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In celebrating Carl Akeley, a call to preserve natural world

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The Clarendon Historical Society threw another birthday for the community’s most famous son, Carl Akeley, on Wednesday. The top photo shows a comic book image of Akeley fighting with leopard in Africa.

Akeley survived and managed to kill the leopard in Africa. Akeley was a world renowned taxidermist and inventor. He was instrumental in creating the first national park in Africa.

Provided photo – Carl Akeley is pictured with a leopard in Africa that he killed with his bare hands after it attacked him.

Last year the Historical Society celebrated Akeley’s 150th birthday with 150 people turning out for the party, which featured a presentation by the author of a book about Akeley’s life.

Jay Kirk wrote “Kingdom Under Glass,” a book that traced Akeley’s upbringing on Hinds Road in Clarendon, when he started “stuffing” birds and small animals, to his ground-breaking advances in taxidermy and his adventures in Africa.

The 151st party featured another prominent Akeley enthusiast, Stephen Quinn. He worked in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals, where many of Akeley’s elephants, lions, rhinos and gorillas are displayed in New York City at the American Museum of Natural History.

Steven Quinn addresses about 100 people on Wednesday at Holley Junior-Senior High School, sharing photos and insights from a trip to Africa, retracing Carl Akeley’s trips to the continent from 1921 to 1926.

Quinn said the mountain gorillas are threatened, losing habitat and suffering attacks from predators and illnesses. The gorilla pictured has a nose fungus, Quinn said.

“The natural world is to be cherished,” Quinn said. “We’re accountable to the natural world.”

Quinn is recently retired from the American Museum of Natural History. He said the Akeley Hall “is truly a magnificent place.”

Quinn wanted to retrace Akeley’s route in the eastern Congo, where Akeley and his team visited from 1921 to 1926, bringing back paintings, photographs, and specimens collected in the field nearly a century ago.

Akeley became a passionate advocate for the mountain gorillas and other wildlife, and pushed for a national park in the area.

Quinn in his presentation also highlighted the work of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Program, which provides care to sick gorillas, cleaning and suturing cuts and providing medicine.

“The work they do is truly wonderful,” Quinn said. “They work they do wouldn’t be possible without Carl Akeley, who gave his life and is responsible for the first national park in Africa.”

Akeley was on his fifth trip to the Congo in 1926 when he died of fever. He is buried in Africa, just miles from where he encountered his first gorilla.

The taxidermist community is working to raise money for monument for Akeley at Hillside Cemetery in Holley.

Trailer burns in wooded area of Yates

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2015 at 4:25 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers

YATES – A trailer in a wooded area along Marshall Road in the Town of Yates burned this afternoon.

The owner of the trailer was working with a power saw. He hit a nail and suspects a spark caught the insulation on fire. It quickly spread at 1867 Marshall Rd.

The trailer was mostly collapsed when firefighters from Lyndonville and Medina arrived on scene soon after the dispatch call went out at 1:30 p.m.

The trailer was not being in lived in. The owner was trying to make improvements so it could be used as a camp during the summer.

Firefighters work together to take down the last remaining wall of the trailer.

“It’s nice and peaceful,” said the owner, who asked that his name not be used.

He tried to put the fire out himself with a hose, but it spread too fast. Firefighters were able keep the fire from moving to the nearby woods, said Adam Ehrenreich, a captain with the Lyndonville Fire Department.

Lyndonville firefighter Steve Bane Jr. tries to put out any remaining hot spots from the fire.

Community Action joins Red Nose Day to highlight child poverty

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Staff and volunteers at Community Action of Orleans & Genesee are wearing red noses today as part of an effort to raise awareness for child poverty.

“We wanted to support the cause,” said Anni Skowneski, case manager at Community Action. “We wanted to raise awareness for child poverty, which is something we work with every day.”

The people pictured include, front: Kim Miller. Second row, from left: Wendy Hinkley, Andrea Severson, Anni Skonewski and Heidi Wyant. Back row: Barb Kiefer, Pam Wadhams, Carol Berray, Bonnie Malakie, Amy Lester, Freddie Stewart, Mary Guzik and Cathy Brien.

People throughout the world are participating in “Red Nose Day.” For more information, click here.

Orleans County is seeing an increase in the number of people in poverty. Orleans went from 4,731 or 11.6 percent of its population in 2000 to 5,194 or 13.0 percent in 2013, according to the Census.

Common Sense?

Posted 21 May 2015 at 12:00 am

It’s more of a people problem than a cat problem.

By Douglas H. Domedion
Nature Correspondent

Most families own a pet and many consider them important family members. There are a variety of birds that people have for pets and some folks enjoy reptiles or fish or even rodents. However the most popular are cats and dogs.

There is quite a large variety of dogs to chose from depending on what you really want: a small one for a apartment, a hunter, a guard dog, a devoted companion etc. With this ownership comes a great deal of responsibility, because the animal depends on you for food, water, companionship, a place to sleep and play. There are health issues such as diseases, injuries and just general maintenance that must be addressed that can be quite expensive today.

We are also responsible for the actions of our dogs because they can cause harm to other animals or even humans, other people’s property and wildlife. No one enjoys a “gift” left in their yard by the neighbor’s dog or listening to constant barking. Most places have regulations about dog ownership such as licensing, rabies shots, annoying barking and free roaming.

Cats are very popular. They make great indoor pets because they require they less space, have their own inside bathroom and are more suited to being left alone inside while their masters are gone all day. My son has a cat for these reasons even though he would like a dog.

There is one problem with cats though or should I say with some of the folks who get cats. Cat owners have the same responsibilities as dog owners, especially the one about keeping them under control. Kittens are cute, but they grow up and oftentimes find themselves on the doorstep. Next thing you know they are abandoned by either dumping them off somewhere or just leaving them outside with no food or care.

Now free-ranging cats are necessary around the barnyard because there is a constant rodent problem. As long as there doesn’t get to be too many cats that they have to begin to look outside the farm area for food there isn’t a problem. However the folks who allow their cats to range outside other than on the farm are a problem.

A recent study has estimated BILLIONS of birds and small mammals are killed year in the U.S. by free-ranging cats. Sure they kill a lot of mice, shrews and moles, but they also nail a lot of the young of rabbits, squirrels and other small wildlife. Some will kill adult rats, but many won’t just because rats are a very tough characters.

Folks who let their cats roam are not only doing a real disservice to our wildlife, but also to their cat. First, a cat that is free-roaming has a much shorter life span because they are more susceptible to diseases. Second, coyotes and foxes make tasty snacks of them. Third, many are killed on roads because they just charge across a road and are not seen until it’s too late. Fourth, cats depositing feces in flower beds can cause serious infection problems for their neighbors. And last, eating mice that have poison in them from other people’s attempts to get rid of them will also kill the cat.

In many places feral cat (a cat that has returned to the wild or descendants of) colonies have become a serious problem. A program called Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return (TNVR) is being considered by many places now to solve this problem, but will it? It sounds good, but I’m not so sure. Maybe professional people like wildlife biologists, veterinarians and professional animal control people need to be consulted first. Maybe we should use common sense! After spending time and money trapping, neutering and vaccinating these cats we are going to release them back to where they were a problem? Rabies shots need to be updated as do other vaccinations. A new young feral cat can have a litter of kittens before it is trapped, and if it has rabies, it will be passed on to the kittens and we wouldn’t know it. And when rabies has popped up, how do we know who that cat bit or know if the rabies virus even exists in the colony before it’s too late? Many theories sound great, but turn out to not work so well in reality.

Yes feral cats are a big problem, but the real problem lies with many cat owners who are not held responsible for their cats they originally had for pets. Why not have cat licenses (more expensive for non-neutered) and requirements for vaccination and fines for free-ranging animals? You know, like with dogs! Or maybe we should just allow all pets to roam free uncontrolled and with no health requirements and let nature takes it course as many like to advocate. We manage our wildlife – why don’t we manage our out-of-control cat population?

NY bans birds from county and state fairs this year

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Move made to protect against avian flu

File photo by Tom Rivers – These turkeys were part of last year’s meat auction at the 4-H Fair in Knowlesville. The state has banned turkeys, ducks and other fowl from fairs this year.

KNOWLESVILLE – The annual 4-H Fair in late July will be missing some mainstays – turkeys, chickens, ducks, peacocks and other fowl.

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has banned the birds from all county fairs and the state fair this year. Richard Ball, state agriculture commissioner, issued the order on Tuesday, saying the state needs to be proactive in fighting the potential spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

“Avian influenza has not yet been detected in New York State, but it is a very serious threat to poultry and all breeds of fowl and is continuing to spread,” Ball said on Tuesday. “Despite the efforts of the best poultry health experts in North America, we do not fully understand the cause of the rapid spread of this virus. This commonsense step will help limit the spread of the influenza to other farms and chickens.”

Orleans County had 126 entries in fowl events in last year’s fair from 27 kids in the 4-H program. The news from the state is disappointing to the 4-H’ers, but the kids will still work to educate the public about poultry, said Cara Wachob, the poultry superintendent along with her husband Jim.

“It’s definitely a disappointment, but we want to do our part to stop the spread of avian flu in New York State,” she said.

Robert Batt, the 4-H educator in Orleans County, said kids in the poultry program may do photography displays of their chickens, turkeys and other fowl. They may also have other educational displays about the birds.

Batt said the ban is the first he’s experienced in a 4-H career going back about two decades. He understands the need to safeguard the poultry industry.

“It’s absolutely a safety thing,” he said.

Wachob said the local 4-H’ers will put some of the energy they would have used in preparing the birds for the fair into educational displays about the industry and poultry sicence.

The ban covers all breeds of fowl, including chickens, pigeons, turkeys, pheasants, guinea fowl, bantam poultry, geese, and ducks. Exhibitors who have already registered fowl for the 2015 New York State Fair will be contacted and will receive a refund of their entry fees.

“This is a disappointment to us as well as to fairgoers and our exhibitors, who look forward to this competition every year,” said Troy Waffner, acting fair director. “But we believe people understand that we are stewards of the animals in our care and I know they understand that we’re doing what’s best for everyone, and especially for the birds.”

The State Fair has already made plans to fill the space in the Poultry Barn normally used for displaying chickens with rabbits and cavies, and the daily rooster crowing contest will be replaced by a rabbit hopping demonstration on seven days.

While the current strains of avian influenza circulating in the Midwest are extraordinarily deadly to birds, experts stress that the H5N2 and H5N8 strains are not a threat to humans. Chicken and eggs are safe to eat, the Department of Ag and Markets advised.

Glorious sunset out in the country

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

BARRE – It was a sensational sunset this evening in West Barre. I forgot to make note of which road is in this picture. It was near West Barre Road and Bragg Schoolhouse Road.

It will be a little chilly on Friday before it warms up for the Memorial Day weekend. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high of 56 on Friday with an overnight low of 36. The Weather Service warns there could be spots with frost on Friday night through Saturday morning.

Saturday is forecast for a high of 64 and a low of 49, followed by a high of 74 on Sunday with a low of 56. On Memorial Day, the temperatures could reach 76, but there is a chance of thunderstorms.

Boy Scouts will honor Bob and Eric Brown

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 May 2015 at 12:00 am

File photo by Tom Rivers – Eric Brown, right, and his son Harrison served as starters at the Pinewood Derby in Albion in March 2014.

BATAVIA Two brothers in Carlton, who have worked together for years at a fruit farm and running an agri-tourism retail store, will be honored next week by the Iroquois Trail Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Bob and Eric Brown run Orchard Dale Fruit Farm. For more than three decades, the Brown family also ran Brown’s Berry Patch before deciding to close that retail operation this year.

Eric has been an active Scout leader. His two sons, Harrison and Jeffrey, are Boy Scouts.

The family has hosted many Scouts over the years at events at Brown’s Berry Patch, giving them wagon rides and letting them get a taste of farm life.

Bob and Eric will both be presented with “Distinguished Citizen” awards from Orleans County as part of the 40th annual Boypower dinner on May 28 at Genesee Community College.

“Bob and Eric are both being recognized for their years of community service,” said Jim McMullen, the Scout executive for the five-county Council. “They’ve done a tremendous amount to support the local economy with their businesses and they’ve boosted the quality of life in Orleans County.”

That Boypower dinner is a fundraiser for the Iroquois Trail Council. For more information, click here.

Distinguished citizens will also be honored from Genesee, Livingston, Wyoming and Niagara counties. The featured speaker will be Gale A. Buchanan, a leader in the field of scientific agricultural research and former chief scientist for the United States Department of Agriculture.

Holley’s Top 10 recognized by Board of Education

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 20 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Kristina Gabalaski – Holley Middle School/High School Principal Susan Cory (middle) poses with Class of 2015 valedictorian Emily Radford (left) and salutatorian Nicole Boyle (right). Members of the Holley Class of 2015 Top Ten were honored during the School Board of Education meeting Tuesday evening with the Soaring to New Heights Awards.

HOLLEY – The Holley Central Middle School/High School was a bustle of activity Tuesday evening during the annual school budget vote. In addition to voting, several other events were held including a concert and the monthly School Board of Education meeting.

The Holley Central School Music Department held its annual chicken barbecue in the Middle School/High School Dining Hall and elementary music students presented their Band and Chorus Spring Concert.

The Holley PTSA held a free ice cream social between 4-6 p.m. in the foyer, where voting was taking place and the Scholastic Book Fair was open into the evening.

During the Board of Education meeting, Holley’s Top Ten graduating seniors were recognized with the Board’s monthly “Soaring to New Heights Award.” That recognition goes to people for giving of their time and abilities to benefit Holley schools.

Emily Radford is the valedictorian and Nicole Boyle is salutatorian. Other Top 10 include Jessica Skehan, Taylor DeSimone, Leah Baker, Tessa McArthur, Mikayla Hargreaves, Jade Underwood, Cole Quiter and Andrew Rowley.

“I’m really proud of this group,” Board President Brenda Swanger told the students. “I feel thrilled for all of you.”

Also during the meeting, Superintendent Robert D’Angelo and board members discussed the reorganization of the district’s Building and Grounds Department.

D’Angelo received permission from the Board to move the B-Shift Coordinator position out of the organizational chart and create the position of Director of Facilities.

Board member Sal DeLuca, Jr. expressed concerns that the buildings currently are “… not being taken care of as they should be taken care of,” and proposed that a Director of Facilities once hired, should have input on how the Buildings and Grounds Department is organized and run.

Medina school renames library in memory of former teacher

Staff Reports Posted 20 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Barbara Barnes

MEDINA – How do you remember an incredible person, friend and teacher such as Barbara Barnes?

That is the question the staff and students have been pondering since her tragic passing on Sept. 29 on the way to a job that she loved. Barnes was killed in a car accident on Lake Road in the Town of Newfane.

Her colleagues, students and loved ones gathered on May 14 at Clifford Wise Middle School as Barbara’s two sons unveiled the new sign above the school’s library. The site will now be officially known as the Barbara Barnes Memorial Library.

Barnes taught special education at the Clifford Wise Middle School for 18 years.

The plaque with Barbara’s photo that read in part, “Her contagious smile, her caring eyes and her amazing sense of humor; no one who knew Barbara Jean Barnes will forget her beautiful spirit. Barbara Barnes cherished being part of the Medina School Community, and she thought of Wise as her second home and its faculty, staff, and students as her second family. We are blessed to have known her, as a teacher and a friend.”

Contributed photos – The library at Clifford Wise Middle School was rededicated as the Barbara Barnes Library last week in honor of a teacher killed in a Sept. 29 car accident. Pictured, from left, include: Joe Byrne, Medina Teacher Association President; Troy Barnes, Barbara’s son; Bruce Barnes, Barbara’s husband; Braidy Barnes, Barbara’s son; and Bridget Barnes, Braidy’s wife.

Joe Byrne, Medina Teacher Association president, said that Barnes was cherished by everyone who had the pleasure of interacting with her.

“She loved being a teacher and being part of the students’ lives,” Byrne said. “It seemed very fitting to her memory and her legacy to name the library after her so that for years to come that everyone walking through the door here will know how much she was loved and admired and how much of an impact she has made on us all.”

Holley budget and propositions all pass

Staff Reports Posted 20 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Melissa Ierlan is elected as write-in candidate

Photos by Kristina Gabalski – The Holley Central School Music Department held its annual chicken barbecue on Tuesday evening in the Middle/High School Dining Hall.

HOLLEY – The school budget and all propositions on the ballot passed with big margins of support on Tuesday and three candidates were elected to the Board of Education, including one as a write-in.

Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon code enforcement officer and president of the Clarendon Historical Society, was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Education as a write-in candidate with 121 votes.

There were three open seats on the board, but only two candidates submitted petitions. That left the remaining seat to be filled by write-in.

Incumbents Mark Porter, 358 votes, and Anne Winkley, 381 votes, also were re-elected.

The budget passed, 371-105. The school district is cutting its budget by about $1.7 million to $23,300,000. The budget keeps the tax levy unchanged at $6,741,780.

The proposition authorizing the purchase of school buses passed 333-140. Holley will purchase two full-size school buses, one wheelchair bus and one 30-passenger school bus at a total cost not to exceed $355,000.

The proposition for Community Free Library passed, 378-99. It authorizes the district to raise $108,072 to be used in support of the maintenance and operations of the library in Holley.

Members of the Holley Central School Beginner Band perform under the direction of Hannah Bock during the Elementary School Band and Chorus Spring Concert on Tuesday evening.

Deputy DeFilipps honored by company that made bulletproof vest

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Officer is ‘Save 1,912’ for Safariland Group

Photos by Tom Rivers – Deputy James DeFilipps is pictured with his wife Marie and their infant son Jake at the Orleans County Public Safety Building on Tuesday.

ALBION – About two months after he was shot twice while on duty, Deputy James DeFilipps held his son Jake before many in the law enforcement community and his family on Tuesday. Jake will be 1 in a few days.

“I’m very grateful he’s still here,” the deputy’s wife Marie said on Tuesday.

DeFilipps and his family are thankful that a bulletproof vest protected the deputy when he was shot twice at close range on March 21 at about 3 a.m. A bullet to the chest was blocked by the vest and left no bruise. A shot in abdomen was also stopped, but DeFilipps has a deep bruise that gunshot.

He expects he will be able to return to work in early June, working the night shift in eastern Orleans County.

DeFilipps started his career with the Holley Police Department. He has worked the night shift for the Sheriff’s Department for about a decade. Mrs. DeFilipps said her husband is eager to return to work.

“This is what he was born to do,” she said.

The family has received numerous cards from well-wishers, Mrs. DeFilipps said.

When her husband spent a few hours in Strong Memorial Hospital after being shot twice on March 21, police officers visited from the State Police, Rochester Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, as well as officers from Orleans County.

A representative from the Safariland Group holds the plaque given to Deputy James DeFilipps on Tuesday.

Friends have dropped off food and many other kind gestures have been extended to the family. DeFilipps and his immediate family all live in Holley. His mother, Marsha, is the Holley historian.

The big community response has been humbling, said Anne Schutz, DeFilipps’s sister.

“It’s really made me believe in Holley again,” Schutz said.

Schutz remembers a few hours after her brother was shot, and asking him if he would return to road patrols.

“He said, ‘Definitely,'” Schutz said.

DeFilipps was shot twice by James Ellis, 44, of Wyoming County. Ellis allegedly pulled a handgun on an ex-girlfriend in Shelby on March 21. Ellis was then chased by police before crashing his vehicle into a telephone pole on Route 31A in Clarendon.

DeFilipps was working the east end of the county and responded to the scene in Clarendon. Police say Ellis open fired on responding officers, including DeFilipps. After DeFilipps was shot twice, he fired at Ellis, killing him.

DeFilipps was only about 10 feet away from Ellis during the shootout.

DePuty James DeFilipps is presented a plaque and other gifts from Stacey Petyak, a manufacturers representative for Safariland Group. Sheriff Scott Hess, left, also received a plaque to be displayed in the department.

A grand jury reviewed the evidence and found DeFilipps was justified in using lethal force.

Representatives from the Safariland Group, manufacturers of the bullet proof vest, presented DeFilipps and Sheriff Scott Hess with plaques noting that DeFIlipps is “Save No. 1,912” for the company. He was wearing an American Body Armor Extreme Series vest when he was shot.

Stacey Petyak, a manufacturers representative for the company, presented the plaques during the ceremony.

“It is not just about us and our armor,” she said. “It is about your heroic actions and your action of valor that you are here today and the other officers.”

The company wanted the Sheriff’s Office to have a plaque as well, noting that DeFilipps survived the gun shots.

“When you look at this you realize what you’re dealing with everyday, the good, the bad and the in between,” she said to a group of law enforcement officers.

DeFilipps also received several gifts – an embroidered hat, travel mug, gear bag and a challenge coin – noting he is “Save No. 1,912.”

Whenever there is a save due to the company’s products, the Safariland Group will shut down production at its three plants to recognize the save and read the story behind the incident with the officer, Petyak said.

She said the “Save Officers” have developed their own network, often reaching out to one another.

“These are officers who took what would be fatal blows,” Petyak said.

2 decline plea offers and will go to trial

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Brockport man charged with felony sex crimes; Medina woman accused of drug charges

ALBION – Two people facing numerous felony charges rejected plea offers this week and will go to trial this summer in Orleans County Court.

A 28-year-old Brockport man faces numerous counts of second-degree rape, second-degree criminal sexual act and other charges. Matthew M. Edwards of West Ridge Road was arraigned in Orleans County Court on Jan. 5.

He is accused of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in the Village of Holley between July 4 and Aug. 30. Edwards also allegedly provided the girl with drugs and alcohol, according to the District Attorney’s Office. He is in Orleans County Jail on $200,000 bail.

Edwards faces 20 counts of second-degree rape, 14 counts of criminal sexual act in the second degree, five counts of unlawful dealing with a child in the first degree and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

He will go to trial on Aug. 26.

In another case, a Medina woman will go to trial beginning on July 15.

Erika H. Poole, 34, of Church Street faces three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and one count of criminal possession of marijuana in the second degree.

Poole was arrested in February 2014 for three of the drug charges. Her husband, Brenton Poole, also was arrested on Feb. 12, 2014. He was sentenced to five years in state prison last June for attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.

Mrs. Poole was arrested again on July 18 for allegedly possessing cocaine.

For final concert, Albion elementary chorus teacher picks cowboy classics

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Linda Logan, a music teacher in Albion for 34 years, directed her final concert this evening, leading 117 students in the third and fourth grade chorus.

Logan and many of her students wore western and cowboy outfits. The sang folk song and cowboy medleys, including “Shoo Fly,” “Old Dan Tucker,” “Home on the Range,” “Git Along Little Doggies,” Grandma’s Feather Bed” and others.

“These are songs every kid should know,” she said before the concert.

Logan said she tried to pick fun songs throughout the year. She thanked her students and their parents, many of whom she taught a generation ago.

Lyndonville budget with tax cut passes

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 May 2015 at 12:00 am

LYNDONVILLE – The school district’s budget that reduces taxes by 5.3 percent passed “overwhelmingly,” by a 101-19 vote, said Jason Smith, the superintendent of schools.

The school district’s proposed $13,253,892 budget increases spending by 0.5 percent, but taxes will be cut by 5.35 percent or by $250,000 to $4,416,578.

Other propositions also passed, including $90,653 for Yates Community Library and authorization to purchase one 66-seat bus at a maximum $105,000.

Three people ran unopposed for three-year terms to the Board of Education. Incumbents Ted Lewis and Michelle Dillenbeck were elected along with board newcomer Kelly Cousins.

2 Lyndonville students get scholarships from organ donation organization

Staff Reports Posted 19 May 2015 at 12:00 am

CORRECTION: This story has been updated. An earlier version stated that Lyndonville had a chapter of the Donate Life Club. Lyndonville doesn’t have that club, but does promote blood drives through the National Honor Society.

Kirsten Nice

LYNDONVILLE – Two Lyndonville Central School seniors – Leann Balcerzak and Kirsten Nice – will each receive $500 scholarships from UNYTS, Western New York’s only organ, eye, tissue and community blood center.

They are both members of the school’s National Honor Society which promotes blood drives with UNYTS.

Some schools have Donate Life Clubs that give students the opportunity to establish themselves as giving members of the community through the support of blood drives, organ donor registry efforts and through blood donation.

“I believe that it is very important to get involved and give back to the community in as many ways as possible,” Nice wrote in her scholarship application.

Nice plans to attend Niagara University and will be pursuing a degree in accounting.

Leann Balcerzak

“Numerous stories tell of the lives that have been saved thanks to the mission of UNYTS in Western New York,” Balcerzak wrote. “Even families that have lost loved ones can find solace in knowing that their loss can help save another family from experiencing the same pain through organ donation.”

Balcerzak will pursue a degree in pharmacy.

Headquartered in Buffalo and established in 1981, UNYTS is among the leading procurement organizations in the United States, and is the only organization of its kind nationwide to offer opportunities for organ, eye, tissue and blood donation.