By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 February 2022 at 12:46 pm
ALBION – Village residents can hear directly today from the seven candidates running for the Village Board in the March 15 election.
There will be a forum on March 1 starting at 6 p.m. at The Lockstone, 160 North Main St. The event is sponsored by The Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub.
The event is set up as a forum and not a debate. Candidates will give opening and closing statements, and will respond to questions submitted by the audience. People unable to attend the forum in person can call (585) 623-0688 during the forum between 6:15 and 7:45 p.m.
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.”
The forum is expected to be posted on the Orleans Hub YouTube page.
NY creates conditional adult-use cannabis cultivator license for hemp farmers to grow cannabis
Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation creating a new Conditional Adult-use Cannabis Cultivator license, establishing a pathway for existing New York hemp farmers to apply for a conditional license to grow cannabis in the 2022 growing season for the forthcoming adult-use cannabis market.
Gov. Kathy Hochul
Under the law, conditionally licensed cannabis farmers must meet certain requirements, including safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly cultivation practices, participation in a social equity mentorship program, and engagement in a labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor organization.
“I am proud to sign this bill, which positions New York’s farmers to be the first to grow cannabis and jumpstart the safe, equitable and inclusive new industry we are building,” Governor Hochul said. “New York State will continue to lead the way in delivering on our commitment to bring economic opportunity and growth to every New Yorker in every corner of our great state.”
With a conditional adult-use cannabis cultivation license, farmers can grow outdoors or in a greenhouse for up to two years from the issuance of the license. It also allows them to manufacture and distribute cannabis flower products without holding an adult-use processor or distributor license, until June 1, 2023.
Cultivators are limited to one acre (43,560 square feet) of flowering canopy outdoors or 25,000 square feet in a greenhouse and can use up to 20 artificial lights. They can also split between outdoor and greenhouse grows with a maximum total canopy of 30,000 square feet as long as greenhouse flowering canopy remains under 20,000 square feet.
The Office of Cannabis Management will be developing a license application process and opening the program as soon as possible. To qualify for an Adult-use Cannabis Conditional Cultivator License an applicant must have been an authorized industrial hemp research partner for the Department of Agriculture and Markets, cultivating hemp for its non-intoxicating cannabinoid content for at least two of the past four years and in good standing as of December 31, 2021, when the research program ended.
Holders of the license must also participate in a social equity mentorship program where they provide training in cannabis cultivation and processing for social and economic equity partners, preparing them for potential roles in the industry. Growers will also have to meet sustainability requirements to ensure the cannabis is grown in an environmentally conscientious way.
The Governor’s action today builds on the quick work she and the OCM have undertaken to bring the new cannabis industry to life in New York. In January , the Governor’s Executive Budget proposed a $200 million program that will use industry licensing fees and revenue to provide support to eligible applicants from communities impacted by the overcriminalization of cannabis during its prohibition. The Governor and the Legislature also moved quickly to appoint the Cannabis Control Board and OCM leadership within weeks of the start of her administration. Since the Board held its first meeting on Oct. 5, the OCM has:
• Launched the Cannabinoid Hemp Program, putting in place protections for the public and provisions to help New York’s CBD businesses compete;
• Vastly expanded access to the Medical Cannabis Program, including empowering health care providers to determine if medical cannabis can help their patients, lowering costs by permanently waiving patient fees and allowing the sale of whole flower, and growing the list of providers who can certify patients; and
• Launched its first wave of community outreach events with 11 regional events, including one in Spanish, that’s already engaged more than 5,000 attendees; and
• Developed a pipeline of talented professionals to join the Office’s growing team and built the infrastructure to support the office.
Office of Cannabis Management Executive Director Chris Alexander said, “I can’t thank Governor Hochul and the Legislature enough for providing us with the tools to make up for lost time while also keeping equity and inclusion at the center of the new cannabis industry we’re building in New York. With this bill, we’re putting New York farmers, not big corporations, at the forefront of our industry while protecting public health by delivering safely grown products. We are immediately getting to work implementing the bill so that our farmers can start planting this spring.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 February 2022 at 9:06 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION — Khabir Hillary of Albion speaks during a People Embracing Diversity event on Monday evening at Hoag Library. Hillary took to the podium after the speaker scheduled for the evening, Karima Amin of Buffalo, was unable to attend.
Amin was going to share a program about storytelling. When she was unable to be in Albion, several of the people in the crowd decided to offer their own personal stories.
Hillary spoke about the power of reading. He has always loved a book. He encouraged the crowd of about 50 people to inspire people to read.
“With a book you can go anywhere you want to,” he said.
Hillary also shared about many inventors who were Black, people who had an idea and brought it to the masses.
Sheila McCullough, chaplain at the Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica, stepped in as an emcee to encourage people to share their stories.
McCullough talked about when she was a kid and saved up to buy her grandmother a new Bible. Her grandmother didn’t want a new one. She preferred the well used Bible that was full of her personal marks, highlighting important verses.
Her grandmother instilled in McCullough a passion “to read, read, and read.”
Joyce Riley of Albion, a past president of the Hoag Library board of directors, said she is one of 10 kids in her family. She said it’s an amazing how human kindness can lift a person. In her nursing career that has taken her to many countries and later in public service, Riley said she has learned to be “fearless.” And that fearless includes the courage to make mistakes and learn from them.
Riley said hearing stories from community members filled her with hope.
Henry Smith shared about being one of 24 kids in his family. He was born in South Carolina and moved to Rochester. He worked 32 years at Kodak, earned a master’s degree, and later served on the Gaines Town Board and Orleans County Legislature, as well as running a driving school.
Smith said his father didn’t have a degree, but was the smartest man Smith ever knew. Through it all, Smith said the greatest lesson he knows is “to treat your fellow man with respect.”
Malika Hill recalled her mother, who didn’t stay in school after second grade because she had to work on a farm. Her mother would hold up produce with her bare hands in a grocery store, and could tell you the weight to the exact ounce.
“Education goes way beyond books,” Hill said.
Kae Wilbert, one of the leaders of People Embracing Diversity, urged more community members to be part of the group. People Embracing Diversity has been meeting about five years with a goal of sharing stories and helping people to connect and get to know each other.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 February 2022 at 8:27 am
Bryan DeGraw of 810 Meadworks in Medina picked to serve as vice chairman
LOCKPORT— The Niagara Wine Trail has announced a new executive director and the team of officers on the board of directors.
Bryan DeGraw, owner of 810 Meadworks in Medina, is vice chairman of the organization that includes 14 members in Niagara, Orleans and Monroe counties.
Susan Swiatkowski
DeGraw and his wife LaRissa opened 810 Meadworks in downtown Medina on Nov. 30, 2014. They make mead products and have a tasting room. The DeGraws also have run a concert series at the “beegarten” in the back of the building at 113 West Center St.
Susan Swiatkowski is the new executive director of the Niagara Wine Trail. She has previously served in management with Destination Niagara USA, Old Falls Street USA, the Hard Rock Cafe and the Downtown Niagara Falls Business Association.
As executive director, she provides leadership and support in planning and administration of the 14-member Niagara Wine Trail, which includes three locations in Orleans County. She also will organize wine trail experiences, fundraising and events, public relations and marketing efforts, and manage relationships with partner businesses.
The Niagara Wine Trail officers include Shane Gustafson, chairman and owner of A Gust of Sun Winery & Vineyard, in Ransomville; DeGraw, vice chairman ond owner of 810 Meadworks; and Danielle Neglia, secretary and owner of Long Cliff Vineyard & Winery in Sanborn.
The Niagara Wine Trail will celebrate its 20th anniversary in May. The organization comprises 14 member wineries, situated between the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario.
File photo by Tom Rivers: Bryan DeGraw is pictured in the tasting room of 810 Meadworks at 113 West Center St., Medina.
Each winery on the trail offers a diverse selection of traditional vinifera style, native, late harvest and ice wines, as well as unique styles such as award-winning fruit wines, meads and ciders. Its mission is to “work cooperatively to enhance the wine industry in the region” through an array of intimately authentic and charming guest experiences, the Wine Trail stated.
The wineries of the Niagara Wine Trail, USA, include:
810 Meadworks at 113 West Center St., Medina
A Gust of Sun Winery at 4515 Baer Rd., Ransomville
Bella Rose Vineyard & Winery at 1243 Ridge Rd., Lewiston
Black Willow Winery at 5565 W Lake Rd., Burt
Honeymoon Trail Winery at 4120 Ridge Rd., Cambria
Leonard Oakes Estate Winery at 10609 Ridge Rd., Medina
Long Cliff Vineyard & Winery at 3617 Lower Mountain Rd., Sanborn
Mayer’s Lake Ontario Winery at 1593 Hamlin Parma Town Line Rd., Hilton
Niagara Landing Wine Cellars at 4434 Van Dusen Rd., Lockport
Schulze Vineyards & Winery at 2090 Coomer Rd., Burt
Schwenk Wine Cellars at 1456 Bills Rd., Kent
The Winery at Marjim Manor at 7171 E. Lake Rd., Appleton
Victorianbourg Wine Estate at 4402 East Lake Rd., Wilson
Vizcarra Vineyards at Becker Farms at 3724 Quaker Rd., Gasport
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 February 2022 at 3:34 pm
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a flood watch for Orleans County and much of Western New York from 1 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Between a half inch and an inch of rain is expected Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday night. This combined with warm weather will result in snow melt. This will result in rises on larger creeks and rivers, and potentially will cause flooding at some flood prone areas, the Weather Service said.
Today is forecast to reach about 50 degrees with Tuesday’s high near 56. Wednesday there is a chance for snow showers and a high near 37 and overnight low of 16.
After that the highs are forecast for 22 on Thursday, 25 on Friday and 24 on Saturday.
MEDINA – United Way of Orleans County announces a $10,000 grant award from United Way Worldwide’s Covid-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund.
This grant was awarded to 175 United Ways across the United States and is intended to increase internal capacity and crisis response preparedness, including critical areas such as business continuity planning, IT infrastructure, data security and digital communication platforms.
To date, United Way of Orleans County has provided $144,000 in support to the community in response to the impact of Covid-19. These funds were used to provide housing stabilization services to help keep families in their homes, utility payments, and food and equipment for community food pantries.
This new grant of $10,000 will position the United Way to better respond to future emergencies by providing funding to purchase technology to facilitate employees working from home. Although anyone with an internet connection and a computer can work from home, with the correct equipment and IT infrastructure in place, working from home can be even more efficient and secure.
United Way of Orleans County plans to use this fund to purchase VoIP phone systems and services including a cell phone transferring app, a firewall with VPN, professionally installed and monitored antivirus, and organization-wide offsite digital storage.
IT security equals more efficiency and capacity. With this equipment documents can be shared safely with co-workers from home, phone calls can be better identified as work related, and fraudulent phishing emails and malicious webpages blocked. United Way employees can confidently work from home and spend more time helping the community rather than worrying about a large-scale IT disaster.
“United Way of Orleans County is grateful to have the support needed to increase its capacity to better respond to community needs around Covid-19 and other emergencies and disasters,” said Dean Bellack, Executive Director of the United Way of Orleans County. “It’s not often that organizations receive grant funding that focuses on vital back-office tools such as IT infrastructure, and digital communication platforms and this will allow us to be more agile and responsive.”
United Way Worldwide established the Covid-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund in 2020 to meet the unprecedented human services needs that appeared simultaneously in communities around the world because of the pandemic and the resulting economic fallout. To date, $57.3 million has been raised and distributed to more than 650 Local United Ways to serve immediate needs in their communities, impacting more than 20 million lives.
To learn more about United Way of Orleans County or to give, advocate or volunteer, please visit: www.orleansunitedway.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 February 2022 at 9:32 am
‘Our county is worth saving and we’ll need people like you to make it happen.’
Photos by Tom Rivers: Ken DeRoller, a former Orleans County legislator, speaks to the Leadership Orleans class on Thursday in the Orleans County legislative chambers. DeRoller graduated with the 2020 class and was named the group’s alumnus of the year in 2021.
ALBION – The 26 members of the new class of Leadership Orleans were encouraged to get involved in local government by serving on Planning and Zoning Boards, and then looking to be elected officials at the town, village and county levels.
“We need you to run for office,” Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, told the Leadership Orleans class last week. “We need you on village, town and county offices.”
Johnson spoke to the leadership Orleans class last week. She has been as county legislator for 14 years, and the leader of the Legislature for more than four years.
Orleans County Legislature Chair Lynne Johnson and Lyndonville Mayor John Belson discussed their roles as local government leaders. State mandates drive many of the local tax dollars, they said.
She was a member of the Lyndonville Board of Education when she was asked by former State Assemblyman Charlie Nesbitt to pursue the Legislature with the retirement of former Legislator Jack Beedon.
Johnson spoke to the Leadership Orleans class last Thursday during a focus on Legislative Affairs. Several local officials spoke with the class, and the group toured the Orleans County Office Building, and then broke up into smaller groups and visited the Orleans County Public Safety Building, Village of Albion Sewer Treatment Plant, Village of Albion Water Treatment Plant, Orleans County Department of Public Works, Orleans County Emergency Management Office, and Orleans County Clerk’s Building, Real Property Tax Services, and Treasurer’s Office.
Ken DeRoller, a retired county legislator, gave the opening presentation. DeRoller graduated with the 2020 Leadership Orleans class.
He talked about the importance of “being in the room” with other officials and decision makers, and advocating for the county.
He said connecting with other officials at the local, state and federal levels has paid off for the county in recent years with seven canal bridges overhauled, more of the Lake Ontario State Parkway getting repaved, $17 million in projects along the Lake Ontario shoreline including rebuilt roads, erosion protection, a new boat launch, an expanded Yates town park and more public sewers in Kendall and Hamlin.
DeRoller said the officials also need to do their homework and lay the foundation for projects. He is excited about the possibilities with new waterfront plans along the lakeshore and also the Erie Canal.
Barre Town Supervisor Sean Pogue said the town supervisor position is demanding, with many phone calls during the day and frequent meetings during the month.
“Participate, be a little aggressive and get in the room,” DeRoller told the class. “Our county is worth saving and we’ll need people like you to make it happen.”
DeRoller, during his eight years as a legislator, also said he was proud of the county’s success in collecting more recyclables and electronic waste, and collecting more unused medications through drug take-back days. He also cited the transformation of the long vacant former Holley High School into the village offices and 41 senior apartments, a $17 million project.
DeRoller said he is concerned for the county as the population declines, especially with a student enrollment that has been cut in half in the past 20 years.
“How do we entice the next generation to stay in Orleans County, to live, work and play here?” DeRoller asked.
He said more housing options are needed for residents and families. He also wants to see the waterfront – Lake Ontario and Erie Canal – better utilized for business and recreation.
Besides DeRoller and Johnson, other local government panelists included Sean Pogue, Barre town supervisor; John Belson, Lyndonville mayor (and former Yates town supervisor); John Papponetti, Orleans County commissioner of public works; Jack Welch, county chief administrative officer; Joe Cardone, district attorney, and Charlie Nesbitt, retired state assemblyman.
Belson, the Lyndonville mayor, shared with the Leadership Orleans class that running a local government is challenging, especially when public infrastructure needs to be fixed or replaced. A repair to the Lyndonville dam topped $100,000. The village is facing a $1 million upgrade to its sewer plant in response to mandate from the state. Lyndonville has about 800 residents – not many people to spread out the costs.
“The biggest struggles are how to buy a new pickup truck, keep the residents happy and keep up the quality of life,” Belson said.
Sean Pogue said the role of Barre town supervisor has been very time consuming in recent years with two major energy projects – one with wind turbines and the other with solar panels.
The projects will drastically reduce the town tax burden for property owners, possibly wiping out the town tax bill, Pogue said.
Much of the review process and approvals are out of the town’s control, with a state siting board determining the final say in the project, he said.
The local officials can’t let a big project totally consume their efforts. Pogue said there are still budgets to put together and other initiatives in town. Barre, for example, is talking about a new water tower in the Pine Hill area to boost supply and water pressure in that part of the town.
Pogue said he networks with other local officials, delegates rather than micro-manages, and tries to pump up the town employees with praise.
“This is a part-time job but really it’s full-time,” he said. “It’s a lot of time on the phone, in meetings and the office.”
The Leadership Orleans Class for 2022 is pictured in the stairwell at the Orleans County Office Building on Thursday. The class heard from local government leaders and toured local municipal operations.
The class includes:
Jennifer Ashbery, High School Principal, Albion Central School District
Miranda Bennett, Bookkeeper, Town of Shelby
Dawn Borchert, Tourism Director, County of Orleans
Gloria Brent, President/Owner, MDS Consultants
Gabe Bruning, Owner, Mountain Mule Ciderhouse
Christopher Cappetta, CFO, Garden Trends, Inc., DBA Harris Seeds
Katrina Chaffee, Director of Community Services, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 February 2022 at 7:56 am
Gas prices continue to climb and are getting near $4 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas.
AAA reports the average price per gallon in New York State is at $3.75, up 7 cents in the past week. A year ago, the price was $2.69.
The national price is at an average $3.53, up 4 cents in the past 7 days.
The average price in Orleans County is at $3.757 a gallon, which is up 14.5 cents from the $3.612 on Feb. 7, and up 21.1 cents three weeks ago from the $3.546 on Jan. 31.
Rising crude prices are pushing the price of gas up, AAA said.
“Oil prices remain over $90 per barrel this morning,” AAA said in a news release. “Tension between Russia and Ukraine continues to be a factor in rising oil prices. Russia is a member of OPEC+, and any sanctions based on their actions toward Ukraine may cause it to withhold crude oil from the global market.”
In Western New York, the price is highest in Orleans County at $3.757 a gallon. The average price per gallon in other WNY counties includes: Niagara, $3.655; Genesee, $3.675; Wyoming, $3.756; Erie, $3.715; Chautauqua, $3.659; Cattaraugus, $3.642; Allegany, $3.659; Livingston, $3.735; and Monroe, $3.737.
Historian bemoans technology’s assault on handwritten letters
Orleans County Dept. of History Collection – This letter dated June 19, 1861 was sent from JB Jaquith in Liberty, Missouri, to his sister in Albion.
By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
Illuminating Orleans, Vol. 2, No. 8
The letter pictured above includes the following passage:
“We are in the midst of Civil War. There is (sic) about 3,000 US troops at Kansas City, a detachment came down to Liberty and took 80 secessionists prisoners today. I took seven US sabers, one army pistol and a keg of powder from a secessionist wagon……..
The letter ends:
“I was never so nonplussed in my life. Two months ago, I was the happiest man alive. Since then I have had the bronchitis and my school is broke up. Every kind of business is at a stand, no money, no circulation, can’t collect anything for a year….and last, but not least, my wife’s health is not as good as I could wish it.
Note: While living in Missouri in 1864, Josiah Jaquith was shot and killed by Southern sympathizers for his Union sentiments – Signor
Personal, handwritten letters have long been the main means of communication for those separated by distance. Technology’s assault on letter writing began with the invention of the telephone in 1876 and continued as phones became more accessible and more affordable.
However, the widespread adaptation of internet technology for personal communication in the past ten years caused a huge decline in letter writing. The immediacy of contact and response to emails and texting is addictive. Why would we ever write a letter again? Handwriting! Who can read it? No delete or spell-check! We are too busy to take the time, too harried to compose, too impatient to wait for a response.
But those very elements – time, thought, composition – make letters precious. Letters are also sensory. We hear the plop of the letter in the letterbox, we feel the paper, we see the stamp design, we read the handwriting, we absorb the contents. We may keep the letter if we choose, or we may have the satisfaction of ripping it, burning it, balling it up and tossing it, if so inclined. Much more satisfying than replying with emojis.
Remarkably, many letters have been saved and have survived time and often unfavorable storage conditions. Reading one is like stepping back in time. The Orleans County History Dept. collection includes letters from the 1830s written to Cyrus Jaquith (1799-1866) in Barre. (Incidentally, Mr. Jaquith was married to three sisters: Amanda Bloss, who died in 1835, Percy Bloss, who died in 1838 and Anna Bloss, who survived him and died in 1876.)
Orleans County Dept. of History Collection: These Jaquith letters are from the 1830s.
The earliest letters in this collection were written on large sheets of paper folded in such a way as to form an envelope. The 1834 letter is addressed to Mr. Cyrus Jaquith, Albion, NY, with the instructions: To be left at Albion Post Office in Orleans County, state of NY.
A collection of over 160 letters written by Cora Beach Benton of Albion to her husband Charlie who was serving in the Union Army with the 17th New York Artillery, describes daily life during that time, the financial difficulties faced by those at home and general attitudes to the war. The letters were painstakingly transcribed by Tom Taber into a volume called Hard Breathing Days which is available at NIOGA libraries. These letters show why historians value letters for research: letters convey how people thought and felt at a given time, the writers are describing history as it was happening, the sense of immediacy is palpable.
There is a resurgence of interest in letters. Several websites now offer to mail subscribers a weekly or monthly letter from a historic person, handwritten, on paper or parchment, complete with background material to explain the context.
An English event where real letters are read aloud has become a huge success. LettersLive was first presented in 2013 and most recently attracted an audience of 5,000 at the Royal Albert Hall. The letters selected were written over the centuries by the famous and the unknown. The readers selected are generally actors, so there is an element of performance to the presentation. Whether sad, happy, amusing or dismaying, the letters selected are moving. Grace Bedell’s letter to Abraham Lincoln was featured on the program. It was read by Louise Brealey and Tom Hiddleston.
Inspired by this example, the Medina Historical Society will present a Letters Alive program on at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina. Tom Taber will read a Cora Beach Benton letter. The audience is invited to share aloud their treasured letters.
We each save letters that we cannot bear to destroy. There are surely collections of saved letters in boxes and drawers in your homes awaiting a fresh read. Take an afternoon and step back in time. You may even wish to consider donating the collection to your Town or Village Historian or to the Orleans County Department of History.
Photo and information courtesy of Medina Mustang Boosters
BATAVIA – Medina’s varsity Winter Guard competed for the third time on Saturday when Batavia Central School hosted 17 guards in 7 classifications.
In the Scholastic A class, Medina came in 4th with a score of 66.96, bested by Victor in 1st with 72.98, Jamestown in 2nd with 68.66 and Orchard Park in 3rd with 68.09. The differential between these scores is decreasing each week as Medina competes in a class with larger schools.
Winners in the other classes were Hinsdale Starliners in Novice with 43.63; Victor JV in Cadet with 55.17; Greece in Regional A with 60.90; Lancaster in A1 with 66.99; Gates Chili in Independent A with 76.54 and Luminosa in Senior Class with 73.61.
Medina’s next performances are Lancaster on March 5th and Medina’s home show on March 12th. This year the WG Championships will be held in Medina on April 2nd.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 February 2022 at 9:50 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jerry Mandell, owner of Gennaro’s Pastaria at 701 South Main St. in Medina, stands under a picture of his mother and aunt, who first started an Italian restaurant in Rochester.
MEDINA – Making the leap from owner of Jerry’s Record Tree to an Italian restaurant was a no-brainer for Jerry Mandell.
A Rochester native, Mandell had his record shop in three locations – Spencerport, Henrietta and Greece, when his mother Louise and aunt Vi wanted to open a store to sell their homemade cookies.
Mandell rented a space to them. He said Bea Suhr from Lyndonville had a sewing shop behind his store. When more space became available, Mandell said the landlord let them remodel space for a restaurant, and Gennaro’s opened in 1985.
“My mother and aunt opened on a Wednesday in their restaurant which sat 46 people,” Mandell said. “They ran out of sauce the first night.”
He said all their food was homemade, as is their menu at Gennaro’s Pastaria in Medina. His mother made her sauce the traditional Italian way, with neck bones and pigs feet, and letting it simmer for eight hours. He said they made meatballs 25 to 30 pounds at a time.
After only three weeks in business, Louise and Vi asked Jerry to become partners with them. He sold his record business and joined them. He started first as the maître de and then became bartender.
When his mother and aunt aged to the point they were ready to give up the restaurant, Mandell knew they would be a hard act to follow, so went back to selling stereo equipment. He also became a life coach, which he continues to do today.
When Jerry and his wife Donna decided they wanted to get out of the city, they started looking for a home in the suburbs.
“Medina struck our fancy and we bought a home here,” Mandell said.
He had mentioned to his realtor, Renee Schuner, that he would like to open a small Italian restaurant, and she told him about the small building on the corner of Main and Starr streets, which had formerly been a barbecue place.
“My wife told me I was crazy to open a restaurant at 70, but I want people to be able to enjoy authentic Italian food,” Mandell said. “It is also a tribute to my mother and my aunt.”
A lot of his recipes are his mother’s and aunts, but he adds that he has tweaked them a little bit. Donna, who holds a full-time time with Paychex, makes the family’s special lasagna.
Jerry Mandell stands in doorway of the kitchen in his new pastaria in Medina. The restaurant is designed for take-outs, but a limited number of tables are available for those who want to eat there.
Their menu includes soups, such as Italian wedding, greens and beans, pasta fagioli and their special tomato-based broccoli soup. For appetizers, they have artichokes French, tomato salad and garlic bread with cheese.
A variety of pastas can be ordered with meatballs, sausage, red or white clam sauce and garlic and oil, with optional broccoli and olives.
Specialty dishes include eggplant parmesan, lasagna, gnocchi, cheese ravioli and linguine primavera. Chicken selections are chicken French, chicken marsala, chicken parmigiana and chicken cacciatore. In addition, they offer fettucini alfredo with chicken or chicken and broccoli.
Italian sausage sandwich, meatball sub and chicken parm complete their sandwich menu, along with a personal pan pizza.
They now have traditional Italian desserts, such as miniature cream puffs, cannolis and pizza fritte (fried dough). In the spring Mandell plans to begin offering rum cakes and lemon squares.
All food is cooked to order, and soon he plans to offer other specialties, such as fried escarole with bread crumbs and calamata olives, chicken or steak Gennaro with sherry wine, provolone cheese and capers.
Rebekah Champlin of Medina is manager of the pastaria. For now they are open from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. In the spring, Mandell hopes to open for lunch and offer outdoor seating. The phone number for reservations is (585) 318-4219.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2022 at 7:57 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: The basketball hoop at Bullard Park is pictured in this photo from Aug. 4, 2015. A group is pushing for two new basketball courts at Bullard.
ALBION – A group of community volunteers, including former Kendall and Syracuse University great Roosevelt Bouie, are pushing for two new basketball courts at Bullard park.
Bouie said he learned the game playing as a kid at Bullard, often against tough competition from Albion, Brockport, Batavia and Medina.
Bouie also worked during the summer at Bullard as a park supervisor. It was his first job.
“I owe quite a bit to Bullard park,” Bouie said on Friday during a Zoom call with others working on the project. “It used to be the mecca of basketball.”
The current court was described as decrepit without any upgrades in at least 30 years. The surface is cracked and heaves in places. The same basketball pole and hoops “have been there forever” and the hoops are tipped, said Tim McMurray, one of the volunteers working on the new courts.
McMurray said the current court has too much heaving and is in too rough of shape to be patched up.
Bouie and the community volunteers want to have two new courts and they would be in an area close to Route 31 at a former skating rink and skateboard area, the part of a parking lot with blue paint. Their plan includes an 8-foot-high perimeter fence. There would also be “breakaway rims” that flex back up when there is a slam dunk.
The project could be about $100,000, McMurray said. The group has the Village Board’s blessing to look into grants and support from foundations.
“I think it would be great,” Mayor Eileen Banker said today.
The board has already said it would support having new courts near the front of the park by Route 31.
The village and the community group have Orleans County United Way grantwriter Matt Holland looking into funding options for the project.
The local group also is planning fundraisers. One includes having Bouie, who is nearly 7 feet tall, shoot hoops with people during the Albion Strawberry Festival in June.
File photo: Roosevelt Bouie attended a charity basketball in Kendall in March 2015 when Holley and Kendall teachers played each other.
Bouie said he could see Bullard again becoming a big basketball venue, especially for 3-on-3 tournaments and those events could raise funding for ongoing maintenance of the courts.
Bullard has recently received about $800,000 in upgrades with a splash park, playground equipment, amphitheater, and utility building with bathrooms.
The basketball court hasn’t been touched in more than a generation. That space could be used for parking, especially for events at the amphitheater, the committee said.
The group stressed that the Albion community lacks outdoor courts. There aren’t any at the school campus.
The community group wants to have an engineer assess the old rink and skate park to see if that surface can be salvaged for a basketball court or if it needs to be torn out and a new surface put down.
Susan Oschmann, one of Bouie’s Kendall classmates, recently moved to Albion and is pushing the new courts. She noticed the lack of courts in Albion especially when the parks were closed for several months in 2020 in the earlier days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“All I hear is complaints about the youth,” Oschmann said. “But as adults and taxpayers it is our responsibility to put in the effort to give them something to do.”
She wants to see more recreational opportunities for children and residents in Albion. She is surprised there are so few outdoor courts in the community.
Others besides McMurray, Bouie and Oschmann in the effort so far include Steve Mowers, CRFS president; John Grillo, recreation director; and Holland, the grant writer.
Bouie is in the Syracuse University Hall of Fame and his number 50 has been retired by the Orange. He led the team to a record of 100-18 from 1977 to 1980. Bouie was a first-team All-BIG EAST Conference selection in 1979-80. He was picked in the second round of the 1980 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Bouie instead chose to play professionally in Europe for 13 seasons.
He has moved back to Kendall. The school retired his jersey in June 2012, the first one picked by Kendall with the recognition.
Bouie was a force for Kendall in the mid-1970s when the school won five straight sectional titles. Kendall had a record of 65-1 during his sophomore, junior and senior years, including 55 straight wins during one stretch.
Bouie said he traces his basketball origins to playing at Bullard.
By Kim Pritt, Contributor Posted 19 February 2022 at 3:00 pm
Let’s go on an adventure together….Along the West Coast!
A beautiful arch in the gardens at the Mission at San Juan Capistrano near Long Beach, CA.
The first time I visited California was many years ago on a work related trip to Los Angeles. I spent three or four days there for a seminar and during my evenings I did all the touristy stuff in Hollywood – Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the Griffith Observatory (where Rebel Without a Cause was filmed), downtown (Rodeo Drive), etc. I had upgraded my rental to a Mustang convertible and drove a ways up the Pacific Coast Highway – wow that was amazing! I also took a drive up Mulholland Drive – I’d seen it so many times in movies. Then, I tacked on a couple vacation days to take a side trip for a long weekend visiting a friend near Sacramento. We took day trips to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and another day to Lake Tahoe – so beautiful. Until 2017, that was my only taste of the West Coast.
In 2017, I took about 15 days and did the West Coast top to bottom. What a trip that was! I originally was just going to take a West Coast cruise. But, I kept adding onto it….you, know….while I was out there and all!
If you’re ever in San Francisco, be sure to include a visit to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. It is a stunning walk through gardens and architecture.
I flew out to San Francisco on March 25th and got on Princess Cruise Line’s Grand Princess cruise ship. The cruise was one week long and made stops at Santa Barbara, Long Beach, San Diego, and Ensenada, Mexico. It was wonderful! I think it is up there as one of my top three cruises. When we left the port, we sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge, which was pretty cool. I saw so many wonderful things on the excursions at each stop. In Santa Barbara I did wine tastings and time at an authentic Dutch village. In Long Beach, I skipped the LA/Hollywood attractions because I had done them before. Instead, I took a tour that included time at The Mission at San Juan Capistrano and lunch in Laguna Beach – both were incredible! When we got to San Diego, I chose a harbor cruise and saw lots of critters, sky divers over the harbor, and sights along the shore. I didn’t get off the ship in Ensenada – there were only a couple excursions offered and none really interested me and some of the other passengers who had been there before said there wasn’t much to do on your own. I kind of regret that decision – I really should have done “something” other than lounge pool-side for the day, but that’s OK, I’d been to Mexico before, so wasn’t passing up the chance to say I’d been there.
The cruise returned to San Francisco and I spent a few days there. I stayed at a wonderful hotel called the Cow Hollow Inn on the corner of Lombarde and Steiner Streets – GREAT location and very nice rooms! I did a lot of wandering around on my own and taking hop-on-hop-off tours to see the city – including the Golden Gate Bridge, an awesome Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, the Haight-Ashbury district, Fisherman’s Wharf, China Town, all the stunning architecture, and so much more! I took a couple day bus trips – one to Napa Valley and Sonoma and one to Muir Woods and Sausalito. Both tours were amazing – wonderful wineries, gorgeous landscapes, and those magnificent, massive trees!
A must see in Seattle is the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum – simply incredible. It is located near the Space Needle and you can get a combo ticket that includes admission to the Observation Deck on the Space Needle and the Chihuly museum.
Then, I took the Coast Starlight Train from San Francisco to Seattle. It is an overnight train ride through northern California, Oregon, and ends in Seattle, Washington. It was a wonderful experience. The train actually starts in San Diego – someday, I’m going to do the entire trip. I spent two days in Seattle, staying at the Hyatt Seattle Downtown – another perfect location! I was able to walk to the Space Needle, where I took the elevator to the observation deck and had lunch in the revolving restaurant. In that same area, I popped into the Museum of Pop Culture and the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum – that was stunning!!! I spent a day at the Public Market and watched the fish mongers throwing fish at Pike Place Fish Co. I also took an impromptu Duck Tour – an amphibian vehicle that took us around the city and splashed down in the harbor for a cruise.
So…..in about 15 days, I saw the west coast from top to bottom, covered three states and two countries, and did it all using planes, trains, automobiles, ships, and boats!!! Can’t beat that with a stick, huh?
Visit these blog posts for more information and photos from my West Coast Adventure:
MEDINA – United Way of Orleans County announces a $10,000 grant award from United Way Worldwide’s Covid-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund.
The letter pictured above includes the following passage:
