By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 October 2023 at 10:09 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Richard Bannister is pictured with his sculpture, “ET’s Baby.” It is made from spalted maple on painted steel.
Bannister, a Barre resident, has 18 sculptures on display at the Marti’s on Main Gallery at 20 South Main St. Friday was the opening reception for the show and about 50 people attended.
Bannister has displayed his work in art shows in seven states and in Mexico, but this is the first time in Albion. Genesee Community College in Batavia also has 21 of his pieces on display until the end of October at the Rosalie “Roz” Steiner Art Gallery.
Bannister created “Reclining Nude” from black cherry on pine. Reflect in mirror is the sculpture, “Large Hipped Lady,” which is made of black cherry wood on painted steel.
Kim Martillotta-Muscarella, owner of the gallery, said Bannister is “a legend.” She is thrilled to feature his sculptures to close out this year’s exhibits.
The gallery is open by appointment. Contact Martillotta-Muscarella at (585) 590-9211 for more information.
(Left) “Oh No, Pregnant Again?” is made from black cherry on painted steel and (Right) is “Eiffel Tower.”
“Breast Cancer” made from a weeping willow.
“Elongated Pregnant Woman” is among the sculptures that Bannister made using chisels. Bannister said he doesn’t start working on a piece of wood with an end result in mind.
“It has taken 30 years for me to realize that this isn’t me at all,” Bannister said about the sculptures. “It is very humbling. It is a gift.”
First responders and employees of FMC’s Agricultural Sciences Plant in Middleport gather for Safety Day activities at the plant. Pictured from left include Edgar Chirivella, FMC Middleport interim plant manager; Sgt. Roland Johnson, Middleport Police Dept.; Joshua Walker, maintenance & site services manager at FMC Middleport; Deputy Nicholas Ross, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office; Ryan Czaja, Middleport Fire Department Chief.
Photos and press release from FMC
MIDDLEPORT – FMC Corporation’s Agricultural Sciences Plant in Middleport recently hosted its annual Safety Day for plant employees with area first responders and featuring presentations and demonstrations focused on community, home and work safety.
Among the Safety Day event participants were first responders including the Middleport Fire Department, Middleport Police Department and Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, as well as companies that provide products and services that support FMC’s safety protocols including Dival, MSA and Modern Disposal.
Key elements of the day were fire extinguisher and impairment trainings for plant employees.
As part of Safety Day, the FMC Middleport plant was proud to make donations to both the Middleport Fire Department and the Middleport Police Department.
“FMC is a company that is truly committed to safety, which is why our annual Safety Day is such an important event for us,” said Edgar Chirivella, FMC Middleport interim plant manager. “It gives the members of our team the chance to connect and spend some time with the first responders who serve our community, as well as representatives of the companies who provide the safety equipment we rely on. It’s a great opportunity for us to learn all we can about the latest advances in safety protocols and equipment.”
Middleport Police Chief John Swick (center) accepts a donation to the Police Department from Edgar Chirivella (right), FMC Middleport interim plant manager and Joshua Walker, maintenance & site services manager at FMC Middleport.
This group of long-time firefighters gathers last week at St. Mary’s Athletic Club on Moore Street for a monthly meeting.
Photos and information courtesy of Chuck Norman
ALBION – Did you know the original four departments of the Albion Fire Department still meet the first Wednesday every month?
Several years ago, Active Hose graciously asked the separate departments to join together for meeting and fellowship. Those departments included Dye Hose, Hart Hose and Hook & Ladder.
The meeting is held at the St. Mary’s Club in Albion and a meal is served to those in attendance. The October meeting meal was a stuffed porkchop with mashed potatoes and green beans, and dessert of ice-cream and a mini-donut. The meal was prepared by local renown chef Theresa Schmackpfeffer.
This month’s meeting was brought to order by Darryl Szklany (Active Hose 1969) and the pledge to the flag was recited. The minutes from the prior meeting were read and accepted. Old business, new business, birthdays and next month’s food committee was elected; motion for adjournment was made and seconded.
Fuzzy Norman of Dye, right, and Ace Caldwell of Dye, left, show their appreciation to Theresa Schmackpfeffer for last week’s meal. All three are 91 years old.
Fuzzy has been a member of the Dye Hose since 1950, while Ace has been a member since 1952.
Other members in attendance at the recent meeting include:
Dennis Stirk – member of Active hose since 1969
Dennis Smith – Active Hose since 1968
Ed Norton – guest – Barre Center 1971
Mike Stirk – Active Hose 1965
Darryl Szklany – Active Hose 1969
Bill Basinait – Active Hose 1974
Micky Pilon – Die Hose 1960
Bert Mathes – Active Hose 2010
Francis Dibley – Active Hose 1971
Missing from the photo, Chuck Norman – Dye Hose 1973; and Willie Culverwell – Active Hose.
Darryl Skzlany, back left, and Bill Basinait listen to the conversation at the meeting.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2023 at 7:07 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Village of Medina teamed with the Orleans County YMCA on a new 9-hole disc golf course. Most of the new course is in a wooded area at Gulf Street Park.
Hole 1 goes across the wide open grassy area of the park with the basket near the entrance to the woods. Then the next eight holes are in the wooded area. The village Department of Public Works cleared a path in the woods for the different disc golf holes.
The new course opened on Saturday. The tee boxes still need to be added, but the starting points are marked with pink flags for beginners or blue for more skilled players.
Manny Velez, 34, of Medina tried the course for the first time this afternoon. Velez is shown here before his first shot on the Hole 8. Velez has been playing disc golf for about two years.
“This is pretty challenging,” he said about Medina’s new course.
He likes the weaving paths in the woods, and how the course starts and ends in a loop. He said he is grateful to have a course so close by.
“Having it in town we don’t have to travel,” he said. “It’s awesome.”
The basket for Hole 8 is only a few feet from the water of Glenwood Lake.
Here is another view of the basket for Hole 8 with the lake in the background.
Manny Velez retrieves one of his frisbees that he threw a little too hard with it landing in the water. Velez said the lake is shallow near the course so it wasn’t hard to get the frisbee back.
Once the tee boxes are added, with the distance to the baskets noted, Velez said he can better calculate which frisbee to throw and how far.
He urged people to give disc golf a try, and to go easy on themselves in the beginning. It takes practice to learn how to angle the throws and get the right distance.
The basket for Hole 7 is tucked in close to many trees.
Medina’s DPW used a skid steer with a forestry head to carve a path in the woods, mulching brush and small trees.
Medina worked with the Orleans County YMCA to develop the course in a project funded by a grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. Albion did a similar project at Bullard Park.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation gave the YMCA $20,000 to $24,000 to develop the projects with tee boxes, signs and baskets that are mounted in small concrete foundations – 8 inches wide by 20 inches deep.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2023 at 10:01 am
Gas prices dropped in the past week, with the average price for regular unleaded down 4 cents in New York State to $3.85 and the price down 11 cents nationally to $3.70, according to AAA. A year ago, the NYS average was $3.63.
Among counties in Western New York, the average prices today include:
Orleans, $3.871
Genesee, $3.817
Wyoming, $3.891
Livingston, $3.861
Monroe, $3.862
Niagara, $3.809
Erie, $3.842
Chautauqua, $3.760
Cattaraugus, $3.754
Allegany, $3.866
AAA reports that national pump prices dropped significantly amid lower demand and a decrease in oil prices. This morning, oil is $85 to $86 per barrel.
“If oil prices continue to decline, drivers can expect further price drops at the pump in the weeks ahead,” AAA said.
The national average price for diesel is $4.51, down five cents from last Monday, and down from $5.03 a year ago, AAA reported. In New York, the average diesel price is $4.73, down two cents from a week ago, and lower than $5.09 one year ago.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2023 at 9:19 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The photo of Maddox Pearl is next to a display of banners highlighting players on the Albion boys and girls varsity and JV teams on Saturday.
The school celebrated “Super Soccer Saturday” with home games from the morning to dusk.
Maddox Pearl, 5, of Albion passed away on Sept. 30 after a courageous battle with DIPG, an aggressive brain tumor.
The Albion varsity girls wore yellow “Kick for Cancer” shirts for the game on Saturday against CSAT. The players wore the names of people affected by cancer. This player highlighted Maddox Pearl and the late Byron Neal, who passed away from cancer at age 8 on April 14.
The varsity team and their coach Maggie Orbaker gather for a photo before Saturday’s game at home.
Many of the players wrote the name of Maddox as well as close family members who have battled cancer.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 9 October 2023 at 8:43 am
Case-Nic Cookies owner backs many agencies and causes
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Mary Kou Tuohey started Case-Nic Cookies in 1995 and has supported many local fundraisers with the business. She will receive a Community Service Award from the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 19.
MEDINA – The announcement she would be receiving a Community Service Award from the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is a surprise and an honor, said Mary Lou Tuohey.
The owner of Case-Nic Cookies at 439 Main St., Tuohey said serving her community is just what she does.
Tuohey was a registered nurse when she decided to change careers.
“I had always wanted to own a cookie shop,” she said. “I tried to get into Lockport Mall, but they refused me. I thought about going back to school to become a doctor’s assistant, but with two young kids, that wasn’t an option.”
She figured with her own store, the kids wouldn’t have to go to a baby sitter, and on Feb. 11, 1995, she opened her bakery.
“It was just me and my family,” she said.
Three days later was Valentine’s Day and with her nephew behind the counter they opened the door.
“It was horrifying,” she said. “People filled the sidewalk outside the door. I only had one regular oven and offered four kinds of cookies. I couldn’t bake fast enough.”
She went home that night and thought, “I think I’ve made a big mistake.”
Her first store was down the street and when the store at 439 Main St. became vacant, she moved there.
Her business continued to grow. She added more varieties of cookies, including cutouts, cupcakes and brownies.
She had named the store after her and husband David’s two children, Casey and Nicole. Nicole was born with Triple X Syndrome and has received tremendous support from The Arc. So naturally, The Arc was one of the causes Tuohey started to support.
Both of her parents died of Alzheimers, so that also has become a favorite charity. Every year, Nicole makes links out of construction paper and Tuohey sells them in the cookie shop, with all the money going to the Alzheimer’s Association. She annually is a leader in organizing the Walk for Alzheimer’s. Nicole also makes bracelets and Mary Lou makes cutout cookies, all of which are sold for $1 to benefit their charities.
Tuohey used to sponsor a basket raffle every year, but when Covid hit in March 2020, she couldn’t do a traditional event. So she devised a system where she numbered the baskets and printed them out on a sheet of paper. That was placed in an envelope and put inside a bucket outside her door when the store was closed. Supporters could choose what baskets they wanted and write the number of tickets they wanted placed in each basket. Then they put their money in the envelope with the sheet and drop it in the mail slot.
That became the norm for non-profits’ basket raffles. Tuohey has given up the window in her store and allows any non-profit to use it for their raffle for a month.
She generously donates to benefits when she is asked, providing a basket for their raffle or a gift certificate.
“I ask people for donations for The Arc and the Alzheimer’s Association, and those who ask me for donations are struggling, so if I can help them, I do.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2023 at 9:38 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
EAST SHELBY – Aaron Knights welcomes walkers and joggers to a 5K for the Knights-Kaderli Fund that started near the East Shelby Fire Hall on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Knights is the son of the late Richard Knights, who died from cancer at age 38 in 1984. He is part of the inspiration for the Knights-Kaderli Fund, which directs about $40,000 to $50,000 a year to help people in Orleans County who are battling cancer.
The fund also is named in honor of Sue Kaderli, who died from cancer at age 52 in 1989.
The 35th annual walk/run is one of several fundraisers for the Knights-Kaderli Fund. The walk headed from the fire hall down East Shelby Road.
The Knights and Kaderli families estimate that more than $1 million has been used from the fund since it was established, helping cover some of the utilities, co-pays and other bills for people fighting cancer.
The fund typically assists about 40 to 50 people a year with some of their expenses.
“We’ve been through what these people are going through,” said Mary (Kaderli) Zelazny, one of Sue’s daughter. “The last thing you should to worry about is how you should pay a bill. If we can ease that burden that is a great help to people.”
There were about 140 baskets up for raffle, which drew a crowd of people hoping they would be able to take home some of the items.
Mary Zelazny said she is grateful for the many residents and businesses that donated baskets for the event.
“We’re grateful to live in this county,” Zelazny said. “People are very caring.”
There were also other higher-end items up for raffle.
Butchie Stockwell, right in yellow, is on the move in the 5K walk with her friend Nicki Dresser and Nicki’s daughter Cece, 7.
Stockwell said the Knights-Kaderli Fund provided some financial assistance when her parents, Bill and Connie Lyster, both had cancer. Stockwell said the funds eased some of the worries during a difficutl time for her late parents.
Stockwell said she is pleased the Knights and Kaderli families remain committed to the cause of helping many local families each year.
For more information on the Fund, click here or contact Mary Zelazny at (585) 746-8455, Melissa Knights Bertrand at (716) 983-7932 or Stacey Knights Pellicano at (716) 998-0977.
Photo and information courtesy of Medina Mustang Marching Band
WEBSTER – The Medina Marching Band competed for the fourth time this season on Saturday when the Mustangs traveled to Webster.
A total of 10 bands performed, starting with the Pride of Rochester who performed in exhibition.
In SS1, East Irondequoit earned 1st place with 83.5 followed by Medina in 2nd with 77.4.
In SS3, Le Roy earned 1st place with 72.95 followed by Marcus Whitman at 71.65.
Other winners were Greece in LS3 with 76.80; Oswego in SS2 with 76.7; Webster in LS2 with 84.8 and Victor in the National class with 83.05.
There are two more competitions to go and then Carrier Dome for the championship. The Medina band consists of 76 members and approximately 30 of them are marching for the first time.
They practice several times each week and you can see their progress as well as subtle changes to the drill. Their perseverance is to be commended.
Medina’s next competitions are Victor on Oct. 14, Central Square on Oct. 21 and the championships at the Dome on Oct. 29.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2023 at 11:37 am
Children walked with mules pulling boats in canal’s boom days
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Graham Kirby, 10, of Albion served as a hoggee on Saturday in a boat captained by Veronica Morgan of Albion.
Morgan put together a program, “I was a hoggee on the Erie Canal.” She wanted to spotlight the role of hoggees, who were children who walked with mules that pulled boats on the canal.
The Orleans County Historical Association assisted Morgan with the event that included activities at the Gaines Basin cobblestone schoolhouse as well as the boat rides from the canal, going from near the Gaines Basin Road bridge to near the lift bridge in Eagle Harbor.
Graham Kirby looks to the boat captain to see if he is needed for any task. The hoggees would get the captain food and be sent for other chores on the boat when they weren’t outside walking with mules.
Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian, was in the canal boat and shared stories and history of the canal in Gaines and Eagle Harbor during the 40-minute boat ride. Lattin is also Graham Kirby’s grandfather.
Lattin said Eagle Harbor is largely a “ghost town” now compared to the 1800s and early 1900s when it had its own grocery store, and other merchants who were coopers and blacksmiths.
Eagle Harbor also had the third golf course in the United States, a 6-hole course north of the canal that operated from 1898 to about 1940.
Lattin shared how Gaines has the northernmost point of the canal, endured a big flood in 1927 when there was a breach on the waterway. The section also has a widewaters east of Eagle Harbor where boats could turn around. The widewaters was especially needed in the early days of the canal when it was only 40 feet wide and difficult for boats to change directions.
Arthur Barnes does a pen and ink drawing of the a log cabin behind the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse on Saturday.
The schoolhouse was open for people to relax and tour on Saturday. The school was built in 1832 and is among the oldest cobblestone structures in the region.
It served as a school until 1942. Bill Lattin said there used to be 144 schools in the county. After decentralization, the number of school districts dropped to five.
Veronica Morgan captains the boat. She steered it about 65 miles from Macedon for the event on Saturday.
She wants to offer the hoggee program again in 2025, on the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal and also Orleans County.
Morgan works as a lift bridge operator in Brockport.
The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council supported the hoggee program on Saturday, covering the cost for the boat rides and other entertainers.
The boat approaches the lift bridge in Eagle Harbor. The boat rides on Saturday were for about 40 minutes, from Gaines Basin to Eagle Harbor and then back.
Graham Kirby sounds a horn, which hoggees did to let the lift bridge operator know a boat was approaching. The horn is in the schoolhouse’s collection of artifacts.
Good morning! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up. And let’s start this week right… TOGETHER!!!
With those words I started filming my first “Refill with Randy” video back in October 2019. Now, 4 years, 80 videos, 100s of blog posts, and over 2,000 cups of coffee later I thought I would look back and share a little about my “Refill with Randy” journey and why I still believe that having a conversation with someone over a cup of coffee is much more conducive to creating a culture of true connection and understanding than debating topics over social media. Trust me, I know from experience.
So, back in July 2019, I took a leap of faith and stepped out of my position as Lead Pastor of the Albion Free Methodist Church to start the non-profit Go Scatter Ministries. The problem was that I wasn’t quite sure what that would entail or even how I would make a living. All I knew for sure was that I felt God leading me to expand my territory while at the same time remaining in the community I had grown to live and care about since moving here in 2004. Over the past four years I have been blessed with the opportunity to connect with many folks from around Orleans County through my various roles as evangelist, preacher, teacher, Chaplain, Bereavement Coordinator, etc. but also by simply drinking coffee and engaging in conversation with others… often strangers… at least at first.
It was this idea that inspired me to start recording “Refill with Randy” with the premise that I would talk about a topic or interview a person or organization that I found inspirational all while enjoying a cup of coffee along with the viewer. I initially launched the videos in November 2019 with one being posted each weekday morning on Facebook and, for the few non-FB users, YouTube. After a few weeks I realized how much work it was to record, edit, produce, and post the videos and changed the frequency to once a week on Wednesday mornings. Even then I looked at the views and likes and thought it was a lot of effort with little reward until, that is, I started receiving analytics from Facebook.
The stats showed that in the first month the videos had been shared over 14,000 times in 32 countries. I wondered if this was a mistake until I started receiving calls and messages from pastors in other countries that led the way to me producing ministry training videos that were translated into Swahili and other local dialects to be used in Kenya in addition to being invited to speak at conferences over Zoom in Africa and India. Imagine that, drinking coffee and talking about social and spiritual topics that I thought might appeal to those who already knew me in the vicinity led to reaching thousands in other countries that I did not know.
So somehow Refill had a global appeal, but I didn’t want to trade that for local connections so I simply started frequenting local coffee shops. I initially found a group of men and women, mostly retired, that frequented Tim Hortons most mornings. The great thing about this group was that they talked a lot about everything from politics to religion, often from opposite sides of the fence, and yet they could still joke with one another and would make it back the next day to continue the conversation over a hot cup of dark roast. In 2020 I was interviewed on The Family Life Network and it was this experience that led me to share that more problems could be worked out in our world if there were more coffee shops and less 24-hour news networks.
The real gift for me was that I have made some great friends over the years that I still get together with to this day and that includes a special group of guys and girls from ARC. Jonathan Doherty was someone I got to know a while back when I was part of a Men’s Group that met at Dunkin Donuts. I invited him to join my group of friends and he eventually invited me to join his group of friends. Even though Jonathan is no longer with us his memory lives on as the ARC Self-Advocates continue to meet every 2nd Monday & Tuesday from 10:45-11:45am at Tim Hortons and you are all invited to join us!
So that’s my Refill journey in a nutshell. I came. I saw. I coffeed. Let’s grab a cup together sometime and chat.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2023 at 8:22 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans County Courthouse dome is lighted up in purple this month in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.
There were 348 cases were reported to the Orleans County Domestic Violence Unit in 2022, and 222 cases were reported to the Orleans County Domestic Violence Unit from Jan. 1 to Sept. 15, 2023.
Provided photo: County Legislator Fred Miller on Tuesday presented a proclamation to Judianne Gearing, Domestic Violence Supervisor (left), and Kelley Ortiz, Domestic Violence Services Coordinator.
“Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior that may include physical, emotional, psychological, economic, or sexual abuse, perpetrated by an intimate partner over another, to establish and maintain power and control,” according to the proclamation from the county. “Domestic violence is the major cause of injury to women, resulting in more injuries to women then auto accidents, muggings and rapes combined.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2023 at 9:56 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion eighth-grade students in Kamie Feder’s art class completed a revamp of the canal mural on the north side of the Albion fire hall.
The students and their teacher finished the job on Thursday after several days of painting in 80-degree weather.
The mural was 25 years old and was originally painted by Corinne Toenniessen for her Girl Scout Gold Award in 1998. She received some design help from local artist Terri Wood.
The paint became faded over the years and was given a fresh coat in the same design. The new project added “Welcome to Albion” above the 36-foot-long painting.
Feder and the students added a cat on the boat in appreciation for a neighborhood cat that seemed to be watching their work this week.
The students and Mrs. Feder paid tribute to Toenniessen and Wood for the original mural.
The other lower corner notes the students stepped up to give the mural a facelift in 2023.
Toenniessen, now Corinne Upcraft, is a teacher at the Mexico Academy and school district, north of Syracuse. She posted this message today on the Orleans Hub Facebook page:
“I cannot begin to express how beautiful this turned out and how much it means to me that Albion teachers and students have worked on this project.
“It feels like a lifetime ago when I completed this project, and as a teacher now myself I love that current students are still learning about the history of our town and actively participating in that history.
“As a 17-year-old kid, I didn’t even think about whether that mural would still be there 25 years later, but I’m so glad it is and that it continues to be a beautiful welcome point for people coming in to my wonderful hometown.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 October 2023 at 10:40 pm
Event also honors those lost to cancer, and highlights local services for those fighting the disease
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Joyce Chizick of Lyndonville won this basket just brought to her by volunteer Cora Young at For Women Only. Chizick and her friend Christine Krisher have attended many For Women Only events together in past years.
LYNDONVILLE – A crowd filled White Birch Golf Course Thursday night for the first For Women Only event since Covid.
The purpose of the event, which has been a popular sell-out for many years, is to celebrate cancer survivors, honor those lost and support cancer services in Orleans County.
Joyce Chizick and Christine Krisher were two of the guests who love coming to the event. Friends since 1976 when Chizick designed a float for the bicentennial, they both know people who had cancer and want to support cancer services in Orleans County.
Twin sisters Darlene Rich and Charlene Pratt of Medina have rarely missed an event in recent years.
“We’ve been to every one except 2006, the year I was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Rich said. “We don’t miss Treasure Island either. We are so lucky to have a community hospital, and attending these events is a good way to support it.”
Lori Condo, assistant comptroller at Orleans Community Health, welcomed the crowd and introduced guest speakers.
The name and picture of Medina native Sherri Boyle was one of those shown on the screen during For Women Only. Boyle died in 2022 at the age of 61 from a rare breast cancer. Pictures also honored cancer survivors.
Kim Gray, chief nursing officer and director of surgical services, shared the pride she takes in her job at Medina Memorial Hospital, taking care of the people in the community she has known since she was a kid. A 20-year employee, she praised all the services offered at the hospital, including surgical, diagnostic testing, and, coming in the next few months, multiple therapies, including pulmonary function testing by the Respiratory Department.
“Orleans Community Health is a pillar of health and wellness in our community,” Gray said.
Lead technologist and technical director of echocardiology at the hospital, Rhonda Woody, is a 26-year employee of the hospital. She was recently honored by Buffalo Business First as one of their 25 “Excellence in Health Care” recipients.
Artist Carol Culhane, right, watches as Devon Heveron of Lyndonville writes her grandmother’s name on a leaf to place on the Tree of Life that Culhane designed. The framed tree will be hung in the hospital lobby.
“Our hospital is doing very well by leaps and bounds,” Woody said.
She praised the addition of cardiologist Dr. Harry McCrea and the fact that each and every department at Orleans Community Health is accredited. She added the hospital has the very best equipment available and can stand up to any hospital in the city. She urged everyone to bring their doctors’ scripts to Medina Memorial Hospital.
Danielle Figura, director of Orleans County Mental Health, added her support for women battling cancer. Her mother is a 23-year cancer survivor, she said.
“Every time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women,” Figura said. “Women don’t need to find their voice. They need to be empowered to use it.”
Maegan Suhr of Lyndonville told her story of her daughter being diagnosed with brain cancer when she was 4 months old. That was about seven years ago.
A special education teacher and mother of two, Suhr said there is so little done to raise awareness of childhood cancer.
“Last month was Childhood Cancer Month, and you saw nothing about it,” she said. “It’s not pretty to talk about. It’s an ugly and tragic disease. It changes you forever.”
When her daughter had been lethargic and not feeling well, Maegan and her husband Joe Suhr took her to the doctor, who said the tests and scans would not take long and they could be on their way.
“Five minutes later he rushed into the room and said, ‘Your daughter has a softball-size tumor on her brain.’ Hours later she was in surgery.”
Suhr recalls signing the consent form acknowledging that the treatment they would give her could also kill her. Six months later, there was another surgery, followed by five months of chemo.
“She spent the next few months in and out of the hospital,” Suhr said. “She went from 12-month-old sized clothes to six months.”
At the age of 14 months, Suhr said her daughter turned the corner. She had an amazing team of doctors, but she still faces multiple problems seven years later.
“Nothing in life prepared me for the last few years,” Suhr said. “You never expect to hear your child has cancer. My hope is I can spread awareness and our collective resources can make the government give more than four percent to research of childhood cancer.”
(Left) Medina native Mercedes Wilson, cancer survivor and TV host, made a return appearance as keynote speaker at For Women Only on Thursday night. (Right) Lori Condo, assistant comptroller at Orleans Community Health, welcomes guests to the first For Women Only since Covid at White Birch Golf Course Thursday night.
She urged everyone to support cancer services, lend a hand to families dealing with it and donate.
Mercedes Wilson is a return speaker to For Women Only, having been the keynote speaker at the last event in 2019. A breast cancer survivor, author, entrepreneur and host of 7Life with WKBW Channel 7, she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer when she was just 28 years old.
“That changed everything,” she said. “I was newly divorced with two children.”
She faced eight rounds of chemo, during which she lost her hair, her hands and feet turned black – and everything hurt, she said.
She had her first of three surgeries on Dec. 20, 2011.
During the experience, Wilson said she learned life is lived in relationships.
“You have to love, shatter glass ceilings and connect,” she said. “Breast cancer showed me the definition of love. If you find a way to give back, that can be your act of love.”
Her glass ceiling came from a relationship with a co-host with whom they couldn’t agree on anything. But that worked it out and now are on friendly terms.
“That kind of relationship causes you to grow,” she said.
She said people are meant to connect. Positive relationships that add value to your life mean you have someone to laugh with.
“Hug someone tonight. Shake someone’s hand before you leave,” she urged.
Before the evening ended, a tribute was paid to Cindy Perry, who headed Community Partners and organized For Women Only for many years. She is out of town, but will be presented with a gift when she returns. She was also assisted by Nicole Helsdon, who was in attendance.
Other special features were honoring cancer survivors and remembering those lost by showing their name and picture on a giant screen, and a Tree of Life designed by local artist Carol Culhane. Attendees could write the name of a cancer patient on a leaf and stick it on the tree. The framed tree will be hung in the lobby of the hospital.
Maegan Suhr of Lyndonville shares about her daughter surviving brain cancer after being diagnosed seven years ago.
The evening also included hors ‘d oeuvres, a 50-50 drawing and basket raffle.
Vendors who participated were Orleans Community Health, Genesee and Orleans County Health Department, Hospice of Orleans, Orleans County Mental Health Department, GOWN Cancer Services Program, Barbara’s Wreaths and Things and Bomb Party (Techelle Stephens).
For Women Only was generously sponsored by Baxter Healthcare, Takeform, Nesbitt Fruit Farms, Plummer Orchards, Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Kristine Hydock, Partyka Farms and the ACT Program.
Special thanks is also owed to supporters Carol Culhane, Case-Nic Cookies, Lori Condo, Megan Johnson , Amanda Luckman, Erica Chutko, Jeannie Wodo, Scott Robinson, Eli Howard and everyone who donated baskets and raffle items.
Condo informed the women that the profits from the event would benefit cancer services programs at the hospital.
