POINT BREEZE – “The air seemed foreboding that day. A northeast wind had sprung up the previous day and had increased in intensity and reached gale force proportions by nightfall.
“During the night, the mounting fury of the wind whipped the lake into a frenzy, the beach disappeared and enormous waves crashed against the banks with a deafening roar and hurled tons of water far back on the land.
“As a snarling tiger tears the flesh from its victims with wicked claw and tooth, so the hideous roaring monster into which the usually beautiful lake had changed, attacked the helpless land and with gleaming white fangs and horrible wet arms with vicious claws tore away great chunks of earth and trees.
“The storm struck with particular venom at the place where the shoreline starts to turn out in the little point which suggested the name, Point Breeze. Here the main road turns abruptly west toward the creek. The water hurled out by the waves flowed down the road in a veritable river making its way into the creek at the edge of the Selheimer (Saw Mill) dock.
“Mr. Lewis Roger, who owned the Point Breeze hotel, feared that the lake would tear out a channel to the creek and that his property would become an island.
“The storm continued the next day; waves broke over the lake road in some places with such force that it was hardly safe to travel that way. A steady cold rain fell which chilled one to the very marrow of one’s bones.
“Inland, however, the wind was less violent.”
This dramatic account of an 1880s storm on Lake Ontario was written by Miss Helen E. Allen, Town of Carlton Historian. It was published in the Albion Advertiser, Sept. 16, 1948.
Writing in the Albion Advertiser in 1947, Helen Allen wrote poetically about the lake’s ever-changing symphony of sound and color:
“There were days when vision ended a few feet away in one white swirl of snow. Sometimes water, misty air and sky were all one indistinguishable grey.
“On other days, fleecy white clouds drifting in the azure sky above the blue-green lake became a blaze of glorious color as the setting sun sent a shining path of gold across the water. Then slowly the bright shades of yellow, reds and purple would fade into one soft afterglow, then darkness and the twinkling stars above and the beam of light from the lighthouse.
“Dark days came too, when lake and sky seemed almost black and the waves flung themselves with a roar, like angry beasts with gleaming white fangs upon the shores. But however fierce and menacing it might be, one always knew that there would come a day when the lake would again be serene and calm.
“Lake Ontario, always changing, ever the same, reminding one of the Eternal God.”
A life-long Carton resident, Helen Elizabeth Allen was born in 1894, the daughter of Albert and Lucy (Boughton) Allen. The family resided on the east side of Oak Orchard Creek, just north of the Two Bridges. Helen assisted her parents in the operation of the family chicken farm for many years.
As historian, Miss Allen made a point of speaking to older residents and gathering their tales. They recounted stories about their grandparents who would have been among the early population of the locality. Gifford D. Fowler, for example, recalled going fishing with his grandfather about 1868 when one of the piers at Oak Orchard Harbor was being built.
Miss Allen contributed vicinity news from the Two Bridges as well as articles on local history to the Albion Advertiser and the Orleans Republican-American newspapers for over fifty years.
In 1972, she completed an exhaustive study of the religious societies and churches formed in Orleans County. An active member of the Orleans County Chapter of the D.A.R., Helen was a charter member of the Cobblestone Society.
She passed away on March 15, 1979 and is buried in Mt. Albion Cemetery.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 September 2024 at 9:19 pm
Site also includes bench and lamppost made from repurposed steel from lift bridge
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion eighth-graders sing “Low Bridge, Everybody Down” as part of today’s dedication ceremony for the Erie Canal Park, a site across from the Albion fire hall on Platt Street. The students are joined by a miniature donkey and mule.
The village Department of Public Works cleared part of the land in the spring and has made other improvements to the park by the Erie Canal, between to the two lift bridges.
Today’s dedication also included the unveiling of a monument to the 15 people killed in the Sept. 28, 1859 bridge collapse. There was a crowd of 250 people, plus five horses, on the bridge that day 165 years ago. The people gathered to see a wirewalker on a tight rope over the canal.
The bridge would tumble into the canal, killing 15 people.
The park includes a lamppost and a bench made from repurposed steel from the Main Street lift bridge when it was originally constructed in 1914. The bridge is getting a major overhaul and is expected to reopen to traffic on Dec. 19 following just over two years of construction.
Bill Schutt, left, is the artist from Batavia who made the lamppost, which will be solar powered. A Go Art! grant paid for Schutt to make the lamppost. Schutt said the lamppost was made in an art deco style from the 1930s and ’40s. He said he enjoys making art from recycled materials.
Albion Mayor Angel Javier Jr. is next to Schutt and Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley is on the bench that was made by employees in the sewer plant, the Joint Pollution Control Facility. Village employees Ric Albright, Kyle Piccirilli and William Malone worked on the bench, which also includes a time capsule to be opened on Sept. 28, 2059.
Albion students who were part of today’s celebration join in the photo.
The village worked with community volunteers to make the Erie Canal Park more enticing to boaters and residents.
Tim Archer, an Albion teacher, served as the emcee for today’s program. Albion students have painted a mural about the canal on the Albion fire hall, put in an interpretive panel about the Erie Canal and its impact on Albion, and also helped secure a historical marker noting Marquis de LaFayette’s tour along the Erie Canal which included a stop in Albion on June 6-7, 1825.
David Oakley (left), owner of Bridgen Memorials, and Dave Strickland, the stone cutter at Bridgen, were instrumental in creating the monument.
They are shown on a side with 15 handprints from local community members to represent the 15 people who died in the bridge collapse.
The side includes a silhouette of Charles Blondin, the famous wire walker who crossed Niagara Falls and who inspired George Williams to try walking on a tightrope in Albion.
The outline of the bridge shows the Squire Whipple bowstring iron truss bridge that crashed into the canal 165 years ago. The bridge was 60 feet long, about half the length of the current lift bridge over the canal.
Those who perished in the bridge collapse include:
Perry G. Cole, 19, of Barre
Augusta Martin, 18, of Carlton
Ann Viele, 36, of Gaines
Edwin Stillson, 16, of Barre
Joseph Code, 18, of Albion
Lydia Harris, 11, of Albion
Thomas Handy, 66, of Yates
Sarah Thomas, 10, of Carlton
William Henry, 22, of Saratoga County
Ransom S. Murdock, 17, of Carlton
Adelbert Wilcox, 17, of West Kendall
Sophia Pratt, 18, of Toledo, Ohio
Thomas Aulchin, 50, of Paris (Canada)
Jane Lavery, 16, of Albion
Charles Rosevelt, 21, of Sandy Creek
The handprints used in the memorial are from people close in age to the victims. Those handprints include Dr. Tom Madejski, 64; Tom Rivers, 50; Aaron Flanagan, 17; Gideon Pask, 16; Nick Andrews, 19; Zack Baron, 16; Mollie Radzinski, 35; Cameron Ecker, 21; Nicholas Baxter, 16; Reuben Rivers, 19; Rosemary Kirby, 9; Phoebe Kirby, 14; Graham Kirby, 10; Cordelia Rivers, 13; and Al Hand, 17.
The Albion Rotary Club led the effort to have the monument erected, and received financial contributions from the Albion Betterment Committee, Albion Merchants Association, the local DAR chapter, Mitchell Family Cremations & Funerals, and an anonymous donor.
Tim Archer, right, interviews middle school students Thailer Seibert, left, and Blake Doty who portrayed hoggees, who were kids who worked with canal boats. Hoggees typically led mule teams that pulled the canal boats.
The miniature donkey and mule that were part of today’s festivities came from Painted Sky Ranch in Brockport.
Sophie Kozody and Hailey Styer portray two of the bridge collapse victims, Jane Lavery and Lydia Harris. In recent years, Albion students worked with Mount Albion Cemetery to have headstones in the cemetery for the two girls. Harris didn’t have a head stone and Lavery’s had broken into pieces.
The site by the canal was never formally named a park until Aug. 14, when the Village Board gave it the name, “Erie Canal Park.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 September 2024 at 5:12 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion village trustee Greg Bennett, right, was among a group of about 50 people this morning at the dedication of four memorial benches at the new basketball courts at Bullard Park.
The courts opened last October. Today the four coated steel sport benches were dedicated with memorial plaques. The flowers were donated by Homestead Wildflowers in Albion.
One of the benches is in memory of Craig Anderson, who was a three-sport standout athlete at Albion. A 1972 graduate, he led Albion to its first Section 6 basketball title. He passed away from cancer at age 18 in 1973. The high school gym is named in his honor.
Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church paid the $750 cost to have the bench dedicated for Anderson. Church is good friends with Craig’s younger brother Tom Anderson. Church and Tom Anderson were managers for the Sectional winning team in 1972, back when the two were eighth-graders.
Meghan Doherty speaks about her brother Jonathan. One of the benches is in his honor and was paid for by the Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events. Jonathan was an active promoter of Bullard Park and other causes in the community. He was 38 when he passed away on May 5, 2022.
“His focus was his community, his family and his church,” Meghan said. “He did everything for other people.”
Ron Albertson, a member of the G-ACRE organization and a Lions Club member with Jonathan, said Doherty was well known in the community, by his first name only.
“He is the best team player I’ve ever known,” he said.
Torin Swartout places the plaque on the bench in memory of his son, Jesse Swartout, who passed away at age 21 in 2002 when he was a senior at Skidmore College. He has family in the local area.
Jesse was a gifted athlete and scholar, and a left-handed pitcher. He loved socializing with his friends by playing sports.
“We hope Jesse’s spirit will help make these courts safe haven for Albin athletes,” his family said.
Alyssa Swanger and her daughter Vivi put the plaque on the bench for Alyssa’s brother, Justin Swanger. He was a basketball star and three-point specialist for Albion. He passed away at age 21 on Nov. 28, 2014.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to make Justin proud and carry on his basketball legacy in this community that would live on for many years to come,” his mother Paula Canne said.
The benches are the latest upgrade to the park. The village would like to add two pickleball courts next to the basketball courts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 September 2024 at 8:28 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Holley school community dressed up as Disney characters for the annual parade through the village on Friday evening.
The senior class created a float celebrating Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.
Karri Schiavone, the district superintendent, dressed up as the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. The school administrators all wore costumes of villains from Disney shows.
Brendan Keiser (in back), Holley’s director of teaching and learning, is Hades from Hercules, while Sharon Zacher, the district’s assistant superintendent of business, is Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians.
The junior high student council portrayed characters from Maui.
Matt Feldman, the junior-senior high school principal, dressed as Scar from The Lion King. Feldman urged the other administrators to join him as a Disney villain.
These youth football players were energetic during the parade.
These youth cheerleaders enjoy the parade through the village.
Mike Roffe, who worked security at Holley with COPS for nine years, played the bagpipes in the parade. Roffe is a retired sergeant from the Greece Police Department and a member of the Gates Keystone Police Pipes & Drums.
Holley administrators dressed as villains from Disney shows for the parade. In front from left as Karri Schiavone, the district superintendent as the Queen Hearts; Sharon Zacher, the districts’ assistant superintendent for business as Cruella de Vil; Henry and Harlow Zacher (Sharon Zacher’s grandchildren as dalamations); and Stephanie Sanchez as Ursula from Little Mermaid. In back: Mackenzie Swartz, Holley’s assistant elementary school as Mother Gothel from Tangled; Tim Artessa, elementary principal as Gaston from Beauty and the Beast; Dan Courtney, athletic director and assistant jr./sr. high principal as Captain Hook; Brendan Keiser, director of teaching and learning as Hades from Hercules; and Matt Feldman, jr./sr. high principal as Scar from The Lion King.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 27 September 2024 at 9:06 pm
Provided photo: Mick Tower hugs his wife Elizabeth, a resident of Medina Memorial Hospital’s North Wing, after bringing her flowers for their 70th wedding anniversary.
MEDINA – Harry “Mick” and Elizabeth Tower are happy to share their secret for a long, happy marriage.
“The secret is open communication and not to hold a grudge. Deal with the situation and move on,” they say.
On Thursday, the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary at the North Wing, where Elizabeth has been a resident since Feb. 9. Her husband visits her nearly every day.
Mick and Elizabeth were high school sweethearts. They were married at St. Joseph’s Church in Albion and are the proud parents of two sons, Michael and Ronald. They also have four grandchildren.
Elizabeth worked as a secretary for Dr. Karl Heuer, an Albion dentist, and Mick was self-employed at his business, Tower Electric.
The couple enjoyed a lot of the same things, like camping and square dancing. They had a fifth wheel and belonged to a camping club, and were also members of a square dancing club.
When asked about their marriage, Elizabeth said, “It wasn’t always peaches and cream, but my husband is pretty easy going.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 September 2024 at 8:41 pm
Erie Canal Park also will include lamppost, bench made from old steel from lift bridge
Photo by Tom Rivers: Employees at Brigden Memorials today at about 11 a.m. move a 1,200-pound granite monument to the Erie Canal Park. The monument is in remembrance of 15 people killed on Sept. 28, 1859 when the Main Street bridge collapsed. They were among 250 on the bridge watching a tightrope walker attempt to cross the Erie Canal. The Brigden employees include David Strickland, Ken Strickland, Frank Abbott and Dustin Goetze.
ALBION – The public is welcome to attend a dedication at noon on Saturday for the Erie Canal Park. The program will include the unveiling of a monument to the 15 people killed in the Sept. 28, 1859 bridge collapse.
The park also includes a lamppost and a bench made from old steel from the Main Street lift bridge, which is currently undergoing a major rehabilitation. That bridge is expected to reopen to traffic on Dec. 19.
Bill Schutt, an artist from Batavia, created the lamppost, with the village using a grant from GO Art! for the project. The Village Pollution Control Center employees (Rick Albright, Kyle Piccirilli and Michael Malone) made the bench that includes a cylinder that will be a time capsule to be opened on Sept. 28 2059.
The Albion Rotary Club led the effort to have a monument for the 15 people killed in the bridge collapse, which included several children. Brigden Memorials in Albion made the monument at a discount, doing the design, engraving and installation at no charge.
One side of the monument describes the tragic day of Sept. 28, 1859 when a crowd gathered to watch a tightrope walker. At the time Albion was hosting the county fair.
George Williams of Brockport attempted to walk across the canal on a tightrope. He didn’t get too far before the bridge collapsed.
The monument lists the 15 people who died in the tragedy:
Perry G. Cole, 19, of Barre
Augusta Martin, 18, of Carlton
Mrs. Ann Viele, 36, of Gaines
Edwin Stillson, 16, of Barre
Joseph Code, 18, of Albion
Lydia Harris, 11, of Albion
Thomas Handy, 66, of Yates
Sarah Thomas, 10, of Carlton
William Henry, 22, of Saratoga County
Ransom S. Murdock, 17, of Carlton
Adelbert Wilcox, 17, of West Kendall
Sophia Pratt, 18, of Toledo, Ohio
Thomas Aulchin, 50, of Paris (Canada)
Jane Lavery, 16, of Albion
Charles Rosevelt, 21, of Sandy Creek
The other side of the monument includes a silhouette of Charles Blondin, who started the wirewalking craze by crossing Niagara Falls on June 30, 1859, walking 1,100 feet on a tightrope. Blondin would walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope about 300 times in his career, including blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow and carrying his manager on his back.
The monument has 15 handprints of Albion community members to represent the 15 victims from the bridge collapse. The handprints are people about the same age as those who perished. The monument also shows the bridge in Albion at the time of the collapse, a 60-foot-long Squire Whipple bowstring iron truss bridge.
The program on Saturday includes two re-enactors, Sophie and Mallory Kozody, who are portraying Jane Lavery and Lydia Harris. Sophie is an eighth-grader and her sister is a senior.
Two mules also are expected to be part of the atmosphere on Saturday, and chocolates with a tugboat theme will also be available.
The Cobblestone Museum also will be selling Erie Canal books created by Albion students.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 September 2024 at 4:38 pm
Rotary also presents $4,500 check to OFA to help seniors with transportation
Provided photo
ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club last week recognized the Albion Lions Club for its 100 years of service to the community.
Pictured in front at the tavern of the Ridge include long-time Lions Club members Mary Janet and Dr. Satya Sahukar. In back row are Rotary Club President Tom Rivers, Lions Club President Marie Snyder, and Lions Club members Barb Navarra and Ron Albertson.
Rotary and the Lions for many years sponsored a Little League team together. The two clubs also help organize the annual Strawberry Festival for two days in June.
Rotary praised the Lions for its work in helping to organize the Rock the Park music festival and the recent improvements to Bullard Park.
Photo by Tom Rivers
Rotary also presented a ceremonial check for $4,500 to the Office for the Aging to support a transportation program for senior citizens.
The golf tournament was held on July 20 at Shelridge Country Club in Medina.
Pictured from left include Bill Downey, a member of the Rotary Club and golf tournament committee member; OFA Director Melissa Blanar; Becky Karls, Albion Rotary Club member and OFA employee; and Cindy Perry, Rotary Club member and the golf tournament organizer for many years.
This program is for seniors needing transportation to a variety of services, including medical appointments, and trips to the bank, hairdresser or to see a loved one in a nursing home. There aren’t public funds or grants for this program.
So far this year, Blanar said 36 seniors have received for 315 rides over 6,739 miles.
For more information about the volunteer program, either as a driver or rider, contact the OFA at (585) 589-3191. Drivers can specify if they only want to do trips within Orleans County.
Daniel Walterhouse is buried at County Poor House Cemetery
Provided photos: Albion eighth-graders Mary McCormick, left, and Kendall Peruzzini made a presentation to the Orleans County Legislature on Tuesday.
Press Release, Albion Central School
ALBION – Two eighth-graders from Albion Middle School, Mary McCormick and Kendall Peruzzini, have been approved to pursue a headstone for a Civil War veteran buried at the Orleans County Poor House cemetery.
McCormick and Peruzzini began investigating Daniel Walterhouse, a Civil War veteran, after learning from Tim Archer, ACS Service Learning liaison, that the soldier could be buried at the cemetery.
“The girls did some research this summer to help verify his [the soldier’s] burial there,” Archer said. “Their classmates will continue their work this fall.”
Working alongside Albion Town Clerk Sarah Basinait and County Historian Catherine Cooper, the students’ goal was to identify the soldier and verify Walterhouse was buried in the cemetery.
“We searched through old death record ledgers from 1910 to verify Mr. [Daniel] Walterhouse’s death at the Orleans County Poor House and his burial at the Poor House Cemetery,” Peruzzini said. “It was confirmed that he was buried there.”
After this confirmation, McCormick says they visited Cooper in her offices at the Court House Square.
“She [Cooper] provided us with several old books that recorded residents at the Poor House by year,” McCormick explained. “Mr. Walterhouse was listed in the documents for several years prior to his death… We learned a lot about our county’s past by looking through these documents.”
On Tuesday, the students gave a brief presentation explaining their research process and requesting permission from the Orleans County Legislature to pursue the headstone.
Now approved, they will be applying for a Civil War-style headstone through the Department of Veterans Affairs. These are provided free of charge with proper documentation. If the marker is received, they plan to hold a community ceremony in the spring to honor Mr. Walterhouse.
“Our hope is that, in some way, our recognizing him these many years later will also honor the many forgotten who lived at the Poor House in obscurity,” McCormick said.
Mary McCormick and Kendall Peruzzini are shown with Albion teacher Tim Archer after their presentation at the Orleans County Legislature. In back are county attorney Kathy Bogan, left, and Lisa Stenshorn, clerk of the Legislature.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Wednesday held a virtual press conference on the Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act, bipartisan legislation that would update and strengthen security at the northern border.
The legislation comes following a significant increase in unauthorized crossings in the last two years, which has placed serious strain on state resources. Additionally, a number of migrants have died while attempting to cross the border in winter.
“Customs and Border Protection agents along our northern border are struggling to address a dramatic increase in the number of unauthorized border crossings,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill is a commonsense, bipartisan measure to give federal law enforcement and congressional leaders more data and strategic direction to address the situation. I look forward to getting it passed.”
The number of migrant encounters at the northern border has roughly doubled over the past year. Officials reported more than 190,000 encounters in 2023, and apprehensions of migrants crossing illegally from Canada jumped 241% from 2022 to 2023. Gillibrand’s bill would help ensure that Customs and Border Protection has the data and insights necessary to address the increasing apprehensions along the northern border and combat illegal drug and weapons trafficking.
Specifically, the Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act would:
Require a Northern Border Threat Analysis to be completed every three years;
Require that the analysis include an assessment of recent changes in the number and demographics of apprehensions at the northern border;
Require that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Northern Border Strategy be updated within 90 days of the completion of the threat analysis, and have DHS brief Congress within 30 days.
Senator Gillibrand introduced this bill along with Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND). It unanimously passed out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
MEDINA – Teacher Bill Rakonczay and his Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering students at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center will have their names in space next year at the International Space Station.
Mr. Rakonczay, his students, support staff and Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ new District Superintendent Dr. Taweepon Farrar signed a part of a locker that will be going to the International Space Station (ISS) thanks to their partnership with NASA’s HUNCH program. The students made a part for the stowage lockers and were rewarded for their hard work by Florence Gold, a NASA HUNCH mentor. She stopped in to have the seniors sign one of the locker panels.
The HUNCH mission is to empower and inspire students through project-based learning program where high school students learn 21st Century skills and have the opportunity to launch their careers through the participation in the design and fabrication of real-world valued products for NASA.
Space flight equipment is one of HUNCH’s largest programs allowing students to create high quality hardware items for the ISS. Since the projects are likely to fly to the ISS, they need to be of the highest quality and meet stringent tolerances applied to all hardware for the ISS.
Mr. Rakonczay says he has enjoyed the years’ long partnership. “It has been a great experience for my students and something pretty amazing to put on their resume as they apply for colleges or enter the workforce.”
Ms. Gold thanked everyone for their hard work and told them how much she enjoys working with high school students who are passionate about career and technical education.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 27 September 2024 at 8:15 am
Provided images: Jo Paquette, a Boston author and long-time friend of Author’s Note owner Julie Berry, will visit the local book store on Oct. 2 to introduce and sign copies of her latest book, Stories I Told My Dead Lover.
MEDINA – A noted Boston author and friend of local book store owner and award-winning author Julie Berry will visit Author’s Note on Wednesday to discuss and sign her new adult book, Stories I Told my Dead Lover, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Jo Paquette is an author and senior literary agent who has published more than a dozen books for young readers, which have been translated into nine languages and received numerous accolades, including nomination for the Massachusetts Book Award.
Stories I told my Dead Lover is her adult debut.
Paquette and Medina’s Julie Berry go way back, Paquette said in a phone call Thursday.
“We met at some book event when Julie was living in Massachusetts, and we’ve been friends ever since,” she said. “I was here for her inaugural celebration when she opened the book store.”
Berry said she is excited to welcome Paquette to Medina again.
“I know our readers of thrillers and fiction that keep you awake at night will love her new book,” Berry said.
Paquette said when she was young, she never dreamed of becoming a published author.
“I know I always loved to read and write stories,” she said. “But, becoming a real author caught me by surprise.”
With this new release, Paquette weaves jagged shards of truth into eight disconnected works of frightening fiction, coupled with dark wit and whimsy.
She considers her books more psychological than horror.
She said she started writing when she was going through a lot of changes in her life.
“Writing was my way to sort out what I was feeling, and it came out kind of dark,” she said. “I always enjoyed trying new things, like fantasies and science fiction. I like to write whatever is calling me most strongly. I write what feels most passionate, whatever that is.”
She now is taking it slow, but likes this style of writing.
“I hope to go on in this direction,” she said.
Stories I Told my Dead Lover is a collection that probes the darkest and most deeply buried parts of the human psyche. A child is forced to grow up too soon; a woman trusts her doctor too much; an abandoned woman isn’t as alone as she thinks; an idyllic holiday masks an unspeakable act of violence.
The book is perfect for lovers of thrill and horror, according to Berry. For anyone wanting a reason to look over their shoulder at night, this book will make readers question just how safe they are, and if such things couldn’t happen to them, too.
Acclaimed author Erin Dionne describes the collection as “combining Joe Hill’s sense of the macabre with Karen Russel’s dark whimsy.” She said these stories lodge in the imagination like splinters and must be examined and returned to, time and again.
New York Times’ bestselling author Nancy Werlin says, “Paquette was born to write horror. These subtle, varied stories are somehow both creepy and hilarious, and the sharp writing took my breath away. I could not stop reading.”
Author’s Note encourages those customers who have expressed interest in a horror/thriller-themed book club to attend this event Wednesday. Bookselling staff of Author’s Note will gauge interest in moving forward with such a club at this event.
The event on Wednesday evening is free and open to the public. Pre-ordering copies of Paquette’s book is recommended. For those unable to attend, signed books can be ordered at www.authorsnote.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 September 2024 at 8:50 pm
MEDINA – The Village Board was asked to consider allowing up to six backyard chickens for residents, with no roosters.
Medina was asked by Katie Hardner, who is leading the effort to have chickens be permitted in Orleans County villages. The Village of Lyndonville Planning Board on Sept. 16 approved an ordinance for backyard chickens. That local law now goes to the Village Board in Lyndonville for review and will need that board’s approval to be adopted.
Hardner attended Medina’s meeting on Monday evening. She urged Medina officials to allow chickens in the village. Hannah Villeyas, a Medina resident, also asked that the poultry be permitted.
Villeyas said chickens provide food, pest control, remove weeds and are great companions. She said allowing chickens gives residents more resilience in an uncertain world, and also contributes to a more sustainable community.
Hardner and supporters of “For Cluck’s Safe” have attended parades and had a booth at the Orleans County 4-H Fair, trying to build support for the cause. She said a small group of chickens are not livestock, and they provide nutritional and mental health benefits for families.
Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman said she expects the issue will be referred to the Village Planning Board for its input.
In Lyndonville, that Planning Board recommended the village adopt a local law allowing up to six chickens. Residents would need to get a permit (a one-time fee of $25), and the chickens are to be restricted to the rear or backyard of any residential zoning district.
Chicken owners will need to submit photos of the cages or coops where the chickens are housed. The cages shall not exceed 32 square feet or be taller than 7 feet.
The cages or coops need to be at least 30 feet from any door or window of a dwelling, school, church or other occupied structure other than the applicant’s dwelling.
The coops or cages also need to be at 5 feet from a side yard property line and more than 18 inches from a rear lot line. No chickens shall be kept in a front yard or side street yard areas, according to the draft ordinance.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 26 September 2024 at 4:34 pm
(Left) Darlene Rich is the Shelby town clerk. (Right) Betty Sue Miller is director of Hoag Library in Albion.
LYNDONVILLE – With Orleans Community Health’s cancer services event, For Women Only, a week away, the hospital is announcing speakers, presentations and more, and making a plea for the community to honor and remember their loved ones who have suffered with cancer.
“This is the 25th year of this beloved event which brings the community together for an inspiring evening of support, friendship and solidarity, while raising funds to benefit those seeking services in the area,” said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communication and Outreach.
A highlight of the event on Oct. 3 at the White Birch is a video presentation in which names and/or pictures of loved ones who have survived or died from cancer is shown on a giant screen throughout the evening. Names and photos may still be sent to srobinson@medinamemorial.org as a tribute to their strength and courage.
The evening will also feature a basket raffle, providing attendees with the chance to win fabulous prizes while contributing wo a worthy cause, Robinson said.
Two speakers have been announced – Betty Sue Miller, director of Hoag Library in Albion; and Darlene Rich, town of Shelby clerk. Both are cancer survivors and will share their personal stories, offering inspiration and hope to all in attendance.
Everyone is invited to be part of this powerful evening, whether they are a survivor, a friend or a supporter. Attendees will also have the opportunity to share their own experiences, fostering an environment of togetherness that serves as a reminder that we are all in this fight together.
“Join us for an evening of inspiration, support and camaraderie,” Robinson said. “Let us come together to make a difference in the lives of those battling cancer.”
POINT BREEZE – “The air seemed foreboding that day. A northeast wind had sprung up the previous day and had increased in intensity and reached gale force proportions by nightfall.
