Contributed Photo – Melanie Green

Medina’s Melanie Green capped off her challenging Girls Jr PGA Championship week in strong fashion by putting together her best round, a solid three under par closing round, today in the competition held at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Kentucky.

Three birdies and just one bogey highlighted the round for Green who fired a 69 to finish the four-day 72 hole event with a one over par 289 total.

Green, who will be a junior at Medina High this fall, opened the competition with a one over par 73 on Monday, rebounded with a one under par 71 on Tuesday and then was plagued by seven bogeys in a four over par round of 76 on Wednesday.  That set the stage for her week’s best three under round of 69 today to close out the event.

Green, who captured both the Section VI and state championships during this past school year, qualified by winning the Western New York District title.

She faces another big challenging tournament next week at the USGA Nationals to be held at Pebble Beach in California July 16-21. She earned a spot in that major event by winning a qualifier tournament in Pennsylvania recently.

Press Release, AAA Western and Central New York

This week marks the halfway point of the 100 Deadliest Days, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen driver-involved crashes rise 14 percent compared to the rest of the year.

More than 1,050 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver in 2016 during the 100 Deadliest Days. That is an average of 10 people per day – a 14 percent increase compared to the rest of the year, according to data analyzed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

“We want to remind teen drivers and parents that we’re still in the most dangerous days of summer,” said Elizabeth Carey, director of public relations at AAA Western and Central New York. “The number of fatal crashes involving teen drivers during the summer is an important traffic safety concern, and research shows that young drivers are at greater risk and have higher crash rates compared to older and more experienced drivers.”

AAA stresses the importance of preparing and educating inexperienced teen drivers for some of the most dangerous driving days of the year. Speed and nighttime driving are significant factors contributing towards the number of crashes, and subsequently fatalities, involving teen drivers during the 100 Deadliest Days (statistics based on 2016 NHTSA FARS data as analyzed by the AAA Foundation):

Nighttime Driving

• 36 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities involving teen drivers occurred between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

• There is a 22 percent increase in the average number of nighttime crashes per day involving teen drivers during the 100 Deadliest Days compared to the rest of the year

Speeding

• 1 in 10 of all motor vehicle speed-related fatalities involved a teen driver

• 29 percent of all motor vehicle deaths involving a teen driver were speed-related

AAA encourages parents to educate their teens and themselves about risky driving behavior. Parents should:

• Discuss with teens early and often the dangers of risky driving situations, such as speeding and nighttime driving.

• Teach by example and minimize your own risky behavior when behind the wheel.

• Make a parent-teen driving agreement that sets family rules for teen drivers.

TeenDriving.AAA.com has a variety of tools to help prepare parents and teens for the dangerous summer driving season and the whole year.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Village of Albion Department of Public Works on Wednesday installs a new 8-inch waterline on West Academy Street, south of Route 31.

The village started the job on Tuesday and expects to be done with the work on Friday. The waterline will service the new 13,000-square-foot transportation facility for the Regional Transit Service.

RTS has run a public transportation service in Orleans County since 2003. It has six buses in the county, and they are parked outside by the County Highway Department on West Academy Street.

The new $4 million facility will allow the buses to be parked inside. The facility will be behind the County Highway Department. 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.

The new waterline is an upgrade from the 6-inch main that was used on the other side of the street. The village can now extend the bigger line in the future.

(Editor’s Note: Batavia was approved for the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award in the Finger Lakes Region last October, edging the Village of Medina’s application. Medina intends to apply for the funding again this year.)

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced eight transformational projects for Batavia as part of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award. The strategic investments in downtown Batavia will help to drive new, mixed-use development, improve access to local healthcare, and transform public space for community use. The investments are part of the Governor’s ongoing efforts to revitalize the upstate economy and create more opportunities for the Finger Lakes.

“Through smart investments and sustainable development, we are transforming Batavia’s downtown and generating prosperity throughout Western New York,” Governor Cuomo said. “These projects will help to not only preserve Batavia’s rich history and character, but they will enhance the city as a destination and act as an engine for future growth for the entire region.”

Batavia was named a DRI Round 2 winner in October. The downtown area is a mixed-use, affordable neighborhood with access to jobs, anchor businesses, and city and county services. The area has an excellent foundation upon which to continue its revitalization, including amenities such as recreational sites, healthcare facilities, food markets, a library, and various retail and restaurant venues in a walkable environment.

The specific projects to be funded through the DRI include:

• Create a Thriving Residential and Commercial Hub on the site of the former Della Penna property by constructing a new mixed-use development on the vacant and abandoned industrial brownfield. The new Ellicott Station will contain mixed-income residential units, four commercial spaces, and a brewery/restaurant and will leverage more than $20 million dollars in grants and private investment, become a thriving residential/commercial anchor for downtown Batavia. ($425,000)

• Rehabilitate the Former Genesee Bank and the Carr’s Department Store Buildings for Mixed-Used Redevelopment. The first floor of the buildings, which have been vacant for more than five years, will be renovated for commercial uses, including a new cidery/café and retail and office incubator space. New mixed-income upper-floor residential units on the upper floors will provide additional housing options for downtown residents. ($1,000,000)

• Establish Ellicott Place as New Mixed-Use Gateway to Downtown by renovating a large, underused building at a prominent location on Ellicott Street to include three first-floor commercial spaces, first-floor covered parking, and ten upper-floor residential units. A new elevator and facade upgrades will improve access and instill community pride in a previously chronically vacant space. The redevelopment of this 48,121-square foot building will complement the nearby Ellicott Station project and establish a new gateway to the downtown. ($1,150,000)

• Develop an Intergenerational Healthy Living Campus in the Heart of Downtown, including a new home for the Genesee Area YMCA. The centrally-located facility will include a 55,000-60,000 square foot building and parking for 300 cars. Together with a complementary medical building planned for the site of the former YMCA building, the project is expected to generate 3,000 visits downtown daily. ($4,075,000)

• Establish a New Regional Performing Arts Center at Batavia City Centre by renovating the façade and interior of the city-owned building. The new visually prominent and centrally located downtown theater will feature space for offices, concessions, retail, and a dance academy, and will augment nightlife and weekend activity. ($700,000)

• Support Downtown Building Improvements by creating a Building Improvement Fund that will provide grants to assist downtown property owners to undertake both interior and exterior renovations. Building improvements will enhance the aesthetics and livability of the downtown core and provide opportunities for new entrepreneurs to establish their businesses. ($600,000)

• Transform City Centre into an Indoor Market and Performance Space by upgrading the concourse and entrances to accommodate an indoor marketplace with micro-retail kiosks and public performance space to hold community events. Improvements will include flooring, lighting, entrance structures, wall color, and roof upgrades. ($1,000,000)

• Enhance Jackson Square, a public gathering space bordered by historic buildings in the heart of downtown, with decorative pavement upgrades, a multi-level deck/stage, seating, lighting, decorative signage, a networking nook, and landscaping. The upgraded public plaza will become a lively hub and common space for community interaction, and provide connections to multiple businesses through its unique alleyway node configuration. ($750,000)

“Today’s announcement of Governor Cuomo’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative is exciting news for the City of Batavia and our downtown district,” said Eugene Jankowski Jr., Batavia City Council president. “We are thrilled for the projects that were chosen and the City will be ready to assist them move forward. We are also dedicated to work with all the project owners that applied to the DRI, but did not receive funding to help them succeed in their plans here in Batavia. In all, the DRI investment could yield over $40 million in private investment directly into the downtown core of our city and that will bring prosperity to all.”

Jonathan Agosto

ALBION – A Rochester man who provided a heroin/fentanyl mix that caused several overdoses in Orleans County was sentenced to 5 ½ years in state prison.

Jonathan Agosto, 31, of Rochester on April 23 pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. He could have faced up to 8 years in prison.

Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church sentenced Agosto to 5 ½ years of incarceration on Monday.

Agosto was charged in February with 10 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, which are Class B felonies.

Law enforcement say Agosto provided a dangerous heroin/fentanyl mixture to about 30 Orleans County residents, resulting in several overdoses in early 2018.

Several law enforcement agencies worked together on search warrants and Agosto’s arrest. The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, along with the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (G.R.A.N.E.T.), the Rochester Police Department and the Albion Police Department executed two search warrants in Rochester.

Police seized numerous bundles of heroin/fentanyl packaged for sale, over an ounce of heroin/fentanyl that was in the process of being packaged for sale, a quantity of cocaine packaged for sale, cash, scales, packaging material and other drug paraphernalia.

HOLLEY – The Village of Holley will go over four upcoming projects during a meeting today from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the American Legion on Wright Street.

The village will be replacing 4 miles of sidewalks and nearly 2 miles of water mains. Home Leasing LLC also will be renovating the old Holley High School and converting it into apartments and the village office building. That is a $17 million project.

In addition, the state Department of Transportation will be resurfacing parts of routes 237 and 31 in Holley.

The waterline project includes 9,050 linear feet and involves replacing 4- to 8-inch water mains with 8- to 12-inch water mains. That project includes portions of South Main, North Main, East Union, Park Place, East Albion and Geddes streets.

The meeting is a chance for residents to speak with project engineers and Village Board members.

Provided photo: Sergeant Brett Sobieraski of Rochester Police Department will run for 50 hours straight to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Special Olympics.

Brett Sobieraski, a resident of Kent in Orleans County and a sergeant with the Rochester Police Department, will run along the Erie Canal Towpath, starting in Buffalo at 9 a.m. on Friday and ending on Sunday when he reaches 50 hours of running time.

“The Special Olympics is a phenomenal organization that helps to transform the lives of those with intellectual disabilities,” Sobieraski states on his fundraising page. “It also provides great joy to the families and friends of the athletes as they watch their loved ones compete. If you have never witnessed the Games then you should.”

Sobieraski invited the community to join him for part of the way on the run.

He has completed the 135-mile Badlands ultramarathon through Death Valley and has swum 32 miles across Lake Ontario.

For more information or to donate to the cause, click here.

Photo by Tom Rivers: This new sign for Beardsley Creek will be unveiled on July 28 during a ceremony in Gaines. The sign will be painted green with white letters.

GAINES – A new wooden sign for Beardsley Creek will be unveiled dring a presentation at 2 p.m. on July 28. This will be the third wooden sign for creeks on Ridge Road near Route 98.

There are signs for Proctor Brook that passes through the Cobblestone Museum and also Gilbert Creek next to the Gaines Carlton Community Church. Gilbert Creek is east of Route 98.

Beardsley Creek is west of Route 98. The sign will be unveiled at the home of Robert Bruning, the Anderson Cobblestone building on Ridge Road.

The three creeks or brooks  are all adjacent to each other and are named after the pioneer families that settled on their banks, said Al Capurso, the former Gaines town historian who is organizing the Beardsley Creek sign unveiling.

Jim Bonafini, the Cobblestone Museum president, made the wooden sign. Capurso will paint it green with white letters, like the two other signs.

Beardsley Creek is just east of Eagle Harbor Road. The sign was named after the Levi Beardsley family who settled in Carlton in 1827. Born in Connecticut in 1777, Mr. Beardsley died on his homestead in 1867 at age 90.

The public is welcome to attend the event at 2 p.m., which will include comments from local dignitaries.

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent

Charles Silvernail of Basom is the “mayor” of West Jackson Corners.

EAST SHELBY – The past is always in the forefront at West Jackson Corners, the 1800s village built by the congregation of the East Shelby Community Bible Church.

That is where on Sunday the annual Old Tyme Day will take place, giving visitors a glimpse of what life was like in the 1800s.

Events begin with an old fashioned church service at 10 a.m., immediately followed by activities in the miniature village.

Visitors can have conversations with historical characters, such as Ben Franklin, Martha Washington, John and Abigail Adams and Betsy Ross.

Patriotic concerts will take place near the village square and for only a penny, they can sample classic dishes cooked on an open fire, bread baked in a beehive oven, all-you-can-eat homemade pies and hotdogs, hand-spun ice cream and popcorn.

Activities include kids’ games, wool spinning, candle making, basket weaving, horse and buggy rides and horseback riding.

Features of the village are weaving on an old-time loom, a working blacksmith shop, a woodworker’s shop, a sewing shop, a penny candy store, a miniature church with a steeple identical to that of the main church and a mill with a waterwheel fed by a sluiceway.

Everyone is welcome to view pictures, letters and articles of former members on display in the church, take a horse and buggy ride to the historic East Shelby Cemetery and listen to a gospel concert at 4 p.m. in the church.

East Shelby Community Bible Church is located at 5278 East Shelby Rd., one mile south of East Shelby.

Mitch Kolb turns the wheel which runs the lathe in Israel Sanborn’s woodworking shop at West Jackson Corners at Old Fashioned Day.

Provided photo

LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville’s Class of 1978 met on July 8 at the Black North Inn at Point Breeze for the class’s 40^th reunion.

File photo: The Cobblestone Schoolhouse District 5 was built in 1849 and was used as a school until 1952. In 1961, it was acquired by the Cobblestone Museum.

GAINES – The Cobblestone Museum is planning to submit petitions to the Town of Gaines against a proposed Dollar General in the Commercial/Historical District on Ridge Road.

The new store could be built across from the cobblestone schoolhouse that was built in 1849. The Dollar General is eyed for what is now wooded land, east of the Route 98 intersection. That land is zoned commercial and a new store is an allowed use.

Because it is in the Commercial/Historical District, the town has more discretion for how the building should look to better blend in with the historic character of the Ridge.

The petition urges the Gaines Zoning Board of Appeals, which also functions as the Planning Board in Gaines, to do “all in their power to reject this proposal.”

Besides the Erie Canal, the Cobblestone Museum is the only National Historic Landmark in Orleans County. Putting a Dollar General across from the cobblestone school, “will mar the character and ambiance” of the Cobblestone Museum’s historic buildings on Ridge Road and also just south of Route 104 on Route 98.

The petition also states that the Town of Gaines won’t receive any direct sales tax from a Dollar General and the potential tax relief offered by the new building “will be negligible.”

Dollar General has five stores in Orleans County. The fifth Dollar General opened Dec. 18 in Kendall. That new store is 9,100 square feet. Other stores are located on West Avenue in Albion, Route 31 in Holley, Maple Ridge Road in Medina and Ridge Road in Medina (just south of Lyndonville).

“We believe that agricultural based, or locally owned businesses best reflect the character of the Town of Gaines,” the petition states. “This proposal sets a dangerous precedent for other national corporate entities to encroach on the town we love.”

Museum officials plan to submit the petitions to the Gaines Zoning Board of Appeals at the ZBA’s next meeting, 7 p.m. on Aug. 6. People are welcome to stop by the museum and sign a petition.

Photo by Tom Rivers: On June 22, 120 students graduated from Medina High School. Next year graduation will be six days later on June 28.

High school graduation will be almost a week later next year, compared to this year’s ceremonies, for most local high schools.

Albion, Medina and Lyndonville will hold commencement on June 28, while Holley has it on June 29. That is six days later than graduation last month for those school districts.

Kendall, however, has opted not to wait until June 28. The district typically has graduation the fourth Friday in June. It will have the service on June 21 next year.

The Albion Board of Education and school administrators on Monday discussed moving its ceremony to June 21 next year. That would be five days before Regents are done. Elementary and middle school students also have half days of school on June 24-25.

Albion has traditionally ended the school year with graduation.

The board decided to continue with graduation on the fourth Friday of June.

Students will have completed all of their final exams, including Regents, by then. That way high school staff can make sure students have the appropriate designation noted on their diplomas. Some of the graduating seniors might be taking a Regents exam after commencement if it was held on June 21. Their score could determine if it is an Advanced Regents or a different designation – or if they meet the standards for a diploma.

There is a drawback with having graduation on June 28. It doesn’t give much time off in June, board members said, especially for varsity athletes who have practices in mid-August. They will have a short summer vacation.

Albion also could hold graduation on Wednesday, June 26, or the Thursday the 27^th, so there would be more vacation time in June. But the board decided that graduation on a Friday is a long-time tradition in Albion that should be preserved.

Contributed Photo – Melanie Green

Melanie Green, who will be a junior at Medina High this fall, has made the cut at the 43rd annual girls Jr. PGA championship being held this week at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Kentucky.

Green had a two day, 36 hole total of even par 144 to advance to the final two rounds on Wednesday and Thursday. She is 13 shots back of the leader.

Green opened with a one over par round of 73 on Monday as she made three birdies over the final five holes to overcome a double bogey and triple bogey earlier in the round.

Today Green posted a one under par round of 71.

She was at even par after 9 holes and then went to 2 under after birdies on 10 and 14. She then rebounded from bogeys at 16 and 17 with a birdie on 18 to finish the day one under.

Green, who captured both the Section VI and state high school championships during the past school year, qualified for the national tourney by winning the Western New York Jr. PGA tourney.

Provided photos: Jake Kuhman of Medina and Jason Stanton of Albion are pictured with their teacher Bill Rakonczay and Dale Pearce, program coordinator for Monroe Community College.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Two Precision Machine Technology students took home scholarships at the end of the year ceremonies at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

Jake Kuhman, a senior from Medina, and Jason Stanton, a senior from Albion, received a Monroe Community College scholarship from Dale Pearce, who is the Monroe Community College Program Coordinator. Mr. Pearce is a graduate from the BOCES program.

Jake also received the Bill Rakonczay, Sr. Scholarship for $300 which is given out to the Outstanding Senior.

Rakonczay, Sr. was a former teacher of the program and the scholarship was set up to honor his memory by his son Bill Rakonczay, Jr. who now teaches the program.

Teacher Bill Rakonczay, Jake Kuhman of Medina and Tim Sauls from E/R Machine are shown together. Kuhman was named outstanding senior in the program.

File photo: Medina held its first Farm-to-Table dinner event on a closed off Main Street on Aug. 4, 2016. There were 137 people at that dinner, a five-course meal featuring locally grown food and wine.

MEDINA – It’s a sellout. The third annual Farm-To-Table dinner was capped at 200 tickets at $100 each. It took less than an hour to sell them all.

The five-course meal on Aug. 2 will be at a closed-off section of Medina’s historic Main Street. The event is hosted by the Orleans Renaissance Group, with proceeds to benefit the Canal Village Farmers’ Market, which is also sponsored by the ORG.

This is the third year of the dinner. The first year was planned for 100 people, but was expanded to 137 due to demand. Last year was capped at 200 and it took a few days to sell all of the tickets.

This time the tickets were all gone within an hour of being available online and at the English Rose Tea Shoppe.

Chirs Busch, chairman of the ORG, said the dinner is the highly anticipated.

“It is an incredible event in a beautiful downtown,” he said.

Organizers use the event to showcase Medina’s thriving downtown, and also to highlight local foods, restaurants and wineries.

Arriving guests will be treated to a complimentary Chef’s Course paired with award-winning Tiny Bubbles sparkling wine, courtesy of Schulze Vineyard & Winery of Burt. The dinner will deliver a sensational locally-sourced, five-course meal with Zambistro once again collaborating with local culinary colleagues.

Among those joining Zambistro in preparing the dinner will be Mariachi De Oro, Mile 303, Sourced Market & Eatery and the Shirt Factory. All ingredients used in the meal will be locally sourced and farm-fresh, provided almost entirely from the vendors at Canal Village Farmers’ Market.

This year’s event will feature a couple of new elements. In addition to a 200-seat table, guests will hear live music provided by The Road to Azure and Dark Road Duo.

Proceeds from the event will go towards operational costs of the farmers’ market, Busch said. The ORG is working on plans to make the farmers’ market year-round.