Charlie Nesbitt has scoured internet, estate sales for yearbooks, postcards, other Albion area artifacts

Photos by Tom Rivers: Charlie Nesbitt last week donated boxes of old Albion Chevron yearbooks, newspapers, postcards and other memorabilia from the Albion. Nesbitt has been collecting the items the past 25 years. He gave them to Hoag Library where they will be in the local history section. Pictured from left include Betty Sue Miller, Hoag Library director, Charlie Nesbitt, Vllage of Albion Historian Sue Starkweather Miller, County Historian Catherine Cooper and Dee Robinson, local history librarian.

ALBION – Charlie Nesbitt for the past 25 years kept up an intense hobby of collecting memorabilia from his beloved hometown.

Nesbitt, a retired state assemblyman, often searched eBay and other websites to see if there were postcards, old newspapers and other interesting items from Albion. He expanded that hunt to Barre, Gaines, Carlton, Waterport and Point Breeze.

He checked out estate sales, and bought old Chevron yearbooks from Albion, as well as the school literacy magazine. He has company reports from Liptons, Albion’s largest private employer until it closed in 1980, and the annual statements from Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital.

Nesbitt filed protective sleeves with many postcards from the early 1900s, and throughout the past century, depictions of a vibrant downtown and a thriving community.

Nesbitt’s friends and others in the community heard he would eagerly accept their scrapbooks of newspaper clippings. Nesbitt knows many people, and he would gladly copy and share the clippings, which could include the team photo of the 1947 Albion football team.

But now Nesbitt is ready to share the massive collection. Last week he delivered about a dozen banker boxes full of Albion yearbooks and memorabilia. They were donated to the local history collection at Hoag Library. He was happily greeted by local history librarian Dee Robinson, and historians Susan Starkweather Miller and Catherine Cooper.

“It’s remarkable what we have here,” Starkweather Miller said about the collection.

Robinson said residents or former Albionites in the past have donated a few items to the collection, often a few letters or a book. Nesbitt by far has exceeded those contributions with the big trove of materials.

Charlie Nesbitt hunted down many old newspapers, including this copy of The Orleans Whig from July 11, 1827. The Whig was published every Wednesday in Gaines. “That’s a beauty,” Catherine Cooper, the county historian, said about the newspaper.

There are about 100 yearbooks donated by Nesbitt, going back to 1912. Those yearbooks plus what Hoag already had, should make for a complete collection, with duplicates. Those “extras” could be borrowed and taken out for people to comb through.

Robinson will work on cataloguing and organizing the materials.

“This is the largest collection that has ever been given by a citizen,” Robinson said.

Nesbitt said he wanted to share the materials with the community.

“I’ve collected it and someone should benefit from it,” he said. “Some of these treasures are so interesting.”

Cooper, the county historian, said the postcards includes quick remarks about life in the day. She enjoys seeing people reflections on their lives and what was going on in the community and world.

Nesbitt said he isn’t done gathering mementoes about the Albion area.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “I still look every day.”

County Historian Catherine Cooper, left, and local history librarian Dee Robinson look through the trove of items Charlie Nesbitt delivered to the library this past week.

The arch leading into Mount Albion Cemetery is featured here in a memento from the early 1900s.

The group shares a laugh over comments written in an old Chevron yearbook.

ALBION – An invention by an Albion dairy farmer and his two sons is among 20 finalists in food and agriculture startups from around the world.

UdderWays LLC in Albion is competing with 19 others to win a combined total of $3 million in prize money in Grow-NY, a business competition focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage and agriculture innovation cluster in upstate New York.

There were 312 startups that applied from 26 states, and 50 countries. There were 89 entries from New York.

Jody Neal and his sons Zachary and Jayden have formed UdderWays. They finished second in January in an agricultural innovation challenge at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Neals developed a new system to sanitize and prepare udders for milking. The Neals have already won a $20,000 prize for second place in the American Farm Bureau competition.

Jody Neal is a partner a Poverty Hill Farms in Albion, a dairy farm on West County House Road. His sons were active in the Orleans County 4-H Robotics program, where they learned programming and tech skills as part of a team that competed in the Rochester region.

The Neals worked on their udder cleaning system for nearly a decade. The device is used just before a cow is milked. Their invention uses a unique, brushless technology to gently stimulate cows and ensure clean and dry teats, the family states on their website.

Empire State Development and Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement announced the 20 finalists year six of Grow-NY. Winning companies will be required to make a positive economic impact in the Grow-NY region, which comprises 22 counties located in Central NY, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier regions.

A Genesee County-based company also is among the finalists. Zordi in Oakfield builds autonomous greenhouses with robots and AI to make high-quality produce.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball, said, “From farming to food production, New York is an innovative, world-class leader in agriculture. Year after year, the Grow-NY competition is instrumental to bringing new, high-growth businesses in the industry focused on critical areas to our state. This event has once again brought to light just how critical agriculture is to our communities and to our economy, and I congratulate these finalists on their innovation that will help bolster our food systems, feed our communities, and move our state forward.”

A panel of 30 judges with knowledge of the region’s agriculture and food production communities, and entrepreneurial experience, reviewed all the applications to determine the top 20 finalists that will pitch their business plans at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit in Ithaca in November.

Grow-NY will award a total of $3 million in prize money to seven winners. This includes a $1 million top prize, two $500,000 awards, and four $250,000 prizes.

To see the other finalists for Grow-NY, click here.

‘In some spots this is the worst damage I’ve ever seen’

Photos by Tom Rivers: These Honeycrisp apples grown by Jim and Adam Kirby were badly by hail last Sunday. The Kirbys lost about 100 of their 170 acres of apples from the hail. The apples have numerous bruises and cuts from the hail.

GAINES – It’s a word fruit farmers fear: hail.

Those fast-moving pellets from the sky can turn a crop, that has been months in making, into a largely worthless field of ruin.

Last Sunday hail hit in the afternoon and it left a swath of destruction for farmers, especially those near Route 104.

Jim Kirby and his son Adam grow 170 acres of apples, as well as other vegetable and grain crops. About 100 acres of their apples were pummeled by the hail, including their most valuable apples, the Honeycrisp. They were going to start picking some of those apples this week.

Instead they were reaching out to their insurance agent, and trying to calculate the losses.

“This is a heart-breaker for me,” Jim Kirby said looking at a block of apples along Lattin Road. “This is a bumper crop of Honeycrisp. But it five minutes it’s all over.”

Jim Kirby has been growing apples for 50 years and said the hail storm is one of the most devastating in his career. He is shown with Honeycrisp apples, the top variety, in an orchard on Lattin Road.

Kirby and a crew of 12 workers spent the previous three weeks hand-thinning Honeycrisp apples, removing some so the others would max out on size and color.

But the storm left apples with many bruises and cuts. Sometimes hail will leave one or two bruises on an apple. This time the apples have 20 or more bruises, showing they were hammered by the hail. They can’t be sold on the fresh market for top dollar. They could go for juice, but that market will now be saturated and it may not pay to have workers pick those apples and then haul them for processing, Kirby said.

The storm was especially brutal for many apple farms in Orleans County, but also damaged corn, soybeans and vegetables, said Larry Meyer, the Farm Service Agency director in Orleans County.

He has been working for the FSA for 41 years. The Sunday hail storm cut a wide path of damage, but also missed some fields and orchards as it moved from Niagara, through Orleans and further east.

“In some spots this is the worst damage I’ve ever seen,” he said. “There is a lot of loss in the county. The people who got hit got hit real bad.”

These apples were almost ready to be picked but now likely will be left on the tree and later left on the ground unless the low-price juice market makes it worthwhile to pick them.

Meyer expects a federal disaster declaration will be issued which will allow for emergency low-interest loans for farmers without crop insurance.

Many of the farms now have private insurance, which can cover up to 65 percent of the crop’s value. Meyer said the apple market has very tight profit margins this year. The crop insurance will help the farmers, but still leaves them in a difficult position, especially when they were so close to harvest.

Meyer said farmers are in a better position to recover from the losses, compared to previous years. He recalled the Labor Day wind storm of 1998 that decimated the local apple crop. At the time the federal government to assist apple farms with disaster aid and there wasn’t private insurance to help cover the loss of an apple crop.

About a quarter of the apple farms went out of business in Orleans County after that storm.

But this time most of the farms have their own crop insurance, and the federal government can provide some disaster aid for the others.

The FSA is working to try to determine the extent of the damage.

“This was a long storm,” he said. “It had a lot of energy and it kept going.”

Apples and other fruit totaled $59.0 million in revenue for Orleans County farmers in 2022, according to the U.S. Agricultural Census. Orleans County’s total ag revenue is $233.6 million.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Tricia Daluisio of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery serves wine on Thursday evening to Cheryl Seipel of Lyndonville and Denise Appleby of Waterport.

Leonard Oakes was one of four wineries featured in the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s annual wine garden walk at the Robin Hill Preserve on Platten Road in Lyndonville. Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza also was there, serving pizza.

Ray Wendling, owner of North Ridge Distillery, gives a sample to Christine Speedy. Wendling started North Ridge five years ago and now offers about a dozen varieties.

Paul Schwenk, owner of Schwenk Wine Cellars in Kent, had samples available from several wines. Schwenk has been a wine-maker for 46 years and offers 26 varieties of wine.

Bryan DeGraw, co-owner of 810 Meadworks, offered samples of mead, a honey-based alcoholic beverage. 810 Meadworks has six meads that are available at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery on Ridge Road in Medina.

MEDINA – The Seneca Chief, the boat which opened the Erie Canal in 1825 with Governor Dewitt Clinton, continued to attract visitors in the canal basin this afternoon and evening, on its return to Buffalo after traveling to Rochester.

More than 320 people visited the boat last Monday during its first stop in Monday, said Kathy Blackburn, a member of Medina’s Tourism Committee.

Replicating Monday’s visit, the Seneca Chief was open for tourists, staff was on hand to talk about the boat and Medina and Orleans County Tourism agencies had an informational tent.

Local busker Rob Robinson strolled the grounds, playing his guitar and singing songs of the Erie Canal and old favorites.

“This is pretty cool,” he said of the Seneca Chief’s visit. “People need to know how history used to be. The canal carried hundreds, even thousands of boats up and down this canal, filled with barrels of apples and grain.’

Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman talks to her in-laws, John and Sally Sherman, near the interpretive panels describing the Seneca Chief’s history.

Roger Allen was the master boat builder with Greg Dudley. Allen said he has been building wooden boats for museums since 1978, but this was the most amazing project he ever worked on.

“The reason it is so amazing to me is the size of the boat,” Allen said. “This is not a common occurrence in the United States any more. Only two of us were paid staff, and I point out the woodwork to visitors, because it was all done by volunteers.”

He explained the research which went into the project before they started building the boat.

“The Seneca Chief was a line boat we discovered in the original records,” Allen said. “It is 73 feet by 12 ½ feet.”

He explained a line boat is a specific type of boat which carries cargo and also has a passengers’ cabin. It would have carried lumber, wheat, apples or any goods manufactured or grown in the area, maybe even Medina sandstone, he said.

“A lot of early newspapers reported Dewitt Clinton got aboard a packet boat,” Allen said. “That is not true. A packet boat carried mail and passengers, not cargo.”

(Left) Sally Sherman of Buffalo, mother-in-law of Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman, examines a display of tools which would have been used to build a boat like the Seneca Chief. There was a plane, auger, a lipped adze and a maul (the large club near the front). (Right) Master boat builder Roger Allen, right, chats with John Sherman, father-in-law of Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman, as they stand in the front of the Seneca Chief. Sherman lives only 10 minutes from where the Seneca Chief was built in Buffalo and came to see the finished boat. They stand by the tiller, which was made from a piece of wood pulled from the Flight of Five Locks in Lockport.

Allen went on to say the boat is not yet finished. They still have to finish the crew’s quarters in the stern of the boat and the passengers’ cabin in the front.

Allen said Governor Clinton did a lot of promoting of the canal and he could have opened the cargo doors and shown people the tons of cargo, showcasing the many goods which could be carried on the canal.

This trip down the canal to Rochester and back is a sea trial for the Seneca Chief’s voyage next year, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the canal. The 2025 World Canals Conference will take place in Buffalo from Sept. 21 to 25, followed by the Seneca Chief’s departure from Buffalo and arrival in New York City on Oct. 26.

After departing from Medina about 8 a.m. Saturday, the Seneca Chief will return to Buffalo, where the crew’s quarters and passengers’ cabin will be finished by mid-October. Then the boat will be returned to Lockport’s Flight of Five Locks, where it will spend the winter.

Press Release, Sheriff Chris Bourke

ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Christopher Bourke is pleased to announce a Child Passenger Safety Seat Check Point Event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Orleans County Public Safety Building from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

According to data, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 to 13. Preventative measures, such as proper installation of car seats, booster seats and seat belts can reduce the likelihood of death and injuries. Informing and instructing parents and caregivers on child passenger safety and proper installation of car seats is critical to saving young lives.

Our certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect your car and/or booster seats to ensure that your child is in the appropriate seat for their size and age.

For child passenger safety seat questions, please contact certified technician Kevin Colonna at 585-589-5527 or Kevin.Colonna@orleanscountyny.gov.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

ALBION – Sheriff Christopher Bourke has announced the upcoming civil service exams for both Deputy Sheriff and Police Officer.

Sheriff Bourke

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office hires from the eligible list established as a result of the Deputy Sheriff exam, and the Villages of Albion, Holley and Medina hire from the eligible list established as a result of the Police Officer exam.

Candidates must be legal residents of Orleans, Erie, Genesee, Monroe or Niagara counties for at least one month immediately preceding the date of the examination. Preference in certification for appointment to Deputy Sheriff may be given to successful candidates who have been residents of Orleans County for one month immediately preceding the date of the examination.

The last filing date for the exam is Aug. 21 with the physical fitness (agility) test on Sept. 21, followed by the written exam on Sept. 28.

Applications, qualifications and additional information may be obtained by clicking here or contact Kate Harvey, the Orleans County Director of Personnel and Self-insurance, at (585) 589-3184.

Orleans County is an equal opportunity employer.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Lyla Page, the back field conductor, helps direct the Medina field band on Thursday evening during a preview show for parents at Vets Park. Some of the students leaders wore capes during the preview show.

Mackenzie McGrath, the drum major, is on an elevated platform on the other side.

The band has about 90 students and did the preview show during band camp which went from about noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with today’s camp from noon to 4 p.m.

The band does a run-through of this year’s show, “Reflections.” The band camp is usually held in a parking lot at the high school, but that area is under construction this summer. The camp instead was held at Vets Park.

These band members keep their focus on their music and the right steps during the preview show.

The season starts on Sept. 14 in Hilton. Medina hosts the “Fall Festival of Bands” on Sept. 21. The season concludes on Oct. 27 with the championships in Syracuse.

River Jones plays the trumpet in the band.

Matt Jaeger, the band director, praised the students for working hard all week, including in the heat.

The band has 14 seniors this year, up from six last year. The band is continuing to rebuild after the Covid pandemic knocked down the numbers.

Here are some more photos from the preview show.

MEDINA – Sunshine and warm weather created a perfect day for the annual picnic of Orleans Community Health’s North Wing this afternoon.

Activities director Adrienne Belson was in charge of arranging the picnic, which featured a buffet meal and music by David Stockton, a guitarist, flutist, percussionist and singer.

“Adrienne does a wonderful job,” said Rebecca Mannella, director of nursing in the North Wing.

Rebecca Mannella, standing, director of nursing in Orleans Community Health’s North Wing, talks with residents and families during the annual picnic. From left are Rindy Punch, a 20-year resident of the North Wing; Mary Siedlecki, Sue Monell and her husband, Jack Monell, a resident since November.

Twenty-five of the North Wing’s residents were able to come outside and enjoy the picnic with family members, which included a buffet meal of macaroni and cheese, baked beans, seasonal vegetable salad, fruit bowl, watermelon and hot dogs and hamburgers cooked on the grill by Marquis Hammonds, who has been a cook at the hospital for 16 years.

The hospital has been treating North Wing residents to a summer picnic for more than 15 years, Mannella said.

“I look forward to the picnic every year,” said Rindy Punch, a North Wing resident for 20 years. “It’s a chance to get outside.”

Marquis Hammonds, a cook at Orleans Community Health, grills hot dogs and hamburgers for the North Wing picnic on Thursday.

Punch and Mary Siedlecki of Medina enjoyed each other’s company, sharing things they have in common. Siedlecki’s husband Richard and Punch’s dad “Pook” Bielak grew up together in the Polish section of Medina.

Also at their table was Sue Monell, visiting her husband Jack, who transferred to North Wing last fall.

A table away, Fulton Rogers’ sister Nicki Fredericks of Medina and niece Cheryl Nages of Sidney were his guests for a picnic supper.

The evening activities concluded with musical entertainment by David Stockton, who sings and plays guitar, flute and percussion.

A large tent in the parking lot accommodates 25 residents of Orleans Community Health’s North Wing and their guests at the annual picnic this afternoon.

Press Release, Congressman Joe Morelle

ROCHESTER – Today, Congressman Joe Morelle announced the introduction of his Veteran Caregiver Re-education, Re-employment, and Retirement (Veteran Caregiver RRR) Act: bipartisan legislation to support veteran caregivers and ensure they have access to the benefits they deserve.

Joe Morelle

“When our veterans return home from the theatre of war, it’s critical they receive the world-class care they deserve—and we cannot leave behind their caregivers, who dedicate their time and energy to supporting our nation’s best and bravest,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “I’m proud to have authored this legislation to ensure caregivers have the same benefits and stability provided to other members of our workforce. I’m especially pleased this bill is bipartisan, because supporting our caregivers shouldn’t be controversial—it’s an essential part of uplifting our veterans, which is why I look forward to passing this legislation into law.”

The federal Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) was created in 2010 to provide a monthly income for caregivers to disabled (>70% rating) veterans. Today, there are over 55,000 caregivers participating in the program. The Veteran Caregiver RRR Act would increase and extend certain benefits to PCAFC caregivers to encourage more participants and better retain existing participants including employment assistance, retirement planning, bereavement counseling, and more.

Specifically, this legislation would:

• Ensure family caregivers enrolled in the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) remain enrolled for up to 180 days following their dismissal from the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, unless they have been dismissed for fraud, abuse or mistreatment.
• Require VA to reimburse family caregivers up to $1,000 for fees associated with maintaining the caregiver’s professional licensure and allow family caregivers to access VA training modules for the purpose of gaining credit for continuing professional education requirements.
• Require VA, in consultation with the Departments of Defense and Labor, to allow family caregivers access to certain employment assistance programs.
• Require VA to provide retirement planning services and/or assistance returning to the workforce to family caregivers.
• Require VA to provide bereavement counseling and support for former family caregivers when their veteran loved one passes away.
• Study the feasibility and advisability of establishing a returnship program for family caregivers to assist them in reentering the workforce following their time as a caregiver.
• Study barriers and incentives to hiring former family caregivers to work for VA.
• Study the feasibility and advisability of establishing a retirement plan for family caregivers.

This bill is co-sponsored in the House by Representative Ciscomani (R, AZ-6) and in the Senate by Senators Sinema (I-AZ) and Moran (R-KS). Numerous nationwide veterans’ advocacy groups also support this legislation, including: the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the Quality of Life Foundation, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the American Legion.

Shannon Sander, the Department of New York DAV Commander, said: “When veteran caregivers make the noble choice to selflessly serve their loved one, they knowingly do so at the expense of their professional lives. This bill begins to correct an unintended hindrance for caregivers who require more employment and retirement support than currently available. They didn’t turn their backs on their veteran when needed the most, and we must remember how their sacrifice impacts their lives when the caregiving mission ends.”

To learn more about the Veteran Caregiver Re-education, Re-employment, and Retirement (Veteran Caregiver RRR) Act, read the full text of the bill by clicking here.

ALBION – The Orleans County Soil & Water Conservation District is seeking volunteers for its annual shoreline cleanup on Sept. 14.

Volunteers will collect and record the litter they pick up at nearby waterways. They will meet at 9 a.m. on Sept. 14 at Bullard Park. After a brief introduction, they will disperse to several predetermined locations throughout the county to begin the collection.

The volunteers will return to Bullard at noon, where the trash will be weighed and the volunteers will be treated to pizza.

All volunteers will be supplied with gloves, trash bags, and data sheets to record litter found for the American Littoral Society.

Any interested individuals can call Soil & Water for more information at (585) 589-5959 ext.5 or email this year’s beach captain, Andrea, at Andrea.Centola@ny.nacdnet.net. Volunteers are asked to RSVP at the number or email listed above.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – At the August 14th Orleans/Niagara BOCES Board of Education meeting, Tricia Andrews, a representative from NYSSBA (New York State School Board Association) presented the board with two Champions of Change awards.

The NYSSBA Champions of Change Recognition program highlights the many district and BOCES programs and initiatives that are bringing positive, meaningful change to the students, communities and districts of New York.  The organization picks stories that are featured in their E-clips and chose the Niagara Academy’s Interactive Bulletin Board and the Career and Technical Education’s Allied Health program.

Orleans/Niagara BOCES Board of Education President Wayne Wadhams welcomes new superintendent, Dr. Taweepon Farrar.

The Niagara Academy’s Student Council created the bulletin board in response to a conversation they had on diversity, equity and inclusion in order to build awareness and spread a message of hope.  The school’s counselors helped the students bring the idea to life.

On hand to accept the award, with the Board of Education, was Assistant Principal Michelle Kulbago, Jen Herko (school counselor), Amanda Labernardo (school counselor), Amy Crocker (school social worker) and Stephanie Walker (school counselor).

The Allied Health program was recognized for their partnership with Lockport Memorial Hospital/Catholic Health Services.  The students, all aspiring health care workers, spend two mornings each week rotating through eight different departments at the hospital with the goal of gaining a broad perspective on careers in the medical field.

Niagara Career and Technical Education Center Assistant Principal Maureen Bartlett, Allied Health teacher Deb Rettig, Susan Brooks (Lockport Memorial Hospital Vice President of Patient Care Services) and Grace Ayoub (Lockport Memorial Hospital People Advocate & Community Strategy Administrator) were present for the award to represent the program.

The Board of Education consists of Rae Amacher (Starpoint), Keith Bond (Royalton-Hartland), Vincent Cancemi, Sr. (Niagara Falls), Anthony Casinelli (Newfane), Carol Feltz (Barker), Dr. Bruce Fraser (Lockport), Ed Grabowski (Medina), Thomas Klotzbach (Lyndonville), Timothy Kropp (Wilson), Robert McDermott (Niagara Wheatfield), Danielle Mullen (Lewiston-Porter), Colleen  Osborn (North Tonawanda) and Wayne Wadhams (Albion). They welcomed Dr. Taweepon (Pon) Farrar on her official first day as the new Orleans/Niagara District Superintendent.