More 200 social media posts, TikTok videos and many appearances

Photo by Brenda Tremblay: In one of his boldest outings, Orly the Ox went kayaking on Glenwood Lake and made it close to the Medina Waterfalls on Aug. 18. He met up with the Buffalo paddle People, a kayaking group that goes to sites all over WNY. Orleans County is popular with kayakers, especially the Oak Orchard Creek and Glenwood Lake in Ridgeway.

Photo by Isabella Zasa: Orly the Ox made it to the top of the Mount Albion Tower in one of his journeys in Orleans County in 2025. Orly had more than 200 social media posts on Facebook and Instagram about local historical sites, notable residents of the past and local attractions. Orly also went kayaking, hydro-biking, skateboarding and tackled many adventures in Orleans County during all four seasons. Orly also is featured on about 200 TikTok videos.

By Natalie Baron, Orleans Hub contributor

ALBION – Orly the Ox has completed a busy year promoting Orleans County, highlighting prominent spots and other locations and people that were lower profile.

Isabella Zasa and Tom Rivers were the driving force behind Orly’s adventures in 2025. Zasa works as a tourism assistant and digital content creator for the Orleans County Tourism Department, Rivers is the Orleans Hub editor. Both are members of the Orleans County Bicentennial Committee.

The committee picked an ox as a mascot for the county to celebrate the 200^th anniversary in 2025. Oxen were critical in transporting early settlers across rough terrain. The oxen helped clear land and plow fields. They are somewhat underappreciated for their important role with the early settlers.

The committee wanted to recognize the oxen and acknowledge their link to the pioneers. The group also decided to have an ox in costume as a fun way to promote the bicentennial.

“Orly” was initially intended to just appear in Medina’s Parade of Lights in 2024, walking in front of the Bicentennial Committee’s float that included an ox statue. But Orly was popular along the parade route. (Lucy Rivers, the daughter of Tom Rivers, wore the costume in that parade with her sister Cordelia following up at Albion’s lighted parade in December 2024.)

Orly’s look was created by Robyn Watts of Medina, who makes many of the costumes for the Medina musical products and also for Lake Plains Players. She gave Orly a vest with all 10 towns, four villages and some of the hamlets. She also embroidered some of the early names – Newport for Albion and Saltport for Holley.

Zasa noticed how Oswego County uses a character, Ozzy the Elf, to highlight sites in that county. She suggested an ox be used to showcase places in Orleans County. Orly was activated last January for the task, and he kept up a busy pace, with at least five social media posts a week.

Zasa and Tom Rivers worked as team on the social media posts. They would share the duties of wearing the costume, taking the photos and writing the blurbs.

Zasa put together an active social media presence for Orly on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Tourism’s Facebook followers have nearly doubled in the past year from 2,300 to 4,500 and many of the Orly posts get hundreds of likes.

Catherine Cooper, Orleans County’s historian, loves Orly and said he has helped the community better understand local history.

“Orly’s delight in exploring the treasures of Orleans County is infectious,” Cooper said.

Zasa said the Orly posts connected with many in the public, who enjoyed the authentic storytelling over AI-generated content.

“We covered the bigger attractions and hit the smaller niche things,” she said. “It was to promote the county in a fun way.”

Photos by Marsha Rivers: (Left) Isabella Zasa, a tourism assistant and digital content creator for the Orleans County Tourism Department, takes a picture of Orly on West State Street in Albion by the historical marker for Grace Bedell, an Albion native who wrote a letter to Abraham Lincoln, urging him to grow a beard during the presidential campaign in 1860. Lincoln took her advice. Bedell, 11 at the time, was living in Westfield at the time when she sent the letter. (Right) Tom Rivers, Orleans Hub editor, takes a photo of Orly holding a cake with “200” with the Orleans County Courthouse in the background. This was right before the April 15 anniversary of when Orleans County was officially recognized by the State legislature as its own county, after splitting off from Genesee County. Rivers and Zasa took most of the Orly photos and wrote the features about him in 2025. They also took turns wearing the Orly costume throughout the year.

Orly picked up fans outside of the county, too. The NYS Canal Corp. often would like and share his social media posts and invited Orly to the bicentennial celebration to kick off the 200^th anniversary of the canal season, a ceremony that was cancelled due to flooding on the eastern end of the canal.

Zasa said Orly helped people learn about the county, with people from other towns seeing assets that didn’t realize. The post about Orly climbing Mount Albion Tower included comments from people in Medina who didn’t realize there was a 68-foot-high tower in the back of the cemetery.

Rivers has worked as a local reporter for nearly 30 years now. He has done features about many of the local sites over the years. He saw the Orly features as a challenge to see how well he knew the community. He was also able to draw on historical columns from Catherine Cooper and past county historians, Matt Ballard and Bill Lattin.

Another way the community got to connect with Orly was via the Flat Orly challenge, where people could color printouts and take him on an adventure, snapping a commemorative photo. Flat Orly was featured in New York City, Iowa and other states. These photos were featured on Orly’s social media pages.

Orly was named the Grand Marshall of Albion’s Strawberry Festival. He also attended the Lyndonville parade, Barre tractor parade, and the Albion Christmas parade.

Orly was intended to be a 2025 phenomenon, and then head to retirement. But Rivers and Zasa said Orly is much loved by many people who would be sad if he went away.

They concocted a storyline were Orly meets up with a long-lost brother, Scout, and the two will work together in 2026, celebrating the 250^th anniversary of the USA.

Zasa and Rivers also want to make a book of Orly’s 2025 adventures, an effort that will be a fundraiser for the Cobblestone Museum.

Click here to see Tourism’s Facebook page to see more of Orly’s adventures.

Photo by Isabella Zara: Orly the Ox ended his active year of 2025 by being reunited with his brother Scout at Welker Farms on Sanderson Road in Shelby. Scout was added to the storyline for Orly, giving him a brother as a partner in 2026 to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country. Robyn Watts made both of these ox costumes. Orly has a vest with the names of towns, villages and some of the hamlets in Orleans County. Scout has a more patriotic themed vest.

Photo courtesy of Marsha Rivers: A fallen tree lies on a road at the Carlton Town Park this morning. Many trees were knocked down from the powerful winds.

ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke rescinded a travel advisory, effective at 3 p.m. today. That advisory had been in place more than 24 hours since early Monday afternoon.

An advisory isn’t a ban but discourages from unnecessary driving.

“We continue to experience some wind and snow creating winter driving conditions,” Bourke said. “National Grid would like residents to know that they continue to restore power in treacherous conditions and to stay safe and avoid any downed wires. Please report an outage to National Grid.”

The sheriff said the 911 center has been very busy with storm-related calls since Monday morning.

From 5 a.m. Monday to 12:30 p.m. today, dispatchers handled 159 weather-related calls included 62 for trees down; 23 for wires down; 4 for wires arcing; 1 for pole down; 13 for water problems; 32 to notify highway departments for tree removal; and 24 to utility companies when a fire department wasn’t needed.

There were 19 additional medical calls during this time, Bourke said.

Provided photo: A big tree fell across Route 31 in Albion on Monday evening. This tree was on the north side of Route 31 and fell near Mount Albion Cemetery.

About 10 percent of the National Grid customers in Orleans County are without electricity this morning.

National Grid reports that as of 7:35 this morning 1,973 of its customers in Orleans County (out of 19,724) are without electricity. The power was knocked out on Monday from the high winds taking down wires, trees and branches.

In Western New York, Orleans is one of the hardest hit by outages.

Other counties with outages served by National Grid include:

• Cattaraugus: 830 without power out of 32,268 customers
• Chautauqua: 73 out of 41,420
• Erie: 2,248 out of 288,213
• Genesee: 628 out of 27,513
• Monroe: 399 out of 21,809
• Niagara: 1,573 out of 83,683
• Wyoming: 114 out of 3,608

Travel advisories are in effect for Orleans, Genesee, Erie and Wyoming counties with the sheriffs in those counties recommending no unnecessary travel.

More than 2,600 still without power in Orleans County

The Clarendon fire station on Route 31A has opened as a warming center for people to stay and warm up and charge their devices. The fire station at 16169 East Lee Rd. will be open all night for people to stay or stop by.

Christ Episcopal Church in Albion at 26 S. Main St. will also be available as a warming center. Anyone that needs access to the warming center at Christ Church is asked to call (585) 340-1355 to make arrangements prior to going.

UPDATE at 7:50 p.m.: The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church at 10 East Park St. in Albion also announced it will be open as a warming center until 10 tonight.

There will be snacks and beverages available, as well as the chance to charge phones.

National Grid is reporting at 7:06 p.m. that 2,683 of its customers are currently without electricity.

Those totals by municipality include:

• Albion – 183
• Albion village – 539
• Barre – 367
• Carlton – 178
• Clarendon – 524
• Gaines – 157
• Holley village – 1
• Kendall – 82
• Lyndonville village – 2
• Medina village – 7
• Murray – 259
• Ridgeway – 173
• Shelby – 166
• Yates – 45

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jim Nudd of Medina, a retired career military officer, sits at his desk at the Orleans County Veterans’ Services Agency in Albion, where he was hired as a Veterans’ Services Officer to assist director Nik Mroz.

ALBION – Soon after assuming duties as director of the Orleans County Veterans’ Service Agency in Albion, Nik Mroz realized it would be even more beneficial to local veterans to have a second person on staff to serve the veterans’ community.

“Not only is it an advantage to have a veterans’ services officer available to manage veterans’ affairs, but it is very helpful in implementing events sponsored by the Dwyer Peer-to-Peer program,” Mroz said. “And if I have to be absent, he’s a big asset to have in the office.”

And Mroz knew just who to ask to fill the position – his brother-in-law, Jim Nudd.

The office will continue to have Jackie Lonnen as a clerk, but there are certain duties pertaining to veterans’ affairs that can only be done by a person accredited by the Veterans’ Administration.

Nudd obtained that accreditation and was hired in November 2024.

A Medina native, Nudd is a son of Jan Nudd and the late Tom Nudd. He graduated from Medina High School in 1984 and immediately joined the Air Force. What followed was a 33-year career which saw him advance from airman to command chief of several bases.

“I had a lot of exposure to the military,” Nudd said. “My dad was in the Navy, my grandpa in the Army and my uncle Ralph Gottovi was in the Army Air Corps. I thought the Air Force sounded more exciting and I had signed up in December of 1983.”

His first assignment was to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio for basic training, where he learned he would be a munitions systems technician.

Next came a transfer to Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, where he met his wife Kristina.  This was followed by orders for RAF Bentwaters in England, where he achieved the rank of senior airman. While on leave from Bentwaters, his mother bought Kristina a plane ticket to Medina and he proposed to her at Glenwood Lake. On his return to England, Kristina eventually followed him, and they were married there in 1985.

In the years which followed, Nudd continued to climb in rank, becoming sergeant while serving from 1988 to 1990 at Hill Air Force Base in Utah; deployment in Desert Shield/Storm from 1990 to 1991; obtaining rank of staff sergeant at Hill Air Force Base while serving from 1991 to 1994; becoming tech sergeant at RAF Lakenheath, UK. During that time he was also deployed several times, including Bosnia.

In 1997, Nudd was transferred to McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas until 1999, and then to the Kansas Air National Guard until 2004, during which time he obtained master sergeant, senior master sergeant and first sergeant.

Then came his first retirement, which he enjoyed from 2004 to 2006, when he returned to duty at March Air Force Base in California. In 2008 he was sent to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. For two years, followed by assignment to the Pentagon from 2010 to 2012, where he was promoted to chief master sergeant. His boss arranged for his promotion ceremony to be held at Niagara Falls Air Force Base, so his father, who was in failing health, and his mother could attend.

His next deployments were back to RAF Lakenheath and Whiteman Air Force Base in 2012 until 2016. His final duty was at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona from 2016 to 2017, where he became command chief, and then retired for the second time.

Jim and Kristina had two daughters during his military service – Kassidi, who was born during his second deployment to Hill Air Force Base from 1991-94; and Alison, who was born after he joined the Kansas Air National Guard in 1999.

As a civilian, he became an explosives safety officer for the U.S. Air Force, serving at McConnell, Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, Hill and Ramstein, Germany until 2023, when he retired for the third time and returned to Medina.

“Nik approached me and said with my experience in the military would I consider coming to work in the Veterans’ Service office part-time,” Nudd said. “I would help veterans with disability claims, burial arrangements and education questions, and I would manage the Dwyer Peer-to-Peer program and help with the van service. Nik took action to get me accredited, and I started in November 2024.”

Nudd is in the office from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and from 1 to 5 p.m. Fridays.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Downtown Albion is shown on Nov. 25, decorated for the holidays. The village will see a slight decrease in the local sales tax share in 2026.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has set the sales tax amounts for the 10 towns and four villages for 2026, and the four villages will see a slight decrease.

Overall, the towns and villages collectively remain at $1,366,671, the same amount they have received since 2001.

Every year the Legislature does a sales tax apportionment. In the years after a census update, the county uses a formula in determining the village share by dividing the village taxable value by the town taxable value.

If a town’s taxable value increases at a higher percentage rate than the village within its borders, then some of that sales tax from the village shifts to the town.

Charts: Orleans Hub with data from Orleans County Legislature.

Next year, $887 collectively from the four villages will go to the towns. That drops the village overall amount to $386,534 while the 10 towns get $980,137.

Many of the town and village officials have asked the County Legislature to increase the sales tax sharing, but the Legislature has declined, saying the county faces its own rising costs.

Sean Pogue, the Barre town supervisor, made the latest plea to the county to increase the sales tax shared with towns and villages. Pogue, speaking during last month’s meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities, asked the legislators to unfreeze the cap to the towns and villages, so those municipalities could see an increase in the sales tax.

The sales tax has risen significantly in recent years. This year, in the first three quarters, the sales tax for the county was up 9.7 percent or about $1.6 million.

The county is on pace to take in about $25 million total this year in sales tax.

Here are the amounts of local sales tax in recent years in Orleans County, according to the state comptroller’s office:

• $23.4 million in 2024
• $23.1 million in 2023
• $22.5 million in 2022
• $21.8 million in 2021
• $19.4 million in 2020
• $17.7 million in 2019

County nearly shut out from $463 million in funding from Regional Economic Development Council

Photo by Tom Rivers: Several anglers fish near the dam in Lyndonville on Oct. 28, 2021. Many Chinook salmon were jumping up in Johnson Creek. The area draws many visiting fishermen during the fall tributary season.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $463 million in funding around the state on Dec. 23 in grants approved through the Regional Economic Development Councils plus the new Advancing Collaboration for High-impact Initiatives for Economic Visions & Expansion competition — or ACHIEVE Competition.

Orleans County is in the Finger Lakes REDC and was approved for an $86,250 grant to develop Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs for the towns of Kendall, Carlton, Yates and Village of Lyndonville. Those municipalities will work with the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council to complete draft Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs for each municipality.

“The LWRPs will revitalize waterfronts along Lake Ontario, Oak Orchard Creek, Johnson Creek, Marsh Creek and Bald Eagle Creek,” according to the announcement from the state. “Issues to be addressed include revitalization, erosion, transportation and water quality.”

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, which serves both Genesee and Orleans, was approved for a $75,000 grant to market cultural festivals in the two counties. The grant will go towards “a strategic, multi-platform marketing campaign and tourism app integration, aimed at increasing regional visitation and economic impact.”

Close to Orleans County, Brightly Farms LLC in Hamlin was approved for $316,860 towards a new cold storage for the short-term preservation of crops from October through March.

“This building retrofit will be designed to be carbon neutral, with no usage of fossil fuels via all-electric equipment,” according to the grant announcement. “There will be a 154 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar photovoltaic system to offset the building’s energy usage. An improved building envelope and energy control for lighting and climate will allow Brightly Farm to maximize energy efficiency and eliminate wasted energy.”

The Village of Barker in eastern Niagara County was approved for $1.5 million to replace the existing undersized and deteriorating storm sewer infrastructure.

Becker Farms in Gasport, Niagara County, was approved for $100,000 to launch a strategic tourism marketing campaign to promote its eco-lodging, agritourism experiences, and year-round events driving visitation, job creation, and regional economic growth in rural Niagara County. The project highlights sustainable agriculture, experiential travel, and community revitalization in Western New York, according to the grant announcement.

Foodlink in Rochester, which serves Orleans and nine other counties, was approved for a $440,000 grant. Foodlink will undertake renovations to include a cafeteria/auditorium with event seating to host community and partner engagement events including trainings and Benefits Navigation work helping individuals enroll and maintain their SNAP and WIC benefits to increase access to healthy food. The project will increase capacity and better position Foodlink to respond more effectively to rising food insecurity in the region, according to the grant award.

Another grant that may be of interest in Orleans County, the Village of Red Creek with population of about 500 in Wayne County, was approved for a $50,000 grant to complete a “Comprehensive Economic Development Plan” to help revitalize and strengthen the village’s downtown core.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the $463 million in funding on Tuesday. Long Island, the Mohawk Valley, New York City and the Southern Tier were chosen as winners of the inaugural $150 million Advancing Collaboration for High-impact Initiatives for Economic Visions & Expansion competition — or ACHIEVE Competition.

Additionally, nearly 400 projects across the state have been awarded over $300 million in funding through the various state agency programs within the annual Regional Council initiative and Consolidated Funding Application, which Hochul said have been redesigned to help catalyze economic growth, jump-start housing growth, and advance regionally designed strategic plans, while addressing state priorities.

203 have now completed program since 2018

Photos by Tom Rivers: Marcy Boyce, office manager for Arc GLOW in Albion, is congratulated for completing the 2025 Leadership Orleans program. She also received citations of commendation from the Orleans County Legislature, and offices of Assemblyman Steve Hawley and State Sen. Rob Ortt. From include County legislator Skip Draper, representing Ortt; Jayleen Carney, Hawley’s chief of staff; and Lynne Johnson, County Legislature chairman.

LYNDONVILLE – The eighth class of Leadership Orleans has completing the year-long program, bringing the total grads to 203 since the program started in 2018.

The class met monthly, building leadership skills and gaining knowledge, experiences and connecting with people from many different sectors in the community. The class spent different days focused on agriculture, non-profit organizations, government services, small and larger businesses, law enforcement, tourism, arts and culture, community health and economic development.

The class visited 33 sites around the county and heard from 56 presenters.

The class voted Captain’s Cove in Waterport as their favorite place to visit. They were able to ride on pontoon boats and explore the Oak Orchard River.

Charlie Nesbitt, a retired state assemblyman and helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War, was voted as presenter of the year. Nesbitt is on the steering committee for Leadership Orleans and helped to launch the program.

He shared with the class about harrowing rides on the helicopter to save fellow American soldiers and children in Vietnam.

Kelly Kiebala holds a portrait of a child from Vietnam that Charlie Nesbitt was able to transport to safety by helicopter. Nesbitt, left, shared that story with the class when he was a presenter during the year. The class named him “Presenter of the Year” for his inspiring message. Kiebala and Nesbitt are both on the steering committee for Leadership Orleans.

Nesbitt served in Vietnam from May 1968 to May 1969. He awarded the “Distinguished Flying Cross” for his valor on Nov. 14, 1968when he and his crew members were told an American soldier was stranded in enemy territory in the jungles of Laos, across the border from Vietnam.

Another helicopter had been hit with a rocket and crashed. The crew needed to be rescued. Nesbitt flew a helicopter in and got out everyone, except one gunman, John Grimaldi, who was separated from his crew. That day he took the recovered crew members back to safety, and then returned to enemy territory to find Grimaldi.

Nesbitt told the class he is a big believer in Leadership Orleans. He was in a similar program as a young man after the Vietnam War. That program in Rochester “changed the direction in my life,” he said.

He said Leadership Orleans will have an impact on them in their work and family lives.

“If your life is better, all of our lives will be better,” he said during the graduation program on Dec. 11 at the White Birch in Lyndonville.

A new class with 26 members starts in January. Leadership Orleans also offers a “Level Up” program for graduates to continue to hone their leadership skills and build their network.

Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the County Legislature, thanked the class members for investing the time to learn about county and to better equip themselves to be forces for good.

Johnson urged them to keep maintaining the personal relationships they built over the past year.

“Never hesitate to engage with those who share different opinions,” Johnson said. “Welcome the discussion. Often times you will find there are more areas of agreement than you think.”

“Great leaders who build those personal connections will be followed – not because of a title or position – but because they are trusted. And that is true leadership.”

The program receives a stipend from the county, and there are 20 other community sponsors of programs throughout the year. The class members also pay tuition to be in Leadership Orleans.

Kathy Hodgins, chief executive officer of UConnectCare, was named Alumnus of the Year. Hodgins was in the inaugural class of 2018. She started 23 years ago with the agency, formerly known as GCASA. She began as a chemical dependency counselor in 2002 and worked her was up to becoming CEO.

The 27 members of the class representing several sectors in the community, including agriculture, education, human services, government, business and volunteerism

The program aims to build the “citizen capital” of the community, helping develop leaders who are educated on the many facets of the community.

This year’s graduates include:

• Trisha Allen, project director for UConnectCare Behavioral Health Services in Albion
• Jami Allport, executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern
• Tyler Baker, technical resource manager for Lake Ontario Fruit in Albion
• Marissa Bell, social scientist for U.S. Department of Energy
• Marcy Boyce, office manager for Arc GLOW in Albion
• Candace Casey, coordinator of work-based learning at Iroquois Job Corps in Shelby
• Aeddon Cayea, deputy director of United Way of Orleans County
• Wendy Cruz, manager of Project Salus, a program of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
• Jodi Fisher, program director for GO Art!
• Alishia Foss, resource specialist for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
• Randy Heslor, production supervisor for The Print Shop in Medina
• Tim Ingrassia, operational excellence manager for Baxter Healthcare
• Riki Lake, logistics/finance for CHPC in Medina
• Ryan Lasal, director of programming for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
• Becky Manfreda, assistant superintendent of instruction for Albion Central School
• Kristine Mostyn, director of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina
• Amanda Nash, transportation director for Western New York Energy
• Kevin Neureuter Jr., director of IT for Orleans County
• Alana Palone, clinic administrator for Orleans Community Health
• Jillian Peracciny, public information assistant for Orleans/Niagara BOCES
• Abby Smith, literacy director for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County
• Alyssa Thomas, clinic/SPOA coordinator for Orleans County Mental Health Clinic
• Quinton VerCruysee, equipment operations manager for Orchard Dale Fruit Company in Carlton
• Michael Weller, library assistant at Hoag Library in Albion
• Nick Wetherwax, senior director technical solutions at Info Advantage Inc. in Rochester
• Bryce Wilson, farmer with Panek Farms in Albion
• Corey Winters, director of Orleans County Department of Planning and Development

Nick Wetherwax (left), senior director of Technical Solutions, Info Advantage, Inc., and Riki Lake, Logistics/Finance for CHPC, were picked by the class to be the presenters and reflect on the year’s highlights. Lake won the award for winning the most points throughout the year for different competitions and activities.

Both said they learned so much about Orleans County and felt a strong bond with their classmates.

Wetherwax, 35, said he was particularly impressed visiting many of the local farmers and agricultural businesses to see how they are using technology and adapting.

Michael Weller, a library assistant at Hoag Library, is congratulated for completing the program. He is the seventh Hoag staff member to graduate from Leadership Orleans.

Weller, 36, said the year proved eye-opening. The tour of the ethanol plant in Medina was a highlight.

“It’s so big and so technical,” Weller said about Western New York Energy. “It was really cool to see.”

Jami Allport, executive director of the Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern, said she made strong connections with other class members, resulting in collaborations to serve the community.

She noted how her agency, GOMOC, has teamed with Community Action in some initiatives. She and Ryan Lasal, director of Programming for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, are both in the class. They are also Albion graduates from the same era.

Allport said a tour of the county jail was a strong memory.

Lasal, 40, said he expects many in the class will continue to work together on projects serving the community.

“This has been a great opportunity to parter with other organizations in the county,” Lasal said.

Randy Heslor, production supervisor of the The Print Shop in Medina, was among the graduates.

Kristine Mostyn, director of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina, walks up to accept her certificates for completing Leadership Orleans.

Amanda Nash, commodity & transportation manager for Western New York Energy, completed the year-long Leadership Orleans.

Provided photo

ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Fred Miller last week presents a proclamation for “National Human Trafficking Prevention Month” to Holli Nenni, left, the commissioner of the Orleans County Department of Social Services; and Cyndi Stumer, the deputy commissioner of the DSS.

The prevention month will be observed in January. The Legislature in a proclamation said that every year, “countless adults and children are exploited by traffickers who prey on vulnerability, leaving lasting scars on victims, families, and communities.”

Combating human trafficking requires a united effort from government agencies, law enforcement, advocacy groups, educators, businesses, faith-based organizations, and all citizens, legislators said.

Legislators urged the community to recognize the signs of trafficking, report suspected cases, and “work together to build a safer, more just world where every individual lives free from exploitation.”

Provided photos

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature last week presented “Special Recognition Awards” to two people retiring from the Emergency Management Office.

County Legislator Skip Draper, right, presents the awards to Pat Eick, second from right, and Fran Gaylord, center.

Next to them are Justin Niederhofer (left), current EMO director; and Dale Banker, retired EMO director.

On this 16th day of December 2025, we do hereby acknowledge your retirement from Orleans County.

Eick worked 30 years as a secretary at the Emergency Management Office.

“Your outstanding organizational skills proved immeasurable when the county’s north shore was being overwhelmed by high water levels on Lake Ontario, during the Harris Radio System project upgrade, and your efforts to obtain the Fire Safety Trailer,” legislators stated in the award to Eick. “As EMO obtains funding through various grants, your ability to navigate those was impeccable.”

Eick worked with four EMO directors during her tenure.

Fran Gaylord, a past Holley fire chief, worked the past 25 years as a Deputy Fire Coordinator for the county.

“Your efforts were critical in establishing a daytime staffed engine one day a week to cover the east battalion (Engine 372),” legislators stated. “The EMS throughout Orleans County could count on you being at any major or minor incident, going above and beyond augmenting volunteer staffing and operating various apparatuses when needed on scene. Along with taking on the task of coordinating countless training at the battalion and county level.”

(Left) Fran Gaylord accepts his Special Recognition Award from Legislator Skip Draper. (Right) Pat Eick accepts her award for a 30-year career at the Emergency Management Office.

Carol Culhane paints ox in honor of county’s bicentennial

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – A statue of an ox is painted to pay homage to early settlers in Orleans County, which this year commemorated its 200^th anniversary.

Carol Culhane, a member of the Orleans County Bicentennial Committee, is nearly done with the ox. She has been working on it, on and off, the past three months. It will go in a county building or perhaps be displayed outside. The exact spot is to be determined. Right now it’s in the rec room at her house in Carlton. She has the first coats of paint on two other oxen as well.

The ox body is painted black. Culhane painted the county seal on one side and the bicentennial logo on the other. The seal has a gold color that Culhane also used for the horns and hooves.

The Bicentennial Committee picked an ox as a mascot and symbol for the county’s 200^th anniversary. Oxen were critical for the pioneers, pulling wagons and helping to clear forests and plant crops.

Culhane read about many of the early settlers in a book by Arad Thomas in 1871, “Pioneer History of Orleans County.” Thomas interviewed many of the settlers. That book provides first-hand accounts of the tenacity needed to survive in the early 1800s when the settlers often lacked food for themselves and their livestock. Many of the settlers, including their children, died from disease.

Culhane has painted a portrait of a settler from each of the 10 towns and four villages. She included women, whose contributions often weren’t recorded.

Thomas featured some women in his book. But Culhane said Dee Robinson, a retired Gaines historian, wrote about the contributions of many local women in her book, “Historical Amnesia.”

The settlers highlighted by Culhane include:

• Nehemiah Ingersoll – Village of Albion
• Roswell Burrows – Town of Albion
• Lansing Bailey – Town of Barre
• Bathshua Brown – Town of Carlton
• Elizabeth Johnson – Village of Lyndonville
• David Jones – Town of Kendall
• Fanny Ferguson – Town of Murray
• Phoebe Sprague – Village of Holley
• Chauncey Robinson – Town of Clarendon
• Elizabeth Gilbert – Town of Gaines
• Peter Hoag – Village of Medina
• Seymour Murdock – Town of Ridgeway
• Matthew Gregory – Town of Shelby
• Horace Goold – Town of Yates

Arad Thomas’s book included photos of 12 of the 14 settlers painted by Culhane. She used AI to get a sketch for pioneers, Bathshua Brown and Elizabeth Gilbert. Culhane provided some details about their lives to help create the depictions from AI.

Culhane who like to see a display with information about each of the 14 people featured in portraits.

She marvels at women like Elizabeth Gilbert of Gaines and Bathshua Brown of Carlton. Both became widows and had to forge a new life in Orleans County without a spouse.

They endured the loss of children and faced intense hardships in trying to build new lives in Orleans County.

Brown and her husband moved to Orleans County, traveling by boat in 1804. Elijah Brown did not survive the trip and he was buried in the Brown Cemetery at the Bridges in 1804, the first marked burial in Orleans County. Elijah and Bathshua had 17 children, with 12 living to adulthood.

The Brown family continues to live and farm in Carlton – 221 years after Bathshua and her children moved to the area.

Culhane said the settlers had hard lives, and she wanted to honor their efforts in the early days of the county.

“Look at what they went through,” Culhane said. “All of them had strength and grace and courage to carry on.”

County Historian Catherine Cooper, left, commended Culhane for her vision for the ox and the artwork. Cooper said the ox’s face was particularly striking. Cooper said she would like the ox to prominently displayed by the county.

Culhane has long used her artistic talents to support veterans, Hospice of Orleans County and other causes. She created a bicentennial poster for the county, showing the modern Courthouse Square and an earlier log cabin that existed on the spot before the courthouse was built in 1858.

Culhane painted three horses for Rochester’s Horses on Praade in 2001 and a giraffe for the Animal Scramble in 2003. Culhane sees home those community art projects were fun and encouraged people to explore Rochester and Monroe County.

She thinks the painted oxen can have a similar impact in Orleans County. She has painted the third one. Stacey Kirby Steward painted the first one in 2024 during the Orleans County 4-H Fair. It included an agricultural scene on one side and fair scenes on the other side. That ox is at the fairgrounds.

Melissa Ierlan used decoupage to cover an ox with photos from Clarendon. That ox is at the Clarendon Historical Society.

Culhane has two more to do. Next up will be one with vignettes from Point Breeze and Carlton. She is painting that one for the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association and Friends of the Orleans County Marine Park.

Then she will paint another one with scenes from around the county, some historic and other of the modern day.

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council approved grants for the upcoming two oxen by Culhane, while the one celebrating the early settlers was funded from the Orleans County Bicentennial Committee.

The Town of Kendall and Town of Carlton also are working on oxen for their towns. Culhane would like to see more added each year to celebrate the community and build a tourism attraction for the county.

“I think it’s a great asset for the county,” she said about the painted oxen.

Culhane said it was an honor to paint the ox for the county, which she said she loves dearly.

The minimum wage is on the rise again and will go to $16 an hour beginning on Jan. 1 in Orleans County. That is up 50 cents from the current $15.50 an hour.

It continues a trend where the minimum wage has increased from $11.80 in 2020 to $12.50 in 2021, $13.20 in 2022, $14.20 in 2023, $15 in 2024 and $15.50 in 2025.

This will be the last scheduled increase with a set amount. After 2026, any increases will be tied to inflation.

The rate will be $16 an hour for Orleans County and most of upstate. The minimum wage will be $17 per hour for New York City, Long Island and Westchester County.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Nyla Gaylord, executive director for the United Way of Orleans County, speaks during a forum in May about housing challenges in Orleans County. The organization has worked on several issues in the community outside of the traditional fundraising efforts by the United Way.

After more than six decades of service, the United Way of Orleans County has officially changed its name to Orleans Community Connects.

The change reflects the organization’s deep roots in the community and its expanding role as a connector of people, resources and opportunities, according to executive director Nyla Gaylord.

“This new name represents who we’ve become – a local, independent organization focused on collaboration, innovation and the unique strengths of Orleans County,” Gaylord said.  “We are still the same trusted organization our community knows and values, but with a renewed energy and vision for the future.”

The new tagline – “Rooted in Community, Driven by Connections” – captures the organization’s focus on partnership-driven initiatives that improve lives and strengthens familiar neighborhoods in Orleans County.

Gaylord continued, “Over the past several years, the organization has led efforts in housing revitalization, digital literacy, caregiver support and food access, bringing together residents, local government and nonprofits to tackle community challenges.”

Orleans Community Connects remains dedicated to serving all residents of the county,  continuing to support programs and services that build local capacity and connect people to essential resources. Fundraising will continue to be a priority to enable us to fund these programs and services, Gaylord added.

“This change isn’t about moving away from our past, it’s about building upon our recent successes,” she said. “We are growing into a future where collaboration and community connections are the keys to lasting change.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mike Donahue is the bugler while Taps was played as part of the Honor Guard on Dec. 14, 2024 during the first Wreaths Across America at Mount Albion Cemetery.

By Ginny Kropf and Tom Rivers

More than 2,300 wreaths will be set at veterans’ graves today at cemeteries in Albion, Holley/Clarendon, Medina and Lyndonville.

All four are hosting ceremonies at noon today as art of Wreaths Across America.

Volunteers will be placing 300 wreaths at Hillside Cemetery, about 450 in Lyndonville at Lynhaven and other sites, 360 at Mount Albion Cemetery, and over 1,260 in Medina at Boxwood, St. Mary’s and other cemeteries.

Medina was the first community in Orleans County to embrace Wreaths Across America in 2013. The wreaths are purchased for $17 each. The first year Medina had nine wreaths and now has over 1,200.

More than 5,600 communities around the country will honor service members laid to rest as part of Wreaths Across America.

Wreaths Across America began when Morrill Worcester, owner of a wreath company in Maine, visited Arlington National Cemetery and realized many veterans’ graves did not have wreaths.

That Christmas Worcester had extra wreaths and arranged to have them shipped to Arlington and placed on graves in the older part of the cemetery which had fewer visitors. His action picked up support, and since then Wreaths Across American has become a national tradition.

Kathy Blackburn pushed to start the effort in Medina and coordinated the program for about a decade. Tom Snyder is now heading Wreaths Across America in Medina.

He said 1,260 wreaths will be placed on veterans’ graves in Medina. A brief ceremony will begin at noon at Boxwood Cemetery, with Nik Mroz, director of Orleans County Veterans’ Services, as emcee.

Following the ceremony, which includes placing a wreath on the grave of a veteran from each branch of the military, volunteers will start placing the wreaths on the rest of the veterans’ graves in the cemetery. Snyder commended the Medina DPW, who placed the boxes of wreaths in strategic locations throughout the cemeteries.

Last year, Blackburn felt it was time to give up her role in the wreath project and turned it over to local businesswoman Gloria Snyder. This year Tom Snyder, who is Gloria’s brother-in-law and a Navy veteran, agreed to take on the project.

“I also take a wreath every year to my father’s grave at Mount Albion,” Snyder said.

Snyder encourages the public to consider buying a wreath for a veteran’s grave. During the month of December, they can be purchased for $17, buy one, get one free. Any resident may purchase one or make a donation to the project at the village office on Park Avenue.

Photos by Tom Rivers

GAINES – Rob Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, honors the “Friends of the Extension” during the CCE’s annual meeting last week at the Tavern on the Ridge.

Gary and Dawn Marciszewski received the award for their volunteer efforts running the Senior Council Stand during the week-long 4-H Fair. They order all the food and stay with the volunteers from morning to night.

The stand raises about $15,000 during the week to support 4-H programs.

The Marciszewskis have been involved with 4-H for decades. They were poultry superintendents and chaperones for trips. Mrs. Marciszewski also was a dog club leader.

They work with about 100 youths in the Senior Council Stand during the week. Mrs. Marciszewski said the kids enjoy taking responsibility when they have their shifts.

“They like to cook, make change and stock shelves,” she said. They like to do things.”

She and her husband have enjoyed watching the 4-Hers grow up over the years.

Jann Davis of West Barre, left, was honored as the 4-H Volunteer of the Year. She is presented the award by Kristina Gabalski, the 4-H program leader.

Davis is vice president of the Horse Program Development Committee and coach of the Horse Bowl and Hippology teams. A former 4-H program leader, Davis returned to volunteering with 4-H about two years ago. She joined a strong horse program that has dozens of youths, Gabalski said.

The program is Orleans, however, had limited equine knowledge-related programs and contests. Davis stepped in to run Horse Bowl and Hippology for Orleans County.

Horse Bowl is in a  Jeopardy-style format, giving youths a chance to showcase their horse knowledge in a competitive event. Horse Bowl asks questions about equine terms, the horse industry, feeding and care, and anatomy.

Hippology is more rigorous testing of equine science and application of equine knowledge in a competitive setting. “Hippo” means horse in Greek and “ology” is the study of.

Davis led teams in Horse Bowl and Hippology contests in regional contests last spring, and then the Hippology competition at the State Fair in August.

“Jann is incredibly knowledgeable, creative, enthusiastic, patient and kind,” Gabalski said. “She also understands the importance of setting expectations and challenges for youth while supporting them with the knowledge that they have the grit and ability to go outside their comfort zones and do these things.”

There are currently seven youths in the program. Davis said three more are expected to soon join.

Other 4-H leaders were recognized during the annual meeting:

• Barb Kurzowski for 27 years with the Rabbit Raisers and poultry clubs
• Erik Seielstad for 13 years with the robotics program
• Dawn Marciszewski for the 4-H Senior Council Stand
• Robyn Watts for 48 years with the Abundant Harvest 4-H Club. She also leads the Family and Consumer Science Program Development Committee.
• Melissa Asento for five years leading the Goat Busters Club.
• Bill Gerling for 35 years with the rabbit program

Caton Conde, president of the board of directors for the CCE, addressed about 75 people at the annual meeting. Conde was an active member of the 4-H program as a kid when she was Caton McKenna. She thanked the many 4-H volunteers for offering such a meaningful program in Orleans County.

“As a proud 4-H alum, I know firsthand how transformative the programs we offer can be,” Conde said. “Raising animals, learning new skills, showing at the fair – these moments create not only incredible memories but also a strong work ethic that stays with you for life.”

Conde said she felt so strongly about the 4-H, she named her daughter Clover, which is the 4-H logo. Her son is in the 4-H Lego Club. She looks forward to her children growing up in the program and showing animals and entering projects at the fair.

There are 319 youths enrolled in 4-H. They entered 3,337 exhibits at the county fair.

Some other highlights from the year:

• Master gardeners and food preservers completed 2,335 hours of service teaching 1,388 class participants
• Digital literacy served an average of 1.2 people very working day
• The Elderberries Senior Cooking program expanded to serve eight counties in WNY
• An average of 400 households attended monthly food distributions at the fairgrounds.
• Families used 2,000 seed packets from the master gardeners seed share program to start and grow their own plants at home
• Pesticide education supported 165 individuals taking pretest training for essential licensing