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.
Genesee Community College staff members recognized with Chancellor’s Awards include, front row, from left: Rebecca Dziekan, Patricia Hume, Kathy L. Palumbo, Joyce A. Chizick, Dr. Christopher D. Caputi and Heather Jones. Back row: GCC President James M. Sunser, Lyndsey J. Oliver-Farewell, Timothy M. Palmer and Charles Scuggs.
Press Release, GCC
BATAVIA – Seven members of the Genesee Community College staff team have been recognized by State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher for outstanding contributions to their profession, the campus and the community.
The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence is given in recognition of consistently superior professional achievement and encourages the ongoing pursuit of excellence.
The following faculty and staff members earned the 2015 award and were honored at a reception on the Batavia Campus.
Award for Excellence in Teaching
Dr. Christopher D. Caputi, Assistant Professor, Physical Therapist Assistant Program – Chris earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Physical Therapy from D’Youville College and a Post-Professional Doctorate of Physical Therapy from SUNY Upstate Medical University.
He spent time at Wyoming County Community Hospital and Kenmore Mercy Hospital as a staff physical therapist and worked as a physical therapist for Guthrie Healthcare System in Sayre, Pennsylvania and Crystal City Physical Therapy in Corning. He currently provides outpatient physical therapy evaluations and treatment for Sports Plus Physical Therapy in Batavia. Chris joined the College in 2007 as an adjunct professor and quickly became a full-time faculty member in 2008.
He is actively involved with students on campus as the academic coordinator of Clinical Education and advisor of the Physical Therapy Club. Chris also currently serves as a member of the Academic Innovation Committee, Academic Senate and Global Education Committee at GCC. He is an Equity and Diversity representative and a College Foundation captain. He resides in Tonawanda, NY.
Charles Scruggs, Assistant Professor of History – Charles came to GCC in 2007 after spending time as a tutor and substitute teacher for the Geneseo School District. He also held teaching assistant positions at SUNY Albany and the University of Notre Dame after earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Politics from Princeton University and his Master’s Degree in Political Science from SUNY Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs.
Charles continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a Master’s of Science in Education Degree in History Education in 2003. He has taught a dozen different courses at the College, both traditional and online. Charles serves on a number of committees at Genesee, including the Academic Senate, the Innovation Committee, the Global Education Committee, the Sustainability Committee, the Early Intervention Committee and the Online Faculty Advisory Committee.
He has participated in professional programs at Cornell University, received a travel grant to participate in a NATO Advanced Studies Institute in Scotland and a PIER Institute at Yale University on the culture and politics of revolution in Latin America. He resides in Rochester, NY.
Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities
Heather Jones, Associate Professor of Fine Arts – Heather was appointed to Genesee Community College as a full-time instructor of Fine Arts in 2008 and was promoted to associate professor in 2014. She participated in the development and programming of the Roz Steiner Art Gallery, working with architects in the gallery design and the Gallery Advisory Board to develop the gallery vision.
Heather holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Alfred University and a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She serves on the GCC Sustainability Committee, Fine Arts Committee and acts as the chair for the Curriculum sub-committee. Heather has also developed new course curriculum for the College, including a 2D hybrid art course, an arts topic course and an international study abroad program.
She is a working artist creating social commentaries on environmental issues and is the owner of two active small businesses. GlassFeather Studio offers arts workshops to the local community and Good Nature Press offers book packaging, writing, graphic design and illustration services. Prior to GCC, Heather taught as an arts adjunct professor for seven years at a variety of colleges and served as the director of Camp Stella Maris in Livonia, NY until 2002. She resides in Conesus, NY.
Award for Excellence in Faculty Service
Rebecca Dziekan, Director of Health and Physical Education – Rebecca began her career at GCC as the College’s athletic trainer and instructor of Health and Physical Education (HPE) in 1996. She took advantage of many professional development opportunities and became director of Health and Physical Education in 2007 and earned rank of full professor in 2011.
Rebecca has created new courses for HPE programs and created two concentrations to the Fitness and Recreation Sport Management Program (Personal Training and Golf Management). Her service to the College is extensive as she is an acting member of the Academic Senate, CAST (Campus Area Safety Team), Assessment Committee, Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee, GCCA Faculty Rep and Secretary, Creativity Committee, General Education Committee and more.
Her relationship with the community includes the development of the Genesee Sport and Wellness Camp in an effort to improve student skills in sports and the Play to Get Fit Challenge, which challenges 3rd, 4th and 5th graders in the GLOW area to record the most minutes spent physically active outside regular school hours in an effort to battle childhood obesity.
Rebecca is a graduate of The (SUNY) College at Brockport, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Science, and Indiana State University with a Master’s Degree in Science. She is a member of the Pavilion School Board of Education and head coach for Pavilion youth baseball, basketball and soccer.
Award for Excellence in Professional Service
Lyndsey J. Oliver-Farewell, Technical Specialist, Records Management – Lyndsey joined the College in 2004 as a peer tutor at the Albion Campus Center. She held the position of technical assistant and associate at Albion and Medina Campus Centers before being hired as a technical specialist in Records Management in Batavia in 2010.
In her current capacity, Lyndsey is regularly relied upon to manage large projects with a high degree of accuracy. Of her many responsibilities, one is the management of the credit course schedule of approximately 1,500 sections each semester. Lyndsey earned an Associate Degree from GCC before continuing her education at The (SUNY) College at Brockport where she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
Kathy L. Palumbo, Director of Nursing – Kathy has been the director of Genesee’s Nursing Program since January of 2009 and prior to that, she taught in the program for 18 years. She is the only director of a program which prepares students for professional licensure. The Nursing Program admits and regularly graduates students twice a year, making it the second largest program of study at GCC.
Kathy supervises and evaluates 13 full-time faculty and staff, and depending on the semester, 25-30 part-time faculty, more than all other healthcare programs combined. A graduate of the University at Buffalo, Kathy earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree of Science in Nursing. Recognizing the importance of communication and connection to the surrounding community, Kathy actively participates in a number of community organizations and activities.
Most recently, she was invited to become a member of the Genesee County Health Department Quality Assurance Committee. She is also on several nursing advisory committees, including the University of Rochester, The (SUNY) College at Brockport, Daemen College and Roberts Wesleyan University. In collaboration with the Genesee County Health Department, Kathy was responsible for organizing flu clinics and supervising student administration of the H1N1 vaccine to the community, including children, when there was an urgent need to immunize against the flu strain. She is also on the board of the Genesee Valley Nurses Association which has been the recipient of grant funds to assist nursing students in the Rochester area with emergency funding, allowing them to continue their education. Kathy resides in Darien, NY.
Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching
Joyce A. Chizick, Adjunct Instructor of Art and Business – Since she began teaching at GCC in the fall of 2000, Joyce has taught a total of twelve different courses in a variety of disciplines including Art, Business Administration, Fashion Merchandising Management and Tourism and Hospitality Management. Her classes are dynamic and lively, utilizing humor, singing, dancing, acting out different works of art, in addition to traditional group work, discussions and presentations. Joyce serves as a member of the Global Education Committee at the College where she has presented several programs and assisted in over 20 others.
She is also a member of the Fine Arts Committee, an advisor for the Western Art History Club, and has served as a mentor in the Honors Program. Numerous GCC campus events benefitted from Joyce’s creative touch as she dedicates her time to activities such as the annual fashion show and Encore and other scholarship fundraising events. Joyce earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education from The State University of New York at Buffalo and also obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from SUNY Empire State College. She resides in Lyndonville, NY.
Timothy M. Palmer, Adjunct Instructor of History – Timothy has taught as an adjunct instructor for the College since 1992. He has held classes in traditional classroom settings, developed and taught online classes, traveled extensively to satellite facilities to teach, and has taken his enthusiasm and dedication into the New York State Corrections System, most notably Attica Correctional Facility. Timothy earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in History from The (SUNY) College at Brockport and taught as an adjunct professor at his alma mater from 1999 to 2011.
A voracious reader, Timothy keeps up with current developments in his discipline spending three to four hours a day reading monographs and journals. He has authored several published articles that reflect his research interests and desire to keep in tune with the latest scholarship, which he brings to the classroom to the benefit of his students.
His passion for teaching is obvious to the most casual of observers and in 1996, he was awarded the Genesee Community College Phi Theta Kappa Award for Teaching Excellence. In addition, Timothy earned the Art Lee History Award and Robert Griswold History Award at The (SUNY) College at Brockport and the Teaching Excellence Award, presented by the GCC Student Government. He resides in Greece, NY.
Award for Excellence in Classified Service
Patricia Hume, Executive Secretary, Development and External Affairs – Patty, who joined the Genesee Community College staff in 2006, serves as the secretary to the College Foundation Board. She oversees the records and work flow of the office, and schedules all meetings and activities for the Board, which has nine committees and 31 members. Among its many functions, the Foundation Board organizes “Encore,” an annual holiday tradition which is the major fundraising event for student scholarships and involves many of the College’s departments as well as an extraordinary number of citizens from the region.
Patty serves as the central liaison for “Encore” and is crucial to its long-running success. Patty is also responsible for the important and voluminous digital records held in the office’s custody, which includes data entries on some 35,000 constituents, often appended with tightly secured personal information. She maintains an active presence at virtually all major College events and is willing to go beyond the scope of her position to help her colleagues. As an alumnus of Genesee Community College herself, Patty, class of 1988, is a strong supporter and booster of all things GCC. She resides in Pavilion with her husband Ted and son Aiden.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The flowers bloom from spring to late summer. The lawn is meticulously kept. Trees offer shade and a park-like setting.
For years, Albion Agencies has worked on the landscape and its historic building at 30 North Main St.
The Albion Betterment Committee today stopped by the long-time insurance agency and presented a certificate of appreciation to the business’s owner, Chris Haines, and his wife Pat.
The Landscape Award recognizes the Haines family for their “commitment to the betterment of the community,” according to the certificate presented by Betterment directors Gary Derwick, Joe Gehl and Gary Kent.
Mrs. Haines does the gardening and tends to the flowers while her husband keeps the lawn looking like a golf course, including edging along a sandstone walkway that weaves through the property.
Pat and Chris Haines, front, are pictured with Albion Betterment Committee directors, from left in back: Gary Kent, Gary Derwick and Joe Gehl.
“They put a great face on their business and downtown Albion,” Kent said about the Haines.
Albion Agencies moved to the site in the 1960s. The building was constructed in 1835 and is one of the few original houses remaining in the downtown.
The Betterment Committee also will be presenting a Landscape Award to Burger King.
Contributed Story Posted 17 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Provided photo
KENDALL – Two brothers from Kendall – Matthew and Nicholas Schuth – were recognized as Eagle Scouts during a Court of Honor ceremony on Aug. 10. Matthew and Nicholas join older brother Michael as Eagle Scouts, the highest honor for a Boy Scout.
David and Cathy Schuth are parents of the three Scouts who are members of Troop 94.
The Schuth family is pictured at the Kendall United Methodist Church. Pictured, from left: David, Nicholas, Michael, Matthew and Cathy.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley attended the ceremony and presented the new Eagle Scouts with certificates for their achievement.
For his Eagle project, Matthew built a picture place at the Kendall Community Park. Beginning by clearing trees and brush, the site was then backfilled for planting arborvitaes. A foundation and concrete pad from a former building are the base for a vinyl arbor and are accessible by the stone walkway. This low maintenance backdrop has already been used for many formal photographs.
For his Eagle project, Nicholas improved the Kendall Food Cupboard. Housed in the Kendall United Methodist Church, this vital community service needed additional storage space. Wood shelving was installed to allow overhead storage for lightweight items and a full wall of shelves that more than doubled the shelving used for food. All food was removed from the shelving, inspected and placed on the new shelving per direction from Marty and Zina Goodenbery.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Brad Shelp, left, joined the Albion Rotary 57 years ago and hasn’t missed a weekly meeting – ever.
The long-time car salesman has maintained perfect attendance since he joined the club, making up meetings on vacation in Florida and at nearby clubs when he had a work commitment that interfered with the Albion club’s meetings for lunch on Thursdays.
Kevin Crosby is district governor of about 70 clubs in Western New York and Southern Ontario. He was at the Albion club on Thursday and presented Shelp with a pin and certificate.
“This is really a remarkable achievement,” Crosby told Shelp and the Albion Rotary Club.
Shelp said he enjoys the fellowship in the Albion club, and also the chance to visit Rotarians in Holley, Medina, Le Roy, Middleport and Batavia, and also when he is in Florida.
“It’s nice to see what the other clubs do,” said Shelp, who continues to work part-time in sales for the Don Davis Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership. “There’s not too many clubs that are the same.”
During his visit with the Albion Rotary Club, Crosby was presented with a check for $341 by Don Bishop, left. That money was collected during the Rotary Club’s golf tournament last month and is to be used to help eradicate polio.
Crosby said the world is nearly polio-free. Rotarians are trying to wipe it out of the two remaining countries that have the disease: Pakistan and Afghanistan.
