Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Peach blossoms pop out in the fruit orchards at Watt Farms on Route 98 in Gaines.

Watt’s has a mix of many apple trees with their white flowers and peach trees with their pink blossoms.

This is one of the most striking times to take a drive around Orleans County, with the orchards in bloom.

I like the looks of the orchard at Watt’s, where there are still many of the older-style fruit trees with the limbs in wild angles. It is quite a sight when the trees are blooming.

Many of the local orchards are now high-density plantings with the trees in perfect alignment and the branches trimmed nice and short. The fruit growers can pack in the trees and maximum the output with the high-density plantings. It’s easier too on the farmworkers who didn’t need to get as high on ladders.

Orleans County should promote the blossom season. This is one of the best times of the year.

These geese hang out and enjoy the spring day at Watt’s on Sunday evening.

It’s going to chilly on Wednesday and Thursday nights. It could drop to 27 on Wednesday night and 32 on Thursday. The colder temperatures could hurt the blossoms, diminishing the fruit crop. Chris Watt, the orchard owner, admitted he is a bit anxious about the chill.

He would like it to be warmer at night and to see the bees buzzing in the orchard, pollinating the flowers.

YMCA on Saturday hosted benefit for Ahmed Cherif

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Neven, an 8-year-old volunteer with Voice Gavel Club, left, walks 9-year-old Ahmed Cherif down the runway during a fashion show Saturday at the YMCA. The fashion show was one of many events which took place at the Y to benefit Ahmed’s medical treatments. (Right) Mariem Cherif, left, chats with French interpreter Marie Scott of Lyndonville during a benefit Saturday at the YMCA in Medina to benefit Cherif’s son Ahmed. Looking on is Scot’s daughter Anma, 3. Mariem and Ahmed came to Medina a year ago from Tunisia seeking medical help for Ahmed, who faces multiple health problems.

MEDINA – A crowd of people filled areas of the YMCA Saturday during a fundraiser to benefit 9-year-old Ahmed Cherif, who came from Tunisia a year ago with his mother Mariem seeking medical help.

Organized by volunteers from World Life Institute in Waterport and the Voice Gavel Club (junior Toastmasters), the afternoon featured numerous events for children and adults, including a bounce house, henna painting, bookmark making station, paint pouring workshop, bake sale, concession stands, arts and crafts table, face painting, basketball game and walk with Ahmed during a youth fashion show.

Highlight of the afternoon was auctioning off a painting by a young artist named Aricia, a grade 10 student at St. Robert Catholic High School. The painting was donated by the Voice Gavel Club of Toronto and sold for $300.

Ahmed’s mother mingled with the crowd and shared her joy for the support they have received. She told about selling her car, quitting her job as an accountant and leaving everything behind to bring Ahmed here.

“She was very brave, going to the unknown,” said Marie Scott of Lyndonville, an interpreter who speaks French with Mariem.

“It’s so hard leaving Ahmed’s dad back in Tunisia,” Mariem said. “But I am so happy with Ahmed’s progress. Since I met Project Life things started moving ahead.”

Mariem is also attending English as a Second Language classes twice a week at World Life Institute Education Center in Waterport, under sponsorship of Orleans-Niagara BOCES.

While Ahmed still isn’t able to speak, there was no mistaking his joy on Saturday as he danced around with the other boys and girls.

Noori Bibi, vice president of the YMCA board, said the event was a huge success in her eyes.

“It was wonderful to watch people enjoy the many activities and the atmosphere,” she said. “There were people from not only our community, but neighboring places like Buffalo and Rochester, as well as Canada, who came to show their support. I am so proud of all the young people and what they accomplished on the day. I am also very grateful to all the volunteers and the Medina local businesses and the YMCA for their generous support. I know Ahmed and Mariem felt the love and support from the wider community.

“And although Ahmed doesn’t have the voice or words to express himself, he certainly showed his joy by dancing throughout the event,” Bibi said. “This was a great start to our fundraising efforts for Ahmed. Thank you to everyone who supported this and participated, and please keep on supporting Ahmed by donating on our website.”

Click here to donate through World Life Institute.

YMCA hosted a benefit Saturday in support of Ahmed Cherif, a 9-year-old from Tunisia who came to Medina with his mother for treatment of multiple medical conditions.

MEDINA – The village will soon have a committee working on the planning and fundraising for a new all-inclusive playground at State Street Park.

The playground would serve children with and without disabilities. Mike Sidari, the village mayor for eight years, will be on the committee for the project. His term ended on march 31 and didn’t seek re-election.

He told the Village Board on Monday the committee would likely include representatives from the Medina Parks Committee or perhaps a new “Friends of State Street Park.”

There have been two proposals so far submitted for the playground, with another one expected.

Sidari said the committee will meet with the companies making proposals and try to determine the best fit for the village. Sidari said the proposals so far range from $360,000 to $500,000.

One proposal from GameTime included PowerScape playgrounds with large decks and uprights to provide strength and capacity. Other features include sensory wave seats, RoxAll See Saw, inclusive whirl, Bunny Spring Rider, four-bay swing frame, including two with a belt, two with enclosed tot, two with Zero G, one expression swing and one expression swing with a universal seat.

There would also be a freestanding sensory wave arch climber with sensors, four benches, geotextile rolls and wood fibers.

The Rochester Community Foundation told Sidari charitable foundations would likely contribute to the project. Sidari also said the Medina Rotary Club has agreed to be a pass-through for any donations locally towards the project. The Rotary Club would accept the funds and then direct them to the new playground, Sidari said.

Mayor Marguerite Sherman believes the playground will be a big draw in the community, drawing visitors too who don’t have an accessible playground in their town.

“I think it will bring in a lot of people, and will get a lot of use,” Sherman said. “People are looking for accessible areas. If you build it they will come and they will bring their families.”

Sherman attended a recent conference by the NYS Canal Corp. where state officials encouraged canal communities to make their recreational opportunities more accessible for people in wheelchairs and with other disabilities.

Sidari said there are many disabled veterans who would welcome an accessible playground so they could be with their children.

In other action at Monday’s Village Board meeting:

•  The board set 6 p.m. Thursday at the Senior Center for a final vote on the village’s budget for 2024-25. There will be a workshop on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. to further scrutinize the budget.

“We are putting a lot of time and thought into it,” Sherman said.

• The board voted to seek a $50,000 state engineering planning grant for the development of an engineering report to identify sources of inflow and infiltration. The village’s share is $10,000.

• Appointed Bill Chmylak as a Waste Water Treatment Plant Operator.

• Approved a permit for Leonard Oakes Estate Winery to sell alcohol at up to seven blues concerts this summer at State Street Park.

“I was skeptical about alcohol in the parks, but it is very well laid out,” Sherman said about the layout at the concerts, which drew up to 800 people. “It’s just wonderful for our community.”

May 11 event will include popcorn and music from movies

Provided photos: The Middleport Community Choir, under the leadership of Ric Jones of Medina, is shown in concert last year with the Festival Chorus from Buffalo. Their upcoming spring concert May 11 will be a movie-themed afternoon at the Middleport Firehall.

MIDDLEPORT – Music will fill the air, along with popcorn and movies, when the Middleport Community Choir presents its spring concert at 4 p.m. May 11 at Middleport Firehall.

“This is definitely a different take on our concerts,” said director Ric Jones of Medina. “I think it is refreshing for both the choir and the audience to offer something different.”

Herb Koenig, one of the founding members of the Middleport Community Choir, practices a solo for a previous concert. Koenig, who died this month after a battle with cancer, will be honored during their May 11 concert.

The program was made possible by a grant from the Statewide Community Regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts.

The concert, performed by the Middleport Community Choir and Middleport Bell Tones under director and choir accompanist Debby Clark, will be a mixed choral and small group compilation of classic movie theme songs.

Title of the concert is “Meet me at the Movies,” and all music will be taken from the movies. The selections are far-reaching, Jones said, from older movies to more recent ones. Featured will be soloists, small groups, the Middleport Belltones and the full Middleport Community Choir.

To set the atmosphere of the movies, they will be selling popcorn and drinks. Occasional movie clips will be played between choir selections.

A highlight of the concert will be a tribute to the late Herb Koenig.

“Herb was an original member and the major reason the choir exists in the first place,” Jones said. “This choir is his legacy. We sure miss him.”

Koenig sang tenor, and in the multiple special concerts performed over the years, he almost always sang a solo. His last solo was “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from “Carousel,” Jones said.

Admission to the concert is free, but a freewill offering will be received.

Jones said they like performing at the firehall because it offers a more relaxed, intimate environment and allows them to show movie clips and offer popcorn and drinks.

Local governments pushed for more AIM allotments, which hadn’t increased in 15 years

The new state budget gives towns, villages and cities more unrestricted aid, but it’s not much.

The state hadn’t increased the Aid and Incentives to Municipalities for about 15 years. The new budget keeps AIM at $715 million, but makes a 7 percent increase or another $50 million in “New Temporary Municipal Assistance.”

Many of the local governments around the state, including in Orleans County, passed formal resolutions in February and March asking for a boost in AIM.

The governments around the state were seeking significantly more – about $1.1 billion in total to keep up with the cost of inflation after more than a decade of no increases.

Little of the AIM funding comes to Orleans County because there isn’t a city in the county. About 90 percent of the total in AIM goes to cities. Of the $715 million total, cities get $647,093,629 or 90.5 percent, towns are allocated $47.9 million or 6.7 percent and villages get $19.7 million or 2.8 percent.

Here are the amounts approved for the local governments in Orleans County, with the AIM funding plus the new amounts in “Temporary Municipal Assistance.”

Towns

• Albion, $46,944 plus $3,284
• Barre, $12,486 plus $873
• Carlton, $13,680 plus $957
• Clarendon, $11,416 plus $799
• Gaines, $21,323 plus $1,492
• Kendall, $21,299 plus $1,490
• Murray, $44,677 plus $3,125
• Ridgeway, $46,273 plus $3,237
• Shelby, $45,007 plus $3,149
• Yates, $10,421 plus $729

Villages

• Albion 38,811 plus $2,715
• Holley 17,786 plus $1,244
• Lyndonville 6,251 plus $437
• Medina 45,523 plus $3,185

Barbara Van Epps, executive director of the New York State Conference of Mayors, said the organization appreciates a funding boost, and she thanked the many local governments for passing resolutions, meeting with state legislators and pushing for more money to help offset some of the inflationary increases faced by municipalities.

“NYCOM is happy to report that after 15 years, the Adopted State Budget includes an additional $50 million in unrestricted state aid for cities, villages and towns,” she said in a statement. “While this may not translate into significant dollars for all of our members, we do see this as a positive step forward and hopefully the beginning of a stronger and more meaningful state-local partnership.”

It’s official: Pride Pak Way, Commerce Way and Enterprise Way

Photo by Tom Rivers: Pride Pak Road will become “Pride Pak Way,” the Medina Village Board voted on Monday. The short road, about 300 feet long, is west of the Pride Pak vegetable processing facility on Maple Ridge Road. It’s one of three streets leading into the Medina Business Park that were officially named on Monday by the board.

MEDINA – The Village Board gave three short streets leading into the Medina Business Park official names at the Monday night board meeting.

The board had been discussing how to name the streets in recent months. After hearing suggestions for prominent community leaders and business tycoons from the past and present, the board decided for more generic names – Commerce and Enterprise. The other street will be Pride Pak Way.

Pride Pak Way is just west of the Pride Pak vegetable processing facility that opened in 2016. There already is a sign declaring the small street “Pride Pak Road.” That street could eventually extend farther back into the business park.

The board never officially named the street. The name will be “Pride Pak Way” to be consistent with the first street named in the park: “Marcia Tuohey Way” which is off Bates Road.

The three new streets are all perpendicular to Maple Ridge Road. Pride Pak Way is currently about 300 feet long. The village and Orleans Economic Development Agency previously said the street would be named Pride Pak as part of the agreement with the Canada-based company to come to Medina. Pride Pak lists the address of its Medina business as 11531 Maple Ridge Rd.

Enterprise Way is about 400 feet long, and is between Pride Pak and the hotel.

Commerce Way is about 400 feet long and between Takeform and BMP.

The board preferred more generic names, which wouldn’t have to be changed in the future if there are changes of ownership and the names of the existing businesses by the new streets.

The naming of the paved streets will add them to the village’s official street inventory, and could result in a slight increase in state CHIPS aid for road maintenance.

Governor notes no hike in state income taxes and a new housing deal

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday announced the historic investments included in the FY 2025 Enacted Budget which was passed by the Legislature this weekend.

Kathy Hochul

The $237 billion budget makes record investments in the people of New York without raising income taxes. It includes hundreds of new initiatives that will help fight crime, fix our mental health system, and build more housing so people can afford to live and thrive in New York.

“We are delivering a common-sense agenda that makes New York safer and more affordable,” Governor Hochul said. “I promised to fight for New Yorkers and tackle the thorny issues, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

A Balanced Budget

Governor Hochul’s FY 2025 Budget makes record investments in the people of New York while maintaining fiscal responsibility. All funds spending is $237 billion growing at one percent year-to-year. The FY 2025 budget does not raise income or statewide business taxes and maintains state reserves at the gold standard of 15 percent for a “rainy day.”

Landmark Housing Deal

Governor Kathy Hochul brokered a historic agreement in the FY 2025 Enacted Budget to address New York’s housing crisis by increasing the housing supply, promoting affordability, strengthening protections for New York renters and homeowners, and combatting bias and discrimination in housing.

Governor Hochul’s housing agenda includes:

• A landmark plan to build more housing in New York City, including establishing the new 485-x tax incentive to construct affordable housing, extending the 421-a tax incentive for six years for projects already in the pipeline, changing the outdated 12 FAR density cap, creating incentives to convert unused office space into affordable housing.
• New initiatives to spur housing creation statewide, including a new 421-p tax incentive to construct housing outside NYC, mandating that $650 million in discretionary funding goes to Pro-Housing Communities, allocating $500 million to build up to 15,000 new homes on state land, and incentives for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
• Historic protections for tenants and homeowners, anti-price gouging measures for renters, stronger protections from evictions, and new enforcement and preventative measures to protect homeowners from deed theft, and reinforces the law that squatters are not tenants.
• More than $600 million in capital funding to support housing statewide.

Creating a Safer New York

The Budget makes major investments and reforms to improve public safety, crack down on organized retail theft, combat the rising tide of hate crimes, prevent gun violence and domestic violence, and reduce recidivism and improve reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals across New York State.

The FY 2025 Budget includes:

• $347 million to continue New York’s efforts to reduce and prevent gun violence.
• $40.2 million to crack down on retail theft by expanding enforcement and increasing penalties for offenders who assault retail workers and a $3,000 tax credit for business owners to invest in security resources.
• $35.8 million to prevent and prosecute crimes of domestic violence.
• $35 million to fight the rising tide of hate by expanding the number of offenses that can be prosecuted as hate crimes and investing in the Securing Communities Against Hate Grant that protects houses of worship, religious schools and other at-risk sites.
• $7.1 million to reduce recidivism and improve reentry into the workforce by providing more intensive supervision of individuals on parole, expanding transitional housing opportunities, expanding college programming to all state prisons, and providing transportation for visitors to and from State Correctional Facilities.

Improving Healthcare for All New Yorkers

Governor Hochul’s FY 2025 Budget provides record funding to keep New Yorkers healthy, while also setting the Medicaid program on sustainable long-term fiscal footing. A historic $37 billion Medicaid investment maintains the State’s commitment to supporting the health care safety net and transforming the health care delivery system, while simultaneously making bold investments to expand access to services and support the workforce. The Budget includes support for the State’s recently approved Medicaid 1115 Waiver amendment, investing $7.5 billion in federal and state funding to promote health equity across the State.

The FY25 Budget also advances the Governor’s priority of improving maternal and infant health care outcomes. New York will become the first state in the nation to expand access to prenatal care for pregnant women by granting up to 20 hours of leave for eligible employees to attend appointments, without impacting the existing twelve weeks of paid family leave.

The FY25 budget also includes bold new legislation to protect low-income New Yorkers from medical debt lawsuits by banning hospitals from suing patients earning less than 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, or $120,000 for a family of four. The legislation would also expand hospital financial assistance programs for low-income New Yorkers, limit the size of monthly payments and interest charged for medical debt and implement other protections to improve access to financial assistance and mitigate the deleterious effects of medical debt on New Yorkers.

The FY25 Budget advances critical health care priorities including:

• $3.2 billion to support distressed hospitals throughout New York State, inclusive of $550 million annually to support the transformation of New York’s safety net hospitals through a Medicaid Global Budget initiative supported by the 1115 Waiver.
• $825 million in temporary reimbursement increases for hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living programs, in addition to substantial rate increases over the previous two budgets.
• $315 million to provide health insurance subsidies for low to middle income individuals enrolled in Qualified Health Plans.
• $300 million and regulatory flexibilities to support a new Healthcare Safety Net Transformation Program.
• $200 million in Medicaid savings through improved oversight and efficiency in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).
• $148 million to increase rates for primary care delivered through New York’s innovative Patient-Centered Medical Homes model.
• $116 million in additional funding for various Aging and Public Health programs, including • $27 million for DOH nutrition programs and $10 million dedicated to SOFA to finance additional unmet need services.
• $19.5 million in funding to support a 5 percent rate increase for in person services under the Early Intervention Program, as well as a 4 percent rate modifier for rural areas and underserved communities.

Tackling the Mental Health Crisis

For too long, New York’s mental health care system has suffered from gaps in care. Likewise, the COVID-19 pandemic left a lasting impact on many New Yorkers, exacerbating mental health challenges and highlighting the need for appropriate levels of care statewide.

To address the unmet mental health needs of many New Yorkers and building on Governor Hochul’s $1 billion multi-year mental health plan, the FY 2025 Budget investments include:

• $84 million to increase reimbursement for services provided at certain sites treating mental health conditions.
• $55 million to establish 200 new inpatient psychiatric beds statewide, including three additional 25-bed Transition to Home Units (THUs).
• $90 million in opioid settlement funding to continue to lead the country in the disbursement of money received from settlement agreements with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies.
• $33 million to improve engagement with individuals living with mental illness and involved in the criminal justice system.
• $20 million for school-based mental health clinic satellites, making it easier for students and their families to access clinical services.
• $19 million to provide critical care to young people outside of school environments, including increasing resources for youth receiving treatment in the community and in residential settings.
• $2 million to increase mental health supports for first responders including suicide prevention efforts.

Supporting Students and Schools

All New York students deserve a high-quality education, from prekindergarten through college. Governor Hochul and the Legislature prioritized school funding in the FY 2025 Budget while still putting New York State on the path toward a more equitable school funding formula. Governor Hochul also signed ‘Back to Basics’ legislation to ensure New York schools use evidence-based reading instruction. Additionally, Governor Hochul secured provisions in the FY 2025 Budget to make college more affordable for New York students and expand pathways to higher education.

Governor Hochul’s education priorities secured in the FY25 Budget also include:

• $36 billion in total school aid, including $24.9 billion in Foundation Aid
• $1.29 billion for SUNY and CUNY capital projects.
• $409 million for SUNY and CUNY operations.
• Raising the minimum award for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) from $500 to $1,000 and increasing the student income limits for TAP eligibility.

Historic Investments to Drive Innovation in New York State

Governor Hochul has also secured funding to build a 21st century economy in New York State and drive innovation in key, fast-growing sectors. The budget makes investments to strengthen New York’s business sector, prepare workers for the jobs and careers of tomorrow, and create vibrant communities full of economic vitality, including:

• $500 million in capital funding for NYCREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex to jumpstart a • $10 billion partnership to bring next-generation chips research to New York.
• $275 million investment over 10 years to support Empire AI, a one-of-a-kind consortium to secure New York’s place at the forefront of artificial intelligence research.
• $200 million for four ON-RAMP workforce developments centers in Upstate New York to train workers for jobs of the future in advanced manufacturing and other growing industries.
• $100 million to fund an additional round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.
• $100 million to fund an additional round of NY Forward.
• $100 million to fund an additional round of FAST NY.
• $50 million to fund an additional round of Restore NY.
• $80 million in capital funding for the New York State Council on the Arts to support New York’s arts and cultural sector.
• $30 million in tax relief to support newspaper and broadcast journalism jobs.

Modernizing Infrastructure and Investing in Transit Throughout New York

Governor Hochul has made critical investments in infrastructure and transit across the state, including establishing the record $33 billion five-year Department of Transportation Capital Plan and rescuing the MTA from the fiscal cliff. From reconnecting communities divided by highways to expanding subway service and filling potholes statewide, these investments have made New York more connected, accessible and safer for all.

Building on this record of success, the FY 2025 Budget includes:

• More than $8.7 billion in mass transit operating support statewide, including $884 million in operating support for non-MTA transit systems.
• Nearly $7.7 billion for the third year of the record $33 billion, five-year DOT Capital Plan to improve highways, bridges, rail, aviation infrastructure, non-MTA transit, and DOT facilities including $1.3 billion for local roads and bridges.
• This includes $598 million for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), $140 million for state touring routes, and $100 million for Governor Hochul’s Pave our Potholes Program.

Fight Climate Change and Promote Resiliency

The Enacted Budget includes actions to accelerate New York’s transition to clean energy, plant 25 million trees and safeguard clean water. The Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment (RAPID) Act will create a one-stop-shop for the environmental review and permitting of electric transmission and improve the interconnection process.

Environmental initiatives in the FY 2025 Budget include:

• $500 million for clean water and $400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund.
• $200 million for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and an additional $100 million in funding for the celebration of the New York State Parks’ Centennial.
• $150 million invested in NY SWIMS to address the disinvestment in swimming facilities and lifeguards in underserved communities.
• $40 million to create the Resilient & Ready Program and $15 million to equip localities with tools to fend off floods and keep the lights on during storms.
• $15 million to plant over 25 million trees across New York by 2033.

Helping Members of Every Community Grow and Thrive

Governor Kathy Hochul announced a series of actions to help New Yorkers from every community grow and thrive as part of the FY 2025 Budget. These actions include securing funding to expand abortion access, recognize the needs of military veterans, support First Nations, and invest in TGNCNB New Yorkers.

Actions include:

• Investing $36 million to support abortion providers and support abortion care in New York.
• Expanding access to doulas.
• Strengthening mental health care and support services for veterans.
• Expanding dental care access for First Nations.
• Increasing state investment in Lorena Borjas fund, which provides resources and opportunity to TGNCNB New Yorkers

Bolstering New York’s Agriculture Industry

Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, investments in New York State’s agriculture priorities and farmers have gone up by 60 percent since 2022. The FY 2025 Budget builds on the Governor’s progress by:

• Investing $55 million to advance New York State as leader in the dairy industry.
• Providing $50 million for Nourish NY to help families access fresh food and support local farmers.
• Supporting restaurants and bars by extending the sale of to-go alcoholic beverages for an additional five years.
• Investing over $60 million in local assistance to support farmers and producers.
• Providing $19.5 million to expand the New York State Animal Heath Diagnostic Center at Cornell University.
• Allocating over $15 million to grow New York State’s bioeconomy and support additional agricultural initiatives.

Provided photos

HOLLEY – Zach Busch, the Holley High Band and Jazz director, joins some of his students in holding a trophy Holley won at Music in the Parks competition at Hershey Park.

There were 60 Holley High School Concert Band and Mixed Choir students who traveled to Hershey this past weekend.

The Holley Band earned 1st Place in High School Concert Band Class A, with a “Superior” rating from their score average of 91.75 (of 100). They performed two selections: “The Witch and the Saint” by Steven Reineke and “Americans We” by Henry Fillmore.

The Choir earned 2nd Place in High School Mixed Choir Class A, with an “Excellent” rating from their score average of 86.75 (of 100). They performed two selections: “O Love” by Elaine Hagenberg and “Let Everything That Hath Breath” by Jeffery Ames.

The trip was also highlighted by sight-seeing in Philadelphia, including: the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rocky Statue, a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park, the Liberty Bell, and Reading Terminal Market.

The Holley HS Band and Choir will close out their yearly concerts with their Spring Concert on Thursday, May 30 at 7 p.m. in the Holley MSHS Auditorium.

Photos by Ginny Kropf (Left) – Mary Thomas celebrates her 100th birthday at Orchard Manor in Medina today with granddaughter Maria Heeg of Chili, formerly of Albion, daughter Bonnie Ruhlen of Albion, son Jim Thomas of Florida, and granddaughter Barbara Bernhardt of Chicago. Jim and his family are former residents of Newfane. Son David from Pennsylvania was also present for a celebration on Sunday, her actual birthday. (Right) B.J. Thomas of Medina hugs her husband Ron’s aunt, Mary Thomas, on the occasion of her 100th birthday, celebrated at Orchard Manor.

MEDINA – Mary Thomas’ 100th birthday turned into a three-day celebration at Orchard Manor Rehabilitation Center.

On Sunday (April 21), her actual birthday, she celebrated with a party for family and friends, including her three children, Jim and David Thomas and Bonnie Ruhlen, followed by cake on Monday with Jim, Bonnie, granddaughters Maria Heeg and Barbara Bernhardt and B. J., Thomas, wife of Mary’s nephew Ron Thomas. On Tuesday, she will celebrate again when Orchard Manor observes all the birthdays falling in April.

Mary grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where she met her husband Franklin at a USO dance.

“He was in the Army Air Corps and we were told it was a girl’s duty to go dance with the servicemen,” Mary said.

Franklin was from Lyndonville and when they married, they returned to Orleans County and settled in Waterport.

Mary led an active life, starting work while she was still in high school for the local Farm Bureau. After moving to Waterport, she was active in Waterport Methodist Church and worked for Orleans County Farm Bureau.

When Mary’s and Franklin’s third child, Bonnie, was born, Mary wanted to stay home, so she got a job selling Avon, where she could take the kids with her to drop off catalogs and pick up orders.

Mary Thomas blows out the candle on her birthday cake at Orchard Manor, in observance of her 100th birthday on Sunday.

Bonnie said her mother lived for a time in Clover Hill Adult Care home in Albion, where she loved to reminisce about the dresser in her room.

“I bought that with my very first paycheck,” she would say.

Jim reminded the family that his mother was still in high school at the time.

When the children were growing up, Mary was president of their school’s PTA, district clerk for Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation, and president of the Rebecca Lodge.

“Us kids like to be in charge, and now I know where we get it from,” Ruhlen said.

The family had set a goal for Mary to receive 100 birthday cards for her 100th birthday. Today they announced she had received 110 cards.

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

April 22-29, 2024 is National Infant Immunization Week. National Infant Immunization Week is a yearly observation that highlights the importance of protecting infants from birth to two years of age from serious childhood diseases.

Vaccines, a successful public health tool, have greatly reduced infant deaths and disability caused by 14 preventable diseases like measles, mumps, whooping cough, chickenpox and polio.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on-time vaccinations throughout childhood help provide immunity before children are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases. Delaying vaccines leaves children unprotected during the time when they need vaccine protection the most.

“Children who may have missed or skipped vaccinations may be at an increased risk of diseases, which can be serious,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “It is important to stay on track with well-child visits and recommended vaccination schedules. Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your children are up to date on their routine vaccinations.”

For more information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent, visit these resources:

• Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule (click here)
• Vaccines for Your Children (click here)
• The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Parenting Website (click here)

For more information on GO Health’s Immunization Clinics or to set up an appointment, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also contact your respective health department:

• Orleans County- 585-589-3278 or OCPublicHealth@orleanscountyny.gov
• Genesee County- 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@co.genesee.ny.us

Provided photos: Long-time Master Food Preserver volunteer Karen DesJardin will once again offer her popular Intro to Canning and Review class on May 1 to kick-off the workshop series.

Press Release, Orleans County Master Food Preserver

KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension offers food preservation and food safety education by way of their Master Food Preserver Volunteer Group. Each year, the volunteers choose topics to present to the public in small hands-on workshops.  This year, the volunteers decided as a group to change the way they offer their classes in an effort to reach more people.

In the past, each Master Food Preserver class would focus on a specific method of food preservation, the volunteers who lead the classes would choose 1-3 recipes to teach during class, and the public participants would create those products, following the step-by-step procedures taught to them by the MFP instructors.

This style of workshop was extremely popular, but the kitchen could only comfortably fit 9 participants plus the volunteer instructors and helpers.  As the program has gained in popularity over the years, the workshop registration would fill up within days of being announced, and then each class would have 10-20 additional people on waitlists, hoping for cancellations.

Eileen Sorochty, an active volunteer with both the MFP and Master Gardener programs, will offer a pie making class on October 23.  Participants will be able to bring home their own pie crust that they make in class.

This year, the MFP volunteers decided they wanted to reach a bigger audience, so all of their workshops will be held “demonstration-style” in a larger room instead of the hands-on classes in the kitchen.  In these demo-style classes, the instructors will be at the front of the room, showing participants each step in the process of that particular method of food preservation. Participants will be able to experience the food preservation process, handle and observe the various equipment needed, and receive printed handouts with detailed tutorials and relevant recipes.

“Due to class size limitations in the kitchen, we wanted to make the information accessible to more people in our community,” said Karen DesJardin, long-time MFP Volunteer and instructor of the annual Intro to Canning class, “By doing demonstrations instead of the hands-on classes, it helps to keep costs down, and allows the education to be available to all.”

Because each participant will not be making their own preserves to take home, the need for produce and class supplies is greatly reduced to just what the instructor needs for their demonstration activities. In this way, the group is able to offer the classes at a reduced cost to the participants. This year, all classes except pie making (where participants will be able to make their own pie crust to take home) will be offered for an optional $5 donation to the program.  These funds will help cover the costs of educational outreach, updated testing materials, and supplies for future workshops.

(Left) MFP volunteer Colin Butgereit will once again teach participants how to safely and effectively can low-acid foods in a pressure canner on August 24. (Right) On June 26, MFP volunteer Kevin Bedard will lead participants through the proper techniques in dehydrating and freezing.

Despite of the change in teaching format, participants can expect the same level of professionalism, education, and experience that Cornell Cooperative Extension public outreach is known for.

“There aren’t many workshops or events that are as in-depth and comprehensive as the workshops provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension,” said Eileen Sorochty, a long-time volunteer for both the Master Food Preserver and Master Gardener programs. “We present a science-based learning experience for anyone who has an interest in knowing about and/or doing themselves, proper and safe food preservation.”

The classes in this year’s series include the annual Intro to Canning and Review class on Wednesday, May 1 at 6 p.m.; Freezing and Dehydrating on Wednesday, June 26 at 6 p.m., Pressure Canning on Saturday, August 24 at 10 a.m., and Pie Making on Wednesday, October 23 at 6 p.m.  The Pie Making class will be offered for a required class fee of $15 – participants will be able to make their own pie crust to bring home (they will need to bring their own rolling pin) – all other classes are offered at an optional donation of $5 to benefit the Master Food Preserver program.

Please call 585-798-4265 ext 125 or email klo54@cornell.edu to register.  Pre-registration is requested to allow for enough seating and handouts.

Photos courtesy of Arc GLOW: Pictured around the table are: Peggy Fransisco of Albion, Henry Ford of Kent, Lewis Tombari of Lyndonville, Doreen Clark of Clarendon, Doreen Brumbaugh of Barre, and Ace Caldwell of Albion.

Press Release, Arc GLOW

ALBION – Gathering at a small table at 16 E. Academy St. in Albion on Thursday, several seniors in Orleans County sit together to talk over a hot meal.

The meal is Salisbury steak covered in gravy with carrots and mashed potatoes for a side. They are given bread with butter, some milk and after they eat they will be given a dessert. Some help themselves to hot water or coffee as they exchange stories.

This is just one service which Meals on Wheels/Nutri-Fair program offers, which Arc GLOW has overseen since 2009. Its main goal is to assist in maintaining the healthy independence of our senior population and improving their quality of life.

“It’s important to our community, it’s important to our seniors,” said Vicki Havholm, nutrition program manager. “It’s keeping them in their homes longer by getting a nutritional meal that is done by our dietician to make sure it has what they need.”

In addition, Meals on Wheels acts as a wellness check. Havholm said drivers for Meals on Wheels checks on the clients Monday through Friday, and if there are any issues, Meals on Wheels will reach out to family members.

Office of the Aging passed along a comment that a legally blind woman said about the Orleans County Meals on Wheels program, “Without the meals, I wouldn’t be able to stay in my home.”

Meals are prepared every day. Kitchen staff come in at 6 a.m. to start cooking, so that drivers can start delivering them by 11 a.m. The menu is put together monthly by a dietician, and Havholm meets with her head cook to look at last year’s menus to review them. They remove unpopular meals and add new recipes.

In addition to the Meals on Wheels staff, volunteers from the Arc GLOW day habilitation and prevocational programs come to help put the meals together.

 In 2023, Meals on Wheels delivered 42,384 meals and served 2,057 at their Nutri-Fair sites for a total of 44,441 meals served.

“You can’t beat the prices here,” said Doreen Brumbaugh of Barre, who stopped into the Albion Nutri-Fare site on Thursday to eat. To eat at the congregate dining sites, a person must be over the age of 60 or the spouse of a participant of a person over 60. Guests of an eligible senior if they are under the age of 60 are asked to pay the guest fee for the meal.

Vicki Havholm, nutrition program manager for Arc GLOW, puts a meal in a warm box to be delivered. Arc has been running the program the past 15 years.

Seniors can come to the Nutri-Fair locations in Kendall, 1873 Kendall Road, and Albion, 16 E. Academy St. Albion serves Monday through Friday at noon, and Kendall serves noon Wednesdays and Fridays. Call (585) 589-7817 ext. 1417 by at least 9 a.m. to inform the kitchen staff you are coming in. A notification of 24 hours is preferred.

There are 10 routes which go all through Orleans County. Havholm said there are people on a waiting list for several of them due to the limitation on how many meals can be placed in a hot box.

“The food should only technically be out on the road for two and a half hours,” she explained. “Most of my drivers (who go to the northern part of the county) have plug-ins to go into their car (to keep the food warm) because they are in the car the longest.”

Havholm said a lot of people think Meals on Wheels is welfare and just for people who are poor. It is not.

“We are here for you to help you,” she said. “To put that ease of mind for your family knowing that someone is checking on you, you’re getting a meal. If there is an issue, we’re here.”

To help support this important program, every year for over 30 years, with the exception of a couple years break around Covid pandemic, Meals on Wheels holds a spaghetti and meatball dinner. Prior to Arc GLOW running the Meals on Wheels program, Albion First Presbyterian Church was in charge of it, and they started the fundraiser.

This year the spaghetti and meatball dinner will be held 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25 at Meals on Wheels, located at 16 E. Academy St., in Albion. Tickets cost $12 and children under 10 eat free.

There will also be a picnic at Lakeside on June 21 which requires a reservation, and the Office of the Aging will be holding its Spring Jubilee on May 17.

For more information on Meals on Wheels and eligibility in Orleans County, contact (585) 589-5424 option 5 to sign-up. You can also visit ArcGLOW.org for information.

Provided photos from Hodgins family: Oak Orchard Yacht Club commodore Bob Hodgins and his wife Mary Lu share their love of sailing with their three children. They pose here on their boat on Lake Ontario when the children were young.

POINT BREEZE – As Becky Hodgins Almeter prepares to lead the youth sailing classes at Oak Orchard Yacht Club, her father Bob Hodgins will begin his third year as commodore when the Oak Orchard Yacht Club opens for the season on May 24. With a lifelong love of sailing, he is aptly suited for the position.

“My first sailing experience was when I was about 12 years old,” said Hodgins, a resident of Alexander in Genesee County. “My family was on vacation and there was a guy renting Sunfish sailboats. We rented one and had a blast. That led to a family Sunfish, then a Lightning sailboat on Silver Lake for a few years, and it just grew from there.”

Hodgins went on to own numerous boats, including a 26-foot sailboat when he met his wife Mary Lu in 1975, and she has been “onboard” ever since, Hodgins said.

“We have had some great adventures,” he added.

They bought a 41-foot sailboat on Cape Cod and sailed it home to Oak Orchard. They have traveled through the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario, Canada, up through Georgian Bay, the North Channel of Lake Huron, down through Lake Huron, the Detroit River to Lake Erie and Buffalo, through the Welland Canal and back to Lake Ontario.

Bob and Mary Lu Hodgins are on their boat in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

When their children were 5, 7 and 10 years old, they sailed for a year and home-schooled their children on the boat. They went from Lake Ontario, through the Erie Canal to the Hudson River, down the East Coast to Florida, spent the winter in the Bahamas and then sailed back home in the spring.

Their ocean experience started in 2008 when they left Lake Ontario, went down to the Chesapeake Bay, then spent 11 days sailing directly to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. After a full year cruising the Caribbean, they sailed back to South Carolina and sold that boat.

In 2010, they crossed the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands to St. Lucia.

They bought an ocean boat in 2012 and cruised the Caribbean for seven years, then went through the Panama Canal and spent two years crossing the South Pacific. They left the boat in New Zealand and flew home when the pandemic started, then sold the boat there.

For now, Hodgins said they are content to spend their summers on Lake Ontario and winters somewhere warm, most likely on land.

He is committed to growing membership in the Yacht Club and welcomes potential new members to check them out.

Mary Lu Hodgins was asked to pin a medal on the chief of the island of Gaua, Vanautu, during their trip to the South Pacific. The chief had received the medal from the head of the country for his longevity in governing his island.

Gas prices jumped an average of 18 cents for regular unleaded gas in New York State in the past week, going from $3.51 to $3.69.

In the past two weeks, the average price is up 22 cents in the state, AAA reported today.

The average price in Orleans County increased 14 cents in the past two weeks from $3.42 to $3.56 a gallon.

AAA issued this statement: “Gas prices have risen significantly over the past few weeks as regions return to the more expensive summer blend of fuel and tensions overseas led to the recent rise of oil prices. We are closely monitoring geopolitical issues that could impact the oil markets. This week, the cost of crude oil has since fallen back down to the mid-$80s per barrel as the oil market watches for any further military actions.

“According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose slightly last week while total domestic stocks decreased slightly. Higher demand and a rise in oil prices could push pump prices higher. It is not unusual to see a lull in gasoline demand this time of year, between the end of spring breaks and ahead of the Memorial Day holiday. The national average for gas may continue to waffle with small increases, some flat days, and even some price dips over the next few weeks.

“Diesel prices remain relatively steady. The national average price for diesel is $4.03, down one cent from last Monday. The New York average is $4.40, up one cent from a week ago.”

Here are the average prices today in Western New York counties:

• Orleans, $3.556
• Genesee, $3.537
• Wyoming, $3.589
• Livingston, $3.607
• Monroe, $3.608
• Niagara, $3.471
• Erie, $3.594
• Chautauqua, $3.630
• Cattaraugus, $3.553
• Allegany, $3.629