Photo courtesy of Carl Tuohey

MEDINA – Medina Theatre was open on Sunday afternoon for people to watch the Charlie Kirk memorial service.

About 80 people were in the theater on Main Street, and they came from Kent, Lyndonville, Medina, Middleport and Rochester.

Kirk, a conservative leader, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 at an event in Utah for his “The American Comeback Tour.” Kirk visited students on college campuses to debate on hot-button issues.

His service was held at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. Some of the speakers included President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Kirk’s wife Erika

On several occasions the speakers of the service brought a full round of applause from the local attendees during the peaceful event, said Carl Tuohey, one of the attendees

While the memorial service lasted five hours, well beyond the expected two hours, the Medina viewing ended at 4 p.m. with a speech by local minister Vincent Iorio.  The event was hosted by Bob Sanderson.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Brad Zacher and his son Henry, 5, build a fort with the giant LEGO blocks during Saturday’s special event at Sacred Heart Club.

MEDINA – A first-time LEGO/Building Bricks event sponsored by Medina Tourism at Sacred Heart Club was a resounding success, according to Kathy Blackburn, a member of the Tourism Committee.

“It’s been great. We had quite a turnout,” Blackburn said.

Jan Smith, a member of the Tourism Committee, brought the idea to the Committee and they jumped at it.

The event featured several components – assorted building blocks for children (and adults) to play with at Sacred Heart Club; a competition between first-, second- and third-graders at Roy-Hart and Medina school districts; prizes for everyone who brought in a LEGO creation; displays by Roclug (a Rochester LEGO user group) and local merchant Shawn Ramsey; an I Spy game sponsored by Lee-Whedon Memorial Library; a building table; a sensory area; and a scavenger hunt at downtown merchants.

LEGO and Building Bricks competitions are a big deal, in places like Rochester where there is Roclug. In Medina, Shawn Ramsey from Canalside Tattoo, with friends Sam Vella and Tyler Vercruysse are starting a hobby club to get people interested in LEGOs and Building Bricks.

Members of the Roclug LEGO building group out of Rochester sit with their giant display of creations they brought to Sacred Heart Club on Saturday. From left are Robert Herberger, Chuck Frueh and Shyra Murphy, all of Geneva.

At Roclug’s table, Robert Herberger, Chuck Frueh and Shyra Murphy of Geneva discussed their interest in building blocks.

“I have been into LEGOs since I was 6,” Frueh said. “Then about five years ago a set came out to build a typewriter. When LEGO Masters television show came out, I discovered there are LEGO conventions, and I started looking for one nearby. I found Rochester and signed up. Since then, LEGOs have taken over my life.”

Saturday, they had an entire table set up with LEGO displays they have created.

“What I hoped today was to meet some like-minded LEGO enthusiasts in hopes of making contact with others who would like to get together and create displays about the Medina community,” Ramsey said.

Shawn Ramsey of Canalside Tattoo, left, Sam Vella and Tyler Vercruysse (not shown) also had a large display of their LEGO collection. They hope to start a LEGO building group in Medina.

Medina art teacher Jen Scott’s sculpture class submitted multiple entries, which were then judged by popular vote. First place was a structure titled “Medina Sandstone,” and winning students were Sophie Kroenig, Payton Denniston, Elaina Bruce, Anna Saj and Jordan Olson.

Second place was a “Worker Boat,” created by Jordon Olson, Brady Brandt and Wyett Gunthaner.

Third place, “Canal Locks” was created by Eli Biesinger.

(Left) Photo by Ginny Kropf: Kathy Blackburn and Barb Gorham hold one of the certificates given to each entrant in the LEGO event sponsored by Medina Tourism Committee. (Right) Photo courtesy of Kathy Blackburn: The winning entry in the LEGO competition at Sacred Heart Club on Sunday was this building titled “Sandstone,” by Sophie Kroenig, Payton Denniston, Elaina Bruce, Anna Saj and Jordon Olson.

Two participants were Brad Zacher and his son Henry, 5, who sat on the floor with a pile of LEGOs.

“We went to Disney in August and got a LEGO set there to build a fire house, fire truck and helicopter,” Brad said.

Saturday, Henry said they were going to try and build a big square fort with the giant blocks piled on the floor.

“We just live down the street and when I saw this event, I thought it was cool,” Brad said.

River Cogovan, 7, came with his aunt Gretchen Albone.

“I like to build and create different things,” River said. “I have thousands of LEGOs at home.”

 Orly the Ox, Orleans County’s bicentennial mascot, paid a visit to the LEGO event, getting his picture taken with the children.

Overall, Blackburn said the hits of the event were the giant LEGOs and the building table.

Fiona Tavis, 10, of Medina works on building the Medina Falls at the LEGO event Saturday at Sacred Heart Club.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council has a new free art library outside the Author’s Note book store in Medina at 519 Main St.

The art library was architecturally designed by Jeff Pasnik, built and designed by Carpenters Local Union 276, and painted by Jaylah Sherman.

They also made and painted the free art library outside Hoag Library in Albion.

GO Art! has another free art library in Batavia created by Bill Schutt and sponsored by the Batavia Rotary Club.

A fourth art library is expected next weekend in Holley outside the Community Free Library. GO Art! also would like one at the Woodward Memorial Library in LeRoy.

Gregory Hallock, GO Art! executive director, said the organization is working to add art kits for the sites and welcomes donations.

This free art library was added about a week ago outside Author’s Note in Medina.

Photos by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – Al Schumacher, a motorcyclist from Middleport, dressed as Santa today for a 50-mile ride around Orleans County.

Schumacher has wore the red Santa suit the past several years for the annual toy run led by ABATE in Orleans County.

There were 23 motorcyclists in the ride today. They have to pay either $20 or donate a toy to be part of the journey that started at the Ridgeway fire hall on Route 104. Motorcyclists headed west before getting on Route 18 and going east across the county towards Kendall. Then they got on Route 31 in Holley headed west towards Albion before getting on 31A and going back towards Medina. The ride ended at the Vets’ Club in Medina.

Don Sloper, president of the local ABATE chapter, said the toy run has been an annual tradition in September for about 40 years.

The group usually raises $600 to $1,000 which is donated to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee for their annual toy drive during the holiday season.

“It’s good riding weather for us and it gives them a good start (on the toy drive),” he said.

Al Schumacher and the other motorcyclists get ready for the 50-mile ride.

Santa rode on a trike motorcycle. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office provided an escort for the toy run.

Photos by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – Ridgeway firefighter Morgan Austin, third from left, collects a donation for the Make-A-Wish Foundation today on Route 104 near the Route 63 intersection. She is joined by other Ridgeway firefighters – Paige Smith, left, and Madison Austion.

Firefighters from the western battalion in Orleans County were out today collecting money in a boot drive for Make-A-Wish. The public gave about $6,500 in today’s boot drive from 9 a.m. to noon.

Firefighters were at different locations:

• Route 63 with Shelby and East Shelby firefighters,
• Maple Ridge Road and the downtown intersection with Medina firefighters
• South Lyndonville Road and Route 104 with Ridgeway firefighters.

Kyle Brakenbury, a member of the fire police for the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, collects a donation today.

Firefighters did the drive today in honor of Koleson Meakin, age 4, who received a wish last January with his family through Make-A-Wish. Koleson spent a week in Disney World with his parents and little sister.

Koleson is diagnosed with TPK1 Thiamine Deficient Leigh syndrome, a rare genetic metabolic disease.

Ridgeway Fire Chief Tyler Luckman receives a donation from a motorcyclist.

These Ridgeway firefighters include Tyler Luckman, Austin Seefeldt and Austin Mosher.

People donated cash, usually $1 or $5, but one person gave a hundred-dollar bill in Ridgeway.

This group includes, from left: Page Smith, Madison Austin, Morgan Austin, Alex Benz and Buford McAdoo. All are Ridgeway firefighters except Benz, who is a member with Shelby.

Photos courtesy of Cobblestone Museum: St. John’s Episcopal Church is at left and the Newell Shirt Factory/Hart House Hotel is at right. Both are historic sites in Medina.

The Cobblestone Society’s annual Architectural Tour of Homes is scheduled Oct. 18, featuring structures in two counties.

“The Cobblestone Museum has had a long history of home tours, starting in the 1960s,” said museum director Doug Farley. “They were originally all cobblestone structures, but in more recent years we have added a variety of construction.”

Historic homes and businesses are selected with a geographic focus to minimize the drive time between sites, Farley said. Bill Lattin will create a self-drive map that shows all six stops and indicates other points of interest along the route. All of the stops will be open for indoor tours, as well as viewing the outside and grounds. Hours are from noon to 5 p.m.

Tickets for the tour are on sale now at the museum, by phone at (585) 589-9013 or on the website. They will also be available the day of the tour at the Museum and at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Medina, which is one of the stops on the tour.

Sites included in the tour are the Isaac Bennett House, 203 State St., Medina’ Newell Shirt Factory/Hart House, 113 West Center St., Medina; St. John’s Episcopal church, 200 East Center St., Medina; Maple Crest Inn, 503 Prospect Ave., Medina; Sherry Wheatley’s featured home in Country Sampler; and Hartland Historical Society Cobblestone Schoolhouse, 9713 Seaman Rd. at Carmen Road, Middleport.

Delbert Young’s home will be featured on the tour.

The Isaac Bennett House, owned by Delbert Young, is the oldest Medina sandstone house in the village. It was built for Isaac Bennett in the late 1820s to early 1830s. Bennett procured stone for building purposes on the east side of Oak Orchard Creek. He owned several hundred acres of land spread on either side of Ridge Road.

The question is always asked, “Why does the front of the house face south, not toward State Street.” When the house was built, a street ran along that side of the house toward a canal bridge that is no longer there.

Young purchased the property from Rick and Marilyn Drilling. Retired Orleans County historian Bill Lattin stated, “This is one of Medina’s outstanding homes, both in its appearance and architectural integrity. It is nicely restored and well kept. There is a beautiful arboretum-like setting in the back yard with many unusual trees and plantings by the owner from seedlings.”

Newell Shirt Factory/Hart House Hotel is located in the former Robert H. Newell building, and had long been admired by Andrew Meier. For 86 years, the building was home to the Robert H. Newell Shirt Factory, which manufactured custom-made shirts, including many for customers like Winston Churchill, President Harding and Bob Hope. The Newell company left the historic building in 2004 and moved to Maple Ridge Road.. The business closed in 2007.

The village of Medina acquired the building after years of unpaid taxes. The three-story site had been neglected and was in disrepair when it was put up for sale in 2005, and Meier bought it. He was 25 at the time. “It had great bones and potential,” he said. “I knew the risks going in. It was an opportunity that came up that I could not pass up.”

He set about the task of methodically renovating and preserving the 14,000 square-foot building that originally opened in 1876, a site that was a hotel for its first 14 years before it became the Newell building.

The Hart House Hotel onsite includes rooms named for famous former Newell customers, including Churchill. There are also rooms named for legendary comedian Hope and Astor, a wealthy industrialist from New York City.

Several dining options are available at Hart House, including Factory Expresso, a coffee shop café with several lunch options; and the Shirt Factory Restaurant, featuring a menu with several dinner options.

St. John’s Episcopal Church is described by the Medina Sandstone Society accordingly:

“St. John’s church began as St. Luke’s Mission, a result of a rapidly growing village and a group of men who felt spiritual guidance was needed. The year was 1827 and the Erie Canal was bringing progress along its path.

“Construction was started in 1832 with a contract with Joseph Nixon for $3,585. Medina sandstone, quarried from the banks of the Erie Canal. Was used to construct this amazing structure. It is believed to be the building in Medina constructed of Medina sandstone. The building was completed, except for the tower, in 1838. On Christmas Eve 1838, St. John’s held its first service.

“In addition to its unique architecture, St. John’s is known for its beautiful stained glass windows and for its inclusion in Ripley’s Believe it or Not for being ‘the church in the middle of the road.’”

Not only is St. John’s the oldest church in Medina, it is the oldest Episcopal Church in Orleans County. For more than 180 years, St. John’s Church has had an important impact upon the community of Medina and continues to be an active parish today.

The Medina Sandstone Society inducted this outstanding example of Medina sandstone construction into its Sandstone Hall of Fame in 2015.

Visitors are advised that the stained glass windows, some from the 1800s, are the earliest ones in Orleans County.

The Maple Crest was the family home of Judge Henry Childs, later becoming known as the Maple Crest Inn. It is located at the corner of West Center Street and Prospect Avenue in Medina. The Maple Crest was built in 1860 for a Main Street merchant, who was a cousin of Susan B. Anthony.

Henry Augustine Childs was the eldest son of Levi and Ann Wright Childs, born in the town of Gaines on July 17, 1836. After finishing his early education at the Albion Academy, he started to fulfill his childhood ambition to become an attorney by studying law under Benjamin Bessac in Albion.

Four years later he was admitted to the bar and associated with the firm of Sickles and Graves in Medina. In 1868, Henry was elected Orleans County district attorney, an office he held for nine years, until 1877.

Judge Childs married Julia Freeman in 1859 and they had three children. Henry’s son Milford W. Childs married Pearl Cook, daughter of the S.A. Cook, a significant businessman in Medina history through his furniture business, S.A. Cook.

It came as no surprise to Orleans County residents when Henry’s name was placed in nomination for a Supreme Court justice position with the Western District of New York at the judicial convention in Buffalo in 1883. He was elected by a large majority and served with distinction from January 1884 until his death in May 1895. His jurisdiction covered Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties.

Judge Childs’ local fame in the hamlet of Childs came about in 1897 when the residents of Fairhaven (as Childs was then known) wanted to open a U.S. Post Office in that name. that’s most likely when residents learned the “Fairhaven” was already taken. Postal regulations only permit one post office in any state to use the same name, and Fair Haven was already in juse in a small town near Oswego.

Judge Childs was selected for the hamlet’s namesake because folks felt he personified the high ideals and integrity of the community, all the while demonstrating the axion of “A local boy who makes good.”

The Maple Crest’s current owner, Rollin Hellner, remarked, “When I saw the Maple Crest, I knew I wanted to live there. I bought it in July 2022.” Hellner has made some repairs and restored the windows, original plasterwork and the parquet flooring. He has painted the outside in the home’s original color.

It was Margaret Raymond who purchased the Childs home in the 1930s and opened a restaurant in it, which she called “The Maple Crest.”

Sherry Wheatley’s residence at 10421 West Shelby Rd., Middleport, was featured in the spring and summer issues of Country Sampler Magazine.

Sherry and her late husband Jack purchased the house and 18 acres of land in 1985. The Greek Revival farmhouse was built in the 1840s. The Wheatleys spent more than two decades restoring the house and enhancing its appearl by adding a pergola, a gazebo and picket fencing.

Roofing, siding and windows were replaced and rooms were reconfigured, with a restoration that spanned 25 years of blood, sweat and tears. Twenty years into the restoration, a car crashed into the house and damaged the main structural beam. Undeterred. Sherry moved forward, stating, “It was a total gut job, but it has truly been a labor of love.”

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Sherry Wheatley stands in front of the grain bin she had converted into living space at her home on West Shelby Road.

A consummate collector, Sherry said her preferred style has evolved, and now she adores collecting and decorating with antiques. “I used to love modern design, but over the years my tastes have changed and now I favor primitives,” she said. Her collection of antiques spans more than 30 years of collecting. Her home and grounds represent unlimited imagination and repurposing.

Visitors are reminded while on site to be sure and check out Sherry’s collection of farm animals, including six chickens, seven goats, three sheep and two donkeys. She recently secured a grain bin from her sister’s farm, which she has had converted into a one-of-a-kind living area she calls “The Olde Grainery.”

The Hartland Historical Society Cobblestone Schoolhouse is nestled at the intersection of Seaman and Carmen Roads near Middleport. The former District #10 cobblestone schoolhouse stands as a proud relic of 19th century craftsmanship and community spirit. Built around 1845 in the Greek Revival style, it’s sturdy walls of field cobbles mark it as the earliest known cobblestone school in Niagara County.

For more than a century, this one-room schoolhouse served generations of local children, its modest structure echoing with lessons and laughter. After falling into disrepair, it was lovingly acquired by the

Hartland Historical Society in 1999, which undertook its restoration and transformed it into a museum and gathering space.

Today, it hosts monthly meetings and continues to educate visitors – not through textbooks, but through its enduring presence and the stories embedded in its stonework. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the schoolhouse is more than a building. It’s a testament to the region’s architectural heritage and the community’s commitment to preserving the past.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The arch leads into Mount Albion Cemetery. The historic site was dedicated on Sept. 7, 1843.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 33

It is always intriguing to find out “what happened on this date in history.”

In 1976, the Orleans Bicentennial Corp. produced a calendar with this theme, 365 tidbits of local history. Who could resist such a treasure?

Looking at the month of September, we find that it is bookended by tragedies:

On Saturday, September 1, 1951, State Trooper Sgt. Harry Adams of Medina was killed in the line of duty. He was struck and killed by an intoxicated driver while directing traffic at the scene of an accident on Sawyer Road in the Town of Carlton,

On September 28, 1859, tragedy struck in Albion when fifteen people drowned in the Canal. They were among a crowd of 250 who had assembled on the bridge to watch a tight-rope walker cross the canal when the span gave way.

September 13, 1826, was the date that William Morgan, who had threatened to publish the secrets of the Freemasons, was abducted from jail in Canandaigua and was never seen or heard from again.

The reference to the birth of the Bushnell sextuplets is by far the most intriguing entry:

Alberto Bushnell, a resident of the Orleans County Home for over thirty years, celebrated his birthday on September 8. So too did three of his siblings. They were the surviving members of sextuplets born on September 8, 1866, a rare event at any time but even more unusual then.

Concerned that the children would be viewed as “freaks” or that they would be castigated for bearing a litter, parents James and Jennie Bushnell downplayed the multiple births to the point where some confusion arose as to where exactly the birth occurred. The paper trail appears to point to Chicago, though there are also claims that they were born in Medina and in Lockport.

Two of the sextuplets died in infancy. The family moved back to Western New York following the destruction of their home in the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. They lived in Medina briefly and subsequently moved to Lockport, to Buffalo, and to Phelps (Ontario County) but were back in Orleans County by 1892. James, the father, worked as a bookkeeper for a quarry. He died in Albion in 1904. Norbert lived in Gaines, worked as a salesman, and died in 1934.

Alice graduated from Albion High School in 1889 and was employed as a clerk at Landauer’s in Albion. She won a year’s study at the Boston Conservatory of Music, which she financed by selling subscriptions to the Ladies Home Journal. Upon her return to Albion, she taught piano full-time. She later married and moved to Arizona.

The siblings never publicized their unusual birth story. The birth of the Dionne quintuplets in 1934 renewed interest in multiple births. Ripley’s “Believe it or Not” researchers contacted the Bushnell siblings and invited them to New York for an all-expense paid trip. Orleans County Commissioner of Welfare, J.L. Derrick, accompanied Alberto to New York. Sibling Alinca Parker of Perry also traveled for the recording which took place on June 28, 1938.

Alberto, who was a member of the Howard Bible class of the United Methodist Church, died in Albion in 1940. He is buried with his parents in the family plot in Cold Springs Cemetery in Lockport.

Other entries of interest in the month of September:

Mount Albion Cemetery was dedicated on Sept. 7, 1843.

A school attendance law that went into effect on Sept. 2, 1909, mandated that all children aged 7-14 must attend school. Students aged 14-16 were also obliged to attend, unless they were employed.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) In front, Brooks, Kate and Hadley Fitzsimmons of Rochester and Beckett Reghtck of Spencerport get their picture taken in front of Thomas the Tank Engine during the first day of Day Out with Thomas today at the Medina Railroad Museum. (Right) Cody Catlin has been a conductor at Medina Railroad Museum events since 2016. Here, he boards passengers for the first ride with Thomas the Tank Engine this morning.

MEDINA – For the first time since 2023, Thomas the Tank Engine has returned to Medina Railroad Museum for a two-weekend schedule of excursions.

Thomas rolled into the station this morning to the delight of parents and children, who lined up on the tracks for pictures with the storybook engine.

Keith Ewanyk of Spencerport, holding 2-year-old grandson, Beckett, said this was his first time to Medina Railroad Museum, and they came because a train ride was special. Ewanyk said “Gigi” (Grandma) was probably buying Keith a Thomas T-shirt or hat.

A gift tent was set up on the deck of Medina Railroad Museum, offering a variety of Thomas-themed gifts, toys, clothing and games.

Marissa Fitzsimmons of Rochester said her children all like Thomas. They have been to Medina Railroad Museum to see the Polar Express, but this was the first time for Thomas.

“We are train lovers,” she said.

Tickets to ride the train also included a variety of events in Celebration Station, and food trucks were conveniently stationed on the grounds.

Thomas’ run will continue Sunday and next Saturday and Sunday. Tickets may still be purchased on the Museum’s website.

Thomas the Tank Engine passes a tank car on his way out of the station this morning at Medina Railroad Museum.

MEDINA – ESL Federal Credit Union is moving closer to acquiring the assets of Generations Bank, which operates a branch in Medina.

The two organizations announced an acquisition deal in September 2024. Generations merged with the former Medina Savings & Loan in 2018. Generations is based at Seneca Falls and has nine locations including a site in Medina on Maple Ridge Road.

On Sept. 3, ESL and Generations Bank announced regulatory approvals from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for the purchase and assumption transaction. The closing price has increased from $26.2 to $26.5 million.

The transaction is expected to close on Jan. 1, 2026. The Generations branches should see rebranding to ESL sites after Jan. 1, said Zachary Case, marketing communications specialist for Generations.

The final closing remains subject to the approval of the National Credit Union Administration and other customary closing conditions.

Generations Bancorp’s shareholders are currently estimated to receive an aggregate of between $18 and $20 in cash in exchange for each share of Generations Bancorp common stock owned.

Generations was organized in 1870. Its main office is in Seneca Falls. There are eight full-service offices and one drive-through facility located in Auburn, Farmington, Geneva, Medina, Phelps, Seneca Falls, Union Springs and Waterloo.

Upon completion of the transaction with Generations, ESL is expected to have total assets of approximately $9.6 billion and will increase its footprint to more than 30 full-service branches throughout the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region.

Jim Luckman is director of facilities for maintenance while Amanda Luckman serves as director of admissions

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jim Luckman and his daughter Amanda have combined more than half a century of employment at Medina Memorial Hospital. He is director of facilities (maintenance) and she is director of admissions.

MEDINA – Carrying on the tradition of family members who have worked at Medina Memorial Hospital are Jim Luckman and his daughter Amanda.

Combined, their employment totals more than half a century.

Jim first came there in the early 1980s when he had just graduated from high school and was looking for a job.

“Housekeeping had an opening and I applied,” Jim said. “Then I transferred into maintenance as a maintenance helper, then maintenance mechanic, maintenance foreman and now I am director of facilities for maintenance.”

At the time he started, the first floor was a medical wing, he said.

Amanda’s first job there was in patient registration. She was also an aide, so she got to work with the Emergency Room secretary, she said.

Initially, Amanda said she had worked at Orchard Manor where they had rehab and she realized Medina hospital had services that needed to be marketed. She came to the hospital to work in rehab and was here five years until going to Orchard Manor for two years and finally returning to the hospital.

“Since then, we have doubled our census and are looking at even higher numbers this year,” Amanda said. “It’s great to know I got to grow up visiting the hospital with dad working here, and now I get to share the hospital I love with the community.”

Like several other relatives who have been employed there, Jim and Amanda were both born at Medina Memorial Hospital. The nursery is now Jim’s office.

 “The rocking horse banners are still up in there,” he said.

“Few families in our storied history have touched more areas than the Luckmans,” said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communication and Outreach. “Jim brings a deep knowledge of how each facility operates, and has evolved over time, while Amanda’s competitive spirit drives her to continually provide the best care to patients. Together, they represent the best of dedication and service at Orleans Community Health.”

This photo submitted by Scott Robinson shows hospital staff readying for an expansion. At left are Donnie Pellegino, Mike Sergeant and current facilities manager Jim Luckman. At right are Dr. Kennth Brooks, Gene Albone and Lyman Sanford.

Jim and Amanda’s jobs interact, in that he is in charge of the van drivers who take patients to appointments outside the hospital and Amanda schedules their appointments.

“Everybody refers to him as ‘Jim-Dad,” Amanda said.

“That came about with the first e-mail I sent her, and I wasn’t sure how to address her,” Jim said. “So I put ‘Amanda-daughter.’ I still have that e-mail.”

Jim said he has had a good career at the hospital and he has no plans to retire.

“I’d like to work until I’m 75,” he said. “There have been a lot of good times and a lot of bad times.”

He shared his kids grew up attending special events at the hospital, such as the “Mash” clinics and Teddy Bear clinics.

Day-to-day, Jim and Amanda only see each other in passing, they said.

“We keep it professional,” Jim said. “I’m busy. Besides the main hospital, I take care of five other sites associated with the hospital.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Main Street lift bridge in Albion is shown on Wednesday morning, two days before the bridge would reopen to vehicular traffic. The bridge from 1914 was initially closed in November 2022 for an extensive rehabilitation.

Press Release from NYS Department of Transportation

ALBION – New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez today announced that the historic lift bridge carrying State Route 98 (North Main Street) over the Erie Canal in the Village of Albion, Orleans County, has reopened to traffic following an extensive rehabilitation that modernized the structure and extended its service life by approximately 30 years.

With a new deck, upgraded lift system and other improvements, the 111-year-old bridge will now provide enhanced safety and resiliency for an important travel link to the Village of Albion’s bustling business corridor and the vibrant tourism scene along the Erie Canal.

“The Erie Canal helped transform New York State into an economic powerhouse and it’s imperative that we do everything possible to honor that rich history and preserve the infrastructure, especially the historic bridges, that are part of it,” Commissioner Dominguez said. “The rehabilitation of the State Route 98 bridge not only ensures that a vital transportation link continues to serve the Albion community for decades to come but also protects one of the region’s greatest treasures for the benefit of future generations.”

Originally built in 1914, the State Route 98 steel truss lift bridge is an important part of the Erie Canal system, which is a registered National Historic Landmark. As such, it benefits from protections that ensure it continues to look as it did early in the 20th century, with its trusses and lift towers preserved.

As part of the rehabilitation project, the bridge’s deck and portions of the truss system were replaced with high-strength galvanized steel. To complete work on the trusses, the bridge was dismantled and the trusses moved to a lot adjacent to the Canal, where more than 80% of the steel was replaced.

Updates were also made to the mechanical and electrical components within the bridge’s vertical lifting system, which raises and lowers the bridge to accommodate marine traffic.

Additional improvements included the rehabilitation of the bridge towers, installation of new bridge rails and repainting in the bridge’s existing shade of green. Sidewalks leading to the bridge were also replaced to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Additionally, NYSDOT donated original elements of the historic structure to the Village of Albion, which commissioned local artists to create a solar-powered lamppost and bench from the donated materials. They were installed alongside a time capsule and interpretive panel in the newly dedicated Erie Canal Park adjacent to the bridge.

The Village of Albion is the Orleans County Seat with the county’s 1858 Greek Revival-style domed courthouse and 65 structures listed in the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. State Route 98 is a vital route to its business corridor and essential for the transport of the region’s many agricultural products.

While the lift bridge has reopened to traffic, construction activities will continue adjacent to the structure and the traveling public should be advised of occasional short-term delays.

Rehabilitation of the bridge is part of a $29.1 million project to modernize and preserve New York State’s Canal structures. The project also includes the State Route 19 lift bridge over the Erie Canal in the nearby Village of Brockport.  The project builds on the Department’s prior successes in rehabilitating similar lift bridges in the Villages of Fairport and Spencerport, a $16.9 million project.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “The Albion Lift Bridge is a vital lifeline for the community and for the Erie Canal, allowing vehicular and pedestrian traffic to cross and vessels to navigate underneath the bridge safely. As we commemorate the Bicentennial of the Erie Canal and contemplate its next century of use, we’re working to ensure the canal’s vital supporting infrastructure is in safe working order. I thank and congratulate our partners at the Department of Transportation for completing this very important project.”

Photo from Albion Police Department

ALBION – Workers on the Albion Main Street lift bridge pose with an Albion police car this afternoon when the bridge opened back up for traffic just after 3 p.m.

The bridge was closed on Nov. 14, 2022 for what was expected to be about 18 months for a major rehabilitation. That project stretched to more than two years when the bridge was reopened just after Christmas on Dec. 27, 2024. But it was closed again for more work on April 21.

Today, the state Department of Transportation gave it the final OK for the bridge to reopen. The bridge from 1914 was nearly totally rebuilt with about 80 percent of the steel replaced.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Randy Hanks and his son Robbie are shown are Oak Orchard Bowl last Thursday when the center had a full house for its men’s league.

The Hanks family is celebrating 20 years of owning the bowling alley, which is also marking its 65^th anniversary this year. The 18-lane bowling center is on Route 98 at 3291 Oak Orchard Rd.

The Hanks family has tackled numerous improvements to the bowling center during their two decades at the helm, including a new oil machine, synthetic lanes, flooring, carpeting and remodeled bath rooms.

Hanks was named “Proprietor of the Year” in New York state in 2014 by the United States Bowling Congress. The family has improved the facility, promoted youth bowling and backed several fundraisers in the community, especially for the PAWS Animal Shelter and a memorial for Scott Whittier. The bowling tournaments for PAWS have raised about $40,000.

Randy Hanks is shown at the check-in counter. He has owned Oak Orchard Bowl for 20 years. The first 13 years he juggled a full-time job with FedEx while managing the bowling center full-time.

“Its been a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” he said.

Hanks said his family – wife Renee, daughter Regina, and sons Robbie and Ryan – have been a big part of Oak Orchard’s success.

Many of the long-time bowlers praise Hanks for the steady improvements at the bowling center. Joe Morlino is part of the Thursday Men’s League.

“Every year he does something to make it  better,” Morlino said. “He’s a great guy who is very fair. He puts money back into the place.”

Since the old wooden lanes were replaced with synthetic lanes, Morlino said there have been many more 300 games and 800 series.

“The most important thing is there are no breakdowns,” Morlino said.

Hanks praised his head mechanic, Marty Clemino, for keeping the pin-setter machines in good working order.

Randy Hanks calls out the winning 50/50 number. That fundraiser supported the Thursday Men’s League which runs from September through April.

Oak Orchard also has a kitchen with a fryer and grill serving pizza, wings, salads, pretzels, nachos and cheese, and other food.

Hanks has rolled some 300 games himself. He said he wanted to be a pro bowler but had to abandon that dream because of bad knees.

He also dreamed of running a bowling center. The Spencerport resident has been able to pursue that passion in Albion for the past two decades.

Oak Orchard Bowl has hosted hundreds of birthday parties, corporate parties, church groups, Albion High School sports teams, band, chorus and other functions during the 20 years of ownership, Hanks said.

To celebrate the Oak Orchard Bowl anniversary, Hanks said the center will be giving away a few 65-inch TVs in a contest that deals with a game/series ending in 65 or 20. There will be drawings for open bowlers, too.

Randy Hanks is shown by a wall leading into the men’s bathroom. He used old wooden lanes to redo the bathrooms about two years. It’s the improvement project that gets the most compliments from the public, he said.

This year’s improvement project was replacing all the pins.

Mike Pettinella, one of the long-time bowlers and retired associate manager of the Genesee Region for the USBC, said Hanks has created a very welcoming environment for bowlers of all skill levels in Albion.

“He is very customer-oriented,” said Pettinella of Batavia. “He will go above and beyond to make people feel comfortable. He’s well respected and people enjoy coming here to bowl.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Albion lift bridge is shown last week on Sept. 11. It is expected to reopen this afternoon around 3 p.m. after initially being shut down in November 2022.

ALBION – Nearly three years from when the Albion Main Street lift bridge was closed for a major rehabilitation, the bridge is expected to reopen this afternoon.

The state Department of Transportation said it is eyeing 3 p.m. for the bridge to reopen to traffic.

The bridge was initially closed on Nov. 14, 2022 for what was expected to be about 18 months for a major rehabilitation. That project stretched to more than two years when the bridge was reopened just after Christmas on Dec. 27, 2024.

The bridge was closed again to traffic on April 21 to finish up the extensive rehabilitation of a bridge that was originally installed in 1914.

But a “catastrophic event” occurred on May 7 during start-up testing of the control system to operate the lift bridge.

“When the system was energized, one of the electric drive controllers arced, producing a fire in the drive cabinet,” Paul Attoma, engineer-in-charge for Region 4 Construction, wrote in a letter to village officials.

The fire damaged the system beyond repair, delaying the reopening by about four more months.

Velocitii photo: Heather Smith, the CEO a partner at Velocitii, recently was recognized as a finalist for the 2025 Greater Rochester Chamber Inclusive Leadership Award.

The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce has announced its annual award winners, with Velocitii in Medina named Business of the Year.

Velocitii opened 11 years ago. It operates out of the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue in Medina.

Velocitii is a business process outsourcing company. It provides support for other businesses, handling calls for customers about plans, billing and troubleshooting. Velocitii works with companies in healthcare, waste management, hospitality, e-commerce, auto insurance and technology.

Velocitii was founded by Roger Hungerford in the Olde Pickle Factory, initially with six employees. Velocitii each of the past three years has been named a top workplace in the Rochester region, placing in the mid-size company category (125 to 300 employees).

The Chamber awards celebration will be Oct. 23 at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville.

The award winners include:

• Business of the Year: Velocitii
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Rita Zambito
• New Business of the Year: Homestead Pest Control
• Small Business of the Year: Bentley Brothers
• Phoenix Award: Newell Lounge/Shirt Factory
• Agricultural Business of the Year: RLW Cattle
• Hidden Gem: Hurd Orchards
• Business Person of the Year: Dan DeCarlo
• Community Service Award: Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern

RSVPs are due by October. 18. For information about tickets, contact Director Darlene Hartway at director@orleanschamber.com or (585) 590-6430. Tickets also are available online through EventBrite.