Press Release, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners

KNOWLESVILLE –  Master Gardeners have finalized the lineup of topics for their annual “Master Your Garden” class series.

This is the fifth year of the popular series held on the first Saturday of every month. Every year, Master Gardener volunteers take feedback from participant surveys to find speakers on topics the public has indicated interest in. In addition to requested topics, Master Gardeners poll their volunteer group to see what passions or expertise their members may have.

“I think the Master Gardener series ticks the boxes for those who are looking for a new learning experience,” explained Eileen Sorochty, long-time Master Gardener volunteer and committee member for the Master Your Garden series. “We try to vary our topics from year to year and invite folks to offer suggestions of programs they’d like to see.”

Master Gardener Sue Starkweather Miller shows students the different parts of a dahlia tuber.  Sue will be teaching a class on Hydrangeas alongside another recent Master Gardener graduate Noelle Wiedemer to wrap up the end of the 2025 Master Your Garden series.

This year’s topics range from the practical to informative, with a bit of fun thrown in the mix.  This year, the classes will be taught by a mix of Master Gardener volunteers and business owners in the community.

The class titles and dates for the 2025 MYG series are:

• January 4 – Beekeeping and Honey Harvesting
• February 1 – Blueberry Growing at The Gardens of Colehill
• March 1 – Intro to Permaculture and Native Plant Communities
• April 5 – Historic Uses of Indigenous Plants
• May 3 – Organic Gardening
• June 7 – Planting for Success
• July 5 – Purposeful Pruning
• August 2 – The Fall Garden
• September 6 – The Wonderful World of Water
• October 4 – Microgreens
• November 1 – The Art of Growing Hydrangeas

Kathy Contrino, a graduate of the 2024 Master Gardener Training Course, will also be teaching two classes for the series this year – one on Permaculture and Native Plant Communities, and another on the Historic Uses of Indigenous Plants.

“We try to have programs so that anyone, no matter their expertise level, can learn something and expand their knowledge on a particular topic,” said  Janelle Flammger, Master Gardener volunteer and the chairperson of the MYG committee. “The classroom environment is informal and informative and participants are encouraged to ask questions.”

The MYG series typically runs from February through November, but this year Master Gardeners are pleased to be able to offer an additional class in January. The first class will be 10 a.m. Saturday on Jan. 4, featuring local beekeeper Jennifer Kelly from Fiddlehead Farm discussing how she got started in beekeeping, honey producing, and creating other handmade products.

In addition to the Master Your Garden series, a new monthly educational series held on the third Saturday of each month called “Seeds to Splendor” will debut on Jan. 18 in conjunction with the new Master Gardener-led Orleans Community Seed Share – more details on that program to come!

All classes are held in the “Buzz Hill” Education Center at the Orleans County CCE Office, 12690 State Rt 31, Albion, NY.  Classes are offered at an optional $5 donation and pre-registration is required by emailing klo54@cornell.edu or calling (585) 798-4265 ext. 125.

By Karen Kinter, CEO of Oak Orchard Health

You might think homelessness could never happen to you or your loved ones. But life can bring sudden changes that leave you with impossible choices. Statistics show that 70 to 80 percent of individuals facing homelessness are from the community or have lived there for a year or longer before becoming unhoused.

The homeless population in Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties (GOW) is growing. The Homeless Alliance of Western NY states that in 2023, 710 people in GOW counties lost their housing, a 12.9% increase from the previous year. This included an 8% rise in youth homelessness and a 17.9% increase in clients 62 years and over.

When people talk about homelessness, there are many misconceptions and myths about how someone might have become homeless or what homelessness looks like.

Here are some common myths—and the facts that clear up these misperceptions.

Myth 1: “They did this to themselves.”

Fact: Homelessness is more often due to sudden illness or an accident, job loss, or financial problems that lead to eviction. The NYU Silver School of Social Work Professor Deborah K. Padgett and the Coalition for the Homeless says that some are fleeing domestic violence or are living in overcrowded, substandard housing.

Myth 2: “They’re lazy and don’t want to work.”

Fact: The primary cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing, according to the Coalition for the Homeless. The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that 53% of those who are unhoused are employed full-time or part-time and sometimes working two to three jobs.  A job does not guarantee stability because they are not earning life-sustaining wages to afford to pay rent or other bills. Those looking for employment face additional barriers when applying for jobs, including no permanent address or transportation, internet access to apply for jobs, or access to showers or appropriate clothes for interviews.

Myth 3: “They’re all addicts or mentally ill.”

Fact: Substance use disorders are rarely the sole cause of homelessness and, more often, are a response to it. Living on the street or in overcrowded housing puts the person in frequent contact with those who are in active addiction and facing the same issues, according to the Homeless Alliance of Western New York (HAWNY). However, the trauma of becoming homeless can certainly lead to depression or other mental health disorders and make it harder for people to find help because of the stigma of being homeless.

Myth #4: “They’re dangerous criminals.” 

Fact: The reality is that most people without housing spend their time and resources trying to survive, improve their situation, or find a job. Others are teens with no place to turn or older adults on fixed incomes who can’t make ends meet. Unhoused individuals are more likely to be victims of a violent crime than to commit one, according to the Coalition for the Homeless. The risks of being victims of a crime were higher for older adults, women, or those who were homeless for more than two years.

Oak Orchard Health and its Community Partners are here to help with warming centers.

Winter in Western New York is especially brutal for those individuals facing homelessness.  In 2023, Oak Orchard Health and its community partners opened the Orleans County Warming Center at Christ Church.  It provides a warm and safe environment when the temperature hits 32 degrees or below, called Code Blue. Code Blue is activated when temperatures or the wind chill are at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two consecutive hours.

The Orleans County Warming Center at Christ Church served 60+ people in the 2023 winter season. People come here not only to get out of the cold but also to get a hot cup of soup, snacks, toiletries, and rest. Working with community partners, they can also get referrals to the county and local non-profits for ongoing support.

If someone you know is in a housing crisis, call 211.

This is a central human services hotline for the Western New York region that can direct the appropriate community resources for help with housing, emergency services, food, utilities, healthcare, and employment.

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board will have a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Ridgeway Town Hall to hear feedback about a new 2 percent bed tax for hotels, motels, short-term rentals and other lodging establishments in the village.

Village officials sought for years to have the new tax, which will be on top of the 8 percent sales tax and the county’s 4 percent occupancy tax.

The tax was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Nov. 22, following approval by the State Assembly and State Senate.

Medina officials say they pushed for the new tax as a way to generate some additional money to work on infrastructure projects at the Medina Business Park and in the village to promote economic development.

However, a draft proposal of the new law for the tax says it will go in the village’s general fund to be “allocated at the discretion of the Medina Village Board for any Village purpose.”

Bent’s Opera House has 10 hotel rooms in addition to the Harvest restaurant and events venue. The site has many new holiday decorations up this year to enhance the downtown experience for local residents and visitors.

John D. “JD” Smith Jr.

ALBION – The Albion Police Department has charged an Albion man for first-degree rape after allegedly having anal sexual contact with a person under 11 years old.

John D. “JD” Smith, 30, was arrested on Dec. 12. He also was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. He was remanded to Orleans County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or a $10,000 bond.

Smith’s arrest was reported in the police blotter of the Orleans Hub on Sunday. The Albion Police Department put out a news release today about Smith.

“The Albion Police Department felt it was important to get the suspect’s identity and information out to the public due to concerns that there may be additional unidentified victims in the surrounding area,” said Police chief David Mogle. “If your child came into contact with John D. Smith Jr., please contact your local authorities.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

EAST SHELBY – The Lyndonville Area Foundation has approved a $9,700 grant to the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company for EMS training equipment. East Shelby trains many of the EMTs in Orleans and nearby counties.

Lyndonville Foundation representatives met at the East Shelby fire hall on Monday evening to see some of the new equipment.

Pictured from left include Mike Fuller, an EMT and certified instructor coordinator; Norm Behrend, CIC; Russ Martino, treasurer of Lyndonville Area Foundation; Harold Sure, EMT and foundation board member; Sue Behrend, EMS coordinator at East Shelby and CIC; and Gary Lamar, a Shelby firefighter in the EMS continuing medical education recertification program.

East Shelby just had 20 EMTs students take their practical skills exam. Behrend leads the four-month training program that starts in August. Classes are twice a week, and sometimes additionally on Saturday.

The new equipment includes two mannequins to train on opening airways and properly do suctions. The mannequins will be used to practice inserting an oropharyngeal airway (OPA), which is is a medical device in airway management to maintain or open a patient’s airway. The students also will insert a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA), which is a thin, clear, flexible tube into a nostril.

There is also a new childbirth mannequin at left to practice birthing scenarios, from breached birth, normal child births and the umbilical cord around the baby’s neck.

The grant from the Foundation also paid for a hemorrhage control kit to practice “Stop the Bleed” from gunshot wounds, punctures or other cases with big open wounds. The EMS class often used a Nerf ball to simulate “Stop the Bleed.”

The EMS program also now has two emergency traction splints, and padded wood splints to assist the class in training to move people with broken legs and other injuries.

Harold Suhr, an EMT for 25 years, also is on the Foundation board of directors. He said East Shelby is training and recertifying many of the EMTs in the county, as well as eastern Niagara and Genesee. That includes an EMT in Lyndonville, and many who respond to calls in Lyndonville.

“This really saves lives,” Suhr said about enhancing the training for EMTs.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer continued his streak of going to all 62 counties in the state in the past year. Schumer has been to all of the state’s counties annually for the past 26 years.

He was in Orleans County on Nov. 27 when he was in Holley at the Eastern Orleans Community Center. He was there to highlight his effort to have Medicare cover telehealth services, which he said is particularly important in rural areas which there is less access to healthcare and specialists.

Schumer completed the all-county tour on Monday when he was in Greene County to announce the Army Corps will step up to help save the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse.

“Today, you can flip one of my favorite numbers – 62, for every county in New York – and get another very important number for me today: 26,” Schumer said on Monday. “I am proud today that for the 26th year in a row, I completed my annual tour of all 62 counties in New York State.”

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer holds a photo of a finished factory for Edwards Vacuum during a celebration on Aug. 6 in front of the company’s manufacturing facility that has been under construction since April. He visited the site in Genesee County at STAMP in the Town of Alabama.

Schumer was elected to the Senate in 1998. He pledged then to go to every county in the state every year. He said the past year was very impactful, the culmination of decades of work and legislation he championed delivering billions of dollars in federal investment to create good-paying jobs, rebuild infrastructure and lay the foundation for the next generation.

 “I have no plans on slowing down,” he said. “God gave me a lot of energy, and I look forward to continuing this tradition again next year and continuing to fight and deliver for New York. Because no matter what’s happening in Washington, my favorite two titles will always be New York’s senator and a New Yorker, and I’m keeping my foot on the pedal so we can keep driving federal resources home to communities across the state.”

File photo: Adam Kirby holds the trophy for winning the 2019 corn yield contest in New York.

ALBION – A local corn grower is the state winner for highest corn yield in conventional irrigated class.

Adam Kirby of Albion won the title with a yield of 290.548 bushels per acre. He grew the crop with a Pioneer hybrid seed – PO859AM*. He used a John Deere planter and a Case IH to harvest in the corn.

Kirby’s top yield was announced by the National Corn Growers Association in its 60^th annual yield contest. Kirby won one of the state categories from 2019 to 2021.

He will be honored at Commodity Classic in Denver, Colorado, from March 2-4 with 27 national and 535 state winners from around the country.

David Hula of Charles City, Virginia had the top yield in United States at 490.6276 bushels per acre in the strip-till irrigated division.

For more information on the corn yield contest, click here.

Press Release, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today issued an update on drought conditions across the state.

The State’s Drought Management Task Force updated the drought status from “Drought Warning” to “Drought Watch” for New York City and 10 additional counties because of recent rainfall and higher levels of ground and surface water.

All of New York’s 62 counties are now in “Drought Watch” status. Despite encouraging hydrological conditions, New Yorkers are urged to continue reducing unnecessary water waste, fixing leaks, and choosing efficient water fixtures.

There are four levels of State drought advisories: watch, warning, emergency, and disaster. There are no mandatory restrictions under a Drought Watch.

“While recent precipitation has alleviated dry conditions for many counties, New Yorkers should still be vigilant about water use and conservation,” said DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar.

The following counties are returning to Drought Watch designations: Bronx, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Kings, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

New York State encourages ongoing water conservation to ensure adequate supply for all emergency uses. To protect water resources, homeowners are encouraged to voluntarily reduce water use and follow these tips:

• Reuse water collected in rain barrels, dehumidifiers or air conditioners to water plants.
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.
• Fix leaking pipes, fixtures, toilets, hoses and faucets.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and laundry.
• Take shorter showers or fill the bathtub partly.
• Install water saving plumbing fixtures.
• Don’t run the tap to make water hot or cold.
• Wash cars less frequently.

Private Water Wells

For water wells that may be affected by drought, see the information below. Contact a registered water well contractor to discuss appropriate options for your individual situation.

• Check that the well is dry due to drought and no other issues. Sometimes the solution is quite simple, like a broken valve or electrical issue. The only way to definitively tell if a well is dry is to measure the water level in the well.
• Conserve water year-round to help prevent the effects of drought on water wells.
• Consider adding a water storage tank to help get through dry periods.
• Clean or redevelop existing wells.
• Deepen existing wells or drill a new well. If drilling a new well, properly decommission the old well to protect groundwater quality.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – David Thom carries a wreath to be set at a grave for a veteran on Saturday during a Wreaths Across America ceremony. Mount Albion was included in Wreaths Across America for the first time.

Thom’s daughter, Jennifer Thom, coordinated the effort at Mount Albion. She is also the leader of Operation Honor, which purchased 100 of the wreaths. Other people purchased them for $17 each.

Wreaths has grown to 4,000 communities across the country, including in medina, Lyndonville and Holley.

In the photo with David Thom, he is carrying a wreath in honor of uniformed service members in U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps.

Other wreaths in the opening ceremony were set for the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines.

Many of the wreaths were set in the veterans’ section on the western side of the cemetery.

Richard Cox sets wreaths on veterans’ graves on a chilly Saturday. Cox also paid for 10 of the wreaths. He said he is a veteran and wanted to show appreciation for others who served in the military.

Jennifer Thom, leader of Operation Honor and coordinator of Wreaths Across America at Mount Albion, places a wreath at a veteran’s grave on Saturday. She urged the volunteers to say the veteran’s name when setting the wreath.

State Sen. Robert Ortt carries a wreath during the ceremony on Saturday. Ortt also was in Lyndonville earlier in the day for Wreaths Across America.

Mike Donahue is the bugler while Taps was played as part of the Honor Guard on Saturday during a ceremony for Wreaths Across America.

A wreath was also set at the Alms House Cemetery for Daniel Walterhouse, a Civil War veteran. Students in the Albion Middle School History Club placed that wreath at the cemetery on County House Road.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Volunteers with the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries get chicken barbecue dinners ready in take-out containers on Saturday at the Masonic Lodge on Platt Street.

The church prepared 2,000 of the dinners. People started lining up at 11 a.m., about an hour before the meals were advertised to be available. By 3:30, all the dinners had been served, with volunteers delivering many to shut-ins in the community.

This the third straight year the Royal Body Shop served the 2,000 dinners for free, after a debut in 2021 with 1,000 chicken barbecues.

Pastor Al Wilson of the Royal Body Shop cooks potatoes and string beans with smoked turkey in the kitchen at the Masonic Lodge. He said a dedicated group of at least 20 worked on the big dinner.

“It’s a blessing when you have all this help,” Wilson said. “We just want to share the love of Jesus.”

Nora Bell-Owens keeps up a brisk pace in the kitchen.

Pam Parker and Anthony Artis were among the volunteers getting the food ready.

The Royal Body Shop also does an Easter egg hunt in Albion. There were 12,000 Easter eggs filled with candy during the March 30 egg hunt on the courthouse lawn.

Provided photo: Students from the Iroquois Job Corps helped cook the chickens and get the meals ready.

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – Santa enjoyed a ride a trailer pulled by a tractor during Barre’s annual tractor parade on Saturday evening.

The parade started on East Barre Road at the Van Lieshout farm and headed north on Route 98 to the Barre Town Park.

Santa waved to the kids and adults who lined up in the freezing temperatures for the seventh annual parade.

More than a dozen tractors were joined by tractor trailer and other farm equipment.

The parade is organized by the Barre Betterment Committee.

Here are some more photos of the procession of tractors and farm equipment, with some shown passing in front of the Barre Center Presbyterian Church.

Photo courtesy of Scott Robinson: Mrs. Claus poses with staff members from Medina Memorial Hospital during the annual Christmas event for children on Wednesday. Mrs. Claus was filling in for Santa, who was under the weather.

MEDINA – A tradition at Medina Memorial Hospital for many years has been a visit by Santa and holiday events to entertain children.

This year’s visit by Santa took place Wednesday afternoon, when nearly 40 children came to take part in Christmas activities, including coloring pictures, writing letters to Santa (each of which receive a response), decorating ornaments, making reindeer food and decorating sugar cookies.

The dietary team added another layer to the fun by incorporating the movie Elf into the activities, said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Orleans Community Health.

Unfortunately, Santa was under the weather this year, but sent Mrs. Claus instead.

“This is one of my favorite events of the year, and we had several employees involved to help make the event go smoothly,” Robinson said. “The Albion Healthcare Center hosted their first Santa event Saturday, and we hope to turn that into a yearly event, also.”

Santa plans to be feeling his old self before Christmas to return to Medina Memorial Hospital for his annual physical in preparation for his big trip on Christmas Eve.

“He’s been having that done at Medina Memorial Hospital since 2021,” Robinson said.

Medina Memorial Hospital is happy every year to pronounce Santa fit as a fiddle for his annual visits to all the good girls and boys.

Hearth & Home wins first place among 26 floats in parade

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade was capped with this float with Santa in a sleigh on a trailer with a band, Christmas trees and reindeer in flight.

A group of volunteers tried to create a float with the flair of the late Charles W. Howard, who ran a Santa school in Albion from 1937 until his death in 1966. Howard also was the Santa for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and operated Christmas Park in Albion.

His granddaughter Jane Holland of Williamsville attended the parade and appreciated the community’s efforts to celebrate her grandfather.

The float with Santa and the reindeer pass by the Orleans County Courthouse on Main Street.

This sleigh created by Albion contractor Jim Babcock made its debut in the parade. It will be put near the bronze statue of Santa and the 24-foot-long Santa mural at Waterman Park on Main Street.

The sleigh was built in memory of Charles Bergeman, who was the grandson of Charles Howard. He passed away at age 64 on Oct. 31, 2023. His wife Carol of Lewiston attended the parade on Saturday.

Hearth & Home, a real estate business in Albion, won first place among the 26 floats in the parade.

Hearth & Home gets its float ready for the parade while in the staging area at the municipal lot by CRFS.

Bloom’s Flower Shop was picked for second place.

Wild Flour Deli was the third place winner in the parade.

The judges gave an honorable mention to the Orleans County Bicentennial Committee for its float celebrating the county’s upcoming 200^th anniversary in 2025.

The Bicentennial Committee has embraced an ox as a mascot to celebrate the 200^th. The ox on the trailer was painted by artist Stacey Kirby Steward.

Robyn Watts created this ox costume, which was worn by Cordelia Rivers in the parade. The ox gave many high fives along the parade route.

Mick Tower served as grand marshal for the parade. He rides in a truck with his son Ron. Mick worked for Charles Howard, building many of the rides and attractions at Christmas Park.

Cutaia Trucking in Fairport carried an inflatable Grinch in its lighted up truck.

Eye of Oden K9 Training from Kent brought several dogs with lighted up vests.

Sheryl Watts of Air Raising Events created a Christmas tree with ornaments all made out of balloons.

The Albion Fire Department also had a Grinch character walking in the parade and the fire truck was decorated in green lights.

The Lockstone event center had a float with a bride in a wedding dress.

A Grinch character with the Village of Albion Christmas float greets people along Main Street.

The Who Dats performed Christmas music from a trailer. From left include John Borrello, Todd Graham and Lonnie Froman.

The Hitmen Brass Band also performed in the parade.

By Randy LeBaron

Good morning! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up. And let’s start this week right… TOGETHER!!!

As I am writing this Christmas is only a couple of weeks away and I am eagerly looking forward to starting the day off with worship and then getting to spend the day with my family, including my oldest daughter Ashlyn and her husband Carson who will be traveling up from Kentucky.

I already have my Christmas Mix playlist going, which features songs by Burl Ives and Ella Fitzgerald as well as classics like “Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC and “O Come All Ye Faithful” as performed by Twisted Sister (Don’t Judge Me), and as a family we have watched Elf and other essential Yuletide Classics.

Our tree is up, though most of the ornaments are down thanks to our curious new kitty Georgie, and at least some of the gifts have been purchased though most won’t be wrapped until 11:59 p.m. on December 24th.

As an adult I don’t get into the gift giving as much as I used to, or rather the gift getting, but there was a time when the anticipation of finding out what was under the tree seemed almost unbearable to me. One of those times was back in December 1980 when I was 6 years old. I was at that age where I wanted to be just like my dad who just happened be one heck of a harmonica player. I can still hear it now, the melodious sound coming out of the kitchen where my dad would often spend hours going back and forth strumming his guitar and playing the mouth organ.

One of our family traditions at the time was having all of the gifts, except for Santa’s of course, wrapped and placed under the tree in early December so that you had a chance to try and guess what you were getting. You were allowed to pick them up, shake them, smell them, etc. The only rule was that you were not allowed to open them or try to peek inside.

That year in particular I had done an excellent job of dropping hints for what I wanted, just picture Ralphie from A Christmas Story but replace BB Gun with harmonica, so I was not too surprised to look under the tree and see a small rectangular shaped box with my name on it. I picked it up and felt the weight and then I shifted the box back and forth and felt the object slide back in forth. It was definitely a harmonica!!! 

For the next few weeks I would come home from school, pick it up, and gently run it across my pursed lips as I imagined what sounds would soon be flowing from it. Finally, Christmas morning came and I eagerly grabbed my gift, opened it, and held out my new, shiny… jackknife. Don’t get me wrong, a jackknife was a great gift for a 6 year old boy but after all of the anticipation I’m sure that my disappointment showed. After the rest of the presents were unwrapped, and I had managed to get over my initial let down, my dad pulled out one more present which turned out to be, you guessed it, a harmonica. In less than an hour I had gone from excited anticipation to deep disappointment to utter joy. It was a Christmas miracle! Well, not quite but it did make me think about a real pre-Christmas miracle.

In the book of Luke chapter 1 we learn that an older couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were considered upright and blameless. We also learn that they were unable to have children and that it really weighed on Elizabeth in particular. One day when Zechariah, who was a priest, was chosen by lot to go into the Temple to burn incense he encountered an angel who told him that he would not only have a son but that the boy would be a blessing and a joy to him and his wife and that many would rejoice because of his birth. Zechariah doubted at first, and lost his voice for 9 months because of it, but when Elizabeth eventually had the baby Zechariah sang out because of the joy in his heart. The baby of course was John the Baptist, who went on to prepare the way for his cousin Jesus fulfilling everything that the angel had prophesied about him.

I share both of these stories with you because perhaps you too are experiencing disappointment this holiday season and are feeling stuck. The good news is that what you may be feeling in this moment is not the end of the story, what you long for might be just around the corner. It may not be what you thought you needed, I ended up using the jack knife a lot more than I ever did the harmonica, or it may not come when you wanted but don’t give up hope. After all, hope is what Christmas is all about.

Speaking of Christmas, I would like to invite you to join me December 25th @7 a.m. at New Hope Community Church (203 W. Center St. Medina) for a time of celebration followed a free breakfast. All are welcome!

See you in 2 weeks!

Pastor Randy