2021: The Power of Self

New Year’s makes me think about this shirt my chiropractor, Dr. Lisa, gifted me. It was the 2020 resolution I should have made. Focus on the power of Self – Self Empowerment, Self Motivation, Self Sustaining and Self Preservation.

On the cusp of 2021, please think about the Power of Self. It is about making choices that bring strength and positivity to your life. Top of that being a strong body and mind, because the best offense is a good defense. That means caring enough about yourself to believe you are worth it. Keep your virus-fighting machine in tip-top shape.

I am no doctor, but I am quite good at pretending to be knowledgeable in all things! If you can not believe in your own story then no one else will. OK, back to Self.

For me it started after a fun summer of traveling to all the ice cream stands. That fall found me lethargic and 10 pounds heavier. Oh dear! I worked hard and it took months to lose that 10 pounds that took me only 3 months to gain. Lesson learned. But it was not enough because what I continued to eat led me down a path of pain.

After a 21-day cleanse I felt great. The secret was in what I started eating – clean fresh food. Down 20 more pounds, there is no more pain and my body is strong. So it can be done. You just need to know the secret and realize that Smart Popcorn is not smart. Ice cream is still a yummy treat, just maybe once a week and not several days a week. And no bread, pasta, soda, or sugar treats as a regular diet.

Now onto the mind. That is not so easy, for me. My brain is always working and it is difficult to not go down the rabbit hole of obsession.

Perhaps many of you can relate. Especially this year with information coming from too many sources, most trying to use fear to control your mind and emotions. Just like everyone I get angry and yell at the TV and have been known to think that non-like minded people just don’t get it. Don’t judge me, you know you have done that, too! But you know what, believing you are right and others are wrong, especially to the point of anger is toxic and not healthy.

Instead listen, try to respect and reject letting others control you. Concern yourself only with the “Man in the Mirror”(Yourself) and do what is right for you and allow others to do the same. As long as we travel with love in our hearts, we can not go wrong even if it is different from other’s path.

My resolution for 2021 is to keep the body strong and try to do better with the mind. My hope is that this post will inspire just one person to do the same. Because if 2020 has taught me anything it is that there is much craziness going on and many people are looking at and judging others’ behaviors. Instead, try looking at yourself to see what you can do to keep yourself healthy and joyful. The Power of Self is God’s gift to all us, embrace it. Happy New Year’s Everyone!!

Share your Self Resolution, visit my blog live online (click here) and catch up on Weekly Photo Perks and past Sunday Posts. Like and share your comments.                        

Truly,
Deborah London

ALBION — The First Presbyterian Church of Albion will be shifting to online-only services for at least the next three weeks due to rising cases of Covid-19 and the flu in the community, said the Rev. Susan Thaine, the church’s pastor.

The services will be available online through First Presbyterian’s Facebook page. That is for the service on Sunday, Jan. 3 and Jan. 10.

“Your church Session will continue to be in prayerful conversation with the Department of Health and will re-evaluate this decision at our January Session meeting,” Thaine said.

File photo from July 2017 by Tom Rivers: James Punch, retired Orleans County Court judge, will serve as administrator of the assigned counsel plan in Orleans County.

ALBION – A retired Orleans County Court judge is returning in a new role with the local court system.

James Punch has been appointed by the County Legislature to serve as administrator of the assigned counsel plan. He will be paid $35,000 for the role in 2021.

Punch retired as county court judge on July 29, 2017 after nearly 27 years as judge. He was the district attorney before that for five years. He was first elected at age 29.

Punch will take over as assigned counsel administrator, after Jeff Martin of Holley gave notice he was resigning from the post.

The Orleans County Bar Association voted and approved the recommendation that Punch serve as administrator. That was also choice of the Assigned Counsel Advisory Committee.

The county spends more than $500,000 a year on assigned counsel for residents who can’t afford an attorney for criminal or family court. There are about 50 attorneys on the county’s assigned counsel roster.

The administrator of the assigned counsel plan needs to make sure the attorneys don’t have any conflicts or past dealings with others involved in a case. The administrator will work with judges to find attorneys for cases.

The administrator also needs to ensure the residents meet income qualifications for indigent defense, and the administrator will assess the quality of legal services in the cases.

The administrator also should strive to make sure the cases are also rotated among the attorneys and that they follow consistent billing and reimbursement practices.

Punch was appointed to the position last week by the Legislature. The legislators also appointed former Medina Police Chief Jose Avila, who is retired from that job, to provide investigative service for the Public Defender in 2021. Avila will be paid $55 an hour, with the cost not to exceed $20,000 for the year.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – It’s been snowing in Orleans County today, after there was barely a dusting of the white stuff on Christmas.

The top photo shows the Main Street clock and lift bridge in Albion at about 2:45 p.m., when the snow was coming down at a good pace.

Orleans County is expected to get up to 3 inches of snow today. In Buffalo, a new record was already set by 1 p.m. today when 12.4 inches fell at the airport. The previous record for Dec. 26 was 10.7 inches in 1956, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

A truck heads north on Main Street in Albion while it was snowing at about 3 p.m. today.

Sunday is forecast to be partly sunny, with a high near 36. Monday there is a chance of rain showers in the morning and then snow showers between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., then a chance of snow showers again after 3 p.m. It will be cloudy with a high near 40, good weather for making snowmen.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Wortzman Furniture store is celebrating 95 years in business at 309 Ellicott St. in Batavia. The company continues to serve customers throughout the GLOW region, including Orleans County.

BATAVIA – Struggling through a pandemic isn’t how Harry Wortzman planned to celebrate his company’s 95th anniversary in business.

Although the year has been a challenge, Wortzman continues to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, and provide his customers with the best service possible.

Harry Wortzman stands in his showroom with Amy DiSalvo, who has been his office manager for 25 years.

Wortzman Furniture Store was founded by Harry’s grandfather Harry Wortzman in 1925, just a few years before the Great Depression. He took on a partner to help him make it through the hard times, and the business became Wortzman and Lighter. Young Harry’s father Israel joined the business after he got out of military service at the end of World War II. When the older Harry died in 1948, Israel took over. Israel bought out the partner in 1950, and the business again became Wortzman Furniture Store.

Harry went to Ithaca College, where he majored in business, then attended the University of Rochester to get his MBA. He was drafted after his first year there. In the summer of 1972, his dad got sick and Harry came to help him in the store, while finishing his second semester at the University of Rochester. He left graduate school when his father died in the fall of 1972.

Harry ran the business with his mother Shirley, until she retired in 1980.

Under its founder Harry and his son Israel, Wortzman’s carried only furniture. The current owner added carpeting more than 20 years ago and also put an addition on the back of the store, which is located at the corner of Ellicott and Liberty streets.

Harry said there are always challenges in a small business. His biggest challenge has been having to close for two and one-half months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“You never make that up,” he said. “We were fortunate to have the Paycheck Protection Plan.”

The pandemic has also caused a major problem with the supply of furniture.

“It’s been very difficult to get merchandise,” Harry said. “Some companies which were on a six- to eight-week delivery cycle are now six to eight months.”

It’s also challenging to know how much to buy, he added.

Another problem was having to close. In his 12,000 square-foot store, he said he might have four or six people, yet the big box stores were allowed to remain open. Because so many of the smaller stores had to close, people shopped on the internet, often not having to pay sales tax, yet business owners like Wortzman still have to pay their taxes.

The best part of being in business is becoming acquainted with all the different people he’s never met before, Harry said.

“They come in and make a purchase, then they come back and you become friends,” he said.

At 72, Harry has no plans to retire. His wife Paula has retired as a school teacher, but he has no exit strategy at this point, he said.

“As long as I’m healthy, I enjoy what I do and plan to be here,” he said.

Harry said his staff is what makes the store what it is today. His office manager Amy DiSalvo has been with him for more than 25 years. Kathy Hamm has been a salesperson for nearly 20 years and is semi-retired. The newest sales person is Leanna DiRiso, who had her own business, Hidden Door Gift Store, in Wortzman’s but closed it to work full time for Harry.

Harry claims to have the best delivery people one could find. Raymond Scott has been with him for 17 years, and Darryl Roberts for nearly seven. He calls Wade Geedy Jr. the greatest flooring installer.

Taking care of customers and servicing what they sell is the key to success, Harry said.

“We bend over backwards to please our customers,” he said. “You can’t please everybody, but we do the best we can. We try to keep up with styles. We do a lot of business in the surrounding areas, as well as the city. We are getting a lot of business out of Buffalo and Rochester, because of word of mouth.”

Harry also said they focus a lot of their advertising in penny savers in outlying areas, such as the Lake Country Pennysaver.

Much of their business is special orders. Their sales people will sit and help a customer design a room.

“We give much more personal service than a big box store,” Harry said.

Wortzman’s is a full service furniture store with living room, dining room and bedroom furniture; accessories, lamps, entertainment centers, accent tables and fireplace accessories.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Patty Coffee, supervisor of PAWS in Albion, stands with some of the items which are being raffled off to raise money for new kennels. Coffee estimates it will cost between $30,000 and $35,000 to build the new kennels needed.

ALBION – Staff and volunteers at PAWS (People for Animal Welfare Society) are preparing to start the New Year in a positive way, by raising money for much-needed new kennels.

Melinda Whiting, a volunteer at PAWS, came up with the idea for a raffle to raise the estimated $30,000 to $35,000 it will cost to build the kennels. The current kennels are 25 years old, said Patty Coffee, supervisor at PAWS.

Whiting donated some of the items and solicited donations from others in the community. Items to be raffled off include a vintage popcorn cart, Jack Eichel autographed hockey stick (donated by the Buffalo Sabres organization), electric power washer, Cuisinart table top gas grill, two outdoor and one indoor security cameras, Orison cordless vacuum, Samsung hand-held camcorder, Canon digital camera, Hamilton Beach roaster oven, Cabela deep fryer, Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush and accessories (donation by Lockport Dental Group) and a grand prize of a 45-quart Yeti cooler.

The drawing will be virtual on PAWS Facebook page at 11 a.m. Jan. 2.

Tickets may be purchased on Paypal by going to paws14411@gmail.com and note “raffle ticket.”

Tickets are also available at numerous businesses in the county, including Lynn’s Salon on West Park Street and ARC’s administration building on Caroline Street, both in Albion. In Lyndonville, tickets are at Signature Styles Salon on Main Street.

In Medina, tickets are at Fringe on East Center Street, Main Street Liquor Store, Cusimano’s Pizzeria on Maple Ridge and West Avenue Extension, Grant Pollard Insurance, Mike Zelazny’s office on Main Street, F&H Metal Finishing on Genesee Street, Park Avenue Liquor, Filomena’s Favorites on East Center Street, Baxter Healthcare on Park Avenue, Cindy’s Pet Nanny Service, Sacred Heart Club, American Legion, Junior Wilson’s and the clubhouse at Shelridge Country Club.

All winners will be notified the day of the drawing.

PAWS was founded by the late Doris Bruski, who lived next door on Gaines Basin Road near the canal and donated the property. Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of PAWS. Bruski, a well-known waitress at Tillman’s Village Inn, loved animals and people often dropped off their unwanted pets to her. She thought it would be a fitting thing to have a kennel to take care of them, Coffee said.

A board was developed to run the kennel, which actually was started in the barn at Bruski’s home. She then divided off a section of property and sold it to PAWS for 50 cents.

Current board members include Donna Demunck of Hamlin, president, and Phyllis Tinkous of Albion, treasurer.

Several dogs are currently available for adoption, including a six-year-old boxer mix named Shea, a dog that is good with kids, Coffee said.

Because of Covid, adoptions now are by application online only, or by filling out an application and dropping it in a mailbox outside the shelter. Their website is www.PAWS14411.com.

Patty Coffee shows off Shea, a boxer mix, which is available for adoption from PAWS. Shea obeys the command to sit when volunteer Melinda Whiting (whose arm is visible at right) holds out a treat.

Press Release, Katie Oakes, horticulture educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County

Photos courtesy of Katie Oakes: A cream colored poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima).

KNOWLESVILLE – It’s that magical time of year when the temperatures drop, the trees are bare, and the snow swirls

Common indoor decorations this time of year include festive flora – Christmas trees, mistletoe, evergreen garland, etc. Many of the plants we often associate with Christmas and the colder holidays are actually from milder climates, some even from the tropics!

Poinsettias are probably the most common plants purchased and used for decoration at this time of year. Poinsettias, Euphorbia pulcherrima, are actually a perennial native to Mexico, and in its natural state can grow 10-15 feet tall!

What are commonly thought of as the “flowers” of poinsettias are actually modified leaves called bracts. The flowers themselves are small, yellow, inconspicuous blooms in the center of the whorl of colorful bracts.

The bracts come in several different colors, from bright red to mottled pink and cream to deep burgundy and yellow. There are over 100 different cultivars available! The colored bracts develop according to the amount of light exposure.  To induce coloring of the bracts, the plants need at least 5 days in a row of complete darkness for 12 hours or more.

Poinsettias are not edible, but the leaves and flowers are not actually poisonous as is commonly thought. The white milky sap that exudes when the plant is cut or injured has the potential to cause a mild dermatitis in susceptible people, however.

The actual flowers of the poinsettia plant are small and yellow in the center of the colored bracts.

Poinsettias are a cheerful addition to holiday décor, and a gift that can keep giving year- round. Don’t toss those poinsettias when the holidays are over – instead, keep them around as tropical houseplants and enjoy the challenge of getting them to change color again next year!

A Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata).

Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera sp, is another popular houseplant, commonly found in potted floral arrangements or sold individually as gifts. Despite the common name, these plants are also native to the tropics, originating in the rain forests of Brazil. These cacti are epiphytes, which means they grow on other plants (typically trees), and derive their nutrients and water from the surrounding environment.

There are actually three different species of these plants frequently found on the market – their common names (Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, and Easter Cactus) indicate the general time of year when they bloom. Other ways to distinguish between the three species are by the flower parts and the stem segments (called phylloclades in botanic terms).

These plants have no true leaves, so the green phylloclades are responsible for all the photosynthesis conducted by the plant. Holiday cacti have beautiful flowers in shades of red, pink and yellow, and they set flowers in a response to daylength and temperature.   These lovely plants are relatively easy to grow, have few disease and pest issues, and have the potential to live for over 100 years!

Thanksgiving cactus flower.

Mistletoe is often a part of Christmas folklore and music lyrics.  But the plant itself is not often sold as decoration. This is likely due to the fact that mistletoes (there are over 1,300 species named) are actually parasitic plants and often considered somewhat of a pest to many tree species.

Mistletoe has both leafless and leafy species (all considered parasitic), and the seeds are spread the same way – by birds who feast upon their berries (although these same berries are poisonous to humans and other animals).

Leafy mistletoe in a tree in Alabama. Photo credit: Greg Reynolds.

After being deposited onto a tree branch, the seed grows a root-like structure that penetrates the tree bark, connects itself to the trees vascular systems, and steals water and nutrients from the tree itself.

Norfolk Island Pine

Because it is relatively slow-growing, one or two mistletoe plants may not significantly harm the tree’s overall health, however many different plants of mistletoe in the same tree can cause overall detriment to the vigor and health of the host tree.

Mistletoe does not grow in New York state, but can be found in many warmer states across the southern portion of the US.  The folk legend of kissing under the mistletoe likely came from Europe, where the plant was thought to have magical powers!

Many people purchase smaller potted evergreen trees, using them as miniature Christmas trees to decorate tabletops or small corners of various rooms. These potted trees can be many different species – dwarf spruce, pine, or even the herb rosemary!

But one of the most common varieties of “Christmas tree” grown in these small pots are Norfolk Island Pine,  Araucaria heterophylla. This species is native to the Norfolk Island (as you might expect!), off the coast of New Zealand.

Plants like the Norfolk Island Pine in the Araucaria genus have a long history – they can be found in the fossil record as far back as the Jurassic period 170 million years ago! This lovely evergreen tree (it’s not a true pine!) has softly needled branches and can thrive as an indoor houseplant for many years.

Norfolk Island Pine is another houseplant that is easy to grow with very few insect or disease problems. And you can dress it up with lights and small ornaments each year to celebrate the season!

The plants listed above are just a few of the plants associated with this holiday season.  No need to bundle up or travel far to enjoy them – simply decorate your home and enjoy!

Contributed by Katie Oakes, Horticulture Educator at Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Contact Katie by email at klo54@cornell.edu with any horticulture questions or for details about the Master Gardener or Master Food Preserver programs in Orleans County.

Norfolk Island Pine branch.

ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association on Christmas announced the winners of its first “Deck the Town” contest. The winners were determined by the number of “likes” they received on the AMA Facebook page.

The top photo is the first place winner. The property at 49 Meadowbrook Drive received 466 likes.

248 South Clinton Street was second with 430 likes.

106 West Park Street was in third place with 326 likes.

The first annual “Deck the Town” contest had a goal to spread joy and make the community shine bright, the group said.

The contest includes a $500 gift card from AMA businesses for first place, a $300 gift card for second and a $100 gift card for third.

“Thank you to all the participants and for helping get Albion in the holiday spirit!!!!” the Merchants posted on Facebook. “The town is gorgeous.”

By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director

GAINES – The Hamlet of Childs has a long history of agriculture on both the north and south sides of Ridge Road and the adjoining properties on Oak Orchard Road.  Some of the original families that farmed the land or processed the farm products, are still involved in farming, but most have sold their interests to other businesses as smaller family farms gave way to larger corporations. Over the next several articles we will look at many of those local farms.

John and Neva Dahlquist Murray were one of the farm families in the Hamlet of Childs. They were married in the mid-1920s. Their farm (pictured above) surrounded the old John Proctor homestead on the south side of the Ridge and encompassed a region running about one mile along Oak Orchard Road (Route 98) heading south out of the Hamlet.

The farm also extended to the north side of the Ridge. John and Neva had two children: Beverly June Murray Leigh and son John (Jack) Riley Murray, who went to work for the Gas Company following his service as a medic in the Korean War.

All in all, the John Murray family, which included his son-in-law Eugene Leigh, who married John’s daughter Beverly in 1946, farmed about 300-400 acres into the 1980s, which included some muck land in Elba. Their principal tree crops were apples, cherries, pears and peaches, as well as truck farming crops of corn, tomatoes, cabbage, soy beans and cucumbers. Bev and Gene Leigh moved into the farm house (shown above) when they were married in 1946 and Gene still lives there today, although the barns are now gone.

Bev Leigh named the family farm, “Proctor Brook Farm” after her parents died. Bev and Gene Leigh had three children: Valerie Leigh Hatch, Meredith Leigh Minier and John Murray Leigh.

A sign, shown above, still marks the driveway of the farm homestead today.  The stone tie up for horses that it is attached to is also an object of fond remembrance for the family.  Meredith said, “My sister and I used to hang from it upside down years ago. Mom brought it over to her place when Grandma died and I hope to do the same someday to keep it in the family.”

Proctor Brook Farm also raised animals including sheep, cows, pigs and horses. Gene’s daughter Meredith Minier (above right) recalls that her grandfather, John Murray (above left), took care of the sheep, and her father, Gene Leigh, took care of the cows. Meredith said, “Grandpa had work horses in his barn, too, until I was about three, I believe, and then we must have gotten a tractor!!”

She said her grandpa used to train sulky horses as a young man before he farmed and she remembers having a pleasure horse for a time, but when her grandfather had retina surgery they had to sell it because he couldn’t ride anymore.

Meredith said, “I remember writing my mother the first month I was married and had moved to Denver, because I couldn’t believe I had to pay 99 cents for a bag of apples in 1974!” John and Neva had a beautiful summer garden. Meredith recalled, “Grandpa would often leave a cantaloupe on our back step for us for breakfast in the summer. All the fruits and vegetables we could imagine and beef all the time too.”

Her Grandma and Grandpa also had lovely flowers with sweet peas being her favorite. “I remember Grandma bringing over bouquets of sweet peas, she had so many, and lilacs, too. Some things you don’t understand or appreciate until you are older!”

Meredith reflected further on her childhood memories:

“My memories are many and I was so fortunate for what they provided us. Dad worked sunrise to sunset seven days a week; he ran in at lunch and ate in ten minutes and back outside. He would fix his own equipment and send my Mom to the John Deere store for parts. I remember my Grandpa walking over one day in the summer holding his arm – he had caught it in the hay baler and off he and Mom went to the hospital with a broken arm! And my Dad was on the combine going south around the corner of 98 and 104 when the combine started on fire and Dad had to jump off onto the road to escape, 8-10 feet onto the pavement.  He couldn’t walk for several days and has suffered from that injury since then. Mom was a wonderful farm wife, raising three children while Dad worked to provide for us; she could cook, can, sew, decorate, do the outside work, even make most of my sister and my clothes from dresses to coats and took up quilt making as we left the house and she had more time. All this as she lovingly raised a special needs son. Even in the days of modernization as it was in the ’50s and ’60s and ’70s it was not an easy life.”

The story of how John Murray got his start in farming is also very interesting.  When John was growing up in the early 1900s, his father, George, owned property that they farmed on the north side of the Ridge Road by Brown Street Road. George acquired his farm in 1895 from the Miller Family who acquired it from the Rowley Family, who were early settlers to the area.  When George Murray died in 1932, he left the family farm to his oldest son Curtis, which was the usual way property was passed down during that time period. However, “Curt” was indeed his brother’s keeper, in that he took a mortgage on his inherited property and gave some of the proceeds to his younger brother John, so he could buy a farm.  John then bought the John Proctor farm located about a mile west on Ridge Road and his property became known as Proctor Brook Farm as previously described.

After his act of brotherly love, Curtis Murray (shown above right) carried on the farming legacy on George Murray’s property located on the north side of the Ridge by Brown Street Road. Curt’s farm was known as “Maple Lawn Farm,” named after a row of maple trees that once lined the property.

The Curtis Murray family was involved in dairying, and sold cream and butter on the farm.  They also grew cash crops like cabbage, corn, and cucumbers.  Curt’s daughter, Janice Mann Beech, recalls when her father removed an old barn on the property.  She said, “To do that he hired an explosive expert to take down a free standing silo next to the barn. It took three attempts with dynamite to finally knock it down.”

Later, a parcel from Maple Lawn Farm was sold to the Gaines Carlton Community Church for their new building in 1969.

Farming in the “western end” of Childs can be traced to 1816 when the Hutchinson family acquired land on the south side of the Ridge from Holland Land Company. Hutchison progeny carried on the farming tradition into the 20th century when his daughter Florence married Everett Barnum and took over the farm.

Everett Barnum had planned on passing the farm down to one of his two sons, but fate had another plan. Both sons, Eugene and William, went off to war during WWII and neither returned alive from the war in Europe. 2nd Lt. William Barnum and Capt. Eugene Everett Barnum, Jr. (shown above) were buried next to each other in the Netherlands American Cemetery, Limburg Netherlands.

In 1958, Robert Schwartz, Jr. purchased the 100-acre Barnum farm, which he expanded to 160 acres. The Schwartz purchase marked the first time the farm had been out of the extended Hutchinson family since the early 1800s. The Schwartz farm raised dairy cattle along with fruit and vegetables. Robert’s daughter Linda Schwartz said her dad “always grew a cash crop, too.”  Robert had three daughters, and without a son to pass his property on to, he sold the farm in 1984 to Dave Kast, Town of Gaines.

Dave Kast used some of the land to start Lake Ridge Fruit and its subsidiary Lake Ontario Fruit, one of the largest apple packing and storage facilities in the Northeast. Dave was one of the original 11 investors that started the plant in the 1980s. This multi-million dollar business has its own incredible story and will be the subject of another article in the near future.

Illuminating Orleans, Vol. 1, No. 3

By Catherine Cooper, County Historian

The holiday season invariably evokes memories of times past and the terrifyingly magical experience of a visit with Santa Claus is one that remains vivid.

The top image is an evocative photograph showing children at G.C. Murphy’s store on Main Street, Medina. The photo is courtesy of Medina Historical Society.

A Medinian recalls: “I remember walking to the back of Murphy’s store, Santa was seated on a throne.”

Several people recall a Santa situated at the back left corner of Newberry’s store in Albion, he gave out candy canes and coloring books. This photo is from the Orleans County Department of History file.

Photo from the Orleans County Department of History

But, the most famous Santa of all, of course, was right in Albion. Visiting Christmas Park during the year was a thrill, as was the opportunity to feed the reindeer or ride on the Christmas train.

An Albion lady recalls the ultimate Santa experience:

“I sat on Charles Howard’s lap at Christmas Park. Near his seat was a ‘fishing pond,’ where, for probably 25 cents, you’d put a pole with some sort of clothes pin on the line over the barrier – you’d feel a tug, and reel in some little toys that are probably collectibles today. I remember getting a bag with 2 comic books in it.”

Ridge Road Station image courtesy of Medina Historical Society

More recently, a generation of children (and their accompanying adults) experienced the wonder of Christmas at Ridge Road Station in Holley. This 30,000 square-foot emporium was in operation from 1992-2011. It was the largest independent toy and Christmas store in New York State.

The inventory and displays were absolutely breathtaking. Garlands and stars, ornaments of every description, a mesmerizing train layout, a wealth of imaginative toys and collectibles.

But, commerce is inextricably intertwined with Christmas. G.C. Murphy’s, Newberry’s, Christmas Park and Ridge Road Station no longer exist in the physical dimension, but they live on vividly in the memories of those who experienced them.

George Bower and John Heise both made a lasting impact and delighted in small-town life

HOLLEY – The Holley community has lost two of its most dedicated leaders with the recent deaths of former County Legislator George Bower and John Heise, a retired Holley school administrator who remained active on the Board of Education and the Rotary Club.

Photos by Tom Rivers: George Bower is pictured in December 2013 at Holley Public Square after a breakfast at Sam’s Diner. He and his wife Sandy raised their four children in Holley and all remained in the community as adults.

Both enjoyed life in a small town and attended numerous school events and community activities.

Bower was at Sam’s Diner almost every morning where he relished being one of the guys. He didn’t want to talk about county business or politics. Instead, it was updates on the grandkids and the Holley sports teams.

Bower passed away at age 83 last week. He had a long career at Kodak and 45 years of local public service, with 21 years as a Murray town justice and 24 years on the County Legislature, including a term as the chairman and six years as vice chairman.

“We remember George as a very dedicated family man,” Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said in leading a moment of silence for Bower during last week’s Legislature meeting. “He also was very involved in the community.”

Heise worked as a Holley school principal. He waited two years after he retired before joining the Holley Board of Education. He was the board president for 9 years. He served on the Library Board and the Village Board. He was Holley’s representative on the board for the Monroe II-Orleans BOCES.

“I know it’s a cliché but I want to give back to the community because the community has been good to me,” Heise told me in an interview in 2013. “It’s a good little community. We love it here.”

John Heise gives Holley’s commencement address on June 28, 2014. He was heavily involved with the school district the past 40 years.

Heise was very active with the Holley Rotary Club and the Rotary District 7090, which includes about 70 Rotary clubs in Western New York and Ontario, Canada. He was district governor in 2011-12. He led Rotary’s youth exchange programs and brought many foreign exchange students to Holley. He delighted in taking them to sites around Western New York, and attended many of their school events as a doting supporter.

Heise passed away on Wednesday at age 73.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of an extraordinarily beloved, irreplaceable member of our Rotary Club and a pillar in the Holley community, Mr. John Heise,” The Holley Rotary Club posted on Facebook today. “John was a selfless soul, always ready to help and give whatever the goal. He was a leader and a friend to all of us. He touched so many lives both here and abroad over the decades and personified the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self,” enriching everyone he came across with a spirit of joy and enlightenment.”

Bower was often outspoken on the County Legislature, willing to cast a lone nay vote. He opposed the effort to sell the county nursing home, for example.

Bower say the nursing home as a source of pride. He often stopped by and visited with residents, especially on the major holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

When the county completed a $10 million expansion and renovation of the nursing home in 2007, Bower proudly led tours of the site.

Bower made friends with the residents, many who seldom were visited because their families are out of town. He offered encouraging words to the staff, who Bower said do the hardest jobs in the county, with the least appreciation.

“I think the workers are special,” Bower told me in an interview back in January 2006. “I understand what they do day in and day out. They make the nursing home the best asset in the county.”

George Bower, left, and Carson Bailey walk through The Villages of Orleans after a $10 million addition and renovation project was complete in 2007. Bower was proud of the nursing home when it was owned by the county.

Bower enjoyed the community, whether the annual bocce tournament at St. Rocco’s Italian Festival the Sunday before Labor Day, snowmobiling on local trails or attending the many sporting events for his grandchildren – Holley soccer, basketball, baseball or softball games.

Bower was proud of his kids. His late son, Ed, worked at Kodak and was a Murray Town Board member for more than 20 years. Randy was a dispatcher before being elected Orleans County sheriff. Mike owns the Erie Way Tree Farm in Clarendon with his wife Jill. Bower’s daughter Lisa Logsdon has run a popular dance studio in the Public Square, Lisa’s Dance Boutique, for more than 40 years.

Bower lived in the Holley area all of his life. He grew up in the Erie Canal hamlet of Brockville, only a few miles from Holley. His wife Sandy grew up nearby in Hulberton. They were married 62 years.

He resisted moving closer to the city for his job at Kodak. Bower worked 48 years for Kodak, starting as a draftsman and working his way up to head of patent researching, a job that took him to Washington, D.C. monthly for more than 25 years. He went to D.C. to the U.S. Patent Office to check patents. He would make sure other companies weren’t infringing on Kodak, and vice versa.

Bower told me in previous interviews that as the town justice he abhorred fines, preferring to assign community service. If teen-ager was in trouble, Bower scheduled appointments were the teens had to meet with him and prove they were doing their homework. But court got busier near the end of Bower’s tenure, and he didn’t have the time to work with some of the troubled teens.

“The job wasn’t as rewarding,” he said.

With the Legislature he quickly found his niche. First off he pushed to start a work crew were welfare recipients would build sidewalks and do other public works for local municipalities. Rather than sitting at home and “wasting time,” Bower said they people on the crews were learning work skills. The program drew attention to the county from throughout the state.

Bower in previous interviews also was pleased with the development of the Holley Business Park, where Holley’s low-cost village electricity was a draw for companies.

Provided photo: John Heise took Milla Steenholdt, Holley’s exchange student from Greenland, to Niagara Falls last year. Milla was at Holley for the 2019-2020 school year. Heise welcomed many of the exchange students at Holley, and took them to many of the popular sites in Western New York, as well as attending many of their athletic events and activities at Holley.

John Heise enjoyed life in Holley, and frequently posted on Facebook about how proud he was of students at Holley Central School. He shared his photos from athletic games, school musicals, concerts and other events.

His daughter, school social worker Samantha Zelent, leads the Interact Cub, which is affiliated with Rotary. Those students tackle numerous community service projects throughout the year and Heise loved to talk them up on Facebook.

Heise was one of Holley’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders, and one of its most dedicated workers.

Heise and his wife Sandy, a retired Albion teacher, were married more than 50 years. Besides Samantha, they have a son, Kevin. The family lived on North Main Street. Heise loved to read the New York Times and a novel from his porch. He often posted book reviews on Facebook, or his thoughts on a news article. He shared his feelings on the emotional roller-coaster ride as a Buffalo Bills fans in recent years.

He came to Holley after 11 years in the Rochester City School District. He was first hired at Holley Elementary School principal and then went to the high school as principal.  He ended his career as the district’s Director of Special Education, retiring in 2002.

Heise in his role as Board of Education president congratulated and handed diplomas to about 1,000 students in a decade. He was picked to give the Holley commencement address on June 28, 2014.

“No matter what your path, you have an opportunity to reinvent yourself,” Heise told the graduates. “Keep what is good, get rid of what is not, and move forward. There will always be new skills to learn. Listen to others. Choose your friends wisely. Anything you achieve will come from hard work.”

In Genesee, new cases include 43 nursing home residents from 3 sites; Genesee passes 2,000 cases

Message from the Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments: Due to the Christmas holiday, we will not be reporting out on Friday. Monday’s report will include Friday and the weekend coverage. We would like to take this time to wish everyone a healthy, safe and Merry Christmas! Please limit contact and time with non-household members, wash hands frequently and wear a mask/face covering to limit the spread.

Orleans and Genesee counties are reporting 149 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 today. The two counties combined now have had 3,238 confirmed cases since March.

In Orleans County, there are 26 new positive cases, bringing the county’s total to 1,159 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby), Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre) and the East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon).

The individuals are in the age groups of 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Of the new cases, 2 of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

Of the new cases, 8 are inmates of the Orleans Correctional Facility. That men’s prison has now had 29 inmates test positive for Covid.

The county is reporting that 19 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are 8 residents from Orleans County hospitalized due to Covid.

In Genesee County, there are 123 new positive cases of Covid for a total of 2,079 positive cases.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke), Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Corfu, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Stafford and Pavilion).

The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Genesee is reporting 38 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

The county has 29 residents hospitalized due to Covid, which is up from 14 on Monday.

Of the new cases, 23 are residents at Genesee Senior Living, 13 are residents at LeRoy Village Green, 7 are residents at New York State Veterans Home in Batavia and 1 is an inmate at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia. The Health Departments also said one positive case previously reported as a resident of Premier Genesee is actually a resident of Genesee Senior Living.

• Health Alert – This is a new format for announcing when there is a time when the G-O Health Departments cannot contact potential close contacts. This will replace several press releases and will be reported as needed.

The Health Departments encourage all businesses and organizations to take down names/contact information and time in attendance at their business to assist with contact tracing should someone be positive for Covid-19. This may eliminate the need for a press alert if the health officials are able to contact potential close contacts.

For people at Tully’s in Batavia on Dec. 13, between noon and 1:30 p.m., and for people at Fortunes in Batavia on Dec. 13, between 3 and 8 p.m., they should monitor for symptoms of Covid-19. If the symptoms develop, contact a primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until the test results are received.

Symptoms of Covid-19 include but are not limited to fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

Orleans could get 2-5 inches, with other parts of WNY forecast for up to 18 inches

Orleans County and Western New York should have a white Christmas. It has been raining today in Orleans County with a high near 50.

But that will start to change later this evening. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Orleans and Niagara counties, from 7 p.m. today until noon on Christmas, with 2 to 5 inches of snow expected and ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch.

“Plan on very slippery road conditions due to the combination of mixed precipitation and snow,” said the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

The high temperature for Orleans County is forecast to be 30 on Christmas.

Other Western New York counties – Erie, Genesee, Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua – are forecast for 9 to 18 inches of snow.