Albion fire chief says not enough ambulances available to serve community, often resulting in long waits

GAINES – The Gaines Town Board approved a contract with Monroe Ambulance to provide service in the town for 2024, making Gaines the sixth of seven towns to approve the agreement. Carlton is the last of the seven and the Town Board meets this evening at 7 to vote on the contract.

File photo: Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Graham

Monroe upped the contract from $181,200 in 2023 to $300,000 next year. The agreement for 2023 would have been $200,000 but Kendall didn’t pay anything towards ambulance coverage this year.

Among the seven towns in the agreement only Gaines is seeing a decrease, down from $24,600 in 2023 to $12,030 next year.

The other six will all pay more as part of the contract. Here are the financial terms for the other six town for 2024 (with 2023 in parentheses): Albion at $155,820 ($84,400), Barre at $13,740 ($8,000), Carlton at $22,350 ($14,800), Clarendon at $25,350 ($18,800), Kendall at $17,850 ($0) and Murray at $52,860 ($30,600).

The leaders to the towns divvied up the town shares based on call volume. An Albion resident, Jason Dragon, said he believes an error was made and some of the Gaines calls were put in the town of Albion. Part of the village of Albion is also in Gaines, and Dragon said he suspects those Gaines calls in the village were mistakenly put in Albion’s numbers and is part of the reason Albion is seeing a huge increase while Gaines goes down.

“As a taxpayer in the Town of Albion I would hope Gaines would pay its fair share,” he told the Gaines Town Board.

Tyler Allport, the Gaines town supervisor, said he would ask Richard Remley, the Albion town supervisor, to verify that the village calls were properly accounted for each town.

Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Graham also spoke during the Gaines Town Board meeting on Monday and he said the current ambulance coverage is deficient for the Albion fire protection area in Albion and Gaines.

Albion firefighters are often first on the scene for an EMS call. What used to be a 5-minute wait for an ambulance to arrive and take over for more serious EMS calls has often turned into 30 minutes to an hour, Graham told the Gaines officials.

He looked at the data since April 2023 when Monroe first started as a primary ambulance provider in central Orleans. Graham said there have been 180 EMS calls, and 68 times Albion firefighters have responded because an ambulance wasn’t available nearby.

“Monroe Ambulance can’t provide us with enough ambulances,” the fire chief said. “The patients get very upset and irate with the wait.”

The $300,000 contract calls for Monroe to station an ambulance in Albion 24 hours a day, seven days a week and one in Holley for at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Monroe also will draw on ambulances in Monroe County if there is a need in Orleans County.

Allport said stationing two ambulances 24-7 in Orleans County would have cost $500,000.

Dave Bertsch of Carlton, a long-time medic with COVA ambulance, said the community is getting less service despite more cost for ambulance services. COVA closed late last year due to financial challenges. COVA did not receive any government aid from the local towns.

There often isn’t an ALS ambulance available for central Orleans, Bertsch told the Gaines officials.

“I said it last year that we’re going backwards and we’re still going backwards,” he said.

Charlie Ricci, a Carlton town councilman, asked the Gaines officials if they would be willing to partner with Carlton in a contract with Mercy EMS for ambulance services. The Gaines officials didn’t comment on that request.

Hofer, currently battling pancreatic cancer, has been scouting volunteer for 30 years

Provided photos

KENDALL – Dave Hofer is presented with the Silver Beaver Award and also the District Award of Merit from Jess Merkel, a representative of the Western New York Scout Council.

The awards were presented on Friday at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where Hofer had been for five weeks receiving care for stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Hofer is now home in Kendall.

He has volunteered with scouts for 30 years, including as scoutmaster for Troop 94 in Kendall. He has helped the former Iroquois Trail Council for many years with its camps at Camp Dittmer in Phelps and Camp Sam Wood in Portageville.

The Silver Beaver Award is a top award from a council given to a scouter who has made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council.

Hofer’s experience in scouts helped him learn the discipline and kindness that are hallmarks of his life, his wife Judy said.

Hofer was working at Kodak and running a machine shop on the side before he fully committed to the machine shop. Since 1993, he has owned and operated DMD Machining Technology in Kendall.

He has made time available to help teach and lead scouts. He has served as director of the Webelos Conservation Camp and a member of the Council Camping Committee, in addition to an active role with Troop 94.

He attended the Philmont Scout Ranch with his son Matt. Philmont, in the Rocky Mountains, is a high-adventure base of rugged mountain wilderness in northeastern New Mexico.

“Everything he’s learned from Boy Scouts he has used along the way,” Judy said. “Even on family camps we have to make sure everything is picked up better than when we arrived.”

The honors for Hofer were already in the works before his illness. Judy said the recognition is appreciated.

“He is an overall an amazing person,” she said. “He has such a great mindset.”

Dave Hofer is pictured with his son Matt and daughter Jessica. Matt and Jessica are both currently running the machine shop.

Hofer, 60, is a person who seldom has been sick and always persevered. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early November. He is now home on hospice care.

His wife Judy said the family appreciates the recognition from the scouting council, even though Hofer has always been glad to help scouts with no accolades expected.

Ken Spohr in 2007 joined the troop as a leader. At the time Hofer was the scoutmaster. Spohr said Hofer has always been willing to step up and help the troop, especially with camping.

“He was always the one to take all the gear in his truck with a group of boys and away we would go,” Spohr wrote in a letter to the Western New York Scout Council, nominating Hofer for the District Award of Merit. “Camp is where I saw Dave shine, he loved to do projects at camp and would often supply the materials himself. Over the years I cannot tell you how many projects he has done or helped with, but it is a great deal.”

Spohr said Hofer never sought any limelight. Hofer convinced Spohr to eventually take over as scoutmaster, with Hofer staying on as assistant scoutmaster.

“Dave has been the best assistant a person could ask for,” Spohr wrote in the nomination. “He is always there to help and is always willing to do whatever needs to be done. His knowledge of scouting and camping is incredible.”

Hofer lives the Scout Law of being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Hofer has encouraged scouts to push themselves to be their best, and to become members of the Order of the Arrow, scouting’s national honor society.

In  more recent years Hofer worked with the council to improve the scouting camps, and how Webelos can better transition from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.

“This is who Dave Hofer is to me,” Spohr wrote to the council. “He’s the guy in the room who can teach scouts something without them knowing it and never looking for praise. He is always willing to help in any way and he lives his life by the Scout Law. He will always be a friend and an inspiration to me and Kendall Boy Scout Troop 94.”

Tammy Odenbaugh from the Baltimore Area Council in Maryland also sent a letter of support to the council urging Hofer to be honored with the District Award of Merit. She twice worked with Hofer at a scouting jamboree. She praised him for his dedication, patience and knowledge. Hofer was committed to all scouts, even setting up an archery stand for disabled scouts at a jamboree.

“Dave has given so much of his time not only to scouts in the area, but he has given his knowledge and even more time to scouts globally and nationally as well,” Odenbaugh said.

A GoFundMe page (click here) has been set up to help Hofer and his family.

The minimum wage will go to $15 an hour for upstate counties beginning Jan. 1, up from the current $14.20.

The minimum increased from $13.20 to $14.20 on Dec. 31, 2022, and now moves to $15 for upstate counties. It will be $16 per hour in New York City, Westchester and Long Island.

“On January 1, we are lifting New York’s minimum wage to help hard-working New Yorkers keep up with rising costs and continue supporting their families,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “If you are a minimum wage worker and you don’t see this increase in your paycheck next year, I urge you to file a wage complaint with the Department of Labor to make sure that you are getting the wage increase you deserve.”

As part of an agreement in the current state budget, the minimum wage will increase another 50 cents in both 2025 and 2026, and then be indexed to inflation beginning in 2027.

The New York State Department of Labor will begin a public awareness effort to remind New Yorkers about the minimum wage increase and encourage minimum wage workers to report missing wages, Hochul’s office said. That effort will include digital outreach through social media, newsletters, and e-mail communications and direct outreach to distribute informational flyers with partnering organizations.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The reindeer outline and tree are decorated in lights on the Orleans County Courthouse lawn.

A wind advisory is in effect in Orleans County today until 6 p.m., the National Weather Service in Buffalo stated. The advisory also includes Niagara, Genesee and northern Erie counties.

There will be southwest winds from 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 mph, the Weather Service said.

“The gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” the Weather Service said. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”

The high temperature today will reach 44. The highs in the following days are forecast to be 35 on Wednesday, 39 on Thursday, 47 on Friday and 44 on Saturday.

Press Release, Downtown Browsery in Albion

ALBION – A merry band of misfit toys assisted more than 65 children in picking out holiday gifts for their family members on Saturday.

The misfit toys include from left: Donna John, Diane Wight, Dar Krull, Linda Hollenbeck, Paula Brooks, and Liz Groat.

Dar the Dancing Reindeer handed out play money to the young children to “pay” for their selected special family gifts.  Gifts were donated by many Browsery vendors over the course of the year for the specific purpose of the children’s shopping extravaganza.

Young children often want to participate in the joy of gift giving, but do not have an easy way to purchase family gifts. The children were able to select gifts with the assistance of a Misfit Toy personal shopper, secretly wrap the gifts, and take them home to their Christmas tree.

Parents of the kids were appreciative of the opportunity for their kids to have their own secret gifts to give family. It is meaningful to kids and family members alike.

As the final young shoppers filed out of the Browsery at 3:30 p.m. with their gifts, the Misfit Toys were exhausted but happy to have put smiles on kids’ and parents’ faces. The Misfit Toys are expected to return next year.

BARRE – A Barre woman has been charged with assault with intent to cause serious physical injury after allegedly stabbing her boyfriend several times this morning, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke said.

Nathalie Ann Smith

Nathalie Ann Smith, 57, allegedly stabbed her boyfriend, John G. Dunn, 59, multiple times at 5164 Oak Orchard Rd. The Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the scene at 7:56 a.m. with a report of a violent domestic incident involving a knife, Bourke said.

Law enforcement arrived on scene and assisted in rendering aid until medical personnel arrived. Dunn and Smith were both transported by ambulance to area hospitals where they were treated, Bourke said.

Dunn is in stable condition at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, while Smith was taken into custody after an evaluation.

Besides the assault charge, a class B felony, Smith has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use, a class A misdemeanor.

Smith was arraigned in Orleans County CAP Court at 7:30 this evening. She is being held at the Orleans County Jail on $100,000 bail. An order of protection has been issued for the victim.  Smith is to return to the Barre Town Court.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the New York State Police, the Barre Fire Department and Monroe Ambulance.

Students performed for full houses at Clifford Wise Intermediate School

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Jacob Foley starred as Mowgli last week during performances of “The Jungle Book Kids” at Clifford Wise Intermediate School. Mowgli was lost and abandoned as a baby boy and was raised by wolves.

A cast of 90 fifth- and sixth-graders put on the show during four performances for about 1,300 people total. Anna Ferlito served as musical director. They worked since September to prepare for last week’s shows.

Last year, Clifford Wise performed Aladdin Jr. in the spring in the school’s first musical led by Ferlito. This year the show shifted to the fall so Ferlito can co-direct the high school musical in the spring.

Vincent Hosmer plays the role of Shere Khan, a tiger that decides that Mowgli is no longer welcome in the jungle. Shere Khan intimidates many of the other animals.

Harlow Rhim plays the role of Kaa, a snake that lulls Mowgli to sleep while Kaa sings “Trust in Me.” The snake coils include William Mojeski, Melody Pawlaczyk, Arik Papaj, Cadence Truesdell, Jace Campisano, Violet Trilizio, Emily Smith Flately and Bethany Chavez.

Kole Jones is the wiley King Louie, left center, and Amonte Mortenson-Chamblee is Baloo, a bear disguised as a very big monkey. They are singing, “I Wan’na Be Like You.”

Students created the artistic elements to turn the stage into a jungle scene.

Jill Vader is Colonel Hathi doing an inspection of the Elephant Army.

Shanti  is played by Amber O’Kussick. Shanti is a girl from the Man Village. When Mowgli sees her, he is enchanted by her and decides to leave the jungle to live amongst humans in the village.

Bagheera, a panther played by Avery Twitchell, and Baloo, a giant fun-loving bear played by Amonte Mortenson-Chamblee, sing “The Bare Necessities.” Bagheera tries to keep Mowgli safe from predators, including Shere Kahn.

Photos by Tom Rivers

BATAVIA – Jesse Cudzilo, executive director of the YMCA in Orleans County, is presented with a business recognition award from Kelly Kiebala, director of the Job Development Agency in Orleans County.

The GLOW Workforce Development Board presented its awards to businesses, adults and youths on Friday during an annual meeting at the Terry Hills Restaurant in Batavia.

The Y was honored for its many years of offering job training to youths and adults through child care, recreation and camps, maintenance and custodian work, and interacting with the public at the front desk.

The Y allows its Pearl Street facility in Medina to be used for job fairs, and for Job Development staff to interview people for programs.

“They are certainly living up to the YMCA’s mission of giving people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity,” Kiebala said.

Cudzilo always finds a way to support a Job Development initiative, she said.

“The Y exists to serve the community,” Cudzilo said in accepting the award and partnering with other organizations. “If you can think of it and it can be done, we’ll do it.”

Other businesses recognized on Friday for supporting Job Development clients and programs include: Wrights Beverages Distributing in Batavia, The Livingston County Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Mount Morris, and Ken’s Carpet Center in Warsaw, Wyoming County.

Orleans County presented its adult participant recognition award to Shontea Lewis. She is shown accepting the award, which was presented by Pam Chatt, an employment & training counselor for the Orleans County Job Development Agency.

Lewis was praised for using job training funds to enroll in a phlebotomy certification program. She passed the exam to be a certified phlebotomy technician and is now working with CSL Plasma in Rochester.

Lewis, in accepting the award, thanked Chatt “for her assistance and advice to help me advance in life.”

Peter Anderson (left), senior employment specialist for Orleans County Job Development Agency, presents the youth recognition award to Malachi Mt. Pleasant, who earned his GED at age 16 and then completed an arc and flame welding program at Monroe Community College. He was at the top of his class and now works full-time as a welder at Empro-Niagara Inc. in Lockport.

The three other counties – Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston – also presented adult and youth recognition awards to people assisted by the Job Development Agency.

Shelia VanAuken, an employment counselor at Livingston County Office of Workforce Development, presents an award Vitalii Tsykilov, who was able to flee war-torn Ukraine and settle in Livingston County with his wife and daughter in October 2022.

Tsykilov in the past year has learned English and earned a CDL-A to be licensed truck driver. He works as a regional driver for a commercial freight company.

He is grateful to the community for helping his family build a new life in the United States.

“I really appreciate the opportunity,” Tsykilov said. “Thank you everybody.”

The GLOW Workforce Investment Board in its annual report from 2022 said it served 2,413 customers in the four counties, among those include 1,852 on unemployment insurance and 121 veterans. The program assisted 301 businesses with listing job orders. Altogether, the GLOW organization helped with 2,402 new hires.

Press Release, Orleans County DSS

Jasmine Grace

ALBION – The Safe Harbour program run by the Orleans County Department of Social Services is hosting a webinar Wednesday, Dec. 13, with a survivor and author of a book on human trafficking.

Jasmine Grace will speak from 1 to 3 p.m. on surviving the commercial sex trade and addiction.

Grace will discuss facts about sex trafficking and how communities can prevent it from happening. She has started Jasmine Grace Outreach to help people break free from drug addiction, sexual exploitation, and a hopeless way of life. She wrote the book, “The Diary of Jasmine Grace. Trafficked. Recovered. Redeemed.”

Participation in the webinar is free by those interested need to register in advance by emailing SafeHarbour@orleanscounty.gov. You will then receive a link to the Zoom video conference presentation.

The Safe Harbour program is designed to be a safe place for teens (12-18 years of age). In addition to providing education and awareness, Safe Harbour provides lessons in life skills to promote a strong foundation to help children launch into their future.

For more information on Safe Harbour or how you can get your child involved in the program, email SafeHarbour@orleanscountyny.gov.

Photo by Tom Rivers

GAINES – Navarra’s Farm Market and Greenhouses is in its fourth year of hosting vendors for the holiday season, and this year has 149 in four greenhouses.

Pictured from left include Janet Navarra-Salvatore, James Salvatore and Navarra’s employee Madison Nardi (as well as Hank, the dog). They welcomed customers on Saturday to Navarra’s at 3272 Eagle Harbor-Waterport Rd.

The first year Navarra’s hosted vendors in 2020 there were 16. That was followed by 67 in 2021, 96 last year and now nearly 150.

The greenhouses are open for five weekends with the creations and products from the vendors. There are two weekends left: Dec. 14-17, and Dec. 21-24 with Navarra’s open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Provided photo: Santa visited Navarra’s on Saturday. He is holding Caleb Paul Allen, son of Scott Allen and Navarra’s co-owner Amanda Mrzywka.

Mrzywka opened up the greenhouses to other vendors at craft sows and festivals in 2020 because so many of the events were cancelled that year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mrzywka sells vegan soaps, which are made without any animal byproducts.

She said crafters were all feeling the financial strain from losing those shows in 2020.

Navarra’s has proven a good location for the vendors. They are in a heated spot, and can keep their items on location for multiple days. Navarra’s has a code system to track what is sold without the vendors having to be there all the time.

There are other attractions to the site as well. Santa visited on Saturday. There are wine tastings every Sunday with Circle B Winery from Elba.

Navarra’s also hosts classes and workshops during the holiday season.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Dr. Lynn McGrath, a professor at the Eastman School of Music, performs a concert with her guitar on Saturday at Hoag Library. That concluded the first Hoag Music Series, which started in July and at least once a month featured musicians who hadn’t performed in Orleans County before.

Jim Doyle, an adult reference librarian at Hoag, worked out many of the details to bring in the performers who played the fingerstyle guitar, harp, African dance and drumming, Chinese Zither, “Pipa” and other instruments that don’t typically get highlighted in Orleans County.

The concerts have been free to the public with support from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and Friends of Hoag Library.

About 50 people attended Saturday’s concert with Lynn McGrath.

The series will take a break and be back in March. Doyle is waiting to hear from GO Art! about funding for 2024.

Doyle said he is pleased by the turnout for the series in the first year.

“It’s about elevating the community and bringing in different music,” he said.

Many of the performers in the Hoag Music Series are graduates of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, which Doyle said is a world-level conservatory drawing top students from around the globe.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Ava Jurs was a dancing Grinch in a float promoting The Parlour in Albion. It was one of many floats and enthusiastic parade participants on Saturday during “Santa’s Hometown Parade.”

Albion hosted a lighted parade for the third year on Saturday. This time the route was officially closed to non-parade traffic and there were judges, with a big after-party at Dubby’s Tailgate. There were many people along the route from East Avenue to Main Street, then on East Bank Street to Platt Street, ending at Dubby’s.

It was unseasonably warm for the parade with temperatures near 60 degrees.

Sheryl Watts (left), owner and artistic designer of Air Raising Events, created two gnomes out of balloons. She was joined in the parade by Roger Ragan.

Aubrey Gannon carries the American flag to lead off the parade. She was followed by Girl Scouts who created a Polar Express float.

Santa and Mrs. Claus wave to the crowd. They are in a boat on a trailer. It was a float by Susie’s Boat-tique.

Susie’s owner Susan Oschmann organized the parade.

“I loved the turnout,” she said today. “It more than doubled in size from last year in parade entries and onlookers.”

She said she is grateful for help from Michael Bonafede, Judith Koehler and others who helped make the event a success, including judges Matt Holland, Tim Archer and Susan Howard with Joe Martillotta the emcee. The event was part of a big day with many activities by the Albion Merchants Association.

The winning entries in the parade included Wild Flour Deli and Bakery in first place. This photo shows Wild Flour owner Beth Miller walking by the float that created a baking scene. There was a baking fight in front of the judges with some dough being tossed around.

This youngster works hard on a creation as part of the Wild Flour float.

Eye of Oden K9 Training was awarded second place for its “Blue Christmas” themed entry.

Bloom’s Flower Shop won third place. The businesses also announced it would be moving to East Bank Street.

This vendor sold lighted toys for the parade.

The 3D Trio from the Who Dats performed some Christmas classics. The group includes Lonnie Froman, John Borello and Todd Graham.

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – About 20 tractors and other farm equipment were decorated in Christmas lights for a parade on Saturday.

This was the seventh time the Barre Betterment Committee organized the event. In two prior years, the parade was cancelled due to high winds, including in 2021.

But on Saturday, the temperatures were about 60 and a threat of rain never arrived. There were many more people along Route 98 than in past parades.

Santa waves to the crowd while riding on the trailer strewn with lights. It was a fun time in Barre during the parade.

Jesse Farwell holds his young son while driving a tractor in the parade.

This chopper was brought in from Alexander by Brian Thompson Farms. It is reflected in a big puddle at the Van Lieshout farm on East Barre Road. That was a staging area for the tractors and farm equipment before then headed down Route 98 to the barre Town Park.

This boy gets a ride on the chopper from Brian Thompson Farms.

Bruce Naas of Oakfield gets his tractor lighted up for the parade.

Bruce Naas gets some lights on a wreath of his tractor. He said it was his first time being in a parade. He was invited by his friend Mike Van Lieshout.

Gallagher Hill Trucking has its truck decked out in lights for the parade.

The Basinait family made float of the North Pole Farms.

Provided photo

MEDINA – The VFW Auxiliary to Lincoln Post 1483 recently made a $200 donation to the Calvary Cupboard-Food Pantry located at the Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God church at 110301 Maple Ridge Rd.

Pictured include David Berry, left, from VFW Auxiliary 1483 and Pastor Kevin Lawson.

The VFW Auxiliary fundraising events help support veterans, their families, and the community they reside in, such as the food pantry.  Pastor Lawson indicated the food pantry is seeing a greater need in the community for assistance.

The food pantry is in need of donations, especially during the holiday time.

Albion and Barre both host procession of illuminated vehicles

Photos by Tom Rivers

Albion and Barre both hosted lighted parades this evening with Barre having its annual tractor parade down Route 98 at 5:30 p.m., and Albion having “Santa’s Hometown Parade” at 6:30 p.m.

Santa waves in the top photo while sitting on a trailer adorned with lights in the Barre parade.

It was a balmy 60 degrees for the parades, at a time of year when it is often snowing with high winds in a deep freeze.

Many of the people watching the parade didn’t even have a coat on, with some people in short sleeve shirts.

The Albion Fire Department was led Brantley Conner in the battery-operated car. He was joined by his brother Lucas Conner and mother Amber. AJ Fisher is at left.

Mike and Cyndy Van Lie Shout ride in a tractor wishing “A Barre Merry Christmas To All.” The parade in Barre started at the Van Lie Shout farm on East Barre Road near Route 98 and then headed north.

Dawn Spencer of the Eye of Oden gives an enthusiastic greeting on Main Street in Albion. She and the other dog trainers led dogs which wore blue light-up sweathers. Eye of Oden had a “Blue Christmas” theme to express their sadness on the death of a beloved dog, George’s Legend.

This tractor heads north on Route 98 in the tractor parade.

The middle school chorus, led by teacher Karen Conn, sings “Feliz Navidad” while walking down Platt Street in the Albion parade.

These tractor are lined up at the Van Lieshout farm before the start of the Barre parade. The inflatable boot is for A.L. Bennett & Sons, which sells boots and other supplies.

Photo by Marsha Rivers: Santa rode on a boat to close out Albion’s parade. The boat was part of a float decorated by Susie’s Boat-tique.

Orleans Hub will post more pictures from the two parades on Sunday.