENABLE TO THE BLIND.
WE PROUDLY INDUCT RUTH NELLIS INTO THE VHT HOF.
RICHARD FREEMAN IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF VHT AND SERVED AS THE ORGANIZATION’S FIRST TREASURER. BESIDES BALANCING VHT’S BOOKS, RICH WORKED ON TRAIL MAINTENANCE, HELPED ORGANIZE VHT ACTIVITIES, AND PUBLICIZED VHT’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES.
WE PROUDLY INDUCT RICHARD FREEMAN INTO THE VHT HOF
SUE FREEMAN IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF VHT AND SERVED AS THE ORGANIZATION’S FIRST SECRETARY. SUE WAS ALSO AN ACTIVE TRAIL MAINTENANCE VOLUNTEER. SUE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN CREATING THE SYSTEMS BY WHICH VHT FUNCTIONED, AND CONTINUES TO FUNCTION INTO THE PRESENT DAY.
WE PROUDLY INDUCT SUE FREEMAN INTO THE VHT HOF
GILBERT HOLTZ WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE VICTOR CONSERVATION BOARD AND CALLED THE FIRST MEETING OF, WHAT AT THAT TIME, WAS CALLED THE VICTOR TRAIL ASSOCIATION. GIL WAS THE ACTING CHAIR WHEN IT HELD ITS FIRST MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1991.
WE PROUDLY INDUCT GIL HOLTZ INTO THE VHT HOF.
CAROL MACINNES IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF VHT AND SERVED AS ITS FIRST TRAIL MASTER UNTIL PASSING THE REINS IN 2019. AS THE TRAIL MASTER, CAROL EXPERTLY EDUCATED PROPERTY OWNERS ON THE VALUE OF HOSTING TRAILS ON THEIR PROPERTY AND THROUGH HER KNACK FOR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING OVERSAW THE DEVELOPMENT OF SIXTY-FIVE MILES OF TRAILS.
WE PROUDLY INDUCT CAROL MACINNES INTO THE VHT HOF
MARCIA BRYAN IS A FOUNDING MEMBER AND VHT’S FIRST ELECTED CHAIR. UNDER MARCIA’S LEADERSHIP, VICTOR HIKING TRAILS BEGAN ITS GROWTH FROM A FLEDGLING CLUB TO THE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATION IT IS TODAY. MARCIA PLANTED THE SEEDS.
WE PROUDLY INDUCT MARCIA BRYAN INTO THE VHT HOF