Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – A farmhouse at 5054 Culver Rd. was badly damaged by a fire that broke out around 3 a.m. today.

Doug Stephens has owned the house for 21 years. He had an electric heater on last night to help take the chill off. Fire investigators told him that the fire appears to have been caused by an electric heater plugged into an outlet.

Stephens lives at the home with two other people. They weren’t injured from the fire.

The main part of the house has been destroyed, but Stephens said firefighters were able to save about half of the structure. He appreciated the big response from firefighters during the middle of the night.

“They did a great job with what they had to deal with,” Stephens said. “They did a hell of a job. I want to thank them all.”

MEDINA – Bent’s Opera House has the Village Board permission to keep an outdoor fence up on the village sidewalk until Jan. 5. That is past the Nov. 15 deadline for outdoor fencing on Main Street.

The village has that deadline so the sidewalks are clear to be plowed. Justin Bruce, the restaurant manager at Bent’s, attended Monday’s meeting and asked for more time with the fence. He requested until Feb. 1, but that was pushed back to Jan. 5.

Bruce also asked that the village allow two 12-foot-high nutcracker statues that weigh 265 pounds each to be allowed on the village sidewalk, up against the wall at Bent’s. They would be in the fenced-in area at Bent’s.

“This will enhance Medinas overall charm,” Bruce said. “It won’t be too extreme.”

The nutcrackers should be considered holiday decorations, and there is more latitude for decorations on the sidewalks, said Dan Gardner, the village code officer.

The board asked for Bent’s to provide an insurance certificate for the nutcrackers, and also to clear any snow from the fenced-in area and also in front of the fence.

Bruce said part of the rationale for wanting the fence out longer is so Bent’s customers can be in that area and watch the Parade of Lights on Nov. 30.

The board said the fenced-in area should be open to others, too, during the parade and not just Bent’s customers. Bruce agreed.

He also asked the board to consider designating some parking spots in front of Bent’s on Main Street for overnight parking during the summer. Bruce said Bent’s parking lot often is short some spots when there are weddings on Saturday nights.

He said allowing some spots for overnight parking would ease the parking crunch. There is currently a two-hour parking limit on Main Street. If the board allowed some overnight parking, it would need to have a public hearing and change the ordinance.

It isn’t a pressing issue because Bruce said Bent’s has until next summer when the wedding season starts again. The board asked him to inquire if some spots would be available at the lot on West Center Street across from the Post Office.

Photo and information curtesy of Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Orleans/Niagara BOCES is so proud of their Orleans Learning Center (OLC) students and staff!

They were invited to kick off Red Ribbon Week by wearing red or their favorite sports team jersey for “Team Up Against Drugs.”

Red Ribbon Week is October 23-31 and encourages parents, educators, business owners and other community organizations to promote drug-free lifestyles. It is the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the nation, and an opportunity for families to start or continue conversations about living drug-free.

All the OLC students and staff made a pledge to lead a healthy lifestyle and remain drug-free.

Bob Gibbs doesn’t shy away from tough jobs

Photos by Tom Rivers: Bob Gibbs, owner of the Environmental Construction Group in Albion, is shown inside the warehouse for company at 14109 Route 31, Albion.

ALBION – Bob Gibbs used to tag along with his father, helping him at construction jobs. Bob Gibbs Sr. was a local contractor and builder.

The elder Gibbs had a house on Brown Street, and at age 19, his son bought it and took on his first project by himself. For two years Gibbs redid the house and made it his home.

Gibbs felt the pride in bringing a distressed property back into a neighborhood asset. He also built a garage and in-ground pool for the property.

In the past 30-plus years Gibbs has sought out properties many other developers wouldn’t touch, from burnt-out structures to others enduring years of neglect.

“I like to see things that are in rough shape and then turn them into beautiful,” Gibbs said. “I like to see the progress.”

Bob Gibbs has turned 101 East Bank St. in Albion into a place that can be rented out of parties and events. His daughter recently had her bridal shower there.

He has put many forlorn buildings back to use for residents and businesses. And that’s in his spare time. He would rather do that than play golf.

In his full-time career, Gibbs owns and runs the Environmental Construction Group, which has 50 employees based in Albion. They do asbestos remediation, selective demolition and other work at distressed properties.

The Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 17 honored Gibbs as the “Business Person of the Year.”

Gibbs saw opportunity doing environmental work in the construction industry. He made that his career at age 23 and his skills were in demand. He was often away from home, including long stretches for work in New Jersey.

Gibbs in 2005 decided to launch his own business so he could be closer to home. He started Environmental Construction Group with a friend, Bruce Corey, who oversaw abatement for LeChase Construction Service in Rochester. Gibbs and Corey ran ECG together until Corey retired in 2019 and Gibbs bought him out.

They ran the business initially out of two tractor trailers in a spot behind Ace Hardware on Clinton Street. Then they moved to the former Halstead Oil building on West State Street. About 15 years ago, ECG moved to 14109 Route 31, which offered more space for the growing company and its abatement equipment – showers, negative air filters, ladders, scaffolding, hand tools, excavators and other materials. When ECG moved to Route 31, the company put a new roof and windows on the building, and painted it.

Provided photos: Bob Gibbs is shown outside 101 East Bank St., which was a storage building for a furnace and air-conditioning business. Gibbs has given it a new look, with new windows, and will make it available to be rented out for events. It also may be used for food education events with wine pairings. Gibbs’ daughter, Madeline Miller, is a registered dietician and may lead programs for the community at the location.

ECG is typically working on five to 10 projects at a time, mostly in Western New York but sometimes in Arkansas, Virginia, Texas and Wisconsin. ECG has worked on some of the biggest projects in Rochester, including nearly gutted 29 floors of Innovation Square (the 580,000-square foot former Xerox Tower).

Gibbs praised the hard-working team of employees. Many have been with the company for years.

Tim Lonnen, the operations manager and estimator, is Gibbs’ “right hand man.”

Three of the company’s superintendents are all long-time employees from Albion – Shawn Wright, Ron Enright and Ace Ashton. David Nieves, a foreman from Rochester, also has been a critical employee for the business since it started, Gibbs said.

About 40 percent of the employees have been with ECG for at least 10 years. That is an amazing retention in a business with a very high turnover, Gibbs said.

“We have grown to the company we are today, a task I could not have done alone and acknowledge that this could only have happened with the dedicated employees at ECG,” he said. “I try hard to invest in my community. I like projects that improve the image of buildings, from investing in the buildings that service ECG, developing vacant land into ready-to-build lots, to several homes picked up from the county auctions, and my new project at 101 East Bank Street. I firmly believe it’s my responsibility to give back to my community.”

Bob Gibbs renovated a house that burned in a fire on West Academy Street in Albion. These photos show the before and after of the stairwell in a house that he saved from the wrecking ball.

Press Release, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee

ALBION – Community Action of Orleans & Genesee Inc. is thrilled to announce the arrival of 300 toys generously donated by the Pirate Toy Fund.

On Tuesday, Community Action staff traveled to Spencerport to collect these toys, which will provide joy and support to children in need during the upcoming holiday season.

The Pirate Toy Fund is the nation’s only nonprofit organization dedicated to providing new toys year-round to agencies that assist children in need. Since its founding in 1995 by beloved children’s entertainer Gary the Happy Pirate and Dave and Lorrie Simonetti, the organization has distributed over 500,000 toys to children across the Greater Rochester area.

Inspired by the extraordinary life of Christie Simonetti, special friend to Gary and daughter of Dave and Lorrie, the Pirate Toy Fund continues to grow and fulfill its mission of spreading joy to children in difficult circumstances.

This year marks the fourth year that Community Action’s Director of Community Services, Katrina Standish, has coordinated the toy donations through the Pirate Toy Fund, a partnership that has significantly impacted the agency’s holiday program. Last year alone, approximately 285 children received toys directly from Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, while another 275 children were adopted by outside agencies, ensuring each child received a gift for the holidays.

“The toys we receive from the Pirate Toy Fund are crucial to the success of our holiday program,” Standish said. “These donations allow us to serve a significant number of children and help us make the holiday season brighter for local families.”

Community Action is deeply grateful for the ongoing support from the Pirate Toy Fund, which allows them to expand their reach and provide comfort and happiness to children who may otherwise go without.

MEDINA – The Village Board, after hearing residents speak for and against allowing backyard chickens in the village, decided on Monday evening to take no action on the issue.

Trustee Diana Baker made a motion to send the matter to the Village Planning Board for its input, but the motion didn’t get a second. One trustee, Jess Marciano, was late to the meeting and missed the vote due to jury duty in Buffalo. Marciano was disappointed the vote wasn’t pushed to later in the meeting when she could have offered a second to the motion.

Medina was asked to amend its ordinance, which currently bans chickens. Katie Hardner, who is leading the effort to have chickens be permitted in Orleans County villages, asked Medina to allow up to six backyard chickens, with no roosters.

Hardner and supporters of “For Cluck’s Sake” have attended parades and had a booth at the Orleans County 4-H Fair, trying to build support for the cause. Hardner said a small group of chickens are not livestock, and they provide nutritional and mental health benefits for families.

During the public hearing on Monday, she said chickens have great appeal to the younger generation of adults who want to raise some of their own food and enjoy caring for animals. She said allowing chickens would enhance properties in the village, and not be a deterrent to property values.

Three residents urged the board not to allow chickens, saying they are smelly and could bring in foxes, coyotes and other animals.

“The smell is nasty,” said resident Bob Prawel. “It is a nuisance. It can affect home values.”

Cheryl Tuttle also spoke against allowing chickens, saying they bring “an extreme odor” and could be a magnet for wild animals. She said they should be limited to outside the village in a country setting where there is more space away from neighbors who could be impacted.

Mark Gregoire of Murray runs a nuisance wildlife control business and he said he responds to many situations in Medina. The village already has foxes, coyotes, “anything on four legs.” Allowing six chickens for residents won’t draw animals to Medina that aren’t already in the village, he said. The spill over from bird feeders lures more unwanted creatures to the village than chickens would, he said.

Cassandra Harden, a village resident, said she would welcome the chance to have backyard chickens. She has two young children.

Todd Eick, Medina’s FFA advisor and agriculture teacher, urged Medina to allow the chickens. The FFA could help with workshops to educate the community on how to best care for chickens.

Many cities allow backyard chickens. Eick would like to see the Orleans County villages amend their ordinances to allow the poultry.

“We live in a rural community,” he said. “They are allowed in cities. They should be allowed here.”

Event planned to celebrate 200^th anniversary of Erie Canal, Orleans County

Gregory Hallock

MEDINA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is working on a three-day artisan festival next year in Orleans County that could draw 100,000 people to the community.

Gregory Hallock, GO Art! executive director, spoke at the Medina Village Board meeting on Monday evening. He said the arts council is pushing to get all the details together for what he said will be a big celebration for the 200^th anniversary of the Erie Canal and also Orleans County.

GO Art! is looking at Aug. 22-24 or Sept. 26-28 for the festival, which would have events in the villages of Medina, Albion and Holley, as well as a boat regatta going 21 miles from Medina to Holley.

Hallock said he expects there would be 400 artisan vendors for the event at the three villages and two concerts – at the waterfalls in Holley and State Street Park in Medina.

He plans to meet with village officials in Albion, Holley and Medina soon to firm up the details. He will be seeking funding from the State Canal Corp. and New York Power Authority to help pay towards the festival. The vendors also will be pay a fee to be at the event which will help cover the costs.

GO Art! was leaning towards the three days in late August for the celebration, but moving It back to September would allow the festival to be timed with the voyage of the Seneca Chief, a replica of the canal boat that took Gov. DeWitt Clinton on passage of the original canal in 1825.

Hallock said the festival also will include theatrical performances and a car show.

GO Art! would like to make it an annual event, with the bicentennial celebration giving it a big start.

The arts council sees an opportunity with a big artisan festival with the Letchworth Arts & Crafts Show taking a break.

“It’s exciting,” Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman said about the event.

Jess Marciano, a village trustee, said GO Art! does a great job with events in the community, including the recent Day of the Dead celebration at the Orleans County YMCA.

“Thank you for putting the time into this,” Marciano told Hallock.

GO Art! today also will announce plans for a cultural center in Medina. That announcement will be 5:30 p.m. today at the Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Photos courtesy of Medina Band Boosters

SYRACUSE – The Medina Marching Band concluded its season on Sunday at the New York State Field Band Conference championship.

Medina competed in the Small School 1 Division with eight other schools and Medina placed eighth.

The scores for SSI include: Roslyn in first at 94.300; Mineola, second at 93.150; East Irondequoit in 3^rd at 91.225; New Hartford, 4^th at 89.725; Malverne, 5^th at 88.375; Phoenix, 6^th at 87.675; Central Square, 7^th at 85.925; and Medina, 8^th at 85.575.

Screenshot

The competition was held in the JMA Wireless Dome.

The state champions include:

• Large School 3 (9 schools) – Copiage at 85.000
• Large School 2 (9 schools) – Webster at 92.100
• Small School 3 (8 schools) – Le Roy at 83.900
• Small School 2 (10 schools) – East Syracuse Minoa at 88.600
• Small School 1 (8 schools) – Roslyn at 94.300
• National (9 schools) – Arlington at 95.950

MEDINA – The Medina Rotary Club is trying a new event that promises an awesome meal highlighting the “foodie” strengths of the local community.

The club will offer a “Taste of Autumn” at 5 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Sacred Heart Club. Chef Lionel Heydel will prepare a five-course gourmet dinner, paired with wine from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.

“Medina gets to showcase the culinary talent in the area to people from all across Upstate NY,” said Peter Bartula, Medina Rotary president. “It will raise money for the Rotary Club that we will give back to the community, and our members and guests get to have a great meal!”

There is space for 65 people at the event. Tickets are $95, and proceeds go toward Rotary’s projects in the community. Tickets can be purchased on online by clicking here.

“Since we have such great food, wine, and chefs in the area it is a great event to showcase the talent and produce from Orleans County,” Bartula said.

Press Release, Orleans Renaissance Group

MEDINA – A crowd of about 100 people gathered at St. Mary’s Church in Medina last Saturday evening to experience a rare concert event, hosted by the Orleans Renaissance Group.

The Eastman Trombone Choir performed a flawless concert in the cavernous space, thrilling the audience with their majestic sound.

“I never experienced a trombone choir before and wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Carol Comfort of Medina. “Absolutely amazing!”

According to Chris Busch of the ORG, that was the general sentiment of the night.

“As people exited the church, everyone expressed how much they absolutely enjoyed the event,” Busch said. “Words like amazing, awe-inspiring and thrilling were used over and over to describe what they had seen and heard. The sound of a full trombone choir is quite powerful, dramatic and majestic – truly a singular music experience.”

Busch also thanked those who made the event possible. “We’re so grateful for the generosity of Mr. Rick Drilling and the cooperation of Fr. Mark Noonan in making this event possible, along with the many others who gave assistance to the event.”

About 100 people attended the concert at St. Mary’s.

The program included ‘Mini-Overture’ by James Kazik, ‘The Alcotts’ from The Concord Sonata by Charles Ives, arr. Ross Holcombe, ‘Um Mitternacht’ (At Midnight) by Anton Bruckner, arr. Ralph Sauer, ‘Back to the Fair’ by Bill Reichenbach and conducted by Vincent Huang, ‘Five Vignettes for Trombone Choir by Samuel Adler, ‘Three Contemplations’: ‘Arise, My Love by Stephen Paulus, arr. Mark Kellogg, ‘In Memorium by Raymond Premru, and ‘Earth Song’ by Frank Ticheli, arr. Mark Kellogg, and the finale- ‘Music from Gettysburg’ by Randy Edelman, arr. Pete F. Strohm: ‘Prologue.’, ‘Day 1. Buford, Heth, Reynolds and Ewell’, ‘Day 2. Devil’s Den, the Peach Orchard and Little Roundtop’, ‘Day 3. Pickett’s Charge’, and ‘Epilogue.”

Co-directors Mark Kellogg and Larry Zalkind stated the ensemble was very grateful for the opportunity to perform in St. Mary’s.

“Such a magnificent sanctuary! And the acoustics are so beautiful!” said Kellogg. Both also expressed the hope that they could return and perform again.

The next music event to be held in St. Mary’s is coming up on Saturday, November 16 at 7 p.m. when ONE Catholic will host “Echoes of Elegance– A Program of French Baroque and Early Classical Music” performed on the Pipe Organ & Harpsichord by Aaron R. Grabowski, MusB, University of Buffalo, Music Director & Principal Organist, Holy Trinity RC Parish. The event will be free and open to the public.

ALBION – The director of the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen has been nominated as a “Hometown Hero” by Save A Lot.

“Faith Smith tirelessly ensures no one in her community goes hungry,” Save A Lot declared.

Smith has led the kitchen for about 15 years. It moved from Christ Episcopal Church to Harvest Christian Fellowship in June 2022, serving several hundred meals every Thursday, and also expanding to frozen soups for people to take home.

Mike and Faith Smith are dedicated volunteers at the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen. Faith Smith has been nominated as a “Hometown Hero.” If she is in the top 5 of votes the OK Kitchen will receive a $500 donation from Save A Lot.

Smith was nominated by Rick and Dee Huntington for Save A Lot’s Hometown Heroes program.

The top five vote-getters receive a $500 Save A Lot gift card, which Smith said would go to the kitchen.

To vote, “like” or “love” Smith’s Hometown Hero nomination on Save A Lot’s Facebook page. Click here to see it. Voting started Oct. 22 and continues through Nov. 5.

Smith’s Hometown Hero nomination on Save A Lot states the following:

“Faith Smith has been a dedicated activist in the community, providing hot meals to those in need for over 15 years. Two years ago, she launched the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen (OKK) at the Harvest Christian Fellowship, where no one is ever turned away. When the extra food stamp benefits from COVID ended, Faith adapted by preparing and freezing soups to ensure visitors could take home meals for another day. Her drive to prevent hunger stems from her personal experience as a young, single mother struggling to feed her children.

“Faith’s contributions go far beyond providing a hot meal. She is deeply compassionate, offering birthday goodie bags, distributing gifts to needy children at Christmas, and delivering meals to shut-ins while performing wellness checks. She supports other community organizations, provides free items to those in need when there is a surplus, and assembles essential items like blankets, hats, and toiletries for the homeless. Tirelessly, she recruits volunteers to help with OKK’s mission.

“Her work is entirely unpaid, driven solely by her passion for helping others. Faith Smith is selfless, hardworking, compassionate, resourceful, and deeply committed to her cause. Her efforts ensure that no one in her community goes hungry, and she makes the most of every resource and donation she receives.”

More than 1,000 ballots cast in first 2 days in Orleans County

Photo by Tom Rivers: The sign outside the Orleans County Office Building notes it is an early voting location.

ALBION – More than 1,000 voters cast ballots in the first two days of early voting in Orleans County.

Early voting goes for nine days, from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3, before the general election on Nov. 5.

The first day on Saturday, 647 voted early in eight hours, followed by 410 on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There were lines of people today around noon when the Orleans Hub stopped by the Board of Elections Office at 14016 State Route 31 in Albion.

Election workers said they were pleased to see such a big turnout. Early voting often draws a trickle of interest from the county’s 25,000 registered voters for local elections or less high-profile campaigns.

During the election about a year ago, the early voters ranged from 39 to 56 the first seven days.

Early voting also was huge four years ago during the presidential election. That was also during the Covid pandemic and many voters preferred to vote early, expecting smaller crowds at the BOE office.

In 2020, from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, there 3,753 people who voted early over 9 days, an average of 417 each day.

The first two days of early voting so far are averaging 528.5 voters each day.

The remaining early voting schedule includes:

• Monday, October 28 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 29 – 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 30 – 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, October 31 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, November 1 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, November 2 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, November 3 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.