Funds will go for toys, gifts for local families

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA — The leaders of the fourth annual toy drive met on Monday to share proceeds from the effort with the Medina Area Association of Churches and Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. Pictured from left include Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo, which sold calendars and collected funds for the toy drive; Sherry Tuohey, leader of the Red Barrel program for MAAC; Annette Finch, director of emergency services for Community Action; brothers Wyatt and Lukin Szatkowski (in front); and Andrew and Sara Szatkowski.

This year the toy drive was shifted to a “Santa Hat Drive” with money collected at the reverse Parade of Lights on Nov. 28. Andrew Szatkowski has spearheaded the one-day drive. In past years, people would drop off toys at Canalside Tattoo. This year, Szatkowski shifted to collecting funds at the parade, with the money then turned over to MAAC and Community Action.

Andrew, his wife and two sons collected money at the reverse Parade of Lights and spent many hours rolling the donated coins.

The Santa Hat Drive collected about $2,000 at the parade. Szatkowski said another $300 was sent electronically. People also stopped by Canalside Tattoo and gave $740 to the effort.

Canalside owner Shawn Ramsey also has been selling whimsical calendars of his staff. Erin Townsend took the photos for the calendar, which include golden tickets with discounts on tattoos. Those calendars have raised $1,300 for the toy drive.

The total proceeds for the toy drive added up to $4,429. On Monday, Szatkowski presented Community Action with $3,543 and the MAAC with $886.

The Medina Area Association of Churches has 41 red barrels out on the community for people to place toys. The red barrels will be out until Wednesday. The MAAC will then organize all those donations for more than 50 families that have signed up for the holiday effort. The money from the toy drive will allow MAAC to purchase some items and presents for the local families and senior citizens. About 20 senior citizens will receive food boxes with personal care items.

Sherry Tuohey, director of the program for MAAC, said Medina families can contact her at (585) 356-8346 to see if they can be included in the program.

Community Action will be serving at least 135 families in Albion, Holley, Kendall and Lyndonville with its annual holiday program. Instead of collecting and organizing presents, Annette Finch said the agency will instead be raising money for gift cards for the families. That way volunteers and staff aren’t handling so many items during the Covid-19 pandemic. The families can use the gift cards to pick the presents for their children.

Szatkowski praised the community for giving to the cause during a difficult year when residents and small businesses are feeling financial strain.

MEDINA – The Covid-19 pandemic has changed lives for everyone, especially for the nation’s hospitals.

Orleans Community Health and Medina Memorial Hospital are no exception.

Jessica Capurso, director of Outreach, Education and Marketing, has documented some of the steps Medina’s health care professionals have undertaken to insure staff, patients and visitors are safe.

First, all staff must complete Covid-19 screening and temperature checks every time they enter the hospital after being off the hospital campus.

All patients must complete Covid-19 screening and temperature checks upon arrival for appointments, and all patients are required to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth. All staff are also required to wear masks covering their nose and mouth. In addition, staff must wear surgical or N-95 masks, as well as goggles and/or face shields while interacting with patients and/or co-workers.

Extra office cleaning protocols have been put in place. After patient rooms are stripped and cleaned by Environmental Services, a Clorox Total 360 System machine is utilized to spray the entire room with disinfectant cleaner that kills 99.9% of bacteria. This machine helps to reach places that may have been missed by the human hand or places that are out of reach.

Not only are these practices more time-consuming, they also incur added expenses for the hospital.

Other changes resulting from the pandemic are the absence of the Twig volunteers, who manned the greeter desk in the lobby and the reception desk in registration area, saving the hospital money and saving hospital staff extra work.

At Medina Memorial Hospital, all services are by appointment only. No visitors are allowed in the lobby, so patients must enter by themselves, with the exception of minor children and those with a mental or physical disability which hospital staff is unable to support.

Emergency Room patients’ families have to leave a number which is given to the treatment team so the ER can provide updates.

Appointments can be made by calling 798-2000.

Middleport lab services at Dr. Stahl’s office are by appointment only unless there is/was a scheduled office visit there on the same day. Appointments can be made by calling 798-2000.

The Albion Walk-in Medical Clinic continues to offer walk-in services with no appointments. Services available can be viewed by clicking here.

Agencies try to find housing for displaced families

ALBION – Brenda Winters has lived at the home she rents on West State Street for 20 years. Monday afternoon she wiped tears from her eyes as she surveyed the damage to her home and two others from a fire which broke out next door on Saturday afternoon.

Brenda lives with her son Herbert and adult grandson Quarmine.

On Saturday afternoon, she said she was in her kitchen when all of a sudden there was a big bang next door at the home on the corner of West State and East Academy streets.

“I went to the window and all I saw was smoke,” she said. “Then about five minutes later there was another every louder explosion that shook my house. I looked out again and all I saw was fire. I said then it was time for me to get out.”

This is the aftermath of a fire which destroyed three homes on East Academy and West State streets Saturday afternoon. It is believed up to 10 people were displaced in the fire, which started with an explosion in a garage next to the house on the corner.

Brenda went to a neighbor’s home across the street and watched as fire company after fire company came to fight the blaze, which had engulfed the house next door and spread to her home and another on East Academy.

While her home is the least damaged of the three, with fire damage in the attic and west side of the house, she said her home is ruined with smoke and water. She said water stood a foot deep inside the home and the furniture reeks of smoke.

She escaped with a few clothes, but they also are full of smoke.

In the meantime the Winters are staying with another of Brenda’s sons in Lockport while Community Action is trying to find housing for her and the other two families.

Annette Finch, director of Emergency Services at Community Action; Nyla Gaylord, director of Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern; and Jeff Holler with Albion Masons have joined forces to help the three families displaced in the fires.

“Our three organizations have decided to coordinate all our efforts to help these people who have lost everything,” Finch said.

Gaylord said people started contacting her on the weekend asking if they could help. Finch said Holler called her and said the Masons want to do something to assist the families.

There are no official numbers on how many people were displaced from the fire, but Finch and the agencies believe there were five in one house, two in another and three in Winters’ home. Finch doesn’t believe there were any children living in the homes.

“Clothing is not an issue,” Finch said. “But finding housing is the biggest thing.”

Robin Smith, who lived in the corner home, is staying with a sister and Finch took them food and a gift card to Tops.

“If we can find places for them to live, we can get help with the first month’s rent through the Uplift Grant United Way got us to help people with housing,” Finch said.

Finch said the families need food, furniture and personal care items.

“We are going to be able to help with the resources we have,” Finch said. “If there are churches, clubs or factories who are thinking about adopting families for Christmas, these would be good ones to help. Any donations we receive for them we will put in a fund to distribute equally to all three.”

Holler said the Masons are designating their lodge building at 39 Platt Street as a collection site for any donated items. If anyone calls Holler at (585) 590-0983 with donations, he will be available 24/7. The Masons are also planning a fundraising meal as a drive-thru, at a site to be determined.

Anyone who can help in any way can contact Michelle Figueroa, case manager at Community Action, at 589-5605, Ext. 105; Nyla Gaylord at 589-9210; or Jeff Holler at 590-0983.

Genesee also has 3 more deaths, for 8 so far in December

Orleans and Genesee counties are reporting 162 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 since Friday, with Genesee also reporting three more deaths, according to a news briefing from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Orleans County has 32 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 718 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in all 10 towns in the county: Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Murray, Yates, Ridgeway and Shelby.

The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s 70s and 80s. Four of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

The county also had 20 of the previous positive individuals recover and be removed from the isolation list.

Orleans has 9 residents hospitalized due to Covid, which is up from 8 on Friday and 6 on Thursday.

• 2 Albion staff members test positive for Covid-19. The school district announced this afternoon it was notified today that the staff members tested positive over the weekend. One of the staff members works in the high school and the other works in district office.

Contact tracing and the quarantine of students and staff members was implemented according to health department guidelines, the district said.

• Lyndonville Central School was notified that a staff member tested positive for Covid-19. The staff member hasn’t been on campus since Friday, December 4, according to a letter on the school website.

The district has communicated with the Health Department. Lyndonville parents will be notified if their child is deemed a “close contact” and what directions to follow.

• Medina Central School said it has had three new positive cases reported to the district. A high school student who is 100 percent remote tested positive. No school-related quarantines are necessary, the district said.

A middle school student also tested positive who was on mandatory quarantine poor to onset of symptoms. The Health Department determined on further school-related quarantines are necessary.

A transportation employee also tested positive. The district and Health Department are working to identify contacts of the individual and will notify people who need to quarantine, according to a letter from the district.

In Genesee County, there 130 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 1,216 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Byron, Darien, Elba, LeRoy, Oakfield, Pavilion, Pembroke and Stafford.

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

Of the new cases, two are residents at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia, one is a resident at the NYS Veteran’s Home, and one is at the VA Medical Center.

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

Genesee has 20 people hospitalized due to Covid, up from 15 on Friday.

Genesee also was notified that three residents have died of Covid. One is a resident at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia. Two of the deaths were community members. All three individuals were over the age of 65.

“To protect the individual and their family we will not be releasing any further information,” the Health Departments stated. “We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this community member during this very difficult time.”

The three deaths bring that total to eight in December in Genesee County and 15 during the pandemic.

• 3-County Data: Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in the three rural counties of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming. There are currently 449 active cases in the three counties, with 269 in Genesee, 89 in Orleans and 91 in Wyoming. That is up from 370 in the three counties on Friday.

Editor’s Note: Albion Mayor Eileen Banker submitted this letter of appreciation for firefighters and other public officials who assisted with the fire Saturday in Albion that damaged three houses.

ALBION – On behalf of the Village of Albion Board I would like to thank all the fire companies that responded to the fire Saturday in Albion: Albion FD, Barre FD, Carlton FD, Clarendon FD, East Shelby FD, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray FD, Holley FD, Kendall FD, Lyndonville FD, Village of Medina FD, Ridgeway FD, Shelby FD, Elba FD, Brockport FD, Middleport FD, Hamlin-Morton-Walker FD, Hartland FD and Oakfield. They all either responded to the scene or filled in during the recent fire on Saturday on East Academy and West State streets in the Village of Albion.

This fire was met with many uncertainties, specifically the explosions, yet each department fought tirelessly to extinguish the fire before it took down many more houses. The danger that each of you faced during this fire did not detour you from doing your job. For that, we are forever grateful.

Thank you to the men and women of the fire service who unselfishly risk their lives to protect the lives and property of our community.

I also want to thank Albion PD, Orleans County Emergency Management Ofiice, COVA, Monroe Ambulance, Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Orleans County Dispatchers (the voice of the county), NYSEG, National Grid, Village of Albion Water Plant and Albion DPW for all their assistance.

Also, thank you to Roadies Pizzeria and Sports Bar, Stephanie, Connor and Landon Williams, and Alex Breuilly for the pizza and beverages. God bless each of you for all you do and stay safe during these uncertain times!

The Shelby Volunteer Fire Company brought its new ladder truck and crew of firefighters to focus on the neighboring house that caught on fire on East Academy Street.

Press Release, Congressman Chris Jacobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) joined a bipartisan letter to the House and Senate appropriations committees calling for additional funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect rural broadband grant program in the upcoming FY21 funding bill.

“I have long advocated for increased broadband investment in NY-27,” Jacobs said. “The pandemic has only elevated that need. With schools moved online, businesses increasingly relying on the internet, telemedicine services becoming more popular, and farm technology advancing – the need for reliable high-speed internet access is urgent. The ReConnect Program is a sound investment that has helped connect our underserviced communities.”

Congress created the ReConnect Program in FY18 with a $600 million appropriation. There were $550 million and $555 million appropriated in FY19 and FY20, respectively. To date, USDA has invested over $1.3 billion in high-speed broadband infrastructure. Currently, the proposed FY21 Senate budget for this program has been cut by $150 million relative to FY20 funding levels. Jacobs is asking for increased funding for this rural broadband program relative to recent years.

“Our children, families, farmers, and economy rely on access to high-speed internet – we must ensure that we are making sufficient investments that set them up for success,” Jacobs said.

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

BATAVIA – The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have received a positive Covid-19 test result from an individual who was at Sport of Kings in Batavia on:

• Monday, November 30^th, from 2 to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 1^st, from 2 to 8 p.m.

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

We advise all individuals who were at Sport of Kings on the stated dates and times to monitor their symptoms for 14 days. 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.

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