Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Zyann Pore sings “Praise” with other members of the Shiloh Youth Choir during today’s Gospel Fest at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

About 500 people attended the event, which included the sale of 200 chicken barbecues dinners. Trellis Pore, pastor of the Shiloh Church in Albion, cooked the chicken dinners which were paired with corn casserole made by his mother, Brenda Gabrielson.

Proceeds from today’s event will go to a building expansion fund for the Shiloh Church.

The Shiloh Youth Choir sings “Lion” during the Gospel Fest.

The “Good News” band performed first, followed by the Shiloh “Littles” who are young children at the church. After the youth choir, the adult choir from Shiloh sang religious and uplifting music.

Trellis Pore, pastor of the church, preaches from the stage. He urged people to “let go and let God.” Pore said people need to get out of a religious routine and instead strive for a relationship with God.

ALBION – The Albion Betterment Committee said the delayed reopening of the Main Street lift bridge has hurt many independent businesses in the downtown area.

The group has a letter ready to go to state officials, and is welcoming more signatures from the community. They will be at the Hoag Library today from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The bridge has been closed to traffic since Nov. 14. It was expected to be an 18-month project with the bridge to reopen in the spring 2024.

But there have been issues with some materials being off-size and other supply-chain challenges. Village officials say the state Department of Transportation is now eyeing a mid-December completion for the project.

The Betterment Committee is sending a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, State Sen. Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley, urging them to seek a speedy completion to the project.

“We are trying to help the downtown merchants,” said Gary Kent, an ABC director.

The bridge from 1914 is getting an extensive rehabilitation. It is part of a $28.3 million project that includes the Main Street lift bridge in Brockport.

Provided photos: (Left) Nick Joy of the Medina Police Department speaks during Friday’s graduation of the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy. Joy served as president of the 82nd Basic Class. (Right) Tanner Ferris of the Medina PD is congratulated for completing the six-month program.

MEDINA – Two Medina police officers on Friday graduated from a six-month police academy.

Nick Joy and Tanner Ferris were among 21 graduates in the 82^nd Basic Class of the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy.

The new graduates, Nick Joy at left and Tanner Ferris at right, are pictured with Medina Police Chief Todd Draper.

The two officers were hired by Medina in February. Now that they have completed the six-month academy at Niagara County Community College, they will do field training with the Medina PD.

The graduates represented law enforcement agencies The two officers will take a six-month police academy starting Monday at Niagara County Community College then they do field training with the Medina PD.

At the academy students completed classroom instruction, physical training, defensive tactics and firearms training.

Besides Medina, the graduates include officers and deputies from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, Niagara Falls Police Department, North Tonawanda and Lockport police departments, and Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Joy has been a trainer and co-owner of the Hustl House gym in Albion and Medina. Ferris is a 2017 Albion graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from SUNY Brockport. He was working for Keeler Construction.

E-YAH-Pah-Hah has 3 other concerts in September, October

Provided photo: E-YAH-Pah-Hah Wind Quintet (Town Crier) includes, from left: Susan Walders, flute; Darren Pully, oboe; Maggie Warren, horn; Kae Wilbert, bassoon; and Scott Horsington, clarinet.

ALBION – A quintet that started last year performing classical Native American music has four upcoming concerts, including 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Albion Town Hall.

E-YAH-Pah-Hah, the “Town Crier,” will do a mini premiere of three of five movements of a new piece, “Postcards of Native America,” by Native American composer Dr. Charles Shadle, Choctaw, who teaches theory and composition at MIT.

Kae Wilbert, a retired Churchville-Chili music teacher, lives in Albion and is a leader in the group as well as a bassoon player. She is a descendant of the Oklahoma Cherokee.

The group started last year, performing for the first time at Camp Asbury in Perry, a United Methodist camp. The musicians wanted to share Native music with youth. That desire has spread to sharing the music with the community.

“People rarely hear Native American classical music,” she said.

The group rehearses at the Disciples United Methodist Church in Clarendon, where Wilbert is a member.

“I’ve always loved woodwind quartets. I wanted to keep playing,” she said.

Besides the concert on Aug. 29 in Albion, E-YAH-Pah-Hah’s performance schedule includes:

• Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at College of Brockport Music Department
• Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. at Cobblestone Church in Gaines
• Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. with Daystar Dance Company, Seneca Art and Culture Center Auditorium at Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor.

“The music is very rewarding,” Wilbert said. “The musicians are quite good and all very focused.”

Four of the musicians have college degrees in music, while the fifth member has a medical degree.

The Aug. 29 concert is also part of a classical music series at Albion that is funded with a grant from GO Art!

Other concerts in that series include the Geneseo Wind Quintet with faculty from SUNY Geneseo Music Department. They will be performing at the Albion Town Hall on Clarendon Road on Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

The Music Educators Wind Ensemble will perform Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Albion Middle School Auditorium.

Press Release, Orleans County Historical Association

ALBION – The final summer cemetery tour will be held this Sunday at Mt. Albion Cemetery.  The tour will begin at 6 p.m. in front of the chapel. The tour is approximately 0.7 miles in length on mostly flat surfaces. We will tour behind the chapel and the western section of Mt. Albion.

Retired Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin and Village of Albion Historian Sue Starkweather Miller will lead the tour sharing stories of community-minded people who made a positive difference in Albion.

“One of the stops on the tour will highlight professional animal painter Peter B. West and how a painting of his led me on a journey to learning about George D. Harris, a prolific builder and contractor,” Starkweather Miller said. “Many of us may have heard of his family members, Medal of Honor recipient Charles D. Harris and Lydia Harris, who died in the Main Street bridge collapse on September 28, 1859. But I never knew about George and his accomplishments in Albion. I think people will be interested in his story.”

Donna Strickland Rodden will also be highlighted on the tour. The chapel, built in 1875, was dedicated to her in 1997. Rodden was the first female mayor of Albion, serving from 1973-1983. Her influence and care for preserving local history has made a lasting impact on our community and Mt. Albion.

The summer series of tours is sponsored by the Orleans County Historical Association.  Please go to their website at www.orleanshistory.org for more information on upcoming events including monthly programs at the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse and a chicken barbecue fundraiser on Aug. 31.

HOLLEY – The Community Free Library in Holley is planning a 10 a.m. dedication on Sept. 7 for the second phase of a mural.

Arthur Barnes is close to being done with a  mural that is 25 feet high and 21 feet wide. Barnes has an agricultural-themed mural with trees, wheat fields, and an apple orchard.

His mural blends in with artwork painted on the back of the library last year by Tony Barry. That mural features the portrait of Holley’s namesake, Myron Holley, and a Erie Canal scene. Myron Holley was an early commissioner for the canal.

A $5,000 grant awarded to the library from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is funding the new mural.

After the dedication at 10 a.m. on Sept.7, there will be cake and punch inside the library meeting room.

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Eager eaters go through the service line and fill their plates with vegetables from Pudgie’s Veggies and burgers from RLW Cattle Co.

The Gallagher on Route 63 hosted the event on Thursday evening where 200 meals were served in an event promoted as “burgers and brews.”

It was a fast sell-out in a collaboration among RLW, Pudgie’s, the Gallagher, Hilltop Restaurant in Lockport and The Coffeepot Café in Medina.

The Coffeepot owners, Dan and Hans Rosentreter, provided the buns for the burgers. Hilltop catered the event, preparing the food.

Patrick Woodworth shucks corn inside the Gallagher while his wife Rachel Woodworth greets people. Harris Farms in Gasport provided the corn roaster and some manpower to cook the corn.

The Woodworths started a retail beef store on Swett Road in Lyndonville this past spring for RLW Cattle Co. Patrick is a fifth-generation beef farmer. He also grows apples and grains.

“This is to support local businesses,” Patrick said about the event. “We all have something to offer.”

There were 200 tickets at $35 each. Besides the food served at the Gallagher, everyone received a pound of beef to take home.

“People are being so positive about it,” Rachel said. “It’s like a farm-to-table dinner.”

Pudgie’s Veggies owner Pudgie Bale and partner Debbie Fuller were happy to see so many people enjoying the food.

Pudgie’s provided potatoes, corn on the cob, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Bale also made it known he is planning to retire from growing vegetables after this year. He has grown vegetables for 25 years. He also worked as a heavy equipment operator and bartender. Bale said he wants more time to enjoy life, especially time with his grandchildren. He has been working 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

“I just can’t do it anymore,” said Bale, who is 68. “I’m crawling into the house at night.”

Pudgie’s supplies eight restaurants with vegetables, and has stands outside his home on Route 63 near Boxwood Cemetery and by Lake’s Wine and Spirits at the corner of Salt Works Road and Park Avenue. Budgie’s also has a stand on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at RLW on Swett Road.

Bale said his goal was to provide top-tier produce.

“We built this business on quality,” he said.

Tony Conrad, executive chef and owner of Hilltop Restaurant in Lockport, grills burgers outside The Gallagher. Conrad and his team of employees prepared the meals for Thursday’s dinner.

The event also included music from the Dave Stoll Band in Lyndonville.

The apple crisp were made from apples from Sandy Knoll Farms, owned by Patrick Woodworth in Lyndonville. These apples came out of storage from last year’s crop. Sandy Knoll was hit hard by a hail storm on Aug. 11.

Everett Bruning busses tables during the event. His parents, Jenna and Martin Bruning, opened The Gallagher in 2016. The site hosts about 50 weddings a year, and also is used for other parties and events.

Lane Woodworth gives one of the dinner guests a bag with a frozen pound of beef to take home.

The Woodworth, Conrad and Bruning families and Pudgie’s Veggies leaders pose for a photo outside the Gallagher.

From left in front include Morgan Woodworth and Megan Fargale (from Hilltop Restaurant).

Back row includes Lane, Patrick, Rachel and Nathan Woodworth; Tony and Crystal Conrad; Debbie Fuller and Pudgie Bale; Sylvia, Aubrey, Everett, Martin and Jenna Bruning.

Provided photo

ALBION – The appointed treasurer and five commissioners for the Albion Joint Fire District met on Tuesday for the Albion Joint Fire District.

Pictured from left include Victoria Tabor, the treasurer; and commissioners David Buczek, Al Cheverie, Craig Lane, Joe Martillotta and Chris Kinter.

The commissioners picked Cheverie, a former president of the Albion Fire Department, to serve as the group’s chairman. A secretary will be appointed by the commissioners at the next meeting.

The joint fire district was approved in a public referendum on Aug. 6 by voters in the towns of Albion and Gaines.

Buczek was appointed by the Albion Village Board, while Martillotta and Kinter were picked by the Albion Town Board, and Cheverie and Lane by the Gaines Town Board.

The group in the coming months will be working on the 2025 budget for the joint fire district. They also will be developing policies and procedures, and setting up banking and insurance for the district. The commissioners will meet the second and fourth Thursdays.

The five will serve until the end of this year. There will be an election in December for five commissioners in terms of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, depending on the vote totals for each. The highest vote-getter gets the 5-year term and then the term length goes in descending order of votes. After the December election, the commissioner election should be just one position up for election each year.

MEDINA – After a summer of changes for Medina’s decades-old cruise-ins, the 28th annual event will end for this season next Wednesday with Super Cruise on Main Street, featuring Terry Buchwald as Elvis.

After David Green announced he was giving up heading up the cruise-ins, real estate developer Rollin Hellner and Medina businessman Tom Snyder decided to take it over and move it from the canal basin to the parking lot of the Senior Center on West Avenue.

Attendance which often reached 100 in the canal basin, dipped to the 40s or less at the Senior Center. Many of the car owners preferred the shade and proximity to the water in the basin.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Terry Buchwald is a nimble Elvis impersonator on the stage.

Now, Hellner has announced another change for Super Cruise. Cruisers will be charged $10 to park their vehicles on Main Street. In exchange, Hellner said there will be official judges on site and trophies will be awarded for Best of Show, Best Car, Best Truck, Best Performance Vehicle, Judges’ Choice and Most Unique.

Super Cruises in the past have attracted 300 or more vehicles, and Hellner said he expects 200 to 250 next week. Drivers are advised they will have to enter Main Street on Route 63 from the North, where a station will be set up to check cars in, two at a time.

Cars are asked not to arrive prior to 4 p.m. Official start time for the show is 5:30, with Buchwald performing from 6 to 8 p.m.

Regular door prizes will be awarded and the 50/50 drawing will still take place.

Although Hellner said the weather looks great for Wednesday, the rain date will be Sept. 4.

Press Release, Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council

BATAVIA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!) is excited to announce an exceptional opportunity for artists of all disciplines living and/or working in Genesee and Orleans Counties.

In partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), GO ART! is accepting applications for the NYSCA/NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Program. The program is free to participants.

This intensive 3.5-day professional development program is designed to empower artists across all disciplines—including visual, literary, performing arts, and more—with the essential tools needed to achieve sustainability and success in their creative endeavors. Whether you’re an emerging artist looking to build a strong foundation or an established professional seeking new strategies and networks, this program offers a dynamic platform to enhance your creative practice.

Program Highlights:

• Comprehensive Content: Participants will explore key topics such as strategic planning, marketing, fundraising, financial literacy, and art law. The curriculum includes materials from NYFA’s renowned textbook, The Profitable Artist.
• Work Sample Reviews: Receive personalized feedback from professionals in your field, offering valuable insights into the jury selection process and your artistic presentation.
• Peer Network: Join a community of like-minded peers across various disciplines, fostering connections that extend beyond the program.
• Access to Experts: Engage with NYFA’s expert staff and local arts industry leaders, including funders, curators, publishers, and artistic directors.
• Artist Action Plan: Develop a personalized blueprint for your practice or specific arts project, with opportunities to discuss and refine your plan within the peer group.
• Engagement with the Creative Community: The program structure includes presentations, panels, interactive workshops, and breakout sessions tailored to the needs of participants.

Eligibility and Application:

• Who Can Apply: Artists of all disciplines and career stages, including students, who are living and/or working in Genesee or Orleans Counties
• Application Deadline: Monday, September 23, 11:59 p.m. Applications must be submitted via Submittable.

Program Dates:

• Meet and Greet and Introductions: Thursday, November 7, 5 to 8 p.m.
• Intensive Sessions: Friday – Sunday, November 8-10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Don’t miss this unique chance to grow your artistic career with guidance from leading professionals in the field. Currently accepting applications. For more information and to apply visit https://www.nyfa.org/professional-development/entrepreneurial-intensives/

Please email questions to learning@nyfa.org with the subject line “Artist as Entrepreneur, GO ART!”

This program is made possible through New York State Council on the Arts, State & Local Partnerships with the support of the Governor’s Office and the New York State Legislature.

Screenshot

Photos courtesy of Ron Lasal

KENDALL – Ron Lasal had his driveway sealed yesterday on Kendall Road. This morning he went out to remove the barriers so his wife could head out on an errand.

Lasal was surprised to see muddy bear tracks on the driveway. A friend told him she saw a bear on Route 18. Lasal suspects the same bear wandered across his property last night.

He has never seen a bear before in Kendall, but saw them years ago in the Southern Tier.

“It’s in the area,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me any. I hunted in Southern Tier for 15 years.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County Treasurer’s Office will soon be moving into the former Bank of America site at 156 S. Main St.

County Treasurer Kim DeFrank expects the office will be moved over and ready to serve the public on Sept. 3, just in time to collect school taxes for the Albion, Lyndonville and Medina school districts.

The Orleans County Legislature last September voted to pay $250,000 to buy the former bank site, which has been vacant since the bank closed on Aug. 15, 2017.

The bank site offers a drive-through and no front stairs, making for much easier accessibility for the public, DeFrank said.

“The drive-through is fully functional,” she said. “People won’t even have to get out of their car.”

The current treasurer’s office is in Central Hall at 34 East Park St. DeFrank said that historic building can be difficult for the public to use. Parking is in back of the building, and the handicapped accessibility ramp is on the back side of the building.

Central Hall was built in 1882 and was a school until 1934. It was the home to the Sheret Post #35 American Legion from 1935 until the county acquired it in 1980. The site has been used for the treasurer’s office, probation, computer services and historian. Currently, only the treasurer’s officer and historian’s office are using the building.

The red-brick building needs repointing and estimates have topped $100,000, DeFrank said.

The county didn’t have to do too much to get the bank site ready for the treasurer’s office. A fence was installed on the side and back, a new HVAC system was put in, as well as some carpet and flooring. Two offices also were built out by the county Department of Public Works.

The furniture from the current treasurer’s office and the front counter will be moved over next week.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Highway 31 had Bullard Park rocking on Wednesday evening during the Village of Albion’s summer concert series.

The band performed on the amphitheater, and played ’90s music, contemporary country and some rock.

The band members include Rich Nolan of Gasport as lead singer, and the guitar trio of Aaron Clark of Holley, Clinton LaPorte of Le Roy, and Clinton’s dad Tim LaPorte Sr. of Batavia. Timmy LaPorte of Elba, Tim’s son and Clinton’s brother, is the drummer for the band.

The guitar trio includes, from left: Aaron Clark, Clinton LaPorte and Tim LaPorte Sr.

Timmy LaPorte pounds the skins as drummer.

Highway 31 always draws a good-size crowd when they perform in Albion.

The summer concert series closes out next Wednesday with Soul Street from the Buffalo area.

The series is funded with state arts money administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.