By Kim Pritt, Contributor Posted 6 October 2021 at 3:00 pm
Let’s go on an adventure together….to Memphis!
Graceland – the home of Elvis Presley. The mansion that Elvis bought for his mother, Gladys, makes for a fascinating tour.
You know how I have repeatedly said that I don’t really have a favorite trip – all trips are amazing in their own way? Well, I just may have found an exception to that statement. I still say I think ALL my trips are awesome, but some do stand out as a bit more memorable…..this one will definitely be a LOT more memorable than most – crammed with sentimental and emotional experiences that touched my heart and sparked many wonderful memories…and it was a TON of fun!
I spent the week of September 27 – October 2 in Memphis, TN. I stayed at the Guest House at Graceland – the wonderful hotel that is located on Graceland property. Throughout the week, I toured Graceland and the whole Graceland experience, I spent time walking around downtown Memphis, took a day trip via bus to Tupelo, Mississippi, and saw The Monkees in concert! WOW – what a week!
My plan for this trip was to do “all things Elvis”, which is why I stayed at Graceland. I wasn’t sure what else I would do. But, because of how some of my core plans were scheduled, I had a couple extra days to fill, so I searched for other tours and points of interest I might enjoy and found there is so much to see and do in Memphis.
An absolute MUST SEE in Memphis is the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel.
Here are some highlights and recommendations for anyone considering a trip to Memphis — you can get all the details and tons of photos in the blog post links at the end of this article.
If you have an interest in Graceland and Elvis and you can fit it in your budget, definitely consider staying at the Guest House at Graceland. It is a wonderful hotel just minutes from the airport and downtown. The shuttles provide transportation to/from the airport and all the Graceland venues. If you want to go downtown and don’t have a car, the taxi service I used (Bluff City Taxi) was very good – fun, friendly, helpful drivers and an easy call for pick up, but don’t wait till the last minute to call. Some tours also may offer hotel pick up – the two I took did. Graceland also has an entertainment venue – the Soundstage – where they have live performances on Friday nights. I was lucky enough to be there when The Monkees were booked for a concert from their Farewell Tour. It was a great show! Check to see who might be there when you’re there – you don’t have to be staying at Graceland or do the tour to get tickets to the concerts. Some upcoming acts include the Beach Boys, Marshall Tucker Band, Josh Turner, and many others.
Located at the home where Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi is a wonderful statue that depicts him at age 13.
The museums in Memphis are really quite incredible. Of course, there is Graceland – if you plan to see Graceland, I highly recommend booking the Ultimate VIP Tour (there are several tours with various levels of access and cost). The UVIP Tour comes with an expert guide and access to areas and personal items that the other tours don’t include and are well worth the price.
Other museums that you don’t want to miss and are very affordable are: Sun Studios – great guide, interesting, fun. Rock & Soul Museum – self-guided tour that is jammed with the history of American music. National Civil Rights Museum – located at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was shot, this museum chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement from slavery in America through to Dr. King’s leadership and beyond. It is an emotionally charged, self-guided tour that is an absolute MUST SEE in Memphis. And two that I didn’t get to do, but hear are equally worth the time: Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Blues Hall of Fame……there are many other museums of various interest throughout the city.
Other things I highly recommend: Go to the Peabody Hotel just before 11:00 am any day to see the March of the Peabody Ducks – great fun – check out my “Walking in Memphis” blog post for details. And, check out the Bass Pro Shop Pyramid – a surprise experience you won’t regret taking the time to do. And, of course – spend some time on Beale Street.
The two surviving members of The Monkees – Mickey Dolenz and Michael Nesmith – were at Graceland for a concert from their Farewell Tour.
About the food:The first thing I noticed when I was in Memphis is that the entire city smells of BBQ!!! You can’t go anywhere without smelling a pig slow cooking over a pit. I was hungry every minute I was there. And, I did enjoy the food….maybe a little too much! I had a delicious shrimp po’boy at Huey’s – a fun family owned restaurant downtown. I had amazing ribs at Marlowe’s and if you are staying within a 1 mile radius, they pick you up in a pink Cadillac limousine – that was cool! And, I loved the BBQ rib sandwich at BB King’s Blues Club – a great experience and delicious food. Another downtown restaurant that was highly recommended, but I didn’t get to try, is Rendezvous.
There are lots of bus and walking tours to choose from, too, if you like a more structured experience – I did the Memphis City Tour by Memphis Best Tours and a day trip to Tupelo, Mississippi run by Graceland. They also have ghost tours and other fun tours that I just didn’t have time to add in, but would have liked to check out.
Memphis is an awesome city to visit. Check out my blog posts to see all the stories and photos from this amazing trip. I hope you enjoy reading them.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 October 2021 at 2:20 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf
MEDINA – One of two giant transformers makes its way down Park Avenue in Medina after leaving the railroad at the Pickle Factory, enroute to a new switching station being built on Route 93 in the town of Royalton by National Grid and the New York State Power Authority. The oversize loads, which only moved at 10 miles per hour, held up traffic on Salt Works Road and west on Maple Ridge Road to Gasport Road.
Two transformers, each weighing more than 800,000 pounds, inch their way down Park Avenue Wednesday morning. They had been previously transported down the railroad and stored at the Pickle Factory, waiting to be loaded onto lowboys and then escorted to their destination on Route 93.
One of two transformers, each weighing more than 800,000 pounds, makes it way around the corner from Park Avenue to Salt Works Road Wednesday morning. The trucks were expected to hold up traffic on Maple Ridge Road to Gasport Road until 3 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2021 at 9:11 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Orleans County Legislator Ken DeRoller spoke at last month’s Orleans County Planning Board, sharing his concerns about current zoning that pushes for larger lot sizes, making it more costly to build new houses.
ALBION – An Orleans County legislator who will be retiring on Dec. 31 is making a strong push before he leaves office to have local municipalities start working to make changes to reverse a population decline.
Ken DeRoller of Kendall said the municipalities need to review their zoning and ordinances and allow smaller lot sizes for smaller new houses, which would make the projects more affordable. He also said many younger adults and senior citizens would prefer high-density housing such as townhouses and condominiums.
“I’m concerned about what I see here in Orleans County in regards to housing,” DeRoller told the Orleans County Planning Board on Sept. 23. “I charge this planning group to have conversations to make sure we have the right zoning and policies for the right housing mix.”
He sees plummeting student enrollments in school districts in the past generation despite school districts with very high graduation rates. The enrollment for the five districts is down 20.7 percent in a decade from 2008-09 to 2018-19. The districts went from 7,155 students in 2008-09 to 5,673 in 2018-19.
Housing is part of the equation for attracting and keeping people in the county, DeRoller said. The county also needs more higher-paying jobs, he said.
There are currently 15,200 people working in the county, and half of those positions are filled by people who don’t live in Orleans, DeRoller said.
He suspects many of the workers driving into the county would stay in Orleans with the right housing options.
The county legislator suggested the municipalities work with the ag community to identify some farmland that could be used for smaller building lots. Right now about half or 128,802 acres of the county’s total acreage receives an ag exemption. There are 117,380 acres in the county’s ag district.
The County Planning Board discussed a housing study during its meeting on Sept. 23.
Orleans has an aging population with the average age up from 36 in 2000 to 43 in 2019. As people become senior citizens they typically like to stay near friends and family, but DeRoller said many Orleans County seniors move to senior housing in Brockport, Batavia or Rochester because of limited sites in Orleans County.
“We need pressure on our municipal leadership to work on these issues,” DeRoller told the Planning Board.
He also has been a driving force on a committee working on a waterfront development plan for the Erie Canal. That document will soon go before municipal boards for their approval. DeRoller said the canal is underutilized. He is talking with developers about creating more housing options along the historic waterway.
He also is working on a waterfront development plan for Lake Ontario and Johnson Creek, with housing a part of that initiative.
“The Lake Ontario shoreline is an economic engine with tax value,” DeRoller said.
He is pleased to see a more fortified shoreline with stronger breakwalls, and said a $9 million sewer project in Kendall should result in more residents.
The four local villages also have spots for new housing and high-density projects. Albion, Medina and Holley, however, have some of the highest combined taxes – village, town, school and county – in the country, as a percentage of overall household income. Those villages need to be more affordable to be more appealing for retaining and attracting residents and businesses, DeRoller said.
Paul Hendel, a member of the Planning Board, also heads the Orleans County Economic Development Agency. He said housing is a critical piece to attracting businesses to the county.
“It’s a domino effect,” Hendel said. “Businesses if they relocate here want to know where will they live.”
Ken DeRoller also spoke with the Albion Rotary Club, going over the housing study with showed a population drop of 9 percent in the county over 20 years from 2000 to 2020. DeRoller would like to see more housing options – smaller lots for new builds, and townhouses and condominiums.
Gary Daum, a Planning Board member from Yates, said he sees many properties in distress that aren’t well maintained. He sees many abandoned houses throughout the county. He wondered if service groups could take up mowing lawns and trimming bushes.
“Show that you care – clean up and repair,” Daum said.
He also highlighted Yates town officials who are working on a $2.5 million upgrade of the Town Park along Lake Ontario. That project will be a significant boost to the local quality of life.
Some of the key findings in a housing study by LaBella for Orleans include:
The county has an aging housing stock and about half of the houses need repairs.
The median household income in the county also makes it difficult for landlords to charge enough rent, making for a low return on investment.
Building permits for housing are about a third of what they were 15 years ago. The redevelopment of the former Holley High School, which added 42 apartment units last year, is an exception. Those units were quickly rented out and show there is demand for high-density living in the county.
Single-family, owner-occupied units dominate the market: About 50 percent of housing stock throughout the county is comprised of single-family homes on large lots. Future projections show a need for smaller homes on smaller lot sizes, which would also drive down the costs for a new house.
Almost 50 percent of renter households have housing problems and cannot afford market rents: The report states that 49 percent of renters are living in units that are not affordable. Housing Choice vouchers available in the county address some of the affordability issues, but only a small fraction of the need. The report also says 51 percent of renters have housing problems such as incomplete kitchens or bathrooms and more than one person per bedroom.
More than 50 percent of housing stock is 60 years or older: Housing maintenance is therefore a major priority in the county, Labella stated in the report.
Renters and homeowners both have housing problems: The number of homeowners with housing problems (3,010, according to the report) exceeds the number of renters (2,010) with housing problems.
Return on investment is low for owners and rental developers: Rental rates in inflation adjusted dollars have decreased over the last 20 years, and home values, in inflation adjusted dollars, are also down in the 20 years. (This doesn’t include the recent spike in the past year with many homes selling for 20 to 25 percent above assessed value.) The lack of growth in rental rates and home values discourages upgrades and maintenance of homes, as well as new developments.
Population decreasing: Orleans County’s population is down 5.9 percent from 2010 to 2020 or by 2,540 people, from 42,883 to 40,343. From 2000, the decline is 8.7 percent when the population was 44,171. “Finding ways to attract new residents would increase the demand for housing,” the report states.
Shrinking household sizes: The size of the average household shrunk from 2.65 in 2000 to 2.28 in 2019.
The report also finds a need for more housing units for extremely low-income households, and there is also demand for higher-priced apartments.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 5 October 2021 at 9:47 pm
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Amari Jones passed for two touchdowns and ran for another during Albion’s win over Burgard this evening.
Improving to 4-0 overall, Albion posted a 28-8 victory over Burgard in a B North Division football game this evening at All High Stadium in Buffalo.
Now at 3-0 in the division, Albion jumped out to a 14-0 half-time advantage as Amari Jones hooked up with Tyler Gibson for a 14 yard touchdown pass an a two-point conversion pass in the first quarter and Sh’Kwe Riley ran 7 yards for a TD in the second quarter.
The Purple Eagles later put a lock on the victory with a pair of fourth quarter scores. First Amari Jones connected with Nick Harling for a 17 yard touchdown pass a tally set up by pass completions of 29 yards to Harling and 18 yards to Javon Jones. Amari Jones then ran 3 yards for the final TD.
The loss drops Burgard to 1-3 in the division and 2-3 overall.
Albion will next host Cheektowaga at 7 p.m. Saturday in another B North Division contest.
Lew-Port 17, Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville 14
A late rally fell just short as Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville dropped a narrow 17-14 decision to host Lew-Port in another B North contest.
Trailing 17-0, the Silverbacks rallied for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter on scoring passes of 44 and 34 yards from quarterback Trenton Musk to Justin Terwilliger. Drew Sandolfini added a two-point conversion run. Terwilliger also recovered an onside kick to set up the opportunity for the second TD.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 October 2021 at 9:45 pm
A recent article on the Orleans County Retired Teachers Association annual fall meeting and luncheon on Oct. 21 did not include information on the deadline for making reservations.
Reservations are required by Oct. 14 by e-mailing Ann Czajkowski at annczajkowski@yahoo.com.
The meeting will be at the Knowlesville Fellowship Hall, 3619 Knowlesville Rd. All retired educators from Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville, Medina and Orleans-Niagara BOCES are invited to attend.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2021 at 4:03 pm
Kristina Gabalski
KNOWLESVILLE — Kristina Gabalski, the 4-H youth development director for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County, has been recognized with a state award for her work with local 4-H’ers.
Gabalski was presented with a “Special Service Award” on Monday during a virtual annual conference of the New York State Association of Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Educators. The awards ceremony was held this week as part of National 4-H week.
The Special Service Award recognizes members of the professional association who have developed a new technique in programming, worked successfully with new audiences and have been innovative in utilizing resources, people and situations.
“Kristina was nominated by a group of individuals including other educators, youth and volunteers,” said Robert Batt, Extension director in Orleans County. “In her time as the 4-H Educator for CCE Orleans, Kristina has increased the outreach of the program including focus on bringing horticulture, art and wellness activities to youth.”
He cited projects this past year that included the flagpole freedom garden at the fairgrounds, offering workshops such as ichiban pumpkin decorating, soil painting and bringing special attention to showcasing youth’s 4-H work.
“Kristina serves on several state and regional committees and advocates both to bring program into our county but also to find opportunity for youth to explore outside of the area,” Batt said.
To find out more about 4-H and youth programs in Orleans County, contact the Extension at 585-798-4265 or orleans4H@cornell.edu or visit the CCE website.
Hochul says those staff need to have vaccine by Nov. 1
Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the plan to expand the healthcare worker vaccine mandate to include employees who work in certain facilities offering health care to individuals served by the Office of Mental Health and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.
Under the new directive, staff who work in settings that treat some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers will be required to show proof of at least the first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine series by Nov. 1, without a test-out option. Ahead of that requirement, staff in these settings will be required to submit to weekly testing, if unvaccinated, beginning Oct. 12.
“Vaccine requirements work in getting people to do the right thing, and all professionals in health settings must take every basic precaution against Covid-19, including the vaccine, so they do not spread the virus to the people coming in for treatment,” Hochul said. “We have an obligation to extend this assurance to those who need to receive mental health services and special care, which is why we are making the vaccine mandatory for all staff who work in these facilities that fall under State jurisdiction.”
The vaccine requirement that went into effect on Sept. 27 applied only to covered personnel at facilities regulated by the Department of Health, including all hospitals and nursing homes. On Oct. 7, the vaccine requirement will take effect for covered personnel at additional facilities regulated by the Department of Health, including adult care facilities, home health agencies, long term home health care programs, AIDS home care programs, hospice care, and diagnostic and treatment centers.
This new requirement, established within OMH and OPWDD agency regulations, will apply to all individuals working at the psychiatric hospitals in the OMH network, as well as those working at the specialty hospital certified by OPWDD.
Governor Hochul plans to continue expanding the vaccine requirement into the human service and mental hygiene care settings in the coming weeks, while also taking necessary steps to ensure staffing levels continue to be appropriate across those service systems.
“Many of the people OMH serves have underlying medical conditions that make them far more vulnerable to the Covid-19 virus,” said OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. “The vaccine has proven to be safe and effective and will protect our patients and employees as well as our families and communities. I urge everyone to get the vaccine and I applaud Governor Hochul for extending the mandate.”
MEDINA – On Wednesday, starting at 9 a.m., the State Police will be escorting two oversize loads starting in Medina and going to a location on State Route 93 in the town of Royalton.
The route is Route 31 West from Salt Works Road to Gasport Road, then Gasport Road South to Bunker Hill Road, and then South onto Route 93.
The loads are over 21 feet tall and weigh approximately 800,000 pounds each. The escort speeds will be restricted to 10 mph or less.
Expect delays on those roads between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 October 2021 at 3:34 pm
Organization assists people struggling with anxiety, depression
Jeff Farewell of Medina stands next to a portrait of his daughter Cheyenne, who was 20 when she was shot and killed Oct. 17, 2020 at a party in Lockport. Tim Hortons in Medina presented a check for $500 in Cheyenne’s memory to Carol Doggett with Just Tell One Mental Health Advocates of WNY.
MEDINA – Oct. 17 will mark a very sad day in the life of Jeff Farewell.
It will be the one-year anniversary of the day his daughter Cheyenne was shot and killed in Lockport.
What has helped him through this past year is the kindness and support from the community, such as the donation made by Tim Hortons in Medina on Thursday afternoon.
Tim Hortons has been selling smile cookies with Cheyenne’s name on them, resulting in $500 being collected in her honor. Tim Hortons owners, Joe Filippelli and his sister Jennifer Karbowski, presented the check for $500 to Carol Doggett, senior director of marketing, communications and outreach for Just Tell One, an organization which assists people struggling with mental health and depression, and one which Cheyenne had supported.
Jeff Farewell of Medina stands next to a portrait of his daughter Cheyenne, who was 20 when she was shot and killed nearly a year ago at a Halloween party in Lockport.
Karbowski said they had heard about Cheyenne’s death and wanted to do something in her memory to give back to the community which has supported them.
Cheyenne’s dad recalled the night his daughter died.
“She was out with friends,” Jeff said. “She was just going to a party like other kids do. I was sleeping, and it was after midnight when I got up. I always check my phone when I get up. There was a message from a friend, saying, ‘So sorry.’ I called her and asked what she meant. She said, ‘Oh my gosh. You don’t know.’ Then she told me Cheyenne was at a party and had passed away.”
“I wasn’t surprised she was at a party with friends,” her dad continued. “She was a very social girl. Not a day goes by I don’t get some kind of story from someone telling me how she made a positive impact on their life. She was an amazing person.”
Cheyenne, who is also a daughter of Rochelle Nellist of Iowa, was a student at Brockport State College, studying to be a counselor. She wanted to help other people, her father said.
Other family members who attended the check presentation were her aunt Tammy Burtwell, cousin Lexus Burtwell, Luxus’ daughter Gabriella and long-time family friend Kevin Smith.
“My daughter Anastasia and Cheyenne grew up together,” Smith said. “Her death is a wound all around for us. My daughter suffered anxiety and depression, like Cheyenne, and they were there for each other. They were in school together. The two of them were supposed to be there to bury me. This was not the way it was supposed to be.”
Doggett said it was very touching that Tim Hortons contacted her agency and wanted to make a donation in Cheyenne’s name. Cheyenne had participated in a campaign for Just Tell One and had posted her messages on you/tube. They can be heard on youtube.com/c/JustTellOne.
On Oct. 17, the one-year anniversary of Cheyenne’s death, her family is holding a ceremony at 7 p.m. in Butts Park on South Main Street. Her dad will speak and lanterns will be released in her memory.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2021 at 12:31 pm
This photo – “Medina Falls Sunrise” – of the Erie Canal includes the waterfalls on the north side of the canal near Horan Road. The photo was taken by Neil Ferguson of North Tonawanda and won second place in the “Along the Trail” category of the 2021 Erie Canalway Photo Contest.
This is the only picture in Orleans County among the 12 winners in the contest, which included about 300 submissions.
The winning photos will be featured in a 2022 calendar. The calendar will be available for free at libraries, visitor centers, and by request beginning in December.
“These remarkable images showcase the beauty, history, and diversity of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. They remind us that the NYS Canal System is a national treasure worthy of preservation and celebration,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
Winning images in the 16th annual contest can be viewed online by clicking here.
Winners hail from across the Canalway Corridor and include images taken in all seasons.
“I applaud the deserving winners of the Erie Canalway’s annual photo contest who each uniquely captured the natural beauty of this iconic waterway,” said New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton. “The Erie Canal’s history has been well-documented for centuries through images and photography, and these photos will serve not only as a reminder of the Canal’s great presence in our State, but also of the timelessness of the Erie Canal and its past, present, and future legacy.”
This photo – “Heaven Splits” – shows the Adams Basin and was by Joe Pompili of Spencerport and won first place in the Classic Canal category.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) cosponsored the Lawful Interstate Transportation of Firearms Act (H.R. 1680).
“American’s constitutional rights are not confined to state lines – this most definitely applies to Second Amendment rights and American’s rights to travel with their firearm,” Jacobs said. “This legislation implements and strengthens simple but needed protections for traveling gun owners to prevent the prosecution from states or municipalities seeking to erode the rights of law-abiding Americans.”
The Lawful Interstate Transportation of Firearms Act (H.R. 1680) expands the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA) transport definition. Under this legislation, the expanded definition would include staying in temporary lodging, stopping for food, fuel, vehicle maintenance, emergencies, medical treatment, and any other activity incidental to travel. In addition, H.R. 1680 clarifies that transporting a firearm includes ammunition and detachable magazines.
“Lawful gun owners should be able to make stops incidental to their travel, in the possession of a lawfully-stowed firearm, without concerns that they may face prosecution for making those necessary stops,” Jacobs said. “I am proud to stand for the Second Amendment and the Constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans, and I will keep fighting to uphold them in Congress.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 October 2021 at 7:47 am
Bushels of apples turned into tasty treat in labor of love
Photos by Ginny Kropf: From left, Tracie Wilson, Amber Castrechino and Raychelle Clayton stir the apple butter during their three-hour shift at the Knowlesville Fellowship Hall.
KNOWLESVILLE – Making apple butter for the United Methodist Church of the Abundant Harvest, formerly known as the Knowlesville United Methodist Church, has been a tradition for more than 44 years and one which several dedicated church members are not about to let die.
Last weekend, a crew of volunteers, for whom the task is a labor of love, began the tedious job of making apple butter.
The first step is peeling the apples – eight bushels of them for this year’s one 35-gallon kettle of apple butter. Sylvia Armer was one of the eight volunteers who said they began peeling at 8 a.m. and didn’t finish until 4 p.m.
Tracie Wilson dumps apples into the kettle while Amber Castrechino stirs the mixture, which became apple butter after nearly two days of cooking. Making apple butter is a 44-year tradition for the former Knowlesville United Methodist Church, now Abundant Harvest. It will be sold Oct. 16 during the Apple Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Then a fire is built and the kettle filled with 30 gallons of cider to start the process. It is brought to a boil, after adding some margarine to keep it from boiling over. Then it’s time to start adding apples by a pre-measured bag at a time.
Every year since they’ve been making apple butter, Haylett Farms has donated every apple, even when they cooked five kettles full and needed 40 bushel of apples. They use three varieties – MacIntosh, Cortland and 20 Ounce.
Making apple butter is a science and one which can’t be learned from a recipe book. The idea to first make apple butter came from members Roy and Sarah Walter, whose family lived in Pennsylvania, along with relatives of Dawn Seitzer-Parker.
Sarah said one year, “Let’s make some apple butter, and I’ll bring my family from Pennsylvania to help.”
Dawn, a daughter of the late Butch and Charlene Seitzer, began helping when she was a little girl, and now her son Joshua is the next generation to help, along with his dad Chuck Parker.
Dawn said her grandparents in Williamsport, Pa. went to a church that made 20 kettles a year.
The Knowlesville church used to make five, using two kettles owned by church members and others they borrowed. When they made the apple butter at their church, most of it was sold out of Bessie Pritchard’s garage. She was a hairdresser who lived just down the street from the church.
When the church bought the former Ridgeway Firemen’s Recreation Hall in 1998, they decided to have an Apple Festival, which evolved into a pie sale and craft vendors.
Dawn’s grandma had become the official taste tester for the apple butter, and as years went by, she began teaching Dawn how to judge when the apple butter was ready.
It takes nearly two days to cook the apples down, during which time it has to be stirred continuously so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. Volunteers, three at a time, take three-hour turns stirring the kettle. Dawn said her grandma told her early on not to depend upon a recipe.
“A recipe can’t teach you the correct way to make apple butter,” she said. “Some year the apples may be tarter and other years they might be sweeter. The weather also determines how much water is in the apples. If it is wet and damp, it takes longer to cook the apples down.”
“Some days we have been done at 1:30 on the second day and other years it might be 5:30,” Dawn said.
After the apples have cooked for nearly two days, a spoonful would be put on a plate and taken in to Dawn’s grandma, who would draw a spoon through it. If juice ran into the middle, it was not done. Her grandma called it “crying,” Dawn said.
Dawn Seitzer-Parker takes a break during preparations for the 45th year of making apple butter at the Knowlesville Fellowship Hall.
Then Dawn became the designated taster, and it is now her job to draw the spoon through the apple butter to see if it “cries.”
Dawn’s husband Chuck shared the importance of keeping the fire just right. Someone has to keep throwing logs on the fire, to make sure the apple mixture keeps boiling.
“It should be steaming all the time,” Chuck said. “That means the water is cooking out. But you have to be careful the fire doesn’t get too hot and burn the apples.”
Among the volunteers who stepped up to stir the pot in three-hour shifts were Tracie Wilson, Matthew and Raychelle Clayton, Amber Castrechino, the Seitzer-Parkers and sisters Pat and Rocky Andrews.
The apple butter this year was made in memory of Wilson’s daughter, who was killed in an accident last year.
This year’s Apple Festival is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Knowlesville Fellowship Hall on Knowlesville Road. In addition to apple butter, there will be Kutter’s cheese, homemade pies from the Fellowship kitchen and 21 vendors.
Food available for purchase will be beef on weck, salt potatoes, macaroni salad, Waldorf salad and pie. Free coffee, tea and hot chocolate will be available.
In addition to the festival, the apple butter will be sold in the Downtown Browsery and in the Autumn Harvest Pie Shop, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Friday and Saturday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2021 at 10:26 pm
Orleans County should receive anywhere from $347,049.64 to $606,299.83 as part of $1.5 billion to be distributed throughout the state as part of an opioid settlement with drug manufacturers and distributors.
Attorney General Letitia James announced the settlement funds today.
Orleans County will need to formulate a committee regarding the funds, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.
“The vast majority of this money is for rehab-type services and intervention,” Welch said. “These funds are not intended to have any effect on the County’s budget. By that I mean any reimbursement for existing expenses of the County’s services.”
The state has defined uses for the funds to include treating opioid use disorder, supporting people in treatment and recovery, connecting people who need help to assistance, preventing misuse of opioids, and preventing overdose deaths and other harms, Welch said.
“Needless to say, it will take some time to ensure that this money will be utilized as authorized,” he said.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand once again called on the Biden administration to allow fully vaccinated Canadians to travel to the U.S. for non-essential travel through all ports of entry.
Last Monday, the Biden administration announced that while it was ending the ban on non-essential travel for travelers entering the United States by plane, it would extend the ban for travelers entering by car through October 21st.
In a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Gillibrand requested clarification and medical justification for CDC’s decision to treat air and land border crossings differently. The Canadian land border closure has placed severe economic strains on the supply chains of New York businesses, hospitals, and medical equipment providers that rely on travel across the northern border to produce essential goods and services. Cross-border families, including those of service members at Fort Drum, are separated by this policy unless they can afford air travel.
“The economic and personal sacrifices that are being prolonged due to closure of land-travel along the northern border are no longer necessary now that Covid-19 vaccines are widely available. In fact, 78% of Canadians over the age of twelve are already fully vaccinated,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The ongoing restrictions have had detrimental impacts on countless New Yorkers, businesses, and medical providers who depend on travel across the northern border. I am calling on the CDC to justify their decision to continue stringent restrictions along the Canadian border and to differentiate between air and land border travel.”
Since March of 2020, travel along the U.S.-Canadian border has been severely restricted by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in significant disruptions to New York communities, businesses, and families. The closure and loss of Canadian business cost the U.S. economy $1.5 billion each month and $665-855 million annually in Erie County alone.
Last week, Senator Gillibrand, along with several of her Democratic colleagues, asked President Biden to lift travel restrictions, create a public plan to reopen land ports of entry to vaccinated Canadians, and to appoint an interagency lead to spearhead coordination.
In July, Gillibrand applauded Canada’s decision to reopen the border to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens, even as the U.S. government extended its ban on non-essential travel from Canada.
In addition to Senator Gillibrand, this letter was signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Tina Smith (D-MN).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2021 at 10:02 pm
There have been 152 new Covid cases in Genesee and 84 in Orleans since Thursday, according to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.
Genesee currently has 11 people hospitalized due to Covid while Orleans has one person in the hospital from Covid.
There are also 70 more recoveries and 77 in Orleans. These are previous positive individuals who completed their 10-day isolation and have been removed from mandatory isolation.
G-O Health reported today there are currently 358 active Covid cases in the two counties (186 in Genesee and 172 in Orleans). That is up from 352 on Thursday when there were 192 cases in Orleans and 160 in Genesee. A week ago there were 339 active cases in the two counties, with 191 in Genesee and 148 in Orleans.
The positivity rate in Orleans is 8.4 percent over the past 7 days and in Genesee it is 6.6 percent over the past week, according to the state’s Forward NY website. Over the past 14 days, the positivity rate in Orleans is 8.6 percent and in Genesee its 6.9 percent, according to the state.
