By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 April 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – Several villages streets with numerous potholes will be repaved the second week of May with help from the Orleans County Highway Department.
Peter Houseknecht, Department of Public Works superintendent for the Village of Medina, advised the Village Board this evening that the county would bring its paving machine to Medina the second week of May to help repair West Avenue, Park Avenue, the approaches near the railroad tracks on Gwinn Street and spots on Horan Road.
Sections of those streets may be milled with new pavement put down, Houseknecht said.
The DPW will use hot mix asphalt to fill other potholes in the village. The DPW also is considering pouring concrete on Orient Street near an overpass because asphalt is not holding up, Houseknecht said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 April 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The Village Board approved a budget for 2015-16 that will raise the tax rate by 27 cents to $17.75 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The $6,520,094 budget includes a 1.5 percent tax increase, raising the tax levy by $36,923 to $2,497,252. That keeps the village under the state tax cap, Mayor Dean London said.
The board and village department heads faced a 7.3 percent tax increase with a tentative budget on April 9. But the village officials shaved expenses to get the tax increase down to 1.5 percent.
The village will use $248,000 from its fund balance to help offset property taxes, which is down from the $300,000 in fund balance in 2014-15.
The village has seen the rate climb in recent years as the overall tax base of the community went down. A year ago the village lost $2.7 million in assessed value. The latest numbers show another decline, but only by $60,830. The village’s taxable value for 2015-16 will be $140,690,261, down from $140,751,091 in 2014-15.
One unresolved expense in the new budget: how much to include for a grantwriter.
Jean O’Connell and Associates from Clarence has offered to write grants for the village for a flat fee of $34,000 annually. Those could be grants for parks, water and sewer infrastructure, the fire department, police, record retention and other projects.
The board said it doesn’t have $34,000 for a grantwriter in the 2015-16 budget. Mayor London said he would see if O’Connell would spread the $34,000 fee over two village budgets to make it affordable.
In the meantime, the board last week approved $6,000 for O’Connell to write a grant for Bullard Park improvements, including a new spray park. If the village decides to go for the $34,000 contract, O’Connell has said the $6,000 for the park grant would be counted towards the $34,000.
The new budget takes effect on June 1 and the fiscal year runs until May 31.
ALBION – Garrett Knaak of Albion took this photo last week of a bald eagle on East County House Road.
“I have never seen these locally, although I know they exist,” Knaak said in an email. “I had the photo verified by the DEC in Avon.”
The DEC told Knaak the bird is a near adult bald eagle. It has not quite fully achieved the white head and tail feathers, and still retains some of the brown feathers typical of younger eagles, the DEC told Knaak. This bird is likely 4 years old and just now reaching breeding age, the DEC told Knaak.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 April 2015 at 12:00 am
‘Landmark structure’ key to Medina’s growth in the late 19th Century
Photos by Tom Rivers – Robert Waters, president of the Medina Sandstone Society, speaks at the podium during an unveiling of a new stone historic marker for the Bent’s Hall, the building in the back. Others on the stage include, from left: Medina Mayor Andrew Meier, GCC professor Tracy Ford, Sandstone Society member Jacob Hebdon, Kathy Blackburn, Lynne Menz, GCC professor and Civil War Encampment Coordinator Derek Maxfield, and Chris Busch, chairman of the Orleans Renaissance Group.
MEDINA – As the Civil War was nearing its end, Don. C. Bent of Medina was preparing to open the Bent’s Hall, a three-story structure made of Medina sandstone at the corner of West Center and Main streets.
Bent acquired the land after a previous frame building burnt to ground on Oct. 7, 1863.
The new building included space for stores and offices, with an opera hall on the third floor. It opened to great fanfare on Feb. 28, 1865.
The building is mostly vacant now, but a group of preservationists are working to stabilize the building with plans to again have the site be bustling with businesses and a home to concerts and other performances.
On Saturday, the Medina Sandstone Society presented a historic marker made in sandstone to the owners of the building, the Orleans Renaissance Group.
Robert Waters, president of the Sandstone Society, thanked the ORG for working to bring back Bent’s Hall and not let the landmark structure fall into ruin.
Jake Hebdon, left, and Chris Busch remove the cover from the stone marker that commemorates the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War and the opening of Bent’s Hall – “This Grand Edifice.”
Waters spoke with many Civil War re-enactors gathered on Main Street in front of Bent’s. The events in Medina on Saturday – the unveiling of stone marker and a surrender ceremony to mark the end of the Civil War – was a celebration of “strength and durability,” said Waters, wearing a top hat.
“First, we salute our nation which rose from the Civil War stronger than ever and with growth in all directions,” he said. “Second, we honor this fine sandstone block provided by Don C. Bent giving early strength and movement for the growth of Medina. It was a landmark structure that led decade-by-decade to an entire commercial district of long-lasting stone and brick buildings. They still remain.”
Chris Busch, ORG chairman, thanks Robert Waters and the Sandstone Society for the marker.
The Orleans Renaissance Group last year completed important stabilization of the front corner of the building. The group needs to have the roof fixed and is working on plans for design and construction estimates for interior renovations at Bent’s Hall.
The Sandstone Society has presented several sandstone markers for historic sites and community efforts in recent years. The society wanted to show its support for ORG and its efforts with Bent’s.
“Thus the public will always know that Bent’s Hall is something special,” Waters said in unveiling the marker.
Chris Busch, chairman of the ORG, said the stone marker and the Bent’s building should remind Medina citizens, now and into the future, of the great sacrifices made by the community – serving in war and building enduring structures.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 26 April 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – This image depicts the original Sacred Heart of Jesus R.C. Church in Medina, located at the corner of Ann Street and High Street.
The children of the parish are seen gathering on the front steps of the church and the appearance of white dresses suggests that it was a First Holy Communion celebration. It appears as though the priest is standing on the porch of the house, which served as his living quarters.
The original parish was established under the pastorate of Ks. Tomasz Gwodz who arrived in 1910, appointed by Bishop Charles Colton on February 1st of that year. Prior to the arrival of a resident priest, the Polish community of Medina was served periodically by Ks. Stanislaw Bubacz who was rector at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Albion. Construction of this wood frame structure began in the spring of 1910 and the first Mass was celebrated on August 7, 1910.
In October of 1910, the church was formally dedicated by Msgr. Nelson Baker, who attended in place of Bishop Colton. Ks. Jan Pitass of Buffalo, the father of Buffalo’s Polish community, celebrated the Mass following the dedication ceremonies. Ks. Wojcik, Ks. Burtkowski, Ks. Bubacz, Ks. Gwodz, Rev. O’Brien, and Rev. Malloy were also present.
The choir from St. Mary’s in Albion sang the Mass and men from the St. Joseph’s and St. Stanislaus Societies were also present for the program. A large delegation of men, accompanied by two bands, escorted the officiating clergy to the church where hundreds of people crammed into the new edifice. Those who could not fit into the church participated in the service from the front lawn of the property.
The earliest members of the congregation, if they were still with us today, would recall the makeshift altar, wooden benches, and the Round Oak stove used to heat the new church. The building was covered in brick shortly after 1925, during which time the church was expanded, a school built for the children, a home purchased for the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, and the rectory enlarged.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 April 2015 at 12:00 am
College completes Civil War commemoration, honoring 150th anniversary of pivotal war
Photos and article by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Union soldiers make a charge on the Confederates during today’s mock battle at the GCC’s Medina campus center on Maple Ridge Road.
The campus has hosted Civil War Encampments the past three years. In 2012, the first encampment was at GCC’s campus in Lima.
Confederates cover their ears and fire one of the cannons during today’s mock battle.
This is the final encampment in the college’s four-year commitment to honor the 150th anniversary of the war. Besides the encampments, GCC has hosted many lectures, exhibits, period concerts and other events to highlight the war and unravel any myths about the “War Between the States.”
In Orleans County, GCC has also sponsored the “Heritage Heroes,” given to local residents committed to preservation projects.
Gary Glaser, left, and Wayne Gerry, both from Southern Ontario in Canada, do a cavalry demonstration today. They also fought with the Union during the mock battle. They were newcomers to the encampment in Medina this year. Glaser said the cavalry were like the “helicopters of the day,” used to run messages and quickly move soldiers.
The Medina community proved a great partner for the Encampment, opening up its downtown for parades and special events, including a surrender ceremony on Saturday. The village blocked off streets and made State Street Park available for a skirmish between the Union and Confederate re-enactors on Saturday.
“It’s been phenomenal,” said Derek Maxfield, a GCC professor and Civil War Encampment coordinator. “The people of Medina have embraced this so much I feel bad that it is ending.”
Several donors from the Medina community have contributed funds along with the college to stage the annual event the past three years.
The rebels are on the move and charge at the Union.
This Confederate soldier grimaces after being fired on in the mock battle by the Union.
Medina village officials and Police Chief Jose Avila have been very accommodating to requests to include the community and bring the re-enactors outside the GCC campus. Maxfield knows there was added work and worry for the village officials, especially for Avila with the mock battle and the sounds of gunfire in the park on Saturday.
“Jose Avila and Mayor Andrew Meier have been very good to us,” Maxfield said. “All we’ve ever had to do is ask. Not all communities rally around history and heritage like in Orleans County. In other places they have let their buildings go. In Orleans County and in Medina there is a will here.”
The battle in the park and the surrender ceremony were moving to onlookers. “It was one of the finest displays of living history come alive I’ve ever seen,” said Chris Busch, chairman of the Orleans Renaissance Group.
He made those remarks on Saturday from a stage on Main Street. He presented Maxfield with an award on behalf of the ORG and Medina community for his efforts in bringing the Civil War Encampment to Medina.
Derek Maxfield, center, holds an award for his efforts to coordinate the Civil War Encampment in Medina the past three years. Chris Busch, left, of the Orleans Renaissance Group and Robert Waters of the Medina Sandstone Society both praised Maxfield for his efforts.
Maxfield and Jim Simon, dean of the GCC Albion and Medina campus centers, would like to see a Heritage Festival in the county next year. They have pitched the idea to some of the local organizations and so far the feedback is good, Maxfield said.
About 100 re-enactors were in town for the Encampment over the weekend. They were grateful for the chance to dig up the campus grounds, building fences and other elements for the battles.
“Here you can do earthworks,” said Scott Lavigne, a re-enactor from Penfield. “You can build a snake rail fence and fill it with sod.”
Lavigne has been pleased to see the Encampment grow in Medina, adding the mounted cavalry this year, the battle in the park, the surrender ceremony and the many exhibitors.
These Confederate soldiers get ready to fire a cannon.
The cannons are loud and leave a trail of fire and smoke.
Albion Middle School technologyteacher Doug Mergler, center with beard, has been a re-enactor with the Confederates for about 20 years. He is a sergeant with the 26th North Carolina Regiment Company G. He said the re-enactors are “trying to get people to remember the nation’s history.” He hopes the onlookers reflect on the sacrifices made by soldiers in all wars.
The Union fires a cannon back at the Confederates.
The Confederates get ready to mount a charge on the Union.
Two rebel soldiers are on the run, trying to pressure the Union. The Confederates won today’s mock battle.
Dan Culver of Shelby (pictured) is in the same Union unit with Scott Lavigne, right. Culver has been a re-enactor for two years when he isn’t teaching forensic science at Hilbert College in Hamburg. The two are taking a break before the mock battle on Saturday afternoon.
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 25 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Civil War re-enactors battled at State Street Park this morning in a loud clash that is part of the Civil War Encampment in Medina.
The top photo shows the advancing Union firing at the Confederate soldiers.
This is the third year the community is hosting the Civil War Encampment. Previously, the re-enactors have had their mock battles at the GCC campus on Maple Ridge Road. Today the fight moved inside the village.
There will be another mock battle on Sunday at 2 p.m. by the GCC campus center. The following photos are in chronological order.
Confederate soldiers load their guns and get ready for battle. They are pictured near the edge of the park along State Street.
Union soldiers wait by the canal bank. The Confederate soldiers are on the other side of the fence.
In the beginning of the battle, the Rebels are on the offensive, pressuring the Union.
Union soldiers get ready to return fire.
Two soldiers on horses emerge from under the canal bridge. The mounted cavalry gives the Union a big advantage in the battle.
The Confederate soldiers stand their ground and fire at the Union.
The Union returns fire and gets ready to advance.
The Confederates reload while under fire.
The Union prepares to charge on the Confederates.
A fallen soldiers is tended to by his Confederate brethren.
The Union is on move, leaving behind a Confederate casualty.
A line of Confederate soldiers gets off some shots against the advancing Union Army.
The Confederacy, pushed to the edge of the park, isn’t giving up.
The cavalry comes up along the edge of the park, putting more pressure on the Confederacy.
These Confederates, including Olin Miller of Albion at left, load their weapons in the waning moments of the battle. Albion teacher Doug Mergler is at back right.
The Rebels are backed up and under pressure from the Union.
Albion teacher Jonathan Sanford, left, and Albion resident Wes Miller contemplate their next move.
The Confederates yield to the Union and the mock battle is over.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 25 April 2015 at 12:00 am
HOLLEY – The Holley community came together on Friday evening to enjoy great food, award-winning wines, farmers market offerings and music all while supporting the children’s summer reading program at the Community Free Library.
About 150 people attended the fourth annual “Raise a Glass for Reading” fundraiser at the library, which included wine from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina and Victorianbourg Wine Estate in Wilson, and mead (honey wine) from 810 Meadworks in Medina.
Attendees enjoy a spread of finger foods and sweets during the annual “Raise a Glass for Reading” event at the Community Free Library.
“If you look around, you see people talking and having a great time,” Library Director Sandra Shaw said. She observed the event is an example of what the library is supposed to be – “the hub of the community.”
Farmers market participants included Kirby’s Farm Market in Brockport and Penna’s Farm Market in Holley. Susi’s Hot Sauce by Susan Johnson and Woodturnings by HNB – Harry Beaver in Kendall also participated.
Live music was provided by Wendy and Sean Williams (and sons) of Sound Foundations in Batavia.
Proceeds from the event support the summer reading program, by helping to provide “… performers, incentives, gifts and materials,” Shaw said and noted the event also supports local farms and vineyards.
Linda Kirby of Kirby’s Farm Market was promoting Kirby’s CSA program and also had baskets of apples, samples of frozen cherries and lush containers of annual flowers from Kirby’s greenhouse.
Linda Kirby of Kirby’s Farm Market talks with attendees at Friday’s event at the library.
“This is so great,” Kirby said of the Raise a Glass event, “We’re opening May 1st and this allows me to get to see a lot of our good customers and get caught up.”
Holley Village Trustee Connie Nenni said this is her third year attending.
“We come with a group of friends, we just love it,” Nenni said, “and it’s for a great cause.”
Additionally, she likes the opportunity to support local wineries, ” … and you also get to see a lot of the community,” she said.
The theme for the 2015 summer reading program is “Every Hero Has A Story” and will explore what defines a hero – from superheroes to everyday heroes.
Those attending the annual Raise a Glass for Reading at the Holley Community Free Library sample wines from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Civil War, after four brutal years of fighting, came to an end today in downtown Medina.
Confederate General Robert E. Lee (re-enactor Thomas Schobert of West Seneca) and Union General Ulysses Grant (Ed Brodbeck of Cheektowaga) shook hands on Main Street in a recreation of the surrender ceremony at the Appomattox Court House in south central Virginia.
The war was over on April 9, 1865. Genesee Community College has organized Civil War Encampments on the 150th anniversary of the war since 2012, with the first encampment at the Lima campus. Medina has hosted the event the past three years. The encampment continues Sunday at the GCC campus on Route 31A. This is the final time the college will be organizing the event.
The following photos are in chronological order and show the re-enactors at first moving from State Street Park and walking on East Center Street to the downtown for the surrender ceremony.
Confederate soldiers, after losing a battle at State Street Park, walk on Route 31 to downtown Medina.
The Union Army makes its way to Main Street, walking past Rotary Park.
Derek Maxfield, Civil War Encampment coordinator for Genesee Community College, also served as narrator for the surrender ceremony. He is standing at a podium by the Bent’s Opera Hall, which was built during the Civil War.
The two sides stand across from each other on Main Street.
Robert E. Lee hands the terms of surrender to General Grant.
Thomas Schobert, the Lee impersonator, has participated in other surrender ceremonies near the 150th anniversary of the war’s ending.
Today was the first time the Grant impersonator, Ed Brodbeck, participated in a surrender ceremony. Brodbeck said it was emotional, and he felt great respect for Lee and the Confederacy.
Grant demanded the Union soldiers not celebrate their victory.
“There was no shouting or taunting,” Brodbeck said.
The onlookers along the street in Medina also observed “a respectful silence,” which Schobert said he appreciated.
Union and Confederate soldiers shake hands after the surrender.
The fighting over, soldiers pause on Main Street in Medina.
The Confederate soldiers walk down main Street to a flag-raising at Rotary Park.
Confederate and Union soldiers join together to raise the American flag at Rotary Park.
These Union soldiers remove their hats during the flag-raising.
A Union soldier salutes the flag.
General Grant (Ed Brodbeck), Abraham Lincoln (David Kreutz of Lancaster) and General Robert E. Lee (Thomas Schobert) watch the events.
After the surrender ceremony, the soldiers head down Main Street to return to the Civil War Encampment at GCC in Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Teams of powerful draft horses, with participants from eight states, are competing today in at 4-H Fairgrounds in the “Pull of Champions.”
This is the second straight year the event has been at the fairgrounds in Knowlesville after the State Fair in Syracuse used to host the competition.
The event draws many out-of-state competitors who are eager to compete after winter.
There are nearly 20 teams competing in either the lightweight division (3,425 pounds or less for two horses), or the heavyweights for teams that exceed 3,425 pounds.
This team from Michigan takes in the action inside one of the livestock barns at the fairgrounds.
The teams need to pull a dynamometer 27 1/2 feet for a full pull. The dynamometer, in the final pulls, can simulate 160,000 pounds.
Brian Ressequie of Cato is announcer for today’s horse pull.
Sydney Root of Bolivar is pictured with a team that is owned by her family.
This will be the second straight year the fairgrounds is hosting the horse pull. After a small crowd last year, organizers were pleased to see about 400 people in the stands today.
This is a closeup of a horse owned by Lori Root and her family in Bolivar. The family has been competing in horse pulls for 35 years.
“Horses are an addiction,” she said. “Once you are around them and like them, you want to compete. Here it’s a friendly competition. Everyone helps each other.”
This team from Michigan waits its turn to pull.
First prize today for each division is $750.
In addition to New York, teams in the competition are from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Florida and Ohio.
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.
Contributed Story Posted 24 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Provided Photos
MEDINA – The village celebrated Arbor Day today by planting a tree on West Avenue in front of the Medina Historical Society.
In the top photo, Medina Mayor Andrew Meier addresses a group of elementary school students by the Historical Society. Meier is standing on a carriage step while reading the Arbor Day proclamation.
This year more than 60 trees will be planted in Medina. The village has been designated a Tree City USA and has been a Tree City Growth Award recipient from the National Arbor Day Foundation.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, left, joins Mayor Andrew Meier, center, and Michael Kracker from Congressman Chris Collins’s office in tossing some dirt on the newly planted tree.
The new trees in Medina are planned for areas of Park Avenue with additional plantings on West Center Street, West Avenue, Gwinn Street, Elizabeth Street and Mead Avenue.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A fire that started in the back porch of a house in the village was put out by Albion firefighters before it spread into the kitchen and the rest of the house.
Tim Seibert was just returning home a little after 3 this afternoon when he and his wife noticed the smoke and fire from the back of the house at 613 East State St.
Tim Seibert is at the back of house just before firefighters arrived at about 3:20 p.m. today.
Seibert suspects the propane tanks and grill were the cause of the fire. He emptied his driveway of vehicles and his wife and young son left the house while firefighters put out the fire.
Firefighters hurry to the scene to put out the fire.
Firefighters direct water on the fire while Frank Sidari, a friend of the Seibert family, watches.
Brad Driesel, a firefighter from Barre, removes some of the siding so firefighters can check for any hot spots.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 April 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – An expansion project at H.H. Dobbins in Lyndonville, adding a new 26,240-square-foot controlled atmosphere storage building, was approved by the Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday night.
The site plan for the project on Millers Road now goes to the Town of Yates Planning Board for a final review.
The County Planning Board looked at the application last month and deemed it incomplete because the board didn’t believe Dobbins had addressed the need for a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. That is needed when an acre or more is disturbed with a project.
The application last month showed 3 acres would be disturbed, but Dobbins has revised its plan to show it would disturb 0.86 acre of land, which is below the 1-acre threshold required for the stormwater plan.
Planning Board members said the new building fits in on a rural road with agricultural land, woodlots, a general store and a replacement window business.
Dobbins plans to start work soon on the $5 million project and wants to have it ready for the fall harvest.
In other action, the Planning Board:
Recommended the Town of Shelby approve the site plan and special use permit for Shelby Crushed Stone to operate a building material reclamation operation.
The company wants to run the enterprise using 3.5 acres on the northwest corner of its 109-acre quarry site at 10830 Blair Rd. Materials may include concrete, asphalt, stone, brick and soil. Shelby Crush Stone estimates it will process about 5,000 yards of uncontaminated material each year.
Recommended the Town of Murray approve a special use permit for a home occupation at 17067 Brockport-Holley Rd.
Robert Benedict plans to run a part-time barber shop in his garage on Route 31. He won’t be putting on an addition. He has four parking spots at the location.
