File photo by Tom Rivers – Some of the floats, including one by Habitat for Humanity, work their way down Main Street during last year’s Parade of Lights. The sixth annual parade with be at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
MEDINA – The 6th annual Parade of Lights will return Saturday at 6 p.m. in downtown Medina. The event for the first time will include fireworks at 5:45 p.m.
The parade committee also has picked a grand marshal for the parade. Randy Bushover will serve in the role.
“Randy is a local guy who promotes his beloved community of Medina,” said Jim Hancock, parade chairman. “He is an ambassador for Medina and is well liked and known to most of Medinans.”
Bushover will lead a tree lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at Rotary Park in the downtown.
“This is a honorary position and we are happy to acknowledge Randy and for all that he has done to support our community,” Hancock said about the grand marshal.
For more on the parade and the schedule of events on Saturday, click here.
Contributed Story Posted 26 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Contributed Photo – LONG-TERM LOYALTY – Brad Balschmiter, veteran maintenance superintendent at Shelridge, was honored this year for 30 years of unbroken certification by the Golf Course Superintendents Assoc.of America. He attended a special awards luncheon. Balschmiter uses his “off season” period each year to attend technical courses. Certified superintendents are required to get 150 hours of professional development every five years in their career.
Shelridge Country Club ended its 2014 season this month with an annual meeting that sent Matt Bush into his second term as president. Supporting Matt are John Grabowski as V-P, Steve Barnes as secretary and Marc Eglin as treasurer. Other board members for 2015 are Dave Bellucci, Elaine Casler, Rob Dennis (who has been golf chairman), Doug Beltz and Steve Lasch.
Reports were rendered on a successful 2014 club operation with favorable weather, an average of 225 members coming from Orleans, Niagara, Genesee and Erie Counties, and one major golf course improvement project — an $80,000 program to totally rebuilt, reshape and refit the sand bunkers on the course. It is a 2-year project and first half has been accomplished.
The past season was marked by the resignation of Assistant Pro Dave Rose and efforts are under way by Head Pro Dave Green to secure a replacement. He is working through the Western N.Y. PGA apprentice-ship program.
The club has received notification from the Golf Course Superintendents Assoc. of America that the Shelridge “turf boss”, Brad Balschmiter, has attained a special honor level in his year-by-year program of study and self improvement.
Contributed Photo – IMPROVED BUNKERS – An $80,000 program at Shelridge is aimed at totally rebuilding all of the sand bunkers on the course and half were completed this past season. Drainage, design and all new sand are involved and the local club reports great satisfaction so far. Club President Matt Bush, second from right, is shown as the 2-year project got its start. Shown with Bush are, from left, Shelridge Pro Dave Green, Golf Committee Chairman Rob Dennis and course Superintendent Brad Balschmiter.
Superintendents are required to put in 150 hours of professional development every few years and Balschmiter has now been certified by the association for 30 years. There are 1,500 certified superintendents as members.
“The Shelridge course played well this year,” said Pro Dave Green. “It keeps fooling visiting golfers who often come here thinking of it as an easy golf course; then they get a surprise.” Green said Shelridge now has reciprocal golf privileges with 16 other courses and welcomes a steady flow of visitors.
A final note provided by the board of directors reveals that there will be a complete change in the contract for the dining room and bar. The ownership of the Manhattan Restaurant in Lockport will take over the contract which has been held by Zambistro of Medina. Manager will be Kerry Holzman, familiar to club members as the previous bar manager.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 November 2014 at 12:00 am
School district will discuss capital project on Tuesday; Vote is on Dec. 9
HOLLEY – Holley Central School welcomes the community to check out a fitness center on Monday during a celebration beginning at 6 p.m.
The district used an $800,000 federal Carol White grant for the project. The grant will also pay for an initiative to promote good nutrition among students, staff and families, said Robert D’Angelo, district superintendent.
The new center, located in the elementary school, will be open to the community on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. with certified staff on hand. If there is demand for more hours, the district will try to accommodate the need.
Holley will also host an informational meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the middle/high school auditorium. That meeting will include a presentation on a proposed $8.9 million capital project. The vote will be on Dec. 9 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The capital project include includes roof top HVAC units, windows, radiators, flooring and exterior doors. The district also wants to improve the student drop-off area and the playground at the elementary school and move the tennis courts.
The district already has $2.5 million set aside in a capital reserve account to cover the local share of the project, which will be mostly paid for from the state.
The New York State Police will have a Thanksgiving traffic safety initiative in an effort to prevent highway tragedies during this holiday weekend.
The New York State Police will initiate special traffic enforcement efforts today through Sunday.
The State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico, will supplement regular patrols statewide focusing on speed enforcement, impaired driving, underage drinking, and distracted driving.
The effort will also incorporate fixed sobriety checkpoints, an underage drinker initiative and the “Operation Hang Up” initiative, which targets distracted drivers by utilizing Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) patrol vehicles to better locate drivers talking or texting on hand held devices. These unmarked vehicles blend in with every day traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
The highest traffic volumes of the year typically occur during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It is also a time when alcohol consumption is widespread. During the 2013 Thanksgiving holiday period, troopers arrested 181 drivers for DWI, issued 4,459 speeding tickets and 854 tickets for distracted driving.
“During this Thanksgiving holiday weekend I encourage all New Yorkers to drive safely, take your time and designate a sober driver,” said Superintendent Joseph D’Amico. “As we drive throughout the state to see our family and friends this holiday season, we need to focus on safe travel. Our troopers will be out in force to handle the problems that this travel period brings and their efforts will be focused on enforcing highway safety and avoiding tragedies from occurring.”
State Police are reminding all motorists to avoid being victims of highway emergencies by making a commitment to not text or talk on mobile phones while driving, to drive the speed limit, and to buckle up all occupants.
Motorists are also reminded to not drink and drive, call a sober driver before getting behind the wheel. Travel preparation should include plenty of rest before departing, a check of your vehicles tires and fuel level, and anticipating busy roads and highways.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2012 there were 301 people killed in traffic crashes across the nation.
The New York State Police and NHTSA recommend these simple tips to prevent drunk driving:
Plan a safe way home before the fun begins;
Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
Use your community’s sober ride program;
If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement;
If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 November 2014 at 12:40 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A fire damaged a home at 216 Caroline St. in Albion today. The house is owned by Ashley and Ernie Woodrich.
The fire call went out at 11:42 a.m. Firefighters climbed onto the roof, and used chain saws and axes to vent the smoke from the upstairs. (Carlton firefighter Matt Olles is pictured in the top photo.)
No one was injured in the fire, which was largely under control by noon. Firefighters responded from Albion, Barre, Carlton and Medina fire departments.
Provided photo – Four Medina students participated in the American Legion Oratorical Contest, including from left: Dylan Metz, John Kelly, Chris Keller, Jon Calo Gonzalez. They are pictured with Steve Johnson and Frederick Heschke from the Legion.
Press Release
Medina Central School
MEDINA – Medina students participated in the American Legion Oratorical Contest last Thursday, speaking about “What the Constitution Means to Me.”
Chris Keller won first place for his speech and Jon Carlo Gonzalez came in second. Both students will compete in the Orleans County competition on Dec. 13 at Albion Middle School along with their Medina classmates John Kelly and Dylan Metz.
“I was very impressed,” said Todd Bensley, social studies teacher at Medina High School. “All the students did an excellent job expressing their passion for the Constitution.”
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) is advising his constituents about the new way consumers are required to dispose of electronic equipment. Starting Jan. 1, the New York State Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act will require that consumers dispose of electronic equipment by either returning it to either the manufacturer or a designated New York State Waste Collection Site.
“There is now a new way that consumers are required to dispose of their electronic equipment. I want to make sure that my constituents are aware of this change to the law so they are in compliance,” said Hawley. “The new way electronics must be disposed of is simple and easy to understand and costs the consumer nothing. If you have any questions, feel free to contact my office and we will be happy to help.”
Under this law, there are two ways to dispose of your electronics. The first way is the use the newly required product manufacturer’s take-back program. A listing of manufacturers and how to contact them about the take-back program can be found by clicking here.
The second way you can drop off your electronics is at a designated New York State Waste Collection Site. A list of collection sites can be found by clicking here. Call ahead to make sure the specific collection site is able to take back your specific piece of electronic equipment.
For more information about the new take-back program, click here. This includes a listing of electronic equipment that is covered by the program. If you have any questions or encounter any problems, call the DEC at 518-402-8706.
HOLLEY – The Holley Sketa-Feeders chapter of National Campers and Hikers Association met in April 1969 to pick up litter along the Holley Road and Hindsburg Road area in the Town of Murray. Here some of the group posed with full trash bags and their signage.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Gary and Denise Withey have owned business in downtown Albion for 20 years
Photo by Tom Rivers – Gary Withey is pictured at Fischer’s Newsstand, which has been a fixture in downtown Albion for more than a century.
ALBION – A fixture on Albion’s Main Street for more than a century, Fischer’s Newsstand, is on the market.
Gary and Denise Withey became owners of the business in January 1995. The couple had a goal of owning the business for 20 years. They are now ready to sell.
“This place needs somebody younger with fresher ideas,” Mr. Withey said at the store this morning. “It’s been a good business and it’s been here forever. Albion needs a business like this in the downtown.”
Withey said sales have declined with magazines and newspapers from two decades ago, but he still has many customers who buy printed periodicals, including about 40 who reserve a daily newspaper.
The Lottery remains popular, and many customers come in for candy and coffee.
The store hasn’t changed much in decades, and Withey believes that is part of the Fischer’s appeal.
“It is still great to watch people who moved away come back and step inside here,” he said. “They have a smile on their face. As much as Albion has changed over the years, the one constant has been Fischer’s News.”
Withey and his wife have operated the store seven days a week for nearly 20 years. “You have to put your heart and soul into it,” he said.
The family is ready to step back from the store. Mrs. Withey in early October suffered catastrophic kidney failure and now is on dialysis. She is hoping to receive at-home dialysis and return to work at The Arc of Orleans County while awaiting a kidney transplant.
Her husband, who will turn 54 next week, wants a less demanding work schedule so he can be more available for his wife.
They remain thankful for the 20 years with the store. They were able to put their two daughters through college and pay off their house, while making tons of friends.
Withey first started going to Fischer’s when he was a kid, looking to buy hockey cards at the store. He was a customer as a teen-ager and as an adult before acquiring the store.
“It’s been great and we’re going to miss it,” he said. “It’s been a part of my life since I was a kid.”
For more information about the business, contact Withey at (585) 589-7283.
MEDINA – The Medina Rotary Club provided a family with a basket of fresh vegetables, a gift card for the turkey and pies, bags full of canned goods, along with fresh rolls and butter – all the fixins for a Thanksgiving dinner.
The Rotary Club of Medina traditionally adopts a family and provides Thanksgiving dinner. It is a practice long in tradition and full of great feelings for all. Rotarians personally contribute items for this food basket.
The club is also raising money for its youth programs. This year The Medina Rotary Club is sponsoring a Medina High School student to study in Mexico while also hosting a student from France who is attending Medina High School for this 2014-15 school year.
Rotarians are particularly thankful at this time of year for the opportunity to give back to our community.
An Albion native has been picked for a key post in the White House, Rep. Louise Slaughter announced.
Don Sisson, 35, has worked for Slaughter the past 10 years. Slaughter is the ranking member of the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives. Sisson has worked for the Rules Committee since 2004 for both the Democratic and Republican sides, and most recently served as the committee’s Democratic deputy staff director.
In his new job he will be Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs.
Sisson hails from Albion. After graduating from SUNY Brockport, which is located in Congresswoman Slaughter’s congressional district, Sisson worked as a clerk for the Rules Committee and moved up in the ranks to chief clerk, director of legislative operations, legislative director, and now the deputy staff director.
He has been responsible for overseeing all the functions of the Rules Committee, including managing committee meetings for Democrats, coordinating vote recommendations for the congresswoman, and serving as the Democratic Floor Director.
“As someone who could always be counted on as a friend, as someone with extraordinarily gifted intelligence, as being able to work his way through the most dangerous Gordian knot, Don Sisson is a man for all seasons,” Rep. Slaughter said on the House Floor. “I wish him the very best of everything, but say to you without a doubt that the loss for our side, for our office, for our friends, is profound. But nonetheless, he’s going to go. I just want the White House to understand what a jewel they are getting.”
Provided photo – Rick Wartinger, manager of the Tops in Albion, agreed to have the store donate a fully prepared Thanksgiving dinner to residents at the Hospice of Orleans Martin-Linsen Residence.
Press Release, Hospice of Orleans
ALBION – Tops ran out of their 49-cents-a-pound sale turkeys this past week due to the storm closing the NYS Thruway, but that didn’t stop Rick Wartinger, manager of the Albion store, from committing a Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner to terminally ill patients at the Hospice of Orleans Martin-Linsen Residence.
For the second year in a row, Tops will donate a complete Thanksgiving Dinner so that residents at the Martin-Linsen Residence can celebrate Thanksgiving dinner in their “home away from home.”
Last year’s Thanksgiving dinner at the Residence was such a success that Hospice decided to once again ask Tops to contribute a heat-and-eat Thanksgiving Dinner. While patients enjoy nutritious meals prepared daily at the nearby Villages of Orleans Health & Rehabilitation Center, the meals are not cooked on site but warmed before serving.
Last year residents reported that the smell of freshly cooked turkey made it seem like a real traditional Thanksgiving even though they weren’t at home. When approached with the idea of providing that same Thanksgiving Day experience to current residents, Wartinger was enthusiastic in his support.
The fresh turkey dinner features a fully cooked Butterball bird, herb stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, turkey gravy, sweet potato casserole, cranberry orange relish and, of course, a pumpkin pie.
Hospice personnel will pick up the complimentary meal, valued at $74.99, around 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, warm it up for the recommended two hours, and serve the grateful residents. The smell of roasted turkey warming in the oven is sure to bring back happy memories and brighten the day of the residents and staff alike.
Thank you to Tops for making Thanksgiving possible for patients at the Martin-Linsen Residence so that they and their families can “live” Thanksgiving and not just “cook” it.
By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department
The Orleans County Health Department today is asking residents to give special thanks to their state and local “public health heroes” who protect the nation’s health throughout the year.
The Health Department is joining Research!America and its partners, which include the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the Society for Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American Cancer Society and others for “Public Health Thank You Day 2014.”
The day honors all those unsung heroes whose duties although vastly spread in focus, have the same overarching goal of protecting the health of the public. Public health is all around us. Take the time to appreciate some examples including the clean water you drink, the street signs, signals and lights, access to health care, emergency response, and recycling and trash removal services.
These unsung heroes who protect the nation’s health throughout the year include our health inspectors, environmental health scientists, public health researchers, sanitation workers, medical investigators, outreach workers, doctors, nurses, emergency responders, public health administration and support staff and many, many more.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Sanitation workers are unsung heroes who help protect the community’s health.
Recent outbreaks have shown us that in spite of the challenges and risks, public health professionals continue to dedicate their time and energy to combat disease and maintain a healthy environment for Americans.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and various institutions within our public health infrastructure have come together to address recent outbreaks, and public health professionals are tackling these threats head-on as they do with other health challenges on a daily basis.
We also want to take the time to wish you and your families a very healthy and Happy Thanksgiving season. We appreciate all the good things you do for our community.
The Orleans County Health Department will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and on Friday, Nov. 28. We will re-open on Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, at 8 am. Have a great holiday!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 November 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Batavia man with a heroin addiction was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison today.
Jason Lang, 33, of Liberty Street in Batavia pleaded guilty to attempted burglary in the third degree during an August court appearance. He faced a maximum of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison. Orleans County Court Judge James Punch gave Lang 1 to 3 years.
Lang admitted to stealing two coffee machines and a blender from the Albion store on Nov. 20, 2013. Because he was banned from Wal-Mart, he was charged with burglary.
His attorney, Nathan Pace, said Lang was a law-abiding citizen with only a misdemeanor until he became addicted to heroin in 2012. Since then he has been arrested 19 times.
“Obviously for the future of his life he has to get this dealt with,” Pace said about the heroin addiction.
Lang faces additional charges in Genesee County. Judge Punch didn’t give him the maximum sentence because he said Lang is not a second felony offender.
The judge urged Lang to battle the drug addiction.
“You have to get a backbone and fight this or else you’ll spend the rest of your life in jail,” Punch said.
In other cases:
Freddie Taylor, 45, of Mount Read Boulevard in Rochester was sentenced to 1 ½ years in state prison, with a chance for attending the Willard Drug Treatment Center in Romulus. That center is a specialized state prison in Seneca County that treats drug-addicted convicts.
Taylor pleaded guilty to criminal possession of controlled substance in the fifth degree. He was arrested on April 1 on several drug charges. He admitted he had cocaine in Albion on Feb. 3.
Taylor has been receiving mental health and drug addiction services.
“You’ve been in a lot of programs but nothing has really worked to keep you from this stuff,” Punch said. “I hope you can get this straightened out because I think you have some potential.”
An Albion man pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and could be sentenced to up to a year in the county jail on March 2.
James J. Bartosik, 46, of Albion was charged with felony DWI on Sept. 12 in the village. He has a prior DWI.
A high wind warning is in effect from 1 to 4 p.m. this afternoon for Orleans and other counties, including Niagara, Monroe, Genesee, Wyoming and northern Erie.
The National Weather Service says there will be southwest winds from 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts up to 60 mph.
“Winds of this magnitude could bring down some trees and power lines, resulting in scattered power outages,” the Weather Service said.
The melting snow in the Buffalo area has saturated the ground, making easier for trees to topple, the Weather Service said.
A power outage in areas with heavy snow melts could result in flooded basements because sump pumps wouldn’t otherwise work unless there is an emergency generator power supply.
