By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 11 July 2024 at 7:36 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Carolyn Wagner, secretary of the board of Orleans County Accredited Learning Services, stands in front of the window of Case-Nic Cookies, where a basket raffle is taking place all month to benefit the agency.
MEDINA – A basket raffle in the window of Case-Nic Cookies this month will benefit an agency dedicated to providing free literacy services in Orleans County.
Founded in 2006 as Orleans County Adult Learning Services (or OCALS), the agency now known as Orleans County Accredited Learning Services is helping children and adults throughout the county. With a paid staff of two part-time employees and a volunteer board of directors, conducting fundraising events would hardly be possible, so when United Way of Orleans County insisted they do more fundraising to be eligible for funding, they had to think outside the box.
Carolyn Wagner, secretary of OCALS’s board, knew about Mary Lou Tuohey making the windows of her store, Case-Nic Cookies, available to non-profits for basket raffles. For the last two years, Wagner almost single-handedly, has put together a basket raffle which netted OCALS much needed, although not astronomical, funds.
“We do pretty well here for a small community,” she said.
This month, Wagner has repeated her efforts and filled Case-Nic’s window with a variety of baskets geared to appeal to all ages, men, women and children.
Forty-nine baskets include gift cards to a variety of stores and restaurants, lottery tickets, jewelry and purses, books and toys for children, household items and more.
Tuohey had come up with a system so shoppers could enter the drawings even when the store is closed. She makes up a list with the number of all the baskets. Each sheet has the numbers of a sheet of 26 raffle tickets. The list, a pen and ticket stub are placed in a plastic bag with an envelope and put in a bucket outside the door of her store. At any time of the day, a customer can open the bucket, take out a packet, enter the number of tickets he wants placed in the baskets of his choice, put $10 in the envelope, seal it and drop it through the mail slot in the door.
When the store opens the next morning, the organizations’ volunteers open the envelopes and place the requested number of tickets into the designated baskets.
Tickets can be purchased through July 30. Winners will be drawn on July 31 and notified to come and pick up their prize.
Wagner said she canvasses all the local businesses asking for donations, and while she understands the merchants get inundated with requests, she is grateful for the response she receives.
She is always looking for bargains throughout the year and buys things on sale, saving them to create a basket.
“I always send a thank you to everyone who donates a basket,” she said.
The other fundraising effort by OCALS is a book sale at Medina’s annual community yard sale.
OCALS has come a long way since its founding by Rose Ruck, then a resident of Clarendon, who realized the need for an active literacy group in the county. For the first years, the organization operated with all volunteers and annual donations from Rose and Don’s daughters.
OCALS is accredited by ProLiteracy and funded by United Way of Orleans County.
They have expanded to provide free confidential tutoring services to adults, children and families who are residents of Orleans County and want to improve their reading, writing and English skills. They also provide one-on-one training for the county’s digital literacy initiative, and have worked with school children struggling with literacy.
As part of their mission to promote their services and let the community know what they offer, OCALS has a presence at Medina’s Canal Farmer’s Market, the 4-H Fair and Night Out in Medina.
Crucial to their program are tutors, and they are always looking for anyone interested in volunteering. OCALS will provide the necessary training.
New board members are also welcome. Anyone interested in joining OCALS in any capacity can contact them at www.ocals.org; on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OCALS1 or by calling (585) 590-1202.
‘Every first responder knows that immediate intervention is crucial’
Press Release, Orleans County Emergency Management Office
ALBION – In response to the escalating opioid crisis gripping our nation, the Medina Fire Department has joined with Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health), Orleans County Mental Health and Orleans County Emergency Management in their effort to launch the “Naloxone Leave Behind Program” to equip our residents with the lifesaving tools necessary to intervene during opioid-related emergencies.
The Naloxone Leave Behind Program aims to raise awareness of the overdose crisis and to increase access to naloxone. Naloxone, often referred to by its brand name “Narcan”, is a life-saving medication that can quickly restore the breathing of a person experiencing an opioid overdose.
“Enhancing access to care and treatment through efforts like the Leave Behind Kit program is crucial to communities, especially for rural communities,” said Danielle Figura, LCSW-R, Director of Orleans County Mental Health and Director of Community Services for Orleans County. “The kits will also include additional information on available resources for those experiencing mental illness or emotional distress, because we know that we need to promote an individual’s overall well-being.”
The New York State Department of Health initiated the Naloxone Leave Behind Program early in 2023 (expanding on their 2006 Overdose Prevention Program), and it has since been adopted in many regions throughout the state. The Village of Medina Fire Department is the pilot EMS agency for the program, made possible with opioid settlement funding through Orleans County Mental Health.
“The opioid epidemic has forever changed our small town and village life, not just as firefighters and EMS providers but as members of this community,” said Medina Fire Department Lt. Steve Cooley, who played a critical role in bringing this program into Orleans County.
After a brief trial period, the program will eventually be offered to all fire/EMS agencies within the county to voluntarily participate in. Mobile Crisis Teams operating within the county and Orleans County Probation will also be participating in the program.
“Every first responder knows that immediate intervention is crucial,” said Justin Niederhofer, Director of Emergency Management in the county. “In our rural community, and with the national EMS crisis, friends and family are often the first to recognize the signs of an overdose or to find the victim. The Naloxone Leave Behind Program essentially puts the lifesaving tools in the hands of those first on-scene.”
GO Health has identified a trend of elevated cocaine use locally that is causing fatal fentanyl overdoses.
“Through wastewater analysis, we have found that cocaine consumption is very high throughout Genesee and Orleans counties compared to other areas nationally,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health. “When cocaine is contaminated with fentanyl, it is causing preventable overdoses and overdose deaths. Many people who use street drugs like cocaine and counterfeit pills are unaware that what they are taking may contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an example why the naloxone leave behind program is crucial for saving lives.”
Following an opioid related emergency, a leave behind kit will be offered to the family, friends or bystanders present at the incident. Each naloxone kit contains naloxone intra-nasal spray, 4mg/0.1ml (4 doses), a CPR face shield, signs of an overdose information card, emergency use instructions and additional information for those seeking further help. Trained personnel will provide training to those receiving leave behind kits.
“This program goes a long way to raise awareness, reduce the stigma surrounding opioid use disorders, and has the potential to save lives,” Niederhofer said. “These other departments and organizations have worked hard to get this program off the ground. We are happy to have been asked to join this effort going forward!”
GO Health, Village of Medina Fire Department, Orleans County Mental Health, and Orleans County Emergency Management are committed to continuing efforts to address the opioid crisis and ensure the well-being of all residents.
“This is a true example of collaboration, partnership, and maximizing the roles of our agencies working together, looking to achieve the same goal, by saving lives and reducing the number of opioid related overdoses and overdose related deaths in the Orleans County community,” Figura said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 July 2024 at 5:20 pm
A tornado watch that was issued around noon for Orleans County and most of upstate has been updated and no longer includes Orleans, Niagara, Genesee and Wyoming counties.
The watch remains in effect until 9 p.m. for Monroe and Livingston counties, and in central and northern New York.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 July 2024 at 3:05 pm
The threat of severe rain, including a tornado watch being in effect until 9 p.m., has prompted the Village of Albion to cancel the 6 p.m. concert scheduled for Bullard Park today.
Soul Street was the featured musicians this evening. The group has agreed to reschedule for Aug. 28, said John Grillo, Albion’s recreation director.
Photos and information from Orleans County Sheriff’s Office
ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke is pleased to announce that 18 children from Orleans County attended the NYS Sheriff’s Summer Camp on located on Keuka Lake.
Each sheriff in counties throughout the state is given a predetermined number of camper slots and boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 12 are selected by various methods to identify deserving children to attend.
The Sheriff’s Summer Camp is held each year and has been in operation since 1986. The Sheriff’s Summer Camp operates through generous donations received by the New York State Sheriff’s Institute.
Campers have the opportunity to attend various demonstrations and classes provided by law enforcement officers from multiple agencies across the state. Campers also have the opportunity to participate in daily activities such as hiking, swimming, archery and sailing.
The first 10 children from Orleans County attended the first week beginning on Sunday, June 30, and eight children attended the second week beginning on Sunday, July 7. All of the children were transported by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office from the Public Safety Building to the Batavia Thruway Exit where they were transported by tour bus to and from the Sheriff’s Camp in Penn Yan, New York.
Orleans County Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson and his staff transported the kids to the buses and provided counselors at the camp as well.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) is hosting two town hall events in Monroe County on Saturday, July 20.
Hawley will meet with constituents and discuss the issues that matter to them the most. These events will give the community the opportunity to let their voices be heard and share their thoughts and concerns about where the state is headed.
“Speaking directly with my constituents is one of the most important parts of my job,” Hawley said. “I hope people show up to share their thoughts and opinions on how we can make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
• Village of Brockport/Towns of Clarkson & Sweden from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at Seymour Library, 161 East Ave. at Brockport
• Town of Hamlin from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Hamlin Public Library, 1680 Lake Rd. at Hamlin
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 July 2024 at 11:03 am
Districts give students celebratory sendoff during commencement
Provided photos from the school districts
Brian Bartalo, retiring superintendent from Holley Central School, gives the keynote address during commencement on June 29. Holley celebrated the graduation of 63 seniors.
Caitlin Dobri delivers the valedictory address. Other student speakers included: Kayla Neale, salutatorian; and Layne Walker, the class president.
Graduates move their tassels to signify completed high school. Students wore their red Holley Hawk robes and caps for the ceremony inside the school auditorium.
After the ceremony students gathered in the gym to toss their graduation caps.
Kendall’s 57 graduates (and one honorary foreign exchange student) celebrate commencement on June 28 in the school auditorium.
Kendall’s student speakers includes salutatorian Louis Conte and valedictorian Hannah Brundage.
Conte shared about his competitive nature and how his high school experiences in athletics and other activities have fueled that competitiveness and need for perfection.
Kendall Board of Education member Chaley Swift presents the diploma to her son, Jimmie Swift, during commencement on June 28.
“Every step is growth and advancement,” Conte said. “The way we handle the roadblocks that keep us from our goal of being perfect is what defines us and what needs to be embraced. It’s this mindset that needs to be embraced, not just by me, but by anyone who ever feels like they aren’t enough. Finding silver linings when experiencing failures is a mindset that takes practice. From all my years of playing sports, l’ve learned that practice does not make perfect; it makes progress.”
Valedictorian Hannah Brundage reflected on shared experiences and bonds among classmates. She recalled moments the senior class bonded over, including parking lot painting, Senior Breakfast, Commitment Day, “the pickle game” and other activities.
“It’s moments like these that we truly connect through and allow up to pull together through the challenges that life throws at us,” she said. “None of us would be where we are without the people surrounding us, because we are greatly influenced by our surroundings. The people we love, the friends we hang out with – they are what get you past the hardships we all eventually encounter.”
Social Studies teacher Joseph Petrosino also addressed the graduates. He was chosen by the Class of 2024 to give this year’s commencement address.
Petrosino gave a history lesson on education in Kendall, highlighting unwavering community support for education despite challenges faced. From the original two-room log cabin that housed school lessons, to the hearses pulled by horses that served as school buses.
“The people of this area have never stopped supporting education and supporting the school,” Petrosino said. “When the school community is touched by tragedy, disaster or loss people come to support us both teacher and student alike.”
He urged students to find their purpose beyond a job, saying, “When you find it, you will know. You’ll work harder than ever before and won’t mind. You’ll feel compelled to do that thing even when you have a million other things to do. You will wake up at night with new ideas, and you will feel alive, working towards something good for the world.”
The Presentation of the Class of 2024 followed, with advisors Margaret Alloco and Elizabeth Erickson reading student bios and diplomas presented by principal Melissa Strelick and assistant principal Mark Driesel.
The group moves their tassels to signify the transition from students to graduates.
Lyndonville’s 38 students in the Class of 2024 toss their graduation caps to celebrate commencement on June 28. The ceremony was inside at the Stroyan Auditorium.
Student speakers at Lyndonville’s graduation included salutatorian Elizabeth Whipple, left, and valedictorian Daniel Barry.
Kayli Miller accepts her diploma from superintendent Sharon Smith. Ted Lewis, president of the Board of Education, is in back.
These students who are seniors in the high school chorus lead the crowd in singing the national anthem at the start of commencement. The graduating seniors in the chorus include Madalynn Baker, Katelynn Breeze, Ella Fletcher, Laci Giarla, Amber Grabowski, Maximus Hilton, Hannah Songer and Elizabeth Whipple.
BUFFALO – Appeal officials announced that Appeal 2024 in support of Catholic Charities of Buffalo and the Fund for the Faith raised a total of $8,002,705 in cash and pledges, representing 84% of its $9.5 million goal. Appeal 2024 was launched in January and concluded on June 30.
“It’s because of the support and generosity of those who give through the annual Appeal that Catholic Charities can provide HOPE for those most in need – including individuals of all faiths and backgrounds – throughout Western New York, just as it has for the last century,” said Deacon Steve Schumer, president and CEO, Catholic Charities of Buffalo. “The 100th Appeal faced some challenges in 2024, and a significant need in our community remains. This is why we will do all that we can to ensure that we can continue to offer these crucial programs and services for the more than 145,000 individuals and families who are helped by Catholic Charities.”
The annual Appeal helps fund more than 50 programs and services administered by Catholic Charities along with several ministries through the Fund for the Faith. As the most comprehensive human services provider serving all eight counties of Western New York, Catholic Charities’ programs and services include behavioral health services, basic emergency assistance, food pantries, education and workforce training, family safety and stabilization programs, and immigration and refugee assistance. The Fund for the Faith provides needed funding for programs that support the faith experience across all parish communities, including hospital chaplaincy, and training for ordained and lay ministers, among others.
Catholic Charities’ full development efforts total $8,546,140 which includes the results of Appeal 2024 and $543,435 in bequests and donations directed to specific programs.
Donors can continue to support the work of Catholic Charities at ccwny.org/donate.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 July 2024 at 7:21 am
Kari Hagglund sent in this photo from Culver Road in Barre this morning “just before the sky turned black.”
The National Weather Service in Buffalo issued a special weather statement at 7:04 a.m., advising a strong thunderstorm is moving northeast from Middleport to Orleans County.
The Weather Service said the following areas will be impacted through 7:45 a.m.: Brockport, Medina, Albion, Hamlin Beach State Park, Akron, Middleport, Holley, Waterport, Lakeside Beach State Park, Point Breeze, Kent, Ridgeway, Shelby, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Alabama, Lyndonville, Gasport and Morton.
Wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. The storm could intensify.
“Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding,” the Weather Service said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 9 July 2024 at 8:01 pm
Replica boat will travel full Erie Canal next year to celebrate bicentennial
MEDINA – A traditionally-built, full-sized replica of the Erie Canal boat Seneca Chief will be visiting towns along the Erie Canal on a sea trial in preparation for a trip from Buffalo to New York City during the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal in 2025.
The boat was constructed by the Buffalo Maritime Center, whose president and development officer met with officials in Medina this morning to discuss upcoming visits. Executive director Brian Trzeciak and development officer Katie Osborn were greeted by Medina mayor Marguerite Sherman; Jim Hancock, chair of Medina’s Tourism Committee; Dawn Borquet, Orleans County tourism director; Kelly Kiebala, director of Orleans County Job Development; Heather Farnsworth Hungerford from Bent’s Opera House; and Brian Hellner, former vice president of the Buffalo Maritime Center and operator of cruises on the canal in Medina.
On its trial run this summer, the Seneca Chief will spend the afternoon and night in Medina on Aug. 12, en route to Brockport, and again on Aug. 16 on their way back to Buffalo.
Tentative plans call for the boat to be open to the public from 4 to 7 p.m. both days. There will be no charge, but donations will be appreciated.
Tourism personnel meet on Brian Hellner’s tour boat to discuss the August visit of the replica canal boat Seneca Chief. Clockwise from left are Dawn Borchet, director of Orleans County Tourism; Kelly Kiebala, director of Orleans County Job Development; Brian Trzeciak, executive director of the Buffalo Maritime Center; Katie Osborn, development officer of the Maritime Center; and Jim Hancock, chair of Medina Tourism Committee.
The Seneca Chief has a crew of 18 to 20 people, who usually sleep on the boat or camp nearby. In Medina, Hungerford has tentatively invited them to use the rooms at the Opera House, where plans include having food there for the crew and the public.
Sherman volunteered to have the village set up a tent in the canal basin for an exhibit and displays of the Erie Canal and informative talks.
Local musician and busker Rob Robinson has agreed to play guitar for a sing-along of canal songs. He used to sing and play on the tour boat run by the former Apple Grove Inn, so he very familiar with songs of the canal.
During tours of the boat and possibly after supper at the Opera House, there will be historic presentations.
The idea to build a replica of the Seneca Chief was that of John Montague, founder and director emeritus of the Buffalo Maritime Center, and a retired professor in the Design Department at Buffalo State College.
Mongague grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he learned to love boats and water. One of the first things he did in Buffalo was to start a boat program at Buffalo State, with the goal of reviving interest in Buffalo as a harbor.
He said people had spent a lot of time trying to redevelop Buffalo’s waterfront, and Montague said, “Why don’t we build a canal boat?”
When he retired from teaching in 2006, he took the boat program with him and started his own non-profit organization. He knew he had to get people to realize Buffalo was not just a rust-belt city, but a maritime city. He built several boats, but kept going back to the idea of a canal boat.
In 2017 Buffalo re-dug the canal and created Canalside.
“Now it is a serious site,” Montague said. “Let’s build a couple of canal boats, and create the ambiance of what this place used to look like.”
He not only wanted to build ambiance of what the area originally looked like, but he wanted to bring focus to the area.
“I wanted it to be an educational project, to bring people in and build a boat in public,” he said. “We wanted people to see it and ask questions.”
They finally got permission to build it in the Longshed at Canalside by the Naval Park.
Brian Hellner, left, welcomed tourism personnel on his boat Monday to discuss plans for the trial visit in August of the replica Seneca Chief. With him are Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman with her grandson Henry and Heather Farnsworth Hungerford from Bent’s Opera House.
Montague wrote an article in 2018 about the bi-centennial of the canal coming up, and how everybody along the canal was thinking of what they could do. That led to a meeting with the Buffalo Evening News editorial board.
A man in Clarence saw the article and came to the boat shop in Buffalo, where Montague took him on a tour.
He asked how they were going to pay for the boat, and Montague started to explain their ideas for fundraising.
Then the man said, “I’ll pay for it.”
“Our jaws dropped,” Montague said. “The following Wednesday, $800,000 was in our account.”
The project was one of the largest community boat-building projects anywhere in the world at the time, and one of very few being built on public display, Montague said. From the beginning, the public was encouraged to become part of the project by helping to build and acting as public greeters.
The boat’s keel, frames and other structural timbers are built of white oak. The keelson is a single 60-foot long piece of reclaimed Douglas Fir, which their website says was previously used in the early 1900s as a gin pole crane.
Planking is two layers of one-inch thick cypress with a waterproof dynel cloth set in epoxy between the layers. The outler layer of planking is caulked with cotton. This combination of modern and traditional planking methods should help the boat stay watertight even if it spends winters out of the water, builders say.
The finished boat is 73 feet long, 12 feet six inches wide and weighs more than 40 tons.
What amazed Montague most about building the Seneca Chief was the fact it was accomplished with more than 200 volunteers and only two paid staff.
The Erie Canal was built to connect people into one unified state, Montague said.
“We are doing what the Erie Canal did,” he said. “We are creating a bond between communities. We are connecting people in one unified state.”
The Seneca Chief opened the Erie Canal in 1825, carrying Governor DeWitt Clinton from Buffalo to New York City, where they participated in a “wedding of the waters.”
Next summer the Seneca Chief will depart Sept. 24 on the voyage from Buffalo to New York Harbor, stopping at those same cities along the way as Governor Clinton, and encouraging them to educate their communities and to learn about the Erie Canal’s past, its present and to create a shared vision of its future.
The trial run this summer only goes to Rochester, making stops in Lockport, Medina (coming and going), Brockport, Rochester and back to Buffalo.
MIDDLEPORT – Joshua Walker (middle) FMC Middleport Agricultural Sciences Plant’s Maintenance and Site Services Manager welcomes two Royalton-Hartland graduating seniors Madison DiNieri of Middleport (left) and Sophia Santella of Middleport (right) to the local plant.
FMC awarded annual $1,000 scholarships to each student based on judging of their 350-word essays in which in which the students were asked to describe the field of study they intend to pursue and the career goals they hope to achieve.
Madison DiNieri will be continuing her education this fall at New York’s Public Honors College of SUNY Geneseo, majoring in biology. As she did in high school, she will continue to balance academics and athletics as a member of Geneseo’s women’s club soccer team. Ultimately, her goal is to become a veterinarian.
During her years at Roy-Hart, Madison was an accomplished scholar and athlete (soccer and basketball), while also being very actively involved in student government, band and other extracurricular activities, in which she often took on leadership roles. She also actively participated in a wide range of community service projects.
Sophia Santella is passionate about the oceans and the life within them, particularly coral reefs, so she will be pursuing a degree in Marine Science and Coastal Restoration with a minor in Oceanology at Coastal Carolina University this fall.
As a Roy-Hart student, Sophia was a high achiever academically, athletically (as a member of the soccer, swim, track & field and cheer teams) and in her extracurricular activities, which included her award-winning participation in the school band (violin), as well as student council and the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America). She was also a very active volunteer for a number of civic/charitable organizations.
FMC is committed to education and supporting students as they pursue their career aspirations.
“These scholarships were awarded as part of the FMC For Good campaign focus area of Education & Opportunity: Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Agriculture and STEM,” said Barbara Pilmore, FMC Middleport plant manager. “At FMC, we are committed to investing in programs and partnerships that strengthen the communities where we live and work – because if our communities thrive, so do we.”
Press Release, Orleans County Mental Health Department
ALBION – The Orleans County Care & Crisis Helpline – (585) 283-5200 – will be down for two hours between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. this Wednesday, July 10th, according to Danielle Figura, Director of Community Services in the Orleans County Department of Mental Health.
The system will be undergoing scheduled maintenance during that time.
Figura said anyone who is experiencing a mental health crisis or mental health distress, and needs immediate support during that time, should call the Orleans County Mental Health Department at (585) 589-7066 or call or text the National Suicide and Crisis helpline at 988.
“We appreciate everyone’s understanding as we recognize there is never a good time to do this maintenance work that takes our system down even for a couple of hours, but it is necessary to keep our system in good working order,” said Figura. “We do have our backup plans in place and encourage anyone who needs our help to call the alternative numbers.”
