By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 March 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The sign for Carlton Station on Route 98 is pictured on Monday afternoon when the wind was blowing snow across the north-south road, causing whiteout conditions in some spots.
More snow is coming today, according to the National Weather Service, which has issued a winter weather advisory from noon today until 1 a.m. tonight.
Snow will turn into a wintry mix, resulting in slippery conditions. There will be 1 to 2 inches plus up to a tenth of an inch of ice.
“Roads may be very slushy and slippery for the Tuesday evening commute,” the Weather Service said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 March 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Several people were arraigned in Orleans County Court on Monday for alleged drug crimes.
Andre D. Shine, 31, of Medina faces several counts and the highest bail of those arraigned. Shine and Amanda L. Major, 24, of Medina were both arrested on Jan. 22, 2015 following a 2-month-investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine in the Village of Medina.
Shine was arraigned on three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
Orleans County Court Judge James Punch set bail at $150,000 for Shine, who has been in jail since the day of his arrest. He was living at 125 Starr St., lower apartment.
Major, also of 125 Starr St., lower apartment, was arraigned on Monday on one count each of criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Her bail was set at $10,000.
Two Rochester residents who were arrested on Jan. 27 for allegedly selling crack cocaine in the Village of Medina were arraigned in county court on Monday.
Keith A. Toney, 36, of 51 Mead St., Upper Apt., was arraigned on nine counts of CSCS in the third degree. The judge set bail at $20,000.
Lakusha McMorris, 35, of the same address, was arraigned on three counts of CSCS in the third degree. She remains free on $2,500 bail.
In other cases, Jacob Haundenshield, 23, of Holley was arraigned on third-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into a house on Gaines Basin Road in Albion in December 2012.
Gregory Farewell of Albion was arraigned for violating his conditional discharge by driving without an interlock ignition device, which measures Blood Alcohol Content.
Farewell has two prior convictions for driving while intoxicated, according to the District Attorney’s Office. He is in jail on $2,500 bail.
File photos by Tom Rivers – An operator at Root Brothers Farm works the ground at the corner of Long Bridge Road and Route 31 in the Town of Albion in this photo from last May.
Agricultural is a very big business in New York State – nearly a $40 billion impact in the state’s economy, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
The comptroller’s report counted agriculture’s impact at $37.6 billion to New York’s economy in 2012, an increase of more than 22 percent from 2007, according to DiNapoli.
The $37.6 billion is far more than the $5.5 billion in direct farm revenue counted in the 2012 Agriculture Census. (Orleans County ranks 13th out of 62 counties at $150.3 million in direct farm sales, according to the Ag Census in 2012. Click here to see “Ag revenues soar in latest census.”)
The state ranks in the top 10 nationwide for milk and other dairy production, as well as wine, apples, maple syrup and other products. New York is the second-leading apple producer behind only Washington State and Orleans County is NY’s second-leading apple producer behind Wayne County.
Orleans County is a big grain producer, with a lot of the crop going to the ethanol plant in Medina. This picture shows a grain facility in Shelby.
“New York’s economy is still fueled by agricultural activity and the production of food,” DiNapoli said in a news release. “Farms in New York are 98 percent family-owned, yet compete on a national level, diversifying our economy and keeping our local communities strong. It makes economic sense for the state to retain and promote our farms to feed our residents and preserve our land.”
Milk is the state’s largest commodity, with $2.4 billion in sales, followed by grains, peas and beans at $856 million, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2012 census.
New York also ranked first nationwide in the production of yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream, and was the second-largest wine producer in 2013, with 34 million gallons. The state also ranked second nationally in maple syrup production.
“Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s report calls attention to the significant economic impact agriculture has in New York state,” said Dean Norton, president of the New York Farm Bureau. “This in-depth look highlights the dedication of farmers, the diversity of products and the unmistakable conclusion that agriculture is a cornerstone of our rural economy both upstate and on Long Island. New York Farm Bureau thanks the Comptroller for the report and his continued interest in our state’s agricultural strength.”
A cow bellows at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville in this photo from July 2013. Dairy is the biggest sector of agriculture in NY.
As of 2012, roughly 56,000 New Yorkers operated farms, with an additional 61,000 people hired as farm laborers. Both the total value of agricultural commodity sales and farm acreage increased from 2007 to 2012, while the number of New York farms and farmers declined modestly.
With an average farmer’s age of 55 years old – reflecting the national average – fewer younger adults are entering the farming profession. In 2012, more than half of New York farms had sales below $10,000.
New York state has established a number of policy initiatives to promote its agricultural sector, including:
The Farmland Protection Program, which can pay 75 percent of purchase costs for conservation easements to municipalities;
The New Farmers Grant Fund to encourage young people to take up farming with grants for equipment purchases, supplies or construction;
The Fresh Connect and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable programs, which bring farm food to communities and fund school purchases of fresh produce; and
The Food Metrics Law, which encourages state agencies to purchase food produced by New York farmers.
As farmers continue to address the challenges driven by factors at the local, national and even international levels, close attention to the most effective mix of state policies to support agriculture will remain essential, DiNapoli said.
In addition to providing a big economic benefit, the comptroller said agriculture has other quality of life contributions, including preservation of open spaces.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 March 2015 at 12:00 am
February had highest average for unique visitors, daily pageviews
Photo by Tom Rivers – Jeremy Graham uses a snowblower on Feb. 2 to clear out his driveway on East State Street in Albion when a snowstorm hit the area, shutting down local schools for the day. February was a month of punishing winter weather.
Orleans Hub set a new record in February with highest daily average for unique visitors and daily pageviews.
The site was coming off a big month in January when we crushed our record for average daily unique visitors. The 6,650 average for unique daily visitors in January topped the December record of 5,650 by 17.7 percent or 1,000 “uniques.”
I was hoping we could stay above 6,000 for February, which is usually a slow news month. A lot of our January traffic was driven by interest in the Medina village dissolution issue. Village residents voted down that referendum on Jan. 20.
But we topped January’s numbers with a 6,780 daily average for unique visitors in February. We had 615,029 total pageviews over 28 days for a 21,965 daily average, which tops the 21,317 daily average in January, when we had 660,825 pageviews over 31 days.
We frequently posted winter weather advisories, wind chill warnings and hazardous cold outlooks from the National Weather Service. Orleans Hub frequently wrote about the brutal weather and school closings, which are always a draw for readers.
Photo by JC Photography (Jesse Colmenero)
A story about the life of Brian Bellan and his 12 children was the most popular story of the month in February on the Orleans Hub. The Bellan family is pictured last fall at Mount Albion Cemetery. The group includes, front row, from left: EmmaLee and Karina; Second row: MiKayla, Richie, Da’Ron, Austin and Elizabeth; Back row: Briana, Porter, William, Kyson, Bryce, Kim and Brian.
In February, brutally cold weather was often in the news. The temperatures set a new record for coldest month ever for Buffalo and Rochester.
But we didn’t just write about the weather. Nor did readers of the Orleans Hub. We’ve been receiving lots of letters to the editor, and one by Dr. David Stahl of Medina was the second most popular story of the month in terms of “clicks,” or how many times the story was clicked on.
Mike and Cheryl Wertman have also been busy covering the local sports scene. Mike’s story on Feb. 9 was the first story about Roosevelt Bouie being inducted in the Syracuse University Hall of Fame.
Bouie, a former Kendall High School star, had his No. 50 retired by Syracuse. He is pictured here with several of Kendall’s senior players. They include, from left, Mookie Nauden, Will Condo, Taylor Kingsbury and Tania Arellano. They are in front of the case that displays Bouie’s retired Kendall jersey.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2015 at 4:42 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Three vehicles were involved in an accident on Route 31 at the Eagle Harbor Road intersection, a scene of many accidents over the years including one with no injuries on Sunday night.
“This has always been a dangerous intersection,” Albion Fire Chief Rocky Sidari said at the scene at about 3:30 p.m.
None of the people involved in the accident had serious injuries, Sidari said.
Albion firefighters were there sweeping shattered glass and debris off the road. Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance transported two very young children as a precautionary measure.
State Police and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department were also at the scene.
A state trooper carries a Teddy bear to a small child involved in a three-car accident this afternoon in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Holley man with a criminal record dating back to 1976 was sentenced to state prison today after a June 18 car accident. That day William O. Kuyal drove through a stop sign while going westbound on Powerline Road, crossing into Route 237. Kuyal and three other people were injured in the crash.
Kuyal received a 1 1/3 to 4 year sentence in state prison for second-degree vehicular assault and a 1-year sentence for driving while ability impaired. The sentences will be served concurrently.
“You have a remarkably bad record,” Orleans County Court Judge James Punch told Kuyal during sentencing.
Kuyal has 25 prior arrests and 13 convictions. His attorney Kevin McKain agreed that Kuyal has a lengthy criminal history. However, McKain said Kuyal has no felony crimes since 1994, served as his mother’s caregiver and also bought a house.
“He was rehabilitating his life,” McKain said at sentencing.
Kuyal was driving with a Blood Alcohol Content of .06 percent. McKain said Kuyal likely fell asleep while driving and didn’t mean to cause any harm.
Kuyal apologized to the three victims injured in the accident, including his brother Dudley who nearly lost his life. Dudley C. Kuyal suffered multiple fractures and extensive injuries to his abdomen.
In the accident, Kuyal struck a vehicle driven by Julie M. Smith with passenger Sofia M. Smith. Julie M. Smith suffered a broken left wrist and Sofia M. Smith suffered a broken left ankle.
Kuyal is suffering from throat cancer. McKain read a statement written by Kuyal where he apologized to the three victims.
“I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me,” Kuyal wrote.
In addition to the sentence to state prison, Kuyal will serve a three-year conditional discharge and must use an interlock ignition device when he drives. That device will measure his BAC.
LYNDONVILLE, NY – An L.A. Webber Middle-High School senior has been named to Business First’s 2015 All-Western New York Academic Team.
Leann Balcerzak (Special Mention) has qualified for this year’s list of the 100 most outstanding high school seniors in the eight-county region.
Winners were chosen for their records of academic excellence, school leadership and community involvement. The top 25 were named to the First Team, 25 runners-up to the Second Team, and another 50 to the Special Mention list.
“The competition for the Academic Team is intense,” said Jack Connors, president and publisher of Business First. “There are almost 20,000 high school seniors in Western New York, yet only 100 are selected for this honor. Every student named to the Academic Team is truly an outstanding student.”
Schools throughout the eight-county area were asked to nominate their smartest and most accomplished students for consideration by a seven-member committee, which included five admissions directors at area colleges and two Business First editors. A total of 124 schools responded with 426 nominees. (Each school was limited to four candidates.)
The complete list of 100 honorees — along with their photos and profiles — will be published in Business First’s 2015-2016 Guide to Western New York Schools, which will hit newsstands on June 12.
Provided photos – These students are on a toboggan ride, including from left: Hayley Cogovan, Krista Nellist, Coby Albone, Jakob Cotter and Powell Stephens. Waiting to sled are Hallie Seaman and Kati Young.
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – Students from the Medina High School French Language Program recently spent several days in Quebec City with teacher Julie Webber and some school administrators.
Not only did they get to experience the language and the culture of the predominantly French-speaking province, they got to partake in a lot of activities.
“The students toured the city of Old Quebec, a walled-in city dating back to the 1600s,” says Mrs. Webber. “They also enjoyed tobogganing on historic Dufferin Terrace, a 3- mile dog sledding adventure, observing views of the frozen Montmorency waterfalls, a visit to the winter sports park and enjoyed a traditional meal and dancing at the Sugar Shack.”
Medina students visited Quebec City recently.
Quebec City is the cradle of French-Canadian culture. For the French students it was the perfect place to combine their language skills with cultural activities.
“It was an awesome opportunity for students to use their language skills firsthand,” Mrs. Weber said. “All that they have been studying truly comes to life.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Batavia man was sentenced to 1 ½ years in state prison today for attempted rape in the second-degree.
Christopher Bucci, 35, of Batavia admitted he had sex with a 14-year-old girl on Dec. 28, 2013. He faced a maximum of 1 ½ to 4 years in state prison.
Orleans County Court Judge James Punch gave Bucci, who had no prior criminal record, 1 ½ years in prison. The judge said the crime could have a long-term impact on the victim, who was given an order of protection.
“The damage is rarely apparent right away,” Punch said during sentencing.
Bucci apologized to the victim.
“I am very remorseful for what I did,” Bucci said at sentencing. “I wish I could take it back but I know I can’t.”
Bucci’s attorney Nathan Pace asked for weekends in jail for Bucci, who has shown “complete remorse,” Pace said, more than any other client he’s worked with in 22 years with similar charges.
Punch said a weekend sentence “diminishes” the crime and long-term impact on the victim.
In another case, an Albion man was sentenced to a year in jail for driving while intoxicated.
James J. Bartosik, 46, of Albion was charged with felony DWI on Sept. 12 in the village. He has three prior convictions for DWI or driving while ability impaired, District Attorney Joe Cardone said.
Bartosik’s attorney Thomas Calandra asked that Bartosik be sentenced to weekends in jail so he could keep his job and be active with his son.
“He is a very good worker,” Calandra said. “But he has a very bad drinking problem.”
Bartosik apologized to the court and his friends and family for the DWI.
“I know I have a drinking problem,” he said at sentencing. “I’m trying to understand how to cope with things in the right way.”
Punch said Bartosik has been on Probation three times. The judge said he couldn’t in good conscience give Bartosik Probation and weekends in jail with a chance for a fifth DWI or DWAI.
Bartosik’s sentence also includes a three-year conditional discharge after jail. Bartosik also must use an interlock ignition device that measures his BAC.
