Provided photo: Albion resident Cheryl Kast, a physician assistant with the Albion Healthcare Center, examines a young patient at the facility.

ALBION – A physician assistant with the Albion Healthcare Center has been awarded the prestigious United Hero Award from United Healthcare.

Cheryl Kast is recipient of the award which recognizes healthcare professionals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to developing outstanding patient experiences, according to Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Orleans Community Health.

“Cheryl has consistently exceeded performance targets in three critical areas of patient experience surveys,” Robinson said.

She achieved 92% in getting needed care; 88% in care coordination; and 95% in provider-patient conversations.

These impressive achievements highlight Kast’s dedication to ensuring that her patients receive the highest quality of care and support, Robinson said. Her ability to connect with patients and effectively coordinate their care exemplifies what the primary care team at the Albion Healthcare Center strive to achieve.

“We are incredibly proud of Cheryl for this well-deserved recognition,” Robinson said. “Her commitment to patient care not only reflects her professionalism, but also sets a standard for excellence within our team.”

More information about Kast and the rest of the primary care team at the Albion Healthcare Center is available by calling (585) 589-CARE.

The winners have been announced in the annual Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor photo contest and two scenes in Orleans County are among the honored images.

Daniel Quatro of Albion won second place in the “Classic Canal” category while Jules Hoepting received an honorable mention.

In the 19th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest, judges select first, second, and third place winners in four contest categories as well as 12 honorable mentions from a field of 329 entries.

Winning photos may be viewed at www.eriecanalway.org/gallery/photo-contests.

Jules Hoepting, formerly of Albion and now a Perry resident, received an honorable mention for this winter scene of the the Erie Canal in the Gaines Basin. Her photo is entitled, “Winter Sunset.”

“These exceptional images are a perfect invitation to visit the Canalway Corridor and discover the richness of its history, recreational offerings, and communities,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. “We congratulate the winners and appreciate everyone who entered and shared the places and activities they love along New York’s extraordinary canals.”

Winning images can be viewed online and will be featured in the 2025 Erie Canalway Bicentennial calendar. The popular calendar will be available at no cost at libraries, visitor centers, and by request beginning in December. Funding support for the calendar is provided by the National Park Service and NYS Canal Corporation.

 “Year after year the stunning images contained throughout the calendar never cease to amaze me and Canal and history enthusiasts across New York State, as they showcase the diversity of the Erie Canal’s landscape, architecture, history, flora and fauna,” said Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton. “As we approach our bicentennial year, this year’s calendar is arguably the most important and exciting edition yet, and I can’t wait for you to see it.”

Sarah Woodhams of Pittsford won first place in “Canal Communities” with this photo of the Fairport Lift Bridge.

EAST SHELBY – Members of Medina High School’s Class of 1962 who have 80th birthdays this year met recently at East Shelby Fire Hall to reminisce and celebrate.

“We decided not to wait until our 65th reunion to gather again because at our age, you never know,” said Gerry Scott Zinkievich, a member of the class. “We enjoyed good food and good conversation and look forward to doing it again in 2027 for our 65th reunion.”

Gerry Zinkievich made this banner for the class of 1962. The date in the middle is interchangeable, so it can be used again and again.

Officers of the class were Dick Miller, president; Jack Kiebala, vice president; Anna Marie Pope, secretary; and Ann Rumble, treasurer. Miller is deceased, and the others all attended the reunion.

The Class of 1962 has the distinction of being the first sixth grade class to go into the new Oak Orchard Elementary School. Likewise, they were the first seventh grade class to attend Wise Middle School.

“We had to walk from the Middle School to the Elementary School for lunch because the Middle School did not yet have a cafeteria,” Zinkievich said.

They have met every five years since their 20th reunion, in addition to meeting in between for their 70th and 75th birthday years.

The class took up a donation for the Medina Scholarship Fund and hope to continue doing a scholarship every year from their Class of 1962.

A group of female classmates try to meet for lunch during the summer months so as to stay in touch. They recently got together at Alex’s in Batavia, where they discussed plans for the 80th birthday part and recalled that it was a much simpler time back when they were in school.

ALBION – The Albion Village Board will have a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Oct. 23 to hear from the community about reducing the speed limit on McKinstry Street from 30 to 25 miles per hour.

Village Trustee Greg Bennett suggested lowering the speed limit. He said McKinstry Street is a popular street in the village for students walking to school in the morning and then back home in the afternoon.

The village is considering whether to have the lowered speed limit from State Street or Park Street to East Avenue on McKinstry.

Bennett wanted the limit to be lower to 20 mph to match the school zone speed limit. But village attorney John Gavenda said the state doesn’t want villages to drop the speed limit below 25 mph.

Bennett said that is enough to slow down traffic, especially if there are signs on McKinstry noting the slower speeds. Village officials will do more work before the public hearing to determine if there will be designated times for the lower speed. Bennett said it could just be for an hour in the mornings and afternoons when students are on foot.

Press Release, United Way of Orleans County

KNOWLESVILLE – United Way of Orleans County and Cornell Cooperative Extension announce the launch of their new project, Orleans Connected Healthy Educated Food Systems (CHEFS).

Inspired by the success of the Stone Soup program, the United Way and CCE worked together to secure a $200,000 grant from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York’s Blue Fund.

The new CHEFS program will offer three classes to accommodate both new and returning participants.

The first class is similar to Stone Soup. Participants will learn how to prepare cost effective meals using the Kitchen Kits that are provided. Once they have completed the course, participants will have the skills and confidence they need to prepare nutritious meals at home. They will also be prepared for the two new CHEFS classes.

The second class covers Food as Medicine. Participants in this program will receive a health tracker and learn about the role of food in managing blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol.

In the third class, which covers practical cooking, participants will receive a lunch kit. Building on the kitchen skills developed in the first class, participants will learn more sophisticated kitchen skills to allow them to do meal prep and cook more complex dishes.

The Orleans CHEFS program will also continue the Fresh Food Rx. This allows Orleans County families to receive prescriptions, along with prepaid vouchers, from their primary care provider for fresh, local produce.

The United Way plans to begin convening a food systems working group after the start of the year to produce a food systems policy.

To find out more or sign up for one of the three classes, call 585-798-4265 or email asc355@cornell.edu.

Funding includes $405K grant, $2.8 million in financing

HOLLEY – The Village of Holley is among the recipients of $665 million announced today by Gov. Kathy Hochul to finance and help fund clean water projects around the state.

Holley has been approved for $2,061,338 in interest-free and $783,016 market-rate financing from the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and a $405,646 grant from the Water Infrastructure Improvement program for the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment plant upgrades and disinfection improvements.

Hochul today announced the Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved $665 million in financial assistance for water infrastructure improvement projects across New York State.

“No one in New York should ever fear that they don’t have access to clean water,” Governor Hochul stated in a news release. “With this funding, we are safeguarding the health and well-being of New Yorkers, providing critical resources to local economies, creating jobs and protecting our natural resources.”

Barre, Shelby wanted higher share, but settle on 40 percent

Map from AES: The 200 megawatt solar project in Barre and Shelby would be along Crane, Townline and Burns roads near the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

BARRE – A 200 megawatt solar project in Barre and Shelby will bring $900,000 annually in revenue to local governments, to be shared among two towns, three school districts and Orleans County.

The Orleans Economic Development Agency negotiated the host community agreement for the Hemlock Ridge Solar, discussions that started about 2 ½ years ago among the municipal leaders.

AES, owner of Hemlock Ridge, has agreed to pay $4,500 per megawatt to local governments or $900,000 total the first year, which is expected to be 2026. The amount will increase 2 percent after that. AES is hoping to start construction next summer on Hemlock Ridge with the project operational in 2026. The project is along Crane Road, Townline Road, and Burns Road about 5 miles southeast of Medina.

Typically, the Orleans EDA works out PILOT agreements (payment in lieu of taxes) and the local governments’ share is based on their tax rates. The school districts tend to have the highest tax rates and they get the largest amount among the towns and county in a typical PILOT.

But with Hemlock Ridge the entities agreed to not do a PILOT and base the revenue sharing on their tax rates. In that scenario, the towns would get the least of the revenue because their tax rates are less than the schools districts and county.

The host community agreement gives the two towns 40 percent of the total revenue, but Barre and Shelby wanted more.

The host community agreement hasn’t been made fully public, detailing the amounts for all the governments.

The Barre Town Board on Wednesday voted to accept its share. The project is 82 percent in the Town of Barre and 18 percent in Shelby. The towns together get 40 percent of the revenue or $360,000 the first year the project is operational.

Barre will get 82 percent of the money for the two towns or $295,200, while Shelby gets the other 18 percent or $64,800.

The two towns argued they should receive more than 40 percent because they are dealing with the impacts of the project and have done more work with the developer in siting it.

Barre with the Heritage Wind project will receive 75 percent of the local revenue through that host community agreement.

“We fought like hell but they wouldn’t budge,” Kathy Bennett, the Shelby town attorney, said about the county and school districts.

The Shelby Town Board is expected to finalize the agreement next month. The town also needs to sign a road use agreement during the construction phase of the project.

The Town of Barre also sought more funding, but town attorney Bridget O’Toole said the school districts and county wouldn’t go above 40 percent for the two towns.

“It was a very contentious negotiation with a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” she said after Wednesday’s Town Board meeting.

The County Legislature on Sept. 24 approved its share of the project, with the county amount varying on whether the solar panels are in the Albion, Medina or Oakfield-Alabama school districts.

The county will receive $1,008.90 per megawatt within the Albion school district (22.4 percent of total), $744.83 per megawatt within Oakfield-Alabama district (16.6 percent of the total), and $935.19 per megawatt for the project within Medina school district (20.8 percent).

The school districts, based on the county share and the 40 percent to the two towns, would get the following: 37.6 percent to Albion for the area in ACS; 43.4 percent of Oakfield-Alabama for the land in the project in that district; and 39.2 percent to Medina school district for the area in that district.

After 10 years, another $500 per megawatt will be added to host community agreement and that additional $100,000 a year will go to the two towns with Barre getting 82 percent, O’Toole said.

File photo by Tom Rivers: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer holds a photo of a finished factory for Edwards Vacuum during a celebration on Aug. 6 in front of the company’s manufacturing facility that has been under construction since April.

Press Release, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer

TOWN OF ALABAMA – After announcing that Edwards Vacuum plans to build manufacturing facility in Western New York two years ago, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced Edwards Vacuum has reached a $18 million preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) funding agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce under the CHIPS & Science Law he championed.

This proposed federal funding will support Edwards Vacuum’s plans to build its new $300+ million dry pump manufacturing facility for the semiconductor industry, the first of its kind in the country, as there is currently no domestic production of semiconductor-grade dry vacuum pumps.

“This investment will ensure an essential part of the semiconductor supply chain – that will be surging in demand – is made right here in Genesee County,” Schumer said. “I am proud to announce my CHIPS & Science Law is investing $18 million in Edwards Vacuum’s expansion in Western New York, creating the first dry pump vacuum manufacturing facility of its kind in America.”

Today’s proposed federal funding will support a planned $300+ million investment and 600+ good-paying jobs when the facility reaches full production capacity. Schumer explained all chip fabs need vacuum technology like what Edwards makes to power the sophisticated equipment and state-of-the-art machine tools needed to make microchips.

Those tools need and use vacuum pumps, like those that will now be made in Western New York, to manipulate the chip wafers to manufacture the finished microchips. By bringing manufacturing to New York, new chip fabs such as Micron and GlobalFoundries in New York, and Intel in Ohio can have access to critical dry pumps that will now be made in the U.S., offering chip producers shorter wait times, improved responsiveness, and reduced CO2 emissions from an American-made product.

This is the third agreement for a New York company from the CHIPS Incentives Program funded by Schumer’s CHIPS & Science Law. Earlier this year, Schumer announced that Micron, which plans to invest $100 billion over the next two decades – the largest private investment in New York’ s history – reached a $6.1 billion CHIPS PMT funding agreement.

In addition, GlobalFoundries in the Capital Region also reached an agreement for $1.5 billion in direct grant funding under his CHIPS  & Science Law to support a $12.5 billion public-private investment over the next ten plus years to expand and construct a second, new state-of-the-art computer chip factory in Malta, NY.

“This continued investment by the Biden administration is proof positive the value of our region as a ‘Tech Hub’ and America’s emerging semiconductor superhighway,” Schumer said. “Today, Edwards Vacuum’s plans to expand in Western NY move forward. And that dream becomes one step closer to becoming a reality thanks to my CHIPS & Science Law.”

The colors are changing on leaves around the state, with some places ahead of others.

In Orleans County, the changes are still early, with only 15 percent change in Albion “with muted-to-average red and yellow shades,” according to today’s Fall Foliage report released by I Love NY.

Erie and Genesee County are at about 30 percent change, with Wyoming at 65 percent, according to spotters highlighted in the report.

Other parts of the state are near peak foliage, including the higher elevations of the Adirondacks, the northern Catskills, the southwestern portion of the Finger Lakes and much of the southern portion of the Chautauqua-Allegheny region.

I Love NY released this report today of the fall foliage status around the state.

ALBION – A music video shoot planned for this Saturday at Bullard Park has been moved to the spring.

Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc. wants to create a video celebrating the recent upgrades to the park, including the splash pad, new pavilions, amphitheater, walking trail, disc golf course, basketball courts, a scoreboard for the football field, a murals painted on a utility building.

The Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc. “G-ACRE” has a mission to create and provide for recreational activities, support volunteerism, and improve the quality of life in the greater Albion community.

ALBION – The Orleans County Board of Elections will have a voter registration day on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the BOE office, 14016 State Route 31, Suite 140.

The BOE also held a local registration day on Oct. 5.

Eligible New York voters have until Oct. 26 to register to vote in the general election on Nov. 5.

Voters unsure of whether they are already registered to vote can check their registration status at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

MEDINA/ALBION – Operation Honor, a group that raises funds to assist local veterans, is planning a 5K in Medina on Nov. 9 and the group for the first time will lead Wreaths Across America at Mount Albion on Dec. 14.

The annual 5K starts and ends at the Junior Wilson Sportsman Club on Bates Road. Oct. 11 is the deadline to sign up and receive a free shirt. Participants can sign up after that but won’t be guaranteed a shirt. Click here to sign up.

Operation Honor is a 501(c)3 non-profit that supports veterans in Orleans County, helping to cover utility bills, car payments, or purchasing heating pellets for veterans in need. Operation Honor assisted one veteran with the cost of registering a wheelchair-adapted van.

The organization this year joined in Wreaths Across America, where remembrance wreaths will be placed at the newer veterans’ section. The wreaths are $17 each and can be purchased online (click here).

There will be a ceremony at noon on Dec. 14 at the cemetery.

Press Release, Community Coalition for Justice

Patrick Golden

ALBION – The U.S. economy is certainly interconnected with its politics. In this highly charged political atmosphere we are experiencing a number of developments which include the moderation of inflation, a slight lowering of the interest rate, etc.

The Community Coalition for Justice has invited Patrick Golden, principal analyst for Consumer Affairs and Protection for the NYS Assembly and Counsel, to help us make sense of what is going on.

Golden will address the current economic situation in the U.S., how it relates to the political climate and provide us with a glimpse of what is ahead.  He will give a presentation at 6:30 p.m. at the Hoag Library on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Golden is a graduate of Kendall High School and St. Bonaventure University. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from SUNY Albany.

A discussion will follow the presentation, and will include a question and answer period.

The Community Coalition for Justice includes the Albion Betterment Committee, Pullman Universalist Church, Hoag Library, People Embracing Diversity and the Social Justice Committee.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Brody Hoffmeister and his wife Jenna Pangrazio stand behind the counter in Rudy’s Soda Bar and Cafe. The business will be honored by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce as the Small Business of the Year.

MEDINA – When Brody Hoffmeister and his wife Jenna Pangrazio took over his family’s business in 2020, they knew they would have big shoes to fill, but didn’t realize what a challenge they faced.

Now, with Rudy’s Soda Bar and Café being recognized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce as their Small Business of the Year, Hoffmeister hopes things are looking up.

Rudy’s was first started in 1988 by Hoffmeister’s grandparents, Joseph and Debra Russo. Then his mother Kelly Duffield stepped in and ran it until she died of cancer in October 2019, and Hoffmeister was thrust into running the establishment much sooner than he expected.

As if that wasn’t enough, soon after he took over, Covid hit and the restaurant was forced to close in March 2020. When they did reopen, it was for take-out only, and unfortunately, they lost employees and customers, many of whom have not come back.

The couple, however, is determine to turn the restaurant around from surviving to thriving.

“Winning the Chamber award was a surprise and humbling, and a much-needed boost,” Hoffmeister said. “We want to do what people want. I’ve spent a lot of time making sure this place survives.”

Earlier in the year Hoffmeister was on a path to change. Personally, he has lost 100 pounds. On the business side, he thought a change in the menu and décor might be welcome and he teamed up with a branding and graphic design firm to implement a change, a decision that didn’t pay off.

At their suggestion, he revamped the menu and began renovations to create a 1950s diner look.

He soon discovered, however, the new menu was not catching on.

“Sometimes you have to look through the forest to see the trees,” Hoffmeister said. “Our customers weren’t coming back. So we are going back to our old menu. Daily specials and homemade soups. Turkey dinners on Thursdays and fish on Fridays. And real mashed potatoes.”

He said his focus will continue to be quality over quantity and he invites customers to come back and check it out.

Overall, he said Rudy’s is a generational thing.

“It’s forging of bonds and the commitment of building something together that ultimately is bigger than everyone involved,” Hoffmeister said.

Of his menu he said, “If we are going to do specials, they are going to be good.”

Rudy’s, 118 West Center St., is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.