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Green has an even par round at The Annika
Golf Channel Photo – Melanie Green after making a birdie on the 15th hole today.
Slowed by a couple of late bogeys, Medina’s Melanie Green posted an even par 70 today on the third round of the LPGA Tour’s The Annika Tournament at Belleair, Florida.
Green, who opened the tournament with a 3 under 67 on Thursday and a 4 under 66 on Friday, remains at 7 under and tied for 8th place heading into Sunday’s final round.
Opening strong, Green registered birdies on both 1 and 3 to go to 9 under for the tourney. However, bogeys on both 5 and 8 cancelled out those gains putting her back to 7 under.
The back nine proved to be an instant replay.
First she had birdies on 12 and 15 to go to 9 under. Then she closed with bogeys on 16 and 18 to finish the day at even par and stay at 7 under for the tourney.
Sheriff releases statement on Task Force shutdown, saying it’s cost-effective and unrelated to next year’s election
‘Orleans County is not abandoning major felony investigations, and we are not backing away from the fight against drugs, illegal guns or violent crime.’
Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke has released a statement following the shutdown of the Major Felony Crime Task Force. The sheriff said major felony crime investigations will continue through the Sheriff’s Department.
Here is the sheriff’s statement, released this afternoon:
“The statement issued by District Attorney Susan Howard is both disappointing and completely irresponsible. Rather than having a thoughtful, professional conversation about how Orleans County can best deliver law enforcement services, she has chosen to launch a politically motivated personal attack and attempt to frighten the residents we are all sworn to protect.
“Let’s be clear about something: Orleans County is not abandoning major felony investigations, and we are not backing away from the fight against drugs, illegal guns or violent crime. The decision to eliminate the Major Felony Crime Task Force does not mean eliminating its mission. Those responsibilities are being transferred to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, where they belong.
“As Sheriff, I am responsible for the overall delivery of law enforcement services in this county. That means continually evaluating our operations, identifying duplication and working with county leadership to make responsible use of taxpayer dollars. That is exactly what we are doing.
“The County has identified nearly $400,000 in potential savings by restructuring this operation. In a county with a $106 million budget, mandated services from the state that take up the entire tax levy and a mission to not exceed the property tax cap, that is a significant amount of money. DA Howard conveniently ignores these budget realities. But rather than engage in the decision-making process, she has instead gone down the path of making baseless accusations that families will be less safe.
“What I find particularly troubling is the attempt to connect this administrative decision to next year’s Sheriff’s election. The DA’s suggestion that this decision was made because a potential political opponent announced his candidacy is an outrageous accusation without evidence. It is also a distraction from the actual issue and engaging in such political activity is well below the professional standards we should expect from the District Attorney.
“Indeed, if anyone is bringing politics into this decision, it is the District Attorney. Rather than addressing the merits of the restructuring, she has chosen to turn it into an election-year controversy and use the reputations of former investigators to advance a political narrative.
“The District Attorney has every right to disagree with a county administrative decision. Indeed, let’s look at the history of the task force, how it was originally funded, how it now falls fully on county taxpayers, how indictments have decreased significantly, how other counties perform these functions, how we can produce the same level of investigation at lower cost…let’s debate those points.
“What we should not be doing is suggesting that the Sheriff’s Office is somehow abandoning public safety or that the people of Orleans County are now in danger because an organizational structure is changing. Such outrageous rhetoric may get you a few cheap clicks on Facebook, but it erodes public confidence in our collective efforts to keep the community safe.
“My commitment to the residents of Orleans County has not changed. We will continue investigating major felonies, pursuing drug dealers, removing dangerous drugs and illegal firearms from our communities, and working with the District Attorney’s Office to bring criminals to justice.
“I will not apologize for working with county leaders to make government more efficient, more accountable and more responsible with taxpayer money. Nor will I allow an important management decision to be distorted into a political attack on the Sheriff’s Office.
“Public safety is too important to be used as a political weapon. The people of Orleans County deserve facts, responsible leadership and results — not scare tactics and election-year theatrics from our District Attorney.”
Lakewomen romp in state Class C soccer semi
Sparked by an early goal, Wilson went on to defeat St. Lawrence Central (Section X) 7-1 in the semifinals of the state Class C girls soccer tournament this afternoon at Moravia High School.
Addison Elia scored in the first six minutes to put Wilson on top to stay.
The Lakewomen then broke the game wide open on a burst of three straight goals by Elia in the first six minutes of the second half.
Macaela Boyer tacked on two quick goals and Abigail Labarre one to up the Wilson lead to 7-0 with 15 minutes still to play in the second half.
Improving to 20-0, Wilson will now play Stillwater for the state Class C championship on Sunday.
Holley shop offers a mix of thrifted finds and unique fashion
Eh Collective named New Business of the Year by Chamber of Commerce
Photos by Isabella Zasa: Erin Hackenberg, owner of Eh Collective at 110 Geddes St. in Holley, is shown inside her shop, which features a curated selection of clothing, accessories and home decor.
By Isabella Zasa, staff writer
HOLLEY – For shoppers looking for affordable clothing and unique finds, Eh Collective offers a mix of fashion and home decor at 110 Geddes St. in Holley. The shop is located in a warehouse owned by her father, Gregg Weber.
Holley native Erin Hackenberg has turned her love of fashion into a shop with a focus on curated merchandise, affordability and giving preowned items a second life.
Now in its second year, Eh Collective began as a way for Hackenberg to share items from her own closet. It has since grown into what she describes as a curated thrift shop, featuring clothing, accessories and home decor.
“I call my store a curated thrift,” she said. “It’s not consignment, it’s not all antiques and it’s certainly not all brand new. But every item in my store is hand-sourced and curated by me.”
Hackenberg regularly visits thrift stores to find merchandise, keeping her customers in mind as she selects pieces. She said she aims to offer quality clothing in a variety of sizes and styles at prices lower than those typically found at major retail stores. The approach also allows her to give clothing and other items another purpose rather than having them end up in landfills.
She has also found the store to be an outlet for other mothers who want to shop and treat themselves to quality clothing without spending a lot of money.
Eh Collective was recently named New Business of the Year by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. Hackenberg received the award Nov. 5 during the chamber’s annual awards ceremony.
Hackenberg said owning a store had always been a dream, although she never knew exactly what it would look like. Her interests in fashion, styling, designing and creating eventually came together through Eh Collective.
“I’ve always loved fashion and have found it to be a creative expression,” she said. “This has truly been my passion project.”
Hackenberg also offers a selection of upcycled clothing at Eh Collective. She holds a thrifted sweatshirt that she customized with graphics of her own design.
In addition to its regular merchandise, the store offers upcycled clothing, including thrifted sweatshirts customized with graphics Hackenberg designs herself. Shoppers also can create custom hats by choosing from an assortment of patches and putting together their own designs in the store.
Hackenberg graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2011 with degrees in communication and psychology. She previously worked for a nonprofit organization and as a paralegal with Jeff Martin before becoming a stay-at-home mother following the birth of her second son in 2021.
She now operates Eh Collective while raising her three children, Emma, Levi and Luke.
Hackenberg manages nearly every aspect of the shop, from washing and organizing merchandise to arranging displays, posting new arrivals and managing social media.
Social media plays an important role in how Hackenberg connects with customers. She regularly shares available clothing, including sizes, online so shoppers can preview merchandise before visiting the store. Hackenberg said this is particularly helpful because women’s clothing sizes can vary and are not always consistent.
Another section of Eh Collective features racks of clothing and displays of handbags and accessories.
The store also hosts events throughout the year, with an upcoming warehouse sale scheduled for Nov. 21. The sale will feature boxes of clothing priced at $1 and $3 for shoppers to sort through.
Store hours vary each week, with evening openings to accommodate Hackenberg’s schedule as a stay-at-home mother. Weekly hours, new arrivals, events and other information can be found on Eh Collective’s Facebook page.
It was a night to celebrate for the OC Rivals
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – It was a time for celebration as the OC Rivals continued an incredible debut season by capturing the Section VI Class B championship by downing West Seneca East 28-14 at the University of Buffalo Friday evening. Here Parker Roberts, Rocco Sidari and Preston Woodworth rush to join the celebration as the Rivals avenged their only loss of the season by downing the Trojans. The victory propels the Rivals into the state playoffs and a meeting with the Section V champion (either East/World of Inquiry or Honeoye Falls Lima) at SUNY Brockport next Saturday in the Class B Far West Regional.
OC Rivals players, coaches and staff celebrate with the sectional championship plaque and sign. The championship is the second of their debut season for the Rivals which also shared the B1 Division crown with West Seneca East at 6-1. The Rivals, which avenged that regular season 35-34 loss to the Trojans with the victory, now take a 10-1 record into the state playoffs.
A large contingent of fans traveled to U.B. to cheer on the Rivals. They were not disappointed as the Rivals rebounded from a 14-13 half-time deficit to score a pair of unanswered fourth quarter touchdowns and claim the 28-14 victory and their first sectional championship.
Rationale given for cutting Task Force seems questionable
Editor:
Events this past week in Orleans County can best be described as “Political Shenanigans.”
Specifically, on Tuesday a member of the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force announced his candidacy for Sheriff in next year’s election. Two days later his job at the DA’s Office is eliminated.
In fact the entire Task Force was disbanded. Of course the timing is suspect. Coincidence? Not Likely! Cost savings measure? I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night!
If my Dad was still above ground, he would say, “You People Are About As Subtle As A Train Wreck”!
I wish I could say I’m surprised by all this. Sadly, I am not.
Steve Smith
Churchville
Smith is a former undersheriff in the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
Task Force leader deserved better exit after 40 years of service for community
Editor:
This is an open letter to the Orleans County Legislature and Jack Welch, Orleans County Chief Administrative Officer. Please note that each legislator has received this in their email inbox.
After 40 years of dedicated service in law enforcement, my husband Joe Sacco deserved better than to have his career ended by administrators who said there was no money in the budget for his position.
Forty years of showing up, protecting people, serving the community, and doing a job that most people could never imagine doing. Forty years of commitment, sacrifice, and putting others first. Forty years of establishing and keeping relationships with law enforcement departments across the region and at both the state and federal levels. That kind of service should be recognized with gratitude and respect, not dismissed as a budget line that can simply be eliminated.
But this decision goes beyond one man’s career.
At the same time, county administration has eliminated the Drug Task Force, taking away one of the most proactive tools in ground-level law enforcement, eliminating the resources who are passionate and dedicated to identifying drug activity, addressing the drug problem in our communities, and getting ahead of criminal activity rather than constantly reacting to it.
The message these decisions send is deeply concerning: When it comes to county priorities, where does public safety really rank?
You cannot talk about putting the community first while eliminating proactive law enforcement resources and dismissing decades of experience and dedication in the name of small budget savings 0.3% of your 106 million dollar budget which is probably in there just reappropriated.
Public safety should never be treated as an expendable expense. The people who live, work, and raise families in this county deserve more than a reactive approach to law enforcement. They deserve prevention, proactive policing, and leadership that recognizes the importance of protecting its citizens.
My husband gave 40 years of his life to this profession and this community. He never stopped showing up for the people he served. It’s heartbreaking that the administration’s response to that dedication was to eliminate his position without warning or discussion. To remove him and his personal belongings from the building immediately was just disrespectful to him and his dedication to this county for the past 40 years. You may call it protocol but we all know this is utter disrespect.
This is bigger than one person losing a job. It’s about the value we place on experience, the resources we provide to law enforcement, and whether the people of this county are truly being put first.
Forty years of service cannot be erased by a budget decision or so called restructuring, the need for proactive law enforcement doesn’t disappear just because a task force is eliminated.
My husband can walk away and retire knowing he gave this community 40 years and he has a very strong community of people around him that do respect admire and honor his years of dedication. You, the county leadership, will have to answer to the community for the priorities you choose and the reasons they are chosen. It does make me wonder if this decision was indeed political, not just budgetary, and I am certain you will have to answer that question going forward. This community deserves honesty transparency and accountability.
Hoping you all sleep well knowing Joe and his team are no longer identifying and removing the threats that are in our neighborhoods day in and day out.
Chantelle Sacco
Albion
Gillibrand joins effort to lower Medicare eligibility to age 50
Press Release, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined nine of her Senate colleagues to introduce the Medicare at 50 Act, legislation to lower the Medicare eligibility age to 50 and allow Americans ages 50 to 64 to buy into Medicare.
As Americans list the cost of healthcare as a top concern, the bill would expand access to affordable healthcare and give more than 58 million Americans more coverage options.
“Under President Trump, Americans nearing retirement are being forced to choose between paying for lifesaving care and simply being able to afford a life,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Medicare at 50 Act would provide the security and support of Medicare years earlier to millions of aging Americans, lowering their healthcare costs and helping them save for retirement. As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, I am proud to support this important legislation, and I will continue fighting to expand access to quality and affordable care for older Americans.”
More than 60 million Americans are between the ages of 50 and 64, a population that faces significant challenges accessing affordable, comprehensive health insurance. While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded access to coverage, millions of older Americans continue to face high premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and limited coverage options. Today, 11.5% of Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 remain uninsured.
President Trump and Republicans have made matters worse with sweeping healthcare cuts in their Big Ugly Bill and their refusal to extend the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits, driving up costs for older Americans who purchase insurance through the ACA Marketplace.
The Medicare at 50 Act would help close this gap and give Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 the option to buy into Medicare before reaching the traditional eligibility age of 65. Individuals who choose to enroll would receive the same benefits and protections available under Medicare Parts A, B, and D, including the option to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. The legislation would also allow eligible individuals to receive the same premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies they would qualify for through the ACA Marketplace, helping make coverage more affordable.
Senator Gillibrand has long fought to lower healthcare costs for older Americans and to protect Medicare access. This year, she introduced the Medicare Cost Cap Act to cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors with Medicare, and she demanded an end to the Trump administration’s WISeR program that allows for AI-driven Medicare denials. Last year, she pressed Republicans to extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits that helped millions of Americans afford coverage.
In addition to Senator Gillibrand, the bill is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
Barker/Roy-Hart bows in Class C title contest
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Carter DerSarkissian scores Barker/Roy-Hart’s lone touchdown in the Section VI Class C title game at the University at Buffalo this afternoon.
Jumping out to a commanding 21-0 half-time advantage, Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton went on to down Barker/Roy-Hart, 33-7 in the Section VI Class C championship game this afternoon at the University at Buffalo Stadium.
The decisive first half saw quarterback Josh Swan throw a pair of touchdown passes to Ian Kinderman covering 35 and 22 yards and Thandon Bensick add an 11 yard TD run.
The lead jumped to 27-0 midway through the third quarter on another TD run by Bensick.
Barker/RoyHart’s lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a 16 yard run by Carter DerSarkissian as Billy Jaques added the extra point kick.
Barker/Roy-Hart, which captured the C North Division title for the second year in a row, finishes the season at 9-2.
Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton now advances to the state Far West Regional next Saturday at SUNY Brockport.
Barker/Roy-Hart’s Ashton Ark goes high to haul in a pass as Aiden Woodis defends for Chautauqua Lake/Westfiedl/Brcton.
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