Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A full moon is out in its glory tonight. In the top photo, the moon appears over the Orleans County Clerk’s Building.

In this picture, the moon appears between two of the columns in the front of the Orleans County Courthouse.

This picture also shows the moon peaking through the columns at the courthouse.

This one has the moon looming over the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church.

The lights cast a nice glow on the front door of Christ Church.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The sun is close to setting last evening over Lake Ontario in Barker.

There is a new leader of the Orleans County Fishing Derby after a 26-pound, 13-ounce Chinook was caught on Thursday.

Bill Magee of Northwood, Ohio, is the new leader of the derby and its $4,000 prize for the biggest fish.

Edward Kowalski of Scottsville leads the Salmon Division with a 26-pound, 1-ounce Chinook.

Other leaders include Destiny Bickel of Burt with an 18-pound, 11-ounce brown trout; Mike Schaeffer of Sligo, Pa., with a 14-pound, 1-ounce rainbow trout; and April Johnson of Rochester with a 16-pound, 4-ounce lake trout.

Heather Saeva of Albion is in the lead for the bonus prize given to the Orleans County resident who catches the biggest fish. She caught a 23-pound, 15-ounce Chinook.

The Albion Rotary Club will give away $8,800 in prizes with the derby, which continues until Aug. 17.

Photos by Tom Rivers
BARKER – Kayakers spent Wednesday evening out on Lake Ontario in Barker by Lighthouse Christian Camp. Lighthouse is next to Golden Hill State Park near the Orleans County line.

After lots of rain earlier this week, today is forecast to be sunny with a high of 74, followed by more sunny days with highs at about 80 degrees through Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Edward Kowalski of Scottsville is the new leader of the Orleans County Fishing Derby after catching a 26-pound, 1-ounce Chinook. If that fish stays in the lead until the derby is over on Aug. 17, Kowalski will win the $4,000 grand prize.

Ryan Deal of New castle, Pa., leads the salmon division with a 24-pound, 14-ounce fish. Other leaders include Destiny Bickel of Burt with an 18-pound, 11-ounce brown trout; Mike Schaeffer of Sligo, Pa., with a 14-pound, 1-ounce rainbow trout; and April Johnson of Rochester with a 16-pound, 4-ounce lake trout.

The Albion Rotary Club will give away about $8,800 in prizes with the derby, which continues until Aug. 17.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife wanted to move birds to Massachusetts

Two bald eagles that were rehabilitated in Shelby by Wendi Pencille will be staying in the Buffalo Zoo, rather than being moved to Massachusetts, Congressman Chris Collins announced.

The Buffalo Zoo will be the new permanent home to two bald eagles, Carson and Stripe. Late last year while the eagles recovered from serious injuries that left them unable to return to the wild, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service fought to move the birds to a facility in Massachusetts despite the Buffalo Zoo having already pledged to welcome the eagles as part of its anticipated Arctic Edge exhibit.

“In my nearly 30 years as a wildlife rehabilitator, this was the most difficult thing I have ever faced,” said Pencille, who cared for the eagles after their injuries at her Orleans County facility. “Caring for the thousands of animals over the years was easy compared to convincing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to change a decision on the birds’ permanent placement.”

After the Buffalo Zoo and Pencille were unable to convince Fish & Wildlife to back down from its plan to move the eagles out of state, Collins’ office stepped in and helped facilitate the permanent placement of Carson and Stripe at the zoo.

While its state-of-the art Arctic Edge exhibit nears completion, the Buffalo Zoo officially welcomed the bald eagles earlier than expected this past February.

“The Buffalo Zoo is grateful to Congressman Collins for advocating on our behalf, and helping to secure these majestic birds to be enjoyed by Western New York families for years to come,” said Donna Fernandes, President/CEO of the Buffalo Zoo.

Buffalo Zoo staff say Carson and Stripe are adapting well to their new lives and adjusting exactly as they expected given the eagles’ particular injuries. Carson and Stripe can now help the zoo share the conservation success story of bald eagles in North America and the importance of protecting these majestic birds.

The eagles are expected to move into their permanent home in Arctic Edge next year. Construction of the new exhibit continues in full force. Underground utility work is nearly complete, foundations are being poured, and support walls are starting to appear above ground.

“There was no good reason to move these bald eagles to Massachusetts when they were already in Western New York being nursed back to health and the Buffalo Zoo was willing to give them a new, first-class home,” Collins said. “I am glad my office could step in and convince the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to abandon its plan in place of common sense. I want to thank Donna Fernandes and her staff at the Buffalo Zoo for continuing to do such a great job, and Wendi Pencille for caring for these injured eagles and bringing this matter to our attention in the first place.”

POINT BREEZE – A 24-pound Chinook still leads the Orleans County Fishing Derby, but there are new leaders in the brown trout and salmon divisions.Clifford Stout of Northeast, Md., leads the derby with 24-pound, 1-ounce Chinook. In other categories, Heather Saeva of Albion now leads the Salmon Division with a 23-pound, 15-ounce Chinook. Destiny Bickel of Burt leads with an 18-pound, 11-ounce brown trout.

In other divisions, Mike Schaeffer of Sligo, Pa., has the biggest rainbow trout with a 14-pound, 1-ounce fish and April Johnson of Rochester is in first place with a 16-pound, 4-ounce lake trout.

The grand prize is $4,000 for the heaviest fish. The Albion Rotary Club will give away about $8,800 in prizes with the derby, which continues until Aug. 17.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Two fishermen from Depew were in Medina today for the first time in 20 years, determined to catch bass at Glenwood Lake.

Don Chadwick and Jeff Becker remember fishing at the lake when they were in their teens. They arrived this morning to find the lake’s water level had dropped 2 feet. The boat launch is closed while the lake level has been reduced so emergency repairs can be made to a manhole at the Medina’s sewer plant.

The two fishermen said they were given permission by police to venture into the water because their bass boat has a small engine.

The lake levels are expected to return to normal beginning on Thursday after the repairs are made to the manhole.

A crew works on the sewer plant system for the village of Medina.

MEDINA – Glenwood Lake will drop about 2 feet this week so emergency repairs can be made to the Medina Sewer Treatment Plant.

The village is repairing a manhole and needs the lake to drop down or else the lake water will run into the sewer plant, said Peter Houseknecht, Medina’s Department of Public Works superintendent.

Brookfield Power started lowering the water level at Glenwood Lake on Monday. The water level should begin returning to normal after Thursday when the work is set to be complete at the plant, Brookfield officials said.

During the low level period the boat ramp near Boxwood Cemetery at Route 63 will be closed.

Photo courtesy of Steven Wilson

POINT BREEZE – When the Weather Service predicted a big storm was coming on Sunday night, Steven Wilson of Albion knew where he wanted to be. He headed to the Bridges in Point Breeze.

Wilson, an aspiring professional photographer, positioned himself near a closed down bridge by Narby’s. He aimed his camera to the big bridge on Route 18 that stretches across the Oak Orchard River. He wanted to capture the lightning over a local landmark.

Photo courtesy of Steven Wilson

He also likes this photo of lightning in the clouds over the bridge.