2014: Portraits and Personalities

Photos by Tom Rivers

Orleans County residents and visitors found a lot of ways to express themselves – in joy and sorrow – during 2014. Here are some of my favorite photos of people in our surroundings from the past year.

In the top photo, Albion firefighter Carmen Quatro watches the fireworks while standing on top of a fire truck at Bullard Park on July 5. The Albion community was treated to a fireworks show as well as free food and games thanks to the Tonawanda Indian Baptist Church in Basom.

Derrick Bradley, wearing a skunk costume, joins local residents on Feb. 22 as they respond to protestors against the annual “Squirrel Slam” fundraiser in Holley. Friends of Animals in New York protested the event.

Edgar Rosario has his face painted for the “Day of the Dead/All Saints Day” on Nov. 10 at Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grill, a restaurant where his father Francisco Rosario is co-owner. Edgar is pictured near murals inside the restaurant near the bar.

Carl Sargent woke up to another snowstorm on Feb. 10. He was out shoveling that morning on Caroline Street in Albion.

Karalyn Klotzbach walked down Main Street in the parade with her mother Katie Klotzbach and other members of the Panek family during the Strawberry Festival parade on June 14.

Anna Oakley of Kendall rides the Super Trooper carnival ride on July 10 during opening day of the Kendall Fire Department carnival. A full moon is in the distance. The three-day event is a much-anticipated reunion for many residents and former Kendall community members.

Two people embrace after a motorcade passed through downtown Medina on June 9. Several hundred people lined Main Street and saluted as a motorcade passed by carrying the body of Sgt. Shaina Schmigel, 21.

Schmigel, a Medina native, was killed May 30 during a night-time training drill. She was a paratrooper at Fort Bragg with the 82nd Airborne Division. She was in the Army for four years, and was promoted to sergeant in January.

“It’s important that we support our service people,” said Sherri Luthart of Medina. “I get all choked up about it. She paid the ultimate price for our freedom.”

Ed Salvatore serves up plates of spaghetti at the Albion Exempts Club on Jan. 9. Salvatore, Albion’s mayor for eight years from 1998 to 2006, considered running for the Village Board again for the March election but decided against it.

The Exempts would decide later in the year to stop serving the spaghetti dinners every Thursday.

Dan Geasser, a former Kendall town supervisor, speaks against a tax abatement plan for The Cottages at Troutburg. The Town Hall was packed for the Jan. 15 public hearing on the 10-year tax plan that would save The Wegman Group $227,777 in taxes. The plan would later be approved by the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

Medina Sandstone Society President Bob Waters, right, chats with village resident Roland Howell during a reception at the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. The Sandstone Society inducted its first HOF class on Dec. 12. It would add historical images of immigrant quarry workers. The enlarged photos are on hanging inside the main meeting room at Medina City Hall, where the plaques for the six inaugural inductees are displayed.

It looked like a white planet when firefighters, including Dan Strong of Carlton, responded to a chimney fire on Ridge Road in Gaines during a blizzard on March 12.

Jason Clark served as the starter for some of the races during the Pinewood Derby on March 1 at the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Firehall. Clark is part of the Kendall Scouting program and volunteered to help with Holley’s Pinewood Derby. There were 42 participants in all, and the event concluded with a pasta dinner in the firehall.

Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance paramedic Steve Cooley holds Melayla Wenner, a baby he delivered in an ambulance on Feb. 27. Melayla visited the COVA crew on March 7 at the organization’s headquarters, 239 South Main St. Terry Bentley, back right, helped deliver the baby. Jake Crooks, also in back, drove the ambulance.

Jim Pinckney is crowned the Dyngus Day king during the Polish party at the Sacred Heart Club in Medina on April 21. John Weaver, last year’s king, puts on the crown while Dee Lucas puts on the red cape. Pinckney is a retired corrections officer. He joined Sacred Heart Club about 21 years ago and helps mow the lawn, shovel snow, clean the fryers, and with other painting and carpentry tasks. “It’s good to help out because it’s an all-volunteer organization,” he said. “It’s just to help the community.”

Ken Miller of Niagara on the Lake in Canada portrays Gen. James Longstreet, a commander in Northern Virginia. Miller was in Medina on April 25-27 for the Civil War Encampment at Genesee Community College.

Miller goes to about dozen Civil War Encampments each year. Many are in Canada. He is happy to cross the border and join events in the States. “I like to teach and promote Canada’s involvement,” Miller said.

Albion firefighters Dale Banker, in front, and Matt Francis march in the Strawberry Festival parade on June 14 with other members of the Albion Fire Department. Banker in July took over as the county’s emergency management director, replacing the retiring Paul Wagner.

Albion students performed “The Wiz” from March 28-30. This group includes Steven Stauss as Lion, Josh Raymond as Scarecrow and Kyle Thaine as Tinman.

Don Gaines races through the aisle at Pawlak’s Save-A lot on May 16 as part of an 85-second race to fill a shopping cart. Gaines filled the cart with more than $800 of food – mostly with ham and other meat. He announced most of the bounty would be given to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

Gaines won the shopping spree, an event organized by the Lord’s House, a church in Waterport. The Lord’s House sold tickets for $5 each to give people a chance for the shopping sprint and two other gift baskets. Don and his wife Barbara bought one ticket and hit the grand prize.

Chris Shabazz, a student at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School, is happy to try out some of the new playground equipment on May 22, when the school opened a new playground. After an opening ceremony, students joyfully played on new slides, swings, climbing apparatus and other playground equipment.

Robert Ortt, a candidate for the State Senate, addresses a crowd in Albion on Sept. 8 at a pro-gun and Second Amendment rally. Ortt told about 200 people at the rally outside the Albion Gun Shop that he will work to repeal the SAFE Act. In November, Ortt was elected to the State Senate, filling the spot currently held by George Maziarz, who didn’t seek re-election.

Cliff Thom surprises his daughter Sarah, a third-grader at Albion, on Dec. 8. Thom hadn’t seen Sarah and her two siblings since June 29 when he deployed for Afghanistan. Thom is a senior master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He is giving Sarah a hug in the cafeteria of the elementary school.

Jim Babcock portrays Sonny and Sandra Monacelli-McNall is Cher in a performance of “I Got You Babe” during a Cabaret Variety Show on Aug. 15 at the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion.

Jim Traufler of Albion is embraced by State Assemblyman Steve Hawley on Nov. 11, when Traufler was presented six long overdue military medals. Traufler, 82, was recognized for his service six decades ago when he was in the Marine Corps in the Korean War.

Traufler was recognized during a Veterans Day ceremony in front of the Veterans Service Agency office on Route 31 in Albion. “It’s something you don’t think about,” Traufler said about the medals. “I’ll put them away and give them to my kids and grandkids.”

Jed Platt of Appleton, dressed in a turtle outfit, slips down on the grease pole on July 26 with teammates Royal Snyder of Lyndonville, right, and Elliott Perkins of Barker. The team, Udder Suckers Reloaded, wasn’t able to get to the top of the grease pole during the competition at the Orleans County 4-H Fair in Knowlesville.