By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2020 at 9:13 am
Rotary members will be riding bikes, walking and jogging to raise money for polio vaccinations
File photo by Tom Rivers: Don Bishop, shown in this photo from April 2018 in his dental office, is leading an effort to raise money for polio vaccinations. His mother contracted polio when she was 34 and died two years later after being paralyzed from the neck down.
ALBION – Some members of the Albion Rotary Club will be riding bikes, walking and jogging this week in an effort to raise money to fight polio.
That virus which causes paralysis isn’t in the news much these days. But it still remains in the world, with cases recently detected in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Rotary has made fighting polio an international mission and a major worldwide effort has brought down the cases from an estimated 350,000 in 1988 to 33 in 2018, according to the World Health Organization.
Don Bishop, a retired Albion dentist, knows personally how devastating polio can be. His mother Harriett contracted polio at age 34 in 1955. She was paralyzed from the neck down for two years and died at age 36 after getting pneumonia.
His mother was in an iron lung machine to stimulate breathing in the polio ward at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what my family did in the ’50s,” Bishop said.
Bishop, a member of the Albion Rotary Club, suspects his mother contracted the virus while swimming in a quarry in Westchester County, where he grew up. His sister also has polio which has weakened her right wrist.
Rotary District 7090, which includes about 70 Rotary Clubs in WNY and Canada, is trying to raise $200,000 to fight polio, which is nearly eradicated but recent cases have been found in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Bishop has been the longtime leader of the Polio Plus effort in the Albion Rotary Club, raising money for the polio vaccinations.
He will be riding his bike 25 miles this week, covering distance between Holley and Spencerport. He has sponsors in a lump sum and others giving him money for each mile.
Other Rotary Club members will also be riding bikes, walking and jogging on their own and not in a group. (Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers plans to run 10 miles from Holley to Albion for the cause.)
The Rotary Club has cancelled most of its events and fundraisers due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That includes a St. Patrick’s ham dinner back in March, the Strawberry Festival in June and a fishing derby in August.
Marlee Diehl, the club president, challenged the local Rotarians to be part of the 7090 Rotary District effort to raise $200,000 for polio. That money will be tripled with a 2-to-1 match from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, turning the $200,000 into $600,000. District 7090 includes about 70 Rotary Clubs in Western New York and Southern Ontario.
‘We have to stay vigilant. Polio can start up again if it’s not watched.’ – Don Bishop
Diehl said it has been a great achievement for Rotary and the international community to drastically reduce polio in the world. But she said the health organizations and Rotary need to keep the pressure on and get vaccinations where polio remains.
“If we shift our attention away from it, it will be back,” Diehl said. “It’s only a plane ride away.”
She remembers getting vaccinated in the 1950s at school in Canada. At the time, there was grave concern in the U.S. and Canada about polio.
“We can’t give up until it’s gone,” she said.
Courtesy of Rotary International: Rotary helps bring vaccinations to the remaining areas where polio is still detected.
Bishop, who worked 37 years as a dentist in Albion, was 7 when his mother contracted polio. He went to visit her every weekend in New York City the next two years. He said his mother learned to paint holding a brush with her teeth. She remained upbeat in the polio ward, trying to encourage the other patients.
“She was paralyzed from the neck down, but she was always trying to cheer people up,” Bishop said.
The Rotary Club bestows a Paul Harris Fellow as its highest honor, named for the Rotary founder. The Albion club has given that award in memory of Bishop’s mother.
“We have to stay vigilant,” Bishop said about the fight against polio. “Nothing is ever a gimme in this world. Polio can start up again if it’s not watched.”
People interested in donating can contact Diehl at (585) 755-4334 or they can send a check to Albion Rotary Club with “Polio” in the subject line, P.O. Box 356, Albion NY 14411.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2020 at 8:10 am
KNOWLESVILLE – There will be 1,000 boxes of food given away today at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
The distribution begins at 1:45 and continues until the boxes are all gone. People should enter the Route 31 main drive at the fairgrounds, with traffic directed through the Taylor Hill Road parking lots in an attempt to fit all waiting vehicles on the grounds. There will be traffic cones set up to guide the vehicles.
The food boxes are available through the USDA food boxes program. This will be a first come, first served opportunity with one box available per vehicle.
There will be another food distribution at the fairgrounds next week on Oct. 28, starting at about 1:45 p.m.
There are also two other distributions planned the final two Fridays in October:
October 23rd – Ridgeway Fire Department, 11392 Ridge Road, Medina – no lines before 8 a.m. The entrance will be on Horan Road and the line will be facing north towards Ridge Road. Exit will be on to Ridge Road
October 30th – This event will be at the Community Action Main Street Store, 131 S. Main Street.
MEDINA – Karina Bellan tells everyone that her Orleans Career and Technical Education Center program, Food Service, is the best.
“Coming here is my favorite part of the day and Mrs. Kronenberg is my favorite teacher,” Bellan said. “She is the reason I am where I am with my cooking skills. She has taught me the basics on up.”
With those skills and her winning personality, Karina has landed a job at the Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital’s Nutrition and Food Service Department. The department is in charge or providing satisfying, nourishing, well-balanced and properly controlled meals to patients and residents.
Karina, a Medina High School student, has a lot of connections at the hospital and was encouraged to pursue the position from her home district, her mother and of course her teacher, Jessica Kronenberg.
“I aced the interview and got the job,” Bellan said. “I have been there for three months now and I help with making the drinks and salads. I love to cook and I find this kind of work very therapeutic.”
She works at the hospital four times a week and her supervisors seem as happy with her as she is with being there. Frederica Fuentas said in her first evaluation, “Karina is an asset to the department. Her upbeat personality and willingness to learn has helped the department in so many ways. The supervisors and staff continuously give Karina compliments on her work ethic.”
Ms. Kronenberg says she is very proud of Karina. “She is just awesome and deserves every bit of accolades that she is receiving. She is a fantastic student.”
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley is celebrating his endorsement and continued partnership with the National Rifle Association as he continues his re-election campaign.
Hawley, a gun owner and a firm believer in the Second Amendment, is proud to continue his relationship with the NRA.
“I am both humbled and honored that the NRA has recognized me for endorsement,” Hawley said. “New York continues to push forward egregious and unnecessarily strict gun laws, which often times do little but hinder the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Albany needs to understand that gun owners are not second-class citizens, and I will continue my fight to ensure the Second Amendment rights of New Yorkers are protected.”
While widely recognized today as a major political force and America’s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has been the premier firearms education organization in the world. But their successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service their nearly 5 million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs.
Editor’s note: Hawley of Batavia has been in the Assembly since February 2006. He is challenged by Mark Glogowski of Hamlin, who is running under the Libertarian Party. The 139th Assembly District includes Genesee, nearly all of Orleans and parts of western Monroe County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 October 2020 at 5:03 pm
Orleans County is reporting four new cases of Covid-19 today, following eight more on Monday.
The new positive cases are residents in Albion, Murray, Ridgeway and Shelby. The individuals are in the following age groups: 0-19 years old, 20s, 40s and 60s.
None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. One of the new positive individuals is under mandatory isolation out of state, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported.
Orleans has now had 356 people test positive for Covid-19 since March.
Three new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee County doesn’t has any new confirmed cases and remains at 345 since March.
Genesee also has two more people who have recovered and been released from mandatory isolation.
Genesee also has 14 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are 39 active cases in the three counties with 7 in Genesee, 17 in Orleans and 15 in Wyoming.
Reminders from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:
• Flu Season: With flu season quickly approaching it is important to get your flu shots now to build up immunity. It generally takes two weeks before immunity is built up after getting the shot. Once you have the flu vaccine, if you do get the flu, research shows that the vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness. Getting a flu vaccine can save healthcare resources for the care of patients with Covid-19 and other illnesses.
• Testing: If you are being tested for Covid-19 it is important that you self-quarantine until you get your test results whether you have symptoms or not. If you are symptomatic, meaning you are coughing, have a fever or other symptoms, self-quarantine even if you are an essential worker until you get your results back. If you have Covid-19 you may be spreading it. That means to stay home and limit contact with other people, even in your household.
• Gathering Size: According to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.45, all non-essential gatherings of up to 50 individuals of any size for any reason (graduation parties, celebrations, weddings, or other social events at public facilities or private venues) unless otherwise designated (ex. religious gatherings), are allowed. So long as appropriate social distancing, wearing cloth masks/face coverings over their mouth and nose, and cleaning and disinfection protocol requirements are followed.
• Nursing Home Visitation: As of Sept. 15, the state is requiring the nursing home facilities to have visitors provide proof of negative Covid-19 test results within seven days of visit. To find a testing site nearest you, click here or call 1-888-364-3065. Click here to view the guidance for skilled nursing facility visitation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 October 2020 at 3:00 pm
Johnson, Oak Orchard and Sandy creeks will get additional water
File photos by Tom Rivers: Anglers try to catch Chinook salmon and brown trout in the Oak Orchard River in Carlton.
The state is doing a pilot program using water from the Erie Canal to enhance popular fishing tributaries in Western New York.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the initiative today. It is part of the “Reimagine the Canals” initiative, where the state is using the canal to expand tourism and assist small businesses in the region.
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 – will see higher flows.
This will 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, Cuomo said in a news release this afternoon.
“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 Oak Orchard River is one of several tributaries that will have its water levels boosted to improve the local fall fishery.
The New York State Canal Corporation is methodically releasing water from the Erie Canal into Lake Ontario tributaries, increasing the water levels and flows in streams and encouraging fish to travel farther upstream, which expands areas for ideal fishing conditions. In addition, the Canal Corporation will extend the annual draining of the canal in Western NY to create a longer season for anglers.
“Fishing on the Lake Ontario tributaries was already world-class and well known to experienced anglers,” said Brian U. Stratton, NYS Canal Corporation director. “We’re proud that our Canal’s infrastructure can be used to enhance the fishing experience for New Yorkers and be a catalyst for restarting the economy in Western New York.”
Throughout the length of the program, the Canal and tributary waters will be monitored for quantity and quality to document the success of the pilot program.
“The Reimagine the Canals pilot project will encourage even more New Yorkers to get outside and enjoy our state’s natural resources,” said Basil Seggos, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. “Water releases will benefit both the fish in these waters and the angling public by providing quality fishing opportunities, bolstering tourism, and supporting local economies.”
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed an Executive Order extending the state’s moratorium on Covid-related commercial evictions and foreclosures through Jan. 1.
This measure extends protections already in place for commercial tenants and mortgagors in recognition of the financial toll the pandemic has taken on business owners, including retail establishments and restaurants.
The extension of this protection gives commercial tenants and mortgagors additional time to get back on their feet and catch up on rent or their mortgage, or to renegotiate their lease terms to avoid foreclosure moving forward.
“The health and economic impacts of this pandemic have been devastating, and we are continuing to do everything we can to support people who are suffering,” Cuomo said. “We are going to extend the commercial eviction and foreclosure moratorium through January 1st. That will now align with our residential eviction moratorium so they are both extended to the same date.”
The governor first announced a state moratorium on residential and commercial evictions on March 20 for a period of 90 days to ensure no tenant was evicted during the height of the public health emergency.
The commercial eviction and foreclosure moratorium was extended through August 20, September 20 and October 20 by Executive Order. The Governor signed the Tenant Safe Harbor Act on June 30 which became effective immediately and extended the eviction moratorium for tenants until the emergency expires.
Additionally, Cuomo signed legislation to provide financial assistance to residential renters to provide relief during the public health emergency. Cuomo also has provided additional protections for residential renters from charges for late payment of rent, and allowed tenants to use security deposits to pay rent for residential tenants by Executive Order.
Non-essential interstate travel discouraged with Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Arizona and Maryland have been added to New York’s Covid-19 travel advisory. No areas have been removed.
The advisory requires individuals who have traveled to New York from areas with significant community spread to quarantine for 14 days. The quarantine applies to any person arriving from an area with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or an area with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.
Neighboring states Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania now meet the criteria for the travel advisory. However, given the interconnected nature of the region and mode of transport between us, a quarantine on these states is not practically viable. That said, New York State highly discourages, to the extent practical, non-essential travel to and from these states while they meet the travel advisory criteria.
“We are now in a situation where 43 states (and territories) meet the criteria for our travel advisory. This is really a bizarre outcome, considering New York once had the highest infection rate,” Governor Cuomo said. “There is no practical way to quarantine New York from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut.
“There are just too many interchanges, interconnections, and people who live in one place and work in the other,” Cuomo said. “It would have a disastrous effect on the economy, and remember while we’re fighting this public health pandemic we’re also fighting to open up the economy. However, to the extent travel between the states is not essential, it should be avoided.”
The full list of 41 states and two territories on the travel advisory now includes: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 October 2020 at 11:33 am
Husband and wife run Callahan Towing, 24-7
HOLLEY – A husband and wife has found Holley to be a great base for running their towing business.
A year ago, Sarah and Nick Callahan moved Callahan Towing from Batavia to 106 Geddes St. in Holley. They have the contract for emergency towing in eastern Orleans County in the towns of Kendall, Murray and Clarendon – “from the lake to the Genesee County line.” They have the contract following the retirement of Eric Smith of Glenside Auto from the towing business.
The Callahans respond to numerous automobile accidents and stay busy with other towing jobs, including emergency roadside assistance and moving vehicles for an auction company.
Both Nick and Sarah operate the tow trucks, and they respond to calls at all hours of the day.
“It’s being committed because it’s literally 24-7,” Mrs. Callahan said.
Her husband was 18 when he started working for a towing company. At the time his car broke down and he needed to be towed. He talked with the tow operator on scene and even helped to get the car hooked to the tow truck. Soon he had a job with the towing business.
He enjoys the challenge of the job and helping people who are often in distress.
“You need to be able to think on your feet and do it fast,” he said.
He knows it is an inconvenience for other motorists when a road is closed due to an accident or incident with a vehicle off the road. He tries to work quickly, while preserving as much of a damaged vehicle as possible.
Nick, 31, worked for bigger towing companies before starting his own business in 2014. In Genesee County, he said there are about 15 towing companies. He said it is a “cutthroat business.”
In Orleans, the towing companies work together, he said. He credited Smith of Glenside for helping Callahan find a nice location in Holley and for recommending them to many in the community.
“We owe a lot to Eric,” Mr. Callahan said.
The Callahans want to thank the community for the support in their first year in Holley. They are having an open house Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at 106 Geddes St. People can get an up close look at tow trucks, police vehicles and fire trucks from Holley and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray.
Mr. Callahan said he works with firefighters and law enforcement on many of the calls. He was a volunteer firefighter in Alexander for 8 years. He said the first responders have his deep respect.
The open house also will include wine tastings, food trucks and kids’ activities, including rock painting.
Mrs. Callahan also wants to have a WNY Tow Ball for the tow truck community. She said the Callahans support the “the thin yellow line” campaign to make people aware of the dangers of being a tow truck driver, where motorists often speed by while tow truck operators are working on a scene.
One tow truck driver is killed an average of every six days in the United States. The Callahans have had friends killed while working.
“We want people to slow down and pull over when they see a tow truck,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 October 2020 at 9:26 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Pauline Bachorski of Albion and her granddaughter Neveya Barnes, 12, are congratulated on Saturday by Greg Reed of the YMCA for winning the first ever scavenger hunt organized by the YMCA, Cornell Cooperative Extension and Orleans Community Health.
MEDINA – Three local agencies organized a scavenger hunt on Saturday that had 10 teams traveling around the county to see waterfalls, historic sites, public art projects and rubber ducks painted gold.
The event was intended to be a fun outing for the participants and a chance to learn about their community. It also raised about $3,100 to be split for youth programming at the YMCA, Cornell Cooperative Extension and Orleans Community Health.
“They got to explore the county and test people’s knowledge, said Heather Smith, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation.
These six teams are pictured after the scavenger hunt at the Orleans County YMCA. There were 10 teams on Saturday, visiting sites all over the county.
The three agencies put together the scavenger hunt following the cancellation of many activities and fundraisers in the county due to Covid-19.
Participants in “Hunt Orleans” had two hours to go to as many locations as possible. Participants took a picture of their teams at the destinations. The team with the most points won $250.
Provided photo: Pauline Bachorski and her granddaughter Neveya Barnes are pictured in front of the St. John’s Episcopal Church which is famous for being “the church in the middle of the street.”
Pauline Bachorski of Albion and her granddaughter Neveya Barnes, 12, earned the most points. Bachorski is the Girl Scout unit coordinator in Albion. She said she has learned local trivia and visited many of the sites before that were on the hunt through the Girl Scout program.
“It was a lot of fun,” Bachorski said about the scavenger hunt.
Organizers want to do the hunt again next year and will have a new theme and different spots to visit.
This team dressed up as M & M’s for the scavenger hunt. Teams were given extra points for costumes and for decorating their vehicles. They include, from left: Bev Woodward, Robin Wehling, Tami Siffringer and Carol Bellack.
Here are some other provided photos of some of the teams at different locations in the county:
Pictured at the “Canalligator” mural in Medina
In front of the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery, which is a Civil War memorial
In front of the new mural in Albion about the Santa Claus School
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ELMIRA — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited The Clemens Center in Elmira on Monday to call for legislation to support live event venues and small- and mid-sized businesses that are struggling to recover after months of limited operations due to the coronavirus crisis.
The bipartisan Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards a Recovery in Twenty-Twenty (RESTART) Act would create a new loan program to fund six months of employer and operating expenses for businesses that have lost substantial revenue and need support that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been unable to adequately provide.
“The recent uptick in coronavirus cases across New York is a reminder that this pandemic will be with us well into next year,” Gillibrand said. “The next relief package must prioritize the needs of these small businesses so they can survive this economic crisis and continue providing jobs and revenue for local communities. The RESTART Act would help fill the gaps and ensure they receive the support they deserve.”
As coronavirus cases rise in the Southern Tier, live event venues and the hospitality industry face growing uncertainty over how to maintain already restricted operations. The Clemens Center, which leases to more than 50 community arts organizations annually, had to shutter its theater in March and is expected to remain closed through next spring.
Independent venues are forecasted to lose almost $9 billion in revenue if they have to remain dark through the end of the year. Many expect to close for good if they don’t receive federal aid adding to the more than 400,000 hospitality and leisure workers in New York State who have already lost their jobs in the past year.
While PPP was intended to help small- and mid-sized businesses weather the economic crisis caused by Covid-19 shutdowns, many have slipped through the cracks or are in need of additional support as they struggle to maintain operations and pay their employees. Particularly, PPP has been largely unable to address the needs of theaters and live event venues, restaurants and hospitality which have experienced unprecedented revenue losses since March.
Specifically, the RESTART Act would:
Provide access to loans to cover 6 months of payroll, benefits, and fixed operating expenses for small and mid-sized businesses and nonprofits that have suffered significant revenue losses and would provide an extended 12-month covered loan period for businesses that have seen revenues decline by at least 80 percent;
Forgive a share of loans based on revenue declines suffered by the recipient in 2020 (or during the six-month covered loan period) compared to a year earlier, with the remainder to be paid back over 7 years, with generous loan terms. Businesses with fewer than 5,000 employees would receive even more favorable terms on loan forgiveness;
Offer more favorable loan terms to nonprofits, including a longer duration and a lower interest rate;
Defer interest payments for the first year of the loan, and defers principal payments for the first 2 years, with additional deferral available to economically distressed firms;
Build an origination fee structure designed to provide an incentive for banks and other financial institutions to assist the smallest businesses;
Allow businesses to choose when to rehire their workers and when to deploy the capital;
Provide a 100% loan guarantee from the federal government.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 October 2020 at 9:12 pm
Albion artist creates painting for the memorial at the National Warplane Museum
GENESEO – An Albion artist has been chosen to do a painting of a Vietnamese lady which will accompany a historic airplane recently acquired from the Smithsonian by the National Warplane Museum.
Carol Culhane’s career has focused extensively on artwork to support veterans, mostly because her husband Gerald is a Vietnam veteran.
The museum’s recently acquired C-130 has been named “Saigon Lady,” and will be the centerpiece of a memorial help the Warplane Museum tell the stories of veterans from throughout Western New York, including Orleans County, who served in Vietnam during the war and the Southeast Asian Americans who built a new life for their families in America.
This memorial will be one of the first of its kind in the country, according to information from the National Warplane Museum.
An Albion native and decorated Vietnam helicopter pilot Charlie Nesbitt is excited to hear about the new memorial. Nesbitt received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism in flying missions with Special Forces in Laos and Cambodia. He served from May 1968 to May 1969.
“The National Warplane Museum is a great supporter of keeping the history of aviation alive,” Nesbitt said. “The C-130 is one of the most important aircraft used in Vietnam. It was used to fly low over the runway and drop supplies for places under attack. A number of them were shot down. The museum has focused on World War II, and now it’s a perfectly wonderful thing they are going to recognize the veterans from the Vietnam War.”
It is also interesting to note that Carol Culhane’s first artistic endeavor was when Nesbitt first got into politics in the 1970s and asked her if she could paint him some campaign signs for his run for Barre councilman.
From left, Gerald Culhane of Childs and his wife Carol talk with Barry Culhane of Rochester at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo. The three attended a special presentation last week by Pham Quang Khiem, a pilot who took a C-130 and flew his family and 50 refugees to freedom in Singapore in 1975, just before Saigon fell to the Communists. The C-130, named Saigon Lady, is part of an exhibit to the Vietnam era being planned at the museum, with leadership from Barry Culhane, who was instrumental in establishing a Vietnam Memorial in Rochester. Carol Culhane was asked to paint a poster of a Vietnamese lady to accompany the airplane.
The name “Saigon Lady” was chosen for the Museum’s C-130 because of the plane’s unique history. It was the last plane to fly out of Saigon on April 3, 1975, before the city fell to the North Vietnamese. It’s pilot, Lt. Pham Quang Khiem, was able to fly his family of 10, along with more than 50 refugees, to Singapore and eventual freedom in the United States.
Khiem and his family, who now live in Ohio, visited the National Warplane Museum, where a special ceremony took place on Oct. 7.
Also attending was Gerald’s cousin Barry Culhane who was instrumental in creating the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Rochester and is on the steering committee of the National Warplane Museum’s memorial.
The ceremony included an introduction by the Warplane Museum’s volunteer Larry Jones, and museum founder Austin Wadsworth.
Jones told the small crowd, “If you like history and if you like airplanes, this is the place to be.”
“This C-130 is an icon from 1972 – 1975 in Vietnam,” he said. “It is a story of defense and courage and the vision of the museum’s Don Wilson and Ray Ingram who learned the Smithsonian was about to release some of its aircraft, and set to work to acquire this plane.
The C-130 Saigon Lady was, until recently, part of the Smithsonian’s collection.
Crowded airplane takes family, refugees from war zone
What makes Saigon Lady so remarkable is the story behind it, Jones said.
Khiem told the story in his own words.
First, history of the C-130 provided by the Warplane Museum states the “Herkys,” as they were known, were a valuable asset to the Vietnamese Air Force. They were the largest and heaviest load-carrying aircraft in the VNAF inventory. As the enemy advanced southward, the C-130s were used in the evacuation of northern cities. At 11 p.m. on the night before Da Nang fell to the enemy, Khiem and his squadron flew one of the last resupply missions into the city.
Carol Culhane, an artist from Albion, poses with pilot Pham Quang Khiem and the picture she painted which will accompany the C-130 in which he flew his family out of Saigon to freedom just before the Communists took over. The painting, Saigon Lady, is the name given the historic aircraft, which the National Warplane Museum has acquired from the Smithsonian. A complete restoration is planned.
“As soon as we landed and taxied to the ramp, an Army Republic of Vietnam major jumped into the aircraft to assure himself of a seat. I knew that thousands of people in the terminal would rush the airplane after seeing this, so I kicked him off. As it was, the ramp was filled with refugees almost immediately anyway. I shouted to them to let me offload my 20,000 pounds of cargo and then I could take about 200 of them. As soon as the cargo was off the plane, people rushed on and we couldn’t stop them.
“The loadmaster called on the intercom and said he could not close the ramp because of the people on it,” Khiem said. “I told him to hang on, then hit the brakes. That jammed them in tight enough to allow him to close the ramp. I had to jump on the brakes three times. As soon as we got to cruising altitude, I got out of my seat to take a look back in the cabin. There were people hanging on the paratroop static line cables and no one was sitting down. When we offloaded at Tan Son Nhut, we did an actual head count of 350 people.”
The aircraft was designed to carry 90 people.
“The flight and panic I saw in Da Nang got me to thinking it looks like the same thing is going to happen in Saigon. I will have to take a C-130 and get my family out.”
Khiem is quick to explain he did not intend to “steal” an aircraft, just borrow it.
Some of the C-130s flew bombing missions to destroy aircraft left behind. The C-130s were loaded with 55-gallon drums of gasoline or napalm and then dropped on VNAF aircraft abandoned on the ramps.
(Nesbitt interjected here that when he was in Vietnam, these air strips were still actively being used.)
On April 2, 1975, Khiem hitched a ride into Phan Rang on a C-130, hoping to locate his younger brother, who was an airman in the headquarters there. He had hoped to take him back to Saigon to be with the rest of family, but Khiem could not locate him.
“We were lucky though,” Khiem said. “He showed up at my parents’ home in Saigon five minutes before our escape. On the flight back to Saigon, I thought to myself, ‘If Phan Rang is lost, it won’t be long before the Communists are in Saigon.’ It was time to plan my escape.”
There was a lot of talk among other pilots of stealing a C-130 and getting their families out. But Khiem never said a word about it to anyone in his squadron.
“Headquarters must have considered the possibility of that happening, though, because they ordered the airplanes to be fueled with only enough gas to accomplish their missions. If you were going to Phan Rang, they gave you just enough gas, plus a small reserve, to get there. You would have to refuel there in order to get back to Saigon.”
Khiem realized a problem would be finding someone to help him escape.
“One of my best friends, Major Nguyen Huu Canh, was in the VNAF in our sister squadron. We had been friends a long time and we discussed the possibility of getting out. I knew once a pilot managed to steal an airplane and escape, the VNAF would tighten security, making further escapes impossible. I told my friend if we are not number one to escape, there will never be number two.”
The Major’s family was in DaLat and he wanted to get them to Saigon. But on April 2, DaLat was overrun by the communists and he lost contact with them. After that, he was willing to go along with anything Khiem planned.
“On April 3, all the C-130s were used on bombing missions. I was number one standby on the mission, but I needed time to tell my family what I had planned. I went to the Squadron Operations officer and told him I didn’t feel good, so he agreed to drop me to the bottom of the list. That gave me a chance to run home for lunch. I took my brother aside and told him what I had planned. I asked him to take charge of the family and keep them close to home.
“If they heard from me, they were to go immediately to the Long Thanh Airport, which was about 17 miles southeast of Saigon. Long Thanh was a former U.S. Army airbase, on which I had landed several times during training. It had been closed since the U.S. withdrawal in 1973 and was deserted.
“When I got back to the airport, I waited for something to happen. At 3 o’clock, my friend Major Canh called to say he had been assigned to a food resupply mission to Phan Rang. Actually, another pilot had been assigned to the mission, but he complained he had already flown two missions that day and was tired, so my friend volunteered to take his place. I ran home and told my family to leave for Long Thanh immediately.
“But we had another problem. Since we were in different squadrons, we would not ordinarily fly together. In fact, I could not even get into his squadron area.
“Once again we were lucky. The airplane he was supposed to take had mechanical problems and his squadron borrowed one of our airplanes – Hercules CF 460 (Saigon Lady). I met him at the airplane. Now the problem was getting rid of his co-pilot. We told him that I would be glad to take his place in order to fly with my friend, and to look for my missing brother. He was only too happy to take the rest of the day off, especially since he had a date. I warned him not to go back to the squadron since they might not like our switching places without authorization.
“These missions had become so routine that we could take off within minutes, and that created another problem for my plan. The 17 miles to Long Thanh was on a rough country road and I knew my family could not get there before 4 p.m. I also knew once we took off, timing would be essential. We couldn’t land at Long Thanh and wait around for them to show up. A C-130 landing on an abandoned airstrip would raise an alarm, and the rest of the crew would know right away what we were doing.
“I had to delay takeoff somehow, so I made sure I got to the airplane before the flight engineer. I pulled several circuit breakers that would not normally pop by themselves, and I knew they would be hard to spot. The flight engineer finally spotted the popped breakers and we cranked the engines at 3:30. I am sure the crew was wondering what had gotten into the pilot, since each checklist was read and re-read thoroughly. I delayed as long as I could, but we were still rolling before 4 p.m.
“In all my calculation about where we would go, the problem of fuel had always been on my mind. I did not think we would have more than an hour and a half of fuel on board, which would have only been enough to get us to Thailand, and that was not far enough to ensure our safety. But getting this airplane was an opportunity we could not pass up, no matter what the outcome.
“The first thing I did when I got out to the airplane was flip the master switch on to check the fuel level. My heart leapt into my throat when I saw the tanks were full. The line crewman must have anticipated my surprise, because he apologized, explaining he had taken a smoke break while fueling the airplane and forgot about the new rule regarding rationing. He begged me not to turn him in. Of course, I gave him a stern look and told him not to ever let it happen again, and then told him to forget about it. With a full load of fuel, we could fly all the way to Singapore.
“My friend was still despondent about the loss of his family, but he didn’t care where we went as long as it was out of the country.
“Right after takeoff, I turned off all the radios and the transponder. Then I turned on the intercom and said, ‘What’s the matter with them anyway? Why are they sending us to Long Thanh to pick up those people.’ Now the crew knew we were going to Long Thanh, but they thought we had been sent there by headquarters. I told my friend we had to slow down, saying if we fly slow, maybe they will think it is a helicopter on their radar screen. As we began to circle the airport, I looked down and tried to spot my family.
“The place was deserted and I got a sinking feeling. The next time around, I searched the country road for them and there they were. Five little cars about a half mile from the airport. I knew my brother had briefed the family to run onto the airport as soon as they saw the ramp come down. When the ramp was open, I asked the loadmaster to offload the cargo, which was 20,000 pounds of dry rice. So far they didn’t suspect anything, but I knew I couldn’t take them out of the country without letting them know what I was doing.
“As soon as my family was on board, I said, ‘Gentlemen, I have to tell you that this aircraft will not go back to Saigon any more. We are leaving the country. Anyone who does not want to go is free to leave now.’ The flight engineer unhooked his seatbelt and headset and got halfway out of his seat, then sat back down and said he would go with us. The number one loadmaster, who was a 10-year VNAF veteran, must have thought we were defecting to the North Vietnamese, because he got off as quickly as he could.
“Once we were off, we headed out to sea at tree-top level. As soon as we got over the sea, we dropped down to 50 feet above sea level so we wouldn’t be picked up on radar. I mean, we were low. After an hour of skimming the wave tops, I realized we were over international waters and we climbed to 16,000 feet and set a course directly for Singapore.”
A new life in the United States
They landed at 7 p.m. – 56 refugees from the war – and announced they were “illegal” and wanted asylum. The airport had closed at 5 p.m. and the person who dealt with such people couldn’t be found. Finally at about 1 a.m. 20 trucks filled with police surrounded the airplane and Khiem and his passengers surrendered, explaining they would like political asylum in Singapore.
No one knew what to do with them, so Khiem suggested the airport give them charts and fuel to fly to Australia and they would leave. That seemed like a good idea to airport personnel, until the matter of paying for the fuel came up. They would only accept U.S. currency, and the passengers only had about $400 of the $5,000 needed.
“Fortunately, they were sympathetic,” Khiem said. “They must have had an idea how the war would end. They billeted us in what was like a jail, and then treated us as heroes. We were there 19 days, then a bus came and took us to a resort island. We had beds to sleep in, not the floor any more. The next day we were flown to Guam. We were on our way to a new life in the United States.”
Khiem had managed to get his entire family out, with the exception of his youngest brother, who was in the Army. After the Communists took over, he was sent to a re-education camp for two years of brainwashing. In September 1991, just three months before their father passed away, Khiem’s brother and his family were reunited with the rest of the family, after 16 years apart.
Khiem’s love for America had begun when he attended the language school at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas in November 1969 as a Vietnamese Air Force cadet. He received his basic pilot training at Randolph Air Force Base, then moved on to Keesler Air Force Base. Eventually, he was assigned to fly transport aircraft and was pilot in command of C-123K aircraft, before moving up to the C-130.
His family of 10 included five brothers, all of them in the military during the war. Three of his brothers were in the VNAF and his oldest brother was the chief training officer for the 62nd wing of the VNAF at Nha Trang. It was a family that believed in their country and was willing to fight to save it – almost to the bitter end.
“What I’ve dreamed for the last 45 years is thanking the U.S. for accepting my family,” Khiem said.
The next day after he and his family were taken out of Singapore, the USAF claimed the C-130 and flew it to South Korea. It was flown there for several years, then flown to the U.S. to be used by the Coast Guard. It’s final flight was to the museum at Dulles. When it was released to the National Warplane Museum, a crew disassembled it and transported the wings and fuselage by truck to Geneseo, where it has been reassembled.
After settling his family in America, Captain Khiem began flying for American Airlines, and retired about seven years ago from U.S. Air. He is rated to fly the Boeing 727-100/200, 737-200/300/400 and AirBus 319/320/321.
His friend Major Nguyen Huu Canh is presently flying for an oil drilling company in Houston.
Khiem has been to the National Warplane Museum several times during the past year to see his C-130. He is eagerly supporting their mission to restore his plane, physically and financially, Wadsworth said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 October 2020 at 4:26 pm
County also has 13 more recoveries
Orleans County has eight more confirmed cases of Covid-19 since Friday, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments is reporting this afternoon.
The new positive cases are residents in Albion, Kent and Murray. None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
The new cases are in the following age groups: one in the 0-19 age range, two in their 30s, one in the 40s, three in their 50s and one in the 60s.
Orleans has now had 352 people test positive for Covid-19 since March. Thirteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation, the Health Departments reported.
Orleans also has 10 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee County doesn’t have any new positive cases of Covid-19, maintaining a total of 345 positive cases since March.
The county is reporting new recoveries and those people and have been released from mandatory isolation.
Genesee has 8 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are currently 37 active cases in the three counties with nine in Orleans, 13 in Genesee and 15 in Wyoming.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 October 2020 at 1:35 pm
ALBION – Oak Orchard Health now has medical staff working three days a week out of the Orleans County Mental Health Building on Route 31, next to the County Administration Building.
Oak Orchard will have a physician’s assistant and a medical doctor available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., depending on the number of patients.
Oak Orchard Health is partnering with the Orleans County Mental Health to bring primary care services to the county’s behavioral health patients. Oak Orchard’s new office in the Mental Health building makes it convenient for patients to get the medical care they could be missing.
“Good physical health and mental health go hand in hand,” said Mary Ann Pettibon, CEO of Oak Orchard Health. “This comprehensive approach to care is needed in the community and we’re pleased to collaborate with the Orleans County Mental Health Department. So often these patients don’t have a primary care physician and haven’t been receiving the kind of medical care they need.”
To make an appointment with Oak Orchard, call (585) 589-5613.
Photos and article courtesy of Lyndonville Central School
LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville school district would like to thank our Sports Boosters for donating two 25-foot-high flag poles that have been placed between our athletic fields.
We would also like to thank the Town of Yates and Village of Lyndonville for their assistance with installation and thank graduate Reggie Cichocki for the donation of the concrete bases.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated, and the flags (which are flying at half-mast per NYS) are a beautiful addition to our campus, according to a message from Jason Smith, the district superintendent, and James Zeliff, the district’s athletic director.
