MEDINA – Village voters can hear directly from the seven candidates running for the Village Board in the March 19 election.

There will be a forum on March 12 starting at 6 p.m. at the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave. The event is sponsored by The Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub.

The event is set up as a forum and not a debate. Candidates will give opening and closing statements, and will respond to questions submitted by the audience.

The candidates include two people running for mayor: current trustee Marguerite Sherman, a retired special education teacher, is on the “The Village Party” and Michael Maak, a retired Medina firefighter, is running under the “Roots of the Past, Eyes on the Future Party.”

Five people are seeking two trustee positions on the Village Board.

Current trustee Tim Elliott and retired village clerk/treasurer Debbie Padoleski are running on the “The Village Party.” Elliott is an entrepreneur who currently works for LynOaken Farms.

Mat “Austin” Mosher and Jeffrey Pasnik are running with Maak under “Roots of the Past, Eyes on the Future Party.” Mosher is a former Medina firefighter and Pasnik is a council rep for North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters in Cheektowaga. Mosher now works as regional safety manager for United Refining Company and Quik Fill’s safety and compliance officer.

Mark Prawel  a retired Medina police officer, is running under the “United Party.” He also owns an auto repair shop in Medina.

The positions up for election are all for two years.

Press Release, Albion Central School

ALBION – Kindergarten registration is now open for our 2024-25 prospective Purple Eagles at Albion Elementary School and the process will look a little different this year.

To begin, families were sent the registration packet ahead of the screening process, which typically starts in early June. If you have a soon-to-be kindergartener and you did not receive a packet, you can pick one up from the Elementary School Main Office during working hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Purple Eagles already enrolled in Albion’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program have already been registered and parents don’t need to complete any other paperwork.

There are certain documents parents/guardians will need to have and some important registration information to keep in mind including: registering students must be 5 years old on or before Dec. 1, 2024, parents/ guardians need to supply the student’s original birth certificate and any necessary custody documents when they submit the packet. Registration packets are due back to the Registrar’s Office by Monday, April 1, 2024.

As for the Health Appraisal/Immunizations and Dental forms, those can be faxed or forwarded by your child’s physician or dentist to the attention of Rachel Coolbaugh, Registrar, at (585) 589-2059 (fax). Any physical completed between Sept. 5, 2023 and Sept. 3, 2024 is acceptable.

Any questions about the registration process can be directed to Mrs. Coolbaugh at 589-2051. For more information, click here to go to the district’s website.

ALBION – Lawyer representing Orleans and Genesee counties will be in Albion today for a hearing in a lawsuit where Orleans is trying to block a sewer main from being built on Route 63 in Shelby.

Hearings have been cancelled or delayed the past few months. The hearing today will be at the Orleans County Courthouse before State Supreme Court Judge Frank Caruso.

Orleans is represented by Lippes Mathias LLP in Buffalo and contends Genesee didn’t have the county’s permission to install the sewer main in Orleans County. The sewer, at full buildout of the STAMP manufacturing site in the Town of Alabama, would direct 6 million gallons of treated water to the Oak Orchard Creek.

Orleans states the sewer discharge would have a negative impact on the county’s fishing industry, which is a nearly $30 million economic boost to Orleans County. The additional water from STAMP could also hurt the economic development efforts in Medina by overtaxing the creek, Orleans attorneys say in the lawsuit. (The Town of Shelby has since joined the lawsuit as an intervenor.)

Genesee County in its court filings contend Orleans gave consent to the project, which was years in the making, by never objecting to it – until the very last moment. Its years of silence should be viewed as support of the project, say attorneys from Phillips Lytle LLP, which are representing the Genesee County Economic Development Center and others named in the lawsuit – G. DeVincentis & Son Construction Co., Inc., Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation, and STAMP Sewer Works, Inc.

At full build-out STAMP can accommodate up to 6.1 million square feet of advanced technology manufacturing, office and retail space. GCEDC projects direct employment of up to 9,330 full-time jobs with a regional economic impact for support companies serving the site.

The first two tenants at STAMP – Plug Power and Edwards Vacuum – would have a daily discharge of 50,000 gallons of treated wastewater, GCEDC said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Gabe Lindsay stars in the role of Seymour in Holley’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. He holds a plant he named Audrey II. Seymour was a disheveled flower shop worker who becomes more hip and famous due to Audrey II’s rise in stardom.

Holley has about 70 students in the cast and crew of Little Shop of Horrors. Show times are Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Lindsay is Seymour in the 7 p.m. shows both days, while Aidan Kelley plays the part during the 2 p.m. show.

For information about tickets, click here.

Kohle Pachla plays the role of Mr. Mushnik, owner of a struggling and rundown flower shop. Audrey II brings many customers and sales to the shop, changing its fortunes. Jax Richards-Dyson plays Mushnik in the Saturday afternoon show.

The show is directed by Dan and Kellie Burke. Mr. Burke directed his last show in 2020 and then retired a year later. He returned to lead the show this time, teaming with his sister Kellie Burke. He is thankful to be back directing the cast.

During his last musical four years ago, the students had the show cancelled just before opening night due to Covid restrictions in March 2020. Holley did High School Musical that year.

Burke has been subbing almost every day this school year at Holley, responding due to a shortage of substitute teachers.

He said being in the Holley district is his retirement dream come true. He worked as a biology teacher at Holley and a baseball coach, while directing the musicals for three decades.

Burke said there is a magic with musical productions, taking students from many backgrounds and comfort levels on stage and having them work together and perform a show.

“You see the kids build an energy and do things they didn’t think they could do,” he said during intermission at today’s rehearsal. “You see them transformed.”

Some kids push their limits with a solo on stage. Others stretch themselves by being in the cast, singing and dancing. Others contribute through set design and being part of the stage crew.

Jayda Shampine plays the role of Audrey and sings, “Somewhere That’s Green.” She who works in the flower with Seymour, who admires Audrey and names the mysterious in her honor.

Abigail Merkley plays Audrey during the Saturday afternoon show.

Burke, as director, has long had multiple casts. His belief is to give every kid a chance to have the biggest role they can.

Mushnik and cast members are excited to listen to Seymour being interviewed on the radio about the famous plant in the flower shop.

Audrey II’s success leads to a major upgrade and renovation at the flower shop.

Orin Scrivello (played by Owen Schultz) is Aubrey’s abusive boyfriend and a sadistic dentist.

Seymour reacts in horror as Audrey II eats Orin Scrivello. Seymour was angry at how Scrivello treated Audrey so poorly.

Feeding the plant the dentist satisfied Audrey II’s thrist for blood, momentarily. Seymour discovered the plant’s appetite for blood when he pricked a finger on a rose thorn. Audrey II thirstily opened its pod at the smell of blood.

Gabe Lindsay, who plays Seymour, said the plant gets meaner as it gets bigger, and its appetite more demanding.

“When you take a risk, be prepared to accept the good and the bad,” Lindsay said about  the message in the show.

He plans to major in musical theater when he heads to Geneseo State College next year. Lindsay said he is grateful for the chance to be in the Holley musicals since he was in junior high.

Audrey II grows to an immense size as it feeds its appetite. Jose-Angel Valentin is the voice of the plant during the evening performances and Nico Unterborn is in the role on Saturday afternoon.

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today voted against the omnibus government funding bill for the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) due to its failure to rein in out of control government spending, cut wasteful and woke programs, and lower costs for hardworking families.

This bill passed the House by a vote of 339-85.

“With over $34 trillion of national debt and counting, Congress should not spend another $1.65 trillion while failing to address the crises plaguing our nation in a meaningful way,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I understand the complexity and frustration of a divided government, however our communities will continue to suffer under Biden’s polices that spend our tax dollars on the woke and Green New Deal projects that have been inserted into this bill.

“This 1,050-page spending monstrosity does not provide the relief that the American people are demanding and will only increase already sky-high prices and add to our national debt. There are positive aspects of this bill, including the 12 Community Funding Projects we submitted to help residents of NY-24. Other positives include fully funding veterans’ healthcare and toxic exposure programs, military construction projects and important agricultural research programs, but this bill in its entirety, negotiated behind closed doors, is a bridge too far.”

Some of the worst provisions in this bill include:

• Provides $3.5 million for an initiative to create parade floats
• Supports the Biden administrations illegal Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule
• Fails to rein in the ATF’s anti-second amendment rules
• Maintains funding for the VA’s and DOJ’s anti-life initiatives
• Gives $1 million to a private entity to construct a coffee shop and a greenhouse for refugees
• Funnels $1 million to the WE ACT environmentalist group in New York City
• Continues allowing leftist bureaucrats to fly pride flags and other political flags over federal buildings
• Wastes taxpayer money on Critical Race Theory and the DEI Executive Offices
• Allows federal funds to continue flowing to the Wuhan lab

Despite all the wasteful spending in this bill, there are some critical infrastructure projects for NY-24, which Congresswoman Tenney submitted after a rigorous review process. The projects Tenney successfully submitted and advocated for in NY-24 include:

• $1.75 million for the Town of Constantia Northshore Sewer Project
• $1.75 million for the City of Canandaigua Water Plant Project
• $750,000 for the Town of Watertown Phase 1 Army Water Line (AWL) Pipeline Replacement Project
• $2 million for to the Brickyard Road Tank and Transmission Main Improvements on behalf of the Canandaigua-Farmington Consolidated Water District
• $3.5 million for Town of Fayette Sewer District No. 1 Project
• $1.75 million for the Genesee County Water Security and Resilience—Prole Road Transmission Main Project
• $1.6 million for Keuka College’s Rural Community Outpatient Clinic
• $700,000, for the Livingston County Regional Water & Wastewater Cybersecurity Improvement Project
• $1 million for the City of Watertown Water Quality Improvement Project
• $2.1 million for the Town of Wolcott Salt Storage Barn

Package includes $725,000 for Oak Orchard Harbor

Press Release, Congressman Joe Morelle

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Joe Morelle voted to pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, a critical step towards fully funding the federal government and investing in the programs and services that support families across the United States. The $460 spending bill passed the House, 339-85.

“This funding package makes critical investments designed to uplift families, keep our neighborhoods safe, support our military, strengthen our economy, and more,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I’m proud to have helped craft this legislation which not only delivers for our communities but prevents the enactment of harmful policies proposed by House Republicans, including measures to restrict women’s reproductive freedoms and reduce law enforcement’s ability to combat gun violence.”

Highlights of the appropriations package include investments in:

Bolstering Innovation in Rochester and across the country:

• $99.4 million for the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics to conduct advanced scientific research in inertial confinement fusion;
• $41 million for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program to create geographically-distributed “regional technology hubs,” focusing on technology development, job creation, and expanding U.S. innovation capacity. Last year, Rochester was designated to be a Regional Technology Hub as a part of the New York Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Technology Innovation Corridor (NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub);
• $9.1 billion for the National Science Foundation to support their cutting-edge research;
• $175 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program, to help small and medium sized American manufacturers create and preserve jobs.

Supporting Servicemembers and Veterans

• $121 billion for Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care to provide essential health services for millions of veterans;
• $17.1 billion for the Toxic Exposures Fund to provide care to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances while they served—including 7.4 million veterans this year alone;
• $3.1 billion for Homeless Assistance Programs to assist veterans who may be experiencing homelessness and their families.

Uplifting Our Families:

• $326 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) to help low-income people reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient;
• $7.03 billion for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which will ensure the program is fully funded for FY24;
• $16 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance to continue to house more than 1.2 million low-income households nationwide;
• $345 million for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to protect families from exposures to lead paint, the lead-contaminated dust and soil that lead paint creates, along with other health hazards in homes;
• $57.5 million for Housing Counseling Assistance for renters, homeowners, and those considering homeownership.

Investing in Law Enforcement:

• $664.5 million for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs to place more police officers on the streets of our communities and strengthen community relations;
• $713 million, the highest funding level ever, for grants provided by the Office on Violence Against Women.

Protecting Our Environment:

• $9.2 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to combat the climate crisis;
• $2.8 billion for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, including $1.4 billion in Community Project Funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater management projects across the country;
• $1.2 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to support programs to help control or eradicate plant and animal pests and diseases that can be crippling to U.S. producers including $500,000 for research towards the eradication of the Spotted Lanternfly;
• $6.4 billion in funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA);
• $5 million for the Great Lakes Authority to support the areas of the watershed of the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes System, including New York State.

Congressman Morelle also secured over $11.5 million in funding for local organizations who submitted requests through the Fiscal Year 2024 Community Project Funding process, including:

• Charles Settlement House: Teen Center—$652,330
• City of Rochester Police Department: Gunshot Detection System—$195,000
• City of Rochester: Public Market Expansion—$850,000
• City of Rochester: REJob Training Facility—$850,000
• Episcopal SeniorLife Communities, Inc.: Middle Income Senior Housing Development—$1,000,000
• Monroe County Sheriff’s Office: Regional Investigative Operations Center (RIOC)—$940,000
• Oak Orchard Harbor—$725,000
• Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority: ADA Compliant Bus Stops—$500,000
• Rochester Institute of Technology: Battery Prototyping Center—$1,250,000
• RochesterWorks, Inc.—$1,616,270
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, NY Inc.: Westmoreland House–$400,000
• Town of Gates: Community Park Updates—$500,000
• Town of Rush: New Water District—$500,000
• University of Rochester: Advanced Quantum Research Equipment—$1,250,000
• Village of Webster: Community Access Project—$400,000

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 includes funding for six of the twelve appropriations bills required to be passed by Congress once per fiscal year. The six bills included in this legislation are: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, Deputy Republican Leader Andrew Lanza, Senator Thomas O’Mara, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee and Senator Bill Weber, Ranking Member of the Budget and Revenue Committee today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins urging the adoption of the Senate Republican Conference’s priorities that are included in their comprehensive “A New Hope for NY Agenda.”

Rob Ortt

With the Senate and Assembly expected to vote on their One-House Budgets next week, negotiations will soon be accelerating on the FY 2025 State Budget.  With this in mind, the Senate Republican Conference is urging the adoption of several key economic, public safety and quality-of-life proposals that would directly benefit millions of hardworking, taxpaying New Yorkers.

“The lack of affordability in the Empire State has clearly reached crisis proportions, with thousands of New Yorkers fleeing to more affordable states,” stated Senate Republican Leader Ortt. “The high taxes in our State have exacerbated this crisis, while also directly contributing to our poor business climate. Our conference has put forward common sense recommendations as we enter the budget process. We must address the challenges that are currently confronting the hardworking, law-abiding citizens of our state.”

At the start of the 2024 legislative session, the Republican Conference unveiled “A New Hope For The Empire State.”  The 2024 agenda outlines a plan that prioritizes the needs of New Yorkers. The “New Hope” agenda reflects a commitment to responsible stewardship of tax dollars, to jump-starting our slow economic recovery, and restoring common sense to our criminal justice system. It also stands in stark contrast to Governor Hochul’s proposed budget, a misguided plan that taxes too much, spends too much, and reflects the wrong priorities.

In the letter to the Senate Majority Leader, the following measures were highlighted as key budget priorities that should be rejected in the Governor’s Executive Budget:

• Reject the additional $2.4 billion in funding Governor Hochul has proposed for migrants — $4.3 billion over 2 years;
• Withhold resources and funding to schools who do not protect Jewish students and/or support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. We must work to provide safe learning environments on college campuses in an effort to combat antisemitism;
• Reject the Governor’s plan to alter the School Aid formula to eliminate the “save harmless” clause for Foundation Aid – a misguided change that would result in direct funding cuts for 337 largely rural and suburban school districts across the state;
• Reject the Governor’s budget language allowing five more prisons to be closed. Additional prison closures would undermine public health and safety, destabilize local economies, and lead to more dangerous work conditions for New York’s courageous Correction Officers.
• Reject the inadequate and inequitable funding levels the Governor has proposed for New York’s critical transportation infrastructure. We must ensure funding parity between Upstate and Downstate infrastructure funding by putting NYSDOT and MTA capital programs on an equal footing, and by supporting investment in local roads and bridges through increased Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) base aid.

Press Release, NYS Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, Inc.

ALBION – Two weeks after four officers were injured by a female inmate at the medium-security correctional facility, eight officers were injured yesterday by an inmate who repeatedly attacked them as they attempted to escort the inmate to the infirmary.

Six officers needed to be treated at an outside hospital for their injuries after the attack.

Initially a response was called because the inmate had become irate and began throwing chairs and threatening officers in the visit room. Two officers approached the inmate and ordered the inmate to calm down. Their orders were ignored.

The officers attempted to place the inmate in a body hold. The inmate began wildly throwing punches at the officers. Additional staff arrived and assisted in forcing the inmate to the floor. Still extremely combative on the floor, handcuffs were applied. Once in handcuffs, the inmate became compliant.

Inside the infirmary, the inmate began making threats at officers again, stood up and became aggressive. Staff had to apply body holds and force the inmate to the ground, multiple times. On the ground, the inmate kicked violently at staff until they were able to restrain the inmate’s legs. The inmate was placed in a chair, and finally remained compliant until evaluation.

Two officers sustained shoulder, back, knee, dizziness and a headache after the incident. They were treated by medical staff at the facility and remained on duty.

Six officers were transported to Medina Hospital for treatment of broken rib, toe, jaw, back, arm, shoulder, elbow, knee injuries and shortness of breath. The officers were treated and released from the hospital and did not return to duty.

The inmate, 30, is serving a two- to four-year sentence after being convicted for Criminal Contempt 1st in Seneca County in 2022. The inmate is eligible for parole in July of 2024.

“To have eight officers injured gives you a picture of the level of uncontrollable violence that occurred in this latest attack,” said Kenny Gold, Western Region Vice President for NYSCOPBA.  “The aftermath is six officers are now off duty because of their injuries and an inmate that returns to the facility with, if lucky, a slap on the wrist because of non-existent discipline. To have inmates teeing off on our members at Albion, or any jail for that matter is unacceptable. How many times can we report our brothers and sisters going to the hospital before the lawmakers change their pro criminal policies?”

Editor’s Note: NYSCOPBA officials said the inmate is transgendered and referred to as a “he” in the official report.

ALBION – Two people were sentenced to state prison today in Orleans County Court by Judge Sanford Church.

Barron Williams, a former inmate at the Orleans Correctional Facility, received a 3- to 6-year sentence in state prison for promoting prison contraband in the first degree.

Williams, 26, is now incarcerated at the Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica, serving a five-year sentence for criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree in the Bronx.

Williams rejected a plea offer in the case and went to trial and was convicted. He had a toothpick container that was sharpened to be a weapon.

Susan Howard, assistant district attorney, prosecuted the case in a three-day trial in December.

In the other sentencing today, Andrew Coley, 25, of Albion was sentenced to three years in prison for second-degree assault for allegedly choking and hitting an 85-year-old man in Carlton that Coley was living with.

Joe Cardone, the district attorney, said Coley already has a long criminal history and deserves time in prison after choking the elderly man, who then suffered a slight stroke.

Coley apologized in court to his family.

In other cases, a former Albion resident who now lives in Middleport was arraigned for third-degree burglary, petty larceny and criminal mischief in the fourth degree.

Michael R. Bauer, 38, allegedly broke into the Plaza Liquor Store in Albion on Aug. 20, damaging the building and some of the merchandise.

Bauer is accused of smashing the front window and damaging the door frame. An investigation by the Albion Police Department determined there was approximately $2,000 damage to the building, and $336 in damage to alcohol bottles. About $90 worth of alcohol and cash also were stolen, police said.

• A man with the formal name of Raine, who is also known as Izzie Barnes, pleaded guilty to possessing a sexual performance of a child.

Barnes of Medina faces up to six months in the county jail and 10 years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on May 8. He has no prior criminal history and may have be register as a sex offender.

The Center for Missing & Exploited Children detected Barnes accessed a video of a girl younger than 16 in a sexual act, Cardone said in court. Law enforcement seized Barnes laptop and discovered he possessed the video.

ALBION – With the reopening of the Main Street lift bridge pushed back a few months until September, the Village of Albion Department of Public Works is modifying its plan for street paving this year.

Jay Pahura, DPW superintendent, was planning to pave East Bank and Ingersoll streets, which have seen increased traffic, especially with heavy vehicles, due to the bridge being closed and traffic diverted to the Ingersoll lift bridge.

“That detour route has just been beat to death,” Pahura said this morning.

Those streets will continue to be in heavy demand until September. The DPW can’t shut down those streets for milling and paving because “there would be no where to put the traffic,” Pahura said.

The DPW will make some emergency repairs to those streets but an extensive repaving will have to pushed back until 2025.

The village this year will instead repave East Park Street from Main to Clarendon streets, and then side streets off East Park: Herrick, Temperance and Reynolds as well as repaving Orchard Street near the Lake Country Pennysaver. Orchard will have drainage added, too.

Pahura said the village uses CHIPS money from the state for repaving. Those streets with CHIPS funds need to hold up at least a decade. That’s why he didn’t have the East Bank and Ingersoll repaved before the bridge was closed. Those streets with new pavement would have quickly deteriorated and not held up for the 10-year threshold, he said.

The repaved streets will be milled with new pavement then put down. Pahura said the bids haven’t been opened yet for the materials.

The local towns and villages will coordinate a paving schedule for sharing equipment and scheduling the milling company and paver.

Nicole Tuohey denied because she needs help answering questions from medical personnel

Nicole Tuohey

MEDINA – Nicole Tuohey is hoping a petition to the FDA will convince them to allow her to give blood. Because she cannot sit alone with medical personnel and answer questions about her health, she has been denied her the right to give blood.

From the day she was born, Nicole has had to fight to be like other people.

Born with Triple X Syndrome, the daughter of David and Mary Lou Tuohey, doctors told her parents she would never walk, talk, go to school, ride a bike or do any of the things other kids do.

She has proven them wrong, and now she is out to win another fight – the right to save lives.

Nicole, 33, helps her mother in the store with fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Association and National Disabilities Month She makes links out of construction paper and then joins them together as they are sold.

She makes bracelets to sell as a fundraiser, and now she wants to give blood, but has been turned down. Every week, she points to her arm and looks at her mother, who repeatedly has to tell her, “Not yet.”

“It doesn’t make sense when so many people need blood and here you have a healthy young lady who is begging to give and they won’t let her,” her mother said.

Mary Lou has written a petition to the FDA requesting they allow her to sign for Nicole, so she can give blood. Mary Lou has legal authority to sign for Nicole in all facets of her life.

“It is heartbreaking,” Mary Lou said. “I’ve signed for her heart surgery and her brain surgery, but they won’t let me sign for something as simple as this.”

Mary Lou is asking the public to stop in at Case-Nic Cookies at 439 Main St and sign her petition.

“It will mean the world to Nicole,” Mary Lou said.

 The petition will be available there until the end of March.

Provided photos

CARLTON – Albion eighth-graders Anakin Bowman and Brayden Lindke stand by a repainted “Fording Place” historic marker on the pole at the corner of Oak Orchard Road and Clark’s Mills Road in Carlton. Bowman and Lindke are in the eighth grade enrichment class.

The marker from 1932 was recently restored by Melissa Ierlan of Clarendon, who has scraped and refurbished about 40 of the markers.

The Fording Place marker is north of a shallow part of the Oak Orchard River where Native Americans and early pioneers would cross. “The Oak Orchard Trail from Batavia to Ontario crossed the creek here.”

Here is how the marker looked before it was cleaned up and repainted.

Provided photos: Assemblyman Steve Hawley is shown with Bessie the Cow and Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

ALBANY – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) attended the New York Farm Bureau’s Taste of New York Reception in Albany on Monday.

The event was hosted in the Empire State Plaza Convention Center and attended by Farm Bureau members and public officials from around the state. During this time, Hawley met with local farmers and members of the Farm Bureau about the importance of New York agriculture.

New York is one of the leading states for agriculture, the fifth-largest producer of dairy in the nation and has roughly seven million acres of farmland. The industry has also created nearly 200,000 jobs, with the vast majority of farms in the state being family-owned. Hawley is proud to have been able to attend this event and hopes it will bring more awareness to one of the state’s largest industries.

“It was great to meet with so many New Yorkers yesterday who share a passion for local agriculture,” Hawley said. “As a farmer once myself, I have a special appreciation for this industry. From the grocery store to the food in your pantry, we all rely on local farms like the ones we have here in Western New York. Holding this event in Albany will  shine a light on this vital industry and bring more attention to our family-owned farms.”

Provided photo

YATES – A tractor-trailer driver went off the road and died Monday in Orleans County, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office said today.

Lebert Z. Cleveland, 59, of Lancaster was southbound on Niagara-Orleans County Line Road at about 2:50 p.m. when he left the east shoulder of the roadway, causing some lawn damage and coming to rest in a front yard.

Cleveland was pronounced deceased after being transported to Medina Memorial Hospital. Medina and Lyndonville firefighters both performed CPR on Cleveland, who was taken by ambulance, said Jeff Gifaldi, chief deputy for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

There is no cause of death yet, but an in-vehicle camera shows the driver went unconscious prior to driving off the road, Gifaldi said.