By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 September 2024 at 4:12 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Some of the worship participants for the First Presbyterian Church of Albion’s 200th anniversary service on Sunday are pictured just before the start of the service at 11 a.m.
From left include Leigh Hamilton; Amanda Krenning-Muoio; elder Mindy Shaffer, moderator with the Presbytery of the Genesee Valley; Jim Vanbrederode, a bagpiper; The Rev. Susan Thaine, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church; and the Rev. Mary Jane and Gary Saunders, pastors emeritus.
The church celebrated the bicentennial on Sunday and was happy to welcome back former long-time pastors, Gary and Mary Saunders. They have since retired after serving a church in Bowling Green, Ohio.
From left in front include Amanda Krenning-Muoio, Leigh Hamilton, Mary Jane Saunders, Gary Saunders, Kaylin Gannon and Sue Thaine. Elder Mindy Shaffer, moderator with the Presbytery of the Genesee Valley, is in back at podium and brought greetings and congratulations from the Presbytery.
The Rev. Susan Thaine and her husband Mike Thaine dance while the Batavia Swings Band performs on Saturday during a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion.
The Rev. Thaine, an Albion native, has led the church the past six years.
Dan Klinczar and the Batavia Swing Band played for two hours, despite some drizzly weather and cool temperatures. They started with music by Gerswin, then “New York, New York,” and “Moonlight Serenade.”
The community was welcome to enjoy the music and a dance floor outside the church. East State Street was closed to traffic from Main to Park streets for the celebration.
The church wanted to have a catered dinner on the street, but the meal was moved inside due to the weather.
39 Problems catered a meal inside the church in the fellowship hall. The church choir often goes to the 39 Problems restaurant after rehearsals on Wednesday evening.
The dessert on Saturday included a cupcake with two candles. There were 100 cupcakes and the 200 candles represented the church’s first two centuries. The cupcakes were made by Andrea Muoio.
The Rev. Susan Thaine, center, presents Gary and Mary Jane Saunders with certificates and the honorary titles of pastors emeritus. The Saunders were leaders in the church for 24 years and raised their three sons in Albion. They moved to Albion in 1985.
“It’s a profound privilege to have a little recognition and be with you all tonight,” the Rev. Gary Saunders told the group.
Kevin Gardner, an elder in the church, shared about the first 200 years of the church. The congregation started with 16 people and they built a church that has served the community for two centuries and counting.
Initially the congregation met in homes in 1824. Those 16 people were part of the Congregational Church in Barre and withdrew to start the new church in Albion.
The Presbyterians built a church on Main Street in 1830, a building they quickly outgrew. Christ Episcopal Church has used that structure for more than 150 years.
The Presbyterians built a brick church on East State, and then an even bigger building made of Medina Sandstone that opened in 1874. That church, with a 175-foot-high spire, is the tallest building in Orleans County.
Jim Vanbrederode plays the bagpipes during a procession into the church on Sunday.
The Rev. Susan Thaine shared a sermon, “God is Not Done Yet.” She said the church is celebrating the first 200 years of the Presbyterian congregation in Albion, with eyes on the future.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) on Tuesday released a statement after the House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Hearing with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo regarding his Covid-19 nursing home policies.
This was Cuomo’s first public Congressional Hearing following his March 25 directive, which Tenney said resulted in the death of 15,000 New Yorkers. The hearing follows the release of the Subcommittee’s memo, which revealed how Cuomo’s office intentionally withheld scientifically significant data on nursing home Covid-19 deaths from official reports. His administration also heavily edited New York Department of Health documents to divert blame away from Cuomo and his team.
“Rather than take responsibility for the unscientific, reckless, and malignant policies that caused the untimely deaths of thousands of New Yorkers, disgraced former Governor Cuomo deflected responsibility for his nursing home directive that sent Covid-19-positive patients back into nursing homes. The hearing exposed the extent of the cover-up by Cuomo and his staff to conceal the true number of nursing home deaths and shift responsibility. On behalf of the victims and the families across New York who lost loved ones due to his cruel policies, I am committed to ensuring Cuomo’s deadly actions are not forgotten and that he is held accountable.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 September 2024 at 1:01 pm
The Albion and Medina school districts said today there is no credible threat to the schools of a shooting.
Albion said that rumor was investigated by the district’s school resource officer and other area law enforcement agencies, the district posted on social media and its website at about noon.
Albion and multiple area schools were informed of a potential threat, but it proved to be unfounded.
“Safety is always our main concern, and we will update you with any information if necessary,” district officials stated in a post to the community.
The Medina Police Department said it would have an increased presence at the Medina school campus today “out of an abundance of caution.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 September 2024 at 10:11 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Two members of the federal Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team pause and reflect in front of the Sept. 11 memorial on the courthouse lawn.
They attended a 9-11 memorial service on Wednesday evening, which was the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others when four airplanes were hijacked and crashed – with two into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the other into a field in rural Shanksville, Pa.
Firefighters stand under a giant American flag that was hoisted above Main Street by the ladder trucks from Medina and Murray.
Scott Schmidt, Orleans County chief coroner and a local funeral director, served as the keynote speaker at the observance which was attended by about 100 people.
Schmidt spent three weeks with the federal DMORT team and assisted in collecting and identifying remains, and interviewing family members searching for loved ones.
He left for New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. He was there for 20 days, including a week at Ground Zero. Two of his colleagues on DMORT attended the service in Albion on Monday.
Schmidt said Americans showed “strength and resilience” following the attack, and showed a great spirit of patriotism and unity following the attack.
He urged people to remember the victims in the attack and he praised the service of first responders and those in the military.
Brad Nudd served as the bugler for the playing of Taps near the end of the service.
Local law enforcement officers, including Sheriff Chris Bourke, stand next to the Honor Guard, which includes Jim Wells at left in white uniform of the Honor Guard.
Brandon Carmichael, a chaplain with the Sheriff’s Office and pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Albion, shares a prayer and later the benediction at the service. Carmichael said many families remain in mourning from that day.
About 20 firefighters from fire departments and companies in Orleans County stand during the service.
In New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, there were 343 firefighters killed responding to assist people in the World Trade Center.
There were 60 police officers killed in New York City that day.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 September 2024 at 8:38 am
Board will discuss with school district whether ACS can help with expense in future
Photo by Tom Rivers: Sgt. Will Francis of the Albion Police Department stops traffic on East Avenue this morning so a student could get across the street. The Albion PD has been filling the role of crossing guard since the school year started last week.
ALBION – The Village Board agreed on Wednesday to fund a crossing guard after the position was cut from the village budget for 2024-25.
The school year started last week with no one as a crossing guard. Some of the board members wanted the school district to assume the responsibility but the district said state law requires the local village, town or city to fund the position. A school district can pay for a second crossing guard, but not the first one.
John Gavenda, the village attorney, said he has discussed the issue with the school attorney and the district is willing to negotiate helping to fund the position, but it is a question of how to do it legally or if it can direct any money to cost. Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley said there may a “legal loophole” where the district could help with the exepense.
Trustees Tim McMurray and Greg Bennett for the Village Board said it is a small price to pay for making East Avenue safer for kids to cross in the morning.
Having a crossing guard for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon would cost about $6,200 for the school year at $17 an hour, spread over 182 days.
Trustee William Gabalski didn’t want to commit to the cost for the full school year yet. He made a motion that the village pay the expense for the first semester, and try to get some help from the school district for the second semester, which begins Jan. 27.
District officials told the village the crossing guard may only be needed for a half hour in the morning and then the afternoon, from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m., and 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. That would reduce the cost to about $3,100 a year.
The board will have the police department reach out to the crossing guard from last year to see if she is still willing to serve in the role, and if she would do it in the half hour increments. The board, however, said it would pay for the one-hour shifts in the morning and afternoon if that is needed.
McMurray said he can understand why the burden falls on the village for funding the position.
“It’s village residents who are walking to school,” he said.
Bennett said the law clearly states it’s a village responsibility, so he doesn’t want to see any more instances where the position is cut by the village in the future.
“The law says it should be on us,” Bennett said about the village responsibility. “I don’t know why we’re compromising over something that is a law.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) announced her bill, which she led alongside Congressman David Kustoff (TN-8), the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, unanimously passed the House Ways and Means Committee Markup on Wednesday.
This legislation would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to postpone tax deadlines and reimburse paid late fees for United States citizens who are wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad and terminate the tax-exempt status of terrorist-supporting organizations.
“No American who has suffered the injustice of wrongful detention or hostage-taking by our adversaries should return home to face penalties from their own government,” Tenney said. “The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act will ensure that American hostages, wrongful detainees, and their families are not further burdened with tax penalties for circumstances beyond their control. Thank you to Chairman Smith, Representatives Dina Titus, David Kustoff, and Brad Schneider for joining me in championing this effort and working to ensure that when American hostages and wrongful detainees are returned home, they are not penalized.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 September 2024 at 3:00 pm
ALBION – A Batavia woman pleaded guilty in Orleans County Court this morning to attempted assault in the second-degree.
Katelyn Jimenez, 31, admitted in court to having a machete on June 2 and attempting to cause physical injury with a machete. She could face a maximum of 1 to 3 years in state prison when she is sentenced in about two months.
Jimenez was charged on June 2 when a man, age 32, was unconscious and bleeding from a laceration to the back of the head at Heritage Meadows Apartments in Carlton.
Jimenez was charged with second-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and criminal impersonation in the second degree.
She pleaded guilty to a reduced charge today in court. As part of her sentencing, Judge Sanford Church said he would consider a treatment court option for Jimenez. She remains in Orleans County Jail on bail of $10,000 cash, $50,000 bond and $100,000 partial secured bond.
In other cases in County Court today:
• Andria Meiers, 51, of Medina pleaded guilty attempted insurance fraud in the second degree. She allegedly claimed a burglary caused $7,800 in damages to her residence and attempted to file a proof of loss statement with an insurance company for $7,800.
She will be sentenced on Nov. 6 and faces a maximum of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
• Mitchell Gardner, a former inmate at Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion, was arraigned for aggravated harassment of an employee by an inmate.
Gardner, 22, allegedly threw urine at a corrections officer in the Albion prison on Dec. 20, 2023. He is now an inmate at the Attica Correctional Facility.
• Caitlyn Collins, 33, was arraigned for second-degree assault. Collins was an inmate at the Albion Correctional Facility on Feb. 20 when she allegedly struck a corrections officer in the face, and that officer then fell into a wall. Collins is now an inmate at Beford Hills Correctional Facility.
Two people also were sentenced in County Court last week on Sept. 4:
• Christian Strickland, 25, of Medina was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated. He was charged on Dec. 21.
Strickland also will have his driver’s license suspended for six months and must use an inter-lock ignition device that measures his blood alcohol content for three years when he is released from prison.
• Edward Ruckdeschel, 62, of Batavia was sentenced to 3 to 6 years in state prison for a string of break-ins in Carlton.
The time for third-degree burglary will be served concurrently as part of a sentence in Genesee County for car thefts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 September 2024 at 12:27 pm
Provided photos
BATAVIA – For the fourth year there is a display of 2,977 American flags at the Batavia VA Medical Center in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
The VA had a memorial service today at 11 a.m.
Volunteers set up the flags on Sunday and they are in a display representing the two World Trade Center towers that collapsed after being struck by hijacked planes.
A group of about 30 volunteers placed the flags in the ground on Sunday. The flags will stay up until Saturday. Cindy Baker of Medina heads the volunteer services at the VA in Batavia.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 September 2024 at 11:56 am
SOMERSET – A 78-year-old man from Florida was killed in a car accident on Tuesday afternoon in the Town of Somerset, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Louis A. Greenwald of Lake Wales in Florida was driving a 2024 Nissan northbound on Carmen Road at about 2:31 p.m. The Sheriff’s Office said he failed to yield the right of way to a 2019 GMC driven by Earl Foster, 77, of Wilson. Foster was east bound on Lake Road.
The GMC stuck the Nissan, after which it traveled into the cornfield northeast of the intersection where it came to rest. The Nissan came to rest in the intersection upon the roadway, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
Foster was transported by ambulance to Lockport Memorial Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Greenwald was transported by Mercy Flight to ECMC where he was succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Joey Molisani and his girlfriend Julia Domiano help his mother Ike Watts arrange baskets for a raffle at Shelby Fire Hall on Saturday to benefit her team in supporting suicide prevention. Watts and her family have participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk every year since 2016 as Team Fuller 155, in honor of her cousin Erin Fuller, whose badge number with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department was 155. (Right) Ike Watts looks at all the goodies in a basket donated for their second annual raffle to benefit suicide prevention. Theme of the basket is “Proud to be Polish.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 11 September 2024 at 11:39 am
SHELBY – When Erin Fuller, an Orleans County deputy, died by suicide at age 45 on Sept. 12, 2015, it left his family lost and heartbroken.
When Jason and Ike Watts saw an advertisement for Out of the Darkness Walk in Buffalo to benefit suicide prevention, they knew they had to get involved.
Since 2016, the Watts and their family have walked and tried to seek donations for the cause. They weren’t as successful as they wanted, until the idea came up last year to have a basket raffle.
“Basket raffles are always a hit, so I called a couple of friends and asked their opinion,” Ike said. “We had our first raffle last year and it was extremely successful. We had a great turnout and people wanted to know if we were going to do it again this year.”
Their second annual basket raffle to benefit their team in support of suicide prevention will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Shelby Fire Hall. Drawing of tickets will begin at 5 p.m.
The afternoon will include refreshments sponsored by Medina FFA volunteers, special raffles and a 50/50 raffle.
The Watts have a motto they live up to. “We support the fighters, admire the survivors, honor the taken and never give up hope.”
The support they’ve already received this year is overwhelming.
“Donations were slow at first, but in the last few days, a lot of people have stepped up to donate, for which I’m extremely grateful,” Ike said.
The fire hall already has a record number of baskets and donations will still be accepted by calling Ike at (585) 590-0291, Tammy Fearby at (716) 239-0185, Rebecca Lacy at (585) 750-4425 or Christine Crane at (585) 590-2608. Also volunteering to help is Todd Eick, a co-worker of Ike’s in the Medina Central School system.
Ike said some of the baskets are incredible, including one from the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, a “Proud to be Polish” themed basket valued at more than $300, and one from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Association called a “Thin Blue Line” basket.
One thing which Ike can’t stop thinking about is the spread sheet on which they log in each basket as it is received. The basket from the Sheriff’s Department was the 155th one, the number of Erin’s badge.
Another very special basket is one she created called “A Walk to Remember” in memory of the late Wilson Southworth, who enjoyed daily walks admiring Medina.
“It is my hope that whoever wins this basket will walk around Medina and admire everything our small town has to offer,” Ike said.
She thanked Ron Stork and his wife Cherie, Lee and Maureen Blackburn and Case-Nic Cookies for contributing to this basket, filled with merchandise and gift certificates from 15 businesses in downtown Medina.
Ike is also excited to announce the Orleans County Suicide Prevention Coalition has joined as a co-sponsor of the fundraiser.
Another new feature this year is a banner with the name Fuller 155. For a donation of any amount a person can purchase a heart for a loved one and the Watts family will carry it in the walk on Sept. 21.
“The banner may have Erin’s name on it, but the cause is for so many people we’ve lost or are struggling,” Ike said. “Suicide prevention is not an easy subject to talk about, but by doing this raffle we hope it eases people’s mind that it’s OK to talk about it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 September 2024 at 9:12 am
Courthouse dome will be lighted up in gold color for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Provided photo
HOLLEY – Mayor Mark Bower, second from left, issued a proclamation from the Holley Village Board on Tuesday declaring September as “Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.” He is shown with Diane Valentine, left, and Tina and Jeremy Neal.
Valentine’s son Evan Valentine, age 18, passed away from acute myeloid leukemia on Feb. 21, 2021.
The Neals’ son, Byron, passed away at age 8 from cancer on April 14, 2023.
They are among several local families with children affected by cancer. The proclamation from the Village of Holley is part of an effort to raise awareness of childhood cancer, and boost funding for research.
The Murray Town Board also plans to issue a proclamation during its board meeting on Sept. 16, and the Orleans County Courthouse Dome will be illumined in a gold color from Sept. 16-30 in a show of support for childhood cancer awareness.
Bower, in his proclamation, said cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children, with 43 children per day or 15,780 children diagnosed with cancer annually.
There is a need for new cancer drugs to be approved by the FDA, and more funding to carry this out, Bower said.
The proclamation notes that hundreds of non-profit organizations at the local, state and national level are helping children with cancer and their families cope with the associated educational, emotional and financial support.
“All of us have been directly or indirectly impacted by this terrible disease,” Bower stated in the proclamation.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) alongside Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02), introduced the People and Animals Well-being (PAW) Act to expand eligibility to include veterinary care expenses under tax-advantaged health care spending accounts, specifically Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) by amending Internal Revenue Code Section 213(d).
The PAW Act would allow pet owners to use their HSA or FSA accounts to pay for up to $1,000 for veterinary care or a pet health insurance plan, while permitting an unlimited amount of these funds for service animals.
It aims to assist veterans with PTSD and individuals with disabilities by ensuring the IRS relies on an up-to-date Federal definition of “service animal,” which includes animals trained to assist with both physical and mental disabilities. Additionally, the bill maintains current HSA and FSA contribution limits, ensuring that there will be little to no impact on federal expenditures.
“Our pets and service animals are cherished members of our families, and it’s essential that owners have the ability to pay for quality care,” Tenney said. “The PAW Act offers greater flexibility to pet owners by allowing them to use HSAs and FSAs for pet care expenses. This legislation will help veterans, and all pet owners afford veterinary care for their beloved pets and service animals.”
“MetLife strongly supports the PAW Act, which helps pet parents address unexpected veterinary expenses resulting from a pet’s illness or accident,” said Brian Jorgensen, Head of Pet Insurance, MetLife. “This bill is a critical step towards promoting the health and well-being of pets by helping pet parents access the care their pets need while protecting their financial wellness. We are proud to support a bill that aligns with MetLife’s purpose of helping people care for their loved ones, both human and animal.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 September 2024 at 8:29 pm
Photo courtesy of Orleans County Sheriff’s Office
BARRE – A tractor trailer tipped over on Route 98 this evening, crashing into a guard rail near the Genesee County line.
The driver was taken by ambulance to be treated for a head injury at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.
A section of Route 98 continues to be closed to traffic due to the accident, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke said.
The truck was loaded with cabbage and the weight shifted, causing the trailer to sway off the roadway and strike a guard rail near the county line, he said.
“The impact made the trailer axel become detached from the trailer,” Bourke said.
