Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A firefighter climbs a ladder and breaks a window to ventilate a house filled with smoke at 312-314 West Park St.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 11:14 a.m. Many firefighters were already busy at the scene of Frank’s Auto on Route 31 where a fire started at 8 a.m.

Murray Joint Fire District firefighters were at the Albion fire station as backup and were first on the scene at the West Park Street location.

Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Graham said a room and contents caught on fire upstairs. Firefighters were chasing fires in the walls.

Graham said there are more than 100 firefighters in Albion today working at the two scenes. He said it’s been many years since the Albion FD had back-to-back calls for structure fires.

The property at West Park Street has two apartments and is owned by Vickie Golisano. She lives there with Greg Moore. They have been remodeling the other side of the house. Moore said they spent about $20,000 upgrading the other apartment.

They were able to get safely outside with a dog. The Red Cross has been called to assist them.

Shelby firefighters used the Murray ladder truck to get to the roof. They used a chain saw and ax to cut into the roof so the attic could be ventilated.

Frank Strasburger has owned business at Route 31 location since 1980

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A huge fire spewing dark smoke at Frank’s Auto broke out at about 8 a.m. today at 14040 Route 31.

Frank Strasburger has owned the business repairing cars and selling used vehicles since 1980.

He said no one was in the building at the time of the fire.

Two people in a neighboring residence were evacuated from their home. The dark smoke didn’t seem to be having an impact on the two state prisons or The Villages of Orleans nursing home. No one there needed to be evacuated.

Many fire departments joined Albion in battling the blaze. It did not spread to the Root Brothers cabbage facility next door.

Fire investigators are on the scene. No cause has been determined yet.

The fire has closed a section of Route 31 from King Street to Gaines Basin Road.

MEDINA – Not only were there several thousand people in downtown Medina watching the Parade of Lights on Saturday evening, but there was a barred owl taking in the action from a high vantage point.

Cassandra Boring sent in the top photo of the owl that she said is “gorgeous.” Social media has many images and exclamation of joy about the owl.

Boring also took this photo of the owl hanging out on a wire on Main Street.

Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers heard the commotion about the owl but wasn’t able to get a decent photo of it atop the Creekside Floral building next to Rotary Park. The owl then flew across Main Street to the top of the Bent’s Opera House.

Jesse Sponaugle posted this image taken by Riki Lake on the Orleans Hub Facebook page.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – It was another magical Parade of Lights in Medina this evening, with the 55 floats in the 15^th annual parade. That’s the most in the parade’s history.

These Girl Scouts in the Cobblestone Service Unit in Albion created a float in a Polar Express theme.

Click here to see an Orleans Hub video of the parade, fireworks and some other festivities.

The processional of floats drew several thousand people to a packed downtown.

Mahar’s Septic has been a mainstay in recent parades and was back again today with theme from National Lampoon Vacation including “Cousin Eddie” from the movie.

The drumline for the Medina Marching Band performs in the parade in front of the judges. The parade last about an hour and 15 minutes.

Burger King in Medina joined the parade for the first time and sent a message its hamburgers are superior than those at McDonalds and Wendy’s.

Blissett’s and Bennetts Boots teamed up for the “Bill setts” float celebrating the Buffalo Bills.

Schwab Farm Market and Bakery in Gasport made its debut in the parade and touted the Buffalo Bills and SnapDragon apples.

The Oakfield Fire Department was among several nearby fire departments that brought fire trucks adorned in bright lights.

Before the parade, fireworks were set off over the Erie Canal. This shows a reflection over the water in the Canal Basin.

Mrs. Claus and Santa concluded the parade and waved to the crowd =ina  float created by Takeform.

Painted Sky Ranch and Mariah Meadows 4-H in Brockport brought 16 horses for the parade. The horses had red and green glitter and light-up clips on their manes and tails.

Red Rose Landscaping LLC of Tonawanda had a float with a religious message during the Christmas season.

4-H Heelers Dog Club had a colorful display for the parade.

The Eye of Oden K-9 Training in Kent brought a float and 13 dogs and handlers for the event.

The Medina Lions Club showed its pride.

Pro Hardware in Albion was a newcomer for the parade.

The Albion FFA had lots of fun on the parade route despite temperatures just above freezing.

Calvary Tabernacle had a scary Grinch in its float with a message: “You Shall Not Steal.”

The Roy-Hart FFA used a lot of lights for its Candy Land float.

The Medina Misfits wore costumes from peanuts and wore paper mache heads created by Jodi Rosenbeck, one of the misfits. The group includes many Medina business owners who enjoy getting together to have some fun, said Gloria Brent, one of the misfits.

Callie Gardner of Middleport waves to the crowd. The Gardner and Brown families created the gingerbread cookie and house float and were in the parade for the first time. Callie’s husband Jason is wearing the gingerbread cookie costume.

Todd Bensley served as the parade’s grand marshal.

The Medina transportation department for the school district returned to the parade for the first time since 2015 and had a patriotic display.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – This dog carries a Santa during the Pets on Parade today at noon in Medina. This year there were about 30 dogs in the procession, the most since pets were welcomed in a parade leading Santa to downtown Medina.

Santa is joined by an elf in making his arrival in downtown Medina. He visited kids in the Santa House at Rotary Park after the parade.

Medina band students played holiday favorites from a trailer.

Connor Tobin and his mother Jessica Tobin from Spencerport pulled puppies in wagons that are at PAWS Animal Shelter. Those dogs aren’t quite old enough to be adopted yet. PAWS volunteers brought seven dogs for the parade.

Gary Watts of Medina helps his granddaughter Charlotte McGrath, 11, squeeze into a costume of a Minion. Gary’s wife Robin made the costume. It is a new character for Medina’s parade.

Jessica Marciano wears an Olaf costume. She walked in the parade with her daughter, Cadence, 4.

Katy Owczarczak, left, and her daughter Aurora Owczarczak walk their dogs in the pet parade. Katy is with Gabe, a German shepherd, and Aurora walks with Meredith, an English cream retriever.

Santa gets a nice reception when he arrives at Rotary Park.

Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo on Main Street, is dressed as Santa. The tattoo business will be collecting toys until 8 p.m. today. Those toys will be distributed by Community Action of Orleans & Genesee and the Medina Area Association of Churches.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Jacob Rissew, a senior at Medina, wore the Santa suit and got off to a fast start in this morning’s Home for the Holidays 5K.

There were 158 participants in the race, the most in its 11 years.

Rissew wore the Santa suit as part of a community service requirement for a high school class. He said it ended up being a fun time.

Debbie Tompkins welcomes the runners to the race. They started in the canal basin and headed down Route 31 to State Street Park. They went to Bates Road and got on the towpath before turning at the lift bridge and heading back to the finish line in front of the American Legion Post on North Main Street.

Tompkins organizes the race with Teresa Wilkins. They thought the bigger crowd of runners and walkers was due to the beneficiary of the race: PAWS Animal Shelter.

Martha Snyder, 24, of Medina competes in the 5K with her dog, Koda. They are in front of a mural created last year by Brandi Zavitz under the Glenwood Avenue canal bridge.

Aeddon Cayea, 24, of Medina was the first male finisher in a time of 18:59, while Taylor Heschke, 20, of Appleton was the first female to cross the finish line in a time of 19:38.

Madeline Mark, 14, of Medina and her father Adam Mark head to the finish line. Madeline was among the fastest females with a time of 23:42.

This group of friends dressed up in holiday characters for the 5K. From left include Robin Wehling of Medina in the Grinch costume, Beverly Woodard as an elf and Leslie Mischel with a Grinch sweater.

Jeremy Weakland of Barker carried an American flag for the entire race.

“I’m a vet,” he said. “I love the reaction when people see the flag. It inspires them.”

This runner in a Santa hat goes by the Big Apple sculpture created by Richard Bannister.

Click here to see a schedule of events during today’s Olde Time Christmas, including the Parade of Lights at 6 p.m.

MEDINA – The Medina VFW Post is displaying a wall poster made by the kindergarten class at Lyndonville. Pictured include Dave Berry, left, junior vice president of the Lincoln VFW Post, and Allan Kropf, a Korean War-era veteran.

These veterans are pictured at the VFW Post in medina with cards made by the eighth grade History Club at Medina. Pictured with the cards includes from left, Bob Coon, Mark Traxler, Allan Kropf, Rick Forder, Mike Harmer, Michael Owczarczak, Post Commander Pat Little, Greg Smith, Dan Anderson and Bill Beach.

Photo courtesy of Jackie Dunham: Community Action’s new CFO Tina Schleede, standing, confers with executive director Renee Hungerford, during her first week on the job.

ALBION – Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is ready to kick off the holiday season with expectations of a busy schedule and announcement of a new chief financial officer.

Tina Schleede assumed the new position last week, after the former CFO left unexpectedly, according to Renee Hungerford, executive director of CAOG.

“Tina is very invested in the community and a great fit for our agency,” Hungerford said.

Schleede is an Orleans County native, born in Albion, raised in Lyndonville and living in Waterport with husband Scott. They have three children.

She is a graduate of RIT with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Previously she has been manager of Brown’s Berry Patch, an employee of CRFS for 15 years, general manager of Bald Eagle and Lure’s Restaurant during the pandemic and lastly, employed at Harris Seed.

“After 30 years in the corporate world, I decided to give non-profits a go,” Schleede said. “I’m hoping to make a difference, not just make a living.”

Schleede is familiar with Community Action, having done volunteer work there with her Girl Scout troop.

“I saw the job posted and thought this was a chance to work with a strong team of women,” Schleede said. “How could I resist.”

Schleede and Hungerford said they have exciting things in the works, including a whole new accounting system.

“We are trying to be more effective and efficient,” Hungerford said. “We are putting controls in place to make sure our resources go toward the greatest need.”

With the holidays approaching, Community Action is anticipating one of the busiest seasons ever. They distributed about 150 Thanksgiving meals. Food boxes contained turkey, potatoes, apples, carrots, squash, green beans, corn, eggs, stuffing, gravy, butter, cranberry sauce, Chex mix and brownie mix, according to Jeanette Worsley, case manager and health coach.

“Since Covid, the need for food is unprecedented,” Hungerford said. “Our outdoor refrigerators are in high demand.

Community Action maintains refrigerators at their main building on East State Street and the Main Street Corner Thrift, Gifts and More store on Main Street and at the headquarters on Clinton Street Road in Batavia. They are filled with foods such as fresh produce, milk and snacks.

John Pratt in losing effort had one of highest write-in tallies in recent memory

SHELBY – John Pratt, a current Shelby Town Board member, attempted a rare election phenomenon in Orleans County: winning as a write-in candidate in a contested race.

Pratt lost in his bid for a four-term as a town councilman, but his 422 write-in votes are the most for a write-in candidate in recent memory.

Pratt was outpolled by Linda Limina, 787 votes; and Jeff Schiffer, 532 votes.

Warren Kruger also mounted a write-in campaign in Kendall for highway superintendent and received 84 votes to Eric Maxon’s 432. Kruger has been the highway superintend for more than 30 years. He lost a Republican Primary to Maxon, and made a late bid as a write-in candidate.

Pratt didn’t get the Republican endorsement for re-election. He decided about five weeks before the election to run a write-in campaign. He knew the chances weren’t good.

“I knew it was going to be an uphill battle,” he said today. “Everybody said I did phenomenal. I went out and hit it hard.”

Pratt got a list of 1,500 active voters in Shelby and knocked on their doors. He went campaigning every day for three weeks leading up tot election, often joined by his wife Sharlene. Pratt took out ads, sent a mailer to residents explaining his position on the issues and advised them how to fill out a write-in vote. He also sent in letters to the editor.

In the end, it wasn’t enough to win.

Pratt said he will stay active at Town Board meetings, but will be out in the audience.

In recent local elections, two candidates were elected by write-in in Medina for the Village Board in March 2014. Marguerite Sherman and Michael Sidari were elected trustees. Sherman had 229 votes and Sidari 207 to win over candidates with names printed on the ballot: incumbents David Barhite, 175; and Patricia Crowley, 171.

Sidair would later go on to be elected mayor. Sherman also remains on the board today.

The biggest write-in victory may have been in November 2015 when Jim Simon pulled off an upset for Yates town supervisor, defeating incumbent John Belson.

Simon, with backing from the Save Ontario Shores citizens group, forced a GOP primary on Sept. 10, 2015, but lost to Belson, 153-146. The race was so close it went to the absentee ballots, with Belson winning.

In a rematch in November, Belson was ahead by 14 votes, 352 to 338 for Simon after the polls closed. But there were 86 absentees.

When those absentees were counted, Simon was victor with the final tally, 393 to 379.

Simon has won re-election every two years since then, and Belson has gone on to be Lyndonville mayor.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation S.7424/A.366A requiring camps and youth sports programs to establish automated external defibrillator, or AED, implementation plans and to have at least one person trained to properly use the AED at camps, games and practice.

“We all remember the terrifying moment when Damar Hamlin was injured, but young athletes at schools and camps could be exposed to similar risks,” Governor Hochul said. “By requiring camps and youth sports programs to establish an AED implementation plan, kids will be safer and teams will be prepared. I want every parent in New York to know: we’re doing everything we can to keep your kids safe.”

Legislation S.7424/A.366A, pursuant to changes agreed to with the Legislature, will require camps and youth sports programs with five or more teams participating to establish an AED implementation plan. Such plans will detail how AEDs will be made available or reasonably accessible at every camp, game or practice.

The AED implementation plans will also detail how the camps and programs will ensure that when practicable at least one employee, volunteer, coach, umpire or other qualified adult who has successfully completed a training course in the operation of an AED is present.

Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin said, “Growing up, in all the years that I played football, I don’t remember thinking about where an AED was located or who was trained to use one. I think that many people have had the same experience. My journey has shown us that no one expects cardiac arrest to happen – and we all need to be prepared. By requiring that at least one person is trained to properly use an AED at every sports event, camp and practice, this new law will help protect tens of thousands of kids in New York State – and is a really important step in saving lives.”

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “I am pleased that New York State will now require camps and many youth sport programs and leagues to develop a plan for AED access at all of their practices, games, and other events. More than 7,000 children experience cardiac emergencies each year, and too often an AED is not available. This legislation will make these programs safer and provide parents and young athletes with peace of mind.”

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

File photo: Kathy Hochul, when she was the state’s lieutenant governor, stopped at Case-Nic Cookies on Nov. 26, 2016 for Small Business Saturday. She bought a snack and chatted with store owner Mary Lou Tuohey. Medina Mayor Mike Sidari is in back.

Governor Kathy Hochul is encouraging New Yorkers to support local and regional small businesses during the holiday season – especially this Saturday for “Small Business Saturday,” which celebrates the dedication and spirit of the state’s small business owners.

Small businesses represent 98 percent of all New York State businesses, and support 40 percent of the private sector workforce. By shopping locally, New Yorkers invest revenue and tax dollars back into their communities, support jobs, and further promote regional economic growth.

“As the daughter of a small business owner, I know it takes hard work and perseverance to start and grow a business,” Governor Hochul said. “Since the beginning of my administration, we have made historic investments in New York’s small businesses, which provide jobs, boost local economies, and have a huge impact on communities across the state. This Small Business Saturday and every day, I encourage New Yorkers to shop locally.”

How to Support Small Businesses Every Day

• Shop local – Make efforts to shop at small, local stores in your community. By shopping small, you are stimulating your local economy since small business owners tend to purchase supplies and goods nearby.
• Purchase gift cards – Most small businesses, from your favorite restaurant, bar or coffee shop, your neighborhood specialty retailer, or your local hair salon, offer gift cards or gift certificates. By purchasing gift cards, it will inject needed investment into these businesses well past the holiday season.
• Head to your local farmer’s market – Many outdoor farmer’s markets may head indoors this time of year, but there are still many one of a kind, unique offerings. From hand-made crafts to seasonal greenery – your local farmer’s market is a great place to support local small businesses.
• Visit or order take out or delivery from your local bar or restaurant – Don’t forget to tip well. Restaurant workers were hit among the hardest by the pandemic. Many restaurants are still offering curbside delivery.
• Give positive reviews – If you have found a great product, meal, or service or even a great promotion or sale, let your friends and family know. Don’t forget to leave a great review on your social media feed. The best advertising is word-of-mouth.
• If you have to make a return, take a store credit over a refund if you can – This keeps the money within the small business and every little bit helps.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Small businesses are vital to our local economies; they are owned by our neighbors and friends and reinvest back into our communities. As we look ahead to Small Business Saturday, please remember to support your locally-owned businesses this weekend and all throughout the holiday season.”

MEDINA – The 15^th annual Medina Parade of Lights will have more than 40 entries including 18 first-time participants, said Jim Hancock, parade chairman.

“The will probably be our biggest parade ever,” Hancock. “We got them from all over – Gasport, Middleport, Webster, Wheatfield and Oakfield. I’m just amazed. It’s going to be really great.”

The parade starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue and works it way to downtown Medina.

Before the parade, the community Christmas tree will be lighted at 5:30 by parade grand marshal Todd Bensley. There will be fireworks at 5:45.

Prime Time Brass will perform in the downtown at the four corners while the crowd waits for the floats to arrive.

“It will be great parade this year,” Hancock said. “It’s going to be something.”

He thanked Assembly Steve Hawley for being the emcee for 12 years, and the Medina Department of Public Works, the Fire Department and the Police Department for all of their work to make the event a success.

The Medina Fire Department heads down Main Street with the a big crowd gathered to watch the annual parade last year on Nov. 26, 2022.

The parade is part of Medina’s Olde Tyme Christmas celebration. The activities begin at 9 a.m. with a 5K where many of the runners typically wear costumes of Christmas characters.

There is another parade at 11:30 a.m. and that “Pets on Parades” also has its biggest turnout for entries. Hancock said. That route starts at the Medina Historical Society and Ridgeway Town Hall on West Avenue and heads down Pearl Street and then to main Street in the downtown.

Santa will be at the end of that parade and will be in downtown Medina around noon.

Many of the businesses and organizations will be hosting events during the day. Click here to see the full schedule of activities.

There will also be the 7^th annual Parade of Lights Toy Drive from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Canalside Tattoo Company, at 540 Main St.