The staff at KeyBank in Albion dressed up in costumes for Halloween today. Pictured from left include: Chelsea Goodman, Kati Draper, Connie Harrison, Lisa Wass, Nancy MacPhee, Nicole Nawotka and Brenda Gabrielson.

At Hoag Library in Albion, a skeleton is joined in this photo by, from left: Elizabeth Haibach, Betty Sue Miller and Michael Weller.

Employees at Ontario Shores Federal Credit Union’s Medina branch are in the Halloween spirit. Pictured form left include Dilon Cowell, Exzilda Warriner, Alyssa Winder, Joe Zeliff, Traci Nugent, Bree Luckman, Sue Schrader and Michelle Plummer.

Medina 7th and 8th grade teams dressed as wrestlers from the 1980s today. The front row includes Kayla Rosenbeck and Mark Fitzpatrick. The back row, from left, includes Kristen Pedersen, Collin Scheiber, Joe Byrne, Zach Harris, Eileen Regan, Tim Lincoln, Mindy Hill, Jeff Dole and Christian Held.

Other work places that dressed up are welcome to see photos to news@orleanshub.com and please identify the people in the picture.

The four villages in Orleans County have set times for people to be out trick-or-treating this evening.

• Medina, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Albion, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
• Holley, from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Lyndonville, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Orleans County Emergency Management Office encourages kids out trick-or-treating to stay visible with a reflective bag, use face paint rather than masks, wear light-colored costumes which are easier to see in the dark, always use a cross walk to get to the other side of the street, and fire-proof pumpkins by lighting them with glow sticks instead of candles.

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Museum will host Marty Schlabach from the Finger Lakes region, who will present an educational program at 1 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Thompson-Kast Visitors Center on the Cobblestone’s Orleans County 19th’s century coverlet collection.

The event will include a guided tour of the coverlet collection. A free will donation will be accepted.

Title of the program is “Orleans County Coverlets and their Weavers: What Have We Learned?”

Marty Schlabach

Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Museum, describes coverlets as “woven bedcovers.”

“In the 19th century, most American homes had spinning wheels and looms,” Farley explained. “A wide array of types of cloth was woven by the women of the family for household use, including geometric patterned coverlets. There were also professional weavers who wove specialty textiles and earned some or all of their living practicing their trade. Figured & Fancy coverlets were one of the specialty items and they required specialty equipment, usually only found in the professional weave shop.”

Following an introduction to coverlets, the coverlet weavers of Orleans County will be highlighted in this presentation, Farley said.

Schlabach became interested in coverlets though his wife, Mary Jean Welser. She has been interested in and collected textiles for many years, with a particular interest in quilts. Some time, more than 10 years ago, while pawing through a pile of textiles at a local estate sale, Welser came across two whole late 18th century quilts and one geometric patterned coverlet. This started their interest in, exploration and collection of coverlets.

As a retired librarian, Schlabach particularly enjoys the historical research associated with learning about coverlets and their weavers. He continues his interest in libraries as president of the board of the Interlaken Public Library.

He is a member of the board of the National Museum of the American Coverlet in Bedford, Pa., and two years ago, started a monthly online coverlet study group. In addition to their interest in coverlets, Marty and Mary Jean spend substantial time gardening and working on their 1840s Greek Revival farmhouse.

Reservations for the coverlet program are strongly suggested by calling (585) 589-9013 or e-mailing director@cobblestonemuseum.org.

Provided photos

ALBION – Chet Fery speaks in the Albion Middle School Auditorium on Friday when he shared a message about kindness with students in grades 6-8.

Fery, a retired Gates-Chili school administrator, also brought many loaves of bread which he gave away.

Fery is known as “Chet the Bread Man.” He has shared more than 100,000 loaves of bread in the past 20 years.

Fery, a Brockport resident, makes many public appearances and tells “Bread Time Stories” to the crowd. His message: the power of kindness to create a positive and accepting school atmosphere.

He encouraged students to do acts of kindness at school, in the community and at home.

“Kindness amazes me,” Fery said. “Feel it and you want to share it . Share it and you create a ripple of kindness. I believe we return to places we feel kindness. Restaurants, banks, grocery stores, hair salons, libraries and more become something special when we receive a feeling of kindness in addition to good service and value.”

The students were engaged with Fery’s message on Friday.

The unemployment rate in Orleans County was at 3.2 percent in September, up slightly from the 3.1 percent a year earlier, the state Department of Labor reported.

The state Department Labor reports 16,800 were working in the county in both September 2022 and 2023, but the number of unemployed increased from 500 to 600 (numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred).

The unemployment rates in Orleans County so far in 2023 include 4.8 percent in January, 4.3 percent in February, 4.0 percent in March, 2.9 percent in April, 3.1 percent in May, 3.3 percent in June, 3.5 percent in July, 4.0 percent in August and 3.2 percent in September.

Here is how that 3.2 percent for Orleans compares to other nearby counties in September:

• Genesee, 2.7 percent
• Livingston, 2.9 percent
• Wyoming, 2.9 percent
• Monroe, 3.4 percent
• Niagara, 3.4 percent
• Erie, 3.4 percent

The national unemployment rate is up too from 3.3 percent in September 2022 to 3.6 percent last month. State-wide the rate moved from 3.6 percent in September 2022 to 4.0 percent last month.

The U.S. has 2.67 million more people working in that period for 161.67 million total, while New York has 88,000 more employed from September 2022 to 9.35 million total last month, according to the DOL.

Photos and information courtesy of Medina Band Boosters

Medina competed with seven schools in the Small School 1 Division and was seventh with a score of 85.350.

SYRACUSE – The NYS Field Band Conference celebrated its 51st anniversary on Sunday with the championships at the JMA Dome (formerly the Syracuse Carrier Dome).

More than 5,000 high school band members participated in 54 marching bands, including one from Pennsylvania and another from New Jersey for 14 hours of competition.

There are six different classifications. Large school classifications represent districts with more that 4,000 students while small school classifications represent districts with 4,000 or less students.

There were guest performances by the University of Buffalo “Thunder of the East” and Syracuse University’s “Pride of the Orange” to show students that their marching band career doesn’t have to end after high school. An audience of approximately 9,000 was expected.

It was a busy week for the Medina students with lots of practice, a Senior Recognition ceremony on Wednesday topped off with a Dome Breakfast on Sunday morning as a form of pep rally.

Director Matthew Jaeger addressed his students beforehand with words of encouragement reminding them of their accomplishments from the start of band camp in August to their performance at the Dome.  Their success for the season isn’t measured just by their standing at the Dome, but by their overall growth in the season and how they represent the school and the Medina community.

The 1st place winners in each classification were: SS3 – Mahanasen  (83.72); SS2 – Phoenix (89.15); LS3 – Greece (86.92); LS2 – Hicksville (91.15); SS1 – Mineola (93.55); National – Cicero-North Syracuse (96.35).

Every band that participated in the Field Band Conference is a winner no matter what their score or placement in their class. Congratulations are in order to every school that sponsors and supports their marching band, giving these students an opportunity for individual growth as well as a life lesson in working as a team. Medina will begin preparing for their holiday concerts and spring street show.

Seniors in the band include from left: Chad Brigham, Emma Jacobs, Alex Balaban, Caiden Class, Elaina Huntington and Madisynn Stanton.

Photos courtesy of Andy King, art teacher at Kendall Central School

KENDALL – About 50 students in grades 3 to 6 at Kendall rode their bikes to school on Friday morning. They met at the Kendall Highway Garage and then rode to the school.

Students learned how to share the road with motorists in a presentation by the school resource officer. The weather cooperated for the ride from the Kendall Highway Department on Crandall Avenue to the elementary school on Kendall Road.

Kids received buttons made by school librarian Alicia Charland and her students.

Kevin Watson, the elementary school principal, joined the students for the ride.

Students rode in a procession down Kendall Road.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CASTILE – Letchworth State Park in Wyoming County was a busy place this past weekend with people taking in the autumnal colors along the gorge.

Many parts of the state are past peak fall foliage, with Orleans County and the GLOW region in the peak and just past peak, according to the weekly fall foliage report from the state’s I Love NY program.

The park has significant leaf droppage along its winding roads, but many of the leaves, in bright shades of orange and yellow, are still on the trees.

This group stops along one of the overlooks at Letchworth on Saturday.

Gas prices have been dropping during October, down 9 cents in Orleans – from an average $3.871 a gallon for regular unleaded on Oct. 9 to $3.782 today, according to AAA.

In the past month, the price has dropped about 15 cents state-wide, from $3.897 to $3.743 today, according to AAA.

Here are the average prices today for counties in Western New York:

• Orleans, $3.782
• Genesee, $3.753
• Wyoming, $3.841
• Livingston, $3.830
• Monroe, $3.765
• Niagara, $3.687
• Erie, $3.779
• Chautauqua, $3.670
• Cattaraugus, $3.721
• Allegany, $3.826

AAA issued this statement about gas prices being down: “According to the latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased while total domestic gasoline stocks increased slightly. Lower gas demand, alongside declining oil prices, has contributed to pushing pump prices down. If oil prices continue to descend, drivers can expect further price drops at the pump in the weeks ahead.

“Oil is trading in the $84-$89 per barrel range this morning, down a few dollars from last week.”

AAA reports there is mixed data when it comes to diesel prices. The national average price for diesel is $4.47, down three cents from last Monday, and down from $5.31 a year ago. The New York average for diesel is $4.68, down two cents from a week ago, and lower than $5.83 one year ago.

HOLLEY – A bald eagle made from recycled materials – a coat hanger, fabric, buttons for eyes and sun flower seeds for talons – has won first place in the state and national VFW 3-D patriotic art contests.

Kayla Neale, 17, created the sculpture. She is a senior at Holley Junior-Senior High School. She won $150 in the state contest and then $2,500 in the national competition.

The eagle is well traveled, going to Albany for the state event and Phoenix, Arizona for the national convention.

He is currently back at the Neale home in Holley.

“I like having this guy around,” Kayla said at her sculpture while at Valley View Circle home on Saturday. She is the daughter of Kerri and Krista Neale. “I like the way he turned out.”

But the eagle won’t be home for too long. Kayla is donating it to the local VFW in Holley to be on display.

She will use the $2,500 from the grand prize towards college expenses. She would like to go to Rochester Institute of Technology to study in the illustration department with a minor in sculpture.

Kayla used common objects she found around the art room and her Holley home to make the bald eagle sculpture. She unraveled a coat hanger and used that wire to make a skeleton for the eagle. She made the body out of paper and wrapped it in masking tape to make it more solid.

The beak and feet were wrapped in yarn and then covered in Elmer’s glue. She used scrap fabric to make the feathers. She painted two buttons for the eyes and added sunflower seeds for the bird’s talons.

Her final touch was a small ash log as a foundation to secure the eagle.

The entire sculpture couldn’t weigh more than 5 pounds, or be taller or wider than 18 inches. She estimates she spent 30 hours on the project.

The entry for the contests also included an essay about bald eagles.

“Like this sculpture, America has been crafted with a lot of different material throughout time,” Neale wrote in her essay. “The different fabrics that make up the eagle’s exterior are different textures, colors and materials; she is much like the people of America. Her physical appearance is insignificant to what’s important, her structure and foundation.”

Neale is eager to get to work on the sculpture for the 2024 contest. She said it will have a Statue of Liberty theme.

She also is working on an art project at school. This is a 2-dimensional creation. She would like to borrow mementoes from veterans – hats, medals and other memorabilia. She would take a photo of those to use as a reference for a painting. Anyone willing to let her borrow a memento should contact her father, Kerri, at (585) 749-1926.

Kayla said she likes the artistic process of gradually creating a piece.

“It is fun watching it all come together,” she said.

Raymond Santoro’s new book is a hot-seller

Photo by Tom Rivers: Raymond Santoro hold a copy of his book, “Haunted Holley – Tales of Ghosts, Miracles and Unexplained Mysteries.” The 144-page book shares some of the supernatural experiences Santoro has experienced or heard about in the Holley area.

HOLLEY – Raymond Santoro suspects everyone has had experiences with the supernatural, but they probably don’t talk about it too much.

They don’t want people to think they’re strange, or to say things that may seem contrary to their religious upbringing and views. They also might not be certain about just what they saw, or heard, or felt.

Santoro has compiled a book about some of his experiences, and those that his Holley friends and neighbors have shared. The result is a 144-page book: “Haunted Holley – Tales of Ghosts, Miracles and Unexplained Mysteries.”

“I wanted to write this so people would know that if these things happen to you, you shouldn’t feel afraid or embarrassed,” Santoro said. “I wanted people to know you’re not alone.”

Provided photos: Raymond Santoro holds a copy of his book during an event Oct. 18 at the Hillside Cemetery Chapel.

He has sold about 400 copies of the book already in the first two weeks it has been out. He signed copies on Saturday at the Murray-Holley Historical Society from noon until 3 p.m. He had a book talk on Oct. 18 at the Hillside Cemetery Chapel and sold about 100 copies for $10 each.

Santoro will give a talk “Tales of Ghosts and Unexplained Mysteries” and sign copies of his book at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse, 3286 Gaines Basin Rd.

Santoro, 64, is retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He splits time between Holley and Arizona. He has written books about his family, including a 30-year project, “From Italy to the United States – The Santoro Family,” which came out in 2019.

“Haunted Holley” is his first book for the general public. Santoro said it has people talking, and sharing some of their own experiences with ghosts or some supernatural force.

He has received the most comments about an anecdote with his childhood friend, Paul Rocco. It was December 1974, and Santoro was using a Ouija board with some of his buddies. They asked the board who would be the next person to die in Holley. The board spelled out Paul Rocco, and said he would die by strangulation. Paul was only 12 at the time.

A few days later, Santoro heard the sirens in Holley. Paul was out using a snowblowing and his long scarf got caught in the machine. It pulled the scarf tight around his neck. He was choking and turned blue. The ambulance crew was able to be revive him and Rocco went on to be a music star, playing guitar with the Chesterfield Kings. Rocco would die at age 47 from liver complications.

Santoro, a founding member of the Murray-Holley Historical Society in 1985, has spoken with many people in Holley and he concludes many of the homes are not necessarily “haunted” but “occupied” by ghosts and a supernatural presence.

People tell him about doors that open and close mysteriously, including one at a home on West Albion Street that not only shut, but was bolted mysteriously, with the owners locked out and needing the police for help to get inside. Santoro said the residents in the home reported seeing an apparition of a scary man upstairs “dressed funny.” Other times an unplugged microwave came on, prompting the owner to throw it outside.

“My key take away from this collection of experiences is there is definitely an afterlife,” Santoro writes in the conclusion of the book. “I know some of these stories may be in direct conflict with the Good Book, but I can say with absolute certainty that earthly death does not necessarily mean the end.”

A good-size crowd turned out for Santoro’s book-signing and talk on Oct. 18 at the Hillside Cemetery Chapel. He will be signing copies of the book at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse.

Santoro believes there are ghosts that are harmless, and others that are more sinister. He said people need to be wary about inviting in an evil presence.

“There is some form of continuation beyond this reality, and I will leave it to the philosophers and clerics to debate and hammer out the specifics of what that may be,” Santoro concluded.

The book is available at the Author’s Note bookstore in Medina, Cobblestone Museum in Gaines, Clarendon Town Hall, Community Free Library in Holley, and the Murray-Holley Historical Society.

MEDINA – The Grove United Methodist Church on Saturday celebrated the 10th anniversary of being located in the former Apple Grove Inn.

The event started with an open house at 1 p.m. and a worship service at 2, followed by refreshments.

Kathie McMoil, a member, lay leader, chair of the board of trustees and event coordinator, headed the celebration, which was attended by former pastor the Rev. Jim Maxwell and his wife Mary and the most recent pastor, Liz Aristy.

Members of the Grove United Methodist Church chat with their former pastor, the Rev. Jim Maxwell and his wife Mary prior to a service Saturday to celebrate the church’s 10 years in the former Apple Grove Inn. From left are Kathie McMoil, the Maxwells, Jan Toal and Linda Blanc.

The Rev. Maxwell served as pastor for 12 years before retiring. He was pastor when the church, previously located on West Center Street, was identified as being in need of extensive repair.

“The brick in the old building was crumbling and it wasn’t handicap accessible,” McMoil said. “It was cost prohibitive to try and fix it, over $1 million. We established a visioning committee to look at alternatives – whether to buy land and build a new church or find an existing building and remodel it.”

Realizing it would also be very expensive to buy land and build, the committee started looking seriously for an existing building.

“We found this place, which had been vacant for several years and made the owners an offer, which they accepted,” McMoil said.

The Rev. Paul Adell and his wife Twanya greet the Rev. Mike Breuning, who participated in the Grove United Methodist Church’s 10-year celebration on Saturday by giving the re-dedication prayer.

In June 2011, the Methodists started the process of remodeling the former Apple Grove Inn. It took two and one-half years to get it into the shape it is in now, with a modern sanctuary, meeting rooms and large dining room.

Returning to the church brought back so many memories, the Rev. Maxwell said.

“I have such wonderful memories from here,” he said. “It’s good to see a growing church.”

The church’s current pastor, who started three months ago is the Rev. Paul Adell Sr. from Rochester.

He called the church “impressive.”

“We are working on our outreach ministry, assessing and evaluating the needs in the community,” the Rev. Adell said.

The Grove United Methodist Church sponsors Boy Scout Troop 28 and Cut Scout Pack 28.

In addition, a Hispanic church, Mount Sinai, meets there Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, and Alcoholics Anonymous meets there twice a week.

The church is available for parties, showers, reunions or other special events.

Regular worship is at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.