ALBION – The Albion Police Department is pleased to announce being awarded the 2016 Community Traffic Safety Platinum Award by the America Automobile Association.
The nationally recognized AAA Platinum Community Traffic Safety Award is the highest award AAA can bestow on any Police Department. It’s awarded to departments that have developed and maintained traffic safety initiatives in their communities and who have shown success in those initiatives.
The Albion Police Department has used programs such as Buckle Up New York, Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, Stop DWI, Pedestrian Crossing Safety and Awareness, and the Child Passenger Safety Seat Program to enforce vehicle and traffic laws as well as to educate and assist motorists.
Throughout 2016 the Albion Police Department conducted several targeted details that focused on specific areas of safety for both motorists and pedestrians. These details were done in non-traditional ways to increase their effectiveness.
Several more details are planned using techniques that have never been done in our area and will increase awareness and effectiveness with the end goal of making our community safer.
This is the sixth consecutive year that the Albion Police Department has received the Community Traffic Safety Platinum Award.
The Albion Police Department is dedicated to making our highways and streets safer for all who use them. Throughout the holiday season we will continue our efforts by adding more patrols and details and we urge motorist to make responsible decisions.
(Editor’s Note: The Holley Police Department, which is also managed by Nenni, won AAA’s Bronze Award for community traffic safety.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2016 at 12:38 pm
Provided photo: Mary Jo Syck is pictured with David Callard, chairman of the Orleans County Legislature, after she was named the county’s employee of the year during a luncheon last Thursday at Tillman’s Village Inn.
ALBION –Mary Jo Syck is one of those “extraordinary” people who go above and beyond her job in serving Orleans County veterans and their families, said Earl M. Schmidt director of Veterans Service Agency.
Syck is assistant administrative veterans secretary for the county. She does far more than typical secretarial work, Schmidt said.
“The biggest thing is she goes over and beyond – she goes that extra step,” Schmidt said about Syck, who last Thursday was named the county’s employee of the year. “In today’s workforce you have the people who go to work and do their job, but she does more. People like that are extraordinary.”
She was instrumental in the plan for recent renovations of the Veterans Service Agency, making the site more user-friendly for the public and more secure for employees and volunteers.
Syck has worked for the county for 26 years, serving roles in the Personnel Office, Social Services, the County Highway Department, the County Clerk’s Office and the Veterans Services Agency.
“Whether it is making contact with a town clerk to make sure the right veteran exemption for taxes is correct or to assist the funeral director to get the death certificate in a timely manner to assist a widow or a family member with burial benefits, she makes every effort to assist the mission of the Veterans’ Office every day,” said Jack Welch, the county’s personnel director. “She also ensures that the five volunteer vans are schedule for maintenance to ensure that they are safe and ready to serve our veterans.”
Syck assists volunteers that run the van service, where veterans are transported for medical appointments.
She will often write letters to the families of deceased veterans, urging them to check to see if the family is entitled to veteran’s benefits.
“This employee is able to perform her duties and is willing to take on additional service to the veterans and their families, always cheerfully with a can-do attitude,” Welch said.
Syck was recognized during the county’s annual employee luncheon. Each month, one employee is recognized. A committee then reviews the nominations for the employees of the month and picks the employee of the year.
Other employees of the month recognized include:
Michelle Sargent (Office for the Aging), October 2015; Elizabeth Milazzo, (Social Services), December 2015; Diana Kephart, (Social Services), January 2016); Mary Jo Syck, (Veterans Services Agency) February 2016; Ryan McPherson, (Social Services) March 2016; Ryan Stork (Buildings and Grounds), April 2016; Mary Grouse (Social Services), May 2016; Linda Karp (Mental Health), June 2016; Cathy Miller (Public Health), July 2016; and Nola Goodrich-Kresse (Public Health), September 2016.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 November 2016 at 1:15 pm
Provided photos: Thom Jennings Sr. and Thom Jennings Jr., left, are part of Mouse Pad, which won a band competition a week ago in Buffalo.
BUFFALO – Thom Jennings and his two sons were part of a band called Mouse Pad that won the “Battle of the Corporate Bands” in Buffalo a week ago at The Town Ballroom.
Jennings and his son Thom Jr. are both employees at 360 PSG, a web development company.
The elder Jennings is a business development manager for the company and Thom Jr. works as a digital marketing specialist. Another Jennings, Trevor, is pursuing a music career and is a member of four bands.
Trevor plays the drums. Thom Jr. is a guitarist and musical director, and their father sings, plays the guitar and manages the band.
The band includes other 360 PSG employees. They won not only won bragging rights, but a chance to perform a at the next Music Is Art Festival in September 2017.
The band performed five songs at The Town Ballroom.
The bands in the competition all picked band names that had a connection to their company. 360 PSG picked Mouse Pad because it relates to the business’s services. National Fuel chose “Methane” and a debt collection agency picked “Paid in Full” for a band name.
Mouse Pad performed 5 songs. Three were cover songs – Elle King’s “Ex’s and Oh’s,” Lady Antebellum’s “We Owned the Night” and Pink’s “Just Like Fire.”
Thom Jennings Jr. plays the guitar for Mouse Pad.
The originals were “Perfect Pop Song” written by Thom Jennings and “Guilty Pleasure” written by Jessica Chizuk.
Music Is Art hosted its second annual Battle of the Corporate Bands. The Music Is Art was founded by Buffalo native and Goo Goo Dolls bassist, Robby Takac.
Mouse Pad swept three awards including Grand Champion. Six bands competed in the event.
The event was designed as a corporate team building activity, and participating bands were made up largely of employees of each organization.
Mouse Pad featured six 360 PSG employees, which represented about 20 percent of the company’s workforce. In addition to Grand Champion, they captured awards for Best Original Song and Best Individual Performer (Jessica Chizuk).
Mouse Pad’s victory earned them a spot on the main stage at Music Is Art 2017 and studio time. 360 PSG has partnered with Music Is Art to assist the not-for-profit in rebuilding their website to optimize the organization’s web presence and produce a larger platform for the music events, programs and culture that Music Is Art and Buffalo offer each year.
Trevor Jennings plays the drums for Mouse Pad. He is a member of four bands.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 November 2016 at 8:28 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
GAINES – The Cobblestone Society and Museum held its 56th annual meeting on Thursday evening at Tillman’s Village Inn and honored several supporters for their efforts at the museum.
The following are pictured, from left: Emily Maxwell, secretary and vice-president elect for Brockport History Forum; Robert Bretz, president of Brockport History Forum; David Mitchell of Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes; Shirley Helfer; and Patty Blackburn, illustrator for new coloring coloring book about the museum and Cobble the Mouse. (Not pictured: Georgia Thomas and Kim Martillotta-Muscarella.)
Business Partner of the Year: Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes was recognized for being a steady supporter over the years, including sponsoring events this year at the museum. Christopher Mitchell was the first sponsor to step forward and support the Halloween Bash on Oct. 21. David Mitchell of Christopher Mitchell was praised for supporting many local organizations, including the museum on Route 104 and Route 98 in Childs.
New Partner of the Year: Brockport History Forum. This group of students at Brockport enjoys history. Many of the members are history majors, but not all of them. They helped put on the Halloween Bash at the museum. That event attracted more than 100 people and raised $1,100 for the museum. The activities included wine tastings, music, ice cream from a food truck, “ghoulish games,” a Halloween costume contest, pumpkin painting contest, swing dance lessons and lectures.
Kim Martillotta-Muscarella organized several art shows at the Cobblestone Museum this year.
New Partner of the Year: Kim Martillotta-Muscarella. The Albion resident coordinated several art shows at the museum as her “First Friday” shows moved from her house on Main Street in Albion to the Cobblestone Church. The shows drew hundreds of people to the museum, and also showcased several local artists. The shows included wine-tastings and refreshments.
Volunteer of the Year: Shirley Helfer. She gave nearly 70 hours at the museum, helping to prep buildings for weddings and other events. She volunteered at the gift shop and was flexible in helping behind the scenes.
Georgia Thomas of Medina is dressed up as Cobble the Museum Mouse during the Fourth of July parade at Lyndonville.
John Proctor Award: Georgia Thomas and Patty Blackburn. This award is named for the founder of Childs who helped establish the Cobblestone Church. The Ward House, which is part of the Cobblestone Museum, also was built in 1840 under the direction of Proctor. The award in his honor is given “for selfless efforts to promote the Cobblestone Museum.”
Thomas and Blackburn worked together to create a coloring book. Thomas wrote the book which shows Cobble the Mouse visiting the different buildings at the museum. Blackburn illustrated the book.
“Other museums have coloring books with a character,” Thomas said in a July interview. “Cobble is a wonderful mouse and he gives you an enchanting tour of the museum.”
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.
MEDINA – The Medina Mustang Band competed twice over the weekend and won first place at both competitions.
