By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2023 at 9:02 am
Provided photos
HOLLEY – Vendetti Farms in Holley recently welcomed first-graders from Holley for a hayride, tour of farm equipment and pumpkin picking.
The farm hosts the first-graders every fall. The kids play a variety of games with pumpkins including pumpkin bowling, tic tac toe, ring toss and pumpkin stacking.
Students learn about the different types of corn grown on the farm and make a craft using ornamental corn.
Karen Clark, a school employee, brings her goats and chickens to the farm.
“It’s a fun day, not just for the kids, but also the adult volunteers, most of who are retired teachers from Holley School District,” Lynn Vendetti said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2023 at 8:07 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The “Spider” could be on the move, but not too far at Gulf Street Park in Medina.
The Spider has been part of the park for at least a half century. Now it is an obstacle at a new disc golf course at Gulf Street Park.
Some of the players have been complaining about some of the playground equipment being in the way, Jason Watts, DPW superintendent, told the Village Board on Monday evening.
He is looking to move the Spider, Merry-Go-Round and possibly some other equipment to a different part of the park.
A backstop for baseball and softball players may be relocated to the Pine Street Park, Watts suggested at the meeting. He said the swing-set should stay put because that would be challenging to move.
Village Trustee Marguerite Sherman said the Spider and the equipment that stays at Gulf Street should be painted with wood chips added to the ground for the apparatus.
“If a park is inviting, kids will want to come to it,” Sherman said. “That park is not inviting right now.”
The park wasn’t getting much use in recent years. But the new disc golf course has been popular, Watts said. He expects some of the disc golf players will bring their children to Gulf Street and they could use the playground while their parents play disc golf.
Watts also informed the board that a contractor is expected to be at Butts Park this week to pave the new basketball courts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2023 at 10:49 pm
Mike Sidari
MEDINA – Mike Sidari announced at the end of this evening’s Village Board meeting that he wouldn’t be seeking re-election in March to a fifth 2-year term as Medina mayor.
Sidari has been the mayor for nearly eight years. He was on the board as a trustee for two years prior to that.
He said due to a health issue for a family member he wouldn’t be running again for mayor.
The board went into an executive session soon after his announcement.
He has said recently that Medina has a great team on the Village Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and with many community organizations.
Those groups have been able to push Medina forward with its downtown business district, industrial park and other community initiatives, he said said.
He praised citizens who led efforts for a new dog park, skate park, bluebird trail, an upgraded Pine Street Park with a splash pad, and much improved Boxwood Cemetery.
The community projects improve the quality of life for local residents, Sidari said, and also play a factor in whether a business chooses to come to Medina. The business owners want to see a community with pride, and strong schools, a vibrant downtown and thriving neighborhoods, Sidari has said.
Sidari has led the board in recent major initiatives, including a push for a new ladder truck and addition for the fire department. Sidari helped Medina with the successful application for a $4.5 NY Forward grant from the state for downtown and waterfront projects. He is co-leader of a committee working to identify projects to be submitted to the state for its final approval.
The mayor grew up in Albion. He has been an active member of the Medina Fire Department. He is retired as the food service administrator for the Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion.
On Tuesday, starting at 9 a.m., the New York State Police will be escorting an oversized load starting at Gwinn Street in Medina and going to a location at Crosby Road in Alabama.
The route is Gwinn Street south to North Avenue, east to NY-31, south to NY-63, south to Shelby Road, southwest to Salt Works Road, south to NY-77, east to NY-77, and southeast to Crosby Road.
Expect delays on those roads during business hours.
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
BATAVIA – The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) will be holding their Local Early Intervention Coordinating Council (LEICC) Quarterly Meeting.
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 25, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Genesee County Health Department (3837 W. Main Street Road Batavia, NY 14020) or by Zoom video conferencing. During the meeting, advocacy will be discussed and the election of officers will take place. Refreshments will be provided.
The LEICC is a supportive group made up of county officials, early intervention providers, child care providers, parents of children with disabilities and other community members. The members of the council are encouraged to collaborate and voice their opinions to help raise concerns to better the program, and ultimately, help the children.
The goal of the LEICC is to afford the opportunity for parents and other members to voice their thoughts and concerns on the strengths and weaknesses of the Genesee and Orleans County Early Intervention Program and to work together to improve the program. The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments are encouraging parents to attend and to offer input as to how we can best meet the needs of all infants and toddlers.
For Zoom connection information or for more information on the meeting, please contact Sarah Kathryn McLaughlin, Early Intervention Service Coordinator for Genesee County, at 585-344-2580 ext. 5503 or 585-589-3147.
WASHINGTON, DC– Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today, alongside Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-8), introduced H.R. 6007, the Retirement Investment in Small Employers Act (RISE Act) to incentivize micro-businesses with fewer than 10 employees to adopt retirement plans, helping more workers save for retirement.
The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 enhanced the retirement plan startup tax credits for small businesses with fewer than 50 employees to create incentives to adopt new plans. SECURE 2.0 allows for 100 percent of retirement plan administrative and startup costs to be covered for new plans, up to $5,000 per year.
However, the law did not amend the formula relied upon to determine the amount an employer may claim in retirement plan startup tax credits, leaving the smallest micro-businesses and their employees unable to take full advantage of the credit. The RISE Act rectifies this issue, ensuring that micro-businesses benefit in the same manner as larger businesses.
“Congress must empower and reaffirm our commitment to small businesses across the country by taking steps to grant them a competitive edge in our economy,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I introduced the Retirement Investment in Small Employers Act along with Congressman Kildee today to enable micro-businesses across NY-24 and the nation to offer their employees robust retirement plans and allow their employees to save for the future. I remain committed to advocating for tax policies that work in favor of our small businesses and hardworking families.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2023 at 8:44 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Jonathan Doherty walks in Holley’s parade in June 2016 with the Self Advocate All Stars. In 2016 he was named Volunteer of the Year for the western region of the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State.
ALBION – A tree will be planted at Bullard Park in memory of Jonathan Doherty, a much-loved local resident who died at age 38 on May 5, 2022.
Ingrid Lamont of Albion agreed to pay for the tree and a plaque in honor of Doherty. The Village Board approved the offer with Lamont to work with Jay Pahura, the DPW superintendent, on selecting the tree and its location in the park.
Doherty graduated from Albion in 2003. He was an Eagle Scout and active in many civic organizations in his community, selling numerous fundraising tickets for over 20 years. He was part of the Bullard Park restoration, pushing for upgrades at the park along Route 31.
He was a member of the Albion Lion’s Club, an employee of the ARC Cleaning Crew and a substitute cleaner at Albion Central School.
He also was a founder of the Self-Advocacy All Stars for the local Arc, and attended statewide and national meetings on behalf of his differently-abled peers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2023 at 8:19 am
Provided photo: Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank holds an award recognizing the county’s money management.
ALBION – Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank has been recognized for managing the county’s finances.
DeFrank invests county dollars, which makes more money. At the end of August, she had $44,478,480 invested.
“Every dollar is invested,” she said. “The taxpayers’ money is earning money every day.”
DeFrank was recognized at the recent New York State Association of Counties conference with the “90+ cashvest” Award. This distinction is given to entities that receive a score of 90 or better for four consecutive quarters on several money management benchmarks.
“What this award really says is that Orleans County’s cash flow and money management are excellent, investing every tax dollar possible to maximize interest earnings and we adhere to best practices,” DeFrank said. “That leads to lower borrowing costs and maximization of tax dollars. That’s what our taxpayers deserve and expect.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2023 at 9:03 pm
Provided photos
CLARENDON – A group of 73 students in the Holley Rotary Interact Club spent part of today cleaning headstones at Hillside Cemetery.
The cleaning will help keep the headstones clear of dirt and moss or lichens for several years. This is one of the service projects done each year by the Interact members who are led by advisor Samantha Zelent.
The students were up early today and worked in some chilly weather with some guidance from Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon’s town historian and a former member of the Holley Board of Education.
“This is such a meaningful event not only to teach our younger generations how to give back to the community they live in but to honor the generations of local residents who have been buried in the cemetery since 1866,” Ierlan said.
Donuts from Paula’s have become a tradition were supplied by Alex Lane, a member of the Holley Rotary Club. Dr. Dan Schiavone, a dentist in Holley, was a big giver towards the cleaning supplies, and Zelent was able to round up other donations towards the project.
“It is so amazing to me the attitude the young people of our school district towards doing community service,” Ierlan said. “They do it with ease and are so sincere in their efforts to give back. The staff, parents and local residents who came out today did a lot of work. It is so rewarding to see the before and after results of this event.”
National Portrait Gallery image of Carl Carmer (1893-1976), Class of 1910, Albion.
ALBION – “Albion is a boom town now, alert, progressive, dynamic. It is about the same size as it was forty years ago, but it believes in growth as it never did then, and it will grow. It has a local ‘Committee of Economic Development’ which was sponsored by the Albion Chamber of Commerce and that committee has worked hard and with intelligence and foresight.”
This was Carl Carmer’s optimistic observation following a visit to his hometown in the 1940s after an absence of 40 years. At the time of this return visit, he was nationally recognized as an accomplished author and folklorist. His first book “Stars Fell on Alabama,” published in 1934 was a bestseller and Literary Guild Selection. He told American folktales on a CBS radio show called Your Neck O’ the Woods.
He described this trip to Albion in the chapter “Hometown Revisited” which is included in his book “Dark Trees to the Wind” published in 1949. He referenced as sources, Charles D’Amico, principal of Albion High School, and Joseph B. Achilles, Orleans County historian. What lively conversations they must have had!
Carmer graduated from Albion in 1910 and then pursued studies in English literature at Hamilton and Harvard. He had happy memories of growing up in Albion in the early 1900s –learning to swim in a swift-running culvert, jumping to the decks of slow canal boats on one bridge and climbing back at the next, bicycling nine miles to Oak Orchard to swim.
He recalled an era when:
“Albion was big houses and deep tree dominated lawns…The houses of South Main St., paid for by tolls, canal trade, dividends and apple profits, were set apart, each on a spacious lawn.”
Change was immediately visible as soon as he approached the four corners where East and West Avenues meet South Main Street.
“Those corners, austere in the dignity of massive houses set back on green and level lawns, had been the symbol of South Main.
“But East and West Avenues are now part of a brick-paved pike, called the Million Dollar Highway, and where the Swan house had stood serene in the assurance of its redbrick towers lay a wide cement covered yard decorated only by the garish protuberances of a gasoline station.”
He was dismayed to find that the Bruner house across the street, an elegant, dark-green house with piazzas, bay window and cupola, had disappeared. It had been his home, the center of his hometown memories. Only the foundations remained, and they seemed pathetically small for the building that had rested on them.
As he walked down South Main Street, he saw that the remaining mansions were no longer family homes: the Dye house was a funeral home, the Taylor house was a cafeteria. The Wage house was gone and its big barn, which had once sheltered the first horseless carriage in town, was a restaurant and night club known as Marti’s.
He realized that the era and cultural patterns he had grown up with were gone, they had died along with the big houses. He believed that the town had lived through a crisis, but, at that postwar juncture, he was optimistic for its future.
He returned to Orleans County on at least one other occasion – in May 1959 when he spoke in Lyndonville for the benefit of the Yates Community Library. A presentation on his Yarns and Folktales will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Schoolhouse at 3286 Gaines Basin Rd., Albion.
The Medina Mustang Marching Band competed for the six time on Saturday, this time at Central Square.
It was a long day for the students with practice starting at 8:30 a.m. and then heading to Central Square through a chilly and rainy day. Luckily the rain stopped around 5 p.m. and in time for the entire show to be performed outdoors.
There were eight bands performing in four different classifications. Scores were as follows:
SS1: Central Square in 1st with 87.20; Medina in 2nd with 83.90.
LS3: Rome Free Academy in 1st with 74.85.
SS2: East Syracuse Minoa in 1st with 84.75; Norwich in 2nd with 80.60; Vestal in 3rd with 79.40
National: Cicero-North Syracuse in 1st with 92.80; West Genesee in 2nd with 90.1.
After watching the students perform each week you can see the subtle changes to each performance and the improvements overall. The students’ and staffs’ dedication to their show is apparent and while they are not coming in 1st place they are giving it their all!
Their final competition is at the Carrier Dome on Sunday, Oct. 29, where 53 high school marching bands will compete for 14 hours starting at 8 a.m. through 10 p.m. The SS1 class starts at 6:40 p.m. and Medina performs at 6:53 p.m. Ticket prices are $25, senior 65 and older $18, students 18 and under are $18 at the door.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2023 at 8:50 am
ALBION – Early voting starts on Saturday, Oct. 28 and continues until Nov. 5.
Registered voters can go to the one early voting polling place at the Board of Elections office at the County Administration Building at 14016 State Route 31 in Albion.
The general election will be Nov. 7, and each town has at least one polling location.
The early voting dates and hours include:
Saturday, Oct. 28: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 29: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 30: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 31: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m..
Wednesday, Nov. 1: noon to 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 2: noon to 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 4: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 5: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The local positions up for election include:
Orleans County
Sheriff – Chris Bourke, Republican and Conservative (4-year term)
County Legislator (at-large from west) – Skip Draper of Medina, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (at-large from central) – Don Allport of Gaines, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (at-large from east) – Ed Morgan of Murray, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (District 1) – Bill Eick of Shelby, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (District 2) – Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville, Republican (2-year term)
County Legislator (District 3) – Fred Miller of Albion, Democrat (2-year term)
County Legislator (District 4) – John Fitzak of Carlton, Republican (2-year term)
Town of Albion
Town Supervisor – Richard Remley, Republican (2-year term)
Town Council members (pick two) – Darlene Benton and Terry Wilbert, Democratic Party (4-year terms)
Town Clerk – Sarah Basinait, Republican (4-year term)
Highway Superintendent – Michael Neidert, Conservative, Democrat and Republican (4-year term)
Town of Barre
Town Supervisor (pick one) – Sean Pogue, Republican and “Future for Barre”; and Scott Burnside, Conservative (2-year term)
Town Council members (pick two) – Margaret Swan and Kirk Mathes, Republicans and “Future for Barre”; and Kerri Richardson, Conservative (4-year terms)
Town Clerk – Maureen Beach, Democrat (4-year term)
Highway Superintendent – Dale Brooks, Republican and “Working for a Better Barre” (4-year term)
Town Justice – Earl Jenks Jr., Republican (4-year term)
Town of Carlton
Town Supervisor – Gayle Ashbery, Republican (4-Year term)
Town Council members (pick two) – Dana Woolston and Brian McCue, Republicans (4-year terms)
Town Council member – Charles Ricci, Republican (2-year term)
Town of Clarendon
Town Supervisor – Richard Moy, Republican (2-year term)
Town Council members (pick two) – Allen Robinson and Bruce Hovey, Republicans (4-year terms)
Town Clerk – Susan Colby, Republican (4-year term)
Highway Superintendent – Tracy Chalker, Conservative and Republican (4-year term)
Town Justice – Thomas DiFante, Republican (4-year term)
Town of Gaines
Town Supervisor – Tyler Allport, Republican
Town Council members (pick two) – Rick Ebbs, Democrat, and Ronald Mannella, Democrat and Republican (4-year terms)
Town Clerk – Janet Cheverie, Republican (2-year term)
Highway Superintendent – Mark Radzinski, Republican (4-year term)
Town of Kendall
Town Supervisor – Tony Cammarata, Republican (2-year term)
Town Council members (pick two) – Margaret Szozda, Democrat; and David Bentley and Barbara Flow, Republicans (4-year terms)
Highway Superintendent – Eric Maxon, Republican (2-year term)
Town of Murray
Town Supervisor (pick one) – Gerald Rightmyer, Republican and “Community”; and Joseph Sidonio, Conservative (2-year term)
Town Council members (pick two) – Lloyd Christ Jr. and Randall Bower, Republicans (4-year terms)
Town Council members (pick two) – Michael Christopher and Elaine Berg, Republicans; Eric Collyer, Conservative (2-year terms)
Town of Ridgeway
Town Supervisor – Brian Napoli, Republican (4-year term)
Town Council members – Mary Woodruff and Duane Payne, Republicans (4-year terms)
Town Justice – Joseph Kujawa, Republican (4-year term)
Town of Shelby
Town Supervisor – Scott Wengewicz, Conservative and Republican (2-year term)
Town Council members (pick two) – Jeff Schiffer and Linda Limina, Republicans; and John Pratt, write-in (4-year terms)
Town Clerk (elect one) – Darlene Rich, Democrat and “People’s Choice”; and Christine Pask, Republican (4-year term)
Highway Superintendent (elect one) – Dale Root, Republican and Conservative, and William Wolter, Democrat (4-year term)
Town Justice – Ed Grabowski, Conservative and Republican (4-year term)
Town of Yates
Town Supervisor – James Simon (2-year term)
Town Council members (elect 2) – John Riggi and Susan Hrovat, Republicans; Paul Lauricella and Steve Colon, Conservative and “Taxpayers First” (4-year terms)
Town Clerk – Michelle Harling, Republican (4-year term)
Highway Superintendent – Roger Wolfe, Republican (4-year term)
Good morning! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up. And let’s start this week right… TOGETHER!!!
This past Easter I shared about a trip to The Holy Land that I and a few of my fellow Orleans County pastors had the privilege of making back in 2017. In that article I highlighted a lot of the significant spiritual aspects of our trip but now, in light of recent events, I would like to share about some other people and places I learned about while in Israel.
Major Elliot Chodof is a political and military analyst who literally wrote the handbook for the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and gave us a tour along the Golan Heights where the 6 Day War of 1967 took place. It was an interesting excursion because even as he shared about the past he made us aware of everything going on in the present.
We had to walk cautiously down a narrow pathway because there were still live mines embedded in the ground left by the Arab armies, we visited an IDF base which had live tanks, and the photos pictured are from the Syrian border by Lebanon alongside the road to Damascus in front of Mount Hermon. For 40 miles along this border there are 60 separate terrorist groups which we were told had weapons aimed at us. It made us realize how much we as Americans often think of our enemies as “somewhere far away” while Israel only needs to glance across any of their borders. Unfortunately, the recent attacks from Hamas only serve to highlight this reality.
Another person of interest, whom I had actually met the year prior at a CUFI (Christians United for Israel) Conference in Washington D.C., was Father Gabriel Naddaf. When visiting Nazareth we were told to make sure the location was turned off on our phones so that we could meet Father Gabriel.
He had been in hiding because Arab Members of Knesset had placed such a large bounty on him and not long before had kidnapped his teenage son and best him near death. The reason why is because in Israel every Jewish born man and woman must serve time in the IDF but Arab Christians are not obligated. Father Gabriel had led a campaign that caused the number of Christians who voluntarily enlisted to triple which greatly strengthened Israel’s defense efforts.
We met others in similar situations as well including a famous Palestinian news correspondent Khaled Abu Toameh who had his life threatened repeatedly after refusing to report false propaganda and Pastor Steve Khoury whose church in Bethlehem has been bombed and set on fire over 40 times because of his refusal to stop teaching out of the Old Testament which had been banned in that area. There were several other people and several other stories but I will share just one more.
The man on the left was our tour guide Yoav Rotem and the older man on the right was his father. One evening after dinner Yoav shared that only recently his father had opened up about his time hiding from the Nazi’s during the Holocaust and that he was willing to share his story with us.
Though they were smiling in this photo there were plenty of sad, serious, and scary moments over the next hour as he recalled not only what happened to him and others but also what was going through his mind at the time. It was hard to hear but we listened intently as he made himself vulnerable in order to help us to better understand.
We ended our time in Israel with a visit to Yad Vashem, a Holocaust Memorial, The main message was to never forget—even as some actively try to downplay and spread doubt about the the events of this horrific period in history. As Israel is facing persecution once again I pray for them as well as for all the innocent lives that have been put at risk because of these terrorist attacks. Am Yisrael Chai.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2023 at 6:32 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Participants in the first-time Hometown Wellness Center 5-kilometer walk and run head down West Avenue towards the Erie Canal this morning.
There were 81 people who completed the course, and most wore pink shirts in support of breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from the event also went to the Knights-Kaderli Memorial Fund which assists Orleans County with cancer.
Pam Eaton, owner of Hometown Wellness, takes a group photo before the race and walk started at 9 a.m.
Eaton said about half of the participants were members of the Hometown Wellness Center with the rest other community members.
She wasn’t sure how many people to expect for the first-time event and was thrilled with the turnout.
Jennifer Cardone, front right, gives the group a pep talk before they headed out for the walk/run. She is one of the instructors at Hometown Wellness.
“I know a 5K is a long way for some of you,” she said. “But keep going. Be the hero of your story.”
This group is in one of the wellness classes that meets three times a week. They include, from left: Carol Bellack, Leslie Mischel, Robin Wehling, Bev Woodward, Tami Siffringer, Linda Allis and Sheree Canham.
The class is led by Patty Olinger, who is a breast cancer survivor. She embraced a healthier lifestyle when she was diagnosed with cancer 13 years, eating more nutritious meals and exercising.
Olinger leads a boot camp and fitness classes at Hometown Wellness.
“It’s thrilling to see so many people involved today,” Olinger said. “Here (at Hometown Wellness) it’s all about being positive and accepting.”
These participants walk down West Avenue towards the canal during the 5K this morning.
These runners are on the south side of the canal during an early part of the race.
By Randy LeBaron
