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ORG sponsoring horror films at Medina Theatre on Fridays in October
MEDINA – Fans of old-time horror films will be delighted to learn they have returned to the Medina Theatre at 603 Main St.
Continuing every Friday night in October, the Orleans Renaissance Group is sponsoring Legends of Fright, a horror classic from the past. The first on Oct. 2 was “Frankenstein.”
“This is something we has wanted to do for several years,” said Cindy Robinson, a member of ORG. “This is the first I’ve had time to do it. These are the movies I grew up with. My dad used to watch them. We have this nice theater here and I always thought we should use it for what it was intended to be. Doing these movies seemed like a good way to start.”
Robinson said theater owner Joe Cardone was on board with the idea, and the first movie shown on Friday night was “Frankenstein” starring Boris Karloff. Future movies will be “Dracula” this Friday, starring Bela Lugosi; followed by “The Mummy” on Oct. 16, starring Boris Karloff; “The Invisible Man” on Oct. 23, starring Claude Rains; and “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” on Oct. 30.
Tickets are $7. All movies start at 7 p.m.
Robinson said people who attended the first showing were thrilled to be in the theater again.
Cardone opened the concession stand for the evening, and people were happy not to pay the high prices charged in other theaters.
ORG is looking at another series in February – Film Noir series.
ORG is thankful for five local sponsors, Medina Veterinary Clinic, English Rose Tea Shoppe, WSM Elder Law, Bent’s Opera House and Cooper Funeral Home.
More than a dozen employers will be at job fair on Oct. 15 at YMCA
Press Release, Orleans County Job Development Agency
MEDINA – The Orleans County Job Development Agency will be holding a job fair on Thursday, October 15 at the YMCA in Medina for those seeking employment. More than a dozen employers with open positions have signed up to take part.
“Sometimes the right opportunity is closer than you think. Come meet local employers, explore available jobs, and take the next step toward your future,” said Kelly Kiebala, Director of OCDJA. “Bring your résumé, bring your questions and come prepared to interview.”
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Orleans County YMCA located at 306 Pearl Street in Medina. No appointments or pre-registration are necessary.
Kiebala said companies will be looking to fill a variety of positions across several different sectors.
“Employers are looking for reliable and dependable candidates and often are willing to provide significant training to those who may lack experience,” said Kiebala. “And staff from our office will be on hand to provide additional assistance to job seekers.”
To learn more about other OCJDA resources, visit www.orleanscountyny.gov/jda.
Still lots of green on trees in Orleans County as colors start to change
Photo by Tom Rivers: Some of the leaves are starting to change color along the Erie Canal in Albion. This photo was taken on Tuesday on the towpath near the Brown Street canal bridge.
The leaves are changing colors but there is still a lot of green on the tree canopies in Orleans County.
Some areas of the state are starting to get peak fall foliage colors – parts of the Capital-Saratoga, Catskills, Central New York, Finger Lakes, and Chautauqua-Allegheny regions.
That’s according to the weekly fall foliage update on Wednesdays from the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program.
Orleans and Genesee counties are seeing some color change, according to volunteer field observers in the state report.
“In Orleans County, there is 40% change at the Cobblestone Museum in Albion with bright and colorful crimsons and cinnamons,” the report states.
Here is the weekly map show fall foliage map from I Love NY.
Democratic Party Committee urges supports for candidates in state, local races
The Orleans County Democratic Committee is proud to announce their endorsements of the following candidates:
- Kathy Hochul – New York State Governor
- Adrienne Adams – Governor
- Tom DiNapoli – State Comptroller
- Letitia James – State Attorney General
- Tom Arida – State Senate
- Sarah Wolcott – State Assembly
- Alissa Ellman – New York 24 Congresswoman
- Anne Joynt – State Supreme Court
- Craig Bucki – State Supreme Court
- Marlene Seielstad – At Large Legislator for Orleans County
- Fred Miller – County Legislator
These candidates have the experience, integrity and practical vision needed to address the key issues affecting our county, state and country. We believe that they are the best people to move us forward.
We encourage everyone to learn more about these candidates and their views.
Please join us in supporting them on November 3rd with your vote.
Sandra Walter
Democratic Committee member
Albion Healthcare Center hosting Children’s Wellness Fair on Sunday
ALBION – Orleans Community Health will host a free Children’s Wellness Fair on Sunday at the Albion Healthcare Center, 14789 Route 31 at Butts Road in Albion. The family-friendly event is open to everyone, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with no registration required.
Families will have an opportunity to learn more about children’s health, meet local team members and receive practical tips for supporting healthy children. Local organizations will also be on hand to connect families with community programs, services and other helpful resources.
The fair isn’t just about education, according to Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communications and Outreach at Orleans Community Health. Children will be able to take part in fun activities, including a Teddy Bear Clinic, activities, drawstring backpacks, free goodies and other resources.
“Supporting healthy children starts with making sure families have the resources they need to achieve the goal,” Robinson said. “This event gives families an opportunity to have fun together while also connecting with healthcare information and local resources that can make a difference throughout the year.”
The Children’s Wellness Fair is part of Orleans Community Health’s continued effort to make health education, preventative care information and community resources more accessible to local families.
For more information, call (585) 589-2273.
Federal policies are hurting rural areas in many ways, driving out people, raising costs for ag
Editor:
Rural communities must fight for themselves.
Since the quality of life has deteriorated since the early ’80s, new and bolder capitalist answers are needed. Not everything is socialist just because some robber baron pays for advertising, or Hub contributor, says it is. Structure, math and competition are quantifiable.
Our farmers are being hurt by the huge costs of diesel and fertilizer. Ending tariffs quickly with Canada – before it signs contracts with its new trade partners – is part of the answer.
Tax breaks to entice companies to relocate to New York are unfair to rural areas. Rural areas can only match the dollar amount rebated by urban areas if they give up a larger proportion of the property tax dollars they collects. Dollar for dollar it costs more.
The cuts to Medicare/Medicaid and forcing rural hospitals, ERs and Well Care Centers to treat more people without insurance. This means spending is in the red. (Some entire states, like New York, are hurt because good health care is a good way to keep people with small kids employed.)
Farm workers need a better way to stay here and work the fields or do the other low paying jobs typically filled by first generation immigrants. Talents we need, we need to attract and keep. (Canada and others have active relocation programs for researchers and university professors.)
In the early ’60s the County and Albion plan for expansion between the tracks and canal. Some communities with foresight have done this. Just because local governments can be clueless those communities should not suffer. New thinking is needed.
Recently a Hub op ed claimed “progressivism” was sneaking into “common man” Democratic politics. As with many polemic political nostrums it was fully backwards.
In fact, there have been 9 “progressive” parties since Teddy Roosevelt; 4 were Republican based and 1 was Democratic based. Historically the term “Progressivism” involved a concern over the socio-economic challenges produced by “Robber Baron” capitalism as defined by selfish elites, political corruption, and the concentration of corporate power. Several of the 9 had their roots in farm, rural, labor, and “common man” issues.
Rural problems are unique. The current Federal Administration is actively hurting rural areas. Bold action is needed to address deceitful “Robber Baron” self interest which is indifferent to what it destroys.
Conrad F. Cropsey
Albion
Vote and oppose the rampant corruption perpetrated by Trump and permissive Republicans
Editor:
In the nearly two years of governance, Republicans have broken trade agreements, threatened our allies, forced through tariffs, gave the wealthy deep tax cuts and created extraordinary corruption, while cutting funds for healthcare, food assistance, education and other benefits for the rest of us.
This midterm election is a referendum on those policies. Representatives Claudia Tenney, Nick Langworthy and Republican candidates running for office are strong supporters of these policies. The direct result of these policies is rising unemployment, a slowing economy, and wages not keeping up with inflation. You feel the effects of their policies every time you fill up at the gas station or buy groceries.
Your health premiums are more costly because Republicans are giving a tax break to the wealthy. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that more people are going hungry in the United States now than during the height of COVID-19. Republicans support these policies and they will vote in this election; just look at all the yard signs supporting them.
Staying home, not voting, in this election will be seen as acquiescing to Republican policies. Policies that are driving up cost for farmers and small businesses, making life more difficult for Western New Yorkers.
Democrats running for office support policies to strengthen our economy, help farmers and small business and support families. Please vote early; if that is not possible make plans to get to the polls to vote. Please vote to end the rampant corruption and support Western New York.
William Fine
Brockport
State announces $1.6 million to help prevent suicide in rural areas, including Orleans
Press Release, New York State Office of Mental Health
The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced a four-year $1.6 million initiative aimed at strengthening community-led prevention and resiliency efforts to address the higher suicide rates experienced in rural areas of Broome, Genesee, Orleans, Wayne, and Yates counties.
The announcement followed a two-day conference on rural suicide prevention that was hosted in Ithaca last week by the Suicide Prevention Center of New York, which is located within OMH.
“Each of the 1,700 New Yorkers who die by suicide annually represents an incalculable loss,” OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “They were our family members, colleagues, our friends, and our family members – our loved ones. At OMH, we have an unwavering commitment to reducing the tragedy of suicide by reducing isolation and removing barriers to care, especially in our high-risk rural communities.”
The Rural Outreach, Organizing, Training and Suicide Prevention initiative – also known as “ROOTS-NY” – will build sustainable suicide prevention capacity by strengthening community infrastructure, expanding workforce skills, and fostering coordinated partnerships between healthcare systems, community organizations, and local leaders. The program will rely on existing community resources to create a sustainable, localized prevention system to support counties that are predominantly rural.
Rural communities are often exposed to a host of risk factors for suicide, including economic hardship, unemployment, unstable housing, social isolation, higher prevalence of firearm access, less access to mental healthcare, and more. Between 2022 and 2024, the counties participating in ROOTS-NY had a combined suicide rate of 12.23 per 100,000 population – significantly higher than the statewide rate of 8.77.
Among those over age 20, the rate was 15.35 per 100,000, which is also sharply higher than the statewide rate of 10.85 per 100,000 for that age group. About half of suicide deaths in these counties were by firearm, compared to 29 percent statewide, highlighting the opportunity available to promote lethal means safety as part of the initiative.
“Rural communities have unique strengths, but they also face unique challenges when it comes to suicide prevention. Geographic isolation, limited access to behavioral health services, and other barriers can make it harder for people to get the support they need,” Suicide Prevention Center Director Dr. Jay Carruthers said. “ROOTS-NY is about meeting communities where they are, building on the people, organizations, and resources already working to support their neighbors. By strengthening existing local partnerships and forming new ones, expanding prevention skills, and increasing access to lifesaving support, we can help rural communities build enduring pathways to hope, connection and help.”
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is also available to connect New Yorkers to trained crisis counselors 24/7, who can help anyone thinking about suicide, struggling with substance use, experiencing a mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. New Yorkers can call, text or chat 988 if they are worried about someone who may need crisis support.
Medina ladder truck sold for $2.1 million to community in Illinois
Photo from shopgarage.com: Medina’s ladder truck is shown on an online site that sells fire trucks, emergency vehicles and equipment. The site lists the truck as being sold. It was listed on the site on May 19.
MEDINA – The Village of Medina has sold its ladder truck for $2.1 million to the Village of Wilmette, an Illinois community of about 28,000 people near Chicago. Wilmette has a median household income of $190,662.
Medina has a population of 5,855, according to the 2025 population estimates from the Census Bureau. Medina’s median household income is $59,231, just a fraction’s of Wilmette’s.
“They are a wealthy community,” said Medina Mayor Debbie Padoleski. “It’s a beautiful truck. I would have loved to keep it, but it’s more truck than we need and it’s more truck than we can afford.”
Wilmette officials on Monday were in Medina and hand-delivered a check for $2.1 million. They also gave the truck a final inspection. The ladder truck is expected to leave Medina next week and be transported to Wilmette. The ladder truck is currently being kept in the former compost facility on North Gravel Road near Boxwood Cemetery.
With new ladder trucks having a 3- to 5-year wait due to a backlog of orders, Wilmette wanted Medina’s because it was available right away, Padoleski said.
The price for the ladder trucks also has soared since Medina locked in its contract in March 2023. The Albion Joint Fire District on Aug. 14, 2025 voted to buy a new ladder truck at a cost of $2,480,698 from Pierce Manufacturing.
Padoleski is happy the Medina ladder truck is sold and at a nice profit for the village.
“It’s been tough to move forward,” she said about the ladder truck, an issue that the village officials have been wrestling with for several years now.
The village budget for 2026-27 included a $300,000 profit with the sale of the ladder truck.
The sale is about $400,000 more than Medina’s contract with Pierce Manufacturing back in March 2023 when the Medina Village Board voted to pay $1,698,995 for the ladder truck. But with the first interest payment, Medina’s cost is closer to $1.8 million.
The sale at $2.1 million also includes a $100,000 fee to the broker. Padoleski said the village won’t have to make the year one principal payment at $130,000.
The new truck was too big for the existing fire hall and the board at that time expected an addition would be built on the existing fire hall. The truck is about 13 feet high where the fire station bays only have a clearance of 10 feet, 6 inches. But the initial construction estimates put an addition and overhaul of the current station at about $6 million. Just doing a one-bay addition would be about $1.3 million.
A new majority on the Village Board deemed those costs too much for the village taxpayers. They declared the ladder truck as surplus on Feb. 9, about two months after Pierce delivered it. The truck was never put into service.
The fire truck was listed for sale at $2.4 million on May 19 on an online site that sells fire trucks and other emergency vehicles and equipment. The website, shopgarage.com, touted the 2025 quint fire truck with a 100-foot ladder. The truck was promoted as “brand new, never used” with only 1,095 miles.
Padoleski said there was a strong interest in the ladder truck from a community in Texas, from a private business and from nearby Brockport.
Wilmette made the best offer, and followed up with a check.
Padoleski commended Deputy Mayor Scott Bieliski for working with the broker and potential buyers to get a good price for Medina.
The mayor said the Village Board will shift to looking at the future of the fire department and its ambulance service. Bieliski is on the hunt for a smaller used ladder truck that would fit in the existing fire hall.
She said the village needs more buy-in from neighboring towns that receive the ambulance service. Medina is seeking an increase from $35,000 to $135,000 from the towns of Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates. But even at that level, the village taxpayers are paying more than $1 million a year towards its paid fire department.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous to expect the Village of Medina to pay for a service that goes outside the Village of Medina,” she said.
An Orleans County Shared Services Committee is looking at how to best fund and provide EMS and the fire service throughout the county. Padoleski wants to see a plan from that committee that shares the burden around the county.
“With EMS, it needs to be everybody’s problem,” she said. “It can’t just be Medina’s problem.”
Lyndonville downs W-C in G-R volleyball
Lyndonville scored a straight set 25-13, 25-20, 25-8 victory over Wheatland-Chili in a Genesee Region League volleyball match this evening.
For the Lady Tigers, Leah Kenyon had 5 kills and 2 blocks, Hannah Fox 6 kills and 5 aces, Isabella Bresett 2 kills and 1 ace, Destinee Holmes 6 aces and 1 kill, Grace Fox 2 aces, Hannah Pajek 2 aces, Sarah Corser 1 ace and 1 kill and Grace Kenyon 1 kill.
