‘There is such a stigma attached to suicide and we want to break that’

Photo by Ginny Kropf: This team of friends is planning a basket raffle on Sunday at Shelby Fire Hall to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Seated are Rebecca Lacy and Tammy Fearby. Standing are team leaders Ike Watts and Christine Crane. The ladies are also walking in the Out of the Darkness Walk on Sept. 23 at Canalside in Buffalo. They will be walking in memory of an Orleans County Sheriff’s deputy, a Medina firefighter, a Medina school teacher and a co-worker, all of whom died of suicide. The Sabres shirt and Bills helmet have been donated for the basket raffle.

MEDINA – A team of friends have joined forces to sponsor a fundraiser to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

On Sunday at Shelby Fire Hall, Ike Watts, Tammy Fearby, Rebecca Lacy and Christine Crane are planning a basket raffle in memory of an Orleans County Sheriff’s deputy, a Medina firefighter, a Medina school teacher and a co-worker, who all died due to suicide.

The benefit, which will also include special raffles and a 50/50 drawing, will run from 8 a.m. to noon.

Also supporting the benefit will be the Medina High School FFA, led by Todd Eick. The group will be selling breakfast sandwiches beginning at 7 a.m. at the fire hall for drive-thru or eat-in.

All proceeds will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The benefit is a result of the Watts family losing a cousin to suicide in September 2015. Since then, they have participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk in Buffalo, this year held Sept. 23 at Canalside.

Watts will play a special part in the event this year, having been asked to participate in the bead ceremony which opens the walk. Ten individuals will wear beads, each of a color representing the loss of a loved one.

The colors include white for a child, red for a spouse or partner, gold for a parent, orange for a sibling, purple for a relative or friend, silver for a first responder or military, green for a personal struggle or attempt, teal for support of someone who struggles or has attempted suicide, blue for supporting suicide prevention and rainbow for the LGBTQ community.

Watts will wear silver in honor of Erin, a Sheriff’s deputy and veteran of the Gulf War; and for Kenny, a first responder.

She has also prepared a speech which will be read for her.

“Along with my family and friends, I walk in memory of three men, two of whom were first responders. Kenny, a village of Medina firefighter was as vibrant about life as you could ever imagine. He suffered a back injury on the job and struggled with getting any relief from the pain. In December 2012, at the age of 42, he died by suicide.

“Erin, a former U.S. Marine, a veteran of the Gulf War and also an Orleans County Sheriff’s deputy, was a very strong willed man who was too proud to say he needed help with PTSD. In a matter of seconds he took his own life in September 2015 at the age of 45. Being first responders and members of the military, you often see things that are mentally challenging and difficult to forget. They are seen as an image of strength and it is sometimes difficult to let down the armor and ask for help. Statistics show that even with debriefings after each traumatic incident, 30 percent of first responders develop behavioral health conditions.

“As much as I wish I could have been there to help Kenny and Erin through their struggles, I stand here today representing them and their families with a promise to bring hope to others.

“My husband and daughter are first responders and they join me today in this walk to help raise awareness for suicide prevention, because sometimes first responders need rescuing, too.”

When the Watts walked in previous years, Ike said they raised $500, but only reached $1,000 once, so this year they wanted to do more.

“There is such a stigma attached to suicide and we want to break that,” she said. “The first year I walked in memory of Erin, I was angry, then wondered ‘why,’ then came the hurt and the heartbroken stage. As I walked all those feelings went away. I finally had my closure.”

Fundraising for suicide prevention often gets ignored and overlooked, she said. She hopes to help change that.

Their goal for the fundraiser on Sunday is 155 baskets, the number of Erin’s badge.

“If we get 129, I’ll be happy with that, because that was the number of Kenny’s shield,” Watts said.

The team is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support for the benefit, from donations and people who want to help.

Donations of baskets may be made by contacting Watts at (585) 590-0291, Fearby at (716) 239-0185, Lacy at (585) 750-4425 or Crane at (585) 590-2608.

New program, Caregivers Revitalize, alternates on Thursdays in Medina and Holley

ALBION – A new respite program in Orleans County is a project very much needed in our under-resourced county, said Nyla Gaylord, acting director of United Way of Orleans County.

The community respite program called “Caregivers Revitalize” was made possible by a $290,000 Exhale Family Caregiver grant applied for by United Way in partnership with Community Action of Orleans and Genesee.

The need for respite services for caregivers was identified a year and a half ago by researchers for the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation’s Legacy Fund. A lack of caregiver services in Orleans County was noticed as they were looking at under-served populations.

“The average caregiver spends more than 24 hours a week providing care, so a three-hour break can be very helpful,” Gaylord said. “Many people are so busy juggling everything going on in their lives that they don’t realize they are caregivers and deserve a break. Sometimes people need a friend to encourage them to take a break. Being a caregiver for an older adult loved one is an honor – it’s also really intense. More than half of us are in that role, many of us without even realizing it, me included. All those ways you are ‘just helping out, mowing the lawn, picking up meds and groceries, calling every night to check in – that’s called ‘caregiving.’”

In early 2022, the Foundation reached out to Matt Holland, then grant writer for United Way of Orleans County and asked him to prepare a proposal to respond to this funding opportunity to serve Orleans County’s high percentage of seniors.

Holland went through a series of online training sessions to understand the needs of caregivers and worked closely with the YMCA and Community Action to develop the program model and proposal.

The program was slow to get off the ground due to the difficulty in obtaining staff, Gaylord said. However, the program is now up and running at the YMCA in Medina and the Community Center in Holley, under the leadership of project coordinator Dana Jessmer.

“We are very pleased that we have such excellent staff,” Gaylord said. “It was worth it to take the time to make sure we found the right people for this important project.”

Caregiver’s Revitalize meets from 1 to 4 p.m. every first and third Thursday at the YMCA in Medina and the second and fourth Thursday in Holley.

Jessmer said a respite program is vital to the community, not only for the caregivers, but for the care recipients as well.

“Our participants seem to enjoy the hours spent in our program, while I believe the caregivers enjoy the respite even more,” Jessmer said. “It allows them time to go to an appointment, catch up on errands or just have some downtime.”

One caregiver taking advantage of Caregiver’s Revitalize at the Holley Community Center asked to be identified only as Marilyn. Her husband has dementia and she began searching for caregiver respite. She said the discovered the one in Knowlesville, but it was quite a drive from their home. She had contacted the Office for the Aging only to learn at that time they didn’t have any caregiver service.

“I’ve been to Caregiver’s Revitalize in Holley three times now, and it is so convenient,” she said. “It’s such a relief to know I can leave him with someone reliable. And I get some time to breathe.”

Jessmer encourages people who are caring for loved ones to leave a message for her or Kate Cudzillo at (585) 209-3416 with a good time to talk. The Caregivers Revitalize-Orleans County, NY Facebook page is also a good source of information on the program and planned activities, Gaylord added.

Before the Caregivers Revitalize program was funded, the Abundant Harvest Church had started a volunteer respite program from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fellowship Hall in Knowlesville.

In July, the Office for the Aging started a respite program called “Caregiver Connection” at the Nutrifair site at 16 East Academy Street in Albion. They meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Supervised activities include exercise, crafts, games and a nutritional lunch, all at no charge. Anyone planning to take advantage of the service must pre-register by the Monday before the date attending by calling Samantha at 589-2863 or the Office for the Aging at 589-3191.

“This means there are seven respite opportunities a month now for Orleans County residents,” Gaylord said. “We are looking forward to working together with the Office for the Aging and other programs to expand services throughout Orleans County and into Genesee County. Our goal is to make caregiver respite services sustainable after grant funding ends.”

As United Way of Orleans County celebrates September as United Way Month, they remind local residents that community support of United Way is one way to help fund these services.

“This service needs to be a community priority as more and more families will be challenged to care for their loved ones at home,” Gaylord said. “Given the demographics of our county, with more than 20 percent of our population over the age of 65, the aging of the baby boomer generation is resulting in a growing number of people in need of care, with fewer available caregivers. The stress on caregivers is increasing and they need help.”

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today issued the following statement following House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

“In spite of interference by the Department of Justice, which slow-walked and covered up the investigations into the Biden Crime Family, House Republicans have extensive evidence that the President is beyond compromised,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “We have uncovered evidence revealing the Biden Families’ crimes and corruption, including previously undisclosed multi-million dollar payments from Ukraine, Romania, and China to the President’s family and likely the President himself.

“It is unacceptable that the President is making policy decisions based on self-interest and also enriching himself and his family at the expense of the American people. House Republicans are moving forward to responsibly investigate the President’s alleged crimes with an impeachment inquiry. On behalf of my constituents and every American, I remain committed to holding the Biden Crime Family accountable.”

MEDINA – The Village Board voted on Monday evening to authorize a bond for up to $5,758,000 for an addition to the fire hall, as well as work on the current building.

The board is hopeful Medina won’t need to borrow that much money. The scope of the fire hall project is to be determined. The village may not do the full gamut of work identified in an engineer’s report to upgrade the site.

Medina also will be seeking grants and other government assistance at the local, state and federal for the project.

“This is just so we can secure the funds,” said Village Trustee Marguerite Sherman. “We don’t have to use all of them.”

The board on Monday also approved a SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review Act) declaration, determining addition and construction project won’t have a negative environmental impact.

Medina village officials want to have the fire hall addition built in time for a new ladder truck that is expected in late 2025. The new truck is too big for the current fire hall.

That building barely has enough room for the current truck.

The new ladder truck won’t be delivered for at least two more years. That gives Medina time to expand the fire hall on Park Avenue. The board voted on June 26 to spend $1.7 million to buy the new truck from Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisc., with a delivery time expected to take 2 ½ years.

The new truck will have a 100-foot-long ladder, compared to the current truck with a 75-foot ladder. It will be a taller and longer truck. The current fire hall only has 2 inches of clearance in the truck bays.

The Barton & Loguidice firm has proposed an addition to the fire hall that would be approximately 62 feet, 8 inches by 88 feet, 8 inches. That expansion, plus repairs to the existing fire hall, would be about $4.5 million, according to a report from the Barton & Loguidice from last September.

Construction costs are up about 15 percent since then or another $685,500 to $5,255,500.

Medina officials still need to settle on how much work the project will encompass. The village was told to expect about 14 months for contractors to complete the construction.

The bond resolution on Monday is subject to a permissive referendum, where residents are allowed up to 30 days to file a petition about the borrowing plan. If the Village Board makes the final decision to borrow the money, it will seek bids from banks on the interest rate and other terms for the financing.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Firefighters are lined up for the Sept. 11, 2001 memorial observance on Monday evening at the Courthouse Square.

There were about 150 people at the 22^nd anniversary service. On September 11, 2001, terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others when four airplanes were hijacked and crashed – with two into the World Trade Center towers in new York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the other into a field in rural Shanksville, Pa.

In New York City, 343 firefighters were killed responding to assist people in the World Trade Center.

Members of the New York State Police, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and Albion Police Department stand for the service.

There were 60 police officers killed in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.

Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said the United States was badly shaken from the terrorist attacks, which brought the country together in a spirit of sadness and patriotism. She said Sept. 11 remains “a day that forever changed our nation.”

“We must never forget those who died at the hands of undeniably ungodly evil people,” Johnson said. “And we must never forget how tens of thousands of first responders from across the country ran towards the danger to aid their fellow Americans at the Twin Towers, at the Pentagon, and the fields of Pennsylvania. The fateful events of that day forever changed our nation – and called on the bravery and selflessness of first responders as they faced unimaginable challenges.”

She said the terrorist attacks 22 years ago reshaped how Americans think of war and peace.

“Whether you lived the moments watching the horrors of that day, or if those who did have shared their own personal memories of that day with you, let us never to forget; never become complacent; and sadly never assume it will never happen again,” Johnson said.

James Hollinger of Albion was part of the Honor Guard at the service. A large American flag is in the background. It was draped high on Main Street from the Albion and Medina ladder trucks.

Carol Callina, a Navy veteran from Medina, plays Taps near the end of the half-hour service. She is on the steps of the County Clerks’ Building.

Scott Schmidt, the Orleans County chief coroner and a local funeral director, served as the keynote speaker at the observance. Schmidt spent three weeks with a federal team – U.S. Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) – and assisted in collecting and identifying remains, and interviewing family members searching for loved ones.

He left for New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. He was there for 20 days, including a week at Ground Zero. Five of his colleagues on DMORT attended the service in Albion on Monday.

Schmidt said there have been 2,997 who were verified to have been killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Those people “are our brothers and sisters who were senselessly killed,” Schmidt said.

Many others have been afflicted from exposure to the dust from the collapse of the two World Trade Center buildings, Schmidt said.

He urged the crowd to reflect on the loss of life and the pain many people continue to experience from the attack. An airhorn was sounded from an Albion fire truck, which Schmidt said is sounded on a rescue call when firefighters are in danger and should evacuate from a burning building.

The sound of the airhorn “is a stark reminder that 2,997 is not just a number,” Schmidt said.

Other speakers included Don Snyder, chaplain for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, and Justin Niederhofer, director of the Orleans County Emergency Management Agency.

Snyder encouraged the community to consider joining their local volunteer fire department and other service organizations.

Niederhofer shared a timeline from 22 years earlier. On Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., the North Tower was struck in New York City. At 9:03, a plane hit the South Tower. At 9:37, the Pentagon was struck. At 9:59 p.m., the South Tower fell. At 10:07 a.m., Flight 93 crashed in rural Shanksville, Pa. At 10:28 a.m., the North Tower collapsed.

“We were attacked and wounded beyond belief but not beyond repair,” Niederhofer said.

Doug Egling, a musician from Albion, performed “God Bless America.”

A very large American flag was displayed high on Main Street from the Albion and Medina ladder trucks.

These firefighters work together to lower the flag and fold it.

Press Release, Patrick Riviere

Provided photos: Patrick Riviere is shown at the at  the Upstate New York Film Festival in Buffalo last year.

PROVINCETOWN, MASS. – Principal photography is now set to begin in the next two weeks on a new short documentary film by Albion native, Niagara University graduate, and award-winning director, Patrick Riviere.

Artists at the Edge, will celebrate the life and art of two Provincetown creatives: Darlene Van Alstyne and Kenny Lockwood and is being filmed entirely in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

“The film will not only highlight the life and art of these two extraordinary talents but also the embrace of a perception of ‘otherness’ in relation to living and creating at the tip of the Cape and the importance of Provincetown as a bedrock for art, acceptance and camaraderie,” Riviere said.

Riviere’s first film, Just a Broadway Baby: Mary Ellen Ashley, has been lauded by film festivals from coast to coast where it has garnered eight awards including five Best Documentary Short Film Awards.

Riviere himself was awarded an Indie Soul Special Recognition Award from the Boston International Film Festival in 2022 and Best Director of a Documentary Short from Vesuvius International Film Festival.

The film was also named a “Semi-Finalist” at Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival – an Academy Award eligible festival, and has so far screened at a dozen film festivals including the aforementioned BIFF, Dam Short Film Festival, The Oregon Documentary Film Festival and Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.

Locally the film screened at the Upstate New York Film Festival in Buffalo where it won both the Best Documentary Short Award and Audience Choice Award.

The film was recently invited to become a permanent part of the archives at TOFT Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts in New York City and is now being considered by two major television platforms.

Riviere is also an award-winning actor and playwright and may be best known for his starring role as an older Jon Snow in a commercial for the late Tom Sparks that debuted during the Super Bowl in 2018 and ran for five years in the Rhode Island and Western MA markets. He also had the incredible honor of singing with Tony Award Winner Patti LuPone in her concert, Don’t Monkey with Broadway at Town Hall. He is featured opposite Marco Pigossi in the upcoming feature film, Best Place, shot in Provincetown, directed by Marco Calvani and costarring Marisa Tomei.

Darlene Van Alstyne, left, and Kenny Lockwood are the focus of a new documentary.

In his new documentary he features Darlene Van Alstyne, a professional actor, singer, dancer, wife to Melinda, and mom to two Chihuahuas. She appeared early in her career on The Chappelle Show, As the World Turns, and St. Elsewhere. She was also a back-up vocalist in a band formed and fronted by renowned composer, writer and producer, TJ Armand.

After moving to Provincetown she starred on stage as Dolores in the Wild Party, Shannon in Brad Fraser’s, Poor Superman, and as Flannery (the ex-girlfriend of a junky rock star played by Lea DeLaria) in Insatiable Hunger, a musical written by Meryl Cohn, and where she met Billy Hough and Sue Goldberg – co writers of the show.

She has performed with the well-known rock duo for 15 years and has the distinct honor of performing alongside them with the Garage Dogs in Provincetown, Boston, and New York City.

She has also starred in her own show, Forever Blonde and has played Gary Coleman in Avenue Q at Cape Rep and Geva Theater.

She has had long-running gigs at The Gifford House Porch Bar and WayDownTown – the

latter with her own band. She can currently be seen as the Head Nurse in the feature film Stronger starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and recently she and Billy Hough have performed Manic Mondays at The Post Office Café and See You Next Tuesday at Tin Pan Alley. She recently co-starred in the critically acclaimed Peregrine Theatre production of the Sondheim Tribute Review.

Kenny Lockwood works in multiple disciplines within the Arts: Fine Artist/Oil Painter, Musician/Singer/Songwriter, Actor, Acupuncturist/Healing Arts, Chinese Herbologist/Healer. His visual art focuses primarily on color field, painting, and gestural abstraction with a study of the interrelationship of picture planes & push and pull color theory.

He studied painting with Murry Zimile and Pablo Frasconi at SUNY Purchase and his work has been shown at the Woodman Shimko Galleries in Provincetown and Palm Springs and at The Patty DeLuca Gallery where he presented four “solo shows.”

In addition to his visual art he has completed & released three solo albums: Tin Angel-Folk Rock, Strong Love and Meditation/ Healing Tones. He is presently working on a 3rd Album due for release in 2024. He recently co-starred to critical acclaim in Casa Valentina at Provincetown Theater (after co-starring in a production of The Humans there last

year) and presented a new collection of paintings: “Channeling darkness & light: New Paintings in the quantum millennium,” at The Provincetown Commons. He currently lives and works year-round in Provincetown where he also has a private acupuncture practice.

For more information on the film please follow the film’s Facebook and Instagram pages, and the film’s website at www.artistsattheedge.com.

Agreement avoids Monday Night Football blackout for Bills-Jets game

Most of the Disney channels will be back on Spectrum for the 1.5 million customers in the state.

The Walt Disney Company and Charter Communications today announced a multi-year distribution agreement. As part of the deal, the majority of Disney’s networks and stations will be immediately restored to Spectrum’s video customers, the companies announced in a joint statement.

Gov. Kathy Hochul praised the new deal, which is time for Spectrum customers to see the Buffalo Bills on ESPN for Monday Night Football versus the New York Jets.

“Last week, I made it clear that if you pay for your cable bill, you deserve to get the services you pay for,” Hochul said in a  statement. “I’m pleased that Disney and Charter have resolved their corporate dispute and resumed service for more than 1.5 million New York customers that lost access to ESPN and Disney-owned channels. My Administration will ensure that New Yorkers receive a refund for the days they were without service, holding true to our commitment that we will always prioritize consumer protection.”

Among the key deal points announced by Disney and Carter Communications:

• In the coming months, the Disney+ Basic ad-supported offering will be provided to customers who purchase the Spectrum TV Select package, as part of a wholesale arrangement;
• ESPN+ will be provided to Spectrum TV Select Plus subscribers;
• The ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service will be made available to Spectrum TV Select subscribers upon launch and;
• Charter will maintain flexibility to offer a range of video packages at varying price points based upon different customer’s viewing preferences.
• Charter also will use its significant distribution capabilities to offer Disney’s direct-to-consumer services to all of its customers – in particular its large broadband-only customer base – for purchase at retail rates. These include Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, as well as The Disney Bundle.

The news release from Disney and Spectrum states that effective immediately, Spectrum TV will provide its customers widespread access to a more curated lineup of 19 networks from The Walt Disney Company.

Spectrum will continue to carry the ABC-owned television stations, Disney Channel, FX and the Nat Geo Channel, in addition to the full ESPN network suite.

Networks that will no longer be included in Spectrum TV video packages are Baby TV, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo Wild, and Nat Geo Mundo.

Photos by Tom Rivers

GAINES – Leo LeBerth, left, and Matt Holland work in the blacksmith shop on Saturday during the annual open house at the Cobblestone Museum.

This was the first time both men volunteered in the blacksmith shop at the museum. LeBerth has his own setup in Ridgeway. Holland is a member of the Cobbelstone Museum’s board of directors. He has been a blacksmith demonstrator before at another museum.

The blacksmith shop used to be operated by Joseph Vagg. The original shop burned down in 1921 but was rebuilt in 1922 with the help of many local farmers who were served by Vagg.

Eliya Cooper of Hamlin gave tours of the Vagg House, which is next door to the blacksmith shop. The Vagg house was added to the museum in 2019. It is decorated to be a typical of a middle class 1930s home when electricity became more common.

Joseph Vagg and his with Nellie lived in the house. Nellie was very active in the temperance movement. She died in 1975 and donated the blacksmith shop and its tools to the Cobblestone Society.

Cooper has been volunteering at the museum as a docent for eight seasons.

LeRoy Neeper of Medina demonstrates equipment in the wood shop next to the blacksmith. The wood shop includes a band saw, wood saws, drill press lathe and an International Harvester engine from 1922.

Jan Brauer of Lewiston weaves a basket outside the Ward House. Brauer has been a basket weaver since 2002.

“It’s very meditative,” she said. “And it’s a useful craft that you can put your stuff in.”

Cat Holland of Medina, left, and Sylvia Goodstine of Kent gave turs of the Ward House which was constructed in about 1840 in the Federal style.

Holland said her favorite artifact in the house is a horsehair couch. Goodstine said she most enjoys a Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine from 1863.

Reuben Rivers chats with Georgia Thomas and Maarit Vaga. Rivers gave tours of the Farmer’s Hall, while Thomas did a butter-making demonstration and Vaga showed the harness shop next door.

The Farmer’s Hall was built in 1855 as a Universalist Church. It was then used by German Lutherans as a church beginning in the 1870s. It later became Kendall’s Town Hall. The building was given to the Cobblestone Museum in 1978. It was dismantled in Kendall and brought to the museum where it was rebuilt and now functions as an exhibition hall for 19th and early 20th century farming implements.

The museum’s entire campus was open for tours on Saturday. The event concluded with a concert in the Cobblestone Church by the Fiddlers of the Genesee.

Site also works with VA to offer telehealth pod for veterans

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Village of Albion Mayor Angel Javier helps Cassie Healy, director of Community Action’s Main Street Corner Thrift, Gifts and More Store and Community Action’s executive director Renee Hungerford cut the ribbon to celebrate the store’s new name and focus.

ALBION – This past weekend was a busy one for Community Action’s Main Street Store, now re-named the Main Street Corner Thrift, Gifts and More Store.

On Friday, the store welcomed Paul Galantowicz, facility Telehealth coordinator for the VA Western New York Healthcare System.

Galantowicz spent a couple of hours cooking hotdogs outside and offering them free to the public. It was Galantowicz’s aim to attract veterans to the store, where earlier in the year the VA announced placement of a telehealth pod in the store.

He said veterans have been slow to utilize the service, which the VA hoped would make it more convenient for veterans to communicate with the VA and eliminate long drives to the city. Veterans can sit privately in the pod and access their health records, communicate with medical people to schedule appointments and renew prescriptions.

The pod is one of only 14 in the country and two in New York state, the other being in Gowanda.

(Left) Cassie Healy, manager of the Main Street Corner Thrift. Gifts and More Store helps Adam Iaymon of Georgia with a purchase. Iaymon said he shops there often and likes the store. (Right) Paul Galantowicz, facility Telehealth coordinator for the VA Western New York Healthcare System, sits in the healthcare pod the VA has placed in Community Action’s Main Street Corner Thrift, Gifts and More Store.

On Saturday, Community Action cut a ribbon to celebrate the store’s new name and the launch of still more innovative new features at the store. Participating with store manager Cassie Healy and Community Action’s executive director Renee Hungerford was Albion Mayor Angel Javier.

“It’s amazing the assortment of things they have here,” Javier said. “They have just about anything anybody could possibly want.”

The name was changed to Main Street Corner Thrift, Gifts and More Store in an effort to better reflect all the store offers, Hungerford said. In addition to a wide selection of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, small household appliances, furniture, holiday decorations, gifts and toys, the store runs a credit recovery program for graduating students, a job development program, the veterans’ pod and prom dress giveaway program.

Healy said she is planning to expand the prom dress giveaway this year and will have a corner devoted to prom dresses.

Two new features are a Young Entrepreneur’s Corner and party rentals.

(Left) Abbie Worsley, 14, of Albion arranges her homemade magnets and sewing kits on the new Young Entrepreneurs’ Shelf at the Main Street Corner Thrift, Gifts and More Store. (Right) Kinzie Rinkner, 11, stands in front of the Young Entrepreneur’s Corner with one of her homemade soy candles.

The Young Entrepreneur’s Corner is designed to support young people with the ambition to run their own business, Healy said. The idea sprung from her own daughter, Kinzie Rinkner, 11, who makes soy candles. Hungerford donates the wax. Kinzie buys assorted glassware and containers from the thrift store and fills them with colorful wax.

Another young entrepreneur is Abbie Worsley, 14, of Albion who makes do-it-yourself magnets and sewing kits. She was busy on Saturday arranging her merchandise on the shelf.

Other budding entrepreneurs are invited to bring in their new ideas to sell.

“The purpose of the Young Entrepreneur’s program is to work with youth and show them how to run a business,” Healy said. “In return for selling their merchandise, we ask them for at least an hour a week of volunteer time here.”

During that time, the young people will help around the store and learn how to run a cash register and deal with customers.

Also new is a service renting party decorations and supplies, said Jackie Dunham, operations officer and overseer of the store. They will be renting tablecloths, decorations, glassware, silverware, centerpieces and candle holders.

“There are still lots of new ideas to come,” Hungerford added.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Vol. 3, No. 29

SHELBY – Prior to 1960, the address for this West Shelby home, then owned by Carl Hansen, was RD 2, Box 153. Following the assignment of rural numbers, the address became 5272 West Shelby Rd. It has been the home of Gary and Norma Jones since 1960.

In 1960, Shelby was the first Orleans County town to assign numbers to the homes and lots along its rural roads. This was part of a regional effort to identify rural properties more easily, spearheaded, not by the postal service, but by the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation.

Rural delivery routes had been established when rural mail delivery began in 1896. Homes were identified by their delivery route number and the postal box number, e.g. RD 2, Box 153. While this identified the home on that route, it was not unique or specific. There could be several instances of similar “addresses” in a county. One could not easily identify where RD2 was, as it was a delivery route, not a road. Rural dwellings were difficult to locate in emergencies.

On July 2, 1959, the Orleans County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution to approve the countywide rural road numbering plan outlined in the Master Plan for Development prepared by the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation. The motion had been proposed by Supervisor Manley S. Morrison of the Town of Yates, seconded by Supervisor Lester Canham of the Town of Gaines. They had been part of a committee which had studied the Niagara Mohawk proposal and had concluded that rural numbering was of value and would prove beneficial to utility companies, fire companies, police officers as well as to the public.

However, the Board of Supervisors noted that it was “not authorized by law to expend money for said purpose” and that any of the towns who decided to adopt the plan would have to do so at their own expense. Fortunately, Niagara Mohawk, which had developed the uniform numbering system, offered to supply maps and other material to the townships at no cost.

The Town of Shelby voted to proceed with the project at a March 7, 1960, meeting.

Raymond Pahura, Town of Shelby Supervisor, Norman Anstey, Town of Shelby assessor, and Niagara Mohawk consultant Morris Lloyd of Buffalo began the process in May 1960. Beginning at the Niagara County line and working eastwards, they used a “measuring wheel” to mark off the lengths of vacant and occupied lots and assign individual numbers to each lot.

The Niagara Mohawk plan delineated that odd numbers would be assigned on the left side of the road and even on the right, generally numbering from east to west and from south to north. The project took a few weeks to complete.

Emergency agencies and medical personnel were then supplied with a master chart of the Shelby numbers. Property owners and tenants were notified of their assigned numbers and encouraged to use them.

The rural numbering system proposed by Niagara Mohawk to specifically identify properties thus became the basis of our address system.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A group walks along the Erie Canal in Medina on Saturday during the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. There were 139 participants from 33 teams who raised $21,163 for the Western New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The course started and ended at State Street Park.

The course included some fun activities, including limbo. Alexis Stinson, 10, of Albion was able to bend backwards and walk under the bar which was held by Amanda Nobrega, vice president of programs for the Alzheimer’s Association in WNY.

This trio walks through bubbles that were set up along the course.

Emily Kroll uses chalk to write a message on the one-way street to the Canal Basin. She is joined by brother Caleb and their mother Amy Kroll of Lyndonville. They participated in honor of the kids’ great-grandmother.

Many messages were written on the pavement for loved ones who were stricken with Alzheimer’s.

Nicole Tuohey is shown with some of the links she sold to support the Alzheimer’s Association. She raised $2,003 at about noon on Saturday, with more funds expected. She was selling the links from her mother Mary Lou Tuohey’s store, Case-Nic Cookies.

The walkers passed under the Glenside Avenue bridge. The annual walk in Orleans County to support people and families battling Alzheimer’s disease was moved up a month to increase the chances for better weather.

By Randy LeBaron

“I could never do what you do.”

That is a comment that I have repeatedly heard from people over the past 1 ½ years since I started working as the Spiritual Care & Bereavement Coordinator for Hospice of Orleans. The implication is that working with patients who are dying, along with family members who are grieving, on a daily basis would be too emotionally exhausting. I get it.

I probably would have said the same thing to someone in my position a decade ago after experiencing Hospice from the other side. Even my wife gets concerned at times and asked me once, after I had officiated a number of funerals in a short time span, “When did your life become all about death?”

I don’t know if I have an answer to that but, as far as a response to the original comment, I am quick to respond by sharing how much I appreciated all of the help that I received from Hospice staff when my mother was dying from brain cancer and that I try to focus on how I could bring some sense of peace and comfort to others who may be going through a similar situation.

I also know that I am not the only one who feels this way or who shares a similar purpose in what they do. Many of the staff that I work with at Hospice of Orleans have also been impacted by their own personal losses and they too have chosen to use those experiences to fuel their passion to help others. I cannot share everyone’s story at this time but, over the next couple of weeks, I do want to share a few.

Today I would like to start with our Director of Advancement, Julia Alt, who oversees such things as: fundraising, philanthropy, event planning, and community relations. If you golfed in our tournament this past July, enjoyed an evening at The Toast for Hospice, or joined us last Fall for Hospice of Orlean’s Walk to Remember, there is a good chance that you have already met Julia.

Julia’s first encounter with Hospice came when her grandmother was placed in a Hospice Home in Monroe County after battling a 2-year illness. Julia, who was living in Atlanta, GA at the time and flying up on the weekends, was impressed not only with the care given to her grandmother but also to herself and her family as the staff would often check in with them to see how they were doing, if they needed anything, and to let them know of any changes in her grandmother’s condition. The experience made such an impact that just 6 months after her grandmother’s passing Julia felt God leading her to use her marketing background to assist a nearby Hospice Center in Atlanta.

Not too long after Julia moved back north to her husband’s hometown of Barker, NY. After settling in she sent in her resume and, after being hired last fall, quickly became an integral part of the Hospice Team. When asked what she would want others who may be considering hospice care for themselves or their loved one to know Julia responded that, “Hospice gives people time.”

As the person who has taken the phone call of a distressed caregiver who wants their loved one to be admitted but, in waiting until the very end there wasn’t time before the patient’s passing, Julia wonders how much better it may have been for both the patient and the family if they had allowed Hospice to step in sooner. Perhaps the family could have spent more quality time together, the caregiver could have been given more support, and the patient could have had a more peaceful passing. That is what Hospice can offer

One of the many misconceptions about hospice care is that it is only for cancer patients or only at the very end of someone’s life. The fact is that anyone with a terminal diagnosis of 6 months or less can qualify to receive assistance. I personally have had patients who were still very active, had healthy appetites, and chose to live on their own when they started services. Hospice helps to maintain the quality of a person’s life for whatever time they have left and it is not a sign that they or their family are giving up. If anything it means that they are accepting of their diagnosis and are choosing to focus on being at peace and pain free while they make the most of their time with family and friends.

I will be forever grateful not only to those from Hospice of Orleans who made it possible for my wife and I to care for my mother at home as long as we did and to the staff at The Aurora House in Spencerport who gave me the gift of being able to be a son, and not just a caregiver, during mom’s final two weeks with us. That is the reason why I am able to bear the weight of others who are going through grief, because others helped to bear the weight of my grief when I needed it most.

Come back in 2 weeks to hear the testimony of two more of my colleagues and, if you would like to join me and others from Hospice for this year’s Walk to Remember on October 7th (my mother’s birthday). 

See you in two weeks!

Pastor Randy

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Medina varsity cheerleaders and their coaches did a car wash today outside the high school as a fundraiser. Pictured from left include Ahlyssha Miller, Paisley Pasnik and Mahri Harmer-Owen.

Mahri Harmer-Owen gives the car’s bumper and grille a cleaning.

The Medina cheerleading squad includes eight members. Christina Reddy is the group’s head coach. She said the funds from the car wash will help assist the team in the upcoming season, which includes home varsity football games and the Niagara-Orleans Game Day competition at Wilson on Oct. 17.

Cheerleading is considered an official sport. Reddy said the cheerleaders support the football team and work to get the crowd involved and energized.

Some of the funds may be used to help the cheerleaders with the cost of cheer shoes, socks and bows for their hair.

Rachel Domaracki, one of the cheerleading coaches, joined the cheerleaders in washing this Ultra car.

The car washes were $5.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – John McCarthy, right, and Scott Grimm spent several hours today painting the Santa House at Rotary Park. They did the green first in the morning and were doing the white trim around noon, with the tan siding and red door to follow.

They two volunteered for the task after being asked. The said the Santa House will be looking good for the Christmas season, including the Parade of Lights and the Olde Tyme Christmas celebration on Nov. 26.

Scott Grimm paints near the top peak of the Santa House.

The Santa House is a focal point of Rotary Park at the corner of Main and East Center streets.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation to declare Asian Lunar New Year a public school holiday across New York State.

Legislation (A.7768/S.7573) will ensure schools are not in session on Lunar New Year, underscoring Governor Hochul’s commitment to supporting and protecting New York’s AAPI community.

“By designating Lunar New Year as an official school holiday, we are taking an important step in recognizing the importance of New York’s AAPI community and the rich diversity that makes New York so great,” Governor Hochul said. “It is not just a day off from school – it is an opportunity for our children to learn about and celebrate their own or different cultures and traditions.”

Legislation (A.7768/S.7573) amends the education law to declare Asian Lunar New Year a public school holiday statewide. The legislation requires that all public schools close for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Editor’s Note: The new legislation takes effect on July 1, 2023. The Asian Lunar New Year is the first day after the second lunar month after the winter solstice in the preceding  calendar year. The new one falls om Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “The Lunar New Year holiday will give thousands of Asian students in our state the ability to gather together and celebrate with family and friends without having to sacrificing their education. I hope this will also shine a light on the culture and traditions of our Asian friends and neighbors, and in a time where we have seen hate and violence against Asian communities, this will open people’s eyes, encouraging tolerance and acceptance. I thank Governor Hochul for her leadership and signing this important legislation.”