Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County DPW (Buildings and Grounds and Highway Departments) collected more than 1,000 tires today during the annual household hazardous waste collection day at the County DPW. The top photo shows Andy Beach in a loader for the DPW, moving the pile of tires.

The county will pay Modern Disposal Services to remove the tires. An exact count of the disposed of tires wasn’t available but county officials believe it topped the 1,200 from a year ago.

County residents claimed 570 slots to dispose of household hazardous waste. Propane tanks and fluorescent bulbs were popular items for residents to unload at the collection event, said Corey Winters, a planner with Orleans County Department of Planning and Development. That department manages the annual event in August.

This photo shows one of five boxes full of old propane tanks.

Employees from Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati wrap up the collection event today. The county typically pays the company about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state them reimbursing the county about half of the costs.

Household chemical and items that can be discarded include: oil-based paints solvents, polishes/waxes pesticides, motor oil & filters adhesives & resins, fluorescent bulbs, auto tires (limit 10), auto & marine batteries, household batteries, aerosols, acids, corrosives, antifreeze and empty propane tanks.

County officials say the collection day for tires has resulted in far fewer being discarded in countryside ditches and over embankments.

U.S. Rep. Slaughter’s district included part of Orleans County from 2002 to 2012

Louise Slaughter

FAIRPORT – The U.S. Postal Service on Monday will dedicate the Post Office in Fairport in honor of the late Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and her husband Bob.

The dedication ceremony will be at 12:30 p.m. at the Fairport Post Office, 770 Ayrault Rd. The Slaughters made Fairport their home for more than 50 years.

Slaughter served in Congress for more than 30 years, representing the Rochester area. For 10 years, from 2002 to 2012, redistricting put three Orleans County towns – Yates, Carlton and Kendall, in a district that stretched from part of Rochester to Buffalo, going along the shoreline.

Mr. Slaughter died in 2014, and Mrs. Slaughter in 2018. Mr. Slaughter often was at his wife’s side while she was doing her job and making stops in her congressional district.

“Bob was Louise’s rock and her most prized supporter,” according to a news release from the Postal Service. “He served in the U.S. Air Force and worked for both Eastman Kodak and the American Can Company.  A loving husband, father, and grandfather whose smile was unprecedented.”

Louise earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Kentucky, and embarked on an unprecedented life in American politics, the Postal Service stated.

“With concerns of local political and community issues, Louise would eventually seek public office and win election to the Monroe County Legislature in 1975,” the Postal Service stated. “She would go on to serve on the NYS Assembly and then be elected to Congress in 1986.  Representative Slaughter won re-election to 16 consecutive terms, honorably serving western New York for over 30 years.”

 She was a founding member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and established the Office of Research on Women’s Health. She was the first woman to serve as Chair of the House Committee on Rules.

Provided photos

MEDINA – Case-Nic Cookies uses its prominent front window on Main Street in Medina to raise awareness and money for other local organizations.

This month Case-Nic is highlighting Hands 4 Hope with a display at 439 Main St.

There is a basket raffle at Case-Nic until Aug. 25 to support Hands 4 Hope, a street ministry that offers food, clothing and prayers, making stops in Orleans County.

There are nearly $250 in various gift cards to businesses, a “mystery money” basket and an assortment of other items, including some Buffalo Bills merchandise, among the 30 gift baskets.

Hands 4 Hope has been serving the community since Jan. 30, 2016, taking a delivery van to sites around the county. Jack Burris, owner of Burris Cleaning Service in Albion, pushed for Hands 4 Hope in Orleans County after seeing the success of Care-A-Van in Batavia.

Many other volunteers now are part of Hands 4 Hope.

ALBION – Oak Orchard Health has added a new facility to their program, with the dedication Thursday of a new dental clinic at 362 South Main St. in Albion.

The opening was celebrated at a ribbon cutting by CEO Karen Kinter, chief dental officer Rachel Nozzi and dental operations manager Mary Rich.

Attendees included retired pediatrician James Goetz, who spent 45 years with OOH, and staff of OOH, which included Cathy Hines, public relations officer; Ciera Baker, Ashley Johnson, Brandi Wilson, Karen Liese, Miranda Betandes and Jenna Rogge; and board members Nyla Gaylord, Lorienda Smith and Cynda Watroda.

Presenting proclamations and well wishes were Congressman Joseph Morelle, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, State Senator Rob Ortt and Orleans County Legislator Skip Draper.

Cathy Hines, public relations officer for OOH, said they purchased the former dental office a year ago, and after renovations and remodeling, moved into the facility in early January. Updates include new digital panorex technology.

Dentist Dr. Rachel Nozzi said she is very excited about this office.

“We always had a presence in Orleans County, but never a physical site for dentistry,” Hines said. “There is definitely a need for this in the community.”

The biggest challenge is getting enough dentists and other dental professionals, Nozzi said.

“We have space but not providers,” she said. “All dental practices are completely full.”

Congressman Joseph Morelle, Assemblyman Steve Hawley and State Senator Rob Ortt prepare to present proclamations to Karen Kinter, CEO of Oak Orchard Health, during dedication of their new dental clinic in Albion. Skip Draper, not pictured, presented a citation from the Orleans County Legislature.

Morelle said there is a lot of talk about challenges in health care.

“People underestimate how important dental care is to overall health,” he said. “We will do what we can to provide quality healthcare.”

“Access to quality health care is more important than ever,” Ortt said. “Transportation and distance are big issues. The challenge is if the dentist is 45 or 50 miles away, people won’t go. I have a large rural population in my district and I thank Oak Orchard Health for being a difference maker.”

Hawley reminded the audience this is National Health Week and commended Oak Orchard Health, saying the way they provide to those in need touches the heart.

Draper added that he was very happy to see OOH grow in the community.

Dr. Nozzi said Oak Orchard Dental was a great addition, along with the recent launch of their mobile dental unit.

With the opening of the Albion office, Oak Orchard Health now provides dental services in Brockport, Warsaw and Hornell, along with the mobile dental unit which travels throughout the area, including local school districts.

Other services include primary care in Albion, Brockport, Pembroke Batavia, Alexander, Warsaw and Hornell; pediatric care in Albion, Brockport, Batavia, Warsaw and Hornell; vision care in Brockport; and behavioral health in Albion, Brockport, Pembroke, Batavia, Warsaw and Hornell.

Oak Orchard Health’s dental clinic accepts most insurances and can be reached at (585) 589-5613, Ext. 2.

Staff of Oak Orchard Health who participated in a ribbon cutting at their new dental clinic on Thursday are, seated from left, Miranda Betandes, Jenna Rogge and Dr. Rachel Nozzi. Standing, from left, are Karen Kinter, CEO of OOH; Mary Rich, Ciera Baker, Ashley Johnson, Brandi Wilson and Karen Liese.

Provided photos

ALBION – Highway 31 performs on Wednesday evening at the Village of Albion summer concert series. The band is shown on the amphitheater at the park.

The band members include Rich Nolan of Gasport as lead singer. The guitar trio Aaron Clark of Holley, Clinton LaPorte of Le Roy, and Clinton’s dad Tim LaPorte Sr. of Batavia. Timmy LaPorte of Elba, Tim’s son and Clinton’s brother, is the drummer for the band.

Highway 31 plays ’90s music, contemporary country and some rock.

They attracted 350 to the park for the concert, which event coordinator John Grillo said was the most so far this season for the summer concert series.

The next concert will be 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Bullard and features McHenry and Baz, a band from the Buffalo area.

The concerts include food and beverage vendors and some artisans.

69 trees, 34 varieties on museum property in Gaines

Provided photos: A Norway maple grows next to the gallery and office of the Cobblestone Museum.

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Museum has been accredited as an Arborertum Level 1 by ArbNet, an interactive, collaborative international community of arboreta.

The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta based on a set of professional standards.

The legwork and planning for the accreditation are attributed to Willem DeRuysscher, a senior at Albion High School and summer intern at the Cobblestone Museum.

He spent hours mapping and labeling all of the trees on the Cobblestone campus, according to director Doug Farley.

The mission of the Cobblestone Museum Arboreta is to educate visitors and attract new guests, which ultimately benefits all new visitors, Farley said.

There are a handful of notable trees on the Cobblestone’s property, and a total of 69 trees and 34 species.

A flowering crabapple is in full bloom next to the Cobblestone Museum’s Ward House.

A leaning white walnut tree is located behind the National Historic Landmark Cobblestone Church. A very large catalpa tree has the thickest trunk on the campus. There are also two sets of twins, two sycamore trees planted next to each other and two horse chestnut trees – one next to the church and the other next to the Visitors Center.

The smallest tree is the dwarf Alberta spruce. A resilient shrub native to most of the United States, the Cobblestone’s is only five feet seven inches tall. By contrast, the tallest tree is a Norway pine approximately 87 feet tall, making it taller than the bell tower of the church.

Other trees include a Norway maple next to the office/gallery, a trumpet vine next to an outhouse and a flowering crabapple next to the Ward House.

To receive the arboretum accreditation, the Cobblestone Museum has devised a Museum Arboretum Master Plan. The mission is to provide a recreational and educational experience and beauty that will attract more visitors to the museum.

A trumpet vine is one of the many species of trees and shrubs on the Cobblestone Museum campus.

Objectives are to care for new species native and exotic, educate visitors on basic tree maintenance and care, celebrate trees within the arboretum and in the surrounding community, educate visitors on the characteristics and origin of the trees on their campus and engage with the community by allowing donations and holding an Arbor Day event.

As director, Farley will oversee arboretum development. Maintenance will be performed by staff and volunteers.

A catalog of arboretum trees and an electronic map will be kept in a computer by the director and is available on the arboretum website. The electronic map utilizes GPS technology and an excel sheet documents the attributes of each tree, such as species and origin.

MEDINA – The tattoo artists and piercers at Canalside Tattoo raised more than $18,000 during a “Caturday” benefit on July 30.

The funds go to Cat by Cat Inc.’s Medina team which seeks to humanely “TNVR” cats through targeted trapping. Cat by Cat focuses on a TNVR model – Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return.

The Medina team cared for about 200 cats last year. Feral or community cats remains in “overwhelming” problem in Medina and Orleans County, said Shannon Blount, leader of the Medina team.

The $18,304 in total dollars at the fundraiser will go towards neutering, medications, vaccinations, food and cat litter, and other supplies.

The tattoo artists at Canalside donated their time and raised more than $10,000 by doing 100 tattoos. The tattoo team includes Tyler VerCruysse, Andrew London, James Christian, Matt Rolfe, CJ Cruickshank, Shawn Ramsey, David Jednat, Markus Puleo and Maer Rose.

Two piercers, Megan Furness and Maisie Griffin, did 41 piercings and raised more than $1,500.

A basket raffle with 93 items were donated by community members and raised nearly $6,000.

“The community was incredible,” Blount said.

For more information on Cat by Cat, click here.

The basket raffle raised $5,820 for Cat by Cat in Medina.

Provided photo

POINT BREEZE – Albion’s Class of 1958 gathered today at the Black North Inn for the class’s 65^th reunion.

Pictured in front row, from left: Allport, Martha Standish, Patricia Gaze Harrold, Marlene Finney Graham and Jim McGlen.

Second row: Adrienne Daniels, Helen Grzywacz Wilkens, Marjorie Narburgh McWethy, Stanley Pieniaszek, Janel Koch Edwards, Ella Mae D’Angelo Caroll, Ben Canham, Sibyl Dale Pilon, Judy Bruski Newton, David Wells, Lynn Roy Blackburn and Ken Laubacher.

WATERPORT – Orleans County’s Tourism Department has been honored for an initiative where Erie Canal water is released into tributaries until mid-December. The effort has resulted in a better, extended tributary fishery.

The New York State Tourism Industry Association has recognized Orleans County and the NYS Canal Corporation with a “Tourism Excellence Award.”

Ron Bierstine, the county’s sportsfishing coordinator, presented the concept, “more water = more fish” when he was sitting on a governor task force committee for NYS Reimagine the Canal Initiative.

Bierstine, owner of Oak Orchard Tackle & Lodge in Carlton, presented the idea of using canal water to bolster the flow of tributaries late into the fall. He shared it with the Canal Corp. and New York Power Authority.

The initiative started in 2020 and has continued for three seasons.

“By allowing more water into our tributaries it allows for a longer fishing season in the fall and attracts additional anglers to experience our world-class fishing destination, found right here in Orleans County!” said Dawn Borchet, the county’s tourism director.

Orleans, the Canal Corp. and other recipients will be honored Sept. 14 during an awards ceremony at Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester.

Genesee County also is among the winners for its tourism campaign on the barn Quilt Trail in Le Roy.

ALBION – The Albion school district is seeking state approval for free breakfasts and lunches to be offered to all students this school year.

Albion has applied to the state Department of Education to be included in the Community Eligibility Provision of the National School Breakfast/Lunch Program.

To qualify, a district or school building must have an Identified Student Percent (ISP) of at least 40 percent. Albion is at 51 percent, and that number has increased since Albion last looked at being in the program in 2018, said Rick Recckio, Albion’s school business administrator.

The ISP isn’t determined by student eligible for free and reduced lunch. Instead it depends on SNAP and Medicaid recipients identified through the electronic direct certification matching process (DCMP) and extension of these eligibility benefits to siblings or other household members not matched. It also includes homeless children identified by the homeless liaison, Head Start students, migrant, runaway and foster children certified directly by the state or local foster agency, Recckio said.

“We submitted our application to the state and we are working with them to transition to CEP from our current program allowing all students to have free breakfast and lunch,” he said. “This is not a guarantee as the state needs to approve us in order to offer this program. This would be funded by the state and federal government.”

Recckio and Albion school officials are hoping the state Education Department will make a decision on Albion’s application before the start of the school year.

The state budget for 2023-24 increased state spending by $134 million for school districts to participate in CEP.

“For kids to be successful in school, they can’t sit there with their stomachs growling — they’re hungry,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in announcing the funding increase. “They need nutritious food to focus and thrive.”