Photo courtesy of Medina Fire Department: Medina firefighters helped bring a male ashore who was stranded on a small island on the Oak Orchard Creek this morning.
MEDINA – Today at 9:46 a.m., the Village of Medina Fire Department was dispatched to Butts Park for a male stranded on a small island in the middle of Oak Orchard Creek.
Medina Police arrived on scene prior to the Fire Department and they kept the male calm. Medina Engine 11 and a Medina ambulance arrived on scene within three minutes with rescuers already suited up in surface ice/cold water rescue suits.
Due to extremely cold temperatures and a fast current, the Shelby and Ridgeway Fire Departments were dispatched to the scene for manpower and cold water rescue gear.
Under the command of Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson, following all safety precautions, including safety lines, two rescuers entered the water. Upon reaching the island, a rescue ring was firmly secured around the patient’s chest.
After a few minutes of calming and reassuring the patient, the rescuers and patient were pulled safely to shore 25 minutes after the time of dispatch. Subsequently, the patient was transported to a hospital to be treated for probable hypothermia.
Thanks to our dispatchers, Medina Police, and the Shelby and Ridgeway Fire Departments for all their assistance this morning.
This emergency reminds us that frigid water is unsafe water. A person falling into frigid water can be quickly incapacitated by the effects of hypothermia and drown.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 January 2025 at 11:16 am
MEDINA – The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce announced the Legislative Luncheon will be Jan. 31 and will be held for the first time at the Bent’s Opera House at 444 Main St., Medina.
The event the past two years was held at the White Birch in Lyndonville, and previously was at the former Tillman’s Village Inn.
The luncheon includes presentations from county and state officials, and gives the audience a chance to ask questions.
The luncheon will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $28 for Chamber members and $32 for those who aren’t currently members.
RSVPs are due by Jan. 25 to the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 501 Medina, NY 14103. Or email director@orleanscountychamberofcommerce.com, call (585) 201-8676. Tickets are also available online through Event Brite. Click here for more information.
BUFFALO – Officials and volunteers have launched Appeal 2025 in support of Catholic Charities of Buffalo and the Fund for the Faith, with a goal of raising $8.5 million by June 30.
“While some sectors of our economy are doing well, there are too many on the margins who are struggling, and Catholic Charities continues to see an increasing need for the services that offer them hope for a better tomorrow,” said Daniel Mecca, Appeal 2025 vice chair. “Funds raised during the annual Appeal help to provide hope through a variety of crucial programs and services.”
Catholic Charities assisted more than 147,000 individuals, families, and children across all faiths and throughout all eight counties of Western New York last year.
Editor’s Note: The Appeal 2024 for Catholic Charities raised a total of $8,002,705 in cash and pledges, representing 84% of its $9.5 million goal. The 8-county Diocese includes Orleans County.
The annual Appeal helps fund more than 50 programs and services administered by Catholic Charities along with several ministries through the Fund for the Faith. As Western New York’s most comprehensive human services provider, Catholic Charities’ programs and services include behavioral health services, basic emergency assistance, food pantries, education and workforce training, family safety and stabilization programs, and immigration and refugee assistance.
The Fund for the Faith provides needed funding for programs that support the faith experience across all parish communities, including hospital chaplaincy, and training for ordained and lay ministers, among others.
“For more than 100 years, Catholic Charities has provided support to the most vulnerable in our community,” said Bishop Michael W. Fisher. “Its mission is to serve all, and we need the support of all of us to continue Catholic Charities and Fund for the Faith’s vitally important work.”
This year’s Appeal patron is St. Vincent de Paul. To donate to Appeal 2025, visit ccwny.org/donate or call 716-218-1400. In addition, donors can give by texting HOPE4WNY to 44321 or scanning the QR code found on Appeal materials.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference on Wednesday to share her legislative priorities and goals for the 119th Congress.
Gillibrand was recently named to the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee for the 119th Congress. She will also serve as the ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee and as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
“As we enter a new Congress, I am firstly focused on the economy – delivering funds for infrastructure projects that create and support good-paying jobs; securing federal support for nonprofits and other organizations that help working class New Yorkers; and working across the aisle to make 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave available for every American who needs it,” said Senator Gillibrand.
Gillibrand’s priorities for the 119th Congress include:
Securing federal funding for New York’s roads, bridges, and public transit projects.
Passing the FAMILY Act to make 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave available to everyone who needs it.
Bringing down the cost of prescription drugs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and protecting seniors from financial scams as ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee.
Fighting age discrimination in the workplace by passing the Protecting Older Americans Act, legislation that would invalidate forced arbitration clauses that prevent age discrimination victims from seeking justice and public accountability.
Expanding the Cyber Academy program to help young people get an affordable college education while simultaneously filling critical national security positions in the federal government.
Mandating government transparency and accountability by passing bipartisan legislation to ban members of Congress, the president, vice president, senior executive branch members, and their spouses and dependents from holding or trading stocks.
Continuing to fight for 9/11 first responders and survivors by passing the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act, which would provide permanent and mandatory funding for the World Trade Center Health Program.
“I will fight to expand my Cyber Academy program to help young people afford a college education and secure stable employment,” Gillibrand said. “As ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, I will continue my work to protect Social Security and Medicare and bring down the cost of prescription drugs.
“I also plan to reintroduce my bipartisan legislation to fight age discrimination in the workplace. And finally, as a champion for accountability and transparency in government, I will work to pass legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress, senior executive branch officials, and their spouses and dependents. I look forward to a productive 119th Congress delivering for New Yorkers.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 9 January 2025 at 8:20 am
Vitality Village will have 18 upscale one-bedroom and studio apartments
Photo by Ginny Kropf: The former Applegate Manor at left and medical building at right are being repurposed by new owners, Joe and Jacquie Morgante. Applegate will reopen this summer as upscale one-bedroom and studio apartments, while the other building will house medical professional offices.
MEDINA – A former assisted living complex on Ohio Street is seeing new life, as renovations progress to turn it into high-end apartments.
Applegate Manor closed after Covid-19 in 2020 and was sold to Eric Watson Enterprises, whose intentions were to develop it, until Joe and Jacquie Morgante of Clarence made an offer to buy it.
The Morgantes had already bought The Willows, which they run with her niece Jordan.
“Jacquie and I have been investing in real estate in Niagara, Orleans and Genesee counties for the past five or six years, including The Willows,” Joe said.
The Morgantes purchased Applegate in August 2023, and spent six months planning a design. Relentless Construction of Holley was hired to do the work.
As an assisted living complex, Applegate had 24 rooms. The new space will be called Vitality Village and offer 18 upscale one-bedroom and studio apartments.
Courtesy of Vitality Village: This rendering shows the design for Vitality Village, which is expected to open in July.
The interior has now been gutted down to the studs, Joe said. Each apartment will be named after a Medina landmark, such as the Sandstone Suite, Oak Orchard Retreat and Boxwood Garden Loft.
A separate commercial building next to the residential unit, nearer the street, will be called Vital Village Feel Your Best Center and will house medical offices. Joe hopes to fill it with medical professionals, such as a chiropractor, physical therapist, dentist, etc.
The plan is to open the residence first, hopefully by July, followed by the office complex in September.
“It has been great so far being in business in Medina,” Joe said. “The town has been very supportive, helping us with construction.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2025 at 9:31 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
PEMBROKE – A large American flag is lowered at the Western New York National Cemetery in Pembroke this evening.
The flag is at half-staff in honor of Jimmy carter who passed away at age 100 on Dec. 29.
Thursday is a National day of Mourning for Carter, who was the 39th U.S. president from Jan. 20, 1977 to Jan. 20, 1981. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
There won’t be regular mail delivery on Thursday and all Post Offices will be closed, but there will be limited package delivery from the U.S. Postal Service.
The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq also will close for the day.
Carter will be honored in a state funeral in Washington, D.C. at Washington National Cathedral. The service begins at 10 a.m.
The Western New York National Cemetery opened in November 2020. Wreaths Across America was observed at the cemetery on Dec. 14.
ALFRED – The fall 2024 Dean’s List features 804 Alfred State College students, including several from Orleans County. To be named to the Dean’s List, students had to take a minimum of 12 credit hours of course work and earn a minimum 3.5 grade point average (GPA) out of a possible 4.0.
For the most recent semester, 142 of the students on the Dean’s List achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA. Students represented five different countries, 15 different states, and 57 different New York counties.
The following students from Orleans County were named to the 2024 fall dean’s list:
Julia Buck: Holley graduate, Financial Planning
Lorelei Dillenbeck: Lyndonville graduate, Diagnostic Medical Sonography
James Salvatore: Albion graduate, Motorsports Technology
Jacob Wilson: Lyndonville graduate, Elec Cons & Maintenance Electrician
“I am proud of the hard work that our students consistently display in the classroom and labs,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Carrie Cokely, PhD. “Congratulations on this accomplishment and I encourage you to continue to strive for academic excellence.”
Other college and university achievers include:
Lillian Wilson of Medina named a Presidential Scholar at Clarkson
POTSDAM – Lillian Wilson of Medina who has been named a Presidential Scholar at Clarkson University in Potsdam.
Wilson is a sophomore majoring in biology. Presidential Scholars must achieve a minimum 3.80 grade-point average and carry at least 14 credit hours.
Carola Boza-Meade of Holley earns Dean’s List honors at SUNY Canton
CANTON – Carola T. Boza-Meade, a SUNY Canton Forensic Criminology major from Holley, earned Dean’s List honors during the fall 2024 semester.
Dean’s List recognizes full-time students who earned a GPA between 3.25 and 3.74.
ALBION – The Orleans County Department of Social Services’ Safe Harbour Program is holding a poster contest for students in grades 7-12 to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking. The theme is “Spot the Signs – Stop the Traffick.”
Posters must be 8.5 by 11 inches and should include red flags, vulnerabilities, warning signs and myths about sex trafficking. Submissions are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 15 and must be brought or mailed to Orleans County DSS, 14016 Rt 31 W, Albion, NY 14411, attention Heather Jackson.
The first prize winner will receive a VR Headset; second prize is a bin full of multiple items; and third prize is a pair of Beats Solo 4 headphones.
The Safe Harbour program is designed to be a safe place for young people between 12-18 years of age. In addition to providing education and awareness, Safe Harbour provides lessons in life skills to promote a strong foundation to help children launch into their future.
For more information on the poster contest or the Safe Harbour program, please contact Heather Jackson at 585-589-2837 or email heather.jackson@orleanscountyny.gov.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2025 at 10:04 am
LYNDONVILLE – Emily Cebula started a new chapter in her life in 2008 when she was hired as director of the Yates Community Library.
Cebula, a Bergen native, had recently moved to Lyndonville. She liked the small town atmosphere and felt providence with the position opening up.
“It was a God-given thing to have this job and a home,” Cebula said.
She was eager to commit long-term to a community. Her late husband Jacob Cebula was in the U.S. Forest Service and worked in more than a dozen states. He was 51 when he passed away 21 years ago.
Emily and Jacob both grew up in Bergen. Their goal was to return and close to their hometown.
“We both loved this area beyond anything else,” Cebula said. “It was our dream to come back to this area.”
After earning her master’s in library science from Geneseo State College, Emily started her career 40 years ago when she was hired as the first director of the Gillam Grant Community Center Library in Bergen. She set up the library with its first 10,000 books.
During her husband’s career, Cebula would work at a library in Missouri and as a teacher’s assistant in North Carolina. The job at Yates Community Library was a chance to lead a library again.
“She has been wonderful,” said Ginny Hughes, a board member for the library. “She really embraced the community when she moved here. She is a valuable person in the community.”
File photo: Emily Cebula, director of Yates Community Library, reads a story to first-graders after they saw a story walk in October 2019.
Cebula is the lone full-time employee at the library with four part-timers. The library has an annual circulation of about 12,000 books and other items.
Hughes often drives by the library and Cebula’s car is parked there early and late.
“She is a very sweet person who has the library and reading in her heart,” Hughes said. “She has tried to help every reader.”
Cebula organizes many of the library programs, an outdoor concert series, book club and other projects.
“The more programs we have, the more ways we can get people in the library,” Hughes said.
Cebula is retiring. There will be a reception at the library in her honor from 4 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 21.
Yates Community Library has hired Chrissy Carney as the new director. Carney worked for the Nioga Library System helping the member libraries develop and run programs, especially the smaller libraries in the three-county system. She worked as an assistant for Nioga with youth services.
“She knows the Nioga administrators and member libraries’ staff,” Cebula said.
Serving as director of a library is like running a small business, Cebula said, managing employees, planning programs, meeting customer needs and operating on a lean budget.
“We do everything the bigger libraries do but we do it with a smaller staff and less money,” Cebula said.
Provided photos: Jeff Gifaldi has retired from his role as administrative chief deputy at the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office extends its heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Administrative Chief Deputy Jeffrey A. Gifaldi on his well-deserved retirement.
Chief Deputy Gifaldi has had a remarkable and dedicated career in law enforcement, beginning with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office. He then served with the Albion Police Department before returning to the Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff. His hard work and professionalism earned him a promotion to Investigator.
In 2020, Chief Deputy Gifaldi was promoted by Sheriff Christopher Bourke to Chief Deputy and subsequently Undersheriff, a role he retired from.
However, his commitment to public service and this community, Sheriff Christopher Bourke brought him back to the Sheriff’s Office to serve as Administrative Chief Deputy, where he has continued to provide exceptional leadership.
We are grateful for Chief Deputy Gifaldi’s many contributions to the safety and well-being of Orleans County. His dedication, expertise and service have left a lasting impact on the agency and the community.
Please join Sheriff Christopher M. Bourke and the men and women of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office in thanking Chief Deputy Gifaldi for his outstanding service and wishing him all the best in this next chapter of his life. Enjoy your retirement, Chief Deputy—you’ve earned it!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2025 at 8:35 am
Photos courtesy of Secretary of State’s Office
MEDINA – Mayor Margurite Sherman gives a tour of the downtown on Tuesday to Walter Mosley, New York’s secretary of state.
Mosley was in Medina to give a presentation on Kathy Hochul’s “Affordability Agenda” which will be detailed by the governor on Tuesday during the State of State address in Albany.
(Left) Mayor Marguerite Sherman gives Walter Mosley, the secretary of state, a tour of Medina on a frigid Tuesday with temperatures in the low 20s. (Right) Before the tour, Sherman welcomed Mosley to City Hall for his presentation.
The secretary of state toured the village to see how a $4.5 million NY Forward grant will be spent. The program is overseen by the Secretary of State.
The state in May 2024 approved divvying up the $4.5 million for eight projects in Medina.
The projects include:
Transform Canal Basin Park into a Waterfront Gateway – $1,345,000. The parking lot along the Erie Canal will be turned into a “waterfront gateway” complete with green space, seating areas and boater/cyclist amenities.
Expand the Canal Village Farmer’s Market – $675,000. Upgrade the Canal Village Farmer’s market campus by modernizing the existing building, constructing a pole barn for additional vendor space and beautifying the site with green space.
Redevelop the Walsh Hotel – $560,000. Convert the upper floors of the former Walsh Hotel into studio and one-bedroom apartments.
Upgrade the Hart House Hotel – $500,000. Upgrade the Hart House Hotel with new amenities including an enhanced outdoor courtyard space, a gourmet gastropub, a hotel guest lounge, a new front porch and an improved facade.
Develop Arenite Brewing Company on the Canal – $500,000. Create a microbrewery with tasting room and outdoor seating overlooking the canal, complete with a rooftop solar installation.
Rehabilitate the Upper Floor Apartments at 409-413 Main Street – $370,000. Renovate the second floor into a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.
Establish a Downtown Small Project Grant Fund – $300,000. Create a pool of funding to support business and property owners with smaller-scale projects like facade improvements, window replacement and other repairs.
Install Downtown Wayfinding Signage – $250,000. Implement a system of directional, informational, and interpretive signage to direct visitors to key locations and destinations throughout downtown.
Mayor Marguerite Sherman introduces Water Mosley, the secretary of state, before his presentation at City hall. He highlighted Hochul’s “Affordability Agenda.” Hochul seeks supplemental payments, tax relief and rebates for homeowners, tuition assistance for students, heating and cooling assistance for seniors as well as expanded access to child care assistance and paid leave for families and pregnant women.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) introduced the Red Light Act to withhold federal transportation funding from states that enact laws to provide driver’s licenses or identification cards to illegal immigrants in the United States.
This bill directs the Department of Transportation to withhold a state’s entire share of specific federal highway funds—namely, those allocated for the National Highway Performance Program, the Highway Safety Improvement Program, and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program—if the state enacts legislation allowing the issuance of driver’s licenses or other identification cards to individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States.
In 2019, New York’s Green Light Law took effect, allowing anyone over the age of 16, including illegal immigrants, to obtain a New York State driver’s license. The license also serves as a legal form of photo identification. In just the first month after New York’s Green Light law took effect, more than 50,000 illegal immigrants received a New York State driver’s license.
“Our nation is grappling with an unprecedented migrant crisis, yet some states, like New York, are incentivizing and rewarding criminals with driver’s licenses and identification cards. In New York, the Green Light Law has given licenses to illegal immigrants, allowing these dangerous individuals to roam freely in our country, brutally attacking, raping, and murdering members of our community,” Tenney said. “In addition, this law also restricts law enforcement from accessing DMV records, preventing the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws. This legislation ensures states that refuse to comply with our nation’s immigration policies are not rewarded with federal funding.”
Organization has ‘Code Blue’ sites in Albion and Brockport
Press Release, Oak Orchard Health
WARSAW—Building on the success of the Orleans County Warming Center and the Brockport Community Warming Center, Oak Orchard Health has continued to work with its Wyoming County community partners to open a new warming center in Warsaw with today the first day for the center.
This community collaboration addresses the needs of people without housing when the temperature is below 32 degrees (“Code Blue”).
The new Wyoming County Community Warming Center is at Clarity Warsaw Clinic, 43 Duncan St. If an individual needs evening shelter during Code Blue, they can call
(585) 340-1355, and they will have a warm place to stay. They will also be referred to the county and local non-profits for additional services, ensuring a comprehensive approach to their well-being.
The new Wyoming County Community Warming Center in Warsaw offers an alternate, safe, warm place with snacks and toiletries and a connection to our community partners and services. Many local partners, including the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office, will continue to provide a warm place during Code Blue. Other partners are providing community resources like warm hats, blankets, backpacks and other bare necessities for those who live outside in the inclement weather.
“We could not have made the Wyoming County Community Warming Center a reality without the support of our community partners and funding from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation. We are so grateful for their grant and all the volunteers who made this a reality. Oak Orchard will be responsible for staffing and coordinating the opening of this community resource in the region,” said Karen Kinter, CEO, Oak Orchard Health.
In 2023, Oak Orchard successfully opened the Orleans County Warming Center, serving 63 people who used the site on the 110 code blue days. New York State mandates that if the weather drops below 32 degrees, it’s considered “Code Blue,” and the community must provide shelter.
There will be a ribbon-cutting celebration for the Warsaw site at 3 p.m. on Jan. 17.
“The Oak Orchard Health Warming Center is a powerful example of a community-driven initiative demonstrating the strength of collaboration between nonprofits, community members, local businesses and government,” said Monica Brown, senior program officer for Greater Rochester Health Foundation. “In rural areas like Wyoming County, where access to critical resources can be limited and inequities in healthcare and housing are prevalent, this project represents a critical support during an extreme time of need.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 January 2025 at 12:35 pm
MIDDLEPORT – The final Mass at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Bishop Michael Fisher of the Diocese of Buffalo announced in September that St. Stephen’s would close as part of a restructuring of churches in the 8-county Diocese. The Diocese is closing some churches due to a declining number of priests and attendance.
St. Stephen’s is part of ONE Catholic that includes churches in eastern Niagara and Orleans counties. The bishop also announced St. Mark’s in Kendall would close but a final Mass date hasn’t been announced for St. Mark’s.
St. Joseph’s in Lyndonville also is in ONE Catholic but that church was badly damaged in a fire on Feb. 28, 2023 and later razed. Barker’s church also is in ONE catholic but that one will be aligned with a family of churches closer to Lockport.
ONE Catholic welcomes Catholics in the ONE Catholic family to attend the 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Stephen’s, 21 Vernon St. A donut social will follow at the St. Stephen’s Rectory following the Mass.
The following Sunday on Jan. 19 the 8:30 a.m. Mass will move to St. Mary’s in Medina. ONE Catholic said the music crew from St. Stephen’s will continue to provide music at St. Mary’s, and others from St. Stephen’s will be lectors, eucharistic ministers, greeters and ushers at St. Mary’s.
The St. Rocco’s Festival team from St. Mary’s in Holley and St. Mark’s in Kendall will host a breakfast at Holy Trinity in Medina to welcome the parishioners from St. Stephen’s to St. Mary’s.
ALBION – The Orleans County Department of Social Services’ Safe Harbour Program is holding a poster contest for students in grades 7-12 to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking. The theme is “Spot the Signs – Stop the Traffick.”
