Alfred State to honor Billy Greene with ‘Let’s Save Some Lives’ initiative
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Union University Church in Alfred receives Sacred Sites grant
ALFRED — Union University Church in Alfred is the recipient of a $20,000 grant to help fund replacement of its roof and steeple louver repair.
The New York Landmarks Conservancy announced the grant as one of 15 Sacred Sites Grants totaling $244,500 awarded to 15 historic religious properties throughout New York state.
The former First Seventh Day Baptist Church has a complex of three buildings that are part of the Alfred Village
Historic District. The Alfred Seventh Day Baptist Church initiated the formation of the village of Alfred, Alfred University (across the street and the second oldest co-educational college in the U.S.) and Alfred State College.
The church was instrumental in creating the Underground Railroad stations in Alfred and in Milton, Wisconsin. In 1929 the building was gutted by fire destroying windows, floors, pews, altar, and the pipe organ. In 1930 the sanctuary was re-
stored, and the windows and the organ were replaced.
Ownership of the Late Greek Revival/Early Gothic Revival 1853 frame church was transferred to the present congregation, the Union University Church, in 2021.
Activities at the church’s campus including the Alfred Office of the Aging senior nutrition luncheon (three days a week), weekly AA meetings, a Japanese martial-arts class, and Scout troop meetings.
“Religious buildings
are important because they tell us about history, architectural development, beauty and hold so many communal memories,” said Peg Breen, president of The New York Landmarks Conservancy. “But congregations, including these recent grant recipients, also serve an important role today by providing their communities with a variety of social service and cultural programs.”
The Sacred Sites Program provides congre-
LaForge appointed to Allegany County Board
BY
BELMONT — A familiar face will fill a vacant seat on the Allegany County Board of Legislators through the end of the year. On Nov. 12 the board unanimously approved the appointment of Kevin LaForge of Wellsville to the board, filling a vacancy until Dec. 31 left by the resignation of James Rumfelt.
“Kevin brings with him a wealth of knowledge from his prior service on the Board, along with experience, dedication, and a strong commitment to the people of District IV and all of Allegany County,” said Chairman W. Brooke Harris, R-Alfred. “The entire Board looks forward to working with Kevin.”
As of Jan. 1, the district covers the towns
and villages of Andover and Wellsville, as well as the town of Ward.
LaForge previously served as a legislator representing District IV — then including just the towns and villages of Andover and Wellsville — for three terms from 2010 to 2017.While on the board, the independent LaForge caucused with the Republican majority and served as vice-chairman. He was
also instrumental in the founding of the Allegany County Land Bank. LaForge is the general supervisor and co-owner of LaForge Disposal Services in Wellsville.
LaForge has been named to the Personnel, Public Works, Spaces Needs, Resource Management and special Budget committees.
According to documents filed with the board clerk, LaForge had
the backing of county Republican committee chair Fred Demick, while county Democratic committee chair Karen Ash recommended Hilary Gunning.
All 15 legislators elected in last week’s general election are to serve three-year terms.
County-level elections such as those for legislators are to move to even-numbered years under a 2023 state law,
which has officials elected in 2025 serving shortened terms to move the next election to an even-numbered year. The state Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the law in October. A federal lawsuit against the law has not been decided. Rumfelt resigned in October, and meeting minutes indicate the last meeting he attended was in mid-July.
Photo courtesy of The New York Landmarks Conservancy Union University Church in Alfred.
Alfred State to honor Billy Greene with ‘Let’s Save Some Lives’ initiative
ALFRED — The Alfred State College community gathered Nov. 10 to honor Billy Greene, a friend and colleague who recently passed away. The college announced the “Let’s Save Some Lives” initiative that will provide trainings to faculty and staff in life-saving techniques.
While at work, Greene suffered a medical emergency. His colleagues started life-saving procedures until University Police arrived to take over.
Emergency personnel got to the scene and transported him to a local hospital. Greene would be transferred to
Strong Memorial Hospital for extended care but passed away surrounded by his loving family on Oct. 3.
The family made the decision to help others by donating Billy’s organs. At the end of the organ walk, Cody, Billy’s oldest son, said, “Let’s go save some lives.”
Director of Facilities
Jon Nickerson knew that he wanted to do something that would not only preserve the legacy that Billy established at Alfred State but to educate the faculty and staff in life-saving techniques like CPR, AED and Narcan.
Nickerson commented, “I knew Billy and his family long before he started working at Alfred State. He is part of my family, and he will deeply missed. Setting up this training will honor him and pass on valuable information and skills to the faculty and staff at Alfred State.”
The “Let’s Save Some Lives” initiative will work closely with the college’s University Police Department to offer classes for faculty and staff to become certified in CPR, AED and the use of Narcan. The goal is to have 33% or more of faculty and
staff trained to assist if a medical emergency were to take place.
“If we train 33% of our faculty and staff, help will most likely be no more than two doors away,” added Nickerson. “We are also going to evaluate AED locations and signage around campus.”
“I’d like to commend our staff, Kyle Carbone, Jack Smith and Nickerson who were on scene to call for help while bringing him to a place of safety and begin life-saving procedures,” added President Dr. Steven Mauro. “Our University Police, including Captain Histed, Lieutenant Bingham, Officer Rounds and Officer Cole Bingham (at dispatch desk), coordinated a response immediately and took over providing compressions for over a half hour while medical emergency services
arrived. Through their incredible acts of service, the team was able to keep Bill with us to reach advanced care.”
The campus community gathered today to not only announce the initiative but to celebrate Billy’s birthday. His family joined the college community for cake and to sing Happy Birthday.
Mauro added, “Billy was a great representative of the college. I am proud that we can continue his legacy by providing these training opportunities for our faculty and staff.
Greene worked at Alfred State since 2005 and was most recently a mechanical maintenance assistant within the facilities department. He is survived by his four sons Cody, Hunter, Noah and Wryder, along with his mother, Sheila.
ALFRED — A group of Alfred University students are assisting with the development of the Neighborhood Museum of Play by conducting market research for the play-focused facility currently being planned in the city of Olean. Students in the Marketing Practicum class taught by Shelly Freyn, associate professor of marketing in Alfred’s College of Business, facilitated focus group sessions, garnering input from university faculty and staff with young children.
for children to do indoors.”
Brittany Thierman, assistant professor of marketing at Alfred University, is director of the Neighborhood Museum of Play. The museum “will provide an opportunity for children to explore and be creative,” Thierman said. “It’s all play-based learning providing fun things
The museum is in the planning stages and, Thierman explained, is being supported by funds raised by sponsorships of squirrel statues that can be found throughout the city of Olean. That fundraiser was modeled after a similar effort in Buffalo, which raised money through the sponsorship of bison sculptures. Thierman said museum organizers have traveled to Buffalo to visit another play-based facility for children: Explore and More: The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Children’s Museum. “We went up there to chat about ideas. They were super helpful. They gave us a tour of the facility, told us what features were used the most and which were used the least,” Thierman said. “We’re trying to learn more. We want to be intentional, not just throw up a playground and call it good.”
Students in Freyn’s
Billy Greene
Jones Memorial Hospital board announces Ewell, Marciano departures
Marketing Practicum class are assisting in the effort. Throughout the year, students work with area businesses and organizations to provide market research services, including focus groups. Among the clients are the Alfred University’s Foster Lake Foster Lake recreational area, businesses like Honey Pot Chocolates in Alfred, and the Neighborhood Museum of Play. Students conduct research, develop scripts for focus group discussions, and run focus groups. Freyn noted that the students must all
be certified for Human Subject testing through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program.
Freyn said that at the beginning of the fall semester, students meet with “decision makers,” in this case museum representatives, to determine what they want to learn through student-led market research.
“From there, the class builds research questions and conducts secondary research to help design the (focus groups) scripts,” Freyn explained. “Since (the
WELLSVILLE — The Jones Memorial Hospital Board of Directors recently said goodbye to two long standing members. Richard Ewell and Karol Marciano have both completed their maximum ten year terms with the board and left their positions as of October 2025.
Ewell and Marciano,
Neighborhood Museum of Play) is a brand-new organization, the decision maker wanted to know everything from exhibits that might interest the families, competitors and what they offer, how to market and promote, and how to design a membership program. We also collected information related to grants, partnerships with companies and organizations, and sponsorships.”
who both joined in May 2015, were the last two remaining board members who served during the initial affiliation with the University of Rochester, marking a historic transition for the Jones board.
Ewell served on numerous committees during his tenure, including the commit-
young children, ages 2 to 7. For a most recent session, subjects were Kash LaPlante, assistant dean of the College of Business and his wife, Cheyenne, operations associate in the Office of Admissions, and Geremy Grant, assistant professor of school psychology. Six other Alfred faculty and staff were subjects in a previous focus group.
tees for finance, audit, corporate compliance, executive, joint conference, nominations and quality. Rich also served as board chair from 2018 to 2022.
“As a life-long Wellsville resident, Rich understands the importance of quality healthcare in our community,” said President and CEO
Freyn said that during the second half of the semester, students will compile key insights and develop strategies supported by their research. A final oral presentation with PowerPoint slides will occur at the end of the term. Decision makers will receive a hard copy and digital portfolio of all the research, videos, notes, and recommendations.
Jim Helms. “During the nationwide CEO recruitment effort, Rich was chairman of the Board. He was very supportive of me as I took on the role of CEO. As part of the Allegany County Industrial Development Agency, and member
After the focus groups were conducted, students began compiling the data they obtained from the discussions. Freyn said note-takers went through each question in the script, comparing notes and identifying insights and trends, and ultimately finding answers to the museum organizers’ requests.
Thierman said the focus group exercise provided benefits for both students and the museum. “The students are learning about the process (of focus groups for market research),” she said. “Everything in marketing is data-driven, so it will be so helpful for (museum organizers) us to have this information.”
“It was a unique form of experiential learning. Students weren’t just analyzing data, they were creating it and seeing how their insights could shape an actual museum,” Freyn said. “Initially, students didn’t quite see the value of the research phase, but once they facilitated the focus groups, it all came together. They began to understand how their early work informed the real-world conversations they were leading. By the end, you could see a real sense of ownership and pride. They weren’t just completing an assignment they were contributing to something that might shape a new children’s museum.
During the focus group sessions, students serve in various capacities — as moderators, note-takers, time-keepers, and general observers — and have the opportunity to try out different roles. Focus groups are conducted in a room in the Olin studio space, which is equipped with an audio-video conferencing device connected to television monitors located in an adjoining room where observers can view the discussion. There is also a one-way mirror separating the focus group room and observation space.
Subjects for the focus groups are parents of
“Two students that were ‘general observers’ discussed overarching trends they observed in both focus groups,” Freyn said. “Examples included parents wanting very interactive hands-on exhibits that would tire children out, and the need for safety (being able to always see their children.)”
Freyn said the class is providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the value of market research and how their work is helping a meaningful endeavor come to fruition.
“The exercise helped students build confidence, communication skills, and a genuine understanding of applied research lessons that go far beyond the classroom,” Freyn added. “Very few colleges offer this real-world opportunity to undergraduates.”
➡Union University Church
continued from PAGE 1
has loaned and granted more than $62 million, which has leveraged almost $1 billion in nearly 2,000 restoration projects throughout the state, revitalizing communities, providing economic stimulus, and supporting local jobs.
gations with matching grants for planning and implementing exterior restoration projects, along with technical assistance, and workshops. Since 1986, the program has pledged over 1,700 grants totaling over $14.4 million to more than 870 religious institutions statewide, helping fund over $818 million in repair and restoration projects.
The conservancy has led the effort to preserve and protect New York’s architectural legacy for more than 50 years. Since its founding in NYC, it
The conservancy has also offered many hours of pro bono technical advice to building owners, both nonprofit organizations, and individuals. Its work has saved more than 1,000 buildings across New York City and the state, protecting distinctive architectural heritage.
Museum of Play
Richard Ewell Karol Marciano automotive
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19 honored at Alfred State Police Academy graduation
ALFRED — The Alfred State Police Academy honored the 19 graduates of the seventh class of graduates at a ceremony held at Lake Lodge.
“As the Director of the Alfred State Police Academy, I could not be prouder of this graduating class,” commented Scott Richardson. “Their dedication, resilience and commitment to public service have been evident in every step of their training. These graduates have embraced the values that define the Alfred State
of the Allegany County Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, Rich brought a wealth of knowledge and expertise on the rural communities he served to the Jones Board. He is a steady and collaborative leader. As CEO, I appreciate his leadership and support.” Marciano, likewise,
Police Academy – leadership, integrity, and excellence.”
County sheriff’s Scott Cicirello of Allegany County and James Allard of Steuben County delivered messages to the cadets. Pat Phelan, executive director of the New York State Chiefs of Police, was the keynote speaker while Taylor Grinols spoke on behalf of the students. Richardson and ASC Vice President of Student and Employee Affairs Gregory Sammons recognized each of the graduates.
has served in numerous capacities on the board – acting within the finance, corporate compliance, executive, joint conference, nominations, quality and credentialing committees. Karol served as board chair from 2022 to this year and is part of the Jones Memorial Lifetime Donor Group.
Police Academy graduates:
• Kyle Barr – City of Olean Police Department
• Cole Bingham – NYS University Police –SUNY Alfred
• Mason Boyd –Village of Waterloo Police Department
• Dylan Coots –Village of Mount Morris Police Department
• Logan Grahm –Village of Andover Police Department
• Taylor Grinols –
“Karol was very supportive in my early years as CEO and during her tenure guided the goal to strategically diversify the board ensuring broader geographic representation and stronger community engagement,” Helms said. “As Board Chair, she oversaw the transformation & expansion
health & Wellness
City of Olean Police Department
• Tyshon House –Village of Allegany Police Department
• Max Johnson –Village of Blasdell Police Department
• Bradley Lawson –Village of Fredonia Police Department
• Judah MacDonald –City of Batavia Police Department
• Tiffany Major – NYS University Police –SUNY Fredonia
• Ryan McKenna –NYS University Police – SUNY Delhi
project through completion, an historic period for the hospital, expanding access to advanced care and increasing our ability to recruit talented professionals. And as part of the Regional Provider Network Development, Karol played a pivotal role in recruiting talented physicians to our region, significant-
• Tyler McPhilomy – Allegany County Sheriff’s Office
• Amber Ouimet –NYS University Police – SUNY Oneonta
• Ryan Phelps –Steuben County Sheriff’s Office
• Garrett ReppertSteuben County Sheriff’s Office
• Wyatt Sando –Village of LeRoy Police Department
• Noah WarrinerSteuben County Sheriff’s Office
• Olivia Zbytek – NYS
ly improving access to care for our residents and strengthening the hospital mission. Karol’s extensive experience working in the healthcare industry has been invaluable to Jones Memorial.
“We appreciate the deep commitment and dedication of both of these individuals to our
University Police –SUNY
Fredonia
Richardson continued, “I am excited to see these graduates grow, build trust, and strengthen the communities they have sworn to protect and serve. Watching them become capable, confident police officers is one of the great privileges of being the Director.”
The next session is scheduled to begin in May 2026. For more information on the Police Academy visit: www. alfredstate.edu/police-academy.
hospital. Their leadership over the past ten years has left a mark on the hospital, they are part of its rich history, and we are grateful for their volunteer service to both the organization and this community.” For more information on Jones Memorial Hospital, visit jones. urmc.edu.
Suffering in Silence: Older Adults Need to Speak Up About Their Mental Health
(BPT) — Connie Thomas, a 77-year-old woman from Altamont, Illinois, has navigated a long journey with her mental health. Decades ago, Thomas was diagnosed with breast cancer. Living with her diagnosis and its results was not only physically challenging but it also brought mental struggles, including depression. She managed her mental health with medication for many years. But after retirement and feeling a loss of purpose, Thomas once again experienced symptoms of depression. It’s not unusual for older adults like Thomas to struggle with mental health issues. In fact, according to the National Council on Aging, 20% of people aged 55 and older suffer from some kind of mental health concern. After a lifetime
of caring for families, raising children and serving their communities, many seniors put their own needs last, including their mental health. This can mean suffering in silence, sometimes for years. Thomas knew better. She knew from her experience how important it is to talk about mental health, whether it’s with friends, family or your doctor. That conversation can open the door to new options. In Connie’s case, her primary care clinician offered her the GeneSight® test, a genetic test that provides additional insights into how her genes may affect medication outcomes with certain mental health medications. These results gave her clinician more information to consider when developing her treatment plan.
Finding a mental health medication that works: A frustrating process It’s fairly common for medications that once worked to manage mental health issues like depression to stop working. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “symptoms return for up to 33% of people using antidepressants.”
Finding a medication for depression or anxiety that works can be a frustrating game of trial and error. Medications work differently for everyone, and there are many reasons why one may be effective for some but not for others. Your genes may hold a clue, as they can play a role in affecting medication outcomes. A simple cheek swab can help clinicians understand which medica-
tions may require dose adjustments, be less likely to work, or have an increased risk of side effects based on your genetics.
Informed Choices
That’s why resources like the GeneSight®
test are so important.
The GeneSight test is a genetic test that shows health care providers how your genes may affect your outcomes with certain mental health medications, including medications that treat depression and anxiety. This information may help clinicians make more informed decisions about medication selection or dosing.
Thomas’ GeneSight test results helped her doctor decide that a lower dose of her medication may be helpful. With that adjustment, she says she is feeling better than she has in many years.
Feel empowered to take care of your mental health
Thomas shares that in her older adult com-
munity, she sees many people struggling with depression and yet unable to talk about their mental health.
“I see how unhappy they are, inwardly and outwardly,” she says. “I try to reach out, to acknowledge that they are suffering and to encourage them to talk to someone.”
She hopes telling her story will encourage others like her to talk about their mental health and then take the next step in reaching out to a health care provider. As Thomas learned, any prescribing clinician treating mental health, like her primary care clinician, can order the GeneSight test.
To learn more about the test, talk with your clinician or visit GeneSight.com.
➡Jones Memorial Hospital continued from PAGE 4
Photo provided The Alfred State Police Academy graduates pictured along with Academy administration.