By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 February 2022 at 2:45 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Mary Grace McCormick, 10, of Albion wipes out coming down the sledding hill at Bullard Park in Albion this afternoon.
It is a perfect day to go sledding with lots of fresh snow, sunshine and temperatures in the mid 30s.
Allie Kekoe, 8, of Hilton carries an inner tube of a Narwhal, a whale with a large protruding tusk. Allie was visiting family in Albion and joined them in sledding at Bullard.
Joseph Dibley and his son Keegan, 4, of Albion head down the east side of the hill on a toboggan.
The father and son get ready to walk back up the hill for another ride down the hill.
This photo was taken up from the highest point of the hill, looking out on the south side of the hill. There were about 20 people sledding at 2 p.m. with some people serving hot cocoa from the parking lot.
Tosh Spilberg, 13, of Wayland rides a green disc down the hill. He was visiting family in Albion.
Susan Oschmann of Albion has fun going down the hill with her granddaughter Gemma.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 6 February 2022 at 9:50 am
With just two weeks remining in the regular season, the tight back-and-forth three-way race for the Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball title will continue this coming week with a number of key games.
Front-running Roy-Hart (6-2) will face Akron (3-4) twice first on Wednesday in a make-up game and again on Friday. Runner-up Medina (6-3) will visit third place Newfane (5-3) on Tuesday. Newfane will also visit rival Wilson (4-5) on Friday.
In the Genesee Region League rivals Holley and Kendall will meet at Kendall on Tuesday for the boys’ game and at Holley on Wednesday for the girls’ contest.
Weekly Schedule Monday Boys Basketball – Barker at Lyndonville, 6:30 p.m. Girls Basketball – Lyndonville at Barker, 6 p.m.; LeRoy at Holley, Alexander at Kendall, 7 p.m.
Tuesday Boys Basketball – Medina at Newfane, Wilson at Albion, Barker at Akron, 6:30 p.m.; Holley at Kendall, 7 p.m. Girls Basketball – Akron at Barker, 6 p.m.; Newfane at Medina, Albion at Wilson, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday Boys Basketball – Barker at Albion, Akron at Roy-Hart, 6:30 p.m. Girls Basketball – Roy-Hart at Lyndonville, 6:30 p.m.; Kendall at Holley, 7 p.m.
Thursday Boys Basketball – Elba at Lyndonville, Attica at Holley, Kendall at Alexander, 7 p.m. Girls Basketball – Albion at Barker, 6 p.m.
Friday Boys Basketball – Albion at Barker, Newfane at Wilson, 6 p.m.; Roy-Hart at Akron, 6:30 p.m.; Kendall at Attica, 7 p.m. Girls Basketball – Barker at Albion, Akron at Roy-Hart, Wilson at Newfane, 6:30 p.m.; Lyndonville at Elba, Holley at Attica, 7 p.m.
Saturday Boys Basketball – Notre Dame at Medina, 4:30 p.m. Girls Basketball – Attica at Kendall, 1:30 p.m., Lyndonville at Notre Dame, TBD Wrestling – Section V and Section VI championships
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 February 2022 at 9:29 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: An Orleans County DPW employee works on clearing the sidewalk on East Park Street after a big snowstorm on Jan. 17.
Orleans County residents will get a break from brutal winter weather this week. The high temperatures will be in the 30s and the forecast doesn’t call for any significant snowfall.
The county has been gripped in a deep freeze for much of 2022. We’ve also been hit with two storms dropping at least a foot of snow since Jan. 17. Residents and highway crews are running out of places to put the snow.
Here is the forecast this week for Orleans County from the National Weather Service in Buffalo:
Today: Sunny with a high near 33, and overnight low of 24.
Monday: Partly sunny with high near 39 and overnight low of 23 with scattered flurries.
Tuesday: High near 30 with scattered flurries and overnight low around 17.
Wednesday: Chance for showers and high near 38 with overnight low of 28.
Thursday: High near 34 with chance of snow showers and overnight low around 19.
Friday: Mostly cloudy with high near 32 and overnight low of 22.
The Gaines Centennial Parade held in Childs in September 1909 included a team of oxen.
By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian – Vol. 2, No. 6
The struggles encountered by the first settlers in this area are well documented – the long arduous trip from New England or southern New York State, the rough terrain, the hard work required to clear the land.
Their first-person accounts, which are chronicled in the 1871 book Pioneer History of Orleans County by Arad Thomas, describe their struggles and achievements.
But none of those accomplishments would have been possible without oxen. It was ox-power that pulled the laden wagons. It was ox-power that hauled tree stumps out of the ground and logs to the mills.
Oxen, being slow, steady and sure-footed, were more suited to the journey west than horses. They could pull heavier loads than horses, and having more stamina, they could pull steadily for longer periods of time.
Oxen are castrated male cattle, four years old, who have been trained to work. They are referred to in the Bible and were used throughout Europe in medieval times. Oxen are not native to this country, but were brought here by Edward Winslow, a Plymouth Pilgrim who was sent back to England for supplies. He returned in 1624 with three Devon heifers and a Devon bull.
The early travelers to this area generally had one team of oxen, though Andrew Weld of Vermont came in a wagon pulled by three yoke of oxen. The journey generally took a month.
Seymour B. Murdock’s account is one of the more colorful of the Pioneer reminiscences:
“In the transit from Dutchess County, we had a hard time, traveling with an ox team, with a family of twelve persons. We were little more than a month on the way.
From the Genesee River to Clarkson Corners was one dense wilderness.
The roads, if they could properly be called, were completely impassible.
At the crossing of Otter Creek in Gaines, fire had consumed the logs…. which left an almost perpendicular ascent for us to rise. To accomplish this, we took off our oxen and drove them up the old road, and then with teams on the hill, and chains extending from them to the tongues of the wagons below, we drew our wagon up. In doing this, at one time, the draft appeared too much for the team, the oxen fell and were drawn back by the load, and the horn of one of the oxen catching under a root, was torn entirely off.”
The early years were difficult for all, particularly 1816, “The Year with No Summer.”
Adin Manley recalled:
“We had three yoke of oxen and nothing for them to eat, this was the worst of all. We turned them into the woods and cut browse for them, but the poor cattle suffered much.”
Later, when the settlers were more established, oxen played a role in the well-earned “mirthful enjoyment” enjoyed by the younger people. William C. Tanner recounted:
“As cold weather approached, our season for evening parties commenced.
We sometimes went four or five miles to an evening party, on an ox sled, drawn by two yoke of oxen, with as many passengers as could pile on, and as far as appearances would prove, all enjoyed both the ride and the dance first rate.
The first regular ball we attended was held at what is now Millville, in Shelby, July 4, 1819.”
This ball was held in the upper room of a new store, presumably the location of what was later the T.O. Castle store and Post Office, on the corner of Maple Ridge Road and East Shelby Roads.
Oxen were used in Orleans County for quite some time. The Ballou diaries, written in the early 1850s in the Town of Carlton refer to their oxen:
October 21, 1851: Got the oxen shod.
May 24, 1852: One of the oxen is sick.
October 12, 1852: Hosea traded the oxen off today for a horse.
The Agriculture Society of Ridgeway and Shelby’s Fourth Annual Competition held in Medina in September 1861, included a category for Working Oxen “Particular reference will be made to the matching and docility of the animals.”
The Orleans County Agricultural Society Fair held in Albion in June 1871, also included a category for Working Oxen, one for the Best Pair of Working Oxen and one for the Best String of Ten Yoke of Oxen.
Once their laboring days were past, oxen were suitable for providing beef at the age of eight. Ox tongue, oxtail and ox tripe could also be enjoyed while roasted ox heart was an old English classic dish. Ox or cow foot soup was yet another thrifty use of the humble ox. Ox hides were used to make leather.
Despite their stellar qualities, oxen were superseded by horses, as Arad Thomas observed:
“A little progress, and pride and ambition substituted horses and lumber wagons as the common vehicles of travel, in place of the oxen and sleds.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 February 2022 at 7:32 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Ashlea Strouse of the Kendall school district leads the All-County elementary band in “Starsplitter Fanfare” during today’s All-County Festival, featuring some of the top music students at Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina.
The All-County music festival returned after the 2021 event was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. Holley hosted the festival today in the Junior-Senior High School Gymnasium instead of the school auditorium.
The crowd sizes were smaller than in the past. Rather than have the crowd stay for the entire event, the spectators left after each group performed at the elementary, junior high and high school levels.
The 183 students rehearsed together for the first time today, from the morning through early afternoon until the 3 p.m. concert.
There will be a second All-County Festival in March featuring the elementary chorus, junior high band and senior high chorus.
There were 61 students selected for the senior high band.
Kelly Marzano of Holley directs the junior high chorus in singing “Tuimbe.” The Orleans County Music Educators Association organizes the All-County Festival. Instead of having guest instructors from other districts, teachers from the five districts in Orleans directed the bands and chorus today.
The junior high chorus included 63 students from the five school districts in the county.
Jim Steele of Medina leads the senior high band in performing “Rest.” Steele is retiring after this year. Two of his former students, Zach Busch and Kyla Leno, also led the senior high band. Busch is now a teacher at Holley and Leno teaches at Kendall.
The elementary band included 59 students.
Zach Busch directs the senior high band in performing “Vanishing Point.” Busch is president of the Orleans County Music Educators Association.
Some of the trombone players perform during the senior high concert.
Jennifer Trupo of Lyndonville leads the junior high chorus’s performance of “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel.”
The tuba players brought some big brass sounds to the concert.
Kyla Leno of Kendall directs the senior high band in “His Honor.”
Rachel Trillizio of Medina leads the junior high chorus in performing “Sing To Me.”
By Kim Pritt, Contributor Posted 5 February 2022 at 3:00 pm
Let’s go on an adventure together….a Maple Syrup Adventure!
Bruce at Merle Maple Farm was our tour guide and took us through the entire process from tapping trees to processing the maple into syrup and sugar. So interesting!
Maple season in Western New York is about to get started, so I thought I’d talk about some great maple infused adventures I’ve experienced. A big spring crop that is very plentiful in our area is maple syrup and all things maple. There is an abundance of “sugar shacks” that harvest the sap from maple trees and produce the sweetest of delights…..fresh, pure maple syrup and maple sugar. And, by the way, New York is second only to Vermont when it comes to maple production and the sugar maple tree is the state tree of NY.
There are typically two weekends in the spring that are officially called “Maple Weekend” where you can visit many of the area’s maple producers for tours and a chance to purchase and, in most cases, taste the freshly made treats. I searched for the dates for this year’s Maple Weekends and found two sites that list it as March 19-20 and 26-27, 2022. I’m not absolutely sure that’s correct, but you’ll be able to easily confirm that as we get closer to the season. I see that Cartwright’s Maple Tree Inn has announced they will be open for their famous pancake breakfasts starting February 8 through April 10.
Got a sweet tooth? Well, this will surely satisfy it for you. These are pure maple sugar forms that were freshly made when we were offered a sample. So good….so sweet….but so good!
My very first taste (literally) of Western New York maple was in 2016. That time I went with a group from my church. We gathered early in the morning and carpooled to Cartwright’s Maple Tree Inn in Short Track, just outside Angelica, NY – about a one and a half hour or so drive. Cartwright’s is famous for their all you can eat buckwheat pancake breakfast – it includes ham, sausage, beverage of choice, and the never ending pancakes….and, of course, their own pure maple syrup. I’m not sure, but I think you can get an option that also has eggs, but why??? You will want to save as much room as possible for as many of those buckwheat pancakes as you can possibly eat. Hahaha (I don’t want to brag, but I believe I ate 6) Cartwright’s also has a gift shop near the dining room and a museum in the lower level that has lots of antique equipment. If they are processing, you can also go in and see that happening, as well. I got to see that on this trip and the aroma in that room was enough to make me a bit dizzy — so amazing. It’s a really cool place and the breakfast is TO DIE FOR!!!
A griddle loaded with delicious buckwheat pancakes waiting to be served with pure maple syrup at Cartwright’s Maple Tree Inn, Short Track, NY – just outside Angelica.
After breakfast, we drove to downtown Angelica to shop. Angelica is a tiny little town full of unique shops and antiques. I remember it was a nice, warm, sunny spring day and I enjoyed sitting on a bench soaking in the fresh air and enjoying the feel of the quaint little town after I finished shopping. Angelica is also famous for their salt-rising bread – that was my first time having that local treat, as well. After we left Angelica, some of us took a drive through Letchworth State Park on the way home. It was an amazing day.
In 2018, I made the trip on a bus tour hosted by the Cobblestone Society. Our first stop on that adventure was the Merle Maple Farm in Attica, NY, where we learned all about the process of tapping trees, getting the sap to the sugar shack, and producing pure maple syrup and maple sugar. This was the first I had heard words like “Permeate”, “Retentate”, and “RO” since I retired from the Pharmaceutical industry. I’m proud to say I understood everything our guide was saying about the process of extracting and purifying the sap into syrup and sugar products. If memory serves, I think some of the others on the tour also enjoyed some maple ice cream while at Merle’s, too. After our tour, we went to Cartwright’s for that wonderful buckwheat pancake breakfast.
Downtown Angelica, NY is full of unique shops, antiques, bakeries, and the famous salt-rising bread. If in the area, it makes for a wonderful stop to shop and relax.
In 2019, I also went on the Cobblestone Society’s bus tour. This time, we went to downtown Angelica to shop, first. We even had the opportunity to pre-order some pies from the bakery in Angelica – I treated myself to an egg custard pie that was heavenly and brought back wonderful memories of my grandmother, who made the BEST egg custard pie. After shopping, we….of course….went to Cartwright’s for buckwheat pancakes. We also had an amazing guide on the bus – Georgia – who was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about maple production and products. She was fascinating and I learned so much. If the Cobblestone Society does this bus tour again, I highly recommend it.
There are a lot of other sugar shacks around the area that participate in Maple Weekend every year. A little research could provide you with so many options to make the two weekends jammed full of wonderful adventures and delicious treats. In 2020 and again last year, I had hoped to venture out and explore some of the other locations, but Covid pretty much threw a wrench in that plan. Maybe I’ll get to do it this spring.
Visit these blog posts for more information and photos from three separate maple infused adventures: 201520182019
By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director – Vol. 3 No. 4
GAINES – The historic hamlet of Childs is home to a one-of-a-kind local artifact that the Cobblestone Museum refers to as “The Cyclorama.” Webster’s Dictionary defines the term as a curtain or backdrop for a stage, which was exactly the original purpose of our Cyclorama.
The colorful “curtain” was prepared for the Murray Grange, No. 1292 (Patrons of Husbandry) in 1929, and was used as a theatrical backdrop for their invited musicians who entertained at dances and meetings held in the Grange Hall.
The backdrop was produced by the Anderson Scenic Company of Buffalo. The Murray Grange was formed in December 1912, and they held their meetings in a building known as the “Modern Woodmen Hall,” located in Murray. (Modern Woodmen was a fraternal organization formed in the late 19th century.)
The Murray Grange existed until 1917 when many of their members went off to war. The Grange surrendered its charter with many members joining Clarendon Grange, while others elected to take a dimit card, hoping the Murray Grange would be reinstated after the Great War. About ten years later in 1927, the Murray Grange was reorganized with an enrollment of 32 Charter Members. The organization continued meeting in their original Grange building. Eventually, the Grangers outgrew their building and their large membership forced the Chapter to seek a larger building.
In February 1928, Murray Grange No. 1292 purchased the 19th century building at the northeast corner of Routes 104 and 237 in Murray. For many years prior, the building had served as a second-hand store operated by William Fuller. The building was modernized and electric lights were added to accommodate Grange meetings.
Four years later in 1932, the Orleans Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) dedicated a monument in front of the Murray Grange building, honoring George Washington and Revolutionary War soldiers from the County.
The former location of the Murray Grange as it looks today is shown above.
The historic marker honoring George Washington was dedicated at the corner in 1932 and remains in place today.
In 1929, the Murray Grange purchased the aforementioned theatrical backdrop and used it in their new building to provide a colorful way to decorate their hall and provide acknowledgement for the many businesses that had supported their efforts.
The drapery around the advertisements was painted bright red, and the individual ads were painted blue, pink and yellow. Advertisers on the backdrop are:
J.B. Merrill & Sons Furniture & Funeral Directors, Holley-Albion-Kendall
W.J. Hatch, Feed & Seeds, Holley.
In the course of over 80 years of business, most of these businesses have closed without a trace today. However, two business still operate in some fashion. Merrill-Grinnell continues today as part of Mitchell Family Funeral Homes and N.L. Cole Lumber carries on through the name Stockham Lumber.
The Murray Grange (Patrons of Husbandry) flourished for several decades until declining membership forced it to dissolve in the mid-1960s. At some time after this, the Cyclorama, a colorful piece of local history, was given to the Murray-Holley Historical Society. But, because of very limited hanging space, the Cyclorama had to be rolled up and stored, out of public view.
Fast forward to 1997, after several decades of storage, Murray-Holley Historical Society representative, Marsha DeFilipps, approached Bill Lattin about donating the backdrop to the Cobblestone Museum. The Museum board gladly accepted this outstanding piece of local Americana and hung it on the west wall of Farmers Hall on their Route 98 Artisans Campus. This position of honor is still the home for the Cyclorama, today. Shown above, Town of Murray Historian Marsha DeFilipps (right), receives an honor at a meeting of the Murray-Holley Historical Society in 1988, presented by Dee Robinson.
The picture above shows the appearance of the west wall of Farmers Hall prior to the installation of the Cyclorama. Local Social Studies teacher, Gary Kent, is seen standing with his class of students from Kendall School in 1979. (Gary’s students were the first school group to tour Farmers Hall.) The raised platform on which Gary is standing was originally the choir loft when the building was used as the Kendall Universalist Church. Later, the building became the Kendall Town Hall, before being moved from Kendall, board-by-board, to the Cobblestone Museum and reconstructed in 1978 and 1979.
The Cyclorama adds its beauty to the collection of farm tools proudly displayed in Farmers Hall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 February 2022 at 9:17 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – American Red Cross staff help volunteers give blood during a blood drive on Friday at the Orleans County YMCA.
About 20 donors gave blood during the drive which was sponsored by Orleans Community health and the Orleans County YMCA. More than 30 people made appointments, but many were no-shows on a tough weather day.
Kim Balcerzak of Medina was among the donors on Friday. She has been a regular blood donor the past 18 months, after not giving blood before that. She started giving blood in honor of her mother-in-law.
Balcerzak, 57, also said she is aware of the critical blood shortage.
“People need it,” she said about the blood donations. “I hope there would be some for me if I ever need it.”
Orleans Community Health, parent organization of Medina Memorial Hospital, helped promote the blood drive, and highlighted the national blood crisis. The American Red Cross, for the first time in its history, has declared a national blood crisis.
Since March 2020, the American Red Cross has reported a 10% decline in overall donations. If donation levels do not return to normal soon, many patients in need of transfusions will not receive them, the Red Cross said.
The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis – its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. Amid this crisis, doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.
Some upcoming blood drives include:
Feb. 22, 2 to 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Club in Medina
Feb. 24, noon to 5 p.m. at Elba Fire Hall
Feb. 25, 1 to 6 p.m. at Clarendon Fire Company
Feb. 28, 1 to 6 p.m. at Middleport Fire Hall
March 2, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Elba High School
March 3, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Kendall Jr.-Sr. High School
March 15, 12:30 to 7 p.m. at Albion Elks Lodge
To make an appointment or for more information, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 February 2022 at 8:21 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Cruisers perform this evening at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina as part of the Finally Fridays concert series.
The group includes, from left: George Litz on guitar and vocals, fill-in drummer Mike Stamp, Gary Withey on keyboards and vocals, and Dennis Beausoleil on base.
The series was cancelled last year due to Covid-19 concerns and restrictions. It opened for the season on Jan. 7 with different bands performing every Friday at 7 p.m. until March 4. About 50 people attended tonight’s concert.
The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council provides funding for the nine-week concert series.
Upcoming concerts include Heenan Brothers on Feb. 11, Mr. Mustard on Feb. 18, Pocket Change on Feb. 25, and Cuisle Mo Chroi on March 4.
George Litz sings “I’m Ready” by Freddie King. The Cruisers play a folksy, bluesy kind of Americana. The band was without lead singer Gary Jones, who expects to be back soon.
Mike Stamp sings “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Gary Withey sings the opening number for the Cruisers.
Dennis Beausoleil jams with the band at the Medina library.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $76.4 million in funding for 38 projects to renew and modernize New York’s freight rail infrastructure, including $985,000 to the Falls Road Railroad Company.
Genesee Valley Transportation in Batavia owns Falls Road, a railroad that runs from Lockport to Brockport, and includes about 25 miles in Orleans County.
The funding for Falls Road will go toward safety and service reliability enhancements, including the replacement of the rail bridge deck over the Erie Canal and ties along the mainline.
The $76.4 million announced by Hochul’s office on Thursday are 100 percent state-funded grants. They complement the more than $100 million annually in private infrastructure investments made in New York by the freight rail industry.
Strategic investments in freight rail improvements are essential for maintaining and enhancing market access for manufacturing and agricultural businesses across the State, including Alcoa in the North Country Region, Corning in the Southern Tier Region, and Lackawanna Products in the Western New York Region, Hochul said.
“The infrastructure projects funded with these grants will further fuel our economic comeback with new construction jobs, while making regional economies more competitive in the long term and enhancing the movement of commodities in an environmentally sustainable way,” the governor said in a news release. “As New York leads the nation in its efforts to combat climate change, we will continue to prioritize funding for initiatives that promote economic growth in a responsible manner while mitigating threats to our environment.”
The Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program, administered by the New York State Department of Transportation, supports investments that enhance the safe movement of freight goods, improves service reliability to retain and grow manufacturing jobs, and supports economic development, especially upstate, Hochul said.
ALBION – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) has written a letter to Gov. Hochul at the behest of school districts within the 139th Assembly District requesting that she put forward guidance to school districts that would provide a “path to normalcy” by ending all state-mandated Covid-19 mitigation measures and returning control of such policies to local school districts.
“I am a firm believer that one-size-fits-all mandates are an inappropriate strategy,” Hawley wrote in his letter to Hochul. “The schools in my district are predominantly located in rural areas. In-school learning, supplemented by online learning as needed, was difficult at best in the beginning of the pandemic. The schools in my district developed plans, as best they could without reliable and accessible broadband.”
In recent weeks, school district superintendents throughout the state have called for the creation of such a plan, following an over 90% decrease in new Covid-19 cases statewide since infections peaked on Jan. 7.
“If we’re looking at the data to guide our decisions as policymakers, it’s become clear the time has come to restore authority to local school districts to make the best decisions possible for students in their communities,” said Hawley. “I’ve always been guided by the belief that local decision-makers know how to best serve the interests of their neighbors. Throughout the pandemic our rural school districts have managed to implement creative and effective solutions to comply with mandates, as difficult as that’s been with how many students lack reliable broadband access.
“If their rightful authority to design and enforce policies of this nature is returned to them, I’m certain the measures they choose to implement will be ones that both enhance the learning experience for students and protect their health, without disrupting their education.”
Editor’s Note: the 13 school district superintendents in Genesee and Orleans counties on Feb. 1 sent a letter to Gov. Hochul, asking for an “exit strategy” from universal masking in schools.
The superintendents asked Hochul to get away from “one-size-fits-all mandates” with universal masking and Covid testing. The school leaders said those mandates from the state “caused unnecessary challenges for us.”
The superintendents asked Hochul and state Department of Health to develop guidance for “mitigation measures, but not mandates,” with local control “fully restored to our school districts to enable us to make decisions appropriate for our individual communities, in consultation with our local DOH.”
The letter was signed by the district superintendents at Albion, Alexander, Batavia, Byron-Bergen, Elba, Holley, Kendall, Le Roy, Lyndonville, Medina, Oakfield, Pavilion and Pembroke.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 4 February 2022 at 7:55 am
Snow, which closed area schools today, has caused the postponement of this evening’s schedule of Niagara-Orleans League boys and girls basketball games.
Those contests included Albion vs. Medina, Barker vs. Roy-Hart and Akron vs. Wilson.
The postponements leave Albion with a total of six N-O games to get in over the final two weeks of the regular season as the Purple Eagles also already had a game against Barker to make up, Roy-Hart has five games to play and Medina four.
In addition, the Lyndonville at Notre Dame and Kendall at Attica Genesee Region League boys games have also been postponed.
The Niagara-Orleans League vs. Genesee Region League girls swim meet, which was scheduled for this evening at Gates-Chili, has been postponed until Saturday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 February 2022 at 5:00 am
County offices also closed due to inclement weather
Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina have all cancelled school today due to wintry weather.
The county is under a winter storm warning until 1 p.m. today with another 1 to 3 inches of snow expected today, after the area got about 8 to 12 inches on Thursday.
Due to the inclement weather and safety concerns for the Orleans County employees and residents, Orleans County Legislature Chairman Lynne Johnson has declared that the Orleans County offices will be closed Friday, Feb. 4.
All emergency personnel, DPW and maintenance employees are to report to work.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 February 2022 at 5:26 pm
Wild Flour makes food from scratch, will expand dining room
Photos by Tom Rivers: Beth Miller, owner of Wild Flour Deli & Bakery, holds a turkey Reuben sandwich which she calls Daffodil. Miller has 11 sandwiches on the menu which are all named after flowers and offers a build-your-own sandwich option.
ALBION – Beth Miller was making sandwiches and soups from scratch out of her kitchen in Albion during the early days of the Covid pandemic about two years ago. She made the meals for friends and family.
She wanted to offer a healthier option than fast food and pizza.
Miller received good feedback, and her friends and family urged her to take her skills to a bigger audience with her own business.
On Nov. 1, she opened the Wild Flour Deli & Bakery at 438 West Ave. in Albion. Initially, she prepared the sandwiches, soups and salads by herself, making deliveries and offering pickup from a hallway.
Beth Miller prepares soups – French onion, Wisconsin cheddar, and chili – in the kitchen at Wild Flor this morning.
Word soon spread about Wild Flour. Miller now has five employees. She added a dining area and soon will be opening a new room with more sit-down space.
Miller is pleasantly surprised by the popularity of the new business. She didn’t expect it to take off so fast.
“People are excited to have a different option, a healthier option,” she said.
Miller, 32, earned a culinary degree at Paul Smith’s College and worked seven years as a pastry chef at upscale lodges and resorts in Lake Placid. More recently she worked as chef at the Holley Falls Bar & Grill, a server and bartender at 39 Problems in Albion, and the front house manager and chef at Lures in Kendall.
She said she has dreamed of opening her own deli and bakery since she was kid.
“I did not expect it to take off the way it did,” she said about Wild Flour. “But I knew people would like the food once they tasted it.”
Miller, a Holley native, has named her 11 sandwiches all after flowers. They come in different combinations of meat, cheese, toppings, vegetables, sauces and breads.
One of the most popular sandwiches is the Aster with roast beef and cheddar on rye, with banana peppers, pickled onions and horseradish mayonnaise, toasted on a panini.
The bakery includes cookies, brownies, muffins, cupcakes, scones and turnovers.
Everything is made the day of. Miller makes her own soups, mayonnaise and salad dressings from scratch.
“It helps me to stand out,” she said about her menu with her personal touch. “They are getting homemade from scratch. It’s my own brain putting this all together.”
Wild Flour is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Miller is looking to open for breakfast too, offering gourmet parfaits, quiches, oatmeals and other “grab and go’s.”
Miller graduated from the Microenterprise Assistance Program offered by the Orleans Economic Development Agency. One of the class mentors, Dorothy Daniels, owns the building at 438 West Ave., where Wild Flour is located. Daniels tried Miller’s sandwiches and soup and encouraged her to open the business.
“She is a very talented individual,” Daniels said about Miller. “People have been starving for this. It’s something besides fast food and pizza.”
The business offers delivery in the Albion area, and people can order online. For more information about Wild Flour, click here.
