Up to $330 per child coming through Empire State Child Credit

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York State is delivering approximately $350 million in supplemental payments to low- and moderate-income families statewide through the Empire State Child Credit program.

More than 1 million families will receive this financial assistance without any need to apply, as each eligible family will receive a direct payment of up to $330 per child. This continues Governor Hochul’s efforts to address the cost of living for working New Yorkers, including $2.6 billion in supplemental payments and savings delivered to taxpayers since 2022, as well as the Governor’s recent announcement of a digital portal to help more New Yorkers get financial assistance to cover child care costs.

“We’re putting money back in the pockets of more than a million New Yorkers because this administration delivers for working families,” Governor Hochul said. “Our work is far from over. From expanding tax credits to increasing access to child care assistance, I’ll never stop fighting to address the cost of living for working parents and help them create a brighter future for their kids.”

The Empire State Child Credit is a refundable tax credit for income-qualified New Yorkers with children. In 2023, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature expanded the Empire State Child Credit to include children under four, benefitting an estimated 600,000 additional children per year. Earlier this year, the more than 1 million families eligible for the Empire State Child Credit began to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits based on their 2023 tax filings.

Today’s announcement will deliver a supplemental payment to those eligible families, in addition to the 2023 tax credit they have already received. Supplemental payments range from 25 percent to 100 percent of the amount of a taxpayer’s Empire State Child Credit received for tax year 2023. The percentage depends on income. More information is available by clicking here.

Eligible taxpayers do not need to do anything to receive this one-time additional payment. Taxpayers who received an Empire State Child Credit of at least $100 on their 2023 state tax returns will receive a check in the mail. The Tax Department will begin mailing checks in the first week of August and continue for several weeks.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Orleans County Sheriff’s Office personnel are on the north side of the canal in Hulberton as part of a search for a man last seen about 4:30 a.m.

Update at 10:43 a.m.: A body has been found in the water and is being recovered by the Sheriff’s Office and other personnel at the scene.

HULBERTON – Members of the the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and other first responders are checking the Erie Canal and Hulberton hamlet for a man who was last seen about 4:30 a.m.

The man lives on Canal Road. His phone, a bandana and an unsmoked cigarette were found on the edge of the north side of the canal, just west of the lift bridge.

The Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene about 5:30 a.m. when friends of the man were concerned they hadn’t seen him. The man had been drinking, deputies said at the scene this morning.

The Sheriff’s Office has used an underwater drone and an aerial drone, as well as the K9 Otto to try to find the man. Sheriff’s Office personnel also have done a search on foot and the Marine Patrol vessel will soon be at Hulberton.

Monroe County is bringing a dive team, and Murray, Brockport and Spencerport fire departments will have rescue boats in the water to help with the search.

An investigator at the scene said the man might not be in the water.

Sheriff’s personnel are checking the area to see if they can locate the man.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Nova Popovich watches as his wife Angie hands his sister-in-law Marietta Popovich an ice cream cone Marietta lives just down the street from Nova and Angie and their new Lower Lake Creamery.

BARKER – When Nova and Angie Popovich were looking to start a new business, they knew their new home at 9848 Lower Lake Rd. would be the perfect place for an ice cream shop.

It was in the country, near Lake Ontario and far from the fast pace of the city where they used to live.

On July 23, the couple opened Lower Lake Creamery and they couldn’t be happier with their first week in business.

Nova and Angie formerly lived in Cheektowaga, where he ran a machine shop serving the aerospace industry and she was in real estate. When the pandemic hit in 2020, both of their businesses came to a standstill.

They had purchased a new home on Lower Lake Road, which had a mother-in-law apartment and the first thing they did was transform that into an airbnb for a short-term rental.

“We were looking to restructure after Covid, and since the site previously had a snack shop, which had burned, we knew the plot was zoned for retail use,” Angie said. “We love this neighborhood and started thinking how we could stay here and give back to the community. Since everyone loves ice cream, we decided to build an ice cream shop.”

Angie said the inspectors were still there at 4 p.m. on July 22 and the couple opened at noon the next day.

Since then, they have gotten busier and busier. A lot of traffic comes from Golden Hill Campground just kitty-corner across the street.

Nova’s brother Paul and sister-in-law Marietta live nearby and are in there all the time, Marietta said. They love the ice cream.

On Saturday night, Ken and Ann Nice from Knowlesville saw the Creamery on Facebook and drove over for ice cream.

Nova said people like to sit at a picnic table, relax and have a pop or ice cream.

The Creamery sells Perry’s Ice Cream and soft serve. They offer shakes, floats, freezes, cones and sundaes.

“Everything is made to order,” Nova said.

Ken Nice of Knowlesville enjoys his milkshake while Nova Popovich makes another for Ken’s wife Ann.

A sundae bar allows customers to make their own sundaes with soft ice cream.

They also sell pop and water in bottles, which are popular with the campers, Angie said.

The Lower Lake Creamery is open from noon to 8 p.m. seven days a week. They plan to play it by ear as to how long they will be open after the campground closes.

They have a plan to expand and add more features, but aren’t ready to announce it yet.

Lower Lake Creamery is located at 9848 Lower Lake Rd., just a few hundred feet west of the entrance to Golden Hill.

More oxen statues could be added to landscape in 2025

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – An ox in the Trolley Building emerged as one of the stars of the Orleans County 4-H Fair last week. Stacey Kirby Steward, an Albion native, spent several days at the fair painting the all-white fiberglass ox into a realistic creature.

Steward gave one side of the ox an agricultural theme and is working on the other side with fair scenes.

The ox is expected to stay on the fairgrounds, perhaps by the sign along Route 31 or by the giant pie tin for the World’s Largest Apple Pie in 1977. The ox may also be featured in lighted parades later this year, including Medina’s Parade of Lights and other Christmas parades in Albion, Barre and Clarendon.

The agricultural side shows a farmer and a team of oxen plowing a field. Kirby also painted apples and corn.

She enjoyed the feedback from the public, with many people exclaiming when they walked into the Trolley Building and saw a giant ox statue being painted.

“People have had a very positive response,” Steward said on Friday.

Steward has been a featured artist before at the fair, including back in high school when she did face painting. She also painted two murals with a cow theme on the Farm Bureau’s both, where milkshake and ice cream is served during fair week.

Steward said painting a fiberglass statue presented a new challenge, and often was time-consuming. But she thinks the statue showed it provides a nice canvas to paint scenes celebrating parts of Orleans County.

The statue was transformed during the week. It started off all-white.

The painting of the ox also was intended to gauge public interest in whether several oxen statues could be painted as part of a bicentennial tribute in 2025 when Orleans County celebrates its 200^th anniversary.

Other communities have painted animal statues for civic pride, including horses in Rochester, buffalo in Buffalo, and squirrels in Olean. Saratoga Springs painted 5-foot-tall fiberglass statues of pointe shoes to celebrate dance. Saratoga is home to the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame.

The ox statue was made in Texas and shipped to the Fairgrounds last month by FedEx. The Orleans County Bicentennial Committee will see if there are enough sponsors to have more oxen painted around the county for the bicentennial next year.

Orleans County officially formed on April 15, 1825. The State Legislature recognized Orleans County that day, allowing it to splinter from Genesee County.

Oxen were critical in helping pioneers tame the wild land two centuries ago. The oxen pulled wagons across rough terrain and helped clear trees for the early Orleans residents. The animals also were put to work in building the Erie Canal.

The ox may be incorporated into the theme and logo for the county’s bicentennial.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health, in collaboration with the Orleans County YMCA and Medina Area Partnership has announced the rescheduling of a Bicycle Helmet and Health Event, which was canceled for July 10 due to weather.

The new date for the event at the Orleans County YMCA is Aug. 2, from noon to 2 p.m.

The event is designed to promote cycling safety and overall health and wellness in the community, according to Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communications and Outreach at Orleans Community Health.

“We invite all community members, whether or not they already have a helmet, to join us for an afternoon of fun, learning and community engagement,” Robinson said.

Event highlights include helmet donations, collected throughout late June and early July; and health and wellness information, provided to all attendees and offering insights into maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

“We’re thrilled this event is still able to happen, after the weather had other plans for in July,” Robinson said. “This event is a wonderful opportunity for families to learn more about cycling safety and health in a fun, interactive environment. If anyone else wants to participate or has information to share, just let us know.”

“Ensuring the safety of our children is a top priority for the YMCA,” said Jesse Cudzilo, executive director of the GLOW YMCA in Orleans County. “We are thrilled to have the community’s support in this important initiative, and together, we can make a difference in the lives of our kids.”

The Orleans County YMCA, Medina Area Partnership and Orleans Community Health state they are proud to work together to bring this event to their community. It is their belief, through collaboration, they can enhance the health and safety of residents.

The event is open for anyone in the community.

Photo and information courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County

KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County Fair Royalty were crowned Saturday evening at the conclusion of the Fair Awards Ceremony.

Royalty this year are front row, left to right: Jolie Noel Rebisz, 9, of Bergen (Fair Princess); Kendyl Collyer, 9, of Waterport (Fair Princess Alternate); Henry Dresser, 10, of Medina (Fair Prince); Brody Collyer, 10, of Kendall (Fair Prince Alternate); Albert Kidney, 12, of Medina (Fair Duke).

Back Row: Amelia Paratore, 14, of Pembroke (Duchess Alternate); Kate Bennett, 13, of Brockport (Fair Duchess); Kendyll Kidney, 16, of Medina (Fair Queen Alternate); Lea Donofrio, 17, of Bergen (Fair Queen); Cole Erion, 15, of Byron, (Duke Alternate); and Luke Gregoire, 17, of Murray (Fair King). There is no King Alternate.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the start of a $36.8 million pavement improvement project on the New York State Thruway (I-90) in Monroe and Genesee Counties.

The work will cover nearly 54 miles between exit 45 (Rochester – Victor – I-490) and exit 47 (Rochester – LeRoy – I-490 – NY Route 19). More than 11 million vehicles travel this stretch of the Thruway annually, which serves as a critical gateway between Rochester and Buffalo.

“New York is undertaking multiple capital projects along the New York State Thruway to improve its aging infrastructure,” Governor Hochul said. “We are committed to investing in these critical projects to provide a safe travel experience for motorists.”

Sealand Contractors Corporation from Rush, NY is the project contractor following a competitive bidding process. The work is scheduled to be completed next summer.

  The project includes full and partial depth repairs to remove and replace deteriorated portions of the roadway from milepost 351.4 to 378.2 eastbound and westbound, increasing the road’s overall structural integrity for improved long-term rideability.

The project also features a new asphalt riding surface for this stretch of the Thruway totaling approximately 108 lane miles. Crews will also resurface the interchange ramps at exit 46, all U-turns including their adjacent acceleration and deceleration lanes, the parking area at milepost 353.1 eastbound, and the Ontario and Scottsville Service Areas.

Other safety improvements include increased vertical clearance, installation of milled-in audible roadway delineators (MIRADS) or rumble strips and upgraded drainage. New mile markers will also be installed. Work will primarily take place overnight.

Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “The safety and reliability of the Thruway is one of our top priorities. The Authority is making historic investments in capital improvement projects to maintain, modernize and rebuild the Thruway system across New York State for generations to come.”

 Genesee County Chair Rochelle Stein said, “Genesee County recognizes the importance of transportation for residents, manufacturers and farm producers who rely on the Thruway so our economy can move our goods and services and grow.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

Former Barker Mayor Aaron Nellist, center left, and Mayor Seanna Corwin-Bradley cut the ribbon on Friday for Barker’s new village hall and public library at 8708 Main St. Barker firefighters are at left holding one end of the ribbon.

Barker celebrated the new building which opened 5 ½ years after the village hall and public library burned down on Jan. 20, 2019.

Mayor Seanna Corwin-Bradley thanked village residents for their patience the past 5 ½ years. She said many community members stepped up to assist the village and library since the fire.

“Everyone you see here has put their heart and soul into this,” Corwin-Bradley said about the new building.

The mayor said some estimates had the new building at $4 million. The Village Board scaled back the project five times so there wouldn’t be any additional tax burden on village property owners. Barker didn’t take out a bond to finance the project, she said.

About 75 people attended the grand opening celebration outside the new village hall and library. The building opened to the public on June 3, and Friday was the grand opening celebration.

The building was constructed in a pole barn style. It added about 700 more square feet compared to the previous structure. Village officials said the project cost about $1.2 million with insurance and state grants covering the cost.

The public checks out the new building and enjoys snacks and cake in the main meeting room. The village moved the village offices inside in late May and opened for business in the new site on June 3.

The main meeting room includes a custom vinyl image of a train and train station. The former building that was the village hall and library was originally a train station. The vinyl was done by JBR Grafx of Churchville, based on historical photos of Barker.

The new library is more wide open with less partitioned space. The library will add more interior decorations. The library space is 10 feet longer with the new building.

“This is much brighter and more open,” said Kathie Smith, president of the Barker Public Library.

The shelves are on wheels and can be moved for programs, Smith said.

Cathie Smith, president of the library board, said community members donated to help the library recover from the fire. The Nioga library system and other libraries also were instrumental in helping the Barker Public Library, Smith said.

After the fire the library set up in a small building on Church Street that was a ceramic shop.

“We were up and running in a week,” Smith said.

She is grateful to have the new space that is designed to be a library to serve the community.

Aaron Nellist, the mayor during the fire and the first four years after, recalled coming to the scene the night of Jan. 20, 2019, and seeing 12-foot flames shooting from the building.

“It was a feeling of helplessness,” he said.

But the village staff was determined to quickly get the village hall and library reopened for the community. Nellist and Corwin-Bradley both praised Clerk-Treasurer Amanda Detschner seeing the village for the challenges.

The village office shifted to the space at the Barker Police Station at 1697 East Ave., and the village office began operate during usual business hours on Jan. 22, 2019. Nellist praised Detschner for her ability to get the office set up so quickly.

“I don’t think the general public will ever appreciate the amount of time and effort that went into it,” Nellist said.

The process to build the new village hall and library has been both “exhausting” and rewarding,” he said.

This sign hung on the previous building and it is one of the few artifacts to survive from the blaze on Jan. 20, 2019. The sign was saved by members of the Barker Fire Department. There is a small hole in the sign almost in line with the smokestack.

The sign now hangs in the main meeting room of the new village hall.

State Sen. Robert Ortt said the Barker community rallied after suffering the loss of the village hall and library.

Assemblyman Mike Norris also commended the Barker village officials and staff and the Barker Public Library for pushing to get the new building done.

“This shows the character of the community,” Norris said. “Everyone comes together. You could have buried your head in the sand, but you chose to do something and move forward. That is a testament to the Village of Barker.”

Sites include West Ridgeway Cemetery, ‘Poorhouse Cemetery,’ St. Mary’s in Medina and Mount Albion

This striking headstone marks the Mason family plot which is adjacent to the chapel at West Ridgeway Cemetery.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 23

The Orleans County Historical Association has scheduled its popular annual tour of cemeteries. Tours are held at 6 p.m. on Sundays during the month of August.

The first tour will be held Aug. 4 at West Ridgeway Cemetery, corner of Ridge Road and Marshall Road which has served as a burying ground since 1810 when the area was still under the jurisdiction of Genesee County. The tour will be conducted by Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian.

Details of the deaths of those buried at the “Poorhouse Cemetery” were recorded in a ledger maintained by the Superintendent.

The Orleans County “Poorhouse Cemetery” located at 14064 County House Rd. in Albion is the site of the second tour, which will be held Aug. 11. It will be presented by Tim Archer.

In his role as service-learning teacher at Albion Middle School, Mr. Archer spearheaded an ambitious project at the cemetery in 2010-2011. Students researched burial records, cleared the lot and reset headstones.

St. Mary’s Cemetery, Medina

Chris Busch, Medina local history buff, will lead a tour of St. Mary’s Cemetery, North Gravel Road, Medina on Aug. 18. The cemetery, which dates to 1858, is the burial place of Lt. John Butts, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for “courage, unflinching valor and inspiring actions” in Normandy, France on June 23, 1944.

Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County Historian, and Sue Starkweather Miller, Village of Albion Historian, will conduct the final tour in the series, at Mt. Albion Cemetery on Rt. 31 on Aug. 25. Another Orleans County Medal of Honor recipient, Charles D. Harris, who was honored for service during the Apache Wars in 1869, is buried there.

Cemeteries contain a treasure trove of information; we hope you will join us as we unearth some. Tours are free of charge, but goodwill donations are gratefully accepted.

HARTLAND – A house was declared a total loss after a fire this morning at 3189 Stone Rd., the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The Middleport Volunteer Fire Company was called to the scene at 10:33 a.m. with report of a fire on the porch of the house. All occupants of the residence were able to safely exit the building prior to the fire company’s arrival, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Multiple additional fire companies were dispatched for manpower to help extinguish the fire. Other responding fire departments include Hartland, Barker, Ridgeway, Shelby, Wolcottsville, Wrights Corners and Terry’s Corners.

The family is being assisted by the American Red Cross. The investigation into the cause of the fire is being handled by the Niagara County Fire Investigation Unit.

Total sales top $64K – ‘Those kids are our future’

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Haylee Wright of Lyndonville smiles holding her reserve champion rabbit she named “Yum.” The rabbit sold for $400 at the 4-H animal meat auction on Saturday.

The total sales for the animals, baked goods and fiber came to $64,128, a new record, and well above the typical $20,000 to $28,000 for the sale.

This auction included more animals and more kids, said Chrissy Beach, a parent volunteer who helps with the event. She also said the buyers were very generous in wanting to support the local 4-Hers.

Jayne Bannister and Zack Welker served as the ringmen at the auction, scanning the crowd for bids. Here they could see the bidding cards held high for the grand champion rabbit raised by Hugh Gabalski of Byron. Herm Webber of HLW Acres, a poultry processing business sin Attica, paid $525 for the rabbit.

Gabalski was pleased with the prices for the rabbits he had at the auction – about double what he usually would get.

Gabalski, 17, said he reached out to potential buyers, including for two lambs he had in the auction.

He was able to get some new bidders at the auction, but he said Webber and David Piedmonte of Holley have been long-time supporters for him.

“I trust them and I’ve built a relationship with them,” Gabalski said.

Webber said he goes to 13 auctions at county fairs to support the 4-Hers. He bought rabbits, a turkey and even plates of cookies, paying $500 for one plate of cookies to support the 4-H program.

“The kids are our future,” he said. “They work hard, and they should be rewarded. If we don’t have them in agriculture, we won’t have food produced in our country. We’ll have to rely on someone else.”

A bidder raises his arm for a pen of three grand champion rabbits raised by Hugh Gabalski. David Piedmonte paid $425 for the trio.

Matthew Bloom, 14, of Albion leads a steer into the show ring. The 1,320-pound animal sold for $6.50 a pound or $8,580, the biggest bid of the night. Zack Welker is the ringman at right and Todd Jantzi of Bontrager is the auctioneer in back. Jantzi donated his services for the auction.

Western New York Energy paid the big bucks for the animal. WNY Energy also bought two pigs and spent over $13,000 total.

The animals in the auction sold well above the market prices, which were at $1.80 a pound for beef, $1.60 a pound for lambs and 55 cents for pigs.

Tim Winters, CEO of WNY Energy, is happy after being the winning bidder. The company was the biggest spender for a steer and two pigs.

Winters said the company wants to support local 4-Hers and encourage them to be a part of agriculture.

Natalie Miller, 10, of Lyndonville shows the champion pig that sold for $14 a pound to WNY Energy, for $3,850 for the 275-pounder. That was the biggest bid for the 19 pigs in the auction. Of those, 16 sold for at least $1,000, well above the market price.

Carissa Klossner, 16, of Holley holds an alpaca rug she made for the auction. Vendetti Farms paid $130 for the rug. Olivia Streicher of Chaffee, in back, also made a yarn purse and alpaca dryer balls. This is the first time the auction included fiber products made by 4-Hers.

Lea Donofrio of Bergen, the 4-H Fair queen, stands with a butcher box of pork donated by her family’s farm, Stix ‘n’ Stonz.

David Welker, 6, of Medina holds a plate of cookies. The sale of baked goods went to the 4-H program. There were three plates of cookies in the auction and two sold for $500 each and the other for $150.

Anna Mathes, representing Apex Clean Energy, was the winning bidder for one plate of cookies for $500. Apex also bought two pigs.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – The team of Kasey Gilbert of Dansville, center, and Jacob Olver of Geneseo defended their title on Saturday as the hay bale rolling champs of the Orleans County 4-H Fair.

Teams needed to push and flip an 800-pound hay bale through a course with bumps and turns. If the teams strayed from the marked course, they received 5-second violations.

Gilbert and Olver called their the team the “Heifer Haulers.” The completed the course in 1 minute, 12 seconds.

The challenge was started in 2021 after the fair ended the grease pole competition due to concerns from the insurance provider. The grease pole was discontinued after the 2019 fair. The 2020 fair was cancelled during the Covid pandemic.

Elijah “The Bull” Starr of Lyndonville is a one-man team in the competition. He finished second overall in 1 minute 24 seconds.

Starr, 34, has been in the competition the last three years. He gets a lot of applause doing the challenge all by himself.

“In the wintertime this is how I feed my cows,” Starr said about pushing the heavy bales.

The competition added a new element this year. Participants began by throwing a smaller 50-pound block of hay over a 6-foot-high beam. When they finished the course, they had to throw the smaller bale back over the beam.

Elijah “The Bull” Starr flings the bale up high over the target.

James Scheid of Churchville and Annie Erion work together to get the hay bale through the course designed by Jeremy Neal, the hay bale chairman.

More than 200 people typically come out to watch the event, which caps the fair each night.

Clark Kendall of Candor in Tioga County and Simon Ellison of Albion try to keep the hay bale moving and on track. The two work together installing cable in the Southern Tier. Kendall drove three hours to try the hay bale rolling on Saturday. He said it’s much harder than it looks.

“It took us a minute in a half but it felt like 5 to 10 minutes,” he said.

Brilyn Rebisz of Bergen and Ruth Lang were the only all-female team to try the hay bale rolling. They completed the challenge in 6 minutes, 57 seconds. They were determined to finish, and the DJ played “Eye of Tiger” from Rocky to encourage them.

Rebisz, 19, has been an active 4-Her at the fair for several years. She said the challenge was more difficult this year, with what felt like more bumps and taller mounds.

She appreciated the support of the crowd.

“We do this for the enjoyment of the people,” she said.

Photo by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Luke Gregoire, right won the small animal grandmaster showman today at the Orleans County 4-H Fair and Evelyn Paratore, left, was the reserve grand master.

The top showmen in four different small animals – dogs, rabbits, chickens and miniature horses – vied today for the grand master showman.

Gregoire, 17, of Murray has been showing chickens and rabbits at the fair for about five years. He qualified for the event today after being reserve champ in poultry.

Paratore, 12, of Corfu won the master showman for rabbits.

The grand master showman competition takes the top two showmen in the four different animals and makes them show all four small animals.

The master showmen needed to do a quick health check on the animals, note the ideal height and weight for each and note anything that could be considered a fault. For example, the bantam roosters shouldn’t have any white feathers.

Other participants in the competition include Meganne Moore (mini horse master), Grace Goodrich (mini horse reserve), Celes Paratore (poultry master, rabbit reserve), Bailey Gonzalez (dog master), and Sophia Albone (dog reserve).

Provided photo: Luke Gregoire shows a rabbit and answers questions from the judge. Luke has shown rabbits and chickens for years and said he was comfortable with them today, while he had to do some last-minute cramming to prepare to show a dog and a miniature horse.

“I didn’t feel as strong about the mini horses, but the big thing is to project confidence,” he said.

Evelyn Paratore said she is least familiar with dogs. She has shown the other animals, and also was in the large animal grand master showman competition on Friday, featuring eight different livestock animals.

After today’s small animal contest, Evelyn said she felt the pressure lifted.

“It is stressful and tiring, but fun at the same time,” she said about the intense competitions.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Carter Kuipers, 16, of Byron shows a beef animal during Friday’s grand master showman competition.

Carter won the title against other top livestock showmen from this week’s fair.

The grand master showman is one of the most prestigious titles at the fair. The competition features the master showman in nine different animals: horse Western, horse English, dairy goat, meat goat, sheep, swine, llama, dairy cattle and beef cattle.

Carter showed pigs and beef qualified for the competition after winning the beef master showman title.

Carter’s mother Vicki (Miller) Kuipers won the grand master title in the late 1990s. Carter said he enjoys the challenge of showing the nine different animals.

“It’s fun and it’s exciting,” he said on Friday night after winning the competition. “You can get out there and show what you know.”

Emma Kron, judge of the event, took the cumulative scores of the participants, and she said Carter Kuipers emerged as the winner.

“He was consistent across all the species,” she said.

Meganne Moore, 18, of Albion leads a horse in the first part of the grand master competition. Moore was named the reserve grand master. She qualified after winning the Western horse event.

Meganne has been showing animals at the fair since she was a 5-year-old Cloverbud. She first showed a chicken. She has made it to the grand master event twice before. Her second-place showing is her best finish.

“I was calmer this time,” she said. “I wasn’t as scared of the animals.”

The competition requires people to show dairy and beef animals, that can top 1,000 pounds.

This is Meganne’s last year in 4-H. She heads to Geneseo State College this fall to major in biology with a pre-vet minor.

The master showmen included:

• Carter Kuipers, 16, of Byron, representing beef
• Phoebe Allen, 15, of Albion, representing sheep
• Brilyn Rebisz, 19, of Bergen, representing dairy goats
• Carissa Klossner, 16, of Holley, representing llamas
• Evelyn Paratore, 12, of Corfu, representing meat goats
• Kennedy Murphy, 13, of Albion, representing English horse
• Ruth Kuipers, 14, of Byron, representing pigs
• Georgia Baxter, 14, of Churchville, representing dairy cows
• Meganne Moore, 18 of Albion, representing Western horse

These four show meat goats, including from left: Ruth Kuipers, Kennedy Murphy, Evelyn Paratore and Brilyn Rebisz. The participants needed to show off the animals’ best characteristics and also answer questions about the animal and breed from the judge.

Carissa Klossner of Holley maintains eye contact with judge Emma Kron while Carissa showed a horse on Friday.

Phoebe Allen of Barre keeps a dairy animal under control during the grand master showman competition.

Georgia Baxter of Churchville answers a question from the judge when the grand master participants show meat goats.

Evelyn Paratore of Corfu, left, and Kennedy Murphy of Albion get ready to lead beef animals into the show arena. The two are more accustomed to showing other animals. Evelyn qualified after winning the meat goats master showman and Kennedy won for English horse.

Ruth Kuipers of Byron leads a llama in the show ring. She qualified as the top pig showman.

Brilyn Rebisz of Bergen shows a meat goat during the competition. She closed out her 4-H career on Friday. The grand master competitors all had to be nimble in the show ring leading animals from under a 100 pounds to well over 1,000.

ALBION – When Nadine Hanlon took office as Orleans County clerk in 2021, she knew one thing she wanted to do – update the Department of Motor Vehicles.

It had been years since the area had had any attention. Mauve paint was fading, a border of license plates rimmed the room, cabinets were falling apart, furniture was outdated and there were unneeded storage areas which could be put to better use.

As county clerk, the office of DMV falls under Hanlon’s jurisdiction, with deputy clerk Pam Boyer overseeing the office. Phase one of the renovation began in June with staff training and updating the break room and deputy clerk’s office. Two weeks ago, Hanlon gave the OK for the rest of the work to begin, necessitating the office close completely this past week.

Photos from Nadine Hanlon: (Left) This is how the customer service windows looked before a complete remodeling of the Department of Motor Vehicles this month. (Right) The entire customer service area of Orleans County’s Department of Motor Vehicles was redone while the office was closed this week. This is the customer service area, looking toward the east end of the room. It shows the new flooring in that side of the room.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: This is the DMV area after the renovation, with the new customer service windows in earth tones.

Work done by Buildings and Grounds of the county Department of Public Works included installing new flooring in all but the front of the office, installing new cabinets, removing the wallpaper border of license plates, painting the room in a neutral tone, new counters and chairs, and most importantly, putting up a partition to create a private room for testing.

Previously, those taking tests were exposed to noise from the rest of the room and had little privacy. Hanlon hopes now more people will consider coming to Albion for their motor vehicle transactions.

The renovation also required contacting the State Information Technology Service to move cables.

“What we’ve done is free up space, remove old cabinets, purge stuff we didn’t need any longer and create more storage for plates which have to be locked up and more security for paperwork,” Hanlon said.

County Clerk Nadine Hanlon, who oversees the Department of Motor Vehicles, shows off the room now partitioned off for testing.

The new space is brighter and creates a happier atmosphere for employees and customers, she said.

“Our number one thing is to give 100 percent to our customers,” she said. “Customer service is of utmost importance.”

While the office was closed to the public this past week, employees continued to do dealer work, check mail and take care of the drop box.

The Orleans County DMV office completes more than 3,000 transactions a month, Hanlon said.

Six motor vehicle application examiners serve customers. They are deputy clerk Pam Bower, Jillian Belgiorno, senior MV application examiner Danielle Derisley, Amber Skrip, Maritzka Knight and new hire Kasey Sprester.

The employees like their new office space. Skrip said it is “very open and bright.”

Derisley called it “very user friendly.”

“I couldn’t wait to see it finished,” she said.

The office will reopen at its regular hours on Monday. They are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with customers asked to be in line by 3 p.m. for new permits or 3:15 p.m. for others.

Motor vehicle application examiners Kasey Sprester and Amber Skrip are seated in the area where customer pictures will be taken.