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Sales tax sluggish in Orleans, many upstate counties in first half 2015

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2015 at 12:00 am

ALBION – Sales tax revenues are down the first half of 2015 in Orleans County, compared to the first six months of 2014, according to data from the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.

The sales tax revenues for the county fell from $7,741,593 to $7,626,595. That is a 1.47 percent or $113,998 drop.

Of the 57 counties outside New York City, 33 have collected less in sales tax so far in 2015, compared to the first half of 2014, according to the New York State Association of Counties.

The sales tax dollars give a snapshot of the local economy, and the sales tax also is a source of revenue for local governments. The more sales tax, the less reliance on property taxes to fund local services.

The latest numbers show that much of the state is struggling to break out of the prolonged economic recession that started in 2008, NYSAC said.

The data shows that many counties have a drop in sales tax revenue in both the first and second quarters this year.

“The explanation for the first quarter’s numbers was pegged to bad winter weather, dropping fuel prices, a west coast port shutdown, negative US GDP for the first quarter and a strong dollar,” said Stephen J. Acquario, executive director for NYSAC. “There was no bounce back, but there was also no explanation for the continued lethargy.”

Orleans County officials budgeted for no increase in sales tax in 2015. The county has budgeted $13,785,000 in sales tax revenues this year. In addition, another $1,366,671 from the local share goes to towns and villages in the county.

The state sales tax collections are up 3.72 percent, from $5.94 billion to $6.16 billion, for the first half of 2015. New York City is seeing growth in sales tax, a 2.74 percent increase from $3.31 billion to $3.40 billion.

Steuben County has the biggest increase, 8.77 percent, while Schoharie is down the most at 6.11 percent.

Bands are ready to rock Bullard Park

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – Zack Burgess, left, and Dylan DeSmit, are both members of the band Zero. They are also helping to coordinate to the second annual Rock the Park music festival to benefit Bullard Park.

ALBION – It will be an all-day music festival showcasing some of the top local bands. And next Saturday’s second annual “Rock the Park” will generate needed funds to upgrade Bullard Park, the most used and visible park in Albion.

Last year’s debut “Rock the Park” was at the Elk’s Club on East State Street. About 300 people attended the event, which raised $2,000 for Bullard.

This year Bullard will host the bands from under the main pavilion. Organizers think 1,000 people, maybe more, will turn out.

Nine bands will perform and all are donating their services. There will be craft and art vendors, and family activities. A beer tent will be available beginning at 4 p.m.

“This is an opportunity to improve the quality of life in our community,” said Zack Burgess, who will play guitar and sing with the band Zero to close out the event from 9:30 to 11 p.m.

Photo by Megan O’Hearn – The band Zero will perform during the Rock the Park event on July 25 at Bullard. The band includes, from left: Dylan DeSmit on lead guitar and vocals, Zack Burgess on vocals and rhythm guitar, Dan Ryan on drums, and Brad Maxon on bass.

Burgess, 26, is coordinating the concerts with help from his bandmate Dylan DeSmit. All of the bands were eager to play for the benefit for Bullard Park, they said.

Burgess said much of the playground equipment at Bullard predates his childhood. He has watched many of the pieces – merry-go-round, teeter-totters, swings and other apparatus – be removed because they were no longer considered safe.

A Rebuild Bullard committee has identified many upgrades for the park. The Village of Albion is seeking state funding to help with new playground equipment and also to add a splash park. Burgess said park users would like to see more for skateboarders, as well as a walking trail, upgraded ball fields, and other improvements.

Burgess said the music festival will help with what can feel like a daunting task of coming up with money for all of the work.

But he looks at how Albion rallied to build a new public library. The community gave about $1.3 million in donations for that project, topping the capital campaign goal of about $1 million.

“Look at the library how everyone pushed for it and we got it,” Burgess said. “If we can do that, why can’t we do this?”

Burgess made those comments at Bullard Park this afternoon after he finished his day of work at CRFS. He said many of his co-workers have young children, and he knows how important up-to-date and safe playground equipment and park amenities are for young families.

He sees a revamped park as critical to the local quality of life, for drawing young families to Albion and keeping them in the community.

The Rock the Park will utilize the talents of many of the musicians in the community. Burgess said he is pleased to see many people in the community pushing to update the park, including the Lions Club, the Rebuild Bullard Committee, village officials and many others.

Rock the Park starts at 9 a.m. on July 25 with vendors selling arts and crafts. The bands will play from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. There is no charge to attend the concerts, but donations will be accepted. There will be a $5 fee for access to the beer tent.

The lineup of bands includes:

Gregg Albertson, 11 a.m. to 11:50:
Delano Steele, noon to 12:50 p.m.
Fuze, 1:05 to 1:55 p.m.
DriVen, 2:10 to 3 p.m.
Break with beer tent setup from 3 to 4 p.m.
Whiskey Rebellion, 4 to 5 p.m.
Bobby Skrzypek and the Pedestrians, 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.
Flipside, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Justin Crossett Band, 7:45 to 9:15 p.m.
Zero, 9:30 to 11 p.m.

AmeriCorps workers available for sites in Orleans

Staff Reports Posted 17 July 2015 at 12:00 am

BATAVIA – Host sites are sought for AmeriCorps workers in a program based in Batavia but available to the four GLOW counties, including Orleans.

The Genesee County Youth Bureau’s AmeriCorps application has been approved for another year of funding by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The Youth Bureau is planning for the 12th year of the program, which will begin Oct. 1. As part of this process, non-profit and government agencies are invited to attend an information session to receive details about AmeriCorps. There will be a presentation on the program at 2 p.m. on July 27 at Hoag Library in Albion.

Organizations have utilized AmeriCorps members for a variety of projects. Assignments include activities that fall under one or more of these focus areas: healthy futures, fitness and nutrition education for youth, environmental stewardship education and agency capacity building. Host sites complete a proposal that outlines the duties for each position. Members can create new programs or enhance existing services, and their work can benefit different parts of your agency.

Proposals requesting members to begin serving this fall are due by Aug. 10. Member recruitment and selection will begin after that date. Please contact Kathy Frank at 585-344-3960 or Kathy.Frank@co.genesee.ny.us for further details about the information sessions or to discuss options for your organization further.

Power fully restored in Orleans, Monroe counties

Staff Reports Posted 16 July 2015 at 12:00 am

National Grid customers who lost power on Wednesday night are all back in service this morning, the company said.

A farmer took down wires in Hamlin causing about 2,000 customers in Orleans County, mostly in the Kendall and Kent areas, to lose their electricity. Monroe County also had more than 5,000 without power.

Warehouse in Albion sees major transformation

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

A warehouse on McKinstry Street in Albion, which has sat mostly vacant for more than a decade, has been repainted with extensive renovations as the site is upgraded for electronics recycling.

This photo shows the warehouse in April 2013.

ALBION – For about a decade, a warehouse on McKinstry Street sat vacant as local economic development officials tried to find a user for the site.

A Canadian company bought the property about two years ago and BOMET Recycling, Inc. has given the building a major transformation, with more work to come, including a new roof.

“It’s like a renaissance,” said Jim Whipple, chief executive officer for the Orleans Economic Development Agency. “They’ve really put a lot of effort into it.”

BOMET Recycling bought and upgraded the warehouse with plans to turn it into a base for recycling electronics. The company painted it to blend with the site next door used by CRFS.

Whipple shared photos of the offices and interior of the building with the EDA board of directors last week. He praised BOMET for all of the work at the 52,000-square-foot building.

BOMET has three people working from the site now, Whipple said. When the company bought the site in Albion, it said it planned to have 30 employees at the site when it was fully up in running.

The EDA purchased the warehouse and adjoining parking lot for $527,000 in February 2002. At that time Washington Mutual was in expansion mode in Albion. The company needed lots of parking, and some local officials hoped WaMu would quickly run out of space at the former Dime Bank complex on East Avenue.

But that never happened. WaMu was acquired by JP Morgan Chase, which left Albion in 2013.

The EDA sold the property for $176,000 to BOMET, which is based in Cambridge, Ontario. The sale returned the property to the tax rolls in the Village of Albion.

The EDA is hopeful that Zhan “Bo” Zhang, leader of BOMET, will provide testimonials about the work of the EDA with the company, which the EDA could use to help recruit other Canadian companies to Orleans County.

Lyndonville, Medina both cited as top high schools in NY, US

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2015 at 12:00 am

U.S. News & World Report puts both in top 15 percent

Two schools in Orleans County have been named among the top high schools in New York and the in the country.

Both Medina and L.A. Webber Middle-High School in Lyndonville were named to list of top schools by U.S. News & World Report. Both were recognized as Silver Medal winners by the publication.

Lyndonville was ranked 1,895th out of about 21,000 high schools in the country, and Medina was ranked 1,967th. That puts both of the districts in the top 10 percent nationally.

To determine the 2015 Best High Schools rankings, U.S. News & World Report used methodology to identify great high schools. Those schools must serve all of its students well, not just those who are college bound, and the schools must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes to show it is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators, U.S. News says on its website.

The publication looked at reading and math results for all students on each state’s high school proficiency tests. U.S. News then factored in the percentages of economically disadvantaged students – who tend to score lower – enrolled at the schools to identify schools performing much better than statistical expectations.

U.S. News then examined if a school’s disadvantaged students – black, Hispanic and low-income – were outperforming disadvantaged students in the state.

In a final measurement, U.S. News studied college-readiness performance – using Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data as the benchmarks for success.

L A Webber Middle-High School is ranked 176th within New York, out of 1,259 schools. Lyndonville offers Advanced Placement courses and 46 percent of students participate in AP classes. Lyndonville has 309 students in the middle-high school, and 89 percent are considered economically disadvantaged, with 8 percent of the student body a minority.

Medina was ranked 182 out of 1,259 among New York high schools. The district offers AP courses and 42 percent of students take those classes. In Medina, 38 percent of students are considered economically disadvantaged. The student body of 665 students is 19 percent minority.

In an email today, Jeff Evoy, Medina district superintendent, said this is the first time Medina has been named an award winner at U.S. News & World Report.

Chamber seeks award nominations for businesses, citizens

Staff Reports Posted 16 July 2015 at 12:00 am

ALBION – The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce invites its members to nominate businesses, organizations and individuals who have helped the local business community.

The honorees will be recognized on Sept. 18 at Tillman’s Historic Village Inn to celebrate business in Orleans County.

The Chamber is seeking nominations for awards in the following categories:

Business of the Year: This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.

Businessperson of the Year: This award is presented to an individual with a long-term record of outstanding business achievements.

Phoenix Award: This award is presented to an organization or business that has successfully adapted or re-used an existing facility.

New Business of the Year: This award is presented to a business or organization that has opened in the past year.

Community Service Award: This award is presented to a business, organization or individual that has provided meaningful contributions to the community in either professional or non-professional spheres.

Agricultural Business of the Year: This award is presented to an agricultural business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.

Small Business of the Year: This award is presented to a small business (50 employees or less) that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year.

Last year’s winners include: Business of the Year, Brunner International; New Business of the Year, BAD-AsH-BBQ; Entrepreneurial Excellence, Precision Packaging Products; Phoenix Award, Fair Haven Treasures; Community Service, Anni Skowneski and Kenneth DeRoller; Lifetime Achievement, Bruce Krenning and Marcia Tuohey; and Agricultural Business of the Year: Lake Ontario Fruit.

For more information, call the Chamber at (585) 589-7727 or click here.

4-H hosts first Cooking Camp at fairgrounds

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 16 July 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Kristina Gabalski – John Gabalski, left, and James Trembley prepare bread dough during activities at Monday’s 4-H Cooking Camp.

KNOWLESVILLE – A group of Orleans County 4-Hers enjoyed the yummy rewards of participation in the first 4-H Cooking Camp, held Monday and Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

Participants prepared their own breakfast and lunch both days, learned about nutrition, enjoyed healthy outdoor activities and took home food they had made from scratch through hands-on activities like baking bread, making strawberry refrigerator jam, fruit pie and pizza.

Campers roast hot dogs and sweet corn for lunch on Monday afternoon during the 4-H Cooking Camp held this week at the Orleans County Fairgrounds.

Campers made a breakfast of French toast on Monday and prepared breakfast over an open fire on Tuesday. Monday’s lunch included hot dogs and sweet corn roasted over a campfire and Tuesday participants made their own personal pizzas from scratch.

In addition to food preparation, participants decorated their own aprons; took part in outdoor activities and games; played “The Label is Right” – an educational game which included five nutrition activities involving food labeling and nutrition; and took part in a camp-ending contest by making edible “bouquets” with fresh fruit.

Participants in the first Orleans County 4-H Cooking Camp prep strawberries Monday for homemade refrigerator jam. The campers also baked bread to go with their jam.

Camper James Trembley shows off his edible fruit bouquet creation which he made during 4-H Cooking Camp.

Holley officials urged to address sidewalks in disrepair

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 16 July 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Kristina Gabalski – A deteriorated sidewalk is shown on Thomas Street looking west toward South Main Street in Holley.

HOLLEY – Calling many sidewalks in the village unsafe, Jay Smith told Holley Village Board members during their regular meeting on Tuesday that they should designate annual funding to replace a section of sidewalk on a yearly basis.

Smith said he owns rental property in the village and he worries about the condition of the sidewalks.

“It’s dangerous,” he told board members about the sidewalks along streets just outside the main business district. He said one of his tenants recently twisted an ankle walking on a sidewalk.

Trustee Connie Nenni said sidewalks have been a concern of hers since she ran for office.

“It’s big on our list,” she said of the situation. “It’s one of those things that really bothered me.”

However, she explained that under village law, homeowners are responsible for the maintenance of sidewalks in front of their property.

“I don’t know if the board is willing to take on the expense,” she said.

Nenni explained there are no “teeth” in the village law to make homeowners replace sidewalks.

Board members discussed the possibility of looking into grant money that could help cover some of the cost of replacing sidewalks.

Mayor John Kenney said areas with poor sidewalks have been identified.

“We are looking into ways to keep sidewalks safe,” he said, adding that even in places where sidewalks are in good condition, some residents continue to walk in the street at their own risk.

“If you do nothing it’s only going to get worse,” Smith responded. “I wanted to bring it to you attention.”

He noted sidewalk replacement is “… a large expense. I don’t see homeowners being able to pay.”

Trustee Skip Carpenter noted work has been done to improve sidewalks on some streets including Batavia Street, High Street and East Avenue. Sidewalks along South Main Street from the bridge to Jackson Street will be replaced when water main work is done there in the coming months, he said.

“We will continue to talk about it and try to do something about it,” Nenni told Smith.

National Grid says nearly 2,000 without power in Orleans

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2015 at 11:15 pm

Nearly 2,000 households in Orleans County are without electricity after farm equipment took down wires in Hamlin, Orleans County dispatch said.

National Grid reports power should be restored to the 1,779 customers without power in Orleans County by 12:45 a.m. on Thursday. Most of the outages are in northeastern Orleans County in the Kendall area.

There are also 5,348 National Grid customers without electricity in Monroe County. They should be back on-line by 12:45 a.m., National Grid said.

Restorative effort underway at historic Print Shop

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

GAINES – A print shop from about a century ago is getting cleaned up with some new parts to be added to the old presses.

David Damico, a volunteer for the Cobblestone Museum, has been reorganizing the shop, which was built in 1875. It used to be in Medina, but was moved to the museum grounds on Route 98 in Gaines in the late 1977.

Damico lives in Le Roy. He also volunteers at the print shop at the Genesee Country Village in Mumford. Damico teaches graphic design and topography at Brockport State College.

The shop at the Cobblestone Museum has several cases of type.

Damico believes the shop dates to about 1910-1920, based on the type for printing and lettering, as well as the electricity for the shop and a phone on the wall.

The printing shop is like walking into a time capsule from a century ago. The site includes two printing presses from the late 1800s.

Damico is getting rollers, aprons and cleaning materials for the site that are appropriate for the time period of the shop.

A poster advertising a baseball game between Albion and Medina is on the wall in the shop. The game was to be played on Sept. 1, 1915 in Albion.

The building was constructed in the Second Empire style. It was built by William Hedley of Medina in the 1870s. Hedley purchased land on East Center Street in Medina, and also purchased land near the canal aqueduct. During that time period, Hedley owned and operated a saw mill, stone planing mill, a flour mill, and a machine shop, according to the Cobblestone Museum.

The print shop building was donated to the Cobblestone Museum in 1977 by Erling Maine.

For more on the historic buildings at the Cobblestone Museum, click here.

Damico wants to train volunteers on how to use the printing presses and equipment in the shop. He has a print shop in his basement with equipment from the 1920s.

Long-time hair salon owner stays in the business with shop at her home

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Norma Chambers opened a hair salon in her Shelby home last week at 4503 Mill St. She has been in the hair-cutting business for a half century.

SHELBY – Norma Chambers started cutting hair more than 50 years ago. She started at her small shop – “The Shelby Center House of Beauty.”

With a growing clientele, she moved the business to downtown Medina, changing the name of the business to “Clip Joint.” She started hiring people.

She was successful, and would own and operate five Clip Joint hair salons, with businesses in Medina, Albion, Holley, Middleport and Lockport.

Chambers, now 77, employed many people out of beauty school. That gave them the basics of the business, but Chambers said she worked with them to do more and really hone their skills.

“I trained people how to cut hair successfully,” she said today.

Norma Chambers isn’t ready to retire. She is pictured outside her home and the location for her hair salon.

She is semi-retired now, but still wants to cut hair. Chambers last week opened the Norma Chambers Buzz ‘en Cut. Her great-granddaughter, 9-year-old Nevaeh Mae Roberts, thought of the name for the business.

Chambers works out of her home at 4503 Mill St. She takes customers by appointment only.

“I can’t retire,” she said. “I’d rather work. It’s too much fun.”

Her daughter, Rita Scupien, worked at Clip Joints for about 30 years. She recently moved back to Shelby after living in Florida. She said her mother was a mentor to many women in the hair-cutting business.

Chambers enjoys the history of the Shelby community. She has collected some key artifacts, including this millstone from a former mill. She had a friend, the late Tony Kozody, move it to her house with a loader.

“She is a trusting ole’ soul who believes in people and wants to give them a chance,” Scupien said. “Because she went through some hard times herself, she was always willing to help the young girls. She is a very giving person.”

Chambers said she has made numerous friends through the years with so many customers.

“I love the people,” she said. “I like to make people look good.”

Chambers is available by appointment only. Call (585) 318-4561 for more information.

$2,500 in Strawberry Fest Race proceeds shared with community groups

Contributed Story Posted 15 July 2015 at 12:00 am

Provided photos from Albion Running Club

ALBION – The Albion Running Club organized the 25th anniversary run of the Strawberry Festival 5k/8k on June 13. There was a record-high turnout of 310 participants.

The Running Club shared $2,500 in proceeds with four local organizations. The club presented checks to those recipients recently.

Members of the race committee allowed non-for-profit organizations in Orleans County to apply for funds from the race proceeds. Seven organizations applied and four were selected by the race committee.

The top photo shows the Holley Youth Center, which received $500 for youth activities and trips. Pictured include, from left, Tina Meade of the Holley Youth Center, Brian Krieger from the Running Club, Cheryl Shaw from the Youth Center, John Steier of the race committee, and Deborah Rothmund from the Youth Center.

Care Net Pregnancy & Family Center received $750 towards marketing and promotion, a laptop, projector and screen. Care Net staff members Jocelyn Wilson and Sharon Sugar are pictured with Brian Krieger, member of the race committee and executive director of the Running Club.

Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern received $800 for items to support the Children/Youth E3 Team events. John Steier, a member of the race committee, is pictured with GOMOC staff members Jacki Mowers-Sciarabba and Jeff Post.

Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension received $450 for signage for an onsite walking and fitness trail. Pictured include Mark Moore from the race committee, Jennifer Wagester from the Cooperative Extension, and race committee members John Steier and Brian Krieger.

The race committee included Karen Krieger, Brian Krieger, Mark Moore, John Steier and Thom Jennings.

N-O legislators go to DC to fight Lake Ontario plan

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2015 at 12:00 am

File photo by Tom Rivers – Lake Ontario splashes against the south shore in this photo from last August, taken at the shores of the Golden Hill State Park in Barker.

Two county legislators travelled to Washington, D.C. last week to meet with federal officials and argue against a new plan for regulating the water levels in Lake Ontario.

It’s unusual for county legislators from Orleans and Niagara counties to travel to the nation’s capital on official county business. But for Lynne Johnson of Orleans County and David Godfrey of Niagara, the issue demands every effort from the southshore counties that stand to lose valuable real estate and have fishing and tourism industries effected.

“We wanted to drive our point home that this will be devastating to the lakeshore,” Johnson said.

She and Godfrey represented the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance. They met with Department of State officials, as well as staff for U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. The two county legislators also met directly with U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, who arranged for a meeting with the Department of State.

The International Joint Commission regulates the lake water levels. It includes representation from both the U.S. and Canadian governments. The IJC has endorsed a plan that could lead to bigger fluctuations in lake levels. Many southshore county leaders fear higher water will erode private property and lower levels will leave marinas too shallow for boaters, hurting the fishing and recreational industries.

Johnson and Godgrey said they were armed with facts about the potential harm of the IJC plan. The six southshore counties from Niagara to Oswego have 10,025 parcels of lakefront land with a total assessed value of $3.7 billion. If they suffer a 10 percent loss, those communities would lose $370 million in value.

That difference would be spread to other property owners in the counties, raising their taxes, Johnson said.

“Everyone will suffer if we continue to take away properties on the lakeshore,” Godfrey said. “If the assessments are dropped because of this, we have to redistribute it to the other property owners in the county.”

The southshore fishing industry also generates about $100 million in economic impact annually. If that industry suffers, resulting in fewer sales tax and other revenue, that impact will have to be made up from other sources, Godfrey said.

He worries a higher lake will also swell inland streams, leading to more damage for those property owners.

A higher lake could also stir up radioactive waste in the town of Porter, Godfrey said. Radioactive waste material is buried near the shore with three feeder streams nearby, he said.

“If the lake levels fluctuate it will increase the draw and could flush it into the lake,” Godfrey said. “That’s very concerning to us.”

Collins spoke against the IJC plan during a news conference at Oak Orchard Harbor on July 2. He is working out another meeting in Washington with IJC and Department of State officials, Johnson said.

“On the heels of what I heard from local legislators and residents at last week’s press conference, it is clear this plan is not in the best interest of homeowners and other stakeholders along the Lake Ontario shoreline,” Collins said in a statement. “I am glad we had the opportunity to voice our concerns to the State Department, which is currently undergoing an interagency review of the IJC’s proposal. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in state and local government against its implementation.”

Collins and the county legislators say the plan goes against a binational treaty for the water levels that says no side of the lake should bear a “disproportional” harm from the water levels.

Johnson and Godfrey would like the IJC to continue the existing lake level management plan which dates back to the 1958.

“Our hope is in the end this goes nowhere,” she said about the new IJC plan. “We will continue to drive a nail into the coffin.”

Hawley gives assemblyman from NYC tour of local district today

Staff Reports Posted 15 July 2015 at 12:00 am

ALBION – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, will give a colleague in the Assembly from New York City a tour of the local Assembly District today, visiting nursing homes, farms, Batavia Downs and other sites.

Hawley and Michael DenDekker, a Democrat from Queens, will tour various veterans affairs organizations. The lawmakers are conducting the tour to raise awareness of veterans’ needs across the state as well as allow representatives from downstate experience the unique rural aspects and farm life of Western New York residents.

DenDekker is chairman of the Assembly’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Hawley, a veteran of the Ohio Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves, is ranking minority member of the committee.

“I look forward to this opportunity to highlight various veterans organizations as well as make New York State more inclusive and bridge the gap between upstate and downstate needs,” Hawley said. “My hope is that Assemblyman DenDekker leaves my district with a new perspective on Western New York life. Places like Batavia Downs and fruit and dairy farms offer unique experiences not found in New York City.”

Hawley and DenDekker are scheduled to visit the Batavia VA Medical Center, State Nursing Home/ Genesee County Veterans Administration in Batavia, Batavia Downs, Lamb Farms in Oakfield, The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitative Center in Albion, Toussaint Farms in Medina and Western NY Energy in Medina.