By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2013 at 12:00 am
KENDALL – A project that will significantly add to the town of Kendall and Orleans County tax base will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
Construction has started on the Cottages at Troutburg, a new three-season waterfront community along the Lake Ontario shoreline in Kendall. There could be 400 houses built on a 126-acre site in the next eight to 10 years.
The Wegman Group is developing the project at a former Salvation Army camp that includes a half-mile of lake front property at the eastern end of Kendall.
The Wegman Group estimates the project will have a $40 million dollar impact for the town of Kendall and the county. The Cottages at Troutburg will add 40 to 50 new jobs over the next couple of years. The cottages range in size from 450 to 1,300 square feet.
“We chose this site because it is spectacularly beautiful and will offer residents endless opportunities for lakefront recreational activities,” said Dan Wegman, president at The Wegman Group. “This location also makes it convenient and accessible to families and seniors from Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse and even Toronto.”
The Cottages at Troutburg provide owners a maintenance free, secure living experience through a range of cottage and cabin styles for sale and land lease. Residents will have access to swimming, fishing and boating; open recreation areas, including a playground, two tennis courts and a basketball court; walking trails; a heated swimming pool; community center; and gated community with a keypad.
The ribbon-cutting on Wednesday will be at 19 Monroe-Orleans County Line Rd. The following officials are scheduled to attend: State Sen. George Maziarz, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Orleans County Legislature Chairman David Callard, Kendall Town Supervisor Dan Gaesser, Kendall Planning Board Chairman Paul Gray, Kendall Town Clerk Amy Richardson, and members of the Orleans Economic Development Agency, including CEO Jim Whipple, and Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The former Chase site in Albion closed earlier this month after laying off about 400 people. County officials are optimistic the site will soon be utilized by another company.
New data from the state Department of Labor shows Orleans County has one of the highest unemployment rates in upstate, and the report is based on August numbers, before JPMorgan Chase shut down its Albion call center that employed about 400 people.
Orleans County’s 8.4 percent unemployment rate is only topped in upstate by St. Lawrence County, 9.1 percent; Oswego, 8.8; and Montgomery, 8.5. New York City has an 8.7 percent unemployment rate with Bronx County, at 12.0 percent, the highest in the state.
The job picture in Orleans is worse than similar-size nearby rural counties. Genesee has a 5.8 percent unemployment rate, while Wyoming is at 6.6 and Livingston, 6.7.
Orleans is in much better shape than a year ago when it had an 11.0 percent unemployment rate in August 2012. It’s also slightly better than July 2013 when the rate was 8.5 percent.
Orleans County officials are optimistic the Chase site will soon be reused. I noticed several contractors are working at the site this week. The county’s economic development officials said they can not offer any specifics about the site’s future due to confidentiality agreements.
The site is in good shape and accommodated 1,000 workers only a few years ago. There is also readily accessible parking for several hundreds cars.
State-wide the latest unemployment report shows the private sector job count increased by 126,800 from August 2012 to August 2013. The state’s unemployment rate was 7.6 percent in August 2013 and the economy added 22,700 private sector jobs, bringing the job count to a record high, according to the Department of Labor.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2013 at 12:00 am
WASHINGTON, D.C. – If the government shuts down after next Tuesday, due to a showdown in Congress over funding a new health care law, Congressman Chris Collins said members of Congress should not accept their paychecks.
Collins, R-Clarence, has introduced the Government Shutdown Fairness Act (H.R. 3160). This legislation would stop members of Congress from receiving a salary in the event of a government shutdown.
“As members of Congress, it is our job to keep the government running, and if the government shuts down, I don’t believe we should collect a salary during that time,” Collins said in a press release. “It is wrong that members of Congress should continue to get paid while programs for veterans, seniors and many others are adversely impacted.”
This type of legislation has proven effective in the past, Collins said. Earlier this year, the House passed the “No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013,” which said members of Congress would not be paid unless they passed a budget. Following the passage of No Budget, No Pay, the Senate adopted a budget resolution for the first time in four years, Collins said.
“Salary and job performance should be tied together, and if members of Congress aren’t doing their job, that should be reflected in their salary,” Collins said. “The American people deserve more from their Congress and it is time, as members of Congress, that we put ourselves at the back of the line and put our constituents first in a government shutdown.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – I’ve heard the jokes for years, that downtown Albion resembled an air strip at night when the tall lights were shining bright.
The village has swapped out most of the Main Street lights with newer LED lights that village officials say use about a tenth of the energy for the same shine. The village also replaced the globes on about 30 lights.
I wanted to see what the new lights looked like at night. I went out tonight and I think they’re an improvement. The light seems mostly focused downward, with some sidelight. That’s quite a contrast from the previous lights that sent light in every direction.
I couldn’t unearth a before-picture from my Albion archives, but I remember how the sides of the buildings, often on the second floor, had so much light on them with the old lights.
Those lights also directed light upwards, giving the air strip impression. I don’t think that’s the case anymore.
The village soon should have some potted trees, bike racks, and other street-scape improvements as part of a Main Street grant, which will make downtown even more appealing.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2013 at 12:00 am
After debuting last year, county now has 3 teams
Photos by Tom Rivers – Members of the First Lego League work on their Lego robot Monday. The 4-H youths include, from left: Maxim Rambach of Medina, Deegan Bragg of Medina, Zach Moore of Albion, Daniel Squire of Medina and Jayden Neal of Albion. Three Lego teams practice at Liberty Fresh Farms in Albion, the home of the former Remley Printing Company.
ALBION – Monday was a glorious day for a group of 4-H’ers. A new Lego robot kit arrived for a team of Lego builders.
Tiny plastic pieces were then carefully set in rows and piles. The 4-H’ers then began the task of turning the parts into a robot that could be programmed to move pieces and conquer obstacles.
The 4-H program last year launched a First Lego League team. There were 13 kids on the team last year. The Lego League has grown in popularity with 26 members, ages 8 to 14 this year. They are split into three teams.
Zach Moore, 12, of Albion is a returning member. He spent part of Monday’s Lego meeting putting tank treads on the Lego robot “so it can climb over things,” Zach said.
Zach is active in 4-H and shows animals at the 4-H Fair. He prefers working with the Legos.
“I’ve always liked building things,” he said.
One of the Lego teams opened a new robot kit on Monday, which caused great excitement. That team is led by coaches Jason Foote, left, and Michael Beach, who both have sons in the program.
The 4-H Lego Club draws members from throughout the county. Zach said he made many new friends last year in the Lego Club’s debut season. This year incudes 12 returning players, and 14 newcomers, which is fine with Zach.
“Hopefully I’ll make more friends this year,” he said.
The Lego Club was going to practice and have meetings at the fairgrounds in Knowlesville. But the growing program outgrew the space.
The Panek family, owners of an onion packing facility on Route 98 in Albion, offered the upstairs of the former Remley Printing Company building for the teams.
The Paneks’ offer is the latest example of generous support for the Lego teams, and also a robotics club that is in its third year, said Erik Seielstad, one of the program’s coaches and mentors.
Xerox in Rochester and Baxter International in Medina are the main sponsors for the teams in Orleans County, but several other businesses are supporting the program. Each Lego team requires about $1,000 for field kits, robots and entry fees. The robotic team, which features 17 high schoolers, needs about $15,000 a year to compete in events.
Albion friends and Lego team members James Michael Beach, left, and Jacob Foote, both 9, look over the pieces of a new Lego kit.
Seielstad provides hands-on supervision of the teams, while his wife Marlene has become an effective fund-raiser for the program.
“She has a vast network for funding,” her husband said.
Mr. Seielstad, a systems engineer in Rochester, is pleased to see the 4-H members so focused during their meetings.
“It’s a good program,” he said. “It gives kids an opportunity to do stuff. The kids drive it and they make it happen.”
The Lego teams meet three times a week in the fall, and then it drops down to once a month in the winter and spring after their main competition later in the fall. The robotics team starts in January.
The Lego teams through FLL are all working with a common theme – Nature’s Fury – this year. They need to research natural disasters and program their robots to respond to the aftermath. That could mean removing a dangling branch after a hurricane ripped through a neighborhood.
Teams are researching sandstorms, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and other disasters, and they need to have a response plan in place, with the robot moving quickly to complete tasks. The robot may be outfitted with arms or claws to perform some of its missions.
Jason Foote and Mike Beach are co-mentors of one of the teams. Their sons, Jacob Foote and James Michael Beach, are both 9 and they are returning players.
“They’re using Legos to solve real-world problems,” said Mr. Foote, who works as a civil engineer.
James Michael enjoys Legos, and looks forward to the meetings through 4-H.
“It’s still Legos, but they’re taking it to the next step with technology,” said Mr. Beach, a team leader for quality control at CRFS. “You’re trying to get a robot to accomplish something.”
ALBION The Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home in Albion will use its historic property to host its first-ever classic car show on Sunday.
The funeral home can fit up to 100 cars at 12 Ingersoll St. The car show runs from 1 to 5 p.m. The show will be a benefit for Hospice of Orleans.
Funeral Director Rebekah Karls said she got the idea for this event from colleagues involved in “Hotrods for Hospice” in Rochester.
“We’ve got plenty of parking spaces right on our property,” Karls said, “and this is something different from a lot of the other benefits we have going on locally. Hospice is such an important part of our community. We wanted to find a way to support it.”
The auto show will feature food, music, a 50/50 raffle, and trophies for the classic and custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles (best in show, best paint, fan favorite, etc.).
Also coming up, on Oct. 12, will be the Cross-Country 5k Race and Memory Walk, hosted by Brown’s Berry Patch at 14264 Roosevelt Highway in Waterport.
The race, which starts at 10 a.m., invites runners and walkers to enjoy the fall foliage during a brisk (or leisurely) stroll through the woods, orchards and fields of the Brown farm. The Rotary Club of Albion co-sponsors the event, which features a professionally sanctioned and timed 3.1-mile course, as well as a 1-mile fun walk option.
“This will be our 17th year of hosting this race and we consider it a privilege to help support our local Hospice,” said Margy Brown. “It’s a great way to spend a Saturday morning.”
Contact Hospice of Orleans at 585-589-0809 for more information about either event.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 September 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Brad Rouse, a village of Albion sewer plant worker, this morning changes the bulb and globe of a light just north of the Erie Canal.
ALBION – Albion is swapping out about 30 street lights on Main Street with energy-efficient LED lights. The new 30 to 50 watt lights will use about a tenth of the energy as the 400 watt incandescent lights while maintaining similar levels of brightness.
Village employees Brad Rouse and Jay Pahura have been working to replace the lights. They worked on a section north of the canal this morning.
An incandescent light is pictured at left and a new LED light is at right.
Rouse had the high work, using a bucket truck from the village of Medina to remove the old bulbs and light globes. Pahura removed the transformer, starter and diffuser from the old lights. The new lights don’t need those components.
The village expects the new lights will quickly pay for themselves with the energy savings.
The village of Albion is replacing the street lights on Main Street with energy-efficient LED lights.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 September 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Medina resident who allegedly stole $20,000 in lottery tickets has rejected a plea deal that would have spared her from state prison. The case against Kim Capstick will now go to trial beginning Nov. 6 and Capstick could face 1 1/3 to 4 years if convicted.
Orleans County Court Judge James Punch asked Capstick several times in court today if she wanted to go to trial and face the possibility of time in state prison. She was offered a plea deal that would have resulted in no more than six months in county jail plus five years of probation.
Capstick and her attorney Thomas Burns declined the plea offer.
Capstick worked at Curvin’s News and Smoke Shop in Medina from February 2011 to June 2012 when the alleged thefts occurred. She has been charged with one count of third-degree grand larceny.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 September 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Holley Deputy Mayor David Dill and Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Mary Ellen Ridley are helping to plan a parade of lights on Dec. 7, as well as a memory bulb lighting for a Christmas tree that will be by the fountain in the Public Square.
HOLLEY – Village officials believe a popular new holiday tradition has begun, and Holley wants to build on the event, which includes a parade of lights and memory bulb lighting in the Public Square.
Holley since 1982 has lighted a Christmas tree in the Public Square not long after Thanksgiving. Residents can pay $5 to have a bulb dedicated in memory of a loved one. That person’s name will be announced during a tree lighting ceremony.
Two years ago Holley decided to expand the event, by having a parade of lights. There were five or six entries, mostly fire trucks, in the first year. Last year word spread about the parade and there were 45 entries.
The village now wants to extend the holiday celebration even more. This year’s event is planned for Dec. 7, beginning with a breakfast with Santa at 10 a.m. at the Eastern Orleans Community Center.
There will be carolers in the Public Square for several hours, with student groups from Holley Central School and the Old Paths Bible Baptist Church. Vendors are also sought to sell refreshments and crafts.
“We want people to come into town to see our businesses,” said Deputy Mayor David Dill, one of the coordinators of the holiday celebration.
Holley started the parade of lights after seeing the success of the event in Medina. That community will host its fifth annual parade of lights on Nov. 30.
Holley urges parade participants to string lights on a flatbed truck, bicycle, car or even people to be part of the fun.
For more information, call the Village Office at (585) 638-6367, ext. 103.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 September 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Care Net Center of Greater Orleans provides free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and other resources to families in crisis. The organization, which is based in the former Lipton’s office building across from McDonalds in Albion, has a new director, Gloria Lear. The staff includes, from left: Tiffani Ford, client services manager; Jocelyn Wilson, office manager; Lear; and Mary Jane Jimenez, nurse.
ALBION – An organization, which has been serving women and families in crisis pregnancies since 1989, has a new leader.
Gloria Lear, a former director of volunteer services and physician liaison for Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport, is now director of the Care Net Center of Greater Orleans. The organization is nearing its 25th anniversary in Orleans County.
Care Net is based out of the former Lipton’s office building on Route 31 in Albion, across from McDonalds. Care Net provides free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, tests for sexually transmitted infections, and other resources for families, including peer support and material aid.
“We want to help people make healthier choices, and not judge them for any of their decisions,” Lear said at the center, 111 West Ave.
Care Net is solely funded by donations, and many churches support the group’s mission. Lear wants to expand Care Net’s support throughout the community.
“We want to expand out outreach beyond the churches,” she said. “My main goal is to make a difference in the community.”
Lear has a degree in business and is working on a bachelor’s degree in public health. The Albion residents has three children, ages 13, 17 and 20. She has been a volunteer dance instructor the past eight years for Gotta Dance by Miss Amy.
Lear is part of a Care Net team that includes four part-time staff, including a nurse, client services manager and office manager.
Care Net is planning its annual “Walk for Life” at 9 a.m. on Nov. 2 at Mount Albion Cemetery. Participants can secure sponsors for the walk. For more information, contact Care Net at 589-7505.
