Provided photos: Fire badly damaged a home in Brockport at 4 Roman Circle.

By Christopher Martin, public information officer for Brockport Fire District

BROCKPORT – Multiple calls to the Monroe County 911 Center this morning at 7:30 prompted an immediate response to the report of a fire in the home at 4 Roman Circle in Clarkson.

Units from Brockport, Hamlin-Morton-Walker, Hilton, Bergen, Churchville, Spencerport and the Quint from Murray were dispatched when the first arriving personnel declared a working fire due to the volume of fire evident.

Heavy smoke and flames were coming from the front of the structure and neighbors described some sort of explosion alerted them to the situation unfolding before them. Fill-in crews from Hamlin, Murray and Hilton covered our district while the rest of the crews worked the scene.

The four residents living there escaped the fire unharmed, and the American Red Cross came to assist them with immediate housing as the home is uninhabitable. One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was treated by Monroe Ambulance and transported to the hospital for observation.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Brockport Fire Police provided traffic support and scene safety in the area and the fire is under investigation by the Monroe County Fire Investigation Team.

MEDINA – Medina Area Partnership’s third annual murder mystery event went off without a hitch, (unless you count a murder) in spite of rain and a dreary day.

The event has grown in popularity every year, said Ann Fisher-Bale, event coordinator for MAP.

One couple who took part was Ed and Lori Grabowski of Medina.

Ed said they have done it before and it was a lot of fun. They enjoyed visiting all the shops, he said.

The first year’s mystery was set in the 1920s, last year’s in the early 1900s and this year’s in the 1940s. Mystery solvers were encouraged to dress in the era.

Participants in the event signed in at Medina Senior Center, where they received a goodie bag with a detective’s notebook filled with coupons, a map of 13 participating businesses and the character located there. They also got a pen, a piece of Bazooka gum and a tube of Smarties, both of which originated in the 1940s, a train cookie, small bottle of water, tea bag and a chocolate-covered Oreo cookie from Della’s Chocolates.

“We thought they needed some ‘smarties’ to solve the crime,” Fisher-Bale said.

Fisher-Bale explained they tried to incorporate some of Medina’s history in the events of the day, such as Heinz Pickle Factory, which was the scene of the murder. Ten characters were located among the businesses and participants had to visit all 13 stores to get all the clues they needed to solve the murder.

When they thought they had the answer, “detectives” had until 11:59 p.m. Saturday to e-mail their guess to MAP. The correct guesses were then put in a drawing, where one name was picked to win a giant basket of prizes.

When all was said and done, Bale announced almost one-third of the attendees correctly guessed the murderer was Wanda Land, the waitress, who intended to poison Mona Lott. Events took a new twist when Mona passed her wine glass off to Mary because she didn’t like red wine.

The winner whose name was drawn from the collection of correct answers was Joshua Lacombe of Silver Springs. He won a prize basket valued at more than $200, containing gift certificates from participating businesses, a canvas tote bag from Canal Village Farmers’ Market, the novel Murder on the Orient Express and a gift basket from Della’s Chocolates.

Photo courtesy of Stacey Covell: This photo was taken on Saturday evening of the sunset over Lake Alice in Waterport.

The forecast for this week in Orleans County shows more rain and highs in the 50s or 60s.

Today there will likely be showers in the afternoon with a high near 55, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Monday shows likely showers with the thunderstorm possible after 2 p.m. The high will be near 67. Showers are also likely on Tuesday with a thunderstorm possible after 11 a.m. and a high near 64.

Wednesday is forecast to be partly sunny with a chance for showers after 2 p.m. and a high near 64.

The forecast then includes a partly sunny Thursday with a high near 56, followed by a sunny Friday with a high near 60, and sunny Saturday with a high near 66.

ROCHESTER – Olivia Braley of Lyndonville, a senior at the University of Rochester with a major in Anthropology, will be welcomed into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

Braley will join 118 seniors and 11 juniors as 2025 inductees into the Phi Beta Kappa. An initiation ceremony is scheduled for May 15 in Strong Auditorium.

Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest academic honor society. Membership is by invitation only, and students are chosen by faculty members who also are members of the society.

Lillian Wilson of Medina receives 2 prestigious awards at Clarkson University

POTSDAM – Lillian Wilson of Medina, a standout student at Clarkson University and member of the Clarkson Honors Program, has been recognized with two of the university’s most prestigious undergraduate awards.

Wilson, a double major in Chemistry and Biochemistry with a perfect 4.0 GPA, was awarded the Sophomore Award for Biology, given annually to the biology major with the highest cumulative GPA after three semesters of study.

She was also selected for the Egon Matijevic Endowed Chemistry Scholarship, an honor bestowed upon an outstanding undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

In addition to her academic achievements, Wilson has distinguished herself as a researcher, leader, and mentor. She has conducted microbial evolution research in Associate Biology Professor Susan Bailey’s Laboratory, worked on nanopore sequencing of lake sediment samples, and served as a Teaching Assistant in First-Year Chemistry.

She is also active in the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society and has held leadership roles in the Clarkson School and the Timber Bridge SPEED Team. Wilson is expected to graduate from Clarkson University in May 2027.

With this succinct slogan, Albionite Ward G. Foster launched the first travel agency in Florida in 1888.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 17

ALBION – “WARD G. FOSTER, 80, TRAVEL AGENT, DIES; His Slogan, ‘Ask Mr. Foster,’ Known to Tourists in All Parts of the World THE FIRM HAS 75 OFFICES A Woman in Charge of Each, After Long Training at Headquarters Here” – New York Times headline, March 18, 1940

This New York Times obituary headline from March 18, 1940, summarizes the career of Ward Grenelle Foster who died on March 17, 1940. Born in Albion on May 6, 1860, he was the son of Carlton T. Foster and Charlotte Corday Foster.

According to the 1879 Orleans County Directory, Ward’s father was a “hatter & furrier” with a store at the corner of North Main and West Bank streets. The family home was listed as 36 West State St.

Ward G. Foster established the first travel agency.

Ward attended the Albion Academy. He married Harriet Brainerd in 1884, and the couple moved to St. Augustine, Florida, which was then just beginning to realize its potential for tourism. Foster was employed as a timekeeper on the construction of Henry Flagler’s luxury resort in St. Augustine, the Ponce de Leon Hotel.

In 1888, the Fosters opened a gift, book and stationery shop across the street from the hotel. Foster had earned a reputation for being knowledgeable about the area’s activities and amenities as well as about transportation lines and timetables. Guests at the hotel were directed to his store with the instructions “Ask Mr. Foster” who graciously answered their queries.

Recognizing the potential of this market, Foster took over the advertising of a popular local publication “The Standard Guide to St. Augustine.” He added the statement: “Ask Mr. Foster for Further Advice” on every page and soon he was busy dispensing travel information and had unwittingly started the first travel agency.

Tourism in Florida expanded rapidly. Ward opened “Ask Mr. Foster” travel offices in Jacksonville and Palm Beach. In 1902, he opened an office in Washington D.C. By 1937 the “Ask Mr. Foster” travel service operated 70 Information Offices in 52 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

As the New York Times headline indicated, a unique feature of the Ask Mr. Foster offices was that they were managed by women. Foster recognized that gracious service, empathy and a sincere spirit of helpfulness in dealing with customers were key components for the success of his enterprise and he believed that women were more likely to possess those characteristics. The goodwill generated by such a service, he felt, would guarantee return visits and word-of-mouth promotion.

Naturally, this business model was successful. In 1936 over 400,000 customers received information, planned trips and tours, purchased tickets, and made hotel and transportation reservations, all free of charge.

The “Ask Mr. Foster” Travel Service Office is shown at the R.C.A. Building, Rockefeller Center, New York.

Foster sold the business in 1938 to a group which incorporated as the “Ask Mr. Foster Travel Service.” Though the business struggled during the war years, it rallied and in 1957, two of the stockholders bought the company for $157,000.

In 1972, Peter Ueberroth purchased the business for $1 million.

A complex series of corporate purchases ensued. Carlson Companies, Inc., acquired the business in 1979. In 1990, the name “Ask Mr. Foster” was retired and integrated into the Carlson Travel Network. This eventually became part of the Travel Leader’s Group corporation which evolved into the Internova Travel Group in 2020.

Internova, now one of the travel industry’s largest travel service companies, focuses exclusively on leisure, luxury and corporate clients. To this day, the company proudly traces its roots and ethos of service back to Ask Mr. Foster Travel.

ELBA – Only once in its 26-year history has Plow Days had to be canceled because of rain.

Saturday morning founders Louis Esten of Elba, his brother Chuck Esten of Barre and Bob Newton of Stafford watched and waited for the rain to stop.

Plow Days has taken place every year for the past 25 years, except for two years during Covid, on the farm of John Torrey, an avid tractor collector and farmer on Route 98, just south of Elba.

Esten said 25 years ago, he, his brother Chuck, the late Ron Komar and Bob Newton (all of whom had an interest in antique tractors) got the idea for Plow Days and asked John Torrey if they could use his land. Louis said he and Newton had met at the Steam Show in Alexander, and during a conversation, the idea was born.

“We want people to understand what these old tractors are all about,” Louis said. “People actually used to plow with these.”

Alexandria Smith of Attica stands next to her antique John Deere 630 tractor and plow during Plow Days this weekend at John Torrey’s farm.

One of the antique tractor owners hoping to have an opportunity to demonstrate plowing was Alexandria Smith of Attica, who brought her John Deere 630 with a three-bottom plow. The 630 was built from 1958 to 1960, making it at least 65 years old.

Smith said her grandfather used to restore antique tractors, which peaked her interest, and she has been collecting them since she was 14.

She has a lot of respect for the old equipment and farming.

“Working on a farm is not like looking at a computer all day,” Smith said. “When you’re out on a farm, you put in a hard day’s work. You get tired, but it is a good tired.”

Terry Boyle of Medina is also an antique tractor buff. He repairs lawn mowers and brought one he restored – a 1972 John Deere rider – to Plow Days. He also spent several decades restoring his father’s 1938 McCormick 014, which he hoped to get running during Plow Days.

Plow Days is not just about plowing. There are dozens and dozens of tractors from the 1930s to 1972 on display. The giant barn is heated with tables and chairs, a food counter, hot coffee and vendors.

The public is invited to stop any time Sunday, rain or shine.

Terry Boyle of Medina sits on his restored 1972 John Deere mower in John Torrey’s barn on Route 98, one mile south of Elba. Boyle and a dozen other antique tractor owners waited for the rain to stop on Saturday to begin plowing demonstrations.

Kevin Doherty

ALBION – Hoag Library will hold its annual meeting on Monday at 7 p.m., with an election for two trustee positions from noon to 7 p.m. that day.

Only one candidate, Kevin Doherty, submitted a petition to run for a trustee position.

Two trustee positions are available: one four-year term and one two-year term.

Write-in votes will determine at least one of the new trustees.

Doherty is the lone candidate whose name will be on the ballot. Doherty has been a part of Hoag Library for many years, and served as president of the board when the new library was built in 2012.

“Our facility is a great example of what can be accomplished when personal agenda are laid aside for the community benefit,” Doherty said in a candidate statement on the Hoag Library website. “As an institution, Hoag has evolved to meet the changing needs of our service area.”

Doherty also has served multiple terms on the Albion Board of Education and has been an elected leader or representative at the local, diocesan and national levels of the Episcopal Church. He also has been a volunteer with the Orleans County 4-H Fair and Albion Strawberry Festival.

Doherty runs Doherty Communications as a senior voice network analyst. He and his wife Linda are parents had six children who all graduated from Albion. Two of their nine grandchildren are currently in the Albion school district.

To be eligible to vote, individuals must reside within the Hoag Library service area, which aligns with the Albion Central School District boundaries – many the central Orleans County towns of Barre, Albion, Gaines and Carlton.

Hoag Library leaders welcome community members to attend the annual meeting to hear updates about the library’s programs, services and future plans.

Photos and article courtesy of Howard Owens/The Batavian

BATAVIA – Protesters came with signs and bullhorns to the Buffalo Detention Facility in Batavia on Friday evening in a hastily organized demonstration to raise their voices against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The protest was called, said Gabrilla Szpunt, an organization coordinator for the United Farm Workers, after 14 migrant workers the union claims to represent were picked up en masse early Friday morning in Albion by agents of ICE.

All 14 were on a bus owned by Lynn-Ette & Sons Farms in Kent, where they worked, Szpunt said. They were stopped on Route 98 in the Village of Albion.

“They were on their way to work,” said Szpunt. “These are workers we’ve been organizing with for at least a year. An entire family was picked up in this raid, and other workers have been here for decades, some for several years. We’re here to support them and let them know they’re not alone in this process.”

She said the union doesn’t inquire about the legal status of migrants they organize with, but given the longevity of several of the workers, they likely had visas to work in the U.S., though she couldn’t say with certainty that they all were documented.

Szpunt said the UFW is in the process of securing legal counsel for the farm workers.

The protesters chanted a revolving set of messages, many of them demanding an end to deportation and for the protection of workers, but a few of them were laced with profanity, such as “eff ICE” and “eff Fasicist America.”

When asked about the tone of some of the chants, Szpunt said she understood the concern, but she wasn’t there to censor what the people who participated wanted to chant.

Asked what message the UFW wanted to send, she said, “Our message is that we believe these workers have been here for decades. They deserve to a process if they’re going to be facing these kinds of immigration proceedings. That hasn’t been the case under the Trump administration. People with green cards have been picked up, citizens have been picked up and detained, and disappeared.”

At one point during the protest, a stream of cars exited the detention facility. A passenger in one car held a mobile phone in one hand, apparently shooting video as the car drove past, while simultaneously extending the middle finger on his other hand.

According to the UFW website, the UFW has been involved in disputes with Lynn-Ette farms. The union filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the farm for allegedly requiring a UFW representative to leave the farm while meeting with workers.

The Public Employees Relations Board in October required Lynn-Ette Farms and two other farms to engage in binding arbitration with the union, according to the UFW website.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Dave Viterna Group performed at Marti’s on Main on Friday evening. The art gallery is celebrating its 15^th season of hosting art shows in Albion.

The gallery used to be in the home of Kim and Neal Muscarella. But in 2021, they moved Marti’s to the former Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 20 South Main St.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella and her family transformed the interior of the building into an art studio and gallery.

These fish and sea creatures hang inside Marti’s and were created by Janey Balcerzak, Kim Martillotta Muscarella’s 15-year-old great niece. They are an acrylic on decoupaged.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella’s granddaughters are featured artists in the opening show. Lily Zambito created the large painting in center, “ButterFL eyes” and her sister Sophia Zambito created the prints.

Marti’s opening show also features work by Laura Amor, including this acrylic, “Poppies in Gray Frame.”

Kim Martillotta Muscarella takes a photo of the Dave Viterna Group performing on Friday at the gallery.

The gallery is open by appointment. Call Muscarella at (585) 590-9211 for more information.

The gallery is open to the public for new art shows the third Fridays each month from 6 to 9 p.m.. The  schedule for the season includes:

• May 16 – featuring David Burke, Jeff Watkins and Bob Wisner
• June 20 – featuring Rosie Patronski, Shirley Nigro and Kim Martillotta Muscarella
• July 18 – Bicentennial show highlighting work celebrating the Erie Canal and Orleans County
• Aug. 15 – Environmental Show and also highlighting work by Sarah Hyatt
• Sept. 19 – featuring Chris Manaseri, Becky Maynard and Brandi Zavitz
• Oct. 17 – featuring Nancy Radzik, Rebecca Barry and Bradeen Walders
• Oct. 24 – The SkyCats Halloween Party with concert from 6 to 9 p.m.

Press Release, Orleans County Mental Health Department

ALBION – The Orleans County Mental Health Department is partnering with the Genesee County Mental Health Department and research organization NORC at the University at Chicago to conduct listening sessions and surveys to gather additional information from our community members surrounding mental health, suicide, substance use, associated resources, needs, and the associated stigma. Participation is open to any interested residents.

“Many individuals in Genesee and Orleans Counties are affected by substance use, addiction, mental health and suicide, and we are seeking input from residents so that we can better serve our community,” said Danielle Figura, director of the Orleans County Mental Health Department.

Figura said residents are invited to participate in a 60-to-90-minute listening session, via Zoom, which will be conducted by NORC, considered one of the leading, non-partisan research organizations in the country.

Participants will be asked about their views on overdose and suicide in our community, programs and resources, and additional support needed. Sessions will be held for all community members and for specific professional roles (i.e., business owners, school professionals, health or behavioral health professionals, legislators and government officials, faith-based leaders, CARES Alliance members, first responders.)

If interested, click here or use the QR code to complete the interest form.

Provided photo: This group worked on the garden at Hospice of Orleans in Albion.

Press Release, United Way of Orleans County

KNOWLESVILLE – Are you looking for an exciting way to make a difference in your community? United Way of Orleans County’s Annual Day of Caring is the perfect way to have fun and do good.

Join us May 9 at the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension (12690 NY-31 in Albion) at 8:30 a.m. for a complimentary breakfast before we travel to the project sites.

Volunteers will support local non-profits like Praising Kids, Hospice, GO Art! and the YMCA with exciting hands-on projects. Take a break from your regular 9-5 to work in the garden, make cards, or build coin games to support those who support our community. Bring a friend or make new ones!

For more information or to sign up call or text us at (585)-283-4224.