Museum plans photography exhibit, dessert fundraiser in August

Provided photo: Pictured from left include Larry Grimes, Cheryl Giacherio and Dr. David Giacherrio.

Press Release, Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum President Chris Manaseri

POINT BREEZE – The Board of Trustees of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum expanded this month, adding three members from the community.

Larry Grimes, a life-long resident of Kenyonville, has been active as a docent at the OOLHM for several years. Cheryl Giacherio grew up spending her summers at her parents’ cottage near Point Breeze. Her husband, Dr. David Giacherrio, was both a practicing chemist at Kodak for many years, and a college teacher at Nazareth and at St. John Fisher.

The Giacherios reside in Rochester but summer at their Lake Ontario cottage. All three are active in the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association, for which Dr. Giacherio acts as secretary.

The Board of Trustees for the Lighthouse Museum has been functioning since 2003 with the formation of the Lighthouse Committee, organized to raise funds for the construction of the replica which occurred in 2010.

Margaret “Peg” Wiley, the powerhouse behind the community project, served as the organization’s first president. Wiley will be honored with a plaque to be displayed on the Lighthouse at an Aug. 10 fundraising Dessert Buffet at the Carlton United Methodist Church on Archbald Road in Waterport, where Grimes is an elder and the kitchen master.

A first edition of this Dessert Buffet sold out last August when Susan Peterson spoke about her Lake Ontario sailing books. This year’s guest speaker is Roy Widrig, a geologist with the NYS Sea Grant Program who will address concerns specific to high water impacts at Oak Orchard and Point Breeze.

Tickets are $20 for the event and are available online at the Lighthouse website, at the lighthouse each weekend, and at the OONA Summer Concerts each Tuesday evening at the Orleans County Marine Park. Half of the ticket price is a tax-deductible donation to the Lighthouse, which is dependent on donations and gift shop sales to fund its open hours and programs.

The Lighthouse was also a recipient of a GO Art! regrant this year in support of a photography exhibit which will also take place at the Dessert Buffet on Aug. 10. Entries for the exhibit are open to amateur and professional photographers, and must be made through ShowSubmit.com (click here) by July 17. A portion of each entry fee also supports the lighthouse.

With its three new members, the Board is now 10 members strong. Vice President Larry Albanese and Treasurer Diane Blanchard are the senior members of the Board, having served on it since the early days of fundraising and grant writing that brought the lighthouse project to fruition in 2010.

Recently retired Albion teacher Dawn Squicciarini, daughter of the long-time and late president Dick Anderson, also has been part of the lighthouse for many years. Relative newcomers to the community, Ann and Ken Martin and Holly and Chris Manaseri, round out the Board membership.

The Lighthouse Museum is chartered by the NYS Education Department with a mission to educate the public and to preserve and interpret local history, particularly maritime history of the Oak Orchard communities along the lake and river.

The Board meets on the third Wednesday of each month from April through October, and as needed to maintain the building during the winter. The lighthouse is open to the public each weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day, thanks to a cadre of dedicated volunteer docents including several Board members, Paul Blake, Kim Charron, Sylvia Goodstine and Tracy Panczyszyn.

Provided photo: At the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center,  Jennifer Raduns presents the Liam’s Legacy scholarship to Layne Hodgins, who is joined by Lt. Steve Cooley of the Medina Fire Department.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Three students from Orleans/Niagara BOCES are the recipients of the Liam’s Legacy scholarships.

At the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center, Layne Hodgins, a Medina student in the Allied Health program was announced as one of this year’s award winners.

At end-of-year celebrations at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center, Landon Sabol (North Tonawanda) and Cooper Bulkley-Fish (Niagara Academy) in the Emergency Medication Services program were recognized.

The awards were started by Jennifer Raduns in memory of her grandson Liam. The 6-month old baby was beaten by his father in 2016 and later died from his injuries.

“I wanted to pay homage to the first responders who tried to save Liam’s life,” Raduns said.  “I am happy to be able to celebrate Liam’s life by helping others.”

Referendum to buy 153 acres fails in 260-145 vote

Photos by Tom Rivers: Staff from the Orleans County Board of Elections counts ballots this evening in the Yates Town Hall while onlookers observe the county. Town Supervisor Jim Simon is in back at left.

LYNDONVILLE – Voters in the Town of Yates today gave a decisive rejection of a land purchase along Lake Ontario to expand the town park.

The town held a referendum today on whether Yates would be authorized to spend $700,000 in grant funds to acquire 153.3 acres next to the current 6-acre Town Park on Morrison Road.

The town wanted to expand the park by buying the land from NYSEG. Even though the purchase would only move forward with grant funding, residents still said no. Several voiced their concerns about ongoing expense with maintenance and the uncertain plan for how the town would use the land.

Town Supervisor Jim Simon envisioned a nature trail for the property, and keeping the site mostly wild.

“The people have spoken,” Simon said after the votes were counted in the town hall. “It’s definitive.”

The stack of “no” votes is about twice as high as the “yes” votes.

There were 415 votes counted today, with 382 ballots cast in person today and 33 more through absentees. A few more absentees also might trickle in the next few days but they won’t change the outcome.

There are 1,629 registered voters in Yates. That puts turnout at 25.5 percent.

Simon said residents are feeling a general uneasiness about the economy, and many recently had their assessments raised adding to their angst.

He will inform NYSEG that the land purchase was denied by residents. Simon expects NYSEG will put the land up for sale with the future use unknown. Residents in favor of the town purchase preferred to keep it mostly wild or have public access, over the land being developed for housing or industry and business.

Simon said he was pleased to meet more residents through the town discussions about the land, including recent public meetings.

“It got more people involved in the process,” he said.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed nation-leading legislation to combat addictive social media feeds and protect kids online.

Legislation S.7694A/A.8148A establishes the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) For Kids Act to require social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18.

Legislation S.7695B/A.8149A enables the New York Child Data Protection Act to prohibit online sites from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless they receive informed consent or unless doing so is strictly necessary for the purpose of the website.

“Young people across the nation are facing a mental health crisis fueled by addictive social media feeds – and New York is leading the way with a new model for addressing the crisis and protecting our kids,” Governor Hochul said. “By reining in addictive feeds and shielding kids’ personal data, we’ll provide a safer digital environment, give parents more peace of mind, and create a brighter future for young people across New York.”

The Governor was joined at today’s bill signing by Attorney General Letitia James and bill sponsors State Senator Andrew Gounardes and State Assemblymember Nily Rozic, marking the culmination of a jointly led push to pass and sign this nation-leading legislation.

With this newly signed legislation, New York has established the nation’s most stringent protections to safeguard kids on social media. This action also builds on Governor Hochul’s ongoing efforts to address the youth mental health crisis.

“Addictive feeds are getting our kids hooked on social media and hurting their mental health, and families are counting on us to help address this crisis,” said New York State Attorney General Letitia James. “The legislation signed by Governor Hochul today will make New York the national leader in addressing the youth mental health crisis and an example for other states to follow.”

The legislation signed today addresses critical challenges facing young people. According to an advisory issued by the U.S. Surgeon General, recent research shows that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety. Additionally, a recent report from Pew Research Center found that six out of 10 teens say they feel they have little or no control over the personal information that social media companies collect about them.

The SAFE For Kids Act

Addictive feeds, or algorithmically driven feeds, facilitate unhealthy levels of social media use. This legislation will require social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18. Unless parental consent is granted, users under 18 will not receive addictive feeds. Notably, the SAFE for Kids Act is the first bill of its kind to be signed into law in any state across the nation.

Under this law, kids may still use social media. For example, they can continue to search for specific topics of interest or subscribe to creators but will not be subject to algorithmically driven feeds that promote unhealthy levels of engagement. The law will also prohibit social media platforms from sending notifications regarding addictive feeds to minors from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. without parental consent. The law will authorize the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to enforce the law and ensure compliance, including by seeking civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, among other remedies. And finally, it calls for the establishment of acceptable age verification and parent consent methods, to be determined by the OAG as part of a rulemaking process.

The New York Child Data Protection Act

This legislation will prohibit online sites and connected devices from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless they receive informed consent or unless doing so is strictly necessary for the purpose of the website. It also authorizes the OAG to enforce the law, including by seeking civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.

CLARENDON – An emergency culvert replacement has been completed on Upper Holley Road and the roadway has reopened to traffic this afternoon.

The county hired Keeler Construction of Barre last month to replace the culvert after an inspection showed a partial culvert pipe failure.

The road was closed to traffic on June 10, between New Guinea Road and Cook Road.

Ashley Bringenberg

A local professional photographer will have her work displayed in a  national art show in September in Springfield, Ill.

Ashley Bringenberg of Barre is owner of Ashley Bringenberg Photography in Batavia. She will have a black-and-white portrait of a child, ages 3 to 9, on display as part of the Simply Me Portrait Project created by the Photography Business Institute. The institute is selecting one image from certain photographers to feature excellence in portraiture and entrepreneurship during the institute’s conference in September.

Bringenberg is looking for more kids to photograph to submit for the art show. She is booked for sessions for Saturday in downtown Batavia. Additional session openings are available between July 8-17. Contact Bringenberg for more information at hello@ashleybringenberg.com.

“I am so excited for the Simply Me project,” she said. “I never dreamed that my work would get displayed at the national level. I am also so proud to have a portrait of a local child in a nationwide art show.”

HOLLEY – The Board of Education on Monday voted to fill two vacancies on the board.

Jessica Sniatecki and Stephanie Merkley will start July 1 and serve a term until May 20, the day of next year’s election. At that time, their seats and the remainder of their terms will be up for election.

Sniatecki and Merkley both turned in letters of interest when two seats were vacated. Sal DeLuca and Shannon Brett both were elected in May but had to decline the positions.

‘Sammy the Stone Snake’ makes debut at Patterson Park behind Post Office

Photos courtesy of Katherine Kage

LYNDONVILLE – Kids and other Lyndonville community members painted stones on Wednesday and they were lined up to form “Sammy the Stone Snake” in Patterson Park behind the Post Office.

“Similar to the shoe tree, we want to see how large we can make the snake!” said Darlene Hartway, who runs the Webber Café on Main Street where many of the stones were painted.

Hartway is also director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. She invites the community to add more painted stones to the snake to see how long it can get.

Darlene Hartway and Lyndonville Mayor John Belson are shown with the stone snake. Belson laid the headstone of the snake that was painted by Jeannie Goetze.

Kids and community members painted an additional 34 stones to get the snake started.

These kids paint stones at the Webber Café for the snake’s body.

There are signs at the entrance and in the park to direct people to the snake.

Lyndonville is also gearing up for a Retro-Fest and town-wide garage sale on Saturday, Aug. 3. People hosting a garage sale can get their sales listed on a map, both digital and printed for a small fee, Hartway said. Maps and URL codes will be given out that morning and during the day at the Webber Café.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health, in collaboration with Orleans County YMCA and the Medina Area Partnership, has announced a bicycle helmet and health event at the Orleans County YMCA.

The event, from 4 to 6 p.m. July 10, is designed to promote cycling safety and overall health and wellness in the community, said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communication and Outreach at Orleans Community Health.

“We invite all community members, whether or not they already have a helmet, to join us for an afternoon of fun, learning and community engagement,” Robinson said.

Among the highlights of the event are helmet donations, a children’s course, outdoor bike ride and health and wellness information.

Community members are encouraged to donate new or gently used bicycle helmets, by dropping them off at Medina Memorial Hospital, the YMCA or English Rose Tea Shoppe on Main Street until July 10.

A small course will be set up indoors for younger children to practice their cycling skills safely.

Older children and adults can participate in a small bike ride set up outside the YMCA.

Additional health and wellness information will be provided to all attendees, offering insights into maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

“We’re excited about this upcoming event and partnership with other area organizations,” Robinson said. “We collectively want to find ways to provide services to the families in our community, and this is another way to do so. This event is a wonderful opportunity for famil8ies to learn more about cycling safety and health in a fun, interactive environment.”

“Ensuring the safety of our children is a top priority for the YMCA,” said Jesse Cudzilo, executive director oof the GLOW YMCA in Orleans County. “We are thrilled to have the community’s support in this important initiative, and together we can make a difference in the lives of our kids.”

The Orleans County YMCA, Medina Area Partnership and Orleans Community Health are proud to work together to bring this event to the community.

“We believe through collaboration, we can enhance the health and safety of our residents,” Robinson said. “All are welcome to attend, participate and donate. We look forward to see you there.”

CARLTON – A documentary about the crisis in EMS will be shown at the Carlton Rec Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

The screening is open to the public. The documentary, “Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis,” was produced by Bryony Gilbey, a former CBS News, 60 Minutes and ABC producer. She is also the mother of three EMS professionals.

The documentary film is narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker, a six-time Golden Globe and two-time Primetime Emmy award winning actress.

“Honorable but Broken” explores the world of EMTs and paramedics, and the collapse of the EMS system, while offering ways to save it.

The Carlton Rec Hall is located at 1853 Oak Orchard Rd.

The documentary will also be shown to village, town and county officials on Tuesday during the Orleans County Association of Municipalities meeting.

File photo by Tom Rivers: One of the fountains made of Medina Sandstone is shown at Hamlin Beach State Park last summer. The park has opened swimming early this year, beginning today. That only includes Area 3 where there are lifeguards. Swimming is allowed at the beach from 11 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

 Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that admission to all New York State Parks will be free today and Thursday to help New Yorkers beat the heat this week.

Governor Hochul announced several beaches and pools are temporarily open ahead of the season and cooling features such as sprays and misters are being added at several State Park sites throughout New York City.

“Extreme heat can be dangerous for New Yorkers, and I’m doing everything I can to help families stay safe and cool this week,” Governor Hochul said. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of free and early admission to our world class beaches, pools and other State Park sites to beat the heat as we expect record temperatures across the state.”

Record temperatures are possible in Western, Central, Northern New York, and the Capital Region. The “feels like” temperature values could approach the low 90s to over 100 degrees through Friday. Ahead of pools, beaches, and other cooling opportunities at State Park sites opening for the season, the Governor directed several locations to open temporarily this week to help New Yorkers cool down.

New York State Parks Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said, “We are excited to support Governor Hochul’s efforts to help New Yorkers find safe and affordable places to cool off during this week of extreme heat. From Jones Beach on Long Island to Allegany State Park in Western New York, our state park system offers exceptional places to relax in the outdoors. So take a break from this heat by cooling off at one of our incredible beaches or simply relaxing in the shade of our parks.”