Treasurer collects taxes for Albion, Lyndonville and Medina
Press Release, Orleans County Treasurer’s Office
ALBION – Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank today said that school tax collection for the Albion, Lyndonville and Medina school districts will begin on Tuesday, September 2. The Treasurer’s Office will collect and accept US-postmarked payments until Sept. 30 interest-free.
For those paying in person, DeFrank reminded residents that her office relocated last year to 156 South Main St. in Albion.
“Last year was our first tax collection at the new office and people really appreciated how much better parking and building access compared to our old location,” said DeFrank. “And even better, many people took advantage of the drive-thru window to pay their bills without leaving their cars.”
The Treasurer’s Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone with questions regarding payment can contact the Treasurer’s Office at 585-589-5353. The office can accept cash, check and VISA, MasterCard and Discover cards, although credit card payments have an additional fee.
New this year, the office can accept online credit card payments, with an additional fee. To pay online, go to the county’s website at www.orleanscountyny.gov and click on Treasurer under the departments tab.
Photo courtesy of Todd Bensley: The stone wall on the hill of Boxwood Cemetery, facing North Gravel Road, has crumbled.
Press Release, Preservation League of NYS
MEDINA – The Village of Medina is one of this year’s Technical Assistance Grant awardees. The grant of $7,500 will fund a Limited Condition Assessment of the Old Cemetery Section Retaining Walls at the Boxwood Cemetery.
The Preservation League of NYS and their program partners at the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) are thrilled to help fund this important work. At its 2025 meeting, an independent panel selected 31 applicants in 20 counties to receive support totaling $347,500. Grants represent both of the League’s signature NYSCA regrants – Preserve New York (PNY) and Technical Assistance Grants (TAG).
Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman said, “The Village is honored and thrilled that the Preservation League and its partners recognize the significance of Boxwood Cemetery, a site that has added to our community’s charm for over 175 years and attracts visitors from around the world today. We will engage our citizens and professionals in this cultural heritage project, thanks to this grant.”
Village Historian Todd Bensley added, “This vital grant will fund analysis by experts at Clinton Brown Company Architecture, pc., for a plan of restoration of Boxwood Cemetery’s character-defining Medina sandstone retaining walls at its hilly, ‘Old Cemetery’ section. This will help secure its future for generations to come.”
Historic Boxwood Cemetery, established in 1849, is an exemplary Victorian burial ground. Its terraces feature several walls of cut Medina Sandstone. The resting place of many early settlers and notable historic people, the cemetery includes approximately 5,000 marked burials, spanning from 1849 until the present day.
Boxwood’s evolution demonstrates changing cemetery design theories, including Rural and Park-Lawn cemetery models. The 1903 chapel was designed in the Gothic Revival style with Medina Sandstone. This grant-funded assessment will provide information to help guide the Village’s efforts to preserve Boxwood Cemetery for years to come.
“This year, the League has brought our two longstanding NYSCA partnership grants together into one cycle, allowing us to see a clear picture of the remarkable preservation work getting started across the state,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of NYS. “The targeted studies funded by TAG and the expansive reports made possible by PNY will lay the groundwork for many vital projects over the years to come.”
ALBION – The Orleans County Department of Planning and Development today urged residents to be aware of a scam targeting individuals with active applications submitted to their local town or village that require review by the county Planning Board.
According to Planning and Development Director Corey Winters, individuals are receiving fraudulent emails impersonating county planning officials. The email requests wire transfers, claiming payment is required as part of the planning board’s review process. The emails appear to be coming from a fake email address planning-commission.OrleansCounty@usa.com
“These scams emails look very official and catch people off guard,” Winters said. “The important things to remember are that county planning board review is free, no Orleans County office would solicit for wire transfer payments and any email from Orleans County will end with @orleanscountyny.gov.”
Winters said if you are unsure about suspicious emails, you should always contact the government office from which it purportedly came to directly to verity its authenticity. The Planning Department can be reached at 585-589-3197.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 August 2025 at 9:47 am
Board hopes a formal study can lead to bigger grants for elevator, building upgrades
Photo by Tom Rivers: City Hall on Main Street in Medina is underutilized by the Village of Medina mainly due to a lack of handicapped accessibility. The Village Board is seeking a grant for an elevator and other improvements so the building can be better used by the public.
MEDINA – The Village Board wants to see the City Hall better utilized by the village government, but it will take an elevator and other improvements to make the site handicapped accessible.
The board is seeking a grant through the state’s Community Development Block Grant program to determine what is needed to make the building more accessible and the estimated costs.
Once the village has that report, it can pursue other grants to pay for the upgrades.
The building is underutilized by the village. Medina moved its village offices out of the site in 1999, going to a one-story bank building next door with a drive-in window.
The Village Board doesn’t meet there either. It currently primarily uses the Ridgeway Town Hall and sometimes the Senior Center. For several years it used the Shelby Town Hall.
The Village Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals continues to use the City Hall meeting room for their sessions.
The Medina Sandstone Society uses the main meeting room at City Hall for the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame. This photo shows the induction ceremony on Oct. 17, 2024. The Sandstone Society has inducted 43 sites since the debut class in 2013.
The City Hall “Council Chambers” has been the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame since 2013. The Medina Sandstone Society the third Thursday in October each year inducts sites into the Hall of Fame which is now up to 43 sites.
While the village clerk’s staff is out of city hall, the code enforcement officer remains on the third floor.
Mayor Marguerite Sherman would like to see the building be better used, especially for the Village Board meetings.
Medina will be pursuing a $40,000 accessibility grant to show how City Hall could become ADA compliant. The grant doesn’t require any local match, said Jay Grasso, Medina’s grant writer.
This study should lead to larger grants to address the accessibility shortcomings with the building, which was constructed in 1908 out of local sandstone.
“There should be significant money to make repairs,” Grasso said.
But first Medina needs a formal study assessing the conditions of the site.
Dave Miller of the Sandstone Society speaks during the Oct. 17, 2024 induction. Medina moved its village offices out of the building in 1999 to a former bank building next door on Park Avenue. The Village Board also doesn’t use the main room for its meetings, instead typically using at the Ridgeway Town Hall or Senior Center.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 August 2025 at 8:31 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald performs “Bue Suede Shoes” and other classics from a stage on Main Street on Wednesday during the Super Cruise.
Buchwald is shown looking through the side windows of a 1965 GMC pickup owned by Jim Stone.
There were 289 classic cars, trucks and other vehicles at the Super Cruise. The event is sponsored by The Walsh and Hellner Development Company.
That is a bigger turnout than last year when about 250 cars ad trucks were at the cruise-in.
Medina shuts down part of Main Street for the show. Cars parked on Main Street from the Center Street intersection going down North Main past the American Legion.
Darren Tobolski of Waterport brought a 1972 AMC Gavelin to the Super Cruise. The car has been in his family since 1979. He took it to his prom in 1983.
“She’s been a driver and survivor,” he said.
The car has 95,000 original miles on it. Tobolski said there aren’t too many Javelins at car shows.
“She’s not the prettiest car but she draws a lot of attention,” he said.
Many onlookers wanted a close look at this 2023 Vanderhall owned by Rick and Judy Overholt. Vanderhall Motor Works manufactures these three-wheeled autocycles, which have two wheels in the front and one in the back.
David Sevor gets his 1994 Cutlass Supreme convertible ready for the crowd. Sevor, a retired Holley police officer, bought the car in Michigan six years ago. The car gets many admirers during the cruise-ins.
“I don’t think you’ll find another car like it,” he said. “I like to be different.”
There are Cutlass Supreme cars at the cruise-ins, but Sevor said his car is unusual in being a convertible.
He has been to 25 cruise-ins so far this year. He loves the setting on a vibrant Main Street in Medina.
“It’s amazing what they’ve done here in Medina,” he said.
A 1972 Gran Torino Sport drew many onlookers to see the car up close.
Terry Buchwald arrived on Main Street in a motorcycle. He slowly made his way past the cars and people to his spot on the stage. Buchwald has been performing at the Super Cruise for several years.
The event caps off the cruise-in season in Medina. The cruises are usually on Friday evenings in the parking lot of the Senior Center on West Avenue.
The line of cars stretched down North Main Street farther than usual.
This 1973 Dodge – Andy’s Dream Machine – is owned by Andrea Wells of Albion.
Terry Buchwald told the crowd he was impressed by so many well cared for classic cars.
Photo by Assemblyman Steve Hawley: The site of a former farm field in Elba, which once produced large amounts of crops, is now a parking area where a developer plans to install industrial-grade solar panels throughout the rest of the property.
Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) recently sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul urging her administration to halt two large-scale solar projects underway in Genesee County.
Hawley voiced strong opposition to the $950 million Cider Solar project and the $345 million Excelsior Solar project, both of which would consume nearly 6,000 acres of productive farmland. He noted that Genesee County is one of New York’s leading agricultural regions, yet the state has seen alarming losses in recent years. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, New York lost 14% of its farms and more than 9% of its farmland.
“While farmers across Western New York are struggling to keep the lights on, Gov. Hochul is busy taking away thousands of acres of vital farmlands to advance her radical climate agenda,” Hawley said.
As part of his letter, Hawley invited Gov. Hochul and members of her administration to visit his district, which overlaps with part of her former congressional district, to hear directly from local residents whose livelihoods are at risk.
“My colleagues and I have spent decades fighting in Albany to make sure local agriculture is not left behind,” Hawley said. “Now, this administration is forcing taxpayers to foot the bill while they bulldoze and pave over the lifeblood of so many families and small businesses. Western New Yorkers are tired of politicians who’ve never stepped foot on a farm making policy for agriculture. It’s time for Gov. Hochul to put the shovel down and start protecting our farms, not putting them out of business.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 27 August 2025 at 3:49 pm
Museum embraces light show that mimics Northern Lights
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Professor Michael Richmond showed this photo of an aurora borealis during his talk on auroras at the Oak Orchard Lighthouse’s annual fundraiser at Carlton United Methodist Church.
Chris Manaseri, president of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse board, welcomes guests to a dessert buffet and special program at the Carlton United Methodist Church to benefit the lighthouse.
CARLTON – The Oak Orchard Lighthouse held its annual fundraiser Saturday night at the Carlton United Methodist Church on Archbald Road.
The event featured the usual dessert buffet, as well as guest speaker, Michael Richmond, professor of physics and astronomy at RIT, who also runs the RIT observatory.
Richmond, who has taught at RIT since 1997, earned his bachelor’s degree in astrophysical sciences at Princeton and a Ph.D in astronomy at the University of California at Berkeley. His program was chosen because of the recent installation of aurora-like lights on the lighthouse.
Richmond said most of the continental United States doesn’t see auroras as clearly or often as Point Breeze does. He explained it takes gas, solar wind and a strong magnetic field to create an aurora. He also said earth is not the only planet to have auroras.
He passed out special glasses for the audience to wear to determine the color of gases in an aurora, which then determines the kind of gas it contains.
Lighthouse board president Chris Manaseri welcomed guests and introduced Dave Giacherio, who with his wife Cheryl was instrumental in acquiring a grant for the aurora-like light show recently installed at the lighthouse.
“The aurora over the lighthouse was accomplished by the cooperation of the entire community,” Giacherio said. “Chris negotiated with New York State and helped dig the holes in the stone around the lighthouse.”
He also acknowledged Peg Wiley, who was in attendance, and the late Dick Anderson for their initial efforts to build a lighthouse and for maintaining their support.
Wiley said she was particularly interested in the evening’s program, as her father-in-law Robert S. Wiley once built a spectrograph for Bausch and Lomb, where he worked for 55 years. One of the telescopes he worked on has the largest eschelle ever built up to that time and is in a stellar observatory in the Atacama Desert of Chile.
Michael Richmond, professor of physics and astronomy at RIT, shows the audience a device which helps determine the type of gas in an aurora.
Manaseri shared the importance of this fundraising event.
“We still have to pay insurance and upkeep on the property,” he said.
The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum is run by a 10-member board with the help of half a dozen docents, Manseri said. The museum is open from 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and from noon to 3 p.m. Sundays from May to October.
The evening’s dessert buffet prepared by board member Larry Grimes featured ambrosia, chocolate cake, carrot cake, pineapple upside down cake, peach cobbler and blueberry cobbler.
The evening concluded with drawings for centerpieces and a 50/50 drawing.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 August 2025 at 8:51 am
Chad Kenward, Shawn Houseman will serve in roles; Medina could add a third officer
Chad Kenward
MEDINA – The school district has hired two retired police officers to provide a security presence on campus this year.
The Medina Village Board, as part of its budget process last April, voted to end its contract with the school district where two Medina police officers served as a school resource officers.
The school district paid the village $82,500 towards each school resource officer. Village Board members said that didn’t fully cover the full costs of each officer, which Trustee Scott Bieliski said is about $125,000 to $130,000.
The school district has hired retired Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward and retired Brighton police officer Shawn Houseman to serve as school security. They will each be paid $53,000 for full-time work at the district this year. With the costs of insurance, FICA, Medicare, etc., the cost is close to what Medina has been paying per officer, said Dr. Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.
Shawn Houseman
The Board of Education may add a third officer during the school year, he said.
Kenward retired as police chief in June 2023. He has served as the school resource officer before during his law enforcement career.
Houseman retired from the Brighton Police Department in 2022 after 26 years in law enforcement. His career also included nearly five years with the Medina Police Department and six years as a deputy with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
The two school safety and security officers are authorized by the district to carry a firearm while on school property.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 August 2025 at 8:00 am
KENDALL – Jen Orr sent in this photo of a waterspout in Lake Ontario near Kendall at about 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
A waterspout appears as a funnel-shaped cloud in a vertical direction over water. It is rotating column of air, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The NOAA advises people not to move closer to a waterspout because some of them can be as dangerous as tornadoes.
A tornadic waterspouts form over water and some move from land to water. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning, the NOAA said.
Fair weather waterspouts are generally not associated with thunderstorms. A fair weather waterspout develops on the surface of the water and works its way upward.
“By the time the funnel is visible, a fair weather waterspout is near maturity,” the NOAA said. “Fair weather waterspouts form in light wind conditions so they normally move very little.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 August 2025 at 5:25 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Don Allport, R-Gaines, last week presented a proclamation on behalf of the Legislature to representatives from Oak Orchard Health proclaiming Aug. 3-9 as National Health Center Week. Receiving the proclamation from Oak Orchard include Dr. Danielle Renodin-Mead, pediatrician and chief medical officer; Christian Borgal, clinical operations manager for Oak Orchard in Albion and Medina; and Ella Knaak, grant writer and advocacy specialist.
Oak Orchard Health started 52 years ago in Albion and has expanded to several sites in WNY. Oak Orchard now serves 34,000 patients at 11 locations.
Community health centers started 60 years ago. There are now 1,500 community health centers in the country.
“For nearly 60 years, community health centers have provided high-quality, affordable, comprehensive primary and preventive health care in our nation’s medically underserved communities, delivering value to, and having a significant impact on America’s health care system,” Orleans County legislators stated in the proclamation.
The Oak Orchard community health center started as a migrant health project in 1973, but legislators said it has grown to include comprehensive primary care, pediatric care, dental, optical, hehavioral health and patient engagement services.
BARRE – Heritage Wind is pleased to announce the latest awards from the project’s Community Grant Program. These biannual grant awards recognize and support organizations for their outstanding work throughout Orleans County.
The recipients for the latest round of awards include:
Orleans County Deputy Sheriff’s Association – $5,000
Arc GLOW – $3,000
Lee-Whedon Memorial Library – $3,000
The Cobblestone Museum – $3,000
Albion Youth Football and Cheer – $5,000
The Orleans County Deputy Sheriff’s Association will allocate funding from this grant cycle to assist in the purchase of K9 safety inserts for patrol cars. The association thanked Heritage Wind for the funding.
“The Orleans County Deputy Sheriff’s Association would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Apex Clean Energy and Heritage Wind for awarding us funding that will directly support the purchase of a new K9 cage insert for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit, specifically for K9 Odin,” the association said in a statement. “Our K9 program plays a vital role in public safety and community engagement. Whether assisting in search and rescue missions, aiding in suspect apprehension, conducting drug interdiction operations, or participating in educational demonstrations for local youth, K9 Odin is a valuable asset to the community. Ensuring his safety during transport not only protects him but also enhances the overall effectiveness of the unit, ultimately making our community safer.”
The Arc GLOW will be using their funding to upgrade their conference rooms at Orleans Enterprises to help individuals improve their readiness and confidence as they transition into community-based employment or volunteer roles.
Lee-Whedon Memorial Library has planned to take grant funds to assist with the building of an upcoming library expansion. The expansion will include various study and conference rooms that will be available for community members to utilize for various events, meetings, and workspaces.
“The Board of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library is happy to receive a $3,000 grant from Apex that will be used for the expansion of the library. This expansion allows the library to better meet the needs of our community,” said Kristine Mostyn, Library representative.
The Cobblestone Museum welcomes over 5,000 visitors each year. The organization plans to use funding from the community grant to upgrade the technology in the Welcome Center to show highlights from various cultural areas around Orleans County.
“Thank you for the Heritage Wind Community Grant,” said museum director Doug Farley. “We are looking forward to breaking ground this fall on a new accessible tourism facility at our Visitors Center and new technology will help us provide support materials for the many sites in the county that welcome tourism.”
Grant funding to Albion Youth Football and Cheer will be used for the new concession and press box to be placed at Bullard Park sports fields.
“On behalf of Albion Youth Football and Cheerleading, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous grant toward the construction of our new press box and concessions stand,” said coach Geno Allport. “This contribution represents far more than just a building; it’s an investment in the future of our youth and community. The new facility will enhance the experience for players, cheerleaders, families, and fans alike. It will serve as a central hub for game day excitement, community gatherings, and a safe, supportive environment where our young athletes can thrive. For not only football, also soccer, coach pitch, T-ball, music events, sledding and much more!”
With these latest awards, Heritage Wind has provided over $180,000 to support community causes, events, and non-profit organizations. These grants are part of a larger community grant program by Apex Clean Energy that has awarded over $6 million in funds to local communities nationwide since 2020.
Heritage Wind is committed to being a strong community partner for residents and local organizations. We are proud to support the continued commitment to making your community better in every way that it can. As the project approaches construction, Heritage Wind will continue its commitment to being a strong community partner to local governments, area businesses, and non-profits working to improve people’s lives across the region.
