Saturday was a great day for both the Albion and Medina marching bands at the Seneca Falls Pageant of Bands. Both were awarded first place awards.
The Medina Marching Band, pictured above, took first place in Senior High Class B Concert Band, first for its Cadet Guard and Varsity Guard, and first place in the parade for marching band in Division B, while also earning the parade’s Class Champion in Division B and overall Grand Champion.
Medina also competed in Senior High Stand Still Percussion and came in second place while the Jazz Ensemble was third.
Albion’s band program also had a strong showing. Albion was first overall for marching band in the open class. The Albion jazz ensemble also took first.
Both the Albion and Medina bands will perform during the Memorial Day parades in their respective communities.
The Albion and Medina Campus Centers of Genesee Community College are pleased to announce the Spring 2016 students and instructors of the semester. Each semester, one student and one instructor at each campus center are awarded the honor for outstanding academic or teaching performance.
ALBION CAMPUS CENTER
Karen Krieger has been selected as the Spring 2016 Instructor of the Semester at the Albion Campus Center. A graduate of Medina High School, Karen earned her BS in Sociology from Buffalo State College and her MS in Education from D’Youville College. Currently, she serves as an academic advisor at the Medina Campus Center and teaches Career and Educational Planning at the Albion Campus Center.
Karen Krieger
Each of the students who nominated Karen noted her genuine interest in the well-being and success of her students. “Karen makes a conscious effort in meeting and learning about each individual student to drive his/her success,” one student noted.
Another student stated: “I was so unsure of myself and the decisions I was making at the start of the semester that I was in tears. Karen helped me to overcome my fears, build confidence and pursue my dreams. She encourages me to be independent and challenges me to succeed. She always gives me something new to think about in and out of class.”
When asked if she had one piece of advice to offer a new instructor, Karen shared that “students do not care what you know or what it is that you want to teach them until they know that you care.” She further noted that “GCC is comprised of faculty and staff who care for students and overall student success both in and outside of the classroom. Students know this when they come here. I am blessed to be a part of it.”
In her personal time, Karen’s hobbies include reading, walking, slow jogging, spending time in nature and baking. She also enjoys spending time with her husband Brian, children John and Kate, and their family pets. Karen says that her most rewarding teaching experiences include watching students find their own success. “It is such a privilege to be a part of those times in their lives.”
Louisa Shiffer
Louisa Shiffer has been selected as the Spring 2016 Student of the Semester. An undeclared major, Louisa is working hard with the goal of being accepted into the GCC Nursing program.
Nominated by several instructors, they noted that Louisa “works full time and maintains high ideals, a very high GPA and a positive attitude. (We) have never heard her complain about her work or to ask to have extensions.” She takes great pride in her academic work.”
Louisa likes the intellectual challenges and the thoughtful discussions at college. When asked if she had any advice for new college students, Louisa reminded them to “expect to work hard. Classes and school work are your responsibility and as an adult, you need to not make excuses.”
Louisa’s cites her father and siblings as major influences in her life. “I admire people who work hard to overcome odds and who sacrifice for other people.” Her long term goals include getting her Nursing degree and working as a holistic nurse practitioner.
In her personal time, Louisa enjoys reading, history (reenacting), cooking, knitting and spending time with her pets. She also volunteers teaching classes at the library.
MEDINA CAMPUS CENTER
Rick Bovenzi has been selected as the Instructor of the Semester at the Medina Campus Center for the Spring 2016 semester. Rick teaches Cell Biology, and in the past, has taught Human Biology in Medina. Comments by his students include: “Mr. Bovenzi is always available to assist students before or after class with information that is hard to understand,” and, “He makes learning hard concepts fun, which makes it easier to remember.”
Rick Bovenzi
Rick earned his MS in Science Education and Biology from SUNY Buffalo, as well as his BS in Biology from SUNY Brockport. He is a retired science teacher from the Albion Central School District.
He and his wife of 45 years have three children (now adults), three grandchildren, and one cat. In his personal time, Rick enjoys hunting, fishing and carpentry. He specializes in furniture and cabinet making. He shared that his favorite book is the Bible and A Lawyer’s Case for Christ.
When asked if he would change anything relative to career choices he has made, he shared he probably would have finished his P.A. Rick’s one piece of advice to new instructors is, “Always be honest, and admit you don’t have all of the answers, but research when you need to.” His most rewarding teaching experiences include when his past students come back and tell him that the hard work in his class paid off for them in their careers.
Danielle Moon
Danielle Moon has been selected as the Student of the Semester at the Medina Campus Center for spring semester 2016. Danielle’s major is Respiratory Care. She has already accepted a position at Rochester General Hospital as a respiratory therapist. She plans to graduate in May, take her board exam in June, and begin her new endeavor thereafter. During her full-time study at GCC, she participated in clinicals three days per week at various hospitals. Additionally, Danielle works full time at Hillside Children’s Center.
The instructor that nominated Danielle noted that she is self-motivated and mature and stated that she “works exceptionally well with others and is quick to help others who are struggling with the subject, and that she is not afraid to ask questions in class, but only after searching for answers herself.”
When asked what advice she has for new students, she responded, “My advice for new college students would be to take as many classes as possible at community colleges like GCC before transferring to a 4-year college because it helps you make up your mind on what you want to do with your life.”
Danielle enjoys horseback riding, rugby, reading and family time. She lives with her mother, step-father, and two younger brothers with one serving in the US Army.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
GAINES – May is being celebrated as Preservation Month with a “This Place Matters” campaign by the National Trust for Historic Preservation .
The Cobblestone Museum, the only site in Orleans County deemed by the federal government as a National Historic Landmark, is joining the effort. The top photo shows Museum Director Taylor Daughton, left, and Volunteer Coordinator Sue Bonafini by the Ward House.
The Ward House was built in 1840 under the direction of John Proctor, a prominent early Gaines resident. The building was constructed in the Federal style. The interior of the house is decorated to reflect the 1880s.
Following Proctor’s ownership, the house was sold to Benjamin and Mary Ann Woodburn Dwinnell. Mary Anne was the aunt of New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley, who held the mortgage until 1863. The home functioned as a private residence until 1975, when the property was purchased by the museum from Mrs. Inez Martyn Ward.
The Ward House needs repairs to the front steps and other restoration work. The Cobblestone Museum welcomes donations for that project and other museum upkeep, as well as volunteers to help lead tours, and with other museum efforts.
For more on the Cobblestone Museum, click here or call (585) 589-9013.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 21 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Volume 2, Issue 21
ALBION – This photograph shows the gravesite of Dr. Lemuel Covell Paine as it appears today. A pioneer physician and Albion businessman, Paine was born November 8, 1787 in Vermont, the son of Dr. Ichabod Sparrow and Mary Dixon Paine. After the death of his father in 1807, arrangements were made for Lemuel to live with his uncle Eli Pierson and study medicine under the direction of Dr. Asa Stower at Queensbury, NY.
As he progressed in his studies, Paine found himself teaching in various one-room schoolhouses to raise the funds to support his education under Stower. Upon the completion of his term under the tutelage of the physician, Lemuel was subjected to the examination put forth by the Censors of the Medical Society of Washington County, which he passed with relative ease.
Over the next two decades Paine travelled westward across New York, establishing himself in Clyde, New York for a period of time where he served as a mentor and instructor for several prospective physicians. Upon his eventual arrival in Albion, Paine was a well-respected and seasoned veteran in the medical field during a time when so many doctors were self-taught.
Nearly 50 years of age at the time of his arrival in 1836, Paine established a partnership with Dr. Orson Nichoson under the name Nichoson & Paine; the firm specialized in the sale of drugs, compounds, and books. Dr. Paine was a pious man, so it was no surprise that he served as a deacon of the First Baptist Church in Albion and an early trustee of the Rochester Theological Seminary (Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School). His commitment to education was apparent through his appointment as a trustee of the Phipps Union Seminary, the Albion Academy, and the University of Rochester.
His role not only as a respected physician but a successful businessman placed him at the top of the list for political races and appointments. Prior to his arrival in Albion, Paine had served as Postmaster in Fulton County and his political affiliation as a Whig would earn him similar positions in Orleans County. A brief term as Orleans County Treasurer was followed by an appointment as one of three commissioners overseeing the administration of Mt. Albion Cemetery.
Unlike the long lineage of physicians that preceded Lemuel, his sons chose a slightly different career path. With guidance received from their father, Lemuel C. Jr, Cyrus, and James Paine formed a drug company in Rochester known at the Paine Drug Company. The business became a top-tier drug manufacturer in the region and left the oldest brother with an estimate $890,000 estate upon his death in 1899; valued at $24 million today.
Dr. Paine died at Albion on January 3, 1873; it’s safe to assume that his sons were responsible for the erection of this beautiful granite monument located in the eastern section of the cemetery that overlooks the original main entrance (now the east gate).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2016 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – Thomas the Tank Engine gets a wave as the train heads out for its final 25-minute ride today at about 5:30 p.m. About 2,500 people rode the train today.
Thomas returned to Medina last week for the 12th annual event. He will be in Medina on Sunday for the final day of this year’s “Day Out With Thomas” at the Medina Railroad Museum. About 9,000 people are expected to ride the train during his four days in Medina this year.
Viennah, 1, is held by Josh Nickerson of Gerry, near Jamestown, while the bubble machine generates lots of bubbles at the Thomas event today at the Medina Railroad Museum. In addition to riding the train, there was numerous activities at the museum and on its grounds for children.
Sir Topham Hatt, one of the characters in the Thomas children’s show, meets with some the visitors to the museum at the Day Out with Thomas.
David Murphy, engineer on the Thomas train, waves to the crowd as the train departs for a 25-minute ride.
Cody Catlin of Carlton welcomed riders to the train, which includes five railroad coaches from 1946-1947. The WNY Railway Historical Society owns the coaches.
Some of the young riders peer out the windows and wave from the train.
Hugh James, treasurer for the Medina Railroad Museum, is pictured at the front of a maze he designed in 2005, when Thomas first came to Medina. The “Sodor Engine House Maze” is a substitute for a hay bale maze. Volunteers set up the Thomas maze with 96 fence posts.
James said the Thomas event provides critical revenue to keep the Railroad Museum operating throughout the year.
“Thomas was a life-saver,” James said. Revenue from the Thomas event also helped pay for a new roof on the 301-foot-long museum building, a former freight house.
The Thomas event remains popular, but attendance is down from the 18,000 in 2005 when the event was packed for six days. James said about 60 to 70 volunteers and paid staff help run the Thomas event.
The museum also runs Polar Express rides close to Christmas that have about 11,000 riders. The museum also has many other excursion trips throughout the year. Click here for more information.
Thomas continues to be a big draw for the museum. Most of the riders are from Buffalo and Rochester, with a small percentage from Orleans County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – Nicole Bellnier, left, and artist Jennifer Gray, who is also director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, are pictured by the chalk art drawing Gray did on Friday at Breeze Inn Again, a restaurant at Point Breeze that Bellnier opened a year ago.
ALBION – The upcoming Albion Strawberry Festival will include a chalk art competition for the first time in the event’s 30-year history.
Young children, teens and adults are all welcome to create a chalk art design with a historical theme. The competition will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 11 on the Main Street sidewalks between the lift bridge and Bank Street.
“We wanted to bring something to the festival that everyone could do together. Brothers, sisters, kids and adults can all compete,” said Nicole Bellnier, one of the organizers of “Chalk the Walk.”
Bellnier and Adam Johnson, president of the Albion merchants Association, are headed up the effort along with Jennifer Gray, director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council. Gray was at Point Breeze on Friday, creating a chalk art display at Breeze Inn Again, Bellnier’s restaurant on Route 98 near Lake Ontario.
“There is a real grass roots movement with a bunch of people who want to see Albion flourish,” Gray said. They’re bringing in the arts to draw a different demographic.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – Jennifer Gray works on the chalk art at Breeze Inn Again on Friday.
Gray helped run the chalk art events in Batavia the past two years as part of the Summer in the City festival. She has seen chalk art festivals draw huge crowds in Raleigh, NC.
The Albion event will include prizes for the top creations. There will be a $5 entry fee for youth (ages 5-12), students (ages 13-18) and a $10 fee for adults (19 and older). First prize for youth includes $50, $100 for youth, and $150 for adults.
Bellnier said it will be exciting to see the creations take shape during the festival. The historical theme can include local or national themes.
“It’s going to be really neat to see history come alive on the streets of downtown Albion,” she said.
Bellnier paid $500 for the chalk art at her restaurant. That money will help GO Art! and the Albion Merchants Association promote Chalk the Walk, and also give out prizes.
Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes also has sponsored Gray to create a chalk art in downtown Albion next week, and Johnson has paid for one to go by the Frosty Bucket, a new ice cream shop he is opening next week on North Main Street.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Provided photos – Medina Sandstone Society President James Hancock, left, accepts a $25,000 check for the Sandstone Society from the Medina Masonic Lodge. The Masons gave the money of memory of Roberts Waters, a long-time Mason and also the president of the Sandstone Society until his death at age 90 on July 29, 2015. The masons in the photo include, from left: Lodge Master Alan Kozody, Jonathan Incho, Allan Kropf, and Robert Donovan, district deputy grand master.
MEDINA – The Medina Masonic Lodge has given $25,000 in memory of their long-time member Robert Waters to an organization that promotes local history and supports many community causes.
Waters was president of the Medina Sandstone Society until his death at age 90 last July 29. The Masons donated the $25,000 to the Sandstone Society, which will likely use the money to grow the Sandstone Trust, a fund used for community projects.
Waters pushed to create the Sandstone Trust, which has about $100,000 in the endowment fund. In the Trust’s five years it has given about $20,000 worth of grants to local programs, projects and organizations. Most of those grants run from $200 to $600 or even $1,000 in unusual cases.
The Sandstone Society board of directors will decide how to use the $25,000. Hancock said he expects it will go to the Sandstone Trust, which could result in more grants to be given annually for the community.
“It was a wonderful gesture on their part,” Hancock said about the donation from the Masonic Lodge.
The Masons sold their building on West Center Street in January to the World Life Institute. Some of the proceeds from the sale were used to make the donation in memory of Waters.
“Everybody was just overwhelmed,” Hancock said about the gift. “It was such a nice thing for them to do for Bob.”
The Masons continue to be active in Medina. They are meeting at the lodge in Middleport, while working on community service efforts in Medina.
The donation from the Masonic Lodge to the Sandstone Society was announced on Wednesday during an event at City Hall, where there is a Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame. This group pictured includes, front row from left: Sue Holland of the Sandstone Society; Barb Waters, wife of Mr. Waters; and Jim Hancock, current Sandstone Society president. Back row: Medina Masonic Lodge members Robert Donovan, Robert Harrold, Lodge Master Alan Kozody, Jonathan Incho and Allan Kropf; and Sandstone Society members Peggy Schreck, Don Colquhoun and Tim Moriarty.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Jackie Quintana, a junior at Albion High School, holds the artwork she created that will be used to promote the upcoming Albion Strawberry Festival.
The 30th annual festival will be June 10-11 and this year’s theme highlights the historic Erie Canal. Quintana was recognized during Thursday’s Albion Rotary Club meeting. The Rotary Club is one of the main sponsors of the festival and helps organize the annual event.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) joined Assemblyman Bill Nojay (R-Pittsford) and a coalition of lawmakers speaking out against the governor’s decision to not fight a lawsuit relating to the unionization of farmers.
The governor’s decision to not defend the complaint, filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union in the State Supreme Court, effectively endorses unionization of farmworkers in New York State, a policy that those in the agriculture community say is not wanted or necessary. In fact, due to the individual climate and environmental concerns of each state affecting their growing season, the federal government specifically excluded farmworkers from the National Labor Relations Act in 1935.
“As the former owner of our family-owned farm, former Genesee County Farm Bureau President and having served on the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee since I was elected in 2006, I can attest to the daily struggles of our farm community.” Hawley said. “The governor’s decision to support unionized farm labor, coupled with a $15 an hour minimum wage, will be absolutely devastating to Western New York’s agriculture industry.”
“For decades our communities have been crushed by the state’s economic policies and the unionization of farmers will only push our family farms closer to the brink,” said Nojay. “Throughout his tenure Gov. Cuomo has demonstrated a total lack of respect for Upstate’s economy by repeatedly pushing policies, from GMO labeling to the $15 minimum wage, that have had a disastrous effect on our family farms and agricultural communities. The efforts by these wealthy labor unions will not only kill businesses and family farms but continue the exodus of Upstate families to less economically oppressed regions of the country. Agriculture is the foundation of our state’s entire economy and we must give our farming families and communities the attention and support they deserve.”
“Here in Western New York, farmers work extremely hard to develop positive and long-lasting relationships with their farm hands and seasonal workers. Unionization would only add another level of bureaucracy to a system that is not broken, and further complicate the ability of our state’s small family farms to succeed,” said Assemblywoman and Minority Leader Pro Tempore Jane Corwin (R-Clarence).
Assemblyman Marc Butler (R-Newport) said, “Leave it to New York City politicians to get it all wrong about agriculture and family farmers. Gov. Cuomo and others like him have done much to vilify the family farmer. Not only have he and the Assembly Majority increased the minimum wage and operating costs for these important rural job providers, now the governor is joining special interest groups that are trying to force family farms into unionized shops. I will work diligently to block any efforts from the governor or anyone else who tries to impose a New York City progressive agenda on our upstate family farmers.”
Assemblyman and Chairman of the Assembly Minority Conference Clifford W. Crouch (R-Bainbridge), a former dairy farmer, said, “To say that this would be devastating to our farming industry would be an understatement. Over the years it has become very clear that advocates of unionizing farm workers, who predominantly have downstate interests, neither understand the relationship farmers have with their employees nor the negative repercussions this would have on our small family farmers. I have visited and spoke to many farm employees across the state – from Buffalo to the North Country, to the Southern Tier and Long Island. In those travels and to date, not one employee or farmer I have spoken to has expressed the need or desire for what is offered by unionizing their employees. With already tremendous expenses – including grain, feed, seed, equipment, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, property taxes, energy expenses, and transportation – compounded with the recent minimum wage increase, how are family farmers expected to survive? Unionized farm employees may make sense for states like California that have a year-round growing season, but not in New York. Let’s call it what it is: a money grab by organized labor and their political counterparts in state government to gain an extra 35,000-40,000 new members paying union dues. The government should not be telling family farmers how to operate, especially when its policies will lead to closures of those farms. When there are no farms left, what will be the cost of food and where will it come from?”
“Gov. Cuomo’s next chapter in his war on upstate seems to be financially crippling our family-owned farms. Farmers have just recently begun learning how to absorb a $12.50 minimum wage hike upstate and a cut to agriculture local assistance that New York City politicians slammed down their throats, and now they want to force union mandates on them,” said Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin (R-Troy).
ALBION – Orleans Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Regent Patrice Birner presents Albion Middle School seventh grade Service Learning students and History Club officers Annalise Steier and Mason Day with a check for $250 for costs related to their Civil War project honoring soldiers from Orleans County.
“We are proud to support the Albion Middle School seventh grade Service Learning project with a donation of $250,” Birner said, “as the students’ work exemplifies the organization’s objectives of preserving history, furthering education and promoting patriotism through volunteer service.”
The students will culminate the year’s work with a dedication ceremony on Thursday, May 26, at Mount Albion Cemetery at 10 a.m. at the Civil War section (west gate). Community members, veterans and parents are welcome.
The donated funds from the DAR will go toward the purchase of a bronze plaque mounted on Medina Sandstone, a granite planter urn (pictured), and a Sugar Maple tree.
ALBION – The Shelby Volunteer Fire Company was honored on Monday for attaining the most training hours for both fire and EMS training.
The top photo shows, from left: Dale Banker, emergency management coordinator for Orleans County; Jerry Lewis, state fire instructor; and Shelby Fire Chief Andy Benz.
Shelby Volunteer Fire Company was recognized during the Fire Chief’s Association Meeting. Shelby firefighters completed 1,782.5 hours for fire service and 1,110 hours for Emergency Medical Services training between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016. Shelby led all departments in the county in both categories.
Provided photo
File photo by Tom Rivers
Provided photo
Dale Banker and Jerry Lewis recognize John Miller III and Lori Miller, both of Shelby, for each each completing more than 200 hours of training. Their names are now on a plaque that hangs in the classroom at the Emergency Management Office on West Countyhouse Road. John Miller III also received the award for highest individual EMS training time with 240 hours.
Ben Diltz of the Carlton Fire Department puts on the turnout gear, a multi-step task that needed to be done properly in less than 2 minutes as part of a basic firefighting course. He is pictured on May 16, 2015. Diltz had the most fire training hours for an individual with 189 hours.
County Legislators John DeFillipps, second from left, and Bill Eick, right, hold the Fire and EMS Plaques that will hang in the Legislative Chambers at the County Clerks’ Building. These plaques recognize the top agency for fire and EMS training each year.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 19 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Sixth graders from Holley Central School learn about water and boating safety from members of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Dept. and the NYSDEC Environmental Conservation Police.
KNOWLESVILLE – Sixth graders from around Orleans County traveled to the 4-H Fairgrounds Tuesday and Wednesday for the 48th annual Conservation Field Days. The event provides students with hands-on learning about the environment, wildlife conservation, safety, healthy eating and more.
This year, educational stations included a habitat walk with exploration of a variety of animal habitats; composting with Orleans County Master Gardeners; the use of hunting and trapping in wildlife management with the Gregoire family of Murray; how pesticides, herbicides and other wastes affect local watersheds with the Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District; green power with Scott Dean of the NYS Public Service Commission; Rabies with Nola Goodrich-Kresse of the Orleans County Health Department.
Other stations included Mammal ID with staff from the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge; the tree factory with staff from the NYSDEC’s Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center in Depew; Heritage Sheep with Orleans County 4-Her Andrew Dreschel of Holley; dog agility with members of the Orleans County 4-H dog program; water and boat safety with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and the NYSDEC Environmental Conservation Police; and Natalie Heller, nutrition
educator, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension, with information on healthy and fluid-replenishing drinks for the summer.
Students prepare for a “drag race” of tiny solar-powered cars with Scott Dean of the NYS Public Service Commission, who talked to them about green energy.
Products and items on the table overseen by staff from the NYSDEC’s Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center are all made from trees.
Students were able to explore varieties of local wildlife as well as hunting and trapping equipment with Mark Gregoire, who explained why wildlife management is necessary and how it helps the environment.
Orleans County Master Gardeners explain the process and benefits of composting yard and kitchen waste to students from Lyndonville Central School.
Kim Hazel of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, tells students about wildlife habitat, including habitat created by garbage cans like the ones stored under the trees in the background of the photo.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 May 2016 at 12:00 am
The number of new houses built annually in Orleans County has been declining, with only 18 built in 2015 compared to 76 in 2003, according to county officials.
The 18 new homes last year is the fewest since 2003, except for the 16 in 2010, when the community and country were in the grip of an economic slowdown.
Orleans County Legislator Ken DeRoller, a former Kendall town assessor, shared the data during on building permits for new houses in Orleans County. DeRoller received the information from the Orleans County Planning Department. The information was discussed during Friday’s meeting with the board of directors for the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
Year
New Homes
2003
76
2004
83
2005
49
2006
39
2007
33
2008
29
2009
23
2010
16
2011
20
2012
23
2013
21
2014
27
2015
18
Source: OC Planning Department
DeRoller said the housing starts have slowed in the county, partly because of the big reductions in the workforce at Kodak, Xerox and Bausch & Lomb. Those companies used to employ many Orleans residents.
“We took a real hit and haven’t recovered from that,” DeRoller said about the downsizings at some of Rochester’s major manufacturers.
DeRoller said the county still has lots of open affordable land that could be used for new housing. The local governments also should work on getting vacant homes occupied, he said.
DeRoller said he worries with the county’s falling population and students enrollments at local schools.
“We need to stabilize our student enrollments,” he said.
Some of the houses have been vacant for several years and have fallen into significant disrepair. Those homes will take big investments to make attractive to residents. Those deteriorating houses also are dragging down neighborhoods, EDA board members.
“It’s not very inviting in many of our communities,” said Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the EDA. She gives company CEOs tours of the local communities, and they often note the rough shape of the housing stock.
Some communities have stepped up property maintenance enforcement, and Paul Hendal, EDA board chairman, said that often comes with resistance from property owners.
“The pushback is unbelievable,” he said.
DeRoller said he expects the STAMP site just outside Orleans in the Town of Alabama to bring new residents looking to build homes and also revive existing houses. However, DeRoller said the appearance of the community needs to be improved to draw some of the STAMP workers as residents. It is an issue to be worked on for officials at all levels of the government, he said.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 19 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Kristina Gabalski – Delegates to the 81st Annual NYS 4-H Capital Days held in Albany from Sunday through Tuesday pose on the “Million Dollar Staircase” inside the Capitol building. The architectural wonder took 14 years to construct and is made partially of Medina sandstone. The delegates, including John Gabalski and Rachel Gregoire of the Orleans County 4-H program, pose with NYS Assembly Member Clifford Crouch (bottom right).
Orleans County 4-Hers John Gabalski and Rachel Gregoire sit in the NYS Assembly Chamber Monday morning prior to hearing from Assembly Member Clifford Crouch, who explained how the NYS Assembly works.
State Sen. Robert Ortt is pictured with Rachel Gregoire, John Gabalski and his mother Kristina Gabalski, a chaperone for the trip. She is also a correspondent for the Orleans Hub.
Two Orleans County 4-Hers traveled to Albany on May 15-17 for the 81st Annual 4-H Capital Days. Rachel Gregoire of Murray and John Gabalski of Byron represented Orleans County at the 4-H teen program, which works to help participants achieve a better understanding of the NYS public policy process and state and local government relations.
4-H members also met with legislators, learned about career opportunities in NYS government, and met and exchanged experiences with delegates from other counties.
The event included meetings with State Senator Robert Ortt and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley in their offices as well as a visit to the NYS Assembly and Senate chambers, a tour of the Capitol Building, a visit to the New York State Court of Appeals, and agency presentations by NYSERDA, the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, the NYS Department of Education, the NYS Department of Health, the NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the NYS Department of Corrections.
Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul addressed the delegates Tuesday afternoon. A former 4-H’er, Hochul called herself, “the highest ranked 4-H’er in the State of New York. You are getting exposed to things that your peers cannot compete with,” Hochul told delegates.
As teen leaders, she advised participants to help guide their peers. “Your fellow New Yorkers need you,” Hochul said. “You are in the right place in an organization that will give you skills to benefit you in the future.”
She said she learned many valuable life skills as a 4-H’er growing up in western New York, including public speaking.
“Seize every opportunity you can get,” the lieutenant governor said.
Participants were also able to visit the Corning Tower, the New York State Museum, the New York State Vietnam Memorial and other attractions in the area of the Empire State Plaza as time allowed.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Dirk Biemans is co-owner of Intergrow Greenhouses, which built its first 15-acre greenhouse in the Town of Gaines in 2003. The company has done multiple expansions to 55.5 acres under glass in Orleans County. Today, Intergrow announced plans to expand in Monroe County.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that agricultural company Intergrow Holdings, Inc. will expand its operations to Webster, creating 100 new jobs in the Finger Lakes Region.
The expansion will include building two new, 25-acre state-of-the-art commercial greenhouses to grow produce year-round for the Northeast market.
Intergrow began operations in the Town of Gaines in 2003 with an initial 15-acre greenhouse. It has expanded to 55.5 acres at its site on Route 98.
Dirk Biemans, CEO of Intergrow Holdings said: “We continue to see a growing demand for locally grown, year-round produce from our customers and are excited to stay in Western New York where we have found an opportunity in Webster for a greenhouse project to produce this product.”
Intergrow will build two new, 25-acre greenhouses at the intersection of Salt and State Roads in Webster. The produce grown will provide local, year-round, hydroponically-grown tomatoes, an alternative to produce that requires warmer, distant climates. The greenhouses will utilize state-of-the-art and sustainable growing practices, and product packaging will be performed on site. Construction of the first greenhouse is scheduled to be completed next fall. The second greenhouse is scheduled to be completed by 2020.
The first 50 employees at the Intergrow site in Webster are expected to be hired by July 2018; the remaining 50 employees will be hired before June 30, 2021, according to the Governor’s Office.
“Our strategy to drive economic growth across New York has focused on investing in regional potential,” Governor Cuomo said. “By expanding its operations in the Finger Lakes, Intergrow is driving job growth in a vital sector of our economy while offering New Yorkers greater access to high-quality, locally grown produce.”
Empire State Development, New York State’s economic development agency, will provide up to $750,000 in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits and a $750,000 capital grant in return for job creation commitments. Rochester Gas & Electric will be providing a $400,000 grant to help offset electric infrastructure costs. Farm Credit East is providing a farm credit loan. The County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency has offered mortgage and sales tax abatements, as well as a 10-year standard PILOT.
