Health Foundation, YMCA, Cooperative Extension and Community Partners sponsor ‘Hunt Orleans’ on Oct. 17

MEDINA – With all of their regular events canceled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Orleans Community Health Foundation has been brainstorming ways to hold new fundraising events.

This summer, the Foundation director and the board decided to partner with the YMCA, Cornell Cooperative Extension and Community Partners to sponsor an event that will benefit youth in Orleans County.

“We have all been shut down and our programs all canceled this summer,” Smith said. “We weren’t allowed to do any fundraising, but we all wanted some program where we could get people out, have fun and be safe.”

They decided to host a scavenger hunt called “Hunt Orleans,” which will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Oct. 17.

Participants will pay a $25 fee to register and must acquire at least $125 in sponsorships. Teams will then set off in their cars and be directed throughout Orleans County by clues supplied by the committee. A cell phone is required, as the first clue will be by a text.

“Hunt Orleans” will feature landmarks from all around Orleans County. Participants must take a picture of themselves at the destinations they think are the location of a clue. Each location will have a point value, and points are earned for each correct clue. The team with the most points will win $250.

Proceeds will benefit Community Partner’s Youth Health Education; at the YMCA, money will fund youth scholarships; and at Cooperative Extension, money will go to 4-H programming for youth.

All the necessary information to register or donate is available on the website www.supportoch.org.

ALBION – Albion’s Renovation Masonic Lodge has teamed up with Community Action to sponsor a fundraiser to help Community Action with increased expenses due to Covid-19.

Jeff Holler with the Masons wanted to do something to give back to the community, and came up with the idea of a barbecued pulled pork dinner, said Michelle Figueroa, case manager at Community Action. The dinner is scheduled Sept. 27 at Community Action’s Main Street Store. Dinner will be drive-thru only from noon to 3 p.m. or until gone.

“This is the first time we’ve done a barbecue fundraiser,” Figueroa said. “Jeff ran the idea by Annette (Finch), our emergency services manager, and she agreed and suggested we do it to support our Covid Crisis Fund. The money helps with rent, utilities, emergency shelter, medications and any other emergencies that have increased due to Covid-19.”

Figueroa added that Covid has impacted the way Community Action provides emergency services. Clients need an appointment. When they come in they must be wearing a mask, have their temperature taken, sign in, sanitize their hands and maintain social distance.

“We are seeing more and more families who have never been to Community Action or never needed our services before,” Figueroa said. “The area most impacted would be food and personal care needs. Hunger insecurities in Orleans County have partially been relieved by the food distributions and local food pantries.

“We have also seen an increase in requests for utilities and rent assistance,” Figueroa  said. “We here at Community Action are working hard to provide basic and necessary services to families throughout the county in order for them to have that little bit of hope that things will get better.”

Tickets for the pulled pork fundraiser are $8 presale and $9 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at Community Action. The meal will include barbecued pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw and baked beans. The Main Street Store is located at 131 South Main St.

Photos courtesy of Constance Duggan

ALBION – Father Richard Csizmar, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Albion, blesses the Little Free Library constructed and donated to the parish by Rachel Duggan for her Girl Scout Gold Award.

The library is located on the grounds of St. Joseph’s church between the rectory and the church on West Park Street.

Rachel, 17, will start her senior year at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse. She spends her summers in the Albion area. She has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and is a member of Troop 10401 of NYPENN Pathways.

The Gold Award is the highest award given in Girl Scouting. Rachel built the library, took up donations for the books through a community newsletter and purchased a plaque that will locate the library on the internet through Littlefreelibrary.org. Take a book leave a book for all ages.

Rachel’s family ties to Albion go back to her great grandfather, born in Albion and baptized at St. Josephs in 1904. Her great-great-grandfather immigrated from Ireland to Albion in 1893. She has been a summer resident in Orleans County all her life.

There was a ceremonial ribbon untying today just before noon.

LYNDONVILLE – Plans to honor a long-time nurse at Medina Memorial Hospital may have been put on hold due to the pandemic, but they got a big boost from a fundraiser Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the home of Kathy and Vic Vicknair of Lyndonville.

Nancy Albanese was an employee of Medina Memorial Hospital for more than 40 years, where she worked in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (Recovery Room). After her death Aug. 21, 2019, her family wanted to do something for the hospital in memory of Albanese.

Jean Weatherbee, left, sprays hand sanitizer on Susan Pawlaczyk of Middleport, before she checks out the yard sale and raffles which will benefit renovations at Medina Memorial Hospital in honor of the late Nancy Albanese. Looking on, from left, are Kathy Vicknair, who offered to host the fundraiser at her home on Lyndonville Road; Heather Smith, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation; and Kim Gray, director of surgical services at the hospital.

Albanese’s brother David Shanley of Orchard Park contacted the hospital to see what they could do. He learned the Recovery Room where Albanese had worked for so long was in need of a lot of renovation, and the family intended to donate an amount of money to accomplish it. But after the community and hospital employees heard about it, they wanted to be involved, and a public fundraiser was planned.

Originally, the event was going to take place in April the gift shop and lobby, said Heather Smith, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation. Then the pandemic brought an end to all events.

Dozens of baskets and gifts which had been donated for a raffle were packed up and taken to the Vicknair’s home until the Hospital Foundation could decide how they could use them. They talked about the shortage of money, and they discussed having an event in the hospital parking lot. That meant, however, they could only run it one day and that would cut down on their profit.

Then Kathy Vicknair came up with the idea to have it at her house. She was familiar with fundraising, having started a Pink Crystal Ball in 2007 to support those diagnosed with breast cancer. She ran that for five years, then took five years off and had another the following year.

“We knew we had to come up with some answer soon,” Vicknair said. “Then I went to bed one night and woke up at 4 a.m. and thought, ‘Why don’t I have it here.’ We can do it outside to make sure everything is Covid safe. We are blessed to have had good weather.”

They collected 63 baskets for the raffle and half of her garage full of large-ticket items, including Josh Allen’s No. 17 Bills jerseys donated by Vicknair’s cousin Patrick Boyle.

Then they added a yard sale, with several tables full of donated merchandise.

When guests arrived, their hands were sprayed with sanitizer and everyone was required to wear a mask.

Initial plans in the Recovery Room were to apply fresh paint, purchase a new nurse’s desk and chair, install a new privacy curtain system and install new locked storage cabinets for patient’s possessions. Now they have been expanded to include floor tiles and lighting.

The room will be refurbished from floor to ceiling, Smith said.

Foundation will try virtual cash drawing as fundraiser

MEDINA – One of the most successful and long-running fundraisers in support of Medina Memorial Hospital will not take place this year, according to Heather Smith, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation which sponsored Treasure Island.

The event has taken place for 26 years and has earned thousands of dollars for hospital improvements. Some years, profits were $50,000, Smith said.

But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the event had to be canceled this year and the Foundation began to think about what they could do to recoup part of that money.

The decision was made to hold a virtual cash drawing. Tickets are $100 each and only 300 will be sold. Grand prize will be $10,000. There are no online sales. Tickets must be reserved by completing a form on supportoch.org and returning it to the Foundation office, or they may be mailed to OCH Foundation, 200 Ohio St., Medina. Checks should be made payable to OCH Foundation.

The drawing will take place live at noon Nov. 24 via Facebook.

Meanwhile, the Foundation is moving ahead with plans for next year. The date for the hospital’s annual golf tournament has already been set. It will take place June 18 at Shelridge Country Club in Medina.

Next year, for the first time, Treasure Island will take place Nov. 6 at Ridgeway Fire Hall on Ridge Road.

Photos by Tom Rivers: This photo was taken on the beach at Hamlin Beach State Park on Wednesday at dusk.

The week started with heavy rain this morning in Orleans County. The rain should taper off by noon and today’s high temperature is forecast for 74, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

The highs for the rest of the week in Orleans include sunny and 65 on Monday, sunny and 69 on Tuesday, sunny and 78 on Wednesday, partly sunny and 73 on Thursday, sunny and 65 on Friday and mostly sunny and 67 on Saturday.

This trail cuts through the woods at Hamlin Beach State Park.

A Pearl Pink Banjo Pin

Digging through my jewelry box from when I was a young girl, I found this tiny little pin. For the life of me, I don’t recall ever seeing it before.

The main body of the banjo is a very light pink pearl, and the back has a pretty gold scrolling on it. An accessory that will make you smile and make your toes start tappin’.

For such a tiny little pin, it tuned me up into “My Feels” about the giddiness of the banjo.

The banjo can be traced back to the 17th century. Over the years, the instrument has evolved into the modern banjo. The sound of the strings when they are being strummed or picked creates a very unique platform for the tone of the melody. Some are very somber and soulful, while others are quite bright and cheerful.

Fact: if the banjo comes out during a concert, you know fun is about to be had!

The speed at which the player moves their fingers across the strings to create an almost manic melody at times is very infectious. Next thing you know, your heart is a-pumpin’, your foot is a-tappin’ and your face is a-smilin’. And that is how I felt when I spotted the pink pearl banjo pin. Funny how life can bring you full circle sometimes.

Back when I acquired this pin, who knew that some day it would have such an impression on me when I was reacquainted with it decades later? A foreshadowing of a future love of country music, nature and soulful sounds. A little treasure in my childhood box waiting to be rediscovered.

In my banjo research, I learned about the bass banjo. Who knew there was such a contraption? It is like a big ol’ frying pan on a banjo neck. Its sound is deeper than a standard banjo, but the notes create the same playful melodies.

Rascal Flatts has a fun song called “Banjo” that celebrates the power of the sound of the banjo. It is a short tale about the banjo being the motivation for uplifting your spirits. They sing about leaving the “concrete jungle” and driving deep into the countryside, to where the crickets and the frogs sing … until you hear the banjo.

Close your eyes and use your imagination. Picture yourself in a jungle of nature with simple life pleasures, listening to the banjo. An escape for the brain and the soul.

It is funny how finding one little treasure can evoke so many feelings from the memories we acquire during our lives. Every time I put this sweet little pin on, it reminds me of the little girl who found it important enough to save, and the big girl who appreciates her forethought. Deep down, that little girl knew where she was headed and, with time, I will get there. Like many of you, I am still a work in progress.

So, next time you stumble upon a little long-lost treasure, don’t just pitch it in the trash. Take a good look at it and see what special meanings it may hold.

The link to “Banjo” by Rascal Flatts is here. To see the back scroll on the banjo, visit my blog live online at https://www.positiveperksposts.com and catch up on Weekly Photo Perks and past Sunday Posts. Like and share your comments.

Debbie London

ALBION – A father and son from Kendall climbed the stairs at the Orleans County Fire Training Tower 20 times today.

Doug Jones Sr., 62, and his son Justin, 23, trekked nearly 2,000 steps on the stairs, going 48 steps up and then 48 down and did it 20 times. That is about how many steps firefighters climbed in the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

The previous two years, Doug and Justin did the stair climb at Frontier Field in Rochester with about 150 other firefighters in the region for the annual National Fallen Firefighter Foundation. But the event was cancelled at the stadium in Rochester. The NFFF urged participants to continue to raise money for the cause, and look for an alternative location as part of a virtual climb.

The two picked the fire training tower on West Countyhouse Road in Albion.

Doug Jones. Sr., a past Kendall fire chief, and Justin Behrend-Jones head up the stairs for the third of their 20 trips this morning.

Jones Sr. said he is motivated to take on the challenge, despite a gimpy knee, as a memorial to the firefighters who died in 2001. There were 343 firefighters who were killed on Sept. 11, 2001 during the terrorist attacks in New York City.

That year, a Kendall firefighter also was killed in the line of duty. Rick Buongiorne was 48 when he died on Jan. 9, 2001. He was directing traffic around a single-vehicle collision when he was struck by a truck.

Justin Behrend-Jones and Doug Jones did the stair-climb challenge for the third year. They have raised about $2,000 for the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation.

Jones was the fire chief in Kendall that year. He said he thinks often of Buongiorne and the NYC firefighters who died that year. They are his motivation in the annual stair climb.

“There is a strong brotherhood in fire department,” Jones said.

His son recently relocated to Connecticut and works for a pest control company. Justin came home to do the stair climb with his father, who works in the warehouse for Associated Brands in Medina.

For more information about the climb and to donate through Doug Jones Sr.’s fundraising page, click here.

The father and son are pictured on the top of the stairs at the fire training tower in Albion.

Let’s go on an adventure together … to the Finger Lakes!

Boat dock on Seneca Lake

September brings the start of amazing colors across our great state. My mother always said that if you want to enjoy the fall colors, you really don’t have to leave Orleans County – we have autumn beauty everywhere you look. That’s very true … but there’s no denying that certain landscapes can really enhance that beauty. And the best place to view the colors of autumn is right here in New York State. I lived in central North Carolina for a good number of years, and while NC does have some nice color changes in the fall, you really have to go up to the Blue Ridge Mountains to get the full effect. But even that doesn’t compare to the stunning views you get right here in New York. A true all-out gorgeous fall is one of many things that I missed when I lived in NC and was placed prominently on the “Pros and Cons” list I created when deciding to move back home to Albion when I retired.

If you’re looking for a nice autumn getaway, you can consider the Adirondacks, the Catskills, and the Finger Lakes. All are sure to provide a peaceful place to enjoy the fall colors and also offer some exciting things to do. I want to focus this article on the Finger Lakes. What’s not to love year-round in the Finger Lakes? But especially during the fall. There are 11 lakes that offer a variety of ways to relax and explore the beauty of New York State: (from east to west) Otisco Lake, Skaneateles Lake, Owasco Lake, Cayuga Lake, Seneca Lake, Keuka Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Honeoye Lake, Canadice Lake, Hemlock Lake, and Conesus Lake.

To be honest, I haven’t been to all seven of the lakes – I’ve been near most of them, but only spent time at a few. Maybe I’ll add “visit all the Finger Lakes” to my Bucket List. For now, I’ll just talk about the ones I have some personal experience with.

A major attraction in the Finger Lakes is the high concentration of vineyards and wineries that produce some of the best wines in the country. Vineyards set in the hills with a lake in the background make for views that cannot be beat anywhere. A couple years ago, I took a Finger Lakes bus tour that included stops at three wineries and a lunch cruise on Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen. It was an amazing day trip, and I promised myself I’d return to spend more time in Watkins Glen – a promise I haven’t had a chance to fulfill yet, but am determined to keep. Seneca Lake is one of the two largest lakes in the center of the cluster of Finger Lakes.

The wineries we visited were amazing – the wines we tasted were, of course, delicious, but the views and atmosphere at each stop were simply stunning. Going on a wine tasting tour is a special treat – even if you don’t care for wine. Wineries are usually beautifully decorated and set in the middle of landscape that will take your breath away … and they often have a pretty cool gift shop, too. Just going to enjoy the scenery will surely erase any stress you are harboring.

Vineyard near Seneca Lake

Conesus Lake has a special place in my heart. When I was a kid, my family kept a camper at a year-round spot on Conesus Lake. It was up on a tier overlooking the lake, and we would go down most weekends and for the occasional full week. It was a home-away-from-home, and we loved it. Since we were in the same park all the time, we got to know other regulars and the area, so it was all very comfortable for us when we were there. More recently, I got to drive down to spend the day with family that was renting a house on the lake for the week. That brought back some really wonderful memories. Conesus is the closest of the Finger Lakes to us – the farthest west, and one of the smallest.

My personal favorite, although I really haven’t spent a ton of time there, is Keuka Lake. Keuka Lake is a small “Y”-shaped lake just west of Seneca Lake. I found it to be calm and peaceful – a perfect place to just relax and enjoy the lake. A friend and I stayed at a nice retro motel in Hammondsport on the lake when we visited Corning a few years ago. I adored the small town of Hammondsport, and it was the perfect place to spend a couple of days close to Corning. Strolling in the quaint little village and sitting by the lake in the evening was a perfect end to our days during the trip. When I drove to Gettysburg a couple of years ago, I made a little side trip just so I could drive through Hammondsport again. I parked and sat in the sweet little public square for a bit to take a break from my drive – it was so nice.

Hammondsport on Keuka Lake in the fall

I mentioned stopping by Skaneateles Lake in my article about Cooperstown in August. Skaneateles Lake is the second-to-the-last lake going east from here and is a beautiful place to enjoy a boat ride and shop. I’m hoping to go to their Dickens-style Christmas one of these years.

Other lakes in the general region, not technically considered Finger Lakes, that I have visited and really enjoyed are Cazenovia Lake and Chautauqua Lake. I took a lunch cruise on Chautauqua Lake during an “I Love Lucy” tour of Jamestown and a few wineries. These lakes are an extension of the Finger Lakes and just as lovely to visit.

Statue of Lucille Ball in Celeron, N.Y. on the southwestern end of Chautauqua Lake

Get out and enjoy our beautiful Finger Lakes and all that the area has to offer. They are a true treasure, with something to enjoy no matter what kind of adventure you’re looking for – especially in the coming weeks, as the leaves turn the landscape into an amazing painting that only God can create.

If you’d like to see more photos that I have taken at the Finger Lakes I mention here, you can visit these posts on my blog:

Finger Lakes Wine Tour
Corning and Hammondsport Adventure
I Love Lucy … And Wine

Happy Adventuring!

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – A motorcyclist gives a fist of support to acknowledge the crowd that lined the Public Square in Holley just after noon for a “Back the Blue” ride in Orleans County. The man looks up and was impressed by the sight of a large American flag hanging over Route 31.

There were more than 1,000 vehicles in the ride, with about two thirds of them motorcyclists.

Click here to see a short video of the some of the motorcycles passing under the giant American flag on Route 31 in Holley.

Holley and Clarendon held up a 20-by-30-foot American flag for the ride, which was 25 minutes from the first to the last vehicles in Holley.

The ride started at noon in Murray at Light House Lake Construction,3823 County Line Rd. in Murray. The group then embarked on a 52-mile journey down Route 31 from Holley to Albion to Medina, then north on Route 63 to Ridge Road, then from Ridgeway to Gaines to Murray, and ending where they started.

Organizers said the ride was to show support law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, hospital workers and U.S. military.

Jim McMurray, a truck driver from Canandaigua and a former Albion resident, rode in his fifth “Back the Blue” event today. The 74-year-old said many of the motorcyclists “are fed up with the ways things are going in the country.”

He doesn’t like to see violence and property damage at protests, and believes the police are being unfairly faulted.

He believes the presence of a 1,000 of more participants in the rides sends a strong message to the community, the law enforcement officers and other first responders.

“There’s satisfaction in supporting local police departments and fire departments,” he said.

Many of the motorcycles and vehicles were decorated with pro-police messages, including American flags with a blue stripe. There were also a lot of Donald Trump signs and flags.

McMurray said the group didn’t identify as a “Pro-Trump crowd” but rather as a “Pro-America crowd.”

Marie DeFilipps of Holley takes a video of the ride while watching from Route 31 with her children, Jake and Gianna, and Marie’s mother, Christine. Marie’s husband is Orleans County Deputy Jim DeFilipps. She said the long line of riders and drivers was very moving.

“It was very heartfelt,” she said.

The riders received lots of waves and support as they passed through Holley.

Fran Gaylord and other firefighters from Holley, Clarendon and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray stood together to watch the procession.

“We’re all one team,” said Holley firefighter Kevin Dann, as he watched the motorcyclists and vehicles ride through the Public Square in Holley. “We support them and they support us. We’re all one big family.”

The motorcyclists carried American flags that stood out in the bright sunshine.

These two take in the sight of a supportive crowd in Holley’s Public Square.

A.P. Enterprises from Ontario NY brought in some big trucks for the ride. Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke, Undersheriff Mike Mele and State Trooper Kevin Bentley provided an escort for the ride.

This Jeep is ready for the ride. It is at the staging area for the vehicles. There are hundreds of motorcycles in back.

Gordy King of Irondequoit adds blue tape to his Jeep to show his support for law enforcement in the ride.

“They want to defund the police,” King said. “If that happens I don’t know who you’re going to turn to if they break into your house.”

One of King’s friends who rode with him is a social worker in Monroe County. The social worker, who declined to give his name, said law enforcement officers are asked to do much more than police work these days. He said they need training in responding to people in a mental health crisis and should avoid lethal force, including using bullets that wound but don’t kill.

But Paul said some protestors are way out of line in endangering police officers, and throwing fireworks at them.

“Of course we need some police reform, but I don’t support the language,” he said. “Don’t threaten them.”

Vendors sold signs, flags and other merchandise in support of law enforcement, and also for President Trump.

Jim Freas of Medina, left, and Tinker Young of Lyndonville both rode in the event. They are both Vietnam War veterans and law enforcement backers.

“I am here to support the police,” Freas said.

A few bad officers have tarnished the profession. But overwhelmingly, Freas said, officers do the right thing and serve their communities.

Young said it is difficult to watch the news and see the confrontations at protests.

“I back law enforcement across the board,” he said. “There are only a few bad apples. The anarchists are using this as an excuse to tear this country apart.”

This message was added to the window on of the vehicles in the ride.

By Freeman Lattin, Cobblestone Museum intern

Joseph and Nellie Vagg are pictured here on their 45th wedding anniversary in 1948. The Vaggs were lifelong residents of Childs and pillars of the community.

(Editor’s Note: This is the fifth article in a series about historic Childs in the Town of Gaines. The hamlet of Childs lies just north of Albion at the intersection of Routes 104 and 98. In 2019, Childs was selected to be on the Landmark Society of Western New York’s “Five to Revive” list. In 1993, the federal U.S. Department of the Interior declared the Cobblestone Museum in Childs a National Historic Landmark, the first site in Orleans County with that distinction. The NYS Barge Canal was later declared a National Historic Landmark in 2017.)

GAINES – Although Childs today maintains much of its small hamlet charm, it has never been immune to the economic, technological, or social changes of America. The country, the county, and Childs itself have changed immensely since John Proctor first settled here.

One thread of American history that Childs (or Fair Haven) was wrapped up in was the temperance movement. Beginning in the 1870s and peaking in popularity around the time of Prohibition, the second wave temperance movement in America was an attempt to reform society by doing away with the supposedly corrupting influence of alcohol.

Nellie Vagg would have been a member of the Gaines chapter of the WCTU. This banner hangs in the Ward House at the Cobblestone Museum in Childs.

The crowning achievement of the temperance movement was undoubtedly the 18th amendment, or Prohibition, which was ratified in 1919. Of course, even though the government had made the sale of alcohol illegal, it was definitely still consumed in Childs and in speakeasies across the country.

It was said that during the prohibition years, just as many customers stumbled out of the Village Inn as they had before. This was much to the chagrin of Mrs. Nellie Vagg, a staunch temperance advocate who lived on the corner of routes 104 and 98.

As a lifelong member of the Gaines chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement, Nellie had a deep aversion to the consumption and sale of alcohol. The WCTU was an organization formed in 1874 with the goal of creating a “sober and pure world.” Although the group pushed for other reforms such as the abolition of tobacco and labor protections, its chief goal was the prohibition of alcohol.

This ribbon is from the I.O.G.T. hall at Fair Haven (now Childs).

Nellie was deeply devoted to the cause of temperance, and she always wore the WCTU’s signature white ribbon which was a symbol of purity and abstinence from alcohol. Mrs. Vagg is a great example of how staunch many temperance advocates were in that era. As Erin Anheier, Cobblestone Museum president, mentioned in last week’s article on the Vaggs, Nellie was very prominent in the local temperance movement and even served as a delegate to the statewide WCTU convention.

The other pillar of the temperance movement in Childs were the Good Templars. The International Order of Good Templars was a fraternal group founded in 1851 to promote temperance and total abstinence from alcohol and drug use.

In contrast with the WCTU, the Good Templars were a traditional fraternal organization based on Freemasonry, so they had a greater focus on rituals, ceremonies, and regalia. Their building was located across from the Village Inn, two houses away from the Vagg property.

Being situated across from the main watering hole in Childs, the Good Templars took it upon themselves to put on small “home talent” plays to provide the community with wholesome entertainment and an alternative to the boozing that took place across the road.

Today in Childs, you can still buy a drink at the Village Inn or a six pack at Crosby’s, so it’s obvious that booze has outlasted its most vocal detractors. The temperance movement in Childs, like the rest of the country, fizzled out with the repeal of prohibition and never regained its former prominence.

Pictured here is Norris Vagg, the son of Joseph and Nellie, and the Good Templars’ meeting hall in the background. Unfortunately this is the only known picture of the building.

This advertisement is an example of the wholesome home spun entertainment the Good Templars put on in Childs. Admission to this play cost 10 cents, or 15 cents for reserved seats.

HOLLEY – A “Back the Blue” ride in support of law enforcement is expected to draw a big crowd to Orleans County today.

Just how big – 500 people to 5,000 – won’t be known until the ride starts at noon. Motorcyclists will go first, followed by muscle/classic cars, cars and pickup trucks, and then truckers with rigs.

They will begin gathering at 10:30 a.m. on private property owned by David Paul at 3823 County Line Rd. in Murray.

The group will then head to Route 31 and pass through the Public Square in Holley, and then on to Albion and Medina.

The route then goes to Route 63, heading north to Route 104, and then east back to Monroe-Orleans County Line Road.

Organizers say the 52-mile ride is intended to be a rally to support law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, hospital workers and U.S. military. Participants are urged to bring American flags, and decorate motorcycles, Jeeps, cars and trucks.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A giant American flag is held high over Main Street in Albion from the ladder trucks of the Albion Fire Department and the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.

The county held a remembrance memorial service of the 19^th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States.

David Wells, a Marine Corps veteran from Medina, was part of the Honor Guard during the service at the Courthouse Square.

Several law enforcement officers attended the service, including, from left: Sgt. Dave Foeller, Deputy Jeff Cole and Investigator Shannon Brett of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said that in the hours and days after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, “America came together like never before.”

She recalled seeing American flags out on “house after house, street after street.”

The country was united in mourning the loss of life and in its response to terrorist attacks.

“There will be no forgetting September 11^th,” Johnson said. “It is burned into our souls – those graphic pictures, the smoldering ash, and the endless funerals. We must hold on to our remarkable capacity to mourn those we have lost, be they friends, family or total strangers. Honor the value of all lives. They mattered on September 11^th, so must all lives matter today.”

The service was held by the Sept. 11 monument at the Courthouse Square.

There were about 200 people who attended the service, including this group of local firefighters. During the terrorist attacks 19 years ago, 343 New York City firefighters were killed. There were also 60 police officers and eight paramedics who died in the attacks.

Scott Schmidt

Scott Schmidt was the keynote speaker and one of the organizers of the observance. Schmidt spent three weeks with a federal team – U.S. Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team – and assisted in collecting and identifying remains, and interviewing family members searching for loved ones. He left for New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. He was there for 20 days, including a week at Ground Zero.

Schmidt, the county’s chief coroner and a local funeral director, urged people to not let the daily stresses distract them from remembering the loss of life on Sept. 11 and the response that followed. He recalled how the community came together to prayer and in person with friends and family. The community and country was “one” in its mourning.

“Today on the 19^th anniversary of one of the most tragic days in the history of our nation, we will never forget the attacks on our freedom,” Schmidt said. “We will never forget those who have fought for our freedom in years past and in present day.”

Dale Banker., the county’s emergency management director, shared a timeline from 19 years earlier. On Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., the North Tower was struck in New York City. At 9:03, a plane hit the South Tower. At 9:37, the Pentagon was struck. At 9:59 p.m., the South Tower fell. At 10:07 a.m., Flight 93 crashed in rural Shanksville, Pa. At 10:28 a.m., the North Tower collapsed.

Three local pastors – Aleka Schmidt of the Albion First Baptist Church, Susan Boring of the Eagle Harbor United Methodist Church and Susan Thaine of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion – sing “We Will Be a Shelter for Each Other.”

Al Pulcino of Holley plays Taps from the steps of the Orleans County Clerks’ Building. In front of his are members of the Honor Guard, Randolph Wells at left and Steve Johnson.

Dan Anderson and Eric Delano fire their guns during a rifle volley during the service. They are both from Medina.

Don Snyder, a chaplain with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, said he is thankful for first responders and other volunteers who serve the community.

This group of law enforcement officers attended the service. Sheriff Chris Bourke is at far left.

There aren’t any new confirmed cases to report today in Orleans and Genesee counties.

Orleans does have 6 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. One person from Orleans is hospitalized due to Covid-19, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.

Genesee has three more recoveries and now has had 226 people recover from Covid-19.

Genesee also has 12 people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

There are currently six active cases in Orleans, four in Genesee, and one in Wyoming. To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here.

• State-wide data: Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced the 35th straight day that New York State’s Covid-19 infection rate has been below 1 percent.

Of the 89,722 test results reported to New York State yesterday, 880, or 0.98 percent, were positive.

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

Today’s state data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization – 474 (-8)
• Patients Newly Admitted – 68
• Number ICU – 120 (+0)
• Number ICU with Intubation – 54 (-1)
• Deaths – 5 (Total Deaths – 25,382)

Jules Hoepting used her days off to cover about 600 miles on foot along famed waterway from Buffalo to Albany

By Jules Hoepting

Jules Hoepting is pictured by the Barge Erie Canal in Gaines.

It was an interesting summer that led me to do an unexpected thing; I walked the entire Erie Canal Trail from Buffalo to Albany.

I’m Jules Hoepting – a 20-year-old public relations major attending SUNY Fredonia. Like millions of other students, when COVID sent me home in early spring, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I needed something to do, someplace to go.

The Erie Canal is half a mile from my house in Albion; I have spent a lot of time on its trail over the years. I biked alongside my mom as a little kid, I went for walks with the family dog, I even had my high school senior photos taken on the trail. The canal is a place I gravitate towards; I find it calming. It brings about a sense of home.

On the trail, I kept walking further and further to the East and West of Albion, walking from town to town, parking my car wherever I left off on the trail and trekking on further. I wanted to see new parts of the trail. I wanted to see where the water went, how the canal changed.

I had seen the trail from Medina to Holley from walks in previous years. This summer, I initially planned on walking from Lockport to Spencerport. Once I finished that, the plan grew to walking from Buffalo to Rochester. After I got to Rochester, I kept heading east – no destination in mind. I toggled with the idea of doing the whole way for a few weeks before committing to it.

So, how long is the trail exactly? That is a complicated question. The bike route mapped-out by Cycle the Erie Canal is 360 miles long. Because the Erie Canal trail is incomplete, approximately 70 miles of that route is made up of roads. Thus, the trail itself is around 290 miles long.

Erie Canal Trail, outside of Rome. Old Erie Canal to the right.

For the most part, I skipped the road portions of the route and stuck to the trail. I made additional side trips to visit every single lock on the Erie Barge Canal, bringing my mileage to 297 miles. Because I walked by myself, every section I walked, I walked twice, bringing my total mileage up to 594 miles.

On my two days off from work per week, I drove to wherever I left off last time. When it became too far to drive to and from new locations on a single day, I started doing three-day, two-night trips, spending the night in motels. A typical day would consist of walking 3 to 8 miles, walking back to my car, refilling my water bottles, then walking some more. I averaged around 20 miles a day, completing 10 miles of the trail at a time. Walking the entire trail took about a month’s worth of days; I started sometime in April and finished on August 31st.

What encompassed those hundreds of miles?

If you’re like me, your entire understanding of the Erie Canal is based off of what it is in Albion and nearby towns. You probably assumed that the canal looks like what it does in Orleans County across the entire state. It very much does not.

Old Erie Canal, Durhamville.

Orleans County is a part of the flattest section of the canal, a 60-mile section between Lockport and Rochester where there are zero of 35 locks. The county is home to seven of the 16 lift bridges and three of the 19 sluice gates on the canal. Next to the trail, the shoreline is almost entirely clear-cut, allowing for full views of the water; this contrasts the majority of the trail, where vegetation grows on either side of the trail. Orleans County has one of the most authentic sections of the canal, as most of the original Erie Canal is abandoned or filled in.

Yes, abandoned. Quick history lesson.

The Original Erie Canal, aka “Clinton’s Ditch,” was completed in 1825. It was 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide, stretching 363 miles from Buffalo (now Canalside) to Albany (now a historic marker). Construction began in Rome and the majority of the canal was dug by men, many of them immigrants, much of the engineering made up as they went along.

The “ditch” became such a popular means of transportation that it became necessary to enlarge and slightly reroute the canal. In 1862, the Enlarged Erie Canal, aka “Old Erie Canal” was completed. It was 7 feet deep, 70 feet wide and 350 miles long. As more time went on, the demand for having an even bigger canal grew significantly. Completed in 1918, the canal was enlarged and rerouted a second time, now 12-14 feet deep,100-200 feet wide and approximately 340 miles long, stretching from Tonawanda to Waterford near Albany.

The canal’s route altered drastically during the second enlargement, most of it being put into natural rivers. When the Erie Canal was originally constructed, it was built parallel to the Hudson River, Mohawk River, and Niagara River because the technology to control the rivers for navigation did not yet exist. Almost a century later, that technology existed; thus, most of today’s “Erie Canal” is in said rivers via a series of movable dams and locks.

Remains of a double lock on the Old Erie Canal, Schoharie’s Crossing State Historic Site, Fort Henry.

During its second enlargement, the Erie Canal became a part of the New York State Barge Canal System, which combines the Erie, Oswego, Cayuga-Seneca and Champlain canal with a series of rivers and lakes to allow navigation across New York State. The Barge Canal is the canal you see running through Orleans today.

The Erie Canal trail follows the historic 1862 canal, which means that a lot of it is next to a swampy, weed-filled ditch where the occasional beaver resides. A good portion of the canal was drastically rerouted in the early 1900’s to utilize the Seneca River, Oneida River, and Oneida Lake, leaving several towns with a ditch running through the center of them and a financial scar.

Some of the old canal is completely full, as it is used as a water feeder to the Barge Canal. Some sections have been restored or preserved quite nicely, such as Schoharie’s Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Henry, where you can see the 1825 canal meet the 1862 canal at an old lock. A distinction between the Old / Enlarged Erie Canal and the Erie Barge Canal is that the old canal has double locks instead of single locks, which allowed barges to travel through them in both directions. The old canal also had aqueducts, which acted as bridges for the water to pass over other water, while the modern canal lets creeks pass underneath its embankment. You can find a fully restored canal aqueduct over the Nine Mile Creek in Camillus.

Remains of an aqueduct in Old Erie Canal Park, DeWitt.

A good chunk of the Erie Canal is now I-90. In Mohawk Valley, there is limited space for where things can be built due to the mountainous geography. For centuries, the Mohawk River was the only means of getting through the valley. Then the Erie Canal was built next to the river. Then railroad tracks were built on both sides of the river. Then the Erie Canal was put into the river.

After that they filled in the former canal and built the I-90. During this section, the Erie Canal trail is on a former railroad track with the Thruway to the left of it, the river to the left of that and an active railroad to the left of that. The trail is like that for 20 miles or so before it is again closer to the water than the interstate.

If asked what my favorite sections of the canal are, I’d say Adam’s Basin near Spencerport, Lock 17 in Little Falls (one of the tallest locks in the world), and the Flight of Locks in Waterford (the first five locks are within the first two miles of the waterway). And, of course, the Brown Street Bridge in Albion will always be special – it’s the place where my journey began.

By stopping to read all the historic signs along the trail, I learned a lot about the canal. My teachers weren’t kidding when they said the Erie Canal had a huge impact on the state; it’s no coincidence the canal passes through all of Upstate New York’s biggest cities – Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Schenectady, Albany – and connected them to the biggest city in the United States, New York City. I’ve noticed several roads and streets named “canal,” “Erie,” “towpath,” or “___’s Basin” in several towns.

Because I walked the trail, I had more time to soak it all in. To watch the landscape change as I crossed the state, from flat plains to the outskirts of mountain ranges. To take almost 3,000 pictures, attempting to capture my surroundings. To enjoy the oddities, like crocheted tree sweaters, ditched grocery carts and fascinating graffiti. To crawl onto abandoned bridges and marvel at how quickly the Earth has reclaimed them. To marvel at what the canal was and see it as it is – a symbol of the past.

It was an interesting summer that led me to do an unexpected thing, and it was worth every mile.

Erie Barge Canal, between Densmore and Transit Road, Albion.