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Cuomo forms Task Force to target worker exploitation at nail salons, farms, other industries

Staff Reports Posted 17 July 2015 at 12:00 am

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a first-of-its-kind statewide Task Force to root out worker exploitation issues in multiple industries in New York State.

Building on the governor’s initiative to protect workers in the nail salon industry, the Task Force will identify and halt illegal practices in more industries across the state, including at farms.

The Task Force is composed of 10 state agencies including the Department of State, Department of Labor and Department of Agriculture and Markets, and will work in partnership with an advisory committee that is charged with providing legislative, regulatory and administrative recommendations. Cuomo made the announcement while in the Bronx signing legislation to protect and support nail salon workers in New York.

“If there is a state that is going to take a stand against worker exploitation, it is New York,” Cuomo said in a statement today. “New York offers a promise that our arms and hearts are open to those who come here to work and build a better future for themselves – and we will not tolerate worker exploitation, period. It’s not a Democratic or a Republican issue – it’s what we believe, and together we’re going to make this a reality.”

The multi-agency Task Force is a critical addition to New York’s fight against worker exploitation and builds on the Governor’s initiative protecting workers in nail salons. The governor was joined today by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to sign legislation that helps protect nail salon employees from unsafe working conditions and unfair labor practices.

“The Assembly Majority has a long history of defending the rights of workers in every industry,” Heastie said. “Indeed, worker exploitation is pervasive problem across many industries. Gov. Cuomo’s Task Force will examine workers’ rights and conditions across our state and I look forward to the recommendations.”

The Task Force will begin by addressing issues that were discovered based on worker complaints directly to the state and referrals from advocacy organizations. Workers are often victimized through wage theft, human trafficking, retaliation, unsafe or unsanitary working conditions, unstable or unscheduled hours and illegal deductions for supplies, training or uniforms, Cuomo said.

Anyone with information of suspected worker abuse should contact the Task Force Hotline at 1-888-469-7365. Callers can remain anonymous.

Enforcement efforts will focus on industries with the highest rates of employer non-compliance and where workers are least likely to come forward, for fear of retaliation. Specifically, industries were selected based on geographic or community isolation of the workforce within the industry, danger of the occupation based on reported death rates, state-wide investigator experiences, evaluation of high violation rates for complaints with a low number of complaints, prevalence of off-the-books employment by industry and statistics and percentage of the immigrant workforce in each industry.

Initial target areas include industries such as nail salons, farming, childcare, cleaning, home health care, laundry, restaurants, retail, construction, landscaping, car washes, supermarkets, janitorial services and truck and waste disposal drivers.

The Task Force will include representatives from state agencies including the Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of Health, Workers’ Compensation Board, Department of Tax and Finance, Department of Agriculture and Markets, Office of Children and Family Services, Office of Faith Based Services, Division of Criminal Justice Services and State Police.

The agencies will have more than 700 investigators, including multilingual investigators who speak Bengali, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Haitian Creole, and Korean. Language access services will be available in all languages at all agencies.

The Task Force will work in partnership with an advisory committee that will meet monthly and is charged with providing legislative, regulatory and administrative recommendations to the administration. The committee will be charged with providing its first set of recommendations by December of this year to be considered for next year’s legislative session.

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.

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.

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.

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.