Albion business now has 200 dumpsters available for customers

ALBION – Five years ago Anthony Gramuglia started a side business, renting dumpsters and offering to take trash, construction materials and unwanted household items to a landfill.

Gramuglia began ARG Disposal with five dumpsters. The business quickly grew, so fast that Gramuglia last year opened his own disposal and transfer facility on Washington Street in Albion. He bought the former NYSEG building, put in a scale house and 80-by-100-foot building.

A big dumpster is unloaded last week at ARG’s recycling and transfer facility in Albion. The materials are then sorted for items that are recoverable and can be reused.

The new building allows ARG to sort metals and other recyclables so the entire dumpster isn’t taken to a landfill. The trash is moved to a 30-ton trailer, which ARG typically takes to a landfill two or three times a week.

Before the new facility opened last June 24, ARG was taking every dumpster to a landfill, either at Modern in Lewiston or the Monroe County landfill in Riga. That was often two or three trips a day to a landfill.

An ARG employee, Riley Youngjohn, uses an excavator to move a pile of material into a larger 30-ton trailer that will go to a landfill. Youngjohn first removed metal, wood and other items that can be recycled or reused.

It was wear and tear on the trucks. And Gramuglia said a lot of the materials were recyclable, but weren’t being saved.

“All of this stuff before was just going to a landfill,” Gramuglia said last week, watching his employees sort a pile from a house that was damaged in a fire.

His employees sorted wood, paper and cardboard, and metal. The rest was put in the big 30-ton transfer trailer.

Gramuglia, 31, runs the business with his fiancé, Heather Skrip. ARG has grown to a dozen employees – and about 200 dumpsters, which are all painted red. Gramuglia has built some of the dumpsters himself, and refurbished others that he bought used. He credits his father for teaching him to weld and to problem-solve.

The roll-off dumpsters range in size from 10 yard to 40 yard. The biggest one is 22 feet long, 8 feet wide and 6 feet tall. The small ones are often used to clear out a room, or for small construction projects. ARG gets about two of the bigger dumpsters a week from the old Holley High School, where contractors are tearing out walls and creating apartments and offices in the former school.

“This is the future,” Gramuglia said about the recycling operation.

He expects there will be a bigger push “to recover as much as possible” in the future, especially as landfills fill up.

He wanted the recycling and transfer station so he didn’t have to drive about an hour each way to take every load to a landfill. Those landfills also tend to stop accepting loads around 3 p.m.

An ARG truck arrives at the scale house. The trucks are weighed when they come in and after they dump their load.

ARG works until 5:30 p.m. at its Albion site. That gives ARG more availability to bring in dumpsters and sort the material.

ARG also accepts loads from the community. Those can come in on a pickup truck, as long as the materials are covered (usually with a tarp). The local option for smaller loads should help prevent illegal dumping, because there is an option close by to bring construction debris and unwanted household items, Skrip said.

She was working at Chase Bank when she joined Gramuglia full-time in 2014 to help with the business. Skrip is the office manager who can also drive truck. She paints all the dumpsters red.

She keeps the ARG website up to date and the website has been a good resource in connecting with customers. She also said advertisements in the Orleans Hub and Lake Country Pennysaver helped get the word out about ARG.

The red dumpsters can seem ubiquitous in the community, and they all have the ARG phone number – (585) 205-1847 – painted prominently.

Gramuglia, Skrip and the ARG workers did some of the construction with the new building and scale house. ARG hired Art Hill Construction for the site work and LeFrois Builders put up the building.

Heather Skrip and Anthony Gramuglia have built a growing business in Albion.

The project needed to pass village and county approvals, as well as the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The DEC visits four times a year for inspections.

“The county and village were all great to work with,” Skrip said. “I find it a shame more people aren’t coming to Orleans County.”

She said the local officials helped them secure needed permits, and found the project fit in well with the neighborhood. ARG is across the street from the Village of Albion Departmentof Public Works. The Albion Correctional Facility is down the street. The railroad runs next to the property, and the back side of Waters Autobody is on the other side of the railroad tracks from ARG.

The NYSEG building also was ideal for ARG. The building was set up as a truck terminal. There were two vacant lots next door for ARG to build the 8,000-square-foot recycling and transfer facility.

Gramuglia said he has no regrets in pushing forward with the new recycling and transfer facility, and expanding the inventory of dumpsters and the fleet of trucks. He said the business fills an important need in the community and also is good for the environment by reducing materials sent to landfills.

“Working as hard as I do I figured it was time to do something on my own,” he said about the business. “With this you have better control of your own destiny.”

Anthony Gramuglia sits in the driver’s seat in one of the ARG trucks. He said Albion has been a good fit for the business.

CLARENDON – A Holley man has been charged with criminally negligent homicide in an overdose death on Saturday, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is reporting.

Logan DiPilato

Logan DiPilato, 28, of 1 Nelson St. also was charged today with criminal possession of controlled substance (fentanyl) in the third degree, and criminal sale of a controlled substance/narcotic (fentanyl) in the third degree.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to a Clarendon residence on Saturday to investigate the apparent unattended death of a man. Mark Kinsey had been discovered deceased in his home by his girlfriend, Undersheriff Chris Bourke said.

Over the last three days, Sheriff’s investigators conducted an intense investigation into the untimely death of Mr. Kinsey which resulted in the arrest of this suspect, Bourke said. Physical evidence was collected, interviews were conducted, electronic devices were examined and ultimately, a confession was secured, he said.

It is alleged that DiPilato sold four bags of fentanyl to Kinsey which resulted in an overdose and his subsequent death.

DiPilato was arraigned before Albion Town Justice Joseph Fuller on the charge of criminally negligent homicide. On the recommendation of the district attorney, bail was set $25,000. DiPilato is scheduled to appear in Clarendon Town Court on June 10 at 5 p.m.

For the charges of criminal sale and possession of a controlled substance, bail was set at $25,000. DiPilato is scheduled to appear in Murray Town Court on June 6 at 6 p.m.

This investigation was conducted by Chief Deputy Michael Mele, along with investigators Jeffrey Gifaldi, Kenneth Strickland and Shannon Brett. Additional charges are forthcoming.

‘In today’s world we need to treat people with dignity and respect. We’re giving names to those who were perhaps not treated with dignity and respect.’ – County Historian Matthew Ballard

ALBION – An interpretive panel was unveiled today by Albion seventh-graders and Orleans County officials that lists the names of 250 people buried in a cemetery behind the former Orleans County Alms House on County House Road.

The seventh-grade service learning class at Albion, led by teacher Tim Archer, took the lead with getting the panel erected. The Daughters of the American Revolution contributed $750 towards the panel and the Orleans County Historical Association also donated $500 for the effort. The Orleans County Highway Department installed the panel.

This is the second big effort by Albion students at the site. About a decade ago the former cemetery was overgrown with sumac and weeds. The grave markers were toppled.

S’Koi Sanders-Smith speaks at the panel unveiling today. Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian, is at right.

Bill Lattin was the county historian about a decade ago when Archer’s class first worked on a project at the cemetery. Lattin shared in the class about the name of County House Road, how there used to be an Alms House at the site.

The Alms House opened in 1833 and closed in 1960, when the county infirmary or nursing home opened on Route 31, just west of the Village of Albion.

“The Orleans County Almshouse was the last refuge for old men and women too weak to work and take care of themselves,” Lattin wrote in the foreword of a booklet about the site in 2011. “It became a home for the homeless, friendless, orphan, vagrant, poor, sick, and mentally ill. Dependents, paupers, and even delinquents lived at the Orleans County Home on County House Road.”

Albion students and the county put up this marker for the cemetery in 2011, and also reset grave markers and cleared out brush.

Lattin’s classroom visit about a decade ago spurned Archer and his students to research the site, and work with the county officials to get the site cleaned up, and the stones reset. A historical marker was added by the road, letting people know about the Alms House. After the Alms House building were razed in 1962, the county repurposed the main part of the site for the Civil Defense Center. A fire training tower is next door.

The cemetery is in the back, surrounded by a corn field. When the cemetery was rededicated in 2011, 74 grave markers were reset.

Matt Ballard, the current Orleans County historian, has followed in Lattin’s footsteps as a frequent visitor in Archer’s classes, discussing local history.

Ballard recently made an exciting discovery. He found a ledger from the cemetery, which lists the names and dates of death for 250 people buried at the cemetery. The superintendents of the Alms House kept the ledger, and some of those superintendents added details about the lives of those buried in the cemetery.

Matt Ballard shows a ledger listing the names and dates of death for people buried at the cemetery. Some of the entries include a biographical sketch of the people who lived at the Alms House.

Ballard said the entries with details of the lives showed compassion and care from the superintendents, who wanted to list some of the contributions of those who were buried often in unmarked graves or with a stone and only a number.

Ballard left the ledger with the class and Archer and his students made a list of all the names and the dates of death. Those details are now on the interpretive panel by the cemetery.

“These are lives worth remembering,” Archer said at a dedication today. “A big part of what I try to emphasize with the kids is that every life has value.”

Ballard praised the school district for supporting a class that does many community service projects and has students “on the front lines working with local history.”

The panel includes the names of people buried at the cemetery. The panel also includes words from Lattin in the foreword of the 2011 booklet: “The names of those who rest here are long forgotten, but their existence deserves respect and reverence. They no longer can speak for themselves. Hence we must note that buried here is someone’s ancestor, a person once loved by those who cherished them in the rocking cradle and held trembling hand in sickness and old age at death’s beckoning. These bodies now dust, are lives worth remembering because of the interdependent web of existence and the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”

The cemetery is now well cared for by the county and is visible from Route 31A near Keeler Construction. Ballard is pleased to see the names of the people are now displayed, rather than a cemetery with only unmarked graves and numbers on stones.

“In today’s world we need to treat people with dignity and respect,” Ballard said. “We’re giving names to those who were perhaps not treated with dignity and respect.”

Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, praised the students and the historians – Lattin and Ballard – for their efforts in honoring the people at the cemetery.

“Today we are here to properly pay tribute to those that are known to be buried in this quaint little cemetery, marked only by numbers but remembered as real people, in the middle of this productive farmer’s field,” Johnson said. “It takes many people to keep history alive.”

County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson thanked the Albion students and local historians for their work at the cemetery for the former Orleans County Alms House.

Gina Sidari hands out copies of a booklet about the cemetery that was first published in 2011. It has been updated with the names of people buried at the site. She hands the copies to from left Bill Lattin; Matt Ballard; Betty Sue Miller, director of Hoag Library; Penny Nice, regent of the Orleans County chapter of DAR; Patrice Birner, member of the Orleans DAR and state historian for the DAR; Tim Archer, the service-learning class teacher; and Don Allport, county legislator.

The Orleans County Democratic Party has announced its endorsements for candidates at the town and county level for the Nov. 5 election.

Fred Miller

The party is backing Fred Miller of Albion for another two-year term on Orleans County Legislature. He represents a district that includes the towns of Albion and Gaines.

Miller, owner of a hardware store in Albion, is the lone Democrat on the seven-member County Legislature. He was first elected to the Legislature in November 2013. Republicans haven’t run a candidate against him since then.

The Democratic Party endorsed the following for town offices:

• Albion – Darlene Benton and Terry Wilbert for town council positions, and Michael Neidert for highway superintendent.

• Barre – Luann Tierney for a town councilwoman, Maureen Beach for town clerk, and Rick Root for town justice.

• Kendall – Margaret Lynn Szozda for town councilwoman.

• Ridgeway – Michael Maak for town supervisor.

• Shelby – Darlene Rich for town clerk and Michael O. Fuller for highway superintendent.

Brian Alexander checks the temperature of the oven in his mobile wood-fired pizza truck during a demonstration for graduates of the latest MAP class.

ALBION – The latest class to graduate from Orleans Economic Development’s Microenterprise Assistance Program bring a wide variety of new business ideas to the table.

With Diane Blanchard as manager of the Microenterprise Assistance Program, nine of the 11 graduates shared their business plans during graduation Tuesday night at the Village Inn.

Also attending the graduation were Richard Petitte and Sam Campanella with the Small Business Development Center; Jon Costello, a SCORE mentor; County Legislator Ken DeRoller; and Paul Hendel, chairman of the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

A former graduate of the class, Laura Kemler, with her husband Kevin, talked to the class about how MAP helped her grow a successful business on Main Street in Albion, selling her hand-crafted, kitchen-inspired goods.

She advised graduates to use their mentors for advice.

“Find someone in your field who has gone before you,” she said. “Try and find wholesalers for all your products and make sure your customer service is stellar.”

Rick and Michelle Gallo of Holley, who graduated from MAP a year ago, were also on hand to share their good news. After taking the MAP class, they opened a very successful hauling business, and just a few weeks ago completed the purchase of a junkyard.

“Because of what I learned in the Microenterprise class, I wrote a business plan which blew the pants off my banker and we got a loan for the junkyard,” Michelle said.

Diane Blanchard, manager of Microenterprise Assistance Program, talks to Michael Blosenhauer of Holley prior to graduation ceremonies Tuesday at the Village Inn. Blosenhauer is hoping to open a grocery store in his home town in coming months.

Graduates who shared their business plans were Michael Blosenhauer of Holley, who hopes to open a grocery store in his home town; Joseph Quill, who wants to expand the diesel repair shop he runs in Barre Center with his son Mike; Missy Rusin of Brockport, who proposes to run a record keeping and consulting business for child care providers; Lorie Soule of Waterport, with 30 years of experience as a notary public, who proposes a notary-on-demand service;

Natasha Wasuck, who with her husband John Hernandez, is opening a wedding/event venue and ice cream parlor on the Erie Canal in Albion; Jennifer Beherns of Scottsville, who has 14 years experience in medical billing and wants to start her own ambulance billing service; Lauren Blair, who was employed at the Whole Approach Health and Wellness Center in Holley and has now purchased the business; James Kusmierczak of Medina, who discovered the benefits of hemp after having pancreatitis and now hopes to begin by selling it online, followed by the eventual opening of a brick and mortar store; and Rebecca and Brian Alexander of Albion who have built a mobile wood-fired pizza truck.

The Alexanders brought their truck to the Village Inn, where MAP graduates got a first-hand look at the wood-fired oven and how as many as six pizzas can be cooked at once. They have used it in their back yard to cook everything from pizza to the Thanksgiving turkey, Rebecca said. They traveled to Colorado to learn the business and have spent the last six months perfecting their own recipes.

They plan to take the mobile pizza truck to farmers’ markets, private parties and special events.

Each of the graduates shared how much money they would need for start-up costs and what they hoped to borrow in low-interest loans.

Michael Webster and Dorothy Daniels also completed the MAP class but weren’t at the graduation ceremony.

Graduates of the recent Microenterprise Assistance Program posed for this picture during graduation ceremonies Tuesday at the Village Inn. Seated, from left, are Dick Petitte with the Small Business Development Center; Orleans Legislator Ken DeRoller; Diane Blanchard, manager of MAP; Sam Campanella with the Small Business Development Center; and Jon Costello, a certified SCORE mentor. At rear are, from left, Lorie Soule, Michael Blosenhaur, Jim Kusmierczak, Joe Quill, Jennifer Beherns, Natasha Wasuck, Rebecca Alexander, Lauren Blair  and Missy Rusin.

Press Release, GCC

BATAVIA – As Genesee Community College celebrated an all-encompassing and momentous commencement weekend for its students, the college administration, staff and faculty took a few hours to acknowledge and celebrate each other’s accomplishments and dedication that go “beyond expectations.”

“In the spirit of commencement and the hard work of our students, GCC recognizes the dedication of our faculty and staff who go beyond expectations in helping our students succeed,” said GCC President James Sunser. “And so, for a few hours, we close non-essential offices and celebrate our successes as a team.”

Perhaps the most prestigious honors recognized at this ceremony were the 2019 State University of New York Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence bestowed upon seven of GCC’s finest.

Receiving the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service which recognizes consistently superior service contributions of teaching faculty over multiple years, was Professor of Spanish, Kathleen A. Kimber.

Kimber became a member of GCC’s faculty in 1997 and immediately got directly involved with the campus and community. Regularly using her Spanish fluency, Kimber goes above and beyond her duties as a professor to assist in translations, donating countless hours over the years. On multiple occasions, she has served as a medical translator in Honduras – an experience Kimber shares in the classroom providing real-life learning opportunities to her students.

Kimber has chaired and co-chaired many initiatives on campus, collaborated and contributed to grant writing opportunities and campus governance topics, student and faculty mentoring relationships, consistently and clearly demonstrating her commitment to service. Kimber was also the recipient of a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities in 2011 and for Excellence in Teaching in 2004. Kimber earned her Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology Integration from Pennsylvania State University Online, her M.A. from Indiana University, and her B.A. in Spanish from SUNY Potsdam. Kimber resides in Naples.

Recognizing consistently superior professional achievement, the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service was awarded to Student Activities Specialist, Kristen E. Mruk. Mruk, of Lancaster, joined the GCC professional services team in 2013 and since then has completely transformed GCC’s Leadership Certificate Program into an online program making it more accessible and relevant to today’s students.

Additionally, Mruk revised the Student Orientation process to improve new student experiences, and has supported students transition to college through supplemental online programs and working closely with GCC’s six campus centers. All of these efforts and Mruk’s countless hours analyzing data, collaborating with colleagues and implementing new tools have allowed her to execute ideas to improve student participation and satisfaction. She is also actively involved with the Association of College Unions International (ACUI), the College Student Personnel Association of New York State (CSPA-NYS) currently serving as its President Elect, and has been serving as a volunteer with SABAH (Spirited Athletes Bold at Heart) in Buffalo for 20 years. Mruk earned her M.S. in College Student Personnel Administration from Canisius College and her B.A. in Communication from SUNY Buffalo.

For Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, Director of Humanities, JoNelle R. Toriseva received a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. Toriseva’s passion for scholarship and creativity have been evident through all she has accomplished since joining GCC in 2011. The highlight of Toriseva’s career so far was her work in spearheading the development of GCC’s Scholarship Symposium. Now an annual signature event for GCC, it not only presents the accomplishments of our students and employees by demonstrating and celebrating their creative achievements, but it supports and encourages a culture of research, academic excellence, and innovation as well.

Toriseva has presented at various national, state, and local conferences and published award-winning writing. She brings to the classroom a lifetime of interesting accomplishments and experiences and continues to research and develop collaborative efforts within the college and local community to enhance scholarship and creativity opportunities for all. Toriseva received her M.F.A. in English, Creative Writing from Mills College, her M.A. in English and her B.S. in Spanish Education from Bemidji State University, and her B.A. in Spanish & Speech Communication from Concordia College. Toriseva resides in Rochester.

Receiving the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes consistently superior teaching at the graduate, undergraduate, or professional level of the highest quality was Associate Professor of History, Derek D. Maxfield. Since his hire in 2009, Maxfield has been actively involved in GCC’s campus community and dedicated to providing students with an exceptional learning experience.

Described by many as a gifted storyteller, Maxfield has a way of reaching students in the classroom that is memorable. He incorporates applied learning, which gets his students beyond the classroom and experiencing the preservation of history on the ground, has created unique and engaging assignments, created new courses, and coordinates the GCC History Club’s Historical Horizons Lecture Series. Maxfield’s first book, “Hellmira: The Union’s Most Infamous POW Camp of the Civil War” is being published this fall. Maxfield holds an M.A. in History from Villanova University and a B.A. in History from SUNY Cortland. He currently resides in Churchville.

The SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching recognizes consistently superior teaching at the graduate, undergraduate or professional level of the highest quality. Receiving this award was Adjunct Instructors Lori E. Kubik and John R. Molyneux.

Kubik, who lives in Attica, has been a member of GCC’s adjunct faculty since 2012 teaching several Grammar and English courses. In addition, she has been teaching in GCC’s Advanced Learning Program since its inception in 2015. Kubik creates and uses various educational techniques to ensure she reaches all students’ learning styles. Kubik is not only known for her unique ways to engage students, but also for her dedication to go above and beyond her duties as an adjunct teacher. Her breadth of knowledge, commitment to intellectual rigor dazzles students and faculty alike. It is very evident by all she does that she is truly invested in our college, community, and most importantly, our students. Kubik earned her M.S. and B.A. in Secondary English Education from the State University College at Buffalo.

Molyneux has been a member of GCC’s adjunct faculty since 2002 and has taught a variety of courses in English, Literature and Speech. He is a veteran teacher with almost 50 years of teaching experience and is well known for his ability to connect with students. Molyneux is creative, innovative and passionate about educating. His dedication and motivation is an inspiration for all who cross his path. Molyneux is an exceptional instructor who is dedicated to bringing literacy instruction from the library to the classroom and beyond. As a result, his class offerings are in high demand. Molyneux holds a B.A. in English from St. Francis University. He currently resides in Henrietta.

The final SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence was presented to Maureen P. Goodsell, Admissions Data Entry Operator for Excellence in Classified Service. This award is a system-level award established to give recognition for superior performance and extraordinary achievement by employees in the Classified Service. These awards demonstrate SUNY’s commitment to individuals who provide superior service to its students and the community at large.

Goodsell came to GCC in 1999 and has been dedicated to mastering her role and has accomplished a great deal of work beyond the outline of her position description. Goodsell is a wealth of knowledge, a valuable resource for students and staff, and possess extraordinary customer service skills. She is a creative thinker, always flexible with the ever-changing times, and enthusiastic about all she does. Goodsell continually strives to fulfill and exceed all the expectations of her position in an effort to better herself and GCC. She is a role model when it comes to work ethic and a great leader. Goodsell earned her A.A.S in Business Administration from Genesee Community College. She currently resides in Batavia.

Photos courtesy of Sue Starkweather Miller

ALBION – Margy Brown (left), president of Albion Board of Education, congratulates Kamie Feder on being named Albion’s 2019 Educator of the Year.

Feder was recognized on Monday during a teacher and staff recognition program. Feder started working at Albion as a middle school art teacher in November 2005. She was filling a temporary position.

Feder, who was then Kamie Kozubal, proved to be a good fit for Albion and she enjoyed working at the district, Brown said.

The art teacher also found another match in Kevin Feder, a middle school teacher who is active with set construction in the school musicals.

“Mrs. Feder continues to be a match for her middle school students as well,” Brown said. “She has the energy and temperament needed to direct middle schoolers in the art classroom. That really takes the right match.”

Feder was praised for channeling the students’ creativity. Besides teaching them in the art classes, her students paint many of the scenes in the school musicals.

She also directs student sin creating pottery that is displayed and sold during an Empty Bowls event, with the proceeds going to the food pantry at Community Action. Empty Bowls is now in its 10^thyear.

“Mrs. Feder uses that middle school energy to empower students while instilling pride in their surroundings, themselves, and their ability to impact their world,” Brown said. “The recent mural project, her nominator noted, gave voice to and empowered students as they surveyed others and completed the project.”

Several teachers have attained tenure including, from left: Katharine Waite, administrator; David Kozar, middle school special education; Mark Skurzewski, fifth grade; April Patti, first grade; Kerri Griffin, sppech teacher; and Sheryl LeBaron, third grade. Missing from photo: Anna Atwater.

Anna Atwater, an elementary music teacher, is congratulated for receiving tenure by Wendy Kirby, a Board of Education member. BOE members Wayne Wadhams, left, and David Sidari also greeted Atwater after she attained tenure. (Kirby also was recognized for completing her five-year term on the BOE.)

The following retirees were recognized for their careers at Albion Central School: Shawn Liddle, Jeff Mitchell, Carlos Burroughs and Ellen Goff.

The retirees include Leslie Gates, middle school reading teacher, 31 years; Bonnie Day, teacher aide, 27 years; Maureen Bennett, typist, 25 years; Judy Azzolino, AIS, 30 years; Ellen Reichert Goff, special education, 34 years; Carlos Burroughs, PE, 31 years; Randy Knaak, athletic director, 33 years; James Wood, administrator, 28 years; Shawn Liddle, assistant superintendent for business, 22 years; and Jeff Mitchell, cleaner, 23 years.

The retirees will receive an engraved wooden bell. Additionally, a book has been purchased in each retiree’s honor and placed in the library of the building they worked in.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Maureen Sanderson, a volunteer at the Medina Tourist’s Center, and Jim Hancock, chair of the Medina Tourism Committee, stand in front of the Visitor’s Center which opened Memorial Day weekend in Rotary Park.

MEDINA – Memorial Day weekend is not only a sign summer is near, but it means the Medina Visitor’s Center is open and ready to greet visitors to the town.

The Visitor’s Center is run by the Medina Tourism Committee and first opened in 2009 in the office on Main Street shared by Western United Way and the American Red Cross. United Way’s director, the late Betty Hassall, was also the tourism person in the morning, and volunteers ran it afternoons, said Jim Hancock, chair of the Medina Tourism Committee.

In the early years, the Visitor’s Center was only open during July and August and had six volunteers.

Then came their move to the City Hall, where hours were expanded from Memorial Day to Labor Day. While that provided ample space, it was not the most ideal location because of its steep steps and distance from the canal. Many of its visitors are people boating or biking along the canal.

When the idea rose in 2018 to move to the Santa Claus house in Rotary Park, which was only used at Christmas time, the Tourism Committee jumped at the idea. The move was a positive one, as the number of visitors jumped from 90 the previous year to just shy of 200 in 2018, Hancock said.

Last year, visitors came from 29 states and three foreign countries.

The Tourism Committee is looking for more volunteers to supplement about a dozen who already run the Center.

Maureen Sanderson has been volunteering at the Medina Visitor’s Center for nearly three years. Here, she shows off one of Medina T-shirts for sale, which reads, “Barge into Medina. Get that Erie feeling.”

One of those volunteers is Maureen Sanderson, who is in her third year volunteering there.

“I love Medina and I like to talk to people about our town,” Sanderson said. “I always wanted to be a greeter.”

“People come from everywhere, and it’s nice to have someone in the Visitor’s Center who’s been around Medina all their life,” Hancock said.

Jim Hancock greets Marguerite Sherman, a new volunteer at the Medina Visitor’s Center. She showed up for her first day with grandson, 3-month-old Henry Rosenbeck.

Hancock himself couldn’t be prouder of Medina, and boasted for a town of only 6,100, it’s pretty incredible there are at least 10 great places to eat in the business district.

The Visitor’s Center has plenty of free handouts for visitors, including pamphlets, maps and rack cards. In addition, there is a small selection of tourist items for sale, such as Medina T-shirts, mugs and postcards.

“We have stuff I believe even residents of Medina would be interested in,” Hancock said.

The Visitor’s Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Anyone interested in volunteering for a day or just a few hours can contact Hancock at 798-2118.

Dr. Kaci Schiavone was the keynote speaker at the 33rd annual Top 10 dinner on Monday at Hickory Ridge Golf Course and Country Club.

HOLLEY – The top 10 graduates at four school districts n Orleans County were told their small-town roots will serve them well as they head to the next stage of their lives.

Dr. Kaci Schiavone, a 2009 graduate from Holley, last year earned her medical doctorate degree from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo. She is currently a general surgery resident physician at the University of Rochester.

Her training requires her to care for critically ill patients while engaging in multi-disciplinary surgical setting. Upon completing the five-year residency program, Schiavone will continue training in a more specialized surgical fellowship.

She admitted during her speech that she often wondered if she was ill-prepared for the rigorous coursework, especially compared to her classmates, who typically came from more affluent school districts or prep schools.

“You’re likely to meet many people who had very different upbringings than you had and they’ll lack the perspective you’ve garnered by being raised here,” Schiavone told about 200 people at the Top 10 dinner. “You may not realize it yet but there is immeasurable value in that perspective.”

More of her classmates drove luxury vehicles than had ever been to a farm.

“They predominantly went to large high schools where they didn’t know most of the students they graduated with,” she said. “And in the beginning of my life outside of high school, that made me feel like an outsider. It took me time to realize though that that difference was not something to make me feel inferior, but should be a point of pride.

“As a product of this place, you are all endowed with a deep sense of community. There is a feeling of belonging, an understanding that the people around you are all connected to you, and that they all play a role in your development as a person, no matter how small their role is.  That sense of community will guide you when you leave here and hopefully you will infect others with it as you interact with new people and places.”

Abrianna Kruger of Holley is congratulated for being in Holley’s Top 10. She is shaking hands with Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature. County Legislator Bill Eick is at left. Brian Bartalo, the Holley school district superintendent, is next to Johnson.

Schiavone said the seniors who are soon to graduate will see their lives speed up.

“You should be excited, but wherever it is you’re headed, remember where you came from,” she told the Top 10. “While I have spent every year since graduation in one city or another, I am so appreciative that I was raised out here, in the country.  I have met plenty of people – good people with good intentions – who have a hard time truly understanding what matters in life.”

Dr. Schiavone offered the Top 10 some advice if they are feeling overmatched in college or in their careers.

“If you find yourself in that position, I encourage you to do what I did: call your mom, take five minutes to cry, and then fight through it,” she said. “It may mean that you need to recalibrate, adjust, or just work a little harder, but you have already shown that you are smart and hardworking and that you have it in you to succeed.”

Her mother is Karri Schiavone, Holley’s elementary school principal. Her father Dan Schiavone is a dentist in Holley.

Julie Christensen, Kendall school district superintendent, hugs Morgan Davis, one of Kendall’s honor grads.

Kaci Schiavone urged the Top 10 to face adversity and challenges head on.

“Do not run away from it when it is no longer easy,” she said. “It is not meant to be. You don’t grow by taking on the easy tasks. And growth is really the meaning of life. It is what will keep your life interesting and will make you feel as if you are moving toward something. To that extent, you must treat your accomplishments as rest stops and less so as final destinations.”

Schiavone also highlighted her fiancé, Michael Pretsch, who graduated from Holley in 2007. He didn’t push himself too hard as a Holley student, but he has since graduated from law school and is a lawyer.

“It is important to use high school and the work you’ve put in so far as a foundation and not as a definition of who you are,” Schiavone said. “What you have attained to date will always be a part of you, but there will also be so much more.”

Anna Oakley of Kendall is congratulated by Lynne Johnson. Nadine Hanlon, president of the Kendall Board of Education, is next to Johnson.

The Top 10 at the four school districts include:

• Holley — Emily Bibby, Neila Hand, McKenzie Hill, Abrianna Kruger, Shawna Lusk, Madison Marsh, Gregory Morrill, Lexianne Seewagen, Anastasiya Yaroshchuk and Kristina Yaroshchuk.

• Kendall — Ryan Barrett, Ethan Billings, Jessica Coble, Morgan Davis, Matthew DiNatale, Michael Gardner, Peter Gilman, Hunter Menze, Anna Oakley and John Rath.

• Lyndonville — Justin Corser, Hannah Despard, Grace Hayes, Noah Heinsler, Tamara Huzair, Anna Lewis, Sage Moore, Natalie Ostrowski, Jocelyn Plummer and Carly-Grace Woodworth.

• Medina — Emma Baldwin, Alissa Blount, Jessica Granchelli, Margaret Griffin, Kaela Grosslinger, Kody Leno, Raymond Paull, Cora Payne, Jonathan Pietrafesa and Kali Schrader.

Grace Hayes of Lyndonville is greeted by Jason Smith, Lyndonville’s school district superintendent.

Margaret Griffin of Medina is congratulated by Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.

Anna Lewis of Lyndonville accepts her awards from Lyndonville school officials, including her father Ted Lewis (left), who is president of the Board of Education.

Cora Payne and Jonathan Pietrafesa of Medina look over the certificates and plaques they received for their academic excellence.

Provided photo

EAGLE HARBOR – The Eagle Harbor United Methodist Church on Sunday donated $1,000 to the ROCovery FITness Outreach Center. Pastor Susan Boring, left, and Kyle Syck announce the church’s donation to the Rochester organization.

The donation came from the mission money that was collected as a part of the church’s Lenten journey this spring.

ROCovery FITness on Dewey Avenue is a “sober active community center.” The programs are free and open to anyone with 48 hours of continuous sobriety.

The center offers services ranging from running, body conditioning, weight lifting, cycling, hiking, yoga, meditation, planned trips, social events and other activities for people recovering from addiction in Western New York.

ROCovery FITness also offers peer support and connections to treatment/community resources.

Photos courtesy of Orleans County 4-H Program

Orleans County 4-H members competed in the Western District Fashion Revue on Saturday at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County in Ellicottville.

The top photo shows 4-Hers from Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Wyoming and Orleans counties taking part in the annual event. Participants modeled their own sewing creations in a fashion show and then enjoyed a tour of the Nannen Arboretum and lunch before returning home.

Six of the Orleans County 4-Hers were able to attend. They are all members of the Adventurers Club based in Barre.

In the front row, from left, includes Dennis Mathes, Shania Mathes and Izzy McCoy. Back row: Allison Mathes, Lillian Mathes and Sarah Mathes.

Provided photos from Medina Marching Band

The Sherburne community in Chenango County hosted its 70th Annual Sherburne Pageant of Bands from Thursday through Saturday.

This pageant is the oldest and longest running event of its kind in the state. The Sherburne community , the Volunteer Fire Department and the Sherburne-Earlville Central School District come together to sponsor this event.

There were 44 schools from around the state that participated and this was Medina’s first year at the competition. Medina was in Class AA for every event they performed in.

In concert band Medina competed against four other schools and won first place with a score of 96. In Jazz, the Mustangs competed against two other schools and won first place with a score of 97.5. In Small Ensemble, Medina performed a saxophone quartet and earned first place with a score of 96.5.

The parade is a big event with 44 schools performing and the people in town begin setting up their chairs on Friday night up and down the 3-mile route. In Class AA, Medina won first place with a score of 93.5,  first place in Color Guard  with 99 and 1st place in Drumline with 81.  Medina also earned awards for Best Overall Color Guard, Best in Class AA, Overall HS Award and the Band Director Award to Jim Steele.

This was the last competitive performance for the band in the 2018-2019 school year and the season will close with the Band Banquet on June 7.

MEDINA – A new season of classic car shows will begin this Friday in Medina’s Canal Basin. The cruise-in series has been an annual tradition in Medina for more than 20 years.

The classic car shows go from 5:30 to 8 p.m. They will be in the basin every Friday until the end of August, except on June 28 when the show shifts to the Orleans County Marine Park in Carlton and on July 26 when the cars are on display at the Orleans County 4-H Fair in Knowlesville.

The season culminates with the Super Cruise on Aug. 28, when a section of Main Street is closed for the cars and there is lots of entertainment. Terry Buchwald, an Elvis Presley impersonator, usually performs on a stage in the downtown for that event.

On the regular cruise-ins on Friday evenings, DJ Hank Nevins will be playing music.

The car shows typically attract a few hundred people to the downtown.

MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for prominent buildings made of Medina Sandstone that are well-maintained and architecturally significant.

Since the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame was created in 2013, the society has inducted churches, public buildings, private buildings and other ornamental buildings/structures, such as the Civil War Memorial at Mount Albion Cemetery.

The Hall of Fame has inducted 27 structures into the exclusive club. There are plaques for the inductees inside Medina City Hall at the main meeting room.

The Sandstone Society accepts nominations each year. So far, 54 places have been nominated. Don Colquhoun, one of the Hall of Fame Committee members, said many other prominent sites worthy of induction have yet to be nominated.

People can send their choices for induction directly to the Hall of Fame Committee of the Medina Sandstone Society by mailing the nomination to the Medina Sandstone Society, PO Box 25, Medina, N.Y., 14103. Or a nomination may be sent electronically using the online address: www.sandstonesociety.org/hof-nominations.

This year’s class could include nominations from previous years not already selected, and any new nominations received by July 31, Colquhoun said.

He is on the Hall of Fame Committee with Dave Miller and Jim Hancock. They will research all nominations and make a site visit. Criteria for consideration shall include age, beauty, longevity, structural soundness, and architectural uniqueness. If possible nomination information should have full background and documentation, and, at the very least, should give a name and phone number to be contacted for further information or a website.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Batavia is one of many churches in Western New York and beyond made of Medina Sandstone. Batavia is home to one Hall of Fame structure: the Richmond Memorial Library.