ALBION – In this color post card, which was mailed in May 1909, we see the Tower or Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Mount Albion Cemetery.
At that time there was a fountain over the cistern west of the tower, which shows here in the foreground.
When the water works was first put in, a windmill pumped water from a well up to the cistern for then gravity fed water to the various faucets throughout the cemetery.
In 1906 the windmill was replaced with a pumphouse over the well where a gasoline engine then pumped up the cistern.
Historian to lead tours of cemetery on Sundays in August
Editor’s Note: Tours of Mount Albion will take place every Sunday evening in August at 6 p.m. The tours begin at the main gate and will be led by Bill Lattin, the county historian.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – This sign promoting the Niagara Wine Trail is in Lockport. More of the signs are headed to Orleans and Monroe counties after the trail was expanded.
Orleans County wineries and business owners cheered a long-sought move last September when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law legislation expanding the Niagara Wine rail through Orleans, all the way to Route 390 near Rochester.
Orleans officials and businesses expected the expanded wine trail would lead to more tourists and customers for Orleans wineries, farm markets, restaurants and other businesses.
It’s been nearly a year since the state expanded the trail, but a road-side sign is yet to go up in Orleans County, promoting the Niagara Wine Trail.
That should soon change, local winery owners said.
Paul Schwenk of Schwenk Wine Cellars of Kent is picking up Wine Trail signs next week that will go on Route 18, directing people to his winery on Bills Road. He will hand the signs off to the state Department of Transportation, which will install them.
“Let’s hope they are up by Labor Day, at the latest,” Schwenk said on Thursday.
Wendy Wilson of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina is also hopeful the signs will be along Route 104, promoting the Wine Trail. She worked on expanding the wine trail for several years.
Each of the signs needed a DOT permit. Wilson said about 100 new signs will be going up to promote the expanded trail.
The Niagara Wine Trail used run along Route 104 mostly in Niagara County. It reached into Orleans to include the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery near the western end of Ridgeway. But it couldn’t keep moving east, without a change in the state law.
Several groups, including the wine industry, tried for years to extend the wine trail.
The State Senate was the first to go for it, but the Assembly didn’t agree until last year. The state about three years ago approved funding for the signs.
This trail is expected to be a tourism boost for Western New York. It will stretch from Niagara Falls through Orleans and into Monroe County. It also will run south from the Falls area into Erie County.
The trail will run on Route 104 between the Ferry Avenue/Route 62 intersection in Niagara Falls and Route 390 in Monroe County. That will be known as “Niagara Wine Trail Ridge.”
The complement to the Ridge route is the “Niagara Wine Trail Lake,” which follows Route 269 north from its intersection with Route 104 at the Niagara-Orleans County Line to Route 18. It then runs west to Route 425, then south to Route 62 and along that route until its intersection with I-290 in Amherst.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, wants to see a $3 billion windfall headed to New York be directed to school districts.
The Republican Majority in the State Senate also wants to see New York’s $3 billion share from French Bank BNP Paribas go to schools. The bank agreed to an overall $9 billion settlement after repeated violations of U.S. sanctions.
Hawley said the $3 billion should go towards education funding that was lost due to the Gap Elimination Adjustment. This would require using $1 billion to restore the GEA and then committing the remaining $2 billion to scheduled school aid increases, Hawley said.
The issue issue is a high priority due to the fiscal challenges faced by small, rural school districts that do not receive an equitable distribution of state school aid compared to New York City schools, he said.
“Delivering a high quality education to our kids is the key to giving them to best possible future,” Hawley said. “The money we have gained through the Paribas settlement should go to ensuring that our local school districts have the resources they need to provide our kids the best possible education. As a father, this is a very important issue to me and I’ll be working to make sure that our schools get this money and our kids receive the education they deserve.”
The State Senate plan also would direct some of the money coming to the state for tax relief and infrastructure projects.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Joe Szalay sings for the band, Creekside Classic Country, during tonight’s concert in downtown Albion on East Bank Street.
The band members include, from right to left: Dave Nolan on guitar, Rebecca DeBoard on vocals, and Joe and Cindy Szalay.
There are two more concerts in the series: the Fauxtones with Zero opening at 6 p.m. on Aug. 7, and the Triple Play Band with Painted Silence opening at 6 p.m. on Aug. 14.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Adam Eick, right, is pictured with his FFA advisor and teacher Todd Eick of Medina during last week’s Orleans County 4-H Fair. The two are cousins.
MEDINA – A conference in Iowa assembled 49 outstanding agriculture students from 26 states in a highly competitive program. One of those students, Adam Eick, is from Medina and looks forward to running his own farm someday.
He attended the New Century Farmer Program from July 14-18 in Johnston, Iowa, learning about the global marketplace, farm financing, demographic trends and risk management. Eick was able to network with other emerging farmers and experience some of the latest developments in agriculture technology.
“I see a bright future in the ag industry,” Eick said. “This conference solidified that because people have to eat.”
Eick, 19, is entering his sophomore year at Morrisville State College. He plays offensive lineman on the college’s football team.
Eick is from a dairy farming family. This summer he is a paid intern at Lamb Farms in Oakfield, working in the herd health program.
He was the only student from New York picked for the New Century program. Todd Eick, Adam’s teacher and FFA advisor at Medina, gave Adam a strong endrosement for the program.
“It was a great opportunity for Adam,” said Mr. Eick, who is Adam’s cousin. “He is a young man with a bright future. It’s been nice watching him grow up from a little boy to the young man he is becoming.”
Adam said he may move out West after college to work and perhaps own his own farm.
“There’s something about the Midwest that gets me excited about agriculture,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Lisa Ireland is first director for merged Orleans agency
File photo by Tom Rivers – Lisa Ireland, executive director for the United Way of Orleans County, joins campaign chairman Charlie Nesbitt last Sept. 11 in unveiling the $325,000 fund-raising goal. Ireland served as the United Way executive director the past three years.
MEDINA She led two Orleans County United Way charters through a merger, helped the combined organization raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local agencies and spearheaded a “Day of Caring” on Sept. 11.
Lisa Ireland said it has been an honor to serve as executive director of the United Way of Orleans County the past three years. But she is leaving the position next month to take a job at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She will be working in the development office, raising money for scholarships.
The United Way in Orleans used to have Eastern Orleans and Western Orleans chapters. Now they are unified with an office in Medina. The United Way set a campaign goal last September to raise $325,000 for 20 different agencies.
“It’s an amazing, amazing job,” Ireland said. “With 20 agencies you see a whole variety of different work. You’re able to touch a lot of lives.”
The United Way is seeking a new director. Candidates should send their resume and cover letter to Bill Hungerford, board chairman at wgh@takeform.net. For more information on the position, click here to go to the United Way website.
Ireland said she will be available through the end of August to help with the transition to a new director. It’s a busy time for the agency as it plans for a new fund-raising campaign and also the Day of Caring on Sept. 11. On that day volunteers go out and work with many community service projects.
“We purposely chose Sept. 11 wanting to turn a day of tragedy into something positive,” Ireland said.
Ireland grew up in Albion and lives in Brockport. She was just elected president of the Board of Education in Brockport. Prior to the United Way, she was director of the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern and the development director of Hospice of Orleans.
“I’ve worked 12 years in human services in Orleans County,” she said. “It’s been such an honor to work with everyone in Orleans County.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 July 2014 at 12:00 am
Joyce LaLonde spends 6 weeks in Africa
Provided photos – Joyce LaLonde talks to a Primary School about the construction and importance of pit latrines as part of a sanitation and hygiene campaign.
ALBION – Joyce LaLonde spent six weeks this summer in Africa, digging holes for latrines, giving presentations to Ugandan women about family planning, and connecting with local officials and other humanitarian organizations.
LaLonde is only 18 and just finished her freshman year at Syracuse University, where she is double majoring in international relations and broadcast and digital journalism. She led a group of 13 other Syracuse students on the project through the Nourish International humanitarian organization based in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Syracuse University students, including LaLonde in front row at left, are pictured on the last day of work with half the group wearing Nourish International shirts, and others wearing Global Health Network of Uganda shirts.
The work in Uganda convinced LaLonde that she wants to be involved in international service work.
“This is definitely what I see myself doing,” she said. “This is something I’ve always been passionate about, seeing everyone around the globe as sisters and brothers.”
Her team from Syracuse worked with local Ugandan residents and the Global Health Network of Uganda. LaLonde said the Syracuse students were focused on doing sustainable projects that would be maintained long after the students left. (To see a 5-minute video about what they did, click here.)
They worked with residents to build three latrines for families with disabled members. They dug 20 -foot holes for the bathrooms. LaLonde and the team made small structures of concrete and bricks.
Students work hand-in-hand with community members to build a latrine.
The team made drying racks after using machetes to cut bamboo. They made washing stations and garbage pits.
The Syracuse team included 13 young women and only one man. LaLonde has experience in humanitarian projects. She went on a church mission trip in April 2013 for 10 days in Peru. She went with her youth group at the First Presbyterian Church in Albion for another project in Michigan.
The trip to Uganda was much longer, and LaLonde said the six-week commitment is a minimum to build relationships and trust with the local residents.
“You definitely need time to make a sustainable impact,” she said.
Nourish International members lead family planning education with women in Aber Village, Uganda.
The Syracuse group made a two-year commitment to the community in the Oyam District of northern Uganda. LaLonde and her team will be back next summer.
A group of Syracuse students last fall pushed to start a Nourish International chapter. They moved quickly to arrange and organize the trip to Uganda, partnering with the Global Health Network Uganda. Nourish International is not affiliated with a church.
“It’s service work,” LaLonde said. “It’s putting others before yourself.”
A representative from University of Southern California, Syracuse University (Joyce LaLonde – third from left), local government members, and GHN(U) executive director cut ribbon to officially begin partnership.
The students wanted to work in Africa. LaLonde said the culture has always fascinated her.
She was in charge of recruiting and training students for the trip. The group also raised $7,000 for its supplies in building the latrines and other projects. Each student also had to raise the money to cover their airfare and expenses. LaLonde said many in the Albion community helped her with those costs.
besides the physical projects in Uganda, students also led sessions with the Ugandans about sanitation and hygiene, financial literacy, sexual and reproductive health, and business education for women’s groups.
LaLonde was impressed by the sense of community in Uganda. The students were there during prime farming season. Ugandans got up early to work on their farms at 6 a.m. After working with their crops, they then pitched in to dig the latrine holes and complete other physically challenging projects.
The Syracuse group arrived on May 25 and stayed until July 6.
“I had a great team and we met a lot of incredible people,” LaLonde said.
One of the beneficiaries of the project accepts a bucket from Joyce LaLonde at the closing ceremony of the partnership.
ALBION – Back around 1960 the Albion Lions Club provided trash barrels for downtown Albion. They were painted silver with black letters stating, “Help Keep Albion Clean.”
Shown here, from left, are Kenneth Scharett from Scharett & Mitchell Funeral Home; “Ted” Church, an attorney from Church and Church; and Mayor John D. Robinson.
The A & P Food Store shows in back of Ken Scharett’s head while “Jack” Robinson wipes the can clean.
GAINES – The Cobblestone Society Museum will kick off a new four-part lecture series next month about medical care and its history in Western New York.
The lectures all begin at 4 p.m. on Sundays at the Cobblestone Church, 14389 Ridge Rd. There is a $5 suggested donation. That price includes admission to an exhibit about early physicians and medicine in Orleans County.
That exhibit is in the first floor of the historic church and highlights more than 20 doctors from the county. The exhibit includes some of their tools and equipment, including a bag used for house calls. (Orleans Hub will feature that exhibit in a separate article to be posted soon.)
The lecture series is designed to bring more visitors to the museum and highlight pioneering medical care in the region.
The following lectures are planned at the museum:
The Development of Buffalo’s Medical School
Dr. Ronald Batt
Dr. Ronald Batt from the University at Buffalo will be the first speaker in the series on Aug. 17.
Founded on May 11, 1846, The University of Buffalo was established to train local physicians in the Buffalo area. Opening in 1847, the University welcomed Millard Fillmore as the first chancellor. He filled the position in a part-time capacity while serving as President of the United States. The establishment of Buffalo’s Medical School represents an important part in the growth of Western New York.
Batt is a professor of clinical gynecology at SUNY University at Buffalo. His master’s thesis was focused around the development and formation of Buffalo’s Medical School and the history of the Buffalo area.
The museum will have a special artifact on loan for this event: a death mask of Dr. Roswell Park. Several masks were cast following Dr. Park’s death in 1914, including those in the collections of the Buffalo Historical Society and the University at Buffalo’s Medical Sciences Library. This is believed to be the third of three that were cast.
The Search for Health: Sanitariums and Health Resorts of WNY
Erica Wanecski of the Medina Historical Society will discuss health resorts during a lecture at 4 p.m. on Aug. 31.
Wanecski has worked in the medical field for more than 20 years. She currently works in the education field with deaf children.
Provided photo – Pictured is the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Mich. It first opened in 1866 as the Western Health Reform Institute and was operated by John Harvey Kellogg (inventor of corn flakes) in the mid-1870s.
With an interest in history, she became curious about the history of the Castle on the Hill, a health resort and sanitarium in Dansville. She researched health spas, patent medicines and other medical-related topics. This presentation will focus on the history of Sanitariums and Health Resorts in Western New York.
Sanitariums existed during a time when medicinal treatments for ailments such as Tuberculosis were non-existent. The concept of health resorts and sanitariums developed into an idea similar to luxury resorts where members of the middle and upper class would travel away from home to experience state-of-the-art medical treatments guaranteed to improve their quality of life.
Trivial Tales of Orleans County Physicians
Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin will give this lecture at 4 p.m. on Sept. 14. Lattin will share human-interest stories from his up-and-coming book.
The program will include stories about several of the physicians featured in the Cobblestone Museum exhibit and others who have practiced throughout the area in the last 100 years.
Come join us as we hear the history of Orleans County’s finest physicians, told from an amusing and entertaining perspective.
Dying on Script: A Look at Victorian Attitudes Towards Illness and Death in the 19th Century
Derek Maxfield, GCC professor
Derek Maxfield, a history professor at Genesee Community College, will give a lecture, “Dying on Script: A Look at Victorian Attitudes Towards Illness and Death in the 19th Century.”
Maxfield’s presentation at 4 p.m. on Sept. 28 will explore the effects of medicine on the lives of families during the Victorian era. Looking back, many would consider the attitudes relating to death to be a morbid fascination or obsession.
Social norms developed around extended periods of mourning, a dictation of mourning dress, and exorbitant and extravagant funerals. A “Cult of Death” seemed to develop as families invested in mourning art, jewelry made from the hair of deceased loved ones, post-mortem photographs, and expensive cemetery monuments adorned with symbolism.
Maxfield will highlight a unique aspect of Victorian culture, representing the “final stage” in the 19th century treatment of severe medical ailments.
The lecture series is made possible through Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Photos by Sue Cook – Chris Keller watches the game while middle school librarian Jodi Brady has Claire Squicciarini and Logan Conlon roll the dice to pick their next books.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
ALBION – The Fizz, Boom, Read summer reading program continues in the Hoag Library. The program is designed to encourage reading through the opportunity to earn prizes, but Albion has a little extra incentive to draw in students.
Albion students that participate in the summer reading program earn the opportunity for extra credit toward their September English class.
Wednesday nights from 5 to 8 p.m. English Department Chair Chris Keller, along with Albion teachers and the middle school librarian, gather in the teen room at Hoag. Students are welcome to come play a monopoly-like board game which helps guide book choices or independently pick their own reading material. After completing a book, students earn tickets based on their goals to enter into drawings for prizes.
Goals are diverse and offer options for kids to be able to freely pick almost anything they would like to read. Sample goals include reading a newspaper or a book from a series.
“Our goal is to get kids to read,” said Keller. “We want this to be flexible and offer choices in a game atmosphere. The idea was to partner with the local library, raise the kids’ awareness, and turn up the volume on reading.”
The colored spaces offer kids a chance to read a book in the genre listed such as mythology (non-fiction), biography, science fiction or horror for two tickets. Players can also choose to ignore the space and pick a book outside the genre for one ticket instead.
“I love libraries,” Keller added. “I always say I grew up in the library. I am a relatively successful person and I attribute a lot of my success to my public library. It really was a great resource and helped me develop my love of reading.”
Besides just a refresher in reading, the program’s tie into Fizz, Boom, Read means that science and math are incorporated into the program as well. Students that play the board game are quizzed on the periodic table of elements, but also can answer questions about the Latin origin of the words, the history of the elements and the people who discovered them. Correct answers can lead to more prize tickets.
The library also offers opportunities to come in during the regular summer reading program hours on Mondays and Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m. This gives more flexibility to parents who may not be able to bring their children during the Wednesday hours.
The program is a collaboration between the school and library, which is targeted mostly toward sixth through ninth graders, although any child in the middle or high school is encouraged to participate. Donated prizes to help entice young readers include Kindles, tablets, ice cream party and pizza party supplies, school supplies and gift cards.
The English credit that students earn is factored as extra credit into their Common Core grades. For students that may be struggling, this program could be the difference between pass and fail.
Keller explained that kids lose information over the summer. Reading helps to retain some of the information and can close the gap between children that have a socio-economic advantage over others. Students that have participated in the summer reading programs have shown better scores and overall reading ability when they return to regular classes.
“We knew we had to close the gap, but we also had to fight the summer drop-off,” said Keller.
“We need to get back into the idea that reading is a necessity,” he said, commenting that some homes don’t even have books in them. “Our students leave high school now and are not prepared for college.”
Students can join the reading program at any time. There are still a few weeks left to participate to receive credit toward English class and earn prize tickets. Even a student that only attends a couple of sessions can benefit greatly from the program.
Younger readers and adults can also take part in the library’s regular reading program. The entire program will conclude on Aug. 21 with an ice cream social for all participants.
