Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – This group represents Head Start and Early Head Start in today’s Lyndonville Fourth of July Parade.

Snowstorm Solutions follows them with a tribute to Sept. 11, 2001 victims – “Gone but not forgotten” is painted on the snow plow with an image of the World Trade Center towers.

About 50 different groups were in today’s parade. The 51^st annual Independence Day festival put on the Lions Club concludes with a big fireworks starting around 10 p.m.

Orly the Ox, Orleans County’s bicentennial mascot, was decked out in red, white and blue for the parade. Orly is driven by Susan Starkweather Miller, a member of the Orleans County Bicentennial Committee.

Just before the hour-long parade a military flyover passed over Lyndonville. The plane came from the 911th United States Air Force Reserve from Pittsburgh, Pa. The flyover was at about 11:55 a.m.

A big crowd filled Main Street as the procession of fire trucks and floats made their way along the route.

Bob Eberle once again dressed as Uncle Sam. He waved to the crowd along Main Street.

Mark Watts has lots of people on board while he drives a former Medina fire truck from 1933.

The Christ family in Murray was in the parade promoting the Murray Tractor Pull July 19 on Groth Road.

Lyndonville native Matt Tabor was back in the parade as the character Deadpool.

Gallagher Hill Trucking brought some tractor trailers for the parade.

The Niagara Falls Air Force Honor Guard marches in the parade.

Many in the crowd removed their hats to show respect to the soldiers in the Honor Guard.

The Lyndonville marching band from the school had a strong contingent of students in the parade.

Veterans ride in a trolley provided by the Houseman-Tanner Post of the American Legion.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office led the parade with the family of the late Colonel Rick N. Parsons of Lyndonville not far behind. Parsons’s wife Nancy served as honorary grand marshal.

Colonel Parsons graduated from the Lyndonville Central High School in 1962 and was the first Lyndonville High School graduate to attend the United States Air Force Academy graduating in 1966. He spent 26 years in service to his country before his retirement from the Air Force in 1994.

Scott Schmidt served as the parade emcee. He is joined on the parade platform by his father, Bruce Schmidt, a member of the Lyndonville Lions Club.

The Alexander Fire Department Band has been a perennial parade performer in Lyndonville for many years.

Kids from the Oak Orchard Assembly of God unleashed many bubbles in the parade. They were promoting Kids Crusade from July 20 to 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for children ages 4 to 11.

The Keystone Club Police Pipes & Drums in Gates is another parade mainstay in Lyndonville.

Joshua Vacanti, a star from The Voice, sang from a float to promote the upcoming Salt & Light Festival from July 25-27 at Solid Rock Assembly of God, 8590 Rochester Rd., Gasport.

Ontario Shores Realty generously sprayed water soakers at the crowd. The temperatures weren’t too bad at around 80. Some recent Independence Day holidays have been well above 90 in Lyndonville.

Provided photo: Medina firefighters Adam Fisher, left, and Paul Urquhart are pictured by a Medina ambulance. The two delivered twins early this morning while in an ambulance was headed to the United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

MEDINA – Two Medina firefighters – Adam Fisher and Paul Urquhart – delivered twins very early this morning while the ambulance was headed to United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

The two delivered a baby boy delivered at 2:49 a.m. while the Medina ambulance was in Orleans County, followed by a baby girl born at 2:56 a.m. in Genesee County.

The girl was born breech. Both babies and their mother are doing well, the Medina Fire Department stated this morning.

Medina firefighters are also trained to respond to ambulance calls. Fisher is a paramedic. These were his third and fourth field deliveries, while Urquhart, an EMT, made his first and second deliveries in the field.

The ambulance was dispatched at 2:08 a.m. for a call in the village. They then headed to the Batavia hospital with the mother in labor.

“Thanks to our partners at Orleans County Sheriff’s Dispatch and United Memorial Hospital for making this morning go super smooth!” the fire department posted on its social media today. “What a way to start of Independence Day!”

‘I’ve never seen so many people in the park in my whole life.’

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Bullard Park was hopping on Thursday for a July 3^rd celebration. The Who Dats are shown near the beginning of their concert. They were the final band out of three during the day.

People spread out in their lawn chairs to take in the music.

The Who Dats had many in the crowd dancing. The band includes, from left: John Borello, Todd Graham, lead singer Lonnie Froman,  Ed Hilfiker and Alex DeSmit on the drums.

These kids watch the finale of the fireworks from the top of a playground on Thursday night.

Bullard offered expanded activities throughout the day with the event capped by fireworks for the first time in a decade.

Several thousand people were at the park. Organizers aren’t sure of estimate.

Ron Albertson helped push through the upgrades to Bullard, an effort that started about a dozen years ago.

It paid off with a spray park for kids, an amphitheater, new playground equipment, a new pavilion with bathrooms, and other more recent improvements, including basketball courts, a walking trail, a disc golf course and soon, a pickle ball court.

“We have an absolute gem in our town,” Albertson said this morning about Bullard. “We wanted to bring recognition to our park.”

Albertson helps organize the upcoming Albion Summer Music Festival/Rock the Park which includes two days of bands on Aug. 1-2. This will be the 10^th year for Rock the Park, which started to raise money for the Bullard upgrades.

Seeing all the people at Bullard on Thursday felt like the realization of the Bullard dream for Albertson and others who worked on Bullard’s transformation.

“I’ve never seen so many people in the park in my whole life,” Albertson said. “I thought it was fantastic.”

Volunteers with the G-ACRE (Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc.) served 500 chicken barbecue dinners. In front are Denise London and John Kurtz at the pavilion by the spray park.

Albertson praised John Grillo, the Albion recreation director, for leading the effort to have a big Independence Day celebration in Albion, a day early on July 3. Grillo also rallied the community to donate $10,000 for the fireworks show.

“I just knew it would draw a lot of people,” Grillo said about the fireworks and day’s events. “I’m very proud of this community.”

Grillo also praised the efforts of the Albion Police Department, Department of Public Works and firefighters for make the day go smoothly.

Madaline Bloom, 9, rides a pony brought to the park by KTJ Saddle Up Pony Rides.

Jim Navarra gave people wagon rides through the park.

Emma Hollenbeck, 8, gets her face painted by Mary Jo Whitman.

These kids played an intense game of Gaga Ball. There were also several bounce houses available.

104 Country performed for nearly two hours. There were about 50 food and craft vendors at the park.

104 Country includes Mike Hartman on vocals and guitar; Norm Bock on vocals and guitar, mandolin and banjo; Luca Quagliano on percussion; and Cindy Lynn on bass and vocals.

Two Congressional members have strongly differing views on the mega-bill that gained final passage in the House of Representatives in a 218-214 vote.

All Democrats opposed it, with two Republicans also casting votes against the legislation.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24), a Republican, issued this statement on Thursday:

“Today, House Republicans kept our promise to the American people by passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This historic legislation restores and builds on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which I voted for in 2017, by locking in the Trump Tax Cuts. The bill provides a significant tax cut to lower-income seniors who are collecting the Social Security they have earned through a lifetime of hard work, while also eliminating taxes on tips and overtime. This bill not only lowers taxes for working families but also provides tax incentives for small businesses and family farms. It prevents the largest tax hike in American history, delivers an average $1,300 tax cut, and paves the way for a nearly $14,700 increase in take-home pay for New York families.”

“This legislation protects our farmers and small businesses by preserving the small business pass-through deduction and 100% immediate capital expensing, which are tools that will empower investment and drive economic growth across NY-24. This bill will secure our borders by funding ICE and CBP, finishing the wall, and ending taxpayer-funded benefits like Medicaid for illegal immigrants. This bill will also unleash American energy and end our reliance on foreign sources of energy while lowering costs for consumers and businesses.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill also includes many stand-alone bills that I championed, including H.R. 1103, the New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act, and H.R. 1752, the Technology for Energy Security Act. The New Markets Tax Credit fosters private investments into economically distressed communities, particularly in rural areas, and has led to billions of dollars in investments into rural communities like NY-24. The Technology for Energy Security Act extends the credit for fuel cells and linear generators, helping to solidify America’s role as the leading manufacturer of these emerging technologies.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill restores economic freedom, strengthens our national security, and puts hardworking Americans first. This is a major victory for the American people and a significant step in restoring prosperity, security, and strength for all Americans across our great nation.”

Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25), a Democrat from Rochester, released the following statement:

“House Republicans have forced through the most damaging and heartless piece of legislation in generations—a betrayal of the people we are elected to serve.

“This bill will strip health insurance from 17 million Americans and slash food assistance for nearly 3 million Americans, including 900,000 seniors. It includes the largest cut to Medicaid in U.S. history, defunds Planned Parenthood, and raises health insurance premiums for some New Yorkers by nearly $2,000. Meanwhile, it adds $3.3 trillion to the national deficit—all to fund tax breaks for Donald Trump’s billionaire friends.

“It’s not budgeting—it’s cruelty. These aren’t just numbers—they’re neighbors, families, and frontline workers trying to get ahead. This bill was never about helping working families; it was about rewarding the wealthy and well-connected at their expense.

“Like so many of you, I’m angry, frustrated, and deeply disappointed—but I am not done fighting. We are going to keep standing up for the American people.

“This fight isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul issued this statement: “Today’s vote makes it official: all seven New York Republicans in Congress voted to rip health care away from 1.5 million New Yorkers and jeopardize SNAP benefits for nearly 3 million more. They had two chances to stand up to Donald Trump and fight for the people they serve. They failed both times, gambling with their constituents’ lives to pay for billionaire tax breaks.

“To the 48,000 New Yorkers set to lose their coverage in Rep. LaLota’s district, the 48,000 in Rep. Garbarino’s, the 52,000 in Rep. Malliotakis’, the 31,000 in Rep. Lawler’s, the 44,000 in Rep. Stefanik’s, the 35,000 in Rep. Langworthy’s, and the 31,000 in Rep. Tenney’s: your members of Congress may have given up on you, but I never will.

“As Governor, your family’s health and well-being is my top priority. And I will keep fighting every single day to shield you from the cruelty and chaos coming out of Washington.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Fireworks were back in Albion at Bullard Park for the first time tonight after a decade absence.

Young Explosives sent the fireworks into the sky over the park after a day of fun featuring three bands, about 50 vendors, and other food and entertainment.

John Grillo, Albion’s recreation director, started the fundraising push for the fireworks last October. He was able to secure $10,000 in donations from the community to bring back the fireworks.

These kids watch the fireworks from up high in the playground at Bullard.

People watched from all over the park, with some on lawn chairs, others on blankets and many others from their cars.

Jason Watts named ‘Water Operations Specialist of the Year’

Provided photo: Jason Watts, right, receives the “Water Specialist of the Year” from Kevin Miller, a state technical assistance provider with the New York Rural Water Association. Watts was recognized during the organization’s annual workshop last month at Verona.

MEDINA – The superintendent of the Village of Medina Department of Public Works has been recognized by the New York Rural Water Association as the “Water Specialist of the Year.”

Jason Watts, the Medina DPW superintendent the past four years, was presented the honor during Rural Water’s annual workshop last month in Verona.

Watts was praised for finding and fixing several big leaks in the village’s water system. That has cut the water loss rate from about 30 percent to about half of that, saving the village significant money in unaccounted for water.

Watts said the DPW’s team of 10 other employees are all dedicated to their jobs, and have been successful hunting down many leaks.

“It’s all my guys that do all of the work,” Watts told the Village Board recently. “I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

The award from Rural Water goes to someone showing  “outstanding dedication to his profession and duty.”

Watts said the Rural Water Association has been a great resource for Medina, helping to pinpoint some of the leaks.

KENDALL – Karter May, a  high school student at Kendall, is urging community members to donate blood on July 8 at the Kendall Town hall.

Karter said there is currently a critical need for blood and a donation can make a life-saving difference for some of the recipients.

Karter has donated blood before during a drive organized by the school. He wanted to assist the American Red Cross during a summer drive when school is out.

The drive on July 8 will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Town Hall is at 1873 Kendall Rd.

Donors will be given a pair of sunglasses. If there are 25 units of blood donated, the donors will have a chance of winning two free passes to Darien Lake.

For more information on the blood drive, click here.

Small business, private non-profits can apply by July 28 for federal disaster loans

Press Release, Small Business Administration

Orleans County has been included in a disaster declaration from a high wind and hail storm on Aug. 11, 2024. The declaration also includes Cayuga, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Seneca and Wayne counties.

The Small Business Administration said small businesses and private non-profit organizations in New York have until July 28 deadline to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the high winds and hail.

Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private non-profits with financial losses directly related to the disaster.

The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

The loans are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or non-profit did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement.

The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating a series of burglaries that occurred overnight between June 30 and July 1, in the area of Lakeshore Road in the Town of Yates.

Multiple residents reported stolen property, including a 2016 Polaris Ranger (side-by-side utility vehicle), a golf cart and various tools. Deputies and investigators responded to the area and have begun processing the scenes and collecting evidence.

Residents in the surrounding areas are encouraged to review their home security or trail camera footage from the overnight hours for any suspicious activity that may assist in the investigation.

Anyone with information or surveillance video related to these thefts is urged to contact the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office at (585) 589-5527, submit a tip via the confidential tip line at (585) 283-4960, or email sherifftips@orleanscountyny.gov.

Updates will be provided as new information becomes available. SXS had door attached at the time of the theft.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Fireworks reflect in the Erie Canal on Tuesday after a performance by the Albany Symphony in Medina.

MEDINA – Wednesday was a historic day for Medina with a performance by the Albany Symphony in the Canal Basin followed by fireworks over the Erie Canal.

The concert included the debut of a composition written specifically for the concert in Medina celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the Erie Canal.

The stage was set top next to the Erie Canal in Medina.

David Alan Miller conducts the symphony during Tuesday’s concert. The Grammy award-winning Miller has led the group since 1992.

The opening piece of the concert included 18 minutes of George Frideric Handel’s “Water Music.”

World-renowned, Brazilian American composer Clarice Assad wrote “Medina: A Portrait in Sound” for the event. The composition included taped remarks from Medina residents she met while visiting the community in March. They shared about their love for their hometown, the historic downtown, nature and wildlife, the Christmas decorations on Main Street, Medina Sandstone and cobblestone buildings, and the joy of seeing old friends when out for a walk.

Assad also shared sounds she recorded and were crowdsourced from the community. Some of those included church bells and wildlife, including a rooster crowing.

Assad’s world premiere piece was in seven parts: Home & Nature, Animals, Summer Nostalgia, Winter, Community Heritage, Cultural Diversity and Home & Nature.

Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman welcomes the Albany Symphony. She thanked the NYS Canal Corp. and New York Power Authority for including Medina as one of five communities along the canal to host the concerts celebrating the bicentennial of the historic waterway.

The rest of the schedule includes: Utica on July 3, Seneca Falls on July 4, Fort Plain on July 5, and Schuylerville on July 6.

Each concert includes a world premiere of a new composition. The themes for the original compositions include environmental justice on July 2, immigrant communities on July 3, women’s rights on July 4, Indigenous stories on July 5, and Black experience on July 6.

Angelyn Chandler, vice president of NYPA, is next to Sherman. Chandler said the new commissioned music is an attempt to tell an “expanded narrative of the canal.”

“We think telling these stories is very important for all of us,” she said.

Chandler thanked Medina for hosting the concert and being part of the bicentennial celebration.

“Thank you for showing us what a canal community can look like and sound like,” she said.

Photo by Cindy Eibl: Two of the performers in the Albany Symphony have local connections. Dana Oakes is a trumpet player with the orchestra. He is the brother of Wendy Oakes Wilson and Darrel Oakes of Lyndonville.

Paula Oakes (center), wife of Dana Oakes, has been a member of the Albany Symphony’s first violin section since 1986.

Britt Hewitt, a soprano at left, and Devony Smith, a mezzo-soprano, sang an arrangement of pop hits, including “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars during the concert.

The two singers led off the concert by singing the national anthem, “Star Spangled Banner.”

About 1,000 people attended the concert, a rare event with a symphony performing in Orleans County.

A crowd filled the basin to see the symphony, which performed from a stage on the northside of the parking lot.

The calm water of the Erie Canal acted like mirror reflecting the fireworks on Tuesday night. The fireworks were let off with the threat of rain looming.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A stage has been set up on the north side of the Canal Basin’s parking lot for a concert today by the Albany Symphony.

The orchestra will begin its performance at 8 p.m. The group is shown during a rehearsal this afternoon.

Fireworks will follow after tonight’s concert. People are encouraged to bring their own chair for the concert and fireworks.

The Albany Symphony is in town as part of a celebration of the Erie Canal’s bicentennial. The New York Power Authority and NYS Canal Corp. have set five concerts for the symphony from July 2-6, events that will feature the debut of commissioned compositions.

At Medina, the symphony will perform a new composition by world-renowned, Brazilian American composer Clarice Assad. Her composition is on a “Sound Capture Journey,” as she began crafting a new orchestral work on the theme of the sound of nature and the environment and along the Erie Canal.

Assad visited Medina in March, and she and others recorded sound snippets from around Orleans County, collecting personal stories about local connections to nature, the environment, and individual sense of place.

Jim Hancock, chairman of Medina’s Tourism Committee, welcomes the symphony to Medina today. Hancock organized a day of events with other musicians and historical presentations.

McHenry and Baz performed from noon to about 2 p.m., playing music from the ’60s, ’70s ’80s and ’90s.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Kay VanNostrand of Medina, left, and her pen pal of 70 years, Kay Reid of Australia, are all smiles as they met for coffee Saturday at the Coffee Pot Café, during Reid’s visit.

MEDINA – Kay VanNostrand of Medina and Kay Reid, who lives in a suburb of Sydney, Australia, could never have imagined as little girls forming a close friendship with someone half-way across the world.

But that is just what they did.

Last week, Reid arrived in Medina to spend some time visiting VanNostrand.

The girls were both 10 when VanNostrand joined Girl Scouts and Reid joined the Australian equivalent – the Girl Guides.

“I got Kay’s name and wrote my first letter to her on July 1, 1955,” Reid said.

“And I wrote right back,” VanNostrand said. “We wrote back and forth all summer.”

But their friendship didn’t end there, although they drifted apart for a few years. Life got in the way, they said.

VanNostrand went to college and became a teacher, while Reid married and raised four children.

“We always sent Christmas cards and gifts,” VanNostrand said. “When we realized we could talk on the phone, that was how we corresponded.”

“When we got computers, we could correspond with Skype,” Reid said.

When VanNostrand retired in 1997, Reid and her sister Margaret came here to visit.

“I asked if we could come visit, and Kay answered, ‘Yes, yes, yes,’” Reid said.

“It took two weeks for me to get her letter and another two weeks for her to get my reply,” VanNostrand said.

In 2002, VanNostrand’s friend Barb Filipiak went to Australia to visit a fellow teacher and extended her stay to visit Reid.

VanNostrand’s first trip to Australia was in 2004.

In 2006 and again in 2008, the Kays met in Hawaii with Filipiak and spent a week together. In 2011 they all met in Alaska, then spent three days after that in Seattle. Reid flew back to Australia and VanNostrand and Filipiak took the train back to Buffalo.

In 2017 Filipiak and VanNostrand went to New Zealand on a tour, and then flew to Australia and spent a week with Reid.

Reid described her flight here this time as a real challenge. She left Sydney on Quantis Airlines and arrived in Dallas to find long lines and only two employees working. She had a two-hour layover to check in, go through Customs and make the long walk to get to the next gate for her flight to Buffalo.

When it became evident the line wasn’t moving fast enough for her to make connections, she found a security person and relayed her concern. He took her where she had to go and she had a 15-minute wait there. In the end, she missed her flight to Buffalo and had a six-hour wait before she could get another flight.

This week, VanNostrand, who turns 83 today, and Reid, who turns 83 on Sept. 12, shared some of their old memories.

“If it wasn’t for Kay, I’d have never done international travel,” Reid said. “It is remarkable because neither of us liked writing letters.”

In previous years, the Kays would open their Christmas gifts together on Skype, but recently they have decided instead of buying each other gifts, they will send something to a charity in the other’s name.

During Reid’s week-long visit, they have done a lot of catching up, they said. They visited Sarah’s Greenhouse and friends in Brockport. They still want to go to Holley Falls and the Western New York National Cemetery in Pembroke.

Reid will leave July 4 to return home to Australia.