Photos by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – The flames shot high in the air, and the teams of firefighters drew closer, spraying water and foam on a fuel tanker.

For more than an hour on Thursday evening, firefighters doused a fire. And then it was reignited and they put it out again. And again and again.

About 30 to 40 firefighters, mostly from Barre, Shelby and Ridgeway, trained tonight with a live fire training trailer owned by the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control. The state has been taking the mobile tanker to counties throughout the state, working with fire companies to prepare for an ethanol tank on fire.

There are two ethanol plants in the state – in Medina and Fulton. However trucks and trains are hauling 8,000-gallon tanks all over the state.

“Ethanol is heavily transported in New York State by truck and by rail,” said Dan Baker, a state Haz-Mat instructor.

Orleans County has already had an ethanol explosion. A fuel tanker truck hauling 8,000 gallons of ethanol veered off Route 31A near Mathes Road on June 14, 2011 and crashed into the woods, killing the driving and resulting in several explosions. A team trained in hazardous materials from Kodak helped put out that fire.

Ethanol poses additional challenges for firefighters because ethanol contains alcohol. It requires a foam mix to extinguish and get under control, Baker said.

Firefighters tonight worked in teams of five from three different directions to approach the tanker on fire during tonight’s training exercises. Two teams sprayed water and foam at the fire so another team could approach the tank to turn off the valve letting out the fuel.

“You need to shut off the source,” Baker said.

Firefighters practiced their responses to other scenarios with the tank, including one where the valve was broken. In that case, firefighters sprayed the tank and fuel with the foam mix.

The firefighters moved around different team members during the training, so firefighters from different companies would get experience with their own department members and also in a mutual aid scenario.

Baker said the training tanker is in demand around the state as firefighters want to prepare for an accident with a truck or train hauling ethanol.

“We have a big waiting list,” Baker said about the training.

LOCKPORT – A 20-year-old Medina resident, who police suspect in 15 Albion burglaries and five in Medina, has been arrested in Niagara County after a burglary on High Street in the city of Lockport.

Jonathan K. Banks of 4886 South Townline Rd., Ridgeway, has been charged with second-degree burglary after breaking into a house at 5:20 a.m. He was arrested on Thursday.

Police in Albion and Medina have yet to charge him but Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said Banks is suspected in the rash of burglaries in the two villages.

“He is a person of interest in Orleans County as well as other locations,” Nenni said in an email. “No arrest has been made on the burglaries in Orleans County to date.”

Albion and Medina police teamed with Lockport police in the investigation. They tracked Banks to Tonawanda, where he was arrested by Buffalo police officers and the Lockport Police Department, according to the Lockport Union-Sun and Journal.

The Albion and Medina burglaries all occurred at night, when residents were sleeping. Burglars would enter through unlocked doors or cut out screens to get inside.

Banks was involved in a high-profile crime in May when he took a 12-year-old girl from Albion overnight to Buffalo. The girl was subject to a missing persons report. Banks was charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

He currently is in Niagara County Jail on $15,000 cash bail or $30,000 property bail.

Photos by Michael Karcz

RIDGEWAY – Albion Boy Scout Ben Kirby is working on his Eagle Scout project at Camp Rainbow, installing a new entrance gate, building new seesaws and removing the old ones, and replacing the doors on a tool shed.

Kirby is overseeing a team of Scouts and volunteers on the projects at the camp owned by The Arc of Orleans County. In the top picture, Kirby watches Josh Raymond work on removing an old seesaw. Kirby’s father Dennis, left, provides some instruction on the projects.

In the bottom photo, volunteer Ryan Haight, left, works to remove an old door on the tool shed with some help from Kevin Gardner.

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff’s Department

RIDGEWAY – A noon-hour Labor Day crash sent four teen-agers from Medina to the hospital.

The incident occurred shortly after 12 p.m. in the 2500 block of Angling Road in the town of Ridgeway. A 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier was travelling north in an unpaved section of Angling Road when the driver lost control of the car.  It crossed the roadway, ran off the west side and struck a utility pole.

The driver of the vehicle is identified as Austin A. Heideman, 16.  The front seat passenger is identified as Michael D. Moore, 17, whose father owns the car. The rear-seat passengers were Julie M. Luczak, 17, and Summer Wisniewski, 15.

Moore and Luczak were flown to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo by Mercy Flight helicopter. Wisniewski was transported to ECMC by ground ambulance. Heideman was transported by ground ambulance to Medina Memorial Hospital.  None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

Initially deputies were lead to believe that Moore was the driver of the car.  However, after investigation it was determined that Heideman was behind the wheel at the time of the crash. He is facing numerous traffic charges including unlicensed operation, reckless driving, and unsafe speed. He will appear in Town of Ridgeway Court at a later date.

The incident was investigated by Deputy J.W. Halstead, with assistance by Sergeant D.W. Covis.

Top hats, goggles and robotic arms among the accessories

Photos by Tom Rivers – Several hundred people attended the Steampunk Festival Saturday in Medina at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery. Many of the attendees wore Steampunk outfits, including this group, from left: Angela Loveland of Niagara Falls, and siblings Adam Cordell and Katie Cordell of Mercersburg, Pa.

Walter Quinn, a chef by trade, created a futuristic costume for Saturday’s Steampunk Festival.

MEDINA – The future met the Victorian past, a clash of cultures that mixes long, lacy dresses with robotic arm extensions.

Leonard Oakes Estate Winery hosted its third annual Steampunk Festival over the weekend, and hundreds of people attended the celebration of Victorian culture in a post-apocalyptic world.

“The nice thing about the Steampunk Festival is it takes a little imagination,” said Walter Quinn, one of about 150 participants in costume on Saturday.

Quinn, 55, of Kenmore used a shower head as a arm extension for his costume. He attached the hose from the shower around his boot. He had a flashlight protruding from his googles. At the end of the flashlight, he put in a ping pong ball that looked like an eyeball.

Quinn, a chef by trade, attended with his wife Bonnie in Victorian costume and their friends.

Gerry Szymanski of Rochester pulled out a top hat and pince nez glasses for the Steampunk Fest.

Gerry Szymanski of Rochester wore a top hat from the 1870s and a pair of pince nez glasses from the 1890s, similar to the style wore by Teddy Roosevelt, for the Steampunk Fest.

“Steampunk is a mix of the 19^th Century and the fantastic,” Szymanski said.

Leonard Oakes hosts the festival and promotes it with the winery’s hard cider. The business branded its alcoholic apple brew as “Steampunk Cider.” That brand taps a steampunk movement that has been growing in the past 10 years with some people embracing a world and culture that was powered by steam engines, which provided the power before the Industrial Revolution.

“It’s classy, cool and stylish,” said Adam Cordell, who drove to the Steampunk Fest from Mercersburg, Pa.

This group of friends from near Buffalo was among the crowd at Saturday’s Steampunk Festival at the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina. The group includes, from left: Dan Lelito of Orchard Park, Alyssa Barrett of Cheektowaga, and Bonnie and Walter Quinn of Kenmore.

Photos by Tom Rivers

Arlowe Price, a self-described fourth-generation “circus freak performer” from Buffalo, blows fire from a flame held by Riley Schilacci. Price also chewed broken glass, set a mouse trap on his ear and tongue, and performed other outrageous stunts during the Steampunk Festival tonight at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery on Route 104 in Medina.

Riley Schillaci of Rochester swallows a flame during the Steampunk Festival tonight.

Troupe Nisaa, a dance group based in Batavia, performs a dance that combines tribal and Egyptian styles as part of the Steampunk Festival.

Napoli will be speaker on state panel about ‘Fiscally Distressed Municipalities’

Photo by Tom Rivers – Brian Napoli, the town supervisor in Ridgeway, has been invited to speak at a state public hearing Thursday in Buffalo about fiscal challenges facing local governments.

RIDGEWAY – Many local officials often bemoan the impact of state regulations and mandates on budgets at the village, town, county and school levels. Officials may pass resolutions, stating their concerns about the state driving up costs.

Many officials will grouse about the state, casting blame on “downstate.”

In the town of Ridgeway, Brian Napoli will fire off letters to the state officials. He has developed a reputation locally and in state circles for some of his strident objections to state policies. On Thursday, the Ridgeway town supervisor gets a chance to speak directly to state officials during a public hearing in Buffalo at the City Hall.

Napoli has compiled “a short list and a long list – of all the things the state has done to us.” He will share a condensed version during a hearing on “Fiscally Distressed Municipalities: Preparing for and Preventing Municipal Bankruptcy in New York.” The State Senate’s Committee on Local Government is having the hearings around the state.

Napoli gets five minutes to speak at the hearing. He will also submit a written report, which so far totals 14 pages.

State legislators have passed policies that strained local governments, including the tax cap. The law limited local government to annual increases of about 2 percent in taxes. However, the state didn’t ease state mandated expenses, including pension contributions that typically exceed the 2 percent cap.

With the cap in place, municipalities can’t raise taxes enough to meet increased costs. That has forced local governments including schools to eat into their reserve funds and make staff and program reductions. Napoli worries about the long-range impact of the tax cap without meaningful reductions in state-mandated expenses.

Napoli won’t just launch an attack about state policies, including environmental regulations that have proven costly to Ridgeway. He wants to press the state to be an active partner in helping the rural economy. He said Ridgeway would be doing better economically if the state helped bring Broadband Internet to the community. High-speed Internet access is critical to attract and keep businesses.

The state also needs to allocate more funding to rural roads and bridges, especially the canal communities, Napoli said. Agriculture is the biggest business in town and some farmers have land on both sides of the canal. However, bridges may be closed or have weight restrictions.

“Our farmers can’t get across the bridges,” Napoli said. “It hinders ag development.”

Without adequate infrastructure for the Internet and big farm equipment, Napoli said the community won’t reach its potential.

Thursday’s public hearing at Buffalo City Hall begins at 11 a.m. in the Common Council Chambers on the 13^th floor.

Cast from seven churches performs Broadway show

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Rev. Dan Thurber, pastor of Oak Orchard Assembly of God Church, portrays the Pharoah, who happens to do an Elvis impersonation, in tonight’s performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Curtis Follman is Jacob, who is in anguish after being told his son Joseph was killed.

MEDINA – Cast members from seven local churches joined for a high-energy performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Oak Orchard Assembly of God.

“You can’t beat being able to do a Broadway musical,” said director Trisha Stacey. “This is a way to use our gifts and deliver a Christian message.”

The church first did a full-scale musical two years ago with Godspell. Oak Orchard’s pastor Dan Thurber is a strong supporter of a drama ministry. His wife Diane directed many award-winning musicals at Lyndonville Central School. Mrs. Thurber was one of the singing narrators in Joseph.

The Rev. Thurber excited the crowd tonight when he performed as the Pharaoh, wearing an Elvis costume.

Joseph has been performed on Broadway and many secular stages. It is based on a Biblical story of Joseph and his “coat of many colors.” Joseph is in the Book of Genesis. Oak Orchard displayed several Scriptures on screens during the show.

Thurber said Joseph’s example is a life worth celebrating on stage.

“We want to entertain people, but we also want people to see how God used Joseph,” Thurber said. “We want people to come out and enjoy some good music but also get a spiritual message.”

Joseph Mangiola, 14, plays the lead of Joseph. Diane Thurber, right, is one of the narrators.

Bruce Landis portrays the Potiphar.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat debuts tonight

Photo courtesy of Bruce Landis – The cast and crew is pictured for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which has three shows at 7:30 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday.

MEDINA – Cast members from seven local churches are joining for a musical at the Oak Orchard Assembly of God, with 7:30 p.m. shows tonight, Friday and Saturday.

Admission to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is free. The church is located at 12111 Ridge Rd. The show is directed by Trisha Stacey, a Medina teacher.

While the show has been performed on Broadway and many secular stages, it is based on a Biblical story of Joseph and his “coat of many colors.” Joseph is in the Book of Genesis.

Brandon Christiaansen, 8, of Albion uses some pedal mite in today’s small fry tractor competition at the fair. Jason Quatro, 15, of Albion volunteers as a helper for the event. He attends the Old Paths Bible Baptist Church in Clarendon, which has been assisting with the tractor pull.

Luc Wagner, 6, of Lyndonville won tonight’s small fry tractor pull heat in the 66- to 85-pound group. He pulled a wagon with a 40-pound weight for a full pull – 45 feet in front of the fair office. He qualifies for the finals at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The small fry tractor pull is a 23-year tradition at the Orleans County 4-H Fair. The competition is every weekday at 6:30 p.m., and 1:30 on Saturday with the winners competing in the finals on Saturday.