By Randy LeBaron

Good morning! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up. And let’s start this week right… TOGETHER!!!

A couple of weeks ago I started running again. The first time I ever really ran was back in 2011 when some friends started a program at my church called Run 4 God. It was basically a C25K (Couch to 5K) plan that would help someone go from not running at all to being able to run 3.1 miles without stopping.

Along the way Sid Bolton, a member of my church at the time and an avid runner, used to always joke that the only difference between a jogger and a runner was an entry form—in other words I would need to sign up for a race, and so I did. In fact, I signed up for a number of races including: the Unity 5K in St. Louis, MO, the Strawberry Fest 5K in Albion, the Firecracker 5 Mile in Fairport, the Cattaraugus Camp 5K, the Hospice Dash Half Marathon (13.1 miles) in Niagara Falls/Lewiston, and the Pumpkins in the Park 5K at Mendon Ponds (Does anyone recognize The Joker?)

I shared about this some in an earlier article, focusing on how my friends helped me finish the half marathon and then the following year, how my friend Jack Burris had to run it in my place. Well today I would like to pick up from there as I have recently come to the realization that learning to run again is a lot like learning to walk with grief after losing a loved one.

After attempting to run in the Strawberry Fest 5K in 2012, right after my mother’s passing, I ended up being hospitalized for 4 days after collapsing 2 miles in from exhaustion and stress. At that point I put my running shoes away only to pick them back up the next year as I started over in the Run 4 God program.

I did end up finishing the Strawberry Fest race that year but ultimately ended up getting hurt and having to sit on the sidelines for another season. Each year after I would try to get running again as I was motivated both internally, as I tried to get back in shape with the Healthy Orleans Program, as well as externally, like running in memory of my friend Wayne Burlison who died from cancer 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, every time I started over, I would seem to get laid up with everything from shin splints to spinal stenosis to shingles. Ultimately, I blamed getting older as the culprit and pretty much quit trying a few years back.

The reality though was that my propensity for getting injured was due to one primary factor—false expectations. Each time that I started to train I would be reminded of the fact that in 2011 I had run for 2 ½ hrs. non-stop over a distance of 13.1 miles and so I would push myself too hard, too fast, and try to go too long, too soon.

Even now I have a hard time slowing down to a walk when my App tells me to, but I am determined to do so because what I failed to realize with every other attempt was that I was no longer the same person that I was at the end of 2011. I was no in the same shape, I was no longer the same age, I was no longer as prepared, the list goes on. The fact is that if I am going have a chance at successfully starting, and finishing, this year’s Strawberry Fest race I need to train as if I am doing it for the first time as a 50 year old rather than trying to live in the past.

So, what does this have to do with grieving? Well, what I have discovered through personal experience, as well as coming beside others through my work for Hospice, is that people often begin the grieving process with false expectations. They either think they know exactly what to expect because they have experienced some form of grief in the past or they want to go back to who they were before their loved one died so much so that they try to speed up the grieving process. As you probably guessed, there are problems with both of these approaches.

In the first scenario it should be noted that not only does everyone grieve differently but also that every grief experience is different. Losing a parent is not the same as losing a spouse or a child and if someone has multiple losses in a short period of time, they may find themselves not grieving fully until after the final one.

As with running races, where you need to train uniquely for each one—not relying on your previous training, you need to expect to grieve each loss in a unique way. With the second scenario, you need to understand that you are not the same person that you were before the death of your loved one and pretending that you are or hurrying up the grief process to get back to “normal” is futile,  it will only cause you get injured and have to start all over again.

Another lesson I learned from running that can applied to grieving is to do it in community. I have always run better when training in with others. I find encouragement and inspiration from those who are on the same journey. Similarly, there is a lot to be said about walking through grief in community. Not only can you find encouragement from others, but you can learn to pace yourself alongside them as well.

If anyone is interested in coming out to the Grief Support Group that I lead through Hospice of Orleans, we will be meeting this month on Tuesday, April 9th at 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Albion (30 W. Park St.) and on Tuesday, April 23rd at 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Medina (203 W. Center St.) All are welcome.

See you in two weeks!

Pastor Randy

Confection Connection opened in August, with bigger plans for future

Photos by Tom Rivers: Becky Harris, owner of Confection Connection at 223 South Main St., holds a plate of eclipse-themed cookies.

ALBION – Becky Harris embraces a challenge when she is in the kitchen, and she likes to put her talents to the test in celebrating a big event, whether it’s her wedding day or the upcoming eclipse.

Harris opened Confection Connection, a bakery with coffee in August at the corner of Meadowbrook Drive and South Main Street. She and her husband Adrian Harris moved from Lancaster to Albion so she could run the bakery out of their new home. The property also has space for him to grow vegetables as an organic farmer.

The Albion site is zoned commercial and was previously Paradise Healing Arts, and was once used by a dentist.

“Everybody has stories about this house,” Harris said.

Becky and Adrian married in 2016. One of Becky’s goals for the big day was to make her own wedding cake. She made several practice cakes leading up to her wedding, and shared them with friends and family.

“I kept practicing, and was getting better and better,” she said.

She developed devoted fans by sharing those “practice cakes.” They were so good, her friends urged her to consider opening a bakery.

Harris took their advice, and soon the bakery was taking up more and more of her Lancaster home. The Albion location has room for the bakery, a commercial kitchen and their home.

Harris said she has been baking since she was a kid under her grandmother’s tutelage. She continues to add new creations, whether an éclair or the new eclipse cookies. She wanted to help the community celebrate the total eclipse on April 8.

Vanilla buttercream frosting is in between eclipse cookies made with vanilla and chocolate dough.

She makes the eclipse cookies in a range of phases of the moon obstructing the sun. She cuts out portions of circles in vanilla and chocolate dough, and then pieces them together to create the cookies. She make them into a cookie sandwich by putting vanilla buttercream frosting in between.

“I wanted to do something and be a part of all the events going on this weekend,” she said.

Harris still has loyal customers from the Lancaster area. She wants to make the Albion business bigger. She welcomes in-store traffic to 223 South Main St., where she also sells coffee and cold brew drinks. She bought the coffee-making equipment from the Coffee Joint after it closed in downtown Albion.

She also sells her bread at Navarra’s, pies at the Downtown Browsery and makes rolls for the sandwiches at the Wild Flour Deli and Bakery.

Harris is looking to upgrade her food certificate with the Health Department from a food handler to food manager. She would like to offer a sit-down area and serve sandwiches, soups and salads – as well as the array of baked goods. Some of the items would include vegetables and produce grown by her husband in a “farm to oven” concept.

That expanded menu might be at a different location in Albion. Harris is looking for a shop to accommodate all of her goals.

For now, she encourages people to stop by the bakery at 223 South Main, which is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“I want to welcome anyone to come in,” Harris said.

She also welcomes ideas from customers on new flavors or creations.

“I never say no, which is a blessing and a curse,” Harris said. “But I’m up for a challenge.”

Fireworks tonight around 8 caps today’s activities

Photos by Tom Rivers: Natalie Ricci (left), senior administrative assistant at the Cornell Cooperative Extensive, and Katie Oakes, horticulture educator, show the eclipse-themed T-shirts and a tote bag that will be available at the Fairgrounds the next three days.

KNOWLESVILLE – The Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds expects to be a busy place today through Monday with many eclipse-themed activities to help people get ready for Monday’s total eclipse in the afternoon.

The fairgrounds also is hosting the Chamber of Commerce’s Home Garden & Outdoor Show. That event include vendors today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and then on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will also be food vendors for that show, highlighted by a chicken barbecue today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza on Sunday.

The eclipse events today include kids’ activities from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., a S’More Party at 6 p.m. presented by Orleans Koinonia Kitchen, a cowboy sing-along hour and then fireworks at around 8 p.m.

On Sunday, there will be kids’ activities during the day, a campfire sing-a-long and S’Mores from 7 to 9 p.m., and then a glow stick party with a DJ at 8:30 p.m.

On Monday, there will be daytime kids’ activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., including samples of astronaut food. Food vendors will be there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The partial eclipse starts at 2:04 p.m. and goes until 4:30 p.m. with totality from 3:18 to 3:22.

The Extension has eclipse glasses available “until they run out,” said Robert Batt, the Extension director.

Erica “Joan” Wanecski, left, and Eileen Sorochty get the master gardeners display ready on Friday. The master gardeners are among the vendors during this weekend’s Home Garden & Outdoor Show.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jeff Lewis, director of the Medina Railroad Museum, holds a picture of an E8 locomotive, which was used by the New York Central when it was in operation. The museum owns the only two of the engines in existence painted in the iconic lightning strike pattern.

MEDINA – Medina Railroad Museum’s director Jeff Lewis has had a busy few months since taking on the new job in January.

His current project is applying for the plaque which designates the building’s historic status.

According to Lewis, the Railroad Museum founder Marty Phelps started researching a historic marker in 1995, when he applied for historic status for the building. In 1997, New York Parks, Recreation and Historic Places granted the museum a designation as a member of the downtown historic district.

The Main Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It included the parcel on which the Medina Railroad Museum stands as a portion of historic district. If the Freight House was listed separately on the registry as a historic building it would assist the museum in attracting restoration funding.

“We would like to get designation for the building to enhance our efforts to attract restoration resources,” Lewis said. “We have to apply again and ask to have the building added to the historic register.”

The building which houses the Medina Railroad Museum was built in 1905 and is 301 feet long and 34 feet wide. It is purported to be the largest, existing wooden freight station in the United States. It was built by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company and replaced an earlier freight station which outgrew the shipping needs of the burgeoning community of Medina.

It was reported the single industry which most contributed to the development of the village was the establishment of H.J. Heinz Co. plant in 1899. This plant, located west of the Railroad Museum on Park Avenue, is today known as the Olde Pickle Factory.

The museum building operated as a freight station until 1965 when it was converted into a furniture warehouse. A lifelong railroad fan, Phelps purchased the building in 1991 and began transforming it into the railroad museum.

Contributing elements to be added to the Historic District include the freight station and that portion of railroad tracks which extends from the present district boundary to the western edge of the nominated parcel.

Lewis explained this effort is in preparation for a capital campaign next year and celebration of the building’s 120th anniversary.

He is also going to apply for a Tag Grant from New York State Preservation to put together a renovation plan which will address new gutters to take water away from the foundation.

“We need to address it now so it doesn’t get out of control,” Lewis said.

He said the museum will do a bunch of things next year in honor of the special anniversary. This includes selling bricks for a walkway to the trains as part of a legacy program.

In other museum business, the board has recently had the two E8 locomotives they own appraised. If enough money is raised to put in a siding, the E8s could be displayed there for the public to view.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health is urging residents to take action in the New York State Broadband Challenge Portal to enhance broadband coverage across the state.

In information provide by Scott Robinson, director of marketing at Orleans Community Health, he reports as an organization committed to advancing community health and well-being, Orleans Community Health recognizes the critical role of reliable internet connectivity in accessing essential healthcare resources.

Access to high-quality internet service is imperative, according to Robinson, particularly in the healthcare sector. Reliable connectivity enables individuals to access crucial health information. However, numerous communities continue to face challenges related to inadequate broadband infrastructure, he said.

“We believe that everyone deserves equitable access to reliable internet service, especially when it comes to accessing essential healthcare resources,” Robinson said. “Participating in the New York State Broadband Challenge Portal empowers residents to contribute towards identifying areas in need of improved broadband coverage, ultimately, fostering better healthcare outcomes for our community.”

The public engagement process facilitated by the Broadband Challenge Portal enables residents to access their internet speeds and provide feedback on service quality. This data will play a pivotal role in directing broadband infrastructure investments to areas where they are most needed, ensuring equitable access to healthcare resources and services for all.

Orleans Community Health is actively engaged in supporting efforts to expand and improve broadband coverage in the region. For those interested in participating, but unable to due to internet service, they are encouraged to visit the local library for needed resources. Residents interested in participating in the New York State Broadband Challenge Portal can follow these steps:

Confirm the internet speed subscribed to by your household. This information can be found in communications from your internet service provider or in your provider’s subscriber portal.

Click here to conduct a speed test and save the results. After completing the first test, you will receive e-mail reminders to complete two additional speed tests on separate days.

Click here to submit public comments. Select “Speed” when asked about the type of comment you are submitting. Upload copies of your speed test results and submit your public comment.

Improving broadband coverage is crucial not only for accessing healthcare resources, but also for advancing economic development, education and overall quality of life, Robinson said. Orleans Community Health encourages residents to actively contribute to shaping the future of internet connectivity in New York state through participation in the Broadband Challenge Portal.

By Tom Rivers and Ginny Kropf

CHILDS – With an influx of visitors expected in the area for the eclipse, the Cobblestone Museum is opening this weekend. The museum normally opens for the season on Mother’s Day Weekend.

The museum, a National Historic Landmark, has many programs and events planned starting today through Monday. The museum wants to be part of the eclipse on Monday. Orleans County is in the path of totality for the eclipse, which hasn’t happened locally since January 1925.

“We don’t know what to expect,” said museum director Doug Farley. “There could be record crowds in the area out looking for something to do.”

The museum opened today with tours available and eclipse-themed merchandise for sale.

Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper gave a talk today on “Spring Cleaning: Whose Idea Was That?”

Cooper didn’t want to speak specifically about the eclipse, but wanted a topic that tied in with the sun. She said the longer days of sunlight in the spring often awakened people, especially housewives, to give their homes a thorough cleaning.

The houses needed it after a winter of burning coal. That left homes with lots of dust, especially when chimneys were cleaned.

Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper gives a talk at the Cobblestone Universalist Church today entitled, “Spring Cleaning: Whose Idea Was That?” She is holding two carpet beaters that were used to knock dust and debris from rugs. Cooper said the spring sunshine was an impetus for people to do the arduous task of ridding their homes of dust that accumulated over the winter.

Cooper, speaking today the museum, said the early settlers didn’t have many possessions, arriving with clothes, food, tools and some supplies. Gradually they acquired things.

Rugs were a nemesis to clean in the spring. Cooper, during her talk, shows carpet beaters from more than a century ago that were used to free dust and disintegrated straw from rugs.

She found notices in old newspapers invited the community for spring cleaning at cemeteries, post offices and local roads.

Cooper will give her presentation again at 2:30 on Saturday at the Cobblestone Church.

The schedule of events from Saturday to Monday includes:

Saturday

• The events begin with blacksmithing demonstrations at the forge in the blacksmith shop from 10 a.m. to noon.
• From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., docents will share the history of the three cobblestone buildings on campus and the Vagg house.
• At 10:30 a.m., Susan Starkweather Miller, Albion village historian, will share “History in the Headlines: 1925 Total Eclipse” in the cobblestone church sanctuary.
• From noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting, an auto show will take place behind the Cobblestone Church.
• At 2:30 p.m., Cooper will again present “Spring Cleaning: Whose Idea was That” in the cobblestone sanctuary.

Sunday

• On Sunday, blacksmithing demonstrations will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at the forge in the Blacksmith Shop.
• From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., docents will share the history of the three cobblestone buildings and the Vagg House.
• At 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., retired Cobblestone Museum director Bill Lattin will present “Church Stories You Don’t Hear at Church” in the Cobblestone Church sanctuary.
• At 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Lattin will share “Farm Stories” in the church sanctuary.
• The auto show will again be on display (weather permitting) from noon to 3 p.m.

Monday

• On Monday, tours will be available at 10 a.m.
• From noon to 2 p.m., refreshments will be available for guests with an upgraded admission fee, or sold while supplies last.
• Local vocalist Hannah Brewer will entertain from noon to 2 p.m. at the Visitor’s Center.

The Gift Shop and Holiday Shoppe located in the lower level of the church will be open daily, featuring solar eclipse souvenirs. Also open will be the self-service used books building behind the brick house.

 Guests are advised the Gift Shop/Holiday Shoppe will be closed during the solar eclipse. Hours will be posed inside the Gift Shop.

 Self-guided exhibits will include “Mourning Art and Sundries” in the Upper Gallery of the brick house; artwork by Tom Zangerle and 19th century painters and more than 20 historic coverlets from the 1800s in the Visitor’s Center.

Public restrooms are available behind the Ward House. Anyone requiring access to the unisex bathrooms located in the Visitor’s Center or brick house should ask the volunteer at each location.

Public meeting set for April 29 at Town Hall

Press Release, Town of Barre

BARRE – The Town of Barre is updating its Comprehensive Plan and wants to hear from residents. The Town’s appointed Comprehensive Plan Committee will hold a public open house on Monday, April 29, at the Barre Town Hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.

Residents, landowners, and others interested in the future of the Town of Barre are invited to drop in any time between 4 and 7 p.m. The Town’s planning consultant will give a brief presentation on the Comprehensive Plan and the Community Survey at 4:15, 5:15 and 6:15 p.m.

The Town of Barre launched a Community Survey to help the Comprehensive Plan Committee better understand residents’ issues and priorities. The survey is available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BarreCommunitySurvey.

Residents may also call the Town Clerk at (585) 589-5100 to request a paper copy of the survey. Barre residents who complete the survey by April 15 will be eligible for a drawing to win $100.

The Comprehensive Plan will set goals and recommend actions to guide town decisions regarding:

• Land use and zoning
• Neighborhood Preservation and Housing
• Business and Economic Development
• Housing and Residential Quality of Life
• Agriculture & Farmland
• Natural Resources & Environmental Protection
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Government and Community Services

For more information, please contact Comprehensive Plan Committee chair George McKenna at (585) 738-4875 or planning consultant Barbara Johnston at (585) 295-6636.

Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments

Have you ever wondered why someone vapes even after learning about the dangers and effects from it?

There are hidden facts behind the range of colors and flavors associated with e-cigarettes. From addictive nicotine to harmful chemicals, the dangers of vaping are real. It is time to clear the air and learn about the risks of vaping.

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, heat a liquid to create an aerosol, or mixture of tiny particles in the air. There are many different names for e-cigarettes, including “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS),” “tank systems,” “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” and “vapes.”

The Public Health Law’s Article 13-E, sometimes referred to as the Clean Indoor Air Act, has grown in New York State to ban smoking and vaping, and prohibit the sale or distribution of nicotine vapor products with unique flavors, such as e-cigarettes.

However, the use of e-cigarettes by teenagers is on the rise, and sale of these devices to teenagers is illegal. According to the 2021 CLYDE Survey administered in schools in Genesee and Orleans Counties by UConnectCare (formally GCASA), it was reported that 19.7% of 11th graders reported vaping with nicotine in the previous 30 days, and 11.1% reported vaping with marijuana during the same time period.

Vaping is dangerous and can have unknown long-term impacts:

• Nicotine is in most e-cigarettes and is extremely addictive. Nicotine can damage adolescent brain development, which lasts into the early to mid-20s.
• Youth who use nicotine have a higher chance of developing a substance use disorder.
• Young people might see vaping as a way to cope with stress or anxiety. Yet, an addiction to nicotine can lead to stress.
• Long-term e-cigarette use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by severely harming the body’s blood vessel function.
• According to the American Psychiatric Association, having symptoms of depression increases the likelihood of a teen using e-cigarettes. Using e-cigarettes is associated with worsening symptoms of depression.
• Vaping devices may contain vitamin E acetate. According to research, inhaling vitamin E acetate may cause problems for normal lung function.

“Unlike cigarettes, vaping is often easy to hide due to its discrete nature,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “The devices used for vaping sometimes look like USB drives or pens. E-cigarettes also do not have a lingering odor, making it easier for individuals to vape without drawing attention. This causes challenges to parents, teachers and other authorities to detect and stop vaping.”

Signs that your child or someone you know might be vaping include:

• Increased Thirst. Vaping is hydroscopic, which means that it dehydrates the skin of the throat and mouth. People who vape are left with a dry mouth as a result. The body naturally wants a drink to fight dehydration as a result.
• Among teenagers, JUULs, which are slim devices that look like USB flash drives, and vape pens that mimic regular pens, are the most popular e-cigarettes. If you come across an odd-looking pen or USB drive, it could possibly be an e-cigarette.
• Mood swings. After inhaling nicotine, users may get a brief rush, but this feeling quickly wears off making their mood less consistent.

Get Help Today

If you are interested in quitting, or someone you know needs help quitting, help is available:

• Visit the New York State Smokers’ Quitline for quit-smoking and quit-vaping programs, or call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487), to apply for a free starter kit of nicotine medications and to talk to a quit coach.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about medications and counseling to help you manage cravings. Most health insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover services to help you quit.

For more information about GO Health programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or contact your local health department at

• Orleans County: (585) 589-3278
• Genesee County: (585) 344-2580 ext. 5555

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The dome of the Orleans County Courthouse was illumined in red on Thursday evening for a “Fire Up NY Red” campaign for firefighter recruitment and retention.

The courthouse will be lighted up in red from April 1 to April 14 for “Fire Up NY Red.”

The Firefighters Association of the State of New York said the volunteer firefighter ranks have plunged by 33 percent in the state in the past two decades.

The “Fire Up NY Red” campaign coincides with the start of RecruitNY weekend on Saturday, April 13. Many fire departments around the state will have open houses that day to try to recruit new members.

FASNY President Edward Tase, Jr. urges firehouses statewide to glow red in the week leading up to RecruitNY. He also urged firefighters to light their homes and businesses with red lights.

The red lights symbolize their commitment to a tradition of neighborly help and the need for more volunteers. Additionally, Tase called on residents to join the effort by switching on red porch lights in support of their local fire departments.