The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Orleans County on Tuesday from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. with 2 to 4 inches of snow expected.
The advisory also included Niagara, Monroe, Genesee and northern Erie counties.
“The snow will peak in intensity during the Tuesday morning commute,” the Weather Service said. “Plan on snow covered and slippery road conditions with reduced visibility.”
Return to topPress Release, Orleans County Historical Association
Dennis Carr
GAINES – The Orleans County Historical Association (OCHA) invites the public to their annual luncheon meeting and program at Tavern on the Ridge on December 6th at 12:30 p.m.
Dennis Carr, a founding member of the Friends of Mt. Hope Cemetery, will be the guest speaker.
“We are fortunate to have Dennis as this year’s guest speaker,” said Sue Starkweather Miller, OCHA Trustee. “He will discuss The Arrest and Trial of Susan B. Anthony: Strategy, Tactics, and the Struggle to Vote. Dennis is an expert on this topic and has led tours for many years at Mt. Hope Cemetery, where Susan B. Anthony is buried.”
With the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, and its plain language implication that women, as citizens, had the right to vote, master strategist Susan B. Anthony decided to test the Constitution.
She, her sister Mary, and fourteen other Rochester women registered, and then voted in the 1872 federal election, resulting in Anthony’s arrest, trial, and conviction. The registrars and elections inspectors, the women who supported her by voting, the judge who issued the warrant, the arresting deputy U.S. marshal, and her attorneys are all permanent residents of Mount Hope Cemetery.
Front page news across the country, this real-life Rochester drama, gave Susan B. Anthony the deserved reputation as the most effective advocate and leader of the woman suffrage movement.
Lunch is $30 per person. Menu choices are vegetable lasagna, cottage pie or winter salad with chicken breast. Relish tray, beverage and dessert are included. To make your reservations, call Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper at 585-589-4174. You can pay at the door or send a check with your lunch choice to OCHA, 3286 Gaines Basin Road, Albion, NY 14411.
OCHA’s mission is to preserve, restore, and maintain what is significant to the history and antiquity of Orleans County, NY.
Return to topKENDALL – Students at Kendall Elementary School aren’t at school today due to heating issues caused by a malfunctioning boiler system.
Nick Picardo, the district superintendent, said Kendall staff and professional company are working to repair the boiler.
“We are hopeful and expect students in grades PreK-6 to return to school tomorrow,” Picardo said.
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Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Community Free Library has a Free Art Library outside the library at 86 Public Square. This is a project led by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.
Go Art! also has the free art libraries in Albion outside the Hoag Library and in Medina outside the Author’s Note book store.
At the free art library, people are encouraged to take an art book or art kit, leave an art book or art kit, and spread creativity.
The art libraries have been architecturally designed by Jeff Pasnik, and built and donated by members of the Carpenters Local Union 276. They are artistically painted by Jaylah Sherman.
The art library in Holley is done in a Pop Art style by Any Warhol with his famous painting of Marilyn Monroe and his tendency to do repeating prints.
GO Art! established the art library to make art supplies and resources more accessible to the community, fostering creativity and engagement in the arts. GO Art! wants the libraries includes art kits, coloring books and art books that are freely available for anyone to take and enjoy.
Return to topPress Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) want to hear from you! We are working to make our programs better for people who want to quit smoking, vaping, or using tobacco. Your feedback will help us plan future classes, resources, and support for those who are ready to quit.
“We want our programs to meet the needs of our community,” said Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health. “Whether you’ve tried to quit before, are thinking about quitting, or have already quit, your ideas can help us make our programs more helpful and easier to access.”
The online survey only takes a few minutes to fill out. It’s open to everyone in Genesee and Orleans counties, whether you smoke now, have quit, or are helping someone who wants to quit. Answers will be used to improve GO Health’s programs to help people stop using tobacco.
Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CessationFeedback
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, and local support can make it easier. By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help GO Health offer programs that work better for our community.
For more information about GO Health Programs and Services, visit GOHealthNY.org or contact your local health department at:
Photo courtesy of Celeste Balaban: Buddy played by Rayna Balaban and Santa played by Henry Dresser are “Happy All The Time” with the elves.
Press Release, Anna Ferlito, musical director
MEDINA – Medina residents will embrace their inner “elf” when Clifford Wise Intermediate students present their production of Elf The Musical JR. The show features 89 fifth and sixth grade students and will premiere on Dec. 4.
Clifford Wise Intermediate School will present Elf The Musical JR. on Dec. 4th and 5th at 7 p.m. at Clifford Wise Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $3.50, and are available at www.cliffordwise.booktix.com. For more information about the show please call 585-798-2700 ext. 6204.
“Every year the 5th and 6th graders look forward to the musical, and last year when we announced we were doing Elf everyone was ecstatic” says Anna Ferlito, the musical director. “It’s a huge project to put on a show with this many kids, but it becomes a highlight every school year.”
(Left) Eliana Baity-Medina plays the “no nonsense” manager of Macy’s. (Right) Emily and her son Micheal Hobbs played by Charlotte Berry and Davante Major Dixon ask Santa for Walter Hobbs to spend more time with them.
Elf The Musical JR. is based on the 2003 New Line Cinema hit and features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer) and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin On Broadway, The Wedding Singer), a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).
The musical tells the story of a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is given the name Buddy and raised by elves in the North Pole. Buddy lives happily unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth.
With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list, and his stepbrother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of the holidays.
Buddy played by Rayna Balaban gets escorted out of Macy’s by security guards played by Shane Re and Vincent Moriarty.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Metz Family Christmas won the grand champion title on Saturday during the Medina Parade of Lights.
MEDINA – Pair decent weather and an enthusiastic crowd with nearly four dozen floats brightly decorated for the holidays and you have an evening to remember.
Such was the case Saturday night for the 17th annual Parade of Lights.
Always a tradition is lighting of a giant Christmas tree in Rotary Park and the spectacular fireworks which precede the parade each year.
The winning floats have been announced and the Metz family has taken the title again. The family won in 2021 and 2022. Last year the grand champion was the Orleans/Niagara BOCES and Burger King won the top award in 2023.
Winners announced for this year are:
Grand Champion – Metz Family Christmas
Best in Class (Commercial) – Airborne Acres
Best in Class (Service Clubs) – Roy-Hart FFA
Best in Class (Fire companies) – Albion Joint Fire District
Best in Class (Not-for-profit) – Orleans Community Action’s Head Start
Best in Class (Religious) – The Vine
Best in Class – Orleans-Niagara BOCES
Santa’s Pick Award – Niagara County 4-H Equine Program
Littlest Elf Award – Eye of Oden K9 Training
Star Award – Logan’s Landscaping
Community Spirit Award – Medina Central School Transportation Department
Jim Hancock, who heads the parade committee, expressed his pleasure at this year’s Grand Marshal, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, who has also been parade announcer each year.
Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman welcomed the crowd until Hawley arrived in a Mustang convertible donated by George Bidleman of Orleans Ford.
“Being Grand Marshal of this iconic parade in this idyllic village was a wonderful experience and an honor,” Hawley said. “I have been the announcer for many years, but have never seen how the floats, bands and groups line up at the staging area at the Pickle Factory. And I never knew about the thousands of people who line the streets before the parade reaches Main Street. It’s truly a remarkably well organized and run parade and my hat is tipped to the organizers, and of course, to all the folks who attend and support the efforts.”
Hancock said there were so many beautiful and creative floats this year.
“They seem to get better and better every year,” he said. “And I am so pleased to have Steve Hawley as our Grand Marshal.”
Hancock also thanked the village departments, especially the DPW who make the parade a success every year.
Many of the units in the parade are repeat entrants, such as the Mark Time Marchers from Churchville, entertaining for their 12th year; Niagara County’s Equine Program with 16 visits; East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, every year since the beginning; Hartland Volunteer Fire Company, an entrant for many, many years; and Ridgeway Fire Company, every year.
There were a large number of first-time entrants this year, including The Willows Assisted Living Facility; Bowers Plumbing from Albion; Cutaia Trucking from Fairport; Airborne Acres from Lyndonville; Tom Bruggman from Alexander; Gilligan’s Galley Restaurant from Point Breeze; Walsh Hotel (the third oldest bar in New York); Mallard House Renovations; and Luddy’s Equipment Rental from Albion.
Of course, the final float every year is Santa and Mrs. Claus on their special float built and donated by Takeform.
Hancock issued special thanks to the Parade Committee, which included Dave and Gail Miller, Nicole and Todd Bensley, Cindy Robinson, Reinhard Rogowski, Dave Stacey, Mark Irwin, Barb Hancock, Kathie Valley and Sue and Kevin DeHollander.
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Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Before the start of the Parade of Lights at 6 p.m. in Medina on Saturday, fireworks added to the spectacle in downtown Medina.
The fireworks show was for about 10 minutes.
Each side of Main Street was packed with people for the fireworks and the parade. There also was a tree-lighting at Rotary Park at about 5:30 p.m.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley, the grand marshal for the parade and the announcer for the past 16 years, said Medina has the best Main Street in the state.
Steven Long, a Medina firefighter, sent in this photo Medina Engine 10 under the fireworks.
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Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive on a float created by Takeform in Medina to close out Medina’s 17th annual Parade of Lights on Saturday night. There were 45 floats in the parade that brought several thousand people to the downtown and along a parade route that started at the Olde Pickle Factory and went down Park Avenue to Main Street.
Logan’s Landscaping in Medina created an impressive float that resembled a giant Hot Wheels truck. Logan’s gave away 1,000 Hot Wheels cars while traveling the parade route.
The Miller Hose Fire Company in Newfane made the trip for the parade. Several rows of onlookers weren’t deterred by the 30-degree temperatures for the parade that lasted about 1 hour, 15 minutes.
The Eye of Oden, which provides dog training in Kent, gets its float ready for the parade while in the staging area at the Olde Pickle Factory parking lot.
The Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company was among several departments to participate by decorating fire trucks and other rescue equipment for the parade.
Community Action of Orleans & Genesee celebrated Head Start and other programs of the agency with this float.
The Painted Sky Ranch from Brockport brought horses to the parade.
The Walsh decorated a 1974 fire truck with 5,000 lights and rode in the parade.
The North Wing at Medina Memorial Hospital participated in the parade.
Bentley Brothers of Albion and Brockport was in the parade with a float celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Gilligan’s Galley, a restaurant at Point Breeze, had a boat decorated for the event.
Luddy’s Equipment Rental, which opened this year in Albion, was a newcomer to the Parade of Lights and gave Spiderman a ride on the top of its float.
The Medina Transportation Department at the school district decorated bus no. 212 with a Candy Land theme.
The East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company made a big effort for its display in the parade.
Before the parade, there was a tree-lighting celebration at Rotary Park.
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MEDINA – In recent years, an owl has been perched on top of Main Street during rh Parade of Lights.
Tonight’s parade again had a guest star with what look like a barred owl up high on buildings.
Kyle Brege took the photo on top.
Kelly Albone posted this photo on the Orleans Hub Facebook page.
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Provided photo
MEDINA – The winners of the Littlest Elf Contest include, from left: Noa Pierce, second place; Crew Overholt, 3rd place; and Isabella Tompkins, 1st place.
The contest urges participants to dress up in a holiday costume. It was part of today’s Olde Tyme Christmas celebration in Medina. The three were able to be part of the noon parade.
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Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A group of runners, including Jacob Keppler as Santa, start off fast in the Canal Basin for today’s Home for the Holidays 5K in Medina.
The race kicked off the Olde Tyme Christmas celebration in Medina. There are many activities throughout the day, including the Parade of Lights at 6 p.m.
Click here to see the schedule of events.
Eric Tompkins of Lockport dressed as an elf in today’s Home of the Holidays 5K in Medina.
Jose Miguel Silva Ortiz of Medina won the race in a time of 17:53, followed by Alden Cayea of Medina in a time of 18:02. The first place finisher is shown by the Big Apple along the Erie Canal.
Kim Mills of Oakfield was the first female to finish the race with a time of 21:43.
Orly the Ox, the Orleans County Bicentennial mascot, greeted runners as they turned from the towpath and crossed the lift bridge. Orly wore his favorite ugly Christmas sweater for the race.
This runner paused to take a selfie with Orly.
Many of the runners were buddled up for the race. It was about 30 degrees at the start of the 5K.
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