CARLTON – One person was killed in a fire last night in Carlton, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke said.

Firefighters were dispatched to 1850 Sawyer Rd. at about 3:40 a.m. Firefighters from Carlton, Kendall and Albion arrived to a fully involved fire at a house trailer, which the blaze spread to two sheds and two vehicles.

A deceased person was found inside the trailer, Bourke said. The body was transported to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities are trying to get a positive identification and then work to notify next of kin.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies, investigators and Chief Deputy Jeff Gifaldi are working to determine the cause of the fire with line officers from Carlton Volunteer Fire Company, Orleans County Emergency Management Office fire investigators, and the state fire investigators and K9 unit.

Anyone with information on the fire is asked to call Orleans County investigators at (585) 589-5527.

Officials are trying to determine the cause of the fire.

ALBION –  Having a mural painted on Community Action’s Main Street Gifts, Thrift and More Store is a dream come true for director Renee Hungerford.

“I have wanted to have a mural painted since the first day I came here,” Hungerford said recently, as she viewed the progress with artist David Burke of Bergen; Debbie Schiavone, payroll administrator at Community Action; and Cassie Healy, who runs the store.

The program was made possible with a grant from the Statewide Community Regrant Program which is administered locally by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

Hungerford learned about the possibility of a grant through Schiavone, payroll administrator at Community Action, who met GO Art!’s director Gregory Hallock at Leadership Orleans. Hallock mentioned some local arts projects and programs, including murals.

Schiavone worked with GO Art! to apply for the grant, and as soon as it was approved, Burke, an acrylic painter who specializes in murals, was contracted to do the project.

“It is meant to show inclusivity,” Hungerford said. “We want to show our community focus and that everybody is welcome.”

Burke has been painting on and off for most of his life, but since he turned 60 nearly a decade ago, he has been painting like crazy, he said. He said murals are fun to paint. His first one was on the library in Bergen and he’s done several in Genesee County since then.

When he was interviewed last week, he was waiting for the humid weather to go away so he could start applying color. He said he still had to add the Community Action logo, some cornstalks and woods.

This mural being painted on the south wall of the Community Action store on South Main Street will showcase all the ways Community Action is involved in the community.

Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments

Back to school should mean new opportunities, not new addictions. As students return to the classroom this fall, educators and parents are not only preparing for a new academic year, but also the rising public health concern of vaping.

E-cigarettes can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and in a school setting, these devices may blend in with other school supplies, as they may look like pens, USB drives, and even phone cases. This makes identifying these devices and protecting youth that much more difficult.

Studies show that vaping has become a rising concern in middle school aged children, as 3 percent of seventh graders in both Genesee and Orleans Counties reported vaping with nicotine.

“These years of a child’s life are very sensitive because their brains are still developing,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “As the rate of vaping rises among teens, we must equip families and kids with information and tools to stay healthy.”

There are several reasons why youth vape:

• Tobacco advertisers use vibrant colors and fun marketing strategies to increase youth participation in vaping. These ads are shown on social media, television, and streaming services, and promote vaping as a cheaper alternative to other tobacco products.
• Peer pressure and social influences during middle and high school are a main contributor to students trying an e-cigarette for the first time. Students report that they may be curious to try vaping from seeing a friend or family member use them.
• Availability of flavored e-cigarette products including youth-friendly flavors such as candy, fruit, mint, and menthol are the most widely used types of e-cigarettes among youth. According to the CLYDE Survey conducted by UConnectCare (formally GCASA), about 20% of 11th graders in Genesee and Orleans Counties reported using E-cigarettes or vapes that contain nicotine in 2022.
• Nicotine is in most e-cigarettes and is highly addictive. Those who use vapes containing nicotine may experience cravings and urges to smoke, difficulty sleeping, and the feeling of anxiety and sadness, which may make them believe they need nicotine to relieve these feelings. These behaviors, among others, are a part of nicotine addiction.

The good news is that studies show that most middle and high school students who vape want to quit. Becoming more aware of the risks of vaping will allow for educated conversations with youth and help ensure that all youth can live healthy, tobacco-free lives.

Here are a few ways you can protect your youth and promote rejection of vaping during back to school season.

• Educate yourself on the subject, and become a credible source of information. Visit CDC.gov/Vaping for important information on youth vaping.
• Create a safe space for discussion and start the conversation on vaping. Remember to be patient, listen, and avoid criticism. Keep the conversation open and be willing to be flexible.
• Answer their questions and be prepared. Kids may have questions about vaping, visit CDC.gov/tobacco for ideas on how to give educated and meaningful answers

Get Help Today

If you are interested in quitting, or someone you know needs help quitting, help is available:

• Visit the New York State Smokers’ Quitline for quit-smoking and quit-vaping programs, or call 866-NY-QUITS (866-697-8487), to apply for a free starter kit of nicotine medications and to talk to a quit coach.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about medications and counseling to help you manage cravings. Most health insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover services to help you quit.

For more information about GO Health Programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or contact your local health department at:

• Orleans County: (585) 589-3278
• Genesee County: (585) 344-2580 ext. 5555

Follow GO Health on Facebook, Instagram and X at GOHealthNY.

Secret to longevity: ‘hard work, good life living on a farm and no smoking or drinking’

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Brian Napoli, left, supervisor of the town of Ridgeway, presents citations to Doris Marchner in honor of her 100th birthday from the town of Ridgeway, Assemblyman Steven Hawley and State Senator Rob Ortt. Looking on at right is Marchner’s son Don Marchner of Medina.

MEDINA – Doris Marchner has no doubt what has attributed to her long life.

“It was hard work, good life living on a farm and no smoking or drinking in our house growing up,” said the Medina resident, who celebrated her 100th birthday Saturday at a reception at Abundant Harvest’s Fellowship Hall in Knowlesville.

Doris Marchner of Medina greets her brother Darwin Welker of West Walworth during a celebration of her 100th birthday Sunday at Abundant Harvest’s Fellowship Hall in Knowlesville.

Marchner was born Sept. 6, 1924 in Penfield, the middle child in a family of 11. She and a younger brother, Darwin Welker of West Walworth, are the only two surviving. Welker attended her party on Saturday, along with her son and daughter-in-law, Don and Pat Marchner; two granddaughters; three great-grandsons; one great-granddaughter; two great-great-granddaughters; and several nephews.

Marchner met her husband Donald at a square dance and they were married for 60 years before he died in 2005. They moved to Medina in 1961, where she worked at Fisher Price.

She lives on her own in an apartment in son Donald’s house and cooks most of her own meals. She loves to bake and insisted on making cookies for her party Sunday.

After she turned 90, she told her family, “I think I might hang on to a 100.”

Although her eyesight is failing and she doesn’t hear as well as she used to, she is still active, trying to take a short walk every afternoon.

“I read somewhere you should put in 200 steps a day, and I try to do that,” she said.

Her days are spent watching TV – game shows in the morning and Westerns in the afternoons, her son said. She does enjoy a glass of wine before bedtime every day.

“She was a stern, but reasonable mother,” Don said.

The afternoon included citations presented by Ridgeway supervisor Brian Napoli on behalf of the town of Ridgeway, State Assemblyman Steven Hawley and State Senator Rob Ortt.

Provided photo: Doris Marchner poses for her 100th birthday with, from left, her granddaughters Kristin McAdoo and Laurie Marchner and son Donald Marchner.

This marker in front of City Hall in Medina indicates the location of the stainless-steel container donated by former Mayor John Cobb which contains the time capsule assembled by the Medina Sesquicentennial Committee.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 27

Our recent column about the time capsule placed at the Orleans County Infirmary (now The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center) on August 28, 1960, attracted the attention of the International Time Capsule Society (ITCS) who contacted us regarding the capsule.

Based at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, this free public service has registered and mapped time capsules for over thirty years. Given the passage of time, it is inevitable that some time capsules are lost or forgotten. The goal of the ICTS is to ensure that the unique content contained in these buried capsules can be traced generations from now. A quick search of the site showed that capsules from Barker, Buffalo, Greece and Lockport have been registered.

Naturally, were curious about other Orleans County time capsules. We found several, among them are:

Sportsmen’s Time Capsule, August 1976

President Mike Donahue placed an old-time bottle in the fieldstone fireplace of the newly completed rustic cabin on the Club’s grounds in Medina. Club member, Joe Prescott, filled and sealed the bottle which contained newspaper articles and records concerning the project.

Medina Sesquicentennial Time Capsule, February 1983

This time capsule, which was completed in February 1983, contains a comprehensive array of material documenting Medina’s past, present and future. Material from 1982 sesquicentennial celebrations, a copy of Ceil White’s History of Medina, local calendars, phone books, an Apple Grove menu, an Apple Bank manufactured by Fisher-Price, and the program from Rev. H. Burton Entrekin’s retirement party are among the items included.

Sixth grade students were invited to write about their projections of “Life in Medina in 2032”. Six students’ essays were selected to be included in the time capsule: Meaghan Boice, Aaron Dutcher, Amy Fuller, Richard Kenward, Molly Maak and Jon Scott. Some of their predictions were remarkably prescient:

• Dentists will use invisible braces
• Cars will be operated by verbal commands
• Everything will be computerized
• Solar power will be used for heating and running cars

Other predictions have not yet come to pass:

• The canal will be a parking lot for a huge Main Street mall
• Meals will be capsules, pills or wafers
• The Mayor, Village Board, teachers, doctors and nurses will be robots

This capsule is scheduled to be opened in March 2032, on the occasion of the Bicentennial anniversary of the incorporation of the Village of Medina.

Medina High School, May 1991

On May 6, 1991, Principal Fred Snyder placed a time capsule and cornerstone in the new $10 million Medina High School building. The time capsule contains a photograph of the former High School on Catherine Street and a brick from it, photographs of Supt. Dr. David Gee, and of the 1990-91 Mustang Marching Band, a student calendar, course offerings for 1990-91, graduation requirements, the names of students and staff entering the building and a dictionary of words in common usage in 1991 as well as students messages of peace, hope and prosperity.

Village of Lyndonville Millennial Time Capsule, September 2000

Mayor Mark Scarr spearheaded the creation of a time capsule celebrating both the millennium and the incorporation of the Village of Lyndonville. A twelve-inch PVC pipe sealed on both ends containing local newspapers, photos, community information, local restaurant menus and a letter from Mayor Scarr to the future Mayor was buried in a secret location. It is to be opened in 2053, a file in the Village Office contains the information as to its location.

Celebrating a Century of Conservation, March 2003.

A time capsule containing artifacts from the 20th century as well as messages and art created by local schoolchildren was buried for one hundred years at the Iroquois National Wildlife Heritage Headquarters at Casey Road. Included also is an essay by William Barber, a 3rd grade student at Oak Orchard Elementary School in Medina.

Covid-19, November 2020

Created by Orleans County 4-H members and stored in the Archive Room at the Education Center on the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, this time capsule documents the experience of the pandemic. It contains hand sanitizer, facial masks, documentation on the various stages of the lockdown and is to be opened 15-20 years from now.

Solar Eclipse, April 2024

The Cobblestone Museum prepared a time capsule of memorabilia pertaining to April’s solar eclipse. It is to be opened on the occasion of the next full solar eclipse in Orleans County, one hundred years from now.

Time capsules are leaps of faith into the future. When compiled, the scheduled opening date seems impossibly distant. But times’ relentless march soon makes short work of that 50-year or 100-year scheduled opening date. We encourage you to register your organization’s time capsules with the International Time Capsule Society.

MEDINA – Medina’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday was the first of six to take place in Western New York, according to walk manager Lynn Hughes of Hamburg.

While it doesn’t compare with the 3,500 expected in Buffalo, the 200 on Saturday was a great number for a small village, Hughes said.

The total raised so far is listed at $17,885, according to the online tally by the Alzheimer’s Association of WNY.

The race garners amazing support from the local community and beyond, including 40 volunteers, many of whom return year after year. An example is Carolyn Wagner, Amanda Pollard and especially Mary Lou Tuohey and her family.

Walkers start out from State Street Park  for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Saturday.

Tuohey lost both her parents to Alzheimer’s and supports their fundraisers wholeheartedly, including sponsoring a basket raffle to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association of WNY. In previous years, the raffle has been limited to the store windows of her business, Case-Nic Cookies on Main Street, but this year the Association allowed her to bring the raffle to the walk.

In addition to $1,435 in tickets sold at the store, another $745 was raised at the walk. Also, an annual tradition is selling paper links, which Tuohey’s daughter Nicole sticks together in a chain with a goal to stretch it down Main Street. This year she sold 1,477 at $1 each.

Volunteer Carolyn Wagner said Saturday’s turnout was good.

“We have a great core group of people who support this every year,” she said. “Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease, and most of us have had a connection with people affected by it.”

She said there are new people every year, but also many who return to participate every year – as walkers and volunteers.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Volunteers at the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Medina gather around a table full of flowers, each color designating a different involvement with the disease. From left are Carolyn Wagner, walk manager Lynn Hughes of Hamburg, Amanda Pollard and Cathy Hooker.

Kaitlyn Less, director of Development for Alzheimer’s Association of WNY, said she was excited to kick off the season in Medina.

“This is a wonderful local community, and I’m delighted to see how they come out to fight Alzheimer’s,” she said. “I am also happy to have the raffle here this year.”

She commended Tim Hortons in Medina and Albion for donating coffee, hot chocolate and Timbits, and said the walk covered a great route, which encompassed the canal and extended close to two miles.

The event included a Kids’ Zone, entertainment by DJ Spyder of Albion and Randy Bushover in his 11th year as emcee.

“My maternal grandmother died as the result of Alzheimer’s,” Bushover said.

The walk was hailed as a celebration of all the fundraising and hard work done by participants.

“It is also a celebration of the strides we’ve made in research,” Less said.

Randy Bushover of Medina, emcee for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Medina,  stands with Michael Hooker, 12, and his mother Kim of Akron. They hold white flowers, which they carried in the walk, signifying anticipation of the day there will be a survivor of Alzheimer’s Disease.

One tent housed buckets full of different colored artificial flowers. Walk participants chose a flower which signified how Alzheimer’s has affected them. Orange means they support the cause; yellow is for someone caring for a person with Alzheimer’s; purple is for those who’ve lost someone to the disease; blue is for anyone living with the disease; and white represents a world without Alzheimer’s – it will herald the day a person who suffered from Alzheimer’s survives.

“Usually a kid carries the white flower, because kids are our future,” Less said.

This year, Michael Hooker, 12, of Akron carried a white flower and walked with his mother Kim, a former Medina resident.

“My father-in-law died of Alzheimer’s and we’re here to support the cause,” Kim said.

Walk participants could carry the flowers on the walk and “plant” them afterwards in the Promise Garden near the canal or take them home.

By Randy LeBaron

Randy LeBaron

Good afternoon! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up. And let’s start this week right… TOGETHER!!!

Hello friends! It has been a while, as was brought up by the many new people I had a chance to meet around Orleans County this summer who asked me when Refill was starting up again. It’s good to be back and I hope that you have all been doing well these past couple of months.

I don’t know about you but both July and August seemed to be very full yet, at the same time, they seemed to fly by. I performed a few weddings, baptized a few new believers, and officiated a few too many funerals. I spoke for a week at a family camp down in Kane, PA but then missed the trip to Kentucky to see my daughter and son-in-law as I stayed home sick with Covid.

I did get to go with my family to Florida again for a week but unlike last year, when we swam with Dolphins on purpose, this time my daughter Maddie and I inadvertently swam over a 6’ shark while snorkeling. Add in church, hospice, and Go Scatter Ministries events and it was a full couple of months.

And now September is here and with it many changes. The leaves will soon begin to pop with color, the kids and teachers have started back to school, football is back in full force (Go Bills!), and for me it means restarting both Refill with Randy as well as the Community Grief Support Group which will meet this coming Tuesday, September 10th, at 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Albion. All of which I am glad for.

Unfortunately, as I am sure many of you have heard by now, there was also a big change that happened at Hospice of Orleans as the Martin-Linsen Residence has paused receiving new patients until a broader base of Home Care Patients can be established to help support and sustain running it.

This was certainly sad news for potential patients who will not have this option. Personally, back in 2012 when my own mother was receiving home hospice and had gotten to the point of needing more care the MLR was still under construction so I know what it is like to want to have that need met in your own backyard but have to find it elsewhere.

It was also very sad to find out that the fantastic staff who made staying at the MLR so great had been laid off as a result. I am thankful to have worked alongside these men and women whose caring was not just a job but a calling. Beyond the physical and mental demands it takes to care for patients Hospice is also often draining emotionally as we have to say goodbye again and again to those who we have connected with so quickly.

It truly is sad news but… let me also share some good news. First and foremost the MLR is not closed, rather, the operations have paused. My hope and prayer is that as a community we can work together to build up enough referrals and funds to open it back up and never have to turn off the lights again.

Also, another piece of good news is that hospice care itself is not paused. We have a great team of nurses, aides, and social workers who I am blessed to work with who will provide you the best quality of care right in your home. I know that our board is also hoping to connect with nursing homes and hospitals to be able to offer care in those establishments as well.

I know that I am not the official spokesperson for Hospice. But as someone who has had loved ones receive care through Hospice of Orleans, who is a part of this community, and who has served as the Spiritual Care Counselor for the better part of 3 years, I am invested in helping in any way that I can to see Hospice succeed which includes reopening the doors of the MLR. I know that there are many others, including some of the former staff at the MLR, who have made known that they are committed to the same.

And if you would like to show support for Hospice or simply to honor a loved one I would encourage you to RSVP for our upcoming Memory Walk at www.hospiceoforleans.org. It will take place Sunday, September 29th, at 1:30 p.m. at Holley Falls. We will gather beforehand at the Pond Pavilion for a short service and an activity. And don’t worry, the Bills don’t play until 8:20 p.m. I checked.

See you in 2 weeks!

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Sandra Shaw, director of the Community Free Library in Holley, congratulates Arthur Barnes on Saturday for completing the second phase of a mural on the back of the library. Barnes painted the farming and country scene on the right side.

Tony Barry did the left side with an Erie Canal theme last year.

The library used a grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council to pay Barnes for the project. The library will pursue more grants to extend the mural in what could be four phases in all.

Shaw said the agriculture mural highlights an important component of the local community of Holley, Murray and Clarendon.

“This is who we are, and we wanted to celebrate farming, agriculture and the industries that grew out of it,” Shaw said. “We are exploring our agricultural past and the people who built the wonderful farms in our community.”

Arthur Barnes is shown next to the apples he painted as part of the mural. He created the depiction from memory, recalling a country scene growing up in Shelby Center. Barnes said he picked apples as a teen for a neighbor, Jeff Smith.

Barnes painted a mural that is 25 feet high and 21 feet wide. Barnes worked on the project over the summer, painting trees, a church, wheat fields and an apple orchard.

Arthur Barnes is shown with the two murals together. His mural blends in with artwork painted on the back of the library last year by Tony Barry.

Barry painted a portrait of Holley’s namesake, Myron Holley, and a Erie Canal scene. Myron Holley was an early commissioner for the canal.

Barry shared some of his leftover paint and a color scheme for the overall project.

“I owe a lot to Tony Barry,” Barnes said. “It was his idea.”

Shaw said Barnes did a great job with the mural, and was very welcoming to the public when they stopped by to see the progress.

“I met some old friends and I made some new ones,” Barnes said about working outside on the mural. “It was more fun than I thought it would be.”

This is the sixth large-scale mural Barnes has done in Orleans County. The other five are canal scenes, including his first one in Holley from about 30 years ago. That one is on display in the Murray-Holley Historical Society Museum.

BARKER – A Barker home has been declared a total loss after a late-night fire, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The homeowner at 8713 Main St. called 9-1-1 at 3:25 a.m. today, reporting the house was filling with smoke.

Upon arrival, deputies located an active fire inside of the home and reported that the two occupants at home had already evacuated. Responding personnel from numerous fire companies arrived on scene and extinguished the fire.

One of the occupants, an 18-year-old female, was transported to Medina Memorial Hospital for evaluation and treatment of minor injuries. The home is considered a total loss, but the total damage amount is not yet available, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

The residents of the house have been connected with the American Red Cross for emergency assistance. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Niagara County Origin and Cause Team.

Responding departments included Barker, Olcott, City of Lockport, Gasport and Hartland.

MIDDLEPORT – Members of the Towpath Masonic Lodge #1193 had the rare honor of recognizing a 75-year member in a special awards ceremony Wednesday night.

John Long of Tonawanda, a retired chiropractor who practiced in Medina in the 1940s, became interested in Masonry when he came to Medina to open an office and met Alvin Eskelson. Eskelson owned a dairy in Medina and was dedicated to Masonry, having been a past master of the Medina Lodge #336.

Scott Mason, secretary of Towpath Masonic Lodge, presents a rose to Marina Long, wife of 75-year member John Long, during an awards ceremony Wednesday evening.

Eskelson owned the building which housed Curry’s Dress Shop and Long’s office was on the second floor.

The Towpath Lodge was formed from the merger of Middleport’s Cataract Lodge #295, Medina Lodge and Lyndonville’s Yates Lodge 675. The only other 75-year member was the late Don Ross of Albion, who was a member of the Medina Lodge. The late Herb Koenig was a long-standing member of the Middleport lodge, having been a member for 65 years.

Other members of long standing are Frank Berger of Medina, who will be a 64-year member this year; and Robert Donovan of Medina, a 53-year-member who is a five-time past master.

The awards ceremony including reading a letter from Richard P. Schultz Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge, in which he stated Long’s 75 years as a Masonic member were a milestone in the fraternity,

While Flammger presented Long with the ceremonial apron, Long’s wife Marina pinned the 75-year pin on his lapel.

“This is one of the most momentous times in my entire life,” Long said. “I was raised in the Lodge in Medina on June 8, 1948. I remember Alvin Eskelson like it was yesterday. Masonry has been the foundation of my life. I encourage all of you to never give up and never surrender what we stand for.”

Ten-year awards were presented to Raymond Feller of Lyndonville and Thomas Weeks of Medina.

Masons also promote respect for the women in their lives and Wednesday’s program included a tribute to wives and mothers by Ben Logsdon, after which Scott Mason presented the women in the room with a rose.

Flammger concluded the evening by saying that presenting awards like this is the highlight of being master of this lodge.

“I thank you for the privilege of serving as master of Towpath Lodge,” he said.

John Long’s wife Marina affixes a 75-year pin on his lapel during an awards ceremony Wednesday night at Towpath Lodge, which is comprised of members from Lyndonville, Medina and Middleport. Looking on are Towpath master Matthew Flammger, District Deputy Grand Master of the Niagara-Orleans District Jim Horncastle, and Peter Stein, Past Deputy Grand Master.

Special guests for the evening included Jim Horncastle, District Deputy Grand Master of the Niagara-Orleans District, and Peter Stein, Past Deputy Grand Master.

Stein said interest in Masonry is on the rise, with 1,800 men inquiring about membership last year.

Horncastle extended congratulations to everyone who received an award during the evening.

“A 75-year membership doesn’t come along every day, and it is a pleasure to be here,” he said.

The evening included a meal prepared by Barb Anderson, wife of lodge treasurer Jim Anderson.

John Long, now a resident of Tonawanda, and his wife Marina chat with Frank Berger of Medina during the awards ceremony Wednesday night in which Long was honored for 75 years as a member of the Masonic Lodge.

Raymond Feller of Lyndonville was presented with a plaque for 10 years of Masonic membership by Matthew Flammger, master of Towpath Masonic Lodge. With them are Jim Horncastle, left, District Deputy Grand Master of the Niagara-Orleans District and Past Deputy Grand Master, Peter Stein, right.

Shown here are Jim Horncastle, District Deputy Grand Master of the Niagara-Orleans District; Thomas Weeks, holding his 10-year membership plaque; Matthew Flammger, master of Towpath Lodge; and Peter Stein, Past Deputy Grand Master.

ALBION – The First Presbyterian Church of Albion is celebrating its first 200 years this weekend, with excitement about the future.

The congregation was formed by 16 people in 1824. Initially the church met in homes. Those 16 people were part of the Congregational Church in Barre and withdrew to start the new church in Albion.

The Presbyterians built a church on Main Street in 1830, a building they quickly outgrew. Christ Episcopal Church has used that structure for more than 150 years.

The Presbyterians built a brick church on East State, and then an even bigger building made of Medina Sandstone that opened in 1874. That church, with a 175-foot-high spire, is the tallest building in Orleans County.

The Rev. Sue Thaine sits inside the sanctuary of the historic church. Thaine, an Albion native, has served as pastor since 2018 in her hometown.

The congregation will celebrate its history, and a commitment to ministry in the community during this weekend’s events.

“This church started with 16 people, and those 16 people formed a church that is still here today,” said the Rev. Susan Thaine, the church’s pastor since 2018.

The 200 years of the First Presbyterian Church are a year older than the formation of Orleans County and the completion of the original Erie Canal – both from 1825, Thaine noted.

Those 200 years are a long time, but she notes many of the churches and buildings in Europe are far older.

“We’re babies compared to Europe,” she said. “We’re celebrating our first 200 years with a focus on the next 200 years.”

If the weather cooperates on Saturday, there will be a dinner for 100 on a closed-off section of East State Street. 39 Problems, a Main Street restaurant, will cater the meal. After the dinner, there will be two hours of music from the Batavia Swing Band, with dancing in the street.

If it’s too rainy, the meal and music will be inside. The dancing is open to the community.

On Sunday at 11 a.m. there will be a celebration worship service with an ice cream social and basket raffle to follow. Thaine said at least five people will be welcomed as new members into the church on Sunday.

Thaine is the ninth-longest tenured pastor in the church’s history. One of the church’s longest-serving pastors, the Rev. Gary Saunders, will attend Sunday’s service with his wife, Mary Jane, who also was a pastor at the church. Mr. Saunders served as pastor in Albion for 24 years while his wife was a pastor for nine years. Mrs. Saunders also led a church in Bergen while in Albion.

Thaine said she is grateful for the chance to serve in ministry in her hometown. Prior to Albion, she led a Presbyterian Church in Penfield for seven years.

She and First Presbyterian are active members of the Albion Ministerium, including an advent lunch, service of remembrance and Hope/Blue Christmas, baccalaureate service for high school seniors, Lenten lunches and Holy Week worship services.

The church also runs English as Second Language classes in the spring through fall for local farmworkers, and offers an after-school “play and pray” program for students in pre-k through junior high. Earlier this year, First Presbyterian leased space to the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern.

The church also runs “Ben’s Backpacks” which provide school supplies and educational support for a school in Oaxca, Mexico.

Thaine also is pleased to see a growing church choir, and other faith development and outreach programs.

ALBION/BROCKPORT – Albion and Brockport will both be hosting 9-11 memorial services on Wednesday

On September 11, 2001, terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others when four airplanes were hijacked and crashed – with two into the World Trade Center towers in new York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the other into a field in rural Shanksville, Pa.

In New York City, 343 firefighters were killed responding to assist people in the World Trade Center. There were 60 police officers killed in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.

A 23^rd annual memorial service will be in Albion at 6 p.m. on the courthouse lawn near the Sept. 11 memorial. The service is expected to last about a half hour and will include many local firefighters and law enforcement personnel.

Scott Schmidt will again serve as the keynote speaker at the observance. Schmidt spent three weeks with a federal team – U.S. Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) – and assisted in collecting and identifying remains, and interviewing family members searching for loved ones. He left for New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. He was there for 20 days, including a week at Ground Zero.

The Brockport Firefighters’ Memorial Monument is shown on Wednesday evening at 237 South Main St.

The location will be the setting for a day of reflection and remembrance on Sept. 11, the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

The schedule in Brockport incudes an opening ceremony at 8:30 a.m., ringing of the bell at 8:47 a.m., a “Ring of Gold” observance at 6 p.m. and a closing ceremony at 6:30 p.m.