ALBION/MEDINA – Village residents in Albion and Medina will pick a mayor and trustees for the Village Board today.

Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. In Albion, ballots are cast at the village office, 35 Bank St. In medina, voters go to the Senior Center at 615 West Ave.

Medina’s candidates – Mayor Mike Sidari and trustees Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott – are all unopposed and currently are on the board.

Sidari has been mayor for nearly six years. He said Medina has a great team on the Village Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and with the community organizations.

Those groups have been able to push Medina forward with its downtown business district, industrial park and other community initiatives. He cited citizens who led efforts for a new dog park, skate park, bluebird trail, an upgraded Pine Street Park with a splash pad, and much improved Boxwood Cemetery.

Albion has three candidates for mayor and four are running for two trustee positions.

The Albion candidates for mayor include: Angel Javier Jr., running on the Republican and independent “Better Together Albion Strong” lines; Vickie Elsenheimer on the Democratic and independent “Move Albion Forward” lines; and Kevin Graham on the independent “Albion Pride, Working Together.”

The four candidates for village trustee include: Tim McMurray and Dan Conrad on the Republican line, and Sandra Walter and Joyce Riley under the Democratic line and the independent “Move Albion Forward.”

Photo courtesy of Roy-Hart Music Department: Some of the cast members from Roy-Hart’s production of Into the Woods include, bottom row, from left: Lorna Becker (Jack’s Mother), Rio Wood (Little Red Riding Hood), Guinevere Fuller (Milky White) and Ryan Hiller (Jack). Back row: Alex Murray (Cinderella’s Prince), Ella Seib (Cinderella), Emmaline Verratti (The Baker’s Wife), Nik Gutierrez (The Baker), Abigail Murphy (The Witch) and Miles Clarke (Narrator/Mysterious Man).

Press Release, Roy-Hart Music Department

MIDDLEPORT – Royalton-Hartland Central School is excited to bring live theater back to the schools, with their production of Into the Woods.

The musical – music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine – weaves together several Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Characters, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk end up together after meeting up with a baker and his wife who are on a quest to lift a family curse cast upon them by a witch. This show will take you through a range of emotion as you connect with the characters and their plights.

Kathy Bleiler-Dick, the director, is proud to announce the cast of the show: Narrator/Mysterious Man – Miles Clarke, The Baker – Nik Gutierrez, Cinderella – Ella Seib, The Baker’s Wife – Emmaline Verratti, Jack – Ryan Hiller, The Witch – Abigail Murphy, Jack’s Mother – Lorna Becker, Cinderella’s Stepmother – Alyson Berner, Lucinda – Chelsie Gutierrez, Florinda – Brooke Livergood, Rapunzel – Crystalina Baumer, Cinderella’s Prince – Alex Murray, Rapunzel’s Prince – Jacob Hagen, Wolf – Adyn Migliore, Steward – Jayden Colletta, Giant – Cassidy Ohol, Granny – Gabriella Smith, Cinderella’s Mother – Abigail Pratt, and Milky White – Gwynivere Fuller. Villagers: Shianne Beauman, Chelsea Froman, Zamora Garcia-Cacique, John Guilfoyle, Allison Hale, Hailey Pasnik, Kortney Schwartz, Victoria Silsby and Alexis Summers.

Pit Orchestra conductor Gerald Bacon is also proud to announce the orchestra members: Haven Shin, Hannah Aiken, Brandon Burgess Joshua Kennedy, Andrew Ossont, Bailey Brewer Calvin Fournier, Alexis Leonard, Alexander Ovitt, Kaitlyn Stockowiak, Deanna Bryant, Levi Gillings, Kenneth Leonard and Brooke Stevens

In addition, the tech crew are essential members to the production team. Colleen Burkett and Christopher Schauss are advisors and would like to acknowledge the excellent work of Aubrey Anderson, Kenize Baer, Alyssa Beauman, Allison Branch, Emily Clark, Evan Dudek, Wyatt Hashem, Hailey Pasnik, Melinda Schaus, Chris Seib, Andrew Waters and Ciara Wojciechowski.

Kathy Bleiler-Dick would also like to thank Hannah Dodge for her dedication and skill as the choreographer and the support of Carol Blumrick, the producer.

Into the Woods will be performed at Royalton Hartland High School (54 State Street, Middleport) on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available presale and at the door. Presale tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt today penned a letter to SUNY Brockport calling on the school to rescind a speaking invitation for Anthony Bottom, who was convicted in 1971 for luring and killing two NYPD Officers in cold blood.

The invitation states that Bottom’s on-campus appearance on April 6 will be an “intellectual conversation” about his time as a “political prisoner.”

“This proposed event on SUNY Brockport’s campus is absolutely shameful,” Ortt said. “Let’s be very clear: Anthony Bottom was not a ‘political prisoner.’ He’s a convicted cop-killer. Calling this an ‘intellectual conversation’ on a taxpayer-funded state campus is intellectually dishonest. It’s an insult. And it’s outright offensive to the families of NYPD Officers Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones, as well as all men and women who wear the uniform. SUNY Brockport must immediately rescind this tone-deaf invitation.”

In 1971, Anthony Bottom — joined by Herman Bell and Albert Washington — lured, ambushed, and murdered NYPD Officers Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones in cold blood. Bottom and Bell, both paroled in recent years, were once members of the “Black Liberation Army,” a militant organization that carried out multiple premeditated assassinations, bombings, and other violence in the 1970s and 80s.

Senate Republicans for years fought against the release of Bottom and Bell. Despite widespread opposition from the victims’ families and communities, both were released by the state Parole Board in recent years.

Last year, Ortt helped unveil a Parole Reform package of bills designed to protect crime victims, fix the broken state Parole Board, and keep New York’s most notoriously violent criminals behind bars. Included in that push is a measure that would keep cop-killers behind bars for life.

SHELBY – An engineer’s report says discharges from the STAMP manufacturing site can be handled by Oak Orchard Creek, although some revisions are needed to protect from erosion near the outlet of a 24-inch pipe from STAMP to Oak Orchard Creek on Route 63.

Wendel, an engineering firm, did an independent review of designs and engineering from Clark Patterson Lee and JM Davidson Engineering, analyzing the plan for a force main project from the STAMP site about 8 miles north to Shelby.

Wendel reviewed the designs for having up to 6 million gallons of water discharged daily into the creek. The Genesee County Economic Development Center paid for the review, Shelby town officials said.

The GCEDC is having the force main designed and permitted for up to 6 million gallons of discharge into the creek. If STAMP needs more than 6 million, Shelby Town Supervisor Jeff Smith said the town should ask GCEDC and the state Department of Environmental Conservation to have additional analysis on the impact in Shelby on those discharges.

Wendel agrees with JM Davidson that STAMP discharges “will not have a noticeable impact on the 100-year elevations downstream nor will it have an impact on the stream velocity or water levels,” according to the Wendel report dated Feb. 22.

The Town Board accepted the report during its meeting on Thursday. Smith said the report should ease concerns from economic development officials that the water from STAMP could overtax the local creek and not leave much capacity for other businesses that may come to Shelby in the future.

Wendel did say the current design should be improved to better mitigate erosion where the force main discharges into Oak Orchard Creek. Wendel said there should be more stone protection to help prevent erosion. The current design is too thin with rip-rap, Wendel said.

The firm also said more detail is needed in the design of the outlet structure’s shape in determining the flow characteristics exiting the outlet. And, Wendel said, there is an existing ditch near where the force main will send water. The engineers should explain how the discharges could impact water flows to that ditch.

Press Release, Albion Central School

Photo courtesy of Albion Central School: A group of high school students from Albion were able to spend a week in the nation’s capital.

ALBION – Close Up students recently returned from a week spent in Washington, D.C. This year’s participating students were Miguel Aldaco, Jeffrey Brown, Belen Rosario Soto, Collin Capurso, Tyler Gibson, Leah Kania, James Beach and Nicolina Creasey with advisor Rich Gannon.

While in the nation’s capital, they had the opportunity to visit many monuments, memorials and museums. Among the sites toured were the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument at night, the Eisenhower Memorial, FDR Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the Kennedy Center, White House, Capitol Building, WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of Natural History and Arlington National Cemetery.

“In my experience, I really enjoyed the expeditions to the monuments,” said senior Collin Capurso. “All these memorials featured descriptive writings from speeches or quotes and they all really stood out to me in a certain way.”

Senior Belen Rosario-Soto was impacted by many of the war memorials, particularly the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

“We got to see the anguish on the faces. It made it more realistic, honestly, being able to see those expressions,” she said. “It really just put a face to a name and made me think these are actual people that actually went here and did this, not just a little brief hour lesson that we usually learn in history class.”

While visiting Capitol Hill, Congressman Chris Jacobs met with the students from Albion to share his views and answer questions. The students were also able to watch a live debate.

“We got to witness a debate between a liberal and a conservative the first night that we got there,” said Rosario-Soto. “The way they behaved toward each other, they were passive aggressive but they still showed a level of respect.”

Fellow senior Nicolina Creasey learned a lot from watching the debate.

“The most interesting or shocking thing that I learned is that the two extreme sides of political debate can sometimes – actually very often – can meet in agreement,” noted Creasey. “I think we saw that a lot and that was really strange to see. I didn’t think that was possible.”

Albion students were immersed with other high schoolers from around the country, giving them an opportunity to learn about others’ beliefs, backgrounds and customs.

“My favorite part was meeting all the new people from Louisiana, California, Iowa, Ohio, Rhode Island,” said senior Leah Kania.

Capurso enjoyed the sense of community and connectedness of having Close Up students from all across the country join together for the week.

“I felt like it created a very nice sense of community,” he said. “There was some unity and interconnectedness amongst all of us. I really appreciated that because it taught me, essentially, that these are all different people from different backgrounds and locations, but we all came together for the same purpose and we all made the best of it.”

“We really learned how to actually be politically involved citizens,” added Kania. “We discussed our opinions on certain topics and we really discussed liberty, justice and equality a lot and how they were important to the different monuments.”

The Close Up Foundation was founded in 1971 with Albion students involved in the program for decades. The program was built on the belief that young people from all backgrounds need a better understanding of the democratic process and their responsibilities as citizens.

SHELBY – The Town Board approved demolition of an abandoned house at 5063 South Gravel Rd., next to the Oak Orchard Creek.

The house on Route 63 is “unsafe and dangerous” and the owner has not responded to notices from the town, said Code Enforcement Officer Dan Wolfe. The building cannot be safely repaired, he said during a Town Board meeting on Thursday.

Shelby officials will attempt to work with the highway department to knock down the structure and have those materials buried onsite. Or the building could be used for a training exercise by the fire department, Wolfe said.

He will try to get the structure removed in the cheapest way possible. Those expenses will then be put on the tax bill for the property.

Wolfe said he is making a push to focus on property maintenance violations around town, especially “junk properties” that are an eyesore and a blight for neighbors.

In his 13 years as the town’s code enforcement officer, Wolfe said Shelby has gone through the process of having four or five houses removed due to an unsafe condition.

In other action, the Town Board:

• Approved a $3,000 raise for Town Clerk Darlene Rich to set her base salary at $37,827, despite objections from Councilman Ryan Wilkins. Rich hasn’t received a raise in two-plus years, like other elected officials.

Wilkins said the town should treat all elected officials the same and not give raises to some and not others.

The other board members – Supervisor Jeff Smith, and council members John Pratt, Ed Zelazny and Steve Seitz – approved the raise for Rich. She recently came off the town’s health insurance policy.

• Appointed Dorothy Nolan as deputy town clerk and Lori Myhill as water clerk.

• Approved spending $1,300 to be part of an emergency notification system with the Village of Medina and Town of Ridgeway. That system will allow residents who sign up to be notified by text, email or phone calls of road closures, watermain breaks and other pressing matters.

Agency has secured about $1 million in grants, foundation funding for community

MEDINA – Despite the recent pandemic, during which fundraisers and workplace campaigns were curtailed, United Way of Orleans County has made strides toward meeting the needs of the community. They have continued to raise giving each of the last three years.

And yet, much more remains to be done, and to that end executive director Dean Bellack has embarked on an ambitious program to ensure the agency’s sustainability far into the future.

This began two years ago with his vision to look outside Orleans County for funding. Currently, United Way of Orleans County provides funding to ARC of Genesee/Orleans (Camp Rainbow and Meals on Wheels), Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Genesee Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA), Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, Supportive Care/Hospice, Orleans County Adult Learning Services (OCALS), Orleans Recovery-Hope Begins Here; Orleans County YMCA; P.Raising Kids Daycare, Project Stork, Care Net and VIA WNY 211. However, since United Way funding is so limited, there is not enough to fund these and other organizations adequately.

Bellack has outlined his quest for moving United Way forward with two documents – one of which is an Impact Report and will be hand delivered to 100 community leaders, and the other a mailing of 1,000 newsletters to residents of Orleans County.

Dean Bellack

These mailings detail the founding of the Community Chest in 1964, which eventually evolved into United Way of Orleans County. They describe current activities and how Bellack reached out to foundations in Buffalo and Rochester, which resulted in an initial awarding of $144,000 for community agencies.

Subsequent multi-year grant requests were funded, resulting in a $450,000 grant to hire grant writer Matt Holland and fundraiser/event planner Nyla Gaylord, and $364,000 to promote digital literacy in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension. As a result of funding coming to Orleans County through the CARES Act, United Way is currently developing a program to deploy free internet equipment to more than 900 low- to moderate-income households. These are all programs and services that would not have come to Orleans County without the United Way.

The 100 letters introduce the United Way Impact Report to community leaders, asking them to read it, absorb it and truly think what Orleans County would be like with no United Way.

If there were no United Way, Bellack said programs would be forced to cut back on services; some organizations would go out of business; Orleans County would no longer have a free grant writer or digital literacy initiative; our United Way would no longer be an advocate fighting to bring in funding and services that will help improve the health, education and financial stability of every person in the community; United Way would not be there to serve as a trusted conduit for funding from major foundations; Orleans County would no longer have a central point of contact and vehicle for fostering community collaboration to address pressing needs.

The pandemic taught that the United Way plays a critical role in bringing resources to the community and that there are resources and partnerships outside of the county that are willing to help, Bellack said.

Recipients of the 1,000 newsletters will also read about the different ways to give to United Way. Bellack shared a question asked by board member and retired judge Jim Punch.

Why should I give to the United Way?

Bellack’s answer was “Because United Way is all-encompassing. Every penny donated to United Way stays in Orleans County unless the donor designates otherwise. You get the personal satisfaction of knowing you are giving to the only charity which impacts the whole community by funding a network of partner agencies. Local funding produces results. Nobody does it better or more cost effectively.”

He is referring to the fact that based on last year’s income, including grants, administrative costs of United Way of Orleans County were less than seven percent. That means 93 cents of every $1 donated to the agency went to direct services.

“We have five staff members at the cost of one and a half,” he said.

Bellack volunteers his time, while event coordinator/fundraiser Nyla Gaylord and grant writer Matt Holland are paid from a grant, as is digital divide coordinator Katie Leach at Cornell Cooperative Extension. The other position is part-time bookkeeper Dawn Winkler. To further cut costs, United Way has moved its office into space next to Dunkin’ Donuts in Medina, donated by local car dealer George Bidleman.

The 1,000 newsletters share how several community leaders have attested to the help United Way has given them.

“As in all grant writing, it takes patience and perseverance,” said Kathie Valley with P.Raising Kids, a child care center in Medina. “United Way, Dean, Nyla and Matt have stayed by our side in this long journey and blessed us profoundly.”

“Matt Holland has been a huge asset to us on the initial phases of a community project,” said Marc Shurtz, CEO of Orleans Community Health. “His involvement further shows the strong relationship Orleans Community Health has with United Way.”

Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, said across this county, United Way is stepping up and helping bridge the digital divide.

“They are our trusted partners on the ground, focusing on education, income and health,” she said. “We are stronger together.”

Roosevelt Bouie, a Kendall resident and Hall of Fame basketball player for Syracuse University, said he is excited to work with the United Way team to see his dream of rebuilding the basketball courts at Bullard Park in Albion.

“With their help, we are pulling together many different people and resources so that it is now a community project,” Bouie said.

United Way sets $250,000 fundraising goal for annual campaign

Bellack stressed how important it is to be effective in our fundraising and to have widespread community support. United Way’s campaign goal for 2022 is $250,000.

“We can’t have the impact we need to have until we have resources comparable to urban United Ways,” Bellack said.

He referenced United Way of Erie County and Buffalo, whose per capita revenue is $24.12, compared to Orleans County, where it is $3.62. Clearly, he said the United Way of Orleans County is underfunded.

The United Way board is playing an active role in developing new community-wide fundraising events. In September, the Orleans County Legislature has announced it will proclaim September as “United Way Month” in Orleans County.

Last year, Mark’s Pizzeria in Medina designated a week in September in which they donated $2.00 for every pizza sold to United Way. That resulted in a check for $2,890, and Bellack will be asking other businesses to follow suit during United Way Month. Following United Way Month, United Way will sponsor its annual gala in October.

Another way United Way annually connects with the community is the Day of Caring, scheduled this year on April 22.

“It is the largest day of service in Orleans County and the perfect opportunity to help a non-profit in need of a few extra hands,” Bellack said.

Day of Caring promotes the spirit of volunteerism, increases awareness of local human service organizations, and demonstrates how people working together for the common good can accomplish great things.

A major fundraiser for United Way is the annual golf outing, this year taking place June 3 at Shelridge Country Club in Medina.

Bellack’s final project is the establishment of an endowment fund that will generate revenue to support United Way operations and new programs in perpetuity. Local contributions to the endowment are critical to helping leverage major donations from area foundations, Bellack said. He said a major foundation, when asked to contribute $1 million to the United Way endowment did not say “no.”

“They said, ‘Go back to Orleans County and see what funds you can raise there, and then come back to us,’” Bellack said. “Clearly, community support is critical to the long-term survival of United Way and the key to leveraging financial support from outside the county.”

There are many ways to make a legacy gift to United Way. It can be as simple as designating United Way as beneficiary to an investment, insurance policy or bank account. Bellack urges everyone to remembering United Way in their will or to consider establishing a named fund to honor a loved one or support a specific service area. Major donors are encouraged to offer a challenge grant to a foundation.

“Together we can make a lasting difference in our community that will endure beyond our lifetime,” Bellack said. “This is what motivates me to work so hard to ensure the long-term sustainability of United Way.”

Bellack feels a great sense of urgency in establishing the endowment, he said.

“The generation I come from – the Baby Boomers – is retiring and many want to leave an enduring legacy to the community,” he said. “United Way is how we can all make a lasting difference in our community.”

Convenient ways to donate to United Way of Orleans County, besides a credit card, include Cash App, Text to Give and Venmo. Those who wish to write a check may make it payable to United Way of Orleans County, P.O. Box 188, Medina, NY, 14103

“The United Way is now playing a major role as a change agent in Orleans County,” Bellack said. “Our work is advancing ‘change thinking’ – a new understanding of what is possible if we work together. We are uniting non-profit organizations, county government, local business, and service groups around the shared goal of making Orleans County a great place to live, work and learn for all residents.

Bellack’s invitation is, “Join us.”

Press release and photo from Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Building Trades students at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center will now have the opportunity to get roofing certifications through a new partnership with GAF Roofing Materials.

Teacher Matt Anastasi had Regional Representative Anthony Vallance talk to his classes about trainings, workshops and materials that GAF uses and promotes.

Vallance offered the students the opportunity to get certifications that will allow them to get the expertise in understanding the proper installation of their roofing system.

“We were connected with GAF through our local roofing supplier Tom Snyder at Medina Lumber,” explained Anastasi. “There are several levels of trainings that contractors and my students will now have the possibility of obtaining. Through this connection we are hoping to have students gain a certification that means any work they perform on a house using the GAF systems will gain the homeowner extended warranty for both materials and labor.”

Vallance had mentioned to Anastasi that he will provide the class with materials for the students to practice installations and roof tear-offs to allow further knowledge and trainings before they complete the Habitat for Humanity modular house they are working on in class.

Vallance has also reached out to Habitat for Humanity to start the process to have all the materials donated as part of a program that GAF offers.

“GAF also has an online portal that my students will be able to enter their contact information and allow certified contractors in the area to connect with them for potential jobs,” Anastasi said.  “His knowledge and training materials that he has offered are really going to help my students become more qualified in this very high demand workforce area in roofing.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: Icicles coat branches on a hush outside the former Swan Library in Albion at the corner of West State and Main streets on Saturday afternoon.

After a cold and snowy weekend, the weather warms up today and for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

The highs for Orleans County include 49 today, 41 on Tuesday, sunny and 54 on Wednesday, partly sunny and 62 on Thursday, high near 54 on Friday and high near 48 on Saturday.

In the middle of fundraising efforts to benefit its 2022 campaign and promote new projects, United Way of Orleans County is shifting some of its focus to helping the war-stricken people of Ukraine.

“Today we do recognize our concern is broader than our county’s borders,” said Dean Bellack, director of United Way of Orleans County.

Bellack has announced United Way Worldwide, of which the local United Way is part of, has launched a global relief fund for the people of Ukraine. The money raised will provide refugees with food, shelter, medicine, transportation, hygiene kits and critical childcare supplies for infants, such as formula and diapers.

Some two million people have fled Ukraine, and experts predict four to seven million will be forced to leave before the war is over. United Way is stepping up to support those displaced by the violence by providing life-saving relief.

Through the end of May, anyone who makes a donation to United Way of Orleans County, can designate to have 20 percent of every dollar sent to the United Way Worldwide Ukrainian Relief Fund. That fund is guaranteeing 95 percent of money donated will go toward helping the refugees.

Bellack also stressed while United Way has always guaranteed that 100 percent of donations stay in Orleans County, it is proper for the agency to recognize the needs of the Ukrainian people at this time. He noted the remaining 80 percent of donations during this time period will still stay in Orleans County.

“This is the right thing to do,” Bellack said. “This is a way to make one gift count twice.”

There are several ways to give to the United Way. Donors can go to the United Way website or on their internet device and choose Cash App, Venmo or Text to Give. They still have the option to use a credit card or send a check to United Way of Orleans County, P.O. Box 188, Medina.

Press Release, Sheriff Chris Bourke

ALBION – In an effort to keep our roadways safer during St. Patrick’s festivities, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke announced that local law enforcement agencies will actively participate in the STOP-DWI St. Patrick’s Day High Visibility Enforcement Campaign from March 16-20.

As the anticipation of attending gatherings to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, local law enforcement will be out to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving and to have a “Sober Plan” while traveling to prevent injuries and save lives, said Bourke, who is also the county’s STOP-DWI coordinator.

Although STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol related fatalities, there are still too many, Bourke said.

With a Sober Plan, people are encouraged to plan a safe way to get home. That could be calling for a ride from a sober friend/ family, taxi or Uber.

Courtesy of Medina Marching Band Boosters

MEDINA – Celebrating 56 years as a Marching Ensemble, the Medina Mustang Band, Winterguard and Boosters hosted a WG competition on Saturday.

A total of 12 guard units traveled to Medina despite tough driving conditions. Approximately 200-plus people were in attendance.

In the Scholastic A class Medina came in 3rd place with a score of 73.97, bested by Victor at 78.92 and Orchard Park with 78.47.

Winners in the other classes were Victor JV with 68.37; Greece in RA wit h75.15; Lancaster in A1 with  76.85; Batavia in Independent A with 81.58; 3rd Legend in Independent Open with 76.50  and Luminosa in Senior Class with 79.56.

Medina’s next competition is March 26 in Jamestown followed by the Championships in Medina on April 2.