Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – About 20 members of the Kendall Community Band performed in a benefit concert this afternoon at the First Baptist Church in Albion.

The band played patriotic music, including “God Bless America.”

Donations were accepted to go towards the church’s major project fund, which includes repairs to the stained-glass windows. Some of the windows need minor repairs, while others need more extensive work.

The church also wants to replace parts of the slate roof on the steeple. Some of the slate is falling apart, said Kim Pritt, one of the church members.

Lori Cyr has been director of the Kendall Community Band since it started 12 years ago. She introduces one of the songs.

The band will next perform at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 for Kendall’s tree-lighting ceremony. The trees will be lighted at the town’s park, while the band performs at the elementary school.

The band also performed on Nov. 10 in a benefit for the Kendall food cupboard.

Mike Metcalf of Albion performs with the band.

Kay Metcalf, center, of Albion also is one the band members.

Tod Symons, left, and Don Bishop have been in the band for several years.

The band welcomes local musicians who play an instrument.

No one to blame but myself for almost missing my connecting flight to Hawaii – but, as you can see, I made it!

The welcome sign for Cripple Creek, Colorado – where I got hopelessly lost and ended up with a story I love to share.

My luggage went to California without me!

Let’s go on an adventure together…when things don’t go as planned!

I tend to paint a joyful, easy picture of traveling and probably 95+% of the time, that’s absolutely correct. But…..it would be unfair to not tell you about some of the times traveling did not go exactly as planned. Oh, those times can certainly be challenging, upsetting, frustrating, and, yes, even a bit scary at the time! But, every one of them turned out to be times that I look back on with a chuckle and a reminder that sometimes it’s the not so perfect things that become our most interesting of memories! You’ve got to try to keep calm and keep your sense of humor or you can risk totally ruining your vacation for something you have absolutely no control over. Here are just a few examples that I now laugh about:

First: the issue of lost luggage. I’ve heard stories about this, but honestly, I’ve flown a LOT between all the years of off and on business travel and traveling for pleasure and it has only happened to me one time. I was flying from Raleigh to Buffalo when I lived in NC to come home to Albion for Christmas. I got to Buffalo and my luggage didn’t join me. The airline was great. They told me they would find it and bring it to me as soon as they got it back. Luckily, I was visiting my Mom and it wasn’t an issue to not have my luggage – just a minor inconvenience. The airline found it right away and delivered it to Mom’s the next day! I discovered that it went to California!!! I had a serious talk with that suitcase – I told it that I am nice enough to take it with me everywhere I go and it had the unmitigated gall to go to sunny California and let me continue on to snowy Buffalo! Hahaha But, seriously, this is something that happens from time to time…..it can be a lot more than a minor inconvenience, depending the situation. But, there isn’t much you can do about it – the airline will usually find it and get it to you as quickly as they can. Plus, it’s a good reminder to pack at least one good change of clothes and your medications in your carry-on bag. Also, ensure you have your name, address, and phone # on your checked bag with other visual things to distinguish it (stickers, ribbons, something)…..AND – ALWAYS take a photo of your luggage with your phone before you leave in case you need to give it to the people who will be searching for it.

Getting lost: I am one of the most directionally challenged individuals on the planet. I have gotten lost all over the world – I used to say “all across the country”, but I recently got lost trying to find my way back to my hotel in Rome, so I’ve upgraded the reference. One of my favorite stories was when I was in Colorado in 2019. A tour guide told me that Cripple Creek and Victor were wonderful old cowboy towns and I should definitely put them on my agenda. So I did! I found my way there and visited both towns – it was not a good day to go because everything I wanted to see was either closed or I just plain couldn’t find it. So, I looked around, got some great photos and tried to head back to Colorado City. Well….my GPS kept trying to put me on questionable looking dirt roads and the one highway it kept directing me to was the one between the two towns with no exits. I literally drove that one highway EIGHT TIMES between Cripple Creek and Victor and could not find my way back to Colorado City. I found myself singing the words to the Eagles’ Hotel California – “you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave!” Since the towns were literally closed, I couldn’t find anyone to help direct me – I was on my own. I finally gave in and took one of the dirt roads, thinking my GPS must know what it’s talking about. It ended up being a STEEP windy one lane path with lots of big boulders to maneuver around that ended with a fence that said “No Trespassing – Do Not Enter!” I had to do a very precarious three point turn and climb back up out onto the paved road – luckily I had a SUV that managed the climb and the boulders very nicely. I did find my way back – without the help of my GPS, which I threw into the back seat after that mess – I just kept turning in the direction I thought would get me there and bam – there I was! Moral of that story: I was pretty scared and worried at the time, but I survived and I now have a story that I really enjoy telling and I think of it every time Hotel California comes on the radio.

Flight issues: Flight delays and cancellations are never fun. But, please remember that it isn’t the fault of the poor airline personnel who you have to deal with. Don’t take it out on them. It only makes them less likely to help you and puts you in a foul mood. One example were I was actually the only one to blame was when I went to Hawaii in 2020. I somehow misjudged my time and arrived at the airport too late to make my flight. The airport staff were great and got me on the next flight, but I was a bundle of nerves and my imagination went wild on me. I ended up with a very tight layover that even the slightest delay would have caused me to not only miss my connecting flight in JFK, but also the first day of my cruise to Hawaii! It all worked out, but it was the most tense few hours of my life. Another recent example was when I went to Scotland earlier this year with 19 others on a group trip. Our flight out of Glasgow was delayed enough that we knew before we left that we were likely going to miss our connecting flight in Amsterdam – and we did miss it! We lucked out having Mitzy from Orleans Travel actually traveling with us – it wasn’t easy getting 17 people rebooked (2 didn’t need to stay with us), but she worked her magic and got us all home. It wasn’t without much more drama and the need to stay overnight in Amsterdam, but we all survived and eventually got home and we all have an awesome story to tell.

These are just a few examples that stick out as times things didn’t go as planned for me. My point to this is that things are bound to happen from time to time. The important thing to remember is to not let it totally ruin your trip or your well-being. It is usually just one of those things – you’ll survive – it will work out somehow. Just try to stay calm and don’t shoot the messenger – getting all upset won’t change the situation. Remember, you’ll likely end up laughing about it when looking back at it.

For more details on the stories behind these examples, check out these blog posts:

Lost in Colorado: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2019/12/14/2019-colorado-adventure-the-rest-of-the-story/

Drama At The Airport:  https://thoughtsbykim.com/2020/02/14/drama-at-the-airport/

Scotland Flight Delay: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2022/05/24/2022-scotland-adventure-part-three/

Happy Adventuring,
Kim Pritt

13-year-old Edwina has lots of advice to share

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Asher Curfman portrays Vladimir, a scary uncle who resembles Dracula. Vladimir is one of the characters in the Albion Middle School production of “Dear Edwina.”

Friday was opening night at the middle school auditorium. There are shows today at noon and 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Lily Brigham plays the role of Edwina, a 13-year-old advice-giving extraordinaire. Edwina receives many letters seeking her opinion on may challenges, from birthday party etiquette, to a picky brother, to setting the table with proper silverware.

Edwina hears a talent scout is visiting her community of Paw Paw, Michigan, and Edwina is determined to make a good impression and be included in the Kalamazoo Advice-a-Palooza Festival. She is jealous of her siblings who are very talented at piano and math.

Kamryn Simmons gives a high-energy performance in a song about manners, “Say No Thank You.” The show features many different soloists.

Liam Leader plays Scott who expresses his love for Edwina.

Anna Grillo, Carly Smith and MaKenzie Cook have a new batch of letters for Edwina.

Lily Brigham, right, plays the part of the “Fairy Forkmother” while Sophie Kozody is Chef Ludmilla.

Ayme Vallejo Morales plays the role of Lola in this song, “Hola, Lola.”  In her advice letter, Lola writes about an upcoming trip to Switzerland and feeling shy. Edwina advises her to learn to say hello in the new language.

Anna Grillo plays “Mary Sue Betty Bob” and sings “Put It In The Piggy.” She sends a message about saving money and putting your nickels in the piggy bank. Phoebe Allen is at left and Lily Brigham is at right.

ALBION – The Village of Albion Zoning Board of Appeals approved several variances for the proposed Taco Bell store on Route 31 in Albion.

The ZBA met on Nov. 15 and approved the variance requests from Hospitality Syracuse for the 2,600-square-foot building.

The ZBA agreed to allow the restaurant to have four signs, which is more than the maximum of two allowed in the village code. The developer is proposing four signs with three on the building and one on a freestanding pole.

The freestanding sign will be 79.5 square feet, which is above the 48 square foot maximum. The ZBA approved that variance for the sign’s size.

The ZBA also approved a pole height of 25 feet, which is 5 feet higher than the limit. The total cumulative area of the signs is at 147.6 square feet, which is 44 feet over the Albion limit. That was given the OK by the ZBA.

The developer is seeking the additional building signage due to the unique “tower” aspect of the building design. A sign on each side of the tower provides architectural symmetry, and a sign over the door identifies the main entrance, Hospitality stated in the application.

The configuration of the drive-through does not allow for a pylon setback greater than what has been proposed.

The Village of Albion Planning Board on Nov. 10 approved the site plan for the project, which proposed for a vacant lot owned by Landsman Development of Rochester.

Hospitality is eyeing a spring construction start on the project.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The project is proposed for a vacant lot along Route 31 next to McDonalds and across from Freeze-Dry Foods. Hospitality Syracuse will remove the 36-foot high steel water tank from the back corner of the lot, and make about 40 percent of the 1.33-acre lot green space with grass. The company will remove the chain-link fences and replace them with ones made of wood.

MEDINA – The Landmark Society of Western New York has recognized the ambitious transformation of the Bent’s Opera House with the organization’s top preservation award.

The first floor of the Bent’s Opera House has been transformed into a fine dining venue after the site was last used as a bank.

The project was a three-year effort led by Roger Hungerford and his wife Heather Farnsworth. Bent’s was honored with the Barber Conable Award, named for the late congressman from Genesee County. Conable supported the establishment of the Federal Investment Tax Credit Program for the rehabilitation of historic, income-producing buildings. He also served as president of the World Bank.

The building was mostly vacant for decades. The Bank of America used part of the first floor until closing and giving the building to the Orleans Renaissance Group, which did emergency repairs to a corner of the building that was in danger of falling into the street.

A total renovation was beyond the resources of the ORG. Hungerford committed to the restoration, which includes the first-floor Harvest restaurant, 10 boutique hotel rooms on the second floor and the restored opera house on the third floor, a space that can be used for performances, receptions and conferences.

“With this restoration, the owners of Bent’s Opera House have returned this Erie Canal village landmark to its historic role as a community gathering space and performance venue,” the Landmark Society stated in announcing the award. “Medina natives Roger and Heather have demonstrated a commitment to historic preservation and the long-term economic sustainability of the Village of Medina.”

This is the second straight year a project in Orleans County received the Landmark Society’s top preservation award. Last year the honor went to Home Leasing for a $17 million project at the former Holley High School, turning that abandoned site into 41 apartments for senior citizens and also the Village of Holley offices and meeting room.

The third floor includes chandeliers to complement the elegance of the space.

With the Bent’s project, the Landmark Society praised the team of professionals that helped make the project happen: Talis Equity, Le Chase Construction, Talis Historic Restoration, Kideney Architects, and Preservation Studios.

The building at 444 Main St. is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Bent’s opened in 1865 and is a prominent “cornerstone property in the Village of Medina,” the Landmark Society said.

The Conable award was presented on Sunday during the Landmark Society’s annual awards program.

Bent’s Hall was built in 1864-65 by well-known sandstone builder and Medina native, Patrick O’Grady. Built at the height of the Civil War and the Lincoln presidency, it is one of the oldest surviving opera houses in the United States.

It was named for a local farmer who owned the property and had the structure erected. For many years it was a prominent venue for concerts, plays, shows, commencements, elections and other public functions. P.T. Barnum and “Buffalo Bill” Cody were among the hundreds of touring performers who entertained on Bent’s stage.

With the advent of movies, the opera house as a performance venue gradually fell into disuse. Over the years, Medina Elks Lodge had quarters on the second floor and beginning in 1970, the first floor became home to the first of several banks, the last of which was Bank of America.

Heather Farnsworth gives a tour of the third floor event space last month to members of the Medina Sandstone Society, which held its Hall of Fame luncheon at the first floor restaurant.

Here is how the top floor looked before a major renovation led by Roger Hungerford and his wife Heather Farnsworth.

The site at the corner of routes 31 and 63 was in rough shape before the major reconstruction project.

Justin Niederhofer, deputy director, appointed new ‘Orleans 1’

File photos by Tom Rivers: Dale Banker is pictured at a fire in Carlton on May 20, 2018. He retired on Monday after eight years as the Orleans County emergency management director.

ALBION – Dale Banker has retired after eight years as the Orleans County emergency management director, a tenure that saw him oversee the county’s response to two historic floods from Lake Ontario and an $11 million overhaul of the county’s emergency communications system.

Banker also was critical in the county’s efforts to bring PPE (personal protective equipment) and other supplies to municipalities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He was praised by Orleans County legislators during Wednesday’s Legislature meeting, when he was presented with a certificate of appreciation for helping to see the community through several challenges.

“This brings to close a remarkable career in Orleans County,” said Lynne Johnson, County Legislature chairwoman.

Banker took the EMO position on July 14, 2014 after a 36-year career with the state Department of Transportation in Albion. The first 28 years he was an equipment operator before being promoted to highway maintenance supervisor in charge of equipment the last eight years.

Banker has had many all-nighters through his career, and always has had the pager close by, 24-7.

Banker said his wife Eileen has been very supportive during his career. She is the former mayor of Albion and the district director for Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

“I got to thank Eileen for putting up with night shifts for 36 winters and for the last 8 years of being on call all the time,” Banker said.

Hawley presented Banker with a citation from the State Assembly on Wednesday for a distinguished serving the local community for 44 years.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Officials from Orleans and Niagara counties held a news conference at Golden Hill State Park in Barker on April 22, 2019 with Lake Ontario as the backdrop. The lakeshore communities faced a second year of flooding and erosion damage after the high waters of 2017. Dale Banker, center, is director of the Orleans County Emergency Management Office. Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, is next to Banker at right. Jon Schultz, director of the Niagara County Emergency Management Office, is left of Banker and Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey is back left.

The Legislature also appointed Justin Niederhofer, the deputy director the past 2 ½ years, to be the director of the Emergency Management Office or “Orleans 1.”

Niederhofer is a former Carlton fire chief and a current fire investigator for the county. He is a 20-year veteran of the Air Force with 11 years of Active duty and nine years in the Reserve. Before joining the EMO, he was working for the U.S. Department of Defense, leading a team of 10 in overseeing manufacturers with Defense contracts.

The emergency management director in the past would typically help to plan fire training classes for local fire departments. But it has become much more than that. Banker helped plan and guide two major radio system upgrades that totaled $10.7 million, with most of the projects funded by state grants. Those projects will improve the communications for first responders in the county.

Banker said the county is working on the last piece of that upgrade, which includes a new radio tower in Carlton and more equipment upgrades. He is hopeful there will be a grant announcement soon that will pay for most of the cost of the final phase of the project, which will be about $3 million.

Workers from Upstate Tower Inc. on Nov. 19, 2020 are shown doing the final work and inspections on a new 180-foot-high radio tower by the Orleans County Public Safety Building on Route 31. This is one of four new radio towers in the county as part of a $5.9 million upgrade to the emergency radio system.

Banker, 63, said he will continue as an active firefighter with the Albion Fire Department. He joined 47 years ago as an explorer when he was 15. He recently took his driver training for the fire trucks with Jeremy Babcock, an Albion firefighter who Banker trained as a fire truck driver more than a decade ago.

Banker and his wife are moving to Carlton, but Banker said he was to stay connected with the Albion FD until at least he reaches his 50-year anniversary with the department.

Banker said many of his closest friends are with the Albion FD. He has served with them for decades, including Harry Papponetti, Ron Armstrong and Richard Tibbits.

“It was very exciting,” he said about joining the Albion Fire Department. “To this day I have life-long friends.”

Banker was only 26 when he started as Albion fire chief. He served as the department’s leader from 1986 to 1992. He also was an Albion village trustee from 1994 to 2006.

Members of the National Guard were in Carlton on June 2, 2019, stacking sandbags to protect two homes on a peninsula that are very vulnerable to flooding. The houses are on Park Road and are surrounded by water on three sides, from Lake Ontario and Johnson Creek.

In 2017 and 2019, the National Guard spent weeks in Orleans County, filling and stacking sand bags along the lakeshore to help protect property from flooding.

Banker mobilized resources from the state to help property owners with the historic floods.

Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey praised Banker for working so well with the emergency management coordinators in the region.

“It takes a very special person to be there in the worst conditions,” Godfrey said.

Banker said the state of emergency from the lake flooding lasted months. The Covid-19 pandemic was another “long emergency” that tested the emergency management office.

Banker said the challenges with the erosion and flooding at Lake Ontario, plus the Covid-19 response, were among the most challenging because of their duration.

The flooding and the pandemic were “unchartered territory” for Orleans County, he said.

He is grateful for the system the state has in place for counties to draw on resources from other areas to help in a crisis.

Dale Banker, left, chats with Jonathan Higgins of the Medina Fire Department before a “Blue Mass” for law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, coroners and other first responders. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Albion hosted the Mass on Oct. 23, 2016.

Banker during his eight years as the EMO director has been vocal in his concern about a shortage of volunteer firefighters. About 20 years ago, he estimates there were 800 active volunteer firefighters. Now there are about 300 in the county.

The fire departments rely on mutual aid to bring in additional personnel to battle fires and respond to emergencies.

“It’s a great group of dedicated members,” he said. “Everyone works well together but there are less volunteers.”

He can foresee where eastern and central Orleans may need career firefighters to help with a quick response. Medina Fire Department has 19 paid firefighters who are available in western Orleans (and often for mutual aid in central Orleans).

Banker said departments increasingly depend on the mutual aid, and they don’t forget when others help them. He recalled when 60 firefighters from Orleans County went to Erie County during a massive snowstorm in November 2014, giving 3,000 hours of service.

Erie County remembered that and would donate a mobile command post to Orleans County when Erie purchased a new one.

Baker also is pleased the EMO has a new fire safety trailer to teach children and adults about fire safety. The trailer has a fog machine to simulate smoke among its many features.

The EMO also has two variable message boards that can be set up to notify motorists of road closures. The board also is used by the Board of Elections for early voting announcements.

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 used to teach fire prevention and also help students to know how to get out of their homes in case of a fire. Students were urged to “Stay Low and Go.” State Sen. Robert Ortt secured a $75,000 state grant for the trailer. Banker said the county has forged strong relationships with state officials and leaders from nearby counties.

Provided photo: From left include Halee Potter, United Memorial Medical Center’s outreach and education specialist; Julie Calvert, community engagement coordinator for Tobacco-Free GOW; and Renee Hungerford, executive director/CEO of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee County.

Press Release, Tobacco-Free GOW

The Great American Smokeout, observed on November 17 this year, was a day Tobacco-Free Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming partnered with the American Cancer Society, United Memorial Medical Center and Community Action of Orleans and Genesee to help our community commit to quitting tobacco products.

“The most important thing smokers and vapers can do to improve their health is to quit smoking cigarettes and using other tobacco products,” said Martin Mahoney, MD, PhD, professor of oncology and smoking cessation specialist at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Most people know the devastating impact of tobacco. Yet 34 million American adults still smoke cigarettes.

In New York State, smoking kills about 22,000 adult smokers every year. Another 650,000 adults in NYS live with smoking-related illnesses including poor reproductive outcomes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

The efforts of Tobacco-Free GOW, Community Action, UMMC, health systems, as well as state and local legislation, have led to record low smoking rates among adults and youths.

The adult cigarette smoking rate in New York State achieved a new low of 12 percent in 2020, a rate lower than the U.S. average of 15.5 percent. Among young adults, ages 18 to 24, the smoking rate is even lower, at 5.5 percent.

Despite these milestones, approximately 1.7 million adults in New York State still smoke. Adults with poor mental health, less than a high school education or annual incomes of less than $25,000 smoke at much higher rates than the general adult population.

To help reduce smoking rates during Great American Smokeout events this week and beyond, Community Action provided support and resources to people in the Holley Community Center wishing to quit. Team members distributed information kits on smoking cessation and how to get help quitting.

“Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is committed to help improve the health and wellness of our community members,” said Renee Hungerford, executive director/CEO. “We are proud to partner with Tobacco-Free GOW and UMMC’s Cancer Prevention Program in raising awareness of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout campaign.”

The Great American Smokeout is a national event that promotes tobacco and vape cessation by encouraging people to quit even for one day. It was founded to help tobacco and e-cigarette users begin a cessation journey.

Support is available for Western New Yorkers who want to quit. The New York State Smokers’ Quitline is a confidential service for all New York State residents who wish to overcome tobacco use, including e-cigarettes. Residents of all ages may contact the Quitline for support and educational materials.

Free offerings include individualized coaching and assistance with quit-planning from experienced Quit Coaches, text and chat support and free stop-smoking medications such as nicotine patches or nicotine gum for those 18 and older. In addition, the Quitline encourages teens and young adults (ages 13-24) to text “DROPTHEVAPE” to 88709 to join “This Is Quitting,” a free texting support program for help with quitting vaping. Visit nysmokefree.com anytime for more information or call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) seven days a week, beginning at 9 a.m.

First meeting will be at Albion on Nov. 29 with more planned around county

ALBION – Orleans County Chamber of Commerce leaders want to hear about the challenges faced by businesses in the community, including some obstacles that may be specific to certain municipalities in the county.

The Chamber is launching “coffee and conversations” on Nov. 29 with Chamber officials available at 8 a.m. in the 2nd floor conference room at the Arnold Gregory Building, 243 South Main St. in Albion.

Local elected officials and business owners are welcome to attend and share their insights about ways to improve the business climate in the Albion community. The Barre Betterment Committee and Barre community members also are welcome to attend.

“We want to hear what the hurdles are,” said Darlene Hartway, Chamber executive director. “We want to listen.”

Hartway will be joined by Dave Gagne, Chamber president, in the meetings. More sessions are being planned in Holley, Carlton-Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina.

“It’s a starting point to get a good pulse on what each community faces,” Hartway said.

Locally owned businesses are still regrouping from Covid-19 pandemic, and many of the businesses face challenges with more chain stores coming into the area, Hartway said. The business environment could get tougher because the Small Business Administration is forecasting a recession, Hartway said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Ryan Czaja of Middleport wears a Santa suit while running a 5K in Medina on Nov. 27, 2021. He was one of 75 participants in the 9th annual Home for the Holidays 5K. Czaja has worn the Santa suit for the race several times. This year’s race will be Nov. 26.

MEDINA – The committee planning the Home for the Holidays 5K run in conjunction with the Olde Tyme Christmas celebration in Medina is making a plea for participants to sign up for this year’s race Nov. 26.

Teresa Wilkins and Debbie Tompkins have chaired the event since 2016 and want to make this one the biggest ever in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

The race signals an early start to a day full of special events, which includes holiday activities throughout the village, sales, a Cutest Little Elf Contest, a pet parade, arrival of Santa Claus, band performances, fireworks and more, topped off by the magnificent Parade of Lights at 6 p.m.

A full schedule of events can be found on the Christmas in Medina website.

Race participants can start registering at 7:30 a.m. at the YMCA, for the USA Track and Field-sanctioned race, which begins at 9 a.m. in the canal basin behind Captain Kidz. Registration forms and more information can be found on the Christmas in Medina website.

Prizes are awarded for first, second and third for men and women in a variety of age categories, starting with 10 and under and going up to 70 and older in increments of five years. For example, 11-14, 15-19, etc.

Wilkins said they are very grateful for more than a dozen Medina High School seniors who have volunteered to help this year, manning the route and directing runners. She is also thrilled to have several runners sign up this year from Canada.

Wilkins and Tompkins are both runners and in the past have run 10 to 15 races together a year.

The YMCA has not only offered use of its facility to host registration for the race, but it has invited racers who may be from out of town and want to stay for the day to come back after their run and use the facility’s showers.

The race ends at the American Legion Post on North Main Street, which opens up for racers to come in and have a donut, donated by Dunkin’ Donuts, and/or an apple, donated by local farmer Dale Root.

All the proceeds from the race go to a local charity, and in the past they have donated to the Knights-Kaderli Fund, Hands 4 Hope, the Warrior House and the library. This year’s proceeds will be given to a new local charity, Cat by Cat Inc., led by Shannon Blount in Medina. The group in Medina works to humanely “TNVR” cats through targeted trapping. Those cats are then neutered, vaccinated and either returned or adopted out.

This chart shows the new senior citizen income levels and the percent of the property tax discount.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has increased the income levels for senior citizens and disabled property owners to receive a break on their property taxes.The County Legislature on Wednesday approved higher income levels for senior citizens and disabled residents to get a tax reduction on their county tax bills. The senior exemption was last changed in 2014, while the low-income disabled exemptions were last modified in 2017.

The senior exemption previously gave 50 percent off property taxes for those 65 and older with an annual income at $15,500 or less and then dropped in 5 percent increments.

The new exemption levels offer 50 percent off at annual incomes of $19,000 or less. It then drops in 5 percent increments until bottoming out at 20 percent off between $23,800 and $24,699.99.

The county also expanded the income levels for low-income disabled residents. The county started offering that exemption in 2007. The maximum exemption was for incomes at $15,500 or below. Now it’s up to $19,000 for 50 percent off. That exemption then drops 5 percent before the lowest level of 5 percent off at incomes between $26,500 and 27,399.99.

This chart shows the new low-income disabled resident income levels and the percent of the property tax discount. Low-income disabled residents will switch to the senior citizen tax exemption once they are 65.

Dawn Allen, the county’s director of real property tax services, said most of the towns in the county are also looking to expand the income levels for seniors with their property tax exemptions.

The Town of Murray is currently the only town in the county offering the low-income disabled exemption, Allen said.

The county’s expanded income levels for exemptions will apply to assessment rolls prepared on taxable status dates occurring on and after March 1, 2023.

The Medina school district will be closed Friday through Sunday. A forecasted snowstorm with travel bans in some areas will limit some staff members’ ability to get to work.

“This decision is being made out of an abundance of caution,” District Superintendent Mark Kruzynski said in a message to Medina students and families. “Please stay safe.”

GCASA also announced it will close its administrative, outpatient clinics/offices in Albion and Batavia on Friday.

The residential, detox and methadone programs will remain open –  those staff should report.

HAMLIN – The Orleans Economic Development Agency graduated 10 budding business entrepreneurs from its fall class Tuesday night at Gallo’s Bar and Grill in Hamlin.

Gallo’s co-owner Michelle Gallo graduated from the Microenterprise Assistance Program several years ago and has become an instructor for the class. The insights from MAP helped her and her husband to run two successful businesses – the bar and grill in Hamlin and Gallo’s Performance Auto Parts & Truck in Brockport.

Diane Blanchard, administrator of the Microenterprise Assistance Program, cuts the cake at the fall graduation ceremony Tuesday at Gallo’s Bar and Grill in Hamlin.

Administrator of MAP, Diane Blanchard, introduced Tuesday’s graduates and their proposed businesses. They are Brandi DiMatteo of Albion, event planning and party rentals; Tracie Fleischhut of Middleport, retail store and antique gifts; Jordan Gawne of Medina, bakery; Mandee Heinsler of Waterport, dance boutique; Gabrielle Joyner of Albion, holistic wellness center; Christina Nenni of Medina, party rentals; Charlie Ricci of Medina, heavy equipment and golf cart rentals; Dan Rosentreter of Medina, Coffee Pot Café; Diego Russell of Medina, lawn care; and Jennifer Walker of Albion, party bus.

Also attending the graduation were Sam Campanella with the Small Business Administration; John Fitzak, county legislator and board member of Economic Development Agency; Craig Tuohey and Skip Draper, board members of the EDA; Dorothy Daniels, instructor; and guest speaker Dan Conrad, MAP graduate and owner of Toyz n Kandy in Albion.

The graduates gave short speeches, describing their proposed business and goals.

Charlie Ricci was inspired by his late grandfather, who was a contractor, and his father Dan Ricci, who owned a golf course. They provided the role models to start a business renting heavy equipment and golf carts.

“MAP helped me in all aspects of starting a new business,” Ricci said. “From the banks who visited our class, I learned about loan options. The lawyer Brett Dawson wrote my contract for the rental business.”

Ricci, who currently runs a dump truck business hauling stone, sand and top soil, said he will rent heavy equipment and golf carts because there is nothing like it in the area.

Brandi DiMatteo, whose business Yolo plans events and has party rentals, said what will set her business apart is the attention to detail.

“I combine old-fashioned value, by going the extra mile and using cutting-edge ideas to plan my customers next special event,” she said. “Being in business has always been my dream.”

She will offer reasonable prices, and customers can choose from full packages or custom options. Rentals will include everything from tables and chairs to decorations.

Dan Rosentreter opened the Coffee Pot Café on East Center Street in Medina on Aug. 1. He sells coffee, tea, lemonade, bagels and pastries and is in the process of creating a full bakery in the store.

Like other graduates, MAP helped him with a business plan and made him eligible to apply for grants.

Jordan Gawne, Christina Nenni and Brandi DiMatteo all graduated from the Microenterprise Assistance Program Tuesday night. They are in related businesses and plan to help each other along the way.

Jennifer Walker hopes to purchase a party bus and offer a unique and fun way to attend special events. Her party bus would be a limousine with entertainment enroute to wineries, business meetings, weddings or other events. Alcohol would be allowed if provided by the passengers.

Christina Nenni and Michelle Wiseman started Party Tyme Rentals about three years ago, during the height of Covid. They brought party supplies to families to use in the safety of their own home. In March 2021 they moved into the Arnold Gregory Complex in Albion. What Nenni learned in the MAP class has guided them in establishing a business which is not only successful, but very supportive of their community. They rent photo booths, popcorn machines, bounce houses and party decorations.

Tracie Fleischhut used the support she gained from MAP to open Rustic Ridge Country Store on Ridge Road. It is a retail store with antique gifts and vendors. Her goal is to accommodate 25 vendors. She hopes to seek grants through MAP.

Jordan Gawne’s expertise is specialty cakes, and she hopes to open a bakery in Medina. One thing MAP encourages is networking with other classmates, and Gawne, Nenni and Brandi DiMatteo have shared ideas and plan to work with each other.

Dan Conrad, a MAP graduate and owner of Toyz N Kandy in Albion, talks to the fall graduating class on how MAP helped him build a successful business.

Mandee Heinsler of Lyndonville sells dance apparel and supports the arts at her business, Barre Boutique, in Albion at the Gotta Dance by Miss Amy studio.

Diego Russell has started Hometown Lawn Care in Medina, and will mow lawns, rake leaves and do yard cleanup.

Gabrielle Joyner also graduated from the class, but was unable to attend the graduation. She hopes to start a Holistic Wellness Center.

Guest speaker for the evening was MAP graduate Dan Conrad, who shared how he took the class to start a new business when a hand injury prevented him from doing his construction job. His business, Toyz N Kandy, occupies 1,200 square feet of space on Albion’s Main Street.

“MAP is a great resource,” Conrad said. “I never hesitated to pick up the phone and call Diane for advice.”

He stressed the importance of getting out and working together with other business owners. He said he walked throughout downtown connecting the other business owners. He is currently awaiting a grant from the EDA, with which he plans to open a second location in Brockport.

“Don’t ever lose your dream,” he told the graduates. “Be creative, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.”

The evening concluded with cake supplied by Cassandra Brady, a MAP graduate who operates Iced and Glazed Bakery.

The Microenterprise Assistance Program started in 1999 and since then, 567 people have gone through the program. MAP offers two classes each year – one in the spring and one in the fall.