Press Release, Western New York Scout Council

BUFFALO – The Boy Scouts of America today announced that it will rebrand to Scouting America, reflecting the organization’s ongoing commitment to welcome every youth and family in America to experience the benefits of Scouting. The change will go into effect on February 8, 2025, the organization’s 115th anniversary.

This announcement also comes as the organization celebrates the fifth anniversary of welcoming girls into Cub Scouting and Scouts BSA programs. Scouting America currently serves more than 176,000 girls and young women across all programs, including over 6,000 who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

“Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people the skills and values to be successful in life,” said Gary A. Decker, Scout Executive & CEO of the Western New York Scout Council.  “This change is an important evolution as we seek to ensure that all youth and families feel welcome in Scouting.”

Scouting America builds on the organization’s 114 years of helping America’s youth. Its ongoing goal is to provide young people with a safe environment where they can learn meaningful life skills and have fun, educational experiences, fostering their growth and future outcomes as leaders, and be prepared for life. At the same time, values instilled by the Scout Oath and Law help prepare young people for lives of purpose and impact.

More than 130 million Americans have been through Scouting programs since its founding in 1910, and currently, more than 1 million youth, including both men and women, are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country. To date, more than 2.75 million youth have earned Scouting’s highest rank of Eagle Scout.

In addition to supporting the nation’s youth, Scouting America will continue to be an important asset to strengthen our communities, having provided more than 7 million hours of volunteer services for community improvement and other projects across the country annually.

About Scouting America

Scouting America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®”

Scouting America welcomes all of America’s youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and currently more than 1 million youth are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country.

To learn more about Scouting America’s mission, visit Scouting.org.

About the WNY Scout Council, BSA

The Western New York Scout Council provides youth with character development programs and values-based leadership training. The Council serves more than 7,000 youth and adult members in Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. For more information call 716-891-4073 or visit www.wnyscouting.org.

KENDALL – The Kendall school district is presenting a proposed $20,921,832 budget to the community on May 21 that calls for a 1 percent increase in the tax levy.

The school budget represents a 2.5 percent spending increase, which district superintendent Nick Picardo said reflects increases in special education enrollment, benefit expenses, and year-over-year merit raises.

There will be a hearing about the budget at 6:30 p.m. today in the junior-senior high school library. The budget vote on May 21 will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Kendall Town Hall. Residents 18 and older who have lived in the district for at least 30 days are eligible to vote.

State aid, budgeted at $14,563,029, covers about 70 percent of the budget. The tax levy, at $5,014,303, is the second-biggest source of revenue. The levy is up 1 percent from the $4,964,656 in 2023-24.

Kendall also receives $150,000 in sales tax from Monroe County, and $60,000 in PILOT payments from the Troutburg cottages.

The district’s proposed tax rate is $11.88 per $1,000 of assessed property.

Besides the budget, voters will be asked whether to authorize up to $350,000 from the Transportation Bus Reserve to purchase transportation vehicles to replace existing vehicles.

Two candidates also are running for one five-year on the Board of Education. Chaley Swift isn’t seeking re-election to her seat on the board.

The candidates include Colleen Dorney and Scott Martin. Dorney works as a senior client service manager at Epic Retirement Plan Services. She has two children. Martin is an engineer as a member of the Monroe Community College faculty. He has three children in the elementary school.

Provided photo: Evergreen Retail celebrated its grand opened on April 18 as licensed cannabis retail site in Brockport. Th business is owned by Karen M. Tobin of Kendall.

BROCKPORT – A Kendall resident has opened a licensed cannabis retail site in downtown Brockport.

Karen M. Tobin on April 18 celebrated the opening of Evergreen Retail. The site at 51 North Main St. offers a licensed cannabis dispensary between Buffalo and Rochester.

Tobin has more than eight years of experience in the regulated cannabis market. She said Evergreen Retail aims to set the standard for service and community engagement in the area.

“Our goal was to open a dispensary that not only offers high-quality cannabis products from local sources but also operates with the highest standards of compliance and customer care in an inviting environment,” Tobin stated in a news release. “Being licensed in New York under the new adult-use legislation, we are excited to lead the way in responsible and community-focused cannabis retailing.”

The grand opening was attended by community leaders, cannabis industry professionals, and local residents, who all welcomed the new business with enthusiasm while enjoying food provided by their neighboring business D. P. Dough.

Evergreen Retail offers a broad range of products from premium flower and concentrates to artisanal edibles and topicals. The business supports local farmers and processors within the region, Tobin said.

For more information, check www.evergreennyretail.com or contact Evergreen Retail at (585) 391-3474.

Press Release, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, Western District of New York

Stephen Nicot

ROCHESTER – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stephen Nicot, 61, of Rochester, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Rossi and Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that between 2012 and 2014, Nicot hid a camera in the bathroom of a church located in the Western District of New York. (Editor’s Note: Previous news reports and a press release from the U.S. Attorney stated the church was in Orleans County.)

Nicot positioned the camera so that it would capture video and images of naked individuals using the shower in the church bathroom. He did this knowing some of the individuals would be under the age of 18 and he planned to display the video of the minors.

On July 21, 2022, law enforcement executed a warrant at the Nicot’s residence and recovered a memory card and USB drive, which contained videos and images of at least five minor victims using the church bathroom and shower. Two cell phones were also seized, which contained naked images of a minor victim that were recorded by a camera hidden in a bathroom of Nicot’s residence.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

HOLLEY – The Village Board approved a budget on April 30 that increases taxes by 5.5 percent, an amount needed for the village to keep up with services and not keep projects on the back burner, Mayor Mark Bower said.

Mark Bower

The board considered three options for the budget, a tax increase of 5 percent, 5.5 percent or 7 percent.

Bower and the board felt the 7 percent was too much of a burden on the village taxpayers. It went with the 5.5 percent so the village could maintain services and not put things off.

“We didn’t want to impose such a high increase on village residents,” Bower said. “But we have to get back to maintaining our village streets and village-owned properties.”

The $2,509,431 total village budget includes a general fund of $1,673,609, water fund of $554,226, and sewer fund at $281,596.

The village will be collecting $1,078,527 in property taxes, up 5.5 percent from the $1,022,300 in 2023-24.

The tax rate will increase by 3.56 percent from $17.26 to $17.87 per $1,000 of assessed property.

The village saw about $1 million in growth in its tax base, from $59,238,365 to $60,350,244. The community hasn’t gone through a full reassessment like other villages in Orleans County either last year or this year.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Hoag Library director Betty Sue Miller, back left, and assistant director Elizabeth Haibach meet with the board of trustees following the annual meeting at the library on Monday evening.

ALBION – Hoag Library experienced an increase in circulation for books, non-book materials, eBooks and audiobooks in 2023, a year when the library also added a music series.

Betty Sue Miller, director of the library, went over highlights of the year during the library’s annual meeting on Monday. Total circulation for books and non-books was 42,898 with 32,323 books and 10,575 non-books. (That compares to 40,082 in 2022, with 28,927 from books being checked out and 11,025 non-books including laptops and hot spots for internet access.)

The circulation was up 2,816 or by 7.0 percent for books and non-books. The eBook circulation was up by 1,741 or 25.9 percent from 6,727 to 8,468, according to the annual report.

Total items checked out – books, non-books and digital materials – added up to 51,366, up by 9.7 percent from 46,809 in 2022.

Hoag was used in other ways in 2023:

• 4,757 items loaned out through inter-library loan
• 5,666 items borrowed through inter-library loan
• 619 programs with 5,365 attendees
• 446 notarized documents
• 1,174 meeting room bookings
• 27,883 WiFi sessions
• 379 reference questions
• 900 Fax services
• 57 homebound deliveries

Two trustees were also elected to four-year terms during the annual election. Jim Babcock, an incumbent, received the most votes of three candidates, and was picked on 64 of 83 ballots. Carole Patterson, a former board member, is back for a new term after receiving 51 votes. Kevin Doherty, an incumbent trustee and former board president, came in third with 38 votes.

After the annual meeting, the trustees met and picked their officers and chose to keep the same leaders: Linda Weller as president, Mary Covell as vice president, Dawn Squicciarini as secretary, and Rachel Hicks as treasurer.

The library has an overall budget of $693,150 in 2024, up $10,050 from $683,150 in 2023. The library will be seeking $664,510 during the May 21 vote that also includes the school budget, the board of education candidates and other propositions for the school. Voting will be from noon to 8 p.m. at Hoag Library.

The library’s amount to be collected by the school is up $10,000 or by 1.5 percent from the $654,100 in 2023. It remains under the $754,350 in 2021, the last year Hoag was still paying on the mortgage for a new library that opened in 2012.

Photos and information courtesy of Medina Lions Club

MEDINA – The Medina Lions Club on Saturday teamed up with Scouts and their leaders from Troop and Pack 28 for clean up at Lions Park by the Erie Canal in Medina.

Each year the Lions clean and mulch the parks, trees and flower beds. Mulch is provided by the village of Medina and brought onsite for the work.

This year seven Lions Club members and approximately 12 scouts pulled weeds, spread mulch, and cleaned the area. Each worker was treated to a hot dog lunch when the work was done.

The Medina Lions wish to give special thanks to Todd Draper and Tim Miller, the adult leaders from Troop and Pack 28, for mobilizing the help.

The Lions motto is “We Serve” and we greatly appreciate the help from the community to allow us all to enjoy a nicer area.

Provided photo: Bill Rakonczay, AME teacher at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES, is shown in the new classroom and lab.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – The Orleans Career and Technical Education Center’s (OCTEC) Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) program was awarded a $250,000 naming rights grant from the Gene Haas Foundation to upgrade the classroom at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES site.

Now that the renovations are completed, it is one of the premier Career and Technical Education CNC labs in the country, said AME teacher Bill Rakonczay.

“We are thrilled to have received this very generous grant from the Gene Haas Foundation,” Rakonczay said. “The director of the Gene Haas Foundation, Kathy Looman, encouraged me to apply for the funds because she said she has heard a lot about our program, and from what she saw from our social media accounts. I think that speaks volumes about what we do here.”

There will be a ceremony for the grand opening of the new Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing and Engineer Lab at 1 p.m. on Thursday, with an open house to follow from 2 to 6 p.m. The O/N BOCES is located at 4232 Shelby Basin Rd., Medina.

The AME program teaches students CNC programming, CNC set-up and operation, along with engineering principles. The AME program at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES also partner with NASA for their HUNCH program with the students making parts for the stowage lockers that go to the International Space Station.

“Gene Haas Foundation is thrilled to partner with Orleans/Niagara BOCES on this upgrade to their facility,” Looman said. “This naming program is an endorsement of the best CNC programs in the world. This grant was established for the purpose of highlighting those programs in order to raise the standard of Manufacturing Technology programs everywhere. We would like to thank William Rakonczay and the entire team at Orleans/Niagara BOCES for the success it has had as we look forward to the future.”

The upgrades to the classroom took place over the course of this summer and this year’s classes walking into the new Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Lab at the beginning of the school year.

“It is a very exciting time for me and for the students,” Rakonczay said.  “We have a state-of-the-art learning lab. It’s been completely transformed.”

The Gene Haas Foundation has played a very important role in Mr. Rakonczay’ s program for many years providing scholarships to his students to continue their education. Gene Haas, the sole funder of the foundation bearing his name, is the founder and owner of Haas Automation, the largest machine tool builder in the western world.

The foundation was created by its namesake in 1999 to focus on manufacturing education in the form of scholarships for CNC machinist training.  It donates millions of dollars every year to manufacturing education and the community.

There are over 300,000 manufacturing jobs that are currently unfilled due to a lack of skilled workers. Those numbers continue to grow daily due to retirements.

“I get calls all the time from companies who desperately need machinists,” Rakonczay said. “There are just not enough trained workers out there.”

ALBION – Hoag Library will have its annual meeting today at 7 p.m., and voters in the library service area of central Orleans will elect two people to be trustees.

There are three people running for two positions with four-year terms. Voting is from noon to 7 p.m. at the library.

Kevin Doherty and Jim Babcock, the incumbents, are back on the ballot, along with Carole Patterson, a former board member from 2009 to 2013.

Patterson is retired from The Village of Orleans. She was part fo the feasibility study with the Ivy Partners for the new Hoag Library before it was built in 2012. She remains invoIved with the Friends of Hoag Library.

“My vision for the future as part of the Hoag Library board is to support and address staff concerns, support and assist with new program ideas,” Patterson said in a candidate statement on the library website. “I would like to see a daytime book club for members of the community who are unable to attend evening sessions. Continue to support Friends of Hoag as outside support for library needs not included in annual budget. I feel the library is the cornerstone of Albion providing services for the entire community.”

Kevin Doherty was the board president when the new library was built. He owns a technology services company, Doherty Communications, and is a former member of the Board of Education.

Jim Babcock, a local contractor, also has been involved in many community efforts.

“I believe the library is a valuable asset to the community and with great stewardship it can continue to be,” Babcock said.

Provided photos

MEDINA – Joseph Andrew Brueckner became Troop 28’s newest Eagle Scout on Sunday during a ceremony and celebration at Glenwood Park in Ridgeway.

In the photo at left, Brueckner thanks people for their support during his scout journey, including Todd Draper in back. In the photo at right, Brueckner celebrates with Scoutmaster Tim Miller.

Brueckner has been a scout since the 1st grade. His Eagle Project consisted of adding 2 benches and 10 birdhouses at Glenwood Lake.

This photo shows a group of all Eagle Scouts. From left Scoutmaster Tim Miller, Steve Miller, Joe Brueckner, David Vanderwalker, Todd Draper and Eli Pask.

Brueckner is a senior at Medina High School and is in the AME program at BOCES.  He works as an intern at Amada Tool America in Batavia as well as helping with his family’s restaurant and catering business. He plans to continue his education after high school but is uncertain which school he will choose.

Joe Brueckner is shown with his family, including father Matt Brueckner, mother Kim Brueckner and brother Brandon Brueckner.

Joe Brueckner does a trust fall with Eagle Scouts Tim Miller, Eli Pask, Steve Miller, David Vanderwalker and Todd Draper (not shown in photo).

Provided photo: Lyndonville Teachers Association President Shane Price, left, is shown with candidates endorsed by the LTA, including Megan Bruning, Patrick Whipple and Matthew Heinsler. LTA Treasurer Tammy Mallon is at right.

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Teachers Association has announced its support for three candidates for the Board of Education who are challenging incumbents in the May 21 election.

The teachers’ union is backing Megan Bruning, Patrick Whipple and Matthew Heinsler.

The incumbents seeking re-election include Board President Ted Lewis and members Susan Hrovat and Steve Vann.

Lyndonville Teachers Association issued a statement, saying it endorses Bruning, Whipple, and Heinsler “who are pro-teacher and are willing to collaborate with teachers, staff, students, parents and the community toward overall student and district success.”

The LTA said the three endorsed candidates “are committed to an atmosphere of teamwork where all constituents play a role in decision making and achievement of the district vision for the present and the future.”

The Lyndonville district newsletter includes statements from all six candidates.

Megan Bruning works full-time and two kids in the district. She works as a technical writer for Baxter Healthcare in Medina.

“I represent so many families in this district that battle the balance of work, life, school, finances, parenting and all the other dramas that come with being alive,” she states in the school newsletter. “I have a perspective that I feel is not currently represented at the district level.”

Bruning would like to see more efficient communication from the school district, rather than parents “digging through backpacks to find crumpled up papers of school events.”

She wants to see Board meeting agendas, minutes and highlights more conveniently available and accessible to all of the community.

“There are some frustrations within the district,” she said. “Although, I may not have the magic to fix it all, I have a perspective and experience that can help us drive toward improvement.”

Matthew Heinsler is a squadron commander for the U.S. Air Force. He said he embraces the core values of “Integrity First, Service Before Self and excellence in all I do.”

He writes in the newsletter he wants to serve the people of the school district, and help create a better future for the district.

Patrick Whipple, PhD, is director of Professional Learning Services at Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. He also is a board member for the Lyndonville Area Foundation and a member of the Lyndonville Music Boosters.

Whipple wants more transparency, clear communication and “an unwavering dedication to continuous improvement.”

“Our educational landscape is ever-changing, and we must adapt and innovate to meet the evolving needs of our students, and prepare them for the challenges of the future,” Whipple said. “This means regularly evaluating our policies, practices, and outcomes, and being open to change when it serves the greater good.”

Hrovat, Vann and Lewis said they are looking to reduce the cost to the school district for health insurance.

“Together, we continue to learn about and find ways to improve the current system, which has locked the school into an expensive and difficult to change insurance plan,” Hrovat, a senior state parole officer, said in a message to voters in the school newsletter.

If the district’s health insurance plan was modified, Hrovat said it could enhance the current insurance and “save the community extensively, despite pushback from major players.”

Lewis has been the board president for the past 11 years and has been on the board for 15 years. He is retired as an Environmental Research Scientist and Associate Faculty member in the at SUNY Brockport.

Lewis said he is proud of the high-quality education at Lyndonville, including the district’s ability to continue in-person classes when some restrictions were eased in the Covid pandemic. Many districts had a hybrid schedule with students in-person some days and at home on others. Lyndonville was able to offer in-person all five days of the week for everyone during the 2020-21 school year.

“This achievement took strong local leadership from our Board of Education and Administrative team, as well as commitment and sacrifice from our teachers and staff,” Lewis said. “This is a shining example of what small town education with strong local control can accomplish.”

Steven Vann works as a president of J.S.C Management Group which operates many Burger King restaurants. He sees the small-school atmosphere as a great asset for the community and the top reason for the Lyndonville community to grow. However, Vann said the district needs to be sustainable for years to come.

Vann said his experience in business is an asset to the district in his role on the board – “from HR, construction, budgets, and ability to hold people accountable and ask tough questions.”

Vann pushed for changes in health insurance carriers, which he said would have saved the district $571,000 a year, reducing the tax levy by more than 10 percent.

“While my efforts failed to get this across the finish line, the efforts exposed the resistance of the administration to review other options,” Vann writes in the district newsletter. “The administration purposely delayed the endeavor, which ultimately could have cost us even more money.”

Voting for the board members as well as the district budget and funding for the library will be from noon to 8 p.m. at the Stroyan Auditorium Foyer.

Gas prices continue to trend upward, increasing another 4 cents in the past week in Orleans County, from $3.63 to $3.67 a gallon for regular unleaded. That follows a 21-cent increase the previous three weeks.

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.65, down a cent from last Monday. A year ago, the price was $3.55, AAA reported.

The New York State average is $3.73, up two cents from a week ago. A year ago, the NYS average was $3.70, AAA said.

Here are the average prices today in Western New York counties:

• Orleans, $3.674
• Genesee, $3.628
• Wyoming, $3.620
• Livingston, $3.675
• Monroe, $3.690
• Niagara, $3.585
• Erie, $3.675
• Chautauqua, $3.630
• Cattaraugus, $3.612
• Allegany, $3.653

“Tepid demand, increasing supply, and falling oil prices could lower pump prices,” AAA said in a statement this morning. “Domestic gasoline demand will pick back up as we get closer to Memorial Day weekend and the traditional start of summer driving season, which will likely come with an increase in prices at the pump.”

The national average price for diesel is $3.97, down three cents from last Monday. The New York average is $4.40, no change from a week ago, AAA said.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Brody George, collections manager at Medina Railroad Museum, portrayed mayor E. Lou Sieve in the Medina Area Partnership’s murder mystery event Saturday, “When Push Came to Shove.” (Right) From left, Tami Siffsinger of Lyndonville and Carol Bellack and Robin Wehling of Medina dressed for the era during Medina Area Partnership’s murder mystery event on Saturday. Here, they prepare to enter Author’s Note, hoping to find a clue.

MEDINA – The past weekend was a busy one in Medina, with many stores offering specials, welcoming an influx of visitors and staging a murder mystery to solve.

Saturday was the Medina Area Partnership’s fun murder mystery event, “When Push Came to Shove.”

Seventeen businesses and 132 people participated in the event, which entailed visiting all participating businesses, talking to the character portrayed in that store and then deciding who killed Austin Franks, an owner of the Franks and Bettor Cold Storage after its grand opening.

Christine and Chris Blowers of Lockport participated in MAP’s annual murder mystery event on Saturday for the first time. They are checking their notebooks here at a lily & a sparrow.

The scene is set in 1904 and all the local people of importance attended the ribbon cutting, which was followed by tours of the cold storage and refreshments. Everyone (they thought) finally cleared out, except Austin Franks, who offered to do a final check of the building.

Later, when the night watchman did his rounds, he found Franks dead at the bottom of the elevator shaft.

Each participating business was given a script listing how the “actor or actress” knew each character involved and how they knew Austin. Each actor had three clues to give out.

The day began with check-in at the Medina Senior Center, where attendees received a wristband, investigator’s booklet, snack and a goodie bag. They had until 4 p.m. to visit all participating locations, then had to decide who the murderer was and e-mail their answer to Medina Area Partnership.

The correct answers were then entered in a drawing to win a gift basket filled with prizes worth more than $250. Winner was Andrea Walton of Medina.

Many participating individuals dressed in costumes of the early 1900s, including Tami Siffsinger of Lyndonville and Carol Bellack and Robin Wehling of Medina.

They were encountered on Main Street as they made their way into Author’s Note, “investigator’s” notebooks in hand.

“We know there’s a lot of hanky panky going on,” Wehling said.

“There’s illicit love, so it could be a woman who did it,” Bellack speculated. “Regardless, it’s a gorgeous day to be out, and we’re supporting the Medina Area Partnership.”

Siffsinger was happy about the gift bag they received, which included their investigator’s notebook and coupons for participating stores. They also had a wine tasting at Main Street Liquor and sampled sweets at Della’s Chocolates.

Chris and Christine Blowers of Lockport were at a lily & a sparrow, checking their notebooks and asking questions. This was their first time taking part in such an activity.

“We always liked to do adventures and this is something different,” Chris said. “We enjoy watching mystery shows on TV, but here we have real life clues.”

Brody George, collections manager at Medina Railroad Museum, played the role of Mayor E. Lou Sieve. He didn’t realize when he volunteered to be an actor, he would be the murderer.

When people came in looking for clues, he said he “loosely made stuff up.”

Overall, it was nice to see all the businesses who participated, he said.

MEDINA – The Medina Area Partnership will continue to implement beautification projects in Medina’s downtown business district with the annual placing of flower pots.

MAP is seeking monetary donations to assist with the cost of flowers, soil and other products needed to achieve those initiatives.

Cost to sponsor a flower pot is $75, and anyone interested is asked to send a check payable to Medina Area Partnership to Mary Lewis, Creekside Floral, 509 Main St., Medina. Lewis is chair of MAP’s Beautification Committee.

Those who sponsor a pot will be recognized on a sign in a flower pot, as well as on the large sign outside of city hall and on the MAP website. Larger donations are also welcome to assist with other beautification projects, where the objective is to make the downtown community and greater Medina area an attractive place to visit.