By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Staff at The Village of Orleans are dressed in many different costumes today including a Raggedy Ann Doll, The Stay Puft Marshmallow, Little Bo Peep, a werewolf and other characters. William Gillick, the nurse home administrator, is dressed as a Yankees fan. He is seating on an original seat from Yankee Stadium.
The group includes, front kneeling or seated, from left: Kelly Daigler, Rachel Drew, Tanya Foster, William Gillick and Nikole Fix.
Back row: Teiona Kemp, Ondrea Pate, Tab Pearce, Paul Parsons, Sandy Webster, Tara Churchfield, Debra Albertson, Deb Donnelly and Sue Williams.
The staff at the Five Star Bank in Albion also kept up a tradition of dressing up for Halloween. They all wore football jerseys today. Jamie Bennett, the assistant manager, is wearing a Brett Favre jersey from when he played for the Atlanta Falcons and Susan Plummer, a teller, is wearing a jersey from LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers.
Any other workplaces with employees dressed up for Halloween can send pictures to news@orleanshub.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2014 at 12:00 am
File photo – The dredging barge is near the breakwall at the end of the Oak Orchard channel when the harbor was dredged in August for the first time in 10 years.
KNOWLESVILLE – For much of the last five years Orleans County officials waited and begged to have the Oak Orchard Harbor dredged of silt and sediment. The harbor was finally dredged in August, when federal funds from Superstorm Sandy were directed to the Oak Orchard Harbor.
Congress hasn’t set aside money on a regular basis to clean out recreational harbors like the Oak Orchard. During low lake level years boats can run aground in the harbor. That happened to the Oak Orchard in 2012.
A clogged harbor makes the county’s fishing and recreational boating industries vulnerable. The harbor generates $7,087,101 in economic activity for the county, resulting in 117 direct and indirect jobs. It also yields $283,484 in sales tax revenue for the county with the same sales tax for the state, according to a consultant, Frank Sciremammano of FES Environmental and Marine Consultants.
Sciremammano has worked with six southshore counties on a plan for regular harbor maintenance and dredging. The Army Corps of Engineers has been dredging the Genesee River and the Port of Oswego, which are both commercial harbors, but the recreational harbors have languished.
To ensure regular dredging, Sciremammano is suggesting the counties form an authority or local development corporation that would buy dredging equipment, apply for dredging permits and get the work done.
The Army Corps would still do the Genesee River and Oswego, but the other 17 harbors would be handled by the counties.
That plan would require $522,403 annually with the Orleans County share at $23,655. Sciremammano suggested counties pay half of the costs out of county budgets with increased boater registration fees covering the other half. Vessels up to 16 feet would pay $3.13 more a year for its boater fee, while boats 17 to 26 feet would pay $10.42 more and boats over 26 feet would pay $15.63 annually.
“I don’t think it’s excessive,” Sciremammano told about a dozen officials during a meeting about the dredging plan. “I think boaters wouldn’t mind paying it if they knew their harbor would be open.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – Frank Sciremammano, a consultant for the southshore counties with a dredging plan, discusses scenarios for keeping 19 harbors open during a meeting Wednesday at the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Orleans County Legislator Ken DeRoller, left, and Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey attended the session.
Orleans and Niagara officials have already started pursuing help from the federal government for the upfront costs of purchasing equipment. Buying a suction dredge, a barge with a shovel or crane, plus a scow to haul away the sediment could cost about $1.2 million.
The counties could pursue buying the equipment, or they could opt to manage the permits and hire contractors for the work, but that would be at a higher cost about $650,000 to $900,000 annually, rather than the $522,403 if the authority or LDC did the work.
The total economic impact of the 19 harbors is $94 million and supports 1,350 jobs, according to the report.
The Genesee River and Oswego should have annual dredging, but other harbors, such as Oak Orchard, need to be done about once every six years, Sciremammano said. If the counties owned the equipment or hired contractors that schedule could be accelerated if needed.
The southshore counties have been working on the dredging plan since 2010. The state Department of State provided a $35,000 grant for the project, with Wayne Hale of Orleans County taking the lead in the effort.
“We want a sustainable maintenance plan for the harbors,” said Hale, the county’s tourism and planning director.
There will be another meeting about the dredging plan at 7 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Sodus Point Village Hall.
“The goal is for a sustainable ongoing plan that we can count on,” Sciremammano said. “We’re trying to head those problems off.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2014 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – This photo was taken in October 2013 from a sailboat on Lake Ontario.
KNOWLESVILLE – One of the members of a binational board charged with managing the water levels in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River system believes a proposal backed by the majority of the board will result in flooding on the southshore.
Frank Sciremammano, a professor of mechanical engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology, has voiced his concerns about Plan 2014 and what he sees as an unfair burden put on southshore property owners.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea and I’ve been fighting it,” Sciremammano said Wednesday when he was in Orleans County. He has been hired as a consultant to help six southshore counties come out with a dredging and harbor maintenance plan.
Sciremammano said the International Joint Commission, which is tasked with regulating the water levels, should ensure that no one group or geographic area bears a disproportionate loss. The new plan would concentrate damage to the south shore of the lake, he said.
“Quebec said no more damage so the damage and flooding will shift to the southshore,” Sciremammano said.
Orleans and other southshore counties are trying to thwart the plan. It has been approved by the IJC, but needs the backing from both countries.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
The moon is out tonight and tomorrow the costumed characters will be roaming the streets.
Dressing up for Halloween might require an extra layer of clothing on Friday. Temperatures are forecast for a high of 48 degrees with a chance of showers. Temperatures are forecast to fall to a low of 41 on Friday night, according to the National Weather Service.
I stopped by Mount Albion Cemetery today to grab a few photos of the leaves.
The Mount Albion crew is aggressive in getting the leaves out. I wished I had stopped by a couple days ago before this lane was mostly emptied of leaves. Looks like there are more to fall.
The temperatures will be cooler this weekend with highs of 43 on Saturday and 42 on Sunday.
Provided photo – An anti-gambling commercial was filmed Tuesday in Albion in front of Fischer’s News Stand. The group includes, from left: Paul Figlow, film director from Figlow Productions; Carol Pritchard, Albion High School senior; Alise Pangrazio, GCC student; Phil Ricci, Batavia resident; and Paul Suleski, GCASA intern.
ALBION – The Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse filmed a commercial in Albion on Tuesday that is intended to get families talking about gambling. (The video is expected to be released through YouTube next month.)
GCASA received funding from the New York Council on Problem Gambling for 2014 to increase the number of parents who are committed to talking to their children about the dangers associated with underage gambling, said Pat Crowley, project director for Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition.
“This year the focus of the project is getting parents to talk to their children about problem gambling,” she said.
She said fewer than half of parents discuss gambling issues with their children, and research shows that only 13 percent believe their children gamble for money.
“As with many challenging issues for youth, it is important for parents to talk about gambling,” Crowley said. “It is important for parents to examine their own attitudes and habits around gambling and make sure you are modeling healthy behaviors.”
Gambling has become more accepted than ever before as a pastime, not only for adults but also for youth. Crowley wants parents to about gambling to prevent serious addiction problems.
For more information regarding problem gambling contact GCASA at 585-589-0055 in Albion or 585-343-1124 in Batavia or you can reach the NYS HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
People in costume cross East Center Street on Friday during Beggar’s Night in Medina. The village of Medina has set 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for trick-or-treating hours on Halloween, which is Friday.
Medina also is limiting trick-or-treating to children 12 and younger, and advises people to only knock on doors of homes with their outdoor lights on. Residents wishing to participate in Halloween are asked to have their porch lights on at 5:30 p.m. to indicate participation.
Albion has set trick-or-treating hours from 5 to 8 p.m. and Lyndonville will have trick-or-treating from 6 to 8 p.m.
If any other towns or villages have established hours for trick-or-treating, they are welcome to send that information to info@orleanshub.com.
Provided photo from Orleans County Sheriff’s Department
ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess recognized members of the correctional services faith-based ministry during a luncheon on Oct. 17.
David H. Ferris has been ministering to inmates since 1986. He received a plaque from the sheriff, in recognition of his “28 Years of Dedicated and Faithful Service to the Sheriff’s Office and the County of Orleans.” While Ferris is planning to “scale back” his ministry, he has no intention of retiring completely from this unselfish calling.
Seated from left: Mrs. Ben Harris, Rev. Ella Mae Hawkins, Dave Ferris and Mrs. Dawn King.
Standing from left: Sheriff Hess, Rev. Leroy Hawkins, Rev. Ben Harris, Rev. Richard Allis, Rev. Neil Samborski, Rev. Charles Barkowski, Mr. Dylan Parfitt, Rev. Dan Thurber, Rev. Don Snyder and Rev. Tim Lindsay (Jail Chaplain and Ministry Coordinator).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Old School, Public Square eyed for historic district
Photos by Tom Rivers – Tania Werbizky, regional director of technical and grant programs for the Preservation League of New York, discusses a $5,000 grant with Holley Mayor John Kenney while the two stand in front of the old Holley High School. The League is giving Holley the grant to help with its application to get a cluster of about 40 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
HOLLEY – Wayne Goodman drove into Holley this afternoon from Rochester. He passed through the mid to late 19th century buildings in the Public Square and then saw churches made of Medina sandstone.
The old Holley High School is a dominant presence at the corner of routes 31 and 237, and many grand residential homes are nearby.
“You have a beautiful village here,” Goodman, executive director for the Landmark Society of Western New York, said at presentation today when the village received a $5,000 grant.
That money will pay a consultant, Bero Architecture of Rochester, to help Holley with its application to be included on the state and national registers of historic places. Bero will help with the research, writing and compilation of the application that could include 40 buildings in the Public Square and surrounding neighborhoods.
Wayne Goodman, executive director of the Landmark Society of Western New York, said Holley has many historic resources that are worthy of recognition at the state and national levels. He is pictured with Mayor John Kenney.
Goodman said Holley is deserving of the recognition. It’s historic sites are largely intact and they remain from the canal’s heyday in the 1800s.
“So many communities strive to achieve the power of place and Holley has that,” Goodman said while standing next to the old Holley High School.
The school was built in 1930 and has been vacant for about 20 years. Mayor John Kenney said several developers have eyed the site for senior apartments.
If the school is included on the state and national registers, a developers could access up to 40 percent of the project’s rehab costs in tax credits. That could be a difference in getting the building restored and back as a contributing asset to the community, bringing tax base and jobs to the village, Goodman said.
“This is another step in the revitalization process,” Kenney said.
The old Holley High School is not beyond saving, preservation officials said today. The Landmark Society named the school one of its “Five to Revive” last year, trying to draw attention and resources to the site.
Tania Werbizky, regional director of technical and grant programs for the Preservation League of New York, presented Kenney with the $5,000 ceremonial check this afternoon. She said the grants were competitively selected.
Holley stood out as a canal town with enviable historic resources, she said. The Preservation League also was impressed with recent improvements to the commercial district in the Public Square, and the village’s commitment to bringing back the old school.
“We think Holley is primed to take advantage of this program,” Werbizky said about the tax credits from the state and national registers. “We’d love to come back for a ribbon-cutting in the near future.”
Holley’s Public Square includes many commercial sites from the mid to late 1800s.
The school closed in 1975. Kenney, a retired Holley teacher, started his career working out of the building. Village Trustee Kevin Lynch and County Legislator John DeFillipps were both in the Class of 1975, the last to graduate from the school.
Lynch marveled at the school’s solid condition, despite years of neglect.
The building may have many broken windows, and the front columns may be gone, but the Landmark Society has seen buildings in far worse shape be rehabilitated, said Larry Francer, associate director of preservation for the Landmark Society.
“We see nothing here but potential,” said Caitlin Meives, preservation planner for the Landmark Society.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Destino faults Ortt for ‘simplistic message’
When Rob Ortt goes on the campaign trail, his first order of business tends to be railing against the SAFE Act, the state’s controversial gun control law passed in January 2013.
Ortt says he will work for the law’s repeal if he is elected state senator.
“We need someone who will go to Albany and fight for your Constitutional rights,” Ortt told about 300 people Friday at the Orleans County Fall Republican Rally. ” We need someone to fight for your second amendment rights which are under attack by this governor and his administration in Albany.”
Rob Ortt
Ortt, the North Tonawanda mayor, notes he has an A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association and SCOPE (Shooters Committee On Political Education) and has been endorsed by the NY State Rifle and Pistol Association.
He criticized his opponent, Johnny Destino, for having his SCOPE rating downgraded from an A to a C-minus. SCOPE made that decision after Destino voiced support for some SAFE Act provisions and aligned himself with pro-SAFE Act politicians.
“It is a clear conflict of interest for Johnny Destino to enthusiastically accept the endorsement of pro-SAFE Act officials, while telling us he supports the Constitution, and resulted in SCOPE lowering his rating to a C-,” said John Peracciny, Co-Chairman of Niagara County SCOPE.
Ortt’s campaign issued a press release about Destino’s downgraded rating with the comments from the SCOPE official.
Destino says he would have voted against the SAFE Act mainly because of the legislative process, where the law was passed without a proper vetting.
However, he sees merits in some of the legislation, such as enhanced penalties for shooting first responders and for bringing weapons onto school property illegally.
“That entire campaign has been, ‘The SAFE Act is bad, vote for me,'” Destino said about Ortt. “He says his first act as senator would be to sign the bill repealing the SAFE Act. It is going nowhere. I find it offensive that they present a simplistic message.”
Destino, the Democratic endorsed candidate, faulted the Senate Republicans for not standing in the way of the SAFE Act and Common Core, legislation Ortt opposes and has made his top rallying cries on the campaign trail.
“Nothing happened in New York State for the last 50 years without the Senate Republicans going along,” Destino said. “This is another instance where Common Core came along, the state accepted the Race to the Top funds and pushed it through without getting it right.”
Ortt and Destino both say teachers and parents need more input in Common Core. Destino, an attorney in Niagara Falls, is a member of the Boards of Education for Niagara Falls and the Orleans-Niagara BOCES. He said the state botched the implementation of Common Core.
“They mandated that teachers test their students on Common Core curriculum before the curriculum was even in place,” he said. “This requires a foresight that a lot of our career politicians have lost. They’re looking to rush to the next piece of legislation so they can pat themselves on the back without understanding the impact it will have on children, educators and local school boards.”
Ortt said Common Core should be repealed.
“It has been implemented wrong,” he told Republicans at the rally on Friday. “It is a big government, one size fits all solution and it was done without parental involvement and without teacher involvement. I’m all for standards. I think we need standards. But we need standards that make sense.”
The two candidates both want more state funding directed to rural school districts.
“We need to make sure less funding goes downstate and more funding comes upstate, especially for the rural schools,” Ortt said.
Destino
Destino said the state cut funding to rural districts, trying to force them to draw down on their fund balances. It has weakened the financial position of districts, and forced many to reduce staff and programs.
He said he would be a strong advocate for public schools, pressing the state on its mandate to provide a free and equitable education.
Ortt, a combat veteran, has the endorsement of Unshackle Upstate and other pro-business groups. He said easing the tax burden on businesses and getting more low-cost power to companies can help the local economy.
He also said farmers tell him they worry about a bill in Albany that would force them to pay overtime wages to farmworkers after 40 hours of work a week. That bill has passed the Assembly, but hasn’t been approved in the State Senate.
“This is obviously introduced by somebody who has never been on a farm or talked to a farmer,” he said. “The day this bill passes they will put their property up for sale. They surely won’t pass it on to their children. You can’t grow crops on Wall Street so I don’t know where they think they will get the stuff from.”
The Republicans have a narrow advantage in the Senate. If the Senate goes into Democrat control, Ortt said downstate Democrats will approve the farm legislation, and other job-killing regulations and burdens for upstate New York.
Destino said the Republican majority in the Senate has largely gone along with the Democrats. He thinks local legislators shouldn’t demonize the Democrats, especially Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The governor has directed state resources to lift the Western New York economy, especially the “Buffalo Billion.” Destino said the success of that initiative should lead to more attention from Cuomo and the state.
Destino wants to see added state resources directed to Orleans and Niagara counties, which wrestle with high unemployment and high taxes.
“You can’t cut off all ties to the governor who is the first one in 40 years to put serious investment into the Western New York economy,” Destino said. “I think that level of cooperation that we see in Erie County with Mayor Brown (of Buffalo), Sen. Tim Kennedy, Assemblyman Sean Ryan is really transforming the landscape of the local economy in Buffalo. In Niagara County and Orleans County we need to really push for the Buffalo Billion program to germinate and help revive what’s really been a down economy for the better part of two decades.”
The low-cost electricity from the Niagara Power Project could be a bigger asset to the region, Destino said. He would like to develop a local grid so all businesses and residents would benefit from reduced energy costs.
He would also push for Broadband in the rural communities, so residents and school districts aren’t at a disadvantage to well-connected peers.
Ortt and Destino will debate today at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the Earl Brydges Library, 1425 Main St., Niagara Falls. The are vying to succeed George Maziarz, who is retiring as senator for the 62nd District.
