Joyce M. Rosenberg
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Within three months, one of MacLaren Cummings’ staffers passed away from cancer and then both his own mother and the mother of an employee were diagnosed with breast cancer. Although he was the CEO, Cummings says, “the last thing I could think about was work.”

That painful stretch in 2011 planted the seeds for a paid family leave policy at Terakeet, his internet marketing company based in Syracuse, New York.

“It changed my perspective on work/life balance and the importance of people being able to have time to spend with families and loved ones and not worry about a paycheck,” Cummings says.

Paid time off to care for ill family members is a benefit many employees wish for, but it’s hard to come by,  especially at very small companies with limited financial resources. But a quarter-century after the Family and Medical Leave Act gave employees at larger businesses up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off for their medical needs or those of family members, a growing movement aims to help staffers at small businesses get paid leave.

Advocates for paid time off are lobbying for more states to get on board. Right now, paid family leave is the law in just four states, with one more and Washington, D.C., set to implement it in two years. Company owners elsewhere who can afford to provide it know it’s not only compassionate but also makes them more competitive in a tight labor market.

Paid leave for caregiving is separate from parental leave following a birth or adoption, a benefit more common at large corporations but that many small companies also struggle to provide. The FMLA requires employers with 50 or more workers to give them unpaid leave for their own medical needs, after the birth or adoption of a child or to care for an ill family member. Workers who take leave are guaranteed a job to come back to.

Some state and local laws allow workers at smaller companies to take unpaid time off for caregiving. Thirteen states and Washington, D.C., require employers to give parents and caregivers unpaid leave of varying lengths for different situations; the majority apply to businesses with under 50 employees.

But paid family leave, including time for caregivers, is the law only in California, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island, which have employee and/or employer-funded insurance pools to partially replace workers’ wages; Washington state and Washington, D.C., will do so starting in 2020. Workers in a growing number of states, cities and counties can accrue paid sick days that can be used to care for a relative; the city council in Austin, Texas passed its sick leave law on Friday.

Campaigns are underway to enact similar paid family leave laws in other states including Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Oregon, Hawaii, Colorado and Minnesota, according to Ellen Bravo, co-director of Family Values at Work, an organization that advocates for paid leave.

It would likely be difficult to pass paid leave in Congress and in many conservative states, where lawmakers may believe such decisions should be made by company owners. President Donald Trump indicated support for paid family leave in his State of the Union address, but gave no details.

Many companies of all sizes offer paid parental leave; the amount offer varies widely, ranging from one or two weeks to 20 or more at big tech companies. Netflix offers 52 weeks. Paid caregiving leave is rarer in corporate benefits packages, although some big companies like Microsoft and Starbucks do offer it.

Terakeet gives staffers eight weeks leave at full pay and four weeks at half pay during a 12-month period for situations similar to those covered by the FMLA. Cummings began offering leave more than three years ago, before New York’s family leave law was enacted in 2016.

Some small businesses offer caregiving leave because the owners have emotional ties to staffers, says Stephanie Sweitzer, an employment attorney with Morgan Lewis in Chicago.

“They have a much more family-like atmosphere,” she says. “You want to take care of your workers. You see them every day. They may be going through some family illness or struggling after a birth and you want to help them.”

Economist Eileen Appelbaum, who has interviewed business owners to find out what kinds of benefits they offer, says many would provide leave if they could.

“Most small employers told us regretfully, `We value these employees, we know them, we know their families. We want to give them the time, but we don’t have the ability to provide them with pay,”’ says Appelbaum, co-director of the think tank Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Forcing staffers to choose between caring for a family member and their paychecks doesn’t make sense to Lisa Goodbee. She gives the 17 staffers at her civil engineering firm six weeks at full pay and 12 at half pay for parental or caregiving leave.

“I spent a lot of time and energy in training people. When they have an incident, a new baby a dying parent or whatever it might be, I want to try and do whatever I can to keep them,” says Goodbee, president of Goodbee & Associates in Denver.

“It keeps my employees happy, and when my staff is happy, my clients are happy and it goes in the quality of the business and the bottom line.”

Joe Gidjunis, owner of JPG Photography in Philadelphia, offers his 13 staffers five weeks of time for vacation, sick days and holidays, but isn’t able to pay them while they’re on leave.

“It’s difficult to pass these extra fees on to my customers through higher prices,” he says. He’s hoping his 14-year-old business grows enough in the next year or so that he can start offering paid leave: “I’m not there yet, but I’m trying to be.”

Lisa Kipps-Brown cared for her mother, who had Alzheimer’s, while she also was running Glerin Business Resources, a website strategy and design company based in Halifax, Virginia. Kipps-Brown’s staff shouldered some of her responsibilities while she tended to her mother, and she wants them to have support now when they’re facing similar crises.

Kipps-Brown gave one of her staffers six weeks of paid leave last year when the employee’s sister was dying, and then to help her sister’s husband and teenage children.

“Although she wasn’t her caregiver, I felt strongly that she should be able to spend that final time with her,” Kipps-Brown says.

The post Money an issue as many businesses don’t give caregiver leave appeared first on Times of Wayne County.

The past week, football fans and media across the country ripped Mel Kiper, Jr.’s thoughts on his second mock draft of 2018.

Why the anger? Kiper apparently didn’t tell fans what they wanted to hear.

Kiper is the Beatles of NFL Draft-dom. He was the first prognosticator to emerge at a once fledgling little cable-sports network from Bristol, Conn. that hired guys like him to supplement time-killing programming like the league’s Annual Selection Meeting (the actual the name of the event).

This is the same network that has and still does hire failed coaches like Dick Vitale or Lee Corso to be analysts because successful coaches still have jobs.

Getting a job at ESPN in the early 1980s and turning yourself into, in essence, a reality TV character can be compared to loaning Tom Golisano money to start Paychex. ESPN was cable’s only all-sports network–a disruptor ON a disruptor–in an era where most Americans got by with four-channel TVs equipped with rickety antennae topping neighborhood rooves like stars on Christmas trees.

ESPN, an all-sports network, was considered a men’s television toy store. So, characters were welcome.

There were other draftnics, but Kiper came young,  cheap, had big hair, and offered insight for this two-day programming monster that soaked hours between editions of SportsCenter, car auctions, and whatever games they could broadcast–either live or tape delayed.

And Kiper knew his stuff. And for years, nobody copied him. The Draft was simply a hobby that a kid from Baltimore parlayed into a career, turning football geekery into hope, thus making it look cool.

Then came the internet, and a generation of Kiper Klones was manufactured.

And since the turn of the millennium, he’s been getting a lot of hate.

And his latest mock draft has rattled the nerd cages yet again because he doesn’t tell anyone what they want to hear anymore.

He tells you what HE wants you to hear.

See, on TV, The Draft isn’t about accuracy. It’s not about busts or Hall-of-Famers, or coaches and GMs making and breaking their careers, though this year’s quarterback crop will cause both of those circumstances to happen.

It’s about feeding a beast Kiper helped create, and that beast is you.

Heck–the best part–many NFL draft bandwagon riders don’t even watch college football. There may be only one guy who watches more than Kiper: Phil Steele. Kiper has microwaved evaluating college players for everyone to believe they can be amateur GMs and fool their own audiences.

Kiper has sports’ best job: he’s not a journalist. He’s not breaking stories, or picking games. He’s simply giving his opinions on college players and where he supposedly thinks they’ll land. Meteorologists aren’t always accurate, and they still have to be right more often than not. Kiper doesn’t even have to be right anymore. And some of you have noticed.

But, don’t kid yourself. Kiper knows better. It’s widely accepted and understood that Mel builds and grades certain players based on relationships with agents and others.

Everyone supposedly knows this.

Yet, everybody gets worked-up every mock draft.

Why?

Because you know he knows what he’s doing and you somehow want to believe he’ll offer your team some hope.

And unless he’s part of a scandal, he ain’t going anywhere but to the highest bidders.

Kiper IS the Draft. It’s HIS brand. His baby.

Which is why despite the fact Todd McShay routinely 10-9s him every round, Kiper is the guy giving lazy talk show hosts content to quibble and selling fans clickbait, while giving agents what they want, too. And who wins?

Yup.

He’s McDonald’s. He’s Wal-Mart. He’s Facebook.

It’s a formula. Agents and personnel people have their own boards and Kiper has influence. Between the two, everybody is happy. Everybody wins.

Even you. You’re still watching. Still reading.

Admit it. You care what he thinks.

You’re upset he has Josh Allen going first to the Browns, and the Bills standing pat without taking a QB.

Wanna ease that anxiety?

The post Kiper Consternation appeared first on Times of Wayne County.

Amanda Colombo 11th grade, Newark High School’s JV/Varsity wrestler has been wrestling with the program for 3 years. This year Amanda went 8 wins and 15 losses. The record does not show the constant pressure and resiliency it takes to be a female on a Boy’s wrestling team. Amanda has made it her personal objective to push herself on and off the mat in preparation for college.

Jade Eldridge 9th grade, Newark High School’s JV wrestler had one season with Newark’s modified program and had 3 total matches this year at the JV level. Jade went 0-3 this year at the JV level, suffering all defeats close in points. She is determined to make the Varsity team.

Both Amanda and Jade strive for a Sanctioned New York Girl’s Wrestling program. This will provide more opportunities to wrestle and bring more competition in the girls division.

On January 8, 2018 the Public School Athletic League announced they were  hosting the first ever “Girl’s Folk Style New York State Championships in the Bronx, NY”.

Jade provided the information to Amanda and the coaching staff in Newark. Jade explained to her coach the impotency of the tournament and her desire to compete amongst the best female wrestlers in New York. Jade’s dad also expressed to the coaching staff, that this was an amazing opportunity for both ladies.

After a little research the Newark coaching staff signed up both Amanda and Jade  for the tournament. Both ladies continued practicing with the Varsity wrestlers to assist with Sectionals and Super Sectionals, while also practicing with the Newark Pee Wee wrestling team. Jade’s dad set up specific drills/cardio workouts to help maintain the proper techniques to stay motivated.

Jason Eldridge could see the hunger in Amanda and Jade’s eyes. To come home from practicing with the Newark Varsity team, have a regulated meal to maintain weight, and show motivation to get back to the mats with the Pee Wee program, that shows true grit. “That is the discipline and motivation wrestling shows you in life. What you put into wrestling, is what you get out of it. I could not have been more proud of the hard work they showed. I cannot thank Coach Jose Perez and the Newark Pee Wee Wrestling program enough, for taking on the girls and accepting them as Wrestlers and not girls,” said Jason.

On February 17, 2018 at 10:30 am the wrestling began. Both girls had a full bracket, with first round matches. The email that came home to coaches and parents stated, “due to the high number of wrestlers; there might be a single elimination round”. There was one request from Jade’s dad. Win your first match and win it in dominate fashion. The tournament was on!

First, up on mat #2 Amanda Colombo. Nerves were gone and it is time to wrestle. Amanda shook hands with her opponent and the whistle blew. Once a loud room of screaming coaches and friends had finally gone silent. The match went the full 6 minutes and Amanda pulled off the win the last 20 seconds. First hurdle is complete and “Jade Eldridge is on deck,” sounded in the Bbackground.

Jade hugged her dad and he wishes her good luck. She walked out to the circle calm and collected. Jade’s first match was with a senior, who had 4 years or more experience. The whistle blew and Jade wasted no time getting a take down and just like that, the match was over! Jade placed the girl in a cradle and pinned her. Both girls advanced in the tournament.

Amanda and Jade both wrestled 6 times, placing 7th overall in New York State. Both girls lost in the second round to the ladies who placed 2 and then in the 5th round to the ladies who took 5th. Both Amanda and Jade wrestled like champions. They were not seeded in the tournament and did not have a big name like some of the ladies ranked in the state, but  they will be on the radars next wrestling season.

A very special guest represented   the New York State Girls Championships. Helen Maroulis, Olympic Gold Medalist. The first ever gold medal in women’s Olympic wrestling showed up to show support and to meet all of the young ladies wrestling. Helen is a true hero and inspiration to Amanda and Jade.

The post Two Newark girls sent to first sanctioned girls wrestling tournament in New York appeared first on Times of Wayne County.

The North Rose-Wolcott High School auditorium will be alive with “The Sound of Music” as students will bring the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical to the stage for multiple performances in March.

“The Sound of Music” tells the story of Maria Rainer as she falls in love with a widower whose children she was sent to care for. She teaches the seven children to sing, and they are touched by her kindness and the gift of music. Although the family faces adversity, love conquers all in this classic musical.

Students and staff noted that they were looking forward to seeing all the hard work come together on stage.

“It’s a chance to show off the hard work that the director, (audio/visual) personnel, pit band, the cast and all other supporting groups have put into something,” said freshman Hunter Davenport. “(It) shows all these groups have come together to make an epic performance … to entertain the masses and feed their own love for the art of performance.”

NRW junior and musician Chynna Plantz echoed those sentiments and said the musical is an “opportunity to play with high-level musicians and give back to the community through entertainment.”

The show will be performed under the direction of Greg Maddock and produced by musical director Michael Witkiewitz, who will oversee the student orchestra.

High school cast roles include: Maria Rainer (Kylee Mendat); Captain von Trapp (Peter Mattice); Mother Abbess (Kennedy Jones); Elsa Schraeder (Kensie Graham); Max Detweiler (Hunter Davenport); Liesl (Sydney Hall); Friedrich (Obadiah Gregg); Louisa (Taylor LaValley); Brigitta (Abigail Hilkert); Frau Schmidt (Paige Starczewski); Franz (Kalen Roberts); Rolf (Jacob Sperry); Sister Berthe (Emily Meyers); Sister Margaretta (AnnaMae Humbert); Sister Sophia (Gabrielle Warring); Herr Zeller (Tim Mayo); Admiral von Schreiber (Chris Mayo); Baroness Elberfeld (Miranda Motyka); nuns and party guests (Lilibeth Chavez), Lannon Loveless, Aubrey Liseno, Emily Mancine, Shealyn Shattuck, Kiara Ticconi and Dominique Warring.

Elementary school roles are: Kurt (Braiden Bennett); Marta (Ava Bridson); Gretl (Rory Brown); and lonely goatherd (Izella Bryant, Tori Eygner, Kaylin Graham and Marina Van Cuyck).

Performances are slated for 7 p.m. March 2 and 3, with a matinee set for 2 p.m. March 4. Ticket prices are $6 for adults, and $4 students and senior citizens.

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After a long week, Ontario resident Raymond Shove was on his way home from work and stopped off for a quick cup of coffee. It’s something he has done many times before. Only on that night, he was in for a twist.

After stopping at a gas station to get a cup of coffee, Shove was told they wouldn’t make any more for the day. Undeterred, he stopped at the next gas station, the Fastrac store on Route 104 in Ontario. Ready to unwind, he purchased his coffee along with a $5 Million Fortune NY Lottery scratch off ticket and went on his way.

“I brought my coffee and ticket down to the basement where I unwind and scratch my Lottery tickets,” explained the construction worker.

“I’ve played this game for a while, but I was pretty shocked when I realized I won the jackpot. I was looking for the gag.”

He calmly put his ticket away and went to bed. “I didn’t even tell my wife. I slid it under some newspapers and went to sleep.”

The Ontario winner is the seventh NY Lottery player to claim a $1 million or more jackpot prize since January 1.

Asked what he’ll do with all the winnings, Shove said he’s still taking it all in.

“I’ve never had this kind of money so I’ll probably invest most of it. Take care of the family and plan for the future,” said Shove.

Shove will receive his $5,000,000 prize as a one-time lump sum payment totaling $3,309,000 after required withholdings.

This is the second Wayne County winner announced in the last couple of weeks.

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Tops Markets, LLC  has officially announced that it is seeking bankruptcy protection in hopes of eliminating a substantial portion of debt from the company’s balance sheet.

In a release issued Wednesday, the company stated it has “sufficient liquidity to support operations” and that stores will remain open through the process.

Frank Curci, Chief Executive Officer of Tops, attempted to put a positive spin on the restructuring saying he believes the financing they’ve secured form their noteholders is “a vote of confidence” and that they will continue to look toward the future.

Curci went on to say that despite the financial woes of the company, the chain is still well positioned.

“Our operations are strong and we have an outstanding network of stores and a talented team to support them. We are now undertaking a financial restructuring, through which we expect to substantially reduce our debt and achieve long-term financial flexibility. This will enable us to invest further in our stores, create an even more exceptional shopping experience for our customers and compete more effectively in today’s highly competitive and evolving market.”

While news of the bankruptcy leaked days before the official announcement, many local residents are still surprised by the latest development from a company that just a few years ago opened two new stores in Wayne County.

In total, Tops operates 169 full-service supermarkets employing over 14,000 associates across Upstate New York, Northern Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

In Wayne County, Tops operates three stores :  Ontario, Walworth and Lyons, with the Walworth and Lyons stores only open a couple of years.

Bob Plant, former Walworth Town Supervisor, who,  pushed to gain a grocery store in his town. He feels that things may not be as bleak as they seem.

“I sincerely hope this is just a re-organization,  and if enough people use our Walworth TOPS they will keep it open.” Plant acknowledged.

So, what went wrong?

Long before the current group led by Curci took the reigns, the company was saddled with loads of high interest debt. According to a report by The Buffalo News (), SEC filings revealed Tops has to pay more than $80 million a year just in interest, all before paying employees, vendors and expenses.

But Curci and his team had a plan to right the ship. Focus on rural communities and on becoming the small, local grocer that people want and need. That was the driving motivation behind both the Lyons and Walworth stores.

While margins on several grocery items have gone down, increased marketshare is the only real light at the end of the tunnel for midsize operations.

However many of the company’s other local stores are within a close proximity to either a Wegmans or a Walmart, or discount grocers such as Save-A-Lot and Aldis, making competition for the Buffalo based grocer even more difficult.  Adding to this already competitive marketplace are players like Amazon who have started to change the way many people are shopping for everyday items.

What’s next?

In court fillings, the company states it has between $1B-$10B in current liabilities. That’s billion with a “b” and yes they can be that vague in initial fillings.

The company said it hopes to cut its annual interest payments to $20 million a year, which would free up more operating capital. How exactly they get such a discount is still up in the air. Creditors will either have to take a small portion of what they’re owed, exchange debt for ownership or some combination of the two.

Five stores in the Tops chain currently operate under a franchise model. Reports show that these stores are clearing close to three times the weekly profits of their counterparts. Why? More staff.

While many retailers point to rising employment costs, the franchise locations have focused on customer service, staffing their stores with more employees to help speed customers through areas such as the deli and bakery departments.

It’s a model that grocers such as Wegmans have known for years, but can and will it be replicated across Tops’ 160+ locations? Time will tell.

What does this mean for customers and employees?

For customers, the company has said shelves will remain stocked and that all of its weekly ads, coupons, and loyalty programs will continue unchanged. However industry experts have noted that if vendors don’t feel confident in being paid, the variety of choices available to consumers could diminish.

As for employees, Tops says it will continue to pay wages and benefits “without interruption” and with no stores slated to shut down as of yet, no jobs are at risk due to the initial restructuring.

The company has set up a special web site with frequently asked questions and more information on the restructuring process at www.topsrestructuring.com.

The post What is the impact of Tops bankruptcy filing on Wayne County shoppers appeared first on Times of Wayne County.

Wayne County Sheriff, Barry Virts addresses concerns, answers questions

It has happened once again. A lone teen, heavily armed, enters a school building and starts a killing spree. Sometimes a single person is the victim, but more likely, mass murders and injuries have mounted until the gunman is captured, or killed.

Wayne County’s elite Rapid Reponse Team  has practiced such a scenario for years, but are the police, school districts, and community ready to handle such an event?

Most schools in Wayne County now require entrants to be viewed/questioned by video/vocal surveillance  before entry, after classes have begun. Visitors need passes and purpose to enter buildings.

Some school districts have armed SROs (School Resource Officers) on campus, but funds are often stretched. Districts have adopted policies, trained teachers and staff  have practiced drills to respond for such a threat.

No amount of training could fully prepare a staff or responding agency to the threat of a disturbed shooter.

Wayne County Sheriff Barry Virts discussed the issues with the Times on Friday.

Should SROs be positioned in every district?

“The most important point is this is not just about having an “armed guard or armed teacher” in our schools. We should not look to make fortresses out of our schools.”

What about the idea floated about arming teachers? 

“Arming teachers or hiring armed security officers is up to each individual school district. However, I think law enforcement is better positioned to be armed in our schools providing both security and a School Resource Officer Program partnering with school officials and students.”

How do SROs or teachers spot a troubled student?

“Schools know troubled students very early on in elementary school with inappropriate behavior that many times increases in middle and high school.

Early intervention with a School Resource Officer in every school district in the state can address these concerns and help with prevention efforts.”

“With the Raise the Age legislation decriminalizing those ages 16 and 17, School Resource Officers and school officials together could prevent and deter many incidents, in school and after school, from ever occurring in the first place.”

Who will pay for school shooting prevention?

“Most of the time prevention efforts are not funded, because it is difficult to quantify what was stopped, avoided and/or deterred.

Providing funding for a SRO Program in every school by a law enforcement agency would be invaluable for cultural change and security.

Kids have formed bonds with SROs and many opened up enough to tell the SRO about abuse at home, kids that were bullying and many other things going on that otherwise would have went on without anyone knowing.

I have advocated for a countywide School Resource Officer Program in Wayne County since 2010 stating;  Every day our school districts host roughly 15,000 students and staff members in the twelve school districts around the county. It is my vision to provide a School Resource Officer to every school district in the county by this Office and/or with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies to provide safety and security to our most vulnerable population and sites.”

What would be the cost for providing an SRO in a district?

“The cost to provide the SRO Service full time, including salary, benefits, equipment and vehicle  is $45.00 per hour.

(This will increase somewhat when negotiations are finalized with the deputies as that Collective Bargaining Agreement expired at the end of 2015.)

County leaders and school officials all support the idea, but few want to fund a countywide SRO Program. This is a complex issue that schools, law enforcement and local governments need to address in partnership.”

What about failures to address school shooting incidents?

“It is embarrassing to see the failures of law enforcement in the Parkland School killing.

Old training was to never enter an active threat incident alone, but wait for backup to assemble a team or 3 or 4 officers. This thought process and training method was changed around 2014/2015. Since then my Office changed our training methods of all Wayne County law enforcement (deputies, troopers, police departments, probation officers) for the first officer on the scene to enter, engage and terminate the active threat.”

Sheriff Virts is also the President of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, and sheriffs around the state have called for state funding of armed officers in all schools.

The New York State Sheriffs’ Association asked the State Legislature to include in the 2018 State Budget sufficient funding to provide at least one armed school resource officer at every grade school and high school in the state.

“This will be an expensive undertaking,” said Sheriff Virts, “but we owe it to our children, and their parents, to provide a safe place for education to take place.”

“We spend many millions of dollars to protect a relatively small number of judges across the state, as we should. Surely we can also find the money to protect our most defenseless people – the children we send off to school each day,” Sheriff Virts said.

There are about 4,750 public schools and nearly 2,000 private schools educating students in grades K through 12 in the state. The Sheriffs’ Association estimates that the cost of this proposal would be roughly equivalent to that of adding one teacher to each of these schools.

The number of SROs has dropped in recent years due to the lack of local funding. Some schools already have SROs that are funded by the school district, the county government, or both. “The only way to assure that every student has the protection of an armed officer in close proximity is for the state to provide a reliable funding stream for SROs.  Many school districts and local governments are unable to do it due to tax caps and limited funding sources,” Sheriff Virts added.

Currently North Rose-Wolcott has a full time SRO. Wayne and Sodus both have part time SROs two days a week, while Macedon Police department is at Gananda part time.

The post Wayne County Schools and possible gun violence appeared first on Times of Wayne County.

NEWARK/CANANDAIGUA: H. Elizabeth Dennie, 81,died on Thursday (February 22, 2018) at Highland Hospital in Rochester. Beth was born on November 28, 1936 in Clifton Springs, the daughter of the late L. Anthony and Hazel Bishop Dennie. She was a 1954 graduate of Newark High School and earned an Associate Degree in Executive Secretarial Science in 1956. from Alfred State College. During high school, she had worked at Bloomer Brothers and after college for a short period at Taylor Instrument. She then started her career as legal secretary with the law firm of Thomas Biddle until his retirement. Beth worked a short while for Dennis Kehoe, Atty. before her retirement. Beth was a traveler and made many trips hitting five continents. She loved animals, specially her cats. An avid knitter, she belonged to serveral knitting groups. Beth is survived by three cousins Ricky Bishop of Ithaca, Robin Tillman of Waterloo and Jackie Shearer of Ga; some special friends Beth Wells, Jill and William VanAalst, Mernieddie Stein and Pat Guest. Funeral services will be private with burial in East Newark Cemetery. Memorials, in her name, may be made to ones favorite charity. murphyandsonsfuneralhome.com

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MARION: Entered into rest unexpectedly on (Friday), February 23, 2018 at age 33. Predeceased by his father: Dale Covey; grandfather: Laverne Covey and uncle: Steve Covey. Survived by his loving wife, Chelsea; children: Olivia and Logan; mother: Donna Covey; sisters: Jennifer (Jon) Regan and Cassandra Covey (John Cannon); grandmothers: Marilyn Covey and Marlyn Priore; grandfather: Roland (Sandra) Grevell; father and mother in law: William (Mariette) Rowles; sister: Arielle (Benjamin) Pierson; brother: Bryce Rowles. Calling hours will be held on (Tuesday) February 27, 2018 from 2pm -4pm and 6pm – 8pm at Young Funeral Home, Williamson, NY. Funeral service will be held on (Wednesday) February 28, 2018 at 10am at Cross Creek Church, Palmyra, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cross Creek Church. Online condolences can be expressed at youngfuneralhomeny.com

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WILLIAMSON: Died Tuesday, February 20, 2018.

The post Birch Jr., George S. appeared first on Times of Wayne County.

WALWORTH: Died On February 18, 2018 at age 55.

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MACEDON: Passed away peacefully at her home on February 24, 2018. Born on November 23, 1947.

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ONTARIO: Tom suddenly passed away on February 23, 2018 at age 64. Burial in Furnaceville Cemetery.

The post Parks, Thomas A. “Tom” appeared first on Times of Wayne County.

LYONS: Age 81, died Saturday (February 24, 2018) at the Newark Wayne Community Hospital. Tommy was born on December 18, 1936 in Flint, Michigan the son of the late William G. and Florence Gilluly Thompson. He moved to Savannah, New York as an infant. Tommy grew-up helping on his parents farm and their IGA Grocery in Savannah. He was a member and a registered smoke diver for the Port Gibson Fire Department. Boots loved to ride and he was an member of the Wayne County Motorcycle Club. He was a proud member of the National Rifle Association and he was an avid hunter. He is survived by his children William (Becky) of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Laurie (Scott) Verkey of Lyons and Scott (Diane) of Lyons; a brother Michael of Lyons; six grandchildren Jeb Mables, Brett, Jacob, Sarah, Megan and Lehan Thompson; three great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. Tommy was predeceased by his wife Kathleen “Kathy” and a sister Sharon Matthews. Friends may call from 12 to 2 P.M. on Wednesday (February 28th) at the Paul L. Murphy & Sons Funeral Home, 127 East Miller Street, Newark where a funeral service will follow at 2 PM. Burial will be in South Lyons Cemetery. Memorials, in Boots name, may be made to Wayne County Humane Society, 1475 County House Road, Lyons, New York 14489. murphyandsonsfuneralhome.com

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WILLIAMSON: Entered into rest on (Monday) February 26, 2018 at age 87. Predeceased by his son: Rickey Van Houter; siblings: Wayne, Ralph, Floyd, June, Elsie, and Hazel. Emerson was a well-known accordionist who played in several bands and entertained at nursing homes. He was a friend to everyone that he met. He was endlessly devoted to his wife for 69 years. Survived by his loving wife: Lillian; daughter: Judy (Michael) Weber; sons: Gary (Janis) and Roger (Karen) Van Houter; daughter in law: Ilene Van Houter; grandchildren: Ryan Weber, Cindi Ospina, Jennifer McDonald, Linda Wells, Lori Froniear, Jacob and Andrew Van Houter; (8) great grandchildren; sisters: Bertha Pembroke and Betty Ruth Van Houter; many extended family members and friends. Calling hours will be held on (Thursday) March 1, 2018 from 4pm – 6pm followed by a funeral service at 6pm at Young Funeral Home, 4025 Ridge Road, Williamson, NY. Private Spring burial in Ridge Chapel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Williamson Volunteer Ambulance. Online condolences can be expressed at youngfuneralhomeny.com

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LYONS: Passed away on February 6, 2018 at age 94. Predeceased by her fiance, Robert F. Fague; sister Virginia N. Benson; niece Cheryl L. Leisenring; brothers-in-law, Duane Benson and William Leisenring and sister-in-law Betty L. Miner. Velda is survived by her sister Verna M. Leisenring; brothers, Charles W. (Betty) Miner and Marvin C. Miner. Velda loved her family so very much and will be dearly missed by her many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great great nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind many friends met over the years through her Avon business and her membership at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Farmington. A memorial service will be offered at 11 AM on Saturday March 17, 2018 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 153 Church Ave., Farmington, NY. Interment will be in the spring at Rose Cemetery. Please visit the tribute wall at murphyfuneralservices to leave a condolence, light a candle, upload a photo or order a floral tribute.

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PALMYRA: Hazel died on February 23, 2018 at age 101. She was born on March 16, 1916 to Warland and Bessie Bills. Hazel was predeceased by her husband, Raymond Gannon; son, Lynn Gannon and 8 siblings. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy (David) Williams; grandchildren, Lisa (Troy) Woodard, Robert (Ann) Gannon and Joseph (Kristen); great grandchildren, Alanna, Kaycee, Noah and Addison; great great grandson, Cade Rogers; several nieces, nephews and other relatives. Hazel will be greatly missed by all of her family and friends. In keeping with Hazel’s wishes, there will be no services. Hazel’s family wishes to extend a special thank you to Sue and the Light Hill family and all contribution in Hazel’s memory may be directed to Light Hill Comfort Care, 5160 Parrish St. Extension, Canandaigua, NY 14424. Please leave the family an online condolence by visiting, murphyfuneralservices.com.

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IRONDEQUOIT: Passed away on Monday, February 26, 2018 at the age of 90. Jim was born in Ontario, NY on May 25, 1927 to the late Leslie and Ione “Lake” McCrea. He was predeceased by his wife Dana on March 25, 1989. He is survived by his sons, Kevin McCrea and Scott (Cindy Papini) McCrea; granddaughters, Heather Losee, Chelsea Kingsley, and Chloe McCrea; great granddaughters, Aryonna, Breyonna and Carleyonna Losee; friend, Mary Tarver, extended family and friends. Jim was a retiree of the Eastman Kodak Company. He enjoyed reading, monitoring finances, the New York Yankees and he valued his role as a father and looked out for the welfare of his boys. His family and friends will miss Jim but will remember him fondly. Friends and family are invited to gather at the Murphy Funeral & Cremation Chapel, 1961 Ridge Road, Ontario, NY 14519 from 4 to 7PM on Friday, March 2, 2018 where a celebration of his life will follow at 7PM. Interment with his wife Dana will be held privately at the Furnaceville Cemetery, Ontario, NY. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Jim’s name to the Christ for all Nations (CafN), PO Box 590588, Orlando, Florida 32859-0588. Please visit the tribute wall at murphyfuneralservices.com to leave a condolence, light a candle, upload a photo or order a floral tribute.

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WEST WALWORTH: Died February 25, 2018.

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NEWARK: Age 88, passed away Tues. February 27, 2018 at DeMay Living Center. He was born in Clifton Springs on December 18, 1929, son of Leo and Josephine Goebert DeWandel. He served in the US Army for 4 years in Alaska and FT. Jay. He worked 20 years, at Rexham box factory and retired from the Wayne County Highway Dept. with 20 years of service. While his family was young he enjoyed camping, fishing, and boating and in his retirement traveled coast to coast with his wife Margaret in their RV. Survived by his loving wife Margaret, sons, Damon & Steven, brother, Donal, nephews, predeceased by his son Don Roy. Grave side service in the spring at Newark Cemetery at the convenience of the family. Memorials to a charity of ones choice. Arrangements by Schulz-Pusateri Funeral Home, Newark. Visit .pusaterifunerals.com

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