ALBION – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand welcomed a contingent last week from Orleans County to Washington, D.C., for her First Responders Summit.
The summit brought together local officials, law enforcement officials, firefighters and EMTs to learn about how leaders from the local, state and federal level can work together to keep our communities safe.
The group from Orleans County included County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson, Legislator Merle Draper, Legislator John Fitzak, Chief Deputy Rob Reimer, Chief Deputy Jeff Gifaldi, and Justin Niederhofer, the director of Emergency Management.
“Senator Gillibrand’s First Responders Summit was full of important information,” said Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature. “From the FBI to FEMA to DOJ to ATF, the speakers were educational and inspirational. This summit will increase coordination between local, state and federal stakeholders and I’m excited to get to work.”
Programs included a panel on federal grants & programs, a federal government town hall, a panel on recruitment and retention and remarks from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“I am so grateful that I could welcome our incredible Orleans County legislators to Washington for my first responders summit,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The summit provided lawmakers, firefighters, law enforcement officers and EMTs the opportunity to connect with top federal officials to learn more about how federal resources can flow into New York State. This important work will help our first responders do their jobs safely and effectively, and will strengthen our communities.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 August 2023 at 11:32 am
Dan Rubinstein says traveling by water is great way to slow down and reconnect with oneself, nature
EAGLE HARBOR – A lone standing figure, on an inflatable paddleboat, is slowly working his way across the Erie Canal.
Dan Rubinstein, 49, has spent the past two weeks paddling across the Erie Canal, going about 20 to 25 miles day. He made it to Albion on Monday. He camped overnight and today is headed west to Gasport.
The canal trek is part of bigger journey that started June 24 in Montreal. Rubinstein, an Ottawa resident, went to New York City on the Hudson River. From there he took a bus to Albany to get on the Erie Canal.
After he reaches Buffalo, he will cross the Niagara River and head to Toronto.
The paddleboard expedition is part of a book he is working about our relationship with water. Not only is water critical to life, but it has the power to help people connect to themselves and nature.
“When we’re on water things slow down,” he said this morning, paddling in Eagle Harbor.
He goes about 3 miles an hour and feels like a metronome, losing himself in the repetition.
Rubinstein is a writer whose project immerses him in “blue space.” He has been interviewing people along the way – some in planned discussions but most in serendipitous encounters.
Dan Rubinstein cuts a path through the water this morning. He has been traveling on the canal the past two weeks.
On Monday evening, he met Doug Miller and Susan Starkweather Miller of Albion. They are featured on his Instagram page that chronicles his journey.
“Everybody has been welcoming and generous, and sharing their stories,” he said. “Everybody has been amazing.”
Susan Starkweather Miller, the village historian, talked about Albion’s canal history and some of the notable events and people in the past, including the 1859 bridge collapse on the canal that killed 15 people. She directed Rubinstein to the Pullman church and its 41 Tiffany stained-glass windows.
“He is a really nice guy and personable,” Starkweather Miller said. “He is very interested in hearing stories.”
She volunteers at the Brockport Welcome Center and her brother is a retired tugboat operator on the canal.
She was impressed Rubinstein took on the physical task on rowing against the current on the canal, and made the effort to hear from local people along the way.
Dan Rubinstein paddles on the 14-foot-long board.
Rubenstein said the canal brings people together of all backgrounds. He has met wealthy people on large boats and others struggling to get by who are fishing for food.
The canal became noticeably more interesting with lots of joggers, walkers and cyclists as he got near Rochester and headed east.
His trip aims to explore sustainability, health, equity, social justice and community.
“To me, paddleboarding — on rivers, lakes and oceans — is a unique way to interact with both natural and human aquatic ecosystems; it can help connect us to this vital natural resource that we often ignore or neglect,” he states on his website about this project. “Standing upright on the water, moving with or against the flow, you see yourself and your surroundings in a new way.”
Rubinstein has a working title for the book, “Water Borne.” He is also the author of “Born to Walk: The Transformative Power of a Pedestrian Act.” The book was published in 2015.
For more on Rubinstein’s Water Borne project, click here to see his website. Check here to see his Instagram account.
Rubinstein passes through Eagle Harbor headed west towards Medina.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 1 August 2023 at 7:47 am
HOLLEY – The Cobblestone Museum’s annual tour of homes will take on a new look this year as it expands its focus on examples of regional historic architecture in Orleans County, according to Museum director Doug Farley.
“Usually, the annual tour is exclusively cobblestone buildings,” said Erin Anheier, organizer of the tour with Chris Hunt. “This one is different as it only has one cobblestone house, but also has structures with other features, all linked by being masonry, with an emphasis on local stone.”
The tour continues an annual tradition that was put on hold during the pandemic, Farley said.
This year’s tour also focuses on architectural treasures in the eastern portion of Orleans County and western Monroe. The buildings are made of Medina sandstone, limestone, dolomite, lake washed cobbles and several brick buildings. In addition, there is a wide variety of buildings, as well as some that are seldom open to the public, Anheier said.
The self-drive tour is scheduled Aug. 26. Tickets are $20 for Cobblestone Society members and $25 for non-members. Tickets are available now by calling the museum or online at CobblestoneMuseum.org. They will also be available on the day of the tour at the Museum or at Hillside Cemetery Chapel, Route 237 and South Holley Road, Holley.
Buildings on the tour in Orleans County are Hillside Chapel, corner of Route 237 and South Holley Road; Holley Gardens, 1 Wright St., Holley; the old Holley Water Works, Pumping Station Road, Holley; and Butterfield cobblestone home, 4690 Bennetts Corners Road, Holley.
In Brockport, buildings on the tour are the White Farm bed and breakfast, 854 White Rd.; the King house, 495 White Rd.; the Locke house, 301 Beadle Rd.; and Lake View Cemetery chapel, 4988 Lake Rd.
Hillside Cemetery chapel was built in Gothic Revival style in 1894 of rough-faced Medina sandstone. The steep roof is cross gabled and covered with slate. The chapel was recently restored through the cooperative efforts of the town of Clarendon and Clarendon Historical Society. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.
Holley Gardens has been the site of a school since 1848. The brick building housed students until 1975. It sat vacant and fell into disrepair until 2018 when a developer undertook a $17 million project to turn it into a senior living complex with 41 apartments and offices for the village of Holley. The auditorium has been converted into public meeting space. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Holley Pumping Station is a Medina sandstone building at the north end of Pumping Station road. It was a cider mill built by a gentleman named Curtis in 1856. The village of Holley purchased it in 1890 from John Downs and doubled the existing building’s footprint to house the needed steam apparatus to power the water pumps.
At one time this pumping station provided enough water from its wells to provide water for both Brockport and Holley. This site, where West Sandy Creek flows down into a ravine creating a ready source of water power, has seen other mills in history, including a grist mill and saw mill.
The Butterfield Cobblestone is a Greek Revival home of lake washed cobblestone built in 1849 for Orson Butterfield. The form of the house is that of a standard 19th century farmhouse. Limestone forms the watertable and the quoins which mark the corners. Homeowners added a one-story addition with full basement in 2013. They made the addition’s interior and exterior trim, copying the original house. The home is owned by Erin Anheier and Russ Bosch. The porch has retained its original floor of stone slabs. This home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The White Farm bed and breakfast was built of brick in the early 19th century for John White, who settled there in 1821. Prosperity from the sale of wheat enabled him to significantly enlarge the home. Generations of the White family lived there until 1992. Of particular interest is an extensive decoration in the dining room with scenes of wildlife and folate designs within a stenciled border. It is the work of David Bruce of Brockport, whose taxidermy work is on display at the Farmers’ Hall at the Cobblestone Museum.
The artistry was discovered under layers of pale yellow paint when it was painstakingly removed by current owners, Christine Hunt and Scott Galliford. The property also has a c. 1830 and 1903 barns, a c. 1840 stone smokehouse, a c. 1890 combination milk and icehouse, a c. 1915 garage and a 1953 quonset hut. The house and outbuildings, with the exception of the Quonset hut, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Locke House will be available for exterior tour only. Built in 1828 by builder and owner Nathan Locke, it is a five over four bay Federal style quarried dolomite structure with a Greek Revival addition in the rear. The addition was moved sometime after 1858 from further down the road and attached to the stone structure to house a then modern kitchen. All but one of the original outbuildings remain.
Lake View Cemetery Chapel is an 1892 Norman Revival chapel of local gray rock, likely Lockport limestone which was quarried in the town of Sweden. The rough faced sandstone is accented with brick surrounds for the round arched doors and windows. The building features a square tower with a crenellated top and a steep slate roof with wide bands of scalloped slates. The stained glass windows are geometric in design with circular patterns and jewel-like buttons. The fountain south of the chapel was non-operational for many years and used as a planter, but was restored by the town to its original function. Both the chapel and fountain are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as contributing structures within the cemetery.
The King House (in very top photo) is owned by Archie and Pat Kutz. The original part of the house is the front gabled, three bay section built in 1829 for farmer William King, making it one of the oldest structures in the town of Sweden. The walls are local limestone. Several additions have been made over the decades. Current owners have added the sunporch and rear garage section, with attention to blending the masonry so as not to detract from the earlier construction.
More detailed information on each structure will be available in a brochure provided to ticket purchasers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 July 2023 at 6:31 pm
MURRAY – A Brockport man was killed in a car accident Saturday in the Town of Murray. The Sheriff’s Office released the name of the man killed – 32-year-old Samuel J. Mattison.
Mattison was driving a 2017 Cadillac southbound on Countyline Road. He failed to stop at the stop sign at Route 104. He entered 104 and was struck by a 2021 Hyundai traveling westbound, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The three occupants of the 2021 Hyundai were transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Mattison was pronounced deceased at the scene by County Coroner Scott Schmidt.
The accident is currently under investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit. Preliminary investigation shows speed was a contributing factor, according to the news release from Chief Deputy Jeff Gifaldi.
The Sheriff’s Office and first responders were dispatched to the scene at 5:13 p.m. on Saturday. The Murray Joint Fire District, Monroe Ambulance and Brockport Fire District responded to the scene.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 July 2023 at 11:18 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Chuck Prentice and Nicole Boldt, paramedics with the Le Roy Ambulance Service, led about a dozen parents in training to use CPR and a defibrillator.
The training was at Bullard Park on Wednesday evening. Many of the people learning the skills were parents of Albion youth football players. The training was organized by Albion Youth Sports Athletic Program or AYSAP.
Chuck Prentice, a Gaines resident, led the training. He said chest compressions should be done 30 times and two breaths with about 100 to 120 compressions a minute.
He told the attendees they should first check for a pulse and any signs of the person is breathing. The chest compressions should be done on a hard surface, either the ground or floor, he said.
He urged community members to be trained in CPR and be ready to act. Someone could collapse in a grocery store and need CPR, Prentice said.
A defibrillator or AED is used to restart a heart.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 July 2023 at 10:58 am
Provided photos: Oak Orchard Health has a new dental office at the former All Smiles Dentistry site at the corner of Allen Road and South Main Street.
ALBION — Oak Orchard Health welcomes the community to a ribbon-cutting celebration at 3 p.m. on Aug. 10. Oak Orchard has a new dental office at 362 South Main St.
The public also can tour the facility which includes 7 new exam rooms. Oak Orchard has a full-time dentist, dental hygienist, and dental assistant. Oak Orchard accepts most insurances, including Medicaid, and offers a sliding fee discount scale.
Dr. Jenna Rogge
“The lack of dental services in our region is detrimental to the total health of our patients,” said Karen Kinter, CEO of Oak Orchard Health. “The Albion community has needed more dental care for some time and we are proud to have our new office opened. We continue to grow to meet the needs of our community and now serve more than 30,000 patients across Monroe, Orleans, Genesee, Steuben, and Wyoming counties.”
The open house on Aug. 10 also will be a chance to meet Dr. Jenna Rogge, DDS; dental hygienist Miranda Betances, RDH, Dr. Rachel Nozzi, the chief dental officer.
“We’re so proud of our new dental center and the qualified dental team there,” said Dr. Nozzi.
Dr. Rogge brings with her several years of dental experience working with families including children and seniors. She said she believes it’s very important to treat patients with respect and empathy while supporting them in making decisions about their health and course of treatment. She is a graduate of the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine where she received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 31 July 2023 at 10:00 am
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health has issued an announcement highlighting its successes in the first half of 2023.
After a solid 2022 that included expanding services and a higher patient volume, Orleans Community Health has more positive things to report about the start to 2023, according to Marc Shurtz, CEO of Orleans Community Health.
“Recognitions, new highs with patient volume and many other things highlight why we’re excited for things to come,” Shurtz said.
Highlights of the first half of 2023 include expanding primary care services at the Albion Healthcare Center. Cheryl Kast, an Orleans County resident, started with OCH’s Albion Healthcare Center in January and brought a decade of experience directly serving the community with her.
The Wound Care Center was recognized as a “Center of Distinction” for its patient care. This center opened three years ago and has already expanded hours with an increase in patient visits.
It was announced in June, Buffalo Business First recognized Rhonda Woody as one of their 25 “Excellence in Health Care” recipients. Woody is lead sonographer and technical director of echocardiography at Orleans Community Health.
As the second half kicks off, Shurtz said there are several exciting announcements forthcoming. Additional recognitions and some returning events, including For Women Only, will be taking place before the end of the year.
Press Release, Orleans Renaissance Group, Blue Thursdays
MEDINA – With the arrival of August comes the last two shows at Medina’s Blue Thursdays free concert series, and each promises to be spectacular.
The series started on June 22 and ends on August 10 with a grand finale performance by the Tommy Z Band.
The concerts are at State Street Park Pavilion along the Erie Canal, 343 E Center St. The concerts so far have been drawing about 600 to 800 people. There are multiple food vendors including adult beverages.
This Thursday will see a command performance by guitar legend and Buffalo Music Hall of Famer Frank Grizanti.
Grizanti is one of Western New York’s most respected guitarists. He was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall Of Fame in 2007. His peers have described him as “legendary.” He has also been described as “a true Buffalo treasure.”
He has worked with many great acts from Western New York such as The BBC Band, Geno McManus, Stone Flower, Sam Sugarman, Patti Parks Band, The Fabulous USA Band, Speedy Parker, Bass Reeves, Maria Sebastian, Steve Ballisteri, Anatara and many others.
The Frank Grizanti Band has opened for national acts such as Gino Vanelli, Foreigner, and Styx and has recorded in L.A., Toronto, Nashville and Buffalo.
A Blue Thursdays crowd favorite in 2022, his performance in Medina is a must-see event.
Aug. 10 will see a grand finale performance by internationally renowned Buffalo guitarist Tommy Z, a contemporary blues/rock artist and radio host from Buffalo. He has been described as a “blues treasure” (Jim Santella, Buffalo News), and “one of WNY’s best-kept secrets” (Sarah French, Blues Matters Magazine).
He is a guitar-driven, electric blues-based stylist onstage, but in the studio composes a variety of music. Experienced and versed in traditional blues, jazz, funk and rock styles, he is an artist who puts that soulful blues feeling into all the different music he creates.
His work and talent has been recognized with numerous awards over the years, including being voted Top Blues Vocalist in Western New York 2003/2004/2006, Top Blues Guitarist 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006 and his band has won the Top Blues/Crossover Blues Band categories 1994, 2005, 2006, and was honored with the Muddy Waters Award for “Artist of the Year” by the Blues Society of WNY in 2004.
In 2007 Tommy was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, recognizing him alongside some of the best talent come out of WNY.
He has had the opportunity to perform, write, record and/or co-bill with some of the world’s top artists in the blues/rock genre including: B.B. King (and daughter Shirley), Buddy Guy (2023 Farewell Tour guest), Tom Hambridge, Johnny Winter, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Cray, Jeff Healey, Colin James, Tinsley Ellis, Roomful of Blues, Blues Traveler, Derek Trucks, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph, Peter Frampton, Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), Carey Bell, John Mayall, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tommy Castro, Duke Robillard, Elvin Bishop and many more.
His first initiation to national touring was backing up Grammy-winning blues pianist Pinetop Perkins (Muddy Waters Band), who is credited as indirectly starting rock-n-roll. Tommy has come a long way from playing the top bars and music venues in Buffalo to being an international and US festival headliner.
All Blue Thursdays concerts are free and open to the public. Shows run from 6 to 8 p.m. There are no rain dates. The public is encouraged to start arriving at 5:30.
Gig updates, any cancellations and venue information can be found at ‘blue thursdays medina’ on Facebook. Further information and details can also be found on the web at bluethursdays.com.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) has introduced the Fostering Innovation and Research to Strengthen Tomorrow (FIRST) Act, to enhance the research and development (R&D) tax credit for small businesses and startups, allowing them to create jobs and boost American innovation.
“Now more than ever, the United States must work to out-compete and out-innovate our adversaries by investing in proven policies like the R&D tax credit,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Once a leader in promoting R&D, the United States has recently fallen behind other countries around the world who are offering greater R&D incentives. China, in particular, has chosen to invest heavily in R&D by providing a ‘super deduction’ for R&D expenses. By enhancing the R&D tax credit, we can help small businesses and entrepreneurs across America invest in innovation that will unleash economic growth and create jobs on American soil. The FIRST Act is a crucial step in boosting American innovation and advancing our competitiveness on the world stage, reinforcing our nation’s position as the economic powerhouse of the 21st century.”
Specifically, this bill would:
Increase the “Traditional” Credit to 40 Percent: Established companies would see their current traditional credit rate, determined by a complex formula, boosted from 20 percent to 40 percent of the increase in R&D spending.
Raise the Alternative Simplified Credit (ASC) to 28 Percent: The existing ASC rate, calculated through a simpler formula, would be raised from 14 percent to 28 percent of the increase in R&D spending.
Significantly Enhance the Credit for Firms with Limited Research History to 14 Percent: Companies without any U.S. research track record in the past three years would experience a more than twofold increase in the credit from 6 percent to 14 percent of R&D spending.
“Manufacturers in the United States perform more than half of all private-sector research and development in the nation, driving more innovation than any other sector,” said Chris Netram, Managing Vice President, Policy, at the National Association of Manufacturers. “The Fostering Innovation and Research to Strengthen Tomorrow Act recognizes the importance of R&D in creating well-paying U.S. jobs and supporting innovation. We thank Rep. Tenney for her leadership in ensuring that manufacturers in the U.S. continue to be the world’s leading innovators.”
BATAVIA – Genesee Community College has announced students from Orleans County who have been named to President’s List. Students honored on the President’s List have maintained full-time enrollment and earned a quality point index of 3.75 (roughly equivalent to an A) or better.
The following are on the President’s List:
Kiera Dent of Lyndonville
Alanna Holman of Medina
Willy Sanchez-Cabrera of Medina
Melanee London of Medina
Corey Saj of Medina
Devin Hogan of Medina
Alexandria Strong of Medina
Hannah Coolbaugh of Albion
Reuben Rivers of Albion
Kelsie Stahl of Albion
Rowan Ford of Albion
Zoe Seniuk of Albion
Jocelyn Bedard of Albion
Laura Ellsmore of Holley
Tatum Gagne of Holley
Olivia Miller of Holley
Madelyn St. John of Holley
Melania Towner of Holley
Sara Kingdollar of Holley
Brendi Nunnenkamp of Holley
Isabella Zasa of Knowlesville
These students from Orleans County were named to the Provost’s List at GCC. Students honored on the Provost’s List have maintained part-time enrollment and earned a quality point index of 3.75 (roughly equivalent to an A) or better.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) and Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02), Jared Golden (ME-02), and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) have formed the Congressional Printing Caucus.
This bipartisan caucus will focus on advancing an agenda that protects America’s printing industry and its history in our communities.
“As the former owner and publisher of the Mid-York Press, a local commercial printing and manufacturing firm, I understand how the importance of print media and its impact on our communities and local businesses,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues in promoting the value of printing and its role in fostering an informed public. Together, we’ll work to support the printing industry, and make sure it has a voice here in Congress.”
“I’ve owned a small specialty printing shop for more than 35 years,” said Congressman Pocan. “I know firsthand the hard work that goes into running a small business like this. Because of that, I’m glad to help form the bipartisan Congressional Printing Caucus with Reps. Tenney, Golden, and Chavez-DeRemer to help advocate for small printers across the country, serving their own communities’ needs.”
“Over 3,000 Mainers are employed in the paper and printing industry, which also supports thousands of other jobs across the state,” said Congressman Golden. “These workers deserve a greater voice, which is why I’m honored to help form and co-chair the inaugural Congressional Printing Caucus. I’m eager to work together with the bipartisan members of this caucus to advocate for the paper and printing industry to ensure that workers from Madawaska to Westbrook have the seat at the table they need to keep their historic industry thriving.”
“I’m excited to serve as a co-chair of the new Congressional Printing Caucus, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to empower professionals in the printing industry,” said Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 July 2023 at 4:26 pm
MURRAY – A person was killed on Saturday in a motor vehicle accident on Ridge Road at the intersection with Monroe-Orleans Countyline Road.
The driver of a vehicle was southbound on Countyline Road and went through a stop sign and was then struck by a car traveling east on Ridge Road. The accident happened at about 5:15 p.m.
Three other people were injured and taken to local hospitals, The Daily News of Batavia reported.
No other information has been released by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 July 2023 at 11:23 am
KNOWLESVILLE – Five culinary artists competed Saturday in the first ever Stone Soup Cookoff, sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Cooperative Extension and Community Action of Genesee & Orleans.
The contest was a spinoff of a grant received by Community Action and Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension to fund a program called Stone Soup.
Contestants paid a fee to enter and received two week-long passes to the fair, plus prize money. Six individuals signed up, with five showing up to compete. They were Debbie Dunham of Knowlesville, Jeanne Crane of Waterport, Robin Boyle of Waterport, Rome Santiago of Albion and Chuck Kelly of Buffalo.
Marie Gabalski, head of the nutrition program at Cooperative Extension, facilitated the event and welcomed the contestants.
Marie Gabalski, center, nutritionist at Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension, welcomes chefs to the first ever Stone Soup Cookoff at the Orleans County 4-H Fair on Saturday. From left, contestants are Debbie Dunham of Knowlesville, Robin Boyle of Waterport, Rome Santiago of Albion, Jeanne Crane of Waterport and Chuck Kelly of Buffalo.
Contestants were each provided with a table which contained spices, apples, oranges, a lemon, lime juice, potatoes, oranges and onions, in addition to all the staples. They each had two hot plates, a frying pan and assorted pans, dishes and utensils. The entrants had 15 minutes to get set up and familiarize themselves with the ingredients and cookware, then they had 45 minutes to prepare a dish for the three judges.
Judges were Lionel Heydel, former chef at the French Culinary Institute and Harvest; Renee Hungerford, director of Cooperative Extension; and Sarah Martin, nutritionist at Cooperative Extension.
Dunham said she has never done anything like this before, but is used to cooking dinners for their big family, which numbers 23 at special gatherings.
“I took the Stone Soup program and that was fun, so I thought I’d try this too,” she said.
Crane said she attended a Stone Soup program in Holley and it was very interesting.
“I thought I’d do this just for fun,” she said.
Boyle loves to cook and is constantly trying new dishes, such as chicken marbella which used chicken thighs marinaded in red wine vinegar, olive oil, basil, bay leaves, garlic and capers, then baked after adding white wine, prunes and black olives and covering with brown sugar.
“I didn’t try to think about what I would fix here,” Boyle said. “But it was fun and I’d do it again.”
Boyle loves to cook so much, that in addition to her regular job as a teacher’s aide at BOCES during the school year, she is spending her summer cooking in the mornings at Boone and Crocket’s Café at Point Breeze weekdays and breakfast at Elba Diner on weekends.
Santiago also loves to cook and prepares meals at home all the time.
“Most of the time it’s by trial and error,” he said. “I just make it up. My favorite thing is lasagna.”
(Left) Robin Boyle explains her dish to the judges. She prepared a salad with greens, apples and oranges, fried potato slices topped with apple and cheese and a potato slice topped with a fried egg. (Right) Debbie Dunham plates her dish for the judges, which includes French toast, bok choy with potatoes and a salad with citrus and avocado oil dressing.
Kelly saw the contest advertised on Facebook and thought it would be fun.
“I love to cook, but I’ve never done anything like this,“ he said.
He said his specialties are smoking and grilling.
Dunham prepared French toast, bok choy with potato and onion and a salad with citrus and avocado oil dressing.
Boyle’s offering was a salad with oranges and apples, fried potato slices topped with cheese and apple wedges and a slice of fried potato topped with a fried egg.
Crane chose to create an appetizer plate of apple and orange wedges, cheese and radishes with a side salad and dish of sauteed apples with cinnamon.
Kelly made a stuffed French toast and potatoes with bok choy.
Santiago took advantage of a can of beans to make a bean soup with garlic and onion and an apple/orange salad. His dish would end up being the winner, as the judges loved the seasoning in the soup. His prize was $60.
Boyle finished in second place, followed by Dunham, Kelly and Crane.
Each contestant was allowed to take home the food which wasn’t used, which included eggs, onion, potatoes, oranges, apples, flour, sugar, spices and more.
Gabalski asked the contestants if they would do it again, and their answer was a resounding “Yes.”
Photos and information courtesy of Kristina Gabalski, Orleans County 4-H Coordinator
KNOWLESVILLE – Matthew Bloom, 13, of Albion leads his 1,275-pound market beef steer into the show ring as part of the 4-H Fair Meat Auction. The steer was purchased by WNY Energy for $2.55 a pound.
The Orleans County 4-H Fair persevered despite a major downpour on Saturday, bringing about 3 inches of rain. One of the fair’s biggest events, the 4-H Fair Meat Auction, drew a crowd with people paying well above the market price for the animals.
Lena Grillo, 11 of Albion, is shown with her Reserve Champion Market Lamb. The lamb was purchased by Panek Farms for $4.25 a pound and then donated back to the auction. The second time it came up for bid, it was purchased by Adam and Heather Dresser for $3.25/lb.
There was a total of 32 lots including 5 pies, the two travel pillows and the gift card. Meat rabbits, a goat, lambs, beef and hogs were the featured market animals that were auctioned off.
Ruth Kuipers, 13, of Byron prepares her Champion Beef Steer for auction. Amelia Paratore, 13, of Corfu, is next to Ruth.
Haylee Wright, 12, of Lyndonville and Hugh Gabalski, 16, of Byron, stand with their market auction rabbits during the preview session for bidders at the annual 4-H Fair Market Auction.
NYS Associate Commissioner of Ag & Markets Damali Wynter spoke briefly before the start of the auction on Saturday evening. She thanked 4-H families for all that they are doing to support and promote agriculture and said she would share all she learned with state officials. She was given a tour of the fairgrounds prior to attending the market auction.
Elizabeth Dresser, 11, of Medina shows off her blue ribbon market hog. Nutrien made the winning bit of $7 a pound for the 252 lb. animal.
5-year-old David Welker of Medina was among 4-Hers who helped to auction off five pies to benefit the Orleans County 4-H Program. His dad, Zack Welker (helping in the auction ring), provides some guidance. A pie/handmade travel pillow/gift certificate lot fetched a $380 winning bid from Basinait Farms.
Good morning! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up. And let’s start this week right… TOGETHER!!!
Hello friends, today’s article is going to be a little different but hopefully beneficial. I would like to share some insights with you, from both my personal experience as someone who has experienced much loss and my professional experience of comforting and counseling many who have suffered loss themselves, as to how you can be a better friend to someone who is grieving.
Going back to the oldest recorded book in The Bible we get a brief of glimpse of both the good and bad ways to go about helping someone who is hurting. Job, who the book was titled after, had a series of tragedies that left him mourning the loss of his children, his servants, and even his flocks and cattle. After suffering such a great loss his three closest friends came to comfort and console him. Recognizing that his grief was too great for words it says that these friends sat silently with him for seven days. So far so good… but then they began to speak.
Once they opened their mouths things started to go downhill fast because their focus shifted from bearing their friend’s burdens to trying to figure out what he had done to deserve such great distress. It’s human nature, right? We want to know WHY something bad happened or WHO we should blame. It is also human nature to add pain to a situation even when the opposite is intended.
In the Grief Support Group that my colleague Heather and I facilitate through Hospice of Orleans it is not uncommon to have someone share about something a friend or family member had said or did that was hurtful. At the very least it was something that evidenced the fact that the other person did not understand what they were going through. And the reality is that, in most cases, they don’t.
I will be the first to admit that there were things that, as a pastor, I used to say to someone after their loved one had passed that I vowed I would never say again after going through the experience myself and realizing how absurd my words were. For example, I used to say that all of the decisions and busyness leading up to the funeral service was a blessing in disguise because they had something else to think about. The reality is that having to make big decisions in the moment when you are tired, stressed, and in shock doesn’t take away from the sting of what you are going through but simply adds to it and amplifies it.
Until you have gone through it yourself though it really is hard to comprehend. I remember going through the most physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining time of my life when my father passed away suddenly and then my mother, who was unexpectedly diagnosed the next day with terminal brain cancer, came to live with us as she received chemo and radiation daily.
Right after her passing, as a result of physically collapsing during the Strawberry Fest Race due to stress and exhaustion, my church placed me on a six-week sabbatical. On the one hand it was very gracious of them to do so, and much needed on my end, but on the other hand I realized once returning to work that many of the members, though certainly not all, were under the assumption that by not doing daily ministry tasks for six weeks I had had plenty of time to get my grieving over with and move on.
Others who I have counseled since have also shared the expectations placed on them by even their closest friends and family members to get over their grief and get back to normal. The problem of course is that you don’t get over loss as much as you learn to move forward with it and, for the person who just lost a parent, a child, or a spouse, they cannot get back to normal because their normal has been forever changed.
It is understandable that you would want your friend to go back to being who they were before their loss but it’s just not possible. They can learn to accept and grow into their new reality but it won’t be exactly the same and it will take time. The best way I have found to describe this dynamic is to imagine having your dominant arm cut off. Eventually you will be able to function and do most things with your other arm, though it won’t be easy or come naturally, but you will learn to live with it. Some things though, like jumping rope on your own, will be a thing of the past.
There is much more that could be said but I will end with this… if you find yourself in a position to offer comfort to a friend who is grieving simply sit with them until they are ready to talk and then ask them what you could do. Don’t feel the need to fill in the silent gaps with well worn cliches.
Don’t push for them to grieve the same way or at the same pace as someone else who experienced something similar. And don’t make them feel guilty for getting emotional just because it makes you uncomfortable. Instead, just show up and show them the same kind of love and grace that you would want them to one day show you when the roles are reversed.
Also, for anyone reading this who is struggling with grief please know that you do not have to go through it alone. Our Grief Support Group is open to all and we meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. in the First Baptist Church of Albion (30 W. Park St.)
By Randy LeBaron
Until you have gone through it yourself though it really is hard to comprehend. I remember going through the most physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining time of my life when my father passed away suddenly and then my mother, who was unexpectedly diagnosed the next day with terminal brain cancer, came to live with us as she received chemo and radiation daily.
It is understandable that you would want your friend to go back to being who they were before their loss but it’s just not possible. They can learn to accept and grow into their new reality but it won’t be exactly the same and it will take time. The best way I have found to describe this dynamic is to imagine having your dominant arm cut off. Eventually you will be able to function and do most things with your other arm, though it won’t be easy or come naturally, but you will learn to live with it. Some things though, like jumping rope on your own, will be a thing of the past.
