LOCKPORT – Niagara County Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti has issued a travel advisory and is urging all motorists to use extreme caution when driving.

There are numerous signal lights out along with trees and power wires down in roadways across Niagara County.

Drivers are advised to treat a signal light that is out as a four-way stop.

Jolly old elf will be giving away toys and taking wishes at store

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Santa Claus greets Adeline Munn, 6, of Medina at Toys n Kandy on East Bank Street. Santa was planning to drive around the village and give out presents beginning at 4 p.m. today but that was grounded due to the high winds.

Santa will instead be at Toyz n Kandy until about 6 p.m. There are more than 200 gifts to be given away. Those toys have been donated by community members, including the Albion Lions Club.

Chance Brendlinger, 9, of Medina gets ready to greet Santa.

Many trees and wires have been knocked down from gusts

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The high winds ripped off the top siding from a building at the corner of East Bank and Main streets at about 4 this afternoon.

A high wind warning is in effect until 11 p.m. for Orleans County and much of western, central and northern New York. There could be gusts up to 70 miles per hour.

The winds have already taken down many trees and wires in the county.

The big flap of siding is on the sidewalk on East Bank Street.

The howling winds blow the siding away from the building.

Let’s go on an adventure together….to North Carolina!

The beaches in NC are stunning. This is Atlantic Beach in the off season – quiet and peaceful, but still warm enough for a stroll on the beach or a dip in the ocean. The Outer Banks in NC are the ultimate beach experience.

For those who don’t know me well….or at all, personally….here’s a little background info about me. I was born and raised here in Albion, NY, graduated from Albion High School in 1974, and worked at GE in Brockport after high school. In 1985, I got married and moved to North Carolina. I moved back “home” when I retired in 2011 to be close to family…..yes, I’m proof that there ARE people who retire and move north! In my 26 years in NC, I lived and worked in a town called Sanford – about ½ way between Raleigh and Fayetteville in the center of the state. I thought I’d tell you all about some of the cool things I discovered during my 26 year adventure in North Carolina.

North Carolina is a really diverse state…..you have ocean beaches to the east and mountains to the west and lots of rolling hills and interesting cities and towns in between. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy throughout the state. I liked living in the center of the state – it made quick one or two day trips to either the beaches or the mountains so easy.

View from Blowing Rock, NC. The Blue Ridge Mountains are a part of the larger Appalachian Mountains and border the western side of NC. Lots of amazing things to see and do in the mountains of NC.

Beaches: My family liked Carolina and Wrightsville Beaches in Wilmington – to me, they were too crowded and hot for my liking. I much preferred beaches like Atlantic Beach – especially in the off season – a little quieter and less crowded – more relaxing. Kure Beach has a lovely aquarium at historic Fort Fisher. Topsail and Emerald Isle were usually very nice, as well. But, if you really like beaches, I recommend the Outer Banks. On our second year in NC, we took a trip to the Outer Banks. We started out spending a few days at Kitty Hawk (the Wright Brothers monument is a must see), Nags Head, and Kill Devil Hills – the dunes there are awesome and if you’re adventurous, you can parasail or hang glide over them! Nearby Manteo is home of “The Lost Colony” – an outdoor theater production of an 84-year old musical telling of a British colony established in 1587 that mysteriously disappeared without a trace three years later – I wish I had seen it – maybe I’ll return, someday. Then, we drove the length of the Outer Banks. The route takes you on ferries that are quite busy during peak season, so find out about possible need for reservations, etc. before you head out. The drive is stunning! Most of the route is a narrow road with the sound on one side and the ocean on the other, lots of lighthouses, wild horses, quaint beaches, and so much more. At the end, there is Hatteras with the famous black and white striped lighthouse and beautiful Ocracoke. We ended our trip in Wilmington and then drove back to Sanford from that point. I highly recommend taking the time to enjoy the entire Outer Banks from top to bottom.

Biltmore Estates – the home of George Vanderbilt – is a must see in Asheville, NC. It took six years to build – 1889-1895 – and the finished home contains over four acres of floor space, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces.

Mountains: The Blue Ridge Mountains are so beautiful. I used to love to take my birthday (late October) off work and drive out to the NC/VA border to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drive it down to I40 to cut back towards Sanford. It made for an amazingly relaxing day full of great places to stop and enjoy the beauty. Asheville has the Biltmore Estate – definitely worth the time to tour it, especially when it is all decorated for Christmas. I love the Boone area, too. I spent a nice long weekend in a cabin with a bunch of girl friends from work in Seven Devils, near Boone. We rode horseback along the edge of the mountain, shopped, hiked, and had the most amazing breakfast at the Daniel Boone Inn in Boone – they serve family style and you don’t leave without taking at least an extra 5-10 pounds with you on your hips! Some other great attractions out that way are Linville Caverns, Tweetsie Railroad, and Blowing Rock – dubbed by Ripley’s Believe It or Not as the “only place in the world where snow falls upside down”. Down a bit further is Cherokee, NC – Mingo Falls and several wonderful museums and heritage sites of the Cherokee Indians.

North Carolina also has an amazing zoo in Asheboro. With 500 developed acres, it is the world’s largest natural habitat zoo. Take the trolley and visit all the animals for an awesome day at the zoo.

Of course, you can’t talk about NC without mentioning sports…..I lived on the edge of the Research Triangle that included the University of NC in Chapel Hill – the Tar Heels,

North Carolina State in Raleigh – the Wolfpack, Duke in Durham – the Blue Devils, and Wake Forest in Winston-Salem – the Demon Deacons. There are the Panthers football and Hornets basketball based in Charlotte and the Hurricanes hockey based in Raleigh. And…of course, Nascar! I’m not really a sports fan, but, I did take in a Durham Bulls minor league baseball game now and then…I do like baseball!

Yep – North Carolina has a lot to offer. I loved living there and call Sanford my “other home town”. But, I’m so very happy to be back in my “real” home town of Albion, NY – there’s no place like home and I love it here.

Happy Adventuring,
Kim Pritt

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Alicia Marciszewski is in the Albion Village office today helping children make ornaments as part of the Albion Merchants Association’s annual Hometown Holiday. Kay Ecker in back is offering coloring books, crayons and stickers.

Many of the businesses are offering indoor activities and free prizes for kids.

Adelina Greenwood checks out the candy canes, stamps and pencils offered by Alice Marciszewski at one of the stations in the Village Office. Adelina is joined by her father, Matthew Farley. Anita Finley, left, was at a station offering stuffed animals and other goodies for people who answered trivia questions. Oak Orchard Canoe sponsored the activities at the Village Hall.

Pretty Sweet Bakery hosted a station for people to make reindeer dust and reindeer food. This group includes Carter Conrad and his mother Courtney Burch, and their friend Mallory Marshall, right.

BARRE – The lighted tractor parade scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today in Barre has been cancelled due to the threat of high winds.

A high wind warning is in effect today from 1 to 11 p.m. with southwesterly winds from 35 to 45 miles per hour with gusts of 65 to 70 mph expected.

The Barre Betterment Committee has been planning the 4th Annual Lighted Tractor Parade. It can’t reschedule the event because the permit from the state DOT is for today.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Four new electric charging stations were turned on at about 2:45 p.m. on Friday in the Hoag Library parking lot. Three electric car owners parked and got a charge at the new units, which were almost completely funded with grants.

Hoag Library used $23,000 in a Charge Ready grant from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and $1,000 from National Grid to cover nearly all of the $24,809 expense of putting in the four charging stations.

The first three people to pull up for a charge included Grace Kent, in front, with a Nissan Leaf; Diana Dudley in middle at left and her niece Hillary Clark with a Chevy Bolt; and Linda Weller in back with Tesla.

Weller is the library’s board president and Dudley also serves on the board of trustees. The library has worked 2 ½ years through the grant process to have the charging stations installed. Weller praised library director Betty Sue Miller for her diligence in seeing the project to completion. The units were installed by Gofoth Electric in Albion.

Weller has owned her Tesla since October 2020. The vehicle has a range of 311 miles before needing a charge. She has driven it to New York City, the Thousand Islands, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Sometimes she stops in a community to charge her vehicle and she will go explore the town while the vehicle is powered up. She expects the charging stations at Hoag will bring some people to the Albion community.

There are also public charging stations in Orleans County at the Burger King in Medina and the RTS Orleans/Orleans County DPW on West Academy Street in Albion.

People can charge their vehicles for free at the library, with Hoag paying the cost of the electricity. The library has solar panels on the roof, and library officials wanted to use that renewable energy to power the vehicles.

Diana Dudley, 87, has owned her Chevy Bolt for three years and driven the car 30,000 miles.

“I love it,” she said. “I would never go back to a gas car. You just get in and go.”

Grace Kent, owner of the Nissan Leaf for three years, doesn’t miss paying for gas. She said the electric car gives her a warning when it’s low on charge, just like a gas car when it’s low on fuel.

“People think it will just stop on you, but it won’t,” she said. “It switches to turtle mode to tell you to get to a charger. Overall, I love it. It’s environmentally friendly and very serviceable.”

Press Release, Congressman Chris Jacobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) led 24 members of Congress in a bipartisan, bicameral letter calling for full funding for the Save our Seas (SOS) 2.0 Act in the upcoming appropriations bills. Jacobs’ letter was co-led by Representatives Don Young (AK-AL) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), and Senators Dan Sullivan (AK) and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI).

“The Great Lakes are integral to our Western New York community. They provide clean drinking water, recreational boating, fishing, and much more,” Jacobs said. “We have made great progress in cleaning up our lakes and making them safer for all to enjoy, and we must continue that progress. That is why I am proud to lead this effort that will extend grant opportunities to remove plastic debris from the lakes, improve drinking and wastewater treatment, and overall bolster the health of our regional treasures.”

The Save our Seas 2.0 Act was signed into law on December 18th, 2020 by President Donald Trump. This letter requests that appropriators in both the House and Senate allocate full funding for the law so that it can be properly implemented. Fully funded, numerous grant programs will be available for Tribes, local governments, and non-profit organizations to support marine debris removal and enhancements to drinking and wastewater infrastructure.

“We must ensure Save our Seas Act 2.0 receives full funding so organizations and local governments can access critical funds to improve the health of our lakes and enjoy their benefits,” Jacobs said. “I am proud to lead this effort to secure funding for this legislation, and I am committed to continuing my work to protect our Great Lakes for current and future generations.”

“The historic Save Our Seas 2.0 Act authorized a new Marine Debris Foundation and critical programs to improve America’s ability to clean up waste, advance international cooperation with nations most responsible for trash entering the oceans, and explore innovative ways to manage and even reuse plastic waste,” said U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan. “But in order for this foundation and these programs to be effective, we need to back them with adequate funding.”

“A global scourge of plastic waste is filling up the oceans at an alarming rate and threatening serious disruptions to marine life and to the human food chain,” said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. “Our Save Our Seas 2.0 legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. Congress needs to step up once again to fully fund these programs, which are aimed at tackling one of the most pressing threats to our precious oceans.”

“We must act now to remove marine debris and prevent the further buildup of plastic waste,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “The bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, which I helped lead, was signed into law to protect the health of our ocean, and it must be fully funded.”

“I proudly helped lead the passage of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act last Congress. This was critical legislation that built upon our many successes in our fight against marine debris and pollution. Now that SOS 2.0 is law, we must be doing all we can to ensure it is fully funded and properly implemented. As Congress continues working on FY2022 appropriations, it is vital that SOS 2.0 is fully funded. I call on Appropriations leaders on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers to stand with our oceans and coastal communities and provide the funding necessary to achieve the goals of SOS 2.0,” said Congressman Don Young.

SHELBY – The Town Hall including the court will reopen to the public on Monday after being closed since late Tuesday afternoon following a electrical fire and power outage.

Town Supervisor Jeff Smith said the town offices have been sanitized after the electricity was restored late Thursday.

“We would like to thank the Shelby Fire Company and National Grid for their quick response on Tuesday,” he said. “We were fortunate to get all workers safely out of the building.”

The main three-phase power feed to the building became compromised and the wires burned apart, Smith said.

“This is a very unusual occurrence, which leaves us very happy we did not have any injuries or a major fire,” he said.

He commended Modern Electric from Lockport, Highway Department Superintendent Dale Root and employees Rusty Hoffmeister and Jeremy Beatty for going “above and beyond to get power restored.”

Press Release, Kendall Central School

KENDALL – Students at Kendall Junior/Senior High School once again competed in the American Legion Oratorical Contest sponsored by the Social Studies Department.

The purpose of the contest is to provide high school students with an academic speaking challenge that teaches important leadership qualities, the history of our nation’s laws, the ability to think and speak clearly, and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship. Students gave a prepared 8 to 10-minute oration on the United States Constitution. This year’s participants were Advanced Placement United States History students taught by Katie Driesel.

The local round of the contest was held at Kendall on Nov. 19. Students competed in front of a panel of American Legion judges in the JSHS Auditorium. These students included Taigan Guerrero, Lily Lavacca, Toby Passer, Layne Pearson, Lauren Pilon and Emma Quintern. Toby took first place in the competition, Lily took second place and Layne placed third.

The adults were impressed with the students’ speeches. American Legion member Chuck Eberhardt told students, “I am confident in your class because you know the Constitution. We thank you in advance for the decisions and actions you will make in the future based on this knowledge.”

The first and second place winners advance to the Orleans County Competition on Dec. 11 at Kendall.

This contest was an excellent opportunity for Kendall students to study the Constitution and develop public speaking skills which are essential to future success.

Participants in the contest include, front row: Toby Passer, Lauren Pilon, Lily Lavacca, Emma Quintern, Taigan Guerrero and Layne Pearson. Middle row, from left, Carol D’Agostino, Christine Hunt, Sharon Bennett, Charles Eberhardt and Katie Driesel. Back row, from left, Scott Galliford, Alfred Pulcino III, John Kenney, Terry Probst, Donna McGee, Maxine Shening and Joe Sidonio.

MEDINA — The Medina Police Department has charged a 15-year-old after a social media post on Dec. 3 referenced violence at the Medina and Lockport school districts.

The post was widely circulated in the Medina community.

“This action caused several individuals to fear for the safety of their loved ones,” stated Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward and District Superintendent Mark Kruzynski in a news release.

Added security measures were put in place at the school district and law enforcement investigated the social media post.

Throughout the course of the investigation, Medina police and school officials worked with the Lockport Police Department, Lockport school district, Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force, Orleans County District Attorney’s Office, Orleans County Probation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The investigation revealed there was no specific or credible threat to the Medina school district, Kenward and Kruzynski said.

Law enforcement identified the source of the threat and person was charged with aggravated harassment in the second degree. The name is being withheld due to the person’s age, Kenward and Kruzynski said.

The school cannot comment on any possible disciplinary action but will follow the school district’s code of conduct.

“It is important to note that the creator of the post did not threaten violence to the school, nor was there any reason to believe he may commit any acts of violence,” Kenward said.

Kenward and Kruzynski said the school district and police department take very seriously any mention of violence or threats made against the school district. They encourage the public to report any threats of violence to law enforcement and school administration.

“I would like to personally thank school resource officer Dustin Meredith, the Medina Police Department and all the law enforcement agencies involved for their thorough and detailed investigation,” Kruzynski said.

Union for retail workers backs the governor’s decision

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley doesn’t agree with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement to have a statewide indoor mask mandate in public places beginning Monday and continuing through Jan. 15.

Steve Hawley

This is for businesses and venues that haven’t implemented a vaccine requirement.

Hochul said the action will help slow the spread of Covid at a time when infections and hospitalizations are on the rise.

Hawley, R-Batavia, issued this statement: “Haphazardly implementing a statewide mask mandate in the middle of the holiday season, a period many businesses rely on to make ends meet for the year, is entirely unnecessary and will only handicap our small businesses during a make-or-break time for their operations.

“Protecting public health is important, but decisions such as this should be left to the local health authorities that know better than anyone what’s really going on in their communities. I had hoped our new governor would take a more measured approach to keeping the pandemic at bay, but it is clear now more than ever that she will continue to rule our state from the top down, to the detriment of New York families and businesses alike.”

State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt of North Tonawanda issued this statement: “To be clear, today’s half-baked announcement from Governor Hochul is a complete reversal from her previous comments, and she is now attempting to mandate that local governments and businesses do the impossible.

“Like her predecessor, I believe the Governor has overstepped her authority with this order. I am reviewing options with my colleagues to rescind this authority and restore these public health decisions to local communities, where they belong.

“I want to applaud Chairwoman Becky Wydysh and Niagara County for taking a responsible approach to protecting public health while supporting Niagara County businesses. Instead of using public resources to punish local business owners, Niagara County is continuing to focus on expanding community access to critical COVID resources such as testing, keeping our kids in school, and educating the public on the best ways to protect themselves and others.”

Assemblyman Michael Norris, R-Lockport, issued this statement: “Governor Hochul’s statewide mask mandate today is a page from the playbook of the past administration, which tramples on local decision making, burdens our small businesses and restaurants and further erodes the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branch.

“I fully support Niagara County Chairwoman Becky Wydysh’s decision not to spend any county resources in the enforcement of this overreaching mandate which will only further hurt our small business owners struggling to get back on their feet and significantly impact local health officials and law enforcement agencies who already stretched too thin doing their best to maintain public health and safe communities.

“New York State should also be using its staff and operations on increasing accessibility to testing and booster vaccination sites, not being the mask police.”

The union representing many retail workers stated its support for Hochul’s action.

Stuart Appelbaum is president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents 100,000 members throughout the United States.

“The safety of workers, customers and all New Yorkers is our primary concern as the winter Covid-19 surge is upon us,” Appelbaum said. “Grocery, pharmacy and retail workers are at high risk of exposure to Covid-19 because they have public-facing jobs.

“And many are essential workers at stores we have relied on throughout the pandemic,” he sated. “They are in contact with hundreds of people every day – and in some places, workers may be in contact with more than a thousand people a day. Today’s announcement by Governor Hochul will help keep our members safe as well as the general public. We support these measures, and we know they will save lives.”

“We urge employers to responsibly enforce mask policies in coordination with State Government authorities,” Appelbaum said. “Let us be clear, it is the employers’ responsibility – and not that of their workers – to tell people to leave a store if they are not wearing face masks.”