KNOWLESVILLE – Attention all Orleans County parents/caregivers: There will be a child car seat check point event on Saturday at Orleans County Fairgrounds on Route 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ranging from the ages of 1 to 13. Preventative measures, such as proper installation of car seats, boosters and seat belts can lower many deaths and injuries.
Informing and instructing parents and caregivers on child safety and proper installation of car seats is critical to saving young lives.
Our certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect your car/booster seats to assure that your child is in the correct seat for their size and age.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 August 2023 at 9:34 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper leads a tour of old St. Joseph’s Cemetery on Sunday evening in Albion. Here she stops at the gravesites for the Spada family.
Francesco Spada (1864-1933) and Melania Spada (1871-1951) had 12 children, but only six survived. One of their sons, Peter (Pietro) died in 1907 after jumping off a canal bridge. The loss of their teen-age son devastated Francesco, a quarryman, who made the grave marker out of Medina sandstone. He poured his grief and love into the grave marker.
Francesco later contracted polio, Cooper said.
He came to Orleans County from Alfedena, Italy, a community where many of the quarry artisans lived before coming to work in the Medina sandstone quarries.
Catherine Cooper and a group of about 50 people on the tour are near the entrance of St. Joseph’s Cemetery on Brown Road. The 3-acre cemetery opened in 1873 and has about 1,500 burials.
It closed in the early 1920s when the Catholics opened a new St. Joseph’s cemetery on Route 31. There have been burials in the older cemetery in recent years at some of the family plots.
Catherine Cooper shows the grave stone for Patrick McCabe, an Irish immigrant who died at age 75 in 1874.
St. Joseph’s is the final resting place for many Italian, Irish, German and Polish immigrants who were Catholics.
The cemetery was also known as “Holy Cross Cemetery.” Many of the gravestones have crosses carved in the stone or prominently featured at the top of the grave markers.
Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian, noted that many of the gravestones and monuments were made of Medina sandstone. That differs from the sites at Mount Albion Cemetery, where granite and other stone were more sought after. Those families didn’t want a common stone, often used for curbs and street pavers, for grave monuments.
But at St. Joseph’s, where many of the immigrants worked in the quarries, they wanted the Medina sandstone. That stone is what sustained many families in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Bill Lattin said many of the symbols and images carved into the stone are great examples of folk art. These hands, a man’s at right and woman’s at left, are on a monument written in Italian.
A statue of Mary is set on a big base of Medina sandstone. Two of the statues at the cemetery used to be down the street at the former St. Mary’s Catholic Church. They were moved after the church was closed by the Catholic Diocese in 2007.
Catherine Cooper stops by the grave for Civil War veteran John Frost. A new headstone for Frost was unveiled in 2016 as a project by Albion seventh-graders and former County Historian Matt Ballard.
A review of cemetery records showed Frost did not have a headstone. Frost was a principal musician (chief bugler) for the 33rd New York Infantry and also the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division of 6th Corps.
The seventh-graders worked with the Veterans Service Agency in Orleans and Niagara counties to secure a headstone for Frost. The marble stone was unveiled on April 30, 2016 during a service at the cemetery.
Frost was born in England on June 22, 1836. At age 13 he left for the United States with his father John and brother Edward on the Northumberland. They arrived in New York City on April 18, 1850 and moved to South Barre. In 1860, Frost was working as a farmer. He enlisted in the Union Army in his mid-20s and served three years.
Frost had the rank of musician, which was just below corporal and just above private. In the Civil War, musicians were relied upon to entertain troops, position troops in battle and stir them on to victory.
Frost, according to the 1880 Census, was married to Margaret Cusack and had five children, ages 14, 11, 9, 6 and 4.
The tour at St. Joseph’s was part of Sunday evening cemetery tours this month, a series planned by the Orleans County Historical Association. The final tour is this Sunday at 6 p.m. at Boxwood Cemetery in Medina. Todd Bensley, the Medina historian, is leading the tour.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 24 August 2023 at 6:00 am
KNOWLESVILLE – The installation of solar panels on the roof of the Knights Building at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds has finally been given the go-ahead.
Seventy-seven solar panels will be installed on the Knights Building roof, and will take about a week to complete. The installation should start Sept. 25.
The panels were scheduled to be ready before this year’s fair, but inspection in the spring revealed the roof rafters were not strong enough to accommodate solar panels, so additional support was needed.
This was a cost not anticipated, said Robert Batt, director of Cornell Cooperative Extension. However, he said the Extension board built an amount into the budget to allow for them to contribute to the cost of the solar panels. The additional cost for the supports was $8,000, above the $65,000 expense for the panels.
Batt got the idea for the solar panels from another Extension director he met two years ago at a YMCA camp. That person informed Batt of a man in California who founded Everybody Solar, a company which helps non-profits solicit donations for solar panels. Everybody Solar will contact companies and foundations in the applicant’s area and raise the amount needed to fund their project.
“They were originally scheduled to be completed by June,” Batt said. “I was hoping they could be installed by the fair, so people would look around and say, ‘This is all powered by the sun.’ Now we’ll have to wait until next year.”
Batt estimates the power sold back to the grid will take care of the fairgrounds’ power bill.
He said they will still accept donations toward the extra $8,000 cost, so the board doesn’t have to come up with all of it.
POINT BREEZE – Albion’s Class of 1963 held their 60th reunion on Aug. 5 at the Lakeland in Point Breeze. Thirty-eight members of the class attended the reunion.
Pictured from left, front row: Cheryl Weits Wright, Carol Smith Hamilton, Carolyn Zambito DeMonte, Cherie Earley Holahan, Linda Anderson Heron Wind, Carolyn Ward Plain, Sharon Hughes Plummer, Judy Allen Manley, Shirley Gibson Holcomb, Linda Stritzel Schilstra, Betty Narburgh Bloom, Marilyn Frank Champany, Catherine Karns Moore, Linda DeCarlo, Brenda Waldo Ross, Margaret Curtis Gibbs and Donald Gibbs.
Row 2: James Zambito, David Westland, Charles Hucknall, Ellen Fenton Hucknall, Marbeth Wigley Haist, Jerry Saeva, Carol Kendrick Porter, Linda Palmer Hayes, Linda Fraser, Bill Pilon and Gordon Gillette.
Back row: George Buckland, Jack Miles, Sybil Townsand Sommers, Mike Donahue, Linda Harding Prince, Gerry Suhr, Bill Lattin, Gary Derwick and Larry Holliday.
In attendance but absent from the photo: Carol McKenna Pilon.
Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments
Provided photo: A Health Department official uses tick dragging to try to collect of host-seeking ticks
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) encourage residents to protect themselves, their children and their pets from tick-borne diseases.
Not all ticks can cause disease and not all bites will make you sick, but as ticks become more widespread, there is a higher risk the ticks will carry disease. It is important to learn how to prevent a bite, how to check for ticks, how to remove a tick and what to do if you think you could have a tick-borne disease.
“Lyme disease is endemic (widespread) throughout New York State,” said Brenden Bedard, Director of Community Health Services for GO Health.
“Lyme disease is also the most common disease spread by ticks in New York, but there are other serious diseases ticks spread including Anaplasmosis, Erhichioisis, Babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,” Bedard said. “There are many different species of ticks, but locally the most common is the deer tick. The deer tick is a vector (carrier) for several diseases (Lyme disease, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis) and received the name because of its habit of living and feeding on white-tailed deer, however ticks acquire Lyme disease by feeding on infected mice and other small rodents.”
According to the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Genesee and Orleans counties have had 36 local cases of Lyme disease between 2018-2020, said Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health.
“Ticks are here locally and you can’t tell which are infected by disease or not,” he said.
Ticks are found in many types of settings such as woodlands, tree stumps, lawns and gardens, around stone walls, nature trails, outdoor summer camps, and playing fields. Ticks do not jump or fly, they attach to their host when a human or animal makes contact with something that a tick is on, like tall grass, shrubs, or an animal.
The risk of human infection with Lyme disease is greatest in late spring and summer, but ticks can be active any time the temperature is above freezing.
“We know the ticks that cause Lyme disease are in Western New York, that is why it is so important to make sure you do regular checks for ticks while outdoors and when you first get home,” Pettit said. “It is also important to check pets for ticks after they spend time outdoors.”
GO Health started conducting local tick surveillance in both counties this month. Tick dragging is a widely used technique for active collection of host-seeking ticks and is done by dragging a cloth over the top of vegetation and regularly checking it for the presence of ticks. The collected ticks are sent to the laboratory and tested for the presence of tick-borne diseases. Over the next few months, health department staff will continue tick dragging in local parks and public places.
To prevent tick-borne illness exposure while outdoors, you and your family can do the following:
Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.
Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently while outdoors.
Use insect repellent with 20-30% DEET. Follow use instructions.
Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Avoid dense woods and busy areas.
Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets), and remove ticks promptly.
Additional prevention tips to create a tick-free zone in your backyard to keep you, your family and pets safe from tick exposure include:
Keep grass mowed, along with clearing tall grasses and brush.
Remove brush and leaves around stonewalls and woodpiles.
Keep woodpiles and bird feeders away from your home.
Keep family dogs and cats out of wooded areas to reduce ticks brought into your home.
Place swing sets, sand boxes, decks and patios in a sunny spot away from yard edges and trees.
Place a 3-foot wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas and around patios and play equipment.
Removing a Tick
To properly remove a tick, you should use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the ticks by its mouthparts, as close to the surface of the skin as you can. Carefully pull the tick straight up without twisting.
Do not touch the tick. Do not squeeze the body of the tick (it may increase your risk of infection). Clean your hands and the areas on your skin where the tick was. Watch the site of the bite for rash (3-30 days after bite).
Removing a tick within 36 hours of attachment to the skin can lower the risk of contracting Lyme disease. You can view a video to learn more about what you can do if you find a tick attached to you. (Click here to see it.)
To learn more about ticks, Lyme disease and other diseases ticks can spread visit the New York State Department of Health, click here.
For more information on Health Department programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call your respective health department at:
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 5:06 pm
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its 25th annual business awards banquet on Oct. 19 at the White Birch Country Club in Lyndonville.
The deadline to nominate a business or person is Sept. 11.
The categories include:
• Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Lifetime Achievement – This award is presented to an individual with a long-term record of outstanding business achievements.
• Phoenix Award – This award is presented to an organization or business that has successfully adapted or re-used an existing facility.
• New Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business or organization that has opened in the past year.
• Community Service Award – This award is presented to a business, organization or individual that has provided meaningful contributions to the community in either professional or non-professional spheres.
• Agricultural Business of the Year – This award is presented to an agricultural business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Small Business of the Year – This award is presented to a small business that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year.
• Hidden Gem – This award is presented to a business that has made a positive contribution to tourism in Orleans County.
Press Release, United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York
BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Spencer Hart, 39, of Albion, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and having a prior conviction under the laws of any state relating to the possession or receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that in October 2018, Hart was convicted in Orleans County Court of attempted possession of an obscene sexual performance by a child.
On July 16, 2020, a search warrant was executed at Hart’s residence and child pornography was found on a computer belonging to Hart. In total, Hart possessed more than 600 images of child pornography, some of which included prepubescent minors and depicted violence against children. Hart also admitted that he distributed child pornography using a peer-to-peer software program in June 2020.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourke.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 1:10 pm
Orleans County Tourism and also the Chamber of Commerce urge local businesses and organizations to plan promotions and events for the total solar eclipse.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature wants to see the county benefit from the hoopla and influx of visitors from the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Orleans is in the direct path of totality between 3:19 and 3:23 p.m. A total eclipse occurs about once every 18 months somewhere on Earth, but only happens in the same place about every 360 to 410 years.
The County Legislature on Tuesday approved spending $9,045 from its contingency fund to buy 25,000 eclipse glasses with the Orleans County tourism logo. The glasses will provide some eye protection and also be a keepsake from a memorable day.
The county is working with the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce on acquiring the glasses. The $9,045 was approved to go to the Chamber which will then buy the glasses. They are expected to be made available and distributed by the county, and local towns and villages.
Orleans County will be in the direct path of the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024 between 3:19 & 3:23 PM.
Orleans County businesses, organizations and schools: send us your plans to commemorate this once in a lifetime event and we will promote it on our Events Calendar. Complete and submit this form to be considered. (Must be available to the public.)
“This will be a big tourism draw,” said Dawn Borchet, the county’s tourism director.
People are already booking hotel rooms and other lodging in the county that day. She knows plans are in the works to open public land, including at Lakeside Beach State Park, for viewing opportunities of the eclipse.
“It’s fun,” she said today. “It only happens once in a lifetime.”
The county tourism has a page on its website devoted to the eclipse. The tourism department urges businesses, schools and other organizations to share their plans on the tourism site for commemorating and participating in the historic day. (Click here for more information.)
Darlene Hartway, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, also sees the eclipse as a big opportunity for businesses and the county.
“People are already booking hotels,” she said. “It’s going to be beneficial for our area. It’s gearing up to be a momentous thing.”
She commended the Legislature for approving the expenditure for the glasses.
Businesses would be wise to have promotions for the eclipse, to help make the day even more memorable for local residents and visitors, Hartway said.
I Love New York created this graphic showing the path of the solar eclipse. Orleans County is in direct path of the phenomenon.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 11:23 am
Lisa Stenshorn, clerk to Legislature, praised for earning certification
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Nyla Gaylord, acting executive director for the United Way in Orleans County, accepts a proclamation on Tuesday from County Legislature Fred Miller.
The Legislature proclaimed September as “United Way Month in Orleans County.” The organization was praised for an annual fundraising campaign that supports many agencies in the county.
The United Way has also spearheaded other projects in recent years, acquiring grants to assist residents with digital literacy and other issues, including housing.
“The Orleans County Legislature urges all community-minded citizens to not only applaud the efforts of the volunteers but also the contributions of these agencies by offering their wholehearted support,” the Legislature stated in the proclamation.
Lisa Stenshorn, clerk to the County Legislature, is congratulated by Legislator Bill Eick for becoming a “Certified Legislative Board Clerk,” a distinction earned through the NYS Association of Clerks of County Legislative Boards. Stenshorn has been clerk to the Legislature since January 2021.
Legislator Fred Miller, right, presents a proclamation to Renee Rowley, child support coordinator for the county. She is joined by, from left: DSS Commissioner Holli Nenni, and child support staff Danielle Champeney, Holden Carter, Jennifer Hammons, Pam Jenks and Danielle Kickbush.
Legislators declared August as “Child Support Awareness Month.”
“Parents have the most critical role in the development of their children, and an obligation to provide safe, loving and secure environments in which their children can grow and flourish,” the proclamation states. “Studies have shown that when both parents provide financial and emotional support, children are less likely to engage in unhealthy and unproductive behaviors and are more likely to do well in school and succeed later in life.”
Legislators praised the Child Support Enforcement Program and child support professionals in county for “a vital role in assisting parents in achieving and maintaining economic security for their children.”
‘As our adversaries continue to ramp up their space capabilities, we must enhance our own efforts and continue to focus on space exploration and defense.’
Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney
Claudia Tenney
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24), member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, announced her support for establishing a Space National Guard as the reserve component of the Space Force. This builds on Tenney’s previous support for establishing the Space Force, which occurred during the Trump administration.
Under the current system, individuals who serve as de facto Space Force reservists are part of the Air National Guard. This could prevent these individuals from participating in official Space Force educational and training opportunities and cause organizational issues.
Importantly, creating a Space National Guard would require no additional personnel, units, or facilities and would improve communication, reduce costs, and allow these dedicated space warfighters to continue supporting the Space Force’s missions at a high level.
Tenney recently cosponsored H.R.3048, the Space National Guard Establishment Act, to formally establish the Space National Guard as the primary reserve component of the U.S. Space Force. H.R. 3048 was introduced in the House by Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) and Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO).
“Now more than ever, as our adversaries continue to ramp up their space capabilities, we must enhance our own efforts and continue to focus on space exploration and defense,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “By supporting the creation of the Space National Guard as the primary reserve component of the U.S. Space Force, we are leveraging the technical expertise of part-time reservists who work full-time in the private sector. The bipartisan and bicameral support for the establishment of the Space National Guard illustrates the importance of cooperation in advancing our military capabilities. Notably, this would have a direct impact on the 222nd Command and Control Squadron, based in Rome, New York, which is part of the 107th Attack Wing, based at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. This Air National Guard Squadron would be a natural fit for the Space National Guard. Further, the 222 CACS is particularly vulnerable to the potential risks of continuing to delay establishing a Space National Guard. I look forward to the positive impact this will have on our region and on our nation’s ability to maintain its dominance in space.”
“There are seven states and one territory that have a space mission as part on their Air National Guard Wing’s and New York State is fortunate to be one of them,” said John Cooper, Chairman of the Niagara Military Affairs Council. “The creation of a Space National Guard is critical to us in New York State as the 222nd Command and Control Squadron in Rome, N.Y. presently performs a space mission and is part of the 107th Attack Wing in Niagara Falls, NY. The establishment of a Space National Guard must be included in the operational structure of the Space Force and is critical to the future of the 107th Attack Wing. Failure to do so could negatively affect the State of New York and the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station for many years to come. We are fortunate to have our foot in the door with the future of the Space National Guard through the existing work of the 222nd Command and Control Squadron and the 107th Attack Wing. We encourage our federal delegation to support any legislation that supports the creation of a Space National Guard as without it we will lose qualified and experienced Airmen who already perform this mission on behalf of our nation.”
“The 222nd Command and Control Squadron (222 CACS) of the 107th Attack Wing, New York Air National Guard, has a unique and enduring partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO),” said Colonel Andrew Carlson, Commander of the 107th Attack Wing, New York Air National Guard. “Our highly trained space professionals provide surge and contingency support to the NRO and are also involved with the State Partnership Program. My personal opinion is that the creation of a Space National Guard (SNG) would prevent the possibility of a future training void. This void could happen if the US Space Force decided to limit their space-based training programs to those service members with only Space Force Specialty Codes, and not Air Force Specialty Codes (members of the 222 CACS have Air Force Specialty Codes). It is also my personal opinion that an attempt to transfer Air National Guard space mission sets and space professionals into the Active-Duty component, even on a part time basis, will potentially cost the US Space Force expertise that could require 7+ years to recapitalize. Lastly, it is my personal opinion that the creation of a Space National Guard would appropriately align the members of the 222 CACS to provide forces in accordance with US Space Force deployment models. In the 222 CACS members’ current status, they will align to the Air Force Generation (AFFORGEN) model as Air National Guard members, even though they are space professionals.”
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of Col. Andrew Carlson and do not represent the New York Air National Guard, the United States Air Force, or the Department of Defense.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2023 at 8:37 am
Holli Nenni
ALBION – The homeless population is increasing in Orleans County, with available emergency housing maxed out, forcing the county Department of Social Services to use rooms outside Orleans at hotels in Batavia, Niagara Falls and Brockport.
Holli Nenni, the DSS commissioner, said the county spent $1,435,600 on emergency shelter from July 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023. That is double what the county was paying for about a year before that.
The number of people placed as homeless increased from 45 in July 2022 to 75 last month, she told local officials on Tuesday evening during the monthly Orleans County Association of Municipalities meeting at the Black North Inn.
Of those 75, the county DSS found housing in Orleans County for 45 of those people with the other 30 having to take rooms outside the county. The DSS works with Dollinger’s in Albion and the Medina Motel to house people in need of emergency shelter.
Nenni said the county has 12 new applications this month for more people who are homeless without a place to stay.
She said there isn’t enough affordable housing in the county.
“This is a complicated issue and we struggle to meet with it every year,” she said.
The Orleans County Legislature declared a state of emergency on May 17 due to the homeless situation and the lack of available beds in case migrants or asylum seekers were sent to the county from New York City. That state of emergency remains in effect.
The state of emergency declaration has been modified since May to not mention migrants or asylum seekers. County officials said the homeless crisis warrants the declaration on its own.
“The state of emergency has been declared due to the County of Orleans experiencing a housing crisis due to an increase of 164% in placement of homeless persons since July 2022 exceeding our limited number of temporary and permanent emergency housing facilities,” according to the declaration on June 16. “In-county placement of emergency homeless persons have increased 134% and out-of-county placement of emergency homeless persons have increased 400% since July 2022.”
The challenge to find emergency housing could get even more difficult once the cold weather season is here. The state’s “code blue” executive order requires DSS to find shelter for homeless from Nov. 1 to March 31, or when the temperature drops below freezing or during other inclement weather. DSS is required to find the shelter without going through the usual application process, Nenni said.
Last year, 153 people were served in the county through “code blue” for a total of about 500 stays. The state reimbursed the county 100 percent for those expenses. Nenni said the state is setting the county’s allocation at $73,000 for this year for “code blue.”
With the homeless population outside of code blue, Nenni said the state reimburses the county 29 percent of the cost for housing single adults. If DSS finds housing for a homeless family, the state reimburses the county about half the expense, she said.
The local DSS also needs to find transportation for the people to get to appointments, even when they are placed out of county.
Nenni said DSS is looking for more options locally to help those in need of housing. One local organization is considering running a warming shelter at a local church to have another housing option locally for “code blue.”
“We want to develop a warming shelter because we have so much overflow already and code blue is coming,” Nenni said.
She said two landlords also are willing do two-week stays for homeless residents, which could turn into longer-term housing.
The Holley Hotel last Aug. 24 was closed due to sanitary conditions, which took 40 units out of mix. Many people in need of emergency housing stayed at the Holley Hotel, which hasn’t reopened yet.
Nenni said none of the current group of people receiving homeless assistance were tenants at the Holley Hotel when it closed.
She has reached out to other hotels in the county about providing emergency housing, but they have declined. The hotels receive the full daily rates, but the county does not have to pay sales or occupancy taxes on the rooms.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 22 August 2023 at 3:56 pm
File photo: These flowers were displayed at State Street Park during the 2018 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Personal messages were written on the flowers. The different colors of the flowers have different meanings. Blue flowers represent a person battling the disease. Purple is for a person who lost their battle with the disease. Yellow signifies a caregiver. Orange is for a supporter of the cause.
MEDINA – The annual walk in Orleans County to benefit Alzheimer’s disease is scheduled Sept. 9, beginning in State Street Park.
Registration begins at 10 a.m., with refreshments and other activities. The opening ceremony at 11 a.m. will be followed by the start of the walk at 11:15.
The walk is being held earlier this year, because the weather is often colder or blustery in October, said Carolyn Wagner, a member of the planning committee.
Wagner and Mary Lou Tuohey are among volunteers on the committee who have personal reasons to be involved in fundraising for the disease.
Both have family members who died of Alzheimer’s.
Tuohey has been very vocal about her experiences with her parents, Don and Jane Bradley, who both suffered from the disease. Don was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 52. He was forced to retired from his job at Harrison’s and close a repair shop he ran. As the disease progressed, his family took his car keys.
Mary Lou would bring him to her house and give him a basket of socks to fold. Then she would bring him another, which he knew was the same basket she had unfolded and then gave back to him.
One day he got so angry he punched her in the stomach. One week later, she gave birth to a son, Casey. When the family feared he would harm his wife, they moved him to a nursing home. He died at the age of 65.
Jane’s story is that of a stay-at-home mom and devoted wife of 42 years. At the age of 75, she started forgetting things, like people’s names, taking her medication or turning off the stove. One day she went driving and got lost. She has no idea how she got back home. That’s when her family took her car keys away.
Jane became very angry and mean to her children and threw things at them. Eventually the family moved her to assisted living, which she hated. As her condition worsened, she went to a nursing home, where she became aggressive toward the staff and her family. They brought her a doll named Andrew, which Jane loved and cuddled. She sang “gibberish” to him, until she finally closed her eyes and went to be with Don.
Mary Lou’s daughter Nicole remembers her grandma and grandpa, and watching them fade from life. That is why she sells elephant links for $1 at her mom’s store, Case-Nic Cookies, and donates all the money to Alzheimer’s for research.
Carolyn Wagner’s connection to the disease began with her father-in-law. He had been on a steady decline for several years, but no one knew what was wrong. Then it became obvious, she said.
“People with Alzheimer’s become ‘Sundowners,’” Wagner said. “In the late afternoon they become very agitated. Eventually he didn’t know his own son. I stayed nights with him so he didn’t turn on the stove or do something harmful.”
She said being a caregiver was 24/7 and she was constantly exhausted and on edge.
He eventually would move in and live in the North Wing at Medina Memorial Hospital, and they were wonderful to him, Wagner said.
“We didn’t want to put him in a nursing home, but it wasn’t safe for him or my mother-in-law for him to be at home,” she said.
She and Tuohey are sharing their story to get the word to people that help is available from the Alzheimer’s Association.
“They offer so much,” Wagner said. “We didn’t realize any of that.”
The local committee works with Lynn Westcott, director of development at the Western New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in Amherst.
“She works with the committees in each county,” Wagner said. “They offer a lot of help. Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease and we want to do what we can to raise awareness. Statistics show that the number of people who will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s is staggering. Most people think it is an old person’s disease, but it’s not. People in their 40s are being diagnosed. Their body is still strong, but their mind is gone. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, educated or not, Black or White. It’s a tough disease for anyone involved.”
The local planning committee starts meeting in the spring at Case-Nic Cookies. They welcome invitations to come and speak to groups, such as local service clubs.
Committee members, in addition to Tuohey and Wager, are Cathy Hooker, Amanda Pollard, Michelle Lewis, Pam Canham, Jennifer Nowicki, Beth Schmidt and Mollie Radzinski.
Information on registering for the walk or making a donation is available by clicking here.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Betty Sue Miller, the Hoag Library director, gives blood last Dec. 17 during a blood drive at the library. It was her first time giving blood. Her husband Fred Miller has given more than 20 gallons over several decades.
Press Release, Hoag Library
ALBION – Hoag Library will host a community blood drive with the American Red Cross this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 134 South Main St.
“Hosting a blood drive coincides with Hoag Library’s core values of giving back to the community,” said Betty Sue Miller, library director. “With a simple blood donation, we have the ability to help save the life of someone who could be a coworker, loved one or neighbor.”
Blood is routinely transfused to patients with cancer and other diseases, premature babies, organ transplant recipients and trauma victims, according to the Red Cross.
Donors of all blood types are needed, especially those with types O negative, B negative and A negative. According to the Red Cross, type O negative is the universal blood type that can be safely transfused to anyone, and is often used to treat trauma patients.
For more information or to make an appointment to donate, click here for more information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2023 at 1:37 pm
Michael Bauer
ALBION – An Albion man has been charged after allegedly breaking into the Plaza Liquor Store, damaging the building and some of the merchandise.
Michael R. Bauer, 38, of Albion was charged on Monday with burglary in the third degree: illegal entry with intent, criminal mischief in the second degree, and petit larceny.
The Albion Police Department was dispatched to Plaza Liquor Store at 127A South Main St. on Sunday morning for a report of a front window smashed out.
Upon arrival, officers observed a broken window and damaged door frame, said Police Chief David Mogle.
Officers began an investigation and determined there was approximately $2,000 damage to the building, and $336 in damage to alcohol bottles. About $90 worth of alcohol and cash also were stolen.
Officers completed their investigation at the scene and canvassed the area for cameras and were able to obtain video footage from numerous businesses in the area that showed footage of the suspect, Mogle said.
After speaking with local businesses the Albion PD was able to determine the name of the suspect, who was identified as Michael R. Bauer from Albion. Bauer was located in a local business and transported to Albion Police Department, where he was interviewed and arrested.
Bauer was then remanded to Orleans County Jail for CAP Court pending an order of protection and issued appearance tickets as none of the charges are arraignable offenses the state’s bail reform laws, Mogle said.
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