ALBION – Greg Madejski wants to address what he believes could be an emerging public health threat.

The Albion native, 32, has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Rochester, where he remains a visiting nano-scale scientist.

Madejski uses electron microscopes to study particles not visible to the naked eye. They may be tiny, but Madejski said the minuscule matter has an impact, and can be dangerous to humans.

Madejski is CEO and founder of a new company, Parverio, that is making the study of microplastics in tap water its focus. Madejski’s brother, Giovanni, is an engineer with the company. Giovanni is 28 and graduated from Albion in 2010.

The logo for the new company reflects how the study of tiny particles in water is its focus.

They have launched a Kickstarter campaign, seeking $40,000 to do an atlas of the microplastics in Western New York’s drinking water. (Click here to see the campaign.)

They want to take samples and study the content of tap water throughout the region, including different municipal water systems and people who use their own wells.

“We want to make an atlas of all the tiny debris in water through Western New York,” Madejski said. “We’re looking to identify all of the small particles. Right now, we’re not sure if they are harmful or not.”

Madejski said a catalogue of what’s in the water will be a good starting point in addressing the issue. Parverio, the company led by the brothers, wants to develop posters and a database that show the presence of the microplastics in water.

Parverio has developed kits with tiny filters. The water drains straight through, but the filters catch the microplastics. Parverio can they stain those tiny particles to identify what they are and count them.

“It’s very manually intensive to do,” Madejski said.

Parverio is looking to study 300 samples of tap water across WNY. They want to take samples in February and March, and then expect it will take two months to do the analysis and build the database.

Madejski decided to give the public a chance to help fund the project, to send a message to potential investors “there is appetite for this product and information. Ultimately in the long run it can do a lot of good.”

If the WNY project proves successful, Madejski said the company will look to scale up the project and take it nationwide.

He worries about the presence of microplastics in the water. Madejski said plastic bottles, grocery bags, lids on to-go coffee cups, and other plastic containers have become ubiquitous in the environment.

Those plastic items break down when exposed to heat and light, and many of the tiny particles gradually seep into the water supply. People don’t see the very small plastics, which Madejski said “are like a thin layer of dust that can be found everywhere.”

He hopes the research will motivate people to use less plastics, and take better care of keeping them out of the environment.

“Filtering the water and studying microplastics is one part of the solution,” Madejski said. “Plastics will be with us for a while. We need to find a way to keep them out of the environment in the first place.”

The name of the company, Parverio, is a combination of two Latin words. Madejski took the subject from Latin teacher Irene Henion when he was at Albion.

“Parvus” is Latin for small, and “aperio” is the word to reveal.

For more on Parverio, click here.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Nativity scene is shown Saturday evening at the corner of West Park and Main Streets in Albion. This is set up by the Holy Family Parish in front of the Catholic rectory. The statue of Mary in back is actually a memorial for Orleans County residents who died in World War II.

As we head into the second week of December, it looks like significant snowfall won’t hit the region just yet.

The high temperatures for the week in Orleans County include mostly cloudy and 32 today, followed by mostly sunny and 33 on Tuesday. Less than a half inch of snow could fall Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Wednesday there is a chance for rain and high near 40, followed by partly sunny and a high of 42 on Thursday.

Friday will be mostly cloudy with a high near 44, followed by a mostly cloudy Saturday with a high near 48.

Here are each region’s percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days. Orleans County is in the Finger Lakes Region.

New state data shows the Finger Lakes Region has passed Western New York for the highest percent of Covid tests in the state. WNY has been the state leader or near the top almost every day in the recent Covid surge.

The Finger Lakes reported an 8.5 percent positive rate on Saturday, when 10,067 tests were reported with 853 positive. That nine-county region includes Orleans.

Western New York, which includes 5 counties, had a 7.0 percent positive rate with 923 positive tests out of 13,253. That actually is the third highest rate among the 10 regions on Saturday. The Mohawk Valley was second at 7.1 percent, with 321 out of 4,500 testing positive.

State-wide the average positivity rate was 4.71 percent on Saturday.

“This is a war and we continue to adapt to the enemy by making decisions based on data and science — not opinion and fear,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said today. “We’re closely monitoring hospital capacity and have implemented triggers to ensure hospitals have what they need. The light at the end of the tunnel is the vaccine, and one is coming, but until then we must be disciplined. Public health experts agree households and private gatherings are a major driver of transmission right now, demonstrating once again that it is our actions that determine the infection rate.”

On Friday, WNY had the highest rate in the state at 7.6 percent, followed by the Mohawk Valley at 7.2 percent, Mid-Hudson at 6.9 percent and the Finger Lakes at 6.2 percent.

On Thursday, the Finger Lakes also topped WNY for the highest percent positive, with 8.5 and WNY at 8.2.

Western New York, however, continues to lead the state with the percent positive on a seven-day average. WNY is at 7.4 percent with the Finger Lakes second at 6.8 percent.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Fire Department is shown at the scene of 221 West State St. at about noon today for a rekindle at the scene.

This house was engulfed with fire on Saturday evening. The blaze, which started in an attached garage, spread to two neighboring houses, one on East Academy Street and the other on West State Street.

Firefighters left the scene at about 2 a.m. last night but were called back at about 3:45 when the fire rekindled. They were then called back again at about 11:45 when smoke could be seen coming from the house.

Fire Chief Harry Papponetti said the house is an unsafe structure. He isn’t allowing firefighters inside to deal with hot spots.

“We’re going to give it a good soaking,” he said at about noon today.

The Fire Department was spraying water on the house, using a deck gun on top of the fire truck.

Papponetti said the insurance company will decide how soon the house will come down.

The two neighboring houses remain boarded up.

Click here for a video of the Fire Department on scene at about noon today.

A section of East Academy Street is blocked off to traffic.

Albion firefighters Rob Conner, left, and Joe Grube check where the garage was for any hot spots.

Photos by Tom Rivers: In an unusual sight in December, the Erie Canal is full in Orleans County. This photo was taken on Saturday in Albion of the guard gates near the Bowman bridge, between the Gaines Basin and Main Street bridges.

The Erie Canal, which has been kept full in Western New York, will be drained starting on Monday.

The canal normally would have drained the canal about a month ago. But this year in a pilot program the State Canal Corp. kept the canal full and gradually released water to supplement tributaries that are popular for fishing.

The higher water flows in the streams and creeks gave better opportunities to catch brown trout, Chinook salmon and steelhead (rainbow trout) in Lake Ontario tributaries.

This fall the Canal Corporation increased regulated water releases into Orleans and Monroe County’s premium streams—Oak Orchard Creek and Sandy Creek.

In early November and early December, other Lake Ontario tributaries – Eighteenmile, Johnson, Oak Orchard, Sandy and Salmon Creeks – all saw higher flows.

The extra water was intended to entice more brown trout, steelhead, and Atlantic and Pacific salmon populations to run up these streams, improving conditions for the fish and expanding opportunities for local and visiting anglers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release on Oct. 20.

“This fall, New York is enhancing some of our world-class fisheries and expanding opportunities for anglers into December by creatively using water from the Erie Canal to bolster fishing conditions and to extend the season,” Cuomo said. “As a fisherman, I’m pleased to see our incredible Lake Ontario tributaries will be host to even better experiences for anglers. This innovative use of iconic infrastructure continues our strong tradition of ecotourism while supporting our small businesses.”

The Gaines Basin Road bridge, which opened last week after reconstruction, is shown during snow flurries on Saturday.

Orleans County Undersheriff Mike Mele is headed to surgery this morning at Strong Memorial Hospital on one of his legs.

Undersheriff Mele

He also has three broken ribs, head lacerations, and a brain bleed, Sheriff Chris Bourke said this morning.

“He has been talking to me and despite a lot of pain, he is doing OK,” Bourke said.

Mele was injured on Saturday after swerving to avoid a head-on collision on Route 31 in Albion. He went off the road and hit a house in his Chevy Tahoe.

Mele was assisting the Health Department in checking on people who are either on quarantine due to possible Covid-19 exposure or isolation for contracting the virus.

He had his dog in the vehicle with him. His dog is at a veterinarian.

Bourke said Strong personnel are doing other tests on Mele as well.

Press Release, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni

ALBION – On Saturday at approximately 4:30 p.m. the Orleans County 911 Center received numerous calls reporting an explosion and fire at 221 West State St. in the Village of Albion.

The Albion Police Department and Albion Fire Department were dispatched. Albion Police and Orleans County Sheriff’s personnel arrived on scene and found the residence located at 221 West State Street heavily involved in fire. The fire quickly spread to the adjacent residences located at 219 West State St. and 5 East Academy St.

A male occupant of the 221 West State St. was found at the scene with non-life-threatening injuries consistent from an explosion and subsequent fire. The male was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital by COVA Ambulance.

The fire to the homes was extinguished by the Albion Fire Department along with assistance from numerous mutual aid fire companies. The damage to the homes located at 221 West State St. and 5 East Academy St. is extensive.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Albion Police Department with assistance from the Orleans County Fire Investigation Unit, New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

UPDATE: Chief Nenni released this additional statement at 11:30 a.m.

“The investigation into the fire that occurred at 221 West State Street in the Village of Albion and spread to nearby homes is ongoing.

The investigation so far has revealed that the fire started in the attached garage at 221 West State St. Because of the initial reports of an explosion and the lack of an obvious cause of an explosion, Bomb Squad Technicians were brought in to make sure the scene was safe.

The safety of the firefighters, who had to finish the overhaul process of the scene, and general public was made sure of by specialists who determined there was no further risk of explosions.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is who the Albion Police use in these situations.

More information will be released in the near future as investigation continues.”

10-cent Hello vs. “Smart” Technology

Me 2 years ago in Idaho in the middle of nowhere. Traveling off the grid can be frustrating in and out of reception. In the vastness of the West sometimes you lose your way. Goodness, what is one to do? Um, get out a map.

My husband likes topo maps. You can only see small areas at a time and then you must keep flipping to other pages as you travel the route. This sets me over the edge. It takes brains to figure that out. Doesn’t he know my brain is inside the smartphone? That is why it is called a smartphone.

All my smarts have been surrendered to the phone. Traveling along we stumble upon this payphone. In the middle of nowhere chances are cell reception is non-existent. For those of you who are too young to know what this box is let me fill you in. It is a phone that takes change. In return you can make a phone call. Imagine that.

If you are wondering why your parents told you to be sure you have money for emergencies, this would be that kind of emergency. Not just paper money, but actual coin. If you only carry plastic you are So Out of Luck.

As a youngster we had landlines. Landlines were accessed through stationary phones that sat on a table or attached to the wall, but never in one’s pocket. Phones had a cord that if properly worn could stretch into other rooms. When you placed the phone back into the “jack” the cord twisted up into a tight little rope.

A fun thing about the old landline was the party line. What is that? It allowed for eavesdropping on unsuspecting phone calls. Sometimes phone lines crossed wires and you could hear other people’s conversations that were not within your household. True gossip, free for the listening. All phones within a household shared the same number. If you were sneaky you could pick up the phone in the other room and listen to family gossip not meant for you. If you were on a call and your parents wanted you off the phone all they did was pick up another phone in the house and say “Get off the phone” and wait until you did.

I traveled into the mountains of Maine and the roads were lined with phone lines waist high. The few homes there were connected to the same line. No doubt a lot of eavesdropping going on there. Simpler times. You had to use your brain and imagination to survive. No hanging your head in a device to guide you. You needed to self sustain…figure it out. Go look it up in the dictionary and all that.

Three weeks ago I deactivated all Socials. Without my head in the phone I am reading more, writing more and figuring life out the old fashioned way – by looking around instead of down. Making my own choices instead of giving that right away to others. All while keeping my blood pressure down. So while technology has its advantages, keep connected to opportunities that are simpler and require brain power like nature or even reading a map!  What do you think?

Visit my blog live online at (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 – A fire that engulfed 221 West State St. at the corner with East Academy Street spread to the house next door on East Academy and also the house on the other side on West State.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 4:30 p.m. and encountered two explosions in the garage. One resident was taken by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital after one of his friends said he suffered smoke inhalation and a perforated eardrum.

The houses close together and the fast-moving flames proved a challenge for the firefighters.

The house at the corner spewed smoke and flames shot out of the windows.

The fire spread next door to the house on East Academy Street.

There is no information yet on how many people have been displaced from the fire.

This photo shows how the fire also damaged the neighboring yellow house on West State Street. The firefighters from about a dozen local fire companies were fighting three fires at once, plus a garage that was totally destroyed.

Firefighters believe the blaze started in the garage and quickly spread.

An Albion firefighter is in the ladder truck, spraying water down on the house at 221 West State St.

This group of Albion and Barre firefighters gets in position to try to contain and put out the fire.

This firefighter waits for the water to be ready in the hose. A boat also was lost in the fire.

Albion, Shelby and Medina all brought ladder trucks to the scene, with each one working on a different house.

This was the view looking down West State Street towards the fire. Medina’s ladder truck was focused on the second house on fire on West State.

1 person taken to Strong Memorial

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Albion firefighters arrive on scene soon after being dispatched to a fire at 221 West State St. The fire caused extensive damage to the house on the left and also spread to the attic of the yellow house next door.

Shelby firefighters are up high in their ladder truck to attack the roof where the attic was on fire and full of smoke at a house on East Academy Street.

The neighboring structure and its garage were first on fire and it spread to two other houses, one on East Academy and the other on West State Street.

Firefighters were called to the scene at about 4:30 after a loud explosion and reports of a structure fire. There were two more explosions when Albion firefighters arrived on scene, said Albion Fire Department Lt. John Papponetti.

One person at the house was taken by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital where a friend said he suffered from smoke inhalation and a perforated eardrum. His name hasn’t been released.

The fire was at the corner of West State and East Academy streets. It drew a big crowd of onlookers, many standing next to the former grammar school across the street.

Firefighters believe the fire started in the garage and quickly spread. Fire investigators from the county and state are on scene, trying to determine the cause.

The house at the corner of East Academy and West State Street looks like a total loss. The house next door on West State Street suffered damage in the attic and on the side of the house.

The neighbor’s house on East Academy also appeared to suffer significant damage. That house is owned by Bob Maxwell. His friends said he has done extensive renovations to the house in recent years.

Papponetti said battling three fires at once proved a challenge for firefighters, especially with the houses so close together.

A GoFundMe has been established for the victims of the fire. Click here for more information.

Shelby firefighters use a ladder truck to get near the roof of the house on East Academy Street. They used a chain saw to cut a hole in the roof to try to ventilate the attic.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Multiple fire departments are on scene of a fire in Albion that has destroyed a house at the corner of West State and East Academy streets and threatened other structures nearby.

Firefighters were dispatched to 221 West State St. at about 4:30 after reports of an explosion in a garage.

The fire spewed dark smoke high in the sky and quickly spread throughout the house.

Orleans Hub will have more information later. Click here to view video from the fire.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County Undersheriff Mike Mele was injured and taken by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital today after he swerved to avoid a head-on collision and struck a house on Route 31.

Undersheriff Mele

Mele was driving westbound in a Chevy Tahoe at about 11:15 a.m. when another driver crossed into his lane. The roads were slippery with slush at the time, a state trooper said.

“The Undersheriff took evasive action, turning hard to the right to avoid a direct head-on collision,” said Sheriff Chris Bourke. “The out-of-control vehicle reportedly struck the Undersheriff’s vehicle as it left the north shoulder of the highway. The Undersheriff’s vehicle continued through a lawn and struck a house.”

Mele is being treated for a head and leg injury at Strong. The other driver wasn’t injured, the sheriff said.

He credited Mele for likely saving the other driver from serious injuries and possibly death by avoiding the head-on crash.

Mele was out assisting the Public Health Department on quarantine and isolation checks. Bourke said several people have refused to cooperate with public health officials on compliance when they may have been exposed to Covid-19 or when they have tested positive.

The accident is being investigated by the State Police and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

“We at the Sheriff’s Office are thankful for the quick response of the Albion Fire Department, COVA Ambulance, Sheriff’s Deputies, Emergency Management and the State Police,” Bourke said.

Provided photo: This photograph better shows the extent of the damage to the undersheriff’s Tahoe.

Press Release, Genesee County Health Department

BATAVIA – The Genesee County Health Department has received a positive Covid-19 test from an individual who was at Applebee’s Grill + Bar in Batavia on Friday, Nov. 27, from noon to 2 p.m.

Contact tracing is in progress. However, unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive case.

We advise all individuals who were at Applebee’s on Nov. 27 between noon and 2 p.m. to monitor their symptoms for 14 days (until Dec. 11).

If symptoms of Covid-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results.

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.

By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director

CHILDS – The Hamlet of Childs is fortunate to have two homes from two very different time periods that are open for public tours in season. The Ward House (left) showcases life in the Victorian Period, before the advent of electricity, and the Vagg House (right) depicts the arrival of the electric age from the 1920s-1940s.

The differences in these two homes are striking. This is the fourth article about electricity coming to the Hamlet and the changes that took place. Today we take a closer look at labor saving devices usually found in the kitchen.

If the Victorian homemaker wanted to serve her family pancakes or waffles for breakfast, she would first mix up pancake batter using a hand mixer.  It was a simple mechanical device that when hand cranked, would spin its metal mixing blades to beat the lumps out of the pancake batter.

The next step would be to heat up a waffle iron or pancake griddle on the wood stove in the kitchen. In the photo above the implement on the right is a pancake maker.  The liquid batter was poured into the attached receptacle cups. Then the hot metal plate could be folded over the batter to cook both sides of the pancake at the same time.  This was actually a step up from simple “flapjacks” that required flipping the pancake from side to side.

In the photo above we see how time marched on in the kitchen. In the Vagg House, the electric household would most likely use an electric mixer to beat their pancake batter saving time and human energy. The mixer shown here is a Hamilton Beach Model C with Juicer attachment at the top.

This appliance was first made in 1910 and became fairly common around World War II. So common, in fact, that the original owner sold the Hamilton Beach Company and moved to Millionaire’s Row in Miami Beach after just a few decades in business.  Hamilton Beach Brands was originally located in Racine, Wisconsin. The company is still doing business today, but all of their appliances are now made in China.

Once the batter was prepared in the electric mixer, the homemaker would probably use an electric waffle iron or pancake cooker to complete the process.

If all you wanted was toasted bread, the process in the 19th century involved heating bread on your wood stove or in front of an open hearth fireplace. Of course, the process at the 20th century Vagg House used an electric toaster.

Over the years, many different types of electric toasters have evolved to improve upon toasted bread. The appliance on the left made one slice of toast at a time while the unit at the right prepared two slices.

If you wanted to enjoy eggs with your toast at the Vagg House, you might have used either of these two electric egg steamers from the mid-1900s.

Making coffee over the years has evolved, too. In the Ward House, making coffee involved heating water in a teapot or kettle on the wood stove.

A wide variety of coffee appliances were present in the all-electric home like the Vagg House. The appliance on the left is called a Drip-O-Lator.  The coffee maker in the center has a spigot to fill coffee cups, and the ceramic pot on the right is a percolator.

In the 1900s, electricity was even considered appropriate for children’s toys. The child’s oven shown above is probably a precursor of today’s Easy Bake Oven.  This “toy” was plugged into an actual live electrical circuit which provided 120 volts of power to heat up an electric coil inside the mini-oven which got hot enough to cook food. Let’s hope there was some parental involvement, too!

With the vast number of electrical appliances in the Vagg House, finding an open electrical outlet in 1940 must have posed a problem. So, another electrical gadget was created to solve the dilemma.  This ceramic device provided outlets for three other electric appliances.

Our next installment about Historic Childs will take us back to look at horse and buggy days in the Hamlet.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A driver of a Chevrolet Tahoe hit a house today on Route 31 after avoiding a head-on collision, a state trooper said.

Another vehicle entered into the westbound lane due to slushy roads at about 11:15 a.m. The driver of Tahoe swerved and left the road. It went across the lawn on the northside of the road, just west of where 31 intersects with Tuthill and Densmore roads, and hit the house.

The driver had a head injury and complained of pain in a leg. The driver was taken by COVA ambulance to a nearby hospital.

The homeowner was inside the house when the residence was struck by the vehicle. The homeowner wasn’t injured, the state trooper said.

The structure appeared to shift due to the impact. Dan Strong, Albion code enforcement officer, was on scene to inspect the house.

Albion firefighters, Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies, Orleans County Emergency Management and the state Department of Environmental Conservation also responded to the scene.

UPDATE at 3:56 p.m.: Undersheriff Mike Mele was the driver of the vehicle that struck the house. He is being treated at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for head and leg injuries.