Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) unveiled her agriculture plan and tax plan that work to support small and locally owned businesses and family farms across New York’s 24th District.
Earlier this month, Tenney visited multiple family farms and local businesses in Cayuga County and Wayne County to discuss their concerns and the Congresswoman’s efforts in Congress to support our farming and business community.
To outline her work to support our NY-24 producers and employers, Tenney unveiled her three-pillar agriculture plan and tax plan. Her agriculture plan focuses on supporting NY-24 specialty crops, bolstering New York’s dairy industry, and protecting American farmland from foreign interests.
Her tax plan centers around her work on the House Ways and Means Committee to build on the successes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, revitalize our communities, support our families, and ensure essential taxpayer protections.
“Small businesses and family-owned farms will always be the backbone of NY-24’s economy,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I’ve toured numerous small businesses and farms across the district to learn more about their daily operations and the challenges they face. It is imperative that we put forward policies in Congress that address these concerns and deliver lasting results for our community. Today, I released my agriculture plan and tax plan to highlight my efforts to unleash the potential of our rural communities and to give farmers, producers, and small business owners the certainty and opportunities they need to succeed.”
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
ALBION – During the summer months unsafe speed crashes increase. In order to make our highways safer during the summer, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke announced the Sheriff’s Office will increase enforcement during Speed Awareness Week (August 14 – 20, 2023).
Speed Awareness Week is a statewide enforcement campaign organized by the NYS Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) to intensify enforcement effort against speeding drivers and emphasize the severity of the problem, both locally and across the nation.
In 2021, over a third (35%) of all traffic fatalities in New York were caused by speeding with 389 people losing their lives and 2,256 people suffering serious injuries in these preventable collisions.
Speeding endangers not only the life of the speeder, but all people on the road around them. Data also revealed drivers that speed also tend to engage in other risky behaviors, such as not wearing a seat belt and alcohol impaired driving.
During this enforcement, Sheriff’s deputies will be targeting and ticketing speeding drivers with a goal to save lives. When it comes to speeding: “Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 August 2023 at 9:35 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A new scoreboard is in place at the Albion football field and construction is ongoing for a new artificial turf field.
The project will be done in time for the varsity football team’s home opener on Sept. 15 against Roy-Hart/Barker, district superintendent Mickey Edwards said after this evening’s Board of Education meeting.
Albion will play its first two games on the road at Iroquois on Sept. 1 and at Dunkirk on Sept. 8. Albion’s JV teams also will be on the road the first two weeks.
The new turf field is among an extensive campus upgrade. School district residents on Dec. 14, 2021 approved the $26.69 million capital project that includes all three schools, as well as the bus garage, and new synthetic playing surfaces for football, soccer and softball.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman: JaQuess Harrison returns a punt for the game-winning touchdown for Albion against visiting Springville in this game Sept. 1, 2017. Albion won 40-34. The photo shows the former scoreboard and grass field.
Photo and information from John Dieter of Troop 35
Troop 35 from Medina attended BSA Camp Merz on Chautauqua Lake this past week. There were 17 scouts along with three leaders at the week-long camp working on merit badges and rank advancements.
Pictured from left include: Vinny Gray, Ryder Jones, Landan Costich, Maddox Smith, Will Minor, Ryan Frentz, Nicholas Reese, Colton Smith, Jimmy Dieter, Josiah Morton, Briley Allen, Nate Surdel, River Jones, Cole Herman, Kam Kassey, Jake Gidley, and Brayden Lewis. Leaders John Dieter, Michael Reese and Shaun Smith are standing in back row.
The scouts completed 80 merit badges during the week. Scouts were able to utilize some of the activities at the camp, including shooting sports and archery. Also being on Chautauqua Lake the waterfront program was robust allowing many scouts to take motor boating not offered by many scouting camps.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 August 2023 at 3:04 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Aug. 14, 2021 shows the Orleans County DPW moving tires into the pile by the DPW garage on West Academy Street in Albion. Orleans County residents were able to drop off 1,200 tires that day.
ALBION – There are still slots available for Orleans County residents to get rid of household hazardous waste and tires at no charge.
The county has its annual household hazardous waste collection day this Saturday outside the Orleans County DPW on West Academy Street in Albion.
So far residents have registered for 385 of 600 spots to dispose of household hazardous waste, and 130 have signed up to unload old tires with 80 spots still available.
The county typically pays Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati 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.
Items that won’t be accepted include explosives, pressurized tanks, ammunition, PCBs, pathologic waste, infectious waste, radioactive waste, syringes, pharmaceuticals, computers & electronics, tires on rims, commercial & farm vehicle tires.
The collection runs from 8 to noon for household waste and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for tires. The event is organized by the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development. For more information, call the department at (585) 589-3198 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
Ag & Markets has quarantine on boxwood for Orleans, Niagara and Erie counties
Photos provided by NYS Department of Agriculture: Adult box tree moths generally have white bodies with a brown head and abdomen tip. Their wings are white and slightly iridescent, with an irregular thick brown border, spanning 1.6 to 1.8 inches, at Forest Pest Methods Laboratory, Buzzards Bay, MA.
Press Release, NYS Department of Agriculture
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced additional findings of the Box Tree Moth, an invasive pest.
The Box Tree Moth is a major threat to boxwood plants, which are a valuable portion of the nursery and horticultural industry. Previously, the Department had announced that Box Tree Moth was found in Niagara County, near the Canadian border.
The new finds, several of which were reported by area residents, have prompted the Department to increase its survey and trapping along Lake Ontario. The Department is now urging residents to report any additional sightings, which will help inspectors to assess impacted areas and reduce the spread of Box Tree Moth in New York State.
“The additional findings of the Box Tree Moth outside the current quarantine area are concerning to the Department,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “We want to make sure we minimize the spread of this invasive pest, which can cause extensive damage to boxwood plants, and part of our proactive effort is seeking help from the public. We urge residents to help us combat this pest by looking for Box Tree Moth damage on their plants and reporting it to us right away.”
As part of the state’s response efforts, inspectors from the Department plan to visit residential properties along Lake Ontario in Cayuga, Oswego, and Jefferson counties, with the landowner’s permission, to place traps for Box Tree Moth. The Department is also urging homeowners to look for signs of Box Tree Moth infestation on their property, listed below.
Box tree moths overwinter as larvae. Once temperatures rise, overwintering larvae emerge and typically begin feeding in March, continuing until they pupate in late April to early May.
If Box Tree Moth is suspected, the Department is asking that residents report it. Click here for more information.
The Department also has a quarantine in place to manage the spread of Box Tree Moth, which includes Niagara, Erie, and Orleans counties. The quarantine prohibits the sale and movement of boxwood to areas outside of the quarantine area and requires companies selling boxwood to maintain sales records for inspection by the Department’s Horticultural Inspectors. The Department will revise the quarantine as necessary, depending on the outcome of its continued survey work.
In addition, the Department has been working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on the management of Box Tree Moth, with USDA staff trapping for Box Tree Moth at the leading edge of the quarantine.
U.S. Department of Agriculture National Policy Manager Allen Proxmire said, “Residents can help prevent the box tree moth from spreading. Please allow state or federal agricultural officials to inspect your boxwoods and place an insect trap if they visit your property. If you have boxwoods, please inspect them for signs of box tree moth and once you report it, treat or trim the plant to save it because a box tree moth infestation is lethal to the plant.”
Pupation occurs on the host leaves in silk cocoons. If the boxwood host is defoliated, pupation may occur away from the host plant using leaves from the surrounding area. Pupae will typically first appear in April or May and will be present continuously through the summer and into the fall, depending on the local climate and timing of generations.
Property owners and managers looking for information on managing Box Tree Moth infestations can contact their local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or visit the NYS Integrated Pest Management website by clicking here.
Box Tree Moth larvae are easily recognizable; they are green and yellow with white, yellow, and black stripes and black spots. Signs of damage may not appear at the beginning of an infestation because young larvae hide among twigs and leaves.
Signs of a Box Tree Moth feeding on a plant include chewed, cut, or missing leaves, yellowing or brown leaves, white webbing, and green-black excrement on or around the plant. Larvae skeletonize the leaves and feed on the bark, causing defoliation and dryness, eventually leading to the plant’s death.
Adult Box Tree Moths generally have white bodies with a brown head and abdomen. Their wings are white and slightly iridescent, with an irregular thick brown border. Some adults have completely brown wings with a small white streak on each forewing. Males and females can show both colorations.
Photos and information courtesy of Kendall Lions Club
KENDALL – The Kendall Lions Club on Sunday presented four AED devices to local churches. The automated external defibrillators is a portable electronic device that can be used to restart a heart of someone in sudden cardiac arrest.
Pictured from left includes Past District Governor Judy McKnight, Grant Coordinator Tom Bartolini, Patty Longrod (St. Mark’s Catholic Church), Pastor TC Smith (Mt Olive Missionary Baptist Church), John Becker (Kendall United Methodist Church), Pastor Steve Worrall (Morton Baptist Church), Beth Schmidt (Concordia Lutheran Church), Kendall Lion Club President Eric Maxon and District Governor Melanie Adams.
The Kendall Community gathered for a community worship at the town gazebo on Sunday. In a ceremony at the service the AED devices and cases were presented to representatives from the five Kendall area churches.
The Kendall Lions Club received funds for these devices through a matching grant from the New York State and Bermuda Lions Foundation. The total cost for the five AEDs was $9,400.
Helping local employers connect with new skilled tradespeople is an important goal for the Orleans/Niagara BOCES Adult Skilled Trades programs.
During the spring semester, the Machining and Welding classes at the Orleans / Niagara BOCES Workforce Development Center in Niagara Falls gave a tour to local employer Jack Watson of HFW Industries and showed off their new skills. In turn, students heard from Watson about opportunities at HFW Industries in Buffalo.
According to the Regional Development Council’s 2022 Western New York Progress Report, the advanced manufacturing sector in the region comprised over 1500 firms in 2021, with roughly 62,000 jobs with an average wage of $70,510 and saw a 43% increase in job postings between 2020 and 2021. The report states that “The sector faces retirement cliffs and hiring gaps … pointing to a major need for awareness and training in the skilled trades.”
The O/N BOCES Adult Skilled Trades programs seek to fill this gap by providing training for area residents toward well-paid positions in regional manufacturing businesses. The welding program is a 216-hour class that meets four evenings a week for four months with introductory training in MIG, TIG, and STIK Welding. Machining is a 160-hour class that meets three evenings a week with training in mills, lathes, and CNC machine operation.
O/N BOCES Skilled Trades classes for adults include Welding, Machining, and Building Trades in Niagara Falls, Automotive Technology in Sanborn, and Electrical and HVAC in Lockport. Experienced tradespeople act as teachers to train a new generation, providing foundational skills as well as exposure to local businesses.
Fall classes run from Sept. 18 through Dec. 21. Funding to cover tuition and tools is available through local county WorkSource One offices.
For information on classes, interested students should contact ON BOCES by calling 716-731-6800 and asking for Adult Skilled Trades or by visiting https://wnytrades.com/programs/.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 August 2023 at 9:07 am
Dawn Gardner sent in this photo last week of the moon rise in Kendall.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo is forecasting showers and possibly thunderstorms in Orleans County today.
A quarter to a half inch of rain are possible today after 2 p.m., the Weather Service said.
The high temperature will be near 83 today. The forecast calls for more rain and possibly a thunderstorm tonight with another quarter of an inch to half inch of rain possible.
Tuesday showers are likely with a high near 72, followed by a sunny Wednesday with a high near 81, according to the Weather Service.
Thursday is forecast to be partly sunny with a high near 79, followed by a mostly sunny Friday with a high near 79.
Press Release, New York Power Authority and NYS Canal Corp.
The New York Power Authority and New York State Canal Corporation have announced a strategic investment in the future of the New York State Canal system through the procurement of four new maintenance marine vessels.
The new tugboats will be operated by Canal Corporation personnel and positioned along the 524-mile Canal system to support the continued operation and maintenance of the statewide navigable waterway.
The first two tugboats are scheduled to be delivered in 2025, the bicentennial year of the Erie Canal, with two additional tugs planned for delivery in 2027.
“With more than 200 communities along its banks, an investment in New York State’s Canal system is an investment in the upstate economy,” said New York Power Authority and Canal Corporation Trustee and Syracuse Area Canal Recreationist Bea Gonzalez. “The Canal Corporation’s workforce that maintains this historic and vital water transportation route and recreational asset will leverage these new tugboats to ensure our children and grandchildren can enjoy all of the benefits the Canal system offers for many decades to come.”
New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “Once placed into service, these new maintenance vessels will give our dedicated personnel the opportunity to complete their tasks safely while operating aboard modern tugboats equipped with the latest marine technology. As stewards of the Canal system, we know how important the iconic waterway is to so many communities. These new work boats will help ensure the canals continue to support economic development, community building, and expanded recreational uses across our great state for years to come.”
Staffed by Canal Corporation tugboat captains and floating plant personnel, the new steel inland tugs, each 64.5-feet long, will support operations required to maintain navigation along the Canal system. Some of this work includes buoy placement and retrieval, movement of spoils in hopper scows, transporting of dredge pipe, and mobilizing hydraulic and mechanical dredge units. In addition, the new tugs will have ice breaking capabilities built into them such as thicker steel and tighter spaced framing in the bow.
New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “These four new tugboats are a significant investment into the Canal Corporation’s maintenance fleet that routinely ply the waters of upstate New York. For nearly two centuries the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals have been economic engines – supporting livelihoods and commerce while spurring the growth of villages, towns, and cities – and this investment ensures our workforce can efficiently maintain the canal’s navigable waters for the next generation of users.”
In 2017, the Canal Corporation contracted with AENY, located in Northport, NY to perform a vessel assessment of its floating equipment. Based on the assessment, a long-term plan was developed to replace the aging fleet. The construction of the four new vessels will be in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard Sub-Chapter M regulations and a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection will be obtained.
When delivered, the new tugs will be placed into service alongside the Tug Syracuse, a 1934 tugboat built by the State of New York that has been the workhorse of the maintenance fleet since its launch. The new tugboats also will join the Canal Corporation’s Harriet Tubman, one of 10 smaller push tugboats that have been added to the fleet over the past five years.
The Board of Trustees for the New York Power Authority, which owns and operates the New York State Canal Corporation as a subsidiary, awarded the contract to Blount Builders Inc. of Warren, Rhode Island at its July 27 meeting.
In 2020, Blount Builders Inc. successfully delivered the Breaker II, a tugboat owned and operated by the New York Power Authority that supports its generation of electricity and champions ice breaking activity in the winter months along the Niagara River in Western New York.
By Kim Pritt, Contributor Posted 7 August 2023 at 7:40 am
Let’s go on an adventure together….to Savannah, GA!
Factor’s Row – known as the Wall Street of Savannah at the height of the cotton exchange. The cotton exchange was a major business in Savannah. In the late 1800s, Savannah and Liverpool, England were the only two places in the world where the price of cotton was quoted.
Let me just say, “I LOVE SAVANNAH”!!! Of all the amazing places I’ve been, I can honestly say there are only a couple that made me say, “I think I could live here happily ever after” with an instant “at home” feel, and Savannah is one of those places. It makes me sad, right now, to think that I’ve only been there twice. I do believe I need to remedy that.
Both times I visited Savannah, I stayed on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and drove into Savannah, so I can’t help you with ideas on where to stay, if you want to stay right in Savannah. The first time was for a business trip – a co-worker and I attended a seminar on Hilton Head. We flew into Savannah airport a day early and rented a car, so we spent our first day acting like tourists around the beautiful city.
Unfortunately, it was a chilly, rainy day and we didn’t have any more time to return for more sight-seeing, so didn’t really get to enjoy it fully. My second visit was with a friend in February 2011 and the weather was PERFECT and we walked and trolleyed all over the city and saw as much as we could see. I was living in NC at the time, so we drove my Mustang (oh, how I miss that car) down for the trip. We stayed at a beach resort on Hilton Head that my friend had a time share with and drove over to Savannah each day we were there.
Since I mentioned Hilton Head, I will add that it is another really nice place to visit. It is a beautiful island community with wonderful shops and restaurants and, I hear, good golfing (can’t say, myself – not a golfer). It made for a great combo trip. The drive on US 17 into Savannah is about 40 minutes or so and very pleasant…..well, except for the Talmadge Memorial Bridge!
Savannah’s Riverfront District is rich in history with old buildings, cobblestone streets, monuments, shops, restaurants, and stunning river views.
This is a very tall bridge with a twisty approach when coming upon it from Hilton Head to Savannah that is a very intimidating sight. It’s not that bad once you get on it and the approach from Savannah back to Hilton Head is much more calm, but, man….seeing it coming up from the SC side is a real “take your breath away” moment. I would recommend the combo trip – very nice! The link to the blog post at the end of this article also includes photos of Hilton Head.
Savannah is a gorgeous city built for walking and walking is the best way to see it. We went to the Visitor’s Center and gathered a bunch of brochures and just started walking. The historic district consists of a well laid out pattern of twenty-two squares in four main sections – Along the Waterfront, The First Squares, Squares of Luxury, and The Booming Westside. On our first day, we parked in metered parking and walked the entire lower portion of the historic district – Along the Waterfront and The Booming Westside sections.
Savannah was established in the mid-1700s with the intent to provide a buffer zone between the Spanish pushing northward from Florida and the English colony of South Carolina. The squares were uniquely designed to give Savannah a strong military advantage and are now lovely parks and memorials to the rich history. James Edward Oglethorpe started the colony with four squares and, by 1851, it grew to twenty-four squares with twenty-two remaining, today. The city is truly a walker’s dream….and a history buff’s idea of heaven.
Colonial Park Cemetery is an eerie walk back in history – a must see when visiting Savannah.
During our days in Savannah, we learned a lot about the wonderful history. The gorgeous mansions, the cotton exchange, the monuments, the shops, the industry, and so much more filled us with wonder and awe. Each square is a block with a beautiful park in the center and the mansions or shops or whatever surrounding it. The City Market is amazing. It is in the middle of the city, but feels much more like a park. In fact, we really didn’t feel like we were in a city anywhere we went. We may have crammed a lot into a few days, but it was such a lovely, relaxing time that we hardly noticed until we looked back on all we accomplished.
My very favorite part of Savannah is the Riverfront district. The buildings are old and the streets are cobblestone with trolley rails and the river views are stunning. There are some really great shops and restaurants, but the main attractions are the monuments and memorials along the edge of the river. Among them is one called “The Waving Girl”, honoring Florence Martus. Florence waved a handkerchief by day and a lantern by night at all the ships entering and leaving the port of Savannah from the porch of her home on Elba Island. It is said that she never missed waving at a single ship between 1887 and 1931.
What is a visit to Savannah without getting to chat with Forrest Gump?
There is so much to see and do in Savannah – a haunted drug store on the most haunted street, an eerie cemetery brimming with history, the mansions, the restaurants, the riverfront, the movie locations, and on and on. An absolute MUST do: There is an awesome candy shop with locations in both the City Market and on the Riverfront where you can purchase fresh, warm pralines that will melt in your mouth and make you feel like you died and went to heaven. The food at all the restaurants we chose (in both Savannah and Hilton Head) was absolutely incredible – including a very rustic tavern called “The Pirate’s House” that used to be frequented by pirates and sailors back in the day.
We even got to see Forrest Gump! On our last day, we took a trolley all day to save our feet and Forrest hopped on asking if anyone knew where Lt. Dan was because he was looking for him. What a hoot!
Take a trip to Savannah – you won’t be disappointed – like I said, it is one of only a couple places that I visited where I felt like I could make it my home and be instantly happy! But, for now, you can visit my blog post for more stories and photos from Savannah:
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 August 2023 at 6:40 pm
WATERPORT – The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum is sponsoring a “Keep the Light On” fundraiser Aug. 19 at the Carlton United Methodist Church, 1196 Archbald Rd.
The event will run from 7 to 9 p.m. and feature a dessert buffet, Lake Ontario author Susan Peterson Gateley and an old time hoedown by Kathy Vandemortel and Steve Bland.
Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased Tuesday evenings at OONA concerts in the park, Fridays through Sundays at the Oak Orchard Lighthouse or by calling Chris at (585) 315-9799 or Larry at (585) 230-7829.
Susan Peterson Gateley, an author about Lake Ontario, will speak during an Aug. 19 fundraiser for the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum.
A lighthouse at Point Breeze initially was pushed by Peg Wiley, who discovered shortly after she moved there in 2002 that there used to be a lighthouse on the pier at Point Breeze. The original lighthouse was toppled in a windstorm in 1916.
That summer she set up a table to solicit donations at the Wooden Boat Festival, and soon strong community support rallied towards the cause.
In 2004 she met the late Dick Anderson, who had a replica of the lighthouse and she created an exhibit at the Chamber of Commerce office in Albion, along with 1,000 copies she had reprinted of an 1890 book on Point Breeze. The Lighthouse Museum operated under the wing of the Chamber of Commerce until they could get their own certification.
Wiley and Cheryl Staines worked months to obtain a 501 3c designation, which was approved in 2004 and the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum was officially formed.
Wiley and the lighthouse group met a $300,000 goal for the structure which was built in 2010. The lighthouse is an iconic symbol for the Orleans County featured in tourism guides. The lighthouse also includes a small museum telling the history of the original lighthouse.
Wiley and the lighthouse group are still raising money for the lighthouse – for ongoing maintenance and expenses. The Aug. 19 fundraiser features author Susan Peterson Gateley.
Gateley has written multiple books about Lake Ontario. She writes a blog about Lake Ontario. Click here to be directed to her website.
She believes you should write what you know and she knows “We live in a state with the greatest variety of water of any place in the U.S. New York is bounded by a salt water coast and contains shorelines of fresh water ponds, lakes, rivers and streams. We have shorelines of two Great Lakes and, between us and Vermont, we share a Pretty Good Lake. No other state has more diversity of water for those who like to float on boats than we do. So that’s what I write about.”
Gateley continues to say, “To explore the world of water properly you need a boat. In my view, a slow quiet boat is best. For 40 years I sailed Lake Ontario, first solo, then with a spouse. I cruised around the lake for 17 years solo with Ariel, a 23-foot sailboat. With her I discovered that our Great Lake has another nation on its northern border. I learned a lot about Ontario Province with that boat.”
More recently, Gateley and her spouse have begun exploring the Erie Canal and her latest book, just released by History Press, “Beyond the Erie,” is a history of the current version of the New York canal system that helped make this nation.
Currently, Gateley and her spouse are trying a new way to travel on the canal. They’re going to attempt a cruise powered solely by sunshine. They have equipped their 23-foot sailboat with 1,500 watts of solar panels mounted on a canopy over the deck and cabin.
“We’re leaving the mast at home and will cruise the canal for two weeks using our previously installed electric motor and batteries,” Gateley wrote in her Chronicle. “The batteries, we hope, will be charged totally from the panels.”
During her appearance at the Lighthouse fundraiser, Gateley will share more of her experiences.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 August 2023 at 1:24 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The eighth edition of Rock the Park was a big hit on Saturday with an estimated 700 to 1,000 people attending the Albion Musical Festival that featured seven bands and two acoustic acts.
Nerds Gone Wild, top photo, closed out the day of music for the second year in a row. The band from the Buffalo area performs popular party music from the 1980s.
Ron Albertson, one of the organizers for the festival, said it was a record crowd on Saturday. The festival also had a popular open mic night on Friday making it a two-day event for the first time.
Albertson is joined on the committee by Zack Burgess, Debbie Prest, John Grillo, Bernie Baldwin, Jill Albertson, Tim McMurray, Terry Wilbert, Susan Oschmann and Dan Conrad.
Many other volunteers also made the event possible. The Village of Albion DPW helps set up the event and the town of Albion Highway Department provides a snow fence separating people who pay the $5 admission to be under the main tent with access to alcohol.
Ed Wyner aka “Milton Wild” is lead singer for the band. Some of the first songs by the band were “Tainted Love,” “Always Something There To Remind Me,” “Power of Love” “Footloose” and “Take Me Home Tonght.”
The Nerds had people on their feet and close to the stage for the finale on Saturday.
The Nerds Gone Wild are celebrating their 10th anniversary this month. The band members include John Gibbon on bass, guitar and vocals; Ed Wyner on lead vocals and guitar; Eddy Tabone on drums and vocals; Brian Beaudry on keyboards and vocals; and Eric Rovner on lead guitar and vocals.
Highway 31 performed for the first time at Rock the Park. They rocked to ’90s music, contemporary country and some rock, including favorites like “Footloose,” “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” and “Little Less Talk and Lot More Action.”
Rich Nolan of Gasport, right, is the lead singer. Here he watches the guitar trio of from left, 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.
Nolan said the band enjoyed playing in the music festival. They performed 13 songs in about an hour.
“It’s fun because you get to hear a lot of bands,” Nolan said. “We’re all hear supporting each other.”
Highway 31 was the seventh of the nine performers on Saturday. (Highway 31 will be back performing at Bullard this Wednesday at 6:30 for a full concert.)
Eclipse performs “Would?” by Alice In Chains. Erin Moody is lead singer for the band with Brett Zambito on bass, left, and D.J. Button, right, on guitar. Mike Parker is drummer for the band. Eclipse is a ’90s-’00s rock/metal cover band.
The music lineup for Saturday included: Carlton Station at 11 a.m., Chris Moore at noon, Shotgun Pauly at 2 p.m., Eclipse at 3 p.m., driVen at 4 p.m., Zackstreet Boys at 5 p.m., Highway 31 at 6 p.m., The Who Dats at 7 p.m. and Nerds Gone Wild at 8:30 p.m.
Saul Harrison, right, served chicken and ribs with his business, Daisy’s Sweet Sauce. He is joined by John Butler, left, and Mehkyron Drisdom. They were among several food vendors for Rock the Park.
The Zackstreet Boys perform on the amphitheater stage at Bullard. Their first two songs were “Sugar We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy and “The Boys of Summer” (Ataris’ version).
The band includes Zack Burgess, right, on guitar and vocals; Kole Moore on guitar, left; Mike Whiting on guitar, center; and Brian Domenick on drums.
Mike Whiting performs with the Zackstreet Boys with Brian Domenick the drummer.
The Who Dats, a long-time local favorite, performed for the crowd. Alex DeSmit is on the drums with Todd Graham, left, and John Borello on guitar.
This photo shows the entire Who Dats band, which includes lead singer Lonnie Froman in yellow shirt, John Borello on guitar (polka dot shirt, Todd Graham on guitar (second from left), Ed Hilfiker on guitar (far right) and Alex DeSmit on drums.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 August 2023 at 8:46 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Mark Strassner does a full backflip on his bike at the Luke Nelson Skate Park in Medina on Saturday as part of Family Fun Day at Butts Park.
Strassner was one of eight BMX bikers and skateboarders in Reanimate who did a demonstration. The group is from Rochester and visits skate parks in the region. They said the new Medina skate park is a top site for skaters and BMX bikers.
“This one of the model parks for its general design and flow,” said Greg Skolaski, one of the group’s leaders. “There is something for everyone.”
Skolaski, a pastor, also spoke to large crowd at Butts Parks for the sixth annual Family Fun Day.
Many churches and community offered information, snacks and other giveaways in the event that was scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. About 50 volunteers teamed to put on the event.
Pastor Jovannie Canales interviews Sherry Tuohey, who heads MAAC’s Red Barrel program at Christmas.
Canales and his wife Melisa, left, are leaders of the Oasis Church in Medina. It used to be known as The Second Church True Disciples of Jesus Christ until changing its name in May.
The congregation has been doing Family Fun Day for six years. It started from a parking lot at the old Medina High School with 50 people and has grown each year.
Canales said 10 churches from the Medina Area Association of Churches (MAAC) and Pastors Aligned for Community Transformation (PACT) worked together to put on the event.
There were 320 adults and 300 kids at Family Fun Day. The churches prayed for 125 people and 15 people were baptized, Canales said.
“It’s awesome to see the fellowship and unity in the county,” Canales said about the churches working together. “We’re all on the same mission to reach our county.”
Medina police officer and K-9 handler Jacob Reeves and Phoenix did a K-9 demonstration showing Phoenix’s skills at tracking and detection.
Kids had a lot of fun in the bounce houses and also the playground equipment at Butts Park.
The Medina Fire Department offered a up-close look at a fire truck and also gave out red plastic fire hats. Kids could also spray a hose at targets.
A skateboarder from Reanimate demonstrates some skills in the bowl at the Skate Park.
Photo by Tom Rivers: This memorial stone in the shape of Africa was dedicated on May 19, 2016 on the 152nd birthday for Carl Akeley, the famed taxidermist from Clarendon who made several expeditions to Africa. Many taxidermists from around the country donated to the memorial for Akeley at Hillside Cemetery in Holley.
Press Release, Orleans County Historical Association
The Orleans County Historical Association has scheduled its annual August series of cemetery tours.
The tours begin at 6 pm. While attendance is free of charge, donations are gratefully accepted.
The schedule includes:
• August 6: Hillside Cemetery and Chapel, Rt. 237, Holley – Presented by Melissa Ierlan, Town of Clarendon Historian.
• August 13: Mount Albion Cemetery, Rt. 31, Albion – Presented by Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County Historian and Sue Starkweather-Miller, Village of Albion Historian.
• August 20: Old St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Brown Road, Gaines – Presented by Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian.
• August 27: Boxwood Cemetery, North Gravel Road, Medina – Presented by Todd Bensley, Village of Medina Historian.
