By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 May 2026 at 8:17 am
District under tax cap for 17th straight year
MEDINA – School officials have put together a $47,998,851 proposed budget for the 2026-27 school year.
District residents will go to the polls on May 19 from noon to 8 p.m. in the Oak Orchard Primary School Gymnasium, 335 West Oak Orchard St.
The budget increases spending by 2.89 percent from the current $46,648,693. The tax levy, what the district collects in property taxes, would increase by 1.97 percent – from $9,170,809 to $9,351,474.
State and federal aid are at $36,556,210 and covers 76.2 percent of the budget. Property taxes represent 19.5 percent of the budget.
School officials provided these highlights of the budget:
Maintaining all existing programs, sports and extracurricular activities
Continued commitment to providing school supplies for all students
Review of current and future contractual obligations
Purchases 2 full-sized buses and one half-sized bus.
Support for district strategic priorities
Providing students with the most up-to-date programming and facilities
Development of a new 5-year staffing plan
Use of available reserves and fund balance to balance the budget
The budget is again under the tax cap – for the 17th straight year.
“The budget was developed with the Medina Central School District’s vision and mission in mind, guiding all budgeting decisions,” Board President Alissa Mitchell wrote in a letter to the community. “Additionally, the long-range fiscal planning of our Board of Education has allowed the District to submit a budget below the tax cap for the seventeenth straight year.”
There are three candidates for three open seats on the Board of Education:
Steven Blount – A physician assistant at Rochester Regional Health Medina Family Medicine, Blount has been on the board the past three years. Since 2023, he has earned a Doctorate in Health Administration and an MBA.
“I am running to ensure that our district operates with transparency and accountability while maintaining the excellence in education you have come to expect,” Dr. Blount state din the district newsletter. “I want to bring my experience in complex problem-solving and evidence-based practice to the Board to help navigate the challenges facing our schools, ensuring every child in Medina has the resources and support to reach their fullest potential.”
LuAnn Tierney – A retired teacher at Roy-Hart, Tierney currently is a track and field official for USATF, NCAA and NFHS. She has been on the Board of Education for six years.
“My goal is to help create an environment on the school board that is supportive of education, supportive of our staff, and our community,” Tierney said. “This will allow us to have the ability to weigh everyone’s opinion, come to consensus and respect the outcome. We have always worked to do our best to provide a quality education while keeping the tax rate increases to a minimum. We continue to explore new ways to improve and grow as a district.”
Mackenzie Sullivan – The nursing supervisor for Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital, Sullivan is a Medina graduate.
“I would like to serve in this role to help ensure that our standard of excellence continues well into the future,” she said. “As a parent of a current student in our district, I am also a personal stakeholder in the success of the Medina CSD. In my career as a registered nurse, I am well versed in NYS regulatory agencies and the struggles of navigating amongst them, bringing that experience and viewpoint to the board.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) on Wednesday held a virtual press conference slamming President Trump for causing the highest gas prices in years.
She called for an immediate and permanent end to the president’s war in Iran, which is directly responsible for raising costs for hardworking Americans.
“Every commute to work, every ride to a doctor’s appointment, and every carpool to school costs 50 percent more today than it did just a year ago due to skyrocketing gas prices. That is a direct result of President Trump’s reckless war with Iran,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The American people do not want this war; they want lower costs. President Trump must end the war once and for all and provide relief to Americans struggling with higher costs in his economy.”
The average cost of gas in New York state today is $4.59 per gallon—nearly 50 percent more than it was a year ago. In some parts of New York, gas is over $5.00 per gallon.
This is a direct result of President Trump’s war with Iran, which has caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a quarter of the world’s oil passes.
In a press conference, Senator Gillibrand reiterated her call for President Trump to end the war to provide relief to American consumers.
Senator Gillibrand has made clear that she will not provide a blank check for President Trump’s reckless war in Iran. She has voted yes multiple times on war powers resolutions to reassert Congress’ responsibility, demand accountability, and send a clear message that military force must be debated, justified, and authorized before American lives are put at risk. She has repeatedly called for the president to prioritize lowering costs at home rather than reckless foreign wars abroad.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian, and Sue Starkweather Miller, Village of Albion historian, lead a tour of Mount Albion Cemetery on Aug. 3, 2025.
Press Release, Orleans County Historical Association
ALBION – The Orleans County Historical Association (OCHA) once again welcomes the community to their monthly history talks and August cemetery tours.
The history talks are held from May to October on the last Wednesday of the month at 7p.m. in the Gaines Basin Cobblestone Schoolhouse on 3286 Gaines Basin Rd. The talks are free and donations are gladly accepted.
Many of this year’s presentations will spotlight the Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) of our country and state (NY 250).
The schedule includes:
May 27 – “DAR Celebrates 250 years of Independence” with Patrice Birner, Orleans County DAR
June 24 – “The Haudenosaunee Perspective of NY 250” with Terry Abrams, Niagara County Historical Society
July 29 – “Soldiers Who Served in the Revolutionary War from Orleans County” with Tim Archer, retired Service-Learning Educator, Albion School District
Aug. 26 – “Songs and Stories of the Erie Canal” with Don Dwyer, musician and storyteller
Sept. 30 – “The Burned Over District Part Deux! The Fire Was Not Easily Extinguished” with Doug Miller, retired history teacher
Oct. 28 – “Neat Stuff from the Hoag Library Special History Collections” with Dee Robinson, Hoag Local History Reference Librarian
The tour last summer at Mount Albion included a stop in front of the Civil War Memorial, a 68-foot-high tower in on honor of nearly 500 people from Orleans County who were killed in the Civil War.
The popular summer cemetery tours will once again take place this August. All tours begin at 6 p.m. at the cemetery main entrance. Rain or shine.
Aug. 2 – Maple Ridge Cemetery at 12055 Maple Ridge Rd (Rt 31A) Shelby with Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
Aug. 9 – Boxwood Cemetery at 3735 N. Gravel Rd, Medina with Todd Bensley, Village of Medina Historian
Aug. 16 – Beechwood Cemetery at 1523 W. Kendall Rd. at Woodchuck Alley, Kendall with Emily Richardson, Kendall Town Historian; Dave Gaudioso, Kendall town councilman; and Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian.
Aug. 23 – Otter Creek Cemetery at 13252 Ridge Rd., Gaines with Adrienne Kirby, Town of Gaines Historian
Aug. 30 – Mt. Albion Cemetery at Route 31, Albion with Bill Lattin and Sue Starkweather Miller, Village of Albion historian
Provided photos: Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke is joined by his wife Suzanne in accepting an award on April 28 in Albany.
ALBANY – Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) New York, STOP–DWI and The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee hosted their Annual Law Enforcement Recognition Event on April 28 at the Albany Capital Center.
The Maureen McCormick Lifetime Achievement award was created in honor of Suffolk County Special Assistant District Attorney Maureen McCormick in 2022. These awards recognize the contribution for the lifetime commitment to keeping the roads of New York safe and for protecting our communities from the 100% preventable crimes of drunk and impaired driving.
The 2026 Maureen McCormick Leader of Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Christopher M. Bourke.
Sheriff Bourke has committed over 40 years of service to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, serving as a Corrections Officer, Deputy Sheriff, Deputy Sheriff Lieutenant, and Undersheriff before being elected Sheriff of Orleans County.
During his time as a Deputy Sheriff and Lieutenant, Sheriff Bourke was known and respected as being proactive in impaired driving enforcement, routinely making DWI arrests.
During his time as Undersheriff from 2016 to 2020, Sheriff Bourke led efforts within the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office to implement and expand drunk and impaired driving community outreach. Some examples include Sheriff Bourke obtaining the agency’s first DWI simulator, expanding community outreach into local schools, increased sheriff’s office participation in prom season DWI simulations, and more.
Chris Bourke accepts the Maureen McCormick Lifetime Achievement award for his 40-plus year career in law enforcement and drunk driving enforcement.
Since being elected Sheriff, Sheriff Bourke has continued his commitment to drunk and impaired driving enforcement—the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with DRE Instructors and hosted an Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving class. In addition to numerous sheriff’s office personnel attending this course, it was also made available to other agencies within Orleans County. This training was the direct result of Sheriff Bourke’s personal mission to expand impaired driving enforcement training within Orleans County.
The Sheriff’s Office recently acquired the most updated DWI Simulator on the market, to more effectively educate young people about the consequences of drunk and impaired driving. Additionally, Sheriff Bourke made a commitment to re-establishing the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office Drug Recognition Expert Program.
For many years, the sheriff’s office did not have any certified Drug Recognition Experts. Since re-establishing the program, the sheriff’s office has added two certified Drug Recognition Experts in the past two years. Under Sheriff Bourke’s leadership, there has been a 150 percent increase in DWI arrest by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office over the past four years.
Throughout his 40-plus year career with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Bourke’s rank has changed, his roles have changed, but what has not changed is his commitment to drunk and impaired driving enforcement.
Press Release, Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force
Donevan Harrison, left, and Tony Thompson both were charged with felonies.
ALBION – After an investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine in the village of Albion, two people from Albion are facing felony charges.
The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, the Albion Police Department and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant 431 West State St. Lot 29 in the village of Albion.
Police arrested:
• Donevan C. Harrison, age 39, of 431 West State St. Lot 29 is charged with 1 count of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (B felony).
• Tony Thompson, age 59, of 224 West State St. is charged with 14 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (B felonies).
Harrison was arraigned in Orleans County CAP Court by Gaines Town Justice Charles Prentice and was committed to the Orleans County Jail pending a bail hearing in County Court.
Harrison was the subject of a search warrant execution and was arrested on drug charges on Jan. 21. Harrison was released on his own recognizance on Jan. 22 in County Court. Those charges are still pending.
Thompson was released on an appearance ticket pursuant to the New York State bail reform law. He is to return to the Albion Town Court on June 6 at 9:30 a.m.
Assisting in the investigation was District Attorney Susan Howard, the Albion Police Department, the Albion Police K9 Unit and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
Further arrests and charges are pending in this case.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2026 at 10:04 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A group moves a transformer down Allen Road this morning in Albion. Personnel are escorting the vehicle, holding up wires.
The journey started at about 9 a.m. from near the railroad tracks in Albion and went south on Hamilton Street and then turned east onto Allen Road.
The transformer is headed to a solar project in Byron.
The load heads up Hamilton Street underneath utility wires.
The oversize load weighs 430,000 pounds and is shown on Allen Road. Motorists are expected to experience delays today and are urged to consider alternate routes.
Once on Route 98, the group with the oversize load will pass through Barre and part of Elba.
They will turn on Lockport Road in Elba and continue to North Byron Road, and then go on Searls Road to Tower Hill Road and then Byron Road in Byron. The entire trip is about 17 miles.
The height of this load will necessitate the lifting of most overhead wires and traffic control devices. The load will move into oncoming traffic to avoid overhead obstructions.
Route 98 will be closed for an undisclosed amount of time to all traffic from Old Orchard Road to Lockport Road.
The load heads south on Route 98 after making the turn off of Allen Road.
Another oversize load is expected a week from today.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 13 May 2026 at 8:03 am
ALBION – Albion Healthcare Center has announced that it has achieved Patient-Centered Medical Home certification, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to delivering high quality, patient-centered healthcare to the rural communities it serves, according to information from Scott Robinson, director of marketing at Medina Memorial Hospital.
These recognitions reflect Albion Healthcare Center’s dedication to providing accessible, coordinated and comprehensive care focused on improving the health and wellbeing of patients and families throughout the region.
PCMH certification is a nationally recognized distinction awarded to healthcare practices that meet rigorous standards for primary care delivery. The certification recognizes healthcare organizations that prioritize strong patient-provider relationships, coordinated care, quality improvement and enhanced access to services, Robinson explained.
In addition, the Albion Healthcare Center maintains the Rural Health Clinic accreditation, which highlights its role in expanding access to essential healthcare services in rural communities, the RHC designation supports the delivery of primary care services in underserved areas, while holping ensure patients have access to preventive care, chronic disease management and routine medical services close to home.
“These achievements demonstrate the commitment of our providers, nurses and staff to delivering exceptional care to our community,” said Alana Palone, clinic administrator at Orleans Community Health. “These accreditations reflect our continued focus on improving access, strengthening care coordination and providing compassionate, patient-centered healthcare.”
As a Patient-Centered Medical Home and accredited Rural Health Clinic, Albion Healthcare Clinic emphasizes:
Comprehensive care through a multidisciplinary healthcare team
Improved access to services, communication and coordinated treatment plans
Ongoing quality improvement and patient safety initiatives
Enhanced coordination between primary care providers, specialists and community resources
Expanded healthcare access for rural and underserved populations
These recognitions further support Albion Healthcare Center’s mission to provide high-quality healthcare services while strengthening the health of the communities it serves.
The Albion Healthcare Center initially opened in late fall 2012 as an urgent care, although it was never officially an urgent care, and the name was quickly changed to a walk-in medical center. It has been the Albion Healthcare Center for years now, according to Robinson.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 13 May 2026 at 7:53 am
MEDINA – Families across Orleans County are invited to celebrate the start of summer by attending the upcoming Children’s Wellness Fair, hosted by Orleans Community Health and Medina Memorial Hospital. The free community event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 30 at the park south of Medina Memorial Hospital.
Designed for children of all ages and their families, the Children’s Wellness Fair will feature a variety of fun, hands-on activities focused on health, safety and wellness in a welcoming outdoor setting, according to Scott Robinson, director of Community Partners at Orleans Community Health.
Attendees can enjoy bicycle helmet and safety education, doctor dress-up activities, face painting and crafts, stuffed animal check-ups, an obstacle course, snow cones, giveaways and more.
The event serves as a kickoff to summer, while encouraging families to stay active, healthy and connected to community resources, Robinson said. Hospital staff and community partners will be on hand throughout the day to engage with families and provide information in a fun and interactive environment.
“We’re excited to welcome families to Medina Memorial Hospital for a day focused on wellness, fun and community,” Robinson said. “This event is an opportunity to celebrate the start of summer while creating positive experiences for children and helping families learn more about healthy living and safety.”
The Children’s Wellness Fair is at no cost to attendees and no registration is required.
ALBION – Today from 9 a.m. to approximately 2 p.m., the State Police will be assisting with an oversized load escort which may disrupt traffic patterns beginning in Albion and ending in Byron.
The width of this load will obstruct oncoming traffic. Route 98 will be closed for an undisclosed amount of time to all traffic from Old Orchard Road to Lockport Road.
The height of this load will necessitate the lifting of most overhead wires and traffic control devices. The load will move into oncoming traffic to avoid overhead obstructions.
The weight of the load will keep speeds to around 5-10 mph with many stoppages.
The permitted route of travel will begin on Hamilton St. in the town of Albion proceed east on Allen Rd. then South on Oak Orchard Rd. (SR-98) to east on Lockport Rd. T/Elba and continue N. Byron Rd. to South on Searls Rd. to East on Tower Hill Rd. then South on Byron Rd. T/Byron.
It is recommended that if you encounter this load, move to the shoulder of the roadway, into a driveway or parking lot or seek an alternate route of travel to your destination. Lower your window and follow directions from State Police or escort vehicles.
Expect delays on those roads during business hours.
ALBANY – Albany’s majority on Tuesday blocked legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) that would have expanded property tax relief for disabled veterans.
The bill, A.10839, would have helped more veterans with service-related disabilities qualify for property tax exemptions, making it easier for them to afford to stay in their homes as costs continue to rise across New York.
Hawley noted that while lawmakers on the other side of the aisle often say they support veterans and military families, common-sense legislation continues to be blocked under the supermajority in Albany.
“Our veterans answered the call to serve this country, but too often the call to support them is put on hold,” said Hawley. “This is a straightforward, common-sense bill that would help disabled veterans keep more money in their pockets and remain in their homes, yet under the current majority process in Albany, legislation like this can be buried behind closed doors without transparency or honest debate.”
Although the legislation was blocked in committee, Hawley pledged to continue advocating for policies supporting veterans and military families.
“Supporting our veterans should never be a partisan issue,” Hawley concluded. “I will continue fighting to ensure the people who served this nation receive the respect and support they have earned.”
Assemblyman Steve Hawley represents the 139th Assembly District, which includes parts of Erie, Genesee, Monroe and Orleans counties.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 May 2026 at 8:25 pm
Medina, Lyndonville students urged to make responsible choices with upcoming proms, grad parties
Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – Medina teacher Rachel Trillizio comforts student Arabella White after seeing her friend Mady Elliott be put on a stretcher.
Medina school district coordinated a mock DWI crash simulation today at the Ridgeway fire hall parking lot. Medina invited Lyndonville students for the first time the two schools experienced the mock simulation together.
The simulation sends a message to students to be responsible with the prom and graduation parties coming up. There were 98 Medina seniors at the event today as well as 52 from Lyndonville who are juniors or seniors.
Grayson Romano of Lyndonville was a student involved in the crash. He portrayed a person who was unconscious. He was moved from the car onto a stretcher by EMTs. Grayson would be pronounced “dead” by county coroner Rocky Sidari.
Firefighters work to extricate Mady Elliott from a car. Mady, a junior at Medina, said she was hyper ventilating in the car as firefighters cut and removed pieces of the car to free her.
“It was scary,” she said afterwards. “People need to take this seriously.”
Elliott said drivers need to not be impaired when behind the wheel, and need to not be texting or looking at their phones.
Mady Elliott is led by stretcher to a Mercy Flight helicopter.
Mady Elliott is put into the helicopter which was flown by pilot Haji Shareef with nurse Gina Pennell on board. They flew from Buffalo in a trip that took 8 minutes.
Pam Cherry, the outreach coordinator for Mercy Flight in Batavia, said the organization will do about 30 of the fly-ins in mock simulations around Western New York. Mercy Flight receives a state grant for those responses.
Medina police officer Bradon Brown and Sgt. Marty Stirk of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office lead Austin Fonda, a Lyndonville senior, to a patrol car after he failed a field sobriety test and was charged with DWI in the simulation.
Firefighters from East Shelby, Ridgeway, Medina and Shelby worked on the response today.
Kevin Bogan, right, the owner of Bogan & Tuttle Funeral Home and his assistant Norman Smolarek move Grayson Romano into the hearse. Grayson was pronounced “dead” by a county coroner as part of the simulation drill.
Members of the Probation Department shared with students some of restrictions and supervision they would likely be under if they were arrested for DWI. From left in back include probation supervisor Katie Vick, juvenile officer Adam Kuhn and Bobby Hodge, probation officer who supervises the DWI caseload.
Hodge said people convicted of DWI have to stay out of bars and parties with alcohol. Vick said the Probation Department will try to connect people to mental health and substance abuse services if needed.
Calvin Cook, a junior at Lyndonville, tries on turnout gear with some assistance from Morgan Austin, the EMS captain for the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company.
Firefighters urged the students form Lyndonville and medina to consider becoming a volunteer firefighter. Austin said she joined the Ridgeway Fire Company even though she didn’t have a family connection to the department. She said the other firefighters welcomed her.
To pass the Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations (BEFO) class, firefighters need to put on all the turnout gear in 60 seconds or less.
Kelly Kiebala, director of the Orleans County Job Development Agency and the Youth Bureau, made STOP-DWI items available to the students and also shared how there are job training programs available through Job Development, The agency also runs a summer youth employment program.
Matt Hopkins with the NYS Department of Transportation health and safety program tells students they need to be extra careful if they are driving in a work zone. They should slow down and change lanes if possible, and watch out for flaggers.
These students tried to steer pedal cars while wearing goggles that showed what is what like to have your vision affected by alcohol intoxicated or marijuana.
Diana Fulcomer, a senior prevention educator for UConnectCare, urged students to watch over each other, especially if they see others engaging in toxic drinking where their lives could be at risk from toxic alcohol poisoning. Students were urged to call for help immediately if they see someone who is vomiting from alcohol, or if they don’t respond when shouted at, if they have very slow breathing, can’t stand up, have pale/bluish skin or an irregular/slow pulse.
Melinda Rhim, supervisor at the Orleans County Mental Health Department (left), and Amber Fortunato, a care manager, discussed how stress can affect people with some turning to alcohol and substances to help with anxiety and mental health issues. Rhim and Fortunato did a true or false exercise with the students. The two mental health professionals were pleased to see the awareness from the students and how they don’t see a stigma around mental health and a willingness to get help if needed.
The NYS Department of Transportation let students climb into a plow truck and blow the horn. Students were encouraged to seek out careers with the DOT.
Medina called today’s simulation and the many presentations at the fire hall part of a “Making Memories Safely” awareness event. The district said it would like to see a bigger county-wide event perhaps at the fairgrounds with all five school districts just before the prom season.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 May 2026 at 1:54 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: A 430,000-pound load is shown on May 6 in Albion. The journey was delayed by a week and is set for Wednesday, May 13.
ALBION – A big load will slowly move from Albion through Barre and Elba and then end in Byron on Wednesday.
The 430,000-pound load will begin around 7:30 a.m. in Albion. A transformer is currently next to the railroad tracks on Hamilton Street. The transformer will be moved by a truck and trailer.
The trip was planned for last Wednesday but was cancelled when National Grid wasn;t given enough notice.
The journey on Wednesday will start about 7:30 a.m. and end around 3:30 p.m., according to the Orleans County Emergency Management Office.
“Please give yourself a little extra time as cargo will be slow moving and delays are expected,” the EMO posted on Facebook. “National Grid customers along the transport route may experience brief outages.”
Motorists are expected to experience delays on Wednesday and are urged to consider alternate routes.
The width of this load will obstruct oncoming traffic, the State Police advised last week.
The height of this load will necessitate the lifting of most overhead wires and traffic control devices. The load will move into oncoming traffic to avoid overhead obstructions.
Route 98 will be closed for an undisclosed amount of time to all traffic from Old Orchard Road to Lockport Rd.
The permitted route of travel will begin on Hamilton Street in the town of Albion and proceed east on Allen Road then south on Oak Orchard Road (Route 98). Then it goes east on Lockport Road in Elba and continues to North Byron Road, and then goes south on Searls Road to east on Tower Hill Road. The cargo then goes south on Byron Road in Byron.
Photos and information from Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
The eaglet at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge that many have been following through the bald eagle nest camera was 38 days old as of Monday and is growing by leaps and bounds.
Just like human babies, the eaglet is doing a lot of eating and sleeping. Sometimes both: Mother eagle brought in a juicy catfish the other day and the chick wasn’t hungry so used the catfish for a pillow – at least when the catfish stopped flopping about. Another time father eagle brought in a stick, disappointing the chick who was looking for some fish bits.
As an only chick, the eaglet is being fed very well so is growing fast and hitting all its important behavioral and physical milestones.
It is taking much larger bites of food, including being able to digest fur, feathers, scales and small bones. It reaches toward the parents and pecks at them to ask for food. It partly helps itself by picking up and eating dropped pieces of food. Its body feathers are growing in and the primary flight feathers can be seen poking out of the sheathes at the wings and tail.
The eaglet is also entertaining camera viewers with more “wingersizing” – an eagle version of calisthenics. It is gaining more strength in its legs, and you will see the eaglet standing up more often. Once it gains more stability in those legs ─ “riding the rails” is a term used on eagle cameras ─ the chick will start to perch near or on the sticks surrounding the bole.
The camera was funded and installed by the Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, with assistance from Pixcams Inc., out of Pittsburgh, and Treeman Tom tree service out of Wilson. You can watch the feed on a monitor in the refuge Visitors Center on Casey Road in the town of Alabama, or through a link at the Friends group’s website, FINWR.org.
If you’re keeping track, the eaglet is about halfway through its nestling phase.
Next the eaglet will be doing more standing and walking in the fully upright adult posture instead of scooting around using its hocks and wings. It is already starting to do this, but it will happen more often. In the next few weeks, it will also start doing more practice flapping to build breast and wing muscles.
In about four weeks it will start hopping and flapping to practice hovering above the nest. At this point its feathers will be much more grown in and the bird will be fully dark brown. It will also be able to feed itself from prey items brought to the nest, although the parents will continue to feed it.
Toward the end of June, the juvenile will be able to balance and perch on branches, hover reliably above the nest and flap from branch to branch. The primary wing and tail feathers will be almost entirely grown. It should fledge (be ready for its first real flight) in late June or early July at around 72 days old.
The eaglet will typically hang around a few weeks after fledging but then head off to seek its own territory. It will retain its dark brown coloring for several years and won’t develop its adult plumage ─ the iconic white head and tail feathers of a bald eagle ─ until it’s almost five years old. Until then it is scoping out other territories, play learning with other juveniles and perfecting its hunting techniques.
A final note: Friends group President Dick Moss would like to thank everyone who came out to Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge for Saturday’s Spring Spectacular. Everyone had a great time and the eaglet and its parents were one of the main topics of conversation.
“A special thanks to the vendors who shared their environmental expertise, and especially to the refuge staff who made it all possible,” Moss said.
This eaglet update was a collaboration of Friends of Iroquois NWR group members Dick Moss, Emma DeLeon, Amy Merritt and Garner Light.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 May 2026 at 9:18 am
Carter Kuipers
An active 4-H member in Orleans County has been named the first-place winner of a New York Farm Bureau scholarship.
Carter Kuipers of Byron won a $3,000 NY Farm Bureau’s 2026 Agricultural Youth Scholarship.
To qualify for scholarships, applicants must have a student or family membership in Farm Bureau. A panel of judges selects the winners based on their essay submissions and applications, which include community and agricultural engagement. District winners then compete for state scholarships.
Kuipers also was awarded $250 as the District 2 winner. He is a member of Genesee County Farm Bureau and is a senior at Byron-Bergen Senior High School.
Kuipers plans to attend SUNY Cobleskill to study agricultural power machinery with a career goal related to diesel technology. His agricultural experience includes working on his family’s farms, where he cares for animals and maintains equipment.
He has been an active member of FFA, including serving as the 2022-2025 Chapter Secretary, and has received many FFA awards and recognitions. Kuipers has been an active participant in the 4-H Beef and Dairy Club for the past decade. Outside of agricultural activities, he is a sectional champion with the Byron-Bergen/Le Roy swim team and a member of the clay target team, while also finding time to volunteer with his local church.
Kuipers has shown animals at the Orleans County 4-H Fair and won the grand master showman title in 2024, which features the top showmen of nine different animals: horse Western, horse English, dairy goat, meat goat, sheep, swine, llama, dairy cattle and beef cattle.
Kuipers showed pigs and beef cattle at the fair in 2024. He qualified for the grand master showmen competition after winning the beef master showman title.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Carter Kuipers, then 16, of Byron shows a beef animal during the grand master showman competition on July 26, 2024. Kuipers won the competition, one of the most prestigious at the Orleans County 4-H Fair. It features the top livestock showmen from the fair.
