Photo by Tom Rivers: Many local farms last December put lights on tractors in Barre’s first Tractor Light Parade.

BARRE – The Barre Betterment Committee is hosting its second annual Tractor Light Parade on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The parade starts on the corner of East Barre Road and heads north on Route 98 to the Barre Town Park.

Parade participants are encouraged to line up by 5:15 p.m. on East Barre Road. No RSVP is required.

The community is welcome to join in hot chocolate, cider, cookies and caroling at the Barre Town Park after the parade.

On Sunday, the Barre Volunteer Fire Company will have its fifth annual Santa Express with a fire truck coming to homes with Santa to deliver presents. The Santa Express will visiting homes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

41 new FFA chapters since 2017, with total membership up 60%

Press Release, New York Department of Agriculture

Photo by Tom Rivers: Makayla Heideman, a Medina student, brought her hedgehog, Sonic, to the Medina FFA’s Animal Appreciation Day on April 26, 2018. The hedgehog is about 2 months old. This was the first time a hedgehog was part of the Medina FFA animal showcase.

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball congratulated the New York FFA on its significant growth in membership since 2017, helping to further agricultural education and strengthen the State’s future workforce.

The New York FFA is a youth organization that helps middle and high school students become leaders in a variety of career fields, including agriculture. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York State dedicated nearly $5 million over the last three years to support agricultural education programs.

A record $3.6 million was invested in the 2017-18 Budget to support the New York FFA, New York Agriculture in the Classroom, and to expand the number of agriculture teachers. In November, the New York FFA received national recognition for its membership increase in the 2018-19 school year, a 60 percent increase from the previous year and the highest increase in the nation.

“It is such an exciting time for New York FFA, which is experiencing substantial growth and leading the nation in program expansion,” said Commissioner Ball. “I want to congratulate New York’s FFA members and thank its leadership for their passion and dedication to building the future of agriculture, and our Governor and Legislature for continuing to support this important program at record levels. FFA is a powerful program that helps our young people learn more about the industry and obtain the skills they need to succeed in meaningful careers in agriculture and related fields. The program is clearly a model for the nation, shining a spotlight on the many strengths of New York agriculture.”

The New York FFA currently has 7,084 members across the state, up from 4,300 in 2017. As part of the growth in young people joining the FFA, the number of new FFA chapters is also on the rise across the state. This year, the New York FFA celebrated the addition of 13 new chapters in high schools across the state, for a total of 41 new chapters added since 2017. The New York FFA is on track to meet its goal of developing 100 new chapters statewide.

FFA Educational Center Under Construction

The 2017 State Budget also included $2 million to build a state-of-the-art test kitchen and food science lab at the New York FFA Leadership Training Foundation’s Oswegatchie Educational Center in Croghan, NY.

The facility, which is currently under construction and expected to open this summer, will offer instruction in food safety, basic food preparation skills, and agricultural-related careers in food processing. It will also provide space for producers to test new processed food products. Training will be available to FFA members, agricultural educators, farm owners, beginning farmers, and other members of the public.

By educating current and future New York farmers about emerging trends in food safety, the test kitchen will serve as a valuable resource to increase participation in the New York State Grown & Certified program. In order to participate in the program, farmers must be located in New York and have food safety and environmental stewardship plans in place on their farms. More information about New York State Grown & Certified is available here.

“The 19-20 NY FFA State Officer Team set a goal at the beginning of this year to increase our membership and the number of chapters throughout the state to give students the opportunity and experiences that agricultural education and FFA can offer,” said NY FFA State President Peyton Fontaine. “We were very excited to be a part of this extraordinary achievement for New York FFA. We are working to sustain this growth by continuing to provide the resources and education to individuals that may not know about these programs. Although we have made significant progress, we still have room to grow and more students to reach!”

Provided photo: Security and Law Enforcement teacher Steve Browning, Special Agent Darin Schultz, Shaunah Naus and Security and Law Enforcement teacher Dudley Gilbert are pictured at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

Press Release from Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Special Agent Darin Schultz from the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) talked to Security and Law Enforcement and Computer Technology students at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center about careers in the FBI. The FBI is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency.

The agency has four career paths in STEM, Forensic Accounting, Foreign Language and Surveillance. Security and Law Enforcement student Shaunah Naus, a senior, says meeting Agent Schultz solidified her choice of career after graduation.

“Being in the FBI has always sparked my interest and he shared with us a lot of great information,” Naus said. “This is what I plan on doing with what I am learning here at BOCES.”

ALBION – An Albion man was arraigned in Orleans County Court on Thursday on a 24-count indictment that includes multiple counts of rape and criminal sex acts.

Jarred Hodgins, 32, allegedly had sex with a girl under the age of consent. He was arraigned on two counts of second-degree rape, 10 counts of third-degree rape, two counts of criminal sex act in the second degree, and 10 counts of criminal sex act in the third degree. He also has been charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

Judge Sanford Church set bail at $20,000, which Hodgins has already posted from a lower town court.

Other people arraigned in court on Thursday include:

• Tashira Allee, 36, of Medina for criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree for allegedly having two ATVs, three trailers, a golf cart and a dirt bike that weren’t hers. Her husband, Anthony Allee, is a co-defendant in the case.

Mr. Allee also is facing federal charges. He has been charged with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, marijuana, hydrocodone, and cocaine, unlawful possession of a machine gun, and unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life.

• Dakota Baker, 24, of Albion who was arraigned for criminal mischief for allegedly causing about $7,000 in damage to an apartment on West State Street.

• Arthur Draper, 48, of Lyndonville who was arraigned for grand larceny in the third degree for allegedly collecting more than $8,000 in unemployment benefits he wasn’t entitled to through the state Department of Labor.

• Jacob Twardowski, 19, of Albion who was arraigned for criminal possession of marijuana in the second degree for allegedly having 19 ounces of marijuana.

• Jason Pullen, 35, of Rochester who was arraigned for grand larceny in the fourth degree for allegedly stealing a trailer.

Press Release, Albion Police Department

ALBION – The Albion Police Department today received a complaint from a citizen outside of the village, reporting that she received a phone call from an unknown phone number. The individual making the phone call claimed to be attempting to obtain payment and personal information from the citizen and the information was not given.

At that time, the citizen attempted to use an extension to speak with a separate representative and be removed from the call list but she was taken to an automated message that is believed to be the same message created by the Albion Police Department call receiving system.

The citizen was then forwarded to the same individual she originally spoke with, who then became extremely aggressive and began calling her names and the phone call was ended.

The Albion Police Department wishes that Village of Albion residents, as well as residents in the surrounding areas, contact APD at (585) 589-5627 if they receive a similar phone call. Residents should be vigilant when receiving any type of phone call where the caller is attempting to obtain any type of personal information, and not release any personal information in cases where the phone call seems suspicious in nature and to contact your local police agency.

Provided photo: State Sen. Rob Ortt was joined by North Tonawanda City Clerk/Treasurer Matt Parish, North Tonawanda Mayor Art Pappas, county clerks from Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, and Allegany counties, and staff from the North Tonawanda DMV to raise concerns regarding New York’s impending Green Light legislation.

Press Release, State Sen. Rob Ortt

NORTH TONAWANDA – Today, Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I,Ref-North Tonawanda) was joined by Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski in calling attention to the impending implementation of New York’s “Green Light” law, which will grant driver’s licenses to illegal aliens residing within the state.

The legislation is set to go into effect Monday, Dec. 16.

“This legislation will be implemented while questions of legality, public safety, and cost remain,” Ortt said. “This is just another unfunded mandate pushed upon localities in New York. With an estimated 882,000 individuals over the age of 16 living in New York without legal status the cost of processing hundreds of thousands of new license applications will be a massive amount of money that local governments will now be responsible for covering. Polls show that this legislation is massively unpopular with law enforcement, county clerks, and residents, with 61 percent of New Yorkers opposing it. There is no reason that Democrats should have passed this bill other than to appease political interest groups.”

Earlier this week, officials at the New York State DMV issued an alert reminding individuals that social security numbers are not required to obtain a green light license and outlined what documents for this license would be acceptable including items such as a foreign driver’s license or foreign birth certificate.

“The law and the pending litigation surrounding it puts us as county clerks in the difficult position between obeying this law or following national immigration policy,” added Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski.

On Thursday, Niagara County’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new state law was heard by the New York State Supreme Court in Niagara Falls.

LYNDONVILLE – Bruce Schmidt, the Lyndonville Lions Club president, announces the club’s annual “Spirit of Christmas” awards.

“Lyndonville has some of the best Christmas-decorated homes around during this wonderful time of year,” he said.

The Lions are happy to recognize the community efforts to add beauty to the town. Schmidt said judges will be out checking for the best decorations on Dec. 18. All lights should be on by 5 p.m.

MEDINA – For 22 years, customers at Mark’s Pizzeria in Medina could stop by 549 Main St. for pizza – on the go.

The business last week now has a dining room, and owner Brian Christiaansen also has added a bar, the first Mark’s franchise with beer and wine.

Christiaansen had major renovations done on the side of the building for the bar and dining area. He wanted to create a sports bar atmosphere. He has five large flat-screen televisions on the walls, and will be adding historic images of Medina in the dining area.

The Mark’s Pizzeria will soon have improvements to the façade with gooseneck lighting and a sign for the dining area.

“I always wanted a bar and I love the pizza business,” he said. “This is the best of both worlds.”

Brian Christiaansen pours a drink at the bar, the first in the Mark’s franchise to serve beer and wine. Christiaansen had the space gutted and totally redone, and added five flat-screen TVs on the wall.

Christiaansen, 48, has owned the Medina location for 22 years. He also owns Mark’s in Albion and Newfane.

He said he is a very social person who welcomes the chance to get to know his customers better with the bar and dining room.

He purchased the building about 1 ½ years ago from Lance Mark. Before tackling the dining room and bar, Christiaansen had the kitchen for the pizzeria totally redone. It was closed for two months from April to June so new ovens and kitchen equipment could be put in, as well as heating and air conditioning. It was redone from the floor joists to the rafters.

Now it’s a steady 70 degrees in the kitchen, regardless if it’s a hot summer day or frigid winter evening.

“The crew is very happy,” Christiaansen said about his 25 employees.

Chris Marquart serves two slices of pizza at Mark’s, which put in new kitchen equipment and ovens in a major remodeling for the pizzeria, when it was closed for renovations from April to June. Marquart is co-owner of the Mark’s in Newfane with Christiaansen. Marquart and his father Dave did the remodeling work for the dining area for Mark’s in Medina.

Christiaansen lives in Medina. He and his wife Lisa are heavily involved in the community, including with their children’s youth sports teams.

He sensed the dining option would be a nice addition to the Medina downtown.

“People are looking for a nice place for a quick bite to eat,” he said. “People can come in and sit down for a slice and a soda.”

Christiaansen said he enjoys the fast pace of the pizza business, and the energy of his employees, many who are teen-agers and young adults.

“I enjoy working with the younger people,” he said. “They keep me young.”

Mark’s is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Press Release, Julie Berry Books

Julie Berry’s book, Lovely War, has been critically acclaimed.

Author Julie Berry, a 1991 Medina graduate, has topped several best of the year lists for 2019 with her young adult/adult crossover novel, Lovely War.

The novel, a dual love story set during World War I, as told by Greek gods from the vantage point of World War II, was named a New York Public Library Best Fantasy for Adults, a Kirkus Best YA Romance of 2019, a Horn Book Fanfare Title for 2019, a BookPage Best Young Adult Book of 2019 (ranking third out of ten books), a Shelf Awareness 2019 Best Children’s & Teen Book of the Year, a 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinalist, and a Texas Library Association TAYSHAS Top Ten Book.

The novel, released from Viking Books for Young Readers, also won the 2019 Young Adult Prize given by the Southern California Independent Booksellers’ Association.

Berry visited her hometown on Oct. 30 for a book-signing and discussion at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.

At the time of its March 2019 release, Lovely War received glowing reviews from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Cosmopolitan. The New York Times Book Review called Lovely War a “virtuoso” achievement, saying it “reads like a divine mix of Kate Atkinson and Neil Gaiman.”

The Washington Post called it “the novel you’ll want to steal from your teen’s nightstand.” BookPage praised “Julie Berry’s superb research and attention to detail” as “perfectly suited to the layers of this moving, unflinching and, yes, romantic story of love in wartime.”

Barnes and Noble called it “a story of love, healing, and meddling gods you won’t want to miss.” Lovely War also received seven starred reviews from industry journals including Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Booklist, The Horn Book, and Shelf Awareness.

Photo by Travis Tanner of Julie Berry

Berry is also the author of the award-winning young adult title, The Passion of Dolssa. The critically acclaimed novel won a 2017 Michael L. Printz Honor award from the American Library Association, was a finalist for the L.A. Times Book prize, a New York Times Notable title, and was on Best of the Year lists with Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and others.

Berry is also the author of All the Truth That’s In Me and The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, both award-winning titles for young people.  This year, she released her first picture books including Long Ago, on a Silent Night, illustrated by Annie Won and published by Scholastic, and Happy Right Now, illustrated by #1 New York Times Bestselling illustrator Holly Hatam, and published by Sounds True.

Julie Berry grew up in Medina and spent most of her adult life in the Boston area before moving to Pasadena, California with her family.

She holds a BS from Rensselaer in communication and an MFA from Vermont College of the Fine Arts in writing for children and young adults. For more information, visit www.julieberrybooks.com.

Press Release, State Sen. Robert Ortt

Today, New York State Senator Rob Ortt, combat veteran, and candidate for New York’s 27th Congressional District, announced that he has received an “A” rating from the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association.

Rob Ortt

NYSRPA is tasked with advocating for and defending the Second Amendment rights of New York’s residents. Each year, they grade legislators on their defense of the constitution’s Second Amendment. Ortt is the only candidate running in the 27th Congressional District to receive this recognition.

“As a proud gun owner, advocate, and defender of our right to keep and bear arms, I am honored to receive this recognition,” said Ortt. “Second Amendment supporters throughout the 27th Congressional District can be certain that I will continue to defend their constitutional freedoms in Washington.”

While serving in the Senate, Ortt has been a fierce advocate for Second Amendment rights and is the sponsor of numerous repeal bills of the NY SAFE Act. He has also continually ranked near the top of the list as the most pro-gun representatives in the New York State Legislature.

Tom King, President of NYSRPA, pointed to Ortt’s military service and his record of fighting for the Second Amendment.

“Rob has the support of gun owners because he’s always had their backs,” King said. “As a combat veteran, he’s fought for our freedoms overseas and with his votes and leadership in Albany, he’s proven to be a fierce defender of gun owners. That’s why we need someone like him in our nation’s capital – protecting our Second Amendment and standing by our President’s side.”

The “A” rating from NYSRPA follows last week’s announcement of his “100 percent” score from the New York State Conservative Party’s 2019 Legislative Scorecard. For the third time in his five years as a State Legislator, Ortt received a perfect “100 percent” from the state’s Conservative Party.

“Everybody says they are a supporter of the Second Amendment, but I have the record to prove it,” said Ortt.

Photos by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – The state Department of Transportation met with local residents and Ridgeway town officials during a meeting from 3 to 5 p.m. today at the Ridgeway Town Hall.

The bridge over Oak Orchard Creek on Route 104 in Ridgeway is shown in this photo from October.

The DOT in 2021 is planning to replace a bridge on Route 104. The $2.65 million project is 80 percent funded by the federal government with the state paying the other 20 percent.

The new bridge will replace one from 1954, which is 65 years old. The new bridge is a single span multi-girder bridge featuring two 12-foot-wide travel lanes and two 6-foot-wide shoulders. New approaches will also be constructed as part of the project. The new bridge is expected to last at least 75 years.

Culvert Road, just to the east of the bridge, and Oak Orchard River Road at the west, will remain open to traffic. However, larger trucks will need to use a detour on Route 63, Route 31 and Route 98.

Construction is expected to start in spring 2021 and take about six months with the project being complete by Labor Day that year, DOT officials said.

The DOT has a public comment period open until Jan. 9, 2020. Comments should be sent to Joel Shepard, project design engineer, at joel.shepard@dot.ny.gov.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced further action to address the growing threat of e-cigarette use, with measures to combat the increasing number of vaping-related illnesses. As part of these efforts, the Department of Financial Services today issued guidance advising New York insurers that they must cover the costs associated with most vaping cessation – without co-pays, coinsurance, and deductibles – using the same treatments recommended for smoking cessation.

“E-cigarette use has exploded in recent years and many of the people who want to quit are now having trouble because vaping is more addicting than they previously thought,” Governor Cuomo said. “New Yorkers trying to stop vaping need access to treatment, and this action will require insurance companies to provide the same coverage they would for smoking cessation to anyone seeking to stop using e-cigarettes.”

As of Dec. 3, there were 2,291 cases of e-cigarette-associated lung injury reported to the Centers for Disease Control from 50 states, and 48 deaths have been confirmed in 25 states, including here in New York, where a second death due to a vaping-associated illness was reported on Nov. 20.

To combat this growing problem, Governor Cuomo has taken several actions, including banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in New York, warning New Yorkers against e-cigarette use, and directing the New York State Department of Health to investigate companies that produce vaping substances and require smoke and vape shops to post warnings advising New Yorkers of the health risks – all while the federal government stalls on banning e-cigarettes.

According to the circular letter issued today, because e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and people who vape may become addicted to nicotine, insurers should provide coverage for vaping cessation treatment using methods recommended for smoking cessation, including screening, behavioral interventions and FDA-approved pharmacotherapy for adults and behavioral interventions for school-aged children and adolescents, as appropriate.

“Insurers must adapt to address emerging issues in public health and that includes vaping, which is growing in use including among teenagers causing illnesses and even deaths,” said Financial Services Superintendent Linda A. Lacewell. “Insurers must cover vaping cessation in the same way they cover services for smoking cessation, and do so without cost-sharing.”

Provided photo: Senior Investigator Thomas Gibbons of the State Police spoke during Lyndonville High School health classes this week to discuss sexual assaults on college campuses.

Press Release, Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – High school students at Lyndonville met with Senior Investigator Thomas Gibbons of the State Police this week during their health classes to discuss sexual assaults on college campuses.

This discussion is part of the NYS Police Campus Sexual Assault Victims Unit’s prevention education program. Their mission is to reduce the incidents and facilitate the reporting of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking at colleges and universities.

Investigator Gibbons explained the problem of sexual assaults on campuses to the students. He provided prevention and bystander strategies and emphasized the importance of reporting sexual assault crimes to law enforcement. The investigator stressed that everyone has a role to play in keeping friends, peers and family safe.

“Educating the students about these topics will allow them to make responsible decisions now and later in life,” said Shane Phillips, health teacher at Lyndonville. “Collectively the students agreed that learning more about healthy relationships and how to identify common signs of an unhealthy relationship was very helpful.”

The second part of the presentation will take place near the end of the school year and will continue its focus on identifying positive and negative relationships.

ALBION – A Medina man was sentenced to five years in state prison today by Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church.

Erik Warren, 30, of Ridge Road was given the maximum sentence as part of a plea agreement for reckless endangerment of a child.

Warren allegedly shook a month-old baby and dropped the baby on the floor in February, causing brain damage. The child suffered a traumatic brain injury with vision and hearing impairments, Judge Church said. The boy is in foster care and continues to receive medical treatment.

Warren apologized for his actions.

“I realize I have failed as a father, as a man and most importantly as a human being,” Warren said at sentencing. “I’m hoping for a second chance to be a wonderful father.”

Warren has taken anger management classes and maintains a full-time job.

“He is trying to improve himself and his financial situation,” said Joanne Best, the public defender.

She said the baby has made progress, by gaining weight and responding to visual stimulation.

Judge Church said the child suffered a very serious brain injury and remains in “a life-threatening situation.”

The judge said he was also puzzled why Warren went on national television show with The Steve Wilkos Show and denied he hurt the child.

The judge’s sentence also includes three years of post-release supervision. Church also issued an order of protection for eight years for the child when Warren is released from prison.

As part of the plea deal, Warren won’t face more serious charges if the child ultimately doesn’t survive the injuries.

ALBION – A corrections officer at the Albion Correctional Facility pleaded guilty today to a criminal sex act with an inmate and faces a maximum to six months in jail and five years of probation.

David F. Stupnick, 26, of Medina allegedly had inappropriate sexual relations with two female inmates at the Albion Correctional Facility. He admitted to receiving oral sex from an inmate and pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sex act in the third degree.

He was arrested on May 17 by State Police and was charged with four counts of sex abuse in the 2nd degree, two counts each of criminal sex act in the 3rd degree and official misconduct.

Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church issued orders of protection for two victims in the case.

Stupnick will be sentenced in County Court on Feb. 20.