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42 MAAC barrels delivered in Medina to be filled with Christmas presents
Photos by Ginny Kropf: These four Medina firefighters came to the Grove United Methodist Church on Wednesday morning to deliver 42 red barrels to local establishments, kicking off MAAC’s annual Christmas Present Program. From left are Lt. Adam Fisher, fire chief Steve Cooley, firefighter Steve Baxter and Lt. Tim Miller.
MEDINA – The Medina Area Association of Churches annual Christmas Present Program got underway Wednesday when Medina firefighters picked up and delivered 42 red barrels to local businesses, churches, schools and the library.
Fire chief Steve Cooley was accompanied by Lt. Adam Fisher, firefighter Steve Baxter and Lt. Tim Miller, and they loaded the barrels in ambulances and pickup trucks – to be filled by the community with toys and gifts for local families.
The red barrels evolved from the Medina firefighters who years ago collected old toys and refurbished them for delivery to Medina children.
“It was in the early 1930s with the Depression hitting the area hard that firemen collected toys which some children had outgrown or toys that were broken,” said fire chief Steve Cooley. “The toys were collected, repaired and or repainted and then Social Services redistributed them to those in need. It was considered one of the greatest community endeavors.”
With more toys changing to plastic and less firemen working in the 1970s, MAAC took over the program of collecting food, clothes and toys, Cooley said. The Medina Fire Department handled the logistics of getting out the barrels, collecting them and delivering the gifts.
“Currently, we receive assistance from Shelby, East Shelby and Ridgeway fire companies on gift delivery day,” Cooley said.
(Left) Lt. Tim Miller loads MAAC Christmas barrels on his pickup on Wednesday at the Grove United Methodist Church. Delivering barrels to local establishments is a tradition which goes back to the 1970s. They will pick up the filled barrels and return them to the church on Dec. 2, where toys and gifts will be sorted and packed into Christmas boxes for local families. (Right) Medina fire chief Steve Cooley, left, and Lt. Tim Miller discuss delivery of the MAAC Christmas barrels with Sherry Tuohey, who coordinates the annual Christmas Present Program.
Lt. Adam Fisher eagerly joined the effort on Wednesday, delivering the barrels into the community.
“I grew up here,” Fisher said, when asked why he was happy to help. “I was a scoutmaster, and this is my community. I’ve had family members who were helped by this program.”
When the full barrels are returned to the church on Dec. 2, volunteers begin the enormous task of sorting the donations into boys or girls, age appropriate and separating the clothing from books and games, said Sherry Tuohey-Sipple, who is in her ninth year of overseeing the program.
In addition to boys and girls up to 18, the program provides gifts for as many as 35 seniors. Gifts sought for seniors include puzzle books (especially large print), lap throws, socks, hats and gloves, and boxes of cookies.
Tuohey-Sipple said they are fortunate to have a lot of volunteers who help with this task and with packing the boxes. In addition to gifts for the children, each family gets food for Christmas dinner, including a ham.
She said there are six people on the Christmas Present Program, who are shopping all year.
“We are constantly looking for bargains,” she said. “We are blessed to have The Grove to store the barrels and use of the Fellowship Hall to sort donations and pack boxes.”
MAAC is always happy to accept cash donations, to help with the items they have to buy, to assure every child has a gift. Checks should be made payable to MAAC and sent to 536 Orient St., Medina, with a notation it is for the Christmas Present Program.
Information on how to apply is sent to all the schools, day cares and BOCES, Tuohey-Sipple said.
Families must apply during the second and third weeks of November at one of two locations – St. Peter Lutheran Church, 1355 West Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon and 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 10 and 17; or at The Vine at 11031 Maple Ridge Rd. Medina, from 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 12 and 19.
Families must show proof of eligibility by providing the following – proof household, proof of residence (must be in the Medina school district) and proof of income.
Orleans was one of Blakeman’s biggest supporters for governor
5 of 62 counties, including Orleans, topped 70 percent support for Blakeman
Photo by Tom Rivers: Bruce Blakeman speaks at a “Ride for the Blue” rally on Aug. 16 on Countyline Road in Murray. About 150 people attended that rally. He was joined from left by Virginia McIntyre, a Monroe County legislator who ran for Congress against Joe Morelle of Rochester; State Sen. Rob Ortt; Joe Hernandez, candidate for comptroller against Tom DiNapoli; and Todd Hood, the lieutenant governor candidate and Madison County sheriff.
Kathy Hochul received about 60 percent of the vote in her re-election for governor but some counties gave very strong support to her challenger, Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman.
Orleans County was overwhelmingly in favor of Blakeman, one of five counties to top 70 percent for the Republican candidate.
Orleans voters backed Blakeman with 71.3 percent of vote. Lewis County had the highest percentage of support for Blakeman at 76.3 percent, followed by Wyoming County at 75.8 percent, and Allegany County at 72.9 percent. Herkimer County, at 70.5 percent, also topped the 70 percent mark.
Hochul topped Blakeman by more than 1 million votes – 3,499,396 to 2,349,047, with some votes still to be counted.
She received more than 80 percent of the vote in two New York City boroughs: Bronx at 83.2 percent and Manhattan, 82.2 percent.
Author visiting Medina schools, local book store on Monday
Provided images: Mylisa Larsen will be in Medina on Monday giving presentations about her books, including Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t be Better.
MEDINA – On Monday, acclaimed author Mylisa Larsen will visit all three of Medina’s schools, presenting her works to more than a thousand students, before coming to Author’s Note to discuss and sign several of her youth titles, ranging from picture books to middle grade novels.
Larsen will visit Oak Orchard Primary School and Wise Intermediate School in the morning, and Medina Junior-Senior High School in the afternoon.
“I am excited for my students to meet Mylisa Larsen, because they are currently enjoying her novel Playing Through the Turnaround,” said seventh grade English teacher Mindy Hill. “Her presentation a few year ago after the book’s release was dynamic and engaging. Students identified with her characters and appreciated her willingness to answer questions about them.”
Larsen’s newest middle grade novel is Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t be Better, which has received five starred reviews. It is full of humor and sharp insight, capturing the distinctive voice of a young teen forced by his mother’s unstable mental health to recalibrate his outlook and build a new life with a found family. Booklist calls it “An amazing story told with deep understanding and touched with humor. Buy it, read it, talk about it and share the love by passing it on.”
Larsen will be at Author’s Note, starting at 6 p.m., where she will do a presentation discussing her works for all ages. Afterwards, her books will be available for signing and purchase. At 7 p.m., she will do a workshop activity with teens as a program for Author’s Note’s Teen Advisory Council.
Larsen has been telling stories for a long time. She says this has caused her to receive gimlet-eyed looks from her parents, her siblings and later, her own children, when they felt that certain stories had been embellished beyond acceptable limits. She now writes children’s books where her talents for hyperbole are actually rewarded. Larsen is also the author of the award-winning novel Playing Through the Turnaround. She has lived in nine states and two countries and has loved things about each of them. The first place she always finds is the library.
Author’s Note suggests preordering copies of the author’s works at Author’s Note, 419 Main St., or online at authorsnote.com/events. For more information, contact Author’s Note at (585) 798-3642.
OC Rivals visit Pioneer Friday in semifinals
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Boe Preston shown here kicking an extra point out of the hold of Preston Woodworth and their OC Rivals teammates will visit Pioneer Friday in the Class B semifinals.
Looking to clear post season hurdle number two, the OC Rivals will visit Pioneer in the Section VI Class B semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday.
The victor will advance to the November 13 Class B final at the University of Buffalo against the winner of Friday’s other semifinal between West Seneca East and Depew.
The OC Rivals advanced by blanking Iroquois 27-0 in the quarterfinals while the Panthers scored a narrow 21-20 win over Maryvale.
Pioneer is led on the ground by Isaac Platt (1,016 yards, 12 touchdowns), Cole Schlueter (511 yards, 7 TDs) and Carson Matyjasik (408 yards, 2 TDs).
The Panthers passing attack has Drew George with 428 yards and 6 TDs and Jaxon Sawicki with 104 yards and 4 TDs. Trent Calbo has 6 receptions for 191 yards and 6 TDS.
OC Rivals quarterback Preston Woodworth has passed for 1,463 yards and 19 touchdowns. Noah Harrison has 34 receptions for 630 yards and 8 TDs and Elijah Doxey 31 for 5892 and 5 TDS.
Doxey also leads the team in rushing with 706 yards and 9 TDs as Jayzon Wills has 513 yards and 4 TDs.
The OC Rivals and Pioneer both bring 8-1 season records into the semifinal contest.
Green competing in tourney in Japan
Golf Channel Photo – Melanie Green at the Toto Classic in Japan.
Starting the final event on the LPGA Tour’s Far East swing, Medina’s Melanie Green shot an even par opening round of 72 Thursday (Japan time) at the Toto Japan Classic being played at Omitama, Japan.
Beginning on the back nine in the rain Green went 1 under par with birdies on 13 and 18 and a bogey on 11.
However the front nine was just the reverse as she had two bogeys on 6 and 9 and only one birdie on 7 for 1 over and an even par total for the day.
The tournament will run for the next three days.
The LPGA Tour will then conclude its regular season with the Annika Tournmanet on November 12-15 at Belleair Florida.
In a tour note Green is now fifth in the LPGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year standings.
Sheriff releases ID of man who died in Waterport fire
Photos by Tom Rivers: Carlton firefighters, Andrew Niederhofer, left, and Evan London spray water on a fire Tuesday morning in Waterport.
WATERPORT – The man who died in a fire on Tuesday morning in Waterport has been identified as Franklin Miller, age 68.
He was located deceased inside a double-wind trailer. Fireifghters were dispatched to 1763 Waterport Rd. just before 9:30 a.m. after a neighbor reported smoke coming from the residence.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Carlton Volunteer Fire Company, multiple mutual aid fire departments and EMS responded to the scene.
Two Orleans County deputies, John Doyle and Ashleigh Stornelli, suffered minor injuries when they attempted to enter the residence in an effort to rescue Miller. They broke windows and forced open a door but were unable to enter the residence due to heavy smoke and heat, said Sheriff Chris Bourke. They were treated at Medina Memorial Hospital.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and Orleans County fire investigators.
Neighbors say Miller was retired from doing maintenance work, including lawn mowing, at a nearby state park.
This is the second fatal fire in Orleans County in less than two weeks. David Greene, 68, was killed in a fire in Knowlesville on Oct. 22.
New art exhibit showcases 3 local farms with unique ‘greeters’
Friendly dog, antique Chevy trucks and Sasquatch part of farm ambiance
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Valerie Collins, an artist from Clarendon, is shown with a picture of a Sasquatch in an apple orchard. Collins has this painting and two others on display through November at Hoag Library in Albion.
She created three paintings at local farms and wanted to highlight an unusual feature that the farms use to connect with the public.
At Robert Farms Market in Medina, the family has two very big Sasquatch statues at the market, 11170 Maple Ridge Rd. The Roberts family has a sense of humor. They also make their own apple cider and sell 20 varieties of apples, other produce and flowers from their garden center.
Valerie Collins on Wednesday hangs a painting of a 1950s Chevy truck at Panek Farms on West County House Road in Albion. The Panek family has several classic trucks and vehicles on display at site, where they sell pumpkins, strawberries, Christmas trees and other products.
The old trucks are in great shape and featured in the Albion Strawberry Festival parade each June.
Lenny, a German Shepherd, is a fixture at the Gardens of Colehill in Holley. Alana and Chad Fabry welcome families to the farm for blueberry picking. They strive to not use any pesticides at the farm, where they also produce honey and garlic. The farm is located at 3569 North Main Street Rd.
Collins received a state grant administered through the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council for the project, which she calls, “Keepers of the Land.” She wanted to highlight family farms that she said are the backbone of the community.
“This is one of the nice things about Orleans County,” she said about the agricultural landscape. “We’re still rural and we have family farms.”
She worries about the loss of farmland to solar facilities and the potential impact of data centers on agriculture.
She will have a reception at the library from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday if people want to meet her and hear more about the oil paintings, which are 16 by 20 inches.
Collins retired in April as the coordinator of the Ogden Senior Center in Spencerport. That has given her more time for her paintings and artwork.
She also has paintings featured in upcoming art shows at the Gillam Grant Community Center in Bergen and Eli Fish in Batavia.
Collins said she enjoys unwinding in the evening by working on her paintings.
“There is a drive to make it look like what’s inside my head,” she said. “It’s like magic.”
Collins said she would like to do more paintings of farms in Orleans County, focusing on ones in the northern part of Orleans.
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For 14 years, volunteer stops by every Wednesday at library to wind antique clock, water the plants
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Bill Lattin is like clockwork with a weekly duty: watering the plants at Hoag Library and winding an antique clock.
Lattin took on the tasks when Hoag Library opened in July 2012. The clock and most of the plants were moved from the former Swan Library, which had been Albion’s public library from 1900 to mid-2012.
Most of the furnishings at Hoag Library were brand new. But some old bookshelves and the clock made the trip a few blocks south to the new library on Main Street.
Lattin estimates the clock is from the late 1880s to early 1890s. It’s not a grandfather clock and it doesn’t chime or have bells. The Swan Library staff wanted a quiet clock. He thinks the clock was on the wall when Swan first opened. He has seen in some old photos of the library’s earliest days.
He climbs on a small ladder every Wednesday afternoon and winds the clock, but not too tight or it won’t keep time perfectly. Wind it too much and it could be off a few minutes when he’s back the following week.
Lattin had some added work today because the clock needed to be set back an hour. He was a few days after the fact with clocks falling back an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday.
After winding the clock, Lattin fills a container with water. He gets the big plants upstairs first then checks the ones in the lounge area by the magazines.
He is steady every week in what he calls “wind and water” day.
“It gives it consistency,” he said.
He knows how the clock can be delicate duty and he thinks the plants respond better to watering the same time, every week. He tries not to saturate the soil with too much water. He feels the dirt first to get a sense of how much water the plants need.
Lattin, who is retired as the county historian and Cobblestone Museum director, has quietly gone about the tasks at the library without much notice. But I saw him today and was impressed by how committed he has been to this unglamorous chore.
Bill latin checks the soil to get a feel for how much water to give the plant at Hoag Library.
Voters put country back on right track
Editor:
It took a decade but the system has held. A Jew, a Christian, and a Muslim were all elected to the Senate.
Trump held a Royal Flush to establish an authoritarian state. He had both houses, the Supreme Court, untalented rogues misusing the Agencies of Government.
He talked out of both sides of his mouth to hold onto the faithful but always played the Queen early and lost due to his own mistakes. He inevitably did exactly what he also promised he would not do ineptly.
A lot of people voted gut issues and solutions for them must be found to hold faith with the electorate.
Part of ensuring this reconstruction will involve finding out how the corruption – including bribes, trampling on Law, facilitating greed by the greedy, prejudice, and working with our enemies – was rigged behind the scenes. (Some corrections and specific actions such as suing to recover the money which is identified will have to await the next Administration. Some can start now.)
There will be a mix of new ideas and old truths in fulfilling the promise of this “radical centrism” we just saw swept into office. It starts with core goodness and reaches outwards.
The electorate watched, listened, learned and now showed the path.
Respectfully,
Conrad F Cropsey
Albion
