By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2025 at 6:30 am
Christopher Parada will make the suits, matching standards of Santa School founder
New York Santa Claus Suits & Equipment Co. – Christopher Parada models some of the Santa suits he makes with his new company, New York Santa Claus Suits & Equipment Co. Parada has portrayed Santa in Lockport since 2010, greeting about 10,000 children every year. He was inducted into the Santa Claus Hall of Fame in December 2024.
LOCKPORT – Christopher Parada has made a mission of keeping the legacy of Charles W. Howard alive and he has a new venture to honor Howard’s legacy: creating Santa suits in the exact design made famous by Howard, the founder of a Santa School in Albion from 1937 to 1966.
Parada built a Christmas cottage in Lockport and he has portrayed Santa there since 2010, welcoming about 10,000 children every Christmas season.
The Santa Claus Christmas Cottage at Day Road Park includes a display about Howard and one of his Santa suits. Although died in 1966, the Santa School still continues in Howard’s name, now in Midland, Mich.
“Many people have tried to copy the suit,” Parada said. “They have done a version of the suit. But I was able to replicate to a T the exact same suit. The original is being created. It’s not dying off. My goal and mission is to replicate it exactly as it was.”
Parada, 41, said Howard had a simplified design, without a lot of “bling.”
Howard was perhaps the world’s most prominent Santa, especially from 1948 to 1965, when he was the Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
“I want you to feel proud that you’re wearing history,” Parada said. “You have an iconic replica of that design that was in the Macy’s parade.”
These vintage photos show Charles W. Howard at Christmas Park in Albion with a Santa wearing a suit designed by Howard. Elizabeth Babcock is shown with some of the Santa suits she made in Howard’s designs. Babcock made the suits for more than 30 years. She passed away in 2006. Parada reached out to both Howard and Babcock’s families and received their blessing in his new suit company.
The New York Santa Claus Suits & Equipment Co. will operate out of Parada’s basement at his Lockport home.
“I cut out every piece of fabric,” he said.
He assembles the fabric and delivers to seamstress and they sew the suits, with Parada offering a painstaking inspection. He started taking orders in January and will be delivering in the spring.
He will run the business and make the suits while also serving as the executive director of the Historic Palace Theatre. In his 21-year tenure at the Palace Theatre, he has led the site in doing a multi-million-dollar renovation and producing many Broadway-style theater shows.
“I have a full-time job that I love,” Parada said. “But this has been a passion project to get it right.”
By “right,” Parada means to recreate suits exactly like Howard, and later by Elizabeth Babcock, who made Santa suits for more than 30 years in Albion with her business, the Santa Claus Suit & Equipment Company. She passed away at age 92 in 2006. Howard and Babcock both preferred a simple, classic design.
“I have a love for the nostalgic,” Parada said. “I wanted the older look. I wanted it to feel like JC Penney’s in the 1950s.”
Many other suit makers have add-ons that can make Santa look “clownish,” Parada said.
“Santa worked in workshop, he made toys,” Parada said. “He was simple.”
Parada, a Medina native, is well regarded in the Santa community. He was inducted into the group’s International Santa Claus Hall of Fame last December. This past weekend he was in Gaitlinburg, Tenn. for a Santa convention with about 700 others.
It was a chance to connect with other Santa portrayers, and also to get feedback on his Santa suits in the exact style and design of Howard. There is one change: faux fur instead of rabbit fur, which is hard to maintain with the fur sometimes falling out if the hides dry out.
Parada showed his Santa suits to the Santa pros and received a strong endorsement and blessing.
“At Gaitlinburg, it was a chance to go public in the Santa community,” Parada said. “I wanted to make sure I was doing it correctly.”
Parada sees the business as a continuation of the standards of excellence set by Howard and Babcock. His website, HistoricSantaSuits.com, details the suits and offerings.
Parada offers suits in several classic styles, either with belt and buckles, or in the Coca Cola style with brass buttons.
The suits are “expertly crafted” and made of the best wool and soft satin lining, with realistic faux fur trim.
“Charlie and Elizabeth were both pioneers in this historic venture,” Parada said about the Santa suits. “I want to celebrate the legacy that they created and see to it that it lives on.”
He said the suits shouldn’t be considered “costumes.” They are high-quality and hand sewn to ensure a perfect fit and made to last many Christmas seasons.
Parada will do the bulk of the work making the suits in his basement. With low overheard he is selling them for $1,180. Other Santa suit-makers charge $3,000 to $4,000, Parada said.
The fabric tag also is in the style of the Santa suits made by Howard and Babcock.
He didn’t want to go nearly that high. He wants them to be affordable, especially to the many retirees who portray Santa and are on fixed incomes.
“I don’t want to price gouge people,” Parada said. “That’s not the mission. I want people to be able to wear the suit and wear it proudly.”
The suits are made of red wool or velvet, satin red and ivory lining, ivory satin hat lining, faux fur for trim material, round collar style and red satin coat cuffs with elastic, creating a historic department store look. That includes jacket, hat, pants, belt and buckle.
For another $300, a Santa can acquire a toy bag with Howard’s distinctive “SC” – and gloves and wrist bells.
Parada isn’t selling beards as part of the suits right now. Many of the Santas have their own facial hair, or others already have beards that they put on and are comfortable with when they are Santa.
The fabric tag also is in the style of Howard and Babcock, but Parada added “New York” to the name to honor the home of the original suit makers.
“I love the history about it,” Parada said about the Howard suits that originated in 1937. “I don’t want the history to die in Western New York.”
In two years the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School will mark its 90th anniversary. Parada is talking with some of the leaders in the Santa community to have a Santa convention in Lockport, with Albion a destination to show how his hometown celebrates the founder of the school.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2025 at 10:30 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: A beech tree in front of the Albion Middle School is shown on Saturday evening.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a wind advisory for Orleans County from 1 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. There will be west to northwest winds 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 mph expected.
The advisory also includes Niagara, Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, northern Cayuga and Oswego counties.
“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects,” the Weather Service said. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”
Tuesday could see a chance for snow showers and a high near 32. The highs the rest of the week include 40 on Wednesday, 45 on Thursday, 48 on Friday and 48 on Saturday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2025 at 8:30 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A banner celebrating Orleans County’s 200th anniversary is on the courthouse lawn. The bicentennial celebration will be at noon on April 15 at the County Courthouse, beginning with the ringing of the bell in the courthouse dome. Churches throughout Orleans County are encouraged to ring their bells at noon for a minute on April 15.
The county will celebrate its bicentennial throughout 2025. Orleans officially separated from Genesee County on April 15, 1825.
The ceremony on April 15 will be livestreamed on the Orleans County Tourism Facebook page.
The courthouse dome will be illuminated in red, white and blue on April 14 and 15 in celebration of the county’s bicentennial.
The banner includes an ox, which was critical to helping bring the pioneer settlers to Orleans County, and then helping to clear the land and plant crops.
MEDINA – Medina Central School’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten program at Oak Orchard is doing far more than preparing students for kindergarten, it’s providing an academic environment where young students can build strong academic, social and emotional skills through play, exploration and hands-on learning.
The UPK program is aligned with the district’s academic initiatives to teach age-appropriate instruction that mirrors what students will experience in future grade levels. The goal is to support learners in becoming curious and independent learners.
The program focuses on literacy, math and social-emotional development, engaging learners in a variety of structured activities that promote number sense and early literacy.
Hands-on learning is central to how UPK students explore math. From counting friends in line to going on shape hunts around the classroom, math becomes a natural part of their everyday routine. Educators create engaging stations that combine manipulatives, partner games and student collaboration.
Everything from playdough to board games is used to teach concepts like counting, comparing, and ordering. Cooking activities are also incorporated to reinforce mathematical thinking, allowing students to count ingredients, compare amounts and follow sequences. Counting games feature dice, spinners and ten frames, while theme-based manipulatives, like yellow counters used as “bees” in a hive, make math visual and fun.
Literacy is just as hands-on. Students use letter and sound tools, participate in partner reading, and engage in games that promote language development and teamwork. The curriculum follows the Science of Reading framework to ensure a strong foundation in early literacy skills.
The UPK program places a strong emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL) to help students recognize emotions, develop coping strategies, and build meaningful relationships. Students are taught to name their feelings and choose calming strategies that work for them. As the year progresses, students become more independent in regulating their emotions and solving problems on their own.
SEL is woven throughout the school day, and counselors regularly join the classroom to teach these life skills. This approach reflects practices used in upper grades, preparing students for the future and reinforcing the idea that emotional growth is just as important as academic success.
Confidence starts in an environment where students feel seen, celebrated and supported. At Oak Orchard, classrooms reflect the diverse cultures and needs of students, allowing every child to see themselves in the curriculum and activities.
For parents considering enrolling their child, the UPK program offers a fun and nurturing place where children grow academically and personally. By joining UPK, students will become familiar with the staff, routines, and the learning environment to make the transition to kindergarten much smoother.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2025 at 12:44 pm
ALBION – The Main Street lift bridge in Albion is poised to close for about five to six weeks beginning April 21 to finish the construction overhaul of the bridge.
The bridge was initially closed on Nov. 14, 2022 for what was expected to be about 18 months for a major rehabilitation. That project stretched to more than two years when the bridge was reopened just after Christmas on Dec. 27, 2024.
But there was still some more work on the deck and with additional testing, Village Trustee Joyce Riley said today. She was notified by state Department of Transportation officials about the impending closing and work that should finish off the project.
“It’s not a surprise,” she said about the closure. “I’m just glad it’s before summer hits.”
The original bridge from 1914 has been extensively rebuilt with new steel now over about 80 percent of the structure.
Photos and information courtesy of Medina Central School
MEDINA – Throughout the week of March 24 to March 28, students at Oak Orchard Primary School had the opportunity to explore food preparation and the culinary arts interactively.
They created “ants on a log” snacks, dressed as food service workers, and welcomed a special visit from high school students to help them along.
For some students, this was their first time trying celery or raisins, and they enjoyed experimenting with different flavor combinations while learning how recipes are developed.
The Oak Orchard Cafeteria provided ingredients, and parent, community, and high school student volunteers guided students in crafting their snacks.
As an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) school, one way Oak Orchard focuses on early college and career exploration is by introducing students to a variety of professions.
Through this activity, students learned about food service careers and enhanced their kitchen skills. After making their snack, they were encouraged to recreate them at home.
The week-long event also included video tours of local Medina businesses, including Hans’s Bakery, McDonald’s, Coffee Pot, Oak Orchard Café, Tops and Rudy’s Diner. Oak Orchard school counselor Miss Laroussi visited these locations to put together videos highlighting various food service careers.
Later in the school year, Oak Orchard students will explore careers in agriculture, with additional opportunities planned for the next school year.
To make the experience even more engaging, students had the chance to enter a raffle for a basket of ingredients to create a treat at home. To enter, they had to complete a challenge, which included greeting a food service worker at a local restaurant, café, or grocery store and helping their family prepare a snack or meal at home. The turnout for participation in the raffle was incredible!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2025 at 7:39 am
Gas prices are up nationally and statewide compared to a year ago, but have dropped more than 7 cents in Orleans County from $3.216 a week ago to $3.143 today for a gallon of regular unleaded, according to AAA.
The national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.26, up nine cents from last Monday. The price was $3.59 a year ago. The New York State average is $3.14, up three cents from last Monday. A year ago, the NYS average was $3.47.
“Several factors are driving the increase, including refinery maintenance and summer-blend gasoline switch,” AAA said about the higher prices. “The last time the national average reached $3.26 was back in September, consistent with seasonal shifts, but current prices remain below what they were this time last year.”
Here are the average prices in counties around Western New York:
Orleans, $3.143
Genesee, $3.119
Niagara, $3.055
Monroe, $3.104
Erie, $3.077
Livingston, $3.144
Wyoming, $3.138
Cattaraugus, $3.183
Chautauqua, $3.193
Allegany, $3.150
For drivers who use diesel, the national average price is $3.62, up two cents from last Monday. The New York average is $3.93, no change from last Monday, AAA said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 April 2025 at 12:55 pm
Amy Sidari has taught dance for 38 years, including 28 years as Gotta Dance owner
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Amy Sidari (center), owner of Gotta Dance by Miss Amy, dances with five generations of the the Sidari family during Saturday’s evening’s dance recital at the Albion Middle School. Her daughter Gina is at left. The Sidari family danced to “Home” by Nick Jonas.
Saturday’s recital was the last one for Sidari as owner of Gotta Dance. She has led Gotta Dance the past 28 years and has been a dance teacher for 38 years. She is retiring to spend more time with her family, including three grandchildren.
Amy Sidari is presented with flowers at the start of Saturday’s recital which was attended by about 400 people. An earlier recital for younger children was attended by 320.
Next to her is dance teacher Crystal Hallenbeck-McPhall at left with Gloria Lear in back and Beth Webb at right.
Lear praised Sidari for creating a “safe haven” for dancers of all abilities and ages.
“Coming through the doors of the studio is like coming home,” Lear said. “We are truly grateful for the opportunities from the studio. We are a family and we will always be connected.”
Lear said there will be an open house for Sidari on April 18 at Gotta Dance, 28 West Bank St., Albion.
Sidari said she will remain active in the Albion community as she steps back from running the dance studio.
Saturday evening’s recital included 46 different dance numbers. Here are photos from some of the dances:
These dancers performed “Jazz Warriors Stand Up.” They include Ella Bruski, Krystal Butler, Eliana Coleman, Vanessa Coy, Millie Fisher, Piper Froman, Layla Kania, Keira Lemcke, Alana McAdoo, Aubrey McPhall, Alaina McPhall, Isabella Pahura, Isabelle Perkins, McKenzie Sample, Aubrey Stinson and Harriet Symons.
This group performed “Lyrical Ashes.”
The group performing “A Ballet Beach Baby” includes Blair Allchin, Olivia Bruski, Millie Fisher, Elady Fisher, Isabella Hafner, Keira Lemcke and Giuliana Liuzzi.
This group led off the recital with a “Mom and Me” dance to “Isn’t Going Down Like That.”
Kasey Neal performs a solo, “A Private Time Will Tell.”
This group dances to “Hip Hop Barbie Mix” and includes Aubrielle Barry, Kaitlynn Basinait, Evee Heinsler, Kendra Kaniecki, McKinley Knight, Mackenzie Lefrois, Nicole Loney, Ava Ludwick, Grace McCormick, Peyton McGuire, Semaj Miller, Chloe Mosele and Isabelle Truelson.
A group of adult dancers perform “Beautiful Things.” They are holding Lauren Thomas. Mollie Radzinski, front left, and Beth Webb, front right, are part of a group that also includes Rebecca DeBoard-Lake, Crystal Hallenbeck-McPhall, Brooke Kiefer, Tisha Loney, Kayla Osborne and Sarah Stornelli.
Jenna Uderitz did a solo dance with lots of gymnastic tumbles to “Private Dream on a Star Mix.”
Evee Heinsler, left, and her sister Thalia Heinsler perform a dance together.
BASOM – Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge announces plans to conduct up to seven prescribed burns on the refuge during the 2025 season.
The goal this year is to burn up to 175 acres of grasslands. The result will be enhanced grassland nesting cover for a variety of migratory birds and other wildlife. Grassland fields will be burned in the spring or summer (April – August). Each burn should take approximately two to six hours to complete.
Prescribed burns are conducted safely and successfully on National Wildlife Refuges and other public lands across the country. With prescribed burns, fire becomes a management tool removing accumulated fuel loads thus reducing the risk of wildfire.
Additionally, fire improves refuge habitats for wildlife by removing invading plants that compete for light and nutrients and exposing the soil to sunlight so that seeds may germinate and grow. At the same time, it releases nitrogen and other nutrients into the soil to nourish the new plants.
Specific dates cannot be announced in advance due to specific weather requirements, however, law enforcement and other emergency agencies will be notified on the day of the burn.
Before a burn can take place, specific weather and site conditions, including wind direction and speed, humidity, air temperature, and fuel moisture must be present. If any one of these conditions is outside of set parameters, the burn will not take place. Refuge staff have been specially trained to plan, ignite and monitor the fire to ensure public safety.
For further information contact Wildlife Biologist, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, 1101 Casey Road, Basom, NY 14013 or call 585-948-5445 ext.7032.
Iroquois NWR is located midway between Buffalo and Rochester and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 April 2025 at 4:52 pm
Photos courtesy of Darlene Benton
BATAVIA – About 300 people were in a “Hands Off” rally today in Batavia, speaking out against polices from President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency.
People held signs in protesting Trump and Musk’s steep cuts to government agencies and their effort to wipe out DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). The signs state concerns about Social Security, public education, LGTBQ, veterans, women’s rights and other issues.
The rally is Batavia is one of about 1,200 across the country today and one of 60 in New York State.
The protestors included many from Orleans County. They were on both sides of Main Street from noon to 2 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 April 2025 at 11:41 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Devon Albone, left, and Rob Luff get the Albone Spray Foam booth ready this morning at the Home, Garden & Outdoor Show at Dubby’s Tailgate.
Albone, based in Medina, is one of 40 vendors at the show, which continues today until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3.
Albone usually is at similar home and garden shows in Buffalo and Rochester. He is glad to be closer to home to tout the business’s insulation products.
“It’s more home town here,” he said. “It’s more down to earth.”
These goats greet Laural Prentice at the entrance of Dubby’s. Prentice is part of the booth for Hearth and Home Real Estate Professionals, which is owned by her sister, Karen Conn.
Abby Alexander fastens balloons in an arch inside Dubby’s Tailgate.
Ray Laine, left, and his father Tom Laine of Frontier Heating and A/C Service in Albion are back at the home show after about an absence in recent years. Tom said he likes the heated atmosphere in Dubby’s with close access to their restaurant inside. The home show had been at the fairgrounds.
Frontier was picked as the Chamber of Commerce’s “Business of the Year” in 2024.
The Master Gardeners are at the home show giving out free pumpkin seeds for PumpkinPalooza during the Oct. 11 Medina Scarecrow Fest. They are also giving out seeds from a share program and dispensing other advice.
Seated include Master Gardeners Julie Granchelli, right, and Trina Lorentz. They are chatting with Doreen Wilson, left, and master gardener Nancy Walker.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 April 2025 at 9:50 am
About 1,300 Hands Off! protest rallies are planned around the country today, including in Western New York.
Close to Orleans County, Batavia will host a rally at noon at Batavia City Hall, 102 Main St. There is also a rally at noon in Geneseo at Veterans Memorial Park and 11 a.m. in Buffalo at Niagara Square.
The rallies are intended to send a message to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, to keep their “Hands Off” people, services and freedoms.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. We are fighting back!” the advisory about the Batavia rally states. “They’re taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services—and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.”
Organizers stress these are nonviolent protests and participants should try to de-escalate any potential confrontations.
“This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies,” the Batavia advisory states. “Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.”
