Photos by Ginny Kropf: Four friends enjoyed camaraderie and sampled ale at The Vintage Cigar on Medina’s Main Street during Ale in Autumn on Saturday. From left are Marie Bell of Akron, Jeannette and Don Geberling of Cheektowaga, and at rear is Marie’s husband Bob Arnold.

MEDINA – Saturday’s Ale in Autumn was about the most perfect day organizers could have hoped for. The day brought beautiful fall weather and a nearly sold-out event, according to Ann Fisher-Bale, coordinator for Medina Area Partnership, sponsor and organizer of the event that brought nearly 600 to the downtown to sample beer.

Tickets were sold for three different start times to participants who checked in at the Medina Senior Center. There, they were first ID’d by Pattrick Weissend and then had their tickets checked by Wendy Wilson and Bale, before getting a wristband from Sarah Fisher or Anne Joynt.

Pat Weissend (in blue Bills shirt) IDs for ticket holders checking in at the Medina Senior Center for Ale in Autumn on Saturday.

After picking up their souvenir glass and a goodie bag filled with snacks, pen, coupons and other items, participants proceeded to the back of the room to buy tickets on baskets which were available at each participating business. Ticket holders were also eligible to win a grand prize basket valued at $500.

John and Melissa Gorham have attended every Ale in Autumn, they said.

“It’s a chance to try different beers, and the snacks are usually very good,” John said.

Wendy Wilson checks tickets for Melissa Bunbrock of Gasport at the Senior Center on Saturday. Behind Wilson is Anne Joynt, Medina native who is running for New York State Supreme Court and volunteered to help. At Wilson’s left is Ann Fisher-Bale, event coordinator for Medina Area Partnership, which sponsors the event.

For Barb Gorham, it is a way to get out and about before the snow comes.

“And you always run into friends you haven’t seen for a while,” she said.

Melissa Bunbrock of Gasport said she has attended the event every year.

“It’s a great way to get together with friends and support local businesses,” she said.

A new business, Katie’s Dipped Delights, was being promoted by Katie’s husband Brian Wiesinger in front of the English Rose Tea Shoppe. Seated at left is Brian’s mom Carole. Katie makes four kinds of gourmet apples, using Honeycrisp they buy from Roberts’, Brian said.

At The Vintage Cigar, Joe Meyer and owner Jim Robinson poured ale for a steady stream of participants.

Robinson, whose wife Cindy runs the English Rose Tea Shoppe, said they participate in Ale and Autumn every year, at one store or the other.

“The weather is always good and people come in who didn’t know there was a cigar store in town,” Robinson said.

One group of friends sipping their ale in the store was Bob Arnold and his wife Marie Bell of Akron with Don and Jeannette Heberling of Cheektowaga.

 “We’ve been coming to this event for years,” Don said. “We’ve come to every one.”

Jeannette said it was a great community building event.

“The shops change and it’s good to see the different shops and what they sell,” Don said.

Entertaining near Main Street TV and Appliances on Saturday were Kathy Vandemoreal of Point Breeze and Laurence Sugarman of Pittsford. Vandemoreal plays fiddle, while Sugarman plays banjo.

Gabriella Albanese of Albion has also attended Ale in Autumn every year.

“I’m not a beer drinker, but my sister and a friend love the opportunity to go together and visit all the stores,” Albanese said.

Local musician Rob Robinson for the last several years has arranged to have buskers on the street entertaining during Ale in Autumn. It is an age-old tradition for musicians to perform on a street corner for money.  Saturday’s buskers included “The Last Call” singer (named Skinny) and his band who performed in front of Main Street TV and Appliance.

“We have been nearly every year,” said Skinny, who was born in Medina.

“I love coming here,” he said. “I love Medina.”

Just down the street Kathy Vandemoreal of Point Breeze and Laurence Sugarman of Pittsford were entertaining – she on fiddle and he on banjo. Vandemoreal has taken part in Ale in Autumn for three years, but this is Sugarman’s first appearance.

Winner of the Grand Prize worth $500 was Melissa Streiff.

Saturday’s buskers included “The Last Call” singer (named Skinny) and his band that performed in front of Main Street TV and Appliance. Standing in the center is Rob Robinson of Medina, also a musician, whose idea it was to have buskers.

Photos by Tom Rivers: This group poses for a fun photo at Alexandra Peracciny Photography, 426 Main St., which was also one of the pouring stations for the Ale in Autumn.

Dave Sevenski, right, pours a sample of an IPA from the Hamburg Brewery for Christopher Hare of Medina. They are at the Downtown Browsery. Hare was happy to be out and seeing so many people.

“It’s better than sitting home and watching college football,” he said.

Lezly Rosario, bartender for Mile 303 Cantina, serves Bells amber ale. The Mile 303 Cantina is run by Gali Rosario and Leonel Rosario Jr.

Daniel Sprague played his electric guitar near Rotary Park as one of the musicians in the downtown.

Rick Zucco of Niagara Falls also performed as a busker.

Press Release, Christ Episcopal Church

ALBION – Christ Episcopal Church is proud to announce the opening of Noah’s Bowl, its new community pet food pantry, designed to provide free supplemental dog and cat food to local pet owners experiencing financial hardship.

The new pantry aims to help reduce economic strain on pet owners and prevent animal surrenders by ensuring that families do not have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their beloved companion animal.

“Times are tough for many in our community, and pets are cherished members of the family,” said Nicole Spohr, director of the pet project at Christ Church. “We want to offer a safety net, so families facing temporary hardship don’t have to part with their animals.”

The pantry will be open on the third Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The pet pantry is a walk-up pantry and will be dispensed from our West Park Street entrance.  We ask everyone to be kind, courteous, and have “pawtience.”

To kick off our pet food pantry opening, we will be having a Pet Blessing this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Christ Church, 26 South Main St., Albion.

All pets must be on a leash or in a carrier and under the owner’s control.  A small distribution of pet food will be available while supplies last on this day.

Grand Opening & Distribution Details

Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2026

Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location: West Park Street (side parking lot of Christ Church)

Requirements: limit of one pickup per household

Distribution: Cat – 3 lb. bag

Dog – Small dog – 2 bags of 3-lb. bags; Large dog – 3 bags of 3-lb. bags

How the Community can help

The pet food pantry operates on community support and donations. Noah’s Bowl is currently accepting donations of unopened, unexpired dry and canned dog and cat food.

If anyone would like to make a pet food donation, please call 585-589-5314. Monetary donations can be sent to Christ Church at 26 South Main Street, Albion, New York 14411, with “Noah’s Bowl” noted on the memo line. For more information, please call 585-589-5314.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Todd Jantzi, an auctioneer and owner of Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service in Batavia, looks for bids during an art auction on Saturday at Marti’s on Main, an art gallery in Albion run by Kim Martillotta Muscarella.

He is shown with a painting by Richard Hart, one of 35 pieces of art work in the auction.

The first-ever art auction raised $8,000 for Marti’s, a non-profit art gallery that features many artists during the year and also hosts art classes and other special events.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella, leader of Marti’s on Main, welcomes the group for the auction. She thanked the artists for donating their work. She gave three on her paintings for the auction.

Martillotta Muscarella first ran Marti’s from her home on North Main Street in Albion, and then for a year at the Cobblestone Museum. In 2019, she started to transform the former Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County into an art gallery. The site opened as Marti’s on Main in 2021. It hosts several art shows a year, as well as concerts and art classes.

Martillotta Muscarella said 180 different artists have been featured at Marti’s since her first show in 2008, including about 120 who had their first show at a gallery.

Martillotta Muscarella established a non-profit organization about a year ago to help with fundraising to make the site more sustainable.

Todd Jantzi scans the crowd for bids. Jantzi bought one of the pieces himself. He thanked the group for their generosity and efforts to strengthen Marti’s, which he called a community asset.

A painting by Roseanne Mascari goes up for bid. Marrit Vaga, left, helped run the auction. Judy Wenrich, front right, bid on several of the pieces and donated one her works, showing two horses.

The auction included art work from Arthur Barnes, Tony Barry, Rebecca Barry-Kent, Jeanne Borrelli, David Burke, Rich Della Costa, Bradeen Erakare, Paul Facklam, George Graham, Pat Greene, Richard Hart, Sarah Hyatt, Laura Kemler, Jappie King Black, Arlene London, Chris Manaseri, Diana August Martin, Kim Martillotta Muscarella, Nikki Martillotta McFarland, Roseanne Mascari, Rebecca Maynard, Cindy Meal, Peter Monacelli, Connie Mosher, Michael O’Keefe, Nancy Radzik, Harvey Rayner, Ester Rolick, Brian Seekins, Sharon Stewart, Suzanne Wells, Mark Weld, Judy Wenrich, Bob Wisner and Tom Zangerle.

Some of the artwork in the auction is shown in this photo.

Marti’s on Main has transferred the former Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 20 South Main St. This building is part of the Courthouse Square Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

File photo by Tom Rivers: A group walks down East Shelby Road on Oct. 7, 2023 for the 35th annual walk/run for the Knights-Kaderli Fund. The Knights and Kaderli families estimate that more than $2 million has been used from the fund since it was established, helping cover some of the utilities, co-pays and other bills for people fighting cancer in Orleans County.

EAST SHELBY – The Knights-Kaderli Walk/Fundraiser will take place for the 38th year on Saturday at East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.

The charity was formed when two families who had lost loved ones to cancer decided to merge their separate fundraisers into one, and the Knights-Kaderli Walk/Run was born.

The event honors the memory of Richard Knights and Sue Kaderli, both of whom died of cancer. Since its inception, the charity has raised and given away $2 million to cancer patients undergoing treatment and their families in Orleans County, said Melissa Bertrand, Knights’ daughter who chairs the event.

Bertrand stressed that every penny raised or donated to the fund is given away. There are no administrative costs.

Saturday’s event will feature the walk/run, which Bertrand describes as “a big country walk,” beginning at the fire hall on East Shelby Road and continuing a mile to East Shelby Community Church, where it turns east on Barber Road for a mile, then north on Town Line Road, back to Hemlock Ridge and the fire hall.

Registration for the walk and sale of tickets for the basket raffle begin at 9:30 a.m., with the walk beginning at 11 a.m. Basket raffle tickets will be sold until 1:30 p.m. A special raffle will feature Buffalo Bills and Sabres items.

Lunch will also be served, and those who spend $20 (either in walk sponsorships or raffle tickets) at the event will receive free lunch.

The walk and basket raffle are the charity’s biggest fundraisers, Bertrand said. Other fundraising during the year includes a chicken barbecue in June and a memorial golf tournament.

Donations to the fund are received from memorials or bequests from wills. Anyone may donate on Venmo@KnightsKaderli or by sending a check to Richard Knights and Sue Kaderli Fund, P.O. Box 684, Medina, or on the Knights Kaderli website by credit card.

As a special tribute to the late Dave Green, this year’s walk will be dedicated to him.

“He did so much to support our charity and the community,” Bertrand said.

In Green’s honor, volunteers this year will be given green shirts with Dave’s initials in the middle.

“He was such a good guy and a loyal follower,” Bertrand said.

Bertrand thanks the community for its continued support.

“I always marvel at what a small community can do to raise money for those in need,” she said.

Volunteers will be at East Shelby Fire Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday to accept baskets from anyone who wishes to donate one.

Key administrators of the Knights-Kaderli Fund are Bertrand (Knight’s daughter), president; Mary Zelazny (Kaderli’s daughter), vice president; and Sue Knights (Richard’s widow), who handles accounting and acknowledgments.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – New concrete footers went in today for the new bridge under construction on Phipps Road in Albion.

The previous bridge was closed to traffic on Sept. 9, 2022 after an inspection showed the steel high-beam supports were rotted.

Keeler Construction is general contractor for the project, after submitting the low bid of $992,851.

Keeler is replacing the previous19.5-foot-long culvert and with one that is 25 feet long.

The project includes the removal of the existing concrete culvert, and replacement with a 3-sided single span precast concrete span unit. The structure will be supported by micro-piles on spread footings, and associated highway approach work and stream work, according to a description seeking bids.

All Ways Concrete Pumping in Auburn brought in a slinger with a 110-foot reach to pour concrete for the new footers.

The pre-cast culvert sections will be set on the footers. Once the new bridge is in place, the top will be paved over with asphalt with guard rails on the sides.

A state grant through the Bridge NY program for $1.038 million is covering most of the cost for the new bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic later this fall.

The bridge is over a tributary of Otter Creek. The water is directed through the two large pipes. This is looking south at the tributary.

Ravi Engineering and Land Surveying in Rochester provided design services and now is doing construction inspection.

Here is how the bridge looked soon after it was closed to traffic on Sept. 9, 2022.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Village of Albion has a new basketball hoop on a concrete quarter court at St. Joseph’s Park on North Clinton Street.

The smaller court was paid with state funds administered by the Orleans County Youth Bureau.

Another one of the smaller basketball courts will be installed at Veterans Park at the corner of Linwood Avenue and Brown Street, said John Grillo, the Albion recreation director.

The village has money for a third court that will either go at Carosol Park at Caroline Street and Ingersoll Street or at Lafayette Park with entrances on both West Park and West State streets.

“They will be shooter courts to give kids in the area something more to do especially if they’re younger and can not make it to Bullard,” said Mayor Tim McMurray. “We just want to provide the kids another avenue for entertainment, getting outdoors and off the phones.”

At St. Joseph’s Park, a deteriorating pavilion was removed to make room for the new basketball area.

Grillo said he is pleased to see the new court at St. Joseph’s, and looks forward to the next two courts.

“I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “We want to give people an opportunity with the parks on all areas of the village. That’s our goal.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – A caravan of vehicles helped move a 222,500-pound load from Graham Manufacturing in Batavia this morning to the Erie Canal in Albion.

The top photo shows utility workers raising wires high to give the load its needed clearance.

The slow-moving caravan of vehicles slowed down traffic as it made its way north on Route 98.

It then turned left and went west on Route 31A, before turning right and going north on Gaines Basin Road, until making a final right hand turn on Albion-Eagle Harbor Road.

The load is a 195,500-pound condenser made by Graham. The cradle for the condenser weighed an additional 27,000 pounds, for a 222,500-pound total.

A group of bucket trucks are ready to raise wires for the load as its moves north on Gaines basin Road near the intersection with Countyhouse Road.

This is at least the fourth condenser made by Graham that was taken to the Erie Canal for transport. Previous condensers headed east to its final destination at the Navy.

Previous trips went to Albany, then down the Hudson River to New York Harbor. From there the condensers went on an ocean-going-barge for the trip to the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.

Massive cranes are in place to move the condenser to a barge. The barge wasn’t there to take the condenser by early this afternoon.

The load is close to the Erie Canal, just west of the boat launch on Albion-Eagle Harbor Road.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The historic Pratt Theater on the third floor of the Pratt building in downtown Albion hosting a concert with several bands on Sunday afternoon. This photo shows Karen Conn and her daughter Shannon Vanderlaan singing “Rhiannon.” They are part of the Pratt Pit Band that performed 10 songs on Sunday.

Conn is an Albion music teacher while Vanderlaan teaches music in the Rochester City School District.

The concert also included performances by Black Sheep, Eclipse, Frequency Theory and the Greater Royal Praise and Worship Team.

Don Mancuso, a legendary guitar player in the Rochester music scene, performed with the Pratt Pit Band and later with Black Sheep, which was without its star singer, Lou Gramm, because he is on tour.

Black Sheep with Gramm previously performed at the Pratt Theater in June 2024. On Sunday, Garrett Crumb, a lead singer with “Johnny Smoke,” filled in as lead singer for Black Sheep.

That band includes Michael Bonafede of Albion as drummer. Black Sheep last year was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.

Michael Bonafede and his wife Judith Koehler worked about 20 years to restore the Pratt Theater to again host concerts and community events.

They recently sold their three downtown buildings, including the Pratt, to Taylor McCabe and Sara Barbur.

Bonafede will continue to promote concerts and events at the theater. The Pratt building was originally built in 1882.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Ian Mackay heads west in a mouth-controlled power wheelchair on Sunday at about 4:30 p.m. He is near the Main Street lift bridge in Albion, with the Lockstone building behind him.

He is joined on a bicycle by Dr. Josh Blausten, Mackay’s college chemistry professor from Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, California. One of Mackay’s friends since college, Jimmy Quenelle, also has been on the 10-day journey from Albany to Buffalo.

Mackay is executive director of Ian’s Ride. He also works as an accessibility consultant to Apple. He is traveling about 350 miles along the Erie Canal towpath.

The group heads west along the canal towpath. Mackay can go 8 miles per hour in the motorized chair. His lithium batteries can go about 80 to 90 miles before needing to be charged.

Mackay was paralyzed from the neck down after a bike accident in 2008 when he collided with a tree and suffered a spinal cord injury. He has become a strong advocate for accessibility in the outdoors, and has done several long distance trail rides including in Washington State; from Washington DC to Columbus, Ohio; and the annual Sea to Sound ride for 74 miles over three days. That ride before Labor Day weekend had 150 participants including 50 people in wheelchairs.

Mackay also holds Guinness World Record for traveling the farthest in a motorized, mouth-controlled wheelchair in one day. From June 21-22 in 2022, he went 184.4 miles in 24 hours. He took 14 laps over a 13-mile paved loop at Sauvie Island near Portland, Oregon.

The record-breaking feat is featured in an upcoming documentary, “Good Moment.” It has its world premiere on Oct. 11 at the SOHO International Film Festival in New York City.

Albion Mayor Tim McMurray greets Ian Mackay when he was in Albion on Sunday. Mackay said every part of the towpath has been accessible to him so far from Albany to Albion.

Mackay said he has enjoyed the journey along the canal towpath and seeing so many small towns and so much wildlife. He said the crusher-run towpath is prefereable to asphalt paths.

“It’s been incredibly beautiful,” Mackay said. “You’re seeing great blue herons. We even saw a muskrat run by.”

He has seen locks and lift bridges in action, and learned about the canal history’s. The Erie Canal celebrated its bicentennial last year.

“It’s neat seeing the whole experience of the Erie Canal,” Mackay said.

Mackay is from Washington state. During his ride on Sunday afternoon he checked score update for his favorite team the Seattle Seahawks, which lost a close one, 33-31, to the Washington Commanders. He also kept a close eye on the Buffalo Bills score. The Bills came back to win, 24-16, versus the Los Angeles Chargers.

Photos courtesy of Teena Woodward, Ian Mackay’s mother: The trio made it to Bates Road in Medina last evening. They plan to start later this morning around 10:30 for the final segment of Ian’s Ride along the canal to Buffalo.

Ian Mackay has long hair and his friends held it up to form a Y while in Clyde.

Justin Suarez of Aerosol Kingdom finishes third project in Albion

Photo courtesy of Justin Suarez

ALBION – Justin Suarez of Aerosol Kingdom finished his third large-scale mural in Albion today. The northside side of the Lockstone at 160 North Main St. now features a pollinators’ garden showing flowers, a bee, butterfly and a hummingbird.

Suarez used a state grant from the Cultivating Havens for the Arts through Regional Murals (CHARM) for the project.

Natasha Wasuck, co-owner of The Lockstone, said Suarez picked Albion for the project through the CHARM grant because he felt welcomed by the community with his previous projects here.

Suarez previously did a mural on the southside of the Lockstone in 2022, facing the Erie Canal. That one showed flowers.

In 2020, he painted a mural of the Santa School on the north side of 170 North Main St., the building for The Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Justin Suarez of Rochester uses spray paint to create the large paintings. It took him about a week to paint the latest mural in Albion. The Lockstone is an event center that hosts many weddings.

Photos courtesy of Cindy Busch: The Medina Mustang Band performs against a backdrop of important leaders in the United States’ history at the Fall Festival of Bands on Saturday night at Veterans’ Memorial Park. The show titled “We the People” celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary and features the music of Aaron Copeland.

MEDINA – The Fall Festival of Bands brought out a crowd to Veterans’ Memorial Park Saturday night to see their hometown band and half a dozen other area bands perform under a perfect sky.

Competing bands were Medina in SS2 class, with a first-place score of 74.60, followed by Le Roy with 72.10; in SS3, Marcus Whitman was first with 70.30, Pioneer, second with 66.30 and Falconer-Freesburg, third, with 64.60; and in LS2, Greece, first, with 78.85 and West Seneca, second, with 74.30.

Medina’s show, “We the People” pays tribute to the country’s 250th anniversary, and is performed by 92 students in grades 7 through 12.

The program also paid tribute to the late John Ryan, who was a color guard instructor for Medina and was involved with several other marching organizations. He passed away at age 85 on Aug. 17. His career with the Mustang Marching Band started in 1975 and spanned 30 years, serving with Mustang Band directors Joe McKain and Jim Steele. As director of the Mustang Winter Guard, it grew to become one of the highest ranked in the United States.

The horns are featured here as they perform in front of a portrait of Abraham Lincoln.

Two people in Saturday’s crowd were twins Darlene Rich and Sharlene Pratt, both of Medina and both former band members. They attend the Festival of Bands every year, they said.

“Once a Mustang Band member, always a Mustang Band member,” Pratt said.

The sisters said not only they, but their older sister Fonda was in the band under Joe McKain.

“Regardless of the weather, we always come to watch the band,” Rich said. “We have sat here under umbrellas in the pouring rain. This is our ‘ladies night out.’”

The sisters said they get goosebumps when they see Medina’s show this year.

“It brings tears to your eyes,” Rich said.

The evening  also featured a 50/50 drawing.

The Mustang Band currently sits in third place in Smal School II in the New York State Field Band Conference, behind Oswego and Mohanasen, with Medina one point out of first place. They compete against Oswego next Saturday in their division. Oswego High School is located at 2 Buccaneer Blvd. The show starts at 6:30.

The Mustang Marching Band is lined on the end of the field at Vets Park.

Photo by Karen Jones: Seniors in the band pose for a photo on Saturday.

Ian Mackay, on trek from Albany to Buffalo, wants to highlight accessibility in nature

Provided photo: Ian Mackay is using a mouth-controlled power wheelchair to travel the Erie Canal towpath. He is scheduled to pass through Orleans County today and tomorrow.

ALBION – A man who is paralyzed from the waist down is headed to Orleans County today on the Erie Canal towpath, as part of 10-day journey to highlight accessibility in nature for people who are disabled.

Ian Mackay is one day nine of the 10-day initiative. As of about noon today, he was at South Greece and headed west. His team estimates he will be in Holley around 2:30 p.m. today, and then will reach Albion around 4 p.m.

He plans to have pizza at Avanti’s in Albion after today’s ride.

Mackay is paralyzed from the neck down after a bike accident when he hit a tree in 2008. He continues to lead an active life and loves to explore the outdoors.

His schedule showed him stopping at Albion today and then starting the final day of the trip in Albion on Monday morning and then go 46 miles to near Buffalo. But he may go past Albion today due to the long journey on Monday. He usually starts the day’s ride around 10 or 11 a.m.

Mackay is using the ride from Albany to Buffalo to highlight what’s possible for wheelchair users when accessible infrastructure makes outdoor recreation more inclusive.

Mackay is founder and executive director of Ian’s Ride, which is based in Washington state.

“This is an opportunity to show what’s possible when people have access to the outdoors,” Mackay said before the trip started. “The Erie Canalway Trail is an incredible piece of American history, and I’m excited to experience it with my friends, meet people along the way and continue pushing for trails that everyone can enjoy.”

Peter Bartula sent in this photo of a spectacular sunset this evening over Lake Alice in Carlton.

Katie Bourke took this photo of the sunset in Albion, looking west down Route 31 near the Route 98 intersection.

The high temperatures for the next few days include 66 on Sunday with a chance of showers, cloudy on Monday with a high near 65, partly sunny on Tuesday with a high of 70 and then partly sunny on Wednesday with a high near 74.