Elise Quincey

HOLLEY – Elise Quincey, a 2023 Holley graduate, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship through the Spencerport Rotary Club.

Quincey is the recipient of the 2024 Spencerport Rotary Scholarship in honor of Roger Ressman. Quincey is a sophomore at SUNY Brockport majoring in sustainability and minoring in political science. She plans to become a global sustainability advocate on graduation.

Elise served as president of the Holley Interact Club last year and has been involved in community events for several years. As a member of SUNY Brockport Rotaract, Quincey participated in leadership, team-building and community service activities including the annual Canal Clean-up in April.

A colleague states that Quincey “shows enthusiasm for making a positive impact on her small-town community and beyond…Elise aspires to work collaboratively with communities and policy makers to develop legislation that will support the protection of our planet, focus on ending poverty, and promote the well-being for people of all ages.”

The Spencerport Rotary Club took over the Brockport Rotary scholarship after Brockport Rotary folded about two years ago.

Courtesy of Chris Busch

MEDINA – “The weary world is always a better place when I hear the voices of young children lifted in song.”

Those were the thoughts of one and likely many more in the capacity crowd – more than 500 – attending last Thursday evening’s first annual 2nd Grade Spring Concert at Oak Orchard Primary School Auditorium in Medina.

Students from the entire 2nd grade class, numbering over 100, enthusiastically took turns reading aloud from Strictly No Elephants, a delightful children’s book authored by Lisa Mantchev and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo.

The stage was filled with the children of 2nd grade, flanking a huge screen center stage showing the pages of the illustrated book for the audience to see.

The book synopsis, according to goodreads.com states:

“Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn’t understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.

Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet.”

The whimsical book reading was interspersed with four songs, perfectly performed again by the entire second grade under the direction of Mrs. Andrea Busch, Oak Orchard Primary School music teacher.

The selections included “With A Little Help From My Friends” by The Beatles, “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers, “Count On Me” by Bruno Mars, and “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” by Randy Newman.

At the end of the performance, students were excited to see the audience leap to their feet with a thunderous standing ovation. Wide eyes and bright smiles were seen all around.

“These 2nd graders are truly, truly a wonderful group!” said Mrs. Busch. “I’m so very proud of them!”

And at that moment in the auditorium, the world was definitely a better place.

ALBION – Academic honors seniors were recognized Wednesday at the annual Honors Convocation.

Hosted in the elementary school gym this year, graduating seniors with a cumulative weighted grade point average of 90% or higher were recognized for their achievement in front of their families, administrators and board of education members.

2024 academic honors students include Sophia Albanese, Jason Anstey, Bailey Bergum, Kayla Burgio, Jett Conn, Skyler Draper, Autumn Flugel, Liana Flugel, Julia Fuller, Kevin He, Jonah Karnyski, Jordan Marshall, Finnegan McCue, Meganne Moore, Flynn Morrison, Ella Papponetti, Lucy Rivers, Jacqueline Santiago Garcia, Gina Sidari, Hailey Warren and Erin Weese.

Angel Rosario, a 2020 graduate, served as guest speaker. He is shown with senior class advisor Kathy Winans, left, and high school principal Jennifer Ashbery.

The honorees were called to the stage individually to receive their certificate and then were adorned with their honors cords from their parents/guardians.

Angel Rosario, a graduate from the Class of 2020, was the guest speaker for the evening. Rosario currently attends the nursing program at SUNY Brockport and will be graduating this May as a RN. He plans to pass his NCLEX and continue his education, becoming a certified nurse anesthetist.

Rosario also coaches a boys and girls soccer team for the Albion Soccer Club along with coaching soccer for Kendall High School. He also has started a clothing brand called “Soulfits” that focuses on empowerment, the importance of self-love, self-care, and positivity. The brand donates its profits to a severely ill person to help with the financial burden of medical costs.

Rosario’s words of wisdom for the Class of 2024: “As you embark on your journey beyond Albion High School, remember: embrace challenges, stay curious, and cherish friendships. Your potential is limitless and the world awaits your unique contribution.”

The Class of 2024 is set to graduate on June 28 with a rain date scheduled for June 29.

Press Release, Peter D. Hendrickson, Jr., Deputy Chief of Murray Joint Fire District

Provided photo: ShawnMarie Hendrickson checks the blood pressure of a man in Holley last year. The Murray Joint Fire District last year started several community blood pressure checks for the community.

HOLLEY – May is Blood Pressure Awareness Month and this is a great opportunity to emphasize the importance of monitoring and maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.

The Murray Joint Fire District is pleased to announce the teaming up with local community partners to promote cardiovascular health, through community blood pressure clinics. One of our missions is to provide accessible and high-quality care to our community and this is one way to aid in improving their cardiovascular health.

With heart disease and hypertension posing significant health risks to millions worldwide, it has become increasingly vital to offer convenient avenues for monitoring and managing blood pressure.

The members of the Murray Joint Fire District are dedicated to empowering individuals with the knowledge they need to take control of their heart health and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease. By focusing on prevention and proactive management, we aim to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our patients and the broader community.

Together, we can work towards a future where heart disease is no longer a leading cause of illness and mortality.

The clinics will be held as follows:

Murray Joint Fire District Headquarters

7 Thomas Street

Holley, NY 14470

585-638-6884

The first Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. (All year long)

Community Action, Eastern Orleans Community Center

75 Public Square

Holley, NY 14470

585-638-6395

The third Friday of the month from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (All year long)

Big Guys Campgrounds

3739 Monroe-Orleans Countyline Rd.

Brockport, NY14420

585-638-2237

The third Saturday of the month from 1 to 2 p.m. (May 18 through October 19)

Red Rock Ponds – RV Resort

16097 Canal Rd.

Holley, NY 14470

585-638-2445

The third Saturday of the month from 11am-12pm. (May 18 through October 19)

For more information about our local clinic please call the firehouse at (585) 638-6884. To learn more about high blood pressure and the risk factors for stroke and heart disease, click here.

By Tom Rivers and Ginny Kropf

GAINES – Leadership Orleans spent Thursday touring local museums and cultural sites as part of a day-long focus on “Communities & Culture.”

The class with 28 students opened the day with breakfast at the Tavern on the Ridge, the former Tillman’s Village Inn before heading to the Cobblestone Museum.

Terry C. Abrams, a resident of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is also the co-chair of the Conference on Iroquois Research. His primary areas of interest include Native American history and historic photography.

He is speaking inside the District No. 5 school which was built in 1849. The school served District No. 5 for 103 years before it was closed in 1952 after the centralization of Albion’s school district.

In 1961, it was sold to the Cobblestone Society Museum for $129. Volunteers re-shingled the roof, repainted the exterior woodwork, built additional desks to duplicate original pieces within the building, and worked to furnish the schoolhouse with period items. In 2004, the belfry was restored to its pre-1930s design.

Bill Lattin, retired county historian and museum director, speaks inside the cobblestone church that was built in 1834, the oldest cobblestone church in North America.

The Cobblestone Society formed in 1960 to preserve the Cobblestone Universalist Church and District No. 5 Schoolhouse in Childs.

The Cobblestone Society and Museum has acquired other historic buildings near the intersection of routes 98 and 104 and is working to develop a visitors’ center.  The museum in 1993 was declared a National Historic Landmark, the first site in Orleans County with that distinction.

After the tour and discussion at the Cobblestone Museum, Leadership Orleans traveled to Medina for lunch at Harvest Restaurant in the restored Bent’s Opera House. The class heard presentation from Cindy Robinson, president of the Medina Area Partnership; and Gregory Hallock, executive director of GO Art!

The class then toured the Medina Historical Society and Medina Railroad Museum, both on West Avenue. The Medina Historical Society tour was led by Georgia Thomas, a board member, and Catherine Cooper, the county historian. Jeff Lewis, director of the Railroad Museum, welcomed the class to that site.

Leadership Orleans has graduated 149 people since the first class in 2018. The program aims to build the “citizen capital” of the community, helping develop leaders who are educated on the many facets of the community, from agriculture, non-profit organizations, government services, small and larger businesses, tourism, arts and culture, community health and economic development.

The class meets monthly, building leadership skills and gaining knowledge, experiences and meeting people from many different sectors in the community.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Leadership Orleans visited the Medina Railroad Museum and listened to the museum’s plans from director Jeff Lewis.

Leadership Orleans visited the Medina Railroad Museum and toured the facility and learned about plans for the future.

“It was great to meet the new director and have a tour,” said Skip Helfrich, Leadership Orleans director. “In the seven years we done the Leadership program we’ve been there four times. I was impressed with the new covered area on the deck and their plans for the future. It was also clear from our visit that things in the museum had been improved upon and were more orderly than in the past.”

Museum director Jeff Lewis was also thrilled to participate with Leadership Orleans.

“I’m glad they accepted our invitation,” Lewis said. “Being able to explain the museum and having them see what we are all about is wonderful. The museum is a part of the non-profit community services here in Medina and all of Orleans County. It is a grand idea to have that leadership sharing plans, ideas and practices. We are community members, not islands unto our own. It is easy to get caught up in the businesses we are involved in and forget our duties to community. I personally hope this group will honor us as hosts every year in the future.

“As the museum spokesperson, I really appreciate being asked and like to see our space used, if possible, to host these functions,” Lewis added. “I hope we can build on this and further market our pavilion for groups as a meeting room.”

Heather Kelley will take over dance studio in Holley with Lisa Bower-Logsdon to continue as teacher

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Lisa Bower-Logsdon is hugged by Kamryn Berner, one of her faculty choreographers, at the end of Saturday’s recital at the Holley Junior-Senior High School Auditorium. Heather Kelley, second from right, and Caitlin Milizia, the other choreographers on staff, move in to congratulate Bower-Logsdon on her 47-year career as the owner and dance instructor at Lisa’s Dance Boutique in Holley.

“The dance studio became my second home, as I know it was for so many of our students,” Bower-Logdson said. “It was there that I met such wonderful families and made everlasting friendships. Bot now, it is time to pass the torch to capable hands and I am confident that this studio will continue to thrive.”

Lisa Bower-Logsdon thanks the community, the dance families, her staff and her family members for their support in her 47 years of running the dance studio. Her choreographers join her on staff, including from left: Heather Kelley, Kamryn Berner and Caitlin Milizia.

Bower-Logsdon announced her retirement from owning the business at the conclusion of the Saturday night recital and that Heather Kelley will become the new owner. Bower-Logsdon will continue to work as one of the dance instructors.

“It is time to take my final bow,” Bower-Logsdon said at the end recital, which was attended by 650 people.

Bower-Logsdon said Kelley brings a love of dance, children and community. Kelley has coached the Holley cheerleaders and served as a dance instructor at Lisa’s for 27 years. Her dancers are regulars in the finals at the State Fair and one year won a state championship.

“Her passion for dance is unlike anyone I know,” Bower-Logsdon told the crowd about Kelley. “And when it comes to choreographing dance or cheer, she is one of the best.”

Saturday’s show included Bower-Logsdon’s granddaughter, Emilia Logsdon, in the baby tap class. Bower-Logsdon said teaching dance to her granddaughter has been an extra joy this year. Emilia is shown here during the “Baby Take A Bow” number. Emilia is doing leaping toe, back step.

Lisa started her dance studio as a junior in high school, first operating out of the St. Mary’s hall and then the Presbyterian Church before buying a building in the Public Square in 1991. Lisa’s has been there since. This year she had 200 students with most from Holley, Kendall, Albion and Brockport.

Bower-Logsdon said her parents, the late George and Sandy Bower, nurtured her love for dance and urged her to open a dance studio in Holley. Lisa praised her husband Kevin Logsdon for his steady support, including countless hours of maintenance with their building, and she commended her children Lauren and Mike and their families.

Bower-Logsdon said her fellow dance instructors over the years are the “unsung heroes behind the scenes.” They include Jill Bower, Beth Friedo, Caitlin Milizia, Alana Piccirilli, Malia Gardner, Lora Bower and Kamryn Berner. All started dancing at Lisa’s when they were young children.

“Together we’ve laughed, cried and brainstormed choreography,” Bower-Logsdon said. “Your creativity knows no bounds, and you commitment to our dancers has been nothing short of extraordinary. As I retire, I leave you with the legacy of collaboration and camaraderie that defines our studio.”

Lisa Bower-Logsdon sits close to the stage and helps guide a a tap dance from her young dancers. The number was called, “When I Grow Up.”

Caitlin Milizia, 33, has been part of Lisa’s since she was 3. She started as a staff choreographer when she was 17. She drives in from Webster to be part of Lisa’s Dance Boutique.

“She has been my role model for my whole life,” Milizia said. Her love for her dance families doesn’t stop when they leave her studio.”

Milizia had to wipe away tears talking about Bower-Logsdon after the recital.

“She puts forward her love of dance and it’s contagious,” Milizia said. “She puts her whole heart into it.”

Heather Kelley, the new owner of the dance studio, joins some of the dancers, including many alumni, in a number called, “Pass That.”

Kelley said she will continue Bower-Logsdon’s commitment to the community. Like Lisa, Heather has grown up in Holley and wants the dance studio to be a vital part of Holley for years to come.

“This has been my dream ever since I was little,” Kelley said.

These dancers perform “Gotta Be Mine” during the recital on Saturday.

This group performs “Fun” with some gravity-defying moves.

This younger group of dancers sport sunglasses in a number called, “Shades.”

“Dynamite” was one of many dancers with exuberant energy on stage.

“Sugar Sugar” featured dancers in colorful costumes with a lollipop prop.

This group performs M.C. hammer’s “Can’t Touch This” and even wore similar-style baggy pants as the rapper from the early 1990s.

“The Nicest Kids In Town” offered high-energy and upbeat music and moves.

Provided photo: Pictured form left include Brycen Potter, Blair Allchin, Matthew Schomske, Liam Skowneski and Tres Allchin.

ALBION – An Albion boy chose to spend part of his 12^th birthday on Thursday serving food at the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen. Tres Allchin recruited helpers: his sister Blair, mother Courtney Henderson and friends Brycen Potter, Matthew Schomske and Liam Skowneski.

Tres wanted to give back instead of having a birthday party with his friends, his mother said. Serving at the kitchen is the beginning of a year-long “Tres takes 12” effort to help at different non-profit organizations at least monthly throughout the year.

“We were so thankful and blessed to have had Tres and his friends come and serve the community,” said Faith Smith, the OK Kitchen director. “They even stayed at the end and helped clean up, wiping tables down and then vacuuming. It was such a blessing to have this crew serving.”

The OK Kitchen served 690 meals on Thursday, and those meals were based on Tres’ favorite food of cornbread. The kitchen served BBQ chicken, pasta salad, cornbread and birthday cake, cupcake and cookies.

Tres and his friends want to come back to help at the OK Kitchen, Tres mother said.

“He understands that he has immense privilege and that unfortunately not everyone gets dealt that hand and he would like to help better other people’s lives in any way he can,” Henderson said.

Kennan chronicled difficult conditions in Siberia in 1865-’67

Livia Hamel placed flowers on the grave of George Kennan in Boxwood Cemetery.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, No. 14

MEDINA – Livia Hamel travelled from Phoenix, Az. to Medina this weekend, specifically to honor the centenary of the death of her favorite author, George Kennan, who died on May 10, 1924.

The 23-year-old, who works at Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert laboratory in Scottsdale, Az., was suitably dressed for the occasion in a striking Cossack outfit.

A voracious reader and history enthusiast, Livia’s introduction to George Kennan resulted from a reading of the Dostoyevsky novel, Crime and Punishment.

Intrigued by the novel’s references to Siberia, Livia sought out additional reading material on the region and chanced upon George Kennan’s two-volume book, Siberia and the Exile System. Published in 1891, Kennan’s vivid, heartfelt, and unforgettable descriptions of the horrors of the treatment of political exiles and prisoners in Siberia generated a public outcry in this country and established Kennan as the foremost advisor on Russian affairs.

Livia then read Kennan’s Tent Life in Siberia, his lively account of his 1865-67 journey across the wilds of Siberia. He had been hired by the Russian American Telegraph Company as part of a team sent to survey the possibility of connecting North America and Europe by means of an overland cable route.

Livia was captivated by Kennan’s zestful retelling of the team’s many hair-raising adventures. They experienced extreme temperatures (68 degrees below zero), traveled along steep knife-edged precipices during blinding storms, encountered a variety of nomadic tribes, and sampled alcohol made from fermented toadstools.

By then, Livia was well and truly a George Kennan fan. She read and researched as much as she possibly could. She admires the energy of his written work, and the sincerity of his involvement with the Siberian exiles.

Kennan was born in Norwalk, Ohio in 1845, but came to live in Medina in 1871 since he needed employment upon his return from his Russian adventure. His brother, John, was president of the Union Bank in Medina at the time and George was hired as a bank teller there.

Livia was intrigued to walk in Kennan’s footsteps, from the home at 200 West Center St., where Kennan first lived with his brother to the Union Bank (currently Avanti’s). She also visited Bent’s Opera House, where Kennan lectured on many occasions.

“Welkenna” at 127 West Center St., the home of George and Emeline Kennan, was photographed in the late 1930s when the Post Office was being built.

George also met the love of his life on this West Center Street block. Emeline Rathbone Weld lived but a stone’s throw from John Kennan’s home, on the now vacant lot on the southeast corner of West Center and West Avenue. They were married in 1879 and then divided their time between the Weld home in Medina, Washington, DC, where Kennan was employed by the Associated Press, and a summer home in Baddeck, Nova Scotia.

Throughout his career, Kennan maintained a hectic pace of traveling, lecturing, and writing. Ill-health and advancing age forced him to slow down and the couple retired in 1920 to their Medina home “Welkenna.”

George “suffered two strokes of apoplexy” in early May 1924 and died on May 10, aged 79. Reporting on his death, the Buffalo Times described him as a “noted lecturer, traveler and adventurer.” The Medina Tribune published some of the many telegrams of condolence sent to Emeline, including one from the National Institute of Arts and Letters which commended “his glorious and immortal achievements.”

The Kennan gravestone includes an emblem designed by George and Emeline.

Dr. David Fairchild of Washington, DC, a prominent botanist, and son-in-law of Alexander Graham Bell, traveled to Medina for the funeral. He selected a burial site at Boxwood Cemetery for Kennan that peacefully overlooks Glenwood Lake. The grave’s flat marker was all but unreadable in recent years, until it was cleaned in 2023 by Friends of Boxwood organizers, Nikki and Todd Bensley.

It is gratifying to see a continued interest in George Kennan. Additionally, Gregory J. Wallance published a new book on Kennan in 2023, Into Siberia: George Kennan’s Epic Journey Through the Brutal, Frozen Heart of Russia. Wallance is another unabashed admirer of Kennan’s writings and adventures.

Accompanied on this trip by her parents, Robert and Grace, (Kennan devotees-by-proxy), Livia visited the Medina Historical Society and the Medina Railroad Museum.

Livia continues with a visit to New York, where she plans to access the Kennan papers at the New York Public Library and tour the Guggenheim Museum.

Incidentally, George Kennan performed a reading from Crime and Punishment at the home of Mrs. D.A. Acer at 212 Park Ave. in Medina, on November 3, 1922.

*The books referred to in this article are available for loan, free of charge, from your favorite library.

ALBION – Everett “Frenchy” Downey has been selling and repairing televisions, stoves, laundry machines, refrigerators and freezers for six decades in Orleans County.

He has loved the job connecting with people throughout the county, especially when he went to fix something.

Downey said in a way he felt like a doctor, reviving an ailing appliance. He acknowledges he is a child of the Great Depression, and felt giving extra life to a TV or other appliance saved his customers from buying new.

If they needed to purchase used or new, he kept a showroom with the leading brands – Magnavox, Zenith, Crosley, Speed Queen, Norge and many others.

Downey has had amazing longevity in a business that is dominated by much larger operations. But Frenchy will soon be retiring – on his 94^th birthday on May 25.

Downey’s dog Herbie, a 12-year-old Shih Tzu, is a mainstay at Frenchy’s. He barks when people pull in. “He’s my buddy,” Downey said.

He hurt his back last year moving a freezer and doctors tell him to stay away from heavy lifting, or face severe consequences.

“I have loved what I’ve been doing every day,” Downey said today in the showroom at Frenchy’s at 13576 Ridge Rd. “I got to know a lot of people. I always have thought of my customers as my friends. I want to help them if I can.”

Downey has about a dozen appliances left to sell – a freezer, four electric stoves, one gas stove, and laundry machines.

Downey worked with his father on a tomato farm by their home on Ridge Road until he was 30. In 1960, the tomato processors closed their Albion plants, and the farmers “were left high and dry,” Downey said.

He then worked a year at the Ralston Purina plant on West Academy Street in Albion. He made $1.25 an hour and did every task imaginable in the plant, and even drove truck. But he never got a raise so he left.

He worked three years for the Marquart Furniture store in Albion, but the owner cut them to four days a week. Downey was married with children, and four days of work didn’t pay his bills, so in 1964 he ventured off on his own. He started Frenchy’s TV and Appliances on Bank Street, next to the police station.

At the time, Albion had parking meters, and the police wrote many tickets if Frenchy’s customers lingered a little too long. It was a big deterrent to his business, so after two years downtown he decided to build a showroom next to his house on Ridge Road.

Business immediately improved with the ample parking – and no tickets.

Frenchy’s has been a mainstay on Ridge Road. Not only his business, but a 2,000-foot grass air strip next door. Downey and his son-in-law Mike Troy have been flying planes on the airstrip for many years. For Downey, he started flying in 1968. He earned his pilot’s license and bought a 1946 Taylorcraft airplane that he still owns. He also built his own plane, as well as the hangars for the aircraft.

Frenchy Downey is shown with a 1946 Taylorcraft airplane, which he has had since 1968. Downey also built his own plane. He earned his pilot’s license in 1968 after his barbershop quartet broke up.

Downey was in a barbershop quartet, but the group split up. When it did, he had more free time and pursued a love of flying that he kept up until last year. The bad back has sidelined him from the skies.

Downey is often joined in the showroom by his dog, Herbie, a 12-year-old Shih Tzu that barks when cars pull in. Downey admits he is a little hard of hearing and the dog alerts him to customers. Herbie also is a great companion. “He’s my buddy,” Downey said.

For the first 40 years of his career in TV and appliances, Downey’s late wife Dorothy was with him, doing the dreaded bookwork that her husband despised.

After her death about 20 years ago, Frenchy has been doing all the ordering, the paperwork for warranties, the tax filings, insurance and everything else.

“The only thing I’m happy about with retiring is no more bookwork,” Downey said. “All of that paperwork isn’t up my alley.”

Downey said he kept working all of these years because he enjoyed the job, but also because it isn’t a lucrative business and he needed to keep going.

“There’s not a lot of money in it, and it’s difficult with all the costs to be in business,” he said. “All of those expenses, insurances and business costs, they bleed you death. People don’t understand what it costs to be in business. People get into it and think you’ll get rich, but you don’t.”

But Frenchy said the business has made him rich in other ways. He counts numerous friends from all over the county.

‘Each of you, whether currenting practicing or retired, has dedicated your life to the noble pursuit of caring for others.’

MEDINA – Last year Kim Gray, chief nursing officer at Orleans Community Health, came up with the idea to have a brunch to honor current and retired nurses during Nurses Week.

As Nurses Week ends this year, Gray is thrilled to announce the Nurses’ Recognition Brunch has become an annual tradition.

Approximately 50 retired and active nurses from all areas of the hospital attended the brunch Friday morning.

Gray greeted the full room, praising each and every one for choosing nursing as a profession.

“Each of you, whether currenting practicing or retired, has dedicated your life to the noble pursuit of caring for others,” Gray said. “Your incredible dedication to healthcare has left an immense mark on this hospital and the countless lives you’ve touched in this community. Your years of service to this hospital’s history is a testament to your commitment to healing and compassion.”

Karen Irwin, a retired nurse in risk management at Medina Memorial Hospital, and her grandson Langston, 3, attended the second annual Nurses’ Recognition Brunch Friday morning. Here, she chats with Paula Dresser, who was a nurse for 30 years at the hospital.

Gray encouraged each nurse to remember the lives they’ve helped save, the comfort they’ve provided and the hope they’ve instilled through the years to their patients and their families.

“I want to say ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my heart for coming out this morning to be here,” she said. “I pray we can keep this brunch an ongoing tradition to celebrate Nurses’ Week.”

Dorothy Casey of Medina was an LPN at Medina Memorial Hospital for 42 years, and thought the brunch was great.

“Working in a small rural hospital was the experience of a lifetime,” Casey said. “What you learned here gave you all-rounded experience, so anybody would hire you.”

Nurse Leighann VanAuker shared she was born at Medina Memorial Hospital, was treated there several times as a child and did her clinical training there.

Kim Gray, chief nursing officer at Orleans Community Health, talks with Mary Williams, retired human resources director; Elaine Smith, retired nurse; and her husband Charlie Smith, a semi-retired registered nurse who will have 35 years with the hospital in October.

Charlie Smith, an RN, is semi-retired, and plans to keep working until October, when he will have completed 35 years.

“He’s everywhere you need him,” Gray said.

Smith’s wife Elaine is also a retired RN.

The Smiths sat with Mary Williams, retired Human Resources director. Charlie and Williams went to nursing school together.

The nurses were asked to fill out cards on the tables listing any funny or meaningful stories from their careers, which they wished to share.

A gourmet brunch completed the morning get-together.

Gray said everyone seemed to have a good time, and she’s already looking forward to next year.

In addition to the brunch, nurses were recognized throughout the week with small gestures and gifts, said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Community Partners. One day flowers were handed out, bags of candy on other days and additional gifts throughout the week.

“The organizers really deserve a lot of credit for putting this all on,” Robinson said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

POINT BREEZE – A spectacle in the sky of the Northern Lights drew any onlookers to Point Breeze on Friday night. Social media started to lighting up around 10 p.m. with photos and exclamations about the wonder.

I headed down to Point Breeze around 11 p.m. The colors weren’t as brilliant as some of the photos I saw posted but it’s still an awesome sight.

These two were among the people taking in the Northern Lights around 11 p.m. at Point Breeze.

NASA said this was one of the more intense CMEs (coronal mass ejections) in nearly two decades.

Kerri Richardson sent in these photos taken from her home in Barre. Richardson said the sky “was sooo cool.”

Destin Danser of Adventure Ahead Photography shared this photo of the Northern Lights taken from the shore of Lake Ontario in Kendall.

Daniel Patrick Hurley sent in this photo of the Northern Lights from Lattin Road in Albion.

Pam Moore sent in this photo of the scene looking out from her home in Barre. “Well it took almost 62 years to see such beautiful lights like this in our area! God’s Masterpiece for sure!”

Chelsea Dumbleton sent in these photos from Lake Alice in Carlton.

Melissa Gailie of Albion took this photo of the Northern Lights over Lake Ontario.

LYNDONVILLE – The Yates Town Board set June 20 as the day for Town of Yates registered voters to say whether the town can acquire 153.3 acres from NYSEG for $700,000. The referendum states the town will use grant funds for the acquisition of a land next to the 6-acre town park on Morrison Road.

The Town Board on March 14 voted to buy 153.3 acres of land from NYSEG for $700,000. Town officials envision the site to stay undeveloped with walking trails.

But town residents Paul Lauricella, Bill Jurinich and Steve Colon circulated petitions wanting the matter to go to a public vote. On April 11 they turned in petitions signed by 200 residents.

Town Supervisor Jim Simon said the petitions and signatures met the threshold to force a public vote. On Thursday he commended the effort of the local citizens to bring the issue to a referendum.

The public vote will be from noon to 8 p.m. at the Town Hall. Simon and the board will have public information meetings about why the board wants to acquire the land for pu lic use. Those meetings will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 6 at the Town Hall and then 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 15 at the town park.

“This is about our kids and grandkids and an opportunity that won’t come around again,” Simon said during Thursday’s board meeting.

The land owned by NYSEG was at one time eyed for a power plant. That project ended up at Somerset.

Town Supervisor Jim Simon is shown near the shore of Lake Ontario at the Yates Town Park in August 2022. He would like to expand public access to the lakefront.

Simon said the land purchase is contingent on grant funds covering the purchase. He acknowedged there will be some ongoing expense for the town with some maintenance and insurance.

The sale would also take about $25,000 in property taxes – town, county, school and fire district – off the tax rolls.

One resident, Bob DeMallie, said he doesn’t see the need for the town to own the NYSEG property.

“I’m opposed to it because I think the cost will be too much,” DeMallie told the Town Board about the ongoing maintenance.

He also thinks the location is isolated and could attract crime.

“I think it will bring out an unwanted dimension of people who will do who knows what,” DeMallie said.

Simon said the land has long been eyed by the town for recreation near the waterfront. It was included in a local waterfront development plan from 2002, Simon said, and a more recent town comprehensive plan.

“We didn’t willy nilly pull this out of a hat,” Simon said.

Paul Lauricella, a Yates resident and the Conservative Party chairman for the county, said he spent about three weeks talking to residents, and collecting signatures for the petition. He worries about the ongoing cost to taxpayers.

“This is pure legacy-building at the taxpayers’ expense,” Lauricella said after the meeting on Thursday evening. “The public has had enough of politicians taking tax-paying properties off of the tax rolls. The bottom line is this: your taxes will go up to maintain this forever.”

$250K grant from Gene Haas Foundation goes to machining program

Photos courtesy of Orleans/Niagara BOCES: A crowd of about 120 celebrated the opening of Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) classroom at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES on Thursday.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Over 120 people attended the grand opening on Thursday of the new Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) classroom at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

Thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation the machining program, taught by Bill Rakonczay for over 30 years, the classroom and lab were completely upgraded to one of the most state-of-the-art programs in the state.

Pictured from left include Bill Rakonczay (AME teacher), Eric Schwenzer (Haas Foundation Outlet-Nymat Machine Tool Corporation) and Jeff Brauer (Nymat Machine Tool Corporation).

Representatives from Gene Haas Foundation, Edge Factor, local manufacturing company, BOCES students and staff members, parents and the members of the community were on hand for the ribbon cutting.

Guest speakers included Bill Rakonczay, Orleans Career and Technical Education Center Principal Nicole Goyette, Orleans/Niagara BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Clark Godshall, Jeremy Bout from Edge Factor and Kathy Looman, director of the Gene Haas Foundation.

“It is a pretty amazing feeling to have a career last as long as mine and towards the end of my career to be at such a high point,” Rakonczay said.

Principal Nicole Goyette said, “We are so happy to say the AME program is full to the brim for next year. Machinists will be coming out of that lab for years to come!”

Pictured from left include Kathy Looman (Director of Gene Haas Foundation), Brain Cregg (Nymat Machine Tool Corporation), Jeremy Bout (Edge Factor), Jason Roth (Autodesk) and Bill Rakonczay.

Kathy Looman (Director of Gene Haas Foundation) celebrates with students and staff at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES in Medina.

Provided photo: Barbara Pilmore is the new leader of the FMC facility in Middleport, which has 65 employees.

Press Release, FMC Middleport

MIDDLEPORT – Barbara Pilmore has been named plant manager of FMC’s Agricultural Sciences Plant in Middleport. The local facility formulates and packages a number of key FMC product lines that protect over 100 crops in more than 75 countries worldwide.

A seasoned manufacturing professional, Pilmore brings to this role over 25 years of manufacturing experience, managing large operations across a range of industries. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University and is a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt and Lean Professional.

“I am excited to join the FMC Middleport team as plant manager,” she said.  “We have a great group of employees at the plant who work hard, producing products that benefit people around the world.  We are fortunate to be doing that work in a wonderful location like Middleport, and I’m looking forward to meeting and working with the members of this community.”

A Western New Yorker for the last 18 years, Pilmore is originally from a rural community outside Lansing, Michigan. She is actively involved with the Girl Scouts of WNY and has been a Troop Leader for the last 10 years.  Pilmore resides in Williamsville with her husband and two daughters.