Photo by Tom Rivers – Medina City Hall is decorated for the holidays. This picture was taken on Dec. 27.
Orleans County will bring in the new year with some snow. The National Weather Service has issued a Lake Effect Snow Advisory until 10 a.m. Thursday.
The Weather Service says 3 to 6 inches of snow could fall, mainly in southern Orleans County and in Monroe County, southwest of Rochester.
Winds are also forecast at 15 to 20 miles per hour, which combined with snow could limit visibility to less than a half mile at times, the Weather Service said.
There may be difficult travel conditions tonight. “Conditions will vary greatly in and out of lake effect snow bands which are developing off Lake Erie,” the Weather Service said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Dissolution in Medina proves contentious topic
New chain stores and other businesses came into Orleans County in 2014, while one manufacturer made a big investment in Medina and another closed its doors.
The Point Breeze community saw a long-time golf course turned into corn fields, while two marina operators, with years of experience, sold to a new operator.
A Carlton man was convicted in a brutal murder of his girlfriend, and the community endured the tragic death of a Medina native, a paratrooper in the Army, in a training accident.
George Maziarz, Orleans County’s representative in State Senate, made a sudden announcement in July that he wouldn’t be seeking re-election. That triggered a scramble for his successor with Ron Ortt, the North Tonawanda mayor, winning the seat.
The most enduring story, the one that dominated headlines all year, was the issue of dissolution. Medina village officials and residents studied the issue for several months. Dissolution will go to a vote on Jan. 20.
Here are Orleans Hub’s picks for the top 10 stories for 2014 in Orleans County:
1. Medina dissolution stirs hope and discord
Photos by Tom Rivers – Neil Sambovski of Ridgeway, an outside-village resident, on May 7 speaks against dissolution of the village because it would drive up taxes for residents in the town.
To lower taxes in the village and raise falling assessments, Medina Mayor Andrew Meier sees dissolution of the village government as the best option. That was also the conclusion of a committee of local residents and a consultant.
“Unless we unify and fix our tax problem once and for all we will miss the boat,” Meier said on April 10 when a Dissolution Committee presented its plan for dissolving the village government. “This is our one bite at the apple, at meaningful reform perhaps in our entire generation.’
But dissolution has been bitterly fought in 2014 by town officials in Shelby and Ridgeway, many village employees and some Medina residents. The two towns put out mailers, hired consultants and established a web site to attack the dissolution plan.
They say dissolution provides too little in savings and too much in unknowns.
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier sees a dissolution of the village and the consolidation of the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway as the best chance to significantly reduce the community’s taxes, which are currently the highest in the Finger Lakes region. He was joined at the press conference on April 10 by Don Colquhoun, chairman of the Medina Dissolution Committee (center), and Nathan Pace, chairman of One Medina.
About 300 people attended a public meeting on May 7 at Wise Middle School, and impassioned groups attended Dissolution Committee meetings and Village Board sessions.
“They’re diverting the tax from people in the village to people outside the village,” Hannah Brant, a village resident with property in the two towns, said during the May 7 public forum. “It’s driving a lot of fear into the community.”
A citizens’ petition finally forced the issue, with the vote set for Jan. 20. Meier and many dissolution supporters see it as the best hope for lowering taxes in Medina, which has the highest tax rate in the Finger Lakes region at $54 per $1,000. Dissolution would chop about $6 off the rate for village residents.
The Shelby and Ridgeway residents outside the village would see their town taxes go up 10 percent in Shelby and 46 percent in Ridgeway, according to a Dissolution Plan that town officials say they aren’t obligated to follow.
Dissolution foes believe the village taxes could be reduced with shared services, more state aid from the county and state, or a change from Medina as a village to a city.
The issue is being closed watched throughout the county, especially in other villages that have combined tax rates nearly as high as Medina’s.
2. Punishing weather knocks out power, closes schools and paralyzes community
On March 12 a blizzard hit, dropping about a foot of snow on the county. This photo shows traffic creeping along Main Street in Albion by the Presbyterian Church and the county courthouse.
It was one of the harshest winters in recent memory, with prolonged stretches of temperatures in the single digits or below zero. We had an official blizzard on March 12.
The National Weather Service frequently put out warnings and advisories about dangerous wind chills, flood watches and hazardous weather. The Sheriff’s Department issued travel advisories. The governor declared a state of emergency. Local schools closed.
When the winter finally relented, the area was hit with a destructive wind storm on June 17 that knocked out power for more than 3,00 homes and forced schools to close for Regents.
Barbara Tice, left, was out on June 18 picking up branches from a fallen tree in Lyndonville. She was joined by friend Jocelyn Munn.
3. Brunner expands, and former Bernz-O-Matic shuts down
Brunner workers use a forge to heat up parts to 2,200 degrees. The company committed to a $13.5 million expansion in 2014, and will likely add 60 workers to the existing workforce of 390.
The community waited for several months to hear the official word on whether Brunner International would expand in Medina or in another state. In June the company made it official: It would grow in Medina.
Brunner committed to a $13.5 million expansion, adding 48,000 square feet to its complex at the corner of Bates Road and Route 31.
Brunner started in Medina 1992 with six employees. Brunner makes brakes and components for heavy-duty trucks and trailers. It has steadily grown in the past 22 years, reaching 390 employees when the expansion was announced in June. It expects to add 60 more workers with the addition.
The company’s presence has helped fill the gap left by Fisher-Price, which laid off 700 workers in Medina in 1995. The expansion announced this year also softened the blow when another manufacturer announced it was closing.
Worthington Industries closed its Medina plant on July 31 on Bernz-O-Matic Drive.
Worthington Industries shut down in Medina on July 31 and shifted the production to a site in Wisconsin. Worthington made torches in Medina and employed 152 people at the former Bernz-O-Matic.
Worthington bought Bernz-O-Matic in 2011. Bernz-O-Matic had operated in Medina since 1969. By shifting the torch production to Wisconsin, Worthington said it can do everything at one site, saving in transportation costs.
4. Chain stores step up efforts in Orleans
The new Dunkin’ Donuts takes shape in Albion on Main Street next to Tim Hortons in this photo in July. JFJ Holdings, based in North Andover, Mass., is the owner of the new stores in Albion and Medina.
Dunkin’ Donuts built two new stores in Orleans County in 2014, with the first opening in Albion on August 23 and the other opening in Medina on Dec. 30.
The chain presence expanded beyond coffee stores. A new 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store opened on Oct. 15 at the corner of routes 63 and 104 in the Town of Ridgeway. The store is owned by Development Unlimited of WNY LLC of Buffalo. It demolished a house and silo at the northeast corner of the intersection.
The Dollar General helps fill a void in the community with the closing of the Pennysaver Market in Lyndonville, Yates Town Supervisor John Belson said.
At least one new chain store is in the pipeline for 2015. A North Carolina company, The Durban Group, is proposing an 8,320-square-foot Family Dollar on Maple Ridge Road in Medina, almost across the street from Tim Hortons.
Critics say the stores, in a county with a shrinking population, will absorb diminishing dollars in the community, making it harder for independent merchants to start businesses or make a profit.
Taras Salamaca, left, and his brother Alex opened Salamaca Estate Winery at the corner of Hindsburg Road and Route 104 in the Town of Murray on Oct. 17. The winery and its tasting room are located in a barn from 1898.
5. Several new locally owned businesses open, including 2 wineries
Several residents see the county as fertile ground for starting a business. Two new wineries – Salamaca Estate Winery in Murray and 810 Meadworks in Medina – both opened in 2014 and are on the Niagara Wine Trail, which now spreads across Orleans to Rochester.
“We really appreciate a small town that embraces its history,” said Bryan DeGraw, Meadworks 810 co-owner. “And from a business standpoint, Medina is in the center of the Niagara Wine Trail. That is an absolutely great place to be.”
Tillman’s Village Inn also expanded, several antique and collectible stores opened in the county, and other businesses grew or opened their doors for the first time.
Bryan DeGraw, back left, talks about mead with people on the Ale in Autumn tasting event on Sept. 27 in Medina. 810 Meadworks officially opened in November, the first downtown meadery/winery in the county.
6. George Maziarz shocks GOP with sudden announcement he is retiring
George Maziarz receives a standing ovation during the Orleans County Republican Fall Rally on Oct. 24 at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Holley.
George Maziarz seemed headed for another two-year term in Albany as state senator. He lined up endorsements and was out campaigning. But in mid-July he announced he didn’t want to continue with the demanding workload, the back and forth travel to Albany and the pressures of public office.
Maziarz’s sudden announcement in July forced Republican Party leaders to find a new candidate. They picked North Tonawanda Mayor Rob Ortt, who won a Republican Primary in September over Gia Arnold of Holley. Ortt then cruised to an election win in November over Johnny Destino, who had the Democratic Party endorsement.
The area will lose a lot of clout in Albany with Maziarz’s retirement. He was one of the top-tanking Republicans in the Senate. He served in the Senate since 1995. He also was highly visible in his district, which covered Niagara, Orleans and a western portion of Monroe County.
Maziarz was credited with helping advance many projects in Orleans, including the construction of the $90 million ethanol plant in Medina by Western New York Energy. Maziarz said he tried to direct more low-cost hydropower allocations to projects in the county.
7. Community mourns tragic deaths
More than 100 motorcyclists served as escorts for Sgt. Shaina Schmigel when her motorcade passed through downtown Medina on June 9.
Local residents mourned the loss of friends and neighbors in 2014. There was a big outpouring of support and grief for Sgt. Shaina Schmigel, a paratrooper from Medina who died May 30 during a night-time training drill at Fort Bragg with the 82nd Airborne Division. She was in the Army for four years, and was promoted to sergeant in January.
“She wanted to go for all she could go for,” said Keith Gilbert, a close family friend from the town of Alabama. “She wasn’t afraid of anything.”
Schmigel was a cheerleader at Medina, a member of the Class of 2010.
The Medina community also mourned the loss of 15-year-old Jacob A. Stahl, who died in an accidental shooting on Oct. 17. Stahl, a 10th grade student at Medina High School, was with a teen-age friend in an upstairs bedroom at Stahl’s home in West Shelby when the incident occurred.
Sheriff’s investigators said Stahl’s death was a tragic accident that resulted from the careless handling of a loaded firearm.
A long-time Main Street merchant in Albion, who also was active in local politics, died in a Dec. 12 fire at his shop, Nayman’s. Francis Nayman was 76 and had battled health issues in recent years. He was still determined to go to his small engine repair business. The fire and death have been ruled accidental with no foul play suspected, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said.
8. Frederick Miller found guilty of murder
In a crime a judge called one of the most painful and torturous of his career, Frederick Miller of Carlton was sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder of his girlfriend.
Frederick Miller will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after killing his girlfriend on March 4, 2013. The case was delayed several times but finally went to trial with the jury convicting Miller of second-degree murder on Sept. 17. That followed a trial when he admitted to stabbing Rachel Miller with scissors. Rachel was still alive after being stabbed nine times with scissors.
She fled their house on Oak Orchard Road in Carlton and Miller broke off a metal Posted sign. Miller struck her three times in the head. Her body was discovered the morning of March 4, 2013 by a passing school bus driver.
“She lived a life of giving,” Rachel’s son Cody Miller said at sentencing. “She never wanted anything but happiness. The world kept taking from here but she fought back by giving.”
His mother worked at The Arc of Orleans County and Rainbow Preschool as a speech therapist.
There were at least two other high-profile cases in court this year, both involving Kendall men.
Carlos Botello, 42, was sentenced to 9 years in prison on April 14 after he faced attempted murder charges of a state trooper. Botello pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder on Feb. 3. He admitted in court that he backed a car towards state trooper Dan Metz and smashed into the trooper’s patrol car on Sept. 3, 2013.
Dennis Buehler, 64, was sentenced to 15 years in state prison on Jan. 6 for second-degree attempted murder and third-degree arson.
Buehler shot his wife and set his house on fire on March 4, 2013, the same day Frederick Miller committed his crime. Buehler was called “an extremely evil person,” by Judge James Punch. Buehler’s wife survived the gunshot wound. The house burned to the ground.
9. New look and owners at Point Breeze businesses
The Harbor Pointe Country Club was transformed from a golf course into corn fields this year.
Businesses don’t change hands too often at Point Breeze. But 2014 saw some long-established businesses get sold.
The most dramatic change was the sale of the Harbor Pointe Country Club on Route 98 in Carlton to Lynn-Ette and Sons. Harbor Pointe had been a golf course for 50 years. Lynn-Ette and Sons turned the course into cornfields.
The Cardone family had owned Harbor Pointe since 1981. The golf business has struggled in the region in recent years, due to the economy and increased competition with many golf courses, Joe Cardone said.
Gatlen Ernst took over two marinas along the Oak Orchard River this year. Ernst, an employee at Lake Breeze Marina for 10 years, purchased the marina in March from Doug and Janice Bennett.
“He’s been a good employee and he had the desire,” Mr. Bennett said. “Everybody likes Gatlen and everybody knows him. It should be a smooth takeover for him.”
Ernst owns the marina business, which he renamed Ernst’s Lake Breeze Marina. He purchased the real estate in a partnership with Rod Farrow, a Lake Breeze customer. Farrow is an apple farmer who lives on the other side of the Oak Orchard River.
The two also worked together to acquire Four C’s Marina from Gene Christopher and his family. They had operated that marina for more than three decades.
Gatlen Ernst and his fiancée Danielle Daniels, right, are pictured with the Christophers, from left: Darrick, Gene and David. Ernst acquired Four C’s Marina in August.
In another change in the Carlton business community, Paula Nesbitt and her family purchased Bertsch’s Good Earth Market on Route 98 and renamed the business The Vintage Apple Garden. Dave and Sharon Bertsch and their daughter Heather Tabor and her husband Jim opened Bertsch’s 14 years ago.
10. Snowy Owls, bears create a stir
Provided photo – Vince Flow of Kendall captured this closeup of a Snowy Owl in Kendall.
It was a historic winter for Snowy Owl sightings. They typically stay in Canada for the winter, but there were many owls in Orleans County. Residents and visitors went on expeditions in the rural countryside with cameras trying to get pictures of the owls.
When the weather warmed up, residents started spotting a different creature in the county. Bears were seen throughout the county, including in Albion, about a mile from the village line.
Brittany Kennedy took this photo of a bear on Aug. 11 at her West Kendall Road home. The black bear went up on her porch and sifted through a recycling bin and grabbed a coffee can.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Two cars were in an accident this afternoon in the Village of Albion at the intersection of West Park Street and West Academy Street. Albion firefighters, including Dominick Sidari at right, were on the scene soon after the 2:20 p.m. dispatch call went out.
One person was transported by COVA Ambulance with minor injuries. Others appeared to be shaken up, but were not transported by ambulance.
Albion firefighters were joined at the scene with personnel from COVA and the Albion Police Department.
Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Graham was among the firefighters at the location.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 December 2014 at 12:00 am
‘Outstanding Citizens’ serve community in many ways
Several residents deserve to be recognized as “Outstanding Citizens” for their efforts to make Orleans County a better place this past year. They did many good deeds for little to no pay, driven by a love for their community and neighbors.
Orleans Hub is pleased to recognize the following:
Leader of Lawn Chair Ladies adds excitement to local parades, community events
Photos by Tom Rivers – Kim Corcoran leads the Lawn Chair Ladies at a local parade.
When the Town of Kendall celebrated its 200th birthday in 2012, Kim Corcoran and some of her friends decided to add some excitement to the local parade. Corcoran and her friends formed the Lawn Chair Ladies and had a dance routine on the parade route. The women, while wearing pink boas, choreographed a number with lawn chairs.
They were an immediate sensation and now perform at many community events during the year. The group has 18 members who practice regularly.
“I didn’t have any hopes beyond that summer,” said Corcoran, the group’s leader. “It’s been really fun getting all of my old buddies together.”
Corcoran grew up in Kendall and was in the marching band. After a 35-year career in New York City in the advertising and publishing business, Corcoran moved back to her hometown in June 2011. She attended the parade at the Kendall Firemen’s Carnival and thought it was missing some excitement that June.
The Lawn Chair Ladies formed to add some pep to the local parade and haven’t skipped a beat since, performing in Kendall, Holley and Brockport, with requests for other events. Corcoran also has been appointed the town historian.
Volunteer event planner adds much to Medina’s cultural life
A giant snowman makes its way down Main Street in a lighted float by MAK Plowing and Landscape in Medina on Nov. 29. Jim Hancock coordinates the parade that includes many businesses, civic groups and other organizations.
Since he retired as director of the Job Development Agency in Orleans County, Jim Hancock has been busy working for free for the Medina community. He heads the Medina Tourism Committee and makes sure a visitor center inside Medina City Hall is staffed during the summer.
He plans an annual concert by the Canal Basin, and has been instrumental in establishing the Medina Sandstone hall of Fame inside City Hall. Hancock visits all of the nominated sites, which stretch throughout New York State and to Erie, Pa.
Jim Hancock, a member of the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame committee, discusses the Million-Dollar Staircase in Albany, which was partially built with Medina Sandstone. The Staircase has been nominated for the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.
Hancock spearheads one of Medina’s most popular events: the annual Parade of Lights on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It has turned into a mega-draw for Medina, filling the downtown and some side streets with thousands of people. The number of glowing floats increases each year. It is a great display of community pride.
Resident does the research and convinces government to name creek for pioneer
Al Capurso is pictured on a pedestrian bridge over Gilbert Creek in the Town of Gaines.
For about two centuries Orleans County residents passed by a creek in Gaines and Carlton. The unnamed waterway has remained largely unspoiled and undisturbed.
Al Capurso wanted it to have a name and to honor a pioneer resident who lived next to the creek more than 200 years ago.
For more than a year he researched the 6.5-mile creek that starts near Brown Road and heads northeast to Marsh Creek in Carlton. Capurso pushed for the waterway to honor Elizabeth Gilbert, the first settler on Ridge Road in Orleans County.
Gilbert and her husband built their cabin in 1807. Mr. Gilbert died soon after they settled, and his wife was left to raise a family and make a life in the wilderness of the Niagara frontier.
It took Capurso a year of lining up local support, and gaining permission from the federal Bureau of Geographic Names. The agency on April 10 formally approved the naming request.
Capurso painted a wooden sign with the name, “Gilbert Creek.” It stands by Ridge Road, next to the Gaines Carlton Community Church.
During the May 24 dedication program, State Sen. George Maziarz praised Capurso for working through the bureaucracy to get the creek named for one of the county’s pioneers.
“There is no better title than a citizen who loves his community, who respects his community,” Maziarz said about Capurso.
Al Capurso’s son Dan unveils the sign for Gilbert Creek by Ridge Road during a dedication program on May 24.
Resident spearheads effort to feed the hungry in Medina area
Bilal Huzair stacks up some frozen pizzas on Dec. 20 during a Foodlink delivery in Medina next to the Old Mill Run Restaurant on Route 63.
About two years ago Bilal Huzair and his family opened the Old Mill Run Restaurant on Route 63, just south of Maple Ridge Road. Huzair met many local residents and had a sense that many were struggling to buy groceries.
Huzair and other members of the World Life Institute connected with Foodlink about doing a food drop-off in Medina the first and third Saturdays each month. Huzair didn’t know what to expect – just how many people would show up for fruits, vegetables and other food.
The program started in November 2013 and quickly drew big crowds with about 200 people standing in line, with many there two hours ahead of time. Another 200-plus are given food, with deliveries by friends and World Life Institute volunteers.
Many of the people in line are senior citizens on fixed incomes. They see their income consumed by medical bills, prescriptions and other bills.
“We didn’t have an expectation,” Huzair said about how many people would seek the food. “We just knew there was a need.”
An anonymous donor has been paying Foodlink for the food that is given out. Huzair manages the volunteers and keeps the program running smoothly.
“These are people who genuinely need things,” he said.
Assemblyman leads veterans on trips to DC
Provided photo – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, lower right, is pictured on Sept. 19 with a group of veterans in Washington D.C. on seventh annual Patriot Trip. About 100 people travelled to the nation’s capitol with Hawley to tour war memorials.
Many politicians say they value veterans, but Steve Hawley may be the only elected official in the country who leads about 100 people each year to Washington, D.C. Veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War can tour the war memorials.
It is a meaningful trip for veterans and their families and Hawley and his staff deserve praise for all of the effort. Hawley has coordinated the Patriot Trip for seven years with about 750 people travelling to the nation’s capital.
“The Patriot Trip is a token of my appreciation for the men and women who have served our country with courage and honor,” Hawley said in September, when the group headed to DC.
Hawley isn’t an Orleans County resident. He is from Batavia. He has kept his district office in Albion, even when redistricting shifted the district south with more of Genesee County. He has shown his commitment to Orleans County residents.
Historian helps awaken Clarendon to celebrated past
Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon town historian and president of the Historical Society, unveils a historical marker on Sept. 21 for Hillside Cemetery, which last year was named to National Register of Historic Places.
In recent years, Melissa Ierlan has helped save the Old Stone Store in Clarendon, erect historical markers, and get sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ierlan has also been good about forming partnerships and connecting with residents and preservationists. She scored a big win in 2014 by celebrating the life and legacy of Clarendon’s native son, Carl Akeley.
Last spring the Clarendon Historical Society was brainstorming programs for the upcoming year. The group considered famous people from Clarendon’s past to feature. Someone mentioned Akeley, one of the most acclaimed taxidermists in the world.
It just happened to be his 150th birthday on May 19. The Historical Society decided to throw Akeley a big party. They invited author Jay Kirk, who wrote a biographical novel about Akeley called “Kingdom Under Glass.”
Provided photo – Carl Akeley is pictured with a leopard in Africa that he killed with his bare hands after it attacked him.
Prominent taxidermists also joined 150 people at the May 21 bash for Akeley. The celebration would link Ierlan, the Historical Society president, with prominent taxidermists who have long wanted to honor Akeley. The taxidermists gave Ierlan several Akeley mementos, including a gorilla death mask, to display at the Town Hall. The taxidermists also started raising $8,000 for a monument to be set in Hillside Cemetery in Clarendon in honor of Akeley.
Akeley was also a prolific inventor and world traveller. He died of a fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1926, and is buried there.
Ierlan has travelled to New York City with other Historical Society members to see The Akeley Hall of African Mammals, which showcases large mammals of Africa that Akeley killed and stuffed. She and members of the Cobblestone Society Museum are working with a taxidermist to restore a stuffed fox done by Akeley as a teen.
The Historical Society also is working on Akeley’s 151st birthday party in 2015.
Albion couple teaches 4-H’ers about science through Legos, robotics
Erik Seielstad has volunteered as mentor in the Lego program since it started in 2012. He is pictured with Dan Squire, 13, of Medina in this photo from early November.
Four years ago Erik and Marlene Seielstad pushed to start a robotics program through 4-H in Orleans County. High schoolers program a robot to perform tasks, including picking up and shooting a basketball.
“Joe’s Average Slackers” were born, and they have competed in regional events. The Seielstads serve as mentors and their son Morgan is a senior in the program this year.
Many parents pushed the Seielstads to start a Lego team for kids in elementary and middle school, and the Seielstads three years ago agreed to coach the team. The The First Lego League proved popular and expanded to three teams last year and a fourth team this year. There are about 40 kids under the guidance of the Seielstads with some help from parents.
Marlene Seielstad, right, talks with members of the Prehistoric Robots team during a competition at Churchville-Chili on Nov. 15.
The Seielstads have been honored for their volunteer efforts by the FLL regional leaders. Most teams are led by paid staff in school districts.
Mr. Seielstad works as a systems engineer in Rochester. He said the students are all learning math and science skills, as well as teamwork.
“The kids get the opportunity to work together and accomplish things,” Seielstad said during a November practice.
His wife is a member of the Albion Board of Education. She keeps the teams organized and funded. She has numerous businesses backing the robotics and Lego teams.
The Seielstads believed the program could work in rural Orleans County. They have been the drivers of its success.
“I find it overwhelming that this has occurred,” Mrs. Seielstad said. “Our uniqueness is we have people from all over our county, as well as kids from other counties.”
Orleans Hub plans to honor the “Outstanding Citizens” during a reception in early 2015.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided Photo – The Greater Rochester Health Foundation approved a $17,000 grant to the Albion Running Club for three programs. The following are pictured, from left: Brian Krieger, Running Club executive director; Thom Jennings, Running Club communications director; and John Urban, president and CEO of the Greater Rochester Health Foundation.
ALBION – An organization committed to improving fitness in the community has been given a boost from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation.
The Foundation announced the Albion Running Club has been awarded a $17,000 grant for three initiatives.
The Running Club, a 501c3 non-profit organization, in January will launch “The Shoe Fits” and “Fit in 50” programs. It March it will continue the “Run For God,” a 12-week training program that culminates with a 5K at the Strawberry Festival on June 13.
With The Shoe Fits, residents can receive a new pair of running shoes for $20. That includes a professional shoe fitting. The grant from the Foundation will cover the difference in the cost of the shoes for up to 100 pairs.
The first shoe fitting is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday on Jan. 18 at the Hoag Library in Albion. Shoes will be available to Orleans County residents who pay $20 and commit to one of the Albion Running Club training programs. Personnel from the Fleet Feet Sports will come to Albion to fit residents into a new pair of Brooks sneakers.
The Running Club will also launch a “Fit in 50″ weekly running program. People have better success at achieving their fitness goals when they are part of a supportive group, said Brian Krieger, Running club executive director.”Fit in 50” is a year-long program designed to support participants, whether they are a novice runner, jogger or even a fast walker.
Each week the Running Club will gather for a group run, with participants choosing the distance best suits them, whether it be 1.5 miles or longer. Each run or walk will have a theme or a unique name that ties in with the time of year, Krieger said.
A nurse from the Orleans County Health Department will check participants for blood pressure, weight and BMI (body mass index) at the beginning, middle and end of the 50 weeks, if participants want that data.
There will also be post run gatherings and opportunities for mini workshops. “Fit in 50” will go year-round with two holiday weeks off.
Participants will receive awards for reaching mileage milestones. When participants cover 26.2 miles (the length of a marathon) through the cumulative total of their runs or walks, they will receive a Philippides coin to commemorate the distance covered.
The I-90 Buffalo to Rochester Medal will be given at the 73.7 mile mark and participants covering 200 kilometers (124 miles) in the program will receive a medal and T-shirt.
Members will also be eligible for local race discounts and other area promotions. The Foundation grant covers the cost of the program, making membership free to participants.
“Fit In 50” starts on Jan. 10 at a location to be determined. For more information on the program, visit http://albionrunningclub.com/fit-in-50.html.
The Run For God program includes a spiritual element with Biblical devotions. That 12-week program starts on March 8 at the Albion Free Methodist Church. The Health Foundation grant will pay for some shirts and books for the program.
The Running Club also is planning three races in Albion in 2015: The Run For Wayne on March 28 (a 3.17-mile event in memory of Running Club co-founder Wayne Burlison); the 5K and 8K Strawberry Festival races on June 13; and The Metro 10, a 10-mile race pitting runners from Rochester and Buffalo on Aug. 22.
MEDINA – After four months of taking shape at the corner of Maple Ridge Road and South Gravel Road, a Dunkin’ Donuts opened this morning in Medina.
Dunkin’ opened at 8 today but will be open at 5 a.m. beginning on Wednesday.
The seating area includes a television.
The store is located at the southeast corner of the routes 31A and 63 intersection. JFJ Holdings, based in North Andover, Mass., is the owner of the new store. The company opened a new Dunkin’ in Albion on Aug. 23.
Doughnuts and baked goods are ready for customers.
Both the Medina and Albion stores are 2,000 square feet. The Medina store includes 27 parking spaces with most on the west side of the building.
Photos by Peggy Barringer
ALBION – Sisters Mary Lou Ames and Barbara Ames love Christmas. They love it so much, they put up 19 Christmas trees this year.
Each tree has a specific theme and is decorated accordingly. Their home on East Countyhouse Road is transformed into a Christmas Wonderland complete with a myriad of other holiday collections that are put on display.
The sisters, who live next to the family-owned business Homestead Wildflowers, start decorating around the first of November and continue daily right up until Christmas.
The Circus Tree is one of 19 decorated for the season.
The “Silver and Gold Tree” shines near a window.
Mary Lou Ames, head floral designer at the shop, said that they generally leave the trees up through the month of January.
The women said they have no idea how many ornaments they have, but many came from annual trips to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, the “World’s Largest Christmas Store,” in Frankenmuth, Mich.
A quote from Charles Dickens is framed and on display.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 December 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – School officials will have a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Jan. 13 to hear from the community about a tax break for veterans who were honorably discharged from the service.
The Board of Education will share more details at the hearing about the possible exemptions for veterans, including percentage of discount and who would be eligible.
The hearing will be in the board room at the district office, next to Medina High School at 2 Mustang Drive.
This past November the Albion Lions Club celebrated its 90th anniversary. Several of the founding members are seen in this picture, which was taken of them during a trip to Long Beach, Long Island in May 1927.
Those in the photo include: George Houghton, Clarence Wendell, Dr. Arthur Elson, Vernon Sprague, Ray Fuller, Scott Clark, Harold Frank, Leon Humphrey, Dr. George Doolittle, Jake Landauer, Al Kleindienst, “Red” Roberts, George Smith, Ray Gilette, Fred Wolfe, Allan Briggs, Ralph Vick, Ed Chapman and Leon Grinnell.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 December 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Three people were arraigned in Orleans County Court today with bail set for all three.
Robert Beedham, 52, of Albion is in jail on $100,000 bail after being charged with second-degree assault following a Dec. 24 incident at his apartment, 175 North Main St., No. 9.
Beedham allegedly was in a fight on Christmas Eve, an altercation that involved a knife. District Attorney Joe Cardone asked Judge James Punch to set “fairly significant bail” given that Beedham has three prior felonies.
Sanford Church, the public defender, said Beedham was acting in self defense on Dec. 24.
“The other fella pulled the knife first,” Church said during an afternoon court appearance today.
Robert Wright, 23, of Niagara Falls was arraigned on charges of first-degree burglary, criminal possession of a firearm, petty larceny and criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree for alleged crimes that occurred in Medina on June 16.
Wright is in Orleans County Jail on $50,000 bail.
Joseph Hagen, 31, of Lyndonville was arraigned on violation of probation. The judge set bail at $15,000 for Hagen.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Orleans County residents and visitors found a lot of ways to express themselves – in joy and sorrow – during 2014. Here are some of my favorite photos of people in our surroundings from the past year.
In the top photo, Albion firefighter Carmen Quatro watches the fireworks while standing on top of a fire truck at Bullard Park on July 5. The Albion community was treated to a fireworks show as well as free food and games thanks to the Tonawanda Indian Baptist Church in Basom.
Derrick Bradley, wearing a skunk costume, joins local residents on Feb. 22 as they respond to protestors against the annual “Squirrel Slam” fundraiser in Holley. Friends of Animals in New York protested the event.
Edgar Rosario has his face painted for the “Day of the Dead/All Saints Day” on Nov. 10 at Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grill, a restaurant where his father Francisco Rosario is co-owner. Edgar is pictured near murals inside the restaurant near the bar.
Carl Sargent woke up to another snowstorm on Feb. 10. He was out shoveling that morning on Caroline Street in Albion.
Karalyn Klotzbach walked down Main Street in the parade with her mother Katie Klotzbach and other members of the Panek family during the Strawberry Festival parade on June 14.
Anna Oakley of Kendall rides the Super Trooper carnival ride on July 10 during opening day of the Kendall Fire Department carnival. A full moon is in the distance. The three-day event is a much-anticipated reunion for many residents and former Kendall community members.
Two people embrace after a motorcade passed through downtown Medina on June 9. Several hundred people lined Main Street and saluted as a motorcade passed by carrying the body of Sgt. Shaina Schmigel, 21.
Schmigel, a Medina native, was killed May 30 during a night-time training drill. She was a paratrooper at Fort Bragg with the 82nd Airborne Division. She was in the Army for four years, and was promoted to sergeant in January.
“It’s important that we support our service people,” said Sherri Luthart of Medina. “I get all choked up about it. She paid the ultimate price for our freedom.”
Ed Salvatore serves up plates of spaghetti at the Albion Exempts Club on Jan. 9. Salvatore, Albion’s mayor for eight years from 1998 to 2006, considered running for the Village Board again for the March election but decided against it.
The Exempts would decide later in the year to stop serving the spaghetti dinners every Thursday.
Dan Geasser, a former Kendall town supervisor, speaks against a tax abatement plan for The Cottages at Troutburg. The Town Hall was packed for the Jan. 15 public hearing on the 10-year tax plan that would save The Wegman Group $227,777 in taxes. The plan would later be approved by the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
Medina Sandstone Society President Bob Waters, right, chats with village resident Roland Howell during a reception at the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. The Sandstone Society inducted its first HOF class on Dec. 12. It would add historical images of immigrant quarry workers. The enlarged photos are on hanging inside the main meeting room at Medina City Hall, where the plaques for the six inaugural inductees are displayed.
It looked like a white planet when firefighters, including Dan Strong of Carlton, responded to a chimney fire on Ridge Road in Gaines during a blizzard on March 12.
Jason Clark served as the starter for some of the races during the Pinewood Derby on March 1 at the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Firehall. Clark is part of the Kendall Scouting program and volunteered to help with Holley’s Pinewood Derby. There were 42 participants in all, and the event concluded with a pasta dinner in the firehall.
Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance paramedic Steve Cooley holds Melayla Wenner, a baby he delivered in an ambulance on Feb. 27. Melayla visited the COVA crew on March 7 at the organization’s headquarters, 239 South Main St. Terry Bentley, back right, helped deliver the baby. Jake Crooks, also in back, drove the ambulance.
Jim Pinckney is crowned the Dyngus Day king during the Polish party at the Sacred Heart Club in Medina on April 21. John Weaver, last year’s king, puts on the crown while Dee Lucas puts on the red cape. Pinckney is a retired corrections officer. He joined Sacred Heart Club about 21 years ago and helps mow the lawn, shovel snow, clean the fryers, and with other painting and carpentry tasks. “It’s good to help out because it’s an all-volunteer organization,” he said. “It’s just to help the community.”
Ken Miller of Niagara on the Lake in Canada portrays Gen. James Longstreet, a commander in Northern Virginia. Miller was in Medina on April 25-27 for the Civil War Encampment at Genesee Community College.
Miller goes to about dozen Civil War Encampments each year. Many are in Canada. He is happy to cross the border and join events in the States. “I like to teach and promote Canada’s involvement,” Miller said.
Albion firefighters Dale Banker, in front, and Matt Francis march in the Strawberry Festival parade on June 14 with other members of the Albion Fire Department. Banker in July took over as the county’s emergency management director, replacing the retiring Paul Wagner.
Albion students performed “The Wiz” from March 28-30. This group includes Steven Stauss as Lion, Josh Raymond as Scarecrow and Kyle Thaine as Tinman.
Don Gaines races through the aisle at Pawlak’s Save-A lot on May 16 as part of an 85-second race to fill a shopping cart. Gaines filled the cart with more than $800 of food – mostly with ham and other meat. He announced most of the bounty would be given to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.
Gaines won the shopping spree, an event organized by the Lord’s House, a church in Waterport. The Lord’s House sold tickets for $5 each to give people a chance for the shopping sprint and two other gift baskets. Don and his wife Barbara bought one ticket and hit the grand prize.
Chris Shabazz, a student at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School, is happy to try out some of the new playground equipment on May 22, when the school opened a new playground. After an opening ceremony, students joyfully played on new slides, swings, climbing apparatus and other playground equipment.
Robert Ortt, a candidate for the State Senate, addresses a crowd in Albion on Sept. 8 at a pro-gun and Second Amendment rally. Ortt told about 200 people at the rally outside the Albion Gun Shop that he will work to repeal the SAFE Act. In November, Ortt was elected to the State Senate, filling the spot currently held by George Maziarz, who didn’t seek re-election.
Cliff Thom surprises his daughter Sarah, a third-grader at Albion, on Dec. 8. Thom hadn’t seen Sarah and her two siblings since June 29 when he deployed for Afghanistan. Thom is a senior master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He is giving Sarah a hug in the cafeteria of the elementary school.
Jim Babcock portrays Sonny and Sandra Monacelli-McNall is Cher in a performance of “I Got You Babe” during a Cabaret Variety Show on Aug. 15 at the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion.
Jim Traufler of Albion is embraced by State Assemblyman Steve Hawley on Nov. 11, when Traufler was presented six long overdue military medals. Traufler, 82, was recognized for his service six decades ago when he was in the Marine Corps in the Korean War.
Traufler was recognized during a Veterans Day ceremony in front of the Veterans Service Agency office on Route 31 in Albion. “It’s something you don’t think about,” Traufler said about the medals. “I’ll put them away and give them to my kids and grandkids.”
Jed Platt of Appleton, dressed in a turtle outfit, slips down on the grease pole on July 26 with teammates Royal Snyder of Lyndonville, right, and Elliott Perkins of Barker. The team, Udder Suckers Reloaded, wasn’t able to get to the top of the grease pole during the competition at the Orleans County 4-H Fair in Knowlesville.
It was Christmas Eve at about 4:30 p.m. when Mike and Jaime Beach of Albion saw a rainbow stretch out over Lake Ontario. The Beaches were visiting Jaime’s parents by the lake, just east of the Albion Water Treatment Plant.
“In lieu of snow, how about a Christmas Eve rainbow at the lake?” Mr. Beach wrote in a message.
Provided photo
Burton Howell looked out behind his house at 2 Brown Ave. in Medina on Saturday and saw what he thinks is a Red Shouldered Hawk.
“It sat for a while and gave me time to go get a camera,” he said in an email.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Salma Huzair, 15, sings “If I Were A Boy” by Beyoncé during a concert Saturday night at the Medina Theatre.
Huzair performed at the concert in preparation for her audition for “The Voice” singing show on NBC. She will travel to New York City on Jan. 25 for the blind audition, when singers perform for four celebrity judges.
Salma’s parents, Bilal Huzair and mother Alana Ross, picked front-row seats to watch Salma perform on Saturday.
Salma sings “Little Things” by One Direction. She is a sophomore at Lyndonville Central School. More than 100 people attended her concert, which included raffles to help cover the cost of the trip to New York City.
The marquee at Medina Theatre urges the community to support Salma in “The Voice.”
Wow, what a year ! When I started contributing for the “Hub” in late 2013, I only had four months of pictures to go through to pick my favorites for the year end. Now, a year later, I have the daunting task of trying to pick a few of my favorites from all the pictures from 2014.
When Mike does a story, I try to use my favorites from that particular game and am happy that you, the reader, have always enjoyed them.
This year I am going basically month to month and picking my favorites from that month. I know I could do many more, but I hope you enjoy re-living these moments from 2014.
Medina’s Munjie Brown drives through Roy-Hart defenders Alex Stoddard (5) and Cody Breedlove (3).
Albion’s Manwell Taylor goes under Barker’s Bryce Moeller to try for a layup.
Former Holley sectional champions, brothers Andrew and Ashley Grillo, wrestle during halftime of the Kendall vs Holley teachers basketball game which raised funds for the local food pantry.
Medina first baseman Matt Riemer leans to catch an infield pop fly.
Medina’s Greg Husung goes face to face with the Wilson goalie with a shot.
Holley centerfielder Nick Passarell dives for the ball in a win over rival Kendall.
Albion’s Justyn Haines pole vaults with the American flag in the background.
Albion baseball coach Bruce Blanchard gets a Gatorade bath from his players after winning the overall Sectional VI Class A title.
Barry Rogenmoser goes high to head a ball for the Medina U-19 boys soccer team.
Medina goalie Tyler Ames goes over Kendall’s Mookie Nauden to make a save.
Medina back Ty Hrovat is tackled by a Newfane defender.
Albion’s Des Blackmon goes high to catch a TD pass over Ty Hrovat during the annual Medina vs Albion game for Doc’s Rock won by Medina when Hrovat later intercepted a pass intended for Blackmon in the end zone at the end of the game.
Kendall’s Taylor Rutland with an injured wrist heads the ball and netted the winning goal against Cal-Mum for the Class CC title in overtime.
Albion’s Ashlee Bocach dives into the chairs trying to save the ball in their loss to Williamsville South in the overall Class B qualifier match (South went on to win the States). Albion captured both the Niagara-Orleans League and Section VI Class B-2 titles.
Kendall’s Tania Arellano goes in for a layup.
Kendall’s Evan Gaesser gets fouled by Barker’s Tom Callaghan as he goes in for a layup.
Here’s hoping that 2015 will bring many more of pictures that will not only be my favorites, but yours as well.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 December 2014 at 12:00 am
After living in motel room for 14 months, family settles into apartment
Photo by Tom Rivers – Kevin Madden and his fiancée Stacie McKay are pictured with daughters Madison, left, and Leah. Madden also has a son, Cole.
ALBION – For 14 months, Kevin Madden and Stacie McKay lived in Room 10 at Dollinger’s Motel in Albion. They were joined by their three children, who are now ages 4 to 7.
They have been homeless for much of the past five years, staying with friends and family when they weren’t in the motel.
That changed in early October when they moved into an apartment on Ingersoll Street in Albion. They have painted the walls, made repairs and cleaned the place.
For them, it’s home, a welcome relief from five turbulent years.
“You have no choice but to get through it,” McKay said. “Your instincts take over.”
She and Madden both credit God for the turnaround, and help from new friends.
Jack Burris is one of those friends. He was out for a jog in October 2012 with the “Run for God” group the Albion Free Methodist Church. They ran along the Erie Canal Towpath and Burris saw Madden fishing in Sandy Creek, just west of the Brown Street bridge.
Madden was with the three kids, including the youngest, then age 2, in a baby carrier on his back. Burris thought it was a picturesque scene, a young father and the children by the creek, just as the leaves were changing color.
When the runners finished their jog, they stopped at the church at the corner of East State and Platt streets. Burris was locking up the church when Madden happened to walk by with the three kids. Burris had heard they were staying in a motel room.
Later that day, Burris knocked on the door of Room 10 at Dollinger’s, and offered to take Madden and family for dinner at Kentucky Fried Chicken. They went and talked. Burris noticed Madden was heavily tattooed with the F-word one his knuckles.
But Burris saw Madden’s close attention to the children, and was impressed with his intelligence and thoughtfulness. Burris invited Madden and his family to the Free Methodist Church. He said the church had many children’s programs with a nonjudgmental congregation.
About a month later, Madden, McKay and the three kids attended their first service at the church. Madden and McKay say they were reluctant to go at first.
“We didn’t think it was for us,” Madden said.
But they found a welcoming group and a laid-back atmosphere with a band that plays worship music and doughnuts and coffee served after the service. Madden and McKay like the music so much they sing the songs around their apartment, including at night to the kids at bedtime.
Provided photo – A family of five lived in Room 10 at Dollinger’s Motel in Albion for more than a year.
They have been regulars at church each Sunday, with McKay joining a women’s Bible study on Tuesdays and Madden attending a Thursday night men’s study group. The kids are in the Sunday school program and all have been baptized.
Madden and McKay admit they used to be addicts who also heavily drank. Those days are over, by the grace of God, they say. They also have quit smoking.
McKay works at the new Dunkin’ Donuts in Albion. Their lifestyle changes and the job have given them enough money to pay the rent for their apartment, to buy furniture, and cover all of their bills and even give to the church.
“Once we started living right we had all of this extra money,” Madden said. “We’ve been able to get back on our feet. I’m glad that we’re settled.”
Burris praises Madden and McKay – and God – for the turnaround.
“I tell them they should be proud of what they’ve accomplished,” Burris said.
He said he felt “a still small voice” when he saw Madden fishing and then walking by the church more than two years ago. Burris believes he was being prompted by God to reach out to Madden and his family.
Madden said Burris has become a close friend and a steadying influence. He is grateful Burris knocked on the motel room door, taking a chance on a stranger.
Madden said there are others in the community without a permanent address, who fight addictions and may be depressed.
“There’s a lot of people who need help, who you can pass by on the street and who can’t pay a bill,” Madden said. “You can go anywhere in America and find people who are stressed out. God is the one who gives and takes away. You have to be humble and give God all of the credit.”
McKay and Madden started dating on Aug. 17, 2009 – they both remember the exact date. They met in Hamlin, where Madden’s mother has friends. Madden was visiting there when he met McKay. She was living in Spencerport at the time, and visiting her parents who lived in Hamlin.
Madden saw McKay and commented to a someone that she was “a real pretty girl.”
They talked by phone a few times before they started dating. As a family they enjoy camping, fishing and hiking.
Madden and McKay admit they’ve made many mistakes, but they have fought through the adversity.
“We were together yesterday, and we are together today,” McKay said. “We will be together tomorrow. That’s the main thing.”
McKay counts her blessings, for a stranger’s kindness and God’s provision.
“If you do even the smallest thing you could change someone’s life,” she said.
