By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 July 2017 at 10:33 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Foodlink’s Curbside Market, a food truck with fruits and vegetables, made its first stop in Holley today.
The Curbside Market has been making stops in Albion and Medina. Foodlink decided to include Holley to help fill the void in the community from the closing of its only grocery store, Save-A-Lot, last Sept. 17.
The Curbside Market sells fruits and vegetables at discounts. It is open to everyone, and accepts cash, Debit, EBT and FMNP.
Carol Miller (right), the curbside operator for Foodlink, and Shaunita Foster Smith, a Foodlink employee, are pictured inside the truck today.
The market stops every other Wednesday in Orleans County. The schedule the next three months includes the second and fourth Wednesdays each month. The Medina stop is from 10:15 to 11 a.m. at Ricky’s Place: Maple Ridge Estates; outside the Main Street Store on Main Street in Albion from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; and at the Public Square in Holley from 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Foodlink started the Curbside Market in 2013 and has three trucks on the road in the Rochester region.
By Nola Goodrich-Kresse and Kristine Voos, Genesee-Orleans Public Health Education Team
Ticks can spread disease. Not all ticks can cause disease and not all bites will make you sick, but as these diseases become more common it’s important to learn how to prevent a bite, how to remove a tick and what to do if you think you could have a tick- borne disease.
“Lyme is endemic (widespread) throughout New York State,” states Brenden Bedard, Director of Community Health Services for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.
“Lyme disease is also the most common disease spread by ticks in New York but there are other serious diseases they spread including Anaplasmosis, Erhichioisis, Babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. There are many different species of ticks but locally the most common is the Deer Tick. The Deer Tick is a vector (carrier) for several diseases (Lyme disease, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis) and received the name because of its habit of living and feeding on white-tailed deer, however ticks acquire Lyme disease by feeding on infected mice and other small rodents.”
Ticks may be found in many types of settings such as woodlands, tree stumps, lawns and gardens, around stone walls, nature trails, outdoor summer camps, and playing fields. Ticks do not jump or fly, they attach to their host when a human or animal makes contact with something that a tick is on, like tall grass, shrubs, or an animal.
“Although Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties have had less than 15 reported cases of Lyme disease annually in 2016, ticks are here locally and you can’t tell which are infected by disease or not,” stated Paul Pettit, Genesee and Orleans Public Health Director.
The risk of human infection with Lyme is greatest in late spring and summer, but ticks can be active any time the temperature is above freezing. “We know the ticks that cause Lyme disease are in Western New York, that is why it is so important to make sure you do regular checks for ticks while outdoors and when you first get home,” said Pettit.
Lyme can only be transmitted after being bit by an infected tick- seeing an attached tick or a tick bite does not necessarily mean Lyme has been transmitted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it takes 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted once the tick has attached to the host (human or animal). If a tick is removed quickly (within 24 hours), it will greatly reduce the chance of spreading Lyme disease to the host.
It generally takes between three days to one month after a tick bite for Lyme disease symptoms to develop. In 60-80 percent of Lyme cases a “bulls-eye” circular rash or solid red patch develops at or near the site of the tick bite first and steadily gets larger or spreads out. You can also get several patches of rash on your body.
Early on in the disease (days to weeks post-tick bite) you may develop symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, joint pain and/or swelling, fatigue, or facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy), sometimes these can be very mild. As Lyme disease progresses more severe symptoms like arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling may develop months-to-years post tick bite in 60% of persons who are not given antibiotic treatment.
It is important to keep in mind that getting Lyme disease once does not provide protection against getting Lyme in the future, if you are bitten again at a different time you can get Lyme disease again. If you develop any of these symptoms you should call your doctor right away to inquire about getting tested and treated.
Additional prevention tips for homeowners to create a tick-free zone in your backyard to keep you, your family and pets safe from tick exposure:
• Keep grass mowed, along with clearing tall grasses and brush.
• Remove brush and leave around stonewalls and wood piles.
• Keep wood piles and bird feeders away from your home.
• Keep family dogs and cats out of wooded areas to reduce ticks brought into your home.
• Place swing sets, sand boxes, decks and patios in a sunny spot away from yard edges and trees.
• Place a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas and around patios and play equipment.(3)
What you can do if you find a tick attached to you, a family member, or a pet:
• You should use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the ticks by its mouth parts, as close to the surface of the skin as you can. Carefully pull the tick straight up without twisting. Do not touch the tick. Do not squeeze the body of the tick (it may increase your risk of infection). Clean your hands and the areas on your skin where the tick was. Watch the site of the bite for rash (3-30 days after bite). Removing a tick within 36 hours of attachment to the skin can lower the risk of contracting Lyme disease.
Provided photos: Kendall students place 1,300 pinwheels in the ground to represent the 1,300 people who die daily from tobacco-related causes in the United States.
Posted 7 June 2017 at 2:57 pm
Press Release, Reality Check
KENDALL – Last week on May 31 we celebrated World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) as a way to raise awareness and envision a life without tobacco. While the general public understands the threat tobacco imposes on individuals, the World Health Association (WHO) focused on tobacco as a threat to development around the globe.
A Reality Check group from Kendall Central School participated in an all-day event to protect health and promote development in the community.
The outreach event, which involved both the school and community audiences, was designed to visually grasp the volume of people affected by secondhand smoke in an extreme way. Cigarette smoke is responsible for 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, more than 41,000 deaths of which come from secondhand smoke exposure. That’s about one in five deaths annually or 1,300 deaths every day. The Reality Check group decided to use 1,300 pinwheels to represent the 1,300 innocent individuals who suffer due to tobacco’s role in society and the environment.
Shelby Kurger, a student involved with the Kendall Reality Check group, felt strongly about WNTD. “I’m a part of Reality Check to make sure we can be the first tobacco-free generation. For every one person that quits or dies from smoking, two youth become a replacement. Don’t be a number.”
To reinforce that messaging, the youth built a WNTD sign with their pinwheel display. Instead of viewing the 1,300 as a statistic and feeling desensitized about the deaths occurring, they wanted to put into perspective what an impact tobacco has in the United States alone on a daily basis.
Just a few days before the Kendall event, on May 26, the Reality Check group from Holley School sponsored a cigarette butt pick up and scan in Holley Village Park. According to WHO, up to 10 billion cigarettes are disposed of in the environment every day. Since tobacco waste contains over 7,000 toxic chemicals, the environmental influence alone is astounding and part of the development issue that WHO based their WNTD theme on.
Reality Check and students from St. Joe’s School in Batavia were also involved in a Chalk the Walk program, utilizing parking lots and church walkways. They also put up signage outside of school. Reality Check is a teen-led, adult run program that seeks to prevent and decrease tobacco use around New York State.
For more information about Reality Check, click here.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mark O’Brien has been director of mental health and community services at Orleans County Department of Mental Health the past four years.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 May 2017 at 12:24 pm
ALBION – The director of the Orleans County Department of Mental Health was honored last week for his efforts to work with other agencies and expand mental health services in Orleans County.
Mark O’Brien, the county’s Mental Health director since April 2013, received the Constance Miller Award from the Mental Health Association of Genesee & Orleans. The award is named in honor of the founder of the MHA in 1993.
“We want to recognize people working promote mental wellness in the community,” said Scott Wilson, vice president of the MHA board of directors.
Wilson is also the Orleans County Jail superintendent. He has seen O’Brien work with many local agencies in the community to expand mental health services, including at the jail.
The Mental Health Department has two clinicians working at the jail, which has reduced psychotropic medication and suicide attempts, Wilson said.
O’Brien also has worked with all five Orleans County school districts to establish satellite clinics in the schools where county mental health therapists work with students.
He also is pursuing partnerships with the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Orleans Community Health and Oak Orchard Health to have mental health staff at their sites.
O’Brien said the Mental Health Department could expand to 15 satellite locations if all the partnerships move forward.
With the school districts, O’Brien said he heard of two other counties that had success with therapists in schools. He presented the option to local school superintendents, and all five have supported the service, including summer hours when school is out of session. O’Brien said having mental health staff in schools reduces the transportation barrier and is less disruptive to a student’s school day because they only have to walk down the hall for an appointment, rather than travelling to Albion for an appointment at the Mental Health Department.
He also supports having mental health staff at GCASA, and the healthcare facilities.
“It’s making mental health services more accessible to the community and reducing the stigma because they are not going to a classified mental health building,” he said.
He also has worked to make county mental health building more accessible to the public by having open access where people don’t need an appointment to be served during regular business hours.
O’Brien also has been influential with the Mental Health Association, helping the agencies in Orleans and Genesee to merge, and the newly merged group to open an office in Albion at the Arnold Gregory Office Complex, 243 South Main St.
“He’s done a lot for the MHA,” said Scott Wilson, the board vice president.
O’Brien said the MHA is a “great partner” for the Mental Health Department. His agency provides treatment, while the MHA provides important peer support and a drop-in center.
He thanked the County Legislature for supporting the efforts for the agencies to work together and expand mental health services for the community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 May 2017 at 11:02 am
Provided photos
LYNDONVILLE – The 21st annual For Women Only event last week attracted a crowd of 275 people and raised $5,000 to support cancer patients in Orleans County.
The top photo shows Jessica Salamone, a certified genetic counselor from Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic.
Salamone worked at the University of Rochester Medical Center for 10 years, providing genetic counseling to patients in a variety of settings including reproductive, pediatric and cancer genetics. She is an adjunct faculty member at Rochester Institute of Technology, teaching medical genetics and introductory genetic counseling.
Amy Murray, an ovarian cancer survivor, shared her story and related to women to “listen to their bodies.” If something doesn’t seem right, Murray urged the women to have it checked out. She just had a check-up the day before the event and is cancer free.
Cancer survivors were recognized at the event for their strength, courage, hope and inspiration.
The event included vendors and a Chinese Auction. The money raised from For Women Only goes to Orleans Community Health for the cancer services program, which assists women who are unable to afford screening due to insufficient or no insurance.
Mold growth, bacterial contamination among the threats to public health
Health Advisory by Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator/Public Information Officer for Orleans County Public Health
Because of the recent rainstorms and high water levels of Lake Ontario and surrounding creeks and rivers, Paul Pettit, Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, advises residents of the steps they can take to prevent health risks linked with home flooding.
“Flooded homes and basements can present a number of health risks if not addressed adequately,” Pettit said. “Problems connected with home flooding include bacterial and viral contamination from sewage backup and mold growth from left over moisture. These problems can lead to human infection and illnesses.”
Flooding may cause wastewater to back up into homes that have private septic systems. Once the water recedes, a high water table may still prevent these systems from working properly for some time.
Residents with municipal sewer systems may also experience sewage back-up. Sewage back-up can be caused by surging floodwater overwhelming older systems or power outages during a storm surge. Sewage contains bacteria, viruses, and other germs that can cause disease.
The most common signs and symptoms after exposure to raw sewage are stomach and bowel distress (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea) and skin problems such as rashes and sores. Individuals who experience nausea, diarrhea or vomiting after exposure to sewage should contact their primary care providers.
“Wear rubber boots and waterproof gloves during cleanup if sewage has backed up into your home,” advises Sarah Balduf, Environmental Director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “Remove and discard contaminated household goods such as wall coverings, rugs, cloth and drywall that cannot be disinfected,” Balduf said. “Be sure to thoroughly disinfect all contaminated surfaces that come in contact with food and children’s play areas. Disinfect non-porous surfaces with a solution of three tablespoons of bleach to one gallon of water (or one cup bleach to five gallons water). Never mix bleach with ammonia cleaners.”
Individuals with open cuts or sores should try to avoid contact with sewage-contaminated floodwater. If accidentally exposed, keep skin (especially any cuts or sores) as clean as possible by washing with soap and clean water. Apply antibiotic ointment and cover with a sterile bandage to reduce the risk of infection.
If you have deep cuts and/or puncture wounds and have not had a tetanus vaccination within the past 10 years, or are unsure of the date of the last tetanus shot, get a tetanus booster.
For additional information on managing sewage back-ups, click here.
Mold will grow in flooded homes and buildings that do not dry out quickly. People living or working in buildings with wet carpets, walls, mattresses or furniture may develop health problems such as allergies, asthma and sneezing.
Persons at highest risk are those with allergies, asthma, chronic respiratory diseases, infants, pregnant women and individuals with compromised immune systems. For information on preventing and managing mold, click here.
For information on drinking and food guidance after a flood, click here.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will once again participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative.
Sheriff Randall Bower is pleased to announce that the Sheriff’s Office will again participate in this nationwide undertaking, which takes place on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
This is a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orleans County Health Department, and the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (GCASA).
This initiative will allow the public to safely dispose of unused prescription medication, sharps and pet medications. The goal of this event is to provide a safe disposal method that will prevent the contamination of the water supply and most importantly decrease the likelihood of theft and abuse of prescription medications.
Upon completion of this event all collected medication will be destroyed in the presence of law enforcement officers at a designated incineration facility.
This is a great opportunity for the public to surrender unwanted and/or expired medications for safe and proper disposal. Events such as these have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, as well as increasing awareness of this critical public health issue.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson at 585-589-4310.
Collection locations on Saturday include:
• Orleans County Public Safety Building, 13925 State Route 31, Albion
• Holley Fire Department, 7 Thomas Street, Holley
• Kendall Fire Department, 1879 Kendall Rd., Kendall
• Lyndonville Fire Department, 148 N. Main Street, Lyndonville
• Medina Fire Department, 600 Main Street, Medina
Special thanks to the Holley, Medina, Lyndonville and Kendall fire departments for providing space in their facilities for this event.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 April 2017 at 5:12 pm
Wayne Burlison continues to inspire community
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Lisa Burlison, wife of the late Wayne Burlison, welcomes runners and other participants in the third annual Run for Wayne today. She is joined by the couple’s son, Adam, and family friend Marsha Rivers and the Rev. Randy LeBaron, pastor of the Albion Free Methodist Church.
Rivers encouraged Burlison to sign up for his first race. He went on the run marathons and help start the Albion Running Club.
Burlison died at age 36 from colon cancer on March 26, 2014.
Adam Burlison gets ready to cut the string holding the balloons. Mark Moore, the race director, is at right.
The race started at 12:01 p.m. on Clarendon Road by the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School, where Mr. Burlison was a band teacher.
“Run for Wayne” started at 12:01 in recognition of Hebrews 12:1 as one of Burlison’s favorite Bible verses. The verse states: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
There where about 75 runners and walkers in the race today. Proceeds are being used towards a second memorial scholarship in Burlison’s memory, as well as to help develop a running/walking trail at Bullard Park.
Mary Martin, left, finishes the race with her friend Sarah Meister. Martin, 21, was one of Burlison’s students.
“He taught me how to play the jazz drums and got me into running,” Martin said.
Ed Russell, 75, of East Amherst is close to the finish line. Russell ran a 5K in the morning in Williamsville, “Run Forest Run!”
Last year Russell ran 185 races. He wants to run at least 100 this year.
Evan Steier of Albion had the fastest time overall in the Run for Wayne at 19:12. Lindon Morici of Albion was the fastest woman at 20:17 for the 3.17-mile course, which is slightly longer than a 5K. The 3.17-mile course represents the 3 months and 17 days that Burlison lived his diagnosis of Stage 4 colon cancer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2017 at 8:57 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: A green house next to the former Off-Track Betting parlor in Albion was knocked down on Monday. The house is at 321 West Avenue.
ALBION – Oak Orchard Health is taking a step forward with its plans to expand in Albion. The healthcare provider on Monday knocked down a house at 321 West Ave. Oak Orchard, which owns a healthcare center next door, acquired the OTB site and the house last year.
Oak Orchard is planning an expansion in Albion, and is working to secure funding for the project, said Jim Cummings, Oak Orchard CEO.
Oak Orchard Health would like to expand healthcare services in Orleans County, including dental and possibly vision and behavioral health, after acquiring the sites on Route 31 in Albion.
For now, Oak Orchard will have the debris from the house removed, and then will have the site backfilled and seeded, Cummings said.
The former OTB site will be used for Oak Orchard’s maintenance shop and for storage.
“We are presently working with our architect to design the combined expansion and renovation project that we hope to develop,” Cummings said. “As with most significant projects of this type we are also working to develop funding and the timing of the project will obviously be tied to the acquisition of this funding.”
Here is how the house looked last October. The former OTB parlor is in back.
Oak Orchard is a Federally Qualified Health Center. The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary in the community last year. Oak Orchard was originally founded by the University of Rochester in 1966 to provide health care for migrant farmworkers. Oak Orchard has expanded to an integrated health center with services for all community members. Oak Orchard has sites in Albion, Lyndonville, Brockport, Warsaw and Hornell, as well as a mobile dental unit.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2017 at 10:20 am
MEDINA – The lobby at Medina Memorial Hospital is getting its first overhaul since the early 1990s.
The front desk is now enclosed and has been moved down the hall to be closer to a new entrance near the emergency room.
Some of the hospital’s maintenance staff is pictured by the lobby, including from right to left: Doug Fuller, maintenance mechanic; Tim Bisher, maintenance mechanic; Joe Barnes, maintenance helper; and Tyler Fuller, maintenance helper. Jim Buckman, not pictured, is head of the group.
The hospital’s maintenance crew put up the new wall with framing, drywall, steel studs and electrical.
Anthony Drisdom, supervisor of registration and also a financial counselor, takes a call at the switchboard. Drisdom used to have an office away from the lobby, but now he is upfront to meet with patients in his role as a financial counselor.
The hospital received a $272,000 grant for the lobby renovations, which are ongoing.
Additional work includes the new entrance, which will be at the left side of the taped off area. The current entrance will remain open during the day, but will be closed at night with patients using the new entrance by the ER. Paul Lamparelli of Cheektowaga is the contractor for that project.
Takeform Architectural Graphics will be adding graphics and signage.
Cindy Perry, director of Outreach, Education and Marketing for Community Partners for Orleans Community Health, stands in the lobby, where the hospital will remove the carpet and replace it with tiled flooring. The lobby will also be getting new countertops.
The changes in the lobby will improve security, streamline the registration process, and create a more positive and calming experience for ER patients, Perry said.
ALBANY – Members of the New York State Senate’s task force on heroin and opioid addiction applauded the actions of United States Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and John McCain (R-NY) on the introduction of legislation that would limit initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain to seven days.
This legislation, which was passed and signed into law in New York State in 2016, derived from the Senate’s task force hearings over the course of the previous two years.
State Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) is a member of the task force in the State Senate for heroin and opioid addiction. Ortt and State Senators George Amedore, Terrence Murphy and Fred Akshar issued the following statement:
“We applaud the bipartisan actions of Senator Gillibrand and Senator McCain. The New York State Senate has been, and remains, leading the effort to curb the devastating scourge the heroin epidemic has caused in nearly every community within the Empire State. The seven-day limit of opioid prescriptions for acute pain was a cornerstone piece of legislation passed into law last year.
“We offer our strong support and partnership to help advance this important initiative on the federal level. When it comes to helping our most vulnerable neighbors who are battling the disease of addiction, we cannot allow partisan politics to prevent the passage of common sense policy that will ultimately save lives.”
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and John McCain (R-AZ) today announced bipartisan legislation to combat opioid addiction by limiting the supply of an initial opioid prescription for acute pain to seven days.
Many individuals become addicted to opioids after taking prescriptions for acute pain, such as a broken bone or wisdom tooth extraction. This federal legislation is modeled after laws in several states, including New York and Arizona.
“Our bipartisan bill would target one of the root causes of the opioid addiction crisis, which is the over-prescription of these powerful and addictive drugs for acute pain,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Too many lives have been destroyed, too many families have been torn apart, and too many communities all over New York are suffering because of this tragic epidemic. I am proud to join with Senator McCain in this urgent fight against the over-prescription of opioids, and I look forward to seeing it pass through the Senate as quickly as possible.”
“One of the main causes for the alarming increase in drug overdoses in the United States is the over-prescription of highly addictive opioids, which have increased by 300 percent over the last 15 years,” said Senator McCain.
Under current federal law, a medical professional must receive a license from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in order to be allowed to prescribe a schedule II, III, or IV controlled substance in the United States. This registration must be renewed every three years. This legislation would require medical professionals to certify, as part of their DEA registration, that they will not prescribe an opioid as an initial treatment for acute pain in an amount that exceeds a seven-day supply, and may not provide a refill.
This limit does not apply to the treatment of chronic pain, pain being treated as part of cancer care, hospice or other end of life care, or pain treated as part of palliative care.
By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator/Public Information Officer for Orleans County Public Health
National Public Health Week was celebrated last week. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about what Public Health is and what it can do to help us become the healthiest nation.
Americans are living 20 years longer than their grandparents’ generation, largely thanks to the work of public health. However, studies have shown people in other high-income countries are living longer and suffer fewer health issues than we do. We in public health are working toward overcoming challenge.
To address this challenge, the American Public Health Association created Generation Public Health to meet the goal of making the United States the Healthiest Nation in One Generation – by 2030. This is an opportunity for Public Health to encourage communities to make healthier choices in what we eat and do, as well as look at what impacts our health where we live, work and play. Together, we can be the generation that changes the course of health in America!
“The local Health Departments work diligently with community organizations, the New York State Health Department and our community partners to provide quality services and encourage residents to be pro-active in their health,” stated Paul Pettit, Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.
Changing our health means ensuring conditions where everyone has the opportunity to be healthy. We all have a role to play…where do you fit in?
• Build a nation of safe, healthy communities – support farmers markets and local businesses, especially those that value health, such as retailers that don’t sell tobacco.
• Help all young people graduate from high school – education is the leading indicator of good health, giving people access to better jobs, incomes and neighborhoods.
• Increase economic mobility.
• Achieve social justice and health equality.
• Give everyone a choice of safe, healthy food.
• Prepare for the health effects of climate change.
• Make the healthy choice the easy choice – avoid using tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Eat healthy foods and increase your physical activity.
• Provide quality health care for everyone.
• Strengthen public health infrastructure and capacity.
Take time to talk with your family on how you can make healthier choices. Encourage one another and your local leaders to take the right steps to better health.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Kenny Capurso gave his father Al Capurso CPR on March 23 after he suffered a heart attack at home in Gaines. Al Capurso gave his son “Lifesavers” candy for his life-saving actions.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2017 at 10:55 am
‘I’m eternally grateful for what Kenny did – that he knew what to do and did it.’ Al Capurso speaking of his son
GAINES – Al Capurso called out this son at about 10:10 in the morning on March 23. Capurso was upstairs. Kenny, 18, was down the hall in his room.
He rushed to to see his father, who was having a heart attack. Mr. Capurso, 64, gasped for air, and then was unconscious. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t breathing. He appeared paralyzed.
Kenny quickly called 911 and a dispatcher gave him CPR instructions: two quick breaths and 30 compressions.
Kenny also remembered the basics from health class in middle school. He moved his father to the floor, gave him two quick breaths and then 30 compressions.
After two cycles, his father started breathing again with shallow breaths. But that stopped and Kenny resumed CPR.
He did CPR for about 5 minutes until paramedics arrived from the Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance. COVA medics would shock Capurso three times with a defibrillator in the house. The medics and volunteer firefighters transported him from upstairs, down a narrow staircase, and to the ambulance, where he was shocked twice more.
Capurso was stabilized at Medina Memorial Hospital, and then flown by Mercy Flight to Rochester General Hospital, where he had heart surgery. (He now has a pacemaker and defibrillator.)
He spent eight days in the hospital and has been home for about week, already back to planning projects in his role as Gaines town historian.
Capurso is a retired social worker who ran the Bait Barn, a tackle shop by his home on Route 279 for more than 20 years. He is well known locally, active in the Democratic Party. He sings and plays his guitar at many local events.
“I’m eternally grateful for what Kenny did – that he knew what to do and did it,” Capurso said at his home on Friday.
Kenny works at Tractor Supply in Medina, starting his shift at 3 p.m. On March 23, he and his father were planning a late breakfast of French toast, hash browns and sausage.
Kenny remembers his father calling out his name: “Kenny.”
The son went to check on his father. He called 911 and was able to quickly start CPR.
He made sure his father’s mouth was clear. Mr. Capurso had heart surgery two years ago. He suffered a broken sternum and five broken ribs from the CPR. That is still tender.
Capurso has no memory of the heart attack and the life-saving efforts afterward. He didn’t have a heart attack due to blockage. The bottom of his heart was quivering, and not not beating. There was a potassium imbalance.
Al Capurso sings and plays his guitar in the fellowship hall at Christ Church on Oct. 24, 2015. He performs at many local community events.
It took about five days after the heart attack until Capurso was alert in the hospital. He requested his guitar. The first song he played and sang was Kenny’s favorite: “The Cat’s in the Cradle,” a folk rock song.
Al on March 31 posted a message on Facebook: “I’m home in the warm hold of my loving family. So grateful to God for this chance.”
Kenny called the middle school on Friday and spoke with Principal Dan Monacelli. Kenny told the principal his middle school health class, led by teacher Pat Uveino, included CPR. Kenny used that knowledge on March 23, allowing him to save his father’s life.
The family also wants to thank the dispatcher that morning, the COVA medics, and volunteer firefighters. Capurso was at Medina Memorial Hospital for two hours. The doctor and staff there had him stabilized so he could fly by Mercy Flight. The staff also determined he would need the higher-level care at Rochester General.
“We want to say thank you to all of the first responders, and the doctors and nurses that worked on him,” Kenny said.
Capurso and his wife Chris have four children, and seven grandchildren.
“It’s the proudest moment of my life,” Kenny said. “I saved my father’s life. My mother, brother and sisters can talk to him again.”
Kenny said his parents have long instilled the importance of community service in their children. Kenny said he wants to pursue a career as a paramedic.
The family also wants to encourage others to know CPR.
“CPR is everyone’s job,” said Chris Capurso. “Everyone should know it.”
Al Capurso is pictured on Oct. 17, 2015 when a new historical marker that was unveiled by a former one-room schoolhouse on Gaines Basin Road, just north of the Erie Canal. The schoolhouse was built in 1832 and is one of the oldest cobblestone buildings in the area.
Mr. Capurso is back to working on local historical and heritage projects. He was instrumental in saving a former cobblestone school house on Gaines Basin Road.
Capurso sent an email on Thursday to members of the Orleans County Historical Association, notifying them the schoolhouse has qualified to be listed on the New York State and National Registry of Historic Places. Capurso is president of the OCHA.
He wants a flag pole at the site, a marker on the building noting it’s on the state and national registers, a new front door and new paint on the trim. Boy Scouts are helping with some of those projects. Capurso is working towards a July dedication of the flagpole. He also wants a bench out in front of the school in memory of Woody baker, the past OCHA president who supported the schoolhouse’s preservation efforts.
He also is working to have the bell tower refurbished at the cobblestone schoolhouse on Route 104 that is part of the Cobblestone Museum. Capurso is planning an Aug. 19 event of the bell’s dedication in honor of William Babbitt, who was superintendent of the construction of the school in 1849. Babbitt donated the bell to the school in 1849. Some of his descendants are expected to attend the August dedication of the restored bell tower.
Capurso’s wife, Chris, said her husband is dedicated to his local projects.
“He’s back to going 100 miles an hour,” his wife said.
Mr. Capurso said the projects don’t feel like work.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2017 at 9:48 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: David Callard, chairman of the Orleans County Legislature, checks a shot with a dose of Narcan, which can help block the effects of opioids and reverse an overdose. Callard received training on Narcan from GCASA, including Tracy Zakes, a prevention educator in back.
ALBION – Three Orleans County legislators received training in Narcan on Thursday.
Narcan is a prescription medicine that blocks the effects of opioids and reverses an overdose.
The Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse has provided training to about 200 community members in the past two years in administering Narcan. GCASA has trained school nurses, probation officers, GCASA staff and family members of GCASA patients.
Three county legislators – David Callard of Medina, Fred Miller of Albion, and Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville – took the training on Thursday.
“I wanted to set an example with the county staff and public that this is important,” Callard said.
The county, region, state and country are experiencing surges in opioid addictions, overdoses and deaths, said Diana Fulcomer, GCASA prevention educator.
The death rates from accidental overdoses have increased more than 600 percent in the last 10 years in the U.S. from prescription drugs. Accidental overdose deaths increased close to 500 percent in Erie County last year.
A child who ingests an adult opiate painkiller prescription, an elderly person who forgets and takes too much of their opiate painkiller medication and a loved one who struggles with opiate/heroin addiction are a few examples of situations that can lead to an accidental overdose, GCASA said.
Commonly used opioids include heroin, codeine, Demerol, morphine, Darvocet, fentanyl, Dilaudid, methadone, opium, hydrocodone, oxycodone, Levorphanol, Vicodin, OxyContin, Tylenol 3, Tylox, Percocet and Percodan, according to GCASA prevention educators.
The GCASA educators said opioid addiction often starts with prescription pain killer abuse.
Diana Fulcomer (left), a prevention educator with GCASA, advises county legislators on how to administer a shot of Narcan. The legislators include, from left: Fred Miller, David Callard and Lynne Johnson.
GCASA (using information from the state Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services) said there are are four steps in administering Narcan (Naloxone):
Step 1: Recognize an overdose – A person is unconscious, breathing very slowly, turning blue and not responding when his/her name is yelled or when rubbing knuckles on breastbone.
Step 2: Call 911 – Give address/location, and report your friend or loved one is unconscious or isn’t breathing.
Step 3: If person not breathing, give rescue breaths – Tilt head back, lift chin, pinch nose and then give two quick breaths, then a breath every 5 seconds.
Step 4: Give Narcan – Inject into upper arm or thigh muscle; Repeat after 3-5 minutes if person not waking up; Remind person not to use more drugs; Stay with person until EMS arrives; Place in recover position.
For more information about Narcan and the training to administer, call Sherri Bensley at GCASA in Albion at (585) 589-0055.
The legislators, as part of the training, injected the shot into an orange.
