Jayah Osby

ALBION – An Albion man who was wanted on an active arrest warrant now faces felony drug charges.

Jayah Osby, 23, was charged on Sunday night with criminal possession of a controlled substance/narcotics, and criminal possession of a narcotic drug with intent to sell, which are both B felonies.

An Albion police officer was on routine patrol on Sunday night and observed a male at a residence on Beaver Street who had an active arrest warrant out of the Albion Police Department, said Police Chief David Mogle.

Albion officers took Osby into custody without incident. Subsequent to the arrest, officers searched Osby and located cocaine, marijuana and distribution bags for sale as well as $600 in cash, Mogle said.

Osby was remanded to Orleans County Jail for CAP Court due to the active arrest warrant and issued an appearance ticket as none of the charges are arraignable offenses under the state’s new bail reform laws, Mogle said.

Photos from Albion PD: Jayah Osby allegedly possessed cocaine, marijuana and distribution bags.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) denounced the state government’s recent decision to require background checks for all ammunition purchases in New York.

While the current system allows for free customer background checks for firearm purchases, this initiative would hand over this duty to the New York State Police. Once this new system goes into effect, customers will be charged an additional fee of $9 for firearms and $2.50 for ammunition in order to cover the cost of a background check. Hawley is disappointed the state government is once again disregarding New Yorkers’ Second Amendment rights.

“This new plan to require background checks for ammunition purchases is completely outrageous,” Hawley said. “Not only does this infringe on our Second Amendment rights, but they’re making responsible, law-abiding gun owners foot the bill. Actual criminals are not going to go through the process of doing a background check and pay an additional fee on top of that.

The new requirement for background checks to buy ammunition goes into effect on Sept. 13.

“This will only deter law-abiding citizens from exercising their constitutional rights,” continued Hawley. “As New Yorkers, we shouldn’t have to worry about career politicians in Albany picking away at our rights piece by piece. As your assemblyman, I’ll do everything within my power to make sure our Second Amendment rights are safe and secure.”

Hawley represents the 139th Assembly District, which includes parts of Erie, Genesee, Monroe, and Orleans counties.

Press Release, Albion Central School

ALBION – The Albion school district will be offering free breakfast and lunch for all students throughout the 2023-24 academic year.

As part of the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, each student grades K-12 will be offered a free breakfast and lunch every day.

“We are proud to announce that Albion Central School District will be offering all of our students two free meals a day,” said Mickey Edwards, superintendent of Albion Central School. “It is important that when our students enter their classroom they are ready to learn and that starts with a full belly at the beginning of the day. The more we can set them [our students] up for success, the better.”

In order to continue this wonderful program for our entire district, it is extremely important that families who meet the income eligibility guidelines complete the Household Income Eligibility Form (click here).

The completed applications should be returned to:

1. Mail to: Albion CSD Re: CEP Form 324 East Avenue, Albion, NY 14411

2. Fax: 585-589-2059

3. Email: kmcgaffick@albionk12.org

We are excited to be able to provide this opportunity to our students and their families.

Please contact Katie McGaffick at (585) 589-2056 with any questions.

Nearly 60 members of the Elks Riders from Albion and Brockport lodges take off from Stan’s Harley Davidson in Batavia on a charity ride to benefit Community Action of Orleans and Genesee.

BATAVIA – Nearly 60 members of the Elks Riders in Lodge 1006 in Albion and 2110 in Brockport participated in a recent charity run to benefit Community Action of Orleans and Genesee’s Emergency Services program.

The ride began at Stan’s Harley Davidson in Batavia, and continued through Oakfield, Elba, Medina, Albion, Kendall and Holley to Brockport, where the Elks Lodge welcomed riders with refreshments, music by Chris Moore and a basket raffle.

Along with registration for the ride, basket raffle, a 50/50 drawing and donations, the profit was $2,620.

The idea for the charity ride was suggested by Ricky Standish, a member of Albion Elks Riders and facilities’ manager at Community Action in Albion. He pitched the idea to the riders from Albion and Brockport lodges and they agreed to the joint effort.

“Our Albion Elks do a lot of things for different charity organizations with Brockport,” Standish said.

With guidance from Katrina Chaffee, director of community service and reporting at Community Action, they put together the charity run. Chaffee even rode with Standish.

“They did a wonderful job,” Chaffee said.

The riders met at Stan’s, where they enjoyed hot dogs donated by the cycle shop and registered for the ride.

“A lot of people in Orleans and Genesee counties will benefit from this,” Chaffee said. “Some of the money will help toward our Holiday Fund and the rest will go into our operating budget.”

Chaffee said they are already collecting toys for the Holiday Gift Program, which provides toys and gifts for children under 18 and a family meal for Christmas.

Katrina Chaffee, left holding check, and Ricky Standish, both with Community Action, and Jeff Penna, vice president of Brockport Elks Riders, hold the ceremonial check representing proceeds from a charity ride the Albion and Brockport Elks did for Community Action’s Emergency Services program.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Cameron Boysen, who recently moved to Medina, stopped to talk to firefighter Nick Lee and see the fire truck on display at the Canal Village Farmer’s Market on Saturday.

MEDINA – The Canal Village Farmers’ Market had a special attraction on Saturday, with a visit from Medina fighter Nick Lee with a fire truck.

Market coordinator Gail Miller said they welcome the presence of non-profits in the area who want to come and set up a display.

Now that the market has moved back to the corner of West Center Street and West Avenue, there was room for the fire truck to park, where it caught the attention of visitors to the market.

One visitor was Cameron Boysen, who recently moved to Medina from Idaho. He was looking for a change in his life and had a good friend in Medina, so decided to come here.

He is very happy he did.

“I never knew Medina had so much history,” he said.

The fire truck caught his eye, as he spent five years as an apprentice to learn about sprinkler systems, and he stopped to talk to Lee.

Lee said they visit the market several times a year to promote awareness in the community. The Medina ambulance had also been there for a while, but got called out several times.

Pam Canham, who volunteers at the market every weekend, said they encourage non-profit groups to come to the market. This past weekend, both PAWS and Head Start had a table set up.

Any non-profit wishing to set up a display at the market can call (716) 628-3078.

The summer market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 8. Then the winter market will open at 345 Main St., the former NAPA parts store.

Medina firefighter Nick Lee brought a fire truck to the Canal Village Farmer’s Market on Saturday.

Provided photo

HOLLEY – Pictured above are members of the Holley Class of 1973. The class met for a reunion on Friday, July 28, for an informal get together at Bill Grays in Brockport and then on Saturday, July 29, the classmates gathered at Fosters Restaurant in Hilton for a buffet dinner. Many still live locally, but several made the trip from Virginia, Colorado, California and England to reminisce and enjoy each other’s company. A good time was had by all.

Pictured include front row: Lynn DeFilipps Vendetti, Judy Totter Fulks, Doreen Hilfiker Clark, MaryAnn LeStorti Smith, Melissa Beadle Peglow and Kenneth Blank.

Row two: Debra Rodas Reynolds, Carol Kinsey Ryan, Barry Hinkley, Mary Trupo Lord, Gary Davis, Jim Mark, Mark Spychalski, Lorraine Harold Piedimonte and Amy Bubb Engert.

Row three: Theodore Karpenko, Christine Hilfiker Kinsey, Jeffery David, William McAllister, Steven Woodworth, Jeffrey Shampine, Gordon Reid, Wayne Robertson, Jeffrey Martin, Steven Quarantello, Tony Piedimonte, David Altaner and John Kinsey.

Provided photos: The Orleans County Sheriff’s office and state forest rangers are in Murray looking for a woman who was missing. The Sheriff’s Office brought an off-road vehicle for the search.

MURRAY – A woman who went missing after wandering off this afternoon was located and safe in a swampy area off Carton Road, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke said.

Linda Donovan, 67, went missing at about 12:30 p.m. and was last seen by her boyfriend.

A Niagara County Sheriff’s Air-1 helicopter spotted her walking in a swampy area about 4:30 p.m., about a quarter-mile off the road.

She was transported out of the area to the roadway by sheriff’s deputies and the evaluated by Murray firefighters and Monroe Ambulance. She was reunited with loved ones, Bourke said.

“We are very thankful to a happy ending to this story,” Bourke said.

K-9 teams from the Sheriff’s Office, Department of Environmental Conservation, State Police and Niagara County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the search.

Orleans County Emergency Management and state forest rangers also joined the effort.

“We would like to thank all the agencies that assisted,” Bourke said.

Provided photos: The Orleans County Sheriff’s office and state forest rangers are in Murray looking for a woman who was missing. The Sheriff’s Office brought an off-road vehicle for the search.

School officials eyeing about $24 million in improvements, with more in next phase including possible turf field

Photo by Tom Rivers: David Kenyon, senior landscape architect, presents a rendering for a turf field at the Lyndonville, a project that school officials said will have to be pushed back for another capital project, not the one that could go to a public vote in November or December.

LYNDONVILLE – School officials are working with engineers and architects at the Wendel firm to pare down a list of projects to upgrade the school district.

An initial list of facility upgrades and site improvements at the district came in at $50 million.

That’s about twice what the district can spend with its state aid and also a district capital reserve. Lyndonville won’t pursue a project that increases local taxes, the board said at the meeting last Thursday.

The district and Wendel have grouped those projects in three phases, but some things in phase one will need to be removed to get the costs down.

School officials will try to finalize a list in the next month with the project to go to a public vote possibly in mid-November or December.

“Right now this is really big picture,” said Justin Parish, lead project architect from the Wendel firm.

He and three of his Wendel colleagues went over the costs of the project on Thursday evening with the Board of Education.

The prices listed anticipate a construction schedule two years from now in 2025 when costs are expected to be up another 16 percent, Parish said.

Lyndonville has a three-phase project to try to include all items identified to upgrade the school district.

But for now phase one tentatively includes:

The Main Street school building – $11,299,786

• replace/upgrade boiler – $5,491,248
• air-conditioning throughout building – $5,293,008
• restroom renovation – $499,777
• brick repair –$15,753

This school building was closed for a few years but reopened during the Covid pandemic in 2020-21. That building allowed Lyndonville to space out students and have in-person classes all five school days each week, while most other districts were on an alternating hybrid schedule.

Lyndonville now uses the Main Street site for ages 3 and 4 all-day prekindergarten, and first and second grades.

Housel Avenue school – $15,077,144

• demolition of annex and new build – $3,879,649
• roof replacement – $2,955,105
• replace/upgrade boiler – $1,879,445
• replace antiquated electrical panels – $1,184,868
• restroom renovation – $825,322
• upgrade generator (comm shelter) – $490,290
• secure vestibule – $81,715

Justin Parish, lead project architect, goes over the list of items identified for the school building on Housel Avenue.

Site improvements – $10,613,584 for phase one

• turf field – $3,623,190
• turf field lighting – $1,339,005
• 6-lane rubber track – $2,362,950
• softball and baseball lighting – $1,831,286
• scoreboard for turf field – $551,973
• bus garage parking lot – $511,973
• concession stand with bathrooms – $393,825

In phases 2 and 3, the list includes an accessible playground ($708,885), courtyard design ($511,973), 1,000 seat bleachers with press box ($787,650), bleachers for softball/baseball ($236,295), pickle ball court ($291,430), baseball/softball drainage ($15,753), 10-by-10 foot storage shed ($47,259) and miscellaneous site and lighting upgrades ($551,355).

Bus garage – $574,456 for a roof replacement.

In phase 3, the district should consider an overhead door replacement ($169,943), restroom addition ($70,889) and other mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades ($1.3 million).

Lyndonville already announced parts of phase one have been eliminated, including the turf field, new track and lighting and scoreboard for the turf field.

Under the current maximum cost allowances for state aid, Lyndonville would receive up to $19,572,061 in state funding for construction and another $4,582,426 for incidentals (site work and soft costs), or $24,154,487 altogether.

The construction projects identified by the school committee and Wendel officials totaled $29,522,394 (or $9,950,333 over the maximum state aid.) The incidentals totaled $21,236,830 (or $16,654,494 over the state aid).

The district’s construction committee will meet again this week to review the project and try to narrow the scope.

Parish, the lead project architect, said the construction numbers are conservative, and it’s possible the costs may be less when the project is bid which would allow Lyndonville to include more items in phase one.

Phases two and three would need to be spaced out about every five years to allow Lyndonville to be eligible for more state aid towards a capital project.

Parish suggested the costs would be in line financially for the total project by cutting most of the site improvements, and instead only doing $433,208 in that category – $393,825 for a concession stands and bathrooms, $23,630 for baseball/softball scorebooths, and $15,753 for baseball/softball drainage.

Sharon Smith, the district superintendent, said it was a “gut punch” to have to cut the new track and turf field.

“We’ve taken our hopes and dreams and tried to set priorities,” she said.

Ted Lewis, president of the Lyndonville Board of Education, listens to a presentation from engineers and architects at the Wendel firm on Thursday evening.

LYNDONVILLE – The Board on Education on Thursday approved the tax warrant for the 2023-24 school year. There are four towns that have parts of their boundaries in the school district, and the tax rates vary by more than $4 depending on whether there was a town-wide reassessment this year.

Lyndonville’s total tax levy is up 1 percent or by $46,187 to $4,664,927.

Carlton and Ridgeway both did a town-wide reassessment this year that will result in a sharp drop in the tax rates. Carlton is down from $16.56 to $12.17 per $1,000 of assessed property, while Ridgeway’s rate drops from $18.09 to $12.17.

The district also includes Yates and Gaines, which didn’t do a town-wide revaluation. The state is using equalization rates to try to ensure those property owners are paying at a rate that matches their property values.

The Gaines rate will drop from $16.56 to $16.44 while Yates is up from $15.80 to $16.44.

The district will collect 4,664,927 in school taxes from the four towns. That includes $1,300,803 from Carlton (down from $1,346,050 in 2022-23); $28,913 from Gaines (up from $28,504 in 2022-23); $664,333 in Ridgeway (down from the $674,403 in 2022-23); and $2,670,786 from Yates (up from $2,569,781 last year).

The tax rates for the Yates Community Library include Carlton and Ridgeway at 33 cents, and Gaines and Yates at 44 cents. The school district will collect $124,808 for the library.

The average price for regular unleaded is up about 3 cents in Orleans County in the past week, from $3.830 on Aug. 14 to $3.856 today, according to AAA.

In New York, the average price is at $3.920 for regular unleaded, compared to $3.915 a week ago, $3.683 a month ago and $4.255 a year ago.

The average price for diesel in the state is at $4.561 today, compared to $4.545 a week ago, $4.361 a month ago and $5.413 a year ago.

The average prices in Western New York counties include:

• Orleans, $3.856
• Genesee, $3.854
• Wyoming, $3.897
• Livingston, $3.883
• Monroe,$3.920
• Niagara, $3.863
• Erie, $3.887
• Chautauqua, $3.914
• Cattaraugus, $3.773
• Allegany, $3.848

AAA issued this statement about gas prices: “The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has climbed another 2 cents higher since last week, despite lower demand and the price of oil falling several dollars per barrel and struggling to stay above $80.

“But the potential for hurricane development and forecasts of an expanding heat dome over Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas next week could push oil prices higher. Refineries in these states may have to curb production to deal with the sizzling temperatures.

“While fewer drivers are fueling up at the moment, the looming heat and entering the heart of hurricane season are a roadblock to falling gas prices. Gas prices may keep waffling until mid-September or longer.”

MEDINA – One thing the Class of 1981 from Medina Central School is proud of is their closeness and staying in touch.

In addition to the traditional reunions every few years, the class plans other special activities, just to get together.

Friends sharing old times at a birthday party for the Class of 1981 are, from left, Wayne Montalvo, Kevin Furness, George Pogel and Dave Maiorana.

One of those was this weekend when nearly 100 classmates and their partners got together for a big “birthday party.” The occasion was to celebrate the fact all the classmates recently turned 60 or would hit that milestone by the end of the year. The youngest is Ellie Prawel, who will turn 60 on Nov. 21.

“You can call me the baby,” she joked.

Classmates traveled from Texas, Florida and Virginia, as well as across New York state.

Kevin Furness helped organize the party, which included a gathering Friday night at Tapped on Main and a final get-together Saturday night at the VFW Post on East Center Street.

A previous get-together several years ago was a “sports party.”

Class officers were Betsy Phinney, president; Bob Blake, vice president; Kelly Crane, treasurer; and Kevin McKeever, historian.

There were 215 original graduates, and they have lost 17.

Dave Maiorana, who came from Florida for the party, stressed how close the class has remained.

“It didn’t matter if you were an enlisted man climbing the ladder or a high profile educator, we were all important and we all stuck together,” he said.

Several classmates have been friends since kindergarten, including Furness and McKeever and Phinney and Bridget Hobbs.

“Kevin and I still call each other every week,” Furness said.

Several members of Medina Central School’s Class of 1981 got together Friday night at Tapped on Main. Standing are Glorida Williams, left, and Darcy Brabon. Seated, clockwise from left, are Sandra Belson, Laurie Bower, Bridget Hobbs, Betsy Phinney and Bonnie Doberstein.

Photos and information courtesy of Medina Band Boosters

MEDINA – The Medina Marching Band on Thursday evening offered a preview performance of this year’s show on the parking lot by the band barn.

This year’s Fall Field Band’s competition show is entitled, “Confined.”

The band opens its competitive season at Hilton on Sept. 16, followed by the Medina Home Show, the Fall Festival of Bands on Sept. 23.

Then the schedule includes Sept. 30 at Oswego, Oct. 7 at Webster, Oct. 14 at Victor, Oct. 21 at Central Square, and then the State Championships in Syracuse on Oct. 29.

The Medina band is led on the field by senior Drum Major Alex Balaban. At 76 members, the band is the smallest it’s been for decades, largely due to Covid restrictions which impacted the band for about two years. There are six seniors compared to 27 last year. And there are 18 “rookies” marching for the first time ever.

Band Director, Matt Jaeger explains the show to the audience. It depicts a character (played by senior Caiden Class) who is “confined” by different sections of the band and struggles to be “free,” only to be captured by another band section.

A crowd of parents and community members were on hand Thursday night at the high school parking lot and band practice blacktop to see and hear a preview of the show, “Confined.”

This evening’s tour features the old St. Joseph’s Cemetery on Brown Road

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Sue Starkweather Miller, the Village of Albion historian, speaks during last Sunday’s tour of Mount Albion Cemetery.

She is at the grave of Elizabeth Babcock, who made about 100 Santa suits a year as owner of the Santa Claus Suit and Equipment Company. She made the suits for many years with the late Charles Howard, who established a Santa School and later Christmas Park in Albion.

Babcock died in 2006 and is a member of the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame.

She was included in last week’s tour of Mount Albion. The Orleans County Historical Association is planning different cemetery tours each Sunday evening in August, beginning at 6 p.m.

The first tour on Aug. 6 was at Hillside Cemetery and was led by Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon town historian.

The remaining schedule includes:

• August 20 (today): Old St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Brown Road, Gaines – Presented by Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian.
• August 27: Boxwood Cemetery, North Gravel Road, Medina – Presented by Todd Bensley, Village of Medina Historian.

About 60 people attended the tour at Mount Albion, which was led by Starkweather Miller and Bill Lattin, the retired county historian.

Here they are shown at the grave of Lansing Bailey, a pioneer resident of Orleans County. Bailey owned 268 acres and survived malaria and encounters with bears.

Bill Lattin speaks at monument for the Whitmore family. It has oaks and acorns, which are symbols for strength and endurance.

Some of the stops on the tour included:

• Alice Wilson, who was murdered by her husband, George in 1887. He was the only man executed in Orleans County. He was hanged outside the courthouse in 1888.
• Jennie King, she wrote for local journalism for 68 years with the Orleans Republican as a printer and editor an then the Albion Advertiser as an editor.
• Weston Wetherbee, Orleans County sheriff and amateur astronomer.
• Chester Bartlett – Sheriff during the arrest and trial of Charles Stielow, accused and convicted of a double murder in Shelby. He was found innocent in a landmark case showing ballistic forensics.
• Skinner/Harding trolley accident – a tragedy for two families when their car is hit by a trolley on March 7, 1915 and four children perish on their way home from Sunday School. Alfred Skinner was driving a Cole automobile when a passenger trolley came around a curve and struck the vehicle, killing Mildred and Helen Skinner, and Marion and Herschel Harding. Mr. Skinner and one of his daughters survived the accident.
• Emily Pullman, sister of railroad tycoon George Pullman, she married a doctor William Fluhrer, who invented a device to remove bullets from the brain.
• Stuart John Flintham, whose egg collection is on display at Hoag Library, was a distinguished forester, and was the first head forester, fire warden and fish & game for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. He died fighting a fire in 1925.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Trio Ghidorah, a classical guitar trio, performed on Saturday at Hoag Library in Albion for about 50 people. The group includes Ken Luk, Bernardo Marcondes and Erik Gibelyou.

The three musicians formed their group while pursuing their doctoral degrees at the Eastman School of Music. The trio creates arrangements for three guitars of music not originally written for the instrument, including works by Stravinsky, Mozart, and Philip Glass.

They were the fifth performers in a new concert series at Hoag this year.

The remaining schedule includes:

• Sunshine Quan: Saturday, September 23, at noon
• Maya Ana Loncar: Saturday, Oct. 14 at noon
• Rochester Mandolin Orchestra, Saturday, Nov. 4 at noon
• Dr. Lynn McGrath, Saturday, Dec. 9 at noon

The concerts are free to the public with support from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and Friends of Hoag Library.

Bernardo Marcondes, left, and Erik Gibelyou are shown during the concert on Saturday.

Trio Ghidorah released its debut album, Dances and Fantasies, in March 2021.

The trio has performed frequently in the Rochester area. Their concert programs include music from the classical canon, contemporary works and Latin American music.

Ken Luk performs during the concert. Luk is an active performer, educator and arranger of classical guitar and mandolin.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Motorcyclists start a 118-mile ride today, leaving at the Elks Lodge on East State Street. The dice run is a fundraiser for the Jason Johnston scholarship.

That scholarship is in memory of Jason Johnson, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Dec. 26, 2009. Johnston was a specialist and paratrooper in the Army. He was on his second tour in Afghanistan. He completed a 13-month-deployment in 2008 and left again for the war-torn country in October 2009.

The $1,000 annual memorial scholarship that goes to a student pursuing a career in a helping profession, such as a nurse, doctor, firefighter, counselor or other social services.

“The recipient of the award should be of good character, show dedication, effort and potential while working to the best of their,” according to a description of the scholarship provided by the Elks. “Specialist Johnston believed in the Golden Rule – ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’”

The riders gather at the start of the ride.

The Elks Lodge will be serving food later this evening the band Begging Angels will perform. That event is open to the community with a $5 cover charge.

Mike Clemons served as ride captain for more than 50 riders. He welcomes the group for the 10^th annual ride as a memorial for Johnston. The Albion Elks Riders organized today’s ride.

The riders broke into three groups and staggered the starts every 20 minutes. The route included stops at the Elks in Lockport, the Silo in Lewiston and the Open Air Bar in Newfane.

Brad Johnston, Jason’s father, joins the other riders for a pre-ride talk, where they shared the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. Brad has been part of all 10 rides in memory of his son.

There is memorial stone for Jason Johnston at the Elks Lodge in Albion.