YATES – A group of concerned Yates citizens has decided to finance and conduct a formal survey of the Town of Yates regarding the proposed Apex Lighthouse Wind project in Yates, Save Ontario Shores announced.
SOS, a citizens group that opposes the turbine project in Yates and Somerset, announced today that residents will receive a survey in the next few days from Lumsden & McCormick, LLP, which SOS said is an impartial accounting firm in Buffalo.
The citizens group said the survey is needed to detail the will of the citizens in Yates. The Town Board has discussed doing a survey, but SOS said that survey hasn’t materialized.
Lumsden & McCormick will be collecting all surveys, collating results and providing those results to the residents of Yates, the Yates Town Board, the Orleans County Legislature, the Somerset Town Board, the Niagara County Legislature, and the NYS Public Service Commission.
The surveys are being sent to the property owners on the official tax rolls of the Town of Yates. Each survey is confidentially tabulated and impartially controlled to ensure accuracy and validity, SOS said in an email today.
The questions were developed by several Yates residents. Surveys are due back by Oct. 16 and will be opened and tabulated by Lumsden & McCormick at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19.
The results will be made public at the conclusion of the tabulating process during the Oct. 19 meeting at White Birch Golf Club.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – Projects that have been months and years in the making both became public this week when Pride Pak presented its site plan for a new vegetable processing and distribution plant in Medina and the first tenant committed to a new high-tech factory in the Town of Alabama.
Both sites will be big users of Medina’s sewer plant, a great economic development resource that has operated under capacity for years.
“It’s a banner week for economic development in western Orleans,” Medina Mayor Andrew Meier said. “Medina’s water and wastewater is a big winner.”
The two plants will generate big revenue for Medina’s water and sewer funds. Deputy Mayor Mike Sidari said that should help to at least stave off water and sewer increases for village residents. The revenue should also allow the village to maintain and improve its infrastructure, Meier said.
Other communities trying to lure big companies often don’t have sewer capacity ready for big companies. Medina’s sewer and water resources were among the assets that brought Pride Pak to the community. It will build a new 62,000-square-foot facility on Maple Ridge Ridge, with room to expand in the future.
Pride Pak will have 85 to 100 employees as part of the first phase. Construction should start next month, pending final approvals on the site plan from the Village Planning Board, and other local and state permits.
The company expects to start construction next month on the new vegetable processing facility, a site that will likely be expanded in phases and could see 200 employees at full build-out.
A Massachusetts company, 1366 Technologies, will build a 130,000-square-foot manufacturing site just south of the Town of Shelby in Genesee County. The facility will go in a farm field off Lewiston Road on Crosby Road.
The company will make silicon carbon wafers, a key component in solar panels. It will make a $100 million investment in the first phase of the project, and expects to expand quickly. It will have 600 full-time employees in phase 1 and could employ 1,000 at full build-out.
The state is committing $33 million for infrastructure for the STAMP site in the Town of Alabama. A sewer main will run to the site, connecting to Medina’s system. Meier said the route for the sewer main hasn’t yet been determined.
Contributed Story Posted 7 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Provided photo
ALBION – Rick Heise of Albion, center, won a Buffalo Bills package through the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern. Heise is pictured with Laverne Bates, GOMOC executive director, and Mary Grace Demarse, treasurer for the agency.
Heise won two tickets to last Sunday’s Bills game versus the New York Giants. The seats were 12 rows up at the center line of Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Ministry of Concern raised $2,000 through the raffle that included the two seats at the 50-yard-line, plus a Bills jacket, hat, shirt, golf balls, signed pictures and a year’s subscription to Sports Illustrated.
“Thanks to all who throughout the summer bought chances to win the Bills Basket in support of the Ministry of Concern program that provides emergency services to assist families living in poverty, used furniture as needed and a creative children’s E3Team program, that provides events focused on Energy, Encouragement and Empowerment and the positive influence of a great team of coaches,” Bates said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Cuomo, officials say new company at STAMP will elevate region, Upstate
Photos by Tom Rivers – Gov. Andrew Cuomo takes questions from reporters after today’s annoucement about solar manufacturing company committing to STAMP site in Genesee County.
BATAVIA – The announcement today by 1366 Technologies that it will build a new high-tech manufacturing plant in the Town of Alabama, employing 600 people in phase one of what could be a $700 million build-out, is more evidence Upstate New York is poised for the future, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
“Today is a game-changer,” he told more than 300 people at Genesee Community College in Batavia, when he made the announcement the first tenant committed to the STAMP site.
Upstate communities for years – decades – were too focused on the past and legacy manufacturing companies that employed locals for generations. Many of those companies left town.
“Too much discussion used to be about what we did, what we used to be,” Cuomo told a crowd in a packed Stuart Steiner Theatre. “There was very little talk about the future.”
Cuomo said transformational projects are under way across Upstate. Today’s STAMP announcement follows SolarCity’s efforts to build a solar manufacturing plant in Buffalo with 3,000 workers; an announcement in July that Rochester won a nationwide competition for a photonics hub; and General Electric’s decision to return to Utica to package silicon carbide power blocks.
Cuomo said he has been prioritizing Upstate for 4 ½ years.
“You can feel the energy change,” he said.
Gov. Cuomo holds a commemorative silicon wafer given to him by Frank van Mierlo (left), CEO of 1366 Technologies. Other officials include, from left in center: State Assemblyman Joe Morelle of Rochester (Assembly majority leader); State Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer; and Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development.
Cuomo praised the Genesee County Economic Development Center, in particular CEO Steve Hyde, for pushing STAMP over the past 10 years, for acquiring land and building support locally, in the region and state for the project, and then bringing 1366 Technologies to the area.
“Steve Hyde has been working on this for 10 years and it came home to roost,” Cuomo said today.
Communities will need leaders with vision and tenacity as the chart the futures of cities, counties and regions. Cuomo said the state wants to be a partner in a stronger Upstate for years to come.
“The future isn’t just going to happen,” the governor said. “The future is what you make of it.”
He said many communities around the state, and outside New York are working hard to bring in businesses.
“It’s a competitive world out there,” he told more than 300 people at GCC.
The STAMP project falls between Rochester and Buffalo, and the political and economic development leaders from both communities pushed for state resources to bring infrastructure to the 1,250-acre STAMP site, just south of the Orleans County line.
The leader of the state economic development agency said Upstate has “a history of neglect” that has changed under the Cuomo administration.
“This is an opportunity for next-generation jobs for communities, for regions and for families that have been long forgotten,” said Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development. “The governor has put us and Upstate New York first.”
1366 Technologies expects to start construction on the 130,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the spring with the goal to be operational in 2017.
GCC hosted today’s annoucement at the Stuart Steiner Theatre.
The company plans to grow in stages from its initial $100 million investment to $700 million at full build-out. The company will serve as “an anchor tenant” for the park and its presence will raise the profile of the site, helping economic development leaders in negotiations to bring more companies to STAMP.
1366 Technologies would use 105 acres of the 1,250-acre site, leaving plenty of room for other high-tech companies.
“We could put 10-12 more in like this,” said Mark Peterson, president and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise, the economic development arm for the Rochester region.
He praised the partnership between Buffalo and Rochester in advancing the STAMP site.
“This begins to change the dynamic between the two cities to create a major metropolitan hub,” he said.
The site could potentially have 10,000 workers at STAMP, with a spinoff of another 50,000 jobs through supply contractors, transportation and other support businesses.
Steve Hyde, leader of the Genesee County EDC, sees businesses setting up in Medina and Orleans County that would work with STAMP companies.
It will be a big lift for the area, providing lots of good opportunities.
“This is really about our kids,” Hyde said. “This will create thousands of high-paying jobs for our kids.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces 1366 Technologies from Bedford, Mass., will build a new factory at STAMP, a 1,250-acre site in the Town of Alabama, just south of Orleans County. Frank van Mierlo, CEO of 1366 Technologies, is pictured at right sharing in the announcement at Genesee Community College in Batavia.
BATAVIA – Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 1366 Technologies, a manufacturer of technologies for the solar energy industry, will establish its first large commercial Direct Wafer production plant and significantly grow its workforce at the high-tech Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in Alabama, Genesee County.
Construction of the $700 million manufacturing facility will require two phases during which the company will create at least 600 new, full-time jobs over the next five years. 1366 expects to eventually create more than 1,000 new jobs in Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region.
“This $700 million investment is an enormous vote of confidence in the Upstate economy and sends the message that there is opportunity in every corner of this state.” Governor Cuomo said. “Today’s announcement is an example of how we are combining this region’s natural strengths with our vision to develop New York’s entrepreneurial future and make the Empire State a true leader in developing the clean energy technologies of tomorrow. I am proud to continue building on Upstate’s economic resurgence and I am pleased to have 1366 helping us lead the way forward.”
1366 Technologies develops and manufactures high performance silicon wafers, the building block of solar cells and the most expensive component of a solar panel. The company’s revolutionary Direct Wafer technology transforms how the wafers are made and replaces a decades-old, expensive and wasteful manufacturing process with one elegant step. The result slashes the cost of a wafer by 50 percent.
As a “drop-in” replacement for conventional wafers, 1366 Technologies makes it easy for cell and module manufacturers to strip out costs without adding complexity.
“We couldn’t be more proud to partner with the State of New York and contribute to the Finger Lakes Region’s vibrant future,” said 1366 Technologies CEO Frank van Mierlo. “Governor Cuomo and his administration recognize the opportunity advanced manufacturing brings to New York and to the United States. Innovation, like ours, is at the heart of economic growth and jobs. Thanks to his strategic vision and support, we will bring both to Upstate New York.”
1366 Technologies will build a 3GW wafer facility with a methodical phased approach, starting with a 250MW facility. Over the course of the multi-phase project, 1366 will invest approximately $700 million, including a $100 million initial investment, becoming the largest economic development project in the history of Genesee County.
In order to encourage 1366 Technologies to establish its new manufacturing operations in the Finger Lakes region, the Governor’s administration put forth a competitive and attractive New York State incentive package of up to $56.3 million and up to 8.5 megawatts of low-cost hydropower, which includes estimated benefits and savings available through as-of-right and performance-based programs. State agencies providing incentives and support include Empire State Development (ESD); New York Power Authority (NYPA); New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); and New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR).
ESD’s incentives are tied directly to the creation of at least 600 new jobs, and the grant portion of the package will be used specifically for establishing infrastructure and constructing the initial 130,000 square foot facility, which 1366 Technologies will lease for the next decade.
The Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) site is part of New York’s High Tech Corridor and is the state’s second shovel-ready mega site (1,250 acres) designed to attract large companies including semiconductor, display/ imaging, photovoltaics, optics/ photonics, and bio-manufacturing firms.
The site is located within the New York Power Authority’s low cost hydropower zone and is serviced by redundant, highly reliable power. Located just five miles north of the New York State Thruway on exit 48A, the site has access to a bi-region population of 2.1 million people.
The STAMP site has been validated as a regional priority project by the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council and is supported by regional business and labor organizations, as well as regional colleges and universities.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, issued this statement about the project.
“I would like to thank the governor’s office, 1366 Technologies, Empire State Development, Genesee County ESD and the multitude of other agencies that collaborated to bring this project to Western New York,” Hawley said. “This is a historic day in the development of Western New York’s economy and a major victory for all the counties in my district. 1366 Technologies is revolutionizing the solar industry and has committed to creating more than 1,000 new jobs for local college graduates looking to work in the technology and energy industries.
“The future of New York’s economy lies in growing our manufacturing and technology sectors, and I am proud to see my district and Western New York as a whole receive such a large investment,” Hawley said. “I look forward to working with 1366 Technologies in the future and finding other ways to attract similar companies to our region.”
Orleans Hub will have more later about today’s announcement.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Three people, including two with lengthy criminal histories, were arraigned in Orleans County Court this week.
Charles A. Verstreate, 46, of Rochester is in Orleans County Jail on $100,000 bail. He was arrested on Aug. 11, following an undercover buy operation of oxycodone pills by the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department.
Verstreate was charged with one count each of criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, both felonies.
He has seven prior felonies, 17 prior misdemeanor crimes and twice has failed to appear at court appearances, District Attorney Joe Cardone said when Verstreate made his first court appearance in August.
Judge James Punch set bail at $100,000 for Verstreate due to his “profoundly serious criminal history.”
Bennie Coger, 63, of Medina was arraigned on 2 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the 3rd degree, and 2 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in 3rd degree.
The judge set bail at $25,000 for Coger, who is currently on state parole due to two prior felonies.
Stuart J. Rodden, 25, of Medina was arraigned for driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree.
Rodden was charged on Aug. 7 following the investigation of a motor vehicle accident with an unregistered dirtbike on South Lyndonville Road (Route 63) in the Town of Ridgeway. Rodden posted $2,500 bail in Town Court. Judge Punch is keeping the bail at $2,500.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Urger proves popular with fourth-graders
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The historic Urger, a tugboat from 1901, was in Holley on Tuesday as part of its state-wide educational mission. The tugboat was a working vessel on the canal, hauling machinery, dredges and scows on the canal system for 60 years until the boat was retired from services in the 1980s.
The boat was built in 1901 in Ferrysburg, Michigan, and was a commercial shipping vessel in Michigan before joining the canal fleet in the 1920s.
In 1991, the Urger got new life as a “Teaching Tug.” It visits canal communities from early May until late October, educating children and adults about the canal system, which opened in 1825.
Fourth-graders from School No. 2 in Rochester visit the boat on Tuesday morning. Holley students stopped by in the afternoon before Urger headed to Brockport.
The Rochester students used to tour the Mary Jemison boat until it retired two years ago.
When the lift bridge went up in Holley, the cameras and Smart Phones came out to capture the sights and sounds of the century-old bridge.
A modern boat passes by Urger and the lift bridge, heading east towards Brockport on Tuesday.
Students were welcome to tour the boat and see a small kitchen, a bathroom and the sleeping quarters for the crew.
A crew of four lives on the boat from early May until late October, sharing New York State history with a focus on the how the canal, completed in 1825, turned NY into an economic powerhouse for business, and breathing life into many small towns along the canal.
“They learn how important the canal was to New York State, and how important it could be,” said Mike Byrnes, a deckhand on the Urger.
He lives in Waterford near Albany and has spent 13 seasons on Urger.
“The fourth-graders are a lot of fun,” he said.
The Urger captain sounded the horn on top of the boat. It has a light sound, like a whistle, and a deeper signal. The fourth-graders enjoyed the loud, low noise the most.
There isn’t much in the way of fancy technology at the helm of the boat. The captain uses a wheel and bell that rings in the engine room.
The Urger is 75 feet long and weighs 83.7 tons. The engine weighs 19.5 tons. It is a 1944 Atlas Imperial engine that was surplus from World War II. It replaced a steam engine.
The Urger is shown in this photo looking under the lift bridge in Holley.
Mike Pelletier, the engineer on the boat, is in his second season with Urger. The Newark resident said it has been eye-opening serving on the vessel and seeing the canal communities.
He gave Holley high marks for developing a nice park with amenities by the canal for boaters, and also for lots of signage pointing them to businesses and other services nearby.
“This has been a very educational adventure,” Pelletier said. “There is so much to the canal and not just for boaters. It’s beautiful now for walkers, runners and cyclists (who use the towpath).”
Pelletier said more canal towns should work on signage for boaters, directing them to restaurants, local businesses, libraries and other services. He’d also like to see more displays by the canal about local communities’ histories, giving visitors a historical snapshot about the town or village.
“The towns and villages need to incorporate it more,” he said. “Before I had this job I was as guilty as anyone of taking the canal for granted.
The Urger will be in Brockport the next few days before heading to Spencerport on Oct. 13. Click here to see the schedule and a contact number for local schools to get on the Urger agenda for 2016. The Urger crew urged local schools to arrange tours for next year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2015 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – A sign on Route 63, just south of the Ham Road intersection, advertises the STAMP project, which includes 1,250 acres in the Town of Alabama. The Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park is near the southern border of Shelby in Orleans County.
BATAVIA – A Massachusetts company that revolutionized manufacturing silicon carbon wafers – considered “the heart” of solar panels – looked at 300 sites for what could be a $700 million factory.
1366 Technologies picked a farm field near a swamp for the project.
The site off Lewiston Road on Crosby Road is “perfect” for the producing high efficiency multi-crystalline wafers, company leaders said today during an announcement about the project with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and leaders from the Western New York and Finger Lakes region.
1366 Technologies needs a lot of room, and access to major utilities with water, electric, natural gas, as well as access to a highly skilled workforce.
“There is a tremendous talent pool in the region,” said Frank van Mierlo, chief executive officer of 1366 Technologies, which is based in Bedford, Mass. “If you want to change the world, you need talented people.”
The site in the Town of Alabama is close to major gas lines, is only a few miles from the State Thruway, and can tap the labor markets in Rochester and Buffalo. It will also use sewer from the Village of Medina as the company occupies 105 acres of the STAMP site, a 1,250-acre park for high-tech manufacturing.
1366 Technologies also is within the 30-mile radius of the Niagara Falls Power Project, where companies are eligible for low-cost renewable power. 1366 Technologies was approved for up to 8.5 megawatts of hydropower.
The cheaper electricity, with no CO2 emissions, appealed to 1366 Technologies, van Mierlo said.
The company has a new way of manufacturing silicon wafers at 50 percent of the cost of its closest competitor, van Mierlo said. The company forecasts it will produce 600 million high-performance silicon wafers a year, enough to power 360,000 American homes.
At full capacity, the company says it will create more than 1,000 new full-time jobs for the region.
The company runs a site in Bedford, Mass., but the new plant in Genesee County will allow it to go commercial scale. Van Mierlo said his goal is to produce solar at less cost than coal. The company’s manufacturing breakthroughs, as well as other improvements in the solar industry, could drive solar costs down to 5 cents per kilowatt hour, cheaper than coal.
The state put together a package of incentives for $56.3 million. With local incentives, the company could receive $97 million over 10 years if it has a full build-out on the $700 million manufacturing facility. Phase 1 will be $100 million from the company.
Some of those incentives are discounts on property taxes. The land has been low-production farmland.
In the next 10 to 15 years, the STAMP site could attract a dozen companies and become one of the “semi-conductor and nanotechnology centers in the world,” said Joseph Morelle, a Rochester state assemblyman who spoke during today’s announcement. He is also one of the leaders of the State Assembly.
“I think innovation and entrepreneurship is what rebuilding the state is all about,” he said.
Provided photos – Brandi Guild talks with Robert Batt, a 4-H Youth Development Educator with the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County.
Press release Medina Central School
MEDINA – While many schools are dropping their community service requirements for students, Medina High School is making it an integral part of their learning experience.
This is the third year that social studies teachers, Todd Bensley and Michael Pickreign, have used their creativity to get students to talk to local agencies and be able to sign up on the spot for their minimum of 10 hours of volunteer time.
The teachers invite about 12 local organizations to set up tables in the cafeteria and then the high school seniors spend a period going from table to table to learn more about the agency and what kind of help they need.
“In the past, we had students who wouldn’t sign up for their community service,” Mr. Pickreign said. “They wouldn’t know where they could go to volunteer or what would be expected of them, so they didn’t bother. This way they have to go to each table, talk to the representative and then they get to pick which one is the right fit for them.”
Morgan Nashwenter, Aracely Hernandez with Sue Metzo from the Medina Area Association of Churches (MAAC).
Mr. Bensley said that not only is community service a nice thing for students to do in order to develop empathy, but makes a difference in their hometown, helps them build their resume and become more well-rounded individuals.
“A lot of them are surprised by how much they enjoy it,” he said. “It is eye-opening for them and makes them feel good about positively impacting the community. Some of them end up volunteering more time than the requirement.”
At the end of their volunteer experience, students give a presentation to the class about the history of the agency they chose and what their experience was.
“We hear a lot of positive feedback from the students and the agencies,” Mr. Pickreign said.
“I think in terms of education, this gives the students a chance to apply what they learn in class to real needs in the community,” Mr. Bensley said. “It’s an enriching experience for everyone.”
ALBION – A Holley woman is accused of smuggling drugs into the Orleans County Jail, and two other people also face drug charges, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force announced today.
Stephanie M. Rauch
The Task Force and corrections officers at the county jail on Oct. 1 conducted an investigation involving drugs being brought in the jail during inmate visits, which resulted in the seizure of a controlled substance, marijuana and the arrest of a Holley woman who was charged with numerous drug charges, the Task Force reported.
Stephanie M. Rauch, 27, of 4 North Main St., was charged with 1 count of attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree (Class D felony), 1 count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree (Class D felony), 1 count of attempted promoting prison contraband in the first degree (Class D felony), and 1 count of unlawful possession of marijuana.
Rauch was arraigned in the Ridgeway Town Court by Town Justice Joseph Kujawa. She was committed to the Orleans County Jail on $10,000 cash bail. Rauch is to appear in Albion Town Court today.
Corey A. Brown
Two others were arrested on Monday after an investigation into the sale and distribution of suboxone in the Village of Holley. The Major Felony Crime Task Force along with officers from the Division of Parole, arrested a parolee and his girlfriend for criminal sale of a controlled substance.
Corey A. Brown, 29, of 175 North Main St., Albion, was charged with 1 count of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree (Class D felony) and 1 count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree (Class D felony).
Roxanne M. Thomas
He was arraigned in Murray Town Court by Town Justice Theodore Spada Jr. Brown was committed to the Orleans County Jail on $50,000 cash bail. He is to appear in Murray Town Court on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
The New York State Division of Parole filed a parole detainer for Brown with the Orleans County Jail.
Roxanne M. Thomas, 29, of 17 Jay Drive, Holley, was charged with 1 count of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree (Class D felony) and 1 count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree (Class D felony).
She was arraigned by Murray Town Justice Theodore Spada Jr. and committed to the county jail on $10,000 cash bail. She is to appear in Murray Town Court on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The dome of the Orleans County Courthouse is shining purple the first half of this month for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The county’s domestic violence unit responds to about 400 referrals each year.
The dome is pictured on Monday night on the courthouse.
The second half of the month the courthouse dome will shine pink at night for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. About 70 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in Orleans County.
Watt Farms is again hosting the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk this month. The 11th annual event has been moved to a Saturday. It will be an open course from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event has raised $325,000 in its first 10 years. Click here for more information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – This sign on Route 63 in the Town of Alabama advertises STAMP and lists partners in the massive project. The Genesee County Economic Development Corporation already has acquired most of the land for STAMP, which is just south of Shelby.
BATAVIA – Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be in Batavia on Wednesday afternoon to make a major announcement that is expected to be about the STAMP project in the Town of Alabama, just south of Orleans County.
Whether the governor will announce the first tenant for the 1,250-acre site or a major state investment in the park – or both – could not be confirmed.
Medina village officials said they have been invited to the announcement at 2:15 p.m. at Genesee Community College. STAMP would be a big user of the Medina sewer plant.
Although STAMP (Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park) is outside Orleans County, local economic development officials say the project will be offer huge benefits for Orleans communities and the nine-county region.
The STAMP project is about 1 mile south of the Orleans County border along Route 63. The 1,250-acre site will accommodate nanotechnology companies including semiconductor 450mm chip fab, flat panel display, solar manufacturing, and advanced manufacturing.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Members of the Albion Police Department are wearing pink pins with silver angel wings on their uniforms this month in honor of Breast cancer Awareness Month.
“Breast cancer has in some way affected everyone in our community,” said Police Chief Roland Nenni. “The Albion Police Department hopes that by aiding in awareness we can help in a small way to find a cure.”
Pink ribbons are also being displayed on all police patrol vehicles.
“The more we can raise awareness as professionals and public servants, it may prompt women to be checked or someone to make a donation,” Nenni said.
Sgt. Gary Van Wycke, a member of the Albion PD for 21 ½ years, stands by a patrol car that has a pink ribbon on the door.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Hopes to start construction next month on new facility
Photos by Tom Rivers – Steve Karr (right), chief executive officer for Pride Pak Canada, meets village officials and others working on the company’s new 62,000-square-foot vegetable processing facility. The site plan for the project was presented to the Medina Village Board this evening. He is pictured with Mauro LoRusso, vice president of finance for Pride Pak (center); Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency (far left); and Marguerite Sherman, village trustee (second from left).
MEDINA – A company coming to Orleans County looked at several sites, including into Pennsylvania, but Medina turned out to be a great fit for Pride Pak, the company’s CEO said this evening following a Village Planning Board meeting when a site plan for the 62,000-square-foot building was presented.
Steve Karr said Medina is close to the border for the Canadian-based company and also sits in an agricultural region with close proximity to a big population base in the U.S.
Ultimately, Karr said the Orleans Economic Development Agency was very responsive in helping the company find a location “that makes sense for us.”
The company expects to start construction next month on the new vegetable processing facility, a site that will likely be expanded in phases and could see 200 employees at full build-out.
Pride Pak will have 85 to 100 employees as part of the first phase. Construction should start next month, pending final approvals on the site plan from the Village Planning Board, and other local and state permits.
Karr would like the building to be done in April for equipment to be moved in. He would like to start processing and packaging vegetables next June.
He knows the weather over the winter will play a big factor in meeting that ambitious schedule.
D.R. Chamberlain Construction of Lockport is the general contractor for the new building.
This shows a rendering of the new building on Maple Ridge Road across from GCC.
The company received a warm welcome from local officials this evening.
“It will be a cornerstone for the rest of the business park,” said Deputy Mayor Mike Sidari.
Village Trustee Owen Toale said the new jobs will be a big boost for the community and many local families, leaving a ripple effect felt at restaurants, stores and in the real estate market.
“Medina hasn’t had a project of this size in many years,” said Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans EDA.
The company is privately owned and the business fits well in a agricultural community, Barone said.
Medina also has the existing infrastructure with water and sewer to meet the company’s needs. The EDA has the land, and Pride Pak will buy 13 acres from the agency. That land currenty is not on the tax rolls. Pride Pak will gradually pay the full assessed value for the property in 5 percent increments over 20 years.
Barone said the business park has been a work in progress over 30 years, with the village and EDA working closely to expand the property and provide the needed utilities.
“It looks like this just came together but it has been years,” she said.
Karr said Barone deserves a lot of credit for bringing Pride Pak to Medina.
“She was always there trying to figure out how it could be done,” he said. “The EDA has a very quick response time.”
Karr has been in the fresh fruit and vegetable processing, packing and distributing business since 1983. Pride Pak is Ontario, Canada’s largest fruit and vegetable processor and currently exports 50 percent of its produce to the U.S. market.
The company packs vegetables for other companies, including Wegmans Food Market. The vegetables are packed fresh, not frozen, Karr said.
The company wants to work with local farmers with carrots and other “root vegetables” in the beginning as long as they meet food safety guidelines for the vegetables, Karr said. The Medina site will process vegetables, and Karr said the facility will also package salads, with some of the salads going to Pride Pak’s Canadian customers.
Pride Pak expects about 45 truckloads of product each month, or about 1 ½ a day, according to Mike Simon, project engineer with BME Associates, a Fairport engineering firm.
Most of truck traffic will be vegetables coming in, but some truck traffic will include vegetable waste, about 220 tons a month, that will be delivered to local livestock farms, Simon said.
The company’s site plan also includes 114 parking spaces. The village code for the Maple Ridge Corridor calls for 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet for a building, which would be 310 spaces for a 62,000-square-foot building. Or, if the code for light industrial is applied, there should be 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet or 124 for Pride Pak.
The company will likely seek a variance from that code. Simon said Pride Pak would prefer to keep as much of the site green space as possible.
It will have access roads on each side of the plant, as well as loading docks.
The site plan will go before the Orleans County Planning Board on Oct. 22 for its recommendation before returning to the Village Planning Board for a final vote on Nov. 3.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Three people pleaded guilty to crime in Orleans County during court on Monday and could be sentenced to either county jail or state prison.
Philip A. Riley, 32, of West Bank Street in Albion faces the longest possible sentence – up to 5 years in state prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 21.
Riley admitted in court on Monday that he had heroin and sold it for a profit on April 7.
He pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a charge that carries a maximum of 8 years in state prison. As part of a plea deal, his sentence will not exceed 5 years, plus 1 ½ to 2 years of post-release supervision.
Riley was charged in July along with 16 other people in a big drug bust in Orleans. Riley has been in the county jail on $100,000 bail since his arrest.
Jennifer McCarthy-Conklin, 39, of 1 Thomas St., Holley, was part of the drug arrests in July. She pleaded guilty in court on Monday. She admitted she had cocaine and sold it from the Holley Hotel on Feb. 27.
She pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, which carries a maximum sentence of 2 ½ years in state prison, plus one year of post-release supervision. She will be sentenced on Dec. 21.
Matthew Ritzel, 26, of Hamlin pleaded guilty to entering a house on Kendall Road in Murray and taking items from the dwelling on June 3.
He pleaded guilty to attempted burglary in the second degree, which carries a maximum sentence of 2 to 7 years in state prison.
As part of a plea deal, Ritzel, who has no prior criminal history, won’t be sentenced to be more than a year in county jail. If the judge gives him more than a year, Ritzel can withdraw the plea and go to trial.
