E-YAH-Pah-Hah has 3 other concerts in September, October

Provided photo: E-YAH-Pah-Hah Wind Quintet (Town Crier) includes, from left: Susan Walders, flute; Darren Pully, oboe; Maggie Warren, horn; Kae Wilbert, bassoon; and Scott Horsington, clarinet.

ALBION – A quintet that started last year performing classical Native American music has four upcoming concerts, including 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Albion Town Hall.

E-YAH-Pah-Hah, the “Town Crier,” will do a mini premiere of three of five movements of a new piece, “Postcards of Native America,” by Native American composer Dr. Charles Shadle, Choctaw, who teaches theory and composition at MIT.

Kae Wilbert, a retired Churchville-Chili music teacher, lives in Albion and is a leader in the group as well as a bassoon player. She is a descendant of the Oklahoma Cherokee.

The group started last year, performing for the first time at Camp Asbury in Perry, a United Methodist camp. The musicians wanted to share Native music with youth. That desire has spread to sharing the music with the community.

“People rarely hear Native American classical music,” she said.

The group rehearses at the Disciples United Methodist Church in Clarendon, where Wilbert is a member.

“I’ve always loved woodwind quartets. I wanted to keep playing,” she said.

Besides the concert on Aug. 29 in Albion, E-YAH-Pah-Hah’s performance schedule includes:

• Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at College of Brockport Music Department
• Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. at Cobblestone Church in Gaines
• Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. with Daystar Dance Company, Seneca Art and Culture Center Auditorium at Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor.

“The music is very rewarding,” Wilbert said. “The musicians are quite good and all very focused.”

Four of the musicians have college degrees in music, while the fifth member has a medical degree.

The Aug. 29 concert is also part of a classical music series at Albion that is funded with a grant from GO Art!

Other concerts in that series include the Geneseo Wind Quintet with faculty from SUNY Geneseo Music Department. They will be performing at the Albion Town Hall on Clarendon Road on Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

The Music Educators Wind Ensemble will perform Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Albion Middle School Auditorium.

Press Release, Orleans County Historical Association

ALBION – The final summer cemetery tour will be held this Sunday at Mt. Albion Cemetery.  The tour will begin at 6 p.m. in front of the chapel. The tour is approximately 0.7 miles in length on mostly flat surfaces. We will tour behind the chapel and the western section of Mt. Albion.

Retired Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin and Village of Albion Historian Sue Starkweather Miller will lead the tour sharing stories of community-minded people who made a positive difference in Albion.

“One of the stops on the tour will highlight professional animal painter Peter B. West and how a painting of his led me on a journey to learning about George D. Harris, a prolific builder and contractor,” Starkweather Miller said. “Many of us may have heard of his family members, Medal of Honor recipient Charles D. Harris and Lydia Harris, who died in the Main Street bridge collapse on September 28, 1859. But I never knew about George and his accomplishments in Albion. I think people will be interested in his story.”

Donna Strickland Rodden will also be highlighted on the tour. The chapel, built in 1875, was dedicated to her in 1997. Rodden was the first female mayor of Albion, serving from 1973-1983. Her influence and care for preserving local history has made a lasting impact on our community and Mt. Albion.

The summer series of tours is sponsored by the Orleans County Historical Association.  Please go to their website at www.orleanshistory.org for more information on upcoming events including monthly programs at the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse and a chicken barbecue fundraiser on Aug. 31.

HOLLEY – The Community Free Library in Holley is planning a 10 a.m. dedication on Sept. 7 for the second phase of a mural.

Arthur Barnes is close to being done with a  mural that is 25 feet high and 21 feet wide. Barnes has an agricultural-themed mural with trees, wheat fields, and an apple orchard.

His mural blends in with artwork painted on the back of the library last year by Tony Barry. That mural features the portrait of Holley’s namesake, Myron Holley, and a Erie Canal scene. Myron Holley was an early commissioner for the canal.

A $5,000 grant awarded to the library from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is funding the new mural.

After the dedication at 10 a.m. on Sept.7, there will be cake and punch inside the library meeting room.

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Eager eaters go through the service line and fill their plates with vegetables from Pudgie’s Veggies and burgers from RLW Cattle Co.

The Gallagher on Route 63 hosted the event on Thursday evening where 200 meals were served in an event promoted as “burgers and brews.”

It was a fast sell-out in a collaboration among RLW, Pudgie’s, the Gallagher, Hilltop Restaurant in Lockport and The Coffeepot Café in Medina.

The Coffeepot owners, Dan and Hans Rosentreter, provided the buns for the burgers. Hilltop catered the event, preparing the food.

Patrick Woodworth shucks corn inside the Gallagher while his wife Rachel Woodworth greets people. Harris Farms in Gasport provided the corn roaster and some manpower to cook the corn.

The Woodworths started a retail beef store on Swett Road in Lyndonville this past spring for RLW Cattle Co. Patrick is a fifth-generation beef farmer. He also grows apples and grains.

“This is to support local businesses,” Patrick said about the event. “We all have something to offer.”

There were 200 tickets at $35 each. Besides the food served at the Gallagher, everyone received a pound of beef to take home.

“People are being so positive about it,” Rachel said. “It’s like a farm-to-table dinner.”

Pudgie’s Veggies owner Pudgie Bale and partner Debbie Fuller were happy to see so many people enjoying the food.

Pudgie’s provided potatoes, corn on the cob, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Bale also made it known he is planning to retire from growing vegetables after this year. He has grown vegetables for 25 years. He also worked as a heavy equipment operator and bartender. Bale said he wants more time to enjoy life, especially time with his grandchildren. He has been working 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

“I just can’t do it anymore,” said Bale, who is 68. “I’m crawling into the house at night.”

Pudgie’s supplies eight restaurants with vegetables, and has stands outside his home on Route 63 near Boxwood Cemetery and by Lake’s Wine and Spirits at the corner of Salt Works Road and Park Avenue. Budgie’s also has a stand on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at RLW on Swett Road.

Bale said his goal was to provide top-tier produce.

“We built this business on quality,” he said.

Tony Conrad, executive chef and owner of Hilltop Restaurant in Lockport, grills burgers outside The Gallagher. Conrad and his team of employees prepared the meals for Thursday’s dinner.

The event also included music from the Dave Stoll Band in Lyndonville.

The apple crisp were made from apples from Sandy Knoll Farms, owned by Patrick Woodworth in Lyndonville. These apples came out of storage from last year’s crop. Sandy Knoll was hit hard by a hail storm on Aug. 11.

Everett Bruning busses tables during the event. His parents, Jenna and Martin Bruning, opened The Gallagher in 2016. The site hosts about 50 weddings a year, and also is used for other parties and events.

Lane Woodworth gives one of the dinner guests a bag with a frozen pound of beef to take home.

The Woodworth, Conrad and Bruning families and Pudgie’s Veggies leaders pose for a photo outside the Gallagher.

From left in front include Morgan Woodworth and Megan Fargale (from Hilltop Restaurant).

Back row includes Lane, Patrick, Rachel and Nathan Woodworth; Tony and Crystal Conrad; Debbie Fuller and Pudgie Bale; Sylvia, Aubrey, Everett, Martin and Jenna Bruning.

Provided photo

ALBION – The appointed treasurer and five commissioners for the Albion Joint Fire District met on Tuesday for the Albion Joint Fire District.

Pictured from left include Victoria Tabor, the treasurer; and commissioners David Buczek, Al Cheverie, Craig Lane, Joe Martillotta and Chris Kinter.

The commissioners picked Cheverie, a former president of the Albion Fire Department, to serve as the group’s chairman. A secretary will be appointed by the commissioners at the next meeting.

The joint fire district was approved in a public referendum on Aug. 6 by voters in the towns of Albion and Gaines.

Buczek was appointed by the Albion Village Board, while Martillotta and Kinter were picked by the Albion Town Board, and Cheverie and Lane by the Gaines Town Board.

The group in the coming months will be working on the 2025 budget for the joint fire district. They also will be developing policies and procedures, and setting up banking and insurance for the district. The commissioners will meet the second and fourth Thursdays.

The five will serve until the end of this year. There will be an election in December for five commissioners in terms of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, depending on the vote totals for each. The highest vote-getter gets the 5-year term and then the term length goes in descending order of votes. After the December election, the commissioner election should be just one position up for election each year.

MEDINA – After a summer of changes for Medina’s decades-old cruise-ins, the 28th annual event will end for this season next Wednesday with Super Cruise on Main Street, featuring Terry Buchwald as Elvis.

After David Green announced he was giving up heading up the cruise-ins, real estate developer Rollin Hellner and Medina businessman Tom Snyder decided to take it over and move it from the canal basin to the parking lot of the Senior Center on West Avenue.

Attendance which often reached 100 in the canal basin, dipped to the 40s or less at the Senior Center. Many of the car owners preferred the shade and proximity to the water in the basin.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Terry Buchwald is a nimble Elvis impersonator on the stage.

Now, Hellner has announced another change for Super Cruise. Cruisers will be charged $10 to park their vehicles on Main Street. In exchange, Hellner said there will be official judges on site and trophies will be awarded for Best of Show, Best Car, Best Truck, Best Performance Vehicle, Judges’ Choice and Most Unique.

Super Cruises in the past have attracted 300 or more vehicles, and Hellner said he expects 200 to 250 next week. Drivers are advised they will have to enter Main Street on Route 63 from the North, where a station will be set up to check cars in, two at a time.

Cars are asked not to arrive prior to 4 p.m. Official start time for the show is 5:30, with Buchwald performing from 6 to 8 p.m.

Regular door prizes will be awarded and the 50/50 drawing will still take place.

Although Hellner said the weather looks great for Wednesday, the rain date will be Sept. 4.

Press Release, Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council

BATAVIA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!) is excited to announce an exceptional opportunity for artists of all disciplines living and/or working in Genesee and Orleans Counties.

In partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), GO ART! is accepting applications for the NYSCA/NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Program. The program is free to participants.

This intensive 3.5-day professional development program is designed to empower artists across all disciplines—including visual, literary, performing arts, and more—with the essential tools needed to achieve sustainability and success in their creative endeavors. Whether you’re an emerging artist looking to build a strong foundation or an established professional seeking new strategies and networks, this program offers a dynamic platform to enhance your creative practice.

Program Highlights:

• Comprehensive Content: Participants will explore key topics such as strategic planning, marketing, fundraising, financial literacy, and art law. The curriculum includes materials from NYFA’s renowned textbook, The Profitable Artist.
• Work Sample Reviews: Receive personalized feedback from professionals in your field, offering valuable insights into the jury selection process and your artistic presentation.
• Peer Network: Join a community of like-minded peers across various disciplines, fostering connections that extend beyond the program.
• Access to Experts: Engage with NYFA’s expert staff and local arts industry leaders, including funders, curators, publishers, and artistic directors.
• Artist Action Plan: Develop a personalized blueprint for your practice or specific arts project, with opportunities to discuss and refine your plan within the peer group.
• Engagement with the Creative Community: The program structure includes presentations, panels, interactive workshops, and breakout sessions tailored to the needs of participants.

Eligibility and Application:

• Who Can Apply: Artists of all disciplines and career stages, including students, who are living and/or working in Genesee or Orleans Counties
• Application Deadline: Monday, September 23, 11:59 p.m. Applications must be submitted via Submittable.

Program Dates:

• Meet and Greet and Introductions: Thursday, November 7, 5 to 8 p.m.
• Intensive Sessions: Friday – Sunday, November 8-10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Don’t miss this unique chance to grow your artistic career with guidance from leading professionals in the field. Currently accepting applications. For more information and to apply visit https://www.nyfa.org/professional-development/entrepreneurial-intensives/

Please email questions to learning@nyfa.org with the subject line “Artist as Entrepreneur, GO ART!”

This program is made possible through New York State Council on the Arts, State & Local Partnerships with the support of the Governor’s Office and the New York State Legislature.

Screenshot

Photos courtesy of Ron Lasal

KENDALL – Ron Lasal had his driveway sealed yesterday on Kendall Road. This morning he went out to remove the barriers so his wife could head out on an errand.

Lasal was surprised to see muddy bear tracks on the driveway. A friend told him she saw a bear on Route 18. Lasal suspects the same bear wandered across his property last night.

He has never seen a bear before in Kendall, but saw them years ago in the Southern Tier.

“It’s in the area,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me any. I hunted in Southern Tier for 15 years.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County Treasurer’s Office will soon be moving into the former Bank of America site at 156 S. Main St.

County Treasurer Kim DeFrank expects the office will be moved over and ready to serve the public on Sept. 3, just in time to collect school taxes for the Albion, Lyndonville and Medina school districts.

The Orleans County Legislature last September voted to pay $250,000 to buy the former bank site, which has been vacant since the bank closed on Aug. 15, 2017.

The bank site offers a drive-through and no front stairs, making for much easier accessibility for the public, DeFrank said.

“The drive-through is fully functional,” she said. “People won’t even have to get out of their car.”

The current treasurer’s office is in Central Hall at 34 East Park St. DeFrank said that historic building can be difficult for the public to use. Parking is in back of the building, and the handicapped accessibility ramp is on the back side of the building.

Central Hall was built in 1882 and was a school until 1934. It was the home to the Sheret Post #35 American Legion from 1935 until the county acquired it in 1980. The site has been used for the treasurer’s office, probation, computer services and historian. Currently, only the treasurer’s officer and historian’s office are using the building.

The red-brick building needs repointing and estimates have topped $100,000, DeFrank said.

The county didn’t have to do too much to get the bank site ready for the treasurer’s office. A fence was installed on the side and back, a new HVAC system was put in, as well as some carpet and flooring. Two offices also were built out by the county Department of Public Works.

The furniture from the current treasurer’s office and the front counter will be moved over next week.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Highway 31 had Bullard Park rocking on Wednesday evening during the Village of Albion’s summer concert series.

The band performed on the amphitheater, and played ’90s music, contemporary country and some rock.

The band members include Rich Nolan of Gasport as lead singer, and the guitar trio of Aaron Clark of Holley, Clinton LaPorte of Le Roy, and Clinton’s dad Tim LaPorte Sr. of Batavia. Timmy LaPorte of Elba, Tim’s son and Clinton’s brother, is the drummer for the band.

The guitar trio includes, from left: Aaron Clark, Clinton LaPorte and Tim LaPorte Sr.

Timmy LaPorte pounds the skins as drummer.

Highway 31 always draws a good-size crowd when they perform in Albion.

The summer concert series closes out next Wednesday with Soul Street from the Buffalo area.

The series is funded with state arts money administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

IRONDEQUOIT – If there is one thing which defines David Hebert, it is his motto, “SITPROUD!”

The Irondequoit resident has been a paraplegic for 39 years. Paralyzed from the chest down, Hebert now shares his story in hopes others like him will realize they can live a happy, fulfilling life.

Hebert, 58, was a passenger in his best friend Steve’s car, when on June 2, 1985 Steve convinced him to go to Charlotte Beach for a couple of drinks.

The evening ended when their car hit a tree at 85 miles per hour.

“The car accident left me paralyzed from the chest down,” Hebert said. “Although the word ‘accident’ is defined as an unfortunate incident, I have been nothing but fortunate since that day. The accident obviously changed me physically, but it also molded me into the person I am today. It has provided me with focus, drive, resilience and purpose. I am mentally and physically stronger than the person I was 39 years ago.”

Provided photo: Randy Bower, right, sits in a wheelchair designed for him by David Hebert of Irondequoit, an assistive technology specialist. Since meeting, the two have become best friends. This photo is from 2016 when Bower was Orleans County sheriff.

He continues to say the accident has allowed him to gain a large group of family and friends.

“I have met people I would never have crossed paths with if it was not for my accident,” Hebert said. “I was blessed with the opportunity to be part of the Rochester Wheels. The knowledge I gained from this group of guys was invaluable. I could have never learned what I have in school. It just can’t be taught. It has to be lived.”

Hebert was also able to find the path to the job he does now as an assistive technology specialist, designing and selling assistive equipment for people with different kinds and severities of disabilities.

“It’s the most gratifying job anyone could ask for,” Hebert said. “I live the life, and can show others there is good to come after injury or loss. Just strive high. And, of course, SITPROUD!!!”

SITPROUD!!! has become his motto and trademark. And what he does best.

Hebert has played wheelchair basketball for the Rochester Wheels and the European Venture Philanthropy Association’s Buffalo Chariots. He lifts weights 40 minutes a night and wheels at least two miles four times a week.

He has been married, although now divorced, and has a 13-year-old son.

In his own home he has devised a stair lift to the basement and one upstairs. He has a wheelchair on every level.

He has worked with former sheriff Randy Bower for many years, having designed him a new, lightweight, rigid wheelchair.

Bower praised Hebert for his work for those with physical disabilities and his compassion.

“David is my doctor, my physical therapist and my psychiatrist, as well as my friend,” Bower said. “He’s the first call I make whenever I have any issue. An example is when I tore my rotator cuff. Getting in and out of my van was very difficult. I called David and he told me how to get in and I’ve been doing it ever since. After our first meeting, he was a friend for life.”

Bower was also injured in an automobile accident – in 1983. When he needed his first wheelchair, a person with no handicap came to evaluate him, but when he was ready for his second chair, it was Hebert who showed up. That impressed Bower, because he knew someone in a similar position would understand his needs better.

“He is so knowledgeable in his field,” Bower said. “Selling you a wheelchair is the extra he gives you. Now he is a good friend, and we both still live fast and busy.”

Hebert works at Tim’s Trims in Rochester as a sales person, providing people with specialized equipment and vehicles to get them back out on the road.

“It’s not about what you can’t do,” Hebert said. “It’s what you can do.”

Although paralyzed from the chest down in a motor vehicle accident 39 years ago, David Hebert leads a very active life, including collecting and driving vintage cars. The license plate reflects his motto, “SITPROUD!”

Press Release, Oak Orchard Health

Since 1973, Oak Orchard Health has been committed to providing person-centered and culturally competent care to our most underserved communities, especially in our agricultural community.

Oak Orchard was originally funded as a migrant health project. Agriculture is the number one industry in Western New York, specifically in Orleans and Genesee counties, where most of our farmworkers and their families reside, work and attend school.

Farmworkers are exposed to risky and harsh conditions, such as harmful chemicals, long working hours, working with large animals, operating heavy equipment, and extreme weather conditions. Agricultural workers are also responsible for feeding our local communities and our country, and we must keep them healthy.

With his permission, Jose Iniguez shares his story of working with Oak Orchard Health to keep his farmworkers healthy.  Iniguez began his journey when he came to the US at age 16 in 1991. He began as a farmworker in Washington State, saying, “My employer was ahead of the times, engaging in state-of-the-art growing practices, so I learned a lot.”

In 1994, he had the opportunity to come to New York, bringing the knowledge and skills he had learned in Washington State and working his way up to VP and Chief Operating Officer at Lamont Farms. He is one of the three partners.

Apple Harvesting is labor intensive

Apple harvesting is a labor-intensive process by the time it hits the stores.

“By the time you get apples to the store, it has been touched 20-25 times from the time it blossoms and eventually turns into an apple,” Iniguez said. “Mowing is also important to the upkeep of the orchard; mowing before the harvest can make it easier to move ladders, bins, and boxes through the orchard. The bottom line is that a lot of hard work goes into each apple by the time you get it to the store. To achieve this, it takes many people; you must prune the trees, removing suckers and bad wood, which help stimulate the tree to produce more fruiting spurs. Pruning also opens the branches so sunlight and air reach the ripening fruit. This is why so many workers are needed for one harvest.”

Lamont Farms has not had a good harvest in almost eight years due to the weather and the Covid-19 pandemic.  “But this year is looking much better,” Iniquez said.

Not only does Iniguez have to work with the farmworkers, but he also has to adhere to NY State labor laws, harvesting times, weather, and balancing out the needs of the farm owners. If they have bad weather or there is a miscalculation in their numbers, workers are still paid at least 30 hours per week.

Most farm workers do not know they have sick time available. Lamont Farms recognizes this and encourages workers to take the available time so that farmworkers can get the care they need. Because of how well Lamont Farms treats their employees, they have had a return rate of 95% over the last 10 years. Iniguez says, “It has taken us almost 20 years to build this team. It is built on a lot of trust.”

How Oak Orchard Community Health Centers keeps farmworkers healthy

One step to keeping farmworkers healthy is the Oak Orchard Health Outreach Team and their community health workers. CHWs visit the farms or camps and provide necessary healthcare, health education, immunizations, and blood pressure checks.

They can also help set up future medical appointments and get prescriptions filled. The community health workers are certified Spanish interpreters and have built a trusted relationship with the farmworkers, their families, and the farm owners. In addition to the above services, the outreach team provides the following services:

• Covid-19 education, testing and vaccinations
• Spanish-English interpretation and translation
• Transportation
• Expanded evening hours for just farmworkers so they don’t lose pay

If farmworkers are eligible for health insurance, Oak Orchard has facilitated health insurance enrollers in their health care facilities, or facilitated enrollers will tag along with the OOH Outreach team to enroll them where they live to help with medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.

Having health insurance removes the financial barrier to getting health care. If they are not eligible for health insurance, Community Health Workers will help guide them to enrolling an individual into our Sliding Scale Fee program.

Our Vision for the Future

Oak Orchard Health’s Vision is to be a leader of continuous growth and transformation, where innovative, holistic, and comprehensive care—for body and mind—is provided for all in partnership with our community.

We are here for everyone, all farmworkers, and their families, regardless of financial means, immigration status, or station in life, as a caring, compassionate, nonjudgmental, trustworthy provider.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – It’s been two months since Sammy the Stone Snake emerged at Patterson Park behind the Post Office in Lyndonville.

Sammy started with 34 stones. He is now up to about 200.

Darlene Hartway pushed to start Sammy after seeing him in other communities. Hartway is the director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce and has been running the Webber Café on Main Street. Many of the stones have been painted at Webber.

People are welcome to keep adding to Sammy to see how long he can get before the end of summer.