Elizabeth Cooper Leone, Mercedes Holloway Wilson, Kate Schirmer Messner and Christopher Parada are recognized by school

Photos courtesy of Medina Central School: Mercedes Holloway Wilson (left), Principal Michael Cavanagh and Elizabeth Cooper Leone celebrate on Dec. 21.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Medina High School recognized four distinguished alumni on Dec. 21 for their outstanding contributions to their community and/or their chosen career.

The award is given annually to honor alumni, promote school spirit, foster pride in the school and community and to serve as an incentive for the current student body.

This year’s recipients are Elizabeth Cooper Leone, Mercedes Holloway Wilson, Kate Schirmer Messner and Christopher Parada.

“Having worked in Medina for many years, I can definitely say that it is a blessing to be part of a community like ours,” said Michael Cavanagh, the school principal. “The people that we honor today are proof that we are all capable of achieving greatness and truly making a difference in society.”

Elizabeth Cooper Leone formed Cooper Dolls in 1993 when she combined a love of sculpting with the desire to own her own business. She graduated from Medina High School in 1975 and earned a Liberal Arts degree from Wells College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education from Buffalo State College.

She started Cooper Dolls with eight pounds of clay and a 1954 sewing machine and began to design, sculpt and market her work as collectible dolls and holiday figurines. She incorporated themes in her work of her memories of growing up in Medina.

She has exhibited her work and has collectors around the world and has had her dolls featured in magazines and books. She has won several Doll of the Year awards and was invited to show her work at Disney. Mrs. Leone thanked her teachers at Medina for inspiring her and encouraged students to follow their dreams.

Mercedes Holloway Wilson is a 2000 Medina High School graduate. While she attended Medina, she was a proud member of the varsity volleyball, girls basketball and track and field teams. She is an accomplished singer and sang the National Anthem at Section VI basketball games at Erie Community College in Buffalo her senior year.

At the age of 28 years old, Mercedes was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. With her belief that a healthy body goes together with a healthy mind, she set herself on a path to not only heal herself, but to help others. While still undergoing treatment, she founded a non-profit organization called For Our Daughters, with the goal of helping girls live longer, healthier lives by taking greater control of their well-being. She started a broadcasting career at WBBZ-TV with a show called “What’s the Buzz” and focused on a more healthier lifestyle with a focus on nutrition. She authored a book on healthy eating and started hosting a television segment called “Recipes for Life” on WKBW-TV’s “AM Buffalo”.  She was then promoted to be the co-host of the “AM Buffalo” morning show.

In her spare time, she shared her grandmother’s relish recipe to a manufacturer and now you can purchase Sadie’s Relish in many local stores. She also hosts workshops to educate young women on living a healthier lifestyle.

She thanked her teachers at Medina High School for encouraging her along the way and extended a very heartfelt thank you to her aunt and uncle with whom she lived with while attending school. She presented her uncle, Dave King, with a special plaque, for helping to raise her into the woman she is today.

Kate Schirmer Messner graduated from Medina in 1988. While at school, she was a proud member of the Medina Marching Band where she played flute and piccolo and was also a varsity volleyball player. She pointed to her teachers from Oak Orchard Elementary and on who inspired her love for writing.

Because of the educators she encountered at Medina, she pursued English and journalism and received a BS in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. She went on to work as a television news producer and reporter for NBC affiliates in Syracuse, New York and Burlington, Vermont. She also earned a MS in Teaching from SUNY Plattsburgh and spent 15 years teaching middle school English and Writing.

Kate then began to write and publish young reader books such as “The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z” in 2009. She received the prestigious E.B White Read Aloud Award.  In her career she has gone on to write more than 50 books for children. Her titles have included award-winning picture books like “Over and Under the Snow”, “The Brilliant Deep” and “How to Write a Story”.  Novels like “All the Answers”, “Breakout, and Chirp” and nonfiction like “The Next President” and “Tracking Tortoises”.  She is also known for the popular “Ranger in Time” chapter book adventures, the “Fergus and Zeke” easy readers and the “History Smashers” graphic nonfiction series.

Kate was honored in 2022 with receiving the Empire State Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature. Her books often appear on state book award lists, and her science-themed picture books have been honored with the Green Earth Book Award and the Riverby Award for Natural History Writing. She is also a New York Times bestselling author and devotes time visiting schools and libraries around the world to talk about books, writing and reading.

Christopher Parada was a member of the Medina High School Class of 2002. He has been part of the Palace Theater team in Lockport for over 15 years and the Executive Director for over 10 years.

During his time at the theater he has helped lead the Palace to being a central part of the Lockport community. Directing over 75 shows, he has brought his creative style to thousands of patrons, entertained families and helped to boost the Lockport economy. He has also helped to keep the Palace Theater going through the lean years to prepare the business to partake in a four million dollar renovation that is currently taking place.  With the help of the Board of Directors, he is ensuring that the Palace will be there for years to come.

When Chris is not leading the Palace Theater, he has a little side gig as Santa Claus! Ten years ago, Chris built the Santa Cottage on Day Road in Lockport. Every December, he plays Santa to local families with the thousands of children who visit the cottage. He charges nothing for this holiday joy and loves allowing families time to talk and take pictures to create holiday memories to last them a lifetime.

There is no doubt, that Chris has community service in his heart. He is also a longtime member of the Light Up Lockport committee, that brings residents together to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season. He raises funds to help decorate Main Street for the holidays and assists the community in any way that he can. His hard work, dedication and passion have truly benefitted Lockport and the surrounding areas thanks to his vision and drive. Chris says he is very grateful for this award from Medina Central School District and wishes he could have attended in person.

Mr. Cavanagh says it was an honor to be able to recognize this year’s outstanding alumni. To earn this honor, nominees must be a current or former member of the school community, who have graduated at least 10 years ago and who have achieved one or more of the following: excellence in their chosen career, made outstanding contributions to their community or profession or someone who made an outstanding contribution to humanity.

“What I find quite interesting is the diversity among the honorees,” said Mr. Cavanagh. “They have definitely left their mark on society, whether it is right here in our backyard, or in places throughout our country. It was our distinct pleasure to present our alumni with their plaques and recognize their achievements.”

ALBANY – Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in on Sunday as the state’s governor, the first woman elected to serve in the position. The previous 56 governors were men.

She became governor in August 2021 following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo. Hochul won her own four-year term by defeating Lee Zeldin, a Republican, in November.

During her inauguration on Sunday at Empire State Plaza in Albany, Hochul said she hoped her election and role as governor would inspire girls and other young women.

Gov. Kathy Hochul takes the oath of office while joined by some of her family members, including her son Will Hochul in back.

Hochul is from Hamburg and previously served in Congress in a district that included Orleans County. As lientenant governor, she made frequent stops in Orleans County promoting state initiatives with the Erie Canal or Lake Ontario shoreline protection. She also celebrated projects in Orleans, including the $17 million renovation of the former Holley High School. Sometimes she came to Medina for a getaway with her husband Bill Hochul.

The governor said her upbringing has prepared her to lead the state.

“People often ask how I get through this,” she said at the inauguration. “You know, it’s kind of a rough and tumble job for a woman, isn’t it? I said, ‘I got steel running through my veins.’ My daddy was a steelworker. My grandpa was a steelworker. My uncles were steelworkers. So I can handle this. Don’t worry about me.”

Hochul said the state leaders and communities need to work on the “affordability crisis in housing and energy,” fight the rise in hate crimes and “the gun violence epidemic.”

“And we’re still dealing with the lingering effects of the pandemic that disrupted every aspect of our lives,” she said. “The loss of learning for our children, the loss of jobs for our workers, the tear in the social fabric that led to mental health challenges and increases in crime. We’re still reeling from all this.”

She said she will presenting proposals during her Jan. 10 “State of the State” speech to make the state safer and more affordable. The state will also be a leader in the country in combating climate change and protecting the environment, she said.

Robert Duffy, a former lieutenant governor and Rochester mayor and police chief, now leads the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce as President and CEO. He attended the inauguration.

“Governor Hochul’s understanding of and appreciation for Upstate New York and the Finger Lakes region continues to prove beneficial as we have seen important investments in economic development, urban revitalization, and workforce readiness,” Duffy said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work with Governor Hochul and her administration on their goals to promote economic growth and prosperity, to make our neighborhoods and communities safer, and to close the talent-gap faced across myriad industries.”

The unemployment rate in Orleans County for November was 3,0 percent, which is the second lowest rate in the county in the 32 years of data available from the state Department of labor.

The only month it was lower was in October when the rate was 2.5 percent.

The 3.0 percent rate in November 2022, compares to 3.4 percent in November 2021, 5.2 percent in November 2020 and 4.4 percent in November 2019.

In Orleans County there were 16,300 employed in November and 500 on unemployment.

The labor force has shrunk in the past three years from 18,000 in November 2019 to 17,100 in November 2020, to 16,900 in November 2021 and November 2022, according to DOL data.

Statewide the unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in November, compared to 4.9 percent the previous November and 8.5 percent in November 2020. The 3.8 percent was up from the 3.6 percent in October. It was at 3.9 percent in September.

Here are the unemployment rates among Western New York counties:

• Orleans, 3.0 percent
• Genesee, 2.5 percent
• Livingston, 2.6 percent
• Wyoming, 2.7 percent
• Monroe, 2.9 percent
• Niagara, 3.2 percent
• Erie, 3.1 percent
• Chautauqua, 3.5 percent
• Cattaraugus, 3.5 percent
• Allegany, 3.2 percent

LYNDONVILLE – The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce will host its Legislative Luncheon on Jan. 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the White Birch Golf Course.

Chambers members and the general public are invited to the event where they can share concerns with local and state officials.

RSVPs are due by Jan. 21 with the cost at $27 for Chamber members and $32 for non-members.

For more information email director@orleanschamber.com, call 585-301-8464, or click here to reserve a ticket online.

Article on Tillman’s closing from Dec. 30, 2021 most viewed article for second year in a row

Photo by Tom Rivers: A girl waves an American flag while the Medina Alumni Marching Band performed and marched up East Center Street to State Street Park for the Memorial Day observance on May 30. The Medina community lined the parade route in the return of the Memorial Day parade after it was downsized in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions.

The Orleans Hub totaled 8,352,422 pageviews in 2022. That’s an average of about 700,000 a month. The Hub also averaged 8,452 daily users in 2022.

The totals are down from the previous two years when Covid pandemic news included frequent updates on closings and restrictions. With things returning somewhat back to normal this year, the Hub’s traffic is back to near pre-pandemic levels.

Here the stats on pageviews and daily users in other years since the Orleans Hub started on April 1, 2013.

• 2022: 8,352,422 – average daily unique visitors: 8,452
• 2021: 9,853,855 – average daily unique visitors: 9,195
• 2020: 10,932,597 – average daily unique visitors: 9,956
• 2019: 9,556,253 – average daily unique visitors: 8,529
• 2018: 8,467,818 – average daily unique visitors: 7,463
• 2017: 8,553,605 – average daily unique visitors: 7,884
• 2016: 8,334,946 – average daily unique visitors: 7,112
• 2015: 7,811,345 – average daily unique visitors: 6,739
• 2014: 5,267,498 – average daily unique visitors: 4,700
• 2013: 1,697,887 – average daily unique visitors: 2,100 (went live April 1)

The 10 most-viewed are typically stories about crime and tragedy, or the closing of a beloved local business.

For the second straight year the most viewed article was the closing of Tillman’s Village Inn. That article was posted on Dec. 30, 2021. It was widely shared for several days on social media throughout Western New York and among former residents who have moved away. The article got a lot of views in early January 2022.

Here are the 10 most-viewed articles in 2022:

1. After 70 years Tillman closing Village Inn today – ‘We will miss you and never forget you.’

2. Man drowns after falling into canal in Albion

3. 18-year-old female killed when struck by car Saturday night in Gaines

4. Medina PD says multiple suspects taken into custody

5. 18-year-old from Medina killed in Royalton car accident

6. Orleans County issues travel ban, declares state of emergency 

7. Medina man among 4 killed in Royalton collision

8. 28 residents forced to leave Holley Hotel after building deemed unsafe

9. Middleport woman’s name released in fatal Hartland accident

10. 1 person dies in Shelby fire, another taken by Mercy Flight

We appreciate the Orleans Hub readers and advertisers for their commitment to the Orleans Hub. The news is offered for free without a paywall, or surveys to unlock the news.

Those who considering a donation to the Orleans Hub can click here for more information or send a check to Orleans Hub, 170 North Main St. Albion, NY.

KENDALL – The Kendall Fire Department held an open house today to thank the community for supporting the volunteer ambulance service since 1968.

Kendall ceased providing the service at 11:59 p.m. last night. It won’t be transporting patients any more, but the department will continue to respond to EMS calls, with Monroe Ambulance or another provider then taking people to the hospital if needed.

It is a bittersweet moment for the department, where many of the dedicated volunteers for the ambulance squad gathered at the fire hall.

The fire department wanted to thank the community for their donations and support since 1968 to allow the service to be offered for free. Kendall is the last fire department to offer an ambulance service for free in the Orleans County.

“We’re very proud of that,” Cole Hardenbrook, a Kendall Hardenbrook, said about the department’s longevity with the ambulance service.

Provided photos: Kendall EMTs pose for a group photo in front of the ambulance. This group includes from left: Al Adams, Sue Maslyn, Steve Balka, Cindy Wolck, Gary Crawford and Brian Hardenbook. Missing from photo is another EMT, Sue Kingsbury.

Hardenbrook and other firefighters spent part of the morning and afternoon removing equipment from the ambulance. The vehicle from 2010 has been sold for $40,000 to Niagara County. That sale covers nearly the full cost of buying a new Tahoe that will be used as a fly car for firefighters to respond to EMS calls. Some of the equipment from the ambulance will be shifted to the Tahoe.

The department is down to six active EMTs. Other volunteers would drive the ambulance and help with calls.

But in the past couple years, the department was missing many of the calls and relying increasingly on mutual aid.

Eric Maxon, one of the department’s volunteers the past 41 years, said the ambulance’s reputation was suffering from not responding to many of the calls.

“There’s nothing worse than having the whistle go off and have no one be there,” he said. “Our reputation was dwindling because we weren’t making the calls.”

These volunteers were part of the Kendall Ambulance Squad, with some as drivers, EMTs and other responders. In front row from left include: Dan Schultz, Steve Balka, Sue Maslyn and Eric Maxon. Back row: Cole Hardenbrook, Gary Crawford, Mike Schultz, Al Adams, Bill Hardenbrook, Rich Brelawski, Randy Davis and Blaine Young.

It was getting harder and harder for volunteers to meet the training requirements and give up the time to respond to a call and then make the transport to a Rochester hospital. Often the ambulance would have to wait at the hospitals to drop off patients. It could take five hours to go on some of the calls.

Maxon said the ambulance squad responded to 9,700 calls since its first call on March 7, 1968.

“Anything from a cut finger, to a massive heart attack to multi-car accidents, we did it all,” Maxon said.

Gary Crawford, a member of the ambulance squad since 1970 and the captain from 1985 to 2008, said volunteers used to be able to expect about a one-hour commitment for calls, back when then could do transports to hospitals in Albion and Brockport.

Now the transports take much longer, and the training requirements have gone from 80-hour classes to nearly 200 hours.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Some of the equipment was removed from the ambulance and set on a table inside the fire hall. Some of that equipment will be shifted to a new Tahoe that will function as a fly car for EMS calls.

Crawford said he is thankful the fire department was able to provide the service for so long. He recalled being at the Kendall Firemen’s Carnival when a young woman who had been badly injured in a car accident a few years before came to the carnival. She sought out the firefighters  to thank them for saving her life.

Crawford said there are other testimonials in letters and sometimes just in the grocery store, of people thanking the Kendall Ambulance Squad for its life-saving service.

Crawford and Maxon said Kendall EMTs and firefighters will continue to provide emergency medical care. They will often be the first on the scene, but won’t be transporting patients.

Al Adams, one of the EMTs, said the longer time commitments in training and responding to calls has kept some volunteers and potential active members on the sidelines. But he expects more people, including himself, to respond to more calls, knowing they won’t have to be committed for several hours.

“It’s going to be a lot easier to be a good neighbor,” he said about the EMS service in Kendall.

Eric Maxon shares some of the ambulance squad’s history. Initially there was a first aid squad that responded to its first call in October 1966. In February 1968 the department purchased its first ambulance, a used ambulance from 1964 for $2,100.

Photos by Tom Rivers

Each year I pick some of my favorite people pictures and others from important news events of the past year.

In 2022, the big news seemed to be things were somewhat normal with the return of community festivals and events, and masks largely going away after being required at indoor public spaces during the height of the Covid pandemic.

The top photo shows the Fourth of July parade in Lyndonville, which drew a big crowd to the village’s Main Street. The parade was back after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021. The photo shows a float from the Class of 1982, followed by Weed Man Lawn Care Services based in Albion.

Joe Grube, an Albion firefighter, directs the first blast of water onto a garage that was on fire on the morning of Jan. 10 at 45 Goodrich St., in Albion. The garage is owned by Wayne and Nicole Struble.

Fire engulfed an Albion home on Knapp Street on Jan. 12 and 4 firefighters had to escape upstairs in the fast-moving blaze. This photo shows a firefighter heading face first down a ladder, escaping dark smoke from the upstairs of 136 Knapp St.

Four firefighters were upstairs and had to bail out in what firefighters said was a flashover, when a fire quickly intensifies.

Justin Niederhofer (in red) quickly gets out of the house as the fire intensifies while another firefighter hangs out a window. It was a scary moment for the firefighters on the ground and the onlookers as the dark smoke spewed out of the windows with the firefighters inside. Niederhofer, Seth Dumrese, Steven Papponetti and Dustin Pahura all were able to get out.

Beth Miller, owner of Wild Flour Deli & Bakery, holds a turkey Reuben sandwich which she calls Daffodil on Feb. 3. Miller,a Holley resident, opened Wild Flour Deli & Bakery at 438 West Ave. in Albion with sandwiches on the menu which are all named after flowers.

Geno Allport is pictured at his home in Albion on Feb. 8. He holds his “Fan of the Year” Buffalo Bills jersey for 2021. He has framed jerseys from many Buffalo Bills legends.

Allport was picked by the Bills as their top fan and received an all-expenses paid trip with his son to watch the Super Bowl in Los Angeles. The family has had season tickets since 1974.

Allport has been youth football coach for more than 20 years in Albion and also helped start the football program in 2021 at the Vertus Charter School in Rochester.

After a 2-year absence, the circus came back to town in early 2022. This photo from Feb. 9 shows a performer with Billy Martin’s All Star Circus entertaining the crowd at the Holley Elementary School Intermediate Gym.

The circus was back after most of its schedule was wiped out the previous 23 months due to Covid-19 concerns and restrictions. Billy Martin has led the circus the past 45 years. Since the group returned to performing its New York and Pennsylvania tour on Feb. 1, they have been greeted with big crowds.

“It’s very emotional,” Martin said during intermission in Holley. “I thought people might have forgotten about us.”

Ken DeRoller, a former Orleans County legislator, speaks to the Leadership Orleans class on Feb. 20 in the Orleans County legislative chambers. DeRoller graduated with the 2020 class and was named the group’s alumnus of the year in 2021.

The 26 members of the new class of Leadership Orleans were encouraged to get involved in local government by serving on Planning and Zoning Boards, and then looking to be elected officials at the town, village and county levels.

“Participate, be a little aggressive and get in the room,” DeRoller told the class. “Our county is worth saving and we’ll need people like you to make it happen.”

Thomas Dobri plays the lead role of Ren McCormack in Holley’s musical performance of Footloose on March 11-12. Dobri, a senior, is grateful to be performing for a live audience after there wasn’t a show last year and in 2020 the musical was cancelled on the day of the show.

“It’s such a relief that things have come back to normal and I get one more try,” he said.

A crowd of 250 attended a pop-up eye clinic on March 19 at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville. More than 100 of those people were in line a half hour before the doors opened.

Hundreds of eyeglass frames were on display for people to pick from. The frames and lens were all available for free. The Lyndonville Lions Club organized the first-time community eyeglass clinic. A team of eye specialists – state-licensed doctors of ophthalmology and optometry – were on site to determine the correct prescription glasses for each individual.

Town Supervisor Richard Moy met with about 100 residents on March 23 evening to discuss the reassessments that had just gone out in the mail. The average assessment increased 25 percent from the values three years ago. Most of the towns in Orleans County decided to hold off on a town-wide reassessment due to a volatile real estate market, but Clarendon and Barre went forward with the reassessment.

Fran Gaylord holds a plaque with a ceremonial ax in honor of his 50 years of a service as a member of the Holley Volunteer Fire Department. He was recognized on March 26 during the department’s annual banquet. He is joined up front by from left: Erin Reed, a trustee with fire company and EMS lieutenant; Tina Reed, vice president of fire company; and Kevin Dann, a trustee and past chief.

Gaylord, 69, remains very active as a firefighter, responding to about 300 calls for the Murray Joint Fire District, Clarendon and Kendall.

“This is very family oriented,” Gaylord said about the fire department. “Everybody gets along and wants to help everybody.”

Jeffrey Brown stars as Lord Farquaad in Albion’s production of Shrek the Musical on March 31 and April 1. Lord Farquaad is shown here with the shown here with the Duloc Dancers. He is the villain of the musical. He is short in stature and a ruthless ruler with many insecurities. Brown was recognized at Stars of Tomorrow in Rochester for outstanding performance in a leading role. Students were able to perform in front of live audiences in 2022, and they didn’t have to wear masks while on stage.

Nevaeh Farewell, a member of Medina’s Winter Guard, performs in Medina’s show on April 2. Medina’s performance of  “Wake Up” was part of the North East Color Guard Circuit Championships. In this photo, Farewell is dreaming. The other Winter Guard members try not to wake her so she can complete the journey in her dreams. Medina hosted 18 groups and about 500 spectators for the competition.

Timmy Ficarella, 4, of Warsaw holds one of the nine golden eggs in an Easter egg hunt on the courthouse lawn in Albion on April 9. The Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries, a church that meets at the Arnold Gregory Office Complex, had 3,000 eggs scattered on the lawn for children.

Kids with one of the nine big golden eggs won larger prizes including a bicycle or scooter. About 500 kids attended the egg hunt.

Brody Stirk, 10, of Albion is filmed by his mother Janna Stirk on April 12 overlooking Sandy Creek near Bullard Park. Brody at the time had nine YouTube videos about science and autism. He is working on some videos about Albion, including some off-the-beaten path.

Brody has developed a following through his videos. He has autism and said he isn’t afraid to let the world know.

Some people with autism will use masking to hide their flaws or characteristics, Brody said.

“I myself don’t do masking,” Brody said in a YouTube video he made about autism. “I show myself.”

Brody urges compassion for those with autism. He said having autism isn’t a disability, but a super power.

Marti’s on Main celebrated the opening of an art show on April 24, featuring about 100 works of art from 22 members of the Brockport Artists Guild. About 150 people attended the three-hour season-opening show, including Josephine Dickerson, 10, of Hamlin.

Josephine looks at some of the artwork by her grandmother Suzanne Wells, an Albion art teacher from 1971 to 2005. Wells, who passed away from cancer is 2019, loved to paint flowers and portraits. Her favorite media included watercolor, acrylic and mixed media. She loved color, which could be seen in the way she dressed as well as her work.

A huge oversize load heads down Route 98 in Barre on May 25.  The large piece of equipment, a 200,000 pound condenser, was manufactured by Graham Corp. in Batavia and will be used for the Navy.

An enormous crane was used to move the equipment onto a barge in the canal. The condenser was trucked in on an oversize load weighing just under 400,000 pounds. The condenser itself weighed about 200,000 pounds. The unit was manufactured by Graham Corp. in Batavia. The condenser was taken by the canal to Albany, then down the Hudson River to New York Harbor. From there it headed to the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.

Pastor Trellis Pore of the Shiloh Church prays over Albion graduate Sawyer Braley during the annual Baccalaureate service on June 5 at the First Presbyterian Church in Albion. The service is optional for seniors and half of the class attended the event organized by the Albion Ministerium.

The Rev. Susan Thaine, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Albion, gave the keynote message and told the seniors they live in very “important and interesting times” where they are critically needed.

“No matter what the next chapter of your life looks like, what matters most is the kind of person you choose to be in the world,” she said. “In the grand scheme of things, who you are is far more important than what you do to make a living, what status symbols or accolades you achieve or what your financial portfolio looks like.”

Jessica Sardina wears the Strawberry costume during the June 11 Albion Strawberry Festival 5K/8K race. Sardina lives in California and is visiting family in Medina. She is a third-grade teacher who relished the role as The Strawberry, waving to spectators and encouraging the runners during the race. About 200 people completed the race.

A truck hauling 400-plus tires caught on fire outside the Albion Walmart on June 15. The fire spewed dark smoke on the west side of Walmart. The store was evacuated. Firefighters used a special foam to try to contain the fire.

The truck is from HTI Recycling of Lockport. A Sheriff’s deputy said the driver started the truck and felt a pop and then noticed an electrical fire up high in the truck.

Holley graduates toss their caps by the flag pole in front of the junior-senior high school after commencement on June 25. Holley graduated 60 students in the Class of 2022.

The steeple of the Lyndonville United Methodist Church is in the foreground during the finale of the Lyndonville fireworks show on July 4.

Firefighters respond to a blaze on July 8 at 215 and 217 East State St. in Albion. The fire resulted in 14 people being displaced – 7 adults and 7 children. The houses at 215 and 217 East State are interconnected. Everyone was able to safely get outside.

Kaylynn Villane, 7, of Brockport rides the Sky Fighter, a ride that resembles an old fighter plane at the Kendall Firemen’s Carnival on July 14. The annual carnival is a big fundraiser for the fire department with proceeds paying the department’s bills, including buying EMS equipment and materials for the ambulance and other expenses.

“We look forward to it every year,” said Kendall Fire Chief Dan Schultz. “We appreciating the community spending their money and supporting us.”

Lena Grillo, 10, of Albion takes a break on July 25 with two big dairy animals, a red and white Holstein at left and Brown Swiss at right. Lena showed the Holstein at the Orleans County 4-H Fair while her sister Anna showed the Brown Swiss.

Nerds Gone Wild, a Buffalo-based band that performs popular songs from the ’80s, closed out a day of music at Bullard Park for the annual Rock the Park summer music festival on Aug. 6. Lead singer Ed Wyner aka “Milton Wild” urges the crowd to give a right fist pump while he sings, “Tainted Love.”

Richard Bannister is shown on Aug. 17 standing by an 8-foot-high metal sculpture he created and placed on his property on Maple Avenue near Eagle Harbor Road in Barre. Bannister’s “Ukrainian Tears” was created in the shape of a teardrop. Bannister, a sculptor for the past 30 years, said the artwork just flowed out of him as he grieved the damage and loss of life after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, an onslaught that continues.

“When I saw that it tore my heart out,” Bannister said. “It’s 2022. This isn’t 1922 or 1822. What we’re seeing is evil.”

Stan Farone, a founding member of COVA in 1979, holds a sign in support of the agency on Sept. 2 at the intersection of routes 98 and 31. Farone and others in the community tried to rally support for COVA. The local ambulance providers would cease operations in November after being taken over in the short-term by Mercy Flight EMS.

Raymond Pendergrass of the Shiloh Church is Albion joined a painting effort on Sept. 10 at the The Lord’s House in Waterport. The church got a fresh coat of paint and new look with members of the church, and help from other congregations. The main color was changed from white to gray.

Scott Galliford, the commander of the American Legion post in Holley, was part of the color guard of local veterans, carrying the banners and flags during a Sept. 11 memorial service at the courthouse lawn in Albion.

The steeples at the First Baptist Church in Medina, center, and St. John’s Episcopal Church, left, are silhouettes at sunset on Oct. 1.

Caleb Hughson, an Albion fifth-grader, makes it through a smoke simulator as part of Fire Prevention Week at the school on Oct. 14. A fire safety training trailer was outside the school. That trailer, owned by the Orleans County’s Emergency Management Office, has a fog machine to simulate smoky rooms. Students were urged to “Stay Low and Go.”

A fisherman from Brooklyn tries to catch a Chinook salmon in the Oak Orchard River in Carlton on Oct. 14.

Byron Neal, 8, of Albion joined his father Jeremy for a ride in a tractor on Oct. 16. The community held a benefit for Byron and his family on Nov. 13. Byron was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma in May 2022 and a Ganglioneuroma in his abdomen in August 2022. The Neal family operates Poverty Hill Farms, a dairy farm on West County House Road.

The Metz family in Medina won the grand prize in Medina’s Parade of Lights on Nov. 26 for the second year in a row. The Metz family used 15,000 lights for a float highlighting National Lampoon’s Vacation, including the character “Cousin Eddie” from the movie.

The Lyndonville community on Dec. 3 checked out the array of 98 Christmas trees that were decorated by families, business and local organizations. The 98 trees is a new record for Lyndonville. There were 26 the first year in 2013 and it has grown steadily each year with a goal to top 100 next year.

Air Raising Events owner Sheryl Watts created this snowman out of balloons. She is lined up on Dec. 10  for “Santa’s Hometown Parade” in Albion. The participants in the parade gathered at the Arnold Gregory parking lot on South Main Street before heading downtown.

People danced to the Lindy Hop on Dec. 15 at the Bent’s Opera House in Medina. Maggie Hallifax of Lockport, right, was one of the instructors for the evening.

This was the fifth event as part of the new Medina Lindy in the Village. The program has been popular since it started with the first event on Aug. 18, drawing 85 dancers the first time.

Santa and Mrs. Claus greet Eli Laine, 2 ½ of Albion, at the Albion Masonic Lodge on Dec. 17. The Santa bears a resemblance to Al Wilson, pastor of the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries, while Mrs. Claus looks similar to Valerie Rush.

The Masonic Lodge hosted breakfast, lunch or dinner with Santa on Dec. 3 and Dec. 17.

Holland served agency as grant writer, securing $600K for many organizations

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Matt Holland, left, meets with United Way board chairman Jim Punch after Holland was named the new director of United Way of Orleans County.

MEDINA – United Way of Orleans County will start the new year with a new director.

United Way’s board chairman Jim Punch this week announced the hiring of Matt Holland to replace Dean Bellack, who has stepped down after three years in the director’s role.

Holland, the grant writer hired a year and a half ago by United Way, will continue to work with Nyla Gaylord, who will take over as grant writer.

“Dean took United Way to a new level, in terms of securing funding for the county,” Punch said Friday. “We feel Matt is a great choice to fill Dean’s shoes, because of his knowledge of grants, as well as his personality. He will make a great face in the community. He has proven himself to be a knowledgeable, capable and dedicated employee, and we’re looking forward to his leadership role. We also believe Matt and Nyla will make a dynamic team with her knowledge of charitable organizations and how they operate.”

Bellack announced in October he would be stepping down as director, at which time the United Way board began the search for a new director. Three individuals were interviewed for the position, with Holland being the final choice. Bellack will remain involved in United Way as a member of the board.

Bellack pushed to create the grant writer position after realizing there was money available for nonprofits through many foundations. Gaylord wrote the grant application that resulted in the funding to hire Holland as grant writer.

Holland grew up in rural Oregon, “timber country,” he calls it. He attended the University of Oregon, where he earned a bachelor of arts in history. A Fulbright Scholar, he lived in Denmark to two years, then came to Buffalo in 2012 to study anthropology, where he met his wife Catherine from Hamburg. They both received master’s degrees in anthropology.

Holland returned to Oregon, where he directed a small history museum and served as an archaeological field crew for several years. His nonprofit experience has mostly been in the museum education and historic preservation fields, he said.

Holland and Catherine married in 2017. She is currently the wine tasting room/retail manager for Leonard Oakes Estate Winery. They moved to Medina in 2021 when he accepted the position as grant writer for United Way.

Holland’s personal efforts in his first year as grant writer brought in $600,000.

“This is an exciting time for the United Way’s future in Orleans County,” Holland said. “We are moving in new directions while strengthening our traditional fundraising efforts. I am specifically looking forward to carry on our collaborative work with other agencies in the county. Finding solutions to the county’s biggest issues requires all of us working together as a community. In my first year working for United Way, I got to work with a lot of wonderful, hard-working people and organizations doing great things, and we’ll continue to do this work together.”

In the coming years, Holland said United Way plans to continue to expand fundraising efforts, directly benefitting our allocations program, which provides funding for local nonprofit agencies and their programs.

“We will also keep forging ahead with our grant writing and fundraising capacity program, funded by the Greater Rochester Health Foundation,” Holland said. “We’ve had a great success but, as always, there is even more to be done. I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with Nyla, now our Community Grant Writer. She has a tremendous amount of skill and knowledge of nonprofits.”

In all, since Holland and Gaylord have worked for United Way, more than $1 million in grants has been received by the county.

“I am very excited about the future of United Way,” Holland said. “There is a lot of work to be done, but we are all going to do it together to find solutions.”

Press Release, Lyndonville Lions Club

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Lions Club recently held its annual holiday dinner at the White Birch Golf Course.

Members gathered for the holiday celebration and reflected back on a busy year for the club.  The early months saw the club active with its annual support of the Easter egg hunt at the Lyndonville High School and supplied free hotdogs and soft drinks to all participants.

April saw a large turnout of over 250 people for the Lions Club Eye Health Care Screening. A free eye examination, glaucoma screening, and eye glass fittings were performed. The attendees all received a pair of refurbished eye glasses care of the Lions Club.

In May, club members delivered red roses to all mothers at the nursing home in Medina and at the extended care unit at the Medina Memorial Hospital. This was conducted in conjunction with their annual red rose and carnation sale for Mother’s Day.

Photos by Tom Rivers: The White Birth Golf Course hosted a pop-up eyeglass clinic on March 19 and about 250 people filled the site not long after doors officially opened at 10 a.m. The Lyndonville Lions Club organized the first-time community eyeglass clinic in the county. Lions Club members from Medina and the Leos Club at Lyndonville Central School also assisted. A team of eye specialists – state-licensed doctors of ophthalmology and optometry – were on site to determine the correct prescription glasses for each individual.

In July, the club celebrated the return of its primary endeavor with a full July Fourth parade, a chicken barbeque, and an evening concert followed by their famous large fireworks display. The day’s activities saw Grand Marshall David Bellavia, a recipient of the Medal of Honor, return to his home town to be honored. A military fly-over was performed to honor him and all the home town heroes.

The fly-over was carried out by the 911th Air Force Reserve Unit from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The attendance for the one day celebration was calculated to be over 10,000 people.

A summer long project that will be completed in the spring of 2023 is the village park project. The “Village of Lyndonville Sunset Park” project saw the improvement of an underutilized  piece of property at the termination of route 63. The village-owned property has been transformed into a beautiful picnic and observation area thru the generous donation of man hours, cement slab pours, tree donations, and bench and table placements. The improvements have allowed the public to better use this area for various activities. The placement of a sign and flag pole should be completed this spring with a projected ribbon cutting event set for early summer.

A flyover preceded the Fourth of July parade in Lyndonville. It was carried out by the 911th Airlift Wing from Pittsburgh, Pa. The C-17 planes are used by the Air Force Reservists. The flyover was a first for Lyndonville’s July 4th festival, which has been organized annually by the Lyndonville Lions Club for about 50 years.

December brought holiday cheer and a Christmas Tree Lighting to the Lyndonville Village Park.  Nearly 100 trees were sold and decorated in various ways to start the holiday season. The Lions supported this effort which is held by the village yearly. Lions supplied hot dogs and soft drinks throughout the day to those who ventured out on a blustery Saturday to experience the tree lighting and the arrival of Santa Claus.

The club recently sent several boxes of farm fresh apples from LynOaken Farms to the Commanding Officer and participants of the July Fourth flyover. The club wanted to thank the men and women of the 911th Air Force Reserves for their efforts. LynOaken Farms donated the gift to be sent.

The club is finishing a new membership drive which has been under way since November. Efforts are also well under way to purchasing a tenotomy machine to test eye pressure and screen for glaucoma. It is expected that this instrument could be used by Lyndonville’s and other Lions Clubs for their screening events. The club is also exploring the idea of an inaugural Lyndonville Lions Club golf tournament.

For the club’s schedule and plan of events you may contact President Harold Suhr or follow us on Facebook. The club would like to thank all the individuals and businesses that have supported our efforts in 2022.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

Illuminating Orleans, Vol. 2, No. 42

RIDGEWAY – “Fall in, ye lovers of Mirth, and enjoy a Dance to be given at RIDGEWAY HOTEL”

On this weekend, some 136 years ago, “Lovers of Mirth” attended a New Year’s Party at the Ridgeway Hotel. The hotel was a well-known landmark on Ridge Road, having operated as a tavern and stagecoach stop since 1811.

J.P. Tenbrook acquired the hotel in 1883. The Medina Register of October 4, 1883 noted that “John is popular in Niagara County and doubtless will be in his new quarters.”

Tenbrook was no stranger to the hotel business. His father, William, owned several hotels in Lockport and Olcott. His brother A.H. owned the Shelby Center Hotel for several years.

In Ridgeway, Tenbrook energetically set about organizing a series of parties held throughout the year – George Washington’s Birthday, July 4th, Harvest Celebrations. There are several specific newspaper references to the colorful invitations which he used.

Reporting on the 1888 New Year’s Party, the Medina Register of January 3, 1889, called it “A Grand Success”. The event was attended by 152 couples, which surpassed previous records.

“There was not a soul here who did not thoroughly enjoy the fine music and the excellent repast. The fact that Mr. Tenbrook’s parties are so well attended speaks better than words for the manner in which they are conducted.”

Elsewhere, he is referred to as “a genial host.” As a measure of his popularity, the hotel is referenced on several occasions with his name – “Tenbrook Hall”, “Tenbrook’s Hotel”.

He sold the hotel to D. Donovan in 1896. At the time of his death in 1910, Tenbrook was proprietor of the Waverly Hotel in Niagara Falls.

Postcard view of the Ridgeway Hotel on Ridge Road/Route 104. Remarkably, the building which then housed the hotel still stands and its appearance has not greatly changed. Note the hitching posts on Angling Road.

Press Release, Orleans County government

ALBION – Orleans County works closely with Modern Disposal Services to provide a countywide solid waste program for all of our residents who participate in our program.

The missed recycling collection due to the weather event from last weekend will resume on the next red or blue week for your household.

December 23rd’s recycling collection will occur on January 6th, the next red week. December 26th and 27th’s recycling collection will occur on January 9th and 10th, the next blue week.

Modern Disposal Services will perform double collection for solid waste beginning today, December 30th, Monday January 2nd and Tuesday January 3rd for those scheduled routes.

“We apologize for not clarifying the difference between the resumption of the solid waste collection and the recycling collection,” said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer. “We regret any inconvenience this created for our residents along the affected routes.”

ALBION – County government leaders are trying to fill 32 open positions, with some of the jobs open for several months now.

There are currently 22 full-time vacancies and 10 part-time positions. The county has typically had 20 to 25 positions open throughout the year.

It has expanded its outreach for applicants in 2022 by posting positions on Facebook, the Indeed web site, and through a college network called Handshake.

Some of the positions include an assistant county engineer, a mechanic, a motor equipment operator, caseworkers, account clerk, corrections officers, probation officer and housekeepers.

Katie Harvey, the county’s director of personnel and self insurance, has worked in the office for eight years including about three years as the director. She said counties throughout the state are struggling to fill positions, even though the jobs offer good pay, benefits and retirement.

“The county government is a great place to work,” she said.

The county has scheduled some Civil Service exams and had no one apply to take the tests to make them eligible for the positions.

She praised the county workforce of about 400 employees for continuing to serve the public despite vacancies in their departments.

But a full staff “would certainly make it smoother,” Harvey said.

The current open positions include:

• Department of Social Service – Account Clerk, Senior Account Clerk, Senior Account Clerk, Social Welfare Examiner (3 full-time positions), Social Welfare Examiner (part-time) and Youth Court Coordinator (part-time), Caseworker (2 full-time and 2 part-time).
• DPW – Assistant County Engineer, Automotive Mechanic, DPW Motor Equipment Operator (2) and Motor Equipment Operator, Lead Person
• Office for the Aging – Caseworker, Housekeeper Aide (full-time and part-time).
• Veterans Clerk (part-time)
• Mental Health – Clinic Therapist and Community Mental Health Nurse
• Sheriff – Jail Correction Officer (2 part-time), Public Safety Dispatcher (part-time)
• Planning – Deputy Director of Planning & Development
• Personnel – Personnel Assistant
• Probation – Probation Officer
• Health Department – Public Health Nurse
• Real Property – Real Property Appraisal Technician

For more information on the positions, contact the County’s Personnel Department (585) 589-3184 or through the county website.

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

As we say goodbye to 2022, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) would like to wish you all a healthy and Happy New Year.

This was a full year for the Health Departments. Not only were staff involved in ongoing Covid-19 activities, Monkeypox (Mpox) and polio were added to the list of emerging issues. Staff were determined to keep working towards Public Health Accreditation (expected in 2023) and also kept many public services and operations running smoothly to help improve the health and well-being of residents.

• The Community Health Services staff have been working diligently, including remaining up-to-date on the evolution of the Covid-19 vaccination guidelines. Throughout 2022, immunization clinics (including Covid-19 and traditional), as well as outreach to migrant and seasonal farmworkers resulted in 3,212 vaccinations being administered. This includes 42 individuals who received post-exposure rabies treatment after being exposed to a confirmed or suspected rabid animal. Not including Covid-19, 472 communicable disease investigations were conducted. During the growing season, staff provided various healthcare services to 1,388 seasonal and migrant farmworkers on location to reduce barriers to receiving care.

• Public Health Emergency Preparedness started 2022 responding to a tidal wave of Covid-19 cases from the omicron variant. However, due to lower severity of this variant combined with increased immunity within the community, efforts to contain this variant began to lessen, and public health emergency preparedness eventually began focusing on risks associated with new infectious threats, which ranged from avian influenza and Ebola to Mpox and polio. Experience from Covid-19 response led to dramatic changes for Emergency Preparedness, including revision of major preparedness plans, re-organization of the medical reserve corps and revision of an emergency preparedness mobile app.

• Environmental Health staff continue to regulate permitted facilities throughout Genesee and Orleans Counties through compliance with the New York State (NYS) Sanitary Code. They help assure the community is safe from foodborne illnesses by conducting inspections of food service establishments. Staff also routinely inspect septic systems, monitor Public Water Supplies, enforce the NYS Clean Indoor Air Act, and offer free rabies clinics. The Lead Program continues to promote education and outreach to enhance lead poisoning prevention and promote testing of children for lead exposure. GO Health was awarded a second grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to expand an existing home-repair program to address lead hazards and prevent childhood lead poisoning throughout the entire Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming (GLOW) region.

• Staff within our Children’s Programs work with families of our youngest children providing case management, education, support and referrals.  Some of the services children may need that are provided through this program are speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and special education teacher services. Staff work closely with families to make sure children receive the services they need.

• The Public Health Education team spent a majority of the year developing the 2022-2024 Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming (GOW) Counties Community Health Assessment (CHA)/Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) and in partnership with local hospital systems, Community Services Plan (CSP). The team was also responsible for implementing the ‘Strengthening Capacity in Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) Prevention for Local Health Departments’ technical assistance grant. This funding improved the internal capacity of GO Health to address the intersection of suicide, overdose and ACE’s and brought together community partners for a GOW Trauma & Resiliency Conference.

• Weights & Measures completed 470 inspections accounting for over 1,190 devices within the two counties. These tests involved pumping more than 26,000 gallons of fuel and using more than 5.9 million pounds of test weight ensuring all commercial weighing and measuring devices meet NYS standards. The department handled 13 complaint investigations, confirmed 591 package weights & 300 item prices, and collected 132 fuel samples confirming fuel sold within both counties met a variety of parameters. Since transitioning to a department of one in 2020, W&M has shown savings in excess of $150,000.

“It is our extreme pleasure to serve the residents of Genesee and Orleans Counties,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health. “We thank the Genesee and Orleans County Legislatures, the Board of Health, our community partners and other volunteers for their support and collaboration. We look forward to another productive year of improving the health and well-being of our community and wish everyone a safe, healthy, and happy New Year.”

For more information about GO Health programs, visit www.GOHealthNY.org.

Photos by Tom Rivers: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer was at Baxter International in Medina on Aug. 11, touting federal legislation to boost microchip manufacturing in the United States. He is holding part of a Baxter infusion pump which requires 70 microchips.

Stopped in Medina on Aug. 11 to highlight microchip shortage

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer was in all 62 counties in New York State in the past year, making it 24 straight years he has been to all counties in the state.

He was in Orleans County on Aug. 11 when he went to Baxter International in Medina to highlight federal legislation to boost microchip manufacturing in the United States.

Baxter has nearly 300 workers in Medina but was forced to put employees on paid furloughs due to a supply chain shortage, where Baxter International didn’t have all 20 components for their medical infusion pumps.

Baxter International produces about 100,000 pumps a year and each one needs 70 microchips.

Schumer said there will be a long-term answer to the microchip crisis with the signing of the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Bill. That will provide $50 billion in incentives to increase microchip manufacturing in the United States and ease the supply chain problems.

(On Nov. 2, Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Edwards Vacuum, a British-based manufacturer of vacuum and abatement equipment in the semiconductor industry, chose the STAMP site in Alabama, Genesee County, as the location for their new $319 million, U.S. dry pump manufacturing facility.)

Schumer was re-elected to a fifth term in November. He also is the Senate Majority Leader. His office said he made 118 county visits to Upstate New York and Long Island in 2022.

“When I made the promise to visit every county in New York every year after my first election, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine doing it as Majority Leader, or that I would be doing so while simultaneously passing some of the most important legislation in generations: from the largest investment ever in fighting climate change, to lowering the cost of prescription drugs, to bringing manufacturing jobs back from overseas to Upstate New York,” Schumer said in a statement.

“At the close of 24 years, my beliefs are as clear as ever: ‘Senators who stay in Washington and never return home are simply not doing their job,’” he said. “Whether I’m eating ice cream at the State Fair in Syracuse or riding my bike in Brooklyn, New York is always on my mind, and I’m always learning directly from my constituents. To the New Yorkers who’d lost faith that Congress can do big things, this year was for you, and I will never stop fighting to deliver for New York.”

Schumer said he keeps New York in mind when he pushes for legislation in the Senate.

He highlighted the American Rescue Plan which he said delivered over $100 billion in relief to New York’s state and local governments, workers, small businesses, and health centers so they could recover from the impacts of Covid.

The Inflation Reduction Act provides the largest investment in fighting climate change in our nation’s history, all while also lowering prescription drug costs and making sure corporations pay their fair share, Schumer said.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer walks into the production floor at Baxter International in Medina with company CEO and President José (Joe) E. Almeida on Aug. 11. Schumer said he and the federal Health and Human Services have pushed to make Baxter designated as a “critical need” for micro chips to manufacture infusion pumps.

In recent years some of Schumer’s stop in Orleans County included:

• Aug. 16, 2021, Schumer held a news conference in Holley’s Public Square with local elected officials to highlight $8 million in American Rescue Plan funds going to Orleans and Niagara counties to close high-speed internet gaps.
• On Nov. 19, 2020, Schumer held a press conference at Medina Memorial Hospital to highlight his push for federal funds to be released for more Covid testing sites, especially in rural communities like Orleans.
• On Nov. 27, 2019, Schumer visited Miller’s Organic Hemp Farm on Route 98 in Carlton to discuss the emerging hemp industry and the need for federal government to improve regulations for sampling and testing hemp. Terry and Gina Miller hosted Schumer’s visit to their farm.
• Schumer was at the Village of Holley Police Department on Aug. 24, 2018 when he was in Orleans County. He launched a push to pass the “Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act” as part of a package of bills to address the opioids crisis across Upstate New York and the United States.
• The senator stopped in Kendall on Oct. 9, 2017 at the Eagle Creek Marina to highlight a push for federal funds for infrastructure updates that will improve Great Lakes fisheries and restore habitats through the Great Lakes Aquatic Connectivity and Infrastructure Program Act.
• On Nov. 11, 2016, Schumer joined Nelson Leenhouts, chairman and CEO of Home Leasing, to discuss the importance of keeping federal tax incentives for redeveloping historic sites, including the former Holley High School. Those tax credits were an importance piece in allowing Home Leasing to complete the $17 million renovation. Schumer also observed Veterans Day at the Holley VFW earlier that day.
• Anthony Piedimonte Farms in Hulberton hosted Schumer on June 29, 2015 to discuss a June 9 computer crash of the federal system that processes temporary farm-working visas. Schumer joined local farmers and urged the U.S. Department of State to fix the computer glitch. That computer crash created a backlog of stalled applications and prevented farms across the state from accessing legal temporary workers to harvest their crops.
• Aug. 14, 2014, Schumer was in Holley at the former Diaz Chemical, where he pressed the federal EPA to continue a Superfund cleanup.