Press Release, Lyndonville Lions Club

LYNDONVILLE – At the Lyndonville Lions Club recent meeting, the July Fourth Planning Committee unveiled the theme for this year’s 49th Annual Independence Day Celebration. The theme will be “An Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration.”

The Lions are encouraging all residents to fly American flags or banners and encourages all participants to reflect the theme. The Lions have plans to hand out over 5,000 American flags to parade goers.

Provided photo: Lyndonville Lions Cub President Harold Suhr, left, congratulates Russ Martino on serving as parade marshal in the upcoming Fourth of July parade.

The committee announced the musical lineup for this year’s Firecracker Concert Series, funded by GO ART!, sponsors, and Lyndonville Lions Club. A local one-man band, Mike McCauley, will be leading off the evening with his easy rock playlist at 5 p.m.

McCauley will be followed the headliner band, Flipside. They will take the stage on the upper baseball field at 7 p.m. The Lions would like to encourage all concert goers to stay for the fireworks immediately following the end of the concert, at approximately 10 p.m.

The Fourth of July Celebration will include an arts and crafts sale, chicken barbecue, hot dog stand, food vendors, pony rides, antique & classic car cruise-In, and other activities.

The grand marshal for this year’s parade will be Russ Martino. The committee wanted to recognize Martino for all of his hometown efforts. He has a long and distinguished career as a high school educator and administrator, serving both as a teacher and principal. He has been active in local government serving on numerous county, town and village boards and as the Yates Town Supervisor. He continues to be active in many civic organizations and is the longest serving member in the Lyndonville Lions Club.

Any group or organization wishing to participate in the parade should contact the parade director at Gwendolynlarge002@gmail.com.

The Lyndonville Lions Club also has plans for an inaugural golf tournament at Hickory Ridge Golf Course on Sept. 10. Plans call for a foursome scramble format with a 9 a.m. tee off, followed by an awards presentation and steak roast dinner. There will be more information and registration packages available in the coming weeks.

Medina Area Partnership visits Post on Flag Day

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Wayne Hale, secretary of the Sons of the American Legion, talked to MAP members about his organization and what they do in the county. (Right) Jim  Wells, commander of the Butts-Clark American Legion Post, and Cathy Fox, president of the Legion Auxiliary and County American Legion Auxiliary, each presented a history of their organization for the Medina Area Partnership members who visited the post on Wednesday.

MEDINA – The Medina Area Partnership chose the Butts-Clark American Legion Post to visit on Flag Day for its monthly networking event.

Members learned about the American Legion, Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion from leaders of each organization.

Jim Wells, newly elected Legion commander, has been a Post member for 19 years. They currently have 139 members, he said. Their Legion family includes veteran Post members, Auxiliary members and Sons of the American Legion, he explained.

Wells shared how the Post was originally named after Corporal James P. Clark, who was killed Sept. 29, 1918 near Le Catelet, France, where his unit broke through the Hindenburg line. The name of Butts was later added to pay tribute to 2nd Lt. John E. Butts, Medina’s only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action in June 1944 during the battle of Normandy.

Cathy Fox, president of the Butts-Clark Post 204 and the Orleans County American Legion Auxiliary, talked about the history of the Auxiliary.

She said the National Legion Auxiliary was formed in 1919 by women who had served during the war wanted to continue to serve. In less than one year, 1,342 units of the Women’s Auxiliary had been organized in more than 45 states.

The James P. Clark Auxiliary Unit was granted a charter July 1, 1926. They currently have 67 members. Fox was eligible to join through her father, Robert Raymondjack, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a member of Company F, who trained at the Medina Armory.

Fox also told how the Auxiliary works to promote patriotism in communities and schools, volunteers in the community and assists local veterans and their families. They raise money to help veterans by holding dinners and raffles. They donate to Patriot trips hosted by Assemblyman Steve Hawley, the veterans’ van service, Operation Honor and His Healing Presence (providing Christmas gifts to veterans).  The Auxiliary also sponsors two girls to Empire Girls State, and all money donated to the poppy fund goes 100 percent to veterans’ needs. That is just some of the causes the Auxiliary donates to.

In recent years, the families of both Butts and Clark visited the post, and Fox said it was an honor to meet them.

Next to talk about his organization was Wayne Hale, secretary of the Sons of the American Legion. He said the history of the SAL goes back 91 years to Portland, Ore. The local chapter was formed Jan. 4, 1937 with 12 members. Among local members are Chuck Eaton, Ron Stork, Tim Sullivan and Gary Hill. Eaton is the group’s commander.

“We consider ourselves a ‘band of brothers,’” Hale said. “On a whole, we did not serve in the military, but many of us grew up in the ’60s watching Walter Cronkite give the death toll every night on TV.”

Membership in Sons of the American Legion is open to male descendants of veterans. Benefits of becoming a member of SAL, other than serving veterans, are discounts on car rentals, hotel rooms and eye glasses. You can go anywhere and be welcomed into any American Legion Post, Hale added.

“We enjoy brotherhood, fellowship and camaraderie,” he said.

Projects of the local SAL include walking ahead of the Memorial Day Parade in Medina and handing out miniature flags to everyone. They purchased 1,500 of them this year. They also placed 1,400 flags on cemetery graves. They help the Legion cook spaghetti and steaks for their fundraisers and help with the upkeep of the Post building.

Their donations include $5,000 to the Veterans’ Van Service, money for veterans’ Christmas gifts, the Company F statue, Main Street flower barrels and the Warrior House.

He said it is getting more difficult to recruit young men these days. Nationwide, only one percent of World War II veterans are still alive, he added.

After their presentations, MAP members enjoyed refreshments and an opportunity for networking. The events are monthly occurrences, giving different businesses the opportunity to showcase their business.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

ALBION –  There will be a child car seat check point on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Save-A-Lot parking lot, 320 West Ave.

According to data, 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. If you have car seat questions, contact Certified Technician Kevin Colonna at 585-589-5527 or Kevin.Colonna@orleanscountyny.gov.

Provided photos: Lions Club member Helen Unterborn, left, and Kendall Lions Club President Eric Maxon, right, present Zina Cappotelli with the 2023 Lion of the Year Award.

Press Release, Kendall Lions Club

KENDALL – The Kendall Lions Club held its annual Officer Installation and Awards Dinner on Thursday.

At the meeting Lion Randy Unterborn installed our incoming officers for the 2023-2024 year. The following will lead the club: Eric Maxon, president; Zina Cappotelli, vice president; Steve Giverson, secretary; Julie Bunn, treasurer; Tom Minigiello, Mindy Zyra, Kurt Charland & Bill Ingham, board of directors.

In addition, several members were recognized for their service and leadership in the community and our Lions Club. Zina Cappotelli was awarded the Lion of the Year. Cappotelli has been a member of our club for four years and has actively served our club in many of our service projects and in her role as vice president. She has assumed the role of scheduler for tent rentals, our biggest fundraiser.

Lions Club member Ken DeRoller, left, and President Eric Maxon, right, present Frank Panczyszyn with a Robert J. Uplinger Award for service to the community.

The Robert J. Uplinger Award was presented to Frank Panczyszyn, who has been an active and enthusiastic member for 18 years. He organizes our twice-yearly visit to the Batavia VA hospital where we provide a bingo night for the residents and actively participates in our service, fundraising and social activities.

He is active not only in our club activities but in the community as well, even while wintering in the south. Panczyszyn is active with the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association, emceeing their summer concert series and many activities supporting veterans.

Kendall Lions Club member Gary Crawford, left, and President Eric Maxon, right, present Bill Ingham with a Career Lion Award recognizing his active membership and long-term service to the club.

A Career Lion was presented to William Ingham, who has been an active member of the club for 42 years and has served in many leadership roles. He takes an active role in service projects whether it be driving tractor for the annual hayride or cooking at the BBQ, steak roast, spaghetti dinner or highway cleanup. For many years, Ingham organized and hosted the hospitality room at the State Conventions and is always present at our meetings, offering the board of directors his expertise from many years of service.

Kendall Lions Club President Eric Maxon presents June Knapp with a Melvin Jones Fellow, the highest award a Lion can receive. Looking on is her husband, Clarendon Lions Club member Don Knapp.

A Melvin Jones Fellowship was awarded to long time member June Knapp. When she transferred to our club, she became the first female member of the Kendall Lions Club opening the door and setting the example for many more who follow in her footsteps.

Knapp and her husband, Clarendon Lions Club member Don Knapp, have been representing the Kendall Lions at both District and State Conventions for many years and are the first to sign up to help at our activities and meetings. When they wintered in Florida, they also provided service through their participation with the Bradenton Lions Club.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Onyedikachi “Will” Robinson works on a painting on Friday evening at the opening reception for a new art show at Marti’s on Main. He is one of three artists featured in the show that continues through July 31.

Robinson, 25, makes large paintings, including the portrait of Bob Marley in back. Robinson was working on a painting, “Shine Up,” of an older woman.

He is a native of Nigeria who was playing basketball in Canada. He said he was homeless in Kentucky and some older people steered his life on the proper path. He now lives in Rochester and works in construction. He makes his frames from discarded wood at construction sites.

“I’ve always loved old people,” he said. “They pointed me in the right direction.”

Robinson said he would like to see more people reach out to the elderly, who often suffer from loneliness.

Two of Robinson’s paintings include “Man in Distress” and left and “Prayer” at right. These paintings are about 5 feet in height.

He is a self-taught artist who creates paintings 5 to 6 feet in height. Robinson is 6 foot, 6 inches.

He sketches his paintings, and then paints them, often all in one day.

“It’s self expression,” said Robinson, who started painting in middle school. “I make the portraits to express myself.”

Marti’s also features 12 paintings and nine collages by Jill Gussow of Rochester. She is a retired art professor at Brockport State College. Kim Martillotta Muscarella, owner of Marti’s on Main, was one of Gussow’s students.

Many of Gussow’s paintings are of birds. She paints them on colorful pieces of wallpaper. She wants to create a feeling of birds in a garden.

“I hope people feel joy,” she said about her paintings.

She also wants people to better appreciation the wonder of nature.

“Many people have a lack of awareness about their environment,” she said.

The exhibit also includes work by Richard Della Costa of Kendall. He was unable to attend the opening reception. This photo shows “Mr. Saturn” at left and “Moon Ships” at right.

Della Costa makes collages from found objects. He often combines pieces of junk, discarded bits of metal and glass, and antique objects in his assemblies.

Onyedikachi “Will” Robinson works on his painting as a tribute to an older woman on Friday at Marti’s on Main.

Provided photo

ALBION – Albion Rotary Club President Alex Krebs, left, presents a check for $1,000 to leaders to the Mike and Faith Smith, leaders of the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen at Harvest Christian Fellowship.

The $1,000 represents the proceeds from Rotary’s St. Patrick’s Ham Dinner in March.

The OK Kitchen started on June 2 last year at Harvest Christian Fellowship on Route 31, across from Bullard Park. The kitchen serves meals from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

The OK Kitchen served about 15,200 meals in in first year. In addition to the meal on Thursdays, there is a meal to-go, a frozen meal and an extra bag of food. Faith Smith said her hope is that every person that walks through the door will receive at least 4 days of food with just one stop.

Faith and Mike Smith also deliver meals on Thursday nights to shut-ins that can’t make it to the kitchen. She said they are looking for more people willing to deliver meals on Thursday evenings.

“The need is getting bigger than we expected and our car can only hold some many meals,” Faith Smith said.

The donation from Rotary will be used to purchase paper products, an industrial mixer and many types of to-go containers.

Krebs said she is grateful Rotary could assist the OK Kitchen. She is the founder of the Orleans Community Kitchen that opened in 1994 and led the effort for many years.

ALBION – A group of volunteers that pumped gas for senior citizens on Wednesday mornings in Albion has been forced to discontinue the service due to liability concerns.

Reid Petroleum informed the Albion Betterment Committee that it could no longer allow the volunteers to pump gas for people due to concerns the volunteers could get hurt.

Reid Petroleum officials met with the group on June 7, the last day of gas pumping and presented them with a $1,000 check to be given to the PAWS Animal Shelter.

The Betterment Committee has been pumping gas from 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning for about 20 years in all kinds of weather, from brutal cold to oppressive heat. No one ever was injured, said Gary Kent, one of the ABC directors and a mainstay at gas pumping.

The volunteers all were willing to sign waivers to not seek money from Reid Petroleum in case they were hurt at the site. But Reid Petroleum still felt the company would be exposed to liability, Kent said.

“We all got a kick out of it,” Kent said about pumping gas. “It was fun helping people. We enjoyed socializing and interacting with the people.”

He reached out to the Kwik Fill gas station in Albion but that company also rejected the volunteers due to liability.

“I got to tell the other guys it’s over,” Kent said today.

He felt like the volunteers made a difference for many senior citizens, pumping their gas and taking their money into Crosby’s.

“When you get to be 80, 85, 90, it’s anything to make it a little bit easier,” Kent said about the service.

The Betterment Committee also offered a 10-cent discount per gallon. They accepted donations to be given to PAWS. Many of the seniors gave back the gas discount and said to give the money to PAWS.

Last year the Betterment Committee donated about $900 to PAWS from the donations. It was about $850 in 2021. The group was on a pace to top $1,000 this year.

Kent said many of the volunteers were dedicated over the years, including Gary Westlund, Clarence Winkelmann, Tim Tierney, Phil Brady and Mike Wright.

Effort still about $100,000 for top rubberized layer, new hoops, fencing

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Keeler Construction in Barre put down the first layer for two full-size outdoor basketball courts at Bullard Park today.

The subsurface layer also fills in water holes and uneven parts of the surface that was used for a skate park and parking.

Another ¼-inch layer will go on Tuesday.

The “Bounce for Bullard” Committee still needs about $100,000 to put on a final rubberized layer,, as well as four hoops and fencing on the south side of the courts to help prevent basketballs from going onto Route 31 (East Avenue).

The new layers being put down today and Tuesday are funded with a $40,000 grant from the James and Juli Boeheim Foundation. The Greater Albion Recreation and Events, Inc., a non-profit organization, secured the funding with assistance from the Orleans County United Way.

“I’m very excited to see it getting done this morning,” said Susan Oschmann, one of the leaders of the basketball court effort in Albion.

She is planning a 3-on-3 basketball tournament on Aug. 5 as part of the Rock the Park music festival at Bullard. The tournament is expected to be played on the new courts with portable hoops. The rubberized surface won’t be ready by then because the funding needs to be raised.

Oschmann said the Bounce for Bullard Committee will continue to do fundraisers, and seek donations and grants to pay for the rest of the project.

Future 3-on-3 and adult basketball tournaments are expected to raise funds for maintenance of the courts.

The forecast for the next few days in Orleans County includes lots of sunshine and highs about 80 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Today will be sunny and will reach a high near 78, followed by a mostly sunny Tuesday with a high near 78.

Then it will be sunny with a high of 81 on Wednesday, followed by a mostly sunny Thursday with a high near 80.

The forecast for Friday is mostly cloudy with a chance f showers and a high near 80, followed by a high near 79 on Saturday when it will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers.

The geese were fleet of foot in crossing the road while stopping traffic briefly coming from the westbound lane of Route 31.

Annual patriotic service set for July 2 at Cobblestone Church

Photos by Tom Rivers: There are about 20 coverlets from the 1830s and 1840s on display at the Thompson-Kast Visitors Center for the Cobblestone Museum.

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Society and Museum have two special events planned in the next several weeks.

First is the fifth annual Summer Solstice Soiree, titled “Gathering of Friends” on Friday (June 23) at the Thompson-Kast Visitors Center.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. and last until dark. The public is invited to join in the celebration for an evening of music, art and conversation.

The coverlets were all donated to the museum by families in Orleans County.

Currently at the Visitors Center is a display of 1830s to 1840s coverlets, along with Victorian paintings by local artists and art by Tom Zangerle of Medina.

Visitors can also stroll through the expanded Victorian Mourning Art exhibit in the Upper Gallery across the road.

Presale tickets to the Soiree are $20 or at the door, $25 and include a complimentary glass of wine and scrumptious nibbles.  There will be a wine cash bar.

All donations benefit the Cobblestone Society Museum. Tickets may be ordered on the back page of the newsletter or by contacting the museum.

The second special event is the annual patriotic service at the Cobblestone Church on July 2.

The service harkens back to its early roots, with patriotic songs, poems and readings designed to make attendees proud of America and all that is stands for, said Museum director Doug Farley. The service will begin at 11 a.m.

Maarit Vaga and Bill Lattin have planned an outstanding event, Farley said. At noon, the crowd will move outdoors to enjoy a good old-fashioned picnic with hotdogs right off the grill. Hotdogs and beverages will be provided.

Those attending should bring their own lawn chair. A free will donation will be accepted.

ALBION – Community Action of Orleans and Genesee County’s annual staff in-service meeting took place Friday at the Albion Elks Lodge with more than 100 employees from both counties.

Executive director Renee Hungerford welcomed the guests, saying its purpose was to recognize achievements, celebrate milestones, examine community needs challenges during the last year and learn about compliance.

She told of the challenges she faced when she came to the agency in October 2020, in the midst of a pandemic.

“They had recently lost their CEO to cancer and their CFO had resigned, but everybody came together as a team,” Hungerford said.

She talked about the changes that have been made, saying, “Change brings opportunity.”

Some of the changes include a new computer equipment, new website, new internet, job aids security cameras, getting Microsoft 356, parking lot lighting, first aid and Narcan training, panic buttons, adding telehealth service at the Main Street Store for veterans, receiving a grant for $250,000 from the Highmark Blue Fund for a two-year Stone Soup program and a three-year grant to start a respite program, providing organized activities, support and respite for caregivers.

The Stone Soup program’s goal is to provide 350 low-income families with nutrition education and cooking utensils and, in the second year, provide food prescription vouchers giving them access to fresh, healthy produce.

Caregivers Revitalize is the three-year respite grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation through United Way, which will provide respite every Tuesday afternoon, alternating between the YMCA in Medina and the Eastern Orleans Community Center in Holley. In the third year, the program will expand into Genesee County.

Last year, Hungerford introduced a program called Axis of Care, for which she won an Innovation award. The program has grown from an idea on paper a year ago as a collaborative effort between four organizations to an alliance with representatives from more than 30 local agencies. Intended to help find new ways to solve the problems so many in the community face, Hungerford said they connected more than 80 individuals to insurance, vaccines, healthcare and nutrition courses and brought resources to them through mobile resource fairs.

Community Action held a contest last year to rename its Main Street Store to better reflect all that the store offers. Not only do they have good quality, affordable clothing, jewelry, furniture and more, but they added an outdoor emergency refrigerator and walk-in coolers. They offer a tutoring program for Albion seniors and job assistance, including how to make out a resume and dress properly for a job. The new name is Main Street Corner Thrift, Gifts and More.

Jackie Dunham, left, and Melinda Daniels gave away prizes for answering agency-related questions.

Two years ago, they had a Continual Care Solutions representative do an analysis on their office and discovered they didn’t have the ability to do the type of reporting required. Katrina Chaffee took the lead on developing that program.

Hungerford said their financial system was antiquated and not working out. She hired Tom Costa this spring as chief financial officer who is working on a new system.

“We want our program directors to know how much money is left in the budget and how much they can spend,” Hungerford said.

A recap of last year’s accomplishments saw 3,134 individuals received assistance in 3,009 households; 1,077 people utilized Community Action food pantries; 1,000 utilized food distribution; 461 individuals received 6,335 prepared meals at the Eastern Orleans Community Center; 271 individuals received assistance to avoid eviction; 194 children received school supplies; 78 individuals avoided utility shut-off; 24 received employment support; 57 homes received weatherization services; 152 homes received holiday meal kits; 103 households had air conditioners installed in partnership with Social Services; 241 children enrolled in Head Start and 53 enrolled in Early Head Start, many of them receiving age appropriate immunizations and improved literacy skills; 358 youth participated in ACT – Helping Youth ACT Responsibly; and 18 students attended the credit recovery program.

Other highlights of the year include free Door Dash deliveries; sale of the West State Street property; starting a seedling program and community garden; participation in an inaugural New York State Community Action podcast; and instituting an Employee of the Month program.

Other speakers who shared their department’s goals and achievements were Bonnie Malakie, Head Start/Early Head Start; Susan Jessmer, Agency Policies and Procedures updates; Melinda Daniels and Hungerford, Basics of  ROMA, Results Oriented Management and Accountability management practice; Marty Taber, ACT; Katrina Chaffee, Emergency Services; and Tom Costa, financial.

Every three years, Community Action does a Community Needs Assessment, and they are in the process of doing one now. Some of the recommended needs are: Exploring opportunities to build and expand relations for further collaboration with community partners; exploring opportunities to build relationships with healthcare organizations; explore fund development methods to enhance current programming or develop new programs; explore opportunities to assist customers with transportation needs (new United Way funding will expand Orleans transportation program); explore opportunities to increase housing by developing a homeless shelter program; explore systems to assist with the collection of data; and enhance training opportunities for staff to increase their technology skills.

Photos by Katrina Chaffee: (Left) Sheriff’s Deputy Torry Tooley presented a program on safety at Community Action’s in-service meeting, sharing tips on everything from identifying a threat to how to act in the case of an active shooter.(Right) Charles Nesbitt, former State Assemblyman and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, was guest speaker at Community Action of Orleans and Genesee’s annual staff in-service meeting Friday. 

Two guest speakers were Deputy Torry Tooley, a SWAT team leader from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, and former Assemblyman and Distinguished Flying Cross recipient Charles Nesbitt.

Tooley showed a video and shared tips on how to defend yourself in a variety of circumstances, particularly a shooting incident.

In introducing Nesbitt, Hungerford said he was a hero and an example of courage and sacrifice.

Nesbitt told the audience they are making a difference every day in what they do, and he thanked them for making this a better place to live.

He explained he was 20 and in college when he enlisted in the military, even though he had an educational deferment, “Because if I didn’t, someone else would have to go,” he said.

He ended up in the 57th Assault Helicopter Company as a pilot, where he accumulated more than 1,000 hours of combat time.

“Here I was barely out of high school and in charge of an aircraft rescuing people,” he said.

He would later receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for his acts of heroism saving several platoons.

Nesbitt grew up in Barre, where his dad ran a farm. His dad served in World War II and then got called back during the Korean War. Charlie, his mom and brother tried to run the farm, but it eventually failed. His father later started a very successful car dealership, in which Charlie worked until making the decision to run for the New York State Assembly.

At that time the district was made up of Monroe County, 53 percent; Genesee County, 30 percent; and Orleans County 17 percent. Newscasters were predicting Orleans County had no chance whatsoever to win. In fact, one Rochester station declared the Monroe County candidate a winner.

“They forgot about Orleans County,” Nesbitt said. “I got 90 percent of the vote. I won the election two to one. There were lots of reasons why I won. I wanted to make a difference. I had kids growing up in school here and I wanted to prove a person from our little corner of the world could win, so the kids of our schools and the people who live here could win and be part of the process.”

Nesbitt soon became a ranking member of the Veterans’ Committee in Albany and eventually the minority leader of the State Assembly, leading the Republican conference.

Then Governor George Pataki called him and offered him a commission as head of the Tax Appeals Division of the State of New York.

After more than 20 years in Albany, his commission wasn’t renewed and he returned home to Albion.

“Here I was in Albany in the center of the action, and now I’m floundering,” Nesbitt said.

So he threw himself into getting involved in his local community. He is on the Albion Alumni Foundation Board, the Cobblestone Credit Union board, chair of the Rural Opportunities Housing Board and has started a consulting business.

He said he had one simple message.

“Change is going to happen whether you like it or not,” he said. “Change is going on here right now. And change is good. It means we are not stagnant. And sometimes you need to be the person leading the change.”

Friday’s program also included short stories by several who shared how Community Action made a difference in their lives. They were Linsey Vallett, Beth Longhini, Melissa DeRose and David Dodge.

A plea was also issued for employee Edna Schramm, whose husband needs a stem cell transplant. All in attendance were urged to get tested to see if they might be a match.

MEDINA – The Medina Area Partnership will sponsor its annual Enchanted Faery Festival Saturday in downtown Medina.

The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a parade at 1 p.m.

Moms and dads are encouraged to dress up, along with their “little faeries and magical creatures” to win prizes for the best costumes. Prizes will be awarded for king, queen, prince and princess.

The Medina Area Partnership will have a table set up in Rotary Park, where participants can pick up and drop off their forms for a scavenger hunt to find 12 faeries and 10 faery houses hidden at various downtown businesses. Prizes will be awarded.

There will be themed photo boards set up in the park, where pictures can be taken and children may make faery dust and have their faces painted.

Some businesses may offer a small Make and Take craft, have a story time or a small giveaway.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health is celebrating Certified Nursing Assistants Week from June 15-21 by acknowledging several skilled team members.

“In June, we honor our certified nursing assistants, patient care assistants and patient care technicians for the tremendous work they do for the health of our community,” said Kimberly Gray, chief nursing officer at OCH. “They impact the lives of our patients and residents, based on the wonderful care they provide. They help perform critical tasks that ensure patients and residents are well-cared for and safe during their hospital stay. Their compassion and kindness do not go unnoticed and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for all they do.”

National Nursing Assistants’ Week is celebrated in June each year to honor the impact of nursing assistants throughout the professional field, Gray added. CNAs, for example, got their start assisting the Red Cross nurses during World War I, as they cared for the influx of patients. Today, they play a pivotal role in caring for patients.

Orleans Community Health will be recognizing their team of CNAs, PCAs and PCTs throughout the coming days in various ways, Gray said.

Parade is a first in Carlton since the late 1970s

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – The Town of Carlton celebrated its bicentennial on Saturday, and the festivities included a parade down Route 98 from Waterport Carlton Road to Park Avenue.

The Carlton Clippers team in the Albion Midget League were in the procession behind some large farm machinery.

Click here to see a video of the parade.

Wendy Tinder and her daughter Charlotte wave from a Jet Ski on a trailer as part of the parade.

Z.A.M. Yohe Draft Horses pulls a group on a wagon in the procession down Route 98.

Seanne and Ted Narburgh gave a golf cart a patriotic look for the town’s 200^th anniversary celebration.

Orleans County Tourism brought the 13-foot-long fiberglass Chinook salmon.

Brenda Mufford, who helped coordinate the parade, drives a 1972 Chevelle SS in the parade. Her grandson Jax joined her for the ride.

These daughters of Carlton firefighters carry the banner in front of the fire company. They include, from left: Emma Dumrese, Kayla Niederhofer and Olivia Dumrese.

The procession of fire trucks, town highway trucks and equipment, classic cars and other vehicles head south on Route 98.

Jim Tabor of Carlton takes a photo of Frank Strasburger in 1972 Buick GS 455. Tabor said this was the first parade in Carlton since the late 1970s when the Carlton Volunteer Fire Company used to have the annual carnival.

Susan Howard, the Orleans County first assistant district attorney, carries a banner announcing she is running for district attorney in 2024. Howard is a Carlton resident.

Jack Stinson, left, Lloyd Wright and other members of the Albion Lions Club served up sausage and other food at the town park. Other food was available and Coupe de Ville and Son Henry Band performed.

Guy Magliocco of Point Breeze plays Taps in observance of Lysbeth “Betsy” Hoffman, the town historian who passed away on Feb. 18, 2021.

Kurt Van Wycke, the town highway superintendent, is at left.

The town’s bicentennial was actually last year but the celebration was put off until this year.

According to the town web site:

“Carlton’s first settlement was made in 1803 by two brothers, James and William Wadsworth, who soon moved further west in New York State. They were subsequently followed by the Brown, Dunham, Lovewell and Root families who stayed.

“Carlton was formed by the towns of Gaines and Ridgeway on April 13, 1822 and known by the name of Oak Orchard until 1825 when the name was changed to Carlton. It is thought the name Carlton was chosen honoring Sir Guy Carleton (1724 – 1808), who served as governor of Quebec from 1786-1796. Carleton was also a shipbuilding district near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.”

Charlotte and Cullen Bannister greeted people from a float for Excelsior Farms and Bannister Beef.

Quill Diesel Repair & Towing was among many businesses in the parade.

Ava Woolston of the Carlton Clippers tosses candy to kids along Route 98. Her father, Ryan, is one of the team’s coaches this year.

Sheriff Chris Bourke and Town Supervisor Gayle Ashbery are ready for the parade to start.

The fun at the town park included bounce houses, and many other games and activities.

By Randy LeBaron

Today I want to talk about pets. You know, those furry little friends we think we own but who really own us. I personally have had many pets throughout my lifetime, some typical and others a little more out of the box.

Growing up on small farm surrounded by 88 acres of woods exposed me to a number of different animals. Besides the pigs, chickens, and guinea hens that we raised we always had dogs and lots of barn cats. Over the years though I attempted to adopt other animals as pets.

First there was the chipmunk that I kept in my closet and would sneak into school until I got caught with it on the school bus and had to let it go. Later I would use that same closet to house a baby bat until my mother found out and banned it from my bedroom.

Another time my friend’s dad cut down a tree not realizing that it was home to a family of raccoons. The mother died but 3 of her cubs survived so my friend, myself, and another neighborhood kid each took one home and were tasked with raising them. At first it was fun, we fed them dog food and crayfish that we would catch in the creek, but eventually they got bigger and became much more aggressive. Shortly after one attacked my friend’s dog our parents said it was time to release them back into the wild.

After that I stopped trying to domesticate wild animals, outside of docile creatures like turtles and toads, but we did have a possum that decided our enclosed front  porch would be a safe place to move her joeys to since they were big enough to leave the pouch. She was not the friendliest tenant though, as she would hiss at us every time we would walk through, so after a couple of weeks my father evicted them. Not too long after that we had a skunk figure out how to use the pet door so, after several tomato baths later, we fixed it so no more critters could come inside.

My current kitties are pictured with Teddy on the left and Karen on the right.

Later on, when I moved into my first apartment, I tried having birds for a bit but that did not go well. Reluctantly I ended up getting a kitten since a dog was not allowed. I say reluctantly because when growing up I always thought of dogs as pets and cats as pests. Against my better judgment though I became a Cat Dad and never looked back. Other than the Dwarf Bunny that I gave my my wife for her classroom, which only stayed with us on weekends and turned out to be more akin to the killer bunny from Monty Python & The Holy Grail than Thumper from Bambi, we have only owned cats and anyone who follows me on Social Media knows that I post more pics of them than my kids.

In case you haven’t guessed it by now… I love pets. And, in the last 1 ½ years that I have been working for Hospice of Orleans, I have learned that there is even more to love about them. I already knew that it could be soothing to pet a dog or cat when feeling stressed or that some animals are trained specifically to be emotional support animals but the level of care and comfort that I witnessed over and over again while visiting home are patients went way beyond simple companionship. Not only did the animals often know what was going on with the patient, refusing to leave their side, but after the patient passed they would outwardly grieve and then offer the same level of care and loyalty to the bereaved who had been left behind.

Pictured above are just a few of the animals that I got to meet in patients’ homes and the center picture is one I took just this past week of Cliff Germeo and his dog Rex. I met Cliff just over a year ago when his wife was a patient of mine and during those first couple of visits Rex would not leave her side. After her passing though Rex quickly became Cliff’s best friend. He will tell you that he can’t even leave the house without Rex by his side and when he turns the tv off at night Rex runs right to the bedroom to wait for him. Many times over the past year Cliff has shared what a blessing Rex has been to him and how he has helped him in his grief.

Even those patients who live in the Martin-Linsen Residence, our local Hospice home, have gotten visits from their furry friends from time to time and you can see them light up when they do. In fact, if you have a loved one who lives there now or may in the future you can bring a pet in to visit as long as the animal is house-trained, you have proof that they are current with all of their shots, and you touch base with the nursing staff or social worker ahead of time. I myself used to bring my dad’s cat to the nursing home to visit him and it really improved his spirit.

So, the moral of the story is that a pet of any shape, size, or species has the capacity to not only bring joy and companionship into your life but also comfort and a peace of mind. You may have to experiment a little like I did in finding that perfect pet for you, I hear Tarantulas are low maintenance, but when you find the right one expect to receive even more than you will be able to offer.