Provided photo: Cosmetology teacher Sue Lindke with student Samantha Macek who is looking for the perfect prom dress.

Press Release, Orleans-Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Paula Travis believes that every young lady going to the prom deserves to look her best regardless of their financial reosurces. That is why she started the organization WHO (Women Helping Others).

The organization is run out of the Zion Lutheran Church of Gasport and offers Becca’s Closet.

“The organization is dedicated to carrying on the legacy of Rebecca Kirtmann, a high school student from Florida, who believed that every girl should be able to attend formal school-sponsored events, such as prom and homecoming, despite their financial situation,” Travis said.  “Becca collected hundreds of gowns by herself and gave them to girls free of charge. She was killed in a car accident in 2003 and her friends and family carry on her legacy nationwide.”

Recently Paula stopped into the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center and offered dresses to students. Many students stopped by the cosmetology class where Ms. Travis set up for the day and tried on gowns until they found the perfect one for themselves.

“This is just a wonderful thing for our students. It is great to see them walk out of here feeling like a princess,” said cosmetology teacher Sue Lindke. “All that Paula asks is that the students pay it forward by bringing a personal care item in to help out others who are in need.”

ALBION – A judge has sent a Ridgeway man to Orleans County Jail to be held without bail after he was charged with additional violent felonies after posting bail for allegedly assaulting a woman last year.

Gerardo Quiros

Gerardo Quiros, 31, posted $250,000 bail last spring after he was accused of holding a woman against her will for several weeks, while physically and sexually assaulting her.

Quiros is facing 36 counts including seven counts of first-degree rape, 23 counts of first-degree criminal sexual act, third and fifth degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful dealing with a child and unlawful possession of marijuana.

That case is pending in court. He was offered a plea deal where he would face a maximum of 7 to 15 years in state prison. Quiros declined that offer.

Sara Sheldon, the interim County Court judge in Orleans County, on Monday revoked the bail and ordered Quiros to be held without bail due to the additional charges.

He was arraigned on the new charges when he allegedly broke into his girlfriend’s parents’ house in Barre and attempted to drag the woman out by her feet.

He was arraigned on Jan. 1 in Town Court for second-degree burglary, attempted second-degree kidnapping and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Bail was set at $100,000 and Quiros was promptly bailed out.

Sheldon continued bail on Monday at $100,000 for the new charges. Quiros, however, remains in jail without bail after Sheldon revoked the $250,000 bail on the previous charges.

“We feel he is a tremendous flight risk,” District Attorney Joe Cardone told the judge.

He also requested orders of protection for six people, and the judge granted that request.

The judge also set Sept. 18 as the tentative date for a trial on the latest charges.

Congressman Chris Collins, R-Clarence, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, both voted for a short-term spending bill that will fund the government for three weeks.

The measure passed the House and Senate, and President Donald Trump has signed the bill.

Collins released the following statement after voting in support of the short-term and to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years.

“I am disappointed by the political tactics that Senator Schumer pulled this weekend, not only closing the government but putting the millions of children that rely on CHIP in jeopardy,” Collins said. “While short-term spending agreements are never ideal, I am pleased that we have reopened the government and extended CHIP for six years. As we continue to negotiate a solution to the DACA situation and work toward a long-term funding agreement, I hope Senate Democrats have learned their lesson that these types of political games do not work.”

Schumer, leader of the Democrats in the Senate, commented on Twitter that Congress has much more to do including protecting “Dreamers,” crafting a budget and addressing health care, veterans, disaster relief, pensions and the opioid epidemic.

“The #TrumpShutdown will soon end, but the work goes on,” Schumer said on Twitter.

New York’s other senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, voted against the short-term funding.

“I am deeply disappointed that today’s outcome fails to protect Dreamers,” she said on Twitter. “They deserve better from the elected leaders of the only country many of them have ever called home.”

Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, joined the House in approving the funding.

“No one wanted to see the great government of the United States closed for business,” she said on Twitter. “The last #GOPshutdown in 2013 cost our economy an estimated $24 billion and brought everything from federal research to reducing the backlog of veterans’ disability claims to a standstill.”

She said the bill passed today because Democrats “were finally off a seat at the table.”

“There were no winners here,” she said. “But I’m proud to cast this vote to end the #GOPshutdown so the country can get back to work.”

The federal budget shutdown has closed the U.S. Department of Agriculture service office at 446 West Ave.

There is a message taped to the door. “This U.S. Department of Agriculture office is currently closed, due to the lapse in federal government funding. The office will reopen once Congress restores funding.”

The office includes staff from the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Heath Eisele, District Conservationist for the NRCS in Genesee, Orleans & Niagara Counties, sent an email to NRCS customers today.

“We understand the uncertainty that the current circumstances present for Americans that USDA serves every day, as well as our many partners around the country,” Eisele wrote. “Effective today, except for critical activities that protect life and property (i.e. work on high-hazard dams and preserving plants at PMCS), many NRCS staff will be furloughed pending reinstatement of funding by Congress. These staff will not be available by phone or email, and cannot carry out work for the Agency, until funding is restored.”

Eisele is among the NRCS staff on furlough. He said in an email to NRCS customers that many NRCS services and payments will be delayed or interrupted including grants and agreements.

The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge also seems to be closed. No one answered the phone today. The refuge’s social media accounts also won’t be updated today except for a message from the refuge stating the lack of new social media posts is due to the federal shutdown.

Photos courtesy of Maureen Beach

BARRE – The Town of Barre held a party on Saturday for Mark Chamberlain, who retired on Dec. 31 after 18 years as town supervisor. In the top photo he is shown cutting a cake with his wife Lois by his side.

The celebration was held at the Barre Town Hall. During Chamberlain’s tenure as town supervisor, Barre built a new town hall, a new salt storage facility, a new town park and also created four new water districts. Construction of the fourth water district starts today.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley presents a proclamation to Chamberlain from the State Assembly for his 18 years as town supervisor.

Chamberlain, a retired chemistry teacher at Albion Central School, served as Barre town supervisor following his career as a teacher.

Chamberlain chats with town residents, including Bill Basinait at left.

Sean Pogue, the new Barre town supervisor, reads a citation for Chamberlain, thanking him for his service. Chamberlain didn’t seek re-election in November. Pogue won a three-way race for town supervisor and took office on Jan. 1.

At the end of this past season Roy-Hart ended its football merger agreement with Barker leaving Barker’s underclassmen players in search of a place to play in 2018.

Interestingly, Barker may have just found a solution to that problem in Medina where the projected number of varsity players for the upcoming season is low.

Talks between the schools is now underway about such a merger that would make the Mustangs football squad a tri-school team as Medina already has a football merger agreement with Lyndonville.

“Barker is looking for an opportunity for their kids to play football and it makes sense for us as our varsity numbers are projected to be very low this coming season,” said Medina varsity Football Coach and Athletic Director Eric Valley.

“I’m optimistic because right now Medina is our only option,” said Barker Athletic Director Dave Carson. “We’re just looking for an opportunity for our kids to play football.”

Both Athletic Directors noted that all practices and home games would be held at Medina just as has been the case since the start of the Medina/Lyndonville merger.

Valley added adding the 30 percent of Barker’s enrollment numbers that would be added to the already combined Medina/Lyndonville numbers for a merger will not affect what division Medina will play in this fall.

“We will still be a Class B,” said Valley who noted that whether Medina is a two school or a three school football team the Mustangs will still be in the B2 division of what is an expanded Section VI Class B. He added that the number of Class B schools has increased from 18 last year to 21 and will be divided into three seven team divisions of which Medina and Albion will be in the B2 division.

The Medina Board of Education is scheduled to discuss the possible football merger with Barker at Tuesday’s meeting.

James Michael Beach, an eighth-grader at Albion, took this photo of the ice shelves at Swallow Hollow nature trail on Sunday when he went for a hike with his family at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

A dense fog advisory is in effect until 10 a.m. today for Orleans and much of Western New York. There also is a flood watch for Orleans and other nearby counties from 1 p.m. today until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

The dense fog will create poor visibilities, resulting in hazardous driving condition, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Provided photo, John Dieter, Cub Master of Pack 35

MEDINA – Cub Scout Pack 35 Medina held its annual Pinewood Derby at St. Mary’s Church hall on Sunday. Each of the four dens raced in heats to determine the fastest car, then winners of each den went on to race to determine fastest car of the pack.

The boys all did a great job preparing their cars over the past several weeks in preparation of the big race. The pack also did a sibling race and at the end even some of the leaders made cars and had a race off.

Jim Baker says running saved his life, allowing for detection of tumor

Photos courtesy of Jim Baker: Jim Baker is pictured on Sept.17 when he finished the Rochester marathon, covering the 26.2-mile course in 3 hours, 35 minutes, which qualified him to run in the Boston Marathon in April.

KENDALL – Jim Baker had achieved a dream in April 2016 when he ran the Boston Marathon. Baker expected to feel triumph that day, but he struggled to get to the finish line.

His time of 4 hours, 59 minutes was more than an hour off what he was expecting for the race. Baker’s best time of 3:27 was at the Rochester marathon in September 2015. That time qualified him for Boston.

But on April 18, 2016, he felt a cramp and “side stitch” during the prestigious race in Boston. He almost stopped, but pushed on to the finish. It was the Boston Marathon after all.

“I wasn’t my normal self,” he recalled on Saturday. “But I gutted it out.”

The slow time wasn’t a one-day aberration. Baker, a Kendall resident who works as a chemist for Kodak, didn’t get back to his brisk 8-minute pace in the weeks after Boston.

The pain also continued when he ran. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with colon cancer. He had run Boston with a plum-size tumor in his colon.

“I had a huge tumor in my side,” he said. “It had grown like wildlife.”

The tumor was removed and he started chemotherapy in June 2016. After seven months of treatment, his doctors declared him cancer-free a year ago on Jan. 13, 2017.

Baker didn’t let cancer derail his running. Even during chemo, he typically ran 15-20 miles a week – “at a very slow pace.” He battled nausea but kept going, except when it was cold out. The chemo made him especially sensitive to cold temperatures. He decided to take a two-month break from running during the harsh winter weather.

Jim Baker is shown on Jan. 13, 2017 when he received a certificate of completion for chemotherapy at Interlakes Oncology at Wilmot Cancer Institute.

He picked up his mileage after completing chemo, with a goal of running a marathon again and qualifying for Boston. On Sept. 17, he ran the Rochester marathon in 3:35, and that 8-minute, 12-second pace earned him another chance to run Boston.

He will be back at the starting line for that big race on April 16.

“I’ve got redemption on my mind,” he said.

Baker wants to break 3:45.

Although he’s disappointed in his time at Boston in 2016, Baker said that race was a sign that something was wrong with his health. When he didn’t bounce back after Boston, he went to the doctor for a colonoscopy, which revealed the tumor.

“If I didn’t run I’d be gone,” he said. “I wouldn’t have known I had the tumor if I didn’t run. There were no other warning signs. I had no loss of appetite.”

He also didn’t get what he thought was a cramp, except when he was running. If he wasn’t a runner, he would have felt that pain.

He had a colonoscopy two years before the one that showed the tumor. Baker had been fighting Crohn’s Disease for 15 years. (When his tumor was removed, taking out part of his colon, Baker said the Crohn’s Disease went away, too.)

Jim Baker completed a half marathon in Rochester on Jan. 6 when temperatures were just above 0 degrees. Baker ran the course in 1:47.

Baker started running 11 years ago when he was 44. He would go for walks during lunch breaks at Kodak, but Baker said that walking didn’t do anything to chip away at his extra pounds. He initially couldn’t run more than 200 yards without stopping. But he didn’t give up.

Conquering 2 miles while running was a milestone. He ran his first race at a 10K (6.2 miles) and enjoyed the energy and people at the races. He signed up for more races and joined the Bagel Bunch, a running group in Greece.

The other runners have become good friends and given him plenty of advice on increasing his speed and avoiding injury. He has completed 11 half marathons and five marathons – and shed 40 pounds.

Baker grew up in Albion and wasn’t a runner. He didn’t have the slightest inkling to run in high school or as a young adult. “Back then softball was my form of exercise,” he said, laughing.

Baker and his wife Stacey moved to Kendall about 27 years ago. They have two grown children, Kyle and Megan.

He knows running is difficult for many people, especially when they start. He encourages people to stick with it. It took him about six months of steady running to feel comfortable and really enjoy his runs.

Running also makes you more in tune with your body. If you’re running a little slower than normal, and that time lingers, you should go to the doctor.

Baker said that ultimately saved his life.

A flood watch is in effect for Orleans and other Western New York counties from 1 p.m. on Monday to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

The warming temperatures, snowmelt and rainfall will enhance the risk for ice jam flooding, The Weather Service said. Rainfall during the watch period will average between a quarter and a half inch.

The counties in the flood watch Allegany, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne and Wyoming.

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Wreaths are shown on veterans’ graves at Boxwood Cemetery in Medina on Saturday. The wreaths were placed there in December as part of the Wreaths Across America program.

The area gets a break from the harsh cold this week. Today is forecast for a high of 39 and low of 34. Monday calls for rain in the forecast before 3 p.m. with a high near 40, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Tuesday will reach 43 with a low of 23, with some precipitation likely. Wednesday will reach 27 with a chance for snow showers. On Thursday it will be sunny with a high of 25, followed by a high of 36 on Friday and a high near 47 on Saturday.

Provided photo: EJ, a canine with the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, is pictured with his handler and partner, Deputy Richard Bull.

Press Release, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office

LOCKPORT – It is with great sadness that Sheriff James R. Voutour announces the sudden passing of Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Canine EJ, handled by his partner Deputy Richard Bull.

Bull discovered Canine EJ unresponsive inside his kennel on Friday. Preliminary findings suggest Canine EJ passed away from a medical condition known as gastric torsion of the stomach. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death.

Canine EJ was born on September 25, 2015 in Hungary and began his career with the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office in March 2017. Canine EJ was purchased in part from many generous community donations to Niagara County Law Enforcement Foundation.

“The Community has always been great supporters of our Canine Division as well as the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Voutour.

Canine EJ and his partner, Deputy Bull, were New York State certified in criminal apprehension, area searches, building searches, muzzle deployment, tactical high-risk deployment, tracking and advanced narcotics detection.

During their career as a canine team, Deputy Bull and Canine EJ were responsible for several successful tracks, the recovery of numerous pieces of evidence and discovery of illegal narcotics. They also conducted several demonstrations at various events throughout Niagara County, including Lockport Blue, D.A.R.E., Young Marines and the Niagara County Fair.

“While Canine EJ’s tenure with the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office was short, he undoubtedly will be remembered for his hard work, loyal friendship to Deputy Bull and service to Niagara County,” Voutour said.

Canine EJ was named after LCpl. Eric James Orlowski, a United States Marine, fellow Marine and friend of Deputy Bull, who was killed in action on March 22, 2003 during Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq.

Sierra Mendes had a leg amputated due to injuries from a serious car accident

Sierra Mendes

HOLLEY – The Holley Elementary School celebrated students’ reading achievements during a high-energy assembly on Friday and also introduced students to a recent graduate.

Sierra Mendes graduated in 2012. She recently suffered the amputation of one of her legs due to damage from a  serious car accident in 2012.

Mendes wants to receive a running blade which will help her to run once again with her sister. The Holley Elementary Student Council plans a special Walk-A-Thon on Feb. 8 to raise funds for the running blade.

Elementary Student Council faculty advisor Sally Martin introduced Sierra to students Friday afternoon during the annual Pick A Reading Partner (PARP) assembly.

Martin explained to students that Sierra was involved in a serious car accident five years ago and suffered severe injuries to her legs. Her right leg continued to cause her so much pain, she decided to undergo an amputation, and now has a metal leg which allows her to do almost everything except run, an activity she used to love to do with her sister.

Sierra now lives in Rochester and told Orleans Hub that Holley faculty reached out to her after she started a Go Fund Me account.

“Everyone has been so supportive,” Sierra said. “I loved running and have missed it, it would feel like a personal triumph to be able to run again.”

Pre-K students hold up letters that spell out READING.  Students were told they all have a talent for reading. Behind the students are Grace Azzolino, children’s librarian at the Holley Community free library, and Sierra Mendes.

In addition to the upcoming Walk-A-Thon, Martin said collection containers for donations have been placed at local businesses for Sierra.

The Holley grad also talked to students about the importance of reading, as the PARP program promotes literacy. She said until she was about 14 years old, she read everyday – all the time.

“The time I have spent reading is what I treasure most,” she said. “If you love to read you will never be bored and you will never be lonely.”

The assembly included games. Kindergarteners, 1st and 2nd graders participated in the “Relay Read” race, while 3rd and 4th graders took part in the “Slide and Read” race, and 5th and 6th graders participated in the “Toss and Read” competition.

Students selected for the annual PARP limo ride to McDonald’s for lunch.  Two students from each grade in grades K-6 will take a ride in limo next Wednesday for lunch at McDonald’s. Two pre-K students were also chosen. They will join principal Karri Schiavone for a special treat at a time to be determined.

The Holley PTSA sponsors the PARP program and this year they provided T-shirts for all students. Art students at Holley High School were asked to submit designs for the shirt.  The design of Andrea Payne, a 12th grader, was chosen.

“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 4, Issue 3

CLARENDON – Of the New York State Historic Markers erected by the NYS Department of Education, the overwhelming majority cover locations deemed significant to the earliest history of Orleans County including Native American and pioneer sites. The marker situated at the Town Park on Holley Byron Road in Clarendon calls attention to one of the earlier settlements in our area.

The marker reads, “Farwell’s Mills, here Eldred Farwell, first white settler of town, built the first mills in Clarendon, saw mill in 1811, grist mill in 1813.”

While consulting several seminal publications on early Orleans County history, the spelling of Farwell’s name is clearly debated; here, the State Department of Education uses a shortened spelling. Arad Thomas records Farwell’s name as Eldridge in Pioneer History of Orleans County, New York, but this historian would prefer to reference Farwell’s name as spelled by David Sturges Copeland in his History of Clarendon from 1810 to 1888 where he records the name as Eldredge.

Perhaps this is a detail that would only concern Farwell himself, but his contributions to the early settlement of Clarendon are also duly noted within the pages of these books. Born to William and Bethel Eldredge Farwell on March 6, 1770 at Charlestown, New Hampshire, Eldredge settled in the vicinity of Clarkson along the Ridge Road. From other publications, we know that his brother Isaac settled nearby to the west of the Ridge Road and Lake Road intersection in the same location.

As so many historians have recorded, the story of Clarendon’s foundation occurred by happenchance after the unfortunate escape of Isaac Farwell’s horse around 1810. Following the animal’s trail along the bank of Sandy Creek, it is said that Eldredge stumbled upon a waterfall and while recognizing its potential for power, decided that he should settle the area. Farwell purchased approximately 210 acres the following year and relocated his wife and five children to the area in the spring of 1811. With that acreage upon which the beautiful waterfall sat came the mill privilege, providing him with the opportunity to construct a grist mill on the site.

In the unsettled wilderness of Orleans County, the role of the mill owner was one of significance, prestige, and prominence. Grist millers held the key to survival, providing an invaluable service to settlers who needed to grind corn and wheat into flour. Settlers could travel west, east, or south to “nearby” locations to grind their grains, but trips to these areas were marred by unimproved roads, swamps, and waterways without bridges. The convenience of a local miller, of course, was preferred and Ambrose Ferguson was hired to labor in the mill at the astonishing rate of $20 per month.

Farwell’s establishment of a grist mill in 1811 followed by a saw mill in 1813 provided a significant amount of political capital to the 43-year-old pioneer. When the town held early elections for the position of supervisor, he was selected by his neighbors to the post. He operated the first post office at the location then known as “Farwell’s Mills,” which his sons later assisted in delivering mail to Byron Center by horseback when the stagecoaches operated between Rochester and Buffalo. He was later selected as a judge in the court of common pleas and from that point on was known locally as Judge Farwell.

When William Morgan disappeared in 1826, presumed to have been kidnapped and murdered by Masons, a series of trials took place in Orleans County involving local men accused of participating in the conspiracy. Elihu Mather, brother of Gaines pioneer James Mather, was accused of driving the carriage carrying Morgan through Orleans County. The exhaustive process of selecting unbiased jurors resulted in Judge Farwell’s participation in the defense’s challenge of Stephen Martin as a potential juror. According to Farwell, Martin had expressed an opinion of guilt, telling him explicitly that the masonic institution was corrupt, that Morgan was forcibly carried by carriage along Ridge Road, and that Morgan was most certainly in the carriage driven by Mather. The testimony resulted in Judge Addison Gardiner setting Martin aside as a juror.

The site on which this marker sits was donated to the Clarendon Grange in 1940 by Morris Brackett, Chief Game Protector of the NYS Conservation Department and a descendant of Farwell.

Erratum: Volume 4, Issue 2 noted that B. T. Roberts was removed from the pulpit of the Methodist Church in Albion – Roberts was living in Albion and relocated to Pekin, NY, but did not serve as pastor of the Albion Methodist Church. A huge thank you to Pastor Randy LeBaron for the correction!

Provided photo: Food service students include, from left: Alexzandra Sciegel (Medina), Joseph Gates (Medina), Franco Eaton (Lockport), George Dueno (Lockport), Shamaria Howard (Medina), Jarrett Mason (Lockport), Shaniece Bailey (Lockport), Josh Woods (Lockport), Angel Gotay (Lockport) and teacher Jessica Kronenberg.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Students in Jessica Kroneberg’s VIP Food Service Program recently put their culinary talents to a great use by helping to prepare a thank you lunch for first responders and military personnel.

The Orleans Career and Technical Education students made some side salads and desserts for military and first responder representatives who participated in a First Responders/Military Career Day at the center.  The students showed off their skills with a salad displayed like the American flag and red, white and blue fruit kabobs.

The representatives said they appreciated the students’ hard work.