By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 1 December 2025 at 11:22 am
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – The Albion wrestling squad’s veteran group includes, in front, Jaxon Lynch, Drake Schomske, Justin Mengs and Alakai Colmenero. In back are Jackson Snook, Stryker Sanders, Kaiser Allport and Corbin Piccirilli.
Under classmen dominate the lineup as the Albion wrestling squad begins tuning up for the Niagara-Orleans League season by hosting Byron-Bergen at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Freshman Stryker Sanders, who competed in the state championships last year going 34-6 overall including 2-2 at the states, heads the Purple Eagles veteran group.
That contingent also includes juniors Jaxson Lynch, Jackson Snook, Alakai Colmenero, Kaiser Allport along with sophomores Corbin Piccirilli, Drake Schomski and freshmen Justin Mengs. Lynch, Schomske and Mengs all had 20 plus win seasons.
“We’ve got good numbers and I think we’re a little stronger this year,” said Coach Mike Sanders. “We’re still building and we’re still young but weight class wise I think we’re pretty well spread out.”
The Purple Eagles will open the N-O season at Wilson on December 10.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 1 December 2025 at 11:17 am
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Veteran members of the Medina wrestling team include, in front, Jacob Duffina, Luke Duffina, Ryan Frentz and Cole Herman. In back are Tyler Raduns, Nolan Stanton, Frankie Stephens, Nate Surdel and Britten Brady.
Nine veterans anchor the lineup for the Medina wrestling squad which will begin tuning up for the Niagara-Orleans League season by visiting Churchville-Chili at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Senior Luke Duffina, who captured the N-O 131 lb. title last year, heads the Mustangs veteran contingent which also includes senior Frankie Stephens, sophomores Ryan Frentz, Tyler Raduns, Cole Herman, Nolan Stanton, Nate Surdel and Britten Brady and freshman Jacob Duffina.
The Mustangs key graduation losses included N-O champions Reece Senske and Brody Fry, who are now both wrestling collegiately, along with Austin Seefeldt and Ethan Carson.
“We lost some key guys but we do have some experience back,” said Coach Eric Gross. “However, our numbers are still pretty low and having the state add a 14th weight class doesn’t help us in filling all the weight classes.”
The Mustangs will also compete in the Byron-Bergen Tournament this coming Saturday before hosting Akron in the N-O opener on December 10.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 1 December 2025 at 11:14 am
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Leading Kendall into the upcoming Genesee Region League season will be this veteran quartet of CJ D’Agostino, Jonny Conte, Jonas Rhodes and Vinnie D’Agostino.
Seven returnees, including four regulars, anchor the lineup for Kendall which will open Genesee Region League competition at home on December 10 against Pembroke.
Leading the Eagles will be the quartet of seniors Jonny Conte, Jonas Rhodes, Vinnie D’Agostino and junior CJ D’Agostino. Also returning are senior Noah Morehouse, junior Caleb Opalecky and sophomore Sammy Conte.
CJ D’Agostino scored 190 points last year, Rhodes 188 and Vinnie D’Agostino 174.
The Eagles roster also includes seniors Brandon Barrett and Pablo Rosario-Reyes along with sophomore Ryan Gaeser.
“Our motto is ‘Better Together'” said Coach Kevin Rhodes. “They are all in on defense. They put all of their energy into defense and rebounding.”
The Eagles season will be highlighted by the Eagles annual tournament on December 29 and 30. The opening round matchups will have Northstar vs. Livonia and Roy-Hart vs. Kendall.
Kendall went 7-8 in G-R action and 9-12 overall last year.
Press Release, Orleans County Historical Association
Dennis Carr
GAINES – The Orleans County Historical Association (OCHA) invites the public to their annual luncheon meeting and program at Tavern on the Ridge on December 6th at 12:30 p.m.
Dennis Carr, a founding member of the Friends of Mt. Hope Cemetery, will be the guest speaker.
“We are fortunate to have Dennis as this year’s guest speaker,” said Sue Starkweather Miller, OCHA Trustee. “He will discuss The Arrest and Trial of Susan B. Anthony: Strategy, Tactics, and the Struggle to Vote. Dennis is an expert on this topic and has led tours for many years at Mt. Hope Cemetery, where Susan B. Anthony is buried.”
With the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, and its plain language implication that women, as citizens, had the right to vote, master strategist Susan B. Anthony decided to test the Constitution.
She, her sister Mary, and fourteen other Rochester women registered, and then voted in the 1872 federal election, resulting in Anthony’s arrest, trial, and conviction. The registrars and elections inspectors, the women who supported her by voting, the judge who issued the warrant, the arresting deputy U.S. marshal, and her attorneys are all permanent residents of Mount Hope Cemetery.
Front page news across the country, this real-life Rochester drama, gave Susan B. Anthony the deserved reputation as the most effective advocate and leader of the woman suffrage movement.
Lunch is $30 per person. Menu choices are vegetable lasagna, cottage pie or winter salad with chicken breast. Relish tray, beverage and dessert are included. To make your reservations, call Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper at 585-589-4174. You can pay at the door or send a check with your lunch choice to OCHA, 3286 Gaines Basin Road, Albion, NY 14411.
OCHA’s mission is to preserve, restore, and maintain what is significant to the history and antiquity of Orleans County, NY.
The nation needs more energy and something needs to be done. The current permitting process can take a decade to bring new energy sources online.
There are many solar, wind and battery storage projects waiting to be connected to the grid, but can’t be for lack of transmission capacity. Congress needs to update the permitting process through a comprehensive permitting reform bill.
This legislation would not increase the size of government, but it would reduce energy costs and increase the size of the economy by increasing the energy supply. I am hoping Congresswoman Tenney will co-sponsor a bill to do this.
We at Citizen’s Climate Lobby support real solutions that favor jobs, economic growth and enhance our global competitiveness.
As a lifelong Republican and a member of Citizen’s Climate Lobby, I know that Conservation is Conservative!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 December 2025 at 9:37 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Community Free Library has a Free Art Library outside the library at 86 Public Square. This is a project led by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.
Go Art! also has the free art libraries in Albion outside the Hoag Library and in Medina outside the Author’s Note book store.
At the free art library, people are encouraged to take an art book or art kit, leave an art book or art kit, and spread creativity.
The art libraries have been architecturally designed by Jeff Pasnik, and built and donated by members of the Carpenters Local Union 276. They are artistically painted by Jaylah Sherman.
The art library in Holley is done in a Pop Art style by Any Warhol with his famous painting of Marilyn Monroe and his tendency to do repeating prints.
GO Art! established the art library to make art supplies and resources more accessible to the community, fostering creativity and engagement in the arts. GO Art! wants the libraries includes art kits, coloring books and art books that are freely available for anyone to take and enjoy.
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) want to hear from you! We are working to make our programs better for people who want to quit smoking, vaping, or using tobacco. Your feedback will help us plan future classes, resources, and support for those who are ready to quit.
“We want our programs to meet the needs of our community,” said Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health. “Whether you’ve tried to quit before, are thinking about quitting, or have already quit, your ideas can help us make our programs more helpful and easier to access.”
The online survey only takes a few minutes to fill out. It’s open to everyone in Genesee and Orleans counties, whether you smoke now, have quit, or are helping someone who wants to quit. Answers will be used to improve GO Health’s programs to help people stop using tobacco.
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, and local support can make it easier. By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help GO Health offer programs that work better for our community.
For more information about GO Health Programs and Services, visit GOHealthNY.org or contact your local health department at:
Photo courtesy of Celeste Balaban: Buddy played by Rayna Balaban and Santa played by Henry Dresser are “Happy All The Time” with the elves.
Press Release, Anna Ferlito, musical director
MEDINA – Medina residents will embrace their inner “elf” when Clifford Wise Intermediate students present their production of Elf The Musical JR. The show features 89 fifth and sixth grade students and will premiere on Dec. 4.
Clifford Wise Intermediate School will present Elf The Musical JR. on Dec. 4th and 5th at 7 p.m. at Clifford Wise Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $3.50, and are available at www.cliffordwise.booktix.com. For more information about the show please call 585-798-2700 ext. 6204.
“Every year the 5th and 6th graders look forward to the musical, and last year when we announced we were doing Elf everyone was ecstatic” says Anna Ferlito, the musical director. “It’s a huge project to put on a show with this many kids, but it becomes a highlight every school year.”
(Left) Eliana Baity-Medina plays the “no nonsense” manager of Macy’s. (Right) Emily and her son Micheal Hobbs played by Charlotte Berry and Davante Major Dixon ask Santa for Walter Hobbs to spend more time with them.
Elf The Musical JR. is based on the 2003 New Line Cinema hit and features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer) and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin On Broadway, The Wedding Singer), a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).
The musical tells the story of a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is given the name Buddy and raised by elves in the North Pole. Buddy lives happily unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth.
With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list, and his stepbrother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of the holidays.
Buddy played by Rayna Balaban gets escorted out of Macy’s by security guards played by Shane Re and Vincent Moriarty.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 November 2025 at 5:59 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Metz Family Christmas won the grand champion title on Saturday during the Medina Parade of Lights.
MEDINA – Pair decent weather and an enthusiastic crowd with nearly four dozen floats brightly decorated for the holidays and you have an evening to remember.
Such was the case Saturday night for the 17th annual Parade of Lights.
Always a tradition is lighting of a giant Christmas tree in Rotary Park and the spectacular fireworks which precede the parade each year.
The winning floats have been announced and the Metz family has taken the title again. The family won in 2021 and 2022. Last year the grand champion was the Orleans/Niagara BOCES and Burger King won the top award in 2023.
Winners announced for this year are:
Grand Champion – Metz Family Christmas
Best in Class (Commercial) – Airborne Acres
Best in Class (Service Clubs) – Roy-Hart FFA
Best in Class (Fire companies) – Albion Joint Fire District
Best in Class (Not-for-profit) – Orleans Community Action’s Head Start
Best in Class (Religious) – The Vine
Best in Class – Orleans-Niagara BOCES
Santa’s Pick Award – Niagara County 4-H Equine Program
Littlest Elf Award – Eye of Oden K9 Training
Star Award – Logan’s Landscaping
Community Spirit Award – Medina Central School Transportation Department
Jim Hancock, who heads the parade committee, expressed his pleasure at this year’s Grand Marshal, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, who has also been parade announcer each year.
Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman welcomed the crowd until Hawley arrived in a Mustang convertible donated by George Bidleman of Orleans Ford.
“Being Grand Marshal of this iconic parade in this idyllic village was a wonderful experience and an honor,” Hawley said. “I have been the announcer for many years, but have never seen how the floats, bands and groups line up at the staging area at the Pickle Factory. And I never knew about the thousands of people who line the streets before the parade reaches Main Street. It’s truly a remarkably well organized and run parade and my hat is tipped to the organizers, and of course, to all the folks who attend and support the efforts.”
Hancock said there were so many beautiful and creative floats this year.
“They seem to get better and better every year,” he said. “And I am so pleased to have Steve Hawley as our Grand Marshal.”
Hancock also thanked the village departments, especially the DPW who make the parade a success every year.
Many of the units in the parade are repeat entrants, such as the Mark Time Marchers from Churchville, entertaining for their 12th year; Niagara County’s Equine Program with 16 visits; East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, every year since the beginning; Hartland Volunteer Fire Company, an entrant for many, many years; and Ridgeway Fire Company, every year.
There were a large number of first-time entrants this year, including The Willows Assisted Living Facility; Bowers Plumbing from Albion; Cutaia Trucking from Fairport; Airborne Acres from Lyndonville; Tom Bruggman from Alexander; Gilligan’s Galley Restaurant from Point Breeze; Walsh Hotel (the third oldest bar in New York); Mallard House Renovations; and Luddy’s Equipment Rental from Albion.
Of course, the final float every year is Santa and Mrs. Claus on their special float built and donated by Takeform.
Hancock issued special thanks to the Parade Committee, which included Dave and Gail Miller, Nicole and Todd Bensley, Cindy Robinson, Reinhard Rogowski, Dave Stacey, Mark Irwin, Barb Hancock, Kathie Valley and Sue and Kevin DeHollander.
Contributed Story Posted 30 November 2025 at 4:17 pm
The Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina club hockey team dropped a 5-2 home ice decision to undefeated Olean this morning.
Olean was able to capitalize on numerous penalties by the home team which resulted in two powerplay goals.
Olean scored both of the first period goals, but early in the second, RBM got on the board thanks to a goal by Max Pilon (Medina), with assists going to Viktor Snyder (Albion) and Ryan Felicetti (Wilson).
A later powerplay goal gave Olean a 3-1 lead, but Gavin Ickowski (Roy-Hart) scored assisted by his Roy-Hart teammates Sean Mettler and John Peracciny.
Very late in the second, Olean scored the last two goals of the game, one a powerplay.
RBM has a string of four straight away games next on the schedule, beginning with a match-up with another undefeated team, Rochester next Saturday at the Lakeshore Arena beginning at 7:30 p.m..
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 30 November 2025 at 4:09 pm
A late rally fell short as Newfane dropped a narrow 20-16 decision to Tioga (Section IV) in the state Class D semifinal football game this afternoon at Cicero-North Syracuse High School.
Trailing 20-8, Newfane got back in the game on a 6 yard touchdown run by Camryn Stover and a two-point conversion carry by Isaiah Gerstung slicing the deficit to 20-16 with just over five minutes remaining.
The Panthers then got the ball right back by successfully recovering the ball on an onside kick.
However, the Panthers offense was unable to capitalize turning the ball over on downs near midfield to Tioga which was able to run out the clock.
Tioga had jumped out to a 14-0 first half lead on a pair of touchdown runs and a two-point conversion carry by Logan Bellis.
Newfane, which had a touchdown wiped out by a penalty in the first quarter, finally got on the scoreboard in the third period on a 42 yard touchdown run by quarterback Mac Capen and a two-point conversion run by Gerstung to cut the deficit to 14-8.
Tioga though got that one back early in the fourth quarter on a one yard run by Max Stauder for what proved to be the game winning touchdown and a 20-8 Tigers lead.
That set the stage for Newfane’s late comeback bid which fell short as the Panthers finish a history making season at 12-1.
It was a season which saw the Panthers win their first Section VI championship and make their first appearance in the state playoffs. In fact Newfane is the first Niagara-Orleans League team to reach the state football semifinals.
Tioga, which improves to 12-1, will now face Tuckahoe in the title game next Friday as the Tigers seek their fourth state championship in the last five years.
I want to thank you and reporter Ginny Kropf for promoting and often attending our many programs scheduled each year to benefit the Cobblestone Society & Museum.
Ginny recently posted details of our upcoming December events before including responses to some additional questions she posed. She encouraged me to use this forum to share the answers, which she felt held merit for an additional communication with your followers.
Our “Simply Christmas” event scheduled for Saturday, December 6 at 11 a.m. is the third holiday program we’ve offered to the public in consecutive years. They have always included Christmas music, readings and/or stories.
Current trustee and treasurer Maarit Vaga initiated this holiday event with its deliberately chosen title so that from year to year the theme of the event could change. Our first “Simply Christmas” program allowed Maarit to share traditions and customs from her Scandinavian heritage, with an emphasis on St. Lucia.
Last year St. Nicholas Day was the focus. This year in “Simply Christmas: A Community Musical Quilt” the spotlight is on locally talented individuals. Just as a beautiful quilt is the result of piecing together individual bits of fabric to make its design, the program’s variety of music – vocals, instrumental and sing-along – plus readings, will come together to kick off the Christmas season for the audience in a delightfully entertaining way!
I am super excited by the skill level of the various performers that will participate. Of note, Aaron Grabowski (baritone, Director of Music/Holy Trinity), Susan Walders (alto, flutist with E-Yah-Pah-Hah Wind Quintet), Bradeen Walders Erakare (soprano) and husband Sebastian Erakare (tenor) are teaming up as a quartet to perform Riu Riu Chiu, a Spanish Renaissance Christmas madrigal, sung unaccompanied.
All are welcome at the Cobblestone Church to celebrate the season.
