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Veteran dispatcher retires after nearly 28 years of service

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Wayne Litchfield enjoyed working with first responders

Photos by Tom Rivers – Wayne Litchfield looks over a set of instructions for Emergency Medical Dispatch, a reference guide for when callers are facing a medical crisis.

ALBION – Wayne Litchfield has given frantic residents instructions over the phone for performing CPR.

He has advised people suffering a heart attack to take an aspirin, the medical recommendation for a first course of action. He tried to calm down people in duress, telling them help was on the way.

One time he kept a man sought by the police on the phone for 45 minutes, enough time for state troopers to surround the man and take him into custody.

For 27 years and eight months Litchfield worked as a dispatcher for Orleans County. He had his last day on Oct. 31. Today the Sheriff’s Department held a party in his honor. Sheriff Scott Hess presented Litchfield with a plaque for his dedication.

Wayne Litchfield was honored with a party today at the Sheriff’s Department in Albion.

“There’s an old saying that if you love your job, it’s not work,” Litchfield said. “That’s what this was for me. I was paid to help people.”

Litchfield was a volunteer Holley firefighter and EMT when he was hired as a county dispatcher. He enjoyed working with the firefighters, police and ambulance squads, giving them instructions about emergencies and their locations.

He also fielded calls from the public, people often reeling from anxiety because of an emergency.

“He was dedicated to it,” said Steve Smith, the county’s undersheriff. “It was his chosen profession. He never looked at it as a stepping stone to do something else.”

Litchfield was part of a team of nine full-time dispatchers and five part-timers that handle about 33,000 calls a year. Litchfield personified the main qualities needed to excel at the job: patience and “the ability to stay calm when people call in a frantic mood,” said Allen Turner, the communications coordinator at the dispatch.

Hoag hopes to hook residents on fishing

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Provided photo – Charity Garrow, the library systems administrator, is pictured with, from left: Web Pearsall of the DEC Regional 8 Fisheries; and Sportsmen Federation members Neil Newton and Mike Elam.

Coming soon to be checked out at Hoag Library in Albion: fishing poles.

That may seem like an odd offering at the local library, but Hoag said the library is located in an area with abundant fishing resources. However, many residents may not have the money to pay for fishing poles and gear. Or maybe they want to try out fishing before commiting to buying their own equipment.

The library will rent out 12 poles and kits beginning Dec. 1. The state Department of Environmental Conservation donated the 12 fishing poles to Hoag Library . The Orleans County Federation of Sportsmen has volunteered to maintain the equipment and provide kits with bobbers and hooks.

The DEC has donated fishing equipment to a few other libraries in the region, including the pubic library in Le Roy, the only other one besides Albion in the three-county Nioga system with fishing poles.

The fishing poles can be checked out by anyone over age 13. Children under 13 will need a parent’s permission to borrow the fishing gear.

Erie Canal calls it a season

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Historic waterway ends 189th year

Photos by Tom Rivers

The tenders, tugboats and barges are lining up today between the Main and Ingersoll Street lift bridges in Albion, where the vessels will spend the winter before the canal reopens next May.

The canal is closing at 5 p.m. today, ending its 189th season since the waterway opened in 1825, transforming New York state into an economic powerhouse and giving birth to numerous canal towns, including Albion.

The 524-mile state canal system runs through Orleans County. I live a few blocks from the canal. I enjoy the old bridges and tugboats that are part of our landscape.

I took a lot of photos of the canal this year. I like this one of a sunset on Aug. 12 the best. It shows the Main Street lift bridge in Albion.

Feel the peace and power of Swallow Hallow

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Nature trail at wildlife refuge leads to wonderland

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALABAMA – When we all woke up to a dusting of snow on Wednesday, the first snowfall in many months, I cancelled my morning plans and headed out to the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

I’ve been having an awakening of sorts in recent months to the natural wonders all around those of us who live in Orleans County. This place is stunning. My favorite time of the year may in the spring when the fruit trees are in their blossoming glory.

Nature reigns supreme on the 1.3 mile trail in the wildlife refuge.

This past summer was a joy with what felt like day after day of spectacular sunsets. They were orange, red, purple, and some had an array of colors. I have friends in the big cities and they hardly ever see a decent sunset.

Fast forward to Wednesday morning. I was going to Swallow Hollow, period. Everything else could wait about two hours.

I’ve been on this 1.3 mile loop through the woods a couple times before, both times with little kids so I couldn’t really take in nature’s glory. I couldn’t let my guard down. I had to stay vigilant in case a child fell in the swamp.

So Wednesday, after the first light snowfall of the season, I embarked on a nature hike all by myself. Swallow Hollow is part of a wildlife refuge that covers about 11,000 acres in Shelby in Orleans County and Alabama in Genesee County.

Swallow Hollow is on Knowlesville Road, east of Route 63. I hoped Swallow Hollow was in Orleans County so we could claim this as one of our assets. But I think it’s slightly to the south in Genesee County. Close enough. We have about half the refuge in our county so why quibble over a technicality?

Swallow Hollow has an elevated boardwalk over the swamp. It makes for a wild walk. I give the refuge and whoever made this happen a lot of credit. I’m sure there were some naysayers when the idea was put out there: Let’s put a boardwalk in the swamp.

I’m grateful the project became a reality and we have public access to such a special place. Swallow Hollow was closed to the public for five years until the boardwalk was upgraded for about $500,000 in 2006. This was met with great fanfare by the public when the trail reopened.

You’re on the boardwalk at the beginning and the end of the trail. You spend most of your time walking on a dirt trail. (It was covered in snow on Wednesday.)

The birds are happy in the refuge. They sound like an enormous joyful chorus.

It was a chilly morning Wednesday and the autofocus didn’t work on my camera. I had to use the manual focus and a lot of photos that I thought were winners were actually slightly fuzzy. But it’s hard to walk out of Swallow Hollow without some good ones.

Orleans may strike deal for nursing home next month

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2013 at 12:00 am

ALBION – Orleans County could reach an agreement to sell the nursing home next month.

The three-man board of Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation received two qualifying bids for the 120-bed Villages of Orleans.

The HFC, a local development corporation formed by the County Legislature to sell the nursing home, received requests to buy the site by an Oct. 16 deadline.

The Health Facilities Corporation is chaired by Russ Martino, a former Yates town supervisor and retired Lyndonville elementary principal. The LDC met today in executive session. It issued a statement this evening saying it will pursue a sale with two of the bidders.

One of the groups is led by Mordy Lahasky, Benjamin Fuchs and Benjamin Landa, which has multiple facilities in the Albany, Long Island and New York City. The other group is led by Kenneth Rozenberg and has multiple facilities across New York State.

Each bidding group will consider keeping existing employees, continue services for existing residents, maintain important community programs and continue to serve as landlord to the resident county offices, according to the news release.

The board anticipates entering a binding sale agreement in December 2013 with a change in the licensed operator as of Dec. 31, 2014.The state Department of Health will review the proposal, which often takes a year to get through Albany.

The LDC board anticipates meeting again next month to approve the final sale agreement.

County officials did not disclose the offers from the two entities.

Thanksgiving meal should be a little cheaper this year

Posted 15 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, American Farm Bureau Federation

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 28th annual informal price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $49.04, a 44-cent price decrease from last year’s average of $49.48.

“The cost of this year’s meal, at less than $5 per serving, remains an excellent value for consumers,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman, a rice and cattle producer from Texas. “America’s farm and ranch families are honored to produce the food from our nation’s land for family Thanksgiving celebrations.”

The AFBF survey shopping list includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10. There is also plenty for leftovers.

The big ticket item – a 16-pound turkey – came in at $21.76 this year. That was roughly $1.36 per pound, a decrease of about 3 cents per pound, or a total of 47 cents per whole turkey, compared to 2012. The whole bird was the biggest contributor to the final total, showing the largest price decrease compared to last year.

In addition to the turkey, other items that declined in price included a dozen brown-n-serve rolls, $2.18; one pound of green peas, $1.54; a 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing, $2.67; fresh cranberries, $2.42; a half pint of whipping cream, $1.85; and two nine-inch pie shells, $2.49.

Items that showed a moderate price increase from last year included three pounds of sweet potatoes, $3.36; one gallon of whole milk, $3.66; and a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix, $3.10.

GCC will honor ‘Heritage Heroes’ in Orleans

Posted 14 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Winners to be recognized at Civil War Encampment

Press release, GCC

MEDINA – When Genesee Community College hosts the Civil War Encampment at its Medina Campus Center next spring, organizers want to recognize the efforts of dedicated citizens who work hard to preserve the county’s history.

GCC is accepting nominations for “Heritage Heroes Awards.” Nominations will be accepted through Jan. 31, 2014.

“Residents of Orleans County take great pride in their heritage,” said Jim Simon, Associate Dean of GCC’s Orleans County Campus Centers in Medina and Albion. “We want to recognize the time and investment of individuals who are tireless advocates for local history.”

Nominees for Heritage Heroes can be any age but posthumous nominations will not be accepted. History professionals and GCC employees are also not eligible for the award, nor are those who serve on the awards selection committees. Nominees must be Orleans County residents. Nominations will not be retained for future consideration.

Derek Maxfield, the Encampment coordinator, pushed to create the award for local Heritage Heroes.

“We’re excited to initiate these awards,” Maxfield said. “When we held the Encampment in Medina last year, it became obvious how this county values its history and embraces its preservation. These efforts often go unnoticed. This is a way to shine a light on those who make many personal sacrifices in order to preserve history for future generations.”

The Heritage Heroes will be recognized during a ceremony at the annual Civil War Encampment at GCC in Medina in April 2014.

To nominate someone for the Heritage Heroes Awards, write up a brief statement outlining the person’s contributions, projects, and community affiliations. Include his/her name (anonymous nominations will not be accepted), address, phone number, and email address.

Submit the nomination to:

Genesee Community College
ATTENTION: Heritage Heroes Committee
11470 Maple Ridge Rd.
Medina NY  14103-9675

Nominations may also be emailed to Jim Simon at jsimon@genesee.edu. Please write Heritage Heroes Nomination in the subject line.

A screening committee made up of community members, history professionals, and GCC students will review the nominations and select finalists. From those finalists, a committee including GCC Associate Dean Jim Simon, Assistant Professor and Encampment Coordinator Derek Maxfield, and Orleans Hub Editor Tom Rivers will choose the Heritage Heroes.

Saying thanks to veterans for their protection and sacrifices

Posted 14 November 2013 at 12:00 am

By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department

Veterans’ Day for some the day is mixed with emotions, some good, some not so good and unfortunately for many, it is just another day or a day off.

According to Wikipedia, “Veterans Day is an official United States holiday which honors people who have served in armed service also known as veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.)

Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.”

When pondering on what to write for this week’s column the thought of so many who have given their service and for some, their lives, the thought of saying thank you in a health column was easy to consider.

Many of those who have served in our Armed Forces over the years were serving either because they wanted to do something for this great nation we live in. For some, they entered the service because they were drafted and didn’t have a choice and for others they were looking for job training, structure, and / or an adventure. Whatever the reason, thank you!

Thank you for doing your best to protect our freedoms. Thank you for doing your best to protect our borders. Thank you for leaving your families and potentially risking your lives for those of us who live here. Thank you for ignoring the rudeness of those who treated your poorly when you returned home from service because they disagree with what you stand for.

Thank you to your families who stood by you through the mail and more recently through technology. Thank you to your families who missed you and thank you to you for all the dinners, nighttime tuck-ins, school events, parties, weddings and good-byes you couldn’t say because you were / are protecting us.

Whatever your reason for serving, whatever your experiences while serving, you are appreciated and your service and sacrifices are not forgotten.

Thank you!

Editor’s note: Nola Goodrich-Kresse sent this in time for Veterans’ Day. My apologies for not posting it sooner.

Nursing home volunteers will need flu shots – or masks

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2013 at 12:00 am

ALBION – Volunteers at The Villages of Orleans, the county-owned nursing home in Albion, will need flu shots or else they will have to wear a mask if they want to be inside the facility interacting with residents.

The state Health Department issued that decree for the upcoming flu season. The Health Department first put the policy in place near the tail end of last year’s flu season.

The new policy already has rankled one volunteer. Adolf Genter is a regular presence at the nursing home, playing his accordion. He doesn’t want to get a flu shot.

He spoke out against the new state policy during Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting.

The state health commissioner hasn’t declared the start of the flu season yet, so Genter can continue to play the accordion at the nursing home without a flu shot or protective mask. But he won’t be able to much longer.

The flu season generally runs from November through April. There haven’t been enough cases yet to prompt the commissioner to declare the official start of flu season, said William Gillick, the nursing home administrator.

The new policy applies to nursing home employees, volunteers and interns. It may also extend to other personnel who occasionally work in the facility, including Buildings and Grounds and information technology staff, said Paul Pettit, the county’s public health director.

The new state policy doesn’t apply to nursing home visitors.

The policy extends to hospitals, nursing homes, health clinics, home care agencies and hospices. State health officials say they want to help contain the spread of the flu.

New York recorded 45,352 confirmed cases and 9,537 patients hospitalized with influenza last season, the Associated Press reported. After a spike in flu cases last January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a public health emergency.

Albion funeral home has 2 Pullman couches

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – George Pullman is believed to have made these two couches that are inside the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home in Albion. The funeral home was once the home for Sanford Church, a prominent Albionite who served as the state’s lieutenant governor.

ALBION – Before he struck fame and fortune as the manufacturer of palatial sleeping railroad cars, George Pullman was a cabinet and furniture maker in Albion.

Pullman joined the family business at age 17 in 1848.  A decade later he was in Chicago, making money by moving buildings. In 1859, he converted railroad cars into luxury rooms on wheels. Thus began his empire.

Today, I stopped by the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home in Albion. Two of Pullman’s couches from more than 150 years ago remain inside the funeral home, which used to be the home of Sanford Church. The prominent Albion resident went on to serve as lieutenant governor from 1851 to 1854. Church may be Albion’s most accomplished resident. He was also the state comptroller and chief judge of the Court of Appeals.

He also apparently owned ornately carved furniture by another young Albionite who would become a titan of business. George Pullman didn’t forget his Albion roots after amassing his riches. He was the prime benefactor in building the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion, a site that was dedicated in 1895.

Another Albion church has a Pullman-made couch. When I was at the First Presbyterian Church for a visit a few months ago, members of the church noted they have a Pullman couch. I’ll try to get a picture soon.

The Pullman furniture features ornately carved woodwork.