File photo by Tom Rivers: These deer are pictured on Nov. 20, 2014 when they were close to the road on the west side of Route 279 in Gaines, just south of Route 104.
Hunting is a deeply rooted tradition in America. However, the benefits of recreational hunting go well beyond the enjoyment and challenge it offers to hunters — it also plays a crucial role in wildlife and natural resource management.
Additionally, please consider donating a deer to help feed the hungry throughout New York State.
The Venison Donation Coalition, founded by sportsmen and women in 1999, is a not-for-profit organization (501(c)(3)) that helps get New York State venison to those in need while supporting hunting in the state. Please consider donating a deer this year or making a tax-deductible charitable contribution to support this important program.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 17 October 2025 at 8:35 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jacob Ivison stands outside his business, Homestead Pest Control, at 109 East Bank St., Albion. Homestead is the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s New Business of the Year.
ALBION – Jacob Ivision couldn’t be more thrilled about his recent honor of being named New Business of the Year by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
“I started my company in January 2024 and to be recognized that early on is very humbling,” Ivison said.
Ivison’s introduction to the world of pest control came while he was working as a delivery driver for an agricultural chemical facility during the Covid pandemic.
“I was delivering products to the owner of a pest control business in Middleport, when we started talking about the nature of his business,” Ivison said. “I’d been spraying our house for bugs with my father since I was a tyke. The guy said I should think about getting into the industry.”
Ivison said he got busier with his delivery job, but three years later when his son was born, a light switch flipped.
“I knew I had to do something that would give him the best life I could,” Ivison said.
He started hitting the books and testing in preparation of opening his own pest control business. He already had a basic license and he added categories to it and got his full license in 2020. During all this time, he said his wife Kara was very supportive of his efforts.
“I could not have done it without her,” he said.
He began doing pest control in homes and commercial facilities to rid them of bugs and rodents.
“There is no shortage of pests,” he said.
When he was ready to open his own business, he discovered his landlord had a vacant store on Bank Street in Albion. It turned out to be the perfect place for Ivison to expand his new business.
He soon realized he needed an addition to his business, and he hired Matthew Zaffran as office manager.
“Having someone here all the time to answer the phone has resulted in a lot of business for us,” Ivison said. “So many people call another exterminator and get an answering machine, so they call us.”
Ivison said the most challenging job thus far was eliminating an infestation of yellow jackets from a chimney 60 feet in the air on a school roof.
When the gentleman in Middleport who convinced Ivison to pursue the pest control business lost his one employee, he contracted with Ivison to take care of his customers.
“Learning from somebody with 50 years’ experience in the business is more than the knowledge he has shared, it is the confidence he has instilled in me that I can fix my customers’ problems.”
Ivison and his family live in his family’s 1800s homestead on Ivison Road in Byron, where the road named for his ancestors.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 16 October 2025 at 10:42 pm
Albion closed out the Niagara-Orleans League boys soccer season in exciting fashion this evening as the Purple Eagles nipped host Newfane 2-1 in overtime.
Landon Graybill scored the game winning goal in OT for Albion off an assist from Logan Poupore.
Joey Bropst scored the Purple Eagles first goal.
Final N-O Standings: Wilson 10-0, Medina 8-2, Akron 5-5, Albion 3-6-1, Newfane 3-6-1, Roy-Hart 0-10-0.
In non league games, Northstar edged Holley 1-0 and Pembroke downed Roy-Hart 6-1. Michael Fuller scored the Roy-Hart goal.
Girls Soccer Holley 9, East Rochester 0
Holley romped to a 9-0 win over visiting East Rochester in a non league contest as the Lady Hawks finish the regular season at 9-6-1.
Ava Mosier scored two goals for the Lady Hawks as Hanna Ostrom, Mya Brown, Jayna Burris, Addison Bevins, Payton Preston, Brynn Thomas and Brianna Tomasino each had one. Ostrom and Carsyn Mogle both had two assists.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 16 October 2025 at 10:40 pm
Akron clinched at least a tie for a sixth straight Niagara-Orleans League field hockey championship by nipping runner-up Barker 1-0 this afternoon at Akron.
Morgan Tomporowski scored the lone goal off an assist from Madigan Regan.
Akron is now 10-0 and Barker 9-2
Roy-Hart 2, Medina 1
Roy-Hart nipped Medina 2-1 at Vets Park this evening on goals by Brooke Zglinicki and Violette Streckewald.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 16 October 2025 at 10:18 pm
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion defensive lineman Jackson Snook is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the go ahead touchdown late in the Purple Eagles thrilling 30-27 win over visiting East Aurora/Holland this evening.
It was a thriller as Albion snapped a season long six game losing streak by nipping visiting East Aurora/Holland 30-27 in a B2 Division game this evening.
And it was the defense which came up huge twice in the final five minutes to earn the Purple Eagles that elusive first victory.
Trailing 27-24, Albion rallied into the lead for the first time at 30-27 when defensive lineman Jackson Snook stole the ball from an East Aurora running back and ran five yards into the endzone for what proved to be the game winning touchdown.
“I just took it from him. Nobody saw it and I just ran,” exclaimed a jubilant Snook.
The Purple Eagles defense then preserved the thrilling win by stopping a fourth down East Aurora play at the Albion one yard line with only 15 seconds remaining. Snook and Logan Kast teamed up to make the big fourth down tackle
Logan Kast (64) and Jackson Snook (71) team up to stop East Aurora running back Griffin Houde a yard short of the goal line on fourth down with 15 seconds remaining preserving the Purple Eagles narrow win. Kaiden Froman (23) moves in to assist.
“The kids stepped up,:” said Albion Coach David Skryp. ” They were super excited especially the way it ended with a goal line stand. It showed all the hard work and effort they have put in and the adversity they have overcome.
The Blue Devils led 21-12 at the half as quarterback Jackson Suckow threw a pair of touchdown passes and Benjamin Ziegler returned a kickoff 80 yards for the other TD.
Elijah Doxey scored both of Albion’s first half touchdowns on a 13 yard run and a 43 yard pass reception from quarterback Bo Preston.
Preston then scored two touchdowns himself in the third quarter on runs of 1 and 25 yards to keep Albion within three at 27-24. A pass interception by Kaiden Froman set up the first of those two scores.
In between those two scores, the Blue Devils got a nine yard TD run from Griffin Houde to go up 27-18.
Albion will close out the regular season with a B2 Division game at Maryvale next Friday evening.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 October 2025 at 9:54 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: This leaf with some rain drops is shown on Tuesday in Carlton at the upper parking lot of St. Mary’s Archers Club off Clark Mills Road.
It’s peak fall foliage throughout most of Western New York, with Orleans County at “near peak” conditions, according to the I Love NY Fall Foliage update that was released on Wednesday.
Some parts in NY are past peak – the Adirondacks, Catskills, 1000 Islands and parts of the Chautauqua-Allegheny region.
An observer for Albion reported a 65% change in Albion “with a vibrant mix of fall hues.”
The fall foliage map for the state shows a range of progression around the state, but most areas are peak or past peak.
This is a spot at the Archers Club where there is a split in two ridges. It’s amazing how the trees stay upright.
This shows the canal looking east from Butts Road in Albion on Sunday evening.
Photo and press release from Brockport Elks Riders
The Brockport Elks Riders #2110’s dice run, led by Ricky Standish Jr., proudly donated $2,350 to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee County’s Holiday Program. Next year the group plans to continue their dice run and will donate to the Pirate Toy Fund.
The event brought together riders and community members to raise funds that will help provide holiday meals, toys, and essentials to families in need across both Orleans and Genesee counties.
The Brockport Elks Riders #2110 continue to serve their community through charitable rides and events that reflect the Elks’ values of giving and fellowship.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 October 2025 at 10:18 am
Carl Zenger wins national award for 22 years of dedicated service at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
Photos by Tom Rivers: Carl Zenger holds up a certificate of commendation he received on Wednesday from a staff member for Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. Zenger received 2025 “Refuge Volunteer of the Year” award from the National Wildlife Refuge Association. Zenger has been a full-time presence at the local refuge for the past 22 ½ years.
MEDINA – There are 570 national wildlife refuges in the United States and many dedicated volunteers have been critical to educating the public, maintaining grasslands, nurturing wildlife and serving in other roles.
Of all the volunteers in the refuge system, Carl Zenger stands out among them all for his dedication at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, which covers 10,824 acres in the towns of Shelby and Alabama.
Zenger, 87, is up at 5:30 a.m. every day and make the 20-minute drive from Lockport. He is at the refuge by 7, typically the first one there.
He has kept a full-time presence at the refuge the past 22 ½ years, amassing 45,000 hours of volunteer service.
Zenger delights in mowing about 200 acres of grasslands each year, and along miles and miles of drainage dikes. He was instrumented in starting the Friends of Iroquois Wildlife Refuge in 2000, and has served as president, vice president and board member. That organization raises about $15,000 to $20,000 a year to support the refuge. Its fundraising has helped rebuild the Swallow Hallow Trail, extend the Cayuga Overlook Platform, install an accessible floating dock at the Ringneck Marsh, and sponsor youth fishing derbies and waterfowl hunts.
Tom Roster, the retired manager of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, spent just over 20 years with Zenger at the refuge. Roster praised Zenger’s commitment to the refuge and his willingness to serve in many roles at the site.
“Carl is a person of many talents,” said Tom Roster, who recently retired after more than 20 years as the refuge manager. “His volunteering has touched all aspects of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge daily operations including habitat management, wildlife population monitoring, maintenance, interpretive and educational programs, outreach and yes, we even got him to do some administrative work. We just didn’t call it that. We referred to it as safety or vehicle and facility maintenance!”
Roster was among about 100 people who celebrated Zenger and his distinguished award as national volunteer of the year during a luncheon on Wednesday at the Bent’s Opera House. Many other dedicated local refuge volunteers and staff attended the luncheon. (Due to the federal government shutdown, the refuge staff attended in regular clothes, not their refuge work attire.)
Zenger grew up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania and worked 42 years at General Motors. When he was nearing retirement from GM, he looked for a way to stay busy and give back to a worthwhile organization. The refuge was a perfect fit, utilizing his talents at a site with a long to-do list.
Carl Zenger said he has a great relationship with the refuge staff and other volunteers. “I did it because I wanted to be there,” he said about his volunteerism at the refuge.
Some of the projects Zenger has spearheaded, outside of routine maintenance, include:
• One of his first projects was establishing a bluebird trail with over 50 bluebird boxes along the trail. Zenger still coordinates the maintenance of this trail and has taught dozens of other volunteers and interns how to maintain the boxes, manage the program, monitor and band the birds.
• Zenger has worked to expand birding programs to include other cavity nesters like swallows, kestrels and purple martins.
“Carl’s interest in Kestrel grew as he saw that kestrel populations decline by 85% in New York State,” Roster said. “Carl has provided guidance on where and how to put up kestrel boxes on the refuge including switching over to his own pulley system that assists in lowering and raising nesting boxes for monitoring, thus eliminating the need for climbing up and down ladders. He ensures that monitoring is conducted every year.”
Those birding programs resulted in 130 bluebirds being fledged in the past year, 352 tree swallows and 71 house wrens, Zenger said, praising the refuge staff and volunteers. “Great job!” he declared from the podium at Bent’s Opera House.
Zenger is presented with the 2025 Refuge Volunteer of the Year Award by Wendi Weber, a board member for the National Wildlife Association and retired regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
After the success of the bluebird trail, Zenger shifted to establish a purple martin colony at the refuge. Carl worked diligently for several years before he started to see any response to his efforts, Roster said.
“Each year he would put out purple martin decoys and play the ‘dawn song’ to hopefully attract any lost martins that happen to be passing by,” Roster said. “There were finally a few takers, and over the years that has grown to multiple colonies on the refuge that annually produces over 700 fledglings.”
One colony is adjacent to the parking lot at the refuge headquarters, and provides a great opportunity to educate refuge visitors on conservation of the species and show the bird monitoring and banding techniques very easily, Roster said.
Zenger makes the added effort of ensuring that calcium is available to female martins that may be deficient after laying a clutch of eggs.
“He collects eggshells from his local community breakfast event, rinses and bakes them to remove any potential salmonella,” Roster said. “He then crushes them and adds them to feeders at twelve sites where purple martin females can obtain this essential mineral that is integral to their post laying condition survival.”
This year, there were a record 950 purple martins banded at the refuge and 700 fledges.
Zenger said he prefers to be low-key and out of the spotlight. But his dedication over so many years stands out – across the country.
He thanked the staff and other volunteers, and especially his family, including his late wife of 63 years, Phyllis. She often joined him at the refuge for projects, working in the welcome center and with public education programs.
Zenger is eyeing a goal of 50,000 hours of volunteer service at the refuge.
“If it’s God’s will,” he said about continuing as a very active volunteer. “I’m not quite done yet, but I may have to temper my pace a bit.”
Desirée Sorenson-Groves, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Association, congratulates Zenger on his award. Sorenson-Groves, who is based in Washington, D.C., said refuges across the country have seen a gradual reduction in their workforces over the past decade. Iroquois, for example, used to have two full-time maintenance positions that haven’t been filled.
“The way things are going, volunteers are the future of maintaining our refuges,” she said.
Zenger is joined for a photo with his grandchildren, Malia Keespies, left, and Mattison Zenger Hain.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 16 October 2025 at 8:42 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Dan DeCarlo, shown inside Arnold’s Auto Parts in Albion, has been recognized as the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year.
ALBION – Dan DeCarlo has been involved in the family business ever since his father purchased Arnold’s Auto Parts in 1968, back when Dan was eight years old.
After taking over the business when his father retired 10 years ago, he became a big supporter of the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministry. His business ethics and support of community have earned him the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s honor as Business Person of the Year.
Dan admits he is a low-key guy and doesn’t like to be in the spotlight.
“But it’s nice the Chamber gave me this award,” he said. “I was not expecting it.”
He and his wife Lisa first became supporters of the Royal Body Shop’s Outreach Ministry when the pastor came to town and asked if he could hold Friday night services in their parking lot.
Since then, the DeCarlos have allowed use of their property for various church functions and also agreed to have a refrigerator placed outside their door, which the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministry keeps stocked with food, free to anyone who needs it.
In addition, the DeCarlos have supported the Easter Egg Hunt, Wine Walk and car shows, among other events.
“The community has been good to us and we want to be good to the community in return,” Dan said.
Arnold’s is a full-service auto parts store, and recently started carrying marine parts, Dan said.
They are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday.
The store is located at 116 North Liberty St.
This photo is from March 2022 when community fridge was dedicated at Arnold’s Auto Parts. Village trustee at the time Stan Farone, left, participates in the ribbon cutting with Pastor Albert Wilson and his wife Ykeeta, center, Dan DeCarlo from Arnold’s Auto Parts and other volunteers including Kevin Lemcke and Jack Burris of Hands 4 Hope.
Provided photos: Pictured from left include Roger Ettinger, Sue Starkweather Miller, Stephen Hastings, Legion Commander Brad Rouse holding a painting of the Sheret brothers, Rick Ebbs, Tim Archer and David Polisoto. The fundraising campaign has topped $200,000 towards a $225,000 goal to put a new slate roof on the chapel and address other issues.
Press Release, “Save our Chapel”
ALBION – The American Legion family of organizations donated $1,500 to the “Save Our Chapel” campaign at Mt. Albion Cemetery. The Sons of the American Legion, Auxiliary, Legion Riders and the general membership groups collectively contributed.
Save our Chapel organizers Sue Starkweather Miller and Tim Archer met with members to thank them for supporting the chapel restoration project with their generous donation and to give them a tour of the chapel and view the progress that is being made.
A painting of Sergeant James A. Sheret and his brother, Private Egbert Sheret is on permanent display in the American Legion Sheret Post #35 building.
Sheret Post #35 is the oldest American Legion in Western New York. It was founded in 1919 under the direction of Judge Bernard Ryan in honor of Sergeant James A. Sheret who was killed in action on September 29, 1918 near Ronssoy, France while charging the Hindenburg Line. Sheret was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery and was considered “one of the hundred heroes of WWI” by General Pershing.
His brother, Pvt. Egbert Sheret was also killed that day. Their younger brother Andrew, the company’s bugler, was seriously injured but survived. All three brothers were part of the 27th Division of the American Expeditionary Forces, containing the 108th Infantry Regiment and Company F. The 108th and Company F were the only men to break the Hindenburg Line that day.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The gravesites for Sergeant James A. Sheret and Private Egbert Sheret are located in Mt. Albion Cemetery. This photo is from Dec. 14, 2024 during Wreaths Across America.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 October 2025 at 10:40 pm
ALBION/MEDINA – Hoag Library in Albion and Lee-Whedon Memorial Library are both hosting representatives from the AMPED program for presentations about energy efficiency.
AMPED is part of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The AMPED reps have been invited by Green Orleans and will discuss energy efficiency and how it can make a difference in a home. There are local, state and federal grant programs that can help residents save money, increase home comfort and reduce their environmental impact, Green Orleans said in promoting the events.
The presentations and sharing sessions will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on October. 16 at Hoag library in Albion and then from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 22 at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina. There will also be drop-in assistance from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on oct. 30 at Hoag Library.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 October 2025 at 10:10 pm
Photo courtesy of Tim Archer, Albion Interact Club advisor
ALBION – The Albion Interact Club had a special visit from Orleans County Sheriff’s K( Odin and his handler, Deputy Jeff Cole.
They were joined by Deputy Ashleigh Stornelli who is the district’s school resource officer this year.
Odin is a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois that has been with the Sheriff’s Office for about a year. Before that, Cole worked as a handler with K9 Otto for eight years.
“The visit was part of the student club’s ongoing monthly series of presentations by community leaders,” said Tim Archer, the Interact Club advisor. “The Interact Club does numerous community service projects throughout the school year.”
