HOLLEY Over 26 million Americans have kidney disease and most don’t know it. That’s one reason why kidney disease kills more Americans than breast and prostate cancer combined every year.
March is National Kidney Month and the National Kidney Foundation is urging all Americans to assess their risk for kidney disease. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney failure, or are over the age of 60, you are at risk and should have your kidneys checked.
The NKF is offering a free kidney screening through its KEEP Healthy program on March 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Holley Elementary School, 3800 North Main Street Rd.
All KEEP Healthy participants will answer a brief health-risk survey and have their height, weight and blood pressure measured. At-risk individuals will have their kidney health checked through a simple, on-site, ACR urine test. The ACR test can identify protein in the urine, which is often the first sign of kidney disease. Free educational materials will be provided and a medical professional will review results and answer questions from participants.
One in three American adults is at risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Attend this lifesaving screening and give your hardworking kidneys a much-needed checkup this National Kidney Month.
To pre-register for KEEP Healthy, contact the National Kidney Foundation at (585) 598-3963 ext. 31 or www.kidneynyup.org.
Urine strips and accessories for KEEP Healthy are provided by Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Inc. and Quantimetrix Corporation.
Press Release, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
With the start of spring and warmer temperatures expected, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds New Yorkers that residential brush burning in towns with less than 20,000 residents is prohibited in the state through May 14.
“Along with the milder temperatures that come with spring, the risk for wildfires also increases,” DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said. “New York prohibits residential burning during the high-risk fire season to reduce the number of wildfires and protect people, property and natural resources. Since being enacted in 2009, the ban has been very effective in reducing the number of wildfires, and we want people to be aware that they need to put safety first.”
Open burning of debris is the largest single cause of spring wildfires in the state. When temperatures are warmer and grasses and leaves dry out, wildfires can start and spread easily and be further fueled by winds and the lack of green vegetation.
New York has had strict restrictions on open burning since 2009 to help prevent wildfires and reduce emissions.
The regulations allow residential brush fires in towns during most of the year, but prohibit such burning in spring months – March 16 through May 15 – when most wildfires occur. Campfires using charcoal or untreated wood are allowed, but people should never leave such fires unattended and must extinguish them. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round.
In the five-year period since the ban was enacted, the average number of spring fires per year decreased by 43.2 percent, from 3,297 in 2009 to 1,425 to 2014.
Violators of the open burning state regulation are subject to both criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense. To report environmental law violations call 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267) or report online. Click here for more information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 March 2015 at 12:00 am
School district, law enforcement warn of consequences
Photos by Tom Rivers – Lee Dillenbeck, Lyndonville athletic director and dean of students, said the school district has held student assemblies to talk about e-cigarettes, alcohol and tobacco use to stress students shouldn’t use those products. Dr. Aaron Slack, middle-high school principal, also spoke during a panel discussion Tuesday night on current trends and issues in drug and alcohol use among youth.
LYNDONVILLE – A recent survey of students in grades 6 through 12 at Lyndonville shows more students are using tobacco and alcohol products in 2013 than in 2011, and Lyndonville also has a higher percentage of students using the products compared to the county-wide rate.
The district has held assemblies to warn students of the health and legal repercussions of using tobacco, alcohol and drugs. Lyndonville also has a simulation of a drunk driving crash in May during prom season to send the message about the dangers of underage drinking.
In this simulation in May 2013, firefighters and emergency responders take a student from a smashed car and transport her by stretcher to an ambulance. The school district is trying to show the dangers of drunk driving.
The district had a panel discussion about drug and tobacco trends among students on Tuesday night. Jason Smith, school district superintendent, wants to engage parents and the community to bring the numbers down and also to avoid a future tragedy.
“Prom night is the most stressful night for me as superintendent,” Smith said. I don’t want to get that phone call about a tragedy. I don’t want to be waiting in a line with hundreds of kids at a funeral home.”
Jason Smith
Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse facilitated the discussion. GCASA also does the student surveys every two years, with new surveys planned for 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Lyndonville and Orleans County middle and high schoolers are showing increased use of e-cigarettes and marijuana.
The numbers show percentage of students that tried alcohol, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and marijuana within 30 days of the survey.
Lyndonville students, at just over 20 percent, lead in trying smokeless tobacco within 30 days from when the survey was taken in 2013. Twenty percent of students in grades 6 through 12 also reported to have used marijuana within 30 days of the survey.
Alcohol use is much higher with nearly 45 percent of Lyndonville students saying they tried it within 30 days of the survey.
This chart shows student alcohol use, according to the survey results from 2013.
Ken Strickland, a deputy with the Sheriff’s Department, said many parents keep alcohol in their homes and students will consume it, sometimes without their parents knowing and often with support of their parents.
Strickland said parents could be charged with unlawful dealing with a minor and endangering the welfare of a child if underage drinking occurs on their property.
If a kid gets hurt or dies in a car crash or from alcohol poisioning, the parents could be sued, Strickland said.
Strickland said he is surprised how many parent-condoned drinking parties occur during prom and graduation season.
“You’d be amazed at how many people are OK with this,” Strickland said.
Deputy Ken Strickland, left, was among the panelists during Tuesday’s discussion of alcohol and tobacco trends. Dr. Magdi Credi, a physician, also discussed the health dangers of using the products.
The school district isn’t OK with it. Lee Dillenbeck, the athletic director and dean of students, said students are likely to be suspended or kicked off teams for underage drinking and using tobacco products.
He attributed some of Lyndonville’s high numbers in 2013 to older high school students buying alcohol and tobacco products and then reselling them to middle schoolers. The district has stepped up efforts to educate students about the dangers and confront older students suspected of selling to younger students.
The village of Lyndonville also made a cemetery across from the district campus off-limits for smoking, and school officials said that has helped prevent tobacco use.
Rebekah Hoffee, a three-sport athlete at Lyndonville, said she and many of her teammates try to use positive peer pressure to keep students from violating the code of conduct by smoking and drinking.
“The teams are supportive,” Hoffee said. “As a friend you pull people back into the light when they go searching for darkness.”
Rebekah Hoffee said a busy student schedule may be the best way to keep students from using drugs, alcohol and tobacco products. Sherri Bensley, assistant director of prevention for GCASA, is at left.
Sherri Bensley, assistant director of prevention for GCASA, said e-cigarettes and vape pens are new threats for teen substance abuse. Teens think the e-cigarettes are safer, but they are also addicting and dangerous, she said.
Manufacturers offer e-cigarettes in kid-friendly flavors such as watermelon and root beer.
“They come in a variety of flavors that are appealing to young people,” she said.
Dr. Magdi Credi, a physician, said smoking damages lungs, increases cancer risks and reduces circulation. Drinking alcohol as a kid “is going to affect your system, especially if you drink a full force,” he told students at the panel discussion.
Drinking alcohol while the brain is still developing “will be harmful,” he said.
“If you drink at 14 and 15, by your 20s there is no doubt you will not be like a normal person,” he said.
GCASA officials say vape pens, e-cigarettes and vapor flavors are some of the newest enticements for teens and younger children.
Aaron Slack, the principal, urged parents to be aware of what their children are doing and ask questions. “If you see something, say something,” Slack said.
He also urged students to tell adults if they know other students are using drugs, drinking alcohol or using tobacco products. The information will be kept confidential by the school.
“Students aren’t snitches if they say something,” Slack said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 March 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Pride Pak Canada Ltd. is eyeing the 180,000-square-foot former BernzOmatic site for a vegetable processing, packaging and distribution facility.
MEDINA – In an effort to sway a Canadian company to move into Medina, the Orleans Economic Development Agency is proposing deep discounts in the property taxes over 20 years at the former BernzOmatic property.
Pride Pak Canada Ltd. in Ontario, Canada, proposes to establish a new vegetable processing, packaging and distribution facility in a 180,000-square-foot facility at 1 BernzOmatic Drive.
The company wants to expand its operations and better serve a large northeastern US grocery chain, Orleans EDA officials said.
Medina is competing with other sites in Western New York and Pennsylvania to attract the company. In addition to discounted local property taxes, the EDA is working to secure state incentives and reduced electricity costs for the company.
“It’s still not a given,” said Jim Whipple, Orleans EDA chief executive officer. “We have to show that Orleans County is ready for them.”
Generally, the EDA and local governments approve 10-year tax-savings deals for companies where they pay a sliding scale of the tax burden, adding 10 percent increments over 10 years.
Pride Pak would get a 20-year deal and see the increments rise 5 percent annually.
The tax savings would help offset the costs needed to renovate and retrofit the manufacturing space into food grade specifications and other company needs, EDA officials said.
Pride Pak is looking to invest $10 million into the site, by acquiring the building and installing new machinery and equipment. The EDA is proposing the company be spared from paying sales tax on up to $4 million worth of equipment and materials.
Pride Pak expects to create up to 80 new permanent full-time positions by the end of year one. By year five, the company could have up to 200 workers at its U.S. site, according to the EDA.
The site was vacated last year by Worthington Cylinders, which shut down its Medina operation, laying off about 150 workers. It consolidated the Medina work with a site in Wisconsin.
The complex is currently assessed for $2.4 million. The EDA plan would have the company pay a fraction of the taxes on a reduced assessment, starting at 0 percent of a $1.2 million assessment in year 1.
The payment in lieu of taxes plan raises the assessment by 3 percent each following year until it’s at $2,104,207 in year 20.
During a public hearing on the PILOT on Tuesday, no one from the local taxing entities – Village of Medina, Town of Ridgeway, Medina Central School or Orleans County – spoke against the plan.
Whipple said Pride Pak would have a big benefit to the area. The company would buy produce from local farmers and would also be a big water and sewer users, which would help the Village of Medina. The company would also employ about 200 people at full build-out, which would strengthen the local economy.
The EDA board of directors is expected to approve the PILOT plan during its meeting at 8 a.m. on Friday.
Paul Hendel, the EDA board chairman, attended the public hearing on Tuesday. He praised Whipple and Gabrielle Barone, the EDA vice president of business development, for putting together the incentive packages to keep Orleans County in the running for the project.
“They’ve put in tons of energy with all of the phone calls and site visits,” Hendel said. “There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that people don’t see just to get to this point.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 March 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Orleans County legislators voted today to hire lobbyist for $60,000 a year to advocate for county interests in the state capitol.
The decision to hire an outside public affairs firm was a first for the county, which wants to be more aggressive in pursuing grant funding and state resources.
“For quite some time, the Legislature has been concerned that the county’s legislative and budgetary priorities have often been overlooked in Albany,” said Legislature Chairman David Callard. “This has been particularly true as it relates to getting our priorities funded through the Regional Economic Development Council process.”
The county has retained Park Strategies, LCC, an Albany-based lobbying firm founded and chaired by Al D’Amato, the former U.S. senator who represented New York.
Orleans wants to push for more state funding for roads, bridges and infrastructure. Park Associates is well connected to leading state legislators and policy makers in Albany, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer.
The firm, he said, will push for infrastructure funds, Broadband funding, a grant for additional upgrades to the county emergency radio system to make it interoperable with neighboring counties, and other projects.
The county is a member of the New York State Association of Counties, but that group advocates for the overall good of all counties. NYSAC doesn’t push for projects and specific needs for member counties, Nesbitt said.
The county also is represented by State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and State Sen. Sen. Robert Ortt, whose districts include more than Orleans.
Nesbitt said the county has tried to advocate on its own behalf in recent years, and hasn’t secured the full grant amounts and other state assistance it has requested.
“We felt it was time to bring in some professional support,” Nesbitt said.
Orleans County has fared poorly per capita in the Regional Council awards. While nearby counties typically land several grants in excess of $100,000, Orleans and its municipalities see little of those funds.
In 2013, Holley received the only grant in the county: $65,776 for a canal park improvement project. Last year the county was expecting a $160,000 state grant for projects at the Marine Park. The final award was only $81,500.
“We need to align the needs of the county with available state programs and funding streams, and then make the case to both – the Regional Economic Development folks and decision-makers in Albany – that Orleans County deserves its fair share,” Nesbitt said.
The agreement with Park Strategies runs from March 26, 2015 to March 25, 2016. Nesbitt said county officials would evaluate the agreement in about a year to see if it was fruitful for the county.
“Working in concert with Park Strategies, I’m confident we will be well served, and more importantly, we will go a long way to ensuring that county residents get a return on the tax dollars they send to Albany every year.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson speaks about the disadvantages facing many Orleans County residents and businesses due to unavailable or low-quality Internet access. She addressed David Salway, director of NYS Broadband Program Office, during a roundtable discussion today at the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Tom Biamonte (left), owner of Shelby Crushed Stone, said his company suffers because there isn’t Internet on Blair Road in Shelby.
KNOWLESVILLE – The leader of the state’s effort to extend Broadband or high-speed Internet throughout the state heard this morning how the lack of service in parts of Orleans County puts residents and businesses at a disadvantage.
It also discourages many potential residents and businesses from coming to the county, said Skip Draper, town supervisor for Shelby.
“Commerce is driven by what is there and if it isn’t there, then we just have fields and woods,” Draper said during a Broadband discussion this morning led David Salway, director of NYS Broadband Program Office.
Gov. Cuomo is proposing $500 million in state funds to jumpstart the New NY Broadband Program. Private sectors companies would need to at least match the funding to extend and upgrade service.
That $1 billion-plus investment in public and private funds is far more than the $25 million the state has been setting aside recently to expand the service, Salway said.
Companies that provide the service will be required to offer 100 megabits per second download speeds for the expansion or at least 25 megabits in remote rural areas. That is far greater than the current standard of 6.6 megabits, Salway said.
“It’s a very ambitious goal, but a very achievable goal,” Salway told about 20 local officials and business owners during a roundtable discussion at the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
David Salway, director of NYS Broadband Program Office, speaks during a discussion about Broadband this morning at the Cooperative Extension. He is joined by Angela Liotta, the state’s Broadband outreach director, and Vinnie Esposito, director of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.
Salway has been traveling the state to hear how inadequate Internet is a deterrent for businesses and quality-of-life issues. He heard from several officials how low-quality Internet is putting Orleans County at a competitive disadvantage.
“This is about emerging ag businesses and getting people to live here,” said Jim Whipple, CEO of the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
The county is seeing more wineries, hops operations and other small farming operations open, often in rural areas where there isn’t high-speed Internet.
Whipple said he talks with CEOs from bigger companies who are eyeing potential homes if they were to settle in the area. They are surprised when they learn some parts of the county don’t have Broadband.
That means they can’t stream Netflix, they can’t Skype, they can’t work remotely from home, and in some cases can’t complete filings for the government. If they have children, they can’t do on-line research for school projects.
Tom Biamonte, owner of Shelby Crushed Stone, is a mile away from high-speed Internet on Blair Road. He can’t do sales tax reports and regulatory filings from his main office, which is only a mile from Route 31.
He and his employees lack real-time capability for many reports and communication.
“We’re falling behind,” Biamonte told Salway during the discussion. “It’s harder for us to provide up-to-date training with our guys.”
He has asked Time Warner many times to run a line with the service down the road, but the company hasn’t moved on it.
Ward Dobbins, owner of H.H. Dobbins Inc. in Lyndonville, said relaible and adequate Internet is critical for his company. County Legislator Ken DeRoller is next to Dobbins.
Salway said the state funds should make running lines down many rural roads more financially doable for companies because they won’t have to bear the full costs. For very sparsely populated roads, Salway said the state may want to consider state funds, dollars from the Internet providers, and perhaps some money from people being served in that area.
Ward Dobbins, owner of H.H. Dobbins Inc. in Lyndonville, said the company is expanding its apple packing and storage business and needs reliable high-speed Internet to communicate with customers around the world. Employees could also monitor the facilities off site through their Smart phones with strong enough Internet.
“Even though we’re rural we’re global in agriculture,” Dobbins said. “Our needs have changed so much in five years.”
Orleans and Niagara counties have been working to together to identify gaps in high-speed coverage and to prepare a request for proposals for companies to provide service to 3,900 “unserved access points” in Orleans and seven towns in Niagara County.
The timing of the effort comes at a good time with the state funding push by the governor, said Evhen Tupis from BPGreene, the firm that worked with the two counties on the study. The counties are evaluating proposals from the Internet providers.
“This shows collaboration among counties and towns,” Tupis said.
Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson said the two counties have done the groundwork in establishing the need for high-speed Internet and reaching out to companies for the service. The state funds could bring the effort to a reality, and make the county a better place to live and work, Johnson said.
“We are competing against other counties and right now our hands are tied in this area,” she said. “We see the need from the local businesses. Hopefully we can leverage one of the first roll-outs in the area.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Lions Club welcomed two new members – Aaron Robinson and Tim McMurray – to the service organization that is now in its 91st year in Albion.
Club President Bill Robinson, left, sponsored his son Aaron. McMurray, third from left, was sponsored by his uncle, Ron Albertson, far right.
Aaron Robinson, 35, works at CRFS and also plays drums for two local bands, The Who Dats and the Rusty Fisher Band.
He said he is happy to join the Lions, which meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge on Platt Street.
“It’s local and they do a lot of charity work,” Aaron said. “It’s a good supportive group that is positive.”
McMurray, 31, is a local youth football coach and a student at Erie Community College, majoring in civil engineering.
“They have a broad reach in the community,” McMurray said about the Lions. “It’s another way to give back to the community.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – It may have been in the low 30s this evening in Lyndonville, but that didn’t stop these three boys from shooting hoops on the school courts at dusk.
The sun is setting in this photo looking toward the row of trees that separate the soccer fields from the baseball fields behind Lyndonville Central School.
The temperature will be much warmer on Wednesday with a high of 47 and a low of 40, according to the National Weather Service. Thursday is forecast for a high of 44, followed by highs of 32 on Friday and 29 on Saturday.
Here is a closer look at the setting sun with the trees in the foreground.
This press release is an update to the deputy-involved shooting that occurred on Saturday in the Town of Clarendon that resulted in the death of James Ellis.
On Saturday at 2:46 a.m., James Ellis went to a residence on Mill Street in Shelby Center and confronted his ex-girlfriend. It is alleged that Ellis put the barrel of a handgun to her head in an effort to solicit information as to the whereabouts of her current boyfriend.
Ellis subsequently left that location causing no further harm to the ex-girlfriend or anyone else. Ellis was eventually located after crashing his car on Route 31A in Clarendon. That led to the exchange of gunfire with Sheriff’s Deputy James DeFilipps that resulted in Ellis’s death.
Later on Saturday, a search was issued at Ellis’s residence at 8 Durfee Rd. in the Village of Wyoming (Wyoming County). The warrant was subsequently executed by members of the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force, the Sheriff’s offices in Orleans and Wyoming counties, and the Wyoming County Probation Department. The search of the Ellis residence provided no evidence of any substance that explain the actions of Ellis earlier in the day.
Investigators have determined that the .45 caliber handgun in Ellis’s possession at the time of his death was recently reported stolen from a residence in Wyoming County.
The incident remains under investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police. The results of an autopsy being conducted by the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester could take several weeks.
It is anticipated that the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office will present the results of the police investigation to a grand jury sometime in April.
Deputy James DeFilipps continues to recover from injuries he sustained as a result of being shot by James Ellis. Deputy DeFilipps is expected to make a full recovery after which he will return to duty.
The Sheriff’s Office is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support received from the citizens of Orleans County following this event.
Provided photos – Medina flute players practice for tonight’s concert at 7, when 50 students in grades 4 through 12 will perform together.
Press Release, Medina Central School
Medina School District flute students in grades 4 through 12 have been preparing a special piece for the district concert at 7 this evening at the High School.
An ensemble of more than 50 flautists have been working on a trio arrangement of the popular song “Twist and Shout” first recorded by the Isley Brothers in 1962 and later covered by many different groups including The Beatles.
The trio was arranged by flute player Tammy Rohring, who is the elementary band teacher for the Wilson Central School District. She arranged the music to have three different levels of playing ability for elementary, middle, and high school aged players.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for younger students to work with older students,” said Jeanette Sheliga, Medina elementary band teacher. “They see and hear what they can accomplish with continued practice.”
Sixth grade flute students also commented on their experience of playing in the Flute Ensemble.
“It was cool hearing high schoolers play,” said Hannah Kenward.
Brooklyn Brown enjoyed hearing different ages playing different parts, and Amanda Woodruff said the opportunity allowed her to meet other flute players.
