By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
GAINES – An apple orchard on Route 98 in Gaines is full of apple blossoms in this photo taken at about noon today.
New York, the country’s second-leading apple state behind Washington, is out in bloom with white blossoms dotting the landscape in fruit country.
“Grab your cameras and take a drive this weekend,” Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association, said in a news release. “We’ve got more than 11 million trees across the state and they are putting on a gorgeous show right now.”
The state’s apple trees generally didn’t mind last winter’s cold temperatures and snow, Allen said. The apple trees actually need a certain number of “chilling hours” before they can develop next year’s buds, he said.
This year’s bloom is actually slightly ahead of the 2014 bloom, which was two weeks behind the perennial schedule. A late spring means less chance of crop-damaging frost such as New York saw statewide in 2012. Apple buds progress from dormant brown tips to green tips, to bright pink clusters as the buds start to open, to full white flowers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Gary Sicurella, a firefighter with the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company, is pictured on May 4 when a brush fire spread to a wooded area in Murray at Red Rock Ponds.
Press Release
Governor’s Office
Gov. Andrew Cuomo today announced that New York State has extended the ban on residential brush burning until May 21 due to continued dry conditions across the state. Open burning of debris is the largest single cause of spring wildfires in the state.
“State officials have worked hand-in-hand with local firefighters to help contain a rash of wildfires that have broken out across New York in recent weeks,” Cuomo said. “With dry weather conditions persisting, I am extending this burning ban to better protect the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers who may find themselves and their property in harm’s way. I urge everyone to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves, their neighbors and the first responders.”
The eastern, central, southern and far northern regions of the state are rated as having a high risk of fire danger, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. The Southern Tier, Lake Ontario, and Adirondack regions are rated as having a moderate risk of fire danger. Additionally, the red flag warning is a short-term, temporary warning, indicating the presence of a dangerous combination of temperature, wind, relative humidity, fuel or drought conditions which can contribute to new fires or rapid spread of existing fires. This year, 110 fires have burned nearly 3,600 acres.
While all wildfires in New York are now contained, numerous state agencies deployed resources over the past two weeks to help battle wildfires in the eastern New York.
On May 5, Governor Cuomo activated the Fire Operations Center at the New York State Emergency Operations Center in Albany to monitor and assist with a large brush fire in Ulster and Sullivan counties.
The Roosa Gap Fire in Sullivan and Ulster counties was caused by debris burning and consumed more than 2,700 acres. The fire is now contained. Patrols continue to monitor the site to ensure there are no flare ups.
All trails in the Hunter-West Kill Wilderness area in the town of Hunter, Greene County, are now reopened. The Department of Environmental Conservation closed these trails on May 8 while the Heavenly Valley Road Fire burned over 110 acres.
“We are urging the public to be mindful that during periods of dry weather and gusty winds, brush fires can ignite from anything that can create a small spark,” said Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner John P. Melville. “A lightning strike, a discarded match, or even a car backfiring, could cause a dangerous fire. It is important to take precautions to protect our neighbors and our property from situations that can quickly go from bad to worse.”
Since 2009, New York State has enforced a residential brush burning ban for towns with less than 20,000 residents from March 16 through May 14, the period when most wildfires occur. Some towns, primarily in and around the Adirondack Park and Catskill Park, are designated “fire towns,” and open burning is prohibited year-round in these municipalities unless an individual or group has a written permit from the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Burning garbage is prohibited year-round. Violators of the open burning regulation are subject to both criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense.
Campfires using charcoal or untreated wood are allowed except in the Catskill Forest Preserve. All campfires in the Catskill Forest Preserve continue to be banned through May 21 due to the continued high fire danger as a result of the dry weather conditions. Campfires should never be left unattended and must be extinguished.
Since the ban was enacted, the average number of spring fires per year has decreased from 3,297 to 1,425 or 43.2 percent. To view an updated map of fire danger ratings in New York, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Chris Bourke, long-time lieutenant at Sheriff’s Department, would be Bower’s undersheriff
Photo by Tom Rivers – Randy Bower, right, and Chris Bourke want to lead the Sheriff’s Department. Bower is running for Orleans County sheriff.
HOLLEY – Randy Bower is staying in the race to be Orleans County’s next sheriff. Bower has the Conservative Party endorsement and will appear on the November ballot.
Last Thursday, the Orleans County Republican Party Committee endorsed Tom Drennan, the current chief deputy, to be sheriff. Drennan secured just over 60 percent of the GOP Committee’s support, getting 6,151 votes to 3,951 for Bower, a long-time dispatcher for the county. The committee has 75 voting members and uses a weighted voting system.
Bower said on Tuesday he hasn’t decided if he will force a Republican Primary. But he said he isn’t withdrawing from the race.
He will be campaigning with Chris Bourke, a lieutenant in the Sheriff’s Department. Bourke started his 31-year career as a corrections officer in the county jail and has worked as a deputy on road patrol. He has been a lieutenant the past 18 years and is the department’s K-9 handler.
Burke and the Deputy Sheriff’s Association support Bower for sheriff.
“Randy is an organizer,” Bourke said. “I have no doubt he can do the job.”
Bower, 50, has worked with Bourke for nearly three decades. Bower has been a dispatcher, relaying information to Bourke and other officers in the field. Bower has been active in the community in numerous other ways, running a custom apparel company with John Cole, coaching youth soccer, basketball and baseball.
He was also the Holley girls varsity basketball coach for four years. That team lost every game its first two years with Bower, but it became a playoff team his third season. Bower was Genesee-Region coach of the year that year in 2010.
He also has been chairman of a bocce tournament the past 15 years in Hulberton, part of the St. Rocco’s Festival the Sunday before Labor Day. That tournament draws teams from throughout Western New York and Ontario, Canada.
Bower is in a wheelchair. He has been paralyzed from the waist down since a car accident when he was 18.
“I’m challenge-driven,” he said. “I love a challenge. I’m self-motivated and I have the ability to motivate others.”
Bower said very supportive friends and family helped him recover quickly from his accident 32 years ago. He said he lives a blessed life with his wife Robin and their children: Jessica, 23; and Jacob, 20.
The accident hasn’t prevented him from an active and athletic life. He said he loves his job as dispatcher. (He also was a member of the Sheriff’s Department’s Off-Road Patrol from 1992-1998, riding all-terrain vehicles to help locate missing persons, stolen property and respond to other situations.)
Bower wants to be sheriff because he said he has the leadership skills, vision and communication skills to run the department and serve the public.
“I’m seeking the endorsement of the people of Orleans County,” Bower said at his home on Route 31 in Holley. “I know how to treat people.”
Randy Bower
Bower was 18 when he worked for the Group W Cable company in Brockport, a company that was precursor to Time Warner. He installed cables on the telephone poles.
After his car accident in October 1983, Bower was hospitalized for three months. He returned to work at Group W, this time as a dispatcher.
He was hired as an Orleans County dispatcher in 1986 by former sheriff David Green.
Bower has worked 29 years as a county dispatcher, teaming with law enforcement and other emergency responders, including firefighters and ambulance staff. The dispatcher position has evolved over the years with more technology and training, working with members of the public in crisis situations.
It’s a job that Bower says requires “strict composure” and the ability extract vital information while remaining diplomatic and compassionate with the callers.
Before a big upgrade in 1998, when dispatch moved from the jail to the Public Safety Building, Bower and the dispatchers also ran the jail control room, a key part of the facility’s security.
Bower’s campaign for sheriff has picked up support from many Republican Committee members, the Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Conservative Party leaders. He presented to them a plan for the five divisions of the Sheriff’s Department, a plan that he said would make for a more efficient department, better service to the community and more revenue for the county.
The jail is the largest division of the Sheriff’s Department with 33 corrections officers, two cooks, a superintendent and eight other part-time COs.
The jail has a capacity for about 80 inmates. Bower said many of the inmates are “chemically dependent,” suffering from heroin, opiate and other addictions. He would like to see more services in the jail for those inmates to help them break the cycle of addiction.
“There is a revolving door right now,” he said.
He said he would pursue state funding to finance the drug addiction programs.
“There would be 0 tax increase to the county,” he said.
He would also push to have the county’s K-9 team regularly visit the jail to ensure no drugs are being brought in.
The county currently has two welfare fraud investigators through the Department of Social Services. Bower would like to add a fraud investigator to the Sheriff’s Department, a position that could ultimately save taxpayers’ money.
Bower and Bouke want to see more community policing with more police visibility, especially in the Lyndonville and Kendall communities.
The Sheriff’s Department Civil Division handles papers for evictions, orders of protection, summons and executions, and income and property executions. Those duties are currently handled by deputies while on patrol. But emergency calls often prevent deputies from delivering the paperwork in a timely manner.
Bower would like to have an officer assigned to that function to ensure the papers are delivered without delays. It would also free up deputies to focus on their other work. The civil work can generate revenue. Some attorneys have hired private contractors to do the work because the Sheriff’s Department often didn’t deliver the papers on time, Bower said.
The dispatchers also work with Kathy Smith, the county’s animal control officer. Bower said she handles about 2,000 calls a year, and also cleans the animal shelter and feeds the animals. It’s a big job. Bower would like to see a deputy on staff who would assist with the animal control calls and also be deployed for other police calls.
With dispatch, the county about six months ago started handling calls for the State Police. However, Bower said the state police cars aren’t tracked by the dispatch center, meaning dispatchers don’t know where the closest car is for a call. He would push to have the state troopers be full participants in the county dispatch system, and he also said the state should pay the county some money for the dispatching work.
Bower also wants dispatchers to have the capability of getting video links to the five school districts in case there was an incident in the schools needing a police or emergency response. If the schools allowed dispatch the video links, Bower said school officials would be notified if dispatch was in the school system’s video system.
“We want the public school video links,” Bower said. “We could see if there was an active shooter or other problems.”
Bourke said he supports Bower’s goals. He also has worked closely with Bower for 29 years, and witnessed his impact on others on a daily basis.
“It’s a leadership thing and Randy is the person,” Bourke said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The proposed STAMP site across the Orleans County line in Alabama could become the Village of Medina’s largest sewer customer, using up to 3 million gallons a day at the village treatment plant.
The Village Board agreed on Monday to a memorandum of understanding with the Genesee County Economic Development Corporation. The village would provide sewer for the Science Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park, with GCEDC paying for running sewer lines to the 1,250-acre STAMP site.
GCEDC would pay the current village rates, although a deal could be made for a break in sewer charges in exchange for a host community agreement with money going to the village’s general fund.
“This will help stabilize the sewer fund for years to come,” said Medina Mayor Andrew Meier.
There isn’t an immediate impact because a tenant hasn’t committed to the STAMP site yet. GCEDC is lining up service providers for infrastructure.
The Medina sewer plant is currently permitted for 4.5 million gallons a day. Medina typically treats 1 to 2 million gallons a day, depending on the weather. If there is a big storm or snow melt, the plant sees more use.
Although the plant has a 4.5 million gallon permit capacity, it could treat least 7 million gallons a day, Meier said. The village is tackling some improvements at the plant to increase the capacity to about 10 million gallons.
Even with the agreement for STAMP, Medina still has plenty of excess capacity to serve development projects in the village and Medina area, Meier said. The final agreement still needs to be approved with GCEDC, and Meier said the deal will allow reserve capacities for Medina to serve businesses in the Medina community.
The final agreement could also include a provision for money for the village’s general fund through a host community agreement. That would generate money for the village’s general fund, and ease some pressure on Medina taxpayers.
If the host community agreement is in place, GCEDC could get a break in the sewer rate.
“We’re still working on the details,” Meier said.
The Village Board wants to support the STAMP project, which could bring an estimated 10,000 jobs to the site in full build out over an estimated 15 years or more, GCEDC officials said. They anticipate another 50,000 jobs from STAMP in the region. Meier said Medina is ideally situated for “feeder industries” that would work with companies at STAMP.
The sewer plant with all of its unused capacity is a major asset for Medina, Meier said.
“It’s a huge economic development resource we have in Medina,” he said.
The route from Medina to Alabama for the sewer lies hasn’t been determined yet. That is being studied by engineers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Walter Jakubowski of Albion is pictured with some of the photographs he has featured in an exhibit about the Pratt Opera House and the restorative efforts from 2013 to 2015.
ALBION – One photo from 10 years ago shows former Congressman John LaFalce and former Albion Mayor Ed Salvatore in the Pratt Opera House. The floor is covered in pigeon droppings and pigeon carcasses.
More recent photos show the same stage in the Pratt Opera House cleaned, sanded and refinished.
Walter Jakubowski, an Albion photographer, has been taking photos in the Pratt since 2013. He documented some of the restorative efforts by Michael Bonafede and his wife Judith Koehler.
About 20 of those photos will be on display in an exhibit opening Saturday at Salih Studio at 24 East Bank St. There will be an opening reception from 2 to 5 p.m. The exhibit runs until June 20, and will be open from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays.
One of Jakubowski’s photos shows a ticket from a performance at the Pratt Theatre.
The exhibit also includes old seating charts and some historic photos of the Pratt, where construction on the third floor building started in 1890.
The opera house seated 400 and hosted numerous plays, theater events and other live performances. By World War II, the opera house was largely dormant and its chairs removed so the steel could be salvaged during the scrap metal drives.
The opera house would spend about 70 years pretty much out of the public eye. The site was falling in disrepair when Bonafede and Koehler purchased it in 2005.
The couple was on the tour with LaFalce and Salvatore. The former mayor asked the Bonafede family to take on the project, seeing a restored opera house as a major draw for Albion.
The family has done extensive work on the opera house and the entire building. The opera house has more work to be done. It doesn’t yet have a certificate of occupancy.
Jakubowski has many photos of the interior of the Pratt following an extensive cleanup effort and restorative work.
The first and second floors on the building on North Main Street are home to 11 tenants, up from two when the Bonafede family acquired the property.
“We feel like we’ve salvaged the building,” Michael Bonafede said today. “We didn’t achieve our dreams but we’re ready for someone to take it to the next level.”
Bonafede and Koehler said they would consider an offer for the property from “someone with the right vision.”
Jakubowski wanted to document the efforts by Bonafede and Koehler, and also highlight an important building in Albion’s history.
“People used to have rocking times up there,” he said. “It’s part of the cultural history of the area.”
Jakubowski said generations of people have been driving by the building without seeing or appreciating the opera house. He wanted them to get a glimpse of the grandeur.
“I think a lot of people aren’t aware of what’s up there,” he said today while hanging his photos at Salih Studio. “It’s tucked up on the third floor and people don’t see it or think about it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Ashley Ward, left, served as a leader of Orleans County Fishing Derby, an event run by the Albion Rotary Club, for three decades. Bill Downey is the event’s new volunteer director. Ward will remain a key advisor for the derby.
ALBION – In 1982, three local Rotary clubs decided to help lure more fishermen to the area with an annual derby, with prizes awarded for anglers who catch the biggest Chinook salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, and lake trout.
In 30-plus years the derby has grown to about 700 annual entrants who receive nearly $10,000 annually in cash and other prizes, including the $4,000 grand prize for biggest fish.
The Albion Rotary Club has been running the derby since 1984. The event generates about $4,000 in profits and that money is directed to community projects. (Some of that money paid for the big welcome sign at Point Breeze.)
Ashley Ward has been helping to run the derby for three decades. He and his late wife Bonnie owned a bed and breakfast in Carlton from 1980 to 1999. They saw how the influx of fishermen gave the economy a boost with anglers going to restaurants, bait and tackle shops, gas stations, and local lodging establishments.
A fishing derby draws more of those fishermen, Ward said, and gets them to stay longer.
“That’s one reason why we’ve kept at it,” Ward said. “It brings a lot of people here.”
This year’s derby will run from Aug. 1 to Aug. 16. It includes weigh stations in Orleans, Niagara and Monroe counties.
Debbie Murphy of Pennsylvania keeps up an Orleans County Fishing Derby tradition by kissing the winning fish in the derby. Murphy won the $4,000 grand prize with the heaviest fish, a 27-pound, 7-ounce Chinook salmon, during the 2014 Orleans County Fishing Derby.
The derby has made some changes for this year. Ward remains a key advisor for the derby, but he has passed the chairman duties to Bill Downey, who has volunteered with the derby for 12 years.
The derby committee has been selling ads and lining up sponsors for the annual 16-day contest. The committee has changed from a printed journal to a website with a list of rules, advertisers and other derby information. Click here to see the Orleans County Fishing Derby.
Downey believes the website format will be more useful to the fishermen in the contest. They can check the website for daily updates on the fishing leaderboard and get other relevant information with a touch of their smartphone.
The derby committee created a smaller rack card with the derby date and other registration information. That card was taken to eight fishing shows and also will be mailed to anglers who make inquiries with the Orleans County Tourism Department about local fishing resources.
Mike Waterhouse is the county’s sportsfishing coordinator. He said he appreciates the work of the Rotary Club in organizing the annual derby. He said the derbies draw anglers who seek the prize money and the thrill of landing a big fish. He knows many fishermen will stay in the community longer, trying to catch a winning fish.
“They like the prizes and the competition,” Waterhouse said about the derby competitors. “There are people who want to fish in derbies.”
Ward said bringing in more fishermen gives the local economy a boost. That has been his biggest motivation in volunteering with the derby for so many years.
“I realize how important it is because it ties in with our tourism,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Gov. Andrew Cuomo disclosed today that his longtime girlfriend and domestic partner Sandra Lee has breast cancer. The governor said he will be taking some time off as Lee undergoes a double mastectomy and recovers from surgery.
Lee, a TV chef, is 48.
Cuomo issued this statement today:
“A few weeks ago we received terrible news. Sandy shared with me that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was devastated. After the news what followed was a blizzard of doctors visits, tests and discussions of treatment options. Sandy is young for her diagnosis, she has no family history, she is healthy and had no symptoms or signals that she was in danger. She has been diligent about going for check-ups and thankfully this was detected in the early stages.
“A situation like this quickly puts life in the proper perspective and reminds one of what’s truly important. To that end, I expect to take some personal time because I want to be with Sandy to support her in any way I can as she handles the trauma of her operation and the pain of the recovery.
“For those of you familiar with Sandy’s life story it will not surprise you that she has met this latest challenge with determination, resolve and grace. She never ceases to amaze me. While she has kept her illness private until now, Sandy has bravely decided to speak openly about her illness in order to remind women of the potentially lifesaving power of early detection. I fully support her decision.
“With heartfelt gratitude for your kind wishes and support, Sandy and I hope and pray to bring you good news of her strong recovery soon.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Deputy James DeFilipps (right) was recognized during an Orleans County Legislature meeting on April 22, along with deputies Brian Larkin, left, Kevin Colonna, and other law enforcement officers in the county. DeFilipps was wounded in a March 21 shoot-out in Clarendon.
When Deputy James DeFilipps was shot on March 21, a bullet-proof vest likely saved his life. It was the 1,912 “save” for the Safariland Group, a company that makes bullet-proof vests, armor and other gear.
Safariland representatives will be in Albion at the Public Safety Building on May 19 for a ceremony to recognize DeFilipps. The company will present him with a plaque and will induct him into the “Safariland Group Saves Club.” The company will also give a plaque to the Sheriff’s Department in the ceremony at 3 p.m.
Members of the “Safariland Group Saves Club” often become advocates for the law enforcement community, sharing the importance of wearing body armor, as well as providing other safety tips derived from their own experiences, the company said.
DeFilipps was shot twice in the vest during a shootout on March 21 in Clarendon with a James Ellis, 44, of Wyoming County.
Ellis crashed his vehicle into a telephone pole on Route 31A in Clarendon at about 3 a.m. on March 21. Police discovered the wreck in a neighbor’s front yard while looking for Ellis. When DeFilipps left his patrol car to search for Ellis, the suspect opened fire from a wooded area near the vehicle, Sheriff Scott Hess said during a news conference later that day.
Deputy DeFilipps was shot twice in the abdomen, and then managed to fatally shoot Ellis.
A bill sponsored by State Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) could now put certain car passengers under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the hot seat. The New York State Senate today passed “Abbagail’s Law,” which would close the legal loophole that lets impaired licensed drivers supervise, or ride in a vehicle operated by, someone with a learner’s permit.
“Abbagail’s Law will save lives and deter individuals from putting children and others in unnecessary danger,” Ortt said. “Those who are not sober and in charge of supervising someone learning to drive would no longer be able to escape punishment.”
The bill (S2976) would make it a misdemeanor to act as a “supervising driver” while drunk or high, and a felony for aggravated “supervising driver” cases. By definition, a “supervising driver” is a licensed driver supervising someone with a learner’s permit.
The bill is named for 8-year-old Abbagail Buzard of Orleans County. Abby was killed in early September of 2009 in a rollover crash with her underage cousin at the wheel. The cousin, who only had a learner’s permit, was under the supervision of Abby’s intoxicated father. The inexperienced driver lost control of the car and crashed, killing Abby almost instantly.
“After hearing the tragic story about Abbagail, it’s hard to imagine why this common-sense legislation has been held up in the Assembly for years,” said Sen. Ortt. “How many more individuals are we going to let off the hook for being under the influence while supervising an inexperienced driver because of a technicality? Too many lives have been cut short, because of the reckless decisions and actions of intoxicated drivers. An impaired supervisor who lets someone operate a vehicle with a learner’s permit is no different. Abbagail’s Law would close a dangerous loophole and hold a fully licensed individual accountable.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – This boater heads east on the Erie Canal in Albion on Monday afternoon. The boater then passed under the Main Street lift bridge. The canal opened for its 191st season on Friday.
The temperatures will drop on Wednesday with a high of 57 and low of 38. On Thursday, it will be a high of 62 and a low of 45, according to the National Weather Service.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 May 2015 at 11:54 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
BARRE – This barn on Angevine Road is pictured during a severe thunderstorm on Monday night. I was out near this barn for reports of a house fire. On the way to Angevine Road from Albion, there were numerous flashes of lightning.
This is my first try at a lightning photo. The storm had weakened at this point. I learned from this outing and look forward to trying it again.
The fire was in the basement of the house at 4722 Angevine Rd. The homeowner used a fire extinguisher to take care of the fire. Barre firefighters, and other local departments, responded to the scene.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 May 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Holley man admitted in court today that he broke into a Holley residence on Nov. 12, 2014, and stole items with the intention of selling them to a pawn store so he could buy heroin.
Christopher D. Helsdon, 25, pleaded guilty to third degree burglary, a charge that could carry a maximum 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison.
Helsdon said he was on heroin when he entered an unlocked Holley house in November. Although under the influence of the drug, Helsdon said he was aware of what he was doing.
“My intent was to get something to take to buy my heroin,” Helsdon said in court today.
Helsdon will be sentenced on July 20. He is in Orleans County Jail on $30,000 bail.
In other cases in County Court today:
A Rochester woman, Lakusha McMorris, 35, admitted her involvement into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine from the City of Rochester to Medina.
McMorris was arrested on Jan. 27. She admitted in court on May 4 that she delivered drugs on three occasions for Keith Toney, who arranged the deals by phone from Rochester.
Toney last week pleaded guilty to third-degree attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty specifically to arranging for a cocaine sale at the Wal-Mart parking lot in Brockport on Aug. 27, 2014. Toney, 36, of Rochester faces up to 5 years in state prison as a second felony offender.
He made the deal with an informant from Orleans County, which is why the case is being handled in Orleans County. Brockport is located in neighboring Monroe County.
However, there were questions about jurisdiction for McMorris because she didn’t initiate the sales with the Brockport delivery.
After reviewing case law, Orleans County Court Judge James Punch said McMorris can be tried in Orleans County, where the informant originated from.
McMorris pleaded guilty to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. She will be sentenced on Aug. 17.
Mark Gregori, formerly of Elba but now of Orleans County, was sentenced to a year in state prison for violating probation.
Gregori, 52, admitted he has struggled to overcome drinking and drug problems. He asked that he be sentenced to a halfway house.
“He has a demon he cannot overcome by himself,” his attorney Matt Becker told Judge Punch.
Punch said Gregori has been on probation three times without success.
A Lockport woman also pleaded guilty to drug charges today. Katrina Drake has been accepted into the Drug Court program. If she completes the program, the felony charges of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance will be dismissed and she will instead face a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of controlled substance in the seventh degree.
Drake, 24, was arrested in December after selling and distributing prescription narcotics in Albion. She admitted in court today she was selling hydrocodone pills.
If Drake is unsuccessful in Drug Court, she could be sentenced to up to 2 ½ years in state prison.
The following joined Cindy Hurt, third from left, when she was recognized recently by the Western New York Educational Service Council. From left: Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent of Orleans/Niagara BOCES; Board of Education member Joanne Woodside of Lockport; Cindy Hurt; Board of Education Vice President Maureen Kaus of Niagara-Wheatfield; Board of Education member Becky Albright of Wilson; and Board of Education President Keith Bond of Royalton-Hartland.
Hurt, secretary to the district superintendent of Orleans/Niagara BOCES, was recognized by the Western New York Educational Service Council during the Awards for Excellence held at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens. Mrs. Hurt shared the honor with four other support staff that were chosen by a committee from over 100 nominations.
Her boss, Dr. Clark Godshall, said he could not think of a more worthy recipient of the prestigious award.
“Cindy is the glue that keeps the District Superintendent’s office together,” Godshall said. “She is well respected, extremely organized, efficient, unflappable and sincere, all the qualities you could possibly want in a secretary and more. If we were a sports team, she would be our MVP.”
Hurt has worked for BOCES for 34 years and is a Medina resident.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 May 2015 at 12:00 am
The State Senate, which has a narrow 33-32 Republican majority, has a new leader today after Dean Skelos stepped down from the top post. Skelos and his son face corruption charges.
Ortt issued this statement this evening:
“Senator Skelos’ decision to step down as majority leader was the right thing to do for the conference and for the state,” Ortt said. “While last week may have shown differences of opinions among Senate Republicans, we emerged from a leadership vote today as a united group.
“I congratulate Senator Flanagan on his election to majority leader and look forward to working with him to create jobs, lower taxes, keep spending down, and properly invest in education and infrastructure. Now is the time to put the people of New York first and address these issues and the issues that go against our second amendment rights. I stand unwavering in my efforts to repeal the unconstitutional SAFE Act, and hope our new leader will stand with me to get this done.”
Flanagan voted in favor of the SAFE Act in January 2013.
The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association issued this statement about Flanagan’s election as Senate majority leader:
“The election of Senator John Flanagan as the leader of the New York State Senate Republican Caucus is a divisive blow to the freedom loving people of New York and should send a chill down the spine of every gun owner since the new leader voted in favor of the so-called SAFE Act.
“What this says is the Republican Party cares nothing about the hardworking, God-fearing and 2nd Amendment loving residents of New York State. While paying lip service the concerns of their core constituency, they elect a leader who will continue the status quo. The Senators who cast their vote for Senator Flanagan must pay for this breach of trust in the next election.”
Flanagan has served as Senate Education Committee chairman. The New York State United Teachers congratulated Flanagan on his election.
“As Education Committee chairman, Sen. Flanagan has worked closely with education stakeholders on many issues,” the union stated. “He understands the deep concerns students, parents and educators have about current state education policy. NYSUT congratulates Sen. Flanagan on his election as Senate majority leader, and looks forward to working with him this session and in the future to champion the needs of public education.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 May 2015 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – The Medina Fire Department heads down East Center Street on an ambulance call in January, a call that was outside the village.
MEDINA – The Village of Medina could do better boosting revenue for its ambulance service by getting more uncollected money from patients, and also by insisting other municipalities help pay for the service, according to the State Comptroller’s Office.
The Comptroller’s Office reviewed ambulance service billing records from Jan.1, 2011 to Sept. 10, 2014. It found Medina is due $1,012,326 in outstanding bills from patients, a number that rose each year from $186,125 in 2011, $194,194 in 2012, $241,832 in 2013, and $390,175 in about eight months of 2014.
The Medina Fire Department has been the primary ambulance provider for the towns of Yates, Shelby and Ridgeway since 2007. As part of that contract, the towns were supposed to reimburse the village on a quarterly basis for any uncollected bills for ambulance calls to the three towns. The three towns also agreed to an administrative fee incurred by a third-party billing agent for each bill prepared. That fee is currently $38.25 per bill.
The village never sent the towns an invoice for these bills, the Comptroller’s Office said.
Comptroller staff reviewed the bills and found the three towns owe the village $53,036 for uncollected bills in the three municipalities, plus $21,573 to the billing agent. That $74,609 breaks out to $33,809 for the Town of Yates, $13,935 for the Town of Shelby and $26,865 for the Town of Ridgeway.
The comptroller said the towns need to be billed regularly, and their bills reviewed by village officials. Medina needs to work to ensure “that village taxpayers are not subsidizing the cost of providing ambulance service to the towns,” according to the comptroller report.
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier responded to the Comptroller Office in an April 10 letter that the village works diligently to collect unpaid bills. However, Meier said the village doesn’t want to take residents, including many senior citizens on fixed incomes, to small claims court or subject residents to “significant harassment” from bill collectors, he said.
Medina has an 86.8 percent pay rate, which rates slightly better than average for the 18 municipal clients served by Medina’s ambulance billing provider, Meier said. Medina also receives an average of $434.20 per bill, which is about $20 higher than the municipal average, the mayor said.
The Village Board welcomes contributions from the three towns for the ambulance service, Meier said. However, he said there would be “extreme difficulty” in calculating each town’s share based on the original formula.
“Indeed, the current agreement seems fair in theory, but is unworkable in practice,” Meier said. “The Village has brought this to the attention of Shelby and Ridgeway officials at joint meetings, yet both have indicated an unwillingness to modify the agreement. The Village will continue to address this matter with the towns.”
