By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Big crowd fills courtroom for swearing-in
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Randy Bower is sworn in as the new sheriff of Orleans County this afternoon. Orleans County Court Judge James Punch, right, administers the oath and Bower’s wife, Robin, holds The Bible. The Bowers’ children, Jacob and Jessica, join their parents for the swearing-in.
Bower officially takes over as sheriff on midnight Jan. 1. He replaces Scott Hess, who is retiring after 12 years as sheriff.
Bower was joined for a group photo by many members of the Sheriff’s Department. Chris Bourke, right of Bower, will serve as undersheriff. Bourke started his 31-year career in law enforcement as a corrections officer in the county jail and has worked as a deputy on road patrol. He has been a lieutenant the past 18 years and is the department’s K-9 handler.
Bower also introduced Michael Mele as the new chief deputy. Mele has worked 18 years as a police officer with the first two years at the Holley Police Department and the past 16 years as a deputy with the Sheriff’s Department.
“He is challenge-driven and goal-oriented,” Bower said about Mele.
Clara Martin, standing behind Bower, will serve as his secretary. She has worked in the Board of Elections as a deputy elections commissioner.
Bower has worked the past 30 years as a public safety dispatcher. He was seriosuly injured in a car accident when he was 18 and has been paralyzed from the waist down.
Judge Punch told about 125 people at the swearing-in ceremony that Bower has been an inspiration to many in the community.
“He’s an unstoppable force,” Punch said.
Bower will take over a demanding job, that Punch said has become more difficult in recent years.
“It’s helping and protecting the people of the county and giving justice,” Punch said.
There was a big turnout for the swearing in at the main courtroom of the Orleans County Courthouse.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 December 2015 at 12:00 am
If a rainbow emerges in the sky or if there is a dazzling sunset, Orleans Hub readers will often send in photos of the spectacles.
Readers also will spot snowy owls, bald eagles and other wildlife and share those images.
The top photo shows two bald eagles pictured in early March at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Pamela Moore took the picture.
Here are some of my favorite images captured by readers during 2015.
Linda Dale of West Bacon Road has found a bright spot in the brutal cold weather on Feb. 18: a frequent visitor she calls “Allie.” She took this photo of Allie – a spotted deer. This Piebald deer was eating seeds from the bottom of a bird feeder.
“She’s such a delight!! Just look at that face!!” Dale said in an email.
Jason Smith was driving to work on Feb. 20 as superintendent of Lyndonville Central School and took this picture of a sundog on West Countyhouse Road in Albion.
The sundogs resemble rainbows. They appear sometimes in the winter when low-lying sun creates ice halos.
Matilda Erakare took this photo at about 6:50 a.m. on May 5 while she was walking along East Avenue on her way to school. She was a freshman at Albion last year when she took the photo.
Doug Boyer took this picture of an osprey with its catch on May 16 at Lake Alice in Carlton.
Joe Martillotta was out mowing his lawn on North Main Street in Albion on May 22 when he discovered a fawn nestled in the bushes. Martillotta said he was tempted to pet the baby deer but he didn’t want its mother to reject it. The fawn eventually got up and took off running.
These baby swans were out on Lake Alice for their first day on the water on May 29. Doug Boyer was there for the milestone moment.
Mike Beach of Albion snapped this photo of geese crossing Gaines Basin Road by Wal-Mart on June 14.
Peggy Barringer of Albion took this photo of people in in Amphicar on Sept. 6 at Point Breeze.
A blood moon was out on Sept. 27 and Heather Kuepper took this picture of the total supermoon lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon.
A double rainbow appeared on Oct. 16 and Chris Busch took this photo of the rainbow as seen from South Main Street and Crosby’s in Medina.
Michelle Restivo joined her grandfather Richard Heard of Albion on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. on Oct. 24 to see war memorials. Heard enlisted during World War II and was a radar mechanic. In February of 1943, he was called to active service from reserve status. He was stationed in six states. Here he is pictured by the Korean War Memorial, sitting near a wall inscribed with the words,” Freedom is not free.”
Curtis Beecher, an employee at the Lynn-Ette and Sons farm in Kent, took a picture on Nov. 25 of a snowy owl on some of Lynn-Ette’s farm equipment. The owls returned for another winter in Orleans County.
It was a dramatic sunset on Dec. 6 and Eric Conn captured this scene at Point Breeze.
It was shockingly warm for much of December, including a 72-degree day on Dec. 14. Jennifer Orr of Albion took her kids to the lake at Point Breeze. They made this snowman in the sand.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 29 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Kristina Gabalski – Clarendon’s water tower is located next to the fire hall on Rt. 31A, just west of Route 237.
ALBION – Leaders in the Town of Clarendon are hoping the state will come through with funds to help with the cost of painting the municipal water tower.
Town Supervisor Richard Moy received a letter from State Sen. Robert Ortt in late November informing the town that he is working to secure funding to be used for capital improvements for municipalities in his district through the State and Municipal Facilities Capital Funding Program (SAM).
“It is my hope that you can provide my office with a short list of projects within your jurisdictions that fit the criteria that I have enclosed along with this letter to you,” Senator Ortt wrote.
Supervisor Moy responded earlier this month thanking Senator Ortt for informing the town of the funding source.
“This is very timely for the Town of Clarendon in that we are planning to paint our municipal water tower,” Moy informed Senator Ortt in a letter. “Any contribution to our water tower painting project would be greatly appreciated, as this cost would be a great burden to our taxpayers.”
According to Supervisor Moy, the water tower was built in 1998 and the estimated cost for painting is $500,000. The town included photographs of the interior of the water tower and a DVD with additional details along with the letter to Senator Ortt.
According to information provided to the town by Senator Ortt, all projects must be approved by the Division of Budget and the Executive after completion of a review process by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.
Projects eligible for funding include major repair or renovation of a fixed asset, or assets which materially extend its useful life or materially improves or increase its capacity.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Masonic Hall on West Center Street in Medina, a former church, will become the international headquarters for the World Life Institute, which runs several programs in Orleans County and beyond.
MEDINA – The World Life Institute is buying the Masonic Hall in Medina on West Center Street, with plans to make the site the international headquarters for WLI.
“It’s a beautiful historic building,” said Chris Wilson, a member of WLI. “We’re trying to be a force for good in the community and in our own small way internationally.”
The World Life Institute is mostly volunteer run. It built an education center on Stillwater Road in the mid-1990s. That school is used for ESL and other adult educational programs, mainly for farmworkers.
World Life Institute also has been hosting war orphans the past two decades through Project LIFE. WLI has hosted about 110 children from war-torn Bosnia, Afghanistan and Russia. Some children also came one summer from Sri Lanka following a devastating tsunami. All of the children have lost at least one parent to war or tragedy.
Wilson is international director for Project LIFE, making the contacts in the foreign countries for the children to come to Orleans County each summer.
The children are treated to peace in the countryside of Orleans County, good nutrition, art and music therapy, and English as a second language. They receive medical and dental care, and then return home after about two or three months.
Wilson said WLI plans to use the Masonic Hall for offices, educational programs and a lecture hall for community programs. WLI would like to host “TED talks” and engage the community in discussion of ideas and current events. WLI and the Masonic Lodge will close on the sale on Monday, Wilson said.
WLI will have a community reception beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Masonic Hall, 223 West Center St. Dinner will follow at 4 p.m. The event is a fund-raiser for WLI and will feature awards to local supporters, a silent auction of art and jewelry, and entertainment by a surprise local celebrity.
“This exciting event is our way to say thanks to the local community while we raise funds to support our charitable work here and around the world,” said WLI Vice President Jacob Zimmerman. “Strong local support has been the key to our success over the years, so we want to celebrate that.”
Most of WLI’s work is done by dedicated volunteers, Wilson said, with support from local congregations, businesses and individuals.
“Our work has benefitted greatly from support in the community,” Wilson said.
In Orleans County, WLI provides language training through its Medina Language Center and adult education, medical services and food programs to local people in need. WLI also operates a publishing house and provides advanced educational programs internationally through its online division, World Life College.
Tickets for the event on Sunday cost $25 for adults and $15 for children. They are available for purchase online at https://www.paypal.me/worldlifeinstituteHQ. For questions, call (585) 205-4545.
WLI is also happy to receive donations and sponsorships. For more information, please contact World Life Institute by email at wliheadquarters2016@gmail.com or phone at (585) 205-4545.
File photo by Tom Rivers – A fisherman walks along the west pier at Oak Orchard Harbor in this photo from May 3, 2015. Microbeads are seen as a threat to fishing industries in the Great Lakes.
President Barack Obama on Monday signed legislation banning products containing plastic microbeads, an effort that was championed by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY.
Plastic microbeads are found in personal care products like facial scrubs, body washes, hand cleansers, and toothpaste. These products are designed to be rinsed down the drain, but the microbeads are too small to be captured by wastewater treatment plants.
They subsequently have been found in large bodies of water across New York State, where they concentrate toxins and can be ingested by birds and fish, posing serious environmental and health risks, Gillibrand said.
In an April 2015, a report released by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office found that microbeads were present in 74 percent of water samples taken from 34 municipal and private treatment plants across New York State.
“I am pleased that President Obama signed our legislation to federally ban plastic microbeads in personal care products,” Gillibrand said in a statement today. “This new law gives us a powerful new tool in our efforts to clean up New York’s waterways. These tiny pieces of plastic have the potential to cause serious ecological damage, hurt our fishing and tourism industries, and they have already polluted our drinking water supply. By removing products containing plastic microbeads from the marketplace, we can now begin to focus on cleaning up the mess they caused.”
The plastic microbeads could have a devastating effect on the state’s fish populations, hurting the commercial and recreational fishing industries, tourism industry, and the general economic wellbeing of the state’s coastal communities.
The states of Illinois, Connecticut and California have already banned plastic microbeads in consumer products, with legislation being considered in several other states, including New York.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 December 2015 at 12:00 am
ALABAMA – The state is releasing the first $5 million of the $33 million approved in the 2014-15 state budget to develop infrastructure for the STAMP site in the Town of Alabama in Genesee County.
1366 Technologies will be the first tenant at the 1,250-acre Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park, just south of the Orleans County border. The company made the announcement, committing to the Genesee County site on Oct. 7 with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
1366 Technologies, a manufacturer of technologies for the solar energy industry, will establish its first large commercial Direct Wafer production plant and expects to hire 600 people initially at STAMP, which could grow to 1,000 local employees.
The company is working with engineers on its building, and will also need to secure approvals from the Alabama town officials. The company expects to break ground in 2016 and begin manufacturing in 2017, said Earl Wells, a spokesman for the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
Empire State Development today announced the $5 million for STAMP. The money will be used by the GCEDC for the cost of land acquisition, engineering, and soft costs related to infrastructure development for 1366 Technologies.
Wells said additional state funds should be released as the construction and infrastructure work moves along.
Empire State Development said today that the company chose the STAMP site out of 300 possible locations due to the site’s positive momentum and commitment to growing manufacturing interests. The project will be completed in August 2016 and aligns with the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council’s plan for advanced technology and manufacturing, Empire State Development said in a news release.
The New York Power Authority also voted on Dec. 17 to allocate 8.5 megawatts of low-cost electricity to 1366 Technologies through the state’s ReCharge NY program.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Monday’s year-end meeting for the Yates Town Board was the last meeting for Town Clerk Brenda Donald, who is retiring, and John Belson, the town supervisor. Belson lost a close election in November to Jim Simon. Donald and Belson were both thanked for their service on Monday by the Yates Town Board.
(Editor’s Note: This article was updated from an earlier version that stated Somerset hired GHD Services LLC for engineering work. The town has instead hired Wendel for work reviewing the Lighthouse Wind project.)
YATES – The Yates Town Board has retained a Buffalo law firm and also an engineering company to review the preliminary scoping statement from Apex Clean Energy’s wind turbine project and also help the town prepare comments for the New York State Public Service Commission.
The town plans to use intervenor funds from Apex to pay for the legal and engineering services.
The Public Service Commission required Apex to set aside $70,350 for municipalities and citizens’ groups to hire consultants to help review the PSS. That money represents $350 for every proposed megawatt in the project.
Apex wants to build a 201-megawatt wind turbine project in the towns of Somerset and Yates.
If Apex proceeds with the project to a final application stage, it needs to provide another $1,000 per megawatt or $201,000 for the community to review the document and comment on the studies from Apex.
Yates on Monday voted to hire Hodgson Russ in Buffalo and GHD Services LLC, an engineering firm with a Buffalo office. GHD has experience reviewing large-scale wind energy projects.
Yates wants to use intervenor funds to cover the expense for the work by Hodgson Russ and GHD.
The Public Service Commission set up the intervenor funds to be split 50 percent by a local government where the project is planned, and the other half for citizens’ groups.
Dan Spitzer, an attorney with Hodgson Russ, is asking the PSC on behalf of Yates to set aside 75 percent of the $70,350 for the local governments. The Apex project, Lighthouse Wind, covers two towns in two different counties.
Spitzer said during Monday’s Town Board meeting that the two towns are clearly taking the lead in reviewing the 125-page preliminary scoping statement from Apex.
Spitzer requested that the 75 percent or $52,762.50 be split in half for the two towns with Somerset and Yates each receiving $26,381.25. That would leave 25 percent of the intervenor funds, or $17,587.50, for other local parties or citizen’s groups to participate in hiring experts for the review.
Spitzer said Yates and Somerset will try to coordinate the review as much as possible to stretch out the dollars for the two towns.
Spitzer, in a Dec. 28 letter to the PSC, said Yates didn’t budget for the expense of hiring experts and also is under the 2 percent property tax cap. (Click here to see submissions to the PSC.)
“We really don’t want to see taxpayers pay for a private application,” Spitzer said during Monday’s board meeting.
The PSC has set a Jan. 12 deadline for comments on the Apex preliminary scoping statement. The Town Board moved to hire Hodgson Russ and GHD in order to meet the PSC deadline.
Hodgson Russ attorneys Daniel A. Spitzer will be paid $270 per hour and Charles W. Malcomb, $265 per hour, for their work on the PSS. GHD engineers will be paid the following per hour: Camie Jarrell, $141; Dave Britton, $177; and Robert Adams, $187.
Two incoming members of the Yates Town Board, John Riggi and Town Supervisor-elect Jim Simon, will take office Jan. 1. They said after Monday’s meeting the outgoing Town Board should have refrained from hiring Hodgson Russ and GHD until the new board was in office.
Simon said there still would have been time to meet the Jan. 12 deadline for comments by waiting to hire consultants next week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 December 2015 at 12:00 am
‘They never came to us and asked our feelings’
Photo by Tom Rivers – State Sen. Robert Ortt attends a meeting at the Barker Fire Hall on Dec. 7 attended by about 200 people. Ortt told that group he would work to defeat a proposed wind turbine project in the towns of Yates and Somerset.
YATES – A Yates town official says he is “really disappointed” with recent public declarations from elected officials against the Lighthouse Wind project.
Wes Bradley, a Yates town councilman, said county legislators, a state senator and congressman did not reach out to Yates officials about the project before making their public comments, denouncing the project. Apex Clean Energy wants to build up to 71 large-scale wind turbines in the two towns.
Bradley said this morning during a Yates year-end meeting that he is most disappointed with the Orleans County Legislature, which voted on Dec. 16 to oppose the project.
Legislators on Aug. 27 said they would hold off on a public stance on the project until after a town-wide wind survey. The wind survey results were presented this morning, with 66 percent of the respondents saying they oppose the project.
“They couldn’t wait 12 days,” Bradley said about legislators and their vote. “They never came to us and asked our feelings.”
County legislators said on Dec. 16 they wanted to get on the record with the Public Service Commission. The deadline for comments was Jan. 6, but was extended on Dec. 16 until Jan. 12.
Legislators said they have heard “the voice of the people” and want to state the county’s opposition to the project to the PSC. Legislators opposed the project that they said would “place commercial wind turbines within this quaint, beautiful Town of Yates,” according to the county resolution.
The Legislature also opposed the state’s Article 10 law, which gives the state the power to site the turbines, not the local government leaders.
Bradley said the Legislature’s talk about “home rule” through Article 10 is “lip service.”
Brad Bentley, a Yates town councilman, also said he was disappointed to see the Legislature come out against the project while it’s in the preliminary scoping stage. All of the studies haven’t been done and Apex Clean Energy hasn’t disclosed the locations and size of the turbines.
“I take issue with the county,” Bentley said. “It seems they want home rule but that’s quite a lot of hypocrisy.”
State Sen. Robert Ortt and Congressman Chris Collins also came out publicly against the proposed Lighthouse Wind project, where the turbines could peak at about 600 feet high.
Ortt was the first to say he opposes the project and will work to defeat it.
“My focus will be to kill the project,” Ortt told about 200 people at a meeting on Dec. 7.
That meeting was organized by Save Ontario Shores, a citizen group opposed to the project by Apex Clean Energy.
“Sen. Ortt has never spoken to us,” Bradley said. “He never asked us our opinion.”
The next day after Ortt’s comments, U.S. Rep. Chris Collins sent a letter to the Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration officials expressing concern over the wind turbine project along the Lake Ontario shoreline.
Collins said the project could jeopardize 3,000 jobs at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station military operating area.
“Protecting the military missions and jobs supported by the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) is my main priority,” Collins said in a news release on Dec. 9. “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.”
Bradley said Yates officials were never contacted by Collins and his staff about the issue.
“He never spoke to us and got our input,” Bradley said. “They all made these statements without ever talking to us.”
Taylor Quarles, the development manager for Lighthouse Wind, issued a statement today after the wind survey results were announced. Quarles said the full application hasn’t been submitted. He thanked the Yates Town Board for refraining from judging the project in its early stages.
“The Yates Town Board has taken a very responsible approach in waiting to take a position until all of the relevant information has been collected and submitted as part of the application process, and we encourage others to follow its lead,” Quarles said.
ALBION – The Albion Police Department has made an arrest following the investigation of several suspicious conditions that occurred in the early morning hours on Dec. 24.
Several commercial properties, businesses and homes on West Avenue and other locations in the Village of Albion had the outside phone lines, cable lines, camera systems, security systems and water meter lines disabled or otherwise tampered with.
Tracy A. Damico, 51, of 3309 Brown Rd., Albion, was arrested in connection with the damage and tampering of the above listed property. The investigation indicated that Damico targeted the location in retaliation to individuals and business that he felt “wronged him.”
Damico was charged with three counts of criminal tampering in the first degree, one count of criminal mischief in the third degree, and three counts of criminal mischief in the fourth degree.
He was remanded to Orleans County Jail on $10,000 bail. He is to return to Town Court on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 December 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Wes Bradley, a Yates town councilman, discusses a town-wide survey on a proposed wind project. There were 1,187 respondents and two thirds said they opposed Lighthouse Wind. Brad Bentley is next to Bradley during this morning’s Town Board meeting.
YATES – The survey results are in and about two thirds of the 1,187 respondents said they oppose the proposed Lighthouse Wind project by Apex Clean Energy.
That company has submitted a preliminary scoping document to the state Public Service Commission. The company says it wants to build up to 71 large-scale wind turbines in Yates and Somerset.
Yates residents, in a survey mailed just before Thanksgiving, were asked 10 questions, including, “Based on your knowledge of Lighthouse Wind, are you in favor of or opposed to this project at this time?”
There were 770 respondents or 65.59 percent who said they oppose it, 353 or 30.07 percent who support it, and 51 or 4.34 with no opinion.
The survey was mailed to 2,608 registered and non-registered voters. The 1,187 returns represents a 46.57 percent participation rate, which town officials this morning said they were pleased with.
The results will be submitted to the state Public Service Commission. Wes Bradley, a Yates town councilman, worked on the survey with a representative from both Apex Clean Energy and Save Ontario Shores, a citizens group opposed to Lighthouse Wind.
The results are similar to a town-wide survey in Somerset in June. Somerset town officials mailed about 1,100 surveys and 644, or nearly 60 percent were returned.
The Somerset survey showed 61 percent “strongly oppose” the project while 17 percent “strongly support” it. Another 6 percent said they “moderately oppose” it while 12 percent “moderately support” the project.
Save Ontario Shores also did a survey in October, sending out 1,235 to Yates property owners with 421 surveys returned. Of the respondents, 77.9 percent of Yates property owners say they oppose the project.
The percentage of opposition fell by nearly 12 percent in the Yates town survey. Taylor Quarles, the project manager for Apex, said there is growing support for the project in the community.
The company will work to address residents’ and community concerns about the project, and will offer more specifics about size and location of the turbines in the next document on environmental impacts, Quarles said. The preliminary scoping document is intended to identify concerns that need further study, he said.
The Public Service Commission set a Jan. 12 deadline for comments on the preliminary scoping document. Dan Spitzer, an attorney for the town, said the review is a “process” with input from the town and community. There will also be opportunities to comment on the Apex application if the company proceeds after the preliminary stage.
Quarles said Apex would like to submit the next stage of the application in the summer, and then work with the community and state officials to address any concerns with the turbines.
Jim Simon, the town supervisor-elect, said the town survey is additional validation of strong opposition from residents to the project. He said Apex should not proceed with the effort given the limited support.
Here are the 10 questions residents were asked to answer on the survey and their responses:
1) Many topics are currently being studied regarding Lighthouse Wind. These proposed wind turbines would change the appearance of the landscape within the town. Do you have a concern about this?
Yes – 793 (66.92%), No – 365 (30.80%), No Opinion – 27 (2.28%)
2) As currently proposed, the electricity from this project would be delivered into the New York State electrical grid. Should the Town of Yates attempt to negotiate a separate agreement with electric suppliers for more favorable rates?
Yes – 840 (74.53%), No – 133 (11.80%), No Opinion – 154 (13.66%)
3) If Apex eventually seeks a PILOT (Payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) from COIDA (County of Orleans Industrial Development Agency), should this be granted?
Yes- 307 (26.84%), No – 654 (57.17%), No Opinion – 183 (16.00%)
4) In 2015, the Town of Yates tax levy was $852,205. What percentage of decrease in the Town of Yates tax levy would you like to see come from this project? Circle one answer.
6) Taking into consideration requirements of the Article 10 review process, do you feel the study of health issues is important?
Yes – 909 (77.69%), No – 208 (17.78%), No Opinion – 53 (4.53%)
7) Taking into consideration requirements of the Article 10 review process, do you feel the study of wildlife issues is important?
Yes – 891 (76.02%), No – 247 (21.08%), No Opinion – 34 (2.90%)
8) Taking into consideration requirements of the Article 10 review process, do you feel the study of possible effects on the operations at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is important?
Yes – 822 (70.26%), No – 260 (22.22 %), No Opinion – 88 (7.52%)
9) Do you feel New York State’s “Reforming Energy Vision” is an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Yes – 350 (30.54%), No – 516 (45.03%), No Opinion – 280 (24.43%)
10) Based on your knowledge of Lighthouse Wind, are you in favor or opposed to this project at this time?
