Photo by Elizabeth Buck: A Box Tree Moth Caterpillar is shown on a boxwood shrub.
Press Release, Katie Oakes, horticulture educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County
KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension has received several calls in the last week reporting symptoms and damage from the exotic insect pest Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis).
Box Tree Moth (BTM) is most damaging during its caterpillar stage and it is active right now on boxwood plantings across the county. The caterpillar is a light green color with a black head and black and yellow markings along the body.
The young caterpillar hatches from eggs laid on the underside of boxwood leaves and then feeds on the bottoms of the leaves, often giving a light brown “peeled” look to the surface of the leaves.
As the caterpillars grow, they chew through entire leaves, sometimes leaving just the center vein of the leaf in a narrow curled ribbon. Mature caterpillars create pockets of webbing as they prepare to pupate into the moth stage. Adult moths are either a light tan with darker brown border around the edges of their wings (typical), or completely dark brown (infrequently).
It is recommended to scout for this pest now if there are boxwoods present on your property. The best way to scout for BTM is to check deep within the dense branches of the boxwood and carefully inspect the undersides of the leaves.
Photos by Deb Roberts: (Left) There is evidence of BTM Caterpillar feeding damage, webbing and frass (excrement). (Right) A boxwood tree has been severely defoliated by the Box Tree Moth Caterpillar.
If manageable numbers of BTM caterpillars are found, hand picking the caterpillars and dropping them into soapy water can be an effective management tool. Trimming individually affected branches and burning or bagging and disposing in municipal waste can also be effective.
If caterpillars are numerous or the boxwoods appear to be infested, there are pesticide options available by clicking the link within the NYS IPM Factsheet (Click here).
Homeowners may also choose to contact a certified pesticide applicator to help manage this pest. The International Society of Arboriculture website has a “Find an Arborist” tool that lets users search for certified arborists within their area (click here). Often, those arborists are certified as pesticide applicators as well and can help homeowners decide on next steps.
There are several other pests that can affect boxwoods such as Boxwood Leaf Miner, Boxwood Psyllid, Boxwood Blight among others, so proper scouting and identification of the issue is important before any treatment decisions are made. If you have questions about whether you are seeing Box Tree Moth or some other pest on your boxwood plantings, feel free to email questions or photos to Katie Oakes, Horticulture Educator at Orleans County CCE at klo54@cornell.edu.
Bringing a sample of the boxwood branch to the Orleans CCE office (12690 State Rt 31, Albion, NY) is also encouraged but because there is a federal quarantine on boxwoods because of the BTM pest. Any sample brought to the office would need to be bagged and sealed before transport.
Photo from Albion Central School: Wayne Wadhams, right, is congratulated by Mickey Edwards, the Albion school district superintendent, for being recognized by the New York State School Board Association.
Press Release, Albion Central School
ALBION – Wayne Wadhams, president of the Albion Board of Education, has been recognized by the New York State School Board Association for being an active member in workshops and other programs.
Albion Central School Superintendent Mickey Edwards presented Wadhams with a certificate of recognition during the May 6 BOE meeting. Wadhams has earned a Level 4 Lifetime Achievement Award through the NYSSBA Board of Excellence Recognition Program.
“We are grateful for Wayne’s continued dedication to, not just the Board, but the district as a whole,” Edwards said. “We are honored to have him as a leader in our district and as a role model for our Purple Eagles.”
The NYSSBA program is designed to acknowledge members who strive to continually expand their knowledge and skills through NYSSBA trainings, workshops, events and activities.
For this achievement, Wayne is awarded a certificate for a free registration to NYSSBA’s annual convention, a commemorative plaque and an executive pen set.
Editor’s Note: Wadhams retired in June 2017 after a career as a technology teacher and coach – football, track and field, and girls basketball. Wadhams started his teaching career at Albion at the former Waterport Elementary School.
He also has served on the board for the Orleans/Niagara BOCES and was a member of the Leadership Orleans Class of 2022.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 May 2024 at 8:16 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion police officers Alexandra Reigle and Jacob Cotriss were recognized during the Village Board meeting on Wednesday. They are shown with Trustee William Gabalski, left, and Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley.
The Village Board declared the day as “Blue Heroes Day” in honor of the two officers who tried to save a man in a burning trailer at Oak Orchard Estates on April 15.
Reigle and Cotriss arrived on the scene at about 11:45 p.m. on April 14 before firefighters. The two officers weren’t wearing protective gear to withstand the fire but still tried to get the man out of the trailer.
William E. Christy, 68, died in the fire at his home at 30 North St. Neighbors also tried to get him out but the trailer but they were unable to break through windows and locked doors.
“These two young officers put their lives on the line for the community,” Riley said.
Reigle and Cotriss both were presented with framed proclamations from the Village Board. The board declared “Blue Heroes Day” in honor of the two officers and urged “all citizens to thank them for their tireless efforts dedicated to serving our community and its citizens.”
The board states in the proclamation it wants to “recognize the heroic efforts out forth by these officers to save a life that was lost in a fire.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 May 2024 at 10:03 pm
Village trying to ease strain on water system with storage tank being replaced in Gaines
ALBION – The Village of Albion is trying to cut back on the water usage at the spray park and agreed this evening to reduce the hours from 12 to 7 when it is open starting next month.
The spray park is expected to open on June 1 and it will be available from noon to 7 p.m. That is down from the 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. last year.
The village is currently working to take out the 1-million-gallon water storage tank from 1962 on Route 98 in Gaines, north of the five corners. A new 750,000-gallon tank will go in its place. The project will take a big storage tank off line for about three months, said Adam Rush, Albion’s chief operator for the water plant.
The village won’t have the capacity it typically has with the water system. That is prompting the Village Board to reduce the spray park hours, hoping that will ease demand on the system.
Besides less hours, the village will look to reduce the 5-minute cycle times for the water when kids hit a button an activate the 18 different elements. A touch pad triggers the water to start flowing.
The board said starting the spray park at noon gives the summer park program two hours with the option of using the site. The ark program runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Staying open until 7 p.m., also gives parents getting out at work around 5 a chance to take their kids to Bullard for the splash pad.
The spray park has been a big draw, not only for Albion residents but it brings families from Brockport, Lyndonville, Corfu and Batavia, said Jay Pahura, the DPW superintendent.
He said the village is bearing the full cost of running the spray park, even though it is used by so many people from outside the village.
“The Village of Albion is footing the bill,” Pahura said. “And Adam (chief operator at the water plant) is struggling to keep the tank full.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 May 2024 at 4:51 pm
MEDINA – The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery celebrated about $10,000 in improvements to the historic chapel at the Medina cemetery on Saturday.
A restored stained-glass window of an angel highlighted the improvements at the site. The Friends raised $6,500 to have Valerie O’Hara from Pike Stained Glass Studio in Rochester repair the window. O’Hara took apart the bottom half of the window and rebuilt the artwork that is more than a century old.
The Friends also cleaned out the chapel, painted the interior, and put in new doors on the inside leading to the room where bodies were storied in the winter.
The Village of Medina DPW also rebuilt part of the back wall of the chapel. The building saw little public use for many years. But now it is available for small funerals and other events. Some cemeteries open up their chapels for book clubs to discuss a novel, for example.
“We’re trying to bring it back to life,” said Village Historian Todd Bensley, a member of the Friends. “We are open to whatever. The more people we get in here, the more people who will want to support the cemetery.”
About 30 people attended the rededication celebration for the stained-glass window at Boxwood Cemetery on Saturday. The chapel was built in 1903. The cemetery is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rob Klino, president of the Friends, said the volunteer group remains enthusiastic and committed about improvement projects at the cemetery, and other events to bring people to the grounds on North Gravel Road.
Cindy Robinson, owner of the English Rose Tea Shoppe, will host a tea in the cemetery event from 2 to 4 p.m. on June 8. Tables will be decorated and participants are encouraged to wear costumes.
There will also be an expanded Boxwood at Night on Oct. 5, with entertainment, lights and tour guides.
Todd Bensley discusses the history of the chapel, which was built in 1903 with $22,000 left to the cemetery from the estate of Silas Mainville Burroughs. The Medina native was influential in the pharmaceutical industry and was co-founder of the pharmaceutical giant, Burroughs Wellcome & Co. This is one of the companies which today make up GlaxoSmithKline.
When Burroughs died in 1895, he left more than $22,000 to Boxwood Cemetery. Burroughs was buried in Monte Carlo, Monaco, where he had died from pneumonia, and commissioners desired to have his body removed and re-interred in Boxwood Cemetery. When it became evident this would not happen, the commissioners began looking for a suitable memorial to this generous patron and native son.
They settled on building a chapel, which could serve not only as a memorial to Burroughs, but a place where funeral services could take place and bodies stored for the winter, waiting for spring burial.
Boxwood opened in 1850.
Valerie O’Hara discusses the work in repairing the window. The bottom half was totally taken apart, cleaned and put back together with new lead. O’Hara said the window was done in a Tiffany style with layers of glass.
The artist who made the window is unknown, despite diligent efforts going through old village records to try to find a resolution or contract, showing who made the window.
O’Hara said some of the glass pieces were made a little too big, and some of the lead was a little too small.
“The Victorians loved to push the envelope,” she said.
Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian, discusses the themes in the “He Is Risen” window. The Angel of Lord is pointing Heavenward. The golden colors represent the goodness of God, Lattin said.
Lattin wrote a book, Luminaries in the Firmament, about many of the prominent stained-glass windows in Orleans County.
Rob Klino handed out certificates to key volunteers during the rededication on Saturday. Georgia Thomas was given a certificate of appreciation for preparing many desserts, including her popular lemon bars, for Saturday’s celebration.
He also recognized Valerie O’Hara for her work on getting the window restored. O’Hara is planning to retire soon and the Medina project is one of her last.
Jeff Wagner was recognized for doing a lot of woodwork inside, restoring interior doors, and putting in a curved arch above the window.
Craig Royal painted the interior white, including up high near the ceiling.
Tim Tierney also was eager to help with tasks in getting the chapel ready for public use again.
Klino also had a certificate for the DPW for its work in the chapel, including the work shoring up the back wall.
“We’re making headway,” Klino said about progress at the chapel and cemetery. “We’re going to keep going until it’s done.”
The back room is a crypt where bodies were stored during the winter. The floor was covered in dirt and debris. When it was swept and cleaned, a marble floor was underneath.
HOLLEY – The school district today celebrated the start of an $18 million capital project.
Celebratory photos were taken in the Holley Elementary School small courtyard where its new science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classroom will be.
The project was approved by voters in December 2022 and school leaders said the construction work is expected to be finished by the fall of 2025. The district completed the construction bid process in March. This capital project is led by architects from LaBella Associates and a project management team from Turner Construction.
The district is working with the construction management team to ensure that there is as little disruption to students’ regular school day experiences as possible.
“The district is excited to work with the professionals from Turner Construction and LaBella Associates on this project so that the students and staff of Holley continue to have a safe, innovative, and well-maintained learning environment that the entire community will be proud of for years to come,” said Brian Bartalo, Holley school district superintendent.
Brian Bartalo (center), Holley district superintendent, is shown with project managers from Turner Construction and LaBella Associates.
The $18.1 million project is funded by New York State building aid and a school district Capital Reserve Fund. There will be no additional tax impact to district residents, district officials said.
The scope of the project includes:
Safety
New secure entrances at the Elementary School and Middle/High School
Security film applied to doors at both schools’ main entrances
Program Improvements
Music rooms renovated in both schools
New STEM and instructional spaces created at the ES
M/HS Auditorium lighting updated
Site Renovations
New bleachers, scoreboard, lights and parking lot installed at The Woodlands
Air conditioning established in remaining ES classrooms
Storage added inside and outside district buildings
Photo from Albion Central School: These five Albion seniors have graduated from Genesee Community College. Pictured in front row from left include Meganne Moore, Jackie Santiago and Lucy Rivers. In back row are Finn McCue and Jason Anstey.
Press Release, Albion Central School
ALBION – Five seniors from Albion High School graduated on Saturday from Genesee Community College ahead of their high school graduation on June 28.
Albion seniors Jason Anstey, Finn McCue, Meganne Moore, Lucy Rivers and Jackie Santiago all earned their associate’s degree from GCC.
“We are very thankful for our collaborative relationship with GCC,” Albion High School Principal Jennifer Ashbery said. “Together, we encourage our students to take the opportunity and engage with college level courses before they leave our halls.”
Albion had five of the 15 high school students who earned degrees from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming (GLOW) region. The students earn credits through the Accelerated College Enrollment program.
ALBANY – State Sen. Rob Ortt today welcomed Western New York Energy CEO Tim Winters to the New York State Capitol.
Winters, leader of the ethanol plant in Medina, presented a new 2023 Ford Escape flex-fuel plug-in hybrid vehicle and educated members of the State Legislature about their technology aimed at reducing transportation emissions by using higher blends of low-carbon, renewable bioethanol (such as E85).
“Finding cost-effective, sustainable solutions that help the environment and consumers are key priorities for the Senate Republican Conference,” Ortt said. “I was proud to welcome Tim Winters and Western New York Energy, a small business in Medina, to Albany to highlight how they are finding innovative ways to reduce transportation emissions. Western New York Energy is a great example of how the private sector is working to provide affordable pathways to a cleaner environment.”
Western New York Energy, LLC is a locally owned company founded in 2004 to develop the full potential of Western New York’s renewable energy resources. Production at their facility began immediately after the completion of construction in November 2007. WNYE was the first biofuel plant in the Northeast United States and is currently the only large-scale facility in New York, producing over 63 million gallons of ethanol annually.
“Western New York Energy has been reducing harmful tailpipe emissions for almost 17 years,” Winters said. “We work with local, New York farmers to produce a clean, renewable bioethanol product that reduces emissions from gasoline alone by almost 50% today.
“We support the goals of the CLCPA, but an all-of-the-above approach is needed to achieve New York’s lofty climate goals. While other cost-prohibitive technologies need time to mature, we need a technology agnostic approach to reduce emissions today.
“We feel that New York legislators and regulators need to be focused on reliable, affordable, and achievable solutions to climate change rather than picking technology winners and losers. A prime example is budget-conscious low carbon regulations, similar to what has been implemented in California, Oregon, and Washington which have proven successful in lowering emissions while remaining financially responsible.
“Western New York Energy spearheaded this E85 PHEV car project to prove that there are options today that can show achievable emissions reductions for New York and leave a better future for our children.”
Assemblyman Steve Hawley issued this statement:
Western New York Energy’s PHEV uses low-carbon biofuels paired with hybrid technology to provide a reliable solution for emissions reduction. The car is on the leading edge of efficiency, getting 40 miles per gallon and a range of 450 miles on a single charge. Hawley is excited about the advancement of this technology and is proud to see the Western New York region take the lead on these important innovations.
“I’m proud of the work Western New York Energy is doing under Tim Winter’s leadership to lead the charge on sustainable transportation,” Hawley said. “Innovations like this are incredibly important to reduce emissions and create more green jobs. It was an honor to welcome them to Albany today and I will continue to work with my colleagues in the state Assembly to make sure businesses have the freedom to innovate and create more clean energy solutions.”
ALBION – Orleans County Legislature Chairman Lynne Johnson today announced the county will be hosting a paint recycling event on Saturday, June 15th.
Oil-based, acrylic and latex paint, urethanes, varnishes, shellacs, lacquers, primers and clear coatings are all accepted at no cost in the event which is funded by the state’s PaintCare program. Anyone is welcome to attend.
“This is an opportunity to get rid of those old paint cans that are taking up space in your basement and garage, and do so in a way that is environmentally friendly, keeping these materials out of our landfills,” Johnson said. “I want to thank our Planning and Development Department for putting this event together.”
What won’t be accepted at the event include spray paint, paint thinner, solvents, cleansing agents, adhesives, roof patch, drywall mud, auto or marine paint.
The event is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the former GCC campus in Albion at 456 West Ave.
Registration for this event is not required, but is encouraged so participants can choose their time. For more information about registration, click here.
Staff will be on hand to unload vehicles so drivers can stay in their vehicles.
The event is being done in partnership with GreenSheen, a paint company founded in 2010 with operations in the Albany area. GreenSheen has developed their own innovative process to refine recycled paint to create a premium latex paint for reuse.
Those with any questions about the event should call the Orleans County Planning and Development Department at (585) 589-3198.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 May 2024 at 11:29 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion AP physics teacher Ben DeJonge and student Isaac Hickman this morning add soil to a planter with flowers in the median of the parking lot on Main Street next to the First Presbyterian Church.
Students in DeJonge’s class and also biology students in Sandy Climenhaga’s class planted flowers this morning in the planters. The bio students have been doing this every May for more than a decade. Navarra’s Farm Market and Greenhouses provides the flowers.
In front include bio students from left Mallory Ashbery, Madison LeBaron and Kenadie Patten. Other bio students who helped include Finn McCue, Brad Pierce and Tye Talbot.
These physics students include from left Nolan Franzese, Alora Dioguardi, Kevin He, Isaac Hickman and teacher Ben DeJonge.
Some of the Albion business owners donated and raised money for new planters for downtown flowers this year. Some of the older concrete planters will be moved to the Canal Park across from the fire hall on Platt Street.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 22 May 2024 at 8:05 am
Ed Evans has now given 239 presentations about Hamlin Beach State Park, POW Camp
Photos by Tom Rivers: Ed Evans is shown last August at one of the shelters made of Medina Sandstone at Hamlin Beach State Park. The park was indicted into the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame in 2023.
Dave Miller describes a kiosk on Medina sandstone which will be placed in the Hall of Fame for visitors to use.
MEDINA – Ed Evans, a retired teacher from Hamlin, has become a passionate speaker about Medina Sandstone and he gave a stirring address last week to the Medina Sandstone Society during its annual meeting at the Comfort Inn.
Evans, 82, has now given 239 presentations about Hamlin Beach State Park, how its many Medina Sandstone buildings were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps which was established there in 1935. The park’s buildings, headwalls, culverts, drinking fountains and fireplaces are made of Medina Sandstone.
Evans intended to retire from given the presentation. But he made an exception last week for the Sandstone Society. The group last October honored him with an inaugural “Heritage Award” for his 32 years of work in uncovering the sandstone legacy at Hamlin Beach.
Evans’ interest piqued about the park after he became the liaison to Hamlin historian Mary Smith in 1985. At that time she was planning a reunion for 40 CCC guys who were still alive. Evans taped the event. He spent every year after that trying to be allowed to get on CCC site, but the park fought him all the way, he said. Finally, a new park manager was interested in the site and the clearing began.
Guest speaker at the Medina Sandstone Society’s annual meeting Wednesday night was Ed Evans of Hamlin, who talked about the Civilian Conservation Corps which existed at Hamlin Beach State Park in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Much Medina Sandstone was used throughout the park. Evans was honored with a “Medina Sandstone Heritage Award” last October by the Medina Sandstone Society for his efforts to chronicle the history of Hamlin Beach.
“Ed remains proud of the work the CCC accomplished – about 80 years after they did the work,” said Dave Miller, a board member and former president of the Sandstone Society. “Starting in 2008, Evans and his wife Sue and friends began clearing away decades of thick underbrush and fallen trees on the eight-acre site which was used as a POW camp after the CCC closed. Over the next 10 years, they carefully mapped the camp buildings and pieced together much of the camp’s history.”
Photo by Dave Miller: Ed Evans marvels at the accomplishments of the CCC crews who built an everlasting state park in Hamlin. He gave a 40-minute presentation to the Medina Sandstone Society. He said he could talk for hours about the CCC workers and the POW camp in Hamlin.
The CCC camp constructed at the park in 1935 was part of a program by President Roosevelt to provide poverty relief from the Great Depression. Evans said the Hamlin CCC camp was the second largest in Western New York, down to the Pennsylvania line. He said there were more than 4,500 CCC camps in the United States and its territories. If there remain four sites in each state as well preserved as Hamlin’s site, Hamlin’s camp would be rated one in 200 of the most unique CCC camp sites in the country, Evans said.
He added Hamlin’s camp was also one of only 377 WWII prisoner of war branch camp sites in the United States. Most of them are now only marks on maps or roadside historical markers. Very few have spawned museums or a reconstructed building, Evans said. If each of the 46 states that had POW branch camp sites still had one site that had not been contaminated by urban sprawl, that would make Hamlin’s site rank one in 46. But only a few of those were also former CCC camps, which would place Hamlin uniquely in the top 10 historical sites of its kind in the country.
Young men who worked at the CCC camp were paid $30 a month. Many were not yet 18 and got to keep $5, while $25 went to their families, Evans said. The young men were fed, clothed and provided with educational and recreational opportunities. The camp was closed when the war was over.
Evans said when the CCC program was discontinued in 1941, most of those more than 4,000 camps were completely dismantled.
“Ours survived,” Evans said.
Early in 1944, the camp was modified to accommodate German prisoners of war. An eight-foot high barbed wire fence was erected, guard towers were put in place and the enclosed area was lighted. CCC cots were replaced with bunk beds so 400 prisoners could be housed.
The first German POWs arrived June 30, 1944 and stayed until the camp closed Jan. 11, 1946.
Unlike most other similar historical sites, Evans said the footprint of this camp and buried artifacts remained intact, untouched by post-war construction projects. Dense vegetation protected the site for 65 years, until volunteers began slowly turning it into a history trail.
In 2014, the history trail at the former CCC POW camp was opened.
Evans shared a slide show of photos of CCC workers he has accumulated and pictures of POWs. Most of them were from Mary Smith’s collection, which she left him when she died.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Ed Evans gives a tour of Hamlin Beach State park last August and notes some of the fine workmanship in one of the shelters. Evans is hoping to train his successor to give tours of the park and detail the history of the CCC.
He also located 90+ year-old Hazel Lake who has visited and walked around the entire Hamlin CCC site on three different occasions, clutching a 1937 photo of her late husband George posing in from of a CCC barracks. On each visit, she experienced a little more of what George must have felt when he lived in that camp. This was important to her because every weekend George walked from Hamlin to Medina and back to visit her, his 17-year-old sweetheart. He wore out a pair of shoes in the process and more than once got assigned extra KP for getting back to camp after Sunday night curfew.
Evans talked about Medina Sandstone that was used to build all areas of the park. A huge pile of sandstone was found while cleaning up the area for the history trail. He said every scrap of sandstone was used for something. Nothing was wasted.
“Letchworth, which also had a CCC camp and sandstone buildings, and Hamlin don’t realize what they have,” Evans said. “The history of Medina Sandstone should be made into a documentary which would run for two or three days.”
The Medina Sandstone Society last year inducted Hamlin Beach Satte park into the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.
Dave Miller, who serves on the Hall of Fame Committee, said Sandstone Society created a new Heritage Award last year to recognize a community act or individual who contributed to our understanding of local history and preserving it. Evans was the first recipient. (Jennifer Wells-Dickerson also was honored with the award. She has documented the efforts of her great-grandfather, Pasquale DiLaura, who was a stone cutter, business owner and promoter of Medina Sandstone. He operated a quarry in Clarendon and the stone from that site was used for Hamlin Beach and the Lake Ontario State Parkway bridges and culverts.)
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Dave Miller describes a kiosk on Medina Sandstone which will be placed in the Hall of Fame for visitors to use.
Sandstone Society vice president Matt Holland conducted the annual business meeting, and introduced two new members to the board. Jesse Cudzilo serves as director of the YMCA in Medina. Michael Lepkyj is a technology teacher in the Medina school district.
Holland asked for reports from the various committees within the Sandstone Society.
Peggy Schreck reported she had received a letter from a company in Buffalo hired by the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, who is organizing the 2025 World Canals Conference in September 2025. They are planning a day of field sessions and want Medina to be one of their sessions.
Miller announced the Hall of Fame nomination period had begun and names may be submitted online. He said he and Jim Hancock will begin visiting sites in June. Hub editor Tom Rivers will be the next chair of the Hall of Fame Committee, he said.
Miller also showed a new kiosk which will be installed in the Hall of Fame. Visitors only have to touch the screen to read about sandstone buildings in the area or watch a video. Miller hopes they will be able to place others in libraries and other public buildings.
The Sandstone Society is now on Instagram, Miller said.
Sue Holland, Kathy Blackburn and Gabrielle Barone are on the Events Committee and would welcome help from the community with special events, such as mailing newsletters and organizing the Hall of Fame luncheon at Bent’s Opera House. It is hoped volunteers would consider helping with special projects and/or joining the Sandstone Society by logging on to their website.
Holland recalled events they have done in the past, going back to 2008 to remember the late Bob Waters, a founder of the Sandstone Society who thought tours were meant to promote sandstone, not be a fundraiser.
She said they thought of ways to put information on the Medina Sandstone Society out in the public, and decided on walking tours.
“They were very successful, but we exhausted our locations,” Holland said. “So then we went to Boxwood Cemetery, which has a lot of sandstone markers and a sandstone chapel. We were fortunate to have Bill Lattin, former Orleans County historian, lead these informative tours.”
In 2018, the Sandstone Society decided to do a bus tour, and hired a small 30-passenger bus to tour Medina, Clarendon, Holley, Albion, Mount Albion Cemetery and St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
“We got brave the next year and rented a real bus,” Holland said. “We went to Buffalo and toured the Richardson complex which had recently opened. We also saw some of the Hall of Fame buildings in Buffalo. In 2023, we decided to go east, and visited Rochester and Sonnenberg Gardens. This year, we are going back to Buffalo and the Richardson complex.”
Holland said the winner of the John Ryan Scholarship will be announced by Medina High School this Friday. This year the students were asked to make brochures advertising Medina Sandstone or talk about cathedrals made of the local sandstone.
The next meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. July 17 at the Walsh Hotel.
MEDINA – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) along with Senator Rob Ortt will welcome Western New York Energy and CEO Tim Winters to Albany today as they display their new 2023 Ford Escape plug-in hybrid vehicle in the state Capitol.
Representatives from Western New York Energy will speak with members of the public and the state Legislature on the strides being made in renewable energy. Hawley is excited to see the advancement of this technology and is proud to see the Western New York region take the lead on these important innovations.
“Local companies like Western New York Energy are breaking barriers and leading the charge in creating cost-effective and efficient transportation solutions,” said Hawley. “The work Western New York Energy is doing will help reduce emissions, make transportation more environmentally friendly and inspire other companies to do the same. It will be an honor to welcome them to Albany this week and I look forward to seeing the impact their work will have on this industry.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2024 at 10:09 pm
The school budgets in Albion, Holley, Kendall and Medina all received strong backing from the public today.
ALBION: The $42,320,666 budget passed, 332 to 73, with 82.0 percent in favor. The budget keeps the tax levy at $8,449,039. This is now the 16th time in the past 18 years that taxes have either stayed the same or decreased.
“Thank you to everyone who voted today,” said Superintendent of Schools Mickey Edwards. “It is with your continued support we are able to promote the success of our students and staff here at Albion. We’re looking forward to another great year for our Purple Eagles.”
Other propositions also passed:
• Spending up to $650,000 for bus purchases from reserve funds, approved 352 to 52.
• Establishing a capital improvement reserve fund for up to $15 million, approved 330 to 69.
• Proposition to collect $664,510 for Hoag Library, approved 317 to 87.
There are two seats up for election and voters elected Kelly Kirby with 306 votes and incumbent Linda Weller with 208. Tim McMurray, 113 votes, and Derek Reiner, 137, also were on the ballot.
HOLLEY – The proposed $29,615,000 district budget was approved in a 340-113 vote or with 75.1 percent in support. The budget represents a 2.4 percent spending increase with taxes up by 1.49 percent.
Voters also approved:
• A proposition to authorize spending up to $363,000 to replace school buses – 332 to 121
• And a proposition to collect $206,840 for the Community Free Library – 362 to 94
There were five candidates for four positions up for election for the Board of Education. The three candidates with the highest number of votes will each serve a three-year term. The candidate with the fourth highest total will serve a two-year term.
The totals include: Jennifer Reisman, 313; Salvatore DeLuca Jr., 303; Joseph Flanagan, 300; Shannon Brett, 292; and Allysia Pogel, 202.
KENDALL – The $20,921,832 budget passed with a 189-46 vote or 80.4 percent in favor. The budget will increase taxes by 1 percent with spending up by 2.5 percent.
Voters also authorized spending up to $350,000 from the Transportation Bus Reserve to purchase transportation vehicles. That passed 194-43.
Two candidates ran for one five-year seat on the Board of Education. Colleen Dorney was elected with 143 votes while Scott Martin received 93.
MEDINA – The school district’s $42,162,921 budget was approved with 80 percent in favor, or 228 who voted yes, to 57 who said no.
The budget represents a 2.0 percent tax increase. This is the 15th consecutive year Medina is under a state-imposed tax cap of about 2 percent, said Dr. Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.
There are two candidates for two open seats on the board. Both are incumbents. Jennifer Buondonno received 235 votes, and Alissa Mitchell had 226. There were 8 write-ins.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2024 at 9:52 pm
LYNDONVILLE – Three challengers ousted the incumbents on the Lyndonville Board of Education in a bitter contest.
Voters elected Megan Bruning, 365 votes; Patrick Whipple, 364 votes; and George Avery, 324.
They were elected to three-year terms and narrowly defeated the incumbents: Steve Vann, 312 votes; Board President Ted Lewis, 300 votes; and Susan Hrovat, 299 votes.
The incumbents ran as conservative candidates who said they would push back against some of the social pressures gripping many school districts across the country.
The Lyndonville Teachers Association made an unprecedented move in endorsing the challengers and campaigning against the incumbents.
One of the top issues for the teachers’ union was the current board, led by BOE member Steve Vann, was looking at possible significant changes in the health insurance plan that the LTA said would have left teachers with less coverage. Teachers during a BOE meeting last week said many of their current providers wouldn’t be included in the plan.
Vann disputed those assertions, saying the proposed plan would have offered comparable coverage, and even been an improvement for many of the employees at a significant cost savings for the district.
Whipple, one of the newly elected board members, said the bitterness in the election the past three weeks caught him off guard.
“It’s sad because it’s shown some of things I’ve idealized about this community may not be true,” Whipple said about many personal attacks on social media.
Whipple said he wants the public and school community to have a clear understanding of how decisions are reached at the board level.
Lewis, Vann and Hrovat all said during a meet the candidates event last week they are proud of how Orleans County’s smallest school district has high-achieving students in music, sports and academics. Lewis said the board, administration and teachers were all committed to finding a way to offer in-person classes for all students each day of the week during the 2020-21 year. Many other districts were on a hybrid schedule or had students fully remote.
Voters also approved the following:
• The $17,664,583 budget passed with 366 yes votes to 255 no.
• A proposition for funding the local Yates Community Library at $135,316 passed with 385 yes votes to 233 no.
