Albion and Lyndonville/Medina musicals are honored
Photo by Sue Cook – Regan Stacy (Little Red Riding Hood) and the Christian Hahn (The Wolf) perform an energetic dance number together as Red tries to escape his clutches. Stacy was honored in the “Stars of Tomorrow” program for her performance.
ROCHESTER – The Albion and Lyndonville/Medina drama departments both were honored Thursday in the annual “Stars of Tomorrow” program through the Rochester Broadway Theatre League.
Both programs compete in Division B, which includes many large suburban districts. Albion (The Wiz) and Lyndonville/Medina (Into the Woods) were honored for outstanding production crew. Albion was recognized for outstanding student orchestra. Lyndonville/Medina was honored for outstanding singing ensemble.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Albion students perform The Wiz in late March. This group incudes Steven Stauss as Lion, Josh Raymond as Scarecrow and Kyle Thaine as Tinman.
This was the third production where Medina students have joined Lyndonville for the annual spring musical that is performed in Lyndonville. The program received many awards through the “Stars of Tomorrow.” In addition to the ones already stated, Thomas Follman (as Jack) and Joseph Mangiola (as Rapunzel’s Prince) were named outstanding supporting actors. Regan Stacy (as Little Red Riding Hood) was named an outstanding supporting actress.
Photo by Sue Cook – Cinderella’s Prince (Nate Pace) and Rapunzel’s Prince (Joseph Mangiola) sing about each of their chosen princesses and how magnificent the two women are during a performance of Into the Woods. Mangiola was named a best supporting actor.
The RBTL also gave a “Tip of the Hat” award to Deanna Mangiola who played “Jack’s Mother” in Into the Woods.
Special recognition, submitted by the musicals’ directors, also was announced for Miranda King of Albion and Tiffani Durow of Lyndonville/Medina.
Stan Farone, a village trustee, has been active with COVA
Provided photo – Stan Farone, left, of Albion was honored at the state capitol on Tuesday. He is joined by, from left: Robert and Joan Shively of Lewiston, State Sen. George Maziarz, Niagara County Office for the Aging Director Ken Genewick, and Melissa Blanar, director fo the Office for the Aging in Orleans County.
Press release
State Sen. George Maziarz
ALBANY – Stanley Farone of Albion was welcomed to the historic Senate Chamber in Albany on Tuesday during a New York State Senior Citizen’s Day Recognition Event. Farone was welcomed to the event by State Sen. George Maziarz.
Farone just began serving as an elected village trustee in Albion, but his community service goes way back. He served in the Navy and Army Reserves, and is retired from Kodak. He is a co-founder of Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance (COVA) and remains a volunteer and board member.
Farone has also volunteered with the Holley Fire Department and the Albion Fire Department, as well as the Suicide Prevention Coalition. He was joined in Albany by Melissa Blanar, director of the Orleans County Office for the Aging.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2014 at 12:00 am
Kyle Hapeman of Albion and bandmates sign with InVogue Records and start tour later this month
Photos by Tom Rivers – Band members of Until We Are Ghosts are pictured by their van which they will take on a three-month tour beginning later this month. The group includes, from left: Kevin Dickes on bass, Jordan Blankenberg on drums, Kyle Hapeman on guitar, James Blackenberg on guitar and Rob Anders on vocals. They are pictured outside the St. Mary’s Athletic Club in Albion, where they performed on Sunday.
ALBION – By day he is a mild-mannered employee at Baxter Healthcare in Medina, training workers to make medical pumps and devices.
For 4 ½ years Kyle Hapeman has worked that job. His last day at Baxter is May 21. Hapeman and his fellow band members have been signed by a record company and they are going on tour. The debut CD for Until We Are Ghosts will be out on May 27.
“We never expected a record deal or a tour,” Hapeman, 22, said today before the band played at St. Mary’s Athletic Club. “We just like to play music.”
Hapeman plays guitar and provides some vocals for the band, a five-piece melodic hardcore band. Hapeman is from Albion while the other band members are from the Rochester area.
The band’s music is intense, and some might say lead singer Rob Anders of Greece is a screamer.
“It’s a mixture of screaming and yelling,” Anders said. “You’re letting yourself go.”
Kyle Hapeman, right, and Kevin Dickes perform with Until We Are Ghosts during a concert at St. Mary’s. The band’s debut album, “Bitterseed,” is out on May 27.
The band members made their first music video, “Hourglass,” and Hapeman thinks that got the attention of InVogue Records, which has signed Until We Are Ghosts to three records.
Despite the intensity of Anders’s singing, Hapeman said the band’s songs strike an emotional cord with the audience. In one song, Anders sings about losing his grandmother. In another song, he sings about strained father-son relationships.
“When we play, you feel every word,” Hapeman said. “We’re really personal about our lyrics.”
Hapeman likes to move around the performance area while he plays guitar. He strums away even while doing jump kicks during a concert.
Hapeman didn’t sing in the school chorus or play in Albion’s marching band. He taught himself to play guitar.
His mother, Denise London, said her son is shy. But during a concert, he lets out a different side.
Kyle Hapeman, in back, jumps and kicks while playing the guitar at the same time.
Hapeman put together the band, reaching out to hardcore musicians through Facebook.
“Kyle is the leader of the pack,” Anders said. “He is someone you can work with. You can feel his determination.”
Anders is giving up a job as assistant manager at Taco Bell to go on tour. Anders said Hapeman came up with the band’s name.
“It fits us because you don’t know what you’re going to get,” Anders said. “With the band Metallica, you know you can expect heavy metal.”
The band is eager for the chance to play full-time and see the country. Hapeman said he willing to give up his job to follow his passion.
“I’m only 22 and I figure I have to work until I’m 65 or 70,” he said. “I may not have another opportunity like this.”
Provided photo – Lyndonville Envirothon Team members include, from left: Lily Boyd, Heather Mufford, Zachery Karp, Jeremy Foss and Kenneth Kalson.
Press release
Lyndonville Central School
LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Central School District team of Lily Boyd, Jeremy Foss, Kenneth Kalson, Zachery Karp and Heather Mufford won first place at the 2014 Niagara-Orleans Regional Envirothon. The team advisor is teacher Kathy Wronski.
They beat out 13 other teams at a competition at Bond Lake in Lewiston. The event is celebrating its 25th year and tests high school students’ knowledge in five areas: soil, aquatics, forestry, wildlife and current environmental issues.
Not only did the teams have to prepare a 10-minute presentation on sustainable agriculture with an emphasis on local farms, they had to take exams administered by professionals in the soil, aquatics, forestry and wildlife fields.
It is a combination of classroom study, research and hands-on field experience. The Lyndonville team will be moving on to the New York State competition May 21-22 at SUNY Morrisville.
The local event was sponsored by the Niagara and Orleans Soil and Water Conservation Districts, State Sen. George Maziarz, U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, M&T Bank, Albion Sports and Graphics, Sanborn Lions Club, Orleans Poverty Hill Farm and Newroyal Orchards.
Agency thanks supporters, announces education emphasis for 2014
Provided photos – Ann McElwee accepts the volunteer award from Volunteer Coordinator Christine Fancher, right.
Press release
Hospice of Orleans
MEDINA – Hospice of Orleans held its annual organizational meeting and honored its volunteers in a dual-purpose luncheon on April 24 at the Medina United Methodist Church (the former Apple Grove Restaurant).
In 2013, more than 150 volunteers contributed nearly 7,000 hours to the Hospice mission of providing comfort, compassion and expertise to Orleans County residents facing serious illness, Hospice Executive Director Mary Anne Fischer reported. She attributed a cost savings of over $110,000 last year to volunteer involvement.
“It goes without saying that we could not do this without you,” Fischer told the crowd of about 120. “We consider ourselves truly blessed by the giving nature of this community.”
Ann McElwee received Hospice’s Volunteer of the Year Award. Volunteer Coordinator Christine Fancher called McElwee “an incredible lady who gives tirelessly of her time, compassion and care to hospice patients.” McElwee regularly visits two clients in the community and takes time to get to know patients’ likes and dislikes, Fancher said.
“She spoils them!” Fancher also noted that McElwee has “broken all of the records with regards to hours of service dedicated to hospice.”
McElwee is a retired special education teacher at the Orleans-Niagara BOCES. The Medina resident volunteers about 10 hours a week with Hospice.
“After you meet the residents and patients, you get a lot more than you give,” McElwee said.
Carol Culhane, left, is presented the Mary Janet Sahukar Award from Mary Anne Fischer, Hospice executive director.
Carol Culhane 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.
As an artist, Culhane has contributed hundreds of hours to the creation of murals in the Martin-Linsin Hospice Residence, as well as custom-designed ornaments for the organization’s Light-A-Life memorial Christmas tree.
Culhane worked eight years as a nurse’s aide at the Orleans County Nursing Home and that experience made her want to support Hospice.
“I saw then the tremendous need for compassionate care at the end of life,” Culhane said.
Baxter Healthcare of Medina received the Hospice Business/Civic Award, recognizing that company’s annual sponsorship of Hospice’s Ducks Ahoy Race, held each Independence Day in Lyndonville. Baxter provides cash prizes for the race, an important fundraiser and publicity event for Hospice, according to Development Director Marsha Rivers.
Baxter employees have also shown exceptional enthusiasm for the Hospice mission, Rivers said – supporting the spring bouquet sale by the dozens of dozens, and volunteering at Hospice headquarters on the United Way Day of Caring. Baxter Vice President Nelson Patterson received the award on behalf of his company.
Baxter Healthcare was awarded the Hospice Business/Civic Award for its efforts assisting Hospice. Nelson Patterson, Baxter vice president, accepts the award from Marsha Rivers, Hospice director of development.
Douglas Miller, of Albion, was elected as a new Hospice Board member. Henry Lehning, of Holley, and Jon Costello, of Waterport, were honored for completion of their board terms, Lehning for 15 years and Costello for 9 years. Costello was elected as a director emeritus, which allows him to continue attending board meetings as an adviser.
Mary Anne Fischer noted that Hospice of Orleans achieved several organizational goals in 2013, including: Development of a palliative care program to assist community members still undergoing treatment for serious illness; tailoring policies and procedures to become a 24/7 agency; streamlining medication ordering to increase efficiency and decrease costs; upgrading clinical software to enable direct care staff to record visits remotely; documentation of all agency processes; updating financial policies pertaining to investments and billing; starting an e-newsletter to provide caregivers with high quality, pertinent information.
In the coming year, during which Fischer noted the agency will celebrate its 20th year as a state-certified hospice provider, Hospice of Orleans will emphasize education about its services and important end of life care decisions that everyone should consider in advance. The organization will also strive to increase use of electronic media for efficiency and cost savings, and encourage planned giving among its supporters.
(Editor’s note: Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers interviewed Culhane and McElwee for this article.)
Photos by Sue Cook – The following were recognized as Heritage Heroes on Friday at GCC during the Civil War Encampment, from left: Bill Lattin, Matthew Ballard, Chris Busch, Robert Waters (also accepting for Craig Lacey), and Clarendon Town Historian Melissa Ierlan (accepting on behalf of Erin Anheier).
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
MEDINA – Five Orleans County residents were honored in the inaugural class of Heritage Heroes on Friday night. The ‘Heroes’ included a lifetime achievement award for Bill Lattin, the county historian who has been active in many preservation projects at the Cobblestone Society Museum, Mount Albion Cemetery and many other local efforts.
“Not only are they deserving, they are worth of emulation,” said Derek Maxfield, a GCC history professor who served on the Heritage Heroes Committee. “The concentration of people here that are worried about history and heritage is remarkable.”
Maxfield pushed to recognize local residents who have saved buildings, cared for cemeteries, and fought to change a culture that often prefers demolition over restoration.
The Heritage Heroes were presented framed certificates, and citations from State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Sen. George Maziarz. County Legislator Bill Eick presented the award winners with citations from the County Legislature.
Robert Waters received an award for being active in the Medina community with the repurposing of the Medina Armory and the founding of the Medina Sandstone Society. He has committed to many efforts to bring history into the present.
“They say you can’t live in the past,” Waters said. “That’s a lot of baloney.”
Waters wants the community to look to the past for inspiration about boldness and courage. This should be a push for people to reflect and want to make the present even better.
Waters also accepted an award on Craig Lacy’s behalf, as Lacy was unable to attend. Lacy has been an active participant in Medina as well, including his term as former president and current vice president of the Medina Historical Society. He also compiled a book of articles written by former Medina Village Historian Russell J. Waldo entitled “Medina’s Hitching Post Days.”
“I don’t think anybody can appreciate the hundreds and maybe thousands of hours it took him to produce the thick volumes of columns Mr. Waldo did many years ago. Craig pulled this out of nowhere and brought it to life,” Waters said.
Matthew Ballard of Albion accepted his award for his genealogical support of the Polish community. A noteworthy achievement is his creation of a Polish genealogy website – Albionpolonia.com. Ballard wanted to highlight the contributions of the Polish community.
Ballard said he never expected to be recognized for his work. “For me it’s always been a labor of love.”
Erin Anheier was also unable to attend the evening’s event. In her place, Clarendon Town Historian Melissa Ierlan accepted the award. She explained that Anheier found her love of history through her family, especially her mother.
Anheier has helped Clarendon to see the importance of its history through its buildings and was able to get a few listed on the National Register, including her cobblestone home, the Old Stone Store and Hillside Cemetery.
Chris Busch is also an advocate of historic preservation. He has been a part of the Bent Opera House restoration, as well as St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. He has worked to keep Medina’s historical character.
He serves as chairman of Medina’s Planning Board, which has set policy for preserving the character of the historic downtown business district.
Chris Busch, left, is recognized by GCC Dean Jim Simon.
Busch recalled that he was fascinated in school learning about World War II and when his father found out, he told Busch “I was there.” That real connection to history was driven home to Busch/ He said he appreciated what he learned even more and knows that it is a part of his own personal history.
“This is truly humbling to be honored for something that is simply me,” he said.
Lastly, Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin was surprised with an award for his services. Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers explained Lattin’s ability to find the extraordinary ordinary in front of all of us.
Lattin commits to spreading history wherever he goes and encourages the community, including students, to get involved in the preservation, whether it is buildings, photographs or stories.
“Those who forget the past have no future,” Lattin said, quoting his father, a former county historian.
The Heritage Heroes have given the community something to strive for in their own lives. Whether it is simply cleaning up a neighborhood or preserving old photographs, Orleans County has role models for improving our lives through the remembrance of our past.
Air Force Airman Colby M. Bany graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Bany is the son of Doreen A. Schafer of Albion.
He is a 2014 graduate of Charles D’Amico High School in Albion.
ALBION – Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest manufacturer of building products, has been awarded the Energy Star Partner of the Year Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the sixth consecutive year and fourth consecutive year at the Sustained Excellence level.
The award recognizes Saint-Gobain’s outstanding leadership in energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.
Saint-Gobain employs nearly 1,200 people in New York state, including 182 people at its Saint-Gobain ADFORS plant in Albion. The Albion plant’s contributions to energy-efficiency are part of the reason Saint-Gobain has been awarded the Energy Star award. Through energy efficiency technologies and techniques the plant achieved a 9.8 percent reduction in energy on a per-unit basis.
Saint-Gobain is the first and only manufacturer of glass containers or fiberglass insulation ever to receive the Energy Star award. The company will be recognized at an EPA awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 29.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Jim Peruzzini joined AFD after firefighters responded to a call at his house
Photos by Tom Rivers – Albion Fire Chief Rocky Sidari, left, presents the “Firefighter of the Year” award to Jim Peruzzini, who joined the AFD last May.
ALBION – Jim Peruzzini and his wife Stephanie had just moved into a new home in Gaines with their twin daughters when the smoke alarm went off.
They called 911 and Albion firefighters showed up to check out the situation. Peruzzini was impressed by their response and willingness to help.
“I thought it was great that they would give up their time and come to my house and help someone out,” Peruzzini said.
Fire Chief Rocky Sidari and Assistant Chief Jeremy Graham encouraged Peruzzini to join the Fire Department. He thought about it before, but didn’t pursue it, assuming he was too busy to meet the training requirements and to respond to emergency calls.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Jim Peruzzini and his twin daughters watch a Mercy Flight helicopter from Batavia land by the Albion Elk’s Club just before a Sept. 11 memorial service.
But last May he made the commitment. He took an intense two-week firefighter boot camp and by July had enough training to be an interior firefighter. He is often one of the first firefighters at a scene.
“He has really taken off like a rocket,” Sidari said tonight when he named Peruzzini the department’s “Firefighter of the Year.”
Peruzzini, 32, works full-time at Adfors (formerly called Saint-Gobain) as a setup technician. He didn’t grow up in a firefighting family. He encouraged others in the community to consider volunteering with the fire department.
“I love it,” he said. I like the guys and there’s the thrill with every call that it could be something huge.”
His wife said Peruzzini is quick to head out the door when his pager goes off, unless he is caring for their children.
Sidari said a committed volunteer like Peruzzini is a great addition to the fire department.
“It’s huge to have someone step in like that,” he said.
Kevin Sheehan (left), Albion’s former deputy mayor, reads the oath of office for Albion Fire Department leaders, including from left: Chief Rocky Sidari, Deputy Chief Harry Papponetti and Assistant Chief Jeremy Graham.
Sidari and the fire department honored others during their annual banquet tonight at the Carlton Recreation Hall. The following received awards:
Chief’s Award: Dan Gleason. He is active with the fire police and responded to the second most calls for the department last year. Gleason also fixes the department’s computers, will make key fobs and handle other requests from Sidari.
“Anything I ask him to do, he will do it,” Sidari said.
Gleason is moving to North Carolina. “It’s going to a be a big loss for our department,” Sidari said.
Officer’s Award: Will Francis, the department’s first lieutenant. Francis led the department in calls, responding to 62 percent of more than 400 calls last year.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Will Francis of the Albion Fire Department keeps a steady stream of water on the smoking ruins of the Orleans Pallet warehouse last Oct. 19. Firefighters were on the scene for several days after the fire to douse any flare-ups.
“He’s gone above and beyond and exceeded all of my expectations,” Sidari said. “He’s there day or night.”
Drivers of the Year: Dale Banker and Ron Armstrong. They are reliable, especially during the late mornings and early afternoon when the department is often short-handed.
President’s Award: AFD President Lee Miesner honored two members of the Village Board who recently ended their terms. Both former Mayor Dean Theodorakos and Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheehan were advocates for the department in the village budget, Miesner said.
“They made sure the funding was there,” Miesner said. “Without our Village Board we’d have nothing.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Heritage Hero: Chris Busch
Photos by Tom Rivers – Chris Busch is chairman of the Village of Medina’s Planning Board and Medina’s Tree Board. He also is vice chairman of the Orleans Renaissance Group, which is working to restore the Bent’s Opera House, pictured behind him on Main Street.
MEDINA – In small-town Upstate New York, there aren’t too many downtown business districts like Medina’s these days. The buildings are well maintained with a high occupancy rate.
It feels like a Norman Rockwell painting, a step back in time with so many independent merchants and sense of history with buildings from the mid to late 1800s and the early 20th Century.
Chris Busch sees the downtown’s historical integrity as a draw for the community. He has served nearly 20 years on the Village Planning Board and helped to craft zoning and design standards for the downtown. As chairman of the Planning Board, he also heads the village’s Historic and Architectural Review Board, which provides guidance to downtown building owners for signs, paint and other exterior work.
“We’ve been very successful promoting and implementing preservation because we’ve been able to do it in such a fashion that the community has been able to embrace it without angst and suspicion,” Busch said.
He praised Kay Revelas, former director of the Medina Chamber of Commerce, for rallying business owners to back preservation and a historic designation for the downtown a generation ago. Many in the community have championed the issue and the building owners have embraced it, Busch said.
“It’s taken the diligence of many people to protect the downtown business district,” he said. “It’s paying off because people very much enjoy the look and feel of downtown Medina with its history and heritage.”
Busch will be honored as a “Heritage Hero” on April 25 during a Civil War Encampment at GCC in Medina. He was picked for his leadership on the Planning Board and his many civic contributions, including the design of 11 interpretative panels in the downtown that will highlight Medina history. Those panels should be installed later this month or in early May.
Medina elementary students are part of an annual Arbor Day celebration. Students write poems and sing songs about trees. They also help plant them. Busch is chairman of the Tree Board. The National Arbor Day Foundation has given Medina a “Tree City Growth Award” and has designated the community a “Tree City USA” for its commitment to planting trees every year.
Busch works as a history teacher in Lockport. His heart is in Medina.
He served as village historian and later joined the Municipal Tree Board and has been its chairman for several years. Medina has been planting 50 to 100 trees most years in the past decade and that is helping to replenish an urban forest that was diminished by road projects, wind storms and disease.
“Medina was once known for beautiful residences and tree-lined streets,” he said. “Many years of neglect led to a severely depleted urban forest.”
The village’s commitment to planting trees has earned it awards from the National Arbor Day Foundation. It has recognized Medina with a “Tree City Growth Award” and has designated the community a “Tree City USA.”
Busch said the trees make neighborhoods more appealing visually and should make the homes more valuable and inviting for residents.
Chris Busch is pictured inside the Bent’s Opera House about a year ago during a tour as part of the Civil War Encampment in Medina. The opera house was constructed during the Civil War.
He has been a leader with the Orleans Renaissance Group, organizing the efforts to bring concerts into the community. He is vice chairman of the ORG, which is working to restore the Bent’s Opera House on Main Street. That Medina sandstone building was constructed during the Civil War.
The ORG wants to again have performances in the top floor of the site, with a restaurant on the second floor and the first floor available for businesses. Busch sees the site as an anchor for the downtown, drawing customers for other businesses nearby.
The “Heritage Hero” Committee also picked Busch for the award because of his efforts designing the 11 interpretive panels and helping to secure funding for the project.
The panels will be on Main Street with one on West Center Street by the Newell building, which was once a high-end shirt manufacturer.
A series of 11 interpretive panels that highlight Medina history and notable residents will be installed this spring in downtown Medina. Chris Busch designed the panels, including this one of the former U.S. President Grover Cleveland, who married a Medina girl, Frances Folsom.
Busch believes the panels will help locals and visitors better appreciate Medina’s rich heritage and history. He often sees people gawking at the downtown structures, aiming cameras at the buildings.
“It’s something that needed to be done to help people visualize it,” he said.
The panels will tell the stories of some of the people behind the downtown buildings and the community’s early days with a bustling Erie Canal, sandstone quarries and other industries.
“People will be surprised how much they will have an impact on tourist visitors,” Busch said. “These will without a doubt provide a reason for tourists to linger and learn.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Heritage Hero: Matthew Ballard
Photos by Tom Rivers – Matt Ballard serves as co-director of the Cobblestone Society Museum. He is pictured in front of a church built in 1834.
ALBION – Matt Ballard has fond remembrances growing up on Brown Street and being a part of the St. Mary’s community. Ballard was an altar server and his family was very active in the Catholic parish.
The Catholic Diocese closed the church in 2007. Our Light of Victory has since acquired the church property and has Sunday services there. But it is no longer St. Mary’s. The big mural of Mary was painted over.
Ballard didn’t want to see the history of the parish lost. He created a web site in 2010, www.albionpolonia.com, that first catalogued the art inside the building – the stained-glass windows and murals.
The site has expanded to include baptismal records, marriage licenses, and funerals of the Polish community. Ballard has photos of many of the weddings. He has a searchable database that helps people on a genealogical quest. He is up to 379 marriages and 736 funerals from the St. Mary’s community.
Courtesy of www.Albionpolonia.com – Albion Polonia started as an effort to catalog the art work inside St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Albion, including this mural of Mary.
In recognition of his efforts, Ballard will receive a “Heritage Hero” award on April 25 during the Civil War Encampment at GCC in Medina. He is one of five winners. At 26, he is also the youngest.
“It’s a labor of love,” Ballard said about Albion Polonia. “It’s a way to give back to a community that has given so much to me.”
Ballard said the parish was close-knit and loving. His father Bob Ballard was a long-time trustee at St. Mary’s. The Ballard family was connected with many other families in the parish. The younger Ballard felt that love growing up.
“It’s that saying, ‘It takes a community to raise a child,’” Ballard said.
The Polish immigrants settled on the east side of the village on Brown and Caroline streets. They built a church in the early 1890s at the corner of Brown and Moore streets. Ballard thinks the Polish community has been underappreciated.
Many of those immigrants worked in the local sandstone quarries and helped shape the stone in prominent buildings in the region and state, Ballard said.
He receives feedback about the sent from people in the community and around the country. They have shared photos and some details from the Polish community, helping to enrich the site. Ballard welcomes more contributions.
Ballard has been involved in other historical initiatives. He is a board member of the Orleans County Genealogical Society. He served on the Albion Historic Preservation Commission and also on the board of directors for the Cobblestone Society Museum.
Courtesy of www.Albionpolonia.com – This historical photo shows St. Mary’s Catholic Church and a school next door.
In February he was named co-director of the Cobblestone Society Museum. The eight buildings near the intersection of routes 98 and 104 are a National Historic Landmark, the only site in the county with that designation from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Ballard praised the community that rallied to start the museum a half century ago, and their devotion in preserving the buildings and the artifacts inside.
“It’s amazing that we have something like that in our county that is so unique,” he said.
Matt Ballard said it is an honor to be a part of the Cobblestone Society Museum. He is co-director with Sarah Karas.
He commended Bill Lattin, in particular, for being such a devoted caretaker and champion of the historic site. Lattin served as museum director for 40 years.
Ballard works part-time as a library supervisor for Hilbert College in Hamburg. He shares the museum director duties with Sarah Karas.
The museum opens on Mother’s Day. Ballard said it’s an privilege to help promote a museum that includes structures dating back to the 1830s.
“It’s a continuation of the people who came before me,” he said. “A lot of well-respected people in the community spearheaded the museum and a lot of well-respected people in the community continue to believe it’s very important.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Heritage Hero: Bob Waters
File photo by Tom Rivers – Bob Waters, president of the Medina Sandstone Society, gives a rousing speech during the first Hall of Fame program on Dec. 12 at Medina City Hall. Six inaugural inductees were named to the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame that day.
(Editor’s Note: Genesee Community College is honoring its first class of five Heritage Heroes during the Civil War Encampment on April 25 in Medina. Orleans Hub will profile the honorees. Tom Rivers, the Orleans Hub editor, served on the committee that helped pick the winners.)
MEDINA – He made a living telling the stories of Medina and the Orleans County community. Bob Waters served as publisher of The Journal-Register in Medina.
Since leaving the business more than three decades ago, Waters has made telling – and preserving – the community’s heritage a priority.
He has written publications – he won’t call them books – about Medina’s sandstone past, the community’s boom years from 1900 to 1930, and a publication of penny post cards about Medina in 2012: “Greetings from Medina, New York.”
Waters loves the written word, but he has also provided leadership and some of the heavy lifting for community projects, perhaps most notably the reuse of the former Armory on Pearl Street.
Waters served on the Armory Action Committee that helped find a new purpose for the building after it was shut down by the state in 1977.
That 90,000-square-foot building was built in 1901. It was closed in 1977 by state officials. Waters and the Armory Action Committee met weekly and negotiated with the state to keep the utilities on, make needed repairs and eventually transfer the site to the community so it could be used as a YMCA. That organization now has more than a 1,000 members and it is investing about $400,000 in a capital improvement project.
“When the National Guard left, the property could have gone down hill in a hurry,” Waters said. “Now the Y is just running with it.”
The building is one of the most iconic structures in the county. It resembles a fortress. In December it was part of the inaugural class of the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.
Waters is president of the group. He praised Sandstone Society members Jim Hancock, Dave Miller and John Slack for working to get the Hall of Fame established. The six inductees and other historical photos of quarrymen are displayed inside the meeting room at City Hall.
Photos courtesy of Dave Miller
Medina Savings and Loan celebrated its 125th anniversary in June. As part of the celebration, the Medina Sandstone Society unveiled a sandstone plaque by the bank’s front door. Pictured, from left: Medina S & L President Tim Moriarty, Sandstone Society President Bob Waters, and Charles Slack, chairman of the board for the bank.
The Sandstone Society has given many sandstone signs to recent projects or institutions that have invested in the community.
The Society has established a community foundation that helps fund community projects, which could be restoration of stained glass windows or putting old newspapers and photos in microfiche or digital files, among the many preservation efforts.
Waters also speaks with students about local history and also leads tours of historical buildings and sites in the Medina area.
He sees an interest in local history – from high schoolers and young adults. He thinks Facebook has helped fuel a love for local heritage.
File photo by Tom Rivers
Bob Waters signs a copy of the organization’s latest publication, “Medina, My Home Town – Fond Memories,” during the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Home and Garden Show last April.
The Sandstone Society’s latest publication, “Medina, My Home Town – Fond Memories,” includes reminisces from writers about Medina. Many of the anecdotes came from the Memories of Medina Facebook page, which has nearly 3,500 members.
“There has been a resurgence of interest in hometown history,” Waters said.
And he thinks that has helped spark a new wave of entrepreneurs who are investing in the downtown and the community.
“It used to be young people couldn’t wait to get out of here,” he said. “I’ve always been a small-towner. Maybe the small town is coming back.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Christi Waldron, a rape crisis counselor with RESTORE, addresses the crowd at a crime victims’ rights gathering Friday night at the Orleans County Courthouse. Waldron was presented with the 16th annual Milford Phinney Victim Advocate Award.
Orleans County First Assistant District Attorney Susan Howard, left, presents Christi Waldron with the Milford Phinney Victim Advocate Award. The late Phinney was an assistant DA.
RESTORE, which was previously called Rape Crisis Service, displayed T-shirts made by victims of sexual assault.
ALBION – Christi Waldron has earned a reputation as a passionate advocate for victims of sexual assault in Orleans County.
Waldron, a rape crisis counselor with RESTORE the past 2 1/2 years, often speaks on behalf of victims with the district’s attorney office, will help them get needed medical care and sometimes will just sit quietly by them during a court appearance.
“She brings a lot of energy and passion to her job,” said Susan Howard, the first assistant district attorney for Orleans County.
She presented Waldon with the Milford Phinney Victim Advocate Award during a crime victims’ rally on Friday evening at the Orleans County Courthouse.
Waldon works with rape and sexual assault victims in Orleans County and also in Brockport. She worked with 51 clients in 2013, including 16 children abused sexually, 12 adults abused sexually and four adult survivors of child sexual abuse.
Seventeen of the cases involved in criminal charges with seven resulting in convictions. Waldon said sexual assaults largely go unreported.
“We live in a culture that still blames victims of sexual violence,” Waldron said when she accepted her award. “A culture that says these acts are somehow a result of the victim not being careful enough, or too drunk, or dressed inappropriately. Rarely is the focus ever on the perpetrator.”
Waldron said some schools only educate girls about sexual violence. Men are affected by the crime as well.
“Sexual violence affects most everyone at some point in their lives,” she said. “This is everyone’s problem.”
She participated in 25 community education programs and connected with 1,300 people through outreach events in 2013. Cultural norms need to change to reduce sexual assaults, she said.
Waldron thanked other agencies and staff for working with crime victims. She said she is committed to her job and seeing a change in society.
“I do this in hopes that one day the culture will change and the myths about sexual violence and blaming will disappear,” she said. “But most importantly I do this for the victims who feel they don’t have a voice or any options when something like this happens.”
Friday’s event at the courthouse culminated Crime Victims’ Rights Week in the county.
Howard said the week is empowering for those who work in the criminal justice system.
“We gather to give ourselves energy to get through the difficult things we have to deal with,” Howard told the group.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Ted Broekhuizen is retiring from the board after 25 years
Photo by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Ted Broekhuizen says he has lived a charmed life in Holley.
Broekhuizen, 82, has lived in his childhood home on North Main Street his entire adult life. He worked 40 years as an engineer, including 30 years with Bausch and Lomb.
Broekhuizen has stayed involved in his hometown as a member of the Presbyterian Church and also by serving on the Village Planning Board.
He stepped down from that board after 25 years on Dec. 31. He also represented the village on the Orleans County Planning Board.
Mayor John Kenney, left, presented Broekhuizen with an award for his service during Tuesday’s Village Board meeting. Broekhuizen also was presented with a certificate from the New York Conference of Mayors for his long-term commitment on the Planning Board.
He is pictured accepting the award with his with of 58 years, Rhoda. She worked as an elementary teacher in Holley for 30 years.
Broekhuizen said he met many of Holley’s entrepreneurs and other residents through the Planning Board.
“I’ve met a lot of wonderful people and had many great experiences,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Chris Busch – Newly inducted 2014 members of the Medina High School Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society stand with outgoing senior members Thursday evening following induction ceremonies in the Frederick E. Snyder Auditorium at MHS. The society welcomed 34 new members.
By Chris Busch
MEDINA – The Medina High School Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society held their annual ceremony for the induction of new members Thursday evening. The ceremony was held in Frederick E. Snyder Auditorium at MHS. In all, 34 new members were inducted in front of proud family members, teachers and administration.
A keynote address was delivered by James Simon, Associate Dean of Genesee Community College for the Medina and Albion campus centers. The new Honor Society members were introduced by MHS Administrators Mark Kruzynski and Michael Cavanagh.
In the 1920’s, the Arista Club was an exclusive scholarship club at Medina High School. Members were selected based on grade point average, and formal recommendations. When Medina decided to chart its own chapter of the National Honor Society in 1964, Medina administration decided to honor the spirit and traditions of the existing club, and the Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society was born.
2014 students invited for membership include Bailey Allen, Emma Ambrose, Briana Bellan, Bryce Bellan, Madeline Bilicki, Anna Blount, Nicole Blount, Brian Bogan, Julia Brien, Austin Brown, Samuel Busch, Victoria Carter, Matthew Cochrane, Laura Dunham, Aaron Feltz, Jason Hellwig, Adam Hoot, Christopher Keller, Jenna Kickbush, Chantelle Kidney, Rubi Luna Mondragon, Alexandra Markle, Amanda McCauley, Krista Nellist, Alexander O’Keefe, Austin Owens, Maxwell Owens, Nathan Pace, Jacob Roeseler, Brittany Schultz, Samuel Simms, Regan Stacey, Tessa White and Addison Zavitz.
Medina High School National Honor Society faculty advisor is Mrs. Karen Jones.
