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Festival organizers pleased with big crowds, nice weather
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Some of the Strawberry Festival Committee members are pictured with Orly the Ox on Saturday. From left include Mike Bonnewell, Tracy VanSkiver, Trevor Thaine and Marlene Seielstad. Orly served as grand marshal for the parade.
Becky Karls, coordinator of the committee leading the festival, said the weather was great both days with temperatures in the high 60s, low 70s.
She praised the committee for welcoming many popular returning vendors and for drawing in new ones.
“We heard lots of good feedback,” Karls said. “They liked that their were more food varieties and there were ranges. We heard so many people say it was so great and that it was amazing.”
Many of the craft and food vendors were cleared out of their inventory, she said.
The crowd was happy to see the many bands, floats and other participants in the parade. There were about 50 entries in all.
Jarred Saj walks with the Turtle in the parade on Saturday, to promote the Turtle Race. Tickets were $5 a turtle or 5 for $20. Saj set a new record by selling 480 of the 1,000 available tickets.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley served as emcee for the Turtle Race. Becky Karls, festival committee chairwoman, is in back at left. She led the planning committee for the second year.
With the Main Street bridge closed again this festival, the turtles had to be dumped into the canal from the Sheriff’s Marine Patrol boat. From left include sewer plant superintendent Aric Albright, County Legislator Skip Draper, ticket seller extraordinaire Jarred Saj, Emergency Management deputy director Scott Buffin, Albion Police Lt. Brandan Annable and County Legislator John Fitzak.
Tim Pencille is in a kayak and ready to corral the fastest turtles. It was a slow-moving race with the wind counter-acting the current in the canal. It took about 40 minutes for the turtles to “race” a short distance on the canal.
The top five turtles were: Bellucci from Medina in first, $500 prize; Joe Sidonio in second, $250; Dave Schubel in third, $125; Ed Houseknecht in fourth, $75; and Chris Bourke in fifth, $50. The winning tickets were all sold by Jarred Saj.
The Who Dats performed the final concert of the Strawberry Festival on Saturday. The band includes from left John Borello and Todd Graham, lead singer Lonnie Froman, and Eddie Hilfiker with Alex DeSmit on drums.
There was a nice collection of classic cars at a cruise-in on East State Street.
The band Big Logic & The Truth Serum was a new performer at the festival. They are from Rochester and include former Holley resident Justin Gurnsey on lead vocals and guitar. He is facing the camera. He was invited to be in the festival by Bill Pilleggi, one of the committee members and a retired principal at Holley.
Other band members include Jesse Bertholf, Andrew Strzepek, Will Dorfner, Lucas Saladin, Neil Pierce and Zach Pelton.
Albion parade featured many marching bands
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Cassie Brown plays the flute for the Albion Marching Band during today’s parade in the Albion Strawberry Festival. Brown and the other seniors all had a tear painted on their face to symbolize their final marching band performance.
The Albion band was among several in today’s parade.
The Albion banner is carried by Adeline Pask, age 10; Nora Fazliu, 11; and Sadie Pask, 10.
Mallory Ashbery, one of the drum majors, walks backwards while directing the Albion band. The Albion Marching Band performed to music by the band Chicago.
Julia Graham, front, and Mackenzie Cook are both members of Albion’s color guard.
Zach Busch is the director of the Holley-Kendall Marching Band which has seen steady growth in the band since the two schools formed the group in 2017.
The Holley-Kendall Marching Band performs a show, “Nightmare on Main Street.”
DownBeat Percussion brought high-energy drummers to the parade. This group performs at Buffalo Bills home games.
The Pembroke Marching Band featured a big group of musicians.
The Rochester Scottish Pipes and Drums have been perennial performers at the Albion parade.
Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps also have played in the Albion parade for many years.
The Batavia Blue Devil Marching Band makes their way down the parade route, which started at Albion Central School and headed down Route 31 before turning onto Main Street.
The Mark Time Marchers also performed in the parade.
Local quartet places at state track meet
Four local student-athletes have earned top 10 finishes at the Class C state track championships which concluded today at Middletown.
Roy-Hart’s Zachary Schultz placed second in the 400 Hurdles (:56.30), Medina’s Gordon Young fifth in the High Jump (6-1), Wilson’s Ryan Hough sixth in the Long Jump (21-10) and Roy-Hart’s Tysen McCaa seventh in the Triple Jump (40-4 3/4).
Strawberry Fest Parade proves a delight in Albion
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Today’s 37th annual Strawberry Festival Parade for the first time include the mini-cars from the Damascus Shriners from Webster. There were eight mini-cars in the parade and the drivers zipped around in circles to the thrill of the crowd.
The cars line up after their spectacle on the street and the crowd gave them a big applause.
Orly the Ox served as grand marshal for the parade. Orly is the county’s mascot during this year’s bicentennial celebration of the county.
Orly was driven by Brad Shelp in a 1954 Bell Air convertible. Behind the grand marshal are royalty members from the middle school, Alexis Neff and Mason Rotthoff.
Fire trucks from the Albion Joint Fire District and other emergency response vehicles make their way down Main Street in the 37th annual Albion Strawberry Festival Parade.
Jeremy Neal drives a tractor, “Little Tex,” named in honor of his late son Byron, who passed away from cancer at age 8 on April 14, 2023. Jeremy’s wife Tina and their friend Adele Mathes were part of the display for the CURE Foundation to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer.
Ryan Lasal, director of Community & Family Program Innovation at Community Action, served as emcee for the parade. He shared details of the marching bands, including the Mark Time Marchers in photo, as well as other floats and participants. There were nearly 50 different entries in the parade.
Amy Sidari, who has retired as owner of Gotta Dance by Miss Amy, joined many of her dancers on the parade route. New owner, Danielle Schmidt, also danced with the group on Main Street.
Sheryl Watts, owner and artistic designer of Air Raising Events, made a butterfly out of balloons. Watts in previous parades has made other characters, including a strawberry and a purple eagle.
Members and supporters of Arc GLOW and the Self Advocate All-Stars marched in the parade, and some carried signs including this one, “Be Kind, For Everyone You Meet is Fighting A Battle.”
Natasha Wasuck wore an inflatable reindeer costume while walking in the parade with her husband, John Hernandez, and their daughter, Ephy. They are members of the Albion Betterment Committee which has tried t promote Albion’s heritage as the home of the first Santa School. The family also owns The Lockstone and Tinsel.
The Albion FFA tossed candy and greeted people from their float.
Kids go over to see veterans who were handing out flags. Honor Guard member Matt Passarell is at front right.
Mike Donahue, right, and James Hollinger handed out flags to children along the parade route. They were also promoting a medical transportation service for veterans run by the Orleans County Joint Veterans Council.
Gilligan’s Galley at Point Breeze made a festive float for the parade.
Kerry Panek, driving the Gator, was joined by many of her family members in celebrating 40 years of strawberries at Panek’s Pickin’ Patch in Albion.
The Town and Country Quilt Shop participated in the parade. From left include quilt shop owner Tara Thom, Debbie Thies, Brenda Radzinski, Hayley Rimmer and Carrie Standish.
The quilters also displayed the Bicentennial Quilt that Town and Country Quilt Shop members made for Orleans County’s 200th birthday this year.
Keira Zambito, left, and Julia Button served as festival royalty from the high school.
Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance in the parade to promote the lighted parade in Albion later in December.
Many of the tee ball players and their families and coaches tossed out candy to eager parade spectators.
Republican-endorsed candidates in Barre present priorities for town
Editor:
The Town of Barre has a Republican primary this year. We need all registered voters to turn out as in a small town, every vote matters.
We are the candidates endorsed by the Republican party: Steven Coville for Town Supervisor; Dave Allen and Wes Miller for Town Board.
We seek to represent our community with integrity, commitment and common-sense leadership. While there are other Republicans in the race, we believe our priorities, vision and dedication to practical solutions set us apart as the best choice for our town’s future.
Our many years of voluntarily serving on the planning and grievance committees and serving on the zoning committee demonstrates our commitment to serving this community.
Agriculture is the backbone of our community and we fully support our local farm businesses and ag-related businesses. We understand the challenges they face from regulations to marketing and we will be a strong advocate for protecting and expanding our ag economy.
Clean reliable drinking water should never be a luxury. All residents should have safe and secure access to clean drinking water. This is a quality-of-life issue. Portions of our town are without public water or internet access.
We also believe we are stronger when we work together. That’s why we will actively seek partnerships with neighboring communities to tackle challenges to the benefit of everyone.
Fiscal responsibility is not a campaign promise for us, but it’s a guiding principle. Every dollar must be used wisely and transparently. We will prioritize budgeting that reflects the needs and values of our residents, not waste or politics.
Mostly we will listen. We believe in hearing from all sides, considering every viewpoint and then making a decision that is truly in the best interest of our entire town.
This election is about who can lead with clarity, fairness and a commitment to all residents. We are ready to do the work and ask for your trust and vote on June 24th.
Thank you.
Your Republican candidates,
Steven Coville
Dave Allen
Wesley Miller
Barre
Early voting begins today for Republican primaries in Barre, Shelby and Yates
ALBION – Today is the first day of early voting for Republican primaries in three towns: Barre, Shelby and Yates.
Early voting continues each day until Sunday, June 22. The polling location is at the Board of Elections Office, 14016 State Route 31 in Albion.
The primaries include:
Barre: Two candidates for the town supervisor position – Scott Burnside and Stephen Coville II. Four candidates for two positions as town council member: George McKenna Jr., Wesley Miller, David Allen and Iva McKenna.
Shelby: Two candidates for town supervisor: James Heminway and Scott Wengewicz. Four candidates for two spots as town council member: Vassilios Bitsas, Lawrence Waters Sr., Edward Zelazny and Michael Moriarty.
Yates: Three candidates for two Town Board seats: Harold Suhr, William Jurinich and Terry Chaffee Jr.
Early voting dates and hours include:
- Saturday, June 14 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, June 15 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Monday, June 16 – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 17 – 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 18 – 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Thursday, June 19 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday, June 20 – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday, June 21 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, June 22 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Primary voting will also be June 24 with polling locations at the three towns.
Lady Tigers have G-R All-Star quartet
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Genesee Regon League All-Star quartet includes, from left, Addie Dillenbeck, Hannah Fox, Brooke Robinson and Arnie Sturtevant.
Division 2 co-champion Lyndonville has placed four players on the Genesee Region League All-Star softball team.
The Lady Tigers honored quartet includes senior catcher Addie Dillenbeck, junior infielder Brooke Robinson, sophomore infielder Hannah Fox and freshman pitcher Arnie Sturtevant.
Dillenbeck has also been named G-R Player of the Year.
In addition, Lyndonville Coach Joe Moore has been named G-R Coach of the Year. His Lady Tigers shared the G-R Division 2 title with Oakfield-Alabama at 11-1 and finished with an overall record of 19-3.
Dillenbeck hit .586 with 5 doubles, 11 triples, 2 home runs and 23 RBIs overall on the season.
Robinson hit .368 with 7 doubles, 1 home run and 17 RBIs.
Fox hit .362 with3 doubles and 18 RBIs.
Sturtevant went 14-0 in the circle with 104 strikeouts and a 1.19 earned run average. At the plate, she hit .469 with 13 doubles, 4 triples, 3 home runs and 25 RBIs.
Lyndonville Coach Joe Moore, shown here meeting with his infield, has been named G-R League Coach of the Year,
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Community Coalition hosting speaker June 18 about the war in Ukraine
Press Release, Community Coalition for Justice
ALBION – As part of its ongoing discussion about significant matters that face us as Americans, the Community Coalition for Justice brings you a presentation entitled the “Russian War In Ukraine.”
It will be held on Wednesday, June 18, at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church at 10 East Park Street (corner of Main and Park Streets) in Albion. The presentation begins at 6 p.m.
The main speaker is Dr. Steven J. Jurek, chairman of SUNY Brockport’s Political Science and International Studies Department.
About the war in Ukraine, Dr. Jurek has said:
“The democratization process is heavily influenced by both domestic and international factors. Ukraine is no exception; history, economic, politics, culture and religion are all relevant in how Ukraine has struggled to consolidate democracy in the post-Soviet era and subsequently, the Russian war in Ukraine. Putin’s perception that any westward turn by Ukrainians exposes the fragility of Russian regional hegemony and in turn, threatens his own stranglehold on power in Russia helps us explain events for the last several decades in Eastern Europe and in particular the war of aggression against Ukraine.”
There will be a Question & Answer period and light refreshments. This a free event and all are welcome. There is easy disabled access.
The Community Coalition for Justice is a collaboration of people from the Albion Betterment Committee, the Social Justice Committee, People Embracing Diversity and the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church.
Holley’s Flag Day tradition continues with patriotic parade
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Elementary students at Holley Central School enjoyed their parade this morning from the school down North Main Street, down Route 31 through the Pubic Square and ending at the Murray-Holley Historical Society depot museum.
The parade has been an annual tradition in Holley since 1957.
Holley Police Chief Robert Barton joined the students in the parade. “Good Citizens” from each grade level also were recognized at the Flag Day celebration.
A student gives a high-five to Orly the Ox, the Orleans County bicentennial mascot.
The procession included about 500 students, and many of them were joined by their parents for the walk in the village to the celebration at the museum.
The Safety Pup rode with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office. Safety Pup is a nationally recognized mascot of National Child Safety Council. Many police and sheriff departments around the country embrace the Safety Pup as a mascot to promote safety.
After the parade, Orly the Ox met Safety Pup. They are joined by Chief Deputy Jim DeFilipps, left, and Sheriff Chris Bourke.
Lots of red, white and blue were on display as students walked from school to museum.
Heminway would be a proven leader as Shelby town supervisor
Editor:
When I first learned that Jim Heminway was seeking an elected office, my immediate reaction was, “Why?” He’s retired, go fishing!
But before that thought had fully formed in my brain, the answer was right there. The why is simple; he’s looking to make a difference in his community — a genuine, if not noble, chance to give back to an area and people that he truly respects.
It’s that last word, “respect,” that carries the most gravitas. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Jim for over 16 years. I can say without exception that he is the consummate manager, one who earned my trust and respect by always acting with the utmost professionalism regardless of the individual or the situation. Whether he was dealing with the vice-president of a multi-billion-dollar corporation or a tiny little radio station, each was treated the same way – with respect.
Beyond his personal actions and self-accountability, he recognizes that success isn’t built by one person — that a team is what breeds ultimate success. To this end, Jim possesses an uncanny ability to understand how the right talent can be leveraged to achieve results.
Through his enviable management style, he creates an environment that fosters the best in each individual and provides the right words of direction or encouragement to keep even the strongest personality types on the right track and avoid unnecessary and detrimental conflict.
Jim provides the perfect mix for a town supervisor. Someone with years of top-level management over million-dollar budgets, hundreds of people, and dozens of disciplines. His proven track record of successes is further testament to a leader who asks for and gets results, as well as a person who can be trusted to say what they will do and do what they say. When you combine those attributes with someone who wants to do the job, you’re poised for the best possible outcome.
I sincerely hope the voters in your community take this unique opportunity to elect Jim as Town of Shelby Supervisor. He has, and always will have, my full endorsement regardless of whatever role he seeks. I encourage your voters to elect Jim Heminway and watch things get done!
Respectfully submitted,
William G. Robertson
VP Business Development
Digital Alert Systems in Lyndonville
Lots of activities and food at Strawberry Festival
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Strawberry Festival kicked off today for the 37th time offering many options for food and fun, including these people on a trackless train ride.
Bands today include Sky Cats from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at food court west; the Kendall Community Band from 5 to 7 p.m. at the courthouse; Salvatore Rocks from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at food court east; and Steve Novak, an acoustic soloist from 7 to 9 p.m. at Martin’s on Main.
Saturday will be a full day of events starting with a 5k/8k at 8 a.m., parade at 10 a.m., cruise-in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., turtle race at 2 p.m., and other live music and entertainment until 8:30 p.m.
Click here to see the schedule of events.
There are about 30 food vendors at the festival. It is the big turnout out for food vendors in the festival’s history, and some needed to be located on Main Street, north of Bank Street.
Chad Pike of the Tavern on the Ridge is among about 30 food vendors. He is shown at the grill with marinated chicken and kielbasa kabobs and beef on weck wraps. This is Pike’s first time as food vendor at the Strawberry Festival.
He said he wanted to be part of the festival that means so much to Albion and the Orleans County community.
Buffie Edick of Kent is one of 70 arts and crafts vendors. She makes crocheted stuffies with her business, Buffie’s Loveys.
“I love the festival,” she said. “The whole town comes out and the other vendors are so friendly.”
Edick said she expects her turtle stuffies will be her best sellers, as well as the crocheted strawberries.
She praised the festival committee for putting on a well-organized event.
Jeff Andrews, left, and Dave Allen are making strawberry sundaes and shortcake in the Music Boosters booth by the Presbyterian Church.
Doug Farley, left, and Dick Remley are selling turtle tickets for the big race at 2 p.m. on Saturday on the Erie Canal. About 1,000 turtles will race. The turtles are numbered and the ticket holders of the five winning turtles will win money.
The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion brought 10 residents to the festival and they were joined by family and staff. The residents made their own Strawberry Festival shirts to wear at the event.
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Oak Orchard Health CEO receives ‘Women of Excellence’ award
Press Release, Oak Orchard Health
Provided photo: Pictured from left include Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of Rochester Business Journal; Karen Kinter, CEO of Oak Orchard Health; and Ben Jacobs, editor of RBJ.
BROCKPORT – The Women of Excellence awards recognize high-achieving women for their career accomplishments, including professional experience, community involvement, leadership, and sustained commitment to mentoring.
Karen Kinter of Albion, CEO of Oak Orchard Health, is among this year’s class, which features 50 women from a variety of industries. The Women of Excellence were honored at an awards celebration on May 8 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
The honorees were selected by a panel of judges comprised of previous years’ Circle of Excellence and Women of Excellence honorees and the Rochester Business Journal’s editorial team.
“The 2025 Women of Excellence are outstanding leaders who inspire innovation, celebrate success and support the next generation of leaders. They open doors and create positive change, sharing their success with their professional network and the community around them,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/Rochester Business Journal. “The Circle of Excellence honorees are trailblazers and change makers who aren’t afraid to face adversity and stand up for their beliefs. They know the value of helping other women see something special in themselves, something they might not have known was there. We at the Rochester Business Journal are pleased to honor these transformational leaders.”
Under Kinter’s leadership, Oak Orchard Health has undertaken several major initiatives to improve care delivery for patients.
“I’m honored to be selected among this group of leaders for the Women of Excellence award,” Kinter said. “Leading an organization that positively impacts numerous lives across a vast geographic area is incredibly fulfilling. We provide medical, dental, and behavioral health services to everyone.”
Oak Orchard Health is a non-profit federally qualified health center with 34,000 patients at nine locations.
With more than 20 years of health care experience, Kinter previously served as vice president of specialty revenue program and CEO of Regional Health Services for Rochester Regional Health. She holds an MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business.
