Photo by Ginny Kropf: From left, Katrina Chaffee, director of operations, reporting and community service at Community Action, case manager Michelle Figueroa and Annette Finch, director of public relations and fundraising, pose with school supplies and backpacks donated for their annual backpack giveaway. Deadline to register is 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

ALBION – Community Action in Orleans County will be taking applications for free school supplies through the end of business on Tuesday. The office closes at 3:30 p.m.

The giveaway is an annual event at Community Action, which normally provides free backpacks and school supplies to 50 to 60 families. This year, however, applications have been light, according to Michelle Figueroa, case manager.

She and Katrina Chaffee, director of operations, reporting and community service, think it is because families have been uncertain as to what the schools were going to require or even if there would be in-person school due to Covid. Local school districts will all have in-person education without a hybrid or remote schedule.

Community Action has received piles of backpacks and school supplies donated by the West Barre United Methodist Church. Others have been purchased through a grant from the Emma Reed Webster Foundation.

Applications will be accepted at the Albion office at 409 East State St. for students in the Lyndonville, Medina and Albion school districts. Students in the Holley and Kendall school districts may apply at the Eastern Orleans Community Center, 75 Public Square, Holley.

Supplies can be picked up Sept. 1, 2 and 3.

Applicants must bring proof of residence, proof of income and identification (Social Security card or birth certificate) for all children in the household. Income guidelines apply. More information is available by calling 589-5605 or 638-6395.

Hospitalizations up from 10 to 15 in Genesee since Thursday

Genesee and Orleans counties combined have 72 new cases of Covid-19 since Thursday, and the two counties also are reporting 72 more people have recovered from Covid, where they completed a 10-day isolation and were removed from mandatory isolation.

While new cases and recoveries are the same, Genesee County has an increase in hospitalizations due to Covid, going from 10 on Thursday to 15 today. Orleans County remains at two people hospitalized due to Covid, according to the Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments.

In the update this afternoon from G-O Health, Orleans has 29 new active cases and those individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Orleans also is reporting 29 more recoveries.

In Genesee County, there are 43 new cases and the individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 90s. The county also is reporting 43 more recoveries.

The two counties combined have 141 active cases, with 64 in Orleans and 77 in Genesee. That compares to 102 a week ago when there were 49 in Orleans and 53 in Genesee. It’s down from the 149 cases on Thursday when Orleans reported 64 active cases and Genesee had 85.

Percent positive for Covid tests: The 7-day positive testing average state-wide is 3.31 percent. It is higher locally with Orleans at 5.4 percent and Genesee at 5.8 percent positive in the past seven days.

ALBION – Property owners in the Lyndonville and Medina school districts will have their school taxes collected by the Orleans County Treasurer’s Office.

The county collected Medina’s taxes for the first time last year and is paid $19,000 for the work. Lyndonville is in its first year of contracting with the County Treasurer’s Office at a cost of $12,000.

Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank has been delegated to be the sole and exclusive authority to collect 2021/2022 school taxes for the Lyndonville and Medina school districts, beginning Sept. 1 through Nov. 1.

The Treasurer’s Office is located at 34 East Park Street, Albion NY 14411. It is accepting tax payments in person, by US mail or a safe and secure drop box outside the Treasurer’s Office.  Cash payments may be made in person only.

The hours of operations include Sept. 1-3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Labor Day, and then from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning Sept. 7.

Any questions regarding these payments may be made by contacting the Orleans County Treasurer at (585) 589-5353.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

POINT BREEZE – Governor Kathy Hochul announced today dredging is underway at Oak Orchard Harbor, a navigation channel in Orleans County, used by boaters to access Lake Ontario.

The accumulation of silt, sand, and other debris can cause areas like Oak Orchard Harbor to become obstructed overtime. The dredging project will remove built-up sediment from the bottom of the waterway to allow for continued safe passage of watercraft to support the tourism economy and preserve wildlife in the region. Dredging of the navigation channel is part of a $15 million Regional Dredging Initiative through the State’s Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative.

“Communities along Lake Ontario have been forced to grapple with the impacts of extreme weather and flooding for the past several years and New York is doing everything within its power to bolster the shoreline and ensure we do not see a repeat of 2019,” Governor Hochul said. “By undertaking these types of dredging and resiliency efforts, we are not only keeping people safe and easing the minds of lakefront homeowners, but also protecting the wildlife in the coastal habitats and helping boost tourism by creating safe recreational access for boaters.”

The Oak Orchard Harbor project will remove approximately 8,400 cubic yards of sediment using mechanical dredging. Mechanical dredging uses heavy equipment, such as an excavator, to dig out the bed of the body of water and then remove the excess built up sediment. The dredging fleet for the Oak Orchard project includes a barge, excavator and two dump scows, as well one tugboat and one work boat to support the overall operation. Removed sediment will be placed in a designated nearshore area to the east of the harbor.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner and REDI Co-Chair Basil Seggos said, “The start of dredging work in Oak Orchard Harbor today marks a critical milestone in New York State’s sustained investments and infrastructure improvements in Orleans County that are strengthening protections along Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shoreline communities and helping New York communities rebuild stronger, smarter, and more resilient. Governor Hochul’s REDI team of experts continue to advance dredging projects that enhance harbor navigation throughout the region.”

The dredging is being done with mechanical means and the dredging fleet includes a barge, excavator, and two dump scows. One tugboat and one workboat are used to support the overall operation. A turbidity curtain is positioned to enclose the dredge area.

State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, “These dredging projects will be a great navigational benefit to the regional boating community, which is a vital part of the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River tourism and recreational economy. One of these projects this season allowed for the reopening of the boat launch at Golden Hill State Park in Niagara County, which had been closed due to sediment accumulation. These investments will result in benefits that will continue for years to come.”

Senator Robert Ortt said, “I applaud New York State and the Lake Ontario REDI Commission for identifying and proactively addressing the issue of harbor dredging in the towns and ports along Lake Ontario’s southern shore. For many of these towns, their ports are the reason the town is able to survive from a tourism and economic perspective, and the ability to access these ports is vital to their existence.”

Assemblyman Steve Hawley said, “The Oak Orchard Harbor REDI dredging project getting underway is great news for the residents of Carlton and the Lake Ontario community in general. It will assure that the harbor will continue to allow vessels to pass safely through it, and keep our regional economy growing.”

Orleans County Legislature Chairman Lynne Johnson said, “As we look for ways to support and promote recreational activities along the shorelines of Lake Ontario, the dredging of Oak Orchard Harbor is vital to providing access to the over 400 boat slips and 6 launch lanes within the harbor.  This project undertaken by the Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative demonstrates the commitment by the Governor to maintaining access to the navigable waterways that contribute to the success of the local fishing, boating and tourism activities within the Town of Carlton and Orleans County.”

To date, the State has completed nine REDI dredging projects, and removed approximately 41,750 cubic yards of sediment, to provide recreational boaters with safe access to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The completed dredging projects include Port Bay, Blind Sodus Bay and East Bay in Wayne County, Sandy Pond Inlet and Salmon River/Port Ontario in Oswego County, Irondequoit Bay and Braddock Bay in Monroe County, Little Sodus Bay in Cayuga County, and Golden Hill State Park in Niagara County.

Through Phase I and II, the dredging initiative is tackling the necessary dredging of up to 20 harbor navigation channels. Upon completion of the project, over 100,000 cubic yards of sediment is anticipated to be dredged.

Future regional dredging initiative sites include:

• Niagara County: Olcott Harbor
• Orleans County: Johnson Creek
• Monroe County: Sandy Creek, Long Pond Outlet
• Jefferson County: Clayton French Creek Marina, Henderson “The Cut”
• St. Lawrence County: Ogdensburg “City Front Channel,” Morristown Navigation Channel

During Phase III, the State will provide counties with the information they need to update, expand, and implement an existing Regional Dredging Management Plan to keep the channels operational over time.

Nyla Gaylord left to join United Way in Orleans County

ALBION – While the resignation of Nyla Gaylord in early July as executive director may have left a big void in the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, the agency is moving forward with a lot of positive energy, according to board president Sister Dolores O’Dowd.

Gaylord served with GOMOC for 5 ½ years, with more than four of those as executive director. She has accepted a position as director of development and fundraising for United Way of Orleans County.

“We appreciate all the time, effort and expertise she shared with employees, board members and especially the clients of Orleans and Genesee counties,” Sister O’Dowd shared in their summer newsletter.

Meanwhile, the search for a new executive director is continuing.

“We are looking for someone who has a heart for our ministry and someone who is also familiar with the agencies in Orleans and Genesee County with whom we work,” Sister O’Dowd said.

While the past year and a half have been challenging, GOMOC can celebrate a lot of successes. These include the purchase of a new furniture truck with a lift gate, made possible with a generous donation and grant from the Lyndonville Foundation.

“In spite of the challenges, we managed to keep our office going,” Sister O’Dowd said. “No one refused to come to work because of Covid. “We are thankful we could continue to help people with the money we received from grants.

In January this year, GOMOC was the recipient of a $50,000 grant from Eastman Savings and Loan, made possible by United Way of Orleans County. This allowed for creating the ESL/Covid Relief Housing Project to help families and individuals who were economically and financially disadvantaged and who suffered from either loss of income due to Covid or had difficulty making ends meet. GOMOC was able to provide rental/mortgage assistance and help with outstanding utility bills.

Although the ESL/Covid Relief Program ended July 31, GOMOC will continue to service income-eligible families in need through other funding sources and referral processes, wrote program coordinator Lydia Duncan in their newsletter.

Sister O’Dowd is especially excited about a new Financial Literacy Workshop started by Just Friends coordinator and advocate Ayesha Kreutz. Funded by a Heritage Wind community grant, the program is open to residents of Orleans County 12 to 18 years old and their parents. Five participants aged 12 to 18 years will receive a $300 scholarship to open their own investment portfolio or start a business. The program will focus on everything from investing money and saving for the future to interviewing skills, how to get and keep a job, life insurance, budgeting and their credit score. The first class started the second week of August.

Last year, GOMOC handed out school supplies to almost 300 children through donations from individuals and a grant from the Emma Reed Webster Aid Foundation. They are hoping to do the same this year and are still accepting donations of new school supplies and backpacks.

Sister O’Dowd reported the resignation of advocate Sharon Quill, who worked with the furniture program. That void has just been filled by hiring of Gretta Smith, who will start Tuesday as advocate.

Sister O’Dowd said Smith brings a lot to the Ministry of Concern.

“She is a college student in her senior year at Daemon College,” Sister O’Dowd said. “She has worked with many organizations in our area and worked with the poor. She is young and has a lot of good ideas. She will be a good fit.”

GOMOC had to cancel their annual fundraising gala due to Covid, but plan to reschedule it as soon as the danger of Covid has gone away.

“For now, we are depending upon donations from the community and grants,” Sister O’Dowd said.

The Ministry of Concern can also use items such as toilet paper; backpack and school supplies; any size mattresses, box springs and frames; new and gently used sheets and blankets in any size; appliances, such as refrigerators, electric stoves, microwave ovens, washers and dryers; small appliances, including toasters, coffee makers, hand mixers, hot plates, blenders and crock pots; paper towels, tissues, dish and laundry detergent and cleaning supplies; new bed pillows; bath and kitchen towers; and dressers, end tables, recliner chairs; loveseats, sofas, tables and chairs.

Information on how to donate cash or items is available by calling (585) 589-9210 or logging on to their website at www.ministryofconcern.org.

Scott M. Whittaker

MIDDLEPORT – A Middleport man has been charged with second-degree assault after allegedly stabbing another man when the two were in a fight at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Niagara County Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti reported the arrest of Scott M. Whittaker, who allegedly slashed another man multiple times when the two were fighting on Freeman Avenue in the town of Royalton.

The victim was transported to Erie County Medical Center for treatment of his non-life threatening injuries. Through subsequent investigation, Whittaker was located in the Town of Yates in Orleans County and taken into custody by members of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police.

Whittaker was charged with one count of Assault 2nd degree (D felony) and one count of Menacing 2nd degree (A misdemeanor). Whittaker is being held at the Niagara County Jail awaiting centralized arraignment.

The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its 23rd annual business awards. The deadline to nominate a business or person is Sept. 12.

The categories include:

• Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Lifetime Achievement – This award is presented to an individual with a long-term record of outstanding business achievements.
• Phoenix Award – This award is presented to an organization or business that has successfully adapted or re-used an existing facility.
• New Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business or organization that has opened in the past year.
• Community Service Award – This award is presented to a business, organization or individual that has provided meaningful contributions to the community in either professional or non-professional spheres.
• Agricultural Business of the Year – This award is presented to an agricultural business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Small Business of the Year – This award is presented to a small business that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year.

Send a nomination to the OCCC, PO Box 501, Medina, NY or email it to director@orleanschamber.com, through Google forms (click here) or the Chamber’s Facebook page.

The businesses and individuals will be recognized during an awards dinner on Oct. 21 at the White Birch in Lyndonville.

MEDINA — Firefighters were dispatched to a house fire on Friday night at Orient Street. All the residents in both apartments were able to safely get out of the house, said Steve Cooley, lieutenant at the Medina Fire Department.

The fire was limited to a second-floor bedroom, but both apartments suffered smoke and water damage, Cooley said in a news release. The Red Cross is assisting with temporary housing for residents of both apartments.

Medina firefighters were on scene two minutes after being dispatched at 10:33 p.m. and reported smoking coming from the eaves and a second-floor window. All occupants of both apartments in the house were outside of the building when firefighters arrived. Lyndonville and Shelby firefighters also responded.

Medina fire investigators have ruled the fire accidental in nature. No firefighters were injured in the response.

Also assisting at the scene were the Medina Police Department, COVA EMS, the East Shelby Fire Department and Orleans County Emergency Management.

Press Release, Orleans County Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch

CARLTON/YATES – Orleans County works closely with Modern Disposal Services to provide out a countywide solid waste program for all of our residents who participate in our program. From time to time, we unfortunately experience some delays in providing this service as scheduled.

There will be some delays in service on the fire lanes in Carlton and Yates today.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this creates for our residents along the affected routes,” said Jack Welch, Orleans County chief administrative officer. “If these residents leave out their solid waste, Modern Disposal will have your items collected as soon as Modern is able.”

Nolberto Martinez Maya, son of farmworkers, wants to serve others as a physician

Provided photo: Nolberto Martinez Maya graduated from Albion in June and now is at Harvard University, where he is majoring in molecular genetics and sociology as part of a pre-med track.

ALBION – A 2021 Albion graduate is on campus at Harvard University, pursuing his goal of a career in medicine.

Nolberto Martinez Maya graduated from Albion on June 25. He was the class vice president. He also earned his associate’s degree from Genesee Community College in May, juggling an extra full load of courses the past year in high school and at GCC, taking all of them online during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He took the GCC classes and earned a 4.0 GPA. At Albion, he didn’t want to coast through to the finish, even when many students backed off with their academics during the pandemic. He wanted tough classes, and completed AP (Advanced Placement) in biology, calculus and statistics, as well as the others at GCC.

“It was pretty challenging,” he said. “I’m not going to lie.”

Nolberto, 18, will be double majoring in molecular genetics and sociology at Harvard, and minoring in Spanish. He is on a pre-med path. He wants to be a surgeon or work as a physician.

He is the first Albion graduate to go directly to Harvard since Michael Patterson in 2013.

“I know it is uncommon for someone from Orleans County to go to Harvard,” Nolberto said. “I wanted to go medical and shoot for the best medical colleges.”

On April 6 it was “Ivy Day” when the elite colleges and universities notify applicants if they have been accepted. The schools send out the acceptance – or rejection – notifications at 7 p.m. that day. Sometimes the applicants are waitlisted, and still have a chance of being accepted.

Nolberto applied at eight colleges and universities. He already knew he had been accepted by the University of Rochester. But he also tried for several others.

He opened up the messages from Yale, Cornell and Columbia – they all were rejections. Johns Hopkins had him waitlisted.

Nolberto checked the application portal from Harvard, the private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Mass.

Nolberto took a deep breath and opened the applicant portal. He was greeted with computer-generated confetti on his screen and a message, “You have been accepted into the Class of 2025.”

He felt immediate elation.

“I screamed,” he said. “I was so happy.”

Nolberto will be part of an exclusive Class of 2025. Harvard had its lowest admissions rate ever – accepting only 3.43 percent or 1,968 students out of the 57,435 who applied.

He contacted his close friends in a group call and they joined in the celebration. He will be attending on a full ride scholarship.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Nolberto Martinez Maya accepts his diploma from Albion Central School during commencement on June 25.

Nolberto is the son of his father Honorato and mother Inocencia. They work trimming fruit trees and grafting them. Nolberto is the youngest of his siblings, who include Everardo, Lorena and Honorato.

Nolberto was born at the former Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport. He attended Pre-K at the ABCD Agri-Business Child Development center in Holley. He then went to Albion from kindergarten through grade 12.

He helped his parents often at fruit farms, especially with grafting trees, where branches from two types of apple trees are cut and tied together to produce a different variety. He helped plant many of the trees and said he feels pride when he goes by them a few years later and sees fruit on the trees.

There is lots of biology involved in grafting trees and working on farms. Biology is a passion for Nolberto. In 8^th grade, he realized math and science were his strongest subjects. Near the end of that school year, he also was notified he was excelling academically. That’s when he found out he was ranked among the top 10 of his classmates.

When he was in eighth grade, a teacher had him and his classmates write a letter to their future selves. Nolberto, in his letter, urged his future self to “get the best grades possible and the be the best person possible.”

He made a list of elite universities and put Harvard on the list for his future education. He hadn’t thought of that letter until it was given back to the students near the end of their senior year.

Nolberto said some of his close friends pushed each other to apply to superior schools. That trio of friends encouraged him to aim very high. Nolberto said he is proud of his friends for also getting into top-ranked colleges. That includes Aisha Drisdom, the class salutatorian who is at Carnegie Mellon University; Ashley Ames, the class valedictorian who is at Geneseo State College; and Claire Squicciarini, who is at Alfred University.

Nolberto knows he has his work cut out for him at Harvard. It will be a steady journey, with years of effort to reach his goal. That is fine with him, a diploma that won’t come easy.

He credited his Albion biology teacher Sandy Climenhaga for instilling a love of the sciences, and for emphasizing students should try “hard things” even if it might knock down their GPA.

Climenhaga is encouraging, but also offers feedback on where students missed the mark, and what they need to do to improve.

Not all students want to hear that, or to see the teacher’s red ink on their papers. Nolberto welcomed the input from Climenhaga.

When he was accepted from Harvard, she was the first teacher he contacted with the news.

“In order to achieve at this type of level, it has to be innate,” Climenhaga said in an interview. “There has to be internally a drive to learn and I have seen that in Nolberto.”

Nolberto Martinez Maya (left), vice president of the Class of 2021, is near the front of the processional from the high school to the football stadium during commencement on June 25. He is followed by Olivia Morrison, class secretary; and Annalise Steier, class treasurer.

Climenhaga has her students in AP biology read two books, and Nolberto said both were influential in him wanting to pursue science. Despite a very busy courseload, Climenhaga had her students read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a book about a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells were taken without her knowledge in 1951 and were used to develop the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization. The book highlights bioethics, race and medicine. Nolberto wrote about this book in his essay to Harvard.

He and his classmates also read The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story, a nonfiction book in 1994 about Ebola and other viruses.

Climenhaga said the two books are “real stories about real people.”

She praised Nolberto for an appetite for learning, and for wanting to educate himself and be of service to others.

“He is such a sweet, mild mannered kid,” Climenhaga said. “He is very selfless and always has been. He really wants to do good. He is a student who makes his community better and wants to pursue a career to make his community better.”

She would like to see more students take the more challenging AP classes at Albion and GCC courses while in high school.

“Hopefully it will encourage kids to get out of their comfort zone and try something hard,” she said about Nolberto’s enrollment at Harvard. “He had a goal and he put everything into it. You have to give him high marks for that. It wasn’t easy.”

Provided photos

MURRAY – Friends of Tom Drennan rallied for Drennan and his family on Saturday during a “Tee Off for Tom Drennan” golf tournament, which raised $25,000 for the Drennan family.

Drennan, a retired chief deputy and investigator with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and a longtime Kendall firefighter, is shown with his wife Terri and also getting a hug from Tim Juhrs, one of the organizers of the event.

Drennan was diagnosed with a blood cancer called multiple myeloma in March and received a stem cell transplant in July.

The golf tournament at Hickory Ridge included 144 golfers and 235 dinners sold. There was a basket auction, silent auction and a 50/50 raffle.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Medina Lions who helped moved props for their annual Scarecrow Fest from Forrestel Farm to the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds on Saturday are, from left, Dean Bellack, Sherry Wheatley, Tom Beach, Jim Punch and Howie Gardner.

KNOWLESVILLE – The Medina Lions Club’s annual Scarecrow Fest will celebrate its 10th year with a new location and a lot of new features.

Scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 9, the Scarecrow Fest will be moved to the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds this year, which gives the Lions a lot more opportunity for new features and events, said Sherry Wheatley.

During its nine-year history, the Scarecrow Fest has taken place in Medina’s canal basin, Robert’s Farm Market, the YMCA and lastly, at Forrestel Farm.

After learning that Forrestel Farm was sold and the riding camp closed, the Lions had to find a new location.

Sherry Wheatley and Tom Beach, members of Medina Lions Club, carry out T stakes from Forrestel Farm’s barn, where they have been stored since last year’s Scarecrow Fest. The Scarecrow Fest on Oct. 9 will be moved to the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds this year.

The fairgrounds was a perfect solution, Wheatley said.

“This opens up new doors for us,” she said, dragging a giant stuffed scarecrow out of her truck on Saturday.

Wheatley and Lions Dean Bellack, Tom Beach, Jim Punch and Howie Gardner met at Forrestel on Saturday morning to move their props out of the barn where they had been stored since last year. This included 300 T-stakes which are used for bodies of the scarecrows.

The Scarecrow Fest was an idea pitched to Medina Lions nine years ago by Wheatley, who has headed the event ever since. This includes annually scouring local thrift shops, especially the MAAC Thift Shop, for donations of clothes, ties, belts, scarves, hats and purses, as well as sheets.

The Scarecrow Fest has become a community event, Wheatley said.

First, Wheatley’s mother Pauline Lanning cuts 300 heads for scarecrows out of sheets and sews them up. Then they were transported to Medina High School, where the Art Department paints faces on the heads.

Iroquois Job Corps has stepped up to have their Carpentry Class cut T-posts out of donated plywood for the standing or sitting scarecrow bodies, and Albion dairy farmer Ed Neal donates bales of straw to stuff the scarecrows.

“Without the help of everybody, there is no way we could have done this,” Wheatley said.

She also said Craig Lacy did them a big favor by allowing them to store bags of clothing in the basement of his former NAPA store on North Main Street in Medina.

“Now that we’ve moved our event to the fairgrounds, we have a lot more space for events,” Wheatley said. “My goal is to have at least 300 scarecrows, maybe 350.”

For the first time, the Scarecrow Fest will feature an indoor flea market and craft show, all under cover in the barns.

“If it rains, we will be inside,” Wheatley said.

The Boy Scouts will be selling homemade corn chowder, chili, smores, hot dogs, hamburgers and pop. Chiavetta’s will have a drive-thru chicken barbecue. The Boy Scouts will also be doing camping demonstrations and the Conservation Club will have the Log Cabin open.

Jim Punch ties down a load of T stakes which he helped Medina Lions move from Forrestel Farm to the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds on Saturday. The stakes are used for bodies of scarecrows at the Scarecrow Fest, which will take place Oct. 9 at the fairgrounds.

4-H Clubs will have a big role in having demonstrations, Wheatley said. She is talking with the horse clubs to have them give rides to children during the event.

Another new event prompted by the location on the fairgrounds is a kids’ pedal tractor ride through a straw maze.

Wheatley said she has access to four barns to use for the event, and encourages everyone to consider renting a space for the flea market.

“It’s the end of summer and everybody wants to get rid of unwanted items,” she said.

A 25’ x 25’ space costs only $25 and vendors can have their vehicle parked next to their booth. A space can be rented by calling Wheatley at (585) 735-5135.

There will be plenty of parking available.

“This is a win-win situation,” Wheatley said.

She stressed all money earned by the Lions goes back into the community.

The Scarecrow Fest is a lot of fun for a $10 donation, Wheatley said. There is no age limit to come and build a scarecrow. Participants pay their fee, then walk down rows to pick out their clothing and accessories.

They next go to the straw pile and stuff their scarecrow. Lastly, they take them to the “operating table,” where “surgeons,” otherwise known as Lions Club members, will tie off the ends of the legs with baler twine and make suspenders to hold the scarecrows together.

No two scarecrows look alike, Wheatley said.

Chicken barbecue tickets can be ordered on the Medina Lions Facebook page, from any Lions member or at Filomena’s on South Gravel Road, the Bank of Castile on South Main Street or Revival Beauty Parlor on Main Street.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Students in Medina High School art classes painted the faces on the scarecrow heads in this photo from Oct. 13, 2019. Iroquois Job Corps students made the stakes for the bodies. The scarecrow fest will be moving to the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds on Oct. 9.

 Joyful Little Flappers

With the highest wing beats recorded at 88 beats/second, it explains why the hummingbird is lucky to boast the highest metabolism of any animal. Good thing since they sure do like to eat a lot of nectar and sugar!

If I could flap my 53-year-old wings that fast I sure could eat all the ice cream I desired. Drawn to color for the nectar they need, they tend to produce bright-colored blossoms with their pollination.

In NY, I never see any hummingbirds at my feeder. I read they like to visit feeders where flowers are not abundant. If it is true, that would explain it. My NY feeder is in the middle of my flower bed, dang. I currently have no flower beds in TN and my feeder has a great deal of hummingbird action. Those little winged stinkers gave me a run for my money trying to capture some photos, but with patience, my camera and I finally outsmarted them. Visit my site Wednesday. I will share some fun footage in my Mid-Week Photo Perk.

Hummingbirds are thought to be native to the Americas. However in 2004, a 30-million-year-old fossil was fond in Germany. This has raised some questions about the true origins of this tiny-winged bird which has 360 species and is able to oxidize sugar so it can hover. They have an average life span of 4 years and most species in the North migrate South for winter. They dissipate heat through unfeathered areas such as their feet. In the cold, they tuck their little toes into their feathers to keep them warm. It’s like having socks as part of your anatomy!

Aztec War Gods believed that fallen soldiers came back as hummingbirds and butterflies. As power and spirit animals, the hummingbird represents and promote many positive attributes. They may be tiny, but they harbor a great deal of energy. If you see one, pay attention to what your striving for and continue your exploration.

This little flapper is also known for flirtation. They don’t mate for life, which does not mean we should be unfaithful, but rather keep things light hearted. Don’t be so serious and never stop widening your circle of support and love. Keep your heart pumping strong like a hummingbird and don’t succumb to the mundane or routine of life.

Never stop evolving and explore that which interest you, because you can’t continue growth if you don’t continue to pollinate and drink the nectar of lots of “colorful flowers.” Their presence reminds us our spirit guides are with us and want us to use all our positive energy to seize the day, keep agile and adapt as your goals require.

They also represent strength, vitality and healing. Always be conscious of how your body is being nourished. Put high energy foods in your beaks to keep your mind and body in a joyful energetic state of being. The hummingbird motto “la dolce vita” which means the sweet life and being in a joyful state will help luck find you. 

How do you relate to hummingbirds? Visit My Blog live online (click here) and catch up on Weekly Photo Perks and past Sunday Posts. Like and share your comments.

Truly,
Debbie London

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The “Rock the Park” festival returned in a scaled-down format today at Bullard Park. The event, renamed “Albion Summer Festival 6.5,” featured two bands today and they performed at the new amphitheater at Bullard Park.

The top photo shows the band, Vette, performing “Nothin’ But A Good Time” by Poison. Vette includes, front, from left: Travis Mackie, Kole Moore and Alex Fitzak. Shelby Starr is the drummer.

There were 18 different food and craft vendors, including Pamela Jenks of Pretty Sweet Bakery in far back. The spot in foreground is Red Check Rustic.

The festival was cancelled last year due to Covid-19 restrictions, but returned today when Albion and Medina played youth football games.

Kyle Webb, right, and Matt Hollenbeck cook hamburgers at the Masonic Lodge’s food stand. The Masons will be at all of the Albion home football games this year at Bullard Park.

The splash park at Bullard was a busy place on a hot summer day today.