Sunday is last day for early voting before Primary on Tuesday

Photo by Tom Rivers: This sign directs people to the early voting spot at the Board of Elections at the County Office Building.

ALBION – The turnout has been light so far with early voting in the Republican primaries.

Today is the eighth day of early voting and 216 had cast ballots as of 2:30 p.m. Early voting continues until 5 p.m. today, and then there is a final day on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. before the primary on Tuesday.

The county has one early voting site and it’s in Albion at the County Office Building on Route 31.

The turnout each day so far includes: 26 on June 15, 12 on June 16, 29 on June 17, 33 on June 18, 43 on June 19, 43 on June 20, 30 in June 21, and 22 on June 22 (as of 2:30 p.m.).

There are countywide primary contests for district attorney and coroner.

• For District Attorney, the election is between Susan Howard and John Sansone.
• For County Coroner, voters can choose 3 candidates between Kevin Dann, Julie Woodworth, Rocco Sidari and Scott Schmidt.
• There is a primary in the 24th Congressional District between Claudia Tenney and Mario Fratto.
• There is also a primary for Carlton Town Board member for a one-year term to fill a vacancy between John Olles and Jeffrey Gifaldi.

The remaining elections are for members of the Republican County Committee.

• In Shelby District 3, choose two between Bruce Schmidt, Alana Koneski and Stephen Seitz, Sr.
• In Shelby District 4, choose for any two between John Pratt III, Benjamin Flansburg and Thomas Winans.
• In Yates District 2, choose for two between Terry Chaffee, Jr., William Jurinich, Lynne Johnson and Steven Colon.

July 10 Mid-Summer Soiree will benefit Cobblestone Museum

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) From left, Connie Fisher and her daughter Christine chat with Shirley Bright-Neeper of Medina about the Mid-Summer Celebration scheduled July 10 in Fisher’s garden. Neeper is co-chair of the event with Joyce Chiczek of Lyndonville. Flowers are beginning to bloom, while in the back is Fisher’s She-Shack which her husband Jim built. (Right) Connie Fisher checks the Sweet William in bloom in their garden, where they will host a Mid-Summer Soiree on July 10 to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.

LYNDONVILLE – Most people would look at Jim and Connie Fisher’s acre of lawn with multiple flower beds, a pond with waterfall and various out-buildings and think, “What a lot of work.”

But to the Fishers, it is a labor of love.

Jim and Connie Fisher stand in the gazebo of their garden at 10193 Millers Rd., where they will host a Mid-Summer Soiree July 10 to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.

The Fishers will welcome guests to their garden at 10193 Millers Rd. on July 10 for a Mid-Summer Celebration “Back to the Garden” to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.

Shirley Bright-Neeper first visited the Fisher’s garden during a fundraiser last year for the Yates Community Library.

Neeper, who co-chairs the July 10 event with Joyce Chiczek of Lyndonville, was so impressed she asked the Fishers if they would be willing to host a garden tour for the Cobblestone Museum this summer.

“After a couple of years hosting our soiree at the Cobblestone campus, we are going ‘back to the garden’,” Neeper said. “There will be a lot of seating and a golf cart to get you to the garden from the parking area.”

The event, which runs from 4 p.m. until dark, rain or shine, will feature garden tours, music by McHenry and Baz, Mike Grammatico of Batavia on saxophone, wine and light refreshments.

The Fishers moved to Millers Road in 1983, but didn’t start their garden until 1996 when their kids were older. They first dug the pond, which today is beautifully landscaped, full of colorful fish and complete with water fountain.

“The garden is a full time job, since Jim retired,” Connie said. “We easily spend 40 hours a week working in it during the summer.”

She said the two of them are a team.

“Jim doesn’t know the flowers, but he helps with the mulching and the pond,” Connie said. “I couldn’t do it without him.”

They showed off their garden recently, dotted with flower beds of various varieties, a stone path edged with flowers and solar lights leading to a gazebo, water trickling in the pond and the She-Shed Jim built for Connie.

Connie said when planning the garden they were fortunate to know fellow gardeners who were wonderful about sharing ideas. She also read books and studied the gardens of neighbors and friends.

“Now we’re just grateful the Good Lord lets us enjoy his creation,” Connie said. “We spend every single day out here. The garden is never done.”

Photos courtesy of Connie Fisher: This section of Jim and Connie Fisher’s garden is in full bloom in this photo taken last year. They are preparing to host “Back to the Garden,” a Mid-Summer Celebration on July 10 to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.

While most of the flowers are not yet blooming, Connie said by July 10 the garden will be ablaze with color.

Blooms include day lilies, Shasta daisies, black-eyed Susans, tall flax, Lucifer peonies, sweet William, roses and many more.

Jim said next year they are not committing to anything.

But in the meantime, “Here we are getting ready for the biggest shindig ever,” Connie said.

A suggested donation for the Mid-Summer Celebration is $10. Reservations would be appreciated by logging on to CobblestoneMuseum.org or calling (585) 589-9013.

Flowers are in full bloom near the pond last summer in Jim and Connie Fisher’s garden. The couple anticipates the blossoms will be as beautiful when they welcome visitors July 10 for a Mid-Summer Celebration to benefit the Cobblestone Society.

This is the She Shed that Jim Fisher built for his wife Connie in their garden.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Community Action’s board chair Barb Shine welcomed guests at the annual In-Service event June 14. (Right) Renee Hungerford, executive director of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, presides over their annual in-service event at the Albion Elks Lodge.

ALBION – Staff of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee met June 14 at the Albion Elk’s Lodge for their annual in-service event.

Executive director Renee Hungerford and board president Barb Shine each welcomed guests.

Hungerford shared outcomes of the past year and goals for the agency going forward. She explained their theme “A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats” alludes to breaking down silos and lifting each other up together as one agency, while lifting up their communities.

“Today everyone learns about all of our programs so we can better support each other,” Hungerford said. “We should be working as one agency.”

Topics included reorganization, examining their updated community needs assessment, understanding the Medicaid 1115 waiver, a presentation by Skip Helfrich of Leadership Orleans and an overview of ROMA by implementor Cassie Healy.

Introduced were Bonnie Malakie, director of Children and Youth Services set to retire this month; Jackie Dunham, director of Operations/COO; Katrina Standish, director of Community Services and Reporting; Tina Schleede, director of Finance and Administration/CFO; Ryan Lasal, strategic director of Children’s Services and Special Projects; Pam Wadhams, director of Head Start; and members Ronnie Barhite, Laurel Carney, Jackie Fields, Cassie Graff, Bruce Schmidt and chair Barb Shine.

Each individual gave a short presentation on his or her agency.

“The intention was to get all to understand we need to work together as one agency, to lift up the agency and the communities we serve,” Hungerford said. “The content of each of the speeches was to educate staff about each program so we all have a common understanding of what each team does and how we can work together.”

Hungerford said it was a turbulent time when she joined the agency. They needed new technology, and implemented new systems. She explained every program of Community Action is a program of Orleans and Genesee counties.

“We’ve done some incredible things,” she said. “Brand awareness is very important and achieving the outcome.”

She explained the Community Service Block Grant is Community Action’s core federal funding.

During the 2022-23 program year, Community Action served 4,021 individuals, a 28% increase over the previous year and 75% more than the year ending in 2021. That equates to 2,333 households served by the agency, Hungerford said.

In their goal to fight hunger, 1,541 individuals utilized one of their three food pantries; 914 individuals utilized a pop-up pantry distribution; 314 individuals received 5,405 prepared meals at the Eastern Orleans Community Center; and 657 households received holiday meals.

In housing, 311 individuals received assistance to avoid eviction and 129 individuals received utility assistance to avoid utility shut-off.

Employment and Education Support resulted in 194 children receiving school supplies and 18 individuals who received employment support, including supplies, job search assistance, on-the-job training and work appropriate clothing.

Other programs provided weatherization services to 96 homes and air conditioner installation to 75 households through a partnership with the Department of Social Services.

Head Start had 149 children enrolled, of which 149 had a health care provider, 89 received age appropriate health care and all 149 had age appropriate immunizations.

Fifty-three children were enrolled in Early Head Start, all received age appropriate health care, 28 received age appropriate immunizations and 70% met or exceeded literacy skills.

The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership had 81 children enrolled, 73 brought up to date on age appropriate immunizations and 92% had three assessments meeting or exceeding average literacy skills.

The Child Care Resource and Referral had 120 individuals receive referrals to licensed child care providers in both counties, 785 units of basic technical assistance and 304 units of Intensive Technical Assistance.

The ACT program (Helping Youth ACT Responsibly), had 421 youth participate in evidence-based comprehensive pregnancy/STD prevention curriculum.

Twenty students attended the Credit Recovery Program, 10 demonstrated basic grade level achievement and five obtained a high school diploma.

The Transportation Program served 132 individuals who received 2,739 one-way bus trips.

Highlights of the past year included welcoming Tina Schleede as the new CFO; adoption of FE Nxt; a successful 60th anniversary celebration; implementing a new phone system as part of a $100,000 IT Investments grant from FLPPS and FLCH; Pam Wadhams promoted to Head Start director; welcoming Ryan Lasal to the newly-created role of Strategic Director of Children’s Services/Special Projects; refreshing the website; receiving change in scope for Head Start to improve enrollment; adding a Young Entrepreneurs program to the Main Street Corner Store; numerous successful prom events; a Stone Soup showdown event with Cornell Cooperative Extension; grand reopening of the Main Street Corner Store; a successful Sip n’ Stroll event; and the second year of the Seed Library and Community Garden.

A number of recommendations were announced as a result of the community needs assessment, including continuation of their goal to help people become self-sufficient, continued support and advocacy to ensure working parents have access to safe and affordable daycare, to continue or expand programs which help customers make healthy food choices, pursue additional opportunities to promote financial literacy, participate in partner programs to increase affordable housing and reduce homelessness, explore expanding the Credit Recovery program to more Orleans County schools to increase high school graduation rates, become a distribution site for fentanyl and xylazine test kits, naloxone and educational materials, increase marketing and other steps to increase brand awareness and public understanding of the important role of Community Action and seek and develop social enterprise opportunities to increase non-grant dependent revenue and increase agency stability.

Hungerford then shared information on population and the poverty rate in Orleans and Genesee counties. In Orleans County, 12.6% of the county’s population of 40,148 are living in poverty. Twenty-eight percent, or 16,203 households are living below the ALICE threshold – Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed (formerly known as the “working poor”).

Genesee County is slightly better, with a 10.4% poverty rate and 23.7% living below the ALICE threshold.

Hungerford also discussed healthcare, saying employer premiums and deductibles have risen much faster than wages since 2010.

She also explained the New York state 1115 Medicaid waiver, which was approved on January 9. The $6.9 billion will be used to advance health equity, reduce health disparities, support the delivery of health-related social needs and promote workforce development.

Looking ahead, Hungerford said their agency will make major improvements in finance management, have a new payroll system (Paychex), continue to focus on helping people become self-sufficient, add two additional paid holidays (Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve), explore social enterprise, do universal intake, explore the 1115 Medicaid waver and Community Action’s HRSN role, restructure and grow, improve brand awareness, update their mission and vision statement and celebrate the agency’s 60th anniversary locally.

Press Release, State DEC and Canal Corporation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the State Canal Corporation have announced the expansion of operational changes at Champlain Canal locks between Waterford and Stillwater as a precautionary measure due to a recent preliminary detection of round goby eDNA above Lock C-2 in Halfmoon.

eDNA, or “environmental DNA,” is residual genetic material found in air, water or soil. While no physical round goby, an aquatic invasive species (AIS), were captured, DEC and the Canal Corporation are implementing further operational changes in accordance with their joint Rapid Response Plan that was established in 2022 to help prevent the spread of the round goby to the Lake Champlain Basin.

“Out of an abundance of caution and based on preliminary results, DEC and the Canal Corporation are working with State and federal partners to implement the response plan and prevent the potential spread of the round goby to Lake Champlain and safeguard our waterways and fisheries,” said DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar. “Early detection is extremely important in preventing the spread of a suspected new invasive species from entering our environment. DEC will continue to monitor and respond to this situation collaboratively with Canal Corporation to prevent round goby from reaching Lake Champlain.”

The eDNA survey work was collected by U.S. Geological Survey, analyzed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded by Lake Champlain Basin Program. The Canal Corporation and DEC will continue to work with partners to conduct additional sampling and provide updates as the agencies work to confirm this eDNA detection. Further operational changes may occur as this work continues, in conformance with the Rapid Response Plan.

The Rapid Response Plan for the Champlain Canal identifies appropriate necessary actions if round goby is detected in the Champlain Canal and guides lock operations by the Canal Corporation.

Additionally, the Canal Corporation, which has been using a “double draining” procedure at Locks C-1 and C-2 since 2022 to help stop round goby, will expand its use to Locks C-3 and C-4.

The forceful water currents created by using this process at the locks deters round goby, a slow swimmer, from entering the locks and possibly traveling further up the Champlain Canal.

During “double draining” each lock is maintained in a full condition and emptied twice during locking operations. For northbound traffic, the locks will drain twice before traffic enters the lock chamber. For southbound traffic, the lock will empty and refill once before any vessels are admitted into the lock for southbound passage. The second draining will occur with the vessels in the lock.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “Any possible spread of the round goby is a concern for all of us and as we work closely with DEC and other partners to further investigate this preliminary detection, the Canal Corporation is taking immediate action to expand our mitigation efforts. We appreciate the patience of mariners and Canal stakeholders as these operational modifications are activated, and we encourage them to learn how they can help us protect our canal waterways.”

DEC and the Canal Corporation appreciate the patience of mariners and local stakeholders, and encourage everyone to help mitigate the spread of AIS in New York State. All New York residents and visitors have a role to play in protecting state waters from invasive species.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

 Governor Kathy Hochul announced New York’s new $10 million Volunteer Firefighter Training Stipend program has paid out its first $140,250 to a total of 105 students from more than 50 fire departments statewide. Click here to see the initial payments.

Initially included as part of the FY24 Enacted Budget, the program seeks to strengthen the volunteer fire service by offsetting the costs of required trainings, making it easier for new recruits to join volunteer fire departments and help protect their communities.

“Volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line each day out of a selfless dedication to serving and protecting our communities,” Governor Hochul said. “These investments affirm our commitment to their service, and to the vital role they play in keeping New Yorkers safe.”

Approximately nine million New Yorkers, nearly half of the state’s population, are served by volunteer firefighters. Yet in recent years, more than 75 percent of these departments have reported a decrease in the number of individuals willing to volunteer and serve. This is further compounded by the increased operational responsibilities beyond fire protection to include vehicle accidents, medical emergencies, hazardous material spills, and weather-related rescue operations. At the same time, calls for service have increased 29 percent from 1997 to 2020.

As part of Governor Hochul’s effort to strengthen and stabilize the state’s volunteer fire service, the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) will administer the stipend to volunteer firefighters for completion of the following training courses completed on or after August 31, 2023.

Additionally, a local fire training stipend may be authorized for the completion of any OFPC training course or equivalents, as determined by OFPC, up to $500.

Stipends are for first time course completions of the listed OFPC course or equivalency as determined by OFPC. Students must be a member of good standing as determined by their department and stipend applications are submitted by the fire chief.

Additional information on the stipend program can be found by clicking here.

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Volunteer firefighters provide a critical service in so many New York communities that do not have a full-time paid department. Training should not be a barrier to those who want to serve. Governor Hochul created this stipend program to help offset the personal costs of training for those who give so much of themselves to protect the public and keep us safe across New York State.”

Orleans expected to go from 3 full-time priests to 2 in near future

Photos by Tom Rivers: Father Mark Noonan, priest for a family of six Catholic churches in Orleans and eastern Niagara counties, met with about 35 parishioners on Wednesday evening for about two hours at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Holley. Father Noonan went over recent data, showing a declining number of priests and church attendees in the 8-county Diocese of Buffalo.

HOLLEY – The numbers at local Catholic churches mirror the challenge throughout the 8-county Diocese of Buffalo: a shrinking number of priests, and smaller congregations and financial resources.

Father Mark Noonan, a priest serving churches in Orleans and eastern Niagara counties, met with about 35 people on Wednesday evening at St. Mary’s in Holley, the first of seven meetings he is holding through Sunday with parishioners at Catholic churches in Holley, Kendall, Albion, Medina, Middleport and Barker.

Noonan is giving the local Catholics a chance to weigh in on a proposal announced last week from the Diocese of Buffalo that would close 34 percent of the churches in the Diocese. The churches in Orleans County are part of a family of churches in Orleans and eastern Niagara. The recommendation from the Diocese is to keep Catholic churches in Medina, Albion and Holley.

“This makes sure there is a Catholic presence within a reasonable geographic distance,” Father Noonan said during a two-hour meeting on Wednesday evening. “I don’t want to lose anything. But what is best for this family of parishes long-term?”

The proposal from the Diocese for ONE Catholic (Orleans and Niagara East) would close St. Mark’s in Kendall and St. Stephen’s in Middleport. St. Joseph’s in Lyndonville was badly damaged in a fire last year and then torn down. The site and the rectory will be sold, and so will the land in Hulberton for the St. Rocco’s Italian Festival.

The Diocese also recommends to move Barker to a different family of churches in Niagara County. That will better align them with churches that are closer to Barker, Noonan said.

Father Mark Noonan said he wants the local Catholic churches to re-engage with the community, especially with its outreach to younger families.

The restructured family of churches will go from seven sites when the family was created to start 2023 to three churches with three priests serving congregations in Medina, Albion and Holley.

Father Noonan said he thinks of the churches locally as “one big family.” He knows some of the Catholics are hurting because their long-term church home has been recommended to close. That includes the church where he was raised: St. Aloysius Gonzaga in Cheektowaga.

“Some of our members in the ONE Catholic community are hurting,” Father Noonan said.

When the Diocese has closed churches before in a downsizing or “right sizing,” Father Noonan said there was a tendency to feel like there had been winners and losers though the process.

“We can’t have that,” he said. “When something is lost, that pertains to all of us. We something is gained, that pertains to all of us.”

Jim Simon of Lyndonville is president of the pastoral council for the family of churches. He said the plan to close about a third of the churches in the Diocese is painful. He is hopeful this will be the last downsizing needed by the Diocese.

“We don’t want to do this again in five years,” he said.

Jim Simon of Lyndonville is president of the pastoral council for a family of churches in Orleans and eastern Niagara counties. He is hopeful the downsizing plan presented by the Diocese will be the last time the organization has to consider closing churches and selling off property. He urged the attendees on Wednesday “to keep the faith and move forward.”

Father Noonan looked at historical data from the ONE Catholic family of churches in Orleans and Niagara East.

The churches, which used to include a site in Gasport and smaller churches in Albion and Medina, had 14 priests in 1985. There were eight or nine assigned to the area in 2005. Now there are three priests – Father Mark Noonan, Father Paul Ladda and Father Jan Trela.

In the Diocese there were 511 active priests assigned to parishes in the 8 counties. Now there are about 115 assigned to churches. That is projected to further drop to 70 in 2030, and then 38 in 2040.

The weekly attendance at the ONE Catholic churches is down collectively from about 1,600 in 2012 to 1,000 in 2023. In the past year, however, it is up about 100, with Holy Trinity in Medina seeing 10 percent growth a Spanish-speaking Mass at Holy Family in Albion drawing about 50 on Sunday afternoons.

Among the ONE Catholic churches individually, the average weekly Mass attendance so far this year include 165 at St. Mary’s in Holley, 27 at St. Mark’s in Kendall, 270 at Holy Family in Albion (plus another 50 for a Spanish-speaking Mass), 273 at Holy Trinity in Medina, 80 at St. Stephen’s in Middleport, and 121 at Our Lady of the Lake in Barker.

Among ONE Catholic churches, annual baptisms in the past decade are down from 76 to 21, while weddings dropped from 21 to 9, and confirmations also decreased from 119 to 39. There were about 600 children in religious education in 2012. Now it’s about 130, Father Noonan said.

The local churches long-term viability will need more younger families, Father Noonan said. He said the churches need to reach out to those who have stopped going to church, and invite people who haven’t been.

“I want to find new ways to grow,” Father Noonan said. “Our goal is to grow, to grow in our spiritual lives and to reach out to more people.”

He would like to see more Bible studies and small group discipleship programs in ONE Catholic .

At the Holley meeting, two of the parishioners asked that the St. Rocco’s festival grounds not be sold. The site is used for a popular Italian festival the day before Labor Day in a tradition going back nearly 50 years.

Father Noonan said the festival could be at a village park or at the St. Mary’s church property. He said the Lawn Fete at Holy Family also is a popular church festival at the Albion parish property.

“Using St. Rocco’s one day a year doesn’t make sense to me,” Father Noonan said.

The church buildings and properties that are sold will go towards a settlement for victims of sexual abuse by priests. That settlement is in negotiation. About 900 people have claimed they were abused by priests.

One of the parishioners at the Holley meeting said the abuse scandal has driven many from the church.

St. Mary’s in Holley would be the only Catholic church to remain open in eastern Orleans, according to a proposal from the Diocese of Buffalo. St. Mark’s in Kendall is recommended to close.

Father Noonan also held meetings on Thursday at St. Stephen’s in Middleport and Holy Family in Albion, and today at St. Mary’s in Medina.

There are meetings scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. at Our Lady of the Lake in Barker, and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s in Kendall, and then a final Spanish language meeting on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Holy Family in Albion.

Any counter proposals from the Diocese recommendations must be submitted by July 15. If a family of churches recommends keeping one church open that is proposed to close, the family has to pick a different church to close, Father Noonan said.

“There has to be a one-for-one,” he said.

From the counter-proposals from the families of churches the Diocese is expected to make a final decision in September on which churches will be closed.

ALBION – Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church may raise the bail from $2,500 for a man charged with second-degree murder in a fatal Barre crash on Feb. 8.

During the arraignment in county court last week for Noah Magee, District Attorney Joe Cardone requested bail be increased from $2,500 set at the town court level to $250,000.

Cardone noted the charges in the case had been upgraded from reckless endangerment in the 1^st degree to second-degree murder. But Judge Church kept the bail at $2,500, noting he had made all of his court appearances.

Magee was driving a pickup truck the wrong way on McNamar Road on Feb. 8 when he hit Roger Kingdollar who was driving a dirtbike. Kingdollar, 24, died from the collision.

In a court appearance today after Cardone filed a bail application, Judge Church said he didn’t have the minutes from the grand jury testimony or a video that showed the crash when he set the bail last week.

Cardone said those minutes and video would be provided this afternoon. Judge Church said he will review the evidence and could decide to increase the bail from the current $2,500.

The judge last week also approved five temporary orders of protection for family and friends of Kingdollar. Magee was not to drive by the homes or linger near them. The judge issued those orders of protection despite Magee’s attorney Paul Vacca saying there is “no reasonable basis” for issuing them.

Cardone said in court today that Magee may have violated the order of protection in one instance by driving a vehicle near the residence of one of the people he is to stay away from. But Vacca said there is no clear evidence that the vehicle is question was Magee’s or that he was driving it.

The judge stressed to Magee to avoid driving near or having any contact and communications with the five people with orders of protection.

Vacca asked the judge to consider 10 orders of protection for Magee from people who were unruly during his court appearance on June 12.

Church declined to do that, but told the people in court they need to stop having disturbances in the courtroom or in the parking lot outside the courthouse.

Church had people escorted by security on Friday due to their behavior, when they were yelling at Magee and the judge.

Church said he will insist on order in the courtroom.

“It’s difficult,” he said to Kingdollar’s friends and family. “I am sorry for your loss. But you have to be patient and trust the process.”

MEDINA – The Board of Education met on Thursday and appointed Donnell Holloway to fill a vacancy on the board. Holloway will take the spot of Debra Tompkins, who resigned.

Holloway will serve on the board until May 20, 2025, the day of the next board election.

During the meeting, the Board of Education reviewed all letters of interest to fill the recently vacated board seat.

First ‘Lace Up for the Library’ 5K also planned for July 20

LYNDONVILLE – The Yates Community Free Library’s concert series was scheduled to start on June 24, but the first concert has been pushed back a week due to unforeseen circumstances, said library director Emily Cebula.

The first “Concert on the Lawn” for the 2024 season will be July 2 at 11 a.m. featuring Dave Stockton on a variety of instruments. The morning show on a Tuesday will include special audience guests – the residents of Medina Memorial Hospital’s Skilled Nursing Home.

The concerts in the series are all free to attend and people are encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Besides the Tuesday concert on July 2, the events are all on Monday evenings.

The schedule includes:

• July 2 at 11 a.m. – Dave Stockton
• July 8 at 7 p.m. – Feedback
• July 15 at 6:30 p.m. – Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra
• July 22 at 7 p.m. – Old Hippies
• July 29 at 7 p.m. – Stanton
• Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m. – Barker Community Band
• Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m. – Mystic Sisters with Ruby Hoffee
• Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m. – Puckdaddys
• Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. – Celtic Spirit

The library’s concert series is funded by the state with money administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

Yates Community Library also is planning its first “Lace Up for the Library” 5K on July 20. Walkers and runners are welcome to event which starts and finishes at the Yates Town Park. The race starts at 9 a.m. and people who register by July 12 will receive an official race T-shirt. Click here for more information.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Pat Harrington Trio played Thursday evening at State Street Park under the pavilion to kick off Medina’s third Blue Thursdays concert series. The trio include Pat Harrington, right, Owen Eichensehr and Paul Yates.

At least 600 people attended the concert, despite temperatures near 90.

The lineup for the blues concerts the rest of the season includes:

• June 27: Dave Viterna Group
• July 11: Nickel City Blues Band
• July 18: Maria Aurigema
• July 25: Thurman Brothers Band
• Aug. 1: Frank Grizanti Band
• Aug. 8: Tommy Z Band

Pat Harrington, a Grammy nominated musician from Gasport, performed for two hours in the debut concert for this year’s concert series. Harrington lives in Memphis, Tenn. and has toured full-time nationally and internationally the past five years.

Harrington will be performing with Victor Wainwright and The Train for part of the summer, including a concert on Wednesday in Atlantic City, NJ. Click here for more about Pat Harrington.

Several food and beverage vendors are at the concerts.

The seven-concert series is produced by The Print Shop in partnership with the Orleans Renaissance Group.

There is no charge to attend the concerts and no vendor fee for those selling food and beverages.

Ken Daluisio, owner of The Print Shop, said the goal is to bring a big crowd to Medina, which he said benefits local businesses and the community.

Steven Sones, owner of NOLA Concessions in Medina, serves up a snow cone. He started the business on June 1 and the “Sno Balls” he makes are very popular in New Orleans, where he grew up.

He offers 12 flavors and tops them the snow cone with sweet condensed milk. He served more than 100 of them for free to kids on Wednesday when the temperatures were well above 90 degrees.

NOLA Concessions will be at Blue Thursday, the Albion concert series on Wednesdays, and at the Canal Village Farmers’ Market location on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Most of the attendees brought their own lawn chairs and relaxed for two hours, listening to the music.