By Tom Rivers and Ginny Kropf

GAINES – Leadership Orleans spent Thursday touring local museums and cultural sites as part of a day-long focus on “Communities & Culture.”

The class with 28 students opened the day with breakfast at the Tavern on the Ridge, the former Tillman’s Village Inn before heading to the Cobblestone Museum.

Terry C. Abrams, a resident of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is also the co-chair of the Conference on Iroquois Research. His primary areas of interest include Native American history and historic photography.

He is speaking inside the District No. 5 school which was built in 1849. The school served District No. 5 for 103 years before it was closed in 1952 after the centralization of Albion’s school district.

In 1961, it was sold to the Cobblestone Society Museum for $129. Volunteers re-shingled the roof, repainted the exterior woodwork, built additional desks to duplicate original pieces within the building, and worked to furnish the schoolhouse with period items. In 2004, the belfry was restored to its pre-1930s design.

Bill Lattin, retired county historian and museum director, speaks inside the cobblestone church that was built in 1834, the oldest cobblestone church in North America.

The Cobblestone Society formed in 1960 to preserve the Cobblestone Universalist Church and District No. 5 Schoolhouse in Childs.

The Cobblestone Society and Museum has acquired other historic buildings near the intersection of routes 98 and 104 and is working to develop a visitors’ center.  The museum in 1993 was declared a National Historic Landmark, the first site in Orleans County with that distinction.

After the tour and discussion at the Cobblestone Museum, Leadership Orleans traveled to Medina for lunch at Harvest Restaurant in the restored Bent’s Opera House. The class heard presentation from Cindy Robinson, president of the Medina Area Partnership; and Gregory Hallock, executive director of GO Art!

The class then toured the Medina Historical Society and Medina Railroad Museum, both on West Avenue. The Medina Historical Society tour was led by Georgia Thomas, a board member, and Catherine Cooper, the county historian. Jeff Lewis, director of the Railroad Museum, welcomed the class to that site.

Leadership Orleans has graduated 149 people since the first class in 2018. The program aims to build the “citizen capital” of the community, helping develop leaders who are educated on the many facets of the community, from agriculture, non-profit organizations, government services, small and larger businesses, tourism, arts and culture, community health and economic development.

The class meets monthly, building leadership skills and gaining knowledge, experiences and meeting people from many different sectors in the community.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Leadership Orleans visited the Medina Railroad Museum and listened to the museum’s plans from director Jeff Lewis.

Leadership Orleans visited the Medina Railroad Museum and toured the facility and learned about plans for the future.

“It was great to meet the new director and have a tour,” said Skip Helfrich, Leadership Orleans director. “In the seven years we done the Leadership program we’ve been there four times. I was impressed with the new covered area on the deck and their plans for the future. It was also clear from our visit that things in the museum had been improved upon and were more orderly than in the past.”

Museum director Jeff Lewis was also thrilled to participate with Leadership Orleans.

“I’m glad they accepted our invitation,” Lewis said. “Being able to explain the museum and having them see what we are all about is wonderful. The museum is a part of the non-profit community services here in Medina and all of Orleans County. It is a grand idea to have that leadership sharing plans, ideas and practices. We are community members, not islands unto our own. It is easy to get caught up in the businesses we are involved in and forget our duties to community. I personally hope this group will honor us as hosts every year in the future.

“As the museum spokesperson, I really appreciate being asked and like to see our space used, if possible, to host these functions,” Lewis added. “I hope we can build on this and further market our pavilion for groups as a meeting room.”

Heather Kelley will take over dance studio in Holley with Lisa Bower-Logsdon to continue as teacher

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Lisa Bower-Logsdon is hugged by Kamryn Berner, one of her faculty choreographers, at the end of Saturday’s recital at the Holley Junior-Senior High School Auditorium. Heather Kelley, second from right, and Caitlin Milizia, the other choreographers on staff, move in to congratulate Bower-Logsdon on her 47-year career as the owner and dance instructor at Lisa’s Dance Boutique in Holley.

“The dance studio became my second home, as I know it was for so many of our students,” Bower-Logdson said. “It was there that I met such wonderful families and made everlasting friendships. Bot now, it is time to pass the torch to capable hands and I am confident that this studio will continue to thrive.”

Lisa Bower-Logsdon thanks the community, the dance families, her staff and her family members for their support in her 47 years of running the dance studio. Her choreographers join her on staff, including from left: Heather Kelley, Kamryn Berner and Caitlin Milizia.

Bower-Logsdon announced her retirement from owning the business at the conclusion of the Saturday night recital and that Heather Kelley will become the new owner. Bower-Logsdon will continue to work as one of the dance instructors.

“It is time to take my final bow,” Bower-Logsdon said at the end recital, which was attended by 650 people.

Bower-Logsdon said Kelley brings a love of dance, children and community. Kelley has coached the Holley cheerleaders and served as a dance instructor at Lisa’s for 27 years. Her dancers are regulars in the finals at the State Fair and one year won a state championship.

“Her passion for dance is unlike anyone I know,” Bower-Logsdon told the crowd about Kelley. “And when it comes to choreographing dance or cheer, she is one of the best.”

Saturday’s show included Bower-Logsdon’s granddaughter, Emilia Logsdon, in the baby tap class. Bower-Logsdon said teaching dance to her granddaughter has been an extra joy this year. Emilia is shown here during the “Baby Take A Bow” number. Emilia is doing leaping toe, back step.

Lisa started her dance studio as a junior in high school, first operating out of the St. Mary’s hall and then the Presbyterian Church before buying a building in the Public Square in 1991. Lisa’s has been there since. This year she had 200 students with most from Holley, Kendall, Albion and Brockport.

Bower-Logsdon said her parents, the late George and Sandy Bower, nurtured her love for dance and urged her to open a dance studio in Holley. Lisa praised her husband Kevin Logsdon for his steady support, including countless hours of maintenance with their building, and she commended her children Lauren and Mike and their families.

Bower-Logsdon said her fellow dance instructors over the years are the “unsung heroes behind the scenes.” They include Jill Bower, Beth Friedo, Caitlin Milizia, Alana Piccirilli, Malia Gardner, Lora Bower and Kamryn Berner. All started dancing at Lisa’s when they were young children.

“Together we’ve laughed, cried and brainstormed choreography,” Bower-Logsdon said. “Your creativity knows no bounds, and you commitment to our dancers has been nothing short of extraordinary. As I retire, I leave you with the legacy of collaboration and camaraderie that defines our studio.”

Lisa Bower-Logsdon sits close to the stage and helps guide a a tap dance from her young dancers. The number was called, “When I Grow Up.”

Caitlin Milizia, 33, has been part of Lisa’s since she was 3. She started as a staff choreographer when she was 17. She drives in from Webster to be part of Lisa’s Dance Boutique.

“She has been my role model for my whole life,” Milizia said. Her love for her dance families doesn’t stop when they leave her studio.”

Milizia had to wipe away tears talking about Bower-Logsdon after the recital.

“She puts forward her love of dance and it’s contagious,” Milizia said. “She puts her whole heart into it.”

Heather Kelley, the new owner of the dance studio, joins some of the dancers, including many alumni, in a number called, “Pass That.”

Kelley said she will continue Bower-Logsdon’s commitment to the community. Like Lisa, Heather has grown up in Holley and wants the dance studio to be a vital part of Holley for years to come.

“This has been my dream ever since I was little,” Kelley said.

These dancers perform “Gotta Be Mine” during the recital on Saturday.

This group performs “Fun” with some gravity-defying moves.

This younger group of dancers sport sunglasses in a number called, “Shades.”

“Dynamite” was one of many dancers with exuberant energy on stage.

“Sugar Sugar” featured dancers in colorful costumes with a lollipop prop.

This group performs M.C. hammer’s “Can’t Touch This” and even wore similar-style baggy pants as the rapper from the early 1990s.

“The Nicest Kids In Town” offered high-energy and upbeat music and moves.

Provided photo: Pictured form left include Brycen Potter, Blair Allchin, Matthew Schomske, Liam Skowneski and Tres Allchin.

ALBION – An Albion boy chose to spend part of his 12^th birthday on Thursday serving food at the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen. Tres Allchin recruited helpers: his sister Blair, mother Courtney Henderson and friends Brycen Potter, Matthew Schomske and Liam Skowneski.

Tres wanted to give back instead of having a birthday party with his friends, his mother said. Serving at the kitchen is the beginning of a year-long “Tres takes 12” effort to help at different non-profit organizations at least monthly throughout the year.

“We were so thankful and blessed to have had Tres and his friends come and serve the community,” said Faith Smith, the OK Kitchen director. “They even stayed at the end and helped clean up, wiping tables down and then vacuuming. It was such a blessing to have this crew serving.”

The OK Kitchen served 690 meals on Thursday, and those meals were based on Tres’ favorite food of cornbread. The kitchen served BBQ chicken, pasta salad, cornbread and birthday cake, cupcake and cookies.

Tres and his friends want to come back to help at the OK Kitchen, Tres mother said.

“He understands that he has immense privilege and that unfortunately not everyone gets dealt that hand and he would like to help better other people’s lives in any way he can,” Henderson said.

Kennan chronicled difficult conditions in Siberia in 1865-’67

Livia Hamel placed flowers on the grave of George Kennan in Boxwood Cemetery.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, No. 14

MEDINA – Livia Hamel travelled from Phoenix, Az. to Medina this weekend, specifically to honor the centenary of the death of her favorite author, George Kennan, who died on May 10, 1924.

The 23-year-old, who works at Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert laboratory in Scottsdale, Az., was suitably dressed for the occasion in a striking Cossack outfit.

A voracious reader and history enthusiast, Livia’s introduction to George Kennan resulted from a reading of the Dostoyevsky novel, Crime and Punishment.

Intrigued by the novel’s references to Siberia, Livia sought out additional reading material on the region and chanced upon George Kennan’s two-volume book, Siberia and the Exile System. Published in 1891, Kennan’s vivid, heartfelt, and unforgettable descriptions of the horrors of the treatment of political exiles and prisoners in Siberia generated a public outcry in this country and established Kennan as the foremost advisor on Russian affairs.

Livia then read Kennan’s Tent Life in Siberia, his lively account of his 1865-67 journey across the wilds of Siberia. He had been hired by the Russian American Telegraph Company as part of a team sent to survey the possibility of connecting North America and Europe by means of an overland cable route.

Livia was captivated by Kennan’s zestful retelling of the team’s many hair-raising adventures. They experienced extreme temperatures (68 degrees below zero), traveled along steep knife-edged precipices during blinding storms, encountered a variety of nomadic tribes, and sampled alcohol made from fermented toadstools.

By then, Livia was well and truly a George Kennan fan. She read and researched as much as she possibly could. She admires the energy of his written work, and the sincerity of his involvement with the Siberian exiles.

Kennan was born in Norwalk, Ohio in 1845, but came to live in Medina in 1871 since he needed employment upon his return from his Russian adventure. His brother, John, was president of the Union Bank in Medina at the time and George was hired as a bank teller there.

Livia was intrigued to walk in Kennan’s footsteps, from the home at 200 West Center St., where Kennan first lived with his brother to the Union Bank (currently Avanti’s). She also visited Bent’s Opera House, where Kennan lectured on many occasions.

“Welkenna” at 127 West Center St., the home of George and Emeline Kennan, was photographed in the late 1930s when the Post Office was being built.

George also met the love of his life on this West Center Street block. Emeline Rathbone Weld lived but a stone’s throw from John Kennan’s home, on the now vacant lot on the southeast corner of West Center and West Avenue. They were married in 1879 and then divided their time between the Weld home in Medina, Washington, DC, where Kennan was employed by the Associated Press, and a summer home in Baddeck, Nova Scotia.

Throughout his career, Kennan maintained a hectic pace of traveling, lecturing, and writing. Ill-health and advancing age forced him to slow down and the couple retired in 1920 to their Medina home “Welkenna.”

George “suffered two strokes of apoplexy” in early May 1924 and died on May 10, aged 79. Reporting on his death, the Buffalo Times described him as a “noted lecturer, traveler and adventurer.” The Medina Tribune published some of the many telegrams of condolence sent to Emeline, including one from the National Institute of Arts and Letters which commended “his glorious and immortal achievements.”

The Kennan gravestone includes an emblem designed by George and Emeline.

Dr. David Fairchild of Washington, DC, a prominent botanist, and son-in-law of Alexander Graham Bell, traveled to Medina for the funeral. He selected a burial site at Boxwood Cemetery for Kennan that peacefully overlooks Glenwood Lake. The grave’s flat marker was all but unreadable in recent years, until it was cleaned in 2023 by Friends of Boxwood organizers, Nikki and Todd Bensley.

It is gratifying to see a continued interest in George Kennan. Additionally, Gregory J. Wallance published a new book on Kennan in 2023, Into Siberia: George Kennan’s Epic Journey Through the Brutal, Frozen Heart of Russia. Wallance is another unabashed admirer of Kennan’s writings and adventures.

Accompanied on this trip by her parents, Robert and Grace, (Kennan devotees-by-proxy), Livia visited the Medina Historical Society and the Medina Railroad Museum.

Livia continues with a visit to New York, where she plans to access the Kennan papers at the New York Public Library and tour the Guggenheim Museum.

Incidentally, George Kennan performed a reading from Crime and Punishment at the home of Mrs. D.A. Acer at 212 Park Ave. in Medina, on November 3, 1922.

*The books referred to in this article are available for loan, free of charge, from your favorite library.

ALBION – Everett “Frenchy” Downey has been selling and repairing televisions, stoves, laundry machines, refrigerators and freezers for six decades in Orleans County.

He has loved the job connecting with people throughout the county, especially when he went to fix something.

Downey said in a way he felt like a doctor, reviving an ailing appliance. He acknowledges he is a child of the Great Depression, and felt giving extra life to a TV or other appliance saved his customers from buying new.

If they needed to purchase used or new, he kept a showroom with the leading brands – Magnavox, Zenith, Crosley, Speed Queen, Norge and many others.

Downey has had amazing longevity in a business that is dominated by much larger operations. But Frenchy will soon be retiring – on his 94^th birthday on May 25.

Downey’s dog Herbie, a 12-year-old Shih Tzu, is a mainstay at Frenchy’s. He barks when people pull in. “He’s my buddy,” Downey said.

He hurt his back last year moving a freezer and doctors tell him to stay away from heavy lifting, or face severe consequences.

“I have loved what I’ve been doing every day,” Downey said today in the showroom at Frenchy’s at 13576 Ridge Rd. “I got to know a lot of people. I always have thought of my customers as my friends. I want to help them if I can.”

Downey has about a dozen appliances left to sell – a freezer, four electric stoves, one gas stove, and laundry machines.

Downey worked with his father on a tomato farm by their home on Ridge Road until he was 30. In 1960, the tomato processors closed their Albion plants, and the farmers “were left high and dry,” Downey said.

He then worked a year at the Ralston Purina plant on West Academy Street in Albion. He made $1.25 an hour and did every task imaginable in the plant, and even drove truck. But he never got a raise so he left.

He worked three years for the Marquart Furniture store in Albion, but the owner cut them to four days a week. Downey was married with children, and four days of work didn’t pay his bills, so in 1964 he ventured off on his own. He started Frenchy’s TV and Appliances on Bank Street, next to the police station.

At the time, Albion had parking meters, and the police wrote many tickets if Frenchy’s customers lingered a little too long. It was a big deterrent to his business, so after two years downtown he decided to build a showroom next to his house on Ridge Road.

Business immediately improved with the ample parking – and no tickets.

Frenchy’s has been a mainstay on Ridge Road. Not only his business, but a 2,000-foot grass air strip next door. Downey and his son-in-law Mike Troy have been flying planes on the airstrip for many years. For Downey, he started flying in 1968. He earned his pilot’s license and bought a 1946 Taylorcraft airplane that he still owns. He also built his own plane, as well as the hangars for the aircraft.

Frenchy Downey is shown with a 1946 Taylorcraft airplane, which he has had since 1968. Downey also built his own plane. He earned his pilot’s license in 1968 after his barbershop quartet broke up.

Downey was in a barbershop quartet, but the group split up. When it did, he had more free time and pursued a love of flying that he kept up until last year. The bad back has sidelined him from the skies.

Downey is often joined in the showroom by his dog, Herbie, a 12-year-old Shih Tzu that barks when cars pull in. Downey admits he is a little hard of hearing and the dog alerts him to customers. Herbie also is a great companion. “He’s my buddy,” Downey said.

For the first 40 years of his career in TV and appliances, Downey’s late wife Dorothy was with him, doing the dreaded bookwork that her husband despised.

After her death about 20 years ago, Frenchy has been doing all the ordering, the paperwork for warranties, the tax filings, insurance and everything else.

“The only thing I’m happy about with retiring is no more bookwork,” Downey said. “All of that paperwork isn’t up my alley.”

Downey said he kept working all of these years because he enjoyed the job, but also because it isn’t a lucrative business and he needed to keep going.

“There’s not a lot of money in it, and it’s difficult with all the costs to be in business,” he said. “All of those expenses, insurances and business costs, they bleed you death. People don’t understand what it costs to be in business. People get into it and think you’ll get rich, but you don’t.”

But Frenchy said the business has made him rich in other ways. He counts numerous friends from all over the county.

‘Each of you, whether currenting practicing or retired, has dedicated your life to the noble pursuit of caring for others.’

MEDINA – Last year Kim Gray, chief nursing officer at Orleans Community Health, came up with the idea to have a brunch to honor current and retired nurses during Nurses Week.

As Nurses Week ends this year, Gray is thrilled to announce the Nurses’ Recognition Brunch has become an annual tradition.

Approximately 50 retired and active nurses from all areas of the hospital attended the brunch Friday morning.

Gray greeted the full room, praising each and every one for choosing nursing as a profession.

“Each of you, whether currenting practicing or retired, has dedicated your life to the noble pursuit of caring for others,” Gray said. “Your incredible dedication to healthcare has left an immense mark on this hospital and the countless lives you’ve touched in this community. Your years of service to this hospital’s history is a testament to your commitment to healing and compassion.”

Karen Irwin, a retired nurse in risk management at Medina Memorial Hospital, and her grandson Langston, 3, attended the second annual Nurses’ Recognition Brunch Friday morning. Here, she chats with Paula Dresser, who was a nurse for 30 years at the hospital.

Gray encouraged each nurse to remember the lives they’ve helped save, the comfort they’ve provided and the hope they’ve instilled through the years to their patients and their families.

“I want to say ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my heart for coming out this morning to be here,” she said. “I pray we can keep this brunch an ongoing tradition to celebrate Nurses’ Week.”

Dorothy Casey of Medina was an LPN at Medina Memorial Hospital for 42 years, and thought the brunch was great.

“Working in a small rural hospital was the experience of a lifetime,” Casey said. “What you learned here gave you all-rounded experience, so anybody would hire you.”

Nurse Leighann VanAuker shared she was born at Medina Memorial Hospital, was treated there several times as a child and did her clinical training there.

Kim Gray, chief nursing officer at Orleans Community Health, talks with Mary Williams, retired human resources director; Elaine Smith, retired nurse; and her husband Charlie Smith, a semi-retired registered nurse who will have 35 years with the hospital in October.

Charlie Smith, an RN, is semi-retired, and plans to keep working until October, when he will have completed 35 years.

“He’s everywhere you need him,” Gray said.

Smith’s wife Elaine is also a retired RN.

The Smiths sat with Mary Williams, retired Human Resources director. Charlie and Williams went to nursing school together.

The nurses were asked to fill out cards on the tables listing any funny or meaningful stories from their careers, which they wished to share.

A gourmet brunch completed the morning get-together.

Gray said everyone seemed to have a good time, and she’s already looking forward to next year.

In addition to the brunch, nurses were recognized throughout the week with small gestures and gifts, said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Community Partners. One day flowers were handed out, bags of candy on other days and additional gifts throughout the week.

“The organizers really deserve a lot of credit for putting this all on,” Robinson said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

POINT BREEZE – A spectacle in the sky of the Northern Lights drew any onlookers to Point Breeze on Friday night. Social media started to lighting up around 10 p.m. with photos and exclamations about the wonder.

I headed down to Point Breeze around 11 p.m. The colors weren’t as brilliant as some of the photos I saw posted but it’s still an awesome sight.

These two were among the people taking in the Northern Lights around 11 p.m. at Point Breeze.

NASA said this was one of the more intense CMEs (coronal mass ejections) in nearly two decades.

Kerri Richardson sent in these photos taken from her home in Barre. Richardson said the sky “was sooo cool.”

Destin Danser of Adventure Ahead Photography shared this photo of the Northern Lights taken from the shore of Lake Ontario in Kendall.

Daniel Patrick Hurley sent in this photo of the Northern Lights from Lattin Road in Albion.

Pam Moore sent in this photo of the scene looking out from her home in Barre. “Well it took almost 62 years to see such beautiful lights like this in our area! God’s Masterpiece for sure!”

Chelsea Dumbleton sent in these photos from Lake Alice in Carlton.

Melissa Gailie of Albion took this photo of the Northern Lights over Lake Ontario.

LYNDONVILLE – The Yates Town Board set June 20 as the day for Town of Yates registered voters to say whether the town can acquire 153.3 acres from NYSEG for $700,000. The referendum states the town will use grant funds for the acquisition of a land next to the 6-acre town park on Morrison Road.

The Town Board on March 14 voted to buy 153.3 acres of land from NYSEG for $700,000. Town officials envision the site to stay undeveloped with walking trails.

But town residents Paul Lauricella, Bill Jurinich and Steve Colon circulated petitions wanting the matter to go to a public vote. On April 11 they turned in petitions signed by 200 residents.

Town Supervisor Jim Simon said the petitions and signatures met the threshold to force a public vote. On Thursday he commended the effort of the local citizens to bring the issue to a referendum.

The public vote will be from noon to 8 p.m. at the Town Hall. Simon and the board will have public information meetings about why the board wants to acquire the land for pu lic use. Those meetings will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 6 at the Town Hall and then 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 15 at the town park.

“This is about our kids and grandkids and an opportunity that won’t come around again,” Simon said during Thursday’s board meeting.

The land owned by NYSEG was at one time eyed for a power plant. That project ended up at Somerset.

Town Supervisor Jim Simon is shown near the shore of Lake Ontario at the Yates Town Park in August 2022. He would like to expand public access to the lakefront.

Simon said the land purchase is contingent on grant funds covering the purchase. He acknowedged there will be some ongoing expense for the town with some maintenance and insurance.

The sale would also take about $25,000 in property taxes – town, county, school and fire district – off the tax rolls.

One resident, Bob DeMallie, said he doesn’t see the need for the town to own the NYSEG property.

“I’m opposed to it because I think the cost will be too much,” DeMallie told the Town Board about the ongoing maintenance.

He also thinks the location is isolated and could attract crime.

“I think it will bring out an unwanted dimension of people who will do who knows what,” DeMallie said.

Simon said the land has long been eyed by the town for recreation near the waterfront. It was included in a local waterfront development plan from 2002, Simon said, and a more recent town comprehensive plan.

“We didn’t willy nilly pull this out of a hat,” Simon said.

Paul Lauricella, a Yates resident and the Conservative Party chairman for the county, said he spent about three weeks talking to residents, and collecting signatures for the petition. He worries about the ongoing cost to taxpayers.

“This is pure legacy-building at the taxpayers’ expense,” Lauricella said after the meeting on Thursday evening. “The public has had enough of politicians taking tax-paying properties off of the tax rolls. The bottom line is this: your taxes will go up to maintain this forever.”

$250K grant from Gene Haas Foundation goes to machining program

Photos courtesy of Orleans/Niagara BOCES: A crowd of about 120 celebrated the opening of Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) classroom at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES on Thursday.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Over 120 people attended the grand opening on Thursday of the new Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) classroom at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

Thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation the machining program, taught by Bill Rakonczay for over 30 years, the classroom and lab were completely upgraded to one of the most state-of-the-art programs in the state.

Pictured from left include Bill Rakonczay (AME teacher), Eric Schwenzer (Haas Foundation Outlet-Nymat Machine Tool Corporation) and Jeff Brauer (Nymat Machine Tool Corporation).

Representatives from Gene Haas Foundation, Edge Factor, local manufacturing company, BOCES students and staff members, parents and the members of the community were on hand for the ribbon cutting.

Guest speakers included Bill Rakonczay, Orleans Career and Technical Education Center Principal Nicole Goyette, Orleans/Niagara BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Clark Godshall, Jeremy Bout from Edge Factor and Kathy Looman, director of the Gene Haas Foundation.

“It is a pretty amazing feeling to have a career last as long as mine and towards the end of my career to be at such a high point,” Rakonczay said.

Principal Nicole Goyette said, “We are so happy to say the AME program is full to the brim for next year. Machinists will be coming out of that lab for years to come!”

Pictured from left include Kathy Looman (Director of Gene Haas Foundation), Brain Cregg (Nymat Machine Tool Corporation), Jeremy Bout (Edge Factor), Jason Roth (Autodesk) and Bill Rakonczay.

Kathy Looman (Director of Gene Haas Foundation) celebrates with students and staff at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES in Medina.

Provided photo: Barbara Pilmore is the new leader of the FMC facility in Middleport, which has 65 employees.

Press Release, FMC Middleport

MIDDLEPORT – Barbara Pilmore has been named plant manager of FMC’s Agricultural Sciences Plant in Middleport. The local facility formulates and packages a number of key FMC product lines that protect over 100 crops in more than 75 countries worldwide.

A seasoned manufacturing professional, Pilmore brings to this role over 25 years of manufacturing experience, managing large operations across a range of industries. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University and is a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt and Lean Professional.

“I am excited to join the FMC Middleport team as plant manager,” she said.  “We have a great group of employees at the plant who work hard, producing products that benefit people around the world.  We are fortunate to be doing that work in a wonderful location like Middleport, and I’m looking forward to meeting and working with the members of this community.”

A Western New Yorker for the last 18 years, Pilmore is originally from a rural community outside Lansing, Michigan. She is actively involved with the Girl Scouts of WNY and has been a Troop Leader for the last 10 years.  Pilmore resides in Williamsville with her husband and two daughters.

Joyce and Tim LaLonde, Joyce’s husband Nate Birnbaum provided critical responses for Marine Corps commandant

Photo courtesy of Steve LaLonde: During a ceremony at the Marine Barracks Washington on Thursday, Gen. Eric M. Smith presented Navy Distinguished Public Service Award to, from left: Joyce LaLonde, Timothy LaLonde and Nathaniel Birnbaum. The trio provided critical aid to the general after he collapsed from a heart attack on Oct. 29 while out for a jog.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The top general for the U.S. Marine Corps on Thursday honored a brother and sister from Albion, and her husband with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award after they saved his life on Oct. 29.

Gen. Eric M. Smith was out for a 3-mile run on Oct. 29 when he collapsed after having a heart attack. He was face down on the sidewalk and unresponsive with blood coming from his mouth.

Joyce LaLonde, 28, ran the Marine Corps Marathon that day and her brother Tim LaLonde, 33, did the even longer 50K ultra marathon. They went out for a late lunch with other family members and were walking back to Joyce’s nearby home that afternoon close to 5 p.m., according to an article today in The Washington Post.

Joyce was the first to see the general and she shouted for help. Joyce and Nate were the first by the general’s side, with Tim and Steve LaLonde soon to follow. Steve is Tim and Joyce’s father and he lives in Albion. Tim lives in Seattle and works in environmental health and safety. Joyce and Nate live in DC. She works in international affairs and Nate is a legislative assistant in the Senate.

Together, the family of four were all able to get the general on his side and determined CPR was necessary.

Tim, who is certified in CPR, would provide CPR to the general for nine minutes. His sister called 911 twice to get help for General Smith. The first call went to an automated system but she persisted and called again. Joyce’s husband, Nate Birnbaum, ran to a police station get aid for Smith.

The story of their life-saving actions has been out of the spotlight until today. The Washington Post has a big story about the general’s heart attack, the critical care provided by strangers, his recovery and return to work in less than four months. Click here to see “On a D.C. sidewalk, a race to save a Marine general’s life.”

Joyce, Tim and Nate also will join the general for a featured segment on The Today Show this morning. Click here to see it.

They were honored in a ceremony at the barracks on Thursday, and today will be recognized with the first responders during an “Evening Parade” event at the barracks featuring marching and music, according to The Washington Post article.

“You have really given me a second chance,” the general on Thursday, pinning the medal, with its blue and yellow ribbon, to their chests. “I’m grateful to you.”

The Marine Corps general, age 58, is married with two children.

Tim LaLonde is quoted in the Washington Post saying his training in CPR made a difference in helping the general survive the heart attack.

“I’m just really proud of everyone in my family for how they responded,” he said. “There was a lot of luck that came in that day.”

The general and his wife wanted to honor the trio for their quick actions on Oct. 29 and also highlight the value of CPR training, the Washington Post reported.

“If Mr. LaLonde had not been a CPR-certified instructor, I would not be standing here today,” General Smith said.

This photo shared on The Today Show shows Joyce LaLonde with her marathon finisher’s medal and Tim LaLonde with his medal for finishing the ultra marathon. Not long after finishing the race, they were instrumental in saving the life of the top-ranked Marine in the country.

District has stayed under the tax cap last 15 years; transportation will be available to all students next year

MEDINA – The school district is proposing a $42,162,921 budget for the 2024-25 school year that increases spending by 5.2 percent or $2,067,106 from the $40,095,815 in the current school year.

The budget proposes a 2.0 percent tax increase, up from $8,814,697 to $8,990,990. 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.

The budget and the election for two board of education members goes to a vote from noon to 8 p.m. on May 21 at the District Office, 1 Mustang Drive.

The budget maintains all academic, extra-curricular and athletic programs, including modified sports and clubs, Kruzynski stated in a letter to the community.

Medina also will keep all support positions established with a federal stimulus grant and will make transportation available to all students in the 2024-25 school year.

The district for about a dozen years has had a single bus run in the morning and afternoon, with an expanded walk zone – 2 miles for students in middle and high school, and 1 mile for those in elementary school. The district made that decision during a budget crisis when the state made steep cuts to school districts in 2010-11.

The district is in a stronger financial position now. Medina will add more busses next year and continue with the one morning and afternoon bus runs. It will cost about $525,000 with district reserves covering the cost in 2024-25. After that, state aid will pay 90 percent of the cost, Kruzynski said.

There are some staff cuts in the proposed budget and those are being made through attrition with several retirements in the district.

“Our board members have worked diligently with the administrative staff to create a fiscally responsible budget, and one that exemplifies excellence in education,” Kruzynski wrote in a  letter to the community about the budget.

There are two candidates for two open seats on the board. Alissa Mitchell and Jennifer Buondonno are both current members of the board.

Mitchell, the board vice president, is a first grade teacher at Brockport. Buondonno is an assistant branch manager at Tompkins Community Bank.

ALBION – District Attorney Joe Cardone sees a full-time district court as a much more efficient court system for Orleans County rather than the part-time town courts with varying office hours and court times.

Cardone has been trying for several years to bring district court to a public referendum in the county. That vote could happen in November.

First there will be two public hearings and then the County Legislature may decide to put the issue to a public vote.

The first hearing was Tuesday, and the next is 7 p.m. on June 4 in the legislative chambers of the County Office Building.

The proposal faced criticism during Tuesday’s hearing, with speakers saying the current system is serving the people well, and a district court brings “big government” and could result in more local expense.

“We have something here that works,” said Debbie Berry, a retired chief clerk for the Surrogate Court in Orleans County. “We’re not hearing any numbers. The people want to know what it costs.”

Paul Lauricella, chairman of the Orleans County Conservative Party, sees a district court as an expansion of government.

Cardone said the district court would ultimately operate at a much lower local cost because the state, by its own statue, pays the salaries of the staff and the security. The county would provide a building and its maintenance, Cardone said.

“There is no guarantee the state would pick up the costs of judges and clerks,” said Richard DeCarlo, a former Barre town justice. “We’re assuming they will do it.”

DeCarlo was a member of the 11-member district court committee, but he voted against the committee’s recommendations in its report. The county hasn’t said where the court would be located, DeCarlo said.

He sees a big expense in housing the court, whether it’s a major renovation to the Public Safety Building or the former GCC campus in Albion that has been acquired by the county.

“If we renovate the Public Safety Building, it’s seven figures,” DeCarlo said. “If we build new, it’s tens of millions of dollars.”

Virginia Nicholson, a former court staffer for retired Judge James Punch, commended Cardone and the committee for their work trying to bring the issue to the public. But Nicholson believes the community needs more information about potential staffing, court location and expense.

Tim McMurray, an Albion village trustee, said Cardone and other supporters of the district court have said the county should move to a district court partly because the state is likely to impose such a court in the near future.

Right now there are only district courts in Nassau and Suffolk counties. They were formed in the 1960s and no other counties have gone to that model.

McMurray said he has found nothing to suggest the state wants counties to move from town courts and replace them with district courts.

“It is not on the radar that another county is doing this,” McMurray said during the hearing.

Paul Lauricella of Yates, chairman of the Orleans County Conservative Party, said he prefers the current system where the town justices know their communities well.

“I’m concerned this in an expansion of government,” Lauricella said. “Once that ball gets moving there’s no stopping it.”

Kenneth “Ohi” Johnsen is president of the NYS Magistrates Association and the town justice in in the Town of Day in Saratoga County.  The Magistrates Association, which includes 2,300 town and village justices in the state, opposes the district court. Johnsen said the local justices are well-trained and in touch with their communities.

Kenneth “Ohi” Johnsen, president of the NYS Magistrates Association, pushed back on statements from Cardone that judges who are attorneys have a better understanding of complex laws and dispense better justice.

Johnsen, a town justice in Saratoga County, said the village and town justices all do a minimum of 12 hours of judicial education each year and they have access to a hotline through the Office of Court Administration if they need any advice on complicated cases or issues.

One local resident, Ken Ortiz of Medina, spoke during the hearing and he said the local criminal justice system has made mistakes in cases brought against him that were eventually dismissed. He also said the justice system failed in the death of Theresa Karlak, who was hit by a car in Gaines while on a walk with her sister on Jan. 1, 2022.

Sherry R. Davenport, a past president of the NYS Magistrates Association, said the group opposes district courts because they aren’t as accessible as the local town and village courts. The local courts are close by with judges elected by their local residents, she said.

Davenport of Cortland said the local County legislature shouldn’t be pushing for a district court that would ultimately result in fewer local town justices. She said the Legislature shouldn’t be “running roughshod” over the local judicial branch.

She also noted of the 11 members on the district court committee, five did not vote in favor of it – 3 opposed the recommendations and 2 abstained.

Davenport said the committee’s report lacks solid facts on moving to a district court, and instead relies on anecdotes about shortcomings in local courts from the New York State Bar Association.

The Orleans County Magistrates Association has been steadfastly opposed to a district court. The town justices and court clerks at the town level have all signed a resolution last October saying they are against a district court in Orleans County.

Cardone served as co-chairman of the district court committee with Joanne Best, the county’s public defender.

Cardone noted the towns and villages have gone from 24 local justices about 20 years ago to the current 11. Albion and Medina both have abolished their village courts during that time and most towns are down to one justice. He said the local communities have shown they can make changes in their courts. That is partly why he believes Orleans can be a leader in reimagining how to run a local court system.

(Left) Former Gaines Town Justice Bruce Schmidt said he favors the district court as a better way to dispense justice. (Right) Ginny Nicholson said more information is needed on the proposal.

Cardone said the district court would be staffed full-time and offer more consistent justice throughout the county. He sees a district court as far more efficient than 10 town justice courts that typically operate part-time with staff available on a limited basis. They can make it difficult for people to get in contact with the court.

The committee is projecting the costs of the district court at $1.2 million with revenue at $175,000 in fines and forfeitures, and $110,000 through the traffic diversion cases for $285,000 total.

The expenses includes salaries for two judges at $320,000, clerk costs at $150,000, security at $150,000, a stenographer at $50,000, office supplies at $4,000, equipment at $2,500 and interpreter at $2,500.

Employee benefits – Social Security, Medicare, disability, retirement, workers’ comp, unemployment insurance and health insurance – would be an estimated $531,661. Facility costs would cost an estimated $50,000 a year.

The court would operate at a loss of $975,661, with the state picking up the expense, according to the report.

The 10 towns courts operate at an aggregate deficit of $462,160 (which doesn’t include the costs of employee benefits and facility expense), the report states.

The CAP court that does arraignments in mornings and evenings at the county jail, plus on weekends, is another $113,800. If there was a district court, the CAP court functions would shift to the district court.

Employee benefits and facility costs represent 57 percent of the costs of running a district court. If that same percentage is applied to the 10 town courts, that total “real cost” of those courts would be $1,001,935, plus the CAP court costs of $113,800, the report states.

“The citizens of Orleans County are paying approximately $1.1 million annually for a fragmented system of part-time courts consisting of lay judges,” the report states.

Press Release, Royalton-Hartland FFA

MIDDLEPORT – Last week, 40 Royalton-Hartland FFA members and 4 Royalton-Hartland educators traveled to the Buffalo Convention Center for the 99th annual New York State FFA Convention & Expo.

The Roy-Hart group included 28 high school members, 12 middle school members, Matthew Sweeney (HS Agriculture Educator & FFA Advisor) Madeline Keyes (MS Agriculture Educator & Jr. FFA Co-Advisor), Susan McLaughlin (Jr. FFA Co-Advisor), and Shelly Budziszewski (Elementary Green Team Co-Advisor).

Members participated in agriculture industry tours, assisted with day-of-service activities, networked with college and career professionals, earned state degree and proficiency awards, and competed in a variety of Career Development Event (CDE) competitions.

The CDE competitions build on what is learned in agricultural education classes and encourage FFA members to put their knowledge into practice. These events are designed to help a member prepare for a career in agriculture by testing and challenging the student’s technical, leadership, interpersonal, and teamwork skills, as well as their knowledge of the subject matter.

The Milk Quality & Products CDE State Championship Team includes, from left: Phinn Cousins, Mackenzie Diamond, Caleb Verratti and Joshua Kennedy.

All 1st place CDE teams advance to the national level to represent New York State at the National FFA Convention & Expo held in Indianapolis, Indiana in October. Most 2nd place CDE teams advance to the regional level to represent New York State at “The Big E” (Eastern State Exposition) held in West Springfield, Massachusetts in September.

Results from the 2024 NYS FFA Convention:

STATE CHAMPION (1st Place) Milk Quality & Products CDE Team:

• Mackenzie Diamond – 1st Place Individual
• Joshua Kennedy – 2nd Place Individual
• Cayla Burch – 6th Place Individual
• Phinn Cousins – 8th Place Individual
• Caleb Verratti

They will represent NYS FFA at the 2024 National FFA Convention.

The Farm & Agribusiness Management CDE State Championship Team includes, from left: Sean Labiak, Sophia Santella, Garrett Armenia and Vanessa Grant.

STATE CHAMPION (1st Place) Farm & Agribusiness Management CDE Team:

• Vanessa Grant – 3rd Place Individual
• Garrett Armenia – 7th Place Individual
• Sophia Santella
• Sean Labiak

They will represent NYS FFA at the 2024 National FFA Convention.

2nd Place Food Science & Technology CDE Team:

• Phinn Cousins – 1st Place Individual
• Nicholas Armenia – 4th Place Individual
• Caleb Verratti – 6th Place Individual
• Scott Clark

They will represent NYS FFA at the 2024 Eastern States Exposition (The Big E).

2nd Place Meats Evaluation & Technology CDE Team:

• Sophia Santella – 3rd Place Individual
• Nicholas Armenia – 4th Place Individual
• Phinn Cousins
• Mackenzie Diamond

They will represent NYS FFA at the 2024 Eastern States Exposition (The Big E).

2nd Place Forestry CDE Team:

• Adam Yanicki – 4th Place Individual
• Joshua Kennedy
• Judson Heck
• John Konstanty
• Nathaniel Wolf

They will represent NYS FFA at the 2024 Eastern States Exposition (The Big E).

2nd Place Sr. People In Agriculture LDE:

• Mackenzie Diamond

3rd Place Maple CDE Team:

• Nathaniel Wolf
• Joshua Kennedy
• Judson Heck
• John Konstanty

3rd Place Farm & Agribusiness Management CDE Team:

• Camden VandenBosch – 10th Place Individual
• Anthony Adams
• Adam Yanicki
• Cayla Burch

3rd Place Agricultural Sales CDE Team:

• Garrett Armenia – 6th Place Individual
• Caleb Verratti
• Calvin Dent
• Camden VandenBosch

Aquaculture CDE Team:

• Anthony Adams – 4th Place Individual

New York State FFA Empire Degree (Highest FFA Degree in NYS):

• Sophia Santella

Proficiency Awards:

Joshua Kennedy – Gold in Forest Management & Products; State winner – Advancing to National Convention

Caleb Verratti – Gold in Diversified Crop Production; State winner – Advancing to National Convention

Vanessa Grant – Silver in Agricultural Services

Cayla Burch – Bronze in Vegetable Production

Mackenzie Diamond – Bronze in Veterinary Science

Nicholas Armenia – Bronze in Agricultural Mechanics & Fabrication