Chart from Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are alerting residents to rising cases of syphilis and congenital syphilis.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is most often spread through sexual contact. Congenital syphilis is a preventable disease that occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to the baby during pregnancy.

In 2020, there were 12.1 confirmed cases of syphilis per 100,000 population and to date in 2023, there have been 33.3 cases per 100,000 population, which include confirmed cases and probable cases pending investigation. With a rise in cases, particularly among women, GO Health has also seen a rise in congenital syphilis cases.

Syphilis and congenital syphilis can lead to serious health complications, but they are preventable with screening, early detection and treatment.

“Syphilis is caused by a bacteria that enters the body during oral, vaginal or anal sex,” said Brenden Bedard, director of Community Health Services for GO Health. “It can also enter through broken skin that is exposed to the syphilis bacteria. Newborns can get congenital syphilis before birth or during vaginal delivery if the mother has syphilis.”

Signs and symptoms of syphilis may or may not be noticeable. They may include a painless sore on the genitals, anus or mouth; a rash on the body; tiredness; fever; sore throat; headaches; swollen glands; loss of appetite; weight loss; patchy hair loss; muscle aches and fatigue.

Oftentimes the signs of syphilis go away and the person does not have it checked out. If not treated for syphilis, an infected person even without symptoms can still infect others, including an unborn baby.

Having syphilis once does not protect you from getting it again, even after successful treatment. A person can get it many times, so that is why people and their partner(s) must get tested and successfully treated. If your sex partner(s) does not get tested or treated, you may get syphilis again. The longer the person waits to be treated, the more damage the disease causes to the body.

Syphilis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, neonatal death, blindness or deafness, bone abnormalities, skin lesions, developmental delays, and other serious health problems to a developing baby. The best way to protect babies from congenital syphilis is to get screened throughout the pregnancy and just prior to delivery.

Here are some ways to prevent the spread of syphilis:

• Not having sex (abstinence) is the only sure way to avoid infection.
• Limit sex partners, especially if pregnant.
• Use latex or polyurethane condoms each time during oral, anal or vaginal sex.
• If you or your partner have any sores on the genitalia, anus, or mouth, or unexplained rashes on the body, talk with your healthcare provider and get tested. Do not have sex until both partners are fully treated.
• Get tested often for sexually transmitted infections/diseases.
• If you are pregnant, talk with your healthcare provider about being tested to protect your baby.
• If you know someone who is pregnant, encourage them to get tested.

For more information on Syphilis and other Sexually Transmitted Infections, visit the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention website.

Photos contributed by Maarit Vaga: Maarit Vaga, secretary of the Cobblestone Society, took this snapshot of an old Swedish Christmas card. The words “God Jul” mean “Good Christmas.” Vaga will share traditions of a Scandinavian Christmas in a program titled, “Simply Christmas,” at the Cobblestone Museum on Saturday. (Right) This is Maarit Vaga’s daughter’s doll dressed as Saint Lucia, a Scandinavian Christmas tradition which will be celebrated Saturday at the Cobblestone Museum.

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Museum will present an inaugural special holiday event titled “Simply Christmas” at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Cobblestone Church at 14389 Ridge Rd. West.

The program will feature Maarit Vaga, an Albion resident of Scandinavian heritage. She will share her native Christmas traditions in the church, which will be adorned in period decorations.

Vaga explained, “On Dec. 13th, every school, church, care home and office across Sweden will have a visit from a ‘Luciatag’ procession of singers dressed in white gowns and carrying candles, led by Saint Lucia herself.”

Although this Swedish custom was established in the 19th century, the first recorded appearance of Saint Lucia dates back to 1764, Vaga said. A Christian feast day, it commemorates the martyr Lucia of Syracuse (in the Roman Republic), who, as legend has it, brought food to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs, lighting her way with a candlelit wreath on her head. Traditionally, the oldest daughter of the family assumes the role of Lucia, with the younger siblings making up the entourage, bringing a breakfast tray of coffee and fresh baked goods to the parents in bed.

Saturday’s program will include the Lucia procession, some readings, several musical performances and audience sing-along carols. The program will last about 45 minutes, after which a reception with Scandinavian treats will be served in the Proctor Room on the lower level of the church. A free will offering will be taken.

Also on the lower level is the Museum’s Holiday Gift Shoppe, which will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. According to Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the museum, “Hundreds of new or gently used Christmas theme books and miscellaneous items are available at incredibly low prices, such as artificial trees and wreaths, tree ornaments, paper goods, decorations, candles, mugs, indoor/outdoor lights, stockings and hangars and much more.”

Photo contributed by Sue Bonafini: The sanctuary of the Cobblestone Church is elegantly decorated for the holiday season and Saturday’s presentation of “Simply Christmas.”

Middleport planning several activities, including tree-lighting

MIDDLEPORT – The Middleport Community Choir’s annual Christmas concert this year will take place on Saturday in conjunction with the Village of Middleport’s “Light up Park Avenue.”

The choir, under the direction of Medina resident Ric Jones, will present a cantata this year titled “The Wonder of Christmas,” and will include the Bell Tones, directed by Debby Clark, who is also accompanist for the choir. The performance will start at 4 p.m. at the Middleport United Methodist Church.

The Middleport Community Choir has a long history of performing cantatas, Jones said.

“It has been a number of years since we prepared one for the holiday season, so this felt like the right time to perform one,” Jones said. “What I like about this cantata is that every single song is a recognizable Christmas song; each a unique arrangement, but never stepping away from the original tune.”

Included in the performance will be an audience sing-along.

“This concert is the perfect fit for the small-town ‘Hallmark Christmas’ atmosphere of the day,” Jones said.

The Middleport Community Choir members come from throughout the area, including Orleans and Niagara counties. Seven original members of the choir are still singing with them.

“We are blessed to add new members over the years while still being tied to the beginning of this wonderful group,” Jones said.

There is no charge for admission, but a free-will offering will be taken. Refreshments will follow in the Fellowship Hall.

Concert-goers are invited to come early or stay late and enjoy Middleport’s annual Christmas activities and tree lighting event. Festivities begin at 2:30 p.m. in the village park on Park Avenue (across from the church) and include holiday a visit with Santa, games and crafts, raffles, meet the Grinch and wagon rides. Activities in the Roy-Hart School gym include music by Roy-Hart students, games and crafts.

The tree lighting at 6 p.m. on Park Avenue will be followed by cookies and cocoa.

KENDALL – Students in prekindergarten through grade 6 are being sent home this morning due to an odor in the Kendall Elementary School.

The district’s buildings and grounds team noticed a faint odor from a specific area in the building this morning, said Nick Picardo, the district superintendent in a phone call to parents and community members.

The students and staff are currently in the junior-senior high school. The students will get on buses at 10:45 a.m. and then be taken home around 11, Picardo said.

Kendall has cancelled all activities today in the elementary school.

Picardo said a company will be at Kendall to help check the elementary school. The students are being sent home “out of an abundance of caution,” he said.

“The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority,” Picardo said.

Medina’s big Parade of Lights on Saturday, with 55 lighted floats and 16 other participants including fire trucks and marching bands, started a holiday parade season in Orleans County.

There are three more lighted parades in December – one in Clarendon on Dec. 8 and then parades Dec. 9 in Albion and Barre.

Clarendon will have a Christmas parade that starts at 7 p.m. at the Clarendon fire hall on Route 31A and goes to the Clarendon Historical Society. The route goes down 31A, then a right turn onto Route 237, a left on Church Street to the Historical Society.

There will be refreshments and a visit from Santa at the Historical Society. People are welcome to bring a bulb to decorate the tree. Parade participants can just show up at the fire hall, no RSVP is needed.

Mike Van Lieshout leads off the Barre Tractor Parade last year on Dec. 10 with a sign proclaiming “A Barre Merry Christmas To All.” The parade started at Van Lieshout’s farm on East Barre Road and then headed north on Route 98 to the Barre Town Park.

Barre will have its tractor parade at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 9. Last year there were about 20 tractors and farm trucks decorated in lights.

Tractors line up on East Barre Road by 5:15. The route goes north on Route 98 to the Barre Town Park. The event organized by the Barre Betterment Committee.  A rain date is set for Dec. 10. For more information call (585) 590-7503 or send a message through the Betterment Committee’s Facebook page.

Albion will have “Santa’s Hometown Parade” at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 9. The parade has different route this year. It starts at Dubby’s Tailgate on Platt Strett, goes to East Avenue and then north on Main Street. Then it turns on Bank Street and comes back to Dubby’s on Platt Street.

The parade is sponsored by the Albion Merchants Association and Village of Albion. There are prizes for the top three floats: $300 for first, $200 for second and $100 for first.

So far, 13 entries have signed up to be in the parade, said Susan Oschmann, parade coordinator. The deadline to sign up is noon on Dec. 8. Click here for a Google sign up form or email Oschmann at susanoschmann@gmail.com for more information.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Santa squeezed in an hour in his busy schedule this evening to stop by Hoag Library to meet with about 100 people, including Mary Heise of Albion and her granddaughters, Emma Button, 9 months old, and Azaria Poole, 9. Azaria asked Santa for a balance beam.

Hoag Library is usually one of Santa’s early stops locally after the Thanksgiving holiday, before his schedule really gets jampacked in December.

Santa looked very spiffy in red when he came into the main meeting room at the library.

He led the group in some stretches. Santa said he is getting older and a bit “creaky” these days.

Nicholas Bloom, 7, of Albion got to wear a red nose, and Santa gave him some antlers in celebrating his favorite reindeer, Rudolph.

Hadley Oberther, 7, of Medina was picked to ring the bells while the group sang, “Jingle Bells.”

Santa always reads a story when he visits the library. This time he read, “How to Catch Santa Claus,” a story about children setting traps in their house to try to catch Santa. With the help of his elves and reindeer, Santa avoids getting snagged in a trap.

Santa told the kids the library is a great place to visit throughout the year.

John  Santiago, 8, of Albion shares a Christmas request with Santa, who then gave him a candy cane.

Layla Hanna, 4, of Albion had a gift for Santa, a hug.

Press Release, Danielle Figura, Orleans County Mental Health director

ALBION – The Care & Crisis Helpline (585) 283-5200 is working again after temporarily being non-operational as a result of phone and network issues.

While it was down, people in a mental health need or mental health crisis were encouraged to call Orleans County Dispatch to ask to speak to the on-call mental health clinician.

Court date set for Dec. 5 as Genesee seeks to finish sewer project through Shelby to Oak Orchard Creek

Photos by Tom Rivers: The entrance to the STAMP manufacturing site in Alabama is located off Route 63, south of the Town of Shelby in Orleans County.

ALBION – Attorneys for Genesee County Economic Development Center have submitted court papers in response to a lawsuit from Orleans County seeking to halt a sewer main from the STAMP site in the Town of Albion down Route 63 to the Oak Orchard Creek in Shelby.

Genesee claims Orleans is making “obstructionist proceeding” in a last-ditch attempt to stop the project as part of an “extortionate” demand from Genesee for money to get the Orleans blessing.

Steve Hyde, the GCEDC executive director, in a sworn affidavit dated Nov. 6 said Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, made the demand for the county to be paid $4.98 per 1,000 gallons discharged into the creek – which translates into about $10 million annually if 6 million gallons is sent into the creek daily from STAMP at full buildout. Johnson said that money should be disbursed quarterly to the Town of Shelby, Orleans County and Orleans Economic Development Agency, according to the Hyde affidavit.

Orleans County, in its lawsuit, said Genesee never had the county’s permission to do the project, and improperly formed a subsidiary – STAMP Sewer Works – to own the sewer main. Orleans also states the discharge into the creek would hurt the fishing resources through the world renown Oak Orchard and limit the economic development chances in Medina and Orleans County by adding up to 6 million more gallons of water daily to the creek.

Orleans County sued on Sept. 11. The State Supreme Court in Orleans County has set a 2:30 p.m. Dec. 5 court date with lawyers to appear by video conference. The Town of Shelby has since joined the lawsuit as an intervenor.

Attorneys for GCEDC and others named in the lawsuit – G. DeVincentis & Son Construction Co., Inc., Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation, and STAMP Sewer Works, Inc. – filed a 56-page response earlier this month and called the court challenge “a baseless attempt … to obstruct or delay construction of a long-planned, duly-approved infrastructure project.”

The sewer main would allow businesses at the 1,250-acre STAMP to discharge treated sewer water into the Oak Orchard. The sewer main is imperative for economic development to move forward at the site, writes attorneys Craig A. Leslie, Adam S. Walters and Matthew J. Fitzgerald of Phillips Lytle LLP.

They say Orleans County was well aware of the project for several years and never objected until mid-2023. Its silence prior to that should be considered consent, the attorneys write.

“After Orleans County chose to sit on the sidelines during the years-long process that led to that project’s approval, and after having its demand for an extortionate payment rejected by GCEDC, Orleans County now seeks to block the project entirely, at the eleventh hour and fifty-ninth minute, for no principled reason and seemingly purely out of spite,” the attorneys write.

The GCEDC attorneys say the state is strongly behind the site, and committed another $56 million to it on Nov. 2 through the Empire State Development. That brings the state’s commitment to economic development at more than $100 million for STAMP infrastructure and incentives, the attorneys said.

Plug Power is already under construction at STAMP and Edwards Vacuum has announced it will build a $319 million “Factory of the Future” semiconductor dry-pump manufacturing facility at STAMP.

Plug Edwards plans to employ nearly 70 people at its site, while Edwards Vacuum said it would have 600 highly skilled professionals in its facility.

Genesee says Orleans misfires in its lawsuit, including by failed to name other “necessary parties” in its petition, including the Town of Alabama, state Department of Transportation (which owns Route 63), the Niagara County Water District which agreed to provide water to the site, and landowners who have approved easements for the sewer main but won’t get paid if it’s not constructed.

The statute of limitations has passed and it’s too late to include the necessary parties now, GCEDC attorneys said.

The lawyers also fault Orleans for not establishing clear and convincing evidence that it will suffer irreparable injury.

“The balancing of the equities favors the STAMP Respondents, current and future STAMP tenants, the taxpayers, and the general public,” Genesee states in its court filing.

Genesee stated in the court papers the water from STAMP will be cleaner with lower phosphorus levels than the water treated by the Village of Medina sewer plant and sent into the creek.

“Once construction and installation are complete, the Force Main will be closely monitored and will continue to be overseen by multiple state and federal regulatory agencies which—unlike Orleans County —possess the skills, training, and experience to ensure the environment is protected,” the attorneys write.

They are harshly critical of Orleans for waiting so late in the process following more than a decade of planning with many chances for comment. Construction of the pipe is already in the ground on Route 63 in Genesee County. The installation is about half done with the project on hold in Orleans due to the lawsuit.

A sewer line is shown on Aug. 12 on Route 63 in the Town of Alabama. Genesee County Economic Development Center seeks to install the sewer main along 9.5 miles of Route 63 – from the STAMP site to Oak Orchard Creek.

Genesee said Orleans County could have voiced opposition in the previous seven years, waiting until mid-2023 when tens of millions of taxpayer dollars had already been invested in STAMP. The Orleans County Health Department approved the sewer project to the Oak Orchard Creek, and the Town of Shelby voted to be part of the STAMP Sewer Works, Genesee states in the court papers.

Genesee notes the project has faced stringent environmental reviews from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Transportation.

Orleans, in its lawsuit, also stated GCEDC is wrong to spend Genesee funds for a project outside its county and jurisdiction. But the Genesee attorneys say the project is funded by the state through an Empire State Development initiative.

Hyde, in his affidavit, said he and the GCEDC have worked 15 years trying to develop STAMP. It is one of the few mega-sites with more than 1,000 acres available in the state and is designed to attract large-scale, advanced manufacturing companies.

The site is attractive to semi-conductor companies because of “the extensive environmental review and pre-permitting diligence completed by GCEDC and Genesee Gateway to date, together with the significant investment in infrastructure made by the State of New York through its economic development agency Empire State Development,” Hyde said.

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

“Notably, it is projected that the economic impact of STAMP will benefit not only the Town of Alabama and Genesee County, but also the entire Greater Buffalo-Niagara and Rochester regions, including Orleans County,” he said.

The Genesee attorneys urge State Supreme Court Judge Frank Caruso to dismiss and deny the Orleans County petition.

“A judgment in Orleans County’s favor at this point would not only reward its dilatory and obstructionist conduct, it would waste $100 million in public investment,” the Genesee attorneys write.

Thwarting the sewer line would also do “irreparable harm to the STAMP Respondents—and to the public,” the attorneys write.

“That far outweighs the speculative harm claimed by Orleans County, tipping the equities decidedly in favor of the STAMP Respondents.”

Provided photo: Bob Golden and Annette Finch hold artwork representing the migrant family.

ALBION – Albion’s Community Coalition for Justice, led by Robert Golden and assisted by Karen Watt, is planning a discussion at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at Hoag Library to explore the topic “Does Immigration Help Orleans County?”

Golden has put together a panel of local people from the farming community, law enforcement, religious and service agencies, who will give presentations. There will be an opportunity for questions and comments.

The Community Coalition for Justice includes the Hoag Library, Albion Betterment Committee, Pullman Universalist Church’s People Embracing Diversity and the Social Justice Committee.

Golden recently served on the Buffalo Diocese Peace and Justice Committee and as chair of its Immigrant/Refugee Committee. He is retired as probation director in Orleans County.

Watt, an Albion fruit grower, has served for many years on the board of directors for Oak Orchard Health, was a district director for the New York Farm Bureau, and is currently on the board for the National Center for Farmworker Health, where she was a past board chair.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $100 million in road improvement projects in counties throughout the state, including a $1.6 million repaving of about 8 miles of Route 31A in Orleans County from Route 98 to Hulberton Road in Clarendon.

The $100 million statewide incudes 66 repaving projects, totaling almost 568 lane miles of pavement.

“From a devastating blizzard to historic flooding, we are living in a time of record-breaking weather events which have left many roads across New York State in need of repair and rejuvenation,” Hochul said in a news release this afternoon. “This $100 million will lengthen the lifespan of dozens of roads across the State, making them more resilient in the face of future extreme weather conditions.”

The current $32.9 billion State Department of Transportation five-year capital plan, inclusive of federal formula funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides historic funding for road and bridge repair and modernization, and this critical infrastructure funding will help restore hundreds of lane miles of highway impacted by extreme weather, Hochul said.

In Genesee County, the funding announced today includes $2.2 million to resurface Route 33 from the City of Batavia to the Village of Corfu in the towns of Batavia and Pembroke.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The lamp post in front of the U.S. Postal Service on Main Street is decorated in a “Peace on Earth” theme. It is one of 38 that will be decorated this holiday season.

A group seeking to “Bring Christmas Back to Albion” presented the idea about two weeks ago and the poles were quickly adopted by businesses, families and organizations.

Sandra Flugel and her granddaughters decorated this pole with a “Believe” theme on Main Street in front of the Lyceum for the Holy Family Parish.

The group includes, from left: Alayna, Autumn, Sandra and Liana Flugel.

This lamp post is decorated in front of Christ Church on Main Street with the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in the background.

There are 41 of the lamp posts. Three won’t be decorated: one in the bridge construction zone and two others on the north side of the canal.

“It’s been great,” said Maureen Bennett, who has headed up the lamp post decorations. “People are very enthusiastic about bringing Christmas back to Albion. It’s become quite the family thing, and also for three Girl Scout troops and some of the business owners.”

Bennett is decorating a pole by the parking lot near the Presbyterian Church with a Christmas tree theme.

There are 10 Christmas trees that will be decorated on the Courthouse lawn. This group from the Albion Free Methodist Church (Community of Hope) decorates a tree on Sunday afternoon. They include, from left, Bob Butler, Brenda Bierdeman, Rose Butler and the Butlers’ granddaughter, Krystal.

The church created ornaments about things they are thankful for, part of the church’s focus on gratitude during the Christmas season.

Lori Laine is pushing the some of the holiday projects in the “Bringing Christmas Back to Albion” group. She is pleased to see local residents responded to the ideas and turning them into reality.

“The community is doing it all,” she said. “It’s fantastic. “There are so many more ideas. This is just the start. Hopefully by next year it will be bigger and better.”

The group meets today at 7 p.m. at Hoag Library.

MEDINA – Saturday’s 15th annual Parade of Lights is in the history books – the largest ever, with 71 entries, including 51 lighted floats, four marching bands and police and fire vehicles.

The parade is the highlight of Medina’s Olde Tyme Christmas celebration, which brought throngs of people into town to shop, ride the Polar Express at Medina Railroad Museum and watch the spectacular parade.

Medina resident Todd Bensley, selected as this year’s grand marshal for the Parade of Lights, welcomed the crowd before lighting the Christmas tree in Rotary Park.

By 4 p.m., restaurants were becoming packed with people who arrived early to get a parking space and then came in to eat while waiting for the start of the parade.

Evening festivities began with welcome remarks by Marguerite Sherman, deputy mayor, parade co-chair Jim Hancock and parade grand marshal Todd Bensley.

Hancock said Medina’s parade has become the largest Parade of Lights in the state.

Bensley said people of Medina always pull together.

“My successes are your successes,” he said.

Bensley then performed the ceremonial lighting of the giant Christmas tree in Rotary Park, before heading to Park Avenue to lead the parade down Main Street.

Handling the announcer’s duties for at least the 12th year was Assemblyman Stave Hawley.

Looking out over the crowd which filled Main Street, Hawley said, “This is Americana. This is Main Street America, where the stories of yesterday are now the stories of tomorrow.”

Parade entries included a number of first-timers, such as Coffee Pot Café, North Star Cruises, Logan’s Landscaping, Medina Sports Boosters and Terry’s Corners Volunteer Fire Company in Gasport.

The four marching bands included the Medina Mustang Marching Band, Mark Time Marchers, Pembroke High School Marching Band and Prime Time Brass, who entertained in Rotary Park prior to lighting of the Christmas tree.

Fire companies, in addition to Terry’s Corners, were Albion, Medina, Shelby, Ridgeway, Oakfield, Hartland and East Shelby, which observed its 70th anniversary this year.

Participating FFAs came from Medina, Albion and Roy-Hart.

“These local kids are the heartbeat of our community,” Hawley announced.

The North Wing at Medina Memorial Hospital entered a patient van with several residents from the unit riding in back.

Several floats paid tribute to the Buffalo Bills, including Blissetts, whose theme was “Bills-etts,” with a bride in her wedding dress standing at the end of a football field.

Santa and Mrs. Claus, riding in their sleigh, arrived in the final float built by Takeform.

Crowds quickly thinned out in Rotary Park after the giant Christmas tree was lit, to seek out their spot to watch the more than hour-long Parade of Lights. Santa later took up residence to greet children in the North Pole house.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Santa and his elves walk through a yard full of lighted Christmas trees at the North Pole as the wait for the Polar Express from Medina Railroad Museum to arrive.

MEDINA – Along with the annual Olde Tyme Christmas celebration and Parade of Lights comes the Polar Express at Medina Railroad Museum.

The train of holiday movie fame has been doing excursions at Medina Railroad Museum for 12 years, annually attracting thousands of children and their families from across the region.

Santa and his elves pose by the clock tower at the North Pole set up near Gasport for riders of the Polar Express at Medina Railroad Museum.

This year’s Polar Express began Saturday in conjunction with the Olde Tyme Christmas day in Medina, and trains were all nearly sold out.

Preparations for the event begins weeks in advance, when museum staff and volunteers spent hours decorating the museum property from top to bottom and setting up an imaginary North Pole on the railroad near Gasport. There volunteers are dressed as Santa and elves and come out to greet the train when it stops to head back to Medina.

This year’s volunteers are students from the Iroquois Job Corps, accompanied by Job Corps community liaison Candace Pitts.

Museum director Dawn Winkler said the first weekend went off without a hitch, and the phone was still ringing with last-minute ticket sales on Sunday.

Children who ride the train receive hot chocolate, a train cutout cookie and souvenir bell, meet the hobo and Santa on the train and listen to a reading of the “Polar Express” as the train chugs down the tracks. Riders on first class receive their hot chocolate in a souvenir mug, while those in coach still get the same, but in a paper cup.

Many families come dressed in matching pajamas.

Polar Express will run Saturday and Sunday for the next three weekends and limited tickets of two together are still available. Tickets can be purchased through the museum’s website (click here).

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Firefighters sprayed water on the smoldering ruins at Frank’s Auto Center today after a morning fire caused extensive damage to the business that was started by Frank Strasburger in 1980.

No one was in the building at 14040 Route 31 when the fire broke out at 8 a.m. Orleans County fire investigators haven’t determined a cause of the fire yet, said Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Graham.

There were still hot spots after the fire was largely put out late this morning in Albion at Frank’s Auto.

Firefighters were dispatched to another fire in Albion at 11:14 a.m. at 312-314 West Park St., a house owned by Vickie Golisano. Two residents there were momentarily trapped but were able to safely get out.

Graham said the cause of that fire also remains under investigation.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Burger King in Medina participated in the Medina Parade of Lights for the first time on Saturday and was named the grand champion.

Burger King was picked the top float among the 55 entries in the parade.

Before the parade, while the BK employees were working on the float, store manager Mercedes Streams said the local store is looking for ways to be more involved in the community and they decided to be in the parade.

It also proved to be a good bonding experience for the employees.

“Everybody is having fun,” she said.

The display included an inflatable hamburger and order of fries. Employees gave away free burgers to many people along the parade route.

There were 18 first-time participants in the parade.

“What a wonderful Parade!” said Jim Hancock, the parade chairman during its 15 years. “Thanks to all who helped make it that way.”

Other winners include:

Best in Class for Service Clubs – Roy-Hart FFA

Best in Class for Commercial/Business – Eye of Oden K9 Training

Eye of Oden had 13 dogs wearing light-up sweaters.

The Eye of Oden float also was a tribute to a beloved dog, George’s Legend.

Best In Class for Fire Company – Albion Fire Department

The Albion Fire Department decorated its ladder truck with many lights.

A youngster drove a battery-powered car as part of the AFD procession.

Best in Class for non-profit – Niagara County 4-H Equine Program

Best in Class – Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Best in Class for Religious – Red Rose Landscaping

Santa’s Pick (the float that Santa would pick) – Medina Misfits

Community Spirit Award – Logan’s Landscaping

Star Award (Creative) – Albion Girl Scouts for Polar Express themed float

Littlest Elf Award (Best utilizes youth in entry) – 4-H Heelers Dog Club