WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) and Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) introduced the Reservists Opportunity Act to give more flexibility to members of the National Guard and Reserves.

The Reservists Opportunity Act introduced by Jacobs and Ryan would allow for National Guard and Reserve members to access the Army’s Tour of Duty system, which serves as a military job board, from personal devices. Currently, this service is only accessible on devices connected to Department of Defense (DoD) networks limiting the ability for some members to easily find active-duty opportunities in a timely manner.

“Making the decision to serve our country, especially on active duty, is an honorable and selfless one, so when members of our Reserves and National Guard decide to volunteer for active-duty assignments, they should not be met with red-tape,” Rep. Chris Jacobs said. “This legislation removes an unnecessary barrier and allows these members to easily find opportunities from their own computers. Streamlining this service and increasing access will improve our military readiness and retention of qualified service members.”

“When our soldiers want to step up to serve full-time, the last thing that should stop them are technological barriers,” Rep. Tim Ryan said. “This bill will ensure that these soldiers can access the opportunities available for active-duty service from their personal devices. Not only does this make sense, it improves readiness and retention. I look forward to its swift consideration in the House.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – The former Crosby-Whipple building has been demolished and removed at 30 North Main St. in Lyndonville to make way for a new Dollar General.

These photos show the site on Friday evening. The new store will be next to Johnson Creek. The project includes a retaining wall next to the waterway.

The site will become a 7,600-square-foot Dollar General with 29 parking spaces. The Broadway Group in Huntsville, Alabama is the developer for the project. The 7,600-square-foot store is the smallest model offered by Dollar General. Most of the Dollar Generals are more than 9,000 square feet. The parcel of land on Main Street doesn’t give enough room for the larger size store.

The store will have 8 to 10 employees and offer convenience for Lyndonville shoppers, the Broadway Group told village officials back in March. Dollar General has another store 3.75 miles away at the corner of routes 63 and 104 in Ridgeway.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

ALBION – Sheriff Chris Bourke, who also serves as Orleans County STOP-DWI Coordinator, announced that local law enforcement agencies will actively participate in the STOP-DWI Labor Day High Visibility Engagement Campaign, which started August 20 and continues through September 6.

As summer winds down Labor Day is one of the busiest travel holidays of the year. With the increase in traffic on our roadways comes an increase risk in crashes, including impaired-driving crashes.

Law enforcement agencies and local STOP-DWI programs will collaborate across the state and will be out in force in this coordinated effort to reduce the number of impaired driving-related injuries and deaths.

The STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaigns are promoted by New York STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the STOP-DWI Foundation.

If bat comes inside house, Health Dept. has tips for catching it

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

Rabies is a deadly but 100 percent preventable viral disease of mammals that is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), ultimately causing disease in the brain and death.

Each year, the vast majority of rabies cases reported occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes.

“It is very important to get your pets vaccinated and not to touch or handle any stray or wild animals including baby animals and bats,” stated Paul Pettit, Director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “Remember not to touch animals out in public as they may be scared and bite or scratch out of fear.”

Bats can occasionally find their way into houses, which most often occurs during the summer nights. What should you do when you find a bat in your home? It is extremely important to safely capture the suspected animal if it has or may have been in contact with people, pets or livestock so it can be tested for rabies. If the bat cannot be captured, you should call the health department for advice and next steps. If you are certain that the bat did not come in contact with a person or pet, close the room and closet doors, open the windows and watch the bat until it leaves your house.

In some situations, it is possible that a bat bite could go undetected. For example, when a bat is found in a room with a sleeping person or a bat is found next to an unattended young child.

“If the bat is available for testing and the test results are negative, post exposure treatment will not be needed,” stated Pettit. Rabies post exposure prophylaxis is recommended for all persons with a bite, scratch or mucus membrane exposure to a bat, unless the bat is available for testing and is negative for evidence of rabies.

To safely capture a bat:

• Turn on room lights and close all the windows.
• Close the room and closet doors.
• Wait for the bat to land.
• While wearing thick leather-like gloves, place a coffee can, pail or similar container over the bat. (Never handle a bat with your bare hands).
• Slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat.
• Firmly hold the cardboard in place against the top of the container, turn it right side up and tape the cardboard tightly to the container.

By avoiding contact with stray or wild animals, saving the bat or animal that may have had contact with humans or domestic animals, and reporting an incident to your local Health Department, we may be able to avoid unnecessary medical treatment that averages over $3,000 per person. As a pet owner, if you see your pet bite someone or know that your pet bit someone, please report it to the health department so we can get rabies verification. This will help avoid unnecessary medical treatment for the victim.

Please take note of our upcoming free drive thru anti-rabies immunization clinics for dogs, cats and ferrets in Genesee and Orleans Counties.

Orleans County: Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 RT. 31, Albion, NY)

• Oct. 2 from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Genesee County: Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia, NY)

• Sept. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m.
• Oct. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Holy Family Parish’s Lawn Fete is back today and this time its on a closed off section of West Park Street by the church, and also on the church property.

The top photo shows Kathleen Barleben, left, and her mother Joan Adduci who are running the Lucky Scroll Game, one of many children’s activities as part of the fundraiser for the parish. The event has been held at the Elk’s Lodge grounds on West State Street but was moved closer to the church this year.

A block of West Park Street is blocked off for people to enjoy the food and activities. The event started at noon and continues until 5 p.m.

Jean Shervin chats with Casimer Pruski. Shervin and other Ladies of Charity are selling booked goods, and fruits and vegetables.

There are about 100 baskets available in a basket raffle.

Michael Grabowski and his son Dan, right, are cooking hamburgers.

Charles Howard, the Santa Claus School founder, also visionary behind ‘World’s Largest Cake’ that was served at a wedding

By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director – Vol. 2 No. 33

GAINES – The first church built between the Genesee and Niagara Rivers, located on the Ridge Road in the Town of Gaines, constructed in 1824, seen here circa 1920 when used by the Free Methodists. This church was remodeled in the 1870s and the second story windows were removed and replaced with the stained glass seen here. In later years, after being used as the Town of Gaines Highway Garage, it was demolished in 1991.

Churches have been present in the Town of Gaines and Hamlet of Childs since their earliest days.  The Cobblestone Universalist Church built on land donated by John Proctor and the Gaines Congregational Church are two time-tested examples. While churches have always been regarded as solemn, religious institutions, we do find some examples in history where the solemnity of pondering mortal destinies was interrupted by some good, light-hearted, humorous situations.

One such humorous tale has survived its retelling since about 1837. A certain Mrs. Dewey, whom the youngsters called Mother Dewey, was a woman of positive character and was said to rule the roost of her home.  She and her husband and daughter lived in a log cabin on the Gaines Basin Road, just south of the Ridge.

There was a berry patch that stood behind the home, a little garden around it, and a well of cold water shaded with birch trees was found near the door, and creeping over the doorway grew beautiful Morning Glories. The cold well was a temptation too strong to resist for the local boys who frequently refreshed themselves while on their berrying and nutting excursions. She enjoyed the boys’ company and was known to use the occasions to extract nuggets of gossip from the youngsters about all of the village residents.

The whole Town of Gaines knew her as a conscientious member of her church, where she was an unfailing attender, where she slept away much of her life. Locals remembered her well as she went down the road to the church. Though poor in the world’s goods, she was rotund in person and robust in health. She waddled along with head and shoulders held high and a big brown satchel slung over one arm. In church, her seat was in the back, under the overhanging gallery. There she sat and slept, with nodding head and mouth wide open, all the same whether the sermon was dull or awe inspiring.

The first Gaines Congregational Church was built in 1834 and burned on Christmas Eve, 1950.  Photo seen here circa 1915. It was also in 1834 that the First Universalist Society of Gaines erected the Cobblestone Church still present in Childs. This would suggest great religious fervor in the community at the time.

It was one summer Sunday, that Mother Dewey had taken her usual seat, had gone into her usual sleep, and the preacher had gotten well into the depth of his sermon, when two roguish boys in the gallery above discovered her head was directly under them thrown back unusually far, and a dark hole in her face where her mouth ought to be.

Like Adam and Eve, temptation got the best of them. Almost instantly, a fly-leaf from a hymnal was eschewed to pulp. It was held over her in hushed consultation and passed from hand to hand in trial. Finally it dropped! It was a plumb shot, a dead bullseye. She chocked, rolled over, coughed and spat the wad out. Her friends rushed to her side, opened the window, fanned her, propped her up and talked of apoplexy.

She said there was no apoplexy, nothing of the sort, but didn’t say what the matter was. Her dignity was fearfully insulted, and her indignation against unknown somebodies upstairs knew no bounds. In the melee, two boys made hasty tracks downstairs and out the doors, erupting in laughter heard all through the church. Visual correspondents later reported the boys were Newton Proctor and Oakley Ruggles who are said to have received sound thrashings from their angry parents.

A view of Gaines looking east on Ridge Road, the Congregational Church steeple is seen in the center of the community. Burns restaurant is at the far left, it later became known as the Chatterbox.

Several years later, an older but wiser Mr. Ruggles, provided the inspiration for several other stories that add humor to local church life. Another such example was read at the Semi-Centennial Meeting of the Gaines Congregational Church on August 26, 1874. Ruggles tells of a certain Mr. Burnham who had an unusual, somewhat irregular, connection to the church. It seems he was allowed, whether knowingly or unknowingly, to stable his cow under the church, in an area that had been left open to the elements, through a gaping hole that had developed and had been left unattended over many years.

The Hamlet of Childs as seen in 1909 for the Centennial Celebration of the Town of Gaines, note the Village Inn at left, general store, center; and Cobblestone Universalist Church in the upper right corner of the photo. The general store was actually built as a cobblestone building, covered with stucco around 1870 and torn down in 1960.

This particular story involves a protracted evening revival meeting that was held in the church. People came from far around, and filled the house. The interest was great, and much good was being done, conversations were many, and folks lived better lives as a result. On one such occasion, when the house was crammed to suffocation, and after the clergyman had preached a fervent sermon, and given out a hymn, he called on repentant sinners to come forward to the altar for prayers.

In the midst of the tear-soaked singing and deep solemnity of the hour, Mr. Burnham’s two-year-old bull calf raised his voice. He started off on a high key as if sung by a coloratura soprano, then it modulated down to a crackling tenor and finished with a monotone droning bass, which performance he repeated several times to the outright dismay of the preacher, quite upsetting the gravity of the elders, on whose faces twinkled slight grins, while the youngsters reveled in downright belly laughter. The meeting ended early, and the bull-calf was summarily ejected from his lower berth, thus closing the chapter on Mr. Burnham’s pseudo-connection to the congregation.

This photo, taken about 1890, shows a wedding in the old Gaines Congregational Church which burned on December 24, 1950.

Entrance to the fairgrounds, early 1900s

Our last “church story” brings us forward to 1931, and isn’t actually a “church” story, because it didn’t take place in a church, but did involve a wedding. Over the years, the old Orleans County Fair had become a setting for couples to “tie the knot,” in outdoor ceremonies as part of Fair week.

In celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of the Orleans County Fair in that year, a decision was made to build the World’s Largest Wedding Cake.  The cake, seen here at right, was baked by the Wehle Baking Company of Rochester under the supervision of John Woggon. The cake pieces were transported by truck to Albion and assembled on site.

Herman Thorschmidt, a champion cake trimmer, did the decorating. The 14-foot tall cake was topped with a sugar eagle. The base of the cake was 8’ square and was placed in a special building erected at the fairgrounds for the occasion. The recipe included 1,600 pounds of flour, 1,140 pounds of sugar, 910 pounds of shortening, 7,272 eggs, 455 quarts of milk, 1,000 pounds of applesauce, 100 pounds of baking powder, one gallon of vanilla, one gallon of lemon juice and 56 pounds of chocolate. The icing used 500 pounds of Confectioner’s sugar. The completed cake weighed in at 7,000 pounds.

Photo courtesy Orleans County Historian

After the cake had been on display for several days, a public wedding was held next to the cake. The photo above shows the bridge and groom before their many spectators.  The sign at the base of the cake stated, “This mammoth cake will be cut by the bride at 3pm.”

After the bride cut the cake, 5,000 slices were boxed and sold for ten cents each. It earned $500 and folks remarked how tasty the cake was. The entire spectacle was an example of the creative mind of legendary local, Charles W. Howard, who was credited with this “World’s Largest Cake” plan. Howard of course went on to “Santa Claus” fame with his world-famous Santa Claus School and Christmas Park.

Fairgrounds, early 1900s

Howard’s successful “World’s Largest Cake” plan in 1931 was actually spurred on by an earlier success at the old Orleans County Fair. In 1929, the “World’s Largest Pie” was created, weighing 6,000 pounds. The dough was rolled out using the “World’s Largest Rolling Pin,” being four feet long and weighing 60 pounds.

Provided photo

CARLTON – A boat sunk overnight at the Orleans County Marine Park and leaked some fuel into the Oak Orchard River.

A spill response team from the state Department of Environmental Conservation will be on scene to help with the cleanup of what is described as a minor fuel spill by the Orleans County Emergency Management Office.

The Carlton Fire Department and Orleans County EMO deployed petroleum booms to contain the spill.

The owner of the boat’s insurance company has contacted a water recovery team in Rochester to get the boat out of the water. Once the boat is lifted up and the water pumped out, a cause for the boat’s sinking should be determined, said Dale Banker, EMO director for Orleans County.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Who Dats performed the final concert Thursday for Albion’s summer concert series by the Erie Canal.  The band includes lead singer Lonnie Froman, John Borello on guitar (in back), Alona Kuhns on guitar (in back in white shorts), Ed Hilfiker on guitar and Alex DeSmit on drums.

Last year’s concert series was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. This year the concert series was reduced to four events that tended to draw 100 to 150 people.

Other bands that performed included Jonesie and the Cruisers, Cold Fusion Arts and The Trellis Cooper Band.

The Village of Albion organized the concerts, which included funding from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

Lonnie Froman sings during Thursday’s concert by the canal. The concerts are held at the end of Platt Street, between the Main and Ingersoll lift bridges.

Alex DeSmit is the new drummer for the band, which has been popular locally for many years.

 Scraping Life’s Flakes Away

This summer has been the summer of scraping and painting. Yuck! Two of my least favorite things, along with mowing the lawn and cleaning the bathroom.

But as I thought about it, scraping and painting is a good metaphor for life’s stagnations. At some point in our lives, we all require a good scraping, at which point you are blessed with a clean work surface, like a piece of bare wood.

You prime it with your dreams for the future. In your mind all these little thought bubbles need to be brushed into a finish that makes sense and the completed product will create a finish that will take your breath away, simply because it is so beautiful. If you’re doubly lucky it will be more dazzling than you imagined. Perhaps you added some colorful trim work or ornate detail.

Take for example our living room. The walls are beige, but when we added some color to the trim and a sizable handmade fireplace to the wall, it became more spectacular than we originally envisioned. Ambitions and dreams are like that, too. For example, I dreamed of having a bike. Sounds nice, but the addition of a bell and a sturdy wicker basket made this dream even more delightful! Not only could I ride my bike, but I could ring the bell to let people know I had arrived and share with them the wine carried in the nice sturdy basket. Every once in a while we need to scrap away the flakes of life to expose some bare material in order to start building again.

To stay the same and never grow and continue to learn and dream would be a shame. As I am scraping away all the flakes and dead paint on the flower bed I am reminded that it is OK to scrap away life’s flakes at times, too. Take stock of what is working and what is not. Some things that may have brought joy before, no longer do. That is OK. Be grateful they did bring you joy when they did.

Sometimes as we grow we need to do a little inside remodeling, sometimes a little outside remodeling is needed, to0. If you no longer feel fulfilled, do a little scraping and see what flakes off and put a new coat of happiness on it. Or if your finish is physically bringing you down and perhaps you no longer feel vital or energetic, scrap away all that junk in your cupboards into the trash. Then begin to fill your cabinets with the joy of knowing you are doing your body good.

Keep your lean, mean virus machine in tip top shape, both mentally and physically. When it comes to your finish, sometimes it is good to use a good primer. You know, really start those thought bubbles going to make sure it sticks a while. A plan can help ensure the finish lasts. But oftentimes it’s just as rewarding to dip that brush in some color and start painting, the brighter the hue, the better! The fun and excitement of true spontaneity, you just never know what the remodel will look like. How could you benefit from a good scraping and fresh painting? 

To see the fresh finish, 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 

Let’s go on an adventure together….to Costa Rica!

One of several beautiful pools to choose from at the Riu Palace Costa Rica with a wide variety of activities throughout the day.

I’m really excited to take you on a trip to Costa Rica that I was able to do a couple weeks ago – yep, I went on an actual recent trip. This was a very different trip for me than my usual jaunts. I have never been to Costa Rica….or anywhere in Central America, for that matter. I also stayed at an All-Inclusive resort for the first time ever! So, very different experience for me in a lot of ways. 

I absolutely LOVED Costa Rica! It is a Central American country with a Caribbean side and a Pacific Ocean side. It is bordered to the north by Nicaragua and to the southeast by Panama. I was in Guanacaste province on the Pacific Ocean side. Spanish is their native language, but just about everyone I encountered also spoke English. So, other than a little difficulty with some of the strong accents, I didn’t run into much of a language barrier or problem communicating. Be sure to go to the blog link at the end of this article for more interesting information about Costa Rica.

This is the face of pure joy and by far my favorite photo taken during my trip to Costa Rica. It was the first time I had ever been on a catamaran with sails out on the ocean and it was the thrill of a lifetime!

Let’s talk about all-inclusive resorts. I always wondered about them, but figured I could never afford to go to one. But, I was talking to my cousin, Dawn, and she has been to several in the Riu resort line and couldn’t say enough about them – in fact, she once stayed at the same one I chose. So, I looked over their website and was very pleasantly surprised when I saw the prices and what they had to offer.

I stayed four nights (flew down on Monday and back on Friday) and it was about comparable in price to a five day cruise or maybe a tad less, depending on the cruise line and destination. I found Riu prices do vary based on the location – they have resorts all over the world, but, again, fairly comparable to cruises. 

I stayed at the Riu Palace in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. There are two Riu resorts on the property and you have access to the amenities at both resorts while you are there. The Palace resorts are a little higher end and slightly more expensive than the regular ones – like the Riu Guanacaste next door to the Riu Palace Costa Rica. I think of it as Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean cruise lines – same company, different levels of luxury – both very nice, depending on what you want out of your vacation and your budget.

The stunning Lianos del Cortes Waterfalls on a day tour to Palo Verde National Park in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

The resort had so much to offer – multiple beautiful pools, activities and fitness sessions throughout the day, wonderful entertainment each night, several bars – including a swim-up bar, and lounges. And, it is kid-friendly, as well. There is also a very nice beach on the ocean just off the resort property that you have access to, as well. And, I have to mention the food! They have an awesome buffet restaurant, multiple specialty restaurants, and pool-side lunch and snack bars.

I spent my first partial day and my first full day mostly in or by the pool and could have been very happy just staying right on the resort the entire time. But….I’m not that kind of a traveler – I like getting out on excursions/tours and seeing more of the area I’m visiting. 

I booked tours for my last two full days. There are awesome tour company reps on the resort to help you pick the best tours. I decided on the first day to take a sunset catamaran cruise out on the Pacific Ocean. We were picked up about noon and sailed to a cove where we were able to swim or snorkel or just stay on the boat and enjoy the sun and views – that’s what I did. Then, we had a delicious lunch and put up the sails and soared out into the ocean where we saw sea turtles and dolphins and one of the crew caught an octopus for the crew dinner after the tour was over. Then, we sailed back at sunset – it was absolutely amazing!

On the next day, I caught a bus at 7:30 am and we went to Palo Verde National Park where we stopped at Lianos del Cortes Waterfalls – stunning!!! Then, we took a river boat cruise down the Bebedero River, where we saw all kinds of animals and birds and had lunch at the end of the cruise – amazing!!! We also did a Liberia City Tour – the capital of Guanacaste – and stopped at a large gift shop. It was an all-day adventure that was awesome!

A Guanacaste Tree – the national tree of Costa Rica – seen on a river boat cruise down the Bebedero River in Palo Verde National Park. On this river cruise we saw crocodiles, basilisk lizards – aka Jesus Christ Lizards because they run on top of the water, tiger herons, iguana, kingfishers, pink Roseate spoonbills, monkeys, and other amazing critters!

One thing you need to be aware of if leaving the country right now is that everyone entering or returning to the USA is required to have a negative Covid test result within 72 hours of entry regardless of vaccination status. I have to say I was nervous about that – what if I got a positive test result? I wouldn’t be able to return to my own county until I quarantined for ten days.

The resort has medical personnel on site to provide the tests free of charge and if the guest tests positive, they provide quarantine accommodations at no additional charge for the 10 day requirement. But, still…..I was really nervous about that. But, it all turned out fine – my results were negative. The resort took Covid precautions VERY seriously – it was actually quite impressive everywhere I went, but especially so on the resort. And I….as well as everyone I saw…..had a fabulous time!

I can’t really do the trip justice in the space I have here, so I really encourage you to visit my blog post for LOTS of photos and stories and interesting information about Costa Rica: click here!  There was so much more I wanted to do, but didn’t have the time….but, you know what that means….I have to go back and I absolutely will!

Happy Adventuring,
Kim Pritt

126 motorcyclists riding 100 miles today in 4-county trip

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Motorcyclists head out for a 100-mile ride at about 11 this morning from the Albion Elks Lodge on West State Street where there is a memorial in honor of Jason Johnston.

This is the seventh ride in honor of Jason Johnston with the proceeds from the event going to the Jason Johnston memorial scholarship.

There are 126 motorcyclists in the ride today, the most ever for the event. They each pay $20 per driver with $10 for passengers.

The proceeds from today’s event goes to a scholarship fund that has enough money to ensure the $1,000 annual scholarship will continue for at least another 36 years, said Mike Reigle, president of the Albion Elks Riders, which manages today’s ride.

The scholarship goes to a graduating senior pursuing a helping profession. Applicants need to write an essay about the golden rule. This year’s scholarship winner is Nolberto Martinez Maya.

Brad Johnston, left, chats with Mike Waterhouse before the ride. Johnston is Jason’s father and he is a member of the Albion Elks Riders.

Jason Johnston was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Dec. 26, 2009. Johnston was a specialist and paratrooper in the Army. He was on his second tour in Afghanistan. He completed a 13-month-deployment in 2008 and left again for the war-torn country in October 2009

The riders paused to say the Pledge of Allegiance before heading out. The ride includes stops at the Alabama Hotel, Duffy’s in Mumford, the Brockport Elks Lodge and then will conclude at about 5 p.m. at the Albion Elks Lodge on West State Street. There will then be food and live music from Bandera, a local country music group. There is a $5 cover charge to attend the concert, with no additional charge to the motorcyclists.

The riders are staggered in groups so each establishment isn’t inundated with all the riders at once.

Market will be open Fridays through October at former Pennysaver site

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Friday was opening day for the new Lyndonville Farm & Artisan Market on South Main Street at the site of the former Pennysaver buiding, which was demolished in March after the roof collapsed due to heavy snow and ice on Feb. 22.

Robert Smith, right, is owner of the property and Deborah Loke, left, is the market manager. She also will be a vendor selling products made with laser-cut wood.

“We want Lyndonville to be a destination and not a pass-through,” Loke said.

There were seven vendors for opening day of the market, which was from 4 to 8 p.m. There are three more vendors signed up and more are welcome, Loke said.

Smith said the loss of the Pennysaver building prompted him to look for other ways to utilize the site. A farmers and artisan market emerged as a great fit for the community, he said. There is room for 18 vendor booths in 10 by 10-foot locations, with space for three food trucks on the east end of the lot.

“It’s created a different set of opportunities,” Smith said at the market on Friday evening.

He would like to see an outdoor café with the space as well. He is renovating two buildings next door and is hopeful one of those buildings will be a café with “grab-and-go breakfasts.”

This sign on Main Street directs people to the new market at the corner of South Main and Eagle streets.

The Webber Building, which is two doors down, is being renovated into retail space on the first floor and hotel rooms upstairs. Work starts Monday to put in the air-conditioning and heating system, with electric starting in September, and then the insulation and drywall. Smith expects that site to open the first quarter of 2022.

There is interest in the two buildings, Smith said, including from an insurance agent and for a collaborative kitchen with demonstrations.

He is pleased with the variety of the vendors at the new market, with coffee and other beverages, produce, books, pizza, kettle corn and an array of artisan creations.

He sees the market serving the Lyndonville community and also tapping into the group headed to the lake on Friday.

James Roberts, owner of Big Bulbs Garlic & Produce Farm in Medina, holds an onion he was selling Friday. Roberts, 36, was making his farm market debut. He has also sold his onions, garlic and other produce at flea markets.

He was pleased with the crowd on Friday. There were about 100 people who stopped by.

Katherine Diegelman of Lyndonville holds her daughter Willa. Diegelman sells products through Usborne Books & More. She sells books for children from birth through the teen years.

“I’ve done pretty well tonight,” she said about the sales at the market. “I like to do events that are local and get these awesome books into homes.”

The latest CDC map on community spread of Covid-19 drops Orleans County from red to orange, or from high transmission to “substantial.”

Genesee County, however, has moved from orange to a red zone for high spread of Covid-19.

The two counties on Thursday had 99 active cases with 50 in Genesee and 49 in Orleans. State data on Friday showed six more in Orleans and 7 more in Genesee.

There were also 11 hospitalizations reported by the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments on Thursday with 8 from Genesee and 3 from Orleans.

“All of these hospitalizations are community members across the age spectrum and not nursing home residents,” said Paul Pettit, public health director for the two counties. “The majority are unvaccinated.”

The CDC county report is based on 7 days of data from Aug. 12 to Aug. 18. The CDC looks at total new cases per 100,000 people over seven days and percentage of positive tests.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently has 87.4 percent or 2,813 of the counties in the red for high community transmission. Another 7.6 percent or 243 are yellow for substantial spread. There are 2.0 percent or 64 that have moderate spread and are in the yellow zone. The remaining 3.1 percent or 99 are blue for low spread.

Pettit said Orleans is “right on the edge” to going back to red. The local G-O Health Departments continue to urge people to get vaccinated. Those who are aren’t vaccinated are encouraged to discuss getting the shot with their primary care provider.

The Health Department also recommends people – vaccinated and unvaccinated – to wear masks when indoors in public and when at crowded outdoor settings.

GOP legislators say per gallon price could rise by 55 cents with new tax

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

SANBORN – Members of the Senate and Assembly Republican Conferences today held a listening session with stakeholders across various industries to discuss the potential impacts of the Climate and Community Investment Act (CCIA), a proposal being advanced by Albany Democrats that could increase the cost of gas by as much as 55 cents per gallon and increase home heating costs by more than 25 percent. Another listening session was held earlier this month in Albany.

The legislation (click here) would impose a carbon tax of $55 per ton of fossil fuel emissions in order to reach renewable energy mandates under the CCIA, passed by the Legislature in 2019.

The session was led by Senator Dan Stec and Assemblyman Robert Smullen, ranking members of the Senate and Assembly Environmental Conservation Committees, and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, ranking member of the Assembly Energy Committee. Discussions revolved around the potential impacts on small businesses, farms, and various sectors of the energy industry. The session provided an opportunity for lawmakers to listen to testimony directly from stakeholders from across those industries.

“No matter how well-intended, legislation has to be weighed for its potential drawbacks. In this case, many of us have serious concerns for people we represent in rural regions who rely on their cars,” Senator Stec said. “Public transportation isn’t an option. When someone can’t afford to fill their gas tank, that means kids will miss out on after-school activities, home health aides won’t be able to get to the people who need their care and the cost of essential goods and services will go up. Many people, especially seniors on fixed incomes, have trouble keeping their homes warm during winter. A much bigger fuel bill would only add to their misery when the mercury dips well below zero for weeks at a time. A tax of this magnitude would be incredibly regressive, hurting lower-income New Yorkers the most.”

“New Yorkers are still reeling from the devastating impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and our economy continues to struggle,” Senator Ortt said. “This out-of-touch bill would be another hit to hardworking New Yorkers and small businesses who will be faced with skyrocketing costs at the pump and increased heating costs. We need to work together on real solutions other than the typical Albany tax-and-spend policies that continue to inflict harm on our already struggling taxpayers and small businesses.”

According to the Tax Foundation, New York currently has the 7th highest gas tax in the country, at 43.12 cents per gallon with  California currently the highest at 62.47 cents per gallon. This legislation would raise New York’s tax to 98.12 cents per gallon, an increase of more than 127 percent, and would make New York’s gas tax more than 57 percent higher than any other state. New York State has repeatedly been named one of the worst business tax climates in the nation by the Tax Foundation.

“Here in Western New York there is no real other option than to drive in order to get to work or school or for essential errands like picking up groceries or going to the doctor,” said Assemblyman Michael Norris of Lockport. “Our entire regional economy depends on New Yorkers’ ability to afford gasoline prices – and not just individual motorists but also the commercial trucking industry that supplies our region with the goods we all need. With everyone working so hard to rebuild after the economic shutdown, raising gasoline prices now is a misstep and will make it that much harder for businesses, families, and those who are already struggling to survive.”