Gov. Andrew Cuomo and State Sen. Robert Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, have both issued statements following the conviction of former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son Adam on bribery, extortion and conspiracy counts.
Skelos, a Republican from Long Island, is the second State Legislature leader found guilty of public corruption following the conviction of former State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on Nov. 30.
“There can be no tolerance for those who use, and seek to use, public service for private gain,” Gov. Cuomo said in a statement. “The justice system worked today. However, more must be done and will be pursued as part of my legislative agenda. The convictions of former Speaker Silver and former Majority Leader Skelos should be a wakeup call for the Legislature and it must stop standing in the way of needed reforms.”
Ortt issued this statement:
“Hopefully today’s decision will serve as a catalyst for good government in Albany,” Ortt said. “Although the Senate took important steps toward that end this year, such as stripping pensions from convicted elected officials, more work remains. That’s why I will continue to support increased transparency and accountability measures, so that we can restore the public’s trust in state government.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2015 at 12:00 am
STAMP project could get boost from $500 million in Upstate initiative
Orleans County is part of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council which was approved for $500 million in state funds on Thursday, one of three regions in the state that will share $1.5 billion in the Upstate Revitalization Initiative.
The state created 10 regional economic development councils to compete for funds about five years ago. With the new Upstate initiative, only three will receive funding. Besides the Finger Lakes region, the Southern Tier and Central NY were approved for $500 million each.
Jim Whipple, chief executive officer for the Orleans Economic Development Agency, said the $500 million will go towards larger projects in the region.
“It’s not for the nuts and bolts of economic development,” he said.
He expects some of the money will go towards advancing the STAMP site in the Town of Alabama, just south of Orleans County. That high-tech site includes 1,250 acres.
In announcing the Finger Lakes as a $500 million winner, state officials said it wants to build on the Rochester area as national Institute for Manufacturing Innovation focusing on field of integrated photonics, for which the State has committed $250 million in support.
The Finger Lakes Region’s plan consists of three industry clusters, or pillars, that will act as the core drivers of job and output growth: Optics, Photonics, and Imaging; Agriculture and Food Production, and Next Generation Manufacturing and Technology.
“I am extremely excited and proud to announce that the Finger Lakes region was a winner of the Upstate Revitalization Initiative,” said State Assemblyman Steve Hawley. “Economic Development is extremely important in New York State and our potential for job growth, innovation and expansion in science and technology and new businesses is at an all-time high. I look forward to working with local officials, developers and businesses to make my Assembly District the crown jewel of the Finger Lakes region.”
The state identified the following as top projects for the Finger Lakes region:
Sibley Building Phase II – $3,500,000 award from state
This $65 million project represents the second phase portion of a comprehensive, $200 million redevelopment strategy for the 1.1 million square-foot historic Sibley department store building in downtown Rochester, across from the new transit center. Phase II will include the development of 96 market rate and middle-income apartment units, 34,000 square-feet of Class A office space, 10,000 square-feet of retail space, retail pushcarts, an urban farmers market, and 150 underground parking spaces.
University of Rochester Goergen Institute for Data Science – $1,000,000
The University of Rochester adopted data science as its top priority in its 2013-2018 Strategic Plan and announced a $50 million effort – in addition to $50 million in previous investments – to create an internationally distinguished Institute for Data Science. The University seeks to leverage $25 million in private support already raised to construct a new 60,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that will be the academic home for the New York State Center of Excellence in Data Science and build upon existing University infrastructure and strengths, such as the Health Sciences Center for Computational Innovation.
Energy Storage Ecosystem Resources – Safety Testing and Cylindrical Cell Prototyping – $2,000,000
This project entails fitting up space at Eastman Business Park, including the purchase and installation of equipment required to perform safety testing and certification for energy storage devices at the BEST Test Commercialization Center (BTCC) and to provide cylindrical cell prototyping capabilities at the Battery Prototyping Center on the campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology. The proposed expansion to the BTCC includes modifications to facilities to fit up an additional 4,000 square-feet of specialized laboratory space and additional equipment that will allow for safety testing for individual cells and battery packs.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2015 at 8:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Elizabeth Cooper has been making one-of-kind-dolls since 1980 with her business, Cooper Dolls. She has her studio at 107 Pearl Street and will be open during the weekends before Christmas on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
MEDINA – The dolls are shipped all over the country and world, noting they are “Made in Medina, NY.”
Fisher-Price may have left town two decades ago, but a Medina woman, Elizabeth Cooper, keeps up a Medina tradition of producing desired and whimsical creations.
Cooper has worked for 35 years making dolls. Santas and fairies are her most popular, but she also has other series featuring immigrants and popular characters such as Peter Pan and Snow White.
She discussed the business and the art of making dolls during an interview last week at her studio on Pearl Street.
Some of the fairies created by Cooper are next to a Fairy House she also made.
Question: How did you learn how to do this?
Answer: My father (the late James Cooper) was an art teacher at Roy-Hart and he was always working in clay. He did a lot of sculpting and painting. Much of what I’ve learned is through observation. I grew up with clay and art materials. It’s just a matter of practice.
People will ask, ‘How long does it take to make a doll?’ If I’m having a good sculpting day, it may take a day but it’s 30 years of practice.
Q: I would consider your brothers, Tim and James, to both be artists. Certainly Tim has a knack for historic preservation. (Cooper’s studio in Medina is a building her brother Tim renovated.)
A: Tim (owner of Cooper Funeral Home) is very much into restoration and history. That is his creative outlet. He has worked on quite a few buildings in town.
Q: The other brother James is an artist.
A: He is a licensed architect who does quite a bit of painting. He does watercolor renderings of homes.
We’re all self-employed. It’s a generational thing because the Cooper family was in Medina for six generations. They started a grocery store on East Center Street. That’s where they started the Cooper building.
My mother (the late Rosemary Cooper) was a real estate broker in Medina and my grandfather on the maternal side, he owned O’Briens bar. We’ve all been self-employed.
Cooper created these dolls of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Q: Were you a teen-ager dabbling in doll-making?
A: I grew up with art materials and clay. I’ve always loved figurative sculpture. After college – I had a psychology degree from Wells College – I decided I would get my art certification from Buffalo State. My mom got sick right after I graduated. We all kind of came back home after she got sick. We stayed in Medina.
As far as clay, having clay in my hand is something I’ve had for my whole life. I’m most comfortable with a piece of clay.
Q: Did your dad do clay work?
A: Yes, he did sculptures. He did soldiers. My father also did several paintings and sculptures on the canal. The grocery store that my great-great grandparents owned was built during the canal days.
Q: When people hear art, they might just think painting and drawing. But there is more.
A: We always had art projects going on.
Cooper sculpts a hand for one of her dolls.
Q: I wonder when you got serious about making dolls?
A: I started doing my first shows when I was living in Ithaca. It was the Kenan Center in Lockport about 35 years ago. I started doing that and did many, many shows just as a hobby. In 1993 after my mom had died I just decided to do what my heart said.
So I went out and got a studio. I researched the most collectible item in the country. In the early ’90s it was dolls and Santas. I said, OK, I will do that. I produced them and did every show I possibly could do. My business started growing. That’s pretty much how it started. I decided to follow my heart and do what I wanted.
Q: How do you term these, one-of-kind dolls?
A: The term is called artist dolls in the business. We produce our own dolls. In the country there used to be quite a few artists who did dolls. A lot of them decided to produce in China, but I would never to that.
Q: They would subcontract it out and have people make them in China?
A: They would design a doll and send it to China to be produced so they would have an edition of maybe 200 to 5,000, something like that.
These are some of the angels made by Elizabeth Cooper.
Q: Yours seem to be all different.
A: The ones I have are all one-of-kind.
Q: They seem to have relatives or go together.
A: Once you do it thousands and thousands of times, they’re all cousins I think.
So I do a lot of shows. I was in Kansas City at a show in July. I’ve done Boston, Washington, D.C. and Disney. Disney used to host an artist doll show.
These are all conventions. That’s my market, collectible dolls.
Q: Are there a lot of people like you?
A: There’s not a lot anymore. I was just asked to do, as one of seven artist dollmakers, a convention in Washington, D.C. I was one of seven so that’s quite an honor.
Q: Why aren’t there more?
A: It’s a hard business to sustain. I don’t have any children so I can devote most of my time to my work. You have to be willing to travel.
Q: I know you have the studio here where people can come in and buy dolls, but how else do you sell them?
A: I sell through magazines and my website (click here), and I have a lot of collectors who will come to my studio.
Q: It looks like the dolls start at $95 for the smaller ones. I have to think the bigger ones are much more, as they should be, given the effort.
A: Sometimes they will have auctions and some of my work goes for $1,200. I do ornaments for $20 if somebody wants a gift for the office, just for the Christmas season.
Q: If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?
A: When I was first looking into colleges, I really wanted to become an art teacher. My father, who was an art teacher, said get a liberal arts education, and then get your certification. So that is what I did.
After my mom got sick I got my studio. If life had turned out differently, I probably would have been an art teacher right from the beginning or something involved in the arts.
Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
Q: There must be a lot of people who own a doll that you made.
A: There are, especially in this area because I’ve done the Kenan Center show for so many years and have built up a following. One of my ideas for my business was not to have something that people just want to buy one of. So I made them into collections, where people could add to their collections year after year. That was my business plan.
Q: What are some of the series?
A: The holiday themes. I do the Santas, children building snowmen or on sleds. Anything I did growing up comes out in my work.
Q: Why do you think people like these compared to grabbing something from Wal-Mart.
A: I think the uniqueness. They know it’s one-of-a-kind and no one else has it. It’s hand-made in this area, hand-made in Medina and I think that means something to people.
Q: Is that noted on the label, Made in Medina?
A: Yes.
Q: You make the dolls, but the clothes also seems a talent.
A: I usually look for vintage materials, vintage silks and vintage velvets. The fur trims on the Santas, I cut up old fur coats. I do all of the sewing and costuming myself, too. So it’s a full-time job.
Q: And you can make money at this?
A: I’ve done OK.
Q: You’ve had a presence in this building for how long?
A: I’ve been here for three years. My brother also owned a place on Park Avenue and I think I moved in there in 2000. My very first studio was in the Curry Building on the second floor in downtown Medina.
A lot of people don’t really know what I do. I’m open for the Christmas season but for the rest of the year I’m producing or doing shows. My place is really open from Thanksgiving to Christmas to the public, and then it’s by appointment. I host doll clubs that will come.
Q: You’re looking to move back to Medina?
A: I married Michael Leone in 1998. His father was a doctor in Medina. We lived two blocks apart but we never knew each other. When I moved back to Medina we met each other again.
Immigrants from Ireland
We both had also grown up on Lake Ontario so we built a house in 2003 at Point Breeze. Now we’re coming back to where our heart is in Medina. We really miss the sense of community.
Q: Could we look at some of your dolls. (Walks over to display room.) Do your early pieces have a similar style like your more current ones?
A: No. I first started in fabric as far as dolls went and then I went to polymer clay. These are my immigrants. Growing up we were always told the story of the immigrants coming over from Ireland.
Growing up we always went to Gallagher’s Hill for sledding so I had to recreate Gallagher’s Hill. I’m so pleased they are restoring the barn. It’s beautiful.
Sledders at Gallagher’s Hill
Q: Have you been written up in the doll magazines?
A: Many of the doll magazines have gone out of business, but I’ve been in most of them. I’ve won several awards for “Doll of the Year.”
Q: Are these Santas in their casual wear?
A: A lot of my Santas are European Santas. I do a lot of European Santas from different countries. I always like to include sheep or animals – I’ve always got dogs and cats.
I’m always doing something different. I’m never bored.
For convention shows I do storybook characters. I do Alice, Peter Pan, the Mad Hatter. I do a lot of fairies, which are very collectible.
Q: Do you get any creative help with all of this.
A: I always abuse my friends and family. They’re always helping me get ready for shows.
Q: How do you keep this interesting for yourself?
A: I don’t know what it is but I never get bored with it. Every year I try to bring in a new piece.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 10 December 2015 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – This photo from October 2014 shows the side of the old Holley High School facing Route 31. The Landmark Society of Western New York named the school to its annual list of “Five to Revive.”
HOLLEY – Leaders in Holley say it is very preliminary at this point, but Village Board members have been meeting with a developer who has an interest in the old Holley High School building located at the prominent intersection of routes 31 and 237.
Deputy Mayor Brian Sorochty says Rochester-based developer Home Leasing, LLC, specializes in the development, construction and management of apartment-style communities.
“It’s early in the process,” Sorochty said. “There are many hurdles to get over.”
Those hurdles include issues regarding the title and back taxes, he said. Stakeholders met Tuesday afternoon to hear from the developer regarding, “what they are thinking and what are the next steps,” Sorochty said.
The former Holley High School was constructed in 1931 and was placed on the Landmark Society of Western New York’s “Five to Revive” list in 2013.
The building has been vacant for about 20 years. The Landmark Society is trying to get the site on the National Register of Historic Places, which would make a rehab project eligible for tax credits.
Home Leasing is currently a co-developer in the Eastman Gardens Complex in Rochester, which involves converting another historic building on the 2013 “Five To Revive” list – the Eastman Dental Dispensary – into apartments for seniors 55 years and older, Sorochty noted.
Village leaders plan to meet with Home Leasing again in January.
Regarding the regular meeting of the Village Board Tuesday evening, Sorochty said that board members approved the hiring of two new part-time police officers, pending background checks.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Orleans plans to replace more bridges and culverts in 2016
Photos by Tom Rivers – Orleans County officials and contractors for the Oak Orchard Road bridge in Barre gathered for a ribbon-cutting celebration on Wednesday for the new bridge near the muck. Pictured, from left: Chris Bayer, a civil engineer with LaBella Associates; County Legislator John DeFillipps; Highway Superintendent Jerry Gray; Legislature Chairman David Callard; Chuck Nesbitt, county chief administrative officer; Legislator Bill Eick; Legislator Ken DeRoller; and Karl Snyder, the estimator and project manager for Redman Construction in Brockport.
BARRE – A bridge near the muck was torn out in August and a new precast box culvert was put in its place. The new bridge opened last week, and county officials and contractors celebrated the conclusion of the project with a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday.
That wraps up the infrastructure work in a busy 2015 in Orleans County. The county also replaced a bridge from 1934 over Beardsley Creek on Waterport-Carlton Road in Carlton, and two culverts on Knowlesville Road in Ridgeway over the Oak Orchard Creek.
(The county also put a new roof on the Public Safety Building, and added two new pole barns for the Highway Department on West Academy Street.)
Orleans has more projects in the works in 2016 and ’17. Next year it will replace a bridge from 1959 in Kendall on Carton Road over Sandy Creek, and a bridge from 1936 in Ridgeway over Fish Creek on East Scott Road. It will also replace two culverts on Platten Road in Yates, just east of the Village of Lyndonville.
The plan for 2017 includes bridges from 1928 in Ridgeway over Fish Creek on Culvert Road, and a bridge from 1956 in Kendall over Sandy Creek on Norway Road. The county will also replace two culverts on South Holley Road in Clarendon.
The new bridge in Barre goes over Manning Muckland Creek. The bridge has new guard rails, and is wider with more room on the shoulders.
The infrastructure work is part of an $8 million bond taken out last year to address bridges that had badly deteriorated. The federal and state governments would normally help pay for the projects, but those dollars have been hard to come by in recent years for Orleans County.
County officials worried the bridges would be “red flagged” by the state Department of Transportation with weight reductions. That would make travel more difficult, especially for the farm equipment, school buses and plow trucks.
The DOT considered 49 of the 131 bridges in the county to be rated deficient, as of Aug. 31, 2015. The DOT rates bridges on a score of 3.00 to 7.00. Anything less than a 5.00 is considered deficient.
The county will replace six bridges from 2015 to 2017, doing two each year. That should bring the number of deficient bridges down from 49 to 43.
The two bridges replaced this year had very low ratings. The bridge over Beardsley Creek in Carlton was rated a 3.80, and the bridge over Manning Muckland Creek in Barre was rated a 3.85.
The base of the new bridge in Barre notes it was built in 2015.
There has been a benefit to tackling the projects without state and federal help: far less cost and red tape. County officials estimate the projects are about one third cheaper than through the federal programs.
Those reduced expenses should allow the county to replace at least one more culvert or bridge as part of the infrastructure efforts.
“We can do it a lot cheaper,” said Jerry Gray, the county highway superintendent. “We’ve proved it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2015 at 12:00 am
File photos by Tom Rivers – Bent’s Opera House is in line for two state grants. The building is a dominant structure at the corner of Main and East Center streets in downtown Medina.
ALBANY – State officials announced about $2.25 billion in funding for projects across the state today, and some of those dollars will go towards efforts in Orleans County.
The biggest award is $600,000 for the Orleans Economic Development Agency for a new building in the Medina Business Park. The EDA is working to have the shell of a building up to entice a company. Having the exterior of the building in place with the local permits secured would speed up the process for a company to settle in Medina, EDA officials have said.
Other Medina projects were picked for funding include $335,000 in a Main Street NY grant that will be administered by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. The money will assist in renovation of mixed-use buildings in historic downtown Medina.
Downtown Medina will get $335,000 in a Main Street NY grant.
Bent’s Opera House, a landmark structure that opened in 1865 at the corner of Main and East Center streets in Medina, was approved for two grants. A $70,000 grant will go towards includes building stabilization, facade improvements, asbestos abatement and interior renovations at the three-story building.
The state also approved another $150,000 for Bent’s, which is owned by the Orleans Renaissance Group, for additional restoration work.
“This work will represent one phase of a multi-phase restoration project that will not only enhance its appearance, but will also enable public use,” according to the state announcement. “When complete, the Opera House will provide a safe and historic space for public gatherings and events, and will also provide space to several revenue and tax-generating businesses.”
Other projects include:
$200,000 to the Orleans EDA for microenterprise support, including downtown rental subsidies for businesses in the downtown districts in Albion, Holley, Medina and Lyndonville. Some of the state funds can also be used as grants for the small businesses adding equipment or a new line of products.
$126,210 for the chapel at Hillside Cemetery, which is owned by the Town of Clarendon. The Gothic Revival chapel was built of Medina sandstone in 1894. The state funding will go towards restoring the non-denominational chapel and repurpose it for new public uses. Anticipated use includes concerts, historical and art exhibits, and lectures.
The chapel at Hillside Cemetery was approved for state funds for restoration and repurposing.
$40,000 for the Kendall-Yates-Carlton Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. The funds will go towards updating the waterfront plan for the three towns, providing new data on current conditions, policies, and implementation tools and projects.
Issues to be addressed include community revitalization, erosion, transportation infrastructure, water quality, and harbor management. Stakeholder feedback and public input will be solicited throughout development of the amended waterfront development plan.
$36,000 for Orleans County for a law enforcement shared service and efficiency study.
“The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the Police Departments of the Villages of Albion, Lyndonville, Medina, and Holley will commission a study to explore the efficiency of current local law enforcement operations and compare them with alternative policing models, including the potential consolidation of the five departments,” according to the state announcement.
In addition, the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, which is based in Batavia and serves Genesee and Orleans counties, was approved for a $37,500 grant to create a full-time program director position to increase programming and service availabilities throughout its two-county region.
The Town of Alabama, just south of Shelby in Orleans County, was approved for a $1.5 million grant for new water lines to support the WNY Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) and nearby residents.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Normally I’d expect to see snow on the ground with a trip to the Post Office on Dec. 10, but today it was roses.
An Orleans Hub reader told me I had to see the flowers in bloom on the south side of the Post Office on Main Street in Albion. I stopped by today and there they were, looking like it was spring.
I also saw bins full of apples in an orchard today and Mennonites working on a barn-raising in Knowlesville. (They asked that I not take their picture.)
The Erie Canal also is nearly empty of water. This picture shows a dock on the Albion-Eagle Harbor Road, just west of the Village of Albion.
The Orleans County Tourism Department reports that the drained canal has given the local fishery a boost, raising water levels and increasing flows in the local tributaries.
The temperatures will continue to be unseasonably warm with highs of 57 on Friday, 60 on Saturday, 63 on Sunday and 67 on Monday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Roz Starkweather, left, and Sharon Midea, who have each worked nearly a half century in the insurance business, will both retire later this year. They work for Albion Agencies on Main Street.
ALBION – Two insurance agents in Albion have each spent nearly a half century in the business, helping to write policies for home owners, cars, motorcycles, businesses, farms and more.
Roz Starkweather and Sharon Midea have experienced big changes in the industry with the utilization of computers and a shrinking number of insurance carriers.
The two women are thankful for jobs that turned into long careers, allowing them to stay close to home with their families and also connect with so many customers.
“It’s nice to work in town and only have to drive three-tenths of a mile to work,” Midea said.
Both she and Starkweather will retire at the end of the year with their last day in the office on Dec. 22. They are both long-time employees at Albion Agencies. Midea started there in 1970. She handles most of the commercial accounts and is a certified insurance counselor. Starkweather started in insurance when she was in high school in Batavia.
“I started out at 17 and I didn’t know it would be my life work,” Roz said.
She worked for the J.R. Holt agency in Batavia, her hometown. She moved to Albion with her late husband Duane so he could run a gas station at the corner of Hamilton and West Avenue, the current site for Avanti’s. The couple raised three children in Albion.
Roz started working for the former Paganelli Agencies (where Snell Realtors is located). Roz said the insurance job was ideal when she had young kids in school. She would start the workday around 10 and be home when the kids were off the school bus at 3:30.
Starkweather worked at Paganelli’s for 20 years. She would often call Midea when Starkweather was looking for advice on how to handle a commercial account.
That has been typical of the insurance agents in town, the two said. They will call each other. It’s not a competition.
“It’s never been cutthroat,” Midea said.
Midea grew up in Perry, Wyoming County. Her husband Ben was hired as a funeral director at Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Homes, bringing the family to Albion. Sharon was working in the office for the former Bemis Bag manufacturing company in Albion (now the site of Environmental Construction Group across from Hospice of Orleans).
Mr. Midea saw Paul Haines, owner of Albion Agencies, and heard Mrs. Midea was looking for a job. That was in 1970. She has been a dedicated employee for 45 years. She said the insurance business “was overwhelming in the beginning.”
She started in claims, and there were reams of paperwork, “a lot of forms and carbon copies,” Midea said.
But she stuck with it, and learned many of facets of the business, becoming a licensed insurance agent and broker.
She remembers when Chris Haines joined the business out of college in the 1980s. Chris pushed to have the office computerized and for staff to have regular training.
“He’s been very progressive,” Starkweather said.
When she arrived at Albion Agencies in 1994, she had little experience with computers.
“I didn’t know how to turn it on,” she said about her office computer. “I still have my wars with my computer.”
But she is a convert to the technology. She can easily research issues and retrieve files and information.
“You used to have to go to big file cabinets,” she said. “There were tons of file cabinets. Now you hardly ever have to go to the file cabinet because it’s all on computers.”
The two women have put off retirement in recent years, opting for continuing education classes every two years.
Both Starkweather and Midea say the time is right to end their careers. Midea plans to spend seven months a year in Florida with her husband. The two will spend the rest of the year in an RV.
“This has been a great place to work,” she said. “That is why neither of us have left. We’re family.”
Starkweather said she is excited about the next phase of her life, but she will miss her many customers.
“Customer service is very, very important,” she said. “I babied my customers.”
Albion Agencies will have a retirement open house for community members to stop by on Friday to see Starkweather and Midea from 1 to 4 p.m. The office is located at 30 North Main St.
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today released the following statement after writing a letter to Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration officials expressing concern over a proposed wind turbine project along the Lake Ontario shoreline.
“Protecting the military missions and jobs supported by the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) is my main priority,” said Congressman Collins. “The proposed wind turbine project along the Lake Ontario shoreline has the potential to jeopardize the base’s operations and viability. Any project that puts the base’s future at risk is unacceptable. NFARS has survived a number of closure attempts, and I will continue to do everything in my power to guarantee its doors remain open.”
Full text of the letter is below.
December 8, 2015
Mr. John Conger Ms. Elizabeth Ray
Deputy Under Secretary Vice President
Department of Defense Mission Support Services
Installations and Environment Federal Aviation Administration
3400 Defense Pentagon 800 Independence Ave SW
Washington, D.C. 20303 Washington, D.C. 20591
Dear Mr. Conger & Ms. Ray,
I am writing you to share my concerns with a proposed project in my district. I recently received a letter from the Niagara Military Affairs Council (NIMAC) regarding a proposal by APEX Clean Energy to construct wind turbines along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. I have included the letter for your reference. This letter raises serious concerns with the potential project and its proximity to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) military operating area.
NFARS was established in 1955 and is home to the Air Force Reserve Command’s 914th Airlift wing, the 328th Airlift Squadron, and the New York Air National Guard’s 107th Airlift Wing. Currently, the Air Force Reserves flies the C-130 mission and the Air National Guard has taken on the Remotely Piloted Aircraft mission. NFARS employs nearly 3,000 service members and civilians and provides economic growth and stability to the Niagara County and its surrounding communities.
If approved, the APEX Clean Energy proposal would put 70 wind turbines that stand 600 feet tall along the shores of Lake Ontario, in close proximity to the base. Encroachment is one of many key factors the military uses when determining the future of a base. Currently, NFARS is ranked favorably in that area and we cannot afford to allow any project to move forward that would jeopardize its future.
We have serious concerns that these wind turbines will impede the current airspace, making the base less viable for future missions. In 1995, the base was reviewed for closure during a Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC). It was again reviewed for closure in a 2005 BRAC, and again in 2012 during the US Air Force Structure Adjustment. With an ever-present BRAC threat to the base and talks of another round in the next few years, we cannot risk these wind turbines jeopardizing the future of the Base and all those who are supported by it.
We must ensure that the future of the base remains viable and that any proposed projects do not interfere with its radar and flight operations. I am asking that before any decision is made, both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense complete a thorough study of any potential impacts these structures would have on current and future operations at NFARS.
Sincerely,
CHRIS COLLINS
Member of Congress
Cc: The Honorable Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York
Photos by Raymond Coniglio – Kari Powers of Le Roy speaks during a legislative forum Tuesday hosted by the Genesee ARC and the Arc of Orleans.
By Raymond Coniglio, Courtesy of The Batavian
BATAVIA – Kari Powers takes great pride in her daughter’s achievements.
Morgan, 8, was diagnosed with autism in 2009. She received early intervention through the Genesee ARC’s Rainbow Preschool, and is now enrolled in a “6:1:1” elementary school program six students, one teacher and one aide in Monroe County.
“I can’t speak enough about how much these services help my daughter,” Powers, who lives in Le Roy, said during a legislative forum Tuesday at the Genesee ARC Community Center in Batavia. “She is doing so well.”
Her pride is tempered by worry.
Worry, that state budget cuts threaten educational, housing and other services for children like Morgan, now and as they grow into adulthood.
“There are so many children diagnosed with autism or learning disabilities who are going to need services down the road,” Powers said. “It’s just so important that the funding continue.
“It matters to me,” she added. “It matters to Morgan and it matters to every single person in this room.”
Powers was one of 18 parents, caregivers and self-advocates who spoke for an hour-and-a-half at Tuesday’s forum. It was attended by state Sen. Rob Ortt, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, and Jay Grasso on behalf of state Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer. Ortt is chairman of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.
More than 100 people attended the forum, which was hosted by the Genesee ARC and the Arc of Orleans, which are in the process of merging.
Powers’ words echoed “It Matters to Me,” the title of a grassroots advocacy campaign organized by the local agencies’ state affiliate, NYSARC Inc.
The campaign focuses on four issues:
Residential housing and other opportunities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are living at home with aging parents or other caregivers.
The conversion of workshops into integrated businesses, to ensure employment for people with developmental disabilities.
Funding to boost wages for direct support professionals (DSPs) who serve people with developmental disabilities.
Increased state funding for preschools that serve special-needs children ages 3 to 5.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, speaks during Tuesday’s legislative forum hosted by the Genesee ARC and the Arc of Orleans. Jay Grasso, left, attended on behalf of state Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer.
Tammy Caldwell has worked for the Arc of Orleans for more than two decades, including the past 15 years at Rainbow Preschool in Albion. She said low wages and poor benefits, make it difficult to recruit and retain qualified employees.
“We have very dedicated staff,” Caldwell said. “They don’t come here for the money; they’re in it because they are truly passionate about their job and the kids they see.
“But it’s getting harder and harder, because of the lack of funding, to find good staff who want to come to a rural community like Orleans County and Genesee County.”
Wendy Eden said the starting wage for a DSP $9.66 an hour is “shameful.”
“Recruiting has been the biggest struggle,” said Eden, a residential supervisor for the Arc of Orleans. “We deal with staffing shortages on a daily basis.”
Alexis Arthur, a DSP at the Genesee ARC Day Habilitation Center in Elba, said it is “outrageous” that fast-food workers in New York will be paid $15 an hour while many of her peers work second jobs to make ends meet.
“My job is very rewarding, and I have a deep sense of pride and gratitude that I get to work with the people I do,” Arthur said. “My only wish is for myself and my coworkers to be compensated for our hard work.”
Loretta Stratton of Elba said her life changed when her son Hank was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old.
She switched careers, and trained to work with children like her son. “I thought I would be able to reach him,” she said. “And I couldn’t. I wasn’t able to reach my own child.”
Fortunately, help was available. Hank received in-home care, and attended preschool. By the time he started kindergarten, Stratton was in a position to insist Hank attend “regular” class.
By 10th grade he was taking Regents courses, and is now ranked third in his class. Stratton said he is Elba’s first special-needs student “in full inclusion” from kindergarten through senior year.
“We don’t want our kids to be a burden on society,” Stratton said. “We want to empower our kids to be the best that they can be at whatever ability they have.”
Hank is also an advocate, and spoke in support of job opportunities.
“We need people with special needs in the work force,” he said. “They really want to be a part of it, and they deserve the (same) respect as any other citizen.”
Hawley and Grasso said issues raised Tuesday, will be part of negotiations when work on the 2016-17 state budget begins in January. (Ortt had to leave early to attend a public meeting in Barker.)
Hawley hoped advocates would take their case directly to Albany, and “hammer away” at Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders via letters, emails and YouTube videos.
Will their voices be heard?
Hawley pointed to the career of former Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, a Democrat who represented Long Beach until last year. He has an adult son with a mental disability.
In 2013, Weisenberg led a successful bipartisan effort to restore $90 million in funding that had been cut from the state Office of People With Developmental Disabilities.
Hawley was among the Assembly co-sponsors of the legislation. Ranzenhofer co-sponsored the Senate version.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – This house at the corner of South Main and Eagle streets is one of many decorated for the holiday season in Lyndonville.
The Lyndonville Lions Club will do its annual judging of houses decorated with lights on Dec. 15. Judges will canvass the community on Dec. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. to look at the displays.
“Lyndonville has some of the best Christmas-decorated homes around during this wonderful time of the year,” said Lynne Johnson, the Lions Club president.
The Lions Club is also doing its annual toy drive for children. That started today and people are welcome to drop off toys at the M & T Bank and Yates Community Free Library, both on Main Street.
Last year, the toy drive resulted in 125 children receiving five toys each and a new pair of pajamas. The toys will be collected until about a week before Christmas.
“We hope we can exceed last year’s total and make each child happy and reflective on the Season of Giving,” Johnson said.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Genesee Community College and Orleans Hub honored four “Heritage Heroes” on April 24 during the Civil War Encampment at GCC’s Medina campus center. The following were recognized, from right to left: Doug Miller (accepting for his wife Susan Starkweather Miller), Andrew Meier, Holly Ricci-Canham, and William Menz.
Press Release, GCC
BATAVIA – Genesee Community College is eager to recognize the efforts of dedicated citizens who work hard to preserve the county’s history. The college is seeking nominations for the third annual Orleans County Heritage Heroes Awards. Nominations will be accepted through Feb. 15.
“Residents of Orleans County take great pride in their heritage,” said Jim Simon, associate dean of GCC’s Orleans County Campus Centers in Medina and Albion. “For our third consecutive year, we want to continue to recognize the time and investment of individuals who are tireless advocates for local history.”
Nominees for Heritage Heroes Awards can be any age but posthumous nominations will not be accepted. History professionals and GCC employees are also not eligible for the award, nor are those who serve on the awards selection committees. Nominees must be Orleans County residents.
Four winners were honored last year including Holly Ricci-Canham, Susan Starkweather Miller, Andrew W. Meier and William A. Menz. Because nominations are not retained for future consideration, nominees not selected to receive awards in previous are encouraged to re-submit a nomination again for this coming year.
“Many residents from all over the county work hard on restoring historic houses and protecting other community assets, including museums and churches,” said Tom Rivers, Orleans Hub editor. “The dedicated people working to preserve these treasures deserve praise for adding to the quality of life and character of our community.”
To nominate someone for the Heritage Heroes Awards, write up a brief statement outlining the person’s contributions, projects and community affiliations. Anyone sending in a nomination should provide their name (anonymous nomination packages will not be accepted), address, phone number and email address. The more in-depth the detail provided in the nomination, the stronger the submission.
Submit the nomination to:
ATTENTION: Heritage Heroes Committee
Genesee Community College / Medina Campus Center
11470 Maple Ridge Rd.
Medina, NY 14103-9675
Nominations may also be emailed to Jim Simon at jsimon@genesee.edu. Please write Heritage Heroes Nomination in the subject line.
A screening committee made up of community members, history professionals and GCC students will review the nominations and select finalists. From those finalists, a committee including GCC Associate Dean Jim Simon, Associate Professor Derek Maxfield and Orleans Hub Editor Tom Rivers will choose the Heritage Heroes.
“We’re excited to continue these awards,” said Maxfield. “When we held the Civil War Encampment in Medina for three years, it became obvious how Orleans County values its history and embraces its preservation. These efforts often go unnoticed. This is a way to shine a light on those who make many personal sacrifices in order to preserve history for future generations.”
The Heritage Heroes will be recognized during a ceremony at GCC in Medina in April 2016.
LYNDONVILLE – After being a certified AVID site for four years, Lyndonville Central School District has achieved Highly Certified Status, the highest possible certification at the high school and middle school level.
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges.
At the high school and middle level, AVID students are enrolled in the school’s toughest classes, such as Advanced Placement, and receive support in an academic elective class, called AVID, taught within the school day by a trained AVID teacher.
What differentiates AVID from other educational reform programs is its astounding success rate. Of the 2013 AVID graduates, 86 percent planned to attend college; 76 percent to a four-year college. At LCSD, 100 percent of the AVID graduates have applied to a four-year college.
Director of Special Programs and Staff Development and CSE/CPSE Chairperson Anne Marie Holland said the school district is working to implement AVID into the culture of Lyndonville schools.
“This is a wonderful achievement. Thank you too all the members of our AVID site team for their hard work and dedication,” said Holland. “And thank you to Superintendent Jason Smith and the Board for their ongoing support of the system.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – Terry Bliss has been active in the Kendall Lions Club for the past 25 years and also served as district governor in 2007-08.
KENDALL – Last week Kodak announced four $2,500 awards would go to causes led by employees world-wide. Kodak approved funds for humanitarian work in Shanghai, Brazil, Israel and Kendall.
Terry Bliss has worked for Kodak for 31 years, currently as a systems analyst in production support. He also has been a member of the Kendall Lions Club for 25 years.
He served as district governor in 2007-08, leading about 1,360 Lions Club members from Lyndonville to Walworth, and from Lake Ontario to Bolivar.
Kodak announced its second annual “Kodak Cares: Leaders in the Community Program” awards last week. The company approved $2,500 for the Kendall Lions, the only organization in the United States to receive funding.
Kodak notes that Bliss has served in leadership roles for the Lions Club, and has supported “countless community activities.”
Kodak cited one example of him loading his truck with 10,000 pairs of glasses and sending them to recycling center to be cleaned, sorted and distributed to people in developing countries.
Bliss said the Lions Clubs in six counties near Rochester collect about 85,000 pairs of glasses each year. Those glasses are taken to Ridgeway, Pa., where they are sorted by prescription and then sent to third-world countries.
Bliss remains an active leader in the Lions Club, at the local level and in the district. He is influential in training and mentoring new leaders for the Lions.
He is pleased the Kendall Lions have a successful Leo Club in the Kendall High School. The Leos will celebrate their 10th anniversary next year, and Bliss said some of the $2,500 from Kodak could be used to support the Leos.
“We want to recognize them for all the work they’ve done in the past 10 years,” Bliss said.
The Kendall Lions Club just learned about the $2,500 from Kodak last Thursday. Bliss said the club leaders are discussing how to best use the funds.
“The $2,500 is great for any organization,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing because there were four recipients and we were the only one in the U.S.”
The Kendall Lions have 64 members and expect to add two more next month. It’s the second largest club in the entire district.
Provided photo – Pictured include from left: Clifford Wise Middle School Vice Principal Chris Hughes, Corrections Officer Kenny Gold, Dean of Students Eileen Regan, Social Worker Elaine Ryan, Counselor Kelly Linnan, Guidance Counselor Lindsay Fassel, Corrections Officer Matt Lamar, NYSCOPBA Business Agent Dave Tessmer, NYSCOPBA Regional Vice President Joe Miano and NYSCOPBA Business Agent Al Mothershed.
Press Release Medina Central School
MEDINA – Santa arrived early to the Medina Central School District to make the holidays a wonderful time for many families in the district.
For the past three years, employees from the Orleans Correctional Facility have looked to adopt a family from the area for the holidays. When Corrections Officer Matt Lamar reached out to some counselors at the school district he was saddened to hear there were so many needy families, it was hard for them to just pick one to single out for their generosity.
“The Western New York NYSCOPBA (New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, Inc.) adopts five families each year,” Lamar said.
Guidance Counselor Elaine Ryan says the staff at the district usually takes up a collection of clothes, toys and money for their Angel Tree, to make the holidays a little brighter for some of their families, but they were about $500 short of being able to take care of all of them.
“We had more less fortunate children than we usually have,” Ryan said. “There are a lot of families that are struggling right now.”
When Lamar shared the news with the NYSCOPBA Regional Vice President Joe Miano, he approved enough money to make sure that the district had everything that it needed.
Mrs. Ryan said the district is very grateful to NYSCOPBA representatives and what they are doing for their students.
“Our kids are going to have a better Christmas and that is what we all care about,” she said. “We are so pleased that they helped us out with this. They are wonderful.”
