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‘Decorate the OC’ initiative to make decorations available to local groups
People working on floats for upcoming lighted parades welcome to check inventory on Sunday
Photo by Tom Rivers: Susan Oschmann, left, and Lynne Menz sort through some of the decorations owned by Menz’s cousin, Bill Goss. Oschmann is chairwoman of the committee planning Albion’s Christmas Parade on Dec. 12. She said there is a bountiful supply of decorations to help people with their floats at upcoming holiday parades. The decorations will be available on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Trolley Building at the fairgrounds.
By Isabella Zasa, staff writer
KNOWLESVILLE – Lynne Menz, a Medina native, Carlton resident, active volunteer and semi-retired creative director with the Orleans County Tourism Office, has found herself busy in a new role as estate administrator for a late family member’s home in the Hudson Valley.
Provided photo: William Joseph Goss or “Cousin Bill” is pictured in 1983 with his dog Brandy.
William Joseph Goss, known as “Cousin Bill” to the Menz family, died Dec. 21, 2025, at the age of 77 from natural causes in his home in Troy, NY. He was laid to rest with full military honors at Saratoga National Cemetery.
Bill was a foster child after his mother died when he was young. He went on to serve as a Vietnam veteran, work as an engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation and become a jazz DJ at an Albany radio station.
Each year, Bill joined the Menz family for its traditional Thanksgiving celebration, staying at Menz’s home and spending time on his arts and crafts projects. She recalled him stitching together leaves and looking forward to attending Medina’s annual Parade of Lights.
“He was a deeply creative and festive soul,” Menz said. “He was a curator and a crafty person. Decorating was his creative outlet after having a rough childhood.”
Bill’s home reflected that creative spirit year-round, with decorations displayed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The building also housed tenants, who nicknamed him “MacGyver,” Menz said. Bill was always searching the property for decorations, many of which were stored in several large bins
According to neighbors, Bill devoted nearly every waking hour to decorating his property, regularly changing displays to reflect the seasons. His home became a local landmark, and he was known for going above and beyond with his elaborate displays. Menz said there is even a photo on Google Earth showing Bill atop his roof, putting up decorations.
“His house was an attraction. People would always stop to take photos year-round,” she said.
As Menz and her family began cleaning out the estate, they discovered what she described as a Pandora’s box: a garage filled with holiday decorations. With the family’s permission, Menz brought the collection home and arranged to donate the decorations Bill had displayed on his property to Orleans County.
“It’s mind-blowing, as some of the items are brand new,” Menz said.
The leaders of the upcoming Christmas parades in Albion and Medina helped organize the items today for a sale on Sunday. Jim Hancock is the chairman of the Parade of Lights in Medina on Nov. 28 and Susan Oschmann is the chairwoman of the Albion parade on Dec. 12.
After making five or six trips between Carlton and Troy, Menz transported hundreds of high-quality decorations back to Orleans County as part of a new initiative she is calling “Decorate the OC.”
To help distribute the collection, Menz consulted with Gregory Hallock, executive director of GO Art!, and Robert Batt, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension. GO Art! has already put some of the decorations to use for its Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations.
Menz, her family and volunteers are organizing the fall and Christmas decorations in the Trolley Building at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. The collection will include lights, lanterns, ornaments and decorative materials that can be used to enhance parade floats and seasonal displays.
Menz said the decorations will be for sale on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All proceeds from the project will be donated in Bill’s memory toward construction of the GO BARN! GO Art! is working to make the GO BARN! a cultural and agricultural center at the fairgrounds.
“My cousin left behind a legacy, which was to decorate, and I want to carry on his legacy,” Menz said. “I want to give back to my county and community.”
Most items will be available for $1 each or through a freewill offering. Some items may be priced higher, particularly those that are brand new. Menz said the collection includes high-quality decorations originally purchased from retailers such as Hobby Lobby, Home Depot and department stores.
“I hope the community comes and sees all the beautiful decorations my cousin had,” Menz said. “They will get to be the beneficiary of his creative expression.”
This group is shown with items collected by William Joseph Goss. From left include Aeddon Cayea, community programs lead for the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County; Jim Hancock, chairman of Medina’s Parade of Lights; Robert Batt, CCE executive director in Orleans County; Lynne Menz, cousin of William Goss; and Susan Oschmann, leader of the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade in Albion on Dec. 12.
4-Her from Orleans competes at Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup in Kentucky
Photos and information courtesy of Orleans County 4-H program
Grace Goodrick, front right, poses with her Horse Judging teammates and coach after placing 6th at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup in Louisville, KY.
KNOWLESVILLE – For the first time in recent memory, Orleans County 4-H was represented at a recent national-level 4-H horse knowledge competition.
Grace Goodrich, 17, of Medina, was in Louisville, Kentucky from Nov. 5-8 for the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup. Grace was a member of the four-person Horse Judging Team which placed 6th overall.
New York was also represented by four-person teams in Horse Knowledge Bowl, Horse Hippology and Horse Communications. All NYS 4-H teams placed within the top 10. Twenty-seven states were represented in the competition.
“We are so proud of Grace,” said Kristina Gabalski, CCE Orleans 4-H Program Coordinator. “This is a great honor for Grace and for our county. Opportunities like this offered through 4-H help youth to grow in knowledge, confidence, and leadership. Grace is always ready to take on a challenge and succeed.”
Grace’s journey to the national-level competition began here at Orleans County 4-H where leader and volunteer Jann Davis spearheaded coaching Horse Bowl and Horse Hippology teams for the Region 1 level. Her team then moved on to the state level competition.
“I cannot tell you how proud I am of Grace Goodrich, Aubree McAdoo, and Morgan Aina (Grace’s Orleans County teammates), who stepped out of their comfort zone in June at the NYS Horse Judging and Hippology Contest,” Davis said. “Learning to write reasons for Horse Judging and delivering those reasons to four judges without notes is a huge accomplishment.”
Davis explained that Grace qualified individually for the national-level competition. “She made new friends and memories that will last a lifetime,” Davis said.
Davis also acknowledged the Region 1 Horse Bowl team which consisted of Grace, Christina Zaidel, Morgan Aina and Keira Sidari. Grace and Christina went on to the NYS 4-H Horse Bowl at Cornell in May.
“It has been a pleasure coaching these girls and I look forward to working with any Orleans County youth who would like to try their hand at these contests,” Davis added.
Grace Goodrich is shown with 4-Hers from New York State who competed with her at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup.
For the past several weeks Grace has been practicing with her state-level coach via Zoom on Friday evenings.
“Our coach organized different judges each week so that we could learn what you should look for in each class. We watched videos on each Zoom, judging the horses and then wrote a set of reasons on those videos to practice our format,” Grace said.
She added that she watched You Tube videos of horse judging to get even more practice. “I had to study my horse judging vocabulary and practice giving my reasons for placing classes a certain way,” she said.
Grace said she was nervous during the competition, but she had been very well prepared with so much practice. “The competition itself was fun for me,” Grace explained. “I got to put all the skills my coaches taught me into practice to judge nine classes and then give reasons to four judges I’ve never met before about four classes.”
“Two of the classes were Tennessee Walking Horse – one was halter class and one was a country pleasure class,” she continued. “I have only learned about Tennessee Walking Horses through my judging practice. It was fun getting to judge breeds I wasn’t comfortable with and hadn’t seen often. I was so happy with how I did and how my team did, as well. We all had so much fun getting to know each other over the course of the four days in Kentucky and the bus rides to and from the competition.”
Members of the NYS 4-H team visited Churchill Downs while in Louisville. Grace Goodrich is in the center of the back row.
In addition to the competition, participants visited local equine landmarks including Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Park. Grace said she especially enjoyed these excursions.
“We saw some horses practicing for races at Churchill Downs. At the Kentucky Horse Park, we got to see standardbred horses that were cart horses and got to see a show of the different breeds they had there including a miniature horse, a mustang, an Andalusian, and a Gypsy Vanner,” she said. “We saw mounted police horses, and the museum they had there that talked about different breeds of horses, but mainly Arabians.”
She also enjoyed a trip to the Haygard Vet Clinic and was surprised by, “how many horses they treat each day and how many vets they have working there and all throughout the world helping with transferring horses for races, and the vet travels with the horse for the races.”
“Throughout this trip, I have made many memories that will last a lifetime,” Grace said. “Making tons of new friends from all over the state and even from around the country trading NYS 4-H pins with other states.”
Grace is the daughter of Nicole and Terry Goodrich of Medina. They say they are thankful for everyone who supported Grace in this effort and made this trip possible for her.
Abruptly disbanding Major Felony Crime Task Force doesn’t seem to make sense
Editor:
Congratulations to the Orleans County Legislature for considering to eliminate the Major Felony Crime Task Force in the District Attorney’s Office and saving the taxpayers of Orleans County an estimated $400,000. The reason given was the decrease in felony indictments over the previous 3 years and a “new” organizational model that’s being developed to be used within the Sheriff’s Department.
My concern follows in regards to our public safety. Drugs and crime are often related, we hear it in the media from the President on down to the NYS Governor, elected state representatives, local elected officials and the community at large.
Now if the number of felony indictments are coming down, might it be because the Task Force has been doing a great job?
Those involved with the influx of drugs from the large metropolitan cities and counties nearby might be getting the word to go elsewhere to sell their drugs, because of the work of our Task Force.
Illegal drugs will never cease to be an issue but if you do decrease the illicit drug flow, this will ultimately result in a decrease in the associated amount of crime in our county. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to build a criminal case and then prosecute it.
However the job of the Task Force is never done, we see that as the felony rate is decreasing but the amount of misdemeanors issued continues to rise. Seems the present system works quite well, as you see the results in the Hub on a monthly basis.
In the proposed budget it states that a “new” organizational model will be developed and be deployed by the Sheriff’s Department. (Hence: we are working on it, so it’s still a work in progress.)
Now my questions arise: What is the real reason as to why the MFCTF is being eliminated and how is it being handled?
Yesterday, Thursday the 12th, late in the afternoon a meeting was held in the district attorney’s office. District Attorney Howard was then told by the County Administrative/Budget Officer that the MFCTF was being eliminated as of that moment. Blindsided, with no prior communication to her department, her three investigators with over 60 years of experience were terminated. Given minutes to gather their personal belongings, then escorted out the door with the locks to their office changed behind them. “All for budgetary reasons.”
Should I even mention that two DEA agents from the Buffalo office arrived at that time, supposedly to help with securing the evidence room.
Totally improper but who called them and why?
Apparently no thoughts were given to a transition of all the ongoing cases that are currently being investigated.
What about the testimony of the 3 investigators in ongoing criminal cases already in the village, town, county, surrounding counties and even Federal courts? No testimony equals no cases, so do all these individuals get to walk free?
That brings up another question. Can the Sheriff’s Department now field a task force that equals the experience of the 3 fired investigators?
The politically correct answer is, “of course.”
Which brings up the next question. How large of an investment will there now be in the Sheriff’s Department in regards to manpower and the associated training that goes with it? Deputies continue to leave for higher-paying jobs in surrounding counties on a yearly basis. Train them here so they can seek a better paying job there. You just can’t rearrange the organizational chart without decreasing our public safety in another area. Where is the cost analyst on this proposal?
Could it be political, as it was just reported that Mr. Sobieraski was planning once again to run for Sheriff in the next election, just narrowly being defeated in a previous one.
Massage the budget now, save a few taxpayers dollars on the books and pay the price in the years to come. Reminds me of the street hustler that bumps into you, “says excuse me” and later you realize your wallet is missing.
Might be time to talk to your elected legislators and ask them what they are thinking!
Jim Pratt
Albion
Albion to pursue grants to overhaul vacant rental property, spur downtown projects
Photos by Tom Rivers: Scott Burto, grant manager and administrator for G&G Muncipal Consulting and Grant Writing, goes over the Vacant Property Rental Rehabilitation Program, which would bring up to $75,000 per vacant rental unit for property owners.
ALBION – The Village Board is working with a grantwriter to submit two grant applications that could bring significant state funding into the community.
The village and its grant writer, G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing, held back to back meeting son Thursday evening at Hoag Library to go over the grant opportunities.
Albion Mayor Tim McMurray said the village is pursuing grants to bring investment and upgrades into the community.
One program focuses on vacant rental property and the other is an economic and community development initiative.
The first meeting focused on a vacant property rental program that could bring up to $75,000 per unit that is rehabbed. Those units would need to be made available to lower-income residents for at least the next 10 years.
Albion and Medina joined together for the grant last year, seeking $2.5 million from the state. This time Albion is seeking the funding on its own.
Orleans County also has a shortage of residential units, according to a housing study commissioned by the Orleans County United Way. The grant would increase housing opportunities locally, and improve residential units in buildings.
The goal is to turn space that is currently uninhabitable or unmarketable into safe, quality, and affordable rental units.
Eligible projects could include health and safety improvements, correction of code violations, plumbing, electrical, roof and windows, environmental cleanup (lead/asbestos), accessibility upgrades and general improvements to make habitable.
Property owners don’t need to do a thorough environmental test to be eligible for the program. The state is only requiring testing for lead, village officials said.
The application is due to the state by Dec. 10. Applicants can seek funding for up to five units. The state is offering a $50,000 maximum per unit for a “standard” project and $75,000 for “enhanced.” No match is needed by the applicants.
Landlords and property owners interested in the project can reach out to Scott Burto, grant manager and administrator for G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing. His email is scott@ggprocess.com.
The program is funded by the state through the Office of Community Renewal.
For more on the Vacant Rental Rehabilitation Program Grant, click here.
$4.5 million NY Forward grant
This greenspace just north of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion could become a more inviting spot. The Village Board is considering this location, the next-door parking lot and other municipal-owned land for the NY Forward grant. Mayor Tim McMurray said the Village Board will work to identify a project on village-owned land for the grant application.
The Village of Albion also will be applying again for a $4.5 million NY Forward grant (Round 5) to support downtown revitalization, business development, and the rehabilitation of vacant or underutilized properties. The village was just edged out on getting the grant for 2026, Burto said.
The application is due Jan. 8. Burto would like to have all proposals for the grant submitted by mid-December so G&G has time to compile the application.
The project needs to be confined to downtown area. Property owners can submit proposals for building renovations and facade improvements. The state wants to stimulate new retail, office, co-working, commercial or cultural spaces. Medina was awarded this grant in 2023.
The grant covers about 35 to 40 percent of project costs for private property, with the remainder to be paid by the building owner. The state would pay 100 percent for initiatives on municipal land, Burto said.
The state favors applications in a clear downtown area, with strong local support and vision, he said.
Albion has a clear downtown area by the Erie Canal, and the village is working to update its comprehensive plan that shows a vision for the community, he said.
He would like to see $6 million to $7 million in projects submitted for the grant, which would eventually be narrowed to $4.5 million in the grant.
To be considered in the application, building owners should submit a cost estimate, overview of the project and include photos.
Mayor Tim McMurray said the Village Board is discussing what to apply for the municipal portion of the grant. The board is considering speakers in the downtown to play music, and upgrade a parking lot, other one on Main Street with a median and greenspace next door or the lot by the Erie Canal behind the Albion Visitor’s Center.
Trump has made US more isolated and weaker
Editor:
I don’t understand how President Trump “shows concern for all Americans.” Mr. Trump’s policies of trade wars, tariffs, and immigration policies are hurting farmers, one of this region’s main economic drivers.
Breaking treaties and trade agreements with other nations shows that our word cannot be trusted which damages our relationship with other countries. The mass firings of federal work force have hurt teachers, nurses, veterans, the elderly and the poor.
Under the Trump administration the national debt has ballooned and the GDP has dropped. We are weaker, poorer, and more isolated under this administration than under any other previous administration.
So please explain to me how Mr. Trump “shows concern for all Americans.”
William Fine
Brockport
Yates officials holding off on budget vote due to ambulance contract impasse
Town has until Nov. 20 to adopt budget, which is currently at 2% tax increase
YATES – The Yates Town Board is waiting until the very last minute to vote on the town budget for 2027 due to an unresolved contract for ambulance services.
The town has a contract with the Village of Medina with the fire department providing ambulance coverage in Yates. The town paid Medina $35,000 in the contract for 2026, but Medina wants $135,000 in 2027.
Jim Simon, the Yates town supervisor, said that is too high for the town residents. The Town Board budgeted for the increase to go to $65,000. At that amount, the town’s budget in 2027 would stay just under the state-imposed property tax cap with a 2 percent increase.
The Town Board met on Thursday night and didn’t vote on the budget. The board has scheduled a 5 p.m. meeting on Nov. 20 for a final budget vote. That is the last day the town can finalize the budget.
Medina has a contract with the three western Orleans towns – Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates – for ambulance coverage and they were each paying $35,000 in 2026. Medina pushed for $135,000, saying the village is bearing too much cost for the ambulance service at over $1 million to village property owners. Shelby has agreed to pay $135,000 in its 2027 budget.
Simon said Yates is smaller town with a smaller budget and the $135,000 cost would have a disproportionally higher impact on Yates.
Simon also has been advocating for an increase in the local sales tax sharing from the county. The County Legislature has kept the collective share to the towns and villages at the same level since 2001 – $1,366,671. Yates received $69,760 of that in 2026.
The sales tax revenues have been growing at a steady rate, year after year, but the county keeps all of the increase, despite rising costs for the towns, especially with ambulance coverage, Simon noted.
The county is budgeting for $25.4 million in sales tax revenue in 2027, which would be up $1.06 million.
“We’re hoping for some reprieve there,” Simon said about a boost in the sales tax for towns and villages.
County proposes eliminating Major Felony Crime Task Force in 2027 budget
$106 million budget for county stays under tax cap with 2.48% increase
ALBION – Orleans County’s tentative budget for 2027 has been filed today and the $106 million spending plan calls for eliminating the Major Felony Crime Task Force.
The Task Force has a long-time supervising investigator in Joe Sacco and two investigators – retired Medina Police Chief Todd Draper and retired Rochester Police Department Sergeant Brett Sobieraski, who announced on Tuesday he is running for sheriff next year. The Task Force operates within the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office.
Cutting the Task Force will save the county nearly $400,000, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.
Felony indictments have decreased from 50 in 2023 to 44 in 2024 and 28 in 2025, a 44 percent decline over two years, he said.
A new model will be created within the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, and will continue to coordinate with local, state and federal law enforcement partners, Welch stated in his budget message filed today with the tentative budget.
He noted the Task Force’s organizational model has changed from how it was set up originally, when each village police department and the Sheriff’s Office assigned one employee to support it.
The tentative budget totals $106,119,042, which increases spending by 5.8 percent from the $100,261,320 in 2026.
The tax levy would increase by 2.48 percent or by $500,000 – from $20,139,000 to $20,639,000.
Despite the tax increase, the tax rate would drop 17.7 percent from $8.05 to $6.62 per $1,000 of assessed property. The levy will be down because the county’s overall assessed value has jumped by 24.7 percent – from $2.50 billion to $3.12 billion, an increase by $616,870,764.
The County Legislature will have a public hearing on the budget at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 at the Orleans County Legislative Chambers, 14016 Route 31 W, Albion. The Legislature will then vote on the budget right after the public hearing.
Welch said the county, just like the families and businesses, “continues to face significant affordability challenges. Rising health insurance costs, increased expenses and financial pressures beyond our control make it increasingly difficult to balance our budget and we will not simply pass these costs along to taxpayers.”
The Legislature sent a directive to Welch and department heads to maintain essential services, control spending and deliver a budget that stays under the state property tax cap.
He noted some of the budget pressures:
- The federal One Big Beautiful Bill will reduce SNAP administrative reimbursement in 2027 by more than $400,000.
- After switching to NYSHIP’s Empire Plan in 2026, family plan enrollment increased by 47% and single plan enrollment by 5%. Combined with a 22% increase in covered employees, this shift raised the 2027 medical coverage budget by a third to $9.5 million.
- New York State retirement expenses increase of 4.6 percent
- “We also continue to experience tremendous pressure from emergency housing placements, which have increased 149 percent since July 2022. Compounding these challenges, recent federal legislation will reduce administrative reimbursements to Orleans County by more than $400,000 in 2027.”
- “State mandates remain another major concern. The nine state-mandated programs commonly referred to as the ‘9 for 90 Mandates’ will cost Orleans County more than $23 million in 2027, representing 111.6 percent of our proposed property tax levy.”
Randolph tops Newfane for Class D title
Unable to build on a long touchdown run on the opening kickoff, Newfane dropped a 49-16 decision to Randolph in the Section VI Class D championship game this evening at the University at Buffalo stadium.
Jake Morello returned the opening kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown for Newfane but the next 49 points and the victory belonged to Randolph.
Randolph took a 15-8 halftime lead on a 60 yard touchdown run by quarterback Davion Johnson.
The Cardinals then broke the game wide open in the third quarter with three touchdowns on two TD passes by Johnson and a 28 yard TD run by Alexander Garland to take a commanding 36-8 advantage.
The Randolph lead ballooned to 49-8 early in the fourth quarter.
Newfane’s only other touchdown came on a 75 yard pass play from Jesse Hughey to Rian Czaja midway through the fourth quarter.
Randolph will now face the winner of Saturday’s Section V Class D championship game between Notre Dame/Byron-Bergen and Pavilion/York in the Far West Regional on November 20 at SUNY Brockport.
New pedestrian bridge, sidewalks along Maple Ridge Road complete
Medina mayor praises partnership among governments in getting project done
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Medina Mayor Debbie Padoleski cuts the ribbon this afternoon for a new 100-foot-long pedestrian bridge over Oak Orchard Creek.
Kevin Foster, left, is owner of RJT Construction Services in Rochester, the general contractor for the project that also included about 2,000 feet of new sidewalks.
RJT Construction Services completed the work with an $837,448 bid. Mayor Padoleski praised the company for getting the job done on time and under budget.
This group gathers on the bridge for a photograph after the ribbon cutting. Pictured from left include: Dave Pettis, engineer in charge with Barton & Loguidice; Village Clerk/Treasurer Jada Burgess; Village Trustee Jeff Wagner; Village Trustee Scott Bieliski; Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for Orleans Economic Development Agency; Payton Corts, regional local projects liaison for the state Department of Transportation; Michael Dobell, chief executive officer for the Orleans EDA; Jonathan Walczak, project manager for Barton & Loguidice, the village’s engineering firm for the project; Erin Foster of RJT Construction Services; Jack Foster of RJT; Mayor Debbie Padoleski; Kevin Foster of RJT; Jason Watts, superintendent of Medina’s Department of Public Works; and Philip Gow Jr., WNY regional director for Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.
The bridge intentionally has a rust-colored look. It won’t have to be repainted in the future and will require less maintenance, said Jason Watts, the DPW superintendent.
The project has been several years in the making. Padoleski noted that Mike Sidari, former Medina mayor, had the vision for the pedestrian bridge and sidewalks back in 2020.
The village in 2021 was awarded a $1,094,196 grant to construct the bridge and sidewalks as part of a multi-use path for pedestrians and bicycles. The funding was awarded by the state through a federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant.
The grant required a 20 percent local share and that was paid locally from the village ($55,000), Town of Shelby ($130,000) and Orleans County ($97,500), using their share of funds from a now closed revolving loan fund through the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
“We would like to thank the Town of Shelby, Orleans County and the IDA for participating in this project in the Village of Medina,” Padoleski said. “We would like to thank the NYS DOT for making the funds available through a grant, which allowed the expansion of the project.”
The mayor also said officials from the state Office of Community Renewal were patient and understanding with the village, extending a deadline so Medina could get everything done.
After the ribbon cutting for the bridge, some of the officials walked the 2,000-foot stretch of sidewalks for a final inspection.
The village and Orleans EDA pushed for the sidewalks as this section of Maple Ridge Road has become busier with a housing development, several new businesses and also the GCC campus center. There are also about 200 available acres in the area being promoted for development by the EDA.
