By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Gloria Jasso last week received her high school diploma from Brockport after years of study, beginning with English classes at her Kendall home in 1998.
WATERPORT – Gloria Jasso was 22 when she went to her first class, English as a Second Language.
It was 1998, and she and some of her farmworker friends gathered in Gloria’s home in Kendall to be taught by Linda Redfield.
Jasso grew up in rural, impoverished Mexico and never attended school. That wasn’t unusual for girls in Michoacan, the poorest state in Mexico. Jasso grew up in a mountainous region. She learned some reading and writing from her aunt.
“There were no schools or teachers,” Jasso said.
She started working at Herberle Farms in Hamlin in 1994. She would work there for 19 years, picking apples, trimming trees, planting strawberries, and working in the warehouse.
Gloria Jasso is pictured with one of her tutors, Deanne Borrie (left) and teacher Linda Redfield, right.
After work, she would take classes. In the winter, when she wasn’t working for the farm, she could spend even more time learning, attending classes in Medina and later in Brockport. She also learned splelling, English, math and other skills by helping her four children with their homework.
Once she learned words in English, she wanted to learn more. It was the same with math. As she mastered some skills, she kept pushing herself.
“As soon as I was learning a word in English it made me more excited to learn more,” Jasso said.
For 17 years she learned, improving her English, math, computer skills and education.
She considered getting a General Equivalency Diploma, but opted for a more challenging high school diploma. Last week, she was presented with that diploma through the National External Diploma Program.
“She had the intention to always improve herself,” said Linda Redfield, one of her teachers.
Redfield is the education director at the World Life Institute on Stillwater Road in Waterport. The school hosted a celebration for Jasso on Wednesday.
Jasso said her teachers and several volunteer tutors were instrumental in her success, in completing the many classes and building her confidence.
She completed many of her classes on-line and met with teachers twice a week at the public library in Brockport. She was looking for a tutor to help check her work. Several people stepped forward, including Deanne Borrie of Kent.
Borrie and the tutors declined any payment, even gas money, despite Jasso’s offers. Borrie said she is grateful to have Jasso as a friend and is inspired by her work ethic and her generous nature.
Jasso and her husband Efrain Arellano recently moved into their own house in Brockport. They have four children, including daughter Tania, who was the valedictorian at Kendall in 2015.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Tania Arellano was a star for Kendall in athletics and academics. She was the valedictorian of the Class of 2015.
Tania now plays soccer and basketball at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. Tania is a business and accounting major, and scholarships are covering her college costs.
“She is very smart,” Jasso said about her daughter. “I am so proud of her.”
Tania was deeply committed to her schoolwork at Kendall, and took a rare absence from school in 2011 to accompany her mother to Albany, when Jasso was honored as a “student of the year” by the New York State Association of Adult Continuing and Community Education.
Jasso and her husband have three other children: Johnny, a 10th grader; Princesa, a sixth grader; and Diego, a fourth-grader. They attend school in Brockport.
Jasso said she is looking to update her resume and may pursue job training.
“I have to see what’s available,” she said.
Redfield said Jasso’s achievement is remarkable.
“She never had an education in her home country,” Redfield said.
Jasso thanked her teachers and tutors for their help on the educational journey. In addition to Borrie, Frank and Jeanne Lauta, Bill and JoAnne Camaan, and Frank and Tracy Panczyszyn all volunteered as tutors with Jasso.
(Editor’s Note: Michelle Restivo of Albion joined her grandfather, Richard “Dick” Heard, on the Honor Flight this past weekend from Rochester to Washington, D.C. Heard, 91, is a life-long Albion resident who lives in his childhood home. He enlisted during World War II and was a radar mechanic. In February of 1943, he was called to active service from reserve status. He was stationed in six states throughout his time serving. Restivo is a kindergarten teacher in Batavia.)
By Michelle Restivo
ROCHESTER – “Folks, we’ve got a slight problem, but nothing we can’t handle.”
Steve, our Honor Flight trip leader, addressed the 54 American Veterans and their guardians at the airport gate early this past Saturday morning.
My Grandpa Dick and I were among the group waiting to board a plane to begin our Honor Flight trip to Washington DC. Our pilot had called in sick! The backup pilot was completing his FAA mandated 10-hour crew rest, and would be unable to fly our plane until 10 a.m., 4 hours later than our scheduled departure time.
The 4 other local Southwest pilots were already out on flights for the morning. So, we settled in for a bit of a wait.
Michelle Restivo and Richard Heard pose for a “selfie” from their seats on the plane.
The Rochester Honor Flight Organization is amazing. Now that I’ve seen it in action, I am in total awe. These people bend over backwards while standing on their heads, to accommodate and please our Veterans.
Soon after the delay was announced, HFO volunteers started coming around offering decks of playing cards and newspapers they had bought at the airport newsstand. Then, came the start of the continuous passing of snacks, candy, and water.
“What would you like? Can I get you anything? Please, have another.” My grandpa was in his glory. He never passed up an opportunity to dip his hand into the snack or candy bag, and at one point in the trip he had a stockpile of various snacks, four water bottles, and a Gatorade.
About halfway into our delay, Steve came back onto the PA system and told us, “Alright, we usually do this on the bus ride in to DC, but since we’re getting a late start and we’ll be here a while, we’re doing it now. Time for something you haven’t heard in a while. Mail call, guys.”
Just like in the service, he called out each service man or woman’s name, and a volunteer brought over a pack of letters. My grandpa received 8 letters, addressed to Corporal Heard.
The letters were written by Monroe County students of varying ages. He received letters from kids in 3rd, 8th, and 11th grade, as well as one teacher. Each letter was unique in its own way, but all had the same theme: gratitude for his service and his sacrifice.
The letter writers had been given information about the Vet they were writing to, including the branch of service and in which war they served. Grandpa Dick was in the Army Air Corp in World War II. Many letters included personal connections.
“This boy is interesting,” Grandpa said about one letter. “His family was from the Ukraine, and his great grandfather died while fighting on the Eastern Front.”
I took a closer look at this letter, which opened with, “I am merely a high school student,” and continued later, “I consider anybody who was in the military a war hero, whether they were in Europe, the Pacific, or stateside. People tend to forget there were people back at home helping the soldiers at the fronts get through the Imperial and Nazi empires.”
My Grandpa spent his 4 years in the service stateside, and this young man made sure to recognize the importance of that.
As promised, the pilot arrived promptly at the end of his crew rest, and our short flight to Baltimore was smooth. Hot cocoa was Grandpa’s drink of choice when the beverage service came around, and of course, he enjoyed another snack.
We de-boarded the plane and walked off the jet way, to be greeted by thunderous applause and a line of people waving American Flags. The first person in line was a young naval cadet. He reached out to shake my grandpa’s hand, “Thank you for your service, sir.” It was a phrase we would hear over and over again during the next 24 hours.
We continued down the line, Grandpa shaking hands with many thankful people along the way. After leaving our gate, we proceeded through the airport, past gates filled with people. All were on their feet, applauding the Vets with a standing ovation.
Many called out, “Thank you for your service!” as we wheeled by. It was an amazing sight, one that brought out some very raw emotion from Vets and guardians alike.
My grandpa is a man of few words, when it comes to feelings. He would love to tell you all about the latest news story he read, or information about a rare species of bird in East Africa. But, he rarely talks about himself.
Once we were situated on the bus moving on our way to Washington DC, I asked him what he thought about the airport arrival. “That was nice. It was so nice.” Indeed it was.
The bus ride included a box lunch for each of us. We were attempting to make up time, so we omitted our 1-hour stop for lunch. Grandpa was surprised to find a ham wrap inside his box.
“Oh, this is wrap. I’ve never had one of these before.” Earlier in the day, Honor Flight served us an airport breakfast of McDonald’s breakfast meals, and Grandpa had his first ever Egg McMuffin. He deemed both items, “good.” It was a day of firsts for him, that’s for sure.
As you can imagine, traveling with 54 WWII and Korean War Vets is not an easy task. The youngest Vet in our group was 81, and the oldest, 98. Each Vet was provided with a wheelchair, though I noticed some never used it. Good for them!
But, that means everywhere we went, we were loading and unloading these chairs, and transporting many of the guys in and out of them. My grandpa is ambulatory and still drives around town, does his own grocery shopping, and ventures out to his great-grand kid’s sporting contests.
However, he agreed to use a wheelchair for much of the trip, as we were often covering longer distances than he was used to. Usually, once we reached our destination, we would park the wheelchair and he would use his handy collapsible cane to motor around the historical monuments.
Noticing the similarity of when my family and I visited Disney World where each amusement ride had a large area denoted for “stroller parking” and our line of wheelchairs parked at stops all over DC, I chuckled to myself at one point.
Our first stop was Arlington Memorial Cemetery, where we watched the very respectful changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Our trip leaders told us to look for the Sergeant and the guards to scuff their foot as they passed by our Veteran group.
Apparently, it is how they acknowledge the former servicemen, even though they are not supposed to ever scuff their feet during the ceremony. We looked and listened, and sure enough, we saw it. The inspection and changing of the guard ceremony was incredibly precise and showed the utmost respect. “That was really something,” my grandpa said after we had moved on.
Our next stop was the Women’s Memorial. We had 5 women veterans in our group, and all had asked to add this stop to our trip. Even with the lengthy delay, our HFO trip leaders made sure to honor their request.
This stop is where my grandpa was surprised when getting off the bus was another granddaughter of his, her husband, and 2 of their 3 children. They live just outside of DC, and I had been coordinating with her all morning arranging the meet up. They followed our bus for the rest of the day and toured many of the memorials with us. “Wow!” my grandpa said upon seeing our family.
Back on our bus, we circled the Marine Corp memorial, Iwo Jima, and saw the Air Force memorial from afar. Due to our altered schedule, we did not get off at those as planned.
The next stop was a big one and we covered the Lincoln Memorial, The Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam Wall, in that order per my grandpa’s request. After seeing all three, he said the Lincoln was his favorite.
Although when I asked him later in the day on Sunday, he said he liked all of the memorials for different reasons, and that he really liked the way the Korean War Memorial was depicted.
It was at this memorial that he explained to us about the very long antennae on the radios that the soldiers carried. Since he went to radio school, he shared with us that, “low frequency antenna was used so as not to be detected.”
Grandpa also talked about Korea as being the “forgotten war” and told us that it never really ended. “That war is still being fought now,” he said.
It was here at the Korean War Memorial, that I saw one of my most memorable moments, my grandpa sitting near a wall inscribed with the words,” Freedom is not free.”
It was a poignant picture, one that really brought tears to my eyes. Squeezing all three of these memorials in during just the 45 minutes we had at this stop was tight (most people only saw two out of the three). It was a bit of a race back to our bus, but we made it thanks to speed walking/pushing skills of my cousin’s husband.
“Hurry up and wait” was something I heard many of the Vets and guardians say during our trip. Through listening to their comments and conversations, I deduced that this was a common phrase heard in the military.
One serviceman told a story about moving out, sitting in the heat all afternoon, waiting, then retreating, moving out again, and then retreating back for the night. Many of them said “hurry up and wait” originated in the military, and that they were all very good at following those orders.
Fortunately for us, it wasn’t too long of a wait before we arrived at our final stop for the day, the World War II Memorial. Our most anticipated stop, and one that exceeded anything we could have imagined.
(Michelle Restivo will have more on the Honor Flight.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Tyler Rotoli has a passion for football, mentoring young players
Photos by Tom Rivers – Tyler Rotoli greets members of the Albion JV youth football team when they are introduced before a Sept. 19 game versus Medina.
ALBION – Last Friday, Tyler Rotoli ran for 142 yards in leading the Albion varsity football team to a 27-14 win over rival Medina.
Early the next morning, Rotoli was at his job at Burger King at 5:30, getting the Main Street location ready for the day. He worked till lunch and then hustled to Oakfield to join a team of 10- and 11-year-olds from Albion. That team had a big playoff game against Medina.
Rotoli is one of the coaches of the youth team, the offensive coordinator for a group that likes to throw the football and break off long runs. Rotoli has taught the team more than 70 plays, many of the formations and techniques from the varsity team.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Tyler Rotoli fights for yardage in a 14-12 loss on Sept. 25 to East Aurora/Holland.
This year was the first time the JV youth squad made the playoffs in years.
Rotoli has juggled his varsity schedule, his work at Burger King, and his homework with a devotion to practices and games with the youth team.
“He’s a natural born leader,” said head coach Geno Allport, who coached Rotoli when he played on the youth teams. “He has the passion and he has the heart.”
Allport said it’s unusual to see a high school player anywhere in the region be so committed to working with a youth program. Besides Rotoli, Jared Hollinger also has been working with the Albion youth program. Hollinger is a junior lineman for the varsity team.
Rotoli is running back, quarterback, linebacker, whatever position the teams needs him. He preaches unselfishness and a “Team First” attitude for the youth players. He fires them up before the game, and shouts encouragement and instruction throughout the contests.
After a tough loss to Medina on Sept. 19, Rotoli gathered the group on the sideline, reminding them to keep working hard in practices. The team would close out the regular season with several victories.
After a tough loss to Medina on Sept. 19, Tyler Rotoli gathered the youth JV team, offering encouragement and motivation to keep working hard in practice and the rest of the season.
“I just want to give back to the next generation and be a positive role model,” Rotoli said. “You don’t really remember the wins and losses. You remember the coaches.”
Rotoli, 17, said Allport has been a steady and positive influence in his life for many years.
“He’s been there through the ups and downs,” Rotoli said.
He knows some of the players need male role models. That is part of his drive to be at the practices and games, even when he is fighting exhaustion.
“All I want to do is touch another life,” Rotoli said. “I want to be that big brother to somebody else and motivate them.”
Rotoli aged out of youth football after seventh grade. In eighth grade, he offered to help with some of the youth teams. His younger brother Junior plays on this year’s JV team. Two of Rotoli’s cousins, Amari and Javon Jones, also are on the team.
Rotoli found as an eighth-grader that the kids responded to his instruction. The following year he took an on-line program and became a certified coach. That program makes sure coaches know proper techniques for tackling. (Click here for more information.)
Rotoli impressed Allport and the other coaches with his grasp for the game, his analysis of the players’ strengths and how to devise plays to best use those talents.
Allport said Rotoli typically calls the plays on offense, and the team usually finds the end zone several times a game.
“I gave him freedom to run the offense because he knows what he’s doing,” Allport said.
Most of the JV youth players would watch Rotoli during Friday home games at the varsity field. The next day, Rotoli would join them for their game. Allport said Rotoli inspires the kids “to see where they can go” as a varsity player.
Rotoli is considering majoring in criminal justice in college so he can work as a police officer. Allport is hopeful Rotoli will stay in the area after college, and continue to coach and work with the youth football players.
Allport also said Hollinger has been a big help with the youth football program. He and Rotoli help set up the field and with clean up after the games.
“You’re not going to find kids that busted their butts more than those two,” Allport said.
Tyler Rotoli and Geno Allport, head coach of the Albion JV youth team, talk strategy before Saturday’s playoff game versus Medina.
Rotoli said he would like to be a coach in the future. He enjoys the life lessons with the game, and often gives fiery speeches to the players.
“If you work hard, you get good outcomes,” he tells the players when they’re doing push-ups or finishing sprints.
“You got to be disciplined,” he bellows.
Rotoli said spewing those words has been good for him. It reminds him he needs to keep working hard, too, including the early morning shifts at Burger King following an away game on Friday.
“I’m preaching you need discipline and perseverance,” he said. “It motivates me, too.”
Contributed Story Posted 12 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Provided photo
ALBION – An Orleans County Jail corrections officer was recognized for 25 years of service to the county last week. Lt. John Mignano, right, is pictured with Scott Wilson, the jail superintendent.
Lt. Mignano joined the Sheriff’s Office as a corrections officer on Oct. 1, 1990, under then Sheriff David M. Green. Mignano was promoted to sergeant on Feb. 22, 1999 under then Sheriff Merle Fredericks Jr. Mignano was elevated to lieutenant on Feb. 16, 2004 by current Sheriff Scott Hess. Lieutenant Mignano currently serves as the “C” Line Shift Supervisor.
He received a congratulatory letter from Sheriff Hess, and a Certificate of Achievement for “25 Years of Dedicated & Faithful Service to the Sheriff’s Office and the County of Orleans.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Dawn Keppler says she wants association to reach out to rural judges
Photo by Tom Rivers – Dawn Keppler, the Shelby town justice since 1999, is one of 12 justices from around the state serving on the board of directors for the New York State Magistrates Association. She was elected to serve on the board on Sept. 28.
SHELBY – Dawn Keppler, a town justice in Shelby since 1999, was elected by her peers to serve on the board of directors for the NYS Magistrates Association, the first judge from Orleans County to serve on the organization’s board.
Keppler was picked for the board on Sept. 28 during the Magistrates annual conference in Niagara Falls. The association provides training and resources for town and village justices throughout the state.
Keppler said she will push for rural judges to better use the training programs offered through the Magistrates Association. All judges need to complete certification and training each year. They can take courses on-line or in person at conferences. (Ridgeway Town Justice Joseph Kujawa and Kendall Town Justice Debbie Drennan attended the four-day conference in Niagara Falls.)
Keppler was backed by a nominating committee to serve on the State Board. She has been the judge since Shelby and Ridgeway voted to share services in the court system, with the Shelby Town Hall used for both courts, and the Shelby and Ridgeway judges having jurisdiction in both towns.
The Village of Medina also dissolved its court in 2011, with those cases shifted to Ridgeway and Shelby.
Keppler said more towns and villages are looking to share services with their court systems.
“I’m one of the unique judges who has dealt with consolidation,” she said. “Many are now talking about it.”
The Town of Yates also has joined Shelby and Ridgeway in having multi-town jurisdiction for the judges. The three towns have gone from two judges each to one each. Yates keeps its court system at the Yates Town Hall.
Keppler said the shared system has been beneficial in the Medina community, where people going to court were often confused whether they went to the Ridgeway or Shelby town hall, or the Medina Village Hall. Now, they just go to the Shelby Town Hall.
Keppler works with her husband Phil and family in a cattle business, SK Herefords. Keppler manages the office and books, and helps when needed in the barn.
She also is the office manager for Webster, Schubel and Meier, a law office on West Center Street in downtown Medina.
She enjoys her job as the local town justice.
“It’s interesting – no case is ever the same,” she said. “Your job is to apply the law as it is written and uphold fairness in the courtroom.”
Staff Reports Posted 25 September 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Karen Watt is pictured with the orchard train used to take people on trips at Watt Farms Country Market in Albion.
ALBION – A local farmer who has spearheaded several community efforts, including raising more than $300,000 for breast cancer research, has been named the 2015 Pullman Memorial Humanitarian Award winner.
Karen Watt runs a local fruit farm and farm market with her husband Chris. She has been involved in numerous community and state organizations. She is currently the chairwoman of the Oak Orchard Health board of directors.
She has served as president of Orleans County Farm Bureau, and also represented the region on the state board of directors for Farm Bureau.
Mrs. Watt, a retired math professor at Brockport State College, will be presented with the humanitarian award on Oct. 25 in a special program at Pullman Memorial Universalist Church, 10 East Park St. The award ceremony and reception to follow are free and open to the public.
A breast cancer survivor, Watt organizes the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Orchard Walk at Watt Farms each fall. In over a decade, the event has raised over $325,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Karen Watt addresses a crowd of about 1,000 people last October before the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Orchard Walk at Watt Farms.
The Humanitarian Award will be presented to Watt the day after this year’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk at Watt Farms.
Watt has travelled the world sharing her expertise in direct marketing and value-added retail. She was president of the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association, which put her in its “Hall of Fame.” She has visited rural African villages in three countries to help farm families brainstorm ways to increase their revenues.
In addition to her advocacy for migrant farm worker health as a board member of Oak Orchard Health, Watt has served on the National Advisory Council on Migrant Health, including a year as its chairwoman.
She is currently secretary of the board of the National Center of Farmworker Health and received the 2013 Outstanding Migrant Health Center Board Member Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 September 2015 at 12:00 am
Chamber Agricultural Business of the Year: Circle R Fruit Farms
Photos by Tom Rivers – Bernie Heberle, general manager and co-owner of Circle R Fruit Farms, checks on some SnapDragon apples in an orchard along Route 18 in Carlton. Heberle joined Circle R in 1998 and has helped boost production and quality.
CARLTON – In 1991, after about 30 years of growing vegetables, Lynn Roberts decided to make a big push into fruit.
There were about 250 acres of fruit up for auction, and Roberts bought the land, establishing Circle R Fruit Farms.
Circle R has grown to 554 acres. It is one of the biggest local fruit operations, producing 450,000 bushels of apples a year. (State-wide, there are about 25 to 30 million bushels of apples to be harvested each year.)
The Chamber of Commerce has recognized Circle R as the “Agricultural Business of the Year.”
Circle R added this farm market with ice cream five years ago along Route 18. Nearly all of the produce is from Circle R or the Roberts vegetable farm, Lynn-Ette and Sons.
Circle R has planted new popular varieties, such as Honeycrisp and SnapDragon, in high density orchards. Bernie Heberle joined Circle R in 1998. As general manager and co-owner, he has pushed for high-quality produce.
He also oversees the Circle R farm market on Route 18, just west of Lakeside Beach State Park. That started as two wagons by the road 14 years ago. Heberle put out 75 quarts of strawberries with people paying on the honor system, leaving cash in a locked box.
Five years ago, Circle R put up a farm market to better display fruits and vegetables from the farm. The site also sells lots of ice cream. Heberle says the market continues to see big growth in business each year. It has helped fill some of the void with closing of Brown’s Berry Patch’s retail site this year.
“This year there has been an incredible amount of business,” Heberle said.
The farm market is a popular spot in Carlton for people looking for ice cream, fruits and vegetables.
Heberle arrives at the market early, often by 6 a.m. and likes to get displays of fruit and vegetables ready. He enjoys the quiet before the workday gets busy around 8 a.m.
Circle R has 80 workers harvesting apples and fruit. Heberle directs them. He admires their work ethic and commitment to excellence. The workers are from Mexico and Jamaica.
Looking into the future, Heberle said the country’s unresolved immigration policies threaten agriculture, especially operations that are labor intensive. Circle R has 80 workers through the H2A program, which allows temporary legal workers for seasonal farm labor.
Heberle said the program is expensive, with lots of paperwork and often the workers are delayed in their arrival due to the government bureaucracy.
“I love working with my help,” Heberle said. “But I worry about the future. Americans don’t want to do these jobs.”
Heberle is pictured in a high-density orchard, where trees are planted close together.
When Heberle joined Circle R, the orchards were planted with about 90 to 120 trees per acre. The trees were tall and a bit ungangly with long branches projecting in wild directions.
Most of those trees are gone, replaced with shorter trees, planted close together in high-density orchards. The trees are easier to pick from (workers don’t have to spend much time high on ladders). The trees bear fruit quicker after being planted. And the total output per acre, with up to 1,400 trees, is far more than a generation ago.
The high-density orchards should allow Circle R to reach 500,000 bushels of apples annually, Heberle said.
Photo courtesy of Roberts family – Lynn Roberts is pictured about two years ago at Circle R Fruit Farm with his son Darren Roberts, center, Bernie Heberle, manager of Circle R.
The Chamber, in recognizing Circle R, praised the farm “for producing exceptional local produce to Orleans County and beyond.”
Heberle credits Lynn Roberts, patriarch of the farm, for diversifying into fruit, and for pushing for superior produce.
“I owe a lot of Lynn Roberts,” Heberle said. “He took me in as a son.”
Mr. Roberts was 80 when he died on June 13. Heberle accepted the Chamber award on behalf on Lynn, and has placed the award in Lynn’s office at the farm.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 September 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The Orleans County Chamber honored local businesses and community leaders at its 17th annual awards dinner Friday. Front row, from left, include Kathy Blackburn, Chamber executive director; Lora Partyka, Businessperson of the year; Barbara Waters, accepting lifetime achievement in honor of her late husband Robert Waters; Laura Gardner, Phoenix Award for her efforts at “a lily and a sparrow”; and Lisa Stratton, owner of the Hazy Jade Gift Shop and special recognition for her work in promoting downtown Albion. Back row, Greg Budd, general manager for Business of the Year, Hinspergers Poly Industries; Barb Flow, Community Service Award; Jill and Mike Bower, owners of Small Business of the Year, Erie Way Tree Farm; Bernie Heberle, general manager and co-owner of Roberts Circle R Fruit Farms, named Agricultural Business of the Year; and Bryan and Larissa DeGraw, owners of 810 Meadworks, the New Business of the Year.
GAINES – Orleans County is a place where you can bring your business dreams and turn them into a reality and a success. It’s a place where volunteers can pitch in, and become involved in youth sports, festivals and other community events.
Those were among the themes at the 17th annual awards dinner on Friday for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. Award winners described a welcoming community, open to “outsiders” trying ventures in the county.
Bryan and Larissa DeGraw moved 400 miles from New Jersey to Orleans County to open 810 Meadworks in downtown Medina last November. The business makes alcoholic drinks by fermenting honey.
Bryan and Larissa DeGraw, owners of 810 Meadworks, accept the award for New Business of the Year.
Their meadery, named New Business of the Year, has become a destination, drawing visitors to the county. The DeGraws said the community has supported the business and embraced the couple.
Mr. DeGraw said 810 Meadworks received lots of help and encouragement along the way. Mayor Andrew Meier and real estate agent Katt Battaglia were instrumental in their decision to pick downtown Medina for the business.
The Orleans Economic Development Agency also approved a loan for 810 Meadworks.
“The EDA board puts its faith in our business plan to give us a loan to get us going,” Mr. DeGraw said.
Lora Partyka of Kendall accepts the award for Businessperson of the Year, a new honor presented by the Chamber of Commerce.
Lora Partyka, a Barker native, moved to Kendall with her husband Jeff in 1985. They opened a roadside stand. That has grown to a farm market, gift shop, ice cream and the base for community projects, including the country barn quilt trail, which includes 40 sites in the Kendall area.
The Partykas take produce to several farmers’ markets in the area, and in April opened The Farmers’ Table, a restaurant in Hamlin that serves breakfast and lunch made from local produce, eggs, syrup and hash.
“It’s not frozen food,” Partyka said. “The concept is fresh and local.”
Partyka was praised for her work ethic and community dedication when she was presented the Businessperson of the Year, a new award from the Chamber.
Partyka admitted she didn’t know too much about Kendall when she and her husband moved there 30 years ago.
“We couldn’t do what we do without a great supportive community,” Partyka said during an awards dinner attended by 130 people at Tillman’s Village Inn.
Barb Flow accepts the community service award. Last year’s winner, Ken DeRoller, presented the award to Flow.
Flow also moved into Kendall. She remembers coming to town and seeing no grocery store or a bank. But she is thankful to have raised a family and built her life in Kendall.
“It has the people of a hard-working community,” she said.
The school district and 4-H programs are also assets, she said.
She recently retired after 26 years of leading the recreation program. She is now on the Kendall Town Board and runs a garlic farm with her husband Vince.
“Helping a child succeed and supporting them on their journey is truly a reward for me,” Flow said.
Greg Budd, general manager for Hinspergers Poly Industries in Medina, accepts the award for Business of the Year.
In 2002, a Canadian company opened a site in Medina. Hinspergers has expanded the former Jamestown Container manufacturing building on West Oak Orchard Street from 25,000 square feet to 83,000 square feet.
The company had 17 employees in 2003 and now is up to 70 workers in Medina who make covers and solar blankets for swimming pools.
“We are here long-term,” said Greg Budd, general manager for the Medina site. “We have no plans on leaving.”
Budd moved from Ontario, Canada to help get the Medina plant up and going. The company has proven a “good corporate citizen” for the community.
Other businesses recognized on Friday started from scratch in Orleans, and have found success in the county.
Bernie Heberle is general manager and co-owner of Circle R Fruit Farms in Carlton. The farm started in 1986 and has grown to 80 employees and a retail farm market that sells ice cream.
Circle R has expanded to 550 acres and expects to produce 450,000 bushels of fruit this year. The Chamber praised the farm for its growth and for providing “exceptional local produce to Orleans County and beyond.”
Heberle accepted the award for Agricultural Business of the Year in honor of Lynn Roberts, the farm’s longtime leader who died at age 80 on June 13.
Mike and Jill Bower won Small Business of the Year for their work in expanding the Erie Way Tree Farm of Holley. The couple has run a Christmas tree farm since 1985. It has grown since 2010 and expanded to landscaping, wreaths, centerpieces and holiday decor.
“They are an excellent example of how small businesses can succeed in Orleans County, said Greg Piedmonte, a member of the Chamber board of directors.
Laura Gardner accepts the Phoenix Award for her work in renovating a storefront for her business, a lily and a sparrow in Medina.
Laura Gardner opened a lily and a sparrow five years ago in downtown Medina, after she worked more than two decades as an accountant. About a year ago she moved the business down the street to 438 Main St., a site that had been home to Baughn’s Shoe Store since 1960.
Gardner has given the storefront a vastly different look. “It has been transformed into a modern, chic storefront,” said Cindy Robinson, president of the Medina Business Association. “It’s like a boutique in Rochester or Buffalo.”
Gardner draws local shoppers and out-of-towners for the designer clothing from designers in Turkey, Israel, India and the United States. Gardner also has an array of leather handbags, perfume, jewelry and vintage glassware and note cards.
Barbara Waters accepts the “Lifetime Achievement” award in honor of her husband, the late Robert Waters.
“It’s beautiful,” Gardner said about the renovations. “I love when I look at that building everyday when I’m coming into town.”
Robert Waters and his family ran the local newspaper, The Journal-Register, for decades until it was sold in 1985. Waters expanded its coverage from Medina to a county-wide publication.
After getting out of the newspaper business, Waters would work 10 years as communications director for State Sen. John Daly and his successor, George Maziarz. Waters also served on the Ridgeway Town Board for a decade, and was deputy town supervisor.
He was active in numerous community causes. He helped found the Shelridge Country Club, and was instrumental in finding a new use for the shuttered Medina Armory, which is now the Orleans County YMCA.
He was active in the Medina Historical Society and was president of the Medina Sandstone Society.
Mr. Waters was 90 when he died on July 29.
“He extended such warmth as he worked for the greater good of Orleans County,” said Bruce Krenning, who presented the award to Waters’ wife, Barbara.
Chamber Executive Director Kathy Blackburn also presented a special recognition to Lisa Stratton, honor of the Hazy Jade Gift Shop in Albion for her efforts to beautify downtown Albion with flowers and also to promote many events to highlight local businesses in the downtown.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 September 2015 at 12:00 am
Chamber Business of the Year
Photos by Tom Rivers – Greg Budd, general manager of the Hinspergers Poly Industries plant in Medina, stands by some of the solar blankets the company sells for swimming pools. Budd has been general manager of Hinspergers since the company came to Medina in 2002.
MEDINA – In 2002, a Canadian-based company bought the former Jamestown Container manufacturing building on West Oak Orchard Street.
Peter Hinsperger, owner of Hinspergers Poly Industries, was looking for an American location for the business. He looked at several sites from Wisconsin to West Virginia and settled on the spot in Medina.
Hinsperger prefers small towns. He grew up in a small town in southern Ontario.
“He likes giving people an opportunity, by giving them a paycheck,” said Greg Budd, general manager of the Hinspergers plant in Medina.
The Hinspergers plant has twice been expanded since the company moved to Medina in 2002. The building has gone from 25,000 square feet in 2002 to 83,000 square feet since the last addition in 2008.
Budd was the first hire for Hinspergers in 2002. The company was up to 17 employees in 2003, and 10 of them remain with the company today.
After two expansions of the facility and steady sales growth, Hinspergers now employs 70 in Medina. The company has been named the “Business of the Year” for 2015 by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
Hinspergers is part of the “Canadian Cluster” in Orleans County. Other companies with Canadian headquarters include Brunner in Medina, Freeze-Dry in Albion and the newly opened BoMet Recovery in Albion. (Pride Pak also is looking to build a new vegetable processing plant in Medina.)
Greg Budd is pictured inside Hinspergers, where he said the big production space with wide walls works well for manufacturing pool covers.
Peter Hinsperger, company owner, not only likes small towns. Budd said the Orleans Economic Development Agency put together an attractive incentive package for the company.
The former Jamestown Container site also had wide enough production rooms for the company to produce custom-made pool covers that can spread out beyond 40 feet.
The plant has been expanded twice since 2002, going from 25,000 square feet then to 83,000 square feet since the last expansion in 2008.
Ken Mulcahy runs a machine that cuts covers, one of the steps at Hinspergers for creating pool covers. The company manufactures about 50 pool covers a day in Medina.
Because swimming pools vary so much in size and shape, Hinspergers has a C.A.D. team that will uniquely design the specifications for each pool cover. Each cover made in Medina since 2002 has its own serial number.
The company can look up that serial number for the specifications if a new cover is ordered for the same pool. A new cover will include tie-down straps in the same location as the old cover.
The serial number also allows the company to trace the cover through the sales and distribution process.
The range of sizes has “China proofed” the business for Hinspergers, Budd said. The covers can’t easily be mass produced by China.
Hinspergers also has two sites in Canada. It prides itself on a quick turnaround time for the custom orders, another reality that would be hard to beat by manufacturers in China, Budd said.
Kim Rutan sews the outside edge of a pool cover. She has worked at Hinspergers for 12 years. “It’s a nice clean place,” she said. “There’s not a lot of people so we all get to know each other.”
For a manufacturing site in its busy season, Hinspergers is relatviely quiet. The whir of sewing machines is one of the loudest noises.
Budd gives tours of the plant to distirbutors and local service clubs. They all comment how clean the floor is, and how there aren’t banging noises or smells of melting metal or rubber.
Budd walks the floor and he greets many of the employees by first name.
Hinspergers employees spread out a pool cover and check for any imperfections.
“It’s a nice clean, bright and airy environment,” he said.
The pool covers can be made in several colors. Hinspergers uses woven and extrusion coated polyethylene, which has tremendous strength, reduced weight, a range of colors and relatively low prices.
The mesh material allows some water or snow to drip through. Hinspergers has covers with a tighter mesh that blocks out debris and sunlight, reducing algae growth.
For customers in the South, Hinspergers’ pool covers tend to be solid because they don’t have to worry about letting some melting snow seep through. Those covers may have some smaller mesh patterns to let through water in some spots.
Greg Budd discusses production with Scott Galley, the plant supervisor and an employee since 2003.
Hinspergers made a big investment in Medina in 2008 when it put on a 33,000-square-foot addition and also added a 14-by-70-foot machine that makes the solar blankets for swimming pools.
The pool covers, however, remain the core business for the Medina plant, and Budd said the company has made them “in thousands of shapes and sizes.”
Hinspergers has been honored by the Chamber before. In 2003, the company was named “New Business of the Year.”
It will receive the “Business of the Year” award during a banquet Friday at Tillman’s Village Inn.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 September 2015 at 12:00 am
Chamber of Commerce award winner
Photos by Tom Rivers – Bryan DeGraw, co-owner of 810 Meadworks with his wife LaRissa, is pictured in the tasting room of the business at 113 West Center St., Medina.”It’s a relaxing atmosphere, a lounge atmosphere,” he said about the tasting room. “It’s not a loud bar.”
MEDINA – A business that serves “Bee Vomit” opened last Nov. 30, and it has proven a draw to downtown Medina for mead, music and relaxation.
Bryan and LaRissa DeGraw opened 810 Meadworks in a former barbershop in the historic R.H. Newell Building at 113 West Center St. They produce meads, which are alcoholic drinks made by fermenting honey with water and often fruits, spices, grains and hops.
They have about a dozen flavors of mead, with dry, semi-sweet and sweet. The Bee Vomit is a dry mead made with cascade hops.
The DeGraws are from New Jersey. Mr. DeGraw was working as a physical education and health teacher at a residential facility for at-risk youth. He was also a home brewer and mead maker for five years.
LaRissa DeGraw makes a variety of chocolates at 810 Meadworks. She is pictured in the production area of the business.
LaRissa’s parents, Tina and Ray Gunder, retired to Kent. The DeGraws visited the area and liked downtown Medina, the historic charm of the downtown and the cluster of many small business owners.
“I don’t have any business regrets,” Mr. DeGraw said about starting 810 Meadworks. “I’m happy with where we’re at. We doubled our sales projections for the first year.”
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce has named 810 Meadowrks as the “New Business of the Year.” The DeGraws and other award winners will be recognized on Friday during an awards banquet at Tillman’s Village Inn.
810 Meadworks is a unique draw among wineries. It is the only meadery between Albany and Ohio. The meadery also is located in a historic downtown building in a small town, rather than in a country setting.
810 Meadworks opened last Nov. 30, but gave customers the first taste of the local mead during the Ale in Autumn event last September. Bryan DeGraw, back left, discusses mead with the crowd.
The Niagara Wine Trail about two years ago was officially extended past Niagara County, through Orleans and all the way to Route 390 in Rochester. Medina finds itself ideally situated in the middle of the expanded Niagara Wine Trail. That was another reason why the DeGraws wanted to open 810 Meadworks in downtown Medina.
810 Meadworks uses “810” in its name from the Bible verse Nehemiah 8:10: “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
The DeGraws also ran a concert series at the the “beegarten” in the back of the building. Preach Freedom (center), a former member of the acclaimed band Rusted Root, performed in Medina on June 20 at the space formerly known as Boiler 54. Freedom was joined by Marla Harris and Steve Davis at the concert in Medina.
The DeGraws were also drawn to the historic Newell building because of other businesses that shared the building, including the Shirt Factory Cafe and the Boiler 54 performing venue.
However, Boiler 54 wasn’t able to continue the concert series in an open air venue in the back of the buidling this year. With the series sidelined for 2015, the DeGraws decided to step forward and run the series, rebranding the space as the “beegarten.”
“I didn’t want to see the space sit empty,” DeGraw said. “It’s such an amazing spot.”
810 Meadworks decorated a float for the Parade of Lights in Medina last year.
DeGraw said he is grateful for the encouragement from the community.
“People around here are to happy to support a local business and people doing something they love,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2015 at 12:00 am
Kevin Pawlak, 23, highlights the sacrifice of a small town
“Shepherdstown in the Civil War: One Vast Confederate Hospital,” was released last month by The History Press. Kevin Pawlak will be signing copies of the book today at 2 p.m. at Bindings Bookstore, 28 West Bank St., Albion.
ALBION – An Albion native and Civil War history enthusiast has written his first book and it details the excruciating toll of the Civil War on a small town in West Virginia.
Kevin Pawlak, 23, earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil War history and historic preservation in 2014 from Shepherd University in West Virginia. That college is located in Shepherdstown, which is close to the Mason-Dixon line.
The community felt the painful toll of the war when marching armies arrived at their door in the summer of 1862.
The Maryland Campaign would bring thousands of wounded Confederates into the town’s homes, churches and warehouses. Pawlak writes how the town became a vast Confederate hospital, with 5,000 to 6,000 wounded soldiers cared for in homes, sheds and other buildings.
He said many small towns paid a heavy price in the Civil War. (The tower at Mount Albion Cemetery includes the names of 463 men from Orleans County who died in the war.)
Shepherdstown played the role of serving as a hospital for many maimed soldiers. Many did not survive and are buried in cemeteries at the town. Historical markers remain in the town, noting the community’s role as a caregiver in the summer of 1862.
“It’s the experience of a small town in the Civil War,” Pawlak said about the 180-page book. “You get a sense of the beauty, sacrifice and the pride they took in their country.”
Pawlak is the son of Jerome and Teresa Pawlak of Albion. He searched on-line for information, and visited depositories in Virginia and Maryland.
He highlights successes and failures that brought the battle close to Shepherdstown. He shares stories from soldiers, what they experienced in the war and how the community cared for them once they were in the vast hospital. He was able to find letters they wrote and mail sent to them.
“Researching the stories you get to know the soldiers,” Pawlak said. “They become more than a gravestone to me.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 September 2015 at 12:00 am
Editorial – $100K donation, 200th anniversary of farm and several other jobs well done
Good deeds and major milestones deserve some recognition, so let’s consider a few recent examples in Orleans County.
Maurice Hoag and his wife Courtenay gave another $100,000 to Hoag Library. They had already given $250,000 to the new library, which opened in 2012. That was enough to have the building named in their honor.
Mr. Hoag, the valedictorian of Albion’s Class of 1961, worked in the chemical engineering field. He lives in the Baltimore area but comes back to Albion for class reunions.
Photos by Tom Rivers – A plaque at Hoag Library notes the contributions from Maurice and Courtenay Hoag.
In July, the library received a surprise check from the Hoags. They asked that the money be used to pay down the mortgage on the new library.
That will reduce the debt payments and get the building paid off sooner. It could free up funds for programs, staff and supplies, or reduce the library tax.
The Hoags also pay for generous scholarships for two Albion college students pursuing chemical engineering.
Mr. Hoag hasn’t forgotten his hometown. His gifts are appreciated.
George LaMont (right), a desendant of Josias LaMont, unveils a historical marker in honor of the man who started the LaMont farm in 1815. About 200 people attended a celebration on Aug. 15 for the farm.
A local family celebrated 200 years of growing fruit last month. Josias LaMont started the farm that would span six generations.
Roger and George LaMont are both semi-retired from farming. They have made a big impact on the industry and with many local causes.
Roger was co-chairman of the fund-raising effort for the new Hoah Library. George was instrumental in starting the Oak Orchard Community Health Center, which has expanded from care for migrant workers to the entire community. Both men have been key leaders in the apple industry.
They helped establish Lake Ridge Fruit Company, an apple packing and storage business that serves many local apple farms on Route 104 in Gaines. Roger helped organize growers in a partnership with Cornell to breed new apple varieties and make them available to only NY growers, giving New York farmers an advantage over growers from Washington.
The family has done so much for the industry a future apple variety should be named the LaMont.
Matt Ballard, former director of the Cobblestone Musuem, is pictured with a World War I exhibit he helped organize.
Matt Ballard served as director of the Cobblestone Museum for about 18 months. He was a key leader at Orleans County’s only National Historic Landmark, putting on professional exhibits about medicine in the 1800s and the local involvement with World War I.
Ballard resigned last month to take a full-time position with Roberts Wesleyan College. He will continue to work part-time as the Orleans County historian.
Ballard is only 27 and brings a passion and expertise to local history. He certainly raised the profile of the Cobblestone Museum in the community and region, and partnered with several local groups on heritage projects, including refurbishing a fox “stuffed” by legendary taxidermist Carl Akeley, a Clarendon native. The museum owns a fox that Akeley worked on when he was 16.
Ballard feels so committed to the Cobblestone Museum he has agreed to stay on in a volunteer role as a board member. He has proven an asset to the county, especially with preserving and promoting our proud heritage.
This statue of Mary is part of the Catholic parish in Holley.
A church in Holley is marking its 150th anniversary in the next 12 months. St. Mary’s Catholic Church has been a focal point in Holley since 1866. The parish has one of its biggest community events on Sunday with the annual St. Rocco’s Festival in Hulberton.
The church members have been good stewards of a church built in 1905 of Medina sandstone. It replaced an earlier wooden structure. The congregation also has had an infusion of young families in recent years with the leadership of Father Mark Noonan, the parish priest. It looks like the parish will stay strong for years to come.
Gary Withey tends to a customer during the final days of Fischer’s News Stand.
Many Albionites are sad to see a long-established business close. Fischer’s News Stand sold its last newspaper, magazine and Lotto ticket on Sunday.
Gary Withey and his late wife Denise became owners of the business in January 1995. They kept it going long after news stands in other much larger communities shut down.
Contributed Story Posted 30 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo courtesy of Debbie Patt
BROCKPORT – Youngsters took to the skies in Brockport on Saturday at the Ledgedale Airport as part of the EAA Young Eagles program. Pictured include, from left: Elise Isler, Boy Scout John Patt, Pilot Norm Isler, Pilot Frances Englund, Boy Scout Colby Kerry and Boy Scout Cody Catlin.
The EAA Young Eagles Program was developed in 1992 to welcome young people into the world of aviation. Click here for more information and to find a Young Eagles pilot or coordinator.
Kendall Boy Scouts John Patt and Colby Kerry took advantage of the free flight to work on their Aviation Merit Badge for Boy Scouts. They also learned how to do a preflight check. Albion Boy Scout Cody Catlin has previously earned his Aviation Merit Badge, but was excited for the opportunity on Saturday.
Pilot Norm Isler stated that John was the 96th and Cody was his 97th Young Eagle that he has personally flown, and he is as excited as the boys and girls are when he sees the huge smiles on their faces.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Hinspergers declared ‘Business of the Year’
MEDINA – A Medina company that makes pool covers and other durable plastic products has been named Business of the Year for 2015 by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
Hinspergers Poly Industries employs about 60 people at 430 West Oak Orchard St. The Canada-based company opened a manufacturing site in Medina in 2002 and has steadily grown since then.
Hinspergers will be recognized during the Chamber’s annual awards banquet on Sept. 18 at Tillman’s Village Inn. The celebration goes from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
The chamber will also honor the following:
Small Business of the Year: Erie Way Tree Farm of Holley.
New Business of the Year: 810 Meadworks of Medina.
Agricultural Business of the Year: Circle R Fruit Farm in Kent.
Phoenix Award: a lily and a sparrow in Medina.
Community Service Award: Barb Flow of Kendall.
Business Person of the Year: Lora Partyka of Kendall.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Bob Waters of Medina.
The award program is open to the public. For more information, call the Chamber at (585) 589-7727.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Marlee Diehl, a member of the Albion Rotary Club, is pictured with Kevin Crosby, the current district governor for District 7090, which includes about 70 Rotary clubs in Western New York and Southern Ontario. Diehl will become district governor on July 1, 2016.
ALBION – A member of the Albion Rotary Club will become District Governor next July 1, leading a district of about 70 clubs in Western New York and Southern Ontario.
Marlee Diehl was to take over as district governor in 2017, but the next district governor stepped down from consideration. The current district governor, Kevin Crosby, said input from the district’s leadership was unanimous in having Diehl assume the reins a year ahead of when she had planned.
“She is very dependable and she’s a tremendous asset for the district,” Crosby said after a recent visit with Albion Rotarians.
Diehl has been active in many district events and committees, helping to plan and lead district conferences and training sessions. She served as assistant district governor for three years.
“I was struck right away by her involvement and her commitment,” said Crosby, a Lockport resident and member of the Buffalo Sunrise Club. “She has always stepped up and done not only what we asked her to do, but more.”
Diehl has been active in Rotary since 1994, when she joined a club in Hamilton, Ontario. Diehl’s husband Bill is twice a past president of the Albion Rotary Club. They met at a Rotary conference in Toronto in 2009, when they were both at a training session for incoming Rotary presidents.
Bill was to be president of the Albion club for the first time in 2009-10, while Marlee was to be president of the Hamilton, Ontario club. They became friends at that conference and would marry in December 2011. Mrs. Diehl emigrated and now lives with her husband in Carlton.
As district governor, Diehl said her focus will be celebrating Rotarians, especially those with a long commitment to helping their communities.
For about 35 years she worked as a recruiter, helping companies find executives and leaders in management. While connecting with business leaders, she noticed many wore Rotary pins or had Rotary posters on their walls.
When she was looking for an outlet for community service, she turned to Rotary and joined the Hamilton club in 1994.
She is also active at the First Presbyterian Church in Albion and the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association.
