ALBION – The Board of Education changed a school policy on Monday and will again allow select seventh-graders the chance to be on junior varsity and varsity teams.

The board in 2020 voted to keep seventh-graders at the modified levels, without a chance to be on JV or varsity. The board revisited the issue last month and on Monday voted to allow seventh-graders to be on JV or varsity.

Wayne Wadhams, the board president, said there will likely only be one or two seventh-graders a year who would move up to JV or varsity. Those students need to have strong grades, be emotionally mature and be exceptional athletes.

The district has an Athletic Placement Process (APP), a protocol for moving 7^th and 8th graders up the JV or varsity levels.

Mariah LaSpina, the athletic director, in a presentation to the board last month said the APP is aimed at a select few students who would benefit from placement because of their level of readiness. The process is not used to fill a position or roster. It can also be used when there isn’t a modified program.

With the APP, the 7^th and 8^th graders need written permission from parents and guardians to participate before there is any evaluation.

The athletic director also needs to confirm the student is suitable for consideration and there needs to be medical clearance to make sure having a 7^th– or 8^th-grader play at JV or varsity doesn’t increase the likelihood of injury.

Other steps in the process include:

• Sport Skill Evaluation: sport coach will rely on past personal observations; consider input from the student’s former coaches; if coach is unfamiliar with the student, the coach may observe the student in a physical education class
• Physical Fitness Testing: must be done by a certified physical education teacher
• Qualification Determination: the results of the three evaluations are sent to the director of physical education/athletics
• Try-Outs: student is allowed to try out for the sport and level requested or student must return to the modified level of competition.

Benefit planned at fire hall on Aug. 13 for Joe Newton

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Ayriel George has issued an update on the condition of her father, Joe Newton of Medina, who remains in a rehab facility in Ohio. She holds a flyer promoting a benefit in his honor Aug. 13 at East Shelby Fire Hall.

EAST SHELBY – An East Shelby firefighter remains in rehab at a facility in Ohio, while support continues to grow for a fundraiser for the family, according to his daughter Ayriel George.

Joe Newton was hospitalized in March with necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh eating bacteria, which caused damage to all his organs. He underwent several surgical procedures and ended up on a ventilator. He was eventually transferred to a facility in Erie, Pa., the only one available which took patients on a ventilator, then was transferred to Andover, Ohio for further rehab, where he remains today.

He was close to being removed from the ventilator two weeks ago, until he had to be hospitalized for little more than a week when his wound became infected again. George said they have figured out the right antibiotic for him and are now working with him again to regain the momentum he lost while in the hospital. In an effort to get him off the ventilator.

George said she, her mother and her two boys visited him a few weeks ago.

“It was the first time my boys had seen their grandpa in more than four months, and I think they were a good dose of medicine for him,” George said.

George also shared an update on the benefit planned for him from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 13 at the East Shelby Fire Hall. Support for the event has been incredible, according to George.

Several large items have been donated for the raffle, including a patio set with a fire pit, a cooler filled with liquor, a griddle grill with accessories, a lottery tree and a television.

Anyone wishing to donate a basket can drop them off at the fire hall the day before the event between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Coffee and donuts will be served in the morning of the fundraiser and hot dogs and chips will be available during the afternoon.

Tim Cooper gives new life to landmark on West Avenue

MEDINA – A historic landmark in Medina has reopened under new ownership, after three years of renovation.

Tim Cooper, a local funeral director, has an interest in older buildings with architectural style or appeal, sites that have been neglected and on the verge of being lost.

“The Walsh Hotel fit all those criteria,” said Cooper, who purchased the Walsh Hotel in March 2019. Cooper was operating Cooper Funeral Home on West Center Street with his assistant Jake Hebdon. On Dec. 29, 2018, Hebdon took over and three months later Cooper negotiated with Guy Chiarolanza to purchase the Walsh.

“I had looked at it in December 2018 when Polar Express was running at the Medina Railroad Museum,” Cooper said. “There were a lot of people and I thought this presented an opportunity. I like to retore old buildings to modern use and living, while incorporating the historic design details that made them distinctive.”

Bartenders David Minervino, left, and Marc Law stand behind the bar at the newly opened Walsh Hotel. (Right) This mural at the end of the Walsh Hotel’s bar shows Democratic candidate Francis Burton Harrison, center (holding his hat) when he campaigned in Medina for lieutenant governor in 1904.

Cooper has restored five other properties in Medina: 105 Pearl St., 215 West Center St., 212 Park Ave., 213 Park Ave. and 1024 West Ave.

“I put a lot of sweat equity and investment into the Walsh, with the able assistance of Denny More, and it is now ready to be a unique bar/restaurant/hotel venue,” Cooper said.

History of the Walsh Hotel goes back to 1852 when the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Company completed the railroad through Medina. Previously, hotels and taverns in Medina sprung up adjacent to the canal basin, but the development of the railroad had an immediate effect on the Erie Canal. Soon, the New York Central Railroad Company was the primary transportation provider.

The first depot was a small stone building close to the railroad on West Avenue, and the adjacent lot on the west side of the street was the obvious site for a hotel, a waiting and meeting place for travelers, particularly since the depot provided sparse comfort.

Aaron Clark (who also built the Alabama Hotel) was granted a license for the Clark Hotel in 1861. The third floor was put on, doubling the size of the building. It was sold to Frank Sloat in 1884 and later to Thomas Lysett. Eugene Walsh purchased it in 1903 and renovated and enlarged it with 38 rooms.

Several customers enjoy a drink at the bar in the newly reopened Walsh Hotel.

In 1904, Francis Burton Harrison, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, arrived by train to campaign there, and then went to dinner at Bent’s Opera House. Although he didn’t win, he went on to become governor general of the Philippines.

In 1916, a New York City attorney Grace Humiston was there to champion the innocence of West Shelby resident George Stielow, who had been wrongly accused of murdering his employer. She would later prove his innocence with the use of forensics for the first time in history to solve a murder.

Other famous visitors were Babe Ruth, who stayed at the Walsh in 1920, and Adolph S. Ochs Jr., New York Times publisher, who lunched there in 1925.

An article in the Medina Tribune on June 30, 1938, reported that any man in Western New York who was asked if they knew where the Walsh Hotel was would beam with recognition, brought on by memories of “succulent steaks, broiled chicken and braised short ribs of beef, all served with steaming bowls of gravy.”

Historical accounts say Walsh “virtually built over” the hotel into one of the most up-to-date hotels between Buffalo and Rochester, with 38 cheerful sleeping rooms, each furnished with electric lights and electric call bells, steam heat and “special attention to sanitary conditions.” The hotel was frequented by commercial travelers and local businessmen and professionals lunched there on a regular basis. It was a popular venue for business meetings, bridge tournaments and dinner parties, all of which sustained it through Prohibition and Depression.

Frank Cardone bought the Walsh in 1941, and remodeled it after a fire in the barroom area in 1959. He ran it until 1977, when he conveyed it to Guy Chiarolanza. No food or beverages were sold there in recent years, and it operated strictly as a boarding house.

After his purchase, Cooper spent three years totally remodeling the downstairs, with assistance from contractor Dennis Moore and construction workers Monty Hartman and Mike Eckerd. Mark Weld created the new signage. The upstairs remains a work in progress, Cooper said. He has no plans to open a restaurant there, but does offer sandwiches from Sourced Market and Eatery.

Cooper’s renovation included gutting the barroom, adding a window for more light, moving the staircase to the outside of the building, taking out a cooler, replacing a rotted section of floor, moving a wall, putting a second bar on the north side in a dining room called the O’Brien and Ceallaigh (Irish spelling of Kelly) Tap Room. This room is available to rent for private parties and social gatherings.

He also upgraded the heating and cooling, did lots of painting, maintaining the tin ceiling and tin wainscoting, and making roofing and siding improvements on the outside.

“The Walsh is a survivor. It has character. It has survived the decline of the railroad, Prohibition, the Depression and massive social changes. It started out and thrived because of its proximity to the railroad and I think that has come full circle. There are a few more chapters in the Walsh’s history. It is still a landmark – and a feisty, enduring one.” – Tim Cooper

Cooper has hired two bartenders, whose history is entwined with each other and Cooper.

Marc Law and David Minervino both grew up in Medina and have been lifelong friends. Cooper’s older brother Jim and Marc went to school together. Marc’s grandmother was Mildred Cleary, who owned Cleary Funeral Home on Park Avenue and was instrumental in Cooper’s decision to become a funeral director.

Cooper was working on the building the day after he purchased it, when Law stopped in and offered to help if he ever got to that point.

“I did eventually get to that point,” Cooper said, and he called Law.

Law left Medina for 35 years, pursuing a career with hotels, restaurants and as a bar manager. He began tending bar in 2010 and worked in West Virginia and Southern California, before returning to Medina 10 years ago.

He likes tending bar because “It’s such a positive atmosphere, and you’re constantly meeting people,” he said.

Minervino worked at Kodak for 22 years and dealt in a casino for four years. He worked for Chiarolanza for three years in the late 1970s, and at Tillman’s Village Inn for 30 years until they closed in December 2021.

Like Law, he loves bartending because of the social activity and all the people he meets.

Tim Cooper, who has restored and reopened the Walsh Hotel, points out the original tin wainscoting on the wall of the entrance hallway. (Right) Cooper stands by a door leading into the bar area. He removed the door from a cooler which stood where he is standing. The sides of the cooler were used for the wall at left.

Cooper also has a family background in the tavern/bar business. Edward Kelly, who built O’Brien’s Pub on Main Street, was his great-grandfather. Cooper’s grandfather Francis O’Brien married Kelly’s daughter Margaret and they ran the pub as O’Brien’s and Kelly’s. Hence, Cooper’s name (O’Brien and Ceallaigh) on his tap room.

The Irish influence also includes Cooper’s wife Catherine, who is from County Kerry.

Cooper said it is an interesting fact that in old time Ireland, the pub owner in a rural area was usually the undertaker.

In restoring the Walsh, Cooper said it was his goal to create something which has been lacking in the area – the ability to go into a pub and talk.

“People who come in here actually feel refreshed,” Minervino said. “They talk to one another. There are no cell phones, no TV, just old-fashioned conversation.”

Cooper said the Walsh is ideally poised for a new chapter.

Catherine, who is Orleans County historian, in a history she wrote on the Walsh, said that although its luster may have dimmed for a time, the Walsh is still a landmark.

Tim said when he initially started the project, he had hoped the Downtown Revitalization Initiative would come through with funds for the project. However, that wasn’t the case. Medina wasn’t picked by the state for the funding, yet.

“The Walsh is a survivor,” Tim said. “It has character. It has survived the decline of the railroad, Prohibition, the Depression and massive social changes. It started out and thrived because of its proximity to the railroad and I think that has come full circle. It will benefit the Medina Railroad Museum and the Museum will benefit it. There are a few more chapters in the Walsh’s history. It is still a landmark – and a feisty, enduring one.”

The Walsh is open from 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday and 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It serves a full line of alcoholic drinks, including imported Dingle gin from Dingle, Ire. Their phone number for information or to reserve the O’Brien and Cealliagh Room is (585) 318-5027.

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board is supporting the site plan for 12,659-square-foot building at 3594 Butts Rd., a site that will be a 25-bed women and children community residence.

The Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse plans to develop 3.5 acres for the project. GCASA acquired 9 acres of land from the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

“The EDA was very happy to secure services for residents,” said Paul Hendel, the EDA board chairman and also a member of the Orleans County Planning Board.

The project includes a 25-foot-wide driveway and a parking lot with 27 spaces. The residence will be staffed 24-7 by GCASA.

Five of the units will be for women with space for up to two preschool-age children in each of those units. Residents can stay for up to six months. The women in the residence will have on-site addiction programs and learn other life skills. Staying with their children increases their chances for recovery and success, said Kathy Hodgins, GCASA’s chief clinical officer.

The Planning Board last Thursday recommended the Town of Albion approve the project. One issue that needs to be settled is the property having access to the Village of Albion sewer as an out-of-district user.

Dan Strong, the code enforcement officer for the town, said an agreement is expected soon between the village and town for sewer services. A draft proposal calls for the town to be charged an extra $500 a year for the GCASA connection and then a 2 percent annual increase. GCASA will be charged 125 percent of the sewer rate to village users.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

Illuminating Orleans – Vol. 2, No. 27

MILLVILLE – Can you identify the building shown in this 1915 postcard?

It is in Western Orleans, on a main route. We tend to pass it by (at the legal speed limit of 40 mph, of course), intent on getting to somewhere else.

At one time it was the hub of this rural hamlet, strategically located at a crossroads. Sturdily built of local limestone, it still stands at the intersection, basically unchanged, apart from the front porch which is now concrete.

The T.O. Castle & Son Mercantile operated in the Town of Shelby hamlet of Millville from 1849 to 1933. Located at the intersection of Maple Ridge Road and the East Shelby Road, it served the surrounding rural community as well as the staff and students of the nearby Millville Academy.

Though fortunate in its location, it seems that the character and personality of its owner, T.O. Castle, played a part in its success. We do not have a photograph of this enterprising gentleman, but we can glean a good deal of information about him from various sources.

T.O. (Thomas Oliver) Castle was born in Parma, Monroe County on April 2, 1826, the son of Jehiel and Nancy (Willey) Castle. He taught school for two years. In 1846 he moved to Shelby Center in Orleans County. He worked at the store owned by his uncle, Reuben S. Castle. He then worked in Buffalo for two years as a supervisor of salesmen at the George M. Sweeney store.

According to the U.S. Army Mexican War Enlistments Records 1847-49, he had hazel eyes, sandy hair and was 5’6” tall. He married Mary Timmerman, daughter of Catherine Timmerman, in December of 1850.

The store’s signs and advertising refer to 1849 as the year of establishment, though the deed recording the purchase of the property is dated March 20, 1851. It is interesting to note that the property transfer was made to Mary Ann Castle.

T.O. Castle was Postmaster from 1853 to 1857 and later from 1878 to 1897. He was a Justice of the Peace and served as a Justice of Sessions. He was secretary of the Board of the Millville Cemetery Association. He was on the fundraising committee for rebuilding the Congregational Church.

According to the 1862 IRS Tax Assessment List, he is listed as a Retail Dealer. He owned one horse and carriage. In 1866, his carriage was valued at $80. He also owned a melodeon valued at $125 and a gold watch valued at $100.

At that time, the Medina newspapers published local news items from the surrounding towns. T.O. Castle’s business, community and personal activities were frequently mentioned in the reports from Millville:

• “T.O. Castle visited his daughter, Kittie, living in Syracuse.” – Medina Tribune, Feb. 26, 1874
• “T.O. Castle has threshed forty-one bushels and a half of wheat to the acre, being ahead of his neighbor Homer Sherwood one- and one-half bushels.” – Medina Tribune, Aug. 6, 1877
• “T.O. Castle nominated as Justice of Sessions at the Democratic Convention held at Albion.” –Medina Tribune, Oct. 18, 1877
• “T.O. Castle served on the Refreshments Committee of the Arrangements for the Re-Union of the 28th Regiment.” – Medina Tribune, May 13, 1880
• “T.O. Castle has been remodeling his store on the inside, having repapered it, ceiling, and all, put in new shelves, and is now painting all of it which is a great improvement. He has also given notice to those who have been hanging around that it must be stopped.” – Medina Register, Feb. 18, 1892
• “Pneumonia is prevalent in the county. The family of T.O. Castle has been especially stricken. Two members, Mrs. Castle and her mother, succumbed within twenty-four hours.” – Buffalo Morning Express, Feb. 6, 1897
• “T.O. Castle suffering from severe attack of arthritis.” – Medina Tribune, July 30, 1903.

His obituary in the Medina Daily Journal of March 30, 1910, noted that “he was widely known and esteemed.” Following his death, the store was taken over by his son, George D., who operated the store until his death at the age of 81 in 1933.

Daniel Hurley, the present owner, has a genuine enthusiasm for this building and its past. He hopes to restore it to the point where people will want to stop and enter rather than just speed on by.

Chart courtesy of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

The latest weekly report from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments shows an increase in confirmed Covid cases in Genesee while there has been a slight decrease in Orleans.

Genesee reported 67 cases from July 20-26, which was up from 50 the previous week. In Orleans, the cases went down from 36 to 32.

The combined cases in the two counties has increased from 81 from July 6 to July 12, to 86 the following week to 99 from July 20-26. An updated reported will come out on Wednesday.

Statewide the 7-day positivity rate, ending on Sunday, was at 8.69 percent. Orleans and Genesee are part of the nine-county Finger Lakes Region which is at a 7.73 percent positivity rate, which is the lowest in the state among the 10 regions. Western New York currently has the highest positivity rate at 11.37 percent.

Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to encourage people to get vaccinated and boosted from Covid.

“As we continue to monitor new variants and prepare for potential surges in the fall, be sure to use the tools that help protect against and treat Covid-19,” she said in a statement today. “The vaccine and booster are the best tools we have to prevent serious hospitalization from Covid-19, and I encourage those who are not up to date on their vaccine and booster doses to get caught up immediately. Take a test if you feel unwell and if you do test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment.”

Households spending an additional $500 a month due to inflation

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – The New York State Senate Republican Conference today released a detailed inflation report on historic, record-high inflation and unveiled a plan to provide taxpayers, families, and businesses much-needed relief.

Rob Ortt

The report (click here) shines a light on the true struggles of everyday New Yorkers under surging costs. It highlights where and how much prices have increased, how incomes, wages, and household budgets have been affected, and analyzes overall consumer sentiment. The report also links the failed economic policies of Albany Democrats to additional inflationary pressures.

“Our comprehensive report on inflation reaffirms what we’ve heard from millions of New Yorkers: individuals, families and businesses are struggling under higher costs and the failed policies of One-Party-Rule,” Ortt said. “Our policy solutions are designed to help the forgotten, hardworking taxpayer; the New Yorker who gets up every single day and works hard to provide for their family; the New Yorker who deserves better than having to decide between filling up the tank or feeding their family. As our nation sadly goes into economic recession, New Yorkers can’t afford out-of-touch politicians who refuse to acknowledge reality. This economy has been broken under their watch. Senate Republicans are listening and ready to act.”

The report also proposes multi-pronged solutions, including enacting a state spending cap, cutting energy costs, preventing “stealth tax increases,” providing targeted tax relief, reducing the cost of childcare, supporting farmers, improving the state’s business climate, reducing healthcare costs, lowering housing costs, and strengthening the labor force.

The findings of the Senate Republican Conference’s Inflation Report show:

• Inflation is up 9.1% and costs for New Yorkers have increased dramatically at the gas pump, grocery store, and on utility bills;
• American households are spending an additional $500 a month due to inflation;
• Inflation-adjusted incomes fell another one percent in June of 2022 adding to a total decrease of 3.6 percent from last year;
• Overall New York Index of Consumer Sentiment is the lowest since October 2011; and
• Albany Democrats’ misguided policies, out-of-control spending, and new supply constraints have contributed to inflationary pressures.

To address these findings, Senate Republicans also unveiled multiple solutions to combat New York’s Inflation and Affordability Crisis, including:

• Enacting a Permanent Cap on Runaway State Spending;
• Cutting Energy Costs;
• Preventing “Stealth Tax Increases” by Adjusting Tax Brackets for Inflation;
• Providing Targeted Tax Relief;
• Reducing the Cost of Childcare and Supporting Families;
• Supporting Farmers and the Agriculture Industry;
• Improving the State’s Business Climate, Supporting Small Businesses and Manufacturers, and • Increasing Supply of Goods/Necessities;
• Reducing Healthcare Costs;
• Lowering Housing Costs; and
• Strengthening the Labor Force.

“New Yorkers deserve a government that listens to them, and listens to their top concerns,” Ortt said. “Senate Republicans are listening. We hear your concerns. 40-Year-High Inflation, pain at the pump, spiking energy bills, and rising prices at the grocery store. Our focus is on inflation and how we can tackle it to make our state more affordable for all.”

KNOWLESVILLE – The 4-H animal meat auction on Saturday featured big prices as buyers tried to reward 4-H kids for their many months of work in raising the animals.

The winning bids totaled $28,335 – up about 40 percent from $20,118 at last year’s auction. The sale was cancelled in 2020 when there wasn’t a fair due to Covid restriction. In 2019, the auction’s sales totaled $12,950.

Fair officials believe the $28,335 is a record for the auction but couldn’t confirm that yet. Orleans Hub looked through our records and this appears to be the most. In 2014, the sale hit $26,988, which looks to be the previous high mark.

Jacob Forte of Hamlin, 15, had a 334-pound pig in the auction. Zack Welker, right, scans the crowd for bids.

The 4-Hers could use the higher prices. They had to spend more to feed animals in recent months. Zack Welker, one of the livestock superintendents for beef and dairy, said it cost about $300 to $500 to feed a steer this year.

The Forte family from Hamlin said they were spending $30 more a month to feed a steer a mix of oats and corn with molasses. Plus they had the higher cost for trips to the Castile Agway for the feed.

The Forte family had three kids showing animals at the fair, including three cows, three pigs and four goats.

Hugh Gabalski, 15, of Byron (left) sold four rabbits in the auction, including the grand champion. He is chatting with his friend Carter Kuipers, 14, of Byron who had a pig and steer in the auction.

The auction included three lots of rabbits, a lamb, three steer, and 13 pigs. For the first time, the auction also included baked goods prepared by 4-H families.

An apple pie sold for $45, three dozen assorted cookies fetched $85, oatmeal butterscotch cookies went for $70 and a plate of molasses cookies brought in $125. The $325 total will go to supporting the 4-H family and consumer science program.

Herman Weber, owner of HLW Acres, a poultry processing facility in Attica, paid $575 for two plates of cookies and a pen of three rabbits.

He wasn’t surprised to see the big prices at the auction. He has attended similar auctions for 4-H raised animals in Genesee, Ontario, Livingston, Allegany and Chautauqua counties. He will also be going to the sales in Steuben, Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus counties.

“The buyers realize the feed prices have doubled, or more than doubled,” he said.

Lena Hayes presents her pig at the auction on Saturday.

Lena Hayes, 16, of Holley sold her pig at $4.50 a pound. It was purchased by her grandfather, Tony Piedimonte.

“She has worked so hard,”Piedimonte said about paying well-above the market price for the hog. “I’m proud of her.”

Kelly and Kurt Dudley of Hu-Lane Farms have been buyers for years at the auction. They bought the 1,370-pound champion steer, which was raised by Carter Kuipers of Byron.

“We want to support the kids,” Kelly said about being a buyer at the auction.

David Piedmonte of Holley also has been a regular at the auction as a buyer. He attended a few years ago and said they were struggling to get $20 a rabbit. He paid $100 then.

On Saturday night, he paid $210 for a rabbit and donated it back to be sold again.

“They do a great job,” he said about the 4-Hers. “The animals are well kept. I want to support the kids and encourage them to be in agriculture.”

Ryan McLenithan, an auctioneer from Cambridge, calls out prices for a pig raised by Charlee Burger of Hamlin.

A crowd attended the livestock show arena on Saturday for the auction. Ruth Kuipers of Byron is showing a 286-pound pig.

Information provided by the DePeters family

Provided photo: Martha DePeters was joined by her family and friends in celebrating her 100th birthday on July 29.

ALBION – On July 29th, four generations of family and close friends gathered to celebrate the 100th birthday of Martha (Saeva) DePeters.

Martha was born and raised in Albion, one of seven children of the late Pasquale and Antoinette (Barber) Saeva and has lived here all her life. She is a member of Holy Family Parish.

Martha graduated from Albion Central High School and at the age of 40 attended night school at the Culver Beauty Academy in Rochester. Upon receipt of her license, she opened Martha’s Beauty Salon in her home and worked as a beautician until her retirement at the age of 90.

Martha and her beloved late husband, Lou, enjoyed summer vacations with their children and Sunday rides to anywhere. After her children left home, Martha and Lou continued their regular outings together.

Since Martha is known to be a “world-class shopper,” those outings usually involved a visit to a mall. Martha and Lou also travelled to Hawaii, Las Vegas, Nashville, Georgia, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Florida and every gift shop along the way!

Martha’s family is grateful to be able to celebrate this milestone with her.

Gas prices dropped 15 cents nationally and 6 cents state-wide in the past week, according to AAA.

The national price is $4.21, while the statewide average is $4.52. In Orleans County, AAA reports the average price is Orleans, $4.778, which is down 2 cents in the past week.

In the past four weeks, the price has dropped 37 cents from $4.885 to $4.516 in New York State. In Orleans County, the price is down 21 cents in four weeks, from $4.987 on July 5 to $4.778 today, according to data from AAA.

The average price in the state is at $4.516 today in the state. It was $4.579 a week ago, $4.921 a month ago and $3.213 a year ago. Diesel is at $5.713 today in New York State. It was $5.803 a week ago, $6.193 a month ago and $3.349 a year ago.

In Orleans, the average price is at $4.778 a gallon for regular unleaded. That’s the highest in Western New York

Only Delaware County at $4.783 and Lewis County at $4.784 are higher in the state, according to AAA.

The average prices in WNY counties include:

• Orleans, $4.778
• Niagara, $4.421
• Erie, $4.534
• Genesee, $4.487
• Wyoming, $4.607
• Livingston, $4.561
• Monroe, $4.600
• Chautauqua, $4.443
• Cattaraugus, $4.492
• Allegany, $4.600

AAA issued the following statement about forecasting gas prices:

“According to the latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand increased in recent weeks while inventory levels dropped, which could pressure pump prices and slow price decreases if the trend holds. Yet for now, prices continue to drop.

“Crude prices continue to fluctuate and impact pump prices. This morning, oil is priced at $98 to $104 per barrel. If oil prices increase, gas prices will likely follow as oil accounts for half of each gallon of gasoline produced.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: In this photo from Aug. 6, 2019, Rylee Tusing, 2 , of Albion gets fitted for a new bike helmet by Medina Lt. Todd Draper. Rylee is held by her mother, Stephanie Corke. National Night Out didn’t happen in Orleans County in 2020 and 2021, but returns on Tuesday.

MEDINA – National Night Out is back on Tuesday after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021.

Medina will be hosting the event for the first time. National Night Out was held in Albion from 2015 to 2019.

Participants in the event will include law enforcement, fire agencies, EMS responders, civic organizations and other groups that will be providing activities, demonstrations and giveaways.

The event is free to the community and will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Wise Middle Intermediate School, 1016 Gwinn St.

There will be the battle of the belts, which is a race to see how fast a team of four and put seat belts on, while rotating to four different seats. Teams run outside the vehicle in a clockwise direction to the next seating position until they’ve completed all four spots. There will be prizes in the youth division, ages 10 to 18; adult division, ages 19 and up; family division, all ages; best costume and the turtle award.

There will be K-9 demonstrations, a bike rodeo, child car seat inspections, a magician, face painting, balloon animals, llamas and alpacas, many games and give-a-ways.

Boy Scout Troop 28 – United Methodist Church will be serving hot dogs.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – A team called “The Old Boys” won the hay bale rolling competition at the Orleans County 4-H Fair on Saturday night. The team included Dale Frazier, 34, of Kent (left) and Floyd Young, 41, of Kendall.

The finals featured the top qualifying teams from Wednesday through Saturday nights. The teams had to push an 800-pound hay bale through a course of obstacles, sometimes rolling it and others times going end over end.

“The Old Guys” won with a time of 1 minute, 33 seconds. The two said they modified their approach on Saturday to go a little slower when they neared the turns so they wouldn’t go off course and get a 10-second violation.

“We didn’t push so hard and we timed the corners,” Young said.

Sh’kwe Riley, right, and Clarence Carithers, “Brothers from Another Mother,” were fast in pushing the hay bale but faced violations for knocking down cones and going off course.

This is the second year of the hay bale rolling competition. The fair tried it after the grease pole competition was cancelled after the insurance carrier declined to cover the event. The fair officials are happy with the hay bale rolling event, and will modify the course next year.

The crowds aren’t as big for the hay bale rolling, but it still drew about 200 people each night to cap the day’s events.

Oliver Wilson and Noah Skinner advanced to the finals as part of the team, “4 Sarah.” They came in second place on Saturday.

The Sugar Daddies – DeClan McCue (left) of Carlton and Kasey Gilbert of Dansville – won on Thursday and finished third overall at the finals.

Alden Cayea, right, and Christian Hahn of Medina added a different energy to the event when they appeared in dresses. They called their team, “Dude Looks Like A Lady.” When they competed the Aerosmith song with that name played on the loudspeaker. They made it to the finals on Saturday.

Zack Neal of Albion and Brilyn Rebicz of Bergen gave the hay bale rolling event a try and completed the course. Jeremy Neal at left is the event chairman and the course designer.

Alden Cayea, left, and his brother Alwyn also competed in the event on Friday. Alden pushed the hay bale on three different teams on Saturday.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Josiah Morton, 12, of Medina hoses down targets with help from Medina firefighter Bailey Schubmehl during the fifth annual Family Fun Day on Saturday at Butts Park.

The event was attended by about 500 people, who enjoyed free food, live music, bounce houses and the chance to meet local agencies. There were also giveaways of back-to-school supplies.

Second Church True Disciples of Jesus Christ A.G. took the lead the organizing the event, with assistance from the Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God and Alabama Full Gospel Fellowship.

Firefighters were busy letting kids try to aim the hose at the targets. The Medina Police Department also did a K-9 demonstration.

These kids enjoy one of the bounce houses at the park.

There was a long line for cotton candy.

Jovannie Canales, senior pastor at Second Church True Disciples of Jesus Christ A.G., addresses the crowd in a message entitled, “Not ready but willing.” Canales said people often don’t feel prepared when they are going through hard times or transitions. He urged people to trust God in the process.

Two people were baptized and three made public commitments to God during the event on Saturday.

Jovannie Canales addresses the group near the end of the three-hour fun day at Butts Park.

“We’re so blessed to serve the people in the community,” Canales said. “It’s bringing the church outside the four walls.”

Russ Peters, pastor of Alabama Full Gospel, sings during the event. This song is entitled, “I Need You.” Peters performed the song previously when he was part of the band, PS 100.

Vince Iorio, recently retired pastor at Calvary Tabernacle, serves bags of popcorn.

Jack Burris of the Hands 4 Hope ministry had many options for free clothing.