By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Palettes of Orleans concluded its second season with a reception and auction this evening at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina.
In the top photo Laura Gardner, left, and Sam Roskowski look over some of the 27 pieces of artwork on display, including the bottom row, from left, by Clara Lake, Jen Scott (dog) and Patricia Worrad.
The palette project was coordinated by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce with proceeds going towards art scholarships at each of the five school districts in the county.
This photo shows artwork by Connie Mosher (flowers) and Ed Rosko.
GAINES – In this photo from the 1930s we see Dr. William E. Burbank looking over his flowers.
The picture was taken in front of his office and residence located in a brick building at Gaines. This was close to the intersection of rotes 104 and 279.
Dr. Burbank (1860-1947) was an old-time country doctor who also served the rural schools in Gaines back when this picture was taken.
(Editor’s note: The Cobblestone Museum currently has an exhibit on many of the doctors in the county from more than a century ago, as well as many medical and pharmaceutical tools from yesteryear. Click here for more information.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Paintings by Orleans County artists will be sold to the highest bidder during a reception this evening, a project that will try to raise $1,250 for art scholarships – $250 for each of the five school districts in the county.
The top photo shows a painting of fishermen by Suzanne Wells of Waterport. The painting was displayed at Tillman’s Village Inn.
This is the second year the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce has coordinated the Palettes of Orleans. Last year it debuted with 70 paintings on palettes. This year the numbers were reduced and the format was switched to an 11-by-14-inch canvas.
This photo features artwork created by Jen Scott. The Book Shoppe in Medina displayed Scott’s work.
There will be a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery at 10609 Ridge Rd., Medina. The public is welcome to attend and bid on the 27 pieces of art.
MURRAY – A vacant trailer at 24 Skyline Circle in the Town of Murray was destroyed in a fire early this morning. Firefighters responded at about 2 a.m. and encountered heavy smoke from the burning trailer.
Kevin Dann, deputy chief for the Holley Fire Department, said the fire was under control in about a half hour. Holley firefighters were assisted at the scene by the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company and Brockport Fire Department. The Kendall Fire Department filled in at the Holley fire station.
The fire is under investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and Orleans County Emergency Management Office.
Provided photo – U.S. History teacher Pierson Bell is dressed as a Revolutionary War solider in this photo with Victoria Vought (left), Abby Maines and Adam Cotter.
Press release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – U.S. History teacher Pierson Bell has a very unusual way to bring history to life to his students at Medina High School. He comes dressed to class as a British soldier.
“I am a Revolutionary War re-enactor and belong to a British regiment headquartered out of Rochester,” he said. “I got into it as a hobby when I was in graduate school at William and Mary, which is located in Colonial Williamsburg, the 18th century living history museum.”
His students have been studying the American Revolution since the beginning of the school year and when they focused on the military conflict and warfare of the 18th century, it seemed like a perfect time to wear his military uniform.
“The linear tactics, standing shoulder to shoulder and shooting at each other, seems silly to us in the 21st century, but it makes perfect sense to those in the 18th century due to the inaccuracy of the weapons,” he said. “We discussed factors that led to the American victory and some of the myths Hollywood movies perpetuate like Mel Gibson’s ‘The Patriot.'”
Mr. Bell says he loved this lesson because of its hands-on approach and because students ask questions on what they observe.
“As teachers we work hard to convey our passion for our subject to our students and hopefully excite them about their learning,” he said. “Showing students that my passion for history goes beyond work hours goes a long way in building credibility with them and creating interest for the subject.”
ALBION – The Erie Canal is changing colors as the calendar turns to fall. Peggy Barringer of Albion captured the image of a heron along the canal bank on Tuesday while she was out for a walk along the towpath.
There is a lot of drizzle today, when it is forecast to reach a high of 71 degrees. The National Weather Service in Buffalo forecasts a high of 77 on Thursday and 79 on Friday with lots of sun. The temperature will drop on the weekend with a high of 60 on Saturday and 55 on Sunday.
Peggy Barringer also captured this canal scene in Albion near the Canal Corp. facilities.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Watt Farms hosts several schools each fall
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Chris Watt, owner of Watt Farms in Albion, gives kindergarteners tips on how to pick an apple during a visit to an orchard today. The students are from Cayuga Heights Elementary School in Depew.
Watt Farms hosts about 15 school visits each fall with most from Erie County. Watt said the farm used to do about 30 tours with schools, but many of the schools scaled back on field trips.
The school from Depew has been coming to Watt’s for many years. Tara McCormick, one of the teachers, said the farm is very accommodating to students and their parents. The students rode out to the orchard in a train, which is actually a tractor trailer resembling a locomotive.
“We’ve been talking about apples in the classroom,” said teacher Nicole Valint. “Here they see you actually have to grow them. They don’t just come from the grocery store.”
One of the classes is pictured by the train. About 60 students from Cayuga Heights rode the train out to the orchard.
Each student picked four apples. Mary Krawczyk, center, walks in the orchard with her daughter MacKenzie, right, and Alivia, one of the kindergarteners.
Besides picking apples and riding the train, the students learned about the importance of bees and pollination from Karen Watt. Another station at the farm showed students how to make apple cider.
Press release, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
BASOM – Beginning today, trapping permits will be issued for the Oak Orchard, Tonawanda and John White Wildlife Management Areas for the 2014-2015 license year.
Permit applications can be obtained weekdays from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, by appearing in person at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Office on Casey Road between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or by writing to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Wildlife, 1101 Casey Road, Box B, Basom, New York 14013.
Trappers who obtain a permit will be required to report their harvest and trapping efforts on each area. The Western New York trapping season for fox, raccoon, coyote and other upland furbearing animals opens Oct. 25 and closes Feb. 15, with the exception of the John White WMA. On John White WMA the upland trapping season will run from Nov. 1 to Feb. 15.
This year beaver season in this area of NY (including on Tonawanda, Oak Orchard and John White WMAs) will run from Nov. 25 until Feb. 15.
The Western New York trapping season for mink and muskrat opens on Nov. 25 and closes on Feb. 15.
However, the 2014-2015 muskrat and mink seasons at the three WMAs start later than the Western NY trapping season and will run from Dec. 6 to Feb. 15. In addition, a 25-trap limit will be in place for muskrat and mink on the three WMAs (traps set for upland trapping and beaver will not require numbered tags and will not be considered in the trap limit). The trap limit provides a more equitable distribution of the harvest and prevents trappers from monopolizing the better trapping areas.
The maximum number of traps a trapper can set for muskrat and mink on the three areas is 25. To accomplish this, the DEC issues 25 numbered tags to each trapper who obtains a permit. A tag must be attached to each trap the trapper is using on the areas. Any trap that does not have one of these tags attached is considered an illegal trap. Also, an individual trapper can only operate traps that contain tags with their assigned numbers.
Management of the muskrat population promotes prime emergent marsh habitats used by waterfowl and uncommon marsh birds such as the black tern and least bittern. The trap limit allows Bureau of Wildlife personnel to better regulate the muskrat harvest according to water availability, habitat needs and population.
Hunters and trappers are reminded that no gas or electric motor boats are allowed on Oak Orchard or Tonawanda WMAs.
MEDINA – The school district is flying black and white mourning flags following the death of beloved middle school teacher Barbara Barnes. She was killed in a car accident on Monday morning in Newfane on her way to school.
Barnes taught special education at the Clifford Wise Middle School for 18 years. She lived in Newfane. Her husband Bruce is a town justice. They have two sons, Troy and Braidy. Barnes is also survived by her step-children, Livia Santschi, Evan and Thaler.
Barbara Barnes
The mourning flags at the school district will be at half mast on Saturday, the day of Barnes’s funeral. There will be calling hours at the Rutland & Corwin Funeral Home on Friday from 2 to 7 p.m. with the funeral service at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Newfane Methodist Church.
Donations can be made to the Barbara Barnes Memorial Scholarship, Medina School District C/O Christine Griffin, One Mustang Drive, Medina, NY 14103.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Rodemeyer family records segment for video
Photos by Tom Rivers – John Wragg (left), owner of Torquil Studios, is pictured with the Rodemeyer family: Tracy, Tim and Alyssa. They recorded a segment about anti-bullying today in Wragg’s studio in Middleport.
MIDDLEPORT – John Wragg pulls backs the shirt sleeve on his right arm. A scar runs from his palm and past his wrist.
For Wragg, bullying is personal. When he was 14 he slashed himself because of the jeering he faced at school.
Wragg, now 60, wants to send a powerful message to the community and beyond about bullying. For the past seven months he has worked with musicians in Orleans County and the sixth grade chorus at Medina to produce “We Are The World.” The lyrics will be the same as when leading musicians recorded the song in 1985 to fight hunger in Africa. Click here to see that video.
This time Wragg wants the song to send an anti-bullying message. Many local musicians recorded parts for the song. Wragg felt it was missing something. He reached out to the Rodemeyer family. Tracy and Tim Rodemeyer’s son Jamey committed suicide when he was 14, after facing harassment from his classmates at Williamsville North. Jamey was gay.
His parents and Jamey’s 19-year-old sister, Alyssa, were at Wragg’s studio today.
“Whether it’s two people or 10,000 people, we want to get the message out to prevent suicide and make schools a safe place,” Mrs. Rodemeyer said. “Our view is one kid at a time, one school at a time.”
John Wragg shows the Rodemeyers and Bobby Wise (back right) the nearly complete “We Are The World” video Wragg has produced about bullying. Wise is founder of Project Unity, an anti-bullying program.
The Rodemeyers were joined by Bobby Wise, founder of Project Unity, a bullying prevention program. Wise grew up in Fredonia and left that school in ninth grade due to bullying. He graduated from a performing arts high school in Utah.
He watched Wragg’s video and was impressed. He hopes it goes viral on the Internet.
“It features real people from our area,” Wise said after seeing the video. “They understand the problem that is going on.”
Wragg plans to include the Rodemeyers in the final edit. He wants to have the video go live in time for Oct. 6, which is “World Anti-Bullying Day.” He wants to challenge people who see the video to take a stand against bullying, whether at school, the workplace, in their homes or elsewhere in the community.
“This is just to raise awareness and to send a message,” Wragg said. “It’s we the people against you bullies.”
Orleans Hub will post the finished video when it’s ready in a few days.
ALBION – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) is holding a series of four town hall meetings for Orleans County constituents this Saturday.
Hawley invites his constituents to ask questions about any state or local issue that concerns them. Hawley frequently holds town halls across his district to make sure that the people his represents have as much access to him as possible and to give them the opportunity to provide their input of the direction of the area.
“One of my responsibilities as an elected official is to keep my constituents informed on state and local issues that affect them,” Hawley said. “These town halls are one way to do that. I invite every one of my constituents to come out and discuss whatever is on their minds. I am here to listen and work with them to make Western New York a great place to live and work.”
The schedule for the town hall events includes:
9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. at Ridgeway Town Hall, 410 W. Ave., Medina;
10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at Carlton Town Hall, 14341 Waterport-Carlton Rd.;
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Albion Town Hall,3665 Clarendon Rd.;
1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at Murray Town Hall, 3840 Fancher Rd., Holley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The Main Street Store is selling most of its items at 30 to 90 percent off before it opens in about two weeks in the American Legion at 131 South Main St.
ALBION – When it started eight years ago, the Main Street Store was intended as a place to teach job readiness skills for unemployed residents and also provide quality “nearly new” merchandise at low prices.
The store has been a big success, expanding to a neighboring storefront about two years after it first opened. The store outgrew those two storefronts in the downtown, said Angel Slick, the retail operations manager.
“We’ve just grown and grown through the programs that we do,” Slick said at the store today at 49 North Main St.
Community Action of Orleans & Genesee operates the store and was looking for a bigger site. About a year ago it identified the American Legion as an ideal location for the store. The agency recently closed on the American Legion and has been busy painting the inside, working on the floor and making other improvements.
Elizabeth Daniels checks the inventory at the Main Street Store, which is in its final days in downtown Albion before moving to a bigger site on South Main Street.
The Main Street Store expects to open in the Legion site in about two weeks with a grand opening planned from Oct. 22-25.
The agency works with about 100 people a year in the job readiness program. Slick said about 65 usually find jobs with 45 keeping those jobs for at least 90 days. Those job connections are the program’s greatest success, Slick said.
The store offers assistance with resumes, letters and job searches, while providing skills that would be valuable to employers.
While the site serves as a job-training ground, Slick noticed that the community has responded to the merchandize, from clothes, to furniture and other household items. The Main Street Store won’t sell items that aren’t “like new.”
The store has a laundry machine and dryer, and every clothing item is washed before being displayed.
“We launder all of the clothes,” Slick said. “We avoid that thrift store smell.”
Daisy Stroud, left, is the donor program specialist for the Main Street Store, helping to attract merchandise, volunteers and financial donations. She is pictured with Melissa Thompson, who is in the business and office administration program.
The Legion will boost the available retail space by 1 ½ times. There will be more parking and much more accessibility for customers, said Daisy Stroud, donation program specialist for the store. She tries to attract merchandise, volunteers and financial donations.
Community Action staff and volunteers have been busy getting the Legion ready for the store, while also boxing up some of the merchandise from the two downtown storefronts.
“The new location will be so much easier for the customers to meander through the racks,” Stroud said. “We’re striving for an upscale boutique where we can cater to all.”
The Legion is getting a makeover. The main room will have the store merchandise. The dining room will be used as a classroom. The Legion has access to the back bar for 18 months. When that time is up, Community Action could transform that space into the classroom, and use the other classroom space as a more upscale chic section, Slick said. She is grateful for the possibilities.
The new location will be open later on Tuesdays through Fridays until 7 p.m., and until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Monday. Currently, the store closes at 5 p.m.
“We’re trying to be there for the community,” Slick said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – John Grimes believes Curvin’s News on Main Street in Medina can be a profitable business. He wants to retire and sell the business after operating it the past 19 years.
MEDINA – It looked like Curvin’s News was closing about a month ago, but owner John Grimes is giving the store more life – but not for long.
Grimes has owned and operated the business the past 19 years. He wants to retire and is looking for a buyer for the business.
“I’m old and out of ideas,” he said. “If someone has an idea they could make a decent amount of business. I think things could be done to make it more profitable.”
Grines is asking $50,000 “or reasonable offer” for Curvin’s, which has been a part of Medina for nearly a century.
Grimes thought he had a buyer for the business but that didn’t come to fruition. He is also trying to sell the next-door video store.
Grimes ran the businesses with his wife Barb. She died on Feb. 12, 2012 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. Grimes said he has struggled to run the businesses without his wife.
He nearly shut down the business two years ago after a former employee stole about $65,000 worth of lottery tickets.
Curvin’s has long been a popular gathering place for residents. Grimes is hopeful a buyer will step forward and there will be a new generation of Curvin’s for the community.
He welcomes prospective buyers to give him a call at 798-4745 or stop by the store at 540 Main St.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – Three of the five museum leaders are pictured for the Museum Crawl from Batavia to Point Breeze on Saturday. Pictured, from left, include Amy Vlack from the Elba Historical Society Museum, Jeff Donahue from the Holland Land Office Museum in Batavia, and Sarah Karas from The Cobblestone Museum.
Five historic sites along Route 98, from Batavia to Point Breeze, are joining for their first “Museum Crawl” on Saturday. Participants can buy one ticket for $5 and get access to all five sites.
The museums all tell an American story, from the birthplace of Western New York at the Holland Land Office Museum in Batavia to sites that showcase architecture, home life, agriculture, a schoolhouse and even outhouses from more than a century ago.
“I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to partner with some of the local historical organizations in our community,” said Sarah Karas, co-director of the Cobblestone Museum. “It is a great way to support each other.”
The Cobblestone Museum includes several historic structures. The museum has been declared a National Historic Landmark. The Holland Land Office Museum also has that lofty designation.
The DAR House in Albion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That site will be included on the Museum Crawl, and so will the Elba Historical Society Museum and Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum.
Karas highlighted some of the features from each site:
The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum, completed in 2010, is the first lighthouse built on the Great Lakes in 100 years.
The Cobblestone Museum preserves the unique cobblestone masonry style and life during the 1800s.
The Orleans County Chapter DAR House is a Greek revival building with period furnishings and contains early Orleans County artifacts.
The Elba Historical Society Museum is full of local artifacts and information, including the designation as the location of the first rural mail route in the country.
The Holland Land Office Museum, which occupies the historic Holland Land Office Company Building, contains a rich history of how Western New York was settled.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Cobblestone Museum is a National Historic Landmark, the only site in Orleans County with that status from the U.S. Departent of the Interior.
“Each museum brings their own unique charm to the tour,” Karas said. “None of them are the same, so you will be learning something new at each one.”
The crawl runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, with the exception of the DAR House, which will be open from 12:30 to 5 p.m. for the event. (The DAR House will be open at 11:30 a.m. for a presentation on the Clarendon Historical Society and Cobblestone Museum’s efforts to restore a red fox that was stuffed 134 years ago by famed taxidermist Carl Akeley when he was only 16. The Cobblestone Museum owns the Akeley fox.)
“This will be a great opportunity to learn about local history,” said Diane Palmer, vice regent for the DAR and also a board member for the Cobblestone Museum. “People can stop by places they may have intended to visit but haven’t taken the time.”
The Cobblestone Museum is also hosting children’s author Cynthia Cotten for a book signing. Her book “Window Across Time” will be available for purchase at the museum. Cotton lives along the canal in Lockport. Her book spans almost two centuries, and consists of eight stories linked together by a cobblestone house in a fictional small town on the Erie Canal. Through the eyes of the young people who live there, readers get a look inside (or a window to) both large and small moments in the history of the house, Western New York and the United States.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The DAR House, at the corner of Route 98 and Linwood Avenue, will be open to the public from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the Museum Crawl.
Passbooks for the Crawl are $5 per person or $10 per family. They can be purchased pre-sale or day of the event at each museum and two local participating businesses: Bindings Bookstore in Albion and Chap’s Diner in Elba.
Participants will have their passbook stamped at each museum. Once all five stamps are collected, a certificate will be given that can be redeemed at one of the five local restaurants offering special promotions for Crawl participants. The restaurants participating this year include Oliver’s Candies, Chap’s Diner, The Crooked Door, Tillman’s Village Inn and the Black North. Crawl finishers will also be entered to win a souvenir basket from each museum.
The museums can be visited in any order at any time throughout the day. However, organizers suggest starting at either the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum or the Holland Land Office Museum and working your way through the museums in a linear fashion.
“It is a great way to get out and support your local museums, culture, and history while also having a good time.,” Karas said. “We hope to expand it out next year to make it even bigger and better.”
Staff Reports Posted 30 September 2014 at 12:00 am
HARTLAND – A Medina man is in serious condition after an accident in Hartland this afternoon, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Steven R. Churchfield, 48, of Medina was headed east at about 5 p.m. on the 9400 block of Ridge Road when he failed to negotiate a curve in the road, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
The vehicle traveled onto the south shoulder striking a utility pole, severing the pole in half. The vehicle continued off the road where it overturned coming to rest in a field.
Churchfield was transported by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. He is currently listed in serious condition at ECMC. The accident is being investigated by Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Accident Investigation Unit. Charges are pending, the Sheriff’s Office said.
