Rev. Susan Thaine leads church in her hometown

Dick Anderson of Waterport plays the guitar and sings the Rev. Susan Thaine’s favorite hymn during her first Sunday as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion.

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent

ALBION – “I see friends I’ve known forever,” the Rev. Susan Thaine said as she began her first Sunday as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion.

The Rev. Thaine grew up in Albion, a daughter of Robert and Peggy Collins. She and her husband Mike have lived on Oak Orchard Road since 1999.

Tim McGee, a member of the congregation for 10 years, said it was pretty special to get a new minister who happens to be a hometown native.

“We are blessed to have her and we hope she’ll be here for a long time to come,” McGee said. “She’s ‘home’ now. She’s a very uplifting person and she’s going to change this church.”

The Rev. Thaine grew up on West Academy Street. Both she and her husband graduated from Albion High School in 1986. They were married in 1992 and have a daughter, Abby, and son, Kyle.

Mike is the band director and instrumental teacher at Albion High School.

The Rev. Thaine said she knew at the age of 8 she wanted to go into the ministry after attending the Bible Club at the home of Sid and Etha Bolton and then attending church camp with them.

The congregation of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion put on a picnic after worship Sunday to welcome their new pastor, Albion native the Rev. Susan Collins Thaine. She is shown here ready to cut her cake.

“But we attended the Free Methodist Church, and while in theory they accepted female pastors, I never saw any,” she said. “So I made the decision to take a route which was open to me – music.”

She received a master of science in applied voice from Roberts Wesleyan College in 1990 and a master of divinity from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 2010. She served as pastor of the Penfield Presbyterian Church from the fall of 2010 until this month.

In May, she was appointed moderator of the Presbytery of Genesee Valley.

As she began sharing her ministry with the Albion congregation, the Rev. Thaine said one thing was running through her heart and mind.

“Ada Grabowski, former Albion School Superintendent, once gave my husband this sage advice, ‘Begin as you mean to go on,’” the pastor said. “For me, the way I want to go on is with intention to create meaningful and transformative connections; our individual and corporate connection with God; and our connections with one another and with our neighbors outside the doors of the church. I see a future where this congregation is known as a place of vibrant faith lived out as we strive to become a ‘Good Neighbor Church.’”

The Rev. Thaine said she is excited to get to know each and every one of the congregation, and has scheduled a series of luncheons from now until January, in which she encourages everyone to pick a date and sign up.

Provided photo: The ribbon was cut on Saturday to celebrate the new Santa mural in downtown Albion. From left include Tom Rivers, past president of the Albion Rotary Club and coordinator of the project; Ken McPherson, a Santa portrayer and graduate of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School; Phil McKenna, a Santa portrayer; Annabella Salisbury, member of Albion Women’s Select Choir; and artist Stacey Kirby Steward and her daughter Skylar.

The 24-foot-long mural was an Albion Rotary project and included many community donations. The mural commemorates the life and work of Charles W. Howard.  In 1937, Howard founded a Santa Claus School in Albion, dedicating his life to establishing a high standard for Santas everywhere.

“To play the part of Santa is a privilege, not a job,” Howard said.

He served as the Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for nearly 20 years. Howard died in 1966 but the Santa school continues today in his name in Midland, Mich.

The Rotary Club also wanted the mural to highlight Albion’s extraordinary downtown, Courthouse Square and the Erie Canal

Photos by Tom Rivers: Phil McKenna and Ken McPherson pose with a cutout of Charles W. Howard by the mural.

The Women’s Select Choir from Albion High School sang two Christmas songs. The group includes, from left: Hannah Brewer, Annabella Salisbury, Hannah Van Epps, Olivia Morrison, Emily Mergler and Molly Wadhams.

A brass quintet of Albion graduates also played Christmas music. The group included David Hollenbeck, Kyle Thaine, Shannon Broda, Justin Robinson and Mike Thaine, far right, who is the instrumental teacher at Albion High School.

Stacey Kirby Steward, an Albion graduate, said she appreciated the opportunity to work on a mural about her hometown. She now lives in Spencerport and has done several large-scale public art projects between Middleport and Greece, often with themes about the Erie Canal.

The Women’s Select Choir also wanted a picture with Santa.

Photo by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Aeddon Cayea, a summer assistant for the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, helps unload a truck on Friday full of Coke products. Jeremy Neal is operating the tractor.

The pallets of Coke were moved to a refrigerated truck donated for the week of the fair by Elder Trucking. Orleans Poverty Hill Farms, which is owned by the Neal family, provides the fuel for the truck during the week.

Many volunteers and donors give to the fair, which opens on Monday.

There are about 350 members of 4-H who will be exhibiting during the week. The fair typically draws 25,000 to 30,000 people from Monday through Saturday. Many of the animals will arrive at the fairgrounds today.

To see a schedule for the week, click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Liam Cummings, 4, of Brockport checks out one of the cars on display Saturday during a 50^th anniversary celebration for Arnold’s Auto Parts. There were about 80 cars at the cruise-in, with about 300 to 400 people mingling during the celebration, which included a wine tasting, food from the Masonic Lodge and music from the band Black Jack. Liam’s grandfather, Michael Cummings, plays in the band.

Black Jack performed during the celebration for Arnold’s. Scott Lonnen, an Arnold’s employee, made a guest appearance for the band.

Arnold’s, which is located at the corner of Liberty and West Bank streets, sells NAPA Auto Parts and ACDelco products

The business was started by Arnold DeCarlo and is now led by his son, Dan.

This 1979 Oldsmobile was among the cars at the cruise-in.

A 1952 Ford Pickup also was on display.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Woody and Friends performs on Saturday during the Canal Village Farmers’ Market at 127 West Center St.

The market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes many local farmers. There are also musicians, artists and other demonstrations at the market.

Tom Zangerle, an artist from Medina, had some of his paintings and prints for sale on Saturday.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Barre Cubs hold up the championship trophy after capturing their fourth straight title in the Albion Midget League. The team defeated Rotary-Lions today, 12-4, in the championship game. Click here for more photos and game highlights.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Addison Jaczynski, 5, of Albion is dressed as a fairy for Medina’s first-time “Enchanted Faery Village Festival” today.

The event was organized by the Medina Business Association and included a scavenger hunt, costume contest, craft and art vendors, fairy door-decorating contest and other activities.

Kathy Blackburn, vice president of the Medina Business Association, dressed up for the event. She welcomed people to the tourism booth at Rotary Park. (The MBA spelled “Faery” in the Celtic style.)

Blackburn was pleased many businesses participated in the event with fairy gardens, fairy tales, fairy stickers, face painting, temporary tattoos, fairy wands, fairy crowns and other treats.

“Next year will be bigger,” Blackburn said.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Blackburn: Faery Royalty were also crowned for the festival. From left include: Woodland Baby Fairy – Neva Regling of Medina; Princess Fairy – Chloe Luxon of Medina; Queen Fairy – Anna Geldard of Albion; and Prince Fairy – Bright Hapeman of Medina.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A historical marker was unveiled this morning in Medina for Gulf Street Park. Pictured from left include Ron Stork, Don Sloper and Mayor Mike Sidari.

Stork and his wife Cherie pushed to have the marker installed. They wanted to recognized three World War II veterans who returned home in 1945 and worked with neighborhood kids to create the park.

Children used to play in the street before the WWII veterans – Pepper Santillo, John Santillo and Chester Kwiatkowski – worked with the local kids to clear out a field that was overgrown with brush and weeds.

“They did it to have a park so the kids could have a safe place to play,” Stork said.

They used axes and trimmers to remove small trees and brush. They also had to move rocks. They neighborhood kids who helped included Tony Kwiatkowski, Jack Parada, Frank Stack, Walter Stack, Frank Bunchuck, Greg Pope, Bernie Dujenski, Dell Stork and Sam Santillo.

Dell Stork, the last survivor of the group, is now 86. He shared the history with his son Ron, who wanted to immortalize the efforts of the group in making the park, which is located at 141 Stork Street.

“It’s a very interesting history,” Mayor Mike Sidari said. “The World War II veterans did their service over there, they came home and they did a service for the community.”

The kids set up a baseball field at the park and their team was known as “The Rock Street Gang.” The played other teams in Medina. They were typically neighborhood games, and the teams didn’t have uniforms.

The Gulf Street Park is just north of the original Ryan quarry, the first commercial Medina sandstone quarry (just north of the Erie Canal by the lift bridge). Sandstone is prominent not too far under the grass.

This group includes, from left: Bill Lewandowski, Ed Washak, Frank Lewandowski, Cherie Stork, Ron Stork and Ron Washak. The Lewandowskis and Washaks were part of the second generation of kids that made the park bigger and also helped with its maintenance.

A second generation of kids helped to widen and care for the field in the 1940s and ’50s, including Chester Maryjankowski, Joe Maryjankowski, Rocco Pope, Don Bloom, Tony Bielak, Tony Parada, Ed Parada, Walter Lewandowski, Bill Lewandowski, Frank Lewandowski, Edwin Washak, Ed Johnson, Eugene Wanecski, Ron Washak, Bernie Parada and Frank Mencelwicz.

In the late 1960s, some of the residents had bake sales to buy playground equipment. The park is owned by the Village of Medina.

Mayor Sidari said new playground equipment geared for children ages 2 to 5 is coming for State Street Park and ages 5 to 12 for Butts Park. The village would like to upgrade more playground equipment in the future, he said.

Ron Stork, center, wanted to recognize the efforts of the World War II veterans and local kids in creating the park.

Provided photos: Joan “Jo” Payjack Forrestel, right, poses with her sister Bonnie Hartway of Medina, seated left, and daughter Libby Naylor at The Book Shoppe in Medina, where copies of Forrestel’s book are being sold. The book An American Thread is the true story of Jo’s and her husband Tom’s sailing voyage across the Atlantic and his tragic, unexpected death aboard ship.

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent

MEDINA – A Medina native has written a book on her family’s sailing adventure crossing the Atlantic in 1976 and her husband’s subsequent death aboard ship in Europe.

Joan “Jo” Forrestel will be at The Book Shoppe from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 4 to sign copies of her autobiography, An American Thread: A Sailing Family’s Adventure, in which she recalls a seafaring voyage half way round the world, some of it told in her late husband’s diary.

Jo was born in Medina, a daughter of the late Frank and Laurita Payjack. She met Tom Forrestel in 1949 when he came into Payjack Chevrolet, where she worked as a bookkeeper.

“We took one look at each other and our fate was sealed,” Jo wrote in her book.

She was already engaged to another man, but when Tom asked her to go to a circus with him, she accepted because, as she explained, “A circus wasn’t a real date.”

The second time Tom asked her out, she broke off her engagement, and she and Tom were married six months later.

Jo’s daughter Libby Naylor wrote an introduction to the book, in which she describes her mother as a strong and courageous woman, qualities she comes by honestly.

“She comes from a long line of remarkable women from Western New York,” Naylor said.

These include her mother, her grandmother Elsie Miles and her great-great-great-grandmother Bathshua Brown, who according to family history saved the area from English occupation during the War of 1812.

Jo gave birth to 10 daughters in 13 1/2 years, one of whom, Abigail, died at 3 months.

“That alone elevates her to strong and courageous status, but there is much more to her story,” Naylor said.

Tom and his brother Richard had taken over their father’s business, Cold Spring Construction, and during the busy summers they would rent a cottage at whatever small lake they were near.

Both Jo and Tom had grown up sailing. Jo grew up on Lake Ontario near Shadigee, while Tom spent his first 15 summers at a small lake north of Hornell called Loon Lake.

While building a road near Java in Wyoming County, the family discovered a small lake near Cuba with an active yacht club. There, they learned about sailing and bought their first boat, a Snipe, which they raced every weekend.

“It was a common sight for me to be nursing the baby on our dock between races,” Jo wrote.

It wasn’t long before they graduated to sailing a Morgan 41’ boat out of Point Breeze.

Tom was insistent all the family learned how to sail.

“He would make us practice ‘man overboard’ drills,” Naylor said. “He would dive overboard and we had to rescue him.”

Then came the night in 1972 when Tom came home from a Medina School Board meeting and announced, “Jo, I would like to sail across the Atlantic.”

Jo was not surprised, she said, and began the enormous task of planning.

They contacted boatbuilders in Clearwater, Fla., and ordered a 51-foot sailboat they named “Liberty.”

Tom and Joan Forrestel raised nine daughters at their home in Shelby Center before setting sail to cross the Atlantic in their boat “Liberty.” From left front are Francy, Patty, Amy and Teresa. At rear are Susy, Joesy, Margaret, Libby and Katy.

Susy and Teresa were in college and Francy, Patty and Amy were out of school and working. But that left four children at home, Margaret, Katy and Josey in junior high and high school, and Libby in elementary school. Leaving them behind was not an option, Jo said.

They eventually signed the girls up for correspondence courses.

At that time, there was no GPS and reckoning was done solely by celestial navigation, which both Tom and Jo learned.

“That was a time when the high seas had to be sailed relying on wit and wisdom alone,” Naylor said.

By the end of 1975, all preparations for the voyage were complete and the family was ready to begin their journey. Tom had left the business in the hands of his nephew Steve Forrestel, and on Feb. 8, 1976, in a blizzard, the family departed Shelby Center for Clearwater and life aboard Liberty.

Shopping for food for the long journey was no small task. Canned goods had to be varnished so they didn’t rust. Jo learned to buy meat without bones, as bones took up too much room in their freezer onboard.

On Feb. 11, 1976, Liberty left Clearwater.

Naylor said they loved the boat.

“Mom and dad made it ‘home’,” she said.

On Sunday, June 27, the Liberty came within sight of Bishop’s Rock off Falmouth, England.

The next leg of their journey was crossing the English Channel to Holland.

From Brussels, they took the canal route to Paris, traveling through 34 locks in one day.

On Oct. 22, Liberty left the French canal system for the Mediterranean.

The family had decided to leave the Liberty in Italy and fly home for Christmas to spend a month with Jo’s mother in Medina.

Returning to life on the water, plans were made to head to Israel by way of Crete toward the end of February.

On March 10, they set sail from Malta.

Israel marked a turning point in their voyage, as from then on it was all westward and home, Jo wrote.

They headed toward Cyprus, then Rhodes, leaving there April 29 for Symi Island and Kos, where Hippocrates lived and taught. Next, they set sail for the Aegean Sea and Greece.

As the family prepared to leave Athens, little did they know how their life was about to change.

They had decided to go through the Corinth Canal, four miles long with 300-foot cliffs. But it saved them several days travel.

They sailed through the Ionian Sea, anchoring for the night at Levkas. They were invited for cocktails aboard a 100-foot yacht nearby, where they were greeted by Alexandre de Lesseps, a movie producer. He was a descendent of the man who built the Suez Canal, Jo said.

“We had such a good time, Tom invited them over for breakfast the next morning,” Jo said.

Later in the evening on the Liberty, Tom said to Libby, “Now I have seen just about everything I want to see. Maybe it is time to think about going home.”

The next morning around 5 a.m. Tom collapsed on the floor of their bedroom.

“My world came crashing down as I looked at him and knew he was gone,” Jo wrote.

Margaret took the dingy and went to the de Lesseps’ boat, which had a nurse onboard. Alexandre went ashore to find a doctor to pronounce Tom dead.

Tom’s brother Richard flew over to help with arrangements, and Jo made the decision to continue sailing Liberty home.

“Liberty had become our home,” Jo said.

Tom had insisted everyone learn an important area of the boat. Jo was at the helm during navigation, Margaret was in charge of the biggest sails, along with Libby. Katy and Libby were responsible for the engine room and Joesy took care of the anchor, winches, chain and ropes. Libby was in charge of the rigging and if something went wrong, she was always the one hoisted up to fix it. Everyone was trained to do an important task aboard Liberty.

“We were confident in our sailing because Tom had trained us all,” Jo wrote. “We depended on each other, and it was time to move on and continue with our adventure.”

Sailing away from Levkas, Jo said they felt Tom’s presence. He was the wind, the sky and the waves that swept them back out to sea, she said.

After completing the voyage, Jo said she now had to figure out where they would live.

Daughter Teresa was attending the University of Miami and they set sail for Miami. The found a house in Coconut Grove and a berth for Liberty in a canal one block from their home.

Jo and the girls continued to sail Liberty from Miami for many years. When the girls had family obligations and could no longer sail, Jo gave the boat to Dolphin Research and 10 years ago moved to Savannah, Ga., where she loves to golf.

Three years ago, she found Tom’s diary. Naylor started to type it so her sisters could have a copy, when Jo decided to write her book.

An American Thread is available at the Book Shoppe, 529 Main St., Medina, at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 4, No. 29

“We have met to provide a mansion for the dead. We have come out from our quiet homes and the bright sunlight and the crowded streets and all the garish show of life, to this secluded spot to set apart a last final resting place where the weary pilgrim…may come and lay down his burden forever…” – Daniel R. Cady, Esq.

Benjamin Franklin once said that there are but two certainties in life; death and taxes. For the pioneers of Albion, the question of a sacred final resting place plagued them from the earliest years of settlement. Small burial grounds existed within the village limits, but the harsh realities of life and death proved problematic for these noble citizens.

It became apparent soon after the incorporation of the village that a cemetery on East State Street would be quickly overcome with the bodies of those who succumbed to the tribulations of pioneer life. Discussions shifted to purchasing land outside of the municipal boundaries, which required an amendment to the village charter. Yet after careful consideration, the proposition to amend the charter was replaced by a full redrafting of the document under the care and attention of Arad Thomas and Lorenzo Burrows.

Upon the conclusion of this task, Alexis Ward and Lorenzo Burrows were charged with selecting an appropriate site for this new municipal cemetery. A large sandy drumlin east of the village limits provided the ideal spot for the burial of local citizens. The village purchased 25 acres from Lyman Patterson and Jacob Annis, the land containing a mixture of rolling meadows and wooded hills; $1,000 was the final price.

It is believed that upon the dedication of the cemetery on September 7, 1843, that the first lots were sold at auction. Those families who purchased graves were responsible for the initial upkeep of these final resting spots. Even after the first interment occurred in October of 1843, the care of individual lots were lacking in even the smallest of improvements. For nearly 20 years, it was the responsibility of the village trustees to oversee the management of the cemetery. With no dedicated caretaker of supervisor, the work often fell upon the village president.

The response to this problem was the appointment of Dr. Lemuel Paine, Lorenzo Burrows, and Henry Sickels as the first three commissioners of the cemetery while Daniel Hanley was hired as the first caretaker. The first task of the commissioners was to construct a receiving vault and caretaker’s house on the western end of the cemetery (now the main entrance).

According to research by Marguerite Monacelli and Eleanor Wilder, a schedule of allowance for services was established:

1. Digging a grave and attendance of burial service for a child under 12: $1.00 without box, $1.50 with box.

2. Digging a grave and attendance of burial service for person over 12: $1.50 without box, $2.00 with box.

3. Depositing of remains in vault: $.50 with burial in Mt. Albion, $1.00 with burial in another cemetery.

4. Improving and ornamenting lots owned by individuals: $1.00 per day.

As families decided to relocate graves from small family burial grounds starting in the early 1860s, a fee of $3.00 was assessed per interment and added costs associated with the construction of “vaults” from stone or brick.

The history of Mt. Albion is a lengthy one and far too long to contain within the confines of one article. However, we fast-forward to 1912 when this image was taken. At the center is the cemetery’s main entryway, surrounded by trees and beautiful flowers carefully arranged throughout the landscape. The “small” fountain is representative of other smaller fountains situated throughout the grounds. In 1914, Emma Ingersoll provided for the installation of the large fountain constructed by William Karns of Albion. The following year, Ingersoll’s will provided for a granite bench that was installed at a cost of $500.

In keeping with tradition, the County Historian will host tours of Mt. Albion Cemetery starting on Sunday, August 5th at 6 p.m. Tours will take place every Sunday during the month (Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26) starting at 6 p.m. from the chapel. As the Village of Albion celebrates the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the cemetery, tours will cover the majority of the cemetery grounds over the course of four Sundays and visit a number of notable local politicians, entrepreneurs, activists, and criminals. These events are free and open to the public – please contact the Historian at Matt.Ballard@orleanscountyny.gov or 585-589-4174 with any questions.

There will be Republican primaries on Sept. 13 in Gaines and Murray. Both towns have one-year terms up for election on the Town Board.

In Gaines, Richard DeCarlo resigned from the Town Board. Town Supervisor Joe Grube and the other board members have decided not to appoint someone to fill the position, instead leaving it to voters this fall.

Corey Black and Joseph Gangi, Jr. have both submitted petitions to run for the position. Black has been endorsed by the Gaines Republican Committee.

In Murray, Town Supervisor Bob Miller and the Town Board have been appointed Neal Valentine to fill a vacancy on the board from the recent death of Ed Bower. Valentine will be challenged in a primary by Joe Sidonio to fill the remaining year of the term.

Murray also has many primaries for members of the Murray Republican Committee. Each district will elect two members to the committee.

District 1: Ed Morgan and Michael Mele are endorsed by the committee and are challenged by Cynthia Piedimonte and Gerald Ramsey.

District 2: Mark Porter and Douglas Heath are endorsed by the committee. Anthony Peone forced a primary.

District 3: Kathleen Case and Ron Vendetti are endorsed by the committee. Kerri Neale forced a primary.

District 4: Kimberly DeFrank is endorsed by the committee. Dirk Lammes Jr. and Joe Sidonio both submitted petitions to serve as members of the Republican Committee.

District 5: Cynthia Oliver and Lynn Wood are endorsed by the committee and are challenged by Arthur Knab and Joseph Kellenberger.

District 6: Robert Miller and Glenn DeFrank are endorsed by the committee. Kellie Gregoire forced a primary.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Holley Falls Bar & Grill is shown in this photo from early April. The business will open in Holley’s Public Square on Aug. 6.

HOLLEY – A project that has been five years in the making, with a major renovation in Holley’s Public Square, will open to the community on Aug. 6.

Dan and Monica Seeler have completed a transformation of the former Tagg’s Tavern in Holley. The Holley Falls Bar & Grill will open with 42 employees.

“We’re excited,” said Mr. Seeler. “We’re going to bring a nice destination to Orleans County.”

Holley Falls will be open for dinners from 4 to 9 p.m., with the bar menu available from 9 p.m. to midnight. Seeler said the bar won’t stay open until 2 a.m.

After a couple months, Mr. Seeler said he expects Holley Falls will open for lunches from Thursdays through Sundays.

In addition to the bar and restaurant, the Seelers renovated the upper levels to create apartments that are all rented.

The building used to have a wooden exterior when it was Tagg’s Tavern. The wood was removed to reveal cast iron columns in front. The Seelers needed to rebuild walls, paint them and make numerous other improvements for one of the most prominent buildings in Holley. They also added an awning.

They named the restaurant and bar for the Holley Falls, a popular spot that is located down Frisbee Terrace, a short walk from the restaurant.

Provided photo: Brett Sobieraski accepts $700 total in checks from Albion police officers, including Karol Hughes, left, and Police chief Roland Nenni, right. Sobieraski, a Kent resident, ran 50 straight hours on the Erie Canal from July 13-15, covering 175 miles to raise money for the Special Olympics.

Press Release, Albion Police Department

ALBION – Sobieraski, an Orleans County resident and sergeant with the Rochester Police Department, ran over 175 miles for 50 hours nonstop to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics.

Brett’s journey took him from Buffalo on July 13 along the Erie Canal to just outside Syracuse when he finished the 50-hour run on July 15. Sobieraski’s efforts were called the 50 for 50 running campaign, signifying 50 hours of running for the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics.

The Albion Police Department was honored and proud to have assisted Brett when he passed through Orleans County.

To help support the Special Olympics and Sobieraski’s effort to raise money, the Albion Police Union and the Albion Police Command Staff have made donations to Brett Sobieraskis 50 for 50 running campaign.

The Albion Police Union Donated $500 while Chief Roland Nenni and Lt. David Mogle of the Albion Police each donated $100.

Sgt. Sobieraski’s dedication to such an important cause is inspiring. In law enforcement we are a family that is known for supporting one another in our times of need. Sgt. Sobieraski’s actions show us that our family can also support others. The Special Olympics is life changing to many people and supporting its mission makes it so everyone can have a chance to compete and become a winner.

We at the Albion Police hope that others will feel as strongly as we do and support Sgt. Sobieraski’s efforts and help the Special Olympics by making a donation. Click here for more information.

Event raised funds for Leadership Orleans, Leon Sidari Memorial Fund

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The 25^th annual Albion Rotary Club Golf Tournament on Thursday had a hole-in-one for the first time in the event’s history.

Nic Whittaker, center, travelled from Ithaca to play in the tournament, which is named for the late Curtis Lyman. Whittaker had never played at Hickory Ridge Golf Course before. On hole 3, Whittaker hit the ball 135 yards. It landed 5 feet past the hole, and then spun back and went in.

Whittaker is pictured with Bill Downey, left, the hole sponsor and owner of Downey Signs, and Bill Bixler, co-owner of Albion Agencies which provided the insurance on three holes-in-one.

Whittaker won a new TV for the shot. Other par 3s with prizes included $10,000 and a new set of golf clubs.

Whittaker and his team also posted the lowest score of the day with a 59 on a par 72. Whittaker played in the tournament with his father, Randy Smith, and two friends, Ed Kirker and Rich Banks. They are friends with Nathan Lyman, a former Albion resident who now lives in Ithaca. Nathan is Curtis Lyman’s son.

Whittaker just graduated from high school. He is going to a golf academy in South Carolina and hopes to be able to play for a college team in the future.

Leon Sidari

The tournament included about 100 golfers. The beneficiaries for the event included Leadership Orleans, a new program with 25 residents. They are learning about multiple facets of the community to better understand how local government, businesses and other sectors work. The class draws on a cross section of the community. The program picked residents who have demonstrated leadership abilities, interest in community affairs, and a commitment to Orleans County’s future.

The other beneficiary is the Leon Sidari Memorial Fund, which formed in honor of Leon Sidari, who died from influenza this past Christmas at age 4. His parents are Tony Sidari and Laura (Lyman) Sidari. Laura is Nathan’s daughter.

Tony and Laura are both physicians with the Air Force, based in San Antonio. The memorial fund in Leon’s name will direct 100 percent of the funds to be given to help children with medical problems at Christmas time. In the first year, this will be focused on children of military parents, “but with your help this will grow in the years to come,” Nathan Lyman states on a GoFundMe that has raised nearly $65,000 so far for the fund.

The first placed mixed team had a score of 69 and includes, from left: Richard Pilon, his wife Sibyl, and John Dale, who is Sibyl’s brother. Richard and Sibyl’s son, Mike Pilon, also played on the team.

The first place women’s team had a score of 70 and includes Mary Jane Schultz, Sharon Campfield, Shannon Perry and Chris Lukas. They are from Lockport.

Another of week of very little rain has Orleans County officially in drought conditions. Last week, the county was “abnormally dry,” according to the United States Drought Monitor.

Now, Orleans is in “moderate drought,” and that includes Niagara and Monroe counties, and some of northern Genesee County, according to data posted on Thursday by the Drought Monitor.

There has been little rain in Orleans County the past six weeks, which has turned lawns white-yellow and stunted crops for farmers who don’t have irrigation.

Today will be sunny and hot with a high of 90 and no rain for Orleans County, while Saturday has a high of 81 and a slight chance for showers after midnight. Sunday through Wednesday all are forecast for a chance for rain, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Two years ago there was also a drought. The conditions were so bad in Orleans that the Drought Monitor listed the county in “severe drought.” Farmers are hoping the conditions don’t reach that level this summer.

Golfers play on the parched course at Hickory Ridge on Thursday. The ground is hard, so golfers are getting longer shots with the roll.