MEDINA – The Village Board gave its blessing for a new charter boat business that would offer cruises along the canal.

Brian Hellner of Newfane wants to give rides for up to six people on a 20-foot-long pontoon boat. Hellner said he has been a licensed charter captain the past 12 years and an avid boater the past 50 years. He also is a former vice president of the Buffalo Maritime Center.

He has been to Medina frequently to see his son, Rollin, who lives in Medina and is a real estate developer.

The elder Hellner said he sees an opportunity to grow tourism in the village through the canal cruises. He plans to call the business, North Star Charters. He would like to offer one-hour rides from Friday through Sunday beginning in early June and going into the fall.

An issue for the board is whether to set aside a dedicated dock space for Hellner, and how much to charge. Medina currently doesn’t charge for use of the docks.

Hellner said he could use one of the smaller finger docks which are less in demand. He doesn’t need access to electricity at the basin because he will have solar panels on the pontoon boat.

“I think it will be a great addition,” Village Trustee Marguerite Sherman said about the boat ride business.

Hellner said he plans to promote the rides through social media and have a sign on the boat. He won’t be putting other signs in the Basin to advertise the business.

Photos by Tom Rivers: The 75-foot ladder on Medina aerial ladder truck is extended during an April 7 fire at a Main Street building in Medina. There were five ladder trucks at the fire with others from Albion, Lockport, Murray and Shelby.

MEDINA – The Village Board took another step towards getting a new ladder truck for the Fire Department on Monday.

The board authorized a bond resolution for up to $1,990,000 towards the cost of a new ladder truck. Board members expect the cost will be less than that maximum bond but wanted some room if the cost are higher than expected.

The board will also be pursuing grants and low-interest financing that should result in a smaller bond.

The village is seeking a new ladder truck with a 100-foot-long ladder. That would replace one from 1996 with a 75-foot ladder. The current truck has many mechanical issues and often needs costly repairs that take it out of service.

Medina hasn’t signed a purchase agreement for the new truck. Fire Chief Matt Jackson said the village can expect to wait about three years for a new truck due to the trucks being on back order and with supply chain issues.

The village also is looking to put an addition on the fire hall to accommodate the larger vehicle. The current fire hall only has 2 inches of clearance in the truck bays.

The addition to the fire hall that would be approximately 62 feet, 8 inches by 88 feet, 8 inches. That expansion, plus repairs to the existing fire hall, would be about $4.5 million, according to a report from the Barton & Loguidice firm.

The ladder trucks from Medina, left, and Murray were in service for several hours during the big fire in Medina on April 7. Medina’s truck is 27 years old.

Provided photo: From left Shaeleigh Miller of Lyndonville is pictured with Diane Stamp of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES Business Office.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA — Diane Stamp, in the Orleans/Niagara BOCES Business Office, was thrilled to let Graphic Communications student Shaeleigh Miller of Lyndonville know that her artwork was selected for the 2023-24 Service Guide.

The Service Guide is sent to the 13 component school districts to inform them on all of the BOCES programs available to them.

Shaeleigh, an aspiring photographer, came up with a design that incorporated some images and an inspirational quote from the late Queen Elizabeth. Mrs. Stamp said she is very grateful to all the students at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center’s Graphic Communication class who participated and a big thank you to their teacher Karen Krull who makes it a class assignment each year.

Press Release, Orleans County Youth Board

LYNDONVILLE – The Orleans County Youth Board will sponsor its 41st annual Youth Recognition Dinner at White Birch Golf Couse in Lyndonville on June 1.

Fourteen young people will be honored for their commitment to community service and/or their impressive role in their family. Additionally, the dinner will recognize an Adult Youth Worker and an Adult Youth Volunteer. During the banquet, the board members will also include a remembrance of Jonathan Doherty, who was one of Orleans County’s most active volunteers.

The following young people will be recognized for their outstanding service in the community and/or family:  Nicholas Andrews, Natalie Baron, Samantha Basinait, Hunter Conner, Amari Jones, Matthew Miner, Tyler Moore, Trenton Muck, Casey Onisk, Jax Richards-Dyson, Ava Quincey, Elise Quincey, David Vanderwalker and Abigail Worsley.

Vivian Neroni is receiving the Adult Youth Worker Award from her position as a Social Worker at the Orleans County Department of Social Services.  Vivian goes above and beyond her job requirements to do whatever she can for her youth and their families.

Alice Mathes is receiving the Adult Youth Volunteer Award for her extensive time spent leading the Adventurers 4H club and 4H events with Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Registration and refreshments will begin at 6 p.m. The program and dinner will commence at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited. If you are interested in attending the banquet, contact the Orleans County Youth Bureau at (585) 344-3960 no later than May 12.

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney  

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) announced today that she will host a live Tele-Town Hall for constituents in New York’s 24th Congressional District from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26.

Participants who join the call can ask questions, provide feedback through interactive polls, and hear directly from Congresswoman Tenney on a range of important issues in the district and across the country.

If you are interested in registering for the Tele-Town Hall, you can call Tenney’s office at 202-225-3665, visit the Congresswoman’s website at tenney.house.gov/rsvp, or dial in directly by calling 833-419-0132 at 6:30 p.m.

MEDINA – Village property owners are in for a big tax increase. The Village Board on Monday evening approved a $7,593,286 budget with a 14.9 percent tax hike.

The village will be collecting $3,786,964 in property taxes, which is up $490,824 from the $3,296,140 tax levy. The budget increases the tax rate by 11.6 percent from $18.85 to $21.15 per $1,000 of assessed property. This is the first time Medina, or any village in Orleans County, tops a $20 tax rate.

Property owners in the Town of Ridgeway are at a 76 percent equalization rate and will pay a village tax rate of $21.24 per $1,000. In Shelby, which is at an 80 percent equalization rate, the village tax rate will be $20.18.

“This year’s budget was one of the most difficult budgets I’ve been involved with in 6 years,” Medina Mayor Mike Sidari said during the meeting on Monday. “We had many, many meetings and many sleepless nights.”

During a public hearing on the tentative budget on April 10, Medina was at a tax rate over $28. Sidari said the budget was chopped since then, but couldn’t contain nearly $400,000 in salary increases and higher costs for employee benefits, including health insurance and retirement.

The final budget shows salaries are up by $191,145 to $3,308,492, while employee benefits increased by $182,391 to $1,580,725.

Sidari said the village also faces rising fuel, inflation and other expenses that couldn’t be avoided.

The board knew the village was headed for a difficult budget process months ago. The board imposed a spending freeze on department heads beginning in January, Sidari said.

Medina faces rising costs and relies on property taxes to offset the increases. The village hasn’t been able to get more of the local sales tax. The county has kept the village and town allotments frozen since 2001. Medina is due to receive $152,047 in the local sales tax this year. Last year the total local sales tax topped $22.5 million in the county.

The state also hasn’t increased the Aid and Incentives to Municipalities or AIM in several years. Medina, population 6,047 in the 2020 census, only gets $45,523 in AIM funding or about $7.50 a person. If Medina was treated as a city it would get much more in AIM. The City of Sherrill, the state’s smallest city with 3,054 people in Oneida County, receives $372,689 or $122 per capita. Another small city, Salamanca in Cattaraugus County, gets $928,131 for a city of 5,929 people or $156 per capita.

Medina hasn’t done a full re-evaluation of its tax base in about five years. The taxable valuation of village increased from $173,928,941 a year ago to $178,984,667 for the new budget. A re-evaluation is planned but those new values won’t take effect until the 2024-25 budget. A higher tax base should drive down the tax rate in the next budget.

The big jump in taxes follows several years of small increases. Here are the recent tax levy amounts and tax rates for the village budget:

• 2023-24 tax levy, $3,786,964; tax rate, $21.15
• 2022-23 tax levy, $3,296,140; tax rate, $18.95
• 2021-22 tax levy, $3,259,119; tax rate, $18.77
• 2020-21 tax levy, $3,197,059; tax rate, $18.46
• 2019-20 tax levy, $3,138,059; tax rate, $18.32

Photos from Murray Joint Fire District

MURRAY – A truck hauling corn overturned on Monday afternoon shutting down Ridge Road for  a few hours.

The driver of the truck for Shelby Transportation was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for minor injuries, Murray Fire Chief Rick Cary said.

The truck was hauling corn west to the ethanol plant in Medina. The truck driver lost control of the vehicle and it overturned at about 1:45 p.m. between Hindsburg and Petersmith roads.

Murray firefighters were assisted at the scene by the State Police, Orleans County Sheriff’s office, Orleans County Emergency Management and the state Department of Transportation.

Ray Kerhaert’s Towing & Auto Repair in Rochester was able to get the truck back upright. No additional information is available.

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Village trustees Marguerite Sherman, left, and Tim Elliott hold a flag that was created by a village resident to be considered as an official flag for the community.

Mayor Mike Sidari presented the flag at this evening’s Village Board meeting. Sidari said Medina doesn’t have an official village flag.

The resident who designed the flag asked to be anonymous. The resident worked on the design as a project when largely homebound during the early days of the Covid pandemic. That person paid to have three flags made and gave them to the village.

“It’s a very nice gesture,” Mayor Sidari said about the flag proposal.

Sidari said he will ask for resident feedback the next couple Village Board meetings before deciding whether the design should be adopted as the official flag.

The design includes a mule-drawn packet boat, the former Medina Sandstone top of the White Hotel, which was later the NAPA Auto Parts on Main Street without such a glorious peak. The phrase “Roots in the Past, Eyes on the Future” is included on the flag, borrowing the phrase that was included on some of the village gateway signs and now is on the sign at the village office. There is also a canal bridge on the right sign on the flag.

The Flag Institute said a community flag “is a wonderful way to proclaim the unique identity of a place.” That institute, based in Great Britain, urges towns, villages and counties to design flags to celebrate their places and people, and to use “meaningful symbolism.”

BROCKPORT – The Main Street lift bridge in Brockport will close to traffic beginning May 15 for an extensive rehabilitation, similar to the massive overhaul effort for the lift bridge in Albion.

The state Department of Transportation closed traffic over the canal in Albion on Nov. 14 for the bridge construction project. Soon it will be Brockport’s turn.

The two projects were bid together with Crane-Hogan Structural Systems in Spencerport the general contractor on the $28.3 million projects.

The work on both bridges is to be complete about a year from now in the spring 2024.

The Brockport project is getting started about a month later than expected. That’s because the village’s other lift bridge on Park Avenue needed some work before more traffic was funneled to that bridge.

The Park Avenue lift bridge closed to traffic on March 27. The DOT is pushing back the Main Street closure until May 15 so the bridge can be open for commencement weekend at SUNY Brockport.

The work on the lift bridges over Route 98 in Albion and Route 19 in Brockport includes:

• Replacing bridge decks and portions of the truss system with high-strength, galvanized steel.
• Modernizing mechanical and electrical components within the bridge’s lifting system.
• Rehabilitating the bridge towers.
• Installing new bridge rails.
• Repainting the bridge, maintaining its current shade of green.
• During construction, the bridge will be dismantled with individual trusses lifted and placed in the lot adjacent to the Canal, where the rehabilitation work will occur. When work is complete, it will be moved back into place over the Canal.

Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments

April 24-30, 2023 is National Infant Immunization Week, which is observed yearly and highlights the importance of protecting children from birth to two years of age from serious childhood diseases.

As a parent, you want to protect your little one from harm. Vaccines, which are among the most worthwhile and successful public health tools, have significantly reduced infant deaths and disability caused by 14 preventable diseases like measles, whooping cough, chickenpox and polio. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among children born from 1994-2018, vaccinations will prevent an estimated 936,000 early deaths, 8 million hospitalizations, and 419 million illnesses.

GO Health encourages parents to make sure their children are up-to-date on their routine vaccinations.

“Children who may have missed or skipped vaccinations may be at an increased risk of diseases, which can be serious,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “It is important to stay on track with well-child visits and recommended vaccination schedules. Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your children are up to date on their routine vaccinations.”

For more information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent, visit these resources:

• Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule
• Vaccines for Your Children
• The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Parenting Website

For more information on GO Health’s Immunization Clinics, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also contact your respective health department:

• Genesee County – 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@co.genesee.ny.us
• Orleans County – 585-589-3278 or OCPublicHealth@orleanscountyny.gov

ALBION – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council wants a site in Orleans County for an art gallery and also as a base for cultural programs.

Gregory Hallock, the executive director of GO ART!, said the organization is looking to develop a site in Medina, a project that could be about $10 million.

Hallock said the agency will be reaching out to foundations and raising money through donors.

The agency isn’t releasing any plans or more specifics about the project right now, Hallock said on Saturday during an presentation for $210,000 in grants to 50 artists and organizations.

Hallock said GO ART! wants a vibrant arts program in both Genesee and Orleans. In addition to the project in Medina, Hallock said GO ART! will be looking to expand and modernize in Batavia. He expects the fundraising and development will be a major focus for the organization from 2024 to 2027.

“We’re going to have state-of-the-art everything,” he said.

Hallock said the program in Orleans has been helped through partnerships with the local libraries and the Orleans County YMCA. But he said a dedicated site that would offer classes and other programming is needed in Orleans County.

“We will be adding space in Medina,” he told a crowd of about 75 people on Saturday. “More details to come.”

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Society and Museum’s annual fundraising dinner this year will feature some very unique auction items, according to director Doug Farley and dinner chair Gail Johnson.

The fifth annual membership dinner is scheduled May 10 at the Carlton Recreation Hall, 1853 Oak Orchard Rd., Carlton. The evening begins with appetizers and cash bar at 5 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner at 6:15, catered by Zambistro’s.

Johnson was instrumental in starting the first membership dinner, after she and her late husband Lyle had chaired Duck’s Unlimited annual dinner for 25 years. Their goal for this year’s event is 150 attendees. Tickets are $60 each or $110 per couple and include annual membership dues.

Last year’s membership dinner raised $16,000 for the Cobblestone Society and Museum, and with work now to create the Thompson-Kast Visitors Center, Farley said they are hoping to raise $20,000 this year. The money raised will also help with ongoing operating expenses, including light, heat, water and insurance for the museum’s 10 buildings.

“We have a number of outstanding items donated for the live and silent auctions,” Johnson said.

These include two beautiful cedar chests, a vacation getaway package to Hilton Head Island, a year’s worth of lawn care by Jake Stinson, a vintage tea cart, cherry drop leaf table, a set of numbered Colonial Heritage collectible plates by Robert Franke and a catered lunch for 10 people at the Vagg House.

In this photo from September 2021, Doug Farley, left, director of the Cobblestone Museum, scans the audience for bids as retired Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower solicits offers on donated items.

Randy Bower will again volunteer as auctioneer for the live auction, something at which he is very good at and enjoys, Farley said. Almost 30 items are included in the live auction.

Other features include a money tree raffle, compliments of Shirley Bright-Neeper, a basket raffle and split club drawing.

While planning for the annual fundraising dinner, the Cobblestone Society is also busy developing plans for the new Visitors Center across the road. Farley said they are meeting with architects and making plans for the 100-person meeting room, entrance accessibility and handicap accessible restrooms.

“This requires a lot of planning and a lot of funds,” Farley said.

The annual membership dinner is a wonderful way to spend an evening, while supporting the Cobblestone Society and Museum, enjoying a delicious meal and having the opportunity to win wonderful prizes, Farley added.

He said there are still naming opportunities available for rooms in the Visitors Center.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office 

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that $15 million is available through the Home Energy Assistance Program to help vulnerable, low-income New Yorkers without air conditioning to stay cool during the heat of summer.

Overseen by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the program can provide an air conditioner to eligible households that include someone who has a documented medical condition exacerbated by extreme heat, or households with young children, or older adults.

“The cooling assistance program is a vital lifeline for countless New York families who often face prohibitively expensive cooling costs when temperatures inevitably rise,” Governor Hochul said. “As temperatures rise across the state, we are committed to ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged households have the means to stay safe, comfortable, and cool in their own homes.”

To qualify for the federally funded program, applicants must meet HEAP eligibility criteria and income thresholds, which vary by household size, and include at least one member of the household that suffers from a medical condition worsened by extreme heat, or is under age 6, or over age 60. For example, a household of four can earn up to $65,829 a year, or $5,485 per month, and still qualify for assistance.

The program covers the cost of an air conditioning unit and installation. Up to 18,500 households are expected to be served throughout the state.

Applications for cooling assistance will be accepted starting Monday, May 1, through August 31, or until funding runs out. Assistance is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Residents outside of New York City may apply by contacting their local departments of social services by phone or in person. (The Orleans County DSS can be reached at 585-589-3182.) Click here to see links to all the DSS offices in the state.

Last year, for the first time, eligibility for cooling assistance was expanded by dropping the medical requirement and more than 23,500 households received assistance. Eligibility requirements were adjusted again this year to prioritize serving the most vulnerable households – those that include someone with a medical condition exacerbated by heat, or young children, or older adults.

New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz said, “Extremely hot and humid weather can put some of our most vulnerable fellow New Yorkers, including those with medical conditions, older adults, and young children, in grave danger. Anyone who may be eligible is encouraged to apply for this potentially lifesaving assistance as soon as possible.”

New York State Office for the Aging Acting Director Greg Olsen said, “Extreme heat poses a major health and safety risk to older adults, especially those with chronic health conditions. Air conditioners can be a lifeline during increasingly common heat waves. I encourage all eligible older adults in need to apply for the HEAP cooling assistance benefit to prepare for the summer months ahead. Local offices for the aging stand ready as a resource to help older adults in the application process.”

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – In a cool joint venture, students in the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center’s Welding, Electricity/Electronics and Auto Body worked together to help out with a project for a local small business.

The Olcott Yacht Club needed assistance with repairing a steamer table. Teachers Adam Zerby and Ron Jackson (Welding), teacher Bill Leggett (Electricity/Electronics) and Amanda Baker (substitute Auto Body teacher) asked students to volunteer to work on the table.

The students stepped up and did a great job repairing it to help them in time for the upcoming summer season.

Local funding from state regrant program doubles from last year

Photos by Tom Rivers: Gregory Hallock (right), executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council greets about 75 people during an announcement on Saturday for $210,000 in grants to local arts programs. He is joined at Hoag Library in Albion by Mary Jo Whitman (left), the education and Statewide Community Regrant Program coordinator; and Jodi Fisher (center), the GO ART! administrative assistant.

ALBION – Local artists and organizations will see a big increase in funding for cultural programming this year. The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council on Saturday presented grants totaling $210,000 to about 50 different organizations, municipalities and artists for events and projects.

That is about double the $107,800 from a year ago and triple the $70,000 in decentralization grants from the state in 2019.

There was more money available from the state through the Statewide Community Regrant Program. GO ART! has shown it can administer the funding, and the two local counties have shown there is demand for the programs, said Gregory Hallock, GO ART! executive director.

He addressed about 75 people on Saturday at Hoag Library, when the checks were distributed for the programs.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal to get this kind of money to give out,” he said.

GO ART! officials on Saturday presented checks for $210,000 to about 50 different artists, community organizations and municipalities to support cultural programs in 2023. The funding was presented to about 75 people at the Hoag Library in Albion. Last year there was $107,800 available.

The result is bigger grants – up to $5,000 – for many of the projects, and some first-time recipients.

The Statewide Community Regrant Program is funded through the New York State Council on the Arts. Money is available in all 62 counties with funding regranted by local arts agencies through a peer panel funding process. The Statewide Community Regrant Programs consists of 3 different grants – Reach, Ripple and Spark.

REACH: The GO ART! Community Arts Grants (Reach Grants) provide seed grants to individual artists, collectives and arts organizations for projects and activities that enable Genesee and Orleans communities to experience and engage with the performing, literary, media, and visual arts. Each year the program supports arts projects, including concerts, performances, public art, exhibitions, screenings, festivals, workshops, readings and more.

Veronica Morgan accepts a grant for $5,000 to go towards the “I was a ‘Hoggee’ on the Erie Canal” program planned for Oct. 6-7 which will include a canal boat in Orleans County, artists and other entertainers.

ORLEANS COUNTY REACH GRANTEES

• Albion Merchants Association – Concerts on the Canal, $5,000
• Cobblestone Society & Museum – Cobblestone Museum Arts Series, $5,000
• Friends of Boxwood Cemetery – Boxwood at Night, $4,160
• Hoag Library – Hoag Music Series, $5000
• Howard Barry (Community Free Library) – Myron Holley Erie Canal Mural, $5,000
• Lee-Whedon Memorial Library – Finally Fridays! Concert series, $3,200
• Lyndonville Lions Club – I Hear the Music, $5,000
• Orleans County Historical Association – Multidisciplinary Live History Event, $5,000
• Veronica Morgan – I was a “Hoggee” on the Erie Canal, $5,000
• Vette (Albion Merchant Association) – Albion Summer Concert, $4,768
• Village of Albion – Bridging the Village Music Series, $5,000
• Village of Holley – Concerts at the Canal, $3,000
• Yates Community Library – More than Just Books, $5,000

Tony Barry, an artist from Holley, receives a grant to paint a mural on the back of the Community Free Library building. The mural will be in an Erie Canal theme, and will include a portrait of Myron Holley, the village’s namesake and an early champion of the canal.

GENESEE COUNTY REACH GRANTEES:

• Batavia Business Improvement District – Jackson Square Concert Series, $5,000
• Batavia Concert Band – Batavia Concert Band Summer Concert Series, $3,231
• Batavia Development Corp – Murals in the Batavia City Centre, $2,800
• Batavia Players, Inc. – 2023 Theater Season, $5,000
• Bergen Historical Society – Holiday Mural Panels, $4,286
• Bill & Kay McDonald – Homegrown Concert Series, $5,000
• Brian Kemp (Batavia Business Improvement District) – TableTop ArtShow, $5,000
• Byron-Bergen Public Library – Enriching lives through the Arts, $4,954
• David Burke (Warrior House of WNY) – The Goose Community Center Indoor Mural, $2,500
• Elba Betterment Committee – EBC Presents Art Around Town (Again), $5,000
• Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden – Artistic Interpretive Panels, $5,000
• Gillam-Grant Community Center – Community Art Adventure, $4,849
• Genesee Chorale, Inc. – Genesee Chorale 2023 Season, $5,000
• Genesee Symphony Orchestra – Concert Series, $5,000
• GLOW OUT! – Pride Festival, $4,500

Sara Vacin, executive director of GLOW Out, said a grant will help fund the GLOW Pride Fest on June 9 in Batavia.

• Haxton Memorial Library – Talented Thursdays, $5,000
• Heather Davis (St. Mark’s Episcopal Church) – Opera on the Oatka, $1,500
• Holland Land Office Museum – Guest Speaker & Concert Series, $3,500
• Hollwedel Memorial Public Library in Pavilion – Shake on the Lake Presents William Shakespeare, $5,000
• Michelle Cryer (Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden) – Batavia Water Storage Tank Mural, $2,800
• Oakfield Betterment Committee – Oakfield Labor Daze, $5,000
• St. Mark’s Episcopal Church – Music at St. Mark’s, $2,970
• Thera Sanchez (Habitat for Humanity) – Batavia’s Gold Mural, $3,000
• Warrior House of WNY – Learning Through Art, $5,000
• William Peterson (Batavia Players) – Everyone Has a Story, $5,000
• Woodward Memorial Library – Art All Year, $5,000

RIPPLE: The GO ART! Individual Artist Commission (Ripple Grant) supports local, artist-initiated activity, and highlights the role of artists as important members of the community. The Commission is for artistic projects with outstanding artistic merit that work within a community setting.

ORLEANS COUNTY RIPPLE GRANTEES:

• Eric Weatherbee – The Humble Bard Presents, $2,500

GENESEE COUNTY RIPPLE GRANTEES:

• Eric Zwieg – Passenger: A Billion Little Pieces – Postmodern Reflections, $2,500
• David Burke – Harvester Center Hallway Mural, $2,500
• William Schutt – Connecting Hands Connecting Communities, $2,500
• Joshua Lang – On Dreams, $2,500

Alex Fitzak, a member of the band Vette, accepted a grant on behalf of an Albion concert series organized by the Albion Merchants Association.

SPARK: The Arts Education Program (Spark Grant) supports arts education projects for youth and/or senior learners. Emphasis is placed on the depth and quality of the creative process through which participants learn through or about the arts. Projects must focus on the exploration of art and the artistic process.

ORLEANS COUNTY SPARK GRANTEES:

• Patricia Greene (Orleans County Chamber of Commerce) – Art Experiences for Seniors, $5,000
• Judd Sunshine (Lyndonville Central School District) – Erie Canal Songwriting Project, $3,300

GENESEE COUNTY SPARK GRANTEES:

• Genesee County Youth Bureau – Re:Creation (Drawings of Nature), $3,200
• Strength in Numbers Organization Inc. – Strength In Numbers Organization Youth Music Program, $5,000
• Linda Miranda Fix (Batavia Central School District) – #kindness,empathy&you mural, $5,000
• Laura Jackett (Byron-Bergen Public Library) – Art Workshops at the Libraries, $5,000

Todd Bensley, one of the leaders of Friends of Boxwood, accepts a grant to support the Boxwood at Night event this summer at Boxwood Cemetery in medina. Boxwood is a first-time recipient of a GO ART! grant. The Boxwood at Night includes a cemetery tour, ghost walk and music.