Information from New York National Guard

A National Guard soldier from Albion has been promoted, Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general for the state of New York, announced.

Daelonte Ortiz from Albion and assigned to the Company D, 427th Brigade Support Battalion, received a promotion Aug. 26 to the rank of specialist and will take on additional responsibility and leadership.

Army National Guard promotions are based on a soldier’s overall performance, demonstrated leadership abilities, professionalism and future development potential.

These promotions recognize the best-qualified soldiers for a career in the New York Army National Guard.

Army National Guard Citizen Soldiers who serve our state and nation are eligible for monthly pay, educational benefits (from the state and federal government), travel across the globe, technical and leadership training, health and dental insurance and contributions towards retirement programs similar to a 401(k).

Provided photo: From left include Ryan Hasenauer, director of marketing for Batavia Downs; Bob Stilwell; Jennifer Stilwell, president of Make a Difference Rescue; and Henry Wojtaszek, president and CEO of Batavia Downs.

Press Release, Batavia Downs Gaming

BATAVIA – Batavia Downs Gaming President and CEO Henry Wojtaszek presented representatives from the Make a Difference (M.A.D) Rescue with a check for $4,200 to help support their efforts rescuing abandoned street dogs of Puerto Rico.

Unclaimed Funds, along side donations and the sale of bottle openers helped raise the money.

“We are appreciative to Cindy DeCarlo and the whole team at Batavia Downs,” said Jennifer Stilwell, President of M.A.D. which is based in Albion. “These funds are so important for us to continue our work of rescuing and rehabilitating the street dogs of Puerto Rico. With these funds we can continue to find them their forever homes here in Western New York and beyond.”

“There are lots of animal lovers, both here amongst our staff and our guests, “said Henry Wojtaszek, President and CEO of Batavia Downs.  “As a dog owner myself, I know the joy a dog can bring to a family.  We are happy to help Jennifer and her team in their efforts to make life better for these dogs as they find new owners.”

About Batavia Downs/WROTB

Western Region Off-Track Betting Corporation is a public benefit corporation with headquarters in Batavia, NY. WROTB owns and operates 9 branches, as well as Batavia Downs Gaming, a standard bred racetrack and gaming facility. Since its inception, Western Region OTB has generated over $232 million in operating and surcharge revenues to the taxpayers of participating municipalities.

About Make a Difference (M.A.D) Rescue

M.A.D Rescue is a Western New York based non-profit that is passionate about the recovery, rehabilitation and adoption of the homeless, abused and abandoned street dogs of Puerto Rico.

St. Rocco’s Festival grounds will remain with ONE Catholic

Photos by Tom Rivers: St. Stephen’s Catholic Church will be closed and sold as part of plan by the Diocese of Buffalo to restructure parishes.

Diocese of Buffalo leaders this morning will announce the final decisions on which parishes and other properties will be closed and sold.

Bishop Michael Fisher is expected to announce the recommendations from June will be final for Orleans and eastern Niagara, which includes closing and selling St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Kendall and St. Stephen’s in Middleport.

The church in Lyndonville was badly damaged in a fire last year, with the church building then razed. The Diocese will sell the former rectory and property in Lyndonville, according to an announcement posted last evening from Father Mark Noonan, pastor of ONE Catholic which includes Orleans and eastern Niagara churches.

“These decisions have been difficult to countenance and consider over the last few months since we received the Recommendations from the Road to Renewal Team,” Father Noonan posted in a message to the community. “It is painful to lose things that we have known, loved and treasured. Our Churches are sacred places that have been blessed by God through the Church in order to enable us to be with the Lord in the celebration of the Sacraments. It is sorrowful to let go of them. And in the same moment, we know and trust that God, who is ever faithful, will guide us in his pathways and always be with us in the Holy Eucharist.”

Bocce is played on Sept. 1 during the St. Rocco’s Italian Festival in Hulberton. The event draws a crowd of several hundred people for food, bocce, and other activities, in an popular fundraiser for the Catholic parish. The Diocese backed off an early recommendation to sell the grounds.

The Diocese switched one of its recommendations for ONE Catholic. The Diocese was planning to sell the St. Rocco’s festival grounds in Hulberton. But the final plan calls for ONE Catholic to keep it. That will be a relief to the Holley community, which celebrated the 49^th St. Rocco’s Italian Festival on Sept. 1.

The other church in ONE Catholic, St. Patrick’s in Barker, will move out of ONE Catholic and into a family of parishes in central Niagara.

Father Noonan said the transitions will take place at various times between Oct. 1 and June 8, 2025. The specific dates have not been set, he said.

“Now having received these decisions, we will move forward with God’s help and grace,” Father Noonan said. “I will continue to provide information on this process in the weeks ahead. As the ONE Catholic Community, we will deepen our mission of faith, charity, evangelization, and stewardship in this portion of the Vineyard of the Lord.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Sandra Shaw is shown inside the children’s library at Community Free Library on Saturday. This week is Shaw’s last week working at the library. She is retiring.

A retirement celebration is tentatively planned for Oct. 17.

Shaw has worked as the library director the past 19 years, and was a clerk for seven years before that.

She led the library is acquiring a former video store next door where the library expanded in 2008 and dedicated that space for children’s programs and materials.

“Having a place for children to come in and play is wonderful,” Shaw said.

She also has led the library in adding two large murals on the back side of the brick building. Tony Barry completed a mural about the community’s canal heritage last year, while Arthur Barnes painted a mural of Holley’s agricultural ties this summer. Shaw secured funding from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council for those projects.

Shaw said she is “happy and sad” as she nears the end of her career in the library.

“We have embraced children and history,” she said.

Sandra Shaw is shown in June 2022 getting ready for a book sale at the library, which also hosted an art show.

Tersha Choy, the library board president, said Shaw has been a great advocate for the library, meeting frequently with many community leaders to promote programs at the site. She secured grants from the state to replace the roof, air-conditioning and furnances.

She wanted the library accessible and comfortable for community members. During the Covid-19 pandemic when the library was closed to the public, Shaw and the library staff took requests from residents for books, and then had the books ready in the lobby for pickup.

“She has been the heartbeat of the library for more than 20 years,” Choy said. “She has kept the library alive through all sorts of challenges – through Covid and the ups and downs of the economy.”

The board has hired Amanda Anderson, a former clerk at the library, to succeed Shaw as the next director.

Barb Kerns, a long-time board member for the library, said Shaw pushed for the library to connect with the community, running a vibrant summer reading program, an active community Christmas party, and a wine-tasting event to raise money for the children’s program.

On Veterans Day, Shaw has welcomed about 100 people each year who wrote Christmas cards to veterans. That typically totaled about 500 cards.

“The big thing with her has been having the library serve the community,” Kerns said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The old Holley High School was given a $17 million makeover after being dormant for more than two decades. The building is now home to apartments and the Village of Holley offices.

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Society and Museum has announced the recipients of their 2024 Historic Preservation Awards.

The event will take place Oct. 25 at White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville, and feature Albion native and daily host on WXXI-FM Brenda Tremblay as emcee.

Keynote speaker will be Wayne Goodman, director of the Landmark Society of Western New York.

Brenda Tremblay and Wayne Goodman will be speakers at an Oct. 25 awards presentation.

“We are pleased to announce that this year’s keynote address will be presented by Wayne Goodman,” Farley said. “Goodman is executive director of the Landmark Society of WNY, one of the nation’s oldest and most active historic preservation organizations. It is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to helping our region’s communities preserve and capitalize on their rich architectural, historical and cultural heritage.”

The Landmark Society’s service area covers nine counties in Western New York, centered on the city of Rochester.

In addition to her hosting duties on WXXI-FM, Tremblay produces and hosts the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s radio concerts on Monday nights and collaborates with WXXI news to cover the arts across all media services. Outside the broadcast studio, singing is her passion and she has performed with choirs in Carnegie Hall, Westminster Abbey and in the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. Currently she serves as music director at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Brockport.

Farley said again this year they have received award nominations which represent a tremendous assortment of historic structures in many architectural styles and building materials.

“The nominees are integral to building stronger neighborhoods, boosting local economies and saving the places that are special to all of us,” Farley said. “The Historic Preservation Awards celebrate those who work so hard to protect that shared heritage.”

Farley continued to say each of the building owners is to be commended for making a conscious decision to preserve and maintain their historic structures with prudent and wise choices of design and materials that complement the historic character and quality of their buildings.

This year’s award winners are Gaines Basin Schoolhouse, owned by the Orleans County Historical Association; the Butterfield cobblestone home owned by Erin Anheier and Russ Bosch of Clarendon; Murray-Holley Historical Society/railroad depot owned by the village of Holley; Holley Gardens, owned by Home Leasing; the William V.N Barlow house in Albion, owned by Gar and Virginia Trusselle; and the Isaac Bennett house in Medina, owned by Delbert Young.

Photos courtesy of Cobblestone Museum: The Orleans County Historical Association led the effort to save the Gaines Basin schoolhouse.

The Gaines-Basin District #2 schoolhouse building was donated to the Orleans County Historical Association by the Panek family, who own the land surrounding the schoolhouse. Restoration by the Historical Association required much exterior repair work. Visitors will be able to step inside and see the restored interior.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2017, this is the earliest documented cobblestone building in Orleans County. It operated continuously from construction in 1832 until 1944, when students were then sent to school in Albion. Since that time it mostly sat vacant and/or been used for agricultural storage.

A small log cabin in back of the schoolhouse was built in 1930 by Boy Scouts in Albion. It was originally located on Linwood Avenue. In 2020, in was given to the Orleans County Historical Association by Pat and Ralph Morehouse and moved to its present site. Restoration and further preservation of this unique folk landmark is still ongoing. This property was nominated by the award by Cobblestone Museum director Doug Farley.

This cobblestone home on Bennetts Corners Road was built in 1849.

Matt Holland, Cobblestone Museum president, nominated the Butterfield cobblestone house at 4690 Bennetts Corners Rd., Holley.

This Greek Revival house was built in 1849 of lake washed cobblestone for Orson Butterfield. The date is proudly proclaimed, incised in a datestone set in the front gable of the main part of the house. The form of the house is that of the standard 19th century New York state farmhouse – two-story main portion, one and one-half story wing at one side and a rear one and one-half story wing. An unusual feature on the front is the use of a small limestone block, about the size of a brick, at the top of the window openings to serve as a seat for the limestone lintels.

A porch with square wood columns extends across the front of the side wing. The porch has retained its original floor of stone slabs. Protected from the weather by the porch roof, the cobblestone front of the wing still has all of its original crispness of detail. In the gable end of the side wing there is an attic window which is importantly trimmed in wood – another unusual feature, which is also repeated in the addition. The Butterfield cobblestone home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gar and Virginia Trusselle own this historic home on South Clinton Street in Albion.

The William V.N. Barlow house at 223 South Clinton Street in Albion is a brick building erected in 1879 in an eclectic mix of contemporary architectural styles, including Second Empire, Italianate and East Lake. It’s interior features high intricate Eastlake-style woodwork. It was the home of a prominent local architect who designed many major buildings in Alboin. A two-story brick structure on a Medina sandstone foundation, it and an accompanying barn were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Features include a projecting bay window on the west façade, topped with a mansard roof pierced by gabled dormer windows and porches on the north and south sides. This home was nominated by Bill Lattin, Cobblestone Society trustee and former Orleans County historian.

This Medina sandstone house on State Street is the oldest sandstone home in Medina.

The Isaac Bennett House at 203 State St. in Medina is owned by Delbert Young, and is the oldest Medina sandstone house in Medina. In was built for Isaac Bennett in the late 1820s to the early 1830s. Bennett procured the stone for building purposes on the east side of Oak Orchard Creek.

The front of this house faces south, rather than State Street, the reason being when the house was built there was a street which ran along that side of the house toward a canal bridge which is no longer there.

Delbert Young purchased the property from Rick and Marilyn Drilling. When Bill Lattin nominated this house for an award, he said, “This is one of Medina’s outstanding homes, both in its appearance and architectural integrity. It is nicely restored and well-kept.”

Photo courtesy of Dan Mawn: Holley second-graders are shown in May 2022 outside the 1907 New York Central Depot. It closed in 1954 and now is the Murray-Holley Historical Society Museum. It exhibits local artifacts of the Erie Canal and railway eras, and houses an interpretive center for genealogical research.

The Murray-Holley Historical Society, located in the railroad depot on Geddes Street Extension  in Holley was constructed in 1907 and moved in 1988 to the current site by the Murray-Holley Historical Society. It was dedicated as a museum for all citizens of the area. The depot museum exhibits local artifacts of the Erie Canal and railway eras. It also houses the interpretive center for genealogical research. The property was nominated by Raymond Santoro of Holley.

The old Holley High School/Holley Gardens  is owned by Home Leasing. It represents adaptive reuse and historic preservation of the former Holley High School. Overall, the project received $17 million worth of renovations. The building was last used as a school in 1975. After two years of construction, Home Leasing has the building fully occupied with 41 apartments for seniors and the Holley village offices.

Originally constructed in 1931, the three-story Neo-Classical brick building served as a high school until the mid-1970s. It sat unused during the decades it was closed. The school’s original auditorium was kept largely intact to be used as a public meeting space for the village’s board meetings and other public forums.

The area beneath the balcony was renovated to house the village’s administrative offices. Seven of the apartments are available for households where at least one member is a person with a physical disability who will have access to supportive services provided by Independent Living of Genesee Region. Developer Home Leasing is a partner with Edgemere Development. The property was nominated by Holley Mayor Mark Bower and Erin Anheier, a former Cobblestone Museum president.

In addition to the awards, the evening will also feature a buffet will all the trimmings and a cash bar. Donations to offset the cost of the meal and to further the Cobblestone Society’s preservation agenda will be accepted with dinner reservation. Reservations can be made by calling the museum at (585) 589-9013.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a tornado warning until 9 p.m. for southwestern Genesee and north central Wyoming counties.

The warning was issued at 8:33 p.m. and people are urged to take cover.

The Weather Service said a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Pembroke and was moving southeast at 15 mph.

“Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter,” the Weather Service said. “Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.”

Locations impacted include Batavia, Darien Lakes State Park, Pembroke, Attica, Oakfield, Stafford, Corfu, Alexander, East Bethany and Dale.

Photos by Tom Rivers: A fire last night destroyed this home at 1850 Sawyer Road in Carlton.

CARLTON – One person was killed in a fire last night in Carlton, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke said.

Firefighters were dispatched to 1850 Sawyer Rd. at about 3:40 a.m. Firefighters from Carlton, Kendall and Albion arrived to a fully involved fire at a house trailer, which the blaze spread to two sheds and two vehicles.

A deceased person was found inside the trailer, Bourke said. The body was transported to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities are trying to get a positive identification and then work to notify next of kin.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies, investigators and Chief Deputy Jeff Gifaldi are working to determine the cause of the fire with line officers from Carlton Volunteer Fire Company, Orleans County Emergency Management Office fire investigators, and the state fire investigators and K9 unit.

Anyone with information on the fire is asked to call Orleans County investigators at (585) 589-5527.

Officials are trying to determine the cause of the fire.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Community Action staff check the progress of a mural being created by artist David Burke of Bergen on the south wall of Community Action’s Main Street Gifts, Thrift and More store. From left are Debbie Schiavone, payroll administrator; David Burke; Renee Hungerford, director of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee; and Cassie Healy, head of the thrift store located on the corner of Main and Chamberlain streets in Albion.

ALBION –  Having a mural painted on Community Action’s Main Street Gifts, Thrift and More Store is a dream come true for director Renee Hungerford.

“I have wanted to have a mural painted since the first day I came here,” Hungerford said recently, as she viewed the progress with artist David Burke of Bergen; Debbie Schiavone, payroll administrator at Community Action; and Cassie Healy, who runs the store.

The program was made possible with a grant from the Statewide Community Regrant Program which is administered locally by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

Hungerford learned about the possibility of a grant through Schiavone, payroll administrator at Community Action, who met GO Art!’s director Gregory Hallock at Leadership Orleans. Hallock mentioned some local arts projects and programs, including murals.

Schiavone worked with GO Art! to apply for the grant, and as soon as it was approved, Burke, an acrylic painter who specializes in murals, was contracted to do the project.

“It is meant to show inclusivity,” Hungerford said. “We want to show our community focus and that everybody is welcome.”

Burke has been painting on and off for most of his life, but since he turned 60 nearly a decade ago, he has been painting like crazy, he said. He said murals are fun to paint. His first one was on the library in Bergen and he’s done several in Genesee County since then.

When he was interviewed last week, he was waiting for the humid weather to go away so he could start applying color. He said he still had to add the Community Action logo, some cornstalks and woods.

This mural being painted on the south wall of the Community Action store on South Main Street will showcase all the ways Community Action is involved in the community.

Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments

Back to school should mean new opportunities, not new addictions. As students return to the classroom this fall, educators and parents are not only preparing for a new academic year, but also the rising public health concern of vaping.

E-cigarettes can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and in a school setting, these devices may blend in with other school supplies, as they may look like pens, USB drives, and even phone cases. This makes identifying these devices and protecting youth that much more difficult.

Studies show that vaping has become a rising concern in middle school aged children, as 3 percent of seventh graders in both Genesee and Orleans Counties reported vaping with nicotine.

“These years of a child’s life are very sensitive because their brains are still developing,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “As the rate of vaping rises among teens, we must equip families and kids with information and tools to stay healthy.”

There are several reasons why youth vape:

• Tobacco advertisers use vibrant colors and fun marketing strategies to increase youth participation in vaping. These ads are shown on social media, television, and streaming services, and promote vaping as a cheaper alternative to other tobacco products.
• Peer pressure and social influences during middle and high school are a main contributor to students trying an e-cigarette for the first time. Students report that they may be curious to try vaping from seeing a friend or family member use them.
• Availability of flavored e-cigarette products including youth-friendly flavors such as candy, fruit, mint, and menthol are the most widely used types of e-cigarettes among youth. According to the CLYDE Survey conducted by UConnectCare (formally GCASA), about 20% of 11th graders in Genesee and Orleans Counties reported using E-cigarettes or vapes that contain nicotine in 2022.
• Nicotine is in most e-cigarettes and is highly addictive. Those who use vapes containing nicotine may experience cravings and urges to smoke, difficulty sleeping, and the feeling of anxiety and sadness, which may make them believe they need nicotine to relieve these feelings. These behaviors, among others, are a part of nicotine addiction.

The good news is that studies show that most middle and high school students who vape want to quit. Becoming more aware of the risks of vaping will allow for educated conversations with youth and help ensure that all youth can live healthy, tobacco-free lives.

Here are a few ways you can protect your youth and promote rejection of vaping during back to school season.

• Educate yourself on the subject, and become a credible source of information. Visit CDC.gov/Vaping for important information on youth vaping.
• Create a safe space for discussion and start the conversation on vaping. Remember to be patient, listen, and avoid criticism. Keep the conversation open and be willing to be flexible.
• Answer their questions and be prepared. Kids may have questions about vaping, visit CDC.gov/tobacco for ideas on how to give educated and meaningful answers

Get Help Today

If you are interested in quitting, or someone you know needs help quitting, help is available:

• Visit the New York State Smokers’ Quitline for quit-smoking and quit-vaping programs, or call 866-NY-QUITS (866-697-8487), to apply for a free starter kit of nicotine medications and to talk to a quit coach.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about medications and counseling to help you manage cravings. Most health insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover services to help you quit.

For more information about GO Health Programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or contact your local health department at:

• Orleans County: (585) 589-3278
• Genesee County: (585) 344-2580 ext. 5555

Follow GO Health on Facebook, Instagram and X at GOHealthNY.

Secret to longevity: ‘hard work, good life living on a farm and no smoking or drinking’

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Brian Napoli, left, supervisor of the town of Ridgeway, presents citations to Doris Marchner in honor of her 100th birthday from the town of Ridgeway, Assemblyman Steven Hawley and State Senator Rob Ortt. Looking on at right is Marchner’s son Don Marchner of Medina.

MEDINA – Doris Marchner has no doubt what has attributed to her long life.

“It was hard work, good life living on a farm and no smoking or drinking in our house growing up,” said the Medina resident, who celebrated her 100th birthday Saturday at a reception at Abundant Harvest’s Fellowship Hall in Knowlesville.

Doris Marchner of Medina greets her brother Darwin Welker of West Walworth during a celebration of her 100th birthday Sunday at Abundant Harvest’s Fellowship Hall in Knowlesville.

Marchner was born Sept. 6, 1924 in Penfield, the middle child in a family of 11. She and a younger brother, Darwin Welker of West Walworth, are the only two surviving. Welker attended her party on Saturday, along with her son and daughter-in-law, Don and Pat Marchner; two granddaughters; three great-grandsons; one great-granddaughter; two great-great-granddaughters; and several nephews.

Marchner met her husband Donald at a square dance and they were married for 60 years before he died in 2005. They moved to Medina in 1961, where she worked at Fisher Price.

She lives on her own in an apartment in son Donald’s house and cooks most of her own meals. She loves to bake and insisted on making cookies for her party Sunday.

After she turned 90, she told her family, “I think I might hang on to a 100.”

Although her eyesight is failing and she doesn’t hear as well as she used to, she is still active, trying to take a short walk every afternoon.

“I read somewhere you should put in 200 steps a day, and I try to do that,” she said.

Her days are spent watching TV – game shows in the morning and Westerns in the afternoons, her son said. She does enjoy a glass of wine before bedtime every day.

“She was a stern, but reasonable mother,” Don said.

The afternoon included citations presented by Ridgeway supervisor Brian Napoli on behalf of the town of Ridgeway, State Assemblyman Steven Hawley and State Senator Rob Ortt.

Provided photo: Doris Marchner poses for her 100th birthday with, from left, her granddaughters Kristin McAdoo and Laurie Marchner and son Donald Marchner.

This marker in front of City Hall in Medina indicates the location of the stainless-steel container donated by former Mayor John Cobb which contains the time capsule assembled by the Medina Sesquicentennial Committee.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 27

Our recent column about the time capsule placed at the Orleans County Infirmary (now The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center) on August 28, 1960, attracted the attention of the International Time Capsule Society (ITCS) who contacted us regarding the capsule.

Based at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, this free public service has registered and mapped time capsules for over thirty years. Given the passage of time, it is inevitable that some time capsules are lost or forgotten. The goal of the ICTS is to ensure that the unique content contained in these buried capsules can be traced generations from now. A quick search of the site showed that capsules from Barker, Buffalo, Greece and Lockport have been registered.

Naturally, were curious about other Orleans County time capsules. We found several, among them are:

Sportsmen’s Time Capsule, August 1976

President Mike Donahue placed an old-time bottle in the fieldstone fireplace of the newly completed rustic cabin on the Club’s grounds in Medina. Club member, Joe Prescott, filled and sealed the bottle which contained newspaper articles and records concerning the project.

Medina Sesquicentennial Time Capsule, February 1983

This time capsule, which was completed in February 1983, contains a comprehensive array of material documenting Medina’s past, present and future. Material from 1982 sesquicentennial celebrations, a copy of Ceil White’s History of Medina, local calendars, phone books, an Apple Grove menu, an Apple Bank manufactured by Fisher-Price, and the program from Rev. H. Burton Entrekin’s retirement party are among the items included.

Sixth grade students were invited to write about their projections of “Life in Medina in 2032”. Six students’ essays were selected to be included in the time capsule: Meaghan Boice, Aaron Dutcher, Amy Fuller, Richard Kenward, Molly Maak and Jon Scott. Some of their predictions were remarkably prescient:

• Dentists will use invisible braces
• Cars will be operated by verbal commands
• Everything will be computerized
• Solar power will be used for heating and running cars

Other predictions have not yet come to pass:

• The canal will be a parking lot for a huge Main Street mall
• Meals will be capsules, pills or wafers
• The Mayor, Village Board, teachers, doctors and nurses will be robots

This capsule is scheduled to be opened in March 2032, on the occasion of the Bicentennial anniversary of the incorporation of the Village of Medina.

Medina High School, May 1991

On May 6, 1991, Principal Fred Snyder placed a time capsule and cornerstone in the new $10 million Medina High School building. The time capsule contains a photograph of the former High School on Catherine Street and a brick from it, photographs of Supt. Dr. David Gee, and of the 1990-91 Mustang Marching Band, a student calendar, course offerings for 1990-91, graduation requirements, the names of students and staff entering the building and a dictionary of words in common usage in 1991 as well as students messages of peace, hope and prosperity.

Village of Lyndonville Millennial Time Capsule, September 2000

Mayor Mark Scarr spearheaded the creation of a time capsule celebrating both the millennium and the incorporation of the Village of Lyndonville. A twelve-inch PVC pipe sealed on both ends containing local newspapers, photos, community information, local restaurant menus and a letter from Mayor Scarr to the future Mayor was buried in a secret location. It is to be opened in 2053, a file in the Village Office contains the information as to its location.

Celebrating a Century of Conservation, March 2003.

A time capsule containing artifacts from the 20th century as well as messages and art created by local schoolchildren was buried for one hundred years at the Iroquois National Wildlife Heritage Headquarters at Casey Road. Included also is an essay by William Barber, a 3rd grade student at Oak Orchard Elementary School in Medina.

Covid-19, November 2020

Created by Orleans County 4-H members and stored in the Archive Room at the Education Center on the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, this time capsule documents the experience of the pandemic. It contains hand sanitizer, facial masks, documentation on the various stages of the lockdown and is to be opened 15-20 years from now.

Solar Eclipse, April 2024

The Cobblestone Museum prepared a time capsule of memorabilia pertaining to April’s solar eclipse. It is to be opened on the occasion of the next full solar eclipse in Orleans County, one hundred years from now.

Time capsules are leaps of faith into the future. When compiled, the scheduled opening date seems impossibly distant. But times’ relentless march soon makes short work of that 50-year or 100-year scheduled opening date. We encourage you to register your organization’s time capsules with the International Time Capsule Society.

Photos courtesy of Mollie Radzinski: Participants funnel through the finish line at the end of Saturday’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Medina’s State Street Park.

MEDINA – Medina’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday was the first of six to take place in Western New York, according to walk manager Lynn Hughes of Hamburg.

While it doesn’t compare with the 3,500 expected in Buffalo, the 200 on Saturday was a great number for a small village, Hughes said.

The total raised so far is listed at $17,885, according to the online tally by the Alzheimer’s Association of WNY.

The race garners amazing support from the local community and beyond, including 40 volunteers, many of whom return year after year. An example is Carolyn Wagner, Amanda Pollard and especially Mary Lou Tuohey and her family.

Walkers start out from State Street Park  for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Saturday.

Tuohey lost both her parents to Alzheimer’s and supports their fundraisers wholeheartedly, including sponsoring a basket raffle to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association of WNY. In previous years, the raffle has been limited to the store windows of her business, Case-Nic Cookies on Main Street, but this year the Association allowed her to bring the raffle to the walk.

In addition to $1,435 in tickets sold at the store, another $745 was raised at the walk. Also, an annual tradition is selling paper links, which Tuohey’s daughter Nicole sticks together in a chain with a goal to stretch it down Main Street. This year she sold 1,477 at $1 each.

Volunteer Carolyn Wagner said Saturday’s turnout was good.

“We have a great core group of people who support this every year,” she said. “Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease, and most of us have had a connection with people affected by it.”

She said there are new people every year, but also many who return to participate every year – as walkers and volunteers.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Volunteers at the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Medina gather around a table full of flowers, each color designating a different involvement with the disease. From left are Carolyn Wagner, walk manager Lynn Hughes of Hamburg, Amanda Pollard and Cathy Hooker.

Kaitlyn Less, director of Development for Alzheimer’s Association of WNY, said she was excited to kick off the season in Medina.

“This is a wonderful local community, and I’m delighted to see how they come out to fight Alzheimer’s,” she said. “I am also happy to have the raffle here this year.”

She commended Tim Hortons in Medina and Albion for donating coffee, hot chocolate and Timbits, and said the walk covered a great route, which encompassed the canal and extended close to two miles.

The event included a Kids’ Zone, entertainment by DJ Spyder of Albion and Randy Bushover in his 11th year as emcee.

“My maternal grandmother died as the result of Alzheimer’s,” Bushover said.

The walk was hailed as a celebration of all the fundraising and hard work done by participants.

“It is also a celebration of the strides we’ve made in research,” Less said.

Randy Bushover of Medina, emcee for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Medina,  stands with Michael Hooker, 12, and his mother Kim of Akron. They hold white flowers, which they carried in the walk, signifying anticipation of the day there will be a survivor of Alzheimer’s Disease.

One tent housed buckets full of different colored artificial flowers. Walk participants chose a flower which signified how Alzheimer’s has affected them. Orange means they support the cause; yellow is for someone caring for a person with Alzheimer’s; purple is for those who’ve lost someone to the disease; blue is for anyone living with the disease; and white represents a world without Alzheimer’s – it will herald the day a person who suffered from Alzheimer’s survives.

“Usually a kid carries the white flower, because kids are our future,” Less said.

This year, Michael Hooker, 12, of Akron carried a white flower and walked with his mother Kim, a former Medina resident.

“My father-in-law died of Alzheimer’s and we’re here to support the cause,” Kim said.

Walk participants could carry the flowers on the walk and “plant” them afterwards in the Promise Garden near the canal or take them home.