This picture was taken in 1983 during the annual Pumpkin Festival at the Cobblestone Museum.
Here we see examples of pumpkins entered in the jack o’ lantern contest. Individuals posted on the platform include, from left: Marsha Bolton, Dee Dee States, Pamela Frame, Allison Lattin, unidentified boy and Adrienne Lattin.
At the time Ms. Frame from Fairport was a guest cellist through the Orleans County Council on the Arts. Hence the jack o’ lantern displayed on the smal standl with a cello carved into it.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Dennis Stymus looks over his display of vegetables on Saturday at the Orleans County Farmers Market, which is in its final week of the season this week.
ALBION – A farmers market will conclude its 10th season this week with a show of appreciation for the loyal customers.
The Orleans County Farmers Market has been setting up in Albion on Saturday morning for 10 years. The market also has been in Medina for eight years.
“Even if the weather is bad we have a very broad customer base,” said Ann Nice of Nice Farms, who also serves as market coordinator, planning some special events during the season.
The Orleans County Farmers Market meets on Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m. in the Erie Canal Basin off East Center Street and on Saturdays in Albion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Save-A-Lot parking lot, 320 West Ave.
Jerome Pawlak, owner of Save-A-Lot, said the market has been an asset for the community.
“They have a nice selection of product and they’re good neighbors,” he said. “They definitely have a following here.”
Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina will offer wine tastings at the market on Thursday. Nice Farms also will offer samples of different types of fruit.
Ken and Ann Nice of Knowlesville have been with the market since it started in Albion.
Nice Farms and Stymus Farms also plan to donate produce to food kitchens in Medina and Albion following the market days this week. The vendors at the two sites are collecting nonperishable donations from the public that will be given to local food pantries.
The market has been a boost for Dennis Stymus. He has expanded his operation in Barre. He has seven greenhouses along Maple Avenue. Stymus also goes to markets in Williamsville and Batavia, and many of his market customers also come to the farm stand by the home farm in Barre.
“It’s close to home,” he said about the markets in Albion and Medina. “This is our base.”
Like Sytmus, Nice Farms has grown its market presence since joining the sites in Albion and Medina. Ann and Ken Nice’s daughter-in-law Jennifer goes to Le Roy and two markets in Batavia. Many of those customers also come to Nice Farms’ stand in Knowlesville.
There are three vendors currently at the Albion and Medina markets, with Renko’s Meat Processing of Kendall joining Nice and Stymus.
“It’s taken a few years but we’ve been able to build up our base for a nice small-town market,” Nice said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Tuesday will hit 75, according to Weather Service
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Some leaves remain on the trees along Fruit Avenue in Medina. It’s going to be warm to start the week, with temperatures dropping later in the week.
Today is forecast for a high of 60 degrees, followed by 75 on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo. Wednesday is forecast for a high of 57, followed by 49 on Thursday and a high of 46 on Friday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Medina Mayor Andrew Meier listens during a discussion at tonight’s Village Board meeting. He is joined by Village Trustee Mike Sidari.
MEDINA – Village residents will get their say on whether or not there will be a village government during a public referendum set for Jan. 20.
The Village Board voted tonight to set the date for the referendum. That followed an Oct. 23 decision by Village Clerk Debbie Padoleski to certify a petition circulated by members of “One Medina,” which wants to see the village government dissolved and the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby merged into one entity.
The dissolution move has been about three years in process since the village and two towns first formed a committee to look at the how to best streamline government services and reduce the cost of government in the community. A committee then suggested village dissolution and a town merger.
The issue on Jan. 20 will focus on the village dissolution and only village residents will be eligible to vote from noon to 9 p.m. at the Senior Center. (Absentee ballots will also be available.)
After Padoleski certified the petitions, the Village Board had 30 days to set a public referendum. That public vote had to fall within a minimum of 60 days and a maximum of 90 days from when the board sets the vote.
Village Trustee Mark Irwin made the motion to set the referendum date. He said the vote 20 days after New Year’s Day “gives both sides a chance to make their case.”
Mayor Andrew Meier has been pushing dissolution, even though it will cost him his job as mayor. He sees it as a best course for the community’s future, by narrowing the tax burden between current village residents and those outside the village in the two towns.
Residents with a house assessed at $70,000 can save about $1,000 a year in taxes if they move outside the village and live in the two towns. Meier wants to reduce the tax incentive for residents and businesses to locate outside the village.
Ridgeway Town Councilwoman Mary Woodruff said dissolution would just be a tax shift to the two towns. She urged the Village Board to educate the public about possible scenarios and tax impacts with the dissolution.
Village Trustee Mark Kruzynski said the public referendum will simply be on whether or not the village government should be dissolved. The vote won’t get into the specifics of a dissolution plan. A planin April was presented by a committee that worked with a consultant, the Center for Governmental Research in Rochester.
That plan would preserve the police and fire departments and other village services. However, officials from the two towns have said Shelby and Ridgeway aren’t obligated to follow that plan.
A potential loss of services worries some residents, including Trustee Marguerite Sherman.
“Residents need to know once it’s gone, it’s gone,” she said about dissolution.
The village would continue for about two more years, even if residents vote to dissolve it. That will give time for an orderly transition to the two towns, and perhaps to form a local development corporation or public authority for some services.
“Medina will still be Medina even if it ceases to be a village,” Irwin said. “The village won’t just vaporize.”
He cited examples of Charlotte in Rochester and La Salle in Niagara Falls, communities that kept their identities even when their village governments faded away.
Woodruff is a village resident and she said she likes having local representatives to share her concerns.
“I want my voice in the government,” she told the board.
She also said the two towns don’t plan on working towards a consolidation.
Ed Weider helped circulate the petitions to get dissolution on the ballot. He addressed the Village Board tonight and said the community should look at the issue as a “reorganization plan.”
“The village won’t just go away with a flip of the switch,” he said. “It will take two years to reorganize and that will require a great deal of cooperation.”
MEDINA – U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will be in Orleans County this morning to tour the Iroquois Job Corps Center on Tibbitts Road in the Town of Shelby.
Gillibrand will meet with students and staff. Job Corps is a no-cost education and career technical training program for disconnected young people ages 16 through 24. Gillibrand wants to hear firsthand from students how the program is preparing them for 21st century jobs.
The Iroquois Job Corps Center is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and uses its training programs to help its students improve the quality of their lives through career technical and academic training. The center is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Medina man admitted in court today he sold marijuana on May 20 and also had a .22-caliber revolver at his residence.
Rodrick S. Griffin, 31, of 238 Eagle St. pleaded guilty to criminal sale of marijuana in the third degree, which carries a maximum of 1 ½ to 2 years in state prison. He also pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, which carries a maximum of a year in jail.
Griffin was charged after allegedly selling 27 ounces of marijuana on West Avenue in Medina. The gun was discovered at his residence.
He will be sentenced on Feb. 2.
In another case in County Court, a Holley man was arraigned and remanded to jail on $100,000 bail. David Diaz Jr., 31, faces charges of criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance, as well as criminal sale and criminal possession of cocaine in the third degree, in addition to a charge of escape.
Diaz was arrested on July 14 after a six-hour manhunt in Holley after he was taken to the police station and allegedly fled from officers. He was finally arrested after he was discovered hiding in a hollowed out couch in an abandoned house at 27 Mechanic St.
Given a past history of five misdemeanors, three failures to appear in court, two Probation revocations and the escape from the Holley Police Department, Orleans County Court Judge decided to set bail at $100,000 for Diaz.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Dr. Doodle, a toy manufactured by Fisher-Price in 1957-61, was among the toys on display during a program about Fisher-Price at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library today.
Larry Lackner shared toys from his collection as well as highlights of his research about the company including its time in Medina from 1970 to the late 1990s. Lackner worked for the company in Medina from 1972 to 1997, starting as a material handler and ending as a quality control inspector.
Fisher-Price turned the former Heinz plant into a manufacturing center for toys. At its peak, Fisher-Price had 950 workers in Medina.
The Little People were a very popular toy and are currently a finalist for the Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester.
Tuggy Turtle was made by Fisher-Price from 1959-1961.
Elsie’s Dairy Truck was made by the company from 1948-1950. Lackner said he regretted that the packaging for the toys always said made in East Aurora even though Medina was “Toy Town,” producing many of the toys.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand chats with carpentry students at the Iroquois Job Corps Center in Medina today.
MEDINA – U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand hailed the Iroquois Job Corps Center as a model for success, a program very deserving of the government’s support.
Gillibrand stopped by the center today and met some of the students and staff. The center has 225 students who stay in dorms. There are seven Job Corps in the state. This was the first residential program Gillibrand visited.
The students learn hands-on vocational training. She met with students in the carpentry program where they were building a small lighthouse today that will have solar panels on it.
“This is the kind of program we need to support,” she said after meeting students. “It’s good for the economy.”
Sen. Gillibrand tours the carpentry shop with Michael Wisor, a carpentry instructor.
Many of the students learn skills and can enter the workforce. Others pursue college or the military. Job Corps staff will stay in touch for students for two years following their graduation, providing guidance and support, Gillibrand said.
“This program is vital,” she said. “It is a great environment that is 24-7.”
The Iroquois Job Corps is on the wildlife refuge. It opened in 1966. The federal government created the Job Corps program 50 years ago.
Iroquois staff invited Gillibrand as part of the program’s 50th anniversary. She also plans to visit a center in Oneonta on Wednesday.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has visited the Iroquois Center before. The site is down about 25 students from its capacity of 250. The Department of Labor froze enrollments last year due to a budget shortfall. Gillibrand, Schumer and Congressman Chris Collins have written letters to the DOL to allow the centers to again operate at capacity, said Melinda Maedl, business and community liaison for the Iroquois Job Corps.
“They’ve all been great supporters of the program,” Maedl said.
Gillibrand is pictured with Melissa Volpe, director of the Iroquois Job Corps.
Provided photos – Members of the Medina Mustang Field Band poses with their awards after Sunday’s championship show in Syracuse.
MEDINA – The Medina Mustang Field Band took second place in its division on Sunday during the state championship at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, where 52 bands competed in six different classifications.
Medina competes in the SS1 class against six other schools. New Hartford took first place with a score of 92.10 followed by Medina at 89.90. Other rankings include Northwestern in seventh at 83.65, Oswego in sixth at 84.10, Mohonasen in 5th at 84.85, East Irondequoit in fourth with 85.45 and ESM in 3rd with 89.70.
There were more than 5,000 students in the New York State Field Band Conference annual championships. Medina won the state title last year.
Medina started the day at 8 a.m. with the Dome Breakfast put on by the Boosters and the help of many parents as a kind of “pep rally” to bring everyone together. For the seniors it was exciting to be returning to the Dome, but at the same time they knew it would be the last time they would perform their show together. Seniors draw a tear on their cheek for the last show.
Medina this season performed a 7-minute Miss Saigon repertoire including “The Heat is On,” “Please,” “March of the Dragon,” and “Fall of Saigon.”
Band Director Jim Steele said the kids did everything they were asked to do and their performance was outstanding. There are many life lessons to be learned when participating in an activity such as marching band.
As long as you put your best performance out there, whether you come in first or not, that’s good enough, Steele told the students. Before going on the field to perform and after the awards, Steele had the band members form a circle and hold hands with the people around them. No matter what position you win or what trophy you come home with, the people in that circle and the friendships made will still be there, he said.
While the Field Band season is coming to a close the students are preparing for their winter concerts. Winterguard will begin practicing for their show.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The crowd of 1,000 participants at The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk raised $50,000 on Sunday for breast cancer research and for programs for people battling the disease.
The top photo shows a group of students from the Iroquois Job Corps Center in Medina at the beginning of the 5-kilometer walk.
The $50,000 raised on Sunday brings the total to $325,000 over 10 years since Watt Farms started hosting the event.
The American Cancer Society organizes other walks in the region and they typically are in urban areas. There was another Making Strides walk on Sunday at Jamestown Community College.
The walk in Albion differs from the others for its farm setting, said Monica Dailey, a specialist for community events for the American Cancer Society.
She praised the participants and Karen Watt, co-owner of the farm and a breast cancer survivor, for working so hard on the Making Strides walk at Watt Farms.
“The community rallies together,” she said. “You see a sea of pink.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The 10th annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Watt Farms drew about 1,000 people this morning at the farm on Route 98.
In the top photo, Melinda Maedl, business and community liaison for the Iroquois Job Corps Center in Medina, waves and leads a group at the beginning of the walk.
Karen Watt, a breast cancer survivor, addresses the crowd before the walk. Gene Christopher is pictured in lower right. His wife Judy fought breast cancer. She died at age 70 on Aug. 3, 2013.
Organizers of the walk set a $55,000 goal for today’s event. Watt said some of that money will go to advance cancer research. She said Orleans County is fortunate to be between major cancer research facilities in Buffalo and Rochester.
Karen Watt is pictured with two of her employees who are both breast cancer survivors. Melanie Vanacore, center, was diagnosed in July and Elizabeth “Perk” Banker was diagnosed five years ago. Watt is a 10-year survivor.
Watt said 70 Orleans County residents are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. In the 10 years of the walk at the Watt Farms, about 700 people in the county have been diagnosed with breast cancer, Watt said.
About 1,000 people were out walking in the orchards at Watt Farms for the breast cancer walk this morning.
There were 23 students from the Iroquois Job Corps in Medina on the walk today. Students sold ribbons and competed in a dorm vs. dorm event to raise $350 for the cause.
Participants ventured past the pond in the orchard on the 5-kilometer route.
Members of the CSEA employee union in Orleans County are pictured before the walk. County employees raised about $1,000 for the walk. Pictured, in back from left include: Debbie Sherk, Paula Bensely, Linette Kropp, union president Cindy Troy, and Alexis Montes and Johanna Cuadra whose mother Diana Kephart works for the county.
The two girls in front, Gracelynn and Isabelle Perkins, are Troy’s granddaughters.
Robbi Hess of Albion, center, is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed 2 years, 3 months and 11 days ago. She had a mammogram just before her 50th birthday, and had surgery and radiation. She is pictured with her sister Cheryl Sipple of Medina, left, and cousin Pam Gray of Medina. The three raised $400 for today’s walk.
Hess volunteers as a mentor with the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, connecting with women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She also is active on the Cancer Survivors Facebook page, arranging for people with cancer to receive cards in the mail.
Members of the Elba football and soccer teams gather for a picture before today’s walk at Watt Farms.
Contributed Story Posted 26 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided photos
The Junior FFA in Medina made numerous scarecrows on Thursday when 70 FFA students participated in a scarecrow contest.
This is an annual event for the FFA near Halloween. In this photo, Junior FFA officers Alyssa Root, Kali Schrader, Corinne Hill, Kaela Grosslinger and Shelby Martin lead younger students in directions on how to create scarecrows. Then they get to spray paint the round bale as a team.
All the Wise Middle School teachers are asked to vote on their favorite scarecrow. The students learn teamwork and also have a great time working on the scarecrows, said Michele Crandall, Junior FFA advisor.
The Junior FFA continues to be a growing program. This is the first year the Junior FFA includes fifth-graders.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Astorino says he will take aim at taxes, SAFE Act, Common Core
Photos by Tom Rivers – Rob Astorino, the Republican Party candidate for governor, addresses about 300 people Friday night during the Republican Party Fall Rally. He was joined at the head table by, pictured from left: Beverly Maziarz, her husband State Sen. George Maziarz, and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
HOLLEY – A crowd of 300 attended the Orleans County Republican Fall Rally on Friday night, and they were told to work hard to get out the vote on Nov. 4, especially for Rob Astorino, the candidate for governor against incumbent Andrew Cuomo.
“We are peaking at the right time,” Astorino told the Republicans in Orleans County. “This race will come down to Upstate New York. The dirty secret here is New York City is not going to vote this year. It’s going to be a very quiet election in New York City, which means every vote Upstate matters more than you know.”
Cuomo has a 21-point lead over Astorino, 54 to 33 percent, in a Siena poll released on Wednesday. (Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins is eroding some Cuomo support with 9 points in the poll.)
Astorino said he has been narrowing the gap, and he expects Republicans and Conservatives to show up big for the election.
“The mighty will be cast down from their throne,” Astorino told the GOP crowd at Hickory Ridge Country Club. “That’s going to happen on Nov. 4.”
Astorino has been an underdog before. He is county executive of Westchester County, which has a big enrollment edge for Democrats. He overcame that to win in Westchester, and he said his broad support has helped him reduce county spending and promote job growth in Westchester County.
Astorino said he would push to reduce taxes, repeal the SAFE Act for gun control and also get rid of the Common Core in schools.
“This race is much closer than anybody knows,” Astorino said. “There is one person who knows how close it is besides me and that’s Andrew Cuomo. He has spent already $30 million in this race, $30 in pure negative, false ads. Have you seen the soup commercial? He wouldn’t have spent half of that if he didn’t have to. He knows what we know. New York City is going to be quiet. Upstate New York is going to be our country. It’s going to matter the suburbs, where I am from.”
Rob Astorino addresses the GOP crowd after being introduced by Ed Morgan, the Orleans County Republican Party chairman.
Astorino flew back home after addressing the crowd at Hickory Ridge. He said he will be up early Saturday to campaign in Long Island.
“If we win the suburbs, we win the race,” he said.
Ed Morgan, the Orleans County Republican Party chairman, praised Astorino for working so hard in the race. Morgan said the candidate has proven he can connect with voters from all parties and get things done in public office.
Orleans County Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by about a 2 to 1 ratio. Astorino said he will need a big effort at the polls from Republicans.
“You are ready to roar,” he said in his speech. “The silent majority is waking up in this state. Enough of the high taxes, enough of the terrible economy, enough of the absolute corruption coming out of Andrew Cuomo’s Office. We can fix that because we shouldn’t settle for that. This is New York and we should be the best at everything because we once were.”
Congressman Chris Collins also urged Republicans to reach out to their friends on Election Day. Collins said Cuomo has failed to inspire voters and is vulnerable.
“Voter turnout can turn this election,” Collins said. “I’ve said it before: No one likes Andrew Cuomo, not even his mom. Honest, that’s not even a joke. This is a nasty person.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – George Maziarz receives a standing ovation during the Orleans County Republican Fall Rally on Friday at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Holley.
HOLLEY – For nearly two decades George Maziarz has been a ubiquitous presence in Orleans County, appearing at numerous fire department banquets, community parades, ribbon-cuttings and many other events.
Maziarz, a state senator since 1995, also worked hard for the county behind the scenes, advocating for residents and local officials, trying to bring state resources into the community.
“We’re going to miss him for lots and lots of reasons,” State Assemblyman Steve Hawley told about 300 Republicans at the fall rally. “He’s known as the hardest working senator in Albany.”
Maziarz is retiring from the State Senate and from nearly four decades of public service that started when he was appointed city clerk in North Tonawanda at age 25. The Niagara County resident said he won’t miss the frequent drives to Albany. He wants more time for his wife Beverly and their family.
Maziarz said he will remain a frequent presence in Orleans County, connecting with friends and helping to elect Republicans.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
The Republican Party dedicated its fall yearbook to Maziarz on Friday and announced a plaque will hang in his honor in the County Legislature chambers.
Maziarz was credited with helping advance many projects in the county, 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.
He made special note of Camp Rainbow in the Town of Ridgeway. Maziarz and several state legislators secured state funds for the camp, which is owned and operated by The Arc of Orleans County.
“Camp Rainbow is a little piece of Heaven right here in Orleans County,” Maziarz said. “God’s work is being done there.”
The Republican Party is backing Rob Ortt, the North Tonawanda mayor, to succeed Maziarz in the Senate. Ortt is challenged by Johnny Destino, an attorney and member of the boards of education for Niagara Falls and the Orleans-Niagara BOCES.
Rob Ortt addresses Orleans County Republicans on Friday during the fall rally.
Ortt has been North Tonawanda’s mayor for nearly five years. He served in the National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan from March to December 2008. Prior to being elected mayor, he served as the city’s treasurer and then clerk-treasurer.
“He’s made the right decisions,” Maziarz said about Ortt. “That’s why I felt very comfortable stepping aside.”
Ortt told Repblicans he will work to repeal the SAFE Act, a controversial gun control measure passed in January 2013. He also said he would work to get rid of Common Core in schools.
The capitol needs more conservative voices from Upstate New York, Ortt said.
He told the group he would be an advocate for farmers, small business owners and Constitutional rights.
The group was also addressed by Rob Astorino, the candidate for governor, and Congressman Chris Collins. Collins, after a bitterly fought election win two years ago over Kathy Hochul, faces a little known challenger in Jim O’Donnell, a Buffalo police officer.
Jane Corwin of Clarence also spoke at the rally. Her district includes the Town of Shelby in Orleans County. She isn’t opposed this election.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley of Batavia has served in the Assembly for nearly nine years. He touted his perfect pro-business voting record. Unshackle Upstate has given him a perfect 100 for each of the past six years. Hawley said he is the only candidate with that distinction over six years.
He faces a challenge on Nov. 4 from Libertarian Party candidate Mark Glogowski of Hamlin.
Bob Antonacci, the Onondaga County comptroller, is running for state comptroller against incumbent Tom DiNapoli. If elected Antonacci would be the first state comptroller who is a certified public accountant. He said he has the skills to watch over taxpayers’ money.
Several candidates for State Supreme Court also attended the fall rally, including Frederick Marshall, Paul Wojtaszek, Jeannette Ogden and Dennis Ward.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion School District made a big effort to promote today’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Watt Farms in Albion.
Before the walk at 10 a.m., about 150 students and staff gathered next to the football stadium for a picture. The group is arranged in the shape of the breast cancer awareness ribbon.
Some of the group is pictured walking on East Bacon Road as part of the 5-kilometer course at the farm. Students and staff raised about $6,000 for the American Cancer Society. Nancy Moore, a teacher’s aide, and Jennifer Blanchard, a teacher, pushed the cause throughout the district.
Two teachers have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and several others also were diagnosed with cancer in recent years.
“We’ve had so many people affected by cancer and other tragedies,” Moore said this morning.
