Provided photos: Two historic Medina Sandstone structures will be the focus of this year’s Sandstone Society Hall of Fame Tour, scheduled May 9. At left is Buffalo’s historic Richardson Hotel/Olmsted Complex. At right is St. Louis Church at 780 Main St., Buffalo.

By Ginny Kropf and Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Society has announced the itinerary for its 2024 Hall of Fame Tour on May 9 in Buffalo.

This year’s tour will feature a visit to the historic Richardson Hotel/ Olmsted Complex, and St. Louis Church. In addition, there will be a drive by of several other prominent Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame honorees.

The Richardson/Olmsted Complex was in the inaugural class in 2013 for the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame. The massive complex of the former Buffalo State Hospital was designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson and the surrounding grounds by Frederick Law Olmsted. This was the first major work on which the two collaborated. At that time it was considered to be one of the most architecturally significant designs for an asylum, a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque.

Construction started in 1871 and the two imposing 185-foot towers of the Administration building have been a highly visible and striking landmark in north Buffalo since 1880. The central pavilion, with its lofty Gothic towers, adjacent wards A and B and the four flanking wards are all built of reddish-brown Medina sandstone that was quarried in Hulberton, Orleans County. The heavy, rough-faced stone walls are set off by plainly finished blocks of the same material for doors and windows. Part of the site is now used as a hotel.

The St. Louis Catholic Church went into the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame in 2014. The church, at the corner of Main and Edward Street, was constructed from 1886 to 1889. This Gothic Revival church is built of red Medina Sandstone.

Heavily influenced by German design features, the distinctive front facade consists of two 128-foot side towers and the magnificent 245-foot center steeple and open-work spire. Perhaps the church’s most distinctive feature, this center spire, similar to the spires on several German churches including Cologne Cathedral, is the tallest open-work spire ever built completely of stone in the United States. It is also believed to be the only remaining open-work or pierced spire in the U.S.

The Medina Sandstone tour day will begin with a welcome at 8:30 a.m. by Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman at the Sandstone Hall of Fame located in City Hall on Main Street.

The tour bus, a 47-passenger coach with bathroom, will leave at 9 a.m. and arrive at the Richardson Complex at 10:15 a.m., where guests may choose to take a leisurely tour of the grounds and museum or join a docent-led tour of undeveloped areas of the Richardson/Olmsted Complex.

At 11:30 a.m., there will be a luncheon will be served in the Glessner Room at the Richardson Hotel. The bus will leave for St. Louis Church at 12:30 p.m., where a 45-minute tour is planned at 1 p.m. The bus departs for Medina at 2 p.m.

Cost for the tour is $95 per person or $90 for stonecutters (Sandstone Society members). Checks are due by April 26 and should be mailed to Medina Sandstone Society, P.O. Box 25, Medina, 14103.

Anyone with questions or wishing more information may contact Sue Holland at (585) 721-3809 or at shollan2@rochester.rr.com.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Medina historian Todd Bensley has released his second book on Boxwood Cemetery. He holds copies of his first book, released in 2016, and the latest addition, just released. Both are available at Author’s Note.

MEDINA – Old cemeteries and history have always interested Todd Bensley, so it is no surprise when he became Medina historian and a member of Friends of Boxwood that his research should prompt him to write a book.

“Boxwood Cemetery – Where the Past is Present” was published in 2016, and paved the way for Bensley to start work on a second book, titled “Boxwood Cemetery, Uncovering the Past.”

“The first book was well received,” Bensley said. “And while doing all this research and creating a searchable data base for burials at Boxwood on the village’s website, I would see something of interest,” Bensley said. “This led me to dig deeper into obits. I found many things I didn’t know about before.”

One thing he discovered is that all some people have left in the world is what is on their headstone.

“Everyone has a story, whether they died in a dramatic fashion or left their mark on the community; whether they are well-known like John Ryan; or whether they are someone whose family took the time to tell in their obit what a wonderful person they were.”

Noteworthy names buried in Boxwood Cemetery include May Howard, a passenger on the Titanic, and local business icons S.A. Cook and Robert Newell, as well as numerous veterans.

One interesting incident Bensley had never heard about was the murder of two young people on Blair Road. Noreen Margaret Russell was with her boyfriend when two men shot and killed them and stole their car to go to Florida.

“I definitely learned a lot during my research,” he said.

There are 5,000 burials in Boxwood Cemetery and Bensley said he can’t count how many hundred hours he has already spent in researching them.

“It’s become a passion,” he said.

Bensley stresses that all proceeds from the sale of his books goes to Friends of Boxwood Cemetery. Books are on sale at Author’s Note for $38 for the first book and $23 for the recent release. Author’s Note will also work with purchasers to ship them their books. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Saturday; and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Rob Klino, a member of Friends of Boxwood and owner of a newly-opened Thistleridge store at 418 Main St., also has copies of the books at his business. Thistleridge is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

In addition to Bensley, support for his books came from Boxwood Cemetery Committee; Bogan and Tuttle Funeral Home; Cooper Funeral Home; Bates, Wallace and Heath Funeral Home; Pets in Peaceful Rest and the Medina Sandstone Society.

Klino and Bensley urge the public to visit Boxwood Cemetery’s Facebook page for upcoming events to support the cemetery.

Provided photo: These students from Niagara-Orleans BOCES are pictured at Medina Memorial Hospital with their teacher Courtney Slack BSN, RN. The students include Lilyan Beals (Roy Hart), Bella Fischer (Medina), Adysyn Stirk (Albion), Sofia Gagliardi (Medina), Madison Davis (Lydonville), Gisella Garcia (Medina), Monet Thomas (Albion), Jayden Lewis (Albion) and Paige Newton (Albion. Missing from photo: Taylor LeFrois (Albion).

MEDINA – A collaboration between allied Health Technical Prep, Orleans/Niagara BOCES and Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital is shaping the future of healthcare professionals, according to Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communications and Outreach at Medina Memorial Hospital.

“We are delighted to celebrate the continued success of this partnership which has provided junior students from the BOCES program with excellent training opportunities within the hospital, fostering unique learning experiences and community engagement,” Robinson said.

One student, Madison Davis from Lyndonville, shares her experience.

“Allied Health and its shadowing experiences within the hospital have been very helpful in helping me make my decision to pursue a career as a PA,” Davis said. “The community and mentors I have gained from my experience here have made huge impacts on me personally and professionally.”

Additionally, Lily Beals from Roy-Hart expressed her gratitude.

“Joining Allied Health has made me realize how much more I want to pursue my career in dentistry,” Beals said. “I am so grateful for this experience and being able to help the community. Learning about the foundations of healthcare will give me a broad prospective as I pursue a pathway to becoming a dental hygienist.”

The ongoing partnership between Allied Health Technical Prep, Orleans/Niagara BOCES and Medina Memorial Hospital underscores a shared commitment to nurturing talent, supporting career aspirations and serving the local community, Robinson said. By offering students continuous exposure to real-world healthcare environments and mentorship from seasoned professionals, this collaboration equips them with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in their chosen healthcare careers, he said.

“We are immensely proud of the enduring success of this partnership and the positive impact it has had on our students,” said Kimberly Gray, chief nursing officer at Orleans Community Health. “By providing ongoing immersive learning experiences and mentorship opportunities, we are shaping the next generation of healthcare leaders who will continue to make meaningful contributions to our community.”

Allied Health Technical Prep, Orleans/Niagara BOCES and Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital look forward to building upon their established partnership and continuing to empower students to excel in the healthcare field.

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Albion fire hall on North Platt Street is shown on Sunday during an open house and recruitment effort for the Albion Fire Department.

ALBION – The Albion and Gaines community is moving towards a new joint fire district that would have its own fire commissioners, and own budget and taxing authority.

There will be a public hearing at 6 p.m. on April 24 at the LGI room in the high school for the community to hear details about the district and to ask questions.

The Albion Town Board, Gaines Town Board and Albion Village Board held a joint meeting on March 27 at the Gaines Town Hall. The three boards all voted in favor of establishing the joint fire district.

The fire department’s budget is currently part of the Albion village budget, with the Village Board functioning as the commissioners overseeing the fire department budget. The two towns currently contract with the village for fire protection. In 2024, Gaines will pay $116,390 and the Town of Albion will pay $115,362.

Albion village officials have long felt the village bears an undue financial cost for the fire department budget. With the joint fire district, the costs will be based on the taxable values of each municipality, which village officials see as a better way to fund the department, especially with new fire truck purchases in the near future, including a ladder truck.

The joint fire district should also better identify the true costs of providing fire protection in the community by taking the department out of the village budget.

Fire Chief Jeremy Graham and Deputy John Papponetti both will give presentations during the public hearing on April 24.

Graham said he favors the joint district. Local residents will have a bigger voice in the fire service by electing commissioners and voting on any bonding for trucks and other equipment.

“The taxpayers will have a say,” Graham said. “They will have a vote.”

Holley and Lyndonville both recently moved the fire department out of the village budget and into their own fire districts. That lowered the village taxes, but there is a new fire district tax in January.

The Albion Fire Department had activities for children during the open house on Sunday, including giveaways of plastic firefighter helmets.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

ALBANY – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a conceptual agreement with legislative leaders on key priorities in the Fiscal Year 2025 New York State Budget.

“I promised to fight the right fights for New Yorkers, deliver common sense solutions, and tackle the thorny issues that others might ignore, and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Governor Hochul said. “We’re delivering on a common-sense agenda: fighting crime, fixing our mental health system, and building more housing so people can finally afford to live in New York.”

With a conceptual agreement in place, the legislative houses are expected to pass bills that will enact these priorities. Based on a preliminary assessment of the negotiated changes to the Executive proposal, the total budget for FY 2025 is currently estimated at $237 billion. 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.”

Highlights of the budget include:

• Securing a historic agreement to address New York’s housing crisis by creating a new 485x tax incentive for affordable housing; extending the 421a incentive for projects already in the pipeline; making it easier to convert unused office space into affordable housing; eliminating outdated density caps in New York City; unlocking the potential of units that have been vacant since 2019; establishing a new law to protect tenants from price gouging.
• Creating a statewide tax incentive for multi-family housing; making $650 million in discretionary funds exclusively available to Pro-Housing Communities; providing incentives for communities that want more accessory dwelling units; investing $500 million to develop up to 15,000 new housing units on State-owned sites; and protecting homeowners from deed theft.
• Cracking down on retail theft by increasing penalties for offenders who assault retail workers; $40.2 million for retail theft enforcement; and a $3,000 tax credit for business owners to invest in security resources.
• Shutting down illicit cannabis storefronts by authorizing the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) to padlock businesses for a full year; allowing local governments to pass laws to execute padlock orders; establishing fines for landlords knowingly renting to retailers selling cannabis without a license.
• Fighting the rising tide of hate by expanding the number of offenses that can be prosecuted as hate crimes and investing $35 million in the Securing Communities Against Hate Grant that protects houses of worship, religious schools and other at-risk sites.
• Improving public safety through targeted investments in communities, including $347 million to continue New York’s efforts to reduce and prevent gun violence and $35.7 million to prevent and prosecute crimes of domestic violence.
• Investing $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.
• Making our streets safer with new efforts to fight toll evasion on our roads and fare evasion on our subways.
• Making record investments in mental health, including $19 million for mental health services for school-aged children, $55 million to establish 200 new inpatient psychiatric beds at State-run facilities; and mandating better mental health care at hospitals.
• Investing $31 million to expand mental health services for first responders and for individuals struggling with mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system.
• Maintaining our $3.9 billion commitment to support distressed hospitals and $20 billion multi-year investment to build new healthcare infrastructure, expand Medicare coverage for seniors and pregnant New Yorkers and increase the home care worker minimum wage.
• Protecting mothers and babies by becoming the first state in the nation to offer paid leave to expecting mothers; requiring employers to provide time for nursing mothers to express; addressing the proliferation of surgical procedures in situations where they’re not necessary; and increasing access to care for postpartum depression.
• Securing $200 million in Medicaid savings through fiscal intermediaries and by cracking down on CDPAP fraud; investing $7.5 billion in the health care system over the next three years through an amendment to New York’s Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration program to support a comprehensive series of actions to advance health equity, reduce health disparities, and strengthen access to primary and behavioral health care across the state.
• Authorizing the State to pursue federal approval for a managed care organization (MCO) tax, which could generate significant revenue for the State to provide a multi-year investment in New York’s health care system.
• Investing $150 million to advance NY SWIMS and build pools across the state, helping New Yorkers learn to swim, and keeping them safe in and near the water.
• Supporting New York students through record funding for P-12 schools; investing a record $35.9 billion in total school aid, including $24.9 billion in Foundation Aid; lowering the inflation factor in the Foundation Aid formula to right-size funding for the 2024-25 school year and commissioning a Rockefeller Institute study to examine the Foundation Aid formula to prepare for changes next year; ensuring every school district utilizes instructional best practices grounded in the Science of Reading to improve reading proficiency among New York kids.
• Advancing a Consumer Protection and Affordability agenda to reduce costs and keep money in New Yorkers’ pockets by eliminating cost-sharing for insulin for thousands of New Yorkers; strengthening protections against unfair business practices; achieving the largest increase in benefits for paid medical and disability leave in more than three decades; and helping New Yorkers combat medical debt.
• Establishing Empire AI, a nation-leading consortium that will create and launch a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computing center in Buffalo to be used by New York colleges and universities to secure New York’s place at the forefront of artificial intelligence and advance AI for the public good.
• Providing critical funding support to mass transit systems statewide, including $7.9 billion in operating aid for the MTA, $333 million for upstate transit systems, and $551 million for non-MTA downstate systems, a 5.4 percent increase in funding.
• Advancing nation-leading infrastructure programs by contributing $2.6 billion for the third year of a record $32.9 billion five-year DOT Capital Plan, funding projects that are reconnecting communities across the state, and $100 million for local programs through the CHIPS program.
• Making record environmental investments with $500 million for clean water, $400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund, and $47 million to support the Governor’s goal to plant 25 million trees by 2033.

Contested races include district attorney, county coroner, Carlton councilman, and GOP committees in Shelby, Yates

ALBION – There will be six Republican primaries in Orleans County in June, with races for the district attorney and county coroner highlighting the lineup.

There also will be primaries for Carlton councilman, and committee positions for Shelby District 3 and District 4, and in Yates with District 2.

The Republican primary is scheduled for June 25 with early voting from June 15 to 23.

For district attorney, John Sansone was endorsed by the Republican Party committee on Feb. 3 but Susan Howard submitted petitions during the April 1-4 deadline to force a vote among registered Republicans.

Howard and Sansone are both assistant DAs who want to succeed Joe Cardone, who is retiring after 32 years as the county’s top prosecutor.

The Republican Committee on Feb. 3 endorsed three candidates for coroner: incumbent Rocco Sidari of Albion, Kevin Dann of Holley and Dr. Julie Woodworth of Lyndonville.

Scott Schmidt, the county’s chief coroner, did not get enough backing for the endorsement, but he has submitted petitions signed by 838 registered Republicans, which he said is above the threshold of 597 needed signatures.

Schmidt of Medina has been a county coroner for 34 years, and has been the chief coroner since 1997. For the past 18 years he also has been president of the NYS Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners.

“It was a wonderful experience to get out and meet voters,” Schmidt said about circulating petitions. “I went on the country roads where people don’t normally go. Some people said I was the first person running for office to ever knock on their door.”

Charlie Smith of Ridgeway isn’t seeking re-election for another term as coroner.

In Carlton, the primary pits Jeff Gifaldi, the incumbent, against John Olles for a councilman’s seat on the Town Board.

The primaries to the Republican Committee at the town level include two districts in Shelby and one in Yates. Each district can have two representatives.

In Shelby for District 3, the primary includes Alana Koneski, Bruce Schmidt and Stephen Seitz Sr. For District 4, the candidates include Benjamin Flansburg, John Pratt III and Thomas Winans.

In Yates, there are four candidates for the two spots on District 4, including Terry Chaffee Jr., Steven Colon, Lynne Johnson and William Jurinich.

Officials at the Board of Elections in Orleans County will go through the petitions to determine if there are any valid objections to the signatures. The petitions are expected to be certified on May 2.

Provided photos: Senior class members from left Teacher Mr. Shannon Rutty, Deacon Higgins (Royalton-Hartland), Nolan Phillips (Lyndonville), Hailey-Ann Skernick (Newfane) and Gavin Ciarfella (Medina).

Press Release/Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Former Electricity/Electronics teacher Bob Fritton noticed that the benches in his classroom at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center were not able to accommodate his large class.

“After a significant increase in class size, we needed to be able to comfortably seat two students at each bench,” said Mr. Fritton.  “Our welding teachers, Mr. Ron Jackson and Mr. Shannon Rutty designed the new legs for the benches. The assembly of the legs was a team effort including students from the senior and junior welding classes. The new legs have the additional options of adding a shelf under them and to be able to level the individual legs. These new legs will bring new life to old benches and will make them serviceable for a long time to come.”

We love it when classes collaborate! Great job Mr. Jackson’s and Mr. Rutty’s classes!

Junior Class – Front Row: Eva Lacy (Medina) and Ivan Mandujano-Ortiz (Lockport). Back Row:  Cencere Lowe (Albion), Mr. Shannon Rutty, Jack Cole (Newfane), James Harris (Barker) and Connor Dwyer (Barker).

Photo by Tom Rivers: Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at 30 North St. last night in Albion.

ALBION – The man who died in a fire at Oak Orchard Estates last night has been identified as William E. Christy, age 68.

He was home at 30 North St. when his trailer became engulfed in flames. Christy did not get out of his trailer despite efforts from his neighbors, firefighters and responding law enforcement officers to get inside and help him.

First responders were dispatched to the site at 11:42 p.m. for a reported house fire with one person trapped inside.

Upon arrival, neighbors were observed attempting to gain entry into the trailer, Police Chief David Mogle stated in a news release.

Albion police officers along with the Albion Fire Department and Orleans County Sheriff’s Office also attempted to gain entry into the residence, but were unsuccessful.

Minutes later it became unsafe for all involved emergency responders and civilians to attempt to get into the residence, which was fully engulfed in flames, Mogle said.

The fire was contained at approximately 12:10 a.m. State fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire.

The Albion Police Department and Albion Fire Department were assisted by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, Critical Incident Stress Management team, state fire investigators and firefighters from Barre, Ridgeway, Carlton, Kendall, Medina and Shelby.

Largest crowd in about a century fills the third floor of historic venue in Albion

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Musicians performed at the Pratt Opera House to a full house for the first time in likely a century on Sunday.

There were 22 musicians on stage in the “Live at the Pratt” event in an opera house built in 1882 at 118 North Main St.

Erin Moody closes out a 2 1/2-hour show with “American Pie” by Don McLean. Moody and 21 other musicians played to a capacity crowd.

The 300 people at the performance on Sunday was biggest crowd to attend an event at the Pratt since at least 1930, when the theater closed, a victim of the Great Depression and emergence of movie theaters. The Pratt building was built in 1882.

Michael Bonafede, co-owner of the Pratt with his wife Judith Koehler, welcomes the crowd to Sunday’s performance. Bonafede also played the drums for more than two hours on Sunday.

The husband and wife purchased the Pratt and Day building in 2005. They have put on a new roof and made a series of other interior and exterior improvements to the building, which has several tenants on the first and second floors.

Just in the past few weeks they added 235 chairs that they bought at an auction from Holley Central School, and last week purchased 43 sets of double-auditorium chairs from Wells College. Those seats date back to the 1800s, Koehler said.

The Pratt was sold out on Sunday for the concert in the historic opera house. This photo shows people waiting to enter the building on Main Street.

There was a concert last June in a “test run” to see how the musicians liked the acoustics. They loved them and most of that group was back performing on Sunday, offering their services for free.

“It’s a nice place to play,” said trumpeter Brian Wilkins. “The acoustics are great.”

Bonafede said the Pratt performance venue can be used to promote Albion and the many other historic resources in the community, form the downtown business district, Courthouse Square, Mount Albion Cemetery, Cobblestone Museum and Erie Canal – all of which are either on the National Register of Historic Places. (The Erie Canal and Cobblestone Museum also are designated National Historic Landmarks.)

“We want to create a sense of vibrancy here,” Bonafede said. “We have a lot of unique assets to offer folks.”

The musicians played rhythm and blues, and many rock and roll classics.

From left in front include Brian Wilkins on trumpet, Michael Bonafede on drums, John Borello on Stratocaster guitar and Rich Simbari on Fender P bass guitar.

Bonafede also played with two of his bandmates from Black Sheep. Larry (Rose) Crozier played the piano and Don Mancuso is on the guitar.

Black Sheep, with also included legendary lead singer Lou Gramm before he went to Foreigner. Black Sheep broke up in 1976. But before that they performed in front of tens of thousands of people.

Black Sheep recorded two albums for Capital Records and shared the stage with Kiss, Aerosmith, REO Speedwagon, and Hall and Oates.

Ron Albertson gets a turn at the mic and sings, “Shake.”

Don Mancuso, a Rochester guitar legend, welcomed the chance to perform in Albion on Sunday with his Black Sheep band mate Michael Bonafede.

The Pratt is working on hosting another concert on June 23.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Graham and firefighters from several departments responded to a fire at Oak Orchard Estates just before midnight.

ALBION – A 68-year-old man who lived at Oak Orchard Estates died on Sunday night when his trailer became fully engulfed in flames.

Albion firefighters were dispatched at about 11:45 p.m. to North Street for a trailer on fire with a person trapped inside.

Two neighbors tried desperately to kick in doors, and break into the back window to try to help the man get out. Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Graham, two Albion police officers and an Orleans County Sheriff’s deputy also tried to break into the trailer to get the man out but were unable to get inside in time.

The trailer was quickly consumed with fire and the man was in his bedroom.

The man lived alone with his cats. He was described by neighbors as a “nice guy” who was always happy to chat with people.

Albion Police Chief David Mogle said the department is trying to notify the man’s family members. He expects the man’s name will be released on Monday.

A state fire investigator, Rick Cary of Holley, is on scene to try to determine the cause of the fire.

The Albion Fire Department was assisted at the scene by firefighters form Barre, Ridgeway, Carlton, Kendall, Medina and Shelby.

Provided photo: Flames shoot out of the trailer on North Street just before midnight.

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Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Medina police officer Felicia Holtz takes photos of a red pickup truck after it was pulled from the Erie Canal on Saturday morning by Automotive Solutions of Medina.

The driver of the truck was not in the vehicle and there were no footprints from the shallow water of the muddy canal on Saturday morning. Officials at the scene weren’t sure where the driver was or if the person was injured.

Medina Police Chief Todd Draper said the driver has been identified and issued traffic citations. Draper declined to release the driver’s name. Medina Fire Department officials said the driver is safe.

The truck was headed south on Route 63 (North Gravel Road) but failed to negotiate a right turn onto the lift bridge. The truck went straight and plunged into the Erie Canal, which currently is drained.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – People check out some of the frames for glasses available at an eye glass clinic Saturday at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville.

The Lyndonville Lions Club organized the event for the third straight year. Lions Club members from Medina, Lewiston, Kenmore, Tonawanda, Grand Island and Niagara Falls assisted in the event.

People were able to get a vision screening, fitted for glasses and a glaucoma screening.

Several optometrists and ophthalmologists were on hand to assist with the clinic.

Joe Shiah, a member of the Kenmore Lions Club, checks how a pair of glasses fits one of the people at the clinic. Shiah is a key leader in the Lions Club pop-up eye clinics in Western New York.

The frames were collected by Lions Club in Western New York, with some also given by the Lakes Plains Eye Center in Medina.

The lenses will all be new. The glasses are expected to be ready in about three weeks with pickup at the White Birch.

There were 80 people at the clinic in the first hour of the five-hour event, with people coming from Lyndonville, Albion, Gasport, Appleton, Middleport, Waterport, Kent, Kendall, Lockport, Barker. Newfane and Medina.

The Lyndonville Lions Club recently purchased a iCare 200 tonometry machine with support from the Lyndonville Area Foundation. That handheld machine measures intraocular pressure.

The tonometry machine will allow for glaucoma screenings. Glaucoma is one of the most common forms of preventable blindness in the United States.

The Kenmore Lions brought a trailer to help promote the eye glass clinic in Lyndonville on Saturday.

Organization offers Narcan training, other services

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Volunteers work to fill take-out containers with chicken barbecue dinners on Saturday in the Trolley Building at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

There were 500 dinners available as a fundraiser for Orleans – Recovery Hope Begins Here. Assistant District Attorney Susan Howard is in back, center, with Danielle Kujawa next to her at right and Kathy Hodgins at far right. Hodgins is director of treatment for UConnectCare (formerly GCASA).

The organization last year gave out about 500 Narcan kits. Orleans Recovery works to reduce the stigma of addiction or substance use, while providing support to those with substance use disorders and their families.

Danielle Kujawa joined Orleans Hope about two years ago. Her brother Zach Kujawa died at age 30 on Oct. 25, 2019, after an overdose.

“I joined to reduce the stigma,” Kujawa said. “Everyone struggles with their own battle.”

Mike Hoch cooks 500 chickens for Chiavetta’s BBQ at the Fairgrounds on Saturday.

Orleans Recovery sold 400 of the dinners presale with about 100 available during the event from 1 to 4 p.m.

The organization is based at the Arnold Gregory Office Complex at 243 South Main Street, Suite 190.

It is planning more pop-up events this year to give away Narcan kits that help to reverse a drug overdose. Orleans Recovery also wants to make the community aware of the other services provided by the organization.

For more information call (585) 210-8750 or email OrleansRecoveryHope@gmail.com.

Scott Schmidt, the county’s chief coroner, greets a driver at the fairgrounds pulling in for one of the dinners. Schmidt is joined by Don Snyder, a retired chaplain who is active with Orleans Recovery.

Schmidt is the group’s acting president. As coroner he said he had been called to many scenes following fatal overdoses in Orleans County.

“This is an epidemic,” Schmidt said. “It’s awful. There are so many people who have accidently overdosed while trying to deal with their pain.”

Press Release, GLOW OUT!

BATAVIA – The regional LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLOW OUT! is hosting a free, full-day conference focused on empowering and supporting youth.

At Genesee Community College in Batavia on April 19, community members and professionals who work with youth will gather for informative workshops, a panel discussion, and the keynote speaker, Ashton Daley.

The Youth/Young Adult Recovery Program Director for Youth Voices Matter NY, Daley holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in social work, and has volunteered for years in multiple roles supporting trans-identifying young people in the Capital Region of New York.

“We’re very excited to bring this event to Batavia,” said Sara Vacin, Executive Director of GLOW OUT! “This is helpful information for anyone working with youth, but especially important if those youth are LGBTQ+.”

Risk of mental health challenges and suicide ideation is a concern for all youth, but LGBTQ+ young adults are statistically more likely—more than four times as likely—to consider and attempt suicide than their heterosexual, cisgender peers. For transgender and/or nonbinary youth, mental health and suicide ideation can be particularly challenging – with many surveys reporting 40-50% of respondents seriously considering, or attempting, suicide. The Rainbow Resilience conference is sponsored by the New York State Office of Mental Health’s “Mental Illness Anti-Stigma Fund.”

Workshops focus on suicide risk factors and warning signs; dealing with difficult family members; knowing your rights and advocating for change; and understanding and overcoming mental health stigmas. The faith-based youth organization Beloved Arise will present, as well as Roger Rosen’s “Life on the Stage.” The panel discussion, titled “Envisioning Your Future,” features “LGBTQ+ inspirations” and aims to encourage youth to imagine life beyond their teen years.

“Showing the youth that we support them is so important,” Vacin said. “Just one adult – someone at home, someone at school, someone at church – that one supportive, caring adult can really help that child build a sense of resilience and strength.”

Self-care sessions will be offered throughout the conference on a variety of topics including art, yoga, spirituality, nature, journaling, mindfulness, and healthy eating.

Guests may still register (click here), although additional lunches will not be available. The conference is free to attend, and begins at 9:30 a.m. at GCC in Batavia.