By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 May 2013 at 12:00 am
New backstop will be dedicated for Scott Whittier
CARLTON – The Carlton Clippers, a Little League team, will dedicate a new backstop at 6 p.m. Thursday in honor of their late coach Scott Whittier.
The backstop will include a plaque in memory of Whittier, who died May 13, 2012, at age 44. Whittier was a long-time Clippers coach and also was active in other youth sports programs in the community.
Whittier’s friends and family raised most of the money for the backstop with bowling tournaments and donations in his honor.
The public is welcome to attend the dedication on the Little League field behind the Carlton Recreation Hall on Route 98.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Historic churches will showcase architecture May 18-19
Photos by Tom Rivers – The First Presbyterian Church in Albion completed a $300,000 renovation and restoration of its interior about five years ago, including work on the rose window.
The Pullman church includes this stained-glass window, an early work by the famed Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company of “Christ the Consoler.”
ALBION – Historic churches around the state on May 18-19 will open their doors to showcase the architectural wonders inside the buildings.
Two Albion churches, First Presbyterian and Pullman Memorial Universalist, are participating in the third annual “Sacred Sites” tour in New York, an event aimed to raise public appreciation for the churches as community treasures with stained-glass windows, pipe organs, ornately carved pews, decorative paintings and murals.
The New York Landmarks Conservancy is spearheading the Sacred Sites tour. The organization has provided about $7 million in grants to churches in New York since 1986. The two Albion churches are among the recipients of Sacred Sites awards.
Both churches are eager to participate in the tours and will be open both days from noon to 3 p.m.
“We love showing off our building,” said Lee Richards, pastor of the Pullman church at 10 East Park St.
The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church was built with Medina sandstone and includes 41 Tiffany stained-glass windows.
The church was built in 1894 with money from railroad manufacturer George Pullman, who grew up in Albion. The building is an excellent example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the NY Landmarks Conservancy stated. The church has 41 Tiffany stained-glass windows including one of “Christ the Consoler” that was featured in Tiffany brochures in 1898.
Richards believes the seven historic Albion churches have potential to draw more tourists to Albion. The community is unusual to have so many historic churches so close together on the Courthouse Square. They are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pullman and the Presbyterian Church have both committed to being open on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon on May 22 until the end of summer. The churches want to be available for canal visitors and community members who want to stop in to pray and tour the sites. The churches hope the other congregations in the Square will also open their doors and have docents available to lead tours.
The Presbyterian Church, with its 175-foot-high spire, is the tallest structure in Orleans County.
“Each church has something that is very special and should be shared,” said Martha Mitchell, an elder at the Presbyterian Church.
The church at 29 East State St. was built in 1874 and includes a 175-foot-high spire, the tallest structure in the county. Five years ago, the congregation completed a $300,000 restoration and renovation of its interior.
“We did a beautiful renovation that restores the church back to its Victorian décor,” Mitchell said. “We have a rich heritage with all of our nice windows and stories.”
Even the pews inside the First Presbyterian Church are works of art.
For more information about Sacred Sites, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Gertie Albano is pictured inside her shop, Gertie’s Groovy Garments, at 107 East Bank St., Albion.
ALBION – Gertie Albano knows about the financial pressure of trying to provide a teen-age daughter with the latest styles.
Albano said Orleans County parents may feel they need to pay big dollars for trendy clothes for their daughters while driving to malls near Rochester and Buffalo.
Albano has opened a new store that offers fashion at affordable prices. Gertie’s Groovy Garments has dresses, blouses, shirts, pants and other clothes for girls and younger women. Albano sells everything for $19.99 or less. Most items are $12.99.
“I’m sure there are parents who don’t want to drive to malls or put it on charge cards,” Albano said today at the store, 107 East Bank St.
She also sells prom dresses and jewelry, all for less than $20.
Albano, a Waterport resident, worked in local child care centers for several years. She bought fashionable clothes for her daughter through wholesalers. Albano had to buy the clothes in bundles of six. She gave one item to her daughter and then sold the other five at clothing parties. That went well enough to convince Albano to open her store on April 1.
“We don’t have enough variety in this town,” she said. “I like individuality.”
Gertie’s is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, contact Albano at 205-5236.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 May 2013 at 12:00 am
County Legislature is trying to sell nursing home
ALBION – Picketers have been gathering on Main Street each Orleans County Legislature meeting since the group voted in February to transfer the county nursing home to a Local Development Corporation.
About 20 to 25 people have participated in the pickets the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. So far the demonstrations have been in either the freezing cold or a downpour.
Concerned Citizens of Orleans County, a group of nursing home employees, families of nursing home residents and other community members say Wednesday could be the biggest gathering yet of nursing home supporters. The picketers want to surround the entire Courthouse Square block, trying to stir the public to pressure the Legislature and the LDC to not sell a county-owned nursing home. Concerned Citizens want the Legislature to terminate the LDC.
The Legislature in February created the LDC and appointed three community members – former Yates Town Supervisor Russ Martino, former Gaines Town Supervisor Richard DeCarlo Sr. and Clarendon Town Supervisor Richard Moy – to serve as LDC directors. Martino has said the LDC will work to ensure the county gets a good price for the 120-bed facility and that the operator will maintain a high level of care for residents.
Legislators say a sale would likely take at least two years to identify a suitable buyer and obtain permission from the state Department of Health to sell The Villages of Orleans.
Cindy Troy, president of the local CSEA union of county employees, is critical of the LDC because it has little public oversight and accountability to taxpayers.
“An LDC is politics at its worst,” Troy said. “It is nothing more than a way to weaken the process, get around the law and eliminate the need for a super-majority vote on the sale of The Villages.”
Troy said the county shouldn’t be working to sell the nursing home, which she called a “public safety net.”
The Concerned Citizens will meet tonight at 6 at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – State Sen. George Maziarz received an honorary Empire Degree from the FFA during last weekend’s state convention in Albion. He is pictured with state FFA officers, including Adam Eick of Medina, next to Maziarz at right.
ALBION – Last week’s state FFA convention, which drew 1,100 students from across New York to Albion, wouldn’t have been possible without an army of local volunteers and generous community donations.
Many of those supporters were recognized by the local FFA chapter with honorary “Empire Degrees,” the highest honor an FFA student can attain in New York.
FFA advisor Adam Krenning and FFA students presented the honors to FFA Alumni President Barry Flansburg, Paula and Steve Nesbitt, Gary Kludt, Jim and Kerry Panek, Alan Panek, Kathy and Jacob Jurs, Jeremy and Tina Neal, Ed Neal and local contractor Jim Babcock.
“They’re always here to help out,” Krenning said about the honorees. “They’re huge supporters of the FFA. They have the same vision I have for keeping agriculture thriving in our county.”
The FFA also gave Empire Degrees to Albion Central School leaders, who welcomed the three-day convention to the school campus. The FFA honored Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent; Leslie Stauss, high school principal; and Mary Leto, the assistant superintendent.
The state FFA also bestowed two honorary degrees to politicians who the organization said have been advocates for agriculture. State Sen. George Maziarz, who represents all of Orleans County, was given an Empire Degree. He is regularly recognized as a “Friend of Agriculture” by New York Farm Bureau.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-Brooklyn, also was honored by the FFA, although he was unable to accept the award in person. Schumer attended the convention in 2007, the last time Albion hosted the event.
He frequently is in the area, visiting fruit and dairy farms. He is a key leader of the immigration initiative in Congress that would increase the number of legal foreign workers for agriculture, an issue that farm organizations say is a top priority.
MEDINA – The 2013-14 budget for Lee-Whedon Memorial Library would increase spending by 1.8 percent or $10,019 to $573,063.
Lee-Whedon leaders will discuss the budget during an annual meeting 7 p.m. May 13 at the library. Isabella Mark, the current board of trustees vice president, also is up for election at the annual meeting. She is unopposed.
“The Board has again prepared a conservative budget to sustain this vital and viable community asset,” said Mary Ellen Dale, the board president.
Eligible residents in the Medina school district can vote on the budget from noon to 8 p.m. on May 14 at the library.
The library is in the process of replacing a roof that is original to the building from 1966. A state grant is paying for half of that project. Library staff are also planning several interior improvements for the building at the 620 West Ave., including new paint, carpeting and ceiling tile for this fall.
“Building maintenance is our priority at this time, our investment for the future,” Dale said. “We expect to enjoy decreased energy costs thanks to our newly completed insulated roof. We have budgeted for these anticipated expenses and we have also secured grant funds.”
Residents of the school district must present identification and proof or residence to vote on May 14.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 May 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION – There is an election in Albion today, although many people likely don’t realize it because it’s such a low-key campaign.
The community will pick a new member for the board of trustees for the Swan Library Association.
There are actually four seats open, but only one candidate, Terry Wilbert, agreed to be on the ballot. The other three openings will be left to the discretion of the 11-member board. The board could appoint members to fill the spots, or the positions could be left vacant until the next election in May 2014, said Kevin Doherty, board president.
Voting will be from noon to 7 p.m. today at Hoag Library, 134 South Main St. Voting is open to residents in the Albion school district. They will need proof of identity and residence.
The annual meeting, when the library reviews its proposed budget and circulation numbers, will begin at Hoag tonight at 7.
The board includes nine members who are elected by the public and two members who are appointed, one by the president of the Board of Education and one by the mayor of Albion. Doherty said the library board has talked about reducing the number of seats, which would require approval from library users in a public meeting.
Doherty and other board members believed all 11 members were needed when the community was working to not only run a public library, but to also build a new complex for the library. Now that the building project is complete, board members are open to reducing the size of the board.
“It’s been an item for conversation,” Doherty said.
Press Release, Independent Living of Genesee Region
Independent Living of Genesee Region (ILGR) is presenting its Third Annual Luncheon and Fundraiser on Friday, May 10, 2013, at Terry Hills Golf Course and Banquet Facility, Batavia. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., with New York State Assemblyman Stephen Hawley who represents the 139th district. The assemblyman will deliver the keynote address followed by a question-and-answer session.
The Third Annual Luncheon and Fundraiser will support ILGR’s programs and services for people with disabilities throughout the Genesee Region. The assemblyman will focus on the work of his office within the community.
Independent Living of Genesee Region (ILGR) is a part of the WNY Independent Living Inc., family of agencies. The ILGR office is located at 113 Main Street, Suite 5, Batavia. For more than three years, the agency has offered individuals of the Genesee Region (Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties) four core services including information and referral, peer counseling, independent living skills training, and individual and community advocacy, through empowerment, education and equality for all, regardless of disability.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Heise isn’t seeking re-election to BOE, but will stay on with BOCES
John Heise, Holley BOE President
HOLLEY – John Heise decided against running for another term on the Holley Board of Education. Heise has served as the board president for nearly a decade.
But the Holley community can still count on him to be an advocate for Holley children. Heise will serve on the board for the Monroe II-Orleans BOCES. He has been on that board for about four years and was elected last month to another three-year term.
“It keeps me active, and it’s not as intense as the being president of the Board of Education,” Heise said.
The Monroe II-Orleans BOCES includes representatives on the board from each of the nine component districts, which includes Holley and Kendall in Orleans and seven Monroe districts.
Heise said the organization works with local districts with special education, technical skills and work studies, as well as other services.
Heise didn’t rule out running again for the Holley board. “I’ll revisit it in one or two years,” he said.
Holley is shrinking the BOE from nine to seven members. Three incumbents – Heise, Dorothy Morgan and Brenda Swanger – would have had to run against each other this election. But Heise and Morgan opted against re-election, leaving Swanger as the lone candidate on May 21.
Heise has been busy with volunteer work since he retired as a Holley school administrator 10 years ago. He has served on the BOE, the Village Board, and the boards for Community Free Library, BOCES and the Lakeside Foundation.
“I know it’s a cliché but I want to give back to the community because the community has been good to me,” Heise said. “It’s a good little community. We love it here.”
Heise’s wife Sandy is one of the organizers of the June Fest community celebration on June 1.
He also is an active member of the Holley Rotary Club and served as the district governor in 2011-12. Heise remains a leader in the district that stretches from southern Ontario, Canada, into Western New York. He is the district’s director of training programs, working with club directors, and youth and Rotary Foundation leaders.
“I enjoy the people and this role there’s education,” he said. “It’s teaching and learning, except it’s with adults.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Former town judge, current county legislator ready to close 45-year run in public service
Photos by Tom Rivers – George Bower is pictured in Holley’s Public Square. He is in town most mornings for breakfast at Sam’s Diner.
HOLLEY – George Bower says he’s been fortunate to live in Holley – as a kid, a young parent and a grandparent who is steady presence at many Holley soccer games and other youth sporting events.
Bower also has been a mainstay in public service for the community, serving as a Murray town justice for 21 years before joining the County Legislature nearly 24 years ago. He won’t be running again, and will retire Dec. 31.
Bower, 76, grew up in the hamlet of Brockville just outside Holley. He married a Hulberton girl, Sandy. They have four children and 11 grandchildren who all live nearby.
He worked at Kodak, starting as a draftsmen and working his way up to head of patent researching, a job that took him to Washington, D.C. monthly for more than 25 years.
The following interview was conducted at Sam’s Diner:
Question: Did you always have an interest in the justice system?
Answer: Especially justice. Having four children and going to all of the events, I saw some of the young people who really weren’t acting as well as they should. They needed a little extra guidance. It worked out and it was really interesting for me for 21 years.
Question: Was being a justice different then? Did you have more latitude because nowadays you hear judges complain about all of these mandatory sentences?
Answer: It was different then. You could sentence to community service, which I did quite often. Students used to get ticked at me because of some of the jobs I created. They didn’t have to take the jobs. They could have gone to jail. They had the choice.
You could counsel young kids. You could take time with them then.
That’s where I got the idea for the welfare-to-work crew (at the county), which is still going on. I had all of these people coming into court and I wanted to do more for them, but I couldn’t. I tried to come up with creative ideas for them where they could work.
At the county I had this in the back of my mind. Many of these people are downtrodden. There is a reason they are and we wanted to get to it. We first had a garden and they could work on it and see something materialize, and take some of the fruits of their labor home. A lot of them got off of welfare.
Question: You don’t see too many county legislators with a background as a town justice. It seems like as a judge you would make a lot of enemies?
Answer: I made way more friends than enemies. I always worked with everybody who came into my court. I took time with them. But it started to get where there wasn’t enough time to work with them because the state started to meddle into what you could do and what you couldn’t do with them. It started to get ridiculous where court was another way for the state to raise money. It became all about money. I wanted to be able to work with people to improve their lifestyle, because they weren’t getting that at home.
We had a lot of bars in the village back then, I think there were six. Every weekend I had to get out of bed to do arraignments for drunk drivers. That gets tiring but you have to do it because it’s all part of being a judge.
Question: Why retire this year from the Legislature?
Answer: My wife and I talked about it. It’s really a family thing. We went to a baseball game last night in Attica. My grandson went 3 for 4, drove in two runs. We miss some of the games, but very few. We really believe in family.
George Bower, right, is retiring from the Orleans County Legislature on Dec. 31. He is pictured at a recent meeting with legislators Don Allport, left, and Ken Rush.
Question: People may just see the Legislature as twice-a-month meetings. But I know there are a lot of committees and other meetings with the job.
Answer: There are a lot of committees. If you’re interested, you got to go to things. There’s a youth recognition awards banquet coming up. I believe I should be there. I have always gone. Holley kids will be there with their families. From the sporting events, I know a lot of people.
If you want to be a good legislator, you have to work.
Question: You’ve always an advocate for the nursing home.
Answer: Redoing the nursing home was a battle I fought because I believed we should have had a better nursing home. We could no longer (about a decade ago) attract our own people because the nursing home was so bad.
That was my first committee, the nursing home, and it was a long battle to get it done. Now we’re in the throes of maybe losing it, which I think would be a mistake, but I’m the only one (on the Legislature).
Question: When they talk about the big deficits, $2 to $4 million a year at the nursing home, it seems speculative.
Answer: It is. We also really promised the people we wouldn’t touch it until January 2015. (The Legislature, in a 6-1 vote in February, voted to transfer the nursing home to the local development corporation that has been tasked with finding a buyer for the 120-bed nursing home.) With that resolution we lost control of it. Now we can pawn it off.
I’m there a lot at the nursing home. I gave tours for about six months, trying to bring back the numbers. A lot of people don’t know it’s out there. We have a rehab center there, as well as the nursing home.
It’s not just the downtrodden in the nursing home. We have some of our top-notch citizens in the nursing home. A lot of people want to know what they can do to keep it county-run. That nursing home touches thousands of people in the community. It’s such a great place right now.
Question: You don’t see too many people these days grow up in a little town and stay there forever like you have.
Answer: It’s about the jobs. You see it in our schools. Our schools are going down because the people of child-bearing age are leaving. I think it’s going to force some of the school districts to merge.
Question: It seems like the American Dream to grow up in a small town, to stay here and be involved.
Answer: I think it’s been wonderful. I’m lucky because my family has stayed here. They have good jobs or they’re in college.
This is a nice place to live. We have nice people here.
Question: How do you think your life would have been different if you didn’t get involved in the community 45 years ago? You wouldn’t be as well known in Sam’s Diner, that’s for sure.
Answer: It’s funny because I come in here most every morning. I know everybody in here. I see county workers in here. It’s been rewarding for me. This is who I am.
Question: I have to think you’re one of the most accessible legislators.
Answer: I play cards once a week with people from Albion. They all go to diners. Around that card table, we’re all older and there’s a vast amount of knowledge. Around that table, you can pick up things. There’s one Democrat. We have a good time. I can mix those things and athletics with politics.
Question: What are some things you’re proud of as a public official?
Answer: I look back at some of the things I’ve accomplished, with the help of others of course, and we’ve accomplished a lot in the county over the years. The public safety building was a battle when we did it because it was an old store (on Route 31 in Albion). People thought the roof would leak. I was chairman of the Public Safety Building when we did it (in the late 1990s). I sat in on every meeting.
It was a battle to get into a new shelter. The work crew, I helped push that. A lot of things have gone on in the last 24 years. We redid the courthouse so it can last another 50 years so it can house what we need.
The nursing home was the biggest battle we had, and now it’s a battle again because we might lose it. People don’t understand, they say we’ll get the same care (under private ownership). But everyone I talk to say there’s no comparison when you compare it to Brockport, Medina or Batavia. There’s not the quality of care.
Our nursing home is clean and there’s almost never, ever a smell. There’s beautiful artwork in the dementia ward. There’s music.
Question: Are you really retiring or do you have other projects in mind?
Answer: I’m going to stay involved in Holley. I like to walk the canal and in Holley we have an old canal bed by the falls. About five years ago the county workers cut down a lot of trees so you could see the bed. Now, I’m working with them and the village of Holley to get down there and clean the 100 feet or whatever it is because the stone is on both sides on the canal bed. I want to bring it back, I really want to do it. We should bring it back and flood it.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Cardone family reopens Main Street site for food and entertainment
Photos by Tom Rivers – Renee Schuner, events coordinator for Medina Theatre, stands inside the remodeled theater that is used for music, live entertainment, parties and other events.
The Cardone family has reopened the Medina Theatre at 607 Main St.
MEDINA – After 30 years of mostly sitting underutilized on Main Street, the Medina Theatre has a new life as an entertainment venue for bands, a party house for weddings, and restaurant for individuals and groups.
The Cardone family remodeled the historic theater site and reopened it late last year. The building has been equipped with state-of-the-art audio, video and lighting equipment. Live entertainment is booked most weekends, including a Murder Mystery this Saturday. Local and regional bands also perform inside the former theater that seats 400 people.
“We have the capability to book any kind of event you want,” said Renee Schuner, the events coordinator. “I love this venue. It has so much potential for the community.”
Medina Theatre has a busy schedule with entertainment lined up Fridays and Saturdays, including a Murder Mystery this Saturday.
Joe Cardone said his family wants a new generation to experience the Medina Theatre. The site was restored and expanded by Warner Brothers in 1938, making it a premiere movie theater in Western New York that drew regular customers from outside the county. Warner Brothers was hit with an anti-trust suit in mid-1940s and had to sell its theaters.
The Medina site changed hands many times. Vincent Cardone bought it in 1975 and remains the owner. The site was used as a movie theater until that year, when it last showed “Jaws.” Movie theaters received a tiny portion of the ticket sales and had to rely on concessions. That wasn’t enough to survive for many small-town theaters, including the theater in Medina, Joe Cardone said.
Cardone is optimistic about Medina, and sees the upgraded building as part of the community’s renaissance.
“We didn’t want this to be an eyesore or a nonproductive building,” he said about site at 607 Main St. “There’s a whole generation of kids that haven’t been in here. We have a lot of things planned to draw people here.”
The theater received an extensive upgrade in 1938 when it was acquired by Warner Brothers. Many of those improvements are still evident, including movie reels and old projectors. This plaque near the front entrance remains.
The main theater room has space for large parties or for bands and live entertainment. The Cardones have also serve lunch from Mondays through Fridays in the Diana Lounge, named for the daughter of former theater owner Nikitas Dipson.
Medina Theatre serves dinners from Thursdays through Saturdays.
Schuner returned to Medina last year after working as an event planner in Sacramento, Calif. She said Medina is becoming a destination.
“There has been a resurgence in Medina,” she said. “It’s a darling town. People come from Buffalo and Rochester and can’t believe what a gem is here.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Couple presented with honorary Empire Degree during state convention in Albion
Photo by Tom Rivers – LaVerne and Beatrice Eick, front center, are surrounded by family members who either attained Empire Degrees or who are working towards attaining the highest honor for students at the state level. In back, from left: Abigail Maines, Alexis Maines, and Empire degree winners Todd, Bill, Ken and Adam Eick.
ALBION – While they were running a dairy farm in Shelby, LaVerne and Beatrice Eick also insisted their children be involved in the Medina FFA chapter, and push themselves to excel in the program.
Their sons, Bill and Ken, both earned Empire degrees, the highest honor an FFA student can attain in the state. Three of Ken’s children – Adam, Karen and Andy – went on to earn Empire Degrees while Bill’s son Todd also attained the honor.
Todd is now advisor of the Medina FFA, which will host the state convention next year. His daughters Abigail and Alexa Maines are active members of the Albion FFA.
“It’s in our roots,” said Adam Eick, a senior at Medina and the most recent family member to earn the degree. “We had it instilled in us with grandma and grandpa and it trickled down to their children and grandchildren.”
FFA today recognized LaVerne and Beatrice for fostering a commitment and love for FFA among their family members. The couple was awarded an honorary Empire Degree in front of more than 1,000 people in the middle school auditorium.
FFA gives honorary degrees to parents or grandparents with at least three children or grandchildren who earned Empires.
Adam said his grandparents have also shown a love for family, agriculture and community.
“I couldn’t have asked for better grandparents,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Amanda Rhodes, the state FFA president, is cheered by the state line officers after delivering a speech Saturday about the need for grace and forgiveness.
ALBION – Grace, forgiveness, living with purpose. I would expect to hear that at church, not from teen-age girls who lead the state FFA.
The three-day state FFA convention in Albion wasn’t just a big “rah-rah” fest, although there was plenty of celebration, with more than 160 students earning Empire Degrees, the highest honor an FFA student attain in New York. Many other students excelled in 26 different competitions in public speaking and technical skills.
State officers in sessions spread over three days took turns addressing more than 1,000 students in the middle school auditorium. The FFA students were impressive in their poise and purpose.
The FFA state officers avoided sugary sound bites about daring to dream, working hard and being a leader. The theme for the 88th annual convention – “It’s all heart from here” – shifted the focus away from trophies, ribbons and rank.
I attended the opening session on Thursday night and the concluding program on Saturday afternoon. The state president, Amanda Rhodes, delivered a moving speech Saturday about the need for forgiveness and grace. Rhodes told the high-achieving students to not forget we are all humans who need to give and receive compassion.
Rhodes spoke of losing her best friend about a year ago in a tragic death. She shared of her own embarrassment and shame when a former boyfriend shared private pictures of her.
“Letting a mistake take hold of you can destroy you,” said Rhodes from the Belleville-Henderson FFA.
She needed to forgive herself, and accept grace from her teachers and family. After her speech, the other state officers ran onto the stage and hugged Rhodes, who wiped away tears.
Lindsey Anderson, vice president of the FFA National Western Region, address 1,100 FFA students Saturday in Albion.
Paige Levandowski of Albion served as vice president of the 4,000-member state FFA this year. She addressed the convention during the opening session on Thursday and told more than 1,000 people to not let distractions get in the way of being fully present in their lives.
Levandowski talked about Nick Kovaleski, a 15-year-old from Albion who died from leukemia two years ago. Nick was a star athlete, an altar server and a loving friend. Many community members continue to wear “Live with Purpose” T-shirts and bracelets in Nick’s honor. A “Live with Purpose” scholarship has been established in Nick’s honor.
“Nick had an ability to motivate others to use their gifts and ‘Live with Purpose,’” Levandowski told the FFA students across the state. “Be like Nick. Live lives with purpose.”
Other speakers talked about overcoming adversity. Lyndsey Anderson, the vice president of National FFA in the Western Region, lives in the central valley in California. She led workshops for students during the convention and delivered a keynote speech Saturday.
“Make your obstacles small and your opportunities big,” she told the group.
The FFA students did most of the talking during the convention, but a professional motivational speaker kicked off the convention’s opening session. Ben Glenn, a motivation speaker and chalk artist from Indianapolis, shared about moving past the “uglies,” the unexpected hardships in life.
Glenn created a beautiful landscape drawing for the crowd, and then drew dark lines across it, marring the painting. Some of the students gasped and yelled at Glenn for ruining the artwork.
He then made the dark lines blend into the picture, making it look even better than before.
“When bad things happen, we have to keep moving forward,” Glenn said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – About 150 motorcyclists gathered for a motorcycle safety rally this afternoon at the Orleans County Courthouse in Albion.
The group then went on a 50-mile ride throughout the county.
ALBION – With warm weather finally here, motorcyclists in Orleans County want to remind the public they’re back on the roadways.
About 150 bikers joined today for their annual “motorcycle safety and awareness rally” at the Orleans County Courthouse and then embarked on a 50-mile ride throughout the county.
The group has had an annual rally for at least 20 years, and the crowd seems to get bigger every year as the sport gains popularity, said Fran Abrams, public relations coordinator for the Orleans County chapter of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education.
Motorcyclists have a simple message for drivers who share the road.
“We’re back on the roads, look twice and save a life,” Abrams said.
County Legislator Lynne Johnson, R-Lyndonville, read a proclamation from the Legislature that declared May “Motorcyle Safety and Awareness Month” in Orleans County. She praised the ABATE chapter for promoting rider safety and working to dispel myths about bikers.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley also addressed the group. He said he strongly supported a $150 million increase in the state budget for road and bridge improvements.
“That will make the roads safer,” Hawley said.
Jeremy Ingraham of Middleport gets ready for the 50-mile ride throughout Orleans County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2013 at 12:00 am
The 524-mile state canal system, which runs through Orleans County, officially opened today for its 189th season.
Canal village residents will soon be hearing the bells on the lift bridges, and tugboats, tenders and recreational boaters will be traveling along the iconic waterway.
Several official canal vessels, including the tender in the photo above, stay in Albion during the winter months. The tender is a working vessel on the canal.
The bell on the Main Street Lift Bridge in Albion is pictured in the photo below.
