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Ale in Autumn brought nearly 600 to downtown Medina
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Four friends enjoyed camaraderie and sampled ale at The Vintage Cigar on Medina’s Main Street during Ale in Autumn on Saturday. From left are Marie Bell of Akron, Jeannette and Don Geberling of Cheektowaga, and at rear is Marie’s husband Bob Arnold.
MEDINA – Saturday’s Ale in Autumn was about the most perfect day organizers could have hoped for. The day brought beautiful fall weather and a nearly sold-out event, according to Ann Fisher-Bale, coordinator for Medina Area Partnership, sponsor and organizer of the event that brought nearly 600 to the downtown to sample beer.
Tickets were sold for three different start times to participants who checked in at the Medina Senior Center. There, they were first ID’d by Pattrick Weissend and then had their tickets checked by Wendy Wilson and Bale, before getting a wristband from Sarah Fisher or Anne Joynt.
Pat Weissend (in blue Bills shirt) IDs for ticket holders checking in at the Medina Senior Center for Ale in Autumn on Saturday.
After picking up their souvenir glass and a goodie bag filled with snacks, pen, coupons and other items, participants proceeded to the back of the room to buy tickets on baskets which were available at each participating business. Ticket holders were also eligible to win a grand prize basket valued at $500.
John and Melissa Gorham have attended every Ale in Autumn, they said.
“It’s a chance to try different beers, and the snacks are usually very good,” John said.
Wendy Wilson checks tickets for Melissa Bunbrock of Gasport at the Senior Center on Saturday. Behind Wilson is Anne Joynt, Medina native who is running for New York State Supreme Court and volunteered to help. At Wilson’s left is Ann Fisher-Bale, event coordinator for Medina Area Partnership, which sponsors the event.
For Barb Gorham, it is a way to get out and about before the snow comes.
“And you always run into friends you haven’t seen for a while,” she said.
Melissa Bunbrock of Gasport said she has attended the event every year.
“It’s a great way to get together with friends and support local businesses,” she said.
A new business, Katie’s Dipped Delights, was being promoted by Katie’s husband Brian Wiesinger in front of the English Rose Tea Shoppe. Seated at left is Brian’s mom Carole. Katie makes four kinds of gourmet apples, using Honeycrisp they buy from Roberts’, Brian said.
At The Vintage Cigar, Joe Meyer and owner Jim Robinson poured ale for a steady stream of participants.
Robinson, whose wife Cindy runs the English Rose Tea Shoppe, said they participate in Ale and Autumn every year, at one store or the other.
“The weather is always good and people come in who didn’t know there was a cigar store in town,” Robinson said.
One group of friends sipping their ale in the store was Bob Arnold and his wife Marie Bell of Akron with Don and Jeannette Heberling of Cheektowaga.
“We’ve been coming to this event for years,” Don said. “We’ve come to every one.”
Jeannette said it was a great community building event.
“The shops change and it’s good to see the different shops and what they sell,” Don said.
Entertaining near Main Street TV and Appliances on Saturday were Kathy Vandemoreal of Point Breeze and Laurence Sugarman of Pittsford. Vandemoreal plays fiddle, while Sugarman plays banjo.
Gabriella Albanese of Albion has also attended Ale in Autumn every year.
“I’m not a beer drinker, but my sister and a friend love the opportunity to go together and visit all the stores,” Albanese said.
Local musician Rob Robinson for the last several years has arranged to have buskers on the street entertaining during Ale in Autumn. It is an age-old tradition for musicians to perform on a street corner for money. Saturday’s buskers included “The Last Call” singer (named Skinny) and his band who performed in front of Main Street TV and Appliance.
“We have been nearly every year,” said Skinny, who was born in Medina.
“I love coming here,” he said. “I love Medina.”
Just down the street Kathy Vandemoreal of Point Breeze and Laurence Sugarman of Pittsford were entertaining – she on fiddle and he on banjo. Vandemoreal has taken part in Ale in Autumn for three years, but this is Sugarman’s first appearance.
Winner of the Grand Prize worth $500 was Melissa Streiff.
Saturday’s buskers included “The Last Call” singer (named Skinny) and his band that performed in front of Main Street TV and Appliance. Standing in the center is Rob Robinson of Medina, also a musician, whose idea it was to have buskers.
Photos by Tom Rivers: This group poses for a fun photo at Alexandra Peracciny Photography, 426 Main St., which was also one of the pouring stations for the Ale in Autumn.
Episcopal Church in Albion to open Noah’s Bowl, a pet food pantry
Press Release, Christ Episcopal Church
ALBION – Christ Episcopal Church is proud to announce the opening of Noah’s Bowl, its new community pet food pantry, designed to provide free supplemental dog and cat food to local pet owners experiencing financial hardship.
The new pantry aims to help reduce economic strain on pet owners and prevent animal surrenders by ensuring that families do not have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their beloved companion animal.
“Times are tough for many in our community, and pets are cherished members of the family,” said Nicole Spohr, director of the pet project at Christ Church. “We want to offer a safety net, so families facing temporary hardship don’t have to part with their animals.”
The pantry will be open on the third Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The pet pantry is a walk-up pantry and will be dispensed from our West Park Street entrance. We ask everyone to be kind, courteous, and have “pawtience.”
To kick off our pet food pantry opening, we will be having a Pet Blessing this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Christ Church, 26 South Main St., Albion.
All pets must be on a leash or in a carrier and under the owner’s control. A small distribution of pet food will be available while supplies last on this day.
Grand Opening & Distribution Details
Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: West Park Street (side parking lot of Christ Church)
Requirements: limit of one pickup per household
Distribution: Cat – 3 lb. bag
Dog – Small dog – 2 bags of 3-lb. bags; Large dog – 3 bags of 3-lb. bags
How the Community can help
The pet food pantry operates on community support and donations. Noah’s Bowl is currently accepting donations of unopened, unexpired dry and canned dog and cat food.
If anyone would like to make a pet food donation, please call 585-589-5314. Monetary donations can be sent to Christ Church at 26 South Main Street, Albion, New York 14411, with “Noah’s Bowl” noted on the memo line. For more information, please call 585-589-5314.
Art auction raised $8K for Marti’s on Main in Albion
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Todd Jantzi, an auctioneer and owner of Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service in Batavia, looks for bids during an art auction on Saturday at Marti’s on Main, an art gallery in Albion run by Kim Martillotta Muscarella.
He is shown with a painting by Richard Hart, one of 35 pieces of art work in the auction.
The first-ever art auction raised $8,000 for Marti’s, a non-profit art gallery that features many artists during the year and also hosts art classes and other special events.
Kim Martillotta Muscarella, leader of Marti’s on Main, welcomes the group for the auction. She thanked the artists for donating their work. She gave three on her paintings for the auction.
Martillotta Muscarella first ran Marti’s from her home on North Main Street in Albion, and then for a year at the Cobblestone Museum. In 2019, she started to transform the former Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County into an art gallery. The site opened as Marti’s on Main in 2021. It hosts several art shows a year, as well as concerts and art classes.
Martillotta Muscarella said 180 different artists have been featured at Marti’s since her first show in 2008, including about 120 who had their first show at a gallery.
Martillotta Muscarella established a non-profit organization about a year ago to help with fundraising to make the site more sustainable.
Todd Jantzi scans the crowd for bids. Jantzi bought one of the pieces himself. He thanked the group for their generosity and efforts to strengthen Marti’s, which he called a community asset.
A painting by Roseanne Mascari goes up for bid. Marrit Vaga, left, helped run the auction. Judy Wenrich, front right, bid on several of the pieces and donated one her works, showing two horses.
The auction included art work from Arthur Barnes, Tony Barry, Rebecca Barry-Kent, Jeanne Borrelli, David Burke, Rich Della Costa, Bradeen Erakare, Paul Facklam, George Graham, Pat Greene, Richard Hart, Sarah Hyatt, Laura Kemler, Jappie King Black, Arlene London, Chris Manaseri, Diana August Martin, Kim Martillotta Muscarella, Nikki Martillotta McFarland, Roseanne Mascari, Rebecca Maynard, Cindy Meal, Peter Monacelli, Connie Mosher, Michael O’Keefe, Nancy Radzik, Harvey Rayner, Ester Rolick, Brian Seekins, Sharon Stewart, Suzanne Wells, Mark Weld, Judy Wenrich, Bob Wisner and Tom Zangerle.
Some of the artwork in the auction is shown in this photo.
Marti’s on Main has transferred the former Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 20 South Main St. This building is part of the Courthouse Square Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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38th annual Knights-Kaderli walk/fundraiser set for Saturday in East Shelby
File photo by Tom Rivers: A group walks down East Shelby Road on Oct. 7, 2023 for the 35th annual walk/run for the Knights-Kaderli Fund. The Knights and Kaderli families estimate that more than $2 million has been used from the fund since it was established, helping cover some of the utilities, co-pays and other bills for people fighting cancer in Orleans County.
EAST SHELBY – The Knights-Kaderli Walk/Fundraiser will take place for the 38th year on Saturday at East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
The charity was formed when two families who had lost loved ones to cancer decided to merge their separate fundraisers into one, and the Knights-Kaderli Walk/Run was born.
The event honors the memory of Richard Knights and Sue Kaderli, both of whom died of cancer. Since its inception, the charity has raised and given away $2 million to cancer patients undergoing treatment and their families in Orleans County, said Melissa Bertrand, Knights’ daughter who chairs the event.
Bertrand stressed that every penny raised or donated to the fund is given away. There are no administrative costs.
Saturday’s event will feature the walk/run, which Bertrand describes as “a big country walk,” beginning at the fire hall on East Shelby Road and continuing a mile to East Shelby Community Church, where it turns east on Barber Road for a mile, then north on Town Line Road, back to Hemlock Ridge and the fire hall.
Registration for the walk and sale of tickets for the basket raffle begin at 9:30 a.m., with the walk beginning at 11 a.m. Basket raffle tickets will be sold until 1:30 p.m. A special raffle will feature Buffalo Bills and Sabres items.
Lunch will also be served, and those who spend $20 (either in walk sponsorships or raffle tickets) at the event will receive free lunch.
The walk and basket raffle are the charity’s biggest fundraisers, Bertrand said. Other fundraising during the year includes a chicken barbecue in June and a memorial golf tournament.
Donations to the fund are received from memorials or bequests from wills. Anyone may donate on Venmo@KnightsKaderli or by sending a check to Richard Knights and Sue Kaderli Fund, P.O. Box 684, Medina, or on the Knights Kaderli website by credit card.
As a special tribute to the late Dave Green, this year’s walk will be dedicated to him.
“He did so much to support our charity and the community,” Bertrand said.
In Green’s honor, volunteers this year will be given green shirts with Dave’s initials in the middle.
“He was such a good guy and a loyal follower,” Bertrand said.
Bertrand thanks the community for its continued support.
“I always marvel at what a small community can do to raise money for those in need,” she said.
Volunteers will be at East Shelby Fire Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday to accept baskets from anyone who wishes to donate one.
Key administrators of the Knights-Kaderli Fund are Bertrand (Knight’s daughter), president; Mary Zelazny (Kaderli’s daughter), vice president; and Sue Knights (Richard’s widow), who handles accounting and acknowledgments.
Contractors busy working on new bridge on Phipps Road in Albion
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – New concrete footers went in today for the new bridge under construction on Phipps Road in Albion.
The previous bridge was closed to traffic on Sept. 9, 2022 after an inspection showed the steel high-beam supports were rotted.
Keeler Construction is general contractor for the project, after submitting the low bid of $992,851.
Keeler is replacing the previous19.5-foot-long culvert and with one that is 25 feet long.
The project includes the removal of the existing concrete culvert, and replacement with a 3-sided single span precast concrete span unit. The structure will be supported by micro-piles on spread footings, and associated highway approach work and stream work, according to a description seeking bids.
All Ways Concrete Pumping in Auburn brought in a slinger with a 110-foot reach to pour concrete for the new footers.
The pre-cast culvert sections will be set on the footers. Once the new bridge is in place, the top will be paved over with asphalt with guard rails on the sides.
A state grant through the Bridge NY program for $1.038 million is covering most of the cost for the new bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic later this fall.
The bridge is over a tributary of Otter Creek. The water is directed through the two large pipes. This is looking south at the tributary.
Ravi Engineering and Land Surveying in Rochester provided design services and now is doing construction inspection.
Here is how the bridge looked soon after it was closed to traffic on Sept. 9, 2022.
Lady Eagles post shutout to go to 9-0
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Kendall’s Mackenzie Cooper, who had a goal and an assist, battles with Northstar’s Kaelyn Sparco for control of the ball during the Lady Eagles home field win this afternoon.
Improving to 9-0, Kendall blanked visiting Northstar 3-0 in a non league girls soccer game this afternoon.
Sophia Picardo scored what proved to be the game winning goal for Kendall with 5 minutes to go in the first half off an assist from Mackenzie Cooper.
The Lady Eagles then put a lock on the win with a pair of quick goals early in the second half about a minute apart by Cooper and Ryleigh Denning. Payton Vogt and Izzy D’Agostino had the assists.
Tesgan Shaw made 1 save to earn the shutout in goal.
Attica 1, Holley 0 OT
In a Genesee Region League game, Attica nipped visiting Holley 1-0 in overtime.
Holley goalie Zoey Warner made two huge saves at the end of the first half to keep the game scoreless.
Kendall’s Payton Vogt brings the ball up field as Natalia Polodori defends for Northstar.
Mustangs, Rams score non league soccer wins
Medina blanked CSAT 9-0 and Roy-Hart downed Buffalo Academy of Science 7-1 in non league boys soccer action this afternoon.
Aidan Papaj scored 5 goals to lead the way for Medina as Brayden Lewis netted 2 and Cam Fike and Lathan McEwen-Miller 1 each.
Izzy Anderson had 4 assists for the Mustangs as Bryson Ford, Aleks Seefeldt and Tyler Radus 1 each.
Michael Fuller led the Rams with 3 goals as Joshua Jennings, Jack Trombley, Ethan Brown and Dean Kohler each had 1.
N-O Golf
Albion defeated Newfane 239-incomplete in a Niagara-Orleans League golf match this afternoon.
Owen Spencer and Viktor Snyder shared medalist honors for Albion with rounds of 44 and Luke Bedford had a 48.
Albion adds first of 3 small basketball courts at neighborhood parks
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Village of Albion has a new basketball hoop on a concrete quarter court at St. Joseph’s Park on North Clinton Street.
The smaller court was paid with state funds administered by the Orleans County Youth Bureau.
Another one of the smaller basketball courts will be installed at Veterans Park at the corner of Linwood Avenue and Brown Street, said John Grillo, the Albion recreation director.
The village has money for a third court that will either go at Carosol Park at Caroline Street and Ingersoll Street or at Lafayette Park with entrances on both West Park and West State streets.
“They will be shooter courts to give kids in the area something more to do especially if they’re younger and can not make it to Bullard,” said Mayor Tim McMurray. “We just want to provide the kids another avenue for entertainment, getting outdoors and off the phones.”
At St. Joseph’s Park, a deteriorating pavilion was removed to make room for the new basketball area.
Grillo said he is pleased to see the new court at St. Joseph’s, and looks forward to the next two courts.
“I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “We want to give people an opportunity with the parks on all areas of the village. That’s our goal.”
Massive load, over 222,000 pounds, made its way from Batavia to Albion today, snarling traffic
Photos by Tom Rivers
BARRE – A caravan of vehicles helped move a 222,500-pound load from Graham Manufacturing in Batavia this morning to the Erie Canal in Albion.
The top photo shows utility workers raising wires high to give the load its needed clearance.
The slow-moving caravan of vehicles slowed down traffic as it made its way north on Route 98.
It then turned left and went west on Route 31A, before turning right and going north on Gaines Basin Road, until making a final right hand turn on Albion-Eagle Harbor Road.
The load is a 195,500-pound condenser made by Graham. The cradle for the condenser weighed an additional 27,000 pounds, for a 222,500-pound total.
A group of bucket trucks are ready to raise wires for the load as its moves north on Gaines basin Road near the intersection with Countyhouse Road.
This is at least the fourth condenser made by Graham that was taken to the Erie Canal for transport. Previous condensers headed east to its final destination at the Navy.
Previous trips went to Albany, then down the Hudson River to New York Harbor. From there the condensers went on an ocean-going-barge for the trip to the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.
Massive cranes are in place to move the condenser to a barge. The barge wasn’t there to take the condenser by early this afternoon.
The load is close to the Erie Canal, just west of the boat launch on Albion-Eagle Harbor Road.
