By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The front doors at Christ Episcopal Church in Albion were closed on Sunday when the church cancelled its service due to the extreme cold.
Today brings a record-breaking freeze. The minus 10 degrees overnight outside the Buffalo Niagara International Airport broke a record of minus 8 set in 1904, The Buffalo News reported.
In Orleans County, it was minus 5 in Albion at 7:30 a.m. The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill warning until 10 a.m. today. The wind chill could feel as harsh as minus 25 degrees.
The temperature should reach 7 today, before falling to minus 2 for the overnight low, the Weather Service said. Tuesday it should “warm up” to a high of 17.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 February 2015 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Pack 62 in Holley gathered at the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Firehall last March for the annual Pinewood Derby. Adults, girls and non-Scouts are welcome to participate in this year’s derby on March 7.
HULBERTON – Leaders of the Cub Scout program in Holley are opening up a beloved tradition, the Pinewood Derby, to non-Scouts, girls and adults.
The annual Pinewood Derby will be on Saturday, March 7, at the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Firehall at 3353 Hulberton Rd. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and there is a $5 fee for non-Scouts.
The Scouting Pack opened the event to non-Scouts for the first time a year ago and had about 15 non-Scouts participate, who were mostly siblings of Scouts. Pack leaders are making a bigger effort to spread the word and invite the community to race in this year’s Pinewood Derby.
“It’s more fun for the boys to race if there are more cars in the race,” said Erika Thorn, committee chairwoman for Cub Scout Pack 62.
She hopes others in the community will see how enjoyable Scouting is, and how it is great bonding for families and friends.
“We want to show the fun part of Scouting,” Thorn said.
Adults are also welcome to build their own cars and compete in the event.
“Some of our Cub Scout dads really enjoy the competition,” Thorn said.
Scouts in Clarendon also will be participating in the Derby with the Holley Scouting program.
Pinewood Derby Car kits can be purchased at Iroquois Trail Council in Batavia and many hardware and home improvement stores. All cars must pass inspection to qualify for the race, and all cars need to follow the Derby rules (click here).
For more information, contact Thorn at (585) 406-0977 or by email at ekemp07@msn.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 February 2015 at 12:00 am
With no travel advisory, some dedicated faithful attend Mass, church services
Photos by Tom Rivers
This couple walks along the sidewalk on West Park Street after attending Mass at Holy Family Parish in Albion this morning.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is one of seven historic churches at the Courthouse Square in Albion. Only two of the churches, St. Joseph’s and Pullman Memorial Universalist Church, are open today.
The front steps at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church were shoveled this morning for Mass.
The Catholic church normally has about 120 people attend Sunday morning Mass. There were 48 people in the pews this morning for the 8 a.m. service.
“Forty-eight people came out,” said Father Richard Csizmar, pastor of the parish. “That really is something.”
There were another 105 people who attended Mass on Saturday evening.
Csizmar said there is typically one Sunday a winter where the weather is so treacherous that few people make it to church. Today was unusual because Bishop Richard J. Malone told Catholics in Western New York they were excused from their church obligation due to the brutal cold.
The doors at the First Baptist Church in Albion have been bombarded with snow.
Csizmar was impressed with the turnout this morning, but he didn’t want parishioners to put themselves in danger by coming.
“You hope people will use good judgment,” he said.
Csizmar lives next door to the church. He said priests in other parishes have to drive many miles, sometimes leading Mass at two or more churches.
Helen and Ed Wilkins were among the 48 at Mass this morning. It was minus 4 degrees when they drove into Albion just before 8.
“We just like being here on Sundays,” Mrs. Wilkins said. “It was sparse but we did our duty. You need your faith.”
Pullman Memorial Universalist Church resembles an igloo this morning with all the snow and ice.
Pullman Memorial leaders watched the news to see if there was a travel advisory in Orleans County. There wasn’t, so Pastor Lee Richards and Board President Gaye Smith decided church would go on at 11 a.m.
Richards drove to Albion from Rochester and Smith travelled from Kendall. They said the roads weren’t too bad, but the temperature is very cold.
Smith was determined to get to Albion for a church board meeting that started at 9. There was a quorum of board members as the church plans a wine-tasting on March 21, mulls a roof repair project, reviews grants and works on other church business.
“We have a lot going on,” Smith said.
Richards said he would be reluctant to ever cancel a church service. If there was a travel advisory, the church may have closed for today.
“Church is important,” he said. “There’s no two ways about it. People need an opportunity to connect.”
Today is forecast for a high of minus 2 degrees. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning until 6 p.m. for Orleans and several other WNY counties. Wind chills could fall to minus 30 today.
A motorist drives south on Main Street in Albion this morning. Traffic is very light with the area gripped in a deep freeze.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
This photo was taken this morning of the Courthouse Square sign on the County Clerks Building in Albion. It was minus 4 out at about 9:30 a.m.
The cold isn’t over. After temperatures fell below 0 for most of today, Monday’s temperature is forecast to reach a high of 5 degrees, following overnight lows of minus 10.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook until 10 a.m. on Monday due to a wind chill that could fall to minus 30 degrees. That statement applies to Orleans and several other counties in western and central New York.
The Weather Service warns that “dangerous cold and potentially life-threatening wind chills through Monday morning could lead to frostbite and hypothermia if you are not dressed properly.”
This photo shows an American flag with the Orleans County Courthouse and County Clerks Building in the background. This photo was taken around 9:30 a.m. today from the steps at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Brian Bellan and wife Kim welcomed a large family
Photo by JC Photography (Jesse Colmenero) – The Bellan family is pictured last fall at Mount Albion Cemetery. The group includes, front row, from left: EmmaLee and Karina; Second row: MiKayla, Richie, Da’Ron, Austin and Elizabeth; Back row: Briana, Porter, William, Kyson, Bryce, Kim and Brian.
MEDINA – The community is mourning the death of Brian Bellan, a man who opened his heart and home to 12 children, including eight who were adopted.
Mr. Bellan was a civil engineer with state Department of Transportation. He and his wife Kim celebrated their 20th anniversary on Dec. 17.
He and his wife and nine of their children were having their final planning meeting on Monday for a mission trip to the Dominican Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Bellan were leading 21 people from Yates Baptist Church on the trip that was planned for most of this upcoming week.
Mr. Bellan felt sick during that meeting on Monday and was admitted early Tuesday morning at Medina Memorial Hospital. He was diagnosed with pancreatitis and seemed to be on the mend. But Mr. Bellan died on Wednesday morning from a massive heart attack, his wife said.
About 300 people attended his funeral on Saturday at Hartland Bible Church in Gasport, where the family attended before going to Yates Baptist about three years ago.
Several of Bellan’s children spoke at his funeral. The Bellan family is sharing those eulogies.
“My dad was the best. He loved and cared about everyone. Mainly he loved my mom. My dad loved us 12 kids. I was going to have a loving, caring dad who cared about me. My dad and I had a great father and daughter relationship.”- Daughter Karina, 15
Mr. Bellan, 51, moved around a lot as a kid. His father was in the Air Force. After graduating from high school in Ohio, Bellan went on to earn a civil engineering degree from Ohio State University. He was hired by the New York Department of Transportation in 1992, working out of Buffalo.
He didn’t know anyone locally at the time. He was attending a Wednesday night group for single young adults at The Chapel at Crosspoint in the Buffalo area. The group played volleyball and then had a Bible study.
Kim Brigham, a Medina native, attended the group. She was impressed by Bellan.
“The number one thing with him is he wasn’t just looking for a spouse like a lot of the other men there,” she said. “Brian was looking for friends. He gave Godly answers.”
Kim and Brian started dating and the first date lasted 12 hours. Bellan asked her a favorite childhood memory. She said flying kites on Salt Works Road, where she grew up. That first date the couple made a kite together and then flew it at Delaware Park in Buffalo.
The One I Called Dad
The one brought me from disaster to a safe place.
The one who called me his.
The one who truly I will dearly miss.
The one who taught me about God’s merciful grace,
To never stray, but to live your life for God each day.
The one who saw me through
My dad left a true hero, left a legacy behind Son William, 16
Kim and Brian married and had their first child, Briana, 17 years ago. Twin sons, Kyson and Porter, were born 14 years ago and another daughter, EmmaLee followed 12 years ago.
Kim always wanted a big family. But she had high-risk pregnancies, which included a miscarriage, Briana’s twin sister.
At a Bible camp with her children, Kim met a 16-year-old who was a youth counselor for the children. The counselor had recently been adopted as a teen and was very thankful to finally be welcomed into a home.
Kim was thinking about adoption, but was geared towards adopting younger children, not teens. She prayed about it, and felt drawn to older kids in the foster care system.
She talked to her husband. He was worried about providing for a bigger family. But he, too, prayed about it. They both arrived at a peace, feeling drawn to reaching out to older children in foster care with a goal of adopting.
Kim and Brian Bellan are pictured in the fall 2013.
They reflected on the Bible verse from James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
The Bellans saw that verse as a commandment, not a request, to look after children without a permanent home.
Mr. Bellan believed the family’s needs would be taken care of, through God’s providence and some thriftiness on behalf of the family, his wife said.
Mr. Bellan was an expert handyman. He turned a garage at their home into a living room. He fixed many of their old vehicles, getting 200,000 miles or more out of them.
He repurposed furniture and seemed to find uses for all kids of things. He shared those talents with others in the community, helping single moms with home repair projects, his wife said.
He didn’t watch football or cable television. He wore the soles out of his shoes, and he always came home from work with lots of energy for his children.
“He did without everything that most earthly men would want so that I could be a stay-at-home mom,” his wife said. “He selflessly gave to others.”
Silent Strong Dad
He never looks for praises
He’s never one to boast
He just goes on quietly working
For those he loves the most
His dreams are seldom spoken
His wants are very few
And most of the time his worries will go unspoken too
He’s there a firm foundation
Through all of our storms of life
A sturdy hand to hold to
In times of stress and strife
A true friend we can turn to
When times are good or bad
One of our greatest blessings,
The man we call DAD! Son Porter, 14
The Bellans have adopted children who came from abusive homes. They adopted three brothers so they could stay together and not be split up.
Mr. Bellan was a calm and steadying force as the children were welcomed into their new family.
“Brian was so laid back,” his wife said. “He could handle it. I told him with every kid we added he became a better daddy.”
The couple not only welcomed children into their home, they were youth leaders at Yates Baptist. They took children and adults on mission trips to Romania and the Dominican Republic. Mr. Bellan led a construction project at an orphanage in Romania and the family was part of bringing food and a Vacation Bible School-type program to poor children in the Dominican.
The Bellans wanted to become full-time missionaries to the Dominican in about five years.
The couple was popular as leaders for the youth at Yates Baptist, said the church pastor, Lyle Drake.
“He certainly was a good role model and example as a family man and youth worker,” Drake said. “The kids here all looked up to him.”
Mr. Bellan won over the teens with sincerity, Drake said.
“The sense of gentleness and humbleness went a long way,” Drake said. “He had a heart for people.”
“Something that wasn’t in my father’s obituary that I want you to take away from today is my father’s heart for God and for his family, and that he was a kind, loving man with a huge heart – so full of love that it burst.” Daughter Briana, 17
Drake said Bellan was respected by the church and looked up to as an example as a father and husband.
“He showed that a man can have a really big heart, and that loving leaders have a sense of firmness and gentleness,” Drake said. “Brian possessed a firm trust in God. He not only walked the walk, but talked the talk.”
Mrs. Bellan has been flooded with testimonials about her husband’s goodness, including from his co-workers at the DOT.
“He loved numbers,” she said. “I can’t do math homework. That was his specialty.”
The Bellans have been active members of the Medina school community. Many of the their children are in the marching band, drama program, and compete on the swimming, soccer, track and cross country teams.
The Bellan family is pictured on Jan. 17, 2010.
The Bellans were preparing to go for the second time to the Dominican Republic. The flight on Saturday was cancelled because of the weather. Mrs. Bellan and nine of her children will go on the trip, leaving on Tuesday for almost a week of ministry.
When her husband was sick in the hospital, he told his wife not to cancel the trip for the family and other church members.
“That was his heart’s desire,” Mrs. Bellan said, “to be in the mission field. Our mission field is here in our home.”
Mrs. Bellan said it will be difficult raising the children without her husband. She said his love and guidance gave their children, especially the adopted kids, a new direction in life.
“He wanted to break that cycle of dysfunction,” she said.
Her husband didn’t have any regrets about welcoming so many children into the family, his wife said.
“This has been our life’s dream,” she said. “These kids all got a daddy. He rescued them with the love of a heavenly father.”
“I know my dad was a man of great integrity. I believe that he finished the race strong no matter the obstacles that had come his way. So since he lived for Christ, his death was a gain. So don’t be sad that he is gone, rather rejoice because he is in a far off better place.” Son Bryce, 17
A Go Fund Me fund-raising account has been established to assist the Bellan family. Click here for more information.
The following churches are closed on Sunday due to the severe weather forecast for Sunday morning:
Albion Free Methodist Church
Albion United Methodist Church
Barre Center Presbyterian Church
Carlton United Methodist Church
Christ Episcopal Church in Albion
Eagle Harbor United Methodist Church
First Baptist Church in Albion
First Presbyterian Church of Albion
Gaines Carlton Community Church
Light of Victory Church in Albion
Lyndonville United Methodist Church
Medina United Methodist Church
Next Steps Ministry in Albion
Oak Orchard Assembly of God in Medina
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Medina
United Methodist Church of the Abundant Harvest in Knowlesville and Millville
In addition, Catholics in Western New York are urged to exercise caution when it comes to attending Mass on Sunday.
“People need to use their best judgment when it comes to venturing out into subzero temperatures, brutal wind chills and heavy snow,” Bishop Richard J. Malone said. “For those reasons, Catholics will not be held to the Sunday Mass obligation. It is also important that we comply with local travel restrictions and advisories that may be in place.”
Any churches that will be closed on Sunday are welcome to send notice to Orleans Hub by text or phone at (585) 590-2870 or by email at tom@orleanshub.com. Include a contact number for verification purposes.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Steve Anderson, a Lyndonville student, excelled on Medina’s boys soccer team this past year. He was named a Niagara-Orleans all star and helped the team capture the league title.
(Editor’s Note: The Lyndonville school district issued this statement following Monday’s vote by the Board of Education to extend an agreement for two more years where Lyndonville students play on Medina’s soccer team.)
Press Release, Lyndonville Central School
LYNDONVILLE – At its Feb. 9 meeting, the Lyndonville Board of Education approved a two-year agreement to continue the boys soccer merger with Medina.
“There is a strong tradition and history of Lyndonville soccer,” said Lyndonville Superintendent Jason Smith. “The challenge to honor the Lyndonville soccer tradition while being aware of the projected enrollment numbers and student opportunities was not taken lightly.”
Smith and Lyndonville board members had conversations with current student-athletes and parents regarding the merger and the future of the Medina-Lyndonville Mustangs. The district and the board also communicated with Medina administrators and coaches.
“Lyndonville monitors and adjusts shared services on a continuous basis,” said Lyndonville Board of Education President Ted Lewis. “Time was taken by many individuals to evaluate this specific merger and it was found that the merger provides the best opportunities for current LCSD students and those in the future.”
The Medina-Lyndonville Mustangs have worked hard over the past three years and the program has flourished. The transition has been successful and has led to a 2013 sectional title and a 2014 league title with a sectional semi-final appearance.
Lyndonville student-athlete Steven Anderson received individual accolades this year as part of the merged team. Anderson was named to the 2014 First Team All Western New York after a successful senior season.
Enrollment numbers are a concern when looking at a Lyndonville varsity team. There is an average of 20.5 boys per grade level in grades pre-K through 8. Estimates for the next three soccer seasons show that by the 2017 season, the varsity team would have approximately 14 student-athletes, assuming all interested students play soccer in lieu of football or cross country. These numbers would not be indicative of sustaining a successful and competitive team.
Lyndonville aims to continue hosting non-league soccer matches on its campus with the Medina-Lyndonville Mustangs donning the orange and black of the district.
Lyndonville intends to keep its modified and junior varsity boys soccer teams as it has over the past three years during the initial two agreements. Prior to the merger, Lyndonville went multiple years without a junior varsity team due to a limited number of interested students. The JV team has since grown, allowing Lyndonville student-athletes to hone their skills and prepare for participation at the most competitive level.
If Lyndonville were to end the merger with Medina, the district runs a risk of not having a sustainable soccer program in the future if Medina or another district were to not be interested in a future merger.
Soccer is not the only activity that Lyndonville merges with Medina. Lyndonville student-athletes currently participate with Medina student-athletes on shared football, boys soccer, cross country and track and field teams. Lyndonville and Medina students also come together on the stage for a combined musical each year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The cross at the Oak Orchard Assembly of God on Ridge Road in Medina stands tall by the church. This photo was taken on Thursday.
At least two churches in Orleans County have cancelled Sunday morning services due to the deep cold expected on Sunday.
Temperatures are forecast to be below 0 with wind chills at minus 35 degrees. That has prompted the First Baptist Church in Albion and Barre Center Presbyterian Church to cancel services on Sunday.
Aleka Schmidt, pastor at the First Baptist Church, said on Facebook that church will be closed on Sunday “due to unsafe weather conditions.”
The Barre Center church said “severe weather” prompted church leaders to cancel the service and postpone a Valentine’s brunch.
Catholics in Western New York are urged to exercise caution when it comes to attending Mass on Sunday.
“The safety and well-being of everyone is paramount,” Bishop Richard J. Malone said. “People need to use their best judgment when it comes to venturing out into subzero temperatures, brutal wind chills and heavy snow. For those reasons, Catholics will not be held to the Sunday Mass obligation. It is also important that we comply with local travel restrictions and advisories that may be in place.”
Any churches that will be closed on Sunday are welcome to send notice to Orleans Hub by text or phone at (585) 590-2870 or by email at tom@orleanshub.com. Include a contact number for verification purposes.
The cross stands out in the white snow by Oak Orchard Assembly of God in Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Assemblyman Steve Hawley
The New York Daily News has called State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, an “Enemy of Reform.” Hawley is among a small minority of state legislators, 16 out of the 213 in Albany, who earn $100,000 annually or more in outside income, on top of the $79,500 in base salary as a state legislator.
The Daily News say those legislators are not reporting the sources of that outside income.
“It is long past time for the 197 members of the Assembly and Senate who do not make more than $100,000 in outside income to tell the 16 Enemies of Reform to go to hell,” according to a Daily News editorial on Feb. 9. (Click here to see “Enemies of Reform in the State Legislature.”)
Most of the 16 legislator with outside income at $100,000 or more are attorneys, including Michael Ranzenhofer, whose district includes Genesee County, and pieces of Erie and Monroe counties.
Hawley owns an insurance company in Batavia. He said he was one of only two legislators subpoenaed as part of the Moreland Commission on public corruption to provide a full list of clients and his source of outside income. He was found by the commission to not be using his public office for personal gain.
“I have and always will be an unwavering proponent of stringent ethics reform,” Hawley said in a statement. “I sponsor legislation that would strip corrupt politicians of their pensions and retirement benefits. I also support the Public Officers Accountability Act, which would institute term limits for legislative leaders, restrict the use of campaign money, and ban corrupt officials from running for future office.
“I am an honest representative of the people of New York and work 80 hours a week between growing and operating my small business and representing my district in Albany. The chance to give back to my constituents and represent the families and businesses of Western New York is a distinct honor and means more to me than any monetary compensation I receive.
“I grew up working on our family farm and have grown my insurance business over the years from one employee to eight, while paying off the previous owner over a 10-year period. Additionally, I was one of only two officials to comply with the Moreland Commission’s investigations into outside income, and my office was found to have no financial, ethical or other conflicts of interest or infractions in December of 2013. Furthermore, I would comply with any other income disclosure requirements that may become law as part of this year’s budget.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – These icicles hang off the St. Paul’s Baptist Church on Ingersoll Street in Albion with the Ingersoll lift bridge in the back, just south of the church. This photo was taken this morning at about 9:30.
The deep freeze is nearly upon us. Temperatures are forecast to reach a high of -3 degrees on Sunday and a low of -6, followed by Monday with a high of 5 degrees and a low of 2.
The Weather Service warns of life threatening wind chills that could fall to -35.
With temperatures plunging, the American Red Cross has issued 10 tips for battling the cold.
1. Wear layers of clothing to stay warm, along with a hat, mittens and waterproof, insulated boots.
2. Avoid frozen pipes – run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent them from freezing.
3. Watch for hypothermia and frostbite. Hypothermia symptoms include confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Frostbite symptoms include numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, or waxy feeling skin.
4. Don’t forget your pets – bring them indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
5. Check on your neighbors, especially elderly people living alone, people with disabilities and children.
6. Never use a generator indoors, even in a garage, carport, basement or crawlspace. Fumes from the generator can be deadly.
7. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home. If using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep children and anything flammable at least three feet away.
8. Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed. If using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
9. If your car breaks down, do not try to walk to safety. Tie a bright cloth to the antenna. Start the car and use the heater for about 10 minutes every hour, making sure the exhaust pipe is clear. Keep one window away from the wind slightly open.
10. Download the American Red Cross First Aid App for quick, expert advice on what to do in case of an emergency. This free app is available in your app store.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A team from the Albion Free Methodist Church left this morning for a week-long mission trip to Peru.
The group includes, front row, from left: Caleb Pettit, Ashlyn LeBaron, Elliott Neidert, Vivian Rivers, Savannah Allen and Olivia Neidert.
Back row: Andrew Moore, Paul Pettit, Mike Neidert, Sara Moore, Pam Allen, Pastor Randy LeBaron and Zack Moore.
The group is headed to Toronto for a flight to Lima, Peru. The capital city of Peru has about 9 million people and is nearly 4,000 miles from Albion. The team from the Albion church will work with local Christians in drama and street ministries.
Sara Moore of Albion is going with her sons Andrew, 15, and Zack, 13. The 8-hour flight will be the first time flying for her sons.
“I wanted to expose the boys to a different culture,” Mrs. Moore said this morning. “They will see people from another country and see that we have more in common with them than is different.”
Pam Allen is going on her first mission trip. She is going with her daughter, Savannah, 17.
“I wanted to put my faith into action,” Allen said. “It will be fun. I’m looking forward to seeing what God has planned for us and learning about myself.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Quick questions
KeyBank branch manager retiring today
Photos by Tom Rivers – Mary Zelazny, fourth from left, is pictured with KeyBank staff in Medina on Thursday. The group includes, from left: Bob Rice, Evie Osborne, Sharlene Pratt, Mary Zelazny, Jacky Organisciak and Tina Sheeler. Two other employees, Laurie Newton and Kathy Kepner, were working at the drive-through on Maple Ridge Road.
MEDINA – Mary Zelazny was 18 and working at Jubilee when she was approached to work at Marine Midland Bank in Medina as a teller. That was 37 years ago. Zelazny also typed loan documents early in her banking career.
She worked her way up through the ranks and became branch manager about a decade ago. Marine Midland would become HSBC Bank and about two years ago KeyBank bought the HSBC sites in Medina at 514 Main St. and also a drive-through on Maple Ridge Road.
Today is Zelazny’s last day at the bank. She is retiring. She will still be a Main Street presence. She will join her husband, Michael Zelazny, across the street at his accounting business. The Zelaznys have two grown children: Jacob works with Michael at the Walter Zelazny and Sons farm and Nicole is the marketing manager for Smokin Joes in Niagara Falls.
The following interview was conducted on Thursday at Zelazny’s office at the bank.
Q: You started as teller and typed loan documents, and then what happened in your banking career?
A: I worked my way up. I didn’t like staying in one spot. I liked learning. I wanted to help the customers. If we were slow at one time and we were idle I would ask if there was something I could do and that’s how I learned.
Q: You’ve been in this building the whole time?
A: I have been here the whole time which is kind of unusual for banking. I raised here. I’ve been here my whole life and I’ve been here my whole career.
Mary Zelazny is pictured outside KeyBank’s historic site on Main Street, a site that was originally Central Bank of Medina.
Q: Were you thinking 37-year career in banking when you started?
A: Absolutely not. I had just turned 18, just graduated and I was working at Jubilee. Ken Sylvester came in and asked if I would be interested in putting my name in. I thought, “Maybe.” I didn’t really pursue it but he came in and asked me again. I thought I’d try it. I put my name in and got hired and I’ve been here ever since.
Ken used to go to the little grocery stores and that’s where he hired a lot of his people because they had cashier’s experience and customer service.
Q: What have you liked about this for 37 years?
A: My customers. I have to say I’ve made some great friends, great relationships along the way. I’ve been on all kinds of journeys of their lives, from going to school, graduating, going to college, getting engaged, getting married, buying a house, having children, going through everything in their lives. That’s been very exciting for me and now the next generation has come up.
It’s just knowing your customers, and not just waiting on them. It’s getting to know your people, building that relationship is what it is about. That’s where you get the trust from the people.
At this bank we’ve always been very family oriented. I don’t just treat them as a customer. I treat them as a family member because that is how I would want to be treated.
Q: It seems like there has been a lot of new technology in banking.
A: When I first started we had what you call scratch pads. You didn’t have adding machines and all that. It was a little scratch pad and you would write the customer’s name on and if they had a check and they were going to make a payment, you would write that down. You would actually do the adding and subtracting right in front of them.
The difference between then and now, you put the information in a computer and it tells you if you owe them money or if they owe you money. It tells you everything now. It was more manual back then.
Some of the other things that are different are your mobile banking today. You can take a picture of the check you are going to deposit, the front and back of it, and it’s automatically into your checking account.
Q: Do you mean take a picture with your phone?
A: With your iPhone. You have to sign up for the mobile banking. You just take a picture. Say you’re out of town and you can’t get to the bank. You just take a picture of it and it credits to your account immediately. That has become quite popular. It’s more for the younger customers.
ATMs, who would have thought years ago that you would drive up to a building and put a card in? You’re going to a wall and money comes out. Who would have thought that? ATMs are huge now.
Your on-line banking, internet banking, bill pay, transferring between accounts. When I first started here that had what they called a microfiche and it was like a screen. Everyday you would put in a fiche, and it would come up on a screen and give you the customer’s account number and the activity they did for the day.
Now you just put their name or account number in and it all comes up on a computer.
Bob Rice, the relationship manager at KeyBank in Medina, has an old piggy bank given out by the Central Bank of Medina, which used to operate out of the site at 514 Main Street. The piggy bank belonged to Rice’s father, Leonard. Technology in banking has evolved in a big way since Leonard Rice was a boy. (KeyBank still gives out piggy banks for kids.)
Q: With all the new technology, it seems like there would be fewer customers who actually come inside a bank these days.
A: There is a lot less traffic now, any bank will tell you that because they are using on-line banking and the ATMs, especially your younger generation.
Q: What do you see the roles being for the branches in the future, and the employees here?
A: They’re going to be here for a while. I’m sure as time marches on there will be changes. I still think you need that personal touch. If you got a problem, you have someone you can come in and see or call.
Banking is a lot different now. When a customer comes in, we look at the entire relationship. It’s not just a checking account. We look at the whole package. We talk to you about insurance, we talk to you about mortgages, refinancing. We’re trying to help you out and save you money.
It used to be you can in for a checking account and that’s all you got. Now we talk to you about your whole entire package: retirement, investing, everything.
Q: What are you doing for your husband’s accounting business after you retire from here?
A: I’m going to be smiling, filing and answering phones.
Q: It’s great that you’ve been able to stay and work here your entire career in the same building given all the changes in the banking industry.
A: I’m very happy I was able to do that.
Q: Do you sense a resurgence in Medina?
A: I think you can see in Medina, at least on Main Street with some of the new shops, you can feel that people are excited again. You have younger people coming in. I like the old in Medina with all of the history and believe it or not I think the younger people do, too. There are not many empty offices or buildings. There is some excitement. I think you will see more.
When KeyBank took off the HSBC sign about two years ago, the original bank sign was underneath.
Q: Wasn’t there something about the sign on the bank, a discovery of some sorts when KeyBank bought the building?
A: When they took off the HSBC logos, one of the engineers got excited to see the original Central Trust sign behind. We wanted to keep it. Key is very much into the community and the history, so we kept it and the people have been very happy about it.
Q: Any other comments?
A: I just want to say thank you, thank you to my staff and my customers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Russ Martino, chairman of the Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation, speaks during this morning’s meeting to dissolve the corporation. Martino is pictured with the other two directors, Richard DeCarlo Sr., left, and Richard Moy.
ALBION – An organization that formed about two years ago to sell the Orleans County-owned nursing home voted to dissolve today.
The Orleans County Legislature formed the Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation on March 7, 2013. The entity was tasked with selling the 120-bed Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Facility.
The Legislature transferred the nursing home to Health Facilities Corporation, which then sold it for $7.8 million to Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC. That entity became the owner on Jan. 1.
The county intends to use the sale proceeds to pay off the debt from a $10 million renovation and expansion of the nursing home in 2007. About $7 million remains in that debt. Paying it off will spare the county about $900,000 in annual debt service payments, Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, said today.
County officials will discuss how to use the remaining funds from the sale. It may go to replenishing the county’s fund balance, which Nesbitt said has taken a hit with sales tax revenues off about $360,000 from budget in 2013, the expense with a recent murder trial, and some less-than-expected state reimbursements.
Russ Martino, a former Yates town supervisor and retired Lyndonville principal, served as the LDC’s chairman. He is pleased with the sale price and the transition to the new owner.
“It has really work out smooth,” he said. “Everything I’ve heard has been positive.”
He is pleased to see most of the employees have been retained and Comprehensive Healthcare Management has recognized seniority of the county employees, and hasn’t made the workers start all over based on work experience. Albion Central School also is continuing to operate an alternative high school program at the nursing home, where students do internships with nursing home staff.
Martino served on the LDC board with Clarendon Town Supervisor Richard Moy, and Richard DeCarlo, the former Gaines town supervisor.
Martino said the group didn’t face the ire of the public as it worked on selling the nursing home.
“We didn’t get beat up,” Martino said.
For much of 2012 and ’13, many residents protested the sale of the nursing home. Many residents and nursing home employees picketed on Main Street during County Legislature meetings.
Legislature Chairman David Callard attended the meeting today to dissolve the LDC. He thanked the three-man volunteer board for overseeing the nursing home sale.
“You did a very professional job,” Callard said.
Nesbitt served as president and CEO of the LDC. He said the county continues to assist the new owners with minor transition issues at the nursing home.
“We’re helping them to understand the various nuances of the facilities,” Nesbitt said. “Things are going pretty well overall.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – This fire hydrant at the corner of East State and Platt streets in Albion is among the many that could use some shoveling to make it more accessible in case it was needed by firefighters.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office would like to caution residents and snow plow contractors that it is against the law to plow snow into public streets or roadways.
Section 1219 of the New York State Vehicle & Traffic Law specifically prohibits placing glass or other injurious substances on streets or roadways. Subdivision (a) of that same section includes SNOW as an “injurious substance.”
If you are pushing snow out of a driveway and across the public street or roadway – Subdivision (b) of that same section requires you to remove ALL the snow from the street or roadway IMMEDIATELY.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with all local fire departments, would like to encourage all residents to adopt a fire hydrant. Each time you’re removing snow from your driveway and/or sidewalk, take a few moments to also clear the snow away from the nearest fire hydrant.
When fire strikes, time is precious! By shoveling out that hydrant, you provide a valuable and necessary service to your fire department, your community, your neighborhood and yourself.
