‘I’ve enjoyed all these years with the patients. It’s hard to say good bye.’

Photos by Tom Rivers: Dr. Mark Rumble is retiring at the end of this month after 37 years as dentist in Albion. He said he is happy he has worked in a small-town environment for his career.

ALBION – A dentist will be retiring the end of April after providing dental care to the Albion community for 37 years.

Dr. Mark Rumble said he has enjoyed his career in Albion, forming many friendships with his patients over the years. He didn’t want to be in a big practice where he said it’s a less personal environment.

“I’ve enjoyed all these years with the patients,” Rumble said Monday at his office in the Arnold Gregory Office Building. “It’s hard to say good bye.”

Rumble is a native of Randolph in Cattaraugus County. It is a smaller community than Albion. Rumble in 1986 bought the practice of the late Dr. David Hesek. After he died of cancer, Rumble was helping out at the practice. Hesek’s widow encouraged him to buy the practice and Rumble agreed, choosing Albion over a practice in Rochester.

“I’m from a small town,” he said. “I’m still a small-town guy. It’s been a good fit.”

Rumble has three operatories at 243 S. Main St., suite 121. He has embraced technology with the latest advances in digital and ceramic technology, including a CEREC machine, soft tissue laser and digital X-rays.

Rumble said he tries to use humor and compassion to make what can be a stressful and scary time for patients a bit easier. He also has lots of plants in the office to make it feel more comfortable for the patients.

He praised his staff for their dedication. That includes Jennifer Fitzwater as the dental assistant, Sue Flanagan as the hygienist, and Terry O’Brien as the front desk manager.

“It’s gone by quick,” Rumble said about the 37 years. “You establish a relationship over the years. The small-town patients, they are just nicer. I feel like I fit in.”

Dr. Jeremy Brandwein will be taking over as the dentist in Albion at Dr. mark Rumble’s practice. Brandwein has been working with Rumble since January. “He is very friendly,” Rumble said about Brandwein. “He is great with the patients. His personality fits right in.”

Dr. Jeremy Brandwein will take over as the dentist at Rumble’s practice. Brandwein, 31, has been working with Rumble since January.

Brandwein is a Queens native. His wife is from Toronto. They live in Rochester as a halfway point between their families.

Brandwein earned his dental degree at Touro College of Dental Medicine in Valhalla in 2021. He was networking in Rochester among dentists, and he was encouraged to meet Rumble. The word was out in the Rochester dental community that Rumble was retiring.

Brandwein said he has enjoyed the past three months with Rumble and the Albion community. Even though he is a New York City native, Brandwein said he prefers working in a smaller practice in a smaller community.

“In a big city, it’s high volume,” he said. “People are people and you want to help people wherever they are. Here it’s about bringing a quality of care and a personal touch.”

Rumble said Brandwein has already made a smooth transition to Albion.

“He is very friendly,” Rumble said. “He’s great with the patients. His personality fits right in.”

Brandwein is accepting new patients.

With Rumble’s retirement, he will be the last of his contemporaries to retire in Albion. For many years in his career the other dentists in town included Dr. Karl Heuer, Dr. Don Bishop and Dr. A.J. Monacelli. They have all retired. Rumble said the four enjoyed a good working relationship among each other.

He is looking to the next stage in his life.

“I’m getting tired of Western New York winters,” he said. “I’m leaving to go to warmer shores.”

Local pen-rearing project reaches 25^th anniversary

Photos by Tom Rivers

POINT BREEZE – Little Chinook salmon fingerlings head into a one of the pens where they will spend the next month getting bigger in the Oak Orchard River.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation delivered 126,330 Chinook salmon and 10,000 steelhead today just after 1 p.m. The salmon numbers were increased by 10 percent from a year ago after the DEC determined the lake could handle more salmon.

They will be raised for a month in pens at Ernst Lake Breeze Marina. They fish will double in size, which increases their survival rates and also allows them to imprint on the river, meaning they are more likely to come back to the Oak Orchard when they are much bigger, mature fish.

The pens have automated feeders with food provided by the DEC.

This group helps line up and support an interconnected pipe, guiding the fish from the DEC truck to the pens in the water.

A group of charter boat captains and other volunteers will keep an eye on the fish in the next month.

Bob Songin, a charter boat captain who is second from left, has been with the pen-rearing since it started 25 years ago in 1998.

At the time it was a pilot project with 50,000 Chinook and 5,000 steelhead. The group at Oak Orchard and the DEC showed the pen-rearing projects can be successful, leading to more mature fish and happier anglers who fish in the lake in the summer and the tributaries in the fall.

Ed Shepherd from the DEC’s Altmar hatchery gets ready to release the fish from a tank on the truck through the pipes to the pen.

The fish delivery on April 3 is believed to be the earliest shipment. Bob Songin said they are usually delivered around April 10. He said the fish got bigger at the hatchery ahead of schedule, likely from the warmer-than-normal waters from a winter with above-average temps.

Joe Grolling of Carlton was among the volunteers helping with the fish delivery today.

Some of the little salmon didn’t make it to the pen when the pipe’s interconnection failed. These people scrambled to pick up the fish and get them into buckets to be put in the pens. Many younger kids were on hand with no school in session. Those kids were quick to pick up the fish.

It was a community effort to work with the DEC to get the fish from the truck to the pens.

Press Release, Mercy Flight EMS

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mercy Flight EMS has been operating COVA ambulance based out of Albion and Hamlin since mid-November.

ALBION – A process that began nearly six months ago to the day has culminated in a successful expansion of territory for Mercy Flight EMS.

As of Friday, March 31, upon approval by the NYS Department of Health, Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance’s (COVA’s) Certificate of Need was officially transferred to Mercy Flight EMS. This allows the nonprofit to operate ground ambulance service in all of Orleans County and the Town of Hamlin, in addition to its existing territories of Genesee and Niagara Counties, and the Town of Concord and Village of Springville in Erie County.

“Until last Friday we’ve been operating in Orleans County and the Town of Hamlin under an agreement with COVA that allowed us to hire all of their former employees and staff their ambulances,” said Scott Wooton, Mercy Flight’s Executive Vice President. “Now, we can continue to provide high-quality, nonprofit EMS services in these particular municipalities in our own right.”

Operationally it is a “cosmetic change” as Mercy Flight looks to add its branding to the COVA ambulances and outfit the former COVA employees in Mercy Flight EMS uniforms, Wooton said. “But as an organization, it validates what we aim to do and the manner in which we try to do it,’” he said. “We believe that patient-focused, compassionate, nonprofit ambulance service can thrive, even in rural communities where limited access to healthcare can be a major risk factor for residents.”

Mercy Flight’s agreement with COVA was effective at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13. Mercy Flight will provide ground ambulance service under COVA’s NYS Department of Health “Certificate of Need,” said Scott P. Wooton, executive vice president and treasurer for COVA.

Mercy Flight President Margaret Ferrentino adds, “We’d like to thank the Big Lakes and Monroe-Livingston Regional EMS Councils as well as the NYS DOH Bureau of EMS for their work and diligence during the application process. Just as importantly, we’d like to recognize COVA for over 40 years of dedicated service to their community and their efforts to ensure that the residents of Central Orleans County experienced no lapse in ambulance coverage. We are really proud to have been able to hire COVA’s dedicated employees and pick up the torch that they’d been carrying for over four decades.”

Editor’s Note: Mercy Flight EMS started officially operating COVA on Nov. 15, 2022. That includes the operations in Orleans County based in Albion and in Hamlin, Monroe County. COVA has about 16-20 employees working out of the COVA base in Albion, and about 15 out of Hamlin.

Six towns in central and eastern Orleans have a contract with Monroe Ambulance to provide ambulance services in Orleans during 2023 for $181,200. Monroe will start on April 16 with two dedicated ambulances to eastern/central Orleans County.

LYNDONVILLE – Modern Disposal picks up garbage and recyclables for about 15,000 residential sites in Orleans County.

The company faces a challenge at about 10 percent of the sites, properties along some of narrow private roads. Modern can’t easily get its larger trucks down those roads, which tend to be in the lakeshore communities in Yates, Carlton and Kendall. There is also one in Barre on Rice Road.

Often there are branches projecting towards the road that can scratch and damage the $400,000 garbage trucks. Or the roads may be muddy and not have adequate turnarounds, Modern officials told local government leaders last week.

On garbage collection days for communities with the private lanes, the company will use two larger garbage trucks and three pickup trucks with a hopper and lift. But those pickup trucks only have space to collect garbage from about 12 to 15 of the sites. Then the driver of those trucks has to hunt down a larger garbage truck to transfer that trash, and then they go back to the private road for another fill. The big trucks can hold enough garbage from about 800 residential sites.

Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer, speaks during last week’s Orleans County Association of Municipalities when town, village and county officials discussed the garbage collection challenges on the narrow lanes. Dennis Moriarty, seated, is the vice president of collection operations for Modern.

Using the satellite pickup trucks is not efficient. It requires more staff, more vehicles and much more time, Modern officials said.

“This has gone on for years,” said Dennis Moriarty, vice president of collection operations for Modern. “We’d like a resolution. We’d like to solve it.”

There could be collection points, perhaps with dumpsters in some of the areas with private roads. Residents would have to bring their garbage and recycling to those spots. It would be a lot more effort for them.

Not all private roads are too small for the trucks or lacking in a turnaround. Moriarty said some of the roads have the branches cut back. They are wide enough and there are spots for the trucks to turnaround. He said Kendall in particular has done a good job making the roads usable for the bigger trucks.

But many of the private lanes in Carlton and Yates are too difficult for the garbage trucks. Moriarty said sometimes the trucks go down the roads, and a second employee hops out of the truck to help the driver back up a half mile or more. That is not a safe situation for the Modern employees, having to back up a 40-foot-long truck for a long distance, Moriarty said.

Those trucks are also 13 feet wide and need a 30-foot-turning radius.

He wants to work with the towns to compile a breakdown of the current conditions, which of the private roads could be improved so the larger trucks could use them.

Modern is nearing the end of a five-year agreement for the garbage and recycling collection in the county. The contract expires the end of this year. Moriarty said the company wants to continue in Orleans, but wants the local officials, especially in the three lakeshore towns, to work with residents to improve the private roads.

Otherwise, there could be a two-tiered rate schedule, with the residents on some private roads paying more.

“I don’t really think it’s fair for everyone to subsidize a small portion of the population,” said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.

Welch and Modern Disposal leaders discussed the challenge last week during a meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities which includes officials from town, village and county officials. Welch said they wanted the issues out there well before the contract expired at the end of the year to give the community several months to work on the issues with some of the private roads. Welch estimated the issue on the private affects about 1,500 residential sites out of the 15,000 total in the county.

Tony Cammarata, the Kendall town supervisor, said the private roads residents won’t be happy if they are required to pay more than the rest of the county.

“If it’s a two-tiered system you watch the fireworks explode,” he said.

But Welch said it’s only fair if those properties require more trucks and more expense from Modern. Welch said Kendall has done the most to keep the private roads up to standard not only for garbage trucks, but for school buses and fire trucks.

Cammarata offered praise for the garbage collection program in the county, where the county administers the contract and residents are billed $216 annually as part of their county taxes. Cammarata said it’s great deal for the local residents and a program the county should brag about. In many other communities outside Orleans there are multiple trash haulers and residents are paying a much-higher price.

Looking into the not-too-distant future, Modern Disposal officials said the company is looking to automate more of the collection. They move to the larger 96-gallon tote for recycling totes in June 2019. They are picked up with an automated arm on the trucks and unloaded with an employee having to leave the truck.

Modern Disposal said the industry is shifting to those larger totes also for garbage collection. It is more efficient, and safer for employees. But it also requires adequate space on a road.

The company also has a couple garbage trucks that are all-electric. Moriarty said they have enough charge for about six hours of use. That is enough to serve some of Niagara County near the company’s landfill and base near Lewiston. But the Orleans trucks are run about 10 hours a day. Moriarty said the electric vehicles need to make advancements before there is a larger changeover to all-electric.

The company is transitioning to more green energy, he said. About 40 percent of the fleet is powered by compressed natural gas, instead of diesel. That has helped insulate the company from some of the price hikes with gas, Moriarty said.

Regarding the garbage collection on the private roads, Welch said there are six to eight months for those communities to discuss how to either improve their roads and possibility put in a turnaround, or consider spots for a dumpster for residents.

Moriarty said the company is committed to finding a solution for all of the residents.

“We want everybody’s trash to get picked up,” he said. “We want to make this as easy as possible.”

‘Sedimental Journey’ goes to Medina Sandstone sites in Orleans, Rochester, Palmyra, Canandaigua and Clifton Springs

Photo by Tom Rivers: Michael Miano of Middleport takes a photo of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion on April 29, 2018 as part of the first bus tour of local sites that are in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame. The Medina Sandstone Society organized the tour and had a sell-out with 30 people riding the bus.

The Medina Sandstone Society is excited to announce the return of its Medina Sandstone bus tour, an event that had been discontinued due to the Covid pandemic.

The Sonnenberg Manor in Canandaigua was inducted in to the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame in 2016 and will be featured in an upcoming bus tour on May 16.

For the first time since 2019, the Medina Sandstone Society will sponsor a bus tour May 16 to visit some of the magnificent structures in Orleans County, Rochester, Wayne County and Ontario County that made of Medina Sandstone. All of the sites on the tour have been inducted into the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame, which was established in 2013.

A 47-passenger bus will leave the Medina City Hall at 8:30 a.m. and return at 4 p.m. Stops will include Holy Family Parish in Albion’s Courthouse Square, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rochester, the former St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester, Zion Episcopal Church in Palmyra, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Clifton Springs and Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua.

A stop for lunch will be at Warfield’s Restaurant in Clifton Springs, a restaurant and event center with beautiful gardens for guests to enjoy, according to Kathy Blackburn, a member of the Sandstone Society. There will also be time to tour the mansion at Sonnenberg in Canandaigua, she said.

Cost is $90 per person or $85 for stonecutters (who are members of the Sandstone Society) and includes lunch.

Reservations are due by May 5 by sending a check to the Medina Sandstone Society, P.O. Box 25, Medina; or by Paypal at Sandstonesociety.org. Include e-mail and contact information with reservation.

Commentary along the way will be provided by Bill Lattin, former Orleans County historian, and Dave Miller, a member of the Medina Sandstone Society’s Hall of Fame committee.

There are 35 sites included in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame. For more information on the Hall, click here.

ALBION – Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has been notified of an award of $13,846 to Orleans County in federal funds for emergency food and shelter programs through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as appropriated by Congress through FY2022.

The announcement came from Jeanette Worsley, case manager and health coach at Community Action in Albion.

Applications are due from qualified organizations by April 14.

The National Board consists of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Salvation Army and United Way Worldwide. More information about the national program is available online at www.efsp.unitedway.org.

According to Worsley, a local board is charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help supplement food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country. The local board will determine how the funds awarded to Orleans County are to be distributed among local qualifying agencies.

The Orleans County Emergency Food and Shelter Program board is encouraging local agencies that meet requirements to apply for the funds. Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must (1) be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, (2) be eligible to receive federal funds, (3) have an adequate accounting system, (4) practice non-discrimination, (5) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs and (6) if they are a private voluntary organization, have an active voluntary board of directors.

Non-profit organizations or public agencies interested in applying for funding may contact Worsley, local board chair, at (585) 589-5605, Ext. 105 or via e-mail at JWorsley@caoginc.org.

Provided photos: Members of the Iroquois Job Corps who attended a basketball tournament in North Grafton, Mass. on March 25.

Contributed by Candace Pitts, Iroquois Job Corps Work-Based Learning coordinator

MEDINA – A dozen students from the Iroquois Job Corps Center participated in the first basketball tournament for Job Corps since the pandemic. The students and three staff members arrived last week at the Job Corps in Grafton, Mass.

Jahmier Sellers (#24) and Dashawn Silas (#2) are shown in action.

The Iroquois students recently put in many practices with their coach, Ashtin Fiegel, who is also the Recreation Supervisor at Iroquois Job Corps. He had been working effortlessly with the Iroquois Job Corps team to prepare them for the tournament, said Candace Pitts, work-based learning coordinator at Iroquois Job Corps.

Unfortunately, Pitts said Iroquois suffered a loss against the South Bronx Job Corps 55-16. In the second game, IJCC players came back to defeat Shriver Job Corps by 28-18.

Their win was well-earned, Pitts said, as the players were less anxious and more focused on a win, which sent them into an evening game bracket to play yet another game at 6 p.m.

All IJCC players went into their third game with determination and dedicated effort, playing a very tough game against Hartford Job Corps, with amazing defense, rebounds and, overall, a lot of awesome plays, Pitts said. The two teams battled back and forth on the court, with Hartford victorious at 43-33.

Pitts said the IJCC players were commended for displaying a positive attitude, respectful behaviors and showing appreciation for this opportunity.

Students who attended the tournament were Jamaul Jackson, Jahmier Sellers, Zeyvion Moore, Dashawn Silas, Dayzelles Cain, Quintin Mitchell, Jeron McCammon, Anthony Cruz, Giovanne Wilkinson, Amber Robertson, Josh Espinal and Jakie McMahan.

ALBION – Today is the deadline for candidates to submit petitions to run for a trustee spot on the Hoag Library board of trustees.

Petitions signed by at least 25 adults in the library’s services area – towns of Barre, Albion, Gaines and Carlton – need to be submitted to the circulation desk by 7 p.m. today.

The position open is the trustee post currently filled by Joyce Riley.

The election will be May 1 from noon to 7 p.m. with results announced at the Hoag Library annual meeting.

Photos courtesy of Medina Mustang Band Boosters: The Medina varsity winter guard team is shown in a group photo. The team performed a show entitled, “Mission: Graduate.”

Press Release, Medina Mustang Band Boosters

GATES – The Northeast Colorguard Circuit held the 2023 championships on Saturday at the Gates-Chili High School.

The Northeast Colorguard Circuit is a governing body for visual performing art competitions in Western NY.  Founded in 1988 they organize and host competitions from January thru March each year. This year’s championship involved 22 guard units from NYS, PA and Canada and drew approximately 600 spectators.

Medina’s Varsity guard competed in the SA class and came in 5th place with a score of 79.72, bested by Orchard Park in 1st with 87.89, followed by Victor in 2nd at 85.80, Jamestown in 3rd with 83.30 and Lancaster in 4th at 83.07.

Medina’s JV guard competed in the Cadet class and came in 3rd place with a score of 71.68, bested by Victor in 1st with 74.21, followed by Jamestown in 2nd with73.76. Batavia was 4th with 66.47.

Medina’s JV winter guard team earned a third place finish.

Winners in the other classification were Ventures Cadets in the Novice class; in RA class, Gates in 1st place with 82.41; in A1 class, Gates in 1st with 79.73; in IA class, Gates in 1st with 90.15; in SR class, Luminosa was the only competitor and scored 92.56.

The Heritage Hurricanes are an all-abilities colorguard comprised of performers from the Heritage Christian Services and community members in the Rochester area. They performed in exhibition and while not scored they received Grand Champion 2023.

Northeast Colorguard Circuit also issued several awards in memory of individuals who had been active with the organization for many years. They also granted four scholarships again in memory of past participants.

Now that the winter guard season is done the Medina Marching Band will begin preparing for their spring season which will include parades and competitions in various festivals. Their parade music will include a number of pieces from Chuck Mangione.

Family found century-old bottles in 1967 while exploring disused cider mill on Wilkins Road

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian 

Illuminating Orleans, Vol. 3, No. 12

BARRE – This photograph which is attributed to Don Cook appeared in the Journal-Register on May 15, 1968. Sharlene, Darlene, Donna and Fonda Wilkins show the unusual bottles they found on their farm on the Wilkins Road in the Town of Barre.

A previous column referenced the sulphur water found in Barre which was promoted for its alleged curative properties during the mid to late 1800s. It transpires that champagne – a much more palatable brew – was also produced in Barre around the same time.

This discovery came to light in 1967 when the Wilkins sisters were exploring a disused cider mill on their family farm on the Wilkins Road and discovered unusually shaped bottles. Using reference books from the then newly built Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina, they determined that these were champagne bottles. Helen Mathes, Town of Barre Historian at the time, confirmed that a John Remele had produced cider and champagne at his cider mill on their property.

This “champagne” was a fermented cider that had been matured in vats and then bottled to produce effervescence. While the French claimed to have developed champagne in the 1600s, the English asserted their claim to the beverage as they developed the thicker glass necessary for bottling it. Regular glass cannot be used for champagne as the build-up of carbon-dioxide causes it to explode. The distinctive indent at the base of champagne bottles which allows for a more even distribution of pressure can be attributed to German ingenuity.

This map from 1875 shows that apples, peaches, plums and quince trees were cultivated in the vicinity of the Remele farm.

John Remele (also Remley/Remelee) was born in Tyringham, MA on November 25, 1827. In 1850, by the age of 23, John had established residence in Barre. He married Martha A Page, also from Massachusetts, in 1854. The majority of those who settled Orleans County were from New England.

The 1869 Directory lists John Remele of Millville in the Town of Barre as living on R.2, Lot 54, a farmer with 50 acres of land, proprietor of a cider mill and a dealer in small fruits.

John was a member of the Fruit Growers Association of Orleans County and in 1876 was a member of a committee which advocated the adoption of the 100-quart barrel as the standard barrel for apple storage.

The Remeles had four daughters, two of whom died when young: Kittie, aged 6 on Jan 3, 1869, and Nannie, aged 3, on Jan. 18, 1869. Many families at that time experienced the loss of one or more children to infectious diseases.

John died in 1901 and Martha, his wife, in 1904. They are buried in Millville Cemetery. The Remele plot and headstone also includes Jonathan L. Root and his wife Nancy, who was a half-sister of Martha’s. They both hailed from Massachusetts also and had farmed nearby in Barre.

The next owner of the Remele property was part of a new wave of farming settlers. In the early 1900s, many English people – particularly from the Norfolk area – came to settle and farm in Orleans County. John Wilkins immigrated in 1909 at the age of 24. His wife, Jessie Slater, was also from Norfolk. They are first listed at the Wilkins Road property in 1915. Ownership of the farm continued to their son, Arthur, father of the young explorers who discovered the champagne bottles.

The history of the Remele/Wilkins farm and of the Wilkins Road area reflects patterns of change in agriculture in Orleans County. Settlers first from New England and later from England quietly worked the land which is still owned by their descendants. Fruit farming predominated at first. Cabbage, pumpkins, string beans, soybeans, wheat, and corn have been produced there over the years. Farm operations have increased in size.

The Town of Barre proudly celebrated its agricultural heritage at the Sesquicentennial in 1968. The Wilkins sisters, wearing early American style dresses hand made by their mother, Mrs. Dawn Wilkins, displayed the champagne bottles used by the enterprising John Remele. Both the farm and the bottle collection are still owned by Wilkins family members.

Let’s go on an adventure together…. flash back to my first cruise!

A beach somewhere in Jamaica. Since I couldn’t find the photo album from the cruise, I found this representative photo on the internet.

My very first cruise….and my first major vacation….and my first time out of the country a few years ago when I was in my early 20s. I don’t remember the date and sadly can’t find the photo album (it must be packed away somewhere), but it was in January in the late 1970s – maybe 1978? So, just a few years ago. My great aunt Betty offered to take me on a cruise and I was thrilled at the chance. We planned and prepared and the anticipation built into a frenzy. I remember she came over one day and presented me with a gift. When I opened it, I found a new pair of adorable pajamas. I think that may have been the start of a lifelong habit of always purchasing a brand new pair of pajamas every time I plan a trip – it’s just something I always do and never really made the connection until I was recently remembering this trip with my aunt.

The cruise line she booked us on was Carnival and the ship was the Mardi Gras. It was a two week cruise with stops at Cozumel Mexico, Georgetown Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios Jamaica. We sailed out of Florida – don’t remember which port, but thinking it was Tampa. It took some getting used to being on a ship for the first time. After we left Cozumel, we sailed through a tropical storm – a bad one! The ship rocked and rolled and drastically pitched and we learned later that oil rigs near where we were sailing were evacuated. I was so ill. I learned on that first cruise that you should never go lie down when sea sick – a mistake I made that I will try to never make again. The best thing to do is stay out in the fresh air, if at all possible, and focus on the horizon. I also learned that apples and saltine crackers are the best things to eat when sea sick. Our room steward brought a basket of apples and saltines to the room for me when he heard I was ill. It was the only thing I could keep down. I am shocked I ever got on another cruise ship after that experience. But – once we got through the storm, it was smooth sailing and all was good, again. Luckily, I have never experienced rough seas to that extend since….so far….knock on wood!

In Cozumel, we shopped at a local market and visited a nearby beach. At night, we went to a dinner show – a traditional Mexican meal and folk dancers. It was amazing. The show included some flamingo dancers whose amazing talents caused me to be sorely disappointed in the flamingo dancers I saw in Barcelona years later.

Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands was gorgeous. We took a bus tour that took us all over the island. We visited a turtle farm and even spent some time in Hell! Hell is famous for its limestone and lava rock formations along the shoreline and even has a post office where you can have your post cards postmarked from Hell. Very interesting and bazaar sight for a young girl who had never seen anything like it before. I was surprised to see turtle meat on the menu at a restaurant where we had lunch. I didn’t try it.

I loved Jamaica. We docked in Ocho Rios. After shopping in the markets near the port, we hired a taxi to take us around to see the island. We must have been there two days – not sure – but that took a whole day and we also took a bus tour to Dunn’s River Falls, so I’m thinking we were there more than one day. We also spent some time on the beach where I tried conch – don’t remember if I liked it or not – and got the worst sunburn I’ve ever had in my life! For many years, I had a jar with white sand and shells from that beach. Sadly, it got broke and the sand was lost on my move back to Albion in 2011.

I loved my great aunt Betty and have been grateful to her for opening my eyes to the world through this cruise. I have been thinking a lot lately about going back to Jamaica. I had booked a cruise that had the same stops with the Royal Caribbean cruise line in May 2020 – it was leave out of Galveston, TX, but it got canceled due to Covid. I’ve also been looking at an all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay that I may do at some point. We’ll see if and when I ever get back to Jamaica so that I can do a blog post with all the details and photos.

Happy Adventuring!

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

Distracted driving has become a national epidemic – endangering passengers and others on the roadways.

Due to this danger, Orleans County Sheriff Christopher Bourke has announced the Sheriff’s Office will join forces with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other law enforcement agencies across the United States to actively enforce the “U Drive. U Text. U Pay. Campaign.” This high-visibility campaign runs from April 3-10.

According to NHTSA, there were 3,142 people killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2020. Texting while driving has become an especially problematic trend among younger drivers.

In fact, in 2020, 6 percent of people killed in teen (15-19) driving crashes died when the teen drivers were distracted at the time of the crash. Texting while driving is an illegal, ticketable offense. You could end up paying a hefty fine, and get points on your license.

If you are struggling to not text and drive:

• Activate your phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature
• Place your cell phone in vehicle trunk, glove box, or back seat
• Designate a passenger as a designated texter

For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.

‘We all know a lot of random stuff’

Provided photo: From left, WLVL host Derick Evans poses with Medina High School’s Alex Balaban, Dan Owen DeVera, Cole Hughes and adviser Jeff Dole. Medina defeated Starpoint on Tuesday night to win the championship for the second year in a row.

MEDINA – Medina High School’s trivia team won the Scholastic Bowl at Lockport’s WLVL on Tuesday, defeating Starpoint. This is the second championship in a row for Medina’s team, led by adviser Jeff Dole.

Schools participating in the Scholastic Bowl were Medina, Royalton/Hartland, Starpoint and Wilson. Other schools in the Scholastic Bowl were Akron, Lockport and North Tonawanda. The Scholastic Bowl competitions are held once a month in January, February and March. As winners, Medina received a trophy and $1,000 in prize money, which Dole said is used for material and food for their meets.

Members of Medina’s winning team were Cole Hughes, eighth grade; Alex Balaban, 11th grade; and Dan Owen DeVera, 12th grade.

The Masterminds are made up of teams from Albion, Pembroke, Holley, Elba, Kendall and Medina.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Medina High School’s Masterminds defeated Pembroke during a competition Friday at Medina High School. For Pembroke on the left are Matteo Sinclair, Kayla Reynolds, Amelia Geck and Emily Guilian. Medina’s team at right is Dan Owen DeVera, Alex Balaban, Henry Rigerman and Ryan Geiger. Scott Kroner, standing is in charge of the games and provides the questions, while Medina’s adviser Jeff Dole, seated in red, keeps score.

The teens are all big fans of trivia. Balaban said he reads a lot, watches the news and pays attention in class. They also practice once a week as a team.

As members of Medina’s Masterminds, the students all have different areas in which they excel. Hughes loves history. Balaban is well-read in history and politics, while DeVera is good in Shakespeare and literature.

“We all know a lot of random stuff,” Balaban said. “We try to have balance on our team.”

Adviser Jeff Dole said any student who is interested in trivia can participate in Masterminds. No one is turned away, he said. He has been their adviser since the 2013-14 school year.

Questions for their competitions are purchased from Scott Kroner of Rochester, who is in charge of the games. He runs games all over the state, Dole said. Questions are on dozens of subjects, including geography, customs, dance, disease, algebra, art, physics, politics, pop culture and ancient history.

Dole said parents are encouraged to attend their children’s competitions and he would like to see more people in the audience.

The second team to compete for Medina was, from left: Dan Owen DeVera, Alex Balaban, Lucas Wilkins and Joey Wolters.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – Michael Klepp and Darlene Hartway are at the booth for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday afternoon during the Chamber’s Home Garden and Outdoor Show.

Klepp, a nature teacher, gave a presentation about “Bountiful Butterflies” and the benefits of having pollinators in gardens.

Hartway is the executive director fo the Chamber. She said the event had a strong first day, despite a downpour in the afternoon.

There are 25 vendors at the show, up for 14 last year. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions.

The show continues today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. There is no admission charge.

Gertie Montulli greets the Easter Bunny (Michelle Wiseman in costume) in a booth set up by Best of Tymes Party Rentals.

Presenters today include Nancy Haas of Larkin Tree Care at noon, “Buying & Selling in 2023” by Mark Zambito of BHHS Zambito Realtors at 1 p.m., and “Weed Control” by master gardener Erica Joan Wanecki at 2 p.m.

The show includes a raffle to win a fully installed blooming garden designed by Preston Landscaping, with trees, shrubs and plants; a wooden bistro set; or a pair of gravity chaise lounges.

Aaron Preston, owner of Preston Landscaping in Albion, said he was glad to be back at the show. He said he gets many leads from potential customers during the two-day event, and is glad to answer questions from people about how to improve their property.

Preston provides landscaping and hardscaping services, and this year is promoting drip irrigation for people to care for their lawns and gardens.