MEDINA – The Village Board on Monday approved spending $17,000 to acquire vacant land next to the village clerk’s office at 119 Park Ave.

The vacant land is at the corner of Park and West Avenue. Medina is paying Generations Bank for the land, and also approved spending up to $3,000 for any closing costs. The village will use money from the American Rescue Plan Act for the purchase.

The land gives the village options for expansion in the future, Mayor Mike Sidari said.

The village is looking to put an addition on the fire hall in the parking lot next to the clerk’s building.

The board on Monday also discussed a proposal from Barton & Loguidice, a Buffalo and Rochester firm that does engineering, planning, environmental, and landscape architecture work. The firm said it would present plans for an addition to the fire hall for $12,300.

Village trustees want more time to review the proposal before making a decision.

The board is in the beginning stages of looking to expand the fire hall, which Mayor Sidari said is needed for a new ladder truck.

The current truck is from 1996. It barely fits in the existing fire hall. The new trucks are bigger and won’t fit in the current fire hall bays. The ladder on the current truck is 75 feet long. Medina officials would like a truck with a 100-foot-long ladder.

MEDINA – The Village Board on Monday night approved a budget that raises taxes by 1.1 percent.

That increase is in the tax levy, what the village collects in taxes. That will increase by $37,021 – from $3,259,119 to $3,296,140.

The tax rate will rise by 0.95 percent or 18 cents, from $18.77 to $18.95 per $1,000 of assessed property.

The $6,329,215 budget for the general fund increases spending by 3.6 percent. The budget includes $95,789 in money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Village officials said the budget, with a tax rate increase under 1 percent, is a victory.

“Thank you very much to all of the department heads for being on track with all of your budgets (this year),” Mayor Mike Sidari. “It was tight and I’m sure next year will be tight again.”

Village Trustee Owen Toale said he has now worked on the past 12 budgets. The tax rate increase at just under 1 percent is the smallest increase he can recall. Usually the increase is just under 2 percent.

He thanked the village department heads for working with the board to try to minimize an increase during a time of rising inflation and fuel costs. He commended Village Clerk-Treasurer Jada Burgess, Police Chief Chad Kenward, Medina DPW Superintendent Jason Watts, Code Enforcement Officer Dan Gardner and Fire Chief Matt Jackson.

“The public isn’t here and they don’t realize the amount of work that went into this,” Toale said. “Kudos to everybody involved. That is all the employees, all the department heads and the board members. It’s a great, great job.”

The budget includes 2 percent raises for village employees, except for the board members who remain at the same pay.

The board also approved the water fund budget, which increased from $1,681,291 to $1,905,440, and the sewer fund budget, which is up from $1,138,826 to $1,329,876.

The budget doesn’t include the new property assessments. Those haven’t been finalized. The village budget for 2022-23 shows meager growth in taxable valuation from $173.61 million to $173.93 million.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is expressing dismay at the decision of the Assembly Majority to kill a large number of bills proposed by members of the Assembly Minority that would support New York’s veterans and law enforcement professionals, while also bolstering public safety.

Among the bills members of the Majority shot down in committee were ones that would restore judicial discretion that was taken from judges following the passage of bail reform (A.7772, A. 6933), support for veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (A.8377), and the creation of a penalty for committing hate crimes against police officers and other emergency personnel (A.3824).

Additionally, bills Hawley co-sponsors were blocked, like making it a felony to fire a gun at either police officers or first responders (A.9608), or into crowds generally (A.4259), as well as another that would add five years to the sentence of anyone who commits a felony while in possession of a loaded gun (A.4762).

“I firmly believe that most people would consider the measures the Majority struck down in committee to be common-sense and uncontroversial and very much worthy of an open debate, if nothing else,” Hawley said. “Crime and public safety have consistently ranked among the top policy issues on the minds of New Yorkers this year, and the legislation we put forward directly addresses the concerns held among many regarding bail reform and the restoration of law and order in our communities. It is truly shameful that the Majority has deprived us of the opportunity to debate these bills in the open on their merits, and instead killed them off to protect themselves politically.”

MEDINA – The main transmission line for Medina’s water system will be shut down tonight so crews can make a repair.

The line will be turned off at 9 p.m. and then the 24-inch main needs to be drained. Then crews from the Niagara County Water District and Village of Medina Department of Public Works will weld a section where there is a leak near Pride Pak.

The NC Water District and Medina DPW will each have six people working all night on the project.

Jason Watts, the Medina DPW superintendent, said he hopes the job will be done by 7 a.m.

The village filled its 3 million gallon water tank over the weekend in anticipation of the repair tonight.

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

LOCKPORT – State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt today expressed his support for the Gas Tax Sales Reprieve enacted by the Niagara County Legislature, capping the county sales tax on gas at $3 per gallon.

The Niagara County gas sales tax reprieve coincides with the 16-cent reduction in state gas taxes included in the State Budget, providing additional relief to motorists.

“A reduction in gas sales tax has been an issue that myself and my colleagues in the NYS Republican Conference have been advocating for since last year,” Ortt said. “I applaud the Niagara County Legislature’s decision today in capping the county’s gas sales tax. Now, residents will have the state reduction as well as the County tax cap to keep in their wallets. This is a step in the right direction, and my colleagues and I will continue to fight in Albany for more tax relief throughout the rest of this year’s legislative session.”

Just one year ago, the average cost of gas was $2.92 per gallon. This spring, prices reached a record average of $4.47 per gallon in New York State. As inflation, gas prices, and energy bills hit record highs, Senate Republicans have a multi-pronged approach geared toward providing relief, especially to low- and middle-income New York families. Senate Republicans have proposed solutions to help mitigate the unaffordable costs being placed on New Yorkers in their “Take Back New York” 2022 agenda.

To cut energy costs and tame the energy affordability crisis, Senate Republicans have proposed:

• Mitigating the Impact of the Global Energy Crisis by providing nearly $300 million in energy tax relief by eliminating the two-percent gross receipts tax and removing the underlying 18-A Assessment on utility bills;
• A Full Repeal of the State’s Gas Tax to provide instant economic relief for hard-working, commuting New Yorkers – which Senate Republicans called for months ago;
• Rejecting the Democrats’ Proposed Carbon Tax that would raise prices at the pump by 55 cents per-gallon and on home heating bills by more than 25 percent; and
• No new tax or fee increases in this year’s state budget.

Bob Hodgins, left, commodore of the Oak Orchard Yacht Club; Phil Abel, vice commodore; and John Brown, past commodore take a break during spring cleaning day Saturday at the Yacht Club on Archbald Road.

CARLTON – Summer is just around the corner, and members of the Oak Orchard Yacht Club are getting ready.

Grass is getting green, days are getting longer and the Yacht Club had its spring cleanup day on Saturday, during which Commodore Bob Hodgins of Bethany shared plans for the sailing season.

This is Hodgins’ second year as commodore, during which he will continue to encourage new members and increase relations with the community.

Hodgins and his wife Mary Lou have been involved in the Yacht Club for more than 30 years, when their children were in the first youth sailing program. The Hodgins are avid sailors and have sailed their boat all over, from the Caribbean to Figi.

Last year, Hodgins started Thursday night races, inviting everyone living on the Oak Orchard River to participate.

“People on the creek came up and used the club, and we plan to do it again this year,” Hodgins said.

One thing Hodgins is particularly excited about is the Yacht Club purchasing a boat, so they can offer a shared boat program. He said he has been meeting with all the commodores on the south shore of Lake Ontario and several of them have a shared boat program.

The Yacht Club now owns a 28-foot sloop with an inboard engine. Anyone who wants to learn to sail or doesn’t have a boat can share the boat with up to four others. Each will pay $400 for the year.

From left, Patty Moorhouse and Bob and Kayleen Muscarella enjoy camaraderie at the Oak Orchard Yacht Club Saturday. A day of spring cleaning was followed by a potluck supper.

Hodgins expects the boat to be in the water in two weeks.

One big change they made was how the club functions. Previously everyone was encouraged to go through all the positions, which sometimes pushed someone into a position he was not qualified for or didn’t want. To change that, they rewrote the constitution.

“We will try to recruit people with skill sets for each position,” Hodgins said.

They have also added a technical director, website technician and marketing director. They also eliminated the second secretary’s position.

Officers of the club, with Hodgins, are Phil Abel, vice commodore; and the late Bill Wymyczak, rear commodore. Wymyczak was diagnosed with cancer in January and died March 24. His memorial service was Sunday at Sacred Heart Club in Medina.

Hodgins said a new rear commodore will be chosen soon.

Dave Soehner of Lyndonville is IT director with his wife Cinnamon. Jeff Thuman of Barker does the  website. The marketing position still has to be filled. Kim Hoffman of Albion is membership chair, and John Zimmerman is director of the youth sailing program.

Hodgins added in the future they will encourage the board’s officers to work as a team with their spouse.

Sandy Chappius, owner of Chap’s Diner in Elba, will again run the kitchen at the Yacht Club.

Hodgins is excited about the interest in the youth sailing program, which is in its 30th year. Last year they ran two classes, and they are already half filled up for this year. It would be possible to add a third session if the demand is there, he said.

Mary Lou is hoping with Covid restrictions lifted, visitors will again come from Canada.

Information on the Oak Orchard Yacht Club is available on their website at www.ooyc.org and on Facebook.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Michael Clark saws a board under the watchful eye of his father, Jason Clark, on Saturday morning. Jason and other helpers, including a crane operator, an electrician and several other workers were recruited by Michael to help him complete his Eagle Scout project.

KNOWLESVILLE – Michael Clark, 17, has had two favorite activities since he was a small boy – Scouting and 4-H.

Michael, a son of Jason and Christina Clark of Kendall and a senior at Kendall High School, started as a Cub Scout at the age of 5 and joined 4-H when he was 7. So when it was time to work on a project for his Eagle Scout badge, Michael knew just what he wanted to do – build a 24’ by 40’ pavilion next to the rabbit and poultry barn.

Michael Clark poses on a ladder leading up to the roof of the pavilion family and friends helped him build on Saturday at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. A member of Troop 94 in Kendall, Michael’s project will fulfill his requirements to become an Eagle Scout. The project will serve two of his favorite activities – Scouting and 4-H.

Last fall he attended a meeting at the fairgrounds and presented his idea to the property committee and fair board, said Robert Batt, director of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

“Michael used to show rabbits in the tent we had to put up every year,” Batt said. “This pavilion will save us the time and trouble of putting up a tent, and it won’t blow away. The tent was never a good thing.”

Batt said about 50 exhibitors are involved in the pavilion, which is used for rabbits and poultry, so this permanent structure will be a great addition to the fairgrounds for years to come.

Michael then had to raise the money for materials. Initially, the estimate was $10,000, but with increasing prices, it was closer to $12,000. In the end, with Stockham Lumber in Holley giving him materials at cost, donation of the 6 x 6s and Keeler Construction donating the stone, his final cost was back to $10,000. He is currently about $3,000 short, which will pay for the metal roof.

“This was a difficult time to raise $11,000, with rising costs and Covid,” Jason Clark said.

On Saturday morning, Michael’s dad and other helpers dug the holes for the poles and completed building the frame and trusses. One volunteer was Mike Markel, who works in construction and had his boys in Scouts.

Michael’s project will not only fulfill his Eagle Scout requirements, but will give back to his 4-H family, he said.

His goal was to have the pavilion completed by the beginning of June, but they got it nearly completed on Saturday and planned to return to finish it up Sunday, except for the tin roof, which will be done professionally.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Marti’s on Main celebrated the opening of an art show on Friday, featuring about 100 works of art from 22 members of the Brockport Artists Guild.

About 150 people attended the three-hour season-opening show.

The gallery is located in the former Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 20 South Main St. Kim Martillotta Muscarella and her husband Neal Muscarella painstakingly and creatively remodeled the building into an art gallery. It opened for its first art show last summer.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella is planning three different art shows this year.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella, a member of the Brockport Artists Guild, poses with two of her paintings, of an acorn woodpecker and red-headed woodpecker, both acrylics on Masonite. Muscarella is a member of the Brockport Artist’s Guild.

Artwork is on display in the first and second floor of the building.

Josephine Dickerson, 10, of Hamlin looks at some of the artwork by her grandmother Suzanne Wells, an Albion art teacher from 1971 to 2005. Wells, who passed away from cancer is 2019, loved to paint flowers and portraits. Her favorite media included watercolor, acrylic and mixed media. She loved color, which could be seen in the way she dressed as well as her work.

Proceeds from the sale of Wells’ artwork in the show will go to the Pancreatic Cancer Association of WNY.

Arthur Barnes made this painting of the former CCE building, which is now the Marti’s on Main art gallery.

The former Cornell Cooperative Extension building was most recently used an outreach center for the Episcopal Church in Albion. The building was originally a house built in the 1830s.

Muscarella watched the site decline for many years, with little activity inside the doors of one of the prominent buildings in the historic Courthouse Square.

For about a decade she ran Marti’s on Main, an art gallery and studio at her home at 229 South Main St. But that site, which was half of her house, was cramped to display art and accommodate groups of people.

On a whim in December 2019, she decided to look at the old Extension building, which had been for sale for years and was listed by her friend Jim Theodorakos of Morrison Realty. Muscarella and her husband were given a tour of the building. (The Extension moved in 2007 to a new building at the 4-H fairgrounds in Knowlesville.)

The walls in the old building were all painted a very pale yellow. The floors covered in green and red carpet or asphalt tiles. The couple also noted the high ceilings, big rooms and lots of wall space. They decided to take on the building, and give it a new life as an art studio and gallery.

For more information or to request a tour, contact Muscarella at 585-589-6715 or 585-590-9211.

Press Release, Orleans County chapter of ABATE

ALBION – The roar of the engines will be heard in Orleans County on Sunday, May 1, as the Orleans County Chapter of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) kicks off Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Month.

A rally will be held at the Orleans County Courthouse on East State Street and Main Street (Rt. 98) in Albion followed by a 50-mile police-escorted motorcycle ride within the county.

Riders are asked to assemble between 1 to 2 p.m. for a ceremony at 2 p.m. proclaiming May 2022 as Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Month in Orleans County.

Scheduled speakers will stress the importance of rider safety and education and remind motorists to look twice for motorcycles. The ride will follow and end at V.F.W. Post 1463 on East Center Street in Medina.

This rally is held every spring to alert the public that motorcycles are back on the highway and to promote safety and rider education among motorcyclists.

“Motorcycles are back on the roads” said Matt Tracy, vice president of the local chapter. “Drivers in other vehicles need to look twice and use extra caution when making a left turn or pulling out onto the roadway.”

ABATE of New York, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the rights, safety, and freedoms of all motorcyclists. ABATE’s position is to support all efforts and initiatives that will lead to accident prevention and rider safety. All motorists are reminded to safely share the road with motorcycles and to drive aware.

The public is invited to attend this free rally. It will be held rain or shine.

Press Release, Master Gardener Program

KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension marked the end of its 2022 Master Gardener Training Course with a celebration and cake.

The meeting was attended by current Master Gardener volunteers as well as most of the 16 trainees who completed the 12-week training course.

To add to the celebration, the Master Gardeners hosted guest speaker Kerrie Roach, a former Orleans County resident and current horticulture extension agent with Clemson Extension in South Carolina.

Roach spoke about proper pruning of trees and shrubs and took the group outside to show specific techniques in pruning shrubs around the Education Center at OCCCE.  The meeting was the first official Master Gardener event attended by the students who had just finished the training the week before. This was the first time the Master Gardener Training course had been offered as an online/in-person hybrid learning style. The trainees appreciated the in-depth content they learned through the online platform, but the face-to-face learning of the in-person classes were invaluable.

Guest presenter Kerrie Roach teaches students and volunteers how to properly prune shrubs at the Master Gardener meeting.

Deb Roberts, a former director of Orleans County CCE, was one of the students who completed the recent training course.

“I have had the privilege of getting to know many Master Gardeners over the years, and I’ve reached a point in my life where I felt I was ready to join in this important work as a volunteer,” Roberts said. “The course had a lot of really thorough information, and I learned a lot. I really appreciated when we reviewed certain topics and were able to practice them in class.”

The in-person classes were held biweekly and included overviews of key concepts detailed in the online assignments as well as hands-on activities such as testing for soil texture and pH, dissecting and labeling floral parts, and practicing methods of diagnosing plant issues.

Katie Oakes, Horticulture Educator and coordinator of the Master Gardener Volunteer Program at Orleans County CCE, was quick to emphasize that despite the high academic level of content within the training, Master Gardener volunteers are not expected to be experts in any of the topics covered.

“The training is intended to give participants a preliminary background in the science behind plant growth, soil health, insect biology, and gardening in general,“ explained Oakes. “Each one of these subjects are career fields that require years of higher education to fully learn. The real goal of the training is to introduce these concepts to the students, and then to teach them how to find reliable, research-based information when they need to put them into practice as volunteers.”

Sue Starkweather-Miller shows a Dahlia tuber during her Final Project presentation

“I think I will look at everything a bit differently as a result of this class!” remarked Sue Starkweather-Miller, an Albion resident and another student in the course. “I will look at my garden (light, shade, soil) and think more about right plant, right place. I will look at a plant that may not be thriving and really try to figure out what is wrong and then how to rectify it.”

This was one of the most successful trainings hosted at Orleans CCE, with an at-capacity roster of students (based on Covid restrictions at the start of the training) and a wait list of several people hoping to enroll.

“I’m just so happy with the turnout for the training, and most of all for the wonderful volunteers we’ve gained by offering it,” said Oakes after the training was complete.  “All of the students were so tolerant of any glitches along the way, so flexible with the teaching formats, and most of all so positive and open to learning.  I’m excited to see what they do as volunteers!”

The Master Gardener Program is a national volunteer organization through each state’s extension university.

This past week, April 17-23, was National Volunteer Week and Orleans County CCE is so grateful for not only its Master Gardener Volunteers, but all the CCE volunteers that so generously give of their time and efforts.

To inquire about the Master Gardener program or any other gardening questions, please contact Katie Oakes at 585-798-4265 ext. 125 or klo54@cornell.edu.

Trainees work on identifying trees using winter twig characteristics

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

The “No Empty Chair” teen driving safety education and enforcement campaign raises awareness of highway dangers in the hope there will be no empty chairs during prom and graduation season.

In New York State in 2020, there were 98 fatal crashes and 10,606 personal injury crashes with drivers between the ages of 16-20, according to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research Data.

Multiple contributing factors in teen crashes included: unsafe speed, following too closely, driver inattention/distraction, failure to yield right of way, driver inexperience and underage drinking.

This year, the No Empty Chair Campaign runs from April 25-29. The Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies are joining forces with law enforcement throughout the state to step up enforcement near area high schools, gearing extra attention for speeding in school zones, cell phone use, underage drinking and impaired driving along with promoting school bus safety.

Because of the Covid pandemic, some children have missed or delayed routinely recommended vaccinations

Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments

National Infant Immunization Week is April 24-30. This is an annual observance highlighting the importance of protecting children two years and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases. In the spirit of National Infant Immunization Week, we encourage parents and caregivers to take time to learn about vaccines.

“Childhood vaccinations are one of the best ways to protect infants and children from vaccine-preventable diseases before the age of 2,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).

Vaccinations not only play a key role in protecting our children from 14 vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, mumps and the measles, they also protect our community. They are the most successful and cost-effective public health tool available for preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases as well as preventing death.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, some infants and children have missed or delayed routinely recommended vaccinations.

“Children who may have missed or skipped vaccinations may be at an increased risk of diseases like whooping cough (pertussis) and the measles, which can be serious,” Pettit said. “That is why it is important to stay on track with well-child visits and the recommended vaccination schedule. Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your children are up to date on their routine vaccinations.”

To learn more about vaccinations and to view the latest immunization schedule visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines or speak with your healthcare provider.

For more information on GO Health’s Immunization Clinics, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also contact your respective health department:

• Orleans County- 585-589-3278 or OCPublicHealth@orleanscountyny.gov

• Genesee County- 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@co.genesee.ny.us

Statue, currently in clay form, to be cast in bronze, with unveiling expected in June 2023

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Joe Gehl, one of the directors of the Albion Betterment Committee, poses with a statue of Charles Howard as Santa Claus.

Gehl was able to see the life-size form of the statue on Saturday in sculptor Brian Porter’s garage in Pendleton, outside Lockport.

Porter has been diligently creating the 6-foot-tall clay mold in recent months. The model will be moved to the University of Buffalo’s foundry for the mold and casting process next winter with a goal of being installed in downtown Albion in time for the June 2023 Strawberry Festival.

Gehl and the Albion Betterment Committee have been raising money for the statue and working on the project since about 200 Santas came to Albion in April 2015 for a convention of people who portray Santa.

Howard is revered by the Santas for starting a school in 1937. He ran the school until his death in 1966 and the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School continues today in Midland, Michigan.

The statue reflects the Howard design for Santa Claus suits. Porter used one of the Howard Santa suits and also received many helpful suggestions from Ken McPherson, who has been portraying Santa for more than four decades and collects many artifacts from the Santa School and Howard’s Christmas Park that was on Phipps Road in Albion.

Charles Edward Bergeman, Howard’s grandson who lives in Lewiston, praised Porter for the creation of the 6-foot-high statue.

“He just looks fantastic,” Bergeman said.

His grandfather died when Bergeman was 7. He remembers the man who was also a farmer, toy maker, community volunteer and who was very devoted to his family.

“He was more than just Santa Claus,” Bergeman said. “He did so many things.”

Brian Porter said the Santa statue is most intricate and detailed of all the statues he has created.

He also made the statue of the soldier in Medina outside the former Armory. That statue was dedicated on Sept. 7, 2019.

Brian Porter discusses the look of the statue with Natasha Wasuck, one of the Albion Betterment Committee members. Wasuck owns Tinsel, an ice cream business on Main Street. She wants to see Albion celebrate Howard and the Santa Claus legacy of the community.

Wasuck, Gehl and the Betterment Committee will discuss the statue and other elements of Waterman Park with the Village Board this coming Wednesday. The group would like to include lighting, benches and a Santa House at the park, which is a half block south of the canal. An interpretive panel would also detail other aspects of Howard’s life and tell his impact on the Santa Claus community.

Donations for other elements of the project can be sent to Albion Betterment Committee/Charles Howard Project, 14487 Baker Rd., Kent NY, 14477. That is the address for Joe Gehl, one of the directors of the Albion Betterment Committee.

Photos courtesy of the Santa Claus Oath Foundation – Charlie Howard is shown as Santa during a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Howard served as the Macy’s Santa from 1948 to 1965.

With the two weeks of Easter vacation breaks now over the Niagara-Orleans and Genesee Region leagues season resumes in full force this week beginning with a very busy Monday (weather permitting).

In N-O baseball action defending champion Medina faces a key home-and-home series against Akron on Monday and Wednesday in a match-up of 2-0 teams and then hosts rival Albion on Friday. Roy-Hart (1-0) likewise faces a key home-and-home series against 2-0 Wilson on Monday and Wednesday.

In N-O boys track, defending champion Albion visits Roy-Hart on Tuesday and hosts Newfane on Thursday.

Weekly Schedule
Monday
Baseball – Akron at Medina, Wilson at Roy-Hart, Barker at Newfane, 4:45 p.m.; Lyndonville at Byron-Bergen, 5 p.m.
Softball – Medina at Barker, Roy-Hart at Albion, Akron at Wilson, 4:45 p.m.; Byron-Bergen at Lyndonville, Holley at Alexander, 5 p.m.
Tennis – Albion at Newfane, Roy-Hart at Barker, Medina at Wilson, Elba at Holley, Kendall at Byron-Bergen, 4 p.m.
Track – Medina at Akron, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday
Baseball – Notre Dame at Albion, 4:45 p.m.; Kendall at Holley, 5 p.m.
Tennis – Newfane at Barker, 4 p.m.
Track – Albion at Roy-Hart, Barker at Newfane, 4:30 p.m.; Holley and Lyndonville at Attica, 5 p.m.
Golf – Holley at Pembroke, Kendall at Byron-Bergen, 3 p.m.
Lacrosse – Depew at Medina, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday
Baseball – Medina at Akron, Wilson at Roy-Hart, Newfane at Barker, 4:45 p.m.; Kendall at Byron-Bergen, Holley at Lyndonville, 5 p.m.
Softball – Wilson at Medina, Albion at Newfane, Barker at Roy-Hart, 4:45 p.m.; Byron-Bergen at Kendall, Lyndonville at Holley, 5 p.m.
Tennis – Roy-Hart at Albion, Barker at Medina, Akron at Wilson, Notre Dame at Holley, Elba at Kendall, 4 p.m.
Track – Kendall at Pembroke, 4:30 p.m.
Golf – Kendall at Holley, 3 p.m.

Thursday
Softball – Wilson at Barker, 4:45 p.m.; Monroe at Holley, 5 p.m.
Track – Newfane at Albion, Roy-Hart at Akron, Barker at Wilson, 4:30 p.m.
Lacrosse– Wilson at Medina, 5 p.m.

Friday
Baseball – Albion at Medina, Newfane at Roy-Hart, Barker at Akron, 4:5 p.m.; Finney at Kendall, 5 p.m.; Holley vs. Alexander at Cooperstown, 10 a.m.
Softball – Albion at Barker, Roy-Hart at Akron, Newfane at Wilson, 4:45 p.m.; Kendall at Oakfield-Alabama, Alexander at Lyndonville, Holley at Byron-Bergen, 5 p.m.; LeRoy at Medina, 7:15 p.m.
Tennis – Albion at Medina, Newfane at Roy-Hart, Barker at Akron, Holley at Wheatland-Chili, Kendall at Notre Dame, 4 p.m.
Golf – Holley at Notre Dame, 3 p.m.

Saturday
Baseball – Alexander at Kendall, 1 p.m.
Softball – Geneseo at Kendall, 11 a.m.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Volunteers have been out in canal communities throughout the state this weekend as part of Canal Clean Sweep.

This photo shows four Albion High Schools students carrying big bags of trash they picked up along the railroad tracks in Albion. These students include Sydney Mulka, Lucy Rivers, Audrey Pask and Leah Kania. They were joined by Albion Interact Club advisor Tim Archer and some members of the Albion Rotary Club. They picked up nine bags of trash.

Robert Batt, director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County and a member of the Albion Rotary Club, filled three bags of trash. He was joined by his wife and daughter in picking up litter along the railroad tracks, just west of Main Street.

Leah Kania and Sydney Mulka hunt for trash along Platt Street near the railroad tracks.

The Albion Lions Club also went out and cleaned up several sites on Saturday. This group includes from left: Ben Lennox, Ron Albertson, Kevin Howard, Mark Johnson, Bill Robinson, Jonathan Doherty and Henry Smith Jr.

The Medina Rotary Club also cleaned up trash and debris on the north side of the canal from Fruit Avenue bridge to Marshall Road bridge on Saturday.

The Doherty family and friends picked up on litter near the Brown Street bridge in Albion for the Canal Clean Sweep.

Other upcoming events include:

• Medina Lions Club will be doing its Environmental Cleanup Day from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on May 7. Volunteers will meet at the Canal Lift bridge on North Gravel Road and then be assigned areas along the canal and village public areas to clean up trash and spread mulch.
• The Holley Rotary Club and Holley Interact Club from 8 a.m. to noon on April 30 will gather with other community members to walk the canal the length that spans the school district. They will cover from the public boat launch on County Line Road at Route 31 to Transit Road. Teams will work from bridge to bridge picking up trash. If there are enough volunteers, they will try to cover the entire village for clean up as well. Volunteers are meeting at the Holley High School parking lot and disperse from there.