Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – More than 100 people walked 2 miles on Saturday, including a stretch along the Erie Canal, to raise funds to support people battling Alzheimer’s.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s returned to Medina on Saturday. Last year the walk was in Lewiston. The event was expected to raise $20,000 for Alzheimer’s care, support and research, said Lynn Westcott, the director of development for the Western New York Chapter.

The money funds programs in Orleans County, including support groups, care consultations, educational programs and a help line (1-800-272-3900).

For more on the WNY chapter, click here.

Some of the walkers pass the canal bridge by State Street Park and head to the towpath by the Erie Canal.

Signs at the park offer stark statistics about the disease.

Randy Bushover, right, served as emcee of the kickoff rally at State Street Park.

This group heads up Route 31 to State Street Park to conclude the walk.

Sienna Garcia Mathewson of Albion carries a purple flower which signifies she has a lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s.

The different colors of the flowers have different meanings. Blue flowers represent a person battling the disease. Purple is for a person who lost their battle with the disease. Yellow signifies a caregiver. Orange is for a general supporter of the cause. Personal messages were written on the flowers.

Mary Lou Tuohey hugs her daughter Nicole after Nicole cut the ribbon to kick off the walk. Nicole sold about 1,500 paper links at $1 each to create a chain for the starting line. Nicole raised money through her mother Mary Lou’s business, Case-Nic Cookies in Medina. They sold elephant cookies that added a new link to the chain. Nicole raised the money in memory of her grandma and grandpa.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Isabel Casewell, 12, of Medina makes a scarecrow on Saturday at Forrestel Farms, which hosted the scarecrow festival. The Medina Lions Club organized the event. For the first time in 10 years, the event was hosted by Forrestel.

The new venue allowed the Lions to offer more activities and games, and for participants to also tour the horse farm and see other animals.

The Shelby Volunteer Fire Company served chicken barbecue dinners. Other agencies were part of the event, including the United Methodist Church at the food booth, Boy Scouts, the Sheriff’s Department offering child IDs, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and GCASA.

Chance Sochia, 11, of Medina works on his scarecrow.

Pete Kaiser of the Lions Club helped with the assembly of many of the scarecrows.

Many of the clothes come from the MAAC Thrift Shop.

Students in Medina High School art classes painted the faces on the scarecrow heads. Iroquois Job Corps students made the stakes for the bodies, with the wood for the stakes is donated by Matt Mundion.

A scarecrow is put together on one of the operating tables.

Skye Rotoli, 15, of Medina welcomed the public to meet this llama named Peaches.

Kim Smith of Barre had many baked goods available at the festival. She has a commercial kitchen out of her home on Eagle Harbor Road.

Show with 29 artists continues on Sunday

MEDINA – The former Medina High School on Catherine Street has been transformed by artists for a special three-day show that continues on Sunday.

The high school is hosting 29 artists, including Virginia Melynk of Buffalo, shown with her creation using triangular shapes made out of spandex that utilize geometric patterns.

Melynk submitted a proposal to be part of the “PLAY/GROUND” initiative. Artists were given free rein to create in old classrooms, stairwells, hallways and other space in the school.

“It’s getting to engage in an old space and make something new out of it,” she said.

The opening night show on Friday attracted about 400 people, with many from Buffalo.

The show will be open for a final day on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10, and is free to children 12 and under.

Jonathan Casey gave the back entrance of the school a radical new look.

The gym showcases art and has stops for people to create their own artwork.

Michael Hungerford, regional director for Takeform Architectural Graphics in Medina, sits in the stairwell of the school near a large papier-mâché alligator, created by Bethany Krull.

Hungerford read about a similar project as PLAY/GROUND in a vacant warehouse in New York City. Hungerford knew the old Medina school would be vacant for several months this year. His uncle Roger Hungerford acquired it from Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God Church and has plans to create apartments out of the school. First, Hungerford is working to renovate the former Bent’s Opera House on Main Street.

Michael pitched the idea of the art installations in the school and the Roger backed the project.

“It is so far beyond my expectations,” Michael Hungerford said. “The work is amazing.”

A closeup of the alligator created by Bethany Krull.

Hungerford said PLAY/GROUND introduced many people to Medina who had never seen the community before, including many of the artists. They had a very positive reaction to Medina.

“I’ve enjoyed seeing the response to Medina, even from the artists who like it,” Hungerford said. “They see cheaper property, which appeals to them because many artists are on a limited budget. This project has planted a seed to get people to Medina, and to the younger people here to see that something like this exists.”

Kyla Kegler of Buffalo created “Thin Space.” She welcomes people to get in the space with the balloons.

Some of the art visitors today get a close look of the exhibit created by Nando Alvarez Perez of Buffalo, who is from Oakland. His artwork is his vision of an ideal classroom setup, with lots of color on the walls, beanbags to sit on and reading nooks.

Kyle Butler of Buffalo created this apparatus for animations. He moves the squares around to create different images. The Michigan native welcomed the chance to create artwork without the pressure of sales.

“Everybody gets a classroom,” he said. “It’s a rare artistic opportunity.”

Colleen Toledano made this piece with pink foam, which proved popular for photos.

Amanda Browder first created “Spectral Locus” for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in 2016, when large colorful fabric was draped on three buildings in Buffalo. The “Spectral Locus” is in the auditorium of the former school.

Bethany Krull made this hand-built porcelain creation she calls, “Your Very Own Mythical Creature.” It is in the hallway of the former school.

The plain white walls in the hallways are no longer.

Even the stairways were given a new vibe by the artists.

Elizabeth Cooper of Medina also is a featured artist. She created angels doing acrobatic moves in one of the stairwells. Todd Belfield of Jeddo Mill Antiques assisted with the installation.

“It’s fabulous,” Cooper said. “Everybody has very interesting stories on how they got started.”

Cooper has the angels doing acrobatics. The rings are from barrel hoops. She is impressed with the variety of art work in the project.

“I feel like this is a spark for something very interesting happening in Medina,” Cooper said.

For more on PLAY/GROUND, click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Albion firefighters Rob Connor, left, and Charlie Monacelli break through a window at 121 East Bank St. to put out a fire at Classic Motorcycle.

A motorcycle seat was on fire in the corner of the building, and the site was filling with smoke. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 3:33 p.m.

Frontier Heating & Air Conditioning Service is on the other side of the building, which just recently received significant upgrades to the exterior of the site.

Conner said fire investigators will try to determine the cause of the fire, which may have started in a wall of the building.

Photos by Tom Rivers

Pumpkins, deer and tractors are a common sight in Orleans County these days. The top photo shows two deer by West Barre Road in Barre on Friday evening.

Just down the road from the deer, a combine appeared near the Barre Town Hall. It’s a busy time for local farmers with the annual harvest season.

Rush’s Vegetables in Carlton has numerous pumpkins, of varying sizes, for sale.

Rush’s has several bins of pumpkins.

The fall also brings a dip in the temperatures with highs in the low to upper 50s the next week.

Press Release, U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand

Louise Slaughter

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced on Friday that the Senate has passed legislation to rename the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012 after the late Representative Louise Slaughter of Rochester.

Schumer and Gillibrand said that since this bill, introduced by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-Amsterdam, Montgomery County), passed the House last month and has now been passed by the Senate it is expected to be signed into law shortly. The STOCK Act prohibits members from using nonpublic information to make a profit. Congresswomen Slaughter was a tireless fighter for Congressional ethics and integrity and was the original author of the STOCK Act. In 2012, Senator Gillibrand wrote the Senate version of the STOCK Act and was the lead champion in passing the bill through the chamber.

“Congresswoman Slaughter never stopped fighting for advancements in women’s rights, government ethics, medical research, Upstate economic revival and so much more, and is deserving of this great honor. As the first Chairwoman of the House Committee on Rules, Louise Slaughter represented her Rochester constituents with passion, integrity and honor,” said Senator Schumer. “The renaming of the landmark STOCK Act after Congresswoman Slaughter, which she authored and shepherded to passage, is a fitting way to commemorate her permanent status as a champion of democracy and integrity and undoubtedly one of the true trailblazers in Congress.”

Representative Louise Slaughter served in the United State House of Representatives for 30 years in New York’s 30th, 28th, and 25th Districts, which included most of Rochester and Monroe County. Slaughter represented part of Orleans County in Congress from 2002 to 2012 after redistricting pitted her against John LaFalce.

Slaughter, the senior member of the New York Congressional delegation, died on March 16 at age 88.

“Congresswoman Louise Slaughter exemplified the very best of our elected leaders. She was kind, she was honorable, and she always believed in doing what was right on behalf of her constituents and her country,” said Senator Gillibrand, who championed the STOCK Act in the Senate. “We worked very hard together to make sure that all members of Congress could be held to the highest standards. She first introduced the STOCK Act in 2006 and didn’t give up until it was signed into law. She was proud to see the bill that she championed to prevent corruption in Congress become law, and it is only fitting that we rename the legislation in her honor.”

Slaughter’s tenure in Congress was filled with a number of landmark achievements in the issue areas of women’s rights, medical research, government ethics, and many more. In 1993, Slaughter secured the very first $500 million in National Institutes of Health funding to research breast cancer. In 1994, Slaughter passed the Violence Against Women Act, and was an original author of the legislation. In 2006, Slaughter introduced the STOCK Act to the House of Representatives. She spent years pushing for this critical legislation, and in 2012 it passed the House by a 417-2 vote, and the Senate by a 96-3 vote.

MILLVILLE – Pursuing a dream has led to a local family being named New Business of the Year by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

Sourced Market and Eatery’s owners Charles and Darlene Hartway and their children – Katie Misiti, Travis Hartway and Nathaniel Hartway – will be recognized with other winners at the Chamber’s 20th annual Awards Dinner on Oct. 18 at White Birch Country Club in Lyndonville.

Charles comes from a farming background, but went to work at Hartway Motors in Medina, the dealership owned by his parents, Chuck and Bonnie Hartway. When Chuck decided to retire, Charles and his sisters became partners in the dealership, until he decided to sell his interest and pursue his love of farming.

He and Darlene, with their seven children, bought a dairy farm in South Dakota and moved there.

After several years, a neighbor wanted to expand and offered to buy their land and entire equipment. They decided it was time to move back to Medina .

Charles started a certified organic farm on Fruit Avenue, while Darlene took a microenterprise class sponsored by Orleans County IDA. Katie and Travis also graduated from the class.

From left, Travis Hartway, his mother Darlene Hartway and his sister Katie Misiti stand among a sea of pumpkins on display at their store, Sourced Market and Eatery, which was named New Business of the Year by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

In November 2017, the family opened their store on Maple Ridge Road, Sourced Market and Eatery, featuring an array of organic products and locally sourced food.

“We want customers to know where their food comes from,” Darlene said.

All of the family is involved in the business.

Three of their sons run Hartway Brothers Farm near Millville, land once owned by their grandfather. The boys, Nathaniel, Justin and Franklin, grow squash and pumpkins for the market. Nathaniel also works for a farmer in Bliss.

Katie plans the menu every week, handles the majority of work in the kitchen, and also coordinates catering events. Travis is the baker and is often at the counter serving customers. He said one of their most popular features is the “to-go” salads. An example might be an Asian sesame, ginger and quinoa salad. Lunches are also popular, with offerings such as a beet reuben. There are also lentil, Greek and fall harvest salads.

The store sells farm-raised beef from the Bannister family at The Bridges, as well as duck, rabbit, Polish and Italian sausage, lamb and pheasant, all USDA inspected. Their daughter Bailey is married to Robert Bannister. The Bannister farm not only supplies all the beef for the store, but a lot of the apples, peaches and nectarines.

Daughter Martha works at Mile 303, the new restaurant in Medina, and once a month, Darlene collaborates with Mile 303 to do a brunch. A different style of food is featured each time, she said.

Sourced Market and Eatery also carries honey, cheese, jams and jellies, maple syrup, juices, tofu, gluten-free and vegan options and yogurt bowls.

Since opening their doors, they have already expanded and added a room for dining and displaying more produce.

Darlene grows the herbs and some of the vegetables she uses in a garden outside the store’s door.

The store and eatery are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (eatery closes at 2 p.m.). Saturday hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (eatery is open all day). Starting in November, the business will open at 8 a.m. every day instead of 7 a.m. on Tuesday through Friday.

They are not open for supper, but the nutritious meals at Sourced sell for $8 to $9 and are a big hit.

“They are healthy, home-cooked and reasonably priced,” Darlene said. “Today’s special is lemon grass beef with jasmine rice and steamed green beans. We do as much farm-to-table as possible.”

Travis said they thought of themselves as being small and an “underdog,” so winning the Chamber recognition was a pleasant surprise.

“This area is growing and has a lot of new business, so we are surprised and very honored by the Chamber award,” Darlene said.

Rev. Leonard F. Dykal grew up in Albion and served parishes in WNY and Texas

“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 4, No. 41

October is Polish American Heritage Month, first celebrated in 1981 by the Polish American Cultural Center in Philadelphia. It is an opportunity to call attention to the accomplishments of the roughly 9.5 million self-identified Polish Americans in the United States. In Orleans County, the Poles found employment in the local sandstone quarries scattered along the Erie Canal, just as countless other immigrant groups had in prior years.

I was given this photograph of an unidentified priest several years ago and through a bit of luck was able to identify him as Rev. Leonard F. Dykal of Albion. Dressed in his cassock and wearing the liturgical biretta, the three-peaked hat common of Roman Catholic clergy prior to Vatican II, Dykal appears to be relatively young. I would presume that this image, printed on a postcard, was taken around or shortly after his ordination.

Leonard Dykał was born at Albion on April 30, 1889 to Frank and Mary Lubomska Dykał. He was baptized on May 1, 1889 by Rev. John Castaldi at St. Joseph’s Church on North Main Street and the sacrament was recorded under the name Leonardus Deco, an indication of the priest’s unfamiliarity with the Polish language. The “ł” in the Polish language sounds similar to the English “w,” which explains why the family’s name frequently appeared as Dykaw or Dikaw.

Leonard spent his earliest years living next door to his grandparents, Joseph and Mary Lubomski, and other members of his extended family. His grandfather spent the majority of his life as a laborer on the Erie Canal and his uncle, John Lubomski, would eventually become the manager of the Orleans County Quarry Company. The young Dykal received his education at the Polish parochial school before traveling to Detroit, Michigan to complete his undergraduate studies.

After returning to Western New York, he enrolled at St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester for several years and later transferred to Niagara University to complete his studies in Theology. On December 21, 1912, Dykal was ordained by Bishop Charles Colton at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo and celebrated his First Solemn Mass the following week. On December 29th, Rev. Dykal was assisted by his classmate, Rev. Stephen Syczepanski, who served as deacon; Rev. Wojciech Cichy provided the homily. The celebration commenced with a parade led by the Polish Band and various church societies. The parade escorted Rev. Dykal from his parents’ home on East State Street to the rectory of St. Mary’s Church where he was vested before entering the sanctuary. A brief luncheon was held in the rectory following the service, Vespers were sung at 3 p.m., and a supper was held at the family home in the evening.

In 1914, Rev. Dykal was sent to assist Rev. Ladislaus Hordych at Assumption Parish in Buffalo’s Black Rock neighborhood. His tenure at Assumption was short as he was appointed to assist at St. Casimer’s in Buffalo and then St. Adalbert’s before leaving Western New York due to poor health.

Dykal traveled south to Texas where he settled as the priest at St. Stanislaus Church in Chappell Hill in January of 1917. Within six months, he was sent to Brenham, Texas where he remained for seven years. During his tenure at Brenham he served as the pastor of two congregations, one English-speaking and the other Polish-speaking. He successfully merged the two congregations together and led the parishioners through a $50,000 school construction project while effectively reducing the parish debt to $10,000. When he was transferred to a parish at New Waverly, Texas, both Catholic and lay residents petitioned the Bishop of Galveston to reconsider the decision.

In September of 1927, Bishop Turner of Buffalo appointed Dykal to serve as administrator of Sacred Heart Church in Batavia following the illness of Rev. Leonard Podlewski (another Polish priest with local connections). After short stints at parishes in Humphrey and Franklinville, he was assigned to Sacred Heart Church in Medina to replace Rev. Charles Mioduszewski, where he remained until 1938 when he was replaced by Rev. Maximillian Bogacki.

Rev. Dykal was a well-educated man, speaking both English and Polish while holding a strong understanding of the German, French, Spanish, and Italian languages. He enjoyed traveling, not as indicated by his tenure in Texas, but through his frequent camping trips to Canada. Upon his death on January 25, 1967, he left an estate valued at $160,722.

The majority of his estate was left to the St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora, Community Hospital in Cheektowaga, Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, the Medical Missionary Sisters in Philadelphia, and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in New York City. He also left $3,000 to St. Joseph’s Church in New Waverly, Texas (his last assignment in the south) and $1,500 to the Chancery of the Buffalo Diocese. His Pontifical Requiem Mass was held at St. Joseph’s Church in Albion and officiated by the Most Rev. Stanislaus Brzana of Buffalo; his body was laid to rest in St. Joseph’s New Cemetery.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Nate Moore goes high to knock  away a pass  that was intended for Medina/Lyndonville/Barker’s Brian Fry as Matt Kovaleski backs up the play. The action took place during the Purple Eagles 34-12 win over the rival Mustangs this evening at Vets Park.

A marathon 18 play, 97 yard scoring drive on their first possession ignited the Albion Purple Eagles to a 34-12 victory over rival Medina/Lyndonville/Barker at Vets Park this evening to complete a 5-0 B2 Division championship campaign.

Quarterback Bryce Pritchard scored on a 1 yard run with 1:58 to go in the opening period to cap the eight minute long drive which included 16 runs and 2 pass completions. It featured runs of 14 yards by Brilliance Johnson, 10 by Ugene Harrison and an 11 yard Pritchard to Deyonce Farley pass completion. Alex Rustay tacked on the first of his four extra point kicks.

“That first drive was huge for us,” said Albion Coach Adam Krenning. “We wanted to run the ball and that really set the tone for us.”

The victory in the 121st renewal of the rivalry also enabled the Purple Eagles to retain the “Doc’s Rock” Trophy which is given in memory of Larry “Doc” Decker who coached and taught at both Albion and Medina. The Purple Eagles now hold a 67-49-5 lead in the series which dates back to 1898.

The Purple Eagles upped its lead to 14-0 on their next possession but his time took just two plays to reach the end zone as Johnson broke loose around right end and down the sideline for a 75 yard touchdown run with 9:32 to go in the second quarter.

The Albion advantage increased to 21-0 four minutes later as Pritchard scored on a 22 yard run. A 27 yard run by Johnson helped key that drive which started as the Albion 42 after a short Mustangs punt.

William Braswell runs out of the grasp of Purple Eagles defender Tyray White to pick up yardage for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs did cut the deficit to 21-6 as quarterback Izaiah Rhim hooked up with Brian Fry on a 39 yard touchdown pass play with just 25 seconds to go in the half.

Runs of 22 yards by Rhim, 13 by William Braswell and a 11 yard Rhim to Rickie Pitts pass completion keyed that drive which was kept alive when the Mustangs ended up recovering the ball after a bizarre interception and fumble play.

Looking to keep the momentum the Mustangs drove into Albion territory twice in the third quarter but could not find the end zone. The first drive was stopped on downs at the Albion 25 and the second stalled out after a key sack by Purple Eagles defender Ben Restivo.

Albion upped its lead to 28-6 four minutes into the fourth quarter when Pritchard hooked up with Nate Moore on a 47 yard touchdown pass. Moore set up that opportunity himself by intercepting a pass at the Mustangs 47.

The Mustangs answered back with a 2 yard TD run by Rhim with 6:50 remaining but would get no closer than the 28-12 margin. A 43 yard run by Braswell and a 29 yard Rhim to Tyler Chinn pass completion keyed that 77 yard drive.

Albion though got that one right back when Johnson scored on a 29 yard run with 1:57 to go to make the final score 34-12. Runs of 12 and 11 yards by Isaiah Callicutt helped key that drive.

“It was a tough game,” said Krenning.”Medina played very well.”

Albion finishes the regular season at 7-0 and will host a quarterfinal round game of the Section VI Class B playoffs next Friday.

Medina/Lyndonvilkle/Barker finishes the regular season at 2-3 in the division and 3-4 overall.

In addition to the awarding of the “Doc’s Rock” trophy, the postseason ceremonies included the presentation of the Jeff Evoy Memorial Sportsmanship Award to Bryce Pritchard from Albion and Chaise Prest from Medina/Lyndonville/Barker.  The award is given in memory of Jeff Evoy who was a coach and teacher at Albion and later became the superintendent at Medina.

Albion’s Isaiah Callicutt follows the block of Jonathan DePuy as he blocks the Mustangs Blaire Prest.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – A tractor hauling a grain buggy took down wires and snapped a telephone pole in half this afternoon on Ashwood Road in Carlton. Firefighters were called to the scene at about 4 p.m.

A grain auger pulled down wires. The tractor, operated by Oak Hill Farms of Lyndonville, was under the wires when electricity from the ground caused two of the tires to be on fire. This photo shows the tractor moved away from the spot where it hit the wires.

Carlton firefighters were on the scene to put out the fire on a tire in front and one in the back of the tractor.

National Grid arrived to reset the wires on a new pole.

(Editor’s Note: This story was updated after an initial report said a different farm hit the wires.)

Press Release, Orleans County Undersheriff Chris Bourke

ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans County Coroner’s Office are investigating the death of a 50-year-old Irondequoit man.

Undersheriff Christopher Bourke reports that shortly before 1 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office was asked to assist Irondequoit Police Department in locating a man who had not returned to his residence after work yesterday.

Sheriff’s deputies, along with Sheriff’s 911 public safety dispatchers, were able to use cell phone technology to trace the man’s cell phone to the area of the Walmart on Route 31 in the Town of Albion. The man was found deceased on the roof of Walmart.

Further investigation revealed that he was a contractor that had climbed onto the roof at about noon Thursday to check for leaks.

There no evidence of foul play at this time.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office, and County Coroner Scott Schmidt will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Albion Fire Department.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: George and Iva McKenna, owners of Country Lane Veterinarian Services on East Barre Road, work together in the business they have run since 1990. The couple’s efforts have earned them the honor of being named Business of the Year by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

BARRE – The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce has chosen a Barre couple with a lifelong love of animals as the Business of the Year.

George McKenna grew up on the family farm where and he and his wife Iva run Country Lane Veterinarian Services.

“We milked 35 cows and I didn’t like crop work or machinery repair very much, but I really enjoyed working with the cows,” George said, as he petted his youngest daughter Jenny’s new Bernese Mountain dog during an interview in his office.

The decision to become a veterinarian was probably made the day he and his dad were driving to Batavia for parts and they passed a large dairy farm.

“Dad said that farmer has got it made – one son is a veterinarian,” George said. “I thought, ‘That’s something I’d like to do.’”

He attended Canisius College for two years and applied to Cornell. He was placed on a waiting list. He would apply again and wasn’t accepted until his third try. He got his bachelor’s degree there after two years and then went to Auburn, Ala., where he graduated in 1988.

He and Iva have four grown daughters, all of whom have been involved in their business.

“A lecturer once said if you can fill one scrapbook with thank-you notes, then that’s an accomplishment,” George said. “I have more than 10. Our take on an animal hospital is all our clients are our friends. New clients are just friends we haven’t met yet.”

He and Iva consider their clients very special to them.

“We like to make sure everyone who comes through our door feels welcome, whether it’s a client or an employee,” George said.

A lot of young people who have come to work for the McKennas went on to become veterinarian technicians, and that makes both George and Iva proud.

Veterinarian George McKenna of Albion and his daughter Jenny play with her new puppy, a rare Bernese Mountain Dog.

Country Lane does a lot with service animals, having done fundraisers for them, and they care for the Sheriff’s dog. They also support local baseball and soccer teams.

The business employs six, including the McKenna’s daughter Kerri Richardson, who is their business manager.

George used to treat most animals, but he gave up horses 20 years ago, preferring to focus on small animals, such dogs, cats, cows and pigs.

Iva said they were honored and pleasantly surprised to learn they were being honored by the Chamber of Commerce.

The awards dinner will be Thursday night at White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville.

Provided photos

RIDGEWAY – The Orleans County Highway Department installed big pieces of concrete this week for a new culvert on Culvert Road in Ridgeway, just south of Ridge Road.

The Highway Department made the concrete decking and other concrete pieces for the culvert, and then installed the components.

By not hiring the job out to a contractor, the county saved significant money, county officials said.

Labella Associates did the engineering work, the only outside firm hired for the job.

Last-second change proved to be better for start and post-race party

ALBION – The Metro 10, a race that pits runners from Rochester and Buffalo, has had three different courses in its first four years.

This past race on Aug. 18 was stressful for organizers because the course had to be changed on short notice. The state Department of Transportation wouldn’t approve a permit to use Route 31 because that road was getting milled.

Route 31 covered the first 2 miles of the race and the last half-mile from Butts Road to Bullard Park. Not having access to 31 also meant Bullard Park couldn’t be used for the start and finish, with a post-race party to follow.

Rather than cancel the event, organizers shifted to the downtown for the start and finale of the race. A survey of runners showed they overwhelmingly preferred the downtown site over Bullard, said Thom Jennings, the race organizer.

“I thought it looked beautiful having everybody lined up on Main Street,” he told the Village Board on Wednesday.

He met with the board and asked for a three-year commitment to have the race on the third Saturday of August, and have the start and finish in the downtown businesses district.

The race just finished its fourth year and has now had three different 10-mile courses. Jennings is looking to have continuity in the course.

He also thinks having the race in the downtown gives the merchants and community a better chance to piggyback on the presence of about 400 runners. (The runners also have the option of doing a 5-mile course. A 10-mike bike event was added this year.)

Board members voted to support having the race in the downtown the next three years. Four of the five board members also participated in the bike race on Aug. 18.

Jennings said the race was able to raise about $3,000 for the Warrior House, which offers a hunting retreat in Shelby for wounded veterans.

“We’re just hoping to grow the event and do something good for the community,” Jennings said.