Photos by Tom Rivers: This photo from March 7, 2020 is from the last Albion Sip N’ Stroll. About 350 people attended the event, about a week before the Covid-19 lockdown. The photo shows Jennifer Mateo and her husband Erik Mateo trying wines from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina. Sarah Geer served the wine at Red Check Rustic in the Pratt Opera House building. Geer was joined by her husband Peter in serving the wine for Leonard Oakes.

ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association is looking forward to the return of the Sip N’ Stroll wine walk. The event will be March 12 and has an expanded route from the downtown to include Dubby’s Tailgate on Platt Street and the Arnold Gregory Office Complex on South Main Street.

There will also be a limo bus taking people to the locations. That is sponsored by The Drink Shoppe and Susie’s Boat-tique.

The Sip N’ Stroll will include wineries, distilleries and breweries. The Merchants had the biggest Sip N’ Stroll two years ago with 350 participants. They have 500 souvenir wine glasses made for the March 12 event from 4 to 7 p.m.

The tickets are available on line (click here) or at The Coffee Joint, Arnold’s Auto Parts/NAPA Auto Parts, Bloom’s Flower Shop, Dubby’s Tailgate and The Downtown Browsery.

The Merchants are also working on doing another mural. They did one in 2020 showcasing Albion as the home of the Santa Claus School. That mural is on the north side of the Lake Country Pennysaver building.

Justin Suarez of “Aerosol Kingdom” made the Santa School mural and the Merchants want to have him paint a Purple Eagle themed mural on the side of Arnold’s Auto Parts on West Bank Street. There is a GoFundMe (click here) set up to raise money for the project.

The Merchants also are planning a return of the food truck rodeo. It will be in July instead of June. Last year about 400 people attended the food truck rodeo which helped the void of the Starwberry Festival which was cancelled. That event will be back June 10-11.

The group also is expecting a return of the fall festival and Hometown Christmas.

The group’s officers this year include President Natasha Wasuck of The Lockstone and Tinsel, Vice President Rebecca Alexander of Dubby’s Wood Fired and Dubby’s Tailgate, Secretary Tara Thom of Town and Country Quilter, and Treasurer Anita Finley of Oak Orchard Canoe Kayak Experts.

Wasuck also has reached out to the Canal Corp. about having a retired tugboat set up on display near the canal.

This photo from June 2018 shows the Tugboat DeWitt Clinton in Albion. The vessel hasn’t been operational for about three years. The Albion Merchants Association would like to have a retired tugboat on display on land in Albion.

Provided photos: This photo shows an eyeglass clinic run by a Lions Club. The Lyndonville Lions will be hosting an eyeglass clinic on March 19 at the White Birch Golf Club.

Press Release, Lyndonville Lions Club

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Lions Club will be hosting a one-day-only pop-up eyeglass clinic on Saturday, March 19. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the White Birch Golf Club, 1515 North Lyndonville Rd.

It will be held on a first-come-first-served basis and early attendance is encouraged. Ample parking is available for both vehicles and buggies.

This event will be staffed by New York State licensed doctors of ophthalmology and optometry. The purpose of the eyeglass clinic is to provide free eyeglass frames with prescription lenses to anyone who attends – children, ages 5-and-older, and adults are all welcome.

Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No appointment is necessary and, except for basic contact information (name, address, phone number) no other information or identification will be asked for or required.

“I appreciate that a lot of folks will be skeptical of an offer for free prescription eyeglasses,” shares Lyndonville Lions President Darren Wilson. “But this is for real. No gimmicks and it really is free.”

There will be several hundred eyeglass frames to choose from and all frames have been professionally sanitized and presented in as-new condition. Optometrists will be on hand for professional fitting and adjustment of frames.

Licensed doctors of ophthalmology will determine proper prescription lenses for each individual which will then be sent out for grinding and insertion into your chosen eyeglass frames.

“Out of respect for our local eye care professionals, our clinic will only be held for this one day this year in all of Orleans County,” Wilson said. “It’s a one-shot deal.”

The Lyndonville Lions Club also recently welcomed its newest member, Renee Hungerford, shown here during her induction ceremony and flanked by her Lions Club sponsor, Bruce Schmidt (center) and current president, Darren Wilson. Hungerford is executive director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

MEDINA – The Village Board on Monday evening approved a 2 percent increase in most of the ambulance rates.

That follows a 2 percent increase a year ago when the rates were upped for the first time in two years. The new rates are effective March 1.

Fire Chief Matt Jackson said the rates are in the middle of the pack among ambulance providers.

The new rates include:

• Treat and release (MVA signoffs) – from $336.60 to $343.33
• ALS treat & release – from $448.80 to $457.77
• BLS non-emergency – from $645.91 to $658.82
• BLS emergency – from $870.76 to $888.17
• ALS non-emergency – from $904.77 to $922.86
• ALS emergency – from $1,169.99 to $1,193.38
• ALSS 2 – from $1,371.99 to $1,399.42
• Paramedic intercept – $990.70 to $1,010.51
• Specialty care transport – $1,301.38 to $1,327.40

These rates are unchanged:

• Mileage at $35
• Bariatric surcharge at $850
• Out-of-district surcharge at $75

This screenshot from a video of the candidate forum on Tuesday evening shows moderator Michael Bonafede welcoming the crowd of about 60 people and going over rules for the 2-hour forum.

ALBION – The YouTube video of the Albion candidate forum on Tuesday evening is now available. Click here to see the video on the Orleans Hub YouTube channel.

The video includes the seven candidates running for the Village Board in the March 15 election.

The forum was hosted by The Lockstone and sponsored by Lake Country Media, which includes the Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub.

The candidates include three people running for mayor: 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.”

Four people are seeking two trustee positions on the Village Board. Tim McMurray and Dan Conrad are on the Republican line. Sandra Walter and Joyce Riley are under the Democratic line and the independent “Move Albion Forward.”

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board is giving residents a chance to send in a letter of interest to the village office if they want to be part of a group of visionaries that will brainstorm ways to improve many facets of Medina, from housing, neighborhoods, parks, the downtown and business districts.

The board welcomes letters of interest to be part of the Strategic Planning Visionary Committee to be sent or dropped off at the Village Office, 119 Park Ave. The group will be tasked with leading public meetings to get residents’ feedback on current and future needs in Medina, and brainstorm ways to make the village more attractive to residential and business development.

Mayor Mike Sidari said a visioning group can make a big difference for the community by focusing on initiatives to move the community forward.

The Village Board on Feb. 14 was presented with the idea of a visioning group. Kathy Blackburn during that meeting suggested creating a new Waterfront and Community Development Committee. Blackburn, chairwoman of the Medina Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, said the group would expand on the efforts of the waterfront committee that identified ways to boost business, recreation and tourism from the Erie Canal and Oak Orchard Creek.

Blackburn was among nine people whose names were submitted to the Village Board to consider for the new committee. The others included Chris Busch, Andrew Meier, Mark Zambito, Chris Goyette, Gloria Brent, Jake Hebdon and Scott Robinson.

The board wants to open up the chance to serve on the committee to the community, before naming members to the group.

Trustee Owen Toale said he wants a diversity of opinions and ideas from village residents.

“I don’t like to see the same names come up all the time,” Toale said.

Blackburn said the group will make it a mission to get a range of viewpoints and ideas.

“We just want to get a big picture and get peoples’ ideas,” Blackburn said.

Picking the members of the group will be put off until residents have a chance to drop off or mail their letter of interest.

The group also won’t be the Waterfront and Community Development Committee but instead will be the Strategic Planning Visionary Committee.

That’s partly because the waterfront committee needs to stay until the state Department of State gives the final OK to the LWRP, the plan for the waterfront that includes about 20 projects to better utilize the waterfront.

With the waterfront committee staying, the Strategic Planning Visionary Committee will look at many aspects of the village and how to improve the quality of life.

Mayor Sidari said he read an article from the NYS Conference of Mayors that highlighted how a visioning committee can make a big difference in advancing a village, especially for economic development. Many prospective companies are looking at more than suitable land and infrastructure when deciding where to locate their business.

Those companies want to be in a community with vibrant schools, parks and neighborhoods, Sidari said.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Libby Snyder

Rebounding from a 12 point first half, top seeded Pavilion rallied in the second half to edge past No. 4 Kendall 44-40 in the Section V Class C2 semifinals this evening at Honeoye Falls-Lima.

Karlee Zinkievich scored 15 of her game high 19 points and Lauren Kingsley 12 of her 14 in the second half to lead the comeback for Pavilion which will now face No. 6 Gananda in the Class C2 title game on Saturday at Rush Henrietta. Gananda upended No. 2 Clyde-Savannah 55-53 in the other semifinal.

Libby Snyder led Kendall with 17 as T’Mia Kitchings added 9, Kailie Regan 6, Grace Levett and Alezya Brown 3 and Julia Szczepanski 2.

Trailing 19-12 at the half, Pavilion got back in the game by putting together a 10-0 run early in the third period to rally into the lead at 22-21. Back-to-back threes by Paige Landers and Zinkievich ignited that rally.

The lead change was the first of six in the period which ended with Pavilion holding a slender 34-33 lead on a late three by Zinkievicch, her third of the period.

Zinkievich had a total of 11 in the period and Kingsley 8 while Snyder had 6 including two late jumpers which gave the Lady Eagles brief leads of 31-29 and 33-31.

Another jumper by Snyder and a three by Kitchings, her third of the evening, put Kendall back up 38-36 early in the final period.

Pavilion though answered with jumpers by Landers and Kingsley to regain a 40-38 lead.

Kendall did pull even at 40-40 on a jumper by Snyder with 2:48 remaining but the Lady Eagles could not score again as a late rash of turnovers proved costly.

Four clutch free throws by Zinkievich were the only points over the final minute and a half. She first hit two clutch free throws with 1:30 remaining to put Pavilion back on top to stay at 42-40. She then added two big insurance free throws with 26 seconds to go to round out the scoring and close out the win.

Kendall led 8-7 at the end of the first period on a three by Kitchings and a jumper by Snyder.

The Lady Eagles increased their advantage to 19-12 at the half ad Snyder had two baskets and Levett a three in the second period.

However, Pavilion answered back with a big 22-14 third period scoring surge to key the comeback win.

Pavilion advances to the title contest with an 18-2 record while Kendall finishes the season at 16-6.

Orleans and Genesee each report a death in past week from Covid

The Covid cases in Genesee and Orleans counties fell to 74 in the past week, from Feb. 23 to March 1, with 29 new cases in Orleans and 45 in Genesee.

That continues the sharp downward trajectory from the Covid peak in early January when there 2,703 cases in the two counties from Jan. 5-11.

The 74 in the past week is down from the 112 new cases in the two counties the previous week and the 216 during Feb. 9-15.

Both Orleans and Genesee are each reporting a death in the past week from Covid and Genesee is now at 183 and Orleans at 112 in Covid-related deaths since the pandemic started two years ago, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported.

Statewide the 7-day positivity for Covid tests is below 2 percent (1.84 percent) for the past 7 days and was at 1.64 percent on Tuesday.

The state also is at the lowest hospitalizations since Nov. 10.

“New York State has made great strides in our fight against Covid as hospitalizations and case rates continue to fall,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “However, we need to remain vigilant, and by doing the right thing we can keep our friends and families safe and healthy. Vaccines are our best defense against serious illness from Covid-19, and I encourage all New Yorkers to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as you can, and to get your children vaccinated if they are eligible.”

Press Release, Roy-Hart Central School

Provided photo: Fourth-grade students from Royalton-Hartland Elementary School are excited about the results of their agricultural study project on worms that was a display at a district-wide celebration of the K-12 Agricultural Center of Excellence. The students now have a better understanding of how worms can add fertility to soil and help grow crops. Participating in the project are (from left to right) teacher Jessica Monaco and students Sylas Jones, Chloe Carpenter and Mason Heideman.

MIDDLEPORT – The Royalton-Hartland School District community came together today to celebrate the achievements made in the past four years and future plans for its innovative K-12 Agricultural Education Center of Excellence Program.

School Board leaders, teachers, students, Agriculture Foundation board members, government representatives and community volunteers participated in a celebration event that included tours of the newly-renovated Small Animal Care, Food Science and Agri-Science Labs, an overview of ongoing Farm-to-School activities at the Elementary, Middle and High Schools, accomplishments of the FFA, and future plans for the Ag program.

“With the leadership of the District’s Board of Education and many dedicated partners, we have made great strides in providing opportunities for our many students to explore agriculture and the environment, ultimately pursuing them in college studies with the hope many return to Niagara County to contribute to the local agriculture industry,” said Dr. Hank Stopinski, Roy-Hart superintendent of schools.

“Many event attendees Wednesday saw first-hand the momentum that is building behind agriculture education and career preparation, how engaging and innovative our programs have become and the tremendous dedication driving it on a staff and community-wide basis,” he said.

Roy-Hart High School students have more reason now to pursue a higher education in agricultural sciences with the opening of the three new labs, which in further detail are:

• Small Animal Care Lab: This lab is designed to support the animal science curriculum and provide hands-on learning opportunities for students. Grooming, health exams, sanitation and other small animal concepts are taught in this area.
• Food Science Lab: The lab/classroom space features the latest instructional technology and can serve up to 30 students. It is equipped with multiple workstations for the preparation and processing of food. The lab will be used during the school day in support of the Food Science class, in the evenings and weekends for adult continuing education and special immersion/enrichment experiences for students.
• Agri-Science Lab: This large classroom/lab is designed to allow students to have hands-on learning applications for multiple agricultural education concepts that include, but are not limited to large animal care, aquaponics, hydroponics and floral design.

The Roy-Hart Agricultural Education Center of Excellence Program has also seen the creation of an Outdoor Learning Lab at the Roy-Hart Elementary School, a STEM lab at the high school, and the infusion of a Farm-to-School studies program in the middle school curriculum.

Primary financing for the labs came through funds made available by FMC Corporation to be requested by the Royalton-Hartland School District for qualified projects under the Environmental Benefit Projects Policy of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), in accordance with a 2019 Order on Consent between FMC and NYSDEC.

Additional funding for the program also came from the Grigg Lewis Foundation, with the support of the non-profit Royalton-Hartland Agriculture Foundation, State Farm and ExxonMobil.

Roy-Hart also received an $87,419 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service Farm-to-School Program to further support the high school Food Science Lab with kitchen equipment and stipends for teachers to implement the Food Science curriculum, as well as the build-out of the middle school’s Family and Consumer Science Lab.

Press Release and photo from Supportive Care of Orleans

ALBION – There’s still time to order your bouquets from Supportive Care of Orleans’ annual spring sale! The Annual Hospice Spring Bouquet sale benefiting Supportive Care of Orleans’ is in full swing for 2022.

The sale started on Monday and ends Friday. Last year this fundraiser raised over $15,000 to support Hospice services for residents of Orleans County and organizers are hoping to meet that figure for 2022.

With a goal of selling 2,000 bouquets, Supportive Care of Orleans has already pre-sold and delivered approximately 1,500 bouquets to the community as of March 2.

Volunteers and staff members are selling bouquets until this Friday at the Supportive Care of Orleans campus, located at 14080 RT 31 West in Albion in their main administrative building as well as in their Conference & Counseling Center.

Additionally, members of the community can also pick up bouquets at walk-up locations. The full walk-up location list can be found on Supportive Care of Orleans’ Facebook page in addition to their website at www.scorleans.org.

Supportive Care of Orleans would like to thank everyone who has participated so far in this year’s bouquet sale and encourage those who haven’t to stop by and pick up their bouquet today!

Photo from Rob Ortt’s Office: State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt joins other State Senate Republicans, labor leaders, and stakeholders in raising concern about the Climate Action Council’s Scoping Plan.

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – The New York State Senate Republican Conference today called on all New Yorkers to get involved and submit official public comment on the Climate Action Council’s (CAC) draft Scoping Plan and radical efforts to eliminate reliable, affordable sources of energy.

Natural gas hookups and services, as well as those from propane and heating oil, are vital for New Yorkers – especially in rural communities and during harsh winters – and cutting off these dependable sources of energy would be costly to residents and businesses and ineffective on a global scale.

“This Energy Affordability Crisis, fueled by the failed policies of One-Party Rule, is unaffordable, unforgiving, and unsustainable,” said Rob Ortt, the Senate Republican leader. “The former administration and now Governor Hochul’s administration are trying to rid the state of critical energy infrastructure sources such as natural gas hookups, which will only worsen the problem. This will be ultimately unaffordable for every day, common-sense New Yorkers, leaving them in the dark and in the cold. That’s why it is essential that we make our voices heard and call out these unrealistic ‘climate’ plans, which will only further burden our communities,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt.

The CAC has released a blueprint to alter the state’s energy plans, which includes:

• No new gas service to existing buildings, beginning in 2024;
• No natural gas within newly constructed buildings, beginning in 2024;
• No new natural gas appliances for home heating, cooking, water heating, clothes drying beginning in 2030;
• No gasoline-automobile sales by 2035;
• Installing onsite solar or joining a community renewables program by 2040; and
• Installing geothermal heating by 2040.

New Yorkers have through April 30, 2022 to submit formal public comments on the proposed energy plan. Senate Republicans today encouraged hard-working residents and business owners to make their voices heard on these disastrous policies. New Yorkers can use this link to submit public comments.

In the meantime, New Yorkers continues to face extreme short- and long-term economic challenges, including:

• Inflation – a 7.5 percent spike in consumer prices over last year, the highest since 1982 – including skyrocketing costs for transportation, food, and other essential goods and services;
• Pain at the Pumps – average gas prices in the state have gone up by more than a dollar-per-gallon, or an estimated 39 percent increase from a year ago;
• Rising Home Heating Costs – monthly average home heating oil prices have also risen by more than a dollar per gallon from a year ago, or an estimated 39 percent increase from a year ago;
• Soaring Electric Bills – electric bills and rates have also gone through-the-roof across the state, with the price of electricity rising about 26% on Long Island from a year ago, an expected 46% increase this winter in the Hudson Valley, and some New York State Electric & Gas ratepayers have reported bills spiking 121% higher than the month before, for example. These skyrocketing increases in costs come from the rising cost of fuels internationally and follow the recent shutdown of the Indian Point Power Plant, which provided up to 25% of New York City’s electricity;
• Declining Consumer Sentiment – since 2018, New Yorkers have become less optimistic about overall and future economic conditions, with recent concerns spiking over food and gas prices;
• Overall Tax Burden – New York has the highest tax burden in the nation at 14.1 percent – without factoring in a plethora of other burdensome fees; and
• Economic Freedom – New York has ranked last in the nation in terms of “economic and overall freedom” for years.

“New York State’s pursuit of a zero-carbon future is a worthy goal, but the overall strategy and legislative mandates taken so far need a reality check,” said John J. Murphy, International Representative of the United Association of Journeymen & Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada. “Over the past several years, the path taken has been fraught with severe risks to working New Yorkers and consumers, particularly the poor and elderly, who will continue to see escalating utility bills and less reliability. Legislation that’s been approved, and other bills pending, are creating a dangerous energy supply gap, causing prices to soar, and costing the state thousands of middle-class jobs.”

Press Release, Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – Do you know of a Lyndonville educator or staff member who is exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and has inspired you or your child? If so, please consider nominating them for Lyndonville Central School’s 2022 Educator or Staff Member of the Year.

Lyndonville will be selecting two educators for Educator of the Year, one from elementary (PreK -6) and another from secondary (grades 7-12).

The district will also select one Staff Member of the Year. The nominated educators/staff members must meet eligibility requirements outlined in the nomination packet that can be found on the district’s website.

Winners will be announced during the June 2022 Lyndonville Board of Education meeting. The winning educators will each receive a $1,000 district grant and the winning staff member a $500 district grant.

The grant may be used for any educational initiative or project within the recipient’s school, classroom, program or department. All will receive a plaque commemorating their achievement.

Deadline for nomination submission is March 18, 2022. For eligibility requirements, criteria, timelines and the nomination form, click here.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Jacobs

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) was appointed to the House Education and Labor Committee.

“American students and businesses face unprecedented challenges in today’s world, and I am honored to join a committee focused on finding solutions to these challenges,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs joins the House Education and Labor Committee after Rep. Greg Murphy (NC-03) was appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee in January. Jacobs has long been an advocate for education – his first elected office was a seat on the Buffalo School Board. Additionally, Jacobs started a private voucher program to help students in Western New York attend private or religious schools if their parents chose to send them.

“Giving our students access the highest quality education has long been a priority of mine. Additionally, Western New York, and many other regions in our nation, face a growing shortage of labor in advanced manufacturing and skilled trades. I will be using my position to advocate for policies that put our students first and support strong workforce development initiatives to address our nation’s skilled labor shortage,” Jacobs said. “Finally, together with my work on the House Agriculture Committee I will work to ensure rural students and economies thrive.”

Jacobs has been a frequent advocate for education policy that puts students and parents first. He cosponsored the Parents Bill of Rights to codify parents’ rights in their children’s education. Recently Jacobs cosponsored the Unmask our Kids Act and introduced the Kids in Classes Act to promote school choice and in-person learning. He also introduced the School Resource Officer Act to provide additional resources to law enforcement officers protecting schools. This fall, Jacobs received the Adult Education Champion Award presented by the Coalition on Adult Basic Education for his work to support adult education in Western New York. Finally, Jacobs and Republican Leader Foxx successfully led the charge to have the CDC update COVID guidance to allow for Test-to-Stay options for students.

“As a small business owner and former school board member, Congressman Chris Jacobs is uniquely qualified to sit on the Education and Labor Committee. We welcome Rep. Jacobs’ insights on building a thriving workforce and making K-12 and postsecondary education as effective as possible. I look forward to working with Rep. Jacobs; I know this Committee will benefit from his leadership, experience, and wisdom,” Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) said.

ALBION – The seven candidates for the Albion Village Board shared their goals for the village and why voters should consider them when they go to the polls on March 15. The candidates spoke for two hours during a forum on Tuesday evening at The Lockstone on North Main Street. About 60 people attended the forum.

The candidates all see a strength in Albion’s people. All seven support maintaining the police department and not “defunding” it.

The candidates say more residents need to be an active part of a community revitalization in the business districts and in the neighborhoods.

Vickie Elsenheimer

Vickie Elsenheimer is the Democratic Party candidate for mayor, and Joyce Riley and Sandra Walter are the Democrats running for trustee. All three also are running together on the independent “Move Albion Forward” line.

Elsenheimer retired in March 2021 as an executive assistant to the vice president in the Division of Advancement at Brockport State College. She worked 22 years at Brockport, and 13 years prior to that at Albion Correctional Facility. She also served 17 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, retiring as a sergeant.

She said she has the time to be a full-time mayor and give the village government the attention it needs. She said Albion is struggling and she would make the downtown business district a focus by filling empty buildings. The downtown will need even more consideration from local leaders with the impending closing of the Main Street lift bridge, which could be shut down for two years for extensive repairs.

In her job at Brockport she helped with fundraising and “friend-raising,” and she said Albion needs that approach, bringing more grants and resources to the community, and more allies from other local and state government. She helped Brockport raise $26 million in a campaign for the college.

The downtown needs to a priority because many local residents and prospective businesses judge the community on the looks and energy of the downtown. Right now, the downtown “looks like an abandoned area,” she said. She would push to make rents affordable and pursue grants to help with buildings and beautify the business district.

Albion should better capitalize on being the county seat, she said.

Joyce Riley

“We need to build on that,” she said. “We need to develop community feel of neighbors caring about each other. We need to be at the top of our game and we’re not there right now.”

Joyce Riley is a retired nursing supervisor. She is currently a trustee for Hoag Library and the Cobblestone Museum. She has twice served on the Albion Board of Education.

Riley said Albion can’t keep moving sideways but must move forward. She said the village needs to develop a plan for upgrading all facets of the community, from water and sewer infrastructure, to parks, to the business districts and the neighborhood. She sees the water and sewer plants as a great asset for Albion attracting more businesses. She was adamant that taxes not go any higher.

“We need to be action-oriented,” Riley said. “Don’t only assess and determine a plan of action, but we actually need to go out and do it.”

Sandra Walter

Sandra Walter is retired from CRFS, Dime Bank, Anchor Bank and Kodak. She is the chairperson of the Albion Democratic Party Committee.

Walter said she has run for the Village Board four times now. She said she is determined to make a bigger difference for the village.

She said Albion has faced a steady erosion over the years, with a declining population and limited job prospects.

“I applaud the efforts of revitalization, but there is still a long ways to go,” she said. “We need to all step up together as a community to make Albion a busy and vibrant village.”

Walter said she would support moving the village election to June, like in Holley and Brockport. She said it was be easier for residents to get to know the candidates with the election a few months later in warmer weather.

Angel Javier Jr. has the Republican line for mayor and also is on the independent “Better Together Albion Strong.” Dan Conrad and Tim McMurray also are running with the Republican backing.

Angel Javier Jr.

Javier has he won’t take the mayor’s salary, which is almost $10,000 a year. He owns the former Family Hardware building in downtown Albion and works at Rochester Gas & Electric as a pipefitter apprentice. He is on the Strawberry Festival Committee and a subcommittee of the Planning Board looking for strategies for the downtown buildings.

His first action steps would be talking with local businesses throughout the community to survey their needs and how the village could best help them. He wants a better village website that would promote local businesses, and break down village expenses.

“We need to grow throughout the village, not just downtown, but along the Avenue, at Arnold Gregory and the canal,” Javier said. “There is a perception that Albion is anti-business and we need to change that.”

Javier, who served in the Marine Corps, said he brings a “can-do” attitude and positivity.

“Tell the community we are open of business,” he said.

Dan Conrad

Dan Conrad said he is well connected in the community through his role as president of the Albion Lions Club, a toy and candy business he owns on East Bank Street, and other volunteerism, including serving as a current member of COVA’s board of directors. He also organizes an annual youth fishing derby.

He said he would be a “team player” in working with village employees to make sure the village is run efficiently and providing quality services to residents and businesses.

He said he has experience working with budgets through COVA and also when he was a trustee on the Hoag Library board.

Tim McMurray

“It’s not just the board,” Conrad said about the village trustees and mayor. “It takes business owners, the community, it takes everybody to come together to make the village better.”

Tim McMurray said he would make youth services a focus and would like to see a year-round recreation program, even if it’s a couple Saturdays a month during the winter. McMurray has been a youth football coach for 12 years as well as serving as co-commissioner and on executive board of the youth football league. He is part of the Strawberry Festival Committee and helped with the lighted parade in Albion in December. He most recently worked with Sanzo Beverages as a merchandizer stocking beer.

Like the other candidates, he also supports giving the police department the resources it needs for training to protect the community. He is on a committee trying to put new basketball courts in at Bullard Park.

“I’m not a politician,” he said. “I have no aspirations to ever be one.” He urged residents to be more involved in the community and “be the change.”

Kevin Graham

Kevin Graham is running under the independent “Albion Pride, Working Together.” Graham has worked as a certified public accountant for 23 years and currently is in the finance department at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He previously was the chief financial officer at the Arc of Genesee & Orleans, an organization with a $23 million budget. He said he would bring a financial management expertise to the village’s $7 million budget.

He has been active with Hospice of Orleans, the Arc of Genesee & Orleans, the Special Olympics and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

“Fiscal constraints are our greatest challenge,” he said. “With the rising costs of inflation we need to look every place to try to find efficiencies.”

He said he would connect with other local officials to look for partnerships in providing services. He said he is a true independent, willing to work with everyone, regardless of their political affiliation.

The winners of the March 15 election start their four-year terms on April 1. The village budget needs to be completed by the end of April.

Press Release, Health Departments in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties

The Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming (GOW) County Health Departments and hospitals are currently working with community partners to gather information from residents and those who work in these counties to help with public health planning for the next three years.

The information will help inform and guide documents called the Community Health Assessment (CHA), Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), and Community Services Plan (CSP).

This initiative is part of the New York State Prevention Agenda, the state’s health improvement plan, which is a blueprint for state and local action to improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers.

The 2019-2024 NYS Prevention Agenda Priority Areas are to Prevent Chronic Diseases; Promote a Healthy and Safe Environment; Promote Healthy Women, Infants and Children; Promote Well-Being and Prevent Mental and Substance Use Disorders; and Prevent Communicable Disease. In the 2019-2022 GOW Community Health Improvement Plan, the community survey and community conversations helped inform some of the public health initiatives that the local health departments and hospitals focused on, which were:

• Promote Well-Being and Prevent Mental and Substance Use Disorders – with a focus on preventing opioid overdose deaths
• Prevent Chronic Disease – by promoting tobacco use cessation and increasing cancer screening rates. In the community setting, that effort included improving self-management skills for individuals with chronic diseases, including asthma, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, prediabetes and obesity.

Now, we are looking for community input to help inform the next Community Health Improvement Plan and to fully assess the health status of our communities. We are asking the public to participate by taking a survey and sharing their viewpoints during community conversations. An online survey is available and paper copies will be available at various locations throughout each county. You can access the survey by visiting the following links (In English) and (In Spanish).

The survey is anonymous, only takes about 15 minutes to complete and focuses on the health of the person taking it. If you are under the age of 18 years old, be sure to receive permission to take the survey from your parent(s) or guardian(s).

“As chief health strategists, the health departments are working toward identifying major community health challenges, gaps in services, and other factors that may contribute to a less than optimal health status for our community residents,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “The input from our residents will help identify community health needs, which will ultimately help us to develop our Community Health Improvement Plan for the next few years.”

The health departments are also seeking to schedule Community Conversations with willing groups to learn what they feel are the greatest health concerns or issues in their community and thoughts on how they can be improved.

“This process offers an opportunity for our community members to have a voice about the barriers and issues they face when trying to be healthy,” stated Laura Paolucci Wyoming County Health Department Public Health Administrator. “The more members of the community who participate, the more inclusive and stronger these plans will be.”

To participate in a community conversation, obtain hardcopies of the survey, obtain flyers that promote completing the survey online, or have any questions, please contact your local health department:

• Genesee County Health Department at: 585-344-2580 ext.5555, visit their website (click here).
• Orleans County Health Department at: 585-589-3278, visit their website (click here).
• Wyoming County Health Department at: 585-786-8890, visit their website (click here).