Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of multiple individuals following a series of investigations conducted in conjunction with the Department of Social Services into alleged public assistance fraud.
As a result of these investigations, several subjects were charged with offenses including Welfare Fraud, Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Criminal use of a public benefit card and Offering a False Instrument for Filing.
The following were charged: Hunter Green, David Savage, Kayla Twiss, Suzanne Adams, Felicia Gaddis, Tammie Sanchez, Brenda Dukes, Lisa Mcdaniels, Stephanie DeRosa and Ashley Chambers.
It is alleged that the individuals collectively received $17,236.41 in public assistance benefits to which they were not entitled.
All subjects were issued appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear in the Town of Albion Court at a later date.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work closely with the Department of Social Services to investigate and prosecute fraud-related offenses.
Photo courtesy of Medina Triennial: This is a production still for Two Waters, 2026, by Tania Candiani. It is a new commission for the Medina Triennial.
Press Release, Medina Triennial
MEDINA – The Medina Triennial is pleased to unveil the full list of artists of its inaugural edition, All That Sustains Us, taking place June 6 to Sept. 7 in the Western New York village of Medina, along the Erie Canal.
Co-Artistic Directors Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo have invited 39 artists and collectives from across five continents to create a free, walkable, village-wide exhibition featuring over 100 works, including new site-specific commissions by 18 artists shaped in response to Western New York’s communities and ecosystems—many created in collaboration with local residents.
Following a year of on-the-ground research, Conte and Laansoo developed a curatorial framework rooted in the intersection of art, ecology, architecture, and rural contexts, while prioritizing local production to minimize carbon-intensive shipping.
Bringing artists from across the globe into dialogue with Medina and Western New York, the Triennial unfolds amid the histories, materials, and social worlds of the region. The works on view approach maintenance through linked themes: land relations and extraction, waterways and water stewardship, labor and repair, public life and community building, and the visible and hidden systems that shape everyday life.
Moving across different scales, the exhibition brings together building blocks and ruins, folklore and industry, farming and food security, interspecies kinship and ecological grief, as well as broader questions of conflict. Throughout Medina’s buildings, canalfront, parks, and former industrial sites, visitors encounter works that embody both endurance and fragility.
“All That Sustains Us echoes a question artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles posed in 1969 and never stopped asking: what does it take to keep things going? The Medina Triennial asks what forms of labor, knowledge, and commitment sustain civic life, ecological systems, and the built environment, especially under conditions of strain,” said Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo, co-artistic directors of the Triennial. “The works gathered here emerged from research and dialogue with artists and offer many distinct positions. What connects them is a shared attention to the forces, materials, and ideas that hold communities together, and to the conditions under which those structures begin to break down.”
The Triennial’s sites span the full breadth of the village. Situated in a former sandstone hotel overlooking the canal, the Medina Triennial Hub will serve as a welcome center, a home for education and residency programs, and a site for two major commissions—48 Collections from the Erie Canal by Futurefarmers and Reflection by Asad Raza.
The main exhibition site is 25,000 square feet of the Catherine Street Old Medina High School building, which has been closed to students and the public for more than three decades and recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, where new commissions include A Good Wall by James Beckett, Two Waters by Tania Candiani, INT. HOME(S) by Ash Arder, THE TELL by Matt Kenyon, and Between Blossom and Core by Kärt Ojavee.
Works will also be presented at the Medina Railroad Museum, Orleans County YMCA, Medina Memorial Hospital, Rotary Park, State Street Park, and Sacred Heart Church, as well as installations directly on the Erie Canal.
Anchoring the outdoor program is a new site-specific commission by Lina Lapelytė, Faithfully Recording, a durational performance where singers and construction workers collaboratively build a public sculpture from reclaimed Medina sandstone on the Medina Railroad Museum’s grounds.
Scott Hocking presents a new commission in the empty lot beside the historic Medina Theater on Main Street. Further highlights include Anne Duk Hee Jordan’s water purification sculpture I travelled 66 million years to be with you and then you came, to be shown at State Street Park; Community Toolshed for the Birds by Richard Ighby & Marilou Lemmens, an interspecies collaboration installed at Rotary Park; Jane Jin Kaisen’s Sorrow Waters This Land; and Evelyne Leblanc-Roberge’s multimedia installation All the hours, presented at the Medina Memorial Hospital.
The Triennial also marks the first U.S. presentation of works by Deirdre O’Mahony and Tokyo-based collective SIDE CORE, whose large-scale installation at Sacred Heart Church brings their distinctive engagement with construction infrastructure and public space to an American audience for the first time.
New works were produced under the Medina Triennial Fieldwork Residency, an initiative that gives artists time, space, and resources within Medina—including a cohort of local scientists, architects, farmers, and small business owners from across Western New York—to support research, foster collaboration, and deepen community connections. The program is designed to tailor commissions to the region through immersion in the village and its surroundings.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mary Mattingly is shown in September on a canal barge that she will be turning into a floating garden that should bear fruit this summer as part of the inaugural Medina Triennial. Mattingly will transform the 27-by-80-foot barge into a showcase for plants and nature. She led a similar initiative in New York City, and that repurposed barge drew 350,000 visitors and more than 900 guided tours.
In Fall 2025, Mary Mattingly and James Beckett began their residencies to create new commissions for the Triennial. Mattingly developed Floating Garden, a barge-based living artwork built with local residents and students from the Rochester Institute of Technology led by architect Amanda Reis, while Beckett explored how architecture carries local history, material intelligence, and slow instability, in collaboration with the University of Buffalo.
This Spring, Selva Aparicio and Michael Wang are in residence in Medina—Aparicio at work on Maintenance, a broom carved from anthracite coal, while Wang develops Future Sugarbush, a nascent sugar bush grove planned by the artist, and Sugarbush Energy, a canned maple sap drink that will be available for free throughout the Triennial, and at select businesses across Medina.
The Triennial also creates a space for recontextualization of existing works. Alice Bucknell’s Staring at the Sun, a sci-fi documentary about solar geoengineering and the limits of rendering the atmosphere as something wholly knowable, will be shown in the U.S. for the first time.
Buffalo-based Nigerian artist Victoria-Idongesit Udonian, also presenting at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, will show a new configuration of her large three-part installation, exploring the links between bodies and transit within global labor economies. AKI INOMATA presents How to Carve a Sculpture—an ongoing series of wood carvings produced by beavers enlisted by the artist’s collaborators at zoos across Japan. The Triennial will also honor Jay Carrier—an essential presence in Western New York’s artistic community, who passed away in 2025, presenting three of his mixed media works, The Children Will Heal Us (2018), American Landscape (2015), and Night Dancer (2019) throughout the Catherine Street main site.
The Medina Triennial was initiated with major support provided by the New York Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation, conceived as part of a broader strategy to showcase the Erie Canal as active civic infrastructure.
Further programming and event details forthcoming. For more information and to sign up for the official newsletter, please visit medinatriennial.org.
Medina Triennial 2026 Artists
Ash Arder (she/they) b. 1988, Flint, MI; lives in Detroit, MI
Selva Aparicio (she/her) b. 1987, Barcelona, Spain; lives in Alfred, NY, and Chicago, IL
James Beckett (he/him) b. 1977, Harare, Zimbabwe; lives in New York, NY and Amsterdam, Netherlands
Taysir Batniji (he/him) b. 1966, Gaza, Palestine; lives in Paris, France
Alice Bucknell (they/them) b. 1993, London, UK; lives in Los Angeles, CA
Tania Candiani (she/her) b.1974, Mexico City, Mexico; lives in Mexico City, Mexico
Jay Carrier (he/him) Onondaga/Tuscarora Nations, Wolf Clan; b. 1963, Six Nations reservation in Ontario, Canada; d. 2025, Niagara Falls, NY
Harun Farocki (he/him) b. 1944, Nový Jičín, Czechoslovakia (present-day Czechia); d. 2014, Berlin, Germany
Jeneen Frei Njootli (they/them) b. 1988, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada; lives in Old Crow, Yukon, Canada
FIBRA – est. 2019, Lima, Peru; Lucia Monge, b. 1983; Gianine Tabja, b.1983; Gabriela Flores del Pozo, b. 1979
Futurefarmers – est. 1994, San Francisco, CA; including Amy Franceschini, b. 1970, Patterson, CA; Michael Swaine, b. 1971, Buffalo, NY; and FS Bàssïbét, b. 1997, Elmina, Ghana
Terike Haapoja (she/her) b. 1974, Helsinki, Finland; lives in Berlin, Germany
Greg Halpern (he/him) b. 1977, Buffalo, NY; lives in Rochester, NY
Carole Harris (she/her) b. 1943, Detroit, MI; lives in Detroit, MI
Scott Hocking (he/him) b. 1975, Detroit, MI; lives in Detroit, MI
Gözde İlkin (they/them) b. 1981, Kütahya, Türkiye; lives in İstanbul, Türkiye
Richard Ibghy (he/him) & Marilou Lemmens (she/her) b. 1964, Montreal, Canada; lives in Durham-Sud, Canada b. 1976, Ascot Corner, Canada; lives in Durham-Sud, Canada
AKI INOMATA (she/her) b. 1983, Tokyo, Japan; lives in Tokyo, Japan
Anne Duk Hee Jordan (they/them) b.1978, South Korea; lives in Berlin, Germany
Jane Jin Kaisen (she/her) b. 1980, Jeju, South Korea; lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, and New York, NY
Matt Kenyon (he/him) b. 1977, Baton Rouge, LA; lives in Buffalo, NY
Evelyne Leblanc-Roberge (she/they) b. 1981, Maria, Quebec, Canada; lives in Rochester, NY
Dionne Lee (she/her) b.1988, New York, NY; lives in Columbus, OH
Lina Lapelytė (she/her) b. 1984, Kaunas, Lithuania; lives in London, UK, and Vilnius, Lithuania
Matthew López-Jensen (he/him) b. 1980, CT; lives in Bronx, NY
Cathy Lu (she/her) b. 1984, Miami, FL; lives in Richmond, CA
Mary Mattingly (she/her) b. 1978, Rockville, CT; lives in New York, NY
Deirdre O’Mahony (she/her) b. 1956, Limerick, Ireland; lives in Cork City, Ireland
Abraham O. Oghobase (he/him) b.1979, Lagos, Nigeria; lives in Toronto, Canada
Kärt Ojavee (she/her) b. 1982, Rakvere, Estonia; lives in Tallinn, Estonia
Asad Raza (he/him) b. 1974, Buffalo, NY; lives in Berlin, Germany
Gamaliel Rodriguez (he/him) b.1977, Bayamón, Puerto Rico; lives in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Selma Selman (she/her) b. 1991, Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina; lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Finnegan Shannon (they/them) b. 1989, Berkeley, CA; lives in New York, NY
Jean Shin (she/her) b. 1971, Seoul, South Korea; lives in Hurley, NY
SIDE CORE – est. 2012, Tokyo, Japan; based in Tokyo, Japan
Victoria-Idongesit Udondian (she/her) b. 1982, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria; lives in New York, NY, and Lagos, Nigeria
Mierle Laderman Ukeles (she/her) b. 1939, Denver, CO; lives in New York, NY and Jerusalem, Israel
Michael Wang (he/him) b. 1981, Olney, MD, USA; lives in Upper Grandview, NY
Press Release, Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
Photo shows screenshot taken from Pixcams. The second and remaining chick is being fed.
BASOM – A second eaglet has died in the bald eagle nest being watched at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.
The eaglet, the third chick to hatch, died at about the same age as the first one and in a similar manner.
In this case, the chick ended up falling out of the nest after getting going in the wrong direction.
“We are wondering if perhaps this being a newly built nest means it is shallower than most of the more established nests that are seen on cameras,” said Emma DeLeon, vice president of the refuge Friends group. “We could be seeing things happen that occur in nature regularly, but are not usually observed.”
The moderators of the eagle cam are sad about this unfortunate event but are rooting for INWR2, the second chick to hatch, who is still doing well.
INWR2 is almost twice as old as either of the chicks who died, so hopefully it is beyond the most dangerous phase.
“Please remember that what seems tragic to us is part of life for these eagles, and that the parents and remaining chick will continue on as before,” said DeLeon.
“Nature has its own way, and we can’t change that,” said Friends group President Richard Moss. “But we can continue to watch and learn from INWR2 and its parents.”
Egg 1 was laid on February 20, hatched April 1 and died April 6. Egg 3 was laid February 27, hatched April 7 and died April 12.
The remaining eagle chick was laid February 23 and hatched April 3, making it 10 days old today, or twice as old as its two siblings were when they died.
The Friends group’s Eagle Watches on Saturdays at the Cayuga Overlook are drawing a crowd — over 100 people this past weekend. And the Friends Facebook page, which tracks developments on the nest camera, has seen a dramatic increase in views and comments, Moss said.
A link to the bald eagle nest camera can be found at the Friends website, FINWR.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 April 2026 at 9:35 am
National price up a penny to $4.13 while state sees average increase of 6 cents
Photo by Tom Rivers: A gas station in Pembroke next to the Thruway was selling regular unleaded at $4.19 and diesel at $6.05 on Saturday. The average price for diesel in the state is at $5.95 today, up 5 cents from a week ago.
The average price for regular unleaded gasoline took another big jump Orleans County over the past seven days, a 17-cent increase to $4.178 today, AAA is reporting.
The increase was as steep nationally and state-wide. The national and state averages for gas is $4.13, up a cent nationally from last Monday and up 6 cents in new York State, AAA said. A year ago the national average was $3.20 a gallon while the state average was $3.11.
“Crude oil prices remain high, coming in at $101-$103 per barrel this morning, as the conflict in the Middle East continues,” AAA said. “The price for a barrel of crude dropped below $100 but then rose again, highlighting the volatility of oil markets and fluidity of geopolitical events. In 2022, gas prices remained elevated from March through August, after Russia invaded Ukraine, peaking in June when the nation average reached a record of $5/gallon for one week.”
Here are the average prices in counties around Western New York:
Orleans, $4.178
Genesee, $4.126
Monroe, $4.181
Niagara, $4.100
Erie, $4.167
Wyoming, $4.141
Livingston, $4.181
Chautauqua, $4.102
Cattaraugus, $3.885
Allegany, $4.084
The highest price in the state is at $4.339 in Manhattan (New York County).
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 13 April 2026 at 9:17 am
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Led by this quartet of veterans, Albion will begin defense of its Niagara-Orleans League tennis title at Akron on Wednesday. The Purple Eagles veteran foursome includes junior Jillian LeBaron, senior Hanna Kumalac, senior Bradyn Whittier and senior Landon Graybill. Graybill earned first team N-O All-League honors last spring while LeBaron was an Honorable Mention selection. The Purple Eagles graduation losses include first team N-O All-League honoree Leo Bolton and Honorable Mention pick Oliver Beach. Coach Jay Kovaleski’s Purple Eagles posted an 11-1 record last spring to capture the N-O championship for the second year in a row.
Press Release, Allies of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation
TOWN OF ALABAMA – Concerned local residents are calling attention to a new third-party report that undermines claims regarding the supposed economic benefits associated with a proposal from developer STREAM US Data Centers and its financial backer, multinational private equity giant Apollo Global Management, for a sprawling data center complex at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) being developed by the Genesee County Economic Development Center in the town of Alabama.
The Applied Economics Center, a non-profit consulting group that offers expert services in the areas of energy, environment, consumer protection, and equity, reviewed the financial incentives application from STREAM for $1.46 billion in sales tax and mortgage tax abatements and produced a report (click here) that addresses the claimed costs and benefits for the local community. Concerned local residents will gather today at 12:30 p.m. at the Batavia City Center to draw attention to the report findings.
Among the report’s key findings:
STREAM does not provide any supporting materials for its cost-benefit analysis (CBA), which fails to meet standards expected in a public decision-making process and is insufficient to determine whether the proposed project would provide net benefits for the local community.
STREAM failed to address potential costs associated with the project, including: effects on property values, effects on tourism and recreation, utility bill impacts, public health impacts, the cost of public infrastructure required for the project, or the local disturbances associated with project development such as placing cables and fiber optic lines.
STREAM’s job creation estimates exceed values found in publicly available data and information, average publicly available estimates indicate that the proposed project would create about 4,100 fewer direct temporary jobs than the company claims, and 1,300 fewer indirect temporary jobs than the company claims.
STREAM has requested a local sales tax abatement and mortgage recording tax abatement, which – taken together – are worth 25 times more than the benefits provided by the proposed PILOT/Host payments. In other words: STREAM has requested tax abatements worth 25 times more than the promised benefits.
STREAM’s proposed data center may negatively impact local tourism and recreation, which are an integral part of the community and economy.
STREAM has submitted three CBAs to GCEDC. The CBA results differ substantially from one CBA to the next: total costs increased from $472 million to $781 million to $1.4 billion, and total benefits vary from $1.2 billion to $2.6 billion. STREAM has provided minimal documentation to explain or justify these differences.
The project would require 500 megawatts of electricity, approximately four times the total generation capacity currently operating in Genesee County (122 MW).
The STAMP data center proposal from STREAM and Apollo has faced strong local opposition. More than 300 people attended a March 19 public hearing on the requested financial incentives package. Over the course of more than 5 ½ hours, only two speakers expressed support for the data center proposal.
Due to a glitch with the livestream and videorecording, the hearing did not qualify as the legally required public hearing pursuant to Article 18-1 of the General Municipal Law. GCEDC has scheduled a supplemental public hearing for April 16 at 4 p.m. at the Town of Alabama Fire Hall and extended its written comment deadline to April 17. The Town of Alabama Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the Site Plan Application from STREAM on April 20 at 6 p.m. at the Alabama Fire Hall. Both hearings are open to all members of the public.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 April 2026 at 5:14 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Members of Butts-Clark American Legion Post, Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion are welcoming the 76th New York State Bowling Tournament to Medina Lanes on April 18. This is the first time the tournament has been played in Medina. From left, in front, are Kim Stevens, Rick and Robin Boyle, Scott Carlton, Cathy Fox, Greg Smith, Judi Overholt and Chris and Jim Foss, owners of the bowling alley. Second row, from left, are Wayne Hale, Bob Stevens, Phil Rednick, Guy Eaton, Joni and Bob Meehan.
MEDINA – For the first time in 75 years, the Annual New York State American Legion Family Bowling tournament will take place in Medina.
Members of the Butts-Clark American Legion Post, Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion will welcome 80 bowlers to the tournament at Medina Lanes for four weekends from April 18 to May 10.
The tournament is open to members of posts, units, squadrons and chapters across New York, including Legion Riders.
The committee planning the event has already received incredible support from the community, said Phil Rednick, a member of Sons of the American Legion.
“We want to thank them,” he said.
Sponsorship opportunities include full, half or quarter page or business card size ads in the program book; lane sponsors with a lane banner with business name and logo; and donations of baskets for a raffle.
“This is an excellent opportunity for the businesses of Medina to shine and encourage visitors to come back again and again,” the committee said.
In addition to Rednick, committee members include Judy and Rick Overholt, Auxiliary and American Legion members; Cathy Fox, president of the American Legion Auxiliary; Rick and Robin Boyle, Sons of the American Legion and Auxiliary; Scott Carlton, commander of Sons of the American Legion; Wayne Hale, SAL; Bob and Kim Stevens, SAL and Auxiliary; Guy Eaton, Sons of the American Legion; Greg Smith, American Legion; and Bob and Joni Meehan, SAL and Auxiliary.
Rednick said they invite bowlers to come on Friday night, explore the town and shop.
“We hope they will come back for the Triennial,” he said.
Rednick acknowledged Penny Brown of Batavia, who spearheaded efforts to bring the tournament to Medina and helped organize it.
“We are very happy to welcome this tournament to Medina, and all the veterans and their families,” Rednick said.
The event begins with an opening ceremony with flags at 12:30 p.m. April 18 at Medina Lanes.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 12 April 2026 at 9:24 am
Niagara-Orleans League baseball competition will get underway on Monday as defending champion Medina hosts last year’s runner-up Akron, Albion visits Roy-Hart and Barker hosts Wilson all at 4:45 p.m.
Medina captured the N-O crown last spring with a 12-0 record as Akron finished at 9-3. Albion and Roy-Hart tied for third place at 7-5.
Wednesday’s N-O tennis openers will have defending champion Albion at Akron and Medina at Newfane.
The N-O track season also gets underway on Thursday with Albion at Akron, Medina at Barker and Wilson at rival Newfane.
Weekly Schedule Monday Baseball – Akron at Medina, Albion at Roy-Hart, Wilson at Barker, 4:45 p.m.; Kendall at Attica, 5 p.m. Softball – Batavia at Albion, Roy-Hart at Alden, Barker at Elba, Pembroke at Holley, 5 p.m.
Tuesday Softball – Maryvale at Medina, Roy-Hart at Lockport, Lyndonville at Oakfield-Alabama, Holley at Alexander, Elba at Kendall, 5 p.m.
Wednesday Baseball – Medina at Akron, Roy-Hart at Albion, Barker at Wilson, 4:45 p.m.; Notre Dame at Lyndonville, Kendall at Livonia, 5 p.m. Softball – Albion at Barker, Akron at Newfane, Wilson at Roy-Hart, 4:45 p.m.; Holley at Kendall, 5 p.m. Tennis – Albion at Akron, Medina at Newfane, 4:15 p.m.; Kendall at Notre Dame, Byron-Bergen at Holley, 4:30 p.m. Track – Kendall at Holley, Lyndonville at Pembroke, 4:45 p.m. Lacrosse – Wilson at Medina, 7 p.m.
Thursday Softball – Newfane at Lyndonville, Kendall at Attica, 5 p.m. Track – Albion at Akron, Medina at Barker, Wilson at Newfane, 4:15 p.m. Lacrosse – Salamanca at Medina, 6 p.m.
Friday Baseball – Medina at Albion, Roy-Hart at Barker, Wilson at Newfane, 4:45 p.m.; Lyndonville at Elba, Kendall at Pembroke, 5 p.m. Softball – Roy-Hart at Albion, Barker at Akron, 4:45 p.m.; Byron-Bergen at Holley, 5 p.m.
Saturday Softball – Notre Dame at Lyndonville, 11 a.m.; Barker Tournament (Wilson vs. Barker, Oakfield-Alabama vs. Elba) 11 a.m.; consolation and championship games at 1:30 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2026 at 8:24 am
Chris Marsaw, who recently moved to Albion, named ‘Firefighter of the Year’
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jodi Marion, a member of the board of directors for the Albion Fire Department, receives the President’s Award from Albion FD President Scott Papponetti on Saturday during the banquet for the Albion Fire Department and Albion Joint Fire District. Marion was congratulated by, from left: Assistant Fire Chief Matt Francis, Fire Chief Jeremy Graham, and Scott Papponetti, president of the Albion FD. Marion was praised for her work behind the scenes throughout the year. She also did a lot of work planning Saturday’s banquet at the Carlton Rec Hall.
ALBION – The Albion Joint Fire District and Albion Fire Department held its annual banquet on Saturday night and celebrated a busy year 2025 where firefighters responded to 692 calls.
It was the first year of the Fire Department operated under the Joint Fire District. The department used to be part of the Village of Albion. It started on Jan. 1, 2025 as its own taxing entity with its own board of commissioners.
David Buczek, vice chairman of the board of commissioners, thanks the volunteer firefighters for their commitment to the community. Buczek is joined by chairman Al Cheverie. They spoke during Saturday’s banquet at the Carlton Rec Hall.
Buczek thanked the members of the Albion Fire Department.
“The dedication and professionalism you bring to this community does not go unnoticed,” Buczek told the firefighters. “You show up day in and day out, often in situations most people hope they never have to face, and yet you do it with pride, skill and commitment.”
He thanked the families and loved ones of the firefighters for their sacrifices when firefighters respond and answer the calls for service.
The commissioners are pleased with the good working relationship with the fire department and the commitment to giving firefighters the tools and resources to serve the community, Buczek said.
“Investing in better tools, safer gear, new apparatuses and updated equipment. These aren’t just line items in a budget, they’re investments in our firefighters and in the safety of our community,” Buczek said. “When our crews are better equipped, they can do their jobs more effectively and more safely, and that benefits everyone.”
Kevin Sheehan, left, was recognized for his service as a fire commissioner. Sheehan was elected an Albion village trustee on March 18. He stepped down as fire commissioner on March 29 due to potential conflicts with both roles. The fire district rents the fire hall from the village.
Sheehan received a plaque from Al Cheverie, chairman of the fire commissioners, and David Buczek, the vice chairman.
The plaque stated: “With sincere appreciation and in recognition of your service as a commissioner of the Albion Joint Fire District from Jan. 1, 2025 to March 29, 2026.”
Marty Stirk receives the award as “Driver of the Year” from Fire Chief Jeremy Graham.
The Fire Department presented several awards on Saturday.
Chief’s Award – Fire Chief Jeremy Graham presented the “Chief’s Award” to deputy chief Steven Papponetti for his constant communication and commitment to the department in many ways.
Chris Marsaw, left, is congratulated by Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Graham after being recognized as the “Firefighter of the Year” for 2025 in the Albion Joint Fire District. Marsaw joined Albion as a firefighter about 1 ½ years ago after moving to the community and responded to 251 calls last year. He works as an EMT for Mercy Flight.
President’s Award: Scott Papponetti, the Albion FD president, recognized Jodi Marion with the award for her efforts behind the scenes and her work planning the annual banquet. Marion is on the department’s board of directors.
Officer of the Year: AJ Fisher, who is first lieutenant, and a frequent responder and leader of the fire department.
Firefighter for the Year: Chris Marsaw, who joined the Albion FD about 18 months ago after being a part of the North Greece and Lakeshore departments. Marsaw, 30, moved to Albion with his wife Kimmie and their two children. They were drawn by the affordable housing.
He joined the Albion FD and he said he was welcomed by the department’s leaders and other firefighters. He responded to 251 calls last year.
“He comes to everything,” said Fire Chief Graham.
Marsaw is an EMT who works for Mercy Flight.
“I like being able to help people,” he said. “Albion is great department. It’s a team effort.”
Top Responder: Jeremy Babcock who responded to 430 out of the department’s 692 calls.
EMT of the Year: Robert Toman, who responded to 321 calls in 2025.
Driver of the Year: Marty Stirk
Years of Service Awards:
5 years: Austin Genno, Brianna Pahura, Victoria Tabor, James Fisher and Emma Klaver
10 years: Allyson Irwin, Gary Rowley Sr., Jason Hapeman and Krystal Hughson
15 years: Fred Piano
20 years: Mike Dalle and Dustin Pahura
25 years: Dennis Hunt, Sarah Meisner and Charles Prentice
35 years: Charlie Monacelli
40 years: Dean Covis
45 years: James Pahura
50 years: Jim Passarell
55 years: Ed Walczak
60 years: Tom Fintak
Some members of the Albion Fire Department gather for a group photo at the department’s annual banquet on Saturday at the Carlton Rec Hall.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 11 April 2026 at 4:56 pm
Photo by CHeryl Wertman – Vinny Gray delivers a pitch for Medina during the Mustangs win over Alexander at Vets Park this afternoon.
Breaking away from a scoreless deadlock with a three run third inning, Medina went on to defeat Alexander 8-2 in a non league baseball game at Vets Park this afternoon.
An error, a sacrifice fly by Kolton Fletcher and a wild pitch plated the three runs in the third for the Mustangs as hits by Cam Fike and Hadrian Batista set up the opportunity.
Medina, which had left the bases loaded in the first inning and stranded two in the second, quickly upped the lead to 5-0 with two runs in the fourth frame on a ground out and a wild pitch. A walk and a single by Aidan Papaj set up the threat.
The Mustangs made it 8-0 with three more runs in the sixth on singles by Preston Woodworth, Batista and Jimmy Dieter along with a wild pitch and an error.
Alexander’s two runs came in the seventh on doubles by Nicholas Marzoff and Sean Pietrzykowski.
Vinny Gray earned the win on the mound for the Mustangs as he allowed only 1 hit and registered 6 strikeouts over the first five innings.
Now at 1-1, Medina will open the Niagara-Orleans League season on Monday against Akron at Vets Park at 4:45 p.m.
Initiative will gather resident feedback, implement action plan
Press Release, Town of Carlton
CARLTON – The Town of Carlton is pleased to announce it has been selected by the Rochester Area Community Foundation and Community Foundation for Buffalo to be the first community to implement the Community Heart & Soul model in Orleans County, an initiative fully funded with grant support from Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.
The program is designed to help build communities through a resident-driven process and take action on what matters most to residents.
The Community Heart & Soul model was developed over 10 years ago and has been recognized nationally by the American Planning Association as a successful approach to community planning and development. Community Heart & Soul doesn’t replace other community development and planning processes but complements existing initiatives to increase engagement and support for community-led programs and activities.
At the suggestion of Carlton Town Supervisor Gayle Ashbury and resident Penny Miller, a team of local residents met in December and January to assess what they love about living in the town of Carlton and what improvements they would like to see.
Representatives in attendance were from Carlton’s business and agriculture communities, town recreation leaders and members of the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association. The attendees’ suggestions included recreational enhancements to the town park such as basketball and pickleball courts as well as trails linking the east and west sides of the Oak Orchard River.
Infrastructure enhancements that were identified included a public sewer system and sidewalks, among other projects. Based on public input, town councilman Brian McCue drafted the application to be considered for the Community Heart & Soul designation for rural communities (population less than 25,000) which will receive seed funding, technical assistance and professional coaching over a period of approximately 18 months.
The core team leaders that were selected to begin implementing the program are Brian McCue, Heather Tabor, Lynne Menz, Penny Miller and Laura Bentley. Their core responsibility will be to carry out the 4 phases of the program:
Phase I – Imagine: build awareness, interest and commitment in all segments of the community;
Phase II – Connect: gather stories from residents to identity what matters most and what they love about their town;
Phase III – Plan: develop action plans to guide future town planning;
Phase IV – Act: get these plans adopted by town council and incorporate them into the comprehensive plan to be used for future policies and decisions.
For more information about Community Heart & Soul, visit www.communityheartandsoul.org. To be involved in the program, contact Penny Miller at 585-331-9292 or email penny@focmp.org.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 11 April 2026 at 4:37 pm
Five scoring innings keyed Barker to a 9-3 win over visiting Lyndonville in a non league baseball game this afternoon.
Barker scored two quick runs in the first inning on a ground out and a wild pitch. The Bulldogs then tallied once in the second on a passed ball, three times in the third on a single by Logan Flint a triple by Billy Jacques and a wild pitch, once in fourth on a triple by Drew LaGreca and twice in the sixth on a two-run single by LaGreca.
LaGreca finished with three hits for Barker while Quincey McClinsey and Lane Woodworth each had two for Lyndonville.
Kam Kassay had a two-run single in the third inning and McClinsey an RBI single in the seventh for Lyndonville.
Flint and Sal Ruvio combined for a 5 hitter with 11 strikeouts for the Bulldogs.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 11 April 2026 at 4:33 pm
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Vinnie D’Agostino, left, and Jacob Abrams combined to hurl Kendall to a 9-1 win over host Albion this afternoon.
Scoring in five different innings, Kendall posted a 9-1 win over host Albion in a non league baseball game this afternoon.
Improving to 5-0, Kendall grabbed an early 2-0 lead by scoring once in the second inning on a wild pitch and once in the third on an error. A double by Jacob Abrams and a single by Andrew Cole set up the second inning tally.
The Eagles then broke the game open by scoring three times in the fifth inning highlighted by a two-run double by Nic Cole. A single by Andrew D’Agostino, an error and a walk loaded the bases to set up the threat.
A sacrifice fly by Jonny Conte, which followed singles by Mikey Colucci and Andrew D’Agostino, plated a solo run in the sixth.
The Eagles capped off the win with three more runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Andrew Cole and a pair of bases loaded walks.
Andrew Cole, Andrew D’Agostino and CJ D’Agostino each finished with a pair of hits.
On the mound for Kendall Vinnie D’Agostino, who pitched the first five innings, and Abrams, who hurled the final two frames, combined for a two hitter with 10 strikeouts.
Albion’s run came in the sixth inning on a wild pitch.
Albion first baseman Omar Fugate stretches to take a throw as Kendall’s Mikey Colucci runs to the bag.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2026 at 9:04 am
Rock the Park brings about 1,000 to Bullard with proceeds going to park improvements
Photos by Tom Rivers: The band 7th Heaven fired up the crowd to close out the 10th Rock the Park music festival at Bullard Park on Aug. 2, 2025. The crowd was rocking for the concert. The organizers gave away 500 glow sticks to the attendees.
ALBION – The bands have been announced for the 11th annual Albion Summer Music Festival, and this Rock the Park will feature some new faces to the amphitheater at Bullard Park and some long-time favorites.
This year’s music festival will be one day on Aug. 1, after recent festivals were for two days. The event takes a lot of effort from a team of volunteers, said Ron Albertson, the festival chairman. He said there is other entertainment going on in the community, including the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
The one-day event at Bullard Park will be a musical showcase.
“We have an incredible, incredible lineup this year,” Albertson said.
The performers include Knight Patrol, Songbirds, The Who Dats, V3, Mixed Experience and Bad Sign.
The band Bad Sign closed out the lineup of performers during last year’s festival on Friday night last festival. Bad Sign stepped in at the last second when there was a cancellation. Bad Sign plays blues, rock and southern rock. The band includes lead singer Erika Horning of Batavia, guitarist Erick Horning of Batavia, bass player Clint Worthington of Holley, drummer Joe Maino of Pembroke, and keyboardist Ron Bordinaro of Batavia.
Proceeds from the event have been used towards improvements at Bullard Park. Recently that included money towards a new pavilion and electrical upgrades. Rock the Park also was critical in the push to overhaul Bullard about a decade ago.
Proceeds initially went to a grant writer. Albion was successful securing a state grant for nearly $500,000 that resulted in the new amphitheater, splash park and pavilion. Other projects followed with new basketball courts, a walking trail and disc golf course.
The latest effort is focused on a new concession stand.
The non-profit organization, Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, runs the Albion Summer Music Festival. The group has committed $5,000 towards the new concession stand, Albertson said.
GACRE also wants a new backstop fence on the baseball diamond as well as improvements to the playing field.
“We’re not done,” Albertson said. “We want to finish at Bullard Park.”
The music festival typically draws about 1,000 people with a $5 entry fee. Albertson said the organizers want to keep it affordable, and keep the amphitheater rocking.
The bands making their debut at the festival include Knight Patrol, a cover band that performs the greatest hits from the ’80s, and Songbirds, a Fleetwood Mac tribute act.
Local favorites include The Who Dats, V3, Mixed Experience and Bad Sign.
The band, V3, performed Friday evening at Bullard Park for the 10th Rock the Park/Summer Music Festival on Aug. 1, 2025. From left in photo include Jesse Neely on bass, lead singer Kole Moore and Alex Fitzak on guitar. V3 will be at this year’s event on Aug. 1.
CARLTON – The Town of Carlton is pleased to announce it has been selected by the Rochester Area Community Foundation and Community Foundation for Buffalo to be the first community to implement the Community Heart & Soul model in Orleans County, an initiative fully funded with grant support from Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.
