MEDINA – Lee-Whedon Memorial Library will be accepting new school supplies in lieu of fines.
For every dollar owed in overdue fines up to $5, one new packaged item may be donated during the week of Aug. 4-8. We will continue to accept donations for the remainder of the month. However, those donations will not be counted towards fines.
All school supplies donated will benefit the children of the Medina Central School District.
Suggested donations include the following: pens, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, binders, rulers, folders, glue sticks, notebooks, scissors, pencil sharpeners, filler paper, markers, notebooks, scotch tape, and composition books.
POINT BREEZE – When the Weather Service predicted a big storm was coming on Sunday night, Steven Wilson of Albion knew where he wanted to be. He headed to the Bridges in Point Breeze.
Wilson, an aspiring professional photographer, positioned himself near a closed down bridge by Narby’s. He aimed his camera to the big bridge on Route 18 that stretches across the Oak Orchard River. He wanted to capture the lightning over a local landmark.
Photo courtesy of Steven Wilson
He also likes this photo of lightning in the clouds over the bridge.
By Matt Ballard
Cobblestone Society Museum co-director
LYNDONVILLE – This small building, standing on the east side of Main Street in the Village of Lyndonville, once served as the office of Dr. John D. Warren.
Later, this same building was used by Dr. Warren’s son-in-law, Dr. Charles E. Fairman. It was common practice for a physician to have a smaller building located near their home for use as an office. Many homes had separate wings or extensions that served as the location for their practice.
Dr. Warren was well known for his interest in fruit and vegetable drying. Around 1880, he submitted a patent for “Warren’s Vegetable Soup Package,” the precursor to the instant soup packets we currently use today. Later that same year, Gaines farmer A. J. Palmer assigned half of the patent for his fruit dryer to Dr. Warren. The Cobblestone Museum has the patent model of Palmer’s fruit dryer on display in the Farmer’s Hall.
Editor’s Note: The Cobblestone Museum is hosting an exhibit, “Medicine at the Museum,” through Oct. 13, The exhibit displays a collection of medical artifacts from the Rexall Drug Store in Albion and features over 20 local physicians and pharmaceutical giants.
The museum in August and September also will have a four-part lecture series about the development of the medical profession in Western New York. The series starts with the development of Buffalo’s Medical College in the 1840s, and goes through the progression of 19th century medicine from the establishment of WNY health spas and sanitariums to the trivial and candid stories of Orleans County physicians. The series will conclude with a look into the Victorian culture surrounding death and illness in the 19th century.
For more information about the museum and its events, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Former track star could get up to 6 months in jail
ALBION – Morris Taylor, 24, admitted in Orleans County Court today that he sold cocaine on State Street in the village of Albion last Sept. 4.
Taylor has no prior felony convictions and has never served on Probation. District Attorney Joe Cardone presented a plea deal to Taylor where he would face no more than 6 months in Orleans County Jail and 5 years on Probation. Taylor accepted the plea offer in court today.
If Judge James Punch gives Taylor more than 6 months in jail, Taylor can rescind his plea and go to trial. He has been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, which carries a maximum of 2 ½ years in state prison.
Taylor, a former state track champion and football star for Albion, was accused of robbing Mark’s Pizzeria in February 2013. That case went to trial and Taylor was found not guilty.
Taylor on Dec. 2 also was arraigned on first-degree rape and forcible compulsion rape. Those crimes allegedly occurred on Thanksgiving morning. Those charges are now in a lower court and will be prosecuted separate from the drug case. Cardone said in court today there are some “issues” with the rape case. It may be handled as a misdemeanor.
“Some are questioning her motives with coming forward,” Cardone told the judge about the alleged victim.
Punch set Oct. 20 for sentencing for the drug charge.
KENDALL – A Kendall teen-ager remains hospitalized in guarded condition this morning after crashing his pick-up truck late Sunday afternoon in the Town of Kendall.
The incident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. in the 16100 block of Woodchuck Alley, near West Kendall Road. Ryan D. Clay, 17, was operating a ’96 Chevrolet pick-up, travelling west on gravel road surface when he lost control of the vehicle.
The truck ran off the north side of the roadway, turned sideways, and slammed driver’s side into a tree. Clay was extricated by Kendall firefighters and transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester by Kendall FD ambulance.
A front seat passenger is identified as Andrew A. Eden, 17, of Kent. Eden was treated at the scene for minor injuries. He was not transported by ambulance.
The incident was investigated by Deputy T.N. Tooley, assisted by Deputy K.J. Colonna and Sergeant G.T. Gunkler. It appears that excessive speed was a contributing factor in the crash.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 July 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – A joint session among the Medina Village Board and Town Boards for Shelby and Ridgeway will finally happen at 7 tonight at the Shelby Town Hall.
The meeting nearly didn’t happen after officials from the towns contested an agenda by Medina Mayor Andrew Meier. He wanted the village’s dissolution to be a topic but was rebuffed by Ridgeway Town Supervisor Brian Napoli and Shelby Town Supervisor Skip Draper.
The two town supervisors also insisted on an outside mediator and stenographer. The three governments will share the costs.
The bulk of the agenda will be geared to shared services among the three entities and perhaps some consolidation of functions. The meeting at 4062 Salt Works Rd. is open to public.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 July 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – A Rochester man has been arrested for a July 18 incident in the village of Medina when he allegedly fired one shot from a rifle at two people fleeing after an altercation. The gunshot missed the two men and also an elderly woman who was working in her garden along South Main Street.
Nathaniel Harvey, 21, of Rochester has been charged with attempted murder in the second degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree. He was arraigned in Shelby Town Court and placed in Orleans County Jail on $250,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Shelby Town Court on Tuesday.
Harvey was arrested on Thursday by the Medina Police Department and Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force. The arrest was made following an investigation with assistance from the State Police and Orleans County Sheriff’s Department.
The two men who fled on foot on July 18 were not injured. A verbal altercation started on Church Street and moved near the corner of South Main and Oak Orchard streets.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Jim O’Donnell faces uphill fight against Collins
Photo by Tom Rivers – Jim O’Donnell, a candidate for Congress, poses for a picture with Jeanne Crane, chairwoman of the Orleans County Democratic Party, during the party’s annual summer picnic at Bullard Park on Sunday.
ALBION – He has little money to spend on his campaign, and no staff to help get out his message in a near iron-clad Republican District.
But Jim O’Donnell likes his chances to pull off a big upset victory against Chris Collins, the Republican congressman in the 27th Congressional District, which covers eight counties, including Orleans.
O’Donnell, 29, is a police officer in Buffalo. He’s also an attorney with a master’s in economics.
“I’m tired of this mentality that Washington is this impossible minefield that you can’t get through unless you play to every little interest,” O’Donnell said in Albion on Sunday. “I want to be the guy that proves you can go to Washington with a purpose and you can get those purposes done.”
O’Donnell was in town for the Orleans County Democratic Party picnic at Bullard Park. He is juggling the demands of a full-time job as a police officer with the campaign. As a police officer, he can’t solicit campaign donations, according to the state election law. Some have encouraged him to quit his job to focus on the campaign, but O’Donnell has declined.
“That is one of the strengths of my campaign, that I have a full-time job working in the community with the people,” he said.
O’Donnell lives in Orchard Park. He said there is a strong anti-Chris Collins sentiment in the Congressional district. In the last election, Collins won a close race against Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. The district was reconfigured about two years ago to make it even more Republican friendly.
The gerrymandered district stretches through rural areas of Western New York. O’Donnell said agriculture is big in the district, and many of the farms rely on foreign workers to milk cows, and plant and harvest crops.
However, many of their workers are not in country legally, making the farms vulnerable to losing their workers.
“I don’t think it should ever be a crime for someone to want to come here and work,” O’Donnell said. “If someone is willing to cross the desert, to cross the cartels, to cross oceans to get here, in order to work an be productive members of society, those are the people who we want. We want to figure out a system to make those people legal citizens and start adding them to our tax base. It’s something everyone should be trying to do.”
Immigration reform is needed in our region, and not only for agriculture, O’Donnell said. Welcoming hard-working young adults would add vitality to communities suffering from population losses, he said.
“We need to be fostering a very strong immigration policy that grows our population, that does so in a way that promotes the success of our country,” he said. “If you’re coming across for the right reasons we should want you here.”
Efforts to reform immigration laws have stalled in the past 20 years. O’Donnell thinks Congress sometimes tries to do too much with a proposal, leading to the legislation’s demise.
“It’s a complex issue because there are a whole bunch of different side issues that go along with it,” he said about immigration. “Whenever you try to do these big wide scope legislative things it ends up either not getting passed at all or it misses a lot of the important things should have been handled on an individual basis.”
He said he agreed with Collins that the U.S. shouldn’t house migrant children in our region who have recently crossed the southern U.S. border illegally, fleeing violence and poverty. Many of those children came across without their parents.
“It sends the wrong message to those parents,” he said. “I don’t want them sending their kids here alone, risking dying in a desert. That isn’t good policy. The border should be secured. It doesn’t make sense to allow just anyone to come in.”
O’Donnell said simplifying the tax code, which totals more than 70,000 pages, would also be a goal in Congress. A streamlined tax code would foster business growth and boost the economy, he said.
“The tax code is one of the few things government can do to help the economy,” he said.
O’Donnell urged Democrats in Orleans to rally behind his campaign, and not let the odds discourage them.
“He’s not a popular Republican,” O’Donnell said about Collins. “He’s not out there doing things for the community. Hopefully people will recognize that and the vote will go my way.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Ethan Bannister looks for bids at the 4-H Animal Meat Auction on Saturday. His sister Jayne is in the ring with a lamb. Jayne had the grand champion market lamb for the auction.
Her brother Robert, in back, serves as auctioneer for the event, which brought in about $27,000 for 4-H’ers. Emily Bannister was clerk for the auction and Skip Lear, back right, serves on the 4-H Livestock Auction Committee.
Trevor Bentley of Lyndonville leads the reserve champion steer out of the ring after the 1,170-pound animal sold for $6.75 a pound or $7,904 total, the biggest price on the day. Bill and Stacy Corcoran bought the steer, paying well above the market price to support Trevor and the 4-H program.
Robert Bannister, a former Orleans County 4-H member, serves as auctioneer for the event, which is now in its fifth year at the fair since it started in 2010. Robert’s sister Jayne of Point Breeze is in the ring with a lamb.
Some turkeys raised by 4-H youths wait to be auctioned off on Saturday.
Janie Schutz of Waterport raised this lamb that was sold during Saturday’s auction.
Ian Smith of Lyndonville stands with his rabbit during the auction. Andy Beach, right, assisted with the event that included $26,988 in sale prices.
4-H’ers sold beef cattle, pigs, lambs, meat goats, meat rabbits, chickens and turkeys.
Photos by Sue Cook – Claudia Drechsel explains to judge Linda Wilbur how to check rabbits for ear mites.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
KNOWLESVILLE – The Grand Master Showman of Small Animals competition tested participants’ skills in showing chickens, rabbits and dogs.
Competitors were chosen for their excellence at earlier shows in the week for the small animals. Six competed for Grand Master Showman including Jordyn Smith and Rachel Gregoire, representing rabbits; Andrew Moore and Claudia Drechsel, representing poultry; and Brooke Kiefer and Bailey Jackson, representing dogs.
Judges were brought from outside the area so that they would not have a bias or prior knowledge of any of the competitors.
Rachel Gregoire shows the Australian cattle dog.
Jordyn Smith went into the chicken portion of the show with great confidence.
During each portion of the show, the 4-H’ers had to demonstrate the correct care and handling of the animal. During the dog portion, they also had to run the dog around the show ring and make the animal perform patterns for the judge. They also had to know the nomenclature and what each of the body parts did or how it should be cared for.
Brooke Kiefer shows the dog to judge Toni Garcia.
Claudia Drechsel of Holley was named the Grand Master Showman for her competence of all three species of animals. Brooke Kiefer was named the Reserve Champion.
“This is my third year participating in small animal grand master and I really enjoy learning about all the different breeds,” said Drechsel. “I like that they switch up what we use (each year). It’s really cool to learn about all the different breeds.”
Dreschel also competed in the Grand Master Showman competition on Friday for large animals, qualifying for her prowess in showing sheep.
Kiefer (left) and Drechsel received trophies for their hard work.
Poultry judge Bill Ziehm found the 4-H’ers impressive. He said that when they weren’t sure about an answer or gave a wrong answer “they maintained their composure and moved on to the next question with a positive attitude.”
“You have to study. You really do,” said Drechsel. “Small animals are lots of knowledge. Large animals are more how you present the animal and present yourself. It’s a really good experience and a good thing to have fun with. It’s not all about winning. From a personal standpoint, I’d rather lose and have fun, than win and not have fun.”
Andrew Moore answers questions for Bill Ziehm.
Bailey Jackson talks to the judge while the audience looks on.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Johnny Destino speaks to about 75 people at the Orleans County Democratic Party picnic this afternoon at Bullard Park in Albion.
ALBION – It’s a rallying cry repeated often by Republican leaders locally and state-wide: the State Senate needs to remain in Republican control or the downstate Democrats will give free rein to the State Legislature and governor to pass a liberal agenda and drive up taxes.
Johnny Destino doesn’t buy that argument. He is running as a Democrat for Senate in the 62nd District, George Maziarz’s seat.
“Look at the downturn in Western New York over the last 40 years while we’ve had a Republican majority in the State Senate,” Destino said today in Albion. “That argument that all of a sudden it’s going flip to Democratic control and I’m going to succumb to downstate liberal interests is just false. I’ll be a strong advocate for the 62nd District.”
Destino, 37, is an attorney in Niagara Falls. He said he would make increased state funding for local schools a top priority. He serves on the Niagara Falls Board of Education and the board for the Orleans-Niagara BOCES.
He was critical of Maziarz for giving “bullet aid” to each school district in Orleans County rather than pushing for more state aid that would be outside the whims and influence of a state senator. Maziarz this past school year directed $67,800 in bullet aid to each of the five districts in Orleans.
Destino ran against Maziarz in a Republican primary two years ago and was soundly defeated. He didn’t want to associate with the Niagara County Republican Party this election, saying the party is corrupt.
Alisa Lukasiewicz
Dennis Glascott
Daniel Furlong
Maziarz opted against re-election two weeks ago, a day before the deadline to decline the nomination. Many Republican Party leaders are rallying behind North Tonawanda Mayor Rob Ortt, who faces a GOP primary challenge from Gia Arnold of Holley.
Maziarz’s campaign fund is being investigated by the US Attorney. Maziarz’s sudden absence from the race gives voters a chance to pick a senator who will fight for Middle Class families, Destino said.
Using the region’s low-cost hydropower to create and sustain jobs can keep more hard-working residents in Western New York, Destino said. The state government can also enact policies to bring down the cost of electricity for everyone.
“That will lead directly to the increase in jobs that we all deserve so our children don’t have to graduate from college and leave the area to find work and raise families,” he said.
Destino said he supports a fiscally conservative government “but not at an expense of the people.”
He vowed to be a strong advocate for the area if he is sent to Albany.
“I’m going to be a team player working for labor’s interests, for Western New York and to get our families back into good-paying jobs where they can start raising families and actually afford to stay in Western New York,” he said. “I’m not going to play games with my position. I’m not going to try and cut deals in exchange for votes. That’s what got us into this position in the first place.”
Three candidates for State Supreme Court Justice also addressed Demcorats at the picnic.
Alisa Lukasiewicz works a special counsel for the Phillips Lytle firm in Buffalo. She is a past corporation counsel for the City of Buffalo, the first woman to serve in the position. Lukasiewicz said she has worked hard in her career.
Dennis Glascott, current village of Angola judge and acting Buffalo City Court judge, has 25 years of trial experience across New York. He worked as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Navy.
Daniel Furlong has worked the past four years as a confidential law clerk for State Supreme Court Judge Joseph Glownia. Furlong also worked 26 years in private practice as an attorney.
Orleans Hub will have an article Monday about Jim O’Donnell, a Buffalo police officer running against Chris Collins for Congress.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Jed Platt of Appleton, dressed in a turtle outfit, slips down on the grease pole 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 Saturday’s competition.
The Grease Grapplers, a team made up of guys from Albion and Lyndonville, extended their grease pole titles to 4 after climbing the pole in 16.06 seconds, their fastest time in any championship road. In this photo Tyler Palmer is headed to the top of the pole, with Jesse Follman the next man up with Andy Follman below.
The Grease Grapplers sprint to the pole after the starting horn is sounded. The team includes Jordan Mufford, Phil Panek, Joe Smith, Josh Smith, Dutch Smith, Andy Follman, Jesse Follman and Tyler Palmer.
Mufford helped form the team in 2011 when it took its first title. The secret to the Grapplers’ success: “Communication and good teamwork,” Mufford said.
Most of the team put crosses made out of duct tape on their shirts. Most of the Grapplers attend a Bible study at the Oak Orchard Assembly of God on Ridge Road in Medina.
The Grapplers have an enthusiastic cheering section.
The Troll Diggers, a new team from Hamlin, finished a close second to the Grapplers with a time of 19.18 seconds. In this photo, Andrew Jones is on top, followed by Jeff Ebel and then Isaiah Jenks.
Sam Remley, the only man on the BB Queens, slides down the pole after reaching the top. The BB Queens finished third with a time of 29 seconds.
Jeremy Neal, one of the grease pole chairmen, tells the rules of the contest to the BB Queens.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, right, attended the championships and congratulated all of the teams, while praising the Cornell Cooperative Extension and the fans for supporting the contest. Barry Flansburg, left, serves as emcee for the event.
Puddles of grease landed all over the grounds near the grease pole.
ALBION – State Sen. Austin Erwin is seen on Aug. 28, 1960, laying the cornerstone at the new Orleans County Infirmary on Route 31 in Albion.
On the 25th anniversary of this event, the name was changed to the Orleans County Nursing Home. It is now known as The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Barre girl follows her 3 sisters in winning title
Photos by Tom Rivers – Jenny McKenna, back left, shows a goat while next to Elizabeth Storm during the Grand Master Showman Competition on Friday. Tammi Kron serves as one of the judges.
KNOWLESVILLE – Jenny McKenna captured won the Orleans County 4-H Fair’s most prestigious titles on Friday, winning the Grand Master Showman.
The competition takes the top showman in nine different animal breeds and has them compete for the grand master showman, showing nine different types of animals. Jenny, 19, won in her final year as a 4-H’er.
“It’s a great way to end my 4-H career,” she said. “It’s been a lot of hard work and determination.”
Jenny McKenna shows a dairy cow during Friday’s event. She showed eight other animal breeds in the grueling three-hour competition.
Her three sisters – Caton, Kerri and Betsey – have all won the title. Jenny just completed her first year of college at Roberts Wesleyan. She is transferring to Cornell University to major in animal science with a minor in agricultural business.
After the grand master event, McKenna quickly changed clothes to compete in the grease pole competition. She was part of the Iron Fists team that included her mother, Iva.
Tammi Kron of Alden was one of the judges for the Grand Master Showman. She said McKenna stayed positive in the show ring and could answer her questions about each of the animal breeds.
“She had a lot of show ring presence,” Kron said.
Jayne Bannister, 16, of Point Breeze was the reserve champion. She is shown working with a goat during the Gand Master Showman Competition. Jayne has won the title before.
Melanie Klossner sets up a llama before judge Jim Lasel of Albion during the Grand Master Showman Competition.
Nicole Mrzywka answers a question from judge Tammi Kron while Nicole’s sister Natalie, left, waits her turn.
McKenna qualified by winning the dairy cattle showman title. Other master showmen include Elizabeth Storm, representing Horses – English; Kiley Stadmiller, Horses – Western; Claudia Drechsel, sheep; Natalie Mrzywka, meat goats; Nicole Mrzywka, dairy goats; Rylie Lear, swine; Melanie Klossner, llama; and Jayne Bannister, beef cattle. Last year’s grand master showman, Janie Schutz, also was invited back for the competition on Friday.
