OC Historical Association announces history talks, August summer tours

Posted 13 May 2026 at 9:43 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers: Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian, and Sue Starkweather Miller, Village of Albion historian, lead a tour of Mount Albion Cemetery on Aug. 3, 2025.

Press Release, Orleans County Historical Association

ALBION – The Orleans County Historical Association (OCHA) once again welcomes the community to their monthly history talks and August cemetery tours.

The history talks are held from May to October on the last Wednesday of the month at 7p.m. in the Gaines Basin Cobblestone Schoolhouse on 3286 Gaines Basin Rd. The talks are free and donations are gladly accepted.

Many of this year’s presentations will spotlight the Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) of our country and state (NY 250).

The schedule includes:

May 27 – “DAR Celebrates 250 years of Independence” with Patrice Birner, Orleans County DAR
June 24 – “The Haudenosaunee Perspective of NY 250” with Terry Abrams, Niagara County Historical Society
July 29 – “Soldiers Who Served in the Revolutionary War from Orleans County” with Tim Archer, retired Service-Learning Educator, Albion School District
Aug. 26 – “Songs and Stories of the Erie Canal” with Don Dwyer, musician and storyteller
Sept. 30 – “The Burned Over District Part Deux! The Fire Was Not Easily Extinguished” with Doug Miller, retired history teacher
Oct. 28 – “Neat Stuff from the Hoag Library Special History Collections” with Dee Robinson, Hoag Local History Reference Librarian

The tour last summer at Mount Albion included a stop in front of the Civil War Memorial, a 68-foot-high tower in on honor of nearly 500 people from Orleans County who were killed in the Civil War.

The popular summer cemetery tours will once again take place this August. All tours begin at 6 p.m. at the cemetery main entrance. Rain or shine.

Aug. 2 – Maple Ridge Cemetery at 12055 Maple Ridge Rd (Rt 31A) Shelby with Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
Aug. 9 – Boxwood Cemetery at 3735 N. Gravel Rd, Medina with Todd Bensley, Village of Medina Historian
Aug. 16 – Beechwood Cemetery at 1523 W. Kendall Rd. at Woodchuck Alley, Kendall with Emily Richardson, Kendall Town Historian; Dave Gaudioso, Kendall town councilman; and Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian.
Aug. 23 – Otter Creek Cemetery at 13252 Ridge Rd., Gaines with Adrienne Kirby, Town of Gaines Historian
Aug. 30 – Mt. Albion Cemetery at Route 31, Albion with Bill Lattin and Sue Starkweather Miller, Village of Albion historian

Go to orleanshistory.org or email ochistoryassociation@gmail.com for more information.

Mustangs lock up N-O diamond championship outright with 6-0 victory over Panthers

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 13 May 2026 at 9:36 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina third baseman Preston Woodworth takes the throw on a steal attempt by Newfane’s Blake Palumbo during the Mustangs win at Vets Park this evening.

Locking up outright possession of a third straight Niagara-Orleans League baseball championship, Medina blanked Newfane 6-0 at Vets Park this evening.

The victory improves Medina’s N-O record to 11-0 heading into Saturday’s league finale at Albion at 11 a.m. Overall the Mustangs are 14-1 overall.

Vinny Gray hurled a 1 hitter for Medina.

The N-O title is the sixth in the last seven seasons for the Mustangs.

Vinny Gray hurled a sparkling 1 hitter on the mound for the Mustangs with 11 strikeouts.

Aidan Papaj led the Mustangs at the plate with 4 hits.

The Mustangs scored the only run they needed as it turned out in the first inning as Papaj singled and came home on an error.

Medina made it 2-0 in the third inning as Preston Woodworth doubled and came home on a sacrifice fly by Hadrian Batista.

The Mustangs pulled away in the fourth inning by scoring twice on an RBI sacrifice fly by Gray and an error. A single by Carlos Doval set up he opportunity.

Medina capped off the win by scoring twice in the sixth inning as Kolton Fletcher singled and scored on an error and Ryan Pegelow tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gray.

N-O Standings
Medina 11-0, Roy-Hart 10-2, Albion 8-3, Akron 6-6, Barker 4-8, Newfane 1-11, Wilson 1-11.

Medina’s Carlos Doval tries to avoid the tag in a run down between Newfane’s Sean Milczarski and Noah Orens (3).

Barker nips CSAT in 8 innings

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 13 May 2026 at 9:21 pm

Barker pushed a run across in the eighth inning to nip visiting CSAT 3-2 this evening.

Carson Schwab singled, stole second and third and came home on an error for the winning run.

Barker also got a sparking pitching performance from JJ Prynn who went the distance on the mound allowing only 1 hit and striking out 17.

Elba sweeps Lyndonville
An eight run scoring burst in the first inning of the opening game set the tone as Elba went on to sweep a Genesee Region League doubleheader from host Lyndonville by scores of 22-4 and 12-4.

Purple Eagles make it 7 straight wins

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 13 May 2026 at 8:42 pm

Making it seven wins in a row, Albion pounded out 19 hits in posting a 16-12 win over Akron in a Niagara-Orleans League baseball game this afternoon.

Viktor Snyder had 4 hits, Elliott Trapiss, Nate Gibson and Will Plummer 3 each and Gavin Boyce 2 to lead the attack for Albion which improves to 8-3 in N-O action.

Omar Fugate earned the win on the mound allowing 6 hits and striking out 6 in 6 innings of work.

Trailing 6-4, Albion rallied into the lead for good by erupting for 7 runs in the third inning as Plummer, Snyder and Kaiden Froman each had a two-run single and Fugate an RBI single.

The Purple Eagles tacked on three big runs in the top of the seventh inning as Snyder had a double, Plummer and Drew Pritchard singles and Fugate an RBI sacrifice fly.

Earlier Trapiss had an RBI single in the first inning and an RBI double in the second. Boyce also had a double and Gibson an RBI single in the fourth.

Albion will close out the N-O season by hosting Medina at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Wilson tops Albion to earn a share of the N-O softball title with Barker

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 13 May 2026 at 8:40 pm

Wilson downed Albion 10-2 this afternoon to earn a share of the Niagara-Orleans League softball championship.

Wilson and Barker finish the season as co-champions with identical 10-2 records.

Abbie Faery hit a two-run homer in the third inning to put Wilson on top to stay. Taylor Ernest then hit a two-run triple in the fifth inning to up the lead to 8-2.

Kaitlin Bennett had a pair of hits for Albion which slips to 3-8.

Akron 5, Newfane 4
Akron rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on a triple by Shannon Esmond and RBI singles by Madison Gates and Olivia Novak to edge Newfane 5-4.

Akron is now 6-5 and Newfane 2-9.

Oakfield-Alabama 18, Holley 3
Oakfield-Alabama downed Holley 18-3 in a Genesee Region League game.

Desiree McCormick drove in a pair of runs for Holley.

Barker netters improve N-O record to 10-1; Albion posts win over Medina

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 13 May 2026 at 8:37 pm

Barker reduced its magic number to earn at least a share of the Niagara-Orleans League tennis championship to 1 by posting a 3-2 win over Newfane this afternoon.

Improving to 10-1, Barker got a singles win by Daniel Goodwin who improves to 11-0, and doubles victories by the duos of Oscar Dergel – Luke Fay and Nick Heideman – Aurora Wass.

Albion 4, Medina 1
Albion downed rival Medina 4-1 as Landon Graybill won at first singles.

The Purple Eagles also swept the three doubles matches with wins by the duo of Bradyn Whittier – Hanna Kumalac, Kailee Anstey – Hunter Zambito and Nisi Beltran – Juan Gomez – Roblero.

Talia Rupp won at second singles for Medina.

Medina also dropped a 5-0 decision to Wilson on Monday.

MADD, STOP-DWI honor Orleans sheriff for long career of drunk driving enforcement

Posted 13 May 2026 at 6:14 pm

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office

Provided photos: Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke is joined by his wife Suzanne in accepting an award on April 28 in Albany.

ALBANY – Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) New York, STOP–DWI and The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee hosted their Annual Law Enforcement Recognition Event on April 28 at the Albany Capital Center.

The Maureen McCormick Lifetime Achievement award was created in honor of Suffolk County Special Assistant District Attorney Maureen McCormick in 2022. These awards recognize the contribution for the lifetime commitment to keeping the roads of New York safe and for protecting our communities from the 100% preventable crimes of drunk and impaired driving.

The 2026 Maureen McCormick Leader of Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Christopher M. Bourke.

Sheriff Bourke has committed over 40 years of service to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, serving as a Corrections Officer, Deputy Sheriff, Deputy Sheriff Lieutenant, and Undersheriff before being elected Sheriff of Orleans County.

During his time as a Deputy Sheriff and Lieutenant, Sheriff Bourke was known and respected as being proactive in impaired driving enforcement, routinely making DWI arrests.

During his time as Undersheriff from 2016 to 2020, Sheriff Bourke led efforts within the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office to implement and expand drunk and impaired driving community outreach. Some examples include Sheriff Bourke obtaining the agency’s first DWI simulator, expanding community outreach into local schools, increased sheriff’s office participation in prom season DWI simulations, and more.

Chris Bourke accepts the Maureen McCormick Lifetime Achievement award for his 40-plus year career in law enforcement and drunk driving enforcement.

Since being elected Sheriff, Sheriff Bourke has continued his commitment to drunk and impaired driving enforcement—the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with DRE Instructors and hosted an Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving class. In addition to numerous sheriff’s office personnel attending this course, it was also made available to other agencies within Orleans County. This training was the direct result of Sheriff Bourke’s personal mission to expand impaired driving enforcement training within Orleans County.

The Sheriff’s Office recently acquired the most updated DWI Simulator on the market, to more effectively educate young people about the consequences of drunk and impaired driving. Additionally, Sheriff Bourke made a commitment to re-establishing the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office Drug Recognition Expert Program.

For many years, the sheriff’s office did not have any certified Drug Recognition Experts. Since re-establishing the program, the sheriff’s office has added two certified Drug Recognition Experts in the past two years. Under Sheriff Bourke’s leadership, there has been a 150 percent increase in DWI arrest by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office over the past four years.

Throughout his 40-plus year career with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Bourke’s rank has changed, his roles have changed, but what has not changed is his commitment to drunk and impaired driving enforcement.

2 from Albion face charges for allegedly selling crack cocaine

Posted 13 May 2026 at 5:22 pm

Press Release, Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force

Donevan Harrison, left, and Tony Thompson both were charged with felonies.

ALBION – After an investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine in the village of Albion, two people from Albion are facing felony charges.

The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, the Albion Police Department and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant 431 West State St. Lot 29 in the village of Albion.

Police arrested:

• Donevan C. Harrison, age 39, of 431 West State St. Lot 29 is charged with 1 count of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (B felony).

• Tony Thompson, age 59, of 224 West State St. is charged with 14 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (B felonies).

Harrison was arraigned in Orleans County CAP Court by Gaines Town Justice Charles Prentice and was committed to the Orleans County Jail pending a bail hearing in County Court.

Harrison was the subject of a search warrant execution and was arrested on drug charges on Jan. 21. Harrison was released on his own recognizance on Jan. 22 in County Court. Those charges are still pending.

Thompson was released on an appearance ticket pursuant to the New York State bail reform law. He is to return to the Albion Town Court on June 6 at 9:30 a.m.

Assisting in the investigation was District Attorney Susan Howard, the Albion Police Department, the Albion Police K9 Unit and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

Further arrests and charges are pending in this case.

Holley earns 4th G-R tennis victory

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 13 May 2026 at 11:44 am

Holley boosted its Genesee Region League tennis record to 4-7 with a 3-2 victory over Attica on Tuesday.

Cooper Wolf scored a singles win for the Hawks which also got victories for the doubles teams of Tarek Garrett – Josmar Hernandez and Carissa Klossner – Adyn Feiock.

The Hawks recently snapped a multi year losing streak with a 4-1 win over Wheatland-Chili.

Wolf and Dylan Warner scored singles victories in that match which also included doubles wins by the duos of Garrett – Hernandez and Klossner – Feiock.

Lyndonville High Athletic Hall of Fame will induct three new members

Contributed Story Posted 13 May 2026 at 10:53 am

The Lyndonville Athletic Hall of Fame will induct 3 new members in ceremonies on may 31st at 1 p.m. at the White Birch Golf Course.

The new inductees include the 1975 wrestling team, former basketball and baseball player Zach Johnson and former baseball coach Shane Price.

In addition, Julie Donald will also be officially accepting her induction this year. She was selected last year but was unable to attend due to a family obligation.

Contact Athletic Director Jimmy Zeliff at jzeliff@lcsdk12.org to purchase a ticket and RSVP by May 21st.

Contributed Photos – Lyndonville’s 1975 sectional champion wrestling team.

1975 Wrestling Team
The 1975 Wrestling team earned Lyndonville’s first ever Sectional title.

They finished the season with a 13-3 dual meet record. They also earned team titles at the Leroy Tournament and GR League tournament.

At the Class C Wrestling Championships, Lyndonville had 5 individual champions including Bob Large, Paul Suhr, Craig Barnard, Jim Broadwell and Jim Bell.

In the GR League Championship tournament, they finished with 3 champions in Ron Large, Jim Broadwell and Jim Bell and also had 7 other finalists.

Coached by Hall of Fame coach Fred Large, the Tigers’ roster included Ron Large, Norman Church, Bob Large, Mark Follman, Steve Gould, Jim Broadwell, Mike Jurnich, Paul Suhr, Craig Barnard, Jim Bell, Keith Stammler, Steve Culmo, Bill Jurnich, Tim Bentley and Jon Neal.

Zach Johnson

Zach Johnson (Class of 2019)
Zach Johnson was a 2019 graduate and an accomplished basketball and baseball player.

Putting up 826 points and 343 rebounds in his career, Zach was a GR League All-Star in basketball and a Ronald McDonald game participant in his senior year.

In baseball, Zach was a dominant pitcher, earning GR All-Star accolades in 2017, 2018 and 2019. At the plate, he earned the Ted Hettig Award, given to the Lyndonville baseball player with the highest batting average in league competition, hitting .431 on the season.

Zach dominated his senior season in baseball with a .69 ERA, 108 strikeouts and 12 hits allowed. That year he was named the GR Player of the Year and the Class C2 Player of the Year. Zach was also named to the All Decade team from 2010-2019.

Other Lyndonville accolades include the Alfred Schmitt award, the Doc Layer award and the Paul Howell Award. He also earned the Stan Sherwood Scholarship award given to one G-R male and female recipient for outstanding athletic performance, academics and citizenship.

Zach continued his baseball career at SUNY Niagara and Tiffin University in Ohio.

Shane Price

Shane Price
Shane Price coached the boys varsity baseball program in Lyndonville from 2002-2022, the 3rd baseball coach in program history following fellow Hall of Famers Arnie Hartsen and John Hayes.

Carrying on the winning tradition, Shane led his teams to seven Genesee Region league titles in 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.

He won Sectional championships in 2011, 2013 and 2017 earning a Far West Regional title and State Semi-Finals appearance in 2011 and finishing 7th in the State in 2013.

For his efforts, Shane was named GR Coach of the Year 10 times, 2009-2011 and 2013-2019.

He also earned Section V Coach of the year honors in 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2019.

He was the GR Baseball Coordinator for 5 years and has served as Section V Baseball Coordinator from 2022-present.

He also coached JV boys basketball for 7 years.

Albion Midget League will begin its 70th baseball season on Saturday

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 13 May 2026 at 10:14 am

The Albion Midget League will begin its milestone 70th season on Saturday with games in the 12U Division.

The 12U Division has a total of 11 teams this season divided into two divisions. The West Division includes Barre, Carlton, Rotary, Sandstone and Vets. The East Division includes Brockport 1, Brockport 2, Elba 1, Elba 2. Hamlin and Holley.

Saturday’s 1 p.m. openers will have Carlton at Rotary, Barre at Sandstone, Elba 1 at Elba 2, Brockport 1 at Brockport 2 and Holley at Hamlin as Vets has the bye.

The Midget League’s 9U Division, which has 9 teams this season, is scheduled to begin play next Tuesday.

Caravan heads from Albion to Byron with 430,000-pound oversize load

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2026 at 10:04 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A group moves a transformer down Allen Road this morning in Albion. Personnel are escorting the vehicle, holding up wires.

The journey started at about 9 a.m. from near the railroad tracks in Albion and went south on Hamilton Street and then turned east onto Allen Road.

The transformer is headed to a solar project in Byron.

The load heads up Hamilton Street underneath utility wires.

The oversize load weighs 430,000 pounds and is shown on Allen Road. Motorists are expected to experience delays today and are urged to consider alternate routes.

Once on Route 98, the group with the oversize load will pass through Barre and part of Elba.

They will turn on Lockport Road in Elba and continue to North Byron Road, and then go on Searls Road to Tower Hill Road and then Byron Road in Byron. The entire trip is about 17 miles.

The height of this load will necessitate the lifting of most overhead wires and traffic control devices. The load will move into oncoming traffic to avoid overhead obstructions.

Route 98 will be closed for an undisclosed amount of time to all traffic from Old Orchard Road to Lockport Road.

The load heads south on Route 98 after making the turn off of Allen Road.

Another oversize load is expected a week from today.

Senior Bowling League completes 6oth year

Contributed Story Posted 13 May 2026 at 9:37 am

Contributed Photo – The Medina Senior Bowling league completed its 60th season with its banquet on May 7th at Jimmy Foss’s Medina lanes. Bill Koepsel, in front row, received the bowler of the year award bowling pin.

Albion Healthcare Center achieves Patient-Centered Medical Home certification

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 13 May 2026 at 8:03 am

ALBION – Albion Healthcare Center has announced that it has achieved Patient-Centered Medical Home certification, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to delivering high quality, patient-centered healthcare to the rural communities it serves, according to information from Scott Robinson, director of marketing at Medina Memorial Hospital.

These recognitions reflect Albion Healthcare Center’s dedication to providing accessible, coordinated and comprehensive care focused on improving the health and wellbeing of patients and families throughout the region.

PCMH certification is a nationally recognized distinction awarded to healthcare practices that meet rigorous standards for primary care delivery. The certification recognizes healthcare organizations that prioritize strong patient-provider relationships, coordinated care, quality improvement and enhanced access to services, Robinson explained.

In addition, the Albion Healthcare Center maintains the Rural Health Clinic accreditation, which highlights its role in expanding access to essential healthcare services in rural communities, the RHC designation supports the delivery of primary care services in underserved areas, while holping ensure patients have access to preventive care, chronic disease management and routine medical services close to home.

“These achievements demonstrate the commitment of our providers, nurses and staff to delivering exceptional care to our community,” said Alana Palone, clinic administrator at Orleans Community Health. “These accreditations reflect our continued focus on improving access, strengthening care coordination and providing compassionate, patient-centered healthcare.”

As a Patient-Centered Medical Home and accredited Rural Health Clinic, Albion Healthcare Clinic emphasizes:

Comprehensive care through a multidisciplinary healthcare team
Improved access to services, communication and coordinated treatment plans
Ongoing quality improvement and patient safety initiatives
Enhanced coordination between primary care providers, specialists and community resources
Expanded healthcare access for rural and underserved populations

These recognitions further support Albion Healthcare Center’s mission to provide high-quality healthcare services while strengthening the health of the communities it serves.

The Albion Healthcare Center initially opened in late fall 2012 as an urgent care, although it was never officially an urgent care, and the name was quickly changed to a walk-in medical center. It has been the Albion Healthcare Center for years now, according to Robinson.

For more information about Albion Healthcare Center and its services, visit orleanscommunityhealth.org/albion-healthcare-center or call (585) 589-CARE.