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Post Office will reduce hours in Kent

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – The U.S. Postal Service is reducing the hours at the Post Office in Kent, effective Jan. 11. The building is located at 1788 Kent Rd.

KENT – The U.S. Postal Service, in an effort to rein in its costs, is reducing the office hours at the site in Kent at 1788 Kent Rd.

The Post Office will be open 30 minutes less on weekdays andwill keep the same retail hours on Saturdays. The new hours are effective Jan. 11.

The Post Office lobby is currently open from Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and then from 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m.. The lobby is open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.

With the new hours the site will be open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then from 2 to 5 p.m.

“Current Saturday window service hours will not be reduced and access to delivery receptacles will not change as a result of the realignment of weekday window service hours,” said Karen Mazurkiewicz, WNY District Communications Coordinator for the U.S. Postal Service.

Customers will have access to their mail receptacles from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. from Monday through Friday and from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Saturday. The Post Office Box mail will be available daily for pick-up by 10:00 a.m. on weekdays and on Saturday, she said.

The Postal Service in 2011 announced it was going to close under-utilized Post Offices, about 3,500 nationwide, Mazurkiewicz said.

“The Postal Service began conducting community meetings and the Number One response was customers would rather see a reduction in hours than to have their Post Office closed,” she said. “Taking that feedback, USPS decided to modify its original plan and instead proposed an option where communities could keep their Post Office, but with reduced hours.”

Lyndonville senior class performs play tonight

Posted 22 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Provided photos – Some of the cast members of “The Ransom of Miss Elverna Dower” are pictured at a dress rehearsal for the play. The group includes, from left: Abigail Feldman, Heather Mufford, Cheyenne Button and Alyssa Mahnke.

Press release, Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville senior class will show off their acting chops tonight at 7 p.m. in the Stroyan Auditorium.

Students are putting on a play, “The Ransom of Miss Elverna Dower.” This is a comedy about the kidnapping of a feared English teacher.

Hannah Albone and Brennen O’Connor are part of the cast.

Salvatore, former Albion mayor, may run again for position

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 November 2013 at 12:00 am

ALBION – Ed Salvatore says his phone has been ringing often in recent days. Several people have asked him to run for mayor in March.

Dean Theodorakos, the current mayor, announced this week that he won’t be running for re-election.

Salvatore served in the position from 1998 to 2006. He lost a very close election to Mike Hadick for mayor in March 2006. Hadick pulled off the upset, 440 to 438. A paperwork filing snafu kept Salvatore from running as a Republican in that election. He was forced to use an independent line, which showed up at the bottom of the ballot.

Salvatore didn’t want to leave village office. He said he had three unfinished initiatives: downtown revitalization, improvements to Bullard Park and the continuation of a sidewalk replacement plan.

The village has worked on those issues, but Salvatore said he would like to see a faster pace of progress. He thinks it could be done with a full-time mayor.

The Kodak retiree and past Albion fire chief put in full-time hours when he was mayor, despite a salary of about $9,000.

“Albion needs a full-time mayor because there are so many problems and things that need to be done,” he said. “It’s not something that can be done a couple hours on the evenings and the weekends.”

Kevin Sheehan, a village trustee for nearly eight years, said he intends to run for mayor.

Sheehan works full-time as a maintenance mechanic at the VA Hospital in Batavia. He said the position offers a flexible schedule.

Salvatore is 83, and he said some people may think he’s too old to be mayor.

“People may say I’m an old man, but I have the energy,” he said. “I’m in good shape. I take care of myself.”

Salvatore is a registered Republican. He said he intends to decide next week if he will run for a four-year term as a mayor. The election is in March and the term starts April 1.

“I got to make some phone calls and talk to people,” he said. “If I do it I will commit to it full-time.”

Oxen were once commonplace on the local streets

Posted 22 November 2013 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

This image is from a tintype photograph, probably taken in the mid-1850s.

Here we see a man with a team of oxen hitched together with a neck yoke. It is possible the building in the background is a tavern.

At the time of this picture oxen were as common as horses. Notice the man’s attire, including hit hat and especially his boots.

These kind of boots when muddy demanded a boot scraper, which were frequently found by the entrance doors to dwellings in the mid-19^th Century before roads were paved.

There are very few boot scrapers left. The photo below shows one behind the DAR (Daughters of American Revolution) House on North Main Street in Albion. The boot scraper is located next to the back door.

Antique and Primitive Country sale in Hilton from today until Sunday

Posted 22 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Health officials plan to target county’s high smoking rate

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Health officials set up in the lobby at Medina Memorial Hospital today to share information about the dangers of smoking.

Nola Goodrich-Kresse, a public health educator with the Orleans County Health Department, and Jen Srock, an outreach coordinator for Community Partners with the Orleans Community Health, were at the table as part of the Great American Smokeout.

The jar in the front left represents a year’s worth of tar from smoking that end up in a smoker’s lungs. The other jar shows teeth in tobacco juice.

Orleans County has one of the highest smoking rates for adults in the state. It is one of nine counties with a rate at 25 percent or higher. The state average is 16.9 percent.

Health officials will make reducing the county’s smoking rate a priority, Goodrich-Kresse said.

The county Health Department recently submitted a community health assessment to the state, which includes strategies for combatting tobacco use and other high-risk behaviors. That assessment will be reviewed by the state Department of Health.

First Thanksgiving at Hospice residence warmed by Tops donation

Posted 21 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Provided photo – Marsha Rivers, development director for Hospice of Orleans, receives a symbolic turkey from Albion Tops Manager Rick Wartinger. The grocer is donating a full, pre-cooked Thanksgiving dinner to the Martin-Linsin Hospice Residence.

Press release
Hospice of Orleans

ALBION This Thanksgiving will be the first at the Hospice of Orleans Martin-Linsin Residence, which opened last December.

But for the terminally ill patients who live there, it will likely be their final opportunity to celebrate this very special holiday with family and friends. With the help of Hospice staff and volunteers and a Thanksgiving dinner donated by Tops Market of Albion, they’re planning to make it a memorable one.

End-of-life has a way of doing that: Inspiring people to make the most of the time that they have remaining together. In early September, residents of the eight-suite “home away from home” began looking forward to the holiday season, starting with “Turkey Day.”

Long before the leaves fell from the multicolored maples on the Hospice campus, Martin-Linsin patients were discussing menus, dreaming up decorations, and comparing notes about favorite recipes from years gone by.

While patients enjoy nutritious meals prepared daily at the nearby Villages of Orleans Health & Rehabilitation Center, the residents requested a feast of a fancier sort.

“What we’d really like is a proper Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmin’s,” said 97-year-old Nora.

So Hospice turned to Tops. Martin-Linsin is well-equipped to provide patients with a “home away from home” when their own home is not suitable for the level of care they need. However, the facility lacks a commercial-grade kitchen where food can be prepared from scratch by state-certified personnel. The arrangement with The Villages allows Hospice to receive and reheat ready-made meals.

Tops offers heat-and-eat food for its customers. So when Hospice of Orleans approached its nearly-next-door neighbor about serving the folks at Martin-Linsin, Store Manager Rick Wartinger promptly replied, “Yes! What kind of pie would you like with that apple or pumpkin?”

The fresh turkey dinner features a fully cooked Butterball bird, herb stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, turkey gravy, sweet potato casserole, cranberry orange relish and, of course, a 10-inch piemake that pumpkin, please!

Hospice personnel will pick up the complimentary meal, valued at $74.99, around 11 a.m. next Thursday, warm it up for the recommended two hours, and serve the grateful residents.

“This is my first Thanksgiving with Hospice as well,” said Marsha Rivers, director of development and community relations since June of this year. “Hearing the affirmative reply from Tops just added to what I’ve already been overwhelmed and blessed to witness: When it comes to taking care of each other, the Orleans community comes together.”

Barre will have final hearing Nov. 26 on 2 water districts

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 November 2013 at 12:00 am

BARRE – The Town Board wants to hear from residents in two proposed water districts.

Town officials have been working on the two districts for most of this year. The board has applied for federal grant and loaning funding for the two projects.

There is a final piece before the districts can be finalized: a public hearing. Barre has held several informational meetings about Water Districts 6 and 7. On Tuesday at 7 p.m. there will be a final public hearing on the projects.

Water District 6 is by far the bigger project. That district covers 39,150 feet or nearly 8 miles. It includes 127 parcels on Route 98 between West Barre and Gillette roads, Gillette Road between 98 and Eagle Harbor Road, Drake Island Road, Eagle Harbor Road between Gillette Road and the end of Water District 5, and Root Road.

The project is estimated to cost $1,731,000. The town has applied for a $337,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development. The remaining costs would be financed over 38 years.

Parcel owners would pay $635 in annual debt costs, plus an average of about $300 for water usage.

District 7 would cover 11,850 feet or about 2 miles on Eagle Harbor Road between Route 31A and the townline, Route 31A between Eagle Harbor and Long Bridge roads, and Long Bridge Road from Route 31A to about 500 feet north.

That project would serve 19.5 housing units. The construction is estimated at $692,000. The town is seeking a $311,400 USDA grant.

Property owners in the district would pay $867.75 in annual debt service plus an average of $300 for water usage annually.

The majority of residents have supported the projects, saying it will solve their woes with inadequate water quantity and poor quality, town officials said.

The hearing will be at the town hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.

Medina gets in the holiday spirit

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 November 2013 at 12:00 am

DPW strings lights on trees at State Street Park, with Main Street planned for Monday

Photos by Tom Rivers – Ben Lacy of the Medina Department of Public Works strings lights on a tree at State Street Park today.

John Fike, left, and Ben Lacy of the DPW get a tree ready for the holidays. They used a bucket truck to string lights on two trees in the park today. The DPW is scheduled to hang the lights and decorations on Main Street on Monday.

The Main Street lights won’t be turned on until before the Parade of Lights starts at 6 p.m. on Nov. 30. About 40 lighted floats are expected for the fifth annual parade.

The DPW will also set up a 30-foot-high tree by the Santa House in Rotary Park next week. That tree will be lighted in a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. before the parade.

Medina has many activities planned for Nov. 30, its seventh annual Olde Tyme Christmas celebration. New to the event will be a 5-kilometer run at 9 a.m.

For more on the day’s events, click here.

New CEO appointed for Oak Orchard Health

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 November 2013 at 12:00 am

A new leader has been appointed for Oak Orchard Health, a healthcare organization with sites in Albion, Lyndonville, Brockport and Warsaw.

Jim Cummings, the new CEO, is familiar with the community. He was an executive at Lakeside Health System since 2006.

Cummings

“It is with great pleasure and excitement that the board announces our hiring of Jim Cummings as the next CEO at Oak Orchard Health,” said Karen Watt, the OOH board chairwoman. “He will begin in this position by the middle of December and is enthusiastic and appreciates that he is joining a truly gifted and extraordinary staff.”

As an executive at Lakeside, Cummings first served as vice president of human resources, then senior vice president, and finally interim CEO.

Watt said Cummings keenly understands the health care needs and issues of our region. He provided executive leadership for all aspects of strategic planning, executive and physician recruitment, compensation, benefits administration, employee relations, organizational development, volunteers, and oversight of Lakeside hospital operations starting in 2011.

“It is my honor to have been selected to serve the community by leading Oak Orchard Health through this turbulent, yet exciting time of transition in American health care,” Cummings said. “Oak Orchard has a 40-year history of providing affordable quality services to families and individuals who might not otherwise have access to care. It will be my job to ensure that this important resource is well-positioned to thrive into the future and to continue to provide the community excellent preventative and primary care services.”

Prior to Lakeside, Cummings held a series of executive positions at Corning Hospital over a 26-year period. Corning Hospital is a 99-bed acute care facility with high volume outpatient services, 550 employees, and is an affiliate of Guthrie Healthcare System.

While employed by Corning Hospital, Cummings was vice president of human resources and vice president of operations. For the five years prior to that, he held various management positions at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Elmira.

“Jim Cummings clearly stood out from among the 85 applicants for the president and CEO position, as a person that both intimately understands health care administration and is keenly committed to the Oak Orchard service area and patients,” said OOH Board member Dave Jewell. “There is no question but that we are placing Oak Orchard in very capable and caring hands.”

Robert Q. Hendershott served as interim president and CEO for Oak Orchard since August 2012.

“Under Bob Hendershott’s experienced guidance, Oak Orchard has very considerably strengthened its management and other systems,” Watt said. “He has helped build an excellent executive team, and is handing over the organization in fine condition.”

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DPW strings lights on trees at State Street Park, with Main Street planned for Monday