By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
Jenna Roberts sets up a display of decorative yard flags as part of an exhibit for Roberts Farm Market in Medina at the 4-H fairgrounds in Knowlesville on Friday. Roberts Farm Market is one of 56 vendors for this weekend’s Orleans County Home and Garden Show. Jenna worked with her parents, Gary and Margaret Roberts, to set up a booth with flowers and garden decorations. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Besides the exhibits from vendors, there will be face painting, an obstacle course and miniature golf. Admission is $1, but is free to children 10 and younger. The event is organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2013 at 12:00 am
30 jobs expected at site owned by Orleans EDA since 2002
Photo by Tom Rivers
A warehouse on McKinstry Street in Albion, which has sat mostly vacant the past 11 years, will be upgraded and turned into a site for electronics recycling. The company expects to add 30 jobs in the next three years.
ALBION – A Canadian company is working to acquire a long-vacant warehouse on McKinstry Street with plans to upgrade the property and turn it into a base for recycling electronics.
The company, BOMET Recycling, Inc., intends to hire 30 people for the site within three years. The company is led by Zhan “Bo” Zhang of Cambridge, Ontario. BOMET recovers metals from electronics and other recyclable materials and reported a $25 million revenue for its operation based in Canada, according to a report from the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
The Orleans EDA owns the property at 152 McKinstry St. The agency’s board today accepted a $176,000 offer from BOMET to buy the 52,000-square-foot property.
The company will spend about $700,000 in addition to the purchase price by replacing the roof, making other building upgrades and buying equipment for the Albion operation.
The EDA board also approved tax incentives that will save the company $94,347 over 10 years. The company will pay $61,034 in local taxes over the next decade as part of the tax agreement approved today.
The site currently isn’t generating any property tax for the village, town, school or county because the EDA has owned the property.
The EDA board approved a 10-year phase-in for property taxes. The company will have the full $13,563 abated the first year. Each year after that it will then pay 10 percent more of the taxes on a $300,000 assessed building until it’s at the full 100 percent.
BOMET also was approved for an $18,000 sales tax break and $1,750 abatement from the mortgage tax.
The change in building ownership will take a burden off the EDA. The agency purchased the warehouse and adjoining parking lot for $527,000 in February 2002.
At that time Washington Mutual was in expansion mode in Albion. The company needed lots of parking, and some local officials hoped WaMu would quickly run out of space at the former Dime Bank complex on East Avenue.
The EDA saw an opportunity next to WaMu with the warehouse and the agency bought it.
The parking lot has proven a need for WaMu, and its successor, JP Morgan Chase. But the big warehouse has been an albatross for the EDA, consuming about $25,000 to $30,000 in annual interest payments plus another $10,000 in utilities, lawn care, sprinkler inspections and other costs, said Jim Whipple, the EDA chief executive officer.
BOMET will have access to 15 of the parking spaces as part of the deal with the EDA. Whipple said he expects the deal to close soon with work starting on the building in the summer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Village Hall, at right, on East Bank Street is part of a historic downtown business district. Village officials say they want to see the Albion Main Street Alliance continue efforts for downtown revitalization.
ALBION – Before Mayor Dean Theodorakos and the Village Board commit more money to the Albion Main Street Alliance, they want assurances the organization will be viable now that it doesn’t have a paid director.
Before AMSA can give those guarantees, it would like a funding commitment from the village, so AMSA can then reach out to other private investors in the organization.
“The past has been good,” Theodorakos told AMSA board president Maarit Vaga and former president Michael Bonafede on Wednesday. “Now, what about the future?”
The two AMSA leaders said the organization’s fate, and its ability to push for downtown revitalization, may hinge on the village’s level of support. The village designated $10,000 a year to AMSA the past four years, but hasn’t set aside money for the group in the 2013-14 budget, a spending plan that needs to be approved by the end of the month. The village also contributes $5,000 annually with in-kind services.
“Whether the village will support us is critical to our survival,” Vaga told the board.
Katelin Olson, the group’s executive director for three years, resigned on April 1 because AMSA didn’t have money to keep paying her. She has offered to stay on as a volunteer interim director, and work to close out a $477,000 state grant for downtown building and street-scape improvements.
AMSA could continue as a volunteer-only organization, but that would significantly limit the group’s impact and ability to implement a four-point approach for downtown, Vaga said. AMSA was formed after Albion was picked a “Main Street” community in late 2008 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Theodorakos said he strongly backs the National Trust model for revitalizing Main Street through organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring.
AMSA has been working to implement the four-point plan, and those changes haven’t always been well received by some in the community, Bonafede acknowledged.
“Change can be difficult and we’ve brought in a lot of change,” he said.
The community is seeing the fruits of AMSA’s labor with the downtown improvements and an organization of dedicated community stakeholders, including many business owners and residents, Bonafede said. AMSA counted 6,050 volunteer hours in 2012, and 20,000 since the group formed in late 2008.
He asked what more AMSA could do to win financial support, and good will from the board.
“What is the standard we’re judged by?” he asked. “In our minds there is nothing more that we could have done.”
Village officials, including Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti, said “politics” has hurt AMSA’s reputation.
But Bonafede said that was “rubbish.” Community leaders and public officials who sometimes don’t get along often get past that and become friends not long after.
“Personality clashes” shouldn’t get in the way of working for the community, Vaga said.
Vendetti wants AMSA to continue, but he said the group needs to work closer with the village.
Vaga urged the board to be a “cheerleader” for AMSA, to counter some of the naysayers and “misinformation” in the community. And she asked the board to give AMSA some money, which will help the group have more credibility to then seek private funding and other grants for community projects.
AMSA has been hurt by the public funding cuts. The town had been giving $10,000 annually to AMSA but stopped in 2013. The organization also received $10,000 a year its first three years – 2009 through 2011 – from the local development corporation of the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
Albion is one of about 3,000 “Main Street” communities in the U.S. Many of them receive their municipal funding from their local village or city, Bonafede said.
Vaga said the group wants to continue to work for community good.
“We all believe in what could happen in Albion and what Albion could be,” Vaga said. “That is what we’re chasing.”
The mayor said an AMSA funding request will be considered by the board before the budget vote later this month.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Company will add 25,200-square-foot CA storage
GAINES – A fruit-packing company owned by local farmers is planning a $3 million expansion with a new controlled-atmosphere storage building.
Lake Ridge Fruit could break ground on the 25,200-square-foot building next week, said John Russell, general manager and partner for the company at 14234 Ridge Rd. The addition will boost Lake Ridge’s storage capacity by 200,000 bushels a year.
“This is driven by the need to stay ahead of the curve and be at the leading edge of the industry,” Russell said today.
Many of Lake Ridge’s member growers have recently planted more acres of popular apple varieties, such as Honeycrisp and SweeTango. The new CA storage will help keep those apples fresh after harvest. Russell also said Lake Ridge has been renting some storage from other companies and won’t need to do that after the expansion.
The addition is expected to be ready for this fall’s apple harvest. Lake Ridge will add one position as part of the project. The addition will retain 60 other full-time positions.
“It’s an employment keeper,” Russell said about the addition. “It will allow us to keep jobs.”
Lake Ridge did a $3 million project in 2010 that added storage space and a new packing line. Russell said the company, which formed in 1982, is determined to stay at the forefront of the industry.
The Orleans Economic Development Agency today approved a tax incentive plan that will save the company $202,406 over 10 years. Lake Ridge will receive a 50 percent property tax abatement on the new addition for the first year, and then will pay 5 percent more until the building is at full taxable value. That will save the company $83,164 in property taxes in the next decade.
Lake Ridge is agreeing to pay $196,570 in “payment in lieu of taxes” for the new building over the next 10 years to the town, county and Albion Central School.
The company also has been approved for a sales tax exemption on $1,207,010 in equipment costs, which will save Lake Ridge $96,561. The company also was approved for a $22,681 “Buy Orleans” incentive.
As part of the PILOT and tax incentive deal, Lake Ridge also agreed to pay the EDA $56,380 for administration services or 2 percent of the overall costs.
“This is another great agricultural project for our county,” Jim Whipple, Orleans EDA chief executive officer, told the EDA board of directors.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will once again participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative.
Sheriff Scott Hess and Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson are pleased to announce that the Sheriff’s Office will again participate in this nationwide undertaking, which takes place on Sat., April 27, 2013, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orleans County Health Department, and the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (GCASA).
This is a great opportunity for the public to surrender unwanted and/or expired medications for safe & proper disposal. Events such as these have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion & abuse, as well as increasing awareness of this critical public health issue. Similar collection events held in the past have been touted by all involved as having been very successful.
The following are collection points:
Orleans County Public Safety Building – 13925 State Route 31, Albion
Holley Fire Department – 7 Thomas Street, Holley
Medina Fire Department – 600 Main Street, Medina
Special thanks to the Holley & Medina FD’s, for providing space in their facilities for this event.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Gregg Albertson, an Albion graduate, sings during a concert tonight with the Golden Notes, an A Cappella group from the College of Saint Rose in Albany. The group performed in the Albion Middle School auditorium. The Brick City Singers, an all-male A Cappella group from the Rochester Institute of Technology, also performed. That group includes Albion graduates Robbie Stilwell and Geoff Symonds. The concert also included the Albion High School Men’s Select Chorus. In the photo below, Steven Musso, a co-musical director for the Golden Notes, sings a solo. Albertson is at the far right.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
The Arc of Orleans County was prepared to serve 338 spaghetti dinners today in an annual benefit for the Nutrifair Meals on Wheels program, which The Arc has managed since 2009. The agency runs the program out of the former grammar school on East Academy Street in Albion. Melissa Sullivan, the senior nutrition program cook, serves up a meal with help from assistant cook Joann Baxter, right.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The Orleans County Courthouse lawn and front steps may be packed Saturday when hundreds of people are expected for a Second Amendment rally.
New York Revolution, a group that formed after the state Legislature and Gov. Cuomo approved a gun control law in January, is organizing a rally from 11 a.m. to at least 2 p.m.
A lineup of speakers includes conservative talk show host Bob Lonsberry, State Sen. George Maziarz, State Assembly members Steve Hawley and David DiPietro, County Legislature Chairman David Callard and several other Second Amendment supporters.
“It’s not just a guns issue,” said event organizer Gia Arnold of Holley. “It’s more of a rights issue. They are taking away our freedoms.”
Arnold is regional coordinator for New York Revolution’s chapters in Orleans, Erie, Niagara, Genesee and Wyoming counties.
The rally will give people a chance to vent about the state’s new law, and connect with similar-minded residents in neighboring communities, Arnold said. New York Revolution is trying to build a movement to oppose ill-advised gun control laws, she said.
“I don’t think the new laws, especially the legislation at state and national levels, will make anyone safer,” Arnold said. “Guns themselves are just a tool. They need to focus on the people behind the gun.”
The state legislation has been formally opposed by most upstate counties, including Orleans. The county Legislature in February said the state didn’t give residents a chance to comment on the proposal before it became law, and many aspects of the legislation are confusing and open to interpretation.
The law also places costly burdens on government and businesses for verifying gun ownership. Legislators also criticized the law for prohibiting firearm magazines with more than seven rounds, when most magazines have 10 rounds.
Arnold, a mother of three young children, said the media hasn’t given enough coverage to Second Amendment supporters.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Orleans County officials were urged to seek state grant funding and other resources to make two sites in Medina more attractive to developers.
The spots – a 120-acre cow pasture owned by the Keppeler family on Route 31A and the Medina Business Park on Bates Road – were called “priority sites” by the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
It received a $50,000 state grant to develop an economic development plan for the county. The 850-page document looks at the strengths and weaknesses of business sites throughout the county.
O’Brien and Gere, consultants for the EDA with the project, said the two sites in Medina are the county’s best bet for luring manufacturing and other companies. The sites both have access to water, sewer and other infrastructure. They both fall within the 30-mile radius of the hydropower plant in Lewiston. The New York Power Authority determines which companies receive that low-cost electricity.
Steve Eckler, the project manager for the study, recommended the county pursue funding to advance the sites, making them more “shovel ready.” The county could seek funding for the sites in the next round of regional economic development grants, he said. The deadline to apply is expected to be in July.
The economic development plan lists four other sites in the county that have business potential. Two others are in Medina: Allis Road near the railroad tracks just off Route 31 and Bates Road near Brunner. Other sites with room for companies include the Holley Business Park off Route 31 and the Albion Business Park at the corner of Butts Road and Route 31.
The report from O’Brien and Gere looks at the zoning of all the business sites, access to infrastructure, proximity to the Thruway, airport and railroad, and other issues.
Eckler urged the county to work on all sites, removing obstacles to development.
“Ultimately you want to make them as shovel-ready as possible,” he said.
County officials said they would review the thick document.
“This plan certainly serves the county well in the short-term and the long-term,” said David Callard, chairman of the Orleans County Legislature.
The Orleans EDA board is expected to discuss the development plan during its 8 a.m. meeting Friday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Medina Sandstone Society is working to create a Hall of Fame that will recognize significant buildings and landmarks made from the local stone. The site could include St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Medina.
MEDINA – Some of Orleans County’s and Western New York’s cavernous churches, ornate public buildings, stately residences and enduring memorials share a common building block: Medina sandstone.
A local group wants to recognize some of the long-lasting and architecturally significant sites made of sandstone.
The Medina Sandstone Society has announced it is working to establish a Hall of Fame for buildings and sites made of the local stone. The group would like to induct the first class in October.
“A big part of this is we want to build awareness of the architectural beauty that was created from Medina sandstone and this wonderful resource we have in this community,” said David Miller, one of the Sandstone Society members working on the project.
Nearly 200 years ago Medina sandstone was discovered locally when the canal was dug. Some of that stone in early 1820s was used to build the Canal Culvert in Ridgeway and the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse in Rochester.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Canal Culvert in Ridgeway, built in 1823, is one of area’s most famous sandstone structures. The Medina Sandstone Society hopes to have a list of Hall of Fame nominees by August with the inaugural class to be announced in the fall.
A decade later, the first commercial Medina sandstone quarry opened. In the 100 years that followed, thousands of immigrants were drawn to Orleans County quarries, unearthing the stone and shaping it for some of the region’s most enduring and architecturally significant buildings.
Miller, Jim Hancock and John Slack think it’s long overdue that Medina sandstone is celebrated for its role in some of the area’s most recognizable structures. The trio is leading the effort to create a “Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.” The society is developing a list of potential HOF nominees. A list of nominees may be presented to the community during Medina’s Canal Fest in August with an induction program possibly in October.
Miller and Hancock were asked by the Sandstone Society earlier this year to investigate the feasibility of establishing a Hall of Fame. The small committee said the project can be done and the full society board backed the project last month.
Miller said the HOF may be a modest effort in the beginning. The society may decide to just enshrine one site from Medina and another one from Western New York for the first class, and then add more in the following years. Or the first class could include several sites from around the state.
“We don’t have to start out with a big bang,” Miller said. “We’re going to feel our way through this. It can definitely grow.”
The size of the class, and the location for the HOF, will be determined in the coming months. Miller said the HOF will likely include framed photographs of the sites with plaques describing their significance. The owners of the buildings will be invited to Medina for the HOF induction.
“We may not limit it to one location,” he said about the Hall of Fame display. “We will put it on the Web. We could have it in the visitor’s center and maybe have a traveling show.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Medina Sandstone Society wants to honor sandstone sites in Orleans County, the region and elsewhere. The Richardson Olmsted Complex in Buffalo, which includes twin copper-roofed towers, is one of many Buffalo buildings made from Medina sandstone.
The group’s immediate task is to identify “a list of exceptional structures locally and farther away.” He wants to catalog Medina sandstone sites. He hopes the Hall of Fame encourages more sandstone appreciation projects in Orleans County. He supports the creation of a Sandstone Trail that would link Medina, Albion, Hulberton and Holley – which were all home to sandstone quarries. Many sandstone buildings remain in those communities. A trail with roadside markers would raise more public recognition for the county’s sandstone heritage, he said.
He also would like to see each community develop walking tours of their sandstone buildings.
“The Hall of Fame is only one aspect of this,” he said. “We should develop a trail and build momentum around our sandstone. We want to give people more to do when they come to Medina and Orleans County.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Village of Albion officials filed a court order on Wednesday for Dan Dunn, owner of sandstone building at 125 Liberty St., to take the structure down within 30 days.
The sandstone building from 1840 was once a base for constructing carriages.
The 5,000-square-foot building has a collapsed roof and floors.
ALBION – A sandstone building that has been a dominant presence along the Erie Canal since 1840 needs to come down in 30 days, Village Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti told the owner on Wednesday.
Vendetti said the building, once used to manufacture carriages more than a century ago, is a “dangerous building.” The 5,000-square-foot building was last used as a furniture warehouse about a half century ago. The roof and floors have collapsed in the building, which is missing several windows.
Dan Dunn, owner of a salvaging company in Medina, owns the building. He said he is working to bring down the dilapidated structure. He will try to preserve and resell as much of the stone as possible.
“I’ll try to get it done and make everybody happy,” Dunn said.
The Albion Historic Preservation Commission approved a hardship case for Dunn in January and voted in support of the building’s demolition.
Dunn said he has been delayed because of the costs of asbestos removal. Certified asbestos removal contractors say removing that from the roof and floors will cost $16,000 to $20,000. When he purchased the building last year, he thought he could remove the asbestos himself.
Dunn has made a career out of reclaiming materials that would otherwise be trashed. He didn’t want to see that fate for the old building, which borders the Erie Canal at 125 Liberty St.
“These days they’re so quick to demolish things and send them to a landfill,” he said. “I like that stone and that building has an awful lot of history.”
Dunn said he will try to recoup as much of the demolition and asbestos removal costs as possible with the resale of the sandstone. He doubts he’ll be able to recover his costs. Village officials say the land at 125 Liberty St. is coveted by the state Canal Corporation, which has a complex next door.
Mayor Dean Theodorakos said he would like to see the land be redeveloped.
“It’s great location along the Erie Canal,” Theodorakos said.
Contributed photo – James Hancock, left, discusses a planned Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame with fellow committee members David Miller, center, and John Slack.
Press release
MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Society announced a plan to organize a “Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame” for formally recognizing outstanding structures made of the famous local stone.
A standing committee has been created to choose a number of structures annually such as churches, homes and public buildings.
Those selected for special honor in the Hall of Fame will be promoted and publicized as notable examples of the use of the stone which made Orleans County known over much of the world. Beginning in the 1830s the stone was in great demand for a century and some great examples remain today.
“Each year we plan to accept nominations from both our board of
directors and our large list of supporters known as Stone Cutters and selection will be made by the Hall of Fame committee,” said HOF committee member James Hancock. He is joined on the committee by David Miller and John Slack.
Hancock expects the first class will be inducted later this year. Inductees will receive a plaque with an appropriate picture and narrative which they can display at their home site. Similar pictures and narratives will be displayed at a location in Medina. The committee is working to identify a site for the Hall of Fame.
“This plan gives our society another opportunity to promote and recognize the use of our Medina stone,” Hancock said. “It is also intended to give the general public deeper knowledge of how that beautiful sandstone has been used around the county, the state and the world.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2013 at 12:00 am
CARLTON – Responding to an outcry from residents over high assessments, the Town Board has called for an emergency meeting on Monday.
The board may vote to freeze assessments based on the 2012 data. Many residents told the board on Tuesday that their new assessments were 20 to 50 percent more than 2012 valuations. Those big assessment increases, which would apply to town, school and county taxes, would force many senior citizens to leave their homes, several residents told the board.
“We got to try to do something,” Councilman Robin Lake said today. “That’s what the people asked for.”
Town Attorney Kathy Bogan is researching whether the assessments can be frozen at their 2012 levels so the new numbers don’t take effect.
Monday’s meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall, 14341 Waterport-Carlton Rd.
“We’ll discuss it and try to figure out what to do,” Lake said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2013 at 12:00 am
CARLTON – Another long-time Orleans County legislator won’t run for re-election this November.
Ken Rush of Carlton has represented three towns – Carlton, Kendall and Murray – on the Legislature for nearly 14 years. Prior to that he served 26 years on the Carlton Town Board.
Rush, 80, said he’s ready to end a long career in public service.
“I’ve always enjoyed it,” he said after Wednesday’s Legislature meeting. “I love people so this has been easy for me.”
Rush, a life-long farmer, follows George Bower of Holley, who announced last month he wasn’t seeking re-election after nearly 24 years on the Legislature.
Rush said Ken DeRoller, a former Kendall town assessor, is likely to get the Republican Party endorsement for Rush’s position on the Legislature. DeRoller is also a member of the Orleans Economic Development Agency board of directors.
Rush has been active in numerous committees and boards while on the Legislature, including the Soil and Water Conservation District and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
A Wednesday afternoon fire in Albion left 10 people homeless. The fire at 112 Beaver St. started in an upstairs bedroom, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said. An investigation is continuing. There are no injuries. The Red Cross is assisting people in finding temporary shelter. The house is owned by Loretta Lewandowski. Albion, Carlton and Holley firefighters responded to the call.
