Provided photo: Pictured left to right include Orleans County Chief Deputy James DiFilipps, Legislator Skip Draper, Undersheriff Donald Draper Jr., Nate Sanders of Elite Meal Prep, Logan Callara of Logan’s Landscaping and Sheriff Christopher Bourke.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office

ALBION – Two brothers who own businesses in Medina are once again stepping up to provide Thanksgiving meals for first responders who are required to work on the holiday.

Nate Sanders, owner of Elite Meal Prep and his brother Logan Callara, owner of Logan Landscaping, decided last year that they would provide meals to first responders who had to work on Thanksgiving. The effort was a huge success, leading the brothers to do it again.

“Last year we provided more than 150 meals to first responders across the county who could not be with their families because they were serving our community on Thanksgiving,” Sanders said.  “It was our way of saying thank you to the women and men who protect our community.  They were so appreciative of the effort that my brother Logan and I wanted to once again be there for the people who are always there for us.”

Meals will be provided to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Orleans County Sheriff’s Jail, Orleans County Sheriff’s Dispatch, New York State Police, Medina Police & Fire Department, Albion Police Department, Holley Police Department, and Mercy Ambulance for their personnel working on Thanksgiving. Meals are distributed through the kitchen at the Orleans County Jail.

“As I have often said, it is never easy for first responders to miss holidays and family events, but we all know that is the nature of the job,” said Orleans County Sheriff Christopher Bourke.  “So Logan and Nate are not only providing a tremendous Thanksgiving dinner to our first responders, they are letting them know their commitment and dedication is recognized by the community.”

The brothers said they also intend to provide meals for first responders working Christmas Eve and Day.

About the businesses:

Logan’s Landscaping was started by Logan when he was 13 years old. He started mowing the neighbor’s lawn using a 3-wheeled bicycle with a homemade trailer attached to haul his lawnmower. Then he rented a storage unit at Lakewood Village to store his equipment and started mowing several more lawns at Lakewood Village. After obtaining his driver’s license Logan got an LLC for his business and started doing commercial work as well. His business has grown to approximately 500 regular customers and he is maintaining over 100 properties weekly. His business consists of several trucks, trailers, machinery and smaller equipment.

Elite Meal Prep (EMP) just celebrated its first anniversary. EMP was an idea of Nick Joy and Nate Sanders who wanted to offer healthy, affordable and high-quality meal options to patrons of Nick Joy’s gyms and other local businesses. Nick has since moved on to become a first responder and Nate is running the business on his own. Nate is currently providing anywhere from 200-500 meals a week to his customers, many of whom are first responders.

Reginald Kendrick

MEDINA – A Medina man faces charges for criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree (loaded firearm) and in the third degree for having a weapon when previously convicted of a crime.

Reginald Kendrick, 50, of 301 Park Ave., Apartment 3, in Medina was charged after a search warrant at his residence. The warrant was issued as part of a investigation into the sale and distribution of cocaine in Medina, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force reported today.

Kendrick may face additional drug charges, pending forensic lab results, the Task Force reported.

He was convicted of selling cocaine in October 2016 and was sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation as a first-time felon.

The search warrant on Nov. 12 was executed by the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, Orleans County Special Response Team, the Sheriff’s Office and Medina Police Department.

Law enforcement seized a loaded unbranded polymer “ghost” semi-automatic 9 mm pistol with an extended 30-round magazine, scales and other drug paraphernalia, the Task Force said today in a press release.

Kendrick was arraigned in Orleans County CAP Court and was committed to the county jail on $1,000 cash bail. He is to appear in Ridgeway Town Court on Dec. 1.

Mitchell Kwandrans, left, and Marcus Verratti have both been charged with criminal possession of cannabis in the first degree.

MEDINA – The Hemp House and More in Medina has been shut down by the NYS Office of Cannabis Management for possessing and selling unauthorized cannabis products.

Two people, including the Hemp House owner, also are facing charges for criminal possession of cannabis in the first degree, which are class D felonies.

The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, Sheriff’s Department, Medina Police Department and the NYS Office of Cannabis Management on Nov. 5 executed search warrants at the Hemp House at 409 Main St. and at 2651 Angling Rd. in Ridgeway.

Police seized over 64 pounds of high-grade cannabis flower, 264 pounds of cannabis edibles, 97 THC vapes, 106 viles of THC wax, over 6 pounds of marijuana hash, 10-1000ml containers of THC concentrate distillate, over 1 pound of mushrooms (Pslocybin), and over $96,000 in cash.

The following were charged:

• Mitchell Kwandrans, 38, of 2651 Angling Road in Medina for 4 counts of criminal possession of cannabis in the first degree.
• Marcus Verratti, 40, of 905 West Ave. in Medina for 2 counts of criminal possession of cannabis in the first degree.

Kwandrans, owner of the Hemp House, and Verratti, a Hemp House employee, were taken to the Orleans County Jail for processing and issued appearance tickets for the Ridgeway Town Court on Dec. 6.

As a result of the items seized, the NYS Office of Cannabis Management closed the store for selling and possessing unauthorized cannabis products. These illicit cannabis products can pose a threat to public health and safety due to not being tested or approved by the Office of Cannabis Management, said Joe Sacco, the supervising investigator for the Major Felony Crime Task Force.

 “New York State will not tolerate businesses selling illicit cannabis,” said Dan Haughney, Office of Cannabis Management director of enforcement. “We want to send a clear message that untested, unsafe products do not belong in our communities.”

He thanked the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Orleans County District Attorney’s Office and the Medina Police Department for their partnership in the case.

Also assisting in the investigation were the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration and the Albion Police K9 unit.

 The investigation is ongoing and further charges are pending multiple lab results, Sacco said.

The Hemp House is the third business to be shut down in Orleans County for selling unauthorized cannabis products. The state also closed the Medina Smoke Shop at 335 North Main St. on Aug. 20 and the Albion Mini-Mart at 45 North Main St. on May 20.

Photos and information courtesy of Tim Archer

ALBION – Local resident, historian, and author Tom Taber (right) donated his book, “The Orleans Battery,” and a framed poster on the soldiers of the Civil War’s local 17th New York Light Artillery. He presented them to Albion Middle School eighth grade students Brian Patten and John Vivas, along with social studies teacher Mr. Shawn Ragonese.

The book is a history of the NY 17th created from letters sent home by several of the men, from privates to commanding officer Captain George T. Anthony, who left Medina for Kansas, and eventually was elected governor there. He was also Susan B. Anthony’s second cousin.

The poster was a Civil War roster listing the names and ranks of the men, predominantly from Orleans County, who were the original volunteers in the NY 17th. Soon after arriving in Washington in late 1862, they were offered the poster for $1.

Future classes will benefit from Taber’s extensive research for years to come.