Many thanks and gratitude to all the fire companies (Kendall, Morton, Hamlin, Brockport, Fancher/Hulberton/Murray, Holley, Clarendon, Carlton, Albion, Barre, Lyndonville) as well as the Monroe County Bomb Squad, Kendall Highway Superintendent Warren Kruger and neighbor Luke Convery in fighting our barns fire on April 28.
Your services to your communities are immeasurable and should never go without recognition.
On Feb. 27, 2013, the Orleans County Legislature voted to establish a Local Development Corporation (LDC) to begin the process of selling our county-owned nursing home, the Villages of Orleans, to a private owner.
This vote took place after dozens of passionate pleas from taxpayers at the meeting, begging them to find alternatives to the LDC.
I am thankful to George Bower. He is the only legislator to vote no to creating the LDC. He is a good man, and has always had the well-being of Orleans County at heart.
As a 50-year old taxpayer, I am dumbfounded at the other legislators’ decisions to proceed with the LDC, especially after hearing dozens of their constituents voice their opposition to it.
One taxpayer pointed out that an LDC is a non-regulated shell corporation that has little oversight and no accountability to taxpayers.
Several family members of different village residents told of the exceptional care that their relatives receive at The Villages of Orleans. They also described private facility “horror stories” about the lack of care that their relatives had received at private facilities prior to making The Villages their permanent home.
Another member of the public explained that private nursing homes may not accept Medicaid or uninsured clients. Our county-owned facility currently accepts all county residents, regardless of ability to pay.
The final taxpayer to speak before the vote stated that private nursing homes have no direct accountability to taxpayers for the quality of services or cost control.
I pray that the Orleans County Legislature will reverse course and decide not to sell one of our community’s most valuable assets, The Villages of Orleans. There is too much at risk for the future of our community in privatizing the “safety net” of public nursing home care.
I would like to bring to the attention of the citizens of Orleans County a dire plea to utilize Orleans Community Health Medina Memorial Hospital, to avoid a trend of small hospital closures similar to what just occurred in the community of Brockport with the permanent closure of Lakeside Hospital.
I also ask the Orleans County Legislature to step forward and reaffirm its commitment to our only County Emergency Care Hospital. To date we have heard nothing from the Legislature regarding Orleans Community Health Medina Memorial Hospital other than at a recent meeting where James Sinner current CEO, gave an opinion on the sale of The Villages and how Medina Hospital sold Orchard Manor Nursing Home to a private equity firm.
A community or county’s success revolves around accessible health care. There are rumors and discussions in the local coffee shops of how care has become less than desirable at our local hospital, but without it Orleans County would be far worse off.
I have a firsthand knowledge of Orleans Community Health and feel that this county needs to rally around it, for its immediate and future survival. Yes, some will say you get better, faster and more appropriate care from city hospitals. But you have local people who need the care that Orleans Community Health can provide in an emergency situation.
I urge all residents from the Eastern and Central areas of the county to really take into consideration Orleans Community Health for their health care needs. And I ask the Orleans County Legislature to affirm their support for the local hospital and to put this in a declaration, similar to their recent support of the revocation of the NYS Safe Act. Please, your local only Emergency Care Hospital needs your support now!!
Sincerely,
Michael G. Maak
Medina
Maak is chairman of Orleans County EMS Council and also leader of Big Lakes Regional EMS Council for Orleans, Niagara and Genesee counties.
We are dietary staff currently employed by The Villages of Orleans, some of us having worked here over 30-plus years. In all that time, we have watched and learned about the residents, not only fulfilling their dietary needs, but taking the time to listen to their problems, hopes, fears and wishes.
The public needs to understand that we, as employees, not only have a job to do, but we hold a special bond with our residents as well. We are considered a family, and we treat each other as such, with kindness and respect.
Some of our residents have no one else to depend on, except the staff they see every day. We hold their trust, calm their fears, hold hands and wipe noses.
Not only do we provide three nutritious meals daily, but we also stop to play bingo, sing songs, reminisce over old photos … I could go on. The point is, we are a community, tight-knit and well loved.
We care for our residents as we care for our own family. We grieve with families and celebrate joyous occasions and holidays. We live in this county, shop here and pay taxes here as well.
Privatization will most definitely take all this away. Our only hope is that the people of Orleans County will realize this is not the answer. Take the time to contact your legislators and voice your concerns … It does take a village!
Respectfully submitted by
Marsha Gaddis and the dietary staff of The Villages of Orleans
Albion, NY
In John McCain’s view, as a Judeo-Christian nation, we owe the most defenseless among us a certain amount of protection. Such thinking comes, in part, from Testaments, “New” and “Old.”
We certainly owe our most frail elderly quality long-term caresuch as that provided by our Orleans County Nursing Home – when the need is there and all else fails. The sacrifices they have made on our behalf obligate us to a great degree.
Though we may not have any such obligation to the generally younger and healthier staff providing their care, it should be said that they, at least, deserve our consideration and even gratitude. While we tend to focus on those in need, there are many special employees at our County Nursing Home treating residents as family. My friend, Anne Holt, received compassionate care from the first day she arrived at what is now called “The Villages of Orleans.”
My primary consideration has never been for the jobs of able-bodied, resourceful staff persons. But I do know from experience that we have long had a truly “above and beyond” caring staff composed, for the most part, of county residents who take “ownership” over other county residents whose choice would have beenas Anne’s wasto live out their lives at home.
Selling the Orleans County Nursing Home does a disservice to the memories of Anita Brown, Rowena Youngs and to all thoseformer and currentemployees who have given so much of themselves to our neighbors and family members.
Perhaps we do owe something to them and to all those who, with patience and kindness, are caring for the family members we can no longer care for.
I have watched the drama of Villages of Orleans unfolding for over two years. This letter is not in fact to talk about the sale of the home. Rather it is to talk about supporting the cause.
I have attended every “Concerned Citizen” meeting, legislator meeting, the new steering committee meeting and picketed the county building supporting the friends and family who not only work there but seek medical treatment there as well.
I must say I am shocked at the low turn-out to these events. I understand that people are busy, but what is of more value to you and your community? The Walking Dead season finale is such a hot topic people are spending days preparing for parties and after-parties for a television show. Meanwhile people can’t afford 45 minutes to hear financial facts regarding the care of the county infirm, the tax impact as well as the general governing of this area.
One of the most common answers I receive when I ask people what they are thinking is “Who cares, I don’t make a difference anyway.”
I am here to say one person does make a difference.
The second response I get is “People are scared. Scared for their jobs and afraid the county legislators will exact personal revenge.”
This is pure speculation in my opinion as I have never experienced it firsthand. If in fact this county is being run by thugs with a racketeering tendency people have a right to know this. There are legal actions that should be taken and any alleged threats will be dealt with accordingly.
Your voice was meant to be heard. If in fact you are too busy or too frightened to express yourself, please stop complaining. It seems the only time people are happy is when things go the exact way they would like. I do not envy the decisions the local government must make. They make those decisions without support from the community, without attendance or feedback from the community. The meeting halls are empty until a personal agenda is in question. Then, instead of helping form policies, the citizens turn out with contempt.
In a world of the Internet, video games, long work hours and having kids, we have lost the drive and ability to work with our local government. As well the local government has taken action without appropriate time allotments or consideration of the general population. Whatever the outcome of the nursing home, it is my wish that we all take the time to educate ourselves and be involved. Constructive criticism as well as active participation will propel us much farther than empty threats, angry words and untactful jokes on both sides of the issue.
To the residents of the Village of Medina and the Towns of Shelby and Ridgeway:
In the next few weeks and months you may hear a buzzword around the village of Medina, and that word will be dissolution. The Village Board, in my opinion mainly the mayor, feels the only way to lower property tax for village property owners is to dissolve the village.
The information in the proposed dissolution plan should be provided in a timely manner and show all of the facts that will affect village and town residents.
A group of concerned village residents will meet to start a grass-root effort to oppose the dissolution if in fact the board puts forth a dissolution plan. If this does happen you will be seeing more letters to the editor, signage, and, as some of you have seen, T-shirts that say “This Village Matters.”
It is this group’s feelings that we live in the village so we can have the protection of a police department and a career fire department minutes, if not seconds, away from us along with a dedicated Department of Public works staff. We are willing to pay our village taxes for these benefits. There are other ways to lessen our property tax than giving up our village. You are invited to visit our informative Facebook page Medina, this village matters.
I think in view of the public outcry and dissent over this issue, the Legislature owes us a public referendum on the issue before proceeding further in the sale of our County Nursing facility!
While I personally do not want my taxes to increase to cover the cost, this is a democracy and the majority rules. Our elders deserve the best care our community can provide – can this be guaranteed with outside ownership?
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt of the address delivered by Gia Arnold during Saturday’s Second Amendment rally in Albion. Arnold is regional coordinator for New York Revolution.)
I am a mother, a wife, and a proud gun owner. I’d like to thank you all so much for attending today. If anything is important it is making our numbers known and coming together as a group to make our voices heard.
We are struggling as a state and we are struggling as a country. As our government claims they are here to protect us yet they continue to strip us of our freedoms and our individuality. They continue to work towards making us all government dependent and nameless. They use their fear tactics and “our” money to make our success harder, and they turn the fearful into sheep. Our great country was founded in the hopes of allowing all free people to gain prosperity and success through their own hard work. It was created and has been amended to guarantee all people their human born rights, included in those the right to bear arms. What happened to the American Dream?
We the people, the law abiding gun owners, are forced to choose between following the law and choosing a method of civil disobedience, in resistance of the New York SAFE Act and other gun control methods constantly brought up by our leaders. We are forced to decide between losing our freedoms, and “obeying” an unconstitutional law. We will now be compared with several other “sexual abuse” crimes, including subjecting a child younger than 13 to sexual contact. I am outraged. And you should be, too.
We must do our best to boycott New York State. Do not drive on toll roads, and find another route. Do not purchase NYS Lotto tickets. Buy used vehicles, furniture, and clothes. Purchase your gas and cigarettes from the reservations if possible. Grow your own vegetables and foods. Raise your own livestock. Or barter your services and goods for others services and goods. Individually it will not change much, but together it will send a message. It is already being reported that New York State will experience massive noncompliance when the SAFE Act is fully enacted this Monday. The choice is ultimately yours to make, but remember together we will send a message. And that message should be we will not comply.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Gia Arnold addresses about 200 people Saturday during a Second Amendment rally in Albion next to the Orleans County Courthouse.
Another goal we must focus on is educating the uneducated. There have been so many people who do not understand the mechanics of a gun, let alone the difference between a scary black semi-automatic rifle with added features that is being classified as an assault weapon and a not so scary wood grain semi-automatic rifle being used for hunting. The answer to that is absolutely nothing mechanically. And we must take our time to explain that to the uneducated without judgment. We must continue to use science, statistics, and reason to explain that stricter gun control does not mean reduced gun crime. In many cases the opposite has proven to be true. Just look at Chicago. We must continue to voice our concerns to our government officials. We must continue to join together in support and make our numbers known.
This is not just about gun control; This is about constitutionally guaranteed rights. If you don’t think you should be concerned, you need to think again. Confiscation has already begun in Western New York. Under the pretense of mental illness, pistol permit licenses are being revoked from people being treated for anxiety. In a survey in 2011 by the substance abuse and mental health services administration as many as 26.8 million American adults were being treated with a prescription medication in relation to mental health. That is a lot of people that could potentially be told they are a threat and cannot own a firearm.
Another problem we are facing is the use of the word “mentally ill” There are many forms of mental illness most of which do not threaten another’s safety or their own. Not only will the SAFE Act negatively classify many good standing citizens as dangerous, but it will also deter many individuals from seeking the help they may need in fear of losing firearms they have owned or hope to own, and in fear of being negatively associated as mentally ill.
We as New Yorkers and Americans are facing many issues regarding gun control at state, national, and worldly levels, but the most important mission today is developing strength in numbers so that our voices will be heard. We will not comply with the unconstitutional safe act and we will continue to do all we can to fight for our rights.
(The Orleans County NYR will meet for the first time 6:30 p.m. Monday at Tim Hortons, 161 S. Main Street Albion. The group will discuss upcoming events, possible ideas for protests, training for our CERT (civilian emergency response team) and PERT (political emergency responsiveness team). Both of which are very important assets towards fighting for our cause.)
City of Batavia residents spoke out forcefully when the City Council moved to drop ARC as a contractor. It was felt by many that there was a value in contracting with the ARC. Another provider of the service might be cheaper, but some portion of the population still preferred the ARC.
A high-quality, locally controlled, Orleans County Nursing Home isn’t much different. When no sales tax revenue is dedicated to funding the Nursing Home, 5.3% of our property tax is used to fund it.
The vast majority of Orleans County residents I speak with appear to think there is a value in keeping “The Villages” (Orleans County Nursing Home) public. They appear to think it is worth it.
