Archive: Around Town

The Lakewatch Inn was rockin' and rollin' Saturday to the stylings of Reporter, a four piece party band based in Rochester.  The theme was the '60s, and some of the costumes were as spectacular as the band.  All this was part of the Corporate Development Committee's (CDC) 13th annual annual auction and dance.  The event attracted 300 people, many dressed in wigs and tie-died clothing and all manner of 1960s garb, including one who dressed as Queen Elizabeth of the day.  But the highlight of the evening was the band.

"Everyone agrees that the band was INCREDIBLE!!!" says CDC member Bobbi Wasenko.  "It is always great when the band leaves the guests begging for more."

The Corporate Development Committee (CDC) of Lansing Central Schools, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization whose sole purpose is to support and further the educational opportunities of Lansing students by providing equipment and technology. The CDC funds projects that are outside of the district budget and have high impact to as many students as possible.  Last year CDC presented the Lansing Board Of Education with $60,000 for an audio/video broadcast center for the Elementary School, a CNC machine and computers for the Technology Program and six interactive whiteboards, from Promethean.  MC Geoff Wright was the auctioneer extrordinaire.

A Promethean board was on display all night, and Wasenko says that this year saw a record number of donations.  Those donations fueled 14 live auction items, 116 silent auction items, 60 balloon prizes, 4 door prizes, and an Ipod raffle.  CDC members wore Reporter T-shirts.  As always upstairs private tables were reserved for sponsors, and a bar and hors d'oeuvres were also set out upstairs.


Reporter includes Rich Greene (vocals/guitar), Steve Krauss (drums/vocals), Sam Gruttadauria (keyboards/vocals) and Steve Grimm (bass/vocals).  The band has been on the Rochester music scene since the early '80s.  Over the years they have played the bar scene, weddings and other events, and have opened for Aerosmith, Eddie Money, Eric Burdon, Rosie O'Donnell, and Donny Osmond.  Greene and Krauss were among the original band members, while Grimm and Gruttadauria joined along the way.

Of course Grimm is better known in Lansing as the Lansing Central School District Superintendent.  It turns out that the driven yet soft-spoken school administrator is a great singer and a rockin' bassist.  The musical surprises didn't stop there.  Mickey Grimm was decked out in a startling a '60s sparkly go-go outfit as she boogied to the music.  And then there was the revelation that 7th grade English teacher Stacie Kropp is a 'wild thing.'

One of the highlights was the end of the 'singing bowl' competition in which attendees got to choose who would sing with the band.  Bowls were set out with the names and pictures of Kropp, Deb Ryan, Sean Whittaker, School Board President Anne Drake, and High School Principal Eric Hartz.  By 10:45pm 7th grade English teacher Kropp had the most votes, and she rocked the house with a rendition of Chip Taylor's classic 'Wild Thing,' backed up by the band.


"The committee is thrilled with the turnout and very grateful for the support of the parents, teachers, administration and the Lansing community," says Wasenko.  "We have begun to work on the 14th Annual auction and hope to enjoy the continued support of the community."

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