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Albion opens park season with sports camps scheduled for summer

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Editor’s Note: An article about the local parks on June 16 had some incorrect dates for summer camps. The correct dates are below.

ALBION – Four village parks will have supervisors and activities for children opened on Wednesday. The park season runs until Aug. 2 and is open to children, ages 5 to 16 in the Albion school district.

Park supervisors will be on duty from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following parks: Bullard – Route 31, east of the village; Pee Wee – Route 31 (part of Bullard); Veterans – corner of Linwood Avenue and Brown Street; and Lafayette – West Park and West State Streets.

The park program includes the following week-long camps that run from Mondays through Fridays:

TENNIS from June 24-28 for grades 5-12 at the school tennis courts from 9 to 11 a.m. and again the following week with July 4 an off day.

WRESTLING from July 8-12 for grades 6-12 at the high school gym from 9 to 11 a.m.

BASEBALL from July 22-26 from grades 4 through 8 at the varsity baseball field from 9 a.m. to noon.

VOLLEYBALL from July 22-July 26 for grades 6-12 at the high school gym from 9 a.m. to noon.

The camps are free to children in the Albion school district.

Parents are urged to attend the registration during the first week of the Parks Program to meet the supervisors and to fill out important paperwork.

Barre backyard features train, trestle, tunnel – and gorgeous gardens

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Seven sites featured on ‘Garden Tour’ on July 13

Photos by Tom Rivers – Gary Wilson leads a group on a train ride at a garden in Barre he has created the past 34 years with his wife Doreen.

Doreen Wilson is pictured with the S-shaped Weeping Atlas Cedar, part of a 2-acre landscape at the Wilson property on Route 31A.

BARRE – For 34 years Gary and Doreen Wilson have nurtured flowers and trees, stacked stone to create old English walls, and designed 16 gardens in their backyard.

Mr. Wilson built a miniature train with a gas engine and laid 1,000 feet of track that weaves between trees, goes under a tunnel covered in flowers and vegetation, and circles the lush landscape.

The Wilsons have happily shared the space with their grandchildren and friends. On July 13 they will open it to the public as part of the fifth annual Garden Tour organized by the Master Gardeners.

“It’s a lot of work,” Mr. Wilson said tonight while giving a preview of the tour. “We enjoy sharing it. Otherwise what’s the point?”

He gave train rides to visitors this evening. The train is a 2 ¼ scale model of a steam engine. Wilson pulls three cars, two gandolas and one box car with the train.

The track passes along the banks of Otter Creek, and goes over a trestle bridge.

The tunnel for the train is covered with wisteria, yellow trumpet vine and autumn clematis.

The property also features raised beds, an organic vegetable garden, and compost piles. The site was picked the fourth best garden in the world in a 2009 contest by the Walker Lawn Mower Company. Walker published an annual “Beautiful Places” calendar the Wilsons’ backyard was featured.

The Wilsons are one of seven stops of the Garden Tour, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 13. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through the Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Other stops on the tour include Paul and Joyce Beatenbough of Lyndonville, Anne Smith of Lyndonville, Tom Wenhold of Lyndonville, Brown’s Berry Patch with berry demonstrations in Waterport, Ginny Byers of Kendall and Gertrude Hauck of Kendall.

For more information, call the Extension at 798-4265.

Gary Wilson likes to share his garden. “Otherwise what’s the point?”

‘Sandstone Trail’ urged for 31

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Consultant recommends making Bent’s Opera House a ‘cultural hub,’ telling sandstone story and highlighting local foods

Photos by Tom Rivers – Ted Pietrzak, a consultant hired by the Orleans Renaissance Group for a Medina development plan, believes Medina and all of Orleans would benefit by promoting its canal and sandstone heritage. He is pictured under the Canal Culvert in Ridgeway, a sandstone structure that goes under the canal.

MEDINA – A consultant hired by the Orleans Renaissance Group to develop a plan for Medina’s future has proposed establishing a Sandstone Trail along Route 31.

That trail would not only benefit Medina, but all of Orleans County, especially the canal towns that are rich in sandstone architecture, said Ted Pietrzak, a consultant who presented the proposal on Tuesday to the Medina Business Association and county officials.

“The Erie Canal and sandstone architecture may be the two most widely recognized attributes of the region,” Pietrzak said.

He told the MBA and county officials that there hasn’t been a “cohesive and sustainable tourism plan” to fully capitalize on those assets.

Pietrzak was hired by the ORG to focus on a redevelopment plan for the Bent’s Opera House, a mostly vacant building that dominates a corner of Main Street in Medina. That three-story sandstone building would make for a great beginning for the Sandstone Trail, with exhibits and displays about the area’s sandstone history, Pietrzak said.

The first floor space at Bent’s should also tell a history of the immigrants who worked in the quarries and the site should highlight some of spectacular structures they built locally, in the region and throughout the state. In fact, an unofficial sandstone trail already runs along the canal, with Medina sandstone buildings from Buffalo to Albany, and even into New York City, Pietrzak noted.

Pietrzak sees the Bent’s Opera House as a high-profile building that could be used to tell the region’s sandstone story, while also showcasing local products.

The Bent’s site has room for the sandstone exhibit, and samplings of local food, art and culture, as well as more space for a first floor tenant, perhaps an Amish or Mennonite craftsman, Pietrzak said. The site should be developed into “a cultural hub,” he told the MBA.

The ORG has envisioned the second floor of Bent’s for a restaurant and the top floor as a performing arts venue. Pietrzak has ideas for those floors, but first wants to present that plan to the ORG board before making it public.

He presented the trail initiative Tuesday because he said it has potential to include many businesses and community stakeholders.

I met with Pietrzak in early May and drove him to sandstone sites north and south of the canal from Medina to Albion. I’ve emailed him pictures from Hulberton and Holley. We share the belief that a Sandstone Trail would raise awareness for these structures, boost community pride, and would highlight other local “trails” that could intersect, including routes focused on cobblestones, Amish/Mennonite businesses, farm markets, and other local attractions.

He believes the trail and the attractions along the route would draw people from west of the county in Buffalo and Niagara Falls and east of Orleans in the Rochester area. If the trail is promoted with “a series of desirable experiences,” Pietrzak said people would come and stay for a few days.

A Sandstone Trail could run from Medina to Holley, with a stop at the Murray-Holley Historical Society Museum, a site that includes quarrymen photos and tools.

Pietrzak and I both addressed a planning committee at the county after he met with the Medina Business Association. If we pursue the trail, we need someone to take the lead and manage the project, including the minutia of securing permits for roadside signs. Some of these roadside markers could go on the existing Route 31 signs. That’s how Niagara County does many of its “Niagara Historic Trail” signs on 31.

Other communities have beer and wine trails that help connect wineries and breweries. The state helps pay for these, knowing that tourism dollars mean sales tax for the state and the local government. We could pursue a grant for the Sandstone Trail from the state. The governor and state legislators know about Medina Sandstone. The Million-Dollar Staircase in the state capitol building is made of our sandstone.

Pietrzak suggested there be town hall-style meetings, with two each in Medina, Albion and Holley to gauge public support for a trail, and solicit ideas on how it could be used to promote local businesses.

I think the trail should run from one end of the county to another, and we should have sandstone signs in each community with the name of the town or village. We might consider replacing some of the wooden signs with stone ones.

There’s a lot of features we could add, to build appreciation for our sandstone heritage, and draw people here to spend money at our businesses.

The trail grant could be part of a bigger sandstone grant application from Orleans County. I’m a member of Arts, Culture and History Subcommittee on Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council. The subcommittee is trying to identify and build public support for projects that promote the area’s culture and history. Clearly, the immigrant quarrymen and Medina sandstone are a big part of our local, regional and state history and their story isn’t being told or showcased at a site.

In addition to the sandstone trail, there are two other projects that I think have a good shot at state funding and would give the area a lift. A bronze statue of a quarryman on Main Street in Albion and the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame and Museum in Medina would complement the Sandstone Trail, and tell the story of the skilled stonecutters and some of the state’s finest buildings.

Fulcomer will lead Legion in OC

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Photo By Tom Rivers – Paul Fulcomer, right, was sworn in Tuesday as the new commander of the American Legion in Orleans County. He is joined by outgoing commander John Hucknall, left, and Al O’Donnell, the commander of the 8th District in WNY.

MEDINA – The 633 members of the American Legion in Orleans County have a new leader: Paul Fulcomer.

He is no stranger to local veterans. The Vietnam War veteran serves as the county’s director of the Veterans Service Agency. Fulcomer was sworn in as new commander on Tuesday, replacing John Hucknall of Albion.

Hucknall praised the group of Legion leaders for continuing to work on behalf of veterans in the county.

“Teamwork is what does it,” he said at the Butts Clark Post in Medina. “Without teamwork, you can’t move one darn inch.”

The local Legion leaders were joined by Al O’Donnell, commander of the 8th District, which includes 162 posts and 120,000 Legion members in eight counties, with some members in Canada.

O’Donnell of West Seneca said the Legion needs to remain active in the local communities, and reach out to new veterans.

“There’s an old phrase, ‘Numbers talk,’” he said. “If we drop in numbers, the government won’t listen to us.”

The Legion was a strong force in securing the GI Bill for soldiers, allowing them to go to college, he said.

“We’re trying to talk to the young people about the American Legion and the things that we do for them,” he said. “We’re here to help them and make sure they’re taken care of.”

Hawley doesn’t want welfare used for cigarettes, liquor

Posted 19 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley

ALBANY – Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, is calling on the State Assembly to pass the Public Assistance Integrity Act, which would prevent tax dollars from being spent on cigarettes and liquor while protecting a crucial safety net for families in need.

The measure, which Hawley has signed onto as a co-sponsor, would not only crack down on the illicit use of public assistance, but would ensure that New York State is not disqualified from $120 million in federal funding meant to support children and families struggling to put a roof over their heads. The legislation recently passed in the State Senate.

“The abuse of public assistance not only robs taxpayers of their hard earned money, but it jeopardizes the children and families who truly need a hand up in their time of need,” Hawley said. “Spending welfare dollars in strip clubs and liquor stores reduces the resources available to help provide shelter and warmth for a poor child, and the situation is made that much more dire by the loss of federal funding if we do not close this loophole. It is imperative that the Assembly pass this legislation before the close of session, because there is simply too much at stake for our hardworking taxpayers and vulnerable families to let this bill fall through the cracks.”

The Public Assistance Integrity Act would limit where EBT cards can be used and what they can be used for. The federal government has mandated that each state establish a system of fraud prevention by February 2014. If the state does not act, the federal government will penalize New York by cutting federal funding for Cash Assistance by five percent – $120 million.

Batavia is out of running for casino

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Maziarz seeks higher take-out in profits for site

BATAVIA – A gambling center that is partially owned by Orleans County won’t be picked for a casino site with table games.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a deal with the Seneca Nation of Indians, vowing not to allow a new casino in Western New York. Three existing video gaming centers in Hamburg, Batavia and Farmington also need to stop calling themselves “casinos,” according to the deal reached last week.

Batavia Downs is owned by Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., a public benefit corporation owned by 15 counties and the cities of Rochester and Buffalo.

WROTB shares its profits with its member municipalities. That has averaged about $40,000 a year for Orleans, but that number could jump as part of a video gaming expansion. WROTB is spending $27 million on an expansion and renovation of Batavia Downs.

In light of the deal with the Senecas, which will force Batavia and two other tracks to “rebrand” themselves as facilities that aren’t casinos, state Sen. George Maziarz is calling on the state to increase the share of the profits from video gaming to the facility’s owners. Batavia’s video gaming generated $45 million in the 2012-13 fiscal year, with the state keeping about 40 percent.

Maziarz introduced a bill this week that says the facilities will see profits fall from the rebranding and loss of some popular games. He said the state should help make up for the drop in revenue.

The casino issue, profit sharing and other issues have been swirling in Albany this week.

“There are so many decisions being made that I can’t comment,” Marcia Tuohey, Orleans County’s representative on the WROTB board of directors, said this afternoon.

WROTB wanted to have one of the new casinos that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislative leaders said were under consideration. WROTB said it would spend $90 million to expand their facility to make the site a success.

Earlier today Cuomo said at least three Las Vegas-style resort casinos would go in the state: near the Southern Tier near Binghamton, the Hudson Valley-Catskills area, the Albany area and a fourth possibly planned for the Catskills.

That puts Batavia out of the running. The only good thing about the governor’s announcement: He didn’t approve more gambling competition in WNY, Tuohey said.

She said state officials are negotiating a change in the profit sharing, and WROTB may receive more than it’s been getting, which could help Orleans County and other member counties, she said.

The casino issue still needs to pass a public referendum. The governor said New York could allow up to seven non-Indian casinos statewide, with the exception of WNY to maintain the Seneca’s exclusivity. The Seneca Nation operates casinos in Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca.

The nation was withholding $140 million from local governments as part of its dispute with the state. The Senecas agreed to release those funds in exchange for banning new casinos in WNY. The deal forced the rebranding of Batavia Downs and the two other race tracks with video gaming machines.

Shoe Tree remains a sensation

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Locals make row of trees a Lyndonville landmark

Photos by Tom Rivers – There are hundreds of shoes either nailed into the bark or dangling from the branches of four ash trees at the corner of Foss and Lakeshore roads in the town of Yates.

YATES I had to drop by the Shoe Tree last night. I think it’s one of the most charming attractions in Orleans County.

A row of four ash trees at the corner of Foss and Lakeshore roads is full of hundreds of shoes. Locals have been keeping the trees stocked for years. The footwear is nailed to the bark on the trunks of the trees. Sneakers hang from branches, some on the ends of limbs high in the air. (The shoe donors have great arms to reach these spots.)

The Shoe Tree is one of the county’s most talked about attractions. It is featured on Web sites and was included in a 2008 book called “New York Curiosities.”

For nearly three decades folks have been flinging loafers, cleats, high heels, slippers, running shoes and boots into the trees. There were five of the trees, but one toppled over in a wind storm in 2009.

The Shoe Tree craze started in 1986 when the late Earl Baun helped a girlfriend get rid of about eight to 10 pairs of shoes. He threw them into the trees. When he was done, Baun and his then-girlfriend, Diane Bane, coaxed other friends to add to the collection. The Shoe Tree was thus born. (I did an article about this for The Daily News of Batavia in 2009.)

A local conservation officer wasn’t happy to see the tree become a depository for so many shoes back then. But Baun’s exploits became contagious.

Collins will be on Fox News tonight

Posted 19 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, Office of Congressman Chris Collins

Congressman Chris Collins, R-Clarence, will appear live on Fox News tonight to share his views that Obamacare is a “train wreck.”

Collins will be interviewed on the program, “On The Record with Greta Van Susteren,” which airs at 10 p.m. Collins will discuss a Government Accountability Office report released today confirming that the Obama Administration is behind schedule in implementing the Small Business Health Option Program exchanges created under Obamacare.

“Obamacare truly is a train wreck,” Collins said.“We now have confirmation that a key provision that was touted as a way for small businesses to save money on health insurance is incomplete and behind schedule.”

Collins is a member of the House Small Business Committee, and chairman of its Subcommittee on Health and Technology.

“I hear from small business owners in my district nearly every day expressing frustration over the confusion surrounding the implementation of Obamacare,” Collins said.“They know this legislation will impact their bottom line in some way, but they remain in the dark about the details surrounding the rules and regulations. It appears the Obama administration is wholly unprepared to offer any explanation.Instead, it continues to tout all the ‘free’ services offered under Obamacare, without acknowledging the fact that small business men and woman, and hardworking taxpayers all across the country, will be the ones actually paying for them.”

Sorochty, Carpenter win big in Holley

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Sorochty

HOLLEY – Village residents gave strong support today to Trustee Brian Sorochty and former Mayor Skip Carpenter. Both were elected to two-year terms on the Village Board.

Sorochty led four candidates with 129 votes, followed by 116 for Carpenter. Former trustees Bill Quaranto, 33 votes, and Nancy Penna, 31, weren’t elected.

Sorochty, 42, was appointed to the Village Board in March by Mayor John Kenney. Sorochty had served eight years on the Planning Board. He also is chairman of the village’s Brownfield Opportunity Area grant project, which is looking for ways to revitalize distressed sites in Holley, including the old high school and the Diaz Chemical property.

Sorochty works as vice president of engineering for DDS Companies. A Holley graduate, he and his wife have two children, ages 7 and 5.

“This community is important to me,” he said. “I see a lot of potential. It’s a great hidden spot.”

Carpenter

He supports the village’s continued push for grant funding. A $250,000 grant awarded in December will help improve several properties in the Public Square. Sorochty would like to see Holley go after a grant through the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program to add a launch for small boats and kayaks along the canal. The camp sites along the canal park could also be upgraded with grant funds, he said.

“Pursuing grants is one way to make this community more appealing to developers,” Sorochty said.

Carpenter, 65, served three terms as mayor. The retired postmaster from Holley hasn’t been on the board in several years. He said he has more time to devote to the village these days.

“I’m retired,” he said. “I have all kinds of time.”

Ultimately, the village needs to grow its tax base to help keep down the tax rate, Carpenter said. That could accomplished with more projects in the village’s business park, which has the lure of low-cost municipal electric. Carpenter would also like to see houses acquired by the Environmental Protection Agency put back on the market. Right now those eight houses are not on the tax rolls.

Holley will elect 2 trustees today

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 June 2013 at 12:00 am

HOLLEY – There is an election today in Holley with four candidates running for two trustee positions on the Village Board.

The trustee terms are for two years. Polls are open from noon to 9 p.m. at the village office, 72 Public Square.

The candidates all have experience on the Village Board. One of them, Stanley “Skip” Carpenter, has served as mayor three times and also was a trustee. Carpenter is running under the Independent Party.

Former village trustees Nancy Penna, People’s Party, and William Quaranto, Family Party, also are vying for trustee. Incumbent Brian Sorochty, Taxpayer Party, is seeking a full term. He was appointed to the board in March after Lewis Passarell resigned. Sorochty served on the Planning Board before Mayor John Kenney appointed him to be trustee.

Lakeside will reopen as Strong West

Posted 18 June 2013 at 12:00 am

URMC buys assets, will restore outpatient services

Press release, University of Rochester Medical Center

BROCKPORT – A hospital that closed in late April will reopen as “Strong West” with urgent care and outpatient services, the University of Rochester Medical Center announced today.

The Lakeside Health System Board agreed to sell most of the system’s assets in Brockport to URMC. The deal breathes new life into the West Avenue campus in Brockport, reestablishing urgent care and outpatient services to support Brockport-area physicians and patients.

Following discussions with the Lakeside Board and its bank, URMC has agreed to purchase the land that’s home to portions of Lakeside’s main campus at 156 West Avenue. Subject to the completion of due diligence and agreement on final contract terms, the purchase includes a number of Lakeside assets including:

The hospital itself which will soon house urgent care, orthopaedic surgeons, urologists and a host of other potential specialists along with lab, radiology, and a pharmacy to support patients cared for on the campus;

The Physician Office Building where current tenants will be welcome to remain;

Lakeside’s Urgent Care Center in Spencerport;

The primary care practices of Vladimir Gaspar, M.D., and Didem Miraloglu, M.D., located in LeRoy and the Lakeside Physician Office Building, respectively. Both Gaspar and Miraloglu will join the URMC faculty.

“This is an exciting solution for the greater Brockport community and for Lakeside Health System,” said Nancy Plews, Board chairwoman for the Lakeside Health System. “With the closure of Lakeside Memorial Hospital it became critically important to the Lakeside Board to use the Lakeside campus in a meaningful way to provide health care services to Western Monroe, Eastern Orleans and Genesee County citizens.”

Lakeside had earlier this year proposed a plan to the DOH to transition from an inpatient hospital into a free-standing Emergency Department, an outpatient care center, professional office building, and nursing home. Unfortunately, the state was unable to provide a grant needed to assist with the transition costs inherent in the conversion to an outpatient treatment center.

By selling its assets to URMC, Lakeside’s buildings remain functional and it satisfies the conditions of its plan for closing.

“Faced with very difficult challenges, the Lakeside board has consistently acted to preserve as many services as possible for Brockport citizens,” said URMC CEO Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D. “Their decision to sell these assets to URMC clears the way for critically needed health care services to continue.”

Berk’s enthusiasm is echoed by community leaders.

“I commend Lakeside board members for working with the University of Rochester Medical Center to develop a creative, courageous solution for our community,” said Assemblyman Stephen M. Hawley, R-Batavia. “This move ensures that health care services will be available when our residents need them. This is the best possible outcome and I look forward to helping ensure support from New York State.”

“I am extremely grateful and thank the University of Rochester for their purchase of Lakeside Hospital and their commitment to the residents of the Greater Rochester Area,” said Senator George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane. “Many individuals rely on the hospital for emergency care and treatment, and it was of great concern to myself and the residents in my District that they can get service. The urgent care facility and subsequent Emergency Department will provide a much-needed service to the community that was recently cut short. I will do all that I can in Albany to assist the University of Rochester to open its facilities as soon as they are able.”

“I applaud the Lakeside Board and URMC in coming together and creating a plan that invests in and supports the Brockport community,” said John R. Halstead, Ph.D., president of the College at Brockport, State of New York. “Having access to the necessary emergency and medical facilities is critical for our students and staff, and Strong West will be a great asset for the college and the region.”

Changes Ahead

At the newly renamed URMC’s Strong West, the Medical Center plans to establish an urgent care center as early as August while it eventually pursues DOH approval for a full-service, freestanding Emergency Department. In the coming weeks, URMC will reestablish laboratory and imaging services, programs that will support Brockport-area physicians and the urgent care center.

Although it will not include any inpatient beds, Strong West will help close the gap left by the closure of Lakeside which, its final year of operation, handled 17,000 emergency visits.

Lakeside will continue to own and operate its Beikirch Care Center, providing the same high quality care for which they have been historically known.

URMC will also take ownership of Lakeside’s medical records and images.

“Tomorrow’s health care is all about supporting physicians in caring for patients outside of hospitals and preventing the need for hospital stays,” Berk said. “So, while we do not foresee reopening inpatient beds, we are looking to establish progressive outpatient services that make it easier for Brockport residents to receive routine diagnostic and treatment services.”

According to Berk, the Medical Center wants to continue working with local physicians to determine other specialties that may be needed.

Point Breeze will celebrate ‘Ultimate’ win

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 June 2013 at 12:00 am

POINT BREEZE – The community is welcome to attend an 11 a.m. celebration on June 26 by the lighthouse at Point Breeze.

Representatives from the World Fishing Network will meet with Point Breeze business owners and area elected officials to present the community with the title, “Ultimate Fishing Town.”

Point Breeze won an on-line contest, grabbing more legitimate votes than any other fishing community in the country. Besides bragging rights as the “Ultimate Fishing Town,” Point Breeze will receive a $25,000 award to boost the local fishery.

A committee of five will discuss how to spend that money.

“We’ll take suggestions,” said Sharon Narburgh, the long-time owner of Narby’s Superette and Tackle. “It has to be used in specific ways regarding the fishery.”

Narburgh praised the community for rallying over several weeks to vote for Point Breeze.

“It’s going to make a big difference,” she said about the victory and the prize money. “It will be a start to get people excited about what we have down here.”

Last year, Olcott won the title, giving the south shore of Lake Ontario two “Ultimate Fishing Town” honorees.

Narburgh said the area is well-known for a fishery that boasts brown trout, salmon, steelhead and cohoes. She would like to see the good will and cooperation extend to solving some of the challenges at Point Breeze – keeping the harbor dredged, the bridges all open and the Lake Ontario State Parkway well-maintained.

“There’s a lot of issues that we’re facing,” she said. “Hopefully this will get people excited to work these issues.”

100 Orleans babies born in Batavia in ’12

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – Maryann Cogdill is the nurse manager of the maternity unit at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

BATAVIA – Orleans County mothers delivered 100 babies at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia last year, the first full year since Medina closed its maternity unit in July 2011.

Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport also closed its maternity wing in 2012. The closings at Medina and Brockport for baby deliveries has pushed more women to choose the Batavia hospital for giving birth.

UMMC last year delivered 653 babies, which was up about 100 births or 20 percent from 2011. The 653 was a new record for the Batavia hospital.

“It’s not just Orleans County,” said Maryann Cogdill, the maternity unit nurse manager. “We have people coming from Erie County, and all the way from Dunkirk.”

Medina, in its last full year with a maternity unit, delivered 132 babies in 2010, far too few for the unit to break even financially.

The Batavia hospital has a women’s care center next to the Medina hospital with two physicians and a midwife. Batavia hired Medina’s obstetrician and gynecologist on July 1, 2011.

Batavia was delivering about 500 babies a year, but it is breaking a trend among smaller hospitals with the increase in numbers.

The hospital last month celebrated a $2 million renovation to the maternity unit. The hospital created 10 private post partum patient rooms with private bathrooms and sleeping accommodations for the birth partner. UMMC also added a family lounge area, Nurses’ Station, visitor restrooms, storage and office areas, and improvements to the nursery.

Bike shop owner sees lots of potential in Orleans as tourist draw

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Chris VanDusen opened Trailside Bicycles on Canal Road in Hulberton on June 3.

HULBERTON – Chris VanDusen has pedaled his bike through Germany, Quebec, France, the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes. They all have great bike trails with interesting towns to explore.

VanDusen thinks the Erie Canal Towpath and the communities along the journey have tremendous potential to draw cyclists. The canal already pulls in many cyclists, but it could attract more touring riders with better promotion, including bike loops of nearby attractions.

VanDusen on June 3 opened Trailside Bicycles at 16271 Canal Rd., a stone’s throw from the Hulberton lift bridge. He has spent two years working on the 4,000-square-foot structure. Many of his friends wondered why he’d pick rural Hulberton for the business.

“People say you’re in the middle of nowhere, but I’m in a strategic spot,” VanDusen said today. “I’m the only cycle shop between Buffalo and Brockport.”

The building was constructed in 1890 as a boarding house for quarry workers. About half of the building has been mostly untouched from those early days. VanDusen wants to clean up the space and turn it into a hostel, preserving the historic integrity of the living quarters.

VanDusen sees cyclists stop and ride by the business every day. Some of them are on long-distance self-guided trips.

VanDusen can repair bikes and sell parts. He has snacks, beverages and ice cream for sale. He wants to expand the business, renting out kayaks, planning bike loops, and leading tours of local sites.

He wants to develop loops for the Kendall barn quilt trail, local cobblestone homes, and Medina sandstone structures, as well as other local historical attractions.

“This county is a diamond in the rough,” VanDusen said. “It has the history and it’s along a fantastic corridor with the Erie Canal.”

His address should be on some of the bike loops because of its history. VanDusen researched the abstract detailing the property’s past. The building was put up in 1890 by the Medina Sandstone Company. The building was originally a boarding house for immigrant Italian quarrymen. That portion of the house is largely unchanged. VanDusen wants to clean it up, preserve its historical character and turn it into a hostel for traveling cyclists.

“We’re going to keep it authentic,” he said.

The Medina Sandstone Company built the site at 16271 Canal Road as housing for the Italian immigrants who worked in local quarries. The small partitioned rooms haven’t changed much since then.

VanDusen has had a love for bikes since he was a kid, learning to repair them when he was 8. He worked at a Brockport bike shop beginning at age 16. He has stayed in the industry since then, leading guided bike tours in foreign countries and in New York.

The cycling business is on an upswing, he said.

“The Baby Boomers are putting away the golf clubs and picking up bike riding,” he said. “They want something that is more active. It’s good for their health.”

The county could better capitalize on the canal with maps, trails and more businesses close by with lodging, cafes, outdoor seating and art, VanDusen said. The travelers want an experience that includes the local flavor.

“The corridor is right here,” he said. “It’s just giving people a reason to stop.”

Trailside Bicycles is open seven days a week. For more information, visit VanDusen’s web site by clicking here.

Woman arraigned for allegedly stealing $20k in Lottery tickets

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 June 2013 at 12:00 am

Holley man sentenced to state prison for repeated DWIs

ALBION – A Medina resident was arraigned in Orleans County Court today for allegedly stealing $20,000 worth of lottery tickets from Curvin’s News and Smoke Shop.

Kim Capstick, 51, of Medina was an employee at Curvin’s from February 2011 to June 2012 when the alleged thefts occurred.

She was charged with one count of third-degree grand larceny and arraigned by County Court Judge James Punch.

The judge in court today also sentenced a Holley resident to one to three years in state prison for repeated charges of driving while intoxicated.

Peter Tardge, 34, was arrested in the town of Murray for DWI in July 2012. Tardge has prior DWI convictions.

“You’ve worked your way up the ladder with all your prior DWIs,” Punch told Tardge during the sentencing. “You’ve been in probation, the local county jail and now state prison.”

Punch also revoked Tardge’s license for a year. He said the Holley resident has a drinking problem and an inability to control his anger.