Send us your photos and your reactions to the total eclipse in Orleans County this afternoon. We welcome photos of the eclipse – partial and total – that are zoomed in or showing the local landscape. And we’d gladly accept photos of people viewing the eclipse.

Please note the location of these images and share your reaction to seeing this spectacle. The photos can be emailed to news@orleanshub.com or text to (585) 590-2870.

MEDINA – A man was taken into custody by Medina Police Department after allegedly threatening an ambulance crew from Medina Fire Department this afternoon.

The ambulance was dispatched to what was expected to be a low-priority basic life support call for service.

“After arriving on scene, the crew was quickly met by a person with a gun, making threats to the crew and a neighbor,” said Medina Lt. Steve Cooley, the Medina FD public information officer. “The crew retreated and requested police assistance.”

The man with gun went back inside and came out without the weapon. The crew was able to restrain the male, prior to the police arriving on the scene. Medina police officers arrived on scene shortly thereafter and placed the male into custody, Cooley said.

“We would like to thank the Medina Police Department, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department deputies, the Orleans County dispatchers and the neighbor for the quick assistance they provided to our crew,” Cooley said in news release. “Our crew is safe and both members remain on duty. We will have no further comment on this issue at the present time.”

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health Foundation held its second annual gala Saturday night at Bent’s Opera House.

Dr. Joseph Misiti

The evening featured special drinks to commemorate the eclipse, elaborate hors d’oeuvres, and the inaugural presentation of the Bowen Award to longtime surgeon Dr. Joseph Misiti.

Hospital CEO/CIO Mark Shurtz and Foundation director Megan Johnson welcomed guests, who had an opportunity to bid on a silent auction for a handful of high-end gifts and enjoy the music of the Something Else Rock City Band from Rochester.

Shurtz told the guests how lucky they were – to be in the path of totality during Monday’s eclipse and not have to travel to experience that stellar event; but also lucky that they need not have to travel for stellar healthcare services.

“We are here tonight to celebrate our achievements, acknowledge our challenges and to forge a path toward a brighter, healthier future,” Shurtz said.

“The story of Orleans Community Health is steeped in rich history that dates back to 1908, when a visionary group of citizens established Medina Memorial Hospital,” Shurtz said.

That visionary group was led by George Bowen, for whom the night’s award is named.

“Fast forward 15 years and Medina Memorial Hospital found its enduring home at its current location, where it has seen its fair share of ups and down,” Shurtz said. “Yet Medina Memorial Hospital has stayed steadfast and strong for more than 100 years, as hospital after hospital closed around us.”

Guests mingle and enjoy hors d’oeuvres at Saturday’s Orleans Community Health Foundation gala.

Shurtz said it was also essential to acknowledge their struggles and difficult choices they’ve had to make along the way.

“Reducing services and positions is never an easy decision, but these challenges have not deterred us,” he said. “They have instead fueled our determination to adapt, innovate and find new ways to serve our community. Our ability to adapt to meet evolving needs of our community has resulted in some exciting news I’d like to share.”

He reported over the last two years net revenue to the hospital has soared to the highest level in a decade. The same is true of patient visits for the fourth quarter of 2023 and patient satisfaction surveys, which showed approval at 4.9 out of 5. This achievement by hospital staff represents an unprecedented milestone in patient satisfaction, Shurtz said.

He added that while services and patient visits are on the rise, so too are their expenses.

“We must spread the word that Orleans Community Health offers unparalleled care,” Shurtz said. “It’s a simple truth, if we don’t use this valuable service, we stand to lose it.”

Support for the hospital will not only help sustain its growth, but also enable them to expand services, reach more people and make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of the community, he said.

Bartender Elizabeth Lipiec shows Orleans Community Health CEO/CIO Mark Shurtz a special Eclipse Punch which was served at Saturday’s gala at Bent’s Opera House to benefit Orleans Community Health. It was made with Captain Morgan’s rum and garnished with dried fruit resembling a sun and moon.

The evening also celebrated a new tradition – paying homage to deserving individuals who are dedicated and compassionate professionals, by awarding of the Bowen Award.

Shurtz introduced Kim Gray, director of Nursing and Surgical Services, who described the awards first recipient – longtime surgeon Dr. Joseph Misiti.

“In my role I’ve worked with Dr. Misiti for more than 20 years and witnessed his dedication and compassion,” Gray said. “No one is more dedicated in caring for our community Dr. Joseph Misiti. He is the heartbeat of our hospital. He has a profound understanding of the compassionate side of medicine, and I thank his family for sharing him with us.”

Gray then introduced Misiti’s wife Pam and daughter Teresa who accepted the award on his behalf.

Through the years Dr. Misiti has expressed his shyness in the limelight, preferring to remain in the background. For that reason, he did not attend, but extended his pleasure and heartfelt appreciation for those who thought enough to give him this prestigious award.

By Randy LeBaron

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

A couple of weeks ago I started running again. The first time I ever really ran was back in 2011 when some friends started a program at my church called Run 4 God. It was basically a C25K (Couch to 5K) plan that would help someone go from not running at all to being able to run 3.1 miles without stopping.

Along the way Sid Bolton, a member of my church at the time and an avid runner, used to always joke that the only difference between a jogger and a runner was an entry form—in other words I would need to sign up for a race, and so I did. In fact, I signed up for a number of races including: the Unity 5K in St. Louis, MO, the Strawberry Fest 5K in Albion, the Firecracker 5 Mile in Fairport, the Cattaraugus Camp 5K, the Hospice Dash Half Marathon (13.1 miles) in Niagara Falls/Lewiston, and the Pumpkins in the Park 5K at Mendon Ponds (Does anyone recognize The Joker?)

I shared about this some in an earlier article, focusing on how my friends helped me finish the half marathon and then the following year, how my friend Jack Burris had to run it in my place. Well today I would like to pick up from there as I have recently come to the realization that learning to run again is a lot like learning to walk with grief after losing a loved one.

After attempting to run in the Strawberry Fest 5K in 2012, right after my mother’s passing, I ended up being hospitalized for 4 days after collapsing 2 miles in from exhaustion and stress. At that point I put my running shoes away only to pick them back up the next year as I started over in the Run 4 God program.

I did end up finishing the Strawberry Fest race that year but ultimately ended up getting hurt and having to sit on the sidelines for another season. Each year after I would try to get running again as I was motivated both internally, as I tried to get back in shape with the Healthy Orleans Program, as well as externally, like running in memory of my friend Wayne Burlison who died from cancer 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, every time I started over, I would seem to get laid up with everything from shin splints to spinal stenosis to shingles. Ultimately, I blamed getting older as the culprit and pretty much quit trying a few years back.

The reality though was that my propensity for getting injured was due to one primary factor—false expectations. Each time that I started to train I would be reminded of the fact that in 2011 I had run for 2 ½ hrs. non-stop over a distance of 13.1 miles and so I would push myself too hard, too fast, and try to go too long, too soon.

Even now I have a hard time slowing down to a walk when my App tells me to, but I am determined to do so because what I failed to realize with every other attempt was that I was no longer the same person that I was at the end of 2011. I was no in the same shape, I was no longer the same age, I was no longer as prepared, the list goes on. The fact is that if I am going have a chance at successfully starting, and finishing, this year’s Strawberry Fest race I need to train as if I am doing it for the first time as a 50 year old rather than trying to live in the past.

So, what does this have to do with grieving? Well, what I have discovered through personal experience, as well as coming beside others through my work for Hospice, is that people often begin the grieving process with false expectations. They either think they know exactly what to expect because they have experienced some form of grief in the past or they want to go back to who they were before their loved one died so much so that they try to speed up the grieving process. As you probably guessed, there are problems with both of these approaches.

In the first scenario it should be noted that not only does everyone grieve differently but also that every grief experience is different. Losing a parent is not the same as losing a spouse or a child and if someone has multiple losses in a short period of time, they may find themselves not grieving fully until after the final one.

As with running races, where you need to train uniquely for each one—not relying on your previous training, you need to expect to grieve each loss in a unique way. With the second scenario, you need to understand that you are not the same person that you were before the death of your loved one and pretending that you are or hurrying up the grief process to get back to “normal” is futile,  it will only cause you get injured and have to start all over again.

Another lesson I learned from running that can applied to grieving is to do it in community. I have always run better when training in with others. I find encouragement and inspiration from those who are on the same journey. Similarly, there is a lot to be said about walking through grief in community. Not only can you find encouragement from others, but you can learn to pace yourself alongside them as well.

If anyone is interested in coming out to the Grief Support Group that I lead through Hospice of Orleans, we will be meeting this month on Tuesday, April 9th at 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Albion (30 W. Park St.) and on Tuesday, April 23rd at 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Medina (203 W. Center St.) All are welcome.

See you in two weeks!

Pastor Randy

Confection Connection opened in August, with bigger plans for future

Photos by Tom Rivers: Becky Harris, owner of Confection Connection at 223 South Main St., holds a plate of eclipse-themed cookies.

ALBION – Becky Harris embraces a challenge when she is in the kitchen, and she likes to put her talents to the test in celebrating a big event, whether it’s her wedding day or the upcoming eclipse.

Harris opened Confection Connection, a bakery with coffee in August at the corner of Meadowbrook Drive and South Main Street. She and her husband Adrian Harris moved from Lancaster to Albion so she could run the bakery out of their new home. The property also has space for him to grow vegetables as an organic farmer.

The Albion site is zoned commercial and was previously Paradise Healing Arts, and was once used by a dentist.

“Everybody has stories about this house,” Harris said.

Becky and Adrian married in 2016. One of Becky’s goals for the big day was to make her own wedding cake. She made several practice cakes leading up to her wedding, and shared them with friends and family.

“I kept practicing, and was getting better and better,” she said.

She developed devoted fans by sharing those “practice cakes.” They were so good, her friends urged her to consider opening a bakery.

Harris took their advice, and soon the bakery was taking up more and more of her Lancaster home. The Albion location has room for the bakery, a commercial kitchen and their home.

Harris said she has been baking since she was a kid under her grandmother’s tutelage. She continues to add new creations, whether an éclair or the new eclipse cookies. She wanted to help the community celebrate the total eclipse on April 8.

Vanilla buttercream frosting is in between eclipse cookies made with vanilla and chocolate dough.

She makes the eclipse cookies in a range of phases of the moon obstructing the sun. She cuts out portions of circles in vanilla and chocolate dough, and then pieces them together to create the cookies. She make them into a cookie sandwich by putting vanilla buttercream frosting in between.

“I wanted to do something and be a part of all the events going on this weekend,” she said.

Harris still has loyal customers from the Lancaster area. She wants to make the Albion business bigger. She welcomes in-store traffic to 223 South Main St., where she also sells coffee and cold brew drinks. She bought the coffee-making equipment from the Coffee Joint after it closed in downtown Albion.

She also sells her bread at Navarra’s, pies at the Downtown Browsery and makes rolls for the sandwiches at the Wild Flour Deli and Bakery.

Harris is looking to upgrade her food certificate with the Health Department from a food handler to food manager. She would like to offer a sit-down area and serve sandwiches, soups and salads – as well as the array of baked goods. Some of the items would include vegetables and produce grown by her husband in a “farm to oven” concept.

That expanded menu might be at a different location in Albion. Harris is looking for a shop to accommodate all of her goals.

For now, she encourages people to stop by the bakery at 223 South Main, which is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“I want to welcome anyone to come in,” Harris said.

She also welcomes ideas from customers on new flavors or creations.

“I never say no, which is a blessing and a curse,” Harris said. “But I’m up for a challenge.”

Fireworks tonight around 8 caps today’s activities

Photos by Tom Rivers: Natalie Ricci (left), senior administrative assistant at the Cornell Cooperative Extensive, and Katie Oakes, horticulture educator, show the eclipse-themed T-shirts and a tote bag that will be available at the Fairgrounds the next three days.

KNOWLESVILLE – The Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds expects to be a busy place today through Monday with many eclipse-themed activities to help people get ready for Monday’s total eclipse in the afternoon.

The fairgrounds also is hosting the Chamber of Commerce’s Home Garden & Outdoor Show. That event include vendors today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and then on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will also be food vendors for that show, highlighted by a chicken barbecue today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza on Sunday.

The eclipse events today include kids’ activities from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., a S’More Party at 6 p.m. presented by Orleans Koinonia Kitchen, a cowboy sing-along hour and then fireworks at around 8 p.m.

On Sunday, there will be kids’ activities during the day, a campfire sing-a-long and S’Mores from 7 to 9 p.m., and then a glow stick party with a DJ at 8:30 p.m.

On Monday, there will be daytime kids’ activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., including samples of astronaut food. Food vendors will be there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The partial eclipse starts at 2:04 p.m. and goes until 4:30 p.m. with totality from 3:18 to 3:22.

The Extension has eclipse glasses available “until they run out,” said Robert Batt, the Extension director.

Erica “Joan” Wanecski, left, and Eileen Sorochty get the master gardeners display ready on Friday. The master gardeners are among the vendors during this weekend’s Home Garden & Outdoor Show.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jeff Lewis, director of the Medina Railroad Museum, holds a picture of an E8 locomotive, which was used by the New York Central when it was in operation. The museum owns the only two of the engines in existence painted in the iconic lightning strike pattern.

MEDINA – Medina Railroad Museum’s director Jeff Lewis has had a busy few months since taking on the new job in January.

His current project is applying for the plaque which designates the building’s historic status.

According to Lewis, the Railroad Museum founder Marty Phelps started researching a historic marker in 1995, when he applied for historic status for the building. In 1997, New York Parks, Recreation and Historic Places granted the museum a designation as a member of the downtown historic district.

The Main Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It included the parcel on which the Medina Railroad Museum stands as a portion of historic district. If the Freight House was listed separately on the registry as a historic building it would assist the museum in attracting restoration funding.

“We would like to get designation for the building to enhance our efforts to attract restoration resources,” Lewis said. “We have to apply again and ask to have the building added to the historic register.”

The building which houses the Medina Railroad Museum was built in 1905 and is 301 feet long and 34 feet wide. It is purported to be the largest, existing wooden freight station in the United States. It was built by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company and replaced an earlier freight station which outgrew the shipping needs of the burgeoning community of Medina.

It was reported the single industry which most contributed to the development of the village was the establishment of H.J. Heinz Co. plant in 1899. This plant, located west of the Railroad Museum on Park Avenue, is today known as the Olde Pickle Factory.

The museum building operated as a freight station until 1965 when it was converted into a furniture warehouse. A lifelong railroad fan, Phelps purchased the building in 1991 and began transforming it into the railroad museum.

Contributing elements to be added to the Historic District include the freight station and that portion of railroad tracks which extends from the present district boundary to the western edge of the nominated parcel.

Lewis explained this effort is in preparation for a capital campaign next year and celebration of the building’s 120th anniversary.

He is also going to apply for a Tag Grant from New York State Preservation to put together a renovation plan which will address new gutters to take water away from the foundation.

“We need to address it now so it doesn’t get out of control,” Lewis said.

He said the museum will do a bunch of things next year in honor of the special anniversary. This includes selling bricks for a walkway to the trains as part of a legacy program.

In other museum business, the board has recently had the two E8 locomotives they own appraised. If enough money is raised to put in a siding, the E8s could be displayed there for the public to view.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health is urging residents to take action in the New York State Broadband Challenge Portal to enhance broadband coverage across the state.

In information provide by Scott Robinson, director of marketing at Orleans Community Health, he reports as an organization committed to advancing community health and well-being, Orleans Community Health recognizes the critical role of reliable internet connectivity in accessing essential healthcare resources.

Access to high-quality internet service is imperative, according to Robinson, particularly in the healthcare sector. Reliable connectivity enables individuals to access crucial health information. However, numerous communities continue to face challenges related to inadequate broadband infrastructure, he said.

“We believe that everyone deserves equitable access to reliable internet service, especially when it comes to accessing essential healthcare resources,” Robinson said. “Participating in the New York State Broadband Challenge Portal empowers residents to contribute towards identifying areas in need of improved broadband coverage, ultimately, fostering better healthcare outcomes for our community.”

The public engagement process facilitated by the Broadband Challenge Portal enables residents to access their internet speeds and provide feedback on service quality. This data will play a pivotal role in directing broadband infrastructure investments to areas where they are most needed, ensuring equitable access to healthcare resources and services for all.

Orleans Community Health is actively engaged in supporting efforts to expand and improve broadband coverage in the region. For those interested in participating, but unable to due to internet service, they are encouraged to visit the local library for needed resources. Residents interested in participating in the New York State Broadband Challenge Portal can follow these steps:

Confirm the internet speed subscribed to by your household. This information can be found in communications from your internet service provider or in your provider’s subscriber portal.

Click here to conduct a speed test and save the results. After completing the first test, you will receive e-mail reminders to complete two additional speed tests on separate days.

Click here to submit public comments. Select “Speed” when asked about the type of comment you are submitting. Upload copies of your speed test results and submit your public comment.

Improving broadband coverage is crucial not only for accessing healthcare resources, but also for advancing economic development, education and overall quality of life, Robinson said. Orleans Community Health encourages residents to actively contribute to shaping the future of internet connectivity in New York state through participation in the Broadband Challenge Portal.

By Tom Rivers and Ginny Kropf

CHILDS – With an influx of visitors expected in the area for the eclipse, the Cobblestone Museum is opening this weekend. The museum normally opens for the season on Mother’s Day Weekend.

The museum, a National Historic Landmark, has many programs and events planned starting today through Monday. The museum wants to be part of the eclipse on Monday. Orleans County is in the path of totality for the eclipse, which hasn’t happened locally since January 1925.

“We don’t know what to expect,” said museum director Doug Farley. “There could be record crowds in the area out looking for something to do.”

The museum opened today with tours available and eclipse-themed merchandise for sale.

Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper gave a talk today on “Spring Cleaning: Whose Idea Was That?”

Cooper didn’t want to speak specifically about the eclipse, but wanted a topic that tied in with the sun. She said the longer days of sunlight in the spring often awakened people, especially housewives, to give their homes a thorough cleaning.

The houses needed it after a winter of burning coal. That left homes with lots of dust, especially when chimneys were cleaned.

Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper gives a talk at the Cobblestone Universalist Church today entitled, “Spring Cleaning: Whose Idea Was That?” She is holding two carpet beaters that were used to knock dust and debris from rugs. Cooper said the spring sunshine was an impetus for people to do the arduous task of ridding their homes of dust that accumulated over the winter.

Cooper, speaking today the museum, said the early settlers didn’t have many possessions, arriving with clothes, food, tools and some supplies. Gradually they acquired things.

Rugs were a nemesis to clean in the spring. Cooper, during her talk, shows carpet beaters from more than a century ago that were used to free dust and disintegrated straw from rugs.

She found notices in old newspapers invited the community for spring cleaning at cemeteries, post offices and local roads.

Cooper will give her presentation again at 2:30 on Saturday at the Cobblestone Church.

The schedule of events from Saturday to Monday includes:

Saturday

• The events begin with blacksmithing demonstrations at the forge in the blacksmith shop from 10 a.m. to noon.
• From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., docents will share the history of the three cobblestone buildings on campus and the Vagg house.
• At 10:30 a.m., Susan Starkweather Miller, Albion village historian, will share “History in the Headlines: 1925 Total Eclipse” in the cobblestone church sanctuary.
• From noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting, an auto show will take place behind the Cobblestone Church.
• At 2:30 p.m., Cooper will again present “Spring Cleaning: Whose Idea was That” in the cobblestone sanctuary.

Sunday

• On Sunday, blacksmithing demonstrations will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at the forge in the Blacksmith Shop.
• From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., docents will share the history of the three cobblestone buildings and the Vagg House.
• At 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., retired Cobblestone Museum director Bill Lattin will present “Church Stories You Don’t Hear at Church” in the Cobblestone Church sanctuary.
• At 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Lattin will share “Farm Stories” in the church sanctuary.
• The auto show will again be on display (weather permitting) from noon to 3 p.m.

Monday

• On Monday, tours will be available at 10 a.m.
• From noon to 2 p.m., refreshments will be available for guests with an upgraded admission fee, or sold while supplies last.
• Local vocalist Hannah Brewer will entertain from noon to 2 p.m. at the Visitor’s Center.

The Gift Shop and Holiday Shoppe located in the lower level of the church will be open daily, featuring solar eclipse souvenirs. Also open will be the self-service used books building behind the brick house.

 Guests are advised the Gift Shop/Holiday Shoppe will be closed during the solar eclipse. Hours will be posed inside the Gift Shop.

 Self-guided exhibits will include “Mourning Art and Sundries” in the Upper Gallery of the brick house; artwork by Tom Zangerle and 19th century painters and more than 20 historic coverlets from the 1800s in the Visitor’s Center.

Public restrooms are available behind the Ward House. Anyone requiring access to the unisex bathrooms located in the Visitor’s Center or brick house should ask the volunteer at each location.

Public meeting set for April 29 at Town Hall

Press Release, Town of Barre

BARRE – The Town of Barre is updating its Comprehensive Plan and wants to hear from residents. The Town’s appointed Comprehensive Plan Committee will hold a public open house on Monday, April 29, at the Barre Town Hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.

Residents, landowners, and others interested in the future of the Town of Barre are invited to drop in any time between 4 and 7 p.m. The Town’s planning consultant will give a brief presentation on the Comprehensive Plan and the Community Survey at 4:15, 5:15 and 6:15 p.m.

The Town of Barre launched a Community Survey to help the Comprehensive Plan Committee better understand residents’ issues and priorities. The survey is available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BarreCommunitySurvey.

Residents may also call the Town Clerk at (585) 589-5100 to request a paper copy of the survey. Barre residents who complete the survey by April 15 will be eligible for a drawing to win $100.

The Comprehensive Plan will set goals and recommend actions to guide town decisions regarding:

• Land use and zoning
• Neighborhood Preservation and Housing
• Business and Economic Development
• Housing and Residential Quality of Life
• Agriculture & Farmland
• Natural Resources & Environmental Protection
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Government and Community Services

For more information, please contact Comprehensive Plan Committee chair George McKenna at (585) 738-4875 or planning consultant Barbara Johnston at (585) 295-6636.