Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Retired TV personality Mike Randall, right, and Medina Theater owner Joe Cardone draw winning tickets for free prizes following Randall’s presentation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on Friday night at the Medina Theater. (Right) Mike Randall portrayed the roles of characters from A Christmas Carol. He performed to a full house Friday night at Medina Theater.

MEDINA – The Medina Theater was packed Friday night for a performance by Mike Randall, who presented A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

The performance came about when Randall and theater owner Joe Cardone were having lunch. Randall and his wife Kathy had recently moved to Medina and he suggested doing a show to benefit local food pantries and Medina Area Association of Churches. He said that would be his gift to Medina.

Cardone agreed to donate use of the theater, and the rest is history. The show sold out a week in advance.

Jim Hancock, left, representing St. Peter’s Food Pantry, and Donna Poore, who heads the food pantry at The Vine, hold a tote of food items at the Medina Theater, which were donated by theater-goers Friday night. The food pantries shared the collection of food.

Attendees who brought in non-perishable food items or made a cash donation received a ticket for a drawing for various prizes, which included gift certificates, raffle baskets and a grand door prize of a flat screen TV, donated by local attorney Katherine Bogan.

A giant container of food was filled to overflowing and divided between the food pantries at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and The Vine Church. Cash donations were given to MAAC. On Monday afternoon, Cardone and Randall presented a check for $2,230 to Sue Metzo, president of MAAC. Jim Hancock, treasurer of St. Peter’s Food Pantry, and Donna Poore, head of The Vine’s Food Pantry, both attended the presentation and will make arrangements to have the food items delivered to their churches.

“I can’t tell you what this means to us,” Metzo said.

“We especially need donations of groceries at this time of year, when people are running short,” Hancock said. “The amount of food collected was quite amazing. It was nice we could split it with The Vine.”

From left, Joe Cardone, owner of Medina Theater, and Mike Randall give a check for $2,230 to Sue Metzo, president of MAAC. Jim Hancock, treasurer of St. Peter’s food pantry, and Donna Poore, head of The Vine’s food pantry, will share the food items collected.

Friday’s entertainment began with an appearance of Medina High School’s A’Capella Select Choir. Members were appropriately dressed in 1800’s cloaks and hats, as they sang several Christmas songs.

Director Rachel Trillizio shared how thrilled they were to be able to perform for the community.

“We have already had a performance every day this week and have four more to go,” she said.

Randall first began impersonating Dickens’ characters in 2007 and continues to amaze audiences with his talent.

“I did a lot of research and how Dickens portrayed the different characters fascinated me,” Randall said. “I realized he wasn’t actually reading the book, he was performing the characters. I started studying the parts in November 2006, knowing I had my first performance scheduled for December 2007.

The A’Capella Select Choir, dressed in 1800s attire, sings a variety of Christmas songs for a packed house who attended Medina Theater to see Mike Randall’s presentation of A Christmas Carol.

The presentation by Randall on Friday night left the crowd in total amazement.

“It was magnificent,” said Cora Goyette, a newcomer to Medina. “I’m in awe he can remember all of that, and he delivered it so perfectly. We were totally entertained.”

One lady had seen him twice before and said it gets better every time.

Shirley Bright and Le Roy Neeper had also seen Randall’s performance before, but were delighted to see it again.

“And the theater has never looked more beautiful,” Neeper said of the Christmas decorations. “It was a wonderful evening.”

Georgia Thomas said she reads Dickens every Christmas.

“Mike performed it so beautifully,” she said. “All the inflections he used for different characters made them come so alive. I absolutely loved his performance. How fortunate we are to have all that talent in Medina.”

Rachel Trillizio, director of Medina High School’s A’Capella Choir,  tells the audience at the Medina Theater how happy they are to sing for the community. The Select Choir entertained Friday night prior to Mike Randall’s performance of A Christmas Carol, which benefited food pantries and MAAC in Medina.

This was the first time Kathy Blackburn had seen Randall and she said he was amazing.

“We couldn’t get over how he knew all those parts,” she said. “He moved from character to character and was able to memorize it all.”

In addition to 212 performances of A Christmas Carol since 2007, Randall has continued to present his critically acclaimed one-man portrayal of Mark Twain Live since 1972. Cardone said after the holidays, he might talk to Randall about doing that show at the Medina Theater.

Randall also performs with puppets, magic, ventriloquism and comedy as Mike Randall and Friends in local schools, libraries, festivals and family events all across Western New York.

Best-known as an on-air personality on WKBW-TV for 40 years, Randall retired in 2023. He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2017.

Carol Culhane paints ox in honor of county’s bicentennial

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – A statue of an ox is painted to pay homage to early settlers in Orleans County, which this year commemorated its 200^th anniversary.

Carol Culhane, a member of the Orleans County Bicentennial Committee, is nearly done with the ox. She has been working on it, on and off, the past three months. It will go in a county building or perhaps be displayed outside. The exact spot is to be determined. Right now it’s in the rec room at her house in Carlton. She has the first coats of paint on two other oxen as well.

The ox body is painted black. Culhane painted the county seal on one side and the bicentennial logo on the other. The seal has a gold color that Culhane also used for the horns and hooves.

The Bicentennial Committee picked an ox as a mascot and symbol for the county’s 200^th anniversary. Oxen were critical for the pioneers, pulling wagons and helping to clear forests and plant crops.

Culhane read about many of the early settlers in a book by Arad Thomas in 1871, “Pioneer History of Orleans County.” Thomas interviewed many of the settlers. That book provides first-hand accounts of the tenacity needed to survive in the early 1800s when the settlers often lacked food for themselves and their livestock. Many of the settlers, including their children, died from disease.

Culhane has painted a portrait of a settler from each of the 10 towns and four villages. She included women, whose contributions often weren’t recorded.

Thomas featured some women in his book. But Culhane said Dee Robinson, a retired Gaines historian, wrote about the contributions of many local women in her book, “Historical Amnesia.”

The settlers highlighted by Culhane include:

• Nehemiah Ingersoll – Village of Albion
• Roswell Burrows – Town of Albion
• Lansing Bailey – Town of Barre
• Bathshua Brown – Town of Carlton
• Elizabeth Johnson – Village of Lyndonville
• David Jones – Town of Kendall
• Fanny Ferguson – Town of Murray
• Phoebe Sprague – Village of Holley
• Chauncey Robinson – Town of Clarendon
• Elizabeth Gilbert – Town of Gaines
• Peter Hoag – Village of Medina
• Seymour Murdock – Town of Ridgeway
• Matthew Gregory – Town of Shelby
• Horace Goold – Town of Yates

Arad Thomas’s book included photos of 12 of the 14 settlers painted by Culhane. She used AI to get a sketch for pioneers, Bathshua Brown and Elizabeth Gilbert. Culhane provided some details about their lives to help create the depictions from AI.

Culhane who like to see a display with information about each of the 14 people featured in portraits.

She marvels at women like Elizabeth Gilbert of Gaines and Bathshua Brown of Carlton. Both became widows and had to forge a new life in Orleans County without a spouse.

They endured the loss of children and faced intense hardships in trying to build new lives in Orleans County.

Brown and her husband moved to Orleans County, traveling by boat in 1804. Elijah Brown did not survive the trip and he was buried in the Brown Cemetery at the Bridges in 1804, the first marked burial in Orleans County. Elijah and Bathshua had 17 children, with 12 living to adulthood.

The Brown family continues to live and farm in Carlton – 221 years after Bathshua and her children moved to the area.

Culhane said the settlers had hard lives, and she wanted to honor their efforts in the early days of the county.

“Look at what they went through,” Culhane said. “All of them had strength and grace and courage to carry on.”

County Historian Catherine Cooper, left, commended Culhane for her vision for the ox and the artwork. Cooper said the ox’s face was particularly striking. Cooper said she would like the ox to prominently displayed by the county.

Culhane has long used her artistic talents to support veterans, Hospice of Orleans County and other causes. She created a bicentennial poster for the county, showing the modern Courthouse Square and an earlier log cabin that existed on the spot before the courthouse was built in 1858.

Culhane painted three horses for Rochester’s Horses on Praade in 2001 and a giraffe for the Animal Scramble in 2003. Culhane sees home those community art projects were fun and encouraged people to explore Rochester and Monroe County.

She thinks the painted oxen can have a similar impact in Orleans County. She has painted the third one. Stacey Kirby Steward painted the first one in 2024 during the Orleans County 4-H Fair. It included an agricultural scene on one side and fair scenes on the other side. That ox is at the fairgrounds.

Melissa Ierlan used decoupage to cover an ox with photos from Clarendon. That ox is at the Clarendon Historical Society.

Culhane has two more to do. Next up will be one with vignettes from Point Breeze and Carlton. She is painting that one for the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association and Friends of the Orleans County Marine Park.

Then she will paint another one with scenes from around the county, some historic and other of the modern day.

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council approved grants for the upcoming two oxen by Culhane, while the one celebrating the early settlers was funded from the Orleans County Bicentennial Committee.

The Town of Kendall and Town of Carlton also are working on oxen for their towns. Culhane would like to see more added each year to celebrate the community and build a tourism attraction for the county.

“I think it’s a great asset for the county,” she said about the painted oxen.

Culhane said it was an honor to paint the ox for the county, which she said she loves dearly.

Photos and information courtesy of Medina Central School

MEDINA – For several years running, the Medina Teachers’ Association has embraced the spirit of “Movember” by growing mustaches, raising awareness, and generating essential funds for men’s health and mental wellness in Medina.

This November, despite a season filled with other school fundraisers (including the annual Helpful Harvest Food and Essentials Drive supporting MAAC), Medina’s dedicated staff came through once again. The men on staff grew out their mustaches throughout the month, while the entire team rallied with donations, encouragement, and momentum.

Joe Byrne, MTA president, presents a check to Nola Goodrich-Kresse, who accepted on behalf of the Orleans County Suicide Prevention Coalition.

The results were an incredible $1,200 raised for the Orleans County Suicide Prevention Coalition, marking the third consecutive year Medina has surpassed the $1,000 mark.

These generous donations will directly support next year’s Men’s Day Out event in Orleans County, an event that creates a welcoming space for men to come together and to support one another and learn life-saving tools while having fun.

MTA President and 8th-grade Social Studies teacher Joe Byrne shared his gratitude in a message to staff:

“Thank you to everyone who grew a mustache, donated, encouraged others, or helped spread the word. Your generosity and enthusiasm made this year’s campaign truly special. Because of all of you, we’re able to support the Orleans County Suicide Prevention Coalition and continue making a meaningful impact right here in our community. I’m deeply grateful for the kindness, humor, and heart our staff brings to Movember each year. This is a team effort, and once again, you’ve shown what can be accomplished when we come together.”

A special thank-you goes to Nola Goodrich-Kresse, who leads the coalition’s efforts, for her ongoing collaboration.

This annual tradition not only raises critical funds but also fosters camaraderie, humor, and a deeper sense of purpose among our staff, all while making a real difference in Orleans County.

Here’s to many more successful Movembers ahead!

Provided photo: From left include Makayla Davis, Hailey Burdick, Desiree Bieber, Anthony Roman, Violet Borck and Trent Baehr who is standing behind music teacher Mary Kuhn.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Thanks to the generosity of Brenda and Mark Zimmerman, owners of the Gathering Place and Checkered Poppy Antiques and Gifts in Lockport, the Orleans/Niagara BOCES Bell Choir played to a standing room only audience.

The Bell Choir, composed of students from Godfrey Learning Center and the Orleans Learning Center, was conducted by music teacher Mary Kuhn at the Gathering Place on Dec. 18.

The program consisted of holiday classics with students lending their talents and voices to this fun and festive performance.  Everyone loved this magical and heartfelt performance!

The minimum wage is on the rise again and will go to $16 an hour beginning on Jan. 1 in Orleans County. That is up 50 cents from the current $15.50 an hour.

It continues a trend where the minimum wage has increased from $11.80 in 2020 to $12.50 in 2021, $13.20 in 2022, $14.20 in 2023, $15 in 2024 and $15.50 in 2025.

This will be the last scheduled increase with a set amount. After 2026, any increases will be tied to inflation.

The rate will be $16 an hour for Orleans County and most of upstate. The minimum wage will be $17 per hour for New York City, Long Island and Westchester County.

This charming “Merry Christmas” postcard was mailed to Miss Hattie Ball in Lyndonville in 1903. (Ball-McCombs Card Collection)  

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 43

Who could better provide a glimpse into life in days gone by other than a County Historian?

Joseph B. Achilles served in that position from 1944-1957. Here are some of his observations about life in Albion in the late 1890s.

Reminiscences of Main Street

“Shopping for the ladies in those days was a comparatively simple matter. You went to Upper Landauer’s, now a grill, where Moritz Landauer sold you Sattinetts, Cassimeres, Velveteens etc., or to Lower Landauer’s where Simon Landauer, his brother, showed you the same patterns in the recently streamlined store, now operated by his grandson. That dignified and friendly competition has no counterpart in the savage merchandising of today, and you did not require a metal name plate and a number to open a charge account, and you did not have to pay before the end of the month either.”

Joseph B. Achilles, Orleans County Historian, 1944-1957

“The residents of “Ruffled Shirt Hill”, as Upper Main Street was called, turned out on Sunday morning in fine equipages, some even ran to part time coachmen and the ladies sported those small black silk parasols to protect complexions that would drive Elizabeth Arden green with envy.

Sunday morning in those days meant church, not a hangover. You dined at the Albion House about 1:30 p.m. and the check was about $.75, not $7.50. Meals like those are definitely a matter of history.

Short drives in the afternoon and a light lunch in the evening closed Sunday for our grandfathers and if the surrey with the fringe on top didn’t get you here or there very quickly, at least the finance company was not interested in it, and you could cross the street in front of it without someone collecting your insurance.

People were born, lived and usually died in their own homes. The maternity ward and the pulmotor* squad and funeral home were still in the future, and a doctor was called when you needed him and not just when you wanted him, and home remedies took care of most of the troubles of those days.

And, if the toll of years or the lack of Sulfa* or Penicillin closed your earthly account, George Brown and the Black Team took you for a quiet ride in the plumed hearse out the Avenue to Mt. Albion for a long rest in the only surroundings that seem to have defied the changes that Time has made in the Albion of those other days.”

*surrey: a four-wheeled open horse-drawn carriage

*pulmotor: an early device for artificial respiration

*Sulfa: antibiotics

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Santa rides on a fire truck from Murray Joint Fire District on Sunday in annual pre-Christmas tradition from the Holley Volunteer Fire Department.

There were two trucks that gave Santa and Mrs. Claus a ride through the village, with kids having a chance to meet Saint Nick.

Santa was an enthusiastic greeter along the journey through the village.

Provided photos: Santa makes a stop and visits a family in Holley.

Santa and Mrs. Claus met with Kerri Neale to get his wish list.

‘The Governor has missed an opportunity to engage in thoughtful, collaborative reform that brings DOCCS and New York State forward’

Press Release, NYS Correctional Officers Police Benevolent Association

ALBANY – NYSCOPBA is deeply disappointed that the Governor has signed the Corrections Omnibus Bill into law.

The death of Robert Brooks was a profound tragedy and meaningful reforms to ensure that never happens again must be made. However, we cannot support legislation that responds to a single tragedy by imposing broad, punitive oversight on thousands of dedicated corrections professionals who had no role in it and who are already under constant surveillance and scrutiny.

The death of Robert Brooks should be a catalyst for smart, collaborative reform, not rushed measures that assume guilt on the part of all correctional staff. The individuals responsible were held accountable through the judicial system — as they should have been. It is unfair and counterproductive to use their misconduct as the basis for sweeping new burdens and disciplinary structures that will undermine morale, complicate operations, and worsen the ongoing staffing crisis.

If New York State is truly committed to improving the correctional system, it must start by listening to the voices of the men and women who serve inside these facilities every day. Our members know firsthand where outdated policies fail and where system improvements are urgently needed. Policies from the 1980s and 1990s are no longer effective for the realities of today’s environment.

By signing this bill, the Governor has missed an opportunity to engage in thoughtful, collaborative reform that brings DOCCS and New York State forward. NYSCOPBA will continue to fight for the rights, dignity, and due process of our members and pursue all available paths to ensure their voices are heard in shaping the future of corrections.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion First Presbyterian Church Choir sings “Call to Christmas” on Saturday during the annual community Christmas concert hosted by the church.

The event is presented by the Albion Alumni Foundation and the Albion First Presbyterian Church.

Bella Davy, a 2021 Albion grad, holds her son Wyatt while singing “The Christmas Song.” Davy was among many Albion alumni to perform in the concert.

About 200 people attended the concert in the historic church. Here they are listening to Jason Pahura, a 2008 graduate.

Jason Pahura plays the guitar and sings, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Sarah Hill sings, “River.” She has performed as a soloist and in many of the productions by the Lakes Plains Players.

Other performers included Gary Simboli, Lonnie Froman and John Borello, Annalise Steier, Mike Thaine, Alec Sherman, Hannah Brewer, Mollie Radzinski, Ron Albertson, Jason Anstey, Keira Zambito, Susan Thaine, Denise Thomas, Leah Kania, Erin Moody and the community choir.

‘Every single individual who enters our prisons deserves to be safe, whether they are employed there or serving their time.’ – Gov. Hochul

Press Release, Governor Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul

Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday announced an agreement with the Legislature on the prison reform omnibus bill that would enact a series of ten transformational changes within state prisons and local jails.

The bill (A8871/S8415) will improve the safety and security of all incarcerated individuals and employees within prisons and jails, while also increasing accountability through reporting and greater oversight. This landmark legislation follows the murder of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi in DOCCS prisons, after which Governor Hochul directed DOCCS to implement immediate changes and then worked with the Legislature to provide additional funding for cameras and investigational staff.

“Every single individual who enters our prisons deserves to be safe, whether they are employed there or serving their time,” Governor Hochul said. “In the year since the murder of Robert Brooks, we have implemented a number of new policies and initiatives to begin the process of reforming our corrections system: expediting the installation and use of fixed and body worn cameras, making it law that body worn cameras must be worn and turned on, and investing more money in the Office of Special Investigations.”

With the changes agreed to with the legislature, the bill (A8871/S8415) codifies the requirement that cameras be installed in all facilities and also requires cameras to be installed in all vehicles used for the transport of incarcerated individuals, codifies the requirement that video evidence be promptly disclosed to investigating authorities, strengthens the procedures regarding notification to next of kin concerning deaths in custody, and strengthens the requirements surrounding autopsies of incarcerated individuals.

The legislation also increases the number of members on the State Commission of Correction — boosting the total membership to five, including three full-time commissioners and two part-time — and requires the Commission to conduct a study on deaths in State correctional facilities. This legislation also improves reporting requirements, provides additional avenues for incarcerated individuals to privately contact the Correctional Association of New York, and gives returning New Yorkers the ability to file claims after their release for harms caused while incarcerated.

DOCCS previously began implementing many core reforms with a clear focus on improving safety, accountability and transparency across the State’s facilities. Body-worn cameras are now fully deployed statewide, with all correction officers required to activate them at all times by law, regulation, and policy. Regular audits are conducted to ensure compliance. Fixed-camera projects have been prioritized at Marcy and Mid-State, including in medical areas, and the Office of Special Investigations has expanded hiring to increase investigative, medical, and data-driven capabilities.

In addition, DOCCS has implemented targeted de-escalation training, launched independent reviews of policies and practices, commissioned an external culture and harm-reduction assessment, and made leadership changes at both Marcy and Mid-State Correctional Facilities.

The Department has also strengthened CERT operations through expanded training, background checks, and mandatory camera use during deployments, while advancing multiple contraband-control measures, including enhanced body scanning and legal mail screening. Together, these actions, and others, reflect a department that is not waiting to act but is already moving decisively forward and committed to meaningful, lasting change.

Based on the agreement with the Legislature, the legislation signed will:

• Require State and local correctional facilities to disclose video footage related to deaths to Office of the Attorney General (OAG) within 72 hours, or within 24 hours if it is belatedly discovered.
• Require complete audio/visual camera coverage in all Department of Correction and Community Supervision (DOCCS) facilities and transport vehicles, extended storage of videos, and quick disclosure of the videos to incarcerated individuals and their counsel.
• Require DOCCS post online within 48 hours of notifying next of kin of an incarcerated individual’s death.
• Require the State Commission of Correction to conduct a study on DOCCS deaths over the past ten years.
• Require copies of autopsy reports of individuals incarcerated in state or local facilities to include copies of the photographs and x-rays.
• Provide for designation of a Deputy AG when OAG has a conflict.
• Require DOCCS Office of Special Investigation (OSI) to quarterly report data.
• Increase the number of SCOC commissioners from three to five total, including three full-time and two part-time members, with at least one of the commissioners being a formerly-incarcerated person.
• Give the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) more access to DOCCS facilities and data and give incarcerated individuals more avenues to privately access CANY.
• Provide a window post incarceration for individuals to file claims arising from harms caused during incarceration.

New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel F Martuscello III said, “In the wake of the horrific murders of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi at the hands of correctional staff, the Department has undertaken the difficult but necessary work of reform focused on strengthening safety, transparency, and accountability across our system. With the signing of the omnibus bill, the Governor and the Legislature affirm my shared commitment to sustained, meaningful action. Taken together with the steps we have already implemented, this legislation positions the Department to move decisively forward. We are committed not to symbolic change, but to meaningful, lasting reform that focuses on dignity and respect for all.”

Provided photos

ALBION – The Orleans Koinonia Kitchen celebrated its annual Christmas event on Thursday and served over 600 meals.

The OK Kitchen also gave gifts and goodie bags to 175 children. Faith Smith, the kitchen’s director, said the OK Kitchen assisted 275 families with food and gifts.

The Community of Hope Church prepared the hot meals, with to-go meals put together by Harvest Christian Fellowship.

The goodie bags for adults were handed out by Rome Santiago. Children received a filled fanny pack, goody bag and a toy that were given out by Annabella Dusharm and Meleana Mengs. Every family received a food box filled with non-perishable foods, eggs, fresh produce, Christmas tree cakes and frozen chicken that were handed out by Michael Smith and Albion Lions member Kevin Howard.

Debbie Coon Barbato set up a holiday craft table for children.  Kelly Follman, a Lyndonville music teacher, and a student played music for the group at the OK Kitchen.

“We were blessed with so many donations from the community,” Smith said. She listed Harvest Christian Fellowship, Community of Hope, The Albion/Medina Lions, Albion Save-A-Lot ,Tops in Albion, Albion Faith Fellowship, Albion Middle School, Albion National Honor Society, Pirate Toys, Frosty & Friends, the Millers Bulk Food & Bakery, and Foodlink.

The kitchen is based at Harvest Christian Fellowship and served about 35,000 meals on Thursdays this year. The kitchen will be closed on Christmas and be back open on Jan. 1.

The OK Kitchen also gave out over 2,300 frozen meals, over 1,700 extra care bags, 1,600 food bags, 900 cleaning/laundry bags and over 750 bags for homeless people.

Faith Smith, the kitchen’s director, said the site is now fully supported by Foodlink.

“We will now be getting food on a regular basis, so we are looking for groups to come cook at the kitchen,” she said. “We will be supplying everything, food included!”

Volunteers are welcome to go to the OK Kitchen website – www.okkitchen.org, click the calendar and date, and send Smith a message.

Photo courtesy of Scott Robinson: Santa’s coat is draped on a chair in the waiting room of Medina Memorial Hospital’s Medina Healthcare Center, where Santa Claus gets his annual physical, before embarking on his strenuous round-the-world journey Christmas Eve.

MEDINA – Children around the world will be happy to learn Santa Claus has passed his annual physical, which he undergoes in preparation for his round-the-world trip Christmas Eve.

The announcement was made by Medina Memorial Hospital’s Healthcare Center, in conjunction with the North Pole. Since 2021, the North Pole has worked with Orleans Community Health on yearly check-ups for the jolly old man prior to Christmas Eve. This year’s physical took place with the primary care team in the Medina Healthcare Center.

“Thank you for being the heartbeat of our year,” said Alana Palone, clinic administrator at Orleans Community Health. “Happy Holidays from our healthcare team, and best of luck to Santa and his team on their big trip.”

“Santa is more than 1,700 years old, which is clearly the oldest patient we’ve ever had at the hospital,” said Scott Robinson, director of marketing for Orleans Community Health. “He was treated with adult medicine in mind. He did take a tour of the pediatric care rooms, as he always has the health of children on his mind.”

The official report is that Santa Claus is in great shape and there are no reasons, from a health standpoint, that he can’t withstand his magical flight on Christmas Eve. Orleans Community Health continues to applaud Santa for taking his yearly checkups seriously and also focusing on preventative screenings to avoid more serious issues.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Members of the U-16 Lady Dukes softball team donated a bunch of toys to the Elks Lodge in Albion. The Elks have since given those 170 toys to be shared with students in the Albion school district.

The U-16 team includes Aubrielle Barry of Albion, whose parents Lisa and Chris Barry are both members of the Elks.

The Lady Dukes play their home games at Niagara-Wheatfield High School. They practice every Wednesday and Sunday, and play in many tournaments with most of their 70 to 75-game season in June and July. Most of the players are from Niagara and Erie counties.

Many of the team members were in Albion last Saturday to drop off the toys. The Lady Dukes they attended the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade featuring more than 30 lighted floats in Albion.

Pictured in front from left include: Jenna Linderman, Madyson Flint, Madison Miller and Giana Fiorella.

In back include Lynda Standish, secretary of the Elks; Mike Jenks, exalted ruler of the Elks in Albion; Kyle Flint, Lady Dukes coach; Lillyana Dunsworth; Aubrielle Barry; Nicole Miller, assistant coach; Richard Robb, leading knight; and Jen Stephenson, member of the Elks.

The team shopped for the gifts at Target on Niagara Falls Boulevard.

Coach Flint said the players were enthusiastic about picking out toys for kids in the Albion school district.

“It was awesome to see the girls giving back,” he said.

Other team members not in the photo include Addison MacDougal, Ava Fraser, Grace Ortman, Leah Skurzewski, Leighton King and Zoie Downey.

The toys from the Lady Dukes and Elks Lodge were dropped off at the Albion school district. Pictured from left to right include Niccole More, Albion Elementary School social worker; Mike Jenks, Elks Exalted Ruler; Carl Phillips, Elks Trustee; and Angela Conway, Albion Elementary principal.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Barre will be able to build a new water tank in the Pine Hill area after being approved for a $2,097,940 grant from the state today. This photo shows the current 150,000-gallon water tank behind the firehall on Route 98. The new tank will be 250,000 gallons and will boost water pressure and allow for possible expansion of the water system on the western side, linking with Shelby.

Three towns in Orleans County have been approved for grants from the state for water infrastructure.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced nearly $8 million in grants for three towns – Barre, Clarendon and Kendall.

The grants are among $453 million approved for water infrastructure projects across New York State through the Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grant programs.

“New York families should not be burdened by rising water bills and outdated systems,” Governor Hochul said. “With this funding, the State is helping communities take on essential projects without passing unsustainable costs to residents and businesses. These investments will protect public health, support local economies, and help ensure reliable, safe water for years to come.”

The grants for Orleans County municipalities include:

• Town of Barre – $2,097,940 for water storage tank and pump station improvements.

Town Supervisor Sean Pogue said the grant will go towards a second water tank in town, with the new one in the Pine Hill area. The project also includes pump station upgrades.

Pogue said the exact location of the new water tower is to be determined. It will be a 250,000-gallon tank, which is bigger than the 150,000-gallon behind the fire hall on Route 98.

Barre also is waiting word on whether it will be approved for a grant for Water District. No. 10 through the Community Development Block Grant program.

• Town of Clarendon awarded $928,000 towards Water District No. 14 , which includes a section of Route 237, Boots Road, Merrill Road and McAllister Road. The project will link some water districts and close some dead-end lines while expanding public water access.

• Town of Kendall – $5 million for Water District No. 11, which covers 76,700 linear feet (nearly 15 miles) on Roosevelt Highway and Lakeshore, Petersmith, Norway and Center roads.

Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata said the project loops districts improving water flow and bringing more public water to residents.

“There are streets where half are with water half are without,” he said. “We’re trying to complete the puzzle. This will be the second largest water district in the town.”

The town and residents had wells tested, completed income surveys and took other steps to secure the grant.

“They deserve it,” Cammarata said about the need for the new water district. “We’re very thankful and very appreciative.”

Kendall also putting in a new sewer district that is currently under construction.

“We’re moving in the right direction to give our residents more reasons to work here and stay here and be part of our community,” he said.