Towns and villages have been at same amount since 2001

MEDINA – The Village Board says it’s long overdue for Medina to receive more of the local sales tax.

The sales tax has been on a big increase locally in recent years. It totaled $22.5 million in Orleans County in 2022, according to the state comptroller.

The county shares $1,366,671 of that with the 10 towns and four villages. They have been frozen at that level since 2001.

The Village of Medina was allocated $149,638 in sales tax in 2022 from the county.

Village officials say Medina provides many services to the community, from police and fire protection, to roads, snow plowing, parks and many other quality-of-life issues, and wants to keep making improvements.

However, it isn’t able to tap into more in the local sales tax because the County Legislature won’t change the revenue-sharing formula.

Mayor Mike Sidari said more of the sales tax would help to tamp down the village tax rates, which are among the highest in the Finger Lakes Region.

“We get hammered by our residents that our taxes are going up but we don’t get any help from the county,” Sidari said.

Orleans County’s sales tax revenue is up by $4.8 million or 27 percent in the past three years. In 2019, the sales tax collections were at $17.7 million, followed by $19.4 million in 2020, $21.8 million in 2021 and $22.5 million last year, according to the state comptroller’s office.

Richard Moy, the Clarendon town supervisor, is urging officials from all 10 towns and four villages in the county to press the Legislature to give more of the sales tax to the local municipalities.

The $1,366,671 to the towns and villages represents 6.1 percent of the total local sales tax in the county. Moy wants the county to get to 14 percent shared with the towns and villages. That’s the level the county was at in 1996, Moy said in a letter to town and village boards in the county.

At 14 percent that would more than double what the towns and villages are currently getting.

Medina officials want more of the money, but they also want more rationale from the county on why the amounts haven’t been increased since 2001.

Medina officials want a breakdown of where the sales tax is collected in the county by zip code. Trustee Tim Elliott believes Medina, with its many small and larger businesses, is a big sales tax generator for the county.

The community’s efforts to provide services and goods should be recognized and rewarded with more of the sales tax coming directly to the village.

“I think the legislators will give us a raise but I don’t think it’s what we want, and what we deserve,” he said.

MEDINA – The village is being recognized for the 16^th straight year as a “Tree City USA” for its ongoing commitment to plant trees in the village.

The Arbor Day Foundation notified Mayor Mike Sidari of the recognition “to honor its commitment to effective urban forest management.”

Medina has planted more than 1,000 trees in the past 20 years. The village meets the Tree City USA criteria with four requirements: a Tree Board or department; a tree care ordinance; and annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Medina has a Tree Board and also has formed a “Releaf Medina” to raise money to plant new trees to replace some of the older ones, especially at Boxwood Cemetery. The Tree Board helps to decides what kind and where trees can be planted and which need to be trimmed or cut down.

“Tree City USA communities see the positive effects of an urban forest firsthand,” Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, said in a news release. “The trees being planted and cared for by Medina are ensuring that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. Additionally, participation in this program brings residents together and creates a sense of civic pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education.”

MEDINA – Medina hosted the “Colorburst 2023” winter guard competition on Saturday with 19 guard units performing in the high school gym.

About 450 people attended the competition.

Here are the results:

• Exhibition: The Heritage Hurricanes is an all-abilities color guard comprised of members from the Heritage Christian Services and community members in the Rochester area. They were not scored.
• Novice: Ventures, which are not scored.
• Cadets: Victor in 1^st with a score of 66.21; Medina in 2nd at 60.72; Jamestown in 3rd with 59.73; and Batavia in 4th with 58.13.
• A1 class: Gates Chili in 1st with 71.47; Ventures in 2nd with 68.18
• RA class: Corning Painted Post in 1st at 71.89; Gates Chili in 2nd with 71.47; Marcus Whitman in 3rd with 68.44; Corry in 4th at 66.46.
• SA class: Orchard Park in 1st with 77.88; Victor in 2nd with 77.10; Lancaster in 3rd at 75.81; Jamestown in 4th with 73.32; and Medina in 5th at 71.71.
• IA class: Gates Chili was the only competitor and came in 1st with 82.47.
• Senior class: Luminosa earned 1st place with 85.41.

Medina’s next competition is March 25 in Jamestown and the championships are April 1 in Gates Chili.

Natalie Herbert of Medina and other winter guard members twirl the flags during Saturday’s competition. Medina performed a show called, “Mission: Graduate.”

The benefits of the winter guard program for participants include teamwork, fitness, timing, planning, responsibility, coordination, and goal-setting, according to the official program for the competition.

Here are some photos of the teams in the A1 and SA classes:

Ventures performed a program called “I’m a Believer.” The group performed to versions of the song by The Monkees, Smash Mouth, Bailey Pelkman, Neil Diamond and Weezer.

“It’s a mixed bag of fun, fast and pretty,” the Ventures said in describing the show.

The Gates Chili winter guard presented a show called “Journey Through The Sand.” The program featured a character who gets lost in the desert, and finds herself in a mirage of intrigue, fear and bliss. She finds herself longing for an oasis.

At the end of the program, the winter guard pulls on a long roll of blue to represent water.

The Victor varsity winter guard presented a show entitled, “Strings.” They performed songs from Pinnochio, and the Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Lancaster’s show for 2023 is called “Toxic,” which the group says “is a production of not-so-pure intentions.”

Lancaster concludes its program with a  flourish.

Orchard Park program is entitled “What About Us?” and speaks to the challenges facing students in an era of social media, school shootings, race riots, and a global pandemic.

Jamestown’s winter guard performed a program entitled, “Enough.” It speaks to questions that people ask themselves, whether they are strong enough, whether they can be that independent and “Who am I?”

Jamestown’s winter guard sent a message that people reach the conclusion: “I am strong,” “I am caring,” “I am confident” and “I am enough.”

Medina’s winter guard, with Olivia Kroening in front, starts its program.

Medina performed a program entitled, “Mission: Graduate.”

‘No matter where life takes you or what path you choose, you will always meet challenges,” the group states in its program. “That is the way life is. There are no guarantees, no matter how many things you do right or how many rules you follow, there will always be that fork in the road that makes you choose this way or that. Wherever you meet this place: Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.”

Press Release, Genesee Community College

BATAVIA – Area technology middle and high school students and teachers, along with the GCC ACE department and college community are working hard to prepare for the 14th GLOW Region Tech Wars!

The event will be held March 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at GCC’s Batavia Campus. The annual Tech Wars brings middle and high school students from all 24 of the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming (GLOW) region’s school districts together in teams to demonstrate their technical expertise through innovative, mind-expanding competitions.

This year’s students have chosen from close to 30 available competitions to showcase – and put to the test – some basic and some extremely intricate and innovative technology. Regardless of the event, all of the students enjoy the opportunity to see their hard work come to fruition. Tech Wars event details, rules and competition descriptions are available at techwarsgccny.org.

Tech Wars 2023 brings back some favorite events for high schoolers such as: Battlebot Soccer; the Regatta; Bridge; CO2 Cars; Logo Design; Sculpture; Onsite CAD Drawing and Reverse Engineering CAD; Skimmer Cars; Sumo Bots; Tractor Pull and Trebuchet; and Lumber Labyrinth.

Students can create robots to play soccer, sumo wrestle and do a tractor pull.

The 2023 event introduces the Mini-Bot competition and brings back Skimmer Cars and Technical Drawing for the middle schoolers as well as other legacy events such as Catapult; Paper Airplane; Rube Goldberg; and Sculpture. Back by popular demand for all participants is the Mystery Event which allows students to use their creativity and skills in an on-demand, timed situation.

Annually, Tech Wars also features STEAM Jam @ Tech Wars, an event held simultaneously for 3rd to 5th grade students from GLOW region schools. Over 100 students will participate in various team building and mind-stimulating activities that foster skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM). As an educational precursor to a future in technology, STEAM Jam participants will have the opportunity to observe the fun and exciting Tech Wars 2023 competitions.

Educational support for Tech Wars and STEAM Jam comes from the dedication, state-of-the art facilities and quality instruction in the GLOW region schools. Teachers share ideas and explore new technology and developments through both a Regional STEAM Teachers’ cohort and a Regional Tech Teachers’ Cohort.

Focused on local economic development, the newly established Regional Tech Teachers’ Cohort collaboratively cultivates relationships between the schools and local professionals to provide information sessions, field trips, school to work opportunities, and more to enhance student learning experiences. Through these experiences and relationships students begin to form goals and a vision for their own futures.

The efforts of programs like Tech Wars, STEAM Jam and the Cohorts are already making a difference with many thanks to community support. Tech Wars has been continually supported and the 2023 is yet again, presented with a record number of sponsors. Gold Sponsors: Amada Tool America, Inc; GCEDC; Glow with Your Hands; Graham Corporation; I.B.E.W. Local Union 86; LandPro Equipment; Liberty Pumps, Northeast Industrial Tech Inc. and Oxbo International. Silver and Bronze Sponsors: RTMA/FLYAP; Takeform; and the Varysburg Lions Club. The generosity of the Tech Wars sponsors enables the committee to present two scholarships per year to encourage graduating seniors to enter the technology and trade fields and potentially stay or return to the GLOW region with their skills.

“The support of local businesses and organizations in this region is second to none,” Ann Valento, director of ACE programs said. “Without these organizations and other generous local donors, Tech Wars would not be possible. Our local sponsors also serve as volunteers, judges, and spend their valuable time talking with students and inspiring entrepreneurial spirit. In addition, the businesses that participate in these events get an exclusive opportunity to meet and network with the future workforce in our community. We are beginning to see second generation participants which indicates our efforts are being actualized.”

Tech Wars is also proudly sponsored and hosted by Genesee Community College and its ACE (Accelerated College Enrollment) programs. The ACE team and the entire GCC community work diligently to provide a safe and appropriately-equipped environment to showcase the students’ technological skills and creativity.

Press Release, Catholic Charities

ALBION – Catholic Charities has moved the office down the street and is now housed at 106 S. Main St. inside the Holy Family Catholic Church office.

Services offered at the Albion site include emergency assistance, friendly phones, home visitation, and the Our Kids parent education and awareness program.

Catholic Charities is unable to accommodate walk-ins at this new site. Those in need of assistance should call 585-343-0614 to schedule an appointment.

MEDINA – Firefighters and Medina Village Board members gave the community a tour of the fire house on Sunday, showing tight quarters, eroding floors, cracking walls and other deficiencies.

The board is looking to put an addition on the firehall that can better accommodate the larger fire trucks. The village also needs to replace the 27-year-old ladder truck, said Mayor Mike Sidari.

The board expects to move forward soon with a plan for an addition on fire hall that would be approximately 62 feet, 8 inches by 88 feet, 8 inches. That addition, plus repairs to the existing fire hall, would be about $4.5 million, according to a report from the Barton & Loguidice firm.

The village will pursue no-interest or low-interest financing through the federal U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies, Sidari said.

The ladder truck barely has room to fit into the fire hall. That building was built in the 1930s and was originally used by the Department of Public Works. The original firehouse, where the ambulances are stored, was built in 1908 when the fire apparatus included steam engines pulled by horses.

The addition would be on the current fire hall on the west side in an area that is currently a parking lot. That addition is needed to house a new ladder truck. That truck could be $1.5 million. Fire Chief Matt Jackson said the lead time for a ladder truck is 39 to 42 months.

The village will need to seek bids on a new truck. Medina is looking to get a truck with a 100-foot-ladder, up from the current 75 feet.

The current truck is often in need of repair, and Mayor Sidari worries it may need to be taken out of service before a new one is ready.

The ladder truck goes out on about 350 calls a year, including about 40 for mutual aid. These are some of the most serious fires in western and central Orleans County.

Fire Chief Matt Jackson shows photos highlighting concerns in the fire hall and on the ladder truck during an open house and tour of the facility on Sunday. There will be tours offered again on Wednesday, March 15, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Fire Chief Matt Jackson said the current ladder truck poses safety concerns for Medina firefighters and other departments on mutual aid calls. The truck caught on fire responding to a call on Dec. 20, 2021 in the village.

He said the truck has many plumbing and electrical issues that have caused failure during “multiple fire operations.”

Other deficiencies include:

• cracked windshield unable to be replaced due to age
• alternator and starter have been replaced multiple times
• chronic fluid leaks causing the constant need for Speedy Dry
• chronic air pressure issues delay response while waiting for pressure to build
• chronic air pressure issues for cause catastrophic brake failure
• master discharge gauge not working, creating unknown pressure on hose lines
• front intake for water supply out of service due to age and deterioration

Chief Jackson noted that the National Fire Protection Association recommends that any fire apparatuses 15 years or older should be properly maintained. Any that are still in serviceable condition should eb placed in a reserved status.

That organization also states that any fire trucks older than 25 years should be replaced.

Chief Jackson showed how the current concrete floors in the 1930s fire hall are uneven and sinking. The new fire hall addition and repair project calls for taking out the old concrete floors and putting down new concrete.

The fire chief is urging the Village Board to act on the report from Barton & Loguidice, a firm that is recommending a 4,980-square-foot addition that would be 60 by 83 feet. That new space would allow Medina to would have room for modern ambulances and fire trucks, be ADA compliant, and meet the department’s needs for the next 50 to 100 years. It would also have space for potential female firefighters.

The design for the new hall addition would have bays that allow up to 14 feet clearance. The new ladder trucks are 12 feet to 12 feet, 6 inches in height.

Jackson detailed problems with the 1930s annex for the fire hall. The department moved into the space in the 1950s.

There are cracking walls, sinking floors, eroding floors, poor drainage, leaking sewage, and an unknown condition beneath the fire apparatus bays.

Jackson said there also is significant mold/sludge in the basement and near the furnace, and significant structural issues with the center walkway.

The building also has poor security that is easy to bypass, he said.

Chief Jackson shows where three ambulances are kept in the original 1908 fire hall. That area is cramped for modern ambulances and also has drainage issues.

If Medina puts on the fire hall addition, the larger fire trucks would go in that facility with the ambulances moved to the 1930s annex. The space where the ambulances are currently kept may be used to house the patrol cars for the police department, Mayor Sidari said.

Good morning! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up. And let’s start this day right… TOGETHER!

“I get by with a little help from my friends”  – The Beatles

Back in 2011 some members of my church decided to start a Couch to 5K program for the community called “Run 4 God”. Some of you may have participated as it was very popular at the time. The goal was to get people physically fit in time to finish The Strawberry Fest 5K. As the pastor I felt like I should be supportive and participate but, as someone who was out of shape and had never felt the desire to run without being chased, I was also dreading the process. Sure enough, it was a hard fought battle but come June I ran the race and even beat the Strawberry! And just like that I was hooked.

I continued to train with friends and increased my distance. By the end of the summer one of my favorite routes was to run from my home to Albion Free Methodist Church, which was exactly 3.1 miles (5K), where I would meet up with a friend to run the Strawberry Fest 5K route and then I would continue on back home. I actually enjoyed running longer distances enough that when some friends invited me to run the Hospice Dash Half-Marathon with them that September I accepted. I was feeling pretty confident having run 10 miles a couple of times already and figured one more 5K (13.1 miles total) added to the end wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

Fast forward to September 24th when I am running with a crowd through Fort Niagara exactly halfway to the finish line at exactly the 1 hr. mark. I was feeling fantastic and then, a little while later when the Runmeter App on my phone said I had hit the 10 mile mark ahead of schedule, I was even more elated! But then it happened, after running almost 2 miles more I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw the “You made it 10 Miles!” sign and realized that my app must have been malfunctioning. I still had 3.1 miles to go and it felt like forever. I just stood there feeling like my feet were stuck in tar and all of the thirst and pains I was able to ignore when I thought I was almost done overtook me and made it difficult to walk let alone run. Eventually I got moving again and sputtered along for the next couple of miles but when I still couldn’t see the finish line I stopped again feeling exhausted and discouraged. And that’s when my friends showed up. 

Having already finished the race well ahead of me my friends had run back to where I was and started cheering me on and telling me that the end wasn’t far off. As they ran side by side with me I picked up the pace and soon enough I was crossing the finish line with a still respectable 2:24 time. What my friends did for me was they gave me hope and they let me know that the end really was in sight which helped me to persevere and finish the race. (On a personal note – one of those friends was Wayne Burlison who finished his race not long after when he died from colon cancer. For anyone interested there is annual race run in his memory held on March 25th. Sign up here.)

Fast forward to last Saturday where I had the privilege of bringing some friends from the First Baptist Church in Medina, where I am currently the Interim-Pastor, to help out on the Hands 4 Hope Street Ministry Truck. For anyone not aware, H4H is a mission run by my good friend John “Jack” Burris and a trusty core of helpers, including Kevin Lemcke and Brian Stewart, where we drive the big blue truck to a different part of the County four Saturdays every month offering food, clothes, prayer, and HOPE. 

Yes… hope. Just like I needed others to come beside me to encourage me and let me know that I could make it to the end there are those in our own backyards and neighborhoods who may have hit some hard times and need to know that they are not alone—they are seen, they are cared for, they are prayed for, and they are loved. Offering hope to others isn’t often convenient, my friends found this out as we battled through the ice and snow from the storm the night before, but it is worthwhile and I would encourage any of you to make the effort. 

Whether you volunteer some Saturday at Hands 4 Hope, help out with another local mission like the OK Kitchen, or simply stop by a friend’s home to offer them encouragement for what they are going through, you can bring hope to someone which might be all they need to persevere past their current circumstances. After all, “we all get by with a little help from our friends.”

See you in two weeks!
Pastor Randy

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory from 6 a.m. Tuesday until 8 a.m. on Wednesday for Orleans, Monroe, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Allegany counties.

Another 4 to 6 inches of snow is in the forecast with winds gusting as high as 35 miles per hour.

“Travel will be difficult at times with snow-covered roads and poor visibility,” the Weather Service said. “The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.”

The high temperatures in the forecast for Orleans County include 36 degrees today, 31 on Tuesday, 36 on Wednesday, 46 on Thursday and 53 on Friday.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KENDALL – Adriana Schiavone performs the lead role in Kendall Junior-Senior High School’s production of Annie.

In this scene, she is singing “I Don’t Need Anything But You” with Daddy Warbucks, played by Christopher Nettles. Karter May, back left, is in the role of Drake, the butler at Warbucks Mansion.

Kendall performed the show on Friday and then with two performances on Saturday.

Annie appears on Bert Healy’s radio show and sings “Maybe.” Andrew Cole is in the role of Bert Healy.

During the radio show, Warbucks announces a $50,000 award to a couple that prove they are Annie’s parents.

The orphans are listening to the radio show and they joyously sing “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.”

Lauren Pilon plays the role of Miss Hannigan, the orphanage matron with a drinking problem. She schemes with her younger brother, a convict Daniel “Rooster” Hannigan and his girlfriend Lily. They try to snag the $50,000 reward by pretending to be Annie’s parents, with Miss Hannigan part of the ill-fated plot.

Christopher Nettles plays Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, a billionaire businessman who initially doesn’t like Annie because she is a girl. But he has a change of heart and loves her. Warbucks adopts Annie after the scheme is exposed from the fake parents trying to get the $50,000 reward, and Annie’s true biological are discovered to be deceased.

In this photo Warbucks sings, “New Deal for Christmas.”

James Swift plays Franklin D. Roosevelt, the U.S. president who helps Warbucks finds Annie’s parents. When FDR meets Annie, he is inspired to make a new deal and restore America’s economy.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – Firefighters battle a fire at a barn in Carlton this afternoon.

Firefighters were dispatched to 1755 Park Ave. just after 2 p.m. for a reported barn fire with vehicle exposure.

The fire appears to have started in the hay loft area of the barn.

Neighbors and firefighters said the owner, Bob Vercruysse, recently put a metal roof on the barn and made other upgrades to the property.

Carlton, Albion, Medina and Ridgeway all responded to the scene. Fire investigators are on the scene to determine the cause.

Provided photos

BARRE – Students in Mr. Tim Archer’s seventh grade Service Learning class at Albion Middle School recently helped Clarendon Historian Melissa Ierlan repaint a New York State historic marker commemorating the burial place of the Rev. Marvin Frey, composer of Kum Ba Yah and other popular spiritual songs.

The students included Sophia Bouchey, Maliyah Carithers, Sadie Money, Cameron Manacle and Tyler Sullivan.

The students are shown outside the chapel at Hillside Cemetery in Clarendon, working on the sign.

The sign is located on West Barre Road in the Town of Barre. Ierlan has repainted many of the historical markers in Orleans County in recent years.

Photos by Tom Rivers

GAINES – Gabe Bruning, owner of Mount Mule Ciderhouse in Medina, serves up samples of his hard cider on Saturday afternoon during a wine-tasting at the Cobblestone Museum’s Thompson-Kast Visitors Center. About 100 people attended the event.

Don Bishop, a Rotary Club member, smiles with his wine-tasting glass. He is joined by his wife Bridget at the spot with wine served by Leonard Oakes Estates Winery in Medina.

Lisa Bishop, district governor for Rotary 7090 in Southern Ontario and Western New York, made a four-hour drive to be part of the event. She greets McKenna Boyer and Deb Boyer who were the organizers of the first-time event for the Albion Rotary.

Priest served Holley and Kendall Catholic churches for 7 ½ years until 2018

Photos by Tom Rivers: Father Mark Noonan is the new pastor of a Family of Parishes that includes Catholic churches in Albion, Holley, Kendall, Medina, Lyndonville, Barker and Middleport. He is shown outside St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Albion today. He and two other priests will serve the Family of Parishes.

ALBION – This weekend is the start of big changes for Catholic churches in Western New York, including in Orleans County and eastern Niagara.

The Diocese has grouped 161 parishes into 36 Families of Parishes. The five churches in Orleans County and two in eastern Niagara are in family No. 11. They are led by pastor Mark Noonan, a priest who previously served for 7 ½ years at St. Mark’s in Kendall and St. Mary’s in Holley. He also was a seminarian at St. Joseph’s in Albion in 2006.

Father Noonan and two other priests will serve the seven churches. (St. Joseph’s in Lyndonville currently is closed after a devastating fire at the church on Feb. 28.)

The three priests will be on a rotation leading Mass at the churches. Father Noonan is joined by Father Jan Trela and Father Richard Csizmar. Father Csizmar retired on Wednesday but will continue as an active priest until a parochial vicar is named to Orleans and eastern Niagara.

“The process we are entering will be a good one, but not without some bumps,” Father Noonan said during an interview on Friday in Albion. “I’m excited to be a part of it.”

The Diocese Road to Renewal plan is in response to a declining number of priests – and parishioners. The number of active priests is down from 179 in 2011 to 144 in 2019. Attendance at Mass dropped 41 percent during those 8 years. The decline is more pronounced in the 8-county Diocese going back to 2012 when attendance was 155,000 for weekends. Now it is about 60,000.

Father Noonan wants to welcome people back to church who haven’t been recently. And he wants to encourage others to be open to attending services.

“Our goal is real renewal,” he said. “We want the church to be really alive, and a source of light an strength in the whole community.”

This week is the temporary start of the new Mass schedule.

• Circuit 1: Father Jan Trela this weekend, includes Saturday at 4 p.m. at St. Mary’s in Holley, and 5:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s in Kendall. Sunday includes 8 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph’s in Albion, and 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s in Holley.
• Circuit 2: Father Mark Noonan this weekend, includes Saturday at 4 p.m. at St. Mary’s in Medina, and 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s in Albion. Sunday includes 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Stephen’s in Middleport, and 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph’s in Albion.
• Circuit 3: Father Richard Csizmar this weekend, includes Saturday at 4 p.m. at St. Patrick’s in Barker. Sunday includes 9 a.m. Mass at St. Patrick’s in Barker and 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s in Medina.

The priest in circuit 1 will do circuit 2 the following week, and then circuit 3 after that.

The three active priests assigned to the family of parishes in eastern Niagara and Orleans County is down one priest from before the new alignment.

Father Dick Csizmar is keeping a full schedule until a new parochial vicar is assigned to the family of parishes. Csizmar retired on Wednesday, but is keeping a busy schedule as a priest for now.

Father Mark Noonan has scheduled the following listening sessions at 6:30 p.m.: March 13 at Holy Family in Albion, March 14 for St. Josephs in Lyndonville (to be held at Lyndonville High School library on Housel Avenue), March 16 at St. Mary’s in Medina, March 20 at St. Patrick’s in Barker, March 21 at St. Mary’s in Holley, Mark 27 at St. Mark’s in Kendall, and March 28 at St. Stephen’s in Middleport.

The listening sessions are a chance for Father Noonan to share more about the Families of Parishes process and hear thoughts from parishioners.

Father Mark Noonan is back in Orleans County. He previously was a seminarian at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in 2006, and then was the priest for 7 ½ years at St. Mary’s in Holley and St. Mark’s in Kendall until 2018.

Father Noonan likes the move to group nearby parishes as a family.

“We really are one Catholic community,” he said. “We can live out our Catholic faith in a broader way and see our mission in a broader way. Our goal in this is to pray together and grow together.”

Noonan, 46, is a Cheektowaga native. He most recently served as priest for seven months at a parish in Dunkirk. Before that he spent two years in Detroit, Michigan at a Spanish-speaking congregation.

He has become bilingual and wants to do more outreach with the Spanish-speaking community in Orleans and eastern Niagara.

How to connect with that population will be among the priorities for Father Noonan and the Family of Parishes. He said it will be among six pillars to be discussed among the local parishes in the next six months. Those pillars include liturgy, spiritual life, outreach and “in-reach”, Catholic education/faith formation, stewardship and administration.

The priest said the focus will be on helping to foster a deep spiritual life among the new Family of Parishes.

“Everybody on Earth is looking for happiness,” Father Noonan said. “That’s what is found in God, a happiness that never goes away. People want joy. We all have burdens and challenges that will always be there. But our happiness is grounded in something that is everlasting.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Kamryn Simmons plays the role of King Louie in the Albion Middle School production of “The Jungle Book.” Louie, an orangutan, is leader of a gang of monkeys and sings, “I Wanna Be Like You.”

The show opened on Friday and returns today with shows at noon and 7 p.m. at the Albion Middle School Auditorium. Tickets are $5 and are available at the door.

There are 75 students in the cast and crew. This is the 52^nd musical directed by Carrie Kozody at the middle school.

She said the program is returning to full strength after being limited during the Covid pandemic. “This show has brought a lot of enthusiasm from our students,” Kozody said. “This is our first full-length story line (since Covid).”

Yaritza Fernandez Perez is Rashka the Mother Wolf, holding the baby Mowgli. The baby is found in a basket in the deep jungles of India. Mowgli will be raised by wolves.

Ayme Vallejo Morales is Kaa, a python that sings “Trust in Me” to Mowgli, played by Sophie Kozody. The snake has powers to hypnotize.

Mowgli, “The Man Child,” prefers life in the jungle and doesn’t want to go back to the village with other humans.

Liam Leader plays the role of Akela the Father Wolf who is the chief and leader of the wolf pack. Cerenity Johnson is Bagheera, a black panther who is one of Mowgli’s protectors.

Sophie Kozody as Mowgli and Aubrielle Barry as Baloo perform “The Bare Necessities.” Baloo, a fun-loving bear, becomes a good friend to Mowgli and vows to not take him to the “man-village.”

ChrisJen Winters is Shere Kan, a dangerous tiger that is determined to destroy Mowgli, fearing the human will bring guns and fire into the jungle.

Carley Smith, center, is Colonel Hathi, leader of the elephant brigade. Hannah Olles, left, and Lily Brigham are part of the group. Hathi gets the elephants in line for their patrol.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The clocks at the Light of Victory Church in Albion are shown on Friday. The church is located at 47 Brown St. This church originally was the St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

It’s almost time to turn the clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time. The clocks officially spring forward at 2 a.m. tonight.

Local fire departments also urge people to replace smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries, and families should discuss home emergency plans.

AAA warns that as Americans “spring forward” and set their clocks ahead one hour, they will be losing an hour of sleep. The change in daylight hours means motorists could experience drowsy driving and added distractions behind the wheel, AAA said.

AAA urged motorists to take precautions against drowsy driving and be alert for kids walking home from school or playing outside.