MEDINA – With rain in the forecast on Thursday, the signups for Medina’s Joint Recreation Summer program have been moved from Butts Park to the Wise  Intermediate School on Gwinn Street. The signups are from 5 to 7 p.m.

The summer parks and swim program will be starting July 5 and run through Aug. 12, a free program for children ages 6 to 12 in the Medina school district.

The parks program will be run at the Oak Orchard Elementary School campus with the pool program at the middle school.

The Village of Medina and towns of Ridgeway and Shelby all contribute to funding the program.

The parks program is for children ages 6 to 12. That program will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and until 3 p.m. on Fridays. Besides games, the program will include bowling, field trips, a carnival and other activities.

The swim program starts with a “mommy and me” class for children 6 months to age 2, classes for 3- and 4-year-olds, and then classes for levels 1 to 6. The full swim schedule will be available at registration.

Photos courtesy of Steve Goodrich

LYNDONVILLE – Scott Goetze, past post commander of the American Legion in Lyndonville, readies flags to be placed into a fire on Tuesday evening during a flag retirement ceremony at Lynhaven Cemetery.

The ceremony was held on Flag Day. The Houseman-Tanner Post members were assisted by Rita Helsdon and the Lyndonville Fire Department in the proper retirement of more than 600 flags, including 50 that flew in Lyndonville.

American Legion Adjutant Joe Hausler keeps a watchful eye on the fire.

Post member Katherine Kage gets ready to place flags into the fire.

Anyone with older flags that need to be retired are welcome to contact Steve Goodrich, the post commander, or any other post member.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina and Town of Shelby are urging their residents to sign up for a new emergency alert system for rapid notification of hazardous and urgent situations using a mix of telephone calls, text and email messages, and even TTY/TDD service for the hearing impaired.

Medina and Shelby contracted with Hyper-Reach to provide a mass emergency notification system designed specifically for public safety.  The municipalities expect to have the service fully operational by the end of June.

The system sends thousands of these messages to geographically targeted households in seconds, and can simultaneously deliver them to an even broader audience via social media, as well as sending broadcast messages to most current mobile telephones (made since 2011) in an affected area by providing access to FEMA’s Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system.

“Our job is to protect the citizens of the Village of Medina as effectively and cost-effectively as possible,” said Jess Marciano, trustee for the Village of Medina. “We reviewed all the major vendors for emergency notification service, and Hyper-Reach gave us everything we needed at half of the price of its competitors.  We’re really excited about this new capability.”

The Village plans to use the service primarily for alerts about hazards, criminal activity and missing persons. Community and weather alerts to VoIP phones, mobile phones, and email addresses are only included when people enroll.

Residents and people who work in the Village of Medina and Town of Shelby are encouraged to enroll now (using a village or town address) either by calling or texting “Alert” to (585)318-8831 or by going to this website.

Citizens can get emergency alerts via their Alexa-enabled smart speakers just by saying “Alexa, enable Hyper-Reach” and following the Alexa-provided instructions. With more than 50 million US households using Alexa devices, there are obviously hundreds of local residents with Alexa units.

Citizens can also download the Hyper-Reach Anywhere app on their smartphone.  Hyper-Reach Anywhere is a free smartphone app that allows individual citizens to manage and monitor the alerts they receive, both for their home and office addresses and for other addresses they care about such as those of elderly relatives or friends.

“We’re honored to have been selected by the Village of Medina NY and the Town of Shelby NY to provide their emergency alerts,” said Sam Asher, President of Hyper-Reach. “It’s gratifying to be part of an effort to save lives and protect property and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

The village is paying $2,600 and the town $1,300 for the community mass alert system.

About Hyper-Reach

Hyper-Reach (www.hyper-reach.com) is a mass notification system with over 15 years of experience in emergency messaging.  Hyper-Reach sends messages via automated telephone calls, text messaging (SMS), email, and social media, such as Twitter.  Other uses of Hyper-Reach include Amber alerts, toxic chemical warnings, and armed shooter alerts. In addition to 911 centers, Hyper-Reach is used by law enforcement, educational institutions and corporations.

District also recognizes retiring teachers and staff

Photos by Tom Rivers: Lyndonville honored three teachers as educators of the year during the Board of Education meeting on Monday evening. Pictured form left include Jenna Goheen, a second grade teacher; Joanne Suhr, a third grade teacher; and Katie Strusienski, a K-6 reading teacher.

LYNDONVILLE – The school district honored three “Educators of the Year” during the Board of Education meeting on Monday.

Each of the recipients also will get a $1,000 grant towards an educational initiative.

The educators of the year for 2021-22 include Jenna Goheen, a second grade teacher; Joanne Suhr, a third grade teacher; and Katie Strusienski, a K-6 reading teacher.

Goheen was commended by District Superintendent Sharon Smith for transitioning from teaching first grade to second grade. Goheen fosters a love of learning in her students, Smith said.

Goheen said she will use the $1,000 so each second-grader can receive a new book each month next school year to encourage their reading.

Goheen said she enjoys the “close-knit community” at Lyndonville, and working with siblings and family members of her former students.

Suhr is also retiring after 30 years as an elementary teacher. She currently teaches third grade and specializes in teaching math to all third-graders. She said she is grateful for her co-workers, who are all deserving of the award.

She will listen to ideas from other teachers about how to use the $1,000 grant. She would like to use it for a science project.

“I feel blessed to have worked here,” she said. “The students are all individuals here. Lyndonville has my heart.”

Strusienski, a reading teacher for students in grades kindergarten through 6, was praised for helping students who are struggling with reading. She builds a rapport with the students and helps them with their reading skills, Smith said.

Strusienski said she will use the $1,000 to go towards a book vending machine. She has been managing a birthday book program where students in grades K to 6 receive a book for their birthday. With the book vending machine, the students can pick out their own book.

Lyndonville recognized these retirees, including from left: Margaret Dix, bus driver; Joe DiPassio, Jr., business administrator; James O’Connor, middle school math teacher; Lori Lamay, district clerk and assistant to superintendent; Lisa Lewis, an elementary and intermediate teacher; and Joanne Suhr, an elementary teacher. Not pictured are elementary teachers Amy Beutel and Laurel Pitzrick.

“There are decades and decades of service to this district walking out the door and we will miss you all,” Ted Lewis, the Board of Education president, told the group.

The following teachers were also recognized with tenure: Kimberly Dumond and Elaine Thompson.

Dumond is a special education teacher. She was praised for creating a warm environment in her classroom and helping her students build real-world skills.

Thompson, an elementary teacher, was credited for a calm and nurturing approach and for helping her students “come out of her classroom as a young readers.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The Holley Elementary School held its Flag Day celebration this morning with a parade from the school down North Main Street through the Public Square.

There are about 550 students in grades prekindergarten through 6. They walked together by grade level, carrying flags with many wearing red, white and blue.

Holley’s Flag Day parade is a tradition going back to 1957. There wasn’t a parade in 2020 because students weren’t in school in person due to Covid. Last year there was a parade but now ceremony at the Murray-Holley Historical Society depot.

This year the parade and ceremony where back, and the school presented citizenship awards.

The students head out of the school while “You’re A Grand Old Flag” was played on the loudspeaker.

Scott Wheeler, the elementary school band director (in red shirt), leads the band in performing the Star Spangled Banner.

Students recited the pledge of allegiance and sang patriotic songs during the service.

This railing at the historical society museum is decorated for Flag Day.

Shoaid Yunus, right, carries an American flag and walks with his little brother, Zide, who is in Holley’s PreK program.

Brianna Pelligrino, a sixth grader, participated in the parade with a patriotic dinosaur.

Here are some more photos from the parade:

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – A dump truck rolled over on Route 237 just after the Powerline Road intersection this morning at about 9:10.

The driver of the dump truck for PDS Construction in Hamlin was northbound and attempted to avoid a black Elantra, police said. (Most of the stone had been cleaned up from the road when this photo was taken.)

The dump truck struck the car and the truck tipped over, spilling about 20 tons of stone. The truck was hauling the stone from a Hanson plant in Clarendon to a solar project under construction on Redman Road.

Neither driver was seriously injured, a state trooper said at the scene. Both drivers were transported by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, police said. Neither vehicle had a passenger.

Nick Callahan of Callahan Towing, left, looks for where to attach a tow hook. Callahan was assisted with a bigger tow truck from Dan’s Tire & Auto Service Center of Batavia.

This Elantra was badly damaged from the collision with a dump truck.

Most completed their college work through GCC’s STEM enrichment program

Press release and photo courtesy of Genesee Community College

BATAVIA – Genesee Community College celebrated its 54th annual commencement ceremony on May 21 with a group of 15 students from area high schools and homeschools deserving special mention.

They completed their GCC degree requirements concurrently with their high school diplomas or New York State Equivalents. These 15 graduates participated in the fourth annual cohort of the College’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) enrichment program through GCC’s Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) Office.

These high achieving individuals include the following: Alexander Wright (Perry), Chase Graham (Alexander), Corden Zimmerman (Byron-Bergen), Elizabeth McCarthy (Batavia), Elli Schelemanow (Byron-Bergen), Jordyn Tobolski (Oakfield), Katarina Luker (Alexander), McKenna Johnson (Oakfield), Megan Zakes (Medina), Rebecca Clemens (Lyndonville), Samantha Nusstein (Attica), Sarah Volpe (Elba), Sophie Fulton (Batavia), Zachary Neal (Homeschool), Bethany Faben (Homeschool) and Markus Faben (Homeschool). Emily Harling (Albion) did not take part in the STEM Enrichment Program, but did earn a GCC degree alongside her high school diploma.

The STEM Enrichment program began in 2012 allowing the students to start their college studies as early as the seventh grade. In addition to their traditional schoolwork, they enrolled in college level coursework each year taking advantage of many academic opportunities and successfully completing all of the rigorous challenges of an associate degree.

“Once again this year, we are delighted to celebrate the achievements of our STEM program students who have worked hard to earn GCC degrees along with their high school diplomas or the New York State Equivalent, in the case of our homeschooled students,” said Ed Levinstein, associate dean of GCC’s ACE program. “I commend their hard work and dedication to their studies, as well as the excellent contributions they make to GCC’s classes and college community.”

Genesee Community College’s 54th annual commencement was held in-person at the Richard C. Call Arena and featured special guest Keynote Speaker Daniel P. Ireland, president of United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

Supportive Care of Orleans/Hospice has announced David Mitchell, owner of Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes, has agreed to be an event sponsor for the 25th annual golf tournament.

The tournament is scheduled on July 20 at Salmon Creek Country Club in Spencerport, with a shotgun start at 10 a.m.

“Since we began hosting this tournament, Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes has continually shown us their unwavering support,” said SC Orleans CEO Julie Kumiega. “We are grateful for the Mitchell family’s continued generosity and commend their commitment to going above and beyond for the Orleans County community.”

As in the past, space is limited to 144 golfers and reservations are being taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“Our tournament is known to be one of the most established in the area and we are hopeful the public will join us for this monumental year,” Kumiega said.

SC Orleans will also host a basket raffle and silent auction that will run throughout the tournament. Anyone who’d like to donate a basket to the tournament or in memory of a loved one should contact Maggie Stewart at (585) 589-0809 or mstewart@scorleans.org to be recognized at the event.

The registration form may be downloaded by logging on to SC Orleans website.

ALBION – Independent Living of the Genesee Region will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 22 at the ILGR’s new location at the Arnold Gregory Office Complex, 243 South Main St.

Residents of Orleans County who have a disability are encouraged to stop by the office to be aware of the programs and services provided by Independent Living of the Genesee Region. Agency staff will be at the open house.

Anyone needing service may stop by during open hours – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5  p.m.

The Arnold Gregory complex also houses PathStone and a variety of other non-profit agencies, personal health and service practices. The site offers easy parking and a coffee and snack shop.

As the date approaches, ILGR will share additional open house details on the ILGR Facebook page. For more information please call (585) 815-8501, extension 400.

ILGR offers a wide range of services to help people with disabilities remain in control of their own lives and live more independently. Among them are long-term supports and services for seniors and individuals with disabilities through NY Connects, application assistance for Medicaid, Social Security, and Department of Social Services programs, employment and housing search and assistance; an expanded loan closet with free durable medical equipment; and Taking Control, which provides consumer directed personal assistance services (home care aides).

Provided photos

YATES – Melissa Ierlan painted six more historical markers. She has now given a facelift to 31 of the local markers.

The latest effort involved all six of the markers in Yates. She was asked by the Yates Town Board to clean and paint them so they would look good for the town’s 200^th anniversary, which is this year.

The town paid for the paint and supplies and Ierlan did the work for free. She is the Clarendon town historian and also that town’s code enforcement officer.

Ierlan finished the work last week and the Yates Highway Department picked them up and reinstalled them on Friday. The highway workers also wire brushed the sign posts and repainted those.

Photos courtesy of Medina Central School

MEDINA – The Class of 2022 strolled outside this morning in front of the Junior-Senior High School, Intermediate School and Primary School to the cheers of the students for the annual senior walk.

Students and staff enjoyed this time-honored tradition and getting a chance to wish the graduates well and best of luck in their future endeavors.

This year’s class has 96 students potentially who will graduate on June 24.

The seniors carried signs with their future plans.

The entire student body from the elementary, middle and high schools formed a tunnel and applauded the class.

After the senior walk, the class was treated to a breakfast at the Shelby Volunteer Fire Hall.

CHILDS – Summer Solstice Soiree IV will take place this year in a historic location on June 22.

Maarit Vaga is organizer of the event this year, which will have an entirely different format, taking place in the proposed Cobblestone Visitors Center across from the Cobblestone Museum. This will be the first official event to take place in the Civil War-era home at the corner of Route 98 and Ridge Road.

Previous Soirees have taken place in picturesque locations with beautiful landscaping and flowers, but because the property just recently acquired by the Cobblestone Museum does not have any gardens, Summer Solstice Soiree IV will project beauty in a different way, Vaga said.

The Soiree, which will take place from 4 p.m. until dark, is being called a “Celebration of Beauty.”

Visitors can create art themselves by participating in an activity related to the language of flowers, Vaga said. There will be poetry readings, music, artists and their art, ceramic painting, Haiku, origami, a poetry mic and more.

A scavenger hunt is designed for children of all ages, and a promenade of quotes will incorporate poetry into the festival of 19th century poets whose works speak of beauty. Several local poets will be featured.

Music will be provided by Gary Simboli and the Orleans County String Band formerly known as Cabin Fever. Ray Santoro will play the spinet piano in the vestibule.

Cheryl Giacherio from Oak Orchard on the Lake will have lanterns that glow, which she makes.

Admission to the Soiree is free, but a $5 donation is suggested. All donations go to the Cobblestone Society Museum.

Charcuterie snack boxes are available by pre-ordering. Assorted savory snacks with a glass of wine is $15, or a snack box without wine may be ordered for $10. There will be a wine cash bar, baked goods and light snacks for sale. Visitors may bring a picnic basket if they wish.  For more information or to pre-order, contact the Cobblestone Museum at (585) 589-9013 or through the website, CobblestoneMuseum.org.

Wine will be provided by Leonard Oakes Estate Winery. Non-alcoholic drinks will also be available.

“We have created an event where people can sit quietly or participate and engage in beauty,” Vaga said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Employees from the Iroquois Job Corps in Shelby teamed this morning with staff and volunteers at Community Action of Genesee & Orleans for a pop-up food distribution.

The distribution is at a new location starting today. Instead of the Main Street Thrift Store parking lot on Main Street, the distribution will be at 165 Platt Street in the municipal parking lot that serves CRFS and is next to Dubby’s Tailgate. It is across the street from Dunkin’ Donuts.

Katrina Chaffee, director of Community Services and Reporting, puts packages of dates in a box. About 200 vehicles passed through the distribution with many starting to line up at 6:30 in the morning.

Organizers ask that people not start to line up before 7:30 a.m. to help with traffic issues.

At the Main Street location, the cars and trucks backed up in the side streets and even onto to Main Street, making it difficult for school buses and other vehicles.

At the municipal lot, the vehicles were able to be parked in rows, off the village streets.

Ernest Gursslin unpacks boxes of dates and also a frozen pasta meal. Gursslin is a volunteer with Community Action.

The food is delivered by Foodlink and is available for free to residents.

The dates for the distribution in Albion for the rest of the year include July 25, Aug. 8, Sept.12, Oct. 17, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12.

The Lyndonville Presbyterian Church and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County also run food distributions.

Cameron Richardson helps organize bags of onions and potatoes.

Average price now $5.04 in state for regular unleaded

Photo by Tom Rivers: The price for regular unleaded was $4.99 a gallon at the Crosby’s in Albion on Saturday. This photo was taken during the Albion Strawberry Festival parade and shows the gas station sign at the corner of routes 31 and 98.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is up another 13 cents state-wide in the past week for an average of $5.04, AAA is reporting today. Nationally the price is up 14 cents since last Monday for an average of $5.01 a gallon.

AAA issued this news release this morning about the gas prices:

“According to the latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks decreased while gasoline demand increased as drivers continue to fuel up for the summer driving season, typically a time when gas demand increases. This dynamic between decreased supply and increased demand is contributing to rising prices at the pump. This coupled with increasing crude oil prices means that the price of gas will likely remain elevated for the near future.

This morning oil prices are at about $118 per barrel. Crude prices surged last week in response to global supply concerns amid expected demand increases, particularly as China emerges from lockdowns. As a result, the current storage level is approximately 12 percent lower than a year ago, contributing to rising crude prices.

Locally, prices decreased in early June as the gas tax cap went into effect in New York, but the cap wasn’t enough to offset rising pump prices. Gas prices across the country are increasing rapidly due to high oil prices and increased demand.”

Locally, the average price per gallon is at $4.982 in Orleans County. That is among the highest in Western New York, but is topped by the $5.005 price in Livingston County, AAA reported.

The price in other GLOW counties includes $4.924 in Genesee and $4.978 in Wyoming. In Niagara, it’s $4.877, while it’s $4.907 in Erie and $4.973 in Monroe.

The highest price in the state is in Manhattan at $5.496 per gallon, followed by the Bronx at $5.201 per gallon, according to AAA. Chautauqua County has the lowest average price at $4.875.

The average unleaded price in the state at $5.037 is up from $4.881 a week ago, $4.683 a month ago and $3.106 a year ago. The diesel price is at $6.307 today. A week ago it was $6.306 and $6.472 a month ago. A year ago diesel cost $3.260 a gallon.