Photo by Tom Rivers

WATERPORT – These leaves are freshly fallen from trees along the Oak Orchard River in Waterport. The leaves were floating in the water on Friday afternoon.

The area has reached near-peak colors for fall foliage, according to the I Love NY Fall Foliage report. Other parts of the state are past peak, including the Adirondacks, Catskills and Chautauqua-Allegheny regions.

“The journey of gorgeous fall colors across New York State continues this weekend, with peak foliage expected to be found in parts of eight of the state’s 11 vacation regions,” states the weekly fall foliage report from the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program.

“In Orleans County, spotters in Albion are predicting near-peak foliage with 60% color change, while Genesee County volunteers from Batavia are anticipating foliage at midpoint of change with 50% transition and muted to average shades of yellow and red,” the report states.

The map of the state shows the leaves have changed colors throughout the state, with some regions past peak.

Photos by Tom Rivers

WATERPORT – Lucas Bodinez of Pittsburgh stands in the fast-moving current of the Oak Orchard River on Friday, trying to catch a Chinook salmon or a steelhead (rainbow trout).

Bodinez traveled to Orleans County in a group of 10 of his friends.

“We’ve been coming here for years,” Bodinez said.

They venture down the stream where there are less people.

“We like to get away from the crowds,” he said.

Many fishermen converge near the Waterport Dam to try to land one of the big salmon and trout.

Orleans County sees a big influx of fishermen this time of the year, with many out-of-state license plates in the parking lots. They are trying to catch big fish that are in the Oak Orchard and other tributaries to spawn and deposit their eggs.

Dustin Cowen, 37, of Michigan made the trip to Orleans County for the first time. He joined his father.

“I’ve never seen this many fish in one spot,” Cowen said. “The fishing here is phenomenal.”

Cowden had already caught a brown trout, and had many fish on the line.

Fishing is big business in Orleans County, according to survey by the state Department of Environmental Conservation that put the total economic impact at $27,989,393 in 2017.

Out-of-state anglers account for 70 percent of the fishing economic output in Orleans County, $19,620,488 of the $27,989,393, according to the survey that was released in 2020.

County residents who fish accounted for $1,767,334 in economic activity while other New York state residents outside Orleans represented another $6,601,571.

Oswego which includes the Salmon River is the highest-ranked county with $192.7 million in total economic impact from fishing.

This angler from Pittsburgh enjoys a fall day in the Oak Orchard.

Project expected to save Extension $4,000 a year

Photo by Katie Oakes: Officiating in a ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon to dedicate installation of solar panels on the Knights Building at Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds are, from left, Orleans County Legislator Bill Eick; Cooperative Extension board president Marlene Seielstad; Eileen Banker, representing Assemblyman Steve Hawley; Rich Marino of Horseheads, chair of the board of Everybody Solar; and Robert Batt, executive director of Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension.

KNOWLESVILLE – There was no mistaking Robert Batt’s joy on Thursday as he checked his phone and learned the newly-installed solar panels on the roof of the Knights Building had generated more than enough power by noon to power a home for a day. The carbon offset to the environment is equal to planting one tree, Batt added. The panels were activated two days prior.

Batt presided at a ceremony at 1 p.m. Thursday to dedicate the solar panels, which included Rich Marino, chair of the board of Everybody Solar; Marlene Seielstad, chair of the board of Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension; Legislator Bill Eick; and Eileen Banker, representing Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Batt said it has taken them nearly 30 years to get to the point of activating the solar project.

“In 1996, I was a youth representative on the fair committee and I heard leaders discussing solar energy,” Batt said. “One leader said roofs are a waste if they are not used to generate solar power. This has been a dream of ours for 30 years, but cost prohibited us from doing it.”

In 2020, while at a YMCA camp, Batt met a counselor who knew about Everybody Solar, a company that seeks out non-profits and solicits money from donors who are passionate about climate change.

Batt was immediately intrigued and contacted Everybody Solar. That set the wheels in motion, which culminated in the ceremony Thursday to dedicate installation of 77 solar panels on the roof of the Knights Building at Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

“The power they generate will offset our electric bill for the entire fairgrounds,” Batt said.

Marino said the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds is the third major project for Everybody Solar in New York state. The other two are the Ithaca Science Center and YMCA in Penn Yan. He acknowledged substantial donations from the Rochester Community Foundation and $30,000 from Cargill, in addition to individual donors which made the project a reality at the fairgrounds.

He explained Everybody Solar has done solar installations from Maine to Florida and California for worthy organizations, including homeless shelters, Native American communities and in Glacier National Park.

“This is our first agriculturally-centered project,” Marino said.  “We are proud to be part of this.”

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Robert Batt, director of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, welcomes people to the fairgrounds Thursday to witness the dedication of solar panels on the roof of the Knights Building. (Right) Robert Batt is all smiles as he checks the app on his phone Thursday and discovers the newly-activated solar panels on the Knights Building have already generated 37.2 kilowatts of power as of 1 p.m. Thursday. It takes about 30 kilowatts to power a home for a day.

Seielstad addressed the crowd, commending those who worked on the project.

“This is a way we are bringing the past into the future,” she said.

She acknowledged two volunteers whose efforts were crucial in making the solar project a reality, Marty Zwifka, who chairs the fair committee, and Charlie Ricci, who chairs the property committee.

“The power saved by this project will enable us to invest in other projects that will better our fairgrounds,” Seielstad said.

Representing Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Banker presented Batt with a proclamation and thank him for his forward-thinking project.

County Legislator Bill Eick also commended Batt and the Cooperative Extension board, on which both he and Legislator Ed Morton sit.

“This will be a big asset to the fairgrounds,” Eick said.

Final speaker was Nate Bureau with Paradise Energy, the company which installed the panels.

He explained the inverter on the wall of the Knights Building, which converts power to AC and sends it into the grid, and answered questions about the life of solar panels and their ability to stand up to hail. He said when the panels produce more power than the fairgrounds can use, it kicks it into the grid. When the fairgrounds demands more power, it will pull it back off.”

“Projects like this are so important to us,” Bureau said. “We love it when we get the opportunity to work with companies like Everybody Solar to make good things happen. It is pretty cool.”

He explained solar panels are quite hardy and have a life span of 30 to 35 years, while the inverter may last between 10 and 15 years, perhaps even 20.

In a prior press release, Batt stated they are thrilled to be going solar and taking a leadership role in sustainability.

“We are excited to see the positive impact this project will have on our community and our mission to provide relevant, accessible and research-based information to grow confident youth and successful farms and gardens for a strong and healthy community,” he said.

The power generated annually by the solar panels will prevent 45,535 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, Batt said. This is the equivalent to averting the greenhouse gas emissions of 2,324 gallons of consumed gasoline.

He explained each dollar saved helps cover operating expenses and provides resources to the organization’s various programs. For example, $1,000 in savings will allow OCCCE to invest in improvements to livestock housing and show supplies, and increase hands-on components in educational workshops. Overall, the system is anticipated to save OCCCE more than $4,000 in the first year alone.

MEDINA – The annual Wreaths Across America is scheduled this year on Dec. 16, when wreaths will be placed on veterans’ graves in thousands of locations across the country.

In Medina, the ceremony will take place at noon at Boxwood Cemetery, followed by placing wreaths in Boxwood and also St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart cemeteries.

Kathy Blackburn, who heads the project each year, is requesting donations to purchase wreaths in memory of our area’s veterans.

Wreaths this year cost $27 and donations may be made by logging on to Wreaths Across America and clicking on “Boxwood.” Checks designated for Wreaths Across America may also be mailed to the village clerk at 119 Park Ave., Medina, or dropped off during business hours.

Wreaths Across America was started in 1992 by a wreath producer in Maine, who found himself with an abundance of wreaths nearing the end of his season. He arranged for volunteer truckers to transport them to Arlington National Cemetery, and the movement mushroomed from there.

Last year, more than 2.7 million wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves in 3,702 locations across the country.

Blackburn started the project in Medina in 20143after Shirley Whittleton brought it up at a Boxwood Commission meeting. Medina started with the original seven wreaths which were sent to anyone requesting them – one for each branch of the military and one for POW/MIAs.

Since then, the movement has grown to dynamic proportions in Medina. Last year, local businessman Tom Snyder stepped up to purchase 800 wreaths to cover every veteran’s grave in Boxwood, St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart cemeteries.

Snyder, a Navy veteran who served from 1991 to 1998 and was with Special Forces in Central America, has also agreed to be a generous sponsor of the wreaths this year, in addition to supporting a similar project at the Veterans’ National Cemetery in Pembroke.

Volunteers are also being sought to help lay the wreaths. Scout groups, students needing volunteer hours or anyone wishing to participate is urged to contact Blackburn to volunteer by calling (585) 734-5801.

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) have identified a concerning trend of elevated cocaine use locally that is causing fatal fentanyl overdoses.

Fortunately, these deaths are preventable, and resources are available locally to help.

Since 2021, there have been 29 fatal fentanyl overdoses confirmed in Genesee County, and at least 72% of these deaths have also involved cocaine. In some instances, bystanders reported that the person who died of a fentanyl overdose thought they were taking only powder cocaine or crack cocaine.

In Orleans County, there were 10 fatal fentanyl overdoses during this same time period, of which 40% involved cocaine.

GO Health has also identified through wastewater analysis that cocaine consumption is very high in Batavia and Le Roy compared to other areas nationally. GO Health regularly analyzes wastewater samples from wastewater treatment plants throughout Genesee and Orleans counties for high-risk substances to better understand local patterns in drug consumption and these trends are compared to upwards of 160 sites nationally by the wastewater epidemiology company Biobot Analytics.

In August, the estimated cocaine consumption in Batavia was higher than 94% of other tested sites in the United States, and in Le Roy it was higher than 95% of other tested sites.

Substance use is estimated in each sewershed by taking the amount of the metabolite found in the wastewater and dividing by the size of the population served by the wastewater treatment plant.

“For the last several years, Genesee County’s opioid overdose death rates have surpassed the state’s average, and been higher than neighboring counties too,” stated Paul Pettit, the Public Health Director for GO Health. “Unfortunately, what we are seeing here are indications of a relatively high amount of cocaine use locally, and when that cocaine is contaminated with fentanyl, it is causing preventable overdoses and deaths.”

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that can be prescribed by physicians to treat patients’ severe pain that is not responsive to other medications, such as in cases of advanced-stage cancer.

Because it is 50 times stronger than heroin, illegally-made fentanyl has largely replaced heroin and other opioids in the U.S. drug supply, and is commonly mixed with other drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).3 Many people who use street drugs like cocaine or counterfeit pills are unaware that what they are taking may contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.

Individuals who are aware of the risks of fentanyl overdose when using cocaine are empowered to make safer choices that could save their life or the life of a loved one, and a number of resources are available:

• Narcan (naloxone) nasal spray can be used to reverse an opioid overdose, and should be administered to anyone who is showing signs of having difficulty breathing or who is not breathing at all, regardless of whether the person is known to have taken an opioid. Narcan is available for free from the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force simply by texting “KIT” to 1-877-535-2461.

• Fentanyl test strips, which can be used to check for fentanyl in drugs, are available for free from the MATTERS Network at mattersnetwork.org/individual-request.

• People who use cocaine or other drugs can reduce their risk by never using alone, taking turns when using drugs with others, or calling the Never Use Alone Hotline at 1- 800-484-3731.

• Treatment for substance use disorders is available locally from Hope Haven at 585-922- 9900, from Horizon Health Services at 585-815-0247, and from UConnectCare (formerly GCASA) at 585-343-1124 (Genesee County) or 585-589-0055 (Orleans County).

• Entry points to treatment are also available in person 24 hours a day at the City of Batavia Fire Department, the City of Batavia Police Department, the Genesee County Sheriff, and the Le Roy Police Department through the Public Safety Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI).

For information on Health Department programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call your respective health department at:

• Orleans County Health Department: (585) 589-3278
• Genesee County Health Department: (585) 344-2580 ext. 5555

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Billy Witherspoon, left, and Gary Kent pose with the bronze statue of Santa in honor of the late Charles W. Howard after they planted small trees and shrubs at Waterman Park this morning.

The statue was dedicated on June 10 in a project by the Albion Betterment Committee.

Kent is a member of the ABC and that group paid to have six dwarf Alberta spruce trees, three burning bushes and one dogwood tree added to Waterman Park on Main Street where the bronze state is located.

The spruce trees should max out at 6 feet tall, Kent said. The Betterment Committee in recent years has planted about 40 dogwood trees in the village.

The new trees and shrubs are mostly on the north side of the lot where there is more sun during the day.

Sites include First Baptist Church in Medina, Hamlin Beach State Park, Robin Hill Manor in Lyndonville and Mundion home in Ridgeway

The new inductees in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame include from left going clockwise: First Baptist Church of Medina, the Masten/Mundion home in Ridgeway, Robin Hill Manor in Lyndonville, and Hamlin Beach State Park.

MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Society inducted four more sites into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Thursday.

The 10^th anniversary class includes the First Baptist Church of Medina, Hamlin Beach State Park, Robin Hill Manor in Lyndonville and the Masten/Mundion home in Ridgeway. There have now been 39 sites inducted since the Hall of Fame was established in 2013. The plaques and photographs are on display in the main meeting room of City Hall.

Hall of Fame Committee member David Miller, left, and Jim Hancock remove the curtain to unveil this year’s inductees. The committee also includes Reinhard Rogowski, Rollin Hellner and Tom Rivers. The sites are nominated and the committee visits and researches the sites. More than 70 locations have been nominated for the Hall of Fame. The Medina Sandstone Society board of directors gives a final OK for the sites included in the Hall of Fame.

Takeform in Medina has donated the plaques and display for the Hall of Fame each year.

Mindy Cogovan, a long-time parishioner at First Baptist Church in Medina, and Rev. Randy LeBaron of the church hold the plaque after the ceremony at City Hall.

First Baptist Church of Medina

The plaque for the church states:

“For 150 years, the First Baptist Church of Medina has been a landmark, one of the most iconic sites in the village. The steeple, peaking at about 150 feet high, is one of the first sights approaching the downtown, especially from Route 31 to the east.

The church was constructed between 1870 and 1873 at 203 West Center St. It is made of locally quarried gray Medina Sandstone and was built in an example of Gothic Revivalism tempered with influences from the then-even more popular Romanesque Revival style.

The Medina Tribune on Jan. 16, 1873, made the church’s dedication front page news, saying the Medina community could pride itself for having “one of the most elegant and substantial church buildings in all of Western New York.”

A congregation of 140 people contributed the $45,000 to have the church built on one of the best sites in the village, the Tribune noted.

The church’s members through a century and half have proven devoted caretakers of the building, ensuring its longevity and lofty presence for the community.”

Matt and Heather Mundion hold the plaque recognizing their home is now in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.

Ephraim Masten Homestead – Telegraph Road in Medina, New York

The plaque states:

“In 1819, Ephraim Masten and his wife Nancy came to Ridgeway and purchased 130 acres of land two miles east from what would become the village of Medina. They built and lived in a log cabin until 1831 when the family had done well enough to be able to construct a house of locally quarried sandstone to replace the log cabin.

Ephraim died in 1840 and his wife in 1872, but the home remained in the family for many succeeding generations of Masten descendants.

In more recent years, the home was occupied by attorney Vincent Cardone, who did considerable restoration work on the historic building, then industrialist Milford L. Phinney and family.

Most recently, Matt and Heather Mundion have further expanded and beautified the home using repurposed Medina Sandstone for new porch and patio areas and other interior and exterior improvements.

With its long history of restoration and stewardship, this historic home will soon be 200 years old!”

Robin Hill Manor is an not only an impressive Medina Sandstone home, the site includes an arboretum with about 250 varieties of trees.

Robin Hill Manor – Platten Road, Lyndonvillle, NY

“This beautiful home was built in the late 1940-1950 by Lyndonville residents William and Mary Smith and their children George and Marion Smith.

William and Mary Smith designed the Manor House and had drawings done by a professional architect from Rochester. It took them five years to quarry and cut the Medina Sandstone and build the house. George did most of the stone work and all of the interior wood and cabinetry while Marion and Mary finished the kitchen, hauling materials for the floors and staining the cedar shakes for the roof.

The house was finished in 1952. The family lived there until Marion’s passing in 2013, when Doug Pratt inherited the estate. He lives there and has set up the non-profit he Robin Hill Nature Preserve for the public to enjoy the 45 acres and more than 250 varieties of trees.

“Smith Pond” has been a beloved landmark for decades in Lyndonville, with many people stopping to admire swans and other wildlife. Pratt continues to make this “jewel” available to the community.”

Hamlin had a contingent representing the state park at the hall of Fame ceremony. In front, from left, include Ed Evans, winner of a Heritage Award for his efforts at the park and the former CCC/POW camp; Ross Lovell, park manager; and John Snyder, assistant regional director for NYS Parks. Back row: Members of the Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park: Sue Evans, Nick Kramer, Kim Walter, Jim Lugert, Patti Sullivan and Tom Dabrowski.

Hamlin Beach State Park – Hamlin, NY

“At Hamlin Beach State Park in Monroe County, the Medina Sandstone is everywhere – the shelters, bathrooms, culverts, fireplaces, fire pits, drinking fountains, retaining walls and a concessions building.

The entire park, which draws about 300,000 people a year, is a tremendous showcase of Medina Sandstone.

Hamlin Beach State Park was largely developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1935 to 1941, with state contractors then working on the park until 1952.

Operating from a camp on Moscow Road, the CCC employed local stone masons, carpenters, forestry crews, auto mechanics, truck drivers, rock crusher operators and road crews to build the park during the latter years of the Depression.

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has made recent investments in the park’s upkeep, and the Friends of Hamlin State Beach have pushed to make the park more accessible and its history more fully understood.”

Hamlin Beach includes many drinking fountains, fire pits and retaining walls, as well as the larger shelters and a bathhouse.

The honorees at the Hall of Fame induction include, from left: Jennifer Wells-Dickerson with a Heritage Award for her efforts preserving the story of her great-grandfather, Pasquale DiLaura, a quarry owner who was influential in the stone work on the Parkway and at Hamlin Beach; Matt and Heather Mundion, owner of the Masten-Mundion home on Telegraph Road in Ridgeway; Mindy Cogovan and Rev. Randy LeBaron of the First Baptist Church of Medina; John Snyder, assistant regional director for New York State Parks and Ross Lovell, Hamlin Beach State Park manager; and Ed Evans, Heritage Award honoree for his efforts to preserve the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp/POW camp at Hamlin Beach State Park. Missing from photo: Doug Pratt, owner of the Robin Hill Manor in Lyndonville.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Employees with Super Seal in Macedon have been a Bullard Park today putting down a colorful coating on the new basketball courts. They are using squeegees to spread about 800 gallons of paint on the new courts.

Super Seal expects to put another coating down, and then add the lines for the basketball court as well as pickleball next week.

The Village Department of Public Works installed the new hoops last week.

The Albion United Methodist Church is paying for two of the new hoops, a final top coat, the painting and lining of the courts, fencing on the south side and concrete barriers to keep vehicles from driving on the courts.

Sanford Church, the Orleans County Court judge, also paid for two of the new hoops.

In June, Keeler Construction put down the first layer for two full-size outdoor basketball courts. That was funded with a $40,000 grant from the James and Juli Boeheim Foundation.

The Greater Albion Recreation and Events, Inc., a non-profit organization, secured the funding with assistance from the Orleans County United Way.

KENDALL – The school district will ask for voter approval on Dec. 12 for a proposed $12,680,000 capital project with most of the work at the elementary school.

The vote will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Kendall Town Hall, 1873 Kendall Rd. School leaders will also discuss the project during a public forum at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the elementary school auditorium.

District officials say the project won’t result in a tax increase. The state is covering 74 percent of the costs. Kendall has 15 percent of the expense already in a capital reserve fund. The other 11 percent is money Kendall has been paying in debt from prior projects that will be retired.

Kendall’s recent capital projects have focused on the junior-senior high school. This proposed project is primarily at the elementary school.

The work at the school is an estimated $11,122,076 and includes site improvements with new paving, a new playground with age-appropriate equipment.

Inside the elementary school, projects include safety and security upgrades to interior doors, entryways, and alarm systems, as well as energy- efficient classroom lighting, corridor enhancements and auditorium upgrades, according to the district.

The project includes $153,089 in work at the junior-senior high school for common area improvements with new flooring and lighting.

In the transportation building, two bus lifts would be replaced at a cost of $1,065,278.

A roof would also be replaced for the Buildings & Grounds facility at a cost of $339,557.

If the referendum passes, the project goes into the design phase to be submitted to the State Education Department in the summer 2024. After SED review/approval, construction is expected to start in the spring 2025 and be complete the end of 2026.

Many students addicted to vaping, with unknown long-term health effects

Photos by Tom Rivers: Mary Wright, a prevention education with UConnectCare (formerly GCASA), discusses some of the signs of a vaping addiction including difficulty with concentrating on school work when can’t vape, inability to go anywhere without the vape and taking a few puffs, and strong cravings to vape when waking up in morning and going to bed at night.

ALBION – Many students in middle and high schools are addicted to vaping, and battle strong cravings to vape during school days.

That is a problem, not only due to the unknown long-term health consequences of vaping, but also because vaping is prohibited on school campuses and people under 21 can’t legal buy vaping or tobacco products.

Despite that, health officials at a Vaping Summit in Albion estimate 10 to 20 percent of teen-agers are chronic vaping users.

“Vaping is a serious public health issue facing the youth in our community,” said Paul Pettit, public health director in Genesee and Orleans counties.

He spoke at the Vaping Summit in the Albion Middle School Auditorium, the first summit in either Orleans, Genesee or Wyoming counties.

Vaping has become popular among middle and high schoolers in the past seven to eight years, health experts said at the forum, with many parents thinking vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes. Vaping also is comes in thousands of different flavors, and many are candy flavored adding to the impression that they are safe and healthy.

Speakers at the Vaping Forum included from left: Kristina Hawes, senior health project coordinator at the Wilmot Cancer Institute in Rochester; Dr. Danielle Smith, assistant professor at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo; and Mary Wright, prevention educator for UConnectCare, formerly GCASA.

But the health experts say vaping often comes in stronger nicotine concentrations than cigarettes, and the users become very distracted and irritable if they can’t vape, especially during several hour stretches during the school day.

“It is a nicotine stimulant that is very addictive,” said Kristina Hawes, senior health project coordinator at the Wilmot Cancer Institute in Rochester. “With e-cigarettes there is no regulation, there is no standardization of devices or e-liquids.”

She said “Big Tobacco” is using “predatory marketing” to target kids to become users of the products.

The community was urged to not “normalize” vaping. Dr. Danielle Smith, assistant professor at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, said many teens see friends and family members vaping and assume it’s OK to use the products.

She urged people to wait until at least 21, and preferably 25, if they are going to try vaping – not when they are a child.

“Don’t use your body as an experiment,” she said.

Mickey Edwards, Albion Central School superintendent, said the district is pushing to educate students about the dangers and addictiveness of vaping.

“We’re trying very hard not to normalize it,” he said during the summit. “We’re giving kids education and not just being punitive.”

He thinks parental acceptance of vaping is one reason vaping is popular among youth.

“The parents may not see it as a problem because they do it themselves,” Edwards said.

Mary Wright works at Albion schools as a prevention educator for UConnectCare, formerly GCASA. She sees students struggle with strong cravings to vape during the school days. Some students give in to those cravings.

Vaping has made those addicted students struggle to concentrate, and maybe get in trouble because they can’t fight off the urge to vape.

Albion has started a “Vape University” as an alternative to suspension with a focus on prevention. Students participate in educational sessions (four sessions on the first offense for possession or use of vaping product). Students are educated about nicotine use and made aware of resources in community for support. Students who decline the sessions through the Vape University will face school consequences per the code of conduct.

Paul Pettit, public health director in Orleans and Genesee counties, speaks at the Vaping Forum on Tuesday evening, the first such forum in either of the counties. Pettit said vaping “is a serious public health issue facing the youth in our community.”

The Vaping Summit included statistics included some results from a 2021 survey among local high schoolers and middle schoolers about tobacco, drug and alcohol use.

Among 11th graders, 18 percent in Orleans County said they tried alcohol within the past month in 2021, while 2.5 percent smoked a cigarette, 13.2 percent tried marijuana and 1.3 percent used a pill, according to a survey of the students.

Among the respondents, 59 percent of 11th-graders viewed alcohol as harmful, while 74.7 percent considered cigarettes bad for their health, 36.0 percent thought marijuana was harmful and 71.7 percent said using pills not subscribed to them was bad.

The local survey didn’t specifically ask about vaping. The National You Tobacco Survey in 2022 surveyed more than 3 million middle and high school students. The survey found that 4.5 percent of middle schoolers regularly use tobacco products and 16.5 percent of high school use those products.

Wright, the prevention educator, said she sees students wrestling and struggling with the impacts of becoming vape addicts. The products can be costly for kids, who don’t tend to have much spending money.

Students say they feel like they are bad role models by vaping around younger siblings or cousins, she said.

There are some immediate health impacts from frequent vaping: sore throat, nose bleeds, headaches and worsening asthma.

Wright said vaping can distract users from other goals, often leading to more isolation.

“This can take over your life and cause you to drop other activities,” she said. “A lot of students have a hard time throughout the day staying focused. They reach for the vape.”

She works with students to develop a “quit plan.” Students, when trying to break free from vaping, often ask friends and family to help them quit by not vaping around them.

Diana Fulcomer, a prevention educator at Medina schools, said parents need to help keep their children from becoming vape addicts.

“Many parents still think I’d rather they be vaping than smoking a cigarette,” she said. “We need to educate the parents, too.”

Playground, restrooms, pickleball/tennis courts suggested before adding more fields

Photo by Tom Rivers: The pavilion and playground at the Barre Town Park are shown on Nov. 3, 2022.

BARRE – The Town Board was urged to take a gradual approach in moving to upgrade the town park with a new playground, and possibly a restroom and pickleball/tennis courts.

The town has a lot of space at the park and could add more fields, walking trails and other amenities in the back end of the property.

But Jason Foote, director of Parks and Recreation for the town, said the fields are currently underutilized. Barre used to host a summer soccer program but that shifted to the town-owned fields in Carlton.

Barre has youth baseball teams in the Albion Midget League. This year they practiced in Barre but didn’t have home games because of new drainage tile being installed. Foote said the drainage work has made a big difference and will help the fields dry out sooner after a rain.

He would like to see the Little League field be used for youth baseball and softball tournaments next year.

The town also has a full-size field for the teen-agers and adults who play baseball.

Foote advised the Town Board at last week’s board meeting to not look at developing more fields, but instead focus on keeping their existing fields in top condition.

“Let’s take care of the two fields we have and make them the two best fields in the county so people want to come here,” said Foote, who has coached the Barre Cubs youth baseball team for many years.

The town park on Route 98 opened about two decades ago. It currently has porta-potties, but Foote told the Town Board a better option to make the site more attractive to local residents and visiting teams would be to have permanent restrooms.

If there were restrooms, Foote said the park could be marketed for flea markets and other events.

He also said courts for pickleball, tennis and basketball would likely be frequently used.

He would like to keep the existing playground and add a Ninja Warrior-style playground that has been paid for with fundraisers by the Barre Betterment Committee.

The Town Board said they liked the concept plan suggested by Foote, but want to have a joint session with the Barre Betterment Committee, Barre Park Committee and the Town Board to discuss the next steps with the park.

Town Supervisor Sean Pogue said the park is 60 acres, but only about 15 are utilized right now. He said a simple hiking trail could make better use of the entire park.

Foote also said a disc golf course and cornhole boards are also new amenities that wouldn’t require much maintenance from the town.

He discouraged the town from adding more fields, which would be more upkeep for the town and may not have much use in the immediate future.

“I don’t think the right direction is putting in more fields,” he said.

BARRE – The Town of Barre’s Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals will have a joint public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Town Hall to take comments on a proposed cell tower.

Bell Atlantic/Verizon has proposed a 170-foot-high tower with a 4-foot-high lightning rod at 14295 West Barre Rd., on land owned by the Frederick A. Daniels and Adrienne C. Daniels Irrevocable Trust.

Verizon, in its application to the town, acknowledges the company “has service inadequacies in the Town of Barre.”

The hearing on Nov. 13 will be for site plan approval and a special use permit from the Planning Board, and a height variance from ZBA.

Besides the tower, the project includes a 7-foot-tall chain link fence, an equipment shelter and gravel access road.

Verizon also will be able to lease out space on the tower to other companies.

MURRAY – The town has about $250,000 left from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and has about a year to spend the funds.

The board isn’t certain how it will spend those funds, whether it could goes towards public water, upgrades to the town hall, new ditch-clearing equipment for the highway department or another project or expense.

The town was awarded $305,742 in ARPA. Murray used $30,600 in 2023 to pay Monroe Ambulance for EMS coverage in the town.

Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio in the proposed 2024 town budget has put the ambulance contract to be paid by town taxpayers and not with the ARPA money. Monroe is seeking $52,000 from Murray next year.

Sidonio doesn’t want to see the ARPA money “nickel and dimed” and reduced to the point where it couldn’t cover new equipment or a town hall upgrade.

He didn’t want ARPA used for the ambulance in 2023 because he believed the Village of Holley should have chipped in towards the ambulance because Holley also received ARPA money.

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, 2021. Some of the funds went to local governments to help them make investments in long-term assets, rebuild reserves and cover temporary operating shortfalls.

Murray still has the bulk of its ARPA. Some residents on Brockville Road have asked for a public waterline because their wells run dry and there is poor water quality. Part of Bennetts Corners Road also would like a public waterline.

Sidonio would rather see the ARPA funds go towards a project with town-wide benefit rather than to help a few residents.

He said the town hall needs upgrades, and Highway Superintendent Dirk Lammes has advocated for ditch-mowing equipment.

“The ARPA funds will eventually run out,” Sidonio said. “I don’t want to nickel and dime the ARPA fund to diminish the ability to do a larger project.”

Sidonio, Town Councilman Gerry Rightmyer and Lammes plan to go see the residents’ properties where public water is requested to assess the size of the project.