By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
The melting snow has filled ditches with water along roads and created trails of mud. The top photo shows a ditch along West Countyhouse Road in Albion near the grain facility owned by Panek Farms.
The water and mud aren’t going anywhere soon. The forecast for Friday includes a high of 53 degrees with a 100 percent chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service. On Saturday it could snow, the Weather Service advised.
This photo shows geese flying over Route 98 in Barre.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 April 2014 at 12:00 am
4-H’ers finish third year of building a robot with skills
Provided photos – The Orleans County 4-H Robotics Team poses for a photo at the regional competition last week at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The group includes, front row, from left: Liz Meyer, Hayden Allis and Kelsey Evoy. Back row: Michael Reese, Mack Lamirand, Marlene Seielstad, Morgan Seielstad, Brad Lamirand, Don Allis, Trevor Scott-Avery, Sam Reese, Jairus Martin, John Redshaw, Andrea Schwartz, Alyssa Shortridge, and Erik Seielstad. Team member Ben Miller and Nick Ettinger are missing from photo.
ALBION – A team may be called Joe’s Average Slackers, but the group of high schoolers from Albion and Medina is hardly lacking in determination.
For the third straight year, Orleans County fielded a robotics team through its 4-H program. The team competed in a regional competition last Thursday through Saturday at Rochester Institute of Technology.
The Orleans students built a robot and programmed it to perform tasks – grabbing and shooting a big ball, and also playing defense against others teams.
The team named its robot,“Animal,” and it scores during the competition.
The Orleans team lost several close matches and didn’t come home with a trophy at the RIT competition that included 49 teams.
“It isn’t just about winning,” said Erik Seielstad, one of the mentor’s for the program. “It goes beyond the robots and winning. There’s an opportunity to interact with kids.”
The 12-member team started meeting in January, brainstorming the design for its robot. It met at RS Automations in Albion. The company is one of many supporters for the program, which requires about $25,000 annually in sponsor support to pay for the robot, equipment and entry fees.
Some of the other main sponsors are Baxter Healthcare in Medina, Xerox in Rochester, the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, Stanton Signs in Medina, Takeform in Medina, and the 4-H Youth Development program.
Some of the drive team members wait for their cue to take the field for an upcoming match.
The Orleans team competes in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). There aren’t many robotics teams from rural areas. Marlene Seielstad, Erik’s wife and one of the mentors, praised the community support for the program.
“It’s worth every penny for what the kids get out of it,” she said. “When we were done the kids were so positive and they all had smiles. That’s the kind of team you want.”
The Orleans team gave Congressman Chris Collins a tour of their setup at RIT on Friday. Kelsey Evoy and Liz Meyer explained how they built the robot and the rules of the game to the congressman, who has a background in engineering.
The teams at RIT came from all over New York, with others teams from Pennsylvania, Florida and Canada.
Three teams advanced to a competition in St. Louis. Those teams include the Lockport Warlocks, Newfane Circuit Stompers and Clifton Park Rocketeers.
The team from Orleans County, No. 4093, plays defense during the competition.
Joe’s Average Slackers and the Orleans 4-H will host a 6:30 p.m. informational meeting on May 7 at the Cooperative Extension’s Education Center in Knowlesville.
The Seielstads said more team members will be needed next year because half of this year’s group will be graduating. For more information, e-mail the Seielstads at robotics@wiksclan.com.
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer is urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the sharp increase in electric prices that residents across Upstate New York have been forced to pay over the course of this winter – and that they will continue to pay for several more months.
Schumer is calling for an investigation by the FTC, which works to promote consumer protection and eliminate anti-competitive business practices, in light of the fact that electric bills have risen to extremely high rates this winter – including bills that came close to doubling in some parts of Upstate New York.
Schumer noted the example of a Syracuse-area National Grid customer who was charged $67.68 in February 2013 and $65.02 in March 2013, and then charged $84.58 in February 2014 and $106.80 in March 2014 – despite using substantially less electricity than last year over the same period.
Utilities throughout the state have attributed the increase to record-low temperatures and high demand for natural gas, but Schumer said that the size of the rate increases were so high that he is concerned it outpaced the actual increase in wholesale energy costs for utilities.
Therefore, he is asking the FTC, in conjunction with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), should it become necessary, to investigate the entire wholesale electric and natural gas markets to ensure that these markets were on the level, and that customers were not being improperly overcharged.
Schumer explained that there are multiple ways utilities or natural gas providers could artificially inflate electric bills – including withholding natural gas from the market or overcharging ratepayers – and asked the FTC to look into all possible angles as part of its investigation. The NYS Public Service Commission (PSC) has similar concerns, and also petitioned FERC to investigate.
“As the thermostat went down this winter, electric bills shot up,” Schumer said. “It is typical for electric bills to go up during the winter months, but this year’s sky-high increases are more than what would be expected.”
According to an AARP Report “David v. Goliath; Why consumers are losing New York’s utility game,” New York’s investor-owned utilities and the Long Island Power Authority charge some of the highest rates in the country. In September 2013, New York’s residential customers paid 19.57 cents/kwh, which is 56% higher than the national average and the second most expensive after Hawaii. And, prices rose from September 2012.
According to media reports, data collected from actual customers for each utility, and other sources, electric rates at the major utilities have skyrocketed this winter:
National Grid – on average, about 60-75 percent increase this winter;
NYSEG – on average, about 10-15 percent increase this winter;
RG&E – on average, about 15 percent increase this winter;
Con Ed – on average, about 20-25 percent increase this winter;
Central Hudson – on average, about 35 percent increase this winter;
Long Island (PSEG) – on average, about 25 percent increase this winter.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – An article that was first published on Orleans Hub about Ed and Floreen Hale became a world-wide phenomenon.
Orleans Hub has published nearly 3,000 news and sports articles since we went live last April 2. Many of the stories were widely shared through Facebook and Twitter.
Crime stories, breaking news and tragedies tend to be the most popular for single-story “clicks.” That happens with most news sites.
But some of our most popular stories were uplifting and positive. Our top story for the year featured the 60-year marriage of Ed and Floreen Hale and their death a day apart in a Batavia hospital in February.
“A love story to the very end” was published on Feb. 16 and had 11,008 clicks before we had to send it to a different page off our server. The story was shared around the world and was so popular it crashed our server.
Provided photo – An article about the inspiring life of Albion band teacher Wayne Burlison has been shared by hundreds of people through Facebook and Twitter.
The article last Thursday on the life of Wayne Burlison, a 36-year-old music teacher, quickly emerged as our second most popular story. Burlison left a big imprint on the community as a teacher, runner, musician and member of the Albion Free Methodist Church.
“Albion schools mourn loss of beloved ‘Mr. B’” had 6,968 page views. (These numbers don’t include people who read the articles on the main web site without clicking on the link to the single-page story.)
Here are the other news articles with the most page views:
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Brockport man was sentenced to 1 ½ years in state prison on Monday after he was arrested for selling cocaine in Murray on Dec. 1, 2012.
Alexander Gelo, 22, of Brockport pleaded guilty in January to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. He withdrew that plea last week when Orleans County Court Judge James Punch said the sentence would be longer than six months in jail.
Gelo on Monday reaffirmed his guilty plea and accepted the 1 ½ year sentence.
“I’m taking full responsibility for everything I did,” he told Punch.
The judge said he would recommend “shock camp,” a military style alternative for Gelo, but that decision will be up to the state Department of Corrections.
“This is your last chance to straighten out,” Punch told Gelo. “You need discipline. Find it. If you don’t, you’ll just be a mess.”
The judge also sentenced an Albion resident to weekends in jail for the next six months. Publio Barcenas, 52, of Zig Zag Road pleaded guilty in January to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He faced up to a year in jail.
Barcenas is a first-time offender with a full-time job at a local farm. He was arrested in June when law enforcement charged 13 people with drug crimes. Barcenas admitted in court he had cocaine in his possession.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2014 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Orleans Hub has published more than 2,000 articles in our first year, including a feature on June 30 of Chet Wheelock, 82, of Kent riding in a hot-air balloon with his daughter, grandson and great-grandson.
Orleans Hub officially launched a year ago today. We were brand new, full of excitement and determination.
In our first year we posted 2,267 news articles, 568 sports stories and 4,513 photos. Those articles generated more than 2.8 million page views in the first year.
Orleans Hub operates under The Lake Country Pennysaver on 170 North Main St. The Pennysaver’s ad salesmen Gary Hill and Brad London sell the ads for the Hub, and The Pennysaver provides much of the back-office and technical expertise to make the site work.
I hoped Orleans Hub would shine a light on a lot of the good in Orleans County, helping to connect neighbors and the community. I think we’ve been able to do that.
We’ve gained strength with each passing month, adding advertisers, traffic and “friends” on Facebook and Twitter. (We’re up to 4,300 friends and followers on social media.)
Provided photo – Kathy Jurs of Albion is pictured with characters at Disney World after running a half marathon in January. She raised $5,123 for leukemia, which was the most of anyone from western and central New York. Jurs battled Non-Hodgins lymphoma in 2010. She ran the half marathon in honor of her friend Susan Bennett.
We have had some lively discussions about local issues on our Facebook page. Readers also sent in more than 150 letters to the editor in our first year. Those letters cover a range of topics.
To help start the Hub, I left The Daily News in Batavia, where I worked for 16 years covering Orleans County, and other news in Genesee and Wyoming counties. I wanted to focus on Orleans, where I live.
I thought Orleans tended to be a tag-on to other news organizations. They tended to only report on our news if it was a sensational crime or something bizarre. I thought that gave the region and Orleans residents a warped view of our community.
We’ve reported on the crimes and some of the strange stories, but we’ve tried to highlight the many positives as well.
Photo by Tom Rivers – A fire truck has a giant glowing Mickey Mouse at the back as it heads down Main Street through a big crowd in downtown Medina during the Parade of Lights last Nov. 30.
We’ve also added staff from our debut on April 2, 2013. Mike Wertman joined us in late August after a long career covering local sports for the Medina Journal-Register.
He retired from The Journal and then joined us to continue his love of chronicling the local sports scene. His wife Cheryl photographs the athletes in action. They are committed with a high level of professionalism.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Orleans Hub started covering local high school sports in the fall with Mike and Cheryl Wertman. They were at the Oct. 18 football game between rivals Albion and Medina. This photo shows Dylan Lewis diving into the end zone for Medina’s first touchdown which sparked the Mustangs to a wild 38-31 victory over Albion at Spierdowis Field.
Sue Cook works as a graphic designer at The Lake Country Pennysaver. Karen Sawicz, publisher of the Hub and the Pennysaver, moved some of Sue’s hours to the Hub about two months ago, and that has boosted our weekend coverage as well as added more community news.
We’ve had some steady contributors since the site started. Bill Lattin, the county historian, provides the Vintage Orleans photographs and the information about the people and places in these pictures, which are often more than a century old.
Nola Goodrich-Kresse, the county’s public health educator, writes a weekly column about health and wellness.
Hub readers also send in photos of sunrises, giant snowmen, Snowy Owls, bald eagles, fires and other news. Those contributions make it appear that the Hub is often several places at one time.
I’m thrilled people are reading and participating in the site. We’re excited and determined as we start Year 2.
The state budget for the fiscal year that begins today contains many positive elements to move our economy in the right direction and create jobs.
Notable features of the plan include speeding up the phase-out of the 18-A energy assessment, a tax that I have railed against since its inception. This action will help lower utility bills for homeowners and businesses, saving them $600 over the next three years. In other steps to reduce the cost of doing business in New York, we cut manufacturers’ income tax rates to ZERO and established a robust property tax credit for these businesses. We are also reducing the business tax rate to its lowest level in nearly 50 years.
Lowering costs for businesses will mean more jobs in our communities. This should continue to be our primary objective at the state level – making New York a place where economic activity can flourish. The opportunities that will be created by making our state more business-friendly are exciting to think about.
Another major focus of this budget is education funding. We are providing more than a billion dollars in new funding for schools statewide, including more than $17 million for public schools in my Senate district. When you consider that achievement, plus reducing the Gap Elimination Adjustment by more than $600 million dollars this year, we are making major steps forward.
The Smart Schools Bond Act, which voters will decide on this November, will also add another $2 billion in funding for critical technology upgrades in schools, $40 million of which will come back to schools in the 62nd Senate District. Of significance, we are also taking steps to reduce the pressures on students from high stakes Common Core testing, as well as protect the privacy of student information.
We were also successful in designating $40 million for road repairs in our communities after the unusually harsh winter we have experienced in Western New York. This money will help fix potholes and make our streets safer.
In a major victory for taxpayers in the 62nd Senate District and across Western New York, this budget did not include a penny to fund college tuition for illegal immigrants’ children, sometimes referred to as the “Dream Act,” or to provide free college educations to convicted criminals. I strongly oppose those ideas and worked hard to ensure that were not included in the budget.
Locally, I’m glad we were able provide funding to continue the operation of the Western New York Psychiatric Center in West Seneca for another year and we will continue to lobby the Governor and the Office of Mental Health to keep this facility open permanently. We are also investing $12.5 million into Niagara County Community College for the design and construction of a new learning commons in order to better serve students.
Lastly, I want to be clear that while this budget is good in many respects, it is far from perfect. As an example, it continues to set tens of millions of dollars aside to implement the unSAFE Act and create a statewide database for checking backgrounds and tracking ammunition sales. This is reprehensible and I voted against this aspect of the budget agreement. Like the unSAFE Act itself, these measures represent an unwarranted infringement on our Second Amendment rights and they should be opposed.
Of course the budget touches many other areas of state operations, and for more details I invite my constituents to visit my website, maziarz.nysenate.gov.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
It was a nice day today with the sun shining and temperatures in the 40s. After our hard winter, the 40s felt more like the 60s.
I had to go to Batavia in the afternoon and stopped to take a picture of this barn along the muck in the town of Barre on Route 98. This barn might be 100 yards north of the county line. It’s the last barn in Orleans before you get to Genesee County.
It looks like nature is reclaiming some of the muck on Route 98.
I took a jog later at dusk and took this photo with my Smart Phone. The Butts Road bridge over the canal is in back. I took this south of the canal, looking north.
It’s supposed to be a high of 43 on Thursday followed by a high of 54 on Friday. The National Weather Service said there is a chance of snow of Saturday when temperatures fall to a low of 30. There is supposed to be a high of 42 on Saturday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2014 at 12:00 am
The new state budget gives local school districts sizable increases in state aid, money that districts will use to maintain existing programs and also hold down taxes.
Four of the five school districts don’t expect to raise taxes. Kendall, which is considering a 1.9 percent tax increase, may direct some of the state funding for needed technology and safety improvements, said Nadine Hanlon, president of the Board of Education.
Kendall last year cut school taxes by $1 million, reducing the average tax rate from $21.51 to $17.45 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The board will meet on April 9 and plans to adopt a budget that will go before voters on May 20.
The other four school districts don’t plan to raise taxes and will maintain their existing programs for students.
Here is a chart showing a breakdown of the operating aid:
District
2013-14
2014-15
Increase
Albion
$21,119,870
$22,068,308
$948,438 (4.5 %)
Holley
$11,627,871
$12,020,397
$392,526 (3.4 %)
Kendall
$8,371,851
$8,849,868
$478,017 (5.7 %)
Lyndonville
$6,343,885
$6,529,304
$185,419 (2.9 %)
Medina
$18,517,756
$19,863,426
$1,345,670 (7.3 %)
Orleans County
$65,981,233
$69,331,303
$3,350,070 (5.0 %)
Source: NYS Division of the Budget
The governor proposed smaller aid increases for the schools, ranging from 0.1 percent for Lyndonville to 3.3 percent for Medina. The State Legislature pushed for more and got it.
“We were very pleased to see the numbers,” said Michael Bonnewell, Albion Central School superintendent. “It will fill our gap. We’ll certainly have what we need to continue our current programs.”
Bonnewell and school administrators will recommend a budget to the Board of Education on Monday that doesn’t increase property taxes.
Based on the governor’s budget that proposed a 2 percent increase in aid, Albion was looking at a $139,000 gap to maintain current programs and not raise taxes. That $139,000 would have raised taxes by 1.6 percent. The Legislature gave Albion a 4.5 percent increase or about $500,000 more than the governor’s budget.
Some of that increase may go into a reserve fund to be used in the future or to help with any unexpected expenses.
Holley was already planning to cut school taxes by 10.6 percent or $800,000. The governor proposed a $153,466 or 1.3 percent increase for Holley. The final budget boosted Holley’s operating aid by $392,000 or 3.4 percent.
Robert D’Angelo, the district superintendent, said he will soon meet with the Board of Education to discuss how to best use the additional state aid.
The $800,00 tax cut will reduce residents’ tax rate from $25.11 to a projected $22.44 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The governor’s budget gave Lyndonville a tiny increase of $946 in additional operating aid. The final budget gives Lyndonville a $185,419 increase. That is enough to hold taxes steady, said Jason Smith, the district superintendent.
“At this point, the district is considering a 0 percent increase on the tax levy, and the district is not looking to add staff or programs,” he said. “We will continue to invest resources in our instructional program to meet the increased demands of the Common Core and the Regents Reform Agenda.”
Medina will see the biggest increase in state aid, a 7.3 percent jump or an additional $1,345,670. The governor proposed a 3.3 percent increase.
Medina won’t be adding staff or programs and won’t seek a tax increase, said Jeff Evoy, the district superintendent.
“This additional money certainly helps and we are appreciative, but we will still be using appropriated fund balance and reserves to support our expenditures next year,” Evoy said. “Our goal is to maintain existing programs. However, all expenses will be carefully monitored.”
Cuomo proposed an $807 million increase in education aid for schools in 2014-15, a 3.8 percent increase. The state Legislature boosted that number to a $1.1 billion hike.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 April 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Law enforcement arrested 16 people today following a six-month investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine, heroin, prescription narcotics and marijuana in the village of Albion, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force reported.The Task Force, Albion Police Department, Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed six search warrants in the village of Albion and one in the town of Carlton.
As a result, police arrested 16 people on multiple sale and possession charges and seized powder cocaine, crack cocaine, prescription narcotics and marijuana.
The following were arrested:
Hardy
J.W. Hardy Jr., 56, of 262 East Bank St., Albion, who was charged with three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance (CSCS) in the third degree, four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance (CPCS) in the third degree, one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, three counts of criminal nuisance in the first degree, and four counts of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree.
Hardy was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Gary Moore. He remanded Hardy to county jail on no bail to his previous criminal history.
Julie A. Hardy, 46, of 262 East Bank St., Albion, who was charged with one count of CPCS in the third degree, one count of CPCS in the fifth degree, and four counts of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree.
Hardy was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Moore, and committed to the county jail on $10,000 cash or bond. She is to appear in Town Court on April 4 at 10 a.m.
James
Joseph B. James, 33, of 2 Garden Park Apts., Apt. No. 2. in Albion, who was charged with four counts of CSCS in the third degree, four of CPCS in the third degree, one count of criminal nuisance in the first degree, one count of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree, and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana.
James was arraigned in the Town of Gaines Justice Court by Judge Bruce Schmidt, who sent James to the Orleans County Jail on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond. He is due back in court at 10 a.m. on April 7.
Warren
Melissa A. Warren, 28, of 2 Garden Park Apartments., Apt. No. 2, Albion, who was charged with 3 counts of CSCS in the third degree, four counts of CPCS in the third degree, six counts of criminal nuisance in the first degree, and one count of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree.
Warren was also arraigned by Judge Schmidt and remanded to county jail on $10,000 cash or bond. She is due back in court on April 7 at 10 a.m.
Ingram
Charles G. Ingram, 58, 175 North Main St., Room No. 20, Albion, who was charged with three counts of CSCS in the third degree, three counts of CPCS in the third degree, four counts of criminal nuisance in the first degree, and one count of CPCS in the seventh degree.
Ingram was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Moore. He remanded Ingram to county jail on no bail to his previous criminal history.
Miles
Stephen W. Miles, 51, of 175 North Main St., Room No. 12, Albion, who was charged with one count of CSCS in the third degree, one count of CPCS in the third degree, one count of CSCS in the fourth degree, one count of CSCS in the fifth degree, two counts of CPCS in the fifth degree, two counts of criminal nuisance in the first degree, one count of CPCS in the seventh degree.
Miles was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Moore. He remanded Miles to county jail on no bail to his previous criminal history.
Read
Dawn M. Read, 42, of 35 North Main St., Room No. 10, Albion, who was charged with one count of CSCS in the fifth degree, one count of CPCS
in the fifth degree, and one count of criminal diversion of prescription medication in the fourth degree.
Read was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Moore. He remanded Read to county jail on no bail to her previous criminal history.
Taylor
Freddie Taylor, 45, of 510 Mt. Read Blvd., Rochester, who was charged with one count of CSCS in the third degree, one count of CPCS in the third degree, one count of CSCS in the fourth degree, one count of CPCS in the fifth degree.
Taylor was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Moore, who sent Taylor to county jail on no bail to his previous criminal history.
Poole
Cheryl A. Poole, 51, of 13475 Gaines Rd., Carlton, who was charged with two counts of CSCS in the fifth degree, and two counts of CPCS in the fifth degree.
Poole was arraigned in the Town of Carlton Justice Court by Justice Patricia Russell.
Poole was committed to the county jail with no bail due to her previous criminal history. Poole is to return back to Carlton court on Friday at 3 p.m.
Taylor
Katherine O. Taylor, 22, of 13475 Gaines Rd. in Carlton, who was charged with three counts of CSCS in the third degree and three counts of CPCS in the third degree.
Taylor was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Moore, and committed to the county jail on $10,000 cash or bond. She is to appear in Town Court on April 4 at 10 a.m.
Forrester
Christine A. Forrester, 43, of 14 Erie St., Albion, who was charged with four counts of CSCS in the fifth degree and four counts of CPCS in the fifth degree.
Forrester was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Moore, and sent to the county jail on $10,000 cash or bond. She is to appear in Town Court on April 4 at 10 a.m.
Saddler
Christopher A. Saddler, 30, of 304 West State St., Albion, who was charged with one count of CSCS in the fifth degree, four counts of CSCS in the fifth degree, five counts of CPCS in the fifth degree, one count of criminal sale of marijuana in the fourth degree, one count of criminal possession of marijuana in the third degree, one count of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree, five counts of criminal nuisance in the first degree, and one count of criminal diversion of prescription medication in the fourth degree.
Saddler was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Moore, who sent sent him to the county jail on $10,000 cash or bond. He is to appear in Town Court on April 4 at 10 a.m.
Saddler
Jessica K. Saddler, 22, of 304 West State St., Albion, who was charged with one count of CSCS in the fifth degree, one count of CPCS in the fifth degree, four counts of criminal nuisance in the second degree, one count of criminal sale of marijuana in the fourth degree, one count of criminal possession of marijuana in the third degree, and one count of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree.
Saddler was arraigned in Albion Town Court by Justice Moore, who sent sent her to the county jail on $10,000 cash or bond. She is to appear in Town Court on April 4 at 10 a.m.
Thompson
Tony Thompson, 47, of 29 Dale St., Rochester, who was charged with CSCS in the fifth degree and CPCS in the fifth degree.
He was arraigned in Albion court by Justice Moore and remanded to county jail on $10,000 cash or bond. He is to return to court at 10 a.m. on April 4.
Gaddis
Felicia A. Gaddis, 45, of 13475 Gaines Rd. in Carlton, who was charged with one count of CPCS in the seventh degree.
Gaddis was issued an appearance ticket for Carlton Town Court on April 24.
Muscarella
Wade M. Muscarella, 59, of 13475 Gaines Rd. in Carlton, who was charged with one count of CPCS in the third degree.
Muscarella was issued an appearance ticket for Carlton Town Court on April 24.
Law enforcement officers were assisted in the search warrant executions by K-9 units from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Medina Police Department and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department.
This investigation is still ongoing and further charges and arrests are pending, Task Force Supervising Officer Joe Sacco said.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) on Monday voted on 10 individual bills that make up the New York State budget. Because the bills are separated, Hawley was able to vote in favor of parts of the budget that help Western New York’s middle-class families, while rejecting pieces that benefit only downstate interests.
Among the highlights of the budget that Hawley helped pass are $33 million for the Western New York Science, Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in the town of Alabama, a 0 percent income tax for manufacturers, and increased aid of more than $800,000 to municipalities because Batavia Downs hosts Video Lottery Terminals
“The impact that this $33 million in funding for the STAMP project will have on all of Western New York cannot be understated. This project could create up to 10,000 new jobs in our area and become an economic force that benefits local families,” Hawley said.
“This is an example of the good things that can happen when all parties work together to help middle-class families. In addition, the zero percent state income tax for manufacturers that we passed will directly benefit the STAMP project, as manufacturing is one of the industries that will be housed there. I thank the governor and Senators Maziarz and Ranzenhofer for helping to bring this project to fruition.”
Other initiatives that Hawley helped include in the budget because of their importance to his district are funding for agricultural local assistance programs such as the New York Farm Viability Institute, the Genesee County Agricultural Academy, and the New York State Apple Growers Association, and a $1 million increase in library aid, more than the governor proposed.
However, Hawley disagreed with several budget bills: he is disappointed that the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) still remains. The GEA deprives our local school districts of the funding they need to give our children the world-class education they need and deserve. While funding was partially restored, and every school district in Hawley’s Assembly District received an increase in funding, schools are still dealing with a funding gap that threatens the quality of education they can give our children. Hawley vows to keep working to eliminate the GEA.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Editorial:
Albion, Holley should proclaim musical stature
File photos by Tom Rivers – Holley and Kendall schools last year debuted a combined marching band. They are shown in the Albion Strawberry Festival last June.
Holley did it for the first time and Albion Central School made it seven in a row. Both school districts earned designations as a “Best Community for Music Education,” according to the North American Music Merchants.
About 2,100 schools sought the honor from the NAMM Foundation, but only 376 across the country earned it in 2014. Albion has been a perennial winner of the award. Only a select group pulls that off.
Holley is new to the list this year. In the rural GLOW counties (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming), only Le Roy made the list outside of the two schools from Orleans. The big, wealthy suburban school districts – Clarence, Williamsville, Penfield and Webster – tend to dominate the list.
But some rural schools make music and the arts a priority. That’s something worth promoting in the community and to people passing through. Albion and Holley should celebrate the honor with prominent signs leading into the community.
Kyle Thaine played the Tinman in Albion High School’s production of “The Wiz.” The school performed the musical on March 28-29. Albion students typically receive several awards from the Rochester Broadway Theatre League for its shows.
Just like Medina basks in its state champion marching band, and Elba proclaims the achievements of its state champion girls basketball team, Albion and Holley should proudly spread the news about the achievements of their music programs, and the school districts should do so at the gateways into the villages.
Both the villages of Albion and Holley have been struggling in recent years with a shrinking tax base. Proclaiming the music program could be a major selling point for the communities. The NAMM designation should definitely go on signs and web sites about Albion and Holley.
There will be more home-hunters driving through Albion and Holley as Genesee County and the state work to develop and open STAMP in the town of Alabama, only about a mile south of the Orleans County line. The state moved to fast track the Science, Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing Park in Alabama, committing $33 million to the project in the new state budget. The state wouldn’t do that if there weren’t companies serious about the park, which could add 10,000 high-paying jobs to the community.
We want a lot of those people who will be earning big paychecks to settle in Orleans, especially in some of our villages. Celebrating the music programs may be the drawing card that sways people to move and stay here.
MEDINA – Isabelle Perez stands next to a huge snowman she made with her family on Pearl Street in Medina on Sunday.
The Perez and Moriarty family didn’t intend to build a monster snowman, said Isabelle’s mother Ryin Moriarty. But Isabelle kept saying, “make it bigger, make it bigger,” and the family obliged her request.
“Let me introduce ‘Big,’ the 7-foot monster that is in our backyard!!” Moriarty said in an email. The warmer temperatures have taken a toll on Big, who has been melting since Sunday.
With today’s high near 60, Big may turn into the incredible shrinking snowman.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Brown Street Bridge in Albion has been closed for nearly two years. Several other bridges also are shut down or face weight reductions in Orleans County.
A state fund that was set up for infrastructure repairs in 1991 has been raided to pay for other state expenses, leaving less money for road and bridge work, Orleans County legislators said.
County officials have been pressing the state in recent years to repair canal bridges. Several are either closed or have weight reductions. That adds travel time for residents, businesses and farmers who need the bridges to get across the canal.
“We have desperate infrastructure needs,” said Legislator Ken DeRoller, R-Kendall.
Orleans County legislators formally called on the state to stop siphoning off money from the fund to pay for borrowing and operating costs for other state agencies.
Residents and taxpayers pay billions in taxes and fees into the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund. They pay through highway taxes, motor vehicle taxes and fees, petroleum business taxes and other fees.
However, legislators said more than 75 percent of the funds or $1.6 billion was diverted to other agencies in the last state fiscal year.
The County Legislature passed a resolution urging the governor and State Legislature to develop a multi-year plan for the fund to meet the infrastructure needs for bridges and roads in the state.
“Hopefully the governor will pay a little attention to it,” said Legislator Fred Miller, D-Albion.
