Photo from Hawley’s Office: Assemblyman Steve Hawley said the state prisons face a serious staffing crisis.
ALBANY – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) today attended a press conference in Albany alongside his legislative colleagues to announce a series of proposals aimed at improving safety and the ongoing staffing shortages in New York state’s correctional facilities. Hawley also announced that he has signed on as a co-sponsor of the legislation (A.10430).
The proposals follow recommendations from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), which have called for reforms to the state’s HALT Act and other policy changes to address rising violence and the ongoing staffing crisis within correctional facilities.
“Correctional officers report to work every day under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions, and they deserve to know the state has their backs,” said Hawley. “Right now, we still have members of the National Guard stationed in correctional facilities across New York at a cost of $50 million per month. That alone shows just how serious the staffing crisis has become. We need real, long-term solutions that support the men and women working on the front lines while also ensuring facilities are safe for incarcerated individuals.”
Some of the provisions in the legislation Hawley and his colleagues are proposing include:
Expanding misconduct and offenses eligible for segregated confinement.
Revising definitions to better align with penal law crimes, particularly violent felony offenses.
Permitting short-term segregated confinement for ongoing misbehavior not currently eligible for disciplinary confinement in the general population.
Reducing subjectivity in determining rioting or escape offenses.
Allowing short-term protective custody in segregated confinement when no safe housing alternative is available.
Providing DOCCS with greater flexibility in administering out-of-cell programming and managing repeat offenders.
Expanding considerations relating to good time allowances.
“These proposals are about restoring common sense to our correctional system and making sure our prisons are safe for everyone inside them,” Hawley added. “Our correctional officers deserve the tools they need to do their jobs safely, and we must also ensure a secure environment for incarcerated individuals.”
Provided photo: From left include Hunter Zambito (Albion), Bradyn Whittier (Albion) and Carina Hartigan (Royalton-Hartland) with their teacher Chef James Atzrott.
Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – The Orleans Career and Technical Education Center’s (OCTEC) Culinary Arts team of Carina Hartigan (Royalton-Hartland), Bradyn Whittier (Albion) and Hunter Zambito (Albion) took home first place at the New York State Restaurant Association’s (NYSRA) ProStart Invitational.
The competition was held at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and was sponsored by the United States Coast Guard.
ProStart is a two-year, industry-backed culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students. The students, under the guidance of their teacher Chef James Atzrott, blew the judges away with their menu of daikon scallops with a fennel cream sauce and smoked paprika oil, sirloin steak with mashed potatoes with caramelized shallots and Brussel sprouts and a red wine reduction and a dessert of pistachio Frasier with a raspberry and chocolate sauce.
By Katie Oakes, Orleans County CCE Master Gardener Coordinator
Provided photo: Master Gardener Sue Starkweather Miller shows a Dahlia tuber clump in a previous class on Summer Bulbs.
KNOWLESVILLE – Master Gardener and Dahlia aficionado Sue Starkweather Miller will lead a second Dahlia Clinic on Saturday, March 28th at 10 a.m. at the Orleans CCE Education Center.
Starkweather Miller offered a fall Dahlia clinic last November. This upcoming workshop will build on the skills she showed at the November class, and offer attendees a chance to see how dahlia tubers are divided and potted up to extend the season
“Dahlias are an investment in time and energy. The beautiful blooms make the time spent growing them worthwhile,” said Starkweather Miller. “I wanted to give gardeners an opportunity to ask all of the questions they have about these amazing plants so they can feel confident in growing them in their home gardens.”
Some of the questions Starkweather Miller says people regularly ask her are when to take tubers out of storage, how to know if the tubers are viable, when can the tubers be planted in the grounds, etc. Starkweather Miller will answer all of these questions and more!
Attendees are encouraged to bring in their own tuber clump to divide (if they have one), garden gloves, scissors or pruners, and any questions they might have.
All participants will learn how to pot up a divided Dahlia tuber to take home with them.
The Dahlia Clinic is offered for an optional donation of $5. The class begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 28th at the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Education Center, 12690 State Route 31, Albion. To register, call (585) 798-4265 ext. 125 or email klo54@cornell.edu.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 March 2026 at 8:48 pm
Photo by Marsha Rivers
This swan was out on Lake Ontario this morning in a photo taken from the Oak Orchard State Marine Park in Carlton. The temperatures plunged from the low 60s to 30 this evening. Tomorrow morning it will be 15 degrees at sunrise just after 7.
The high on Tuesday will be 24 with 16 as the overnight low. On Wednesday, the high is forecast for 34, followed by a high of 42 on Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Orleans County beginning at 6 p.m. today and continuing until 4 a.m. Tuesday with 2 to 5 inches of snow expected. The advisory includes Niagara, Genesee, Erie and Wyoming counties.
100 artworks by 35 artists and collectives will be featured June 6 to Sept. 7
Press Release, Medina Triennial
MEDINA – The Medina Triennial, a new contemporary art triennial centered in the Western New York village of Medina along the Erie Canal, is pleased to announce key artist commissions, sites, and the theme for its inaugural edition taking place June 6 to Sept. 7.
Co-Artistic Directors Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo have invited artists from across five continents to present site-responsive installations and public programs.
Titled “All That Sustains Us,” this ambitious, free, village-wide exhibition features more than 100 artworks by 35 artists and collectives. It marks the first recurring exhibition of this scale to take place in a U.S. community of this size, positioning small-town geographies as vital sites of cultural and critical imagination.
Grounded in place and shaped through deep community engagement, the Triennial features new commissions alongside recent and historical works across 12 indoor and outdoor sites.
The curatorial framework of the Triennial sits at the intersection of art, ecology, architecture, and rural contexts and considers maintenance not only as a physical act of upkeep, but also as a social, political, and environmental process shaped by fragility and resilience. The Triennial brings together artistic practices that examine how civic and ecological systems are structured by labor, regulation, extraction, and repair. At its core, the Triennial asks: What essential efforts and commitments are required to sustain life in our fractured world?
Commissioned artworks include:
Ash Arder’s INT. HOME(S) (2023/2026), an expanded sculptural installation made from parts of a 1987 Cadillac Sedan de Ville—her family’s childhood car—salvaged from a local junkyard and wrapped in gold. Reconstructed as an interactive vessel and a domestic space, the work features a new multi-channel video that traces the artist’s Detroit childhood and her relationship with the automobile, which served many roles as home, guardian, and safe space in a factory town.
Tania Candiani’s Two Waters (2026), a large-scale filmed performance created with 1/4 composer Rogelio Sosa and hundreds of local volunteers, inspired by Medina’s aqueduct, where the Erie Canal crosses above Oak Orchard Creek—two waters that never touch.
Futurefarmers (Amy Franceschini, Michael Swaine, and FS Bàssïbét) present 48 Collections from the Erie Canal (2026), a three-part installation that begins with a local legend and expands outward through collective memory. Working with residents, the artists gathered oral histories and archival fragments, translating them into sound and video works, as well as a series of glass sculptures that encase canal sediment.
Matt Kenyon’s The TELL (2026) reimagines a champagne tower using glass, Medina sandstone, and roses of Jericho—plants that revive with just a drop of water. A custom atmospheric water generator suspended above the tower draws moisture from the air and releases it unpredictably, creating a fragile, living system in which renewal is never guaranteed.
Asad Raza imagines a site-specific new work, Reflection (2026), redirecting the Erie Canal’s water into the Medina Triennial Hub. By physically rerouting water that once powered extraction and trade, the work confronts the canal’s histories of labor and environmental transformation. The installation foregrounds the canal as a living system shaped by human intervention, repurposing its infrastructure for the play of bodies and light.
Kärt Ojavee collaborates with local farmers on Between Blossom and Core (2026), an installation exploring scent extraction from Honeycrisp apple blossoms and scent-mapping of Medina’s orchards, soils, and industrial sites.
Triennial sites range from post-industrial buildings to public spaces and locations on the Erie Canal. The Medina Triennial Hub, located in a former sandstone hotel overlooking the canal, will serve as a welcome center as well as the home of the Triennial’s residency and education programs.
The main exhibition site is 25,000 square feet of the historic former Medina High School building, which has been closed to students and the public for more than three decades and recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. Artist’s works will be presented at the Medina Railroad Museum grounds, Medina Memorial Hospital, Rotary Park, State Street Park, and Sacred Heart Church, as well as installations directly on the Erie Canal.
“Thinking with artists through a small town like Medina gives us a sharp lens for considering how our shared futures are built and carried forward, and shows why places often seen as peripheral are, in fact, central to responding to the crises shaping our world today,” said Co-Artistic Directors Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo. “By bringing artists from across the globe into dialogue with the Erie Canal and Medina’s post-industrial histories, the Triennial fosters new artistic gestures and shared work with local partners. The Triennial invites neighbors and visitors to come together and reflect through art on a time shaped by ecological breakdown and social division—while holding space for hope.”
The Medina Triennial, initiated with major support provided by the New York Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation, was conceived as part of a broader strategy to showcase the Erie Canal as active civic infrastructure.
For more information on the Triennial and to sign up for the official newsletter, please visit medinatriennial.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 March 2026 at 1:24 pm
Albion Middle School performed the musical March 13-14
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Bailey Elliott is the soloist for “Sufferin’ Until Suffrage” during the Albion Middle School musical, School House Rock!
The Middle School Drama Department performed the show on Friday and Saturday. There were 25 songs that offered lessons in mathematics, grammar and citizenship.
The musical is based on the Saturday morning TV show from 1973 to 1985, where lessons were offered in 3-minute songs in jazz and animation.
“It was catchy, clever and somehow made grammar, math and the Preamble stick in our heads rent-free for life,” Albion musical director Carrie Kozody wrote in the show’s program.
Nadalee Ryan sings “I’m Just A Bill” about how legislation turns from an idea into a law.
Kinzie Rickner sings “Rufus Xavier Sasparilla” which is a song about pronouns.
Wyatt Ernst sings “Conjunction Junction,” a song about how some words connect other words, phrases and clauses.
Annabella Dusharm is the soloist in “Figure Eight,” which highlights the multiplication tables.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 March 2026 at 1:06 pm
School officials will present public information session today at 5:30 p.m. in middle/high school cafeteria.
This rendering shows a redesign of the canopy at the front entrance of the middle-high school for Holley.
HOLLEY – The district will present a $22.9 million capital project to voters on March 24. Polls will be open from 12 to 9 p.m. in the middle/high school foyer.
Holley school officials will have a public information session about the project today at 5:30 p.m. in the middle/high school cafeteria.
Holley already has $4 million set aside towards the project and won’t need to raise additional local taxes for the project. The state’s building aid ratio for Holley is 91 percent, the district said.
The proposed project focuses on four areas: program spaces – athletics & performing arts; safety, security and technology; infrastructure improvements for comfort, reliability and function; and site & transportation improvements.
In a letter to the community, district superintendent Karri Schiavone and Board of Education president Trina Lorentz said the Holley community offered continued support of the district and its campus improvements. Holley recently completed a capital project that was approve din 2022.
“Building on those improvements, and in keeping with the district’s responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer resources, Holley is now proposing a new Capital Improvement Project to address additional facility needs,” Schiavone and Lorentz said. “By planning projects thoughtfully and proactively, the district can extend the life of its buildings, avoid more costly emergency repairs, and make efficient use of available funding. The proposed project would be fully funded by utilizing New York State building aid and existing district funds. Therefore, there will be no tax impact on our residents.”
The auditorium stage also would be significantly updated for first time since the school opened about 50 years ago.
The district provided this breakdown of the project:
Program Spaces: Athletics & Performing Arts
Providing A/C to Elementary School gymnasium
Refinishing gym floors at both ES and MS/HS
Rock wall improvements at the Elementary School
Replacing the auditorium stage rigging and curtains, and providing acoustic upgrades at the High School
Library upgrades at the Elementary School including a new circulation desk
Safety, Security and Technology
Camera system upgrades and replacements district-wide
Replacing fiber lines for data systems between the campus buildings
Audio/Visual upgrades at ES gymnasiums to improve educational experiences
Replacement of the canopy at the MS/HS for improved sightlines, lighting and security for visitors
Infrastructure Improvements for Comfort, Reliability and Function
Replacement of windows and masonry restoration at both the ES and MS/HS
Renovations to restrooms at both academic buildings to improve plumbing and infrastructure and also improve ADA access for all building occupants and visitors
Replacement of water softening system at the MS/HS
Providing A/C at data closets at both academic buildings
Site & Transportation Improvements
Repaving the parking lots around the bus garage
Utility and sitework improvements at the athletic fields to allow for a toilet facility to be installed
Providing a new scoreboard for the softball field
For more information on the proposed project, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 March 2026 at 8:29 am
Gas prices went up 33.5 cents per gallon for regular unleaded in Orleans County in the past week, according to AAA. The price was at $3.306 a week ago and today it’s at $3.641.
The national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.72, up 24 cents from last Monday and by 72 cents in the past two weeks. The New York State average is $3.62, up 22 cents from last Monday and 61 cents in the past two weeks.
Diesel prices have also escalated, AAA reported. The national average is $4.99, up 33 cents while the New York average is $5.14, up 39 cents in the past week.
AAA issued this statement today:
“Spring Break season is here as the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped 24 cents in the past week. Gasoline demand increases this time of year as the weather warms up and more drivers hit the road.
“Crude oil prices play a major role in what drivers pay at the pump, and prices have surpassed the $100/barrel mark again this morning (and multiple times last week). To help offset rising prices, the U.S. announced it will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves. The move is part of a broader effort by the International Energy Agency to release a total of 400 million barrels of oil in response to the Iran turmoil, the largest emergency release in its history.”
Here are today’s average prices at counties in WNY:
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 March 2026 at 9:26 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
KENDALL – The cast of Mary Poppins sings one of the iconic songs from the musical, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
Ierlynn Maloney starred as Mary Poppins, center, in Kendall’s performances, which included a show on Friday and two on Saturday.
There were 28 students in the cast and another 16 in the crew. Melanie Langton was the show’s artistic director and producer, with Rebekah Yoder the music and instrumental director.
Karter May plays Bert. He is shown in the opening scene, introducing the audience to 17 Cherry Tree Lane, the home of the Banks family: George and Winifred Banks, their two naughty children Jane and Michael. They are also joined by a cook/maid, Mrs. Brill, and their house boy, Robertson Ay.
Things are not going well for the nanny, and she storms out. Mary Poppins arrives and takes charge of the Banks children.
Mary works magic in getting the two Banks’ children to behave better and respect their nanny. Kayla Minster, center, plays Jane Banks, and Savannah Stone plays the role of Jane’s brother, Michael Banks.
Noah Morehouse as George Banks and Adriana Schiavone is his wife, Winifred Banks. George is under intense stress at work as a banker, and Winifred feels she has shortcomings as a wife and mother.
Bert and Mary meet up at the park for a “jolly holiday.” Bert works as a chimney sweep and street lamp lighter, and in this scene his talents come out as a sidewalk artist. Karter May, Left, Ierlynn Maloney, right, are shown dancing with Madison Hults.
The group of children meet the enigmatic Mrs. Corry (center in red played by Riley Passer) who runs a magic sweet shop that also sells words , in this case “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
The cast gave an energetic performance of the “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 March 2026 at 4:11 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The varsity winterguard for Medina performs on Saturday during its ColorBurst home show at Medina Junior-Senior High School.
The top photo shows Natalie Herbert in blue and Mackenzie Poynter. They are two of the 15 members of the varsity winterguard.
Medina’s show is titled, “A Dream to Me.” It explores the balance “between control and chaos – between dreamer and the dream.”
The Medina winterguard is led by director Melissa Jaeger, instructor/choreographer and drill designer Kara Brown, and instructor/choregraphers Katie Crooks and Kaela Grosslinger, wth assistance from consultant Molly Beth Jaeger.
Maddie Voss carries a flag for the Medina winterguard on Saturday.
Skielair Montgomery looks up and gets ready to catch the twirling flag on Saturday for Medina.
Here are the scores from the competition:
• Novice – Gates Chili, 1st at 62.040
• Cadet – Lancaster 1st at 69.470; Medina JV, 2nd at 67.810; Batavia, 3rd at 65.880; and Marcus Whitman, 4th at 61.120
• Regional A – Greece RA, 1st at 80.000; Victor JV, 2nd at 76.960; Gates Chili RA, 3rd at 76.640; Ventures RA, 4th at 74.860; and Orchard Park JV, 5th at 65.260
• A1 – Marcus Whitman, 1st at 74.550; Hinsdale Headliners, 2nd at 74.320; and Medina Varsity, 3rd at 73.720
• Scholastic A – Victor Blue Devils, 1st at 86.670; Greece, 2nd at 84.340; Lancaster HS, 3rd at 81.450, and Orchard Park, 4th at 74.030
• Independent A – Batavia Varsity, 1st at 81.180
• Senior – Luminosa, 1st at 81.940
The Marcus Whitman Marching Wildcat Varsity Winterguard presented “Mine.” The show asks people to reflect on life’s everyday challenges and demonstrates how witnessing the resilience of others shapes the way we face our own obstacles. At the end of the performance the members each ripped up the paper with the obstacle they were facing.
The Marcus Whitman winterguard includes students from Marcus Whitman and Penn Yann school districts.
Greece High School performed “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall.”
Greece took first place in the Regional A Division.
Gates-Chili Regional A winterguard presented “Oh, The Places You’ll Go,” which is inspired by the book by Dr. Seuss.
The Gates-Chili show gives a message of following your own path, embracing challenges and trusting the journey ahead.
Victor’s RA winterguard presented “A Sky Full of Stars.”
The Hinsdale Headliners presented a show “Lose Yourself” by Eminem with a western twist.
The Ventures Regional A Guard performed “Here Comes the Sun” with music by The Beatles.
The Heritage Hurricanes, all all-abilities guard team, includes performers from Heritage Christian Services and other community members. The group is directed by Medina native Melissa Jeager.
This member of the Heritage Hurricanes gives a peace sign after the performance ended. The Hurricanes’ show was set to “Hand Clap” by Fitz and the Tantrums.
New ‘Shakesbeer Steampunk Festival’ planned for Orleans County Fairgrounds on Oct. 17
Photo by Tom Rivers: Artisan vendors are along the Erie Canal in Albion on Sept. 26, 2025. There were about 10 different vendors in Albion for the debut Erie Canal Artisan Festival.
Press Release, The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council
Call for Vendors for our upcoming 2026 festival season. There are multiple opportunities to share your craft with the region.
One of the goals of our festivals is to promote artists and artisans. Therefore, all items sold by vendors must be handcrafted. Third-party resale vendors are not permitted. Vendors are also welcome and encouraged to demonstrate their craft at their booths.
Saturday, June 20, 2026: The Just Kings Juneteenth Community Festival is a celebration for the community to come together to recognize an important moment in American history and celebrate community, culture and freedom.
We’re looking for local artisans, food vendors, small businesses, and community organizations to help make this celebration meaningful and vibrant. This is a wonderful opportunity to share what you offer, connect with the community, and take part in an event that highlights unity, culture and progress.
Saturday, July 11, 2026: The Batavia Ramble Explore Art and Music Festival is a family-friendly music & arts festival located in downtown Batavia. With multiple stages, 30+ bands, vendors, artists, performances, food and children’s activities, there is truly something for everyone at this unique hometown event.
Friday, August 28 – Sunday, August 30, 2026: The Erie Canal Artisan Festival will celebrate the rich heritage, arts, and culture of the canal and Orleans County, with artisan vendors as the main attraction. The festival will take place at the Holley Canal Park in Holley, spanning over 2 1/2 days from August 28-30. For more information and to apply please visit https://goart.org/erie-canal-artisan-festival-information/
Saturday, October 17, 2026: The Shakesbeer Steampunk Festival is a one-day immersive event celebrating Victorian-inspired creativity, innovation, and culture. The festival features artisan and food vendors, live performances, specialty drinks, costume competitions, and interactive activities, appealing to Shakespear enthusiasts, steampunk enthusiasts, families, and cultural explorers alike.
A discount will be given to those vendors who register for multiple festivals (not including Juneteenth).
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Once approved, vendors will receive a notification and payment link. Spaces are limited, once capacity is reached we will no longer accept applications, so we encourage you to apply early.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out! We hope you will consider joining us for another exciting festival season!
These events are supported through a Market New York grant awarded by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY, New York State’s Division of Tourism.
Funding for GO ART! is made possible in part with support from the New York State Council on the Arts, with support from the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional funding for GO ART! comes from the Genesee and Orleans County governments, foundations, private donors, and members.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 March 2026 at 9:12 pm
Photo courtesy of Marsha Rivers: The Big Dipper constellation is shown this evening at 8:17 over the Oak Orchard Lighthouse at Point Breeze.
A high wind warning ended at 5 a.m. today in Orleans County, but more gusty winds are headed our way.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory fom 5 p.m. on Sunday until 8 p.m. on Monday. South winds from 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 mph are expected Sunday night. The winds become southwest Monday with a few gusts up to 50 mph, the Weather Service said.
The advisory includes Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Oswego, northern Erie, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.
The high temperatures in the coming days include 51 on Sunday, 61 on Monday, 25 on Tuesday and 35 on Wednesday.
