By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2024 at 11:36 am
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 6 p.m. for Orleans County and much of upstate. In Western New York, the watch includes all counties except Chautauqua.
“The primary threat will be damaging wind gusts, though large hail or an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out,” NWS in Buffalo posted on its social media.
A special marine warning also has been issued in Lake Ontario until 12:15 p.m. from near Sunset Beach to near Braddock Bay.
The Weather Service said wind gusts to nearly 50 knots and large destructive hail are moving west from Hamlin.
“Small craft could be damaged in briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves,” the Weather Service said. “Large hail could result in personal injury and significant structural damage.”
Boaters are advised to move to safe harbor immediately as gusty winds and high waves are expected.
Provided photo: from left include Shelly Budziszewski, Ashley Childs and Susan McLaughlin.
Press Release, Roy-Hart Central School
MIDDLEPORT – Royalton-Hartland Central School District’s Agricultural Program has been racking up awards and recognitions over the last several years.
Recently elementary school teachers Shelly Budziszewski, Ashley Childs and middle school teacher Susan McLaughlin were invited to present at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. There were over 500 attendees at this premier professional development conference about teaching through the lens of food and agriculture.
The teachers gave a workshop on the Green Team, an after-school club centered on agriculture that has 37 actively participating students at the elementary school. It was entitled “Extracurricular Agriculture – Bridging the Classroom, Community and Club.”
“It was a great opportunity to not only be presenters, but be able to attend other workshops and take it back and share at the district level,” McLaughlin said.
The three teachers were awarded scholarships through Cornell University’s New York Agriculture in the Classroom program. Budziszewski said the presentation was inspired by her attendance at last year’s conference in Florida.
“Many of the presenters from New York State briefly mentioned their afterschool programs and I mentioned our Green Team Club and many of the attendees were interested in hearing more about it,” she said.
The response of their presentation at this year’s conference was overwhelming, according to the trio. Budziszewski said the room was at capacity.
“We had a full house, so clearly people across the country are interested in it,” she said. “We talked about our legacy projects and one of them was what we call our ‘Green Team Creed.’ It is kind of a pledge that the kids say at the beginning of every meeting. We showed a video of the kids saying the pledge and we got a spontaneous round of applause. Our hope is that the presentation encourages fellow educators to implement similar programs at their districts.”
The teachers say the program has been instrumental in starting students on the path of agricultural appreciation and knowledge starting at a young age. McLaughlin said their long-term goal as educators is to prepare their students to become members of the Roy-Hart FFA chapter.
“What we hope for in the future is to streamline the kids that are interested in agriculture from the elementary perspective, join Junior FFA in the Middle School and then when they enter into the High School join our award winning FFA program there,” she said.
Jill Heck, Royalton-Hartland district superintendent, is proud of the way the teachers represented the district.
“This was a great opportunity for our teachers to take our Green Team program into the national spotlight,” Heck said. “We were excited for them to have the opportunity to present the work they are doing with the students at Royalton-Hartland!”
GO Health offers advice for people who encounter bats in their homes
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
During the summer months, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) typically see an increase in reports from residents who have encountered bats.
Bats can occasionally find their way into houses, particularly in older homes that are not properly sealed. This most often occurs during the summer nights.
“If you find a bat in your home, safely capture it and immediately contact the health department,” advised Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director for GO Health. “We can assess whether there was potential exposure and if the bat needs to be tested. If you cannot capture the bat, call the health department for guidance on the next steps to take.”
In some situations, it is possible that a bat bite could go undetected. For example, if you awaken and find a bat in your room, if you see a bat in the room of an unattended child, or see a bat near someone that is under the influence, it is important to seek medical advice and have the bat tested.
To safely capture a bat:
Turn on room lights and close all the windows.
Close the room and closet doors.
Wait for the bat to land.
While wearing thick leather-like gloves, place a coffee can, pail or similar container over the bat (Never handle a bat with your bare hands).
Slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat.
Firmly hold the cardboard in place against the top of the container, turn it right side up and tape the cardboard tightly to the container.
If you do not feel comfortable capturing the bat or cannot do it safely, contact your respective health department during regular business hours.
If it is after regular business hours, contact your local county dispatch. In Orleans County, call (585) 589-5527. In Genesee County, call (585) 343-5000.
Other tips to prevent rabies include:
Love your own, leave the rest alone. Do not pick up, touch, or feed wild or stray animals (raccoons, foxes, bats, stray cats, stray dogs, etc.). Wild or stray animals, including their babies, can have rabies.
Keep rabies vaccinations current for all dogs, cats, and ferrets. This is important not only to keep your pets from getting rabies, but also to provide a barrier of protection for you and your family if your pet is bitten by a rabid wild or stray animal.
Obey leash laws. Keep your dog fenced in or on a leash when outside of your home and in public areas. Avoid allowing your dog to approach unfamiliar dogs, people, or wildlife.
Residents are encouraged to take note of our upcoming drive-thru rabies vaccination clinics for dogs, cats, and ferrets in Genesee and Orleans Counties that are offered at no charge.
Orleans County Rabies Clinics at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 State Route 31, Albion, NY 14411)
Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Genesee County Rabies Clinics at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020)
Thursday, Aug. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 10, from 4 to 6 p.m.
For more information on GO Health’s programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org.
You can also contact your respective health department:
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2024 at 9:23 am
HOLLEY – The Holley Board of Education appointed Tim Artessa to be the new principal of the Holley Elementary School. Artessa is no stranger to the students and staff. He has been the assistant principal the past eight years.
He succeeds Karri Schiavone, who is now Holley’s district superintendent.
Artessa came to Holley eight years ago after working as a sixth grade teacher at Gates Chili Middle School for 13 years.
“Holley is a great place,” Artessa said on Monday after the Board of Education meeting, when his appointment was finalized. “It feels like family here. There are great kids, a very supportive staff and great parents.”
Artessa has previously worked as a summer school assistant principal for Monroe 2–Orleans BOCES. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in elementary education from Nazareth College. He received his administrative certification from the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester.
Schiavone said Artessa will serve the district well as the elementary principal.
“Tim has been an invaluable member of our administrative team, demonstrating exceptional dedication, leadership, and a deep commitment to the success and wellbeing of our students,” she said. “His devotion to the elementary school over the last eight years makes him uniquely qualified to lead our school into the future. I have full confidence in his ability to continue fostering an innovative, positive and supportive learning environment for all.”
Holley will interview candidates to be the assistant principal this week. The school has about 500 students in grades prekindergarten to 6.
Artessa said one priority will be reducing the number of students who are chronically absent, missing at least 18 days of school a year or 10 percent of the school days. This past year, 28 percent of students were chronically absent in the elementary school, with 24 percent in the middle school grades and 39 percent in the high school.
Schiavone shared those statistics with the Board of Education on Monday. Artessa said the elementary school will be working with parents to improve attendance. Chronic absenteeism has been an issue for many districts around the country since the Covid pandemic in 2020, he said.
The elementary school also is adding a dedicated STEM classroom as part of a capital project this summer. That classroom in the space where there is a front atrium will allow students and teachers to do innovative learning projects, Artessa said.
The capital project also is adding air-conditioning to classrooms in kindergarten through grades 2 this summer, with most of the rest of the building to be done the following summer.
“I absolutely adore the students here at Holley Elementary,” Artessa said. “We have made great strides under the building leadership of Ms. Schiavone, and I am committed to continuing that trend moving forward. I am very fortunate to be able to continue leading an amazing staff that shares in the understanding that our students deserve our very best every single day.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2024 at 8:53 am
Orleans will get another chance to see second large barge carrying other half of bridge bound for Buffalo
Photos by Tom Rivers: A 195-foot-long barge carrying two sections of a bridge passes through Holley on Monday around noon. The barge started the day in Rochester and headed west all the way through Orleans County, ending the day in Gasport.
Orleans County will get another chance to see a tugboat pushing an enormous barge on the Erie Canal.
The first barge will complete its journey to Buffalo, likely today. Carver Companies from near Albany has a tugboat pushing two 195-foot-long barges along the canal. The barges are carrying four sections of a 266-foot-long pedestrian bridge for the Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy in Buffalo. The bridge was made in Italy.
The barges were traveling close together for most of the journey along the canal. But on Monday one stayed in Pittsford while the other made the trip from Rochester all the way to Gasport. Carver was planning to stop in Albion on Monday and then go back for the other barge from Pittsford.
But the captain decided to keep going, moving past Albion and going through Orleans County and stopping in Gasport. The crew worked in a downpour on Monday afternoon.
Today the barge pushed by a tugboat reached Lockport around 7 a.m. and will keep moving west, expecting to reach the Tonawanda Canal Fest at 3 p.m.
Once the barge reaches the final destination in Buffalo, tugboat CMT Otter will go back to Pittsford and then make the journey through the rest of Monroe County, then Orleans, Niagara and to Buffalo in Erie County.
“Good news is you will have two chances to see us!” Carver posted on its Facebook page on Monday night.
A tugboat, named CMT Otter, pushes the big barge west. This was taken from the Route 237 bridge near the guard gate on the Erie Canal in Holley.
MEDINA – On July 21, the Medina Tractor Supply store will host a farmers’ market featuring locally grown, fresh produce as well as other seasonal products.
“This is a great opportunity for members of our community to support local farmers while also getting to enjoy deliciously fresh food,” said Dave Schnaufer, manager of the Medina store. “As a company, we believe in fostering community relationships while supporting the rural lifestyle, and this event allows us to do just that.”
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., shoppers can stop in for baked goods, local produce, homemade crafts and arts & crafts, all produced by neighbors in the Medina area.
Participating vendors will have tables set up at the tented space by the storefront where they will showcase their goods. Woz Wonders and other local vendors will be on site from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 11181 Maple Ridge Rd.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2024 at 8:19 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MURRAY – The big rain that hit this afternoon and early evening flooded roads in the Town of Murray, including this section of Route 31 near Transit Road.
This photo was taken around 6 p.m. The road was temporarily closed to traffic due to the flooding.
A section of Lynch Road also was flooded.
The area under the bridge on South Main Street (Route 237) also was flooded. This is the bridge that carries the railroad.
The water wasn’t draining too fast due to the rising creek. One person makes sure the drains are clear of any debris.
Murray firefighters contended with two trees that fell in roadways, and some residents with flooded basements.
Aaron Vosburgh sent in this photo of his flooded backyard on Butts Road in Albion.
Orleans County dispatch said the Town of Murray took the brunt of the flooding with calls for assistance from the fire department.
LYNDONVILLE – The Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra concert presented by Yates Community Library will take place this evening, not at the library but at Yates Town Park, starting at approximately 6:45 p.m.
The group will play inside the Russ Martino Pavilion, and audience members may stay in their cars alongside and be able to hear them perform. Alternately, they may carry a chair over to the smaller pavilion to the west, or we may see the sunshine break through and spread out on the lawn!
Yates Town Park directions: take Route 63 north through Lyndonville to the flashing red light at the junction of Rt. 18. Turn right on Rt. 18 East and continue past Foss Road to Morrison Road. Turn left on Morrison and continue past the stop sign at Lakeshore Road, to the park at the end of Morrison.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2024 at 3:10 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY/ALBION – A long barge nears the Keitel Road canal bridge in Albion around 2 p.m. today. Carver Companies is pushing a 195-foot-long barge with a tugboat.
The company started in Rochester today and headed west. The final destination, which could be in a few days, is in Buffalo for a 266-foot-long pedestrian bridge.
Carver Companies has two barges for moving the bridge which is in four sections, with two sections on each barge. Carver is based in Coeymans, NY, near Albany.
The company planned to tie up the barge overnight in Albion, but now may go all the way through Orleans County and stop in Gasport. The second barge started the day in Pittsford.
The barge and tugboat passes under the Bennetts Corners Road canal bridge in Holley around noon.
Many people have lined the canal to get a glimpse of the big barge. This kid was excited when the tug captain sounded the horn on the boat.
The trek with the long barge has been in the news a lot since the trip started in Albany 11 days ago.
Dawn Borchet, the Orleans County tourism director, gets photos of the barge as it approaches the Butts Road bridge in Albion.
Borchet said the journey of the pedestrian bridge has put lots of limelight on the canal. She said crowds of people shows there is a lot of pride in the canal communities for the historic waterway.
Kevin Bedard of Holley gets a close photo of the barge and tug as it nears the Holley lift bridge.
“It’s so cool,” Bedard said. “It’s once-in-a lifetime.”
The massive barge sneaks under the lift bridge in Holley while it is fully extended.
The barge heads under the Route 237 bridge in Holley after rounding a bend in the canal. The frequent turns, as well as locks, lift bridges and guard gates has made for a painstaking and often slow journey.
The vessel took it slow going through the guard gate next to the 237 overpass.
The barge is past the Route 237 bridge out in the open country with the Telegraph Road canal bridge next.
These people pedal fast on their bikes to stay with the barge and it heads west of Holley.
The barge passes the Densmore Road bridge in Albion and heads to the Keitel Road bridge around 1:45 p.m.
These two watch from the Keitel Road bridge as the barge gets closer to the Village of Albion. Many onlookers watched from the canal towpath or from the bridges as the barge worked its way west through Orleans County.
Two sections of the bridge that were made in Italy are shown on the barge.
The tug “Otter” moves the long barge. Otter is a 1,200-horsepower tug.
The Erie Canal has facilitated the transportation of a variety of cargo over the course of 200 years.
We have not one, but two occasions to marvel at the immutable principles of buoyancy and floatation this week.
The first, of course, was the announcement that a pedestrian bridge, manufactured in Italy and destined for the new Ralph Wilson Park in Buffalo will be conveyed along the Erie Canal on two 195-foot-long barges from the Hudson River Port of Coeymans to Buffalo.
Then, a collector in Massachusetts asked for information about this poster announcing:
“Large Whale on Exhibition in this Place on a Large Barge on the Canal.”
The colorful description reads:
“This Mammoth Whale is 65 feet long spanning 35 feet around the body and weighing 75 tons when captured. You must consider the monster size of this animal when his tongue weighed 3,500 pounds and made 120 gallons of oil.
“His lower jaw will seat 25 persons. His mouth has been fitted up as a reception room. A person six feet tall or a team of horses can stand between the monster’s jaws. We have seen 27 young ladies and their teacher in his mouth all at the same time. We have also seen 12 gentlemen seated in his mouth enjoying an oyster supper.
“His Whaleship has been on exhibition for over three years in the principal cities of seven states and viewed by thousands of astonished people. It is not only a wonderful site (sic), but instructive to men, women and children; an exhibition the most refined ladies and children can visit. The captain and his staff will instruct you in the different species and their many peculiar habits and how the whale is captured, showing you the ancient or modern weapons used to capture them. Come and see for yourself and if you find this is not a real whale, WE WILL CHEERFULLY REFUND YOUR MONEY.”
The poster was obviously designed for general distribution as specific details such as place and date are not included. At first glance, we wondered why this inquiry was directed to Orleans County, but a closer look shows what appears to be “Herald Print Albion” on the very last line and we gather that the exhibit is travelling by canal.
Traveling novelty shows were popular in the pre-television era. The mammoth whale exhibit was a feature of the 1880s and early 1890s, with over 8,000 Buffalo residents viewing it over a four-day period in 1881. Should you question the logistics of displaying a deceased whale over a long period of time, we discovered that the whales were embalmed.
Soon to celebrate its bicentennial, the Erie Canal was successful from the beginning because it provided faster access to markets. We tend to associate it mainly with the transportation of products such as wheat, apples, sandstone, etc. But it also facilitated the transportation of novelty cargo, entertainers and circuses.
Referring to the transportation of the pedestrian bridge, also a novelty cargo, destined for a place of entertainment, Carver Laraway, President and CEO of Carver Companies, the maritime management company overseeing the project, stated that “utilizing a vital piece of American history to transport a modern marvel is a testament to both innovation and tradition.” And to physics.
YATES – The Lyndonville Lions Club held to a long-standing tradition of thanking the people who have supported the club throughout the year. On Thursday, the Lions hosted their community appreciation event at the Yates Town Park.
Attendees were treated to hot dogs and sodas as Crash Cadillac entertained the crowd with a long list of classic rock and roll songs. The skies cleared just in time to allow the event to take place. A warm, but pleasant summer evening was enjoyed by all.
The Lions wish to thank all those who over the year supported the club in its many endeavors. The Lions will begin planning 2025 events in a few weeks. They did announce Octoberfest is planned for Oct. 10 at the White Birch Golf Resort. Further information about this event will be forthcoming and ticket sales will start the middle of August.
The club would like to wish all a happy and safe summer. Thank you again for the support, and may God continue to bless each individual and this great nation we live in.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2024 at 8:18 am
Pedestrian bridge headed to Buffalo has drawn lots of interest on canal journey
A much-anticipated canal user is expected to reach Orleans County today. A tug pushing a long barge with a pedestrian bridge should reach Holley and Albion today.
Carver Companies has the bridge destined for Buffalo on two different barges. One is in Rochester and the other in Pittsford to start the morning.
Carver Companies posted on social media it would leave Rochester around 6 a.m. and head west and stop between Rochester and Lockport, and then tie up the barge and send the tug back to Pittsford to get the other barge.
It listed the estimated time of arrival as 9:15 a.m. in Spencerport, 11:15 a.m. in Brockport, 11:30 in Holley and 12:30 in Albion.
“As our journey continues we have now entered the Western End of the Canal,” Carver Companies posted. “This end of the canal has not been used for commercial traffic in quite some time. We will do our best to give accurate ETA’s but please understand that we have to take this section of canal carefully and slowly to ensure safe passage for the tug, barges, and crew. We will do our best to give everyone as accurate a time as possible.”
Carver encouraged people to follow its Facebook page for more up-to-date information.
The 266-foot-long bridge is in four sections and has travelled about 300 miles of a 370-mile-long journey on the canal. The bridge is for Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy in Buffalo for a new 266-foot pedestrian walkway that will span across interstate I-190 and the CSX rail line. It will link a new park with the lower west side neighborhood of Buffalo.
Carver Companies is using two barges that are 195 feet long and 35 feet wide to move the bridge pieces. The company has moved big cargo on the canal before. In 2017 it transported Genesee Brewing’s beer tanks.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 14 July 2024 at 7:52 pm
‘Zucchini 500’ returns July 20, July 27
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Here is a sampling of some of the creative zucchini race cars youth made at the Canal Village Farmer’s Market Saturday. The event returns the next two Saturdays.
MEDINA – The Canal Village Farmer’s Market debuted a new event Saturday morning, aimed at attracting more children to the market, while entertaining the crowd.
Market manager Gail Miller got the idea for zucchini races at a meeting of the Farmers’ Market Federation of New York.
“I thought it sounded like fun, and checked it out on YouTube,” Miller said.
(Left) Dave Miller gives two zucchini race cars a trial run to check out the track he built, before the competition starts at Medina’s Canal Village Farmer’s Market Saturday. Fifteen youth participated in the first-time event. (Right) Bishop Stanton, 9, checks out a zucchini race car before beginning to build his own.
Miller’s husband Dave likes to design things and volunteered to make the race track. It ended up being quite an intricate project, with a finish gate and electronic switch. He spent a month working on it, Gail said. He ordered the wheels and metal axles.
Then the Millers canvassed the stores for accessories for the race cars. Children who registered for the race Saturday had a container full of feathers, stickers, flags, flowers and assorted vegetables from which to choose to decorate their cars.
“The turnout for the first Zucchini 500 was more than I expected,” Gail said of the 15 entrants. “I am so pleased. The great thing was that both children and parents had a lot of fun making their zucchini racers and then racing them.”
Axel Godfrey, 10, and his sister Mazie hold their completed zucchini race cars before entering them in the race.
Also helping with registration of racers and putting a race car together was Barb Jantzi, who is a regular volunteer at the market.
The zucchini races will continue at the Canal Village Farmer’s Market on July 20 and 27.
One entrant, Axel Godfrey, 10, said it was fun making the race car and he will do it again.
Certificates were awarded for the fastest car, best looking and the best crash.
Gail said she still hasn’t figured out the prizes, but children who enter all three weeks may get special recognition.
The races begin at 10 a.m. each Saturday and last until 1:30 p.m.
(Left) Brae Dilorenzo, 10, and Bishop Stanton, 9, are ready for the zucchini race to begin. (Right) Dave Miller’s brother-in-law Bon Bargiel, who was visiting from Westminster, S.C., got roped into weighing the zucchini race cars.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 July 2024 at 5:26 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – These wrist bands are available to purchase today as part of a benefit to help Dan Ryan’s family with expenses.
Dan Ryan passed away on June 23 after getting pneumonia that then caused multiple organ failure. Ryan had been battling a liver problem.
The band Eclipse performs on the stage at Dubby’s Tailgate. Eclipse followed Clueless on the stage. Chris Moore and other musicians are expected to play until the benefit ends at 9 p.m.
Ryan was the drummer of Eclipse which includes Erin Moody on lead vocals, D.J. Button on guitar, Brett Zambito on bass, and Mike Parker on drums.
Zambito said the loss of Ryan is painful for the local music community and for Albion.
“His kids just adored him,” Zambito said about Ryan, the father of Nadalee, 12, and Tyler, 6. “He was a good dude. It’s sad all around.”
There are 73 baskets and gift certificates up for raffle. Dan Conrad and Ryan’s sister Pam Kennedy helped to collect many of the baskets.
Pam Kennedy and her son Ayden, 10, sell the raffle tickets for the benefit today.
