By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 August 2025 at 2:52 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: Jonah Fisher, 5, of Albion high fives Sparky the Fire Dog. Jonah’s dad, Medina firefighter Adam Fisher, wore the costume of the friendly dalmatian during National Night Out in Medina on Aug. 2, 2022. The event returns on Tuesday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. outside the intermediate school.
MEDINA – An event that connects residents with first responders and community organizations returns on Tuesday.
National Night Out will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. outside the Clifford Wise Intermediate School. The event is free with hot dogs, beverages and many activities.
National Night Out often draws about 700 people. Albion hosted NNO for five years from 2015 to 2019. It was then cancelled due to the Covid pandemic and restrictions in 2020 and 2021. Medina has hosted it annually since 2022.
“There are a lot of activities, and it will be a way for families to meet law enforcement and establish a connection and relationship,” said Diana Fulcomer, a prevention educator with UConnectCare. She is co-chair of the NNO committee with Sherri Bensley, public health educator with GO Health.
There will be a K9 demonstration at 5:45 p.m., the Battle of the Belts competition beginning at 6:30, and many community members in the dunk tank most of the event. The battle of the Belts feature four-person teams alternating as fast as they can to put on seat belts in four different seats in a car.
More than 40 community groups are expected to be at NNO. There will also be a magician, caricaturist and balloon artist.
A committee has been working on planning National Night Out since January. Fulcomer said NNO is a county-wide event. The committee is open to trying another location next year. The group partners with a law enforcement agency to host the event.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 August 2025 at 2:01 pm
Photo courtesy of Bridget DiCureia
MEDINA – Medina’s Class of 1985 celebrated its 40th reunion this past weekend. More than 70 of the classmates and friends attended the reunion.
The class is shown during a gathering at the Knights of Columbus in Medina.
The class tends to have a reunion every five years but missed the one in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.
This reunion saw classmates travel to Medina from New York and other states, including Alabama, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, New Hampshire and North Carolina.
The class donated $200 to support classmate retired Army Major Anthony Paige’s Ruck-Up Inc., an organization that helps with advocacy, counseling, suicide prevention and overall support to veterans.
ALBION – Orleans County Clerk Nadine P. Hanlon today urged residents to sign up for a free service that will help protect them from deed fraud.
Fraud Notify is a tool provided through the Orleans County Clerk’s office that alerts people whenever a document, such as a deed or a mortgage, is recorded under their names with the Orleans County Clerk.
“Recently in the news, there have been plenty of stories of unsuspecting homeowners who had fraudulent deeds filed on their homes and there have been attempts right here in Orleans County,” said Hanlon. “While the Fraud Notify service cannot block any filings, the fact that you are notified instantly allows you to contact law enforcement and get a lawyer to immediately put a stop to it.”
On that site, click the link to subscribe to Fraud Notify.
Sign up by creating an account. Although there is a box checked for “Billing address” you will NOT be billed for signing up for this service.
You will then receive an email to confirm your account and verify your email address.
Go back to Fraud Notify and log in with your credentials and add names of those you want to receive alerts for, like yourself and your spouse; or parents or grandparents if they cannot receive emails.
“The whole process takes just a few minutes, which is well worth it to know you are protecting your most valuable asset— your home,” said Hanlon.
Hanlon added that those that have the same name as other Orleans County residents could receive alerts for documents that do not pertain to their real property.
Oak Orchard Health started in 1973 and has expanded to several sites in WNY
By Karen Kinter, CEO of Oak Orchard Health
Provided photos: The Oak Orchard Community Health Center is shown under construction in 1991 in Albion.
ALBION – The National Association of Community Health Centers is celebrating 60 years of community health centers.
In 1989, they were designated as Federally Qualified Health Centers. They offer affordable primary healthcare across America. As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we honor their extraordinary journey from humble beginnings to becoming the backbone of our nation’s largest primary care network.
Today, FQHCs operate over 16,000 locations nationwide, serving 32.5 million patients. In New York State, health centers serve over 2.4 million patients, including 685,532 children and 283,425 older adults.
Oak Orchard Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center, was founded in 1973 and has grown into an integrated health system serving 34,000 patients across eleven locations. We understand what makes our communities special. We’re culturally aware and work hard to meet the unique needs of everyone who lives and works in our community, including agricultural workers and individuals from diverse backgrounds, including all races and genders.
The History and Value of Community Health Centers
Community Health Centers (CHCs) originated in the 1960s as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” and the civil rights movement, with the goal of providing healthcare to underserved communities. Key milestones include the establishment of the first two centers in 1965, the formalization of the “Federally Qualified Health Center” (FQHC) designation in 1989, and the inclusion of FQHCs in the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Today, FQHCs are a cornerstone of the US healthcare system, providing comprehensive primary and preventative care to millions, regardless of their ability to pay.
FQHCs serve approximately 10% of the U.S. population but account for roughly 1% of total annual healthcare spending in the United States. By keeping people healthy, primary care doesn’t just save lives – it saves money.
The History of Oak Orchard Health
This group celebrates the opening of the community health center in Albion.
The vision for Oak Orchard Health (OOH) came from Dr. James Perrin, a pediatrician at the University of Rochester. He wanted to create a community-controlled health center that could address all the unmet healthcare needs of the area.
The first Oak Orchard Community Health Center was located at the former McNall Furniture store, 52 N. Main St., in downtown Albion. The name Oak Orchard originated here, as Route 98 passed through Albion, which was part of the old Oak Orchard Trail that ran from Batavia to Point Breeze on the lake.
OOH soon outgrew its first facility, and since there was no large space available to rent in Albion, the Board’s Building committee looked for a site in Brockport. OOH relocated to the Booth Building at 80 West Avenue. The board felt that this location gave OOH a good quality image. Since there was still a demand for quality medical care in Albion, a satellite office remained there. Soon, an office would be built at the Arnold Gregory Hospital, which opened in the spring of 1976. OOH would lease this space until the hospital closed.
Within three years, this group of dedicated community members opened two health centers employing seven full-time doctors and their supporting staff. Its mission was and continues to be to deliver high-quality healthcare at an affordable cost to anyone in the community who needs it.
Funding of Health Centers Today
It is essential to the health of Oak Orchard Health and the nation that federal funding continue for health centers, ensuring people have access to affordable primary care. Today, Federally Qualified Health Centers, like Oak Orchard, serve 1 in 5 rural Americans.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 August 2025 at 10:02 am
Gas prices at the end of July were at an average of $3.15 a gallon nationally for regular unleaded, which matches the price at this time in 2021, the last time summer gas prices were this low, AAA reported this morning.
The national price today is at $3.15 today, compared to $3.48 a year ago. The state average is $3.17, no change from a week ago and down from $3.59 a year ago.
Diesel prices are up a cent to $3.74 compared to last week. The New York average is $3.92, no change from last week.
Here are the average prices for regular unleaded in WNY counties:
State Sen. Earl Brydges, center, visits the Iroquois Narcotics Rehabilitation Center in July 1970. He is shown with, from left: Herbert Riley, work coordinator; Valory Koch, leader of the Narcotics Rehabilitation Center; John Kennedy, former Medina mayor and member of community liaison committee; and John Cobb, Medina’s mayor at the time. Koch is presenting the state senator with an ashtray made in the pottery shop.
SHELBY – A recent inquiry about the existence of a drug rehabilitation program at the Job Corps facility in Shelby prompted us to research its history.
In light of the recent announcement to close the Job Corps program, it is interesting to note that from its very inception, the fate of the facility has been determined by outside political swings and changes, rather than by its performance.
Job Corps, a federally funded residential and job training opportunity for disadvantaged youth, was established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty.
Locally, the establishment of a Job Corps camp on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge in Shelby was announced in early May 1965. The camp would be located on Tibbits Road, about a quarter of a mile east of Sour Springs Road. Up to one hundred young men were expected to go into training at the camp. An article in the Medina Daily Journal, July 9, 1965, explained:
“The Job Corps provides jobs for boys aged 16-21 who are mostly school dropouts from poverty-stricken areas and trains them so that they can obtain employment when they leave.”
At first glance, the location of this Job Corps site on the edge of a remote 10,000-acre wildlife Refuge, may seem unusual, but is better understood when one realizes that the initial objective of the program was to provide labor for the development of the Refuge. The boys were to be trained in the skills necessary to install nature trails to attract visitors. They would also work on creating dams to encourage backflow, thus encouraging waterfowl to come to the area to breed.
Newly appointed director, Raymond Calagne, based the office for the newly named Iroquois Job Corps Conservation Center in a former farmhouse at the corner of Oak Orchard Ridge Road and Sour Springs Road in Shelby.
Benderson Construction Co. of Buffalo constructed the shop, warehouse, combination dining room/education/recreation building, and two dormitories, each providing accommodation for 56 boys. Three trailer-living units provided accommodation for employees and their families on site.
The facility opened in 1966 with the Shelby location was the only Job Corps installation in New York State.
On Jan. 29, 1968, it was slated for immediate closure, along with 16 others nationwide, as part of a budget cutting measure. The remaining Job Corps sites were closed in 1969. The underlying philosophy had changed: the new theory was that disadvantaged, unskilled urban youth could be more effectively trained in urban sites, rather than in remote conservation sites.
Naturally, the announcement was greeted locally with astonishment and dismay. The facility cost $800,000 to build, had 149 students and a budget of almost $500,000.
On August 6, 1968, a plan to convert the former Jobs Corps Center into a New York State sponsored facility for drug addicts was announced. The Iroquois Narcotics Rehabilitation Center would be an experimental site, an “open” treatment facility. Director A. Luis Cid elaborated on the nature of this “open” program, to reassure area residents who might be concerned at the lack of formal security features such as fences and guards at the site.
“These will be selected men, probably between the ages of 18 and 25, who have already spent several months at a secure center and have been de-toxicated.”
He explained that the addict is almost always a sensitive person, easily hurt, who then retreats from life’s problems through the solace of drugs.
“One of our first jobs is to resocialize the addict, to try and give him a new social personality”
He acknowledged that addiction was a complex problem, with many possible causes and was thus far impossible to cure. Cid believed that the trusting atmosphere at the site, the services provided, along with useful work therapy on the grounds of the Refuge, would prove beneficial. He acknowledged the possibility that the residents might “walk off”, but said that if they did so, they would be returned to a stricter facility.
The Center opened in August 1968, with 11 residents and 26 staff members. On its second anniversary, it had 140 residents and 125 staff. Over the course of the next several years, program residents participated in community events such as the annual Christmas toy drive in Medina.
Citing budget concerns, the closure of the facility was announced on Jan.13, 1976. Again, the announcement was greeted locally with astonishment and dismay. Medina Mayor John Cobb issued a strong resolution to Governor Carey to continue the operation, citing its success, the disruption for clients and their families, and the impact to the local economy of the impending loss of the $1.5 million payroll for the 133 employees.
But to no avail. By May, equipment worth over $3 million had been removed from the site and distributed to other state facilities.
In October 1978, it was announced that the Iroquois Job Corps program would re-open at its original location on Tibbits Road. The underlying philosophy had changed: the emphasis would be on teaching trades; the students would do minimal work for the Refuge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 August 2025 at 9:17 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: A hazy sunset is shown at the veterans’ section of Mount Albion Cemetery this evening.
The National Weather Service has issued an air-quality alert beginning at midnight and continuing throughout Monday in Orleans due to wildlife smoke from Canada.
The alert covers most of upstate New York and is due air-quality levels in the outdoor air predicted to be greater than an Air Quality Index value of 100 for fine particulates. The higher the AQI value, the greater the health concern, the National Weather Service said.
The State Department of Health recommends that people consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. The very young and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants, the Weather Service said.
It’s going to be a hot week ahead. The high temperature sin the forecast for Orleans County include sunny and 86 on Monday, mostly sunny and 86 on Tuesday, partly sunny and 87 on Wednesday, mostly sunny and 87 on Thursday, sunny and 88 on Friday, and mostly sunny and 90 on Saturday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 August 2025 at 10:58 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CLARENDON – A fast-moving fire this morning devoured a garage and badly damaged a house at 17195 Elizabeth Drive.
The residents of the home safely got out and no one was injured from the fire.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at about 9:30 a.m. for reports of an attached garage fire spreading to the house. The garage at right in photo was totally destroyed from the fire.
Elizabeth Drive is located off Hall Road on the eastern end of Clarendon. This home was about 800 feet off Elizabeth on a private drive.
Multiple fire departments responded to the scene including Clarendon, Murray, Brockport, Spencerport, South Byron, Barre and Kendall.
Orleans County fire investigators also are at the scene.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 August 2025 at 7:53 am
7th Heaven closes out annual Albion music festival
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The band 7th Heaven fired up the crowd to close out the 10th Rock the Park music festival at Bullard Park.
This was the third year the event expanded to two days. There were 10 musical groups that played over the two days.
The crowd was rocking for the concert. The organizers gave away 500 glow sticks to the attendees.
Performers at the festival included three band son Friday – Triple Play, V3 and Bad Sign.
On Saturday, the performers included Carson and Sam, Shotgun Pauly, Stanton, Mixed Experience, driven, BeatleMagic and 7th Heaven.
7th Heaven opened its set with “There’s Never Been Any Reason” by Head East, followed by Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” “Surrender” by Cheap Trick, and “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi.
The band includes from left: Albion native Michael Giarrizzo, guitarist and singer for the band; Terry K., lead singer; Phil LaTona, the drummer; Dave Quick, the bass player from Kendall; and Eddie Krysinski on keyboards.
BeatleMagic made its debut at Rock the Park. The band had the crowd dancing to “Twist and Shout.”
BeatleMagic has been performing popular Beatles songs since 1999. The band includes Russ Thomas as John Lennon, Nelson Starr as Paul McCartney, Mike Kiel as George Harrison and Chris Mattioli as Ringo Starr.
Dylan DeSmit sings “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. DeSmit and driVen performed for nearly two hours. The drummer is Travis Mackie. DeSmit has been part of Rock the Park since its earliest days.
Mike “Thunder” Warren, guitarist for driVen, enjoys getting the crowd going at concerts. DriVen played a four-hour concert the day earlier at Back Porch 585 Tavern in Brockport, a concert that included a lengthy tribute of music by Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy, the frontman for Black Sabbath, died at age 76 on July 22.
Warren, who plays in the band Savage Cabbage, said Osbourne has long been a musical inspiration for him.
Jake Stinson of the Albion Lions Club works the grill and gets a hot dog ready for June Persia of the Lions. There were several food vendors at the event.
Jim Doyle attended Rock the Park for the first time on Saturday. He was pleased to see several hundred people enjoying the music under the main tent, with many others on the main grounds near the amphitheater.
Doyle is a music teacher and coordinates a concert series at Hoag Library. The next concert there is Aug. 16.
Doyle said the Albion community has embraced musicians of all types. A Wednesday concert series in the summer has been drawing several hundred people, too.
“Music has the power to bring people together of all ages,” Doyle said. “There is something magical about music.”
Dave Quick, 7th Heaven’s bass player, gave a high-energy performance during the band’s two-hour concert to close out the music festival.
Rock the Park has been a fundraiser for Bullard with proceeds helping to push for many improvements at the park in the past decade, including the amphitheater.
7th Heaven has performed at Rock the Park before, including as the closer of the 2019 event back when there wasn’t an amphitheater and a stage needed to be set up for the concerts. Saturday, the band got the prime slot on the new stage. The amphitheater has been steadily used since its first concert on June 19, 2021.
Photo by Natalie Baron: Heather Hapeman, owner of Dance Reflections by Miss Heather, poses with some of her dance families in front of her studio in downtown Albion.
By Natalie Baron, Orleans Hub intern
ALBION – This September, Heather Hapeman celebrates 20 years of Dance Reflections by Miss Heather, of which she is the owner and sole instructor. Dance Reflections is located at 52 North Main Street in Albion.
Photo by Erin Townsend: Pictured, from left: Theresa O’Hearn (Heather’s mother), Miss Heather Hapeman, Megan Morton (Heather’s friend) and Coraline Hapeman (Heather’s daughter). They, along with Heather’s father Tom and her husband Jared help out with the office duties for Dance Reflections. Coraline also helps out with the baby classes.
Dance Reflections’ success is a testament to strong bonds in a small town. Regarding how the studio has reached so many people in a location like Albion, Heather explained that she believes it is due to “the relationships I’ve had for so long with friends I’ve gone to school here with, graduated from Albion. I was born and raised here, so I’ve known a lot of people for many years. I’ve had a lot of friends and family in this town, and then there’s word of mouth. One thing led to another, and now I have over 125 dance families and 140 dancers.”
Provided photos: Heather Hapeman with daughter Coraline after this year’s recital.
Also contributing to the studio’s longevity is the ability to adapt to a shifting dance world while continuing to run the studio with consistency. “The world is has changed so much,” Heather stated, “so I make sure that I stay up-to-date with the world changing and dance styles changing. I make sure I go to dance conventions and that kind of stuff, ’cause styles of dance change a lot. Really nothing much else has changed. I’m a creature of habit! Parents appreciate that, too, because there’s so much going on in everybody’s lives, that to have something stay constant, it’s just easier for the parents, as well.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Heather looked for ways to keep her dancers involved. She launched “Project Dance Reflections from Home,” where 141 dancers were featured in a video tribute. She decorated the front of the studio with hearts for the kids. In 2021, dance photos were taken outside, and the recital was held at the 4-H Fairgrounds.
At the end of this year’s recital, the seniors, including Al Hand (front left), take their final bow. Heather said the hardest part of her job is saying goodbye to graduating seniors, who have, often, danced with her from a young age.
Last year, Heather taught 132 dancers, which is around the studio’s average. “I would say last year was probably one of our biggest years. We had over 750 people attend our dance recital, and that’s been the biggest crowd we’ve had. Usually, we teeter around 600 for our recital.”
Photos by Natalie Baron: Heather Hapeman with students from dance families.
Heather runs her business with a genuine passion for dance and care toward every dancer. She has been dancing since she was 3 years old, learning from Spotlight Studio’s owner, Rhonda Steffen. Heather has gone on to be a dance instructor for 26 years. She teaches all dances at Dance Reflections and limits class sizes in order to provide personal attention to her students. Some of her former students now bring their own children to dance at her studio. Her dance families are incredibly important to her and keep her loving what she does.
Pictured, from left: Matt, Crystal, Al, and Rianne Hand.
Al and Rianne Hand have been dancing at Miss Heather’s since elementary school. Rianne started when she was 3 years old and Al at 7. Their sister, Sam, used to do hip hop before she graduated, beginning at 9 years of age.
Dance mom Crystal Hand said her family chose Miss Heather’s because friends of the family were dancing there. “They were friends all through elementary school, so we were like, let’s dance with our friends! When we came here, we were like, we’re not leaving. We’re very happy here.”
Al, who graduated this year, did soft shoe ballet, point ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and lyrical. In high school, Al partook in a dance team and as a senior, danced in the senior dance and performed a solo. Rianne does jazz, hip hop, soft shoe ballet, point, lyrical and tap. Now that she is in high school, Rianne hopes to join a dance team. The Hand family also did family dance for a couple of years.
Al and Rianne shared their favorite memories of dancing at Miss Heather’s. Al gushed, “I remember, two years ago, it was a hip hop class. It had four people in it, and we mixed so well! I loved that we made little catchphrases about our dance moves, and we worked with Miss Heather to add some stuff, like ‘moonwalking’ and ‘getting jiggy with it.’ It was such a good dance, and I loved it!” Rianne expressed, “I think it was this year that we were doing a tap dance, and we got to do so much more stuff. It was very exciting! We were all in a circle next to each other, and we just had a really great time.”
Dance mom Rebecca Francis with daughter Evelynn.
“We’ve known Heather a long time,” said Rebecca Francis, mom of Evelynn. “My husband worked with her father. We’ve had a long family-friend connection, there. This past year was Evelynn’s first year dancing, and she just loves Heather. She’s wonderful with her.” This year, Evelynn did ballet, tap and hip hop. Evelynn’s favorite memory is the big stage and recital.
“We heard very good things about her from around town,” Joliene Pritchard, dance mom to Danielle and Gabriella, stated about Heather. “We were new to the area, so we heard about her through people in the community.” Daniella currently does hip hop and ballet, and she used to do tap. Gabriella has done hip hop and ballet, and she is starting tap this year. Daniella’s favorite memory is her first dance recital. Gabriella’s is learning from, and spending time with, Miss Heather.
Dance mom Mindy Warne smiles with Leah, her daughter.
Mindy Warne brought her daughter, Leah, to Dance Reflections when Leah was three years old. “From there, she fell in love with Miss Heather,” Mindy said. “Even though I’d never danced with another studio my whole life, there was no changing. She just absolutely loved Miss Heather. She’s been going here for eight years now.” Leah does hip hop, ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical. Leah’s favorite memory is “Making my best friends from here, because this is the place I met all my friends!”
Pictured are dance mom Lisa Russell and her daughter, Brynlee.
Like Mindy Warne, Lisa Russell also used to dance at Miss Heather’s. Now Lisa’s daughter, Brynlee, goes there. “Before I started dancing with her, I just thought she was so talented, just as a dancer, herself,” Lisa recalled, “and then when I started coming, it was so peaceful in here and so relaxing. I was in sports, too, but coming to dance felt like a nice break to get away and stretch and be active. Then we moved to Florida, and, coming back, Brynlee was really interested in dance. Of course I was gonna come back to Miss Heather, just ’cause I knew she would be so good with the little ones.”
Lisa continued, “And she honestly is just so organized. It’s so easy for the moms. You’re not ever unsure of what you should be doing or where you should be going. It’s fun.”
Brynlee does ballet and hip hop, and next year, she is going to do tap. Brynlee’s favorite memory is loving dancing and having freedom up onstage. From a mom but former dancer’s perspective, Lisa relayed her favorite memory, that being “the dance team when I was a senior, and she gave us the creative freedom to make our own dance, which was really, really fun, and she would guide us along and give us that space for creativity.”
Dance Reflections focuses its efforts on giving back, not on monetary gain. Over the years, the studio has supported many community causes, including Hospice of Orleans, PAWS Animal Shelter, Community Action, Albion School District PTA and Drama Departments, Lyndonville School District Drama Department and CURE for Childhood Cancer, as well as donations to basket raffles, fundraisers and community events.
In 2023, Dance Reflections was named “Organization of the Year” by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council for artistic excellence and community involvement. Heather was nominated by a dance family and was selected out of 18 nominees from Genesee and Orleans County.
Open House for Dance Reflections by Miss Heather will take place Wednesday, August 6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Visitors will get to see the studio and meet Miss Heather.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 August 2025 at 8:38 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The band, V3, performed Friday evening at Bullard Park for the 10th Rock the Park/Summer Music Festival at Bullard. From left in photo include Jesse Neely on bass, lead singer Kole Moore and Alex Fitzak on guitar.
The band plays classic and modern 2000s. Friday was the band’s first performance in about two years after their drummer, Shelby Starr, had a baby. V3 used to be known as Vette.
Kole Moore of Albion was thrilled to be back on stage performing with his friends in V3. He said he enjoys entertaining the crowd as lead singer in the band.
The amphitheater at Bullard Park has been turned into a rock stage. V3 includes Jesse Neely of Henrietta, Kole Moore of Albion, Shelby Starr of Rochester and Alex Fitzak of Albion.
The lineup of musicians for today includes:
11 a.m. – Carson and Sam (acoustic stage)
1:30 p.m. – Shotgun Pauly
2:30 p.m. – Stanton
3:30 p.m. – Mixed Experience
4:30 p.m. – driVen
6:30 p.m. – BeatleMagic
9 p.m. – 7th Heaven
The band Bad Sign closed out Friday’s lineup of performers. Triple Play was the first group on the stage.
Bad Sign plays blues, rock and southern rock. The band includes lead singer Erika Horning of Batavia, guitarist Erick Horning of Batavia, bass player Clint Worthington of Holley, drummer Joe Maino of Pembroke, and keyboardist Ron Bordinaro of Batavia.
Erika Horning sings “Born in the Bayou” during Friday’s concert. Her husband, Erick Horning, plays the guitar.
The music continues today with admission $5. There are several food vendors on site. Rock the Park is a fundraiser to support Bullard Park and the village parks.
Eligible farmers can seek reimbursement for overtime paid since Jan. 1, 2025
File photo by Tom Rivers: These farmworkers pick cucumbers in August 2019 along Townline Road in Barre.
Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that eligible farm employers may now apply for the Farm Employer Overtime Credit Advance program and receive reimbursement for eligible overtime paid to employees since January 1, 2025.
Now in its second year, the Farm Employer Overtime Credit Advance program is a part of Governor Hochul’s plan to support New York’s farmers through a series of new and increased tax credits and other initiatives and helps to ensure that farm employers can continue to support their workers while reducing their tax burden.
“Our farmers and farm workers are the backbone of New York, and I’m doing everything in my power to ensure that they can thrive in their essential work of bringing fresh, local products to communities across New York,” Hochul said. “The Farm Employer Overtime Credit Advance is a big part of that, reducing the tax burden for our farm businesses while helping them to continue supporting their hardworking staff, caring for animals and harvesting perishable products. I encourage all eligible farmers to learn more about this program and submit their applications now for a certificate of advance payment.”
The Farm Employer Overtime Credit is a refundable tax credit available for farm employers who pay overtime wages, based on the phase-in of an overtime threshold in New York State. Beginning today, farm employers may submit an application to the Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) for a certificate of advance payment of eligible overtime paid between January 1 and July 31, 2025 so they can receive reimbursement from the Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF).
Farms that used a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) in 2024 may also apply for certification for eligible overtime paid between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Applications must be submitted to AGM by September 30.
After eligibility review, AGM will issue a certificate of payment to each approved farm employer. With a certificate of advance payment, the approved farmer or business owners (for example, partners or shareholders) can then request their share of the payment from the Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF). This request must be made no later than November 1, using the online services account at DTF’s website.
Farmers can apply for this refundable credit if they or their business:
is/are an eligible farmer; and
directly employ eligible farm employees that were paid eligible overtime or indirectly pay eligible overtime via the services of a PEO.
AGM hosted a special webinar in July to help eligible farmers prepare for the launch of the program. A recording of the webinar is available on AGM’s YouTube page.
New York State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Farm labor is a critical issue, and we are working hard to ensure that farmers have the resources they need to support their workforce while meeting their food production goals. Last year, the Overtime Tax Credit initiative had a great start, and we are looking forward to continuing to grow the program and make sure that our farmers and farm workers have the support they need.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 August 2025 at 5:13 pm
MEDINA – Baxter Healthcare will be hosting a community safety day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Baxter parking lot at 711 Park Ave.
There will be free food and beverages, as well as kid-friendly activities.
The Safety Committee at Baxter is an employee-led group who is hosting the event, and this week the facility is focused on both workplace and at home safety, with it all culminating with the community safety day.
The Medina Fire Department, Orleans County Sherif’s Department, and the K9 unit will be at the event doing demonstrations and talks about safety, as well as car seat safety checks.
Someone will be doing car care demonstrations and will be available to answer general car questions. There will be cornhole and water balloons set up, as well as face painting and temporary tattoos, balloon animals, and a coloring station.
There will also be a basket raffle to benefit the fire department.
