Individuals would get $300 refunds if they earn less than $150K

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

 As her first proposal for the 2025 State of the State, Governor Kathy Hochul today proposed New York State’s first-ever Inflation Refund, which would deliver about $3 billion in direct payments to around 8.6 million New York taxpayers statewide in 2025. This new refund would send a payment of $300 to single taxpayers who make up to $150,000 per year, and a payment of $500 for joint tax filers making up to $300,000 per year.

Today’s announcement is one of several proposals to help address the cost of living that will be unveiled as part of the Governor’s upcoming State of the State.

“Because of inflation, New York has generated unprecedented revenues through the sales tax — now, we’re returning that cash back to middle class families,” Governor Hochul said. “My agenda for the coming year will be laser-focused on putting money back in your pockets, and that starts with proposing Inflation Refund checks of up to $500 to help millions of hard-working New Yorkers. It’s simple: the cost of living is still too damn high, and New Yorkers deserve a break.”

Governor Hochul’s proposed Inflation Refund is a one-time, direct payment that will reach New Yorkers throughout every corner of the state.

New Yorkers who recently filed tax returns will be eligible for the payment. Taxpayers who are single, head of household, or married filing separately, will be eligible if their income was no greater than $150,000. Resident couples filing jointly will be eligible if their income was no greater than $300,000.

If this proposed Inflation Refund is passed by the State Legislature, payments will be made starting Fall 2025.

Press Release, Genesee & Orleans Counties Health Departments

Health outcomes such as asthma, lead poisoning, injury, and other chronic diseases have been linked to unsafe and unhealthy housing conditions. Hazards are not only in older homes; new homes can also have hazards lurking within.

“Making homes safer and healthier can help children grow up strong, allow older adults to stay in their homes, and help people with disabilities live independently,” stated Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).

In January of 2024, the Genesee County Health Department received $1.2 million in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This Healthy Homes Production (HHP) Grant addresses health and safety hazards in homes and apartments in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (GLOW) counties. Health and safety hazards may include but are not limited to dampness and mold growth, asbestos, radon gas, pests, fall risks, and weatherization.

In order to be eligible for these funds, homeowners and property owners must meet all of the following requirements:

• Tenants or homeowners are income eligible (funds available for vacant units, call for more information)
• Existing health or safety hazards in the home
• Property is current on tax and mortgage payments
• Other requirements determined on a case-by-case basis

Rental property owners are required to match 10% of the total project costs. For example, a rental property owner would be required to pay $2,000 for a $20,000 project. Rental properties must have four units or less. Recipients are required to maintain ownership of the residence for 5 years after the project is completed.

All work is completed by pre-approved local contractors with applicable certifications. If you would like to be added to our list of contractors, please contact the Genesee County Health Department or fill out the application on the GO Health website.

For more information or help determining eligibility, please contact the Genesee County Health Department at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555, or at Health.GOlead@geneseeny.gov.  You can also visit GOHealthNY.org for more information or to apply.

Provided photo: The Music Educators Wind Ensemble is shown performing at the Eastman Theater. The group will perform in Albion on 7 p.m. on Dec. 12 at the Middle School Auditorium. They will be joined by students from Albion.

ALBION – The Music Educators Wind Ensemble of the Eastman Community Music School will perform a 7 p.m. concert on Dec. 12 at the Albion Middle School Auditorium.

This concert also will include Albion High School Wind Ensemble led by director Michael Thaine.  This side-by-side concert will includes musical selections from both ensembles, plus several pieces performed by the joined groups under the direction of Thaine.

There will be 100-plus instrumentalists on the Albion Middle School stage. The concert is free and open to the public.

The Music Educators Wind Ensemble was formed in 2013 by director Bill Tiberio. MEWE performs four to five concerts annually in the greater Rochester area including a summer concert held at Kodak Hall in the Eastman Theater. The group is made up of area music educators plus other accomplished instrumentalists from various professions.

Tiberio is an instrumental music teacher in Fairport High School teaching concert band, jazz band and chamber woodwind ensembles. He also conducts jazz and wind ensembles at the University of Rochester and jazz bands at Ithaca College.

Tiberio is a frequent guest conductor for concert bands and jazz ensembles throughout New York State.  He has received numerous honors and awards including the RPO Music Educator Award in April, 2003.  Bill is active as a professional woodwind player in the Rochester area.

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO Art!

Photos and information courtesy of Medina Central School

MEDINA – The Medina Junior-Senior High School’s Student Association recently collected over 1,600 non-perishable food items for St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church Food Pantry.

The church is located at 1355 West Ave. in Medina and provides emergency food once per month to residents of Medina in need.

Student Association co-advisor Sara Cinquino said she is thrilled what the 35 students and staff were able to achieve this year.

“We doubled what we collected last year and we have to thank the Medina Teacher’s Union for swapping drives with us,” Cinquino said. “They are collecting essential items, which we normally do, to make it more affordable for the students to participate in this event. I have to also thank fellow teacher Joe Byrne who helped me to oversee the food drive while my co-advisor is out on maternity leave.”

The Student Association collected, counted and sorted the food every day the week of Nov. 18-22.  Lieutenant Steve Cooley and other members of the Medina Fire Department volunteered on their day off to come to the school and collected the boxes from the students who carried them out to their vehicles.

“Every year, we as a club are so thankful that we can do something at the Junior-Senior High School and give back to the community,” Cinquino said. “It takes just a small effort on our end, but we can make a difference and impact for so many people in this community.”

Medina students brought the boxes of food to Medina firefighters, who transported it to St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church Food Pantry.

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Apex will pay $1.1 million annually to Barre, Albion Central School, Orleans County; EDA to be paid $4.5 million in 3 payments

BARRE – Heritage Wind expects to start site work in February, clearing trees as part of a large-scale wind energy project that has been in development for about a decade.

Apex Clean Energy, owner of Heritage Wind, will start the tree clearing in February and then have full civil mobilization of its construction crew in July 2025, said Carmen O’Keefe, director of development for Apex.

The project is scheduled to be operational the end of 2026, with a capacity of 126 megawatts. Apex has scaled back the project from an initial plan of 33 turbines generating 184.8 megawatts. The project will now be 27 turbines at 126 megawatts. Apex removed some of the turbines that were planned to be near the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

The construction costs have escalated in recent years, pushing the total cost from $304 million to $373 million.

“It costs more though there are fewer turbines because the cost of materials, turbines and labor has increased fairly significantly since the original resolution was passed in 2021,” O’Keefe said.

Heritage Wind has been permitted to construct Vestas V150 4.5 MW (640 foot high) and Vestas V162 6.0 MW (656 foot high) turbines. O’Keefe said Apex will likely use the 640-foot-high turbines in Barre.

The company will pay $9,000 per megawatt to local municipalities or $1,134,000 in the first year, with a 2 percent increase after that over 25 years.

Barre gets 75 percent of the money as part of a Host Community Agreement. The $6,750 per megawatt totals $850,000.

The remaining 25 percent or $2,250 per megawatt is evenly split by the school district and county. That is $140,175 each.

In addition, Heritage Wind will be paying an administrative fee to the Orleans Economic Development Agency for administering the PILOT with the school district and county.

The EDA will receive $775,000 this month, and then will receive two $1.8 million payments – one by Dec. 1, 2025 or the date of the closing of the PILOT/lease-leaseback transaction and then another $1.8 million a year after the closing.

The combined $4.575 million will be a big boost to the EDA and its economic development efforts, said EDA executive director Michael Dobell. He expects some of the funds will be used to advance development of the Medina Business Park.

Group has raised $31K so far for project

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Albion Betterment Committee would like to have a Santa House on this vacant lot next to the First Presbyterian Church of Albion. The group has been given permission from the Village Board to work on the project, with the design needing approval from village officials.

ALBION – The Albion Betterment Committee is trying to finalize a design for a 600 square foot Santa House on Main Street.

The building is tentatively eyed to be 20 by 30 feet with a peaked roof. It would host visits by Santa and be used for other community events, said Natasha Wasuck, a member of the Betterment Committee. She is also president of the Albion Merchants Association and owner of the Lockstone events venue.

The Albion Betterment Committee showed photos of these Santa Houses during a meeting on Saturday at Hoag Library, looking for ideas and feedback from the public.

The house is planned for a vacant lot next to the First Presbyterian Church, on the north side. The site could include other amenities, possibly benches or Adirondack chairs, as well as a gazebo.

A plan will be presented to the Village Board for its approval. The board gave the ABC permission to work on the project.

The Betterment Committee has $22,000 in donations, plus a $9,000 grant, putting the total at $31,000. Wasusk said the entire project could be about $50,000, depending on how many amenities are included with the site.

The ABC welcomes donations to the project. For information on how to donate, contact ABC director Joe Gehl at jgehl@rochester.rr.com or mail the Albion Betterment Committee c/o Joe Gehl at 14487 Baker Road, Kent, NY 14477. Or the ABC can be contacted through Facebook messenger. Click here to be directed to the ABC Facebook page.

The Betterment Committee held an open house on Saturday at Hoag Library to get feedback and ideas on how the building and site should look.

The inside of the building will include space to meet Santa, and also will house a Santa’s sleigh and an original Charles Howard Santa suit.

Wasuck said the group would like to have the new Santa House up in time for the Strawberry Festival in June.

The Betterment Committee has worked for several years trying to celebrate the community’s Santa legacy. Last year the ABC completed a bronze statue resembling Charles Howard in a Santa suit. Howard ran a Santa School in the community from 1937 until 1966, and also operated Christmas Park. The school continues in his name, now in Midland, Mich.

The Betterment Committee also led the effort to have part of Route 31 in Albion named in honor of Howard, who was the Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and also was featured in many prominent publications for his role teaching people to portray Santa.

The ABC also has put up “Believe” signs and welcome sign on Route 98 highlighting Albion as the home of Howard and the Santa School.

The Albion Betterment Committee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Formed in 2004, its mission is to utilize Albion’s historic, environmental and human assets to improve the quality of life for residents of the area.

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped at a home on Oak Orchard Road this afternoon and delivered presents to children. Barre firefighter James Neal is in back.

The Barre Volunteer Fire Company escorted Santa around town today for the 11^th annual Santa Express. They made 35 stops, delivering presents to 160 kids and allowing them to spend time with Santa.

The fire company sends out a letter in November, welcoming people to drop off gift-wrapped presents at the firehall and those gifts are then delivered by firefighters and Santa. People are encouraged to make a donation to the fire company if they get a visit from Santa and the firefighters.

Santa and Mrs. Claus pose with Layla Kania, twin brothers Wyatt and Elisa Webb, and Hudson Deuil.

Hudson Deuil was a little shy meeting Santa but gave him a hug before he boarded the fire truck to visit the next group of kids on the Santa Express.

Santa makes a delivery to Cara Dix of Lyndonville, who met Santa at her aunt’s house on Route 98. Her older siblings have been meeting Santa in Barre for about nine years.

“I love this tradition,” said their mother, Krystle Dix. “The kids love seeing Santa. They get one-on-one time with him without being in a big line.”

Barre firefighters split into two different groups in transporting Santa and Mrs. Claus around town. They made their deliveries from 9:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m. They were done in time to see the Bills game start at 4:25 p.m.

The Barre Volunteer Fire Company and Santa schedule the Santa Express in Barre on a Sunday when the Buffalo Bills have an away game and the game time is preferable after 1 p.m. Santa said he is rooting for the Bills in their pursuit of a Super Bowl title.

Large bone pit among artifacts of Neutral Indians in Shelby

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 38

Diagram of the Shelby site drawn by Frank Cushing in 1879. (From: Illustrated Historical Album of Orleans County, 1879) The site, which is indicated by a historic marker, is located on Salt Works Road, half a mile south of Blair Road, on the left when traveling south.

SHELBY – “In the town of Shelby, Orleans County, New York, about three miles south of the village of Medina are the remains of one of the most interesting ancient earthworks in the state.”

Thus begins a description of the archaeological site at Shelby presented to the Smithsonian Institute in 1874. It was written by Frank H. Cushing, then aged 17, who had just joined the staff of the Smithsonian. He went on to have a distinguished career as an ethnologist of the Zuni Indians in New Mexico.

As a young boy, Cushing was captivated by the then abundant evidence of American Indian life in this area and particularly at the Shelby site. He camped out there on his own for days at a time and wrote the definitive description of the site. The features of the site have been obliterated over time.

Here are excerpts from Cushing’s description which was included in the Historical Album of Orleans County published in 1879:

“It consists of two mural embankments, which are now about two feet in height, parallel, and two feet distant from each other. They describe almost an exact circle, having a diameter of four hundred and thirty feet and an area of three and one third acres.

“Two fences upon original section lines, running one north and south, the other east and west, divide this enclosure into four nearly equal parts or quadrants.

“Traces of a moat, which once encircled this work, are still discernable at intervals. The moat is broad in proportion to its present depth…it was probably made by the removal of the earth for the construction of the walls.

“Ten rods south of this work lies a peat swamp….this was probably a shallow lake at the time when the works were constructed. The supply of fish in this lake was abundant.

West from the work, at a distance of half a mile, on the eastern slope of a sand hill, is a large bone pit, where the bones of many hundreds have been deposited.

Diagram of the fort prepared by Frank R. Berger. In September 1990, at the urging of Mr. Berger, the historic marker which had originally placed “three fields in” in 1932, was relocated to a more visible location on Salt Works Road.

“On making excavations in those portions still uncultivated, many specimens of great interest are found. They usually lie from 6 to 18 inches beneath the surface, often embedded in charcoal and ashes. They consist of hammers, sinkers, stone ornaments, pipes, pottery; also implements and ornaments of bone, such as bone splinters, awls and needles, daggers or dirks, cylindrical ear ornaments, implements for the ornamentation of pottery, perforated metatarsals and perforated teeth.”

Referred to as the Neutral or Neuter Indians because they did not take sides in the wars against the Hurons, the inhabitants of the Shelby site were part of the Iroquois confederacy. Recent scholarship suggests that they may more specifically be identified as Wenro people.

They were hunters and engaged in a fur trade with the Huron Indians. It appears that they fell victim to the enmity of the Iroquois against the Hurons, during a bellicose era in the mid-1600s referred to as the Beaver Wars. The Hurons were the main rivals of the Iroquois in the fur trade. The Iroquois destroyed both the Hurons and the Neutrals.

It is intriguing to consider the lives of the people who lived in this palisade some 300 years ago, before the area was surveyed and sold, and before the political jurisdictions that we are familiar with, were determined.

Residents urged to fill bird feeders ahead of the count

Photos courtesy of Celeste Morien: An Eastern Screech-Owl is shown on a wintry day.

By Celeste Morien, count compiler for Oak Orchard Swamp Christmas Bird Count

BASOM – It’s almost time for the Oak Orchard Swamp Christmas Bird Count!

The count began in December 1968. The National Audubon Society has been sponsoring Christmas Bird Counts since their inception. Count compiler and Medina resident Celeste Morien would like the public to be alert for counters with spotting scopes and binoculars who will be out Dec. 27 on local roads, searching for birds in fields and at bird feeders.

Downy Woodpecker

Filling bird feeders now and keeping them stocked ahead of the count helps fulfill the count objective of counting all wild birds seen and heard within the circle. The Oak Orchard Swamp count circle is centered at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge on the Orleans and Genesee County line at Route 63.

Count volunteers follow routes through a designated 15-mile diameter circle, which includes more than the refuge and state wildlife areas, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It’s not just a species tally; individual birds are counted, giving an indication of the total number of birds per species in the circle that day.

If you are at home on count day within the circle, you may report the birds that visit your feeders. To do so, please contact celeste.morien@gmail.com. (See map)

According to the Audubon website, “Prior to the turn of the 20th century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt.” They would choose sides and go afield with their guns—whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.

Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition—a “Christmas Bird Census” that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.

So began the Christmas Bird Count. Thanks to the inspiration of Chapman and the enthusiasm of 27 dedicated birders, 25 Christmas Bird Counts were held that day. The locations ranged from Toronto, Ontario to Pacific Grove, California.

From Dec. 14 through Jan. 5 each year tens of thousands of volunteers throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands brave snow, wind, or rain, and take part in the effort. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action.

Black-capped Chickadees are shown at a bird feeder.

The data collected by observers over the past century allow Audubon researchers, conservation biologists, wildlife agencies and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed over the past hundred years.

The long term perspective is vital for conservationists. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat, and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well.

Please consider donating to the Christmas Count here since the Audubon Society no longer collects fees from each participant.

For past results of any Christmas Bird Count, the National Audubon Society website is an excellent resource.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Frank Babcock holds about a dozen canes he made and gave to Assemblyman Steve Hawley to distribute to local veterans.

ALBION – Frank Babcock was in the Albion Walmart about two months when he saw a man walking with a cane. Babcock, 89, complimented the man, a fellow veteran, on the quality of the cane.

The man said the cane made a big difference for him, and he received it for free from Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Babcock got to thinking that he could make canes to be given to local veterans. Babcock served in the Army from 1955-’56 and was based at Fort Hancock, N.J. Many know him locally for his long career with NAPA Auto Parts in Albion and Medina.

Babcock has made 24 canes since meeting the man in Walmart. On Saturday he handed off a dozen to Assemblyman Hawley, who met him at the American Legion in Albion. Hawley said he will make sure they get to veterans, perhaps at the NYS Veterans Home in Batavia, the National Cemetery in Pembroke or through the Patriot Trip that Hawley leads each September to monuments in the Washington, D.C. area.

Babcock made the canes from small trees in his son’s woods. The raw materials were cut off from part of the roots with a slight angle. The handles of the canes are the roots from the trees.

Babcock would sand down the small trees and put shellack on them, as well as stickers of American flags.

“Now I have to get some more blanks so I can make some more,” he said on Saturday.

Frank Babcock was joined by friends and family at the American Legion on Saturday. From left include son Steve Babcock, son Jim Babcock, Frank Babcock, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, grandson Jeremy Babcock, and Legion Commander Brad Rouse.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – The Village of Lyndonville welcomed Santa to Veterans Park this evening, when he flipped the switch to turn on the lights of 82 Christmas trees decorated at Veterans Park.

The village started the tradition of decorating the trees in 2013 with 26 the first year. The number steadily grew reaching a record high of 98 in 2022. Last year there were 85, and now 82 this year.

The trees will be lighted up until just after New Year’s Day.

After he flipped the switch at the “North Pole Electric Company” at veterans Park, Santa went into the Village Hall where he greeted a long line of families.

This group includes the Freeman siblings, who are the children of Devan Freeman, Lyndonville’s DPW superintendent. The kids include from left Nora, Carson (standing), Carter and Averie.

Here are some more photos of the trees, including the one in front decorated by Lyndonville’s Class of 1982.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion FFA today delivered 45,000 pounds of produce donated by local farmers to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, and other local food pantries.

The top photo shows FFA members Loralei Gailie, Logan Scott and Jimmy Harris moving a big box of squash to a tractor trailer outside the Ag Shop at the high school.

“It’s helping the community,” said Harris, a senior who arrived at 7:10 this morning to load up the food.

About 20 Albion FFA members helped with the food drive, calling local farmers and arranging for pickups and deliveries of the food.

FFA members are pictured next to three vehicles filled with food before the delivery to Community Action at about 9 this morning.

The donors include Panek’s, Circle R, Lynn-Ette and Sons, Preston’s, Van Lieshout’s, Heberle, Nesbitt’s, Brightly’s, Kludt’s, Orchard Dale, Kreher’s, Intergrow Greenhouses (Sungrow), Save A Lot, Root Brothers, Martin Farms, My-T Acres, Poverty Hill, Partyka’s, Orleans County Farm Bureau, Lamb’s, CY Farms, Torrey Farms, Hu-Lane Farm, Kirby’s, Kirby’s Cider Mill, Barilla, Triple G, Farm Fresh First LLC, Margaret and Charlie Swan, Peter Gaylard, Christ Farms, Kast Farms and Haylett Farm Enterprises.

FFA President Kaitlynn Basinait, right, and FFA secretary Kaitlin Bennett carry a sack of cabbage.

Basinait said farmers were very generous this year, even though many suffered big losses from hail storms. Those farms still contributed to the effort. Other farms who didn’t lose crops to hail stepped up even more knowing some of their farming neighbors didn’t have as much to give this food drive, Bennett said.

“The hail storm hurt several of the farmers,” she said.

The 45,000 pounds topped last year’s drive with 37,000 pounds.

The FFA started the food drive in 2010 with 3,000 pounds in the first effort. The food drive record is 53,000 pounds in 2020.

Bennett said the FFA is proud to facilitate the food drive every year.

“It makes my heart feel happy,” she said.

FFA members Matthew Bloom and Hailey Lonnen fill boxes with Pink Lady apples.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley helped unload the vehicles this morning. He has attended the food drive delivery for many years.

Community Action and other volunteers from local food pantries helped sort and move the food on a chilly morning at the Community Action site on East State Street.

The food is shared with about 20 different food pantries, churches and other organizations in Orleans County.

Barry Flansburg is one of several Albion FFA alumni who help with the food drive each year. Pete Gaylard from the Albion Central School buildings and grounds moves a pallet for of tomatoes into a tractor trailer from Panek Farms.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Clarendon held its fourth annual lighted parade on Friday and the caravan included this goat, shown rounding the corner from Route 31A onto Route 237.

These people braved the cold to watch the parade, including a fire truck from the Murray Joint Fire District.

Rebecca Scharping, right, and her mother Jeanette Novak brought a calf and heifer from Clover Hill Acres in Clarendon.

Gavin Mosher wore the Grinch costume and got a ride from Justin McCormack. Gavin is the in the Early Act service club at Holley for students in grades 4-6. McCormack’s son Landon also is in Early Act. Gavin handed out onions instead of candy in his role as the Grinch.

The Holley Interact Club had about 30 junior high and high school students in the parade.

Boy Scouts in Troop 59 carried flags in the parade. James Shaw is holding the American flag high while Logan Lane carries the troop flag.

This girl wears a Santa hat while watching a Clarendon fire truck pass by on 237 in front of Crosby’s.

Girl Scouts had a float decorated with many lights.

The Girl Scouts had fun despite the freezing temperatures.

This float was decorated in a Pokémon theme.

After the parade, people gathered at the Clarendon museum to meet Santa. Here Santa greets Rylie Ierlan, 2, who is joined by her grandmother, Melissa Ierlan, the parade coordinator.

Dustin Reisman, 7, and his sister Harper, 5, of Holley met Santa. Dustin said he would like Legos for Christmas while Harper asked for a Barbie Dream House.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Mike Wright, left, a deacon and 40-year member of the First Baptist Church of Medina, and new pastor Randy LeBaron stand by the sign announcing the church’s new name, New Hope Community Church.

MEDINA – After serving the people for nearly two centuries, the First Baptist Church of Medina is going forth with a new name.

The Rev. Randy LeBaron, former pastor of the Albion Free Methodist Church, assumed pastoral duties at First Baptist Church in September 2023.

He recently announced a name change for the church – New Hope Community Church.

The First Baptist Society was formed in Medina 195 years ago. The historic sandstone building was erected 151 years ago, having been dedicated Jan. 8, 1873, according to Mike Wright, a deacon and member of the church with his wife Joyce for more than 40 years.

Like many mainstream churches, attendance at the First Baptist Church had been declining.

“When I first started here, there was a core group who were casting a vision for the church,” LeBaron said.

“We wondered what we were going to do,” Wright said.

LeBaron grew up in Chautauqua County, attended Central Christian College in Kansas, then transferred to Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. His first assignment was as assistant pastor in Warsaw, then lead pastor in Niagara Falls.

“When they asked me to come to Albion Free Methodist Church, I didn’t know where Albion was,” he said.

It was 2004 when he moved there with his wife Sheryl and children Ashlyn and Brendan. Two more daughters, Madison and Jillian, were born later.

(Left) The church has collected toys in the annual Red  Barrel Drive. (Right) Randy LeBaron holds a cake celebrating the name change from Frist Baptist to New Hope Community Church.

In 2019, LeBaron shifted his ministry to become a Free Methodist Conference evangelist. During that time, he founded and became president of Go Scatter Ministries, with the goal to equip Christians for everyday evangelism. He traveled and spoke to more than 100 churches in 22 denominations. He preached, presented workshops and started posting Refill with Randy videos on his blog. That led to a bi-weekly column. One received more than 18,000 shares in more than 32 countries.

“I still felt very much connected to ministry in our county,” LeBaron said.

While running Go Scatter Ministries, LeBaron became involved with other agencies, such as a volunteer with Hands 4 Hope, a counselor at Care Net and chaplain for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. He went every other week to different churches, preaching messages on evangelism. In January 2022, he joined Hospice.

“I was just going to be there five hours a week,” LeBaron said. “But three others left for various reasons and I became spiritual care and bereavement counselor for all the grief support groups in Orleans County.”

About that time, he was asked to help as interim at North Point Chapel, at the former United Methodist Church in Albion, then other Free Methodist churches and the Albion First Baptist Church. He actually helped to bring the pastor, Marsha Rivers, to the Baptist church Jan. 1, 2023.

“Then one day Mike Wright gave me a call and asked if I could fill the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in Medina, and help them with their pastoral search after the Rev. Michael Stephenson left,” LeBaron said. “They had quite a few candidates apply, but the more I saw the heart of the people here, I felt called to put my name in.”

The Covid pandemic hit in March 2020 and churches weren’t able to do in-person services for about three months. Full attendance didn’t come back immediately when the churches reopened.

“Covid really hurt our attendance,” Wright said. “It was demoralizing – a very dark time for us, and we didn’t have the resources we needed. A lot of pastors who came to fill the pulpit had some really good messages. Buffalo pastor Rebecca Allis asked if we were not here, would people miss us. She said if the answer is ‘No,’ then you’re done. But if the answer is ‘yes,’ then you need to get involved in the community.’ And we hired Randy. He had so many contacts.”

Randy LeBaron sits at the altar of New Hope Community Church, where he preaches his sermons since becoming pastor of the church.

LeBaron started as interim Feb. 20, 2023, and was hired as lead pastor that September.

“I didn’t know if I’d fit in theologically,” LeBaron said. “A decade ago, the American Baptist denomination switched to North American Baptist Association, which now serves us more regionally and are much more mission-oriented.”

They picked three things they wanted to become involved in: Hands 4 Hope, Care Net and Campus One-80. The Campus One-80 became so popular, two young students joined and are now leading campus ministries in their college.

“When I first started here, there was a core group who were casting a vision for the church,” LeBaron said.

“But we didn’t know what to do,” Wright said.

LeBaron said when he first filled in, attendance was down and the atmosphere was dire.

“Then, suddenly there was new hope,” Wright said.

Changing the name of the church is meant to reflect that hope and give new hope to others, LeBaron said.

They had a long meeting with the congregation about changing the name. Some looked at it as “breaking my heart,” but the majority favored the change.

“We are still a Baptist Church,” LeBaron said.

 “The Lord continues to bring people he wants here and people continue to come,” Wright said. “One or two at a time, and they don’t just attend, they want to join.”

When LeBaron first came to the church, attendance averaged eight to 10 people. Now they are happy to share attendance has increased to 50 to 60, and they have performed a dozen or more baptisms.

“We are a very casual, contemporary Christ-centered church,” LeBaron said.

They meet every Sunday after church for coffee and conversation. There were a number of attendees who didn’t believe in anything, and now they want to be involved in everything, LeBaron said. Even a former atheist who now leads the new men’s group and helped carry the cross at Easter.

Their community involvement includes sponsoring a free garage sale every June, where the church basement is filled with merchandise, which people can just walk in and take. They give away hot chocolate during the Parade of Lights and coats during the winter.

A sunrise service every Christmas at 7 a.m., followed by breakfast is a tradition more than 100 years old.

Sunday worship is at 10 a.m., and this week begins a new sermon series, “Advent 2 Christmas,” to which everyone is invited.