Provided photo: Assemblyman Steve Hawley on Thursday shakes the hand of Col. Kwenton Kuhlman, director of the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic at West Point.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

ALBANY – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia), an Army veteran and member of the Assembly Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, joined other members of the State Assembly on Thursday for a ceremony to honor cadets from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

An annual tradition within the Assembly, this was the first West Point Day to take place in two years following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The cadets of West Point embody the bright future of our nation, and every year we’re able to hold this ceremony I’m honored to have the opportunity to commend them for their dedication to our country and wish them well as future leaders within our military, our government and our communities,” said Hawley. “I was very happy to see West Point Day return to the chamber this year, and hope it will take place without further interruption in the future.”

Provided photo: A group of 25 kids from Orleans are shown on July 24, 2019 as they prepare to head out for week of fun at the Salvation Army Camp in Penn Yan.

Orleans County children, ages 6 to 12, can return to summer camp this year.

Kids from the county went to a Salvation Army summer camp for a week in 2017 to 2019 in Penn Yan along Seneca Lake. The camp was closed the previous two summers due to Covid-19 restrictions.

But the Long Point Camp will be back this summer offering swimming, low ropes course, crafts, sports, fishing, kayaking, hiking, archery and other activities.

Andrew Szatkowski has been the county’s representative for the camp. Attendance from Orleans grew from seven in 2017 to 22 in 2018 to 25 in 2019. The camp is free and is funded by Red Kettle donations.

Szatkowski will be available to help kids sign up. He will be at the following libraries in Orleans County from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Lee-Whedon in Medina on April 30; Hoag Library in Albion on May 7; Yates Community Library in Lyndonville on May 21; and Community Free Library in Holley on May 28.

He is also looking for an organization to help with transporting the kids to camp and then a week later when they come back.

Szatkowski attended Camp Troutburg as a kid with his brother Jimmer in Kendall. That camp is now closed but Andrew remembers having so much fun at Troutburg.

His brother owns two Chick-Fil-A restaurants near Syracuse in Cicero and Clay. Jimmer will be bringing about 350 chicken sandwiches to the camp for the kids.

For more information contact Szatkowski by emailing him at aszat74@yahoo.com or calling 585-205-0581.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Jacobs

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is announcing that constituents will once again be able to schedule tours of the White House and the Capitol Building.

“For two years, the Capitol Building and the White House have been closed to the people,” Jacobs said. “Today I am happy to announce that these restrictions are being lifted, and constituents can once again schedule tours. I urge any constituents who would like to schedule a tour for either the Capitol or the White House to reach out to my office and we would be happy to assist you in making those appointments.”

The Capitol will reopen for tours starting March 28. Each week, Jacobs’ office is limited to one U.S. Capitol tour of up to fifteen people. This weekly tour will occur on a weekday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tours will likely be comprised of multiple groups to maximize the number of constituents who can receive a tour, so expect the day and time of tours to change from week to week. U.S. Capitol tours should be requested at least two weeks before your desired tour date.

Additionally, tours of the White House will resume on April 15. These tours are available on Fridays and Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. White House tours must be requested at least 21 days prior to the requested tour date.

Any constituent seeking to schedule a tour should contact Jacobs’ Washington, D.C. office. Click here for more information.

Press Release, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

BASOM – Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge announces plans to conduct four prescribed burns on the Refuge during the 2022 season.

The goal this year is to burn approximately 105 acres of grasslands. The result will be enhanced grassland nesting cover for a variety of migratory birds and other wildlife. Grassland fields will be burned in the spring or summer (April – August). Each burn should take approximately two to six hours to complete and will pose no threat to visitors or neighbors.

Prescribed burns are conducted safely and successfully on National Wildlife Refuges and other public lands across the country. With prescribed burns, fire becomes a management tool removing accumulated fuel loads thus reducing the risk of wildfire. Additionally, fire improves Refuge habitats for wildlife by removing invading plants that compete for light and nutrients and exposing the soil to sunlight so that seeds may germinate and grow. At the same time, it releases nitrogen and other nutrients into the soil to nourish the new plants.

Specific dates cannot be announced in advance due to specific weather requirements, however, law enforcement and other emergency agencies will be notified on the day of the burn. Before a burn can take place, specific weather and site conditions, including wind direction and speed, humidity, air temperature, and fuel moisture must be present. If any one of these conditions is outside of set parameters, the burn will not take place. Refuge staff have been specially trained to plan, ignite and monitor the fire to insure public safety.

For further information contact Refuge Manager, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, 1101 Casey Road, Basom, NY 14013 or call 585-948-5445 ext.7030.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: A group of business people share conversation during Thursday’s networking event. From left are Kelly Kiebala, director of Orleans County Job Development; Kellie Schrader of Waterport with SeeNewYorkWithUs; Skip Helfrich, director of Leadership Orleans; and Peter Bartnik of Waterport, founder of SeeNewYorkWithUs.

MEDINA – Now that restrictions have been lifted with the Covid pandemic and businesses can return to normal, the Medina Area Partnership is planning monthly events throughout the Medina area for its members.

On Thursday night, MAP sponsored a business card and networking event at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.

“We want to keep the business community together,” said Bonnie Heck, chair of MAP’s membership committee.

Prior events include a holiday mixer at Harvest Restaurant in December, and similar themed events are planned for various other holidays.

Thursday’s gathering focused on Leadership Orleans, whose leader Skip Helfrich shared the program’s success. MAP recently started to sponsor two individuals to the class, and one, Catherine Holland, shared how the class helped her.

Former Assemblyman Charles Nesbitt from Albion and Kelly Kiebala, director of the Orleans County Job Development Agency, were instrumental in starting Leadership Orleans in 2018. Kiebala is a graduate of Leadership Genesee and helped facilitate a focus group to form a class in Orleans County.

The fifth class is in progress and each class has included about 25 members.

At left, Bonnie Heck, chair of Medina Area Partnership’s membership committee, welcomes guests to a business card exchange and networking event Thursday night at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery. Clockwise, with Heck, are Cindy Robinson, Barbara Outten from Maple Ridge Storage and Heather Smith, director of Orleans Community Health Foundation.

Nesbitt shared about helping to get Leadership Orleans off the ground and what it does for participants. It is an active group of people who come through a leadership program, learning how to interact with each other to get results when opportunity comes along, he said. Leadership Orleans helps people who are potential or current leaders become better.

“This is a great program and well supported by the county,” Nesbitt said.

He said more than 30 businesses and individuals contribute to make the program a success.

“It is well managed and skillfully directed by Skip,” he said.

Helfrich said the class meets on the second Thursday of every month, beginning in January. There is a different theme each month, which gives a variety of learning. To date, 99 people have been through the program.

“That means we have 99 alumni who can now make a different and apply their learning to make this county better,” Helfrich said. “Sixty-one businesses have been involved, 10 of them new this year.”

Former Assemblyman Charlie Nesbitt of Albion talks about Leadership Orleans at MAP’s networking event Thursday night. With back to camera is Barbara Outten and at right are Skip Helfrich, Leadership Orleans’ leader, and Gloria Brent, owner of Modern Mercantile in Medina.

Catherine “Kat” Holland was introduced to share her story of taking the Leadership Orleans class. Holland is the retail manager at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery. She was encouraged to pursue Leadership Orleans by Wendy Oakes Wilson, president of winery.

“Wendy handed me an application and said to fill it out,” said Holland, who was born and raised in Hamburg, lived in London and worked in Oregon. “Going to Leadership Orleans each month resulted in making a professional friend. I’m excited about what I can do. I found it so enriching.”

Holland and Medina trustee Tim Elliott are the two sponsored by MAP. Elliott is in the current class.

“We appreciate MAP’s support,” Helfrich said.

He said each Leadership class starts with a two-day retreat. Anyone interested in joining a class may contact Helfrich at (716) 417-3533 or on the program’s website.

Photo from DEC of round goby which range in size from 4 to 10 inches.

Press Release, DEC and Canal Corp.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Canal Corporation have announced a new comprehensive effort, including a new rapid response plan, to combat the potential spread of the round goby, an aquatic invasive species, to the Lake Champlain Basin following the discovery of the fish in the Hudson River near Troy in July 2021. Aquatic invasive species can out-compete native fish species, disrupting ecosystems and damaging local economies dependent on recreation.

Aquatic invasive species are non-native aquatic plants and animals that can negatively impact the environment, local economies, and even human health. These harmful species have been found in many of New York’s lakes, ponds, and rivers, and can be transported from waterbody to waterbody on watercraft, equipment, and bait. Research shows that recreational watercraft are the greatest vector for transport and introduction of these invasive species throughout the United States.

“DEC is working shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners at Canal Corporation to address the threat of round goby and other invasive species to waterbodies like Lake Champlain,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “We are bolstering current invasive species surveillance education and taking a hard look at the immediate threats posed by these water-borne invaders to implement the most effective strategies that will protect our fisheries, wildlife, and local recreational economies today and into the future.”

The round goby is one of the biggest threats to New York waters, particularly Lake Champlain, and DEC lists round goby as a prohibited invasive species in the New York Code of Rules and Regulations. Native to Europe and Asia, this fish was introduced in the Great Lakes in 1990, and spread throughout the lakes’ system. Round goby reproduces quickly, outcompetes native benthic fish species for food and habitat, eats the young and eggs of other fish, and can transport botulism up the food chain to waterfowl.

“The Canal Corporation is proactively partnering with DEC to ensure the Canal system helps implement any necessary steps, including education and awareness programming, to combat against invasive fish, like the round goby, and other aquatic invasive species, while at the same time ensuring the Canal remains a driver of economic activity and a thriving tourist destination,” said Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton. “As we implement risk reduction strategies along on the Champlain Canal this season, we ask users and stakeholders for their patience and encourage them to learn how they can assist in mitigating the spread of aquatic invasive species to ensure the Canal’s resiliency for generations to come.”

DEC and Canals will conduct a full evaluation of the potential ecological and economic impacts of aquatic invasive species, including the round goby, to the public, canal users, municipalities, and New York State. Working with partners, the agencies will develop a rapid response plan to take effect before the opening of the Canal system on May 20 to identify appropriate actions if round goby enter the Champlain Canal. These measures and metrics will be driven by research tracking the spread of aquatic invasive species.

In addition to the rapid response plan, the agencies are working collaboratively with partners, like the Lake Champlain Basin Program and others, to the associated economic impacts, implement new risk reduction strategies and potential mitigation measures in select locks on the Champlain Canal, and provide enhanced public education so all New Yorkers can help prevent the spread of invasives. Prior to advancing any actions, DEC and the Canal Corporation will work with partners to educate and engage stakeholders on any measures identified to limit the spread of round goby.

ALBION – An Easter Eggstravaganza at the Arnold Gregory Complex will not only entertain children and adults, but will benefit the Villages of Orleans Rehabilitation Center.

When the Villages put out a request for help getting items for bingo prizes for their residents, Best of Tymes Party Rentals decided to help.

Christina Nenni and Michelle Wiseman, who run Best of Tymes Party Rentals, have put together a day full of fun on April 2 at the Arnold Gregory Complex.

An Easter egg hunt will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Each egg will contain a surprise, such as candy, toys and stickers. Those who find an egg with a gold coin will win an Easter basket filled with candy and toys. Children should bring their own Easter basket for the hunt.

The Easter bunny will visit from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and there will be photo opportunities with the bunny and a back drop for $10. All proceeds from the day will benefit the Villages.

A basket raffle during the day will also benefit the rehabilitation center. People are encouraged to come and support the event, purchase tickets and bring items for the patients at the Villages. The Villages Activities Department will be on hand to set up and help sell tickets.

In addition, there will be vendors and all the shops in the complex will be open.

The Easter egg hunt will take place outside, unless the weather is bad, in which case it will be inside. The basket raffle will be set up in the lobby for people to purchase tickets. The tickets may also be purchased online through Best of Tyme’s Facebook page or during their free movie matinee with the Easter bunny from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday (March 26).

Items needed for the Villages include hair supplies, snacks, costume jewelry, apparel, reading books, crayons, coloring books, markers, word search books or activity books. People who bring in items can earn tickets for to win the baskets.

The number of confirmed Covid cases increased in Orleans County from 13 during the week of March 9-15 to 25 from March 16-22.

That is still significantly less from the Covid surge in early January when there were 855 cases from Jan. 5-11.

In the past eight weeks in Orleans the cases have dropped from 255 from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, 157 from Feb. 2-8, 84 from Feb. 9-15, 41 from Feb. 16-22, 29 on Feb. 23 to March 1, 15 from March 2-8, 13 from March 9-15, and 25 from March 16-22.

In Genesee County the number of new confirmed cases from March 16-22 was 23, which was down from 38 the previous seven days, according to an update from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Neither county reported a new Covid-related death the past week and Genesee remains at 184 and Orleans at 113 during the pandemic the past two years.

Statewide the percent of positive tests on Wednesday was 2.13 percent or 3,450 out of 162,273, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

She said daily hospitalizations were at 911, the seventh straight day under 1,000.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Elizabeth “Liz” Gurnsey sits at her desk at the Albion Healthcare Center, where she is a nurse practitioner. Gurnsey grew up just down the road and returned to her home town to serve the community.

ALBION – Becoming a nurse practitioner is a dream job for Elizabeth “Liz” Gurnsey, but being able to practice in her home town is icing on the cake.

Gurnsey has been added to the staff of Orleans Community Health’s Albion Healthcare Center, the clinic located just a short distance from where she grew up on Butts Road.

She was born in Rochester, and when she was 10 her parents moved to Albion to be in a rural setting. After graduating from Albion High School in 2006, she enrolled in Oswego State College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it, so I worked at Tim Hortons and CRFS for a while,” Gurnsey said. “When a friend told me about an accelerated nursing program at the University of Rochester, I applied.”

She finished the one-year program with another bachelor’s degree in 2013 and landed a job at Strong Memorial Hospital. She spent eight years there as a registered nurse, when she decided she wanted to do more.

“I really wanted a primary care position serving a small community,” Gurnsey said. “I saw a position posted online but it was filled. I had reached out to the hospital and introduced myself as a nurse practitioner looking to work back into the area. A month later I saw this job posted and set up an interview with Nicole.”

Nichole Helson is administrator of the Albion Healthcare Center and couldn’t be happier to have Gurnsey on staff.

Gurnsey said she is thrilled to be serving her home town community.

“These are my people,” she said.

Gurnsey is married to Brandon Gurnsey, a friend from high school who she started dating after they graduated. They were married and moved to Barre in 2015.

Gurnsey is passionate about her profession and encourages people not to hesitate to come to a nurse practitioner if they are looking for a primary care doctor.  She said her goal is to promote health maintenance and encourage patients to get early detection.

“I’m open minded and a good listener,” she said. “I allow my patients to be part of their health care. If a patient doesn’t want to do what I recommend, I respect that.”

She explained a nurse practitioner can treat and manage chronic disease.

“If someone comes in with something more complicated, we have a provider on site, Dr. Syed Raza,” Gurnsey said. “We work together and collaborate.”

“If anyone is looking for a primary care provider in general, they are not going to lose anything by seeing a nurse practitioner,” said Scott Robinson, director of marketing, communication and outreach at Orleans Community Health’s Community Partners.

Gurnsey added she is very down to earth and doesn’t use a lot of medical jargon.

“These are my family, my friends and my neighbors, and I’m so happy I landed here,” she said.

The Albion Healthcare Center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Gurnsey is on site Monday through Thursday. The facility originally started as a walk-in clinic, then expanded to primary care, including walk-ins, Robinson said.

The site offers lab work, X-ray, physical therapy and primary care, as a walk-in or by appointment. The number for appointments is (585) 589-2273.

Photo and press release, Albion Central School

ALBION – Charles D’Amico High School is once again honored to be a recipient in the Exxon Mobil Educational Alliance program.

The school received $500 from the company while the Crosby-Reid Petroleum Company matched the $500 award and presented the check to Principal Jennifer Ashbery and Superintendent of Schools Mickey Edwards this week.

The Exxon Mobil Educational Alliance funds math and science programs across the nation to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to schools in need.

In the past, money given through the program has been used towards Python technologies for classes working on coding and robotics.

“We are so appreciative,” Ashbery said. “Every year it is a great surprise. Those funds are put to use to promote STEM in the classroom. It is very exciting.”

Town officials say higher assessments don’t necessarily mean higher tax bills

Photos by Tom Rivers: Town Supervisor Richard Moy met with about 100 residents on Wednesday evening to discuss the reassessments that just went out in the mail. The average assessment increased 25 percent from the values three years ago.

CLARENDON – About 100 residents packed the Town Hall on Wednesday evening to share their concerns that much higher assessments will result in bigger tax bills and drive some residents out of their homes.

Town officials acknowledged the real estate market is “crazy” with homes selling for tens of thousands of dollars above their assessed values. In Clarendon, there have been 146 sales over the past three years.

There are about 1,000 properties in the town. Clarendon does a reassessment every three years and 2022 is the cycle for reassessing the properties. Eight of the 10 towns in Orleans are doing reassessments this year.

In Clarendon, the average assessment increased 25 percent, Town Assessor Robert Criddle told the crowd at town hall.

Clarendon Town Assessor Robert Criddle meets with about 100 residents to discuss the new assessments for about 1,000 properties in Clarendon. Criddle said property owners can meet with him and a Board of Assessment Review if they believe the assessments are too high.

Criddle noted that the median price for homes in Orleans County is up 68.5 percent in four years, jumping from $81,000 in 2017 to $136,500 in 2021, according to data from the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors.

In Clarendon’s 14470 zip code, the median sale price went up 10.7 percent in 2021, Criddle said, using data from the Association of Realtors.

“The market has changed,” he said. “Right now the assessments are well below market value.”

The higher assessments won’t necessarily mean a bigger tax bill for residents, said Town Supervisor Richard Moy.

“We didn’t raise your taxes,” Moy told the crowd. “We raised your assessments.”

Richard Moy discusses how the tax base affects the tax rate. A higher overall town assessed value should result in a lower tax rate.

A larger tax base should drive down the tax rate. But that didn’t ease the concerns of many of the residents who attended the meeting on Wednesday.

Residents said they fear much higher tax bills and that will strain their budgets that are already hit with rising gas prices and inflation.

Town Assessor Robert Criddle said the real estate market is “crazy” right now but assessments need to reflect the current market values.

One resident said his assessment increased from $58,000 to $90,000 despite no improvements on the house.

“I’d be lucky to get 40 (thousand) for the place,” he said.

Criddle said those who don’t think their assessment accurately reflects market value can call assessor’s office at (585) 638-6371, ext. 103. They can question the value and can go through a grievance process. He encouraged them to do some research on comparable sales.

He acknowledged the shock with some the prices houses are going for – way above their assessed values.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years,” Criddle said about his career as assessor. “The market has been crazy. There’s no question about it.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Don Allport presents a proclamation for World Autism Day to Jessica James of Albion, who is an Autism Speaks Volunteer Advocacy Ambassador.

For the first time the County Legislature issued a proclamation about World Autism Month in April and World Autism Awareness Day on April 2.

Autism spectral disorder affects 1 in 44 children and 1 in 45 adults. People with autism have strengths and weaknesses, and often have challenges with communication and repetitive behaviors.

In the proclamation, county legislators said early intervention can have lifelong benefits.

Legislators encouraged people “to create a kinder and more inclusive world for those with autism.”

5 from county will be highlighted for acts of bravery in combat

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION — David Bellavia, a Medal of Honor recipient from Lyndonville, attended the unveiling of a new Medal of Honor wall in the Orleans County Office Building on Wednesday afternoon.

He is shown in front of photo of him receiving the medal from former President Donald Trump on June 26, 2019 in the East Room of the White House.

Bellavia is the first living veteran from the Iraq War to receive the nation’s highest military medal.

Bellavia is one of five county residents to receive the Medal of Honor. Charles D. Harris was the first to be honored with the medal for his heroism in the Apache Wars in 1869.

Bellavia said he is very appreciative to have grown up in Orleans County, where veterans are respected and people are encouraged to serve their country in the military.

He is a radio talk show host for WBEN and also travels extensively as an ambassador for the Army, speaking at colleges, high schools, bases and other events.

Congressman Chris Jacobs, second from right, joined in unveiling of the wall. Jacobs commended the Legislature for creating the wall, which is a prominent display about heroism on the second floor of the new addition of the County Office Building.

Jacobs praised Bellavia for his acts of valor on Nov. 10, 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq.

Bellavia led an infantry squad clearing houses of insurgents, saving the lives of the members of his unit. He is the first living Iraq War veteran to receive the nation’s highest honor for military service.

County Legislator Ed Morgan embraces Bellavia after the wall unveiling. Morgan attended the Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House nearly three years ago.

Nancy Traxler, director of the Veterans Service Agency in Orleans County, discusses the history of the Medal of Honor. There have been about 3,500 recipients since the medal was first awarded on March 25, 1863.

County Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch and Lisa Stenshorn, clerk of the Legislature, take the cover off the wall.

County legislators unveil the Medal of Honor wall in the county building. Pictured include from left: Ed Morgan, Don Allport, Bill Eick, David Bellavia, Lynne Johnson and John Fitzak.

The other four Medal of Honor recipients will be recognized on the wall. Johnson said she is hopeful family members of those individuals can attend the unveilings in the future.

Former Orleans County Historian Matthew Ballard researched the four other Medal of Honor recipients from Orleans County. He shared the following details in previous columns and presentations when he was historian:

• Forrest Vosler of Lyndonville was assigned as a radio operator and aerial gunner aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress during World War II with the 358th Bombardment Squadron, 303rd Bombardment Group stationed out of England. On Dec. 20, 1943, Vosler’s fourth combat mission. The plane was under fire and had two engines knocked out with the aircraft windmilling out of control. When a fellow aviator was knocked unconscious, Vosler maneuvered himself into the tailgun. Another 20-mm shell hit the aircraft, sending shrapnel into Vosler’s chest, face, and eyes. He continued to deliver defensive fire upon German aircraft until the attacks subsided. Nearly out of fuel and losing altitude quickly, the crew jettisoned every piece of equipment to lighten the plane.

Vosler, severely wounded and floating in and out of consciousness, begged the crew to throw him out of the plane to reduce weight. As the aircraft plunged into the frigid waters of the North Sea, Vosler crawled out of the aircraft onto a wing. A passing Norwegian trawler quickly picked up the crew and transferred them to a British rescue vessel. One of Vosler’s eyes had one of his to be removed, and the other required extensive surgery.

John Butts was awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of valor in the Normandy invasion in June 1944.

• John E. Butts of Medina is the only one of the five Medal of Honor recipients from Orleans County who received the honor posthumously. He was recognized for his heroic actions near Cape La Hague, France in World War II.

Butts was in command of four squads in Easy Company of the 60th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Division charged with driving towards St. Colombe, France. On June 12, 1944, 2nd Battalion progressed so quickly towards their objective that the remainder of 9th Division thought the 60th Infantry was lost. In fact, 2nd Battalion had pushed forward through heavy German resistance and established a bridgehead at the Douve River. Butts was wounded twice, first near Orglandes on June 14th and then at the Douve River just two days later; he refused medical treatment on both occasions in order to remain with his men.

On June 23, 1944, the 60th Infantry led the 9th Division’s advance from the Cotentin Peninsula as part of the breakout from St. Lo. While moving towards Flottemanville-Hague, Butts and his men encountered a German stronghold atop a hill, well defended with tanks, machine guns, and mortars. Butts was struck in the stomach by machine gun fire while progressing towards the objective. Pulling himself into the shelter of a nearby hedgerow, he planned a flanking maneuver with his Sergeants.

One squad was to progress up the left flank, another up the right flank, and the third was to remain in reserve. Holding one hand over his midsection and the other grasping his carbine, Butts charged the hill alone. The might of the entire German stronghold fell upon him directly, Butts falling approximately 10 yards from his objective. The distraction allowed the two flanking squads to outmaneuver the Germans while the third squad hit the hill head-on.

Awarded on July 19, 1945 by President Harry Truman, John Butts’ Medal of Honor citation references the two painful wounds he received in the days leading up to the deadly assault on June 23, 1944. His citation concluded by stating, “By his superb courage, unflinching valor and inspiring actions, 2d Lt. Butts enabled his platoon to take a formidable strong point and contributed greatly to the success of his battalion’s mission,” President Harry Truman said in the citation for the medal, which was awarded on July 19, 1945.

• Thomas Wilbur Kates, born in Shelby on May 7, 1865, received the Medal of Honor for his actions in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, a nearly two-year uprising led by the Yihetuan (or Boxers) against foreign imperialists in China.

Kates accepted enlistment with the U.S. Marine Corps at New York City on July 21, 1899. Pvt. Kates and other Marines were dispatched to China on June 18, 1900, where they remained through October 10, 1900. According to his citation, Kates was awarded the Medal of Honor “…for extraordinary heroism while serving with the 1st Regiment (Marines), in action in the presence of the enemy during the advance on Tientsin, China, 21 June 1900. Private Kates distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.”

Maj. Waller wrote in a letter dated July 6, 1900, that “…of the men I wish to say, while all in the engagements we participated in, behaved in such a manner as to bring forth the highest praise from the foreign officers…Cpl. Thomas W. Kates.”

He continued, “…the specifically distinguished of these being Corporal Kates and Privates Campbell and Francis, with the Colt gun.” According to the Report of the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps dated September 29, 1900, these three men remained with Lt. Powell, holding a position with an M1895 Colt-Browning Machine Gun until all but Campbell and Powell were gunned down. They destroyed the gun to prevent it from entering enemy hands before they commenced their retreat.

• Charles D. Harris, who fought in the Civil War, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Apache Wars in 1869. The specifics of the engagement and the actions that warranted the awarding of the medal remain shrouded in mystery. After the war, Harris returned to Albion and lived a quiet life until his passing on September 6, 1895. He is buried at Mount Albion Cemetery.

Photos courtesy of Lt. Todd Draper: FBI Director Christopher Wray congratulated Todd Draper of Medina for completing a 10-week management/leadership program. Draper graduated from the FBI’s National Academy on March 17. Todd Draper is shown with his yellow brick after completing the fitness challenge, a grueling 6.1-mile run through a hilly, wooded trail built by the Marines. Along the way, the participants must climb over walls, run through creeks, jump through simulated windows, scale rock faces with ropes, crawl under barbed wire in muddy water, maneuver across a cargo net, and face other challenges.

MEDINA – Todd Draper, a member of the Medina Police Department the past 18 years, graduated from a 10-week management and leadership program hosted by the FBI.

Draper, a lieutenant with the Medina PD, was among 258 law enforcement officers from 32 countries who graduated on March 17. They learned advanced communication, leadership and fitness training. Participants must have proven records as professionals within their agencies to attend.

Draper completed six classes at the National Academy: Critical Incident Management, Essentials of Leadership, Physical Training/Wellness Breaking Barriers and Building Communities, and An Overview of Forensic Science for Law Enforcement Managers.

“I think all of these classes will help me improve as a leader, but I went into each of these classes with the approach of what can I bring back to our agency,” Draper said. “I hope to implement small improvements over time.”

The FBI National Academy is a professional course of study for U.S. and international law enforcement managers nominated by their agency heads because of demonstrated leadership qualities.

The 10-week program provides coursework in intelligence theory, terrorism and terrorist mindsets, management science, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communication, and forensic science.

The academy serves to improve the administration of justice in police departments and agencies at home and abroad and to raise law enforcement standards, knowledge and cooperation worldwide.

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks at the graduation ceremony.