Medina FFA named top team from Orleans County

Provided photos: The Medina FFA team at the Niagara-Orleans Envirothon includes Tyler Allen, Mason Eick, Madison Farley, Camden Fike, Brody Fry and Austin Seefeldt. They are joined by the Ronny the Raindrop mascot.

Press Release, Niagara County Soil & Water Conservation District

LEWISTON – Twelve teams of high school students competed Thursday at the Niagara-Orleans Envirothon held at Bond Lake Park Nature Center in Lewiston.

The teams were from Albion, Barker, Lewiston-Porter, Lockport, Lyndonville, Medina, Newfane, Niagara Academy, Niagara Falls, Niagara Wheatfield, North Tonawanda, Royalton Hartland, Wilson, Niagara Career & Technical Education Center, and Orleans Career & Technical Education Center.

Teams of four to six students in grades 9-12 were tested on wildlife, aquatics, forestry, soils/land use and a current environmental issue.

This year’s current issue is Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change. Students had to develop a theoretical plan for a school district to help reach renewable energy goals and present for a panel of judges to grade.

Congratulations to the team from Niagara Orleans Career and Technical Center for winning from Niagara County and being the Over-All Envirothon Winners! The team was from Mr. Kapiewicz’s class, students included Summer Dueger, Boylie Fudella, Ian Kruger, Jeremy Taylor, and Daniel Wilksemore.

The winning team from Niagara County and the overall winners of the competition include students from the Niagara Orleans Career and Technical Center – Summer Dueger, Boylie Fudella, Ian Kruger, Jeremy Taylor and Daniel Wilksemore.

Congratulations to the winners from the Medina Chapter FFA for winning Orleans County from Ms. Jurek’s class, students included Tyler Allen, Mason Eick, Madison Farley, Camden Fike, Brody Frye, and Austin Seefeldt.

Three different teams from Niagara Orleans Career and Technical Center won the different categories of Envirothon.  Students included Summer Dueger, Boylie Fudella, Ian Kruger, Jeremy Taylor, Daniel Wilksemore, Alex Brown, Olivia Dunkelberger, Anthony Enzinna, Aiden Flynn, Addison Schultz, Nathan Couturier, Mallary Fiacco, David Gurski, Jordyn Kinne and Adam Yanicki.

The overall county winners will move on to represent their county at the NYS Envirothon later this month. Good Luck to both teams!

A special thank you to this year’s event sponsors NewRoyal Orchards, Poverty Hill Farm, GM, and the NYS Forest Owners Association – Niagara Frontier Chapter for providing breakfast, lunch, goodie bags, awards, and Envirothon shirts for the students.

Exams and proctoring were provided by the Aquarium of Niagara, Mr. Paul Dewey, the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, and both Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  Vic DiGiacomo of the NYS Soil and Water Conservation Committee and Ronny Raindrop of the NYS Conservation District Employees Association came to hand out awards to the winners.

The Niagara-Orleans Envirothon is a yearly event for county high school students presented by Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District and Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District.  Envirothon is an environmental competition on different aspects of natural resources. It gives students hands-on experience and knowledge of the environment to understand how to protect and manage the natural resources around them.

For more information about Envirothon visit www.envirothon.org or www.nysenvirothon.org.  To participate next year please reach out to our offices by calling 716-434-4949 ext. 4 or emailing Katherine.pfeifer@ny.nacdnet.net or the Orleans SWCD at 585-589-5959 or email Guinevere.dillhoff@ny.nacdnet.net.

The students from all 12 teams pose for a group photo at the Bond Lake Park Nature Center.

Photo courtesy of Jim Renfrew

BATAVIA – A group from Orleans County joined other demonstrators in Batavia on Thursday evening at a May Day event protesting policies of the Trump Administration that they say threaten working class people and vulnerable members of the community. More than 50 attended the rally in the rain with threats of thunder and lightning.

Orleans County residents Kris Sniffen, Gary Kent, Grace Kent, Sister Dolores Dowd, Beth Wood, Donna Petersen-Spence, Robin Dunnington and the Rev. Jim Renfrew attended the demonstration outside City Hall in downtown Batavia.

The event was among about 1,000 around the country where people voiced their concerns about immigration crackdowns without due process, aggressive tariffs that could cause economic turmoil, a “Billionaire Agenda” from the Trump Administration that favors the wealthy over the working class and efforts to consolidate power in the executive branch.

Press Release, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer

After Trump and “DOGE” placed a majority of AmeriCorps employees on leave and terminated nearly $400 million in AmeriCorps grants nationally earlier this month, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today revealed this has impacted over 3,600 NY community service members.

That includes $26 million in federal funding for local community projects in every corner of New York State, and with more potential cuts on the horizon the senator broke down the impacts region by region to show just how deep these cuts go.

“AmeriCorps is one of the world’s greatest service programs, and one of the best bang for your buck federal investments in addressing community needs and in the future of our country,” Schumer said. “But across New York hundreds of AmeriCorps community service participants were just egregiously fired and had their funding ripped away halting their critical work helping the communities they serve.”

Schumer said this is the first step towards dismantling AmeriCorps entirely would devastate New York, which has over 1,700 AmeriCorps projects, and is demanding that NY House Republicans stand up to protect this vital public service and join him in his push to immediately reverse these cuts. All of these AmeriCorps programs have long-standing bipartisan support having been previously authorized by Congress and funded by the annual appropriations bill passed by Congress and signed into law, making ‘DOGE’s’ cuts unlawful.

A breakdown of dismissed volunteers and the $12,697,163 cut federal funding by region for Upstate NY includes:

Capital Region – $6,439,224; Rochester-Finger Lakes – $2,556,668; Western NY – $2,285,041; Southern Tier – $647,910; Central NY & North Country – $636,020; Hudson Valley – $132,300.

In recent days, Trump and ‘DOGE’ cut roughly 75% of full-time AmeriCorps employees and dismissed thousands of national service participants working on projects in every corner of the country, including over 3,600 community service participants across New York and cancelling over $26 million in grant funding, meaning in many instances these projects will not continue.

In Rochester, AmeriCorps members were improving academic engagement and college and career readiness throughout the Rochester City School District through Monroe Community College and providing public health apprenticeships through Flower City Public Health Corps.

In Buffalo, AmeriCorps members were tutoring more than 2,500 students across 4 schools in the school district through City Year, helping students improve attendance and academic performance. In addition, more AmeriCorps members were building homes through Habitat for Humanity.

“This critical work will now cease as these members are dismissed and funding is ripped away from our communities by Trump and ‘DOGE,’” Schumer said. “I am all for cutting out inefficiency, but you use a scalpel, not a chainsaw. You don’t dismiss thousands of members who have dedicated their time to public service and giving back to underserved communities – it makes no sense.”

Across New York State, there are over 22,000 national service members working on over 1,700 projects. AmeriCorps and its partners generated more than $20 million in outside resources from businesses, foundations, public agencies, and other sources in New York last year.

“There is no rhyme or reason to the project and grant terminations, other than DOGE was forcing AmeriCorps to get to a bottom-line dollar amount,” said Kelly Daly, President, AFSCME Local 2027. “The reason for eliminating over half the staff is very clear: This administration does not value the contributions of public servants who have been quietly administering an extremely efficient agency that engages Americans all across the country in service, which in addition to providing critical services, strengthens civic engagement and ties between people of all backgrounds.”

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) voted against an initiative yesterday that would place additional burdens on police officers while they are conducting arrests.

The measure would require the New York State Police and local law enforcement to adopt child-sensitive arrest policies and procedures in situations where an individual being arrested is responsible for a child as a parent, guardian or legal caregiver.

The bill would require law enforcement officers to take measures to minimize the impact a child experiences under these situations. Despite this, there is no mention of how departments should fund the implementation of these policies and procedures.

While well-intentioned, Hawley believes this law will only create more problems by imposing further responsibilities on police officers and necessitating more spending for local departments that are already underfunded.

“While I believe this policy is well-intentioned, it provides a one-size-fits-all solution for an issue that varies so much with each case,” Hawley said. “From day one in the academy, our law enforcement officers are extensively trained to handle arrests of all kinds, including situations where families are involved. Adding extra training and more procedures will only make it harder and more expensive for our police officers to do their jobs.”

Press Release, Orleans County government

MEDINA – Orleans County is partnering with SUNY GCC, Niagara County and paint-recycling company GreenSheen to host a paint recycling event on Saturday, May 31 at the GCC Medina Campus Center.

Orleans and Niagara County residents and businesses are welcome to bring oil-based, acrylic and latex paint, urethanes, varnishes, shellacs, lacquers, primers and clear coatings to be recycled at no cost.

“Our recycling event last year was a tremendous success and we are excited to collaborate with our partners to host another event for Orleans County residents,” said Corey Winters, Orleans County Director of Planning and Development. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to get those old paint cans out of your basement, garage and shed, and ensure they are properly recycled.”

 The event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at GCC, 11470 Maple Ridge Rd. Medina, NY 14103.

Registration for this event can be done at https://circular.eco/event/MedinaGCC.  Staff will be on hand to unload vehicles so drivers can stay in their vehicles. Those with any questions about the event should call the Orleans County Planning and Development Department at (585) 589-3198.

Photos and information courtesy of John Dieter, Scoutmaster of Troop 35: Scouts and friends from Troop 35 picked up litter at the Canal Culvert on Sunday.  The photo at right shows Cole Herman next to some of the trash he picked up.

MEDINA – Scouts from Troop 35 in Medina held a campout Saturday evening and performed garbage pickup on Sunday morning as part of the Clean Sweep Canal Cleanup Program that is held each spring.

The scouts picked up garbage and debris in and around the culvert under the canal and also removed garbage on both sides of the towpath to the Beals Road bridge.

Press Release, Albion Police Chief David Mogle

Allan Bieber

ALBION – The Albion Police Department on Monday received a report of an incident that occurred inside a Village Park on Friday at around 9 p.m.

A 15-year-old girl reported that she was forcibly raped by a male at the park.

Through an investigation of the incident and an interview of the suspect, the Albion Police Department subsequently arrested 21-year-old Allan Bieber of Albion for his involvement in the incident.

Bieber was charged with Rape 1st Degree (Class B Felony), Sex Abuse 1st Degree (Class D Felony), Rape 3rd Degree (Class E Felony), Sexual Misconduct (Class A Misdemeanor), and Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Class A Misdemeanor).

Bieber was processed at the Albion Police Department and remanded to the Orleans County Jail for arraignment at CAP Court.

If you have any further information regarding this incident or any other similar incidents involving the suspect, please contact the Albion Police Department at (585) 589-5627.

Board pared some expenses at last moment to get tax rate under $16

ALBION – Village taxpayers may have expected a drop in their village taxes with the 2025-26 budget because the fire department no longer is part of the village budget.

The fire department now is in the Albion Joint Fire District which is its own taxing entity with its own tax bills.

But the village taxes will be up in 2025-26 – by 11 percent. The Village Board is putting more money in reserves and faces other inflationary increases, with less fund balance to help offset taxes, board members said on Tuesday when the budget was adopted.

The spending in the General Fund increased less than 1 percent or by $62,106 from $4,701,848 to $4,763,955.

But the tax levy, what the village collects in property taxes, is up 11.1 percent or by $345,650 – from $3,117,813 to $3,463,463.

The tax rate will drop more than 20 percent or by $4.41 per $1,000 of assessed property – from $20.40 to $15.99. A big increase in the village’s tax base following town-wide reassessments last year pushed down the tax rate. The village’s taxable valuation is up 41.6 percent or by $63,666,806 – from $152,867,932 to $216,534,738.

The village is using about $200,000 less in its fund balance and that accounts for more than half of the tax increase. Village Clerk-Treasurer Tracy Van Skiver said the village’s fund balance currently stands at only $300,000. She said the state comptroller’s office has recommended the village get the fund balance between $800,000 and $1.1 million. Those funds can help the village with unexpected expenses outside of what is budgeted.

The village only is using $64,000 in its fund balance to help offset property taxes in 2025-26, compared to $261,150 in 2024-25.

“My concern is the fund balance,” Van Skiver told the board on Tuesday. “We’re trying to protect it.”

The budget was adopted by the board on Tuesday after about a 90-minute discussion from board members. The board started the meeting with the budget with the tax rate at $16.34. The board wanted to get that below $16 and needed to cut about $60,000.

The tentative budget had five new reserve accounts at $105,000 for the Department of Public Works and Police Department. Those reserves would have money set aside for equipment, vehicles and infrastructure, and lessen the need for financing and borrowing in the future. The reserve funds should lessen the need to whittle down the fund balance.

The board decided to keep the reserve accounts, but to reduce the amounts by 36 percent or by $37,800 – from $105,000 to $67,200.

“Having some reserves is in the best interests of the village,” said Trustee Greg Bennett.

But he didn’t want to see steep cuts to departments for what they need now just so the village could set aside more funds for the future.

Trustee Joyce Riley suggested eliminating the village’s animal control department which costs $17,000 and having the county take over the responsibility. But Bennett and Trustee Tim McMurray didn’t want to eliminate positions and services to the community. They both said the current animal control officer, Harry Papponetti, responds promptly to calls and concerns in the village. They didn’t want the department axed at the last second without input from Papponetti.

Riley said the village, in order to rein in expenses, ultimately will need to look at eliminating positions.

“Cutting people is where the real savings is, but it’s difficult,” she said. “We need to do it in a way where we’re conserving the village.”

(The Village Board is holding a public hearing at 6 p.m. on June 11 at the Village Hall to hear from the community about possible elimination of the village government and consolidation with the towns of Albion and Gaines.)

Besides reducing the reserve funds, the board made the following budget adjustments on Tuesday to get the tax rate below $16:

General Fund

• Schools and conferences for clerk’s department, down $2,000 to $3,500
• Auditor for clerk’s department, down $850 to $17,850
• Attorney, down $5,000 to $25,000
• Janitor in DOW, down $5,720 to $10,400
• Parts & Repairs in DPW, down $5,000 to $70,000
• Highway overtime in DPW, down $8,000 to $12,000
• Tree replacement in DPW, down $500 to $1,000

Water Fund

• Auditor, down $825 to $17,325

Sewer Fund

• Auditor, down $825 to $17,325

The total budget is at $8,904,229 with General Fund at $4,763,955, Water Fund at $2,640,689 and Sewer Fund at $1,499,585.

Press Release, NY State Police

LOCKPORT – The State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation out of Lockport on April 22 arrested Michael E. Tomaka, 39 of Buffalo for Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd degree, Burglary 3rd degree (D Felony), Criminal Mischief 2nd degree (D Felony) and Grand Larceny 3rd degree (D Felony)

On April 23, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrested Cody M. Canterbury, 27 of Derby for Burglary 3rd degree (D Felony), Criminal Mischief 2nd degree (D Felony), Grand Larceny 3rd degree (D Felony) and Conspiracy 5th degree (A Misdemeanor).

On February 12, the State Police’s Lockport Bureau of Criminal Investigation received a report of a burglary at Magic Mist Car Wash on S. Transit Rd in the town of Lockport. The investigation led to the identification of two suspects, Tomaka and Canterbury.

Investigation determined through the approximate two-month State Police investigation, both suspects were subsequently linked to the following incidents of burglary throughout the Western New York area.

• Jan. 2 – Chaffee Car Wash and Mini in Sardinia (Erie County Sheriff’s Office) – Burglary, Criminal Mischief
• Jan. 30 – Magic Mist Car Wash in Grand Island (Erie County Sheriff’s Office) – Attempted Burg, Criminal Mischief
• Feb. 12 – Magic Mist Car Wash in Lockport (State Police) – Burglary, Grand Larceny, Criminal Mischief
• Feb. 17 – Middle E-Z Car Wash – Middleport (Niagara County Sheriff’s Office) – Burglary, Criminal Mischief and Petit Larceny
• Feb, 22 – Advantage Self Storage in Depew (Depew Police Department) – Burglary, Attempted Grand Larceny of MV and Criminal Mischief
• March 3 – J and N Car Wash in Silver Creek (Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office) – Burglary, Grand Larceny and Criminal Mischief
• March 16 – Magic Mist Car Wash in Newfane (Niagara County Sheriff’s Office) – Attempted Burglary and Criminal Mischief
• March 16 – Pippard Automotive in Newfane (Niagara County Sheriff’s Office) – Burglary and Petit Larceny
• March 18 – Stop N’ Wash – Sanborn (Lewiston Police Department) – Attempted Burglary and Criminal Mischief
• March 24 – Outlet Car Wash in Niagara Falls (Niagara County Sheriff’s Office) – Burglary and Criminal Mischief
• March 26 – Magic Mist Car Wash in Medina (Medina Police Department) – Attempted Burglary and Criminal Mischief
• March 27 – Sardinia Covenant Community Church (Erie County Sheriff’s Office) – Burglary and Criminal Mischief
• April 6 – Tonawanda Self Storage in Tonawanda (Town of Tonawanda Police Department) – Burglary, Grand Larceny and Criminal Mischief
• April 16 – Angola Self Storage in Angola (Evans Police Department) – Burglary, Grand Larceny and Criminal Mischief
• April 18 – Eden United Methodist Church in Eden (Eden Police Department) – Burglary, Grand Larceny and Criminal Mischief

On April 18, assisted by Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, Town of Tonawanda Police Department, Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, State Police Troop A Community Stabilization Unit, and State Police Troop A Violent Felony Warrants and State Police Lockport BCI executed search warrants at multiple locations recovering more than 60 items of stolen property associated with the incidents.  Additionally, Tomaka was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun.

Both suspects were processed then transported to Niagara County Jail for Centralized Arraignment.

Provided photos

MEDINA – Medina firefighters spent part of Tuesday morning at Tim Hortons in Medina decorating Smile Cookies in a fundraiser for the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester. From left include firefighter Dustin Pahura, Fire Chief Matt Jackson and Lt. Steve Cooley.

Screenshot

(Left) Silas Filippelli, son of Tim Hortons co-owner Joey Filippelli, taste tested some of the cookies. The Filippelli family owns the two Tim Hortons in Orleans County and three in the Rochester area. All five of those stores are directing their Smile Cookie proceeds to Golisano Children’s Hospital.

(Right) Brandon Clouser, a Medina police officer, assists at the window. Firefighters and other volunteers helped decorate cookies and assist with sales from 7 to 1o a.m.

The cookies are available until May 4 at $2 each with all of the proceeds going to Children’s Hospital.

 The “Smile Cookie Bakery” Team included many Tim Hortons staff and volunteers from the community.

Mayor Marguerite Sherman, center, joined the cookie brigade. She is joined by Riezel Carino, Mary Jo Polick (Medina Tim Hortons manager) and Jeni Simpson (Albion Tim Hortons manager).

This group includes Medina Police Chef Todd Draper, Orleans County Undersheriff Don Draper, Sheriff’s Investigator Devon Pahuta, Sheriff Chris Bourke, and Medina officers Miles Erickson and Brandon Clouser.

Lyla Wasilewski

Press Release, Lake Plains Players

Lake Plains Players is honored to announce the 2025 recipient of the Lance Anderson Memorial Scholarship, Lyla Wasilewski.

Lyla is a Starpoint High School senior who plans to attend University at Buffalo in the fall for a Bachelor’s of Theater Arts combined with Master’s of Arts Administration.

Lyla has served as a student director at Starpoint for the past two years and found it to be not only impactful, but has also learned a tremendous amount of leadership skills, among countless other things. Lyla hopes to help others by giving them access to the theater arts in the future.

The scholarship is a $1,000 award established in honor of the late Lance Anderson. Lance was the President of Lake Plains Players for over 10 years, and had a passion for education as well as theatre.

He was always a vocal supporter of students and a leader in the group’s Summer Theatre Program. He affected the lives and futures of countless young people who are now making their own contributions in the arts fields.  Through this scholarship, the Lake Plains Players hope to continue to honor his legacy.

Find more information about the Lake Plains Players, check the LPP website or the Facebook page.