By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2020 at 3:51 pm
Elsie Boring enjoys the friendships and competition at the bowling alley
Elsie Boring lines up her shot at Oak Orchard Bowl, where she has been a regular since the Albion business opened in 1960.
ALBION – Oak Orchard Lanes is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. One of the constants over those six decades has been Elsie Boring, one of the top bowlers in the ladies’ league.
Boring, 80, started bowling at age 20 with her late husband Chet. She bowled with him in a couples’ league and bowled with women on Tuesday nights.
She had the top average for many of those years. Currently, her five-woman team is ranked third out of the 10 teams in the league. The team is known as Franny’s Angels in honor of the late Fran Nayman. For many years he was the team’s sponsor.
Boring enjoys the chance to see friends once a week at the bowling alley on Route 98. Many of the other bowlers in the league are young enough to be her grandchildren.
“It’s enjoyable,” she said. “It’s a night out.”
Boring, when she was in her 60s, was carrying a 175 average for the season. She has bowled a 248 game before, and often broke 600 for a three-game series, including one day when she had three games at exactly 201.
She is disappointed she isn’t at that level anymore. She said arthritic knees make it hard to bend down on her follow through. She currently has a 117 average.
“I can’t do what I used to do anymore,” she said.
She is using a lighter ball these days, down from 15 pounds to 9 pounds. The lighter ball doesn’t get the same pin action as a heavier ball.
But her teammates said she is still consistent and formidable at the bowling alley. Boring throws a straight ball with a slight hook at the end.
“She has always been a tremendous bowler,” said Marcia Zambito, an alternate on the team.
Bowling has been a big family activity. Boring’s late husband Chet enjoyed the sport, and the couple taught their children – Susan, Darlene and Brett – to love the game as well. Susan bowls in the same league with her mother, on a different team, and currently has the highest average, 185, among the 50 bowlers in the league. Her brother Brett bowls in the men’s league and has a perfect 300-game to his credit.
Elsie Boring, 80, remains a key contributor on her five-women team in the ladies’ league.
Oak Orchard Bowl is celebrating its 60thanniversary this month. Randy Hanks, owner of the bowling alley since 2006, said Boring stands out as a league bowler during all 60 years of Oak Orchard’s existence. (It was originally Oak Orchard Lanes but changed its name to Oak Orchard Bowl in 2004.)
Boring, who is retired after 32 years as chief clerk for Orleans County Family Court, remembers when all 18 lanes were used by the league, and then a second group of teams would play later at night, for 36 teams total. Sneezy’s Bowling in Albion also hosted leagues. That 8-lane alley closed in 1997.
She is encouraged to see a lot of women in their 20s and 30s are bowling in the league, which runs for about 30 weeks from November to April with a weekly charge of $12. That price hasn’t changed in years.
Pat Hellert, 81, is another long-time bowler. The retired Albion fourth-grade teacher at Albion has been a teammate with Boring for many years and has been in the ladies’ league for at least a half century. Hellert is carrying a 123 average this season.
Pat Hellert jokes with Alishia Foss, 27, of Brockport. Foss, a Medina native, was bowling opposite Hellert on Tuesday. Foss said the older bowlers in the league are inspiring.
“Watching them bowl and throw the ball down the lane is so cool,” she said.
Pat Hellert and Elsie Boring look forward to see each other and their friends Tuesday night during the ladies’ bowling league.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2020 at 2:48 pm
Provided photos
KENDALL – The four Boy Scouts from Kendall who led the effort to build a war memorial in the community on Monday thanked a bricklayers union for its help with the project.
Jason ReQua of Kendall is secretary-treasurer with the union, BAC #3, in Rochester. He helped build the 39-foot-long brick wall. Other union members who helped and provided guidance with the project include organizer Robert Sotir, JATC Coordinator Arthur Miller and previous Local 3 President Anthony DiPerna.
Pictured include front row, from left: Brian Shaw, Jayden Pieniaszek, Secretary/Treasurer Jason ReQua, Noah Rath and Ryan Barrett. Back row: JATC Coordinator Art Miller, President-Rick Williamson, organizer Robert Sotir and Kendall Troop 94 Scoutmaster Ken Spohr.
The wall features granite plaques highlighting the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the War on Terror. Alternating the granite plaques are concrete medallions representing five branches of the military. In addition, there are three flagpoles that stand tall behind the brick wall. The memorial is respectfully lit from dusk to dawn.
The Eagle Scouts presented BAC Local #3 with a granite plaque as a thank you for contributing to the community service project.
Founded in 1865, the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers represents craftworkers in the trowel trades across the United States and Canada including bricklayers, stone and marble masons, cement masons, plasterers, tilesetters, terrazzo and mosaic workers, and pointers/cleaners/caulkers.
Press Release, New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Fire Prevention and Control today announced a new effort to help protect the state’s firefighters and their families from the threat of cancer.
Studies have shown firefighters are experiencing cancer at higher rates than the general public, largely due to their exposure to an increased level of toxins found in smoke at structure and other fires. In order to ensure New York’s firefighters are not only aware of this threat, but know how to limit their own risk, State Fire officials developed basic protocols for decontaminating firefighting gear following a response call and will be traveling throughout the state to promote their use by firefighters.
Research has shown that the simple and inexpensive steps being promoted as part of this effort can reduce the exposure of firefighters and their families to toxins and other carcinogens by up to 85 percent.
“As research continues to demonstrate the elevated risk of cancer the brave men and women of New York’s fire service face, it’s critical we ensure they have the tools and information they need to protect themselves and their families,” New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Patrick A. Murphy said. “Thanks to the tireless efforts our dedicated staff in the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, we haven’t only found simple ways to greatly reduces one’s exposure to carcinogens, we are bringing this information directly to our local partners throughout the state.”
“State Fire is taking the lead in New York to help firefighters make the changes necessary for protecting their health,” said New York State Fire Administrator Francis Nerney. “Smoke from every fire contains toxic chemicals linked to cancer and by taking basic steps to educate our brothers and sisters in the fire service, we can begin to change the culture and get the safe behaviors we are promoting into action.”
These firefighters battle the fire in Holley on Jan. 5. The fire spewed smoke from a house at the corner of routes 237 and 31.
If firefighting turnout gear is not decontaminated properly after a fire, these firefighters can carry the harmful chemicals to their firehouses and homes, cross-contaminating co-workers and family members. According to two studies conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters are being diagnosed with cancer at a 9 percent higher rate than the general public, and are experiencing cancer-related deaths at a 14 percent higher rate.
To combat these trends, the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control has established some basic, inexpensive protocols which will go a long way in limiting firefighters’ exposure to the harmful chemicals commonly found in smoke. Under these recommended protocols:
• Firefighters are rinsed off with a garden hose at low pressures to remove large contaminates upon completion of their work at the scene.
• They are then sprayed with a liquid dish soap and water solution and scrubbed with soft bristled brushes
• The firefighter is rinsed again with the low-pressure garden hose and then washes their helmet
• Finally, the gear is bagged for transport to prevent contamination from spreading and subsequently washed following their individual department’s policy.
Throughout the next year, state experts will travel across the state to bring these protocols directly to firefighters in educational sessions at local fire departments. At each session, firefighters will view a live demonstration of the new decontamination protocols, a new educational video that details the protocols and the risks facing firefighters and have an opportunity to ask state experts any questions they may have. Additionally, the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control is expanding all firefighting classes and trainings it delivers by now including a section on cancer awareness and prevention education.
New sessions are being scheduled on a rolling basis. If you are a firefighter and looking for an educational session near you, or would like to host one at your department, view the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control’s training calendar, or contact your County’s Fire Coordinator.
“We can decrease the exposure to the dangers we face if we want to,” said New York State Association of Fire Chiefs Director Timothy Boel. “Decontamination is such an easy task to accomplish why would you want to expose yourself, other personnel or your family to the dangers we face in our job to protect others. Take the time, energy and effort to make the job you enjoy and have chosen to do the safest it can be.”
Provided photo: Tom and Ariana Sylvester have written a book together. The former Ariana Cuadrado graduated from Holley in 2002. She is in the school’s athletic hall of fame.
BATAVIA – They are the quintessential entrepreneurs. Creative. Funny. Hard working. Authors. Speakers. Designers. Open to change. Jugglers of life encounters. Self-employed. Parents. Husband and wife. College sweethearts. Athletes.
And maybe just a little crazy – proudly so. Tom and Ariana Sylvester are also the perfect pair to kick off Genesee Community College’s Third Annual Pitch Competition with their presentation on Thursday, March 19, at 11 a.m. at the Batavia Campus in the Conable Technology Building room T102.
With a program entitled, Becoming a Lifestyle Builder: Your Guide to Creating an Aligned and Amazing Life, Tom and Ariana will cover the first three sections of their successful book, “Life Builders, Build Your Business, Quit Your Job and Live Your Ideal Lifestyle.” In a one-hour program, they intend to cover the basics of their inspirational message, and give the flavor of chapter one: Planning with Purpose; chapter two: Finding Your Freedom; and chapter three: Concept to Cash.
Their program is free and open to the public. Limited seating is first-come, first-served and a book signing opportunity will follow their program.
Tom and Ariana currently live in Gates and have two young children. They both grew up in small towns – Tom in Perry and Ariana in Holley. They met at Oswego State College where they earned degrees in computer science and zoology, respectively, and both played on the college’s soccer teams. They graduated in 2006, married in 2008, started their family in 2012, and have gone on to establish three different businesses all while still in their 30s. Sylvester Enterprises is a residential and commercial real estate firm is based in Warsaw and Perry, and they owned a retail liquor store in Warsaw for approximately seven years.
Since 2015 however, they have been living their dream come true with Lifestyle Builders, a firm they founded to help others secure their dream careers by building upon individual passions while also balancing life’s competing priorities. Their 285-page book also includes chapters on Setup and Scale Your Systems, Quit Your Cubicle and Stop Self Sabotage.
“Life Builders, Build Your Business, Quit Your Job and Live Your Ideal Lifestyle” encourages people to plan with purpose and in pursuing personal and career goals.
As self-described “family entrepreneurs,” Tom and Ariana have many speaking engagements, and a robust variety of podcasts available on their website, under seven different headings: Lifestyle, Start A Business, Grow A Business, Marketing, Sales, Operations and Finance. The diverse selection of podcast titles include: Organic Marketing Before Paid Marketing; Automate Before You Delegate; The Hiccups with Hiring – How to Build Your Team; and the FIRE Movement – Financial Independence, Retire with Entrepreneurship; and let’s not overlook The Danger of Mom-Guilt.
From their podcasts to their book, their website and their speaking engagements, Lifestyle Builders look beyond the financial details of starting a business by helping entrepreneurs consider and prepare their personal lives and goals as well.
“It rarely is a straight and narrow path,” Ariana said. “And we wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Genesee Community College offers both degree and certificate programs in Entrepreneurship preparing emerging business owners and investors for success. Tom and Ariana’s presentation help expand the learning opportunity and kick-off GCC’s third annual Business Idea Pitch Competition, which is cosponsored by Genesee County Economic Development Center.
The competition will be held Thursday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (check-in starting at 8:15 a.m.) in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building at the Genesee Community College’s Batavia Campus.
To support participants’ efforts and help prepare their first entrepreneurial steps, GCC is hosting the following preparation workshops all held in room T121:
• Tuesday, March 31, 12:45-1:45 p.m. – “Starting a Business” presented by Sam Campanella
• Tuesday, April 14, 12:45-1:45 p.m. – “Writing a Business Plan” presented by Sam Campanella
• Tuesday, April 21, 12:45-1:45 p.m. – “Developing Your Pitch” presented by Dr. Lina LaMattina
The workshops are free and open to anyone participating in the Business Idea Pitch Competition. To sign up for a workshop, please contact Dr. Lina LaMattina at lmlamattina@genesee.edu.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2020 at 9:25 am
Iroquois Trail Council is separate from national BSA, which has declared bankruptcy
The local Boy Scouts of America council will continue to offer scouting programs, and its finances are separate from the national BSA, which filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday, council leaders said in a letter to Scouting families and supporters today.
The local council serves Scouts in Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Niagara counties.
“The Iroquois Trail Council has not filed for bankruptcy, according to the letter from Jim McMullen, Scout Executive; Bob Confer, Council President; and Paul Fleming, Council Commissioner. “Our Council is legally separate, distinct and financially independent from the national organization.”
Their letter continues as follows:
• Scouting programs will continue. This means that unit meetings and activities, district and council events, other Scouting adventures and countless service projects will take place as usual. In short, we expect no changes to the local Scouting experience in the Iroquois Trail Council.
• Scouting is safer now than ever before. Over many years, we’ve developed some of the strongest expert-informed youth protection policies found in any youth-serving organization. I can also assure you that our volunteers and employees take youth protection extremely seriously and do their part to help keep kids safe.
• Restricted donations – past, present or future – can only be used for their designated purpose. In addition, Friends of Scouting (FOS) and other annual donations made to our Council will continue to fund necessary day-to-day expenses that are critical to local Scouting programs.
While we do not anticipate the national organization’s bankruptcy filing will have any direct impact on the local Scouting experience or your involvement with our Council, we understand you may still have questions about these issues and things you will see in the news. To that end, the national organization has established a dedicated restructuring website, www.BSArestructuring.org.
This site includes a helpful Resources page, where you will find a short video explaining what Chapter 11 means for Scouting, as well as a FAQ. The site’s Milestones page will be your best source for the latest updates throughout this process.
If you have any questions about local Scouting, you can always feel free to reach out directly to each of us or to your District Executive.
Through your engagement and dedication to Scouting, the Iroquois Trail Council will continue to bring adventures, values and lifelong benefits to youth and our communities for generations to come. Thank you for your trust and support as we continue this important mission.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 February 2020 at 8:27 am
Merle Fredericks, an avid hunter and founder of the Bow Bending Believers chapter of Christian Bowhunters, is shown with a pronghorn antelope he harvested in 2010 in Montana. He has scheduled the 16th annual Sportsmen’s Dinner and Seminar March 21 at Oak Orchard Assembly of God, 12111 Ridge Rd., Medina.
MEDINA – Local hunter and avid outdoor enthusiast Merle Fredericks has announced the 16th annual sportsmen’s dinner and seminar March 21 at Oak Orchard Assembly of God Church, sponsored by the Bow Bending Believers.
The Bow Bending Believers, founded by Fredericks, is the local chapter of Christian Bowhunters of America, of which Fredericks is the executive director.
He started the annual sportsmen’s dinner to share his love of hunting and the outdoors with others. He has hunted in numerous states, as far south as Mississippi and as far west as Oregon, pursuing Whitetail deer, elk, Pronghorn antelope, black bear and Mule deer.
Doors will open at 4 p.m. and hunters are invited to bring their trophy bucks. Many will be on display, including Marlin Yoder’s 2019 Orleans County trophy buck, he said.
There will be official scoring from 4 to 6 p.m. by Boone & Crocket, Pope & Young and New York State Buck Club measurers on site.
The evening will also feature free giveaways of an Ohio deer hunt, ladder stand, door prizes and raffles. There will be vendors set up as well.
Dinner will be served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., a question and answer period will take place with Department of Conservation officer Vern Fonda.
Fredericks will present a program on “How to Get Your Name in the Book,” which he has shared at churches throughout New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.
Tickets are only $5 and may be ordered by sending a check to Merle Fredericks, 2423 Oak Orchard River Rd., Medina.
Oak Orchard Assembly of God Church is located at 12111 Ridge Rd., Medina. For more information, call (585) 765-2839.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 February 2020 at 5:18 pm
Chris Jacobs
BUFFALO – President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican Chris Jacobs in his candidacy for the 27th Congressional District of New York. Trump tweeted his support at about 4 p.m. The president has 72.6 million followers on Twitter.
In a Twitter post President Trump said, “Chris Jacobs will be a great Congressman who will always fight for the people of New York. He supports our MAGA Agenda, will continue to Secure our Border, Loves our Military, Vets, and is Strong on the 2A. Chris has my complete endorsement for the Special Election on 4/28!”
Jacobs has the Republican line in the April 28 special election for the Congressional seat. It has been vacant since Chris Collins resigned on Sept. 30.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive President Trump’s endorsement,” Jacobs said. “I appreciate his trust and stand to join him in the fight against socialism and to help him enact his America First Agenda to rebuild our military, grow the economy, and finally secure our borders.”
Photos courtesy of Orleans County 4-H Program: 10-year old Lauren Zwifka of Albion and 11-year old Amelia Barton of Middleport had help from Noah and Mocha, two mini-horses, for their 4-H Public Presentation on “Grooming a Mini Horse.”
Press Release, Orleans County 4-H Program
KNOWLESVILLE – Nearly 50 Orleans County 4-H members took part in Public Presentations held Feb. 1, 8 and 15 at the Education Center on the 4-H Fairgrounds. The annual event helps youth practice skills needed to present before an audience.
Sophie Kroening, 9, of Knowlesville holds her Yorkipoo “Grizzley” as she completes her Public Presentation on the topic of Yorkipoo dogs.
“Communicating an idea to others clearly is a valuable skill that youth can use now, in college and in their future careers,” said Kristina Gabalski, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Program Coordinator. “Youth learn about the research process and steps needed to organize information into an engaging presentation.”
Youth did presentations either about their current 4-H project area or on any topic of interest to them, Gabalski said.
“This year’s presentations featured topics including ‘How to Groom a Mini-Horse,’ ‘How Bubblegum is Made,’ ‘Cake Decorating,’ ‘Japanese Book Binding,’ and ‘Parasites of Horses,’” she said.
Sophie Kroening, 9, of Knowlesville said she enjoys learning new things as she prepares for Public Presentations.
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said. Sophie presented this year on Yorkipoo dogs because she has a new Yorkipoo puppy at home whose name is “Grizzley.” Grizzley joined Sophie for her presentation on Feb. 1.
“This is not a competition,” Gabalski explained. “Youth work to improve their skills from year to year and receive constructive feedback from teams of volunteer evaluators.”
There are advancement opportunities, she added.
“Youth who demonstrate a readiness for a more challenging event are given the opportunity to participate in the district-wide event in Erie County at the end of March,” she said. “Participants can also give their presentation again in the Trolley Building during the Orleans County 4-H Fair in July and in the 4-H Youth Building at the New York State Fair. Youth who present on horse-related topics can move on to the Regional Horse Communications event in April and may also advance to state and national levels.”
Jackson McGrath, 9, of Medina prepares to start his presentation on “Riding a Dirt Bike in Three Easy Steps.”
MEDINA – A Medina woman has been charged with arson in the third degree for a fire May 11 at 956 Gwinn St.
Kelly Morrison is the homeowner of the property. She was arrested today with additional charges of insurance fraud 2nd, class C felony; aggravated cruelty to animals, (2 counts), felony; and criminal mischief 4th, class A misdemeanor.
Her arrest was made about nine months after the fire at her home on Gwinn Street. The charges followed an extensive investigation conducted by the Medina Police Department, in cooperation with fire investigators from the Medina Fire Department and the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, Medina Police chief Chad Kenward said.
The Medina Fire Department and surrounding agencies were dispatched to a structure fire at 956 Gwinn St. at about 7:15 p.m. on May 11. An effective response by firefighters contained the fire to the room of origin, Kenward said.
Firefighters located two cats in the residence and provided them with medical aid. The Medina Police Department initiated a joint investigation which included interviews with several individuals, and processing of a large amount of digital and physical evidence at multiple laboratories.
Morrison charged today and processed at the Medina Police Station, and then transported to the Orleans County Jail. Formal arraignment will occur in Orleans County Court.
“The Medina Police Department would like to recognize and thank all of the agencies and individuals involved in the investigation for their hard work and dedication,” Kenward said.
He listed Lt. Steven Cooley and Capt. Jonathan Higgins with the Medina Fire Department, fire investigator David Clary with the Orleans County Office of Emergency Management. The Medina Police Officers investigating this case were Lt. Todd Draper and officer Joe Frentz.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that he will join Assemblyman Jake Ashby (R,C,I,Ref-Castleton), local veterans and members of the Assembly Minority Conference on Wednesday for the first of several events calling on Gov. Cuomo and legislative leaders to restore proposed cuts to vital veterans’ programs in this year’s budget due on April 1.
The assemblymen are calling for the immediate restoration of Gov. Cuomo’s planned $5.68 million cut to veterans’ services in the 2020-21 Executive Budget. The “Voices for Veterans” news conference will be 10 a.m. at the American Legion Cottreall-Warner Post 942 in Webster.
The largest cut proposed is to the Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer-to-Peer Program. The governor’s budget eliminates more than $4 million from the counseling program that allows veterans to connect with other men and women who have served in the armed forces and are facing challenges similar to their own.
“Too many veterans come home after serving their country living with the horrors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and to cut these programs that are vital to protecting our nation’s heroes is an utter disgrace,” Hawley said. “Our veterans deserve to feel protected and cared for just as they have protected us from enemies foreign and domestic. In a budget that exceeds $170 billion eliminating vital programs for our veterans should be the last we are focusing on. I am hopeful we can call attention to the necessity of these programs and work with state leaders to see they are restored ahead of the budget deadline on April 1.”
Hawley, son of a World War II veteran and member of the Ohio Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves, will be joined by Assemblyman Jake Ashby who served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserves and rose to the rank of Captain. Ashby is the Ranking Minority Member on the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee and Hawley is a longtime member and former ranker.
Provided photo: Lyndonville opened its expanded PreK program last week at the former elementary school on Main Street.
Press Release, Lyndonville Central School
LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville Central School’s newly expanded Pre-Kindergarten program officially opened at its Main Street campus on Feb. 10.
Through a grant received from the NYS Department of Education, the district was able to expand the hours of its current program for 4-year-olds and initiate a new program for 3-year-olds.
Students engage in singing, art projects, dramatic and constructive play and early literacy and math learning. They are developing important skills including sharing and following routines, interacting with peers, controlling emotions and engaging in meaningful relationships with peers and adults. Breakfast and lunch are served within the classrooms, and students have rest-time each day.
To accommodate this expansion, the Pre-K program was moved to the former elementary school. The district partnered with the YMCA to staff and run the program for 3-year-olds. As part of this partnership, the YMCA leases the space from the district, which helps off-set the general operating expenses.
The district currently has two classrooms for 4-year-olds and one for 3-year-olds. Each class is set-up for a day of educational fun. An age-appropriate gymnasium with play equipment was created, and a large library was set up on the second floor.
“The students are enjoying their time at school,” said Dr. Elissa Smith, Elementary Principal. “We transitioned slowly, allowing all current Pre-K students to meet and interact with new staff in the new space prior to adjusting to a full-day. This allowed students to become comfortable in the new space, prior to making other changes. The transition was very smooth, thanks to all of the pre- planning and help from our staff.”
Smith explained that the benefits of an expanded Pre-K program for the community are both immediate and long term. Children have access to social-emotional skill building and early literacy and math skills in an interactive play-based learning environment that supports early learning standards. It helps families through providing safe and appropriate full-day programming for their children.
“All of us involved in the expanded Pre-K program look forward to following these children as they grow to see the future social and academic implications for primary and elementary grades and beyond,” said Dr. Smith.
The district currently has two spaces available for 4-year-olds this school year and is accepting applications the 2020-21 school year for children who will be 3 or 4 by Dec. 1, 2020. Pre- registration forms are due by April 1. A lottery will be held if requests received by April 1 exceed capacity.
Additional information, including registration, can be found on the district’s website or by contacting the Elementary Office at 585-765-3122.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 February 2020 at 10:13 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Janice Rice, the store manager for Gordmans in Albion, cuts the ribbon at about 9 this morning at the Route 31 plaza.
Gordmans opened today after being changed over from a Peebles. Gordmans is a retailer with designer name brand apparel, home decor, gifts, fragrances, clothing and other items.
“We have put the fun back into shopping,” Rice said during the ribbon-cutting.
Gordmans employees joined in the ribbon-cutting. Rice thanked the 25 workers for “putting in long, long hours” to get the store ready for the customers. The store was closed from Feb. 8 until today to get ready for the grand opening.
Gordmans and Peebles are both owned by Stage Stores, with Stage buying Gordmans in April 2017. Peebles opened in the Albion plaza in 2007. Gordmans has switched over 13 former Peebles stores in New York.
Perk Banker and Liane Hill, center, were among the first group of customers to check out the store. The first 100 customers today will receive a Gordmans insulated tote bag and have an opportunity to win a $50 gift card or a $5 shopping card.
Albion Mayor Eileen Banker presents Janice Rice, the Gordmans store manager, with citations from the Village of Albion and also State Assemblyman Steve Hawley. Banker is Hawley’s chief of staff.
The Albion mayor thanked Gordmans for keeping the store in Albion.
“We are very much appreciative that you have stayed in the area,” she said.
Jen Ashbery, the Albion High School principal, accepted a ceremonial check for $1,000 from Gordmans for the school.
The store has 20 percent off specials for opening day for people who take out a Gordmans credit card.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 February 2020 at 7:59 pm
Charlie Nesbitt
ALBION – Charlie Nesbitt, a retired state assemblyman, has been picked to serve on the Independent Redistricting Commission, which will draw the district lines for Congressional seats, and the legislative districts for the Assembly and State Senate after the upcoming census.
Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R-Pulaski) announced Nesbitt’s appointment. Nesbitt is one of two appointment from the Assembly Republicans. The Assembly Democrats also have two appointments. The State Senate also picks four, with two choices each for the minority and majority conferences. Two other members also will be nominated who aren’t affiliated with either the Democrats or Republicans.
“It’s an honor to be asked to do this,” Nesbitt said today. “It’s a very important job.”
The federal government will soon start the census count, done every 10 years. The legislative districts will be drawn to reflect changes in the state’s population, with growth in some areas and declines in other districts.
New York is expected to lose or two congressional seats as other states have grown at a greater pace than in New York.
Nesbitt, who served 13 years in the Assembly from 1992 to 2005, said he will seek a fair representation of all parts of the state. He said he would be a voice in particular for the rural communities.
Nesbitt was the Assembly Republican leader from 2002-2005. After he left the Assembly he was a commissioner on the State Tax Appeals Tribunal from 2005 to 2016 and was the Tribunal’s president.
Nesbitt was a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War and received the “Distinguished Flying Cross” based on his actions on Nov. 14, 1968. That day Nesbitt and his crew members were told an American soldier was stranded in enemy territory in the jungles of Laos, across the border from Vietnam. Another helicopter had been hit with a rocket and crashed. The crew needed to be rescued. Nesbitt flew a helicopter in and got out everyone, except one gunman, John Grimaldi, who was separated from his crew.
Nesbitt took the recovered crew members back to safety, and then returned to enemy territory to find Grimaldi.
Nesbitt said the Independent Redistricting Commission will likely soon start to organize and hire staff. The upcoming state budget is expected to provide funding some the Commission can do its work.
“Fair districting is important so the interests of voters are protected and preserved,” he said.
He has been through the reapportionment before as Assembly Minority leader.
There will be public hearings, ideally in urban and rural areas. “There should be an appropriate airing of everybody’s concerns on how these lines are drawn,” Nesbitt said.
Nesbitt said he would like each district to represent nearly the same number of people. Sometimes the urban districts have fewer people than rural and suburban districts, which gives the urban areas more representatives.
“One of the goals is to have districts represent the same number as much as possible,” Nesbitt said.
Sometimes Orleans County gets carved up in redistricting, with some towns in different districts. The county currently is entirely within the 27th Congressional District. But the redistricting in 2002 created the “earmuff” congressional district that linked the lakeshore towns of Kendall, Carlton and Yates with the district the touched Rochester and Buffalo.
Steve Hawley’s 139th Assembly District currently has nine of the 10 towns in Orleans County, all of Genesee and part of western Monroe. Michael Norris’s 144th Assembly District has Shelby in Orleans, and parts of Erie and Niagara counties.
Rob Ortt’s 62nd Senate District currently includes all of Orleans, all of Niagara, and two towns in Monroe County – Sweden and Ogden.
Barclay, the current Republican leader in the Assembly, also appointed Keith Wofford to serve on the Commission. He is the co-managing partner of the 400-lawyer New York office of Ropes & Gray, LLP, specializing in bankruptcy and financial cases. Wofford was a candidate for New York State Attorney General in the 2018 election. He is a native of Buffalo and currently resides in New York City.
“This is a critical endeavor and I’m pleased these two respected individuals will take part in the Redistricting Commission,” Barclay said about Nesbitt and Wofford. “Their experience and knowledge of our electoral system and New York’s unique landscape will be important as the Commission moves forward on this endeavor.”
AAA New York State is pleased that legislation (A6163) requiring passengers to wear a seat belt in the back seat passed the New York State Assembly on Feb. 12. The legislation would also apply to passengers of ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft.
According to AAA New York State, an unbelted rear seat belt passenger in a vehicle accident is 2 times more likely to be killed, 8 times more likely to be seriously injured, and 2 times more likely to kill a front seat occupant by becoming a projectile.
In New York State, over the last decade, 289 people have been killed, and 25,596 people have been injured, while unrestrained in the back seat of a motor vehicle. It is a common misconception by many adults that they do not have to wear their seat belt in the backseat because it is safer. According to a survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 28 percent of people do not buckle up in the backseat.
The legislation is now in the hands of the New York State Senate where AAA is hopeful it will receive full approval.
Press Release, Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
The GCASA Foundation is accepting applications for its annual scholarship, which is open to Genesee and Orleans County students entering college in the fall of 2020.
The purpose of the program that awards two $1,000 scholarships – one to a Genesee County resident and one to an Orleans County resident – is to provide financial support to those pursuing their education at an institution of higher learning in the fields of human services or social services and, ultimately, to contribute to improving community health.
Scholarship criteria includes the following:
• The applicant must be accepted at an accredited college or university and enrolled in or matriculated in an eligible program or major;
• Eligible programs include Social Work, Nursing, Health Science, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology and Human Services (and related majors);
• Current GCASA employees, board members and GCASA Foundation board members are not eligible, but relatives of the preceding are eligible.
Applicants are required to provide academic history (high school or college transcripts), two letters of recommendation from someone other than a relative who knows the applicant’s work/volunteer history/academic history, a resume or personal biography including work history, volunteer experience and extra-curricular activities, and an essay that addresses educational and employment objectives as they relate to the mission of GCASA.
Financial need, volunteerism, employment history and civic involvement will be given careful consideration. The recipients will be announced at GCASA’s annual membership meeting on May 20 upon verification of acceptance into an accredited college or university.
GCASA Foundation scholarship applications are posted on the agency’s website – www.gcasa.net.
Completed applications and accompanying documents should be mailed to Diane Klos, Prevention Secretary, GCASA, 430 East Main St., Batavia, NY 14020, or emailed to dklos@gcasa.org. Applications must be postmarked by March 6 if sent in the mail.
