Ed Ball, who is battling lymphoma, served 24 years in military before retiring to Point Breeze

POINT BREEZE – Ed Ball doesn’t regret being in the combat infantry in Vietnam, where he was shot at and exposed to Agent Orange.

One bullet hit him in the scalp. He was in the infirmary for 10 days before rejoining his unit.

“I was right back in the jungle,” he said. “I know it sounds unrealistic now, but if your injuries weren’t that severe you went back out in the field. You really had to be shot up.”

Ed Ball moved to Point Breeze about seven years ago to be near the Oak Orchard River and Lake Ontario so he could go fishing. He is holding a large Chinook salmon. He said the area is fortunate to have such a bountiful big fish.

Ball, 71, was awarded a Purple Heart for his injuries. He earned numerous medals in a 24-year military career. After two years in Vietnam, Ball served in the National Guard and then the Army Reserve. He was a rifle instructor for about 12 years, training many soldiers in rifle marksmanship.

He recalled the night of Oct. 31, 1968 when he was in a firefight at night and was shot in the scalp. He is thankful for nearly 50 more years of life after that incident.

“I was lucky and very fortunate,” he said. “I’m very lucky to be here.”

He stayed in the military while working at Lapp Insulators in Le Roy. He was a millwright with that company for 44 years.

The Batavia native is a life-long outdoorsman. He found a paradise at Pont Breeze for fishing and deer hunting. He moved to the Oak Orchard River about seven years ago with his wife Kim. They were right on the river and Ball had a dock with his boat, “Bobber Down.” He often went fishing with his family, including two granddaughters.

Ball two years ago felt severe pain in his stomach and was taken by ambulance during the middle of the night to Strong Memorial Hospital. He would be diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma. He has endured four rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and a stem cell transplant. He has done everything he can do to beat the disease.

Through it all, he wouldn’t be denied the chance to fish – until about a month ago. Ball can’t keep food down and he said the end is likely near.

He is receiving hospice care at his home. A year ago he moved from the river to a one-story house on Lakeshore Road that looks out on Lake Ontario. Ball likes the view but he preferred the spot on the river. “There was a lot more going on,” he said about the Oak Orchard. He moved to be in a house without stairs.

Ball was awarded a Purple Heart after being shot in Vietnam. Ten days after a bullet pierced his scalp, he was back with his unit in the jungle.

On Monday he was surprised by Hospice and the local Veterans Service Agency when they presented him with three certificates of appreciation for his military service. It’s part of Hospice’s “We Honor Veterans Program.”

“It was quite a surprise,” Ball said about the recognition on Monday.

He reflected on his military career, where he said exposure to Agent Orange is the culprit for him getting cancer later in life. Despite that he said he wouldn’t take back his military service.

He stayed for 24 years, wanting to teach his skills to others.

“I felt as though I had duties and I was very good at what I did, and I could keep some kids alive,” he said.

Ball started fishing at the Oak orchard River in the 1970s. He has caught many salmon topping 30 pounds, including a 38-pounder. His phone is filled with photos of him with salmon, trout, walleye and even a shark he caught in Florida. He also has many photos of his family with big fish.

“I love it,” he said about fishing. “It’s very relaxing. The fishing here is phenomenal if you know how to fish.”

Ball also has been a pilot for 28 years, flying out of the Le Roy Airport.

He said is grateful for a full life and the for extra time that he said has been possible through the care from the doctors and staff at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center in Rochester.

“The Wilmot Cancer Center did an excellent job trying to save my life,” he said. “If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be alive today.”

Provided photos: Travis Schuck, a Boy Scout in Troop 28 in Medina, works on a new sign for the Medina Area Association of Churches. He is joined by Aaron Young of AGC Construction.

Travis is working on the project for his Life Scout rank. The signs say, “The Medina Area Association of Churches Welcomes You.” Travis is restoring two MAAC signs, one of North Gravel Road by Gallagher Farm and the other on Maple Ridge Road by Roberts Farm Market.

He will be putting up for new signs for the MAAC at the intersection of East Center Street and Bates Road, West Center Street and Salt Works Road, Ricky Place on Maple Ridge Road, and one on Main Street by Orleans Ford.

Joe Brueckner, a Scout in Troop 28, joined the sign-making project last week. Scouts from Troop 20 in Gasport and Evan’s Ace Hardware in Medina also helped with the project.

ALBION – A grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation will allow the Albion and Holley police departments to add defibrillators to all of their patrol cars, as well as one for the police stations.

Roland Nenni, police chief for both departments, was notified on Tuesday that the Foundation approved an $11,700 grant for 11 defibrillators. An Automated External Defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current to the heart.

The Albion and Holley officers go to EMS and fire calls, often the first on the scene. Nenni said the officers have been the first to respond when someone is in cardiac arrest. Having the defibrillators will increase the chances of saving people having a heart attack. Right now, officers can only provide CPR for someone in cardiac arrest.

“I’m really excited about it from a public service standpoint,” Nenni said Wednesday after informing the Albion Village Board of the grant. “We go on hundreds of EMS calls.”

Nenni has been an emergency medical technician the past 28 years. He is a former Holley fire chief. Providing care within 6 minutes of a heart attack is critical, he said.

He also wanted the defibrillators in the patrol cars in case a police officer went into cardiac arrest.

The defibrillators will be installed in six Albion patrol cars, two Holley patrol cars, and one each at the Holley and Albion police stations. There will also be one available for training.

Nenni said he is pushing to have them purchased and in service by Nov. 1.

MEDINA – Several employees at Baxter Healthcare in Medina have told Orleans Hub the company announced this afternoon that the service department would be eliminated in Medina along with more than 100 jobs.

Baxter will continue to produce manufacture smart infusion pumps in Medina for the medical field.

Baxter became a part-owner of the SIGMA Spectrum Infusion pump in 2009, and in 2012 became the full owner. Baxter is one of the largest employers in Orleans County with about 600 workers at the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue.

The company told employees some workers would be laid off as soon as possible while others in the service department would keep their positions in Medina for up to nine months.

The service department work is moving to another Baxter location out of state. The employees were notified of the layoffs in Medina during a meeting at about 3 p.m. today.

Radio towers would be added in Lyndonville and Kendall with boosted coverage in Holley

Photo by Tom Rivers: Moving telecommunications equipment from a tower in Clarendon to the Holley water tank on Route 237 would improve coverage in Holley without hurting Clarendon, county officials were told by a consultant on Wednesday.

ALBION – Orleans County is seeking $6 million in state funding to upgrade the emergency communications system by adding towers in Carlton and Lyndonville, and also move the equipment from a tower in Clarendon to the Holley water tower.

The grant would also pay for software and other upgrades for the system, which serves firefighters, law enforcement, highway employees, probation and some other municipal workers in the county.

The system currently has poor coverage in the Holley area, along Lake Ontario and some other isolated locations in the county, especially in buildings with thick walls.

The County Legislature on Wednesday voted to seek a grant through the 2018 Statewide Interoperable Communications Targeted Grant through the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office. The state is allowing a maximum of $6 million per county for the grants.

Tim Warth, a consultant for the county with Radio Technologies, said Orleans is one of 10 counties in the state identified as “in need.”

The proposed project would also improve interoperability with neighboring counties, allowing personnel to cross county boundaries and still have a radio signal.

The two new 180-foot-high towers in Lyndonville and Kendall would enhance coverage by the lake, and allow a lower strength signal so Orleans isn’t interfering with Canada’s system, Warth said.

Warth put together a budget for the project that total $5,880,730, just below the $6 million cap.

If Orleans is approved for funding this grant cycle, Warth said the county could pursue additional money from the state for phase 2 that would include a tower in Carlton and also in Albion by the Public Safety Building.

In the cunty application for funding, Warth states the $5,880,730 project would represent 8.6 percent of the county budget in 2016, compared to 1.5 percent of Niagara’s and 0.3 percent of Monroe County’s.

“This project is not possible without financial support,” Warth said.

He also said Orleans has received far less in state funding for emergency communications in the past five years than other nearby counties. The grant funding from the state totals $2.9 million for Orleans, compared to $10.1 million for Genesee, $10.7 million for Livingston, $4.1 million for Niagara, $5.1 million for Erie and $12.1 million for Monroe.

“There is quite a disparity with other counties,” Warth said.

The county’s application is due Aug. 31 with the grants to be announced in late September or October.

“We’re very confident we’ll get a large portion of the grant,” Warth told county legislators.

Brick structure will match library which opened in 2012

ALBION – About six years after Albion opened a new public library, a sign will be built out front to help promote events and programs.

The Friends of Hoag Library has been pushing for the sign the past several years. The sign will be electronic with a brick structure that matches the library, said Kevin Doherty, president of the library’s board of trustees.

A state grant will pay for $33,000 of the sign’s estimated $44,000 cost. The library will cover the other $11,000 through in-kind services and donations.

The Friends also have contributed about $10,000 towards architectural fees and landscape design. Mary Anne Braunbach, the Friends president, also worked to secure village approval for the project, Doherty said.

The project will also include a flag pole.

Doherty said he expects the project to be complete in the fall, likely in October or November.

Press Release, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer

Photo by Tom Rivers: Albion firefighters battle a garage fire on Jan. 2, 2016 on South Clinton Street.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced that as an amendment to the upcoming FY2019 Health and Human Services (HHS) minibus appropriations bill, the U.S. Senate passed $1 million in FY2019 funding for the national firefighter cancer registry.

Schumer explained that in June of this year, Congress passed legislation that would establish a specialized national firefighters’ cancer registry to be managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Schumer has long fought for this critical registry that would improve collection capabilities and activities related to the nationwide monitoring of cancer incidence among all firefighters, both career and volunteer. Schumer called the Senate passing funding for this registry a big step in the right direction, and vowed to see the funding through Congress and signed into law.

“Firefighters risk their lives every day, exposing themselves to harmful toxins and pollutants, and charging into extreme danger,” Schumer said. “We owe it to these courageous men and women to ensure that if they fall ill, they receive first-rate medical care and treatment.”

According to a five-year study conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, there are twice as many firefighters in the U.S. with malignant mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, when compared to the general population. The same study also found that firefighters have an increased risk of death from lung cancer and leukemia as compared to the general population.

“That’s why I was so proud to lead the effort to pass this bill and support this funding for the first-ever national firefighter cancer registry,” Schumer said. “The Senate took a big step in getting this vital program up and running. This registry, which I’ve long supported, will help researchers track, treat, and eventually prevent firefighters being stricken by cancer. I’ll always work tirelessly on behalf of our first responders, and vow to see this funding through Congress and signed into law.”

Schumer explained that firefighters are exposed to a range of harmful toxins when responding to emergency situations, often as a result of the noxious flame retardants and other chemicals that are used in everyday items, from furniture to clothing, and to even children’s toys. Experts and scientists have repeatedly sounded the alarm on the danger of these toxic chemicals because they have been found to cause developmental delays in children from long-term exposure in addition to rare cancers in firefighters when these products burn and the toxins become airborne.

Schumer said research has indicated that there is a strong connection between firefighting and an increased risk for several major cancers, including testicular, stomach, multiple myeloma and brain cancers. However, there has never been a long-term registry put in place that could be used to track the potential connections between firefighting and incidences of cancer.

Schumer, therefore, said this national firefighter cancer registry is of the utmost importance, so experts and researchers can more effectively monitor nationwide trends and incidences of cancer among firefighter – both career and volunteer. Schumer said such a registry would help medical professionals more effectively identify and treat cancer in firefighters over the long-term.

Specifically, this national firefighter cancer registry will do the following:

• First, this registry will compile in one place the epidemiological information submitted by healthcare professionals related to cancer incidence among firefighters.

• Second, it will make anonymous data available to public health researchers so that they would have access to the comprehensive datasets that will allow them to expand this groundbreaking research.

• Third, this registry will improve our understanding of cancer incidence as the registry grows, which could potentially lead to the development of advanced safety protocols and safeguards for the firefighters on the front lines each day.

• Finally, this legislation will allow for increased collaboration between the CDC and epidemiologists, public health experts, clinicians and firefighters through regular and consistent consultations to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of the registry.

Provided photos: One Church in Medina, which opened in December at the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church, held a back-to-school supply and backpack giveaway on Aug. 11. About 70 children received supplies for the school year.

One Church is a Free Methodist congregation with churches in Akron and Medina. The Medina church is located at 208 Ann St.

Pictured include from left in back: Medina Children’s Director Cherie Swain and Akron Office Administrator Pam Roesch, who are standing with Emma and Rosie Swain.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – About 200 firefighters from three counties practiced extrication drills this evening at Lyons Collision. The top photo shows Vito Muoio of the South Byron Fire Company using a Hurst tool to cut into a vehicle.

David Dunn Salvage in Middleport allowed 14 vehicles to be used for the drills.

Jeff Lyons of Lyons Collision organized the sixth annual event at Lyons which included demonstrations and drills. Several companies that sell rescue tools were at the event, with equipment available to try on a vehicle. Firefighters could pry open doors and cut through metal.

Jason Watts, back center, gives Shelby firefighters some instructions before they removed doors and cut up the car.

Nicole Boldt of the South Byron Fire Company uses a Hurst cutter to break apart the back end of a vehicle. The South Byron firefighters practiced with the extrication tools alongside firefighters from Clarendon.

The drills were a chance for the firefighters to try tools from other departments and also practice mutual aid.

Rusiniak’s Service in Buffalo brought the machine with a 360-degree boom. The powerful “rotator” can grab vehicles that weigh up to 115,000 pounds and swing them out of the way so rescue personnel can work on patients or free trapped people in a vehicle.

Rusiniak’s uses a mini crane to move a bus. The company works with Lyons on many calls involving tractor trailers and large vehicles.

Firefighters from Hartland practice with the extrication tools. There were firefighters from Orleans, Genesee and Niagara counties at the training exercise.

Albion and Barre firefighters worked together to remove doors and glass from this SUV.

Jon DeYoung Jr. of Clarendon uses a spreader to open a jammed door.

These Holley firefighters were grateful for the chance to practice with extrication tools. The firefighters include, from left: Shannon McMillion, Anthony Wright, Justin McMillion and Bailey Schubmehl.

Lynne Johnson

ALBION – Three Orleans County legislators will be at a meeting at the White House on Thursday for county officials from New York State.

Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville, Legislator Don Allport of Gaines and Legislator Skip Draper of Shelby will leave Wednesday for the meeting and will return on Friday.

Because of the White House meeting, the County Legislature’s meeting scheduled for Wednesday was moved up to today.

Johnson said the county leaders will be meeting with “White House leaders to be determined.”

All three legislators had to pass background checks by the Secret Service.

“It should be interesting,” Johnson said about the session. “It’s the chance of my lifetime.”

CARLTON – The Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association has cancelled this evening’s concert with the Who Dats at the Orleans County Marine Park.

The weather forecast shows thunderstorms moving into the region this afternoon and evening.

MEDINA – Dance Theater competition teams recently Dance Xplosion National Talent Competition East Coast Summer Nationals in Lake George and won national titles in two categories.

Competing against 21 studios from across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Massachusetts over the course of the week and against 900-plus numbers, the group from Medina won the 12-Under and 13-Over National Championship Titles with the highest scores of the whole competition.

Dance Theater is led by Brandon Johnson. The teams walked away Double National Champions.

Johnson has been leading Dance Theater for 15 years. This is the first time his dancers have won the national award. They have finished in the top 5 previously.

The Mini Team at Dance Theater performed “Ghostbusters” and won first place at Dance Eplosion. Pictured include: Hailey Walker, Hailey Moore, Kileigh Hastings, Arabella White and Gwynivere Fuller. Back row: Makenzie McGrath, Alysa Murray, Elaina Bruce, Natalie Rath and Brandon Johnson.

Press Release, Orleans County Department of Planning and Development

Photo by Tom Rivers: A boater passes through the channel at Oak Orchard Harbor at Point Breeze in this photo from May 28, 2015.

CARLTON – To effectively plan for the Orleans County waterfront, a public forum will be held as part of the process for amending the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). The towns of Kendall, Carlton and Yates, along with the Village of Lyndonville welcome residents, landowners, and other interested parties to attend this event on Aug. 30 to offer their input on recommendations for waterfront improvements.

The public information meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Carlton Fire Company Recreation Hall on 1813 Oak Orchard Road (Route 98). Doors will be opened 30 minutes early at to allow the public time to review maps of existing conditions for the area.

The purpose of the meeting is twofold. It is educational to briefly explain the objectives of an LWRP program, as it has been many years since it was first adopted; it is also about obtaining ideas from the public for improving the Lake Ontario and creek corridor waterfronts.

Having an LWRP enables waterfront communities to evaluate land use and waterfront resources and develop a comprehensive strategy to effectively manage and protect those resources. Planned improvements are the means for getting this done. By applying a local focus on land use management, along with the maintenance, improvement and enhancement of important resources and features in the waterfront area, an LWRP strengthens existing state programming and provides the participating communities with a road map to guide growth and recognize opportunities.

It also provides more local control over decisions made along its waterfront. The goal is to develop an update to the existing local program that properly manages land use and future development along the waterfront, effectively protects important coastal resources and recognizes opportunities for public improvements.

The Orleans County Department of Planning and Development was awarded a state grant for amendment of the LWRP. The county entered into a contract for the provision of professional services with Wendel and WWS Planning in April2017, to assist with the project.

The project team has been working with a community-based steering group – the Waterfront Advisory Committee – to collect and review information on existing waterfront conditions, including land use and community character; economic development; public access and recreation; flooding and erosion; historic preservation; scenic and environmental resources; and water quality. These efforts were supplemented by public comments gathered at an information meeting that was held in April of this year. To complement the information, the Waterfront Advisory Committee is asking local citizens to assist in identifying important issues, opportunities, desires and concerns to help establish a clear vision for the waterfront.

Comments will be accepted electronically for those who cannot attend by clicking here. Comments will also be accepted on the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development’s webpage.

For additional information on these meetings or the LWRP project, contact Ellen Parker, Wendel, (716) 688-0766. You may also contact the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development at (585) 589-3189 (Director Jim Bensley) or (585) 589-3187 (Planner Sarah Gatti).

MEDINA – Larry Eastlack is back serving the Medina community. In the 1980s, he was the first paid director for the Medina Chamber of Commerce. He did that in a part-time role before taking community development positions in Rochester. He first worked in business development in Wilmington, Delaware.

But ministry has always been his passion – and calling.

On July 1, he started as pastor of the Medina United Methodist Church. With a background in community development, Eastlack has been looking at ways to make the church property – the former Apple Grove Inn – a better asset. He would like to see the church host a bridal show. The Apple Grove hosted those type of events back when he was the Chamber director.

The kitchen and fellowship hall also would be ideal for hosting receptions, parties, dinner dances and other events. Outside there is a gazebo and Eastlack said that spot could be popular for concerts.

Church members gathered to pray outside the former Apple Grove on Oct. 27, 2013 before going inside to dedicate the site.

“There is a lot of potential here that you don’t see in different churches,” Eastlack said during an interview at his office at 11004 West Center Street Ext., next to Shelridge Country Club. “This facility is absolutely amazing.”

His main focus, however, is equipping church attendees in their spiritual lives.

“Being a pastor is just who I am,” Eastlack said. “I wanted my career to be making and growing disciples for Christ.”

Eastlack grew up as a pastor’s kid in the Wesleyan denomination. His five brothers and one sister also became pastors – in the Wesleyan denomination.

Eastlack started in ministry in the early 1970s. He is ordained with a degree from Houghton College in Allegany County. He was a youth pastor for a United Methodist church in Wellsville. He also directed an interdenominational choir that was touring Western New York and did a concert at the West Barre United Methodist Church. That’s where Eastlack met Nancy Nesbitt.

They married in 1973 and Eastlack for four years, from 1975 to 1979, led three churches in Orleans – Waterport, Kuckville and Kenyonville – before they merged and built a new church in Carlton.

The couple has three children. Gavin has been working as a model in New York City for about a decade. Morgan has a wedding videography business, and Kaitlin is a mother of four children.

Larry and Nancy live in Pine Hill in Barre in the house where Nancy grew up.

Besides a foray in community development, Eastlack also worked as television news reporter in Springfield, Mass., and Billings, Montana. He said the Watergate crisis, which was uncovered by reporters, inspired him to pursue the news business.

But ultimately his passion is in ministry. Since 1990, he has been a pastor. Eastlack has also served congregations in Canandaigua, Corning and Oakfield. He most recently worked five years as the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Amherst.

He praised the congregation at the Medina United Methodist for their many outreach efforts for the community. The church hosts a Boy Scout troop, is the base for the annual MAAC toy drive and a number of other programs.

Eastlack also commended Tony Hipes, the previous church pastor who is now at Perry. Hipes was able to see the building project to completion. It took three years of renovations and nearly $1 million in upgrades before the church moved from a historic building at 222 West Center Street to the former Apple Grove. The church held its first service in the old Apple Grove on Oct. 27, 2013.

The United Methodists have a tradition of “social holiness,” addressing concerns in the community, country and world.

Eastlack said his focus will be on discipleship, on helping Christians strengthen their walk with Jesus.

“There needs to be a push on personal holiness,” he said.

The church has its Sunday service at 9:30 a.m.

Skate Jam on Sept. 15 may indicate if community interest in skate park improvements

Alex Feig shows one of the long cracks in the asphalt at the skate park that can cause people to tumble off their skateboards.

MEDINA – Alex Feig sees a revamped skate park as another draw for the Medina community, enhancing the quality of life for local residents and also bringing visitors to the village.

Medina has site for skateboarders at Butts Park. But the site, built on a former tennis court, has cracks in the asphalt and the 20-year-old ramps, ledges and quarter pipes are showing their age.

“We have the space but right now it’s being underutilized,” Feig said about the skate park on South Main Street at Butts.

Feig, 32, would like to see the asphalt, which is prone to deterioration, be replaced with a concrete surface. The tennis courts are also too big. A smaller area would be better, Feig said. He’d like to see the fences removed so it’s an open area. If he had his wish, he would like to see bowls that skaters would go down and pick up speed and then be able to do different skating tricks.

Other communities have opened skating parks, including Amherst just last month. The Alix Rice Peace Park has a series of deep concrete bowls and other challenging features.

Feig has reached out the Tony Hawk Foundation, which has matching funds to develop new skate parks.

“If we dream big it could become a tourist attraction,” Feig said. “Skate parks can draw a lot of people in.”

Feig has planned a skate jam on Sept. 15 at the skate park at Butts from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is led by the Medina Skate Society with the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition a sponsor. Orleans United for eight years held a skating competition and demonstration at the park.

The Sept. 15 event includes a competition for the best trick. There will also be free food and music, and a skateboard and helmet giveaway.

Feig also wants to use the event to gauge interest in upgrading the skate park. It would take community fundraising to improve the site.

Alex Feig meets with Mayor Mike Sidari at the site today. Feig said concrete would be a better surface than asphalt. Feig also said the fences should be removed and area made smaller. A big goal would be to have bowls that people could skate in.

The village already is using about $500 given in memory of Luke Nelson, a skateboarder from Middleport who often used the park. He was 23 when he passed away on April 22, 2017. The money given in his memory went towards a repair kit for the cracks in the asphalt.

Luke’s mother, Terri Nelson, said she would like to see a bench at the park for parents to sit while they watch their children. She brought her son to the park numerous times because there wasn’t a designated spot in Middleport where skateboarders felt welcome.

Feig, who works at WBTA radio station in Batavia, said skateboarding was popular when he was a kid 20 years ago. He got away from it as a young adult but now is back at it.

“It’s a physical activity, but it’s also an artform,” Feig said about skateboarding. “Everyone goes at their own pace.”

Skateboarding will be a sport in the Olympics for the first time in 2020. He expects the sport will get a boost from that, drawing more participants.

Terri Nelson, Alex Feig and Pat Crowley, director of the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition, hold a banner promoting a skate jam on Sept. 15 at Butts Park.