MEDINA – A new Wound Care Center at Medina Memorial Hospital will open on Dec. 4 to offer advanced wound care for people living with chronic, non-healing wounds.
Orleans Community Health has partnered with Healogics, the nation’s leading provider of advanced, chronic wound care services. Healogics is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., and has a nationwide network of nearly 700 Wound Care Centers.
It is estimated that chronic wounds affect 6.7 million people in the U.S. and that number is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy. If left untreated, chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb.
“It is my great pleasure to open this new Wound Care Center,” said Mark Cye, CEO of Orleans Community Health. “This service comes from an identified need in our local community for greater access to care for wounds that are not healing as they should, such as diabetic wounds. Our area has seen a very high incidence of diabetes and is important that patients have access to treatment within this region without having to leave the area for this intensive type of treatment.”
The Orleans Community Health Wound Care Center offers an evidence-based, systematic approach to advanced wound care. A patient’s individualized treatment plan may include specialized wound dressings, debridement, compression therapy, advanced cellular products and topical growth factors, edema management and/or non-invasive vascular assessment. These treatments are the result of a team approach between the Center’s physicians, nurses and the referring physician. A treatment plan is developed and scheduled based on the patient’s needs. Once treatment is complete, the patient will return to their primary physician to continue routine care.
“We are excited to be able to provide quality wound care to the patients in Medina and surrounding areas,” said Lisa Albanese, program director of the new Wound Care Center. “As part of our mission, we are committed to advancing wound healing by creating and sharing our wound care expertise; everywhere we can, for every patient who would benefit, by the best means available.”
Albanese is also the program director of Wound Care at United Memorial Medical Center’s Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine in Batavia. The UMMC Center has earned clinical excellence achievement awards for past three consecutive years.
“This is an opportunity to reach additional patients, and provide them with the same clinical expertise that our patients in the Batavia area have experienced,” she said.
Likely candidates for treatment at the Center are those suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts and flaps, and wounds that haven’t healed within a reasonable time frame. People with wounds that have not improved with traditional methods of treatment may benefit from a visit to Orleans Community Health Wound Care. No referral is needed. The new Wound Care Center is located on the First Floor of Medina Hospital at 200 Ohio St. To make an appointment with a wound care specialist, please call 585-798-8176.
“Wound Care treatment can have a huge impact on patient outcomes,” Cye said. “By actively treating open, non-healing wounds with specialized treatments, we can increase the chances of a wound healing by 95 percent. This can be the difference between a patient needing an amputation, or not. I am proud that we can now offer this highly specialized, much needed care right here in Medina.”
Photo courtesy of GCASA: WNY Prevention Resource Center staff are pictured with H. Wesley Perkins, professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. From left: Sharon O’Neil, Sharon Koenig, Dr. Perkins, and Dawn Sagerman.
BATAVIA – The success of individuals and organizations working to prevent drug and alcohol use in the teen and young adult population hinges upon having access to science-based statistics that reveal current trends.
All too often, however, misinformation and misconceptions cloud the landscape and hamper attempts to achieve effective change.
In an effort to give community coalitions the best chance to reach their goals of reducing drug, alcohol and tobacco use among middle school, high school and college students, the NYS Office of Addiction Supports and Services have placed six “prevention resource centers” around the state.
One of those centers is the Western New York Prevention Resource Center and its office is located at the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse’s main campus at 430 East Main St. in Batavia.
The WNY PRC, under the direction of Sharon Koenig since 2013, assists community coalitions in the eight counties of Western New York (Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Niagara and Erie), providing technical trainings and workshops, pertinent literature and the expertise of a community development specialist.
Her staff includes Dawn Sagerman, senior community development specialist, and Sharon O’Neil, community development specialist assistant.
“We work with stakeholders in the development of new coalitions and support established community coalitions, with a focus on the Strategic Prevention Framework – a public health, outcome-based prevention approach,” Koenig said. “The SPF is a five-step, dynamic, data-driven approach that helps coalitions move toward the goal of reducing substance abuse, risky behaviors and consequences in their communities.”
Seven points to success
Koenig outlined the SPF’s seven areas that are fundamental to setting a coalition’s strategy:
• Assessment: Collection of data to decide on the most pressing issue that can be successfully addressed with available resources, with three key components – identifying and understanding the population’s needs, determining necessary resources and assessing whether the community is ready to tackle the issue.
• Capacity: Building the coalition (people, available finances, organizational chart) to carry out the plan to reduce substance use, including training and technical assistance provided by the PRC.
• Planning: Developing a strategy (logic model) aimed at meeting community needs and creating community-level change.
• Implementation: Putting the plan, strategies, programs, policies and practices into action.
• Evaluation: Efforts are evaluated in terms of process, impact and outcome, with the results used to make ongoing adjustments and improvements.
The SPF places the following at its center, as these key concepts must be incorporated into every step:
• Cultural Competence: Behaviors, attitudes and policies that enable coalitions to make a difference in culturally diverse environments;
• Coalition Sustainability: The capacity to keep the coalition going long enough to achieve its long-term goals.
Fueled by scientific data
Koenig said that while prevention providers (such as GCASA) primarily focus on change at the individual level, the WNYPRC in conjunction with community coalitions concentrates on environmental or broad-based strategies that can impact a large number of people.
“The PRC strives for policy change and reduction in the percentages of those using drugs, alcohol and tobacco based on scientific data,” she said. “Without the data, it’s just another person’s opinion.”
Another part of the PRC’s mission – one that is in the forefront of late – is managing and dispelling those opinions and misperceptions that can trigger strategies that fail to hit their intended targets.
Earlier this month, the WNYPRC sponsored a full-day training in Hamburg that centered upon using a social norms approach to successfully reducing youth risk behaviors.
About 50 people representing community coalitions, substance abuse prevention agencies, law enforcement, schools and the National Guard (a partner with the PRCs around the state) attended the presentation by H. Wesley Perkins, Ph.D., professor of Sociology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva.
Perkins is a leader in the “social norms approach” field, having conducted surveys of tens of thousands of college, high school and middle school students over the past two decades to evaluate how perceptions of drug and alcohol use compare to the reality of the same.
“Students misperceive their peers pretty badly,” said Perkins, backing up his claim with survey data that shows that students perceive that their peers are engaging in risky behavior much more than what the actual numbers show.
Not everyone is doing it
The numbers from a 1996 study of 5,000 students at a New York college show that the perception was that 89 percent of students drank alcohol twice a month and that 25 percent drank daily. The actual numbers revealed that 60 percent drank alcohol twice a month and that only 5 percent drank daily.
Similar outcomes were obtained when it came to marijuana use, hallucinogens and cocaine, said Perkins, who went on to provide several more examples of surveys that produced the same degree of misperception.
“The same phenomena occur time and time again,” he said. “For example, a survey showed that 25 to 30 percent engage in bullying. The perception is that it is 70 percent or more.”
Perkins said that a “naïve” response to the data would be that the problem isn’t that significant, but that misses the point. Rather, the best response, he said, is to devise strategies, such as traditional and social media campaigns, that reflect the reality of the situation.
“The causes of these misperceptions are psychological … we’re more accurate about our own situation than others’; social psychological … much of our conversation is focused on the extreme, and cultural …as entertainment, advertising, news and health advocacy media focus on the bad behavior of a small percentage,” he said.
Truth or consequences
Perkins said the consequences of these misperceptions include a “reign of error” that controls our behavior, use and abuse increases if young people think it is expected of them, those in opposition to risky behavior are discourage from speaking out and intervention by others declines.
“The carriers of misperception contribute to the problem,” he said. “It is contagious.”
The most effective social norms model leads to a healthy dose of reality, Perkins said, and it incorporates identifying the actual vs. the misperceived, intervention, less exaggerated misperceptions and a focus on the “healthy majority.”
“Print media campaigns need to accentuate the actual norms – most aren’t engaging in the risky behavior – and then there needs to be peer education program and workshops for the targeted risk groups,” he said. “Beyond that, new student orientation presentations, counseling interventions, curriculum infusion and electronic multimedia are effective.”
Perkins and his colleagues have put his theory to the test, with encouraging positive results, he said.
In the first 18 months of one campaign, advancing positive messages such as “70 percent of us (students) don’t drink,” Perkins said surveys showed that frequent heavy drinking dropped by 21 percent, property damage decreased by 36 percent, those missing class went down by 31 percent, unprotected sex decreased by 40 percent and inefficient work fell by 25 percent.
Applying this to WNY
The professor said that these social norm techniques can be applied at various levels of education and to groups outside of the school settings, explaining that subsequent campaigns and surveys showed similar outcomes at several colleges and “across varied demographic profiles.”
“Social norms are most effective when there are clear, positive norm messages, credible data, the absence of competing scare messages, a high dosage of message, multiple strategies and a broad student population,” Perkins said.
Koenig said this is important to the mission of the WNYPRC, which can use the information from Perkins’ presentation to help move the needle in areas of concern for local coalitions.
“The fact that Dr. Perkins stressed getting good data, specific to the intended target audience, meshes well with the objectives of the PRC,” she said. “Obtaining a representative sample size and conducting surveys on a regular basis, and specifying frequency of use, quantity consumed, the context of consumption, the negative consequences and the protective behaviors are factors that we can address.”
Courtesy of Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor: The cover of the 2020 Erie Canalway Calendar features the Tugboat Erie, in this photo by Frank Forte of Little Falls.
Press Release, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
WATERFORD – The public is invited to pick up a free 2020 Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor calendar starting December 1, 2019 at selected libraries and visitor centers throughout the National Heritage Corridor. The calendar features winning images from this year’s Erie Canalway photo contest.
(Editor’s Note: Locally the calendars will be available at the public libraries in Albion, Holley, Medina, Brockport and Middleport.)
“The calendar showcases the unique beauty, history, and character of New York’s canals and canal communities,” said Bob Radliff, Erie Canalway Executive Director. “We hope it inspires people to preserve and celebrate our incredible canal heritage.”
Calendars will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, thanks to generous sponsorship by the NYS Canal Corporation.
This year’s cover features 1st Place winner Tugboat Erie by Frank Forte of Little Falls, NY.
The 2020 Erie Canalway Photo Contest opens in May 2020. The public is invited to submit images taken year-round within the National Heritage Corridor.
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor spans 524 miles across the full expanse of upstate New York, encompassing the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain canals and their historic alignments, as well as more than 230 canal communities.
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission and the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund work in partnership to preserve our extraordinary heritage, to promote the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and to foster vibrant communities connected by the waterway.
Press Release, Genesee-Orleans County Youth Bureau
The Genesee-Orleans and Wyoming County Youth Bureaus have been tasked with helping the Governor’s Office select a young person to represent each county on the newly established Youth Council.
Members of the Youth Council will be offering ideas and solutions to key issues facing young people in New York State to the Governor and other policy makers, including how to have better outreach and communication strategies. This is an incredible opportunity for New York’s youth to represent their county on a statewide level.
The Youth Council will be made up of 62 young people ages 13 – 21, one representing each county and the boroughs of New York City. The Youth Council is youth run and adult supported.
Members will work to identify and prioritize issues that matter to NYS youth. Positive youth development has always been the mantra of local youth bureaus and the Youth Council will assist state and local governments to promote youth throughout all its state initiatives.
The youth bureaus in Genesee-Orleans and Wyoming counties are currently coordinating the county selection process. Applications are available through your local Youth Bureau, on the Orleans County website (click here), Genesee County website (click here), Wyoming County website (click here) and the NYS Governor’s Youth Council website (click here).
The selection committee for each county will be evaluating applications based on 3 areas.
• Candidate Essay: Each candidate must write a short essay response (no more than 500 words) supporting three questions. The essay will be judged for content, clarity and overall quality.
• Public speaking: Each candidate will prepare, deliver and submit a video speech (MP4 or URL link). The video should demonstrate the youth’s passion, interest, expertise and/or experience in one or more of the topic areas. Candidates will be judged on speech content and delivery.
• Overall Application Quality: Clarity, passion, completion of each section and quality of supplemental materials. Candidate’s character will be evaluated through demonstrated qualities such as leadership skills, academic achievement, civic engagement, services to the community and work ethic.
It is also important to note that social media pages will be reviewed and part of the criteria to be evaluated.
If you or someone you know is interested in this opportunity, please call your local Youth Bureau for more information. Wyoming County Youth Bureau can be reached at (585) 786-8850 and Genesee- Orleans County Youth Bureau at (585) 344-3960.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a high wind watch for Wednesday for Orleans County and most of Western New York.
The high wind watch is in effect from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. There will be southwest winds from 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 60 mph possible.
The damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines, and may lead to scattered power outages. Unsecured holiday decorations could also be damaged. Travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles, the Weather Service said.
With Thanksgiving and the subsequent holiday season on the horizon, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is encouraging residents to consider donating some food or their time to a local food pantry or organization to help those who are less fortunate enjoy a warm Thanksgiving meal.
“It gives us perspective and appreciation to set aside time this week to reflect on all the good fortune and success we’ve had throughout the year and visit with family and friends who we may only see during this special time,” Hawley said. “As you’re enjoying Thanksgiving and the holiday season, please remember that many of our neighbors are struggling. Taking the time to lift them up and offer encouragement will make us all stronger as a community.
“Something as simple as a couple of cans of food or a box of stuffing will mean so much to a local family, and I encourage everyone who is able to donate a couple of items or their time to one of our local food pantries or organizations which do tremendous work this time of year,” Hawley said.
Provided photo: From left, include students in the Orleans/Niagara BOCES food service program: Noel Mireles, Karina Bellan, Rebecca Fugate, Jonathan Cooper, Misty Mullens, Ann Farey, Jessica Kronenberg (teacher), Jonathan Hockenberry, Samantha Johnson. They are making red velvet Oreo pops.
Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – Students in Jessica Kronenberg’s food service program at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center recently used their culinary skills to help make lunch for first responders, military representatives and law enforcement to thank them for their service.
The guests were at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES center as part of a career fair for the career and technical education students. Ms. Kronenberg volunteered her students to make their lunch and dessert.
“My students made Red, White and Blue chicken wing chili and assorted desserts to honor those who do so much for our community and our students,” said Ms. Kronenberg. “They did an awesome job of not only preparing the food, but decorating the table to make it a pleasant luncheon. I am really proud of them and the hard work they put in to make it special.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 November 2019 at 1:45 pm
ALBION – Two men from Orleans County were sentenced to state prison today for attempted rape.
Ean Hofmeister, 18, of Ridgeway was sentenced to 5 years in state prison for attempted rape in the first degree, plus 15 years of post-release supervision..
He allegedly had sex with a 12-year-old girl who became pregnant. The victim would have a miscarriage. She said in a victim statement read to the court she became isolated from friends, gained weight, and didn’t want to leave her house after the rape.
The judge declined to give Hofmeister youthful offender status. Judge Church said Hofmeister hasn’t taken responsibility for the crime and pursued help through the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse or the Mental Health Department.
The judge also issued orders of protection for the victim and her mother for 8 years.
• Christopher Allis, 19, of Lyndonville was sentenced to 4 years in state prison plus 5 years of post-release supervision for attempted rape in the second degree. Allis was 18 when he said he had sex with a 14-year-old girl. That girl, now 15, gave birth to his child earlier this month.
County Court Judge Sanford Church declined given youthful offender status to Allis, and also issued an order of protection for the victim.
Church said Allis hasn’t accepted responsibility for the crime and wouldn’t participate in an evaluation to determine if he had any underlying issues as part of the criminal behavior.
Public Defender Joanne Best said Allis took responsibility by admitting to the crime in a September court appearance.
• A Niagara Falls man was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison for burglary and grand larceny. Carlton Cook-Mckee, 26, and two other defendants are accused of stealing three dirt bikes from a Ridgeway garage on Oct. 16, 2018.
Cook-Mckee has to pay $5,500 in restitution for the crime.
District Attorney Joe Cardone asked for state prison for Cook-Mckee, who Cardone said stole the dirt bike to support a drug addiction.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 November 2019 at 9:19 am
ALBION – For more than four decades Albion High School has been performing full-length musicals, and the shows earn the school honors from the Rochester Broadway Theatre League.
Photo courtesy of Tom Smith: Mary Martin is shown in March 2012 when she portrayed Maria in the Sound of Music. Martin will return to the Albion stage on Saturday to sing a song from that musical.
Albion has done Disney, westerns, and many Broadway classics. The shows have been directed by Gary Simboli since 1985. The musical program started at Albion in 1978 with the high school English teacher Hasha Ring directing Cinderella.
Simboli and his musical production team met over the summer when they started talking about the idea of alumni reunion concert, where some of the stars of the past would come back and sing a song from a musical. Simboli remains friends with many of those performers and he received an enthusiastic response from them.
“It has turned out to be really wonderful,” Simboli said. “To be in touch with these people who performed 30 years ago has been really nice.”
This Saturday about 30 alumni will perform in a concert at the middle school auditorium. Many of those performers live in town, while others are flying in from Texas, Minnesota, New York City and other distant locales.
The show starts at 2 p.m. It is a fundraiser for the drama program with tickets $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and students.
Simboli is excited for the alumni to see an upgraded sound and lighting system, as well as renovated auditorium.
It will be an entertaining concert, and a showcase of the Albion performers, he said.
“We’ve always been blessed with incredibly talented students at Albion,” Simboli said.
He will be accompanying the performers, and often will be singing the backup vocals.
Simboli, when he was a senior in high school, had the lead role in “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.” In his debut as director, three current Albion teachers had roles in “Snoopy.” Mike Thaine was Charlie Brown, and Karen Conn was Peppermint Patty and Carrie Kozody starred as Sally Brown in that show.
Kathy Winans has been the assistant director since 1987. She will have costumes from each featured show on view during Saturday’s celebration.
Nancy (Williams) Lowery, who performed as Cinderella in 1978, will appear on stage as a representative from that first musical.
The scheduled performers include:
Gary Simboli – Happiness (You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown)
Lance Anderson – On the Street Where You Live (My Fair Lady)
Photo by Tom Rivers: William Grimble performed as the Beast in Albion’s production of Beauty and the Beast in March 2013.
Matt Mooney Galantowicz – Stranded at the Drive-In (Grease)
Gwen (Martillotta) Ferchen – There are Worse Things I Could Do (Grease)
Megan (Neal) Zambito – Freddy My Love (Grease)
William Grimble – If I Can’t Love Her (Beauty and the Beast)
Joshua Smith/Justin Barleben – No More (Into the Woods)
Kailey Winans – Days of Plenty (Little Women)
Katie Tabor – Home (Beauty and the Beast)
Eric Deiboldt – Now I’ve Seen You (Honk!)
Kyle Thaine – Gary Indiana/Any Dream Will Do
Susan (Collins) Thaine – Ribbons Down My Back (Hello Dolly)
Tina (Coville) Bauder & Gloria (Coville) Lear – Wall Flower (2 by 5)
Calvin Smith – Close Every Door (Joseph adn the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
Rebekah (Degnan) Smith / Kathleen (Adduci) Barleben – Some Things are Meant to Be (Little Women)
Matt Pettit – It Takes a Woman (Hello Dolly)
Mary Martin – The Sound of Music (The Sound of Music)
Shannon Vanderlaan – Memory (Cats)
Mike Plain – When a Felon’s Not Engaged in His Employment (Pirates of Penzance)
Erin Moody – Oh is There Not One Maiden Here (Pirates of Penzance)
Alaina Albertson – I Know Things Now
Marsha (Bolton) Rivers – Cain’t Say No (Oklahoma)
Jackie Madejski – Neverland (Peter Pan)
Ondeya (Egling) Campbell – More I Cannot Wish You (Guys and Dolls)
Lydia Erakare – Beauty and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast)
Lisa Berray – Hello Dolly (Hello Dolly)
Justin Barleben – No MoreMary
Kathleen Barleben – Some Things are Meant to Be
Karen (Kenney) Conn – Poor Sweet Baby (Snoopy)
Carrie (Miller) Kozody – New York, New York (2 by 5)
Law enforcement agencies in Orleans County will increase DWI patrols during the Thanksgiving holiday. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, State Police, and Albion, Holley and Medina police departments are increasing patrols to stop drinking and driving from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1.
The local law enforcement agencies will be using state funds through the STOP-DWI Foundation and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee to help with the increased patrols.
Chris Bourke, the Orleans County undersheriff, urges people who have been drinking alcohol to plan a safe way home. They should call for a ride from a sober friend or family member, or get a ride through a taxi or Uber driver, Bourke said.
The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board announced on Friday it will continue high outflows through June to reduce the risk of high water levels in 2020.
Water levels remain high across the Great Lakes, and are forecast to continue to be high through at least the winter, the IJC said.
Whether they remain high next spring will primarily depend on weather and water supplies. Lake Ontario is the only Great Lake that has a chance of getting near or returning to its long-term average by spring 2020, the IJC said.
This possibility is directly related to the influence that water regulation can have on water levels if the conditions to accommodate high flows in the St. Lawrence River occur.
Forecasts indicate that Plan 2014 outflows will be very high and at or near maximum values for several months. The IJC’s decided to allow the board to further increase outflows when opportunities arise considering the impacts that these flow increases will have on other interests of the system.
These opportunities are expected to remove a small amount of additional water from Lake Ontario to reduce the risk of high water in 2020. The board stresses that while an outflow strategy can influence water levels, the main driver is weather, especially when wet conditions are as extreme as they were in 2017 and 2019.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 November 2019 at 5:15 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Firefighters have a fan on the porch of a Albion house at 342 South Main St. The fan helped to vent out the smoke after firefighters put out a fire in the back of the house.
Firefighters were dispatched to the house, which is owned by Terry Wilbert, at 4:34 p.m.
Albion Fire Chief Harry Papponetti helps connect the cord for the exhaust fans that were used to get smoke out of the house.
Papponetti said the cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.
The Albion Fire Department was joined at the scene by firefighters from Barre and Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 November 2019 at 10:05 am
File photo by Tom Rivers: Wreaths are shown on veterans’ graves at Boxwood Cemetery in Medina in January 2018. Boxwood has been part of Wreaths Across America since 2013.
LYNDONVILLE – The community is welcome to be part of a new tradition at Lyndonville, where 401 wreaths will be placed on veterans’ graves at five cemeteries over the holiday season.
Lyndonville resident Anna Stelianou is paying for the wreaths and has set up an endowment with the Lyndonville Area Foundation to cover the costs for perpetuity. Stelianou made the donation in honor of her parents, Ary and Konstantina, who emigrated to Lyndonville from Greece after WWI. Stelianou also donated the money for the program in honor of her five brothers who served in WWII and the Korean War.
Steve Goodrich, commander of Houseman-Tanner American Legion Post 1603 in Lyndonville, is grateful for Stelianou’s donation. Goodrich identified and mapped put the location of the veterans’ graves.
He is asking the community to help place the wreaths on the gravesites the morning of Dec. 14.
Lynhaven Cemetery on Housel Avenue will be the site of a noon ceremony that day.
“We are not looking for donations,” Goodrich said. “What we need are volunteers to help place the wreaths. No one is too young or too old. If there is a family member you want to specifically place a wreath on, we will be happy to help.”
To sign up to help place the wreaths, click here to be directed to Lyndonville’s link on the Wreaths Across America website.
Photo courtesy of Tim Archer, Albion Rotary Interact Club advisor
ROCHESTER – Albion High School Rotary Interact Club members recently spent part of the day at Foodlink in Rochester, helping the organization sort and stack food items for families in the local five-county region.
Pictured from left include: Annalise Steier, Aubrey Boyer, Ally Mathes, Cody Wilson, Samantha Basinait, Emily Mergler and Alanna Holman.
Foodlink helps supply Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. Interact students perform numerous community service activities throughout the school year.
Welcome to Positive Perks! Allow Me to introduce myself and the motivation behind The Blog Positive Perks From A Sassy Small Town Missus.
Do you get up in the morning and want to see the positivity in the world? Well you are not alone because so do I. The world is full of good vibes and good people. Sometimes you have to dig deep, but often goodness is right in front of you.
I told my dog Charlie, who is a rescue and came to us very afraid of people, that people are good! I find that a simple smile or hello can change a person’s entire day…and it is free. If your day is a little “grey” show someone else some kindness and see how it helps brighten your day while bringing warmth to others.
When you start to see the world through the eyes of compassion it can change the way you perceive the world. So go outside, feel the sun on your face, breathe in fresh air, see all the goodness that can be found in the most unexpected places.
While this Perks Page may not always be a direct commentary on positivity, I hope to share moments, memories, silliness, sights and sounds that bring Me Joy. If I am lucky, they will bring you joy, too. If you feel inspired to comment please do. I want to believe that by sharing our own experiences of positivity, happiness, adventure, peace, friendship and love we can prove the world is a blessed place full of kindness. That is My motivation in a nutshell as I begin this new chapter….”Act II” of a 50+ year old Sassy Small Town Missus.
As we approach Thanksgiving, I am so thankful that our community Pennysaver and Orleans Hub have invited me to share my blog post with you in this format for the next few weeks! My wish is that it will add a little happiness to your Sunday. To view My Blog live online just go to www.PositivePerksPosts.com were you can join in and leave comments on individual posts.
Currently this blog has created 13 posts, so as we go forward I will share new posts of positivity sprinkled with some of Positive Perks previous top posts. Happy Perks to Everyone!
Truly, Debbie Burgoon London
Your Sassy Small Town Missus from Albion. Happy Thanksgiving.
