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250 walk and run for Knights-Kaderli Fund

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2014 at 12:00 am

EAST SHELBY – Charlene Pratt, left, of Medina joins about 250 participants in the 26th annual Knights-Kaderli walk and run this morning. The 3.5 mile course started next to the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.

Melissa Knights Bertrand, daughter of the late Richard Knights, welcomes the group of runners and walkers. Her niece Natalie Pellicano is at right. Natalie kicked off the race by shouting. “1, 2, 3, Go!” Bertrand helps organize the race and volunteers with for the Knights-Kaderli Fund.

The walk and run has raised about $20,000 each of the past five years. The Fund typically has about $50,000 a year to share with Orleans County residents and their families fighting the disease.

These runners take off near the start of the race. In its 26 years, the walk and run has raised nearly $250,000 for the Knights-Kaderli Fund. For more information on the fund, click here.

The fund was started by two families in honor of Richard Knights, who died from cancer in 1984, and Sue Scharping Kaderli, who died from the disease in 1989.

Todd Zinkievich, left, was among the participants in today’s walk and run. For many years the Zinkievich family has helped raise money for the Knights-Kaderli Fund.

This trio walked the course in honor of Susan Bennett of Barre, who was 67 when she died from cancer on Jan. 11. Kathy Jurs, left, is best friends with Bennett’s daughter, Amy Neal (center). Bennett’s daughter-in-law Jennifer Bennett also joined the walk today.

Albion soccer players wear pink to support 2 teachers with cancer

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Nick Reed kicks the ball during today’s Albion varsity boys soccer game.

The team wore pink socks in a show of support for two Albion teachers – third-grade teacher Dawn Arnold and middle school family and consumer science teacher Kim Toombs. Both were recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

Arnold’s son Drake plays for the varsity boys team. He is pictured during warm-ups.

The team takes the field with their pink socks. Dawn Arnold said the gesture was “very sweet” by her son and his teammates. “It takes a bunch of men to wear pink,” said Arnold, who was diagnosed on Sept. 11.

Morgan Seielstad is decked out in pink as goalie for the Albion team for tonight’s homecoming game.

A fence by the soccer field included this poster for the two teachers, and many other signs for players on the boys and girls varsity and JV teams.

Lyndonville promotes health during homecoming

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Gretchen Albone receives a massage this morning from Stacie Bermel, a massage therapist and owner of Vitality Massage in Medina. Bermel was one of 18 vendors at a health fair put on by the Lyndonville PTA.

The health fair was part of the school district’s homecoming celebration. PTA member Stephanie Freas coordinated the health fair, wanting to promote proper nutrition, wellness and exercise in the community.

Jaime Brennan, left, of Albion is owner Tranquility Herbals and Tranquility Herbals Health Coaching. She is talking with Noreen Nelson of Lyndonville as part of the health fair, which lasted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kendall Scarecrow Fest has Hollywood theme

Staff Reports Posted 4 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Forrest Gump, Charlie Brown, Olaf make appearances

Photos by Peggy Barringer
KENDALL – Stars from the Silver Screen visited Kendall this year for the community’s annual scarecrow festival. This year’s theme was “Your Favorite Movie” and 15 characters were highlighted, including Charlie Brown and his gang.

Forrest Gump also was portrayed, sitting with a box of chocolates and his suitcase while waiting on a bench for a bus.

Olaf the snowman from the movie “Frozen” is a friendly face.

Chloe Dunn decorates a pumpkin as part of the festival. Some of the action shifted to the highway garage due to the drizzly weather.The festival also included live music, a scavenger hunt, a magic/balloon show, a pumpkin seed spitting contest, and a build your own scarecrow.

Bourke Balloon Show features Richard Hughson and Twistin’ Tim. In their balloon show the following were welcomed on stage: Grace Levett, princess; David P. as a bad guy; Elijah Bibby as the dragon; and William Lavender as a prince/frog.

The town is happy to celebrate the Scarecrow Festival with its welcome sign leading into the community.

A character from “The Lego Movie” celebrates the popular song from the movie.

Scarlet O-Chair-A makes an appearance in the Scarecrow Festival.

Ella Cole enjoyed the festival. Her grandmother, Becky Charland, is the festival main coordinator.

A llama named Domino also attended the festival and mingled with the crowd.

Dollar General looks close to completion in Ridgeway

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – For the past several months contractors have been working on a new Dollar General store at the northeast corner of routes 104 and 63 in the Town of Ridgeway.

The project looks nearly done with the signs on the building and site, and the parking lot installed. The new 9,100-square-foot store is owned by Development Unlimited of WNY LLC of Buffalo. It demolished a house and silo at the corner to make way for the store. The site includes 30 parking spaces.

Homecoming hysteria at Albion

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Crowd delights in community, big win for team

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – A big crowd turned out for tonight’s Homecoming game in Albion. The Purple Eagles soundly defeated Lew-Port, 40-8. Albion was up 40-0 before Lew-Port finally scored. In the top picture, the team enters Spierdowis Field.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Cheerleaders Madison Flor, left, and Destiny Wolfe are pictured with the Eagle (Andre Biemans).

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – The rain stopped and the sun tried to come through the clouds before the start of the game

Photo by Tom Rivers – Albion cheerleaders go through an energetic routine at halftime.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Albion Alumni Foundation had a photo booth for graduates to show their support for the Class of 2015. In this picture, Arianna Smith, left, and Kelsey Schmitt, both graduates of the Class of 2014, join the fun.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – The pep band plays as the cheerleaders cheer with the music in front of the home fans.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Darien Payne, a sophomore, tries out a horn he bought to make noise at the football game. Will Hiabuch, Class of 2007, works in the Alumni Foundation booth, selling Purple Eagle merchandise.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Albion alumni were busy selling popcorn at the game, including Jean Shervin, Class of 1952, and the Heuer brothers, Kyle (left) from the Class of 2002, and Tyler, Class of 2008.

Family Game Night provides techno-free fun

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Reece Stalker, 10, of Shelby Center, center, plays Connect Four with his twin brother Colvin and their stepmother Jessica Stalker during Family Fun Game Night on Thursday. About 100 people attended the event at the Trolley Building at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

Families played board games and were able to meet the staff at many county departments, which offered activities for families to learn about county services.

John Bianchi, 8, of Albion hooks a magnetic fish at a station run by the Orleans County Tourism Department. Mike Waterhouse, the county’s sportfishing coordinator, is pictured at left. Bianchi attended Family Fun Game Night with his sister Hailey, 10, and their mother Barb and father Jim.

Counties press NY to pay more for rising costs of indigent legal expenses

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2014 at 12:00 am

ALBION – In Orleans County, the costs for providing attorneys for poor residents has increased from a budgeted $493,983 in 2011 to $586,713 projected for this year.

State-wide other counties are seeing increases in the costs for legal services for the poor. Altogether, 57 counties outside New York City will spend about $175 for indigent legal services, with the state paying $35 million, said Stephen Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties.

In many other states, the cost is borne solely by the state. During its annual meeting last week, NYSAC leaders called on NY officials to have the state assume the full costs of indigent representation.

“Counties do the best they can to ensure that justice is carried out,” Acquario said. “The tax cap and other state mandated programs make it difficult for additional local resources to be added to this program from the local level. This is a state responsibility and the state should provide enhanced aid to ensure proper representation is afforded to all.”

The state and five counties have been sued in a class-action lawsuit, Hurrell-Harring et. al. v. State of New York, where plaintiffs accuse the state and five counties for inadequately representing the poor accused of crimes in the state.

The plaintiffs are seeking changes to the indigent defense system, Including a cap on caseloads for public defenders and uniform first arraignment counsel rights.

“The United States Supreme Court has made it clear that this is a state constitutional responsibility,” Acquario said.

He cited a Supreme Court decision in the 1960s, Gideon vs. Wainwright, that the right to counsel is fundamental in the United States, and that the states are responsible for providing lawyers for those who are unable to afford them.

However, in 1965 the state shifted the financial responsibility to counties, Acquario said, to the level where more than 80 percent of the costs is now on county taxpayers.

Farm provides ‘living laboratory’ at Medina school

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2014 at 12:00 am

District uses $25K grant to build barn, pasture

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – If you drive down Mustang Drive to Medina High School, you may do a double-take. New this school year is a small barn and fenced-in pasture. There are llamas, sheep, a goat and a calf out munching on grass.

Students in boots are doing farm chores, hauling feed and water.

Welcome to the district’s agriculture program, which is taking students out of the classroom for more direct hands-on learning.

Justice Snook, a student in Medina’s introduction to agriculture course, pets a goat in the district’s new farm, which will enhance Medina’s agriculture program.

Monsanto approved a $25,000 grant for Medina to bolster its agriculture program. The grant paid for a small barn, a fence around the 1-acre pasture, security cameras, and a hydroponic system that will produce about 80 pounds of a feed a day.

“It’s fun to come out here and learn about it,” said Justice Snook, a freshman.

One class of students is pictured near the pasture and a new barn. The grain bins in back have been there for several decades.

In previous years, the 100 students in the agriculture classes were confined to the classroom, listening to PowerPoint presentations by teacher Todd Eick. Rather than showing the students pictures of different types of feed, the students can feel the different textures and feed the animals themselves.

This year students in Intro to Ag, Vet Science, Agriculture Engineering and Technology, and Environmental Applications will all have experience getting outside and working with the animals.

Todd Eick, FFA advisor and agriculture teacher, talks with students while inside the new barn. Chickens and rabbits are also planned for the building.

“We’ll have about 100 kids daily interacting with the animals,” said Todd Eick, the agriculture teacher and FFA advisor.

He stressed with students on Thursday the farm is highly visible to the community and will need to be kept clean, as a showcase for education.

“This is a living laboratory for us,” he said.

Chantelle Kidney, left, and Alexis Maines show the different pelletized feed for the animals. Students will learn how animals have different nutrition needs for protein, fiber, calcium and phosphorus.

The animals will be used for either their fiber – llamas and sheep – or for meat – goats, chickens and rabbits. The calf may join a dairy herd at another farm when it gets bigger.

Eick tends to the animals on the weekends and over the summer, with help from some FFA members. The FFA program has grown to 130 in the high school and another 95 in the junior FFA program.

The agriculture program also has apple trees in a partnership with local grower Jeff Smith. Eick also is working with the FFA to develop two community gardens on district property.

“Even if these kids don’t become farmers, one of my goals is for them to become more self-sufficient, to show them how much you can do on 1-acre,” Eick said.

Artwork goes to bidders this evening

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.