File photo by Tom Rivers: Dean Marine & Excavating Inc. from Michigan is shown dredging the Oak Orchard Harbor on Aug. 26, 2021. While sediment was scopped from the harbor, there was an area for boaters to come and go.

POINT BREEZE – Dredging of the harbor at Oak Orchard is expected to start next week, Orleans County officials announced today.

The dredging should continue through the July 4^th weekend, said Lynne Johnson, the County legislature chairwoman.

“Oak Orchard Harbor is an important part of our local tourism and recreation economy, so ensuring the safe passage of boats in and out of the harbor has always been a top priority of ours,” Johnson said. “That means dredging is required to maintain navigability and we thank the Army Corps for their efforts.  We are excited this project will soon be completed.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, awarded a $2 million contract to Michigan-based Dean Marine & Excavating to conduct dredging of Oak Orchard Harbor as well as Great Sodus Bay.

A total of approximately 15,000 cubic yards of material from Oak Orchard is contracted to be dredged and placed in designated open lake sites. The harbor was last dredged in 2021. That followed a seven-year stretch when it was dredged in 2014.

Dredging of these harbors ensures accessible depths for vessels traveling the Great Lakes and enables recreational boating which supports more than $24 million in business revenue and labor income to the transportation sector combined, the Army Corps stated in a news release.

“Great Sodus Bay and Oak Orchard Harbor are critical components of the Great Lakes Navigation System, supporting economic growth in the local economy and ensuring safe refuge for boats on Lake Ontario,” said Lt. Col. Robert Burnham, USACE Buffalo District commander. “We look forward to delivering these projects on time and within budget, ensuring their waterfronts continue serving the local community and the country.”

Dredging will focus on the mouth of Oak Orchard Harbor first, followed by the inside of Great Sodus Bay past its piers.

Oak Orchard Harbor is a shallow-draft harbor. Recreational boating facilitated by the harbor supports $6.8 million in business revenue, 94 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, and $6 million in labor income to the nation, the Army Corps said.

Great Sodus Bay also is a shallow-draft harbor on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Recreational boating facilitated by the harbor supports $9.3 million in business revenue, 142 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, and $8.7 million in labor income to the nation.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Canalside Community Church at right and the First Presbyterian Church of Albion in back are shown last evening on East State Street.

The temperatures will be cooler in Orleans County today after several days of a heat wave.

The high today is forecast for 71, about a 20-degree drop from the highs earlier this week.

There will likely be showers and a chance for a thunderstorm before noon, and then a chance for shower sin the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Rain is in the forecast for Friday with a high near 85, followed by highs of 80 on Saturday, 81 on Sunday and 88 on Monday.

Provided photo: Kendall’s 57 graduates and one honorary foreign exchange student in the Class of 2024 celebrated commencement on June 28, 2024 in the school auditorium.

Orleans County’s school districts will be giving high school seniors a big send off with commencement ceremonies on Friday and Saturday.

About 400 graduates will receive their diplomas.

The commencement  ceremonies include:

• Albion is graduating 139 students this year. The ceremony speakers are Linda Weller (Acting Board of Education President), Mickey Edwards (Superintendent), Kenadie Patten (Class of 2025 President), Zackary Baron (Salutatorian) and Tye Talbot (Valedictorian).

The ceremony is planned to be outside on football field beginning at 7 p.m. with the high school gym the back-up in case of rain.

• Holley has 67 students graduating on Saturday during commencement at 10 a.m. in the school auditorium.

Penny Cole was picked by seniors to be their commencement speaker. Cole retired in 2023/24 as secretary for the MS/HS counseling office and as the cheer coach. Cole graduated from Holley High School in 1975.

The Salutatory address will be given by Natalie Amelia Foose and the Valedictory address will be delivered by Allison Renee Merle.

• Kendall has 53 seniors graduating at 7 p.m. Friday with a ceremony in the school auditorium. Carolyn Sweeting, who retired as a Spanish teacher in 2023, has been picked by the class to be the commencement speaker.

The top two students academically also will give speeches, including Valedictorian Colby Hughes and Salutatorian Isabella Goodrich.

• Lyndonville has 30 students graduating on Friday during a 7 p.m. ceremony in the auditorium. Valedictorian Addison Dillenbeck and Salutatorian Madison Davis will each give an address.

• Medina has just under 100 graduates receiving diplomas at 7 p.m. on Friday at Vets Park. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the ceremony will be inside in the auditorium.

The speakers will be Dan Owen DeVera, the valedictorian, and Cameron Kenward, the salutatorian.

Press Release, Police Benevolent Association of New York State

ALBANY – The Police Benevolent Association of New York State released the following statement today, attributable to its president Lt. James McCartney:

“The Police Benevolent Association of New York State appreciates the time and resources spent by the Office of the Attorney General to gather and analyze data on law officer pursuits of suspects. Our brother and sister officers have variously initiated pursuits by car, motorcycle, boat, ATV, snowmobile and other vehicles. The PBA of New York State agrees that police pursuits are dangerous: for the suspect, for the officers involved in the pursuit and for the general public.

However, we strongly disagree with the one-sided research in this report, which implies that officer decision-making is the sole cause of unsafe pursuits. Above all—and missing from the OAG’s announcement—is that it is never legally allowable for a civilian to decide they do not want to stop or yield to a police officer’s commands toward their vehicle. Likewise, it is never legally allowable for a civilian to decide to flee an initiated traffic stop.

The officers we represent make split-second, life or death decisions every single day. They do so by balancing many factors, including the seriousness of an offense, their own personal safety and the well-being of the general public. Rather than once again scrutinizing the decisions made by police officers, we urge the OAG and New York’s lawmakers to instead consider passing laws which increase criminal liability and penalties for those who flee from lawful traffic stops and investigations.”

In its 2007 ruling in the case of Scott v. Harris, the United States Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of a Georgia sheriff’s deputy who took action to terminate a police pursuit. The ensuing crash left the suspect in the case permanently paralyzed. Even so, the Supreme Court found that public policy which bans, limits or affects the in-chase mechanics of a high-speed police pursuit will only encourage suspects to flee more often. The court referred to such policy as an “invitation to impunity-earned-by-recklessness.”

Photo by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Jr.-Sr. High School counselor Audralee Doll shared her inspirational story at Medina High School’s baccalaureate service Sunday, telling how she grew up in a toxic household and forged her parents’ names to enter the Air Force at 17. (Center) MHS senior Mackenzie McGrath introduces keynote speaker, Jr.-Sr. High School counselor Audralee Doll at commencement ceremonies Sunday at the high school. (Right) A closing reflection and prayer for graduates was offered by Pastor Wes Cantrell at Medina High School’s baccalaureate service on Sunday.

MEDINA – Medina High School’s annual baccalaureate service sponsored by Medina Area Association of Churches took place Sunday afternoon at Medina High School.

The Rev. Vince Iorio, vice president of MAAC, welcomed graduates on behalf of president Sue Metzo.

“Baccalaureate is a tradition intended to lift your soul,” the pastor told graduates.

The program included reflective readings from the Bible by seniors Logan Trillizio and Sophia Goyette and a special offering by the A Capella Select Choir, under the direction of Rachel Trillizio.

Senior Mackenzie McGraph introduced keynote speaker Audralee Doll, director of counseling and a high school counselor at MHS. She is also a spin instructor and executive board member with the YMCA.

Medina High School’s A Capella Select Choir, under the direction of Rachel Trillizio,  sang a special offering at baccalaureate.

Doll stated she was taken aback when senior Ryder Jones asked her to be keynote speaker.

“Why would you want to hear your counselor speak?” she asked. “However, it reminded me of a few years ago when a former student, who happened to know a little about my background, suggested I share my story with students. It is because of that, every year before I begin our annual presentation where we give information on preparing for life after high school, I start off by giving my experience growing up in a tumultuous household.”

Due to such, at 17 she joined the Air Force, she said.

During the next seven years, four of which were served overseas, she rose to the rank of staff sergeant and earned more than 10 awards and commendations. Also during her enlistment, she earned her associate’s degree from the Community College of the Air Force and attended the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She later served with the 146th California Air National Guard, while completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine University in Malibu.

Returning to New York, Doll earned a master’s degree in human development and school counseling with a concentration in leadership from the University of Rochester. She has since added K-12 school building and district leadership certifications to her credentials.

Fast forward to today, Doll shared she has earned more than half a million dollars in education and is a few courses shy of her doctorate, all the while having zero debt.

“That is all from someone who believed college was not an option for herself,” she said. “The goal of why I share this with seniors is to emphasize that if there is a will, there is a way, but it’s up to you to achieve that.”

(Left) Logan Trillizio leaves the podium after presenting the first reflective reading at Sunday’s baccalaureate service at Medina High School. (Center) Senior Sophia Goyette shared a selection of readings from the Bible during baccalaureate on Sunday. (Right) The Rev. Vince Iorio, vice president of Medina Area Association of Churches, greeted graduates at Medina High School’s baccalaureate service Sunday, which MAAC sponsored.

What Doll wants to stress is how to navigate life when something gets in the way of that will – because it is inevitable and it will happen.

The secret is to be humble and be grateful, she said.

“Throughout all of my experiences in life, I have never felt sorry for myself,” Doll said. “What has helped me is the mindset that ‘someone else always has it worse.”

To her, that means one is looking at the glass half full.

“Taking life in a positive psychology mindset means you recognize others do have a struggle that is greater than yours, and most importantly, it’s appreciating and recognizing the things you do have,” she said. “You cannot choose what happens to you, what people think of you or what goes on in the world. You can choose what you do about it.”

Life right now couldn’t be better for Doll, a proud resident of Medina with her husband Maximillan and their dog Charlie. They are happily hoping to expand their family.

Final reading of the afternoon was William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus” by senior Garrett Koch.

Pastor Wes Cantrell of One Church Medina shared a final message to graduates and a closing prayer.

“In the wink of an eye, the last 12 years have become history,” he said. “The decisions you make now will shape your years ahead.”

Others who contributed to the program were Ryder Jones, who designed the invitations; Amanda Kroening, who designed the programs; pianist Diane Stephenson who accompanied guest in singing “Take my Life and Let it Be”; Karen Jones, who assisted in program planning; River Jones for lights and sound; and Robyn Watts for being the liaison between MAAC and the school.

Students and guests enjoyed punch and cookies, courtesy of MAAC.

Photos by Tom Rivers

POINT BREEZE – A new season of summer concerts has begun at the Orleans County Marine Park.

The band, Stone Age Romeos, performed on a hot Tuesday evening at the pavilion of the park on Route 98. The band plays classic ’70s vinyl and more.

Gene Romano of Stone Age Romeos sings “The One I Love” by REM.

The concerts are from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the park, 1110 Point Breeze Rd. in Kent.

The lineup for the other concerts includes:

• July 1 – The Who Dats
• July 8 – Feedback
• July 15 – Dave Viterna Group
• July 22 – No concert due to Orleans County 4-H Fair
• July 29 – Highway 31
• August 5 – Yacht Club
• Aug. 12 and Aug. 19 – rain dates

Frank Panczyszyn a member of the events committee for the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association, calls out the winning 50/50 numbers. OONA and the Friends of the Orleans County Marine Park organize the concerts.

Jason Pilon works the grill for the Clarendon Lions Club. He was helping the club cook and serve food. His father-in-law, Tom Persia, is a member. Club member Kevin Johnson is at right. The Lions Club and several other food vendors will be at the concerts.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Bryan Hardenbrook, co-chairman of the Kendall Carnival, is shown Tuesday evening with some of the rides at this year’s Kendall Carnival which runs from Thursday through Saturday. A new ride company, Knox’s Great American Amusements, will have 12 rides.

KENDALL – The Kendall Fire Department thought its annual carnival was over. The department was the last one in Orleans County to offer a carnival with amusement rides and other entertainment.

But it’s been increasingly difficult to find a ride company. Last year there was a carnival but there weren’t any rides, and it was reduced from three to two days.

The department’s leadership thought that was the last event, with no more carnival.

But then the department got a call in early May from Knox’s Great American Amusements, a new ride company out of Franklinville. Knox’s had an opening this week after a cancellation. Kendall called an emergency meeting and decided to continue the carnival.

The event is usually the second week in July, but the department will be running the three-day carnival this week from Thursday through Saturday. Knox’s will have 12 rides. That is up from the six in 2023 when there were last rides at the carnival.

“It’s a great community event,” said Bryan Hardenbrook, who is co-chairman of the carnival along with Phil D’Agostino.

The event is the department’s biggest fundraiser, usually generating about $20,000 to $25,000. It’s also a popular class reunion.

Due to the late start in planning the carnival, there won’t be fireworks but everything else is a go. The parade, which is usually on Friday, will be on Thursday at 7 p.m. so it doesnlt conflict with Kendall’s graduation ceremony.

 Some other highlights include:

• Knox’s Great American Amusements offering $20 ride specials for four hours, 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and Saturday, and also 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

• Bands will play in the beer tent and include Shotgun Pauly on Thursday, Highway 31 on Friday and Tryst on Saturday.

• The auction will start at 5 p.m. on Friday behind the Kendall fire hall.

• Cornhole tournament begins at noon on Saturday at $60 a team. Chicken barbecue that day.

Hardenbrook also thanked Wegmans for providing a refrigerated trailer for the week at no charge to the fire department.

He expects big crowds for the three days. He is hoping to secure a longer-term agreement with Knox’s to provide the amusement rides so the carnival continues for years to come.

“It’s a lot of work but the community likes it,” he said about the carnival.

Bent’s Opera House covering costs this season for free use for public

File photo by Tom Rivers: These three people enjoy hydro-bikes on the Erie Canal in Medina in July 2023 near the Horan Road bridge. The hydro-bikes were offered for free in an “On the Canals” program where hydro-bikes and kayaks can be rented for free through the Orleans County YMCA. Bent’s Opera House is covering the cost for the kayaks and hydro-bikes to be offered free to the community and visitors this season.

MEDINA – This summer the YMCA will again offer its Canal Club program for people to have fun while exercising on Erie Canal with kayaks and hydro-bikes.

Beginning this week the Y will be allowing people to go kayaking and to pedal the hydro-bikes from Thursdays to Saturdays, from noon to 9 p.m. The program ends on Aug. 9.

People can sign up on Event Brite and rent them for free. (Go to eventbrite.com and search for kayaks and hydro-bikes to make a reservation.) The Y has 10 kayaks and four hydro-bikes from prior years. Bent’s Opera House is covering the costs of the Y’s staff time to run the program.

“We want people to get out and enjoy the summer and the canal,” said Coby Albone, who helps run the program for the Y. “It’s here and it’s free for them to use.”

No experience is needed. Participants need to be at least 12 years old. The Y will have the kayaks and hydro-bikes behind Captain Kidz at 143 East Center St.

The Y received the kayaks and hydro-bikes in 2020 through grants from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation and the Erie Canalway Corridor’s Consolidated Fund.

The state covered the Y’s staffing costs to run the program with the “On the Canals” initiative in 2021 and 2022. About 1,200 people signed up to use the kayaks and hydro-bikes those years. Albone said the Y would like to reach 2,000 users this summer.

He thanked Bent’s Opera House for its financial assistance this year.

Jim Heminway scored a decisive victory in the Republican primary today for Shelby town supervisor, topping incumbent Scott Wengewicz, 283 to 118.

Wengewicz was endorsed by the Shelby Republican Committee and so were Vassilios Bitsas and Michael Moriarty. But they also were defeated by Republican challengers Lawrence Waters Sr. and Edward Żelazny.

In Barre, Stephen Coville II topped Scott Burnside in a primary for town supervisor to replace Sean Pogue, who is retiring after this year. Coville won, 155 to 120.

Barre Republicans also picked David Allen and Wes Miller, the Republican-endorsed candidates, over George and Iva McKenna.

In Yates, Bill Jurinich was the top vote-getter among three candidates for two spots on the Town Board. Harold Suhr was the other candidate to win the primary.

Election results include:

Barre

Town Supervisor – Stephen Coville II, 155; Scott Burnside, 120.

Town Council (two positions) – David Allen, 150; Wesley Miller, 149; George McKenna, 127; and Iva McKenna, 124.

Shelby

Town Supervisor – James Heminway, 283; Scott Wengewicz, 118.

Town Council (two positions) – Edward Żelazny, 293; Lawrence Waters Sr., 245; Michael Moriarty, 122; and Vassilios Bitsas, 105

Yates

Town Council (two positions) – William Jurinich, 111; Harold Suhr, 87; and Terry Chaffee, Jr., 65.

Press Release, New York Attorney General Letitia James

Letitia James

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released a report on police vehicle pursuits and proposed reforms to help keep New Yorkers safe.

Police vehicle pursuits have been shown to increase danger and result in injury or fatalities to drivers, passengers, bystanders, and police. In the report titled “Improving Policing and Public Safety: Problems Presented by Police and Vehicle Pursuits,” the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) reviews and analyzes available data showing how police vehicle pursuits harm New Yorkers, what other jurisdictions are doing to address police pursuits, and makes recommendations for reform.

“Millions of New Yorkers take to the roads each day, and they deserve policing and traffic enforcement that is safe, fair, and effective,” said Attorney General James. “The evidence is clear: police vehicle pursuits and high-speed car chases can be dangerous and even fatal, and it is time for a change. We are proposing these reforms to improve public safety for everyone on the road – drivers, passengers, and law enforcement.”

The report (click here) finds that some of the most extreme harm to New Yorkers happens when routine traffic stops escalate into pursuits or high-speed police chases. Although there is no mandatory centralized database for high-speed pursuits by law enforcement agencies in New York or nationwide, data pulled from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) maintained by the Department of Transportation (DOT) found that from 1996 to 2015, an average of 355 people – nearly one person per day – were killed annually in pursuit-related crashes. The report also reviewed several examples of police vehicle pursuits in New York that put both drivers and police officers in danger and led to civilian fatalities.

States and localities that have made changes to traffic enforcement and police vehicle pursuit policies in order to minimize harm and improve public safety have already seen successes. The OAG recommends New York implement similar statewide reforms to keep New Yorkers safe, including:

• Pass legislation to increase transparency. New York law enforcement agencies should be required to track and publish data about traffic pursuits and high-speed chases to improve public accountability, evaluate agency performance, and help oversight agencies protect civil liberties and civil rights. This data collection should be facilitated by a centralized agency such as the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
• Ban high-speed police pursuits with narrow exceptions. Though high-speed chases can be deadly, OAG recognizes they may be necessary when a serious or violent felony has been or will be committed or when the driver’s conduct poses an imminent threat of death to themselves, bystanders, or police officers. Narrow exceptions for use of high-speed police pursuits would eliminate police chases that risk harming drivers, passengers, bystanders, and officers.

The clear danger of high-speed chases has led many jurisdictions across the country to take steps to update their enforcement practices. Some jurisdictions have banned pursuits and chases with limited exceptions, while others have implemented new policies that allow officers to use discretion within set guidelines when determining whether or not to initiate a chase. For example, Milwaukee changed its policy to require police officers to have probable cause for a violent felony before initiating a vehicle pursuit after a series of pursuit-related deaths in 2010.

In New York, laws and policies vary based on location. In New York City, a recent policy change limits officer discretion to initiate vehicle pursuit to only the most serious and violent crimes, not traffic infractions or low-level crimes.

In Buffalo, pursuits are banned if they are in response to a traffic violation, a misdemeanor, or another non-violent felony, and in Albany, officers are required to consider several factors before starting a chase, including the threat posed to the public, seriousness of the offense, and possibility of apprehending the individual at a later time.

BUFFALO – The following local students from Orleans County were named to the University at Buffalo’s spring 2025 Dean’s List:

• Daniel Barry of Lyndonville
• Jylees Bermudez of Albion
• Adriana Botello of Kendall
• Caiden Class of Medina
• Thomas Costello of Medina
• Nathan Dillenbeck of Lyndonville
• Matthew Drum of Medina
• Anthony Gagliardo of Medina
• Kevin He of Albion
• Emma Jacobs of Medina
• Jonah Karnyski of Albion
• Jordan Marshall of Albion
• Elizabeth McCarthy of Medina
• Jaklin Mofardin of Lyndonville
• S’koi Sanders of Albion
• Hilda Santiago Bautista of Medina

UB is New York State’s flagship university and the largest and most comprehensive institution in the State University of New York system.

“Each semester brings new opportunities to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our students,” said Ann Bisantz, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education. “The scholars named to this semester’s undergraduate dean’s list exemplify what it means to pursue academic excellence with purpose, passion, and integrity. We are proud to honor their achievements and look forward to the impact they will continue to make.”