By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2016 at 12:00 am
$4,500 max to rent storefronts in Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina
Photo by Tom Rivers – Diane Blanchard, director of the Microenterprise Assistance Program, will manage $60,000 in downtown rental subsidies, plus $100,000 in grants available for small businesses. She is pictured on Main Street in Albion.
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency has money to entice businesses to move into the downtown business districts in Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina.
The EDA’s local development corporation voted Thursday to make $60,000 available in the next two years for downtown rental subsidies. Businesses can seek $3 per square foot annually if they move into the downtown. The EDA is capping the subsidies at $4,500 a year, the maximum for a 1,500 square foot space.
They subsidies aren’t available to businesses currently in the downtown. The funding comes from a $200,000 state grant approved for the EDA last December. The EDA also has $100,000 in grants to share with small businesses (5 or fewer employees) that need working capital, equipment purchases or inventory. The grants are capped at $15,000 per recipient.
Those grants are targeted for businesses that completed the Microenterprise Assistance Program, which offers small business training. However, the EDA will consider start-up businesses and other small businesses that didn’t go through the EDA, said Jim Whipple, the EDA executive director.
The EDA ran a similar grant program about five years ago and gave $20,004 to help businesses with their rent, including seven in Medina, four in Albion and two in Holley. The subsidies then were capped at $3,000 per recipient.
Blanchard said the program should result in new commercial activity in vacant storefronts.
She is on a committee to decide the funding along with Whipple, and three members of the EDA’s Finance Committee.
The grant from the state also provides $40,000 to the EDA to administer the funding.
The EDA runs the MAP program providing small business training in a 10-week class. The spring class just started last week and includes 15 entrepreneurs.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 March 2016 at 11:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers. A graduate of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, now based in Midland, Mich., waves when the Santa stopped by Albion on Tuesday. The Albion Betterment Committee would like to have a statue of Santa Claus on Main Street. The Santa could be waving, or be in a different pose.
(Editor’s Note: Tom Rivers is on the committee working on a memorial site in Albion for Charles W. Howard.)
ALBION – What makes the most sense for a vacant piece of land on Main Street in downtown Albion? How could the land best be used, contributing to a rebirth of the downtown business district?
There isn’t much open space available in such a dense business district. But there is an open spot, between the Presbyterian Church and a parking lot by El Gallo. This parcel has sat empty for five years since a former restaurant building was demolished.
The Albion Village Board is weighing whether to pave this open grassy spot or allow a community group to try to raise funds for a bronze statue of Santa Claus and a visitor center that could also have space for a business.
Village Board members five years eyed the land where the restaurant stood for more parking. At the time, CRFS was busting at the seams across the street. CRFS would move to a bigger building in Medina and settled about 2 ½ years ago in the former Chase building on Route 31 in Albion.
Since then, the parking crunch in Main Street has gone away. The lot by El Gallo seldom has more than a few cars.
But Village Board members and some merchants say that could change if the downtown becomes a hot spot, perhaps with a restaurant and other new businesses.
However, the Albion Betterment Committee sees the open spot by the parking lot as an ideal site for a statue of a Santa Claus and a mini-replica of the much-beloved Santa Claus School and Christmas Park that opened in Albion from 1937 to 1966.
That replica building could function as a year-round visitor center, selling coffee, ice cream, baked goods and merchandise. It should also have a public bathroom and displays about Albion’s Santa legacy. The Santa site would add some fun and pizzazz to the downtown. It would get more people out of their cars, exploring the business district.
Other businesses could piggyback on the site, selling Santa merchandise. Perhaps a Santa Deli or Charlie’s Hots would open. With the right leadership and investment, Albion could be home to a Santa Claus Museum and Hall of Fame. Santa could be a big part of the Albion identity.
(There is already a a Santa Claus Hall of Fame and Howard was inducted in the first class. The leader of the Hall of Fame, Phil Wenz, told me he would support Albion having a Santa Hall of Fame display. Click here for more information.)
Albion needs to reclaim its Santa heritage and it needs to start somewhere, and a prominent statue and visitor center on Main Street could help transform downtown.
Charles Howard started a Santa Claus School and ran it until his death on May 1, 1966. He remains a revered figure in the Santa Claus community, the network of people who portray the Jolly Ole’ Elf.
Albion last year hosted the Charles W. Howard Legendary Santa Claus Conference.
More than 250 Santas, from all over the country and beyond, were in Albion last April for a convention. They made it clear they love Charles Howard and his contributions to the Santa “profession.”
Howard was influential in developing standards for how Santa should look, act and be. The Santas, when they were in Albion a year ago, noted the 50th anniversary of Howard’s death would be in 2016. They said they wanted to contribute to a memorial site in Albion.
The Betterment Committee has tried to find a suitable site to honor Howard. We first reached out to Hoag Library, but that didn’t seem like a good fit. The library really isn’t connected to Charles Howard and the local Santa story.
I don’t think more parking on Main Street will be downtown’s salvation. We need a project that will draw people to the downtown, and feed other businesses. Ideally, we would create a parking problem.
If that happens, there are plenty of parking spots on Platt and Liberty streets, a short walk from the Main Street buildings. These lots tend to lack signage. I don’t think people are aware they can park there.
This parking lot with 13 spaces is on Platt Street by the Presbyterian Church, right behind the vacant land the village is considering as a parking lot. The spaces by the Presbyterian Church seldom are used. This photo was taken at about 10:30 a.m. on Monday.
There are also several parking spaces on Platt Street that don’t see much action.
There is a parking lot next to the Free Methodist Church at the corner of Platt and State streets. A dilapidated house next door could also be removed if there was a need for more parking.
There are parking lots with many spaces on Liberty Street as well.
The Village Board should consider working out deals with the business owners or churches that own the land, allowing the spots to be open to the public. In exchange for public parking, maybe the village could plow the lots in the winter.
That would better utilize the spaces, especially at the churches where the lots are largely underutilized when it isn’t Sunday morning.
The Betterment Committee wants an answer soon from the village because the Betterment Committee is pushing to go public with a fund-raising effort on May 1. That is the 50th anniversary of Charles Howard’s death.
The Village Board is scheduled to vote at 7 p.m. today about what to do with vacant land on Main Street. I’m hoping they will embrace the community’s Santa history, and make a bold statement that we are a community on the rise, showing optimism in the future and pride in our past.
A bigger parking lot won’t do much to change the perception of a struggling downtown. A Santa site would bring magic to Main Street, every day of the year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Betterment Committee wants statue, ‘Christmas Park’ on Main Street
Clark Patterson Lee has put together this conceptual plan for a memorial site for Charles Howard, the Albion native who developed an influential Santa Claus School. This spot is on Main Street between the Presbyterian Church and a parking lot next to El Gallo.
ALBION – The Albion Betterment Committee has been working more than a year on a memorial site in honor of Charles Howard, the Albion native who developed the first Santa Claus School. Howard started the school in 1937 and operated it until his death on May 1, 1966.
The school has since been relocated to Michigan, but still bears Howard’s name. Howard is a revered figure in the Santa Claus community. More than 200 men who portray Santa Claus came to a conference in Albion last April. Many of those visitors were surprised there wasn’t a site commemorating Howard’s importance in shaping how Santa should act and look.
The Albion Betterment Committee last December had a welcome sign installed on Route 98, south of the village, noting Albion is home of Charles Howard. An interpretive panel about Howard’s legacy was also put up at Mount Albion Cemetery by Albion Central School students.
Bronze sculptor Bill Koch has submitted this design for a statue of Charles Howard as Santa. Brigden Memorials in Albion also is interested in the project.
The Betterment Committee wants a bronze statue of Howard on Main Street. The group also wants a new building on Main Street that would function as a year-round visitor center and could also be leased out to a business for a coffee shop/bakery/ice cream stand/merchandise.
“This community would come together for the Santa House, the statue and history in general,” Gary Kent, a director for the Betterment Committee, told the Village Board on Wednesday.
Kent said the Betterment Committee has an appeal letter ready, and plans to follow up with phone calls to about 270 people already identified as potential donors.
Kent noted that May 1 is the 50th anniversary of Howard’s death and the Betterment Committee wants to push this year for the projects to honor one of Albion’s most famous native sons. For more on Howard, click here.
Kent asked the Village Board to make a decision soon about the village-owned land by the Presbyterian Church. The Betterment Committee is eyeing the spot where a building, last used by DaLisa’s Pizzeria, stood before the structure was knocked down about five years ago.
The board at the time say the site as a spot for more downtown parking. The land hasn’t been paved or turned into additional parking.
This spot next to the Presbyterian Church is considered by the Albion Betterment Committee as the preferential location for a Santa statue and building resembling Charles Howard’s Christmas Park in Albion. (If the project moves forward, the hitching posts and carriage step would be relocated.)
Kent said the site looks big enough for a 1,200-square-foot building that could be a Santa House, resembling Howard’s famed Christmas Park on Phipps Road in Albion.
The Betterment Committee has looked at other sites in the community for the project, but wants it downtown “for the maximum impact in the village,” Kent said.
Kent has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for 24 years. He said volunteers would likely help build a Santa House. He also has reached out to electricians and contractors, who are interested in donating their time.
“We could get this done for zero dollars,” Kent told the board.
This historic photo shows one of the buildings from Charles Howard’s Christmas Park and Santa Claus School. The Betterment Committee wants to replicate some of the looks from Christmas Park in a new site on Main Street.
The Santa statue, however, could cost $80,000 to $100,000. State grants and money from the Santa community, who hold Howard in high regard, could help fund the project.
Village Board members said they want to check with downtown merchants to gauge their opinion of the project, whether it would be worth sacrificing parking for a statue and Santa House. Mayor Dean London said the board would make a decision at its March 23 meeting.
Trustee Gary Katsanis said he favors the statue and Santa House in the downtown, where it would be a draw and likely boost business for other merchants.
Trustee Stan Farone said there could be other spots for the project, perhaps on Liberty Street.
Trustee Pete Sidari said the Santa site should be on Main Street. He just wants to make sure the village doesn’t have a parking shortage in the downtown for other businesses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 March 2016 at 10:00 am
File photos by Tom Rivers The Bent’s Opera House is pictured here in 2014 when contractors were stabilizing a corner of the building. The three-story building was built during the Civil War in 1864. The Orleans Renaissance Group sees potential in the site as a performing arts venue with a restaurant and offices.
A big pot of money, $10 million, could be directed to a downtown in Orleans County if community leaders can make the case for how the money would transform the business district, creating more vibrant businesses and places to live.
Gov. Cuomo, in his budget presentation in January, announced he wanted $100 million for 10 “distressed downtowns” in the state. Each region would pick a struggling community suffering from population loss and economic decline.
The villages of Albion, Medina and Holley all seem like good candidates for the money. All have declines in population and tax bases, as well as high poverty rates and crushing tax burdens. The tax rates in these villages are among the highest in the Finger Lakes region.
The community that gets the $10 million needs to put together a plan, identifying projects. Cuomo often speaks about how his administration, in five years, has pushed hard to bring funding to Upstate New York. The initiatives, including The Buffalo Billion, have boosted confidence and investment in long-suffering communities. However, Cuomo said some places have been left out.
That’s why he wants the $100 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative. It’s part of his budget proposal. Our local state legislators haven’t spoken much or at all about this money. They haven’t helped Orleans villages get plans in place for transformative money that could be approved in the new budget, taking effect April 1.
The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council met on Feb. 25. Orleans is one of nine counties in the region, and the council will pick one community for the $10 million if it’s in the new state budget.
Vincent Esposito, council director, said he expects the money will be in the budget. There were about 200 people at the Feb. 25 meeting, officials from communities throughout the region. Esposito urged them to get started on a big plan for a struggling community.
The plans would likely be due in the summer with a grant award announced in December. The state would provide planning experts to create a strategic downtown redevelopment plan for the selected community.
“Eligible projects will include those that grow small businesses and employment, expand housing, improve transportation, and partner with large institutions such as universities and hospitals,” Cuomo said in January.
I think Albion, Medina and Holley all have a good shot at this money. It’s easy enough to use assessment data and Census numbers to show declining tax bases and population. The villages should show current vacancy rates in the downtown, as well as vacant homes in the community.
The main thing will be identifying realistic projects that would help change the fortunes for a depressed area, projects that would add jobs, attract sales tax, and change the morale of the community.
Here are some suggestions for each community for projects as part of an application.
The congregation at the Albion United Methodist Church vacated this building a year ago and now holds church services at Christ Episcopal Church.
Albion: The “Downtown Revitalization Program” seems targeted to a place like Albion, a once prosperous and vibrant community.
The historic buildings are the envy of many in other communities because the wrecking ball didn’t knock downtown ornate structures from the mid to late 1800s. However, in Albion there are high vacancy rates in the downtown, including several three-story buildings with no tenants.
If there were millions made available, I think some of the buildings could be renovated for loft apartments, a boutique hotel, restaurants, bakery, art co-ops and studios.
One possible project could be rehabbing a building into a local visitor center/discovery zone with exhibits about the canal, Medina sandstone, Charles Howard’s Santa Claus School and more.
There needs to be at least one signature project that would draw people downtown, feeding other businesses.
Albion might want to consider a project at the former United Methodist Church. Part of the building, the newer section with classrooms, might be able to be renovated into apartments. I think the church building could be made into a “Sacred Sites Discovery Center” that would talk about circuit riders in the early 1800s, and the many religious and social movements (abolition, prohibition, suffrage) that were strong in upstate in the 19th Century.
Albion would be an ideal place for such a museum/discovery center because it is home to the first Free Methodist Church in the world and has the seven churches, all with interesting stories, on the Courthouse Square.
A bronze statue of Charles Howard, shown here in his signature pose as Santa Claus, would be a draw on Main Street, while promoting community pride.
I’ve tried to advocate in the community how I think bronze statues for Santa (Charles Howard) and a quarryman display would help tell our community’s story, and also be a popular spot for locals and visitors. The statues would get people out of their cars, and moving in the downtown, helping local businesses.
I think creating a smaller version of Christmas Park (Howard’s popular Santa School and park on Phipps Road), and putting it on Main Street in a smaller building with a statue out front would be popular. It might make the most sense to put up a new building about 1,000 square feet and tell the local Santa story. The building could be open year-round as a bakery/coffee shop, while also functioning as a visitor center. I think next to the Presbyterian Church on a vacant lot would be an ideal spot. The village would own it and could lease it out to a business.
The old Holley High School has been vacant for about two decades in a prominent part of the community.
Holley: Redeveloping the old Holley High School could be a focal project. The building could be revived with apartments. Perhaps a portion of the building could be made into offices as well.
A massive renovation to the school would make for a dynamic gateway into the county on Route 31. Holley could also have a quarryman heritage display with a bronze statue or two in the front yard of the old school. Many of the most prolific quarries a century ago were in Holley and Hulberton. Those quarries brought thousands of immigrants to the community, hard-working and skilled stone masons from Italy, Poland and Britain.
Holley might also consider a nice fountain in front of the school. Holley already has two waterfalls and other fountains. It could market itself with a water theme, perhaps a logo with waterfalls and a fountain.
Other building owners could tap into the $10 million for building repairs and renovations.
Medina has a dramatic waterfalls next to the canal, but the site is largely inaccessible to the public.
Frances Folsom Cleveland is pictured in her official White House portrait. She married Grover Cleveland in 1886 at a ceremony at the White House. She was 21, the youngest First Lady ever.
Medina: The downtown district is much more vibrant than many in Western New York, but there are still vacancies and buildings in need of repair in Medina.
I could see Medina creating a plan centering around the redevelopment of the Bent’s Opera House. The Orleans Renaissance Group wants to redevelop the site as a performing arts venue on the top floor with a restaurant and offices also in the dominant Main Street structure.
I see a lot of potential in the waterfalls by the Horan Road canal bridge. Making the site more accessible, with either an elevated platform by the towpath or a trail, would make Medina even more attractive.
Medina could also do a quarryman heritage display, or maybe it would be better to have Frances Folsom, the former First Lady from Medina, standing in the Canal Basin, holding hands with President Grover Cleveland.
All of these communities would benefit from better gateway signs, welcoming people into the community. I would try to incorporate Medina sandstone in a nice display leading into these communities.
We don’t know the rules of the grant yet, but Esposito, at the Feb. 25 meeting, was emphatic in urging struggling communities to put forth ideas for money.
I would encourage community leaders in each village to form task forces dream big and come up with ideas for improving the downtowns.
The governor said the money will “transform long-forgotten areas into vibrant neighborhoods where tomorrow’s workforce will want to live, work, and raise a family.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 March 2016 at 12:00 am
School district, all 3 buildings now in ‘Good Standing’
Photos by Tom Rivers – A Medina Mustang banner hangs outside at the district campus.
MEDINA – For 4 ½ years, the State Education Department has put the “Focus” school label on Medina. It’s a tag the school district shed on Friday, and is now considered a district in “Good Standing.”
It’s been a lot of work from administrators, teachers, students and parents to raise academic performance.
“I’m extremely proud of all of our buildings for getting off of the list,” said Jeff Evoy, the district superintendent.
The district initially was on the list for low scores in student subgroups for state assessment tests in grades 3 through 8. Those grade levels include Oak Orchard Elementary School (grade 3), Clifford Wise Intermediate/Middle School (grades 4 through 7) and Medina High School (grade 8).
Oak Orchard Elementary and Medina High School were the first to raise their scores and be removed from the list and be considered in good standing. Clifford Wise, which includes four of the targeted grade levels, was the last one to satisfy the state.
Elaine Wendt, principal at the Clifford Wise Intermediate/Middle School, praised teachers, parents and students for raising the academic achievement and learning environment in the school.
Principal Elaine Wendt said student scores are now exceeding the state average. She commended the hard work from so many, from students to parents to staff and teachers, as well as strong leadership from Evoy and Denise Stappenbeck, who was hired as director of curriculum and instruction three years ago.
The district laid off about 30 teachers and staff during a budget crisis in 2010. The loss of those staff hurt student achievement. Some of the positions, including academic support and enrichment, have been added in recent budgets.
Stappenbeck said revisions in curriculum, instruction strategies, and professional development for teachers were part of the turnaround.
“We’ve come at it in a lot of different ways,” she said.
Parents have been more engaged, and there has been a “dramatic drop in bullying,” which has improved the learning atmosphere for students, Wendt said.
Medina staff members are pleased the district no longer has been labeled a “Focus” school in need of improvement by the State Education Department. This group is pictured in the middle school library and includes, from left: Becky Botsford, grades 6 and 7 band teacher; Kristen Phillips, librarian; Jeanette Sheliga, grade 4 and 5 band teacher; Principal Elaine Wendt; Superintendent of Schools Jeff Evoy; Denise Stappenbeck, director of curriculum and instruction; and Joette Oberther, library aide.
Evoy said the multi-pronged approach yielded a higher graduation rate with 85 percent of students in the Class of 2015 graduating with their four-year cohort, about a 10 percent jump in 5 years, Evoy said.
The district added a credit recovery program to help students failing classes to stay on pace for graduation.
“We can’t stay complacent,” Evoy said. “Being a focus school is a label you don’t want to have.”
Evoy shared the news on Tuesday at the Board of Education meeting and handed out Mr. Goodbar chocolate candy bars to everyone in the room.
“All of our schools are in good standing,” Evoy said. “We’ve had so much buy-in from staff. It’s a been a change in culture where everyone is working together.”
LYNDONVILLE – National Grid has approved a $15,800 grant to support the expansion and upgrade of cold storage facilities in Lyndonville for H.H. Dobbins Inc.
Dobbins has invested $3.4 million to construct a new, state-of-the-art controlled atmosphere for its affiliate that stores, packs and ships apples around the world. The new technology allows Dobbins to improve its storage capabilities while reducing its energy costs.
“It has been an honor to continue a business started by my great grandfather and make the updates necessary to stay competitive in the 21st century,” said Ward Dobbins, owner and managing member. “We are grateful for partners like National Grid who embrace our vision and our dedicated employees who are integral to our continued progress.”
National Grid announced today it is also providing $50,000 to D.A. Tufts Co. to support its renovation of a key building in Batavia’s downtown area. D.A. Tufts is investing more than $400,000 for a mixed-use renovation of the 5,200-square-foot building that anchors the corner of East Main Street and Harvester Avenue.
The adaptive reuse of the structure will include both commercial and market-rate residential space. The grant is from National Grid’s Main Street Revitalization program. The grant helped make possible the upgrades needed to convert the structure to have highly efficient mechanical systems and a fresh and stylish new look.
National Grid’s Economic Development Grant Program maintains a strong focus on site development, urban revitalization, strategic marketing, and facilitating customer growth through infrastructure assistance, energy efficiency and productivity improvement. The program reflects an increasing emphasis on sustainable development, the efficient use of existing energy infrastructure, and the strategic deployment of renewable generation technologies.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul attended the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council meeting in Rochester on Thursday. She said a $500 million push from the state to expand broadband Internet will be a big boost to students, residents and businesses in underserved areas of the state, including Orleans County. Hochul is pictured with Danny Wegman, left, and Joel Seligman, University of Rochester president, who both serve as co-chairmen of the council.
ROCHESTER – New York State will begin accepting applications next week for $500 million to expand high-speed Internet. Orleans County officials are ready to pounce on the money.
Orleans has been working on the issue for several years, determining the needs in the county and working with an engineer on how to best to best expand the service. Orleans also has teamed with Niagara County, in a two-county effort to bring high-speed Internet to areas with no service or low speeds.
“We’ve been doing our homework for years,” said Lynne Johnson, an Orleans County legislator working on the issue. “We’re two voices.”
Gov. Cuomo and the State legislature are setting aside $500 million, which needs to be matched by private industry in expanding the service. That means there is at least $1 billion directed to improving the service.
The merger of Time Warner and Charter Communications also will result in expanded coverage, said Vincent Esposito, director of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.
“As part of the Time Warner and Charter Communications merger, they will have to upgrade service,” Esposito said on Thursday during a meeting of the Regional Economic Development Council at the Rochester Convention Center. “Orleans County will be part of the Time Warner upgrade.”
About a third of the geographic area in Orleans County does not have access to high-speed Internet. That is the same in Niagara County. The two counties are proposing that companies use more cable to serve those areas and also install wireless technology.
“A blended solution is the only way you will reach the last house,” said Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey.
It is too costly for companies to run cable on roads with a few houses. But wireless technology is more affordable for sparsely populated areas, he said after the meeting in Rochester on Thursday.
Orleans is part of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, and Niagara is the the Western New York council. The two counties are seeking funds through both councils, which Godfrey and Johnson said boosts the chances for more coverage in the two counties.
The applications to the state will be accepted from March 1 to April 15.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul attended the meeting at the Convention Center. She said much of upstate lacks access to high-speed Internet. That puts those areas at a major disadvantage, she said.
Many employers require prospective job applicants to fill out applications on-line, and students are required to do homework on-line. Businesses increasingly sell products by the Internet and need to fill out reports and do research on-line. Residents also enjoy streaming movies.
“If you have it, you don’t think about it,” Hochul said about high-speed Internet. “If you don’t, you’re gasping for air.”
Hochul said the upcoming investment in broadband will make New York more attractive for residents and businesses.
“We’ll be the most covered state in the nation,” she said. “It will be a big advantage for us.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 January 2016 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – This staircase will be replaced as part of an improvement project at the Orleans County Marine Park on Route 98 in Carlton
CARLTON – A new playground with a Jungle Gym and swing set are expected to installed this spring at the Orleans County Marine Park, with additional upgrades to follow at the park.
The County Legislature on Wednesday voted to spend $19,497 for a new playground system from Miracle Recreation Equipment Company in Syracuse.
Additional work planned for this year includes new shore power at all 36 docks for boaters, and a new stairway and walkway on the north side of the park.
All of the projects, including the playground, could total about $166,000. The state is providing a $81,500 matching grant for the upgrades. The Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association is chipping in $3,287 towards the local share of the projects.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 January 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Ron Albertson, one of the organizers of Rock the Park, is pictured during last year’s music festival at Bullard on July 25. This year’s event on Aug. 20 will run in cooperation with the Metro 10 race in Albion.
ALBION – The Village of Albion may have been denied a state grant for Bullard Park last month, but members of the “Rebuild Bullard” committee are determined to upgrade the park.
Committee members, led by the Albion Lions Club, would like to add new playground equipment this year.
“We’re trying to be part of the solution,” Ron Albertson, a Lions Club member, told the Village Board on Wednesday. “We’re trying lots of things to build up our little community.”
The third annual Rock the Park music festival will also be bigger this year on Aug. 20, Albertson said. That event will partner with the Metro 10 race in Albion and both events should feed off each other. The Metro 10 is a 10-mile race pitting runners from Rochester versus Buffalo. The race concludes at Bullard Park in a party-like atmosphere with a band and food.
Rock the Park will continue after the post-race party with several more bands playing until about 9 p.m.
The first Rock the Park drew about 200 people to the Elks Club. Last year was moved to Bullard and about 2,000 people attended, said Albertson, one of the event organizers.
“It’s getting more exciting with the Metro 10,” Albertson told the Village Board. “We’re thinking 4,000 to 6,000 people now.”
Albertson said his long-term goal would be to develop an amphitheater in the park for larger concerts at Bullard. He believes a concert series at the park with some big-name bands in the region could draw thousands of people to Albion.
They could park in the downtown and take shuttle buses to the park. That way the downtown merchants could benefit from the events.
Albion has tried three times for state grants to upgrade Bullard. The last grant application included a request to help develop a spray park. But Albion was denied.
“The Lions Club hasn’t given up on the park,” said Dale Brooks, a Lions Club member and former DPW superintendent for the village. “We’re still going forward with the park.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 January 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency expects 2016 will be a big year for economic development in the county, with several projects years in the making expected to bear fruit this year.
Pride Pak has a new manufacturing facility under construction on Maple Ridge Road in Medina. The company is spending $12.5 million on a new vegetable processing facility that will add 80 jobs.
That is the biggest project expected in 2016, but there are other sizable efforts expected this year, including a new hotel in Medina, a new facility for Helena Chemical in Ridgeway, and an expansion of Western New York Energy in Medina, as well as other projects, EDA officials said during a board meeting this morning.
A commitment on a $4 million hotel could be announced soon, said Gabrielle Barone, vce president of business development for the EDA. The hotel would add four direct jobs, but would also keep visitors in the community longer which should benefit other local businesses.
Western New York Energy opened a new ethanol plant in November 2007. The company produces about 55 million gallons annually of ethanol. It is looking to expand capacity by about 30 percent, Barone said.
Helena Chemical is looking to move from Platt Street in Albion to a new site in Ridgeway on Allis Road, off Route 31. The $2 million investment will create 10 jobs, EDA officials said today.
Niagara Food Specialties also could commit to a $3.5 million project in Yates adding 20 jobs. EDA leaders said other projects are identified, including ones in Holley and Albion, but those company names can’t be disclosed.
Altogether, at least $22 million in projects creating about 115 jobs have been identified.
That follows 2015 with $6,270,000 invested in the county by businesses creating eight jobs. Empire Fruit did the biggest project, a $3,520,000 investment in Yates that added three new jobs in agriculture storage.
Western New York Energy also spent $2 million on a new 800,000-bushel grain bin. Velocitti also invested $750,000 in an adaptive reuse in Medina, adding five jobs.
The EDA spent a lot of effort in 2015 preparing business parks and other land for projects in the future. That work will begin to pay off next year with new construction and investment, including Pride Pak and the possibility of the new hotel on Maple Ridge Road in Medina.
“It’s been a good year getting ready for 2016,” said Jim Whipple, the EDA chief executive officer.
Paul Hendel, chairman of the EDA board, agreed that 2015 was a foundation year, laying the groundwork for projects in the future. Hendel commended Whipple and Barone for their efforts to make several sites attractive to businesses.
“In my humble opinion you do an awesome job,” Hendel said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 January 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Most of the appliances and floor tiles have been removed from the kitchen at the Trolley Building at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County is upgrading the kitchen so it can be better used for classes and also to prepare food for events at the Trolley Building. The Extension is working to develop a commercial kitchen that would also be available to rent.
The Extension received a $15,000 grant from a foundation for the upgrades, which includes new plumbing and electric, new flooring, a 3-bay sink and other improvements. The Extension is trying to secure additional funds for two stainless steel table islands with water and electric.
The top photo shows a refurbished stove with 10 burners that was recently acquired. The Extension also added ventilation and fire suppression systems to the kitchen.
Volunteers and staff removed these pieces from the kitchen. The sink will be put in the Senior Council Stand.
The Extension would like to put an addition on the building and turn the site into a larger commercial kitchen/conference center.
Jennifer Wagester, the Extension executive director, is applying for a $250,000 state grant for the addition, which would include a new roof for the Trolley Building, and renovations, including handicapped accessible bathrooms.
Those funds are available through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York in the Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program. The grant would cover 100 percent of the project, meaning no local match. The grant application is due Jan. 29.
The $50 million was announced by Gov. Cuomo last year with the one-time funding to help non-profit agencies combat poverty and who work with vulnerable populations in the state.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2015 at 12:00 am
File photos by Tom Rivers – Bent’s Opera House is in line for two state grants. The building is a dominant structure at the corner of Main and East Center streets in downtown Medina.
ALBANY – State officials announced about $2.25 billion in funding for projects across the state today, and some of those dollars will go towards efforts in Orleans County.
The biggest award is $600,000 for the Orleans Economic Development Agency for a new building in the Medina Business Park. The EDA is working to have the shell of a building up to entice a company. Having the exterior of the building in place with the local permits secured would speed up the process for a company to settle in Medina, EDA officials have said.
Other Medina projects were picked for funding include $335,000 in a Main Street NY grant that will be administered by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. The money will assist in renovation of mixed-use buildings in historic downtown Medina.
Downtown Medina will get $335,000 in a Main Street NY grant.
Bent’s Opera House, a landmark structure that opened in 1865 at the corner of Main and East Center streets in Medina, was approved for two grants. A $70,000 grant will go towards includes building stabilization, facade improvements, asbestos abatement and interior renovations at the three-story building.
The state also approved another $150,000 for Bent’s, which is owned by the Orleans Renaissance Group, for additional restoration work.
“This work will represent one phase of a multi-phase restoration project that will not only enhance its appearance, but will also enable public use,” according to the state announcement. “When complete, the Opera House will provide a safe and historic space for public gatherings and events, and will also provide space to several revenue and tax-generating businesses.”
Other projects include:
$200,000 to the Orleans EDA for microenterprise support, including downtown rental subsidies for businesses in the downtown districts in Albion, Holley, Medina and Lyndonville. Some of the state funds can also be used as grants for the small businesses adding equipment or a new line of products.
$126,210 for the chapel at Hillside Cemetery, which is owned by the Town of Clarendon. The Gothic Revival chapel was built of Medina sandstone in 1894. The state funding will go towards restoring the non-denominational chapel and repurpose it for new public uses. Anticipated use includes concerts, historical and art exhibits, and lectures.
The chapel at Hillside Cemetery was approved for state funds for restoration and repurposing.
$40,000 for the Kendall-Yates-Carlton Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. The funds will go towards updating the waterfront plan for the three towns, providing new data on current conditions, policies, and implementation tools and projects.
Issues to be addressed include community revitalization, erosion, transportation infrastructure, water quality, and harbor management. Stakeholder feedback and public input will be solicited throughout development of the amended waterfront development plan.
$36,000 for Orleans County for a law enforcement shared service and efficiency study.
“The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the Police Departments of the Villages of Albion, Lyndonville, Medina, and Holley will commission a study to explore the efficiency of current local law enforcement operations and compare them with alternative policing models, including the potential consolidation of the five departments,” according to the state announcement.
In addition, the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, which is based in Batavia and serves Genesee and Orleans counties, was approved for a $37,500 grant to create a full-time program director position to increase programming and service availabilities throughout its two-county region.
The Town of Alabama, just south of Shelby in Orleans County, was approved for a $1.5 million grant for new water lines to support the WNY Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) and nearby residents.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Orleans plans to replace more bridges and culverts in 2016
Photos by Tom Rivers – Orleans County officials and contractors for the Oak Orchard Road bridge in Barre gathered for a ribbon-cutting celebration on Wednesday for the new bridge near the muck. Pictured, from left: Chris Bayer, a civil engineer with LaBella Associates; County Legislator John DeFillipps; Highway Superintendent Jerry Gray; Legislature Chairman David Callard; Chuck Nesbitt, county chief administrative officer; Legislator Bill Eick; Legislator Ken DeRoller; and Karl Snyder, the estimator and project manager for Redman Construction in Brockport.
BARRE – A bridge near the muck was torn out in August and a new precast box culvert was put in its place. The new bridge opened last week, and county officials and contractors celebrated the conclusion of the project with a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday.
That wraps up the infrastructure work in a busy 2015 in Orleans County. The county also replaced a bridge from 1934 over Beardsley Creek on Waterport-Carlton Road in Carlton, and two culverts on Knowlesville Road in Ridgeway over the Oak Orchard Creek.
(The county also put a new roof on the Public Safety Building, and added two new pole barns for the Highway Department on West Academy Street.)
Orleans has more projects in the works in 2016 and ’17. Next year it will replace a bridge from 1959 in Kendall on Carton Road over Sandy Creek, and a bridge from 1936 in Ridgeway over Fish Creek on East Scott Road. It will also replace two culverts on Platten Road in Yates, just east of the Village of Lyndonville.
The plan for 2017 includes bridges from 1928 in Ridgeway over Fish Creek on Culvert Road, and a bridge from 1956 in Kendall over Sandy Creek on Norway Road. The county will also replace two culverts on South Holley Road in Clarendon.
The new bridge in Barre goes over Manning Muckland Creek. The bridge has new guard rails, and is wider with more room on the shoulders.
The infrastructure work is part of an $8 million bond taken out last year to address bridges that had badly deteriorated. The federal and state governments would normally help pay for the projects, but those dollars have been hard to come by in recent years for Orleans County.
County officials worried the bridges would be “red flagged” by the state Department of Transportation with weight reductions. That would make travel more difficult, especially for the farm equipment, school buses and plow trucks.
The DOT considered 49 of the 131 bridges in the county to be rated deficient, as of Aug. 31, 2015. The DOT rates bridges on a score of 3.00 to 7.00. Anything less than a 5.00 is considered deficient.
The county will replace six bridges from 2015 to 2017, doing two each year. That should bring the number of deficient bridges down from 49 to 43.
The two bridges replaced this year had very low ratings. The bridge over Beardsley Creek in Carlton was rated a 3.80, and the bridge over Manning Muckland Creek in Barre was rated a 3.85.
The base of the new bridge in Barre notes it was built in 2015.
There has been a benefit to tackling the projects without state and federal help: far less cost and red tape. County officials estimate the projects are about one third cheaper than through the federal programs.
Those reduced expenses should allow the county to replace at least one more culvert or bridge as part of the infrastructure efforts.
“We can do it a lot cheaper,” said Jerry Gray, the county highway superintendent. “We’ve proved it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 December 2015 at 8:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – There is a new poster available in Albion that highlights the architecture of many historic sites in the community. I’ve been taking pictures of these doors for more than a year, trying to find the 25 most interesting ones.
I saw a poster of Buffalo doors about a year ago and decided to put one together for the Albion-Gaines community. I wanted to include many of the historic churches in Albion and also several of the doors from buildings at the Cobblestone Museum.
I was also looking for some oddball doors and included the marching band bus, the outhouse for former Gov. Rufus Bullock and one from a tugboat.
I decided to call it “14411 Doors” and use the zip code for Albion and Gaines. The two towns both have many striking historic treasures and linking the two makes the community even more dynamic.
You might wonder where I got the numbers for the 14411. Going across from left: a column from the Orleans County Courthouse; a 4 from the sign about Mount Albion Cemetery in the arch that says 1843; the 4 from the door on the former Swan Library; a window on the side of the Free Methodist Church (the first Free Methodist Church in the world); and a hitching post in Mount Albion.
Dublin, Ireland has really played up its doors with posters and numerous other products and tourism promotions. Click here for more about the Doors of Dublin.
I think there is potential to use the doors in Albion and Gaines as a draw for the area.
The “D” is actually one of the windows on the Albion Village Hall but it is tipped clockwise at a 90-degree angle. The first “O” is the big stained-glass window in the First Presbyterian Church and the second “O” is an old hitching post at Mount Albion.
The “R” is an ornate letter at Mount Albion for the Randall family (not far behind the chapel), and the “S” was taken from the Ingersoll Memorial Fountain at the cemetery.
The posters are 16 by 24 inches. They are available exclusively in the 14411 zip code at Bindings Bookstore, Hazy Jade Gift Shop, Watt Farms Country Market and the Lake Country Pennysaver.
Canadian company to invest $20M in NY, create 200 jobs
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office
MEDINA – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that work has begun on Pride Pak Canada Ltd.’s new 68,000-square-foot facility on 13 acres in the Medina Business Park.
Pride Pak, Canada’s largest fresh fruit and vegetable processor, is spending more than $20 million to build a state-of-the-art facility and install machinery and equipment in Orleans County in order to be closer to its U.S. customers.
“This company will not only bring new jobs to the regions, but will also bolster local farmers and help attract other businesses to the area by being the anchor to this new commerce hub,” Cuomo said. “Today’s action is more exciting news for the Finger Lakes.”
Pride Pak in Ontario currently exports 35 percent of its produce to the U.S. market. The company packs fresh-cut vegetables for other companies, including Wegmans Food Market. The vegetables are packed fresh, not frozen.
“Pride Pak is very much looking forward to this collaboration with Orleans County,” said Steve Karr, CEO of Pride Pak. “This is a mutually beneficial opportunity; Pride Pak is expanding its business and moving closer to its customer base, while Orleans County can count on a positive impact on its economy.”
The facility will work with local farmers with carrots and other “root vegetables” and will also package salads, with some of the salads going to Pride Pak’s Canadian customers. Pride Pak expects about 45 truckloads of product each month. The vegetable waste, about 220 tons a month, will be delivered to local livestock farms to be used as animal feed and fertilizer.
The economic support and assistance from state agencies was a critical factor in locating the Pride Pak distribution project in New York State. New York State, through Empire State Development provided up to $2 million in Excelsior tax credits.
The New York Power Authority is also providing an allocation of low-cost hydropower to Pride Pak in return for job and capital investment commitments. Pride Pak is also receiving a $750,000 grant from New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley said, “This has been an extraordinary year for economic development projects in my district. I am excited to usher in the new Pride Pak fruit and vegetable processing plant in the Medina Business Park and look forward to monitoring its progress. The new facility will create an estimated 200 new jobs and bring fresh produce to customers right here in Western New York. Furthermore, any excess fruit and vegetable waste will be delivered to local livestock farms to bolster our local agriculture industry. I am proud to have worked with Empire State Development, Gov. Cuomo and local leaders to bring this business into my area.”
Assemblywoman Jane Corwin said, “Growing the Upstate New York economy and creating new jobs for our region has been my top priority since taking office. I am proud of the all that we have accomplished in the State Legislature, both in working with Governor Cuomo and our local partners in making new development a reality. Pride Pak will be as great asset to Orleans County and will significantly make both a direct and indirect impact on our local economy. The continued investment in our region will have a long term positive effect on our economy and ensure that our children will have opportunity right here in New York State.”
State Senator Rob Ortt said, “With the potential of creating approximately 200 jobs in an area that needs it most, this project is exciting news for Medina as well as our entire region as the demand for locally-grown food continues to rise. The new Pride Pak facility will collaborate with local farmers to help to deliver fresh, healthy, affordable fruits and vegetables to consumers while strengthening our economy’s agriculture industry. I’m looking forward to working with our partners across the pond, and assisting them in any way we can to help further expand its operations globally.”
Dave Callard, chairman of the Orleans County Legislature said, “We are very excited to welcome Pride Pak to Orleans County. Pride Pak fits in extremely well with our developing agricultural cluster. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with our new partners as they develop this fantastic new venture.”
The Pride Pak facility in Medina is expected to be completed in spring 2016 with processing to begin in June 2016.
