Photos and information courtesy of Community Action

MEDINA – The 6th annual Parade of Lights Toy Drive resulted in 16 big bags filled with donated toys and $160 in donations. Canalside Tattoo was the collection point for the donations.

Pictured from left include Matt Rolfe; Shawn Ramsey, owner Canalside Tattoo and organizer of the effort; Megan Furness; CJ Cruickshank; James Christian and Andrew London.

The toys and money were given to MAAC and Community Action, which then distribute the toys to many local children and families for Christmas.

Pictured left to right include Community Action of Orleans and Genesee representatives:  Melinda Daniels, Richard Standish, Jacqualyn Dunham, Ernest Gurrslin, Quarmaine Winters and Sherry Touhey of MACC, representing Medina Area Association of Churches.

We are extremely grateful to the community and to Canalside Tattoo for making sure more children will experience a better Christmas this year, every gift and every penny is appreciated. Community Action and MAAC representatives said.

The average price for regular unleaded fell an average of 9 cents in New York to $3.70 and 10 cents nationally to $3.40 from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5, according to AAA.

Gas prices for regular unleaded in NY were an average of $3.704 on Monday, down from $3.789 a week earlier, $3.858 a month ago and $3.543 a year ago.

The average diesel price statewide was at $5.743 a gallon on Monday, compared to $5.864 a week earlier, $5.884 a month ago and $3.748 a year ago.

The prices in Western New York counties include:

• Orleans, $3.814
• Genesee, $3.590
• Wyoming, $3.730
• Livingston, $3.685
• Monroe, $3.687
• Niagara, $3.591
• Erie, $3.695
• Chautauqua, $3.823
• Cattaraugus, $3.771
• Allegany, $3.733

AAA issued this statement: “Millions of drivers continue to see lower pump prices entering the final month of the year. The national average has fallen sharply since the June peak of nearly $5.02. Lower demand is being countered by some uncertainty in the oil markets. A price cap on barrels of Russian oil takes effect today. Sunday OPEC+ announced it will leave production quotas unchanged.”

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

National Influenza Vaccination Week is Dec. 5-9, 2022.  This is an annual observance in December to remind everyone that there is still time to get vaccinated against the flu to be protected during the upcoming holidays and winter months.

“The best way to reduce your risk from seasonal flu and its potentially serious complications is by getting the flu vaccine every year,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “The vaccine lowers the chance of getting you and those around you sick with the flu. It also reduces the burden on the health care system by reducing doctor visits and hospitalizations.”

Everyone 6 months or older should get a flu vaccine every year. It’s best to get the flu vaccine early on in flu season, ideally by the end of October. You might wonder, is it too late to get vaccinated?  The simple answer is no.

“Getting the vaccine later is better than not getting it at all,” Pettit said. “Once you have the flu vaccine, research shows that the vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness if you do get the flu.”

Vaccination is also important for people who live with or care for high risk individuals to prevent spreading the flu to them. Individuals who are considered higher risk include younger children, pregnant people, people with certain chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or lung disease, and people 65 years and older.

Children younger than 6 months old are also at a higher risk of serious flu illness because they are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for or are around infants should be vaccinated to protect those that are vulnerable and cannot be vaccinated.

Below are the number of reported flu cases for Genesee and Orleans Counties since 2018 according to the New York State Department of Health. Note that there was limited flu reported in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 compared to annual averages because of the heightened focus on practicing public health precautions such as frequent hand washing, social distancing, staying home when ill, limiting social gatherings, and wearing face coverings.

During that period, less germs were spread due to people staying home and limiting their contact with others outside of their household as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to receiving your flu vaccine, you can take preventative actions every day to help stop the spread of germs:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• If you are sick, stay home and limit contact with others as much as possible so that you prevent the spread of infection.
• For flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or other necessities. Please note that stay-at-home guidance is different for Covid-19.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Clean and disinfect frequently shared surfaces and objects

To find a vaccine site near you, click here.

For more information about Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, visit GOHealthNY.org.

Hike will be first system-wide for E-ZPass users in 14 years

Press Release, NYS Thruway Authority

ALBANY – The New York State Thruway Authority Board of Directors today authorized the start of the toll adjustment process on the New York State Thruway system.

The proposed adjustments create a responsible, stable financial plan and ensure the Authority can meet its future capital and infrastructure needs. The Thruway is a user-fee supported roadway and receives no federal, state, or local tax dollars. Under this proposal, New Yorkers with a NY E-ZPass tag will continue to pay close to the lowest toll rates in the nation.

Today’s vote marks the first step to proceed with a transparent public toll adjustment process that will include public hearings, receipt and consideration of public comments, and ultimately final consideration by the Thruway Authority Board of Directors within the next year.

“We have not seen a system-wide toll increase since 2010, and now is the time to move ahead with this financial plan so that we can meet our growing capital investment needs while continuing to provide our customers with the safe and reliable highway they’ve come to expect,” said Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll.

The Thruway Authority, supported by analysis from its independent traffic engineering consultant, has determined that there are additional revenues required for the Authority to fulfill its system-wide operating, debt service, and capital needs through the upcoming forecast period. The full report can be found by clicking here.

In 2021, Thruway Authority staff conducted a five year “Needs Assessment” that identified an additional $470 million in capital project needs that are currently not supported by the resources available for the existing 2022-2026 Capital Program. It’s based on the fact that 85 percent of the Thruway’s roadway base dates back to its original construction, highlighting the need for heavy maintenance, reconstruction, and rehabilitation activities to keep the riding surface in a state of good repair.

The average age of the Thruway’s 815 bridges is 55 years old with 75 percent of those bridges more than 60 years old. While they are continually inspected and maintained for the safety of the traveling public, more than 85 of them have been identified for replacement within the next decade.

The need to replace bridges grows exponentially after the 10-year timeline when hundreds of bridges will need to be replaced in the following decade. To highlight the magnitude of the problem, the projected replacement cost for the most immediate 85 bridges needing replacement is roughly $800 million in today’s dollars. Factoring the hundreds of bridges that will require replacement not long thereafter, the costs escalate into the $6 – $7 billion range which the existing toll rate structure will not support.

First NY E-ZPass System-wide Toll Adjustment in 14 years

Cashless tolling has been in effect throughout the Thruway system for more than two years and other toll barriers on the system have been using it since 2016 (for the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge).

Under this proposal, beginning on January 1, 2024, the base NY E-ZPass rate will increase by 5 percent outside of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, representing the first toll adjustment for these customers since 2010.

A second 5 percent increase would take effect in January 2027. Standard toll rates for Non-NY E-ZPass (currently 5.1 cents per mile for passenger cars) and Tolls by Mail rates (currently 5.8 cents per mile for passenger cars) will increase to 8.6 cents per mile for both groups by 2027. These rates will remain below the current standard rates of many other systems across the nation.

Similar adjustments would be made to all rates system-wide (Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and other fixed rate tolling points) and for the Non-NY E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail commercial rates as well. This change results in toll rates that are comparable with what other cashless tolling facilities charge nationwide.

For example, the Massachusetts Turnpike has an 87 percent differential and the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s differential is 98 percent for Tolls by Mail passenger toll rates. More importantly, it will increase the incentive for NY E-ZPass usage. Under this plan, the differential will not be applied to NY E-ZPass customers, making it the most affordable payment option available to all of our motorists who sign up for a tag (thruway.ny.gov/getezpass).

Photos and information from The Orleans County 4-H Robotics Club 

SPENCERPORT –  The Orleans County 4-H Robotics Club’s FIRST Lego League Challenge team, known as the Robusters, competed at the Spencerport Qualifying Tournament on Sunday and won the won the “Core Values Award.”

This is the 10^th year for the local team, including two years during the Covid when the team met but didn’t have competitions.

There are nine students on this year’s team with participants from Holley, Lyndonville, Albion, Medina, Byron-Bergen as well as 2 home schoolers.

The Core Values Award “celebrates a team that displays extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, knows they can accomplish more together than they could us individuals, and shows each other and other teams respect at all times.”

In addition to the Core Values Award, the team won an “advancement” to the FLL Championship, which will be held at the Nichols School in Buffalo, on Feb. 18.

There are about 100 FLL Challenge teams this year in the western New York region, with 10 qualifying tournaments in Buffalo, Penfield, Spencerport, Corning, Auburn, Olean, Fairport, Rochester, Syracuse and Mount Morris.

Press Release, Medina Sandstone Trust

MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Trust, a community endowment, just completed its eleventh year of making small grants to local programs, projects and organizations and the total in grants over that period comes to nearly $55,000 plus $8,000 in scholarships.

We’re pleased to announce the organizations selected in 2022 – each receiving $500 for their projects.

• Beds from Brian, Inc. to provide Pack n’ Plays, fitted  sheets, pajamas, blankets and bed pillows for children in need through Care Net Center, Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern and Holy Trinity Outreach requests for the 2022 holiday season.

• Boxwood Cemetery Commission to help offset the cost of rehabbing the stained glass window in the Silas Mainville Burroughs Memorial Chapel at Boxwood Cemetery.

• Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern to their client services fund which provides assistance with services including prescription co-pays, personal hygiene items, dental care and short-term emergency housing.

• Joint Recreation Commission to help with the cost of summer programs which include Arts & Crafts and several field trips.

• OCALS Learning Services to purchase advertising and public relations materials to be used in seeking new students and volunteer tutors.

• YMCA to assist in covering the costs of scholarships, funding for field trips, special events and guest speakers for youth in the YMCA Summer Day Camp and Kinder Camp.

• Orleans Renaissance Group to erect an interpretive sign in State Street Park to honor the Burroughs family who resided on the property in the nineteenth century.

• P.Raising Kids Child Care Center to help with the cost of installing a CCTV security system.

• Go Art! to help with the cost of the 2023 Day of the Dead Celebration.

• Medina Historical Society for funds to cover historical program speaker and publicity costs.

Donations to help grow the Medina Sandstone Trust can be made at any time to the Sandstone Society, Post Office Box 25, Medina, NY 14103.  Or, make an online donation at our website’s Gift Shop. Gifts to this 501(c)(3) are tax deductible.

Goodnow wrote several textbooks to advance nursing profession

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

Illuminating Orleans, Vol. 2, No. 39

Chad Fabry recently found this poster in the attic of the Swan Library building.

ALBION – Miss Minnie Goodnow was no stranger to the audience assembled at the Court House in Albion on Monday, September 10, 1917, to hear her speak about her experiences as a nurse in France.

Minnie was born in Albion on July 10, 1871, the daughter of Franklin and Elizabeth (Arnold) Goodnow. The 1887 Directory lists Frank as a builder, the family home was at 28 Clinton St.

(According to the Goodenow Family Association, five Goodenows immigrated from the south of England in 1638 on the ship Confidence and settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The name is spelled various ways including Goodenough, Goodnough, Goodno, and Goodnow among others.)

Minnie attended Albion schools. The family moved to Denver, Colorado, where she trained as a nurse. At the age of 44, she was a member of the second contingent of the Harvard Surgical Unit who volunteered to provide medical assistance during World War I. Under the leadership of Dr. David Cheever, the group of 30 physicians and 36 nurses sailed on the Noordam in November 1915 and arrived at the General Hospital winter quarters at Wimeraux in France on Dec. 2. The first intake of wounded soldiers from the front lines arrived on Dec. 15. The unit treated 1,400 patients over the next three months.

In a letter to friends in Decatur, Ill., Minnie wrote:

“It is utterly impossible to tell you or make you realize what it is like over here. War is the business of the country, and it is organized on a remarkably permanent basis. Everything is affected by it. France is drained of her able-bodied men, and the work of the country is being done by boys, old men, and women.”

The Orleans Republican of March 22, 1916, published a request from Minnie for writing paper and envelopes for the soldiers in hospital who wanted to write to their families. She also requested drawstring bags, about 9” by 12”, made of plain material, in which soldiers could store personal items.

Reporting on the Unit’s service in the April 1916 Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Dr. Cheever wrote:

As would naturally be expected in the winter season, probably one-half the cases were sick rather than wounded…. The wounds were almost entirely due to high explosive shell fire, machine-gun and rifle fire, and bombs, the proportion of injuries by shrapnel being comparatively low, owing to the fact that there is a great preponderance in the use of high explosive shells over shrapnel.

During her distinguished career, Minnie held executive posts at several hospitals: Directress of Nurses, Milwaukee County Hospital, Superintendent of the Women’s Hospital, Denver, of the Bronson Hospital, Kalamazoo, and of the Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., the Newport Hospital (R.I.) and the Pratt Diagnostic Hospital in Boston.

She was considered a pioneer in the fields of nursing education and nursing history and was the author of several textbooks which were published by W.B. Saunders of Philadelphia:

• The Nursing of Children, 1914

• Outlines of Nursing History, 1916

• War Nursing: a Textbook for the Auxiliary Nurse, 1918

• Practical Physics for Nurses, 1919

• Ten Lesson in Chemistry for Nurses Saunders, 1919

• First Year Nursing, 1920

• Nursing History in Brief, 1943.

Minnie maintained her Albion connections and visited the area frequently. The Holley-Standard of May 24, 1894, listed her as among those who had attended the laying of the cornerstone of the Pullman Church. When visiting, she stayed with her sister, Mrs. Adeline Porter, or with her friend Lillian Achilles, Director of the Swan Library.

Minnie travelled extensively. Returning from a two-year round-the-world trip in 1937, she lectured frequently on her observations. Locally, she addressed the Union Evening of the Protestant Churches in Albion in November 1937 on the topic of “Zionism in Palestine and Christianity in Asia”. Having acquired first-hand information on international affairs during her travels through forty countries, she outlined the facts of the Jewish-Arab-English situation in Palestine and the underlying issues of the Sino-Japanese conflicts “in an interesting and charming manner” (Orleans Republican, 11/10/1937)

She died in Boston at the age of 80 and is buried at Blossom Cemetery in Hamlin, along with her family.

At the end of Long Island is the Montauk Lighthouse – just what you envision a beautiful, peaceful beach community to be!

Let’s go on an adventure together….to Long Island!

This time of year, I often find myself remembering a wonderful Thanksgiving I spent on Long Island in 2018. I traveled with a friend to her sister’s home for the holiday and we had the best time! I had been to New York City several times, but never during the holidays, and since Long Island was also a bucket list item, it was a perfect way to spend Thanksgiving. 

Our first full day, we took the Long Island Railroad into New York City. We had tickets to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall – something I always wanted to see. We spent the entire day walking around the city looking at all the wonderful store windows all decorated for Christmas, shopping, eating, and, of course, we went to see Santa at Macy’s. I have always loved being in the city, but there was something so much more special getting to watch skaters at Rockefeller Center, seeing the Christmas window displays, sitting and listening to a choir sing in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and that amazing lht show on the Saks Fifth Avenue building after dark. It was a magical day that ended with me falling asleep on the train back to Long Island.

The rest of our time was spent on Long Island – no, we didn’t go back into the city to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We spent Thanksgiving warm and cozy preparing and enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving meal with my special adopted family and friends. Black Friday took us out shopping at a local mall and included a corned beef on rye sandwich at a kosher deli that was so good it brought tears to my eyes. 

Then, the Long Island sightseeing began. On Saturday, we drove out to Montauk. If you’re ever on Long Island, you have to go to Montauk and see the lighthouse and shore – so peaceful and beautiful! Along the way, we drove through all the Hamptons, stopped at a wonderful historic cemetery in East Hampton that had a stone knight laid to rest in a crypt (there’s a few great photos of it in the blog post link), and even saw the infamous Big Duck in Flanders, a silly big pink and purple bird in high heels, and a flying pig! Yep – lots of cool stuff to see on Long Island, for sure! 

Our time at Montauk was amazing. It is located at the tip of Long Island with the ocean on one side and the sound on the other and views of Connecticut in the distance. I love lighthouses and seek them out whenever I get the chance. The one on Montauk is stunning. We walked around the lighthouse and beach for a while enjoying the absolutely beautiful day.

The Believe sign on the side of Macy’s in New York City all lit up after dark – just days before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The day trip into the city was amazing, but if I had just stayed on Long Island the whole time, I would have been just as happy. In addition to shopping and our day at Montauk, we spent a little time in Port Jefferson – one of many quaint beach communities. We also spent some time at another beach that was simply gorgeous. This beach is the home of a huge memorial at the spot where TWA Flight 800 crashed just off shore 12 minutes after taking off from JFK on the evening of July 17, 1996. There were no survivors and an amazing International Memorial was established to honor those who died in the crash and those who worked tirelessly in the search and recovery efforts. The memorial includes all the names of those being honored, benches, information, and inspirational quotes. 

We also attended a Sunday evening mass at St. Francis Chapel in Miller Place. St. Francis is a Friary – an old Monastery with Father Frank who is a wonderful “hippy” priest who runs Hope House Mission, a great program that helps addicts get and stay clean – not sure if he’s still there, but I really enjoyed his mass.

We met up with this silly, but super cool bird in high heels waltzing around the Montauk Lighthouse – gave us a good chuckle!

I’m not sure what I expected Long Island to be like. I guess I thought it would be little quaint beach communities – well, there was definitely plenty of those, but it was so much more. First of all, it is a LOT bigger than I thought. I guess I thought it was just a small strip island with just beaches. It actually has a lot of rural space and wooded areas and there are tons of shopping opportunities – including lovely local shops, bigger malls, and even a Tanger Mall. It is a huge island – I think it took us a little over an hour to get from where we were staying in Miller Place to Montauk and Miller Place is about ½ way up the island. But, whatever I had pictured in my head, I found Long Island to be a beautiful place to visit with tons to do and see. It was a great week of wonderful memories. Long Island is definitely a place worth considering for a visit.

Visit my blog post for more photos and info from my amazing Thanksgiving trip to Long Island!

Happy Adventuring!

Provided photos

BARRE – Santa Claus was escorted around town today, joined by Barre firefighters in delivering presents to 140 kids in the community.

The annual “Santa Express” visited 35 families this morning. This is the ninth year the fire company has helped Santa make the deliveries.

Santa stops by the Keeler residence to meet youngsters.

People drop off gift-wrapped presents at the firehall and those gifts are then delivered by firefighters and Santa.

The firefighters and Santa split into different groups and were out from about 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. making deliveries.

Barre firefighter John Egloff joins Santa in this stop.

Firefighters say the Santa Express gives them a chance to see families for a good reason, rather than an emergency. It also helps children to meet the firefighters, who act as Santa’s elves while delivering the gifts.

Here are a few other highlights from this morning’s deliveries.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Community Action’s Main Street Thrift Store is packed with merchandise, from clothing and jewelry to toys, furniture and more.

ALBION – Community Action’s Main Street Thrift Store is launching a new contest to rename the store. Their goal is to have a name that reflects all the store has to offer.

“Community Action has been working hard to update our programs and get the word out about the important services we provide to help people become self-sufficient and achieve financial security,” said Renee Hungerford, executive director of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee. “I moved from Buffalo to Orleans County in the early 1990s, and until I joined this agency I was not aware of all the good things we do.”

Earlier this year, Community Action asked a professional public relations person for advice on how to better make the community aware of what they offer, Hungerford said.

“When he walked into our Main Street Thrift Store, he was shocked,” she said. “He said it was not at all what he expected and it didn’t seem like a thrift store. He suggested we run a contest to change the name to something that is fresh and new and helps people to know it is not just a thrift store. No one would know better than our customers.”

The public is encouraged to help Community Action find a new name for its store. The contest runs until the end of the year and entries can be submitted either in person at the front register or on their Facebook page (Albion Main Street Thrift Store.) The winner will not only have the name they suggested on the front of the building, but will also receive a $50 gift certificate to the store.

There is also a social media contest to like and share the post regarding the contest from their Facebook page, where a winner will be randomly drawn to win a $25 gift certificate, said Cassie Eagle, manager of the Main Street Store.

The Main Street Store opened in downtown Albion about 20 years ago, and moved to 131 South Main St. in October 2014 to have more space and house more services for the community, Eagle said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Community Action of Orleans & Genesee opened of the Main Street Thrift Store in October 2014 at the former American Legion at 131 South Main St.

“We continue to add to the services we have here at this location, so changing the name would aid in our continual progression the store,” she said.

Eagle has been working at the store for two years, having started as classroom instructor for the Credit Recovery Program, where she works with high school students on credits they need to recover to graduate. Later, she took on a second role in online sales, where she maintained an online store for eBay sales through the Main Street Store. She took on the role as store manager earlier this year when Michelle George retired. Eagle continues in her previous roles, as well.

The Main Street Store offers a variety of quality clothing and shoes for men, women and children. Many professional women outfit themselves for work at the store. The store also carries jewelry, toys, books, puzzles and games, accessories and electronics. A special holiday section is always full of decorations and items for the current holiday.

In addition to awesome bargains on all that merchandise and the Albion High School Credit Recovery classes, the public can get GED preparation; take part in a Dress for Success program, which provides clothing to look the best in a new job; receive job application assistance; get employment training with Job Development for re-employability; have interview training; and explore volunteer options for community service.

The Main Street Thrift Store, 131 South Main St., is open from 10:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: From left are youth leaders Greg Nowicki, Amanda Nowicki, Taleana Farrell and Myra Seaman from the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church presenting a check to Steve Goodrich, commander of the Houseman-Tanner American Legion Post and a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. The check represents proceeds from a benefit the youth group did for veterans. Standing at right are Tom Wenhold and June Seaman. Youth are Paisley and Dixie Nowicki. Missing are Brooklyn Seaman, Connie Lawley and Harriet Petrie.

LYNDONVILLE – When the youth at Lyndonville Presbyterian Church wanted to do something for the community, they decided to have a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and donate the proceeds to a worthy cause.

They had no trouble choosing a recipient.

Pastor Martha Mitchell said Steve Goodrich, commander of the Houseman-Tanner American Legion Post, is a member of the church and they approached him about making a donation to help veterans.

Because suicide is a big problem among veterans, it was decided to give the proceeds to Veterans’ Outreach Center in Monroe County, an organization which provides services and counseling to veterans in Monroe and Orleans County.

The dinner was a huge success and the food was delicious, Mitchell said. Four hundred meals were served, and as a result, a check for $550 was presented to Goodrich on behalf of the Veterans’ Outreach Center.

“We need to teach our children to do things for others,” Mitchell said. “The children felt the good of it, while also helping veterans.”

A portion of the proceeds was kept to help send the church youth to camp at Camp Whitman, where they attend every summer.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville community checks out the array of 98 Christmas trees that were decorated by families, business and local organizations.

The lights were turned on this evening by Santa. The trees are expected to be up until about Jan. 1.

Santa Claus arrives by a sleigh pulled by a fire truck. He went to an electric switch at the “North Pole” and pulled a candy cane to light up the trees.

The 98 trees is a new record for Lyndonville. There were 26 the first year in 2013 and it has grown steadily each year to 88 in 2021 and now at nearly 100.

The community buys a tree and decorates it. The cost was up from $30 to $35. The increase would have been more but an anonymous donor picked up the rest of the increase.

Teri Woodworth, the village clerk/treasurer and one of the key organizers of “Christmas in Lyndonville, leads Santa from Veterans Park to the Village Hall.

Sierra Frasier, 10, and her sister Molly Frasier, 11, of Lyndonville are in good spirits while visiting with Santa.

Ariel Avery, 8, of Lyndonville shares a Christmas wish list with Santa.

Before Santa made it to the park, students from Lyndonville sang Christmas carols outside the Yates Community Library.

Logan Gerling, 13, pets a donkey after offering it a cracker. Daniel Porter of Lyndonville, next to Logan, brought the donkey, two sheep and two goats. He has brought animals to the annual event for nine years.

Kim Coon of Lyndonville makes Santa Claus crafts with her daughters, Rowe, 3, and Jade, 6. The library offered several activities for the day’s celebration, including a Christmas bingo, hot cocoa and other crafts.

The lighting of the trees was one of the highlights of the day.

This “Gnome for the Holidays!!!!” tree was decorated the Fiegl family.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Emelia Logsdon, 2, and her mother Lauren Logsdon visit with Santa in the Holley fire hall this evening after the village’s annual tree-lighting ceremony in the Public Square.

There was a big crowd gathered in the fire hall for snacks while they waited for Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Kelly Marzano, Holley’s high school chorus teacher, leads the group while the sign Christmas carols.

Greyson Thorn, 4, of Holley is happy to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Holley Mayor Mark Bower reads the names of the Holley residents who were remembered with memory bulbs as part of the tree-lighting ceremony. Bower said the holiday season can be difficult for families and friends who are missing loved ones.

Marzano directs the chorus while it sings carols and Christmas songs, including “Silent Night” prior to the tree-lighting.

The tree is lighted up in the Public Square after Mayor Bower read the names of people recognized with memory bulbs.

Photo by Tom Rivers: A police vehicle is parked outside the police station on Platt Street.

ALBION – The Village of Albion and the union representing Albion police officers have reached an agreement over a dispute where some village officials contended a miscalculation resulted in overpayments to officers for $236,000 over five years.

The village won’t seek to recoup those funds, and will pay back reduced paychecks for one pay period in June when the Mayor Angel Javier Jr. first insisted there was an error in the calculation for the hourly rate, resulting in overpayments of about 5 percent.

The village will pay $7,500 for the union’s legal fees to Bartlo, Hettler, Weiss & Tripi of Buffalo. And current officers will receive a “one-time ratification payment” when the union withdraws its grievance against the village and an “improper practice charge.”

The one-time ratification-inducement payment will be over $1,000 for most of the officers. That amount will be determined by taking 1/8 of the hourly salary and multiplying it by 104, and then again by 3. For example, if the hourly rate is $30, the payment would be $1,170.

The agreement also provides for officers to be paid for any pre- or post-shift briefings for 15 minutes prior to the start of their shifts beginning or ending at either 6 a.m. or 6 p.m.

“The agreement protects the taxpayers,” Javier said today. “It allows the village and the union to come to a final resolution without any multi-year litigation battle.”

While officers will be paid for pre- and post-shift briefings, the agreement doesn’t provide any “doffing” compensation for time spent changing clothes and washing at the beginning and end of shifts. Officers can change into and out of their uniforms at their residence or at a village changing facility, the agreement states.

The agreement also states that the officers’ hourly rate will be determined by dividing the annual salary by 2,080 hours and not 2,184 hours.

The officers will receive back pay in the one period where wages were reduced about 5 percent when the hourly rate was determined by dividing the salaries with 2,184 hours per year instead of 2,080 hours.

“The agreement also clears up any ambiguity going forward,” Javier said.

A CPA firm in July concluded a forensic audit, looking at officers’ pay checks over five years, and concluded the village paid $236,000 in overpayments.

The Bonadio Group said the village made an error in determining the hourly pay rate. The firm said the annual salaries should have been divided by 2,184 hours. That’s 84 hours multiplied by 26 weeks.

The village shifted from having officers work five 8-hour shifts a week to 12-hour shifts in July 2016. With the 12-hour shifts officers worked seven shifts every two weeks for 84 hours of straight time. The change was made to reduce overtime in the police department and to give officers more days off. (Officers aren’t eligible for overtime until they exceed 84 hours over two weeks.)

When the village made the change with the new shift schedule, it used the hours in a 40-hour week or 2,080 for the year. When the salary was divided by 2,080, instead of 2,184, the hourly rate was about 5 percent higher than it should have been, Bonadio said.

The firm’s report said 15 officers were overpaid ranging from $650 to a maximum of $27,000.

Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley said the village was in a difficult position and couldn’t just overlook the overpayments.

As part of settlement negotiations, the officers’ union raised other issues with sick days, vacation days and compensation for pre-shift and post-shift briefings that would have exceeded the $236,000 in overpayments, Riley said.

The village board chose to reach the agreement and not seek the overpayments, while the union backed off on most of the other concerns. The board believed it was a fair compromise.

“The other issues the PBA (Police Benevolent Association) brought up that were longstanding,” Riley said. “If we knew about them we would have addressed them.”

Riley and Javier both said they are thankful the matter is settled.

“We attempted to address a very real issue,” Riley said today. “It is resolved so we can move forward.”