Photos by Peggy Barringer
KNOWLESVILLE – It was all about the apples in Knowlesville today with apple pies, apple butter, apple cider and apples!

The Knowlesville United Methodist Church put on its annual Apple Festival at the church’s fellowship hall.

The “Mystery Boxes” were a big hit and were sold for $1 each with the proceeds to benefit the church.

This fellow (a camel) greeted the guests as they arrived. Several outdoor vendors braved the rain.

Apple butter and apple pies were a big hit.

Dona Seitzer, left, and Arlene Quackenbush sell homemade apple pies. They said that 250 were made and by 11 a.m. more than half had been sold.

Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – A new 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store opened Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the corner of routes 63 and 104.

The store took shape over the summer and early fall at the corner. The store is owned by Development Unlimited of WNY LLC of Buffalo. It demolished a house and silo at the northeast corner of the intersection. The driveway is on Route 63.

The store is about 4 miles from Lyndonville and helps fill a void in the community since the closing of the Pennysaver Market on Main Street in April 2013, Yates Town Supervisor John Belson has said.

RIDGEWAY – For the 61st year in modern history, an Orleans County camp fund brought in a flood of donations this past summer. And as a result of this generosity by Orleans County residents, large numbers of deserving boys and girls got to spend a couple of happy months at Camp Rainbow.

That site on Townline Road, between Medina and Lyndonville, has enjoyed a solid string of improvements since 2000 and is now a busy “day camp.”

Organizers of the Camp Rainbow Fund made their official report in late September and cited the generosity of the Orleans general public for bringing in approximately $5,000 once again. The donations are administered by the volunteer agency called Orleans County Child Welfare Association and go entirely to register scores of selected boys and girls.

“We are delighted to work with the Child Welfare Association in this program to benefit children,” said Pattie Kepner, who is interim executive director of ARC of Orleans which owns and operates the camp. “I know first-hand how the kids benefit, how they make friendships, and the long-term memories they form.”

The annual solicitation of Camp Fund donations covers all of the county and has been an existing charity since the 1950s. It was originally the Journal-Register Camp Fund but became Camp Rainbow Fund several years ago as the local camp gained stature. Each year the Child Welfare Association relies on trained social workers and even people such as school nurses to select deserving campers.

Campers attending Rainbow during July and August arrive by bus at 9 a.m. and divide their time among five programs including arts and crafts, nature science, music, athletics and swimming. And they are given lunch in a cafeteria which was modernized in recent years. Rebekah Feller of Lyndonville was “camp teacher” this past season and was in charge of about 75 campers, some of them with developmental disabilities.

Camp Rainbow added new paint on cabins this season when volunteers held a “United Day of Caring.” Also, Lyndonville Foundation gave $5,000 toward transportation costs. And grant money provided a new swimming pool fence. Also in recent times municipal water has been provided to the camp and numerous up-grades have been made including the pool.

Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – A fire that broke out shortly before 8 p.m. today heavily damaged a house at 3461 North Gravel Rd.

Firefighters from Ridgeway, Shelby and Medina responded to the blaze at the home of Claire Humphrey and Diane Burns. No one was injured. The fire is investigation, said Francis Woodward, Ridgeway fire chief.

Before the fire, Route 63 was closed for about 11 hours today after a pole was down and the power was out. The road was reopened at about 4 p.m. today.

Firefighters enter the back of the house.

Photo by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – For the past several months contractors have been working on a new Dollar General store at the northeast corner of routes 104 and 63 in the Town of Ridgeway.

The project looks nearly done with the signs on the building and site, and the parking lot installed. The new 9,100-square-foot store is owned by Development Unlimited of WNY LLC of Buffalo. It demolished a house and silo at the corner to make way for the store. The site includes 30 parking spaces.

Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Reece Stalker, 10, of Shelby Center, center, plays Connect Four with his twin brother Colvin and their stepmother Jessica Stalker during Family Fun Game Night on Thursday. About 100 people attended the event at the Trolley Building at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

Families played board games and were able to meet the staff at many county departments, which offered activities for families to learn about county services.

John Bianchi, 8, of Albion hooks a magnetic fish at a station run by the Orleans County Tourism Department. Mike Waterhouse, the county’s sportfishing coordinator, is pictured at left. Bianchi attended Family Fun Game Night with his sister Hailey, 10, and their mother Barb and father Jim.

Gerardo Quiros

ALBION – A man wanted by State Police after a domestic incident on Wednesday turned himself in at about 9 a.m. today at the State Police barracks in Albion.

Gerardo Quiros, 28, was wanted for menacing and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. Quiros was processed and arraigned in the Town of Ridgeway Court. He was remanded to the Orleans County Jail on $5,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to Ridgeway Court on Oct. 6.

Quiros allegedly threatened his mother with a gun on Wednesday afternoon. Police then believed he barricaded himself inside a house on Ridge Road, just west of the Route 63 intersection, going north.

Numerous law enforcement officers, including the Orleans County Swat team, were on scene for several hours on Wednesday, and a portion of Ridge Road was closed.

Officers thought they heard a possible gun shot within the residence. The New York State Police robot was deployed in an attempt to contact Quiros. The robot then gained entry to the residence and a search was conducted with the assistance of the Swat Team.

Quiros was not located in the residence. Police searched the surrounding area but were unable to find Quiros. A warrant was issued for arrest.

Gerardo Quiros

Press release, State Police

RIDGEWAY – The New York State Police, with the assistance of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, on Wednesday responded to a report from a woman, who stopped a passing Trooper to report her son had pointed a gun at her.

The woman was attempting to retrieve car keys in a residence on Route 104 in the Town of Ridgeway.

As additional patrols responded to the residence, officers heard what they believed to be a possible gun shot within the residence, and began to establish a perimeter around the property.

The New York State Police robot was deployed in an attempt to contact the individual, identified as 28-year-old Gerardo Quiros, with negative results. The robot then gained entry to the residence and a search was conducted with the assistance of the Orleans County Swat Team, which is comprised of officers from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Medina PD and the Albion PD.

Quiros was not located in the residence. A search of the property and surrounding area was also conducted by SWAT and members of the State Police also with negative results.

A warrant has been issued for Gerardo Quiros by the Town of Ridgeway Court for Menacing and Criminal Possession of a Weapon. Quiros who may be armed, is described as a 5′ 08″ tall, Hispanic male, brown eyes, black hair, 150 pounds.

Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of Quiros is asked to call the State Police at (585) 344-2200.