Orleans County has one new confirmed case of Covid-19, a person in the 20s from Ridgeway. The county has now had 274 people test positive for the coronavirus.

The new case includes an individual who was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said this afternoon.

Orleans has also had two more recoveries for 120 total, and has 16 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from one of 31 states. The county now has 73 people on precautionary quarantine.

One resident is hospitalized with Covid-19. On Friday, the county didn’t have anyone hospitalized with the virus for the first time in four months.

Genesee County is reporting four new positive cases of Covid-19, with the people living in either Le Roy or Batavia. The county has now had 253 people test positive for Covid-19.

Two of the positive individuals are in their 30s, one is in the 40s, and one is in the 80s. The positive individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments said.

Genesee has had five more recoveries for 186 total. Genesee also has six more people on precautionary quarantine for 138 total. The county also has one resident hospitalized due to the virus.

Photo courtesy of Shelia Lemcke: There is a big splash of water on Main Street in Albion near Beaver Street this afternoon during a rainstorm.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a flash flood warning for central Orleans County until 7:15 p.m.

Doppler radar and automated gauges indicate thunderstorms are producing heavy rain across central Orleans and also eastern Niagara. Up to three inches of rain have already fallen from east-central Niagara county to central Orleans county. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly, the Weather Service said at 3:18 p.m.

There will be flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage and low lying areas, the Weather Service said.

Locations that will experience flooding include Medina, Albion, Middleport, Waterport, Kent, Ridgeway, Shelby, Gaines, Lyndonville and Fancher, the Weather Service said.

There are already several reports of flooded basements in Albion and Medina.

Brenda Radzinski sent in this photo of her daughter Mollie’s dog Lola, enjoying a flooded front lawn on Oak Orchard Road in Gaines.

Chicken barbecue will be back Thursday with takeouts, drive-through only

Provided photo: Each 4-H member who participates in the fair will receive one of these ribbons, which is in a teal color. 4-H projects aren’t being judged this year. Joanie Gabalski of Byron is holding the ribbons.

KNOWLESVILLE – This week is fair week. Normally there would be about 5,000 people each day at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville.

But it’s pretty quiet with the event cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But it isn’t a total shutdown. 4-H kids still completed projects in family and consumer sciences, and those projects will be displayed in storefronts and public libraries in the county.

4-H’ers who completed those projects will receive a teal ribbon that proclaims them as a “Historic 2020 Orleans County 4-H Fair Participant.”

Members of the 4-H dog clubs also will be posting videos to a Facebook page for the dog clubs. Today the 4-H’ers will be introducing their dogs in the videos. On Tuesday and Wednesday, they will post videos of their dogs in costumes and also doing tricks.

They won’t be judged, but it is a way for the 4-Hers to stay connected during what is normally a week that is the culmination of the 4-H year.

About 75 to 100 members of the 4-H program are expected to be active in some way during this “virtual” fair week.

That includes a 4-H livestock auction. That is normally on Saturday, the last day of the fair, with a big crowd in one of the livestock barns. This year it will be a week-long auction. Bidding started online today at 9 a.m. and continues until 7 p.m. on Saturday.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County teamed with Bontrager Auction Service in Batavia for the sale.

The auction includes 19 lots of steer, hogs, lambs, goats, poultry and rabbits. Click here for more information.

“We’re curious to see how it goes,” said Kristina Gabalski, the 4-H program coordinator. “It will be very different.”

4-Hers will still be connecting with bidders, trying to line up support for the auction.

Gabalski said 4-Hers also will receive a T-shirt if they participate during the week in some way. The 4-Hers also are gathering items to put in a time capsule from this historic fair. Gabalski said hand sanitizer and a toilet paper roll will be included in the capsule.

One popular event will be at the fairgrounds. The chicken barbecue will be served from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday. It will be takeout and drive-through only. For more information, click here.

Nicole Mrzywka of Holley gets ready to lead a dairy animal into the show ring during the grand master showman competition last July 26. Nicole finished as the reserve master showman for the fourth straight year. The popular event won’t happen at the fair this year due to Covid-19.

ALBION – The annual auction of properties with several years of unpaid taxes has been set for Oct. 28. This is about five months later than usual.

The auction is usually in May. This year it was pushed back due to Covid-19.

The auction will be at a different location. It is usually at the Albion Elk’s Lodge, but will be at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville. The sales start at 10 a.m.

In other action at last week’s Legislature meeting, the Legislature:

• Approved conveyance of 5090 Salt Workds Rd. in Shelby to Gregory and Stephanie Farewell for the amount of $5,711.85. The Legislature said the sale of the property “is in the county taxpayers best interest.”

• Reappointed Tom Kuryla as commissioner of the Department of Social Services for four more years, until June 30, 2024. Kuryla has been the county’s DSS commissioner the past 10 years.

• Accepted $10,000 from the Rochester Health Foundation for the Public Health Department. The funding includes $7,750 for vaccines and medications, $1,350 for nursing supplies, $800 for office supplies and $100 for travel other than mileage.

• Observed a moment of silence for Ronald R. “Butch” Radzinski of Gaines. He passed away on July 16 at age 86. Radzinski served as a county legislator and Legislature vice chairman. He also was on the Gaines Town Board and served as Gaines town supervisor.

He owned and operated H & A Superette in Gaines for 42 years. His daughter Gayle Ashbery is Carlton’s town supervisor and son Mark is the Gaines highway superintendent.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mike and Cheryl Wertman cover a local track and field competition in this photo from April 30, 2019. The two were honored by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York for their commitment to covering high school sports in Orleans and Niagara counties.

A husband and wife who have been covering local high school sports for several decades have received a state-wide award for their dedication.

Mike Wertman, the Orleans Hub sports editor, and Cheryl Wertman, the Hub’s sports photographer, have been recognized with the “Golden Media Award” by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York.

Brett Sippel, coach of the Wilson boys varsity team, nominated the Wertmans.

“Mike and Cheryl are relentless workers,” Sippel said today.

He has worked with them for 20 years, with both basketball and as the cross country coach. Even though Wilson is outside Orleans County, Mike Wertman does game summaries on the team for the Orleans Hub and previously for The Journal-Register in Medina.

Sippel said the daily papers that are closer by have stopped with the box scores on each game.

“We’re not even an Orleans County school district and he reaches out and wants to know how a game went,” Sippel said. “He does a tremendous job.”

Wilson is on the western end of the Niagara-Orleans League. It’s not in Orleans County, but it’s part of a league that plays schools in Orleans County. The Wertmans also cover Barker, Roy-Hart, Newfane and Akron, which aren’t in Orleans County but are in the N-O League. They also cover the Genesee Region League which includes Holley, Kendall and Lyndonville, as well as many rural districts in the region, mostly from Genesee County.

Mike Wertman has been covering the local sports scene for 42 years. He worked at former Journal-Register for 35 years before joining the Orleans Hub 7 years ago. He has posted 7,900 sports articles on the Orleans Hub.

His wife Cheryl has joined him at the games for more than 35 years. She credits Don Cook, a late JR photographer, for getting her started as a sports photographer.

Sippel said Mrs. Wertman can be counted on for awesome action shots from the games, and her husband gets the details on the players’ scoring, assists and rebounds. Sipped said Wertman did the league a big service by researching and chronicling all the league champs for nearly the past century.

“I think it’s so important to recognize them during this time when the media has dwindled,” Sippel said. “Mike still gets the results every night at a time when other papers don’t do nightly write-ups. They are appreciated by the kids and the coaches. They really do an excellent job.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: These bales of straw are shown on Saturday on Route 31A in Shelby, just east of Culvert Road.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a heat advisory for Orleans County with the heat index forecast to be in the upper 90s today.

The heat advisory is in effect from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. for Orleans, Niagara, Monroe, Wayne, northern Cayuga, Oswego, Livingston and Ontario counties.

Today is forecast for a high of 88. Showers and thunderstorms are likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain, the Weather Service said.

The hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. The Weather Service urges people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

Photos courtesy of Melissa Ierlan

CLARENDON – Thomas Brintal, who served in the Revolutionary War, has a new headstone in Maplewood Cemetery on Route 237 in Clarendon.

Brintal was a sergeant with Doolittle’s Regiment in the Massachusetts Line. He lived to be 86, dying on Aug. 18, 1830.

His original headstone was lying on the ground in two pieces.

“It was so degraded, and dark and stained,” said Town Historian Melissa Ierlan.

She set the new headstone on Sunday. She wrote to the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., requesting the new headstone for Brintal. The VA shipped the new stone to the Town Hall.

Ierlan made the request to the VA after one of Brintal’s descendants, a veteran who currently lives in Colorado, asked the VA for the new headstone for Brintal but was unsuccessful.

Ierlan sent the VA a photo of the original headstone, and the VA agreed to a new one.

Brintal isn’t the only Revolutionary War soldier buried at the pioneer cemetery. Augustus Sturges also is buried there.

Clarendon is also home to Lemuel Cook, a veteran of American Revolution. Cook was the last living pensioner from that war. He died on May 20, 1866, at the age of 107. Cook saw action at the Battle of Brandywine and Yorktown and met General George Washington. He is buried at Cook Cemetery on Munger Road.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jacquie Chinn stands in her new store, Lyric and Lizzy, which she recently opened at 335 North Main St., Medina, selling baby clothes and pet supplies. 

MEDINA – Selling baby clothes and pet supplies may seem like an unusual combination, but for Jacquie Chinn, it makes perfect sense.

Lyric and Lizzy is a new store Chinn recently opened at 335 North Main St., selling just that – baby clothes and pet supplies.

She said it is truly amazing how her store came about.

Jacquie Chinn holds a pacifier from Nookums, a company in Middleport. The store also has a pet section.

Chinn was working, but lost her job and knew she had to find something. She was also doing credit clarity consulting, but when a friend who had graduated from Orleans Economic Development’s  Microenterprise Assistance Program told her about it, she decided to check it out.

“I took a leap of faith,” Chinn said.

She graduated from the class last year and starting planning to open her own business.

“I grew up with Blissetts,” Chinn said. “I went to the store and she gave me her blessing.”

Her concept for a store is quite simple.

“Children always need clothes, and when you have children or grandchildren, you almost always have a pet,” Chinn said.

Hence, a store selling baby clothes and pet supplies.

The store is named for her grandchildren, 5-month-old Lincoln and 5-year-old Lizzy.

She suffered a setback when, just as she was ready to open, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. She had stocked winter clothing for the cold weather, and then couldn’t sell it. But she rode it out and is now thrilled to be open to the public.

She strives to offer affordable, quality clothing, and buys local where she can. One item is a pacifier with stuffed animal, called Nookums, which is made in Middleport. She also has a complete selection of diaper bags. She said if anyone is invited to a baby shower, her store is the place to shop.

She buys baby clothing in one of each size, so no one is going around town wearing the same thing.

Her sizes range from newborn to teens, and pet supplies are limited to small items, such as feeding dishes, treats and dog suits.

Lyric and Lizzy is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Groups want to promote commerce in community

MEDINA – After being shut down for all the spring and part of summer, downtown Medina businesses have decided it’s time to get things going again.

Medina Area Partnership took the reins and is partnering with Medina Lions Club and a group of local businesses to sponsor a downtown sidewalk sale and chicken barbecue on Aug. 8.

Scott Robinson, who owns the Shirt Factory Café with his wife Alix, is president of MAP and an ardent promoter of his home town. Both he and Alix are Medina natives and members of longtime families in the area. Robinson traces his roots in Medina back to the early 1800s, and his wife, the former Alix Kozody, claims beloved Medina High School art teacher H. Gilman Williams as her grandfather. The couple had been working in Washington, D.C. for 10 years when they decided it was time to move back and do something for their hometown community.

It was Robinson who pitched the idea a year ago to dissolve the Medina Business Association in an attempt to get some new faces involved and expand the footprint of the organization beyond the downtown.

The MBA board bought into the idea and the Medina Area Partnership was formed with the goal of involving businesses and organizations which might not be located within the village limits, but which had an interest and/or impact on Medina. MAP has membership categories for businesses, such as Takeform on Maple Ridge Road, on the outskirts of Medina, and the village of Lyndonville. They want to help any area community which is struggling, because a local community which is not excelling is not good for Medina, Robinson said.

“We are trying to be a resource during a troubling time,” he said.

Members of MAP knew how hard it has been for local businesses during the pandemic when stores were mostly closed down, and several annual events had to be canceled. These included the Medina Lions popular village-wide community yard sale, which brought hundreds to Medina, and the accompanying chicken barbecue.

So Ann Fisher-Bale, a member of MAP’s Event Committee, contacted Medina Lions and asked if they would like to partner with MAP and do a chicken barbecue in conjunction with a downtown Medina sidewalk sale. Of course, the answer was “yes.”

The sidewalk sale will take place at numerous stores in downtown Medina, while the chicken barbecue will be drive-through only at the Medina Senior Center on West Avenue.

The sidewalk sale hours will vary by store, while the chicken barbecue will be sold from 11 a.m. until sold out.

Tickets are available presale from any Lions member, Creekside Florist, Filomena’s Treasures and Herbalty Cottage. Some will also be available the day of the sale.

Lions member Jim Hancock said being allowed to use the Senior Center is a perfect setup for them. If it rains, they will be able to assemble the take-outs inside, while the public can drive in on one side, stay in their car and drive out the other side.

ALBION – Residents will soon have the option to access free wireless internet in the parking lot at the Orleans County Office Building on Route 31.

Rural Technology Operators (RTO) Wireless will put in the WiFi hotspot. The County Legislature eon Wednesday approved paying $99 installation charge of a Spectrum Business Class circuit and a cost of $64.99 per month, to be paid for by the Computer Services Department Budget.

RTO has been installing free WiFi hotspots at many of the village offices and town halls around the county.

Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said the WiFi can be used while residents are waiting for appointments and when they need internet access.

The county will have a firewall to prevent access to the county networks. The County Office Building is located at 14016 State Route 31, Albion.

‘If we don’t get state aid from Washington it’s going to be a very bad situation for this state.’ – Gov. Cuomo

Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged Republican elected officials at all levels to be vocal in calling on Congress and President Trump to approve an aid package for state and local governments.

Cuomo said the state is projecting a $14 billion revenue shortfall due to the Covid-19 pandemic plus $5 billion in unplanned expenses in responding to the pandemic.

Local governments – schools, towns, villages and counties – also face reduced reimbursements and other aid from the state without federal funding. The local governments also are facing steep drops in sales tax revenue.

“I call on all Republican electeds in this state to stand united with the people of the state in urging support for New York State,” he said this morning on a conference call with reporters. “We know we would have to have drastic budget cuts without this aid.”

The governor also said he is concerned for people on unemployment who could see the end of the extra $600 in weekly federal aid for people on unemployment. That is due to expire on July 31.

“That will really cause havoc and tremendous distress for people,” Cuomo said if the $600 a week isn’t renewed.

New low for hospitalizations for people with Covid-19 in NY

The governor also announced 637 were hospitalized with Covid-19 on Saturday, the lowest in the state since March 18. The state also had three deaths from Covid-19.

There were 53,568 tests on Saturday for Covid-19, and the state reported 536 confirmed cases, a 1.0 percent positive rate.

“That is just really, great, great news,” Cuomo said about the Covid-19 data.

He remains concerned about the rising Covid-19 infections in other states and a lack of compliance in New York, especially with bars downstate. He said the State Liquor Authority issued 105 violations to bars in New York City and downstate.

Cuomo said the state doesn’t plan to change the criteria for the travel advisory for people coming from other states, who must quarantine for two weeks once in New York. There are 31 states on the quarantine.

These are states have a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or they are states with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

“We’re not going to change the formula,” Cuomo said. “We just need the nation to get the virus under control.”

Many of the new cases in New York are linked to people coming from other states, Cuomo said.

“They are a major cause of our new cases,” he said. “We will continue to be cautious.”

A Farewell Song Between “Buds”

I heard this song recently and it hit me right in the musical heartstrings. It was recorded in 2011 by Rihanna and is called “Farewell.”

From what I gather doing research, the song was meant to be between lovers, however it truly can be more universal. If you have ever had to say farewell to anyone of importance, this song will resonate with you.

She starts out by recognizing that the special person who is leaving is going to “Make a better life” for themselves and she must say farewell. It is so hard to say farewell to someone you created a special bond with. Some people are just like that. You get each other.

Few people appreciate your quirky ways or better yet, are quirky like you. Maybe you share the same interest and opinions and you value your time and conversations because you get each other.

Knowing that this time together is coming to an end can be a true heartbreak. But sometimes we must “Try to hold it all in, the tears and sadness and be a big girl.” Well, I am not good at that, but I try. I can only choke the tears down for so long, until they bubble up.

Maybe you are like that too, or maybe you can be stronger because you know that the other person needs that. If that is your strength, I admire you and your ability to dig deep.

We never want to discourage those we love to follow their path, yet we don’t want to be forgotten. The lyrics say that she would be “sadder if her special person did not hit the road” because she knows her person needs this change to continue to grow and find the happiness they desire and deserve.

Maybe they need a fresh start or just wish to go after a dream that they have always had and have finally found their yellow brick road to the land of dreams where their wishes can come true. You know that they can call you and you can tell them all the “stories about a land far away.” The land that you share so many precious memories. Where you created a bond that can never be broken, not with time nor distance, like the bond between the “Buds” in the photo. You are kindred spirits.

So with your final farewell to the way things are, it is these times you want to express that even though you are excited and full of encouragement for their new adventure..”Somebody’s gonna miss you” and “Somebody’s gonna wish that you were here, that somebody is me.”

So if you have someone in your life who you consider a treasure, make sure to honor your time together because life is ever changing and so are our relationships with others. Their blessings in your life will never go away and they will be carried in your heart forever.

New people will come into your life and with an open heart, another magical friendship can begin.

Farewell my friend. Somebody is going to miss you?. Give this song a listen, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MOiwCMn30k .

How do you handle farewells? 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.

Deborah London

Safety precautions will be in place for event at Shelridge

Photo by Ginny Kropf: McCarthy Lang, an employee of Shelridge Country Club, holds one of the towels which will be included in gift packets for the record number of golfers signed up for Orleans County United Way’s golf tournament Aug. 14.

MEDINA – When United Way of Orleans County decided to go ahead with their annual golf tournament, they knew extraordinary measures would have to be taken to ensure everyone’s safety.

United Way director Dean Bellack and Shelridge Country Club’s manager Brett Decker knew they could pull it off.

The big question was, would golfers feel safe enough to come out and support it?

Bellack and the United Way board are ecstatic to report the golf tournament is a sellout, with a maximum of 32 teams signed up.

“I take my responsibility seriously and that includes the image of our agency in the county,” Bellack said. “Most other charities canceled their fundraising events this year. We are the only golf tournament to date, and because of that we have a very large event, which will be safe and will help us in our mission to serve the Orleans County community.”

After conferring with Decker, Bellack announced the following changes.

Golfers will not enter the building to be registered. Golfers will go directly to their carts upon arriving, where staff, with masks on, will sign them in. Carts will be spread out significantly so safe distancing is maintained.

A basket raffle is always part of the golf tournament, but tickets for the raffle this year will only be sold when golfers sign in. They will be able to enter the clubhouse to put tickets in the baskets when they move from the third to the fourth hole, and only one foursome at a time will have access to the baskets.

As an added note, United Way is still accepting donations of baskets, from any of our partner agencies or from anyone who wishes to support United Way’s endeavor. Anyone who would like to donate a basket may call Bellack at (585) 721-6716 and someone will pick it up.

Lunch will be served on course.

Dinner will no longer be a sit-down affair in the club house. It will be a chicken barbecue in a box to go. If some golfers would like to stay and eat, seating for about 45 people will be available.

Bellack added there are still opportunities for hole sponsorships and anyone who would like to support United Way by becoming a hole sponsor may contact him at the above number.

Prizes will be announced immediately after the tournament.

Bellack stressed how important this golf tournament is to United Way and its mission to help the agencies it supports in Orleans County. The golf tournament, which originally began decades ago as the Van Hungerford Memorial Golf Tournament, is United Way’s biggest fundraiser. The late Van Hungerford is credited for starting a community organization which eventually became United Way.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Clarendon firefighter Jonathan DeYoung sprays water on the perimeter of a field on South Holley Road at about 4 p.m. Debbie Chilson is driving the truck.

Firefighters were dispatched to scene near the Munger Road intersection at 3:15 for reports of a brush fire. A farmer was working in the field when a spark from the machinery may have ignited the field of straw, said Fire Chief Jim DeYoung.

There are currently dry conditions on the ground, and temperature was in the mid-80s when the field caught on fire.

About 5 acres of the field burned. It made it look like the mucklands, the black soil nearby. Holley, left, and Clarendon brought their brush trucks and sprayed water on the edges initially to keep the fire from spreading into the woods, DeYoung said.

Holley and Clarendon also brought tankers with more water to the scene.

Rick Cary of the Holley Fire Department sprays water from Holley’s brush truck. Chris Chilson is the driver.

Cary waters the edge of the field by South Holley Road where there was a row of utility poles.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The State Canal Corporation has added a new kiosk and rest area with a bench and two loop-style bike racks.

The rest area is just west of the Ingersoll Street lift bridge. The new rest area is one of a dozen being installed across the trail system.

“The intent is for it to be a gateway into the trail,” said Shane Mahar, Canal spokesman. “The kiosk provides an overview of the system and some local history and information.”

The Ralph C. Wilson Foundation provided funding for the new sign, bench and the loop style bike racks.

The kiosk promotes the 750-mile Empire State Trail, which includes trails on the Erie Canal towpath, the Hudson Valley and Champlain Valley.

The sign notes the closest services after Albion are in Medina, 11 miles to the west, and Holley, 10 miles to the east.

“The Trail promotes heathy lifestyles and provides a place for friends and families to experience the Empire State’s special places and rich diversity – connecting urban centers, village main streets, and rural communities from New York City through the Hudson River Valley, west to Buffalo along the historic Erie Canal, and north to the Champlain Valley and Adirondacks,” the sign states, urging people to explore the trails.