Ian Mackay, on trek from Albany to Buffalo, wants to highlight accessibility in nature

Provided photo: Ian Mackay is using a mouth-controlled power wheelchair to travel the Erie Canal towpath. He is scheduled to pass through Orleans County today and tomorrow.

ALBION – A man who is paralyzed from the waist down is headed to Orleans County today on the Erie Canal towpath, as part of 10-day journey to highlight accessibility in nature for people who are disabled.

Ian Mackay is one day nine of the 10-day initiative. As of about noon today, he was at South Greece and headed west. His team estimates he will be in Holley around 2:30 p.m. today, and then will reach Albion around 4 p.m.

He plans to have pizza at Avanti’s in Albion after today’s ride.

Mackay is paralyzed from the neck down after a bike accident when he hit a tree in 2008. He continues to lead an active life and loves to explore the outdoors.

His schedule showed him stopping at Albion today and then starting the final day of the trip in Albion on Monday morning and then go 46 miles to near Buffalo. But he may go past Albion today due to the long journey on Monday. He usually starts the day’s ride around 10 or 11 a.m.

Mackay is using the ride from Albany to Buffalo to highlight what’s possible for wheelchair users when accessible infrastructure makes outdoor recreation more inclusive.

Mackay is founder and executive director of Ian’s Ride, which is based in Washington state.

“This is an opportunity to show what’s possible when people have access to the outdoors,” Mackay said before the trip started. “The Erie Canalway Trail is an incredible piece of American history, and I’m excited to experience it with my friends, meet people along the way and continue pushing for trails that everyone can enjoy.”

Peter Bartula sent in this photo of a spectacular sunset this evening over Lake Alice in Carlton.

Katie Bourke took this photo of the sunset in Albion, looking west down Route 31 near the Route 98 intersection.

The high temperatures for the next few days include 66 on Sunday with a chance of showers, cloudy on Monday with a high near 65, partly sunny on Tuesday with a high of 70 and then partly sunny on Wednesday with a high near 74.

The village zoning map shows the area in green between Washington and West State streets that is currently zoned for Mobile Home Park. It would need to be changed to R-C (Residential/Offices/Limited Business) to allow for a housing project across from the boiler house of the Albion Correctional Facility.

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board is recommending the Village of Albion approve a zoning change to allow for the housing project at west end of Washington Street and West State Street.

The zoning for the land in the late 1990s was changed to a “Mobile Home Park” classification to allow for manufactured homes, but that project by the late Richard DeCarlo Sr. didn’t happen. The site at the west end of West State Street and Washington streets has remained vacant since. The land is across from the boiler house of the Albion Correctional Facility.

The vacant land formerly was used a horse racing track and the fairgrounds in Albion. CDS Monarch is eyeing the site for a 70-unit housing project in Albion. It wants the zoning to be changed to R-C Residential/Offices/Limited Businesses, which allows a mix of residential, offices and limited business uses in transitional areas between residential and commercial areas.

Richard DeCarlo Jr., president of Albion Mobile Home Inc., is requesting the village to rezone this property at 470 Washington St.

CDS Monarch sees demand for housing in Albion and Orleans County. The company wants to develop 13.5 acres into housing with one building having 30 units, and then five other 8-plex apartment buildings, Planning Board member Chris Kinter said during the board’s meeting on Thursday. Kinter is the village’s code enforcement officer.

The site is on flat land and is shovel ready for development, Kinter said. There is also room on the site to do more development in the future if there is a demand, he said.

If the zoning change is approved by the village, CDS Monarch will then present a site plan for the project, where the public and village officials can share their viewpoints.

ARG Disposal & Transfer has its business from 366 Washington St. and has voiced concerns that the housing project may not be the best fit for that area which also includes the village’s DPW facility and the Albion Correctional Facility. Their attorney has suggested the zoning instead be changed to light industrial.

Tim Elliott, a member of the County Planning Board from Ridgeway, during Thursday’s meeting also said he could foresee there will be conflict putting housing in an area with so many other uses.

Another Planning Board member, Dan Strong of Carlton, says the developer would upgrade the property, and bring needed housing and tax revenue for the community.

“The developer is taking the chance he can fill it,” Strong said.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Lucas Bodinez of Pittsburgh stands in the fast-moving current of the Oak Orchard River on Oct. 20, 2023, trying to catch a Chinook salmon or a steelhead (rainbow trout). Many out-of-state anglers come to Orleans County in the fall for tributary fishing.

Press Release, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Today is the one of six designated free fishing days in New York State, where the fishing license requirement is waived.

“Fishing in New York is better than ever,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “Whether it’s chasing salmon on a Great Lakes tributary, pursuing bass on a scenic lake, or casting a line in a local stream, there’s something here for everyone. I encourage anglers to take advantage of New York’s Free Fishing Days and introduce someone new to the sport.”

This Free Fishing Day coincides with National Hunting and Fishing Day, which was designated by Congress in 1972 to encourage people to experience, understand, and appreciate traditional outdoor sports and recreation and our abundant natural resources, and to recognize hunters and anglers for their leadership in fish and wildlife conservation.

The final Free Fishing Day for 2026 will take place on November 11 (Veterans Day). On Free Fishing Days, New York residents and non-residents may fish for free without a fishing license. Free Fishing Day participants are reminded that, although the requirement for a fishing license is waived during Free Fishing Days, all other fishing regulations remain in effect. When not participating in Free Fishing Days, anyone 16 years of age and older must have a current New York State fishing license to fish. Fishing licenses are valid for 365 days from the date of purchase.

Press Release, Orleans County government

RIDGEWAY – The Orleans County Legislature, in conjunction with the county Youth Bureau, will be hosting its 12th annual “Family Game Night” on Thursday, October 8th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Ridgeway Fire Hall located at 11392 Ridge Rd. in Ridgeway.  The event is free but residents are asked to register in advance.

The event will feature free pizza, board games, prize drawings and other activities and promotions. There also will be several display booths with county departments who will be providing information on various programs and services available to Orleans County families.  Each family will also be given a board game to take home to start their own game night.

“It’s hard to believe this is our 12th Family Game Night and I am so happy families continue to join us year after year as we promote turning off the electronics and engaging in a traditional board game,” said Legislature Chairman Lynne Johnson.  “We also use the event as an opportunity for our departments to engage with residents on the programs, opportunities and services available through county government.”

For more information or to register for the event call the Youth Bureau at 585-589-2745 or send an email to OrleansCountyYouthBureau@orleanscountyny.gov with your name, phone number, address and number of people attending.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Medina Marching Band is shown performing on Sept. 11 during halftime of the OC Rivals football game at Vets Park. The band is debuting new uniforms this season and also is performing a show, “We The People” celebrating the nation’s  250th anniversary with the music of Aaron Copeland.

MEDINA – Saturday will be a special day for the Medina Mustang Marching Band.

It will be their first performance for their hometown fans, under the direction of new band leaders Kyla Leno-Denise, Andrea Busch and Michael Denise.

Other leaders assisting the band are Tim Sexton, drill design;, Joe Organisciak, music arranger and writer; Michael Denise, battery arranger and writer; Tiffany Organisciak, front ensemble instructor; Zach Busch, wind instructor; Adam Mark, battery instructor; and Diana Baker, McKenna Callard, Katie Crooks and Kaela Grosslinger, guard instructors and designers.

Medina’s fall show is titled “We the People,” and features the music of Aaron Copeland. Their performance earned them a second-place finish at their first competition of the fall season Sept. 12 in Jordan-Elbridge.

The Mustang Band boosters have sponsored a Fall Festival of Bands for many years at Veterans’ Memorial Park. Saturday’s event begins at 6 p.m.

The schedule includes:

• Falconer-Frewsburg at 6:00 p.m.
• Pioneer Yorkshire at 6:13 p.m.
• Marcus Whitman at 6:26 p.m.
• Le Roy at 6:39 p.m.
• Medina at 6:52 p.m.
• West Seneca at 7:05 p.m.
• Greece at 7:18 p.m.
• Retreat/Awards at 7:45 p.m.

The Mustang Boosters will again have a concession stand offering not dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chill, pizza, candy and beverages.

Photos and information courtesy of Albion Elks Lodge #1006

BATAVIA – Members of the Albion Lodge #1006 of the Benevolent and Protective order of Elks on Tuesday treated the long-term resident veterans of the VA Medical Center in Batavia to an outdoor chicken barbecue with corn bread, salt potatoes, baked beans, fruit, coleslaw and dessert.

The veterans were invited to ask their family members or a favorite staff member to join them.

The Elks Lodge also donated to each veteran a cold weather waterproof hooded wheelchair cape (pictured), as well as travel mugs with straws and tote bags.

Highly favorable feedback was received from staff and veterans regarding this event and a great time was had by all.

This picnic has become an annual event for the Albion Elks Lodge #1006, with gifts and picnic funded by the ELKS National Foundation Spotlight Grant.

Michael Bonafede, Judith Koehler praised for work reviving historic complex

Photos by Tom Rivers: The historic Pratt and Day buildings, plus a stone building in back, have many tenants in downtown Albion. When Michael Bonafede and Judith Koehler acquired the Day and Pratt buildings about 20 years ago, there was only one paying tenant at $50 a month. Now the Pratt Event Center, at 114-120 North Main St., has several tenants offering an array of services and merchandise.

ALBION – Twenty years ago the fate of the Pratt Opera House and the neighboring Day and Day Building looked grim. The old opera house had a stage thick with pigeon poop and bird carcasses. It hadn’t hosted an event in about 70 years.

The roof was shot and windows were missing. The entire complex was mostly vacant. There were only two tenants – David Gates, who ran a martial arts studio on the second floor, was a paying tenant at $50 a month, and McDonald’s paid $25 a month for storage space.

Michael Bonafede and Judith Koehler saw potential in the historic buildings, and they weren’t afraid of the hard work to get there. They were strongly urged by Albion’s mayor at the time, Ed Salvatore, to take on the challenge of reviving the site, with Salvatore seeing the opera house as a cultural destination and a drawing card for the downtown.

The couple has met their goal of bringing many tenants to the downtown and securing a certificate of occupancy for the theater. They have passed the reins to new owners, Taylor McCabe and Sara Barbur of Genesee County. McCabe is an electrical contractor with McCabe Enterprises in Pembroke while his partner, Barbur, works as a traveling registered nurse.

They have been friends with the Bonafede-Koehler family for many years. The new owners have deep respect for Bonafede and Koehler’s work with the historic structures in the downtown.

“It has been 20 years of toil to bring these buildings back,” McCabe said. “It went from near condemnation to a hub of the downtown. They basically saved the buildings.”

Sara Barbur and Taylor McCabe are shown with Michael Bonafede and Judith Koehler on the stage in the Pratt Theater, which opened as the Pratt Opera House in 1890. The stage was expanded in 1902, becoming the largest stage between Buffalo and Rochester for many years. The theater once sat 800 people and included a horseshoe-shaped balcony, orchestra pit and four surviving boxes. The theater has 300 seats today and will be hosting a concert on Sunday.

McCabe’s father, Barry McCabe, has been a long-time friend of Bonafede and Koehler. McCabe and Bonafede worked together fixing about 50 older homes in Rochester.

When Mike and Judy had a fire in their Albion home in 2010, Barry and his son Taylor were there in the middle of the night to repair the electric and get the power back on.

When Bonafede and Koehler bought the Pratt and Day & Day buildings, the electric in the building could have been considered a fire hazard. Barry McCabe put in new electric, doing it as a favor to his friends with his son Taylor helping over the years on some of the projects.

“We have crawled around so many cubbies of this building,” Taylor said.

Bonafede and Koehler say the buildings are in good hands with the new owners.

“They will do things different from us but their vision is aligned with ours,” Bonafede said.

Besides the Pratt and Day & Day sites, Barbur and McCabe acquired a historic stone building and a parking lot in back from Bonafede and Koehler. That stone building was owned by Mary Hollenbeck before Bonafede and Koehler bought it about a decade ago. It shares a common wall with the Pratt.

The “Stone Building” is behind the Pratt and Day & Day buildings, facing Liberty Street.

Argento’s Deli and Bakery, and the Furniture Room are among the tenants in the stone building that was originally built in 1840. It survived big fires close by in 1860 and 1880, Bonafede said.

The stone building also is used for storage. McCabe sees other potential in that building for loft apartments, or a green room because it is connected to the Pratt theater.

Although they are no longer the owners, Bonafede and Koehler were remain active helping to promote the sites, especially with concerts and entertainment in the theater. Bonafede was the drummer of the famed Black Sheep band, where Lou Gramm was lead singer before joining Foreigner. Gramm sang on the Pratt stage on June 23, 2024 in two reunion concerts with his Black Sheep band mates.

There will be another concert this Sunday starting at 4 p.m. with Black Sheep. Gramm won’t be available this time because he is on tour. Garrett Crumb, a lead singer with “Johnny Smoke,” will be singing with Black Sheep.

Other performers in the concert include The Pratt Pack Pit Band, Eclipse, Frequency Theory and The Royal Body Church Choir.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, and are available at Argento’s Deli, Rise and Grind, The Downtown Browsery, Digital Ink Arts and Arnold’s Auto Parts, or online at www.prattmusic26eventbrite.com.

The tenants of the three sites now include the Downtown Browsery, Argento’s Deli & Bakery, The Furniture Room, Paranormal Response, Red Check Rustic, Albion Bible Baptist Church, Homestead Mending Company, Project U, Old Books at the New Bridge, a holistic health and healing business, studio space for D.J. Button, and a pottery business, the Maggie Potters.

“This is the most occupied space in downtown Albion,” Koehler said.

Sara Barbur and Taylor McCabe, new owners of three downtown buildings in Albion, see lots of potential in the district, and want to see the theater hosts many events for the community. They are shown in the historic Pratt Theater.

McCabe said owning the three historic sites is a good business opportunity, especially with the buildings now in good condition with many tenants. But he sees it as an outlet for community service. As McCabe Enterprises has got busier, McCabe said he has had less time for community initiatives.

He used to be president of the Lyndonville Tigers amateur football team, and McCabe often had the players out doing community cleanups, projects and fundraisers.

Barbur said owning the downtown buildings is “outside the daily grind” in her usual career. She embraces the challenge of bringing even more activity to the properties.

“Taylor is the dreamer, and I’m the more practical person,” Barbur said. “But this will be an adventure together.”

Lou Gramm gave a high-octane performance at the Pratt on June 23, 2024. He is shown singing one of seven Black Sheep songs with Michael Bonafede playing the drums and Alona Kuhns on bass. McCabe Enterprises, an electrical contractor, and Milton CAT brought in the equipment and installed an air conditioning system in the theater for the two shows.

When the Pratt was gearing up for the Black Sheep reunion concert on June 23, 2024, the area was gripped in a stifling heat wave with temps in the 90s. That was too hot for the third floor of the opera house. Bonafede was worried about the crowd and the performers in such a hot space.

He reached out to McCabe about bringing in air conditioning. McCabe was able to secure a generator from Milton CAT and bring in an enormous air conditioner and install the piping to keep the temps down to 72 degrees in an uninsulated theater. Bonafede could see McCabe’s commitment and ability to solve problems with that feat.

McCabe said working out the AC for the two concerts that day was exhilarating.

“I felt incredible,” he said, recalling those concerts in a cool theater. “We enjoyed being a part of that. It was a big milestone.”

Judith Koehler is shown given a tour of the GAR Room last year. This is a rare, historic Grand Army of the Republic meeting room at 116 North Main St. Civil War veterans from three local brigades gathered in this room from 1884 to 1930.

Bonafede and Koehler said some potential buyers have shown interest in the properties, but they didn’t feel like their vision matched Bonafede’s and Koehler’s. They are confident Barbur and McCabe are the right people to lead the properties.

“We see these buildings as a community,” Bonafede said about the three historic sites. “We want fair rents for the tenants and for them to be cooperative people, working together.”

McCabe and Barbur said their goal is to foster economic development for small businesses, while preserving the Pratt theater for performances and events, and also to continue to safeguard at the GAR Room on the third floor of the Day & Day Building.

“These are two sacred spaces with the Pratt and the GAR,” McCabe said. “They need to be cared for and preserved for the long-term.”

Michael Bonafede is shown in November 2022 with a mural in Beaver Alley with a Gold Medal Flour mural on the Pratt building. Bonafede had paint scraped off that summer from the brick wall when he saw remnants of the original Gold Medal Flour mural. He and his wife, Judith Koehler, decided to recreate the original mural from the early 1900s.

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) announced a new Trump Accounts informational resource on her congressional website to help families across New York’s 24th District understand the program, eligibility requirements, and how to access official federal resources.

Trump Accounts are tax-advantaged accounts established for eligible children under federal law. Children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, who meet federal eligibility requirements may receive a one-time $1,000 contribution from the U.S. Treasury.

The accounts are established for eligible children who are U.S. citizens, under federal law in the child’s name, with a parent or guardian serving as custodian until the child turns 18. Tenney’s new constituent resource provides an overview of Trump Accounts, information about the federal seed contribution and certain charitable contributions, and instructions for accessing the official Trump Accounts program.

“Every parent wants to give their child a strong start and the opportunity to build a successful future,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Trump Accounts create a new opportunity for eligible children to have an account established in their name, including a $1,000 federal contribution for those who qualify. Families deserve clear and accessible information about federal programs available to them, which is why our office has created this resource to explain how Trump Accounts work and connect constituents directly with the official federal program.”

To view the Trump Accounts resource on Congresswoman Tenney’s website, click here.

County seeks to highlight “Every Child Matters” and domestic violence awareness

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County Courthouse dome is shown last October when it was lighted up in purple in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The dome will again be lighted in purple from Oct. 2 to Oct. 16 for domestic violence awareness.

The courthouse top also will be illumined in orange from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 for “Every Child Matters Day,” which is recognized on Sept. 30 across Indigenous communities. The day is a time to reflect on the truths of U.S. and Canadian boarding school histories, honor survivors, and commit to healing, reconciliation and education, Orleans County legislators said in a proclamation.

Orleans County Legislator Don Allport on Tuesday presents a proclamation in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. He presented it to Kelley Ortiz, senior caseworker; Cyndi Stumer, deputy commissioner of the Orleans County Department of Social Services; and Judianne Gearing, supervisor in DSS.

Legislators said that while 90 percent of domestic violence cases go unreported, 265 cases were reported to the Orleans County Domestic Violence Unit in 2024, 249 cases were reported in 2025 and 248 cases so far this year from Jan. 1 to Sept. 1.

“Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior that may include physical, emotional, psychological, economic, or sexual abuse, perpetrated by an intimate partner over another, to establish and maintain power and control,” the proclamation states.

Domestic violence is the major cause of injury to women, resulting in more injuries to women then auto accidents, muggings and rapes combined, legislators stated.

“Domestic violence is a serious crime that affects people regardless of socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, age, gender, education, employment status, physical ableness, marital status, or childhood history,” the proclamation stated.

Legislator Allport also presented a proclamation about “Every Child Matters Day” for Sept. 30 to DSS caseworker Isabella Gibbs and DSS Commissioner Shirley Mazourek.

The proclamation states that beginning in the early 1800s and lasting well into the 20th century, hundreds of thousands of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children were removed from their families and communities and placed in more than 500 government and church-run Indian boarding schools.

“Many endured the loss of culture, language, traditions and identity, and many children never returned home,” the proclamation stated. “These schools caused intergenerational trauma that continues to affect Indigenous peoples, families and communities today, while Indigenous nations, families, and cultures continue to demonstrate resilience, strength and survival.”

Orange Shirt Day began in 2013 to honor survivors of residential and boarding schools, remember the children who never came home, and recognize the enduring impacts of these institutions.

“The Orleans County Department of Social Services will continue to collaborate with Tribes and Indigenous-led organizations to guide this work in culturally responsive and respectful ways; and commits to listening to Indigenous students and families to guide ongoing efforts toward healing, equity and belonging,” the proclamation states.

The County Legislature also issued a proclamation that declared October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.” Legislator John Fitzak presents the proclamation to the county IT team that includes secretary Lily Kiebala, computer specialist Dan neary, senior computer specialist David Janus, system engineer Zach Reed, system engineer Don Mack, and IT director Ryan Woolston.

The Legislature and IT department encourage people to monitor your accounts, be conscientious of what you share online, keep computer software up to date, create unique passwords and change them regularly, install anti-virus programs and firewalls, and use mobile devices safely. Those are ways you can protect yourself from phishing, viruses, malware, and loss of sensitive data, they said.

“Maintaining the security of cyberspace is a shared responsibility in which each of us has a critical role to play, and awareness of computer security essentials will improve the security of Orleans County’s information, infrastructure and economy,” the proclamation states.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) is raising concerns that New York State’s new Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate (POWER) program excludes seniors and other New Yorkers who did not file a 2024 state income tax return, including individuals who may not have been required to file one.

New York State began mailing POWER rebate checks on Sept. 21, with eligible taxpayers receiving $100, $150 or $200. The checks are being distributed automatically based on 2024 tax returns rather than being provided as a tax credit.

State law requires recipients to have been full-year New York residents in 2024 and to have timely filed a 2024 New York State income tax return. The law also establishes income limits and requires that the taxpayer is not claimed as a dependent.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance specifically states that individuals who did not file a 2024 New York resident income tax return will not receive a POWER rebate check. There is no application process for a non-filer to simply apply for the payment.

“If we’re going to spend $1 billion on energy relief, we should make sure it reaches the people who need it most, including seniors who aren’t required to file a return,” said Hawley. “I support rebate checks for families struggling with utility bills. Checks arriving this fall won’t make next winter’s bill affordable. Without the long-term changes to our energy system that our Conference has called for, this is a Band-Aid on a problem Albany still needs to fix.”

For more information on the POWER rebate program and eligibility requirements, visit the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance at tax.ny.gov.