Provided photo: Ron and Lynda Felstead of Medina were among the guests at last year’s Treasure Island event. Ron has been a longtime member of the Orleans Community Health Foundation board.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health’s top fundraiser Treasure Island is scheduled for Nov. 5 at Shelby Fire Hall.

This is the 28th annual Treasure Island Auction Benefit, which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for dozens of causes, projects and equipment throughout the Medina Memorial Hospital system.

This year’s honorary chair is Dr. Richard Elman, Emergency Department director at Medina Memorial Hospital. Starting at the hospital in 2016, Dr. Elman manages the clinical and administrative responsibilities for Orleans Community Health’s critical access emergency department, with a volume of more than 8,000 patients per year.

Proceeds from this year’s Treasure Island event is earmarked for Orleans Community Health Foundation’s IV pump replacement campaign, which is more than half way to its goal.

Treasure Island will help close the gap to replace these IV pumps throughout Orleans Community Health and Medina Memorial Hospital, according to Megan Johnson, executive director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation, which sponsors Treasure Island.

Pumps are used in both dialysis locations for infusion treatments, and in Medina Memorial Hospital’s emergency, operating and recovery rooms, in radiology, long-term care unit and on patient care floors.

Tickets for Treasure Island are $50 per person and can be purchased online at www.charityauction.bid/treasureisland2022.  Attendees can look forward to a buffet dinner catered by Zambistro, silent and live auctions, a Lucky Cork wine pull and exclusive onsite games.

The silent auction will be open to the public again this year online. Bidders do not have to purchase a ticket or attend the event to participate. Many items are featured in the silent auction this year, including two trips; a five-night trip for two to the Alaskan Frontier and a three-night Vancouver salmon fishing trip for two. To participate in the silent auction, visit the event website above and “Register to Bid.” Winners will be notified via e-mail after the event closes.

Sponsors of Treasure Island are Independent Health, Lawley Insurance, Takeform, Niagara Veterinary Properties and Jr. Wilson’s Sportsmen’s Club.

Village declares snails, old merry-go-round as surplus items and will be sold

File photo by Tom Rivers: The snail at Pine Street Park, and another one at Butts Park, were declared surplus items by the Village Board on Monday and will be sold. The village’s insurance company recommended the snails be removed.

MEDINA – The snail jungle gyms at Pine Street Park and Butts Park will soon to be sold through an online auction site after the Village Board declared them to be surplus items on Monday.

“The insurance company recommended we take them out because don’t meet requirements for modern day safety of playground equipment,” said Jason Watts, the village’s superintendent of the Department of Public Works. “They were more of a nostalgic thing for our parks.”

Mayor Mike Sidari said a safety audit by the village insurance carrier deemed the snails unsafe. The snails were removed in August.

“If there was an injury claim the insurance company would not pay for the claim,” Sidari said today.

The snails will be listed on the Government Deals online auction site. The village kept the snails in recent years, while the playgrounds were upgraded with newer equipment.

Watts said the snail that was at Pine Street Park is in better shape. The eyes fell off the one from Butts Park.

The board also voted to declare the merry-go-round that was at State Street Park as surplus. That was removed this summer because “it was in tough shape,” Watts said.

Other miscellaneous equipment, a Vermeer woodchipper, track paver and snow plow also were declared surplus and will be sold.

Village officials frustrated some business owners, employees park too long on Main Street

MEDINA – The Village Board again debated whether it should scrap a two-hour parking limit in the downtown, saying that limit is hard to enforce. The board also doesn’t want to do away with the two-hour signs because some people might park on Main Street for many hours.

Trustee Tim Elliott has raised the issue recently, saying there are a few people, including a business owner, who park for several hours on Main Street.

“I brought up because people complained we’re not enforcing tickets,” Elliott said during Monday’s board meeting.

However, the board doesn’t want strict enforcement where it would chase away some customers who visit multiple shops and go to a restaurant, exceeding the two hours.

Deputy Mayor Owen Toale said doesn’t want to see the village writing parking tickets to downtown customers.

“It would be counterproductive to our Main Street being busy, and our retailers and restaurants being successful,” he said.

The business owners and their employees should be encouraged to park in the municipal lots where there isn’t a time limit. Police Chief Chad Kenward said he has spoken to people with a reputation for overstaying the two-hour limit, but that hasn’t dissuaded them yet.

Village attorney Matt Brooks said the common way of enforcing a parking limit, by chalking tires, has been ruled unconstitutional in court.

Mayor Mike Sidari said the village would need a camera system with internet service to enforce the parking limit.

Sidari said he went into Monday’s meeting thinking it made more sense to eliminate the parking limit in the downtown because the village isn’t enforcing it. However, he agreed with Toale that keeping the two-hour signs posted is a deterrent to more people parking for multiple hour sin the downtown.

Sidari said he doesn’t want to put in parking meters, either.

“If we take the signs down, business owners and employees could take more spots,” he said. “We’re between a rock and a hard place.”

Sidari said the village has several municipal lots near the downtown that are only a short walk away from Main Street.

Trustee Marguerite Sherman said the village is looking at grants to make the municipal lots more inviting. She said she has spoken with several business owners who want to keep the two-hour parking limit.

If the board ends the two-hour Main Street parking, there would be a public hearing. But the board said it won’t be pushing that right now.

Toale said the issue of a downtown often full of vehicles is a good issue to wrestle with..

“The bigger problem is when there are too many spaces available because people aren’t coming to the businesses and restaurants,” he said.

MEDINA – The village has issued an emergency demolition permit for large manufacturing site on East Avenue that has been vacant and a target of vandals in recent years.

This morning there was another fire at the three-story building at 525 East Avenue. This 70,600-square-foot building was previously used by the S.A. Cook Furniture Factory.

Mayor Mike Sidari praised firefighters for a quick knock down of the fire. Firefighters used aerial ladder trucks from Medina, Albion and Shelby to put out the flames. No firefighters went inside because the building is considered to be too dangerous, said Code Enforcement Officer Dan Gardner.

The property has been sold multiple times through the property tax auction, including in 2016 when it only fetched $100.

A more recent owner – Open the Windows of Heaven, Apostolic Ministry – doesn’t have insurance on the building. The church group also doesn’t have the resources to make extensive repairs or to demo the site, Gardner said.

He issued the church a notice about a year ago that the building was unsafe and not secure. He issued that notice again today.

Mayor Sidari said the village will seek out state and federal assistance to take down the building. Gardner said the third floor caved into the second floor, well before the fire. It seems like every time he goes by the building, more windows are broken.

“It’s absolutely not safe,” Gardner said.

He said the demolition costs would be well into the hundreds of thousands.

“The cost is astronomical,” he said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

A farmer works in a corn field on Peter Smith Road in Kendall near Route 18 late this afternoon. Farmers have been working at a frantic pace to bring in the crops. They have benefitted from a recent string of sunny days in the 70s, which continues on Tuesday.

These bales of corn stalks are shown this afternoon on Harrison Road in Shelby.

These bales cast a long shadow late this afternoon on Harrison Road.

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

ALBION – Sheriff Christopher Bourke is pleased to announce that the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will again participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

This is a great opportunity for the public to surrender unwanted and/or expired medications and sharps for safe & proper disposal. Used vape pens or other e-cigarette devices can also be turned in for disposal, only after the batteries are removed from the devices. The Sheriff’s Office will not be responsible for removing the batteries from these devices.

Events such as these have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion & abuse, as well as increasing awareness of this critical public health issue.

The only authorized collection site for this event will be located at the Orleans County Public Safety Building, 13925 State Route 31, Albion, NY 14411.

A series of colorful posters created by graphic artist Lester Beall was used to promote the Rural Electrification Administration. The images featured in this article are from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs collection, www.loc.gov. The poster at left shows farmers organizing to arrange for power.

‘Electric power proved to be our greatest assistance to modern living. It gave us light, pumped our water supply into our homes enabling us to enjoy a bathroom, it preserved our food from spoiling, heated water and cooked our food.’

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

Illuminating Orleans, Vol. 2, No. 34

As previously mentioned, a 160-mile-long electrical power transmission line, which stretched from the Niagara River to Syracuse and traversed through Orleans County, went into service on July 7, 1906.

However, it was quite some time before area farmers had access to electricity, since running wires to far-flung farms was an expensive proposition. By the 1930s only 10% of rural America had electric power. Those who did have power had arranged for it themselves by forming local co-operatives, an involved and costly process.

The Medina Daily Journal of May 10, 1924, noted that:

“The people of Millville are to have electric lights and power. Since they were unable to secure sufficient subscribers on Maple Ridge, they will connect with the electric line which comes within a mile of the village on the east.”

Homer L. Waldo of the Town of Barre remarked in a 1983 Oral History interview that:

“At that time, you had to provide the right of way for the electric company to put their poles down. You had to get signers for the right of way for them. You had to guarantee them $70 a month for every mile they extended the line.”

Some farmers were reluctant to join, Waldo mentioned that they had to convince a reluctant farmer on Pine Hill Road to join.

J. Howard Pratt also recalled the difficulty of getting the required number of signers to co-operate. Acquiring the right of way to pass wires overhead was also an issue. His own family’s access to power was delayed two years on account of recalcitrant neighbors who would not co-operate. His home was finally supplied when the power company set up their poles along another farm to bring the desired current to the Pratt household.

(Left) A farmer uses an electric power sharpener. (Right) A woman is content while sitting her home.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Rural Electrification Administration in 1935. A year later, the Rural Electrification Act made provisions for a lending program to fund the formation and operation of not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives. The loans were to be re-paid within 30 years.

In 1935, the Niagara, Lockport and Orleans Power Company announced plans to bring service to over 1,400 rural customers in Orleans County and parts of Niagara and Monroe counties. The minimum monthly charge to customers was to be reduced from $7 to $2.

Power company officials noted that the success and speed of the program would depend on how soon rural customers would wire their homes and equip them with fixtures. To this end, they collaborated with agencies such as the Farm Bureau.

On January 13, 1936, over one hundred people braved icy roads and bitter winds to attend a program about electrifying their farms. The session which was held in Albion, was arranged by the Farm Bureau and the Rural Electrification Committee of Orleans County. Committee members included Harry DeLano of Barre Center, H.G. Butler of Kenyonville, Miles Luttenton of Albion, J. Stanley Pratt of Gaines, Mrs. William Blackburn of County Line and George Snaith of Medina.

C.N. Turner of the Cornell Agriculture Engineering Dept. advised farmers on wiring plans for the home, yard, barn, poultry house and other buildings, the correct type of wire to use, how to figure the load of current and determine the size of wire and fixtures.

Miss Orilla Wright of the Home Economics College advised on home lighting, outlet locations, convenience outlets and direct service wires. Farmers were advised to request service plans from Power Company agents and to stick to those plans regardless of what contractors might suggest.

By the 1950s, over 90% of rural homes had access to electricity.  Finally, rural Americans could enjoy the benefits of electric power.

J. Howard Pratt remarked in Memories of Life on the Ridge:

“Electric power proved to be our greatest assistance to modern living. It gave us light, pumped our water supply into our homes enabling us to enjoy a bathroom, it preserved our food from spoiling, heated water and cooked our food.”

The average price for regular unleaded is down 10 cents nationally in the past week to today’s $3.79, according to AAA. A year ago the price was at $3.39.

In New York, the average price went down a penny to $3.67. A year ago is was $3.53.

In Orleans County, the average price went up 3 cents, from $3.67 to $3.70 in the past week.

The price in Orleans is cheaper than most Western New York counties. Here are the average prices today in the WNY counties:

• Orleans, $3.698
• Genesee, $3.726
• Wyoming, $3.767
• Livingston, $3.719
• Monroe, $3.658
• Niagara, $3.530
• Erie, $3.708
• Chautauqua, $3.805
• Cattaraugus, $3.774
• Allegany, $3.783

In New York, the average price statewide for regular unleaded is $3.793 today compared to $3.888 a week ago, $3.700 a month ago and $3.385 a year ago. The diesel price is at an average of $5.326 today in New York, compared to $5.284 a week ago, $4.906 a month ago and $3.603 a year ago.

AAA issued this statement about the national price dropping 10 cents in the past week: “The latest data from the Energy Information Administration shows that gas demand increased slightly though it remains lower than last year at this time.

“Last week, President Biden announced the release of 15 million barrels of oil from the strategic reserve to help keep gas prices down. Since the barrels are part of an earlier planned Strategic “Petroleum Reserve release, the market is likely to have already priced in the impact on oil prices. The Biden administration said it plans to restock the reserves as soon as oil prices fall between $67 and $72 per barrel.

“This morning, oil prices range from $84 to $92 per barrel. Crude prices have declined due to ongoing market concerns about crude demand amid fear of a recession.”

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (a.k.a. St. Nicholas Cathedral) in Monaco – the church where Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III. They are both also buried in this cathedral in the Grimaldi family vault.

Let’s go on an adventure together…to Monaco

This is the fifth in a series of articles from a Mediterranean Adventure I took in August. This post will focus on the third port of the Mediterranean cruise portion of the trip – Monaco.

As a young girl with stars in her eyes and an intense curiosity about the glamorous lives of Hollywood movie stars, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the life of American actress Grace Kelly. While in Cannes for the annual film festival, Grace met Monaco’s Prince Rainier. The couple had a fairy tale romance that captured hearts world-wide and they were married in 1956, giving America a princess to call their own. Princess Grace was loved the world over and there are many references to her throughout Monaco. The couple had three children – Princess Caroline, Prince Albert, and Princess Stephanie. Princess Grace died in 1982 at the age of 52 from injuries from a car accident after suffering a stroke and losing control of her car. Her teenage daughter, Stephanie, was with her in the car. She suffered some head injuries, but survived the accident. Prince Rainier was heartbroken and never remarried. He died in 2005. The current Prince of Monaco is their son, Prince Albert, who took reign after his father’s death.

The Prince’s Royal Palace in Monaco overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

So, it should be no surprise that I chose a shore excursion that allowed me to enjoy a full day exploring Monaco – the home of Princess Grace. The port was Cannes, France and offered tours of Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo, and Monaco with some other options around that area of the French Riviera. When I saw a 7.5 hour “on your own” tour of Monaco, I got so excited. It was the port I looked most forward to and it ended up being my favorite port of the trip. Don’t get me wrong – Tuscany is still a very close second, but Monaco stole my heart – just as I knew it would!

Monaco is the second smallest country after Vatican City. It is officially named the Principality of Monaco and classified as a sovereign city-state. Monaco is bordered by France on the north, east, and west and covers an area just shy of one square mile. Monaco City sits high up on a rock (known as the Rock of Monaco) overlooking the French Riviera and the Mediterranean Sea. From inside the parking garage where the bus had to park, we took two escalators, one elevator, and one more escalator to get up to Monaco City. To get to the parking garage, we drove through Mo

nte Carlo, which is also part of Monaco and located at the base of the rock. Monte Carlo is, of course, famous for gambling and the Formula One Grand Prix road race. The bus driver let us know when we were at each of the critical points on the race circuit. There was a young fan on the bus, so the driver stopped at the starting point and took off making the sound of a race car gaining speed over the microphone! It was cool and definitely thrilled the young lad!

One of the quaint market streets in Monaco where shops and restaurants are located.

I took in all the sites of Monaco City and Monte Carlo via a hop-on-hop-off tour. I also wandered around Monaco City and had blueberry crepes for lunch at a little outdoor café across from the Royal Palace. It was an extremely hot day, but there was a beautiful breeze up on the rock and lots of shade, so it was actually very pleasant to walk around and enjoy the amazing little country. I saw the Monaco Oceanographic Marine Sciences Museum, where Jacques-Yves Cousteau was the museum director from 1957 to 1988 and where much of his work is housed. I also saw his little yellow submarine – that was cool! Other sights were the Prince’s Royal Palace (with the absolute cutest palace guards ever), the cathedral where Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier and where they are both buried, quaint little market streets and courtyards, beautiful gardens, and some of the most amazing views from the top of the Rock of Monaco overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

It was a relaxing and picture perfect day that I will remember forever. What a thrill to be there and walk in Princess Grace’s footsteps and see the impeccable beauty of the second smallest (and the most expensive and wealthiest) country in the world.

For more info and photos about my day in Monaco, check out my Blog Post here!

Happy Adventuring!

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Charlene and Jeff Smith, left, are greeted by Norma Jean Foster and MAAC’s new president Barb Vreeland at the October meeting Tuesday night at the First Baptist Church in Medina. A special part of the meeting was welcoming the area’s new pastors.

MEDINA – The Medina Area Association of Churches held its regular meeting Oct. 18 at the First Baptist Church.

The organization, known as MAAC, meets the third Tuesday of September, October, January, February, March or April (excluding the month of Easter) and May.

Amanda Kroening, director of the children’s ministry at OneChurch, talks about the church’s move  to West Avenue.

MAAC is made up of representatives from all the Medina area churches, including Alabama Full Gospel Church, Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God, Faith Bible Baptist Church, Faith Covenant Fellowship Church, First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Gateway to Heaven Church, Glad Tidings Baptist Church, the Grove United Methodist Church, Holy Trinity Catholic Parish, New Life Alliance Church, Oak Orchard Assembly of God, OneChurch, St. John’s Episcopal Church, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church and United Methodist Church of the Abundant Harvest.

MAAC’s ministries are the Medina Clergy Fellowship, MAAC Thrift Depot, Medina Area Christian Theater (MACT) and its biggest program, the MAAC Christmas Barrel Program.

Its outreach ministries include Lenten luncheons, Good Friday Cross Walk, a Thanksgiving service, Advent in the Park, high school scholarships and vacation Bible school.

Newly elected officers are Barbara Vreeland from Holy Trinity Parish, president; Vince Iorio, retired pastor from Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God, vice president; Amanda Pollard, treasurer, from First Presbyterian Church; Pat Payne, secretary, from the Grove United Methodist Church; and Kathleen Samborski, corresponding secretary, from Glad Tidings Baptist Church.

Ministry representatives are Sue Metzo, Thrift Depot; Sherry Tuohey, Christmas Barrel Program; Robyn Watts, MACT; and at-large positions, Norma Jean Foster and Norma Geiger from First Baptist Church and Charlene Smith from United Methodist Church of the Abundant Harvest.

A position is open for a representative to the Clergy Fellowship.

Pat Payne, left, secretary of MAAC, addresses the meeting Tuesday night at First Baptist Church. She is standing behind Pastor Liz Aristy, new pastor of the First Methodist Church of Medina.

Because the area has so many new pastors, MAAC decided at its recent meeting to recognize those pastors, who are: Kevin Lawson at Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God; Rich Damey at Faith Bible Baptist Church; Sam and Sue Hershberger at Faith Covenant Fellowship Church; Elizabeth “Liz” Aristy at the Grove United Methodist Church; Kevin Weigel at OneChurch; and Aktar Sohail at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The new pastors in attendance shared a little of their background.

The Hershbergers are native Ohioans who came to Faith Covenant Fellowship last year. He resigned a 34-year career to pursue the ministry.

Liz Aristy is a native Dominican, who with her husband Sandy is also a chaplain. She is a conference speaker and missionary with a master’s from Northeast Seminary in Rochester. They have three children. Liz has a degree in organizational management from Roberts Wesleyan and a nursing degree from the University of Rochester. She is founder and president of Redemption Tree International, a missionary evangelistic outreach ministry, sharing the Gospel message in English and Spanish. She also is owner of Self/Care Essentials by Liz and is a selfcare registered nurse in health and wellness.

Kevin Lawson is a Middleport native who is married to Medina native Krista Scholes and has been active in Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God since he was a teen.

Amanda Kroening was introduced as representative of MAAC’s newest member, OneChurch, who took over the building formerly occupied by Grace Baptist Church.  Kroening grew up in Grace Baptist Church and now serves as children’s ministry director for OneChurch.

Sue Metzo gave an update on the MAAC Thrift Depot, which last Tuesday she said had the busiest day in their history.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Chris Kinter and his son Jack serve up pulled pork dinners with fresh cut fries on Friday in a fundraiser for the Brennan Moody Memorial Scholarship given out to two Albion seniors.

Trellis Pore, pictured in window, also helped with the dinner on Friday in the parking lot of the Cone Zone in Albion. The Kinters used the Hot Spot’s food trailer to prepare the meals.

The scholarship is in honor of Brennan Moody, a member of the Class of 2019 who was killed in a car accident on June 18, 2019.

The $500 scholarship is awarded to two students who are active in the school’s music program and also show genuine kindness to everyone they encounter.

Provided photo: Seniors in the Medina Mustang Band are pictured for a group photo.

Courtesy of Medina Mustang Band Boosters

The Medina Mustang Marching Band traveled to Central Square for their sixth competition this season.

This was a large show with 18 bands in five classifications.  It was an opportunity for Medina to go up against four other bands in the SS1 class.

In SS1 Medina came in second with a score of 88.20, bested by New Hartford with 90.75.  Central Square was 3rd with 86.55;  Oswego in 4th with 84.70; and East Syracuse Minoa in 5th with 84.45.

Winners in the other classes were Johnson City in SS3 with 81.95; Rome Free Academy in LS3 with 77.50; Westmoreland in SS2 with 86.75 and Cicero North Syracuse in National class with 95.05.

What makes the marching band program special is the camaraderie that develops between the students, giving it a family atmosphere. The older students help the younger students if they are struggling. There is also the respect and admiration that these students have for their instructors.

The Championships are on Sunday, Oct. 30, at the Carrier Dome, now known as the JMA Wireless Dome – Syracuse University.  A total of 53 bands will perform in competition starting at 8 a.m. and concluding at approximately 10:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Dome for $25 ($18 for seniors/students). Advance sale tickets are discounted by $2.  If you want to purchase in advance, click here.

SS1 class starts at 5:35 pm and Medina performs first in that class at that time. There are nine bands competing in SS1.

United Way, Community Action and YMCA teamed on project

Provided photos: Key players in the new respite care program in Orleans and Genesee counties include Matt Holland, left, grant writer hired by United Way of Orleans County, and Jesse Cudzillo, director of the Orleans YMCA.

A new $290,000 family caregiver initiative will provide respite for caregivers in Genesee and Orleans counties.

Matt Holland, a grant writer with the Orleans County United Way, applied to Exhale, the Family Caregiver Initiative, in April and learned in June the local proposal made it to the last round.

Notification of approval of the grant came recently and will provide funding for a Caregivers’ Revitalize program developed in collaboration with United Way of Orleans County, GLOW YMCA and Community Action of Orleans and Genesee.

Exhale is a Family Caregiver Initiative which funds innovative collaborative projects that are reimagining and increasing respite opportunities for family caregivers of older adults.

Funded by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and managed by the Philanthropic Initiative, the 2022 Exhale initiative involves a total of more than 60 partner organizations across Western New York and Washtenaw County, Mich. They will work in teams led by the 13 grantees, including United Way of Orleans County.

“Exhale, the Family Care Initiative, has approved Caregivers Revitalize for three years of programming, with a budget of $290,000,” Holland said. “The first two years, beginning in the winter of 2023, will utilize the YMCA in Medina and Main Street Store location in Albion, while a third expansion year will create three new respite locations – one at the Holley Community Center, another at Genesee County YMCA’s Healthy Living Campus in Batavia and a third location to be determined in Genesee County.”

Caregivers Revitalize will provide weekly, three-hour long respite sessions along with free, onsite wellness programming and activities for caregivers of aging family members.

Grant writer Matt Holland, left, poses with Community Action personnel who will be involved in the new respite grant. With him are Katrina Chaffee, director of community services and reporting; Renee Hungerford, Community Action’s executive director; and Cassandra Eagle, Thrift Store manager and classroom instructor.

Locations will alternate initially on a weekly basis between the YMCA and Main Street Store.

“This program is an excellent opportunity for our community’s caregivers to get a break from their daily schedule and utilize the amazing programs and locations provided by the YMCA and Community Action,” Holland said. “Whether it is getting time to hop on a treadmill, participate in communal activities with other caregivers or just get some alone time, Caregivers Revitalize will provide a variety of respite opportunities for our community’s caregivers.”

There are still some program details that are still being worked out as Holland drafts the work plan and contracts.

The program will employ a part-time program coordinator and caregiver with certified nursing qualifications and caregiving experience. Caregivers can visit one of these locations during a respite session and utilize free programming and services provided by each organization, while a trained caregiver and onsite staffing will provide supervision and activities for caregivers and the family members in their care.

“We are proud to have the opportunity to partner in supporting caregivers,” said Renee Hungerford, executive director of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee. “Caregivers often come upon this responsibility unexpectedly and they rearrange priorities to help someone through a difficult stage of life. Our hope for this program is to offer some positive quality time to these caring individuals and the people they care for.”

Greg Reed

Holland added that he, Katrina Chaffee, director of community services at Community Action, and Greg Reed, former YMCA director in Orleans County, developed this project while attending the Exhale seminars nearly a year ago. Reed is now the district executive director of Genesee and Orleans YMCA.

“This collaborative program is near and dear to my heart, as my mother was the primary caregiver for my grandmother as she navigated life with Alzheimer’s Disease,” Reed said. “The YMCA is here for the community to develop the social, metal and physical wellness of all people. This program provides refreshment amongst caregivers of older adults, where caregivers can connect socially, receive a mental break from caring for their loved ones (young and mature) and/or care for themselves physically through exercise opportunities at the YMCA. In working with Community Action, we’re able to work across the county for families who have limited transportation, too.”

Of Exhales’s latest grants, nine were in Western New York and three in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Exhale, the Family Caregiver Initiative, is dedicated to offering innovative solutions that give caregivers of older adults an opportunity to breathe a little easier.

More information on the Caregivers Revitalize program will be released in the winter of 2023. To learn more about Exhale, visit www.exhaleforcaregivers.org.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A Day of the Dead display is part of this ofrenda that was created inside the Orleans County YMCA. The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!) teamed with the YMCA and Mariachi de Oro to put on the event today. GO Art! counted 420 participants, the most in the three years the Day of the Dead has been at the YMCA.

This ofrenda in back was created by the Rosario family. An ofrenda is an offering placed in a home altar during the annual Mexican Día de Muertos celebration. An ofrenda is often large and elaborate, and is usually created by the family members of a person who has died and is intended to welcome the deceased to the altar setting.

Jesse Cudzilo, YMCA director, was happy to share the facility on Pearl Street for the Day of the Dead.

“It is exactly what we want this place to be – a place where everybody can come together,” he said.

He was pleased to see the big turnout “from people of different backgrounds enjoying a cultural event.”

This display gave people a chance to write notes to a departed loved one.

The Mexican Day of the Dead Celebration is a time of joyful remembrance of deceased loved ones, filled with an array of colors, scents, sounds and stories.

Centered around the observance of All Saints and All Souls Days on Nov. 1 and 2, the celebration also includes images and ideas about the roles of ancestors that trace back to Mexico’s indigenous peoples.  Tradition holds that this is the one time of the year when souls can return to earth for a day and commune with their families and friends.

Erin Allis, 9, of Median gets her face painted by Lydia Fox, a Medina High School student who volunteered as face painter. Other art students at Medina helped with the celebration.

Antonio Cruz Zavaleta created this sand painting.

After he made the sand painting, Antonio Cruz Zavaleta served in the popular face painting station.

The festivities included Mexican crafts, dance and drama performance, sand painting and ofrenda displays, and special food tastings.

Karla Alcalá teaches Mexican folklore dances. A former member of a folkloric dance group in Mexico, Alcalá now teaches community members traditional dance from a variety of regions.

Mexican dance and music performances were shared by Alma de México, a group from Rochester.

Abby Fuller made more than 50 paper flowers that she shared with people.

Eleanor Oakes, 5, of Medina makes a mask.

In another activity, children were welcome to create colorfully decorated skulls or calaveras. GO Art! ran out of all 200 of those sugar skulls that were decorated with icing.