File photo by Tom Rivers: The drum major for West Seneca Marching Band is pictured during the Fall Festival of Bands in Medina on Sept. 26 in 2015.

MEDINA – The Medina Mustang Marching Band will host its annual Fall Festival of Bands on Sept. 21 at Veterans’ Memorial Park.

Nine bands will perform in competition, with the Mustangs debuting their new show in the recently renovated Vets’ Park. Title of their show is “Walk the Path,” an exploration of finding your path in life, taking action and walking the path forward.

The show will take the audience through three movements – “Finding the Path,” “Taking Action” and Walking the Path.”

The band will be led on the field by drum major Jada Draper, with assistants Lacey Kenward, Margaret Klotzbach and Miranda Zelazny. Color Guard captain is McKenna Callard.

Gates will open at 5 p.m., with the show starting at 6 p.m. Medina will take the field at 7:35 p.m.

Other bands are Le Roy, 6 p.m.; Pioneer, 6:13 p.m.; Northwestern, 6:26 p.m.; Orchard Park, 6:39 p.m.; West Seneca West, 6:52 p.m.; Webster, 7:05 p.m.; Jamestown, 7:48 p.m.; and Lancaster, 8:01 p.m.

There will be an intermission from 7:18 to 7:35 p.m., with award presentations beginning at 8:35 p.m.

The Mustang Boosters will again be selling food in the concession stand, as well as buttons, program books and candy grams. A 50/50 raffle will also take place.

Leaders of the Mustang Marching Band are Jim Steele, band director; Becky Botsford, assistant director; and Diana Baker, assistant director/guard caption head.

Others assisting are Mark Rider drill designer; Mike Heaney, visual consultant; Joe Organisciak, music director; Joe Guadagnino, percussion arranger; Jeff Pask, percussion caption head; Tiffany Organisciak, Matt Jaeger and Terry Steele, front end ensemble instructors; TJ Gray and Brian King, percussion instructors; and Kara Brown, guard instructor.

File photo by Tom Rivers: More than 100 people walked 2 miles on Oct. 13, 2018, including a stretch along the Erie Canal, to raise funds to support people battling Alzheimer’s.

MEDINA – The village will host a “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” on Sept. 28 at State Street Park.

More than 100 people are expected for the family-friendly program at 343 East Center Street.

Last year the walk in Medina raised about $24,000 for the Western New York chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

The event includes local vendors, refreshments, photo opportunities and a Promise Garden.

The garden is filled with bright pinwheel flowers in colors that represent reasons people walk: purple to honor someone they lost to dementia, yellow for care partners, blue to honor those living with dementia and orange to show general support of efforts to end Alzheimer’s disease. The flowers are given to each registered participant who can then personalize them and carry them as they walk or plant them in the garden.

The event site opens at 9 a.m. with access to vendors, entertainment, food and fun. A short opening ceremony at 10:05 a.m. will be emceed by Randy Bushover, a Medina native and radio host on WBEN-AM in Buffalo.

In New York State, about 400,000 people are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Another 1.2 million people, usually family or friends, provide some kind of care for them. And at this moment, the disease cannot be prevented or slowed and it is, without exception, fatal, said the Alzheimer’s Association.

But there is hope for the first survivor of Alzheimer’s disease through the research funding efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association, the group said.

The WNY chapter has fund-raising walks and events scheduled, including: Sept. 14 in Buffalo, Sept. 21 in Batavia and Dunkirk, Sept. 28 in Allegany and Medina, and on Oct. 5 in Lewiston. For more information, click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – There were many outrageous costumes at the Steampunk Festival on Saturday at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, including the 14-foot-long wings worn by Jane Farrell of Nunda. The wings are 10 feet high.

Farrell is joined by from left: her aunt Tama Webster, her mother Connie Farrell, friend Riley Randall and Kristie Webster, wearing the fairy wings. Farrell runs a business, Jane Does Costumes, and specializes in steampunk, which is often a mix of Victorian meets the future.

The festival is run by Leonard Oakes Estate Winery. The winery hosted it at its Ridge Road location in Medina from 2011 to 2018 but shifted to the more spacious fairgrounds this year.

John Jaeger of Mount Morris created this robot steampunk costume. His wife Jean is behind him and she created an outlandish costume with a broom. Many of the steampunk costumes have goggles and gears.

Felix Eddy, left, of Binghamton and Victoria Bouffard were selling artwork and embroidery with the steampunk theme.

Eddy has been making steampunk creations the past 10 years.

“You don’t have to follow the rules,” she said. “You can have fun with it and create your own character. Everything goes in steampunk. It’s fantasy and action adventure. In time travel, everything goes.”

“Getaway Gertie,” a burlesque dancer from Rochester, checks some of the hats available at one of the vendors. She performs with the Salt City Burlesque in Syracuse.

Phil Wackerfuss of Pyromancy breathes fire during the Saturday night show.

Another Pyromancy performer extinguishes a flame with her mouth.

Laura Strickland, in back, of Lockport has written six novels of steampunk romance.

The Rev. Arlowe Price of the Buffalo Savage Carnival was a star performer again this year. He laid on a bed of nails and had a concrete block smashed on his stomach.

J.T. Murphy of Rochester signs copies of his steampunk-themed book.

Levi Van Cleve plays the guitar and sings for Pine Fever during its concert on Saturday.

Alex Cline (left) sings and plays the trumpet, Patrick “Thor” Johnson plays the upright bass and Brian Mckenna is on drums for Pine Fever. The band describes its music as “a red-hot ramshackle of old-time Dixieland western swing.”

The local band, The Capitals, led off the music on a stage erected for the festival.

Hatchets and Hops brought its axe wagon from Buffalo for people to throw axes.

Werner Leistner of North Tonawanda exhibited some of his own inventions, including what he calls a Flux Capacitor at right. Leistner said he enjoys the steampunk culture.

“You can freelance anything,” he said. “You’re not tied to anything. You can invent the culture of the past using the means of today.”

Robyn from Buffalo Tribal Belly Dance performs for the crowd behind the Trolley Building at the Fairgrounds.

A member of Buffalo Aerial Dance performs during the Steampunk Festival.

Deja Vu Ballooning in Gasport brought one of their balloons, Amelia AirHeart, for the festival. The balloon was tethered and went up about 100 feet.

Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers took a ride in the balloon. This is looking up at the burner which fires liquid propane into the balloon.

Luna Walter and Eve Brewer, both of Rochester, were happy to ride in the basket of the balloon.

Members of the band Rasputina took a ride in the balloon. The band includes Thistle Jemison, Melora Creager and Ryder Cooley. They closed out the festival later in the night.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HULBERTON – Noelle Borello, 4, of Albion tosses a ping pong ball towards bowls of gold fish at the kiddie game section of St. Rocco’s Italian Festival in Hulberton this afternoon.

Noelle had several close throws but didn’t win a goldfish.

Luci Borello, 7, is Noelle’s sister. She got a ball in a bowl and won a fish.

Gail Christ of Murray gets powdered waffles and friend dough ready for the big crowd. The weather was ideal for the festival, with no rain and no intense heat.

The annual festival is a fund-raiser for the Catholic parish in Holley and Kendall, which includes St. Mary’s Church in Holley and St. Mark’s in Kendall.

The food is a big draw, especially the eggplant parmesan. Church volunteers prepared 157 pans of eggplant parmesan. Meatball sandwiches, pasta fagioli, pizza and shells also were popular.

A building that was once used by a quarry company was turned into a dining hall with an Italian theme for the festival.

Ron Vendetti cooks spaghetti in the kitchen. Vendetti has volunteered as a cook at the festival for more than 25 years.

Church volunteers started cooking on Wednesday to have the food ready for today.

Sal DeLuca tosses a bocce ball during a game. There are 29 teams for today’s tournament. DeLuca last year won first place and $600 on a team that included his sons, Zach, Seth and Josh.

The bocce players try to get a close as possible to the smaller white ball.

Zach DeLuca gets ready for his shot. Zach, 26, now lives in Bergen. He and his brothers have been playing on a team with their father the past six years.

“We like the competitiveness,” Zach said about the tournament. “We also like seeing so many of our friends who we grew up with.”

There were St. Rocco’s shirts and whimsical Italian shirts and hats for sale. This shirt – FBI – stands for Full Blown Italian.

About 50 items, including this bike, were available in a basket auction.

Four fire companies in Orleans County will come together on Saturday in a first-time effort to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. firefighters from Shelby, East Shelby, Ridgeway and Lyndonville will conduct a boot drive to support the fundraiser in cooperation with 97 Rock’s annual radio-thon for Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Kristin McAdoo, first assistant chief with Ridgeway Fire Company, said this is the first time the fire companies have joined together in such a fundraiser. She said the idea came from Tim Petry with Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, who first learned about the radio-thon and contacted Ridgeway and Lyndonville.

The firefighters will all mix together, so they can get to know one another, McAdoo said. They will first all meet at 7:45 a.m. Saturday at Shelby Fire Hall, then disperse to the corner of Route 104 and 63 north in Ridgeway and Route 31 and 63 in Medina.

Deb Taylor, second assistant chief, will represent East Shelby and Ben Bane, chief, will head Lyndonville’s volunteers.

McAdoo extended thanks to Avanti’s and Mark’s Pizzeria in Medina who have offered to donate pizzas to the firefighters after the drive. Ace Hardware also donated buckets for the firefighters to dump in money, after collecting it in their boots.

“I hope people will be generous, because if this is successful, we want to make it an annual event,” McAdoo said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Potter Dee of the Buffalo-based Pyromancy blows fire during one of the stunts performed by the group on Saturday night during the Steampunk Festival, which was held at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds for the first time.

Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina puts on the event. It had been the winery since 2011 but had maxed out the space at that site on Ridge Road.

Fuego, a member of Pyromancy, breathes fire in a routine with two other team members.

Casey Williams of Pyromancy performs for a big crowd at the fairgrounds. He is getting ready for a battle scene.

Pyromancy has been performing at the Steampunk Festival for several years.

Phil Wackerfuss of Pyromancy breathes fire during the Saturday night show.

Deja Vu Ballooning in Gasport brought one of their balloons, Amelia AirHeart. The balloon was tethered and went up about 100 feet.

This group enjoys getting an aerial view from the hot-air balloon.

The band Rasputina closed out the festival. Rasputina is led by lead singer Melora Creager. The band is a pioneer in the use of cello as the sole instrument within a rock band. Rasputina has performed and recorded with Marilyn Manson, Cheap Trick, and the Goo Goo Dolls.

The Buffalo-based band, Pine Fever, and the local group, The Capitals, also performed at the festival.

Melora Creager is founder of the cello rock group, Rasputina. Thistle Jemison plays the harp and is backup singer for the band.

Rasputina performed on a stage erected for the festival. The band includes Thistle Jemison, Melora Creager and Ryder Cooley.

Orleans Hub will have more later today on the festival.

Press Release, Oak Orchard Health

BROCKPORT – Oak Orchard Health has received an $82,503 Quality Improvement Award from U.S. Health and Human Services.

OOH was recognized in three categories: Clinical Quality Improver, Advancing Health IT, and delivering Patient-Centered Care.

Quality Improvement Awards are given to the highest performing health centers nationwide as well as those health centers that have made significant quality improvement gains from the previous year. Patient Centered Medical Home is a model of care that puts patients at the center of care, which builds great relationships between patients and their clinical staff.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance commended Oak Orchard Community Health Center on Achievement of Recognition for Systematic Use of Patient-Centered, Coordinated Care Management Processes.

Oak Orchard Health – with locations in Brockport, Albion, Lyndonville, Warsaw and Hornell – was one of the centers receiving this certificate of recognition in all locations. Oak Orchard Health was recognized and awarded for their high quality work in being a PCMH. OOH has been a Patient Centered Medical Home since 1973.

“Oak Orchard Health has always endeavored to put our patients first,” said Mary Ann Pettibon, CEO of Oak Orchard Health. “It’s great to be recognized for something that has always been a core part of our mission.”

Building was Kendall Town Hall, moved to museum in ’78

Photos by Tom Rivers

GAINES – Kevin Breiner, a mason from Brockport, works on one of 14 new concrete piers underneath Farmers Hall at the Cobblestone Museum.

The building was previously the Kendall Town Hall. It was taken apart and reassembled in 1978 at the Cobblestone Museum on Route 98, just south of Route 104.

A $12,000 grant from the Elizabeth Dye Curtis Foundation in Orleans County is paying for the work on the foundation, and also for collar ties to firm up the rafters.

The building was sagging. The additional foundation support will stop that, and the turnbuckles will keep the building from spreading apart.

The Farmers Hall is among a row of buildings at the Route 98 section of the museum that includes several relocated structures, including a harness shop, print shop and several outhouses.

Farmers Hall was originally constructed in 1855, and served as a Universalist Church for several decades. In the 1870s, the German Lutherans became owners of the building and used it for services. It later became Kendall’s Town Hall.

The building now functions as an exhibition hall for 19th and early 20th century farming implements.

To put in the concrete piers to shore up the foundation, 3-foot-deep holes were dug around Farmers Hall.

The museum was recently notified it has been awarded a $17,810 grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation for more preservation/restoration work at Farmers Hall.

Kevin Breiner works on the foundation project on Thursday.

The grant will pay for new gutters for the building and for repainting the trim.

This grant brings the total funding received from RACF in the past three years to about $62,000. The Rochester Area Community Foundation previously gave a grant for $23,000 that went towards restoring windows and some repointing on the Cobblestone Church, as well as work on the next-door Ward House, which was built around 1840. The stairs on the house had been crumbling and were fixed with the grant funds.

A grant for $21,000 last year focused on the schoolhouse from 1849, paying for a new roof, repairing masonry and a fresh paint on the window trim and soffits near the roof.

Homeowner application process will begin on October 1

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced homeowners affected by this year’s Lake Ontario flooding can apply for up to $50,000 in state assistance to help offset damages to their primary residences. The homeowner application period will begin Oct. 1 and will close Oct. 31.

The state is making $20 million available for homeowners out of a $300 million set aside in the Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative, or REDI.

“Hundreds of homeowners and businesses experienced significant damage to their properties during this year’s record breaking flooding on Lake Ontario,” Governor Cuomo said. “As we continue to invest in strengthening infrastructure along the shoreline for the long term, we are also helping homeowners in the near term get the resources they need to make necessary repairs to their homes. This critical funding will help those homeowners devastated by flooding build back stronger than before.”

Applicants are eligible to receive funding for costs not covered by other sources, such as insurance, and include primary homeowners who reside in the eight counties associated with REDI – Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Wayne – and meet the below criteria:

• Homeowners who were impacted by flooding Jan. 1, 2019 through September 30, 2019 are entitled to apply for funding.

• Applications received between October 1, 2019 and October 31, 2019.

• Priority will be given to applications that address damage incurred to primary residences which sustained direct physical flood-related damage that threatens the safety of the home.

• The Lake Ontario recovery initiative is focused on the resiliency of the shoreline as a whole, and applications that address stand-alone shoreline damage that threatens the safety of a primary residence will be reviewed after funding decisions have been made for projects proposed through the REDI process. In some cases, these regionally significant projects may provide protections for individual homes.

To sign up for updates and be notified when the application is available, visit HCR’s website.

The National Guard has been busy in Orleans County, putting sand bags by homes in danger from the Lake Ontario flooding. This photo was taken June 2 in Carlton at the peninsula near Kuckville.

“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 5, Issue 34

CLARENDON – Received as part of a recent donation, this undated photograph of Samuel Perkins was carefully slid into the pages of the Joiner family album from Barre, New York.

Based on other images in the album, which included photographs of Judge Sanford E. Church and Dr. Samuel Cochrane, the collection of photographs probably belonged to Marvin K. Joiner. Joiner was the son of Erastus Burnham Joiner and Caroline Church. The obverse side of this image reads, “Sam Perkins, substitute for Marvin K. in Civil War for $300.”

The Enrollment Act, also known as the Conscription Act, was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on March 3, 1863. As a result, all “able-bodied” male citizens and any immigrant with intentions of becoming a citizen between the ages of twenty and forty-five became eligible for the first military draft. Of course, the government implemented a list of potential exemptions from the draft including select government officials, the only sons of widows dependent upon his support, and the only son of elderly parents who were dependent upon his support, just to name a few.

As an alternative option, men of wealth could identify and present a “suitable substitute” to enter the Union Army in his place. If a substitute was not presented, the man could pay $300 to the Secretary of War, which covered the expense of locating and paying a stand-in. Bounty jumpers became prevalent as men accepted the $300 pay, quickly deserted, and enlisted in a neighboring town to receive an additional $300.

Research on Samuel Perkins suggests that he was a veteran of the Civil War, however, there are no records to confirm that he was paid a bounty by the federal government. It is likely that Perkins was selected by Joiner, paid directly by him, and enlisted with the 6th New York Cavalry. Although the name Samuel Perkins appears on the regimental roster, there is no enlistment or muster information and he deserted in March of 1862.

Very little is known of his early life. The son of Warren and Dorothy Cady Perkins, Samuel spent his earliest years on a farm in Barre before relocating to Clarendon after the War. He was first married to Almira Love, who died on July 4, 1859, and later remarried to Esther Benham of Byron.

His name appears briefly in David Sturges Copeland’s “History of Clarendon,” to which Copeland writes, “On the fine location of Samuel Perkins lived, very early, John Sturdevant, whose name may be found in 1829.” An 1875 map of Clarendon shows S. Perkins living on the southwest corner where New Guinea and Upper Holley roads intersect. In June of 1894 when a Mrs. G. A. Riggs lost her red cashmere shawl, she referred to the location as “Perkins’ Corners” when writing to the Holley Standard asking residents to kindly watch for it along the road.

The latter years of Samuel’s life are just as mysterious. After the passing of his wife Esther in 1894, he lived as a boarder on several farms in the Clarendon area, including that of John Stevens in 1900. In 1915, he was admitted to the Orleans County Poor House, under unknown circumstances, where he remained for 185 days until his death on April 1, 1916.

His name appears in the annual report submitted to the Board of Supervisors by the Leigh Hill, Superintendent of the Poor. Records indicate that he “left no known relatives” and that he may have been interred at Mt. Albion Cemetery even though his wife’s headstone at the Byron Cemetery reads, “Samuel C. Perkins, 1823-1916.”

What remains most interesting is that this particular image of Perkins found its way into the pages of the Joiner family photo album, the only photograph of a non-family member.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley     

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) has released the results of his 2019 Legislative Survey which contained more than 2,200 responses from residents of all ages and party affiliations across Genesee, Orleans and Monroe counties.

The survey, conducted earlier this summer, covered topics such as gun control, dividing New York into two separate states, single-payer health care, abortion, farm worker unionization and plastic bag bans, among other topics.

To take the survey, click here.

“Listening to our constituents’ concerns and questions is the prime responsibility we have as lawmakers and this survey proves, above all else, that most Western New Yorkers in my district are not supportive of the radical progressive policies coming out of Albany,” Hawley said. “Things like giving pay raises to incarcerated felons and enacting a state takeover of healthcare are so far removed from the needs of millions of New Yorkers it continues to baffle me how they are considered top priorities by many downstate lawmakers. I look forward to continue traveling my district this fall and sharing these survey results with my neighbors as we gear up for next year’s session and lawmakers begin to formulate their legislative platforms.”

Highlights of Assemblyman Hawley’s Legislative Survey:

• Do you support Assemblyman Hawley’s ‘Two New Yorks’ proposal (A.1687-a) that would create a non-binding ballot question of “Should New York be divided into two states? (2,145 responses)

YES    80.2%

NO      19.8%

• What do you think is the best way to grow New York’s economy? (2,090 responses)

Cut taxes on small businesses                                                            62.6%

Lucrative tax breaks for out of state companies                                 3.3%

Have government take over certain sectors like health care               4.1%

Investment in infrastructure                                                               30%

• Recreational marijuana is legal in 10 states and is being considered in New York. Do you support legalizing adult-use recreational marijuana? (2,169 responses)

YES    29.6%

NO      70.4%

• Should immigrants who have not become citizens be allowed to obtain a New York State driver’s license? (2,170 responses)

YES    13%

NO      87%

• Should taxpayers fund an increase to the minimum wage for inmates in state prisons? (2,172 responses)

YES    6.6%

NO      93.4%

• Do you support Assemblyman Hawley’s call for an armed ‘School Resource Officer’ in every school in New York State? (2,140 responses)

YES    76.2%

NO      23.8%

• Do you support a repeal of the NY-Safe Act? (2,085 responses)

YES    75.8%

NO      24.2%

• Do you support allowing farm workers to unionize? (2,067 responses)

YES    33.5%

NO      66.5%

MEDINA – Four Ohio bicyclists stopped in Medina for the night Thursday on a tour riding the Erie Canal towpath from Albany to Buffalo.

Two of the riders, Dave Knight of Grove City, Ohio, and Peter Toomey of Rocky River are both veterans and they often contact an American Legion  when they are passing through a town. Yesterday, Glen Whitmore, commander of the Butts-Clark American Legion Post in Medina, got a call from the cyclists asking if they could camp on the Legion grounds for the night.

Whitmore said yes and arrived at the post to wait for their arrival.

The pair, along with fellow cyclists Buck Hickman of Dresden, Ohio, and Candace Lipton of Brunswick have been riding together since they met a decade ago at the Great Ohio Bike Adventure.

“There were 3,000 people there, and it was karma that we met,” Hickman said.

All retired, all but Toomey recently rode the Greenbriar Trail in West Virginia. It was Toomey who suggested they ride the Erie Canal trail.

“I have stayed in Legions in Ohio and Texas and had wonderful experiences,” said Toomey, who was a master sergeant in the U.S. Army. He was been riding bicycle steadily since 1982.

Cyclists Dave Knight of Grove City, Ohio, and Peter Toomey of Rocky River, Ohio arrive in Butts Park, where they camped for the night with two other friends on their trip along the Erie Canal.

Knight is a Navy veteran of eight years. He started riding bicycle in the early 1950s when he was looking for a fun way to exercise.

After arriving at the American Legion Thursday afternoon, they discovered there wasn’t much lawn available to them, and Whitmore suggested Butts Park.

The riders have a vehicle with them, which tows a small trailer with their camping equipment and supplies. They take turns driving each day, while the other three ride. They drove from Ohio to Albany and began their ride back west along the canal trail.

“We thought we’d start at the farthest point and see how far we can get,” Lipton said. “Then if we don’t make it all the way back west, we won’t have so far to go if we want to come back and finish the trail.”

They camp out each night, as long as weather is good. They did spend one night in a hotel when it was raining. They look for facilities called Warm Showers, which is someone who opens up their home to travelers for the night.

Near Syracuse, they stayed at a Warm Showers home whose owners raised hops. They visited the Griffin Hill Brewery and ended up harvesting hops with their hosts.

“It was great fun meeting so many wonderful people,” Toomey said.

From left, Buck Hickman, Dave Knight, American Legion commander Glen Whitmore, Peter Toomey and Candace Lipton chat in Butts Park, where the cyclists camped for the night. The Ohio cyclists are riding along the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo.

On Wednesday, Hickman and Lipton, who arrived first in their Suburban, waited at the park for Knight and Toomey, who spent time at the Culvert on the canal to take pictures. The historic landmark is listed in Ripley’s Believe it or Not and is the only place in the world where a road goes under a canal.

The brewery, culvert and Cohoes Falls have been highlights of their trip, the riders said.

The bikers had a beer at the Legion and supper in a downtown restaurant Thursday night.

“We’ve not run across anybody on this trip who hasn’t been hospitable,” Lipton said.

They don’t know where their next adventure will be, but they’ll probably discuss it on the drive back home, Toomey said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The Holley Fire Department welcomed a new ladder truck in June. The $800,000 truck with a 100-foot-long ladder is shown in the June 8 parade in Albion.

The truck replaces one from 1999 that had a 75-foot ladder. The old truck was sold for $75,000 to the Five Mile Point Fire Company near Binghamton.

The old truck was plagued with electrical and hydraulic problems in recent years, as well as rusted structural components.

Harris Reed, the Holley fire chief, shows some of the features on the truck, including compartments for saws and other equipment.

State Sen. Rob Ortt secured a $65,000 state grant for equipment on the truck, including hoses, nozzles, adapters for hoses, rescue ropes and air packs.

Harris Reed holds a combination spreader-cutter extrication tool that was donated to the Holley FD by Jeff Lyons, a dealer for Genesis Rescue Systems. Lyons gave the tool to Holley after the Barre Volunteer Fire Company upgraded with new Genesis tools. Barre’s old tools were a trade-in and Lyons gave them to Holley because they were well-matched to fit the new fire truck.

John Totter served as chairman of the Holley Joint Fire District and was critical in developing a financial plan to pay for the new fire truck. Totter passed away at age 57 on Feb. 13.

There is a plaque in the truck to recognize Totter’s work on the truck.

Harris Reed gives the truck a drive in the village on Thursday evening. The truck was manufactured by Rosenbauer in Minnesota.

“It rides like a Cadillac,” Reed said. “It doesn’t have the thump and bump like the old one. It’s a smooth ride.”

The truck also has a Knox Box next to the driver’s seat with a master key. That key can open Knox Boxes in the downtown and at apartment buildings. The keys to the buildings are in a Knox Box, which spares firefighters from breaking down a door if there is a fire or emergency at the building.

A firefighter needs to enter a code to have access to the key in the fire truck.

Reed said the Knox Box gives firefighters easier and faster access to a building, and also will save the doors for property owners.

It is a tight squeeze fitting the new fire truck in the fire hall. The doors are 12 feet high and the truck is 11 feet, 10 inches high. The manufacturer had to put smaller tires on the truck and build a smaller cab so it would fit in the fire hall.

The ladder on the new truck is Montreal Blue. “It looks sharp,” said Harris Reed, the fire chief.

The longer ladder gives the Fire Department more reach for structures on fire, and also provides more room away from a collapse zone.

The new fire truck has an iPad tablet mounted in front of the passenger’s seat. It gives a map to a scene, and can show an image of a house. Reed said all of Holley’s fire trucks have the iPads. The technology is especially helpful when Holley is called for mutual aid outside its fire district, where firefighters aren’t as familiar with the landscape.

The image of houses and fire hydrant locations also helps firefighters. Many houses do not have clear property numbers. Seeing the image takes away some of the guesswork when firefighters show up on a scene.

The Holley Fire Department will have an open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 8. Community members are welcome to check out the new truck and equipment, and also consider joining the department as members. Reed said the Holley Fire Department has about 50 members, with 20 to 25 who are active in responding to calls.

Photos from Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center

MEDINA – Residents of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center thoroughly enjoyed the concert by Terry Buchwald, an Elvis impersonator, at Medina’s Super Cruise on Wednesday.

This photo shows Patricia Mathews with her son, Kevin Hendershott, and Buchwald. Mathews is a huge Elvis fan and often sings Elvis songs during karaoke at the nursing home. She even has a life-size cut-out of Elvis in her room.

Millie Mruczek was among many residents at Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, formerly called Orchard Manor, who sat front and center for the performance by Terry Buchwald. He made a big entrance on his motorcycle and wore his  bedazzled attire.

Elvis distributed leis and scarves, including one for Carol Ann Keppen. Buchwald also threw stuffed animals into the audience while singing “Teddy Bear.” All of the Orchard residents received something to remember the evening. Buchwald sang many of Elvis’s well-known hits and after a costume change, performed some country and rock and roll.