By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 March 2019 at 10:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion seventh-graders created 170 bowls in pottery class that were available for $5 each on Thursday during the 10th annual Empty Bowls event at the middle school. The $5 include a bowls of cheese and broccoli soup.
Proceeds from the sale of the bowls will go to the food pantry at Community Action. The event typically raises about $800 to $1,000 for the food pantry.
Michael Bonnewell, the Albion school district superintendent, looks on the bottom of a bowl to see which student made it.
The bowls were made in an art class led by Kamie Feder. The bowls also included origami.
Isaac Hickman, left, and Ethan Merrill help sell some of the bowls during Thursday’s event.
The event was expanded on Thursday to include a literacy night. The Albion Teachers Association, led by President Chris Keller (left), gave away books to students who attended the evening.
Hoag Library also was part of the literacy promotion, and had games for students. The middle school library also had a book fair.
There were many science, math and literacy activities at the school during the evening, including a chance to make slime and figure out an escape room set up in the gym.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 March 2019 at 9:05 am
Historic Masonry Workshop returns Saturday after being sold out
Provided photo: Brian Daddis leads a hands-on workshop on historic masonry last Saturday at the Cobblestone Museum’s schoolhouse. Daddis demonstrates the correct method to remove failing mortar in the cobblestone schoolhouse basement.
GAINES – The Cobblestone Museum doesn’t open for the season until June 1, but the museum has already had a packed schedule of events before opening day.
The museum is teaming with the Landmark Society of Western New York for a workshop on historic masonry. Brian Daddis, who specializes in repairs to historic masonry, is leading the class. The workshop was sold out last Saturday, which prompting the museum and Landmark Society to offer the program again on Saturday.
The workshop includes a class discussion, which is held in the Cobblestone Universalist Church. The students do hands-on work in the basement of the cobblestone school.
The workshop focuses on the repointing process for reconditioning mass stone composite basement walls. Daddis also discusses the different methods for removing old mortar, mixing lime mortar, placing fresh lime pointing mortar, curing the lime mortar, and finishing techniques.
• The museum for the second season is teaming with Patricia Greene, a Medina artist, for a Sunday Painters class. The fourth Sunday each month, beginning in January, Greene leads art workshops with students completing a painting at each session.
The topics include:
January 27 – Black & White & Shades of Grey: Starting a foundation for painting.
February 24 – Glass: How to create the illusion of clear.
March 31 – Metal: Seeing metal for what it is.
April 28 – Drapery: Understanding the effects.
A grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is helping to fund the program.
• The museum also will take a bus load of people on a maple syrup tour to Angelica on March 30. This is the second time the museum has led a maple bus tour. Last month, the museum also organized a bus tour on Feb. 9 to the George Eastman House in Rochester to see the Dutch Bulb
• On April 14, the museum will host an old-time fiddle music concert featuring a band called Elderberry Jam. The eight musicians will play music with fiddles, guitars, a banjo, a hammered dulcimer, a mandolin and a bass.
• The museum will have its second annual membership dinner on May 1 at the remodeled Carlton Recreation Center. This event is catered by Zambistro in Medina and includes a live and silent suction. Last year’s debut membership dinner raised more than $40,000 for the museum.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Christ Church was one of the stops last May in the Cobblestone Museum’s first progressive organ concert. Darryl Smith performed on the 1877 Steer & Turner Pipe Organ at Christ Church. The progressive organ concert returns this year on May 11, featuring three churches in Medina.
• A Progressive Organ Concert returns on May 11. Last year it featured organs at Albion churches. This time the event with include three historic churches in Medina. The concerts will be held in progressive fashion at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Trinity Lutheran Church and St. John’s Episcopal Church. The meal, served at St. Mary’s, will be catered by Zambistro.
• The museum on May 18 will lead a bus tour of cobblestone structures in Monroe and Wayne counties, with a tour of the Alling Coverlet Museum and a lunch stop included.
Interact and exchange students get together for a group photo.
Photos courtesy of Sue Starkweather Miller, Albion Central School
Rotary exchange students at today’s panel discussion included Oline (Amsterdam) and Stephen (Australia), who are staying with families in Batavia; Jorge (Venezuela) is in Lockport; Janne (Germany) is in Holley; and Flora (Italy) is in Akron.
ALBION – The Albion High School Interact Club hosted a panel discussion this morning for area Interact groups from Holley, Akron, Lockport and Genesee County.
The panel consisted of Rotary exchange students from Italy, Australia, Germany, Venezuela and Amsterdam. They spoke about their experiences as exchange students and why they decided to participate in the program.
They also shared similarities and differences with their education system and ours, extra-curricular activities, food, shopping, entertainment, culture, and general perceptions of their experiences in the USA.
All of the exchange students felt the program is a worthwhile experience and they seem very open to trying anything and everything while here. They participate in athletics, theater, guitar lessons, and skiing. Many had never before experienced our winter weather or snow days and weren’t adequately prepared for the weather!
The panel was a way for the Interact clubs and their advisors to meet, share ideas, coordinate activities, and gain a more global perspective from the exchange students.
This event was so well received that the Interact advisors will continue to meet annually.
Tim Archer, Albion’s Interact advisor, leads the panel discussion. Albion has had an active Interact club since 2001.
Holley Interact students, including Callie Updike (standing at left), shared a list of activities that they are part of in the Holley community. The students assist with fall cleanup at Hillside Cemetery, participate in the PTSA elementary school dances, pack bags for Santa’s community visit, help with the school lunch buddy program, donate to the Evan Strong Fundraiser and the Andie Carpenter Scholarship, and collect books for Ronald McDonald House. They will also collect toiletries for the homeless in Rochester, and hold a “Soles 4 Souls” shoe drive (they have already collected 500 pairs of shoes in the last two years).
ALBION – Albion student Mariah Plain is pictured with Cathy Fox, president of the American Legion Auxiliary in Orleans County President and Empire Girls State Chairperson.
Mariah, a high school junior, has been accepted to Empire Girls State. The American Legion Auxiliary sponsors Girls State, which will take place at Brockport State College from June 30 to July 6.
Girls State is open to juniors in the top third of their class. It is an experiential “government-in-learning” program that helps young women develop leadership skills as they learn about ideals and principles of government. Students participate in a variety of Americanism activities including flag raising/lowering ceremonies and learning proper flag etiquette.
Mariah is hoping to get into the Air Force Academy next year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2019 at 8:47 pm
ALBION – A Medina man was sentenced to 3 years in state prison today by Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church.
Collen Poole pleaded guilty on Nov. 29 to a felony drug charge just before he was to go on trial, and could have faced a longer sentence if found guilty.
Poole, represented by attorney Robert Fogg of Buffalo, has tried to withdraw his plea, saying he thought the plea also included a separate assault charge. Poole also said he only had 2 grams of cocaine, which he said was a smaller amount than the charge of fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Judge Church adjourned Poole’s sentencing a week. It was originally set for last Thursday. The judge said he reviewed the transcript of the plea and the assault charge was never mentioned. He said Poole made “a knowing and voluntary plea,” and was in a sound mind on Nov. 29. Judge Church decided against granting Poole’s motion to withdraw the plea, and sentenced him to 3 years in prison, the longest sentence possible as part of the plea deal.
Poole was on parole when police and state parole officers searched his residence on March 1, 2018. They found cocaine, marijuana and pills identified as Hydrocodone and Ecstasy.
Poole’s attorney said Poole went nearly a decade in between the felonies. He said Poole’s actions were driven by a drug addiction. The attorney asked the judge for a lesser sentence that would also include drug treatment.
Judge Church urged Poole to take advantage of any drug treatment programs offered in prison.
In other cases,
• A former Albion resident was sentenced to a year in jail for violating her probation. Amber L. Heveron, 30, now of Medina, was on probation for grand larceny after allegedly stealing heavy-duty batteries from tractors and trucks throughout Genesee County in 2016.
• A Batavia man pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree.
Dominic Bennett, 27, will face a maximum of six months in jail and five years in probation as part of a plea deal.
He was in a one-car accident on Oct. 27 on Route 31 in Albion, and was taken by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. He has recovered from his injuries.
He will be sentenced on June 13.
• Michael J. Miller II, 44, of Medina pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and faces a maximum of six months in jail and five years of probation when he is sentenced on may 30.
He was charged on Sept. 22 on Townline Road in Yates and registered a .24 BAC, which is three times the legal limit.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2019 at 2:58 pm
ALBION – Two Rochester men were arraigned in Orleans Court today for allegedly selling heroin and fentanyl in Orleans County.
Oscar Rivera, 23, and Jonathan Velasquez, 25, both are charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. They allegedly sold heroin and fentanyl in June.
Rivera is in Orleans County Jail on $20,000 bail. Velaquez, who faces a possible federal charge for illegal possession of a weapon, is in Livingston County Jail on $50,000 bail.
In another case in County Court today, a Michigan man was arraigned after he was arrested in November for allegedly transporting over 100 grams of marijuana to Orleans County.
William Q. Nowak, 41, also allegedly had a large quantity of concentrated cannabis in the form of edible chocolate and edible candies made with concentrated cannabis all within his vehicle.
He was arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree and criminal possession of marijuana in the fourth degree.
Nowak told the court he has recently moved to Ohio. He is free after posting a $50,000 bond in the Shelby Town Court.
All three defendants entered not guilty pleas today.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2019 at 2:31 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club and Rotary Interact students are serving ham dinners today from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Albion, 29 East State St.
Albion Rotarians Alex Krebs, left, and Bruce Landis are pictured on Wednesday, preparing the coleslaw for today’s dinner.
Proceeds from the dinner will go towards a school in rural Guatemala and other Rotary-sponsored charities.
People can eat in at the church or there are take-outs. For the first time the Rotary Club also will have a drive-up option for getting the dinners.
Don Bishop gets the potatoes ready for the meal. The Rotary Club typically serves about 250 dinners for the annual event.
Press Release, Department of Environmental Conservation
TOWN OF ALABAMA – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will host a public information session to provide information and answer questions about recently completed habitat management plans for John White Wildlife Management Area (WMA), located in the town of Alabama, Genesee County, and Oak Orchard WMA, located in the towns of Alabama and Oakfield, Genesee County, and the towns of Barre and Shelby, Orleans County.
The session will take place on Wednesday, March 27, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Town of Alabama Fire Department (Station 1), 2230 Judge Road, in the hamlet of South Alabama. The session will begin with an informal open house from 6:30 to 7 p.m., with DEC staff available for discussion. A formal presentation will begin at 7 p.m.
The fire department is wheelchair accessible. Please contact DEC Biologist Michael Palermo at (585) 226-5383 with any specific requests for accommodations.
“DEC is dedicated to maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitats on the John White and Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Areas to benefit declining wildlife species like black terns, sedge wrens, and least bitterns, and popular game animals like pheasant, turkey, and deer,” said Regional Director Paul D’Amato. “We look forward to engaging with the public about these habitat management plans and continuing to provide opportunities for outdoor recreation.”
John White WMA consists of 329 acres that are primarily grassland in the Town of Alabama. Large grasslands are a relatively scarce habitat type in Western New York, and the grasslands on the WMA are important to several species, including bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows, horned larks, northern harriers, and short-eared owls.
Oak Orchard WMA consists of 2,554 acres that are primarily wetland in the towns of Barre and Shelby, Orleans County; towns of Oakfield and Alabama, Genesee County; Town of Newstead, Erie County; and Town of Royalton, Niagara County.
Wetlands on the WMA are extensive and diverse, composed of emergent marsh, scrub-shrub swamp, and forested wetlands. Some large grassland fields also occur on this WMA.
Habitat management goals for both WMAs are to maintain a diversity of wetland and upland habitats that benefit a wide range of resident and migrating wildlife species, including several rare and declining species.
DEC will continue to actively manage these WMAs to benefit wildlife, while using best management practices. Planned management activities include: (1) timber harvests to improve forest health; (2) manipulation of water-levels in wetland impoundments; (3) mowing and replanting of grassland fields; and (4) control of invasive plant species.
The meeting will include a presentation about the history of management on these WMAs, specific activities and locations for the planned management actions, an overview of forest habitat management, and a question and answer period.
The habitat management plan for John White WMA can be found on DEC’s website. The habitat management plan for Oak Orchard WMA can also be found on DEC’s website. For more information about this event please call (585) 226-5383.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2019 at 1:03 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Ulrich Signs in Lockport works on a new sign for North Point Chapel, which owns the former United Methodist Church building at the corner of Platt and East State streets in Albion.
North Point started as a congregation about three years ago. It first met in the Hoag Library before going to the Arnold Gregory Office Complex. About two years ago North Point went to the United Methodist building after that congregation left the building and now shares space at Christ Church with the Episcopalians.
The new sign was unveiled at about 12:30 p.m. today.
“We’re now official,” Mike Outten, the church’s pastor, said about the sign and the church’s presence in the community.
He likes the sign’s style, which he said blends “the 19th Century with the 21st Century.”
Outten said North Point will add gooseneck lights above the sign to illuminate it. An electrician will be arriving next week to discuss the project.
North Point Chapel has 10:30a.m. Sunday services at the church building which was constructed in 1860, and other ministry programs during the week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2019 at 8:24 am
Photos courtesy of Lyndonville Fire Department
LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville firefighters last week tried out new extrication tools the department purchased.
A fund drive that included $16,000 from community donations helped pay for the new tools.
“We would like to thank all who donated to our fund drive, which covered more than half the cost of the tools,” said Fire Chief Ben Bane. “Without the support of our community we wouldn’t have been able to purchase these.”
The new Genesis extrication tools include a new cutter, spreader and ram. They are replacing tools that are more than 20 years old, Bane said. The department purchased the extrication tools from Jeff Lyons in Medina, who is a Genesis dealer.
Lyndonville firefighters are pictured last Wednesday with the new equipment.
Firefighters became familiar with the new tools by opening jammed doors and cutting metal on a car.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2019 at 9:51 pm
Group needs minimum $50K by March 2020 for matching grant
MEDINA – The Medina Skate Society received a $10,000 anonymous donation to bring its fundraising to $22,000 towards a revamped skate park.
That $10,000 followed the news on March 14 that Medina was approved for a Tony Hawk & Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation Built-To-Play Skatepark Grant. The grant is for a minimum $50,000 if the community can raise that money by March 2020. The grant goes up to $250,000 in matching funds.
The Medina Skate Society is being assisted in the fundraising by the Orleans Renaissance Group, which is acting as our pass-through agency to collect donations and then gift them to the Village of Medina for the construction of the skatepark.
Alex Feig, the Medina Skate Society president, welcomes donations of all amounts. He encourages donors who want to give $100 or more to go through the websites for either the Medina Skate Society or the Orleans Renaissance Group.
The Skate Society also has set up a GoFundMe to facilitate in the fundraising.
Press Release, New York State Association of Counties
The 2019-20 NYS Budget proposals include reforming the criminal justice system, including the Pre-Trial Justice Reform Act that eliminates cash bail and pretrial detention for certain offences. State leaders are now negotiating the reform language and whether there will be funding in the final budget.
The New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) is calling on the Governor and State Legislature to adopt the recommendations in the February 2019 “Report on Bail Reform” provided by the New York State Justice Task Force.
Lead by the Honorable Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, the nonpartisan Task Force closely studied pretrial service needs in a cashless bail system and recommends: “…that the State provide sufficient funding (emphasis added) for pretrial services, including supervised release as an alternative to bail, in order to ensure that such services are meaningful, robust, and effective. The Task Force further recommends the use of pretrial services across the State to increase the likelihood that defendants will appear in court as required, including through reminders of upcoming court dates by phone calls, texts, and letters.”
NYSAC supports improvements to the criminal justice system. However, as with many public policies enacted in the State Capitol, criminal justice reform will have a direct impact on county government functions, including probation, district attorneys, sheriffs and public defenders.
Despite these impacts and the recommendations of the Justice Task Force, the proposed state budget does not include any state funding for these reforms.
“County governments support efforts to reform cash bail and ways to keep non-threatening individuals out of county jail. However, to properly implement these proposals, they must be accompanied by state funding,” said Stephen Acquario, NYSAC Executive Director.
Under current law, judges place monetary bail levels based on the “risk of flight” of the accused. This system is in place to ensure that those accused of a crime return to court. The new system would allow for pre-trail detention for higher level felonies only and would eliminate cash bail.
These proposed reforms lack detail as to how to this system will ensure the accused is present in court for the criminal hearing. This change will undoubtedly require more casework for local probation officers and sheriff deputies to achieve this criminal justice reform.
“County governments are integral partners with the state,” said Chuck Nesbitt, NYSAC president and chief administrative officer for Orleans County. “For every policy consideration, there needs to be a fiscal impact note so that state lawmakers truly understand the impact both at the state and local level. To effectively implement these reforms counties will need State fiscal support.”
Albany County District Attorney David Soares, President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, said, “We need to move forward with caution to ensure that the reforms keep people and communities safe. Every county district attorney office will need additional resources to comply with these reforms. We urge our lawmakers to provide adequate funding to retrieve people who were accused of crimes and leave the state to avoid the legal process.”
County leaders are following budget negotiations closely, watching for cost shifts and unfunded mandates that will impact county budgets.
BATAVIA – Since 2008, Genesee Community College has offered the Genesee Promise Plus scholarships to help remove financial barriers to higher education for citizens in the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
Qualified individuals, from students in high school to adults who have never taken a college course before, are encouraged to apply for up to two summer semester courses tuition-free at GCC.
“Summer is a perfect time for new GCC students or students in our Accelerated College Enrollment program to jump-start their college coursework,” said Lindsay Gerhardt, assistant dean for Recruitment and Admissions. “The Genesee Promise Plus program provides a wonderful opportunity for college-bound students to cost effectively earn up to eight transferrable credits. Courses can be prerequisites, general education courses or beginner courses in specific fields of study that give students a head start on a degree program.”
GPP is available to GLOW region citizens who are high school juniors (rising seniors), graduating high school seniors or new adult college students who have never attended college before. With more than 100 courses being offered this summer, in two summer sessions both online and at GCC’s seven campus locations, there are ample opportunities for all eligible applicants in these categories:
• High School Juniors (rising seniors) and qualifying Homeschool Students are eligible for scholarship funding to take one course.
• Graduating high school seniors are eligible for scholarship funding to take one or two courses.
• Adults who have never attended college are eligible for scholarship funding to take one course. This includes adults who have received a GED prior to May 1, 2019 or graduated from a GLOW area high school on or before December 2018. GCC will require a copy of high school transcripts.
GPP scholarship applications are being accepted until June 21 for the 2019 summer session. The complete list of courses available this summer is available by clicking here.
The different subjects includes Basic Math Skills to Statistics and Pre-Calculus, History to Healthy Living, Psychology to Sociology, Business to Biology, and unique courses including Females Roles in Film (CIN242) and Hiking, Walking and Backpacking (PED260), plus many others.
Applications, qualification criteria and additional information are available by clicking here.
All interested individuals are encouraged to contact the office of admissions at admissions@genesee.edu or by calling (585) 345-6805.
Jacob McKernan of Roy-Hart won the Iron Chef competition with his partner Darian Bryan, Executive Chef for the Plating Society and head chef at Fisher Price.
DEPEW – The Culinary Arts students from the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center took home three big awards at the 15th Annual Taste of Education.
The Taste of Education introduces Western New York young chefs to the public with a friendly cooking competition where the students present a three course meal with appetizer, main course and dessert.
This year’s theme was “Get Stuffed.” There is also an Iron Chef Competition with three professional chefs paired with student sous chefs. The event was held at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens and the Western New York’s Chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association benefits from the fundraiser which they use for scholarships.
Under the direction of their teacher, Chef James Atzrott, these students won first place: David Baier (Royalton-Hartland), Lillee Gollhardt (Lockport), Brandon Heschke (Medina), Courtney Lang (Medina), Jacob McKernan (Royalton-Hartland), Carolina Overton (Lockport), Marie Reynolds (Albion) and Zach Richbart (Barker).
They won for the People’s Choice and first place for the Judges Choice for their menu of Banh Mi Sausage/Asian Pickled Spring Roll/Gochujang Aioli, Loukaniko Sausage/Stuffed Grape Leaves/Ladolemono Sauce, Stuffed Dates/Chocolate/Peanut Butter/ Sea Salt and Sweet Tofu Rangoon/Mexican Cinnamon/Chipotle Sugar.
Photos courtesy of Sheriff Randy Bower: Orleans County youth are shown with Sheriff Randy Bower. They joined other children at the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp on Keuka Lake.
The New York State Sheriffs’ Institute will begin its annual Honorary Membership drive in Orleans County within the next 10 days, according to Sheriff Randy Bower.
The New York State Sheriffs’ Institute was established in 1979. It is a not-for-profit corporation, tax exempt organization, and contributions to the Institute are tax deductible.
While the Sheriff’s Office is a unit of county government, many of the concerns of sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies are best addressed on a statewide level. The Sheriffs’ Institute provides centralized training programs and services for all Sheriffs’ Offices, where those programs and services would be unavailable or impractical on a single county basis.
The flagship program of the Sheriffs’ Institute is the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp for economically challenged children. The Sheriffs’ Camp, in its 42nd year of operation, is located on Keuka Lake and 840 children from across New York State attend each summer. The Sheriffs’ Institute pays the entire cost of the camp stay and transportation. Most children attending wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity for vacation travel or a summer camp experience.
The Sheriffs’ Camp program combines summer recreation with activities designed to teach an understanding of, and respect for, our laws and the men and women who enforce them. The strong camper to counselor ratio allows for individual attention with an emphasis on the development of self esteem.
“In these difficult economic times we cannot forget our youth who will not have the opportunity for a summer camp experience or a summer vacation,” Sheriff Randy Bower said. “By becoming an honorary member you are supporting the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp for economically disadvantaged children.”
In addition, the Sheriffs’ Institute operates a scholarship program that provides one scholarship to each of New York State’s Community College’s Criminal Justice Programs. This program is designed to help attract the best and the brightest to the criminal justice vocation.
For more information about the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp and other Sheriffs’ Institute Programs, visit our website, www.sheriffsinstitute.org.
Financial support for many of the Sheriffs’ Institute programs comes from Honorary Membership dues. Invitations for Honorary Membership are extended on a non-partisan basis, and the invitees are selected at random. Any persons interested in supporting the efforts of the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute by becoming an Honorary Member should contact the Sheriff if they do not receive an invitation in the mail, or visit our web site at: www.sheriffsinstitute.org to download an application.
All donations made to the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute are tax deductible. In addition, Sheriffs’ Institute is registered with the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau.
