By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 September 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – The signs by Route 31 in Knowlesville say the bridge is closed. (This photo is actually on Knowlesville Road, just north of the canal.)
Motorists on Route 31 might assume the culprit for the closed bridge is the century-old lift bridge.
That historic span remains open. But just north of the lift bridge, Keeler Construction of Barre is replacing two culverts.
County Highway Superintendent said the project should be complete in early November, “depending on weather.”
The county approved Keeler as the low bidder for the project for $430,199.
A neighbor near the construction work told me he was grateful to have less traffic on the road.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 September 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – Occasionally people will stop at Homer McPherson’s home on Horan Road and ask if he wants to give up the carriage step and two hitching posts in the front yard.
McPherson, shown sitting on his front porch, gives them a resounding no.
When construction crews were installing water lines along the road a few years ago, McPherson worried the equipment might bang into a hitching post and break it. So he insisted the contractors pay extra attention to the relics from more than a century ago.
McPherson enjoys sitting on his porch and taking in the scene on the front yard at 3587 Horan Rd. The property was owned by his late wife Ruth’s family. McPherson said the hitching posts are in their original spots.
“I don’t know how deep they are, but they’ve never moved,” he said.
Another Ridgeway family has a little garden with flowers by their hitching post at 3608 Knowlesville Rd., not too far south of the Erie Canal.
Brenda Busch moved to the house in 2004. She is delighted to have the hitching post out front by the road.
“I love it,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind going back to those days.”
Busch, third from left, is pictured with family members, including Norman Karcher Sr., Marilyn Karcher, and Busch’s son Michael.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A member of the Pyromancy Fire Performance Troupein Buffalo performs with fire before a big crowd on saturday night at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.
Leonard Oakes held its annual Steampunk Festival and more than 1,200 people turned out, many in futuristic costumes with a Victorian theme.
The festival featured fire artists, belly dancers, a Frank Sinatra crooner, bands, hoop dancers, and a self-described “circus freak performer” who chewed glass and snapped a mouse trap on his tongue.
The event was a celebration of the release of the winery’s new steampunk hard cider.
Some of the costumed revelers chat at the winery on Route 104.
Maria Rola, a hoop dancer from Buffalo, is pictured with Arlowe Price, a self-described fourth-generation “circus freak performer” from Buffalo.
Price chewed broken glass, set a mouse trap on his tongue, and performed other outrageous stunts during the Steampunk Festival. He let people staple dollars on his skin and throw darts at his back.
Price was a little bloodied from some of his stunts. Here he set a mouse trap on his tongue.
Price has been a regular performer at the festival and has watched it grow from a few hundred people to more than 1,000.
“I brag about this event all summer,” Price said. “It’s a wildy growing festival. People enjoy the music and the Steampunk Cider.”
Many locals attended the event in futuristic costumes, including Albion residents Leanne Serrato, left, and Peggy Barringer.
This group includes Tammy Menz, left, her sister Lynne Menz and Terri Wood.
The band, Monkey Wrench Revolt from Cortland, performed on an outdoor stage at Leonard Oakes. The band includes, from left: Nate Francisco on mandolin, Ted Andrejko on bass, and Tom George on guitar.
Abel Zavitz, 16, of Medina sang two songs for the big crowd including “Come fly with me” by Frank Sinatra and “Everybody loves somebody” by Dean Martin.
A hoop dancer has a glowing hoop at the festival.
Members of Troupe Nisaa, a dance group based in Batavia, perform at the Steampunk Festival.
The fire artists from Pyromancy proved popular with the crowd.
Leonard Oakes promotes the event as “A Festival of Bizarre Proportions.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Dakota Morris, 7, of Holley swings at Camp Rainbow in Ridgeway on Friday, the last day of a five-week camp season.
Camp Rainbow is owned and operated by The Arc of Orleans County. There were 82 campers at the site this summer, enjoying swimming, special events, music, arts and crafts, nature study, sign language, cooperative games and athletics.
Makkiah Morris, 6, of Holley dribbles a soccer ball. He is the younger brother of Dakota.
The camp is open to children with and without disabilities. About 20 percent of the campers have developmentally disabilities and 30 percent have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. About half of the campers have no disabilities.
“We’re totally integrated,” said Pattie Kepner, the camp director.
Kennedi Howerton, 8, of Albion gets ready to hit a whiffle ball thrown by Dylan DeSmit, a member of the Arc staff.
James Trembley of Barre has fun on a scooter.
The sand box has been a popular spot during camp. The swimming pool is in the back.
Nick Pifer of Holley can hit the long ball.
The camp counselors share a laugh on Friday during lunch.
The Shenberger family donated property for Camp Rainbow on Townline Road in Lyndonville to offer children with disabilities the opportunity for fun with other children. Volunteers spent hundreds of hours clearing the land and building facilities.
The summer day camp was founded in 1970.
The property not only serves campers, but is available for other camps, retreats and functions.
RIDGEWAY – The Orleans County chapter of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education donated $852 on Thursday to Camp Rainbow.
Pattie Kepner, left, oversees the camp for The Arc of Orleans County, where she is director of quality and family services. Theresa Price presented the check on behalf of ABATE, which raised the funds from a recent golf tournament. The money will likely be used for a new solar cover for the pool at the camp.
Camp Rainbow serves about 100 children with and without disabilities in a 5-week summer program. The camp is located on Townline Road in Ridgeway.
ABATE has been a regular donor to The Arc since 1999, Arc officials said.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Law enforcement officers check the scene of a serious car accident this afternoon in Ridgeway on Horan Road. This photo shows the scene after the driver and a passenger were both transported by ambulance and Mercy Flight helicopter.
Press Release
Orleans County Sheriff
Scott Hess
RIDGEWAY – A man and a teenager are hospitalized tonight following a one-car crash late this afternoon in the Town of Ridgeway.
The incident occurred shortly before 5 p.m., in the 3500 block of Horan Road. A 2007 Hyundai 2-door sedan was traveling north when it crested a hill and the driver then apparently lost control on the down slope.
The vehicle crossed the center line and left the roadway on the west side. The car struck a mound of earth in the driveway of a private residence and became airborne. It continued approximately 60 feet in the air before striking a tree. It then spun 180 degrees and struck a second tree before grounding and coming to rest facing south.
The front seat passenger and registered owner of the vehicle is identified as Emmitt R. Weese, 50, of Holley. Weese was trapped in the wreckage for about 25 minutes before being extricated by Ridgeway and Shelby firefighters. He was flown by Mercy Flight helicopter to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo.
The driver of the vehicle is identified as Austin D. Winters, 16, of Medina. Winters was trapped in the wreckage for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. He was also extricated by firefighters and then flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
Both individuals sustained what were described as “life-threatening” injuries.
Firefighters were assisted at the scene by Medina Fire Department Ambulance crews, who also transported victims to awaiting helicopters. A crew from Lyons Collision Service also assisted firefighters at the scene.
While the incident remains under investigation, it appears that excessive speed was a contributing factor. Both driver and passenger are facing charge(s) pending their recovery.
The incident was investigated by Deputy A.A. Breuilly, assisted by Sergeant G.T. Gunkler and Chief Deputy T.L. Drennan. Deputies were assisted at the scene by Medina Police Sgt. M.R. Borrell & Officer J.R. Frentz.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 July 2015 at 7:50 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – Two people were seriously injured in a one-car accident this afternoon on Horan Road in Ridgeway.
The car left the road and the back end crashed into a tree. The driver of the vehicle was pinned and it took firefighters and Lyons Collision more than an hour to free the driver, who was then taken by Medina ambulance to a Mercy Flight landing zone.
Firefighters work to free the driver from the wreckage.
The accident occurred at about 4:48 p.m. The passenger was also seriously injured and taken by Mercy Flight soon after the accident. The driver was freed from the wreck at about 6:20 p.m. Many long-time firefighters said it was one of the most difficult extrications they’ve done.
The car was wrapped around a tree and the dashboard had moved forward against the driver’s legs, making it difficult to release him.
The driver remained conscious during the rescue effort, and gave his grandmother a thumbs up that he was doing OK while a crew of about 40 people tried to get him out. Firefighters said his vital signs were good at the scene.
Authorities haven’t released the names of the driver or the passenger.
The accident occurred on a section of Horan Road, north of the village line where there are many bends and dips in the road.
The neighbor with the tree in her yard called 9-1-1 after hearing the crash. When she went out to her front yard, she said she started praying for the people inside.
“This is a nasty hill,” said the neighbor, who asked not to be identified. “The sound was something I never want to hear again.”
Another neighbor a few houses north said there are frequent accidents on the road. He would like to see a lower speed limit clearly marked north of the village line. He said people drive 55 miles per hour or faster, when the top speed should be closer 35 mph.
The road also doesn’t have shoulders and there are no center line markings.
The car left the road and its tire marks could be seen in the one neighbor’s front yard and driveway before hitting the tree.
Ridgeway, Shelby, Medina and Lyndonville firefighters all responded to the scene, along with Medina Police Department, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Mercy Flight and Lyons Collision.
RIDGEWAY – The canal bridge on Marshall Road will be closed for about two weeks while crews make repairs to some of the steel on the structure, Town of Ridgeway officials said today.
The State Department of Transportation advised Ridgeway of the work. The bridge was closed on Monday so repairs could be made.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 June 2015 at 12:00 am
Martin Yoder collapsed in field on Tuesday
Photo by Tom Rivers – Yoder Dairy on Murdock Road in Ridgeway is pictured this morning, a day after farm owner Martin Yoder died in a field of an apparent heart attack.
RIDGEWAY – In 2001, Martin Yoder and his family moved from Holmes County in Ohio to join a new Amish community in the Lyndonville area.
Yoder was a respected leader in the community, one of the church ministers. He also ran an organic dairy farm, selling milk and eggs.
He was out doing field work on Tuesday afternoon when he collapsed and died from an apparent heart attack. Mr. Yoder was 58.
His death has the Amish community in Lyndonville and back home in Ohio in mourning. About 500 people are expected for Yoder’s funeral on Friday morning.
There are 171 Amish residents in the Lyndonville community. About 500 Amish are expected for Yoder’s funeral at 9 a.m. Friday at the Vernon Yoder residence on Waterbury Road.
“It’s a final tribute to the person to have 500 people come to the funeral,” Vernon Yoder said this morning.
He and his family and friends have been busy preparing for the funeral.
Vernon and Martin Yoder are not related. The first Amish settled in Lyndonville in 1998. There are now 35 families in the local community.
Martin was one of three ministers in the Amish church. He was ordained in 2004. He ran the dairy farm with his two sons, who are in their early 20s.
Martin Yoder operated a farm that was strictly organic and didn’t use chemical-based pesticides for weed and pest control, Vernon Yoder said.
Martin Yoder was out in a field Tuesday, spreading fish oil on a grass field. Vernon Yoder and others in the Amish community have tried to retrace Martin’s steps. They followed the horse and wagon tracks in the field.
They could see that a rein broke free that tied horses to the wagon. The tongue of the wagon had fallen down in the dirt.
Yoder suspects the horses were spooked. Martin was able to get them under control. He was about 3/8 mile from his barn and was walking the unhitched horses back to the barn. With about 400 yards to go, he collapsed.
The horses came trotting to barn and Martin’s sons went and found him moments later lying down, still wearing his hat.
“It’s a shock,” Vernon Yoder said. “It’s a reminder when things like this happen that it’s a wakeup call. As soon as we are born we could die. We should ask ourselves if I had been the one, am I ready to meet God?”
There will be a public viewing at Martin Yoder’s residence from 6 to 9 p.m. today and 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Vernon Yoder said the Amish community has rallied behind Martin’s family, helping to prepare for the public viewing and keep up with the farm work.
Others have also helped ready Vernon Yoder’s property for the funeral.
“God is looking down seeing people help this family,” Vernon Yoder said. “We get busy with our work and this reminds us where our priorities should be and that’s helping our fellow man and being there for each other.”
Martin Yoder and his wife Ada married in 1984 and have five children.
Vernon said Martin’s loss will leave a void in the community.
“Everyone will have to bear more on our shoulders because he’s missing, but we’ll get through it with God’s help,” Vernon Yoder said.
ALBION – An Albion woman who was injured in an April 22 car accident on Route 31 near Knowlesville has died from those injuries, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office has reported today.
Sue “Sue Ellen” E. Ryan-Sauer, 66, died on April 29 at Buffalo General Hospital Neuro Intensive Care Unit.
Ryan-Sauer was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her granddaughter, Sara Secore, 20, of Medina. Secore made a right turn from the south shoulder of the highway in an attempt to enter a private driveway. While making the turn, Secore’s action caused a westbound pickup truck, driven by Jack Bower of Waterport, to strike the passenger side of the Secore vehicle, Undersheriff Chris Bourke said in a news release.
Ryan-Sauer was taken by Mercy Flight helicopter to Erie County Medical Center. Bower was transported to Medina Memorial Hospital. Secore was not injured.
No charges are being filed at this time, Bourke said. Orleans County deputies R. Flaherty, J. Gifaldi and J.J. Cole conducted the investigation.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 4 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Joe Heath and Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener John Myers install a sign at the new compost education site on the Orleans 4-H Fairgrounds. The site is dedicated in memory of Joe’s dad, Joe Heath, who volunteered as a Master Gardener.
KNOWLESVILLE – Master Gardener volunteers at the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension have dedicated a new educational composting display site in memory of fellow Master Gardener Joe Heath of Medina, who was dedicated to teaching children about conservation.
Mr. Heath died on Jan. 5. A dedication ceremony was held on Saturday morning at the site which is located just outside the Buzz Hill Education Center at the 4-H Fairgrounds.
Heath’s family – his wife Marie, daughter Jen, son Joe, Joe’s wife Lisa, and their children Connor and Kylie – all attended the ceremony and helped to place a sign at the site.
The family of Joe Heath is pictured by the new compost education site at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville. The family includes, front, Joe Heath’s granddaughter, Kylie; wife, Marie; and grandson Connor. Back row: son, Joe; daughter-in-law, Lisa; and daughter, Jen.
Currently the composting site contains a cinder (concrete) block turning unit and an example of a ready-made commercial compost bin.
“This is nowhere near complete,” Master Gardener John Myers said during the dedication.
Examples of other composting systems will be added to the display. Myers, a long-time friend of Heath’s, led the effort to prepare the site. He noted Joe Heath was always very involved in teaching Orleans County sixth graders about composting during the annual Conservation Field Days held at the Fairgrounds in late May.
“We really, truly appreciate everything Joe did for us,” said Kim Hazel, agriculture administrative assistant at the Cooperative Extension.
This is a picture of the sign, before they put it into place.
Hazel is also a Master Gardener and she said Joe always managed to “brighten up my day” when he would be at the Fairgrounds for various events or to work on projects.
“We really loved to do it,” said Joe’s wife Marie, who also volunteered as a Master Gardener.
Master Gardeners formerly had a composting display with various examples of composting systems next to the log cabin on the Fairgrounds.
The new site puts the display in a more visible location – it can be seen from Rt. 31 and from the roadway/walkway that runs through the Fairgrounds, Hazel said.
It will also be easier for staff at Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension to use of the site for composting since it is so close to the Buzz Hill Education Center which houses their offices.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Teams of powerful draft horses, with participants from eight states, are competing today in at 4-H Fairgrounds in the “Pull of Champions.”
This is the second straight year the event has been at the fairgrounds in Knowlesville after the State Fair in Syracuse used to host the competition.
The event draws many out-of-state competitors who are eager to compete after winter.
There are nearly 20 teams competing in either the lightweight division (3,425 pounds or less for two horses), or the heavyweights for teams that exceed 3,425 pounds.
This team from Michigan takes in the action inside one of the livestock barns at the fairgrounds.
The teams need to pull a dynamometer 27 1/2 feet for a full pull. The dynamometer, in the final pulls, can simulate 160,000 pounds.
Brian Ressequie of Cato is announcer for today’s horse pull.
Sydney Root of Bolivar is pictured with a team that is owned by her family.
This will be the second straight year the fairgrounds is hosting the horse pull. After a small crowd last year, organizers were pleased to see about 400 people in the stands today.
This is a closeup of a horse owned by Lori Root and her family in Bolivar. The family has been competing in horse pulls for 35 years.
“Horses are an addiction,” she said. “Once you are around them and like them, you want to compete. Here it’s a friendly competition. Everyone helps each other.”
This team from Michigan waits its turn to pull.
First prize today for each division is $750.
In addition to New York, teams in the competition are from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Florida and Ohio.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
WATERPORT – Nick Nesbitt is pictured with Mike, a Belgian draft horse that is part of a horse-pulling team. Nesbitt has been competing in horse pulls for the past decade and will vie in the lightweight division (3,425 pounds or less for two horses) on April 25 at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
This will be the second straight year the fairgrounds will host the horse pull. It is expected to draw at least 20 teams from the Northeast.
The competition used to be held at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse but moved to Knowlesville last year.
“This will kick off the pulling season in the Northeast,” Nesbitt said today in Waterport at his horse barn on Wilson Road. “You’re going to see some of the best pullers in the country.”
The competition starts at noon at April 25 and features the lightweight division and then the heavyweights, where both horses top a combined weight of 3,425 pounds.
They will pull a diorama just like in the tractor pulls. That diorama, in the final pulls, can simulate 160,000 pounds. The teams of horses need to pull it 27 ½ feet for a full pull.
This Belgian draft horse is named Skip and is the other half of Nick Nesbitt’s draft horse pulling team. The Belgian draft horses are muscular, bred to pull a heavy load.
The horse pulling teams will compete in the main livestock building at the fairgrounds and there will be bleachers inside for spectators.
Nesbitt said the horses like the competition.
“They love it,” he said. “They are proud after they pull a big load.”
Nesbitt, an apple farmer, grew up watching horse pull competitions with his father Steve and family friend Gordon Bentley. Nesbitt has competed in the sport the past 10 years, often training with the horses two hours a day. He is a past winner at the Erie County Fair and the Warren County Fair.
The draft horses impress the crowds at the events, he said. Long before machines, draft horses provided the muscle on farms and numerous public works projects.
“The whole country was built on draft horses,” Nesbitt said.
He hopes a big crowd turns out for the competition on April 25.
“The louder the crowd, the more into it the pullers and horses get,” he said.
For more information on horse pulling, visit horsepullresults.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 March 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – The lift bridge in Knowlesville will be closed on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. No traffic will be permitted across the bridge during that time, including emergency vehicles.
The bridge has been limited to one lane and 6 tons in recent years. The bridge was built in 1910.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 March 2015 at 12:00 am
County board also supports small wind turbine in Ridgeway, food service at Carlton business
ALBION – Orleans County Planning Board members supported a plan for a bed and breakfast in the Town of Ridgeway at the southeast corner of the Telegraph and Bates roads intersection.
Rodelle Mammano and Sunshine Charters want to open the bed and breakfast at the location, a 70-acre site of mostly brush/woodland. The house is a single-family dwelling with an in-law apartment and garage.
Planners on Thursday recommended Ridgeway officials approve the site plan and a permit for the project. County planners said the exterior sign advertising the business should not exceed 2 by 2 feet.
In other actions, the Planning Board:
Supported a Ridgeway resident’s plan for a 153-foot-high “small wind energy conversion system” at 2693 Townline Rd.
William Sills wants to erect the wind energy project that would generate 10 kilowatts of power. He will need a variance for the height beyond 120 feet. The Planning Board supported the variance, saying an accessory building and stand of mature trees along the frontage of the property help conceal most of the turbine from motorists.
The tower would be freestanding lattice construction, and set back 252 feet from the front (west) lot line, 280 feet from the north lot line, 686 feet from the south lot line and 415 feet from the rear (east) lot line. Those setbacks are far enough to avert any significant impacts on neighbors, Planning Board members said.
Sills is working with Sustainable Energy Developments from Ontario, NY, for the project.
Backed the request for a permit to serve food at the Vintage Apple Garden at 1582 Oak Orchard Rd., Carlton.
Paula Nesbitt started the business at the site last year. The business had been Bertsch’s Good Earth Market.
Nesbitt wants to add a lunch menu and coffee bar to the greenhouse and seasonal farm market at the corner of Route 98 and Park Avenue.
