By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 20 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Andrew Moore of Albion and Emma Wilson of Medina co-present on Mustang Adoption and Gentling during Orleans County 4-H Public Presentations this morning at the 4-H Fairgrounds.
KNOWLESVILLE – For Orleans County 4-H’ers, February means the annual Public Presentations program, and some of the final presentations of this year were held today at the Education Center on the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
Public Presentations were also held on Feb. 6 and Feb. 13. A final round of presentations will be held at Kendall Elementary School this Thursday.
The program is part of the 4-H Communications and Expressive Arts project area and helps participating youth to grow in confidence and career readiness.
Participants through public speaking develop poise and learn to express ideas clearly, respond spontaneously to questions and to gain subject matter knowledge.
“The most impressive thing is the width, breadth and variety of topics” chosen by 4-H presenters, said Robert Batt, 4-H educator in Orleans County.
Topics chosen this year included various cooking and baking demonstrations; Jamaica; land trapping; dangers of smoking; popcorn; winter camping and farm equipment.
4-H’ers who receive the highest evaluation of their presentation can move on to the district and state levels.
Lillian Mathes of Holley explains the meaning of the four h’s in 4-H during her Public Presentation Saturday morning at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. “I love to learn by doing,” Lillian said during her talk.
Meganne Moore of Albion chose to recite Shel Silverstein’s poem, “Peanut-Butter Sandwich” while enrobed in a purple cape.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 20 February 2016 at 12:00 am
B. L. & R. Railway operated in Orleans from 1905 to 1931
Volume 2, Issue 8
This image shows the construction of the Buffalo, Lockport & Rochester Railway through Medina in 1908. Looking north, workers are in the process of laying tracks on Main Street towards Commercial Street where the rail line would turn west and run to Salt Works Road.
The iconic clock tower of White’s Hotel can be seen in the background as well as a large advertisement for Daniel D. Holdredge’s crockery and undertaking business.
The earliest efforts to construct an electric interurban railway through this area started around the turn of the century. Discussion of forming a railway that ran from Batavia to Olcott through Medina were amongst the very first plans for a trolley system. However, the 1.7-mile Albion Electric Railway was the only successful line in these early years.
Chartered in 1905, the Buffalo, Lockport & Rochester Railway was a combination of the Albion & Lockport Railway, the Albion & Rochester Railway, and the Albion Electric Railway. The company was organized by Woods and Nicholls of Toronto and there was talk that the formulation of such a railway would lead to a connection between Canada and Western New York.
By Sept. 3, 1908 the section spanning from Rochester to a point west of Albion was in full operation and two months later, on Nov. 17, tracks were finished to Lockport. Based on that timeline, we can surmise that this photograph was taken sometime between Sept. 3 and Nov. 17, 1908.
With stations located at Medina, Knowlesville, Albion, Hulberton, and Holley, the trolley tracks ran down East Center Street, turned north on Main Street to Commercial Street and ran north of Medina’s residential neighborhoods.
While the company was in the initial stages of planning the railway’s route, Medina residents were vocal in their opposition to tracks running in front of their homes. Despite this opposition and the eventual rerouting of the rail line, Medina residents could enjoy a trip to Buffalo and back for $1.14 or travel to and from Rochester for $1.60.
The original operators of the rail line sold their interests in the B. L. & R. Railway to Clifford Beebe and operated under an electric railway group based out of Syracuse known as the “Beebe Syndicate.” During the era of the First World War, Beebe was experiencing financial difficulties and the company was sold to a Rochester based interest that reorganized the line as the Buffalo, Lockport & Rochester Railroad in 1919.
Despite the early successes of the B. L. & R., the advent of the Great Depression led to the eventual collapse of the railway in 1931. The tracks remained unused until they were dismantled and removed in 1936.
As an interesting sidenote, a railcar used on this trolley line and stored at Knowlesville for a number of years. The wood car number 206 was eventually relocated to the New York Museum of Transportation at Rochester in 2010 where it is awaiting evaluation for future restoration.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Marcy Downey performed several popular songs from the 1950s and 1960s during a concert Friday at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina, including Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis Presley.
Downey of Albion performed for the first time in the Medina library’s “Finally Fridays” concert series, which is in its 15th season. The series started on Jan. 8 and includes concerts at 7 p.m. on Fridays.
About 200 people attended Downey’s concert. Upcoming performers include Emerald Isle (Celtic music) on Feb. 26, The John Cole Blues Band (blues, shuffle, swing and soul) on March 4, and the Dady Brothers (Irish music) on March 18.
One concert-goer takes a video of Downey singing.
A crowd packed the library, which includes a performance area that is used during story hours as well as the concerts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A snowwoman, with batteries with black duct tape for eyes, stands on East Park Street this morning. The temperatures are in the mid-50s today after being only about 0 degree a week ago.
Sunday is forecast for a high of 42, followed by a high of 28 on Monday and a high of 36 on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
MURRAY – A man who was acting suicidal on Monday was located by law enforcement officers from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and taken to Strong Memorial Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
Deputies arrived to Hindsburg Road in Murray on Monday after Town of Murray Highway Department snowplow operator Dennis Mandigo called 911 to report a car fire in a field on Hindsburg Road near Transit Church Road.
Mandigo also reported at about 11:30 a.m. that he had spoken to a man near the scene and, minutes later, the person walked away. Deputy Jeff Gifaldi arrived and found the car fully involved with fire. The man had left the scene.
Fancher-Hulberton-Murray and Holley fire departments responded and extinguished the fire.
Gifaldi contacted the Irondequoit Police Department and advised that he was investigating a suspicious fire. The Irondequoit Police Department was asked to go to the home of the registered owner of the burning vehicle in an attempt to locate him, Undersheriff Chris Bourke said in a news release.
Irondequoit Police advised that they had just received information from a relative of the registered owner that indicated the owner was suicidal and was intending to burn himself up in a vehicle, Bourke said.
Sgt. Dean Covis located footprints in the snow that led into a field. Covis and Gifaldi tracked the prints through fields and woods for approximately 2.5 miles. There was a snowstorm occurring at this time which made it difficult for perimeter sheriff patrol units to observe the subject, Bourke said.
After approximately two hours, the suicidal man was located by Bourke coming out of a field on Creek Road near Route 104.
The man was taken into custody without incident and transported to Strong for an evaluation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Nearly 35,000 miles and counting for Brian Kent
Provided photos – Brian Kent, right, lets a man sign the map on top of Kent’s electric-powered vehicle, a Nissan Leaf. Kent is travelling the country in the vehicle to promote the cars as a viable option for long-range trips.
For nearly six months Brian Kent has been traveling the country, spreading a message that electric cars are reliable long-range vehicles.
Since he left Albion on Aug. 24, Kent has driven a 2013 Nissan LEAF nearly 35,000 miles. He was at 34,260 miles on Thursday when he was in South Lake, Texas.
When he left Albion in late August, Kent intended a 100-day trip that would cover 26,000 miles. He wanted to drive through 48 states (all but Alaska and Hawaii).
Kent scrapped the plan, preferring not to stick to a strict schedule. He estimates he has talked with more than 2,000 people on the trip, often when he is charging his car.
Kent’s car is pictured in Cheyenne, WY, on Nov. 12 next to an 8-foot-high boot.
He has made numerous new friends and has emerged as a bit of a celebrity of the electric car movement. He received a hero’s welcome when he visited a Tesla sales site in Dallas-Fort Worth.
He has been featured in blogs and news sites that promote and explore electric cars and the green energy movement.
Kent plans to come home in April. He wants to be in New Jersey on March 31 when the new Tesla Model 3 is introduced.
Kent has planted a tree in almost all of the states he has visited on the trip. He is pictured in Arizona last month.
Kent set out to shatter myths about the electric vehicles. They are capable of long-range trips. He wanted to show the network of charge stations throughout the country and also meet other electric vehicle drivers.
“I wanted to show that a car like mine could do it,” he said by phone. “I wanted to demonstrate the viability of limited range, affordable electric vehicles.”
Kent parked next to a holiday light display in December.
He also wanted to break the world record for longest trip in an electric vehicle (non solar). Norman Hajjar set the mark in Tesla Model S with 12,183 miles from March 28 to April 21, 2014 in a trip that started in Portand, Oregon and ended in Venice, Calif.
Kent smashed that record. But another driver, Steve Sasman, also took a big trip in 2015. Sasman covered 27,615 miles last year in the US and Canada. News of his trip came out in December. Kent faced a dilemma in late December. He could set the 133-day record but he would have to really push his Leaf.
He wasn’t going to do it, but some of his key supporters urged him to break the record. On the last day he drove 650 miles in his Leaf, a trip from San Diego to Canada, breaking the record for the entire trip by 5 miles at 27,620 miles.
Kent has been visiting the state capitals. Here is his car in Indianapolis on Sept. 20.
He has been at a more leisurely pace the past two months since breaking the record. He has been spending time with one of his supporters, a family in the Dallas, Texas area. But he will soon be heading to Little Rock, Ark, as he works his way to New Jersey for the new Tesla unveiling.
Kampgrounds of America is one of Kent’s sponsors. They have charging stations and they have also let his stay in cabins. He spends about half of his nights sleeping in the car. He has it set up with a feather bed in back. He took out the back seats.
“The best part: no exhaust,” he said.
Besides Kampgrounds of America, Kent is partnering with Michelin, Plug in America, National Drive Electric Week, EV Charge Hub, Clean Technica, Inside EVs, and The Green Optimistic for the educational trip.
A woman in Texas signs the map on Kent’s car, one of the keepsakes from the trip.
Kent said the car has only ran out of power once. The first day of the trip when he was in the Catskills and took a wrong turn, resulting in an 18-mile detour. He needed to be towed. He said driver error, and not the car, is at fault for that incident.
Otherwise, the car has been able to go all over the country without missing a charge.
Kent also has planted a tree in nearly every state he has visited. That is 35 in 39 states. Four times he didn’t have someone lined up who would care for the tree, ensuring it was watered and cared for in the critical few weeks after a tree is planted.
He tries to see the capital in each state. He also stops at the popular tourist attractions, trying to get his car in photos with famous scenes, including mountains in the background or public art or war memorials.
Kent’s car has accumulated messages since the trip started about six months ago.
His car is covered in decals of sponsors and messages from supporters. He has wrap on top of the car that shows a map of the U.S. In each state he asks at least one person to sign their state.
“This is the best life experience I’ve ever had,” Kent said. “I’ve met an amazing array of people along the way,” he said.
Kent is pictured at a beach in California. He is calling the journey, “The Negative Carbon Road Trip.” The trees planted will more than offset the carbon dioxide for running his vehicle.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Community reading project continues for 14th year
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Many residents in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties are reading the same book, Black River, as part of the 14th annual “A Tale for Three Counties.”
Hoag Library in Albion held a book discussion on Thursday evening. Some of the participants in the discussion are pictured with a poster of the book cover, including, from left: Bindings Bookstore owner Carolyn Ricker, Kim Pritt, Library Director Betty Sue Miller and Linda Weller.
The author of the book, S. M. Hulse of Spokane, Wa., will visit the three counties for book talks from March 10-12, including a 7 p.m. visit at Hoag Library on March 11.
Many libraries in the three counties are holding book discussions. Yates Community Library held its discussion on Feb. 8. Lee-Whedon Memorial Library will discuss the book at 1 p.m. on March 7, with Community Free Library in Holley discussing Black River at 7 p.m. on March 7.
The story centers on Wes Carver, a retired corrections officer who is coping with the loss of his wife to cancer. Carver also returns to the Black River community for the parole hearing of an inmate who tortured Carver during a prison riot two decades earlier. That inmate badly broke Carver’s fingers, preventing him from playing the fiddle, one of his passions.
The novel explores faith, forgiveness, fatherhood and revenge.
For more on A Tale for Three Counties, visit http://taleforthreecounties.org.
The snow this week, which blanketed the area with at least a foot of snow, created a landscape covered in white. Several people sent photos to the Orleans Hub of the winter wonderland.
Pamela Moore sent in the top photo from Tuesday of a barn on Gillette Road in Barre. “You can always find some sort of beauty even through a storm,” she said.
Kristina Gabalski, an Orleans Hub correspondent, took this photo of a snowman on Wednesday morning in front of a home on South Main Street in the Village of Holley.
Gabrielle Davis took this picture on Tuesday of a snow-covered Kenyonville Road in Gaines. She said the road with all of the snow was “so peaceful.”
Robyn Ottaviano of Medina sent in these photos of the Medina Waterfalls taken on Monday.
Donna Erneweintook this picture on Sunday of Lake Ontario from the Shadigee in Yates.
Gary Wood of Allen Road in Albion took this picture of the sunrise on Monday.
Rick Baase of Kent snapped this photo of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse at Point Breeze just before sunset on Feb. 15.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Crews are painting the former Monro Muffler Break and Service site in Albion, giving it the black and red colors for Verizon.
The phone and telecommunications company will open a store in Albion at 214 West Ave. Verizon had a small store in downtown Albion about seven years ago. It will have a new presence in Albion in a setup comparable to the one in Brockport.
In addition to painting the building, Verizon will take out the garage doors and do interior furnishings, said Ron Vendetti, the village’s code enforcement officer.
Verizon also will put new signs on the building.
Verizon’s black and red are replacing the yellow and blue from Monro Muffler.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
GAINES – Icicles hang from Tillman’s Village Inn at around noon today.
The National Weather Service has issued a freezing rain advisory for Friday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The advisory includes Orleans County and much of Western New York.
The Weather Service warns that roadways will likely be slick especially on elevated surfaces, including bridges and overpasses.
