By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 18 August 2020 at 8:50 am
Photos courtesy of Rob Klino: Rob Klino, a member of the Medina Sandstone Society, presents the annual John Ryan Scholarship to Nathan Sherman of Medina.
MEDINA – Medina High School graduate Nathan Sherman of Medina is the 2020 recipient of the fifth annual John Ryan Scholarship.
The scholarship is a $1,000 award presented annually by the Medina Sandstone Society in conjunction with the Medina High School History Department.
Nathan won the scholarship for preparing a power point presentation and filming a video on the topic “How My Life has Been Impacted by Covid-19.”
A son of Jon and Marguerite Sherman, Nathan plans to attend Canisius College in the fall to pursue a degree in biochemistry, while playing baseball for the Golden Griffins.
The scholarship is named after John Ryan, a Shelby resident who started the first sandstone quarry in Orleans County. Ryan Road, west of South Gravel Road in Shelby, is named for John Ryan.
Members of the Sandstone Society posed with the family of Nathan Sherman after presenting him with the 2020 John Ryan Scholarship. Seated from left are Barbara Waters and Jim Hancock. Standing are Peggy Schreck, Dave Miller Rob Klino, Marguerite and Jon Sherman (with son Nathan standing in front of them) Mary Zangerle, Todd Bensley and Gabrielle Barone.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 17 August 2020 at 10:23 pm
PEMBROKE – The new Western New York National Veterans’ Cemetery under construction is getting a lot of interest from local veterans, according to Nancy Traxler, director of the Veterans’ Service Agency in Albion, and Bill Joyce, director of Veterans’ Services in Genesee County.
Traxler said the cemetery plans its first phase opening in the spring of 2021, followed by the second phase in the fall or following spring. She said there has been a lot of interest from local veterans, and some have already died but requested their ashes be held for burial until the cemetery is open.
The cemetery is being built in two phases, as initial bids came in way above budget. Congress previously set aside $36 million for the project, but when all construction bids were much higher, another $10 million was appropriated in December 2019, so that construction could begin.
Construction is underway on the Western New York National Veterans’ Cemetery on Route 77 between Indian Falls and the Thruway.
The press release states the cemetery could open in late December or early 2021, but it will be missing some key features, including an above-ground columbarium for the storage of cremains, an honor guard building for military ceremonies, an ossuary for commingled remains and a memorial wall honoring local veterans interred elsewhere. These items can be built in the phase of work scheduled to take place between 2022 and 2024, according to a VA spokesman.
It is indicated there are 167,000 veterans in Western New York eligible to be buried there.
Phase 1A will consist of 4,000 gravesites – 2,500 for casket interments and 1,500 for inground cremation interments.
Information provided on the website notes that after phase 1A construction is complete, burial services will occur at intervals throughout each weekend to accommodate all services as needed.
Joyce explained that instructions for filling out a National Cemetery Pre-need Application can also be found on the above website.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 17 August 2020 at 9:37 pm
Russ Martino and Lyndonville Lions looking for long-term solution to overseeing the service
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Russ Martino stands in his barn with just a fraction of the medical equipment which has been donated to Lyndonville Lions Medical Equipment Loan Closet.
LYNDONVILLE – Russ Martino isn’t exactly sure how many years ago he helped start the Lyndonville Medical Equipment Loan Closet with fellow Lions members Jeff Johnson and Roger Wolfe.
Russ Martino of Lyndonville gets a phone call nearly every day for someone in need of a piece of medical equipment. He was instrumental in starting the Lyndonville Lions’ medical equipment loan closet several years ago. He recently announced he could no longer keep it up and has turned it over to a group of high school students and potential Lions members, called Leos.
What Martino does know is it grew into a major project for himself and the Lyndonville Lions, a project which has helped hundreds of local residents in need of medical equipment.
When the Lions first started accepting donations of medical equipment, they had about 15 items, which were stored at Jeff Johnson’s farm. Martino said things were just dropped off and no records were ever kept of who borrowed it or where they lived. He stepped up to change that.
He had a barn on his property and the items were moved there. Donations grew and grew to the point they were running out of room. Martino’s parents lived next door to him and after they died, he thought about selling their home, but didn’t want strangers living so close to him.
“I decided to clean out the house and devote it to storing the medical equipment,” Martino said.
Every room in the home is still filled with items, such as wheelchairs, crutches, hospital beds, commodes and more.
“We must have 18 to 20 hospital beds, 50 walkers and numerous wheelchairs, in addition to shower chairs, tub transfer benches, knee scooters, bed rails and more,” Martino said.
They also have an assortment of back braces, which have been donated.
Russ Martino, who helped start the Lyndonville Lions Medical Equipment Loan Closet, shows some of the medical equipment they have to loan out, including commodes, walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds and crutches.
Recently, Martino, who is 78, realized overseeing the loan closet was getting to be too much. The Lions have a group of teenage student members at Lyndonville High School called Leos, who work with the Lions on community projects. The Leos agreed to take over managing the loan closet, and about a month ago, three pickup trucks and a trailer took most of the equipment to the elementary school, where it is stored in a large area under the bleachers.
Then the question arose as to who would accept phone calls from residents requesting to borrow a piece of equipment and it was suggested the Lyndonville Lions approach Medina Lions to see if they would be interested in taking over the loan closet as a community project.
At their latest meeting, Medina Lion Jim Hancock said they appointed an exploratory committee to look into the project. The biggest issue, he said, is finding suitable space to store all the equipment.
So for now, the future of the Lyndonville Loan Closet is in limbo. One thing everyone agrees on is it is a needed community service, but one which is a big responsibility.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 August 2020 at 4:29 pm
2 of positive tests last week for Genesee were rescinded due to lab errors
Orleans County has 3 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, and has now had 285 people test positive for the coronavirus.
The new positive cases reside in Kendall, Shelby and Carlton. One of the individuals is in the 30’s and the other two are in their 40’s, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported.
One of the individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
The county also is reporting one additional recovery, bringing that total to 129. There are also 18 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee County has received 2 new positive cases of Covid-19, and now has had 272 test positive. for a total of 272 positive cases
(Two of the previous positive cases reported last week were rescinded due to lab errors, the Health Departments said.)
The new positive cases reside in Stafford and Alexander. One of the positive individuals is under 20 and the other is in the 30’s.
One of the individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. The other person was on precautionary quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee also is reporting 27 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
The county also has three more recoveries from Covid-19, bringing that total to 206. Two people from Genesee remain hospitalized due to Covid-19.
State-wide data: Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State had a rate of positive Covid-19 tests of less than 1 percent for the 10th straight day yesterday.
The rate of positive tests, 0.71 percent, is the state’s lowest since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. There were 408 new positive cases confirmed on Sunday out of 56,891 test results, for a positive rate of 0.71 percent.
“Right now, New York has one of the lowest infection rates in the country, and New York State’s regions and New York City’s boroughs are all basically consistent, so on the all the numbers it’s good news, and I congratulate New Yorkers for doing what people said couldn’t be done,” Cuomo said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 August 2020 at 4:11 pm
John Keding, nearing 85th birthday, could fix anything
Photos by Tom Rivers: John Keding, owner of Keding Automotive on East Avenue in Albion, has his last day of business on Wednesday. He has been working as a mechanic since he was 14.
ALBION – John Keding – a mechanic since he was 14, first fixing lawn mowers – is finally calling it a career. His last day of business will be Wednesday. He has been working for 70 years.
Keding, who is two weeks from his 85th birthday, said he will miss his customers and daily interactions out in the community.
Keding put an ad in this past weekend’s Lake Country Pennysaver, announcing his retirement. Today, the phone rang often with congratulations.
Linn and Sarah Beckwith, customers for about 20 years, showed up in person with cookies and cards for Keding, office manager Karen Dibley and mechanic Shawn Deibel.
John Keding is shown in the shop today with mechanic Shawn Deibel and office manager Karen Dibley.
Mr. Beckwith said Keding has unquestionable honesty, and would spring into action for his customers.
“He provided very good service over the years,” said Mrs. Beckwith. “I had a lot of emergencies. He had quite a team here. We’re going to miss them.”
Keding said he is selling the building at 309 East Ave. to his daughter Christine and son-in-law Michael Buorgiorne. It will be the base for Buorgiorne’s construction business.
When Keding started as a mechanic when he was a teen-ager, he installed turning lights and fixed lawn mowers.
He learned the auto mechanic trade at the General Motors Institute in Flint, Mich., beginning the two-year program in 1953. He worked for General Motors for three years before a two-year stint in Army at Fort Dix from 1958 to 1960.
He returned to Albion in 1960 and worked as a mechanic for a car dealership for 13 years before a brief stint as an electrician.
He opened his own business at the East Avenue location in January 1974. Keding said the work has become more high-tech with problems in cars more difficult to diagnose due to computers and electronics in vehicles.
“I’ve really enjoyed it,” he said about his career. “It’s something I always wanted to do.”
Shawn Deibel, 25, has worked with Keding the past eight years, starting in high school.
“John has been a good teacher,” Deibel said. “He has always been accepting and if I needed help he would lend a hand. He has been a wealth of knowledge.”
Karen Dibley has worked as the office manager for the past 14 years. She will be taking a job at the high school as a teacher’s aide.
“He has a love for the job,” Dibley said about Keding. “If it came in broken, he could fix it. He has really enjoyed being out in the community.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 August 2020 at 11:59 am
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that gyms can reopen in the state as early as Aug. 24, but they must be at 33 percent capacity and users must be wearing masks at all times.
Local Health Departments need to inspect the sites before they reopen or within two weeks of reopening.
The gyms also must have HVAC systems in place that meet state guidelines, Cuomo said.
Cuomo gave local officials the authority on whether indoor classes can be offered inside gyms.
Updated at 3:30 p.m. The Governor’s Office provided the following additional information:
Local elected officials may choose to delay the reopening of gyms and fitness centers until Sept. 2 to provide time for required local health department inspections. Or they could delay the reopening of indoor fitness classes until a date beyond September 2, Cuomo said.
Localities can also determine whether gyms postpone resumption of indoor classes. The county’s chief executive may decide to opt-out of indoor group fitness and aquatic classes within their jurisdiction, postponing their resumption until a later date.
Local health departments must inspect gyms prior to reopening, or within two weeks of reopening, to ensure strict adherence to Department of Health guidance.
Guidance for Gyms and Fitness Centers:
Capacity: 33% occupancy limit.
Access: Sign-in with contact information and health screening required.
PPE: Appropriate face coverings required at all times.
Distancing: 6 feet of separation at all times.
Hygiene/Cleaning: Cleaning and disinfection supplies made available to customers; shared equipment cleaned after every use; staff must also be available to clean and disinfect equipment in between uses; rental equipment must be cleaned and disinfected between customer use.
Classes: By appointment/reservation only; maximum class capacity capped at number of people that can adhere to the 6-feet social distancing rules, but in no case more than 33% of the typical class size (i.e., leave stations, cycles, etc. vacant); classes should be scheduled to allow additional time for cleaning and disinfection in between each session.
Amenities: Water bottle refill stations permitted, but not shared water fountains; communal showers are closed, but individual showers/stalls can remain open so long as they are cleaned in between use.
Air Handling Systems: Gyms should operate at MERV-13 or greater; if they are unable to operate at that level, they must have heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professional document their inability to do so and adopt additional ventilation and mitigation protocols from American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Inspection: Local health departments shall inspect before or within two weeks of the gym/fitness center opening to ensure compliance.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 August 2020 at 11:33 am
Quick Questions with Greg Reed, director of Orleans County YMCA
Photos by Tom Rivers: Greg Reed, executive director of the Orleans County YMCA, looks forward to the building being able to reopen to the public.
MEDINA – Greg Reed, executive director of the Orleans County YMCA for nearly three years, has the building ready for a reopening if the state gives gyms the green light. (The state is expected to issue guidelines today for gyms on what precautions they need to take to reopen.)
The Y’s building has been closed to the public since 8 p.m. on March 16, although the site is running a day camp in a room in the basement where there are games and space for activities.
Reed said the former Medina Armory on Pearl Street has been given an extensive cleaning, and exercise equipment has been spaced out at least 6 feet. Some of the elliptical machines, tread mills, cardio-rowers and exercise bikes have been moved to the gym where there is more space.
The Y has shifted some programs outside, including a spin class three times a week, and other programs for kayaking, cycling, stretching and flexibility, and a boot camp.
The Y has 40 employees when it is fully operational. Reed and Jessica Lino are the only full-timers. Lino is director of membership and operations. “She keeps this place running,” Reed said.
The following interview with Reed was conducted Aug. 7 on the front steps of the Y. This was the day Gov. Cuomo announced whether schools would be allowed to reopen for in-person in the fall. The governor said schools could reopen as long as they submitted safety plans to the state and held three meetings with the community about the plans, as well as a meeting with teachers.
Question: You said 40 employees at the YMCA with two full-time. How many have you been able to keep working during this?
Answer: It’s been different throughout the structure of it, because of the PPP program and how they set it up. By the end of your eight weeks you’re supposed to try to bring all of your workforce back in order to have loan forgiveness and that is obviously what we wanted to pursue.
But then in about week 5 they changed it to where if your business is closed due to Covid you didn’t have to honor that. We were thinking how could we make this last long to really help us and get through closure.
At one point we probably had close to 20 employees back to work, whether that was back in the building or remote work. We worked on curriculum development. I had my youth sports lead instructor be creating curriculum for all of our youth sports program so that way it could be a program that lasts past him.
Some exercise equipment has been moved the gym where there is lots of space to spread out the machines. There is also hand sanitizer on a table.
Question: So you’ve been doing outdoor programs. When did that start?
Answer: So basically when the governor released that we could be doing outdoor, low-risk, recreational sports. So specifically in the guidelines they said kayaking is one of those things. When I saw that I wanted to run our kayaking program. It took a couple weeks after that to get it off the ground.
We just finished a session (for five weeks.) I want to say it was probably in the middle of June when we starting our first session of kayaking. We just started a new session that will go for five weeks.
Question: It’s got to be tough because you want to do things, and I think people want to be doing things out in the community.
Answer: Exactly. What our next pivoting move will be, a lot of it will be determined by what Governor Cuomo says today with what schools can and can’t do. We’re all just kind of waiting for that decision.
Some people in a kayak class get into Glenwood Lake in Ridgeway on Aug. 6. The class runs for 5 weeks and is led by Coby Albone in back.
Question: In terms of not only what you can do here but the childcare programs you run?
Answer: With how we can assist schools. We already run an afterschool and before-school programming so if schools can run then obviously we will still be running those programs. But if they are doing hybrid or virtual then obviously parents will have a lot of childcare needs so how can we fit and fill that void with the school year coming up on us.
Question: I knew you have been running the Eagle Pride daycare in Albion. What else have you been doing for childcare?
Answer: Actually we closed Eagle’s Pride Daycare permanently. That was in light of Covid. I want to say it was at the end of June that we notified parents. It was because of the increased regulations on us. The cost to run a childcare program is already difficult and then to place an additional staff member in there to be working on sanitizing and keeping a safe, clean environment was something that we just can’t keep up with unfortunately.
Question: You would have needed another staff person?
Answer: Probably just to keep up with cleaning, disinfecting and regulations and all those things. I would imagine you probably would have to provide an increase in breaks to go with all the increased things to do it.
And when we polled our families only about half of them needed care. Then our ratios would have been lower but we’re still having to pay staff members to be there. There is definitely a lot of math that goes into running a childcare program, especially daycares.
Greg Reed is pictured in one of the rooms with exercise equipment that has been separated by at least 6 feet.
Question: So what would you be looking to offer schools this year if it’s not childcare?
Answer: It depends on what their needs will be. If it’s going to be afterschool programming, then we would do that.
If it’s something where kids are going to be home a lot more then we might do something similar to what we’re doing now with summer day camp. We could make it like a day camp integrated with learning and tutoring, giving kids the opportunities to do stuff.
I’ve already been talking with Medina schools. With the Education and Recreation Club downstairs, we have 12 computers down there and they are all hooked up directly to Medina Central School’s network. I can’t even get on those computers. You have to be a Medina student or teacher to get onto those computers and they are monitoring them to make sure the kids are using the internet safely. That was my desire when a donor was generous enough to give those to us. I decided I wanted the school district to own those so that way it’s monitored by them.
Question: So you really have to spring into action based on the governor’s announcements.
Answer: Yes. That will be something once that’s decided – I’ve already by talking with Mr. (Dan) Doctor (Medina’s director of community outreach) – even if they are able to do their program, with the high school students being every other day, if there’s any way he or someone else can work with us to maybe have an office hours time where could come in, sign up and use a computer, and then if they have any questions a staff member could be there. That way they would have an offsite place where kids could be. Even if it’s just for four hours a day at least they would have a place where they could go to check in and do work and have internet access.
This young kayaker is among the participants in the class offered by the Y.
Question: Is it strange for you being here at Y when it is so quiet when it was really hopping not long ago?
Answer: It has been sad to look at the graph of membership. Over the years we saw it go up and now it’s back down to lower than before I came.
Question: Financially, how is the local Y doing?
Answer: Membership drives a lot of what we do. Thankfully we’ve had a lot of gracious members keep their membership and be classified as sustainable members. Their membership dues are classified can be a tax deductible donation to the YMCA so we can keep running and Jessica and I can keep doing what we’re doing. The PPP loan has helped us continue as we have all moved on with the full-time staff on the shared work program. All of us are partially furloughed right now. But it’s to help conserve us so that way we can keep going forward. Grants, the United Way of Rochester was really gracious in bringing funds, as well as Dean Bellack from the Orleans County United Way. He’s been trying to get us additional funds to help us out.
I received some Covid relief from the Ralph Wilson youth sports legacy fund. A lot of the grants I had already received I requested if any of the grants could be reallocated to kind of help with general operating costs. A lot of them have been gracious to say a little bit can be moved around. Those grants helped us to do some things but they’ve really helped us to keep trucking forward.
Question: Even though you are largely closed down, there must be a lot of work to prepare to reopen.
Answer: When I’m here it’s very much administrative. It’s trying to keep things moving forward.
Question: With the kayaking program, do they call in and then you process that?
Answer: What we’ve mainly been trying to do, when we post it on Facebook, we’ve pointed people to messaging us on Facebook. That’s probably the easiest way to connect with Jessica or me. Because we have access to that all the time.
She and I are usually the ones signing people up and registering for things. We’re only here a handful of hours each day. To try to catch us is much more difficult than it used to be when we were open from 5 a.m. to 9 at night.
Question: I know the state has been reluctant to reopen the gyms. What does that mean for you and how long can you wait this out?
Answer: We’ll be rolling out some additional services to membership where we could possibly open up the building, just not as gym. We could utilize it for something different. I’m still processing that and what it could look like. It all depends on what schools end up doing.
There are also a lot more families looking at home schooling. We’re seeing if we could offer a Phys. Ed. program if anyone if doing home schooling. At least they would have an outlet. We have the gym and I used to be a Phys. Ed. teacher in Colorado State.
I think all of us have to think outside the box. That’s something we have told our employees. Our jobs are not going to work the same way they did. We might have to flex and do something different than before we did this. It could be an exciting opportunity if we choose to look at it that way.
Greg Reed, director of the Orleans County YMCA, hands a box to Andrew Lafave on June 12 during a food distribution at the Calvary Tabernacle church in Medina. Reed and Y staff have assisted at several of the events.
Question: I’ve noticed you and some of the Y staff have been helpful at the food distribution events. Why are you doing that?
Answer: Again, it goes back to when we had the PPP program. When my boss said we’re bringing people back and we have to find things for them to do, I was like let’s do good then.
I sent a team over to P.Raising Kids (child care center) to get their space ready, and cleaned and sanitized so they could open and offer child care services. Laura Fields works a lot at the Calvary Tabernacle food pantry. For a while we were able to pay her to be over there rather than volunteer her time. She has always requested Tuesdays and Thursdays not to work so she could keep volunteering even though we can’t pay her now to keep doing that.
My goal with this space has always been to fill community needs and we help out wherever we can.
Robert Batt (executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County) has been doing a great job with the food distribution events. Melissa (Blanar, Office for the Aging director) has done a great job coordinating them. Wherever we can lend a helping hand we want to try to. It is benefitting the mission and vision of the Y.
‘Fresh Air Adventures – New York’s Falls to the Finger Lakes’ encourages exploration in 4 rural counties
The GLOW counties have developed a new logo and branding campaign to encourage people to explore sites and attractions in the four rural counties.
Press Release, Tourism departments from GLOW counties
Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties are excited to launch a new regional tourism program – “Fresh Air Adventures – New York’s Falls to the Finger Lakes.”
This is a refresh of the successful long-running Country Byways of Greater Niagara and the Finger Lakes program, which has existed for over 25 years and has given the GLOW counties collaborative capabilities to leverage our unique rural towns and villages, collective attractions and prime location between Niagara Falls and the Finger Lakes.
File photos by Tom Rivers: Fishermen try to catch salmon and trout along the Oak Orchard River in October 2015.
“In 2020 people were forced to rethink their travel plans,” said Dawn L. Borchert, Orleans County Tourism Director. “Many had to forfeit air travel to exotic locations and be creative with road trips. Fresh Air Adventures is a great tool to plot out a stimulating excursion off the ‘beaten path,’ especially while driving from the metropolitan area of New York City to Niagara Falls. They will be pleasantly surprised to find family friendly towns and villages along the route, as well as the wide open spaces that Letchworth State Park, the Erie Canal and Lake Ontario have to offer.”
The goals of Fresh Air Adventures are to encourage travel to our world-class attractions, discover our quaint towns and villages, and experience all that our great region has to offer. The initiative includes a new comprehensive website (www.FreshAirAdventuresNY.com) designed by Corporate Communications based out of Rochester, as well as Facebook and Instagram (@FreshAirAdventuresNY) platforms.
Each of these digital tools will provide tourists a wealth of valuable information, including outdoor recreation experiences, culinary and craft beverage fare, overnight accommodations, events, adventure ideas/itineraries, interactive maps and trip planning capabilities.
Fresh Air Adventures, as part of New York Empire State Development’s I LOVE NY program, will continue Country Byways work of marketing approximately 1,000 GLOW tourism businesses. As we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, our marketing will concentrate on NYS travelers and once the pandemic is over, we will resume marketing to national and international leisure and group tour travelers and those passing along major routes traveling to Buffalo, Niagara Falls USA/Canada and the Finger Lakes from places like New York City, Toronto, Canada and elsewhere within a six-hour drive.
This visitation is critical to our area economy and the sustainability of our small business community. Tourists spend more than $238 million in the GLOW region each year, which translates to $28 million in sales tax dollars, over $15 million of which remains local so the GLOW counties can improve the quality of life for residents.
A hot air balloon takes off at Letchworth State Park in Wyoming County this photo from May 2015.
Along with the Fresh Air Adventures moniker, includes a new logo that features earth-tone colors, adventurous fonts, the profile of New York State to give visitors a sense of location/place, and clever touches like a bird in flight and a waypoint marker dotting the “i” in AIR – adding to the explorative nature of the brand. The tagline, “New York’s Falls to Finger Lakes” adds to the intrigue, playing on internationally renowned outdoor landmarks like Niagara Falls, the major waterfalls in Letchworth State Park and the Finger Lakes.
“Fresh Air Adventures tells tourists exactly what they can expect when they visit our region,” said Eric Szucs, Tourism Director for the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. “We have a spacious, safe, and beautiful natural setting, so the GLOW counties collaborated to build this incredible program supported by a comprehensive website and social media platforms. In doing so, we can share the outdoor experiences and uniqueness of our rural villages and the small businesses that make up our communities. It’s an incredible way to connect so many outdoor landmarks like Lake Ontario, Letchworth State Park and the Finger Lakes.”
“The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to continue the long-standing collaboration between our tourism offices in promoting our great region. Each county has a unique set of offerings that once packaged together offer visitors a wide range of activities to experience all within a one-hour radius. Working together, we are also able to enhance our individual marketing reach,” said Kelly Rapone, Genesee County Tourism Marketing Director.
“A regional collaboration connecting ‘Falls to the Finger Lakes’ stands to benefit the hundreds of small businesses through the region that cater to and delight tourists year-round,” said Laura Lane, President & CEO of the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. “Travelers looking for Fresh Air Adventures will surely delight as they make their way throughout the GLOW region counties and enjoy the multitude of experiences coupled with an array of complementary shopping, dining and indoor explorations. Livingston County appreciates working with our neighboring counties to truly connect New York’s Falls to Finger Lakes – creating a memorable vacation experience.
BASOM – Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) announces online permits for the youth waterfowl hunt and COVID-19 waterfowl blind draw procedures.
Additionally, the Refuge announces the 2020 Final Hunting Plan for Iroquois NWR has been approved and awaits publication in the Federal Register.
The Iroquois NWR Youth Waterfowl Hunt remains the same except permitting will now be done online (click here). Permits are available first come, first serve from August 15 until September 15. The permit is free, but space is limited to 15 participants this year. You will receive your permit letter and Parental Consent Form upon checking out on RecAccess.
The pre-season waterfowl lottery draws will once again be on RecAccess. However, morning blind draws for the entire regular season will now be held at the Refuge Shop at 1101 Casey Road, Basom, NY 14013 to ensure the safety of staff and the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Details of how we will safely proceed will be disseminated through our website, Facebook, and RecAccess as opening day approaches.
The 2020 Final Hunting Plan has been approved and posted on our website (click here). This plan includes changes to the 2020-2021 hunt seasons on Iroquois NWR, including other migratory birds, small game, fall turkey, and the second session of the waterfowl season. Once these changes are published in the Federal Register, we will be able to implement them. This will be reflected on our website and fact sheets as appropriate. Please continue to check our website periodically for updates.
For further information please see our website or contact Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge at Iroquois@fws.gov or Visitor Services Specialist Eric Schaertl at 585-948-5445 x7036. Iroquois NWR is located midway between Buffalo and Rochester, NY and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 17 August 2020 at 8:58 am
Contributed Photos – The Albion Sports Night annually featured top name sports starts. At left Mickey Mantle talks with event chairman Rich Monacelli at the 1972 event and at right Cal Ripken Jr. checks out the event program in 1983.
A visit from a major sports star to Orleans County is a fairly rare occasion these days. However, that was not the case for a quarter of a century from the early 1960’s to the late 1980’s when each January the Albion Sports Night program brought in Hall of Fame caliber baseball and football stars.
The event was a special one for local sports fans who enjoyed meeting such legendary baseball Hall of Famers as Bob Feller in 1963, Brooks Robinson in 1966, Whitey Ford in 1968, Mickey Mantle in 1972, Hank Aaron in 1974, Willie Stargell in 1980, Cal Ripken Jr. in 1983 and Dave Winfield in 1986.
Local Yankee fans also had an opportunity to see several of their other favorite Bronx Bombers including Elston Howard and Jim Boutin in 1964, Catfish Hunter in 1976, Billy Martin in 1977, Lou Piniella in 1979 and Tommy John in 1982.
Buffalo Bills fans enjoyed meeting Cookie Gilchrist in 1963, Daryl Lamonica in 1965, Jack Kemp in 1966, Ron McDole in 1970 and Joe Delamielleure in 1977.
The list of major football stars who attended over the years also included Lou Groza in 1964, Franco Harris in 1974, Ron Jaworski in 1977 and Jim Crowley of the legendary Notre Dame Four Horseman backfield in 1974.
The program also featured the appearance of local sports guests including football star Tommy Colella and baseball ace Carl Fischer.
The driving force behind the program over its three decades was its Chairman, Rich Monacelli, who each year came up with a star leaden lineup.
Monacelli had the knack for being able to bring in a top star just after they had a big season including Stargell just after he helped lead the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates to the World Series championship in the fall of 1979, and Ripken after he had earned Rookie of the Year honors in helping the Baltimore Orioles win the 1982 World Series.
It was a family oriented program that provided a great opportunity for local sports fames to meet, shake hands with and get an autograph from some of the day’s top pr athletes.
Unfortunately skyrocketing appearance fees commanded by top major league baseball and football stars ended up doing in the annual event.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 17 August 2020 at 8:21 am
‘I am so thankful for my patron base of collectors and folks who appreciate the positive powers that art can offer.’
A Medina native and brother of three Orleans County residents is enjoying a second career as an accomplished artist in his home town of Denver.
Danyl Cook is a son of the late Journal-Register photographer and sportsman Don Cook and Shirley Cook and a brother of Debbie Morse of Medina, Dave Cook of Lyndonville and Derinda Kwiatkowski of Waterport.
Danyl was only 7 when his mother died. Although he doesn’t have a lot of memories of her, he does remember the night she died. She had a hospital bed in their living room and he came downstairs after arguing with his sister Derinda about something.
“I saw my dad’s firemen buddies (who ran the ambulance then) wheeling mom’s bed toward the door,” he said. “I complained to her about my sister and she said, ‘Don’t argue with your sister. Give me a kiss and go back to bed.’ I was obviously unaware this would be the last time I would see her, and I didn’t think much about the firemen as they were dad’s friends in in the house all the time anyway. I do not remember her voice or her mannerisms. But I do think of her whenever I smell rosewater or rose-scented perfumes.”
Danyl graduated from Medina High School and obtained a bachelor’s degree in business at Buffalo State, however he filled his electives with studio and art history classes.
His love of art was probably fueled by his father, who also loved to sketch and draw and Danyl remembers many nights sitting at the kitchen table and drawing with his father.
He worked as a reporter/photographer for the Journal-Register for about five years before joining the Peace Corps in 1991. He was assigned to a small, rural village in the Dominican Republic, long before the world discovered it was a tourist destination, Danyl said. He worked with fishermen, coconut farmers and women’s groups in a variety of business ventures.
“The life change from working at a daily newspaper where you are hunting stories day and night to being plopped in a third-world country where it could take hours just to get a ride to the village market gives one plenty of time to pause and reflect on life,” Danyl said. “I knew when I returned home I wanted to not only use my newly gained Spanish speaking skills, but also to study art further. My dad was known for his nature photography, but he always liked to draw as well. So growing up with that creative mentoring really struck me as something to pay attention to, rather than a return to life filled with work and only work.”
Danyl spent two years overseas and then moved to Denver, not only to use his new language skills (the city population there is more than one-half Hispanic), but to enjoy a sunny and dry climate that was NOT Buffalo cold or Caribbean humid, he said.
He stayed with the Peace Corps for a total of nine years, flying around the west to recruit new volunteers into an exciting world of adventure on their own. He also started to take art classes at a local university.
“If someone ever tells you art school is easy, don’t listen,” Danyl said. “One professor chopped a class of 50 eager artists down to nine of us by the end of the semester. He was brutal, but I learned so much. Another professor took me under his wing and pressed me to show my work outside. I was hesitant, but he badgered me so much that I found myself entering a juried show, just to get him off my back. Once accepted into that show I was approached by a gallery, and that is when things began to move.”
This painting and the one below are two of Danyl Cook’s favorite paintings that were part of a recent exhibit at the prestigious Valkarie Gallery in Denver, where he now lives.
By 1999, Danyl had left the Peace Corps and was showing in galleries around the Denver Metro area, both in group and solo shows. He joined an artists’ cooperative and began directing the group, mixing his love of art and business.
In 2011, he began attending classes at Regis University in Denver and worked four years to get his dual master’s degrees in painting and art marketing, while showing his work along the way and again benefitting from some tough but awesome mentors, he said.
“I’ve been blessed to have steady gallery representation in Denver for the last 20 years, and until recently had my work in a Santa Fe, New Mexico location, Santa Fe being one of the top art destinations in the nation,” Danyl said. “My art is in the office lobbies of corporations, the halls of hospitals and the walls of restaurants. I have private collectors from New York to San Francisco and from London to Israel and Australia.”
Danyl loves to give business talks about marketing and helping his fellow artists get their work into the public eye. Having grown up in a creative household, he truly believes in the importance and power of art to make people feel good, especially in these trying times.
In mid-March he was planning his latest solo show at Valkarie Gallery when initial Covid-related shutdowns were looming, he said.
“The gallery owner asked if I wanted to cancel my show and after very little thought I responded, ‘No, let’s still hang it because there are some great windows in front that will still allow patrons to see in, and I’ve worked so hard on this body of work to not present it.’ We then discussed strategies to get the word out and devised a plan to make several short videos to stream on social media. I went home to script shots, and hadn’t even entered the door when the gallery owner called and said, ‘You have got to come back right now to shoot. The governor is closing everything down in less than 24 hours.’”
‘You won’t find wordy, existential art statements on my site or in my talks. I think art should be joyful, relatable.’
Danyl raced back to the gallery and with no script or light, they shot a series of short clips on a smart phone. Some were serious, but most were downright silly. They then started sharing the unedited pieces on Facebook and Instagram.”
Later, they held a live painting event where the wide front doors of the gallery were thrown open and cordoned off. The owner painted social distancing circles outside. They invited everyone on their mailing list and Danyl donned a mask and broke out the brushes and canvasses.
“I had one of my best shows ever, despite few people seeing the work in person,” Danyl said. “Loyal patrons and newcomers both flocked to their computers, phones and tablets with commentary on our quickly shot videos, and folks began to buy. I was overwhelmed with the response and support, especially when so many were – and are – facing economic problems because of Covid.
“I am so thankful for my patron base of collectors and folks who appreciate the positive powers that art can offer,” Danyl said. “You won’t find wordy, existential art statements on my site or in my talks. I think art should be joyful, relatable.”
About five years ago, Dave and his wife Carol’s daughter Chelsea and her boyfriend, who is a pilot, moved to Denver so she wouldn’t be alone when her boyfriend traveled so much.
“She and the boyfriend didn’t last, but she loves it here and opted to stay when he went back to New York,” Danyl said. “It’s great for me as I think of her as my kid, and it’s nice to see her on a regular basis. She has worked several years as a sales rep for a local brewery. She is definitely cut from the extrovert Cook mold, and that lends itself well to her job.”
Danyl keeps in touch with friends and relatives in Medina and was recently contacted by someone from the village of Medina asking his advice on the alligator mural which has caused an uproar in Medina.
He often thinks of his dad and how he influenced so many people
“I feel he was all about sharing – sharing his knowledge, his humor and warmth,” Danyl said. “I was actually sitting on my front porch tonight and watched a flock of birds heading home at dusk, and thought of dad. Whenever I see any bird I like to think it’s a sign from dad that he is saying hi to me.”
Danyl invites everyone to reach out to him at danylcook.com. He is also on Facebook at Danyl Cook; on Instragram at danylcookart; and on Twitter.
(Reporter’s note: Danyl’s dad Don Cook is actually the one who encouraged Ginny Kropf to write in the late 1960s. She was the distributor for the Buffalo Courier Express at the time and Don wanted a story done on Canada geese. He said if the Courier would let her do it, he would provide the information and photos. The Courier did accept the story and ran it as the feature Lifestyles story in all its editions. Following that, the Courier hired Ginny as the Orleans County correspondent).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 August 2020 at 8:31 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Orleans County has been on a rainbow run in recent weeks, with the multi-colored arcs emerging in the sky soon after a rain. This evening a bright-colored rainbow appeared at about 7:30.
The top photo shows the rainbow with the First Presbyterian Church of Albion.
Here the rainbow is pictured with a banner of Craig Lane, a major in the U.S. Air Force. The banners of local soldiers went up in late June and feature 33 people from the community who served in the military. This one is on East Bank Street.
The rainbow stretches over the County Clerks Building and the Orleans County Courthouse.
The courthouse dome has a special shine with the rainbow close by.
Downtown Albion, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, provided a nice setting for the bold rainbow.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 August 2020 at 3:44 pm
The Pate family – sisters Maia, left, and Eowyn with their parents, Angelo and Ondrea. There will be a benefit on Aug. 30 at the Elks Lodge in Albion from noon to 6 p.m.
ALBION – There will be a benefit on Aug. 30 for an Albion family who has been displaced from their home after a fire on June 20.
Angelo and Ondrea Pate and their two daughters, Eowyn and Maia, are currently staying with Ondrea’s father Richard Brackenbury in Waterport.
The Pate residence on West Academy Street was damaged in an early morning fire. The cupola on the house burned and flames spread inside the home. It is a total loss.
Mrs. Pate said the family is awaiting action from their insurance company, but they were told it could take a year.
“We’re still in limbo,” she said today. “We’re taking it one day at a time.”
The family would like to stay in Albion so Eowyn can finish her senior year and Maia, an incoming freshman, can also graduate from Albion.
During the fire, Ondrea’s daughter Felicia was also in the house with her four children. They were visiting from the state of Alabama and have since returned.
Noreen Dixon and her sister Donna Halladay are organizing the Aug. 30 benefit. The Pates were great neighbors to their mother, Marguerite, checking in on her frequently, and responding in the middle of the night if she needed help.
“They have been so great to my mother,” Dixon said today. “They would do so much for her, and take her calls at all hours.”
The benefit at the Elks Lodge includes beef on wick dinners for $10, raffles, a Chinese auction and a candy bar. There will also be live music with the event outside at the pavilion as well as inside. There will also be take-outs available. Organizers are preparing for 500 dinners.
“They have pretty much lost everything,” Dixon said. “It’s a horrible thing to go through.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 August 2020 at 10:06 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: A boy has fun on the big rocks in Lake Ontario at Lighthouse Christian Camp in Barker on Thursday after the sunset.
Orleans County will see highs in the 70s most of this week, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
Today is forecast for a high of 78 with showers and thunderstorms likely after 11 a.m.
The Weather Service also says there is a marginal risk for severe thunderstorms Monday with damaging winds being the primary threat.
Most of Monday will be partly sunny with a high near 79. That will be followed by a sunny Tuesday with a high near 77.
Wednesday will be sunny with a high near 78, followed by a mostly sunny Thursday with a high near 77. Friday is forecast for mostly sunny with a high near 81.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 August 2020 at 9:25 am
HOLLEY – The school district will have three public meetings on Tuesday with Holley families to discuss the reopening plan for the 2020-21 school year.
Holley’s plan would have students in school for in-person learning for two days a week, while the other three days would be remote learning at home. That includes all grade levels.
Splitting the student body in half for in-person classes will allow Holley to maintain social distancing in classes with desks spaced at least 6 feet apart, which is required by the state for in-person learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wednesday would be a designated day for remote learning for all students. That would allow Holley to do a “deep cleaning” of school buildings.
The parent forums on Tuesday will all be through Zoom video conferencing because the district is limited on the number of people for in-person, indoor gatherings.
The Zoom sessions will be at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Links for the meetings will be posted on the district website.
A Medina native and brother of three Orleans County residents is enjoying a second career as an accomplished artist in his home town of Denver.
“I had one of my best shows ever, despite few people seeing the work in person,” Danyl said. “Loyal patrons and newcomers both flocked to their computers, phones and tablets with commentary on our quickly shot videos, and folks began to buy. I was overwhelmed with the response and support, especially when so many were – and are – facing economic problems because of Covid.
