By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Two people pleaded guilty to felonies in Orleans County Court on Monday and could be sentenced to either the county jail or state prison.
A Cheektowaga man pleaded guilty to third-degree rape and faces a maximum of 1 ½ years in state prison as part of a plea deal.
Carson Cavers, 21, allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old girl in Shelby four times between April 19 and July 4. He also is facing rape charges in Ontario County and an unrelated charge of second-degree assault in Erie County.
The Orleans County charge is independent of the other charges. The third-degree rape charge would normally carry a maximum of 4 years in state prison.
Cavers could also be sentenced to post-release supervision when he is sentenced on March 14.
In another case, an Albion man pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a firearm and could face up to a year in the county jail when he is sentenced on May 23.
Christopher D. Rivers Jr., 19, faced kidnapping, robbery, grand larceny, criminal use of a firearm, unlawful imprisonment and menacing charges after being arrested in January for allegedly holding adult male and female victims against their will and forcing a woman to withdraw money from her ATM.
Rivers, in a plea deal on Monday, admitted he had a Remington shotgun with a shortened barrel. Rivers said he didn’t have a license for the modified shotgun.
The charge of criminal possession of a firearm normally carries a maximum sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison. If County Court Judge James Punch sentences Rivers to more than a year in county jail, he can withdraw his plea and go to trial. Rivers will be sentenced on May 23.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A public transportation provider in Orleans County will meet with agencies, stakeholders and the public on Wednesday afternoon during two sessions at Hoag Library, 134 S. Main St., Albion.
RTS Orleans transported about 40,000 riders in 2015. The agency wants to hear from customers and agencies on how the service can best serve the public, said Mike Ryan, manager of operations for RTS Orleans, which is based on West Academy Street at the Orleans County Highway Department.
RTS, the parent organization for the service in Orleans and several other counties, has launched a regional service efficiency study to identify service improvements and connections across the seven counties served by RTS.
Some of agencies served by RTS Orleans will meet at Hoag at 2 p.m. on Wednesday to discuss the service’s strengths and weaknesses.
The public is then invited to a 4 p.m. meeting at Hoag to discuss the local bus service.
The public can also fill out an online survey by clicking here. (Editor’s Note: The survey has been closed. This link to Survey Monkey has been removed.)
For more information, contact RTS Orleans at (585) 589-0707.
LYNDONVILLE – National Grid has approved a $15,800 grant to support the expansion and upgrade of cold storage facilities in Lyndonville for H.H. Dobbins Inc.
Dobbins has invested $3.4 million to construct a new, state-of-the-art controlled atmosphere for its affiliate that stores, packs and ships apples around the world. The new technology allows Dobbins to improve its storage capabilities while reducing its energy costs.
“It has been an honor to continue a business started by my great grandfather and make the updates necessary to stay competitive in the 21st century,” said Ward Dobbins, owner and managing member. “We are grateful for partners like National Grid who embrace our vision and our dedicated employees who are integral to our continued progress.”
National Grid announced today it is also providing $50,000 to D.A. Tufts Co. to support its renovation of a key building in Batavia’s downtown area. D.A. Tufts is investing more than $400,000 for a mixed-use renovation of the 5,200-square-foot building that anchors the corner of East Main Street and Harvester Avenue.
The adaptive reuse of the structure will include both commercial and market-rate residential space. The grant is from National Grid’s Main Street Revitalization program. The grant helped make possible the upgrades needed to convert the structure to have highly efficient mechanical systems and a fresh and stylish new look.
National Grid’s Economic Development Grant Program maintains a strong focus on site development, urban revitalization, strategic marketing, and facilitating customer growth through infrastructure assistance, energy efficiency and productivity improvement. The program reflects an increasing emphasis on sustainable development, the efficient use of existing energy infrastructure, and the strategic deployment of renewable generation technologies.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 February 2016 at 12:00 am
3 students win essay contest about ‘Black River’
Provided photos – Three Lyndonville High School seniors – Jenna Doran, Jasmine Plummer and Amanda Blackburn – read “Black River” and were picked as essay contest winners, earning a chance to have lunch with author S. M. Hulse of Spokane, Wa. Hulse will visit Lyndonville on March 11 as part of a three-day stint in the area for “A Tale for Three Counties.”
LYNDONVILLE – The three-county reading effort “A Tale for Three Counties” continues to grow each year from its initial effort that was focused among libraries in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties.
The effort in recent years has expanded to Genesee Community College, with students reading and discussing the book, and the college planning lectures to address themes in the novel.
The 14th annual event for the first time includes a local high school reading the book and discussing it in classes. Lyndonville High School is using the book Grade 11 Pre-Advanced Placement English, Grade 12 AP English, and Grade 12 English.
About 45 Lyndonville students read the book and discussed the writing style, character development and themes in their classes. The students also entered an essay contest through “Tale” and three students – Jenna Doran, Jasmine Plummer and Amanda Blackburn – were picked as contest winners, a prize that includes lunch with the author.
S. M. Hulse of Spokane, Wa., author of “Black River,” will visit the three counties March 10-12. She also will be at Lyndonville to meet with students on March 11.
Lyndonville’s 11th grade pre-AP class discusses Black River during a recent class.
“We wanted to promote reading in general and connect to a larger community project,” said Jason Smith, superintendent of Lyndonvlle Central School.
He has read many of the 14 books through “Tale” and participates in the book discussion at Yates Community Library. He also was asked to read a couple books under consideration for “Tale” this year.
Smith likes how the “Tale” books are set in small towns, and include up-and-coming authors who visit the area.
“It’s an authentic learning experience where you can interact with the author,” he said. “The books are rich with dialogue, setting, themes and memorable characters.”
Black River includes some mature themes, but they weren’t too challenging for Lyndonville students, Smith said.
The story centers on Wes Carver, a retired corrections officer who is coping with the loss of his wife to cancer. Carver also returns to the Black River community for the parole hearing of an inmate who tortured Carver during a prison riot two decades earlier. That inmate badly broke Carver’s fingers, preventing him from playing the fiddle, one of his passions.
The novel explores faith, forgiveness, fatherhood and revenge.
For more on A Tale for Three Counties, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 February 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Brockport man, 29, was sentenced to seven years in state prison today after a jury convicted him on Dec. 7 of second-degree rape.
Matthew M. Edwards of West Ridge Road continued to profess his innocence today during sentencing. Edwards was found guilty by a jury of 13 counts of second-degree rape, 13 counts of second-degree criminal sexual act and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
Edwards allegedly had sex with a 13-year-old girl in the Village of Holley between July 4 and Aug. 30, 2014.
District Attorney Joe Cardone asked Orleans County Court Judge James Punch to sentence Edwards to state prison. Cardone said Edwards has extensive criminal history, including other sex crimes.
Larry Koss, attorney for Edwards, said Edwards in past cases has admitted his crimes and pleaded guilty. If Edwards had pleaded guilty to the more recent charges, he could have reduced his prison sentence in a plea deal, Koss said. But Edwards has been consistent in denying the charges.
“I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of,” Edwards said during sentencing this afternoon. “I’ve made a lot of bad choices. But I didn’t do this. I didn’t do these crimes. I deserve to go to prison but not for this crime.”
Edwards said he has struggled with drug and mental health issues. He said he would use his time in prison to work on those problems.
“I’m tired,” Edwards said. “This isn’t the life I want to lead.”
Judge Punch said a jury found Edwards guilty.
“I have no quarrel with the jury’s verdict,” Punch told Edwards. “You need to come to grips with what you did in this case.”
The judge also said there would be 15 years of post-release supervision for Edwards, and ordered that he pay a $1,000 victim fee, $325 court surcharge, $50 DNA fee, and $50 sex offender registry fee. The judge also issued an order of protection for the victim.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 February 2016 at 12:00 am
The waterfalls in Clarendon along South Holley Road and Pumping Station Road near Holley is pictured last week. The east branch of Sandy Creek runs by here near the Holley Rod and Gun Club.
A storm will hit the area on Tuesday, bringing 5 to 10 inches of snow in Orleans County by 10 a.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Buffalo is reporting.
The Weather Service says snow and ice will make travel difficult, especially for the morning commute on Wednesday.
Icicles hang from a limb in the waterfalls along South Holley Road.
MEDINA – Two people have been charged, including a taxi driver, for allegedly selling crack cocaine in the Village of Medina, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force is reporting today.
The Task Force says a driver for Medina Transport used the taxi to sell crack cocaine and transport a drug dealer to customers, and also transport customers to the drug dealer. The owner of Medina Transport didn’t know the taxi driver was using the taxi for the crimes, the Task Force reported today.
The following were arrested on Friday:
Reginald A. Kendrick
Reginald A. Kendrick, 40, of 703 Church St., Apt. 2, in Medina was charged with eight counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (Class B felonies), eight counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (Class B felonies), and four counts of conspiracy in the fourth degree (Class E felonies).
Kendrick was arraigned in Ridgeway Town Court by Town Justice Joseph Kujawa. Kendrick was remanded to the Orleans County Jail without bail due to his previous criminal history, the Task Force reported.
Kendrick is to return to Town Court at 6 p.m. on March 3. He also is wanted on a drug charge out of the State of Georgia.
Roy W. Bishop
Roy W. Bishop, 42, of 11345 Main St., in the Town of Shelby was arraigned on three counts of both criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (Class B felonies) and five counts of conspiracy in the fourth degree (Class E felonies).
Bishop works for Medina Transport as a driver. He was using his job to facilitate the drug crimes, said Joseph Sacco, supervising investigator for the Task Force.
Bishop was arraigned by Ridgeway Town Justice Joseph Kujawa and remanded to the county jail on $50,000 bail. Bishop is to return to Town Court at 6 p.m. on March 3.
Further arrests and charges are pending in the investigation, Sacco said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Provided photos – Dell Stork is 84 today, or 21 if measured by Leap Day birthdays every four years. This photo was taken on June 17, 2012.
MEDINA – Most people can celebrate the anniversary of their birth every year. But for a few local residents that birthday anniversary comes every four years.
Dell Stork is one of the Leap Day babies. The former Medina fire chief was born 84 years ago today. He joked today he is actually only 21.
“I’m going to try to have one beer,” he said. “I can drink legally after all of those years.”
Stork typically celebrates his birthday on Feb. 28 or March 1. As a kid, his family would stretch out the birthday over a couple days when it wasn’t a Leap Year.
Several people called him today to wish him a happy birthday, which he appreciated.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Amy Sidari is pictured at the Cabaret at Studio B where friends and family celebrated her birthday on Saturday.
Amy Sidari is 48 today, but she said she is calling it her twelfth birthday, the same as her son Kyle. Sidari, owner of Gotta Dance by Miss Amy and the Cabaret at Studio B, welcomed her friends and family to a birthday gathering on Saturday. About 100 people showed up at the dance studio on West Bank Street in Albion.
“It was so great,” she said about the party. “It was so full of energy and it was a loving time.”
Sidari has a 9-year-old daughter who will be 13 in four years. That has Sidari thinking she will have a 13th Leap Day Party in four years, when she said she and her daughter will both be 13.
Sidari said her family through the years has made her feel special for about a week near her birthday, including on non-Leap Day years.
Brian Bentley of Barre is 20 today, celebrating his fifth Leap Day birthday. Brian graduated from Albion in 2014 and then finished from Ohio Technical College with a degree in heavy diesel in December 2015.
He now works at Milton CAT in Batavia and is an active volunteer with the Barre Fire Company. He is an assistant mechanic at the Fire Company. His mother Terry Bentley sent in this photo and wished him a happy birthday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Only one protestor was in Holley on Saturday to publicly denounce the Squirrel Slam, a hunting contest that is a fund-raiser for the Holley Fire Department.
The event in the previous three years drew national and international attention from animal rights activists. But this time Holley wasn’t in the Bull’s Eye of activists. Only Richard Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island, was in town with placards against the event.
Brummel chatted with people holding signs in support of the hunters. It was a friendly conversation and Brummel shook their hands before leaving around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Brummel was in Orleans County Court in February 2015, trying to get Judge James Punch to stop the contest. Brummel tried to make the case an environmental impact study should have been done to determine if the contest had a detrimental effect on the local squirrel population. Punch dismissed the case.
Brummel said he is optimistic the case will be taken up by the Fourth Appellate Court in Rochester. Brummel wants the Holley Fire Department to do an environmental impact study on the squirrel population.
“We want an analysis,” Brummel said.
Laura Knab, right, of Albion was across the street from Brummel. She arrived at 9 a.m. by the Holley Hotel and held signs in support of hunters. She was joined by Ahmad Asci, center, and Joe Kellenberger.
Knab, 23, said she has been hunting since she was 12.
“People don’t understand our way of life,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos courtesy of Chris Busch
MEDINA – Contractors started last week installing steel for the new 62,000-square-foot vegetable processing facility for Pride Pak. The building is taking shape on Route 31A (Maple Ridge Road) across from Genesee Community College.
Pride Pak has been eyeing a June opening for the facility that will have 85-100 employees in phase one of the project. Pride Pak expects it will expand from the 62,000-square-foot building in the future and employ 200 people.
These photos were taken today by Medina resident Chris Busch.
Here is a rendering of how the building will look when it is completed.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Veterans Memorial planned for Hillside Cemetery
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Holley Rotary Club served about 200 spaghetti dinners on Saturday, with proceeds going towards an Eagle Scout project at Hillside Cemetery.
The top photo shows Holley Rotarians, from left: Jeff Martin, Larry Swanger, Josh Mitchell and Roger DeFrancesca.
Jacob Crandall, an Eagle Scout candidate, is trying to upgrade the veterans section at the cemetery. He wants a new 25-foot-high flag pole, five granite etched stones (for the Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard), and a pentagon-shaped concrete base. Jacob would like to have the project complete in the spring.
Bob Miller cooks spaghetti at the fund-raiser at the VFW where the Rotary Club meets every Monday evening.
Elissa Rowley is pictured with her father, Bill Downey. Elissa joined the Holley Rotary Club earlier this month. She works as program manager for the National Kidney Foundation. She is a third-generation Rotary member following her grandfather, Frenchy Downey, and her father, who are both members of the Albion Rotary Club.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2016 at 8:03 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers – Holley firefighters are pictured with Alexandria Disque, second from left, and a dog Sadie, as well as Sadie’s owner Cassie Wolfanger, left. Disque and Sadie were rescued this afternoon after being swept in a tunnel on Sandy Creek that goes under the Erie Canal. The firefighters were on a boat that went into the dark tunnel. Pictured from left in back include Fran Gaylord, Harris Reed and Justin McMillon.
HOLLEY – A woman and a dog were both rescued from a near drowning today after they were swept into a dark tunnel that went under the Erie Canal.
Alexandria Disque, 23, was at the Holley Waterfalls with her friend Cassie Wolfanger. They both play on the women’s rugby team at Brockport State College. They were at the waterfalls with Cassie’s dog, Sadie.
The dog, an English yellow lab, fell into Sandy Creek and was soon swept away on the fast-moving current. Disque dove in and tried to save the dog.
Soon both went through a culvert that takes Sandy Creek under the canal. The concrete tunnel is dark.
Wolfanger called 911 when Disque and Sadie vanished.
Today is the Squirrel Slam hunting contest, a fund-raising event for the Holley Fire Department. Many firefighters were at the Holley Fire Hall and they were quickly on the scene at the base of the waterfalls.
Firefighters deployed a rescue boat and Fran Gaylord, Justin McMillon and Harris Reed went into the culvert to find Disque and Sadie.
Photos courtesy of Kurt Wannenwetsch
Firefighters descended near the Holley Waterfalls where Sandy Creek heads under the Erie Canal to find Disque and Sadie. The firefighters are in a line holding a rope as the boat goes into the culvert.
A rope was tied to the boat as firefighters passed into the tunnel. It was hard to see once they entered the tunnel, Gaylord said.
They went about 500 feet down before they found Disque. She found a crack in the concrete and was barely hanging on. She had nearly lost all motor skill function at that point because she was freezing after about a half-hour in the water.
Reed was at the back of the boat and he pulled Disque onto the boat. She was taken by Monroe Ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital.
Holley firefigters bring Alexandria Disque, right, safely to shore after getting her out of the culvert tunnel. Disque’s friend Cassie Wolfanger, left, is relieved to see Disque.
The firefighters went back into the tunnel. They could see a dog’s head bobbing. This time then had to go about 600 feet into the tunnel to get the dog.
Sadie was checked by local veterinarian Dr. Krista Wiley. Gaylord took the dog back to the firehall to warm it up and get the dog some food. Gaylord even took Sadie for a walk.
Sadie is rescued from the water.
Disque and Wolfanger arrived at about 6 p.m. to reunite with the dog. They thanked the firefighters for the rescue.
Gaylord said Disque’s physical fitness likely saved her life, allowing her to withstand the cold and hard-driving water. Disque said she was bundled up in the ambulance and at the hospital. After the ride to Strong, her temperature was taken and it was 92 degrees.
Disque said she was able to hang on to the 80-pound dog by its harness when she was in the culvert before finally letting go. She didn’t know the culvert let out at the other end. She was in the dark in the tunnel, fighting the current when the firefighters arrived in a boat.
Disque and Wolfanger said the Holley Waterfalls is a popular spot for many Brockport students who sometimes want a peaceful spot to study or a chance to enjoy nature.
“Everyone knows about the Holley Waterfalls,” Wolfanger said.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 27 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Volume 2, Issue 9
ALBION – Located just east of the Village of Albion, St. Joseph’s Cemetery was established in 1920 under the pastorate and direction of Msgr. Francis Sullivan. Notice the paving stones covering East Avenue and the extensive landscaping of the property along the road.
The center driveway runs north towards a circle containing four statues depicting the crucifixion of Christ and the chapel behind it. A larger pathway surrounded the chapel creating a section for burials within that loop.
St. Joseph’s Church celebrated its first Mass as a parish in 1852. For over twelve years prior, the Irish Catholic community relied on itinerant priests from Lockport to provide the sacraments throughout the year. This often meant that baptisms, marriages, and the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist would occur in bunches as a priest was made available by the Diocese of Buffalo.
The earliest Irish Catholics engaged in manual labor often in the sandstone quarries scattered along the Erie Canal, which led to accidental deaths and the contraction of tuberculosis. Even though the congregation established itself in the 1850s, there was still a matter of burials for parishioners. The lack of a dedicated cemetery was cause for concern among the early Catholics, but Mt. Albion was undoubtedly a sufficient alternative as there was little room for choice.
In 1873 under the direction of Rev. John Marius Castaldi the Catholics purchased a tract of land on Brown Road in the Town of Gaines for use as a parish cemetery. Upon its opening, many families elected to remove their loved ones to the newly established cemetery. Commonly referred to as “Holy Cross” or the “Old St. Joseph’s Cemetery,” the official cemetery ledger refers to the cemetery as “Holy Sepulchre” and served the congregation for nearly 50 years.
When property was purchased for the new cemetery, a new chapel was to be erected on site. Under the direction of parishioner Pasquale DiLaura, the Romanesque Revival chapel was constructed of Medina Sandstone at a cost of $10,000. The roof was covered with terra cotta tiles and the vault inside could hold approximately 15 bodies during the winter months.
The beautiful stained glass windows were manufactured by the Frohe Art Glass Company of Buffalo under the direction of Leo P. Frohe. The windows were some of the last created under his supervision before his death in 1919.
The opening of the new location provided Catholics with a cemetery along one of the main thoroughfares into Albion, rivaling the location of Mt. Albion Cemetery.
Established families were encouraged to purchase new lots in the new cemetery and provided with credits and buy-backs for unfilled lots at the old cemetery. The parish sold off adjacent land at the old location and reinterred numerous bodies between 1920 and 1925, essentially ending the sale of any new plots on Brown Road.
Families who wished for the old cemetery to serve as their final resting place were offered vacated or unfilled plots at resale.
This photograph, taken June 15, 1923, shows the cemetery at an early stage of development. Many of the gravestones shown in the image are from families who elected to have their loved ones reinterred at the new location. A large granite stone, front right, marks the gravesite of John Cunneen, local attorney and one-term New York State Attorney General.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Honeycrisp apples are pictured in October at the Roberts Circle R fruit stand and farm market on Route 18 in Carlton.
Press Release, NY Farm Bureau
ALBANY New York Farm Bureau leaders met with members of New York’s Congressional delegation this past week in Washington, DC, discussing the organization’s public policy priorities for 2016 at the federal level.
New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton and Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s associate director of National Affairs, discussed the priorities during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.
GMO LABELING
New York’s visit was timely with next week’s expected markup of Senator Pat Robert’s bill that would establish national standards for the labeling of products that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
GMO labeling is an important issue in New York State as a proposed bill looks to create a statewide label for ingredients created with the assistance of biotechnology. This disregards the clear scientific evidence that shows the food is just as safe and nutritious as ingredients bred using more traditional methods, NYFB officials said.
New York Farm Bureau opposes a statewide approach because it would create a patchwork of labeling laws that would prove costly for New York farmers and consumers alike. Because of the concern, New York Farm Bureau is currently supportive of Senator Robert’s bill.
The chairman’s proposal is centered on a strong foundation to protect interstate commerce and prevent state-by-state labeling laws. It will direct USDA to initiate formal rulemaking to set definitions and standards for the labeling of products that may contain ingredients derived from agricultural biotechnology. The bill also contains an educational component to inform consumers about the safety of GMOs.
“Public policy must be based on sound science and not on fear and misinformation shared on social media,” said Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau president. “Broad or individual state labeling requirements out there today undermine the public’s trust in the safe and nutritious food our farmers grow, without balancing the benefits that GMOs provide to our environment and to hungry populations around the world.”
Regulations
New York Farm Bureau has long been in opposition to proposed changes to the Clean Water Act (CWA) that members believe broaden the jurisdiction from navigable waters to also including dry land. The new “Waters of the U.S.” rule will vastly increase the scope of the CWA and put an undue burden and more regulatory control on farmers and their land with no benefit to the environment.
Both houses of Congress voted in a bipartisan fashion to repeal the rule. Unfortunately, the President vetoed the measure. That doesn’t mean this issue is settled. The Sixth Circuit Court has issued a stay based on legal concerns. While it works with way through the legal system, New York Farm Bureau will continue to work with Congress to find a solution on the matter along with advocating for more comprehensive regulatory reform.
“More regulation is being heaped on businesses across the United States, and it is infringing on our ability to be successful and provide jobs, food, fuel and fiber in a sustainable way in this economic climate,” said Norton.
New York Farm Bureau was also successful this year at the American Farm Bureau Federation national meeting in Orlando, FL to pass a resolution in the national policy book related to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NYFB is in support of allowing third party accredited individuals as well as NRCS staff to complete wetland determinations. This will help to reduce the amount of time farmers have to wait to have a determination completed. Currently, the delays of up to a year hinder what farmers can do with their land.
Immigration Reform
New York Farm Bureau has long been saying that we need a stable workforce on our farms or else the rural economy and our local food supply will ultimately suffer. Despite the political climate in Washington and the current presidential campaign, immigration reform remains a top priority for New York Farm Bureau. It is time to end the immigration stalemate and pass reform legislation that addresses short and long-term farm labor needs.
Because of the unlikelihood of that happening in 2016, New York Farm Bureau is changing its focus this year to look for reforming the H2A seasonal guest worker program.
This includes modernizing the application process to use electronic submissions as opposed to the current paper applications that must be mailed to the U.S. Department of Labor. In addition, New York Farm Bureau is looking for opportunities to open up the H2A program to dairy farmers who need help year round.
“When we don’t have labor, crops get left on the trees and on the ground,” said Norton. “We need to work to find avenues to make it easier to find people willing to come to the United States to provide the labor we need for harvest or planting time.”
Until this is completed, New York Farm Bureau will work with Congress to minimize negative impacts of farm labor shortages and will oppose a mandatory E-Verify program unless and until a new comprehensive agricultural guest-worker program is in place to provide farmers with workforce security.
Food Safety Rules
Food safety is another top priority for New York Farm Bureau. Our farmers already participate in a host of food safety programs and audits, and the FDA is in the process of implementing new food safety rules as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
New York Farm Bureau is monitoring the implementation, particularly those dealing with produce and animal feed, and will be working with the FDA to balance the compliance burden with an actual public health benefit.
“It is important that the FDA works with New York State to provide both the necessary funding and training that will help educate our farmers about their new responsibilities,” said Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s Associate Director of National Affairs. “We also will be monitoring the roll out so the rules will be applied fairly and consistently across the country so as not to put New York growers at a disadvantage.”
Federal money should also be used to provide adequate training of inspectors and provide for inspections for foreign farms. The United States must ensure foreign farms and the goods that they produce are held to the same standards so as not to make domestic farms non-competitive and offshore our food production. If we are to be able to compete on the world market place, our farmers’ hands cannot be tied by our own rules and food should be safe regardless of where it comes from.
Trade
With a growing export market for a number of things that we produce in New York, New York Farm Bureau will continue to support the next generation of trade negotiations that remove unscientific barriers and high tariffs and provide new opportunities for our farms. This includes the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement with the European Union.
The TPP agreement is expected to increase cash receipts and net exports from New York by $111.4 million and $66.2 millionper year respectively. It is estimated that the increased marketing opportunities for New York’s farmers and ranchers will add more than 500jobs to the New York economy.
“These trade agreements are great for our farmers to improve access to markets,” said Wolters.
New York Farm Bureau will also continue to oppose limitations on the use of geographic indicators. Restricting geographical names for food, like feta and parmesan, would inhibit the marketability and competitiveness of U.S. food products.
“New York agriculture is a large part of the state’s economy. We have nearly 36,000 farms and more than 200,000 jobs in totality when you include processing and on farm jobs. We are working to continue to make sure farmers are here and the landscape is prosperous,” said Norton.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo: www.DonaldJTrump.com – Donald Trump has emerged as the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.
ALBION – The Orleans County Republican Committee endorsed Donald Trump for president today in a unanimous vote among about 60 committee members.
The county might be the first to officially endorse Trump for president, said Ed Morgan, chairman of the Orleans County Republican Party.
“He’s a businessman who has been very successful,” Morgan said. “Government should be run as a business and not political.”
Trump, the real estate mogul and reality television star, has emerged the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. Morgan asked the local committee if any members wanted to endorse another candidate. Everyone backed Trump.
Morgan said he has met Trump several times, including when Trump was weighing a run for state governor against Andrew Cuomo in 2014. Trump opted not to run. Morgan and other Republican leaders in Western New York travelled to Manhattan in January 2014 to meet with Trump.
Photo courtesy of Ed Morgan – Donald Trump, left, poses for a photo with Ed Morgan, Orleans County Republican Party chairman, at a meeting in New York City in January 2014.
Morgan said Trump in person and on the phone is different from the bombastic persona on television.
“Yes, he’s a little radical and he pulls no punches,” Morgan said. “But in person he’s a totally different person to talk to.”
Trump has surrounded himself with skilled leaders in his businesses, Morgan said, and he expects Trump would do the same as president.
“He will pick the best, whether Republican or Democrat,” Morgan said. “He will have the brightest and smartest cabinet we’ve ever had.”
The Orleans County GOP Committee follows an endorsement from Congressman Chris Collins this week. Collins was the first member of the House of Representatives to back Trump.
Collins attended today’s Orleans GOP meeting, and he stated his support for Trump.
In announcing his support for Trump on Wednesday, Collins said Trump would “end business as usual” in Washington.
“Donald Trump has clearly demonstrated that he has both the guts and the fortitude to return our nation’s jobs stolen by China, take on our enemies like ISIS, Iran, North Korea and Russia, and most importantly, reestablish the opportunity for our children and grandchildren to attain the American Dream,” Collins said. “That is why I am proud to endorse him as the next President of the United States.”
The Orleans GOP also endorsed Collins for a third term in Congress. The Clarence businessman was first elected to the 27th Congressional District in 2012.
The Orleans Republicans also endorsed State Sen. Robert Ortt of North Tonawanda, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley of Batavia and State Assemblywoman Jane Corwin of Clarence for two-year terms in the State Legislature.
