Q&A with Dr. Evan Silsby – Dentist embraces new technology while maintaining small-town feel in 10 years at Albion
Photos by Tom Rivers: Dr. Evan Silsby has run a dental office for 10 years in Albion at 313 South Main St.
ALBION – Dr. Evan Silsby has been working as a dentist in Albion for a decade after acquiring the practice of retiring Dr. Karl Heuer at 313 South Main St.
Dr. Silsby, 39, has remodeled the interior, and invested in new technologies, including a CEREC milling machine that makes crowns on site during the same appointment. Silsby also uses digital technology for impressions.
The Gasport resident said working in a small town in Albion has been a great fit for his professional career.
He recently sat down for an interview to talk about the 10 years in Albion and the dental profession.
Question: You’ve been here 10 years. Were you somewhere else before?
Answer: I worked for a dental office in the Finger Lakes for just about two years.
Q: You are from these parts?
A: I’m from Gasport.
Q: Has this been a good fit for you?
A: I hope it has, certainly. Coming from a rural area it fits very well.
Q: Was the timing 10 years ago such that Dr. Heuer was retiring and it worked out?
A: There was a transition company that paired us together. This company matched us more by personality. Dr. Heuer listed it for sale, and I thought it would be a good fit.
Q: You have made some changes with technology and the looks of the place. What would you want to highlight?
A: There is certainly a blend between spending your money on tech and creature comfort. The latest, doing a lift instead of a ramp was because the ramp really needed to be changed. It wasn’t going to work much longer. We wanted to come up with something that looked better than the ramp that was there. We wanted to tie in something that looked a little bit nicer and gave people the functionality that they needed.
We spend a lot of time here as staff so we wanted to make it comfortable for us. Half of it’s that and half of it’s function for patients.
Q: It felt more like a house before.
A: Yes, there is a little bit more drywall. The outside certainly hasn’t changed much but the inside has.
Dr. Evan Silsby likes the physical work in being a dentist, and using medicine to improve people’s health.
Q: I know with the new equipment you have that crown fabricator. (Silsby can make custom dental crowns using in-office CEREC CAD/CAM technology. This system takes optical 3D scans, designs the restoration, and mills a ceramic crown on-site in a single visit.)
A:Yes, some of the tech we’ve added to try to keep it in house and make it more efficient for people. The latest is a software update. AI has made it to dentistry now. We have software that reads X-rays. It gives us a feel of the progression of cavities. So we can then track them. It might not be something we fill now, but let’s check it in a year. Then the software can help us to track if it got bigger or smaller, or stayed the same.
Q: How many people work for you?
A: It kind of depends. We have a three temp hygienists right now. We have three permanent hygienists, three front desk, and two assistants.
Q: Has it become harder to have a dental practice, with insurance and you-name-it?
A: Yeah. It always has struggles. Things change. Insurance is a little bit more difficult now than it used to be.
The Knicks just won the NBA finals. Did you see the dental thing that is paired with the Knicks. A friend of mine posted this. The Knicks last won the NBA championship in 1973. So they said insurance reimbursement allotment has not changed per person since the Knicks won their last championship.
They gave people a thousand bucks a year through insurance, and they still give them a thousand bucks. It makes it harder on people.
Q: That’s what I wondered with the economics that people might not be getting care where they should given the out-of-pocket costs?
A: Probably. They may be delaying, postponing, and little things can turn into big things. But here I would say we have been very busy. But I know some people are feeling that pinch.
Q: What do you like about doing this job?
A: It’s medicine. So you’re helping people. That’s the human condition: we want to help people. But dentistry is different than a lot of fields of medicine because we actually do things physically with our hands. That compares to a neurologist where they don’t.
Dentistry has that ability. You get a little bit of the fun of building, but also helping people in medicine.
Q: Are there lasers that can help do some of the procedures?
A: Yes, I just went to a class on a hard-tissue laser. I’ve had a soft-tissue laser for forever, and that’s nice for a couple of little things but what they want to do is make hard-tissue lasers and cut a tooth with a laser instead of a burr spinning. You can do it. The one tagline is you can do it without numbing a person. I don’t know if that’s really accurate. You can drill on a tooth without numbing it, too. Some people don’t mind and some people do.
It’s slower to cut with a laser. The technology is around. They made a version about 15 years ago but it didn’t catch on so the technology has lagged a little bit. Now they are using a different beam strength. People are using them, but not many so far.
Q: Do you have a general advice for people, especially if they haven’t been to the dentist in a while?
A: Make sure you get your info from somebody who knows what they are doing. There are a lot of TikTok reel doctors out there that probably steer people the wrong way.
We’ve had to fight a little bit in our area about fluoride in the water. From a health perspective it’s one of the biggest health benefits we’ve ever done as a country is fluoridated water.
Using fluoridated pastes, drinking fluoridated water (you can buy fluoridated water) there are ways people can take care of themselves.
That being said, the American diet supersedes all that. It’s unbelievable how bad our diet can be for us.
The sugar and carbs we have, all the stuff sticking to our teeth. That’s the thing that kills people more than whether we have fluoride in our water or not. It’s all the stuff that we’re consuming. And that probably goes full circle with the economy. People are eating more of the bottom of the food pyramid stuff because it’s cheaper. It ends up being a lot of the sugar and sticky carbs.
Ministry of Concern makes move to Arnold Gregory in Albion
Photos by Ginny Kropf: The Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern’s executive director Jami Allport is all smiles in her new bright office in what used to be the maternity ward on the second floor of the former Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital.
ALBION – After spending 15 years in the downtown on Main Street, the Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern has moved into what they hope will be their “forever” office.
According to executive director Jami Allport, the move on Aug. 5 was a smooth one. Their new office gives them 2,200 square feet (compared to 900 at their previous location in the Presbyterian Church), and allows for three bathrooms, a client interview room, four office spaces, kitchen and a designated break room.
The Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern had its beginning 70 years ago as the Migrant Ministry Program, started by Medina teacher, the late Arden McAllister. He was joined by Sister Marian Adrian who was visiting Orleans County from Buffalo and saw many children without shoes and socks. Sister Marian would become a key player and in 1968, the Migrant Ministry program became Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern, with an office in Batavia. That site was closed 10 years ago as a cost-saving measure.
When Sister Marian died in 2020, she left a considerable sum of money to assure the agency would continue to help those in need. It became known as “The Agency of Last Resort,” helping the neediest of the needy.
When the Village of Albion raised the rent for GOMOC’s office downtown, the agency relocated for three years to the basement of the Presbyterian Church at Main and State Street. GOMOC was running out of space when agency leaders learned of the availability of the former maternity wing at the former Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital, now an office complex.
“Our new space is not only bright and big, but welcoming, too,” Allport said. “It is appropriate in that this was a place which welcomed new life, and now it provides a new beginning for us.”
Not only does the new space have a corner office with two windows, but there are individual offices for an office manager, furniture coordinator, youth coordinator, a newly added homeless coordinator and a summer intern.
“This location makes us feel more professional,” Allport said.
(Left) Jami Allport, director of the Ministry of Concern, looks down the spacious hallway in their new quarters in the Arnold Gregory Complex. (Right) The new home of GOMOC allows space for a client interview room, as pointed out by executive director Jami Allport.
The Ministry of Concern is currently helping 1,000 families a year, and seeing an increase annually. During a recent week, they saw 17 youth in 15 minutes who signed up for the Back to School Program (clothing).
Allport said there was a time when the agency was in a slump, but survived because of the generosity of Sister Marian.
“I’ve been told I have a lot of the qualities Sister Marian did,” Allport said. “She was extremely aware and knowledgeable about finances. She was cautious, but still fulfilled the mission. She was definitely a rock. She created a very solid foundation for us to build on.”
The world in which GOMOC started doesn’t exist anymore, Allport said.
The agency has seen an influx people getting out of prison with no place to live and many working homeless, she said.
“Going forward we have to look for funding to meet the needs of our community now,” she said. “Many of our old problems still remain, but many are definitely different now.”
GOMOC relies on individual and corporate donations, but Allport also seeks grants to meet their needs. She has written 38 grants this year, and only a few have been funded.
“While I apply for a lot of grants, every single donation we get makes a difference,” she said.
She added that everyone is welcome and no one who comes in for help is judged.
“We are here to help,” she said.
GOMOC welcomes financial donations and donations of small furniture, such as beds, dressers, tables and chairs.
The Ministry of Concern is open Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. and see the last client at 3:30 p.m.
Holley will pay student share for dual-enrollment college classes
Press Release, Holley Central School
HOLLEY – The Holley Central School District is proud to announce that all dual enrollment courses offered at Holley Jr./Sr. High School will now be available to students tuition-free, eliminating any cost burden for families.
Through the district’s continued partnership with area colleges and universities, and as part of the Early College Access (ECA) program through Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES, students who have completed prerequisites and are currently registered for college courses will no longer pay tuition beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
Holley students currently take dual enrollment classes at SUNY Brockport and Genesee Community College. The new policy from the school district doesn’t include students in the 3-1-3 program at Brockport.
Dual enrollment courses allow high school students to earn both high school and college credit simultaneously, enhancing their academic readiness for higher education while helping to reduce the overall cost of a college degree.
“Investing in dual enrollment is an investment in our students’ futures,” said Brendan Keiser, Director of Teaching and Learning. “By removing the financial barrier to college-level coursework, we are empowering our students to earn college credit and take confident steps toward their postsecondary goals.”
“This initiative reflects our commitment to the goals outlined in our Strategic Action Plan and our Portrait of a Graduate,” said Karri Schiavone, Superintendent of Schools. “By making dual enrollment tuition-free, we are ensuring that more students have access to challenging academic experiences that build confidence, expand opportunities, and prepare them for success in college, careers, and life.”
The Holley Central School District remains committed to ensuring that all students receive a high-quality education characterized by rigorous, engaging, and meaningful learning experiences that challenge students, foster their growth, and inspire them to reach their full potential.
For more information, families are encouraged to contact Principal Matthew Feldman at (585) 815-5459.
Fire at Kendall farm contained to storage building
Photos by Tom Rivers
KENDALL – Firefighters work to put out a fire in a storage building at 15959 Bridge Rd. in Kendall.
Flames were shooting out from the building and melted some of the siding at a barn next door, but the fire was largely contained to the storage shed. The sandstone smoke house next door also acted as a fire wall and kept the fire from spreading.
Tom Munzert said he was burning weeds with a torch around the shed this morning. He kept a close eye on them and everything seemed fine. He was working outside on a lawnmower when a passerby alerted him to the fire.
The storage building had ATVs, lawnmowers and a mattress inside that were owned by a former tenant, Munzert said.
Kendall firefighters were dispatched to the scene around 11:30 a.m. They were assisted by firefighters from Carlton, Murray, Clarendon and the Hamlin-Morton-Walker Fire District.
Regular people need to vote to take back country from elite scoundrels
Editor:
Take out the AI boom and the US economy is already in recession. That is a hidden fact.
The Fed resisted raising interest rates but since our bonds sold for less this in effect raised the cost to pay them off just as much as a rate raise would have. 12% of our bonds are held by buyers in the Cayman Islands haven of secret tax-free accounts.
Rich tax cheats have increasing power to manipulate our finances. (Truthfully though the only way to afford to cut taxes is to have the Treasury print money which foreigners buy as debt instruments. Our debt is a monstrous amount and we depend on them to keep buying. We very much need want friends as creditors at this point.)
FinCEN just announced it will end reporting beneficial ownership interests in organizations involved with fentanyl sales. Talk is cheap when at the same time you make it easier to hide and profit.
Current Commerce regs require in return for R&D funds the government in return takes equity interests in the corporations doing the research. (Definitionally that is socialism). MAGA, not progressive capitalists, are socialist culprits.
Our ships near Iran are unharmed they can not be repaired or restocked as our ports in the Mideast were targeted instead. Iran is playing for the long haul while my grocery bills and fuel bills are still going up. And Iran refuses to negotiate with real estate moguls we sent instead of diplomats.
Muslim lists are not being proposed again, like they were 2017, but a high school football star (with a MD and PhD) is being called the central figure in a “jihadist” plot to take the Senate. (Loose words like that must be reserved for our true enemies!)
My point is that there is stuff going on which is being hidden by headline grabbing daily rants. When the Iranian press irritatingly proves to be more accurate than the Secretary of Defense we have a self-defeating problem with credibility. When the President demands neither he nor his family can ever be prosecuted for “tax fraud,” it’s clear thoughts about inflation and how we are doing are things he “really doesn’t care about.”
This is not the US I grew up in and love. Regular people need to turn out to vote and take it back from elite scoundrels. Short of seizing ballot boxes, turn out will make it harder to steal the election.
Conrad F. Cropsey
Albion
Bullard will host fundraiser for Hospice on Saturday with bounce houses, food vendors
Provided photos: These inflatable bounce houses are away the items in the carnival zone on Saturday at Bullard Park.
ALBION – A fundraiser will be Saturday at Bullard Park to benefit Hospice of Orleans. The event was originally planned for July 18 but severe weather that day forced organizers to reschedule the event for this Saturday.
Christina Nenni and Michelle Wiseman of Best of Tymes Party Rentals are leading the event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A $5 wrist band gives access to all of the bounce houses and games, including the foam pit. There will be face paintings, basket raffles, a 50/50 raffle and other activities.
More than 30 vendors will be there, along with a food truck and Best of Tymes Party Rentals, who will have all their new inflatable games set up with Rowdy Rentalz bounce houses for all ages. As a special bonus, Spiderman will arrive around 1 p.m. to hang out with the kids.
Key Bank is going to match what they raised up to $2,000.
“Hospice is such an amazing organization and is near and dear to my heart and Michelle’s,” Nenni said.
Nenni said her grandmother was served by Hospice in the residence on Route 31. The family is very grateful for the care of her grandmother by Hospice.
“I wouldn’t have survived without them,” Nenni said.
Wiseman said Hospice cared for her mother, with nurses coming to her home and providing exceptional care.
Banes captures softball playoff championship
Contributed Photo – Banes celebrates the playoff championship victories. In front are Rileigh McCabe Sue Seefeldt, score keeper Samantha Heschke, Connie Heschke and Lindsay Chatt. In back are Amy Lavender, Morgan Allis, Teri Schrlau, base coach Bruce Seefeldt, Patti Page, Kathy Allen, Jami Chatt and base coach Mark Allen. Missing from the photo are Sophia Goyette and Krissy Schrlau.
Banes captured the Medina Women’s Softball ‘A’ League playoff championship by sweeping a doubleheader from Jr. Wilson by scores of 14-1 and 10-5 Monday evening.
Banes 14, Jr. Wilson 1
Banes erupted for 10 runs in the first inning to key the win over previously unbeaten (in the playoffs) Jr. Wilson to force a second game for the championship.
Batting around the decisive first inning uprising included singles by Connie Heschke, Jami Chatt, Kathy Allen and Patti Page; RBI singles by Lindsay Chatt, Sue Seefeldt, Amy Lavender, Rileigh McCabe, Heschke, Jami Chatt, Lindsay Chatt and a double by Teri Schrlau.
Banes capped off the win with 4 runs in the fifth on a double by McCabe, singles by Schrlau and Page and RBI singles by Heschke, Jami Chatt and Lindsay Chatt.
Jami Chatt finished with 4 hits as Heschke and Lindsay Chatt both had 3,
For Jr. Wilson, Jessica Rosenbeck and Lizzy Hazel both had 2.
Banes 10, Jr. Wilson 5
Both teams scored 2 quick runs in the first inning. Banes tallied on singles by Heschke, Jami Chatt, Lindsay Chatt and Morgan Allis and Jr. Wilson on a triple by Alyssa Robarge and singles by Hazel, Rosenbeck and Jaclyn Rodriguez,
Jr. Wilson then jumped out to a 5-2 lead by scoring 3 runs in the second inning on singles by Connie Hornquist, Chasity Chinn, Hazel and a triple by Robarge but would not score again.
Banes closed the gap to 5-4 by scoring twice in the fourth inning on an RBI single Rileigh McCabe and a double by Teri Schrlau
Banes then took the lead for good at 7-5 by scoring 3 in the 5th inning on singles by Jami Chatt and single Lindsay Chatt a 2 RBI triple Morgan Allis and an RBI single Kathy Allen
Banes capped off the title clinching win with one run in the sixth on a double Schrlau and RBI double by Page and 2 in the seventh on singles by Allis and Allen and an RBI double by Lavender.
Banes pitcher Sue Seefeldt then made a double play to end the game.
Multiple hitters for Banes were Morgan Allis with 3 including a triple and Schrlau with 3 include 2 doubles.
Playing well defensively were Lindsay Chatt and Morgan Allis in the outfield.
Multiple hitters for Jr. Wilson included Hazel with 4 including a double, Robarge 2 including 2 triples and Rosenbeck 2.
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Rileigh McCabe of Banes gets the out on Lizzy Hazel of Jr. Wilson at third base.
Stormi Beach bangs out a hit for Jr. Wilson.
Boat bursts into flames this morning on Oak Orchard River
Provided photos
CARLTON – Firefighters were dispatched to a boat fire this morning just before 6 a.m.
A boat was in flames near a dock at 994 Point Breeze Rd. No one was hurt in the fire.
Carlton and Kendall fire departments responded. The boat was pulled ashore by the Orleans County Sheriff’s marine patrol.
Fire Investigators also responded to the scene.
No other information is currently available.
Betterment Committee awarded $10K grant towards new roof of Santa School Museum
Basket raffle on Sunday at Lockstone goes towards museum
Photo by Tom Rivers: The bronze statue of Santa at Waterman Park is shown recently while traffic moves along Main Street. The Albion Betterment Committee is working to develop a Santa School Museum in the brick building in the middle across the street.
ALBION – The Albion Betterment Committee has been awarded a $10,000 grant towards a new roof for the Santa School Museum. A new roof for the building at 128 North Main St. could be at least $70,000.
The Betterment Committee continues to pursue grants and raise money for the roof and the museum. There will be a basket raffle on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. at the Lockstone, 160 North Main Street. Proceeds go to the Santa School Museum.
The event also will include drinks from Cold Brew Coffee, treats from Sav’s Creekside Café, a photo backdrop from The Wed Shed. Jesse Colmenero photography will be there to take photos of families and children. Gary Simboli will be performing music from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. To donate a basket contact Lori Laine at mailgirl2159@yahoo.com.
The $10,000 grant was awarded by the Rochester Area Community Foundation. That organization also approved a $5,000 grant in the spring for new windows at the building.
The Betterment Committee purchased the building in November from the estate of Henri Pulley. The site is 6,600 square feet.
The Betterment Committee is working to turn the vacant two-story site into the Santa School Museum. It will pay homage to the late Charles W. Howard, who created the first Santa School in the world. He ran it on Phipps Road in Albion from 1937 until his death in 1966.
Howard continues to be revered among the people who portray Santa. The Santa School continues in his name in Midland, Mich. Howard also was well known as the Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1948 to 1965. Howard also was inducted as an inaugural member in 2010 of the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame.
The Betterment Committee wants to make the Main Street site into a tourism center that celebrates Santa. The group wants to develop an interactive tourism center with displays about the Charles W. Howard Santa School and Christmas Park, which Howard ran for many years near his farmhouse on Phipps Road.
The Betterment Committee envisions the first floor as interactive exhibits and displays, as well as room for a bakery and food operator. The site could also offer services, including showers, for canal boaters, cyclists and other visitors.
The second floor is envisioned to offer space for artists – painters, potters, and others in need of studio space. The second floor has large windows that let in natural light that would be ideal for artists.
Sponsored Post
Gas price up 5 cents nationally, down a penny in Orleans in past week
The average price for regular unleaded gas was up 5 cents nationally to $4.06 on Monday, compared to a week earlier, while the average price dropped 3 cents in New York State to $4.13, according to AAA.
In Orleans County, the average price went down a cent from $4.30 to $4.29 a gallon.
A year ago the national price was at $3.14 while the average in New York was $3.16, AAA reported.
Diesel prices are up again this week, with the national average at $5.45, compared to $5.30 a week ago. The New York average for diesel fuel is $5.62, up 2 cents from last week, and up from $3.91 last year.
“The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is back on the rise though regional prices remain down,” AAA said on Monday. “While gasoline demand is down, crude oil prices are keeping pump prices higher than normal for this time of year. So far, this is the highest August on record when it comes to the national gasoline average.”
Here are the average prices on Monday in counties around Western New York:
- Orleans, $4.285
- Genesee, $4.214
- Monroe, $4.198
- Niagara, $4.219
- Erie, $4.204
- Wyoming, $4.259
- Livingston, $4.228
- Chautauqua, $4.242
- Cattaraugus, $4.096
- Allegany, $4.215
Holley Canal Park will host Taste of Orleans on Thursday
Press Release, Orleans County Chamber of Commerce
HOLLEY – Come hungry and discover a new local favorite. The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce will host Taste of Orleans on Thursday, August 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Holley Canal Park, bringing local food businesses together for an evening of tasting, live music and community.
Rather than choosing just one restaurant for dinner, Taste of Orleans gives attendees the opportunity to sample their way through Orleans County, enjoying tastings from participating restaurants and food businesses in one location.
Guests are welcome to arrive anytime between 5 and 8 p.m., making the event an easy after-work dinner, date night, family outing or evening with friends.
Admission is just $10 per person and tickets are available by presale only.
In addition to plenty of local flavors, attendees can enjoy live music from V3 throughout the evening, creating the perfect soundtrack for a summer night along the Erie Canal.
Participating food businesses will provide tasting portions for guests, with select vendors also having additional dishes or products available for purchase.
Whether attendees stay for the entire evening or stop by for dinner and music, Taste of Orleans is designed to offer a relaxed way to eat local, discover local and support the Orleans County business community.
For those who prefer to purchase tickets in person, tickets are available at convenient locations throughout Orleans County: Cuppa Joe in Medina, Sourced in Medina, Roots in Albion, and Red, White & Moo in Holley. Tickets can also be purchased online through Eventbrite (click here).
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce extends a special thank you to: Ticket Sponsor – Cobblestone Federal Credit Union; Band Sponsor – George Bidleman; Event Sponsors – ClearSource, Takeform and Zambito Realtors.
Crime takes a toll on society in many ways that shouldn’t be discounted
Editor:
Matthew Ballard’s recent letter (“Use real data, rather than emotions, in spending tax dollars to address crime,” Aug. 3) attempts to dismiss community concerns over criminal justice reform as mere “appeals to emotion.”
However, in his eagerness to champion academic models over local realities, Mr. Ballard overlooks the concrete operational costs, fiscal burdens, and logical fallacies embedded in today’s reform environment. My final reply. We are of completely different mindsets.
First, Mr. Ballard relies heavily on the concept of “victimless” or “quality-of-life” offenses, arguing they should not be met with punitive measures. But no crime occurs in a vacuum. When low-level offenses and repeat shoplifting are left unaddressed, the harm does not disappear—it is simply transferred to local small businesses and taxpayers.
Furthermore, Mr. Ballard completely ignores the massive hidden costs imposed on rural municipalities by New York’s Criminal Procedure Law (CPL 245) discovery mandates. Gathering, redacting, and cataloging digital files, body-cam video, and paperwork under strict statutory deadlines requires dedicated compliance staff, software licenses, and extensive officer overtime. When local law enforcement and district attorneys are forced to expend limited county tax dollars just processing paperwork for repeat offenders, taxpayers pay a very real price. That is not an emotional anecdote; it is an administrative and fiscal reality for rural counties like Orleans.
Second, Mr. Ballard presents a flawed comparison when he attempts to benchmark Second Amendment rights against violent crimes such as rape, incest, or child molestation. This analogy breaks down on basic legal and moral principles. Crimes of violence are committed by willful actors who actively choose to disregard the law and violate another person’s fundamental rights. In contrast, exercising a constitutionally protected Second Amendment right is the lawful act of a responsible citizen.
Conflating the actions of bad actors who break the law with the rights of law-abiding citizens shifts focus away from individual personal accountability. Society must punish the criminal who chooses to commit a heinous act, rather than restricting the rights of peaceful citizens or minimizing the harm caused by those who defy the law.
Data and academic research certainly have a seat at the table. However, when “data on paper” is used to downplay local municipal budget strains, small business losses, and basic standards of personal responsibility, it isn’t superior policy—it’s simply ignoring the total cost of the equation.
Paul Lauricella
Yates
OC Rivals hold first fall preseason practice
Photos by Charyl Wertman – The Albion/Medina OC Rivals varsity runs through a play during this afternoon’s first fall preseason practice session at Albion.
Preparations began in earnest for the fledgling Albion/Medina OC Rivals football team’s debut season with the start of fall preseason practices this afternoon at Albion.
After a series of summer camp sessions over the last couple of months, this three week preseason, which will include a scrimmage on August 29, will get the squad set for the OC Rivals historic first game on Thursday September 3 at Akron on the Tigers new artificial turf field.
“I’ve been coaching for 30 years and this is a super exciting chapter,” said Head Coach Eric Valley. “I’m very excited and have very high expectations of what we can have with this team. It’s a challenge but I know our coaches are up to it.”
“Everything has been going good,” said quarterback Preston Woodworth. “Everybody knows each other which really helps.”
“It’s really been going good,” agreed lineman Jackson Snook. “Everyone has the same goal and that goal is to win.”
“It looks like we have a lot of kids who can compete for spots and they have been picking up our system very well,” said Valley who points to the importance of having larger numbers on the merged squad. “Safety is always paramount and having larger numbers than if we had separate teams makes for a better team. Now you don’t have to put kids in positions they are not ready for.”
The OC Rivals Varsity, JV and Modified teams will be practicing at Albion this week and at Medina next week.
Albion/Medina becomes the 15th merged schools team among the 62 Section VI football squads.
A panoramic view of today’s practice sesssion.
‘Caturday’ tops $30K to address feral cat problem in Orleans County
Canalside Tattoo has now raised more than $100K in 5 years for Cat by Cat Inc.
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Dawn Dyson, left, of Middleport gets a Buffalo Bills tattoo on Sunday by Melissa Freebern as part of the Caturday fundraiser at Canalside Tattoo in Medina.
The fifth annual event raised just over $30,000, topping the $29,000 from last year. In five years, Caturday has now raised over $100,000 for the Medina team of Cat by Cat Inc.
The organization is trying to rein in the feral or community cat problem in Orleans County. Cat by Cat seeks to humanely “TNVR” cats through targeted trapping. Cat by Cat focuses on a TNVR model – Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return.
Dawn Dyson, 58, got her first tattoo 11 years ago. She said a Buffalo Bills tattoo has been on her list.
Freebern traveled from lake George to be part of Caturday where 14 tattoo artists donated their time and talent. The tattoos were $100 each and the artists did about 100 altogether.
Ellen Blanc, front left, and Kim Desantis greeted people at the gift basket auction where 180 baskets were available.
Shannon Blount, leader of the local Cat by Cat, thanked the community for donating so many quality baskets. She also appreciated the big crowd of people that bought tickets for the gift baskets.
Shannon Blount checks in on some cats that were available for adoption.
The fundraiser will pay for veterinarian costs, cat food, litter and other supplies.
Cat by Cat’s Medina team last year was able to TNVR 150 cats in the community. The organization took in 130 cats and adopted out 90 cats last year.
So far this year Cat by Cat has taken in 107 cats and adopted out 56, Blount said.
“The need is great but the resources are scarce,” she said.
The local group has about 10 volunteers who drive cats to vet’s appointments in Blasdell and Hamburg for spay and neutering services, which is done at a discount. There also is a network of about 10 foster homes for the cats while they are waiting to be adopted.
Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo, puts a Buffalo Bills tattoo on Marissa Stanley of Gasport. She went to her first Bills game on Saturday, a preseason win over the Carolina Panthers, 29-14, which was the first home game in the new Highmark Stadium.
Stanley said she adopted a cat “Opie” through Cat by Cat. She wanted to support the organization at the fundraiser and also get a new tattoo.
Ramsey and five of the Canalside tattoo artists were joined by eight visiting tattoo artists for Caturday. The 14 in total was up from the 13 last year.
Ramsey said he appreciated the big response from the community to support Cat by Cat.
Shannon Blount and Shawn Ramsey, who are engaged, turned Canalside Tattoo into a festive atmosphere for Sunday’s fundraiser.
