Photos by Tom Rivers

ELBA – The Stumblin’ Inn, an Elba landmark on Main Street, was heavily damaged by fire this morning. The site will be knocked down with an excavator later today out of concern the structure could topple into the street.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene just before 10 a.m. Fire companies from three counties responded, included many departments from Orleans County that were hauling water to the scene. These photos were taken about 12:30p.m. after the fire was under control.

The ladder truck from the Albion Fire Department was used to shoot water near the top of the structure.

Albion firefighters Charlie Monacelli, Marty Stirk and Rob Conner are shown with the ladder truck.

Route 98 is expected to be closed much of today until the building is knocked down.

ALBION – When David Mitchell pursued buying the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home’s Albion and Holley sites last year, he made sure the sale included the “Pullman couches.”

Merrill-Grinnell had a sofa and loveseat from the mid-1850s. One had a stamp “From G.M. Pullman and Co. Albion” on back. The other loveseat doesn’t have a Pullman mark, and it can’t be determined for sure if Pullman made that furniture.

The loveseat is in the Rococo style, with ornamental carving and asymmetrical designs. Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County Historian and former curator of the Cobblestone Museum, said both “are really nice pieces.”

The back of this couch from the 1850s bear a mark from George Pullman’s furniture company in Albion.

When Mitchell did a walk-through of the Merrill-Grinnell funeral home last year, the couches weren’t on the premises. He made it clear he wanted them back before he would purchase the Albion and Holley funeral homes from Service Corporation International. SCI is based in Houston, Texas and owns about 1,500 funeral homes.

Mitchell closed on the sale last Dec. 22, and the two sofas were back.

On Friday, he donated them to the Cobblestone Museum. The loveseat was moved to the upstairs gallery of the Brick House next to the Cobblestone Church. The Pullman sofa was moved to the Danolds room in the first floor of the Cobblestone Church.

The loveseat is in the Rococo style, while the Pullman couch is in the Empire style.

The Danolds Room is dedicated to Charles and Mary Jane Danolds, who were friends with George Pullman. In the 1850s, when the canal was enlarged, Danolds had a contract to expand the canal and he hired Pullman to move some of the houses that were in the way of the expansion.

Pullman also ran a furniture business in Albion from 1853 to 1859. He would move to Chicago and become a titan of industry with railroad sleeping cars.

Danolds kept up a friendship with Pullman and while the two were vacationing in the Thousand Islands in 1890, Danolds made a pitch for Pullman to help build a new Universalist Church in Albion. Pullman agreed as long as the locals would commit some of their own funds to the project.

The new church opened in 1895 as a memorial to Pullman’s parents, James Lewis Pullman and Emily Caroline Pullman.

Bill Lattin, right, discusses the life of George Pullman on Friday with Josh and David Mitchell, and Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Museum. They are pictured in the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home in Albion.

Lattin said he hasn’t seen other Pullman sofas in such great shape as the one that was at Merrill-Grinnell’s. Lattin saw others before but the couches were broken down.

Mitchell, owner of Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes, is selling the Merrill-Grinnell site on East State Street. He wanted the sofa and loveseat showcased and preserved.

“It’s exciting it’s going to a good home,” Mitchell said about the Pullman couch. “You have to embrace your local history. You have to know where your roots are.”

The museum will put out a display about the couch in the Danolds Room.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Bob Schumacher of Schumacher Farm in Ridgeway gives a tour of his sugar shack on Mill Road on March 19, 2016. Schumacher Farm was one of 160 maple farms in New York that participated in Maple Weekend.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that New York’s maple industry hit a 74-year record in 2018 with the production of 806,000 gallons of maple syrup. The maple industry in New York has grown by nearly 50 percent in the last five years and continues to maintain the state’s standing as the second leading producer of fresh maple syrup in the nation.

“The maple industry is one of New York’s most important agricultural sectors, and it continues to grow year-over-year, infusing millions into the economy and bringing New York national recognition for its quality,” Governor Cuomo said. “The growth of the industry is an indicator of our fantastic producers, who work hard to make some of the best maple syrup in the country and the innovative and unique maple products that consumers are demanding.”

According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York’s maple production constituted about 19 percent of the national total. The number of maple taps also continues to climb, with more than 2.73 million taps in production in 2018, the highest number of taps since 1943. New York producers also benefited from a long season in 2018 which lasted 52 days, compared to 43 days in 2017.

Maple Day at the New York State Fair

In celebration of New York’s growing maple industry, the New York State Fair will hold its first-ever Maple Day on Monday, August 27. Maple Day is sponsored by the New York State Maple Producers Association and will feature maple products, such as maple cotton candy, maple donuts, pancakes with maple syrup, and more, that can be sampled at locations across the Fairgrounds. Cooking demonstrations using pure New York maple syrup will be held throughout the day in the Wegmans Demonstration Kitchen and maple vendors will be sampling and selling products at the Taste NY Marketplace in the Horticulture Building. Maple Day joins Dairy Day, Beef Day, and Agricultural Career Day in a lineup of special days created at the fair to highlight and promote New York State agriculture.

New York State Grown & Certified

The New York State Grown & Certified program recently expanded this past winter to include the New York maple industry. Since February 2017, the number of maple producers in the program has nearly tripled, from 14 to 37. For a complete list of producers in the program, click here.

New York State Grown & Certified promotes New York’s agricultural producers and growers who adhere to food safety and environmental sustainability standards. For maple, the syrup must be sourced from New York maple trees and processed in New York State. To meet the food safety standards, participants must have successfully completed a maple food safety class, developed in partnership between Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Western New York Maple Producers Association, and must follow food safety best practices that are subject to an onsite audit.

In addition, the maple producer must participate in an environmental management program that promotes sustainability and keeps forests healthy and productive, such as the New York State Agricultural Environmental Management program, which is administered through the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, or the Certified Tree Farmer, administered by the American Tree Farm System.

“Maple is agriculture’s first crop of the season and its certainly one that we do extremely well here in New York,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball. “Thanks to our dedicated maple producers, more of whom are joining the NYS Grown & Certified program, New York continues to be a top producer in the country, with record production figures and number of taps in recent history. We are pleased to promote the industry through Grown & Certified and at the State Fair, where more than 1.1 million people will get to taste some of the very best maple syrup and maple products in the country.”

Merrill-Grinnell sites will be sold, while Christopher Mitchell will honor legacy of that business

ALBION – Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes has expanded its local presence by acquiring the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Homes in Albion and Holley and also the Bates, Wallace & Heath Funeral Home in Middleport.

The sale closed Dec. 22 with David Mitchell, Christopher Mitchell’s owner, buying the three sites from Service Corporation International. SCI is based in Houston, Texas and owns about 1,500 funeral homes in 45 states, eight Canadian provinces and Puerto Rico.

Mitchell learned the three local properties were for sale last year and pursued an acquisition. The two Merrill-Grinnell sites will be sold while Bates, Wallace & Heath has already been upgraded. Christopher Mitchell’s four full-time funeral directors are serving the Middleport funeral home as well.

One of the Christopher Mitchell funeral directors, Scott Schmidt, is a Roy-Hart graduate from Middleport.

“Middleport will get to know all of us,” Mitchell said.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Landis: Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes has four full-time funeral directors, from left: Josh Mitchell, Scott Schmidt, Paula Fuller and David Mitchell.

Mitchell has worked 34 years as a funeral director while Paula Fuller has 24 years of experience, Scott Schmidt 21 years, and Mitchell’s son, Josh, six years. The younger Mitchell is the third generation to work as a funeral director. David’s father Rho was the first.

“I’m very blessed with the staff that I have,” Mitchell said. “And I feel very fortunate my son is with me. There aren’t too many third generation businesses.”

Christopher Mitchell and Merrill-Grinnell were long-time competitors in Albion and Holley. Christopher Mitchell has sites on Route 31 in both Albion and Holley. Mitchell said he has great respect for the Merrill-Grinnell history and will include the Merrill-Grinnell name on the Christopher Mitchell sign when the buildings are sold.

“Merrill-Grinnell did a lot of good in the community for many years,” Mitchell said. “We want to honor that longevity and legacy.”

Bates, Wallace & Heath will keep its name in Middleport. Christopher Mitchell has worked to update the site “from the ground up,” Mitchell said. It has completed masonry work, paint, new windows, HVAC, carpet and other upgrades – “a complete overhaul.”

There will be an open house in August for the community to see the improvements.

“Whether it’s for calling hours or a funeral service, you’re welcoming people into your home,” Mitchell said. “It’s service, service, service, the best that we can.”

Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes started in 1957, and has remained a locally owned business, donating many thousands of dollars to numerous local causes each year. Christopher Mitchell was recognized with a national “Pursuit of Excellence Award” from the National Funeral Directors Association in 2016. The association represents about 10,000 funeral homes.

Snell Realtors in Albion has listed the Merrill-Grinnell building in Albion for $219,900. The property is zoned commercial and is 5,511 square feet.

The Holley site at 39 Geddes St. is expected to be listed soon.

Mitchell said it doesn’t make sense for Christopher Mitchell to operate two funeral homes in the same small town. Until they are sold, both sites are available to be used for funerals.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Two elderly people were injured in an accident at about 10:30 this morning at the Route 31-Eagle Harbor Road intersection, a state trooper said. The injuries don’t appear to be serious.

The elderly couple was traveling northbound on Eagle Harbor Road in the SUV, when the vehicle entered the intersection and was struck by a pickup truck. The driver and a passenger in the pickup declined medical treatment at the scene.

The elderly couple was taken by COVA Ambulance to Strong West in Brockport.

Frank’s Auto was at the scene to remove the damaged vehicles. Albion firefighters also responded to the incident.

This is one of Orleans County’s most notorious intersections, the site of many accidents. A neighbor said the state Department of Transportation should at least lower the speed limit from 55 to 45 on this section of Route 31. Stop signs on Eagle Harbor Road also could have flashing lights to better alert drivers, the neighbor said.

Arthur Barnes and Suzanne Wells are showcased at Marti’s

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Arthur Barnes holds a painting – “Chester Sunset” – he did of Chester, a walled city in Cheshire England, very close to Wales.

Barnes, a resident of Shelby, was in Wales while visiting his cousin. He sat on bench and did this sketch in an hour while a young man played the violin nearby, playing “To Dream the Impossible Dream.”

Barnes has been to England several times the past decade and many of his ink drawings and watercolors are on display this month at Marti’s on Main, an art gallery at 229 North Main St.

Barnes has paintings and drawings of country landscapes, churches, windmills, castles and a 1,000-year-old mill.

“When I go there I feel so at peace,” Barnes said about his trips to England, Wales and Holland. “There are open trails for miles and miles. There’s so much to see and I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner or over the hill.”

There was an opening reception on Friday for the new show. This was the first show featuring Barnes’ work in a few years.

The show also included Suzanne Wells, a returned Albion art teacher.

The gallery is run by Kim Martilotta Muscarella. She will feature different artists each month through November. There is a “First Friday” opening each month from 6 to 9 p.m. Muscarella said people are welcome to stop by at other times when she is home.

Suzanne Wells is pictured with a watercolor she did of her granddaughter, Alice.

Suzanne Wells painted many of her watercolors while undergoing chemotherapy. She has been fighting cancer for about three years. Wells brings watercolor pencils and paper to her chemotherapy appointments. Rather than watch TV for two hours while hooked up to an IV, she does artwork.

Wells travelled to Italy in 2014. She made these paintings of places she visited in Italy when she returned home, using her cell phone photos as a reference.

“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 4, No. 27

Carl E. Akeley, circa 1914, The American Museum Journal

The story of Carl Ethan Akeley is one of my favorite tales of a local boy who traveled beyond the boundaries of Orleans County to leave a lasting impact on the world. This prolific naturalist, taxidermist, artist, and inventor was born May 19, 1864 to Daniel Webster Akeley and Julia Glidden.

He grew up as a child in the family home on Hinds Road where he took an early interest in the preservation of animal specimens. To his family, this “morbid curiosity” earned him the reputation of being “odd,” that was until he mounted his aunt’s beloved yellow canary that died one cold evening.

He entered the tutelage of David Bruce of Sweden, New York, an artist and taxidermist known locally for his mounting of bird specimens for E. Kirke Hart (now on display at the Cobblestone Museum). Akeley’s time with Bruce was short, the latter recognizing his pupil’s unusual proficiency and skill in the art of taxidermy. At the age of 19, Akeley found employment with Ward’s Natural Science Establishment in Rochester, officially launching his professional career in mounting animal specimens.

It was during his tenure at Ward’s that he became attuned to the disconnection between taxidermy as an art and taxidermy as a science. To Akeley, these mounted specimens lacked the context that came from showing animals in their natural habitats. Although he held strong feelings on the direction of the profession, it was not until his work on the mounting of Jumbo, P.T. Barnum’s East African circus elephant in September of 1885, that he developed an expert’s voice.

Two years after his first major project, he left Ward’s for a part-time position with the Milwaukee Public Museum where he developed his trademark of setting animals against painted backgrounds. These backgrounds mimicked the natural habitat of the focal specimen, adding the necessary context to the piece. It was this particular type of work that earned Akeley his reputation as a premier taxidermist and eventually led to his appointment as chief of the department of taxidermy at the Field Columbian Museum (now the Field Museum) in Chicago. During his tenure in Chicago, Akeley experienced his first of five African expeditions. It was on this trip that he first stared death in the face, killing a leopard with his bare hands.

Over the course of his life, Akeley was responsible for the invention of a “cement gun” used for spraying plaster under newly mounted animal skins. The device was used in the repair of the exterior walls of the Field Museum and earned him the John Scott Legacy Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1916. It was thanks to Akeley’s work that we have motion picture footage of the First World War. His 1916 patent of the Akeley Motion Picture Camera, dubbed the “pancake camera,” was developed out of his efforts to capture moving images of animals in the wild. The U.S. War Department adopted the camera for capturing war footage, which later received the John Price Wetherill Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1926.

Much more can be said of Akeley’s life; his commitment to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, his insistence on shooting animals for the sake of preservation instead of sport, his friendship with Theodore Roosevelt, or his numerous encounters with death while on expeditions in Africa. His lasting legacy, however, is defined by the establishment of the Albert National Park in Africa. In 1921, he visited Mt. Mikeno on his fourth expedition to collect gorilla specimens. It was during this visit that his ideas on the collection and preservation of animal specimens fundamentally changed. Thanks in part to Akeley’s work, King Albert I of Belgium set aside land for the first national park in Africa in 1925. That park remains intact today as the Virunga National Park.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the bush elephant, the endangered bonobo, and Akeley’s endangered mountain gorilla. News media announced recently that the Democratic Republic of Congo is now exploring the possibility of opening this important refuge to oil drilling. With this news comes the possibility that Akeley’s legacy could come to an end in our lifetime. It was thanks to his foresight that we can view these beautiful animals in a recreation of their natural habitat. It was his lifelong vision that we should never lose the ability to view these living species in the wild, if we should so choose.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KENDALL – Kelley’s Heroes from Caledonia performs in Friday’s parade for the Kendall Firemen’s Carnival. There was a long lineup of fire trucks, bands and community floats during the parade.

The three-day carnival concludes today.

Gary Kludt drives a 1923 Model T carrying the Kendall Singers, who are members of the Kendall Lions Club.

The Cosgrove Middle School drumline from Spencerport performed in the parade.

Lloyd Christ of Holley brought his tractor, “It’s Only Money,” in the parade to promote the Murray Tractor Pull on July 14-15. The tractors will compete at a track developed by Christ on Groth Road. He competes in the heavy super stock class.

Kim Corcoran is the leader of the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies. The group is a crowd favorite. They perform at many local parades.

These kids carry the banner for the Carlton Volunteer Fire Company. They include, from left: Ridgeley Graeham, Emma Dumrese and Alivia Dumrese. This was the first time kids have carried the banner for the fire company.

This boy enjoys a ride in a Bergen fire vehicle. There were 15 fire companies in the parade.

South Byron firefighters are acknowledged by the crowd.

John Becker once again served as the parade announcer. He was joined on a review stand by local officials, including County Legislator Ken DeRoller at right.

The Alexander Fireman’s Band gave a spirited performance.

Wrestlers promote their program and toss candy to kids along the parade route.

The crowd gave a standing ovation to the Vietnam Veterans of American, Chapter 20 out of Rochester.

Local Girl Scouts also joined the parade.

Boy Scouts urged others to join the program.

The drumline for the White Sabers Drum and Bugle Corps in Dansville made the trip to Kendall. The White Sabers will be back today in Kendall at 4 to perform at the Fireman’s Carnival.

Some of the highlights today include:

• Lawn Tractor Pulls at noon

• Fire Prevention Safety Trailer at noon

• Cruise in Car Show from 4-7 p.m.

• Ride Matinée from 1-5 p.m., and 6-10 p.m.

• Chicken BBQ at 5 p.m.

• 7th Heaven from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

• Fireworks at 10:30 p.m.

The parade concluded with riders from Lone Oak Stables in Kendall.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Firefighters responded to a structure fire at 15447 Holley Rd., Albion, at about 4:30 this afternoon.

The mini barn was destroyed by the fire. The building, which was larger than a shed, is owned by John and Jodi Sugar. Their home was far enough away from the building and wasn’t damaged by the blaze.

An Orleans County fire investigator is at the scene. Albion, Holley and Barre firefighters responded to the scene.

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A new band stand is being built at State Street Park in Medina. Students from the Job Corps have done much of the construction so far after the Village of Medina DPW prepared the site and dug holes for the posts.

The interior ceiling will be tongue and groove and there will be asphalt shingles on the roof. Donations are covering the costs of the materials for the project.

The Medina Planning Board is working on a policy for how events will be handled at the site.

Chris Busch, chairman of the Planning Board, said the long-term plans include decorative lights similar to those on West State Street. The covered pavilion is expected to be available for use by the community for concerts, weddings and other special events.

The Orleans Renaissance Group is facilitating and supporting the project.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Susan Schultz, a library clerk at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina, holds an autobiographical book by her parents, Tom and Jo Forrestel. The book was recently published and is available at Lee-Whedon.

MEDINA – A Medina native has written an autobiography of her sailing adventures with her husband, including his tragic death and the family’s courageous trip back to the United States.

Jo Forrestel, 90, has written “An American Thread.” The book includes many photos of her and her husband, Tom, in their sailing trips around the world.

Mr. and Mrs. Forrestel went sailing across the ocean without the help of GPS or cell phones.

Forrestel now lives in Savannah, Ga. She spends part of the year at Cuba Lake. She and her husband had 10 children – all daughters.

Jo Forrestel wrote the book, drawing on her dairy and recollections from sailing adventures that started on Lake Ontario with the boat, Sunfish. Mr. Forrestel was owner and partner in Coldspring Construction Company. He later graduated to sailing a 41-foot Morgan out of Point Breeze.

Jo and Tom would sail across the ocean aboard a 51-foot sailboat named Liberty. They sailed the high seas on wit and wisdom.

“An American Thread” is told by both Tom and Jo Forrestel, with Tom’s words posthumously from letters home and a daily diary he kept during their journey.

The story shares the couple’s love, endurance, loss and triumph.

The book is available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com and also at The Book Shoppe, 519 Main Street, Medina, NY.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Ed Neal of Albion, standing, chats with Don Ross of Albion and Lorraine Root during an open house and surprise party Sunday at the Pillars to celebrate Root’s 90th birthday.

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent

ALBION – As she contemplated her 90th birthday, Lorraine Root specifically told her children, “I positively do not want a party.”

On Sunday at the Pillars, Root clearly was happy they did not listen.

Robin Root proposes a toast to his mother Lorraine Root during a party at the Pillars to celebrate her 90th birthday.

“I think it’s very nice,” she said, as more than a hundred family and friends filed in to greet her.

Although her actual birthday isn’t until July 11, the family started celebrating with a wine tour on Saturday.

“She was rocking,” said Heather Maryjanowski, wife of her grandson Mike Maryjanowski. “She was going from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.”

The former Lorraine Webber grew up in Medina, married Pierson Root and had six children – Rick, Robin, Scott, Dale, Pam and Lisa. All but Rick, who was out of town, were at her party, along with 10 of her 15 grandchildren. One grandchild, Michael, came from Alaska and another, Shannon, came from Denver to celebrate with her. Root also has 12 great-grandchildren.

In addition to family, those who attended were friends Root had made as a lifelong member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Medina, playing women’s softball for 30 years, taking their children to horse club and participating in the Orleans County 4-H Fair.

One of the guests was Ginny Roberts of Medina, with whom Root has been bowling every week for more than 50 years.

She had golfed weekly until recently, and still plays occasionally. She loves gardening.

Family has always been very important to her, and in 2016 a book she worked on for 15 years was published – “Our Roots Run Deep.” The book is the history of the Root, Webber, Curtain and Reboldt families.

“I really didn’t want a party, because I don’t like to be on display, but it was such a wonderful day,” Root said.

The 20^th annual Cycle the Erie Canal tour showcases canal towns

File photos by Tom Rivers: These cyclists ride along the towpath towards Medina in July 2015.

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent

The canal villages in Orleans County are preparing for a big welcome for 650 cyclists beginning this Sunday when they embark on a 400-mile ride along the canal. The cyclists start in Buffalo and head east to Rochester, covering 40 to 60 miles each day.

They stay overnight in Medina on Sunday and then ride to Fairport on Monday.

This is the 20^th annual Cycle the Erie Canal bike tour, which is organized by Parks & Trails New York.

The cyclists are expected to start arriving about noon in Medina on Sunday. They will camp in tents on the grounds of Wise Middle School, where they will have access to the swimming pool and internet.

Medina’s Tourism Committee has planned several events for the cyclists and community. The committee has arranged for a shuttle to run continuously from 3 to 7 p.m. from the school grounds through downtown and the Canal Basin.

From 4 to 6 p.m. the Foolz Band from Rochester, with lead singer Mary Ellen Hayden, will put on a concert in the Canal Casin. Jim Hancock, the Tourism Cimmttee chairman, urges everyone to bring their lawn chairs and enjoy this band, which is making its first appearance in Medina.

Hayden, he said, has performed with Janis Joplin, the Stylistics and J and the Americans.

The Medina Railroad Museum has agreed to stay open until 7 p.m. to allow the cyclists ample time to tour the museum.

The Albion Merchants Association had snacks, water, coffee and other goodies available for the cyclists when they passed through in July 2016.

At 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Wise Middle School, Tom Grasso, past president of New York Canalways Organization, will give a talk.

“Tom is an expert on the canal and a very popular speaker,” Hancock said.

From 7 to 9 p.m., Dave Stockton and the band Pocket Change will provide music.

Sue Phillips, owner of the Book Shoppe, will be at the school with books. She has agreed to ship any books the cyclists may wish to purchase.

“It’s going to be a very nice day,” Hancock said.

After breakfast at the school on Monday morning, the cyclists will be off to Fairport. The Albion Merchants Association will be waiting for them 10 miles into the trip.

The Merchants will be set up at 7:30 a.m. on the northwest side of the Main Street lift bridge welcoming cyclists with water, coffee, fresh fruit and granola bars.

The next rest stop will be at the Holley Canal Park where cyclists will be greeted by the Holley-Murray Historical Society serving Gatorade, water, coffee and Danish.

The Orleans County Tourism staff will be meeting and greeting the cyclists during their stay and at the rest stops.

“Help us welcome them to our friendly communities with a simple wave and a smile,” said Dawn Borchert, the county’s tourism director.

LYNDONVILLE – There were numerous activities on Wednesday at Lyndonville for the Independence Day celebration.

The parade at noon and fireworks at 10 p.m. drew big crowds. But there were a lot of other events and activities.

The Gates Keystone Club Police Pipes & Drums played a concert after the parade on the school grounds near the vendors.

Provided photo: Lyndonville Close Up students and baseball players volunteered in the hot dog stand with members of the Lions Club.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jason Snell of Stafford pulls away in a cloud of dust during his winning heat in V-8 class in the garden tractor pull at Lyndonville’s Fourth of July celebration. He pulled 262 feet 11 inches for the win over Daryl Kempston, who pulled 261 feet 10 inches.

Paul Townsend of Springville has been participating in garden tractor pulls longer than he can remember.

That’s one of the reasons he wasn’t going to let 90-plus degree heat stop him from competing in the garden tractor pull Wednesday at Lyndonville’s Fourth of July celebration.

“If they are pulling, I’m going to be there,” Townsend said, black from the dust and sweat pouring down his face. Townsend finished second in the super modified class.

Nearly a dozen and a half drivers braved the heat to compete in Lyndonville’s event, which was run by the Western New York Garden Tractor Puller’s Association.

One spectator said the heat kept a lot of the crowd away from the event and she only came because her son had helped build several of the machines. Only a handful of people sat on the bleachers to watch, while several others sat in the shade of their vehicles.

Winners and their categories were:

Stock – Michael Robb.

Sport stock – Frank Burket, first; Don Seaver, second; and Anilee Seaver, third.

Stock altered – Paul Van Valkenburg, first; Ricky Dellinger, second.

Super modified – Juston Preischel, first; Paul Townsend, second; and Tom Ronson, third.

Modified – Juston Preischel, first; Kyle Carmichael, second.

Stock V-8 – Tom Bellanca, first; Frank Burket, second.

V-8 – Jason Snell, first; Daryl Kempston, second; and Tyler Scofield, third.

Dirt and heat didn’t make for a very pleasant afternoon watching the garden tractor pull at Lyndonville’s Fourth of July celebration, but that didn’t stop diehard fans and drivers from showing up. Here, a driver is nearly obscured by dust as he pulls the weighted tug down the track.

Press Release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that several provisions she secured in the Farm Bill have passed in the Senate. These include new grant programs to help invest in New York’s rural economies and $77 million for dairy farmers who paid millions of dollars into an insurance program that did not help them when milk prices dropped.

Gillibrand worked in the Senate Agriculture Committee to include these provisions in the Senate Farm Bill to strengthen New York’s rural economy and protect farmers, and helped ensure that they were passed by the full Senate.

“New York has one of the best agriculture traditions in the country, and this year’s Senate Farm Bill will help feed families all over our state, it will protect our farmers and producers, and it will strengthen our rural economy,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “I was proud to work hard to make sure that this year’s Senate Farm Bill had New York’s best interests at its core. I will continue to fight to make sure the final Farm Bill that is eventually signed into law serves every New Yorker, and I am very pleased that my Senate colleagues have passed this legislation.”

Below are the provisions that Senator Gillibrand successfully included in the recently passed Senate Farm Bill:

Dairy Insurance Refunds

Gillibrand secured a provision in the Senate Farm Bill to refund more than $77 million in insurance premiums to farmers who paid millions of dollars into an insurance program, the Dairy Margin Protection Program, that did not help them when milk prices dropped. This provision in the Senate Farm Bill was modeled after Senator Gillibrand’s Dairy Premium Refund Act, which she introduced in February.

Another provision also directs the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to present dairy farm data in order to better describe the health of the dairy industry and help ensure that policy makers understand which types of dairy producers are most at risk of farm failure.

Rural Broadband

The Senate-passed Farm Bill includes a provision to make grant funding available for rural broadband projects in high-need areas. This provision, based on Senator Gillibrand’s bipartisan Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act (B-CROP Act) would help encourage more high-speed broadband deployment to high-need areas by awarding grants in combination with the current loan funding available through the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service.

Federal funds would target the highest-need rural and tribal areas, allowing for grants of up to 50 percent of a project’s cost, and up to 75 percent for remote, high-need areas, to be awarded in combination with the current loan funding available through USDA. The Senate Farm Bill also increases the annual funding level of the USDA broadband program to $150 million.

Rural Jobs and Investment

The Senate-passed Farm Bill includes a bipartisan provision led by Senator Gillibrand to expand access to much-needed resources and investment for rural entrepreneurs in Upstate New York to start and expand local businesses. This provision is based on Gillibrand’s Rural Jobs and Investment Act and would create a new grant program to invest in local efforts to launch new companies and create new jobs in New York’s rural communities. It would also expand the use of the USDA Community Facilities Program to invest in business incubators, makerspaces, and job training centers to provide additional resources for communities to support their entrepreneurs.

In addition, Gillibrand’s provision would also expand access to capital for rural entrepreneurs by encouraging investment in rural areas. Currently, the USDA’s Rural Business Investment Program helps address these capital challenges, but this program is limited in the types of industries that it can invest in, as well as the amount of capital it can attract. Gillibrand’s provision would improve the program to allow investments across all industries, encouraging more capital to be invested in rural entrepreneurs.

Aquaculture

Gillibrand also included a provision to protect Long Island shellfish producers by expanding their insurance coverage options. Shellfish producers are at high risk of losing their crops and equipment because of weather, diseases, and changes in the marine environment. Gillibrand’s provision would treat the different growth stages of shellfish and other aquaculture species as separate crops, which would allow the Whole Farm Revenue Insurance Program policies to be more comprehensive and fair for shellfish producers.

Shellfish production is a growing industry in New York. Clam production in the state increased by more than 70 percent between 2012 and 2013, and in 2017, the New York shellfish industry was valued at $16.2 million.

Barley

The bill directs the National Agricultural Statistics Service of USDA to document barley production in New York State. This would ensure that producers have the information they need to decide on future plantings. The information would also be valuable for growers because it would provide sufficient data for crop insurance companies to expand insurance offerings and eventually offer a malting barley endorsement.

Banning Dog and Cat Slaughter

Senator Gillibrand introduced an bipartisan provision with Senator Toomey (R-PA) to ban the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. This provision was cosponsored by Senators Rubio (R-FL) and Blumenthal (D-CT) and a similar provision is included in the House Farm Bill.