By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Marsha Rivers – The Orleans County Youth Board honored these adults – Jeannine Larkin, Kathie Valley and Dr. Clark Godshall – during the 33rd Annual Youth Recognition Banquet at Hickory Ridge Golf and Country Club.
HOLLEY – The Orleans County Youth Board honored 20 youths for community service and, in some cases, for extraordinary efforts in their families.
The students and three adults with a long record of commitment to youths were all recognized on Thursday evening during the 33rd Annual Youth Recognition Banquet.
The Youth Board chose two honorees for the Helen Brinsmaid Professional Award, given to a paid professional “whose work exceeds normal expectations.”
Dr. Clark Godshall has been superintendent the past 16 years at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES. He has been a role model to school administrators and a strong advocate for Orleans County youths. Godshall expanded services for students with disabilities, added electives for students and boosted adult programming at BOCES.
Godshall has pushed for student achievement and academic rigor with a leadership style that is thoughtful, compassionate, empathetic and serious, the Youth Board said.
Jeannine Larkin has worked for the Orleans County Child and Family Services since 1992. For the past decade she has been a supervisor of foster care/preventive services after working as a caseworker in child protective, preventive and youth diversion services.
She oversees a staff that usually is working with 150 children receiving services in the foster care/preventive unit.
“In Jeannine’s line of work, there are no easy answers, no quick fixes, many sleepness nights, countless hours away from her own family and very few win-win situations,” the Youth Board said.
Larkin remains passionate about her job and is committed to local children.
“She is often putting the pieces together for families broken by all manner of social problems of social problems or finding a forever family for children who have suffered neglect or abuse,” the Youth Board said.
Todd Draper, a sergeant with the Medina Police Department, was the event’s keynote speaker. He is pictured with Kathie Valley, who was his fourth grade teacher.
Kathie Valley of Medina was presented with the Eileen Heye Adult Volunteer Award. Valley is a retired elementary teacher from Medina who continues to tutor students who need extra one-on-one attention.
She helps on parent conference days and evening events at the school. She looks for ways to boost parent involvement. She advocates for children by facilitating the United Way campaign at the school district. She volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, a Medina food pantry, the Festival of Lights, and at her church as a Sunday School teacher.
The Youth Board also recognized the following students for their outstanding service:
Albion: Kevin Alvarado-Rosario, Adryan Cheeseboro, Jordan Deskins and Morgan Seielstad.
Holley: Samantha Barniak, Cameron Bennage, Claudia Drechsel, Zachary Farruggia and Lucas Silvis.
Kendall: Tania Arellano, Marisa Hanlon, Taylor Kingsbury and Kellie Moore.
Lyndonville: Trevor Bentley, Rachael Kiefe and Keighlin O’Connor.
Medina: Aracely Hernandez, Abigail Maines, Jonathon Thomas and Emma Wilson.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Heritage Hero: Andrew Meier
Photos by Tom Rivers – Andrew Meier is pictured inside the second floor of the Robert H. Newell Building, which is now home to the law offices of Webster, Schubel and Meier. The building’s reuse and preservation is one of several reasons why Meier was awarded a “Heritage Hero” award on April 25 by Genesee Community College.
MEDINA – It was 2004 and Andrew Meier had a new law degree from Syracuse University after earning his bachelor’s at the University of Rochester.
Meier was 24 then and many of his law school friends settled into jobs at law firms in the big cities.
Meier returned to his hometown, working with David Schubel and Norris Webster at their law firm on Main Street. Meier bought a house in Middleport, renovated it and sold it.
He liked that challenge, of bringing life back into an old building.
“I love architecture and I really love old buildings,” Meier said.
The Robert H. Newell Building is now home to several different businesses and uses.
Meier had long admired the Robert H. Newell Building at 113 West Center St. The building for 86 years was home to the Robert H. Newell Shirt Factory, which manufactured custom-made shirts, including for many famous customers, including Winston Churchill and Bob Hope.
The Newell company left the historic building in 2004 and moved to Maple Ridge Road. The business closed in 2007.
The Village of Medina acquired the building after years of unpaid taxes. The three-story site had been neglected and was in disrepair. It was put up for sale in 2005, and Meier bought it. He was 25 at the time.
“It had great bones and potential,” Meier said about the building. “I knew the risks going in. It was an opportunity that came up that I could not pass up.”
He set about the task of methodically renovating and preserving the 14,000-square-foot building that opened in 1876, a site that was a hotel for its first 14 years before it becoming the Newell building.
Meier is pictured at the check-in for the Hart House, a hotel with four rooms plus two lofts for extended stays.
Meier first worked on preparing the Shirt Factory Café in part of the first floor. That business opened in September 2006 after 18 months of renovations.
Meier believed the café fit in nicely with the Newell building, given its close proximity to the Post Office and other downtown sites that are popular with the public.
“I thought it was a quality of life issue and the type of business the community needed,” Meier said. “I thought it would thrive off existing foot traffic and hopefully generate some new foot traffic.”
The café remains in operation today, with Richard Sarrero now owning and running the Shirt Factory.
Bryan DeGraw, back left, talks about mead with people on the Ale in Autumn tasting event in September in Medina. 810 Meadworks is owned by Bryan and Larissa DeGraw and their friend Morris Babcock.
While Meier was working on the space for the Shirt Factory, a yarn store and barbershop moved into storefronts at the building. Meier knew it would take many tenants, with different types of businesses, to make the building viable.
He envisioned the second floor for professional offices and he found a tenant in the law offices of Webster, Schubel and Meier. The attorneys would move from Main Street to the second floor of the Newell building.
For the third floor, Meier wanted to honor the building’s original use as a hotel. He would create the Hart House with four hotel rooms and two extended stay loft apartments. The Hart House opened in 2012. Meier owns that business which is managed by Kyle Zunner.
The building has space in the back that has hosted outdoor concerts as part of the Boiler 54 performance venue.
Dave Kimball and Dee Adams perform in August 2013 at the Boiler 54 in the back of the former R.H. Newell Shirt Factory.
“That space is one of the most awesome outdoor venues anywhere,” Meier said. “I love it.”
When the barber in the building retired last year, a meadery serving alcohol moved in. 810 Meadworks has proven a draw for people who like alcoholic drinks made by fermenting honey with water and often fruits, spices, grains and hops.
Cindy Robinson, president of the Medina Business Association, marvels at Meier’s transformation for a building that was empty a decade ago.
“He is a visionary on what’s doable in a small town,” Robinson said. “He knew it would take an eclectic mix.”
Robinson owns two historic building on Main Street. Both have been full of surprises, the same with most older historic structures, she said.
“You don’t know what’s under the dropped ceilings and the plasterboard,” she said.
Meier showed faith in the community when he invested in the Newell site, and Robinson believes that example encouraged others to take a chance on Medina, and has been a big part of the downtown revitalization the past decade.
“He was one of the original risk takers,” Robinson said. “He has been a catalyst for the downtown.”
Civil War re-enactors march down Main Street in Medina in April 2013, when the Main Street was closed to traffic for the parade. Meier and village officials have supported many heritage efforts and community projects.
Meier would join the Village Board in 2008 when he was elected as a trustee. He became mayor in 2011. He worries about neighborhood decline and rising tax rates for the Medina community. He pushed for a dissolution of the village, which failed in the public referendum in January.
“Being mayor and serving on the Village Board is a thankless job,” Robinson said. “You do it out of your hearts and your concern for the community.”
As mayor, Meier has been receptive to heritage projects in the community, most notably Genesee Community College’s Civil War Encampments the past three years. Medina closed sections of Main Street to traffic for re-enactment programs and parades.
He is active with the Orleans Renaissance Group and its effort to bring back Bent’s Hall, a three-story structure on Main Street that includes an opera house.
Meier plays the church organ at Trinity Lutheran Church and the Presbyterian Church. He heard about a Cincinnati church, Christ Episcopal Cathedral, that was dismantling an 1968 Holtkamp pipe organ with 1,800 pipes. Meier helped orchestrate bringing that organ to Trinity Lutheran, replacing a much smaller one. The relocated organ debuted on Easter.
Some of the pipes in a Holtkamp pipe organ at Trinity Lutheran Church are pictured in March while the organ was put together inside the Medina church. The organ was moved from Cincinnati.
Meier said he’s grateful to see so many people working on projects in the community, preserving the downtown and promoting many other heritage initiatives, efforts that set Medina apart.
“We got it and few other places do,” Meier about the community’s historical assets. “If you look at Buffalo, Buffalo is on a huge economic upswing right now, and it’s not because of a huge amount of new employment or because Buffalo’s economy has fundamentally changed. It’s because Buffalo has given new life to historic districts and marketing. People want to come to Buffalo. The tourism market is so much stronger in Buffalo right now because of all the preservation activities going on.”
Preservation can draw tourists, and investment, Meier said, and preservation is also the “highest form of green building out there. Building a new building requires harvesting new resources from the Earth whereas preservation is already using those resources that have been harvested and reusing them. The carbon footprint for preservation is very small compared to new builds.”
One of the rooms in the Hart House includes a picture of Bob Hope, one of the prominent customers of the former Newell company.
The older buildings are also “an art form,” Meier said.
“They will stand for centuries if water is kept from them and they are simply maintained,” he said.
Bent’s hosted wine-tastings in its basement
In regards to Bent’s, Meier said many people are working on a plan to revive the building.
“There are people toiling everyday to bring that project to life and it will come to life,” he said. “It takes a few with the vision to see the potential, and we have those people here. That project could be a real turning point for the village and put us on the same trajectory of what Buffalo is seeing now. It will be a venue unlike anywhere else.”
The Tree Board, Medina Business Association, Orleans Renaissance Group, Medina Sandstone Society and many other groups and citizens are working to better Medina.
“As a village we’ve embraced participation from the community to get projects off the ground, and let them have ownership of them,” Meier said. “There are so many people doing so many things around here.”
The following joined Cindy Hurt, third from left, when she was recognized recently by the Western New York Educational Service Council. From left: Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent of Orleans/Niagara BOCES; Board of Education member Joanne Woodside of Lockport; Cindy Hurt; Board of Education Vice President Maureen Kaus of Niagara-Wheatfield; Board of Education member Becky Albright of Wilson; and Board of Education President Keith Bond of Royalton-Hartland.
Hurt, secretary to the district superintendent of Orleans/Niagara BOCES, was recognized by the Western New York Educational Service Council during the Awards for Excellence held at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens. Mrs. Hurt shared the honor with four other support staff that were chosen by a committee from over 100 nominations.
Her boss, Dr. Clark Godshall, said he could not think of a more worthy recipient of the prestigious award.
“Cindy is the glue that keeps the District Superintendent’s office together,” Godshall said. “She is well respected, extremely organized, efficient, unflappable and sincere, all the qualities you could possibly want in a secretary and more. If we were a sports team, she would be our MVP.”
Hurt has worked for BOCES for 34 years and is a Medina resident.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – The Office for the Aging celebrated local senior citizens today with lunch for about 150 people at the Trolley Building at the 4-H Fairgrounds, and the agency also presented recognition awards for three local seniors.
The top photo shows Meredith Minier of Albion looking over the citation she received as one of two honorees in Orleans County as “Senior of the Year.” Minier and the other winner, Sally Grout, will be invited to Albany to be recognized in the state capitol.
Minier has long been dedicated to local youths, helping to build a strong Albion PTA when her daughter Marissa was a student. Minier worked for Photos by Bruce and also is the secretary at the Albion United Methodist Church. She has volunteered at the library and the Cobblestone Society Museum.
She has been active in the Suicide Prevention Coalition, helping to raise awareness in the community for people who despair with depression. Minier’s late husband Lee, his father and Lee’s grandmother all ended their own lives.
Minier has tried to remove the stigma of suicide and connect people with resources to get them through difficult times.
Sally Grout
Sally Grout is a retired nurse who worked at the former Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital in Albion, and then for Dr. David Meza before spending 22 years as school nurse at Medina Central School.
Since she retired in 2004, she has volunteered as a nurse for the Care Net Pregnancy and Family Center of Greater Orleans in Albion.
She has attended church mission trips to Romania, serving children in orphanages. She is active at the Hartland Bible Church, and she also volunteers in an equestrian program that offers therapeutic riding.
Sen. Robert Ortt (left) and Melissa Blanar (right), director of the Office for the Aging, also recognized Karl Kast as the agency’s volunteer of the year.
Kast, a retired postal worker, helps collate the “Friendly Carrier,” the OFA newsletter that is mailed to 2,200 people. Kast has recruited other volunteers for the task.
“He is a generous and kind person with a great sense of humor,” Blanar said.
Ortt, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and three county legislators – David Callard, John DeFillipps and Don Allport – all attended the event this afternoon honoring local senior citizens as part of “Older Americans Month.”
County Legislature Chairman David Callard addresses the group of senior citizens today during a luncheon at the Trolly Building.
Ortt said the month should be named, “Wiser Americans Month.” He thanked the many volunteers who serve senior citizens, especially the Meals on Wheels drivers.
“You’re not just delivering a meal,” Ortt said. “You’re often the only person they see that day. You’re helping to keep them in their homes.”
Callard, chairman of the Legislature, thanked the seniors for their years of service and contributions to the community.
“You’re the backbone of Orleans County and senior citizens are the backbone of this country,” Callard said.
Gary Deiboldt played the keyboards and Joe Sacco sang and played the saxophone during today’s event.
Provided photos – Dr. David Voss, left, is pictured with Jim Simon, dean of the campus centers in Albion and Medina.
Press Release, GCC
The Albion and Medina Campus Centers of Genesee Community College are pleased to announce the Spring 2015 Students and Instructors of the Semester.
Each semester, one student and one instructor at each campus center are awarded the honor for outstanding academic or teaching performance.
Dr. David Voss has been selected as the instructor of the semester at the Medina Campus for the Spring 2015 semester. He teaches Chemistry at the Medina Campus, and also teaches at Medina High School and SUNY Buffalo’s Post Baccalaureate Program. David received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a PhD in Bioinorganic Chemistry at the University of Buffalo.
Dave feels most rewarded as a teacher when he watches a student realize that they can do something they thought they were not capable of doing. When asked what he likes about working at GCC, Dave replied, “It is a great place to continue your education – a place with a supportive staff and faculty fully invested in seeing their students succeed.”
His advice to new instructors is to love what you do and love your kids!
He was nominated by multiple students because he cares about his students and is always willing to work with them, even if it means coming in early or staying late. They also like that he always answers their questions to the best of his ability and that “his puns are so corny that they are funny.”
In his personal time, Dave enjoys sports and reading. He states the best book he ever read was “Napoleon’s Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed the World.” He also enjoys watching the television series “Mad Men.” He is married with four children, a dog and a cat.
Melissa Ostrom
Melissa Ostrom has been selected as the instructor of the semester at the Albion Campus Center. She teaches English Composition at the Albion Campus. Melissa has a Master of Arts in English from Middlebury College and a Secondary English Education Certification from SUNY Fredonia. She currently works with teachers as a public school curriculum consultant and previously was an English teacher at Kendall High School.
Students appreciate Melissa’s positive attitude and her willingness to help students. The student who nominated her said, “She helped me understand the material and she is very bubbly. She does not seem to get annoyed at anything or anyone.”
She is married with two children and her hobbies include cooking, writing fiction and making pottery. Melissa’s advice to new instructors is “Be kind; this does not mean lenient or inordinately flexible but every student can benefit from an instructor’s kindness.”
Keith McKinney
Keith McKinney has been selected as the student of the semester at the Medina Campus. Keith is currently a General Studies major with plans to transfer to either UB or Brockport to obtain his Bachelor of Arts Degree in History.
Prior to GCC, Keith served in the US Army as a Legacy Leader. While in the Army, Keith was honored with numerous military awards and decorations. Once he retired, he decided to attend GCC and become a history teacher.
When asked what he likes most about his college experience thus far, he commented that he thoroughly enjoys learning new ideas, differences in cultures and opinions, and the opportunity to openly discuss such subjects.
Keith is a very generous and giving person, as expressed by the instructor who nominated him as our student of the semester. Her comments are echoed by other faculty, students and staff.
Keith volunteers and participates in many activities everywhere he goes. Keith shared that the major influences in his life include his family, friends, as well his GCC instructors and staff. When asked if he had any advice for new college students, he said “Be open to new ideas and challenges.”
Keith’s long-term goal is to teach at GCC.
Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore has been selected as the student of the semester at the Albion Campus for the Spring 2015 semester. She is a full-time student majoring in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Studies.
Mandy is consistently on the President’s List and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa. She is graduating from GCC in May and will continue her education in the fall at SUNY Brockport where she will pursue a degree in Social Work.
Instructors who nominated Mandy noted her academic achievement and exceptional work ethic. One instructor stated, “She comes to class prepared, focused and ready to learn. She is a role model for fellow students.”
Mandy advises new students to make sure to schedule due dates in advance so you have plenty of time to study and complete assignments. Mandy interns with Susyn Tillman at “All About U” counseling and the Parenting Program through the Ministry of Concern.
Mandy lives in Lyndonville and enjoys spending time with her daughter and going for walks with her family.
Provided photo – Two Albion elementary students, Lucy Rivers (left) and Leah Kania, both won first place in the grades 3 to 5 category in the recent poetry contest. They are pictured at Bindings Bookstore in Albion.
The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council teamed with two local bookstores for a student poetry contest in April, which is National Poetry Month.
The contest was open to all students between kindergarten and college levels. In Orleans, no one entered at the high school or college levels.
Prizes and certificates were awarded in grade-grouped categories.
The following were award winners in Orleans County:
Grades K-2
First Place: Abigail Worsley for “Angels”
Honorable Mention: Logan Poupore for “April”
Grades 3-5
First Place: Leah Kania for “Snow”
First Place: Lucy Rivers for “Sharing My Room”
Honorable Mention: Ayesha Way for ” I Got a Pet”
Grades 6-8
First Place: Annabella Salisbury for “Life” and “Choices”
First Place: Nate Sherman for “Science Fair”
Honorable Mention: Jordan Lugo for “My Demon”
Honorable Mention: Jenny Benton for “Lay Your Head Down, Darling”
Provided photos – Ceil Feldman, a Hospice volunteer for more than 20 years, received a “gag” gift of a bag of flour in recognition of many gifts of baked goods to the staff and volunteers.
ALBION – Hospice of Orleans honored volunteers and supporters who serve the agency during a recognition banquet and annual meeting last week.
Don Algeo received Hospice’s Volunteer of the Year Award.
“Don is always willing to help,” said Volunteer Coordinator Christine Fancher. “He volunteers at the Residence four or more hours a week and goes to a patient’s home and prepares meals twice a week.” Algeo also serves on the Hospice of Orleans Board of Directors.
Jerome Pawlak received the Mary Janet Sahukar Award, named for Hospice of Orleans’ founding director. The award recognizes a community member who understands, embraces and supports the organization’s mission in sacrificial ways.
“Jerome always says ‘yes’ when we ask if we can sell bouquets at his Save-A-Lot Stores or ask for any other assistance,” said Mary Anne Fischer, Hospice executive director, as she presented the award.
Pawlak told the group that his father had been a supporter of Hospice since its inception and that he is proud to carry on that tradition.
Merrill Grinnell Funeral Home received the Hospice Business/Civic Award for its role in developing and supporting the Classic Car Show for the past two years.
Don Algeo was named “Volunteer of the Year” for Hospice of Orleans.
A Special Recognition Award was presented to Leonard Oakes Estate Winery for their many contributions to fundraising for Hospice. Wendy Wilson accepted the award for the Winery.
Her voice filled with emotion, as she said “I can’t thank Hospice enough for taking care of one of our long time, much loved employees this past year. Two of our employees are receiving services now. Hospice staff has been incredible! Hospice has been near and dear to our family and we are happy to support them in any way we can.”
John Girvin was honored for completion of his term on the Hospice of Orleans Board of Directors.
Lynn Short, former owner of Arjuna Florist, and Pamela Reamer, professor of Nursing at SUNY Brockport, were elected to serve two-year terms on the Board of Directors. The Board had previously elected Dennis Piedimonte, owner of JP’s Farm Market in Holley, to a three-year term.
Fischer applauded the work of the Hospice volunteers and reported that in 2014, more than 150 volunteers contributed over 6,800 hours to the Hospice mission of providing comfort, compassion and expertise to Orleans County residents facing serious illness. She attributed a cost savings of over $110,000 last year to volunteer involvement.
“Our mission would be impossible without you – our volunteers,” she told about 100 people at the Medina United Methodist Church.
In her remarks she pointed out some concerning trends in utilization of Hospice services.
“While 75 percent of those referred were admitted to care, 31 percent reached out to us too late,” she said. “Most people are admitted to Hospice services on the same day or within 24 hours of a referral. Clearly, more people could benefit from Hospice services if they were referred earlier.”
Jerome Pawlak is pictured with Mary Anne Fischer, Hospice executive director, after Pawlak received the Mary Janet Sahukar Award, named for the founding director of Hospice in Orleans County.
Fischer called on Hospice volunteers and supporters to help educate our community.
“Hospice is not about giving up on your loved one,” she said. “It is about giving to them.”
She cited a new study that shows that hospice care not only improves the quality of life but also the length of life.
“On average, patients lived 29 days longer on hospice than those with the same disease who didn’t have hospice services,” she said.
In her remarks, Fischer noted that it was of concern that in 2014, “14 percent of those referred, but not admitted, to hospice care were routed to futile efforts at rehabilitation in nursing homes where they subsequently died.”
She also cautioned that the community needs to be wary of the recent push to legalize physician assisted suicide.
“I could talk at length on this topic, but the important point I want to make is that Hospice is the answer,” she said. “Hospice is the answer for anyone who is contemplating ending their life because of a terminal health issue make sure your loved ones and friends know how important the hospice choice is.”
Fischer detailed key accomplishments of 2014, including implementing changes in employee medical and dental coverage, evaluation of the agency’s cost structure and saving over $350 in postage alone with increased use of email and online volunteer scheduling.
John Girvin was recognized for his service on the Hospice of Orleans Board of Directors.
Finance Director Joel Allen reviewed the 2014 Budget Expenses for the agency and pointed out that more than 90 percent of the expenses billed for patient services go to direct patient care. He noted that patient costs for the Martin-Linsin Residence are in line with budget projections. While there has been a slight decrease in home care, all other expenses and revenue projections were on target for 2014.
Nyla Gaylord, director of Development and Community Relations, reported on past and upcoming events and thanked Wendy Wilson of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery for her support in initiating a new fundraising event at the Winery, “Beat the Winter Blues.” Gaylord noted that in the future Hospice will be producing a screening tool “What Help Do You Need?” to better assist people to identify the need for in-home support, palliative care and hospice services.
The agency will continue to look for new opportunities to raise funds through events and grant seeking, as well as promoting new financial giving options that fall outside of probate and wills, Gaylord said.
Agency priorities for 2015 include implementing the new Pet Peace of Mind program, strengthening the infrastructure of the agency to ensure its long-term viability, investigating a group purchasing program with other area hospice programs, and continuing to educate the community about the benefits of hospice.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Steven Papponetti, Nathan Bloom named firefighters of the year
Photos by Tom Rivers – Newly installed Albion Fire Chief Harry Papponetti, right, thanks Rocky Sidari, left, for his five years of service as chief of the Albion Fire Department. Jeremy Graham, center, is the department’s deputy chief. Papponetti mixed in a few jokes while praising Sidari during the installation dinner on Saturday night at the Carlton Recreation Hall.
ALBION – Rocky Sidari turned over the reins as leader of the Albion Fire Department to Harry Papponetti, who has twice before has served as the department’s fire chief.
The change occurred on Saturday night during the fire department’s installation dinner at the Carlton Recreation Hall.
Sidari praised the firefighters for their dedication to the community, for saving lives and protecting property.
He has three children with his wife Erin and the two youngest kids are approaching the age where they can play T-ball. He promised his wife he would make more time for the kids as they got older.
He said the department will be in good hands with Papponetti and the team of officers. Papponetti has been a member of the department for 45 years.
“He knows what he’s doing and he’s a good leader,” Sidari said.
The department has been busy with numerous structure fires in the past five years, and many other emergency calls, including a pipe bomb under a porch, an ice storm that required firefighters to pump many basements in the community, and hundreds of other calls to serve the community.
An enormous fire broke out at Orleans Pallet on Oct. 17, 2013, one of the biggest fires in Albion’s history.
Sidari said the fire on Oct. 17, 2013 at Orleans Pallet may have been the biggest blaze he’s ever seen. That fire engulfed a large sandstone warehouse. Firefighters were praised by the building’s owner for containing the fire to the one building and sparing neighboring structures, including Empire Coating.
Sidari proved to be a calm leader while battling fires and facing other emergencies, said Jeremy Graham, the department’s deputy chief.
Sidari made the time to teach younger firefighters how to respond in emergencies, and empowered the firefighters to gain leadership experience, Graham said.
“He was never power hungry,” Graham said. “He was always willing to explain and to get the learning experiences for the younger guys. He has been more than a fire chief. He has been a friend to all of us.”
Papponetti said he joined the fire department 45 years ago because many of his friends and neighbors were firefighters. He has enjoyed the many friendships he has made through the years and the chance to serve the community.
Two firefighters were named “Firefighter of the Year.” Sidari presented the awards to Nathan Bloom and Steven Papponetti, Harry’s son.
Rocky Sidari, left, is presented a blanket as a gift with images of his family members. Al Cheverie, back left, is holding the blanket with Will Francis, Jeremy Graham and Harry Papponetti.
Bloom, 34, joined the department in February 2014. His brother-in-law Andy Beach is a volunteer firefighter in East Shelby. Bloom said he was inspired by Beach’s example.
Bloom took the 96-hour Firefighter I training class. It was a lot of work, but he persevered.
“You need determination to get it done,” Bloom said.
He estimates he was on about 100 calls in the past year for the department, assisting at house fires, motor vehicle accidents, chimney fires and other emergencies.
Sidari praised Bloom for “busting his butt” with training and getting to so many calls.
“You’re helping people and they may be people you know,” Bloom said. “I find it very rewarding.”
Steven Papponetti, 22, has been around the fire hall since he was a small kid. He was an explorer at 14, a cadet at 17, and an interior firefighter by 18.
He just earned a four-year degree in forensic science and crime scene investigation from Hilbert College and is in the police academy. He starts on June 8 as a part-time police officer in Holley.
Rocky Sidari is pictured with the Firefighters of the Year: Steven Papponetti, center, and Nathan Bloom.
Papponetti said he goes to about 120 to 150 calls each year with the fire department.
“It’s what I love to do,” he said. “It’s following in my father’s and my brothers’ footsteps. It’s a great adrenaline rush and you’re helping out the community.”
Sidari presented other awards on Saturday, including Driver of the Year to Jeremy Babcock, the Officer’s Award to Harry Papponetti, and the Chief’s Award to Beau Piskorowski.
The 2015 officers include: Harry Papponetti, fire chief; Jeremy Graham, deputy chief; Will Francis, assistant chief; Steven Papponetti, first lieutenant; and James Peruzzini, second lieutenant.
The civilian officers include: Al Cheverie, president; Bill Francis, vice president; Renee Rowley, recording secretary; Bill Francis, financial secretary; Dawn Marciszewski, treasurer; and Kelly Irwin, assistant treasurer.
Cheverie, the president, also presented awards to Jeremy Babcock and Dawn Marciszewski for their efforts on the civilian side of the department.
“I’d like to thank them for everything they’ve done this year,” Cheverie said. “It would have been a lot harder without them.”
David Green, the retired Orleans County sheriff, served as emcee of the event. He noted the unrest in Baltimore the past week.
“You see on TV with all the protests and about joining the brotherhood of man,” Green said. “If you want to join the brotherhood of man, join your local fire department. Firefighters don’t preach the brotherhood of man, they live it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Heritage Hero: William Menz
Photos by Tom Rivers – William Menz stands next to a monument that was dedicated in October 2008 to soldiers in Company F that trained at the Medina Armory. There are 550 names included on the monument for local soldiers who fought in wars on behalf of the United States. Menz is trying to raise funds for a bronze statue of a soldier to be on top of the monument.
MEDINA – In 1977, the National Guard left the Medina Armory, a site on Pearl Street in Medina that had been used to train soldiers since the building opened in 1901.
(Company F, which formed in 1891, trained at a different location prior to the Armory.)
Bill Menz was one of the soldiers to train in the Armory. That was for 18 months when he was in the National Guard in the 1950s. He served on active duty in Greenland. He attained the rank of a corporal E-4.
Courtesy of Bill Menz – Bill Menz is pictured with his wife Elizabeth in the mid-1950s. The couple, now married for 62 years, raised four children in Medina.
Menz loved the 90,000-square-foot Armory building, a striking location built of local Medina sandstone. Menz used to work in the plaster business and some of his work had him inside YMCAs.
When the Guard left the building, Menz was on the Armory Action Committee looking for a new use for the site. Menz pitched the plan to have a YMCA go in there. The organization has used the Armory since the early 1980s, and just spent about $600,000 in a capital improvement project.
Menz is grateful the Y has proven a good fit for the building.
“In 1977, the town was wondering what to do with the building,” Menz said. “Bringing in the Y was a no-brainer. Everything you did to train guys for war you could train them for peace.”
Courtesy Medina Sandstone Society – Company F prepares to leave Medina Oct. 24, 1940 for training at Fort McClellan and active duty in WWII.
While Menz is pleased the Y has put the building to good use, he started to worry about a decade ago that the community was forgetting the original purpose of the Armory and the many local men who trained there, who fought for the country – with many losing their lives in war.
In 2006, he launched a push for a monument in front of the building. The five-sided monument would take two years to get built, raising money, lining up in-kind donations, and researching the names of those who served in five wars.
Provided photo – Bill Menz, left, and John Fuller work on the monument’s construction. They cut and grinded the stone for the project, using a shop owned by John’s son Dave at Gulf Street and Ryan Road for most of the work.
Menz would serve as chairman of the effort, and teamed with his friend John Fuller to cut the stone for the monument. It lists the names of the 550 soldiers who fought in five wars – the Spanish-American War in 1898, the Mexican Border Incursion of 1916, World War I, World War II, and the Cold War period from 1947 to 1977.
The monument notes if soldiers were killed in action, missing in action, and if they received Purple Heart, Medal of Honor and other recognition.
“Over the past 37 years he has worked harder than most any other Medinan to preserve the history of our community in helping fight the nation’s wars,” Robert Waters, president of the Medina Sandstone Society, said in a letter nominating Menz for a “Heritage Hero.”
Menz and three others were presented with their Heritage Hero awards last Friday during a reception at GCC in Medina during the first day of the Civil War Encampment.
Photos by Tom Rivers – John Butts is among the names of local soldiers on the monument at the Armory. Butts was killed in Normany during World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and the American Legion post in Medina is named in his memory.
Waters said Menz was tenacious in seeing the monument through to completion, including taking on the task of grinding and milling stone segments for the project.
“He was, in fact, like a bulldog and never once considered giving up his dream,” Waters said. “There seemed to be no end to the effort. The days were busy.”
When the monument was dedicated on Oct. 14, 2008, some of the widows and family members of World War II soldiers and other veterans in Company F attended and expressed their appreciation.
Bill Menz looks over some of the names of local soldiers listed on the monument outside the Medina Armory.
Menz said many community members contributed to the effort and continue to help in maintaining the grounds, especially a local garden club.
The community gave $18,000 in money towards the project, and others donated materials and labor to get the monument built. Menz estimates the combined value of all those donations at about $80,000.
The monument isn’t quite done.
Menz has wanted a bronze statue of a soldier, someone who looks between 18 and 21, to be on top of the monument.
He is leading the effort to solicit bids for the bronze statue. It will be 5 foot, 9 inches from head to toe.
“The life-sized statue will provide a meaningful depiction of those deployed men whose names are engraved on the monument plaques,” Menz said.
He thinks about the 120 men who left Medina in 1940, boarding a train down the street. They were gone for five years during World War II, with some not returning home alive.
He wants that sacrifice to be recognized by the community.
This depiction shows how a bronze statue of a soldier would look on top of the monument by the Medina Armory. The soldier would be holding a rifle, campaign hat, World War I-era backpack and mess kit.
Menz said the bronze statue can be a reality “for the price of a new pickup truck.”
The Company F Memorial Committee is working with the Orleans County Joint Veterans Council and Lincoln Post No. 1483 VFW on the project. For more information about the statue and monument, click here.
Any donations for the statue can be mailed to Company F Monument, P.O. Box 522, Medina NY, 14103.
Bill Menz said the statue of the soldier would be a perfect compliment to the monument by the Armory.
HOLLEY – The Orleans County Youth Board will honor 20 youths for their community service and three adults for their work on behalf of children in Orleans County.
The Youth Board will sponsor its 33rd annual Youth Recognition Dinner on May 14 at Hickory Ridge Golf and Country Club.
The following young people will be recognized for their outstanding service in the community and/or family: Kevin Alvarado-Rosario, Tania Arellano, Samantha Barniak, Cameron Bennage, Trevor Bentley, Adryan Cheeseboro, Jordan Deskins, Claudia Drechsel, Zachary Farruggia, Marisa Hanlon, Aracely Hernandez, Rachael Kiefer, Taylor Kingsbury, Abigail Maines, Kellie Moore, Keighlin O’Connor, Morgan Seielstad, Lucas Silvis, Jonathon Thomas and Emma Wilson.
In addition to the youth awards, Dr. Clark J. Godshall is receiving the Helen R. Brinsmaid Memorial Youth Worker Award for his service as the Superintendent of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES.
Jeannine Larkin is receiving the Helen R. Brinsmaid Memorial Youth Worker Award for her position at the Orleans County Department of Social Services for going above and beyond her job requirements.
Kathie Valley is receiving the Eileen Heye Adult Volunteer Award for all the work she continues to do in her community even in her retirement.
Registration and refreshments will begin at 6 p.m. The program and dinner will commence at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited. If you are interested in attending the banquet, contact the Orleans County Youth Bureau at (585) 344-3960 no later than Friday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Genesee Community College and Orleans Hub honored four “Heritage Heroes” on Friday during the Civil War Encampment at GCC’s Medina campus center. The following were recognized, from right to left: Doug Miller (accepting for his wife Susan Starkweather Miller), Andrew Meier, Holly Ricci-Canham, and William Menz.
MEDINA – Four Orleans County residents were honored with the second annual Heritage Heroes awards on Friday for their efforts to preserve local history and promote community pride by celebrating the county’s past.
The honorees have varied interests and passions, from genealogy, building a monument to veterans, redeveloping historic buildings and working with students on service projects.
All have exhibited fortitude and a love of community in seeing their projects to fruition.
The group was called “really remarkable” for their dedication to many efforts in the county, said Derek Maxfield of GCC, a history professor and coordinator of the Civil War Initiative and Encampment. Friday was the first day of the Encampment in Medina, which continues until Sunday.
The honorees include:
Holly Ricci-Canham is a founder of Orleans County Genealogical Society, and has a passion for educating the public about the Orphan Train Movement. That included a re-enactment at the Medina Railroad Museum.
Ricci-Canham has spent may hours recording and transcribing oral histories of veterans for permanent preservation by the Library of Congress, and she has written two books about local history with another in the works about “mom and pop” farms in Orleans County.
Ricci-Canham is leading genealogy workshops at the Civil War Encampment. She urged people to look into their family’s past.
“Genealogy is a lot of fun,” she said. “There is no history that is more interesting or more fun than your own.”
Orleans County Historian Matt Ballard said Ricci-Canham’s efforts, helping people with genealogy, has eased that workload for local historians, allowing them to spend more time on other projects.
Susan Starkweather Miller has worked with Albion Central School students on many service learning projects in the past 20 years, from erecting memorials for veterans and pioneer black residents of Orleans County. She was part of a team from the school district, mostly the seventh grade class, that helped reclaim a cemetery for the County Alms House on Countyhouse Road in Albion.
Students helped research who was buried at the cemetery, reset stones and put up a historic marker about the site.
Starkweather Miller also is a coordinator of the annual Ghost Walk at Mount Albion Cemetery, where students portray residents from the past who are buried in the historic cemetery.
Starkweather Miller was in New York City on Friday as a chaperone with the high school chorus. Her husband Doug Miller accepted the award.
“She does anything and everything for any group,” her husband said.
His wife wanted to say she is blessed to work at a school district and in a community “that wants students so civically engaged.”
Students are currently trying to help develop a history trail the former Civilian Conservation Corps/WWII POW Camp at Hamlin Beach State Park.
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier has been a key part of downtown Medina’s renaissance, renovating the R.H. Newell Building, pushing to save the Bent’s Opera Hall, and proving to be a strong partner as mayor for the downtown businesses.
Andrew Meier sees the county’s many historical assets as a key building block for the future, including a more vibrant local economy.
Meier is a church organist and he was instrumental in bringing a rescued Holtcamp organ from Cincinnati to Trinity Lutheran Church in Medina.
Meier said the county is fortunate to have several historic downtown business districts. Residents from more than a century ago committed to building the commercial structures and generations of stewardship have followed.
“We have a great legacy to build on in our county,” he said. “We are uniquely positioned to capitalize on our historic assets.”
William Menz has been instrumental in projects at the former Medina Armory, beginning with the Armory Action Committee which formed in 1977 after the National Guard left the site. The committee helped bring the YMCA to the historic site.
Many of the Armory Action Committee members would help form the Medina Sandstone Society. Menz was a founding member of that group, which has published several local history books and promoted preservation projects.
Menz has been fascinated with the Armory’s history, its role in training local soldiers to serve in wars from the Spanish-American War to the Cold War. While grateful to have the Y using the building, Menz didn’t want the Armory’s role in shaping soldiers to be lost to the community.
He set about having a monument made, listing names and detailing the service from Company F.
“Why not have a memorial for the men that trained in this facility and went to war,” he said on Friday.
He recalled when 120 men who trained at the Armory boarded a train in 1940. They were gone for five years during World War II.
Menz did much of the stone work himself for the monument, and is now determined to have a bronze statue of a soldier on top. Menz said bids will be opened next week for the statue.
“We’re going to get that money and it’s going to get done,” he said.
Another person critical to the success of the Civil War Encampment was honored on Friday. Tom Bowers coordinates the Civil War re-enactors. The Albion native has been successful in drawing about 100 to 120 re-enactors for the Encampment.
Maxfield presented Bowers with a “special recognition” award and a bust of Abraham Lincoln.
Bowers, who now lives in Chili, has been with GCC since the first Encampment at the Lima campus in 2012 and the past three at GCC in Medina.
Bowers said he became interested in the Civil War 35 years ago when he got his first job working for The Journal-Register in Medina. Robert Waters was the publisher and he urged Bowers to take a bike ride down south and send back dispatches for the local paper.
Bowers visited many Civil War battlefields.
“It touched me to see what this country is really about,” he said.
The GCC Encampment tends to be one of the first of the year for re-enactors. They use the Medina weekend to train new re-enactors, while veteran re-enactors brush up on their skills. Bowers said re-enactors are very busy with events in the summer.
He is pleased to see how Medina has embraced the Encampment, which has included parades in the downtown. Today there will be a skirmish and then a surrender ceremony at about 10:30 a.m. in the downtown.
“People in Medina are more than my friends,” Bowers said. “They are my family.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Heritage Hero: Sue Starkweather Miller
Provided photo – Sue Starkweather Miller is pictured at Mount Albion Cemetery with Mike Thaine, left, and Gary Simboli. The trio coordinate the annual Ghost Walk at the cemetery, which typically includes about 60 student participants. About 500 community members come out for the Ghost Walk.
ALBION – Sue Starkweather Miller remembers the project in 1995 that would kick off a new culture of community service by students and staff at Albion Central School.
Jeff Evoy, now Medina Central School superintendent, was a social studies teacher for Albion in 1995. He and his students were studying the Vietnam War.
Evoy wanted students to talk with local Vietnam veterans, and get their stories. The students learned that many of those veterans felt forgotten. Evoy and the students decided there should be a memorial for the Vietnam veterans, and it would be dedicated in front of the Middle School.
File photo by Tom Rivers – The monument for Orleans County residents who served in the Vietnam War was dedicated in 1995 in front of the Albion Middle School.
The monument was dedicated in memory of Vietnam War veterans from Orleans County who served in the war, and lists the names of local soldiers who died in the war. The oral histories recorded by students were also compiled into a book.
That project energized the district and community. A memorial for veterans from World War II would be relocated from behind the Middle School to the front of the building by the Vietnam memorial.
Deacon Ben Jones, a prominent leader in the black community, shared with some school leaders that Albion has many historical markers and monuments, but none for black residents.
Provided photo – Deacon Ben Jones speaks at a dedication ceremony for a monument to pioneer black residents in Orleans County.
Students and Albion teachers connected with local historians and then went researching into Census records from the 1800s, which detailed if residents were black and listed their occupations and family members.
Those pioneer black residents of Orleans County were honored with a large stone monument, listing their names, in Mount Albion Cemetery. The monument was dedicated on June 17, 2000.
Sue Starkweather Miller has been in the background for many of the district’s service learning projects, connecting students to historians, and other resources in the community.
She is co-leader of the annual Ghost Walk at Mount Albion Cemetery, where about 60 students portray residents in the cemetery or serve as tour guides or with lighting and setup.
She is being honored at 7 p.m. today as a Heritage Hero along with three others in Orleans County. The event is part of the Civil War Encampment in Medina at the GCC campus center.
“This is really a district award,” said Starkweather Miller, who works as the district’s grants manager.
Starkweather Miller is an Albion graduate who was hired to work for Albion 24 years ago to coordinate a Community Schools grant that paid for before and after-school programming for at-risk students. The grant included summer school and parenting programs.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Alyssa Lawrence speaks during a recent Ghost Walk at Mount Albion and tells the story of Jane Lavery, who was 16 when she died in a bridge collapse in Albion on Sept. 28, 1859.
Ron Sodoma, the former district superintendent, wanted to open the schools to the community and see students commit to service projects. He asked Starkweather Miller to push along some of those efforts, in addition to Community Schools program.
“It’s always been about opening the school up to the community with the school being the hub of the community,” she said.
The district has a walking trail inside the elementary school that is busy from 4 to 8 p.m. on many weekdays. There is also an outdoor walking trail.
Starkweather Miller also coordinates an internship program where high schoolers work with local businesses and agencies.
She has managed the grants since 2000, and also has worked as the district’s public information officer. Unofficially, she is often the face of the district in the community, said Mary Leto, the assistant superintendent of instruction. Leto also has worked with the district for 24 years and watched Starkweather Miller take an idea and build support for it in the district and community.
“She is the facilitator,” Leto said. “Susie is the coach and the conductor, who orchestrates all of the parts.”
Photo by Lisa Mannella – Students are pictured in June 2011 with the rededicated cemetery for residents of the Alms House on Countyhouse Road.
Starkweather Miller is active with the Albion Alumni Association and also Holy Family Parish. She also can seem ubiquitous at community events.
She is trusted by the community, and the district’s partners in many of the projects know if Starkweather Miller is involved, the district will be committed.
“Susie is a natural leader,” Leto said. “What she brings to the table is her commitment to Albion.”
Starkweather Miller said she is most proud of the project to clean up and rededicate a cemetery for residents of the County Alms House. This was the precursor to the Orleans County Nursing Home. Many poor residents stayed at the Alms House on West Countyhouse Road before the nursing home opened in the early 1960s.
When residents from the Alms House died, they were often buried in a cemetery on the property with numbered tombstones, but no names.
Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin visited a seventh grade classroom in the fall of 2010 to talk about local history. He made a passing comment about the Alms House, how the road, Countyhouse, was named for the county-owned home.
Lattin told the students the cemetery was overgrown and many of the gravestones had fallen over.
His comments piqued students interest, and a group of them joined their teacher Tim Archer and Starkweather Miller on a site visit. They were shocked to see the cemetery so neglected.
They would clean it up and reset the stones with help from the County Highway Department. Students researched who was buried there. That was difficult because many of the records were destroyed in a fire but Albion Town Clerk Sarah Basinait helped track down some information.
Starkweather Miller secured a large piece of sandstone from Keeler Construction for the cemetery sign and a historical marker went up by the side of the road, noting the history of the sight.
The rededicated cemetery was celebrated in June 2011.
Photo by Lisa Mannella – A historical marker notes the Alms House on West Countyhouse Road.
“I remember when we first went there and we walked through the mud and the stones were knocked over,” Starkweather Miller said. “To see what it is now is just amazing.”
The district has won a national award for its service learning projects, and Starkweather Miller presents at many conferences about the Albion projects and the importance of community partnerships.
The greatest reward is seeing the students take more pride in Albion.
“It’s about remembering, sharing and educating others,” Starkweather Miller said. “It’s important to know a sense of place and to be proud of your community.”
The district motto is “Achievement, Character, Success for Life.” Leto said Starkweather Miller has been an important leader in promoting that message, and living it.
“Susie gets that we’re trying to get the kids to be the people they were created to be,” Leto said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Heritage Hero: Holly Ricci-Canham
Photo by Tom Rivers – Holly Ricci-Canham is pictured with two books she has written, including “Carlton and Point Breeze” with Avis Townsend and “Legendary Locals of Orleans County.” She is working on a new book about local farms.
Provided photo – Holley Ricci-Canham, back row third from left, is pictured with people on an orphan train re-enactment in April 2004. The group includes, front row: Danielle Ricci, Elizabeth Furmanski and Charlie Ricci. Back row: Cathie Bary, Holly Ricci-Canham and Holly’s mother “Mike” Ricci.
Holley Ricci-Canham is pictured in the Local History Room at the Hoag Library, where she spends a lot of time looking through local records and newspapers.
Provided photo – These orphans, headed to Father Baker’s Home in Lackawanna, are pictured in an undated photo.
Editor’s note: Ricci-Canham also wants to include pictures of children on toy pedal tractors in her upcoming farm book. This picture shows her as a girl on a pedal tractor. For more information about sharing a childhood photo, email Ricci-Canham at HollisCan@aol.com.
CARLTON – It’s a story that moved Holly Ricci-Canham, and sent her searching through Census records and old newspapers for more information.
Thousands of children from 1853 to 1929 were part of the “orphan train” movement. Their parents may have died, been incarcerated or institutionalized. The children boarded trains and typically headed west, with many welcomed to a home for children in Lackawanna run by Father Nelson Baker. Many others found new homes in farming communities, which were perceived as being “healthy” for the children.
Ricci-Canham was so moved by the story that she organized an orphan train re-enactment in Medina in April 2004. About 500 rode the train, including five original riders on an Orphan Train. Many of the riders have been successful in tracking down their family history.
“We wanted to educate the public about genealogy,” said Ricci-Canham, president of the Orleans County Genealogy Society. “If they could trace their genealogy, any of us can.”
That effort would ramp up Ricci-Canham’s interest and leadership in the local genealogical efforts and also in chronicling local history.
She co-wrote “Carlton and Point Breeze” with Avis Townsend in 2006, a book that is a photographic history of the community.
Ricci-Canham also wrote “Legendary Locals of Orleans County” in 2012, highlighting prominent residents who excelled in civic affairs, business, agriculture, sports, politics and the arts. “We have a lot to crow about,” she said.
Ricci-Canham is interviewing local farmers for a new book about farm families in the county. She has completed 100 oral history interviews as part of that effort.
“The farmers and their families want to tell their stories and share their pictures,” she said. “This book has taken on a life of its own.”
Her book projects are used as fund-raisers for the Orleans County Genealogical Society.
Ricci-Canham has been named one of four “Heritage Heroes” in Orleans County and the group of honorees will be recognized at 7 p.m. Friday as part of the Civil War Encampment at the Medina GCC Campus Center.
Ricci-Canham grew up on a farm in Kenyonville run by her parents, Pete and “Mike” Ricci. They would relocate the fruit and vegetable farm to West Avenue in Albion. Her upbringing on the farm made her what to tell the stories of local “Mom and Pop” farms. She is working to have the book out in the fall during harvest season.
“I’m incurably sentimental and so are all of the people I’ve interviewed,” she said.
Ricci-Canham was nominated for the Heritage Hero award by Matthew Ballard, an award-winner last year and the Orleans County historian.
Ballard said Canham’s efforts with genealogy, helping so many people trace their ancestry, has eased that pressure from local historians. She is president of the Genealogical Society which has 200 members.
“There is no greater puzzle on earth than genealogy,” she said. “We might all be related. The fun is knowing how.”
Ballard also said Ricci-Canham has been an active member of the Daghters of the American Revolution and did most of the work in getting the DAR House on North Main Street listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
“The building is often referred to as the Patriot House, a name established by her,” Ballard said in his nomination letter for Ricci-Canham.
Ricci-Canham continues to travel around the state giving lectures to school children and other groups about the Orphan Train movement. She often brings along costumes and will draft kids into role playing.
Ballard said Ricci-Canham has made many meaningful contributions to preserving local history and honoring many residents who have contributed to the county.
“There are very few people amongst our ranks who can claim such numerous and significant contributions to the betterment of the community and protection of its culture and heritage,” Ballard said. “Without her energy, passion and selfless dedication, I doubt that any of this, that I have mentioned, could come to fruition.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Ken McPherson walks across the stage in the Albion Middle School Auditorium on Friday night to receive the Charles W. Howard Award for his efforts to keep Howard’s legacy alive in Albion and Orleans County. Howard, founder of a Santa Claus School, is pictured in lower left.
ALBION – In Orleans County, Ken McPherson is the go-to person for information and artifacts about the late Charles W. Howard, who founded and ran a Santa Claus School in Albion.
McPherson gives many talks a year to service clubs and other organizations about Howard, discussing how the Santa School founded developed standards for Santa’s dress and his interactions with children. Howard even wanted Santa to be light on his feet. That’s why he made them take dancing lessons at the school.
McPherson also has become a collector of memorabilia from Christmas Park, which Howard ran with the Santa School.
Ken McPherson of Shelby, right, is presented with the Charles W. Howard Award by Phil Wenz, founder of the Santa Claus Oath Foundation and coordinator of the Charles W. Howard Legendary Santa Claus Conference.
“No one has done more to has keep Charlie Howard’s legacy alive in his hometown,” said Phil Wenz, founder of the Santa Claus Oath Foundation.
He presented McPherson with the Charles W. Howard Award on Friday night at the Charles W. Howard Legendary Santa Claus Conference.
Howard remains a revered figure among the Santa community. In addition to establishing the Santa School, Howard served as the Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, sitting atop a float and waving to more than a million people on the parade route.
That parade was also on national television and catapulted Howard into fame. Howard was the parade Santa from 1948 to 1965.
A Santa resembling Ken McPherson visits with children in Albion last December.
After Howard’s death in 1966, the Santa Claus School moved to Midland, Michigan. It continues today and bears Howard’s name.
McPherson has attended the school several times and has portrayed Santa for three decades locally, getting his first start at the Millville United Methodist Church.
McPherson works as a press operator for the Lake Country Pennysaver in Albion.
He told a crowd of about 200 Santas on Friday night it is his honor to portray Santa “in Charlie’s backyard.”
Provided photos
ROCHESTER – Cub Scouts from Pack 164 of Albion, Pack 175 of Barre, and Pack 59 of Clarendon served as color guard for the National Anthem at Friday night’s Rochester Amerks’ hockey game. It was the final regular season home game of the season.
Albion has made this an annual tradition and this year joined forces with the packs from Barre and Clarendon after Cub Masters Mike Beach (Pack 164) and Steve Hickman (Pack 175) first discussed the idea in September during the elementary school open house recruitment.
Hickman then also reached out to Sarah MacCallum who is Cub Master of Pack 59. All three are Albion graduates and friends who now volunteer their time as leaders for the boys of their packs (their own sons included).
The Albion and Barre packs will again join forces in early May for their yearly trip to Mt. Albion Cemetery and St. Joseph’s Cemetery. They assist the American Legion each year in placing the small American flags at the graves of all those who served in the military.
