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At Fair next week, Extension will push to grow 4-H program

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – Alice Mathes, a 4-H club leader, decorates the Trolley Building for next week’s 4-H Fair. She is joined by Robert Batt, the 4-H educator, who has a puppet of a chicken that will be part of a “Farmer for a day” exhibit.

KNOWLESVILLE – Organizers of next week’s Orleans County 4-H Fair want to make growing the 4-H program a focus of the week-long Fair.

There are about 300 4-H’ers in the county. Robert Batt, the 4-H educator, wants to grow the program by at least 35 more 4-H’ers. That is the 4-H program’s goal, to sign up at least that many new kids during the Fair.

If 4-H can add that many new members, Batt has offered an incentive: He will wear a green spandex suit on July 26 for the last day of the Fair.

Batt said the program has expanded from traditional clubs with animals and home economics. Those clubs are still the core of the program, but 4-H has added robotics and a Lego Club. (For more on the 4-H program, click here.)

The opportunities are available for only a $5 enrollment fee, a major bargain, Batt said. Many youth sports leagues can easily get into hundreds of dollars per child.

“We are keeping the fee at $5 so we can keep it open to as many people as we can,” said Batt.

Many of the 4-H Clubs will have displays in the Trolley Building to educate the public about opportunities in 4-H.

About 25,000 people typically attend the Fair, which runs from July 21-26. Batt said the Fair Board has lined up a full schedule of entertainment, while keeping many fair favorites, such as the pie-eating contest, grease pole competition and many livestock events.

“We’ve work hard to preserve the Fair traditions while bringing in new attractions,” Batt said.

For more on the Fair, click here.

Sandstone Society recognizes Shelby, Medina school district

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Medina Sandstone Society will be giving the Shelby Town Board and Medina Board of Education plaques, expressing the society’s appreciation for recent projects that utilized Medina sandstone. Sandstone Society board members hold the plaques. The group includes, from left: Peggy Schreck, Jacob Hebdon, Missy Schening and President Robert Waters.

MEDINA – Last year the Shelby Town Board wanted a new sign on the Town Hall. The board decided to utilize a big piece of sandstone for the sign, and have town’s name etched in the stone. The sign went up in August.

Medina Central School last year also rebuilt a sign on Maple Ridge Road near the high school. The district picked sandstone for part of the sign.

The new sign on the Shelby Town Hall is made of Medina sandstone.

The Medina Sandstone Society appreciates the efforts by the Town Board and school to use sandstone in two prominent locations and honor the community’s heritage.

The Sandstone Society is presenting plaques to the Shelby Town Board and Medina Board of Education, thanking them for the projects.

Robert Waters, the Sandstone Society president, hopes the plaques are displayed for the public to see.

“It’s one more way to get our message out,” he said.

The school district used Medina sandstone in this sign along Maple Ridge Road.

The society met on Wednesday and welcomed Missy Schening as a new honorary director on the board. Schening runs the Memories of Medina Facebook page that has nearly 4,000 friends. She said she enjoys local history and sharing it with the community.

The Sandstone Society also endorsed a program with the school district where a select group of honor students who do a local history project will then be able to have their names etched in a sandstone wall to be erected on school property. The students will engrave their names and then personally mortar their block on the wall.

Sandstone Society board member Jeff Evoy, the school district superintendent, will bring the project to Board of Education members for their feedback.

County will transition to new EMO director

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – Former Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Marcia Tuohey was among the well-wishers today who congratulated Paul Wagner on his retirement as the county’s emergency management director. Wagner retires on Friday after 14 years in the job. He was appointed to the position by Tuohey.

HOLLEY – Paul Wagner was unflappable in a high-pressure job, a person who welcomed suggestions – and criticism – with a goal of keeping residents safe and getting firefighters the resources they need for their jobs.

“Paul has always been around and available,” said Doug Jones Sr., the past fire chief at Kendall. “He can handle stressful situations.”

Wagner, a former Clarendon fire chief, will retire on Friday after 14 years as Orleans County’s emergency management director. He stayed on the job until a new $7.1 million digital radio system was installed. The new system continues to work out some “bugs” but county officials say the system is a vast improvement over the previous one that was implemented in 1992.

Jones was one of many leaders from fire departments throughout the county that attended a retirement party for Wagner at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Holley.

“One of the things I appreciated about Paul is we could have a disagreement and he said it was OK to disagree,” Jones said. “He didn’t hold a grudge.”

Dale Banker, a past Albion fire chief, will succeed Wagner. Banker starts at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Banker has worked 36 years for the state Department of Transportation. He has been the DOT’s equipment coordinator and a supervisor out of the Albion office. He will go on leave from the DOT and officially retire from the state in November.

Banker said he will push to recruit more firefighters because fire departments need more active members.

“We’re at an all-time low for volunteers,” Banker said.

Banker would also like to see upgraded and expanded classroom facilities for firefighters at the Emergency Management Office on Countyhouse Road in Albion. He would also like to establish a shooting range for firearms training.

Wagner isn’t fully retiring. He will stay on as a part-time consultant until the end of the year.

Shelby, Ridgeway won’t discuss dissolution with Medina

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2014 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – The public has pleaded with leaders of the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway, and the village of Medina to meet and have civil discussions and look for ways to reduce taxes.

The much-anticipated meeting is set for 7 p.m. on July 28 at the Shelby Town Hall. However, the town supervisors in Shelby and Ridgeway don’t like the agenda presented by Medina Mayor Andrew Meier.

He was told by the town leaders to prepare the agenda and listed village dissolution with discussion and feedback from the towns on the plan. Meier also put consolidation of Shelby and Ridgeway towns into one entity on the agenda, and a discussion of shared services among the three entities for water/sewer and street maintenance. Meier created the agenda following discussion with village trustees on Monday.

In emails today (Orleans Hub is included in the chain emails), Ridgeway Town Supervisor Brian Napoli said the joint meeting should only include shared services.

“Town consolidation is an issue for the two Towns, not the village,” Napoli wrote in response to Meier. “We were not included in your dissolution plan. Therefore, you are not included in a discussion of Town consolidation. The Towns will decide if, and when, that happens.”

Napoli chided Meier for setting the agenda.

“This is supposed to be a mutually cooperative effort, not dictated by you,” Napoli said.

Dissolution was supposed to be put on the “back burner,” Napoli said, referencing a transcript for last month’s Village Board meeting that included comments from officials from Shelby and Ridgeway.

If Meier insists on dissolution as a topic at the July 28 meeting, Napoli said Ridgeway town officials won’t attend the session.

Meier responded by email that the village wants “open dialogue on a range of matters.” He said he has sought clarification on the agenda the past two weeks from Ridgeway or Shelby.

Shelby Town Supervisor Skip Draper, in his response, said town consolidation should be struck from the agenda.

“If this discussion were to take place it would be appropriate for it to be held between the two towns,” he said.

As for dissolution, Draper said, “it may be appropriate for the towns to make some type of statement regarding the plan.” But Meier’s request for discussion about the plan was rebuffed.

“(Discussion) should have happened as the plan was prepared (not after the fact),” Draper said.

The Shelby town supervisor said shared services is a good starting point to work to bring down taxes in the community.

“If we focus on Shared Services with open minds and not allow the discussion to get bogged down, we may be able to do some good and produce favorable outcomes for all,” he said. “I believe this is what people in general want and we owe it to them to have that discussion. Further, I feel we should be willing to have a discussion regarding Shared Services in general and not limit it to street maintenance and water/sewer.”

He asked if Meier and the Village Board would be open to a shared services discussion.

Orleans sees a jump in sales tax

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Many other counties see a drop in dollars

ALBION – Orleans County’s sales tax revenues jumped 5.3 percent or by nearly $400,000 the first six months of 2014, compared to the same time a year ago.

That increase defies a downward trend for many other counties in the state. In fact, 16 of the 62 counties have a drop in sales tax revenue and state-wide the county sales tax revenue has only increased 0.14 percent, according to the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.

Orleans County officials budgeted for a $25,000 increase in sales tax for the year. The county typically takes in about $15 million for the year.

It’s up by $386,597 for the first six months, $7,741,592 for the first half of 2014 compared to $7,354,995 during the same time frame in 2013.

Neighboring Genesee County saw a steep drop the first half of 2014, a decrease of 4.1 percent or $767,399 to $17,891,433. Wyoming County is down 0.8 percent and Livingston is behind the 2013 pace by 0.7 percent.

Orleans didn’t experience the growth in sales tax like the three other GLOW counties prior to this year. The county came in $363,831 below its budget for sales tax in 2013, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer.

The county’s tracking shows a $183,099 increase for the first half of 2014, Nesbitt said.

“My hope at this time is that we will make the budgeted number,” he said.

With so many counties trailing last year’s numbers, the New York State Association of Counties is worried about “significant pockets of weakness across the state.” The sales tax revenue is a key indicator of economic health of a community, said Stephen J. Acquario, NYSAC executive director.

“Sales tax revenue is crucial to counties, as it is one of only a handful of revenue sources available,” he said. “The state must make an ongoing commitment to targeted Mandate Relief in health and human programs and relieve the burden on local taxpayers.”

Extension will share plan at fair for building with commercial kitchen

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Cornell Cooperative extension in Orleans County is considering a 70-by-120-foot building in this green space south of the Trolley Building.

Courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension

KNOWLESVILLE – Next week’s Orleans County 4-H Fair will give fair-goers a chance to look into what the future could hold for the fairgrounds.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County is in the early stages of investigating the feasibility of a 70-by-120 foot commercial kitchen/conference center for the fairgrounds. It would be south of the Trolley Building on what is now a grass field.

Extension wants to hear from the public if they would use the building, and if they see it as an asset for the fairgrounds. Some initial renderings of the building will be on display. The building would be bigger than the Trolley Building.

“We want to start the conversation,” said Jennifer Wagester, Extension executive director. “Is this something we want? Is this something we need?”

She sees the site as a draw for many events and conferences, and also as a business incubator for chefs, restaurants and food businesses that could rent the commercial kitchen.

The Trolley Building’s kitchen isn’t big enough to be used as a commercial kitchen, and the building doesn’t quite seat enough for many potential conferences and events, she said. That building also is often used for 4-H events, including rabbit shows.

“It’s a good space and the kids use it,” she said. “But we don’t want to mix it with food.”

The new building would also have room for several organizations to move out of cramped food booths. The Senior Council Stand, pie stand, French fry stand and milkshake booth all need upgrades. They also are short on storage space, requiring daily deliveries during the fair.

The new building would replace the need for this series of food booths that lack storage space and need upgrades.

The new building would have more space to store food, and the site could be used year-round, Wagester said.

She would like the site to be energy efficient. That could help secure grant funding from NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority).
The building would be low profile and modest, and would blend in with the neighboring Education Center, Wagester said.

The Extension doesn’t have bids or quotes for the 8,400-square-foot building. She and other Extension leaders will pursue those numbers soon.

The Extension board asked Wagester to look for projects that would bring more resources into the county, and also position the organization for the future. She sees many potential partnerships if the project goes forward. The commercial kitchen could be linked with GCC’s food processing program. Chefs and food businesses could partner with the local ag community, which would produce the food that would be prepared in the kitchen.

“This would reposition us in our place with nutrition and food science,” Wagester said. “In Orleans County we’re an agricultural economy. It would make sense to capitalize on what we have here because food is our biggest resource.”

Orleans tourism director named to Canal Commission

Posted 16 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Press release, State Sen. George Maziarz

Wayne Hale of Medina has been appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to serve as a member of the New York State Canal Recreationway Commission.

Hale has worked as Director of the Orleans County Planning and Development Department since 1986, Tourism Project Director for Orleans County’s I Love NY Program since 1992, and Manager of the Orleans County Marine Park since 1998.

“Wayne is a consummate professional who is widely respected across the state for his experience and wisdom relating to tourism and planning matters,” said State Sen. George Maziarz. “He will be a great Orleans County voice and I was proud to recommend him for appointment to this important panel.”

The Canal Recreationway Commission maintains and revises the Canal Recreationway Plan and makes recommendations to the Thruway Authority, Canal Corporation, and state leaders concerning the future of the canal system.

“I’m deeply gratified that Sen. Maziarz considered me for nomination as a Commission member,” Hale said. “This is a capstone event in my 31-year career at the Orleans County Planning Department. We’ve lead sizable efforts in planning, development and promotion of the Erie Canal, locally and regionally, and my appointment brings the prospect of applying that experience to a new and greater challenge.”

Passionate as he is about canal and tourism matters, Hale has been active with the Genesee/Finger Lakes Region Erie Canal Corridor Plan, Seaway Trail National Scenic Byway, the New York State Heritage Areas Advisory Council, Western New York Canal Coalition, Canal New York Marketing and Business Alliance, and several other groups.

Hale’s term as Canal Recreationway Commission member expires on March 23, 2017. For more information about the commission, click here.

Medina village could tackle $2 million in energy-savings projects

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2014 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – Village officials could replace street lights with energy-efficient bulbs, swap out aging water meters, and install new HVAC systems in municipal buildings, about $2 million worth of projects that would more than pay for themselves in reduced energy costs.

That was the message from Wendel Energy in Buffalo. Company representatives discussed a series of projects with the Village Board on Monday.

The most costly initiative would be replacing about 2,200 water meters with new automatic read units. The new meters wouldn’t need a dedicated DPW worker to take readings. The meters, because they are new, would also give a much more accurate recording of water being used by residents and businesses, Gerald Summe of Wendel told the Village Board.

Water meters lose their effectiveness with each passing year, tracking less and less water, he said. Wendel is estimating the village would gain $159,000 in annual water revenues through more accurate meters. That revenue could be used to pay for the new meters, which would cost about $1.2 million.

That added revenue doesn’t include the benefit of freeing up the DPW worker who currently reads the meters. That employee could be assigned to other duties, Mayor Andrew Meier said.

Wendel also suggested the village replace high-intensity street lights with LED units that use far less power. Replacing the street lights would cost an estimated $425,000.

The village should also upgrade HVAC units in municipal buildings, Wendel said. The new street lights and HVAC systems would reduce the village’s energy costs by about $65,000 a year, said Keith Krug, a project manager with Wendel.

The village would likely receive NYSERDA grants to help with the energy-savings projects, he said.

Wendel projected the village would gain about $1 million in 15 years through the projects through increased water revenues and reduced energy bills. Over 25 years, Medina would see a $3.8 million net benefit, the company said.

Krug said the village should have an energy audit done of its buildings to identify the most pressing projects and ones that would yield the best return on investment. He estimated it would cost $20,000 to $30,000 for the audit, with NYSERDA helping to cover those costs.

Meier and the Village Board said they want to discuss the project further, and see a final proposal from Wendel.

“It sounds like it makes a lot of sense and holds a lot of promise,” Meier said at Monday’s meeting.

Wendel worked with Orleans County on about $1.5 million of energy-savings projects in 2012 and 2013, including about $1 million in work at the county jail.

Race organizers share record proceeds from Albion run

Staff Reports Posted 15 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Provided photos – Albion Running Club leaders present a check for $1,000 to The Care Net Pregnancy and Family Center of Greater Orleans. Pictured, from left, includes Running Club leaders Brian Krieger, Jack Burris, Care Net nurse Sara Moore, and her husband Mark Moore, who is also one of the race organizers for the Strawberry Festival.

ALBION – Leaders of the Albion Running Club passed out checks to several local organizations, money that was raised from the June 14 Strawberry Festival 5k/8k.

The race had a record number of participants – nearly 300 – and that resulted in more money to give away.

Brian Krieger and Jack Burris present a check for $750 to the Rev. Randy LeBaron, pastor of the Free Methodist Church and Mike Neidert, who is going on the mission trip to Peru.

The Running club wrote five checks for $2,360 collectively. That topped the $2,100 given away last year when 274 runners and walkers completed the course.

The Running Club gave $1,000 to The Care Net Pregnancy and Family Center of Greater Orleans; $750 to support a mission team from the Albion Free Methodist Church that is heading to Peru for humanitarian work; $400 to the Community Kitchen at Christ Church; $160 to Hospice of Orleans; and $50 to Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance.

The race was dedicated to the late Wayne Burlison and Judy Christopher. Burlison was one of the Running Club founders and an Albion music teacher. He died from cancer on March 26 at age 36.

Christopher, former owner of Phoenix Fitness, organized the race for about two decades. She died from cancer at age 70 on Aug. 3, 2013.

Mark Moore presents a check for $400 to Faith Smith, manager of the Community Kitchen. Brian Krieger and Jack Burris join Moore for the presentation.

North Tonawanda mayor will seek Maziarz’s position

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Robert G. Ortt

NORTH TONAWANDA – The mayor of North Tonawanda announced today he will seek to fill George Maziarz’s position in the State Senate.

Robert G. Ortt, 35, has been North Tonawanda mayor since Jan. 1, 2010. Prior to that he served as the city’s treasurer and then clerk-treasurer.

Ortt enlisted in the National Guard on October 2001 after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He served a tour in Afghanistan from March to December 2008. Prior to working in city hall, Ortt was a personal financial analyst with Primerica Financial Services.

He issued this statement today:

“Public service has always been a duty I’ve been proud to fulfill. As a veteran, I was proud to serve my country in Operation Enduring Freedom, mentoring the Afghan National Police in Kandahar City. As a civilian, I have the great privilege of serving my community as the chief executive of the City of North Tonawanda. What New York State needs most are leaders who will put service to others first and foremost.

“After serious considerations with my wife Meghan, I have decided to announce my candidacy to serve the people of the 62nd district in the New York State Senate. I plan to bring the values and leadership of a veteran and chief executive with me to Albany, to represent the people of Niagara, Orleans and Monroe counties.”

A committee to fill vacancies will name a candidate for the Republican line after Maziarz announced on Sunday he wouldn’t be seeking re-election.

Medina FD seeks additional full-time firefighters

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Mayor, Village Board may add part-time EMTs

MEDINA – The Medina Fire Department once again is pressing the Village Board to add additional full-time staff for the Fire Department, which continues to see an increase in calls.

Those calls are taxing the department’s 13 full-time firefighters who are trained in both fire and ambulance calls, captains Mike Maak and Jonathan Higgins told the board on Monday.

“We’re running bare bones,” Higgins told the board.

The increase in calls also results in higher-than budgeted revenue for the department. Maak and Higgins said that revenue should be used to help add more personnel, which would reduce overtime costs, and could lead to more calls and faster response times.

“The calls are increasing and I don’t see that changing,” Maak told the Village Board.

As of Monday, Medina FD responded to 1,535 calls in 2014, which was up from 1,420 a year ago at the same time, Maak said.

When Medina voted to start the full-time ambulance service in 2007, fire department leaders anticipated anywhere from 1,500 to 1,700 calls for the entire year. The department exceeded that, pushing 1,800 to 1,900 calls in its first year.

In 2012, the Medina FD handled 2,209 ambulance calls and 311 fire calls for 2,520 total, the most ever for the department – until 2013 when it responded to 2,755 calls.

Village Board members want to add staffing for the department to help with the workload, but they aren’t convinced full-time staff is the best choice. Mayor Andrew Meier said the call volumes could drop, and so could the revenue. He doesn’t want village taxpayers to see a jolt in their taxes to help pay for more full-time staff.

He would like the FD to supplement the full-time staff with part-time emergency medical technicians. The EMTs would have regularly scheduled shifts. They wouldn’t respond to fire calls.

“I want as much extra help as you need,” Meier said. “We just need a cost-effective plan.”

Higgins and Maak said it would be difficult to find reliable part-time EMTs. The firefighters’ contract also gives the full-time personnel the first choice for any overtime before the village would turn to part-time staff, Higgins said.

An additional full-time firefighter would cost the village $45,000 to $71,000 a year for salary and benefits. Fire Chief Todd Zinkievich submitted a written report, saying an additional firefighter would reduce overtime by $7,000 to $15,000. Two additional firefighters from the current staff of 13 could cut overtime by $25,000, he said.

The department’s call volume is resulting in revenues that are on pace to exceed the 2014 budget by about $100,000, Higgins and Maak said. The department’s budget could accommodate the added staff without an increase in taxes to the village, they said.

“This would be a wash,” Higgins said.

Meier, however, wants more assurances for the long-term. The board will continue to look at the issue and see if the firefighter contract can accommodate regularly scheduled EMTs.

The department is the primary responder for ambulance calls in western Orleans, and also goes to many calls in Albion and Niagara County. Maak said the village should approach the towns of Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates about a contribution for the ambulance service, perhaps $10,000 a year from each town. That would help with the staffing, and help ensure there are enough personnel for calls in western Orleans and also for the many hospital transfers.

Maak said Medina firefighters often have an ambulance tied up for about two hours while they transfer patients from Medina Memorial Hospital to sites in Buffalo and Rochester.

The Fire Department has been asking for added staff for the past three years. When the ambulance service started in 2007, a consultant forecast $600,000 in revenue from the service. The village has budgeted $1 million in revenue for 2014-15, but is on pace to reach $1.1 million.

Higgins was clearly frustrated at Monday’s meeting, saying the 13 firefighters are exceeding expectations.

“You told us before to come up with money and we did,” Higgins said.

Medina sets July 28 for meeting with Shelby, Ridgeway

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2014 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – After months of discord over a possible dissolution of the village of Medina, elected officials from two towns and the village are scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. on July 28.

Ridgeway Town Supervisor Brian Napoli and Shelby Town Supervisor Skip Draper wanted the meeting to be focused on shared services and cooperation among the three entities. They wanted dissolution off the table.

But Medina Mayor Andrew Meier has persisted, saying dissolution should be on the agenda.

The two town leaders told Meier to set an agenda for the meeting and they would respond.

During Monday’s Village Board meeting, village officials agreed to have dissolution and shared services on the agenda that would be sent to the towns.

The Village Board will have its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the Shelby Town Hall with the joint meeting to follow at 7 p.m. The Town Hall is located on Salt Works Road.

Before balers, loading hay was a lot of work

Posted 15 July 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

BARRE – It is believed this photo was taken in the Town of Barre in the late 1920s or early 1930s.

It shows two men on a horse-drawn hay wagon pitching around loose hay to level the load. What is of particular interest is the mechanical hay loader being pulled in the rear. This greatly saved on manpower and eliminated having men on the ground to pitch hay onto the wagon.

All this kind of work was done before hay was commonly baled.

OONA kicks off 5th annual concert series

Posted 15 July 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Sue Cook – Acoustically Sound members Tom Zangerle (left), Tim McPherson (center) and Jack Cardone rock out.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

POINT BREEZE – The Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association welcomed about 250 people to the Orleans County Marine Park on Route 98 on Tuesday night. This is the fifth year the organization has held concerts featuring local bands.

The crowd looks on during “My Best Friend’s Girl” by The Cars.

The Marine Park overlooks the Oak Orchard River. Boat docks are filled for the season.

Acoustically Sound performed tonight. The band features the trio of Tom Zangerle, Tim McPherson and Jack Cardone.

The group plays acoustic rock along with a mix of other music. The members of the band are veteran musicians, but the band is only a little over a year old. This is their first time as an OONA concert performer.

“We play some Beatles, old Tom Petty and old Crosby, Stills, Nash &Young. Our twist is we play “Fly Me to the Moon” and some jazz tunes thrown in there with the classic ’60s rock,” said McPherson of their variety style.

Tim McPherson sings Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel.”

The series was off to a rocky start last week when inclement weather caused the first concert cancellation the organization has ever had to authorize. The Who Dats have been rescheduled for the final Tuesday of August, along with the vendors.

“We couldn’t do it without our sponsors,” said Lynne Menz, concert coordinator. “We want to extend a big thank you to all of them, as well as the Clarendon Lions Club, the Black North Inn and Barbara Ann Concessions for serving food during the concerts.”

Concerts take place every Tuesday at 6 p.m. Admission is $2 per person or $5 per family. Admission is free for OONA members and Marine Park seasonal dock renters.

Below is the updated schedule of concerts.

July 22: Julie Dunlap & High Maintenance
July 29: The Dave Viterna Group
Aug. 5: Blind Leading the Blind
Aug. 12: Jive Street Five
Aug. 19: The Sophisticats
Aug. 26: The Who Dats

Albion summer park program offers lots of activities for children

Posted 14 July 2014 at 12:00 am

From the Parks:

By John Grillo, Albion recreation director

ALBION – In the third week of the Summer Parks Program in the Village of Albion, July 7-11, we had very nice weather for the parks.

The attendance was very good and the children had a great time. Arts and crafts are an important part of the summer program as our Arts and Crafts specialist Caitlin Francis was busy preparing crafts for the upcoming weeks. Caitlin did a wonderful job last week with all parks doing arts and crafts relating to the July 4th celebration.

The baseball camp was a success as over 20 youngsters each day enjoyed learning the fundamentals of baseball along with baseball lead-up games and activities.

On Monday the children enjoyed team games and activities. Tuesday was the same along with recreational games and activities. On Wednesday and Thursday the Orleans Health Department visited Bullard Park and Veterans Park to talk about friendship and proper nutrition. The Health Department conducted group games that brought out that message.

On Friday the ever popular Children’s Carnival took place at Bullard Park. Several hundred youngsters gathered at Bullard Park and were on hand to enjoy all the activities, food, games and prizes. Orleans Community Action and their staff did a great job of preparing a wonderful day for the children.

Each day the children arrive at their chosen park for a fun-filled day. Many activities such as kickball, dodge ball, whiffleball, table tennis, rubber quoits, carom pool, capture the flag, tag games, card and board games, playground apparatus, football, soccer, four square, parachute games, and many others take place during the week.
This will be full of several scheduled activities. GCASA will visit each park with fun activities and sending a great message to the children concerning making good choices.

On Tuesday the parks will be transported to the Albion Sportsman’s Club for a picnic, games, rowing, hiking and other activities. Arts and crafts will be offered all week as well.

On Friday, the parks will be transported to Brown’s Berry Patch to enjoy the many activities that they have to offer. Of course the children will have a chance to purchase their favorite ice cream.

We had several new registrations this week. There is still time to sign up. Just visit one of the three area parks and ask for the park supervisors in attendance for a registration sheet. Come and register your child so they will not miss out on the fun activities planned, including sports camps.