State Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) will welcome an Assemblyman from New York City for a tour of the 139^th Assembly District on Tuesday.

Michael Benedetto (D-Bronx) will visit several businesses and farms in Lyndonville, Medina, Oakfield and Batavia.

“As I’ve done for the past several years, I will be touring my Assembly district with my colleague and Bronx Assemblyman Michael Benedetto,” Hawley said. “At a time when politics seems divisive and gridlocked, I always make an effort to reach across the aisle and invite a colleague from the Big Apple to a different part of the state, and in turn I plan on visiting their Assembly district as well. At the end of the day, we are all New Yorkers and I can see this as a tremendously enriching experience for both of us.”

Hawley and Benedetto are scheduled to visit Green Harbor Campgrounds & Marina in Lyndonville, LynOaken Farms    in Lyndonville, Torrey Farms in Lyndonville and then have lunch at Avanti’s in Medina.

After lunch they may stop by the Medina Railroad Museum and then go to Z&M (Landpro Equipment) in Oakfield, Genesee Community College in Batavia, Chapin Manufacturing in Batavia, Batavia Downs and the Fortunes restaurant at the Downs for dinner.

MIDDLEPORT – FMC Corp. announced will do soil and sediment samples at three creeks in the towns of Hartland, Ridgeway and Yates.

The effort is part of the company’s continuing investigation of arsenic pollution from the FMC’s agricultural chemical production.

FMC wants to test 75 residential, commercial, agricultural and public properties upstream of FMC along Johnson and Jeddo creeks and also an unnamed stream that runs into Jeddo Creek.

The company said it is doing the testing at the request of the state Department of Environmental Conservation and federal Environmental Protection Agency. Those agencies, along with the state Department of Health, approved the work plan for the project.

FMC said the testing will address sampling gaps from previous from 2006 and before that year.

Access agreements are being sought from property owners. These areas have not been part of the soil excavations caused by high arsenic levels in the village.

The sampling areas include the section of the unnamed stream beginning at Pearson and Stone Roads in the Town of Hartland and ending where it joins together with Jeddo Creek on the south side of Ridge Road in the Town of Ridgeway.

Another study area in Ridgeway and Yates includes Jeddo Creek starting at the south side of Ridge Road, as well as Johnson Creek, starting where it joins with Jeddo Creek on the northside of Mill Road and ends at or near Marshall Road.

Field activities and data analysis are expected be conducted from late August through late fall 2018 but are dependent upon obtaining access to private properties and seasonal/weather conditions, FMC said.

FMC is contacting property owners in the study area regarding access agreements and representatives are available to answer questions about the work plan and the agreements, the company said.

For more information, click here.

Dunk tank added to support dog park

MEDINA – The main attractions arrived in Medina on Thursday ahead of a busy weekend in the Canal Basin.

The Lois McClure, a replica of a canal schooner from 1862, is back for a weekend of tours. The boat is joined by Corning Museum of Glass barge, which will offer glass-making demonstrations over the weekend.

Medina’s Tourism Committee has events planned while the glass barge and Lois McClure are in town. The ships will be welcomed in opening ceremonies at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.

New this year will be a wine tasting booth from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day by Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.

The Lois McClure is tied up at the dock below Five Star Bank on Thursday morning, awaiting the arrival of the Corning Museum of Glass barge. Standing at the rail is the boat’s captain Eric Rintouck, who said they will spend Friday relaxing and touring the Medina area.

A food truck is expected on site from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, and Pedal and Paddle boats will be available in the canal basin.

More children’s activities are planned this year, including a bounce house, dunk tank and face painting.

Two bands will entertain, Acoustically Sound from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday  and Pocket Change from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies also will perform on Saturday from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Another highlight will be food demonstrations and dancing from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday by Mariachi de Oro Mexican Restaurant.

There will also be a dunk tank on Saturday and Sunday to raise money for a dog park in the village.

Participants in the dunk tank Saturday include:.

• 3 to 4 p.m.  – Medina Mayor Mike Sidari

• 4 – 5 p.m.  – Village Trustee Owen Toale

• 5 – 6 p.m.  – Orleans Hub Editor Tom Rivers

Sunday

• 3 – 4 p.m. – Eric Rintouck, captain of the Lois McClure

• 4 – 5 p.m. – Medina Fire Chief Tom Lupo

• 5 – 6 p.m. – Steve Gibbs, senior manager of Hot Glass Programs and Business Technology Development at the Corning Museum of Glass

Two boats arrived in Medina on Thursday morning that will be open for tours on Saturday and Sunday. The schooner Lois McClure, escorted by the Orleans County Sheriff’s boat, arrived first, with the Corning Museum of Glass barge arriving a short time later. The C.L. Churchill, a 1964 tugboat, pushes the Lois McClure along the canal.

Provided photo: This toilet at Bullard Park was yanked out and damaged on Thursday.

The Village of Albion is closing the bathrooms at Bullard Park and Veterans Park (corner of Linwood Avenue and Brown Street) after frequent vandalism at the sites this summer.

The latest happened on Thursday when a toilet was ripped out of a bathroom at Bullard.

“We can’t have this anymore,” said Mayor Eileen Banker. “It’s costing us a fortune.”

Vandals have been ripping out toilets, stuffing T-shirts down pipes and wiping feces on the walls of the bathrooms.

“When is enough, enough?” Banker said this morning. “It’s costing us money and manpower. It’s very frustrating.”

The Department of Public Works has to respond to the vandalism, often pulling the DPW from other pressing tasks in the village, the mayor said.

The village may allow the bathrooms to be open for special events, but they will be locked as soon as the event is over. Albion may also go with porta-potties as an option or more expensive stainless steel toilets that are much more difficult to remove.

The mayor urged people to report vandalism in the parks and community by calling the police.

“If we find out who did this they will pay for it,” Banker said about the damaged toilet and bathroom at Bullard. “We will hold them responsible. We will press charges.”

Press Release, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

Photo by Tom Rivers: Icicles are pictured hanging inside the Canal Culvert in Ridgeway on Dec. 12, 2017. The Canal Culvert is one of Orleans County’s best-known landmarks.

WATERFORD – Amateur and professional photographers are invited submit images for the 13th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Entries must be postmarked by August 31.

Images should convey the wealth of things to do and see along the waterway and express the unique character of the canal and canal communities. Winning photos will be featured in the 2019 Erie Canalway calendar.

Images will be judged in four contest categories: On the Water, Along the Trail, Canal Communities, and Classic Canal.

Judges will select first, second, and third place winning images in each category, as well as 12 honorable mentions.

Images must be taken within the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, which spans 524 miles across the full expanse of upstate New York. It encompasses the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain canals and their historic alignments, as well as more than 230 canal communities.

Download official contest rules and an entry form by clicking here.

Press Release, Turn 27 Blue

Turn 27 Blue, a coalition of party leaders and activists involved in working to replace Rep. Chris Collins for over a year and a half, responded to the news concerning Chris Collins’ arrest and indictments.

“This kind of behavior is exactly why we came together to find a better person to represent the people of New York’s 27th District,” said Michelle Schoeneman of Citizens Against Collins said. “It has always been clear that Chris Collins’ priorities have never been his constituents.”

US Attorney Geoff Berman laid out a devastating case, charging Collins with securities fraud, wire fraud, and lying to the FBI.

“The facts laid out were extremely compelling,” stated Jeremy Zellner, the Erie County Democratic Chair. “It is very concerning that Chris Collins doesn’t appear to believe the rules apply to him.”

Turn 27 Blue conducted a series of interviews and forums this cycle with Democrats seeking to challenge Collins; the culmination of that process was their endorsement of Nathan McMurray, who is now the Democratic nominee.

Judith Hunter, the Livingston County Democratic Chair, remarked that, “Months ago Nate McMurray observed that Chris Collins was so deep in the swamp that ‘he had gills.’It certainly looks that Nate was right about that. We also know that he’s right to believe that the voters of NY 27 deserve a representative who listens to them and offers them real solutions instead of hiding behind the trappings of office.”

Jeremy Zellner – Erie County Democratic Chair

Nick Forster – Niagara County Democratic Chair

Jeanne Crane – Orleans County Democratic Chair

Michael Plitt – Genesee County Democratic Chair

Cynthia Appleton – Wyoming County Democratic Chair

Judith Hunter – Livingston County Democratic Chair

Jamie Romeo – Monroe County Democratic Chair

John Hurley – Ontario County Democratic Chair

Michelle Schoeneman – Citizens Against Collins

Amber Hainey – GLOW Progressives

Thomas White – Sister District of Western New York

Dan Beagley – Indivisible NY 27

Photo by Karen Sawicz

ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club today welcomed a new member, “Skip” Helfrich. He is pictured with Albion Rotarian Marlee Diehl, who is a past district governor.

Helfrich is the executive director of the Leadership Orleans program, which started this year. Diehl is one of the 25 class members in the inaugural program.

Helfrich is currently the president/owner of Human Energies, a human resources and organizational development consulting firm. He has personally been involved in the development of leadership programs such as Leadership Niagara and Leadership for the Youth of Niagara County as well as consultant with Leadership Genesee, Leadership Buffalo and Leadership Rochester. He also has extensive experience in the private manufacturing sector, having worked much of his professional life for General Motors.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding has been signed by New York power agencies and partners to conduct a study of successful offshore wind transmission models – with a specific focus on largescale European projects – to determine how key learnings can guide the state’s procurements of offshore wind generation.

The findings of the study will help guide New York’s offshore wind development, marking another major step toward the Governor’s goal to reach 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind in waters off the Atlantic Coast by 2030.

“New York continues to be a national leader in the development of our robust offshore wind industry, aiming to make wind energy as accessible and affordable as possible for all New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said. “As we strive to meet aggressive energy goals, we are committed to developing a clean energy economy that will attract investment and create thousands of jobs by 2030.”

This valuable input gained from the study will help determine the optimal infrastructure required to support the Governor’s aggressive offshore wind targets. The learnings will enable New York State and offshore wind developers to implement these major clean energy projects in an informed, cost-effective manner, thereby reducing ratepayer costs and moving the state even further along in its goal of obtaining 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

The New York Power Authority will lead the study, which aims to learn from European infrastructure design, best practices in connecting wind-generated power to transmission networks and the overall power grid, and successes in reducing the cost of delivering wind energy to customers and consumers. New York Independent System Operator, Con Edison, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Long Island Power Authority will collaborate with NYPA on the initial phase of the research. The study will look to learn from the different transmission and interconnection models currently used in Europe, which currently utilizes advanced wind energy technologies.

In July, the Public Service Commission authorized NYSERDA, in consultation with NYPA and LIPA, to issue Phase 1 solicitations in 2018 and 2019 for approximately 800 megawatts of offshore wind. The Public Service Commission also required NYSERDA to take immediate steps to study transmission solutions for Phase 2 and beyond to consider the longer-term configurations for cost-effective transmission of offshore wind, and the various options for ownership and planning processes. This study will inform the State on how to potentially apply learnings from Europe to New York for its Phase 2 procurements.

Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA’s president and CEO said, “We’ll look at the experiences, conclusions and recommendations of others to determine what New York should consider in developing offshore wind transmission. We want to distill the most important lessons learned from European development and consider the possible implications for New York State.”

Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo announced the New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan, which will guide the state in the development of 2,400 MW of offshore wind by 2030, enough to power 1.2 million New York households. The plan describes the conditions necessary for the state to achieve its offshore wind target and indicates the need for future technical studies, like the one announced today, and analyses to advance the most cost-effective and responsible development. The findings of the study will be timely as the state looks at transmission costs which the Master Plan estimates could comprise 30 percent of total costs of an offshore wind development.

The NYPA-led study will research and analyze the methods by which offshore transmission has been developed in places outside New York State, focusing primarily on Europe. Particular attention will be given to the physical design, including radial and network connections and interconnections between the projects and to the respective onshore transmission systems as well as development and rate structures. The study will also focus on the ownership structures, business models and financing approaches used in each jurisdiction, as well as the regulatory approaches governing transmission development and cost recovery. Results of the study are expected this fall.

Photo by Tom Rivers: A kayaker paddles on Lake Ontario off the shore of Barker on Saturday evening.

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

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the Interior Appropriations bill that just passed the Senate includes $11 million in federal funding to help protect the Great Lakes from the threat of Asian carp.

The funding would be provided to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices and would be used to control Asian carp in the Mississippi and Ohio River Basins to prevent them from entering the Great Lakes.

“The invasive and destructive Asian carp are no friend of the Great Lakes, and we need to do all we can to keep them out and protect our wildlife and Great Lakes,” said Senator Schumer. “Asian carp create a tremendous burden on any ecosystem they invade, and I’m glad to see funding moving forward to keep our waterways safe and habitable for New York’s wildlife. I vow to keep fighting for this funding until it is signed into law, to protect the precious resources that are our Great Lakes.”

“The Great Lakes are some of New York’s most precious natural resources, and we need to do everything possible to protect them against the imminent threat of Asian carp,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. “I fought for this critical funding to be included in the Senate Interior Appropriations bill so that we can help keep New York’s waterways and natural habitats free from this invasive species, and I am pleased to announce that we are one step closer to getting this funding signed into law.”

The economy and the ecosystem of the entire Great Lakes region are at risk because of the imminent threat of invasive Asian carp. Current efforts to control the spread of Asian carp are located in the Chicago and Ohio River Basins, where the Mississippi River Basin links to the Great Lakes.

Asian carp are large, prolific, invasive species that can weigh up to 100 pounds and grow up to four feet long. They consume vast amounts of food, disrupting the food chain that supports native fish. This aggressive invasive species could devastate the Great Lakes ecosystems, which provide drinking water to over 30 million Americans, support a $7 billion fishing industry and a $15.5 billion boating industry, and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Schumer and Gillibrand helped secure the $11 million in federal funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices in the Senate’s recently passed Interior Appropriations bill. Earlier this year, Gillibrand pushed for this funding, and last month, Gillibrand also announced the reintroduction of the bipartisan Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act, legislation that would protect New York’s natural resources from invasive species by giving the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) greater authority to regulate nonnative species and prohibit them from being imported or sold in the United States.

Provided photos, Medina Rotary Club

MEDINA – The Rotary Club of Medina honored two of its members as Paul Harris Fellows, the highest award a Rotarian can receive. The awards were presented to Medina Rotarians Edee Hoffmeister (left), owner of Celebrity Day Spa, and Gary Lawton (right), co-owner of Karen’s Collectibles & Upholstery. The presentation was made by Past President Bill Bixler (center) at the regular meeting on Wednesday.

Edee and Gary are long-time Rotarians who support every event sponsored by the Rotary Club through their presence and hard work. Both have held several offices throughout their tenure in the club including president.

The presentation of Paul Harris Award is Rotary Foundation’s way of expressing its appreciation for substantial contributions to humanitarian and educational programs. It is named for Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris, a Chicago lawyer who started Rotary International with three business associates in 1905.

Edee and Gary join a remarkable company of persons who are recognized for their investment in the ideal of good will, peace and understanding. It is the goal of Rotarians the world over and one that both Edee and Gary share.

The Medina Rotary Club also installed two new members at meeting on Wednesday.

President Carl Tuohey (center) welcomed new members Mike Cavanagh, left, who is principal at Medina High School and Angela DiRosa, executive director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation.

Club members are excited to have Mike and Angela join Medina Rotary. They are both active members of the Medina community and look forward to working with Medina Rotary on the many programs involved.

The next event the club will support is the Super Cruise on Main Street in Medina on Wednesday, August 29.

Former county legislator pleased with new transportation facility in Albion

ALBION – Henry Smith, a former Orleans County legislator, will be stepping down on Dec. 31 as the county’s representative on the board of directors for the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority.

Smith said the RGRTA has shown its commitment to Orleans County, purchasing new buses, modifying services and building a new $4 million transportation facility on West Academy Street in Albion, next to the Orleans County Highway Department.

The new building could be ready later this month or in September, Smith said.

“I’m very, very proud and excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish over the years,” he said.

He has served in the unpaid position for  decade. He went to the RGRTA offices before the county had the public bus service and pushed the agency to come to Orleans. It started operations in the county in 2003.

It was originally called Orleans Transit Service or OTS. Now it’s RTS Orleans and serves about 40,000 riders a year.

“I went to RGRTA and told them we needed a bus system,” Smith recalled. “I felt it was important because not everyone has an automobile and they still need a vehicle to get to appointments and to jobs.”

With the new 13,000-square-foot transportation facility nearly done for RTS Orleans, Smith said he has accomplished his main goals for the agency. The new $4 million facility puts RTS in a better position to grow the service in the county.

The facility will include eight indoor bus bays, three bus maintenance bays, a vehicle wash bay, storage for parts and materials, administrative office space, a break room with kitchenette, and designated parking.

Federal aid funneled to the state will pay 80 percent or about $3.2 million of the cost, while the state pays 10 percent and RTS pays the other 10 percent.

“I’ve been there long enough and feel I’ve accomplish enough especially with new facility going in,” Smith said. “I wanted to see that brought to fruition.”

The County Legislature has recommended two people – either former State Assemblyman Charlie Nesbitt or current Orleans County Planning and Development Director James Bensley – to be considered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to represent the county on the RGRTA board.

Smith said he enjoyed advocating for the county in the role.

“I worked hard and tried to represent Orleans County to the best of my ability,” he said.

Photo courtesy of Howard Owens/The Batavian – Chris Collins, joined by his wife Mary Sue, speaks to reporters on Wednesday evening at Embassy Suites in Buffalo. He was arrested earlier in the day for insider trading and lying to federal law enforcement officers.

Congressman Chris Collins, accused of insider trading and lying to the FBI, said he is innocent of the federal charges against him and will remain on the ballot and press for re-election this November.

Collins, his son Cameron and Cameron’s fiance’s father-in-law faced a 13-count indictment in federal court this morning. They pleaded not guilty and are free on $500,000 bail.

Collins, speaking to reporters in Buffalo at about 8 p.m., said he will mount a vigorous legal defense while running for a fourth term in Congress, representing the 27^th District which includes Orleans and seven other WNY counties.

“I look forward to being fully vindicated and exonerated, ending any and all questions relating to my affiliation with Innate,” Collins said.

Collins is a major stockholder Innate Immunotherapeutics, a pharmaceutical company based in Australia. Collins also was a member of Innate’s board of directors.

He is accused of tipping off investors, including his son, that the company failed a clinical trial for a drug that Collins hoped who be a big breakthrough in helping people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

His son and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron’s fiancé, both allegedly quickly sold Innate stock before news of the failed clinical trial was public. Cameron Collins and Zarsky avoided $768,000 in losses, according to the indictment.

Collins said he couldn’t address the charges during his news conference, instead vowing to fight the accusations in court.

Collins touted his experiences in the private sector, creating hundreds of jobs and then his efforts to solve the financial challenges in Erie County when he was recruited to run as county executive.

He was been an investor in Innate since before he was Erie County Executive and later when he was elected to Congress about six years ago.

He blamed “political opponents” for attacking his support of Innate. He remains optimistic Innate will develop a drug that will improve the lives for people suffering from secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

“Over the years, I invested heavily in Innate (and) became the company’s largest shareholder and an uncompensated member of its board of directors,” Collins told reporters. “Without my investment and steadfast financial support, the company would have gone under, bringing with it a premature end to a drug that I truly thought would revolutionize treatment options for secondary progressive M.S.”

Collins also posted this tweet late in the afternoon: “I am proud to represent the people of #NY27. The charges being brought against me are meritless and I intend to fight to clear my name. I will continue to work hard for the people of #NY27 and earn your vote this November.”

New book by Kelly and Jay Kovaleski has advice for ‘Navigating Life’

Photo by Tom Rivers: Jay and Kelly Kovaleski hold a copy of “Navigating Life – Living With Purpose After Catastrophic Loss.” They were presenters at a workshop on July 28 in St. Louis for the Compassionate Friends, a national organization in its 41st year of supporting bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents.

ALBION – An Albion couple that lost their 15-year-old son to leukemia 7 years ago has written a book about their loss and the grief-stricken process to find hope after a tragedy.

Kelly and Jay Kovaleski, both teachers at Albion Central School, have published “Navigating Life – Living With Purpose After Catastrophic Loss.”

Their son Nicholas died on June 29, 2011. He was courageous in his fight against leukemia. He showed great determination, working towards his goals in football, swimming and tennis, and giving of himself by helping at home and through Boy Scouts.

Nicholas adopted “Live with Purpose” as his motto when he was 11.

“Teens should know they have been placed here for a reason,” Mr. Kovaleski writes in the book. “They were created by God for a purpose and need to use these very lives in order to fulfill that purpose.”

The cover of the book by the Kovaleskis includes a photo of a compass. In working through grief and finding direction in life, the couple urges readers to consider the four directions – north, south, east and west.

• North: Who and what people love the most, their particular talents – “What gets you up, your why,” Mrs. Kovaleski said.

• South: Unexpected detours, deep hurts

• East: Where are you going – success is based on hard work, learning, training, tenacity and persistence

• West: Your past, formative moments that have shaped your life – through reflection and gained perspective guide future choices and decisions

The Kovaleskis have been leading “Live with Purpose” workshops where they use a compass and have participants reflect on the four directions. The new book takes people to a deeper level, while sharing the Kovaleskis’ journey.

Mrs. Kovaleski, an elementary intervention teacher, said many people are carrying deep hurts and grief.

“The wilderness is so thick, getting through to the other side has no time line,” she writes in the book.

With their compass exercise, they encourage people to pursue their “north,” the people and activities that give them peace and joy.

Mrs. Kovaleski said many people have unresolved grief. She has used journaling and prayer for comfort since her son’s loss.

Mr. Kovaleski takes an early morning run to process emotions and have his quiet time. Mr. Kovaleski, a physical education teacher and coach at Albion, would like to share the message with youth groups, schools, churches – people of all ages.

The couple along with their daughter, Michayla, and son, Matthew, were presenters on July 28 during a national conference in St. Louis for the Compassionate Friends. (Michayla, 19, will be a sophomore at Nazareth College majoring in dance. Matthew, 17, will be a senior at Albion. Older brother Thomas, 24, is a sergeant in the Army and is based at Fort Riley in Kansas.)

Compassionate Friends created this display with a photo of Nicholas Kovaleski for his parents’ presentation on July 28.

More than 1,000 people attended the three-day event in St. Louis which offers support for bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents.

This was the first time the Kolaleskis presented their workshop at the Compassionate Friends conference. They have attended in previous years. The Kovaleskis were told to prepare for about 35-40 people. They had 150 at their 90-minute session and have been invited to be presenters at Bereaved Parents of the USA and they will be filming a video on Sept. 15 for the “Open to Hope” show in New York City.

Jay and Kelly said they don’t present a “how to” manual for working through grief. Everyone goes at their own pace.

They first tell people to “breathe” and know they aren’t alone.

Kelly battled anxiety attacks after her son’s death. Her husband has been a “rock” and couple has been united, grieving in their own ways but always staying together.

After a tragic loss many marriages end. The Kovaleskis were determined not to lose each other.

They urge people not to simply move on from a loss. It will remain with them the rest of their lives.

“There will always be a part of you that is grieving,” Kelly said. “You’re not healed. You’re able to move forward. You can’t do grief wrong, you just have to do it.”

Jay said the family appreciates the support from the Albion community since Nicholas was diagnosed with leukemia and the years following his death.

The family is grateful for the opportunity to share their son’s story and how they have been able to work through their grief.

“This is part of our purpose,” Jay said at their home in Barre on Tuesday morning. “To be a beacon to somebody else is so rewarding.”

Their book, Navigating Life, is available at The Book Shoppe in Medina, Amazon and through the Kovaleskis’ website, www.purposewny.com.

POINT BREEZE – This evening’s performance of Richard III by Shake on the Lake has been moved from the Oak Orchard Lighthouse to the Orleans County Marine Park, due to rain.

The cast will perform under the bridge at the park which is on Route 98 (1300 Point Breeze Rd.)

The performance starts at 6:30 p.m. with free admission.

Shake on the Lake performed Tuesday on the lawn by Yates Community Library in Lyndonville.

Speaker Ryan removes Collins from House Energy and Commerce Committee ‘until this matter is settled’

Nate McMurray

Nate McMurray, the Democrat trying to unseat Chris Collins as representative for the 27^th Congressional District, has questioned the ethics of Collins the past several months during McMurray’s stump speeches. McMurray has said often that Collins has been focused on enhancing his wealth and that of his friends.

Today, Collins, his son and his son’s finance’s father were charged with insider trading. McMurray responded to federal charges against the trio.

“Today’s allegations by the US attorney were shocking and sad, but not surprising – this has been unfolding, piece by piece, for many months,” McMurray said in a statement to the media. “Anyone who’s been paying attention knows what’s going on. And now the jig is up, because no matter how this is spun, it’s clear that the swamp is alive and well in Washington, DC.”

Collins is seeking a fourth term to Congress in an eight-county district with a heavy Republican advantage.

He was arrested along his son Cameron, and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron’s fiancé. They have been charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count each of making false statements to the FBI.

Collins is accused of using information from negative clinical trial tests conducted by Innate Immunotherapeutics, a pharmaceutical company. Collins was a member of Innate’s board of directors and a major shareholder for the biotech firm based in Australia.

In an indictment unsealed Wednesday morning, prosecutors say the congressman passed information to his son, who also is a major shareholder in the company. Cameron Collins is then accused of relaying inside information to others so they could time trades in the company to their benefit.

The investors in the know were able to sell shares, avoiding $768,000 in losses, before damaging news hit about a failed drug trial for Innate, according to the indictment.

“This investigation must go forward and all those involved must be held accountable so that we can restore integrity and trust to public life,” McMurray said.

Since the charges were announced this morning, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-WI, has removed Collins from the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Ryan issued this statement: “While his guilt or innocence is a question for the courts to settle, the allegations against Rep. Collins demand a prompt and through investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Insider trading is a clear violation of the public trust. Until this matter is settled, Rep. Collins will no longer be serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.”