Rock On Reikin Memorial Music Fund established
A gifted guitarist and vocalist from Cuba, Reikin Reynolds, tragically passed away at the age of 19 in July. To honor Reikin’s legacy of kindness, as well as his immense love for music, his family has created a fund to preserve his memory by supporting aspiring musicians with the gift of music.
The Rock On Reikin Memorial Music Fund will provide financial support to area youth for instrumental music lessons and music classes, through grants to Strength Solutions, a local nonprofit that provides scholarships to Beat City School of Music participants.
Unbeknownst to his
Allegany County Legislative Chairman W. Brooke Harris, newly reappointed on Thursday, called 2024 “one of the busiest years we’ve had in recent memory” during his annual address.
After thanking his fellow legislators for their continued support of his leadership, Harris of Alfred noted that in 2024 county lawmakers “vigorously supported” the new Office of Economic Development and the establishment of an independent Economic Development Corporation.
“Through those
family, Reikin bought his first guitar at the age of 16. His dedication to the instrument quickly took off, and music became his language.
Inspired by rock and roll icon Buddy Holly, Reikin enjoyed a wide variety of genres from all decades. He started teaching himself oldies songs and songs by the likes of Green Day and Blink-182 before turning to Beat City Music to fine tune his craft. There, Reikin formed bonds with area musicians and found his own community.
A 2022 graduate of Cuba-Rushford High School, Reikin went on to earn an associate’s degree from the Elec-
trical Construction and Maintenance Electrician program at Alfred State College in 2024. He was also involved in several charitable activities throughout his time in high school and college, including spending his time volunteering weekly at Joyful Rescues, an animal shelter in Allegany County.
Reikin took great pride in his employment at Pleasant Valley Greenhouses & Nursery, where he worked since high school.
“This fund is a beautiful tribute to Reikin and his passion for music,” said CRCF Executive Director Kirk Windus. “It not only celebrates his legacy
efforts, we’re already reaping benefits in the attraction of new business opportunities both small and large,
and improved support of our existing small businesses, educational institutions and large commercial and indus-
but also ensures that his love for music will inspire and support young artists in our community for years to come. As a musician myself, I know firsthand how critical learning in the arts can be in the development of youth. For many, the arts are where they find their true voice and learn to be the truest version of themself.”
Stemming from the artistic spark that Beat City offered Reikin, the Reynolds family hopes the fund can instill the same level of creativity and happiness in other young musicians looking to learn an instrument.
trial partners,” Harris said. “Lots of work to be done, but I know that this board is taking the right steps to create a sustainable, vibrant, pro-business climate in Allegany County.”
Harris said, in emergency services, the board has successfully restructured the Office of Emergency Management through strategic hires and the adoption of the local law creating a director of emergency management.
“Further, the 2025 county budget reflects the largest-ever financial commitment to our county’s irreplaceable
volunteer agencies,” Harris said. “It’s the board’s hope that these investments, including expanded training opportunities and reimbursements, equipment purchases, and technical support will continue to encourage recruitment and retention in the volunteer ranks.”
Harris also thanked the board for “having the political courage to act in the best interests of public safety” through the contractual relationship with Medical Transport Services.
Not only is a robust EMS system critical to ensuring the safety of
county residents, Harris said, “but it is also a prerequisite to maintaining our quality of life and attracting new residents and businesses to Allegany County.” Harris noted the county worked to secure millions of dollars in competitive state and federal grants across multiple project areas, including infrastructure expansion and improvement, economic development, housing and outdoor recreation.
“There are challenges ahead,” Harris said. “With big ideas and
Reikin Reynolds
Photo provided
Newly reappointed Chairman H. Brooke Harris of Alfred addresses the Allegany County Board Legislators Jan. 2 as he recaps 2024.
Allegany County Chairman continued on
Relief efforts for those displaced by Friendship fire
FRIENDSHIP — Re-
lief efforts are ongoing to help those displaced in an apartment building fire on Jan. 2. Allegany County Board of Legislators
Chairman W. Brooke Harris issued a statement Jan. 3 on the fire on behalf of county and local fire officials.
Harris said that at 12:27 p.m. the county Office of Emergency Management reported that the Friendship Fire Department was called to a structure fire at 4 Depot St. — across the street from the fire hall. A total of 10 county fire departments and the city of Olean Fire Department responded to fight the
fire, with three more departments on standby.
Seven ambulance services also responded to help with reports of injured tenants, and New York State Police, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, and Friendship Police Department also assisted.
“On behalf of the citizens of Allegany County, I would like to recognize and thank the many dedicated first responders whose quick actions and tireless efforts helped to minimize the devastation this tragic fire caused,” Harris said in the statement.
The building had eight apartments, but all of the residents were
Democrats collecting for food pantry in Angelica
BELMONT — When the Allegany County Democrats gather for their monthly “Coffee with Democrats” on Saturday, Jan. 11, in Angelica, they’ll be collecting non-perishable food and personal care items to be donated to the Blessing Box pantry sponsored by Angelica’s Methodist Church.
“This is the second year that county Democrats have organized monthly collections,” says County Chair Karen Ash. “Coffee with Democrats is held at a different location each month. Wherever we meet, we donate to the pantry in that town. Serving our community in this way is a simple yet meaningful expression of our organization’s and our party’s values.”
The event runs from 10 a.m. to noon at 22 W. Main St., Angelica and is open to all registered Democrats. Coffee and light snacks will be served.
evacuated and have been released after evaluation at Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville. The American Red Cross and Love Thy Neighbor were contacted to assist the displaced families.
The cause of the fire was not released by press time.
According to Allegany County Office of Real Property records, the property is owned by William Friend of Bolivar, who acquired the property in September 2020. The structure, built in 1900, is assessed at $109,000.
Friend’s family reported via social media that he was living in the building at the time, and while the structure was insured, residents lost all possessions in the fire.
United Church of Friendship is serving as a dropoff point for donations to those affected by the fire. Clothing, hygiene products and financial assistance were identified as priorities by church officials.
In addition, two GoFundMe online fundraising drives were set up to support two tenants of the building. The fundraisers are available online at https:// www.gofundme.com/f/ help-my-mom-christy-rebuild-from-afire and https://www. gofundme.com/f/6xdxav-help-krystal-re-
build-after-devastating-fire.
County officials had been looking to redevelop the site before the fire.
The Allegany County Land Bank issued a request for proposals on Dec. 24 for the structure, seeking a comprehensive feasibility study for mixed-use redevelopment.
The study was to evaluate the building, identify any deficiencies, and create a report to determine if the building could be rehabilitated.
Photo provided by Joyce Slavin Warren/Facebook
Several fire departments and ambulance services responded Thursday afternoon to a fire that engulfed a multi-unit apartment building in Friendship in Allegany County.
BY BOB CLARK
The town of Andover has been awarded $500,000 from the Community Development Block Grant program to offer direct help to property owners.
The Andover program is focused on rehabilitating single-unit housing within the
town, which is working with the Andover Historic Preservation Corp., a nonprofit, on the program. The funding was announced by the State Office of Community Renewal.
The grant is the third from the CDBG program since 2020 received by the town for the purpose. According
to town board meeting minutes, the program aimed to assist 13 property owners.
Cattaraugus County is also receiving $500,000 through the CDBG program. The county will focus on infrastructure to support existing housing, state officials said. Cattaraugus County Legislature meeting minutes from this summer indicate the county’s health department will use the funds to assist property owners with water well and septic system work.
The county, working with Connecting Communities in Action, received a similar grant in 2022.
Across the Western New York region, $4.56 million in aid was
➡
distributed to support 140 housing units. Statewide, $51.06 million will support 1,060 units.
“This investment will make the dream of homeownership attainable and manageable for more than 1,000 households, allowing families and individuals across New York to live safely and affordably in homes of their own,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “My administration is committed to increasing affordability for families and putting every tool at our disposal to work to address our housing crisis.”
The grants — administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s Office of Communi-
Rock On Reikin
The fund will support various areas of musical education for youth, such as music enrichment classes, private and group instrumental lessons, purchasing instruments available for renting and more.
Christie Reynolds, Reikin’s mother, said that music may be the focal point of the scholarship, but the essence of who he was and what his legacy should be is the driving force behind the fund.
“At his core, Reikin had a beautiful, giving and loving heart,” said Reynolds. “Compassion ran through his veins, and he genuinely wanted those around him to feel special, accepted and happy. Reikin was just a wonderful, loyal young man who was willing to lend a helping hand to family, friends and animals in need without hesitation.”
The Reynolds family has held multiple fundraisers to support
Andover receives $500,000 in state aid for housing work
ty Renewal — were awarded to nonprofit organizations and localities to help preserve affordable housing, support veterans and older New Yorkers, increase access to homeownership, and strengthen local economies.
NYS Community Development Block Grant Program provides federal funds to help localities with projects that improve communities and benefit their residents. Housing grants can be used to rehabilitate owner-occupied or renter-occupied homes, down payment assistance for low- and moderate-income firsttime homebuyers, and private water/wastewater system assistance for low- and moder-
ate-income homeowners.
“Increasing access to housing and making homeownership an affordable reality is critical for all New Yorkers,” said HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas. “The $51 million we announced today through a variety of programs will provide resources people need to make necessary home repairs and accessibility modifications, provide help with down payments, replace manufactured homes, and allow more than 1,000 households to live safely and securely in their communities. Thank you to our partners on the ground who are putting this investment to work on behalf of New Yorkers.”
the establishment of this fund, including a special campaign during October, Reikin’s birthday month, to honor what would have been Reikin’s 20th birthday. Their goal is to share Reikin’s love for music to inspire others and provide opportunities for young artists to thrive. Donations can be made to the Rock On Reikin Memorial Music Fund at CRCF, 301 N. Union St., or online at cattfoundation.org.
home improvement
5 tips for staying safe during a winter power outage
(BPT) — Winter is in full swing. It’s a beautiful season, but as the temperature drops and the snow, ice and cold
approach, there’s always the possibility of a power outage. When it’s cold outside and your home is plunged into darkness, it can be more than just an inconvenience. It can mean not being able to keep your family warm, to work if your power is out, even to get water if your pipes freeze. The best way to get through a winter power outage? Be prepared. A little forethought can save a lot of headaches later. Here are some tips for handling a winter power outage from Anker SOLIX, the experts in whole-home backup power solutions.
Assemble an emergency kit. Make sure you have all the things on hand that your family needs to get through a power outage. You’ll be home, so you’ve already got warm blankets and clothes covered. You’ll also want several gallons of bottled water and food that doesn’t have to be heated up like granola bars, fruit and nuts. Pop some new batteries into your flashlights before you need them, and
get a weather radio if you don’t already have one. Also think about getting solar chargers for your phones, some battery-powered candles and hand warmers. Invest in backup power. When the lights and heat go out, you
output and 120V/240V dual voltage output, enabling it to simultaneously power high-energy devices. The AC output power can even be elevated up to 12,000W when two F3800s are combined. At the same time, it boasts a massive 3.84kWh internal battery for extended backup power. With its expandable form factor, users can customize their power storage needs with up to 53.76kWh when combining two F3800s and up to 12
continued on PAGE 5
need backup. The Anker SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station is an accessible whole-home power backup. It’s the first power station to feature AC coupling and support home solar power cycling when paired with the Anker SOLIX Home Power Panel. Easy installation only takes a few hours by a professional electrician, and with a cost-effective price point, the F3800 is the most accessible home power solution available on the market. The F3800 can provide back-up power for the entire home. It offers 6000W AC power
additional batteries, providing up to a week of home backup power. You can also charge your EVs!
For a more compact solution, the Anker SOLIX C300 DC, is a new compact-but-mighty power station. It can power seven devices at
once, a space heater and more for shorter periods of time. It recharges via solar energy, so you can power it up again and again. And it comes with a built-in light, which is handy during those dark nights when power goes out. Make sure the pipes
don’t freeze. When the power goes out, open the cabinet doors under your kitchen and bathroom sinks and turn on the faucets, just a trickle. That will help ensure the pipes don’t freeze in the cold.
during an outage. If the outage lasts longer than that, it’s best to throw away things like dairy, meats, eggs and leftovers.
Don’t be tempted to heat with your gas stove. This can cause a backup of carbon monoxide gas, which can be deadly.
Keep your refrigerator door closed. This will help keep the cold air in, preserving your food. General safety guidelines say your fridge will keep food cold for four hours
Thinking about investing in backup power? Contact Anker SOLIX at https://www. anker.com/.
Editor’s note: Joseph Giglio represented the 148th District, which consists of all of Cattaraugus and Allegany counties and portions of Steuben County as well, for 19 years in the state Assembly before deciding to not seek re-election. His last day in office was Dec. 31.
If I could have one wish granted in the New Year, it would be for be for a return of respect and bipartisanship in Albany to ensure that state government serves the common good of all New Yorkers — both Upstate and downstate.
This is my last statement as an elected official. It is not made out of malice for any region or political party. It is made out of profound concern for our great state and the hard-working New Yorkers who make this the Empire State.
New Yorkers have a lot to be proud of. New York City was the first capital of the United States. Much of the Revolutionary War was fought here and more New Yorkers fought and died during the Civil War, ending slavery and saving the union, than any other state.
Wall Street is the center of global finance and many consider New York City the cultural capital of Western civilization.
We are truly all in this together, Upstate and downstate, but a majority of those in power in the state Capitol don’t think or believe it. The fact is the people running things in Albany have turned rural, Upstate New York into a colony of New York City.
They treat us not as fellow New Yorkers but as a resource farm to supply them with energy, food and raw materials. Sometimes we are a convenient backdrop for a press conference.
It’s a resource extraction model that would have the NYC elites protesting in the streets if it were happening to their constituents. We send money and electricity to NYC. In return we get taxes and regulations that are killing rural New York.
Under one-party rule, the most powerful members of the legislature are from New York City. Yes, Gov. Kathy Hochul is from Buffalo. I hoped she would bring some Western New York common sense to Albany. Instead, she embraced the most radical members of her conference.
Despite the cachet of being home to one of the world’s great cities, Upstate would be better off without New York City. That’s why I co-sponsored A01978 to hold a referendum on whether we should divide New York into two separate states. The Democrat majority killed the bill in committee and it never got a fair hearing. We are in a similar situation to what the 13 colonies lived under. We need independence from New York City the same way our country needed independence from the British Empire. A lot of my down-
state colleagues believe Upstate could never survive without Wall Street revenue. The truth is New York City needs Upstate more than we need Wall Street.
Sure, Wall Street generates $19 billion in revenue for New York each year and all of us benefit to a certain degree. But relying on Wall Street is dangerously short sighted.
Wall Street is data. You can do data from anywhere. The pandemic proved it, which is why so many offices in Manhattan remain empty three years later.
Agriculture is the true economic foundation of New York state. New York’s farmers and ranchers generate $5.7 billion in gross income per year. Agriculture and related industries like cheese and yogurt production account for a whopping $44 billion in economic activity each year.
And you can’t squeeze a potato or a cow down a fiber-optic cable.
Meanwhile, the majority is working hard to drive us into bankruptcy. New York state’s budget has ballooned $70 billion dollars since 2018 when the one-party rule took over.
Our state budget was $170 billion in 2018. The current state budget is $234.9 billion dollars. That’s insane, reckless and unsustainable.
The governor’s own budget division in June projected that current state spending will far outpace revenue to tune of $2.3 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal year, $4.3 billion the following year and $7.3 billion for the 2027-28 fiscal year. Her own accountants are projecting a $14 billion deficit within four years.
Commentary: Upstate has become a colony of NYC
Let’s put these numbers in perspective. New York has a population of 19 million and an annual budget of $234.9 billion. That’s nearly double the state budgets of two places New Yorkers are fleeing to.
Florida has a population of 22.6 million and a state budget of $116.5 billion. Texas has a population of 30.5 million and a state budget of $144 billion.
So the combined budgets of Texas and Florida, two more populous states, is $260.5 billion. Our budget is $234.9 billion. Does that make sense?
And where is that $234 billion going?
The CEOs of regional nonprofits, schools, libraries, hospitals and human service agencies tell me all the time that their state aid is has been flat or heading in negative territory. They rarely receive cost of
living (COLA) increases from the state despite having to pay for unfunded mandates from Albany like increases in the minimum wage, and demands to switch their facilities from fossil fuels to all electric heat, etc.
The governor held a press conference last year to laud a $500 million fund to help school districts switch to all electric buses. The media played it up. She got great press on that one.
In reality, it will cost taxpayers $20 billion to fully convert all New York schools to electric school buses by 2035, which is the mandated deadline of New York’s fatuously misnamed Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
The CLCPA is leading New York to bankruptcy. It also won’t do a thing to mitigate carbon
emissions and reduce global warming. New York state is responsible for 0.4% of worldwide carbon emissions. If the majority truly cared about climate change, they would be protesting in Tiananmen Square demanding that the Chinese government stop building coal-fired electric plants. Generations of New Yorkers will wind up paying for these policies. We are being taxed to death and taxpayers and businesses are fleeing New York like they never have before. New York leads the nation in outmigration. It’s the great emptying of the Empire State. Devoted to their own short-term interests, those in power ignore or are blind to the damage they are doing to our state.
New York politics is out of whack. Only New York’s voters can save it.
BY JOSEPH GIGLIO
Former Panama resident on the canal: ‘Leave well enough alone’
BY KATHRYN ROSS
SCIO — After hearing rhetoric about the United States taking back the Panama Canal, a local woman who grew up in the Panama Canal Zone says “leave well enough alone.”
Annette Allen Marsh was just 4 years old when her parents moved the family from Almond to the Panama Canal Zone in 1958. She lived there, in the isolated village of Gamboa, for the next 14 years.
But that wasn’t the last time she saw the
country. She visits every few years, the last time in February. Even though she can’t literally go home again — the Panama
Canal Zone under U.S. control was dissolved by the 1999 agreement that ceded the canal back to Panamanian control — she considers Panama her home.
“The Panamanians have worked hard over the last 24 years to improve the canal, and they have done a great job,” Marsh said. “The canal is not governed by the president of the country. It is maintained by the Panama Canal Authority. They’ve learned a lot. They don’t charge America any more than any other nation to use the canal.
“The United States should leave well enough alone when it comes to control over the canal,” she added.
President-elect
Donald Trump caused a flurry of policy discussion in late December when he suggested that the U.S. could retake control of the the Panama Canal, while also taking control of Canada and Greenland, citing national security and economic interests.
Trump has cited Chinese interests in the Panama Canal Zone while claiming that U.S. shippers are being forced to pay “ridiculous” and “exorbitant” prices to navigate the man-made waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Marsh said that
while some parts of the canal, which is 51 miles long and consists of a series of locks and lakes, still operate with structure put in place in 1914, significant improvements have been made over the years and the governing authority has plans for more. Around 13,000 ships a year pass through the canal negating the need to navigate around the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Magellan, saving more than 7,800 miles of travel to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific and vice versa.
Fees to use the canal are determined by three components: a minimum fixed rate based on the lock system used (Panamax or Neopanamax), a fixed fee determined by vessel size using the Panama Canal Universal Measurement System and a variable charge based on miscellaneous fees. The charges range from as low as 50 cents to more than $200,000.
“Panama is a very poor country except for the canal area,” Marsh said. “The people in Panama are either very rich or very poor. The country is trying to develop a tourism industry and I’m sure there would be very hard feelings toward Americans if the country tried to take back the canal, and even violence.”
Marsh recalled that during riots in Panama in 1964 she and her family were ordered to stay indoors by the military police who oversaw the Canal Zone.
“It was scary and I’m sure that kind of thing would happen again if the U.S. tried to take control,” she said.
Historically, public demonstrations and riots arising from resentment over U.S. policies and the presence of U.S. citizens and institutions in Panama had not been uncommon, but the rioting that occurred in January 1964 was uncommonly serious. The incident began with a symbolic dispute over the flying of the Panamanian flag in the Canal Zone. Over the next 10 years, resentment increased over the U.S. occupation of the Canal Zone, which eventually led to the agreement in the 1970s under the Carter administration to return the canal zone to Panama in December 1999.
For Marsh, growing up in the Canal Zone was idyllic with days spent roaming the jungle barefoot, swimming in the Olympic-size pool or playing in the gym or on the golf course. The education level she considers high and the friends she grew up with rendezvous each year in Orlando to rem-
inisce and plan trips to visit Panama.
While much has changed, Gamboa was taken under a wing of the U.S.’s Smithsonian Institute and much of it is preserved. Marsh left Panama when she turned 18 to move to the “real world” at the urging of her mother. She trained to work in the medical field and ended up in Scio, where she helped her late husband, Dan Marsh, establish the Medical Transport Service.
The Panama Canal was completed in 1914 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but construction was begun in the late 1800s by the French. While the French completed much of the demolition for construction and built lakes to feed the canal, the overwhelming death toll from tropical diseases prevented the French from completing the project.
After Panama achieved independence from Columbia in 1903, the U.S. government under President Theodore Roosevelt’s administration bought the rights to the canal zone from the French government in 1904 and finished the construction. When completed the entire cost of building the canal was estimated at $375 million.
Richard Zink
executive director of the Soil & Water Conservation District Board
big changes come big expenses. It will be the job of this board in the coming year to do the difficult work of prioritizing these projects and existing services, to judiciously strategize their funding, and ensure that we continue to operate efficiently and with as little burden to taxpayers as possible.
“I’m confident in the ability of this board to accomplish that goal, and I look forward to sharing the work with you all,” he said.
“Finally, I’d like to recognize the dedicated employees of Allegany County, who work day-in and day-out to provide vital services and support to County residents,” Harris said. “The board wants to thank you for your professionalism and commitment and wishes you a heathy and happy 2025.”
Harris also announced numerous appointments:
• ACCORD Board of Directors (1-year term): Jennifer C. Bigelow and Reita Sobeck-Lynch
• Allegany County Agricultural & Farmland Protection Board (1-year term): Scott Torrey — coterminous with his designation as
• Allegany County Safety Committee/ Management Representatives: Heather Bedow, executive secretary, workers’ compensation; Mallory M. Short, deputy county administrator; Thomas H. Windus, county superintendent of public works; Sheriff Scott A. Cicirello; Tyler J. Shaw, public health ddirector; H. Robert Budinger, personnel officer (non-voting member serving as chair)
• Allegany County Safety Committee/ Employee Representatives: Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Shawn Grusendorf; Dana Hand, correction officer; Bonnie VanHousen, acting director of Office of Emergency Management; Cash Davison, assistant general supervisor; Nicole Helmer, probation officer
• CattaraugusAllegany Workforce Development Board (3-year term): Lisa Lee, Jeremy Martin, Frank McAndrew,
• Cornell Cooperative Extension (1-year term): Jennifer Ricketts-Swales, Fillmore (legislative representative); Philip G. Stockin, Houghton (Legislative Representative)
• Emergency Interim Successor (1-year term): Stockin
• Emergency Food and Shelter Program: VanHousen
• Hazard Mitigation Team: William “Bill” Day Jr., fire coordinator; VanHousen; Kevin “Fred” Demick, District I legislator; James M. Rumfelt, District IV legislator; Windus; Max William Bigelow, county highway superintendent
• Association Representative: H. Kier Dirlam, county director of planning; Michelle Linza, ddeputy director of economic development; Scott Torrey, executive director of the Soil and Water Conservation District; Shaw.
• Open Space Advisory Committee (1-year term): Dirlam, Almond
• Resource Conservation and Development Board (1-year term): County representative member, Scott Torrey, Belmont; county alternate, Philip B. Curran, Alfred Station; legislative member, Demick; member at large, Norman G. Ungermann Jr., Cuba
• Solid Waste Hearing Board (1-year term)
— members must include the chairman of Public Works Committee and two legislators that are not on the Public Works Committee: Dwight R. Fanton, chairman of Public Works; John D. Ricci, District II legislator; Hanchett; alternates are Demick and Dwight “Mike “ Healy, District II legislator
• Inter-County Association of WNY (1-year term): Voting members are Gary R. Barnes, Wellsville; Harris; Brenda Rigby Riehle, Belmont; alternate voting members are Gretchen Hanchett, Belmont; Ricketts-Swales Majority Leader: Steven A. Havey, District IV legislator
• STOP-DWI Coordinator (1year term): Scott G. Grantier, Belmont
Annette Kelly Marsh