The local Mental Health Crisis Helpline, The Care & Crisis Helpline (585) 283-5200, is currently and temporarily non-operational as a result of phone and network issues. It serves Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

In the case of an immediate mental health need or mental health crisis, you can call or text 988, the  National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or dial 911 to reach your local dispatch center.

ALBION – There are 21 entries registered for the Dec. 14 Christmas parade in Albion, and one of the organizers welcomes more.

Susan Oschmann would like to have 30 lighted floats for the parade on Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. The parade was called Santa’s Hometown Parade but has been changed to the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade.

The parade committee is paying tribute to Howard, who ran a Santa School in Albion from 1937 to 1966. He also operated Christmas Park beginning in the mid-1950s. That site attracted about 80,000 people a year.

The parade will culminate with a float carrying Santa. The route starts on Route 31 at CRFS and heads to Route 98, goes down Main Street to State Street and then goes to Platt Street and concludes at Dubby’s, where there will be a party after the parade.

There are prizes for the top floats: $600 for first $400 for second, and $200 for third.

Click here for more information on registering for the parade.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Alec Sherman leads the crowds in a Christmas sing-along to “Sleigh Ride” on Sunday during the “Christmas in the Neighborhood” concert at the First Presbyterian Church of Albion.

He was accompanied by Gary Simboli at left. Albion alumni and current students performed more than 20 songs for the annual concert at the First Presbyterian Church.

The church has been hosting the concerts since 2009, first as part of the Eastman at Albion series and then since 2015 as part of an Albion alumni concert event.

Charlie Nesbitt read “The Night Before Christmas” sharing segments of the story after musical performances throughout the concert.

Albion Alumni Association leaders welcome the crowd to the concert. Susan Starkweather Miller is at the microphone. Charlie Nesbitt is at left next to Susan Thaine, the church’s pastor, and Tony Wynn, one of the board members for the Alumni Foundation.

Ethan Ferchen sings, “It Feels Like Christmas.”

Kae Wilbert on bassoon and Susan Walders on flute perform “Deck the Halls.”

Jennifer Trupo sings, “A Baby Changes Everything.”

The concert had a theme of “Believe.”

Other performers included Gary Simboli, Shannon Vanderlaan, Janet Miller, Mike Thaine, Albion High School Select Choir, Evan Steer, Susan Thaine, Matthew Mooney Galantowicz and Keith Galantowicz, Albion High School Percussion Ensemble, AHS Clarinet Choir, Albion Presbyterian Choir, Shannon Broda, Trellis Pore, Zyann Pore, and the Community Christmas Choir.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Ric Jones, director of the Middleport Community Choir, and Debby Clark of Lockport, accompanist and director of the Bell Tones, share a light moment during a previous concert. They will again join their talents to present the annual Christmas concert at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Middleport United Methodist Church.

MIDDLEPORT – A Dickens Christmas will be the focus this season of the annual Christmas concert by the Middleport Community Choir and Middleport Bell Tones.

The concert is scheduled at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Middleport United Methodist Church, according to Ric Jones of Medina, director of the choir. Debby Clark directs the bell choir and is also accompanist for the choir.

“A Dickens Christmas” illustrates Scrooge’s transformation from a miserly old man to a compassionate benefactor, capturing the essence of redemption and the power of love and generosity, Jones explained. Each son will reflect the different scenes, characters and emotions of the story.

Some of the recognizable favorites will include “Carol of the Bells,” “Coventry Carol,” “Here we Come a-Caroling” and “What Child is This.” The audience will have the opportunity to join the choir in “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” Selections will also include music that uses texts written by Charles Dickens.

“Our annual Christmas concert is one of our favorite concerts of the year, and certainly the most attended,” Jones said. “I chose this theme because I really wanted to play into the feel of a small-town Christmas. And who better to do it with than Charles Dickens. Middleport at Christmas is like a Hallmark movie. Throughout the village, there is a sense of community and comradery. The annual tree lighting is so much fun and this concert fits perfectly with that atmosphere.”

Refreshments will be offered after the concert and the audience is encouraged to stick around and enjoy some socializing, Jones said.

There is no admission charge for the concert, but a free-will offering will be taken. The Methodist Church is located at 9 Park Ave.

Funding for the concert is made possible through Arts Services Creative Impact Fund, thanks to a New York State Senate initiative supported by the NYS Legislature and the Office of the Governor and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts.

At 6 p.m., the village of Middleport will have its annual tree lighting right outside the church on Park Avenue.

Press Release, Green Orleans

ALBION – The “Toxicity of Plastics” presentation sponsored by Green Orleans has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hoag.

Dr. Jane van Dis, MD (University of Rochester) had originally planned to present this topic at the Hoag on November 7, 2024 but was unable to appear due to a last minute emergency.

In Dr. Van Dis’s absence, Green Orleans decided to make the best of the situation and invited people to stay. They then “opened the floor up” to discussions on many sustainability/environmental topics. About 20-25 people stayed on.

Among these topics discussed were: the STAMP Project in northwestern Genesee County and its effects on the Oak Orchard River and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation; a bill that has been introduced in the NY State Legislature to expand the existing NY State “Bottle

 Bill”; and a description of a store in Fairport (“Cloth-N-Mortar”) that refills its customers’ glass containers with such products as shampoo, all-purpose cleaner and liquid hand soap – at very reasonable prices. Although we recognize that Fairport is not

 just “around the corner,” the store’s concept is good and the hope is that it can be replicated somewhere here in Orleans County.

Anyone interested in becoming part of the Green Orleans organization, or, in just helping out occasionally on projects, should call Sr. Dolores O’Dowd at (585) 589-1405. The group meets at the Hoag Library the third Thursday of each month at 11:30 a.m.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A fiberglass ox painted by artist Stacey Kirby Steward is pulled on a trailer during Medina’s Parade of Lights on Saturday.

The ox includes an agricultural theme on one side and a tribute to the Orleans County 4-H Fair on the other side. It makes its home at the Fairgrounds.

The Orleans County Bicentennial Committee spearheaded the project with the Cornell Cooperative Extension.

The Bicentennial Committee would like to see more of the oxen painted for the county’s 200^th anniversary in 2025.

There will be an informational meeting for the public to hear more about how to get an ox as part of the bicentennial celebration. That meeting will be at noon on Jan. 25 at Hoag Library in Albion.

Saturday’s parade also included the debut of an ox costume created by Robyn Watts. Lucy Rivers wore the costume during the parade. She is shown here with the ox statue at the staging area before the parade at the Olde Pickle Factory in Medina.

The ox walks the parade route on Main Street. The costume includes a vest with the names of the 10 towns, four villages, five school districts and some of the hamlets.

Some of the Bicentennial Committee members and volunteers work on getting the float ready on Friday at the fairgrounds. Lynne Menz designed the float.

The ox on the float is expected to make more appearances at local parades and community events to help the county celebrate its 200^th anniversary in 2025.

(Editor’s Note: Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers is a member of the Bicentennial Committee.)

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office

ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office today has arrested a 15-year-old student of the Albion School District in connection with making a terroristic threat, said Jeff Gifaldi, chief deputy of the Sheriff’s Office.

The arrest took place following an investigation that began after a complaint was made to the Albion School District.

Upon receiving the complaint, deputies and investigators with the Sheriff’s Office worked swiftly to assess the situation, interviewing witnesses, and gathering evidence. The investigation determined that the threat was made via a Discord post during a conversation with peers.

The student was taken into custody without incident and is facing the charge of Making a Terroristic Threat, section 490.25 of the NYS Penal Law, a Class D Felony. The Sheriff’s Office has been in contact with the Albion School District administration to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to maintain a safe learning environment.

While this incident is concerning, the Sheriff’s Office wants to reassure the community that swift action was taken to address the situation, and we encourage parents and guardians to have open discussions with their children about the seriousness of threats and the importance of reporting any concerning behavior.

Due to the restrictions of NYS law, the juvenile was released to the custody of the parents on an appearance ticket.

Two bald eagles are busy rebuilding a nest in the Cayuga marsh. These images are from a nest cam.

Courtesy of Dick Moss and Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

BASOM – After a brief but concerning setback, the Cayuga marsh bald eagle pair and the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge nest camera project are back on track.

Two weeks after the nest camera, funded by Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (FINWR), began streaming on Oct. 19, disaster struck when high winds knocked down the cottonwood tree that the eagle nest had been perched in.

Since that time, the eagle pair has been busy building a new nest – fortunately within range of the new eagle nest camera. Click here to see the view from the nest cam.

The new nest cam project has been more than a year in the making.

In November of 2023, FINWR started planning to install a live camera at an active bald eagle nest on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge in Basom.

“We determined almost from the start that history and location were very important factors,” said outgoing FINWR President Garner Light of Gasport, who was instrumental in developing and implementing the project. “Based on those factors, the Cayuga marsh nest was our first choice. That location has been used for most of the last 25 years by bald eagles. It was also more accessible than the next best nest site. No other site on the refuge met both requirements.”

FINWR consulted with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from the start to ensure that its plan was abiding by environmental regulations.

FINWR also found Bill Powers of the Pittsburgh area, who runs the Pixcams website, which hosts numerous wildlife cameras around the country. Powers offered advice and technical expertise that proved invaluable, and Pixcams offered a ready home for the nest cam streaming.

The FINWR board approved the nest camera plans during the summer months, and the proper equipment was ordered.

The group’s target for installation was early to mid October, and it eventually settled on Oct. 18, which turned out to be an ideal fall day. Plan A was to climb the nest tree, uninstall a camera that had been inactive for over 20 years and install the new camera in its place. The plan had to be altered when it was determined that the tree with the nest was not safe to climb. This prompted plan B, which was to install the camera in a tree near the nest.

Treeman Tom LLC and his crew donated their time and expertise to safely install the camera and secure the cables. The new camera went live on Oct. 19. The bald eagle action was amazing right from the beginning, and the camera gave a front row seat.

“For two weeks we watched, learned and engaged in wonderful conversation on the live camera chat,” Light said.

But on Nov. 1, after several days of high winds, the old nest tree blew over.

“We were heartbroken,” Light said. “The bald eagles largely disappeared for the next two days.”

But within four days, the eagles were attempting to place branches in the tree right next to the old nest tree. Since then they have worked diligently to build a new nest. It is almost the same size now as the old nest was.

The original camera that hasn’t worked in 20-plus years was so popular that visitors to the refuge had been still asking to watch it.

“This is a dream come true for FINWR. We are looking forward to increasing awareness of this beautiful place that we call Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge,” said new FINWR President Richard Moss of Medina. “We are currently working on designing a nest cam display with a large screen TV for the visitor center.”

He added that the FINWR website also is undergoing a redesign that will prominently feature the nest cam.

“Special thanks to refuge manager Tom Roster, Bill Powers, Treeman Tom and his crew, DEC’s Region 8 wildlife biologist, FINWR’s Emma DeLeon and the rest of the FINWR board,” said Light.

Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Inc., has about 150 members and is a nonprofit corporation organized by volunteers dedicated to supporting the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (INWR) via fundraising, education, enhancement and preservation of the refuge and its wildlife.

ALBION – The Albion school district was notified of a potential threat targeting a school bus this morning and that threat has been deemed unfounded.

“The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office responded immediately and acted before any of our students or drivers could potentially be placed in harm’s way,” district superintendent Mickey Edwards stated on the district website. “The Sheriff’s Office has deemed there is no threat to ACS transportation or the District itself.”

The safety of students and staff are the district’s “number one priority,” Edwrads said.

“We would like to thank our greater Albion community for being diligent in helping to keep our Purple Eagles safe,” he said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Santa and Mrs. Claus wave to the crowd along Main Street on Saturday night. Several thousand people braved the frigid temperatures to watch nearly 50 decorative floats, bands and fire trucks.

Takeform created this float which has been used the past three parades to bring in Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Talis Historic Restoration in Medina was among several first-time parade participants.

Case-Nic Cookies created another float for the parade. Case-Nic has been in all 16 of the parades. The store is closing at the end of December with owner Mary Lou Tuohey retiring after 29 years in the cookie business.

Ginny Kropf, a long-time local news reporter, served as grand marshal of the parade. Kropf also has long been involved in community organizations, and currently serves on the boards for the Orleans County United Way and Medina Railroad Museum.

“I’ve been to every Parade of Lights but one, so it was a great honor to have been chosen grand marshal of this spectacular event,” Kropf said. “I am truly amazed at the work and creativity of everyone who entered a float. It was truly a magical evening, even with the cold!”

The Pembroke marching band lighted up their instruments while performing in the parade.

Oak Orchard Health joined the fun in the parade.

M.J. Dreher Trucking in Brockport

East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company

Great Grandpa’s Truck included one of several Grinch characters in the parade.

Orleans Community Health participated in the parade with residents from the North Wing at Medina Memorial Hospital in the van, waving to the crowd.

Cub Scout Pack 18 had Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other characters from Peanuts.

Cycling Without Age featured Sebastian Erakare pedaling a tri-shaw bike down Main Street. He is giving a ride to his wife Bradeen Walders Erakare and her mother, Susan Walders. Walders started the organization in Orleans County that using the tri-shaw to give senior citizens rides.

Newton Racing/Petry’s Pulling Team

Eye of Oden K9 Training

The Medina Fire Department

The Medina Lions Club

The Medina Marching Band

Bentley Brothers in Albion and Brockport created this float. The business is nearing its 100^th anniversary.

Community Action of Orleans & Genesee

Prime Time Brass

Logan’s Landscaping

Mark Time Marchers

Orleans/Niagara BOCES named grand champion of 16^th annual parade

MEDINA – The Orleans/Niagara BOCES has been named the grand champion in Saturday’s 16^th annual Parade of Lights.

There were nearly 50 participants in the parade. The BOCES receives a $500 check as the grand champion. Other winners receive $300. All of the winning floats and participants receive a plaque from the Parade of Lights.

The float included a 1954 John Deere 40U tractor restored at Orleans/Niagara BOCES by Matthew Page.

The Orleans/Niagara BOCES works on their winning float ready for the parade in a staging area at the Olde Pickle Factory. The parade route went from the Olde Pickle Factory down Park Avenue and north on Main Street.

The winners in the different categories include:

Best in Class (Not-for-Profit) – Niagara County 4-H Equine

Best in Class (Commercial) – Mahar Excavating

Best in Class (Service Clubs) – Albion FFA

Best in Class (Religious) – The Vine (formerly Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God in Medina)

Best in Class (Fire companies) – Albion Fire Department

Best on Class – Metz’s Family Christmas

Star Award (for creativity) – Western New York Energy

Santa’s Pick – Heveron Electric

Littlest Elf Award (that best incorporate youths and adults in float) – Albion Girl Scouts

Community Spirit Award – Painted Sky Ranch/Monroe County 4-H

Press Release, Child Welfare Association of Orleans County

ALBION – The Child Welfare Association of Orleans County and its predecessor, the Orleans County State Charities Aid Association (SCAA) has been assisting children and families in Orleans county for about 100 years. It has been fully supported  through bequeathments and donations from the public.

Starting in 1925, representatives from every township met to determine how to help children and families struggling to meet basic needs.  Local churches and community groups had been assisting when they saw a need, but this was the first county-wide united effort. Through donations, they hired a part-time agent to help identify and assist those in dire need.

In 1929 as needs became more wide-spread and apparent, a new public welfare law was enacted and a county agent was hired. During these early years, the Child Welfare Association worked very closely with the county welfare agent who provided services directly to children in need.

The CWA provided annual teas for foster parents and gave them money each year to buy Christmas presents for foster children. They provided assistance in many other ways such as purchasing cribs and supplies, shoes and clothing, knitting baby clothes and blankets, paying for innoculations and dental care, providing money for text books, and college tuitions.

Beginning in the 1950s, The Journal-Register in Medina and the CWA began asking for donations to send children with financial need to the Salvation Army Camp Troutburg in Kendall. From this time until the mid-1990s when Camp Troutburg closed, hundreds of children had the opportunity to go to camp due to the CWA’s efforts. Since Camp Troutburg closed, the CWA has been providing camp scholarships to Camp Rainbow in Lyndonville where children enjoy a week of day camp.

The Child Welfare Association has provided college scholarships to students from all five school districts for more than 50 years. They also have provided stipends to school nurses, public health, and local libraries each year. Additionally they have given money to Community Action, the Ministry of Concern, Child and Family Services, and recently the Medina YMCA and local 4-H.

For many years, the CWA has not received nor solicited money from the public and funds have declined. In June of this year the CWA board voted to dissolve, giving remaining funds directly to the organizations it supports.

This will allow these organizations to have charge of the funds at an earlier time and gives them the advantage of deciding its best use. College scholarships will continue to be awarded by the local school districts for several more years. The remaining funds will be turned over to the ARC for Camp Rainbow.

“It is sad to see such a long-standing charity dissolve, but the time has come,” said Christine Kinsey, president. “We trust these other organizations know first-hand what the needs are and will carry on the good works that CWA has begun.”

BARKER – Two people were able to safely evacuate their home this morning in a fast-moving fire, the Niagara County Sheriff’s office reported.

Firefighters were dispatched to the 1700 block of East Avenue after a 911 call at 7:56 a.m. The fire quickly spread in a single-family home and the house became fully engulfed, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Responding fire units were able to extinguish the fire without incident. There were no injuries as a result of the fire, The Sheriff’s Office stated.

Firefighters responded from Barker, Olcott, Lockport and Hartland fire companies as well as the Niagara County Fire Investigation Unit.

A damage estimate is unavailable at this time. The Red Cross was notified and responded to assist the residents of the home.

The Niagara County Origin and Cause responded to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.