KNOWLESVILLE – The bridge over the railroad tracks on Route 31 near the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds isn’t expected to reopen to traffic until September.

The bridge was closed on May 11 and was expected to be shut down for about six weeks to accommodate construction that includes bridge deck repairs, joint replacement and slab reconstruction to enhance safety.

“During the course of construction it was determined the bridge required additional materials to ensure the project’s success,” said Jordan Guerrein, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation. “Those are currently being manufactured and the bridge is now expected to re-open to traffic in September.”

A signed detour will remain in place for motorists to use Route 98, Route 31A, Route 63 and Route 31. Local roads near the bridge also remain accessible during construction.

Provided photos

RIDGEWAY – About 150 people watched the rubber duck race on Saturday afternoon on Jeddo Creek at the Medina/Wildwood Lake KOA on Countyline Road in Ridgeway.

People pay $5 for each rubber duck in the race. The local KOA was able to donate $640 to the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company. The event was part of a first responders’ appreciation weekend at the campground. There was also a parade of fire trucks on Saturday morning, and first responders were welcome to camp at a discounted rate.

The campground has put on the race for about a dozen years and the proceeds this year are being donated to the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company. In the past some of the funds have gone to KOA Care Camps and Camp Good Days.

Photos by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – Rob and Rachel Kaiser, owners of the Medina/Wildwood Lake KOA on Countyline Road in Ridgeway, lead a procession of fire trucks through the campground this morning. It was part of a first responders’ appreciation weekend.

The Kaisers own the lead fire truck, which used to be owned by the airport in Hartford, Conn. The Kaisers give kids rides in the fire truck on most Saturdays during the season, which this year runs from April 30 to Oct. 11.

These kids follow the loud procession on their bikes. The fire trucks had their sirens going. An Orleans County deputy sheriff also joined in the parade. Click here to see a video.

As part of first responders’ appreciation weekend there will be a camping discount for first responders. There will also be a rubber duck race this afternoon on Jeddo Creek with proceeds going to the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company. That is expected to be about $600.

Rob and Rachel Kaiser are pictured with their fire truck after the parade. They have owned the campground north of Ridge Road on Countyline Road for 18 years. Last year they had a record year during the Covid-19 pandemic with many people looking for a getaway at a campground close to home.

They have nearly 350 sites at the campground and have two heated swimming pools, a jumping pillow, game room, on-site winery, peddle boats, a water slide and lots of other activities. On many days there are 1,300 or more people on site.

“It’s good family bonding here,” Mr. Kaiser said. “We create memories.”

The Kaisers donated to each of the fire departments that attended today’s parade around the campgrounds. Many of the campers stopped to wave to the firefighters, or to cover their ears from the loud sirens.

Tony Panzica of California takes a video of the procession. Panzica is a Tonawanda native in the area to see family. He said he is impressed by the campground, including how it handled the big downpour from two days ago.

He and his wife Patty said they are enjoyed seeing the small towns in Western New York and Orleans County.

“I’m just floored by this area,” Panzica said. “It’s so beautiful.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – Volunteers were busy this morning at the parking lot of the Ridgeway fire hall, packing boxes of produce, crackers, tortilla wraps, macaroni and cheese and other food.

Donna Poore, second from left, is coordinator of the food pantry at the Calvary Tabernacle Church in Medina. She led a team of volunteers this morning from the church, other food pantries in Medina and a group of employees from the Iroquois Job Corps.

Today was the last scheduled food distribution. Since April 2020, at least 300 boxes of food were available at distributions that have been in Albion, Ridgeway, Knowlesville (4-H Fairgrounds) and occasionally at Holley and Clarendon. The program was funded through the federal Department of Agriculture.

But the USDA announced the “Families Food Box Program” program wouldn’t be continuing. The program has had five rounds and delivered 157.1 million boxes of fresh produce, milk, dairy and cooked meats to Americans across the country since last April.

There was a long line of vehicles down Horan Road leading to the fire hall. This photo was taken at about 8 this morning. Many of the vehicles started to line up by 6 a.m.

Two local senior citizens were the first two vehicles to arrive. They waited more than two hours for the distribution to start.

The first woman was from Albion. She went to a distribution event about once a month.

“It has been very helpful for me being on a fixed income, especially with the cost of food and gas and everything going up,” she said.

She said she is an early riser and didn’t mind getting in line early. The weather is warmer now and the sun comes up earlier, compared to the winter.

The Office for the Aging in Orleans County, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, the Calvary Tabernacle Church in Medina and Cornell Cooperative Extension all took the lead running different distributions. Residents can still go to local pantries if they need food.

A Lyndonville senior citizen estimated the value of food was often about $75 at the distributions. She would arrive early and crochet. She would talk with a friend who was also in line using her speaker phone.

“This was a great thing,” she said about the distributions. “It helped a lot of people, and not just the senior citizens. There are so many people who ended up without a job. I hope for the younger families they can find a way to keep it going.”

Curt Strickland, one of the volunteers this morning, eyes all the boxes of food and tries to help determine how much each vehicle should get. The volunteers had to rebox many of the items, with an assortment of Romaine lettuce, Brussels Sprouts, crackers, oranges, tortilla wraps, macaroni and cheese, and other food.

Before the distribution started, the group paused for a prayer.

Mike Jagger, one of the volunteers from Calvary, said the church was grateful to be a part of the distributions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s just helping people,” he said.

Provided photos: 4-H Senior Council members Hugh and Joanie Gabalski (left side) and Grace Gregoire (right side) plant a Freedom Garden in observance of Juneteenth. Heritage variety vegetable seeds were included as well as red-colored flowers.

Press Release, Orleans County 4-H Program

KNOWLESVILLE – Members of the Orleans County 4-H Senior Council observed Juneteenth recently by planting a Freedom Garden outside the Education Center on the 4-H Fairgrounds. “The Freedom Garden includes edible plants that would have been an important food source for freed slaves,” explained Kristina Gabalski, 4-H Program Coordinator at Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension. “We also included red flowers because the color red is such an important part of the celebration of Juneteenth. It symbolizes the suffering and bloodshed of the slaves during their bondage.”

The Freedom Garden is located outside the classroom entrance to the Education Center. 4-Hers planted heritage varieties of vegetables including California Blackeye Pea cowpeas, Morris Heading collards, Dorinny Sweet corn and Sugar Baby watermelon.

“The cowpeas have a direct link to Africa,” Gabalski said. “According to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, they were domesticated about 5,000 years ago in the savannas of sub-Sharan Africa and would have been a very familiar crop to freed slaves.”

The garden should be growing vigorously by the time the 4-H Fair takes place in late July, Gabalski said.

The finished garden is located around the flagpole outside the classroom entrance to the Education Center.

RIDGEWAY – The final scheduled food distribution will be this Friday beginning at about 8:30 a.m. at the Ridgeway fire hall at 11392 Ridge Rd., Medina.

The entrance will be on Horan Road and the line will be facing north (facing Ridge Road). Exit will be on to Ridge Road. People are asked to not block driveways. The distribution won’t start before 8 a.m.

The Office for the Aging, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee and Calvary Tabernacle Church in Medina and the Cornell Cooperative Extension have worked together to coordinate the distributions since April 2020.

“ We want to thank Foodlink and all the hosting sites – Community Action of Genesee & Orleans, Calvary Cupboard of Medina, and Cornell Cooperative Extension – for holding these events,” said Melissa Blanar, director of the Office for the Aging. “We could not have these events without the wonderful volunteers over the last 14 months that assisted with the distribution of the food boxes. If people are in need of food after these distributions end please contact your local food pantry for assistance.”

Press Release, Rick & Ron’s Auto Sales

Photo by Tom Rivers: A massive fire on May 22 destroyed the repair garage and sales office for Rick & Ron’s Auto Sales at 11205 Ridge Rd.

RIDGEWAY – As many of you may already know, a week ago on Saturday, Rick and Ron’s Auto Sales suffered a complete loss of both its repair garage and sales office after a devastating fire tore through it.

Rick & Ron’s on Ridge Road has been a member of the Medina business community for more than 40 years.

We are grateful that each member of our team made it out without any serious injuries, and we would like to thank the numerous volunteer firefighters who responded.

Now that the smoke has cleared, our team has already begun the process of demolition, which we hope to have completed by the end of next week. Once done, we will promptly move on to preparing the site for our new building so that we can continue our long tradition of serving customers from all over Western New York.

In the meantime, we have set up a temporary office on site and have partially restored services to meet our customers’ needs. We will continue to operate during our normal business hours, but at a slightly limited capacity, throughout the construction process.

We thank our customers and the Medina community for all their support and patience during this time of transition to a new beginning for Rick and Ron’s Auto Sales.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: A fire Saturday afternoon caused extensive damage to Rick & Ron’s Auto Sales at 11205 Ridge Rd.

RIDGEWAY – Orleans County fire investigators have determined a massive fire on Saturday at Rick & Ron’s Auto Sales was accidental.

“They were working on a car’s evaporation system and the gas fumes ignited while a worker was using a drill,” said Justin Niederhofer, deputy director of the Orleans County Emergency Management Office.

There isn’t an estimate yet on the damages. The fire damaged four buildings with the main office suffering extensive damages and a garage/workshop a total loss. Two buildings that were the neighbors also had minor damage.

In addition to the structures, six vehicles also damaged with three owned by Rick & Ron’s.

The family who lives next door received Red Cross assistance so they could stay elsewhere for one to two nights so their home could ventilate, Niederhofer said today.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at about 3:20 p.m. on Saturday. There were flames were shooting out of windows in the garage/workshop and explosions could be heard.

Photos by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – A massive fire this afternoon destroyed several buildings and damaged the main office for Rick & Ron’s Auto Sales at 11205 Ridge Rd.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at about 3:20 p.m. Flames were shooting out of windows in the garage/workshop and explosions could be heard. One of the employees was transported by ambulance to Medina Memorial Hospital for burns that weren’t expected to be too serious, a Ridgeway fire official said.

A Hartland firefighter sprays water on the smoldering site where there was a garage and a shed. Firefighters expected to apply more water on hot spots.

Several of the vehicles were damaged from the hot flames.

Cole Hardenbrook, one of the Orleans County fire investigators, takes photos and inspects the damage. No official cause has been determined yet.

The blaze was stopped from going to the neighbors’ properties.

A Hartland firefighter hoses down a fence separating Rick & Ron’s from a neighbor next door on Route 104.

Several fire companies brought water to the site to supplement the water from the hydrants. This photo shows water hauled from a Lyndonville tanker fire truck being put into a portable water pond. Howard Watts from Shelby has his back to the camera and Guy Scribner of Ridgeway is next to him.

Many local residents walked to the site to get a close look once the flames were extinguished and the scene was under control.

RIDGEWAY – The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists that the bridge carrying Route 104 over Oak Orchard Creek in the Town of Ridgeway is now closed to accommodate construction.

Contractors will replace the existing structure with a new multi-girder bridge that features upgraded bridge shoulders and an improved hydraulic opening.

The new bridge is expected to open to traffic in September. A signed detour is currently in place for motorists to use Route 98, Route 31A, Route 63 and Route 104. Local roads near the bridge will be accessible during construction.

The bridge is being replaced by Union Concrete and Construction Corp. of West Seneca. The $2.65 million bridge replacement is 80 percent funded by the federal government with the state paying the other 20 percent.

The new bridge will replace one from 1954. The new bridge is a single span multi-girder bridge featuring two 12-foot-wide travel lanes and two 6-foot-wide shoulders. New approaches will also be constructed as part of the project. The new bridge is expected to last at least 75 years.

Courtesy of DOT: This map shows where the bridge will be replaced on Route 104 in the Town of Ridgeway.

RIDGEWAY – The upcoming bridge replacement on Route 104 over the Oak Orchard Creek has caused concern for the growing kayaking community.

The Oak orchard has become a very popular spot for kayakers, who pass underneath the bridge over Route 104.

That bridge will be closed to motorists beginning in two weeks on April 26 with an anticipated reopening in early September.

Union Concrete and Construction Corp. of West Seneca is the general contractor on the project. John Olinger, Ridgeway highway superintendent, spoke with Union officials and the company said the Oak Orchard will remain open to kayakers.

“During the project they will have signs and a spotter to direct all river traffic,” Olinger said today. “Union Concrete is the company that is doing the work , and have plenty of safety measures in place so everyone stays safe. They will be working 6 days a week and have Sunday off.”

There will be times when no traffic will be allowed such as when they are removing steel or setting or removing parts of the new or old bridge, said Town Supervisor Brian Napoli.

The state Department of Transportation is overseeing the $2.65 million bridge replacement, which is 80 percent funded by the federal government with the state paying the other 20 percent.

The new bridge will replace one from 1954. The new bridge is a single span multi-girder bridge featuring two 12-foot-wide travel lanes and two 6-foot-wide shoulders. New approaches will also be constructed as part of the project. The new bridge is expected to last at least 75 years.

Press Release, Arc of Genesee Orleans

Provided photo: Jenifer Batt, director of Camp Rainbow, is pictured with camp friends Keira and Jackson during a recent sunny afternoon at the camp in Ridgeway on Townline Road.

RIDGEWAY – Camp Rainbow will be open this summer following a pandemic shutdown that closed the site in 2020 for the first time in 50 years.

Located at 2272 Yates-Carlton Townline Road, Camp Rainbow is a five-week day camp operated by the Arc of Genesee Orleans.

The 2021 season kicks off July 12 and runs through August 13 and each session lasts one week, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Camp is open to all children ages 5 – 21 and younger children must have finished their first year of elementary school. Campers over 16 must still be in school to attend.

“Our goal is to run camp as close to a typical camp season as possible, however, I know we will need to make some adjustments due to Covid protocols,” said Jenifer Batt, camp director.

Guidelines are coming from the state and adjustments will be made to meet the guidelines. “I’m predicting an awesome summer camp season,” Batt said.

The camp schedule includes daily participation in arts and crafts, music, nature and science, and athletics programming, under the supervision of a team of enthusiastic camp counselors. The camp nurse is on-site at all times during the camp day.

Two wholesome meals are offered daily at no charge, through the assistance of the Summer Food Service Program offered by the New York State Department of Education. With parental consent, children will enjoy free swim time under the supervision of a certified lifeguard in our beautiful 4-foot in-ground swimming pool.

A number of week-long scholarships are available that include the cost of tuition, meals and transportation for a week of camp. Campers can come for a week, multiple weeks, or the entire five weeks. However, scholarships are for one week only in order to give as many kids as possible the camp experience. Regular cost for camp is $25 a day for tuition and $16 a day for transportation.

Parents can also provide their own transportation to and from camp. Transportation and scholarships are limited so it is important to get applications in soon found on the Camp Rainbow page of the Arc’s website (click here). Applications are due May 21. If you have questions or need assistance with completing or returning the application, please call Jenifer Batt at 585-589-5516 or email jbatt@arcgo.org.

Positions are also available for people looking for a fun and rewarding work experience this summer at Camp Rainbow. Openings are listed on the Arc of Genesee Orleans website (click here).

Camp History – The Shenberger family generously donated the property that is home to Camp Rainbow. They wanted to help create a place where children with disabilities had opportunities for fun and interaction. Volunteers then spent hundreds of hours clearing the land and building the facilities.

While Camp Rainbow was originally designed to meet the needs of children with developmental and/or physical disabilities, it was opened up to all children ages 5 to 21 in 1992.  Since that time, Camp Rainbow has encouraged friendships and understanding among all children, promoting integration and inclusion.

Current bridge on 104 will soon be replaced

Photographs courtesy of Town of Ridgeway Historian’s office: This view shows the iron bridge over Oak Orchard Creek, looking west on Ridge Road.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – V. 1, No 10

RIDGEWAY – Which are you most likely to say, “The bridge is out?” or “The bridge is closed?”

This topic generated some lively discussion. An informal survey found that more people are likely to say “closed” rather than “out.”

Regardless of preferred usage, inconvenience ensues when a bridge is “closed” or “out” as those who travel or live on Route 104 will find when the bridge over the Oak Orchard Creek on Route 104 will soon close to traffic for five months.

Oak Orchard Creek originates in the Tonawanda Swamp. Joined by numerous streams as well as Otter Creek and Marsh Creek, it flows into Lake Ontario at the Oak Orchard Harbor.

Crossing the Oak Orchard Creek proved challenging for the early settlers. Describing his family’s journey in 1810, Seymour Murdock recalled that the area of bank cleared for crossing was designed for “Yankee” wagons which were narrow. However, their wagon was a wider Pennsylvania wagon, and the crossing proved very difficult. One little brother fell out and would have been left behind, had he not yelled lustily.

Later view of the iron bridge over Oak Orchard Creek on Ridge Road

For many years, a felled tree, with its upper limbs trimmed would serve as a footbridge. In 1825, the Supervisors of Orleans County were authorized by the Legislature to raise $1,000 by tax to build a plank bridge over the Oak Orchard Creek.

This plank bridge greatly facilitated travel along Route 104, but it deteriorated over time. In October 1876, a herd of 21 fat cattle caused it to give way when they crossed. The cattle were not injured though they fell 18 feet. According to the Medina Tribune, the bridge was “a total wreck.” However, “travel on this road will not be obstructed by this accident.”

The plank bridge was replaced by an iron bridge. By the 1950s, this bridge was no longer suited to the increased volume of vehicular traffic. Also, the curved approach and narrow width were cited as factors in several accidents. A new, wider bridge was built by the State Dept. of Public Works in 1954, at a cost of $175,000. The curve was straightened by moving the highway several yards to the north of the original highway. The bridge was resurfaced in 1981.

The new bridge will replace the bridge built in 1954. Featuring two 12-foot wide travel lanes, wider shoulders and new approaches, it is to be built by the Union Concrete and Construction Corporation of West Seneca. The cost of bridge-building has increased since 1954, from $175,000 to $2.65 million. The new bridge is expected to last 75 years, so we will not need to debate whether that particular bridge is “closed” or “out” until 2096.

View of Oak Orchard Creek bridge, looking east on Ridge Road

KNOWLESVILLE – The State Department of Transportation temporarily has closed the lift bridge in Knowlesville to traffic to accommodate maintenance work by the State Canal Corporation.

The bridge is expected to be closed until April 16, the DOT said in a news advisory.

A signed detour is in place for motorists to use Route 104, Eagle Harbor Waterport Road and Route 31.

Motorists are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license.

This map from the NYS Department of Transportation shows the location of the bridge on Route 104 over Oak Orchard Creek.

RIDGEWAY — The bridge on Route 104 over Oak Orchard Creek in Ridgeway will be closing to traffic on April 26 with an anticipated reopening in early September.

The bridge is being replaced by Union Concrete and Construction Corp. of West Seneca. The company advised Town of Ridgeway officials this week of the impending closure.

A detour will send larger trucks to Route 98 in Gaines-Albion, Route 31 from Albion to Medina and Route 63 from Ridgeway to Medina.

The $2.65 million bridge replacement is 80 percent funded by the federal government with the state paying the other 20 percent.

The new bridge will replace one from 1954. The new bridge is a single span multi-girder bridge featuring two 12-foot-wide travel lanes and two 6-foot-wide shoulders. New approaches will also be constructed as part of the project. The new bridge is expected to last at least 75 years.