By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 January 2025 at 11:14 am
MURRAY – Joe Fuller, an Albion town justice, is filling in as a judge for Murray.
Ted Spada’s term expired on Dec. 31 and Gary Passarell recently stepped down.
Fuller has changed the court schedule in Murray to the second and fourth Wednesdays at 5 p.m.
The court was meeting each Monday evening with district attorney nights on Wednesdays. With Fuller presiding, the sessions will include DA nights. All court cases are adjourned until Jan. 22. Anyone scheduled before Jan. 22 will receive a letter from the Murray Town Court advising them of their next court date.
Anyone with questions can call the Town Court at (585) 638-6570, ext. 7.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 7 January 2025 at 7:12 am
The start of the new year is one of the most challenging times to collect blood products, as the threat of severe winter weather builds and can often lead to widespread blood drive cancellations, said Meg Rossman, spokesperson for Red Cross of WNY.
Additionally, an active cold and flu season may prevent people from keeping their donation appointments as they rest and recover from illness.
During National Blood Donor Month, the Red Cross celebrates those who generously roll up a sleeve to help save lives and urges those who are feeling well to make and keep donation appointments.
In Orleans County blood donor dates are Jan. 17 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Lyndonville Presbyterian Church, 107 North Main St.; Jan. 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Orleans County YMCA, 306 Pearl St., Medina; and Jan. 21 from 12:30 to 7 p.m. at Albion Elks Lodge, 428 West State St.
In an attempt to ensure a strong blood supply during cold winter months, the American Red Cross is again promoting the donation of blood by offering free tickets to the Super Bowl.
This is the sixth year the Red Cross and National Football League have partnered in January for National Blood Donor Month by inviting football fans and blood donors to join their lifesaving team and score big for patients in need, Rossman said.
Type O negative blood donors and those giving platelets are especially urged to give now to keep critical blood products on the shelves for patients in need.
As a special thank you to donors for helping to address the need for blood during this critical post-holiday time, those who donate blood through Jan. 26 will be automatically entered for a chance to win an exciting Super Bowl LIX giveaway.
The trip includes access to day-of, in-stadium pre-game activities, tickets to the official Super Bowl experience, round-trip air fare, three nights hotel accommodations (Feb. 7-10) and a $1,000 gift card for expenses. For complete details, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.
To book a time to donate, visit the Red Cross website, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 January 2025 at 10:08 pm
Orleans Hub each year highlights outstanding citizens from the previous year who made notable contributions to the community.
We are happy to shine a light on people who put their time, talent and resources into bettering Orleans County.
We are fortunate that so many look ways to help their neighbors, promote the community and preserve important local sites.
Here are some people who stood out in 2024:
Volunteer brought tenacity in getting new basketball courts in Medina
Photos by Tom Rivers: Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman is joined by many kids and local officials on May 30 for a ribbon cutting at Butts Park for two new basketball courts.
Two full-size basketball courts went in Butts Park in 2024, with a ribbon-cutting on May 30. A Medina teacher and coach worked hard on the effort for four years, contacting contractors for bids, helping to secure funding and donations towards the project.
Melissa Valley
Melissa Valley said the outdoor courts have been long overdue. She has been thrilled going by the courts this summer and fall, seeing so many people playing on the courts that have a vibrant red and blue color for the Medina Mustangs.
“It makes me so happy when I drive by and see people out there,” Valley said recently.
She pushed the idea and people rallied, including the Medina Village Board and Shelby Town Board, which both approved a portion of their ARPA funds (American Rescue Plan Act) from the federal government. Medina allotted $110,000 in ARPA, while Shelby gave $10,000.
Valley also secured a $3,332 donation from the Medina Sports Boosters and contacted Shelby Crushed Stone owner Tom Biamonte, who donated 800 tons of stone valued at $9,000 towards the courts.
Valley worked on the project for four years. When restrictions lifted during the Covid-19 pandemic, she knew people wanted to get out and be with friends. Basketball courts would have been a great way to be active and have fun with friends, but Medina didn’t have any community courts.
Valley made it a mission to get them, contacting contractors to get bids for site work, seal the courts, and four adjustable backboards and hoops.
“People wanted the new courts,” Valley said. “It wasn’t just a one-man show. It was the community that got this done.”
Tattoo artist builds thriving business while backing toy drive, fundraiser for stray cats
Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo, celebrated the opening of Canalside’s new location on Aug. 18, which was also Canalside’s annual “Caturday” fundraiser for the Cat by Cat, Inc. organization in Medina.
Canalside had 13 tattoo artists and other body piercers, as well as 150 gift baskets as part of the fundraiser that raised about $24,000. That is up from $18,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2022. The Medina “Cat by Cat” team cares for about 150 cats a year. Feral or community cats remains in “overwhelming” problem in Medina and Orleans County.
Ramsey last summer moved Canalside from Main Street to 627 West Ave. The business has steadily grown since he opened in 2015 in a small storefront on East Center Street. In 2017, he moved to Main Street at the former Curvin’s News, tripling his space from the first location. He then expanded next door on Main Street in 2020, giving him 3,500 square feet.
Last year he moved to the former AJ’s Play Date. Ramsey turned the site into the “Fantasy Factory” giving tattoo artists their own partitioned space, providing more privacy.
Ramsey also has hosted a toy drive during Medina’s Parade of Lights. The new Canalside site again was a popular place for people to give toys that were then distributed to children by Community Action and the Medina Area Association of Churches.
Ramsey and his staff bring a good vibe to Medina and show time and again their big hearts.
Social media star uses platform to help family that suffered heartbreak
Diane Shiffer has an enormous following on social media as “YourChubbyVintageNana.”
In an era when many go on to social media to complain, bully and belittle, Diane Shiffer has built a massive following for her kindness.
Shiffer may have the largest platform or megaphone in Orleans County. She has more than 1 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok. She uses the hashtag: “YourChubbyVintageNana.” She shares videos about fashion from a bygone era and her life at home in Albion, often sipping coffee and watering her plants. She tries to make her huge crowd of followers feel loved.
Shiffer, back in early May, did something out of the norm. She asked her social media followers to donate to a family in Medina that suffered a tragic loss. Those followers responded in a big way, donating $100,000 to a Medina family that suffered heartbreak.
Shiffer, a retired teacher, has a close friendship with Kelsey Dreisbach, who helps care for Shiffer’s daughter who has Down syndrome and often takes her on fun activities. Dreisbach and her husband John have two children. They were pregnant with a third child, but Kelsey had a miscarriage and then was hospitalized with septicemia.
Kelsey Dreisbach said the outpouring of support were very uplifting during such a difficult time.
“The money has literally changed our lives and allowed us to remove financial worries from the equation for the first time ever,” she told the Orleans Hub on May 8. “And the comments and messages from people all over the world have helped me heal more than I would have ever expected – so many people have made it very clear that we are not alone.”
Holley library director expanded children’s programming, embraced public art and outreach to veterans
Sandra Shaw is shown inside the children’s library at Community Free Library on Sept. 7. During her tenure as library director, the library doubled in size with dedicated space for children.
Sandra Shaw in her 16 years as director of Community Free Library in Holley expanded programming and outreach to the community, and embraced public art with two large-scale murals on the back of the building, embracing Holley’s canal and agricultural heritage.
Shaw retired on Oct. 17 after 19 years as director. She was back at the library on Nov. 11 for another one of her missions: leading the community in writing Christmas cards to local veterans. That effort usually results in 500 cards with hand-written messages for veterans in the community, including those in nursing homes.
Shaw was a regular at local municipal board meetings, updating village and town officials about the library and its programs.
She led the library in acquiring a former video store next door where the library expanded in 2008 and dedicated that space for children’s programs and materials.
Shaw secured grants from the state to replace the roof, air-conditioning and furnaces. She wanted the library accessible and comfortable for community members.
During the Covid-19 pandemic when the library was closed to the public, Shaw and the library staff took requests from residents for books, and then had the books ready in the lobby for pickup.
Sandra Shaw congratulates Arthur Barnes on Sept.7 for the completion of his mural on the back of the library. The huge painting celebrates Holley’s agricultural roots. Tony Barry painted the other mural in 2023 with a canal theme.
Holley student working at Subway springs into action, performs CPR
Provided photo: Leigha Walker is shown at the Brockport Subway. She started working there in February 2024. On June 9 she did CPR on a man who was unconscious after crashing into a support beam in front of the Subway.
Leigha Walker knows how to take charge of a situation. She has been catcher for Holley’s softball teams, a key member on the Sectional winning soccer team in 2023 and a horseback rider.
On June 9, she showed her ability to quickly size up a situation and spring into action. She was working the morning shift at the Brockport Subway. A man was driving a vehicle when he had a heart attack and became unconscious. He crashed into a pole outside the Subway where Leigha was working.
She heard the crash and immediately called 911 at about 10 a.m. Leigha grabbed a wooden rod so a bystander could break the passenger window of the pickup truck and then unlock the vehicle.
Leigha and co-worker got the man out of the truck and onto the ground. Leigha checked his vital signs. When the Brockport Fire District ambulance pulled up, a medic urged someone to start CPR.
Leigha did more than 30 compressions to keep the man’s blood moving. Then the Brockport ambulance personnel used an AED to get the man’s heart restarted. He was then transported by ambulance to a hospital.
The man, Jack Brennan, is doing well today. He is a longtime softball umpire and called balls and strikes at some of Holley’s games, with Leigha inches away as the catcher.
Leigha said she is thankful the school district offered a class where she learned CPR. That class is taught by her soccer coach, Renee Wolf. Leigha has since graduated from Holley and now plays soccer for Morrisville State College. Her quick response made a life-saving difference for Brennan.
Medina teacher and historian pushes preservation efforts at Boxwood Cemetery
Photo by Tom Rivers: Todd Bensley, center right, shows Dave and Gail Miller, the restored stained-glass window in the chapel at Boxwood Cemetery on May 18. The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery rededicated the window and invited the community to see a cleaned up chapel. Bensley has written two books about the cemetery and donated the proceeds to Boxwood.
Todd Bensley is busy working full-time as a teacher in Medina and part-time as the village historian. In recent years he has made time to promote and preserve Boxwood Cemetery.
He was able to get the cemetery on North Gravel Road listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He has written two books about the historic cemetery and donated proceeds to improvements at Boxwood.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Todd Bensley is shown during a book-signing in April when his second book about Boxwood became available.
He is also part of an active group, Friends of Boxwood, that hosts a popular fundraiser, Boxwood at Night, where people can tour the cemetery at night and see lighting displays, guides portraying famous residents and some that may be overlooked, including people in a potter’s field. The Boxwood event gives a new and existing twist to a cemetery tour.
Bensley has connected students to projects at the cemetery, including gravestone cleaning, branch trimming and other tasks.
Bensley and the Friends of Boxwood completed a major milestone project at the cemetery this past year when a stained-glass window of an angel in the chapel was restored.
The volunteers raised $6,500 to have Valerie O’Hara from Pike Stained Glass Studio in Rochester repair the window. O’Hara took apart the bottom half of the window and rebuilt the artwork that is more than a century old.
The Friends of Boxwood also cleaned out the chapel, painted the interior, and put in new doors on the inside leading to the room where bodies were stored in the winter.
“We’re trying to bring it back to life,” Bensley said during the May 18 open house at the chapel. “The more people we get in here, the more people who will want to support the cemetery.”
Bensley has helped bring renewed pride and appreciation for the historic site.
He has long been an energetic participant in many community events and activities. He has coached T-ball and powder puff, served as president of the Medina Historical Society, and was a board member of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, Village Board, and Medina Planning Board.
Medina woman helps make Christmas a reality for 200-plus children
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Sherry Tuohey-Sipple, the leader of the MAAC Christmas Barrel program the past seven years, is shown in early November with 40 barrels to be distributed into the community. Local businesses, churches and organizations host the barrels that are filled with donations of toys, hats, mittens, canned goods and gifts.
Sherry Tuohey-Sipple works all year to make Christmas a reality for more than 200 children in the Medina area.
The past seven years she has headed the MAAC Christmas Barrel program, where 40 barrels are set up at local businesses, churches and organizations for people to leave toys, gifts, canned food and other donations.
Tuohey-Sipple leads a team of volunteers that sort those donations, and go hunting in stores for more. Tuohey-Sipple keeps a close eye on bargains throughout the year for the holiday event.
“It requires a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work,” she said. “I want to be there for the community and help the community. There are so many families that are less unfortunate.”
The toys, mittens, hats and gifts are sorted by volunteers who organize them for kids by gender and age groups. Besides the 200-plus children, there are about 150 adults who receive food and a gift, often a crocheted blanket.
Many of the locations have hosted a barrel for years. But Tuohey-Sipple said some businesses and organizations close or relocate, so each year she typically finds two or three new spots for barrels.
She appreciates the community’s generosity in giving the gifts and donations, and a team of 25 to 35 volunteers who put in so much time, especially sorting out toys.
Canalside Tattoo Company also has been a big plus with its toy drive, and Medina firefighters for more than 50 years have delivered the barrels out in the community, picked them up and then distributed the toys and gifts to families in Medina.
Tuohey-Sipple has been the guiding hand behind it the past seven years, staying in contact with volunteers and others who help with a the mighty effort each year.
Retired teacher continues to welcome Holley first-graders to farm
Lynn Vendetti shows the students a pumpkin that was hit by hail by hail on Aug. 11, causing some scarring.
Photos by Tom Rivers
Lynn Vendetti leads a group of Holley first-graders in picking pumpkins on Oct. 4 at Vendetti Farms.
Vendetti, a retired Holley teacher since 2017, and her family have welcomed first-graders at the farm since 2008. About 60 students get to pick out a pumpkin to take home.
The students also meet farm animals, can see big tractors and farm machinery up close, and enjoy a hay ride. The kids play a variety of games with pumpkins including pumpkin bowling, tic tac toe, ring toss and pumpkin stacking.
Vendetti wants to help the students and teachers with their curriculum of learning about the fall, and also give them a memorable day out.
She and her family are generous to students, and explain what they are seeing on the farm, which is a four-generation operation with crops grown on about 2,500 acres. It is an exciting day for the kids, who are delighted to pick out a pumpkin, pet a goat and walk through vines and dirt.
Vendetti Farms was started by Anthony Vendetti, who was followed by Albert, then Lynn’s husband Bob, and their sons, Bobby, Ryan and Andrew.
Lynn Vendetti also has coordinated the Girls on the Run program at Holley Central School, which encourages girls to be more physically active before they move up to junior-senior high school. She also serves on the board for the United Way in Orleans County.
Citizen tries to bring change with update of ordinances for backyard chickens
These inflatables of chickens were part of a Fourth of July float in Lyndonville’s big parade.
We don’t see to many citizen-led movements to change local laws these days, outside of people posting a comment or diatribe on social media.
But Kate Hardner of Lyndonville attended numerous local government meetings, pressed her cause in a float, shared pamphlets from a booth at the county fair, distributed yard signs, wrote a letter to the editor and looked up other municipal laws.
Provided photo: Kate Hardner of Lyndonville led an effort to have local villages update their ordinance to allow backyard chickens.
Her mission: to have backyard chickens in the four Orleans County villages. Hardner would like a small flock, up to six chickens, and no roosters. The chickens owners would have to keep the coops clean.
Lyndonville and Medina would discuss the issue at multiple meetings, and Lyndonville’s Planning Board presented a suggested ordinance to the Village Board to consider. But both Lyndonville and Medina ultimately didn’t pass updated ordinances.
Hardner deserves credit for bringing an issue to public debate, and doing it in a respectful way that engaged the community.
She didn’t get what she wanted, but she showed how citizens can try to bring about change.
Hardner and supporters of “For Cluck’s Sake” say a small group of chickens are not livestock, and they provide nutritional and mental health benefits for families.
Hardner had chickens on her Lyndonville property for seven years with no neighbor complaints until being told to remove them by the village code enforcement officer. Her family initially had them for her daughter’s 4-H project but saw chickens as a sustainable food source for the family, especially during Covid with food supply shortages and in times of fluctuating egg prices.
“Orleans County, with its strong agricultural history, is woefully behind the times in its viewpoint of backyard chicken keeping,” she said. “At this time in our lives, it is easier to own chickens in the suburbs and in the city then it is out here in rural America.”
Dog trainer guides incarcerated women in working with dogs, making the canines more family-friendly for adoptions
Provided photos: (Left) An incarcerated woman at Albion Correctional Facility is pictured with Rogan. (Right) Dawn Spencer, the volunteer trainer, is shown with Rogan and Aries. Two dogs went through 12 weeks of obedience training led by Spencer.
Dawn Spencer of Kent, a dog trainer with more 25 years of experience, has volunteered her time in recent years, working with incarcerated women in Orleans County to train dogs.
The dogs learn obedience training and become more family-friendly to be adopted from PAWS Animal Shelter. Spencer goes to the prison once a week and instructs the incarcerated women on the 10 skills the dogs must master through the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program. She did two 12-week programs the past year at the Albion Correctional Facility.
The incarcerated people find joy and acceptance in working with the canines. Prison officials say the dogs’ presence provides an uplifting element to the prisons.
Spencer runs Eye of Oden K9 Training. She has led about 20 dogs through the program at Albion Correctional, making them better pets for their new homes.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Dawn Spencer of the Eye of Oden tosses glitter into the air on Main Street during the Strawberry Festival Parade on June 8. Spencer and about a dozen people from Eye of Oden walked with dogs in the parade. The Eye of Oden participates in many community parades throughout the year, demonstrating the dogs’ obedience skills.
A rocking concert in opera house and a Christmas float in honor of Santa School founder
Lou Gramm gave a high-energy performance on June 23, belting out tunes from Black Sheep, a Rochester band from the 1970s. Michael Bonafede plays drums for the band. He welcomed the group into the Pratt Theater in Albion.
Michael Bonafede has long been a community volunteer and advocate in Albion, serving on the Board of Education for many years, leading the Strawberry Festival, opening his Gaines Basin Road property to youth soccer, and many other efforts.
In 2024, he pulled off two major victories for the community: Hall of Fame rocker Lou Gramm performed to full houses at the Pratt Theater and Bonafede led volunteers in building a signature float in honor of Charles W. Howard for a lighted parade on Dec. 14.
Bonafede was a drummer in Black Sheep, a band with Gramm (then known as Lou Grammatico) before Gramm went on to fame with the band Foreigner.
Bonafede and his wife Judith Koehler own the Pratt Theater with the third floor opera house. They have poured their time, talent and resources into the building the past two decades. One June 23, Gramm took the stage to a capacity crowd of 300 people. It was a thrill for the crowd and the Black Sheep band, which played a reunion concert. Bonafede wants to make the stage available for more community events. The Pratt and Day buildings, which the Bonafede family owns, are a bright spot on Main Street, home to several tenants.
Michael Bonafede and a team of volunteer made a float in honor of Charles W. Howard. They worked about a month on the project.
Later in the year, Bonafede wanted to help build on the momentum with Albion’s ties to Charles W. Howard, who ran a Santa School in Albion from 1937 until his death in 1966. Howard remains revered among people who portray Santa.
Albion has been trying to honor Howard’s legacy and create more holiday magic. The committee working on a lighted parade named the event the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade.
Bonafede and group of volunteers wanted a signature float in Howard’s style to cap the parade. They built a 20-by-10 foot deck on a trailer for the float. It had enough room for an 8-piece band on the back of the float with a sleigh for Santa in the middle and the reindeer up front. The reindeer appear to be taking off in flight.
Bonafede and the volunteers did the float in Howard’s style, taking pieces and materials they found and using creativity and a flair.
The float was finished in time to give Santa and a band a ride in the parade on June 14.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 January 2025 at 6:32 pm
Extreme cold has hit Orleans County and Western New York. Today the temperature has hovered around 20 degrees most of the day and will drop to 18 for an overnight low, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
There are no weather advisories in the coming days, but it will be cold. Tuesday will be a high of 23 with an overnight low of 13, followed by a high of 17 on Wednesday with an overnight low of 13.
On Thursday the high is forecast for 21 with an overnight low of 15, followed by 26 on Friday with an overnight low of 19.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) released the below statement following the counting and certification of the electoral vote for the 2024 election.
“Today, Congress counted the electoral votes to officially certify the results of the 2024 election, moving our nation one step closer to installing President Trump back in the White House.
“In November, over 77 million Americans delivered a clear rejection of the past four years. Americans resoundingly cast their votes for President Trump to secure our borders, to cut taxes and overburdensome regulations, to unleash American energy, and for common-sense solutions to the challenges we face.
“It was a great privilege to vote to certify the 2024 Presidential election today and usher in a new chapter of freedom and prosperity for our nation under President Trump’s America First agenda.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 January 2025 at 4:06 pm
Provided photo: Pete Stritzinger (left), president of the Albion Exempts Club, and Mercy Flight EMS BLS Crew Chief David Bertsch are shown on Jan. 1 when the Exempts dropped off a brunch at the Mercy Flight base at 239 South Main St.
ALBION – Mercy Flight has started providing ambulance services for seven Orleans County towns.
The seven towns accepted Mercy Flight’s bid to be the primary ambulance provider for Albion, Barre, Carlton, Gaines, Clarendon, Murray and Kendall. Mercy Flight takes over from Monroe Ambulance which had the contract in 2023 and 2024.
Mercy Flight has two 24/7 BLS ambulances and one 24/7 paramedic fly car. One of the ambulances is posted at the former Fancher-Hulberton-Murray fire hall with the other vehicles at the former COVA base in Albion. Many of the former COVA staff are back working in Orleans with Mercy Flight.
“We’ve got a crew of 5 EMS professionals dedicated to central and eastern Orleans around the clock,” said Scott Wooton, vice president and treasurer for Mercy Flight.
Mercy Flight has 20 “full-time equivalents” working that schedule. With part-timers and vacation coverages, Mercy Flight has about two dozen employees working in Orleans County.
“It’s been quite a busy start, but our employees are very excited to be back,” Wooton said.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) is pleased to announce his outreach office hours for January.
Hawley strongly believes that offering his constituents an opportunity to discuss different issues, concerns or ideas with him is one of his top priorities as he values what residents have to say. These mobile office hours are designed to make it convenient for people to engage with Hawley and staff no matter where they are.
“Staying connected with my community is one of the most important things to me as an assemblyman,” Hawley said. “My mobile office hours are a huge part of making my staff and I accessible to my constituents, and I look forward to hearing what they have to say directly.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 January 2025 at 10:20 am
‘We really wanted to give Medina a special Christmas’
Photo by Tom Rivers: Two 12-foot-high nutcrackers stand in front of the lighted arch entrance to the Harvest Restaurant at Bent’s Opera House.
MEDINA – Bent’s Opera House has added a new element to the building’s transformation. The site reopened in June 2021 following a major renovation over three years that earned Bent’s the top preservation award in New York State.
Roger and Heather Hungerford, the owners of Bent’s, wanted to add to Medina’s holiday charm and this season decorated the historic building from 1865 with lights, wreaths, garland, a giant red bow, a vintage Santa and angel, two 12-foot-nutctackers and a large ornament where people can sit for photos.
Photo by Everett Pelkey: Roger and Heather Hungerford and their daughter Isabella are shown with the big Christmas ornament next to Bent’s Opera House on West Center Street.
Most of the decorations were out in time for Medina’s Parade of Lights. But the Hungerfords and their staff and friends have kept adding to the display in December. Mrs. Hungerford is the site’s general manager.
The goal is to make the downtown area even more magical during the holiday season for local residents and to bring in more visitors, said Justin Bruce, the assistant general manager at Bent’s.
“Finding both vintage and new holiday decor that would only enhance the beauty of an already stunning piece of historic restoration,” Bruce said. “The goal of this project has always been to bring outsiders to Medina. And we really wanted to give Medina a special Christmas as well.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: A crowd mingles near the intersection of Center and Main streets with Bent’s Opera House in the background just before the Parade of Lights on Nov. 30.
Kathy Blackburn, a long-time Medina business leader, helped with some of the interior lighting and a display of poinsettias. She said the decked out Bent’s has been a marvel this holiday season, with many stopping by the ornament for photos.
“It has made an impact and is continuing to make an impact,” she said.
Bent’s just announced a contest for people to get photos of their pets in the ornament.
The display will stay out for as long as the village keeps up the Main Street decorations.
Justin Bruce, assistant general manager at Bent’s, stands in a courtyard with an archway of lights and a vintage Santa.
Many of the employees at Bent’s and Talis Historic Restoration worked to decorate the three stories of windows with lights. Travis Farnsworth from Talis and Mark Hungerford, the facilities manager, put the wreath and garland at top of the building.
Photo by Everett Pelkey: Bent’s was a popular gathering spot on Main Street before Medina’s big parade on Nov. 30.
File photo: Here is how the Bent’s looked at the start of the ambitious renovation project.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 January 2025 at 8:00 am
Gas prices are down slightly locally, including 2 cents in the past week in Batavia, AAA reported today.
The average price nationally, however, is up 3 cents to $3.06 for a gallon of regular unleaded while the average price in New York is $3.12, the same as a week ago.
In Orleans County, the average price is down 1.4 cents in the past two weeks, from $3.250 on Dec. 23 to $3.236 today.
AAA released this statement this morning: “Unfortunately, gas prices did not fall below the $3 mark in 2024, but 2025 could have better luck as it is typical to see fuel prices drop in January after the holiday travel period ends.
“Gas demand has declined with fewer people fueling up after the peak of holiday road travel, and weak gas demand alongside stable crude oil prices has pushed pump prices slightly lower since last week. If gas demand remains low, drivers will likely continue to see pump prices trickle downward in the coming weeks.”
Here are the average prices for regular unleaded at counties around Western New York:
Orleans, $3.236
Genesee, $3.196
Wyoming, $3.194
Livingston, $3.283
Monroe, $3.191
Niagara, $3.099
Erie, $3.117
Chautauqua, $3.271
Cattaraugus, $3.169
Allegany, $3.245
The average price for diesel nationally is at $3.51 while it’s $3.84 in New York, according to AAA.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 January 2025 at 7:39 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
SHELBY – The Shelby Volunteer Fire Company installs its officers and executive board during a banquet on Saturday at the rec hall. Gary Watts leads the group in taking the oath of office.
The executive board includes Howard Watts, president; Gary Lamar, vice president; Kirk Myhill, treasurer; Michael Saladeen, assistant treasurer; Kali Sturtevant, secretary; Dale Watts, sergeant at arms; Karl Haist Jr., chaplain; Phil Keppler, assistant chaplain; and Andrea Benz, steward.
Trustees include Ron Smith for 3-year term, Bill Luckman for 2-year term, and Nick DiCureia for a one-year term.
The firematic officers include Dave Moden, fire chief; Zachary Petry, deputy chief; Crystal Luckman, assistant chief; Hunter Sturtevant, firematic captain; Rob Schaal, firematic lieutenant; Jenna Simmons, EMS captain; and Donnell Bennett, EMS lieutenant.
The Ladies Auxiliary executive board also was sworn in. The board includes Elaine Watts, president; Patricia Fuller, vice president; Robyn Watts, secretary; Lori Myhill, secretary; Marian Fry, chaplain; Sherry Wheatley, trustee for one-year term; and Mary Herbert, trustee for two-year term.
(Left) Kirk Myhill, left, received the president’s award from Howard Watts. (Right) Fire Chief Dave Moden, left, presented the Chief’s Award to firefighter Bill Luckman.
Moden said Luckman is in the top 10 of responders and helps in lots of ways around the firehall and with training.
“He is here for everything,” Moden said about Luckman. “He is a shining example of a volunteer firefighter.”
Watts said Myhill, the fire company treasurer, served on the committee for the rec hall remodeling. He works on many other projects, and has been successful securing grants for the fire company.
The fire company responded to 243 calls in 2024, and 53 percent were EMS related. Fire Chief Moden said there were 46 fire-related calls.
The top 10 responders by calls include:
Howard Watts, 164
Jason Watts, 90
Bill Luckman, 89
Zach Fike, 77
Alex Benz, 76
Andy Burtwell, 75
Tom Falls, 75
Gary Watts, 75
Gary Lamar, 71
John Rotoli, 71
Shelby Volunteer Fire Company officials presented a “Friend of the Fire Company” award Andy Marciniak for his work in remodeling the rec hall with new paint, dry wall, insulation and windows. From left include Andy Marciniak and the remodeling committee of Gary Lamar, Kirk Myhill and Howard Watts.
(Left) Elaine Watts, president of the Auxiliary, presents her Auxiliary award to Logan Quackenbush for all of his help at events and with cleanup, especially with doing the dishes. (Right) Justin Niederhofer, director of emergency management for Orleans County, served as emcee. He leads the group in the pledge of allegiance.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 January 2025 at 5:05 pm
He is fourth Watts brother to reach 50-year milestone with Shelby
Photos by Tom Rivers: Dale Watts is shown with his family after he received this ceremonial clock in appreciation for his 50 years of service to the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company. He was recognized during a banquet on Saturday that also included the installation of officers for the fire company and Ladies Auxiliary.
SHELBY – The Shelby Volunteer Fire Company honored Dale Watts on Saturday for 50 years of volunteer service to the company. Watts is a past fire chief and long-time officer for the fire company.
For many years he was among the top responders. He had the shortest drive to the fire hall. He worked next door for 37 years as owner of Radiators Plus, doing oil changes, inspections, tire changes, exhaust and other repairs.
Dale is the fourth son of the late Sidney Watts to reach 50 years of service with the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company. Sidney was a charter member of the fire company in 1947. Gary, Howard and Sidney “Buster” Watts all reached 50 years. Another son, Mark, has 48 years in with the milestone anniversary not far away.
Dale Watts, center, is presented a proclamation for his 50 years of service to the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company. It was presented by his brother Howard Watts, left, who is president of the fire company and Dave Moden, right, who is fire chief.
Dale has been a past chief, assistant chief, deputy fire coordinator for the county, first chairman of the pull tabs, advisor of the Explorer Post in the 1980s, assistant chaplain for 15 years, winner of the Chief’s Award for five different years, and Christmas Party chairman for 10 years.
“It became part of my life,” Dale said during an interview at Saturday’s banquet at the Shelby fire hall. “I love the camaraderie and service to the community. I love my firefighting family.”
He appreciates the backing of the other firefighters over the years when he served in leadership positions. He said his customers also were understanding when he left the garage to respond to a call.
Watts received citations and proclamations from the Shelby Town Board, State Sen. Robert Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
Stephanie Thomas speaks during Saturday’s Shelby Volunteer Fire Company banquet, praising her father Dale Watts for his many years of dedication to the fire company in numerous roles.
Watts’ daughter Stephanie Thomas spoke on behalf of his family, including his other daughter Melissa.
“Fifty years of service as a volunteer firefighter,” Thomas said. “Fifty years. That’s not just a number – it’s a half century and my dad has answered the call whenever it came. Whether it was in the middle of the night, the heat of the summer, or freezing cold of winter, he was there – putting others’ needs before his own.”
Watts recently moved to Lyndonville and continues to drive to Shelby for the fire company.
“I can say without a doubt that his commitment to serving others that has shaped the man he is – always there when needed, unwavering and dependable,” his daughter said.
Shelby Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz reads a proclamation commending Dale Watts for his 50 years as an active volunteer firefighter.
Pioneer residents contended with heavy forest, sickness, war and brutal winter cold
By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, Number 1
The remarkable photograph above, taken on June 19th, 1869, shows the hardy pioneers who settled Orleans County.
The records of the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Pioneer Association held at the Orleans County Courthouse in Albion on that date noted that Mr. George P. Hopkins, photograph artist of Albion, invited the members to have a group photo taken. The invitation was accepted, the meeting adjourned until 1:30 in the afternoon to afford time to take the picture and then get dinner.
On April 15, 2025, Orleans County will mark 200 years since its political formation.
As we have seen in previous columns, this area has been inhabited from time immemorial. Following a convoluted series of land transactions, by 1800 what we now refer to as Orleans County was owned by the Holland Land Company (the land west of Transit Road) and by the Pulteney Estate (the land east of Transit Road).
Attracted by the generous terms promised by the Holland Land Company for the purchase of fertile land, young men set forth with high hopes. According to the Pioneer History of Orleans County, the first settlement of white men in Orleans County was made in 1803 in the Town of Carlton by William and James Walsworth who came from Canada. James settled by the mouth of the Oak Orchard Creek, while William settled by the mouth of Johnson’s Creek.
Conditions were vastly different in Orleans County two hundred years ago:
“A dense and heavy forest of hard, huge trees covered the land…Pestilential fevers racked the nerves and prostrated the vigor…War was declared in 1812…then came the memorable cold season of 1816.”
In the aforementioned Pioneer History of Orleans County (PHOC), we are fortunate to have an excellent record – mostly first-hand – of the experiences of the first settlers of this area. Conscious of their achievements and their place in history, these early pioneer settlers formed the Pioneer Association of Orleans County which had its first meeting at the courthouse in Albion on September 10, 1859.
Article VII of their Constitution specified that “It shall be the duty of each member of the association to furnish in a form suitable for preservation, such facts and incidents in his early pioneer life, and in relation to the first settlements of this country, as he may deem of sufficient interest to be preserved.” They wanted to have their stories recognized and indeed their stories are heartfelt, poignant and captivating.
These accounts formed the basis for the book Pioneer History of Orleans County by Arad Thomas, which was published in Albion in 1871, required reading for any person interested in local history, always available from your local library.
These photos show original Pioneer History record books and a title page from one volume.
The records of the Pioneer Association were meticulously maintained in three volumes. One volume contains the meeting Minutes from 1859-1905, the others contain transcriptions of the firsthand accounts submitted by the settlers. These unique volumes were in the possession of the University of Rochester for many years but were acquired by local history collector Tom Taber at a sale. The Orleans County Legislature approved the acquisition of the volumes by the Orleans County Dept. of History in 2021 with funding from the Orleans County Bicentennial Fund.
Much has changed in 200 years, yet 200 years is but a blink in time. Anniversaries cause us to pause and reflect on changes and accomplishments, and hopefully to draw on the experiences of the past to inform the future.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 January 2025 at 8:24 am
Provided photo: Leah Brenner, the new pediatric nurse practitioner at the Albion Walk-in Clinic, has been seeing patients since November.
ALBION – Orleans Community Health continues to increase the services it offers the public, with the announcement of a new staff member at its Albion Walk-in Clinic.
Leah Brenner, a pediatric nurse practitioner, has been seeing patients there since November.
Brenner grew up in Rochester, where she realized at the age of 7 she wanted to be a nurse.
“My sister fell off her bike and lacerated her liver, and when I saw the good care given to her by the nurses, I knew that was what I wanted to do,” Brenner said.
She received her bachelor of science in nursing at Brockport State College, and her master of science as a pediatric nurse practitioner at the University of Rochester. After graduating in 2009 she became a bedside nurse at Strong, until landing her first nurse practitioner job at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. in 2013.
In 2017 she moved back to Rochester to be with her family, and worked at Rochester General for five years. She spent one year in urgent care in Rochester.
She had been thinking of looking for a new job, and she and her husband had talked about moving to Albion to be near her sister, who lives here.
“I found this job was available and interviewed for it,” Brenner said. “I love it. With me, there are only two pediatric providers in Orleans County.”
Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Orleans Community Health, said Orleans County is number two in the state for the greatest shortage of doctors. The ratio is 13,500 people to one doctor, he said.
Brenner said there is a huge need for psychiatric nurse practitioners nationwide, and she is going back to school to get certification as a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Brenner sees patients from birth until their 22nd birthday. She is available at the walk-in clinic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and she is accepting new patients.
If she had one piece of advice for parents, it would be to be sure to bring their children for their “well child” visits.
“That way, if a child has developmental issues, we can address them early,” she said.
Her second piece of advice is for parents to be aware of their child’s mental health. It is important for parents to talk to their kids and be able to have an open dialogue. If there are concerns about mental health, she encourages parents to discuss it with their primary care doctor.
Brenner and her husband Matthew have three children, ages 14, 9 and 7, and hope to make the move to Albion at the end of this school year.
