By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 November 2016 at 2:24 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: These Little People, which were manufactured when Fisher-Price was in Medina, are pictured as part of a display by the Medina Historical Society in 2014.
ROCHESTER – A toy that was once mass produced in Medina at the former Fisher-Price plant has been inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester.
Museum officials announced Little People have joined the distinguished group of toys. Other inductees announced today include the swing and the game Dungeons & Dragons.
The honorees were selected from a field of 12 finalists that also included: bubble wrap, Care Bears, Clue, coloring book, Nerf, pinball, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Transformers, and Uno.
The Little People are manufactured by Fisher-Price and for many years were made in Medina until Fisher-Price left in the late 1990s. The company started operations in the Orleans County community in 1970.
The Little People are the first Fisher-Price toy to make the Hall of Fame.
“Little People have been a fixture—albeit a small one—in many American playrooms for more than 50 years,” said Chris Bensch, Strong Museum’s vice president for collections. “More than two billion Little People have been sold since 1959, and they have helped generations of small children imagine big adventures in play sets representing farms, schools, airports, and other fascinating places in their worlds.”
Here’s what the the Strong National Museum of Play had to say about the Little People:
“Fisher-Price first offered its Little People in a 1959 Safety School Bus pull toy. These stylized figures populated a variety of play sets that encouraged youngsters to explore the world beyond their homes and to imagine themselves at school or the airport, at the service station or the amusement park, and at the zoo or a faraway farm. Fisher-Price made the first Little People of wood and lithographed paper; solid, single-colored wooden bodies followed. Later figures were made of hard plastic. In the 1980s, concerns about the small figures becoming a choking hazard led to the 1991 introduction of a new design for larger diameter Little People known as “Chunky People” or “Chunkies.” By the mid-1990s, the Little People became more people-like with arms, legs, and dimensional faces.”
The National Toy Hall of Fame was established in 1998 and recognizes toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed popularity over a sustained period. Each year, the prestigious hall inducts new honorees and showcases both new and historic versions of classic toys beloved by generations.
For more information about the hall and to see the list of previous inductees, visit toyhalloffame.org.
Provided photo by Julie Sanford: The 35 Remembrance Scholars are pictured Friday at Syracuse University. Joyce LaLonde, a senior majoring in policy studies and public relations, is one of the 35 scholars awarded $5,000 scholarships for the year. It is one of the prestigious scholarships at Syracuse.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2016 at 9:05 am
University picks 35 students annually in memory of students killed in Lockerbie terrorist bombing
Joyce LaLonde is pictured at The Place of Remembrance at Syracuse on Friday where there was a memorial service and rose-laying ceremony. LaLonde is one of 35 Remembrance Scholars. The scholarships are a tribute to the 35 Syracuse students killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. LaLonde was awarded her scholarship in memory of Frederick “Sandy” Phillips.
SYRACUSE – On Dec. 21, 1988 Syracuse University suffered a huge loss when 35 students, who were returning from a semester of study in London and Florence, were killed when their plane was bombed.
The students were among 270 killed with the terrorist attack of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Syracuse University continues to honor and remember those 35 students. This past week was remembrance week at Syracuse and it was capped with a service on Friday at The Place of Remembrance in honor of the fallen students.
Joyce LaLonde of Albion is one of this year’s Remembrance Scholars, who all receive $5,000 scholarships. The Remembrance Scholars are picked in a rigorous review by the university.
LaLonde, a senior policy studies and public relations major, received her scholarship in honor of Frederick “Sandy” Phillips.
The scholars had to write three essays as part of a comprehensive application, and finalists were interviewed by members of the selection committee, composed of university faculty, staff and current Remembrance Scholars.
The $5,000 scholarships are awarded on the basis of distinguished academic achievement, citizenship and service to the community.
LaLonde, 21, is vice president of the student association which represents about 15,000 students. She is also on the board of Nourish International, which is based in North Carolina. She has attended humanitarian trips to Uganda on behalf of Nourish.
LaLonde was back in Albion on Saturday for the “Orchard Walk for the Cure” in honor of people battling cancer. Many of LaLonde’s friends from Syracuse joined her for the trip.
Joyce’s mother, Kathy LaLonde, died from breast cancer at age 54 on Oct. 6, 2013. Joyce has followed her parents – Kathy and Steven LaLonde – by attending Syracuse.
Joyce LaLonde said she is honored to be chosen as one of the 35 Remembrance Scholars for her senior year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2016 at 2:06 pm
File photo, Badge of Honor Association: Orleans County Deputy James DeFilipps speaks on June 18 during the Policeman’s Ball in Rochester.
San DIEGO, CA. – James DeFilipps, the Orleans County deputy who survived a shootout last year after being shot twice in the abdomen, was honored earlier this month in San Diego by the International Police Chiefs Association/DuPont Kevlar Survivors’ Club.
DeFilipps was chosen as the 2016 Honoree of the Year. He received the award during a luncheon on Oct. 15 during the 123rd International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference and Exposition.
DeFilipps was one of the first on the scene in response to a domestic disturbance call when he noticed the suspect’s vehicle speeding by on the road on March 21, 2015.
DeFilipps was in pursuit when the suspect exited his vehicle and hid from the officers on scene. The suspect then began to shoot at the officers from a nearby wooded area in Clarendon, striking DeFilipps twice in the torso.
DeFilipps fired back, eliminating the threat, and then maintained his position and used the flashlight on his rifle to illuminate the suspect’s location for the other officers. His quick response saved the lives of the other officers at the scene and, thanks to the use of his body armor, DeFilipps sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to a news release from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
“The brave actions of Deputy James A. DeFilipps helped save the lives of his fellow officers,” said IACP President, Chief Terrence M. Cunningham of the Wellesley (MA) Police Department. “We are pleased to honor Deputy DeFilipps for being an example to others for wearing his vest.”
Since 1987, IACP has partnered with DuPont to honor those police officers who have survived life-threatening incidents because they were wearing their personal body armor. To-date, more than 3,100 officers who have been saved from death or serious injury by wearing body armor have been honored, with one officer chosen annually as the Honoree of the Year. The award helps to reinforce the use of body armor every day and every shift for officer safety. It also serves as a reminder of the heroic efforts police exhibit while serving their communities.
“Every day, law enforcement officers confront multiple, unpredictable situations that can quickly become life-threatening or disabling,” said Steve LaGanke, Global Marketing Manager, DuPont Protection Solutions. “At DuPont, we are committed to providing advanced materials that help officers, like Deputy DeFilipps, come home safely day after day. We hope that his inspiring story of heroism and survival will help reinforce the fact that wearing personal body armor can mean the difference between life and death.”
DeFilipps, a Holley resident, has worked as a deputy in Orleans County for 13 years after starting his career with the Holley Police Department. The New York State Sheriff’s Association named him the “Deputy of the Year” in 2015.
MEDINA – The Medina Mustang Band competed twice over the weekend and won first place at both competitions.
On Saturday the band performed in Orchard Park where 10 schools in six classifications competed. In SS1, Medina took 1st place with a score of 86.75 followed by East Irondequoit in 2nd with 83.20.
The following came in first in their classifications: In SS3, Pioneer with a score of 68.75; West Seneca in LS3 with a score of 81.50; Northwestern in SS2 with a 80.10; Orchard Park in LS2 with 85.70 and Lancaster in National Class with 86.2.
On Sunday, the Mustangs traveled to Webster where they won 1st place in SS1 with a score of 87.85 followed by East Irondequoit in 2nd with a score of 84.6.
Hilton took 1st place in LS3 with a score of 78.55; Leroy in SS2 with 76.1; and Webster in LS2 with a score of 83.55.
After the show the Medina and Webster bands proceeded to the auditorium and the groups performed for each other.
Jim Steele, the Mustang band director, commented that the band had two great opportunities to perform their 2016 show this weekend. They did a good job Saturday night in Orchard Park and bested that with a great performance in Webster on Sunday, Steele said.
The Mustangs next head to the NYS Field Band Championships on Sunday, Oct. 30. (There are 7 seats left on the spectator bus. If interested, contact Jim Steele at 585-317-9389.)
The Carrier Dome is the grand finale of the field band season. There will be 51 bands in seven classes, performing beginning from 8 a.m. with SS3 and working down. The SS1 class starts at 6 p.m. and includes 9 bands with Medina performing at 7:08 pm. The day also includes exhibition performances by UB’s Thunder of the East and the Syracuse University Marching Band.
For more information on the competition, click here.
Photos courtesy of The College at Brockport, State University of New York – Matthew Yeoman photographer: Frank Sacheli, a former Brockport mayor, accepts a proclamation from the current mayor, Margaret Blackman, during a tree planting ceremony last week in his honor. Heidi Macpherson, the college president, is at left.
Staff Reports Posted 18 October 2016 at 6:31 pm
Frank Sacheli chats with people at the dedication last week. He worked on his family’s onion farm before going to The College at Brockport, State University of New York. He graduated in 1945.
The College at Brockport, State University of New York
BROCKPORT – A former Brockport mayor whose family owned a muck farm in Barre was honored with a tree planted in his name last week.
Frank Sacheli is a proud graduate of The College at Brockport, State University of New York. He served as president of Brockport Alumni Association, and was inducted in the Alumni Association’s Hall of Heritage in 1990.
The college celebrated Sacheli with a tree-planting ceremony on Oct. 11 with a reception at the Alumni House after the ceremony.
Sacheli has lived in Brockport for 73 years. He is well known for owning the Landmark Hotel in the late 1940’s, and for his family onion farm in Orleans County.
After serving in World War II for two years, Frank graduated from Brockport State College in 1945. Twenty years later, he was elected mayor of the Village of Brockport, a role he would fill for four years.
Frank married Patricia Curtin in 1946, and as a widower became a faithful friend of Antoinette Ercolano. He is the father of Kathleen, John, Anne and Elizabeth. He freely shares his expertise in euchre and gin, continues to enjoy golf and his garlic/vegetable garden, and remains an avid supporter of his community and church.
On behalf of the Village Board, Mayor Margaret B. Blackman proclaimed October 11, 2016 as Frank Sacheli Day in the Village of Brockport.
The tree is planted on the front lawn of Hartwell Hall.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 15 October 2016 at 5:45 pm
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Friday’s annual Medina/Lyndonville vs. Albion football game featured a special pre game ceremony as three new members were inducted into the Mustangs’ John “Pinky” Loughlin Wall of Fame including Ron Taylor (Class of 1975), David Maiorana (Class of 1981) and Charlie Wilson (Class of 1989). Their banners are shown here hanging at Vets Park. All three helped lead the Mustangs to division titles , and in Maiorana’s and Wilson’s case also to sectional football championships in their senior year.
Here David Maiorana is welcomed by players and cheerleaders as he is introduced in the pre game ceremonies.
Charlie Wilson here is cheered by players and cheerleaders during his introduction.
Photo courtesy of Lydia LaDue: Marisa Hanlon of Kendall competes in the Texas T Barrels at the NY State Fair.
(Editor’s Note: This week is National 4-H Week. Orleans Hub posted an article recently about State Fair winners from Orleans, but didn’t include these local youth who competed in the Gymkhana Games for the Horse Division.)
SYRACUSE – Several 4-H’ers in the horse program competed over Labor Day weekend at the State Fair in Gymkhana Games.
Emma Klaver and Katelyn Spierdowis competed in the Junior Division. Emma was 8th in Sweetheart Barrels, 2nd in Texas T Barrels and 10th in Figure 8 Barrel. Katelyn finished 8th in Straight Barrels.
Faith Woody participated in the Pony Division and was 6th in Texas T Barrels, 8th in Quadrangle Barrels and 5th in Pole Bending.
Mary DiBattisto and Marsia Hanlon competed in the Senior Division. Mary was 9th in Keyhole Race and 10th in Pole Bending. Marisa was 6th in Quadrangle Barrels, 6th in Texas T Barrels and 10th in Figure 8 Barrels.
Susan Christie created this artwork that will be featured in the 2017 “Art From the Heart” wall calendar.
Staff Reports Posted 30 September 2016 at 11:55 am
Provided photo: Orchard Manor Administrator Martin MacKenzie, left, is pictured with resident Susan Christie. Jamie Murphy, Orchard manor’s activities director, is in back.
MEDINA – Susan Christie, a resident of Orchard Manor Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina, was recently honored at a reception to celebrate her artistic achievement.
Christie’s artwork is one of 13 chosen of 87 submissions that will be featured in the 2017 “Art From the Heart” wall calendar.
The art competition is sponsored by The Foundation for Quality Care with the New York State Health Facilities Association.
“Art From the Heart” is an opportunity for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in New York state to share their artwork.
Christie, a self-taught artist since the age of nine, said she has used artwork to help cope with abuse she experienced in her past.
“I express myself through my art,” she said. “The more I express myself, the more I blossom and heal.”
Jamie Murphy, Orchard Manor activities director, encouraged Christie to enter the contest. Murphy asked Christie what she enjoys most about creating art. Christie replied, “I like to start with a piece of paper and end up with a face staring back at me or a pretty picture.”
Proceeds from the Art From the Heart calendars will benefit the Foundation for Quality Care.
MEDINA – The Orleans/Niagara BOCES kicked off the new school year by announcing the employees of the year. District Superintendent Dr. Clark Godshall announced the winners at opening day ceremonies.
The winners were nominated by their peers in the categories of administrator, clerical, maintenance, staff specialist, substitute, teacher aide and teacher, all for doing an outstanding job the previous school year.
Dr. Michael Weyrauch
• The Administrator of the Year was Dr. Michael Weyrauch, principal at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center. He has been with BOCES for 4 ½ years and says his favorite part of his job is the staff and students that he gets to work with on a daily basis.
“I felt very honored that in this organization, which has a large number of outstanding staff who give it their all each and every day, that I was chosen,” he said. “It is an outstanding feeling.”
Theresa Clause
• Special education teacher Theresa Clause was named the Teacher of the Year. She has worked at BOCES for 20 years.
“My favorite part of my job is the paperwork – Just kidding!” she said. “Of course it is the kids! My personal experiences are the greatest contributing factors to me becoming a teacher. These experiences shaped my views and continue to influence my teaching style. I love the fact that I can give back.
“I have a learning disability (dyslexia) and I have been on the other side of the classroom. I understand the daily struggles our kids have to overcome just to be on an even playing field with peers and hope I can be a positive role model for them. I want to challenge them to dream bigger and imagine themselves in a different set of circumstances. I want to make them aware of the opportunities they may be oblivious to because they do not know they exist outside of school or the life they know. I strive to meet students where they are, and not dwell on where they should be. I truly believe that you can accomplish anything your put your mind to. When I was in school I always wanted to be a teacher and with hard work and family support I made it happen. I was so surprised and humbled by this award.”
Shirley Campbell
• In the clerical category, Shirley Campbell works for the Special Education Department and has been with BOCES for 14 years.
“My favorite part of my job is working with the secretaries in all the districts,” she said. “They are a wonderful group of women. I was very shocked that I won. It was a wonderful surprise.”
Rene Becht
• Rene Becht has worked at BOCES for 22 years and is the teacher aide in the Welding Program. She was named the outstanding teacher aide during the past school year.
“I started working in the day care as a Toddler Room teacher and after 10 years, I started working with the high school vocational students where I have been an aide since 2008.
“My favorite part of my job is working with the students, helping them realize their potential. I have enjoyed the positive relationships I’ve built with many of them and the daily interactions in and out of school. The staff at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center are all great and I would not be able to do my job without them. It was a great honor to be recognized. I especially want to thank Dr. Elaine Black-Richards for all her advice over the years and always being there for me.”
Tom Wright
• In the maintenance category Tom Wright has worked in the Print Shop for seven years.
“The best part of working at BOCES is the people, of course! “ he said. “All my coworkers and administrators are great to work with. I was very surprised and excited that I was named an employee of the year.”
• Staff Specialist Leon Szczerbinski has been with BOCES’ Safety Risk Department for eight years. He was employee of the year for the staff specialists.
Leon Szczerbinski
“I work in a very solid unit that provides a valuable and necessary service for our component districts,” he said. “I am impressed by the quality of service the Safety Risk unit has been able to provide and I am encouraged daily to see the end result; a safer place to learn and work.
“I have also met so many wonderful people at BOCES and in all the districts wherever I am assigned. I am grateful for their cooperation, assistance and the opportunity to know and interact with them. Being named an employee of the year is an awesome tribute!
“I am humbled and grateful by this honor and recognition, but I am certain that my inspiration and dedication was and is instilled from my parents, family and my BOCES family of whom I work and interact with daily.”
Robin Quinones
• Robin Quinones is an independent hair stylist at the Blue Door Salon, NYS Certified Instructor for Career and Technical Education and a Career Coach for Beauty Industry Professionals. She has substituted at BOCES since 2006. She was named the outstanding substitute for the past year.
“It’s incredibly gratifying helping students prepare for future careers and continued education. I am honored to be chosen as Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Substitute of the Year. It truly validates my efforts that I brought into the career and technical ed classrooms.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 September 2016 at 4:13 pm
Chamber honors H.H. Dobbins owner as ‘Business Person of the Year’
Photos by Tom Rivers: Ward Dobbins is pictured inside H.H. Dobbins while Gala apples are being packed on Tuesday. Dobbins has worked at the company for 30 years, and led a big expansion last year with plans for a bigger packing line next year.
LYNDONVILLE – An apple packing business that started in 1905 by the Dobbins family has grown to a worldwide footprint under the leadership of the fourth-generation owner, Ward Dobbins.
H.H. Dobbins packs 1 million bushels of apples a year, and about 20 to 25 percent are shipped out of country to the United Kingdom, Israel, Iceland, Central America and other distant locales. (Dobbins sold the first U.S. apples into Cuba when the embargo was lifted.)
Workers on the packing line check Gala apples for any defects on Tuesday. Dobbins has about 75 full-time employees in Lyndonville.
Most of the apples packed and sold by Dobbins are grown nearby in Orleans County.
Dobbins, the company owner and chief executive officer, likes the company’s position in the apple market.
Last year it completed a $3.4 million project, adding a 26,240-square-foot controlled atmosphere storage building on Millers Road, about 2 miles from the main packing house on West Avenue.
The new CA boosts Dobbins on-site storage to 300,000 bushels of apples. The CA also acts to put apples “to sleep,” allowing them to be stored for many months, sometimes up to a year.
The ability to pull apples out of storage well after the harvest season means Dobbins can become a year-round packing operation.
The Chamber of Commerce on Friday recognized Dobbins with its “Business Person of the Year” award.
Ward Dobbins is pictured outside the 26,240-square-foot controlled atmosphere storage building that opened last year on Millers Road.
Dobbins said the company’s success is due to a talented management team, dedicated employees and the high-quality apples from so many excellent local growers.
“We have a great team here,” Dobbins said. “I wouldn’t be doing what I am without them.”
Lyndonville has proven to be a great location for the business because the company is nestled nicely in the Lake Ontario fruit belt with growers from Niagara, Orleans, Monroe and Wayne counties.
Those farmers have switched in recent years to popular varieties such as Honeycrisp and many have planted high-density orchards which boosts the yield per acre.
“The growers around here are top-notch,” Dobbins said. “They have the new varieties and systems.”
Dobbins works with about 30 farms, but about 10 supply most of the 1 million bushels packed and shipped from Dobbins each year.
Those apples are packed for well-known customers including Costco, Sam’s Club, Aldi and the Stop & Shop grocery chain.
Ward Dobbins is pictured with some key members of the leadership team, including from left: Brett Baker, international accounts manager; Dobbins; Sheila Dobbins, (Ward’s wife) and the company controller; and Ron Wilkowski, general manager.
There used to be many more packing houses in the region, but many consolidated with larger packing houses serving many farms. Dobbins said his company’s goal is to operate as efficiently and inexpensively as possible to be in the best position to serve the apple growers and Dobbins’ customers.
The packing houses have become high-tech with CA storage that effectively put apples to sleep to allow some of the fruit to be stored for nearly a year. That happens by dropping the oxygen levels to about 2 percent (compared to 20-21 percent of the air people breathe). The CA rooms also have carbon scrubbers that drop CO2 levels to about 2 percent.
The CA storage rooms release nitrogen that displaces oxygen. The new rooms are airtight without leaks. Some of the older CA rooms aren’t as tight and cost more to run.
Dobbins is looking to upgrade its packing house even more. The company plans to replace a packing line next year with new technology that can detect internal and external blemishes on fruit.
Some of the packing house leaders include, from left: Brian Murray, quality manager; Sherri Seefeldt, line operations and production supervisor; and Kyle Merritt, production manager.
Dobbins has 75 workers and many work on the packing lines, sorting out fruit that doesn’t quite look perfect. The new packing line will have a defect sorter that quickly scans for exterior imperfections in fruit. The big advantage to the technology will be seeing problems inside the fruit, such as water coring, that aren’t detectable to the human eye.
A truck from LynOaken Farms pulls up outside the new CA storage building on Millers Road. Dobbins said the company is fortunate to work with many of the leading growers in the region.
Dobbins said the new line won’t displace workers. They will instead be packing boxes and bags of fruit. The new line will increase the volume from 140 bushels packed per hour to 900 bushels, Dobbins said.
The new packing line will require an addition at the West Avenue complex. It will replace a packing line that is 20 years old.
Dobbins said there have been numerous technology innovations in the packing industry, from production lines to building designs.
The industry has also experienced major changes in food safety, from establishing standards for traceability to how workers handle fruit. (Visitors also must sign in, wear company-issued coats and either hair nets or hats. They also need to answer questions about any recent illnesses and medication they are using.)
With traceability, Dobbins can tell which bag of apples comes from which farm, and can even say which field it came from. Every bin of apples delivered at Dobbins is labelled by the farm. When the apples are packed and bagged, there will be a record on the bag noting which farm the apple is from. Should there ever be an outbreak of a foodborne illness, Dobbins can trace it to the farm.
Dobbins has two employees dedicated to food safety and five more that work in quality control.
“The consumer should feel very good,” he said about the many safety steps taken by Dobbins and the industry.
Dobbins about five years ago also merged its sales division with United Apples Sale Inc. to create United Apple Sales.
The apples are stacked high in the new CA storage building.
That company has boosted the exports for Dobbins. The company also opened a new office last week in the state of Washington, the country’s leading apple-producing state. (New York is second.)
Dobbins said the New York apple industry is in a good position. He mentioned a few reasons:
“We have the Great Lakes and rainfall,” he said. “We have access to a huge percentage of the population within an 8-hour drive from here. People are becoming more health conscious.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 September 2016 at 4:41 pm
Chamber honors 5 clubs for good deeds
Photos by Tom Rivers: Leaders from the five Lions Clubs in Orleans County are pictured on Friday when the clubs were presented Community Service Awards from the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. Pictured from left includes: Kendall President Tom Minigiello; Medina Past President Jim Hancock; Mary Janet Sahukar, president of the Albion Lions; Kevin Johnson, Clarendon’s president; and Terry Stinson, third vice president for Lyndonville.
GAINES – Lions Club members have been giving back in Orleans County for nearly a century, beginning in 1924 when the Albion club was chartered.
There are now five clubs in the county with about 200 members. They tackle many community service projects, from planning an annual music festival, to community cleanups, to running the Fourth of July bash in Lyndonville. They serve hot dogs, provide scholarships, and look out for residents in need.
The Rev. Wilfred Moss, a past president of the Lions Club and a member since 1997, leads the group prayer during the Club’s 90th anniversary celebration in 2014.
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce has recognized the Lions with a Community Service Award. The five clubs all had representatives at Friday’s awards dinner, when the plaques were handed out.
The Lions founder, Melvin Jones, was in insurance business in Chicago and pushed to start the humanitarian organization in 1917. Jones had a motto: “You can’t get very far until you start doing something for somebody else.”
• Albion
The club in Albion is the second oldest in the region between Niagara Falls and Rochester. Only the Lions in Rochester predate the club in Albion.
The club currently has 22 members. They are active in the annual Rock the Park music fest, which raises funds for Bullard Park.
The Albion Lions sponsor a youth baseball team and works on other community projects, raising money with a sausage booth at the Strawberry Festival, and by selling roses on Mother’s Day and geraniums during Memorial Day.
• Clarendon
The Clarendon Lions were chartered in 1998 after being sponsored by the club in Kendall. There are 23 Lions in Clarendon and they help at the Holley Community Center, and with other service projects.
This photo from July 2013 shows Kevin Johnson, left, and Don Knapp. In addition to serving food at the OONA concerts, the Clarendon Lions also serve hot dogs and hamburgers at the annual Tonawanda Valley Kennel Club dog shows over the Labor Day weekend. The Clarendon Lions Club serves hamburgers and sausage at the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association concerts at the Orleans County Marine Park.
N Kendall
Provided photo: Pictured include scholarship winners recognized in January 2016, from left: Marisa Hanlon (attending Daemen College), Lions President Tom Minigiello, Lions Club member Ken DeRoller, Tania Arellano (attending Roberts Wesleyan College), and Taylor Kingsbury (attending St. John Fisher). Not pictured is the other scholarship winner, Luke Rath, who has enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
Each year the Kendall Lions awards four scholarships for $250 each to deserving seniors. The Kendall Lions in January presented scholarship checks to three of the 2015 recipients.
The Kendall Club has 61 members, making it the largest Lions Club in Orleans County.
The Kendall Lions has a Leo Club in the school, where high schoolers work on service projects.
The Kendall Club started in 1975 after being sponsored by the Medina Lions Club.
The Kendall Lions do an annual community cleanup day. They also purchased a defibrillator for the Kendall Fire Department, and they collect used eyeglasses to be given to people who need glasses.
• Lyndonville
The Lyndonville Lions formed in 1951. The club’s 47 members are busy throughout the year with a host of projects, including running a medical equipment closet where residents can borrow wheelchairs, port-a-potties and other equipment.
Russ Martino, a member of the Lyndonville Lions Club, leads the crowd in doing the motions to the song “YMCA” during a concert by Crash Cadillac in July 2014. The band from Buffalo performed at the Yates Town Park along Lake Ontario at the end of Morrison Road. Martino was the town supervisor when Yates created the park about seven years ago. Current Town Supervisor John Belson, center, and Jeff Johnson join in the dance. The concert was sponsored by the Lions Club, which also takes the lead in the annual Lyndonville Fourth of July celebration.
The Lions do a roadside cleanup along Route 63, a pumpkin carving contest and give out awards to the best-decorating homes during the holiday season.
Lyndonville Central School plans to implement a new Leo Club. The Leo Club gives students in grades 7-12 the opportunity to serve their communities and make a positive impact. It offers a great way to have fun, make new friends and develop valuable leadership skills.
There will be an informational meeting Thursday from 2:35 to 3:15 at the school.
• Medina
The Medina Lions Club formed in 1935 and has 55 members.
The club and other community volunteers decorate the State Street Park in Medina each holiday season, putting lights on Christmas trees, and setting up a Nativity scene and other signs of the upcoming holiday season.
The Medina Lions also do a community cleanup, organize a community-wide garage sale, run a scarecrow fest and maintain a park by the canal, as well as other projects.
Medina Lions Club members Dave Denny, left, and Dave Bellucci, right, work with Ben Kaiser, a volunteer, to set up one of the animals at State Street Park last November. Kaiser’s father Pete supervises the set up and tear down of the display.
Staff Reports Posted 20 September 2016 at 10:44 am
SYRACUSE – An Albion native has won a state-wide award given to a certified public accountant who is a leader at a charitable organization.
James A. Bowers has been influential with several organizations, especially InterFaith Works, an agency in Syracuse that brings people together different religions, races, and cultures; and Transitional Living Services of Onondaga County, which serves people with developmental disabilities and behavioral health issues.
James Bowers
Bowers has been named the 2016 recipient of the 13th annual Michael H. Urbach, CPA Community Builders Award.
“I would certainly recommend CPAs to give back to non-profit organizations,” Bowers said. “The financial expertise of CPAs is needed to help balance budgets as funding for these programs tightens up. CPAs have a certain way of seeing things, such as how the mission of an organization and its financial status can work together. This is why CPAs should find an organization that they are interested in and give back.”
Originally from Albion, Bowers graduated from St. John Fisher College, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Bowers has been involved in serving Short Line Railroad Industry clients for over 40 years and has been an influential force for the Short Line Railroad industry on a national level, playing an important role in the creation, lobbying, and securing of the Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation Tax Credit, and speaks often at National and Regional ASLRRA conferences.
Bowers has extensive knowledge, experience and service to nonprofits in the Syracuse region. Beth Broadway of Interfaith Works of CNY said Bowers is a “quintessential non-profit volunteer.” He has served on the agency’s board since 1986. She said his expertise helped her agency survive “serious financial challenges.”
Additional organizations and foundations that have benefitted from his volunteerism and leadership include St. Joseph’s the Worker Church, where he served as chairman of the Finance Committee for the last 33 years; Transitional Living Services; Dunbar Association; and the Faith-Hope Center. He has also served as a member, officer and board member of both the Rochester and Syracuse Kiwanis Club for 35 years.
The 2016 award will formally be presented at the New York Council of Nonprofits’ Annual Business Meeting on Oct. 6 in New Paltz.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 September 2016 at 9:16 am
Tim and Crystal Elliott receive award for ‘New Business of the Year’
Photos by Tom Rivers Tim and Crystal Elliott, owners of Brushstrokes Studios, opened the business on Nov. 28 during Medina’s Old Tyme Christmas festival.
MEDINA – The Chamber of Commerce’s “New Business of the Year” allows people of all ages to tap into their creative side.
Brushstrokes Studio opened last Nov. 28. Since then, customers have created more than 5,000 ceramics or glass fused art. Many of the pieces resembles sharks, caterpillars and other creatures feature din children’s books.
Brushstrokes hosts many story hours, and children can paint ceramics that look like the main star in the books, such as “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle.
Brushstrokes is popular for birthday parties, bridal showers and for outings among friends, looking to create a nice memory in a family friendly environment.
Mrs. Elliott, a special education teacher for the Holley school district, said the ceramics and glass fused art are durable with a personal touch.
“This are all unique and they last,” she said. “And they’re useful.”
A ceramic spoon rest is the most popular mold picked by customers.
“We’ve also done lots and lots of coffee mugs,” Mrs. Elliott said.
Many of the creations include hand prints or foot prints from small children. Those plates, mugs and other ceramics are then popular for Father’s Day and Mother’s Day gifts, and for presents for grandparents.
These ceramic creations were decorated using either bubble painting or color blocking techniques. Brushstrokes has classes to help people improve their skills.
“There’s a lot of memories with these,” said Mr. Elliott, a village trustee who also owns and manages properties in Medina. He also is co-owner of a new escape room that opened on Main Street, where people need to solve puzzles to get out.
Elliott said he is interested in bringing more people to Medina to help strengthen the local businesses. Brushstrokes draws many customers from outside the county, who then visit other local businesses. Brushstrokes has partnered with some of the businesses in promotions.
The Elliotts have a bright-colored space at Brushstrokes. They have enjoyed seeing people make so many different ceramics and fused glass, showing an artistic side many didn’t realize they had.
Madelyn Elliott, 7, works on a ceramic at her parents’ business on Saturday.
Although you don’t need to be artistic to paint and create at Brushstrokes, the Elliotts have classes teaching some basics in bubble painting and color blocking. They are planning more classes this upcoming year.
They have also expanded their inventory and color options from 30 to 70. After the ceramics are painted, they are glazed, dried and put in a kiln, bringing out vibrant colors.
Brushstrokes also has a glass kiln for artwork and pieces made with glass fusing. The Elliotts say they already have many dedicated customers, and people interested in classes to learn techniques and hone their skills or just have fun.
“People want something new to do,” Mr. Elliott said. “You get a tangible item to take home.”
The Chamber of Commerce on Friday presented the ‘New Business of the Year’ to Brushstrokes. They were among the award winners recognized during the Chamber’s annual awards banquet at Tillman’s Village Inn.
The Elliotts were praised for offering a family-friendly activity in downtown Medina, and a for starting a business that draws many out-of-towers to the community.
“It’s entertainment whether you are 2 years old or 100,” Mr. Elliott said. “You can create a memory.”
Crystal Elliott holds one of the glass fused pieces at Brushstrokes. With glass fusing, glass plates and strings of glass are melted in a design and then can be bent with curves. Before the business opened, Mrs. Elliott worked on Brushstrokes for about 2 1/2 years, wanting to give families an activity they can do together. She completed a small business class through the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
Brushstrokes has many ceramic animal molds. After they are painted, they are glazed, dried and put in a kiln, bringing out vibrant colors.
Mitchell Farley of Medina paints a ceramic Christmas tree on Saturday with his family, including wife Jessica and their children, Jacob, left, and Madison, right.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 September 2016 at 9:50 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Matt Beadle, plant manager for Freeze-Dry Foods in Albion, and Karen Richardson, company co-owner and president, accept the award for Business of the Year on Friday from the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
ALBION – The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce honored local businesses, entrepreneurs and community members for their work to build a stronger community during the 18th annual awards banquet for the Chamber on Friday. Nearly 200 people attended the event at Tillman’s Village Inn.
The following were recognized:
Business of the Year: Freeze Dry Foods of Albion.
The company took over the former Lipton’s plant in Albion in 1999 after the former Ontario Foods (now Associated Brands) left Albion for a bigger plant in Medina.
Freeze-Dry has steadily grown in the past 17 years, overhauling the plant and adding new product lines. It has 60 workers that make freeze dry food products. (The company removes moisture and oxygen from meats and food to prevent the products from deteriorating at room temperature.)
Karen Richardson, company co-owner and president, said Albion has been a good fit for the company, which is based in Oakville, Ontario.
She thanked “a very supportive community,” including local economic development leaders, for helping the company grow and invest in Albion.
Lifetime Achievement: Gabrielle Barone (vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency).
Gabrielle Barone accepts her award with congratulations from State Sen. Robert Ortt, left, and Barry Flansburg, representing State Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
Barone has worked for the Orleans Economic Development Agency for nearly 15 years, and has had a role in many of the economic development projects around the county, putting together deals and lining up infrastructure for companies.
Barbara Waters said Barone has always been a hard-worker since she was a kid growing up in a family business in Medina.
“She is humble,” Waters said. “She is poised, articulate and a lovely lady and friend who is an inspiration to all woman.”
Barone has shown a drive and enthusiasm to better the community throughout her career, said Waters, who accepted the Lifetime Achievement last year on behalf of her late husband, Robert Waters.
Barone praised the team at the Orleans EDA, local municipal officials and the business owners for bringing many of the projects to reality.
“Achievement is a joint effort,” she said. “Achievement is about partnering.”
Barone said many economic development projects are years in the making.
“At the core of achievement is persistence,” she said. “I always felt better when I gave it one more try.”
Phoenix Award: The Print Shop, owner Ken Daluisio.
Ken Daluisio
An eyesore on East Center Street was radically revamped by Daluisio, who expanded his Medina business into what was a dilapidated storefront, a former laundromat at 124-126 E. Center St.
On March 19, 2015, Daluisio took possession of the former laundromat building. One year and one day later, a vastly improved building was ready for The Print Shop.
When doing renovations for the expansion, Daluisio needed 13 dumpsters to haul out laundry machines and dryers, as well as the old floor, ceiling, partition walls and other debris. It took seven dump truck loads to remove bricks and dirt from the basement. The building was stripped down to four bare walls and then rebuilt with new floor, a roof, electrical system and other upgrades. Daluisio’s brother John managed the construction project.
Daluisio said the renovation follows Kathy Blackburn’s work at Meggie Moos and other work on East Center Street.
“We couldn’t have done it without the support of the community,” he said. “It’s a whole new neighborhood on East Center Street.”
Tim and Crystal Elliott
New Business of the Year: Brushstrokes Studios of Medina (owners Tim and Crystal Elliott).The Elliotts last November opened the new business at 409 Main St., the former home of The Journal-Register in Medina.
At Brushstrokes, customers can paint their own ceramics and glass. The Elliotts have brought a new family friendly activity to the community, and have expanded classes.
Co-owner Tim Elliott thanked the dedicated customers at Brushstrokes and urged the community to “shop small” and support locally owned businesses.
Community Service Award: Lions Clubs in Orleans County (Albion, Clarendon, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina).
The five clubs do a range of community service projects, from running festivals to providing scholarships. They serve food at local events and collect medical supplies and used glasses for people in need.
Tom Minigiello, president of the Kendall Lions Club
Albion has the longest-lasting Lions Club. It started in 1924. Clarendon has the most recent charter with a club that started in 1998. The five clubs combined have about 200 members with Kendall the largest with 61.
Tom Minigiello, president of the Kendall club, accepted the award that will be presented the Lions district.
“It’s very important to give back to your community,” Minigiello said. “Do your part and it will make our community better.”
Community Service Award: Cindy Robinson of Medina.
Robinson has been president of the Medina Business Association the past decade and has been instrumental in running many of the MBA’s popular events, including wine- and beer-tastings, and the Olde Tyme Christmas celebration.
Cindy Robinson accepts the Community Service Award.
She also is a downtown business owner with the English Rose Tea Shoppe, and serves with other organizations, including the Orleans Renaissance Group, the Chamber of Commerce, and Medina Historical Society.
Robinson encouraged everyone to find a way to volunteer with at least one organization. She said that would build a stronger community with more events and opportunities.
Agricultural Business of the Year: Root Brothers Farm in Albion.
The Root family has been farming in Orleans County since 1852. Today, Robin and his brother Scott Root work about 5,000 acres. The two brothers have been farming together since 1970. There are now six generations of Roots that have been farming in Orleans County.
The brothers have had many lean years, Robin said, but they weathered the storms with help from friends and family.
Robin Root
“You could have a million dollars, but it’s better to have a million friends,” Robin told the Chamber crowd.
He and his brother are the son of the late Pierson Root, a former Orleans County Farm Bureau president. Robin said their father had good advice and helped the brothers during one tough stretch in the early 1990s.
“My dad was a hell of a man,” Robin said. “I really appreciate it.”
The brothers grow corn, cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes and other crops in a diversified operation.
Business Person of the Year: Ward Dobbins, owner of H.H. Dobbins in Lyndonville.
Ward Dobbins
Dobbins has led the apple packing and sales company in Lyndonville to expansions. The site handles about 1 million bushels of apples a year, with on-site capacity for up to 300,000 bushels.
Dobbins has 75 employees. The company was started by Ward’s great-grandfather. Ward joined the business 30 years ago. He is active in many of the industry associations.
Ward said the company works with some of the best apple growers in the world.
Small Business of the Year: Paper Boys (owners Ryan Pritchard and Chasen Lee).
Pritchard and Lee opened an office supply business about six years ago after the former Garlock’s Office Supply store in Medina closed.
Pritchard, 31, had been living in Boston for six years when Garlock shut down. He teamed up with Lee, 28, to establish PaperBoys, the new office supply store.
The business at 509 Main St. has expanded to develop web sites and lead small business classes.
Chasen Lee, left, and Ryan Pritchard
Pritchard and Lee say the office supply business remains very important for PaperBoys, but the business has expanded its services for small businesses by building websites, and helping the local businesses use social media and e-mail marketing to attract and keep customers.
With its expanded line of services, the business is now PaperBoys Media, and calls itself ‘The Agency for the Underdog.”
Pritchard thanked the Chamber, Medina Business Association and local businesses for working with PaperBoys.
“We are not successful unless all of the small businesses are successful,” Pritchard said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 September 2016 at 12:10 pm
Gabrielle Barone is recognized for ‘Lifetime Achievement’ by Chamber of Commerce
Photos by Tom Rivers: Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency, has worked on many big projects in Orleans County the past dozen years.
ALBION – Add it all up, and the investments top $200 million.
Since Gabrielle Barone joined the Orleans Economic Development Agency in April 2002, companies have spent lots of money upgrading facilities or building new in Orleans County.
Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans EDA, had a role in many of the undertakings, helping to guide local and state government support for the projects, whether it be with infrastructure upgrades for the sites or securing tax credits or grants to make the projects a reality in Orleans County.
She is being honored this evening with a “Lifetime Achievement” award from the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has its annual awards banquet at Tillman’s Village Inn.
There have been significant projects all across the county in Barone’s tenure with the EDA. The ethanol plant in Medina is the biggest investment at $90 million-plus by Western New York Energy.
Barone and the EDA worked to upgrade Bates Road, a rail line, and secure low-cost hydropower and other incentives for the project to come to the community.
Jodi Gaines, center, is chief executive officer and co-owner of CRFS in Albion. She is pictured in September 2013 with Orleans Economic Development Agency officials Gabrielle Barone, left, and Jim Whipple after CRFS announced it would expand in the vacated former Chase building.
Just down from the ethanol plant, she has been a part of several expansions at Brunner, including the most recent one in 2014 that topped $15 million.
Just west of the ethanol plant on Maple Ridge Road, Pride Pak is building a new $15 million vegetable processing facility. Takeform Architectural Graphics also expanded and moved into the former Trek building on Maple Ridge.
“She is very knowledgeable and strong willed,” said Jim Whipple, executive director of the Orleans EDA. “She has great people skills and a natural feel for politics.”
Barone is part of a three-person EDA staff that puts together many complicated economic development deals. The EDA board of directors and local officials also have been active with many of the projects, Barone said.
“No one achieves on their own,” she said.
Barone said it takes takes determination to see the projects through to the last detail. While juggling work with existing companies in the county, the EDA also needs to be laying the groundwork for projects that could be many years away.
That takes a commitment from local governments to put in water and sewer infrastructure, roads and other infrastructure, knowing the payoff may not be right away, Barone said.
The EDA has worked for years to make a 125-acre site “shovel ready.” The Keppler site in Shelby is just south of Maple Ridge Road by GCC. The infrastructure is in place to serve a manufacturer that would be a big user of water and sewer.
Steve Karr (right), chief executive officer for Pride Pak Canada, last October meets Medina village officials and others working on the company’s new 64,000-square-foot vegetable processing facility. He is pictured with Mauro LoRusso, vice president of finance for Pride Pak (center); Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency (far left); and Marguerite Sherman, village trustee (second from left).
She thinks about how the EDA chipped away at many sites, sometimes spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to clear land, do environmental cleanups, and get infrastructure in place. Many in the community second guess the work, questioning the wisdom of the upfront expense.
“You’re going to get roasted,” Barone said about some of the skeptics. “It can take years laying the groundwork. If you’re going to do this kind of work you better be resilient. You better be able to take a setback and bounce back.”
Barone said the EDA often has often been a finalist for a project, after months and sometimes years of working with a developer. And then they pick someone else.
“These companies are looking all over – not just in New York State,” she said
But sometimes Orleans County emerges as the top site. Many companies based in Canada look to Orleans as a spot to set up operations in the United States. That is the case with Pride Pak, which will soon open a new vegetable and fruit processing site on Maple Ridge Road in Medina.
There have been many big projects around the county, including a new controlled atmosphere storage building by H.H. Dobbins in Lyndonville, an expansion and new CA storage in Gaines by Lake Ontario Fruit, several expansions by Intergrow Greeenhouses in Gaines, the Cottages at Troutburg at the former Salvation Army camp in Kendall, Precision Packaging Products and Magc Inc. in Holley.
Gabrielle Barone in February 2014 discusses a plan for a 48,000-square-foot addition at Brunner with Town of Ridgeway Planning Board members, from left: Charles Pettit, Tom Fenton (chairman) and Richard Swan. Barone in her role with the EDA needs to line up local support and approval for many of the economic development projects in the community.
In Albion, the EDA worked to bring CRFS in the vacated former Chase building, preserving several hundred jobs. A former warehouse on McKinstry Street was also renovated and is now home to Bomet, an electronic recycling company. The EDA also worked with the Town of Albion to establish the Albion Business Park at Butts Road and Route 31, which is home to an urgent care site run by Orleans Community Health.
There are numerus other projects that Barone and the EDA have had a hand in, from Freeze-Dry Foods in Albion, the addition at Tillman’s Village Inn in Gaines, to projects at Associated Brands, Hinspergers Poly Industries and the Ace Hardware at the former Jubilee in Medina.
The EDA also runs a small business training program that makes low-interest loans available to graduates of the program. Barone and the EDA have offered advice for the entrepreneurs in getting the businesses off to a good start.
Barone has been active in the community in other ways, including leadership in the former League of Women Voters chapter in Orleans County. She serves on the Job Corps Advisory Council, represented Orleans on the GLOW Workforce Investment Board and is currently on the Orleans County Comprehensive Plan Committee.
Gabrielle Barone is pictured at the Orleans EDA suite at 121 North Main St. in Albion with some of the recent EDA-assisted projects in Orleans County.
The comprehensive plan will help guide development and land use in the county for many years to come.
Barone sees opportunities for growth, improved job prospects and a better quality of life in the county. But she said all levels of local government need to be working to improve the communities, including plans for upgrading the local housing stock and “curb appeal” of the villages and hamlets. That includes aesthetics, signage, even logos for the communities.
The comprehensive plan should identify strengths in Orleans and areas that need improvement.
Barone can look across the Orleans County landscape and see a more diversified, and stronger local economy in the past 15 years.
Barone left a career with the Modern Corp. in Niagara County to return to work in her home community.
“I wanted to see if we could make a difference in the type of businesses we draw here, once we understood what we had to offer,” Barone said.
MEDINA – The Medina Mustang Band competed twice over the weekend and won first place at both competitions.
