Route 98 reopened today after being closed about a month for an emergency culvert replacement.

The road on July 14 was closed to traffic between Gillette Road in Barre and Ridge Road in Elba.

The state Department of Transportation shut down the section of the road after an inspection revealed deficiencies in a culvert beneath the roadway.

Travelers headed south towards Batavia will encounter a new four-way stop in Elba at Lockport Road and Route 98.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Employees from Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati work at a household hazardous waste collection today in Albion. The county has contracted with EEI to remove household hazardous waste for more than a decade.

ALBION – More than 500 Orleans County were able to get rid of leftover chemicals, batteries, tires, oil and solvents today during the household hazardous waste collection day.

EEI employees are at the solvent station where oil, anti-freeze and solvents are collected.

The county typically pays the company about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state then reimbursing the county about half of the costs.

The collection continues to be in demand by local residents. There are 600 spots available and county officials said about 90 percent of the time slots were claimed.

Corey Winters, director of Orleans County Planning and Development, said the demand doesn’t seem to be slowing down for the annual collection. He expects it will continue again next year.

There seemed to be a lot of fluorescent bulbs and propane tanks today, as well as the usual oils, pesticide and random chemicals, Winters said.

 Orleans County Public Works Department employees remove tires from the back of a van. They were expected 4,000 to 5,000 tires by the end of the day. Some of that big pile came from other municipalities which brought dump trucks full of them that had be collected in the past year.

The DPW workers include James Camp Jr., Cal Stinson Jr., Vinny Zona and Andy Beach.

Corey Winters of Planning and Development helped collect the tires today.

Provided photo: The Yohe Family Farm in Albion will be offering wagon rides on Wednesday at Hoag Library.

Press Release, Hoag Library

ALBION – Hoag Library’s 2025 Summer Reading Program is winding down, but the fun isn’t over yet! We have a week full of activities for all ages as we celebrate the end of another great summer of reading.

There is an ongoing Story Walk at Mount Albion Cemetery. Take a stroll and enjoy a children’s story displayed page-by-page along the path.

Upcoming Events:

• Today at noon – Free concert with Andrew Flory, a Lutenist, Classical guitarist, educator
• Monday, Aug. 18 at 11:30 a.m. – Wildlife Rockstars, an educational program using birds, amphibians, and reptile animal ambassadors.
• Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 3 p.m. – Teen Faux Stained Glass
• Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 2 p.m. – Summer Reading Finale with Yohe Wagon Rides & Serenity Acres Farm. Celebrate with horses, wagon rides, and farm animals.
• Saturday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Red Cross Blood Drive

Join us to close out summer with music, art, animals, and community fun. All events are free.

Hoag Library is proud to support literacy, creativity, and community connection year-round. For more information, visit us at 134 S. Main St., Albion, call (585) 589-4246, or follow us on Facebook.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – The fourth annual Street Dance on Friday night in Lyndonville drew a crowd to a blocked off section of Main Street.

The Buffalo-based band, Bleeding Hearts, played many popular classic rock songs from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. There were other kids’ games and a bounce house, as well as several food vendors.

Bleeding Hearts has been performing for more than three decades. The band features David Lloyd on drums and as lead singer, Tim Unger on guitar at right, and Bob Kupczyk on bass at left.

The Town of Yates is the lead organizer of the annual Street Dance, which started in 2022 as part of the town’s bicentennial celebration.

Main Street in the village is closed to traffic between Maple Avenue and Eagle Street.

David Lloyd sings and plays the drums for Bleeding Hearts. Some of the songs later in the three-hour set included, “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison, “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by Clash, and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.

The Lyndonville Sports Boosters were among the food vendors, selling tacos. Pictured from left include Stephanie Freas, Emily Aydelotte and Alisha Schwartzott.

The Boosters are raising money for a new scoreboard in the school gymnasium.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Walmart officials and leaders of the store in Albion, including store manager Cherry Hodge with scissors, cut the ribbon to mark the completion of a store remodeling.

ALBION – The employees at the Albion Walmart were in a  celebratory mood this morning as the store completed a remodeling that began in March.

The store has completed its first major revamping since it opened in June 2006 at 13858 State Route 31.

The Walmart put in new freezers and coolers, replaced every shelf, put in new registers, fixture and did a new layout for the store. Walmart also expanded with a new building dedicated to its online shoppers. That side of the business has grown since the Covid pandemic hit about five years ago.

The store also was repainted and rebranded. Most of the work happened at night.

“It’s beautiful,” said Cherry Hodge, the store manager since 2010. “It needed it. The customers deserve it.”

Cherry Hodge, store manager, is pleased with the bright new look inside the Albion Walmart.

The Albion Walmart has 180 employees. Hodge and Walmart leaders recognized 16 of those employees who have been with the store since it opened more than 19 years ago.

“This is a good store with good associates,” Hodge said. “We work together as a team. Walmart is a great company to work for. They’re good to their people.”

John Emery, market manager for Walmart, praised the employees and customers for their patience during the remodeling.

He presented a certificate of appreciation to Hodge, who he said was often at the store at 3 or 4 a.m. during the remodeling process.

Nicole Wilson, a coach at the Albion Walmart, highlighted many of the employees for their extra efforts during the remodeling.

Walmart presented a $5,000 check to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office. Cherry Hodge and John Emery, right, of Walmart present a ceremonial check to Don Draper, the undersheriff.

Walmart also is giving $1,500 to the Albion Fire Department. The AFD was represented by, from left: Dawn Marciszewski, Robert Toman, Allyson Irwin and Catrina Bias.

Chis Lazarou, store manager of the Lockport Walmart, attended the celebration today and led the group in the Walmart cheer, which puts customers first. Lazarou said some of the Lockport employees helped in Albion during the remodel.

“We all support each other,” he said about the Walmart stores and employees.

Many of the Albion Walmart employees gathered for a group photo after the ceremony this morning inside the store.

Medina will perform show, ‘Fragile World’

Photos by Natalie Baron: Medina Marching Band students perform on Thursday. The band has 80 students this year, including 16 newcomers.

By Natalie Baron, Orleans Hub intern

MEDINA— The Medina Marching Band on Thursday gave the community with a preview of their upcoming performances. The band offered a sneak peak in the high school parking lot next to the band barn.

The marching band program features students from the junior-senior high school, grades 7-12. This year, the program has 80 kids, including lots of rookie members. The 16 rookies stepped forward to be recognized during their first band camp. There are 4 seniors this year: Hagen Van Leuven, Natalie Herbert, Mackenzie Poynter and Lyla Page.

Each year, the band develops a performance with a different theme.

“The theme is called ‘Fragile World,’” Director Matt Jaeger described. “It’s ‘The Way We Were,’ so it starts out dark and mysterious. You won’t hear them tonight, but there’s voiceovers that talk about how we are fragile and frail as a society. Then, it works into the end, which is joyous.”

Director Matt Jaeger speaks with the crowd of parents and other band supporters.

Medina will host the Home Show on Saturday, Sept. 20, with 11 bands part of the show. It will be the third week of the season and the band’s second show. During the season, the band will go to West Seneca, Medina, Oswego, Webster, Victor, Orchard Park and conclude at the dome in Syracuse.

Jaeger could not be prouder of the students. “These kids have worked hard this week,” he lauded. “It was really hot Monday and Tuesday, but they pushed through, and it’s exciting to watch them grow from the beginning all the way to where we are now. So, it’s a long week, but it’s a rewarding week. And this is the hardest week of the season. After this, it gets a little easier. It’s not as hot, the days aren’t as long. We have less time, but it’s like a breath, because we do a lot this week, and we go a little slower and easier for the rest of the time. It’s pretty cool.”

Color guard and the band together create quite the show.

Senior Drum Major Lyla Page remarked about the program, “It’s really great! As soon as you get into the Medina school district, you know it’s gonna be a music school. We rely very heavily on the arts, and being part of the marching band is just so fun, because there’s so many great supporters of it. As you can see, there’s a lot of parents! It’s a very involved community, so I really enjoy it.”

There was a sizeable crowd in attendance this Thursday.

Lyla conducts for the band positioned near the back row. “I do a lot of helping people with drill, do their feet and time, and I mainly just stand up there and wave my arms in time with the music. But, it’s also harder than it seems, because you have to remember all the cues and all the time signature changes. So, it can be pretty difficult.”

The band highlights a number of students in solos.

The drumline, pit percussionists, and color guard receive an extra day of practice to prepare them to work seamlessly with the rest of the marching band

“Because there’s so many different moving parts, we start them a little bit differently,” Front Ensemble Instructor Tiffany Organisciak said. “In the summertime, we’ll usually run a pit, battery, and guard rehearsal by itself, and then Thursday will be everyone.” 

The band works tirelessly to ensure the performances come together.

Money drop offs for registration, shoes, and fundraisers will take place on Tuesdays during the first half hour of practice, to be collected by a Booster. To sign up for the fall shows, reach out to Chaperone Chair Meghan Tuttle. The winner of the Fall Cash Raffle will be announced during the Home Show on September 20.

The band groups got together to share a cheer before dismissal for the day.

Photos by Tom Rivers: The current Albion ladder truck is shown inside the fire hall on Platt Street on Thursday evening. This truck is from 1994 and will need to last another four years.

ALBION – The Albion Joint Fire District voted Thursday to buy a new ladder truck at a cost of $2,480,698 from Pierce Manufacturing.

The new truck won’t be ready for about four years due to a significant back order.

Albion’s new truck will be a quint with a dual purpose. Not only will it have a 100-foot-long ladder, but the truck will carry 300 gallons of water and also will function like a fire engine with the ability to pump water.

The current ladder truck from 1994 doesn’t pump or carry water, and has a 103-foot-long ladder.

Pierce was the only fire truck manufacturer to submit a bid. Two others picked up bid packets – Bulldog Fire Apparatus and Empire Fire Emergency – but they didn’t submit a bid for the new truck.

Al Cheverie, chairman of the Albion Joint Fire District, said he has full confidence in Pierce building a very reliable fire truck for Albion that will be in use for many years.

By the time the truck arrives in 2029, the fire district expects it will have half of the cost already set aside in a reserve fund with the rest to be financed unless the district can secure a grant to help cover some of the costs.

The fire district, as part of its 2025 budget, created a reserve fund that has $250,000 towards fire apparatus. If that continues each year at that level, the district should have $1,250,000 set aside towards the truck in 2029.

Cheverie said the costs of fire apparatus has steadily risen in recent years. The Village of Medina, for example, agreed to pay $1,698,995 to Pierce in Appleton, Wisc. for a new fire truck with a 100-foot-long ladder. That was June 26, 2023. Medina’s truck is expected this December, about a 2 ½ year wait.

The fire district needs to wait 30 days as part of a permissive referendum process. If enough people signa  petition in the fire district, which includes the towns of Albion and Gaines, there would be a public vote on whether the district can purchase the new truck.

Albion Joint Fire District officials discuss issues on Thursday evening during the district’s monthly meeting. From left include commissioners Kevin Sheehan, Craig Lane, Chairman Al Cheverie and Dave Buczek, as well as Treasurer Victoria Tabor and Assistant Fire Chief Steven Papponetti.

District commissioners agreed to not hold Pierce to a solid date for the truck delivery given the uncertainties with supply-chain issues.

“It’s unrealistic to lock them down on a certain date with the market being what it is with supply and materials,” said David Buczek, one of the commissioners.

Holding Pierce to precise date and assessing fines for going past that could prompt the company to walk away from the project, Buczek said.

Craig Lane, the Orleans County DPW superintendent, also is a fire commissioner. In his job with the county, he said contractors and suppliers have some leeway for final delivery of their product.

Pierce is working on a custom-built fire truck and there could be factors outside their control that potential delay the shipment of the apparatus, Lane said.

Photos courtesy of Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company

RIDGEWAY – Three of the barns at 3502 Fruit Ave., the site of Christmas in Shawna’s Barn, were destroyed in a fire last night. That business is operated by Shawna and Chris Baldwin.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene just before midnight. Residents needed to evacuate a house that was close to the barn that was engulfed with flames. The property is owned by Robert and Mary Lou Blount.

The house sustained minimal damage, only to the eaves and some melted siding, but three of the barns are a total loss with two of them burned to the ground, said Ridgeway Fire Chief Tyler Luckman.

“That fire had a pretty jump on us,” he said this morning. “You could see the flames from the Marshall Road bridge.”

Many of the firefighters were there most of the night. Ridgeway firefighters were assisted by the Medina, Shelby, Middleport, Albion, Lyndonville and Hartland as well as the Orleans County Emergency Management and fire investigators, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office Communications and Road Patrol.

A new light now shines on an iconic site at Point Breeze

Photos by Tom Rivers

POINT BREEZE – The lights changed colors and direction, creating a Northern Lights feeling last night on the Oak Orchard Lighthouse.

Thursday was the debut of a new light show that is expected to be a nightly event well into the future.

About 100 people came out to see the first light show. It started at 8:45 p.m., a half hour after sunset. The light show is set to go every day a half hour after sunset. The show will be for 30 minutes. The 32-foot-high lighthouse, built in 2010, will then be illumined at night with low intensity white light.

“It’s very calming,” said Wendy Young of Kendall. “I think it will be a great draw for the area.”

Marlene Seielstad and her husband Erik were among the crowd gathered to see the light show. The Seielstads brought their own lawn chairs.

“It’s very cool,” Mrs. Seielstad said. “It’s definitely brighter than I thought.”

She said it will be interesting to come back as the weather changes to see how the light reflects off the trees, ground and lighthouse in different conditions.

The Oak Orchard Lighthouse museum received a $5,000 grant through the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council for the project. Museum officials led by volunteer Cheryl Giacherio wanted to create a Northern Lights effect on the lighthouse.

They saw photos of the lighthouse from May 10, 2024 when there was a dazzling display of the Northern Lights. The spectacle in the sky has inspired the lighthouse’s board of directors to pursue a light show on the structure.

The museum touts the new light as “Aurora Over The Lighthouse.” The museum contracted with IlluminFx Lighting Systems in Rochester for the display. That company has created lighting shows for the Alamo, a battleship in Wilmington, NC and the nearby Churchville dam in Monroe County.

Larry Albanese, museum vice president, is very pleased with the result. He expects many lighthouse lovers and other curiosity seekers will make the trek to Point Breeze to see the light show.

“This is the only lighthouse lit up like this,” he said.

There will also be about a dozen other special displays on holidays, including the upcoming Labor Day.

David Giacherio, another museum volunteer, helped dig the holes for the four corner lights. There are also 192 smaller lights on the top part of the lighthouse.

“This will be a benefit to the community,” Giacherio said.

It brings more attention to the lighthouse, shining a new light on an iconic building. He hopes the local businesses see more customers because of the light show.

He credited his wife Cheryl for bringing the energy to bring an idea from about a year ago to reality. Mrs. Giacherio had the idea to light up the lighthouse in multiple moving colors, and she found the company to do it. The museum board rallied behind the project, securing the funding through GO Art!

“The whole thing has been a lot of fun,” Mr. Giacherio said about the year-long effort. “It all came together. I think it’s kind of cool.”

Many people wanted to be part of history and get photos of the debut lights show.

‘These capital improvements will go a long way in solidifying the future of what Orleans Community Health and Medina Memorial Hospital can bring to the community.’ – Marc Shurtz, CEO/CIO of Orleans Community Health

Press Release, Medina Memorial Hospital/Orleans Community Health

Photo courtesy of Orleans Community Health: A state grant will help fund several improvements to Medina Memorial Hospital.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health is excited to announce that it has been awarded $1,881,203 through Round IV of the Statewide Healthcare Transformation Grant Initiative to support the Medina Healthcare Center.

Opened in late 2024, the outpatient clinic was established to address the growing needs of our community. This funding will significantly advance essential renovations, ensuring the project becomes a reality.

The Medina Healthcare Center, located on the first floor of Medina Memorial Hospital in the former Behavior Health and Comprehensive Medical Rehab Units, is a specialty outpatient clinic that strives to meet the growing health and wellness needs of the greater community. Currently, it includes primary care services (all ages from pediatric to geriatric care), Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic, Surgery Clinic, Wound Care, and Podiatry. There are a growing number of services that are being explored as future additions.

“With roughly $1.9 million coming from the latest Transformation Grant Initiative, we’ve reached approximately $2.5 million in total funds for the project,” said Megan Johnson, executive director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation. “From grants to individual donations, this innovative project is quickly becoming a reality.”

Funds currently raised will go toward:

• Patient parking lot renovations to the South
• A new fully accessible entrance on the South end of the hospital
• Elevator and staircase
• Redesigned waiting room and registration
• Hallway and room renovations
• State-of-the-art equipment
• Signage

 “As we celebrate the 100th year of Medina Memorial Hospital, there’s growing excitement for what the future holds,” said Marc Shurtz, CEO/CIO of Orleans Community Health. “These capital improvements will go a long way in solidifying the future of what Orleans Community Health and Medina Memorial Hospital can bring to the community.”

Orleans County ranks among the lowest in New York State for health outcomes, with a patient-to-primary care provider ratio of 13,400:1 – more than ten times the state average. Residents often face long waits for appointments or must travel up to an hour for essential services, a challenge made even harder by limited transportation options. The Medina Healthcare Center will remove these barriers by doubling local outpatient capacity and centralizing services under one roof.

Orleans Community Health has now raised approximately 75% of its entire goal for the Medina Healthcare Center.

Press Release, National Grid

The New York Public Service Commission unanimously approved a three-year rate plan for National Grid’s Upstate New York electric and natural gas business, serving 2.4 million customers.  The rate plan will enhance energy affordability programs, enable key reliability and resiliency investments, promote economic growth, and advance New York’s energy goals.

Residential electricity customers using an average of 625 kilowatt-hours per month would see an estimated total monthly bill increase of $14.32 in the first year, $6.44 in the second year and $4.34 in year three.

Residential natural gas customers using an average of 78 therms per month would see an estimated total monthly bill increase of $7.66 in the first year, $8.08 in the second year and $9.18 in year three.

The rate filing, initially submitted in May of 2024, underwent a comprehensive review process that involved responding to more than 1,600 information requests and participating in multiple public statement hearings.

In May, National Grid, together with the Department of Public Service Staff and parties representing a broad perspective of interests, submitted a joint proposal outlining the terms of three-year rate settlement.

“We understand affordability is top-of-mind for our customers. In reaching this settlement, we have collaborated with various parties and organizations to strike a balance that prioritizes energy affordability while ensuring grid resiliency — especially considering the record number of damaging storms we’ve seen in upstate New York,” said Phil DeCicco, National Grid’s New York General Counsel.

Highlights of the new plan include:

• Critical investments to ensure the reliability and safe operation of the company’s energy delivery system, including capital investments of $1.4 billion in the electricity delivery system and $351 million in the natural gas system in the first year.
• Enhanced system resiliency and reliability measures to manage and reduce the impact of frequent severe weather and enable continued strong storm response.
• More than $290 million in bill discounts for income eligible Upstate New Yorkers, including approximately $72 million in the first year.
• An $3 million shareholder-funded health and safety weatherization program that will assist low-to-moderate and disadvantaged community households.
• Additional energy affordability programs and services, including cold-weather protections, enhanced outreach and education efforts in disadvantaged communities, a dedicated liaison who will provide enhanced service to indigenous communities in the company’s service area, and more in-person customer assistance events.
• Integrated energy planning to consider interactions among gas, electric and customer energy systems to achieve long-term climate goals in a safe and affordable way.
• Infrastructure investments to support economic development, connect clean energy, and enhance security.
• Targeted programs and dedicated teams to better serve residential, commercial and industrial customers.
• Adding more than 480 jobs to support electric and gas operations, grid modernization and customer programs. These will include local employees who live and work in the communities we serve and support the regional economy.

“Energy demand is expected to increase in coming years,” DeCicco said. “This rate plan is critical to assure National Grid’s ability to maintain reliability, resiliency, and cost-effectiveness of the energy systems that serve more than two million Upstate New York customers. It also offers new and targeted programs to better meet the needs of our customers and communities.”

National Grid’s upstate New York electricity business serves 1.7 million customers in more than 680 cities, villages and towns across 25,000 square miles, while its gas distribution business serves more than 640,000 customers across portions of central, northern and eastern New York.

National Grid’s full rate case filing can be found on the Public Service Commission’s website as ngrid.com/uny-ratefiling.

ALBANY – National Grid rates for energy were approved today by the state Public Service Commission.

The three-year plan to raise rates is at a lower level that was sought by the utility company.

National Grid rate hikes for electric delivery are 67 percent less than the request, while gas delivery revenues are 63 percent less than National Grid sought.

Starting next month, the average customer’s gas and electric bill will increase by $22 per month and continue to rise over the next three years. In the second year, gas and electric prices will be up by another $14 per month, and then by more than $13 in the third year.

The adopted joint proposal will result in a total electric revenue increase, on a levelized basis, of 3.4 percent in the first year, 5.6 percent in the second year, and 4.6 percent in the third year, the PSC said.

For gas, the increase in total revenues, on a levelized basis, will be 5.5 percent in the first year, 5.5 percent in the second year, and 6 percent in the third year.

“The adopted joint proposal meets the legal requirement that the company continue to provide safe and adequate service at just and reasonable rates,” said Commission Chair Rory M. Christian. “The three-year rate plan is in the public interest. It is a forward-looking plan that benefits customers and includes provisions that further important state and Commission objectives, while keeping customer affordability first and foremost in mind.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a statement, denouncing the rate hikes.

“While I appreciate that the New York Public Service Commission worked to significantly lower the outrageously high initial rate proposals, it’s still not enough. I have been crystal clear that utilities must make ratepayer affordability the priority.

“Since taking office, my administration has prioritized energy affordability, particularly for our most vulnerable, and we need the utilities to take it seriously as well. That means at a time when worried New Yorkers are being forced to tighten their budgets, all utilities must follow suit. This is no time for bonuses and big raises for executives, especially if they are going to be looking to raise rates on their customers.”

State Senate Republic Leader Rob Ortt said the approved rate hikes will “make it even harder for hardworking New Yorkers to make ends meet.”

Ortt faulted Democrats in Albany for driving up energy costs.

“By imposing unrealistic energy mandates and banning reliable energy sources, Albany Democrats have driven residential electricity prices nearly 40% higher than in neighboring Pennsylvania,” Ortt said. “Instead of forcing costly mandates and engaging in political virtue-signaling, it’s time for a new direction. New York needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy, one that encourages domestic production, expands consumer choice, and most importantly, lowers prices for New Yorkers.”

Photos courtesy of Kendall Central School: Kendall the Bus now stays alongside Lake Miekojärvi in Sirkkakoski, Finland.

Press release, Kendall Central School

KENDALL – From a small town in New York to the edge of the world, the story of Kendall Central School District’s retired school bus is a testament to adventure, creativity, and the unexpected connections that unite us across the globe.

Formerly known as Bus 126, the bright yellow vehicle once transported students throughout Orleans County. These days, the bus—renamed “Kendall” as a nod to the district it once served—sits peacefully on the shores of Lake Miekojärvi, having embarked on an unexpected journey to the heart of Finnish Lapland to be converted into a lakeside retreat.

The interior living area of “Kendall” features two sets of bunk beds, a seating area, and a small kitchen, along with other small luxuries.

The adventure began with a simple message to the district’s website earlier this year:

“I have purchased an American school bus in northern Finland,” wrote Joakim Nordstrom, who—along with partner Jennifer Carver—is now the proud owner of the converted vehicle. “On the side of the bus there are old stickers saying Kendall Central Schools. After some research, I believe this is your school.”

Their message kicked off a delightful investigation into the bus’s history, which revealed its sale by Kendall Central School in 2019 and eventual shipment overseas. After being heavily renovated by a previous owner, Kendall the Bus is now being transformed into a one-of-a-kind arctic getaway for travelers near the Arctic Circle.

“It was a surprise when we found out that one of our buses made it all the way to Finland and is being repurposed and will be used for years to come,” said Superintendent Nick Picardo. “I hope ‘Kendall’ brings as much joy to others as it did to the many students it greeted each morning with smiles on their faces!”

The back of the bus where the emergency exit door is located has been converted to a bedroom with a queen-sized bed and the perfect doorway to gaze out at the scenery through.

Plans for the bus’s next chapter include a lakeside terrace, a hot tub, and a redesigned cozy interior. Photos from its time at Kendall CSD will also be featured in the final design, giving guests a glimpse into small-town student life in upstate New York.

“It is amazing that a bus I used to drive here at Kendall when I was a substitute driver has made it all the way to Finland – 3,826 miles and an ocean apart,” said Karen Jones, Director of Transportation. “Now as Director of Transportation, I always wonder what happens to buses once we are done with them. I love that Bus 126 was reinvented into something for people to use for years to come and that a little piece of Kendall history is now in Finland.”

Joakim and Jennifer plan to launch a website and social media channels to document Kendall’s transformation. The district looks forward to following along and seeing how this once-routine ride becomes a global story of connection, creativity, and second chances.

From the streets of Kendall to the forests of Finland, Bus 126 proves that sometimes the ride doesn’t end when the wheels stop turning—it just finds a new road to travel.

Former Bus 126 on the first day of school, 2016. Bus 126 was retired at the end of this school year in 2017.