Fifth Freedom, 1982-10-01

              THE FIFTH FREEDOM A PUBLICATION FOR THE BUFFALO GAY COMMUNITY October 1982 FREE "The Freedom fo love whomever and however we want" TRICKY NATURE AREAS You say you like unspoiled nature but it's too far away? Well, it shows you did'nt read the August 81 issue of the Freedom. If you had, you would have been clued in on how to find a few "postcard perfect" places where, only about 12 miles from Allentown, you could have played in two water falls, ambled through a cave and stepped on to a beach you'd sworn belonge in California! . Well, least you miss it all before a long winter limits your activities to a bedroom, here's some more of Western New York's Tricky Natural Areas. Fall colors are bursting out all over as you pull out of Allentown and head Souty over the Skyway. To your left as you come down off the Skyway is Tift Farm & Wildlife Refuge. There are places in that nearby overlooked country spot where one could live with a friend for hours and never have to worry about unwanted company. Tift Farm however is not on this day's itinery. You can check that out another day. So , its over the Father Baker Bridge, past the Steel Plant and then you start counting traffic signals. Now, we're staying on Route 5 heading south. From the Ford Stamping Plant or Woodlawn beach - probally a more universally known landmark for my readers - its about 5 signals to your turn off route 5 onto Lake Shore Road. Now don't panic, there's a 3 way intersection where you make the turn and a Gulf station comming up on the left - a Mobile Station on the right. Turn right, just in front of the Mobile station. That's Lake Shore Rd.. See, simple was'nt it? OK, now its up hill and see an old steel bridge withan overhead arch. That's where you make your first turn. Cross the bridge (and 18 mile creek below it) then hang a left at the first road - South Creed Rd. - and try to find some place to park, There used to be no problem parking but I think some spoiler has author ized the planting of "no parking" signs there now. Well, if you can find a place to park the wheels, do it because you'll want to walk back to that bridge, cross to the other side and walk down the dirt road to the side of 18 Mile Creek. From ther you're on your own. There are trails all over and you can't get lost because they a all follow the stream. One way takes you to the Lake; the other back to the bridge. So, relax and enjoy. Oh yes, you won't want to be alone here. There's always all sorts of people fishing but you'll be too taken in by the beauty of the place to be thinking of anything else. I hope that you did'nt forget the camera. You'll hate yoy self if you did. OK, back to your wheels now and continue driving up South Creek Rd. You'll cross Route 5 shortly and then pass under two bridges. After that the is at Versailles Road. There's a North Evans Post Office on one corner. Now make a left on to Versailles bit go slow You'll be going down an ever steepening hill and there's a hair pin turn in there. Hit your horn when you're approaching that turn because someone might be comming up the other way and can't see you. Just around that you'Usee a parking lot and a sign announcing that you're in a park. There's a bridge there and lots of neat paths to follow. There is a somewhat impressive falls here if you want to walM accross the bridge you'll find there and wlak upstream 100 yards or so. It'll be on your left and is in another stream that plunges over the side of the gorge to run into 18 Mile Creek. You can walk right up to its plunge pool. Ok, if you want to try a really hard one, - I mean finding a senic place- try this one. Go back to your car, drive up the hill back to South Creek Rd. and nake a left on to it. The next intersection is Route 20. Turn left on to 20 then hang a quick right (just after you cross to the other side of 18 mile Creek.)onto North Creek Rd. You'll cross over the thruway shortly and you'll see a small airport on your left with a diamond shaped "Low Planes" sign on your right. Continue slowly on N. Creek Rd. until you see another diamond shaped sign. Comptons First Annivesary A capacity crowd of over three-hundred, many dressed in' formal attire attended M.C. Compton's First Anniversary Party on Sunday September 26th to the tune of upbeat music, fabulous food, champagne aplenty and a spirit of uninhibited celebration. The party began at 7P.M. and featured an elaborate buffet of lasagna, roast beef, turkey and four kinds of salad. Later in the evening a champagne toast accompaneid the serving of a huge First Anniversary Cake which was delightfully sinful in its fresh-tasting caloric content. The party capped off a weeklong celebration and Sherrill, M.C. Compton's owner, toasted the oocassion say i-n8 "It's meant so much to mc to have a place for all our Community to get together. This is a special day for us, and as we celebrate our first anniversary, we hope that it wi.il start a new era for all of you working together as a Gay Community. A pre-party and hors d'heuvres reception saw representee of most of Western New York's Gay and Lesbian Organization meet in a social setting to exchange ideas and contacts in an effort to improve communication among them. The awarding of door prizes was a part of the celebration and included a basketful of champagne and M.C. Compton's Teeshirts, a watch, a plant donated by the Rhinopotamus, a gold-plated lighter, a Baloon-o-gram, a "new wave Flashlight" and a pair of tickets to M.C. Compton's 1983 New Years Eve Party. Marty was runaway favorite for King of the evening and Brenda won a suspensefully close contest for queen. Following the crowning, Sherrill awarded specially engravee plaques to each of her staff members. Sherrill, by this time teary eyed accepted a final special presentation from all the Compton's sponsored softball teams. /-_ A dance contest, which startea at 11 p.m., saw three groups of prizes of records and souve ntr glasses awarded to couples winning New wavw, Funk and "Fancy-Smancy-Disco" competitions. The Collector's Edition M.C. Compton's teeshirts of either kelly green or jet black and "Debute Compton's Glasses" had been on sale throughout the preceeding week. The highlight of the evening followed Sherrill's toast to her firends in the Gay and Lesbian Community as Marilyn Rodgers played Compton's Dedication Dance Set which included "United We Stand", "Gonna Fly Now", (the.Rocky theme which she voiced-over with "there's nothing we The staff of M.C. Compton's Marty, Michelle, Babe, Marilyn Annie, Linda, Jimmy, Tim,Sherrill and Brenda Photo: Barb continued on page 10 continued on page 9