By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The rising sun created a blaze of colors this morning in this photo that shows the columns on the Orleans County Courthouse.
It is going to be a warm Thanksgiving with a high forecast for 59 degrees on a mostly cloudy day, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
It will also be warm on Friday with a high of 60. The temperature drops on Saturday when the Weather Service says the high will be 39 degrees.
It was a striking sunrise this morning with colors in the clouds.
I like this tree with its wild branches on Butts Road north of the canal. I’m going to try to get pictures of it in different seasons.
Here is the same tree on Nov. 5 when it was 70 degrees.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Bob Brown, center left, and his brother Eric Brown are pictured with some of their workers from Jamaica. Bob’s son Bobby is in back behind Eric. The Brown family has run Orchard Dale Fruit Farm in Carlton since 1804. This photo was taken in the fall 2011 for article about farm labor for the American Agriculturist magazine.
Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, and many people will enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, salad, apple pie and more. If you like food, it will a glorious day.
None of it would be possible without the hard work of farmers and their workers. For some farms it’s a daily year-long effort. In fact, on Thanksgiving, farmers will still be milking cows, feeding them and cleaning barns. They may even deliver a calf.
The fruit farms also are a year-long commitment. After the apples are harvested in October-November, there is lots of work in the warehouse over the winter. The trees also need to trimmed, and that job often will get done standing in the snow during the dead of winter.
In the spring the trees start blooming and farmers need to protect the buds and emerging apples until harvest season.
Ken Nice of Knowlesville checks his fruit trees in bloom in May 2014. The fruit trees, with their colorful blossoms, are a stunning sight in the spring.
The vegetable farmers need to plan during the off-season. They need to order their seeds, line up workers for the next year, and determine which crops and which varieties will be grown in different fields. They want to stagger the harvest and not have everything be ready at once. (You can’t harvest it all at the same time.)
Agriculture is a difficult industry with wild swings in prices, an unforgiving Mother Nature and so much uncertainty with the labor force. It’s capital intensive and increasingly technical. You have to keep up with the times, and be willing to invest – or else you may not stay in business.
Orleans Hub is grateful to be an in agricultural community. We are one of the most diverse farming counties with fruit, vegetable, dairy, and grain farms of all sizes. We have organic farms and Amish and Mennonite families also working the soil.
The Elba Muck stretches into Barre and Clarendon in Orleans County, as well as Elba and Byron in Genesee County. Immigrants started clearing a swamp to create the muck in 1915. The muck, now in its 100th year, remains some of the area’s most valuable and productive farmland. This photo was taken last month.
Agriculture is big business around here. The 2012 Agricultural Census counted $150.3 million in farm revenue in Orleans County, which ranks 13th out of the 62 counties. Wyoming County is the top county at $318.5 million. Our neighbor, Genesee County, is fourth at $237.0 million.
The farms have been critical to other economic development projects in the community. H.H. Dobbins did a big $5 million expansion in Lyndonville this year, adding a 26,240-square-foot controlled atmosphere storage building.
Intergrow has expanded several times since opening a hydroponic greenhouse in Gaines about a decade ago. Western New York Energy spent $90 million building an ethanol plant in 2006-’07 and the company just spent $2 million on a new 800,000-bushel grain bin.
Lake Ontario Fruit opened a new controlled-atmosphere storage site last year in Gaines on Ridge Road. The company has made other upgrades to its packing lines.
Workers at Lake Ontario Fruit fill bags and boxes with SweeTango apples in this photo from September 2014. Lake Ontario Fruit packs all the SweeTangos in New York that are grown west of Rochester.
Pride Pak is building a new $15 million fruit and vegetable processing facility in Medina. It wouldn’t be here without the local farms nearby.
Two new yogurt plants have also recently opened in Batavia and they wouldn’t be here without so many dairies in the region supplying milk.
Many of the farms have upgraded grain storage facilities, equipment, housing for workers and also have donated to community projects, including the new library in Albion, the new residence at Hospice, and the Education Center at the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Agriculture, dating back to the pioneers in the early 1800s, have brought many hard-working families to the community.
The muck gave a chance for many Italian and Polish immigrants to own land and build a life in Orleans and Genesee counties.
The farms continue to draw immigrants, and many of them, such as the Rosario family, have opened businesses in the community. The Rosarios own the Monte Alban grocery store and the Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grill in Medina.
On Thursday, when giving thanks, don’t forget the farmers and their many contributions to the community.
Contributed Story Posted 25 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo courtesy of Curtis Beecher
CARLTON – Curtis Beecher, an employee at the Lynn-Ette and Sons farm in Kent, took a picture this morning of a Snowy Owl on some of Lynn-Ette’s farm equipment. The owls have returned for another winter in Orleans County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 November 2015 at 12:00 am
The unemployment rate in Orleans County dropped to 5.3 percent in October, which is down from 6.3 percent a year before and 8.5 percent in October 2013.
The State Department of Labor reports that the rate state-wide is 4.8 percent, the lowest rate in New York since November 2007. That includes a 4.8 percent rate in New York City and 4.9 percent in upstate.
The data from the DOL shows that 17,400 people were working in Orleans County in October, up by 400 from the 17,000 in October 2014. The number of unemployed fell from 1,100 in October 2014 to 1,000 last month.
The state’s private sector job count increased by 168,600 from October 2014 to October 2015. In October 2015, the number of private sector jobs in the state reached an all-time high of 7,859,000, according to the state DOL.
Unemployment in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metro area fell from 5.4 percent in October 2014 to 4.8 percent last month. The jobless rate in the Rochester metro fell from 5.1 to 4.5 percent in that time.
Other nearby counties have unemployment rates below Orleans County’s: Genesee, 4.2; Wyoming, 4.4; Livingston, 4.2; Monroe, 4.6; Niagara, 5.2; and Erie, 4.8.
Only two counties in the state had rate a 6.0 percent or higher: Oswego (6.0) and Bronx (6.5).
The New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies will crack down on impaired, distracted and speeding drivers during this Thanksgiving holiday. The special traffic enforcement period will run from today through Sunday.
The State Police will supplement regular patrols statewide focusing on speed enforcement, impaired driving, underage drinking, and distracted driving. The effort will incorporate fixed sobriety checkpoints, an underage drinker initiative and the “Operation Hang Up” initiative, which targets drivers talking or texting on handheld devices. State Police will use unmarked vehicles, which blend in with every day traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
The highest traffic volumes of the year typically occur during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It is also a time when alcohol consumption is widespread. During the 2014 Thanksgiving holiday period, troopers arrested 172 drivers for DWI, issued 4,237 speeding tickets and issued 565 tickets for distracted driving.
“We encourage all New Yorkers to join us in making this Thanksgiving a safe one,” said Joseph D’Amico, superintendent of State Police. “Please follow posted speed limits, make certain that all occupants are buckled up, and put away your smart phones and other mobile devices while driving. Remember, if you’re celebrating with alcohol — don’t get behind the wheel — get a ride home with a sober driver or make other arrangements. Our Troopers will be visible this long holiday weekend and working to ensure everyone’s safety.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2013 there were 301 people killed in traffic crashes across the nation.
In New York, there were 11 deaths resulting from motor vehicle crashes statewide during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2014. Of those, three were due to alcohol-related crashes, five were due to speed-related crashes and two resulted from crashes in which both speed and alcohol were reported as contributing factors.
The New York State Police, Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend these simple tips to prevent drunk driving:
Plan a safe way home before the fun begins
Before drinking, designate a sober driver
If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation
Use your community’s sober ride program
If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement
If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Todd Eick, Medina’s agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, sits on a new pedal tractor he won from Case International in a contest of best Instagram photos using a key chain with a tiny tractor.
Eick is pictured with students, from left: Raymond Beneway, Mitchell Wienke, Alden Cayea and David Ayhart. They are in the ag production class taught by Eick.
Eick led a group of Medina students to the FFA National Convention in Lousiville last month. Case International gave away key chains with tractors and encouraged people to take photos of the key chains and post to Case International Instagram account.
Eick used coffee grounds to create a scene where it looks like the tractor is plowing a field. The photo won first place in the national contest.
The pedal tractor arrived on Nov. 11 and Eick and some of his students assembled it. He will decorate the new tractor in lights and ride it in Saturday’s Parade of Lights in Medina beginning at 6 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Construction is moving along for the new Family Dollar store on Maple Ridge Road. This photo shows how the 8,320-square-foot building looked on Monday.
Village officials expect the store will open in early 2016, but no date has been set thus far.
The Durban Group, which is based in North Carolina, is managing the building project at 11300 Maple Ridge Rd. The company wanted to have the shell of the building, the parking lot and other site work done before winter.
Medina village officials pushed to have the store to have a brick appearance and black trim, giving the building a more classic look.
Here are the renderings the Durban Group presented to the Village Planning Board back in February, when the site plan was approved.
Contractors today started work on the exterior that will look like brick, said Marty Busch, the village code enforcement officer.
Village Planning Board members said dollar stores in other communities often resemble block and steel pole barns. Medina has design standards for new construction in the commercial and business districts.
The Family Dollar in Medina will have 28 parking spaces, and will include trees and other landscaping improvements. The project also includes a 25-foot-high pylon sign.
The store will move out of the Tops Plaza and go about ½ mile east to a site across from Tim Hortons.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo courtesy of Vince Flow – Kendall resident Vince Flow sent in this photo last winter of two Snowy Owls in a corn field on Lakeshore Road in Kendall.
(Editor’s Note: Orleans Hub is taking a daily challenge this week to express thankfulness for a different aspect to living in Orleans County.)
One of the most popular stories in the past week on the Orleans Hub was an article about the return of Snowy Owls. Ben Jones of Kendall got two pictures of one with his camera phone on Saturday in Carlton.
He shared the pictures with Orleans Hub, and the article quickly racked up the “likes” and “shares” on social media.
This week we’re counting blessings about living in Orleans County, and presence of Snowy Owls and other glorious wildlife are among the perks of living here.
Snowy Owls usually don’t fly down past Canada into these parts of the United States. But they have been showing up the past three years. Last winter was a historic migration, perhaps the biggest in a half century. The owls would hang out in corn fields, and sit on fences, telephone poles, you-name-it.
Many people were delighted to see one. They have been extra popular because they were so prominent in the Harry Potter stories. Harry’s owl is named Hedwig.
Photos by Tom Rivers
Not every place has a world-famous fishing attraction, but Orleans County can boast of the Oak Orchard River. You can also catch a lot of fish in Johnson Creek and some of the other Lake Ontario tributaries.
Many people from out-of-state flock to Orleans in the fall to try to hook salmon and trout. Even if they don’t catch any fish, just being outside in the river, with the blazing colors of the fall foliage, does a body and soul a lot of good.
We have a lot of geese around here with the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge in the southern part of Orleans and stretching into Genesee County.
There are also a lot of geese in Lyndonville. They like to hang out in Johnson Creek. This photo was taken during a sunset in Lyndonville on Nov. 3.
You can also find a lot of geese along the Erie Canal. Many blue herons also camp out along the canal.
Deer season is underway for hunters and the animals seem to be in abundance. I “shot” these deer last Nov. 20.
I was out trying to get a picture of deer in a snow-covered field. These two deer were close to the road on the west side of Route 279 in Gaines, just south of Route 104. They held still for a few seconds before scampering away in the field and heading into the woods.
This county offers many picturesque views along the winding country roads past barns, orchards, corn fields and even rural, historic cemeteries.
This photo on Oct. 18 shows Zig-Zag Road in Gaines by John Long’s former dairy barn.
The sun was coming down and really lit up the barn and trees.
We have several really nice waterfalls in Orleans County. The one in Medina is probably the most powerful and breathtaking.
These waterfalls are by the Erie Canal near the Horan Road bridge. This was one of the toughest construction points for the Erie Canal. The Oak Orchard Creek runs along here. The canal contractors would use an aqueduct to provide a path for the Oak Orchard to run under the Erie Canal in Medina. Not long after, the creek plunges in a waterfalls.
This is a shockingly awesome spot, but it is difficult to view up close due to the lack of public access.
There are at least two good-size waterfalls in Holley. This photo shows one near the Holley Rod and Gun Club. There is also an old Medina sandstone building next door at South Holley Road and Pumping Station Road. The east branch of Sandy Creek runs by here.
If you like to explore and see some natural wonder, Orleans County is a great place to be.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 24 November 2015 at 12:00 am
HOLLEY – The Holley Central School District is in the process of forming a unified basketball team that would include students with disabilities.
Athletic Director Dan Courtney discussed progress with members of the Board of Education during a meeting last week.
Special Olympics unified sports is a national program that pairs people with and without intellectual disabilities on a team to compete. Individuals have to play at least six minutes in every game.
“It’s a state recognized sport,” Courtney said, and added that he recently attended a meeting at Gates-Chili to learn more about the program. He also said Brockport Central School has been very helpful.
“It creates an opportunity for kids who normally would not be part of a team,” he said. “The community gets to see their kids compete and do things against other schools … and it’s an opportunity to have fun.”
Courtney said the program can be funded through grants.
He explained that on a typical team, three athletes with intellectual disabilities are combined with two partners without disabilities. There were six unified teams in Section V last year, Courtney said.
He has worked with the school’s special education department to compile a list of students who could take part.
“I think we would have enough,” Courtney said. “Partners are usually easier to find. They cannot be varsity or JV basketball players. They could run track or play baseball.”
Unified Basketball is considered a boys sport, but Courtney said that’s because it’s easier for girls to join a boys sport than vice-versa.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Board member John Heise said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 November 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Carlton man who was sentenced about two years ago to state prison for sex crimes against children will soon be released and will be registered as a Level 3 sex offender.
Orleans County Court Judge James Punch assessed Timothy Shay, 51, as the highest risk for reoffending. Punch led the risk level hearing on Monday in County Court. Shay, an inmate at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, chose not to attend the hearing.
Shay in 2013 pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual contact with two under-age children and also possession of child pornography.
He was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison. He could be given a conditional release on Dec. 30. He was received at Marcy on Dec. 12, 2013.
Judge Punch during the hearing on Monday said Shay had sexual contact with two different under-age girls, including one who was 11 and another under age 10. The judge also said Shay has a history of alcohol abuse, which contributes to the Level 3 status for Shay.
In another court case on Monday:
A Rochester man rejected a plea offer and will go to trial beginning Jan. 20 for charges of criminal sale and possession of drugs in Orleans County in early 2014.
Tony Thompson, 48, of Dale Street in Rochester has been charged with criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. He is currently in the Orleans County Jail.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Chad Kenward
MEDINA – The next police chief in Medina is a familiar face to many in the community.
Chad Kenward worked several years as the school resource officer in Medina Central School. In that role, Kenward was an officer with the Medina Police Department spending much of his time in the school district. (Jason Barnum is working as school resource officer this school year after Kenward served about eight years in the position.)
Kenward, a Medina native, will take over as police chief in late December, succeeding Jose Avila, who is retiring after serving 17 years as chief.
The Medina Village Board appointed Kenward chief on Monday. He will lead a department that has seen several veteran officers retire recently.
Kenward is also a member of the Orleans County Multi-Agency SWAT Team. He met with the community on Oct. 4 during an open house at the Medina Fire Department, an event that was part of fire prevention week.
Assemblyman backs 2 bills to boost local say in project
Press Release, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley
YATES – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) today urged constituents to voice their opinions on the Lighthouse Wind, LLC project, which recently opened a public comment period that began Nov. 18.
“The Lighthouse Wind, LLC project has the potential to have major economic and social implications for local residents,” Hawley said. “Wherever you fall on this issue, the most important thing is that your voice is heard. The 21-day comment period is now open and will close on Dec. 9. Government is responsible to the citizens, and public comment and dissent is an integral and inherent part of our democratic process. I encourage all constituents to voice their comments at Lighthouse Wind, 310 4th St. NE, Suite 200, Charlottesville, VA 22902, and file a copy with the Secretary of the Department of Public Service.”
Hawley also reiterated his sponsorship of two bills aimed at increasing public input on local projects and strong opposition to Article X in order to give the local population greater representation in decisions that affect their community.
“As a result of my strong push for public input on local issues and staunch opposition to Article X, I am vehemently supporting two bills aimed at increasing public involvement in projects such as these. A.8545 would increase membership on the siting board from 7 to 9 members, increase the number of ad hoc members from 2 to 4, and require all ad hoc members to be present for a quorum.
“Another bill, A.8564, would require a public referendum to be held by the county or district where the project is located and mandate a certificate be issued for the proposal if the majority of voters are in favor of the project. Both of these bills increase public accessibility to local projects and create avenues for citizens to voice their concerns.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Tom Drennan campaigns for sheriff during the Fourth of July Parade in Lyndonville. Drennan worked hard over several months in the race for sheriff but lost a close race to Randy Bower.
(Editor’s Note: Orleans Hub will offer a daily Thanksgiving tribute this week. Today, we look back at the election season with competitive races.)
The election season is over and it was highly unusual for the feistiness in several local races. Often in recent years a full slate of candidates has run unopposed. That happened this election season again with some of our local towns.
But every resident who voted on Nov. 3 had choices in at least two races: county sheriff and one of the county-wide legislator positions.
In my 20 years as a reporter in Orleans County, I’ve never seen anything like this past sheriff’s race, such a heated and close battle to the very end.
Randy Bower emerged as the victor, but I’d like to congratulate Tom Drennan and Don Organisciak for both running and pushing hard up to election day. They certainly made Bower work hard to get elected. I bet Bower is a better man for it and will do a better job in his new role as sheriff than if he had a free pass throughout the election season.
I wish more people would run for office, that we would have competitive races and candidates would be forced to put out ideas and an action plan for the local municipalities. Too often, the candidates don’t have opposition. There isn’t much accountability for voters who don’t believe the elected officials are doing a good job.
It’s hard for Democrats to get elected with Republicans holding a 2-to-1 enrollment advantage. So many Democrats don’t try. Darlene Benton pulled off an upset in Albion, winning a spot to the Albion Town Board over Paul Fulcomer, the endorsed Republican. I give Fulcomer credit for getting on the ballot, and wanting to continue public service after retiring as the Veterans Service Agency director in Orleans County.
James White, 21, ran a spirited, low-budget campaign for county legislator. He is shown making pancakes during the 4-H Fair.
James White, 21, of Gaines made his first attempt at elected office, running against Don Allport, who cruised to a victory for an at-large legislator position. White ran a vigorous campaign and put some ideas on the table. I’ve seen younger adults run for the Board of Education, but I don’t recall seeing someone so young make a serious run for a county elected position.
White may have lost on election day, but he deserves praise and appreciation for giving the voters a choice.
Paul Lauricella has been a long-time observer and critic of local government. This year he stepped it up and ran for county legislator – a district that includes the towns of Yates, Ridgeway and a portion of Shelby. Lauricella only had the Conservative Party line and didn’t win, but he received 552 votes.
Paul Lauricella, shown here in the Lyndonville pararde on July 4th, received about a third of the vote on Nov. 3 despite only being on the Conservative Party line.
The Town of Yates rarely generates much opposition or excitement for elections. It’s about as quiet as it gets in a democracy – until this year. The wind turbine issue brought out candidates and voters. Yates had the highest turnout of any community on election day with 50.2 percent going to the polls, compared to a 38.2 percent county average.
Jim Simon won the town supervisor race in a write-in bid. That rarely happens, but John Belson, the incumbent town supervisor, should be commended for his public service.
Orleans Hub would like to praise every candidate for being part of the election process, for their willingness to be on the ballot and give voters a choice.
Overall, the county still has more unopposed candidates than those with opposition. That doesn’t give voters much reason to go to the polls, or provide extra incentive for the elected officials to do the best job possible.
We still have a long ways to go for competitive elections in our county. Consider the following:
There were nine county positions up for election but only three were contested. That’s 33 percent with a choice.
Three of the 10 towns had candidates who were all unopposed.
The 10 towns combined had 49 positions up for election but only 16 had more than one candidate or 32.7 percent.
The candidates who didn’t win on election day shouldn’t be viewed as losers. They made for one of the more exciting election seasons in recent memory. Here’s to more candidates giving it a try next time.
ALBION – Orleans County officials will have a public hearing at 7 p.m. Nov. 30 on a $64,435,941 budget. The spending plan for 2016 reduces costs from 2015 and keeps the tax rate at $9.89 per $1,000 of assessed property.
“It’s been an extremely good year,” David Callard, chairman of Legislature, said about the budget. “We’ve maintained costs, which we started six years ago and we’ve done extremely well.”
The public hearing will be at the county courthouse. Following the hearing, the Legislature will convene at the legislative chambers next door in the County Clerks’ Building to vote on the budget.
The county in recent years has worked to streamline staffing and have employees pay more towards health insurance costs. The selling of the county nursing home also reduced the county workforce by about a third.
The county’s workforce has shrunk from 416 full-time and 164 part-time positions in 2014 to 318 full-time and 89 part-time for 2016.
The $64,435,941 budget is the county’s smallest since 2007, and is down by $579,325 from the $65,015,266 in 2015. In 2014, the last year the county owned a nursing home, the budget was $79.8 million. That year the tax rate was $10.11.
Callard said efforts to fight welfare fraud are paying off with social services costs at a “historic low.” The county has reduced welfare caseloads and that will reduce welfare costs to local taxpayers by an estimated $200,000 in 2016.
The tax rate will be unchanged, but the county will take in a slight increase in taxes. The tax levy will increase by 0.7 percent from $16,209,165 to $16,323,150. Property taxes represent about 25 percent of the revenue for funding the budget.
Sales tax also represents about a quarter of the revenue for the budget. After budgeting for no increases in 2014 and 2015, county officials are going to recommend another $250,000 in sales tax to $14,035,000.
County officials don’t foresee too many additional opportunities for significant cost saving by reducing staff. Callard said the county wants to maintain the tax rate by boosting tax assessments. That can happen by addressing many of the vacant homes in the community, Callard said.
Many of those houses are owned by banks but sitting idle. The homes should be put in the hands of owners with a plan and purpose for the houses, Callard said.
Medina has started a vacant housing law that tracks the houses and assesses a fee to the owners. That law may spur the owners to take action on the properties. Callard said Medina’s law could serve as a model for other local municipalities.
“We want them to get turned over before they deteriorate,” Callard said about the houses. “We need to improve the housing stock and explore it on a countywide basis.”
There are about 250 vacant homes in the county, Callard said. He expects there will be more demand for housing with the new Pride Pak vegetable processing plant in Medina and the developments at the STAMP site across the Orleans line in Genesee County.
